cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The relationship between crack tip opening displacement, local strain and specimen geometry

A method is described whereby values of crack tip opening displacement (COD) can be measured at any section of a pre-cracked or slotted specimen. The relationship between COD and the degree of transverse strain at the notch root of a Charpy specimen has been investigated. A specimen will show some portion in plane strain up to a COD of about one twenty-fifth of the thickness. Transverse contraction results in smaller COD values, for a particular clip gauge displacement, at the outside than at the specimen midsection. An equation is presented relating COD to longitudinal notch root strain for Charpy specimens with root radius 0.002 in. COD and notch root strain are found to be not directly proportional. This finding is discussed in relation to the concept of a “miniature tensile specimen” at the notch root. The effect of specimen geometry on the value of COD at fracture initiation, (COD)c, has been investigated. Neither a change in specimen thickness nor a change from a fatigue pre-crack to a 0.002 in. root radius notch has been found to significantly affect (COD)c. The material used in this research was, for the most part, a low alloy pressure vessel steel, A533B.
Differences Between Populations

Frequently an investigator wishes to compare or contrast two populations—sets of individuals or objects. This may be done on the basis of a sample from each of the two populations, as when average incomes in two groups, average driving skills of males and females, or average attendance rates in two school districts are compared. The polio vaccine trial compared the incidence rate of polio in the hypothetical population of children who might be inoculated with the vaccine and the rate in the hypothetical population of those who might not be inoculated; the two groups of children observed were considered as samples from these respective (hypothetical) populations. This example illustrates an experiment in which a group receiving an experimental treatment is compared with a “control” group. Ideally, the control group is similar to the experimental group in every way except that its members are not given the treatment.
Quadriceps Function and Patient-Reported Outcomes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Patients With or Without Knee Osteoarthritis.

Context Relationships between quadriceps function and patient-reported outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are variable and may be confounded by including patients at wi...
Partial Oral Therapy for Osteomyelitis and Endocarditis — Is It Time?

Antimicrobial resistance threatens health and global security, with an estimated 162,000 deaths per year in the United States caused by multidrug-resistant infections.1 Surveillance and stewardship...
The Association Between Seeing People Walk and Neighborhood Social Cohesion.

Objectives To examine the association between frequency of seeing people walk within sight of home and neighborhood social cohesion among adults, and whether this association varies by race/ethnicity. Methods We used cross-sectional 2015 National Health Interview Survey data on Latino, non-Latino White, non-Latino Black, and non-Latino Asian adults (N = 33,099). Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations. Results Seeing people walk every day and every 2-3 days were significantly more likely to report medium levels of neighborhood social cohesion, relative to low. The association between seeing people walk and neighborhood social cohesion varied by race/ethnicity. Conclusions Higher frequency of seeing others walk may contribute to higher levels of neighborhood social cohesion.
Tafamidis Reduced the Decline in Health-Related Quality of Life in the Tafamidis in Transthyretin Cardiomyopathy Clinical Trial (ATTR-ACT)

Introduction In the Tafamidis in Transthyretin Cardiomyopathy Clinical Trial (ATTR-ACT), tafamidis reduced all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related hospitalizations in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). ATTR-CM is associated with a significant burden of disease and tafamidis reduced the decline in health-related quality of life (as assessed by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-Overall Summary [KCCQ-OS] score). Hypothesis Analysis of the changes in KCCQ-OS domains in patients with ATTR-CM over 30 months, together with the impact of tafamidis on these changes, will provide new data on the progression of disease and the efficacy of tafamidis. Methods In ATTR-ACT, 441 adult patients with ATTR-CM (variant or wild-type) were randomized (2:1:2) to tafamidis 80 mg, tafamidis 20 mg, or placebo for 30 months, with pooled tafamidis (80mg and 20mg) compared with placebo. Change from baseline in the four KCCQ-OS domain scores were pre-specified exploratory endpoints and analyzed using a mixed model, repeated measures ANCOVA. The KCCQ is a 23-item self-administered questionnaire in which scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores reflecting better health status. Results Tafamidis significantly reduced the decline in the KCCQ-OS and all four of its domains (P Conclusions Treatment with tafamidis effectively reduced the decline in all components of the KCCQ-OS, providing further insight into its efficacy in health-related quality of life in patients with ATTR-CM.
Human herpesvirus-6 is present at higher levels in the pancreatic tissues of donors with type 1 diabetes

Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is a ubiquitous pathogen associated with nervous and endocrine autoimmune disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of HHV-6 in pancreatic tissue sections from non-diabetic, auto-antibody positive (AAB+), and donors with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and explore whether there is any association between HHV-6 and MHC class I hyperexpression and CD8 T cell infiltration. HHV-6 DNA was detected by PCR and its protein was examined by indirect immunofluorescence assay followed by imaging using high-resolution confocal microscopy. Viral DNA (U67) was found in most pancreata of non-diabetic (3 out of 4), AAB+ (3 out of 5) and T1D donors (6 out of 7). Interestingly, HHV-6 glycoprotein B (gB) was more expressed in islets and exocrine pancreas of donors with T1D. However, gB expression was not directly associated with other pathologies. Out of 20 islets with high gB expression, only 3 islets (15%) showed MHC class I hyperexpression. Furthermore, no correlation was found between gB expression and CD8 T cell infiltration on a per-islet basis in any of the groups. Our observations indicate that HHV-6 DNA and protein are present in the pancreas of non-diabetic subjects but gB expression is higher in the pancreas of donors with T1D. The possible role of HHV-6 as a contributory factor for T1D should therefore be further investigated.
Rainwater harvesting system installations required to offset new water demand created by growing populations in Broward and Palm Beach Counties: A dataset for decision making based on numbers of installations, costs, and water and energy savings.

Abstract This article presents yearly data for the period 2020–2060 on estimates for population growth and associated numbers of new and existing single-family detached homes to be fit or retrofit with rainwater harvesting (RWH) system equipment for lawn irrigation in order to continuously offset new water demand created by new residents in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Florida. Annual data on financing costs for capital equipment and its replacement and savings in amounts of groundwater and associated water supply energy amounts and costs are also provided. The methods for determining and using the data presented in this article, along with related data, for the purpose of analyzing the feasibility of a widely-deployed residential rainwater harvesting (RWH) system in a heavily populated region in Southeast Florida are discussed in detail in Wurthmann [1]. The data presented here can be used by policy makers as a decision support tool for assessing broad outcomes related to population and single-family housing growth in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. They can also be used for more circumscribed outcomes related to developing implementation plans and assessing capital and financing costs and savings in water and energy amounts and costs for countywide RWH system installations. The data were derived from various expert projections, data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Florida Department of Revenue and Property Tax, American Water Resources Association (AWRA), South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Energy Information Administration (EIA), and vendors of RWH system equipment, and customized calculations developed in Wurthmann [1].
Variation Amongst Orthopedic Surgeons When Treating Fifth Metacarpal Neck Fractures in the Pediatric Population

Introduction: Fifth metacarpal neck fractures are common fractures affecting the pediatric population. However, no true standardization exists regarding their treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine if variation exists amongst orthopedic surgeons in treating pediatric fifth metacarpal neck fractures and determine the factors regarding this variation. Materials and Methods: Twenty-five sets of images of pediatric fifth metacarpal …
AI Is the New UX: Emerging Research Innovations in AI, User Experience, and Design as They Apply to Industry, Business, and Education, and Ethics.

Emerging applications of artificial intelligence (AI) such as: predictive software integrated into websites like Amazon Prime, autonomous features integrated into automobiles, or smart home technologies such as those found in Alexa or Siri, have an ever-increasing impact on business, industry, research, and higher education. New trends and innovations in the use of AI technology in design, user experience, and behavioral psychology will change how we design for user experiences, how we interact with technology and it will fundamentally change us as humans. Steven Pinker describes the 21st century as the “Conceptual Age.” He says that we have progressed from the agriculture Age to the Industrial Age to the Information Age and now to the Conceptual Age. It is characterized by technology and globalization with an emphasis on creators, empathizers, pattern recognizers and meaning makers. This transition leads to the EQ-Based AI areas where those skills are a focus (Pink 2006).
Urea Cycle Disorders: A Neuroimaging Pattern Approach Using Diffusion and FLAIR MRI.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study aimed to assess characteristic regions of MRI involvement utilizing diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) at urea cycle disorder (UCD) diagnosis to determine the possible association between initial MRI patterns within 10 days of the first hyperammonemia episode, serum ammonia levels, and severity of neurological outcome based on clinical follow-up of >30 days. METHODS Ten patients with UCDs (4 females; median age: 5.4 years, age range: 6 days-54 years) were included who underwent MRI during a first episode of hyperammonemia. The topographical distribution of the DWI and FLAIR abnormalities in the cerebral cortex, deep gray matter, white matter, posterior limb of internal capsule, cerebral peduncle, and cerebellum was evaluated. Possible correlations between the brain injury patterns on DWI/FLAIR images, serum ammonia levels, and severity of neurological outcome were investigated by a trend correlation. RESULTS The UCD cohort (n = 10) involved four ornithine transcarbamoylase deficiencies, four argininosuccinic aciduria, one carbomoylphosphate synthetase deficiency, and one citrullinemia type-1. The observed trend in the distribution of DWI abnormalities as the severity of neurological sequela outcome increased was with diffuse cerebral cortex or corpus striatum involvement. Patients with initial peak serum ammonia ≥450 µmol/L had a grade 2 to 4 outcome, and those with peak ammonia <450 µmol/L had a grade 0 or 1 outcome. CONCLUSIONS The presence of more severe neurological outcome could be associated with diffuse cerebral cortex or corpus striatum involvement on DWI and high serum ammonia levels in patients with UCD.
Effect of radiation therapy on overall survival following subtotal resection of adult pilocytic astrocytoma

Abstract Objective Pilocytic astrocytoma (PCA) is a low-grade glioma that primarily presents in children, but can also present in adulthood. Ideal primary treatment for PCA is gross total resection. However, for patients who are only able to undergo subtotal resection, the optimal course of post-operative therapy remains unclear. We investigated the association of patient characteristics and radiation therapy (RT) with overall survival specifically for adult PCA patients who underwent subtotal tumor resection. Methods Information on adult patients (age ≥ 18 years old) who underwent subtotal PCA resection between 2004 and 2016 was collected from the National Cancer Database (NCDB). A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was utilized to determine factors associated with overall survival. Results A total of 451 patients were identified. The mean age of our patient cohort was 36.8 years old, and the majority of patients (83.4%) did not receive RT following subtotal PCA resection. Overall median survival was >93.8 months. On multivariate analysis, patients who were older at diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–1.06, p Conclusion Post-operative RT was associated with a significantly higher risk of death among adults who underwent subtotal PCA resection. Our findings provide support for further inquiry into the efficacy of RT within this patient population.
How do the properties of training scenarios influence the robustness of reservoir operating policies to climate uncertainty

Abstract Reservoir control policies provide a flexible option to adapt to the uncertain hydrologic impacts of climate change. This challenge requires robust policies capable of navigating scenarios that are wetter, drier, or more variable than anticipated. While a number of prior studies have trained robust policies using large scenario ensembles, there remains a need to understand how the properties of training scenarios impact policy robustness. Specifically, this study investigates scenario properties including annual runoff, snowpack, and baseline regret—the difference between baseline policy and perfect foresight performance in an individual scenario. Results indicate that policies trained to scenario subsets with high baseline regret outperform those generated with other training sets in both wetter and drier futures, largely by adopting an intra-annual hedging strategy. The approach highlights the potential to improve the efficiency and robustness of policy training by considering both the hydrologic properties and baseline regret of the training ensemble.
Comparison of clinical characteristics and survival outcomes in patients with malignant peritoneal and pleural mesothelioma.

460Background: Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM) is an aggressive tumor strongly associated with asbestos exposure. We analyzed a large nationwide database to better understand the differenc...
On the Nature of the Border: Trash Thresholds in Luis Alberto Urrea’s By the Lake of Sleeping Children

In this essay, I undertake an analysis of Luis Alberto Urrea’s non-fiction book By the Lake of Sleeping Children (1996), which portrays a community of trash pickers and orphans in Tijuana at a moment in which the effects of NAFTA and an increasingly militarized approach to policing the U.S.-Mexico border were taking shape. My engagement with the text combines close reading with concepts from both ecocriticism and biopolitics in order to tease out the way in which Urrea’s vignettes trouble received notions of progress, freedom, and containment. By considering the book’s deployment of two descriptive techniques for rendering the garbage dump and other spaces—one, a technique I call “time-lapse description” and the other, the insistent use of lists—I propose that the border zone that Urrea depicts is a space from which to think through the troubling and mutually-imbricated environmental, political, and economic crises that are paradoxically exceptional and exemplary of the current order of things.
Next Questions: Multiple Myeloma

Abstract The multiple myeloma field is moving forward quickly. In the past 12 months, many new insights have been generated through preclinical and clinical studies. Several ongoing efforts are designed to challenge old conventions which were established decades ago.
Self-sustaining Thorium-fueled Reduced Moderation BWR Feasibility Study☆

Abstract This study assesses the feasibility of a thorium-based fuel-self-sustaining Reduced moderation BWR (RBWR-Th) core. This core features a hexagonal tight-lattice fuel, high exit coolant quality, axial segregation of seed and blanket regions, and compatibility with the ABWR reactor vessel inherited from the RBWR-AC proposed by Hitachi. The RBWR-Th differs from the RBWR-AC by eliminating the internal blanket, eliminating absorbers from the axial reflectors, replacing depleted urania with thoria as the primary fertile fuel and elongating the fissile region. When the Hitachi assumptions and correlations for thermal-hydraulic analysis are used, the RBWR-Th obtains an average core discharge burnup of 61 GWd/t versus 45 GWd/t for the RBWR-AC. However, when more conservative thermal-hydraulic correlations are used, the average discharge burnup drops to 25 GWd/t. The RBWR-Th maintains negative coolant void coefficients of reactivity throughout the cycle – between -155 and -131 pcm/% – but currently does not have sufficient margin for cold shutdown. Future studies will address this shutdown margin deficit and will account for coolant pressure drop constraint.
Soziologie am Berufspädagogischen Institut

1931 erhielt Albert Salomon einen Ruf als Honorarprofessor fur Soziologie an das 1928 gegrundete Berufspadagogische Institut in Koln. Berufspadagogische Institute wurden seinerzeit neben Koln auch in Frankfurt am Main und Berlin eingerichtet. Die damit verbundene Einfuhrung universitarer Lehrerbildungsgange folgte dem Anspruch des Preusischen Ministeriums fur Wissenschaft und Volksbildung, „nichtakademisch gebildete[n] Gruppen eine bessere hohere Schulbildung zu ermoglichen“.2 Salomon selbst notiert 1966 in seinen Memoiren: „Solche Berufspadagogischen Institute sollten den technisch spezialisierten Lehrern einen weiteren Blick vermitteln fur die universalen und historischen Probleme der Welt und ihnen damit implizit kritische Werkzeuge gegen den Nationalsozialismus geben“.3 Den folgenden Text, in dem Salomon unter Berucksichtigung der verschiedenen Berufsgruppen ein Curriculum fur die soziologische Lehre am Kolner Institut skizziert und der so seinen bildungsreformerischen Impetus in den letzten Jahren der Weimarer Republik dokumentiert, hat er mit dem Notat: „Abgeschlossen Anfang Januar 1933“ versehen. Kaum mehr als drei Monate spater, im Zuge des am 07. April erlassenen Gesetz zur Wiederherstellung des Berufsbeamtentums, wurde Salomon aus seinem Amt am Kolner Berufspadagogischen Institut entlassen.
Energy performance assessment of a naturally ventilated combined shaft-corridor DSF in an office building in Chicago

There is a great deal of interest in using double skin facade (DSF) strategies in new and retrofitted buildings, as they provide many possibilities for energy conservation, and at the same time create better thermal comfort. For hundreds of years, architects have tended to rely on intuitive guesses to design naturally ventilated buildings without detailed analyses. The lack of numerical airflow information that demonstrates the complexity and challenges in the domain of designing large naturally ventilated buildings is addressed in the literature reviews. For these types of buildings it is important to have tools for analysis of design to evaluate a design’s predicted performance in order to achieve successful natural ventilation concepts. This study attempts to examine if the reliable simulation techniques verify the intuitive flow performance of double skin facades in a new configuration of natural ventilated building that results in reducing the energy demands yet provide both comfortable and healthy environments. The goal of this paper is to compare the base case of a typical office building in Chicago with two conventional DSF configuration and new (combined shaftcorridor) type.
Neurospora tryptophan synthase: characterization of the pyridoxal phosphate binding site

Tryptophan synthase, which catalyzes the final step of tryptophan biosynthesis, is a multifunctional protein that requires pyridoxal phosphate for two of its three distinct enzyme activities. Tryptophan synthase from Neurospora crassa, a homodimer of two 75-kDa subunits, was shown to bind 1 mol of pyridoxal phosphate/mol of subunit with a calculated dissociation constant for pyridoxal phosphate of 1.1 microM. The spectral properties of the holoenzyme, apoenzyme, and reconstituted holoenzyme were characterized and compared to those previously established for the heterotetrameric (alpha 2 beta 2) enzyme from Escherichia coli. The Schiff base formed between pyridoxal phosphate and the enzyme was readily reduced by sodium borohydride, but not sodium cyanoborohydride. The active site residue that binds pyridoxal phosphate, labeled by reduction of the Schiff base with tritium-labeled sodium borohydride, was determined to be lysine by high performance liquid chromatography analysis of the protein hydrolysate. A 5400-dalton peptide containing the reduced pyridoxal phosphate moiety was generated by cyanogen bromide treatment, purified and sequenced. The sequence is 85% homologous with the corresponding sequence obtained for yeast tryptophan synthase (Zalkin, H., and Yanofsky, C. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 1491-1500); the lysine derivatized by pyridoxal phosphate is located at the same relative position as that in the yeast and E. coli enzymes.
Bacterial infections in low-risk, febrile neutropenic patients

BACKGROUND Accurate identification of low-risk, febrile neutropenic patients has become possible only recently. Many such patients are treated with oral antibiotics without hospitalization. To the authors' knowledge, data concerning the spectrum of bacterial infections in these patients are scarce, and collecting such data may have an impact on the choice of empiric oral regimen(s). METHODS Using the same risk-prediction and eligibility criteria, four studies of empiric therapy in low-risk, febrile neutropenic patients were conducted at the authors' institution. Based on that experience, patients also were entered on clinical pathways for outpatient therapy. For the current study, microbiologic data were pooled from those trials and clinical pathways (757 episodes) to describe the nature and spectrum of infections seen in this setting. RESULTS Unexplained fever occurred most often (58% of episodes), and both clinically documented and microbiologically documented infections were seen with equal frequency (21% of episodes, respectively). The most common clinical sites of infection were the upper respiratory tract, skin, and skin structure. Among microbiologically documented infections, monomicrobial, gram-positive infections accounted for 49% (with coagulase-negative staphylococci the most frequent); monomicrobial, gram-negative infections accounted for 36% (with Escherichia coli the most frequent); and 15% of infections were polymicrobial. CONCLUSIONS In this description of the spectrum of infections in the largest cohort of low-risk febrile neutropenic patients to date, episodes of unexplained fever were predominant, but gram-positive, gram-negative, and polymicrobial infections also were documented. Although these patients were at low risk for complications, they required broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy when they developed neutropenic fever. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Neurotoxicity induces cleavage of p35 to p25 by calpain

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) and its neuron-specific activator p35 are required for neurite outgrowth and cortical lamination. Proteolytic cleavage of p35 produces p25, which accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Conversion of p35 to p25 causes prolonged activation and mislocalization of cdk5. Consequently, the p25/cdk5 kinase hyperphosphorylates tau, disrupts the cytoskeleton and promotes the death (apoptosis) of primary neurons. Here we describe the mechanism of conversion of p35 to p25. In cultured primary cortical neurons, excitotoxins, hypoxic stress and calcium influx induce the production of p25. In fresh brain lysates, addition of calcium can stimulate cleavage of p35 to p25. Specific inhibitors of calpain, a calcium-dependent cysteine protease, effectively inhibit the calcium-induced cleavage of p35. In vitro, calpain directly cleaves p35 to release a fragment with relative molecular mass 25,000. The sequence of the calpain cleavage product corresponds precisely to that of p25. Application of the amyloid beta-peptide A beta(1-42) induces the conversion of p35 to p25 in primary cortical neurons. Furthermore, inhibition of cdk5 or calpain activity reduces cell death in A beta-treated cortical neurons. These observations indicate that cleavage of p35 to p25 by calpain may be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
Defect type and its impact on the growth curve (software development)

The authors present an empirical investigation on possible cause and effect relationships between defects and the software development process. The authors use defect data from an operating systems development project and find that initialization defects are strongly related to the inflection noticed in the reliability growth. The defect type distribution identified process problems that concurred with the developer's hindsight. Thus, it is shown that it is plausible that there exist other cause-effect relationships that could be identified. This finding could pave the way for a more systematic process control methodology to be applied to software development. >
A survey and introduction to network reliability theory

The author surveys some of the basic analysis and synthesis results in network reliability theory. The model considered is an undirected simple graph with independent probabilities that edges operate. The reliability is defined as the probability that the network has some path between each pair of nodes. The analysis problem is to calculate the reliability, given the graph and the probabilities. The author introduces a parameter known as the reliability domination of a graph and shows its role in calculating the reliability. A number of interesting synthesis problems concerning the reliability model are illustrated for the case in which the edge probabilities are all equal. Two specific synthesis problems are discussed in detail, giving the known results and the outstanding questions. The author shows how the topology of the optimal network might change as a function of the edge probabilities. >
Independent validation of specifications: a coordination headache

Large, complex projects face significant barriers to coordination and communication due to continuous, rapid changes during a project's lifecycle. Such changes must be tracked, analyzed, and reconciled to ensure high quality in the end product, otherwise problems may be get lost or ignored in the overall complexity. We report on "work in progress" in the study of coordination problems between two independent separate groups: software development and software analysis. We have begun to construct a taxonomy of coordination problem, which we illustrate with two scenarios. We briefly describe current attempts to introduce incremental improvements to coordination problems in such projects via World Wide Web tools. Based on actual project experiences, we plan to deploy such tools in a non intrusive fashion to improve coordination and communication between software development groups.
Cyclophosphamide Induces Caspase 9-Dependent Apoptosis in 9L Tumor Cells

Cyclophosphamide (CPA), a widely used oxazaphosphorine anti-cancer prodrug, is inactive until it is metabolized by cytochrome P450 to yield phosphoramide mustard and acrolein, which alkylate DNA and proteins, respectively. Tumor cells transduced with the human cytochrome P450 gene CYP2B6 are greatly sensitized to CPA, however, the pathway of CPA-induced cell death is unknown. The present study investigates the cytotoxic events induced by CPA in 9L gliosarcoma cells retrovirally transduced with CYP2B6, or induced in wild-type 9L cells treated with mafosfamide (MFA) or 4-hydroperoxyifosfamide (4OOH-IFA), chemically activated forms of CPA and its isomer ifosfamide. CPA and MFA were both shown to effect tumor cell death by stimulating apoptosis, as evidenced by the induction of plasma membrane blebbing, DNA fragmentation, and cleavage of the caspase 3 and caspase 7 substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in drug-treated cells. Caspase 9 was identified as the regulatory upstream caspase activated in 9L cells treated with CPA, MFA, or 4OOH-IFA, implicating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in oxazaphosphorine-induced tumor cell death. Correspondingly, expression of the mitochondrial proapoptotic factor Bax enhanced caspase 9 activation, plasma membrane blebbing, and drug-induced cytotoxicity. Conversely, overexpression of the mitochondrial antiapoptotic factor Bcl-2 blocked caspase 9 activation, leading to an inhibition of drug-induced plasma membrane permeability and blebbing, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling positivity, PARP cleavage, Annexin V positivity, and drug-induced cell death. Although Bcl-2 thus blocked the cytotoxic effects of activated CPA, it did not inhibit the drug's cytostatic effects. CPA induced S-phase cell cycle arrest followed by conversion to an apoptotic pre-G1 state in wild-type 9L cells; by contrast, Bcl-2-expressing 9L cells accumulated in G2/M in response to CPA treatment. Intratumoral expression of Bcl-2 and related family members, including both apoptotic and antiapoptotic factors, is thus an important determinant of the responsiveness of tumor cells to CPA and ifosfamide, both in the context of conventional chemotherapy and in patients sensitized to these oxazaphosphorine drugs by the use of cytochrome P450-based gene therapy.
Cytokine production and dysregulation in HIV pathogenesis: Lessons for development of therapeutics and vaccines

Numerous studies have characterized the cytokine modulation observed in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals, from initial infection through chronic disease. Progressive and non-progressive HIV infection models show the cytokine milieu differs in terms of production and responsiveness in these two groups, suggesting an understanding of the role cytokines play during infection is necessary for directing the immune response toward viral control. This review will cover cytokine induction and dysfunction during HIV pathogenesis, with a focus on the interplay between cytokines and transcription factors, T cell activation, and exhaustion. We highlight cytokines that have either vaccine adjuvant or therapeutic potential and discuss the need to identify key factors required for prevention of progression, clearance of infection, or protection from acquisition.
Suicidal Risk in Adolescent Residential Treatment: Being Female Is More Important than a Depression Diagnosis.

We investigated the relationship between gender and clinician diagnosis of a depressive disorder at intake on variables reflecting depression among adolescents in residential treatment. It was hypothesized that females diagnosed with a depressive disorder would have the highest scores on measures of suicide risk, the number of symptoms of a major depressive episode, suicidal behavior, and suicidal ideation. Results indicated partial support for the predicted comparisons. Females diagnosed with a depressive disorder scored significantly higher on measures of depressive symptom count and suicidal ideation. Surprisingly, females without a diagnosis of a depressive disorder had higher suicide risk scores than the remaining groups. The results of this study highlight the importance of assessment and treatment of internalizing disorders in youth entering residential programs, particularly female adolescents.
Preparation and reactions of some 1-amino-1-deoxyheptitols

Abstract The hydrochlorides of 1-amino-1-deoxy- D - glycero - D - gulo -heptitol ( 1 ), 1-amino-1-deoxy- D - glycero - D - galacto -heptitol ( 2 ), and 1-amino-1-deoxy- D - glycero - L - manno -heptitol ( 3 ), as well as the free aminoheptitol 2 , have been obtained in crystalline form. Deamination of 2 with nitrous acid yielded three products: perseitol ( 4 ) and two compounds that appear to be anhydroheptitols. Deamination of 3 gave similar results. In agreement with the accepted rule, compounds 1 and 2 were oxidized by Acetobacter suboxydans , whereas compound 3 was not. The oxidation product from 2 , presumably 7-amino-7-deoxy- L - galacto -heptulose ( 5 ), has been obtained crystalline.
A community-based, controlled study of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of dyspepsia

Background & aims: Dyspepsia is common in clinical practice and in the community. The relationship of the symptoms to meals and the pathophysiology in community dyspeptic patients is unclear. The purpose of this study was to measure symptoms, demographic features, and gastric motor and sensory functions associated with dyspepsia in the community. Methods: A Modified Bowel Disease Questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of Olmsted County, MN, residents. Dyspeptic patients and healthy controls identified among community respondents completed further questionnaires, Helicobacter pylori serology, gastric emptying by scintigraphy, gastric accommodation by 99mTc–single-photon emission computed tomography imaging, and postprandial symptoms and satiation by a nutrient drink test. Results: A total of 34.1% of community respondents reported dyspepsia within the past year, frequent (at least 25% of the time in the past year) in 17.5%, and 18.4% reported meal-related dyspepsia. Dyspepsia was frequent and related to meals in 10.8% of respondents. Compared with nondyspeptic controls, community dyspepsia was associated with higher aggregate symptom scores and bloating after a fully satiating meal. Community dyspepsia also was associated with higher somatization scores (P = .001), reporting of other somatic symptoms (P = .07), and general severity score on the symptom checklist 90 (P = .01), but not with disordered motor or sensory function. Gastric volumes, gastric emptying, and maximum tolerated volumes were not significantly different between community controls and dyspeptic patients. Conclusions: Meal-related dyspepsia is an important component of dyspepsia in the community. Community dyspeptic patients have higher symptom scores after a fully satiating meal, consistent with gastric hypersensitivity. This is associated with higher somatization scores rather than disorders of gastric emptying or volumes.
A radiotracer enzyme assay for phosphofructokinase using [α,β,γ-32P]adenosine triphosphate

Abstract A radiotracer enzyme assay for phosphofructokinase using adenosine 5′-triphosphate[α,β,γ- 32 P] is described in this paper. Here the rates of appearance of both [1- 32 P] d -fructose 1,6-diphosphate and [α,β- 32 P] adenosine 5′-diphosphate were followed to establish enzyme activity. The unique advantages of multiple rate determinations in a single reaction sequence which accrue from the use of a readily available multiply labeled cosubstrate are discussed. By an extension of this approach other labeled( ∗ ) nucleotides of the type, N( ∗ P) n , and enzymes in the Enzyme Commision categories, EC 2.7(phosphotransferases) and EC 6.1–6.4(ligases) are equally amenable to radionuclide assay.
Recognition time of context-free languages by on-line Turing machines

It is known that any context-free language can be recognized in time n 3 on a “random access machine” or on an on-line or off-line Turing machine. A context-free language which requires n 2 /(log n ) 2 steps to be recognized on an on-line Turing machine is known. The principal result of the present paper is to exhibit a context-free language which requires more than n 2 /log n steps for recognition on an on-line Turing machine. Thus the gap between the upper and lower bound has been reduced. Moreover, it is known that the time required to recognize a linear context-free language is at most n 2 . Since our example is linear, we now have an example which shows that the upper and lower bounds are close.
Thermochemical properties of HOCO and HOCO† formed from OH + CO

Abstract Thermochemical properties from 100 to 300 K in the ideal gas state are reported for the HOCO radical and for excited HOCO † containing the vibrational energy corresponding to HOCO formation from thermalized reagents OH and CO.
Additional hox clusters in the zebrafish: divergent expression patterns belie equivalent activities of duplicate hoxB5 genes

The evolution of metazoan body plans has involved changes to the Hox genes, which are involved in patterning the body axis and display striking evolutionary conservation of structure and expression. Invertebrates contain a single Hox cluster whereas tetrapods possess four clusters. The zebrafish has seven unlinked hox clusters, a finding that is difficult to reconcile with the notion that genomic complexity, reflected by Hox cluster number, and morphological complexity are causally linked, as the body plan of the zebrafish is not obviously more complex than that of the mouse or human. Why have the additional hox genes in zebrafish been conserved? To address the role of these additional zebrafish hox genes, we have examined the duplicate hoxB5 genes, hoxB5a, and hoxB5b. Conservation of gene duplicates can occur when one gene acquires a new function (neofunctionalization), or when the ancestral function is divided between the two duplicates (subfunctionalization). hoxB5a and hoxB5b are expressed in distinct domains, and their combined expression domain is strikingly similar to that of single Hoxb5 genes in other species. The biochemical functions encoded by the two genes were studied by overexpression, which resulted in identical developmental defects in the anterior hindbrain and cranial neural crest, suggesting strongly that hoxB5a and hoxB5b have equivalent biochemical properties with respect to early development. From these studies, we conclude that conservation of hoxB5a and hoxB5b is likely the result of division of the ancestral Hoxb5 function between the two genes, without significant changes in biochemical activity. These results suggest a resolution to the conundrum of the extra hox genes and clusters in the zebrafish, since if any of the additional hox genes in the zebrafish are similarly subfunctionalized, they are unlikely to supply novel genetic functions. Thus, the morphological complexity potentially conferred by the majority of additional zebrafish hox clusters may not be substantially greater than that conferred by the four tetrapod clusters.
Calculation of strain-energy release rates with higher order and singular finite elements

A general finite element procedure for obtaining strain-energy release rates for crack growth in isotropic materials is presented. The procedure is applicable to two-dimensional finite element analyses and uses the virtual crack-closure method. The procedure was applied to nonsingular 4-noded (linear), 8-noded (parabolic), and 12-noded (cubic) elements and to quarter-point and cubic singularity elements. Simple formulas for strain-energy release rates were obtained with this procedure for both nonsingular and singularity elements. The formulas were evaluated by applying them to two mode I and two mixed mode problems. Comparisons with results from the literature for these problems showed that the formulas give accurate strain-energy release rates.
Endodontic considerations associated with periapical surgery

An attempt has been made to describe a simple, straightforward technique for root-end surgery which, when properly performed, should improve the dentist's effectiveness in managing periapical dental pathosis of endodontic origin.
Here Comes the Sun: Medical Professionalism and the Implications of the Sunshine Act for Gastroenterology Practice

The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, contained a number of regulations that directly affect physician practices, behavior, and relationships with others in the health care industry. One such provision is the “Physician Payment Sunshine Act,” which is the subject of this month’s Practice Management: The Road Ahead column. The authors have provided us with a detailed and enlightening review of how our relationships with pharmaceutical and medical device companies have become transparent and public. It will be important for you to understand this law and take the time to review your own data through CMS’s Enterprise Portal (http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-andGuidance/Legislation/National-Physician-Payment-Transp arency-Program/Physicians.html).
Immunoglobulin genes in transgenic mice

Abstract The introduction of immunoglobulin genese into the germ line of mice has provided an unparalleled system for examining the mechanisms which control the somatic assembly and expression of immunoglobulin genes. These studies have also demonstrated that a mouse can be genetically engineered to produce a desired immune product.
Group versus individual intelligence tests in one sample of emotionally disturbed children.

IQs obtained on a group intelligence test (Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Test) were compared with those obtained on an individual intelligence test (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) for 20 ...
Quality of Well-being Outcomes in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial

BACKGROUND Surgical and medical treatments for emphysema may affect both quality and quantity of life. The purpose of this article is to report outcomes from the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) using an index that combines quality and quantity of life. METHODS This was a prospective randomized clinical trial. Following pulmonary rehabilitation, 1, 218 patients with severe emphysema were randomly assigned to maximal medical therapy or to lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS). A generic quality-of-life measure, known as the Quality of Well-being Scale (QWB), was administered at baseline and again at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 months following treatment assignment. RESULTS At baseline, QWB scores were comparable for the Medical and LVRS groups. For both groups, scores significantly improved following the rehabilitation program. The QWB scores before death for patients in the LVRS group improved up to the year 2 visit, whereas scores for the Medical group dropped significantly following the baseline visit. Imputing zeros (0) for death, QWB scores decreased significantly for both groups. With or without scoring death as 0, the LVRS group achieved better outcomes, and the significant differences were maintained until the sixth year. Over 6 years of follow-up, LVRS produced an average of 0.30 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), or the equivalent of about 3.6 months of well life. CONCLUSIONS Compared with maximal medical therapy alone, patients undergoing maximal medical therapy plus LVRS experienced improved health-related quality of life and gained more QALYs. TRIAL REGISTRY ClinicalTrials.gov ; No.: NCT00000606; URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
Desire and the Literary Machine Capitalism, Male Sexuality, and Stratemeyer Series Books for Boys

An incredibly prolific and successful producer of juvenile fiction, Edward Stratemeyer was responsible for many of the most popular early-twentieth-century series books for boys. Examining editions from three of these series, this article argues that the ethics of capitalist production that were central to Stratemeyer's success can be seen in the plot, characterization, and material qualities of the series books themselves. Furthermore, the thematic focus on the values of hard work and ingenuity in these texts facilitates a redirection of male sexual desire away from a romantic love interest toward the more acceptable object of capitalist production. This censorship of male desire reflects a broader relocation of the topography of masculinity into the theater of capitalist production that was characteristic of early-twentieth-century American culture.
Hintikka's argument for the need for quantifying into opaque contexts

A good deal of attention has been given to the question whether quantification into referentially opaque contexts is possible or not. No one to my knowledge, except Jaakko Hintikka, has ever suggested that quantification into referentially opaque contexts is sometimes necessary. The suggestion occurs in 6.7 of his book, Knowledge and Belief. 1 My aim in this section is to ascertain, on the basis of that discussion, the conditions under which this necessity is thought to exist. From all indications, the author takes the following conditions to be sufficient: the contexts are epistemic (the contexts are governed by a phrase like 'knows that'); and (trivially) we quantify into these contexts (a quantifier outside the context binds a variable inside the context). The line of reasoning is apparently this: It is necessary that, if we quantify into epistemic contexts, then these contexts are construed as referentially opaque, because the alternative - construing these contexts as referentially transparent - always allows the inference from
The Effects of Visual Display Type and Navigational Aid on Performance, Presence, and Workload in Virtual Reality Training of Telerover Navigation

Virtual reality (VR) applications that enhance user presence have been hypothesized to be effective training tools for promoting virtual task performance and transfer of skill to reality in operation of complex systems. Research has focused on use of VR for training navigation skills, but has not described how systems should be configured to increase presence and provide for optimum learning. We present a study comparing the effect of display types, as well as navigational aids, on performance, presence, and workload in training navigation of a telerobotic vehicle through a virtual maze. The relationships among performance, presence, workload, and human factors, such as spatial ability and immersive tendencies, were also examined. The findings of this research may be used to formulate VR application design guidelines for enhancing user presence in virtual environments and, possibly, promoting training of real skills.
Growth of thoria on heat-treated SiC

Abstract The growth of small particles of thoria on heat-treated thin films of SiC has been studied by transmission electron microscopy. Thinned samples are prepared in a form suitable for imaging in the electron microscope and are then heat-treated to remove any surface damage created by the thinning process. The particles of thoria were then grown on the SiC while heating the sample in the presence of thoriated tungsten.