cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
6-OHDA generated ROS induces DNA damage and p53- and PUMA-dependent cell death

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN), resulting in tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Although the etiology is unknown, insight into the disease process comes from the dopamine (DA) derivative, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), which produces PD-like symptoms. Studies show that 6-OHDA activates stress pathways, such as the unfolded protein response (UPR), triggers mitochondrial release of cytochrome-c, and activates caspases, such as caspase-3. Because the BH3-only protein, Puma (p53-upregulated mediator of apoptosis), is activated in response to UPR, it is thought to be a link between cell stress and apoptosis. To test the hypothesis that Puma serves such a role in 6-OHDA-mediated cell death, we compared the response of dopaminergic neurons from wild-type and Puma-null mice to 6-OHDA. Results indicate that Puma is required for 6-OHDA-induced cell death, in primary dissociated midbrain cultures as well as in vivo. In these cultures, 6-OHDA-induced DNA damage and p53 were required for 6-OHDA-induced cell death. In contrast, while 6-OHDA led to upregulation of UPR markers, loss of ATF3 did not protect against 6-OHDA. Together, our results indicate that 6-OHDA-induced upregulation of Puma and cell death are independent of UPR. Instead, p53 and DNA damage repair pathways mediate 6-OHDA-induced toxicity.
The Monumental Reconstruction of Memory in South Africa: The Voortrekker Monument

This article addresses debates around the fate of antiquated symbols of colonial domination in postcolonial societies. The handling of apartheid material culture still generates controversy more th...
BWT based universal lossless source controlled channel decoding with low density parity check codes

Summary form only given. In many channel decoding applications, redundancy is left in the channel coded data. A new method for utilizing this redundancy in channel decoding is proposed. The method is based on the Burrows-Wheeler transform (BWT) and on universal compression techniques for piecewise stationary memoryless sources (PSMS), and is applied to regular low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. Two settings are proposed. In the first, the BWT-PSMS loop is in the decoder, while in the second, the rearrangement of the data is performed with the BWT before channel encoding, and then the decoder is designed for extracting statistics in a PSMS. After the last iteration, the data is reassembled with the inverse BWT. Simulations show that the bit error rate performance of the new method (in either setting) is almost as good as genie-aided decoding with perfect knowledge of the statistics.
Urban-Nonurban Differences in Social Behavior and Social Psychological Models of Urban Impact.

An examination of urban-nonurban differences in several aspects of social behavior shows that urbanites are different only in limited ways from their less urban counterparts. In an urban environment, there does appear to be less social contact between neighbors and less helpfulness and consideration shown toward strangers, while social contact between relatives and between friends is no different from what is found in smaller-sized communities. These findings are most consistent with the urban impact models proposed by Milgram and Fischer, while they disconfirm Wirth's model. A fourth model developed by Gans seems also disconfirmed by this pattern of urban-nonurban differences, though the Gans model is less firmly tied to the expectation of overall urban-nonurban differences. A case is made in the paper that the city's influence on social behavior seems mediated by situational forces rather than by alterations of individual personalities. The paper concludes with an account of recent research on urban social behavior in Turkey. This study found urban-nonurban differences on a number of measures, as well as differences within Turkish cities between an urban sample and a sample of squatter settlement residents, who resembled the town dwellers in their social behavior.
Iron limitation across chlorophyll gradients in the southern Drake Passage: Phytoplankton responses to iron addition and photosynthetic indicators of iron stress

Processes influencing phytoplankton bloom development in the southern Drake Passage were studied using shipboard iron-enrichment incubations conducted across a surface chlorophyll gradient near the Antarctic Peninsula, in a region of water mass mixing. Iron incubation assays showed that Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) waters were severely iron limited, while shelf waters with high ambient iron concentrations (1–2 nmol L21) were iron replete, demonstrating that mixing of the two water masses is a plausible mechanism for generation of the high phytoplankton biomass observed downstream of the Antarctic Peninsula. In downstream highchlorophyll mixed waters, phytoplankton growth rates were also iron limited, although responses to iron addition were generally more moderate as compared to ACC waters. Synthesizing results from all experiments, significant correlations were found between the initial measurements of Photosystem II (PSII) parameters (Fv : Fm, sPSII, and p) and the subsequent responses of these waters to iron addition. These correlations indicate that PSII parameters can be used to assess the degree of iron stress experienced in these waters and likely in other regions where photoinhibition and nitrogen stress are not confounding factors. Explaining the distribution of phytoplankton biomass in the Southern Ocean has long been a challenge. While the major nutrients that control production throughout much of the world’s oceans are plentiful in the Southern Ocean, high phytoplankton biomass is primarily found around or downstream of islands and the continental shelf and in the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone (Sullivan et al. 1993;
Sharp bounds on probabilities using linear programming

In a previous paper 1988, the author proposed methods to obtain sharp lower and upper bounds for probabilities that at least one out of n events occurs, based on the knowledge of some of the binomial moments of the number of events which occur and linear programming formulations. This paper presents further results concerning other and more general logical functions of events: We give sharp lower and upper bounds for the probabilities that: a exactly r events, b at least r events occur, using linear programming. The basic facts are expressed by the dual feasible basis characterization theorems which are interpreted in terms of the vertices of the dual problems. We mention some linear inequalities, among the binomial moments, generalize the theory for the case of nonconsecutive binomial moments and present numerical examples.
Treatment of canine nictitans plasmacytic conjunctivitis with 0–2 per cent cyclosporin ointment

Nictitans plasmacytic conjunctivitis, commonly referred to as plasma cell infiltrate of the nictitans or plasmoma, was diagnosed in 12 dogs (23 eyes) on the basis of clinical signs and nictitans conjunctival biopsy specimens. These dogs underwent a clinical therapeutic trial with twice daily 0.2 per cent cyclosporin ophthalmic ointment. Response to therapy was monitored over a six-week period and repeat biopsy specimens were then taken. Significant (P < 0.05) reductions between pre- and post trial scores were recorded for: mucopurulent ocular discharge quantity; degree of bulbar conjunctival hyperaemia; areas of nictitans hyperaemia, thickening and depigmentation. Schirmer tear test values significantly increased between the start and end of treatment. Biopsy specimens were subjected to selective detection procedures for plasma cells (methyl green-pyronin staining) and T lymphocytes (CD3 antigen labelling). Mean cell counts showed a significant reduction in plasma cell numbers, but the trend towards reduced T lymphocyte numbers was not significant.
Fecal incontinence in females older than aged 40 years: who is at risk?

This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of, and identify risk factors associated with, fecal incontinence in racially diverse females older than aged 40 years. The Reproductive Risks for Incontinence Study at Kaiser is a population-based study of 2,109 randomly selected middle-aged and older females (average age, 56 years). Fecal incontinence, determined by self-report, was categorized by frequency. Females reported the level of bother of fecal incontinence and their general quality of life. Potential risk factors were assessed by self-report, interview, physical examination, and record review. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent association between selected risk factors and the primary outcome of any reported fecal incontinence in the past year. Fecal incontinence in the past year was reported by 24 percent of females (3.4 percent monthly, 1.9 percent weekly, and 0.2 percent daily). Greater frequency of fecal incontinence was associated with decreased quality of life (Medical Outcome Short Form-36 Mental Component Scale score, P = 0.01), and increased bother (P < 0.001) with 45 percent of females with fecal incontinence in the past year and 100 percent of females with daily fecal incontinence reporting moderate or great bother. In multivariate analysis, the prevalence of fecal incontinence in the past year increased significantly [odds ratio per 5 kg/m2 (95 percent confidence interval)] with obesity [1.2 (1.1–1.3)], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [1.9 (1.3–2.9)], irritable bowel syndrome [2.4 (1.7–3.4)], urinary incontinence [2.1 (1.7–2.6)], and colectomy [1.9 (1.1–3.1)]. Latina females were less likely to report fecal incontinence than white females [0.6 (0.4–0.9)]. Fecal incontinence, a common problem for females, is associated with substantial adverse affects on quality of life. Several of the identified risk factors are preventable or modifiable, and may direct future research in fecal incontinence therapy.
A longitudinal diary study of the effects of causality orientations on exercise-related affect.

According to self-determination theory, a tendency to view causes of a behavior as autonomous, controlled, or impersonal can influence motivation, self-regulation, and experience. We propose that causality orientations for exercise may shape self-determined regulations for exercise by leading to more positive exercise-related affect, leading to greater internalization of exercise behavior and more self-determined regulations to exercise (e.g., regulation on the basis of inherent interest and personally-held values). Methods: Participants (N ¼ 104) kept an online diary for four weeks documenting exercise behavior and affect experienced during exercise. Exercise causality orientations were measured at baseline and exercise regulations were measured at follow-up. Analyses were performed using multilevel modeling and path analysis. Results: Exercise-related affect was more positive for those with higher levels of the autonomy orientation and lower levels of the impersonal orientation. Exercise-related affect partially mediated the relationship between autonomy and impersonal orientations and self-determined regulations for exercise. Conclusions: Affective responses to self-selected exercise were more positive for those who tend to perceive exercise opportunities as more autonomous, which in turn led to more self-determined regulations.
A holographic critical point

We numerically construct a family of five-dimensional black holes exhibiting a line of first-order phase transitions terminating at a critical point at finite chemical potential and temperature. These black holes are constructed so that the equation of state and baryon susceptibilities approximately match QCD lattice data at vanishing chemical potential. The critical end point in the particular model we consider has temperature 143 MeV and chemical potential 783 MeV. Critical exponents are calculated, with results that are consistent with mean-field scaling relations.
DYNA-TEST simulator: protective relaying teaching tool

The teaching aspects of protective relaying is discussed. The existing practice is to teach fault analysis and protection methods on the basis of a steady-state concept of unbalanced power systems. However teaching protection relay design requires analysis of the fault transients associated with power apparatus and instrument transformers. Appropriate tools to simulate dynamic behavior of a power system are needed in this case. A dynamic testing simulator called DYNA-TEST, to be used as a teaching tool, is proposed. The simulator can be implemented with almost any common mainframe, using readily available supplemental hardware and software. As an example, teaching experiments involving digital algorithms for distance relaying are described. >
Multifunctional Mesoporous Silica Nanospheres with Cleavable Gd(III) Chelates as MRI Contrast Agents: Synthesis, Characterization, Target‐Specificity, and Renal Clearance

Mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNs) are a promising material for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. In this paper multifunctional MSNs with cleavable Gd(III) chelates are synthesized and characterized, and their applicability as MRI contrast agents is demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. The MSNs contain Gd(III) chelates that are covalently linked via a redox-responsive disulfide moiety. The MSNs are further functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and an anisamide ligand to improve their biocompatibility and target specificity. The effectiveness of MSNs as an MRI imaging contrast agent and their targeting ability are successfully demonstrated in vitro using human colon adenocarcinoma and pancreatic cancer cells. Finally, the capability of this platform as an in vivo MRI contrast agent is tested using a 3T scanner. The Gd(III) chelate was quickly cleaved by the blood pool thiols and eliminated through the renal excretion pathway. Further tuning of the Gd(III) chelate release kinetics is needed before the MSN system can be used as target-specific MRI contrast agents in vivo.
Glucose transport rate and glycogen synthase activity both limit skeletal muscle glycogen accumulation.

We varied rates of glucose transport and glycogen synthase I (GS-I) activity (%GS-I) in isolated rat epitrochlearis muscle to examine the role of each process in determining the rate of glycogen ac...
Evaluation of one-for-one replenishment policies for multiechelon inventory systems

This paper is concerned with multiechelon inventory systems, where each demand triggers a separate order one-for-one replenishment policies. The exogenous demands are independent Poisson processes. The transit times between locations may be stochastic. The way we model these transit times follows closely the standard treatment of stochastic leadtimes in single-location models. This is different, however, from the usual approach in the multiechelon setting e.g., METRIC. We describe simple methods for computing or approximating the steady-state behavior of the system. The results show that, in sharp contrast to prior multiechelon models, transit-time variances play an important role in system performance.
Overlapping verbal, relational, physical, and electronic forms of bullying in adolescence: influence of school context

Interest in youths' experience of the various forms of bullying has grown due to the numerous social-emotional correlates associated with bullying. Only recently has there been consideration of the school context in light of these associations. The current study examined the overlap in four different forms of bullying that youth commonly experience (i.e., verbal, relational, physical, electronic), with the aim of understanding their association with social-emotional correlates (i.e., internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, retaliatory attitudes) and exploring associations with school contextual factors such as supervision, school physical disorder, and behavioral expectations. Self-report data on the forms of peer bullying were collected from 24,620 adolescents (Grades 9–12; M age = 15.98, SD age = 1.32) enrolled in 52 high schools. Latent class analyses indicated significant overlap in the different forms of bullying victimization, with youth experiencing multiple forms of bullying reporting the ...
Modular Synthesis of a Dual Metal-Dual Semiconductor Nano-Heterostructure

Reported is the design and modular synthesis of a dual metal–dual semiconductor heterostructure with control over the dimensions and placement of its individual components. Analogous to molecular synthesis, colloidal synthesis is now evolving into a series of sequential synthetic procedures with separately optimized steps. We detail the challenges and parameters that must be considered when assembling such a multicomponent nanoparticle, and their solutions. This multicomponent nanosystem, Ru-CdSe@CdS-Pt, was designed to achieve charge carrier separation and directional transfer across different interfaces toward two separate redox catalysts. This heterostructure may potentially serve as a nanometric closed circuit photoelectrochemical cell.
Recent Advances in the Care of Patients with Juvenile Diabetes Mellitus

GENETICS AND ETIOLOGY: IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELING Until recently, diabetics were classified into juvenile- or maturity-onset categories on the basis of the age at onset of disease. We now consider diabetes to be a syndrome in which various factors, diminished or absent beta cell secretory capacity, increased levels of gluconeogenic hormones, or altered insulin receptor binding, can produce the common denominator of hyperglycemia. Although a rare form of mild diabetes has been characterized in children and appears to be inherited in autosomal dominant fashion (termed MODY-Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young) 1 , the overwhelming majority of diabetic children and adolescents develop the insulin-dependent variety of the disease. Recent studies in Michigan define the prevalence of the latter form to be 1.89 cases per 1000 school-aged children (ages 5 to 18 years), with an annual incidence of 1.6 cases per 100,000 children (ages 5 to 18 years). Whereas increased risk has long been observed in relatives of insulin-dependent diabetics, several factors have confounded the geneticists: patients sharing the same genetic blueprint do not share equal likelihood for developing the disease. When one member of a monozygotic twinship develops diabetes under age 45, his twin has but a 50% chance of becoming diabetic. On the other hand, if a twin develops the disease over the age of 45, the risk to the other twin approaches 100%.
Does Marital Status Make a Difference? Housework Among Married and Cohabiting Men and Women

In this article, a comparison is made between the time that cohabiting and married women and men spend doing housework, to determine whether there are differences between them and to isolate the sources of those differences. Differences in cohabiting and married women's and men's household labor time are interpreted in light of the way that marital status may affect how gender is accomplished. Using the National Survey of Families and Households, the authors found that marital status affects women's household labor time but not men's; married women spend significantly more time on housework than do cohabiting women. In addition, the gap between cohabiting and married women's housework time cannot be accounted for by sociodemographic differences between them. It was also found that cohabiting women are more like single, noncohabiting women than they are like married women. That is, the research demonstrates the uniqueness of married women. It is not simply the presence of a man that is associated with wome...
Microstructural Characterization of Metal Foams: An Examination of the Applicability of the Theoretical Models for Modeling Foams

Establishing the geometry of foam cells is useful in developing microstructure-based acoustic and structural models. Since experimental data on the geometry of the foam cells are limited, most modeling efforts use an idealized three-dimensional, space-filling Kelvin tetrakaidecahedron. The validity of this assumption is investigated in the present paper. Several FeCrAlY foams with relative densities varying between 3 and 15 percent and cells per mm (c.p.mm.) varying between 0.2 and 3.9 c.p.mm. were microstructurally evaluated. The number of edges per face for each foam specimen was counted by approximating the cell faces by regular polygons, where the number of cell faces measured varied between 207 and 745. The present observations revealed that 50 to 57 percent of the cell faces were pentagonal while 24 to 28 percent were quadrilateral and 15 to 22 percent were hexagonal. The present measurements are shown to be in excellent agreement with literature data. It is demonstrated that the Kelvin model, as well as other proposed theoretical models, cannot accurately describe the FeCrAlY foam cell structure. Instead, it is suggested that the ideal foam cell geometry consists of 11 faces with three quadrilateral, six pentagonal faces and two hexagonal faces consistent with the 3-6-2 Matzke cell. A compilation of 90 years of experimental data reveals that the average number of cell faces decreases linearly with the increasing ratio of quadrilateral to pentagonal faces. It is concluded that the Kelvin model is not supported by these experimental data.
Ontogenetic patterns of cold-hardiness and glycerol production in Sarcophaga crassipalpis

Abstract Developmental patterns of low-temperature tolerance and glycerol production were determined for larval, pupal and adult stages of the flesh fly Sarcophaga crassipalpis Macquart (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Both diapause and non-diapause-destined flies were reared at relatively high temperatures, 20° or 25°C, prior to testing. Cold tolerance was greatest for diapause pupae aged 12–35 days after pupariation. Among non-diapause-destined flies, pupae exhibited a greater level of low temperature tolerance than larvae or adults. Although diapause pupae were more tolerant than non-diapause pupae maximal cold tolerance was not attained in either group until 10 days after pupariation. Non-diapause-destined feeding and wandering larvae had higher glycerol levels than larvae destined for diapause. During the first 6 weeks after pupariation glycerol titres increased steadily in diapause pupae. Rapid loss of glycerol is associated with the termination of pupal diapause.
Data quality uplift from a dual-azimuth acquisition offshore Libya

Summary To overcome the imaging challenges of the complex Messinian formation, Hess decided in 2009 to perform a dual narrow-azimuth acquisition, with the two azimuth directions perpendicular to one another. The data was processed through Pre-Stack Time Migration (PSTM). Analysis of the results showed interesting differences in the two volumes in terms of characteristics of the diffracted multiples, residual moveout and target illumination. Of particular interest is the difference in the noise characteristics linked to the acquisition direction. The inline direction shows diffracted noise with lower magnitude and higher dips than the crossline direction. Dual azimuth summation exploits this difference, providing an overall 30% increase in signal-to-noise ratio, half of which linked to the different direction of shooting and the other half linked to the doubling the fold. Illumination below the Messinian formation was also greatly improved thanks to higher density of seismic energy reaching the target.
A Staining Procedure for Detecting Cracked Eggs

Abstract Methods were explored of staining cracks in eggs which were not otherwise detectable visually. Use of a starch-iodine complex proved satisfactory for this purpose. The intense blue-black starch iodine complex stained cracks blue which made them readily visible under a fluorescent light. The stain also penetrated through the crack to the shell membrane forming a blue line readily visible with a candling light. The starch-iodine complex was easily rinsed off intact egg shells and did not permanently stain the eggs or leave objectionable residues on the shells. When the method was tested on eggs from commercial processing lines, 8 cracked eggs undetected by normal candling procedures were found from 240 eggs examined.
Effect of selenium on reproduction in rats.

SummaryLow concentration (1.5 and 2.5 ppm) selenium in drinking water for two generations had no effect on the reproduction in rats. 2.5 ppm of Se reduced the number of young reared by the second generation of mothers. 7.5 ppm selenium prevented reproduction in females but fertility of the males was not affected.
A Multicenter Evaluation of a Compact, Sterile, Single-Use Pressure Transducer for Central Venous Catheter Placement

BACKGROUND:Inadvertent arterial placement of a large-bore catheter during attempted placement of a central venous catheter (CVC) occurs at a rate of 0.1% to 1.0% and may result in hemorrhage, pseudoaneurysm, stroke, or death. Ultrasound guidance or observation of color and pulsatility of blood are n
Development of Low-Voltage Power Line Carrier Route Testing System

Power line carrier communication is important to realize AMR because it is convenient in use.Its route ability plays an important role in application.There was no method to test the route of PLC to decide whether to use before.The paper finds a black box testing method of Low-voltage power line carrier route,founds a reasonable evaluating system,and developsequipment to test the route.
Preventing integrated circuit piracy via custom encoding of hardware instruction set

Exponentially rising costs of retooling foundries and manufacturing process technology development forced many semiconductor companies to go fabless. Design, manufacturing, packaging and testing by separate companies reduce risks for individual companies through diversification, and reduces cost but creates a supply chain problem where IC designers have little control over the rest of the production chain. This makes their designs vulnerable to theft via overproduction by untrusted foundries. Various techniques like split manufacturing and hardware metering have been proposed to address the problem. They offer varying degrees of protection but require fundamental re-engineering of the supply chain. In this work, we present a design flow and architecture for preventing hardware design piracy via customizing the hardware instruction set for each chip ensuring protection. An important aspect of this solution is that the customization is performed by the IC designer without upending the standard operation of the existing supply chain. We describe a design architecture based on Physically Unclonable functions for such secure customization. The results on benchmark codes demonstrate the feasibility of the system with minimal performance and hardware overheads.
Abstract P1-09-03: Socioeconomic characteristics of African American women with breast cancer

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among African American (AA) women. Despite having a lower incidence of breast cancer compared to white women (124.4 compared to 127.9 per 100,000), AAs have a higher death rate (30.2 compared to 21.3 per 100,000). One explanation for this discrepancy is that breast cancer in AAs is often detected at a later stage compared to white women. We conducted this retrospective study to examine socioeconomic characteristics among AA women with breast cancer to see if there were factors associated with stage of diagnosis which may contribute to the known disparities. Methods: We identified all AA women diagnosed with any stage breast cancer from 2006-2014 within the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Data Warehouse and classified them into either early or late stage disease at time of diagnosis. Stages 0-II were classified as early and stages III-IV as late. We examined several variables at diagnosis including age, marital status, tobacco use, alcohol use, Medicaid insurance status, and breast cancer subtype which included HER-2 positive (HER+), hormone receptor positive/HER2 negative (HR+/HER-), and triple negative(TN). AA median income was obtained from US census data according to the zip code at diagnosis. We conducted univariate logistic regression for individual estimates and confidence intervals and multiple logistic regression and model selection to determine significant predictors of stage of diagnosis. Results: Of the 771 AA women identified, 108 (14%) were diagnosed at a late stage of disease with a median age of 59 years. Receptor status distribution was 12.4%, 31%, and 16.6% for HER+, HR+/HER-, and TN respectively for early stage, and 15.7%, 27%, and 25% for late stage. Among early stage 50% were current or previous smokers and 2.6% had Medicaid insurance compared to late stage patients where 63% were current or previous smokers and 9.2% had Medicaid insurance. Multiplicative effect estimates and 95% confidence intervals from univariate logistic regressions identified the following significant factors: tobacco use 1.48 [1.11-1.96] and Medicaid 3.73 [1.56-8.51] (p-values Citation Format: Winter A, Raska P, Ornstein M, Moore H, Montero A, Budd GT, Tullio K, Bailey J, Abraham J. Socioeconomic characteristics of African American women with breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-09-03.
Somatostatin Interneurons Control a Key Component of Mismatch Negativity in Mouse Visual Cortex

Patients with schizophrenia have deficient sensory processing, undermining how they perceive and relate to a changing environment. This impairment can be captured by the reduced mismatch negativity (MMN) index, an electroencephalographic biomarker of psychosis. The biological factors contributing to MMN are unclear, though mouse research, in which genetic and optical methods could be applied, has given some insight. Using fast two-photon calcium imaging and multielectrode recordings in awake mice, we find that visual cortical circuits display adapted (decreased) responses to repeated stimuli and amplified responses to a deviant stimulus, the key component of human MMN. Moreover, pharmacogenetic silencing of somatostatin-containing interneurons specifically eliminated this amplification, along with its associated theta/alpha-band response, leaving stimulus-specific adaption and related gamma-band modulations intact. Our results validate a mouse model of MMN and suggest that abnormalities in somatostatin-containing interneurons cause sensory deficits underlying MMN and schizophrenia.
“Ritual” in Organizational Culture Theory: Some Theoretical Reflections and a Plea for Greater Terminological Rigor

One of the central foci of the organizational culture literature has been ritual. It is argued here that “ritual” has been used not so much as a formal concept, but as an informal trope in this literature, and that this use of “ritual” as a trope has failed to fulfill the expectations of theorists and practitioners alike. In particular, its ethnocentric character has impeded the study of certain behaviors in organizations that perform social structure through the iconic qualities of formally coordinated interaction patterns. On the basis of a comprehensive literature review, the author proposes a more parsimonious and rigorous conceptualization of “ritual” that is based on an anthropological theory of communication. The following conceptual analysis should be seen as a contribution to the formulation of an integrated theory of organizational culture that, so far, eludes us.’
On the Use of Classical and Quantum Fisher Information in Molecular Magnetism

The present paper discusses the use of two information-theoretical quantities—namely, the classical and quantum Fisher information—in the context of molecular magnetism. These functions quantify the suitability of a given observable to the estimation of a physical parameter and provide the highest precision allowed by quantum mechanics in such an estimation process. The quantum Fisher information also quantifies the degree of macroscopicity of a quantum state. As illustrative examples of such applications, we compute the classical and quantum Fisher information of the Fe 4 molecular nanomagnet, used as a probe of an applied magnetic field or as a platform for generating Schrodinger cat states.
Social Choice Theory in 10,000 Meters: Examining Independence and Transitivity in the NCAA Cross-Country Championships

A recent study by Hammond (2007) delves into scoring methods in athletic events as a way of illuminating social choice problems. Hammond's study indicates, using data from a girls' high school cros...
National trends in proximal humerus fracture treatment patterns

The treatment of proximal humerus fractures (PHF) is largely surgeon dependent with no clear guidelines for selecting the optimal method of treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate trends and variations in treatment methods of PHF in the United States from 2004 to 2012 and to determine the regional differences in treatment. The National Inpatient Sample was used to identify all patient discharges with diagnosis codes for PHF and the data were classified based on ICD-9 procedure codes. Patient and hospital demographics were also analyzed. Simple linear regression analyses were performed for each treatment modality to evaluate current treatment trends and to extrapolate the future trends of PHF treatment over the next 20 years. A national estimate of 550,116 PHF discharges was identified over the time period. Significant correlations between change over time and treatment modality were found for reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) (r = 0.903, p < 0.001), open reduction internal fixation (r = 0.876, p = 0.002), and closed reduction internal fixation (r = −0.922, p < 0.001). The RSA regression model showed that by the year 2032, PHF treated with RSA will increase 100% from 2012. There were significant changes in treatment modalities for PHF from 2004 to 2012; The projected number of RSA used to treat PHF will be about 9115 in 2032, compared to 340 in 2004. Overall, there was a growth in proximal humerus fractures treated in an inpatient setting in the United States. RSA had the greatest proportional increase over time, but only accounted for less than 2% of total interventions.
Machine learning algorithm for automatic detection of CT-identifiable hyperdense lesions associated with traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in the United States. Time to treatment is often related to patient outcome. Access to cerebral imaging data in a timely manner is a vital component of patient care. Current methods of detecting and quantifying intracranial pathology can be time-consuming and require careful review of 2D/3D patient images by a radiologist. Additional time is needed for image protocoling, acquisition, and processing. These steps often occur in series, adding more time to the process and potentially delaying time-dependent management decisions for patients with traumatic brain injury. Our team adapted machine learning and computer vision methods to develop a technique that rapidly and automatically detects CT-identifiable lesions. Specifically, we use scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) 1 and deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) 2 to identify important image features that can distinguish TBI lesions from background data. Our learning algorithm is a linear support vector machine (SVM) 3 . Further, we also employ tools from topological data analysis (TDA) for gleaning insights into the correlation patterns between healthy and pathological data. The technique was validated using 409 CT scans of the brain, acquired via the Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury phase III clinical trial (ProTECT_III) which studied patients with moderate to severe TBI 4 . CT data were annotated by a central radiologist and included patients with positive and negative scans. Additionally, the largest lesion on each positive scan was manually segmented. We reserved 80% of the data for training the SVM and used the remaining 20% for testing. Preliminary results are promising with 92.55% prediction accuracy (sensitivity = 91.15%, specificity = 93.45%), indicating the potential usefulness of this technique in clinical scenarios.
Adherence to Accounting Principles

With considerable reliance on somewhat qualitative judgments, estimates, models, and assumed factors, the quality of a forest carbon accounting system can be reviewed by examining the extent to which the processes, procedures, and methods prescribed by the offset protocol adhere to its underlying accounting principles. We can examine the extent to which increased adherence to one principle results in a tradeoff of diminished adherence to another principle, and consider how the implementation of these underlying principles impacts achievement of the offset protocol’s stated objective.
Introduction: Biostatistics and epidemiology lecture series, part 1.

Physicians are inundated with clinical research findings that potentially impact patient care. Evaluating the strength and clinical application of research results requires an understanding of the underlying biostatistics and epidemiological principles. The articles in this supplement are based on
Validation of a Novel Inverted Peg Transfer Task: Advancing Beyond the Regular Peg Transfer Task for Surgical Simulation-Based Assessment.

Objective To evaluate the validity of a novel inverted peg transfer (iPT) task for assessing laparoscopic skills of novices and experts and compare iPT to the regular PT (rPT) task to ensure surgical trainee acquisition of an adequate advanced laparoscopic skills level for safe laparoscopic practice in the operating room. Design Prospective crossover study. Setting Multidisciplinary simulation center and motion analysis laboratory, Mayo Clinic. Participants Novices were medical students and surgical interns without laparoscopic experience. Experts were surgeons with at least 3 years of experience in laparoscopic surgery. Methods This was the first exposure to iPT for both groups. Completion time and performance metrics were recorded. A scoring rubric was used to calculate a normalized performance score between 0 and 100. Wilcoxon rank sum and Mann-Whitney tests were performed with α = 0.05. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were graphed for the 2 task scores to assess the tasks’ sensitivity and specificity in differentiating laparoscopic experience level. Main Outcome Measures Performance measures of completion time, transferred triangles, dropped triangles (errors), and the overall performance score on both tasks between- and within-subjects (i.e., novices and experts). Results Thirty-six novices and eight experts participated. Both experts and novices had longer completion time and lower scores during iPT than rPT (p 0.05) for rPT. The iPT scores had a higher sensitivity and specificity than the rPT (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve: iPT = 0.91; rPT = 0.69). Conclusions iPT is a valid assessment of advanced laparoscopic skills for surgical trainees with higher specificity and sensitivity than rPT. As advanced minimally invasive surgery becomes more common, it is important that tasks such as iPT be included in surgical simulation curricula and training assessment.
Low Neonatal Plasma n-6/n-3 PUFA Ratios Regulate Offspring Adipogenic Potential and Condition Adult Obesity Resistance.

Adipose tissue expansion progresses rapidly during postnatal life, influenced by both prenatal maternal factors and postnatal developmental cues. The ratio of omega-6 (n-6) relative to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is believed to regulate perinatal adipogenesis, but the cellular mechanisms and long-term effects are not well understood. We lowered the fetal and postnatal n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio exposure in wild-type offspring under standard maternal dietary fat amounts to test the effects of low n-6/n-3 ratios on offspring adipogenesis and adipogenic potential. Relative to wild-type pups receiving high perinatal n-6/n-3 ratios, subcutaneous adipose tissue in 14-day-old wild-type pups receiving low n-6/n-3 ratios had more adipocytes that were smaller in size; decreased Pparγ2, Fabp4, and Plin1; several lipid metabolism mRNAs; coincident hypermethylation of the PPARγ2 proximal promoter; and elevated circulating adiponectin. As adults, offspring that received low perinatal n-6/n-3 ratios were diet-induced obesity (DIO) resistant and had a lower positive energy balance and energy intake, greater lipid fuel preference and non–resting energy expenditure, one-half the body fat, and better glucose clearance. Together, the findings support a model in which low early-life n-6/n-3 ratios remodel adipose morphology to increase circulating adiponectin, resulting in a persistent adult phenotype with improved metabolic flexibility that prevents DIO.
Reading graphic medicine at the National Library of Medicine.

The Exhibition Program, part of the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine, spotlights the collection of the library by creating exhibitions and educational resources that explore the social and cultural history of medicine. Our goal is to stimulate people’s enthusiasm for history and encourage visitors of all ages to learn more about themselves and their communities. We do what we do because we believe that health and well-being are fundamental human rights and are essential to our American way of life. And we believe exhibitions are a logical expression of that commitment. Oftentimes, exhibitions focus on underrepresented subjects or lesser-known types of literature, which helps to inform the library’s collection development activity. Collection development staff take a keen interest in viewing exhibitions, attending related lectures, and performing bibliographic research on topics that are unlikely to be captured in conventional scientific and professional literature. This heightened awareness leads staff to discover niche publishers, significant authors, and unique titles, thereby enriching the collection for future generations. Following the decision to embark on an exhibition about graphic medicine, collections staff more closely investigated this class of literature. This column explores how wider social and cultural influences can change the medical literature and inform and enrich the collections policies of an institution.
Expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) and its ligand VEGF-C in human colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) are secreted by many tumor types, and are believed to affect tumor growth by promoting angiogenesis through binding to their receptors present on vascular endothelium. Recently, mRNA for VEGF-C the ligand for VEGFR-3, was found to be up-regulated in colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC). The aim of this work was to determine: 1) the distribution of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in CRC, and 2) the biological significance of such expression. Sections of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues from 56 CRC were immunohistochemically stained for VEGF-C and VEGFR-3. The type and percent of positive cells was recorded. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. All CRC were positive for VEGF-C which was present in the cancer cells themselves, as well as in stromal cells. Normal colon epithelium was usually negative. Only ten (17%) of the 56 CRC completely lacked VEGFR-3 expression. VEGFR-3 immunoreactivity was detected in 25% of the cells in 34 cases. Expression of VEGFR-3 in >25% of the cancer cells was associated with significantly poorer overall survival (p<0.05), but not with lymph node metastasis or depth of tumor invasion. Our results suggest that VEGFs promote cancer growth not only by stimulating angiogenesis, but also by acting on receptors present on the cancer cells themselves.
Profile of cortical N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit expression associates with inherent motor impulsivity in rats

Abstract Impulsivity is a multifaceted behavioral manifestation with implications in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Glutamate neurotransmission through the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), an important brain region in decision-making and goal-directed behaviors, plays a key role in motor impulsivity. We discovered that inherent motor impulsivity predicted responsiveness to D-cycloserine (DCS), a partial NMDAR agonist, which prompted the hypothesis that inherent motor impulsivity is associated with the pattern of expression of cortical NMDAR subunits (GluN1, GluN2A, GluN2B), specifically the protein levels and synaptosomal trafficking of the NMDAR subunits. Outbred male Sprague-Dawley rats were identified as high (HI) or low (LI) impulsive using the one-choice serial reaction time task. Following phenotypic identification, mPFC synaptosomal protein was extracted from HI and LI rats to assess the expression pattern of the NMDAR subunits. Synaptosomal trafficking and stabilization for the GluN2 subunits were investigated by co-immunoprecipitation for postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95) and synapse associated protein 102 (SAP102). HI rats had lower mPFC GluN1 and GluN2A, but higher GluN2B and pGluN2B synaptosomal protein expression versus LI rats. Further, higher GluN2B:PSD95 and GluN2B:SAP102 protein:protein interactions were detected in HI versus LI rats. Thus, the mPFC NMDAR subunit expression pattern and/or synaptosomal trafficking associates with high inherent motor impulsivity. Increased understanding of the complex regulation of NMDAR balance within the mPFC as it relates to inherent motor impulsivity may lead to a better understanding of risk factors for impulse-control disorders.
Evaluation of cortical bone perfusion using dynamic contrast enhanced ultrashort echo time imaging: a feasibility study

Author(s): Wan, Lidi; Wu, Mei; Sheth, Vipul; Shao, Hongda; Jang, Hyungseok; Bydder, Graeme; Du, Jiang | Abstract: Background:Dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) has been used to study perfusion in a wide variety of soft tissues including the bone marrow. Study of perfusion in hard tissues such as cortical bone has been much more limited because of the lack of detectable MR signal from them using conventional pulse sequences. However, two-dimensional (2D) ultrashort echo time (UTE) sequences detect signal from cortical bone and allow fast imaging of this tissue. In addition, adiabatic 2D inversion recovery UTE (IR-UTE) sequences can provide excellent signal suppression of soft tissues, such as muscle and marrow, and allow cortical bone to be seen with high contrast and reduced artefacts. We aimed to assess the feasibility of using 2D UTE and 2D IR-UTE sequences to perform DCE-MRI in the cortical bone of rabbits and human volunteers. Methods:Cortical bone perfusion was studied in rabbits (n=12) and human volunteers (n=3) using 2D UTE and 2D IR-UTE sequences on a clinical 3T scanner. Dynamic data with an in-plane resolution of ~0.5×0.5 mm2, single slice thickness of 3 mm for rabbits and 10 mm for human volunteers, and temporal resolution of 23 s for 2D UTE imaging of rabbits, 28 s for 2D UTE imaging of human volunteers, and 60 s for 2D IR-UTE imaging of both the rabbits and human volunteers were acquired before and after the injection of a Gd contrast agent (Gd-BOPTA: Multihance; Bracco Imaging SpA, Milan, Italy). The dose was 0.06 mmol/kg for rabbits and 0.2 mmol/kg for human subjects. Kinetic analyses based on the Brix model, as well as simple calculations of maximum enhancement (ME) and enhancement slope (ES), were performed. Results:The 12 rabbits showed a mean Ktrans of 0.36±0.07 min-1, Kep of 8.42±3.17 min-1, ME of 28.30±6.83, ES of 0.35±0.18 for the femur with the 2D UTE sequence, and a mean Ktrans of 0.45±0.10 min-1, Kep of 9.80±0.50 min-1, ME of 48.84±12.12, and ES of 0.69±0.27 for the femur with the 2D IR-UTE sequence. Lower ME and ES values were observed in the tibial midshaft of healthy human volunteers compared to rabbits. Conclusions:These results show that 2D UTE and 2D IR-UTE sequences are capable of detecting dynamic contrast enhancement in cortical bone in both rabbits and healthy human volunteers. Clinical studies with these techniques are likely to be feasible.