cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical and histologic spectrum of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease associated with normal ALT values

A retrospective study was performed to (1) characterize the clinical and histologic features of those with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values, (2) compare the spectrum of NAFLD associated with normal versus elevated ALT levels, and (3) determine whether there were differences in the clinical or histologic spectrum of NAFLD between those with a low normal versus high normal ALT value. A total of 51 subjects with NAFLD and normal ALT were identified and compared with 50 consecutive subjects with NAFLD and elevated ALT. The major indications for liver biopsy in those with normal ALT were unexplained hepatomegaly (n = 21) and evaluation as a potential donor for living donor liver transplantation (n = 16). The 2 groups were comparable with respect to age, gender distribution, and ethnicity. Approximately 80% of cases in both groups had at least 1 feature of the metabolic syndrome, the major risk factor for NAFLD. The 2 groups were also comparable with respect to the grade of the individual histologic parameters of NAFLD. A total of 12 subjects with normal ALT levels had bridging fibrosis, whereas 6 had cirrhosis. Diabetes was the only factor independently associated with an increased risk of advanced fibrosis (bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis) by multivariate analysis (relative risk: 2.3, P <.01). The mean steatosis (1.6 vs. 2.16, P <.04) and perisinusoidal fibrosis scores (0.35 vs. 0.9, P <.049) were lower in those with low normal (<30 IU/L) ALT versus high normal ALT. However, the prevalence of advanced fibrosis was similar (5 of 15 vs. 13 of 36, respectively). In conclusion, (1) the entire histologic spectrum of NAFLD can be seen in individuals with normal ALT values, (2) the histologic spectrum in these individuals is not significantly different from those with elevated ALT levels, and (3) a low normal ALT value does not guarantee freedom from underlying steatohepatitis with advanced fibrosis.
Serpent versus surrogate and other determinants of runway fear differences.

Abstract Avoidance behavior and fear ratings by snake-fearful college volunteers were studied as a function of live vs stuffed snake stimuli, order of presenting the snakes, accompanied (participant modeling format) or unaccompanied social context in the runway test, high or moderate initial fear level and sex of subject. The live snake sponsored more avoidance and rated fear than the specimen, and type of snake stimulus interacted with students' initial fear levels, thus raising questions about previous research using specimens instead of live phobic animal stimuli. Accompanied social context produced generally less fear and avoidance than unaccompanied approach. Numerous complex interactions were found among the type of snake, presentation sequence, social context, sex and fear level variables, raising methodological cautions for future research.
Rational Approach to Patients With Unintentional Weight Loss

Unintentional weight loss is a problem encountered frequently in clinical practice. Weight loss and low body weight have potentially serious clinical implications. Although a nonspecific observation, weight loss is often of concern to both patients and physicians. There are multiple potential etiologies and special factors to consider in selected groups, such as older adults. A rational approach to these patients is based on an understanding of the relevant biologic, psychological, and social factors identified during a thorough history and physical examination. The goal of this article is to discuss the clinical importance, review potential pathophysiology, and discuss specific etiologies of unintentional weight loss that will enable the clinician to formulate a practical stepwise approach to patient evaluation and management.
Eigenspace Stability Conditions in Mean-Field Replica Theories

I consider the eigenspace form of the saddle point conditions that apply for mean-field replica models that are characterized by a single overlap matrix order parameter. These allow for a characterization of the full set of saddle point solutions. Further, they motivate consideration of a particular class of solutions, which I call the principally-commuting set. These are the solutions that simultaneously satisfy the replica-space rotational stability constraints for all physical models. I show that this set satisfies the replica equivalence symmetry, as well as other more stringent conditions, and that it also contains the set of Parisi-type ultrametric solutions as a subset.
Mössbauer Effect of Thulium Compound

IN recent years the Mossbauer effect has been used for the studies of hyperfine interactions in salts and intermetallic compounds of thulium1–4.
SV40 large T antigen functions at two distinct steps in virion assembly.

Abstract The SV40 large T antigen mutant 5002 has two amino acid substitutions (L19-F; P28-S) and is defective for productive vital infection as demonstrated by its small plaques that arise very late and by a 100-fold reduced yield of infectious progeny. 5002 replicates vital DNA at the same time postinfection as wild-type SV40, and the production of progeny DNA molecules is only marginally reduced. Furthermore, the vital capsid proteins accumulate to near normal levels following infection with 5002. In this manuscript we report evidence that 5002 infection is blocked at a specific stage of viral assembly. The SV40 viral assembly pathway involves conversion of 75S chromatin complexes to 240S virions. Unlike mutants within the T antigen host range (HR) domain, that are also defective for viral assembly and accumulate 75S particles (Spence and Pipas, 1994), 5002 particles are blocked as 1509 previrions containing vital DNA and capsid proteins. We have previously shown that 5002 and HR mutants cooperate to produce viable progeny in trans complementation tests. Thus, by two criteria, SV40 large T antigen encodes two distinct activities that function at different steps in virion assembly.
Interaction of Mouse Adenovirus Type 1 Early Region 1A Protein with Cellular Proteins pRb and p107

We demonstrated functional associations between mouse adenovirus type 1 (MAV-1) early region 1A (E1A) protein and both the mouse retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and the mouse pRb-related protein, p107. Interactions between MAV-1 E1A and mouse pRb or mouse p107 proteins were examined in infected cell lysates using a mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line infected with wild-type and mutant MAV-1 viruses. Using a polyclonal antibody to MAV-1 E1A, exogenously added mouse pRb or mouse p107 was coimmunoprecipitated from wild-type, dIE105 (CR1 delta)-, and dIE106 (CR3 delta)-infected cell lysates. No coimmunoprecipitation was seen with cell lysates from dIE102 (CR2 delta) or pmE109, a mutant virus that produces no detectable E1A protein due to an ATG to TTG point mutation in the initiator methionine. Introduction of mouse pRb into SAOS-2 cells resulted in a flat and enlarged cell phenotype, whereas cotransfection of mouse pRb and MAV-1 E1A resulted in a significant reduction of flat cells, presumably due to E1A binding pRb. CR1 delta and CR2 delta E1A proteins were less effective at reducing the number of flat, enlarged cells induced by pRb expression than were the CR3 delta or wild-type E1A proteins. The reduced ability of these mutants to inactivate pRb relative to wild-type E1A correlated with their reduced ability to bind pRb in the in vitro coimmunoprecipitation experiments. As a measure of p107/MAV-1 E1A complex formation in MAV-1-infected cells, we used mobility shift assays to examine cell extracts for the presence of p107-containing E2F protein-DNA complexes. Mock-, dIE102-, and pmE109-infected cell extracts formed a p107-containing complex, whereas wild-type-infected cell extracts did not. Thus the formation of a p107-E2F complex in wild-type- or these mutant-infected extracts inversely correlated with the presence of E1A-p107 complexes identified in the vitro coimmunoprecipitation experiments. This is consistent with E1A-p107 complexes forming in wild-type MAV-1-infected cells.
Safety-Valve Elections and the Arab Spring: The Weakening (and Resurgence) of Morocco's Islamist Opposition Party

What purpose do elections serve in authoritarian states? Scholars often describe these elections as “safety valves” to contain opposition groups. Though we often use this safety valve terminology, it remains an abstract concept without sufficient empirical testing. In a study of the 2009 local elections in Morocco, I show how this safety-valve process played out in real politics. This article makes the case that the Moroccan regime undertook activities in an effort to weaken the Justice and Development Party (PJD), an Islamist opposition party. Using 20 original interviews and over 100 Arabic primary documents, I delineate the ways in which regime elites manipulated electoral rules and formal institutions, especially loyalist political parties, in an attempt to undermine the Islamists’ power between 2007 and 2010. I also examine how Arab Spring unrest turned back many of these efforts, empowering the PJD to secure a sweeping victory in the 2011 parliamentary elections. I conclude by discussing how scholar...
Behavioural Economics: Next Steps

This essay briefly reviews select key accomplishments of a young field, behavioural economics, and then turns to suggest additional steps that are called for by the nature of the subject (economic behaviour) and the approach to its study embodied in this relatively new field (for a previous such survey, please see Fudenberg (Journal of Economic Literature, 44:694–711, 2006)).
ENDOUROLOGICAL TREATMENT OF URETEROENTERIC STRICTURES: EFFICACY OF ACUCISE* ENDOURETEROTOMY

AbstractPurpose: The Acucise endoureterotomy balloon catheter has proved to be a safe and effective alternative to open surgery for the management of ureteropelvic junction obstruction and benign ureteral stricture disease. The established management of ureteroenteric strictures following urinary diversion is open surgical revision. There are few reports evaluating the efficacy of Acucise endoureterotomy in patients with ureteroenteric strictures.Materials and Methods: The Acucise cutting balloon catheter was used to treat 9 patients with 12 ureteroenteric strictures 2 cm. or less in length. Median time from diversion to stricture was 48 months (range 13 to 192). Success was defined as resolution of symptoms and radiographic confirmation of patency.Results: Recurrence of malignancy accounted for failure in 1 patient with bilateral strictures. Of the remaining 10 benign strictures 7 (70%) required open revision or serial stent changes. The remaining 3 strictures in 2 patients have remained patent at 30 and...
IS NATURE ENOUGH? ROBERT FROST REPLIES IN “THE MOST OF IT”

Abstract. In his poem “The Most of It” Robert Frost explores whether nature alone is sufficient to satisfy human spiritual yearnings. At first pass, the poem reads like a dark statement about the absence of any higher intelligence in the natural world, and it has been interpreted this way by many, including the person who inspired Frost to write it, Wade Van Dore. However, on careful reading Frost's poem also contains a subtle celebration of nature's spiritual assets. By creating a work with two possible meanings, Frost indicates that the answer to whether “nature is enough” is in the eye of the beholder. Because much of the poem's hopeful message resides in its meter, Frost also seems to be saying that nature will be enough mainly for those who appreciate nuance and accept ambiguity. For those so predisposed, a spirituality based in the belief that “nature is enough” requires no unverifiable entity for personal fulfillment and may ameliorate environmental problems that increasingly jeopardize human well-being.
Tongue hyperpigmentation associated with chemotherapy

We demonstrate a new hyperpigmentation on the tongue of a 68-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with stage IIA infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the left breast who underwent modified radical mastectomy followed by a triple chemotherapy regimen which consisted of doxorubicin, docetaxel, and cyclophosphamide. Keywords: hyperpigmentation; drug reaction; chemotherapy; therapies (Published: 17 December 2013) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2013, 3-4 : 21047 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v3i3-4.21047
Effects of α- and β-adrenergic receptor antagonists on post-trial epinephrine modulation of memory: Relationship to post-training brain norepinephrine concentrations

Rats were trained in a one-trial inhibitory (passive) avoidance task. Each animal received a 30-min pretrial injection of saline, phenoxybenzamine, or propranolol and an immediate post-trial injection of saline or epinephrine. Animals were tested for retention 24 hr later. In the absence of pretreatment with either adrenergic blocking agent, epinephrine enhanced retention of training with low footshock and impaired retention of training with high footshock. Pretrial injections of propranolol, but not phenoxybenzamine, attenuated epinephrine-produced enhancement of retention performance. Conversely, pretrial treatment with phenoxybenzamine, but not propranolol, attenuated epinephrine-produced retention impairment. Post-training brain norepinephrine concentrations were sensitive to the training-treatment conditions; the extent of a transient decrease (maximal 10 min after training) predicted, in most cases, the retention performance observed in comparably trained and treated animals. These findings thus extend and corroborate our previous evidence suggesting that hormonally mediated central noradrenergic activity may underlie retrograde amnesia and enhancement of memory processes. In addition, these findings suggest that memory storage processing may be modulated by normal post-training hormonal and central aminergic responses to training.
A study of the formation of the first electrolytic product in step-wise processes in chronopotentiometry

Abstract The relation between the amount of the first electrolytic product formed and the time of electrolysis for the case of step-wise processes in chronopotentiometry is extracted from a previously derived equation. The relation predicts that the net formation of the first electrolytic product continues beyond the first transition time and ceases at a time equal to twice the first transition time when n 1 = n 2 . Beyond this time there is net consumption of the first electrolytic product. The theory was tested with the oxygen system in which the quantity of hydrogen peroxide formed was determined as a function of electrolysis time. The significance of this refinement for alternate path reactions in chronopotentiometry is discussed.
LACK OF SPECIES SPECIFICITY OF ANTIBODY TO AN ENZYME

Antibodies to crystalline bovine hepatic L-glutamic dehydrogenase were induced in rabbits. These antibodies inhibited the bovine glutamic dehydrogenase used as antigen, and also inhibited glutamic dehydrogenases from rat, rabbit, human, pigeon, and frog livers, as well as frog renal and muscle glutamic dehydrogenase. The antibody did not inhibit yeast glutamic dehydrogenase which differs from the animal enzymes in cofactor requirement. The kinetic characteristics of the inhibition of the bovine glutamic dehydrogenase indicate mixed competitive and non-competitive inhibition, suggesting reaction with multiple antigenic sites; the data indicate competitive inhibition of the enzyme from other species, suggesting reaction with the catalytic site.
Selected geochemical factors influencing diagenesis of eocene carbonate rocks, peninsular Florida, U.S.A.

Abstract The geochemical significance of three selected ions (Mg2+, Na+, and Sr2+) supports a model of dolomitization by brackish groundwater. This groundwater zone contains sufficient quantities of Mg2+ to facilitate dolomitization ( Mg Ca ratios 1 ). Rising and falling of sea level and fluctuations of the phreatic zone related to climatic variations account for the thickness of the dolomite layers and the chemical distributions within these layers. Sodium concentrations in the calcite are 70–185 ppm, indicating formation in brackish water. Dolomite has sodium concentrations between 50–1400 ppm, suggesting formation in waters of similar salinity. Strontium in calcite ranges from 320–600 ppm, suggesting diagenesis in slightly saline waters in an open system. Dolomite contains 241 ppm Sr2+ on the average and calcite has 418 ppm Sr2+. The Sr2+ concentrations of the dolomite are characteristic of diagenesis in water less saline than sea water. Average strontium concentrations in the dolomite occur in two distinct groups, 260 ppm for dolomite with 39–43 mole-% MgCo3 and 195 ppm for the dolomite with 44–50 mole-% MgCO3. The difference in the Sr2+ concentrations of the two dolomite groups indicates the higher mole-% MgCO3 dolomite recrystallized in a less saline environment than the lower mole-% MgCO3 dolomite. These different environments are attributed to a relatively more saline coastal environment and a less saline inland environment. The more nearly stoichiometric dolomite (44–50 mole-% MgCO3) has less scatter when mole-% MgCO3 is plotted against Sr2+ and Na+. This suggests a greater approach to equilibrium with the dolomitizing fluid than the lower mole-% MgCO3 (39–43) dolomite. The more saline environment has higher Mg/Ca ratios and promotes more calcium-rich dolomite during diagenesis because of the inhibition from competing foreign ions and because it is thermodynamically a more favorable environment which causes more rapid crystallization. The less saline waters allow recrystallization to proceed more slowly, producing better ordering in the dolomites, textural preservation and development of subhedral to euhedral rhombic crystals.
Spectrophotometric determination of traces of iron, copper, zinc, aluminium and bismuth in lead- and tin-base solders and white-metal bearing alloys.

Abstract Serious co-precipitation ( > 60%) of traces of tervalent metal ions has been found to occur in the precipitation of PbSO 4 . A moderate amount (approximately 11%) of Zn 2+ and an insignificant amount of Cu 2+ are also co-precipitated. To deal with this problem, for the determination of Fe (with 1,10-phenanthroline), Al (with oxine—EDTA—KCN), Bi (with diethyldithiocarbamate—EDTA—KCN), and Cu (with 2,2′-biquinoline) in lead- and tin-base solders or white-metal bearing alloys, the PbSO 4 is dissolved in tartrate solution. Zinc is determined with dithizone after the PbSO 4 has been thoroughly washed with a dilute ammonia solution.
JUG: a JUnit generation, time complexity analysis and reporting tool to streamline grading

The JUnit Generation (JUG) system provides fast, semiautomated feedback to students. It uses a Java-like script to generate unit tests and time complexity tests, then runs those tests to generate reports. The goals for JUG are improved feedback for students, and decreased preparation and grading time for instructors and grading assistants.
Cutting the Wireless Cord: College Student Cell Phone Use and Attachment to Parents

To better understand the dynamics of cell phone use among a sample of college students and their attachment for their parents, our study investigated the attitudes toward cell phone use, distinguishing patterns of cell phone users, and user group and gender differences related to attachment to parents among college students. Findings of this study point to implications for further research in three areas: cell phone use and adoption of special functions, family studies, and measurement improvement.
Copper Films Prepared by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) Process Using Copper (Acetylacetonate) and Water Vapor as Reactants: The Impact of Water Vapor

By using the strong reductive potential of copper acetylacetone (Cu(acac)2) when Cu(acac)2) was thermally decomposed, copper metal films were prepared by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process using sublimed Cu(acac)2 vapor and water vapor as reactants, at one atmosphere pressure. According to thermodynamic calculations, Cu films could be prepared by MOCVD process with a high ratio of partial pressures for water vapor and Cu(acac)2 vapor (PH2O/Pcu(acac)2>30) In this paper, the impacts of MOCVD processing parameters such as watervapor partial pressure, total carrier gas flow rate, and precursor partial pressure on film composition and microstructure were investigated. Deposition temperature is the primary processing parameter affecting film stoichiometry. In a specific deposition temperature window, from 370°C to 400°C, polycrystalline Cu films with Cu [111] preferential orientation were deposited. ER and XRD results indicated that films deposited at temperature lower than 350°C contain copper oxide phase with poor crystal structure. By comparing the values of X-ray Auger Electron Spectroscopy (XAES) and Auger parameter (αAAu) from photoelectrons of Cu films and standards from reference compounds, die principle oxidation state of copper in these films was determined as Cu(0). The deposition results indicated that a water vapor partial pressure above 10 torr is necessary to produce Cu films. As indicated by SEM, Increasing the carrier gas flow rate, above 600 sccm, can reduce the average temperature profile in the thermal boundary layer above the substrate surface, retard the gas phase reaction rate, presumably eliminate the homogeneous nucleation, and deposit smooth Cu films.
The aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene superfamily of the moss Physcomitrella patens and the algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Ostreococcus tauri

Abstract The assembled Physcomitrella patens genome has been released. This provides a unique opportunity to identify and characterize new genes, and to compare moss genes with other plant genes from previously released plant genomes. Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) comprise a protein superfamily of NAD(P)+-dependent enzymes [EC 1.2.1] found in bacteria, animals and green plants capable of oxidizing a variety of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes. ALDHs are key enzymes of abiotic stress-tolerance in a variety of organisms. In bryophytes, ALDHs are postulated to play a role in vegetative desiccation-tolerance. Using recently available genomic DNA sequence data, we have identified members of the ALDH gene superfamily in the marine picoeukaryote Ostreococcus tauri, the unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the moss Physcomitrella patens. The Arabidopsis thaliana genome has been shown to contain 14 unique ALDH sequences encoding members of nine ALDH protein families. The O. tauri genome contains...
The entropic enlightenment of organic photochemistry: strategic modifications of intrinsic decay pathways using an information-based approach

Early photochemistry flourished with sunlight plus the experimental and intellectual infrastructure provided by the chemistry of organic compounds. Through the pioneering work of Giacomo Ciamician and Emanuele Paterno, it was shown that photochemical reactions give rise to products that are not accessible by thermal methods, and the green chemistry potential of organic photoreactions was already recognized at the time. Over the last century, the photochemical behavior of many chromophores and functional groups has been well documented in solution. From those studies, it has become clear that applications in organic synthesis suffer from complications arising from competing decay pathways that are intrinsic to those excited states. While there are few opportunities to control the outcome of excited molecules in solution, the potential of organic photochemistry under the influence of highly ordered structures can be appreciated with examples from photobiology. Knowing that nature can synthesize triglycerides with light, CO2, H2O and a few thermal reactions, organic photochemistry should have a great potential and aim high. With that in mind, after exploring the modes of action used by living organisms to take advantage of sunlight, one can identify an approach that relies on entropic factors that result from changes in the information content of the reactant. Analogies with information theory suggest a strategy that may be used to manage chemical information to modify the intrinsic properties of chromophores. Extrapolating from recent examples, it is suggested that an information-based approach to organic photochemistry may result in important advances not only in chemical synthesis and green chemistry, but also in many other applications.
Comparison of the Tribological Properties of Fluorinated Cokes and Graphites

The friction, wear, endurance life, and surface morphology of rubbed (burnished) fluorinated graphite and fluorinated coke materials were studied. Two different coke powders, a graphitic carbon powder, and a graphite powder were fluorinated and then tribologically investigated. In addition, one of the coke powders was reduced in size before fluorinating to evaluate the effect of a finer particle size on the tribological properties. For comparison, graphite and coke powders which were not fluorinated were also tribologically evaluated. Elemental analysis by emission spectroscopy was performed on each sample to determine the impurity content and X-ray diffraction analysis was performed to determine the crystallinity. Coke was found to have very little lubricating ability, but fluorinated coke did possess good lubricating properties. However, the fluorinated graphite and fluorinated graphitic carbon (which gave equivalent results) gave superior results to those obtained with the fluorinated cokes. No tribological benefit was found for using small versus a larger particle size of coke, at least when evaluated as a rubbed film.
The Carry-Dependent Sum Adder

The correct operation of addition in a digital computer is very important. In this paper, the authors exhibit a checking scheme called ``carry-dependent sum add'' which is based on the parity prediction method. This scheme assures single-fault detection without duplication of the carry circuit. An example of a binary adder and a decimal adder using this scheme are included.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Sm1-xSrxCo0.2Fe0.8O3

The room temperature mechanical properties of a mixed conducting perovskite Sm{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}Co{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 0.8}O{sub 3} (x=0.2 to 0.8) were examined. Density, crystal phase, and microstructure were characterized. It was found that the grain size increased abruptly with increasing Sr content. Mechanical properties of elastic modulus, microhardness, indentation fracture toughness, and biaxial flexure strength were measured. Young's modulus of 180-193 GPa and shear modulus of 70-75 GPa were determined. The biaxial flexure strength was found to decrease with increasing Sr content from {approx}70 to {approx}20 MPa. The drop in strength was due to the occurrence of extensive cracking. Indentation toughness showed a similar trend to the strength in that it decreased with increasing Sr content from {approx}1.1 to {approx}0.7 MPa m1/2. In addition, fractography was used to characterize the fracture behavior in these materials. (c) 2000 Materials Research Society.
Knock, knock, may I come in? An integrative perspective on professional development concerns for home visits conducted by teachers

This article address home visits and the professional development needs of teachers who perform visits. The author writes from a practitioner’s point of view, focusing on training needs for providers. The author argues that training and preparation for conducting home visits is needed to equip professionals with the skills needed to execute this growing requirement among teachers.
Cardiovascular risk factors may moderate pharmacological treatment effects in major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE An increased association between depression and cardiovascular disease, as well as cardiovascular risk factors, led to the "vascular depression" hypothesis. This subtype of depression is postulated to have a different clinical presentation and to be more treatment-resistant. In this study, we measured the impact of cardiovascular risk factors on the outcome of antidepressant treatment in major depressive disorder (MDD). METHOD We enrolled 348 MDD subjects, ages 19 to 65 years, in an 8-week treatment study with 20 mg fluoxetine per day. We recorded for each subject 6 cardiovascular risk factors: age (male > or =45, female > or =55), smoking, family history, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia; and we defined a cardiovascular risk score (range, 0-6) by the number of risk factors present. Treatment outcome was measured as response (> or =50% improvement on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression [Ham-D-17]) and remission (final Ham-D-17< or =7). RESULTS In logistic regression analyses, the cardiovascular risk score was significantly associated with treatment nonresponse and lack of remission when adjusting for age of onset of MDD and baseline severity of depression. The cardiovascular risk score remained significantly associated with treatment nonresponse when we additionally controlled for overall medical burden (measured with the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale). Among individual cardiovascular risk factors, elevated total cholesterol was a significant predictor of treatment nonresponse and lack of remission. CONCLUSION Cardiovascular risk factors may have negative effects on the course of treatment in MDD. These results support the concept of "vascular depression" in younger subjects.
Learning emotion-based acoustic features with deep belief networks

The medium of music has evolved specifically for the expression of emotions, and it is natural for us to organize music in terms of its emotional associations. But while such organization is a natural process for humans, quantifying it empirically proves to be a very difficult task, and as such no dominant feature representation for music emotion recognition has yet emerged. Much of the difficulty in developing emotion-based features is the ambiguity of the ground-truth. Even using the smallest time window, opinions on the emotion are bound to vary and reflect some disagreement between listeners. In previous work, we have modeled human response labels to music in the arousal-valence (A-V) representation of affect as a time-varying, stochastic distribution. Current methods for automatic detection of emotion in music seek performance increases by combining several feature domains (e.g. loudness, timbre, harmony, rhythm). Such work has focused largely in dimensionality reduction for minor classification performance gains, but has provided little insight into the relationship between audio and emotional associations. In this new work we seek to employ regression-based deep belief networks to learn features directly from magnitude spectra. While the system is applied to the specific problem of music emotion recognition, it could be easily applied to any regression-based audio feature learning problem.
TRPM8 acute desensitization is mediated by calmodulin and requires PIP2: distinction from tachyphylaxis

The cold-sensing channel transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) features Ca2+-dependent downregulation, a cellular process underlying somatosensory accommodation in cold environments. Th...
Storm-driven sediment transport in Massachusetts Bay

Abstract Massachusetts Bay is a semi-enclosed embayment in the western Gulf of Maine about 50 km wide and 100 km long. Bottom sediment resuspension is controlled predominately by storm-induced surface waves and transport by the tidal- and wind-driven circulation. Because the Bay is open to the northeast, winds from the northeast (‘Northeasters’) generate the largest surface waves and are thus the most effective in resuspending sediments. The three-dimensional oceanographic circulation model Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) is used to explore the resuspension, transport, and deposition of sediment caused by Northeasters. The model transports multiple sediment classes and tracks the evolution of a multilevel sediment bed. The surficial sediment characteristics of the bed are coupled to one of several bottom-boundary layer modules that calculate enhanced bottom roughness due to wave–current interaction. The wave field is calculated from the model Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN). Two idealized simulations were carried out to explore the effects of Northeasters on the transport and fate of sediments. In one simulation, an initially spatially uniform bed of mixed sediments exposed to a series of Northeasters evolved to a pattern similar to the existing surficial sediment distribution. A second set of simulations explored sediment-transport pathways caused by storms with winds from the northeast quadrant by simulating release of sediment at selected locations. Storms with winds from the north cause transport southward along the western shore of Massachusetts Bay, while storms with winds from the east and southeast drive northerly nearshore flow. The simulations show that Northeasters can effectively transport sediments from Boston Harbor and the area offshore of the harbor to the southeast into Cape Cod Bay and offshore into Stellwagen Basin. This transport pattern is consistent with Boston Harbor as the source of silver found in the surficial sediments of Cape Cod Bay and Stellwagen Basin.
Emergency Department Extremity Radiographs in the Setting of Pain Without Trauma: Are They Worth the Pain?

Abstract Background Few data exist that correlate acute radiographic findings of extremity imaging with patients' complaints in the acute care setting. Objective We hypothesize that plain radiographs performed for a complaint of pain in the absence of trauma or signs and symptoms of infection are of low yield. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the imaging and charts of 1331 patients who presented to our emergency department (ED) and received extremity radiographs with complaints related to limb trauma, infection, and pain alone. Imaging and outcomes of cases interpreted as positive for acute pathology and those interpreted as indeterminate were analyzed using Fisher's exact tests to evaluate the value of extremity radiographs in the setting of isolated limb pain. Results Of the patients analyzed, 935 presented with trauma, 234 presented with nontraumatic pain, and 161 presented with signs or symptoms of infection. The rate of definitively positive cases was 30.6% for trauma, 20.6% for infection, and 1.3% for pain. When indeterminate cases were included in the analysis, the rate of acutely positive cases rose to 33.4% for trauma, 28.0% for infection, and 3.0% for pain. Among the three definitively positive pain cases, all three were fractures, none of which resulted in emergent surgery or orthopedic consults. Among the four indeterminately positive pain cases, three proved to be false positives. Conclusions Our data suggest that ED imaging of patients presenting with nontraumatic pain is of extremely low yield, resulting in few acute positive findings that require immediate attention in the ED.
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD): new insights into this not-so-rare condition.

CME Credit Presented at the 4th Annual Symposium on Risk, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease in Women; Texas Heart Institute, Houston; 19 October 2013. Section Editor: Stephanie A. Coulter, MD
Positron emission tomography with fluorodeoxyglucose-F18 in an animal model of mania

Abstract Intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of ouabain to young adult rats has been suggested to model human bipolar mania. In the human condition, mania and bipolar depression are both associated with reductions in frontal cerebral metabolism. We utilized [ 18 F]-fluorodeoxyglucose [ 18 FDG] positron emission tomography (PET) to visualize glucose uptake in animals receiving ICV ouabain. Animals received 5 µl of 10 − 3 M ouabain ICV, were anesthetized with isoflurane inhalation, and administered intraperitoneally with 0.5 mCi of 18 FDG. PET data were collected over 20 min 1 hour later. Additionally, the effect of lithium was examined in animals receiving lithium in their diet for 1 week before the ICV ouabain injection. Data were analyzed with IDL Virtual Machine software. Brain glucose utilization as measured by 18 FDG uptake was significantly reduced in animals receiving ICV ouabain compared with those receiving equal volumes of artificial cerebrospinal fluid. Pretreatment with lithium normalized 18 FDG uptake. These results mirror human studies.
Investigations of Calcium Silicate Hydrate Structure Using Silicon-29 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Silicon-29 nuclear magnetic resonance has been used to probe the effects of temperature and the addition of reactive silica on the silicate structure of amorphous calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), produced by the hydration of alite (Ca3SiO5). Both an increase in the temperature of formation and the addition of reactive silica increase the degree of silicate polymerization in the C-S-H. However, in all cases the data are consistent with the formation of linear chain silicates and the absence of any cross-linking. The initial formation of a hydrated orthosilicate is observed, and it is suggested that this species may form during the adsorption of water onto the surface of alite during storage.
Use of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Feeding Tubes and Functional Recovery in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Case-Matched Controlled Study

Abstract Iizuka M, Reding M. Use of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding tubes and functional recovery in stroke rehabilitation: a case-matched controlled study. Objective To compare the morbidity, mortality, and functional recovery of patients who require percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement for the management of dysphagia after stroke. Design Retrospective case-matched controlled study. Setting Acute stroke rehabilitation inpatient unit. Participants Patients (N=193) who were admitted for stroke rehabilitation with a PEG tube in place from January 1, 1993, to December 31, 2002, were matched with 193 case controls without PEG. Patients and controls were within 90 days of stroke onset, and were matched for age, sex, type of stroke, FIM instrument score, duration from onset to stroke unit admission, and year of admission. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures Length of rehabilitation hospital stay, improvement in FIM scores, FIM efficiency score, need for transfer back to acute care hospital, diagnosis for which transfer was required, final discharge destination, and survival status. Results Significant differences were found between the 2 groups, PEG versus control, respectively, in the following variables: FIM efficiency (.42±.57 vs .56±.55, P =.016); need for transfer back to acute hospital (58/193 vs 23/193, P =.001); and survival status dead/alive (14/179 vs 3/190, P =.006). Nonsignificant differences were as follows: length of rehabilitation hospital stay (46.9±24.8d vs 43.3±19.7d, P =.11), improvement in total FIM score from admission to discharge (16.9±17.9 vs 21.0±15.5, P =.72), and final discharge destination home/institutional care (96/83 vs 101/89, P =.93). Pneumonia was the most frequent reason for transfer to acute care for patients with PEG. Conclusions Patients who meet criteria for admission to a stroke rehabilitation unit and who have a PEG in place are at increased risk for medical complications and death. Those who survive, however, show similar functional recovery and rate of home discharge as case-matched controls.
Interleukin-1β and mitochondria damage, and the development of diabetic retinopathy

Mitochondrial dysfunction is considered to play an important role in the development of diabetic retinopathy. Recent evidence has also shown many similarities between diabetic retinopathy and a low grade chronic inflammatory disease. The aim of this study is to understand the interrelationship between proinflammtory mediator, IL-1β and mitochondrial dysfunction in the accelerated loss of capillary cells in the retina. Using IL-1β receptor gene knockout (IL-1R1−/−) diabetic mice, we have investigated the effect of regulation of IL-1β on mitochondrial dysfunction and mtDNA damage, and increased retinal capillary cell apoptosis and the development of retinopathy. Retinal mitochondrial dysfunction and mtDNA damage were significantly ameliorated in IL-1R1−/− mice, diabetic for ~10 months, compared to the wild-type diabetic mice. This was accompanied by protection of accelerated capillary cell apoptosis and the development of acellular capillaries, histopathology associated with diabetic retinopathy. Thus, mitochondrial damage could be one of the key events via which increased inflammation contributes to the activation of the apoptotic machinery resulting in the development of diabetic retinopathy, and the possible mechanism via which inflammation contributes to the development of diabetic retinopathy includes continuous fueling of the vicious cycle of mitochondrial damage, which could be disrupted by inhibitors of inflammatory mediators.
Extracellular matrix materials influence quail neural crest cell differentiation in vitro

A developmentally homogeneous neural crest cell population has been used to assay the role of environmental factors in regulating crest cell differentiation. If cultured on tissue culture plastic, virtually all of the cells of this population differentiate into melanocytes. In contrast, when these cells are cultured for 3 or more days on substrata “conditioned” by somite fibroblasts, the proportion of cells undergoing melanogenesis decreased and the proportion expressing formaldehyde-induced fluorescence (FIF), characteristic of catecholamine-containing cells, increased. For a limited period of culture on somite-conditioned substrata, some cells in the population exhibit both pigment granules and fluorescence. Collagen-coated substrata decreased the number of cells that formed pigment but did not stimulate FIF. In contrast, optimum doses of exogenous cellular fibronectin mimicked the effect of somite-conditioned substrata, suppressing melanogenesis and promoting FIF. Glycosaminoglycan-derivatized substrata (i.e., hyaluronic acid, various chondroitin sulfate preparations, and heparin) did not alter the differentiative homogeneity of the cultured crest cell populations. The choice and expression of phenotype by some members of a cultured crest cell population can, therefore, be affected by environmental stimuli provided in the form of certain substrate-attached macromolecules. We suggest that optimal concentrations of some extracellular matrix components produced by embryonic tissue and normally encountered by migrating crest cells may elicit the expression of FIF in crest cells that would otherwise follow a different developmental pathway.
Optimum switching criteria for higher order contactor servo with interrupted circuits

IN A contactor servo, the controlling elements determine only the instants of time at which the contactor operates. In between these moments the controlled system is left alone to follow its own equations of motion and is not in any way affected by the error and the time derivatives of the error. This is also true for continuous control systems with saturable elements in response to a large reference input. For optimum operation of a second-order system of this nature, Hopkin1 and McDonald2 showed that the switching criterion can be expressed as a nonlinear relationship between the error and its first time derivative. Their analyses were in terms of the phaseplane technique and the optimum switching boundary was shown to be a trajectory on the phase plane. Bogner and Kazda3 generalized the phase-plane criteria for second-order contactor servos1,2 to a phase-space criteria for higher order contactor servos. An implicit but basic assumption of their analysis is that in an n-order contactor servo the error and its derivatives up to the n-1 order are continuous at the moment of switching. What does this assumption imply physically?
Effector cells of autoimmune encephalomyelitis in the rat belong to the CD4-positive, OX22-adherent T cell subset.

Abstract We characterized the effector cells which mediate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) on the basis of selective adherence properties. Nylon-nonadherent spleen cells (SpC) from Lewis rats challenged earlier with myelin basic protein (BP) in adjuvant were separated by ‘panning’ on Petri dishes coated with monoclonal antibody (MAb) OX22. OX22 recognizes high molecular weight forms of the leukocyte-common antigen which is present on several cell types, including the CD4-positive T cells which mediate delayed hypersensitivity reactions. We found that the EAE effector cells were enriched in the OX22-adherent T cell population, which supports the hypothesis that delayed hypersensitivity is important in the pathogenesis of this autoimmune disease.
5.1: High Information Content Display Based on Reflective LC on Silicon Light Valves

A projection display has been developed based on reflective, liquid crystal light valves fabricated on a crystalline silicon active matrix array. The light valves utilize the 45 degree twisted nematic LC mode. The optical system is based on dichroic mirror color separation, three polarizing beam splitters and a dichroic color combining cube. The display has native SXGA or UXGA resolution with full multisync capability for other formats and provides 600 ANSI lumens with 100:1 ANSI contrast.
Periodic clustering of human disease-specific mortality distributions by shape and time position, and a new integer-based law of mortality.

Abstract Human mortality distributions were analyzed for 29 disease-specific causes-of-death in male and female, White (U.S.A.), Black (U.S.A.) and Japanese (Japan) populations, constituting a total of 162 separate cohorts. For each cohort distribution, the curve moments and the parameters values for fits to model equations were determined. The differences between cohort distributions were characterized by two degrees of freedom, related to distribution position and shape, respectively. A form of the Weibull function was shown to contain two parameters that mapped to these two degrees of freedom. Parametric analysis on 136 best-fitting cohorts yielded periodic clustering in the set of values for both Weibull parameters as quantitated using a Fourier transform method and an independent statistical method. This periodicity was unlikely to have occurred by change ( P
Two types of degenerating axon terminals in the basilar pontine nuclei of the opossum following cerebral cortical lesions.

Abstract Subsequent to large cerebral cortical lesions in adult opossums, small boutons (less than 2 μm) contacting small dendritic profiles were observed to undergo the dark, electron dense type of degeneration in most cases. When lesions were restricted to post-orbital (sensorimotor) regions, the majority of degenerating boutons were again small and dark. However, if the lesion was restricted to occipital (visual) regions, most degenerating boutons were somewhat larger (1–3 μm), contacted some intermediate and proximal dendrites and underwent an initial filamentous reaction before becoming electron dense. Thus, it was postulated that at least two different systems of corticofugal axons reach the pontine nuclei, one (small dark boutons) perhaps arising as collaterals or corticospinal axons, the other (filamentous boutons) representing a more direct corticobulbar or corticopontine system.