cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Government Education Expenditures in Early and Late Childhood

Human capital investment in early childhood can lead to large and persistent gains. Beyond this window of opportunity, human capital accumulation is more costly. Despite compelling evidence in support of this notion, government education spending is allocated disproportionately toward late childhood and young adulthood. We consider the consequences of a reallocation using an overlapping generations model with private and public spending on early and late childhood education. Taking as given the higher returns to early childhood investment, we find that the current allocation may nonetheless be appropriate. When we consider a homogeneous population, this can hold for moderate levels of government spending. With heterogeneity, this can hold for middle income workers. Lower income workers, by contrast, may benefi tf rom a reallocation.
The Effect of Elevated Temperature on Carbon Monoxide-Induced Incapacitation

Laboratory rats were exposed to experimental concentrations of carbon monoxide in air at ambient temperature, to elevated temperature atmospheres from 40-degrees-C to 60-degrees-C, and to selected CO concentrations in 40-60-degrees-C whole-body environments. Incapacitating potency was evaluated by measuring time-to-incapacitation as a function of CO concentration and/or temperature. Incapacitation occurred earlier when CO inhalation was combined with elevated temperature than when the same parameters were applied individually; a fractionally additive effect was noted. An empirical equation was derived for predicting time-to-incapacitation from CO concentration and temperature data.
Ontogeny of escape swimming performance in the spotted salamander

Summary 1. The life stage suffering the highest predation rate is expected to have the highest escape performance unless developmental or functional constraints interfere. Peak aquatic escape performance in ephemeral pond-breeding amphibians is expected to develop early in the larval period, and metamorphosis is expected to reduce or completely disrupt aquatic escape performance. In anurans, exceptionally low escape performance during metamorphosis creates selection favouring rapid metamorphosis – which minimizes the time individuals spend in the vulnerable transition between tadpole and frog. 2. We investigated the development of aquatic escape performance in the spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw, 1802), from embryonic development through metamorphosis. We expected performance to peak early in the larval period as hatchlings face high rates of predation but embryos must first develop escape behaviours. We also tested whether escape performance during metamorphosis was intermediate, as predicted by tail fin resorption, or lower than larvae and adults indicating a major physiological disruption. 3. Escape performance shows a complex ontogeny that is first positively influenced by embryonic and early larval development and then negatively correlated with tail resorption and body size. Escape distance was the only performance metric not affected by life stage. In contrast, both escape velocity and duration showed ontogenetic peaks early in the larval period with the lowest performance found in early embryos and adults and intermediate performance during metamorphosis. 4. This pattern suggests that metamorphosis does not impose a major physiological disruption on escape performance. Because spotted salamanders do not pass through a frog-like ‘ontogenetic performance valley’ during metamorphosis, they may be less subject than anurans to selection favouring rapid metamorphosis. 5. Functional implications of phenotypic variation should be considered in an ontogenetic framework because the relationship between body size and escape performance can be reversed on either side of an ontogenetic performance peak. The assumption that metamorphosis radically disrupts basic functions such as predator evasion does not seem universally warranted and suggests examination of ontogenetic performance trajectories in a diversity of animals with complex life cycles.
A simple model of global cascades on random networks

The origin of large but rare cascades that are triggered by small initial shocks is a phenomenon that manifests itself as diversely as cultural fads, collective action, the diffusion of norms and innovations, and cascading failures in infrastructure and organizational networks. This paper presents a possible explanation of this phenomenon in terms of a sparse, random network of interacting agents whose decisions are determined by the actions of their neighbors according to a simple threshold rule. Two regimes are identified in which the network is susceptible to very large cascades—herein called global cascades—that occur very rarely. When cascade propagation is limited by the connectivity of the network, a power law distribution of cascade sizes is observed, analogous to the cluster size distribution in standard percolation theory and avalanches in self-organized criticality. But when the network is highly connected, cascade propagation is limited instead by the local stability of the nodes themselves, and the size distribution of cascades is bimodal, implying a more extreme kind of instability that is correspondingly harder to anticipate. In the first regime, where the distribution of network neighbors is highly skewed, it is found that the most connected nodes are far more likely than average nodes to trigger cascades, but not in the second regime. Finally, it is shown that heterogeneity plays an ambiguous role in determining a system's stability: increasingly heterogeneous thresholds make the system more vulnerable to global cascades; but an increasingly heterogeneous degree distribution makes it less vulnerable.
Genetic and environmental contributions to stability and change in children's internalizing and externalizing problems.

Objective To estimate genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental contributions to stability and change in internalizing and externalizing problems. Method Maternal Child Behavior Checklist ratings were obtained for 3,873 twin pairs at age 3 and 1,924 twin pairs at age 7. For 1,575 twin pairs, ratings were available at both ages. Results For Internalizing/Externalizing ratings, genetic, shared, and nonshared environmental factors explained about 59/51%, 10/30%, and 31/19% of the variance at age 3, and 40/52%, 31/32%, and 29/16% of the variance at age 7. The phenotypic correlation of r = 0.38/0.54 between problems assessed at 3 and 7 years of age was explained for 66/55% by genetic factors, for 23/37% by shared environmental factors, and for 11/8% by nonshared environmental factors. The genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental correlations between ages 3 and 7 were 0.51/0.57, 0.47/0.66, and 0.13/0.24, respectively. Conclusions Genetic and shared environmental factors were most important for the stability of Internalizing and Externalizing Problems between ages 3 and 7. Nonshared environmental factors were mainly age-specific. For Internalizing Problems, shared environment may become more important from early to middle childhood.
Reducing power consumption of embedded processors through register file partitioning and compiler support

As embedded processors being widely used in specific application domains, such as communications, multimedia, and networking, the register file has contributed a substantial budget in embedded processor energy consumption due to its long working time for the data intensive computations and the large switching capacitance. It is found that 25% of registers can account for 83% of register file accessing time during many embedded application execution. This fact motivates us to reduce the register file power consumption by partitioning the registers to different regions according to their usage pattern. The most frequently used registers are put in the hot part, and the cold part of register file is rarely accessed. We employ the register file bitline splitting and the drowsy register cell techniques in our design to reduce the overall accessing power of the register file. We propose a novel approach to partition the register file in a way so that the largest power saving can be achieved. We formulate the register file partitioning process into a graph partitioning problem, and apply an effective algorithm to obtain the optimal result. We evaluate our algorithm on MiBench applications, and an average saving of 43.6% in the register file access power consumption over the original non-partitioned register file is achieved for the SimpleScalar PISA system.
Preclinical and clinical development of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor flavopiridol.

Flavopiridol is the first potent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks) to reach clinical trial. In the majority of solid tumor cell lines and xenografts, flavopiridol induces cell cycle arrest and tumor growth inhibition. This is reflected in clinical outcomes: across multiple Phase II trials there are subsets of patients with prolonged stable disease, although few responses have been observed. Flavopiridol displays sequence-dependent cytotoxic synergy with chemotherapy agents. These effects are most marked when chemotherapy precedes flavopiridol. In the case of DNA-damaging agents that impose S-phase delay, flavopiridol-mediated cdk inhibition disrupts the phosphorylation of E2F-1, leading to inappropriate persistence of its activity, inducing apoptotic pathways. This mechanism has been exploited in a Phase I trial of sequential gemcitabine and flavopiridol that has produced promising results. Flavopiridol is also synergistic with taxanes. Inhibition of cyclin B-cdk1 by flavopiridol accelerates exit from an abnormal mitosis associated with taxane-induced cell death and reduces the phosphorylation of survivin, preventing its stabilization and the cellular protection it affords after taxane exposure. The sequential combination of docetaxel and flavopiridol has been investigated in a Phase I trial in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and a randomized Phase II study is under way. Initial schedules of flavopiridol used prolonged continuous infusions that produced nanomolar levels of drug thought to be capable of achieving cdk inhibition based on results in tumor cell lines. Recently, it has been discovered that micromolar concentrations are likely to be more effective, and shorter infusions that achieve a higher Cmax have now been adopted. Loading followed by maintenance infusions are also under development, designed to achieve sustained micromolar drug levels. Clinical trials remain complicated by the absence of pharmacodynamic end points to confirm target inhibition.
Interventional Electrophysiology in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease

“The treatment of congenital heart disease is unsatisfactory. As a rule, nothing can be done to improve patients symptomatically; in some instances digitalis may be of help.” — —L. Emmett Holt, MD, 1933 On August 26, 1938, Dr Robert Gross performed the first successful surgery for a congenital heart defect by closing a patent ductus arteriosus in a 7-year-old girl. The event marked the beginning of an interventional approach to congenital heart disease (CHD) that forever banished the sort of pessimism expressed by Dr Holt in his classic pediatric textbook only 5 years earlier.1 Subsequent diagnostic and operative innovations ultimately led to surgical solutions for nearly all anatomic heart defects, allowing the vast majority of infants born with CHD in the modern era to survive into adulthood. However, improved hemodynamic longevity has exposed alternate sources of morbidity and mortality for this population, central among which are cardiac rhythm disorders. In some instances, arrhythmias are intrinsic to the CHD lesion itself, but in most cases, they arise as an unintended consequence of prior corrective surgery whenever patches and suture lines function in conjunction with hypertrophy and fibrosis to create the substrate for reentrant tachycardias. It is fortunate that improved understanding of rhythm abnormalities in CHD has coincided with the emergence of interventional electrophysiological techniques. Catheter ablation, arrhythmia surgery, pacemakers, and implantable defibrillators have now become indispensable treatment options for this group. It is the purpose of this article to review the application of these tools to CHD with an emphasis on unique technical challenges. Congenital heart defects occur in roughly 0.8% of live births, and in 30% to 50% of cases, the malformations are severe enough to warrant ≥1 surgical procedures during early childhood.2 Arrhythmia mechanisms vary according to the underlying anatomic defect and method of surgical repair. The …
A “FINAL SOLUTION” TO A RECURRENT TRAGEDY?

WHY STATES ENGAGE in mass killing is one of the most important, yet contentious, questions in social science. It is important because, as Benjamin Valentino notes in his new book Final Solutions, s...
Electrochemical Oxidation of 5-Hydroxytryptophan in Acid Solution

The electrochemical oxidation of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTPP) in acid solution proceeds by an initial 1e−, 1H+ reaction to a radical intermediate. This radical can dimerize and three diastereomers of 4,4′-bis(5-hydroxytryptophan) have been isolated and characterized. The radical can also undergo further electrochemical oxidation (1e−, 1H+) to a quinoneimine intermediate. Nucleophilic attack by water on this quinoneimine, followed by further oxidation, gives tryptophan-4,5-dione. Nucleophilic attack by 5-HTPP on the quinoneimine gives a dimeric indolenine which undergoes a complex series of chemical and electrochemical reactions leading ultimately to 4-[4-(6-hydroxyquinolyl)]-5-hydroxytryptophan. Two diastereomers of the latter compound have been isolated and characterized.
Temperature and precipitation controls over soil, leaf and ecosystem level CO2 flux along a woody plant encroachment gradient

Conversion of grasslands to woodlands may alter the sensitivity of CO2 exchange of individual plants and entire ecosystems to air temperature and precipitation. We combined leaf-level gas exchange and ecosystem-level eddy covariance measurements to quantify the effects of plant temperature sensitivity and ecosystem temperature responses within a grassland and mesquite woodland across seasonal precipitation periods. In so doing, we were able to estimate the role of moisture availability on ecosystem temperature sensitivity under large-scale vegetative shifts. Optimum temperatures (Topt) for net photosynthetic assimilation (A) and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) were estimated from a function fitted to A and NEP plotted against air temperature. The convexities of these temperature responses were quantified by the range of temperatures over which a leaf or an ecosystem assimilated 50% of maximum NEP (Ω50). Under dry pre- and postmonsoon conditions, leaf-level Ω50 in C3 shrubs were two-to-three times that of C4 grasses, but under moist monsoon conditions, leaf-level Ω50 was similar between growth forms. At the ecosystems-scale, grassland NEP was more sensitive to precipitation, as evidenced by a 104% increase in maximum NEP at monsoon onset, compared to a 57% increase in the woodland. Also, woodland NEP was greater across all temperatures experienced by both ecosystems in all seasons. By maintaining physiological function across a wider temperature range during water-limited periods, woody plants assimilated larger amounts of carbon. This higher carbon-assimilation capacity may have significant implications for ecosystem responses to projected climate change scenarios of higher temperatures and more variable precipitation, particularly as semiarid regions experience conversions from C4 grasses to C3 shrubs. As regional carbon models, CLM 4.0, are now able to incorporate functional type and photosynthetic pathway differences, this work highlights the need for a better integration of the interactive effects of growth form/functional type and photosynthetic pathway on water resource acquisition and temperature sensitivity.
Vehicle Lighting and Modern Roundabouts: Implications for Pedestrian Safety

Modern roundabout facilities are increasing in number throughout North America and the world. Appropriate vehicle lighting, including the application of intelligent headlighting systems, might help support safe, efficient driving behavior while navigating through these new intersection types. We present the results of a field study conducted to compare different vehicle lighting systems in terms of drivers' ability to detect and identify pedestrian activity, under different amounts of illumination from fixed outdoor lighting systems. The results are compared to analytical predictions of visibility using a validated visual performance model. Language: en
Sensitive and Tolerant Raters Differ in Their Magnitude Estimates of Extremely Violent Behaviors

A 2007 study indicated severity of violence of several behaviors can be rated consistently, such that an individual's average rating across the behaviors can serve as a measure of sensitivity to violence. However, violence-sensitive and violence-tolerant raters in that study gave similar high scale ratings of severity of violence for extremely violent behaviors such as murder and stabbing. In the present study an open-ended magnitude estimation response scale was used by 27 participants to examine impressions of the severity of violence of 38 behaviors. There was a positive correlation between estimates of severity for extreme physical violence and estimates for lower severity of violence. This result indicates that the earlier finding of apparent equivalence of sensitive and tolerant individuals did not signify agreement about extremely violent behaviors but was a ceiling effect arising from the closed-ended response scale used. Violence-sensitive and violence-tolerant individuals seem to have different attitudes toward all types of violence.
THE BAYANO CUNA INDIANS, PANAMA: AN ECOLOGICAL STUDY OF LIVELIHOOD AND DIET1

KNOWLEDGE of the ecology of tropical forest people in pre-Columbian America is very far from complete. Much of the information we possess has been gleaned from the accounts of soldiers and crown officers, who were in the New World tropics during the first century of Spanish and Portuguese conquest and colonization. Although many of the accounts are outstanding for their accuracy, they seldom provide us with more than a glimpse into aboriginal ecology. By the time modem anthropological and geographical field studies were begun the ecological structures of many Indian groups had been severely modified, and the pre-Columbian land-man relationships had all but vanished. We can no longer hope to find tropical Amerinds who retain ecological patterns unchanged since before the conquest, but there are a few groups which retain some semblance of the aboriginal ecology, and such groups invite investigation before the opportunities they present are lost. One such group is the Bayano Cuna Indians,2 located in the region of the upper Rio
A graph-based signal flow direction assignment method for CMOS circuits

Signal flow direction (SFD) assignment for CMOS transistors plays an important role in many VLSI CAD tools. The authors present a new graph-based SFD assignment method. It has a linear time performance for circuits that can be parallel-serial reduced. For circuits which are not completely reduced, their sizes are usually very small and an exhaustive search algorithm can assign SFDs quickly. SFD assignment is guided by a nonheuristic rule which provides a simple universal view of different circuit structures. The SFDs derived by this method have a favorable containment property. Experimental results show that the method is very efficient compared to existing approaches. >
Fading Curves and Weather Conditions

Sunset fading curves from Station KDKA were made at Morgantown with a Shaw Recorder during April and May, 1927. The curves taken on fine days show more irregularity during the daylight hours than those taken on cloudy days. It was found that the signal strength from KDKA during the dark hours sometimes fell far below the daylight strength. A falling curve indicates clearing weather for the next day while a rising curve is followed by cloudy weather or rain.
Benefits of Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) in Mammographic Diagnosis of Malignant and Benign Clustered Microcalcifications

We are developing a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) scheme to assist radiologists make improved diagnoses of malignant and benign clustered microcalcifications. Traditionally, only 15–30% of breast biopsies for non-palpable lesions result in the discovery of breast malignancies, while the majority of these procedures are performed on benign lesions [1]–[3]. Breast biopsy is invasive, resource intensive, expensive and traumatic. Benign-outcome biopsy (i.e., false-positive mammograms) is a major impediment for the general public to benefit from screening mammography [4], even when screening mammography has been shown to reduce breast cancer mortality by as much as 30%.
The LCDROOT Analysis Package

The North American Linear Collider Detector group has developed simulation and analysis program packages. LCDROOT is one of the packages, and is based on ROOT and the C++ programing language to maximally benefit from object oriented programming techniques. LCDROOT is constantly improved and now has a new topological vertex finder, ZVTOP3. In this proceeding, the features of the LCDROOT simulation are briefly described.
A disrupter of actin microfilaments impairs sulfonylurea-inhibitory gating of cardiac KATP channels

The efficacy with which sulfonylurea drugs inhibit cardiac ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels is reduced during metabolic compromise and cellular contracture. Disruption of the actin microfilament network, which occurs under similar conditions, reduces the sensitivity of the channel toward intracellular ATP. To investigate whether a disrupter of actin microfilaments could also affect the responsiveness of the KATP channel to sulfonylurea drugs, single-channel currents were measured in the inside-out configuration of excised patches from guinea pig ventricular myocytes. Treatment of the internal side of patches with deoxyribonuclease (DNase) I (100 micrograms/ml), which forms complexes with G actin and prevents actin filament formation, antagonized sulfonylurea-induced inhibition of KATP channels that was coupled with a loss of sensitivity to ATP. The apparent dissociation constant and Hill coefficient for the inhibitory effect of glyburide, a prototype sulfonylurea, on KATP-channel opening were, respectively, 0.13 microM and 0.95 before and 2.7 microM and 0.98 after DNase treatment. DNase did not alter intraburst kinetic properties of the channel. When DNase was denatured or coincubated with purified actin (200 micrograms/ml), it no longer decreased glyburide-induced channel inhibition. This suggests that sulfonylurea-inhibitory gating of cardiac KATP channels may also be regulated through a mechanism involving subsarcolemmal actin microfilament networks.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PHASES OF THE EL NIÑO–SOUTHERN OSCILLATION AND CHARACTER OF THE TORNADO SEASON IN THE SOUTH-CENTRAL UNITED STATES

Warm El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, indicated by large negative values of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), are significantly correlated with decreases in the frequency of strong and violent tornadoes (Fujita scale F2 to F5) between February and July in two regions of the south-central United States from 1955 to 1994. Cold ENSO events, indicated by large positive values of SOI, are significantly correlated with higher incidences of F2 to F5 tornadoes during the warm convective seasons in the same regions: the Mid-South (MSO) and the Southern Low Plains (SLP). Rossby waves, influenced by ENSO, aid in determining the mesoscale thermodynamic seasonal climatology of the central states. These large-scale upper-level circulation patterns can affect the frequency of significant tornadoes during the primary convective season through changes to atmospheric buoyancy; specifically, cap strength may be attenuated during warm events and enhanced during cold events. Upper air flow patterns suggest a re...
Loss of tumor suppressor Merlin results in aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cancer.

// K. Adam Morrow 1, * , Shamik Das 2, * , Erhong Meng 2 , Mitchell E. Menezes 1 , Sarah K. Bailey 2 , Brandon J. Metge 2 , Donald J. Buchsbaum 3, 4 , Rajeev S. Samant 2, 4 , Lalita A. Shevde 2, 4 1 Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA 2 Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA 3 Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA 4 Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Lalita A. Shevde, e-mail: lsamant@uab.edu Keywords: NF2, Merlin, breast cancer, Wnt, β-catenin Received: September 22, 2015 Accepted: February 11, 2016 Published: February 19, 2016 ABSTRACT The expression of the tumor suppressor Merlin is compromised in nervous system malignancies due to genomic aberrations. We demonstrated for the first time, that in breast cancer, Merlin protein expression is lost due to proteasome-mediated elimination. Immunohistochemical analysis of tumor tissues from patients with metastatic breast cancer revealed characteristically reduced Merlin expression. Importantly, we identified a functional role for Merlin in impeding breast tumor xenograft growth and reducing invasive characteristics. We sought to determine a possible mechanism by which Merlin accomplishes this reduction in malignant activity. We observed that breast and pancreatic cancer cells with loss of Merlin show an aberrant increase in the activity of β-catenin concomitant with nuclear localization of β-catenin. We discovered that Merlin physically interacts with β-catenin, alters the sub-cellular localization of β-catenin, and significantly reduces the protein levels of β-catenin by targeting it for degradation through the upregulation of Axin1. Consequently, restoration of Merlin inhibited β-catenin-mediated transcriptional activity in breast and pancreatic cancer cells. We also present evidence that loss of Merlin sensitizes tumor cells to inhibition by compounds that target β-catenin-mediated activity. Thus, this study provides compelling evidence that Merlin reduces the malignant activity of pancreatic and breast cancer, in part by suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Given the potent role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in breast and pancreatic cancer and the flurry of activity to test β-catenin inhibitors in the clinic, our findings are opportune and provide evidence for Merlin in restraining aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
Biodistribution of55Fe (II) phthalocyanine tetrasulphonate (55Fe (II)-TsPc)

Phthalocyanines may be an alternative group of macrocycles applicable for use in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer. Although as a class, phthalocyanines localize in tumours, efficacy of cytotoxicity appears to depend to some degree on the specific compound. Biodistribution patterns of the phthalocyanines are similar to those for dihaematoporphyrin ether (DHE); the major sites of deposition being liver, kidney and spleen while the remaining organs show varying degrees of accumulation. The optimal time for PDT when using phthalocyanine appears to be between 24 and 48 h.
Abstract 5345: MicroRNA mediated regulation of a novel gene, MIEN1, in cancer metastasis.

Migration and invasion enhancer gene 1(MIEN1), previously known as C17orf37, C35, ORB3, XTP4, RDX12, and MGC14832, is located in the 17q12 region of the human chromosome. MIEN1 expression is minimal to negligible in normal cells and tissues compared to its abundant expression in various cancers, including breast, prostate, oral and gastrointestinal carcinomas. MIEN1 works as a signaling molecule through the AKT/NF-κB pathway by up-regulating key proteases, matrix metalloproteinase - 9, urokinase - type plasminogen activator and vascular endothelial growth factor. We have shown that MIEN1 plays an important role in the migration and invasion of cancer through increased filopodia formation, hence promoting metastasis. The overall objective of this study is to identify the mechanisms that lead to the differential regulation of MIEN1 between normal and cancer cells. Our hypothesis is that MIEN1 is post-transcriptionally regulated by specific microRNA(s) that is (are) down-regulated in cancer, thus explaining its aberrant increased expression in cancer. MicroRNA expression profiling pattern predict several microRNAs that can directly bind to 3′UTR of MIEN1 mRNA. In silico analysis followed by northern blotting and real time PCR indicate a novel microRNA that regulates MIEN1 expression. This was further confirmed by decrease or increase in RNA and protein levels of MIEN1 as well as its downstream signaling effectors, upon microRNA mimic or inhibitor addition, respectively. Direct binding of the microRNA with MIEN1 mRNA was further confirmed by luciferase reporter assays, while the scratch wound healing and tumor invasion assays showed the functional significance of this microRNA on migration and invasion. Since the importance of MIEN1 as a key signaling molecule in cancer is well established, understanding the mechanism(s) involved in the regulation of MIEN1 will aid in designing novel and effective therapeutic strategies to treat cancer patients. Citation Format: Smrithi Rajendiran, Jamboor K. Vishwanatha. MicroRNA mediated regulation of a novel gene, MIEN1, in cancer metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5345. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5345
Cimetidine reduces running-associated gastrointestinal bleeding. A prospective observation.

A prospective observational study was undertaken to compare the effect of cimetidine usage immediately before and during a 100-mile running race on the frequency of detectable gastrointestinal bleeding and to relate these data to the frequency and intensity of gastrointestinal symptoms and to training data collected from pre- and postrace questionnaires. Nine of 25 runners in the 1989 Old Dominion 100-mile Endurance Race took 800 mg of cimetidine 1 hr before the start and at 50 miles. Sixteen other runners acted as controls and were not different in age, gender, or training data. All runners also submitted three stool specimens from the week before the race and from the first three bowel movements after the race on standard Hemoccult cards. All runners were Hemoccult negative before the race. One of the 9 (11%) cimetidine runners and 14 of the 16 (87.5%) control runners were Hemoccult positive afterwards (P≤0.05). Nausea and vomiting were less in those runners taking cimetidine (P≤0.05). There was no difference in the race performance as related to the ability to finish or in the number of miles run during the race. This study may help to define the etiology of this common gastrointestinal bleeding in these ultradistance runners and may be useful in preventing some of the symptoms associated with long-distance running.
The relation between vitamin D and postural balance according to clinical tests and tetrax posturography

[Purpose] To evaluate the association between Vitamin D and risk of falling, balance, and lower extremity neuromuscular function in women aged 60 and above by using Tetrax posturography. [Subjects and Methods] A total 200 women were classified based on their 25-OH-vitamin D (25(OH)D) values: hypo-vitaminosis group (less than 50.0 nmol/l) and normal group (50.0 more). Balance was measured using a Tetrax® posturography device (Sunlight Medical Ltd, Israel). Falling risk, stability index (SI), and weight distribution index (WDI) were calculated. Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were used as the clinical tests. [Results] Standing balance, gait, chair stand performance and total SPPB scores were significantly better in the patients with serum 25(OH)D levels higher than 50.0 nmol/l. Similarly, falling risk and SI values in the most of the postures were significantly higher in the hypovitaminosis group. There were significant associations between serum 25(OH)D levels with SPPB total score and Tetrax-measured falling risk. [Conclusion] This study showed better balance control, lower extremity function, and reduced falling risk in patients with serum 25(OH)D levels higher than 50.0 nmol/l in women aged 60 and above.
Study on Inhibiting Effects of Two Compound Chinese Herbal Drugs on Human Cancer Lines SY5Y and A549

Purpose: Study the inhibiting effects of compound Chinese herbal drug I and Ⅱon human cancer lines SY5Y and A549. Methods: MTT assay was used to determine the anti-proliferous effects of two drugs. Flow cytometry was performed to investigate the influence of the drugs on cell-cycle. Clones formation rate and the morphological changes of SY5Y and A549 were also observed. Results: The two Chinese herbal drugs inhibited the growth of two human cancer cell lines respectively to the different extent without obvious signs of apoptosis, the decrease of clones formation rate of the cancer cells, the morphological changes of cancer cells. Conclusion: The two drugs exert a good inhibiting effect on the proliferation of two human cancer cell lines in vitro.
The Lowering Effects of Plant Sterol and Stanol on Cholesterol and Their Safety

Plant Sterol and stanol compose the new typical functional food which is one of the functional foods recommended by the the Institute of the National Life Scicence. Plant Sterol and stanol esterified currently applied in foods that can produce lowering of the serum cholesterol level. Efficacy and safety were considered the most important issue when referring to functional food. So, the article summary the studies on these two aspects—effects of cholesterol decrese and evaluation of safety.
The importance of cross-validation, accuracy, and precision for measuring plumage color: A comment on Vaquero-Alba et al. (2016)

ABSTRACT Vaquero-Alba and colleagues published a study in The Auk: Ornithological Advances comparing objective color measurements of plumage taken in the field directly on a bird's body to those taken in the lab on collected feathers arranged to emulate the appearance of a bird's natural plumage. Although the field measures of plumage color were less repeatable than lab measures, the authors concluded that measurements taken in the field were more representative of a bird's “true color.” Accordingly, they recommend that researchers should bring spectrophotometers into the field to measure color on live birds. We question the assumption that their field measurements represent true color and highlight concerns regarding their experimental design and methodology. Because they did not measure color of live birds in the lab or the color of plucked feathers in the field, they cannot directly test whether the assessment of color in the field on a live bird is superior. Also, rather than assume field measures are...
Selective chest imaging for blunt trauma patients: The national emergency X-ray utilization studies (NEXUS-chest algorithm)

Chest imaging plays a prominent role in blunt trauma patient evaluation, but indiscriminate imaging is expensive, may delay care, and unnecessarily exposes patients to potentially harmful ionizing radiation. To improve diagnostic chest imaging utilization, we conducted 3 prospective multicenter studies over 12years to derive and validate decision instruments (DIs) to guide the use of chest x-ray (CXR) and chest computed tomography (CT). The first DI, NEXUS Chest x-ray, consists of seven criteria (Age >60years; rapid deceleration mechanism; chest pain; intoxication; altered mental status; distracting painful injury; and chest wall tenderness) and exhibits a sensitivity of 99.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 98.2-99.4%) and a specificity of 13.3% (95% CI, 12.6%-14.0%) for detecting clinically significant injuries. We developed two NEXUS Chest CT DIs, which are both highly reliable in detecting clinically major injuries (sensitivity of 99.2%; 95% CI 95.4-100%). Designed primarily to focus on detecting major injuries, the NEXUS Chest CT-Major DI consists of six criteria (abnormal CXR; distracting injury; chest wall tenderness; sternal tenderness; thoracic spine tenderness; and scapular tenderness) and exhibits higher specificity (37.9%; 95% CI 35.8-40.1%). Designed to reliability detect both major and minor injuries (sensitivity 95.4%; 95% CI 93.6-96.9%) with resulting lower specificity (25.5%; 95% CI 23.5-27.5%), the NEXUS CT-All rule consists of seven elements (the six NEXUS CT-Major criteria plus rapid deceleration mechanism). The purpose of this review is to synthesize the three DIs into a novel, cohesive summary algorithm with practical implementation recommendations to guide selective chest imaging in adult blunt trauma patients.
Palestinian Islamic Court Records: A Source for Socioeconomic History*

The Major Lacuna in Palestinian historiography is the lack of social and economic histories, especially for the Ottoman period.Sijillāt al-maḥākim airshar‘īya (records of the Islamic religious courts), preserved in the major cities and towns of historic Palestine, are local Palestinian archives which can go a long way towards filling this gap. These records, some of which date from the first decades of the Ottoman occupation to the present, are akin to a people’s history. Literally hundreds of volumes illustrate in a concrete and detailed manner nearly every aspect of daily human interaction – be it in the personal, social, economic, religious, or administrative fields.
Na/K-ATPase Signaling and Salt Sensitivity: The Role of Oxidative Stress

Other than genetic regulation of salt sensitivity of blood pressure, many factors have been shown to regulate renal sodium handling which contributes to long-term blood pressure regulation and have been extensively reviewed. Here we present our progress on the Na/K-ATPase signaling mediated sodium reabsorption in renal proximal tubules, from cardiotonic steroids-mediated to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated Na/K-ATPase signaling that contributes to experimental salt sensitivity.
Depression and executive functioning deficits predict poor occupational functioning in a large longitudinal sample with bipolar disorder

Abstract Background Bipolar Disorder (BD) is characterized by impairments in psychosocial functioning with occupational disability being one of the most significant. Depression and neurocognitive deficits are features of BD most commonly associated with poor occupational functioning (OF). Few studies have examined these features over an extended period of time focusing on distinct aspects of work functioning. Methods This longitudinal study included 273 adults with bipolar I disorder (N=173), bipolar II disorder (N=69), and bipolar not otherwise specified (N=31). The participants underwent an annual clinical assessment, neuropsychological testing, and work functioning measures over 5 years. We employed multilevel modeling (MLM) to determine which demographic, clinical, and neurocognitive characteristics influence 4 aspects of work functioning (work attendance, conflict, enjoyment, performance) over this 5-year period. Limitations Work functioning was measured using a self-report measure, which may be confounded by responder bias and is not tailored for distinct occupations. Due to insufficient power, medication use was not accounted for and our sample may not generalize to the broader BD population. Results Using MLM, those with higher levels of depression and greater cognitive flexibility deficits were more likely to experience poorer work attendance ( p p p Conclusions This study emphasizes the need for interventions that specifically focus on the treatment of depressive symptoms and neurocognitive deficits within the context of work functioning, particularly attendance at work, to enable BD patients to live more productive, financially secure, and satisfying lives.
When Cultural Norms Discourage Talking to Babies: Effectiveness of a Parenting Program in Rural Senegal.

In some areas of rural Africa, long-standing cultural traditions and beliefs may discourage parents from verbally engaging with their young children. This study assessed the effectiveness of a parenting program designed to encourage verbal engagement between caregivers and infants in Wolof-speaking villages in rural Senegal. Caregivers (n = 443) and their 4- to 31-month-old children were observed at baseline in 2013 and 1 year later at follow-up. Results showed that caregivers in program villages nearly doubled the amount of child-directed speech during a play session compared to baseline, whereas caregivers in matched comparison villages showed no change. After 1 year, children in program villages produced more utterances, and showed greater improvement in vocabulary and other language outcomes compared to children in comparison villages.
Diagnosis and Evaluation of Small Fiber Peripheral Neuropathy in Children

Dysfunction restricted to small peripheral nerve fibers (primarily sensory and autonomic) is not detected by standard nerve conduction studies or needle electromyography. This chapter discusses presenting symptoms, differential diagnosis and evaluation of small nerve fiber dysfunction in children. Clinical neurophysiologists who evaluate infants and children need to have a special skill set and knowledge base. This is due to the fact that the differential diagnosis of neurologic disorders, including small fiber neuropathies, is much broader in young patients and includes rare, inherited, congenital onset disorders which present primarily at birth or during the early years of life. In addition, the ability of infants and children to communicate their experience or explain themselves is limited by their life experiences, their cognition/perception and their vocabulary/language skills.
Reimagining the Research Approach to Tuberculosis

Controlling and ultimately ending tuberculosis (TB) as a public health scourge will require a multifaceted and comprehensive approach involving the intensification of public health efforts, including scaling-up the delivery of current diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic tools. However, a critically important element in the effort to end TB is an accelerated biomedical research effort to address the many unanswered questions about the disease process itself and to develop improved and innovative countermeasures. An intensive effort toward these research goals will facilitate the achievement of the aspirational goal of ending TB.
Insights into Chimeric Antigen Receptor Therapy for Chronic Lymphoblastic Leukemia

In a recent study, Fraietta and colleagues identified chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell biomarkers that may predict the success or failure of CAR therapy in patients with refractory chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (CLL). These findings open new prospects for improving T cell product manufacturing and the management of patients with CLL undergoing T cell-based therapies.
Special Relativity — Kinetics

Kinetics is the study of the motion of material objects under the action of forces. Forces cause objects to accelerate, that is, to change their velocity. In spacetime, acceleration makes worldlines curve. In this way the physics of forces is tied to the geometry of spacetime. The starting point is Newton’s three laws of motion.
Griseofulvin: Association with tubulin and inhibition of in vitro microtubule assembly

Abstract Griseofulvin—shown previously to disrupt the mitotic apparatus in vivo —inhibited the in vitro microtubule assembly reaction completely at 8 × 10−4M griseofulvin. In a gel filtration assay, randomly tritiated griseofulvin associated stoichiometrically with purified tubulin, as determined by chromatography on Sephadex G-25. No detectable drug binding was observed when bovine serum albumin was used as a control in an identical column assay. Both gel filtration chromatography and a kinetic analysis of the inhibition of assembly by griseofulvin suggest that the drug interacts directly and stoichimetrically with the tubulin dimer, and that the interaction is both rapid and independent of temperature.
Hepatitis E virus: a brief review of the biology, molecular virology, and immunology of a novel virus

Our basic understanding of the biology, molecular virology, and immunology of hepatitis E virus (HEV) is briefly reviewed. HEV is a small, round, nonenveloped virus with morphologic and biophysical properties most similar to viruses found in the family Caliciviridae. The genome of HEV is approximately 7.5 kb in length and consists of a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA molecule that contains three distinct open reading frames (ORF1, ORF2, ORF3) that appear to encode for nonstructural and structural proteins based on the presence of well-defined consensus motifs and genomic organization similar to those of other calici- or calici-like viruses. Limited epitope mapping of the viral genome with synthetic peptides has revealed the presence of highly immunoreactive type-common and type-specific epitopes; these finding are consistent with the results of other studies that used recombinant expressed proteins from both the nonstructural and structural regions of the derived viral proteins encoded by ORFs 1, 2, and 3. Synthetic peptides and recombinant expressed proteins have been used to develop Western blot assays and enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for the detection of IgA, IgG, and IgM anti-HEV in human and primate sera. Knowledge of the dynamics of HEV antigen and antibody expression in experimentally-infected primates is emerging, and prototype vaccines have been developed with recombinant expressed ORF2 and ORF3 proteins. Limited seroprevalence studies of anti-HEV in endemic and nonendemic regions of the world using one or more of the above assays has revealed a strong correlation between level of sanitation and incidence of disease and prevalence of anti-HEV.
A path to defining excellence in intensive treatment for eating disorders

In the United States, the past decade has seen rapid growth in treatment centers providing specialty care to patients with eating disorders. Much of this growth has been in higher levels of care, including hospital-based and residential treatment. Despite this expansion, there remains lack of agreement regarding the most important components of care, such as staff training or specifics of treatment delivery. Additionally there is no consensus on how best to assess outcome and compare performance across programs. This leaves patients, families, public and private insurance programs, and policy makers with limited information to help facilitate treatment decisions. The present paper considers implications of these changes in the eating disorder treatment landscape and examines two ideas that, if implemented, may enhance the quality of eating disorder care. First, we explore the proposal to develop a network of centers of excellence in eating disorder treatment and the value this may have for improving overall treatment quality. This idea was discussed at an expert meeting held at SAMSHA in 2017 regarding issues important to the field following passage of the 21st Century Cures Act. Second, we consider the potential utility of a study using the Delphi method to promote expert consensus regarding clinical outcome assessments.