cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corneal biopsy in the management of progressive microbial keratitis.

Abstract PURPOSE: To study the indications and role of diagnostic corneal biopsy in the management of patients with progressive microbial keratitis. METHODS: The records of 33 consecutive patients who underwent a diagnostic corneal biopsy from January 1, 1986, to December 31, 1998, were reviewed. The indication for corneal biopsy was progressive infectious keratitis despite intensive broad-spectrum topical antimicrobial therapy, or progressive stromal infiltration inaccessible to corneal scrapings. Microbiologic evaluation of all corneal biopsies was performed, and 11 of the 33 biopsies were also examined histopathologically. RESULTS: A microorganism was isolated from 27 (82%) of the 33 corneal biopsies. Of the six patients with a negative biopsy, a penetrating keratoplasty was performed in five patients and the pathogen was identified by examination of the corneal button. In one patient no microorganism was identified; however, the infection resolved with topical antimicrobial therapy. The most common risk factor for keratitis was foreign body exposure or corneal abrasion (14 patients). A solid stromal infiltrate was the most common pattern of corneal involvement. Corneal biopsy revealed previously unidentified microorganisms that led to a change in antimicrobial therapy in 24 (89%) of the 27 patients and confirmed prior culture results in the remaining 3 patients. Microbiologic evaluation of the corneal biopsy was more sensitive than histopathologic examination. Acanthamoeba was the most commonly isolated pathogen (five cases), followed by Propionibacterium acnes and Fusarium (four cases each). Gram-positive organisms were isolated in 16 patients. Only five of the 27 patients with a positive corneal biopsy required a penetrating keratoplasty, in contrast to five of the six patients with a negative corneal biopsy ( P = .005). During the 13-year period of the study, only three corneal biopsies were performed in the last 6 years. CONCLUSIONS: Microbiologic evaluation of a diagnostic corneal biopsy contributed significantly to the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of patients with progressive infectious keratitis.
Using parents' concerns to detect and address developmental and behavioral problems.

purpose. Half of all children with disabilities are not identified before school entrance, precluding their participation in early intervention programs with known value in reducing high school dropout rates, increasing employment, delaying child-bearing, and reducing criminal behavior. Screening tests that can greatly improve detection rates have not been popular in primary care. This article describes an alternative approach in an evidence-based technique relying on professional elicitation and interpretation of parents' concerns. population. 971 children from pediatric practices, day-care centers, public schools, and their siblings. conclusions. Research shows that parents' concerns are as accurate as quality screening tests and that parents are equally able to raise important concerns regardless of differences in education and child-rearing experience. Parents' concerns can be elicited quickly, and 92% of parents can answer questions in writing while in exam or waiting rooms. Parents' concerns can help make a range of other important decisions about children's developmental and behavioral needs.
It/I: a theater play featuring an autonomous computer character

"It/I" is a two-character theater play in which the human character I (played by a real actor) is taunted and played with by an autonomous computer character It on a computer-controlled, camera-monitored stage. The play, performed before live audiences in November 1997, brought an automatic computer character to a theatrical stage for the first time ever. This paper reports the experience and examines important technical developments needed for the successful production of "It/I". In particular we describe the interval script paradigm used to program the computer character and the ACTSCRIPT language for communication of actions and goals. Although our experiments have been restricted to physical interactive spaces, we believe that interval scripts and ACTSCRPT can successfully address the control and management of any virtual environment with a complex temporal structure or a strong underlying narrative.
Crop residue position and interference with wheat seedling development

Unweathered crop residues can produce growth-inhibiting substances, stimulate pathogen growth, and immobilize nutrients. The location of seed relative to residue may be an important factor in the early health of a crop. This greenhouse study simulated sowing conditions possible under annual dryland winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production to evaluate the likelihood of inhibitory effects. We placed newly harvested, unweathered winter wheat residue on the soil surface, mixed with the seed, immediately above the seed, or 3 cm below the seed. Treatments using a plastic residue substitute and treatments using pasteurized soil and residue provided comparisons to the natural soil and wheat residue. Residue mixed with or placed above the seed caused a temporary delay in emergence. Since this occurred with both wheat and plastic residue, the delay is explained by the physical impedance of coleoptile growth. Wheat residue 3 cm below the seed reduced the height and rate of wheat plant development, indicating a biological inhibitory effect of the wheat residue. This reduction in height and development rate at 20 days after planting did not occur when the soil and residue were pasteurized. We conclude that winter wheat seedling growth can be inhibited if roots encounter unweathered residues.
Systems technologies for silicon auditory models

Presents a low-power analog integrated circuit which implements a biologically inspired algorithm for the spectral analysis of sound. The chip features an efficient interface to digital systems; preserving analog processing's low-power, high-density advantages requires careful attention to interface issues. To send the spectral representation off chip, it generates a sparse coding of the output spectrum, and communicates the code as an asynchronous stream of events. We store parameters for the spectral analysis algorithm as charge on floating nodes, and support the modification of these parameters via Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, under the control of a digital interface. A prototype system uses this chip as a preprocessor. >
Potassium dispersion on silica-supported ruthenium catalysts

Abstract Alkali modifiers are known to be quite effective at improving catalyst activity or selectivity for several metal-catalyzed reactions of industrial importance. Yet it is still difficult to address the location and distribution of alkali species in most catalysts. This paper reports on an investigation of the potassium dispersion in a series of 3 wt% Ru/SiO 2 catalysts sequentially doped with potassium nitrate up to (K/Ru)awm = 0.2 followed by rereduction. This series was evaluated extensively using gas volumetric hydrogen chemisorption and the structure-sensitive ethane hydrogenolysis reaction. Hydrogen chemisorption results indicate that the alkali was apparently atomically dispersed on the ruthenium surface. The added potassium species interfered with hydrogen chemisorption on a one-to-one atomic basis. Potassium addition resulted in a decrease in the apparent activation energy and an increase in the apparent hydrogen reaction order for ethane hydrogenolysis. Using the statistical poisoning model of Martin ( Catal. Reu.-Sci. Eng. 30 , 519 (1988)) which assumes that the metal surface is uniform for adatom adsorption, the apparent ensemble required for the reaction was estimated to be made up of 12 ± 3 adjacent exposed surface ruthenium atoms. Using an extension of Martin's model, this structure-sensitive reaction also revealed that at the higher potassium levels the alkali dispersion became nonuniform. This nonuniform dispersion is suggested to be due to a preference of the dopant for certain metal sites. Because of this nonuniform dispersion, the “true” reaction ensemble size is suggested to be less than 12.
A geometrical interpretation of the coagulation equation

The coagulation-fragmentation equation describes geodesic motion in an infinite-dimensional space. This space has a symmetric affine connection but no metric in general. Some advantages of the new approach are indicated.
Adaptive Individual Differences Revisited

Humans possess a complex array of evolved psychological mechanisms, only a subset of which is activated at any particular time. Attempts to reduce human sexual strategies to a single, rigid, invariant strategy, and to label departures from a single strategy as maladjusted, fail to accord with a large body of empirical evidence. Personality psychology cannot afford to ignore the rich repertoire of individual differences, some of which are adaptively patterned. The primary goal of our target article, "Adaptive Individual Differences," was to offer a taxonomy of models of adaptive and nonadaptive individ- ual differences (Buss & Greiling, this issue). We also provided concep- tual standards and empirical procedures by which importantly different forms of individual differences could be distinguished. The goal was explicitly not to provide a detailed evaluation of the plausibility of the specific hypotheses about individual differences, but rather to outline the entire array for further scrutiny. In an eloquent and engaging commentary, Kirkpatrick (this issue) explores one of these conceptions in depth—the issue of whether indi- vidual differences in attachment styles and mating strategies represent adaptive individual differences (this falls under the heading of "early environmental calibration" in the target article) or, conversely, whether departures from secure attachment and long-term mating represent maladaptive deviations produced by evolutionarily novel environmental conditions. After reviewing the arguments and evidence, Kirkpatrick
Erratum: The promise of neuroprotective agents in Parkinson's disease

After our article was published online, it was brought to our attention that in Table ​Table11 we incorrectly stated the findings from a study testing the safety of Isradipine (Simuni et al., 2010). We have thus changed the text in the table to reflect the results that Isradipine has been shown to be safe and well-tolerated in PD patients. Table 1 Neuroprotective Agents in PD models.
HOSPITALIZATION OF A PARENT FOR MENTAL ILLNESS: A CRISIS FOR CHILDREN*

Preliminary report of a study of the impact on children of hospitalization of parents in a mental hospital to determine child-care needs and use of services. Data indicate (1) extent of family disruption and problems in children and (2) need for organized community services and improved communication between hospital and agencies.
On the fuel-optimal singular control of nonlinear second-order systems

Given a body subject to quadratic drag forces so that the position y(t) and the applied control thrust u(t) are related by \ddot{y}(t)+a\dot{y}(t)|\dot{y}(t)| = u(t), |u(t)| \leq 1 , the control u(t) is found which forces the body to a desired position, and stops it there, and which minimizes the cost J=\int\liminf{0} \limsup{T}\{k + |u(t)|\}dt . The response time T is not fixed, k > 0 , and |u(t)| is proportional to the rate of flow of fuel. Repeated use of the necessary conditions provided by the Maximum Principle results in the optimum feedback system. It is shown that if k\leq 1 , then singular controls exist and they are optimal; if k > 1 , then singular controls are not optimal. Techniques for the construction of the various switch curves are given, and extensions of the results to other nonlinear systems are discussed.
Checkpoint recovery after DNA damage: a rolling stop for CDKs

The cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) must be inhibited when DNA damage occurs to prevent cell‐cycle progression and to allow for repair. A paper in the June issue of EMBO reports from Rene Medema's group now suggests that some CDK activity must actually be retained during arrest for efficient checkpoint recovery to occur (Alvarez‐Fernandez et al , 2010). Cells have evolved several mechanisms to ensure accurate DNA replication and to prevent genomic instability and cancer. A crucial role is played by checkpoints, which sense DNA damage and subsequently inhibit cell‐cycle progression. If the DNA damage can be repaired, cells will resume cell‐cycle progression, a process known as checkpoint recovery. If the DNA damage cannot be repaired, the checkpoint activates programmes that result in permanent cell‐cycle arrest, apoptosis or senescence. CDKs drive cell division, and their tightly regulated expression, stability and activity is vital to cell‐cycle progression. It is therefore not surprising that these kinase complexes are targets of the DNA‐damage checkpoint. In G2 phase, the DNA‐damage‐mediated arrest of cell‐cycle progression requires direct inhibition of CDK1–cyclin B, the CDK–cyclin complex that is required for mitotic entry (Linqvist et al , 2009). The regulation of CDK activity is controlled largely by inhibitory phosphorylation of the CDK subunit, which is carried out by the kinase Wee1. To activate CDK complexes, this phosphate group must be removed by CDC25 phosphatases. The G2 checkpoint initially establishes cell‐cycle arrest by modulating this phosphorylation, both by degradation and inactivation of CDC25 and by activation of WEE1 (Fig 1; Bartek & Lukas, 2007). Figure 1. Model for regulation of cyclin‐dependent kinase and FoxM1. Feedback cycles after ( A ) DNA damage, ( B ) checkpoint recovery and ( C ) recovery with reduced levels of CDK or …
Combined lubrication monitor for on-line gearbox health assessment

Lubricant condition monitoring is widely recognized as an effective means to determine the health of gearboxes and drive train components.12 For example, in rotorcraft systems, where the health of drive train and engine systems is paramount for safe operation and readiness, a staple means of condition monitoring of legacy gearboxes has been the use of both offline oil analysis and chip detection sensors, primarily because of their effectiveness in detecting both potential and actual sources of mechanical degradation in the oil. However, the challenges associated with these types of separate monitoring activities, including the high cost and complex logistical burden laid upon systems or aircraft in service, and their information and detection timing limitations, make an online monitoring technology for gearbox lubricant condition and debris detection highly desirable. To this end, Impact Technologies, LLC is developing an integrated online monitoring system capable of both real-time oil condition monitoring as well as ferrous and non-ferrous metallic debris detection. This innovative system integrates two separate technologies into a single device to better meet performance demands for lubricant-based health monitoring of high performance gearboxes and drive trains. This paper describes the benefits of the combined technologies and outlines efforts and lessons learned during the design process to achieve high fidelity and reliability in a tightly packaged, lightweight and robust mechanical and electronic design resistant to vibration and thermal exposure. The paper also discusses key monitoring capabilities as well as system validation, testing and performance characterization for such relevant technology.
Blood Pressure as a Surrogate End Point for Hypertension

OBJECTIVE:To review relevant literature and provide opinions regarding the use of blood pressure as a surrogate measure to predict cardiovascular risk.DATA SOURCES:Primary and review articles were identified by MEDLINE search (1990–January 2001) and through secondary sources.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:Studies and review articles that related to the interpretation of blood pressure as a surrogate measure were reviewed. Information that was relevant to this topic was included.DATA SYNTHESIS:The measurement of blood pressure is subject to numerous sources of error and bias. Patients who perform home blood pressure testing and self-report these values frequently leave out high values and add ghost values into logbooks. Additionally, analysis of recent data suggests that at any given level of blood pressure that is achieved, cardiovascular risk reduction may not be the same with different therapeutic agents. It is also now recommended that systolic blood pressure be used in preference to diastolic blo...
Social support and self-efficacy for abstinence: is peer identification an issue?

This study investigated levels of abstinence social support and abstinence self-efficacy in relation to characteristics among recovering substance abusers (57 men, 43 women) residing in Oxford Houses. Significant relationships between treatment and sociodemographic variables were observed on measures of abstinence social support and abstinence self-efficacy. Residence time in an Oxford House and 12-step participation were related to increased levels of abstinence social support and abstinence self-efficacy. However, residents who reported that their veteran status or prior incarceration experiences were issues they perceived as making identification with other recovering peers difficult reported lower levels of abstinence social support. In addition, residents who reported having at least one identification issue (57%) and residents who reported being a parent (73%) also reported lower levels of abstinence self-efficacy. Results of this study have important treatment implications for our understanding of social support and self-efficacy within ongoing recovery.
Lossless compression of seismic data

A description and comparative study of three different waveform data compression schemes are presented. All three schemes are lossless, that is, decompression results in exact recovery of the original data samples. The first technique uses linear prediction followed by residue sequence encoding. The second and third techniques use single-stage differencing followed by two different methods of encoding. The three schemes are first described. The compression ratio and CPU time required for compression and decompression are studied using an extensive set of seismic data. >
The Impact of an Operation Purple Camp Intervention on Military Children and Adolescents’ Self-Perception of Social Acceptance, Athletic Competence, and Global Self-Worth

In a pilot study we examined the effect of a one-week Operation Purple Camp intervention with children and adolescents (N = 48) in military families on their self-perception of social acceptance, athletic competence, and global self-worth. Adolescents’ showed significant improvement post-intervention in perceptions of social acceptance (p < .05) and athletic competence (p < .05) while children showed a significant improvement in perception of global self-worth (p < .05). These findings lend support for the effectiveness of this intervention for improving outcomes for children and adolescents in military families.
Arterial baroreceptors mediate the inhibitory effect of acute increases in arterial blood pressure on thirst

The present study sought to determine whether arterial baroreceptor afferents mediate the inhibitory effect of an acute increase in arterial blood pressure (AP) on thirst stimulated by systemically...
Treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia among community dwelling men: the Olmsted County study of urinary symptoms and health status.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We describe treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) among men participating in the Olmsted County study of urinary symptoms and health status among men during 10,000 person-years of followup.Materials and Methods: A cohort of 2,115 men 40 to 79 years old was randomly selected from an enumeration of the Olmsted County, Minnesota population (55% response rate). Participants completed a previously validated baseline questionnaire to assess symptom severity and voided into a portable urometer. A 25% random subsample underwent transrectal sonographic imaging of the prostate to determine prostate volume and measurement of serum prostate specific antigen. Followup included retrospective review of community medical records and completion of a biennial questionnaire to determine the occurrence of medical and surgical treatment for BPH in the subsequent 6 years.Results: During more than 10,000 person-years of followup 167 men were treated, yielding an overall incidence of 16.0/1,000 perso...
A local orientation coherency weighted color gradient for edge detection

We present a novel color gradient operator based on a weighted max distance (a weighted Minkowski distance of L/sub /spl infin// norm) with the weights determined by the coherency of local gradient orientations. We demonstrate its performance advantages by quantitatively comparing it with several existing gradient operators using synthetic images.
Optofluidic dye lasers

Optofluidic dye lasers refer to a class of liquid dye lasers, usually on a microfabricated device, in which the adaptive nature of the liquid gain medium allows the dynamical control of the laser properties. Miniaturizing liquid dye lasers onto a microfluidic device not only results in compact, easy-to-maintain and safe dye laser systems, but also provides unprecedented optical performances such as precise spatial mode control, low threshold, and automatic fluidic tuning. Equally important, such on-chip liquid laser sources represent an important component for “lab-on-a-chip” systems. This thesis studies the implementations of optofluidic dye lasers on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based microfluidic devices. Replica molding soft lithography was used to fabricate monolithic PDMS devices which contain both wavelength-scale optical structures and large-sized microfluidic channels. We have demonstrated narrow linewidth single mode DFB lasers, simultaneous operation of integrated DFB laser arrays with a single pump, multiple color lasing from the same DFB cavity, continuous mechanical wavelength tuning over a 60nm range, microfluidic wavelength tuning, single mode liquid-core microring lasers using Vernier effect, liquid-cladding evanescent gain DFB lasers, and monolithic integration with PDMS microfluidic circuits. Typical laser thresholds achieved are well within the reach of commercial high power laser diodes, thus enabling the implementations of compact tunable laser sources for portable “lab-on-a-chip” devices. The impressive performances, diverse geometries and applications clearly demonstrate the power of optofluidic integration and adaptation.
Drug Interaction between St. John's Wort and Cyclosporine

OBJECTIVE:To report a probable drug interaction between the herbal dietary supplement St. John's wort and cyclosporine.CASE REPORT:A 29-year-old white woman who received a cadaveric kidney and pancreas transplant, with stable organ function and stable cyclosporine concentrations began self-medicating with St. John's wort. After taking St. John's wort supplements for four to eight weeks, her cyclosporine concentrations became subtherapeutic; this was associated with organ rejection. Four weeks after stopping St. John's wort, her cyclosporine concentrations again became therapeutic. Subsequent to this rejection episode, she has developed chronic rejection and now has returned to dialysis.DISCUSSION:St. John's wort is suspected to be a significant inducer of CYP3A4 isoenzyme activity and of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression, both of which are important in the metabolism and absorption of cyclosporine. Cyclosporine exhibits a relatively small therapeutic window and is sensitive to medications that can modulate...
Fast Media, Media Fast: How to Clear Your Mind and Invigorate Your Life in an Age of Media Overload Thomas W. Cooper. Boulder, CO: Gaeta Press, 2011.

Fast Media, Media Fast: How to Clear Your Mind and Invigorate Your Life in an Age of Media Overload Thomas W. Cooper. Boulder, CO: Gaeta Press, 2011.In his book Fast Media, Media Fast, Thomas W. Cooper discusses the deluge of information Americans face in 2014, his own experience with media fasts, and the benefits of taking a break from media. Cooper thoroughly explains the benefits and disadvantages of living in an overstimulated society where individuals can access information at any given time. He explains that media fasts help participants become more conscious, creative, and deliberate.The author divides the book in to four parts, making for an easy read: Part One-Taking a Personal Media Fast or Diet; Part Two-Learning from the Fast; Part Three-Group Fasting; and Part Four-The Ultimate Choice. Cooper states that Americans are overwhelmed with media choices. He claims this excessive media exposure can be harmful, given that today's media outlets infiltrate nearly every aspect daily life.Part One defines media fasts and explains why one would want to take a break in today's media-obsessed world. Benefits of fasting, Cooper claims, are saving time and money, regaining the ability to think independently, regaining control of life, becoming more selective, and working on relationships.In Part One, he also provides a more detailed outline for planning a fast. Here, Cooper uses his own fasting experience to give readers an idea of what they may feel, and this firsthand experience is quite interesting, as he abstained from media for more than thirty days. "The ubiquity of mass media is never driven home as much as when one abstains from it" (39). He also claims that similar to food fasts, upon reentering the role of media consumer, one's senses are renewed. "Once the mind was no longer 'absent' (fixated upon media) but 'present' (grounded in the physical world round about), [he] could consciously use it to focus upon the day behind or ahead without it using [him]" (43).Cooper uses Part Two of the book to provide more detail about the benefits of abstaining from media and the potential side effects of consuming media in large doses, one of which is difficulty distinguishing between reality and fiction. Media provide an escape, allowing consumers to forget about current problems (viewers often get lost in soap operas or TV shows in which they can relate to the characters; audiences swarm to movie theaters to forget their woes; motorists often listen to music or radio in the car to take their minds off rush-hour traffic). However, while media may distract individuals from current woes, it may also prevent fostering interpersonal relationships and lead to squandered opportunities. "Most of us also spend as much time consuming media as we do in any other activity," Cooper claims (97).Part Three describes groups of people in the world who deliberately abstain from media. …
Effect of forage type in the stocker phase and its effect on subsequent feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of beef steers

ABSTRACT The focus of most research on beef weaning programs is to evaluate effects of age and diet on calf performance with a particular interest on preconditioned health program to maximize BW gain. In support of the forage-based production system, research needs to be conducted to evaluate the potential of different forages to facilitate weaning and continuation into forage-based development programs. In each of 2 yr, 48 weaned beef steers were used to evaluate performance when grazing monocultures of endophyte-free tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbyshire = Festuca arundinacea Schreb.; TF] and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.; ALF) and the effect of these stocker treatments on subsequent performance and carcass characteristics. Forages were not limiting in terms of mass produced and nutritive value. The greater nutritive value of ALF resulted in greater performance and pounds of beef produced per hectare compared with steers grazing TF. Steers grazing ALF tended to be heavier at the beginning of the feedlot phase, and the difference resulted in heavier (P
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS

ABSTRACT An assessment is given of the means of predicting the mechanical properties of composite materials in terms of the microstructure properties. Fiber reinforced composites are considered as well as other types of heterogeneous combinations of materials. Various geometric models of microstructure characteristics are discussed. Primary emphasis is given to elasticity results, although some viscoelasticity and plasticity formulations are considered.
THIRD VENTRICLE GHRELIN INFUSION EFFECT ON THE METABOLIC PARAMETERS UNDER DIFFERENT ENERGY LEVELS IN DIETS

The goal of this study was to determine whether ghrelin affects the mean plasma concentrations of metabolic parameters such as thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), growth hormone (GH), insulin, glucagon, glucose, fatty acid and urea in the goats fed different energy content in diets. Sixteen goats were randomly divided into 4 groups. Animals in groups 1 and 2 were fed 100 % and animals in groups 3 and 4 were fed a 50 % energy content in their diet for 20 days. After 20 days, animals in groups 1 and 3 received a daily infusion of 1 ug ghrelin, while groups 2 and 4 received a daily infusion of 2 ug galanin into their third ventricle for 5 days. Blood samples were collected daily from the jugular veins before infusions on day 4 until 4 days after the last infusions of ghrelin. Samples were assayed for plasma T3, T4, GH, insulin and glucagon concentrations by double-antibody RIA. Glucose, fatty acid, and urea concentrations were also measured. Lower dietary energy intake and infusions of 1 and 2 ug ghrelin significantly (P<0.01) decreased the mean plasma concentrations of T3, T4, insulin, and glucose, and significantly (P<0.01) increased the mean plasma concentrations of GH, glucagon, fatty acid, and urea of the animals in groups 3 and 4. Different dosages of the ghrelin infusions did not change the plasma concentrations of the metabolic parameters in the animals fed a normal energy content in diets. The results of this experiment indicated that ghrelin may negatively affect the T3, T4, insulin, and glucose and increase GH, glucagon, fatty acid, and urea in the goats with a negative energy balance, but not in those with the positive energy balance.
Glycine-extended gastrin potentiates gastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion in rats

The purpose of this study was to examine whether an intermediate form of amidated gastrin, glycine-extended gastrin (Gly-G), can stimulate gastric acid secretion in conscious rats prepared with gastric fistulas. Intravenous administration of Gly-G (20 nmol.kg-1.h-1) alone for 2 h did not stimulate gastric acid secretion; however, administration of Gly-G (20 nmol.kg-1.h-1) in combination with a bolus administration of gastrin (9.5 nmol/kg) potentiated acid secretion significantly. Gastric acid secretion in response to gastrin alone and gastrin plus Gly-G (2 nmol.kg-1.h-1) was 109.1 +/- 21.6 and 170.1 +/- 27.7 mueq.kg-1.h-1, respectively (P < 0.05). Gastric acid secretion in response to gastrin alone and gastrin plus Gly-G (20 nmol.kg-1.h-1) was 84.8 +/- 17.5 and 164.1 +/- 29.3 mueq.kg-1.h-1, respectively (P < 0.05). Intravenous administration of Gly-G (20 nmol.kg-1.h-1) failed to increase histamine (1 mg/kg)-stimulated acid output. These results demonstrate that Gly-G can selectively potentiate the stimulatory effect of gastrin on acid secretion in rats and that the unprocessed form of gastrin, Gly-G, can exert a biological effect in the stomach.
Abstract 172: Product of Lipid Oxidation During Inflammation is a New Potent Ligand for β2 Integrin-mediated Macrophage Migration

2-(ω-carboxyethyl)pyrrole (CEP) and ethylpyrrole (EP) derivatives of proteins are formed through adduction of end products of docosahexaenoate (DHA) oxidation[[Unable to Display Character: ]] with the e-amino groups of protein lysyl residues, followed by cyclization and dehydration. Our previous studies demonstrated that EP-modified proteins are present in healthy tissue, while CEP-modified proteins are detected in the tissue during inflammation including inflamed peritoneal wall and atherosclerotic lesions. Potential role of CEP in inflammatory response was evaluated by testing leukocyte recruitment during thioglycollate-induced peritoneal inflammation. We found that injection of anti-CEP antibody dramatically reduced the accumulation of macrophages in the peritoneal cavity at 72 hours, while the earlier accumulation of neutrophils was not affected. Migration of neutrophils was a prerequisite for CEP production in the peritoneum. In vitro adhesion assay revealed strong binding of peritoneal macrophages to CEP, while adhesion to EP was not detected. Moreover, CEP presence in 3D fibrin gel significantly increased migration of macrophages toward MCP-1 gradient. We have previously demonstrated that CEP is ligand for CD36 and TLR2. However, the adhesion of TLR2/CD36-double deficient macrophages to CEP was similar to wild type cells; suggesting that other receptors are involved in CEP-mediated macrophage adhesion/migration. Since αDβ2 and αMβ2 integrins are major macrophage adhesion receptors we tested their ability to bind CEP. Isolated αM and αD I-domains, which are critical for integrin ligand recognition, showed a concentration-dependent binding to immobilized CEP, but not to EP in the biacore assay. Moreover, αDβ2 and αMβ2-transfected but not control HEK293 cells strongly adhered to CEP. This adhesion was significantly inhibited by anti-CEP, anti-β2 and anti-αM (or αD) antibodies, but not by anti-β1 antibody. In summary, we found that CEP-modified proteins drive the migration of macrophages during inflammation by engaging macrophage integrins αMβ2 and αDβ2. Hence, regulation of CEP-mediated adhesion/migration can control the accumulation of macrophages within the site of inflammation and may regulate the development of chronic inflammatory deseases.
Listening to the crowd: automated analysis of events via aggregated twitter sentiment

Individuals often express their opinions on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook during public events such as the U.S. Presidential debate and the Oscar awards ceremony. Gleaning insights from these posts is of importance to analyzing the impact of the event. In this work, we consider the problem of identifying the segments and topics of an event that garnered praise or criticism, according to aggregated Twitter responses. We propose a flexible factorization framework, SOCSENT, to learn factors about segments, topics, and sentiments. To regulate the learning process, several constraints based on prior knowledge on sentiment lexicon, sentiment orientations (on a few tweets) as well as tweets alignments to the event are enforced. We implement our approach using simple update rules to get the optimal solution. We evaluate the proposed method both quantitatively and qualitatively on two large-scale tweet datasets associated with two events from different domains to show that it improves significantly over baseline models.
DNA Oligonucleotide 3′-Phosphorylation by a DNA Enzyme

T4 polynucleotide kinase is widely used for 5′-phosphorylation of DNA and RNA oligonucleotide termini, but no natural protein enzyme is capable of 3′-phosphorylation. Here, we report the in vitro selection of deoxyribozymes (DNA enzymes) capable of DNA oligonucleotide 3′-phosphorylation, using a 5′-triphosphorylated RNA transcript (pppRNA) as the phosphoryl donor. The basis of selection was the capture, during each selection round, of the 3′-phosphorylated DNA substrate terminus by 2-methylimidazole activation of the 3′-phosphate (forming 3′-MeImp) and subsequent splint ligation with a 5′-amino DNA oligonucleotide. Competing and precedented DNA-catalyzed reactions were DNA phosphodiester hydrolysis or deglycosylation, each also leading to a 3′-phosphate but at a different nucleotide position within the DNA substrate. One oligonucleotide 3′-kinase deoxyribozyme, obtained from an N40 random pool and named 3′Kin1, can 3′-phosphorylate nearly any DNA oligonucleotide substrate for which the 3′-terminus has the...
Glucocorticoid Effects on Statural Growth

Glucocorticoid use in children is not only associated with the side effects which are seen in adults, but also with severe adverse effects on statural growth. As little as 2.5-5.0 mg prednisolone/day can cause a retardation in statural growth. A direct relationship exists between the dose of glucocorticoid used and statural growth. The use of knemometry, a sensitive technique for measuring the growth of long bones in children has increased the accuracy of growth rate measurements. Many factors, such as disease process, sex, daily vs alternate day therapy, ethnic variations or whether the patient has been immobilized must be considered when evaluating the effects on stature of a particular glucocorticoid. Although alternate day therapy may benefit some patients (particularly those with juvenile chronic arthritis), not all patients respond beneficially to this type of regimen. New generations of glucocorticoids which may not be as detrimental to the growing child should now be considered.
Distributive and procedural justice in the workplace

The interrelatedness of procedural and distributive justice has implications for organizational practice, especially in the area of performance appraisal. I explore these implications by first describing how procedures can influence perceptions of distributive justice: Procedural improprieties can bring to mind the possibility that a more just outcome might have been obtained if only more acceptable practices had been followed. Next I discuss a second form of interrelatedness — how distributive consequences can influence perceptions of procedural justice — by suggesting that the fairness of a procedure can be assessed in terms of its “expected-value” (typical or most probable) outcome. These points are illustrated by a discussion of howvoice, or the opportunity for employees to contribute information during the performance appraisal process, can affect both appraisal accuracy and perception of fairness.
Hydricities of BzNADH, C5H5Mo(PMe3)(CO)2H, and C5Me5Mo(PMe3)(CO)2H in Acetonitrile

The thermodynamic hydride donor abilities of 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (BzNADH, 59 ± 2 kcal/mol), C5H5Mo(PMe3)(CO)2H (55 ± 3 kcal/mol), and C5Me5Mo(PMe3)(CO)2H (58 ± 2 kcal/mol) have been measured in acetonitrile by calorimetric and/or equilibrium methods. The hydride donor abilities of BzNADH and C5H5Mo(PMe3)(CO)2H differ by 13 and 24 kcal/mol, respectively, from those reported previously for these compounds in acetonitrile. These results require significant revisions of the hydricities reported for related NADH analogues and metal hydrides. These compounds are moderate hydride donors as compared to previously determined compounds.
Generalization bounds for transfer learning under model shift

Transfer learning (sometimes also referred to as domain-adaptation) algorithms are often used when one tries to apply a model learned from a fully labeled source domain, to an unlabeled target domain, that is similar but not identical to the source. Previous work on covariate shift focuses on matching the marginal distributions on observations X across domains while assuming the conditional distribution P(Y|X) stays the same. Relevant theory focusing on covariate shift has also been developed. Recent work on transfer learning under model shift deals with different conditional distributions P(Y|X) across domains with a few target labels, while assuming the changes are smooth. However, no analysis has been provided to say when these algorithms work. In this paper, we analyze transfer learning algorithms under the model shift assumption. Our analysis shows that when the conditional distribution changes, we are able to obtain a generalization error bound of O(1/λ*√nl) with respect to the labeled target sample size nl, modified by the smoothness of the change (λ*) across domains. Our analysis also sheds light on conditions when transfer learning works better than no-transfer learning (learning by labeled target data only). Furthermore, we extend the transfer learning algorithm from a single source to multiple sources.
Comparison of Amiodarone Compliance Monitoring: Usual Care, Electronic Prescribing Template and Pharmacist-Managed Clinic

Objective: To assess whether adherence to amiodarone monitoring differed pre- and post-amiodarone restriction template and implementation of the pharmacist-managed clinic. Design: This was a retrospective chart review study. Setting: A large, academically-affiliated Veteran Affairs Healthcare System providing primary and tertiary care. Patients: 580 patients were identified as having an active prescription for amiodarone for at least 60 days from January 1, 2009 to August 31, 2013 and receiving primary care at the VAAHS (Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System). Results: Nearly all patients had TSH and LFTs at baseline regardless of study group. Significant associations between baseline rates for CXR, ECG, PFT, and ophthalmologic exams were found, with higher rates in the clinic and template arms compared to usual care. Similar patterns for all monitoring outcome rates were also found for both the 6- and 12-month measures. Conclusions: Patients on amiodarone who are followed by a pharmacist-managed clinic or where a restricted ordering template was used had increased compliance with amiodarone monitoring guidelines compared to usual care. Use of a restricted template may be a reasonable option in place of a pharmacist-managed service.
Z[oo]ming in…How Brand Love and Sense of Community: Contribute to the Success of Zumba®

Fourteen million people in 185 countries do it weekly. These enviable numbers have been achieved by Zumba® Fitness in just over a decade. Established in 2001, this company boasts “the world’s leading branded fitness program” (Zumba® Fitness 2013). How does a company create such a widespread, yet loyal following? The research presented here seeks to investigate how business success is achieved by observing some of the particular elements in Zumba’s business model: brand love, sense of community, attitude toward fees.
A novel measure of poverty and its association with elevated sexual risk behavior among young Black MSM.

This study determined whether a novel (single-item) measure of poverty is associated with elevated sexual risk among young Black men who have sex with men who reside in a US city with high HIV seroprevalence. A convenience sample of 600 Black men who have sex with men (ages 16-29) completed a computer-assisted self-interview. The questionnaire included an item asking men, 'In the past 12 months have you missed meals because you did not have enough money to eat?' Selected measures of sexual risk and prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV were assessed as outcomes of this novel measure of poverty. About 22% had missed meals due to lack of money. In age-adjusted analyses, these men were more likely to report: (1) having concurrent sex partners ( P = .03), (2) having sex with partners who were generally five or more years older ( P = .02), (3) not using condoms the first time they had sex with their most recent new partner ( P = .015), (4) having sex with persons not known by name ( P = .02), (5) depending on sex partners for food, money, and shelter ( P < .0001), and (6) testing positive for Chlamydia at study enrollment ( P < .02). Of interest, an association in frequency of recent condomless anal sex as top ( P = .04) was observed; however, the association for recent condomless sex as bottom ( P = .37) was not significant. For young Black men who have sex with men, a novel method of assessing poverty may be predictive of many sexual risk behaviors. Clinicians may benefit this population by including this question as part of their patient interview and prioritizing services when indicated.
Mesenteric Vascular Injuries

Abdominal vascular injuries are associated with high morbidity and mortality, with patients usually presenting in shock. Surgeons caring for trauma patients need to be knowledgeable in techniques to access major vascular structures within the abdomen. Important basic principles of vascular surgery such as gaining proximal and distal control of the injured vessel, repairing vessels without significant narrowing of the vessel lumen, and when to consider patch angioplasty versus interposition grafting are crucial in dealing with abdominal vascular injuries. Damage control techniques such as temporary intravascular shunting, knowledge of which vessels may be safely ligated, and temporary abdominal closure options are critically important in treating the severely injured, unstable patient.
High-Affinity Binding of Estradiol and Testosterone to Serum Proteins

The problem of estrogen binding to serum proteins has been studied intensively by Roberts and Szego (1953, 1955), Szego and Roberts (1953), and Szego (1957). The authors reported initially (Szego and Roberts, 1946; Roberts and Szego, 1946) that twothirds of the total estrogens in human blood was associated with protein, especially with Cohn fraction III-0 containing lipid-poor β1-globulins of 7 S and 20 S, in addition to β1-lipoproteins (Cohn, 1947). These early findings, including the estrogens’ capability of dialyzing quantitatively, seemed to suggest a reversible binding system similar to that of other steroid-protein interactions. Later studies in the rat (Szego, 1953, 1955; Szego and Roberts, 1956; Szego, 1960) led to the assumption that the liver was involved in the binding of estrogens to proteins, and an enzymatically catalyzed biosynthesis of “estroprotein” was postulated. Riegel and Mueller (1954) characterized an enzyme system from rat liver which catalyzed the formation of a protein-bound metabolite of estradiol-16-14C. However, other findings (Bischoff and Stauffer, 1957; Sandberg et al., 1957; Bischoff et al., 1958) did not support the participation of the liver in the origin of the estrogen-protein complexes and assumed albumin to be mainly responsible for estrogen binding in serum. One of the complicating factors in the assumption of liver involvement in the binding of estrogens to protein is the formation of conjugates, especially glucosiduronates (Szego, 1957). These and other metabolites make it difficult to interpret the association of the radiolabeled products with the electrophoretically separated serum protein components (Szego and Roberts, 1956; Szego, 1960).
Long-Term Field Transverse Cracking Performance of Warm-Mix Asphalt Pavement and Its Significant Material Property

With the growing awareness of sustainable construction practices and because warm-mix asphalt (WMA) is environmentally friendly, WMA is gaining popularity for pavement construction in the United States. Currently, it is generally believed that rutting and moisture damage are two major concerns for WMA pavements, but because WMA requires less aging, its cracking resistance is expected to be improved. One of the primary cracking distresses of concern is transverse cracking, which could be thermal cracking in asphalt pavement or reflective cracking in asphalt overlay caused by underlying thermal cracking. Thus, transverse cracking is another primary distress. This study investigated the long-term field transverse cracking of 28 pavement projects, including WMA pavements and corresponding hot-mix asphalt (HMA) control pavements across the United States, covering different climate zones, WMA technologies, service years, pavement structures, and traffic volume levels. Two distress surveys were conducted at an i...