cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of genes differentially expressed in T cells following stimulation with the chemokines CXCL12 and CXCL10

Background: Chemokines are involved in many biological activities ranging from leukocyte differentiation to neuronal morphogenesis. Despite numerous reports describing chemokine function, little is known about the molecular changes induced by cytokines. Methods: We have isolated and identified by differential display analysis 182 differentially expressed cDNAs from CXCR3-transfected Jurkat T cells following treatment with CXCL12 or CXCL10. These chemokine-modulated genes were further verified using quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Results: One hundred and forty-six of the cDNAs were successfully cloned, sequenced, and identified by BLAST. Following removal of redundant and non-informative clones, seventeen mRNAs were found to be differentially expressed post treatment with either chemokine ligand with several representing known genes with established functions. Twenty-one genes were upregulated in these transfected Jurkat cells following both CXCL12 and CXCL10, four genes displayed a discordant response and seven genes were downregulated upon treatment with either chemokine. Identified genes include geminin (GEM), thioredoxin (TXN), DEAD/H box polypeptide 1 (DDX1), growth hormone inducible transmembrane protein (GHITM), and transcription elongation regulator 1 (TCERG1). Subsequent analysis of several of these genes using semiquantitative PCR and western blot analysis confirmed their differential expression post ligand treatment. Conclusions: Together, these results provide insight into chemokine-induced gene activation and identify potentially novel functions for known genes in chemokine biology.
Noise behavior of pulsed vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

We determine the pulse energy fluctuations of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers by measuring the number of photoelectrons produced when a laser pulse is incident upon a photodetector. We obtain probability distributions for the number of photoelectrons produced by the total pulse energy, as well as distributions produced by the energy in each of the two orthogonal laser polarizations. We find that the noise of the laser increases when each new laser mode comes above threshold and that the individual polarization outputs are noisier than the total output, which indicates negative correlations between the energies in the two polarizations. We also find that, while the statistics of the total output are Gaussian, this is not always true of the individual polarizations.
Herpes zoster ophthalmicus in a healthy child

A previously healthy 6-year-old male child presented in the emergency department with a 4-day history of painless erythematous-papulomacular rash that started on the left side of the forehead. The lesions became blistered and confluent, spreading to the nasal bridge and upper and lower eye lids sparing the tip of the nose …
Wafer-Level Measurement of Thermal Conductivity on Thin Films

A method suited to perform wafer-level measurements of thermal conductivity on thin films by exploiting micromachined test structures is proposed. To this purpose, a measurement procedure able to compensate for instrumental offsets and sensitivity limits typically existing in a standard wafer-level electrical instrumentation, and to eliminate the influence of heat exchange through air is applied. In order to validate the technique, measurements on different thin films of interest in thermal MEMS fabrication are presented (LPCVD polycrys-talline silicon, evaporated aluminum, LPCVD silicon oxide).
Long-term Maintenance of Exercise, Self-Efficacy, and Physiological Change in Older Adults

The present study documents the maintenance of exercise participation, self-efficacy, and physiological change in older adults at 9-month follow-up to a 5-month structured exercise program. Males and females (mean age = 54 years) completed graded exercise testing, body composition, and physical performance testing at the end of and 9 months after cessation of an exercise program. Self-efficacy assessments were also conducted prior to and following each graded exercise test and in the last week of the program. Results indicated that whereas some general reductions in physiological conditioning occurred, significant declines in physical performance and self-efficacy measures were evidenced at follow-up. However, exposure to the acute bout of physical testing increased the efficacy expectations to the point were they were no longer significantly different from postexercise program levels. Moreover, exercise self-efficacy was the only variable to significantly predict adherence to exercise during follow-up. However, previous attendance in the program, aerobic capacity, and self-efficacy all significantly discriminated between compliers and noncompliers to exercise prescription. Results are discussed with respect to the role played by acute exercise bouts in enhancing perceptions of personal efficacy in older adults and the utility of self-efficacy as a predictor of exercise behavior at various stages of the exercise process.
Microsurgical inguinal varicocelectomy with and without testicular delivery.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the effect of the delivery of testis on semen parameters, serum testosterone, and pregnancy rates after varicocelectomy, performed with and without delivery of the testis. Methods A total of 165 patients with clinically diagnosed varicoceles who underwent surgical ligation with (n = 55) or without (n = 110) testicular delivery were included in this study. Patients were followed up postoperatively at 3, 6, and 9 to 24 months. The postoperative outcome was assessed by determination of the semen parameters, testosterone level, varicocele recurrence, and pregnancy rate. Results No varicocele recurrences were clinically detectable after either surgical approach. The mean increase in motile sperm/ejaculate after varicocelectomy without testicular delivery was significant ( P P Conclusions The results of our study have shown that varicocelectomy without testicular delivery has equivalent or more beneficial effects on semen parameters without affecting varicocele recurrence rates. Delivery of the testis did not offer any beneficial effects on semen quality or pregnancy rates after varicocelectomy.
Improved GOES Sounder Coverage of Cloud-Broken Data Fields

Abstract Geostationary satellite sounder radiances have typically been averaged over several individual fields of view before the radiances are used for retrieving thermodynamic profiles or for assimilation in weather prediction models. The purpose of the averaging is to compensate for data noise. Cloudy fields of view are excluded from averaging. In areas without a sufficient number of clear fields of view, complete profiles are not retrieved. Clouds thus cause gaps in sounder coverage. This note describes an automated method to select a set of averaging areas for a given field of sounder data, such that the gaps in coverage caused by clouds are as small and as few as possible. Test results are shown, indicating that the method can provide substantially better coverage than is obtained with a commonly used method.
DUAL FUNCTIONS OF WINGLESS IN THE DROSOPHILA LEG IMAGINAL DISC

The Drosophila gene wingless is a member of the Wnt gene family, a group of genes that are involved in embryonic development and the regulation of cell proliferation. wingless encodes a secreted glycoprotein that plays a role in embryogenesis as well as in the development of adult structures. In the primordia of the adult limbs, the imaginal discs, wingless is expressed in an anterior ventral sector and is required for specification of ventral fate. Ectopic expression of low levels of Wingless in the leg discs leads to partial ventralization and outgrowths of the proximodistal axis. Wingless has thus been proposed to specify ventral fate in a concentration dependent manner (i.e., as a morphogen) and to organize the proximodistal axis. We have extended the analysis of Wingless function in the leg primordium through targeted ectopic expression. We find that Wingless has two functions in the leg disc. In the specification of ventral fate, our data indicate that Wingless does not function as a morphogen but instead appears to collaborate with other factors. In addition to its role in ventral fate specification, Wingless inhibits the commitment of dorsal cells toward a determined state and influences the regulation of proliferation. We propose a model in which Wingless achieves separate functions via spatially regulated mechanisms and discuss the significance of these functions during axial patterning and organization.
Extended use of Kinesiology Tape and Balance in Participants with Chronic Ankle Instability.

Context: Participants with chronic ankle instability (CAI) have been shown to have balance deficits related to decreased proprioception and neuromuscular control. Kinesiology tape (KT) has been proposed to have many benefits, including increased proprioception. Objective: To determine if KT can help with balance deficits associated with CAI. Design: Cohort study. Setting: Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Thirty participants with CAI were recruited for this study. Intervention(s): Balance was assessed using the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS). Participants were pretested and then randomly assigned to either the control or KT group. The participants in the KT group had 4 strips applied to the foot and lower leg and were instructed to leave the tape on until they returned for testing. All participants returned 48 hours later for another BESS assessment. The tape was then removed, and all participants returned 72 hours later to complete the final BESS assessment. Main Outcome Mea...
Elastic Fiber Organization

Elastic fibers are components of virtually all mammalian connective tissues. Elastin, the major protein component of elastic fibers, has unique elastomeric properties which provide the reversible deformability that is critical to arterial vessels, lungs and skin. Without such a property, the structural integrity and function of these tissues would be greatly impaired.
Specificity protein (Sp) transcription factors Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 are non-oncogene addiction genes in cancer cells

Specificity protein (Sp) transcription factor (TF) Sp1 is overexpressed in multiple tumors and is a negative prognostic factor for patient survival. Sp1 and also Sp3 and Sp4 are highly expressed in cancer cells and in this study, we have used results of RNA interference (RNAi) to show that the three TFs individually play a role in the growth, survival and migration/invasion of breast, kidney, pancreatic, lung and colon cancer cell lines. Moreover, tumor growth in athymic nude mice bearing L3.6pL pancreatic cancer cells as xenografts were significantly decreased in cells depleted for Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 (combined) or Sp1 alone. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) of changes in gene expression in Panc1 pancreatic cancer cells after individual knockdown of Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 demonstrates that these TFs regulate genes and pathways that correlated with the functional responses observed after knockdown but also some genes and pathways that inversely correlated with the functional responses. However, causal IPA analysis which integrates all pathway-dependent changes in all genes strongly predicted that Sp1-, Sp3- and Sp4-regulated genes were associated with the pro-oncogenic activity. These functional and genomic results coupled with overexpression of Sp transcription factors in tumor vs. non-tumor tissues and decreased Sp1 expression with age indicate that Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 are non-oncogene addiction (NOA) genes and are attractive drug targets for individual and combined cancer chemotherapies.
In-Vivo Preferential Oxidation of Ureide Carbon No. 2 of Uric Acid by Periplaneta americana

Both uric acid (UA) C14 no. 2 and UA C14 no. 8 were injected into the adult female cockroach (1.65 mg suspension in 16.5 μl vegetable oil) and the respiratory CO2 in the following 24 hr was precipitated as BaCO3, weighed, and counted at infinite thickness. American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana (L.), injected with UA C14 no. 2 and no. 8, produced an average of 5% of the injected activity in C14O2, and the UA C14 no. 2 cockroaches produced an average of 8% of the injected activity in respiratory C14O2. These results indicate a preferential oxidation of ureide carbon no. 2, assuming that equal amounts of UA were available for degradation. Paper chromatography of extracts of UA C14 no. 2-injected cockroaches (phenol, H2O saturated; tert-butanol formic acid, H2O:7:1:1) showed activity only in UA. These results are similar to xanthine degradation by Clostridium cylindrosporum where carbon no. 2 but not no. 8 came off as CO2 (Rabinowitz and Barker 1953).
Transient hypothyroidism reinitiates egg laying in turkey breeder hens: termination of photorefractoriness by propylthiouracil

Abstract A study was conducted to determine the effects of transient hypothyroidism induced by propylthiouracil (PTU) on termination of photorefractoriness and reinitiation of lay in turkey breeder hens. The PTU was given for 6- or 8-wk periods via the feed and at various doses to yearling hens that had been continuously exposed to long photoperiods [16 h light (L):8 h dark (D)] for at least 25 wk. There was a dose-dependent cessation of lay as well as deletion of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) during the treatment period. Hens receiving 0.1% PTU or more had little or no circulating thyroid hormones after 2 wk of treatment. Furthermore, resumption of a normal rate and duration of egg laying occurred following withdrawal of the PTU, without any changes in photoperiod. However, this effect only occurred in those hens that had received PTU doses of 0.1% or more and only when the treatment had been given for greater than 6 wk. The resumption of normal levels of egg laying occurred in the absence of a typical preceding molt. Body weights, livability, and fertility and hatchability of eggs from these hens were similar to those of controls. Clearly, turkey hens can be effectively recycled by pharmacological manipulation of the thyroid gland and the results are supportive of thyroid hormone(s) involvement in maintaining photorefractoriness in turkey hens.
Demonstration of differences between normal and tumor-bearing animals.

SummaryA simple experimental procedure is reported which can demonstrate a significant difference in response between certain tumor-bearing mice and their normal controls. The procedure involves challenging the two groups of animals with a lethal dose of a compound capable of reacting with the tumor or one of its metabolites. Either the cancerous or the normal animals may survive longer, depending upon both the type of tumor and the molecular configuration of the compound utilized. The difference in survival time between the tumor-bearing and normal animals is thought to be due to a modification of the toxicity of the administered compound following reaction with a tumor component. The S91 mouse melanoma was employed as the primary model since some of the chemistry of its metabolites is known. Implications of possible utility in the study of the biochemistry of tumors and in chemotherapy are discussed.
Redefining Rationality: Paranormal Investigators' Humour in England

ABSTRACTIn contemporary England, amateur paranormal investigators are actively engaged in attempts to produce objective knowledge about the ghostly and paranormal. Their project requires them to balance subjective, personal encounters with objective, technologically mediated ones. In doing so, they struggle to align their project with dominant understandings of rationality. Drawing on an ethnographic study of knowledge production among paranormal investigators, I explore paranormal investigators' use of humour and argue that they rely on humorous performances to align themselves with a powerful, hegemonic notion of rationality. Through their humour, they do not contest the scope of rationality; rather, they locate themselves as central to it.
Majority Carrier Transport Across Semiconductor Grain Boundaries

Majority carrier transport measurements were made across the potential barriers at (100) twist boundaries in silicon. The bicrystals were prepared by hot-pressing single crystals of lightly doped float-zone material, under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The current - voltage measurements were analyzed using combined drift-diffusion and thermionic emission transport mechanisms, and incorporating some inhomogeneity in the charge distribution at the boundary. Evidence has been found for a small, Nd = 3 × 1010 cm−2, density of mono-energetic defect states near midgap, in bicrystals characterized by a variety of misorientation angles. This density is too small to result from the intrinsic structure of the boundary. In addition, no dependence was found on misorientation angle.
FORM FINDING ANALYSIS OF CABLE-STRUT TENSILE DOME BASED ON TENSEGRITY TORUS

The form finding analysis for self-equilibrium configuration of semi-regular tensegrity units was implemented by changing the geometry of classic half-octahedron tensegrity units. Singular value decomposition of equilibrium matrix was used in the form finding analysis. The design formulas for geometric transformation of the units were summarized and the geometric stability was verified combined with the self-stress modes and inextensible displacement modes of the units. The tensegrity torus was developed by assembling the units annularly and the overall feasible self-stress of the torus was presented as well. A novel self-balancing cable-strut tensile dome was generated by introducing a Levy type cable dome in the center. A static analysis of the structure was performed indicating that the structure had high stiffness. Finally a physical model was made to verify the feasibility of the structural system. This work will encourage and support the practical applications of tensegrity.
Research on the Work of International Engineering Contract

The present situation of international engineering contract in our country is analyzed and some suggestions concerning our existing problems are put forward as follows:(1)to deal with foreign countries coordinately and unitedly in the tender of international engineering contract and make integrating plans for various countries and industries to participate in international engineering contract;(2)to take reasonable measures to avoid economic risks
Cell phone-based ecological momentary assessment of substance use context for Latino youth in outpatient treatment: Who, what, when and where

Background Relationships between alcohol, marijuana and other drug (AOD) use and contextual factors have mostly been established through retrospective self-report. Given the embeddedness of cell phones in adolescents’ daily activities, cell phone-based ecological momentary assessment (CEMA) provides an opportunity to better understand AOD use in youth and how cell phones can be used to self-monitor and deliver interventions. We use CEMA to examine AOD use in Latino youth who have been especially understudied.
Accuracy vs. traffic trade-off of learning IoT data patterns at the edge with hypothesis transfer learning

Right now, the dominant paradigm to support knowledge extraction from raw IoT data is through global cloud platform, where data is collected from IoT devices, and analysed. However, with the ramping trend of the number of IoT devices spread in the physical environment, this approach might simply not scale. The data gravity concept, one of the basis of Fog and Mobile Edge Computing, points towards a decentralisation of computation for data analysis, whereby the latter is performed closer to where data is generated. Along this trend, in this paper we explore the accuracy vs. network traffic trade-off when using Hypothesis Transfer Learning (HTL) to learn patterns from data generated in a set of distributed physical locations. HTL is a standard machine learning technique used to train models on separate disjoint training sets, and then transfer the partial models (instead of the data) to reach a unique learning model. We have previously applied HTL to the problem of learning human activities when data are available in different physical locations (e.g., areas of a city). In our approach, data is not moved from where it is generated, while partial models are exchanged across sites. The HTL-based approach achieves lower (though acceptable) accuracy with respect to a conventional solution based on global cloud computing, but drastically cuts the network traffic. In this paper we explore the trade-off between accuracy and traffic, by assuming that data are moved to a variable number of data collectors where partial learning is performed. Centralised cloud and completely decentralised HTL are the two extremes of the spectrum. Our results show that there is no significant advantage in terms of accuracy, in using fewer collectors, and that therefore a distributed HTL solutions, along the lines of a fog computing approach, is the most promising one.
TASC: Thinking Actively in a Social Context.

(1996). TASC: Thinking Actively in a Social Context. Gifted and Talented International: Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 91-92.
GENESIS, EVOLUTION, AND FUTURE OF A LONG-TERM STUDY OF SMALL MAMMALS IN SOUTH AMERICA

Since 1989, I have been involved in a longterm ecological study in the semiarid zone of north-central Chile. To date it has uncovered many exciting aspects o...
Insights into Structural Basis of Mammalian Mitochondrial Translation

Mitochondrial ribosomes are known to be quite divergent from cytoplasmic ribosomes in both composition and structure even as their main functional cores, such as the mRNA decoding and peptidyl transferase sites, are highly conserved. The translational factors that interact with these ribosomes to facilitate the process of protein synthesis in mitochondria have also likewise acquired unique structural features, apparently to complement the structure and function of the mitochondrial ribosome. In this chapter, we describe the current state of structural knowledge of the mammalian mitochondrial ribosome, some of its component proteins, and key translational factors.
Molecular dynamics growth modeling of InAs1−xSbx-based type-II superlattice

Type-II strained-layer superlattices (T2SL) based on InAs1−xSbx are a promising photovoltaic detector material technology for thermal imaging; however, Shockley–Read–Hall recombination and generation rates are still too high for thermal imagers based on InAs1−xSbx T2SL to reach their ideal performance. Molecular dynamics simulations using the Stillinger–Weber (SW) empirical potentials are a useful tool to study the growth of tetrahedral coordinated crystals and the nonequilibrium formation of defects within them, including the long-range effects of strain. SW potentials for the possible atomic interactions among {Ga, In, As, Sb} were developed by fitting to ab initio calculations of elastically distorted zinc blende and diamond unit cells. The SW potentials were tested against experimental observations of molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth and then used to simulate the MBE growth of InAs/InAs0.5Sb0.5 T2SL on GaSb substrates over a range of processes parameters. The simulations showed and helped to explain Sb cross-incorporation into the InAs T2SL layers, Sb segregation within the InAsSb layers, and identified medium-range defect clusters involving interstitials and their induction of interstitial-vacancy pairs. Defect formation was also found to be affected by growth temperature and flux stoichiometry.
Public School Fundraisers: The Legal Obstacles and Protections for School Officials.

In the world of public school finance, fewer resources are being allocated to curricular activities, let alone cocurricular activities. To help ameliorate budgets for clubs, athletic teams, and other groups, students with the guidance of school officials conduct fundraisers. Many of these fundraisers were once perceived as innocuous with opportunities to build group or team spirit. However, current legal paradigms make conducting fundraisers much more nebulous, increasing liability for school officials. This article serves three purposes: (a) it articulates legal philosophies that must be adhered to in order to avoid negligence or constitutional violations, (b) it identifies several, typical fundraising activities and the legal framework that guides them and opportunities to avoid pitfalls, and (c) a compendium is provided with each section and a discussion section, which synthesizes the various legal frameworks into a general paradigm by which practicing administrators can implement in order to avoid vio...
Tidal Habitats Support Large Numbers of Invasive Blue Catfish in a Chesapeake Bay Subestuary

The introduction of a non-native freshwater fish, blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus, in tributaries of Chesapeake Bay resulted in the establishment of fisheries and in the expansion of the population into brackish habitats. Blue catfish are an invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay region, and efforts are underway to limit their impacts on native communities. Key characteristics of the population (population size, survival rates) are unknown, but such knowledge is useful in understanding the impact of blue catfish in estuarine systems. We estimated population size and survival rates of blue catfish in tidal habitats of the James River subestuary. We tagged 34,252 blue catfish during July–August 2012 and 2013; information from live recaptures (n = 1177) and dead recoveries (n = 279) were used to estimate annual survival rates and population size using Barker’s Model in a Robust Design and allowing for heterogeneity in detection probabilities. The blue catfish population in the 12-km study area was estimated to be 1.6 million fish in 2013 (95% confidence interval [CI] adjusted for overdispersion: 926,307–2,914,208 fish). Annual apparent survival rate estimates were low: 0.16 (95% CI 0.10–0.24) in 2012–2013 and 0.44 (95% CI 0.31–0.58) in 2013–2014 and represent losses from the population through mortality, permanent emigration, or both. The tagged fish included individuals that were large enough to exhibit piscivory and represented size classes that are likely to colonize estuarine habitats. The large population size that we estimated was unexpected for a freshwater fish in tidal habitats and highlights the need to effectively manage such species.
#MyDepressionLooksLike: Examining Public Discourse About Depression on Twitter

Background: Social media provides a context for billions of users to connect, express sentiments, and provide in-the-moment status updates. Because Twitter users tend to tweet emotional updates from daily life, the platform provides unique insights into experiences of mental health problems. Depression is not only one of the most prevalent health conditions but also carries a social stigma. Yet, opening up about one’s depression and seeking social support may provide relief from symptoms. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the public discourse of the trending hashtag #MyDepressionLooksLike to look more closely at how users talk about their depressive symptoms on Twitter. Methods: We captured 3225 original content tweets for the hashtag #MyDepressionLooksLike that circulated in May of 2016. Eliminating public service announcements, spam, and tweets with links to pictures or videos resulted in a total of 1978 tweets. Using qualitative content analysis, we coded the tweets to detect themes. Results: The content analysis revealed seven themes: dysfunctional thoughts, lifestyle challenges, social struggles, hiding behind a mask, apathy and sadness, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and seeking relief. Conclusions: The themes revealed important information about the content of the public messages that people share about depression on Twitter. More research is needed to understand the effects of the hashtag on increasing social support for users and reducing social stigma related to depression. [JMIR Ment Health 2017;4(4):e43]
Choice of Functional Language in MNCs: Trade-offs and Potential Remedies

An MNC’s choice of its functional language(s) for corporate communication is of strategic importance because this decision has strong implications for the implementation of its international expans...
Colon Cancer Secreted Protein 2 (CCSP-2) is a potential biomarker for colorectal cancer.

LB-217 We report evidence that CCSP-2 is a serum biomarker of colon cancer, that it can be detected in the blood of human patients with disease, and may be of value in improving detecton of early disease recurrences in colon cancer patients. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. However, the disease is eminently curable when detected early. Additionally, some individuals are cured or enjoy longterm survival when disease recurrences are detected early enough to be surgically treated. We previously reported CCSP-2 as a transcript that was up-regulated 70-fold in colon cancer and that was predicted to encode a secreted protein. We also showed that cancer cells secreted recombinant CCSP-2 into the blood in animal models, suggesting CCSP-2 as a potential serum biomarker for detection of colon cancer in humans. To investigate this possibility, we used recombinant CCSP-2 as an antigen for generating a panel of anti-CCSP-2 monoclonal antibodies. Using these antibodies, we now demonstrate the detection of endogenous CCSP-2 protein that is markedly expressed by human colon cancers. Furthermore, using two independent CCSP-2 ELISA assays that we developed, we also detected presence of CCSP-2 in human serum and plasma. Approximately 25% of colon cancer patients demonstrated serum and plasma levels of CCSP-2 elevated above the normal range. However, 79% of patients (27 of 34) demonstrated at least a 20% reduction in CCSP-2 in blood samples drawn five days post-operatively as compared to samples drawn pre-operatively. Moreover, the percent reduction in post-operative versus pre-operative CCSP-2 exceeded that of CEA (measured in the same sample) in 58% of cases (18 of 31), with the two assays showing equivalent decreases in 13% (4 of 31) cases. While serum CEA is commonly used for monitoring for early colon cancer recurrence, CEA detects surgically resectable disease in only 3-5% of patients who are so followed. Our data suggests that for many colon cancer patients, serum CCSP-2 provides a more sensitive marker of the presence of disease than does CEA. We suggest that serum CCSP-2 monitoring may, in many cases, provide a more sensitive method for detecting early and potentially curable colon cancer recurrences.
Conclusion: Play and Social Skills as Behavioral Cusps

The concluding chapter brings home the importance of teaching play and social behavior not only in terms that they are behaviors that should be firmly planted in any child’s repertoire but for other reasons as well. Play and social skills have implications for much more far reaching consequences of positive gain. In this chapter, it is proposed that play and social skills are behavioral cusps that continue to perpetuate their value by opening the world up to children with ASD and lead to other behavioral cusps which continue to widen the reinforcement communities for the children. Three brief case studies are provided for illustrative purposes. Toward this end, play and social skills are indeed of utmost importance when crafting the most positive prognosis a child can have.
Complications after Living Donor Hepatectomy: Analysis of 176 Cases at a Single Center.

Background Living liver donation is one of the most selfless and humane acts a person can perform. Few single-center reports have been published specifically evaluating complications and quality of life post-donation. Study Design We conducted a retrospective analysis of outcomes of 176 living liver donors at our center to determine the incidence, type, and Clavien grade of complications, as well as long-term quality of life. Results Of 176 living donors, 154 underwent right hepatectomy, 4 underwent left hepatectomy lobectomy, and 18 underwent left lateral segmentectomy. Mean follow-up time was 4.8 years. Complications were more frequent among right-lobe donors than left-lateral segmentectomy and left-lobe donors (p = 0.003). Of note, 82% of complications were Clavien grade 1 or 2. Of the 154 right-lobe donors, 3 had Clavien grade 3a complications, 9 had grade 3b complications (4 had bile leaks, 3 had intra-abdominal bleeding, and 2 had pleural effusions). No donor had complications that were Clavien grade 4 or higher. Per multivariate regression, resected graft volume (p = 0.0498) and post-donation international normalized ratio >2 (p = 0.00499) were significantly associated with a higher risk of Clavien grade 3 complications; however, sex, age, previous abdominal operation, post-donation bilirubin >6 mg/dL, and aspartate transaminase >650 IU/L were not. Per our 36-item Short-Form Health Survey results, donors (mean 8.3 years post-donation) reported above-average quality of life compared with standard US population. In a liver donation survey sent between 1 and 15 years post-donation, the most frequently reported problems were incisional discomfort and intolerance to fatty meals. Conclusions In our single-center study, early complication rates were comparable with those of multicenter reports. Most complications (82%) were Clavien grade 1 or 2. During a long follow-up period, our donors continue to have improved quality of life.
The Effect of Causal Performance Measure Knowledge on Reducing Individuals' Discounting of Performance Measures in Profit Prediction

Prior research suggests that both financial and nonfinancial performance measures are needed for effective prediction of long-term financial performance. However, prior research shows that individuals often discount the performance measurement information provided to them when predicting future profits or evaluating performance. One reported example of performance measure discounting is the use of common measures over unique measures. It is unclear from prior research what level of performance measure knowledge is required to affect individuals' discounting of performance measures. We examine how differences in the level of individuals' causal knowledge (i.e., strong, weak, none) regarding the relationship between the performance measure and net income affect their usage (and discounting) of the performance measure in a profit prediction task. As expected, for nonfinancial measures, the results show that individuals perceive greater predictive value in, and are more likely to use, performance measures for which they possess weak causal knowledge (i.e., directional association of performance measure relationship) as compared to measures for which they possess no causal knowledge. Contrary to expectations, the results show no difference in individuals' perceptions, or expected usage, of performance measures for which they possess strong causal knowledge (i.e., complete story underlying performance measure relationship) as compared to only weak causal knowledge. These findings suggest that a lack of causal knowledge regarding performance measures leads individuals to discount such measures but that discounting can be mitigated by providing individuals with relatively simple, inexpensive weak causal performance measure knowledge, such as basic statistical correlation information. The findings have implications for the level of knowledge that organizations should provide, along with the performance measures themselves, in order to reduce the likelihood that individuals unnecessarily discount otherwise predictive performance measures.
Adelsaufhebung und das Gemeinschaftsrecht

Durch das Adelsaufhebungsgesetz ist es osterreichischen Staatsburgern untersagt, Adelstitel zu fuhren. Im Vorlageverfahren VwGH 18.5.2009, EU 2009/0002, geht es um die Frage, ob eine im Erwachsenenalter von einem deutschen Staatsburger adoptierte Person den in Deutschland zuerkannten Titel "Furstin von" zu ihrem Familiennamen fuhren darf. Im Lichte der jungeren Rechtsprechung des EuGH zu unterschiedlichen Namenssystemen der Mitgliedsstaaten scheint das Adelsaufhebungsgesetz eine unzulassige Beschrankung der Freizugigkeit osterreichischer Staatsburger zu indizieren. Eine eingehende Analyse des Vorlagefalles und ahnlicher Falle zeigt auf, dass die in der jungeren Judikatur des EuGH geauserten Bedenken beim Zusammentreffen unterschiedlicher Namenssysteme hinsichtlich des Verbotes des Fuhrens von Adelstiteln nicht einschlagig sind und daher dieses Verbot gemeinschaftsrechtskonform sein konnte.
Vaccination Deep Into a Pandemic Wave: Potential Mechanisms for a “Third Wave” and the Impact of Vaccination

Background In December 2009, when the H1N1 influenza pandemic appeared to be subsiding, public health officials and unvaccinated individuals faced the question of whether continued H1N1 immunization was still worthwhile. Purpose To delineate what combinations of possible mechanisms could generate a third pandemic wave and then explore whether vaccinating the population at different rates and times would mitigate the wave. Methods As part of ongoing work with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the USDHHS during the H1N1 influenza pandemic, the University of Pittsburgh Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study team employed an agent-based computer simulation model of the Washington DC metropolitan region to delineate what mechanisms could generate a “third pandemic wave” and explored whether vaccinating the population at different rates and times would mitigate the wave. This model included explicit representations of the region's individuals, school systems, workplaces/commutes, households, and communities. Results Three mechanisms were identified that could cause a third pandemic wave; substantially increased viral transmissibility from seasonal forcing (changing influenza transmission with changing environmental conditions, i.e., seasons) and progressive viral adaptation; an immune escape variant; and changes in social mixing from holiday school closures. Implementing vaccination for these mechanisms, even during the down-slope of the fall epidemic wave, significantly mitigated the third wave. Scenarios showed the gains from initiating vaccination earlier, increasing the speed of vaccination, and prioritizing population subgroups based on Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations. Conclusions Additional waves in an epidemic can be mitigated by vaccination even when an epidemic appears to be waning.
Infection Prevention Strategies Prior to Penile Implant Surgery.

Abstract Context Over the last 4 decades, penile implant surgery has advanced significantly. Penile implant infection prevention continues to be an active area of research due to the significant patient morbidity associated with infection. Objective To summarize current approaches and supporting data for infection prevention. Evidence Synthesis Common approaches to infection prevention include careful patient selection and preoperative evaluation, broad-spectrum antimicrobial prophylaxis, and modifications to surgical technique that minimize skin contact and postoperative hematoma formation. Conclusion Many of these measures have proven efficacious, but our knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of penile prosthesis infection continues to evolve and demands continued efforts towards infection prevention.
Is perceiving bodily action

One of the boldest claims one finds in the enactivist and embodied cognition literature is that perceiving is bodily action (PBA). Research on the role of eye movements in vision have been thought to support PBA, whereas research on paralysis has been thought to pose no challenge to PBA. The present paper, however, will argue just the opposite. Eye movement research does not support PBA, whereas paralysis research presents a strong challenge that seems not to have been fully appreciated.
Defining Patient Specific Functional Parcellations in Lesional Cohorts via Markov Random Fields

We propose a hierarchical Bayesian model that refines a population-based atlas using resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) coherence. Our method starts from an initial parcellation and then iteratively reassigns the voxel memberships at the subject level. Our algorithm uses a maximum a posteriori inference strategy based on the neighboring voxel assignments and the Pearson correlation coefficients between the voxel time series and the parcel reference signals. Our method is generalizable to different initial atlases, ensures spatial and temporal contiguity in the final network organization, and can handle subjects with brain lesions, whose rs-fMRI data varies tremendously from that of a healthy cohort. We validate our method by comparing the intra-network cohesion and the motor network identification against two baselines: a standard functional parcellation with no reassignment and a recently published method with a purely data-driven reassignment procedure. Our method outperforms the original functional parcellation in intra-network cohesion and both methods in motor network identification.
Perturbation Methods for the Eigencharacteristics of Symmetric and Asymmetric Systems

Dynamic analysis for a vibratory system typically begins with an evaluation of its eigencharacteristics. However, when design changes are introduced, the eigensolutions of the system change and thus must be recomputed. In this paper, three different methods based on the eigenvalue perturbation theory are introduced to analyze the effects of modifications without performing a potentially time-consuming and costly reanalysis. They will be referred to as the straightforward perturbation method, the incremental perturbation method, and the triple product method. In the straightforward perturbation method, the eigenvalue perturbation theory is used to formulate a first-order and a second-order approximation of the eigensolutions of symmetric and asymmetric systems. In the incremental perturbation method, the straightforward approach is extended to analyze systems with large perturbations using an iterative scheme. Finally, in the triple product method, the accuracy of the approximate eigenvalues is significantly improved by exploiting the orthogonality conditions of the perturbed eigenvectors. All three methods require only the eigensolutions of the nominal or unperturbed system, and in application, they involve simple matrix multiplications. Numerical experiments show that the proposed methods achieve accurate results for systems with and without damping and for systems with symmetric and asymmetric system matrices.
Dysregulation of MnSOD-K68 acetylation status leads to neurological and tumor-permissive phenotypes

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) lysine acetylation is a critical post-translational modification that regulates its detoxification activity to direct cellular ROS levels and metabolic balance. In this regard, our lab has shown the change in structural configuration and gain of peroxidase function upon MnSOD-K68 acetylation. As such, this study aims to investigate the role of MnSOD-K68 acetylation (K68-Ac) status, as well as its potential biological significance both in vitro and in vivo. To experimentally evaluate the effects of MnSOD acetylation, recombinant mutants were constructed where lysine was substituted with glutamine (Q) or arginine (R), an acetylation or deacetylation mimic, respectively. The results showed that enforced expression of MnSODK68Q disrupts mitochondrial metabolism and ultrastructure, and functions as an in vitro oncogene. To examine the physiological significance of MnSOD acetylation, a genetically engineered whole-body MnSODK68Q knock-in mouse has been constructed. Biallelic knock-in (MnSODK68Q/K68Q) mice around 3 weeks of age display a significant phenotype that includes (1) small size, (2) lean body mass, (3) significant weight loss, and (4) a fatal neurological disorder involving loss of lower extremity movement, tremors, and dyskinesia. Daily injection of GC4419, a Mn-based chemical drug that replaces MnSOD activity by removing superoxide, extended the lifespan (from 25 days to 45 days), partially rescued motor coordination loss (as tested by rotarod) and delayed the onset of the profound neurological symptoms. In addition, electron microscopy identified disrupted mitochondrial structure in multiple tissues including liver, skeletal muscles, and the substantia nigra. Lastly, whole-body monoallelic female mice (MnSODWT/K68Q) of six months also display mammary tissue with smaller, disorganized fat cells, characteristics of ductal hyperplasia, and areas of cells consistent with ductal carcinoma in situ. This will be the first study characterizing the role of MnSOD-K68-Ac in a murine model suggesting that dysregulated K68-Ac leads to neurological and tumor-permissive phenotypes.
Self-Responsibility Gone Bad: Institutions and the 2008 Financial Crisis

The rise of self-responsibility as practiced in many public policy areas was part of the more general rise of neoliberalism. A case in point is the corporate social responsibility movement. This le...
Novel Direct Conversion of Microglia to Neurons

Direct cell reprogramming, the process by which a somatic cell is converted to another cell type, can potentially circumvent epigenetic changes and proliferative stages resulting from de-differentiation. Recently, Matsuda et al. (Pioneer factor NeuroD1 rearranges transcriptional and epigenetic profiles to execute microglia-neuron conversion; Neuronin in press) demonstrated that expression of transcription factor NeuroD1 can convert mouse microglia to neurons, both in vitro and in vivo.
A 2-GHz Sampled Line Impedance Sensor for Power Amplifier Applications with Varying Load Impedance

This paper describes the design and implementation of a sampled line impedance sensor for integration in a reconfigurable power amplifier (PA). This passive network performs a complex impedance measurement that can be used to measure PA load impedance in applications where loading conditions vary. The 2-GHz prototype sensor is composed of sampling networks designed to minimize loading of the 50-ohm microstrip line. The impedance sensor is characterized in terms of measurement accuracy, matching, and insertion loss and compared to a line without samplers.
Insurance status and racial disparities in detection of early-stage breast cancer.

e18121Background: Racial/ethnic minority women are diagnosed with later stage breast cancer. This study identifies the extent insurance can affect stage differences among a large, diverse populatio...