cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term quality of life after swallowing and salivary-sparing chemo-intensity modulated radiation therapy in survivors of human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal cancer.

Purpose To evaluate long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in 2 prospective studies of chemo–intensity modulated radiation therapy (chemo-IMRT) for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). Methods and Materials Of 93 patients with stage III/IV OPC treated on prospective studies of swallowing and salivary organ-sparing chemo-IMRT, 69 were eligible for long-term HRQOL assessment. Three validated patient-reported instruments, the Head and Neck QOL (HNQOL) questionnaire, the University of Washington quality of life (UWQOL) questionnaire, and the Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ), previously administered from baseline through 2 years in the parent studies, were readministered at long-term follow-up, along with the Short-Form 36. Long-term changes in HRQOL from before treatment and 2 years were evaluated. Results Forty patients (58%) with a median follow-up of 6.5 years participated, 39 of whom (97.5%) had confirmed human papillomavirus–positive OPC. Long term, no clinically significant worsening was detected in mean HRQOL scores compared with 2 years, with stable or improved HRQOL from before treatment in nearly all domains. “Moderate” or greater severity problems were uncommon, reported by 5% of patients for eating, 5% for swallowing, and 2.5% and 5% by HNQOL and UWQOL summary scores, respectively. Freedom from percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube dependence and stricture dilation beyond 2 years was 97.5% and 95%, respectively. Eleven percent and 14% of patients reported “moderate” or “severe” long-term worsening in HNQOL Pain and Overall Bother domains, respectively, which were associated with mean dose to the cervical esophagus, larynx, and pharyngeal constrictors. Conclusions At more than 6 years' median follow-up, OPC patients treated with swallowing and salivary organ-sparing chemo-IMRT reported stable or improved HRQOL in nearly all domains compared with both before treatment and 2-year follow-up. New late toxicity after 2 years was uncommon. Further emphasis on sparing the swallowing organs may yield additional HRQOL gains for long-term OPC survivors.
Eye regression in blind Astyanax cavefish may facilitate the evolution of an adaptive behavior and its sensory receptors

The forces driving the evolutionary loss or simplification of traits such as vision and pigmentation in cave animals are still debated. Three alternative hypotheses are direct selection against the trait, genetic drift, and indirect selection due to antagonistic pleiotropy. Recent work establishes that Astyanax cavefish exhibit vibration attraction behavior (VAB), a presumed behavioral adaptation to finding food in the dark not exhibited by surface fish. Genetic analysis revealed two regions in the genome with quantitative trait loci (QTL) for both VAB and eye size. These observations were interpreted as genetic evidence that selection for VAB indirectly drove eye regression through antagonistic pleiotropy and, further, that this is a general mechanism to account for regressive evolution. These conclusions are unsupported by the data; the analysis fails to establish pleiotropy and ignores the numerous other QTL that map to, and potentially interact, in the same regions. It is likely that all three forces drive evolutionary change. We will be able to distinguish among them in individual cases only when we have identified the causative alleles and characterized their effects.
The utility of panoramic radiography in temporomandibular joint assessment

Objectives: Panoramic radiography was used to determine (1) intrarater and inter-rater reliability in assessing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) condylar morphology; (2) alteration in condylar shape in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and controls when matched by age, gender, and state of dentition; and (3) prevalence of condylar abnormalities in individuals with and without TMD. Methods: One hundred panoramic radiographs were randomly selected from a hospital clinic (45 TMD and 55 non-TMD patients). The images were cropped to include only the temporomandibular apparatus and were independently evaluated by three examiners without knowledge of the patient's clinical status. Multiple statistical tests were performed to evaluate the accumulated data. Results: Intrarater reliability demonstrated substantial agreement, while inter-rater reliability was fair. There was no difference in condylar morphology between patient groups, but mild condylar change was prevalent in all age groups, regardless of...
Comparing the Quality of Data Obtained by Minimally Balanced and Fully Balanced Attitude Questions

When measuring attitudes with questions that offer dichotomous, mutually exclusive response options, researchers can ask "fully balanced" questions (which fully state both competing points of view) or "minimally balanced" questions (which fully state one view- point and only briefly acknowledge the second viewpoint). The two studies reported here investigated wh ether the greater ef ficiency of the latter approach brought with it reductions in the quality of the data obtained. Two experiments embedded in national sample surveys showed that minimally balanced and fully balanced attitude questions yielded similar distributions of res ponses and that responses to the two question forms were equivalent in terms of concurrent validity. These studies suggest that greater effici ency can be achieved via minimal balancing at no cost in terms of data quality. Survey researchers have been aware for some time that balancing the wording of a question that offers dichotomous, mutually exclusive response options can alter the distribution of answers that people generate. For example, in an early demonstration, Schuman and Presser (1981) asked some respondents, "If there is a serious fuel shortage this winter, do you think there should be a law requiring people to lower the heat in th eir homes?" and others were asked, "If there is a serious fuel shortage this winter, do you think there should be a law requiring people to lower the heat in their homes, or do you oppose such a law?" The first item was dubbed "unbalanced" because its wording focused
Lineage Ties and Domestic Violence in Ghana Evidence From the 2008 Demographic and Health Survey

Although studies have revealed that there are numerous confounding factors affecting intimate partner violence in non-Western societies, the relevance of lineage ties has been overlooked. This article focuses on intimate partner physical violence (IPPV). Specifically, it employs data from the 2008 Demographic and Health Survey to examine the relationship between lineage groups and IPPV in Ghana. Data analyses reveal that married women who belong to patrilineal groups are more likely to experience IPPV, even after controlling for important sociodemographic factors, such as educational status and area of residence. Specifically, the probit regressions show that all else equal, the probability of experiencing IPPV is about 5 percentage points higher for women from patrilineal societies than for women from matrilineal societies. The logit regressions reveal that women from patrilineal societies are about 1.4 times more likely to experience IPPV than women from matrilineal societies. This research contributes ...
Stoichiometry of adenosine triphosphate-driven proton translocation in bovine heart submitochondrial particles.

Abstract Inward-directed proton translocation driven by ATP hydrolysis was investigated in bovine heart submitochondrial particles under conditions where no net pH change occurred upon ATP hydrolysis. A biphasic time course of ATP hydrolysis, due to the presence of adenylate kinase activity, was observed by following the release of 32Pi from [β, γ-32P]ATP under comparable conditions. An equation was derived for calculation of the H+:ATP ratio from the time course of ATP hydrolysis and the transient pH change of the medium due to proton translocation. H+:ATP ratios as high as 1.7 were observed, although a seasonal variation was noted. However, oligomycin raised the H+:O ratios for respiration-driven proton translocation, suggesting that the experimentally observed H+:ATP ratios were suboptimal. The results indicate that the true stoichiometry of ATP-driven proton translocation, characteristic of the ATPase mechanism is 2H+:ATP. The same stoichiometry has been reported previously for outward-directed proton translocation in intact mitochondria.
Pulse to pulse stability issues in the SLC

Although the SLC achieved record luminosity in 1994, a major hindrance to further increases is pulse-to-pulse stability of the machine, often referred to as jitter. Raising the intensity of the SLC beams has gained luminosity but the intensity-normalized luminosity has decreased due to additional emittance dilution and to increasing jitter at higher intensities. Precision tuning of the final focus using beam-beam deflection scans is hampered by the pulse-to-pulse variations in both beam position and beam size. These were traced to position, intensity and energy jitter in various subsystems of the collider. Contributions to both the origin and amplification of the jitter have been identified as coming from wakefields in the linac, instabilities in the damping rings, acceptance limitations and feedback performance. The intensity fluctuations from the source can easily be amplified as a result of the SLC configuration of accelerating the two electron and positron bunches in the same linac.
Queer Representations of Gay Males and Masculinities in the Media

Ways of being that transcend what has been defined or expected have been called queer and, in the past 10 years, media has offered some representations of queer gay males and masculinity. For males struggling with identity and for professionals who work with them, careful consideration of queerness may be important in opening more accepting spaces. Here, various recent media representations of gay males are examined in an effort to provoke readers to reflect on their own positions about queer sexual and gender identities and possibilities for more fluid constructions of identities.
Final Days: Japanese Culture and Choice at the End of Life

Final Days: Japanese Culture and Choice at the End of Life. Susan Orpett Long. Honolulu: University of Hawai′i Press, 2005. 287 pp.
Sense modality switching and serial leaming

This investigation examined the effect of sense modality switching ofinformation at various positions of a serial learning task. Different numbers of flashes of light and different numbers of “blips” ofa pure tone were used as signalsin a four-position serial learning task. The design of the study involved a switch in sense modality at each one of the four possible positions in the series. Thus, it was possible to determine if the transmission of information through one sense modality makes it progressively more difficult or more time consuming to switch to another source of information transmitted through another modality. The results generally supported the contention that, as information is received through a particular modality, there is a build-up of the disruption involved in switching sense modality.
Efficient agent-based cluster ensembles

Numerous domains ranging from distributed data acquisition to knowledge reuse need to solve the cluster ensemble problem of combining multiple clusterings into a single unified clustering. Unfortunately current non-agent-based cluster combining methods do not work in a distributed environment, are not robust to corrupted clusterings and require centralized access to all original clusterings. Overcoming these issues will allow cluster ensembles to be used in fundamentally distributed and failure-prone domains such as data acquisition from satellite constellations, in addition to domains demanding confidentiality such as combining clusterings of user profiles. This paper proposes an efficient, distributed, agent-based clustering ensemble method that addresses these issues. In this approach each agent is assigned a small subset of the data and votes on which final cluster its data points should belong to. The final clustering is then evaluated by a global utility, computed in a distributed way. This clustering is also evaluated using an agent-specific utility that is shown to be easier for the agents to maximize. Results show that agents using the agent-specific utility can achieve better performance than traditional non-agent based methods and are effective even when up to 50% of the agents fail.
Status of the UC-Berkeley SETI Efforts

We summarize radio and optical SETI programs based at the University of California, Berkeley. The SEVENDIP optical pulse search looks for ns time scale pulses at visible wavelengths using an automated 30 inch telescope. The ongoing SERENDIP V.v sky survey searches for radio signals at the 300 meter Arecibo Observatory. The currently installed configuration supports 128 million channels over a 200 MHz bandwidth with ~1.6 Hz spectral resolution. SETI@home uses the desktop computers of volunteers to analyze over 160 TB of data at taken at Arecibo looking for two types of continuous wave signals and two types of pulsed signals. A version to be released this summer adds autocorrelation analysis to look for complex wave forms that have been repeated (and overlayed) after a short delay. SETI@home will soon be processing data of Kepler exoplanet systems collected at the GBT. The Astropulse project is the first SETI search for $\mu$s time scale dispersed pulses in the radio spectrum. We recently reobserved 114 sky locations where microsecond pulses were detected. This data is in process of being transferred to Berkeley for analysis.
Structures and Materials Technologies for Extreme Environments Applied to Reusable Launch Vehicles

This paper provides an overview of the evolution of structures and materials technology approaches to survive the challenging extreme environments encountered by earth-to-orbit space transportation systems, with emphasis on more recent developments in the USA. The evolution of technology requirements and experience in the various approaches to meeting these requirements has significantly influenced the technology approaches. While previous goals were primarily performance driven, more recently dramatic improvements in costs/operations and in safety have been paramount goals. Technologies that focus on the cost/operations and safety goals in the area of hot structures and thermal protection systems for reusable launch vehicles are presented. Assessments of the potential ability of the various technologies to satisfy the technology requirements, and their current technology readiness status are also presented
Cross-Modal Links Among Vision, Audition, and Touch in Complex Environments

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether performance effects of crossmodal spatial links that were observed in earlier laboratory studies scale to more complex environments and need to be considered in multimodal interface design. It also revisits the unresolved issue of cross-modal cuing asymmetries. Background: Previous laboratory studies employing simple cues, tasks, and/or targets have demonstrated that the efficiency of processing visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli is affected by the modality, lateralization, and timing of surrounding cues. Very few studies have investigated these cross-modal constraints in the context of more complex environments to determine whether they scale and how complexity affects the nature of crossmodal cuing asymmetries. Method: A microworld simulation of battlefield operations with a complex task set and meaningful visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli was used to investigate cuing effects for all cross-modal pairings. Results: Significant asymmetric performa...
The Effects of TATB Ratchet Growth on PBX 9502

PBX 9502 is a plastic-bonded explosive that contains 95 wt.-% TATB, a graphitic-structured high explosive known to undergo “ratchet growth,” i.e., irreversible volume change that accompanies temperature excursions. Earlier studies have reported changes in TATB-based composites as a function of thermal cycling and density change, however, a clear distinction between density and ratchet-growth effects has not been made. In the work reported here, an “as-pressed density” baseline for the mechanical response of recycled PBX 9502 is established over a density range of interest, then high-density specimens are thermally cycled between −55 and 80 °C to achieve “ratchet-grown” parts in the same low-density region. As-pressed and ratchet-grown specimens with identical densities are then analyzed using microX-ray computed tomography and USANS techniques to obtain information about pore-size distributions. Data show that after ratchet-growth, PBX 9502 specimens contain, in general, more numerous and smaller voids than specimens that were pressed with lower compaction pressures to match the same density. The mechanical response of the ratchet-grown material is consistent with damage, showing lower tensile stress and modulus, lower compressive modulus, and higher tensile and compressive strain, than as-pressed specimens of the same density.
Integrin-mediated Adhesion Regulates Cell Polarity and Membrane Protrusion through the Rho Family of GTPases

Integrin-mediated adhesion is a critical regulator of cell migration. Here we demonstrate that integrin-mediated adhesion to high fibronectin concentrations induces a stop signal for cell migration by inhibiting cell polarization and protrusion. On fibronectin, the stop signal is generated through a5b1 integrin-mediated signaling to the Rho family of GTPases. Specifically, Cdc42 and Rac1 activation exhibits a biphasic dependence on fibronectin concentration that parallels optimum cell polarization and protrusion. In contrast, RhoA activity increases with increasing substratum concentration. We find that cross talk between Cdc42 and Rac1 is required for substratum-stimulated protrusion, whereas RhoA activity is inhibitory. We also show that Cdc42 activity is inhibited by Rac1 activation, suggesting that Rac1 activity may down-regulate Cdc42 activity and promote the formation of stabilized rather than transient protrusion. Furthermore, expression of RhoA down-regulates Cdc42 and Rac1 activity, providing a mechanism whereby RhoA may inhibit cell polarization and protrusion. These findings implicate adhesion-dependent signaling as a mechanism to stop cell migration by regulating cell polarity and protrusion via the Rho family of GTPases.
The effect of statistical learning on internal stimulus representations: Predictable items are enhanced even when not predicted

Statistical learning is the automatic and unconscious learning of environmental regularities and is a basic mechanism of learning in a variety of human perceptual and cognitive domains. Previous studies have mainly focused on the associative mechanisms of statistical learning. However, an unexplored question is whether the internal representations of individual stimuli are altered as their associations are learned. Using a temporal statistical learning paradigm, we examine this question across three experiments and find clear evidence that the internal representations of individual stimuli are differentially altered according to their degree of temporal predictability. These findings complement previous accounts of statistical learning and reveal an enriched mechanism of human learning, such that learning to associate items also enhances the representations of certain items relative to others.
Track based characterization of vehicle behavior

In many areas of the world, overhead video collected from aircraft and other airborne vehicles is an important component of surveillance and security operations. A typical use scenario might involve real-time monitoring of video streams by human analysts with the goal of identifying patterns of vehicle movement that might be considered suspicious or dangerous. In performing such a task, analysts often have access to low-level image processing support, most notably automated extraction of vehicle tracks. The goal of this research is to investigate the hypothesis that analysts would benefit from higher-level automated support that provides an assessment of vehicle behavior on the basis of an analysis of track data. Experimental results were obtained in the context of a simulated environment that involves a relatively simple task for video analysis. The results show that automated support for the identification of suspicious vehicle behaviors significantly improved successful vehicle identification.
Progressive Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Requiring Liver Transplantation Is Associated With Reduced Need for Colectomy in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis

Background & aims We investigated the association between the severity of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and clinical outcomes of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) on the basis of need for colectomy. Methods We analyzed data from 167 patients with PSC and UC who were followed from 1985 to 2011. Patients with PSC and UC were divided into groups that received orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) (n = 86) or did not (non-OLT, n=81). Clinical and demographic variables were obtained, and patients were followed until they received OLT or the date of their last clinical visit. Results The OLT group had significantly more subjects with less severe symptoms of UC (59, 68.6%) than the non-OLT group (12, 14.8%; P Conclusions Severe progressive PSC that requires liver transplantation appears to reduce the disease activity of UC and the need for colectomy.
An analysis of species-groups of the genus Plinthisus Stephens (Hemiptera: Rhyparochromidae) in the Ethiopian Region with the description of eight new species

An analysis of the known Ethiopian Plinthisus fauna shows that there are at least 12 species-groups. Two groups, the subgenera Locutius and Isioscytus, have Old World Palearctic and tropicopolitan distributions that extend into Australia. The other 10 species-groups are endemic to Africa, nine having a center of endemicity in the Cape Region of South Africa with apparent relationships to the Australian fauna. Eight new species of Plinthisus are described, each as a representative of a distinct species-group, seven from South Africa: P. (Isioscytus) pulchellus n. sp, P. (Nanoplinthisus) ericae n. sp, P. (N.) fynbosi n. sp, P. (N.) peninsularis n. sp., P. (N.) lamprus n. sp., P. (N) zuurb- ergi n. sp., and P. (N.) drakensbergensis n. sp,; and one, P. (Plinthisus) brachyoccus n. sp., from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. P. beniamaricus Linnavuori, 1978 stat. nov. and P. kilimensis Horv th, 1906 stat. nov. are raised from subspecies of P. himyaritus Linnavuori, 1978 and P. afer Horv th, 1906, respectively to specific rank. Plinthisus hirsutus Slater, 1964 is placed in a species-group distinct from the subgenus Dasythisus. The Nearctic species Plinthisus americanus Van Duzee, 1910, P. compactus Uhler, 1904 and P. indentatus Barber, 1918 are placed in the subgenus Dasythisus. Included are 123 figures illustrating dorsal views, heads, metathoracic scent gland areas, metathoracic wing stridulitra, abdominal structure, male genital capsules, claspers, phalli, spermathecae, and prothoracic legs.
Human Law and Natural Law in the Catholic Tradition: Authoritative Guides to the Good Life

The Catholic tradition offers a distinctive account of the nature of human law and political authority. This chapter – written for a volume (to be published by Oxford University Press in 2011) that is intended to state the Catholic position(s) on a range of disciplines, from physics and astronomy to medicine and law – both develops the Catholic account of law and demonstrates its “pay off” at the level of contemporary U.S. constitutional law. The core of the argument is that the definition of human law is not a matter of custom or invention: the very definition of law is provided by what is first in the order of being, viz., the eternal law, in which humans in turn participate through the natural law. The natural law is a real law, not just metaphorically law, and it sets binding terms and conditions of human lawmaking. These include that (1) law is always what the lawgiver intended and promulgated and (2) true laws are always just and thus conducive to the good life human beings. The chapter develops these and other claims through an examination of how Buck v. Bell would be decided if Catholic principles of law were to guide the Court. The chapter shows that the Catholic position entails neither judicial “activism” nor passivism, but a much more nuanced role that is a function of the people’s and their rulers’ indefeasible obligation to make the natural law effective in their living.
Decreased glutathione peroxidase activity secondary to severe iron deficiency: a possible mechanism responsible for the shortened life span of the iron-deficient red cell.

Red cell glutathione peroxidase activity decreased to 26% of initial activity following the induction of severe iron deficiency in rabbits. The fall in enzyme activity does not appear to be related to anemia per se, aging of the animals during the course of the experiment, or a generalized decrease in enzyme protein synthesis. With iron repletion, glutathione peroxidase activity did not return to initial values for 10 wk after the hemoglobin concentration had returned to normal. During this period of time, the young red cell population had a higher concentration of GSH-Px activity than the older cells. In contrast, there is no age differential in the concentration of this enzyme in normal red cells, and during the induction of iron deficiency young red cells have decreased enzyme activity as compared to older cells. Reduction in glutathione peroxidase activity may result in increased oxidative damage to the irondeficient red cell. This, in turn, may be responsible for the previously reported membrane abnormalities and shortened red cell survival of iron-deficient red cells. It remains to be shown if glutathione peroxidase is dependent on iron for its synthesis or if the function of the enzyme is dependent on an iron-containing protein serving as an electron carrier. ED CELL SURVIVAL is significantly decreased in severe iron deficiency.’4 Recent work from our laboratory has shown that the iron-deficient red cell has increased membrane rigidity, increased susceptibility to hemolysis by inhibitors of membrane sulfhydryl groups, and increased autohemolysis.4 In addition other investigators have demonstrated that the iron-deficient red cell is more susceptible to hemolysis by hydrogen peroxide.5 These observations suggest that a metabolic defect may be present in the iron-deficient red cell that allows oxidative damage of the membrane to occur. Alteration in the membrane may in turn result in increased cellular rigidity, increased sequestration in the spleen and other organs, and ultimately premature cell destruction. It has been proposed that the
Effects of methanol and chloramphenicol on CCl4 toxicity.

The mechanism of CCl4 toxicity is unknown, although lipid peroxidation has been implicated in the development of the pathology. Methanol (MeOH) is a well known potentiator of CC14 toxicity (mechanism unknown), while chloramphenicol (CAP) antagonizes the toxicity possibly by inhibiting cytochrome P-450; (Dolci and Brabec, 1978). By use of both an antagonist and a potentiator of CC14 toxicity, it may be possible to selectively disturb and identify the various processes that produce damage in the hepatocyte after exposure to CC14. In the following experiments, serum enzyme levels, hepatic glutathione levels, glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) activity, and lipid peroxidation in hepatic microsomes of CC14-intoxicated rats were measured after treatment with CAP; MeOH, and CAP and MeOH in combination.
The Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission Against Amos Yaron

Amos Yaron perpetrated War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide in his capacity as the Commanding Israeli General in military control of the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Israeli occupied Lebanon in September of 1982 when he knowingly facilitated and permitted the large-scale Massacre of Residents of those two camps in violation of the Hague Regulations on Land Warfare of 1907; the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949; the 1948 Genocide Convention; the Nuremberg Charter (1945), the Nuremberg Judgment (1946), and the Nuremberg Principles (1950); customary international law, jus cogens, the Laws of War, and International Humanitarian Law; and their related provisions set forth in articles 9, 10, and 11 of the Charter of the Kuala Lampur War Crimes Commission.
26 EFFECT OF POLYAMINES UPON BLOOD COAGULATION: POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS IN ALCOHOLICS.

Polyamines such as protamine sulfate have been widely used clinically to neutralize the anticoagulant effect of excessive heparin. Protamine itself exhibits concentration-dependent anticoagulant and procoagulant effects. This laboratory has earlier reported that acetaldehyde exerts synergistic prolongation of the anticoagulant effect of heparin upon prothrombin time (PT). In the current investigation, it is seen that acetaldehyde, the primary metabolite of ethanol metabolism, reacts synergistically with protamine to effect a prolongation of PT beyond the individual effects of acetaldehyde and protamine on the PT. In an analogous study, the effect of polylysine (1-4K) and acetaldehyde upon activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) was studied. It was observed that the polylysine (PL) prolonged APTT. When PL was preincubated with plasma at RT for 15 minutes, followed by a further 15 minutes with acetaldehyde, an additional prolongation time was observed. When acetaldehyde was preincubated with plasma prior to the addition of PL, a synergistic APTT was noted. When a PL-acetaldehyde mixture was preincubated prior to the addition to plasma, a drastic reduction in the prolongation of APTT was seen, suggesting that PL and acetaldehyde may detoxify one another by a Schiff base reaction under highly specific conditions.
Molecular-Level Insights into Orientation-Dependent Changes in the Thermal Stability of Enzymes Covalently Immobilized on Surfaces

Surface-immobilized enzymes are important for a wide range of technological applications, including industrial catalysis, drug delivery, medical diagnosis, and biosensors; however, our understanding of how enzymes and proteins interact with abiological surfaces on the molecular level remains extremely limited. We have compared the structure, activity, and thermal stability of two variants of a β-galactosidase attached to a chemically well-defined maleimide-terminated self-assembled monolayer surface through a unique cysteinyl residue. In one case the enzyme is attached through an α helix and in the other case through an adjacent loop. Both enzymes exhibit similar specific activities and adopt similar orientations with respect to the surface normal, as determined by sum-frequency generation and attenuated total reflectance FT-IR spectroscopies. Surprisingly, however, the loop-tethered enzyme exhibits a thermal stability 10 °C lower than the helix-tethered enzyme and 13 °C lower than the enzyme in free solu...
Difference between aftershocks and foreshocks in the relationship of magnitude to frequency of occurrence for the great Chilean earthquake of 1960

When a relatively small perceptible earthquake occurred near a tripartite net of high sensitivity in central Japan, a substantial difference was found between its 25 foreshocks and 173 aftershocks in the relation of frequency of occurrence and magnitude. For that study the coefficient “ b ” in the magnitude versus frequency equation is 0.35 for the former and 0.76 for the latter. A similar investigation has been carried out on the great Chilean earthquake of 1960, also accompanied by many foreshocks and aftershocks. Using four sensitive and suitably located U.S.C.G.S. stations, Eureka, Tucson, South Pole, and Byrd, foreshocks and aftershocks were located in addition to those reported by U.S.C.G.S. or B.C.I.S. Forty-five foreshocks and 250 aftershocks were found in a period of 33 hours before and 33 hours after the main shock. The same characteristic found for the Japanese earthquake was also found for the Chilean earthquake; i.e. the foreshocks showed a different picture from the aftershocks for the frequency of occurrence, and an appreciably smaller value seems to be valid for “ b ” of the foreshocks.
“Dry Truth and Real Knowledge”: Epistemologies of Metaphor and Metaphors of Epistemology

Locke is eloquent in defence of plain speech. In a famous, or notorious, passage at close of chapter X of Book III of the Essay: “Of the Abuse of Words,” though he admits that “since wit and fancy find easier entertainment than dry truth and real knowledge, figurative speeches and allusions in language will hardly be admitted as an imperfection of it,” Locke insists that nevertheless, if we would speak of things as they are, we must allow that all the art of rhetoric, besides order and clearness; all the artificial and figurative applications of words eloquence hath invented, are for nothing else than to insinuate wrong ideas, move the passions, and thereby mislead the judgement; and so indeed are perfect cheats.
Congenital anomalies of the kidney: Number, position, rotation, and vasculature

A broad spectrum of developmental abnormalities of the genitourinary tract is known to occur within the pediatric population. Given the complex developmental process of the genitourinary system, it is not surprising that abnormalities of the genitourinary tract are among the most common congenital anomalies. Collectively, congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) occur in approximately 1 in 500 live births. CAKUT represent a diverse group of anomalies with varying clinical implications; however, taken together, CAKUT are of great clinical significance as they encompass the most common causes of renal failure in children.
Concentration and size dependence of peak wavelength shift on quantum dots in colloidal suspension

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals that have significant advantages over organic fluorophores, including their extremely narrow Gaussian emission bands and broad absorption bands. Thus, QDs have a wide range of potential applications, such as in quantum computing, photovoltaic cells, biological sensing, and electronics. For these applications, aliasing provides a detrimental effect on signal identification efficiency. This can be avoided through characterization of the QD fluorescence signals. Characterization of the emissivity of CdTe QDs as a function of concentration (1 to 10 mg/ml aqueous) was conducted on 12 commercially available CdTe QDs (emission peaks 550 to 730 nm). The samples were excited by a 50-mW 405-nm laser with emission collected via a free-space CCD spectrometer. All QDs showed a redshift effect as concentration increased. On average, the CdTe QDs exhibited a maximum shift of +35.6 nm at 10 mg/ml and a minimum shift of +27.24 nm at 1 mg/ml, indicating a concentration dependence for shift magnitude. The concentration-dependent redshift function can be used to predict emission response as QD concentration is changed in a complex system.
ROCKI Regulates Growth, Maturation and Migration of Mast Cells.

Mast cell activation plays a critical pathophysiologic role in asthma and allergy. A role for mast cell activation has also been described in multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and coronary artery disease. In addition, these cells also play a prominent role in early phases of innate immunity to pathogenic bacteria. While several cytokines influence the growth, survival and maturation of mast cells; stem cell factor (SCF) and its interaction via the tyrosine kinase receptor, KIT is essential for normal mast cell development and function. However the intracellular signals that control mast cell growth, migration and maturation are not completely understood. In non-hematopoietic cells, Rho family GTPases are key regulators of many different biological processes including cell motility, growth, and differentiation. Cdc42, Rac and Rho are the most extensively studied members of this family. Although the role of Rac GTPases is becoming increasingly clear in mast cells and in hematopoietic cells in general, virtually nothing is known about the role of downstream effectors of Rho GTPases in these cells. RhoA and RhoC activate the serine/threonine protein kinases ROCKI and ROCKII. We show that both ROCKI and ROCKII are expressed in hematopoietic cells, including in bone marrow cells, splenocytes as well as in thymocytes. To determine the role of ROCK kinases in mast cells, we generated mice deficient in the expression of ROCKI. Here, we demonstrate that Rho-kinase ROCKI plays an essential role in regulating mast cell growth and maturation. We show that deficiency of ROCKI results in impaired maturation of bone marrow derived mast cells in response to IL-3 stimulation. Furthermore, the reduced maturation of ROCKI−/− mast cells is associated with reduced expression of KIT as well as reduced expression of the high affinity receptor for IgE at different stages of maturation (13% vs 7% at week1, 80% vs 52% at week2, and 93% vs 67% KIT/IgE receptor double positive cells at week3, n=3). KIT induced proliferation in response to SCF was also significantly reduced in ROCKI deficient mast cells, which was associated with reduced activation of MAPKinase Erk1 and Erk2. To test if the decreased growth in response to SCF was simply due to reduced KIT expression or due to cell intrinsic defects in ROCKI signaling, we isolated KIT positive WT and ROCKI−/− mast cells and measured growth in response to SCF and/or IL-3 stimulation by thymidine incorporation over a period of 24 and 48 hours. KIT positive ROCKI−/− mast cells showed reduced growth in response to SCF as well as in response to a combination of SCF and IL-3, suggesting a critical role of ROCKI in normal growth and maturation of mast cells. Since ROCK kinases also regulate migration in non-hematopoietic cells, we next examined the role of ROCKI in integrin (haptotactic) as well as in cytokine induced (chemotaxis) migration of mast cells. Mast cells deficient in ROCKI showed a 68% reduction in directional migration on fibronectin alone (64±7 [WT] vs 20±4, p
The prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses and associated mortality in hospitalized US trauma patients.

Abstract Background We hypothesized that psychiatric diagnoses would be common in hospitalized trauma patients in the United States and when present, would be associated with worse outcomes. Materials and methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS, 2012) was used to determine national estimates for the number of patients admitted with an injury. Psychiatric diagnoses were identified using diagnosis codes according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Results A total of 36.5 million patients were admitted to hospitals in the United States in 2012. Of these, 1.3 million (4%) were due to trauma. Psychiatric conditions were more common in patients admitted for trauma versus those admitted for other reasons (44% versus 34%, P Conclusions Psychiatric conditions are present in almost half of all hospitalized trauma patients in the United States; however, the types of conditions varied with age. The frequency of psychiatric conditions in the trauma population suggests efforts should be made to address this component of patient health.
Dopamine terminals from the ventral tegmental area gate intrinsic inhibition in the prefrontal cortex.

Spike frequency adaptation (SFA or accommodation) and calcium-activated potassium channels that underlie after-hyperpolarization potentials (AHP) regulate repetitive firing of neurons. Precisely how neuromodulators such as dopamine from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) regulate SFA and AHP (together referred to as intrinsic inhibition) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) remains unclear. Using whole cell electrophysiology, we measured intrinsic inhibition in prelimbic (PL) layer 5 pyramidal cells of male adult rats. Results demonstrate that bath application of dopamine reduced intrinsic inhibition (EC50: 25.0 μmol/L). This dopamine action was facilitated by coapplication of cocaine (1 μmol/L), a blocker of dopamine reuptake. To evaluate VTA dopamine terminals in PFC slices, we transfected VTA dopamine cells of TH::Cre rats in vivo with Cre-dependent AAVs to express channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) or designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDS). In PFC slices from these animals, stimulation of VTA terminals with either blue light to activate ChR2 or bath application of clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) to activate Gq-DREADDs produced a similar reduction in intrinsic inhibition in PL neurons. Electrophysiological recordings from cells expressing retrograde fluorescent tracers showed that this plasticity occurs in PL neurons projecting to the accumbens core. Collectively, these data highlight an ability of VTA terminals to gate intrinsic inhibition in the PFC, and under appropriate circumstances, enhance PL neuronal firing. These cellular actions of dopamine may be important for dopamine-dependent behaviors involving cocaine and cue-reward associations within cortical-striatal circuits.
Behavioral Effects of a Novel Benzofuranyl-Piperazine Serotonin-2C Receptor Agonist Suggest a Potential Therapeutic Application in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Selective inhibitors of the neuronal uptake of serotonin (SSRIs) are the only effective pharmacological treatments for OCD. Nonetheless, their generally limited efficacy, side-effects, and delayed onset of action require improved medications for this highly prevalent disorder. Preclinical and clinical findings have suggested serotonin2C (5-HT2C) receptors as a potential drug target. Data in rats and mice are presented here on the effects of a novel 5-HT2C receptor agonist ((3S)-3-Methyl-1-[4-(trifluoromethyl)-7-benzofuranyl]-piperazine) (CPD 1) with high potency and full efficacy at 5-HT2C receptors and less potency and partial agonism at 5-HT2A and 5-HT2B receptors. Effects of CPD 1 on consummatory (schedule-induced polydipsia in rats) and non-consummatory behaviors (marble-burying and nestlet-shredding in mice) that are repetitive and non-habituating were studied. We also evaluated the effects of CPD 1 in rats with isoproterenol- and deprivation-induced drinking in rats to compare with the polydipsia studies. The SSRIs, fluoxetine and chlomipramine decreased the high rates of drinking in rats engendered by a schedule of intermittent food delivery (schedule-induced polydipsia). The effects of fluoxetine, but not of d-amphetamine, were prevented by the selective 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB242084. The 5-HT2C receptor agonists Ro 60-0175 and CPD 1 also decreased drinking, but unlike the SSRIs and Ro 60-0175, CPD 1 dose-dependently decreased excessive drinking without affecting lever press responses that produced food. The effects of CPD 1 were prevented by SB242084. CPD 1 also suppressed drinking induced by isoproterenol and by water deprivation without affecting normative drinking behavior. CPD 1, like fluoxetine, also suppressed marble-burying and nestlet-shredding in mice at doses that did not affect rotorod rotarod performance or locomotor activity. The behavioral specificity of effects of CPD 1 against repetitive and excessive behaviors suggests a potential therapeutic application in OCD.
Rotierende Maschinen mit Sättigung

Wir haben fruher in Kapitel 13 den Dauerkurzschlusstrom fur ungesattigte Generatoren als Quotient der treibenden Spannung durch den Blindwiderstand des Standerkreises berechnet. Fur starkere Erregungen verandert aber die magnetische Sattigung der Maschine den Wert der Spannung und der Selbstinduktion sehr stark. Da sich nun die Bemessung von grosen Netzen viel mehr nach den Kurzschlusstromen als nach den normalen Belastungsstromen richtet, so wollen wir eine genauere Methode zu ihrer Bestimmung herleiten.
Design principles for health wearables

As wearables become increasingly prevalent, there is a concurrent and growing expectation that we use these devices to track and monitor our bodily states in order to be responsible "biocitizens." To mitigate this, some health, design, and usability scholars have advocated for greater patient control over health data. To support these efforts, this article offers a set of criteria for analyzing wearables, criteria that account for the handling of data and user connections via wearables as they relate to three priorities: accessibility, adaptability, and iterability. These are meant to support analyses that will clarify the ways wearables can more ethically serve end-users'---that is, patients' and wearers'---emerging needs, rather than primarily serving the intermediary goals of care delivery personnel and systems to monitor and manage patient behavior. To do this, this article addresses the usability of wearables as it relates to other critical care issues, such as "information integrity" and enabling patients to maintain their own health records and participate in shared decision making.
Effects of unilateral vertical mandibular distraction osteogenesis on airway anatomy in children with hemifacial microsomia.

Abstract Purpose To assess the two- and three-dimensional airway changes following unilateral vertical mandibular distraction osteogenesis (vMDO) in patients with hemifacial microsomia (HFM). Methods A retrospective evaluation was performed for consecutive patients over an 18-month period with HFM and with Kaban-Pruzansky Type-II mandibular deformities who underwent unilateral vMDO for correction of vertical mandibular asymmetry. Patients with complete records and a minimum of 12 months of clinical follow-up post-consolidation were included. Pre-operative airway dimensions (diameters, cross-sectional areas, and volumes) were measured for the oropharynx and nasopharynx. Pre-operative airway dimensions were compared to post-distraction measurements taken from 3D-CT data obtained at a minimum of 3 months post-consolidation. Results Five patients met inclusion criteria. Median age was 12.6 years, 3 were female, and median distraction length was 21.3 mm. Median final follow-up CT was performed 5 months after completion of distraction. There were no major or minor complications. Median total airway volume change was +33.7%, corresponding to median volume changes of 80.5% and 10.5% for the oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal airways, respectively. Conclusion Unilateral vMDO expands the minimum diameter and volume of the oropharyngeal to a greater extent than the nasopharyngeal airway in HFM patients with Kaban-Pruzansky Type-II mandibular deformities.
In vivo near-infrared imaging of ErbB2 expressing breast tumors with dual-axes confocal endomicroscopy using a targeted peptide

ErbB2 expression in early breast cancer can predict tumor aggressiveness and clinical outcomes in large patient populations. Accurate assessment with physical biopsy and conventional pathology can be limited by tumor heterogeneity. We aim to demonstrate real-time optical sectioning using a near-infrared labeled ErbB2 peptide that generates tumor-specific contrast in human xenograft breast tumors in vivo. We used IRDye800CW as the fluorophore, validated performance characteristics for specific peptide binding to cells in vitro, and investigated peak peptide uptake in tumors using photoacoustic tomography. We performed real-time optical imaging using a handheld dual-axes confocal fluorescence endomicroscope that collects light off-axis to reduce tissue scattering for greater imaging depths. Optical sections in either the vertical or horizontal plane were collected with sub-cellular resolution. Also, we found significantly greater peptide binding to pre-clinical xenograft breast cancer in vivo and to human specimens of invasive ductal carcinoma that express ErbB2 ex vivo. We used a scrambled peptide for control. Peptide biodistribution showed high tumor uptake by comparison with other organs to support safety. This novel integrated imaging strategy is promising for visualizing ErbB2 expression in breast tumors and serve as an adjunct during surgery to improve diagnostic accuracy, identify tumor margins, and stage early cancers.