cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adolescents’ attitudes and self‐perceptions about anti‐tobacco advocacy

Communities are organizing into coalitions with the goal of reducing tobacco use, particularly among youth. Adolescents could make effective and persuasive anti-tobacco advocates in their respective communities, but their attitudes about tobacco advocacy and their perceptions of their own abilities as advocates are unknown. Therefore, the present project assessed attitudes and self-perceptions about anti-tobacco advocacy in 159 high school students attending a tobacco advocacy conference. After the meeting, they completed the Anti-Tobacco Advocacy Questionnaire, which has five factors (Activism, Personal Commitment, Banning Advertisements, Tobacco Morality and Peer Pressure to Use Tobacco). Overall, these high school students were moderately positive about anti-tobacco advocacy; girls more so than boys. Further, they were very positive about their own commitment to avoid tobacco and willingness to speak to others personally, but only moderately positive about their activism abilities. An implication is that community coalitions that include youth might want to focus on building their activism skills as they guide them in managing their youthful energy and enthusiasm.
Pharmacological adrenalectomy with mitotane.

Abstract The potential of mitotane (ortho, para′-DDD, commonly used to treat adrenal carcinomas in humans and dogs) was investigated as an alternative to surgical adrenalectomy in birds, salamanders, and lizards. House sparrows ( Passer domesticus ) were injected twice daily with vehicle or one of two doses of mitotane (225 or 450 mg/kg), and basal and stress-induced levels of corticosterone (CORT) were measured 3 and 5 days after injections. Mitotane reduced basal CORT levels to nondetectable and abolished stress-induced CORT increases by the 3rd day of treatment. In another study, a single injection of mitotane was effective in lowering endogenous CORT levels 36 h later, but levels had apparently recovered by 10 days after the injection. Mitotane did not effect testicular weights and had no detectable effect on testosterone levels. In contrast to its effects on house sparrows, mitotane did not lower endogenous CORT levels in either tiger salamanders ( Ambystoma tigrinum ) or tree lizards ( Urosaurus ornatus ), even at doses much higher than those used in house sparrows.
Constitutive modeling of the large strain time-dependent behavior of elastomers

Abstract The mechanical behavior of elastomeric materials is known to be rate-dependent and to exhibit hysteresis upon cyclic loading. Although these features of the rubbery constitutive response are well-recognized and important to its function, few models attempt to quantify these aspects of response perhaps due to the complex nature of the behavior and its apparent inconsistency with regard to current reasonably successful models of rubber elasticity. In this paper a detailed experimental investigation probing the material response of carbon black filled Chloroprene rubber subjected to different time-dependent strain histories is presented. Some of the key observations from the experiments are: (1) both filled and unfilled elastomers show significant amounts of hysteresis during cyclic loading; (2) the amount of carbon black particles does not strongly influence the normalized amount of hysteresis; (3) both filled and unfilled elastomers are strain-rate dependent and the rate dependence is higher during the uploading than during the unloading; (4) at fixed strain, the stress is observed to approach the same equilibrium level with relaxation time whether loading or unloading. Based on the experimental data a new constitutive model has been developed. The foundation of the model is that the mechanical behavior can be decomposed into two parts: an equilibrium network corresponding to the state that is approached in long time stress relaxation tests; and a second network capturing the non-linear rate-dependent deviation from the equilibrium state. The time-dependence of the second network is further assumed to be governed by the reptational motion of molecules having the ability to significantly change conformation and thereby relaxing the overall stress state. By comparing the predictions from the proposed three-dimensional constitutive model with experimental data for uniaxial compression and plane strain compression we conclude that the constitutive model predicts rate-dependence and relaxation behavior well.
Growth, development, and survival of Nosema pyrausta-infected European corn borers (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) reared on meridic diet and Cry1Ab.

Transgenic corn, Zea mays L., hybrids expressing crystal protein endotoxin genes from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner are an increasingly popular tactic for managing the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), in North America. O. nubilalis populations also are often vulnerable to the ubiquitous entomopathogenic microsporidium Nosema pyrausta (Paillot). We examined the effect of feeding meridic diet incorporated with purified Cry1Ab on growth, development, and survival of Nosema-infected and uninfected neonate O. nubilalis. Infected larvae developed more slowly than uninfected larvae. Increasing the concentration of Cry1Ab in diet reduced larval development, and this effect was amplified by microsporidiosis. Infected larvae weighed significantly less than uninfected larvae. The relationship among Nosema infection, Cry1Ab concentration, and larval weight was fitted to an exponential function. The LC50 of infected larvae was one-third that of uninfected larvae, indicating that infected larvae are more vulnerable to toxin. This work has implications for resistance management of O. nubilalis and demonstrates that it is important to determine whether N. pyrausta is present when testing susceptibility of larvae to transgenic corn hybrids.
A Parallel Trace-driven Simulator: Implementation and Performance

The simulation of parallel architectures requires an enormous amount of CPU cycles and, in the case of trace-driven simulation, of disk storage. In this paper, we consider the evaluation of the memory hierarchy of multiprocessor systems via parallel trace-driven simulation. We refine Lin et al.[8] original algorithm, whose main characteristic is to insert the shared references from every trace in all other traces, by reducing the amount of communication between simulation processes. We have implemented our algorithm on a KSR-1. Results of our experiments on traces of four applications and three different cache coherence protocols show that parallel trace-driven simulation yields significant speedups over its sequential counter-part. The communication overhead is not substantial compared to the dominant overhead due to the processing of replicated inserted references. We also investigate filtering techniques and show how to filter in parallel private and shared references for various block sizes in one pass. Simulation of filtered traces is faster but with a lower speedup.
Tumor Suppression by LKB1: SIK-ness Prevents Metastasis

The LKB1 serine-threonine kinase is a tumor suppressor that is inactivated in a large number of sporadic human lung non-small cell carcinomas (NSCLCs) and cervical cancers. Genetic deletion of LKB1 in various mouse tissues results in tumorigenesis, and loss of LKB1 increases metastasis in a mouse model of NSCLC. LKB1 directly activates a family of 14 kinases related to AMPK [adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase] to control cell metabolism, growth, and polarity, though which of these are critical to its tumor suppressor functions remain undefined. The LKB1-dependent kinase SIK1 (salt-inducible kinase 1) has now been identified as a key modulator of anoikis (apoptosis induced by cell detachment) and transformation in culture, and its modulation of the tumor suppressor p53 controls metastasis in transplanted tumor cells. Reduced SIK1 expression is correlated with poor prognosis in two large human breast cancer data sets. These findings suggest that SIK1 is a key upstream regulator of p53-dependent anoikis that may be targeted in tumorigenesis.
Room-temperature serial crystallography using a kinetically optimized microfluidic device for protein crystallization and on-chip X-ray diffraction

The name of one of the authors in the article by Heymann et al. [(2014), IUCrJ, 1, 349–360] is corrected.
Analytic Reviews : Initiating Mechanical Ventilation

Mechanical ventilation is a central facet of intensive care medicine. Technological progress has led to major advances in this field. Initiation of mechanical ventila tion remains standard; however, many options are now available to continue mechanical ventilation. These mechanical options include assist-control ventilation, intermittent mandatory ventilation, pressure support ventilation, positive end-expiratory pressure, and high- frequency ventilation. The sophistication of ventilators has also allowed more procedures to be performed dur ing mechanical ventilation, including bronchoscopy and transbronchial biopsy. Complications do occur during mechanical ventilation, but can be minimized by vigi lance and use of proper procedures. The recent increase in home care will lead to increased use of alternatives to conventional ventilatory modes. Finally, more well- designed studies are needed as newer techniques are promoted.
Concurrent Object Recognition and Segmentation by Graph Partitioning

Segmentation and recognition have long been treated as two separate processes. We propose a mechanism based on spectral graph partitioning that readily combine the two processes into one. A part-based recognition system detects object patches, supplies their partial segmentations as well as knowledge about the spatial configurations of the object. The goal of patch grouping is to find a set of patches that conform best to the object configuration, while the goal of pixel grouping is to find a set of pixels that have the best low-level feature similarity. Through pixel-patch interactions and between-pateh competition encoded in the solution space, these two processes are realized in one joint optimization problem. The globally optima] partition is obtained by solving a constrained eigenvalue problem. We demonstrate that the resulting object segmentation eliminates false positives for the part detection, while overcoming occlusion and weak contours for the low-level edge detection.
Sparse P-hard sets yield space-efficient algorithms

J. Hartmanis (1978) conjectured that there exist no sparse complete sets for P under logspace many-one reductions. In this paper, in support of the conjecture, it is shown that if P has sparse hard sets under logspace many-one reductions, then P/spl sube/DSPACE[log/sup 2/n]. The result follows from a more general statement: if P has 2/sup polylog/ sparse hard sets under poly-logarithmic space-computable many-one reductions, then P/spl sube/DSPACE[polylog].
A 76 dBΩ, 2mW, 10Gbps optical receiver analog front-end in 80nm CMOS

This paper describes the design of an optical receiver analog front end for a low power, high speed, chip-to-chip or board-to-board communication system. The circuit has been designed in 80 nm CMOS and consumes 2 mW with a 1-V supply. Using active inductors, a transimpedance gain of 62.5 dB-Omega, limiting amplifier gain of 15 dB, and overall bandwidth of 9 GHz was achieved. This work presents the highest gain-bandwidth product and lowest power consumption for optical front-end receivers in this process reported to date.
A milieu of regulatory elements in the epidermal differentiation complex syntenic block: implications for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis

Two common inflammatory skin disorders with impaired barrier, atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis, share distinct genetic linkage to the Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC) locus on 1q21. The EDC is comprised of tandemly arrayed gene families encoding proteins involved in skin cell differentiation. Discovery of semi-dominant mutations in filaggrin (FLG) associated with AD and a copy number variation within the LCE genes associated with psoriasis provide compelling evidence for the role of EDC genes in the pathogenesis of these diseases. To date, little is known about the potentially complex regulatory landscape within the EDC. Here, we report a computational approach to identify conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) in the EDC queried for regulatory function. Coordinate expression of EDC genes during mouse embryonic skin development and a striking degree of synteny and linearity in the EDC locus across a wide range of mammalian (placental and marsupial) genomes suggests an evolutionary conserved regulatory milieu in the EDC. CNEs identified by comparative genomics exhibit dynamic regulatory activity (enhancer or repressor) in differentiating or proliferating conditions. We further demonstrate epidermal-specific, developmental in vivo enhancer activities (DNaseI and transgenic mouse assays) in CNEs, including one within the psoriasis-associated deletion, LCE3C_LCE3B-del. Together, our multidisciplinary study features a network of regulatory elements coordinating developmental EDC gene expression as an unexplored resource for genetic variants in skin diseases.
Inhibition of UV light- and Fenton reaction-induced oxidative DNA damage by the soybean isoflavone genistein

We have investigated the effect of the soybean isoflavone genistein on 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) formation in calf thymus DNA exposed to either UV irradiation or the Fenton reaction system. Under the conditions used we observed that UV light and the Fenton reaction significantly increase 8-OHdG formation in DNA. Co-incubation with genistein inhibits the formation of 8-OHdG induced by either UV light irradiation or the Fenton reaction in a dose-dependent manner. The quenching effect of genistein on 8-OHdG formation induced by UV light is much more potent than that by the Fenton reaction, suggesting that the mechanisms of 8-OHdG formation may differ between the two systems. We further compared the antioxidant activities and quenching effect on 8-OHdG formation of genistein with biochanin A. Genistein potently scavenges both hydrogen peroxide in the medium and superoxide anion generated by xanthine/xanthine oxidase, whereas biochanin A has either a weak or no scavenging effect on these reactive oxygen species. However, both genistein and biochanin A display a similar quenching effect on UV light-induced 8-OHdG formation. These results suggest that the quenching effect of genistein and biochanin A on UV light-induced 8-OHdG formation is different from their ability to scavenge hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion. The potent inhibition of UV light-induced oxidative DNA damage by genistein suggests its potential anticarcinogenic role in photocarcinogenesis.
Syntaxin 1A inhibits regulated CFTR trafficking in xenopus oocytes.

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is an epithelial cell Cl channel, whose gating activity and membrane trafficking are controlled by cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA)-mediate...
Uptake of plutonium on a novel thin film for use in spectrometry

Anion-exchange polymer thin films (~150 nm) were coated onto silicon substrates and utilized for rapid concentration and radioanalytical analyses of actinide complexes (PuCl6 2−, Pu(NO3)6 2−). Batch uptake studies were performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting, and alpha spectroscopy. The thin film yielded rapid Pu uptake kinetics and an equilibrium constant (K d) of approximately 9060 L kg−1. The anion-exchange capacity of the films was determined to be 1.3 × 10−4 ± 1.1 × 10−5 eq g−1 using 36Cl uptake studies. Results indicated that the polymer films have great potential for utilization as a substrate for thermal ionization mass spectrometry and alpha spectroscopy.
FGF21 does not require interscapular brown adipose tissue and improves liver metabolic profile in animal models of obesity and insulin-resistance

FGF21 is a key metabolic regulator modulating physiological processes and its pharmacological administration improves metabolic profile in preclinical species and humans. We used native-FGF21 and a long-acting FGF21 (PF-05231023), to determine the contribution of liver and brown adipose tissue (BAT) towards metabolic improvements in Zucker rats and DIO mice (DIOs). FGF21 improved glucose tolerance and liver insulin sensitivity in Zuckers without affecting BW and improved liver function by decreased lipogenesis, increased fatty acid oxidation and improved insulin signaling. Through detailed lipidomic analyses of liver metabolites in DIOs, we demonstrate that FGF21 favorably alters liver metabolism. We observed a dose-dependent increase of [18F]-FDG-glucose uptake in interscapular BAT (iBAT) of DIOs upon FGF21 administration. Upon excision of iBAT (X-BAT) and administration of FGF21 to mice housed at 80 °F or 72 °F, the favorable effects of FGF21 on BW and glucose excursion were fully retained in both sham and X-BAT animals. Taken together, we demonstrate the liver as an organ that integrates the actions of FGF21 and provide metabolic benefits of FGF21 in Zucker rats and DIOs. Finally, our data demonstrates iBAT does not play a role in mediating favorable metabolic effects of FGF21 administration in DIOs housed at 80 °F or 72 °F.
Abstract 510: Neuronal Voltage-Dependent Calcium Channel 2.1 RNA Increased in Animal Models With Contrast-Induced Nephropathy

Objectives: Contrast media has been widely used in imaging studies and endovascular procedures. However, contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) has been a major concern in the patients undergoing angiography and less invasive endovascular surgery. The current available main test for the diagnosis of CIN is to measure serum creatinine (Cr); however, It is non-specific and maybe due to underline renal disease. The objectives of this study were to analyze the changes of different proteins in CIN animal models, and to discover potential biomarker(s) for the early diagnosis of CIN. Materials & Methods: C57B1/6J mice were used to create CIN model. A prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor (indomethacin, 10 mg/kg) and a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, L-NAME, 10mg/kg) were injected intraperitoneally (ip) before giving Iodixanol, a commonly-used intravenous contrast, (320 mg iodine/ml, 4.9 g iodine/kg ip). Sham mice received ip injections of normal saline instead of Iodixanol. Mice kidneys were harvested at day1, day2 and day3 in different groups. RNA was extracted from half of the kidney specimen. qRT -PCR were used to quantify Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1), neuronal voltage-dependent calcium channel 2.1 (CaV 2.1) and Cystatin C RNA expression, using glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as endogenous control. The other half of the specimen was fixed with formalin, embedded in paraffin, and then stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) for histopathology evaluation. Results: H&E staining demonstrated histological damages in Iodixanol-treated groups but not in controls. KIM-1 and Cystatin C expressions were not increased after receiving Iodixanol. CaV 2.1 RNA levels were significantly increased on day 3 in Iodixanol group (p < 0.05), which was consistent with the contrast-induced damage based on histological examination. CaV 2.1 levels were also elevated on Day1 and Day 2 following iodixanol administration, although not statistically significant. Conclusions: Cav 2.1 gene expression is significantly increased in CIN animal models. Cav 2.1 may be involved in the mechanisms of CIN development, and could be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of CIN. Further clinical investigation is needed.
Voices of Collective Remembering: An Encounter with Collective Memory

While on a trip to Moscow in 1997, I spent a day at a high school known for its strong students and excellent instruction. In addition to observing several classes, I had the opportunity to engage some eleventh grade students in a discussion about World War II, and in this context I asked about the role that the United States had played in this conflict. In response, “Sasha,” a sixteen-year-old boy, turned to me and said something like the following: The United States made a lot of money from selling arms and other things to countries during the early years of the war, but it did not really contribute as an ally. In fact, along with Great Britain it refused to open a second front in 1942 and again in 1943. It was only after the U.S. and Britain began to think that the Soviet Union might win the war by itself and dominate post-war Europe that they became concerned enough to enter the war in earnest by opening a second front in 1944. Sasha's comments left me with an impression as well as a question. The impression had to do with the way he spoke about these events. He made his presentation in a straightforward, confident manner, displaying little doubt or hesitation. It was almost as if he was providing an eye-witness account of what had happened. The idea that a competing account might exist seemed not to have been an option in his mind. Furthermore, based on the nods of Sasha's classmates and other evidence to be outlined in later chapters, it is an account that has some currency among his generation in Russia.
Putting Peer Prediction Under the Microeconomicscope and Making Truth-Telling Focal

Peer-predictioni¾?[19] is a meta-mechanism which, given any proper scoring rule, produces a mechanism to elicit prie information from self-interested agents. Formally, truth-telling is a strict Nash equilibrium of the mechanism. Unfortunately, there may be other equilibria as well including uninformative equilibria where all players simply report the same fixed signal, regardless of their true signal and, typically, the truth-telling equilibrium does not have the highest expected payoff. The main result of this paper is to show that, in the symmetric binary setting, by tweaking peer-prediction, in part by carefully selecting the proper scoring rule it is based on, we can make the truth-telling equilibrium focal--that is, truth-telling has higher expected payoff than any other equilibrium. Along the way, we prove the following: in the setting where agents receive binary signals we 1 classify all equilibria of the peer-prediction mechanism; 2 introduce a new technical tool for understanding scoring rules, which allows us to make truth-telling pay better than any other informative equilibrium; 3 leverage this tool to provide an optimal version of the previous result; that is, we optimize the gap between the expected payoff of truth-telling and other informative equilibria; and 4 show that with a slight modification to the peer-prediction framework, we can, in general, make the truth-telling equilibrium focal--that is, truth-telling pays more than any other equilibrium including the uninformative equilibria.
Textural quality of cooked potatoes: II. Relationship of steam cooking time to cellular strength of cultivars with similar and differing solids

The relationship of steam cooking time with cellular strength of cultivars Chieftain, Kennebec, Russet Burbank and White Rose was compared within and among solids concentrations. Nitrogen fertilization had no discernible effect on cell wall strength. Cell strength of Kennebec and Russet Burbank was similar regardless of solids concentration or cooking time. However, cell strength of Chieftain and White Rose differed with solids concentration and cooking time. Knowledge of cell strength and its characteristics with cooking time appear important for understanding the differences in textural quality that exists between cultivars.
Removal of SiO2 From Si (100) by Remote H2/SiH4 Plasma Prior to Epitaxial Growth

This study demonstrates the cleaning of Si(100) surfaces with a remote H2/SiH4 plasma. The surfaces were prepared with a chemical oxide the remains after an RCA clean. The plasma cleaning process was designed to remove contaminants such as C, F, and SiO2. The key to successful removal of the oxide is to have the plasma chemistry in a neutral deposition regime. The neutral deposition process regime is a balance between the deposition of Si by SiH4 and the etching of the deposited Si by atomic H. During the neutral deposition mode the SiO2 was removed without deposition of Si on the SiO2 surface. Once the SiO2 layer is removed, theunderlying Si surface is exposed to the H2/SiH4 plasma and a thin epitaxial film may be deposited. The final Si surface configuration after plasma cleaning is a 2×1 hydrogen terminated surface. The characterization of the interface and epitaxial film were investigated using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
AB0153 Effect and Mechanism of Intestinal Clostridium on the Development of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background The study evaluated the relationship between conditioned pathogen clostridium and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) animal model. Methods SPF DBA/1 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=6). Enema administration of clostridium which were from RA patients was started on 2 weeks before injection of the II collagen in Mouse and lasted for 5 weeks. Mouse was sacrificed 13 weeks after injection of the II collagen. Serum level of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-23 were observed, and four-point arthritis indexes were also assessed. Knee joints were assessed according to the histopathology. Results Arthritis incidence, the number of arthritic limbs per arthritic mouse and the arthritic severity scores were higher in CIA-Clostridium group than the CIA group after the 13 weeks of the immunization, however, the difference was not statistically significant ( P >0.05). As compared with the CIA (TNF-α: 239.7±59.9pg/ml, IL-1β: 190.0±55.0pg/ml), the TNF-α: (301.1±19.2pg/ml, P P Conclusions Present research suggests that Clostridium may not induce the arthritis directly. Enema administration of Clostridium may have effect on the disease, but the effect was not statistically significant. Clostridium vaccination combining collagen-induced could significantly increase the level of cytokines in peripheral blood of CIA mice, such as TNF-αand IL-1β. References Vaahtovuo, J., et al., Fecal microbiota in early rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol, 2008. 35(8): p. 1500-5. Brand, D.D., K.A. Latham, and E.F. Rosloniec, Collagen-induced arthritis. Nat Protoc, 2007. 2(5): p. 1269-75. van de Loo, F.A., et al., Role of interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin-6 in cartilage proteoglycan metabolism and destruction. Effect of in situ blocking in murine antigen- and zymosan-induced arthritis. Arthritis Rheum, 1995. 38(2): p. 164-72. Zhang, F., G. Meng, and W. Strober, Interactions among the transcription factors Runx1, RORgammat and Foxp3 regulate the differentiation of interleukin 17-producing T cells. Nat Immunol, 2008. 9(11): p. 1297-306. Cua, D.J., et al., Interleukin-23 rather than interleukin-12 is the critical cytokine for autoimmune inflammation of the brain. Nature, 2003. 421(6924): p. 744-8. Murphy, C.A., et al., Divergent pro- and antiinflammatory roles for IL-23 and IL-12 in joint autoimmune inflammation. J Exp Med, 2003. 198(12): p. 1951-7. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.1094
Development of Remote Plasma Enhanced Ohemical Vapor Deposition Processes Through the use of in Vacuo Electron Diffraction and Electron Spectroscopy

Remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition techniques have been developed for a wide variety of processes. These include SiO2, Si3N4, Si, Ge, GaN, GaAs, and a-Si:H depositions. This development has been enabled through the use of electron diffraction and electron spectroscopy techniques. These techniques have been used to qualify cleaning procedures prior to epitaxial or dielectric depositions. They have been used to qualify epitaxial deposition conditions by defining suitable temperature and rate conditions. And, they have been used to evaluate cross-contamination issues. In situ techniques have been used in conjunction with ex situ characterizations to identify and correct problems in wafer cleaning, epitaxy, and process integration.
Cytology: Effect of a Thin-Layer Preparation System on Workload in a Cytology Laboratory

Two experienced cytotechnologists were trained to examine thin-layer slides prepared using the AutoCyte Preparation System (Elon College, NC). The time for examining slides decreased from 5.9 and 6.1 minutes per thin-layer slide to 2.7 and 4.2 minutes within 500 slides. The final screening rates were 0.74 to 1.15 si mm2 for thin layers and 0.23 to 0.26 si mm2 for conventional slides. Compared with conventionally prepared Papanicolaou smears, the thinlayer preparations had a lower rate of specimens limited for interpretation, a higher rate of abnormal findings, and a similar rate of unsatisfactory samples. Processing time per slide was 5.1 minutes, compared with 2 minutes per slide for conventional smears. The thin-layer method reduced screening time but improved quality, because cytotechnologists devoted more time per unit area. The increase in time required for preparation offset the decrease in screening time, making the total testing time for a thin-layer slide comparable with that of a conventional smear.
Common Complications in Adolescents with Moderate and Severe Obesity

Objective To investigate the prevalence of associated morbidity in moderate and severe obese adolescents.Methods Hospital-based screenings including physical examination,biochemistry detection and oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT) were performed in 402 obese adolescents,278 boys and 124 girls,with an average age of(10.60±1.84) years,from August 2003 to December 2005.Results The prevalence of hypertension,hyperlipemia,nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),hyperuricemia,impaired glucose tolerance(IGT),metabolic syndrome(MS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) in moderately and severely obese adolescents was 28.36%,50.50%,46.27%,23.38%,6.22%,26.62% and 1.74%,respectively.Compared with moderate obesity,the prevalence of hypertension and NAFLD was obviously higher in severe obesity.Conclusions Altered glucose,lipid and uric metabolism appear in childhood obesity.A conspicuously increased risk of hypertension and NAFLD are found in severe obese adolescents.More attention shall be paid to the obese adolescents.
AN OPEN STUDY OF BUSPIRONE AUGMENTATION OF SEROTONIN-REUPTAKE INHIBITORS IN BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER

Although preliminary data suggest that serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) may be effective in treating body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a substantial percentage of patients have no response or respond only partially to SRIs. The efficacy of buspirone augmentation of SRIs in BDD was therefore evaluated in an open fashion. Thirteen patients with DSM-IV BDD who had not responded or had responded only partially to an SRI had buspirone added to the SRI. Six of these subjects (46%) improved. Three who decreased or discontinued buspirone experienced an increase in symptom severity. BDD symptoms again improved in the 1 subject who resumed the previous dose. Side effects were minimal and well tolerated in all but 1 subject. These data, while preliminary, suggest that buspirone augmentation of SRIs may be useful for BDD and warrant further investigation in a controlled trial.
Efficacy of daily one-repetition maximum training in well-trained powerlifters and weightlifters: a case series

Introduccion: el proposito de este estudio fue investigar la eficacia del entrenamiento diario de una repeticion maxima (1RM) de la sentadilla en fuerza maxima. Material y metodo: tres levantadores de peso de competicion realizaron la sentadilla durante 37 dias consecutivos y se reportan como casos individuales. Participante 1 (P1) (masa corporal = 80,5 kg; edad = 28 anos) y participante 3 (P3) (masa corporal = 108,8 kg; edad = 34 anos) eran levantadores de fuerza; participante 2 (P2) (masa corporal = 64,1 kg; edad = 19 anos) fue un levantador de pesas. Cada participante tenia por lo menos 5 anos de experiencia con la posicion en sentadilla de formacion. Durante los dias 1-35, los participantes realizaron una sentadilla de 1RM seguida por 5 conjuntos de volumen de 3 repeticiones al 85% o 2 repeticiones al 90% de la 1RM diario. En el dia 36, los participantes realizan solo una serie de 1 repeticion al 85% de 1RM del dia 1; y el dia 37 realizaron un 1RM. Resultados: cambios absolutos y porcentaje para P1 del 1 dia al 37: + 5 kg/2,3% y desde el primer dia al maximo (1RM era el mayor) + 12,5 kg/5,8%. P2 experimento un aumento de 13,5 kg/10,8% en 1RM del dia 1 al 37 y del dia 1 al maximo. P3 demostro un aumento de 21 kg/9,5% del dia 1 al 37 y del dia 1 al maximo. Los tres participantes exhibieron significativa (p < 0,05) las correlaciones entre el tiempo (dias) y 1RM (P1: r = 0,65, P2: r = 0,78, P3: r = 0,48). Conclusion: nuestros resultados sugieren que el entrenamiento diario de 1RM habia producido efectivamente cambios significativos en la maxima fuerza en los atletas de fuerza competitiva en un periodo relativamente corto de entrenamiento.
Genome-wide association study reveals putative regulators of bioenergy traits in Populus deltoides.

Summary Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been used extensively to dissect the genetic regulation of complex traits in plants. These studies have focused largely on the analysis of common genetic variants despite the abundance of rare polymorphisms in several species, and their potential role in trait variation. Here, we conducted the first GWAS in Populus deltoides, a genetically diverse keystone forest species in North America and an important short rotation woody crop for the bioenergy industry. We searched for associations between eight growth and wood composition traits, and common and low-frequency single-nucleotide polymorphisms detected by targeted resequencing of 18 153 genes in a population of 391 unrelated individuals. To increase power to detect associations with low-frequency variants, multiple-marker association tests were used in combination with single-marker association tests. Significant associations were discovered for all phenotypes and are indicative that low-frequency polymorphisms contribute to phenotypic variance of several bioenergy traits. Our results suggest that both common and low-frequency variants need to be considered for a comprehensive understanding of the genetic regulation of complex traits, particularly in species that carry large numbers of rare polymorphisms. These polymorphisms may be critical for the development of specialized plant feedstocks for bioenergy.
A GaAs-InGaAs optoelectronic switch with multiple operation states

An optoelectronic switch with both n- and p-type delta-doped (δ-doped) quantum wells was investigated. The δ-doped structures formed potential wells for the carrier accumulation and potential barriers for the carrier injection. Being possessed of δ-doped sheets with different doping levels, the potential barriers were sequentially collapsed to produce a double negative-differential-resistance (NDR) phenomenon in the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of the device, due to the carrier accumulation in the potential wells. The device also showed an optical function related to the barrier heights controllable by incident light.
Rewiring the Intracellular Signaling Network in Cancer

How the intracellular signaling network is wired determines the responses of a cell to extracellular signals. NF-κB and JNK1 are key regulators of the cell signaling circuitry, involving many cellular activities and being implicated in the development of certain types of cancer. The crosstalk between NF-κB and JNK1 provides an example about how integration of the activities from different signaling pathways determines the cell fate. Understanding how the intracellular signaling network is rewired during the development of cancer should shed light on cell signaling–based therapy of certain types of cancer.
The Cancer of the Bladder Risk Assessment (COBRA) score: Estimating mortality after radical cystectomy.

BACKGROUND Risk stratification of patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) after cystectomy has important clinical and research implications. The authors assessed the relative effect of tumor stage and lymph node status on cancer-specific survival (CSS) after cystectomy and developed a simplified risk-assessment tool. METHODS In total, 14,828 patients who underwent cystectomy with lymph node dissection for UCB were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1988-2011). The relative importance of tumor stage and lymph node status with regard to CSS was assessed using stratified Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional-hazards analyses. The patients were split randomly into development and validation cohorts. Additional validation using overall survival was performed on 19,362 patients from the National Cancer Data Base. The Cancer of Bladder Risk Assessment (COBRA) tool was created using a Cox model incorporating age, tumor stage, and lymph node density. Performance was validated using observed versus expected survival plots and the Harrell concordance index. RESULTS Patients with muscle invasive (T2), lymph node-positive disease had a survival curve similar to that in patients with extravesical (T3 and T4), lymph node-negative disease (2-year CSS, 67% and 70%, respectively). Each point increase in the COBRA score (range, 0-7) was associated with a 1.61-fold increase (95% confidence interval, 1.56-fold to 1.65-fold increase) in the risk of bladder cancer death in the development cohort. The model accurately stratified patients across risk levels in the development cohort and the 2 validation cohorts (C-index, 0.712, 0.705, and 0.68, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The COBRA score offers a straightforward, validated risk-stratification tool that incorporates the relative contribution of tumor stage and lymph node involvement to patient prognosis after cystectomy for UCB. Cancer 2017;123:4574-4582. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Role of retinoic acid in maturation of fetal liver cells inmvitro

Abstract Regulation of the biosynthesis of α-fetoprotein and albumin was studied in a temperature-sensitive fetal rat hepatocyte line ( RLA209-15 ) which exhibits a differentiated phenotype when grown at 40°C. Retinoic acid inhibited α-fetoprotein production but increased albumin production. This retinoid also changed the proportion of three forms of α-fetoprotein; the biosynthesis of the 73,000- and 69,000-dalton variants, which are indistinguishable from authentic rat α-fetoprotein, was inhibited and an additional 65,000-dalton variant was induced. It has previously been shown that α-fetoprotein production decreases during maturation whereas albumin production increases. Our data suggest that retinoic acid induces maturation of fetal liver cells in vitro . Further, the 65,000-dalton α-fetoprotein variant may be characteristic of liver maturation.
Consequence and Rules of Consequence in the Post-Ockham Period

Late medieval logicians after 1350 continued to be concerned with a cluster of topics connected with the idea of logical inference. Their efforts revolved around the following topics: (a) the nature of consequence in general and of sub-types of consequence; (b) the criteria of valid or sound consequence; (c) the most general propositional rules including those governing modal, epistemic, and obligational realms; (d) the problem with the so-called Ex impossibili -rule: ‘From any impossible proposition any other proposition follows’.
Preoperative Evaluation: History

A thorough preoperative history is an essential component of any procedure. A good history allows the interventionalist to appropriately plan the procedure and the supplies needed, anticipate potential complications, and, ultimately, perform a successful and safe intervention.
Television for the Peace Arch Country: Transnational Broadcasting History in the Pacific Northwest:

This article contributes to international broadcasting history through a case study of a local, independent television station in the Pacific Northwest. KVOS-TV was one of a few stations on the U.S...
Suppression of circadian clock protein cryptochrome 2 promotes osteoarthritis.

Summary Objectives Abnormal chondrocyte gene expression promotes osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis. A previous RNA-sequencing study revealed that circadian rhythm pathway and expression of core clock gene cryptochrome 2 (CRY2) are dysregulated in human OA cartilage. Here we determined expression patterns and function CRY1 and CRY2. Methods CRY mRNA and protein expression was analyzed in normal and OA human and mouse cartilage. Mice with deletion of Cry1 or Cry2 were analyzed for severity of experimental OA and to determine genes and pathways that are regulated by Cry. Results In human OA cartilage, CRY2 but not CRY1 staining and mRNA expression was significantly decreased. Cry2 was also suppressed in mice with aging-related OA. Cry2 knock out (KO) but not Cry1 KO mice with experimental OA showed significantly increased severity of histopathological changes in cartilage, subchondral bone and synovium. In OA chondrocytes, the levels of CRY1 and CRY2 and the amplitude of circadian fluctuation were significantly lower. RNA-seq on knee articular cartilage of wild-type and Cry2 KO mice identified 53 differentially expressed genes, including known Cry2 target circadian genes Nr1d1, Nr1d2, Dbp and Tef. Pathway analysis that circadian rhythm and extracellular matrix remodeling were dysregulated in Cry2 KO mice. Conclusions These results show an active role of the circadian clock in general, and of CRY2 in particular, in maintaining extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis in cartilage. This cell autonomous network of circadian rhythm genes is disrupted in OA chondrocytes. Targeting CRY2 has potential to correct abnormal gene expression patterns and reduce the severity of OA.
Adjuvant therapy for pancreatic body or tail adenocarcinoma: a study of the National Cancer Database.

Background The optimal multimodality therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in the body or tail of the pancreas (PDAC-BT) is unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare overall 5-year survival between patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant chemoradiation, and surgery alone. Methods Patients from the National Cancer Database (1998-2012) with resected stage I or II PDAC-BT were included. Overall survival between the three treatment groups was compared using Cox proportional-hazards regression, propensity-score matching, and the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Of the 700 patients included in the analysis, 189 (27%) were treated with chemotherapy, 226 (32%) were treated with chemoradiation, and 285 (41%) were treated with surgery alone. Chemoradiation was associated with higher survival than surgery alone [adjusted hazard ratio (HRadj): 0.67; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54, 0.84; p = 0.001], but there was no difference between chemotherapy and chemoradiation (HRadj: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.65, 1.05; p = 0.115). In propensity-score matched cohorts, median survival was 24.1 months (95% CI: 20.4, 28.4) with chemotherapy and 25.4 months (95% CI: 22.1, 31.7) with chemoradiation (log-rank p = 0.122). Among patients with positive resection margins, chemoradiation was associated with higher survival compared with chemotherapy (HRadj: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.92; p = 0.022). In this subgroup of the propensity-score matched cohorts, median survival was 9.5 months (95% CI: 8.4, 16.0) with chemotherapy and 18.3 months (95% CI: 11.6, 26.3) with chemoradiation (log-rank p = 0.011). Conclusion In patients with resected pancreatic body or tail adenocarcinoma, adjuvant chemoradiation was associated with higher survival compared with surgery alone. Among patients with positive resection margins, adjuvant chemoradiation was associated with higher survival compared with adjuvant chemotherapy.
The Importance of Shifting Disturbance Regimes in Monarch Butterfly Decline and Recovery

The Eastern migratory monarch butterfly has declined in recent decades, partly because widespread adoption of herbicide-resistant corn and soybean has nearly eliminated common milkweed from crop fields in the US Midwest. We argue that in addition to milkweed loss, monarch declines were likely exacerbated by shifting disturbance regimes within their summer breeding range. Monarchs prefer to lay eggs on younger, vegetative milkweed stems. They also benefit from enemy-free space, as most eggs and early-instar larvae succumb to predators. Historically, ecological disturbances during the growing season could have provided these conditions. During most of the 19th and 20th centuries, milkweed was abundant in crop fields where manual weeding and mechanical cultivation set milkweed back, but rather than killing it would often stimulate regrowth later in the summer. Before European settlement, large mammals and fires (natural and anthropogenic) perturbed grasslands during the summer and could have had similar effects. However, presently most remaining milkweed stems in the Midwest are in perennial grasslands like roadsides, old-fields, parks, and conservation reserves, which often lack growing season disturbance. As a result, monarchs may be left with limited options for oviposition as the summer progresses and could have lower survival in grasslands where predation pressure is high. Our recent work has shown that targeted disturbance during the growing season produces milkweed stems that are attractive to ovipositing monarchs and harbor fewer arthropod predators. Targeted disturbance in perennial grasslands could improve habitat heterogeneity and phenologic diversity of milkweeds, and should be explored as a monarch conservation strategy.
Machine Learning Meets Point Process: Spatial Spectrum Sensing in User-Centric Networks

This letter introduces a novel machine learning (ML)-based approach to approximate the distributions of the aggregated interference power in wireless networks. We focus on the application of spatial spectrum sensing (SSS) in user-centric networks where Poisson cluster process (PCP) is used to model the primary users. A nonlinear regression method, i.e., kernel regression, is introduced to learn the distributions of the aggregated interference power of the PCP modeled primary user network. Simulation results demonstrate the accuracy of our approach.
Risk aversion over price variability: experimental evidence

Eliciting risk attitudes is of crucial importance in economics. We test whether the degree of risk aversion that an individual exhibits in the context of the direct utility function is equivalent t...
Congenital Leukemia with Intraventricular Hemorrhage

A male infant was transferred to our NICU from an outside hospital at 8 hours of life due to hepatosplenomegaly and hyperleukocytosis. Hepatomegaly was noted on prenatal ultrasound at 34 weeks gestation; the hepatomegaly progressively worsened, and the infant was delivered vaginally at 36 weeks gestation. Physical exam was remarkable for diffuse petechiae and ecchymoses and massive hepatosplenomegaly. There were no obvious dysmorphisms. The laboratory data on admission were: WBC 229,000/iL with 91% blast cells, hemoglobin 13.5g/dL and platelet count 23,000/iL. Coagulation studies showed PT and PTT of 25.1 and 61.8 seconds respectively and …
High-throughput experimentation meets artificial intelligence: a new pathway to catalyst discovery

High throughput experimentation in heterogeneous catalysis provides an efficient solution to the generation of large datasets under reproducible conditions. Knowledge extraction from these datasets has mostly been performed using statistical methods, targeting the optimization of catalyst formulations. The combination of advanced machine learning methodologies with high-throughput experimentation has enormous potential to accelerate the predictive discovery of novel catalyst formulations that do not exist with current statistical design of experiments. This perspective describes selective examples ranging from statistical design of experiments for catalyst synthesis to genetic algorithms applied to catalyst optimization, and finally random forest machine learning using experimental data for the discovery of novel catalysts. Lastly, this perspective also provides an outlook on advanced machine learning methodologies as applied to experimental data for materials discovery.