cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Casein Hydrolysate on the Induction and Regulation of Tyrosine-α-Ketoglutarate Transaminase in Rat Liver

A several fold increase in the activity of tyrosine-α-ketoglutarate transaminase occurs in intact or adrenalectomized rats following treatment with an enzymatic hydrolysate of casein, whereas tryptophan pyrrolase is unresponsive to this treatment. Doses of tyrosine, tryptophan, or the combination of these amino acids equivalent in amount to those contained in an effective dose of casein hydrolysate did not produce a rise in tyrosine transaminase activity. The effect of casein hydrolysate is inhibited by actinomycin D or cycloheximide, indicating that the synthesis of new RNA and protein is associated with the response of tyrosine transaminase to casein hydrolysate. Additive and, in some cases, synergistic effects on tyrosine transaminase are observed when casein hydrolysate and hydrocortisone are given together or sequentially. In contrast to the response of this enzyme, no additive effect on tryptophan pyrrolase or serine dehydrase occurs when 1 g of casein hydrolysate is given at the same time as a large dose of hydrocortisone. Treatment of adrenalectomized rats with casein hydrolysate, 4 or 8 hours after they were treated with hydrocortisone, stimulates a marked further increase in the activity of tyrosine transaminase. In intact rats, tyrosine transaminase shows a synergistic response to casein hydrolysate when it is given concomitantly with a small dose of hydrocortisone; under these conditions tryptophan pyrrolase is also responsive, but this effect appears to be due to tryptophan stabilization of the enzyme against degradation. When a low dosage of hydrocortisone is administered to intact rats, tryptophan pyrrolase, but not tyrosine transaminase, shows an increase in activity. On the other hand, of these two enzymes, only the transaminase responds to casein hydrolysate. Each of these treatments stimulates the incorporation of orotic acid-6-14C into liver RNA to about the same extent, indicating either that this is a selective effect or that factors in addition to new RNA synthesis are involved in the induction of these enzymes.
Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias

The idiopathic interstitial pneumonias are a distinct group of clinicopathologic entities. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) plays a critical role in the evaluation and management of patients. In the appropriate clinical setting, characteristic HRCT findings may be diagnostic, obviating the need for open lung biopsy. In more challenging or complicated cases, consensus among the clinician, radiologist, and pathologist may be required. This chapter describes and depicts the characteristic HRCT features of usual interstitial pneumonia, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, respiratory bronchiolitis, respiratory bronchiolitis associated interstitial lung disease, desquamative interstitial pneumonia, and lymphoid interstitial pneumonia.
The Role of Family Interaction in New Immigrant Latinos' Civic Engagement

Civic engagement can impact politics, health outcomes, support for new policies, and the like. Research indicates that the communication infrastructure and the strength of the storytelling network, influences civic engagement outcomes. Recent community building initiatives place the impetus of community change and civic engagement on the family unit. This paper places the family unit within the storytelling network and explores how family interaction is related to civic engagement. A telephone survey of 739 new immigrant Latinos in Los Angeles was used to test the effect of family interaction on civic engagement. Regression analyses, controlling for sociodemographic factors, were used. Results indicate that family interaction leads to higher levels of civic engagement and encourages more integration into the neighborhood storytelling network.
Utility of performing routine head ultrasounds in preterm infants with gestational age 30-34 weeks.

Background. The American Academy of Neurology and Child Neurology Society recommend performing routine screening head ultrasounds (HUS) on preterm infants of less than 30 weeks gestation.Objective. To study the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and evaluate the need for screening HUS in preterm infants with gestational age (GA) of 30–34 weeks.Design/Methods. Preterm infants (GA; 30–34 weeks) admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) between January 1997 and September 2007 were included in this study. Grades of IVH were defined as per the Papile classification.Results. Screening HUS were performed on 463 infants with GA of 30–34 weeks. Twenty-seven (5.8%) infants had abnormal cranial ultrasound (US) (IVH or periventricular leucomalacia [PVL]). The incidence of IVH ranged from 3.3% to 6.3% at various GA. Seven (1.5%) infants had severe abnormalities on HUS (grades III/IV or PVL).Conclusions. A significant number of infants born between 30 and 34 weeks of gestation have abnormalities o...
Map-based Visualizations Increase Recall Accuracy of Data

We investigate the memorability of data represented in two different visualization designs. In contrast to recent studies that examine which types of visual information make visualizations memorable, we examine the effect of different visualizations on time and accuracy of recall of the displayed data, minutes and days after interaction with the visualizations. In particular, we describe the results of an evaluation comparing the memorability of two different visualizations of the same relational data: node-link diagrams and map-based visualization. We find significant differences in the accuracy of the tasks performed, and these differences persist days after the original exposure to the visualizations. Specifically, participants in the study recalled the data better when exposed to map-based visualizations as opposed to node-link diagrams. We discuss the scope of the study and its limitations, possible implications, and future directions.
Translocation in Grasses

Summary Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) plants raised in a glasshouse were transferred to growth rooms at 24°c and 70% relative humidity under a light intensity of 1,200 foot-candles. A single spot of 14C-labelled urea, amitrole, or maleic hydrazide was placed at the base of a mature lamina. The translocation of 14C after periods of 3 to 48 hours was determined by gross autoradiography. Assimilate movement in the phloem, as shown by tracer migration, was strongly polarised toward the tip of a large 14C-treated stolon and slightly less polarised toward the tip of a small stolon. Tracer movement to the parent stolon from a treated tiller appeared to be as great as or greater than movement to the tip of that tiller. Assimilate movement from one stolon to another occurred only rarely in intact plants in full light. Darkening or partial defoliation of a stolon could induce the movement of assimilate from another treated stolon on the same plant, but the effect occurred regularly only with prolonged...
Kinship beyond the household in a nineteenth-century Italian town

L'etude empirique des liens de parente au-dela du menage pour l'Europe du passe reste vraiment sous-developpee. Cette etude se concentre sur une population qui vecut a Casalecchio di Reno, pres de Bologne en Italie, ville en voie d'industrialisation et habitee par des metayers. La nature et l'impact de leurs liens de parente avec d'autres menages et communautes sont etudies pour les annees 1865 a 1921. Les auteurs font des recherches sur le rapport entre la complexite des menages et l'etendue sur laquelle les parents sont disponibles ailleurs dans la communaute. Us se concentrent sur la relation des enfants avec leurs grandsparents, des jeunes adultes avec leurs parents, et des veuves et veufs avec leurs enfants adultes, avec la parente et les beaux-parents.
Non uniformly spaced equalization

Depending on the sampling rate, two types of equalizers have been extensively studied in the past: i) baud spaced equalizers (BSE) and ii) fractionally spaced equalizers (FSE). In each case, uniformly spaced samples of the received signal are processed by the equalizer. In this paper, we present a new approach to equalization where the equalizer operates on periodic nonuniformly spaced samples of the received signal. We first introduce a continuous-time ISI channel model with a periodic nonuniform sampler and then, using appropriate multirate DSP building blocks, we derive an equivalent multichannel discrete-time model. Necessary and sufficient conditions for perfect channel equalization using FIR filters are obtained. These results indicate that for a large class of communication channels, the newly proposed equalization scheme enjoys the combined benefits of BSE and FSE.
Extended Collective Licensing to Enable Mass Digitization: A Critique of the U.S. Copyright Office Proposal

This article offers several reasons why the U.S. Copyright Office’s recent proposal to create an extended collective licensing (ECL) pilot program for certain mass digitization activities is problematic. It considers some alternative approaches that may provide more promising ways to broaden public access to in-copyright works.
Risks to the blood supply of the talus with four methods of total ankle arthroplasty: a cadaveric injection study.

Background: Despite the use of contemporary total ankle arthroplasty implant designs, clinical outcomes of total ankle arthroplasty continue to lag behind those of other joint replacement procedures. Disruption of the extraosseous talar blood supply at the time of ankle replacement may be a factor contributing to talar component subsidence—a common mechanism of early failure following ankle replacement. We evaluated the risk of injury to specific extraosseous arteries supplying the talus associated with specific total ankle arthroplasty implants. Methods: Sixteen fresh-frozen through-knee cadaveric specimens were injected with latex and barium sulfate distal to the popliteal trifurcation to visualize the arteries. Four specimens each were prepared for implantation of four contemporary total ankle arthroplasty systems: Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR), INBONE II, Salto Talaris, and Trabecular Metal Total Ankle (TMTA). Postoperative computed tomography scans and 6% sodium hypochlorite chemical debridement were used to examine, measure, and document the proximity of the total ankle arthroplasty instrumentation to the extraosseous talar blood supply. Results: All four implant types subjected the extraosseous talar blood supply to the risk of injury. The INBONE subtalar drill hole directly transected the artery of the tarsal canal in three of four specimens. The lateral approach for the TMTA transected the first perforator of the peroneal artery in two of four specimens. The STAR caused medial injury to the deltoid branches in all four specimens, whereas the other three systems did not directly affect this supply (p < 0.005). The Salto Talaris and STAR implants caused injury to the artery of the tarsal canal in one of four specimens. Conclusions: All four total ankle arthroplasty systems tested posed a risk of injury to the extraosseous talar blood supply, but the risks of injury to specific arteries were higher for specific implants. Clinical Relevance: The risk of injury to the blood supply of the talus during total ankle arthroplasty presents theoretical risks of aseptic loosening and implant failure due to talar osteonecrosis. Knowledge of the blood supply and specific surgical anatomy may lower these risks.
Distinct Phospholipase C-γ-Dependent Signaling Pathways in the Drosophila Eye and Wing Are Revealed by a New small wing Allele

The Drosophila genome contains a single phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma) homolog, encoded by small wing (sl), that acts as an inhibitor of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling during photoreceptor R7 development. Although the existing sl alleles behave genetically as nulls, they may still produce truncated Sl products that could in theory still provide limited PLC-gamma function. Both to identify a true null allele and to probe structure-function relationships in Sl, we carried out an F(1) screen for new sl mutations and identified seven new alleles. Flies homozygous for any of these alleles are viable, with the same short-wing phenotype described previously; however, two of the alleles differ from any of those previously isolated in the severity of the eye phenotype: sl(9) homozygotes have a slightly more extreme extra-R7 phenotype, whereas sl(7) homozygotes have an almost wild-type eye. We determined the mutant defect in all seven alleles, revealing that sl(9) is a molecular null due to a very early stop codon, while sl(7) has a missense mutation in the highly conserved Y catalytic domain. Together with in vitro mutagenesis of the residue affected by the sl(7) mutation, these results confirm the role of Sl in RTK signaling and provide evidence for two genetically separable PLC-gamma-dependent pathways affecting the development of the eye and the wing.
The Financialization of the US Forest Products Industry: Socio-Economic Relations, Shareholder Value, and the Restructuring of an Industry

This paper draws on theories of socio-economic change stemming from political economy and economic sociology to examine the financialization of the US forest products industry. I argue that the widespread adoption of shareholder value norms of corporate governance constitutes one of the core ideological foundations for explaining how the financialization of non-financial firms was accomplished. At the same time, I suggest that economic sociologists’ emphasis on the role of shareholder value ideology tends to obscure the concrete realities of contemporary capitalism and the socio-economic relations that underlie managerial conceptions of control. In this paper, I adopt a dialectical methodology that works at multiple levels of abstraction in order to highlight the internal relationship that exists between managerial conceptions of control and the material processes of capital accumulation. Using data mined from corporate proxy statements, I show that increases in concentrated stock ownership among institutional investors and the use of incentive-based compensation—among other important factors—underlie the adoption of shareholder value strategies in the US forest products sector. I then demonstrate how the pursuit of shareholder value reshaped the US forest products in the interests of the financial community while undermining long-term stability of the industry and the people who depend on it.
Reliable and Secure Distributed Cloud Data Storage Using Reed-Solomon Codes

Despite the popularity and many advantages of using cloud data storage, there are still major concerns about the data stored in the cloud, such as security, reliability and confidentiality. In this paper, we propose a reliable and secure distributed cloud data storage schema using Reed-Solomon codes. Different from existing approaches to achieving data reliability with redundancy at the server side, our proposed mechanism relies on multiple cloud service providers (CSP), and protects users’ cloud data from the client side. In our approach, we view multiple cloud-based storage services as virtual independent disks for storing redundant data encoded with erasure codes. Since each CSP has no access to a user’s complete data, the data stored in the cloud would not be easily compromised. Furthermore, the failure or disconnection of a CSP will not result in the loss of a user’s data as the missing data pieces can be readily recovered. To demonstrate the feasibility of our approach, we developed a prototype distributed cloud data storage application using three major CSPs. The experimental results show that, besides the reliability and security related benefits of our approach, the application outperforms each individual CSP for uploading and downloading files.
Integration of Nonlinear Crude Distillation Unit Models in Refinery Planning Optimization

Production planning modeling is an essential tool in the operation and management of modern refineries. It has traditionally relied on linear programming (LP) principles and methods for simple and robust planning models, such as the fixed-yield planning models and swing cuts planning models. However, these models fail to reflect the true nonlinear nature of the processing units. In this work, the fractionation index model (FI) is developed to add nonlinearity to the linear refinery planning models. The FI model is developed as a more accurate nonlinear model for the complex crude distillation unit (CDU) than the fixed yield or the swing cuts models. The resulting simple model optimizes the crude cuts quantities and temperature. It has the benefits of being crude independent, characteristics of the CDU, and readily calculated. An example of the FI CDU model is presented. The FI-based refinery planning model is then developed and tested with a refinery planning example. The results are compared to the commo...
Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma and Pruritus: the Expression of IL-31 and its Receptors in the Skin.

Abstract Approximately 88% of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) patients are affected by pruritus that responds poorly to current antipruritic therapies. Interleukin (IL)-31, a Th2 cytokine, has been found to be increased in the serum of CTCL patients and to correlate with itch severity. This study investigated the role of IL-31 and its receptors (IL-31 receptor-alpha [IL-31RA] and OSMRβ) in the skin of CTCL patients with mild versus moderate/severe pruritus. Expression levels of IL-31, IL-31RA, and OSMRβ in the skin were measured using immunohistochemistry and correlated to pruritus severity and disease stage. In CTCL patients with moderate/severe pruritus, IL-31 was significantly elevated in the epidermis and dermal infiltrate, while IL-31RA and OSMRβ were significantly elevated only in the epidermis. Furthermore, epidermal IL-31 levels correlated to itch severity. These results show that IL-31 may play a role in CTCL pruritus by exerting indirect effects on sensory nerves though epidermal neoplastic T-cells and keratinocytes to transmit itch.
Calculation of iron transport through human H-chain ferritin.

Influx of ferrous ions from the cytoplasm through 3-fold pores in the shell of ferritin protein is computed using a 3-dimensional Poisson–Nernst–Planck electrodiffusion model, with inputs such as the pore structure and the diffusivity profile of permeant Fe2+ ions extracted from all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. These calculations successfully reproduce experimental estimates of the transit time of Fe2+ through the ferritin coat, which is on the millisecond time scale and hence much too long to be directly simulated via all-atom MD. This is also much longer than the typical time scale for ion transit in standard membrane spanning ion channels whose pores bear structural similarity to that of the 3-fold ferritin pore. The slow time scale for Fe2+ transport through ferritin pores is traced to two features that distinguish the ferritin pore system from standard ion channels, namely, (i) very low concentration of cytoplasmic Fe2+ under physiological conditions and (ii) very small internal diffusio...
Sperm Use Patterns of Individual Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The incidence of multiple mating and patterns of sperm use were examined in females of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), using electrophoretic markers. Thirty-five of 66 females mated more than once. Of these, 27 mated twice, 7 mated three times, and 1 mated four times. Eight twice-mated females and their progeny fit experimental criteria established for subsequent examination of sperm use patterns. Maximum likelihood methods were employed to assign probabilities of paternity to daily progeny groups subsequent to the second mating. Considerable variation was observed among females. Two females continued to produce progeny fathered by sperm from the first mating, four females switched to sperm predominantly from the second mating, and two females produced progeny that exhibited nearly equal paternity. The time interval between first and second matings did not seem to influence sperm use. Female benefits from multiple mating do not appear to be related to sperm replenishment or enhanced reproductive output but may simply be to compensate for the possibility of infertile initial matings.
Cascading Failures in Interdependent Infrastructures: An Interdependent Markov-Chain Approach

Many critical infrastructures are interdependent networks in which the behavior of one network impacts those of the others. Despite the fact that interdependencies are essential for the operation of critical infrastructures, such interdependencies can negatively affect the reliability and fuel the cascade of failures within and across the networks. In this paper, a novel interdependent Markov-chain framework is proposed that enables capturing interdependencies between two critical infrastructures with the ultimate goal of predicting their resilience to cascading failures and characterizing the effects of interdependencies on system reliability. The framework is sufficiently general to model cascading failures in any interdependent networks; however, this paper focuses on the electric-cyber infrastructure as an example. Using this framework it is shown that interdependencies among reliable systems, i.e., systems with exponentially distributed failure sizes, can make the individually reliable systems behave unreliably as a whole with power-law failure-size distributions.
Discussion on some puzzles in current breeding of rice

There exist three puzzles in current breeding of rice.The first one is about the standards for fine grain quality.According to seven quality indexes for rice grain quality of Guangxi and the nation,many conventional good quality rice varieties sold as good sales with high price for a large in Guangdong and Guangxi are classified as out-grade rice,and the value of those so-called fine grain varieties certified and released by Crop Variety Release Committee were not supperior to the conventional rice varieties.The second is about super rice.The concept of super rice was firstly put forward by IRRI,and although the first and second objects had been achieved in China,the yield of super rice in regional triail was not obviously higher than the control variety,and the heterosis of super rice was not strong in commercial production.Therefore,it seems that there was lack of believable genetic basis or technique explanation for super rice.The third puzzle is about breeding technology.Rice breeding is a systematic process,the main difference among various breeding technologies is the way of creating variations.Nowadays,some rice researchers pay more attention to variation creation but look down on the conventional cross breeding,and the basic field selection and test in rice breeding are being overlooked.
Predicting intramuscular fat in beef longissimus muscle from speed of sound.

The ultrasonic A-mode method was investigated for intramuscular fat measurement of beef. Cubes of meat samples that had different marbling scores were used as specimens. Ultrasonic speed decreased with increasing fat concentration. The correlation coefficient was -.82 (P 8% fat) and 76.4% accuracy (< 8% fat), respectively (P < .001).
Studies on Acoustical Attenuation, Absorption and Scattering for Diagnosis of Tissue Pathology

Frequency dependent acoustical attenuation has previously been shown to correlate well with the state of viability of skeletal and cardiac muscle, viz. normal, ischemic, infarcted or necrotic. The study has been extended to normal and pathological specimens of other mammalian tissues and their acoustic attenuation “signatures” have been obtained. Scattering of ultrasound from the exposed surfaces as well as within the specimens, was measured at different ultrasonic frequencies and different orientations of the specimens, to assess its contribution to acoustic attenuation. Absorption coefficients were also measured. The specimens were examined histologically to correlate the structure with the acoustic measurements. These data will be presented and their usefulness in differential diagnosis will be discussed.
Principled Reference Data Management for Big Data and Business Intelligence

Most large enterprises requiring operational business processes utilize several thousand instances of legacy, upgraded, cloud-based, and/or acquired information management applications. With the advent of Big Data, Business Intelligence BI systems, receive unconsolidated data from a wide-range of data sources with no overarching governance procedures to ensure quality and consistency. Although different applications deal with their own flavor of data, reference data is found in all of them. Given the critical role that BI plays in ensuring business success, the fact that BI relies heavily on the quality of data to ensure that the intelligence being provided is trustworthy, and the prevalence of reference data in the information integration landscape, a principled approach towards management, stewardship and governance of reference data becomes necessary to ensure quality and operational excellence across BI systems. The authors discuss this approach in context of typical reference data management concepts and features, leading to a comprehensive solution architecture for BI integration.
Ligand-Field-Dependent Behavior of Meta-GGA Exchange in Transition-Metal Complex Spin-State Ordering

Prediction of spin-state ordering in transition metal complexes is essential for understanding catalytic activity and designing functional materials. Semilocal approximations in density functional theory, such as the generalized-gradient approximation (GGA), suffer from several errors including delocalization error that give rise to systematic bias for more covalently bound low-spin electronic states. Incorporation of exact exchange is known to counteract this bias, instead favoring high-spin states, in a manner that has recently been identified to be strongly ligand-field dependent. In this work, we introduce a tuning strategy to identify the effect of incorporating the Laplacian of the density (i.e., a meta-GGA) in exchange on spin-state ordering. We employ a diverse test set of M(II) and M(III) first-row transition metal ions from Ti to Cu as well as octahedral complexes of these ions with ligands of increasing field strength (i.e., H2O, NH3, and CO). We show that the sensitivity of spin-state ordering...
Late Career Job Loss and Retirement Behavior of Couples

This article argues that wealth uncertainty influences when couples choose to retire. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, I show that wives delay retirement when their husbands retire following a job loss. This effect is stronger when husbands are the primary earners, and couples are relatively poorer. This provides evidence of intra-household insurance that mitigates the impact of an unexpected earnings shock. I find that wives tend to delay retirement only until they become eligible for social security. This suggests that social security benefits can relax households' budget constraints and allow wives to join their husbands in retirement.
Unsettling a sacred relationship: The mother–daughter–man romantic love triangle in telenovelas

ABSTRACTTelenovelas are serialized melodramatic love stories whose happy endings are postponed by intrigues and obstacles. The main source of these impediments is also the basic building block of every telenovela: the love triangle. Because they unsettle the mother–daughter relation, mother–daughter–man triangles can be risky. But they can be successful too. This study examines the production, representation, consumption, and social regulation of the mother–daughter–man love triangle in three telenovelas: Ciudad Bendita (2006, Venevision-Venezuela), Dona Barbara (2008, Telemundo-USA), and La Mujer Perfecta (2010, Venevision-Venezuela). Located under the umbrella of cultural studies, the study uses a multimethod approach that includes textual and ethnographic methods. The analysis underscores the writing and production challenges of this particular love triangle, considers the fit, or lack thereof, of the mother–daughter dyad with the virgin/whore dichotomy present in the majority of telenovelas, and flesh...
A Lipogenic-Switch Shifts Metabolism from Glycolysis to Mitochondrial Respiration During Aging

Aging is a critical risk factor for numerous health issues. A link between cellular metabolism and aging has been suggested, but the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. To determine whether metabolism changes during aging, bioenergetics of normal human fibroblasts (NHFs) from individuals of different ages (3-d, 12-y, 29-y, 36-y, 46-y, and 61-y) were measured using the Seahorse XF96 Analyzer. Results showed an age-dependent decrease in extracellular acidification rate (ECAR; measures glycolytic flux) and an increase in oxygen consumption rate (OCR; measures mitochondrial respiration) in older compared to younger NHFs. Mitochondrial respiration receives substrates from glycolysis and from lipid metabolism. The decrease in ECAR suggests that glycolysis may not contribute to OCR during aging. To determine if lipid metabolism contributes to increases in OCR during aging, flow cytometry and microscopy measurements of lipids were performed. Results showed that both the number and size of lipid droplets increase with age. Furthermore, treatment with palmitate (fatty acid; substrate for mitochondrial respiration) increased OCR more in older compared to younger NHFs. Moreover, inhibition of fatty acid synthase with orlistat significantly decreased OCR in older compared to younger NHFs. Consistent with these results, increases in the positive regulators of lipid metabolism, comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) and fatty acid synthase (FASN), and decreases in the negative regulator of lipid metabolism, G 0 /G 1 switch gene 2 (G0S2) were also observed in the older NHFs. These results support the hypothesis that a lipogenic-switch shifts metabolism from glycolysis to mitochondrial respiration during aging. Suppressing age-related increase in lipid metabolism and mitochondrial respiration is anticipated to promote healthy-lifespan and minimize age-related health issues. (NIH 2RO1 CA111365) 1861/1900
National trends in local excision and esophagectomy for cT1N0 esophageal cancer.

62Background: Esophageal cancer management has evolved due to improvements in staging and treatment strategies. Endoscopic local excision presents an attractive option for definitive management of T1 cancers, avoiding the morbidity of esophagectomy. We hypothesized that for cT1N0 cancers, patients who underwent local excision would have lower survival compared to esophagectomy due to potential discordant staging. Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC) with AJCC T1N0 clinical stage who underwent local excision (n = 1625) or esophagectomy (n = 3255) between 1998 and 2012. Chi-square analysis was used to compare demographic and clinical characteristics by procedure. Chi-square trend analysis was performed to assess trends in procedure type over time. Cox Regression analysis was performed to assess survival by procedure controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics. Results: Between 1998 and 2012, the proportion of pati...
Gypsum stromatolites from Sawda Nathil: relicts from a southern coastline of Qatar

Sawda Nathil is one of a series of inland depressions (inland sabkhas and salinas) that extend nearly continuously along the Southern Qatar border with Saudi Arabia. Six to eight thousand years ago, these depressions were marine embayments that separated the peninsula of Qatar from the mainland. These embayments in-filled rapidly with marine sediments and dune sands, blown southeastward across Qatar. Over time, they have become progressively more evaporitic. Inland depressions like Sawda Nathil host a set of unique environments within Qatar. Most depressions are close to or below sea level, bringing water near the surface in the driest parts of Qatar. Evaporation to salt saturation creates thick gypsum and halite crusts (sabkhas), as well as shallow hypersaline lakes/ponds (salinas) with spectacular domal microbial gypsum stromatolites. The present ground surface is a mosaic of relict marine facies, deflated dune sands, and inland sabkhas and salinas. Sediment of four short push cores was photographed, described, and sampled for petrographic thin-section and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. Radiocarbon (AMS) as well as optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) age-dating were carried out on three samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), carried out on samples from a gypsum stromatolite, was used to resolve the microbial-influence on gypsum precipitation. Radiocarbon dating of marine shells provides ages of approximately 6600 un-calibrated 14C years before present (year BP), coinciding with a well-documented sea-level highstand, approximately 2–4 m higher than present. During that time, Qatar was mostly an island, only connected in the south to the Arabian Peninsula by narrow land bridges (isthmuses). SEM examinations of gypsum stromatolites show gypsum crystals developing in close spatial association with microbial biofilms (filamentous structures). Whether this is purely a passive microbial-influenced gypsum mineralization process or an example where microorganisms actively control the gypsum crystal morphology to obtain ecological advantages, remains to be evaluated.
Suburban gentrification? Examining the geographies of New Urbanism in Atlanta’s inner suburbs

Since the 1990s, Atlanta’s inner suburbs have experienced rising rates of poverty alongside growing racial/ethnic diversity. ​ Meanwhile, on the built landscape, high-end (re)development projects i...
Using Morphological Strategies to Help Adolescents Decode, Spell, and Comprehend Big Words in Science:

Adolescent students require strategies that are tailored to the specific linguistic demands of curricular vocabulary to support their decoding, spelling, and comprehension of novel big words encoun...
Making Methionine: A Love Affair with Folate

I am deeply honored to be chosen as the Frederick Gowland Hopkins lecturer by my friends and colleagues. The honor is particularly special for me because my father traveled from New York to Cambridge to do his Ph.D. dissertation research in Hopkins laboratory. My father received his Ph.D. in 1934, at a time when biochemistry in the States was in its infancy. Hopkins’ brilliant research on vitamins and cofactors, and on cellular metabolism, made his laboratory the place to study biochemistry.
Binational Cooperation and the Environment at the U.S.-Mexico Border: A Mexican Perspective

The border region between Mexico and the United States is one of the most environmentally stressed areas in the world. The U.S. and Mexican governments have created a series of binational plans and projects to solve some of the region’s most pressing environmental problems. Binational efforts range from a general agreement to solve transboundary pollution signed in 1983 to plans seeking a solution to environmental problems and the creation of binational institutions focusing on urban infrastructure related to these problems. However, until now there has not been an evaluation of the achievements and limitations of binational cooperation. This evaluation is long overdue since after 17 years of binational cooperation, border environmental problems have not significantly improved, and Mexico and the United States are preparing to launch a new environmental plan for the border region. An evaluation of binational cooperation is a task beyond the scope of this paper. The paper reflects on the reasons why binational cooperation has achieved only limited success in solving border environmental problems. The basic argument of the paper is that binational actions have not responded to the needs of the border communities. Two factors help explain this distance between actions and reality. First, binational actions have been designed more as a response to political pressure from media attention to environmental problems at the border, and from groups in the United States, than a comprehensive long-term strategy to meet the needs of the border communities. Second, the managerial approach used in the design of binational actions has provided a fragmented perspective of environmental issues, isolating problems from the structural causes behind them and their social and economic consequences. This paper suggests in conclusion that there is an urgent need for a new approach in binational cooperation to help border communities find sustainable solutions to their environmental problems. The paper is divided in two sections. The first part presents a brief summary of the major driving forces for environmental change along the U.S.-Mexico border. The second part presents a perspective of binational cooperation on border environmental issues, seeking to explain the obstacles created by political pressures and the managerial approach to a comprehensive longterm environmental action plan for the U.S.-Mexico border.
Program Modification and Debugging

Distinct species, in general, will have some aspects in common and some distinguishing differences; some parts similar in function but different in form, some different in function but similar in form. Analogously, distinct programs may use similar techniques for disparate tasks, or achieve the same goal in divergent ways. In this chapter, we look into means of modifying one program to accomplish a different goal in a similar manner. An analogy between the specification of the given program and that of the desired one is used as the basis for transforming the existing program to meet the new specification. We also consider debugging in this chapter. Debugging is a special case of modification in which a program is modified to achieve the correct results. Although new and important modifications may not arise from reversion and analogous variation, such modifications will add to the beautiful and harmonious diversity of nature. Modifications in hard parts and in external parts sometimes affect softer and internal parts. —Charles Darwin (The origin of species) ‘Similarity’ is not a thing offered on a plate (or hidden in a cupboard); it is a relation established in the mind by a process of selective emphasis on those features which overlap in a certain respect—along one dimensional gradient—and ignoring other features.
The Pollen Wall: Structure and Development

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the stratification of angiosperm pollen grain walls. Pores and slits form conspicuous features of the pollen wall. Shortly before final maturation of the pollen grains, surface coatings of various kinds are acquired, derived from secretory or breakdown products of the tapetum. The most striking characteristic of the material of the exine is its remarkable resistance to degradation by both physico-chemical and biological agencies. The spore environment is an important factor in controlling the orientation and disposition of various exine features. The observations of early exine ontogeny in many species have revealed constant relationships between the locations of spores, colpi, and other aspects of exine pattern with the axis of the young spore of the tetrad. The pattern-generating processes within the spore, while necessarily reflecting the capacities of the genome so far as detail is concerned, are dependent upon cellular interactions for their initiation and early orientation.
Fibromyalgia patients and healthy volunteers express difficulties and variability in rating experimental pain: a qualitative study

Background and aims Despite the enormous body of literature spanning more than 50 years describing results of pain experiments, very few have used qualitative methods to explore subjects' thoughts while scoring experimental painful stimuli, and none in the available literature have used qualitative interviews to do so. The current study examined how participants in experimental pain research delineate pain ratings to better understand the unique influences of the experimental setting on pain scores. An additional aim was to highlight how individuals with fibromyalgia and healthy volunteers are differently influenced by characteristics of the experimental setting. Methods This was an inductive, qualitative study in which individual, semi-structured interviews were performed with 31 fibromyalgia patients and 44 healthy volunteers. Participants had taken part in a pain experiment during which a thermode was used to induce painful heat stimuli on two skin areas. There were two primary interview questions analyzed for this report: (1) "Thinking back to when you were getting the heat pain on your leg, what were you thinking about when deciding on your pain score?" and (2) Participants who said that it was difficult to decide on a pain score were asked to, "Describe what made it difficult to choose a number." Thematic analysis was used to generate conceptual categories from textual data and find common themes. Results Three notable differences were found between fibromyalgia patients and healthy volunteers: (1) using current daily pain as a benchmark was seen more in patients, (2) wanting to appear strong in front of the study investigators was more common in healthy volunteers, and (3) becoming mentally fatigued from rating many stimuli was more common for fibromyalgia patients. Thoughts while scoring pain included: (1) comparing with previous or current pain, (2) self-monitoring of one's ability to endure the pain, (3) focusing on the physical aspects of the pain, (4) knowing the experimental setting is safe, (5) focusing on the pain scale as an anchor, and (6) desire to appear strong. Additionally, five difficulties in scoring experimental pain were identified: (1) falling asleep, (2) mentally fatigued, (3) feeling as though they were guessing, (4) having to make a quick decision, and (5) difficulty in being consistent. Conclusions This study provides insights into the thoughts of participants in experimental pain research studies. Participants were distracted and influenced by the experimental setting and some factors differed for fibromyalgia patients versus healthy volunteers. Implications Understanding the ways in which the experimental setting influences pain ratings may help pain researchers better design and interpret studies. Researchers can use these findings to mitigate difficulties for participants in experimental research to add to its validity.
Practice patterns and clinical outcomes of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (TAML) in the US.

e18139Background: tAML, compared to de novo AML, has higher adverse features and a shorter overall survival (OS). The use of chemotherapy and hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT), and OS of tAML out...
Ras-Dependent Cell Fate Decisions Are Reinforced by the RAP-1 Small GTPase in Caenorhabditis elegans

The notoriety of the small GTPase Ras as the most mutated oncoprotein has led to a well-characterized signaling network largely conserved across metazoans. Yet the role of its close relative Rap1 (Ras Proximal), which shares 100% identity between their core effector binding sequences, remains unclear. A long-standing controversy in the field is whether Rap1 also functions to activate the canonical Ras effector, the S/T kinase Raf. We used the developmentally simpler Caenorhabditis elegans, which lacks the extensive paralog redundancy of vertebrates, to examine the role of RAP-1 in two distinct LET-60/Ras-dependent cell fate patterning events: induction of 1° vulval precursor cell (VPC) fate and of the excretory duct cell. Fluorescence-tagged endogenous RAP-1 is localized to plasma membranes and is expressed ubiquitously, with even expression levels across the VPCs. RAP-1 and its activating GEF PXF-1 function cell autonomously and are necessary for maximal induction of 1° VPCs. Critically, mutationally activated endogenous RAP-1 is sufficient both to induce ectopic 1°s and duplicate excretory duct cells. Like endogenous RAP-1, before induction GFP expression from the pxf-1 promoter is uniform across VPCs. However, unlike endogenous RAP-1, after induction GFP expression is increased in presumptive 1°s and decreased in presumptive 2°s. We conclude that RAP-1 is a positive regulator that promotes Ras-dependent inductive fate decisions. We hypothesize that PXF-1 activation of RAP-1 serves as a minor parallel input into the major LET-60/Ras signal through LIN-45/Raf.
A taxonomic review of pterotracheoid gastropod mollusks from California Current waters off the west coast of North America

Taxonomic characterization of janthinid gastropods, morphological characteristics, oceanic habitat and occurrence in coastal waters off the west coast of North America are reviewed. The two species ( Janthina umbilicata and J. janthina ) recorded from west coast waters are described and their shell morphologies illustrated.
Structural basis of phosphatidylcholine recognition by the C2-domain of cytosolic phospholipase A2α.

Ca2+-stimulated translocation of cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α) to the Golgi induces arachidonic acid production, the rate-limiting step in pro-inflammatory eicosanoid synthesis. Structural insights into the cPLA2α preference for phosphatidylcholine (PC)-enriched membranes have remained elusive. Here, we report the structure of the cPLA2α C2-domain (at 2.2 A resolution), which contains bound 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DHPC) and Ca2+ ions. Two Ca2+ are complexed at previously reported locations in the lipid-free C2-domain. One of these Ca2+ions, along with a third Ca2+, bridges the C2-domain to the DHPC phosphate group, which also interacts with Asn65. Tyr96 plays a key role in lipid headgroup recognition via cation-π interaction with the PC trimethylammonium group. Mutagenesis analyses confirm that Tyr96 and Asn65 function in PC binding selectivity by the C2-domain and in the regulation of cPLA2α activity. The DHPC-binding mode of the cPLA2α C2-domain, which differs from phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate binding by other C2-domains, expands and deepens knowledge of the lipid-binding mechanisms mediated by C2-domains.
Effects of Analysis on the Clinical Applicability of Study Results

The analysis of a clinical study has a profound impact on its results. In interventional studies, it is important to include all recruited patients in an ‘intention-to-treat’ analysis in order to avoid bias and lost information. All clinical research studies should have prospectively written data analysis plans created by a person with statistical expertise in order to ensure that appropriate tests are used.