cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Altered photoreceptor metabolism in mouse causes late stage age-related macular degeneration-like pathologies

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. While the histopathology of the different disease stages is well characterized, the cause underlying the progression, from the early drusen stage to the advanced macular degeneration stage that leads to blindness, remains unknown. Here, we show that photoreceptors (PRs) of diseased individuals display increased expression of two key glycolytic genes, suggestive of a glucose shortage during disease. Mimicking aspects of this metabolic profile in PRs of wild-type mice by activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) caused early drusen-like pathologies, as well as advanced AMD-like pathologies. Mice with activated mTORC1 in PRs also displayed other early disease features, such as a delay in photoreceptor outer segment (POS) clearance and accumulation of lipofuscin in the retinal-pigmented epithelium (RPE) and of lipoproteins at the Bruch's membrane (BrM), as well as changes in complement accumulation. Interestingly, formation of drusen-like deposits was dependent on activation of mTORC1 in cones. Both major types of advanced AMD pathologies, including geographic atrophy (GA) and neovascular pathologies, were also seen. Finally, activated mTORC1 in PRs resulted in a threefold reduction in di-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-containing phospholipid species. Feeding mice a DHA-enriched diet alleviated most pathologies. The data recapitulate many aspects of the human disease, suggesting that metabolic adaptations in photoreceptors could contribute to disease progression in AMD. Identifying the changes downstream of mTORC1 that lead to advanced pathologies in mouse might present new opportunities to study the role of PRs in AMD pathogenesis.
Improved strategy to collect sensitive data by using negative binomial and negative hypergeometric distribution as randomization devices

In this paper, we improve upon the negative binomial randomized response model by implementing a two-stage randomization process. Using the modified estimator of the proportion of members of a popu...
Database, Features, and Machine Learning Model to Identify Thermally Driven Metal-Insulator Transition Compounds

Metal-insulator transition (MIT) compounds are materials that may exhibit insulating or metallic behavior, depending on the physical conditions, and are of immense fundamental interest owing to their potential applications in emerging microelectronics. There is a dearth of thermally-driven MIT materials, however, which makes delineating these compounds from those that are exclusively insulating or metallic challenging. Here we report a material database comprising temperature-controlled MITs (and metals and insulators with similar chemical composition and stoichiometries to the MIT compounds) from high quality experimental literature, built through a combination of materials-domain knowledge and natural language processing. We featurize the dataset using compositional, structural, and energetic descriptors, including two MIT relevant energy scales, an estimated Hubbard interaction and the charge transfer energy, as well as the structure-bond-stress metric referred to as the global-instability index (GII). We then perform supervised classification, constructing three electronic-state classifiers: metal vs non-metal (M), insulator vs non-insulator (I), and MIT vs non-MIT (T). We identify two important descriptors that separate metals, insulators, and MIT materials in a 2D feature space: the average deviation of the covalent radius and the range of the Mendeleev number. We further elaborate on other important features (GII and Ewald energy), and examine how they affect classification of binary vanadium and titanium oxides. We discuss the relationship of these atomic features to the physical interactions underlying MITs in the rare-earth nickelate family. Last, we implement an online version of the classifiers, enabling quick probabilistic class predictions by uploading a crystallographic structure file.
New or Used? Investment with Credit Constraints

Abstract Used capital is cheap up front but requires higher maintenance payments later on. We argue that the timing of these investment cash outflows makes used capital attractive to financially constrained firms, since it is cheap when evaluated using their discount factor. In contrast, it may be expensive from the vantage point of an unconstrained agent. We provide an overlapping generations model and determine the price of used capital in equilibrium. Agents with less internal funds are more credit constrained, invest in used capital, and start smaller firms. Empirically, we find that the fraction of investment in used capital is substantially higher for small firms and varies significantly with measures of financial constraints.
The hand therapist's role in the prevention and management of upper extemity injuries in the modern mass production industrial setting.

Abstract Background This case study presents the role of an onsite hand therapist (Certified Hand Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist) in an industrial setting and the services that can be provided in this comprehensive care model. Onsite hand therapists can impact on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) first aid programs and can provide state of the art treatment for the injured worker in both a direct and indirect capacity. Purpose The purpose of this case study article is to review the many potential services the hand therapist can offer to facilitate the return-to-work of injured employees and provide employers with a proactive case management and state-of-the-art ergonomic prevention, improving profit margins and facilitating safe work environments. Study Design A Case Study design demonstrating the diverse and positive impact of hand therapy on the mass production industrial setting. Methods Novel to this approach is a description of outcome instruments (QuickDASH) administered in a periodic manner to understand the trajectory of change in patient-level disability throughout the rehabilitation process. The Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome (OSPRO-YF) is utilized to help predict the functional outcome for the injured worker. Case studies on common upper extremity pathologies will be discussed, demonstrating the benefits of onsite hand therapy with enhanced treatment and case management. Results The utilization of the QuickDASH and the OSPRO-YF creates a process to determine the progression of injured workers in therapy, the trajectory of change in patient-level disability and to observe when changes occurred. An example of the periodic assessment approach is described in a case study to identify when the most significant change occurred and creating a mechanism to determine if patients were progressing as expected. Conclusions Inherent in this case study process is a fluidity in which the therapist can monitor patient progress and adjust the rehabilitation process that benefits both the patient and the industrial setting. A hierarchical functional level system is presented to describe an appropriate intervention strategy to coincide with a patient's progression of wound healing which can be provided by a hand therapist with specialized knowledge.
Copper-Binding Small Molecule Induces Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Arrest in Glioblastoma-Patient-Derived Cells

Transition metals are essential, but deregulation of their metabolism causes toxicity. Here, we report that the compound NSC319726 binds copper to induce oxidative stress and arrest glioblastoma-patient-derived cells at picomolar concentrations. Pharmacogenomic analysis suggested that NSC319726 and 65 other structural analogs exhibit lethality through metal binding. Although NSC319726 has been reported to function as a zinc ionophore, we report here that this compound binds to copper to arrest cell growth. We generated and validated pharmacogenomic predictions: copper toxicity was substantially inhibited by hypoxia, through a HIF-1α-dependent pathway; copper-bound NSC319726 induced the generation of reactive oxygen species and depletion of purine deoxyribonucleosides, resulting in cell cycle arrest. These results suggest that metal-induced DNA damage may be a consequence of exposure to some xenobiotics, therapeutic agents, as well as other causes of copper dysregulation, and reveal a new potent mechanism for targeting glioblastomas.
Teachers’ perceptions and practices of translanguaging for emergent bilinguals in U.S. multilingualclassrooms

Abstract Building on the framework of translanguaging both as individuals’ flexible language practices and classroom pedagogy, this article reports on a case study that examined perceptions and practices of pedagogical translanguaging among a group of teachers from elementary school classrooms with emergent bilingual learners in a Mid-Atlantic U.S. school district. The analysis shows a range of transformations in the teachers’ perceptions and practices as well as their perceived and structural challenges in implementing pedagogical translanguaging for content-integrated literacy instruction. The findings point towards the complexity of pedagogical translanguaging in superdiverse classrooms and address the need for expanded empirical research on pedagogical translanguaging.
Programmed +1 Frameshifting

Subtle differences among mRNA sequences, interacting in unpredicted ways with elements of the translational apparatus, generate the continuum of potential translational frameshift sites, most of which are so inefficient as to be undetectable, but some of which either constitutively promote detectable frameshift events or can be induced to promote such events under special circumstances. One might not necessarily predict that there would be certain sites which promote frameshifting with very high efficiencies. Nonetheless, certain genes have evolved to include sites which promote frameshifting at efficiencies approaching 100%. Because these sites encode alternative proteins with distinct functions and, therefore, appear to have evolved specifically to allow their expression, these sites are different in kind from the sites discussed in chapter 3. However, detailed analysis of the many programmed frameshift sites which have been characterized in the last decade suggest that they often differ little from the spontaneous frameshifts except for their efficiency. What differs between these sites and the spontaneous sites is that they have evolved more elaborate mechanisms to enhance the frequency of spontaneous frameshift errors. Understanding the function of programmed frameshift sites means understanding the ways in which these sites amplify the normally very low level of frameshifting errors to achieve the high levels of expression required in the systems in which they occur.
Death by mental retardation? The influence of ambiguity on death certificate coding error for adults with intellectual disability.

Background Although the coding of mental retardation as underlying cause of death has been recognised by previous researchers as erroneous, factors influencing this inaccuracy have not been sufficiently analysed.This study explores the effects of diagnostic ambiguity on risk of mental retardation being coded as underlying cause of death on US death certificates from 2004. Methods Utilising all US death certificates from 2004 that included a cause of death code for mental retardation, logistic regression analysis provided estimates of the likelihood of having mental retardation erroneously coded as the underlying cause of death. Estimators used to measure ambiguity included the number of multiple causes of death, the place of death, and ICD-10 diagnostic Chapter codes. Results A total of 2278 US death certificates from 2004 included a cause of death code for mental retardation. Of these death certificates, 20% erroneously coded mental retardation as the underlying cause of death. Reflecting the negative impact of diagnostic ambiguity on death certificate coding accuracy, mental retardation was more likely to be coded as underlying cause of death for decedents who: (1) had a death certificate that provided less information on co-morbid disease processes; (2) died in an outpatient or emergency room setting; or (3) had either abnormal symptomatology or death by injury, accident or other external cause. Conclusions Findings from this study, as well as prior research, demonstrate that attempts to understand mortality trends for this population must attend to frequent underlying cause of death coding errors which threaten accuracy of cause of death data. Furthermore, inquiry is warranted into the impetus behind US death certificate coding policy that continues to allow the erroneous coding of ‘death by mental retardation’.
Money illusion and inflation management in tourism: The hotel industry case

Abstract Using regression analysis, this study examines the relationship between inflation, room rates, capacity utilization, and profitability in the hotel industry. The results show that room rates and nominal profits have been strongly related to inflation while occupancy rates and real profits have been independent of inflation over the twenty year period examined. Findings suggest general absence of money illusion implying effective inflation management policies.
Introduction to Simulation

This chapter presents the general concepts for modeling systems and simulation with Java. The chapter also explains basic performance modeling and the most common performance measures of interest that can be estimated through modeling. Simulation modeling as a means to produce the appropriate performance measures as output according to the workload is also discussed.
Test-retest stability of the WAIS-R in a clinical sample

This study assessed WAIS-R test-retest stability for a sample of 21 psychiatric and neurological patients. The test-retest interval ranged from 2 weeks to 144 weeks, with a mean of 38 weeks. Subtest stability coefficients were highly significant; only Similarities, r(19) = .45, p less than .05, fell below a correlation of .74. The Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs yielded highly significant stability coefficients (.79, .88, and .86). Nevertheless, the range of gain or loss for any single individual was comparatively large. On the Full Scale IQ, 18 of 21 (86%) subjects showed changes of 3 points or more, and 8 of 21 (38%) actually changed IQ classifications. Gain or loss in total score was unrelated to initial level of brightness on the Full Scale, age at initial testing, or days between examinations. Conversely, gain or loss on the Full Scale was associated strongly with years of education, r(19) = .55, p less than .01. When the sample was divided into brain-damaged and psychiatric subgroups, the difference in retest gain on the Full Scale IQ was nonsignificant.
Evaluation of stability and capsular bag opacification of a new foldable adjustable intraocular lens.

Background Incorrect lens power remains one of the most common reasons for intraocular lens explantation/exchange. We evaluated stability and effect on capsular bag opacification of a new foldable modular lens system, with a base component and an optic component in rabbit eyes. Methods Bilateral phacoemulsification was performed on six rabbits; one eye received the test lens (Harmoni Modular Lens, ClarVista Medical), whereas the other received a single-piece hydrophobic acrylic control lens (SA60AT, Alcon). Slit-lamp examinations were performed at postoperative weeks 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. All rabbits were sacrificed at week 6. After enucleation, the eyes were examined grossly from the Miyake–Apple view. Following, all globes were sectioned and processed for histopathological examination. Results The modular lens was stable in all six rabbits. Uveal biocompatibility was similar to or better in the test eyes when compared with control eyes up to 6 weeks postoperatively. Overall, capsular bag opacification was found to be significantly lower in the test eyes when compared with control eyes. At the 6-week gross examination, central posterior capsule opacification was scored as 0.58 ± 0.73 in the test group, and as 3.00 ± 1.26 in the control group (paired two samples for means t-test; two-tail P = 0.005). Conclusions The Harmoni Modular system remains stable within the capsular bag after implantation. Due to the design of the base component featuring long loops, along with peripheral anterior and posterior square edges, the lens appeared to prevent overall capsular bag opacification in the rabbit model.
SNR characterization of Mesoscopic Fluorescence Molecular Tomography with EMCCD camera

Progress in bio-printing techniques has accentuated the need for non-invasive imaging modalities with high sensitivity, high resolution, and imaging depth of a few millimeters. Mesoscopic Fluorescence Molecular Tomography (MFMT) is a promising imaging modality for 3D localization and quantification of fluorescent labeled cells in thick scaffolds. Here we report on the characterization of our second generation MFMT system which uses an Electron-Multiplying charge coupled device (EMCCD). More precisely, we report on the effects of EM gain and deep cooling of the camera on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and hence the sensitivity. Experimental results showed that these parameters, when used in conjunction, increased SNR by at least 3 fold.
Applications of pressure perturbation calorimetry to study factors contributing to the volume changes upon protein unfolding.

Abstract Background Pressure perturbation calorimetry (PPC) is a biophysical method that allows direct determination of the volume changes upon conformational transitions in macromolecules. Scope of this review This review provides novel details of the use of PPC to analyze unfolding transitions in proteins. The emphasis is made on the data analysis as well as on the validation of different structural factors that define the volume changes upon unfolding. Four case studies are presented that show the application of these concepts to various protein systems. Major conclusions The major conclusions are: 1. Knowledge of the thermodynamic parameters for heat induced unfolding facilitates the analysis of the PPC profiles. 2. The changes in the thermal expansion coefficient upon unfolding appear to be temperature dependent. 3. Substitutions on the protein surface have negligible effects on the volume changes upon protein unfolding. 4. Structural plasticity of proteins defines the position dependent effect of amino acid substitutions of the residues buried in the native state. 5. Small proteins have positive volume changes upon unfolding which suggests difference in balance between the cavity/void volume in the native state and the hydration volume changes upon unfolding as compared to the large proteins that have negative volume changes. General significance The information provided here gives a better understanding and deeper insight into the role played by various factors in defining the volume changes upon protein unfolding. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Microcalorimetry in the BioSciences — Principles and Applications, edited by Fadi Bou-Abdallah.
Multiresidue Recovery at PPB Levels of 10 Nitrosamines from Frankfurters by Supercritical Fluid Extraction

The design of a laboratory-assembled supercritical fluid extractor is described for the efficient recovery of volatile nitrosamines from a common-cured meat product, frankfurters. The principal feature of the apparatus was a newly designed restrictor-collector interface where a commercial solid-phase extraction cartridge was directly attached to the micrometering valve. This reduced the path length between the discharge tube and the 1 g silica gel sorbent bed. The elapsed time for each 2.5 g sample extraction with supercritical CO2 was 17 min. The nitrosamines were separated and detected using a gas-chromatographic chemiluminescence (Thermal Energy Analyzer, Thermedics, Inc.; Woburn, MA) system. Recovery of 10 volatile aliphatic and alicyclic nitrosamines from frankfurters, fortified at the 20 ppb level, ranged from 84.3 to 104.8% with relative standard deviation of 2.34 to 6.13%.
AUTOPASS: an automatic programming system for computer controlled mechanical assembly

This paper describes an experimental very high level programming system for computer controlled mechanical assembly. AUTOPASS (AuTomated Parts Assembly System). The AUTOPASS language is oriented towards objects and assembly operations, rather than motions of mechanical assembly machines. It is intended to enable the user to concentrate on the overall assembly sequence and to program with English-like statements using names and terminology that are familiar to him. To relate assembly operations to manipulator motions, the AUTOPASS compiler uses an internal representation of the assembly world. This representation consists of a geometric data base generated prior to compilation and updated during compilation; it thus represents the state of the world at each assembly step. The level of the language has been chosen to provide a high degree of assistance to the user without the system's having to perform artificial intelligence type problem solving operations.
Dielectric Relaxations in Additively Colored KCl and KCl: Sr Cl 2 Crystals

The dielectric relaxation of additively colored alkali halides has been investigated by means of thermocurrents (TC) and optical-absorption measurements. In addition to the TC bands present in noncolored KCl crystals, several new bands have been found when $F$ centers were partially converted to other centers such as ${F}^{\ensuremath{'}}$, $M$, $N$, $R$, ${Z}_{1}$, ${Z}_{2}$, and ${Z}_{3}$ by $F$-light irradiation at various temperatures. These additional TC bands were found to be due to the migration of electrons rather than to the orientation of ionic dipoles. These electrons may presumably be trapped at various sites in colored crystals and are thermally and optically liberated. In the particular case of the ${Z}_{2}$ centers, which can be obtained only in crystals containing metallic divalent impurities, the TC and the field-induced dicroism measurements did not provide any evidence for the existence of an electric dipole moment of the ${Z}_{2}$ center itself. The very intense dielectric losses measured in crystals containing ${Z}_{2}$ centers could be identified with the additional TC bands due to the migration of electrons. Quantitative measurements of the impurity-vacancy dipoles (IV) concentration in KCl: Sr${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$ crystals indicate that the growth of the ${Z}_{2}$ centers is accompanied by a decrease of the IV band. The proportionality constant between the number of ${Z}_{2}$ centers created and the number of IV dipoles destroyed during the $F\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{Z}_{2}$ conversion was slightly more than 3. These results support a model for the ${Z}_{2}$ center having spherical symmetry and suggest that the process of formation of the ${Z}_{2}$ centers is closely related to the association of IV dipoles into trimers.
Retrograde cross-pinning of transverse metacarpal and phalangeal fractures

Summary Six different techniques of Kirschner wire fixation are compared in experimental transverse diaphyseal fractures of metacarpals and phalanges. Open retrograde cross-pinning provides a relatively simple means of obtaining consistently accurate pin placement with maximal stability. The technique is described, and the use of a preview pin and hypodermic needle guide are introduced. The indications, advantages, potential complications and clinical application are discussed.
Enzymatic reduction of 5-phenyl-4-pentenyl-hydroperoxide: Detection of peroxidases and identification of peroxidase reducing substrates

Abstract 5-Phenyl-4-pentenyl-hydroperoxide (PPHP) is reduced to 5-phenyl-4-pentenyl-alcohol (PPA) by plant and animal peroxidases in the presence of reducing substrates. PPHP and PPA are rapidly isolated with solid phase extraction, separated by isocratic reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and quantitated with a fixed-wavelength ultraviolet detector. The procedure described is suitable for detecting peroxide-reducing enzymes, determining the kinetic properties of heme- and non-heme-containing peroxidases, and evaluating oxidizable compounds as reducing substrates for peroxidases. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and phenol reduce PPHP with a K m for phenol of 252 μM and a turnover number of 1.05 × 10 4 min −1 . Under similar conditions, the K m of HRP for PPHP is 18 μM in the oxidation of guaiacol. A series of 21 compounds was evaluated for the ability to serve as reducing substrates for HRP. The results indicate that the procedure described can not only identify compounds that are reducing substrates but also rank them for relative activity. This may provide a new method with which to identify novel antithrombotic, antimetastatic, or anti-inflammatory drugs as well as to detect and characterize mammalian peroxidases.
Phenolic ultracytochemistry of tobacco cells undergoing the hypersensitive reaction to Pseudomonas solanacearum

Tobacco leaf tissue was injected with avirulent (Bl) and virulent (K60) strains of Pseudomonas solanacearum. Avirulent bacteria induced a hypersensitive reaction (HR), whereas virulent bacteria caused a susceptible response. Ultracytochemical methods for localization of phenolics and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) over a 30-h period after inoculation showed cytoplasmic phenolic deposition at 10 h followed by PPO at 20 h during the HR. Polyphenol-oxidase was localized primarily in the grana of chloroplasts, but also occurred in the cytoplasm and in vesicles found between the plasmalemma and cell wall. Virulent bacteria caused only small increases in phenolic deposition and little observable PPO during the 30 h following inoculation.
Effects of retention interval and modality on sensory and semantic trace information

Subjects studied a long list of individual words that were presented either visually or auditorily. Recall was tested immediately or after a filled delay by using either word endings or taxonomic categories as extralist retrieval cues. Two interactions were of particular interest. First, word ending cues were just as effective as taxonomic cues on the immediate test. On the delayed test, however, ending cues were less effective. This result suggests that sensory information encoded about a word decays at a faster rate than semantic information. Second, although modality had no observable influence on the taxonomic cues, word ending cues were more effective when all items were shown visually than when they were presented auditorily. Taken together, these findings indicate that the visual features of words are encoded at study and that this information can be accessed during test if it is recapitulated by the retrieval cue shortly after acquisition.
Beyond organic: Consumer interest in new labelling schemes in the Central Coast of California

Producers are interested in developing labelling schemes that go ‘beyond organic’ to address ethical criteria not included the US Department of Agriculture organic standards. However, consumer interests in labels that are not as widely available as organic in the market are poorly understood. This study reports results of focus-group research and a survey of 1000 households in the Central Coast region of California to determine which standards consumers are most interested in supporting through their purchases. The results indicate that standards for the humane treatment of animals have the highest level of support, followed by a standard for local origin, and for a living wage for workers involved in producing food. Logistic regression analysis suggests that humane is more likely to be chosen by women, European-Americans, younger people and frequent organic purchasers. Locally grown was preferred by older people and households with children. A living wage for workers involved in food production was selected more often by Latinos. Although a characterization of trends is not possible due to a cross-sectional design, the results suggest some potential directions for producers in this region who are willing to supply unmet consumer demands for ethical criteria. There are three basic directions that new and emerging labels may take with respect to US national organic standards: (1) separate from organic; (2) institutionally separate, but tightly integrated with organic; and (3) intended to supplant organic. The success of each of these strategies will depend on how much trust consumers continue to place in government oversight of organic food. The study results also suggest that the movement for a more sustainable food system would benefit from devoting more attention to issues of animal rights and social justice.
Solute segregation and intergranular fracture in steels: a status report☆

Abstract A great deal of progress has been made recently in the understanding of impurity-induced intergranular embrittlement of alloy steels. A technique has been developed for calculating the transition temperature as a function of the hardness and grain size of the steel and the Auger peak height ratio due to metalloid elements, measured on a partly intergranular fracture surface. The effects of most of the major alloy elements on impurity segregation are now understood, as are the effects of heat treatments which allow the formation of alloy carbides. The effects of antimony and tin segregation on intergranular strength have been measured directly by a newly developed method. The problems remaining before an atomistic understanding of the embrittlement mechanism can be achieved are discussed. These include the calculation of the cohesive energy of iron as a function of the solute concentration, and modeling of the dislocation emission at the tip of a propagating brittle crack.
Gender Differences among Sagittal Plane Knee Kinematic and Ground Reaction Force Characteristics during a Rapid Sprint and Cut Maneuver

Abstract Women are more prone to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during cutting sports than men. The purpose of this study was to examine knee kinematic and ground reaction forces (GRF) differences between genders during cutting. Male and female athletes performed cutting trials while force platform and video data were recorded (180 Hz). Differences (p ≤ .05) were observed between groups for knee flexion at contact and GRF at maximum knee flexion. Women averaged 5.8° less flexion at contact and 1.0 N·(kg·m·s1)−1 greater GRF at maximum flexion. Knee range of motion and peak GRF variables were not significantly different, but women had greater values. Women exhibited technique characteristics believed to increase ACL injury risk, but men exhibiting similar characteristics were also observed and could also be at risk.
Theories of inflation and conformal transformation

Abstract We show that seberal different theories of inflation including R 2 , Brans-Dicke, and induced-gravity inflation are all related to generalized or power-law inflation by means of conformal transformations. These theories all involve non-standard gravity, and the use of conformal transformations allows one to obtain standard inflationary predictions such as the expansion time-scale, reheating and density perturbations in each case very simply. We also discuss the possibilities of this method to be applied to string theory.
Early stage lung cancer detection in systemic sclerosis does not portend survival benefit: a cross sectional study

Background Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue disorder associated with an increased risk of malignancy including lung cancer. Methods A single center review of all cases of lung cancer in patients with SSc was conducted. Clinical, radiographic, and detailed pathologic data was collected. Risk factors were compared with our center’s SSc Registry. Cancer characteristics were compared with the National Cancer Institute SEER Cancer Statistics (NCI SEER) data. Results 17 cases were identified; the majority were females (82%) with the lung cancers diagnosed after the onset of SSc (88%). Tobacco use was identified in 65% of cases. Serologic testing showed 50% of cases were Scl-70 positive. Twelve cases had radiographic evidence of SSc lung involvement, however only 6 had restrictive physiology on pulmonary function testing. Thirteen cases had pulmonary nodules preceding lung cancer. Thirteen of the cancers were adenocarcinoma. Ten underwent molecular mutational profiling: 2/8 had KRAS mutation and 1/10 had EGFR mutation. More of the non-small cell lung cancers were diagnosed at localized disease (56%) than in the NCI SEER database. However, 5 years survival among the stage I cases was 25% versus an expected survival of 54%. Conclusions The high proportion of adenocarcinomas seen in our study is different from that reported in the literature. Lung cancers were diagnosed at an early stage, likely due to our center’s practice of radiographic screening for SSc associated lung involvement, however this did not confer a survival advantage. A high proportion of patients who developed lung cancer had interstitial lung disease.
Overexcitabilities: A new way to think about talent?

Researchers and educators in the field of gifted education have been tantalized by the promise that Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration, with its depiction of intensities or overexcitabilities (OEs), provides a means for identifying gifted students that is different than the usual standardized tests. Thus far, most information on OEs has been provided by a questionnaire, which is made up of 21 open‐ended questions. In this study, the Overexcitability Questionnaire II (OEQII), a Likert‐type survey for addressing the OEs, was used to distinguish between typical and gifted students, and various subgroups of gifted and talented students. Results suggest that there are several differences on the OEQII's five subscales: Psychomotor, Intellectual, Imagina‐tional, Sensual, and Emotional OEs for gender groups, elementary‐ and middle‐school students, and typical and gifted students.
The distribution of vitamin BT (carnitine) throughout the animal kingdom.

Abstract A survey has been made of the carnitine levels of whole animals or single organs from a great variety of marine invertebrates and vertebrates. Carnitine has been found in all preparations. The carnitine content varies enormously between different animals and tissues and shows no correlation to the phylogenetic relationships. While a high carnitine content has been frequently found in muscles, carnitine contents from muscles of different provenience may differ very widely. Extremely large concentrations of carnitine have been found in the following preparations (expressed as μg./g. dry tissues): a sea anemone, Metridium, 5600; a worm, Arenicola, 11,500; muscles of Limulus, 8000–35,000; electric organ of Torpedo, 2000–5000; and the flight muscles of a fly, Musca, 2200. Almost all the carnitine in the flight muscles of flies occurs in the muscle fibers; the sarcosomes contain little or none. Chicks, grown under sterile conditions contain the same levels of carnitine as conventionally grown chicks. Dystrophie muscles and the liver from a vitamin E-deficient rabbit contain carnitine in amounts similar to healthy rabbits. The carnitine content of skeletal muscle of a calf suffering from muscular dystrophy is unchanged from normal. The highly active breast muscles of a bat show a carnitine content which is of the same order as that of the skeletal muscles of other mammals.
Multivalent Preference Structures.

Abstract This paper presents a valence approach for assessing multiattribute utility functions. Unlike the decomposition approach which uses independence axioms on whole attributes to obtain utility representations, the valence approach partitions the elements of each attribute into classes on the basis of equivalent conditional preference orders. These partitions generate multivalent utility independence axioms that lead to additive-multiplicative and quasi-additive representation theorems for multiaatribute utility functions defined over product sets of equivalence classes. Preference interdependencies are thereby reflected in these classes, so attribute interactions are readily interpreted and the functional forms of the representations are kept simple.
A lunar based strip search of the universe

Abstract The Moon is a superb gravity-gradient stabilized satellite from which to accomplish a wide variety of astrophysical observations. It lacks only instrumentation. We discuss the Lunar Transit Telescope (LTT) Project which proposes to place on the lunar surface simple, stationary telescopes which use the Moon as a stable platform from which to accomplish large area, high resolution surveys of the Universe over many octaves of the electromagnetic spectrum. The basic observational principle involves use of CCD detectors continuously operated in the “time-delay and integrate” (TDI) readout mode. Data, which are returned directly to Earth, can be used to address a very large set of astrophysical problems ranging from solar system to cosmological investigations.
Subjective Anxiety Measurements and Cortisol Responses in Adults Who Stutter

Anxiety, as measured by self-report inventories and salivary cortisol levels, was examined in 11 males who stutter and 11 males who do not stutter during baseline, low stress, and high stress sessions. During the high stress session salivary cortisol was significantly greater in persons who stutter than in persons who do not stutter. No significant differences were found between the two groups on the State-Anxiety Inventory, Trait-Anxiety Inventory, or the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension. Significant differences in anxiety levels among the baseline, low stress, and high stress sessions for both groups of subjects were found for the State-Anxiety Inventory. No other significant differences or relationships were found between the two groups.
Novel C-4 Heteroaryl 13-cis-Retinamide Mnk/AR Degrading Agents Inhibit Cell Proliferation and Migration and Induce Apoptosis in Human Breast and Prostate Cancer Cells and Suppress Growth of MDA-MB-231 Human Breast and CWR22Rv1 Human Prostate Tumor Xenografts in Mice

The synthesis and in vitro and in vivo antibreast and antiprostate cancers activities of novel C-4 heteroaryl 13-cis-retinamides that modulate Mnk-eIF4E and AR signaling are discussed. Modifications of the C-4 heteroaryl substituents reveal that the 1H-imidazole is essential for high anticancer activity. The most potent compounds against a variety of human breast and prostate cancer (BC/PC) cell lines were compounds 16 (VNHM-1-66), 20 (VNHM-1-81), and 22 (VNHM-1-73). In these cell lines, the compounds induce Mnk1/2 degradation to substantially suppress eIF4E phosphorylation. In PC cells, the compounds induce degradation of both full-length androgen receptor (fAR) and splice variant AR (AR-V7) to inhibit AR transcriptional activity. More importantly, VNHM-1-81 has strong in vivo antibreast and antiprostate cancer activities, while VNHM-1-73 exhibited strong in vivo antibreast cancer activity, with no apparent host toxicity. Clearly, these lead compounds are strong candidates for development for the treatments of human breast and prostate cancers.
The origin of the oblique effect examined with pattern adaptation and masking

The decreased visibility of obliquely oriented patterns as compared to horizontal or vertical ones is termed the oblique effect. The origin of the oblique effect in the chain of visual processing was examined by comparing the potency of oblique adapting gratings to the potency of horizontal ones. Oblique gratings (which were less visible but of equal physical contrast) were as powerful or more powerful than horizontal gratings as adapting stimuli. Obliquely oriented stimuli also produced a slightly stronger tilt aftereffect than stimuli near the cardinal axes. These results suggest that the diminished neural representation of oblique stimuli arises in the human cortex, rather than from impairments of sensitivity or resolution in the initial geniculo-cortical projection.
Influence of insulating films on conduction

This paper gives the results of conduction-current measurements on air-saturated transformer oil using direct voltages and both bare and coated aluminium electrodes. The coated electrodes were covered with a thin plastic insulating film and the variations studied were: (a) both electrodes bare, (b) both electrodes coated, (c) the cathode coated and the anode bare and (d) the anode coated and the cathode bare. It was noted that the magnitude of the conduction current was considerably reduced by coating either one of the electrodes or both. With bare electrodes, a region of rapid current increase with increasing voltage was always present. When only one of the electrodes was coated, the magnitude of the current was reduced by two orders of magnitude and the current/voltage characteristics showed different trends dependent on whether the cathode or the anode was the coated electrode. With a coated anode, provided that sufficient voltage was applied across the gap, the current showed a region of rapid rise with voltage, but, with a coated cathode, the current increase with voltage remained small up to the highest voltages used. An unexpected result was that, with both the electrodes coated, the region of rapid current increase reappeared. These results indicate the importance of the conditions at the electrode-liquid interfaces on the processes of generation and neutralisation of charge carriers and should contribute towards a better understanding of the conduction and breakdown mechanisms in liquid insulants. The paper concludes with a discussion observations of a mechanism which could be responsible for the experimental observations.
The computed force constants and vibrational spectra of cubane

Abstract The geometry, complete harmonic force field, and dipole moment derivatives of cubane, C 8 H 8 , have been calculated at the Hartree-Fock level using a 4–21 Gaussian basis set. The infrared and Raman spectra of cubane and four deuterated derivatives were calculated and compared with previously observed spectra. A set of five scale factors for the calculated force constants was then derived by least-squares fitting of the fundamental vibrational frequencies calculated from the scaled force field to the frequencies obtained by direct experimental measurement. The resulting scaled quantum-mechanical (SQM) force field, containing 73 unique elements, is believed to give an accurate representation of the harmonic vibrational potential of cubane. In most cases, the spectral assignments previously made from purely empirical considerations were confirmed, but a few corrections are proposed. The only major alteration is for an A 2 u mode revised to appear at 1030 cm −1 in the undeuterated molecule. Coriolis constants and approximate infrared intensities are also calculated.
Varicocele retrograde embolization with boiling contrast medium and gelatin sponges in adolescent subjects: a clinically effective therapeutic alternative.

Abstract Purpose Varicoceles occur in approximately 15% of adolescent male subjects and may impair future fertility. The present study describes a varicocele treatment technique involving percutaneous retrograde embolization with boiling hot contrast medium and gelatin sponge pledgets. Materials and Methods A retrospective review of medical records and imaging of all patients who underwent percutaneous retrograde varicocele embolization from 2005 to 2010 was performed. Pre- and postembolization symptoms, physical findings, and ultrasound findings were documented. Fifteen patients (16 embolizations) were identified, with an average age of 15.9 years (range, 12–18 y). Nine were referred because of persistent varicocele after surgical ligation. Three had grade 2 and nine had grade 3 varicoceles. Two had grade 1 varicoceles; one was painful and one was associated with poor semen quality. One varicocele was not clinically evident, but was associated with persistently decreased testicular size. Nine patients had pain or discomfort, and six had no discomfort. Clinical resolution was defined by a combination of symptom resolution and a lack of physical examination findings of varicocele or findings of treated varicocele. Results Fifteen of the 16 embolizations (94%) were technically successful. Clinical resolution was documented in 14 of 15 patients (95%); one patient experienced a recurrence at 30 months, which was successfully reembolized. One patient experienced temporary paresthesia of the left thigh. There were no major postprocedural complications. Mean follow-up duration was 11 months. Conclusions Retrograde embolization of varicoceles in adolescent subjects with the use of boiling hot contrast medium and gelatin sponges is a promising technique that appears effective.
A New Measuring Strategy for Sculptured Surfaces Using Offset Surfaces

This paper presents a new measuring strategy that can be used to inspect the quality of sculptured surfaces. For dimensional inspection of sculptured surfaces, one important issue is how to compensate the alignment error because the alignment of sculptured surface leads to significant problems. The key aspect of the method is to use probe approach direction in the Z-direction (that is, an arbitrary or uniform direction) of CAD surfaces, in constructing the measured surface, in order not to be effected by alignment error. In the proposed method, the offset surface concept is introduced to eliminate normal directional error. The method uses the probe center points instead of its surface contact points as measured data for localization. Then the surface points are calculated from the localized measured data and surface normal vectors of the offset surface. For the new measuring strategy, a practical offset surface generation algorithm and localization algorithm are developed. A measuring experiment has been performed for a sculptured surface to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Screening of intestinal microflora for effective probiotic bacteria

Increasing consumer awareness of health-promoting intestinal bacteria has fueled the addition of viable probiotic bacteria as functional ingredients in certain foods. However, to effectively market the enhanced attributes of these foods, the added probiotic bacteria need to have scientific credibility. The scientific rationale for using many of the strains of probiotic bacteria currently on the market is weak. Furthering the current understanding of what features a bacterium needs to have for effective probiotic functionality will enable the selection of strains with a more credible scientific rationale. To screen for effective strains, one must understand the microbial diversity in the intestines of healthy individuals. The advent of molecular tools has greatly enhanced our ability to accomplish this. These tools comprise genetic fingerprinting, specific probes, molecular speciation, and techniques for the in situ analysis of specific microbial groups in the intestine. This review will detail these scientific approaches and how their impact will improve criteria for selection of probiotic bacteria.
Analogue VLSI Morris-Lecar neuron

The authors have developed a silicon neuron that exhibits properties similar to those of the Morris-Lecar neuron. The Morris-Lecar model is a two-state mathematical model that possesses physiological properties similar to those of actual neurons. The circuit behaviour is analysed, based on the geometry of nullclines in state space and analytical results are compared with experimental data for a circuit implemented in a 2 /spl mu/m n-well process.