cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxidative stress in prostatic fluid of patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome : Correlation with Gram positive bacterial growth and treatment response

The etiology of chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS)/chronic prostatitis category III remains unknown. Whereas a subset of men respond to antimicrobial therapy, gram positive bacteria isolated from expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) are often considered to be commensal rather than pathogenic. We wished to study oxidative stress as a marker of tissue injury and response in EPS of men with CPPS to determine whether infection with gram positive bacteria is associated with increased oxidative stress. A total of 300 EPS specimens from 100 men with CPPS were collected for microscopy, culture, and biochemical and molecular assays. Oxidant injury was measured by 8-isoprostane F2alpha (IsoP) levels and total antioxidant capacity as Trolox equivalents. Total RNA from EPS was used for gene expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and granzyme B. The only bacteria found in EPS were gram positive. For our analysis, these men were classified as having chronic bacterial prostatitis (category II). IsoP levels (pg/mL) were highest in men with category II prostatitis (7315 +/- 1428) followed by nonbacterial prostatitis (category IIIa, 2043 +/- 561), prostatodynia (category IIIb, 319 +/- 81), and asymptomatic controls (298 +/- 99). IsoP levels decreased significantly after successful treatment with antibiotics or an antioxidant supplement (Prosta-Q). Antioxidant capacity was detected in 11 out of 18, 4 out of 16, and 1 out of 16 men tested with category II, IIIa, and IIIb prostatitis, respectively. No correlation was observed between IsoP levels and the number of white blood cells in EPS. HO-1 and granzyme B expression was highest in men with category II prostatitis than in men with either category III prostatitis or asymptomatic controls. On the basis of elevated oxidative stress, clinical response to antibiotics, and post-treatment reduction in oxidative stress, we conclude that gram positive bacteria in some men with CPPS may be pathogens. It is speculated that oxidative stress may be a key pathway in some men with CPPS that can be targeted with antioxidant therapy.
Pleomorphic Ensembles: Formation of Large Clusters Composed of Weakly Interacting Multivalent Molecules

Molecular interactions of importance to cell biology are subject to sol-gel transitions: large clusters of weakly interacting multivalent molecules (gel phase) are produced at a critical concentration of monomers. Examples include cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions, nucleoprotein bodies, and cell signaling platforms. We use the term pleomorphic ensembles (PEs) to describe these clusters, because they have dynamic compositions and sizes and have rapid turnover of their molecular constituents; this plasticity can be highly responsive to cellular signals. The classical polymer physical chemistry theory developed by Flory and Stockmayer provides a brilliant framework for treating multivalent interactions for simple idealized systems. But the complexity and variability of PEs challenges existing modeling approaches. Here we describe and validate a computational algorithm that extends the Flory-Stockmayer formalism to overcome the limitations of analytic theories. We divide the problem by deterministically calculating the fraction of bound sites for each type of binding site, followed by the stochastic assignment of the bonds to a finite number of molecules. The method allows for high valency within many different kinds of interacting molecules and site types, permits simulation of steady-state distributions, as well as assembly kinetics, and can treat cooperative binding within one of the interacting molecules. We then apply our method to the analysis of interactions in the nephrin-Nck-N-Wasp signaling system, demonstrating how multivalent layered scaffolds produce PEs at low monomer concentrations despite weak binding interactions. We show how the experimental data for this system are most consistent with synergistic cooperative interactions between Nck and N-Wasp.
CT Evaluation of Prosthetic Ossicular Reconstruction Procedures: What the Otologist Needs to Know

Postoperative otologic evaluation of patients who have undergone ossicular reconstruction is often difficult. However, thin-section computed tomography (CT) can help determine the type of prosthesis used for reconstruction and adequately assess for complications that may be causing postoperative conductive hearing loss. A variety of prostheses may be used in ossicular reconstruction (eg, stapes prosthesis, incus interposition graft, Applebaum prosthesis, Black oval-top prosthesis, Richards centered prosthesis, Goldenberg prosthesis) and can usually be identified at CT by their shapes and locations. Several causes of prosthetic failure are readily demonstrated at CT, including recurrent cholesteatoma and otitis media, formation of granulation tissue or adhesions, and various mechanical problems (eg, subluxation, dislocation, extrusion, fracture, bending). Perilymphatic fistula can be difficult to identify at CT but may be suggested by the presence of pneumolabyrinth, unexplained middle ear effusion, or fluid accumulation within the mastoid air cells. The presence of soft tissue within the oval window niche 4-6 weeks following surgery may indicate poststapedectomy granuloma or fibrosis. Familiarity with the normal and abnormal CT appearances of ossicular prostheses will enable the radiologist to assist the otologist in identifying patients in whom revision surgery is most appropriate.
Pitfalls and slip-ups in brain death determination

Brain death (or brainstem death in the UK) is an uncommon result of a major catastrophic neurologic injury. The determination of brain death proceeds through a comprehensive and stepwise evaluation. There is no room for misinterpretations. Slip ups, however, could occur with brain death determination and this review discusses the most common concerns encountered by physicians. Problems may arise when a multitude of small errors accumulate and this may occur with an inexperienced physician who misjudges confounders, performs an incomplete evaluation, and misinterprets a confirmatory test.
Sexual arousal in men: a review and conceptual analysis

Sexual arousal is an emotional/motivational state that can be triggered by internal and external stimuli and that can be inferred from central (including verbal), peripheral (including genital), and behavioral (including action tendencies and motor preparation) responses. This article, while focusing on sexual arousal in men, provides a conceptual analysis of this construct, reviews models of sexual arousal, and discusses the usefulness of perspectives derived from motivation and emotion research in improving our understanding of its determinants and behavioral correlates. In this, it considers the role of genital feedback in men's subjective sexual arousal and the connections between sexual arousal and sexual desire. Future research and definitions may increasingly focus on its central integrative functions (as opposed to its input and output characteristics). Yet, the study of sexual arousal can be expected to continue to benefit from the measurement of its genital, verbal, and behavioral components. Instances of discordance between response components suggest that they are, at least in part, under the control of different mechanisms, and it is proposed that a better understanding of sexual arousal will prove contingent on a better understanding of such mechanisms and the conditions under which they converge and diverge.
High performance liquid chromatographic analysis of insulin degradation by rat skeletal muscle insulin protease

The degradation of [125I]iodoinsulin (A14) by insulin protease (EC 3.4.22.11) was studied using HPLC. A reverse phase HPLC method is presented which allows the separation and quantitation of insulin degradation products. After incubation of [125I]iodoinsulin (A14) with insulin protease, there was an initial rapid loss of radioactivity from the [125I] iodoinsulin (A14) peak, which was quantitatively accounted for by the appearance of radioactivity in 11 different peaks, but was not accompanied by a proportional increase in the solubility of the sample in trichloroacetic acid. Two of the peaks showed appreciable accumulation before the others, and all but the first-eluted peak plateaued by 20 min. After 20 min of incubation, the amount of radioactivity present as the first-eluted peak, solubility in trichloroacetic acid, and insulin loss continued to increase at a steady, but slowed, rate. The order of appearance suggests that insulin protease acts on insulin in an ordered sequence of steps to generate a number of intermediates that are precipitable by trichloroacetic acid, but are subsequently degraded to material that is soluble in trichloroacetic acid. Sulfitolysis of 5 major peaks and subsequent HPLC analysis of the fragments showed none of the peaks to possess intact A chains. Peptide sequencing of 2 of the peaks indicates that the A-chain is cleaved in at least 2 positions, one beyond the 14th position, and one between the 13th and 14th amino acids (leucine and tyrosine).
Fragmentation of relativistic gold by various target nuclei

We have studied the interactions of gold nuclei ${}_{79}^{197}\mathrm{Au}$ at eight different energies between 0.9 and $4.0A\mathrm{GeV},$ in targets ranging in mass from hydrogen to lead. This paper combines the results of these studies with earlier measurements at higher and lower energies. We discuss the production of fragments with charges Z between 81 and 50. The systematic trends found have allowed us to improve previously developed empirical relations which predict the cross sections in any target or energy for the production of fragments with $77l~Zl~67.$ Fragments with single and double charge pickup are observed in all targets at all energies. Fragments which have lost a single charge represent a special case, due presumably to the effects of electromagnetic dissociation. The energy variations of the total cross sections and the approach with increasing energy to limiting fragmentation are studied.
Characteristics of explicit and less explicit explanations of mathematical problem solving strategies

Abstract Based on the results of a post hoc analysis of data collected in a study of direct explanation, this article describes qualitative aspects of explicit and less explicit explanations of cognitive reasoning processes associated with mathematical problem solving strategies. Lesson excerpts are included to illustrate three major differences between explicit and less explicit explanations.
Weissella confusa septicemia in a foal

Weissella confusa is a Gram-positive bacterium that has been identified in environmental and food samples from around the world. Rare cases of bacteremia in immunocompromised people have been reported. A 2-day-old foal was presented for weakness and suspected sepsis. Blood culture yielded pure growth of a Gram-positive coccobacillus, which was identified as W. confusa through sequencing of the 16S ribosomal DNA. Although the foal initially responded to antimicrobial therapy with ceftiofur and metronidazole, it later developed septic complications of the right tarsocrural joint and right digital flexor tendon sheath and was euthanized. Postmortem examination and histology revealed subcutaneous icterus, severe diffuse interstitial pneumonia, septic synovitis, necrotizing vasculitis with marked thrombosis and hemorrhage in the medial digital vessels of the right hind limb, and ischemic necrosis of the right hind hoof laminae. Gram-positive, coccobacilli were observed in the vascular lesion.
Active disks for large-scale data processing

As processor performance increases and memory cost decreases, system intelligence continues to move away from the CPU and into peripherals. Storage system designers use this trend toward excess computing power to perform more complex processing and optimizations inside storage devices. To date, such optimizations take place at relatively low levels of the storage protocol. Trends in storage density, mechanics, and electronics eliminate the hardware bottleneck and put pressure on interconnects and hosts to move data more efficiently. We propose using an active disk storage device that combines on-drive processing and memory with software downloadability to allow disks to execute application-level functions directly at the device. Moving portions of an application's processing to a storage device significantly reduces data traffic and leverages the parallelism already present in large systems, dramatically reducing the execution time for many basic data mining tasks.
Association between atopy and herpetic eye disease: results from the pacific ocular inflammation study.

Importance Immune dysregulation in patients with atopy has been hypothesized to increase susceptibility to viral infections. Herpetic eye disease (due to herpes simplex and herpes zoster) is a significant cause of visual impairment, and data on an association between this sight-threatening disease and atopy are limited. Objective To assess the association between atopy and herpetic eye disease, including herpes simplex virus (HSV) ocular disease and herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO). Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective, population-based case-control study from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2007, at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, a multispecialty managed care organization serving approximately 15% of the general Hawaiian population. Participants were 217 061 patients enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii health plan during the study period. Main Outcomes and Measures Clinical diagnosis of HSV ocular disease or HZO during the study period determined by an initial search of the electronic medical record of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii and then confirmed through individual medical record review by a uveitis and cornea fellowship–trained ophthalmologist. Atopic disease status was determined based on International Classification of Diseases , Ninth Revision codes for patients with HSV ocular disease or HZO and 2 control groups, each randomly selected at a 4:1 ratio of controls to cases. Results One hundred fourteen patients with HSV ocular disease and 137 patients with HZO were identified. Using the age- and sex-matched controls, patients who had atopy had a 2.6-fold (95% CI, 1.6-4.2; P P = .01) increased odds of having HZO. Patients with 2 or more atopic conditions had an 8.9-fold (95% CI, 3.5-22.6; P P = .04) higher odds of having HZO. Conclusions and Relevance The association between atopy and herpetic eye disease may be explained by various factors, including immunologic dysfunction in patients with atopy. Clinically, these results could help support the diagnosis of herpetic eye disease in these patients.
Active damping of modal vibrations by force apportioning

Force apportioning, a method of active structural damping based on that used in modal vibration testing of isolating modes by multiple shaker excitation, was analyzed and numerically simulated. A distribution of as few forces as possible on the structure is chosen so as to maximally affect selected vibration modes while minimally exciting all other modes. The accuracy of numerical simulations of active damping, active damping of higher-frequency modes, and studies of imperfection sensitivity are discussed. The computer programs developed are described and possible refinements of the research are examined.
Blubber Deposition during Ontogeny in Free-Ranging Bottlenose Dolphins: Balancing Disparate Roles of Insulation and Locomotion

Blubber is a critical component of thermoregulation for marine mammals, particularly for cetaceans. However, the cost of overcoming blubber’s buoyant force during descent could constrain blubber deposition. One- to 12-year-old healthy, free-ranging common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were studied in Sarasota Bay, Florida, during summer (mean water temperature: 29.78C 6 0.1 SE) and winter (mean water temperature: 19.2 6 0.48C) to examine ontogenetic and seasonal trends in morphology and blubber deposition. Surface-areato-volume ratio decreased significantly with age. During summer, yearlings had significantly thicker blubber than 2- to 12-year-old animals but this difference diminished by winter because blubber deposition in response to the colder water temperature was smaller in yearlings (2-mm increase) compared to 2- to 12-year-old animals (3- to 6-mm increase). During summer, buoyancy was highest in yearlings (6.24 N 6 0.41 SE), compared to a buoyant force of � 0.98 6 0.90 N (neutrally buoyant) for 12-year-old animals. Conversely, all dolphins converged upon a similar buoyant force (8.01 6 0.56 N) in winter. The elevated buoyancy of yearlings in summer presumably limits seasonal blubber adjustments, because all yearlings (regardless of season) converged upon a similar calculated mass-specific cost of descent that was greater than all other age classes. Balancing energetic demands of thermoregulation and locomotion may limit the flexibility of yearlings to adjust blubber deposition in response to fluctuating water temperatures.
Comprehensive comparative analysis and identification of RNA-binding protein domains: multi-class classification and feature selection.

RNA-protein interaction plays an important role in various cellular processes, such as protein synthesis, gene regulation, post-transcriptional gene regulation, alternative splicing, and infections by RNA viruses. In this study, using Gene Ontology Annotated (GOA) and Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) databases an automatic procedure was designed to capture structurally solved RNA-binding protein domains in different subclasses. Subsequently, we applied tuned multi-class SVM (TMCSVM), Random Forest (RF), and multi-class l1/lq-regularized logistic regression (MCRLR) for analysis and classifying RNA-binding protein domains based on a comprehensive set of sequence and structural features. In this study, we compared prediction accuracy of three different state-of-the-art predictor methods. From our results, TMCSVM outperforms the other methods and suggests the potential of TMCSVM as a useful tool for facilitating the multi-class prediction of RNA-binding protein domains. On the other hand, MCRLR by elucidating importance of features for their contribution in predictive accuracy of RNA-binding protein domains subclasses, helps us to provide some biological insights into the roles of sequences and structures in protein-RNA interactions.
Nutrient dynamics at the interface between surface waters and groundwaters

Summary 1. The surface water/groundwater (SW/GW) interface is a crucial control point for lateral nutrient fluxes between uplands and aquatic ecosystems and for upstream/downstream (longitudinal) processes in lotic ecosystems. 2. Hydrological and biogeochemical dynamics of the SW/GW ecotone are linked to the degree of channel constraint and the sediment characteristics of the floodplain and stream bed. 3. The availability of specific chemical forms of electron donors and electron acceptors affects the spatial distribution of biogeochemical processes at the SW/GW interface. Temporal change in discharge is also a major factor affecting the rate and extent of these processes. 4. The magnitude of SW/GW interactions in lotic ecosystems is predicted to be a major determinant of solute retention. Channel morphology, stream bed composition and discharge are predicted to be important controls on SW/GW interactions. 5. Interdisciplinary research involving hydrologists, geomorphologists, aquatic ecologists, microbial ecologists and landscape ecologists is needed to further our present understanding of this critical interface linking terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
K-Best A* Parsing

A* parsing makes 1-best search efficient by suppressing unlikely 1-best items. Existing k-best extraction methods can efficiently search for top derivations, but only after an exhaustive 1-best pass. We present a unified algorithm for k-best A* parsing which preserves the efficiency of k-best extraction while giving the speed-ups of A* methods. Our algorithm produces optimal k-best parses under the same conditions required for optimality in a 1-best A* parser. Empirically, optimal k-best lists can be extracted significantly faster than with other approaches, over a range of grammar types.
Unilateral mechanical asymmetry: positional effects on lung volumes and transpulmonary pressure

Ventilated patients with asymmetry of lung or chest wall mechanics may be vulnerable to differing lung stresses or strains dependent on body position. Our purpose was to examine transpulmonary pressure (PTP) and end-expiratory lung volume (functional residual capacity (FRC)) during body positioning changes in an animal model under the influence of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) or experimental pleural effusion (PLEF). Fourteen deeply anesthetized swine were studied including tracheostomy, thoracostomy, and esophageal catheter placement. Animals were ventilated at VT = 10 ml/kg, frequency of 15, I/E = 1:2, and FIO2 = 0.5. The animals were randomized to supine, prone, right lateral, left lateral, and semi-Fowler positions with a PEEP of 1 cm H2O (PEEP1) or a PEEP of 10 cm H2O (PEEP10) applied. Experimental PLEF was generated by 10 ml/kg saline instilled into either pleural space. PTP and FRC were determined in each condition. No significant differences in FRC were found among the four horizontal positions. Compared to horizontal positioning, semi-Fowler's increased FRC (p < 0.001) by 56% at PEEP1 and 54% at PEEP10 without PLEF and by 131% at PEEP1 and 98% at PEEP10 with PLEF. Inspiratory or expiratory PTP showed insignificant differences across positions at both levels of PEEP. Consistently negative end-expiratory PTP at PEEP1 increased to positive values with PEEP10. FRC did not differ among horizontal positions; however, semi-Fowler's positioning significantly raised FRC. PTP proved insensitive to mechanical asymmetry. While end-expiratory PTP was negative at PEEP1, applying PEEP10 caused a transition to positive PTP, suggestive of reopening of initially compressed lung units.
Hybrid Role Mining for Security Service Solution

IT services delivery is a complex ecosystem that engages 100000s of system administrators in service delivery centers globally managing 1000s of IT systems on behalf of customers. Such large-scale hosting environments require a flexible identity management system to provision necessary access rights, in order to ensure compliance posture of an organization. A popular and effective access control scheme is Role Based Access Control (RBAC). Ideally, a role should correspond to a business function performed within an enterprise. Several role mining algorithms have been proposed which attempt to automate the process of role discovery. In this paper, we represent the user-permission assignments as a bi-partite graph with users/permissions as vertices and user-permission assignments as edges. Given a user-permission bi-partite graph, most role mining algorithms focus on discovering roles that cover all the user-permission assignments. We show that by relaxing the coverage requirement, one can improve the accuracy of role detection. We propose a parameterized definition of a role based on graph theoretical properties, and demonstrate that the role parameters can be controlled to balance the accuracy and coverage of the roles detected. Finally, we propose a heuristic to illustrate the efficacy of our approach and validate it on real and artificial organizational access control data.
Decadal-Scale Changes In Seagrass Coverage On the Mississippi Barrier Islands, Northern Gulf of Mexico

Seagrasses provide habitat for a wide variety of aquatic species, and reduce coastal erosion via sediment stabilization. The areal coverage of seagrass beds on the Mississippi barrier islands appears to have declined substantially since the 1960s. However, difficulties in sampling benthic vegetation, differences among previous studies in survey methods, and a lack of data on year-to-year variation in coverage have impeded quantitative study of this decline. Thus, the goal of the present study was to utilize historical remote sensing data to quantitatively determine changes in seagrass (predominantly Halodule wrightii Ascherson) coverage on the Mississippi barrier islands. Analyses were limited to imagery acquired during late summer through autumn, when seagrass canopies remained fully developed and water turbidity was low. Given these conditions, seagrass beds were readily identifiable in older black-and-white to color aerial photographs as well as in more recent multi-spectral imagery.On Horn, the largest Mississippi island, seagrass coverage declined from 77 ha in 1940 to 19 ha in 1971. Coverage had returned to its 1940 value by 2006, but declined again in 2007. Seagrass coverage on Petit Bois, the most rapidly-migrating island, declined from 54 ha in 1940 to an approximately stable 8-19 ha from 1952 through 2007. Petit Bois was the only island for which decline in seagrass coverage corresponded with decline in island land area. On the smallest island, East Ship, seagrass coverage remained nearly constant at 16-19 ha from 1963-2007 despite dramatic reductions in land area during Hurricanes Camille (1969) and Katrina (2005). On West Ship, coverage dropped to zero in 2003 but increased by 2007 to slightly exceed its 1975 value of 18 ha. Data for Cat Island extended only from 2003-2007. Seagrass coverage more than tripled during this period, from 22 ha in 2003 to 71 ha in 2007. Protection from trawling may have been a significant factor in the post-1995 recovery of seagrass on Horn Island. The absence of a similar recovery on Petit Bois may be linked with its rapid westward migration in combination with a nearly 40% reduction in land area from 1940-2007. There was no discernable negative impact of Hurricane Camille or Hurricane Katrina on seagrass coverage. Methodological differences (e.g., mapping potential seagrass habitat rather than existing seagrass beds) are important in explaining the dramatic decline in seagrass coverage that is apparent when recent data are compared with results of earlier surveys.
Competence of the deltoid ligament in bimalleolar ankle fractures after medial malleolar fixation.

Background: The stability of the ankle joint is provided by the medial and lateral malleoli and ligaments. Recent studies of cadaveric ankles have demonstrated that injury to the medial structures of the ankle is necessary to allow lateral subluxation of the talus after fracture. However, cadaveric models are limited by the fracture pattern chosen for the model. We sought to investigate the competency of the deltoid ligament in vivo in patients with an operatively treated bimalleolar ankle fracture. Methods: Twenty-seven patients with a bimalleolar ankle fracture were evaluated. In each patient, the medial malleolus was anatomically reduced and fixed. A radiograph of the ankle was then made with application of an external rotation load to the joint. All lateral malleolar injuries were then reduced and fixed. The radiographs were evaluated for restoration of the competence of the deltoid ligament according to established criteria. Results: Seven (26 percent) of the twenty-seven patients had radiographically evident incompetence of the deltoid ligament after medial malleolar fixation. This finding was associated with a small medial malleolar fragment. Conclusions: In bimalleolar fractures, the medial injury may be an osseous avulsion, leaving the deltoid intact on the displaced fragment, or it may be a combination of ligamentous and osseous injury with disruption of the deep portion of the deltoid ligament.
A New Tuberous Begonia Species (Begoniaceae) from Bolivia

Begonia phantasma Tebbitt from the Begonia L. sect. Eupetalum (Lindl.) A. DC. (Begoniaceae) is described and illustrated as a new species endemic to Bolivia. Begonia phantasma is compared with the similar species B. clarkei Hook. f. and B. krystofii Halda, both of which are also found in Andean Bolivia. Begonia phantasma is distinguished from both of these two species by its leaf blades that are ovate with an acute apex, by its bracts that are greenish yellow and cup-shaped and surround the lower portion of the fully expanded flower buds, by its tepals that in bud and immature flowers are greenish yellow and in anthesal flowers that are cream or cream with a pink tinge, and by its oval androecial outline.
UV LED array based NLOS UV turbulence channel modeling and experimental verification

In this paper, we comprehensively study the NLOV UV turbulence effect through simulated and experimental results. A Monte Carlo NLOS UV turbulence channel model, which incorporates the effects of multiple scattering and turbulence attenuation, is proposed based on previous work. To validate this model, a series of outdoor experiments is conducted to investigate the received-signal energy distribution and channel path loss under the turbulence circumstance for the first time. These experimental and simulated results are valuable for studying NLOS UV channel and communication system design.
Diabetic glomerulopathy: a dynamic process produced by the diabetic environment.

Renal lesions constitute a major factor in the morbidity and mortality of diabetes mellitus; however, the mechanisms underlying the development of diabetic glomerulopathy remain obscure. As a result, the efficacy of current medical management in affecting the development of renal disease in the diabetic population has not been conclusively determined. The central question considers whether diabetic vascular disease exists prior to clinical onset of diabetes or develops solely in relation to the underlying metabolic derangement (Cahill, Etzwiler, and Freinkel, 1976; Siperstein, Foster, Knowles, Levine, Madison, and Roth, 1977). Evidence emphasizing the need to initiate careful control of diabetes in order to alter the development of diabetic glomerulopathy arises from experiments in animals and observations made in man.
Trypsin-Mn(2+)-resistant form of type 1 protein phosphatase in human muscle

Reduced type 1 protein phosphatase (PP-1) activity in human muscle extracts may contribute to the reduced insulin-stimulated glycogen synthase activity associated with insulin resistance for glucose disposal in humans. Because inactive forms of PP-1 can be activated with trypsin plus Mn2+, these reagents were used to compare the PP-1 activities in skeletal muscle extracts before and after separation into cytosolic and glycogen microsomal (GM) fractions. PP-1 activities were reduced in the GM fraction from insulin-resistant subjects (54 +/- 2 vs. 61 +/- 1, P < 0.01) but, in contrast to our previously published results, were elevated in the extract (33 +/- 6 vs. 18 +/- 3, P < 0.05). Recombination of the cytosol and GM fractions (reconstituted extract) demonstrated that the low extract PP-1 activities could only be regenerated when the GM fraction from insulin-sensitive subjects was recombined with cytosol from either group. The results indicate that the elevated PP-1 activity observed in extracts of insulin-resistant compared with insulin-sensitive subjects is caused by an inhibitor of extract PP-1 activity that sediments with the GM pellet and is more active in the insulin-sensitive subjects.
Investigating the Effects of Surface-Initiated Polymerization of ε-Caprolactone to Bioactive Glass Particles on the Mechanical Properties of Settable Polymer/Ceramic Composites

Injectable bone grafts with strength exceeding that of trabecular bone could improve the clinical management of a number of orthopedic conditions. Ceramic/polymer composites have been investigated as weight-bearing bone grafts, but they are typically weaker than trabecular bone due to poor interfacial bonding. We hypothesized that entrapment of surface-initiated poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) chains on 45S5 bioactive glass (BG) particles within an in situ-formed polymer network would enhance the mechanical properties of reactive BG/polymer composites. When the surface-initiated PCL molecular weight exceeded the molecular weight between crosslinks of the network, the compressive strength of the composites increased 6- to 10-fold. The torsional strength of the composites exceeded that of human trabecular bone by a factor of two. When injected into femoral condyle defects in rats, the composites supported new bone formation at 8 weeks. The initial bone-like strength of BG/polymer composites and their ability to remodel in vivo highlight their potential for development as injectable grafts for repair of weight-bearing bone defects.
Gold-mediated expulsion of dinitrogen from organic azides.

Organoazides and their nitrogen expulsion chemistry have attracted the attention of many scientists because they serve as a useful source of nitrene fragments and interesting nitrene rearrangement products. Gold-mediated reactions are also of significant current interest. This manuscript describes several important discoveries based at the intersection of these fields. In particular, we report the first isolable gold organoazides ([(SIPr)AuN(1-Ad)NN][SbF6], [(SIPr)AuN(2-Ad)NN][SbF6] and [(SIPr)AuN(Cy)NN][SbF6]; SIPr = a N-heterocyclic carbene; 1-AdNNN = 1-azidoadamantane; 2-AdNNN = 2-azidoadamantane; CyNNN = azidocyclohexane), and their gold-mediated nitrogen expulsion chemistry, and the isolation of formal nitrene rearrangement products of “1-AdN”, “2-AdN” and “CyN” (including the elusive 4-azahomoadamant-3-ene) as their gold complexes. We have also performed a computational study to understand and explain the observed structure of gold-coordinated 1-AdNNN and 2-AdNNN and their nitrogen elimination pathw...
Interleukin-2: developing additional cytokine gene therapies using fibroblasts or dendritic cells to enhance tumor immunity.

PURPOSE Recombinant interleukin (IL)-2 administration can mediate regression of solid tumors in patients with melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. A better understanding of the mechanisms of IL-2-mediated antitumor effects has led to the investigation of novel immunotherapeutic approaches. The rationale for these immunotherapeutic approaches and the results of preliminary clinical studies are presented. PATIENTS AND METHODS The therapeutic potential of dendritic cells and the role of FLT3 ligand, a potent hematopoietic growth factor, was investigated in a variety of preclinical models. In addition, a clinical study with autologous dendritic cells pulsed with synthetic melanoma peptides derived from the MART1/ Melan A, gp100, and tyrosinase proteins was conducted. Twenty-eight human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2+ melanoma patients received an average of 106 dendritic cells a week for 4 weeks. RESULTS In a murine liver metastases model, FLT3 ligand administration alone or in combination with IL-12 or IL-2 had significant antitumor effects and resulted in significant infiltration of the tumor border by lymphocytes and dendritic cells, which was associated with an increased number of apoptotic figures. Administration of melanoma peptide-pulsed dendritic cells to 28 patients with advanced metastatic melanoma produced a complete response in two patients and a partial response in one. Significant infiltration of T cells and dendritic cells into melanoma lesions was observed. CONCLUSION These studies confirm the feasibility of immunotherapeutic approaches using dendritic cells and FLT3 ligand and demonstrate their potential antitumor activity. These approaches may be effective for patients with metastatic melanoma and other solid tumors and will likely be used to improve the efficacy of IL-2-based immunotherapy.
Parkinson's disease and the Stroop color word test: processing speed and interference algorithms.

AbstractObjective: Processing speed alters the traditional Stroop calculations of interference. Consequently, alternative algorithms for calculating Stroop interference have been introduced to control for processing speed, and have done so in a multiple sclerosis sample. This study examined how these processing speed correction algorithms change interference scores for individuals with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD, n = 58) and non-PD peers (n = 68). Method: Linear regressions controlling for demographics predicted group (PD vs. non-PD) differences for Jensen’s, Golden’s, relative, ratio, and residualized interference scores. To examine convergent and divergent validity, interference scores were correlated with standardized measures of processing speed and executive function. Results: PD–non-PD differences were found for Jensen’s interference score, but not Golden’s score, or the relative, ratio, and residualized interference scores. Jensen’s score correlated significantly with standardized processin...
Factor structure of the Emotions as a Child Scale in late adolescence and emerging adulthood

Although the Emotions as a Child Scale (EAC) has been widely used in research with children and adolescents, no peer-reviewed studies have examined its factor structure using factor analytic methods. Likewise, the measurement equivalence of the scale across gender and race/ethnicity has never been investigated. To address these gaps, this study examines the factor structure of the scale in late adolescence and emerging adulthood, compares it to previous theory-driven models, and evaluates its measurement invariance across gender and 2 racial/ethnic groups. Participants were 1,087 individuals participating in a larger community-based study of adolescent health (M = 19.35 years, SD = 1.19). Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggest that a 2-factor model from a shortened version of the scale (3 items were eliminated from each emotion scale), involving supportive and unsupportive socialization strategies, is a good alternative model to the original 5-factor structure for researchers interested in broader conceptualization of emotion socialization strategies. This 2-factor model of the shortened scale showed stronger measurement invariance across gender than racial/ethnic groups. Future studies addressing racial/ethnic differences with this measure should compare the results with and without imposing corresponding invariance constraints on noninvariant items. Findings of this study should be replicated in other age and racial/ethnic groups, and examine the predictive utility of the abbreviated 2-factor model for emotion-related outcomes across development. (PsycINFO Database Record
Better approximations for tree sparsity in nearly-linear time

The Tree Sparsity problem is defined as follows: given a node-weighted tree of size n and an integer k, output a rooted subtree of size k with maximum weight. The best known algorithm solves this problem in time O(kn), i.e., quadratic in the size of the input tree for k = Θ(n).In this work, we design (1+e)-approximation algorithms for the Tree Sparsity problem that run in nearly-linear time. Unlike prior algorithms for this problem, our results offer single criterion approximations, i.e., they do not increase the sparsity of the output solution, and work for arbitrary trees (not only balanced trees). We also provide further algorithms for this problem with different runtime vs approximation trade-offs.Finally, we show that if the exact version of the Tree Sparsity problem can be solved in strongly subquadratic time, then the (min, +) convolution problem can be solved in strongly subquadratic time as well. The latter is a well- studied problem for which no strongly subquadratic time algorithm is known.
Gender, Race, Class, and Health: Interrogating the Intersection of Substance Abuse and HIV Through a Cultural Lens

This study explores the intersection of race, class, and gender on substance abuse treatment and human immunodeficiency virus risk among 12 incarcerated black women by integrating the Health Belief...
The contribution of behavioral economics to crisis management decision-making

Scholarly work in the field of crisis management has flourished in recent years with contributions from numerous disciplines, including strategic management, organizational behavior, public relations, risk management, and disaster management. However, the substantial and prospective applications from behavioral economics – from Herbert Simon to modern theorists – have yet to be systematically integrated into the literature. This paper presents a framework that categorizes applications from behavioral economics along three stages of the crisis management life cycle – crisis preparation, crisis action, and postcrisis. It provides insights for scholars and practitioners into the crisis decision-making process and outlines why ‘less-than-rational’ decision-making approaches often appear in crisis environments.
Concomitant tumor immunity and the resistance to a second tumor challenge.

Publisher Summary Concomitant tumor immunity is considered as a synonym for the immunity of tumor-bearing mice in contrast to the immunity of immunized mice. Indeed, growth of immunogenic tumors is accompanied by the development of a specific immune response and by the production of immune lymphocytes or humoral antibodies that can be determined by different in vivo or in vitro techniques. Antitumor immune response was assessed by the level of resistance of tumor-bearing or immunized mice to a second challenge with tumor cells. From the immunologic point of view, the presence of the antigenic material in increasing amounts is not required to maintain the immune reactions. Surgical removal of the growing tumor after the development of antitumor response leaves these mice immune to the second tumor challenge, and immune cytotoxic cells in these mice can be detected. Numerous experimental data demonstrated that the surgical excision of the primary tumor removes the inhibitory influence and accompanies the acceleration of metastatic growth. Similar mechanisms might be responsible for the inhibition of the growth of spontaneous metastases or tumor cells reinoculated into tumor-bearing host. Depending on immunobiological properties of malignant cells, the contribution of immunologic and nonimmunologic mechanisms in this inhibition could be different. Further investigations of the mechanisms of these phenomena can contribute to understanding the mechanism of malignant disease and developing effective methods for treatment of cancer patients.
Building efficient wireless infrastructures for pervasive computing environments

Pervasive computing is an emerging concept that thoroughly brings computing devices and the consequent technology into people's daily life and activities. Most of these computing devices are very small, sometimes even "invisible", and often embedded into the objects surrounding people. In addition, these devices usually are not isolated, but networked with each other through wireless channels so that people can easily control and access them. In the architecture of pervasive computing systems, these small and networked computing devices form a wireless infrastructure layer to support various functionalities in the upper application layer. In practical applications, the wireless infrastructure often plays a role of data provider in a query/reply model, i.e., applications issue a query requesting certain data and the underlying wireless infrastructure is responsible for replying to the query. This dissertation has focused on the most critical issue of efficiency in designing such a wireless infrastructure. In particular, our problem resides in two domains depending on different definitions of efficiency. The first definition is time efficiency, i.e., how quickly a query can be replied. Many applications, especially real-time applications, require prompt response to a query as the consequent operations may be affected by the prior delay. The second definition is energy efficiency which is extremely important for the pervasive computing devices powered by batteries. Above all, our design goal is to reply to a query from applications quickly and with low energy cost. This dissertation has investigated two representative wireless infrastructures, sensor networks and RFID systems, both of which can serve applications with useful information about the environments. We have comprehensively explored various important and representative problems from both algorithmic and experimental perspectives including efficient network architecture design and efficient protocols for basic queries and complicated data mining queries. The major design challenges of achieving efficiency are the massive amount of data involved in a query and the extremely limited resources and capability each small device possesses. We have proposed novel and efficient solutions with intensive evaluation. Compared to the prior work, this dissertation has identified a few important new problems and the proposed solutions significantly improve the performance in terms of time efficiency and energy efficiency. Our work also provides referrable insights and appropriate methodology to other similar problems in the research community.
Reinforcement learning with human teachers: evidence of feedback and guidance with implications for learning performance

As robots become a mass consumer product, they will need to learn new skills by interacting with typical human users. Past approaches have adapted reinforcement learning (RL) to accept a human reward signal; however, we question the implicit assumption that people shall only want to give the learner feedback on its past actions. We present findings from a human user study showing that people use the reward signal not only to provide feedback about past actions, but also to provide future directed rewards to guide subsequent actions. Given this, we made specific modifications to the simulated RL robot to incorporate guidance. We then analyze and evaluate its learning performance in a second user study, and we report significant improvements on several measures. This work demonstrates the importance of understanding the human-teacher/robot-learner system as a whole in order to design algorithms that support how people want to teach while simultaneously improving the robot's learning performance.
Studies of Fatigue and Human Performance in the Field

Inquiry into fatigue and human performance in the field explore the mechanisms through which performance declines in individuals and groups consequent to fatiguing influences including sleep loss and the circadian timing of sleep. These studies generally examine real-life changes in the industries of transportation and emergency work in order to determine how fatigue is manifested in these environments.
The Arterial Anatomy of the Lateral Ligament Complex of the Ankle: A Cadaveric Study.

Background:Ankle sprains are the most common musculoskeletal injury in the United States. Chronic lateral ankle instability can ultimately require operative intervention to decrease pain and restor...
Lung cancer screening and shared decision making in cancer survivors: the long and winding road.

The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) showed a 20% relative reduction in lung cancer mortality among current and former (quit within the last 15 years) smokers aged 55–74 years with at least a 30 pack-year smoking history who underwent lung cancer screening (LCS) with low dose computed tomography (LDCT) versus chest radiography (1).