cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isoenzymes of acid phosphatase and non-specific esterases in cultures of neoplastic and normal tobacco tissues.

Axenic cultures of normal, habituated and crown gall teratoma tissues were grown under varying conditions to examine the effects of environment on the expression of neoplastic character. Acid phosphatase patterns on polyacrylamide gels did not vary greatly among tissues although there were differences in acid phosphatase activity between various strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, the bacteria which cause crown gall. Certain esterase isoenzymes were found only in tissues grown on specific media, while others were tissue-specific but independent of the nature of the medium. Comparisons of liquid and solid grown cultures revealed that culture conditions also influence esterase expression. Both sunflower and tobacco crown gall tissue contained an esterase not found in habituated or normal tissues, and similar in electrophoretic mobility to an esterase found in extracts of the bacteria that had induced the tumors. The basic difference between the three tissue types studied is the manner in which they respond to a given environment.
Recent Trends in Household Wealth, 1983-2009: The Irresistible Rise of Household Debt

I find here that the early and mid 2000s (2001 to 2007) witnessed both exploding debt and a consequent “middle class squeeze.” Median wealth grew briskly in the late 1990s and even faster in the 2000s. The inequality of net worth was up slightly during the 2000s. Indebtedness, which fell substantially during the late 1990s, skyrocketed in the early and mid 2000s. Among the middle class, the debt-income ratio reached its highest level in 24 years. The disparity in wealth holdings between African-American and white households was about the same in 2007 as in 1983, though Hispanics did show some relative gains on non-Hispainc whites over the years 2001 to 2007. Young households (under the age of 45) after some relative gains from 1983 to 1989, saw their relative wealth position deteriorate over the years 1989 to 2007. Projections to July 2009 on the basis of changes in stock and housing prices suggest that median wealth plunged by 36 percent and there was a fairly steep rise in wealth inequality, with the Gini coefficient advancing from 0.834 to 0.865.
Zinc is a constituent of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase preparations.

Abstract Cytochrome c oxidase preparations from bovine heart muscle contain 1 zinc per 2 irons. Metal contents of nine preparations determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) show that Cu, Fe and Zn are the only metals present in significant amounts with average Cu Fe , Fe Zn , and Cu Zn atom ratios of 1.3, 2.1 and 2.8, respectively. Removal of adventitious copper results in a Cu:Fe:Zn stoichiometry of 2:2:1. The zinc is tightly bound. Dialysis against a solution of 1,10-phenanthroline at pH 7.4 or an acidic buffer (pH 4.4) does not remove Zn. Dialysis against 0.8 M KCN at pH 10 causes partial loss of both Cu and Zn. This is the first evidence for the presence of Zn in a cytochrome c oxidase.
Comparative study of road profilers' accuracy and precision

There is an urgent need for accurate measurement of pavement surface profile and smoothness index. This investigation compared the precision (repeatability) of the measured international roughness index (IRI) at the Virginia Smart Road for 19 profilers and their accuracy (bias) with respect to the rod-and-level reference measurement. Two existing accuracy criteria (ASTM Standard E950 and cross correlation) were compared for evaluating the relationship between the accuracy of profile elevation and IRI bias. It was found that there were profilers available that could produce the level of IRI accuracy and precision required for construction quality control and assurance. However, the accuracy and precision degraded when measuring hot-mix asphalt pavements with coarse texture and using the rod-and-level measurement as the reference. The cross-correlation method appeared to have some advantages with respect to the conventional elevation tolerance method for providing better consistency between profile accuracy and IRI bias. On the sites investigated, good cross correlation among the measured and reference profiles assured acceptable IRI accuracy.
Nanotribological and Nanomechanical Properties of Ultrathin Amorphous Carbon Films Synthesized by Radio Frequency Sputtering

The dependence of the nanotribological properties of ultrathin amorphous carbon (a-C) films, deposited on Si(100) substrates by radio frequency sputtering, on their nanomechanical properties was investigated using surface force microscopy. The thickness and nanohardness of the a-C films were found to be in the range of 7-95 nm and 9-44 GPa, respectively. Sharp conical diamond tips with a 90 deg included angle and radius of curvature of about 20 μm and 100 nm were used to perform friction and wear experiments, respectively. The effect of the substrate compliance on the nanomechanical and nanotribological properties of the a-C films is interpreted in terms of the indentation depth and the film thickness. The coefficient of friction and wear rate of the a-C films are related to their nanomechanical properties, thickness, and surface roughness. The dependence of the coefficient of friction on contact load and the dominant friction mechanisms of elastically and plastically deformed films are discussed in light of friction force and surface imaging results. High effective hardness-to-elastic modulus ratio and low surface roughness characterize high wear resistance a-C films. Below a critical load, the steady-state removal rate of the film material is insignificantly small, revealing a predominantly elastic behavior.
Oxytocin, Dopamine, and the Amygdala: A Neurofunctional Model of Social Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia

Until recently, the social cognitive impairment in schizophrenia has been underappreciated and remains essentially untreated. Deficits in emotional processing, social perception and knowledge, theory of mind, and attributional bias may contribute to functional social cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. The amygdala has been implicated as a key component of social cognitive circuitry in both animal and human studies. In addition, structural and functional studies of schizophrenia reproducibly demonstrate abnormalities in the amygdala and dopaminergic signaling. Finally, the neurohormone oxytocin plays an important role in multiple social behaviors in several mammals, including humans. We propose a model of social cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia and discuss its therapeutic implications. The model comprises abnormalities in oxytocinergic and dopaminergic signaling in the amygdala that result in impaired emotional salience processing with consequent social cognitive deficits.
Structural basis for recruitment of CBP/p300 coactivators by STAT1 and STAT2 transactivation domains

CBP/p300 transcriptional coactivators mediate gene expression by integrating cellular signals through interactions with multiple transcription factors. To elucidate the molecular and structural basis for CBP-dependent gene expression, we determined structures of the CBP TAZ1 and TAZ2 domains in complex with the transactivation domains (TADs) of signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (STAT2) and STAT1, respectively. Despite the topological similarity of the TAZ1 and TAZ2 domains, subtle differences in helix packing and surface grooves constitute major determinants of target selectivity. Our results suggest that TAZ1 preferentially binds long TADs capable of contacting multiple surface grooves simultaneously, whereas smaller TADs that are restricted to a single contiguous binding surface form complexes with TAZ2. Complex formation for both STAT TADs involves coupled folding and binding, driven by intermolecular hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Phosphorylation of S727, required for maximal transcriptional activity of STAT1, does not enhance binding to any of the CBP domains. Because the different STAT TADs recognize different regions of CBP/p300, there is a potential for multivalent binding by STAT heterodimers that could enhance the recruitment of the coactivators to promoters.
Mobile adaptive applications for ubiquitous collaboration in heterogeneous environments

Mobile teamwork applications are often deployed in heterogeneous environments with various devices and connections. To support a broad variety of platforms for mobile teamwork in heterogeneous environments, this paper presents a framework for development of applications adaptive to the client's computing platform. The framework supports both shared data adaptation and user interface adaptation to user's preferences and display characteristics. Both shared data and the user interface are specified in two XML documents. The user interface XML document specifies the application interface by a generic "view" graph (should also specify the valid data types). Global view graph is transformed into a device-dependant view graph for individual client devices.
Localization of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A toxin-binding molecules in gypsy moth larval gut sections using fluorescence microscopy

The microbial insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces Cry toxins, proteins that bind to the brush border membranes of gut epithelial cells of insects that ingest it, disrupting the integrity of the membranes, and leading to cell lysis and insect death. In gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, two toxin-binding molecules for the Cry1A class of Bt toxins have been identified: an aminopeptidase N (APN-1) and a 270 kDa anionic glycoconjugate (BTR-270). Studies have shown that APN-1 has a relatively weak affinity and a very narrow specificity to Cry1Ac, the only Cry1A toxin that it binds. In contrast, BTR-270 binds all toxins that are active against L. dispar larvae, and the affinities for these toxins to BTR-270 correlate positively with their respective toxicities. In this study, an immunohistochemical approach was coupled with fluorescence microscopy to localize APN-1 and BTR-270 in paraffin embedded midgut sections of L. dispar larvae. The distribution of cadherin and alkaline phosphatase in the gut tissue was also examined. A strong reaction indicative of polyanionic material was detected with alcian blue staining over the entire epithelial brush border, suggesting the presence of acidic glycoconjugates in the microvillar matrix. The Cry1A toxin-binding sites were confined to the apical surface of the gut epithelial cells with intense labeling of the apical tips of the microvilli. APN-1, BTR-270, and alkaline phosphatase were found to be present exclusively along the brush border microvilli along the entire gut epithelium. In contrast, cadherin, detected only in older gypsy moth larvae, was present both in the apical brush border and in the basement membrane anchoring the midgut epithelial cells. The topographical relationship between the Bt Cry toxin-binding molecules BTR-270 and APN-1 and the Cry1A toxin-binding sites that were confined to the apical brush border of the midgut cells is consistent with findings implicating their involvement in the mechanism of the action of Bt Cry toxins.
siRNA-induced caveolin-1 knockdown in mice increases lung vascular permeability via the junctional pathway

Caveolin-1, the principal integral membrane protein of caveolae, has been implicated in regulating the structural integrity of caveolae, vesicular trafficking, and signal transduction. Although the...
Improved performance of NOx reduction by H2 and CO over a Pd/Al2O3 catalyst at low temperatures under lean-burn conditions

Selective reduction of NOx by H2 and CO in excess O2 was studied using a Pd/Al2O3 catalyst. Incipient wetness impregnation into Al2O3 was done using PdCl2 as the metal precursor. The NOx conversion profile was maximal at 423 K (up to 95.2% for 250 ppm CO), at which temperature complete oxidation of H2 and CO occurred. There is a very strong synergic effect when both CO and H2 are simultaneously present in the feed. This catalyst has good selectivity towards N2 and has a window of operation going from 400 to 530 K. 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
MINIREVIEW: Interactions of Retinoids and Transforming Growth Factor-β in Regulation of Cell Differentiation and Proliferation

Introduction Retinoids control cell differentiation and proliferation by regulating gene expression. The important questions are. which genes and how? During the 7 yr since we last reviewed retinoid action (1) there have been great advances. This article reviews new information about mechanistic relationships between retinoids and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), including their respective receptors. We consider these molecules, together with oncogenes and suppressor genes, to be components of a central, unifying regulatory system, flexibly connected, and used in many ways to integrate information relating to the state of differentiation and proliferation of the cell. Here we consider the following topics: 1) a summary of the role of retinoids in cellular defferentiation and proliferation, especially as related to their role in carcinogenesis: 2) a brief review of the current knowledge of the role of newly discovered retinoic acid receptors in modulationg the above processes; 3) a brief summary of th...
Elucidation of the Configuration of an Intermediate in the Synthesis of cis-β-Acetoxystyrene II

The configuration of erythro-α -hydroxy- β -toluene- p -sulfonyloxypropionic acid (III) was proved through conversion to the known methyl erythro-β -phenyl- α,β -ditoluene- p -sulfonyloxypropionate (VIII). Compound III represents the key intermediate in the conversion of trans-β -phenylglycidic acid (II) to cis-β -acetoxystyrene (I) and elucidation of the erythro configuration for III substantiates the original proposal that decarboxylative elimination of the probable acetate derivative (IV) occurred trans .
Qualitative Approaches to Mixed Methods Practice

This article discusses how methodological practices can shape and limit how mixed methods is practiced and makes visible the current methodological assumptions embedded in mixed methods practice that can shut down a range of social inquiry. The article argues that there is a “methodological orthodoxy” in how mixed methods is practiced that currently favors quantitative methodologies, with a mixed methods praxis that positions qualitative methods second and quantitative methods as primary with an overall mixed methods design that is in the service of testing out quantitatively generated theories about the social world. This article upends the current methodological focus on positivism by centering qualitative approaches to mixed methods practice. A qualitative approach seeks to empower individuals’ stories with the goal of understanding how they how make meaning within their social world. Through intensive case studies this article demonstrates the synergy of combining methods in the service of qualitative...
Hurdle Models and Age Effects in the Major League Baseball Draft

Major League Baseball franchises expend an abundance of resources on scouting in preparation for the June Amateur Draft. In addition to the classic “tools” assessed, another factor considered is age: Younger players may get selected over older players of equal ability because of anticipated development. Additionally, Little League rules in effect until 2006 operated on an August 1–July 31 year meaning that, in their youth, players born on August 1 were the eldest in their cohort. We define a relative age to be how old a player was (in days) when the youngest player in their cohort was born. For example, a player born on July 31 would have a relative age of 1 day, whereas a player born on August 1 would have a relative age of 365 days. We examine the performance of high school (HS) players selected in the June Draft from 1987 to 2011. We find that more relatively old players are selected in the Draft. Conversely, both age and relative age have a significant negative relationship with the odds of reaching t...
Comparability of the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 Between Women and Men:

Researchers studying eating disorders in men often use eating-disorder risk and symptom measures that have been validated only on women. Using a sample of 215 college women and 214 college men, this article reports on the validity the Eating Disorder Inventory–2 (EDI-2), one of the best-validated among women and the most widely used risk and symptom measure for women. The EDI-2 had the same, standard eight-factor structure for both genders, and tests of invariance showed that factor loadings, factor variances, and factor intercorrelations were equivalent across gender. The EDI-2 scales correlated with questionnaire measures of bulimic and anorexic symptomatology equivalently across gender. However, the EDI-2 scales were generally less reliable for men, leading to slightly lower Pearson-based estimates of correlations among the measures for men.
Dietary Fat in the Nutrition of the Growing Chick

ABSTRACT SUPPLEMENTAL fat in the diet of the growing chick has been shown to have deleterious effects in some cases and beneficial effects in others. Henderson and Irwin (1940) reported that soybean oil was detrimental to chick growth when added at levels higher than 10 percent. Fraps (1943) also showed that the growth rate of chicks was markedly depressed as the level of dietary cottonseed oil was raised from 10 to 30 percent. Kummerow et al. (1949) reported that 25 percent linseed oil depressed growth and increased the incidence of perosis in chicks. Reiser and Pearson (1949) reported that the addition of cottonseed oil to a riboflavin deficient diet accentuated the effects of riboflavin deficiency in the chick. Yacowitz (1953) reported that while 2½ to 5 percent of supplemental fat improved growth, higher levels (10 to 15 percent) exerted an adverse influence on growth and feathering. March and Biely (1954) and . . .
Analysis Towards Minimization of Total SRAM Energy Over Active and Idle Operating Modes

Computational requirements in highly energy constrained applications are driving the need for ultra-low-power processors. In such devices SRAMs pose a primary energy limitation. This paper analyzes SRAM energy in practical applications using state-of-the-art power-management techniques. The design targets and array biasing for energy minimization are developed. Compared with generic logic, these are characterized by the important difference that SRAMs generally need to retain data. This restricts the use of power-gating for leakage elimination, and thus this paper considers the application of low-leakage data-retention biasing during the idle-mode. The resulting energy tradeoffs have important distinctions, and these are analyzed in the presence of practical variation levels.
Impedance based electrochemical biosensors

An impedance based electrochemical biosensor was designed and fabricated for the detection of various chemical and biological species, with glass as substrate material and gold electrodes. A flow cell with inlet and outlet ports for the micro fluidic chamber was designed and fabricated using an acrylic material with a reservoir volume of 78 µl. The feasibility of the fabricated sensor for detecting very low concentration of chemical and biological species was demonstrated. The impedance based response of the two-terminal device revealed a very high sensitivity with low concentrations of Potassium Chloride (KCl), Cadmium Sulphide (CdS), Mouse Monoclonal IgG, and D - Proline at pico mole levels.
A Magnetic Retrieval System for Stents in the Pancreaticobiliary Tree

Clinical endoscopic intervention of the pancreaticobiliary tree [endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)] often concludes with the insertion of a temporary plastic stent to reduce the risk of post-ERCP complications by promoting continued flow of bile and pancreatic fluids. This stent is later removed once the patient has fully recovered, but today this necessitates a second endoscopic intervention. The final goal of this work is to obviate the second intervention. This is to be achieved by adding a magnetic ring to the stent such that the stent is removed using a hand-held magnet, held in a suitable position ex vivo . This paper details the design, optimization, and both ex vivo and in vivo testing of the magnetized stent and hand-held magnet, which has been accomplished to date. The optimized design for the hand-held magnet and the modified stent with a magnetic attachment performs in line with simulated expectations, and successful retrieval is achieved in the porcine ex vivo setting at 9-10 cm separation. This is comparable to the mean target capture distance of 10 cm between the entry point to the biliary system and the closest cutaneous surface, determined from random review of clinical fluoroscopies in ten human patients. Subsequently, the system was successfully tested in vivo in the acute porcine model, where retrieval at an estimated separation of 5-6 cm was captured on endoscopic video. These initial results indicate that the system may represent a promising approach for the elimination of a second endoscopic procedures following placement of pancreatic and biliary stents.
Z-SCAN AND EZ-SCAN MEASUREMENTS OF OPTICAL NONLINEARITIES

We describe the application of single beam propagation methods, namely Z-scan and EZ-scan, for the determination of nonlinear refractive indices in materials including thin films. In these experiments the transmittance of a sample is measured either through a finite aperture (Z-scan) or around an eclipsing disk (EZ-scan) placed in the far-field as the sample is moved along the propagation path (Z) of a focused beam. Both methods can also be used to separately measure the nonlinear absorption so that both the real and imaginary parts of the nonlinear susceptibility are determined along with their signs. The sensitivity to induced phase distortion depends on the sensitivity of the measuring apparatus to transmittance changes ΔT. For the 10 Hz repetition rate Nd:YAG lasers used in our experiments, we can detect ΔT≃10−3. This leads to a sensitivity to optical path length changes of λ/103 for the Z-scan and λ/104 for the EZ-scan where λ is the wavelength. This interferometric sensitivity, using a single beam, allows measurement of nonlinear refraction in thin films without the need for using a waveguiding geometry.
Helping workers understand and follow social media policies

Abstract While social media can have significant benefits for organizations, the social media presences and postings of employees can be problematic for organizations. This is especially true when employees have connections to co-workers and managers. Workers posting content deemed inappropriate or detrimental to the organization has led to a significant number of workers being fired for their social media behavior. To avoid such situations, organizations should create social media policies to guide employee content. Organizational implementation of social media policy is on the rise, but serious questions remain as to how to make it effective. One crucial question is how well employees know and understand their employer's policy. In this article, we discuss how to communicate social media policies to workers and help their understanding. To inform our recommendations, we draw on exploratory data from a sample of young adult workers regarding their knowledge of their own company's social media policies.
The diagnostic utility of desmin. A study of 584 cases and review of the literature.

The diagnostic utility of several antibodies against desmin and their optimal staining conditions have not been systematically evaluated. Sections of paraffin-embedded tissues from 584 cases were stained with a monoclonal antibody against desmin (Clone DER 11 ® from DAKO), using an avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. The results were tabulated and compared with those from previous reports. The following observations were made: (1) When pronase digestion was performed before staining, desmin was equally demonstrable in tissues fixed in formalin, Zenker's, Bourn's, or B5 fixative; however, desmin staining was lost or significantly diminished in tissues fixed in absolute ethyl alcohol. In contrast, when pronase was not used, a positive staining was demonstrated only in tissue fixed in absolute ethyl alcohol. (2) Positive staining was found in normal muscle (92 of 92 cases), leiomyoma (12 of 13), rhabdomyoma (6 of 6), rhabdomyosarcoma (31 of 31), leiomyosarcoma (18 of 26). (3) Desmin was never found in epithelia, normal mesenchymal tissue other than muscle, tumors simulating rhabdomyosarcoma, and epithelial tumors. (4) A positive staining was documented in 1 tumor (a fibrous histiocytoma) of 42 benign predominantly spindle cell tumors and in 8 of 89 predominantly spindle cell sarcomas. (5) Desmin was never documented in myoepithelial cells but stained myofibroblasts in 2 of 12 examples of granulation tissue and in 29 of 67 samples containing tumor-associated desmoplasia. The authors1 data on the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the evaluated antibody should improve the use of desmin in diagnostic pathology.
Wheat Genetics and Genomics

Advances in sequencing and genotyping technologies and informatics have formed the basis for the tremendous progress in understanding the structure and function of the wheat genome. The overview of recent progress in the analysis of the wheat genome, as well as in the development of genomic tools and resources for studying and improving wheat, is presented here.
Interactions Between Charged Surfaces with Ionizable Sites

A key factor controlling the interactions between surfaces in aqueous solutions is the surface charge density. Surfaces typically become charged though a titration process where surface groups can become ionized based on their dissociation constant and the pH of the solution. In this work, we use a Monte Carlo method to treat this process in a system with two planar surfaces with explicitly described ionizable sites in a salt solution. We focus on a system with a surface density of ionizable sites set to 4.8 nm–2, corresponding to silica. We find that the surface charge density changes as the surfaces come close to contact due to interactions between the ionizable groups on each surface. In addition, we observe an attraction between the surfaces above a threshold surface charge, in good agreement with previous theoretical predictions based on uniformly charged surfaces. However, close to contact we find the force is significantly different than for the uniformly charged case.
Development of Ice Cloud Microphysical and Optical Models at Visible to Far-Infrared Wavelengths

We develop ice cloud bulk scattering models that are based on a comprehensive set of microphysical in situ measurements of ice clouds, and a set of modeled ice particles used for light scattering calculations.
Gene therapy for immune tolerance induction in hemophilia with inhibitors

The development of inhibitors, i.e. neutralizing alloantibodies against factor (F) VIII or FIX, is the most significant complication of protein replacement therapy for patients with hemophilia, and is associated with both increased mortality and substantial physical, psychosocial and financial morbidity. Current management, including bypassing agents to treat and prevent bleeding, and immune tolerance induction for inhibitor eradication, is suboptimal for many patients. Fortunately, there are several emerging gene therapy approaches aimed at addressing these unmet clinical needs of patients with hemophilia and inhibitors. Herein, we review the mounting evidence from preclinical hemophilia models that the continuous uninterrupted expression of FVIII or FIX delivered as gene therapy can bias the immune system towards tolerance induction, and even promote the eradication of pre-existing inhibitors. We also discuss several gene transfer approaches that directly target immune cells in order to promote immune tolerance. These preclinical findings also shed light on the immunologic mechanisms that underlie tolerance induction.
Ultrastructure of Harpochytrium Hedinii

An ultrastructural study of growth and reproduction of Harpochytrium hedinii Wille is presented. The fine structure of the zoospore and its subsequent development to a mature thallus reveals a rema...
The Application of Certain Statistical Criteria to the Problem of Seedling Mortality.

The practically important problem of obtaining an adequate crop stand on the agricultural field must depend for its solution on the detailed investigation of a number of factors, physical, chemical, physiological and pathological. While the end purpose of such investigations may be in part practical, they have their bearing upon a number of general biological questions, for example that of the existence of a selective death rate.1 In suggesting the applicability of certain statistical methods, which, as far as I am aware, have not heretofore been applied to these problems, I have in mind the probability that they will be useful in other investigations involving the problem of mortality.Problem 1. A criterion of the deviation from a random distribution of an observed distribution of number of seedlings produced.Lets be the number of seeds planted, g be the number of seeds germinating or surviving to a given stage, f the number of seeds failing to germinate or dying at an early stage, in a large number, N, ...
Minimally Invasive Versus Open Lumbar Fusion: A Comparison of Blood Loss, Surgical Complications, and Hospital Course

Perioperative blood loss is a frequent concern in spine surgery and often necessitates the use of allogeneic transfusion. Minimally invasive technique (MIS) is an option that minimizes surgical trauma and therefore intra-operative bleeding. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the blood loss, surgical complications, and duration of inpatient hospitalization in patients undergoing open posterolateral lumbar fusion (PLF), open posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with PLF, or MIS transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF).Operative reports and perioperative data of patients undergoing single-level, primary open PLF (n=41), open PLIF/PLF (n=42), and MIS TLIF (n=71) were retrospectively evaluated. Patient demographics, operative blood loss, use of transfusion products, complications, and length of stay were tabulated. Patient data was controlled for age, BMI, and gender for statistical analysis.Patients undergoing open PLF and open PLIF/PLF respectively experienced a significantly higher blood loss (p<0.001), higher volume of blood transfusion (p<0.001), higher volume of cell saver transfusion (p<0.001), and more surgical complications (dural injury, wound infections, screw malposition) (p=0.02) than those undergoing MIS TLIF. There was no statistically significant difference in duration of hospital stay (p=0.11).MIS TLIF provides interbody fusion with less intraoperative blood loss and subsequently a lower transfusion rate compared to open techniques, but this did not influence length of hospital stay. MIS TLIF is at least as safe as open techniques with respect to dural tear, wound infection, and screw placement.Level III, Therapeutic.
A Simple Timer for the AutoAnalyzer Sampler-II and IBM Model 1894 Buffered Sampler–Reader

A simple timer incorporating commercially available components has been used to control both the sampling and washing periods on the AutoAnalyzer Sampler-II and the IBM 1894 Buffered Sampler–Reader. The sampling and washing periods can each be set quickly and independently to any values between 2 and 60 sec. The timer can be constructed in 3 hr. for $75. Three timers have been in daily operation in a clinical laboratory for 1 year with excellent operator acceptance.
Control of beta-myosin heavy chain expression in systemic hypertension and caloric restriction in the rat heart.

In the rat left ventricle, both pressure overload induced by abdominal aortic constriction (Abcon) and caloric restriction (CR) induce an increase in the steady-state level of the beta-myosin heavy...
Research on Extraction and Stability of Eggplant Purple Pigment

This article reports the extraction processing and stability of the natural purple pigment from eggplant.Eggplant purple pigment can be extracted by absolute ethyl alcohol. The eggplant purple pigment darkens as the temperature rises. The alkalescence and ammonium oxalate can delay its degeneration and enhance the stability.
Interdependent mechanisms for processing gender and emotion: The special status of angry male faces

While some models of how various attributes of a face are processed have posited that face features, invariant physical cues such as gender or ethnicity as well as variant social cues such as emotion, may be processed independently (e.g., Bruce and Young, 1986), other models suggest a more distributed representation and interdependent processing (e.g., Haxby et al., 2000). Here, we use a contingent adaptation paradigm to investigate if mechanisms for processing the gender and emotion of a face are interdependent and symmetric across the happy-angry emotional continuum and regardless of the gender of the face. We simultaneously adapted participants to angry female faces and happy male faces (Experiment 1) or to happy female faces and angry male faces (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, we found evidence for contingent adaptation, with simultaneous aftereffects in opposite directions: male faces were biased toward angry while female faces were biased toward happy. Interestingly, in the complementary Experiment 2, we did not find evidence for contingent adaptation, with both male and female faces biased toward angry. Our results highlight that evidence for contingent adaptation and the underlying interdependent face processing mechanisms that would allow for contingent adaptation may only be evident for certain combinations of face features. Such limits may be especially important in the case of social cues given how maladaptive it may be to stop responding to threatening information, with male angry faces considered to be the most threatening. The underlying neuronal mechanisms that could account for such asymmetric effects in contingent adaptation remain to be elucidated.
The short story as romance

Economic exigencies, combined with an interest in experimenting with new forms, motivated Conrad to write a number of short stories for popular consumption in which he eschews moral and psychological subtlety. The tales published in Within the Tides (1915)—’The Inn of the Two Witches: A Find’, ‘The Partner’, The Planter of Malata’ and ‘Because of the Dollars’—possess the quality neither of Conrad’s great short stories nor even of the lesser novels of the later phase. Written in the 1910–14 period, their emphasis is on plot, and to an extent theme, but not character analysis. Characters within the narrative do not develop gradually as they interact with circumstances or other persons; rather, they remain fixed or are manipulated into sudden change at the conclusion of hectic adventures.
Cancer and Tumor Development: Biomedical Background

In this introductory chapter, we briefly describe the more important aspects of the medical and biological background for the mathematical models of cancer development and treatment that will be considered and analyzed in this text. Obviously, this merely constitutes a nonexperts’ attempt to summarize the major structural features that motivate these models. We focus on the “big picture,” with at times full disregard for the myriad and complex details. Yet, it is precisely this highly simplified overall understanding that has motivated much of the historical developments of cancer research and it still defines most current activities in the “search for a cure.”
Apprenticeship scheduling: learning to schedule from human experts

Coordinating agents to complete a set of tasks with intercoupled temporal and resource constraints is computationally challenging, yet human domain experts can solve these difficult scheduling problems using paradigms learned through years of apprenticeship. A process for manually codifying this domain knowledge within a computational framework is necessary to scale beyond the "single-expert, single-trainee" apprenticeship model. However, human domain experts often have difficulty describing their decision-making processes, causing the codification of this knowledge to become laborious. We propose a new approach for capturing domain-expert heuristics through a pairwise ranking formulation. Our approach is model-free and does not require enumerating or iterating through a large state-space. We empirically demonstrate that this approach accurately learns multifaceted heuristics on both a synthetic data set incorporating jobshop scheduling and vehicle routing problems and a real-world data set consisting of demonstrations of experts solving a weapon-to-target assignment problem.
Comparison of biometry and intraocular lens power calculation performed by a new optical biometry device and a reference biometer

Purpose To compare biometry measurements and intraocular lens (IOL) power calculations obtained by a new optical A-scan interferometer biometer (Galilei G6) (new biometer) and a partial coherence interferometer biometer (IOLMaster 500) (reference biometer). Setting Private practice, Recife, Brazil. Design Retrospective comparative study. Methods Cataract patients who had biometric measurements with the new biometer and the reference biometer were included in the study. Comparisons were performed for axial length (AL), keratometry (K), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and IOL power calculation to reach emmetropia with an Acrysof SN60WF IOL using the Haigis formula. The Pearson correlation coefficient and the 95% limits of agreement (LoA) were calculated. The paired Student t test and the Wilcoxon test were used to assess differences between devices. Results Eighty-eight eyes (88 patients) were studied. Both biometers provided statistically similar mean IOL power to reach emmetropia, AL, keratometry, and ACD measurements (P > .05). The differences in these variables did not vary as their mean values increased, and there was a strong positive correlation between the values obtained by both devices for each variable. The 95% LoA values for AL, mean keratometry, ACD, and IOL power were 0.27 mm, 1.08 diopters (D), 0.66 mm, and 1.56 D, respectively. Conclusions The 2 devices were comparable with regard to mean IOL power, mean AL, K, and ACD measurements. However, the wide range of differences between the devices suggests they should not be used interchangeably.
A chelating bis(aminophenol) ligand bridged by a 1,1′-ferrocene-bis(para-phenylene) linker

1,1′-Bis(4-(2-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)aminophenyl)ferrocene (pFlipH4) is prepared in three steps from commercially available 1,1′-ferrocenediboronic acid or its pinacol ester. The suitability of the ligand to bind as a tetradentate ligand in a cis, planar fashion has been confirmed by formation of a square planar palladium bis-iminosemiquinone (pFlip)Pd. The linker unit appears to be structurally similar to 1,1′-ferrocenediyl, but the electronic interaction of the ferrocene with the aminophenols is minimal.
The influence of attentional focus on balance control over seven days of training

This study examined the training effect of attentional focus (external focus, internal focus, or no focus instructions) on a dynamic balance task. Participants completed baseline balance testing, seven consecutive days of dynamic balance board training, and retention testing 24 hours after the last session. The novel finding of this study was the presence of a training effect on balance control when adopting an external focus relative to an internal focus or no focus instructions. Further, we report the unique observation that more patterned behavior was adopted regardless of the focus instructions. These findings provide insight into how instructions can be altered to enhance human balance control and complement the constrained-action hypothesis.
Insect Resistance, Natural Enemies, and Density-Dependent Processes

Entomologists usually focus their attention on mortality caused by an insecticide, insecticidal crop, natural enemy, or cultural control applied against a pest. However, ignoring mortality factors that are either naturally occurring or applied less intensively as part of an IPM program significantly influence resistance management. These other mortality factors are familiar to entomologists and include abiotic and biotic processes, biological control, chemical control, and intraspecific competition. In this chapter, we highlight the variety of effects that these mortality factors can have on IRM and the evolution of resistance. First, we discuss natural enemies that attack one phenotype more than others. This differential mortality directly imposes additional selection pressure due to differences between susceptible and resistant phenotypes. Second, we describe how phenotype-neutral mortality factors, including biological control, can influence resistance evolution when the environment is not homogeneous and pest densities are favored in some areas but not in others. Third, we focus on common intraspecific processes as an important subset of the phenotype-neutral mortality factors. We examine the importance of density-dependent survival and carrying capacity when refuges for susceptible individuals are deployed.
Small Satellite Probes of Spiral Galaxies

Small, bound satellites of larger spiral galaxies are employed in the determination of the statistical presence of mass beyond the rotation disk of the largest (primary) galaxy. Optical and neutral hydrogen data are combined to develop mass estimates using the small bound groups. The resulting distribution of the internal/external mass ratios provides limits on halo mass models, and a glimpse at this mass estimation technique.
Nicotinic Receptors in Brain Diseases

The existence of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChRs) expression in the brain was discovered 30 years ago. Although the relevance of neuronal nAChRs at the time of their discovery was debated, it is now clear that nAChRs are expressed throughout the brain where they mainly serve a modulatory role. Neuronal nAChRs increasingly have become of interest due to the many observations that various nAChR subtypes exhibit abnormal expression or function in a wide assortment of neurological diseases. In this review, the putative role of nAChRs in brain disease is discussed in several broad categories: (1) diseases associated with a loss of nAChRs, (2) diseases associated with innate differences in the expression of nAChRs, (3) diseases associated with genetic variability in genes that code for nAChR subunit proteins, and (4) diseases in which nAChRs are implicated based on the observation that nicotine has a therapeutic effect.
Bilateral fat necrosis of the scrotum.

Abstract The typical patient with fat necrosis of the scrotum is a prepuberal heavy set male subject who has extratesticular scrotal masses, usually bilateral, with mild to moderate pain but no systemic complaints or symptoms related to voiding. The masses are firm, tender and do not transmit light. With a firm diagnosis expectant treatment will allow spontaneous resolution of the lesions. If doubt exists appropriate surgical intervention is advocated. Hypothermic injury, such as swimming in frigid water, is the most probable etiologic agent.
Claims Variability in Charges and Payments for Common Open and Endovascular Procedures.

Background Cost-effectiveness in healthcare is being increasingly scrutinized. Data regarding claims variability for vascular operations are lacking. Herein, we aim to describe variability in charges and payments for aortoiliac (AI) and infrainguinal (II) revascularizations. Methods We analyzed 2012–2014 claims data from a statewide claims database for procedures grouped by Current Procedural Terminology codes into II-open (II-O), II-endovascular (II-E), AI-open (AI-O), and AI-endovascular interventions (AI-E). We compared charges and payments in urban (≥50,000 people, UAs) versus rural areas ( Results A total of 5,239 persons had complete claims data. There were 7,239 UA and 6,891 RA claims, and 1,057 AI claims (AI-E = 879, AI-O = 178) and 4,182 II claims (II-E = 3,012, II-0 = 1,170). Median charges were $5,357 for AI [$1,846–$27,107] and $2,955 for II [$1,484–$9,338.5] (P Conclusions Wide variability in claim charges and payments exists for vascular operations. AI procedures had higher charges than II, without any difference in payments. UA charged more than RA for both AI and II operations, but RA had higher payments and CCRs. Endovascular procedures had higher charges, while open procedures had higher payments. Charge differences may be related to endovascular device costs, and further research is necessary to determine the reasons behind consistent claims variability between UA and RA.
Investigations of Functional Interactions Between Env7 and TOR Complex 1 in Saccharomyces cerevisae

In eukaryotic cells, deficiencies in proteins involved in lysosomal trafficking and function result in serious human disorders like Tay-Sach’s Disease or Alzheimer’s. Our lab has identified ENV7, a...
Improving Perception of Perturbations and Balance Using a Novel Dynamic Computerized Biofeedback Based Intervention after Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) impairs the integration and organization of the visual, auditory, and somatosensory inputs that permit body position awareness in relation to self and environment resulting in balance dysfunction (BD). The sensitivity levels to which the environmental perturbations are perceived are also critical for attaining the position awareness and the equilibrium. Undetectable perturbations, however small they may be, can result in fatal falls, especially after TBI. In this investigation, we used a novel dynamic computerized biofeedback based (CBB) intervention aimed at improving the perception of external perturbations, and static and dynamic balance in individuals with TBI. The effect of the CBB intervention on balance was accessed using a clinical measure – Berg Balance Scale (BBS), a novel psychophysical measure – perception of perturbation threshold (PPT), and biomechanical measures derived from center of pressure (COP) data during controlled sinusoidal varied-amplitudes anterior-posterior perturbations of 0.33 Hz, 0.5 Hz, and 1 Hz to the base of support. At baseline, the TBI-Control (TBI-C) group (n=5) and the TBI-Intervention (TBI-I) group (n=2) showed impaired balance compared to the healthy control (HC) group (n=5). This was shown by lower BBS and elevated values of PPT and COP measures (RMS COP, COP velocity, Phase Plane Indices (PPI)). Post CBB intervention, TBI-I group showed increased BBS and reduction in PPTs, COP measures (velocity and PPI), suggesting improvements in postural stability and balance. This investigation explores a potential link between the perception of perturbations and balance and demonstrates the applicability of the CBB intervention for improving interpretation and organization of multisensory information in a task-specific environment to improve balance post-TBI.