cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for Clostridium difficile Isolation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Study

Clostridium difficile is the most commonly isolated stool pathogen in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Traditional risk factors for C. difficile may not exist in patients with IBD, and no prior studies have assessed the risk factors for the isolation of C. difficile in both symptomatic and asymptomatic IBD outpatients. We prospectively recruited consecutive IBD patients presenting to our outpatient clinic between April 2015 and February 2016. We excluded patients with a diverting ostomy or ileoanal pouch. Demographics, healthcare exposures, medical therapies and disease activity were recorded from medical charts or surveys. A rectal swab was performed from which toxigenic culture and PCR analysis for the presence of toxin and fluorescent PCR ribotyping were performed. The primary outcome of interest was isolation of toxigenic C. difficile. A total of 190 patients were enrolled in this prospective study including 137 (72%) with Crohn’s disease and 53 (28%) with ulcerative colitis. At the time of enrollment, 69 (36%) had clinically active disease. Sixteen (8.4%) patients had toxigenic C. difficile isolated on rectal swab at enrollment and four (2.1%) patients had non-toxigenic C. difficile cultured. Mixed infection with more than one toxigenic isolate was present in 5/16 (33.3%) individuals. Patients with CD with a toxin positive isolate were more likely to have a history of CDI in the past 12 months (40 vs. 11.02%, p = 0.027) and an emergency department visit in the past 12 weeks (50 vs. 20.63%, p = 0.048). In UC, individuals with isolation of C. difficile were more likely to be hospitalized within the past 12 months (66.6 vs. 8.51%, p = 0.003). C. difficile isolation at the time of presentation was not associated with a subsequent disease relapse over a 6-month period in CD (p = 0.557) or UC (p = 0.131). Healthcare exposures remain a significant risk factor for C. difficile isolation in the IBD population; however, this was not associated with relapse of disease. Further studies assessing the clinical significance of C. difficile isolation is warranted in IBD.
Impact of ovarian transposition before pelvic irradiation on ovarian function among long‐term survivors of childhood Hodgkin lymphoma: A report from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study

BACKGROUND We reviewed the effect of ovarian transposition (OT) on ovarian function among long-term survivors of childhood Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) treated with pelvic radiotherapy. PROCEDURE Female participants (age 18+ years) with HL in the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study (SJLIFE) were clinically evaluated for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) 10 or more years after pelvic radiotherapy. Reproductive history including age at menopause and pregnancy/live births was available on all patients. RESULTS Of 127 eligible females with HL, 90 (80%) participated in SJLIFE, including 49 who underwent OT before pelvic radiotherapy. Median age at STLIFE evaluation was 38 years (range 25-60). In a multiple regression adjusted for age at diagnosis, pelvic radiotherapy doses > 1,500 cGy (hazard ratio [HR] = 25.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.1-207.3; P = 0.0027) and cumulative cyclophosphamide equivalent doses of alkylating agents > 12,000 mg/m2 (HR = 11.2, 95% CI = 3.4-36.8; P < 0.0001) were significantly associated with POI. There was no significant association between OT and occurrence of POI (HR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.2-1.9; P = 0.41). CONCLUSIONS OT did not appear to modify risk of POI in this historic cohort of long-term survivors of HL treated with gonadotoxic therapy. Modern fertility preservation modalities, such as mature oocyte cryopreservation, should be offered to at-risk patients whenever feasible.
An approximate matching method for clinical drug names.

Objective: To develop an approximate matching method for finding the closest drug names within existing RxNorm content for drug name variants found in local drug formularies. Methods: We used a drug-centric algorithm to determine the closest strings between the RxNorm data set and local variants which failed the exact and normalized string matching searches. Aggressive measures such as token splitting, drug name expansion and spelling correction are used to try and resolve drug names. The algorithm is evaluated against three sets containing a total of 17,164 drug name variants. Results: Mapping of the local variant drug names to the targeted concept descriptions ranged from 83.8% to 92.8% in three test sets. The algorithm identified the appropriate RxNorm concepts as the top candidate in 76.8%, 67.9% and 84.8% of the cases in the three test sets and among the top three candidates in 90-96% of the cases. Conclusion: Using a drug-centric token matching approach with aggressive measures to resolve unknown names provides effective mappings to clinical drug names and has the potential of facilitating the work of drug terminology experts in mapping local formularies to reference terminologies.
Effect of Mutations on the Global and Site-Specific Stability and Folding of an Elementary Protein Structural Motif.

Understanding the folding mechanism of proteins requires detailed knowledge of the roles of individual amino acid residues in stabilization of specific elements and local segments of the native structure. Recently, we have utilized the combination of circular dichroism (CD) and site-specific 13C isotopically edited infrared spectroscopy (IR) coupled with the Ising-like model for protein folding to map the thermal unfolding at the residue level of a de novo designed helix–turn–helix motif αtα. Here we use the same methodology to study how the sequence of local thermal unfolding is affected by selected mutations introduced into the most and least stable parts of the motif. Seven different mutants of αtα are screened to find substitutions with the most pronounced effects on the overall stability. Subsequently, thermal unfolding of two mutated αtα sequences is studied with site-specific resolution, using four distinct 13C isotopologues of each. The data are analyzed with the Ising-like model, which builds on ...
Early Career Exploration as a Strategy to Reduce Loan Debt

Despite the recent economic recovery, state support for higher education remains below pre- recession levels, making college loan debt a requirement for students from low and middle income families (Mitchell & Leachman, 2015). In cases where they have unmet financial need, students incur supplemental loan debt to attend these institutions, even if their out-of-pocket expenses are less at lower-ranked institutions (Williams, 2012). Study participants who entered college as low- income students recommended that students only assume loan debt if they understand their career goals, potential salaries, and the impact of loan debt on future finances. This article explores how attitudes about upward mobility influence college choice among low-income students and how early career exploration can be important in mitigating loan debt.
ADEA Allied Dental Education Leadership (ADEL).

Back in August 1999, a special American Dental Education Association (ADEA) task force report titled “Future of Dental School Faculty” identified a crisis in dental education related to the shortage of dental faculty—the “graying” of the faculty workforce and the insufficient numbers of
The effects of Lawsonia intracellularis, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and co-infection on IL-8 and TNFα expression in IPEC-J2 cells.

Abstract Lawsonia intracellularis is among the most important enteric pathogens of swine and has been shown to be a risk factor for increased Salmonella enterica shedding. S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, in addition to being a significant pathogen of swine, also remains one of the most common causes of foodborne illness worldwide. Inflammation and the expression of IL8 and TNFα are an important process in the establishment of S. Typhimurium infection. Yet the effect of L. intracellularis on the expression of these cytokines by enterocytes, the niche both pathogens occupy during infection, is poorly understood. In this study we compared cytokine gene expression between singly and dually infected IPEC-J2 cells, a non-transformed porcine enterocyte cell line. Our results show that L. intracellularis leads to increased expression of IL8 and TNFα and has an additive effect on their expression in co-infection. The increase in expression of inflammatory cytokines may be one mechanism by which L. intracellularis favors S. Typhimurium infection.
Eliciting Privacy Concerns for Smart Home Devices from a User Centered Perspective

Smart homes are equipped with an ecosystem of devices that support humans in their everyday activities, ranging from entertainment, lighting and security systems. Although smart devices provide home automation features that are convenient, comfortable, and easy to control, they also pose critical privacy risks for users, especially considering their continuous ability to sense users’ information and connect to web services. To elicit privacy concerns from a user-centric perspective, the authors performed a thorough analysis of 128 online reviews of consumers of smart home hubs – including Amazon Echo, Google Home, Wink and Insteon. The reviews expressed users’ concerns about privacy. The reviews were coded and classified according to four information security principles and temporal dimensions ranging from data collection to information sharing. A discussion on how to improve the design of smart home devices with privacy-enhanced solutions is provided.
Immunomodulation of Pre-Diabetes in BB Rats for Prevention of the Disease

The use of insulin therapy in the treatment of diabetes was naturally heralded as a cure for this otherwise lethal malady (1). It has now become apparent that, although insulin therapy avoids the acute morbidity and mortality associated with the disease, it allows those afflicted to develop a host of chronic debilitating complications. To eliminate such complications it seems likely that more refined treatment modalities and/or effective disease prevention strategies will be necessary, and that this will require further understanding the pathogenesis of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).
The Spatial Origins of Cochlear Amplification Assessed by Stimulus-Frequency Otoacoustic Emissions

Cochlear amplification of basilar membrane traveling waves is thought to occur between a tone's characteristic frequency (CF) place and within one octave basal of the CF. Evidence for this view comes only from the cochlear base. Stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions (SFOAEs) provide a noninvasive alternative to direct measurements of cochlear motion that can be measured across a wide range of CF regions. Coherent reflection theory indicates that SFOAEs arise mostly from the peak region of the traveling wave, but several studies using far-basal suppressor tones claimed that SFOAE components originate many octaves basal of CF. We measured SFOAEs while perfusing guinea pig cochleas from apex to base with salicylate or KCl solutions that reduced outer-hair-cell function and SFOAE amplification. Solution effects on inner hair cells reduced auditory nerve compound action potentials (CAPs) and provided reference times for when solutions reached the SFOAE-frequency CF region. As solution flowed from apex to base, SFOAE reductions generally occurred later than CAP reductions and showed that the effects of cochlear amplification usually peaked ∼1/2 octave basal of the CF region. For tones ≥2 kHz, cochlear amplification typically extended ∼1.5 octaves basal of CF, and the data are consistent with coherent reflection theory. SFOAE amplification did not extend to the basal end of the cochlea, even though reticular lamina motion is amplified in this region, which indicates that reticular lamina motion is not directly coupled to basilar membrane traveling waves. Previous reports of SFOAE-frequency residuals produced by suppressor frequencies far above the SFOAE frequency are most likely due to additional sources created by the suppressor. For some tones <2 kHz, SFOAE amplification extended two octaves apical of CF, which highlights that different vibratory motions produce SFOAEs and CAPs, and that the amplification region depends on the cochlear mode of motion considered. The concept that there is a single "cochlear amplification region" needs to be revised.
Selective Lesser Curvature Augmentation With Geometric Study for Repair of Aortic Arch Obstruction.

Background We repaired aortic coarctation and interrupted aortic arch with extended end-to-end anastomosis (EAA) through median sternotomy and performed lesser curvature augmentation with a pulmonary autograft patch (PAP) in selected patients with a long gap between anastomotic sites. We reviewed these outcomes and geometric implications. Methods All neonates and infants with biventricular morphology who underwent aortic arch reconstruction through median sternotomy between 2005 and 2019 were evaluated. Aortic arch geometry was analyzed with computed tomography routinely performed before and after surgery from 2009 on. Results There were 91 consecutive patients (median age, 1.2 months). Ten patients received PAP. One early death and no late deaths were noted. Overall survival was 98.9% at 10 years. Two left bronchomalacia and 1 recoarctation occurred in patients with EAA. Freedom from recoarctation was 97.4% at 10 years. We examined 68 patients with computed tomography. We used PAP in patients with a significantly longer gap between anastomotic sites indexed by the square root of the body surface area; its cutoff value was 29.0 mm/m (area under the curve, 0.86 mm/m). The PAP created a significantly greater arch angle (median, 91° versus 83°) and arch/descending diameter ratio (median, 1.2 versus 1.0) and preserved the arch width indexed by the square root of the body surface area (median, before surgery: 35.7 versus 34.4 mm/m; after surgery: 36.5 versus 29.9mm/m), compared with EAA. Conclusions Aortic arch reconstruction with the current combined strategy provides satisfactory outcomes. Guided by geometric analysis, lesser curvature augmentation can be applied to patients who might experience recoarctation or airway compression with a directly anastomosed aortic arch.
Modeling Non-Circular Motions in Disk Galaxies: Application to NGC 2976

We present a new procedure to fit non-axisymmetric flow patterns to 2-D velocity maps of spiral galaxies. We concentrate on flows caused by bar-like or oval distortions to the total potential that may arise either from a non-axially symmetric halo or a bar in the luminous disk. We apply our method to high-quality CO and Halpha data for the nearby, low-mass spiral NGC 2976 previously obtained by Simon et al., and find that a bar-like model fits the data at least as well as their model with large radial flows. We find supporting evidence for the existence of a bar in the baryonic disk. Our model suggests that the azimuthally averaged central attraction in the inner part of this galaxy is larger than estimated by these authors. It is likely that the disk is also more massive, which will limit the increase to the allowed dark halo density. Allowance for bar-like distortions in other galaxies may either increase or decrease the estimated central attraction.
Reflections on COVID-19, Domestic Violence, and Shared Trauma

COVID-19, as a global collective trauma, poses unique challenges for clinicians, especially those working with victims of domestic violence. Despite the documented rise in domestic violence incidents, seeking help while at home with an abuser remains difficult, if not near impossible. In addition to heightened security concerns for clients, the shared trauma, or shared traumatic reality, faced by clinicians has created unforeseen challenges with boundaries and the therapeutic relationship. Applying the literature to my personal experience in the months since COVID-19 reshaped our norms will demonstrate that times of such challenge also have positive aspects and can create posttraumatic growth, benefitting both the client and the professional.
Tales in Language, Confidence, and Learning Environments: Exploring Students’ Mental Health Through Literacy Narratives

Existing literature specific to student mental health is predominantly based in health studies. This positionality does not sufficiently consider the role of the classroom in the lives of students facing mental health challenges. This project sought to advocate the bridging of scholarship concerning mental health within health studies with the field of rhetoric and composition in order to open a dialogue for subsequent case studies. Specifically, this project looked at three commonplaces across two literacy narratives from the Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives (DALN) to consider how the “literacy myth” (Graff) challenges, extends, and reveals the ways in which academic and mental health literate practices are rooted in learning environments. This project also considered the constraints of said learning environments and, further, the role of confidence when accessing mental health literate practices. Originally arguing that literacy narratives are a key component in student mental health efforts, this study ultimately calls for more inclusive research of mental health discourse within the field of rhetoric and composition. In this way, mental health discourse is positioned to expand beyond one-dimensional, prescriptive boundaries into better availability for all students.
Design and demonstration of a laboratory-scale oxygen controlled liquid sodium facility

Abstract The control and detection of dissolved oxygen in liquid sodium is important for the mitigation of impurity driven corrosion in containment components used in sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) environments. Oxygen purification systems are also necessary in smaller institutions to facilitate benchtop-scale testing of future SFR instrumentation. With interest in increasing laboratory-scale SFR research, this paper focuses on the design and demonstration of a safe and cost-effective purification loop using a cold trap (CT) and a plugging meter (PM) to control and measure oxygen levels. The demonstration of the purification system’s effectiveness to manipulate oxygen concentration was made through a series of validation experiments at several CT set-points in the range of 8 – 28 [ wppm ] . Agreement below 14 [ wppm ] with a relative error less than 1.8% was observed. These results indicate that an accessible oxygen controlled sodium system can be safely designed and operated at relatively low capital investment.
A photoanode with hierarchical nanoforest TiO 2 structure and silver plasmonic nanoparticles for flexible dye sensitized solar cell.

Due to unique photovoltaic properties, the nanostructured morphologies of TiO2 on flexible substrate have been studied extensively in the recent years for applications in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Microstructured electrode materials with high surface area can facilitate rapid charge transport and thus improve the light-to-current conversion efficiency. Herein we present an improved photoanode with forest like photoactive TiO2 hierarchical microstructure using a simple and facile hydrothermal route. To utilize the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and hence increase the photon conversion efficiency, a plasmonic nanoparticle Ag has also been deposited using a very feasible photoreduction method. The branched structure of the photoanode increases the dye loading by filling the space between the nanowires, whereas Ag nanoparticles play the multiple roles of dye absorption and light scattering to increase the light-to-current conversion efficiency of the device. The branched structure provides a suitable matrix for the subsequent Ag deposition. They improve the charge collection efficiency by providing the preferential electron pathways. The high-density Ag nanoparticles deposited on the forest like structure also decrease the charge recombination and therefore improve the photovoltaic efficiency of the cells. As a result, the DSSC based on this novel photoanode shows remarkably higher photon conversion efficiency (ηmax = 4.0% and ηopt = 3.15%) compared to the device based on pristine nanowire or forest-like TiO2 structure. The flexibility of the device showed sustainable and efficient performance of the microcells.
A Simple and Practical Approach to Improve Misspellings in OCR Text.

The focus of our paper is the identification and correction of non-word errors in OCR text. Such errors may be the result of incorrect insertion, deletion, or substitution of a character, or the transposition of two adjacent characters within a single word. Or, it can be the result of word boundary problems that lead to run-on errors and incorrect-split errors. The traditional N-gram correction methods can handle single-word errors effectively. However, they show limitations when dealing with split and merge errors. In this paper, we develop an unsupervised method that can handle both errors. The method we develop leads to a sizable improvement in the correction rates. This tutorial paper addresses very difficult word correction problems - namely incorrect run-on and split errors - and illustrates what needs to be considered when addressing such problems. We outline a possible approach and assess its success on a limited study.
Plato and Davidson: Parts of the Soul and Weakness of Will

(1990). Plato and Davidson: Parts of the Soul and Weakness of Will. Canadian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 20, Supplementary Volume 16: Canadian Philosophers: Celebrating Twenty Years of the CJP, pp. 35-74.
Microlocal Analysis and Global Solutions of Some Hyperbolic Equations with Discontinuous Coefficients

We are concerned with analyzing hyperbolic equations with distributional coefficients. We focus on the case of coefficients with jump discontinuities considered earlier by Hurd and Sattinger in their proof of the breakdown of global distributional solutions. Within the framework of Colombeau generalized functions, however, Oberguggenberger showed the existence and uniqueness of a global solution. Within this framework we develop further a microlocal analysis to understand the propagation of singularities of such Colombeau solutions. To achieve this we introduce a refined notion of a wave-front set, extending Hormander's definition for distributions. We show how the coefficient singularities modify the classical relation of the wave front set of the solution and the characteristic set of the operator, with a generalized notion of characteristic set.
Promiscuous regulator of xenobiotic removal.

The transcription factor SXR mediates drug, xenobiotic and steroid induction of a major drug–metabolizing enzyme. Drugs such as paclitaxel (Taxol) can bind and activate this transcription factor and therefore regulate their own metabolism and efflux from cells. Manipulation of this pathway might lead to new ways to improve therapeutic efficacy and to minimize toxicity ( 584–590 ).
Propionate metabolism. IV. Significance of carboxylation reactions during adaptation to propionate.

Abstract The data presented are concerned with factors regulating adaptation of Escherichia coli to growth on propionate. A mutant strain of E. coli E-26 was employed; this mutant grows on acetate and on a number of other substrates, but is unable to initiate growth when propionate is the sole source of carbon. The mutant possesses a functional tricarboxylic acid cycle and glyoxylate bypass; is able to oxidize propionate to acetate; but is unable to effect sufficient formation of C 4 acids required for initiation of growth on propionate. This deficiency can be overcome by the addition of either succinate or HCO 3 − to propionate media. It is proposed that the mutant is deficient in one or more carboxylation reactions, since such cells possess a markedly decreased capacity to incorporate 14 CO 2 into cell material. It is further suggested that carboxylation reactions are most active during initiation of growth on propionate and decline as growth proceeds.
Lessons from the first capacity market auction in Great Britain

The first capacity market auction covering Great Britain's electricity sector took place in December 2014, and resulted in 49.3 GW securing capacity contracts for delivery in 2018/2019 at a clearing price below most market expectations. The results have generally been hailed a success by policymakers, but the auction design is still likely to evolve as the results of the first auction are assessed against the policy objectives. With 2.6 GW of new capacity securing 15-year contracts and 6 GW of existing capacity exiting the auction, an area of particular interest may be the contract lengths available for different types of participants. At a time when Capacity Remuneration Mechanisms are being considered across Europe, the design and outcomes of Great Britain's capacity market are being analysed with great interest and can provide important lessons to policymakers across Europe.
Non-Gorenstein Isolated Singularities of Graded Countable Cohen–Macaulay Type

In this article we show a partial answer to a question of Huneke and Leuschke (Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 131(10):3003–3007, 2003): Let R be a standard graded Cohen–Macaulay ring of graded countable Cohen–Macaulay representation type, and assume that R has an isolated singularity. Is R then necessarily of graded finite Cohen–Macaulay representation type? In particular, this question has an affirmative answer for standard graded non-Gorenstein rings as well as for standard graded Gorenstein rings of minimal multiplicity. Along the way, we obtain a partial classification of graded Cohen–Macaulay rings of graded countable Cohen–Macaulay type.
Microwave Inductors on Silicon Substrates

Microwave inductive structures are fabricated on high resistivity (3 k to 7 k ?-cm, measured) Si, GaAs, and quartz substrates under two conditions: metal-substrate and metal-insulator-substrate. The insulators are sandwiches of: SiO2(field)/Si3N4 and SiO2(field)/Si3N4 with SiO2(gate). The measured unloaded Q of single layer spirals and meander inductors on Si substrates are comparable to the measured unloaded Q of the same structures realized on GaAs and quartz substrates. These results are in agreement with the ones obtained using coplanar transmission lines (CPW's), which further confirm that high resistivity Si can be used as a microwave substrate.
MEASURING THE EFFECT OF WEATHER ON CROP PRODUCTIO

Farm income is greatly affected by the impact of weather on crop production. Relating crop production to weather requires an index that is relatively specific to a local area. A single index is preferable in economic analysis to avoid including many weather variables that may be highly intercorrelated and to preserve degrees of freedom for testing the models chosen. The unique feature of the reported index is the use of readily available data and the direct estimation of the effect of weather on yield per acre. The resulting weather index was found to be reasonably accurate, and thus suitable for use in studies concerned with such diverse topics as the benefits of environmental control and the stability of farm income. WE ANALYSE DBS CONDITIONS CLIMATIQUES SUR LE RENDEMENT DES CULTURES. — Le revenu agricole est grandement affectee par les conditions climatiques sur le rendement des recoltes. Le rapport entre les deux demande un indice qui relate particulierement a une region precise. Un seul indice est preferable dans l'analyse economique afin d'eviter d'y inclure trop de variables qui pourraient etre et de preserver un degre de liberte dans l'application des modeles choisis. L'unique caracteristique de cet indice est l'emploie des donnees disponibles et une evaluation juste des conditions climatiques sur le rendement a l'acre des cultures. Les resultats sur l'indice des conditions climatiques semblent etre tres efficace, ainsi convenable a l'usage des etudes concernant les avantages d'un controle de milieu et de la stabilite du revenue agricole.
A Preventive Boll Weevil Control Program Applied to a Ten-Square-Mile Area within a Treated County

A preventive control program against the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, was applied to a 10-square-mile area within untreated Robeson County, North Carolina, in 1960. The treatment schedule consisted of 4 early-season insecticide applications beginning at the 8-leaf stage of cotton growth plus late-season applications beginning the last week of July and continuing to the end of squaring. Approximately 95% control of overwintered weevils was obtained with the early-season applications, resulting in approximately 88% control of P, boll weevils. When Po boll weevils emerged, control declined steadily to 16% as migrants entered the treated fields and depressed yields. The increase in boll weevils from the overwintered to the peak late season population was 21-fold in untreated fields and 856-fold in treated fields, indicating the magnitude of migration. Nevertheless. 6 insecticide applications increased the average yield of seed cotton 426 lb/acre. More than I bale/acre was produced in 29% of the treated fields and in none of the untreated fields.
Regulation of proliferation and production of prostate-specific antigen in androgen-sensitive prostatic cancer cells, lncap, by dihydrotestosterone

LNCaP is an androgen-sensitive human prostatic cancer cell line. The effect of androgen on these cells is characterized by a bell-shaped growth response and a dose-dependent induction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) production. The present study was carried out to gain further insight into the effect of androgen on LNCaP. Cells were cultured in phenol red-free RPMI-1640 supplemented with 10% charcoal-stripped fetal bovine serum, with concentrations of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) ranging from 0-10(-7) M, in a 4-day culture system. A bell-shaped growth response was reproduced with a peak level of cell count at 10(-10) M DHT. PSA secretion from these cells did not increase significantly until the DHT level in the medium reached 10(-9) M. A progressive increase in PSA secretion was observed at higher DHT concentrations accompanied with a progressive decline in cellular proliferation. The results of immunocytochemical analysis of PSA localization indicated that the proportion of cells with positive staining for PSA also increased with increasing concentrations of DHT. Analysis of androgen receptors, as determined by both immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis, showed a decline in nuclear androgen receptor at low concentrations of DHT and an increase in the amount of receptor protein at high concentrations. These results indicated that the androgen-induced bell-shaped growth response in LNCaP cells represented the manifestation of two different cellular events in dose-related manner: cellular proliferation at low DHT concentrations and increased production of PSA at high DHT concentrations.
Cancellation of laser noise in an unequal-arm interferometer detector of gravitational radiation

In this paper we present a method for exactly cancelling the laser noise in a one-bounce unequal-arm Michelson interferometer. The method requries separate measurements of the phase difference in each arm, made by interfering the returning laser light in each arm with the outgoing light.
Trnsient Response of a Small-Signal Microwave GaAs FET to X-Rays

Microwave power output of a submicron-gate GaAs FET, containing no buffer layer, is observed to recover within one hundred nanoseconds after the x-ray pulse from a FEBETRON 705 source. The FET is formed by implanting ions into the substrate, grown with a liquid encapsulated Czochralski method and doped lightly with chromium.
Evaluating the Completeness of RadLex in the Chest Radiography Domain

Rationale and Objectives RadLex was developed to create a unified language for radiologists. Despite the large number of terms, little research has evaluated the degree to which RadLex contains terms frequently used in clinical practice. The purposes of this project are to estimate the completeness of RadLex in the chest radiography domain and to characterize the absent terms. We chose chest radiography because it is a common exam generating a large number of reports, and the terms used represent a relatively well-circumscribed set of terms compared to other anatomic regions and modalities. Materials and Methods We collected a random sample of 100 chest radiograph reports from 1 month of routine clinical practice of three board-certified radiologists. We parsed each report's findings and impression sections into individual objects. An “object” was defined as any discrete physical object, body part, observation, descriptive modifier, diagnosis, or procedure. Objects were compared to RadLex by entering the object into the RadLex Term Browser. We calculated descriptive statistics and compared the match rate across RadLex categories. Results We identified 339 unique objects, with an overall match rate of 62%. The match rate for each category was anatomic object, 77%; physiological condition, 73%; physical object, 65%; imaging observation, 47%; procedure, 0%; other, 41% ( P Conclusions Our study shows that despite the large number of terms in RadLex, terms are still absent and complexities in the definitions of terms exist. However, increasing the completeness and refining the definitions in RadLex is easily surmountable, possibly using manual methods.
CRH-stimulated cortisol release and food intake in healthy, non-obese adults

Summary Background There is considerable anecdotal and some scientific evidence that stress triggers eating behavior, but underlying physiological mechanisms remain uncertain. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is a key mediator of physiological stress responses and may play a role in the link between stress and food intake. Cortisol responses to laboratory stressors predict consumption but it is unclear whether such responses mark a vulnerability to stress-related eating or whether cortisol directly stimulates eating in humans. Methods We infused healthy adults with corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) at a dose that is subjectively undetectable but elicits a robust endogenous cortisol response, and measured subsequent intake of snack foods, allowing analysis of HPA reactivity effects on food intake without the complex psychological effects of a stress paradigm. Results CRH elevated cortisol levels relative to placebo but did not impact subjective anxious distress. Subjects ate more following CRH than following placebo and peak cortisol response to CRH was strongly related to both caloric intake and total consumption. Conclusions These data show that HPA axis reactivity to pharmacological stimulation predicts subsequent food intake and suggest that cortisol itself may directly stimulate food consumption in humans. Understanding the physiological mechanisms that underlie stress-related eating may prove useful in efforts to attack the public health crises created by obesity.
Pyridine Nucleotides in the Thyroid Gland. VIII. Effect of Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone on Nicotinic Acid-14C Incorporation Into NAD, NADP and NADPH

The effect of TSH on the incorporation of nicotinic acid-14C into NADP, NADPH and NAD in dog thyroid slices was studied. Although TSH increased NADP levels in slices during the first 10 and 20 min incubation periods, there was not a concomitant stimulation of nicotinic acid-14C incorporation into NADP. During the same incubation periods, TSH significantly decreased NADPH levels in slices without a significant change in the nicotinic acid-14C incorporation into this nucleotide. TSH accelerated nicotinic acid-14C incorporation into NADP during the last 10 min of a 30 min incubation. However, this stimulation was diminished by longer incubations. These data suggest that the TSH mediated increase in NADP may initially reflect stimulation of NADPH oxidation, followed by increased NADP synthesis. (Endocrinology 81: 1291, 1967)
Segmentbezogene ermittlung von kapitalkosten

Das am 1. Mai 1998 in Kraft getretene KonTraG fordert von borsennotierten Unternehmen die Einbindung einer Segment-und Risikoberichterstattung in den Jahresabschlus. Parallel gewinnen Fragen der wertorientierten Steuerung an Bedeutung. Die Ermittlung segmentbezogener Wertbeitrage erfordert eine Anpassung der Unternehmenskapitalkosten. Da eine direkte Ermittlung unter Berucksichtigung des Capital Asset Pricing Models derzeit nicht moglich ist, gewinnen praxisbezogene Ansatze an Bedeutung. Der Ansatz der Boston Consulting Group wird vorgestellt und analysiert. Es wird eine Segment-Mindestrendite empfohlen. Die Auspragung der Unternehmenskapitalkosten hangt von der Kapitalstruktur und dem finanziellen Risiko ab. Grundlegende Probleme und Implikationen werden diskutiert und modellbezogen berucksichtigt.
Performance evaluation of a combined neutron and x-ray digital imaging system

A neutron and X-ray combined computed tomography system (NXCT) has been developed1 at the Missouri University of Science & Technology. It is believed that it will provide a superior method for non-destructive testing and evaluation. The system is housed within the Missouri University of Science & Technology Reactor (MSTR) and is the first such imaging platform and synthesis method to be developed. The system utilizes neutrons obtained directly from the reactor core and X-rays an X-ray generator. Characterization of the newly developed digital imaging system is imperative to the performance evaluation, as well as for describing the associated parameters. The preliminary evaluation of the NXCT system was performed in terms of image uniformity, linearity and spatial resolution. Additionally, the correlation between the applied beam intensity, the resulting image quality, and the system sensitivity was investigated. The combined neutron/X-ray digital imaging system was evaluated in terms of performance parameters and results are detailed. The MTF of the X-ray imaging module was calculated using the Edge method. The spatial frequency at 10% of the MTF was found to be 8 lp/mm, which is in agreement with the value of 8.5 lp/mm determined from the square wave response method. The highest detective quantum efficiency of the X-ray imaging module was found to be 0.13. Furthermore, the NPS spectrum for the neutron imaging module was also evaluated in a similar way as the X-ray imaging module. In order to improve the image quality of the neutron imaging module, a pin-hole mask phantom was used to correct the geometrical non-linearity of the delay line anode readout. The non-linearity correction of the delay line anode readout has been shown through the corrected images of perforated cadmium strip and electroformed phantom.
Facile Preparation of Biodiesel Using Microwave Heating

The preparation of biodiesel using a scientific microwave apparatus offers a fast, easy route to this biofuel with advantages of a short reaction time, a low oil/methanol ratio, and an ease of operation. The methodology can be utilized with new or used vegetable oil and with methanol or ethanol with a 1:6 ratio of oil/alcohol.
Vascular smooth muscle function: The physiology and pathology of vasoconstriction

Abstract Vascular smooth muscle is the contractile component of arteries and veins. The control of contraction and relaxation is dependent upon intracellular and extracellular signals. Abnormal contractions can cause and or contribute to pathology such as hypertension, ischemia and infarction. In this review, we address the vascular pathogenesis associated with hypertension and subarachnoid hemorrhage induced cerebral vasospasm. Hypertension is a multifactorial disease with many causes and a profound impact on the cardiovascular system, whereas subarachnoid hemorrhage induced cerebral vasospasm is a pathological vasoconstriction often causing infarction that is thought to be ‘caused' by a factor or factors in the CSF following the hemorrhage. However, the mechanism by which the vessels are constricted is unknown. Although the causes for these two pathological vasoconstrictions remain to be determined, we conclude that the common denominator is that these contractile changes result in pathology with devastating consequences to human health.
Job Scheduling in the presence of Multiple Resource Requirements

In past massively parallel processing systems, such as the Intel Paragon and the Thinking Machines CM-5, the scheduling problem consisted of allocating a single type of resource among the waiting jobs; the processing node. A job was allocated the minimum number of nodes required to meet its largest resource requirement (e.g. memory, CPUs, I/O channels, etc.). Recent systems, such as the SUN E10000 and SGI O2K, are made up of pools of independently allocatable hardware and software resources such as shared memory, large disk farms, distinct I/O channels, and software licenses. In order to make efficient use of all the available system resources, the scheduling algorithm must be able to maintain a job working set which fully utilizes all of the resources. Previous work in scheduling multiple resources focused on coordinating the allocation of CPUs and memory, using ad-hoc methods for generating good schedules. We provide new job selection heuristics based on resource balancing which support the construction of generalized K-resource scheduling algorithms. We show through simulation that performance gains of up to 50% in average response time are achievable over classical scheduling methods such as First-Come-First-Served with First-Fit backfill.
The Use of Intraveous Iron and Erythropoietin to Reduce Erythrocyte Transfusion in Premature Neonates † 1413

The Use of Intraveous Iron and Erythropoietin to Reduce Erythrocyte Transfusion in Premature Neonates † 1413
Alan Kay: Transforming the Computer into a Communication Medium

Alan Kay is referred to as the "father of the personal computer" because his 1969 doctoral thesis described an early prototype of personal computing. Kay's ideas contributed to the transformation of the computer from a calculating machine to a communication medium. This article focuses on Kay's vision for personal computing.
The spectrum of autoimmune autonomic neuropathies

We analyzed the clinical characteristics of 18 patients (13 female, 5 male) who had autoimmune autonomic neuropathy (AAN) and ganglionic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) autoantibodies. Mean age was 61.4 years (standard deviation, 12.0 years). Ten patients had subacute symptom onset, six with an antecedent event. Eight patients had chronic AAN, characterized by insidious symptom onset, without antecedent event, and gradual progression. A majority of patients with high antibody values (>1.00 nmol/L) had a combination of sicca complex (marked dry eyes and dry mouth), abnormal pupillary light response, upper gastrointestinal symptoms, and neurogenic bladder. Chronic AAN segregated into two subgroups. One subgroup (N = 4) had low antibody titer (0.09 +/- 0.01 nmol/L) and a paucity of cholinergic symptoms. It was indistinguishable from pure autonomic failure. The other subgroup (N = 4) had high antibody titer (11.6 +/- 2.08 nmol/L), sicca complex, abnormal pupils, and neurogenic bladder; three had severe upper gastrointestinal dysfunction. Higher antibody titers correlated with greater autonomic dysfunction and more frequent cholinergic dysautonomia. These observations expand the clinical spectrum of AAN to include chronic cases, some being indistinguishable from pure autonomic failure, and support the concept that ganglionic AChR antibodies are important diagnostically and pathophysiologically in acquired dysautonomia.
The history of electroconvulsive therapy in the United States and its place in American psychiatry: A personal memoir

The history of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the United States is traced from its crude beginnings in 1940 to its emergence as a highly sophisticated and effective treatment for many severe psychiatric disorders. The general distrust of all somatic therapies in the 1930s and 1940s expressed by many prominent psychiatrists (both analysts and nonanalysts) contributed to an ambivalent relationship between ECT and the rest of American psychiatry. The media coverage of ECT is reviewed, and suggestions for dealing with the antipsychiatry movement and anti-ECT prejudice are discussed.
Cognitive Enhancement: Promises and Perils

The potential use of drugs to enhance cognition, emotion, and executive function has engendered controversy despite the fact that few such agents exist today. Here, I provide a context for discussions based on medical, regulatory, and ethical concerns that have been raised by the possibility that enhancers will emerge from current efforts to discover drugs for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Graphene: Tri and tri again

Monolayer graphene is a semimetal with no bandgap, and bilayer graphene is a semiconductor with a tunable gap. A trio of studies now shows that trilayer graphene can be either, depending on how its layers are stacked — behaviour that could support exotic new electronic states.
On equivalent forms of Whittaker's similarity index

Abstract For two N-species assemblages A, B with specific proportionate abundances of the ith species ai, bl respectively, we consider the equality ∑ t=1 N c i = 1− 1 2 ∑ t=1 N |a i −b i |, c i = a i a i ⩽ b i b i a i > b i , 0⩽a,b,c⩽1 . The left-hand term is known as Sanders' minimum faunal abundance value, while the right side is referred to as Whittaker's similarity index. Both measures are commonly used in community studies. Equality between these two measures obtains only when proportionate abundances are utilized. We develop equivalent formulation which is valid for absolute abundance data, reduces to the Sanders-Whittaker equality when proportionate abundance data are employed, and is more sensitive to differences in species abundance distributions. Namely, we show that 2 α+β ∑ t=1 N c i = 1 − 1 α+β ∑ t=1 N |a i −b i | , where α = ∑ t=1 N a i , β = ∑ t=1 N b i , and the a's, b's c's are as defined above.
Massive expansion of SCA2 with autonomic dysfunction, retinitis pigmentosa, and infantile spasms.

Objective: To provide clinical data on a cohort of 6 patients with massive expansion (>200 CAG repeats) of spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) and investigate possible pathways of pathogenesis using bioinformatics analysis of ATXN2 networks. Methods: We present data on 6 patients with massive expansion of SCA2 who presented in infancy with variable combinations of hypotonia, global developmental delay, infantile spasms, and retinitis pigmentosa. ATXN2 is known to interact with a network of synaptic proteins. To investigate pathways of pathogenesis, we performed bioinformatics analysis on ATXN2 combined with known genes associated with infantile spasms, retinitis pigmentosa, and synaptic function. Results: All patients had a progressive encephalopathy with autonomic dysfunction, 4 had retinitis pigmentosa, and 3 had infantile spasms. The bioinformatics analysis led to several interesting findings. First, an interaction between ATXN2 and SYNJ1 may account for the development of retinitis pigmentosa. Second, dysfunction of postsynaptic vesicle endocytosis may be important in children with this progressive encephalopathy. Infantile spasms may be associated with interactions between ATXN2 and the postsynaptic structural proteins MAGI2 and SPTAN1. Conclusions: Severe phenotype in children with massive expansion of SCA2 may be due to a functional deficit in protein networks in the postsynapse, specifically involving vesicle endocytosis.
Electronic structure of a graphene/hexagonal-BN heterostructure grown on Ru(0001) by chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition: extrinsically doped graphene

A significant BN-to-graphene charge donation is evident in the electronic structure of a graphene/h-BN(0001) heterojunction grown by chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition directly on Ru(0001), consistent with density functional theory. This filling of the lowest unoccupied state near the Brillouin zone center has been characterized by combined photoemission/k vector resolved inverse photoemission spectroscopies, and Raman and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy. The unoccupied σ*(Γ(1) +) band dispersion yields an effective mass of 0.05 m(e) for graphene in the graphene/h-BN(0001) heterostructure, in spite of strong perturbations to the graphene conduction band edge placement.