cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Significant morbidity is associated with proximal fecal diversion among high-risk patients who undergo colectomy: A NSQIP analysis.

Abstract Background The value of proximal fecal diversion for patients undergoing colectomies is an ongoing debate. Previous studies have shown a benefit in decreased anastomotic leak rates and mitigation of the morbidity of a leak, especially in high-risk populations. However, more recent data suggests increased morbidity with fecal diversion, creating a complication with an unknown degree of anastomotic leak reduction. Therefore, we aimed to determine the impact on morbidity of a diverting loop ileostomy (DLI) in patients with a high risk of anastomotic leak. Methods The ACS-NSQIP database was queried (via CPT code) for adult patients (age ≥18 years) who underwent a colectomy only or colectomy with ileostomy (CWI) between Jan 2013 and Dec 2016. We compared thirty-day outcomes between a 3:1 propensity-matched colectomy only group to patients who had a CWI. We used risk factors for anastomotic leak as a basis of our propensity match which included preoperative smoking, steroid use, preoperative weight loss, preoperative transfusion, hypoalbuminemia, and leukocytosis; intraoperative match variables included indication for surgery, wound class, duration of operation, primary CPT code, elective vs. emergent, and inpatient vs. outpatient surgery. Results We identified 39,588 patients from the NSQIP database who had a colectomy only or a CWI. The colectomy only group was older (age 63 vs 52 years p Conclusions Significant thirty-day morbidity exists with a diverting ileostomy among high-risk colectomy patients with minimal benefit in anastomotic leak rates.
OScH in the Wild: Dissemination of Open Science Hardware and Implications for HCI

Open Science Hardware (OScH) refers to open-source alternatives for proprietary scientific equipment. While the OScH movement aims to reduce barriers for scientific experimentation both in and beyond professional labs, disseminating OScH for widespread adoption proves to be challenging in practice. To this end, we examined real-world practices related to the dissemination of OScH through a two-part study. First, we developed an open science hardware, a DIY incubator, and disseminated it through the Instructables website and maker workshops. In parallel, we interviewed eight open science hardware practitioners from different parts of the world. Insights from interviews together with our own self-reflections revealed how different OScH dissemination modalities serve unique purposes. Our findings also reveal several challenges for widespread adoption of OScH and the importance of collaborations between OScH developers. We conclude by discussing the opportunities for HCI to lower barriers for customization, support internationalization of OScH, and scaffold proactive distributed collaborations between developers and users.
Reopening universities during the COVID-19 pandemic: A testing strategy to minimize active cases and delay outbreaks

Abstract Background University campuses present an ideal environment for viral spread and are therefore at extreme risk of serving as a hotbed for a COVID-19 outbreak. While active surveillance throughout the semester such as widespread testing, contact tracing, and case isolation, may assist in detecting and preventing early outbreaks, these strategies will not be sufficient should a larger outbreak occur. It is therefore necessary to limit the initial number of active cases at the start of the semester. We examine the impact of pre-semester NAT testing on disease spread in a university setting. Methods We implement simple dynamic transmission models of SARS-CoV-2 infection to explore the effects of pre-semester testing strategies on the number of active infections and occupied isolation beds throughout the semester. We assume an infectious period of 3 days and vary R0 to represent the effectiveness of disease mitigation strategies throughout the semester. We assume the prevalence of active cases at the beginning of the semester is 5%. The sensitivity of the NAT test is set at 90%. Results If no pre-semester screening is mandated, the peak number of active infections occurs in under 10 days and the size of the peak is substantial, ranging from 5,000 active infections when effective mitigation strategies (R0 = 1.25) are implemented to over 15,000 active infections for less effective strategies (R0 = 3). When one NAT test is mandated within one week of campus arrival, effective (R0 = 1.25) and less effective (R0 = 3) mitigation strategies delay the onset of the peak to 40 days and 17 days, respectively, and result in peak size ranging from 1,000 to over 15,000 active infections. When two NAT tests are mandated, effective (R0 = 1.25) and less effective (R0 = 3) mitigation strategies delay the onset of the peak through the end of fall semester and 20 days, respectively, and result in peak size ranging from less than 1,000 to over 15,000 active infections. If maximum occupancy of isolation beds is set to 2% of the student population, then isolation beds would only be available for a range of 1 in 2 confirmed cases (R0 = 1.25) to 1 in 40 confirmed cases (R0 = 3) before maximum occupancy is reached. Conclusion Even with highly effective mitigation strategies throughout the semester, inadequate pre-semester testing will lead to early and large surges of the disease and result in universities quickly reaching their isolation bed capacity. We therefore recommend NAT testing within one week of campus return. While this strategy is sufficient for delaying the timing of the outbreak, pre-semester testing would need to be implemented in conjunction with effective mitigation strategies to reduce the outbreak size.
School Choice, Youth Voice: How Diverse Student Policy Actors Experience High School Choice Policy:

School choice research is abundant, but rarely incorporates students’ experiences or perspectives. This study investigates a diverse group of students’ school choice experiences as they applied to,...
Associations of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and clinical outcomes in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

137Background: Genomic profiling of patients (pts) with mCRPC is becoming more widely utilized to assist in prognosis and treatment. Liquid biopsies offer a non-invasive method of assessing gene al...
Environmental, Economic, and Operational Impacts of Roadway Winter Maintenance: Salt Brine Field Evaluation

Abstract Transportation agencies have been introducing responsible and sustainable winter maintenance practices to alleviate impacts on the environment, human health, vehicles, infrastructure, and ...
Integrated sample desalting, enrichment, and ionization on an omniphobic glass slide for direct mass spectrometry analysis.

RATIONALE Direct and rapid mass spectrometry (MS) analysis is desired for many applications including environmental monitoring, forensic analysis, chemical and biological defense, and point-of-care testing. However, sample pretreatment is often necessary for analyzing targets from complex matrices using MS due to ion suppression. To achieve rapid MS analysis calls for simple and efficient solutions for sample processing and ionization. Here, a simple sample pretreatment and ionization workflow is reported, which achieves sample desalting, enrichment, and ionization on a single glass slide. METHODS Desalting is achieved based on crystallization and re-dissolution-induced spontaneous separation of analytes and salt. Efficient sample enrichment is achieved during the crystallization process by modifying the glass surface with an omniphobic coating. Finally, vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization is employed to ionize the target molecules directly on the glass slide. Thus, all the necessary sample operations prior to MS analysis are completed on the sample glass slide. RESULTS Efficient sample enrichment on the omniphobic glass slide is first visualized using food dyes. The benefits of the desalting and enrichment steps for detecting macrolide antibiotics in 1× phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solutions are demonstrated by comparing samples with different treatment procedures. Finally, quantification of macrolide antibiotics from PBS and serum samples is demonstrated. A linear range between 2 nM and 10 μM has been achieved for the serum sample with a limit of detection of 1 nM. CONCLUSIONS A simple, flexible, low-cost, and highly integrated workflow for detecting target molecules from complex matrices using MS is demonstrated. This method will be valuable to many applications that require rapid and efficient MS analysis of complex samples.
Life as an Intelligence Test: Intelligence, Education, and Behavioral Genetics.

Using the large datasets available with new gene sequencing and biobank projects, behavioral geneticists are developing tools that attempt to predict individual intelligence based on genetics. These predictive tools are meant to enable a ‘precision education’ that will transform society. These technological developments have not changed the fundamental aims of a program with a long history. Behavioral genetics is continuous with previous attempts to match personal characteristics to heredity, such as sociobiology and evolutionary psychology, and threatens racial and other forms of bias. From these older paradigms, it inherits an understanding of intelligence as informational processing shaped by mechanistic and computational metaphors as well as a view of society and education organized around competition. Because of these influences, these models misdescribe fundamental aspects of human engagement with the world and disregard other concepts of intelligence, which creates problems for the precision education that researchers hope to construct using genetic knowledge.
Learning the health index of complex systems using dynamic conditional variational autoencoders

Abstract Recent advances in sensing technologies have enabled engineers to collect big data to predict the remaining useful life (RUL) of complex systems. Current modeling techniques for RUL predictions are usually not able to quantify the degradation behavior of a complex system through a health index. Although some studies have been conducted to learn the health index of degradation systems, most of the existing methods are highly dependent on pre-defined assumptions which may not be consistent with the real degradation behaviors. To address this issue, we introduce a time-dependent directed graphical model to characterize the probabilistic relationships among sensor signals, RUL, operational conditions, and health index. Based on the graphical model, a dynamic conditional variational autoencoder is proposed to learn the health index. The experimental results have shown that the proposed method can learn an effective and reliable health index that measures complex system degradation behavior. Moreover, the learned health index improves the accuracy of RUL predictions.
Sample-Path Stability

In the analysis of queues and other stochastic systems it is of primary importance to know whether an existing or a proposed system is stable. Roughly speaking, a stable system will tend to some sort of equilibrium, in which the state continues to fluctuate but such measures as the (average) probability distribution of the state or the fraction of time spent in various states do not change over time. By contrast, in an unstable system such limits do not exist. More drastically, the state (e.g., the number of customers or work in a queueing system) can grow without bound when the system is unstable.
Application of High-Throughput Technologies to Aging-Related Research

The development and application of high-throughput methods to study aspects of aging-related biology are among the key forces driving the field. New hypotheses are being developed, and new questions are being asked on a genome-wide scale. High-throughput technologies offer many advantages over traditional methods, but they also present new pitfalls for the unwary. Rather than provide detailed protocols for different methods, this chapter attempts to give an overview of some of the ways that high-throughput methods are currently being applied to aging-related research, along with a discussion of both the successes and the difficulties associated with these new technologies.
Transfusion Cost Containment for Abdominal Surgery with Neural Networks

Typing and crossmatching blood is a significant cost for most hospitals, regardless of whether the blood is actually transfused. Many hospitals have implemented a Maximum Surgical Blood Order Schedule, MSBOS, to control over-ordering of blood units for surgery. The research presented in this article examines the use of neural networks for predicting the quantity of blood required by individual patients undergoing abdominal surgery (e.g. splenectomy). A comparison is made between the neural network predictions at a particular hospital versus the current MSBOS methodology for ordering surgical blood, by using the crossmatch to transfusion ratio. Results from the neural network transfusion predictions for the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery imply that neural networks can significantly improve the transfusion efficiency of hospitals. However, further examination of neural network capabilities for predicting the transfusion needs of patients undergoing other types of abdominal surgeries indicates that for operations other than the AAA, neural networks tend to under-predict the transfusion requirements of ten percent of the patients. Even if not used to limit over-ordering of blood for surgical transfusions, neural networks may be used as an intelligent decision support system to evaluate the current efficiency of hospital transfusion practices and to indicate beneficial changes to current MSBOS values.
American Psychological Association (APA)

The American Psychological Association (APA) focuses on the science, application, and dissemination of psychology as the world's largest membership organization of psychologists. Formed with an initial emphasis towards psychology as a field of basic scientific research, APA has developed over the past century and across two World Wars to serve a wider range of interests befitting its diverse membership and 56 separate special interest divisions. These organizational interests include involvement in science, public policy, clinical practice, education, and training. Its membership spans all levels of training and experience in psychology, from undergraduates to professors, mental health advocates to research scientists. Keywords: APA style; United States; Yerkes, Robert; accreditation; ethics; history of psychology; policy; profession of psychology; psychology organization; training
Flavornet: A database of aroma compounds based on odor potency in natural products

Abstract For thirty years gas chromatography-olfactometry (GCO) has been an essential tool in the determination of the most potent odorants in natural products. It is presumed that these odorants create the olfactory precepts that affect memory, attention and behavior. In order to facilitate the identification of odorants by GCO, a database was created from the published literature on odorants detected by quantitative GCO. Software was developed to generate hypertex markup language (HTML) files that organized and displayed the data extracted from files exported from a standard database program. The resulting World Wide Web (WWW) site displays odorant retention indices in both Kovats and ethyl ester units, associated aroma descriptor, a protein data bank (pdb) structural file, molecular weight, CAS registry number and published source. The specific descriptor used by the authors to describe the quality of the detected odorant was assigned to a genus based on the ASTM D-66 categories of food odors extended to include non-food smells.
Innovating the Marketing Curriculum: Establishing an Academic Major In Internet Marketing

The explosion of digital marketing technologies and business practices presents numerous opportunities and challenges to marketing programs worldwide. In addition to the rapid growth in online marketing practices, AACSB accreditation standards stress the importance of “current technologies in business and management contexts” in their 2013 Learning and Teaching standards (AACSB 2013). As business faculty have integrated knowledge about digital technologies and hands-on digital training into their marketing courses, some schools have decided that the time is right to offer academic programs in digital marketing. This paper provides insights into developing and establishing an academic major in Internet Marketing at the undergraduate level. Five critical issues are identified that provide data about the current status of the major and potential challenges to be faced by those considering development of a major, minor or certificate in Internet Marketing. Curriculum development, including specific topics and courses, will be identified and discussed.
Nuclear localization of GDF5 is mediated by a bipartite nuclear localization signal

3757 Growth and differentiation factor-5 (GDF5, also known as cartilage-derived morphogenetic protein-1 (CDMP1) and bone morphogenetic protein-14 (BMP14)) is a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily. GDF5 has been found to play a crucial role in skeletal morphogenesis and in regulating cellular proliferation and differentiation. GDF5 has generally been characterized as an extracellular signaling protein that binds to receptors and induces a SMAD-mediated cellular response. Immunohistochemical staining, however, revealed that GDF5 is also detectable in the nuclei of RCS cells. Analysis of the GDF5 proprotein sequence using PSORTII protein localization predictor (http://psort.nibb.ac.jp/form2.html) predicted four nuclear localization signals (NLSs) in the GDF5 primary sequence, three in the propeptide region and one, a bipartite NLS, overlapping the site of proteolytic cleavage. Each NLS was fused to the C-terminus of GFP to see if it could direct nuclear localization. Of the four predicted NLS sequences, only the bipartite signal directed nuclear localization in rat chondrosarcoma (RCS) cells. When a GFP tag was fused to the C-terminus of full-length GDF5, the GDF5/GFP fusion protein was localized in a spotted pattern throughout the nucleus and cytoplasm of RCS cells. The presence of GDF5/GFP in the nucleus indicates that the bipartite NLS is functional in the context of the full-length GDF5 proprotein. Because the bipartite NLS overlaps the site of proteolytic cleavage, protein processing would inactivate the NLS. Preliminary results suggest that the nuclear variant of GDF5 is translated from an alternative start codon that eliminates the N-terminal sigmal peptide, causing the protein to be translated in the cytoplasm rather than the endoplasmic reticulum. The protein thereby avoids processing and secretion, and is instead translocated to the nucleus.
Disinfection of Bacterially Contaminated Hydrophilic PVS Impression Materials

Purpose: This study evaluated disinfection of bacterially contaminated hydrophilic polyvinylsiloxane (PVS) and polyether impressions. Materials and Methods: Four light-bodied PVS (Examix, Genie, Take 1, Aquasil) and one polyether (Impregum) impression materials were evaluated using three disinfectants (EcoTru [EnviroSystems], ProSpray [Certol], and bleach [diluted 1:9]) as spray and immersion disinfections for 10-minute exposures. Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442, Salmonella choleraesius ATCC 10708, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 was the microbial challenge. Test specimens were prepared using aluminum molds with ten tapered cones. Mucin covered each cone, followed by 0.01 mL of each bacterium. Impressions were made using low viscosity impression material that was injected over the cones and filled custom trays. One-half of the impressions were spray disinfected, while the others underwent immersion disinfection. Trays that were contaminated but not disinfected served as positive controls, while those not bacterially contaminated or disinfected served as negative controls. The impressions were poured with Silky Rock Die Stone, and after setting, two cones were placed within a sterile capsule and triturated into powder. Four milliliters of TRIS buffer (0.05 M, pH 7.0) containing sodium thiosulfate (0.0055% w/v) were poured in each tube. After mixing, the solution was serially diluted and spread-plated onto selective agars. After incubation, colony counting occurred. Results: No viable bacteria transferred to casts from either spray- or immersion-disinfected impressions. Negative controls produced no microbial colonies. Positive controls produced on average 3.35 × 105 bacterial cells. Conclusion: Results suggest the methods used could disinfect contaminated impression materials. Microbial transfer from nondisinfected impressions to cones approached 33.5%.
Specific interactions of HeLa cell proteins with proposed translation domains of the poliovirus 5' noncoding region.

Abstract To determine which sequences or structures in the poliovirus 5' noncoding region (5'NCR) are involved in binding proteins used for internal ribosome binding and protein synthesis initiation, translation competition assays were performed in rabbit reticulocyte lysates in the presence and absence of HeLa cell extract. The results revealed two functional domains in the poliovirus 5'NCR. One, requiring nucleotides (nts) 457 to 626, binds proteins that are required for translation of all mRNAs and that are present in both reticulocyte lysates and HeLa cell extracts. Another, contained within nts 286 to 456, interacts with proteins that are specific for poliovirus translation and are present in HeLa cells but not in significant amounts in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. In order to detect HeLa cell proteins that interact stably with the 5'NCR of poliovirus, UV cross-linking was used. At least four major protein-RNA complexes were identified, three of which were shown by RNA competition analysis to bind specifically to defined domains within the 5'NCR. Protein A (54 kDa) cross-linked to RNA sequences and/or structures located between nts 457 and 626; proteins B (48 kDa) and C (38 kDa) bound to nts 286 to 456.
[Hydroxy(sulfonyloxy)iodo]perfluoroalkanes - new hypervalent iodine species and promising reagents for organic synthesis

Abstract [Hydroxy(sulfonyloxy)iodo]perfluoroalkanes (C n F 2n+1 I + OH⊎ − OSO 2 R, n = 3, 4, 6; R = p -CH 3 C 6 H 4 , CF 3 ) can be prepared in two steps from the corresponding perfluoroalkyliodides by oxidation with pertrifluoroacetic acid and subsequent reaction with TsOH or Me 3 SiOTf. These compounds react with trimethylsilyl derivatives of aromatic compounds under mild conditions forming the corresponding perfluoroalkyl(aryl)iodonium salts in good yield.
Lessons From the History of Teacher Inservice in Illinois: Effective Staff Development in the Education of Gifted Students:

The presence of a long term staff development mechanism such as the Area Service Centers in Illinois provides several key lessons regarding the effective utilization of inservice opportunities with...
Developing a digital learning environment: an evaluation of design and implementation processes

The Alexandria Digital Earth Prototype (ADEPT) Project (1999--2004) builds upon the Alexandria Digital Library Project (1994--1999) to add functions and services for undergraduate teaching to a digital library of geospatial resources. The 'Digital Learning Environment' (DLE) services are being developed and evaluated iteratively over the course of this research project. In the 2002--2003 academic year, the DLE was implemented during the fall and spring terms in undergraduate geography courses at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Evaluation of the fall term implementation identified design issues of time and complexity for creating and organizing course domain knowledge. The spring term implementation added new services to integrate course content into class presentation formats. The implementation was evaluated via interviews with the course instructor, development staff, and students, and by observations (in person and videotaped) of the course. Results indicated that usability and functionality for the instructor had increased between the two course offerings Students found classroom presentations to be useful for understanding concepts, and Web access to the presentations useful for study and review. Assessments of student learning suggest modest improvements over time Developers are now applying lessons learned during these implementations to improve the system for subsequent implementation in the 2003--2004 academic year.
The coupled relaxation model for toner melt rheology

Process changes aimed at improving printer engine performance must take into consideration not only the process variables (such as nip temperature and pressure and process time to), but also the melt rheological variables (such as the characteristic time scale of the toner Tc). The melt rheology relevant to the electrophotographic toner fusing process is discussed. One criterion for toner quality can be conveniently measured through the Deborah number De, which is the ratio of Tc to to. Modification of the melt rheology by matrix polymer composition and carbon black size and concentration has previously been explored. Here, the melt rheology of toners with a range of gel content was studied using a step shear test. The coupled relaxation model was employed to fit the stress relaxation data. The viscoelastic properties were calculated from the melt data with this model. These properties were then used to estimate the strain deformation of the toner as it passes through the nip with arbitrary residence time and nip pressure as a function of gel content. This method can be used to match the toner melt properties with the processing conditions.
Micropipetting cytoplasm from the mouse-egg.

MICROMANIPULATION of living cells presents many intriguing problems because cells are so small and cellular substances are usually viscous. Placing a micropipette into a cell can be accomplished fairly easily by means of a precision micromanipulator, but removing a quantity of cytoplasm from a cell is difficult; to overcome this we have devised a vacuum micropipetting system.
Prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in children with irritable bowel syndrome: a case-control study.

Objective To assess the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in children affected by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Study design Consecutive children affected by IBS according to Rome II criteria (n = 43) were enrolled at the Gemelli Hospital, Catholic University of Rome. The control population (n = 56) consisted of healthy subjects without IBS symptoms, similar to patients for age, sex, and social background. All subjects underwent lactulose/methane breath test (LBT) to assess small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Results The prevalence of abnormal LBT result was significantly higher in patients with IBS (65%, 28/43) with respect to control subjects (7%, 4/56; OR 3.9, 95% CI 7.3-80.1, P Conclusions Results from this study suggest a significant epidemiologic association between SIBO and IBS in childhood. Placebo-controlled interventional studies with antibiotics used to treat bacterial overgrowth are warranted to clarify the real impact of the disease on IBS symptoms.
n-Type doping of TiO2 with atomic hydrogen-observation of the production of conduction band electrons by infrared spectroscopy

Abstract Irradiation of powdered TiO 2 by atomic hydrogen has been shown to produce electron–hole pairs in the TiO 2 . The electronic excitation from shallow traps is measured in the IR region by absorption spectroscopy, where IR photons excite H-atom derived electrons into the conduction band continuum. The activation energy for atomic H diffusion into the TiO 2 crystal lattice is low: 0.09 ± 0.01 eV. D atom substitution for H does not influence the kinetics of production of shallow-trap electrons nor of their decay.
Conceptualizing and Measuring Organizational and Psychological Climate: Pitfalls in Multilevel Research

Organizational and psychological climate research has been plagued by cross-level inference problems. This paper advocates treating the organization as the unit of theory for organizational climate while preserving the individual as the unit of theory for psychological climate. It examines multilevel conceptual problems in climate research and discusses strategies/or improving the validity and assessing the reliability of measurement. Additional multilevel research on climate and other areas of organizational science, particularly organizational culture, is encouraged.
Solute/solvent interaction corrections account for non-ideal freezing point depression

A new highly accurate curve-fitting technique for looking at freezing-point depression data was proposed by Fullerton et al. (Biochem. Cell Biol., in press). The method involve plotting mass solvent to mass solute ratio (Mw/M(s)) vs. 1/delta T (i.e. the inverse change in freezing point). A measured molecular weight and a solute/solvent interaction parameter (called I value) are inferred from the resultant linear plot. The accuracy of the molecular weight method was first demonstrated with the monomers of ethylene glycol, glycerol, propanol, mannitol, glucose and sucrose to show a mean molecular weight error of 0.02% with root mean square (RMS) error 0.9%. The RMS error (0.9%) is our best estimate of the molecular weight measurement accuracy for the method applied to a monomer. This error is consistent with the experimental precision (approximately 1%) which implies no systematic error. Non-ideality is described with a single constant, I. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymers of increasing length (vendor designation 200 to 10,000 Da) were analyzed to show monotonically increasing non-ideality (I values of 0.12 to 3.67) with increasing molecular weight. The measured molecular weights agreed with the end-point titration value for the three smallest polymers (where the number of polymeric units was less than or equal to 7). The method underestimates the vendor molecular weights for longer polymers. This disagreement is assigned to segmental motion (internal entropy) of longer, more flexible, PEG molecules.
Process control of the chlorobenzene single-step liftoff process with a diazo-type resist

Introduction of the single-step chlorobenzene liftoff process using a diazo-type resist to manufacturing lines produced problems not encountered during development and pilot-line work. Variances in the structure of the photoresist liftoff image are the result of complex interactions among exposure, chlorobenzene soaking, development, and post-application baking conditions. Effects produced by these variables can be controlled by monitoring the linewidth. overhang, and height of the lijtoff resist structure using a scanning electron microscope (SEMJ. Loss of resist thickness during the chlorobenzene soak is used instead of penetration, as measured on SEM photographs, to monitor the soaking process. Data are presented on the creation and stability of the overhang structure, the process controls required to achieve that stability, and the interactions among the process variables. The process, as practiced in a manufacturing mode, was found to have greatest reproduceability at low exposure, with a combination of long soaking times and high post-application baking temperatures.
Immunological cross-reactions of the major internal protein component from "slow" viruses of sheep.

Abstract The major p27 polypeptides of the sheep “slow” viruses, visna, maedi, and progressive pneumonia, were compared by radioimmunoassay. The immunologic relatedness among these viral proteins was determined from the competition of homologous- and heterologous-disrupted virions with iodinated visna virus p27 for visna antisera. The p27 antigens of visna virus and maedi virus were indistinguishable from each other and were partially related to p27 of progressive pneumonia virus.
The physiology, medical management and oral implications of menopause.

ABSTRACT Background Approximately 36 million women in the United States are in the postmenopausal phase of life. The vast majority of these women experienced spontaneous cessation of menses between the ages of 47 and 55 years when the production of estrogen decreased because of an inadequate number of functioning follicles within their ovaries. Fewer women entered menopause after surgical removal of both ovaries. This procedure usually is performed prophylactically to prevent ovarian cancer in conjunction with a hysterectomy, which is required to treat abnormal bleeding, endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease. The physiological changes associated with spontaneous or surgical menopause cause some women to experience uncomfortable symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. In addition, estrogen deprivation arising from menopause in association with age-related factors disproportionately increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (that is, myocardial infarct, stroke), osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and oral disease. Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT (estrogen or estrogen and progestin), often is prescribed on a short-term basis to alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms associated with estrogen deficiency and on a long-term basis to prevent some of the chronic illnesses common to postmenopausal women. Conclusions Dentists who treat women entering menopause need to consider the stressful phase of life their patients are experiencing. Clinical findings of postmenopausal problems on dental examination may include a paucity of saliva, increased dental caries, dysesthesia, taste alterations, atrophic gingivitis, periodontitis and osteoporotic jaws unsuitable for conventional prosthetic devices or dental implants. Panoramic dental radiographs may reveal calcified carotid artery atheromas. Clinical Implications Dentists have an opportunity to refer women who are not under the care of a gynecologist for an evaluation to determine the appropriateness of HRT for its systemic and oral health benefits.
Public Transit Catchment Areas: The Curious Case of Cycle-Transit Users

The coordination of bicycle and transit modes has received close attention from public transit planners and researchers in recent years as transit agencies around the world have installed bicycle racks on transit vehicles, implemented bicycles-on-trains policies, and made other efforts to facilitate bicycle-transit integration. Many planners presume that the catchment area for transit is enlarged by these efforts, but geographic changes in the size of catchment areas have not been documented effectively. The research project reported in this paper assessed the distances traveled on bicycle by cycle-transit users (CTUs) and included (a) those who used bicycles as a means of access to transit stops and stations and (b) those who bicycled to and traveled on transit with their bicycles. A mixed-methods approach was employed, with a literature review; a survey of CTUs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and San Francisco, California; and telephone interviews with a subset of survey respondents. Responses in the two...
Insight into regulatory factor targeting to transcriptionally active subnuclear sites.

Mechanisms that coordinate the spatial organization of genes and regulatory proteins within the three-dimensional context of nuclear architecture contribute to the sorting of regulatory information as well as the assembly and activity of sites within the nucleus that support gene expression. In this article we will present an overview of experimental approaches that provide insight into the trafficking of the hematopoietic and bone-specific AML/CBF family of regulatory factors to transcriptionally active subnuclear sites.
Spontaneous repetitive thoughts can be adaptive: Postscript on “mind wandering”.

When researchers use the term mind wandering for task-unrelated thoughts in signal detection tasks, we may fall into the trap of believing that spontaneous thoughts are task unrelated in a deeper sense. Similar negative connotations are attached to common terms like cognitive failures, resting state, rumination, distraction, attentional failures, absent-mindedness, repetitiveness, mind lapses, going AWOL in the brain, cortical idling, and the like. Nevertheless, it seems obvious that mathematicians and scientists often engage in spontaneous repetitive thoughts and that the results of those thoughts are by no means maladaptive. Yet that seems to be implied by the standard use of common terms in the research literature. As humans, we know that spontaneous ideation goes on during all of our waking hours, during dreams and even in slow-wave sleep. It is unlikely that such a great allocation of mental resources has no useful adaptive function. This view of the spontaneous stream is consistent with the perspective of global workspace theory on conscious contents, which suggests that conscious events are not like unconscious cognitive representations. Rather, conscious events trigger widespread adaptive changes in the brain, far beyond their cortical origins. The brain evidence for such "global broadcasting" triggered by conscious (but not matched unconscious) events throughout the cortex is now quite compelling. Spontaneous conscious thoughts, even if they appear to be arbitrary, irrelevant, unwanted, or intrusive, may still play an important adaptive role in life-relevant problem solving and learning.
Differential expression of galectin-3, CK19, HBME1, and Ret oncoprotein in the diagnosis of thyroid neoplasms by fine needle aspiration biopsy.

Background: Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a common and excellent procedure for the evaluation of thyroid lesions that require surgical resection. At times, the FNAB diagnosis can be difficult, particularly of follicular-patterned lesions. Previous studies have shown that some immunohistochemical (IHC) markers may be helpful in establishing more accurate diagnosis. In this study, our goal was to evaluate four of the recently investigated markers in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules on FNABs. Materials and Methods: We performed IHC staining of galectin-3, Ret oncoprotein (Ret), HBME-1, and cytokeratin 19 (CK19), on cell block sections of thyroid FNAB cases that had corresponding surgical resections. They included 44 benign lesions (37 hyperplastic or cellular nodules, HN; and 7 follicular adenomas, FA) and 27 malignant tumors (6 follicular carcinoma, FC; 19 classic papillary carcinoma, PTC; and 2 follicular variant of papillary carcinoma, FVPC). The stains were done according to the standard avidin-biotin-peroxidase method. Results: Statistical analysis showed that immunoexpression was significantly higher in the malignant group for all four markers. The sensitivity for positive expression for all benign lesions versus malignant tumors was as follows: 10/44 (22.7%) versus 25/27 (92.6%) for galectin-3; 14/44 (31.8%) versus 23/27 (85%) for Ret; 12/44 (27.3%) versus 24/27 (88.8%) for HBME-1; and 13/44 (29.5%) versus 23/27 (85%) for CK19. The sensitivity and specificity was highest for galectin-3 (92.6% and 77.3%, respectively) followed by HMBE-1 (88.9% and 72.7%, respectively). When combining the markers' expressions, the panel of galectin-3 + HBME-1 showed the highest sensitivity and specificity (90.7% and 75%, respectively), but this was, however, lower than galectin-3 alone (92.3% and 77.3%, respectively). Conclusion: We conclude that galectin-3 is the best single marker in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid lesions with the highest sensitivity and specificity. The galectin-3 + HBME-1 was the best combination for distinguishing benign from malignant lesions. Because they were the best two independent and combined markers, we recommend the use of the galectin-3 + HBME-1 panel to enhance the diagnostic accuracy of follicular-patterned thyroid lesions on FNABs.
Phylogenetic evaluation of North American Leuciscidae (Actinopterygii: Cypriniformes: Cyprinoidea) as inferred from analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences

The benefits of utilizing unlinked multilocus data sets in phylogenetic investigations is becoming apparent as more results employing this approach become available. This study provides phylogenetic hypotheses for fishes of the North American (NA) Leuciscidae (Actinopterygii: Cypriniformes: Cyprinoidea) based on combined analyses of unlinked mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA and nuclear S7 (intron 1) and RAG1 (exon 3) sequences. Combined analyses resolve strongly supported western, creek chub-plagopterin (CC-P), and open posterior myodome (OPM) clades, with variable placement of European taxa within the NA lineage. The CC-P and non-shiner OPM clades have largely congruent topologies among analyses of the individual loci and resolve strongly supported clades in analyses of the combined loci. There is incongruence for some regions in the western and shiner clades among the individual loci. Results of the combined analyses for these regions are considered tentative, though a monophyletic Gila seems likely.
Evaluation of the Alter-Rater Model for Timing of Fungicide Applications for Control of Alternaria Brown Spot of Citrus

ABSTRACT Alternaria brown spot, caused by Alternaria alternata, results in serious yield losses of tangerines and their hybrids in Florida. The Alter-Rater model predicts the need for fungicide applications based on daily cumulative points that are assigned on the basis of rainfall, leaf wetness, and temperature. Previously, Alter-Rater threshold or trigger values of 50, 75, 100, and 150 points for application of copper fungicides were suggested for groves with different cultivars and disease histories. In this study, we evaluated thresholds of 50, 100, and 150 points in four Minneola tangelo and Murcott tangor groves in 2000 and 2001. For comparison, copper fungicides were applied according to the DISC Copper Model in 2000 and according to calendar sprays in 2001. Use of the Alter-Rater model resulted in fewer sprays in three of the four groves in 2000 and better fruit quality in the other grove than the Copper Model. Compared to a calendar spray schedule in 2001, use of the Alter-Rater model resulted in...
Regulation of Creatine Kinase by ASB9

Creatine kinases (CKs) regulate ATP levels at sites of fluctuating energy demands. Reduced CK activity has been implicated in diseases such as heart failure and multiple sclerosis, however little is known about CK regulation. Ankyrin repeat and SOCS box-containing protein, ASB9, (part of an E3 ubiquitin ligase) has been shown to promote proteasomal degradation of CKs. We hypothesize that ASB9 and its splice variants control the levels and activity of CK at sites where energy is critically needed. Our results show that the ankyrin repeat domain of ASB9 (ASB9-ARD) binds CKB with very high affinity (nM) and 1:1 stoichiometry. Comparison of binding data from several N-terminal truncations of ASB9-ARD suggests that residues 19-35 of ASB9 contribute to the binding affinity. In addition, binding of ASB9-ARD to CK abolishes the enzymatic activity of CK. Hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDXMS) has revealed that only one region in CKB (residues 182 - 203), was protected upon binding of ASB9 when the deuterium incorporation into CKB peptides alone was compared to those in complex with ASB9-ARDs. This region is right in front of the active site of the enzyme, and was shown previously to undergo a conformational change upon binding of creatine and ADP-NO3 to rabbit CKM. Results from the CK inhibition assay together with the HDXMS data strongly suggest that ASB9 binds directly to CKs and inhibits CK activity by altering regions near the active site of the enzyme. A model of this interaction generated using docking and computational modeling agrees with the binding and HDXMS data. We intend to completely characterize the ASB9-CK interaction and discover inhibitors that would disrupt the interaction, resulting in increased amounts of active CK to treat diseases in which there is a an increased energy demand and decreased CK function.
High-resolution accurate mass measurements of biomolecules using a new electrospray ionization ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer.

A novel electrospray ionization/Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer based on a 7-T superconducting magnet was developed for high-resolution accurate mass measurements of large biomolecules. Ions formed at atmospheric pressure using electrospray ionization (ESI) were transmitted (through six differential pumping stages) to the trapped ion cell maintained below 10−9 torr. The increased pumping speed attainable with cryopumping (> 105 L/s) allowed brief pressure excursions to above 10−4 torr, with greatly enhanced trapping efficiencies and subsequent short pumpdown times, facilitating high-resolution mass measurements. A set of electromechanical shutters were also used to minimize the effect of the directed molecular beam produced by the ES1 source and were open only during ion injection. Coupled with the use of the pulsed-valve gas inlet, the trapped ion cell was generally filled to the space charge limit within 100 ms. The use of 10–25 ms ion injection times allowed mass spectra to be obtained from 4 fmol of bovine insulin (Mr 5734) and ubiquitin (Mr 8565, with resolution sufficient to easily resolve the isotopic envelopes and determine the charge states. The microheterogeneity of the glycoprotein ribonuclease B was examined, giving a measured mass of 14,898.74 Da for the most abundant peak in the isotopic envelope of the normally glycosylated protein (i.e., with five mannose and two N-acetylglucosamine residues (an error of approximately 2 ppm) and an average error of approximately 1 ppm for the higher glycosylated and various H3PO4 adducted forms of the protein. Time-domain signals lasting in excess of 80 s were obtained for smaller proteins, producing, for example, a mass resolution of more than 700,000 for the 4+ charge state (m/z 1434) of insulin.
Fear of self-compassion and psychological inflexibility interact to predict PTSD symptom severity

Evidence suggests that increasing self-compassion is a worthwhile therapeutic target and may be adaptive in the context of trauma recovery. Recently, researchers have noted that particular individuals respond to self-compassion with fear and resistance, a phenomenon known as fear of self-compassion. We argue that fear of self-compassion may increase post-trauma suffering, particularly for individuals who routinely attempt to control difficult private experiences. The present study investigated relations among fear of self-compassion, psychological inflexibility, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in a sample of trauma-exposed undergraduates (N=201). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between fear of self-compassion and psychological inflexibility (B=1.22, p<.05), controlling for negative affect. Follow-up simple effects indicated that psychological inflexibility moderated the relationship between fear of self-compassion and PTSS, such that there was a significant positive association between fear of self-compassion and PTSS among participants with higher psychological inflexibility (B=3.81, p<.01), but not for those with lower psychological inflexibility. The prospect of fear of self-compassion as a contextual-behavioral treatment target is discussed.
Sarcoma of the uterus

S ARCOMA of the uterus was first described by C. Mayer in 1860 and confirmed by Virchow in 1862. Veit pubbshed an articIe on sarcoma of the cervix in 1867. The first comprehensive work on this subject in this country was pubIished by WiIIiams in I 894, who reported 144 cases coIIected from the Iiterature. Knott, in 1901, reviewed the Iiterature for the preceding ten years and found I 18 cases, whiIe Masson, in 1923, found 200 cases reported between 1894 and 1923. Bunten, in 1925, coIIected nine more cases and presented one of his own, making a totai of 353 cases reported to that date. However, Vogt was abIe to find 439 cases in 1923 and states that over 500 have been reported. VaIuabIe papers have been presented more recentIy by Propter and Simpson, Masson, Vogt, WoIfe, Evans, and others.