cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends and patterns in the use of opioids among metastatic breast cancer patients.

Opioid use among metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients has not been well-studied. This study examined the trends and patterns of opioid use among working-age, privately insured patients diagnosed with MBC. Using MarketScan data, we identified female patients diagnosed with MBC in 2006–2015. We determined the proportion of patients who filled a prescription for an opioid and calculated days’ supply and daily morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) from 1 year prior to diagnosis till 1 year after. We assessed the trend in opioid use over the 10-year study period and examined opioid usage patterns after the diagnosis of MBC. Among 24,752 patients included, 11,579 (46.8%) had an opioid prescription within 1 year before diagnosis of MBC, and 20,416 (81.4%) had an opioid prescription within 1 year after diagnosis. The proportion of patients with opioid prescriptions after diagnosis was relatively stable from 2006 to 2015. However, both the median daily MME and median days’ supply decreased over time with most of the decline from the subgroup of patients with prior prescription opioid use. Most patients received an opioid prescription in the first month after diagnosis (57.3%), dropping to approximately 20% from 3 to 12 months after diagnosis. Also, the median days’ supply increased substantially during the year after diagnosis for patients who received opioids (from 7 to 19). Most women with MBC require opioid analgesia within the first month after diagnosis. Judicious, long-term management of pain after diagnosis of MBC will continue to be necessary for many patients.
On the use of coordination strategies in complex engineered system design projects

Coordination of distributed design work is an important activity in large-scale and complex engineered systems (LSCES) design projects. Coordination strategies have been studied formally in system design optimization and organizational science. This article reports on a study to identify what strategies are used in coordination practice. While the literature primarily offers prescriptive coordination strategies, this study focussed on the contribution of individuals’ behaviours to system-level coordination. Thus, a coordination strategy is seen as a particular set of individual actions and behaviours. We interviewed professionals with expertise in systems engineering, project management and technical leadership at two large aerospace design organizations. Through qualitative thematic analysis, we identified two strategies used to facilitate coordination. The first we call authority-based and is enabled by technical know-how and the use of organizational authority; the second we call empathetic leadership and includes interpersonal skills, leadership traits and empathy. These strategies emerged as complementary and, together, enabled individuals to coordinate complex design tasks. We found that skills identified in competency models enable these coordination strategies, which in turn support management of interdependent work in the organization. Studying the role of individuals contributes an expanded view on how coordination facilitates LSCES design practice.
Intelligent driving intelligence test for autonomous vehicles with naturalistic and adversarial environment.

Driving intelligence tests are critical to the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles. The prevailing approach tests autonomous vehicles in life-like simulations of the naturalistic driving environment. However, due to the high dimensionality of the environment and the rareness of safety-critical events, hundreds of millions of miles would be required to demonstrate the safety performance of autonomous vehicles, which is severely inefficient. We discover that sparse but adversarial adjustments to the naturalistic driving environment, resulting in the naturalistic and adversarial driving environment, can significantly reduce the required test miles without loss of evaluation unbiasedness. By training the background vehicles to learn when to execute what adversarial maneuver, the proposed environment becomes an intelligent environment for driving intelligence testing. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed environment in a highway-driving simulation. Comparing with the naturalistic driving environment, the proposed environment can accelerate the evaluation process by multiple orders of magnitude. Tests for autonomous vehicles are usually made in the naturalistic driving environment where safety-critical scenarios are rare. Feng et al. propose a testing approach combining naturalistic and adversarial environment which allows to accelerate testing process and detect dangerous driving events.
Investigation of NH3 as a selective thyroid hormone receptor modulator in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Thyroid hormones (THs) are essential for normal vertebrate development and diverse environmental chemicals are hypothesized to cause developmental toxicity by disrupting TH-mediated signaling. The larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an emerging in vivo model of developmental TH disruption; however, the effects of TR antagonism have not yet been studied in zebrafish. NH3, generally considered a potent and specific thyroid hormone receptor (TR) antagonist, has been used in rodents and Xenopus laevis to characterize phenotypes of TR antagonism. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of NH3 on endpoints previously determined to be TH-sensitive in larval zebrafish, specifically teratology and mortality, photomotor behavior, and mRNA expression of TH signaling genes. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to NH3 via static waterborne exposure at concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 10 μM beginning at 6 h post-fertilization (hpf) through 5 days post fertilization (dpf). Significant mortality and teratogenesis was observed at 3, 4, and 5 dpf in zebrafish exposed to NH3 at 10 μM. At concentrations that did not cause significant mortality, NH3 did not exert a consistent antagonistic effect on photomotor behavior assays or mRNA expression when administered alone or in the presence of exogenous T4. Rather, depending on the NH3 concentration and larval age NH3 decreased or increased swimming triggered by transition from light to dark. Similarly, inconsistent antagonistic and agonistic effects on mRNA expression of TH signaling genes were noted following treatment with NH3 alone. NH3 did inhibit T4 (30 nM)-induced gene expression; however, this was only consistently observed at a concentration of NH3 (10 μM) that also caused significant mortality. Collectively, these results suggest that NH3 does not act solely as a TR antagonist in larval zebrafish, but instead exhibits complex modulatory effects on TR activity. These data support the hypothesis that NH3 is a selective thyroid hormone receptor modulator. Further studies of NH3 interactions with the zebrafish thyroid hormone receptor are required to characterize the activity of NH3 in target tissues of the larval zebrafish at the molecular level, highlighting the importance of characterizing NH3 effects in specific models of TH-disruption to better interpret its actions in mechanistic screens of environmental chemicals for TH action.
Coordinated and Independent Roles for MLH Subunits in DNA Repair.

The MutL family of DNA mismatch repair proteins (MMR) acts to maintain genomic integrity in somatic and meiotic cells. In baker’s yeast, the MutL homolog (MLH) MMR proteins form three heterodimeric complexes, MLH1-PMS1, MLH1-MLH2, and MLH1-MLH3. The recent discovery of human PMS2 (homolog of baker’s yeast PMS1) and MLH3 acting independently of human MLH1 in the repair of somatic double-strand breaks questions the assumption that MLH1 is an obligate subunit for MLH function. Here we provide a summary of the canonical roles for MLH factors in DNA genomic maintenance and in meiotic crossover. We then present the phenotypes of cells lacking specific MLH subunits, particularly in meiotic recombination, and based on this analysis, propose a model for an independent early role for MLH3 in meiosis to promote the accurate segregation of homologous chromosomes in the meiosis I division.
Context Matters for Size: Why External Validity Claims and Development Practice do not Mix

In this paper we examine how policymakers and practitioners should interpret the impact evaluation literature when presented with conflicting experimental and non-experimental estimates of the same intervention across varying contexts. As is well known, non-experimental estimates of a treatment effect comprise a causal treatment effect and a bias term due to endogenous selection into treatment. When non-experimental estimates vary across contexts any claim for external validity of an experimental result must make the assumption that (a) treatment effects are constant across contexts, while (b) selection processes vary across contexts. This assumption is rarely stated or defended in systematic reviews of evidence. As an illustration of these issues, we examine two thoroughly researched literatures in the economics of education – class size effects and gains from private schooling – which provide experimental and non-experimental estimates of causal effects from the same context and across multiple contexts. We show that the range of “true” causal effects in these literatures implies non-experimental estimates from the right context are, at present, a better guide to policy than experimental estimates from a different context. We conclude with recommendations for research and policy, including the need to evaluate programs in context, and avoid simple analogies to clinical medicine in which “systematic reviews” attempt to identify best-practices by putting most (or all) weight on the most “rigorous” evidence with no allowance for context.
Demographic Trends in Female Interventional Radiology Trainees With the Advent of the Integrated Interventional Radiology Residency.

Abstract Objective Examine changes in gender representation in the interventional radiology (IR) training pool since the advent of the integrated IR residency in 2015 to 2020. Methods Electronic Residency Application Service and ACGME Data Resource Book records from 2015 to 2020 were reviewed for integrated IR residency and vascular and interventional radiology (VIR) fellowship applicant data and active IR resident and VIR fellow data, respectively. The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) 2018 registry data were reviewed for SIR membership data. Two-tailed Fisher’s exact tests and χ2 analyses were used to compare trainees between application cycles. Results In the 2017 application cycle, 23% (247 of 1,062) of integrated IR residency applicants were female, with similar interest in the 2018, 2019, and 2020 cycles (χ2[3, n = 2,863] = 5.1, P = .17). In comparison, female VIR fellowship applicants were 12% from 2017 to 2020. Female integrated IR residents represented 13% to 18% of all integrated IR residents in the 2016 to 2020 academic years compared with the period before the integrated IR residency when female IR trainees represented 8% (23 of 275) of all IR trainees in 2015 to 2016 (P = .0002). Although in 2018, the total active SIR female membership was 9% (319 of 3,622), the female resident membership was 17% (131 of 793), and the female medical student membership was 25% (389 of 1,573). Discussion With the advent of the integrated IR residency, there is an increasing female constituency, at the medical student, IR applicant, and IR resident levels, with more than a doubling of female IR trainees, portending a continued reduction in the IR gender disparity in the future.
Fiber in the ICU: Should it Be a Regular Part of Feeding?

To highlight the controversy of fiber use in the current critical care nutrition guidelines; review the effect of fiber on the gut microbiota in the critically ill; and examine the data on fiber and outcomes in the intensive care setting. Fiber is increasingly recognized as a necessary component of colonic health and nutrition support. In critical illness there is a shift toward gut dysbiosis and immune dysregulation. Through fermentation and the generation of short-chain fatty acids, fiber has a role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, immune function, and supporting commensal bacteria. In contrast to fermentable fiber, recent animal models suggest that non-fermentable fiber can also favorably alter intestinal homeostasis in a mechanism distinct from short chain fatty acids. In the critically ill, RCTs and meta-analyses suggest that soluble and mixed fiber supplemented enteral nutrition can reduce diarrhea and is well tolerated. Based on limited data, there may be benefits in reducing length of hospital stay, certain infections, and glucose metabolism. Nonetheless, the role of fiber enriched nutrition in critically ill patients is controversial as evident in the conflicting guidelines. Despite shortcomings in the literature, soluble and mixed fiber supplemented enteral nutrition is safe and beneficial in most hemodynamically stable intensive care patients. More research is necessary to determine optimal fiber composition.
Plasmon-induced visible light absorption arising from edge-interfaces of titanium-oxides nanocomposites

Abstract The efficient utilization of visible light on wide-bandgap metal-oxides is a long-term goal but is still a grand challenge for plasmon-driven chemistry. The plasmon-induced concentration of photons in adjacent materials provides a strategic pathway to extend the light-harvesting regime to sub-bandgap. With the abundant edge-spots in surface nanostructures, here, we report that the titanium-oxides nanocomposites composed of the metallic titanium coupled with its oxides exhibit significant resonant visible absorption. The experimental characterizations with computational analyses demonstrate that the excited plasmon resonance at edge-interfaces results in the unique visible absorption band. Localized field-enhancement, charge-scattering, and hot-electrons effects conclusively confirm that the visible absorption is derived from the plasmon resonance, rather than the narrowing of bandgap or energy levels of impurities or defects. The plasmon-induced absorption effectively enhances the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers leading to improved photoactivity. Our results help to advance titanium-oxides nanocomposites towards plasmonic chemistry in the visible-light region and highlight a potential general route to harnessing photons beyond the bandgap limitation based on plasmonic metal-oxides nanocomposites.
Sexual dimorphism in the dioecious willow Salix purpurea.

PREMISE The evolution of sex chromosomes is driven by sexual dimorphism, yet it can be challenging to document sexually dimorphic traits in dioecious plant species. At the genetic level, sexual dimorphism can be identified through sequence variation between females and males associated with sexually antagonistic traits and different fitness optima. This study aims to examine sexual dimorphism for 26 traits in three populations of Salix purpurea (a diversity panel and F1 and F2 populations) and determine the effect of the traits on biomass yield, a key trait in Salix bioenergy crops across multiple years, locations, and under manipulated growth conditions. METHODS Sexual dimorphism was evaluated for morphological, phenological, physiological, and wood composition traits in a diversity panel of unrelated S. purpurea accessions and in full-sib F1 and F2 families produced through controlled cross pollinations and grown in replicated field trials. RESULTS We observed sexual dimorphism in the timing of development for several traits that were highly predictive of biomass yield across three populations of S. purpurea. Across all populations and years surveyed, males had significantly shallower branching angle. Male plants highly predictive of biomass yield across three populations of S. purpurea also accumulated more nitrogen under fertilizer amendment as measured by SPAD in the diversity panel and had greater susceptibility to the rust fungus Melampsora americana in the F2 family. Allometric modelling of biomass yield showed an effect of sex and of location on the interaction between yield and stem height. CONCLUSIONS These results provide evidence of sexual dimorphism for certain traits in S. purpurea that may be involved in sex chromosome evolution.
Mutual fund tax implications when investment advisors manage tax-exempt separate accounts

Abstract Investment advisors to mutual funds often operate investment vehicles, such as separate accounts and private funds, in addition to managing mutual funds. This study investigates tax consequences for mutual fund shareholders subject to these arrangements. We find investment advisors with a greater presence of tax-exempt separate account clients (SAs) pass through capital gains distributions that place a significantly greater tax burden on shareholders of their mutual funds. Tax implications for mutual funds are most pronounced when managers have strong fee-based incentives to cater to tax-exempt SAs. Performance analyses of mutual funds managed by advisors with tax-exempt SAs suggest that before-tax outperformance compensates shareholders for the additional tax liabilities incurred.
HRM - the performance appraisal process

Appraisal is essential for effective managing. If a organization is to reach its goals effectively and efficiently, ways of accurately measuring performance must be found and implemented. However, in an activity as important as managing, there should be no reluctance to measure performance as accurately as possible. Most people, particularly people of ability, want to know how well they are doing, what managers are expected from there, and what they can expected from organization. Managers have long been reluctant to appraise subordinates. The managers in some organizations are afraid of using the appraisal and they sometimes are not good at managing it. There are often differences between the stated objectives of appraisal and the way they were actually used.
Life in Ice Formations at Very Cold Temperatures

The most vibrant and extensive of within-ice microbial ecosystems are those that develop in seasonal ice formed from seawater. Permanently frozen soil, or permafrost, represents an endmember to glacial ice in being primarily lithogenic by definition, with only a limited volume of either frozen or liquid water held within the soil matrix. The fraction of liquid inclusions is relatively large as a result of the non-linear process of ice-formation from seawater, which promotes the retention of pockets of seawater as the ice grows. With shrinking pore space, the encased liquid becomes increasingly salty. Temperature thus determines the salinity of the brine, though not in linear fashion, in part because the subzero precipitation points of individual sea salts differ. Enzymes may have been present in the initial seawater prior to freezing, and thus derived from an unknown myriad of possible organisms, only to partition and eventually concentrate in the brine inclusions during the freezing process and onset of winter. Tracers to measure the synthesis must enter the cell at lower temperatures permissive of solute diffusion, but incorporation into protein appears possible via conformational changes of enzymes that do not require diffusion. The wonders of life in the extreme cold continue to beckon.
Sodium Iodide Symporter Expression in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.

Importance Sodium iodide symporter (NIS) expression in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) has not been fully elucidated in the literature, and it is unclear whether radioactive iodine may be a potential therapeutic modality. To our knowledge, the present study includes the largest ACC tumor sample size to evaluate for NIS expression. Objective To assess whether ACC of the head and neck expresses NIS by using immunohistochemical staining techniques, as well as assess whether the presence or intensity of staining correlates with tumor or patient variables. Design, Setting, and Participants Immunohistochemical analysis of NIS expression was performed on 20 ACC specimens from various head and neck subsites obtained from January 1, 1988, to May 6, 2013, at a single academic tertiary care medical center. Staining intensity was graded on a scale of 0 to 3+ (higher numbers indicate greater staining intensity) and was analyzed according to multiple patient and tumor variables. Tumors were eliminated from the study if the patient had undergone prior surgical resection, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy, or was receiving thyroid hormone supplementation at the time of the operation. Main Outcomes and Measures Presence or absence of staining was the primary outcome measured; secondary outcomes were the intensity and localization of staining. Results Sodium iodide symporter staining was positive in 15 of the 20 tumor specimens (75%). Staining was largely localized to the cytoplasm and was of low intensity. There was no significant association between the presence or intensity of staining and the tumor subtype, tumor location, or any of the patient variables assessed ( P > .05). No association between staining intensity and tumor growth pattern was shown on χ 2 analysis: 1+ ( P = .53), 2+ ( P = .14), or a combination of 1+ and 2+ staining ( P = .64). Parotid control tissue demonstrated intense membranous staining of the striated parotid gland ducts. Conclusions and Relevance Sodium iodide symporter was expressed in the cytoplasm with low intensity in most of the tumor specimens examined in this study. These staining characteristics are also commonly found in thyroid cancer cells. Further investigation is required to determine the significance of this finding. We are optimistic that future studies using endogenous NIS stimulation and identification of genes associated with NIS plasma membrane localization could be applied to the treatment of ACC with radioactive iodine techniques.
Material Buckling Measurements in a Subcritical Assembly

A method is proposed for determining the inverse relaxation length and material buckling for a subcritical assembly. Values determined by this method and by the usual method are given. A BF/sub 3/ counter was used for flux measurements in both cases, and the standard deviation of the individual measurements varied between 0.2 and 0.9% of the count. (W.D.M.)
What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory

The last century has seen the ascendance of a core economic model, which we will refer to as Walrasian economics. This model is driven by the psychological assumptions that humans act only in a self-referential and narrowly rational way and that production can be described as a self-contained circular flow between firms and households. These assumptions have critical implications for the way economics is used to inform conservation biology. Yet the Walrasian model is inconsistent with a large body of empirical evidence about actual human behavior, and it violates a number of basic physical laws. Research in behavioral science and neuroscience shows that humans are uniquely social animals and not self-centered rational economic beings. Economic production is subject to physical laws including the laws of thermodynamics and mass balance. In addition, some contemporary economic theory, spurred by exciting new research in human behavior and a wealth of data about the negative global impact of the human economy on natural systems, is moving toward a world view that places consumption and production squarely in its behavioral and biophysical context. We argue that abandoning the straightjacket of the Walrasian core is essential to further progress in understanding the complex, coupled interactions between the human economy and the natural world. We call for a new framework for economic theory and policy that is consistent with observed human behavior, recognizes the complex and frequently irreversible interaction between human and natural systems, and directly confronts the cumulative negative effects of the human economy on the Earth's life support systems. Biophysical economics and ecological economics are two emerging economic frameworks in this movement.
Sediment Cd and Mo Accumulation in the Oxygen-Minimum Zone off Western Baja California Linked to Global Climate Over the Past 52 Kyr

[1] Concentrations of organic carbon (orgC), cadmium (Cd), and molybdenum (Mo) were measured in two sediment cores raised from depths of 430 and 700 m within the oxygen-minimum zone (OMZ) off southern Baja California at a temporal resolution of ∼0.5 kyr over the past 52 kyr. These records are supplemented with diffuse spectral reflectance (DSR) measurements obtained on board ship soon after collection at a resolution of ∼0.05 kyr. In the core from 700 m depth, a component extracted from the DSR data and the three geochemical proxies generally vary in concert with each other and over a wide range (4–22% orgC; 1–40 mg/kg Cd; 5–120 mg/kg Mo). Intervals of increased orgC, Cd, and Mo accumulation generally correspond to warm periods recorded in the oxygen-isotopic composition of Greenland ice, with the exception of the Bolling/Allerod which is only weakly expressed off Baja California. Concentrations of the biogenic proxies are higher in the core from 430 m depth, but erratic sediment accumulation before 15 ka precludes dating of the older intervals that are laminated and contain elevated orgC, Cd, and Mo concentrations. The new data provide further evidence of an intimate teleconnection between global climate and the intensity of the OMZ and/or productivity along the western margin of North America. On the basis of a comparison with Cd and Mo records collected elsewhere in the region, we conclude that productivity may actually have varied off southern Baja California by no more than a factor of 2 over the past 52 kyr.
Molecular Cloning and Physical Mapping of the Daptomycin Gene Cluster from Streptomyces roseosporus

ABSTRACT The daptomycin biosynthetic gene cluster of Streptomyces roseosporus was analyzed by Tn5099 mutagenesis, molecular cloning, partial DNA sequencing, and insertional mutagenesis with cloned segments of DNA. The daptomycin biosynthetic gene cluster spans at least 50 kb and is located about 400 to 500 kb from one end of the ∼7,100-kb linear chromosome. We identified two peptide synthetase coding regions interrupted by a 10- to 20-kb region that may encode other functions in lipopeptide biosynthesis.
R Coronae borealis stars and their relation to [WC] nebulae

The R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars represent a rare, or short-lived stage of low and intermediate mass stellar evolution. They are important in the context of mass-loss anddust formation on the Asymptotic Giant Branch.These stars are defined by their large declines in brightness at irregular intervals caused by dust formation.There are two major evolutionary models for the origin of RCB stars, the Double Degenerate and the Final Helium Shell Flash.In the final flash model, RCB stars lie at the centers of old Planetary Nebulae (PN). Here I discuss possible relationships with the [WC] stars.
Characterization of trbC, a new F plasmid tra operon gene that is essential to conjugative transfer.

Abstract We have characterized a previously unidentified gene, trbC, which is contained in the transfer region of the Escherichia coli K-12 fertility factor, F. Our data show that the trbC gene is located between the F plasmid genes traU and traN. The product of trbC was identified as a polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight (Ma) of 23,500 that is processed to an Ma-21,500 mature protein. When ethanol was present, the Ma-23,500 polypeptide accumulated; the removal of ethanol resulted in the appearance of the processed mature protein. Subcellular fractionation experiments demonstrated that the processed, Ma-21,500 mature protein was located in the periplasm. DNA sequence analysis showed that trbC encodes a 212-amino-acid Mr-23,432 polypeptide that could be processed to a 191-amino-acid Mr-21,225 mature protein through the removal of a typical amino-terminal signal sequence. We also constructed two different Kmr gene insertion mutations in trbC and crossed these onto the transmissible F plasmid derivative pOX38. We found that cells carrying pOX38 trbC mutant plasmids were transfer deficient and resistant to infection by F-pilus-specific phages. Transfer proficiency and bacteriophage sensitivity were restored by complementation when a trbC+ plasmid clone was introduced into these cells. These results showed that trbC function is essential to the F plasmid conjugative transfer system and suggested that the TrbC protein participates in F-pilus assembly.
Depressive symptoms among adolescent girls in relationships with older partners: causes and lasting effects?

Previous research on adolescent girls in relationships with older partners suggests a range of negative outcomes for the adolescent. Using three waves of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health and a life course perspective, we explore the connection between involvement in age discordant relationships (girls dating males three or more years older) and the course of depressive symptoms among adolescent girls. Our analyses are conducted on the 1,307 girls with data at all three waves who had been in a relationship in the last 18 months. The sample is 55% White, 22% Black, 7% other race and 16% Latina. When comparing early adolescent girls (13–15) and late adolescent girls (16–18), the younger girls are no more likely to have depressive symptoms before entry into the age discordant relationship, yet have greater depressive symptoms shortly after the relationship onset and 5 years later. Older adolescent girls in age discordant relationships, however, have similar levels of depressive symptoms at any time point relative to their peers. These data suggest that a girl’s developmental stage influences whether or not she experiences emotional distress as a result of being in an age discordant relationship.
Perinatal Exposure to Vitamin A Differentially Regulates Chondrocyte Growth and the Expression of Aggrecan and Matrix Metalloprotein Genes in the Femur of Neonatal Rats

Vitamin A (VA) and its active form, retinoic acid (RA), are regulators of skeletal development. In the present study, we investigated if maternal VA intake during pregnancy and lactation, as well as direct oral supplementation of neonates with VA + RA (VARA) in early life, alters neonatal bone formation and chondrocyte gene expression. Offspring of dams fed 3 levels of VA (marginal, adequate, and supplemented) for 10 wk were studied at birth (P0) and postnatal day 7 (P7). One-half of the newborns received an oral supplement of VARA on P1, P4, and P7. Tissues were collected on P0 and 6 h after the last dose on P7. Pup plasma and liver retinol concentrations were increased by both maternal VA intake and VARA (P < 0.01). Although maternal VA did not affect bone mineralization as assessed by von Kossa staining, newborn femur length was increased with maternal VA (P < 0.05). VARA supplementation of neonates increased the length of the hypertrophic zone only in VA-marginal pups, close to that in neonates from VA-adequate dams, suggesting VARA caused a catching up of growth that was limited by low maternal VA intake. Maternal diet did not alter type X nor type II collagen mRNA. However, VARA-treated pups from VA-supplemented dams had reduced mRNA for aggrecan, a major component of cartilage matrix, and increased mRNA for matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)13, which catalyzes the degradation of aggrecan and collagens. These results suggest that moderately high maternal VA intake combined with neonatal VARA supplementation can reduce the ratio of aggrecan:MMP, which may unfavorably alter early bone development.
Stress growth and relaxation of a molten polyethylene in a modified weissenberg rheogoniometer

A Weissenberg rheogoniometer was modified1-3 to improve sample temperature uniformity and constancy (to within ±0.5°C) and to give a quicker response to normal thrust changes (estimated gap change ≤0.1 μm/kg thrust; gap angle = 8.046°; gap radius = 1.2 cm; servomechanism replaced by an open-loop cantilever spring of 10 kg/μm stiffness). Low-density polyethylenes (IUPAC samples A and C, melt index at 190°C = 1.6) at 150°C were used in step-function shear rate experiments. Inspection of marked sectors in the samples showed substantial uniformity of shear at values of Ṡ = 0.1, 2, and 5 sec−1; for Ṡ = 10 sec−1 and S ≤ 2 shear units (S = Ṡt), the shear was highly nonuniform at and near the free boundary. Using selected premolded samples A, scatter in seven replicate tests at Ṡ = 1.0 sec−1 did not exceed ±6% for N1(t) and ±5% for σ(t) (N1 = primary normal stress difference; σ = shear stress; t = time of deformation from the initiation of experiment at zero time). N1(t) and σ(t) data agreed with Meissner's1; for Ṡ = 0.1, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 sec−1, torque maxima occurred at S = 6 shear units, and thrust maxima occurred in the range of 10 to 20 shear units. σ(t) and N1(t) data do not satisfy the van Es and Christensen4 test for rubber-like liquids with strain rate invariants included in the memory function. On cessation of shear (after a shear strain S at constant shear rate Ṡ), initial values of −dσ(t)/dt and −dN1(t)/dt were found to depend strongly on S, in some cases passing through maxima as S was increased. After shearing at Ṡ = 0.1 sec−1 for 500 sec, such that stresses became constant, stress relaxation data satisfied Yamamoto's5 equation of dN1(t)/dt = −2Ṡσ(t).
An iets study of alumina and magnesia supported —sihx and their use as substrates for inorganic vibrational spectroscopy

Abstract Tunneling spectra of Al 2 O 3 /—SiH x , MgO/—SiH x , Al 2 O 3 /—SiD x , and Al 2 O 3 /—SiH x + NCS − are reported. Analysis of the vibrational spectra observed from isotopic substitution of the barriers obtained by deposition of a thin film of SiO onto alumina and magnesia indicate that the supported species is —SiH. The Al 2 O 3 /—SiH barrier can be used as a support for studying inorganic ions by IETS.
Factors associated with operative recurrence early after resection for Crohn's disease.

Introduction Some Crohn’s disease (CD) patients develop rapid disease recurrence requiring reoperation. Identification of factors associated with early operative recurrence of CD may help risk-stratify patients and prevent recurrence.
PACAP Expression in Explant Cultured Mouse Major Pelvic Ganglia

The major pelvic ganglia (MPG) contain both parasympathetic and sympathetic postganglionic neurons and provide much of the autonomic innervation to urogenital organs and components of the lower bowel. Whereas many parasympathetic neurons were found to express vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), no MPG neurons exhibited immunoreactivity for pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP). However, in 3-day cultured MPGs, numerous PACAP-IR cells and nerve fibers were present, and transcript levels for PACAP increased significantly. In 3-day cultured MPGs, PACAP immunoreactivity was seen in cells that were also immunoreactive for VIP or neuronal nitric oxide synthase, but not tyrosine hydroxylase, indicating that PACAP expression occurred preferentially in MPG parasympathetic postganglionic neurons. Transcript levels for the VPAC2, but not VPAC1 or PAC1 receptor, also increased significantly following 3 days in culture. Transcript levels of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF-3), a marker of cellular injury, were increased 64-fold in 3-day explants, and ATF-3-IR nuclei were evident in both TH-IR and nNOS-IR neurons as well as in non-neuronal cells. In sum, these results demonstrate that, although only the parasympathetic neurons in explant cultured MPGs increase expression of PACAP, both sympathetic and parasympathetic postganglionic neurons in the cultured MPG whole-mount increase expression of ATF-3.
Genetic analysis of the feline RD-114 retrovirus-related endogenous elements

The structure of the multiple copies of the endogenous RD-114 retroviral sequences in the domestic cat were compared by restriction mapping of cloned and genomic DNAs. Six different clones, each representing a different loci, were randomly chosen from 20 clones isolated from a cat DNA library. Whereas all clones contained viral structural sequences which were extensively homologous to the gag and pol regions of exogenous RD-114, they varied from each other in the extent of deletions (0.7-1.9 kilobase pairs) in the env region. Each clone contained a pair of LTRs which bracketed the structural genes, implicating an origin from exogenous infection of a distant ancestor of the domestic cat. Analysis of genomic DNA from six separate domestic cats also indicated that the majority of the RD-114 endogenous loci contained variably deleted env and conserved gag-pol regions. The occurrence of at least 13 unique RD-114-related loci could be detected in each cat DNA examined. It appeared that among these multiple copies inherited in the cat genome, there is only a single copy which would correspond to the undeleted RD-114 provirus, and which may represent the locus for the inducible RD-114 virus.
Unintended consequences of the Global Positioning System

This article describes a framework for characterizing unintended consequences, especially in terms of the vernacular “Law of Unintended Consequences” as applied to the known and potential consequences of the Global Positioning System (GPS). It is shown that a subset of the unintended consequences related to the GPS belongs to the larger class of general locator devices. The risk of vulnerability of GPS is characterized in terms of impact of unavailability. The general usage or misuse effects are considered in the category of human factors. Privacy is treated in a legal context, and the potential losses of privacy from general locator devices are discussed. Also, legal devices to limit loss of privacy are described, as well as the use of locator devices by law enforcement agencies. The general framework of the article is to describe GPS as a particular case of the larger need to consider secondary consequences in the development and socialization of technology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 7: 217–228, 2004
Indentation Simulation of Ovariectomized Sheep Bone Using a Viscoelastic/Plastic Damage Model

Indentation techniques have become a standard method to assess the mechanical properties of numerous materials. In recent years, nanoindentation of bone has been used to extract the mechanical behavior at the level of osteons and lamellae. Under a transmitted light microscope, small microcracks can be observed in cortical bone, and breakage of trabeculea can be observed in trabecular bone. These cracks are implicated in physiological phenomena including stress fractures, bone remodeling, and adaptation. Together, these material discontinuities can be considered as damage. Damage accumulation of bone is generated through daily mechanical loading, and then recovered during remodeling. For bone indentation modeling, even though pre-existing damage may be neglected in most cases, new damage can also be produced during the process of testing. Thus, damage accumulation needs to be considered when establishing a nanomechanical bone model.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface Ecosystem (PROSE) Scleral Device Compared to Keratoplasty for the Treatment of Corneal Ectasia

Purpose To compare the ocular characteristics and visual outcomes of eyes with corneal ectasia that were fitted with the Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface Ecosystem (PROSE) scleral device to those that underwent keratoplasty. Design Retrospective, comparative case series. Methods We reviewed the charts of consecutive patients with corneal ectasia that were evaluated for PROSE or underwent keratoplasty at our institution. Clinical data, topographic indices, and corneal thickness were reviewed, and eyes were stratified according to the Amsler-Krumeich classification for severity of ectasia. Only the more severe eye of each patient was included in the study. We compared visual acuity before and after PROSE fitting or keratoplasty. For PROSE evaluations, achievement of satisfactory fit and continued wear at 1 year of follow-up were recorded. Results From 2010 to 2012, 36 patients underwent PROSE evaluation for corneal ectasia while 37 patients underwent keratoplasty for the same indication. All eyes were successfully fitted with the PROSE device. Eyes in the keratoplasty group had more severe ectasia than eyes in the PROSE group ( P = .038). Visual acuity was achieved more rapidly in the PROSE cohort compared to keratoplasty, and mean visual acuity was significantly better for all eyes ( P P P = .003). At 1 year follow-up in the PROSE cohort, Snellen acuity was 20/28 ( P = .108 vs keratoplasty), improving to 20/25 with over-refraction ( P = .006 vs keratoplasty). Conclusions Eyes with advanced corneal ectasia can be successfully fitted with the PROSE device, and the visual acuity outcome for stage 4 ectasia was better and more rapid compared to keratoplasty. The acuity remained excellent with 1 year of follow-up. PROSE evaluation should be considered in patients with advanced corneal ectasia before proceeding to keratoplasty, especially if the ectasia is deemed stable.
Impact of the rural reform on financing rural health services in China

This paper review the changes that have occurred since 1980 on several aspects of the rural health care system, and discusses the observed trends, problems and the secondary effects of the rural reform on urban health care delivery, with particular interest on the health care financing experiences that have been implemented throughout China. How can China adjust to these changes? A strategy to address these changes would include a sustained emphasis on preventive care, a need to train its healthcare workers to focus on appropriate treatment technology, and continued experimentation in varying insurance schemes and reimbursement procedures to hospitals and individuals, with particular effort to maintain a balance between stimulating medical health care personnel (barefoot doctors and rural doctors) to deliver sufficient high-quality services without inducing over consumption because of profit motives.
An experimental investigation into the effects of information revelation in multi-attribute reverse auctions

Bid-takers in multi-attribute reverse auctions MRA are typically confronted with a myriad of information revelation options and must make decisions on which pieces of information to reveal to bidders and which ones to conceal. This study explores how the choice of different types and combinations of information can affect bidding behaviour and bidder perceptions in MRA. The results of a computer-based laboratory experiment suggest that by reducing the level of information asymmetry and using certain combinations of information a bid-taker can reduce bidder drop-out and spur the submission of high quality bids, i.e. bids that yield high levels of utility for the bid-taker.
Alkaline phosphatase in synchronized human cells

Die Aktivitat der alkalischen Phosphatase (AP) wurde in mit 5-Aminouracil synchronisierten Suspensionskulturen menschlicher Zellen histochemisch unter Benutzung von α-Naphtholphosphat als Substrat und chemisch unter Benutzung vonp-Nitrophenylphosphat als Substrat untersucht. Die histochemischen Untersuchungen weisen auf eine gesteigerte AP-Aktivitat in mitotischen und postmitotischen Zellen, insbesondere im Bereich der Kernmembran hin. Im Gegensatz dazu zeigen die Experimente mit synchronisierten Zellen eine weitgehend konstante AP-Aktivitat wahrend der gesamten DNS-Synthese, Mitose und unmittelbaren postmitotischen Phase. Die Ergebnisse der histochemischen Untersuchungen sprechen daher eher fur eine intrazellulare Verlagerung des Enzyms mit spezifischer Lokalisation und nicht fur eine Steigerung der AP-Aktivitat.
Older, medically ill smokers are concerned about weight gain after quitting smoking

Concern about postcessation weight gain has been shown to be a barrier to quitting for healthy smokers, but no study has examined these concerns among medically ill smokers. We examined whether medically ill smokers (N=271; 54% female, mean age=57 years) receiving nurse-delivered home health care report postcessation weight concern as a barrier to quitting smoking. Higher levels of weight concern were associated with younger age, longer duration of home care service, greater motivation to quit smoking, lower self-efficacy to quit smoking, more favorable views of smoking, and lower levels of social support; collectively accounting for over 20% of the variance. Increased illness severity was also associated with higher postcessation weight concern. Heavier smokers had higher levels of weight concerns at all follow-ups. Weight concerns did not prospectively predict smoking status, but quitters had higher subsequent levels of weight concerns than continued smokers. These results suggest that, even in the context of poor health and limited physical functioning, smokers are concerned about weight gain after quitting.
Sputtering, still the dominant source of plasma at Dione?

It is generally assumed that the heavy-ion plasma in the inner Saturnian magnetosphere is formed by the energetic plasma ions impacting and ejecting material from the icy satellites (Figure 1), a self-sustained process known as ion sputtering [Lanzerotti et al., 1983; Eviatar, 1984; Richardson et al., 1986]. Plasma-ion sputtering of a surface is a well-established laboratory technique for surface analysis and producing a vapor from a surface with a low vapor pressure; therefore, its potential relevance in Saturn's magnetosphere is intriguing. If the source of plasma in Saturn's inner magnetosphere is the surface of the icy satellites, then measurements of the composition of the freshly produced plasma can be used to determine the satellite surface composition [Johnson and Sittler, 1990]. This exciting prospect may be realized during the proposed encounter of Cassini with Saturn's satellite Dione in ∼2005 because of the high mass resolution of the plasma instruments carried on the spacecraft.
Antisense oligonucleotide blockade of alpha 4 integrin prevents and reverses clinical symptoms in murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

We investigated the use of an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) specific for mRNA of the alpha chain (CD49d) of mouse VLA-4 to down-regulate VLA-4 expression and alter central nervous system (CNS) inflammation. ISIS 17044 potently and specifically reduced CD49d mRNA and protein in cell lines and in ex-vivo-treated primary mouse T cells. When administered prophylactically or therapeutically, ISIS 17044 reduced the incidence and severity of paralytic symptoms in a model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). This was accompanied by a significant decrease in the number of VLA-4+ cells, CD4(+) T cells, and macrophages present in spinal cord white matter of EAE mice. ISIS 17044 was found to accumulate in lymphoid tissue of mice, and oligonucleotide was also detected in endothelial cells and macrophage-like cells in the CNS, apparently due to disruption of the blood-brain barrier during EAE. These results demonstrate the potential utility of systemically administered antisense oligonucleotides for the treatment of central nervous system inflammation.
Power absorption in ferromagnetic implants from radiofrequency magnetic fields and the problem of optimization

Explicit expressions for absorbed power in small ferromagnetic cylinders from a radiofrequency magnetic field (using a quasi-static approximation) due to induced eddy current circulation are obtained for implants used in interstitial hyperthermic therapy. It is found that optimum power absorption per unit volume of cylindrical implant occurs when the applied magnetic field is parallel to the axis of the cylinder and the induction number (i.e. two times the ratio of implant radius to skin depth) is 2.5. This result is used to design geometrical configurations for implants to achieve optimum heating effects. The dependence of absorbed power on the orientation of the cylindrical implant with respect to polarization of the magnetic field is calculated and found to be in good agreement with experimental results. >