cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Living kidney donation: recovery and return to activities of daily living.

To determine donor nephrectomy outcomes, a one page 20-item survey of 42 cases was reviewed, including demographics, intervals to normal activities (e.g., driving a car, returning to work), and an open inquiry about the donation process. Hospital records were also reviewed. Nephrectomy under general anesthesia was through an anterior flank, extra-retroperitoneal approach with postoperative epidural pain control. Early self-care, progressive ambulation, and prescriptive pulmonary care were undertaken to facilitate recovery. Length of stay averaged 3.4 (range 2-8) d, and mean hospitalization charge was $15 169 (range $10 733-$29 579). Thirty-four donors were employed outside the home; 18 (53%) returned to work within 4 wk, and the average duration away from work was 4.6 wk (range 6 d--10 wk). Within 2 wk, 25 (59%) were driving an automobile. Usual activities of daily living were fully performed by all donors at a mean of 4.8 wk (minimum 5 d). Forty respondents would donate again, and one might; one did not respond to this question. None reported intermediate or long-term disabilities and all reported return to their pre-donation level of activity. With the anterior extra-retroperitoneal nephrectomy, most donors were out of the hospital within 4 d, were driving within 2 wk, and returned to gainful employment within 4 wk. Living kidney donation, as viewed by the donors, was a positive experience, which appeared to disrupt their lives minimally.
Financial Liberalization and Real InvestmentEvidence from Turkish Firms

There is increasing emphasis on the importance of efficient financial markets for sustained real investment and economic growth, yet limited empirical research on the effects of the deregulation of financial markets on the firm`s investment decisions. To test the ability of the 1980 financial reforms to relax the borrowing constraints faced by Turkish firms, this paper builds a dynamic investment model, where financial variables and real investment are linked through the net present value of the firm. A dynamic panel data methodology is used on a panel data set of 1,036 Turkish firms over the 1983-86 period. In addition, time-series analysis is employed on Turkish aggregate data over the 1971-91 period.
Novel Linear Transition Metal Clusters of a Heptadentate Bis-β-diketone Ligand

The synthesis and the structure of the new potentially heptadentate ligand 1,3-bis-(3-oxo-3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-propionyl)-2-methoxybenzene (H5L) is described. The reaction in pyridine or DMF of this ligand with various M(AcO)2 salts (M = NiII, CoII, MnII) leads to very different products depending on the metal. Thus, the dinuclear complexes [M2(H3L)2(py)4] (M = NiII, 1; CoII, 2) or the linear zigzag tetranuclear clusters [Mn4(H2L)2(AcO)2(py)5] (3) and [Mn4(H2L)2(AcO)2(dmf)4] (4) have been synthesized and characterized crystallographically. Slow oxidation of complex 3 leads to the formation of the novel mixed-valence linear complex [Mn3(HL)2(py)6] (5), displaying an unprecedented asymmetric MnIIIMnIIIMnII topology. The coordination geometry of complexes 1 to 5 has been analyzed and discussed by means of continuous shape measures. Magnetic measurements of 3 and 5 demonstrate that the metals within these complexes weakly interact magnetically with coupling constants of J1 = −1.13 cm-1 and J2 = −0.43 cm-1 (S =...
A Clinical Trial of In-Home CBT for Depressed Mothers in Home Visitation

Despite negative outcomes for depressed mothers and their children, no treatment specifically designed to address maternal depression in the context of home visitation has emerged. In-Home Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IH-CBT) is an adapted treatment that is delivered in the home, focuses on the needs of new mothers, and leverages ongoing home visiting to optimize engagement and outcomes. This study examined the efficacy of IH-CBT using a randomized clinical trial. Subjects were 93 new mothers in a home visiting program. Mothers with major depressive disorder identified at 3months postpartum were randomized into IH-CBT and ongoing home visitation (n=47) or standard home visitation (SHV; n=46) in which they received home visitation alone and could obtain treatment in the community. Depression was measured at pre- and posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up using interviews, clinician ratings, and self-report. Mothers receiving IH-CBT showed improvements in all indicators of depression relative to the SHV condition and these gains were maintained at follow-up. For example, 70.7% of mothers receiving IH-CBT were no longer depressed at posttreatment in terms of meeting criteria for major depressive disorder compared to 30.2% in the SHV group. These findings suggest that IH-CBT is an efficacious treatment for depressed mothers in home visitation programs.
Oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in pulmonary arteries of aged rats

Aging in the systemic circulation is associated with generalized endothelial dysfunction and increased oxidative stress, which are thought to contribute to the increased morbidity and mortality of ...
The projective plane crossing number of C 3 × C n

In this paper, we show that the projective plane crossing number of the graphs C3 × Cn is n - 1 for n ≤ 5 and 2 for n = 4. As far as we can tell from the literature, this is the first infinite family of graphs whose crossing number is known on a single surface other than the plane. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Children's Sleep and Cognitive Performance: A Cross-Domain Analysis of Change Over Time

Relations between changes in children's cognitive performance and changes in sleep problems were examined over a 3-year period, and family socioeconomic status, child race/ethnicity, and gender were assessed as moderators of these associations. Participants were 250 second- and third-grade (8-9 years old at Time 1) boys and girls. At each assessment, children's cognitive performance (Verbal Comprehension, Decision Speed) was measured using the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities, and sleep problems (Sleepiness, Sleep/Wake Problems) were collected via self-report. Individual growth models revealed that children who reported increases in Sleepiness exhibited little growth in Verbal Comprehension over time compared with their peers who reported decreases in Sleepiness, resulting in a nearly 11-point cognitive deficit by the end of the study. These associations were not found for Sleep/Wake Problems or Decision Speed. Child race/ethnicity and gender moderated these associations, with Sleepiness serving as a vulnerability factor for poor cognitive outcomes, especially among African American children and girls. Differences in cognitive performance for children with high and low Sleepiness trajectories ranged from 16 to 19 points for African American children and from 11 to 19 points for girls. Results build substantially on existing literature examining associations between sleep and cognitive functioning in children and are the first to demonstrate that children's sleep trajectories over 3 waves were associated with changes in their cognitive performance over time.
Surfactant dysfunction after inhalation of nitric oxide

To study whether nitric oxide (NO) affects surfactant function, 36 young rats inhaled one of the following humidified environments for 24 h: 1) air; 2) 95% O2; 3) air and 100 parts/million (ppm) NO; and 4) 95% O2 and 100 ppm NO. The treatments did not change the recovery of phospholipid from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Exposure to NO of animals that breathed either air or 95% O2 increased the minimum surface tension of surfactant from BAL at low (1.5 mumol/ml), but not at high (4 mumol/ml), phosphatidylcholine concentration. After inhaled NO, the nonsedimentable protein of BAL decreased the surface activity of surfactant (1 mumol phosphatidylcholine/ml) more than the protein from the controls. NO treatment of animals that breathed either air or 95% O2 affected neither the quantity nor the molecular weight distribution of nonsedimentable protein. Hyperoxia increased the amount of the nonsedimentable protein, whereas NO increased the iron saturation of transferrin. The surfactant fraction and the nonsedimentable protein from BAL were separately exposed to 80 ppm NO in vitro. NO exposure had no effect on the surface activity of surfactant fraction. NO exposure of nonsedimentable protein from the control animals (no NO) increased the inhibition of the surface activity and changed the adsorption spectrum of the protein, suggesting conversion of hemoglobin to methemoglobin. Nonsedimentable protein from NO-exposed animals contained methemoglobin. We propose that surfactant dysfunction caused by inhaled NO is in part due to alteration of protein(s) in epithelial lining fluid that in turn inactivates surfactant.
Work in Progress: Creating a Case-Based Reasoning Digital Library to Improve Learning in an Introductory Programming Course

Computer Science 101 at Penn State University provides an introduction to fundamental techniques of problem solving using a procedural computer programming language: C++. Since no prior computer programming experience is assumed, one major problem observed in the course is that students learn about programming in a somewhat passive pattern. This paper proposes to create a blended learning environment utilizing a Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) approach to improve students' programming skills. CBR is an innovative instructional approach that utilizes the specific knowledge of previously experienced problem situations (cases). A new problem can be solved by finding a similar past case and reusing it in the new problem situation. Then a new case is retained each time when a problem has been solved, making it immediately available for future problem.
Tracer Inverse Problems

Charts of tracer distributions, salt, oxygen, tritium, and potential vorticity such as those shown in Figs. 1 and 2 have long been the bedrock of the study of the oceanic general circulation. Much of what is believed well-determined about the circulation is derived from such figures. Few would dispute the argument that these figures show that water must flow at depth from the Mediterranean into the North Atlantic, or that ‘overflow’ water emanating from high latitudes is filling up the western North Atlantic Basin. But much confusion has been caused by failure to remember that figures such as 1 and 2 represent inventories and do not by themselves carry any information about water movement or dynamics. One might postulate that the flow which produced the Mediterranean salt tongue took place thousands of years ago, the fluid then having ‘frozen’ in place, no subsequent flow having taken place at all. That such a view is rejected is based upon information about the ocean not contained explicitly in such property distribution maps.
X-Ray Line Emission from Supernova Remnants and Models for Nonequilibrium Ionization

An extensive grid of nonequilibrium ionization models for the X-ray spectra of adiabatic supernova remnants (SNRs) is described. The models are compared to the SSS spectra of remnants in the LMC, the Tycho SNR, and SNR 1006. In Tycho, we show that the observed spectrum requires significantly enhanced abundances of Si and S, and that this conclusion is independent of the detailed ionization and thermal structure in the remnant. We find that the SSS spectrum of SNR 1006 can be fit reasonably by a thermal emission model with abundances of about one half solar. In this model, the weak line emission results from the very low ionization state in the remnant, and not because the X-ray emission is nonthermal. We argue that the failure to detect strong Fe line emission in young Type I SNRs poses a severe problem for models of Type I SN, which predict that most of the ejecta be iron. Finally, the results of UV observations of a star behind SNR 1006 are mentioned; these observations show that the remnant contains a large amount of rapidly moving, cold iron.
Personal digital assistants (PDAs): review and evaluation.

Abstract With the rapid turnover of health care information and the ongoing need for content revision, traditional textbooks may no longer serve as reliable, current resources for nursing students. Nurse educators, challenged to select relevant resources, are looking to handheld technology, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), for teaching and learning. The National League for Nursing Task Group on Instructional Technology has undertaken a review of articles in an attempt to summarize current literature regarding the use of PDAs in nursing. This article reports on the task group's findings. The task group identified a variety of articles and summarized relevant information for nursing education. Findings from the literature indicate that PDA use in the classroom and clinical setting has become more prevalent. However, only a small number of articles provide evidence about the effectiveness of PDAs in nursing. Most provide descriptive information and are also of value.
SEQUENCE OF MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN EPITHELIAL CELL CULTURES INFECTED WITH POLIOVIRUS

A sequential study is reported of the cytological changes induced in cultures of monkey kidney epithelial cells by poliovirus. The pattern of cytological changes was followed through a single cycle of virus multiplication. Morphological alterations were correlated with the appearance of new infective virus within the cells and in the culture fluid. Alteration of the chromatin pattern of the nucleus, and Type B acidophilic intranuclear inclusions, were seen as early as 4 hours after virus inoculation. Later wrinkling and shrivelling of the nucleus occurred, and eosinophilic cytoplasmic masses appeared. The rounded, pycnotic cell, customarily used as an index of the cytopathic response, was found only during the last stages of the infective process. On the basis of these changes, infected cells could be classified into six different types. Differential cell counts were made on the stained cultures, and the stage of cytopathic degeneration was correlated with the appearance of virus in the cells and in the culture fluid. Newly formed virus could be detected within the infected cells at about the same time that the first nuclear alterations and intranuclear inclusions were seen. The virus-induced morphological changes exhibited a specificity distinct from the classical pycnosis of autolytic degeneration.
CREATION OF A STABLE MAMMARY TUMOR CELL LINE THAT MAINTAINS FERTILITY- CYCLE TUMOR BIOLOGY OF THE PARENT TUMOR

A mammary tumor cell line, designated MTCL, was successfully established from a mouse primary mammary tumor (MTP). The MTCL cells retain cytokeratin and both estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in vitro. In vitro exposure of MTCL cells to progesterone causes a decrease in the cellular (3)H-thymidine uptake, indicating an inhibition by progesterone on MTCL cellular deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis, whereas exposure of the cells to a high dose of estrogen (15 pg/ml) for 48 h causes an increase of (3)H-thymidine uptake. We inoculated both MTP or MTCL tumor cells into normal cycling female C(3)HeB/FeJ mice and demonstrated that the post-resection metastatic recurrence of MTCL tumors, like the original MTP tumors, depends on the time of tumor resection within the mouse estrous-cycle stage. Both MTCL and MTP tumors have similar histological appearances with the exception of less extensive tumor necrosis and higher vascularity in MTCL tumors. Equivalent levels of sex hormone receptors (ER alpha, ER beta, and PR), epithelial growth hormone receptors (Her2/neu, EGFR1), tumor suppressors (BRCA1, P53), and cell apoptosis-relevant protein (bcl-xl) were found in these in vivo tumors by immunohistochemistry. Cyclin E protein, however, was significantly higher in MTP tumors compared with MTCL tumors. Our results indicate that MTCL cells retain many of the biologic features of the original MTP primary tumor cells, and to our knowledge, it is the first in vitro cell line that has been shown to maintain the estrous-cycle dependence of in vivo cancer metastasis.
An ultrastructural study of pyrenoids from Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

The fine structure of pyrenoids from Chlorella pyrenoidosa shows a crystalline matrix with an 8.0-nm periodicity. In certain areas of the pyrenoid 2 sets of parallel lines intersect at approximately 80° to give a criss-crossed appearance to the matrix. The recognition of the crystalline structure depends on the portion of the pyrenoid that is sectioned, as well as the plane of sectioning. A distinct crystal-like body which is closely associated with the thylakoid lamellae that traverse the pyrenoid matrix is observed in one cell. Although 2 pairs of thylakoid lamellae run separately through the pyrenoid matrix of a cell, they appear to be continuous with each other outside the pyrenoid. The fine structure of the pyrenoid, at any given time, seems to be a reflection of its metabolic state. A lack of understanding of the exact function or functions of pyrenoids makes a more rational interpretation of pyrenoid ultrastructure difficult.
Computing actuator bandwidth limits for model reference adaptive control

ABSTRACTAlthough model reference adaptive control theory has been used in numerous applications to achieve system performance without excessive reliance on dynamical system models, the presence of actuator dynamics can seriously limit the stability and the achievable performance of adaptive controllers. In this paper, a linear matrix inequalities-based hedging approach is developed and evaluated for model reference adaptive control of uncertain dynamical systems in the presence of actuator dynamics. The hedging method modifies the ideal reference model dynamics in order to allow correct adaptation that is not affected by the presence of actuator dynamics. Specifically, we first generalise the hedging approach to cover a variety of cases in which actuator output and the control effectiveness matrix of the uncertain dynamical system are known and unknown. We then show the stability of the closed-loop dynamical system using Lyapunov-based stability analysis tools and propose a linear matrix inequality-based ...
Angiotensin-1-converting enzyme activity in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

AbstractSpontaneously hypertensive rats of the Okamoto Wistar strain were found to have reduced angiotensin-1-converting enzyme activity in the serum, kidney, and anterior pituitary (P < 0.01) as compared to control Wistar Kyoto rats. The activity of this enzyme in lung, testis, epididymis, posterior pituitary, and hypothalamus did not differ between control and spontaneously hypertensive rats. Angiotensin-1-converting enzyme in the kidney of the control and the spontaneously hypertensive rats were immunologically identical. Mixing experiments showed that the depression of enzymatic activity in the kidney and the anterior pituitary could not be accounted for by the presence of an inhibitor in the extracts. We conclude that the concentrations of angiotensin-1-converting enzyme are altered from control levels in the spontaneously hypertensive rat and that regulation of this enzymatic activity may occur independently in different organs.
Epidemiological Analysis of Class A and B Infectious Diseases in Suizhong County in 2008—2012

Objective To analyze the current states of the incidence of infectious diseases in Suizhong County, provide scientific basis for the development of the control and prevention measures for infectious diseases. Methods Descriptive epidemiological analysis was performed on epidemic data of class A and B infectious diseases. Results No class A infectious disease cases were reported in 2008—2012, totally 4 251 cases of 13 infectious diseases of class B were reported, including 10 deaths; The average annual incidence was 132.66/lakh, mortality was 0.31/lakh, and the fatality rate was 0.24%. The top five cases infectious diseases were tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hemorrhagic fever, syphilis and hepatitis E, accounting for 87.32%. The average annual incidence of respiratory diseases was highest(72.90/lakh), followed by the incidence of blood borne disease and sexual transmitted diseases(39.79/lakh), the incidence of natural focus/arthropod-borne infectious diseases(11.95/lakh) and the incidence of intestinal infec-tious diseases(7.99/lakh). Conclusion The overall incidence rates of infectious diseases increased in 2008—2012, prevention and control of respiratory diseases and blood borne disease and sexual transmitted diseases are the central task and key work in the next period, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, hemorrhagic fever, syphilis and brucellosis are the focus for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.
Predictors of Eventual End Stage Renal Disease in Children with Posterior Urethral Valves

AbstractWe reviewed the long-term outcome of 25 boys born with posterior urethral valves who were followed longitudinally. Patient age at diagnosis varied from 7 months intrauterine to 7 years postnatal, and the mean duration of followup was 9 years. Of the children 40 per cent had retardation of growth by the end of the followup period and 44 per cent had end stage renal disease. Of the various factors delay in diagnosis and the association of persistent vesicoureteral reflux seem to predict eventual end stage status. In 18 of 25 children the diagnosis of posterior urethral valves was made before they were 2 years old. Only 5 of these children have reached end stage disease status. In comparison, of 7 children whose diagnosis was delayed beyond 2 years 6 have end stage disease (p less than 0.01). Similarly, 7 of 9 children with persistent reflux had end stage disease compared to 4 of 16 who did not have persistent reflux (p less than 0.01). Since end stage renal disease status was reached at widely varyi...
The design of a lightweight, low cost robotic knee prosthesis with selectable series elasticity

The loss of a lower extremity severely affects quality of life for hundreds of thousands of leg amputees in the United States, and millions worldwide. The vast majority of these individuals use mechanically passive prostheses that do not provide energy during gait. As a result, leg amputees fatigue quickly, walk more slowly, and have difficulty interacting with their community. To address these deficits, researchers have developed robotic prostheses that use electric motors to provide energy. While these technologies have much promise, their substantial mass, inefficiency and cost are obstacles that remain a challenge to broad clinical applications.
Treatment of early-stage human epidermal growth factor 2-positive cancers among medicare enrollees: age and race strongly associated with non-use of trastuzumab.

Adjuvant trastuzumab for human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer is highly efficacious regardless of age. Recent data suggested that many older patients with HER2-positive disease do not receive adjuvant trastuzumab. Nevertheless, some of this ‘under-treatment’ may be clinically appropriate. We used Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data to identify patients aged ≥ 66 with stage ≥ Ib-III, HER2-positive breast cancer diagnosed during 2010–2011 (HER2 status available) who did not have a history of congestive heart failure. We described all systemic treatments received and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with treatment patterns. Among 770 women 44.4 % did not receive trastuzumab, including 21.8 % who received endocrine therapy only, 6.3 % who received chemotherapy (±endocrine therapy) and 16.2 % who did not receive any systemic therapy. In addition to age and grade, race was strongly associated with non-use of trastuzumab (64.4 % of Non-Hispanic blacks vs. 43.6 % of whites did not receive trastuzumab, adjusted ORNon-Hispanic black vs. white = 3.14, 95 %CI = 1.38–7.17), and many patients with stage III disease did not receive trastuzumab. Further, 16.2 % of patients did not receive any systemic treatment and this occurred more frequently for black patients. Over 40 % of older patients with indication to receive adjuvant trastuzumab did not receive it and nearly 20 % of these patients did not receive any other treatment. Although treatment omission may be appropriate in some cases, we observed concerning differences in trastuzumab receipt, particularly for black women. Strategies to optimize care for older patients and to eliminate treatment disparities are urgently needed.
SiC’s potential impact on the design of wind generation system

The potential impact of SiC devices on a wind generation system is explored by simulations in this work. The system modeling is explained in detail. Most recent SiC MOSFET prototypes are obtained, tested, and used to form a bi-directional converter in the simulation. The performance of the SiC converter is analyzed and compared to its Si counterpart at different temperatures and frequencies. A conclusion is drawn that the SiC converters can improve the wind system efficiency, conserve energy, and reduce system size and cost due to the low-loss, high-frequency, and high-temperature properties of SiC devices even for one-for-one replacement for Si devices.
Brain mitochondrial calcium transport: Origins of the set-point concept and its application to physiology and pathology.

Abstract The transport of calcium across the inner mitochondrial membrane plays a key role in neuronal physiology and pathology. The kinetic responses of the uniporter and efflux pathways are such that a cytosolic free calcium ‘set-point’ can be established – above which there is net calcium accumulation into the matrix that is reversed when plasma membrane transport lowers cytosolic calcium. Pathological activation of N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor mediated sodium and calcium entry into the neuron, as occurs in stroke and spreading depression, places severe demands on both the ATP-generating and calcium loading capacities of the neuronal mitochondria as the set-point is exceeded. Experiments that led to the concept of the set-point are reviewed.
Nanofibrillated Cellulose from Appalachian Hardwoods Logging Residues as Template for Antimicrobial Copper

TEMPO nanofibrillated cellulose (TNFC) from two underutilized Appalachian hardwoods, Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), was prepared to determine its feasibility to be used as template for antimicrobial metallic copper particles. In addition, a comparison of the TNFC from the two species in terms of their morphological, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties was also performed. The woody biomass was provided in the form of logging residue from Preston County, West Virginia. A traditional kraft process was used to produce the pulp followed by a five-stage bleaching. Bleached pulps were then subjected to a TEMPO oxidation process using the TEMPO/NaBr/NaClO system to facilitate the final mechanical fibrillation process and surface incorporation of metallic copper. The final TNFC diameters for red oak and yellow poplar presented similar dimensions, nm and nm, respectively. The TNFC films fabricated from both species exhibited no statistical differences in both Young’s modulus and the final strength properties. Likely, after the TEMPO oxidation process both species exhibited similar carboxyl group content, of approximately 0.8 mmol/g, and both species demonstrated excellent capability to incorporate antimicrobial copper on their surfaces.
Tracking anemia ubiquitously, frequently, and predictively

What if we can monitor our health like the way we monitor the weather? The way humans manage the weather is one that is proactive rather than reactive. Weather stations are spread across the world, satellites take periodic images to track large atmospheric patterns, and water samples are made to check the ocean's health. It is an effort that allows us to have knowledge of the current state of the weather and overall health of the world climate. Not only that, it allows us to forecast the weather to plan flight schedules, tsunami warnings, or just when we should go hiking. Without this concerted effort, we would literally be flying blind. In contrast, the current paradigm for general health monitoring is reactive rather than proactive. Generally, patients seek medical attention after something is wrong, leading to higher cost of treatment due to delayed response to conditions [10, 11]. This is largely due to the vast variety of health metrics needed to be monitored to properly screen for all the different facets of human health. This is further aggravated in developing countries where the cost of these screening tools, like blood draws and labs, make it feasible only for national level hospitals to operate [3]. Furthermore, some health conditions require constant monitoring after screening has identified the issue, such as hypertension, diabetes, and different blood conditions [10, 12, 14]. In these cases, the issue becomes further complicated and the need for at home monitoring is needed. Finally, to react to changes in the patient's health, it is essential to predict when the condition may re-occur or worsen. To draw from an analogy with weather tracking, a shift to proactive health monitoring requires tracking that is more ubiquitous, frequent, and predictive.
An assessment of rat photoreceptor sensitivity to mitochondrial blockade.

Purpose. To report results of functional, biochemical and structural studies of photoreceptor mitochondria in isolated rat retinas under conditions of mitochondrial inhibition. Methods. Dark-adapted rat retinas were incubated in a modified Ringer's bicarbonate medium under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Several different procedures were used to inhibit mitochondrial function N 2 , 0.01 mM antimycin A, and 1 and 10 mM potassium cyanide (KCN). Measurements were made of lactic acid production, retinal adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, and receptor potentials. Morphology of the inner segment mitochondria was examined by electron microscopy. Results. In the presence of N 2 , 0.01 mM antimycin, or 1 mM KCN, lactic acid production was linear throughout the 60- minute period; and the rate was similar for each condition. Retinal ATP content and the amplitude of the receptor potential were also maintained at high levels after short-term incubations with either N 2 , antimycin A, or I mM KCN. In contrast, use of 10 mM KCN produced an entirely different set of results. These effects were studied both at the alkaline pH (8.9) found when this concentration of KCN was simply added to bicarbonate-buffered media and at the normal pH (after readjustment) of 7.4. With 10 mM KCN (pH 8.9), retinal lactate production was severely depressed, retinal ATP content was nearly depleted within 5 to 10 minutes, and the amplitude of the receptor potential rapidly declined to a low level. The deleterious effects of 10 mM KCN on these parameters were lessened to varying degrees when pH was readjusted to 7.4. Electron microscopic observations of rat rod inner segments indicated generally excellent survival of these organelles after incubation with either N 2 , antimycin A, or 1 mM KCN in comparison with their appearance under oxygenated conditions. However, the inner segments were significantly disrupted after incubation of retinas with 10 mM KCN. Conclusions. Findings suggest that the loss of the receptor potential and depletion of ATP observed within minutes after exposing isolated rat retinas to media containing 10 mM KCN results from the inhibition of both respiration and glycolysis by this high concentration of KCN. In contrast, when conditions are chosen so that only respiration is impaired (as with N 2 , antimycin A, or 1 mM KCN) photoreceptor cells are resistant to short-term episodes of mitochondrial inhibition, principally because the upregulation of glycolysis generates sufficient ATP to compensate reasonably well for the loss in mitochondrially produced ATP.
δ-Tocopherol inhibits the development of prostate adenocarcinoma in prostate specific Pten-/- mice

The PTEN/PI3K/AKT axis plays a critical role in regulating cell growth, differentiation and survival. Activation of this signaling pathway is frequently found in human cancers. Our previous studies demonstrated that δ-tocopherol (δ-T) attenuates the activation of AKT by growth factor in prostate cancer cell lines, leading to inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Herein, we investigated whether δ-T inhibits the development of prostate adenocarcinoma in prostate-specific Pten-/- (Ptenp-/-) mice in which the activation of AKT is the major driving force for tumorigenesis. By feeding Ptenp-/- mice with AIN93M or 0.2% δ-T supplemented diet starting at the age of 6 or 12 weeks, we found that δ-T treatment reduced prostate adenocarcinoma multiplicity at the age of 40 weeks by 53.3 and 42.7%, respectively. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis demonstrated that the phosphorylation of AKT (T308) was reduced in the prostate of the mice administered the δ-T diet. Consistently, proliferation was reduced and apoptosis was increased in prostate lesions of mice on the δ-T diet. Oxidative stress, as determined by IHC staining of 8-OH-dG, was not altered during prostate tumorigenesis, nor was it affected by administration of δ-T. In contrast, α-tocopherol (α-T) at 0.2% in the diet did not affect prostate adenocarcinoma multiplicity in the Ptenp-/- mice. This finding is consistent with data from our previous study that δ-T, but not α-T, inhibits the activation of AKT and the growth of prostate cancer cells. Together, these results demonstrate that δ-T inhibits the development of prostate adenocarcinoma in Ptenp-/- mice, mainly through inhibition of AKT activation.
Grief Reactions in the Elderly

Learning Objectives 1. To recognize the nature of bereavement in old age as it differs from bereavement in other stages of life, including unique social and cultural constructs. 2. To understand the relationship between grief in older adults and comorbid medical and neurologic conditions, especially psychiatric and health-related quality of life. 3. To differentiate diagnostic criteria for bereavement-related diagnoses, address the current controversy around the “over-medicalization” of grief, and review the current evidence-based practices for clinical assessment, including the Inventory for Complicated Grief (ICG) [1]. 4. To discuss the current evidence-informed treatment of bereavement-related depression and complicated grief, highlighting treatment response prediction as an area of interest and in need of further research. 5. To summarize recent research findings in neuroimaging and neurobiology that contribute to our understanding of grief reactions in older adults. 6. To address the importance of continued research into risk factors, prevention strategies for adverse grief reactions, and strategies for the facilitation of healthy adaptation to loss. 7. To briefly present what is known about other unique grief circumstances that require further bereavement research, including grief in older LGBTQ adults, suicide bereavement, and grief in the setting of palliative care and hospice medicine, and grief reactions following catastrophic natural disasters.
Predictors of Non-Alcoholic Liver Disease in Ethnically Diverse Overweight Children and Adolescents.

Objectives To study the relationship between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and sleep, Physical Activity (PA), and screen-time habits/behaviors among a multiethnic sample of overweight children/adolescents. Methods A retrospective medical chart review (6/2013-7/2014) identified 209 patients (7-21 years old) who were overweight/obese (BMI > 85th% for age/sex). A follow-up telephone survey was completed among 130 of these patients' parents to obtain information on sleep, screen-time, PA habits, and socio-demographics. NAFLD was defined as ALT and/or AST levels above the age/sexadjusted cutoff value in the absence of medications or associated medical conditions. Logistic regression models were fitted to identify predictors of NAFLD by adjusting age, sex, heritage, and income. Results Over a third (34%) of the sample (N=130, 55% males, 74% Hispanic) had NAFLD. Compared to non-Hispanics, Central American heritage subjects were over three times as likely to have NAFLD compared to non-Hispanics (OR=3.90, 95% CI, 1.23-12.37) after adjusting for socioeconomics and lifestyle habits. Subjects with low PA levels were at increased risk for NAFLD (aOR=4.52, 95% CI, 1.21-16.82) compared to their more active counterparts. Lower income families were over twice as likely to have NAFLD as higher income families (OR = 2.57, 0.95-6.96). Conclusions Families residing from a Central American heritage are at significant risk for NAFLD versus their ethnic group counterparts. Identifying specific groups and risks for pediatric-onset NAFLD can inform and improve clinical practice and public health initiatives, especially as patient populations become more ethnically diverse across the nation.
Modeling doctor-patient communication with affective text analysis

We present a method of automatic analysis of doctor-patient communication and present findings after applying this methodology in a post hoc study of communication between oncologists and their cancer patients (N=122). We analyzed several features of each participant in the conversation including the number of words spoken, the average positive/negative sentiment expressed, the number of questions asked, and the word diversity (unique word count). We found that the number of words spoken by the doctor is correlated with the highest doctor communication ability ratings made by patients. We additionally found that unsupervised clustering of conversation features into “styles” identified that certain styles are associated with higher communication ratings. Two well-defined styles emerged when clustering based on doctor word diversity and doctor sentiment: a high word diversity-neutral sentiment style, which was associated with higher ratings, and a low word diversity-positive sentiment style with lower average ratings. Machine learning models were trained to automatically predict whether a doctor-patient interaction will be rated high or not with a best-performing 71% test set accuracy.
The effect of land cover type and structure on evapotranspiration from agricultural and wetland sites in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California.

Abstract Water is a limited and valuable resource in California. A large proportion of the fresh water for southern California is supplied by the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. With recent efforts to restore large areas of land in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta region from farmland to managed wetlands, it is important to investigate the effect of wetland restoration on the local water cycle. We measured evapotranspiration using the eddy covariance method over six different sites in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta from 2013 to 2016. The three restored wetlands sites differed in time since restoration and wetland structure, i.e. the area of open water compared to closed vegetation. The three agricultural sites were a flooded rice field, an alfalfa field, and a grazed cattle pasture. In most years, annual evapotranspiration was significantly lower at the drained agricultural sites, with 652 ± 131 mm (2 year average ± standard deviation, SD) for the pasture and 901 ± 24 mm (3 year average ± SD) for the alfalfa field, compared to the two open water wetlands, with 1091 ± 144 mm (4 year average ± SD) for the Mayberry wetland and 1140 ± 67 mm (3 year average ± SD) at the East End wetland. Annual evapotranspiration at the flooded rice site (975 ± 50 mm, 4 year average ± SD) or the closed vegetation wetland (West Pond wetland, 996 ± 63 mm, 4 year average ± SD) was not significantly different from the drained alfalfa site across individual years. Our analysis showed that the structural difference between the wetlands, specifically the fraction of open water compared to closed vegetation, has a large impact on evapotranspiration dynamics. Through analysis of normalized equilibrium evaporation and nighttime evapotranspiration measurements we deduced that evapotranspiration at the wetland with a low fraction of open water surfaces was almost entirely dominated by plant transpiration with very little contribution from evaporation, despite the fact that the site was flooded and water was readily available. Both evaporation and transpiration contributed substantially to evapotranspiration at the two wetlands with larger fraction of open water surfaces. At the closed canopy site evaporation from subcanopy water seemed to be inhibited through two mechanisms: first, the closed canopy prevented heating of the water column and led to significantly cooler water temperatures, which reduced surface vapor pressure. Second, the closed canopy decoupled the water surface from the atmosphere and inhibited turbulent transport of water vapor away from the water surface. Our results provide valuable insights into the water use in California wetlands and can inform decisions on how to maximize water conservation during wetland restoration.
Participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program Is Associated with Healthier Nutrition Environments at Family Child Care Homes in Mississippi

Abstract Objective Describe foods and beverages offered, nutrition practices, and nutrition policies of family child care homes in Mississippi and differences by participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Design Cross-sectional study conducted between fall, 2015 and spring, 2016. Setting Mississippi. Participants Random, stratified sample of 134 family child care homes that enroll 3- to 5-year-olds. Providers completed a modified version of the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation–self-report tool. Variables Measured Foods and beverages offered at lunch, provider practices regarding nutrition, and presence or absence of written nutrition policies. Analysis Descriptive statistics, likelihood ratio chi-square, and t tests. Results Most homes (>75%) provided components from the fruit, vegetable, grain/bread, meat/meat alternative, and milk food groups at lunch. At some homes, the food and beverage selections offered were high in fat, sugar, and refined grains. Providers at CACFP-participating homes (P Conclusion and Implications Interventions and regulatory standards are needed, particularly in non-CACFP homes, to ensure that food and beverage offerings, provider practices, and policies regarding nutrition support the development of healthful dietary behaviors in early childhood.
Emerging combatants, war crimes and the future of international humanitarian law

The purpose of this paper is to examine the traditional paradigm of international law that regulates warfare and defines criminal behavior,and examine how the emergence of new actors has changed the environmentof armed conflict. The existing paradigm takes into account state actorsand insurgents who have recognizable political goals. All such combatantshave some stake in the existing international political system and somemeans are available (military intervention, war crimes trials) to compeltheir compliance with the law. However, new categories of combatants areemerging. They are not connected to states, may have no political goalsand are difficult to reach or persuade with time-tested methods.Compelling or persuading them to better compliance with the law is essential to protect vulnerable populations from their depredations.The paper concludes by identifying some contributions that criminologistscan make toward understanding these groups and devising strategies to meetthe challenge of war crimes. Those contributions by criminologists wouldbe equally valuable in dealing with the problem of war crimes and ``traditional'' combatants.
Predicting Search Task Difficulty

Search task difficulty refers to a user's assessment about the amount of effort required to complete a search task. Our goal in this work is to learn predictive models of search task difficulty. We evaluate features derived from the user's interaction with the search engine as well as features derived from the user's level of interest in the task and level of prior knowledge in the task domain. In addition to user-interaction features used in prior work, we evaluate features generated from scroll and mouse-movement events on the SERP. In some situations, we may prefer a system that can predict search task difficulty early in the search session. To this end, we evaluate features in terms of whole-session evidence and first-round evidence, which excludes all interactions starting with the second query. Our results found that the most predictive features were different for whole-session vs.i¾?first-round prediction, that mouseover features were effective for first-round prediction, and that level of interest and prior knowledge features did not improve performance.
Transforming Deterministic Air Quality Modeling Results into Probabilistic Form for Policy-Making

Building upon a recent study by Hogrefe and Rao (2001), we presented an integrated observational-modeling approach to transform the deterministic nature of attainment demonstrations for the NAAQS for 1-hr and 8-hr ozone concentrations into the probabilistic framework. The application of extreme value statistics in estimating the probability of exceeding the NAAQS has been illustrated. The proposed probabilistic framework would enable decision makers to assess their chances of success in meeting the standard when control measures aimed at attaining the NAAQS are implemented. This paper introduced a method to account for the time-scale specificity of the effects of emission reductions when scaling the observations. Extended modeling periods rather than episodic simulations are needed for model evaluation as well as to assess the effect of emission reductions on different time scales.
Ion-Containing Styrene-Methoxypolyethyleneglycol Methacrylate ABA Triblock Copolymers

The discovery of anionic living polymerization by Szwarc and coworkers (1) has led to the synthesis of polymers with well defined structures. The sequential addition of monomers to anionic initiators produces block copolymers which, by virtue of their molecular design, exhibit many interesting properties (2). Anionic polymerization is by far the most versatile technique to synthesize model heterophase block copolymers. For example, McGrath et.al. (3) obtained polystyrene-polycarboxylate block ionomers from the partial hydrolysis of a styrenealkylmethacrylate block copolymer synthesized by anionic polymerization techniques. They reported a large enhancement in the rubbery plateau of the thermomechanical analysis curve for a block copolymer consisting of a polystyrene block attached to an isobutylmethacrylate-potassium carboxylate copolymer, relative to that of the non-hydrolyzed polymer.