cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
B4-1: An Overview of Kaiser Permanente’s Research Program on Genes, Environment, and Health

Background/Aims The Research Program on Genes, Environment, and Health (RPGEH) is a large, population-based resource for genetic epidemiology developed by scientists at the Kaiser Permanente (KP) Northern California Division of Research. The goal of this program is to link research data for 500,000 broadly consented health plan members, including longitudinal electronic medical records (EMR), genomic data from biospecimens, and environmental exposure data from surveys and geographic information system (GIS) databases in order to support research on many different health conditions.
Caveolin-1 Associated Adenovirus Entry into Human Corneal Cells

The cellular entry of viruses represents a critical area of study, not only for viral tropism, but also because viral entry dictates the nature of the immune response elicited upon infection. Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC), caused by viruses within human adenovirus species D (HAdV-D), is a severe, ocular surface infection associated with corneal inflammation. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis has previously been shown to play a critical role in entry of other HAdV species into many host cell types. However, HAdV-D endocytosis into corneal cells has not been extensively studied. Herein, we show an essential role for cholesterol rich, lipid raft microdomains and caveolin-1, in the entry of HAdV-D37 into primary human corneal fibroblasts. Cholesterol depletion using methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) profoundly reduced viral infection. When replenished with soluble cholesterol, the effect of MβCD was reversed, allowing productive viral infection. HAdV-D37 DNA was identified in caveolin-1 rich endosomal fractions after infection. Src kinase activity was also increased in caveolin-1 rich endosomal fractions after infection, and Src phosphorylation and CXCL1 induction were both decreased in caveolin-1-/- mice corneas compared to wild type mice. siRNA knock down of caveolin-1 in corneal cells reduced chemokine induction upon viral infection, and caveolin-1-/- mouse corneas showed reduced cellular entry of HAdV-D37. As a control, HAdV-C2, a non-corneal pathogen, appeared to utilize the caveolar pathway for entry into A549 cells, but failed to infect corneal cells entirely, indicating virus and cell specific tropism. Immuno-electron microscopy confirmed the presence of caveolin-1 in HAdV-D37-containing vesicles during the earliest stages of viral entry. Collectively, these experiments indicate for the first time that HAdV-D37 uses a lipid raft mediated caveolin-1 associated pathway for entry into corneal cells, and connects the processes of viral entry with downstream proinflammatory cell signaling.
Edge-based finite-element method as applied to deterministic bounded problems

The edge-based finite-element method is employed to analyze deterministic bounded problems. As an example, the cross-talk levels, between the signal tracks of a shielded printed circuit board (PCB), are computed. The computed resonant frequencies are found to be in excellent agreement with analytical solutions. The solution is two-dimensional, and the system matrix is sparse and symmetric. >
Relation of Pre-anthracycline Serum Bilirubin Levels to Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction After Chemotherapy.

Myocardial injury because of oxidative stress manifesting through reductions in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) may occur after the administration of anthracycline-based chemotherapy (A-bC). We hypothesized that bilirubin, an effective endogenous antioxidant, may attenuate the reduction in LVEF that sometimes occurs after receipt of A-bC. We identified 751 consecutively treated patients with cancer who underwent a pre-A-bC LVEF measurement, exhibited a serum total bilirubin level 15% decrease in LVEF compared with those in group 3 (p = 0.039). After adjusting for age, coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, hematocrit, and the use of cardioactive medications, higher precancer treatment bilirubin levels and lesser total anthracycline doses were associated with LVEF preservation (p = 0.047 and 0.011, respectively). In patients treated with anthracyclines who subsequently develop symptoms associated with heart failure, pre-anthracycline treatment serum bilirubin levels inversely correlate with subsequent deterioration in post-cancer treatment LVEF. In conclusion, these results suggest that increased levels of circulating serum total bilirubin, an intrinsic antioxidant, may facilitate preservation of LVEF in patients receiving A-bC for cancer.
The politics of culture and knowledge after postcolonialism: Nine theses (and a prologue)

Whatever the achievements of postcolonial studies, its practitioners were evasive about some fundamental questions that must be grasped if we are to strive for more ecumenical futures. This paper puts forward nine theses, commencing with the claim that postcolonial theory mounted an effective epistemological critique neither of the nation-state nor of history. It disavowed any substantive interest in civilizational dialogues and similarly shows its affinity with the dominant intellectual traditions of the West in its refusal to take the idea of nonviolence seriously. Howsoever much of the classic forms of oppression remain with us, it is critical to understand that oppression will increasingly be exercised through an imperialism of categories associated with modern knowledge systems. We shall perhaps have to think of the dissent that is beyond dissent if we are to achieve a more equitable state of affairs than can be presently comprehended.
Occupational health issues amongst UK doctors: a literature review

Background Around 1.1 million people suffer from occupational health diseases in the UK. Work-related conditions reported by doctors include mental health disorders, musculoskeletal problems and skin disorders. Aims To investigate the prevalence of occupational illness in UK doctors from different specialties. Methods A literature search conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE® and Health Management Information Consortium (HMIC) identified relevant research about doctors between the years 1990 and 2013. Results Seventy-two papers were identified. The majority of studies were cross-sectional with no random ized controlled trials or meta-analyses found. Mental health issues including burnout were widely reported and were attributed to greater job constraints, managerial issues, difficulty with clinical cases and lack of job satisfaction. Substance abuse in doctors was reported to be a risk of maladaptive coping mechanisms and was associated with early retirement. Surgeons were reported as being at greatest risk of needle-stick injuries and musculoskeletal pain. Orthopaedic surgeons were reported to be at risk of noise-induced hearing loss as a result of the use of air-powered and electric drills. There was limited research found concerning contact dermatitis and work-related malignancies amongst doctors in the UK. Conclusions Our literature review found research on UK doctors for a variety of work-related illnesses with the prevalence varying depending on both specialty and seniority. This could have adverse effects both on the individual and the provision of patient care. Further studies are required to investigate the epidemiology of noise-induced hearing loss, nosocomial infections, skin-related disorders and work-related malignancies.
Vibration of Tensioned Beams with Intermediate Damper. I: Formulation, Influence of Damper Location

Exact analytical solutions are formulated for free vibrations of tensioned beams with an intermediate viscous damper. The dynamic stiffness method is used in the problem formulation, and characteristic equations are obtained for both clamped and pinned supports. The complex eigenfrequencies form loci in the complex plane that originate at the undamped eigenfrequencies and terminate at the eigenfrequencies of the fully locked system, in which the damper acts as an intermediate pin support. The fully locked eigenfrequencies exhibit “curve veering,” in which adjacent eigenfrequencies approach and then veer apart as the damper passes a node of an undamped mode shape. Consideration of the evolution of the eigenfrequency loci with varying damper location reveals three distinct regimes of behavior, which prevail from the taut-string limit to the case of a beam without tension. The second regime corresponds to damper locations near the first antinode of a given undamped mode shape; in this regime, the loci bend b...
Ascorbic acid and ascorbate-2-phosphate decrease HIF activity and malignant properties of human melanoma cells

Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is thought to play a role in melanoma carcinogenesis. Posttranslational regulation of HIF-1α is dependent on Prolyl hydroxylase (PHD 1–3) and Factor Inhibiting HIF (FIH) hydroxylase enzymes, which require ascorbic acid as a co-factor for optimal function. Depleted intra-tumoral ascorbic acid may thus play a role in the loss of HIF-1α regulation in melanoma. These studies assess the ability of ascorbic acid to reduce HIF-1α protein and transcriptional activity in metastatic melanoma and reduce its invasive potential. HIF-1α protein was evaluated by western blot, while transcriptional activity was measured by HIF-1 HRE-luciferase reporter gene activity. Melanoma cells were treated with ascorbic acid (AA) and ascorbate 2-phosphate (A2P) to assess their ability to reduce HIF-1α accumulation and activity. siRNA was used to deplete cellular PHD2 in order to evaluate this effect on AA’s ability to lower HIF-1α levels. A2P’s effect on invasive activity was measured by the Matrigel invasion assay. Data was analyzed by One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test, or Student-T test as appropriate, with p < .05 considered significant. Supplementation with both AA and A2P antagonized normoxic as well as cobalt chloride- and PHD inhibitor ethyl 3, 4-dihydroxybenzoate induced HIF-1α protein stabilization and transcriptional activity. Knockdown of the PHD2 isoform with siRNA did not impede the ability of AA to reduce normoxic HIF-1α protein. Additionally, reducing HIF-1α levels with A2P resulted in a significant reduction in the ability of the melanoma cells to invade through Matrigel. These studies suggest a positive role for AA in regulating HIF-1α in melanoma by demonstrating that supplementation with either AA, or its oxidation-resistant analog A2P, effectively reduces HIF-1α protein and transcriptional activity in metastatic melanoma cells. Our data, while supporting the function of AA as a necessary cofactor for PHD and likely FIH activity, also suggests a potential non-PHD/FIH role for AA in HIF-1α regulation by its continued ability to reduce HIF-1α in the presence of PHD inhibition. The use of the oxidation-resistant AA analog, A2P, to reduce the ability of HIF-1α to promote malignant progression in melanoma cells and enhance their response to therapy warrants further investigation.
Perceived partner responsiveness moderates the association between received emotional support and all-cause mortality.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether perceived partner responsiveness (PPR) moderates the association between received partner emotional support (RPES) and all-cause mortality in a national U.S. sample. Method: Data were from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, a national probability survey of health and aging. Participants included respondents who were married or cohabiting with a romantic partner. Results: Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated that after adjusting for demographics, physical health status, health behaviors, psychological symptoms, and personality traits, high RPES was associated with increased mortality risk among participants who reported low PPR, but it was unrelated to mortality risk among participants who reported high PPR. Conclusions: This study is the first to document that perceived partner responsiveness moderates the association between received partner emotional support and mortality risk, thus contributing to the literature on the contextual factors altering the effects of received support on health outcomes.
Marijuana use is associated with risky sexual behaviors in treatment-seeking polysubstance abusers

AbstractBackground: Multiple types of substance use are associated with HIV risk behaviors, but relatively little research has examined the association between marijuana use and risky sexual activities in treatment-seeking polysubstance abusing patients. Objectives: This study evaluated the relationship between marijuana use and sexual behaviors in 239 patients with cocaine, opioid or alcohol use disorders who were initiating outpatient substance use treatment. Methods: Participants completed the HIV Risk Behavior Scale and were classified into one of three groups based on their marijuana use histories: never (n = 66), past but not current use (n = 124) or current use (n = 49). Results: Compared to never marijuana users, current and former marijuana users had a greater likelihood of having more than 50 lifetime sexual partners (odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.9 [1.0–15.7] and 5.2 [1.6–17.3], respectively). Former marijuana users had increased risk of low frequency condom use with casu...
Subcutaneous Melatonin Implants Inhibit Reproductive Atrophy in Male Hamsters Induced by Daily Melatonin Injections

Daily afternoon (at 7 p.m.) injections of melatonin (25 μg in oil) into adult male hamsters for 50 days led to atrophy of the testes and accessory sex organs (seminal vesicles and coagulating glands) and in a significant depression in pituitary LH and prolactin content and concentration. These actions of melatonin were prevented if the animals had been pinealectomized before the daily melatonin injections were begun. Likewise, if hamsters received a weekly subcutaneous implant of melatonin in beeswax (1 mg melatonin in 24 mg beeswax) the daily melatonin injections failed to inhibit the growth of the reproductive organs and to depress pituitary LH and prolactin levels. Beeswax by itself had no such effect.
Radical Pair Mechanism of Chemically Induced Magnetic Polarization

Chemically induced magnetic polarization (CIMP) refers to various processes whereby free radical reactions in liquids lead to nonequilibrium population of the nuclear spin states of the products and reactants, and similar anomalies in the electron spin state population of the free radical intermediates. The nuclear and electron polarizations are referred to as chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) and chemically induced electron polarization (CIDEP), respectively. The first case of CIMP is probably the 1963 observation by Fessenden and Schuler of CIDEP in the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of H and D atoms produced by electron bombardment of liquid CH4 and CD4 [1]. This observation undoubtedly stimulated some theoretical work; however, no satisfactory explanation resulted. In hindsight, given the limited experimental data and the then unknown complexity of the CIDEP mechanism, this failure is quite understandable. It was the numerous observations of CIDNP in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, beginning in 1967 with the work of Bargon, Fischer and Johnson [2] and Ward and Lawler [3], that provided both stimulus and a sizable body of experimental data to work which led to satisfactory understanding of most CIMP phenomena [4].
Object Detection and Tracking in Wide Area Surveillance Using Thermal Imagery

The main objective behind this thesis is to examine how existing vision-based detection and tracking algorithms perform in thermal imagery-based video surveillance. While color-based surveillance has been extensively studied, these techniques can not be used during low illumination, at night, or with lighting changes and shadows which limits their applicability. The main contributions in this thesis are (1) the creation of a new color-thermal dataset, (2) a detailed performance comparison of different color-based detection and tracking algorithms on thermal data and (3) the proposal of an adaptive neural network for false detection rejection. Since there are not many publicly available datasets for thermal-video surveillance, a new UNLV Thermal Color Pedestrian Dataset was collected to evaluate the performance of popular color-based detection and tracking in thermal images. The dataset provides an overhead view of humans walking through a courtyard and it appropriate for aerial surveillance scenarios such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Three popular detection schemes are studied for thermal pedestrian detection: 1) Haar-like features, 2) local binary pattern (LBP) and 3) background subtraction motion detection. A i) Kalman filter predictor and iii) optical flow are used for tracking. Results show that combining Haar and LBP detections with a 50% overlap rule and tracking using Kalman filters can improve the true positive rate (TPR) of detection by 20%. However, motion-based methods are better at rejecting false positive in non-moving camera scenarios. The Kalman filter with LBP detection is the most efficient tracker but optical flow better rejects false noise detections. This thesis also presents a technique for learning and characterizing pedestrian detections with ”heat maps” and an object-centric motion compensation method for UAS. Finally, an adaptive method to reject false detections using error back propagation using a neural network. The adaptive rejection scheme is able to successfully learn to identify static false detections for improved detection performance.
Development of Reduced-Order Models for Aeroelastic and Flutter Prediction Using the CFL3Dv6.0 Code

A reduced-order model (ROM) is developed for aeroelastic analysis using the CFL3D version 6.0 computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, recently developed at the NASA Langley Research Center. This latest version of the flow solver includes a deforming mesh capability, a modal structural definition for nonlinear aeroelastic analyses, and a parallelization capability that provides a significant increase in computational efficiency. Flutter results for the AGARD 445.6 Wing computed using CFL3D v6.0 are presented, including discussion of associated computational costs. Modal impulse responses of the unsteady aerodynamic system are then computed using the CFL3Dv6 code and transformed into state-space form. Important numerical issues associated with the computation of the impulse responses are presented. The unsteady aerodynamic state-space ROM is then combined with a state-space model of the structure to create an aeroelastic simulation using the MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. The MATLAB/SIMULINK ROM is used to rapidly compute aeroelastic transients including flutter. The ROM shows excellent agreement with the aeroelastic analyses computed using the CFL3Dv6.0 code directly.
Participation? nyet: Rewards and praise? da!

Research Translation Have you ever wondered whether management theories and techniques developed in the United States apply directly to other cultures? Authors Dianne H.B. Welsh, Fred Luthans, and Steven M. Sommer decided to find out. For years, the prevailing assumption in the United States has been that the management theories and techniques developed here have universal applicability throughout the world. But is this true?
Honeydew-Feeding Behavior of Salt Marsh Horse Flies (Diptera: Tabanidae)

Salt marsh horse flies were observed feeding on aphid honeydew located on the leaves of marsh elder, Iva frutescens L. Most feeding individuals were males. Onset of feeding activity of Tabanus nigrovittatus Macquart occurred when hovering and mating activity ended. Because males and females have not been observed previously to feed on floral nectar, honeydew may represent a major source of carbohydrates for flight.
The Service Learning Component in Business Education: The Values Linkage Void

Leavitt's assertion that business education fosters “critters with lopsided brains, icy hearts, and shrunken souls” (1989: 39) reflects criticisms centering on the omission of external stakeholders...
Robotic cystogastrostomy and debridement of walled-off pancreatic necrosis

Walled-off pancreatic necrosis is a known complication of acute pancreatitis and requires intervention if symptomatic or complicated. Laparoscopic cystogastrostomy as a minimally invasive surgical intervention has been well-described in surgical literature but data on a robotic approach is limited. Here we report a case of robotic cystogastrostomy and debridement of walled-off pancreatic necrosis in a patient with a history of severe biliary pancreatitis.
A prediction model of mass transfer through an electrodialysis cell

AbstractThe purpose of this work is to develop a mass transfer model that incorporates all relevant factors—migration, diffusion, and convection—to predict ion transfer in electrodialysis cells more completely than conventional models, which neglect convection. As a demonstration of this approach, the study develops a three-dimensional model that incorporates the factor of convection to predict NaCl mass transport through a rectangular electrodialysis cell. The equations used in the model—the complete Navier–Stokes, continuity, and steady-state Nernst–Planck equations—are solved by the finite difference numerical method in the particular control volumes. The equations in the dilute chamber are numerically solved using techniques from computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In order to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of the model, the results are compared with theory as calculated by the Nernst–Planck equation. We discovered that the developed model is capable of predicting the velocity distribution, sep...
Frontolateral keyhole approach for large and giant pituitary adenomas

Objective The goal of this study was to introduce the method and to evaluate the efficacy and the safety of the microsurgical craniotomy via frontolateral keyhole approach for 141 cases of large and giant pituitary adenomas between January 2000, and December 2002. Methods All patients were operated via the unilateral supraorbital subfrontal keyhole approach. The tumors were treated with microsurgical operation. Results Total removal of the tumor, excision of the suprasellar tumor wall, and coagulation of the intrasellar tumor wall were achieved in 114 cases (80.9%). 27 cases were subtotally removed. 129 cases(91.5%)can get up and walk without any aid in 3 days after operation, All of the patients recovered their health very well. There was no case died after operation. Conclusion In our experience, the frontolateral keyhole craniotomy and the microsurgical technique can improve the total removal rate, reduce iatrogenic trauma and complications, promote recovery. So, we think, the frontolateral keyhole approach for an experienced neurosurgeon is a minute, effective and safe approach for large and giant pituitary adenomas.
Type III Collagen Decreases in Normal Fetal Bovine Bladder Development

In normal fetal bovine bladder development we have shown that compliance increases at approximately the same time that urine production first occurs. The late first trimester fetal bladders are relatively stiff with a progressive increase in bladder compliance peaking in the newborn period. From the newborn period through adulthood, we documented a relatively modest decrease in bladder compliance, which may result from the normal aging process. To account for these changes, we have used the bovine model to perform biochemical analyses of the major structural collagens that are found in the bladder (types I and III). These results show that the per cent of type III collagen decreases in the developing bladder from the end of the first trimester until the newborn period. Comparing the newborn bladder to that of a mature adult, we documented a relatively modest increase in the amount of type III collagen. We demonstrated that the ratio of type III-to-type I collagen parallels the normal compliance changes in the developing fetal and mature bovine bladder.
Indoor WLAN localization using group sparsity optimization technique

This paper proposes a novel approach for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) indoor fingerprinting localization using a novel interpretation and optimization solution. The user's location is introduced as a sparse vector which can be estimated in a single minimization problem. The coarse localization is embedded in the fine localization to prevent the cases where the user's position is searched in wrong subset of reference points (RPs). First, the RPs are clustered in layers using the similarity between the online measurement and RP fingerprints via an AP coverage vector. Then, the localization approach is performed via a joint minimization of convex least squares minimization of residuals, l1-norm of the entire position vector, and weighted l2-norm of groups of RPs. The method has been evaluated though Monte Carlo simulation runs and the results showed a great positioning accuracy.
BUTCHERING, BONE FRACTURING, AND BONE TOOLS

Introduction The manner in which animal carcasses and skeletal elements come apart or are taken apart is an important taphonomic variable. Humans butcher animals and that behavior often, but not always, variously modifies bones. In fact, it might be argued that butchering animal carcasses is the single greatest taphonomic (and biostratinomic) factor in the formation of humanly created fossil assemblages. Humans exploit animals for a variety of reasons, but basically to extract resources, whether energy (food) or materials for tools or clothing. During that exploitation, skeletons are disarticulated and bones are broken and variously modified. But as we have seen in previous chapters (especially Chapter 6), non-human taphonomic processes can result in the disarticulation of skeletons and fragmentation of bones. In this chapter, I review these processes, focusing on the modification of skeletal elements for which hominids in particular are responsible. Butchering The fragments of Aurochs exhibiting very deep incisions, apparently made by an instrument having a waved edge … in which I thought I recognized significant marks of utilization and flaying of a recently slain animal, were obtained from the lowest layer in the cutting of the Canal de l'Ourcq, near Paris … I have obtained analogous results by employing as a saw those flint knives found in the sands of Abbeville. (E. Lartet 1860 [1969:122]) The term butchering tends to hold different connotations for different analysts. Perhaps that is because it has seldom been explicitly defined.
The Potential of Gene and Cell-Based Strategies for the Treatment of Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Despite the remarkable improvement in the natural history of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), there remains a strong rationale for a cell-based and/or gene correction strategy that addresses the fundamental basis of the disorder. The high profile advances in gene and stem cell therapy are being examined for their applicability to the dominant and recessive forms of OI. However, there are theoretical and practical issues unique to osteogenic cells expressing a mutant an extracellular matrix that needs to be solved before there is a realistic hope that this approach is feasible. This chapter will provide a historical context for the current status of cell/gene therapy for bone, the challenges that are remaining and a potential pathway of preclinical research that needs to be completed before human trials can be contemplated. The goal is to provide the clinician with a basis to provide cautions optimism to their OI patients with the caveat that the research needs to progress in a transparent and scientifically rigorous manner.
Hypoalbuminemia Is a Better Predictor than Obesity of Complications After Total Knee Arthroplasty: a Propensity Score-Adjusted Observational Analysis

BackgroundObesity is an established risk factor for complications after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and is often associated with malnutrition.Questions/Purposes1. What is the prevalence of hypoal...
Detection of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) -specific cell-mediated immune responses in guinea pigs during latent HSV-2 genital infection

Genital infections with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) are a source of considerable morbidity and are a health concern for newborns exposed to virus during vaginal delivery. Additionally, HSV-2 infection diminishes the integrity of the vaginal epithelium resulting in increased susceptibility of individuals to infection with other sexually transmitted pathogens. Understanding immune protection against HSV-2 primary infection and immune modulation of virus shedding events following reactivation of the virus from latency is important for the development of effective prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. Although the murine model of HSV-2 infection is useful for understanding immunity following immunization, it is limited by the lack of spontaneous reactivation of HSV-2 from latency. Genital infection of guinea pigs with HSV-2 accurately models the disease of humans including the spontaneous reactivation of HSV-2 from latency and provides a unique opportunity to examine virus-host interactions during latency. Although the guinea pig represents an accurate model of many human infections, relatively few reagents are available to study the immunological response to infection. To analyze the cell-mediated immune response of guinea pigs at extended periods of time after establishment of HSV-2 latency, we have modified flow-cytometry based proliferation assays and IFN-γ ELISPOT assays to detect and quantify HSV-specific cell-mediated responses during latent infection of guinea pigs. Here we demonstrate that a combination of proliferation and ELISPOT assays can be used to quantify and characterize effecter function of virus-specific immune memory responses during HSV-latency.
Fluorinated gamma-aminobutyric acid. Enzymatic synthesis and biological activity of a potentially useful analogue.

Glutamate decarboxylase (EC [4.1.1.15][1]) of Escherichia coli reacts with L-γ-fluoroglutamate to form α-fluoro-γ-aminobutyric acid. This reaction has been characterized, and the two fluorinated amino acids have been investigated as selective inhibitors of γ-aminobutyric acid metabolism in the nervous system. L-γ-Fluoroglutamate inhibits the glutamate decarboxylase from calf brain ( Ki = 1.4 x 10-2 M) at concentrations comparable to the Km of this enzyme for glutamate (10-2 M). In addition, α-fluoro-γ-aminobutyric acid inhibits the uptake of γ-aminobutyric acid in a nerve-muscle preparatiom from lobster. [1]: pending:yes
The Identification and Reclassification of Limited English Proficient Students: A Study of Entry and Exit Classification Procedures

Abstract This study investigates the ways in which school district officials incorporate procedures for identifying students who are limited English proficient (LEP) and non-English proficient (NEP). A nationally representative sample of 93 school districts, each with at least 100 LEP students, was surveyed for the identification and reclassification procedures they employed. The findings indicate that ninety percent of the districts surveyed assess English oral language proficiency. As many as 27 percent use two different measures to assess English oral skills. Seventy-two percent of the districts formally assess English reading, 16 percent use two separate measures, and another 4 percent use as many as three different assessment techniques to determine the level of reading skills in English. The majority of districts in the sample (56 percent) do some assessment of English writing skills. It was also found that most districts (64 percent) examine the level of certain skills in the student’s native langu...
Pembrolizumab-induced myasthenia gravis: A fatal case report.

PurposePembrolizumab, a monoclonal antibody which inhibits the programmed cell death 1 receptor, has been shown to efficaciously enhance pre-existing immune responses to malignancies. However, safety concerns must also be considered as pembrolizumab use has been associated with several life-threatening immune-related adverse events (irAEs). We report a fatal case of pembrolizumab-induced myasthenia gravis in a patient with no prior myasthenia gravis history.Case reportA 63-year-old male presented with right eyelid drooping, puffiness, blurred vision, and shortness of breath two weeks after an initial infusion of pembrolizumab. He was subsequently diagnosed with new onset acetylcholine-receptor positive myasthenia gravis. Despite aggressive treatment with corticosteroids, pyridostigmine, intravenous immunoglobulin, and plasmapheresis, the patient clinically deteriorated and ultimately expired from acute respiratory failure after a 12-day hospitalization.DiscussionCurrent package labeling for pembrolizumab ...
Tax policy and the macroeconomy: Measurement, identification, and non-linearities,

Este articulo estudia la medicion e identificacion de los choques de politica tributaria por medio de bases novedosas de datos multinacionales de tasas de impuestos. Desde el punto de vista de la medicion, se argumenta que no existe un sustituto para las tasas de impuestos, un verdadero instrumento de politica, en contraposicion a las mediciones basadas en la renta mucho mas populares, como la de renta ajustada por el ciclo. En cuanto a la identificacion, se argumenta que el enfoque narrativo (donde los cambios en las tasas fiscales se clasifican en exogenos o endogenos al ciclo coyuntural en funcion de los registros economicos contemporaneos) es el metodo mas preciso. Cuando se miden e identifican adecuadamente, los multiplicadores fiscales para los paises industriales y en desarrollo estan, en promedio, en torno a -2. Asimismo, se encuentran no linealidades importantes al incrementar los multiplicadores (en valor absoluto) a medida que tanto el nivel de los impuestos iniciales como el tamano de los cambios en los impuestos es mayor.
Impact damage visualization in a honeycomb composite panel through laser inspection using zero-lag cross-correlation imaging condition.

Abstract A fully non-contact laser-based nondestructive inspection (NDI) system is developed to detect and visualize damage in structures. The study focuses on the size quantification and characterization of a barely visible impact damage (BVID) in a honeycomb composite panel. The hardware consists of a Q-switched Nd:YAG pulse laser that probes the panel by generating broadband guided waves via thermo-elastic expansion. The laser, in combination with a set of galvano-mirrors is used to raster scan over a two-dimensional surface covering the damaged region of an impacted quasi-isotropic [60/0/−60]s honeycomb composite panel. The out-of-plane velocities are measured at a fixed location normal to the surface by a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). An ultrasonic full wavefield assembled from the three-dimensional space-time data matrix in the interrogated area is first acquired and then processed for imaging the impacted damage area. A wavenumber filtering technique in terms of wave vectors is applied to distinguish the forward and backward wavefields in the wavenumber-frequency domain. A zero-lag cross correlation (ZLCC) imaging condition is then employed in the space-frequency domain for damage imaging. The ZLCC imaging condition consists of cross correlating the incident and reflected wavefields in the entire scanned region. The condition not only images the damage boundary between incident and reflected waves outside the damage region but also, for longer time windows, enables to capture the momentary standing waves formed within the damaged region. The ZLCC imaging condition imaged two delaminated region: a main delamination, which was a skewed elliptic with major and minor axis lengths roughly 17 mm and 10 mm respectively, and a secondary delamination region approximately 6 mm by 4 mm, however, which can only be shown at higher frequency range around 80–95 kHz. To conclude, the ZLCC results were in very good agreement with ultrasonic C-scan and X-ray computed tomographic (X-ray CT) scan results. Since the imaging condition is performed in the space-frequency domain, the imaging from ZLCC can also reveal resonance modes which are shown in the main delaminated area by windowing a narrow frequency band sequentially.
Counting motifs in dynamic networks

A network motif is a sub-network that occurs frequently in a given network. Detection of such motifs is important since they uncover functions and local properties of the given biological network. Finding motifs is however a computationally challenging task as it requires solving the costly subgraph isomorphism problem. Moreover, the topology of biological networks change over time. These changing networks are called dynamic biological networks. As the network evolves, frequency of each motif in the network also changes. Computing the frequency of a given motif from scratch in a dynamic network as the network topology evolves is infeasible, particularly for large and fast evolving networks. In this article, we design and develop a scalable method for counting the number of motifs in a dynamic biological network. Our method incrementally updates the frequency of each motif as the underlying network’s topology evolves. Our experiments demonstrate that our method can update the frequency of each motif in orders of magnitude faster than counting the motif embeddings every time the network changes. If the network evolves more frequently, the margin with which our method outperforms the existing static methods, increases. We evaluated our method extensively using synthetic and real datasets, and show that our method is highly accurate(≥ 96%) and that it can be scaled to large dense networks. The results on real data demonstrate the utility of our method in revealing interesting insights on the evolution of biological processes.
Lumbar Spine Conditions

Low back pain is one of the most common patient afflictions. The economic burden of low back pain is over $100 billion annually. Symptoms often resolve over time, but definitive treatment should be tailored to the underlying pathology responsible for the low back pain.
H-2 b STRUCTURE ON MOUSE LEUKEMIA CELLS

ABSTRACT Mouse major histocompatibility (H-2 b ) antigens on RBL-5A leukemia cells can be chemically cross-linked to form several different H-2 b containing polypeptide products. These products include apparent dimers comprised of one H-2 b heavy (46,000 daltons) and one light (12,000 daltons) chain, intrachain cross-linked H-2 b heavy chain monomers, and several other species of higher molecular weight H-2 b polypeptide complexes.
Horner's syndrome after epidural block in early pregnancy.

Horner9s syndrome after epidural block in a first-trimester parturient has not previously been reported. The authors describe a case of unilateral Horner9s syndrome after single-dose epidural block in a 12-week pregnant female.
Wavelet Analysis of High-Resolution Signal-Averaged Electrocardiograms in Postinfarction Patients with Bundle Branch Block

Time-domain analysis of the signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG) can accurately predict risk of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with previous myocardial infarction (MI). Unfortunately, these patients often have bundle branch block (BBB) that obscures late potentials. We hypothesized that wavelet analysis might help predict VT risk in patients with BBB. We identified subjects with coronary disease and BBB who had undergone SAECG and programmed ventricular stimulation (PVS). We applied a modulated Gaussian wavelet to transform the ECG signal and looked for singularities in the wavelet coefficients. SAECG and PVS were obtained in 32 patients. Half had inducible sustained monomorphic VT by PVS and half had no inducible VT. There were no significant clinical differences between the groups. Comparing the number of singularities, we found no significant difference between the groups. Compared to previous work in patients without BBB, our patients with BBB had on average four times more singula- rities using an identical analysis technique. In the presence of BBB, abnormal myocardial activation patterns can generate ECG waveforms with time–frequency characteristics similar to those of cardiac late potentials. Wavelet-based methodologies may have limited ability to distinguish late potentials from the disordered ventricular activation occurring with BBB alone.
Interferon and Natural Killer Cells in Rheumatic Diseases

The interferons, a family of protein and glycoprotein molecules secreted by a variety of animal cells, are known for their antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunoregulatory properties (Preble et al., 1983; Ho, 1982; Pestka et al., 1981; Stewart, 1981). Interferon was first characterized as an antiviral protein by Isaacs and Lindenmann in 1957 (Isaacs and Lindenmann, 1957). Today we classify human interferons into three distinct groups on the basis of their antigenic, biological, and chemical properties (Table 1). These are called α-interferon, which is produced by leukocytes, β-interferon, which is produced by fibroblasts and epithelial cells, and γ-interferon, which is a lymphokine secreted by lymphocytes. The longstanding clinical interest in the interferons comes from their known antiviral and antiproliferative activities and their current usage in clinical trials to treat a variety of malignancies as well as the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The ability to clone interferon has contributed greatly to the supply of interferon as well as to our knowledge of its molecular structure and biological properties (Pestka et al., 1981). Interferons act on the virus-infected cell rather than on the virus itself, although the exact mechanism of action is still uncertain. Their ability to inhibit cell multiplication and interfere with tumor growth is thought to be independent of their antiviral activity.
The Use of Accounting Numbers by Information Intermediaries in the Pre-Sec Era

We examine the extent to which financial statement ratios in the pre-SEC era were associated with Moody's securities ratings. A lack of association in this unregulated era would be consistent with subsequent accounting regulation improving the informativeness of financial reporting, whereas significant associations in predicted directions would indicate a need to quantify the incremental benefit, if any, of accounting and securities regulation. Because Moody's reported ratings components in addition to the overall ratings during our time period, we are also able to explore the structure underlying overall ratings. In particular, we examine the weights given to the components in the overall rating, as well as the accounting, contractual and market variables that determine each component. Our analysis indicates that bond ratings exhibit a significant positive association between income statement (ROE) and balance sheet (Current Ratio) ratios and overall Moody's bond ratings. Additional findings suggest that income statement and balance sheet ratios link structurally to the overall rating through differing components, as predicted. ROE is positively related to Moody's bond Safety rating (a measure of fixed charge coverage) while the Current Ratio links to Moody's bond Security rating (a measure of asset backing). Moody's third bond rating component, Salability, reflects the ease with which the bond can be readily sold. As predicted, we document that accounting ratios exert less influence over Salability compared to Safety and Security. However, unlike for Safety and Security, we document a significant positive between Salability and a measure of the extent of disclosure by the firm. Several of these findings extend to Moody's ratings of preferred and common stocks.
Contract Analytics in Auditing

SYNOPSIS This paper proposes the Contract Analytics Framework (CAF), which provides guidance for incorporating textual analysis into audits of large numbers of contracts. Contracts are used extensi...
Chapter 12 Horizontal Mergers and Acquisitions

A merger or acquisition (hereinafter a merger) is horizontal to the extent that the merger partners are well-placed to compete for the patronage of the same buyers in relation to given purchasing decisions. This chapter analyzes the determinants of the economic effects of horizontal mergers that are relevant to their legality under U.S. and E.C./E.U. antitrust law and states and criticizes both the approaches that U.S. and E.C./E.U. authorities have taken to the analysis of the antitrust legality of such mergers and various conclusions they have reached about the legal relevance of various facts.
The Role of Prisoner Voice in Criminal Justice Reform

This paper examines the role of prisoner voice in criminal justice reform in the US. Previous research has attributed reform of criminal justice institutions to either political elites or the public. This research has not considered the role of prisoner voice in influencing reform. This paper fills that gap. I argue that prisoner voice—through the avenues of prison journalism and prisoner litigation—serves as an information channel in state criminal justice bureaucracies, holding bureaucrats accountable to their superiors. I conclude that prison journalism is the only avenue for prisoner voice that influences reform in ways that aligns with voters’ interests. Prisoner litigation and prison riots result in reform that drives the growth of state prison systems and loss of prisoner privileges.
Toward a Conceptual Model for Users' Online Open Government Data Interaction

The rapid development of open government data and the increasing attention on data use/reuse have stimulated many studies on data-related issues. The extant studies show that even though OGD portals have been rapidly developed in this age of data, there are still various challenges when users interact with data. Therefore, this dissertation attempts to identify the contextualized user challenges, understand user behaviors when interacting with OGD, and ultimately, propose solutions that can assist users in using OGD. Furthermore, aiming to ameliorate the issues that data is hard to find and to be understood, a mixed-method design will be employed, including a transaction log analysis, a content analysis, and semistructured interviews. Also, the research sites accessed are two local-level OGD portals: OpenDataPhilly and Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center. Local-level portals are closely connected with local communities and neighborhoods, which have a direct impact on a citizen's daily life. The results of this dissertation are expected to contribute to the fields of Human Information/Data Interaction, Human Computer Interaction and OGD Use.
Identifying diurnal cortisol profiles among young adults: Physiological signatures of mental health trajectories.

Abstract Previous research has used cortisol, the major hormonal byproduct of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis system, to explore how environmental stressors influence daily physiological functioning. Most of the research focused on diurnal cortisol has examined specific cortisol markers, with little consideration of how different components of the diurnal pattern may co-occur. Morning level, cortisol awakening response (CAR), bedtime level, as well as the diurnal slope and total cortisol exposure throughout the day (area under the curve; AUC), are five common parameters of diurnal HPA axis functioning that have been individually linked to physical and mental health outcomes, with mixed results. The current study introduces a novel approach to capture heterogeneity in HPA axis activity by using latent profile analysis to generate empirically-derived, theoretically supported diurnal cortisol profiles based on all five indicators. We analyzed salivary cortisol data from 278 young adults during a time of heightened sociopolitical stress – the 2016 U.S. presidential election – and examined whether profiles differentially predicted mental health trajectories across six months. Findings suggest that a specific combination of cortisol parameters (i.e., flat slope, high AUC, and high CAR) may predict worse mental health risk over time. Overall, this work suggests that diurnal cortisol profiles likely reflect distinct physiological underpinnings with unique health consequences that may not be observed by studying individual cortisol parameters.