cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of miRNA expression profiling to identify novel biomarkers

Micro (mi)RNAs are small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression through binding to the 3´-untranslated region of mRNAs by complementary base pairing and mainly act through cleavage or translational inhibition of mRNAs. Recent studies have shown the roles of miRNAs in development and cancer, revealing the physiological and pathological importance of these tiny molecules. Therefore, as with mRNAs, researchers have focused on the global analyses of miRNAs to seek their potential use as biomarkers for physiological and pathological states of a cell. Methods developed for miRNA profiling are briefly discussed in this review. Recent evidences supporting the use of miRNAs as biomarkers in both differentiation and cancer are presented. The profiling studies may highlight the clinical relevance of miRNAs and will enable the researchers to uncover the enormous potential of these tiny molecules. In the near future, selected miRNA genes based on expression abnormalities will be tested as candidates for miRNA-b...
Molecular Mechanisms of the Conjugated α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Derivatives: Relevance to Neurotoxicity and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Conjugated α,β-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives such acrylamide, acrolein, and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) are members of a large class of chemicals known as the type-2 alkenes. Human exposure through diet, occupation, and pollution is pervasive and has been linked to toxicity in most major organs. Evidence suggests that these soft electrophiles produce toxicity by a common mechanism involving the formation of Michael-type adducts with nucleophilic sulfhydryl groups. In this commentary, the adduct chemistry of the α,β-unsaturated carbonyls and possible protein targets will be reviewed. We also consider how differences in electrophilic reactivity among the type-2 alkenes impact corresponding toxicokinetics and toxicological expression. Whereas these concepts have mechanistic implications for the general toxicity of type-2 alkenes, this commentary will focus on the ability of these chemicals to produce presynaptic damage via protein adduct formation. Given the ubiquitous environmental presence of the conjugated alkenes, discussions of molecular mechanisms and possible neurotoxicological risks could be important. Understanding the neurotoxicodynamic of the type-2 alkenes might also provide mechanistic insight into neurodegenerative conditions where neuronal oxidative stress and presynaptic dysfunction are presumed initiating events. This is particularly germane to a recent proposal that lipid peroxidation and the subsequent liberation of acrolein and HNE in oxidatively stressed neurons mediate synaptotoxicity in brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. This endogenous neuropathogenic process could be accelerated by environmental type-2 alkene exposure because common nerve terminal proteins are targeted by α,β-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives. Thus, the protein adduct chemistry of the conjugated type-2 alkenes offers a mechanistic explanation for the environmental toxicity induced by these chemicals and might provide insight into the pathogenesis of certain human neurodegenerative diseases.
Complexity and fragility in stability for linear systems

This paper presents a formal axiomization of the notion that (proof) complexity implies (property) fragility and illustrates this framework in the context of the stability of both discrete-time and continuous-time linear systems.
Synthetic CRISPR RNA-Cas9–guided genome editing in human cells

Genome editing with the clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 nuclease system is a powerful technology for manipulating genomes, including introduction of gene disruptions or corrections. Here we develop a chemically modified, 29-nucleotide synthetic CRISPR RNA (scrRNA), which in combination with unmodified transactivating crRNA (tracrRNA) is shown to functionally replace the natural guide RNA in the CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease system and to mediate efficient genome editing in human cells. Incorporation of rational chemical modifications known to protect against nuclease digestion and stabilize RNA-RNA interactions in the tracrRNA hybridization region of CRISPR RNA (crRNA) yields a scrRNA with enhanced activity compared with the unmodified crRNA and comparable gene disruption activity to the previously published single guide RNA. Taken together, these findings provide a platform for therapeutic applications, especially for nervous system disease, using successive application of cell-permeable, synthetic CRISPR RNAs to activate and then silence Cas9 nuclease activity.
Waves from Watergate: Evidence Concerning the Impact of the Watergate Scandal upon Political Legitimacy and Social Control

Thus spoke an unnamed psychologist during an interview in 1973 as the Watergate revelations began to unfold with increasingly scandalous impact. While he was apparently speaking to some extent from a professional point of view, he was also expressing the conventional wisdom of the period according to nearly all of the news commentators and political pundits as well: namely, that the Watergate episode had disastrously undermined public respect and confidence in government leaders, especially, but not only, those in the White House, and had demoralized and disillusioned the youth, in particular, whose commitment to "the system" could only have been
Writing that Stirred Your Souls

This article features selected passages from the call to readers to submit short, moving pieces of writing to the author. See “Writing as Art” Illinois Bar Journal, Vol. 89 No. 4 (April 2001).
Direct synthesis of anilines and nitrosobenzenes from phenols

A one-pot synthesis of anilines and nitrosobenzenes from phenols has been developed using an ipso-oxidative aromatic substitution ((i)SOAr) process. The products are obtained in good yields under mild and metal-free conditions. The leaving group effect on reactions that proceed through mixed quionone monoketals has also been investigated and a predictive model has been established.
An identification method for flexible structures

A structural model identification method is developed for determination of the mass and stiffness matrices of an undamped structure along with the damping matrix of a lightly-damped structure. Utilizing measurements of natural frequencies, damping factors, and frequency response elements, a unique identification of the model is established through incorporation of the spectral decomposition of the frequency response function and the modal orthonormal i ty conditions. Numerical simulations demonstrate the flexibility and potential of the proposed method.
Investigation and Clinical Application of Y Position and Outlet Position Radiography Technique

Objective To make up the common X-ray examination methods of the shoulder joint and afford more medical inmormation for the radiologist and clinican. Methods More projection posture and angle were used to obtain more information of the shoulder joint. Results Y posture and outlet posture could afford more anatomy information than the traditional posture. It solved the problem of the overlap of different tissues in traditional X-ray examination. Conclusion Combinating the Y posture, outlet posture and A-P position projection is very important for X-ray examination of disease and injury of the shoulder joint.
Experimental study on Fuerkang capsule in reducing anti tumor chemotherapeutic agents' toxicity and side effects

【Objective】To study the influence of Fuerkang capsules on cancer chemotherapy drugs' toxicity and side-effect.【Methods】Mouse were randomly divided into blank group,chemotherapy drugs group and chemotherapy drugs and Fuerkang capsules share group.Then the effects of Fuerkang capsules on the decline of nuclear appear rate and the white blood cells caused by cancer chemotherapy drugs were observed;Another mouse were also divided into three groups in the same way.The influence of Fuerkang capsules on immune organs atrophy and reduction of the function of macrophage cell and decline of the activity of NK cells were studied.【Results】Fuerkang capsules had a prominent antergic effect on mice immune organs atrophy,the reduce of the function of macrophage cell,the decline of NK cells' activity,chromosome aberration and leukopenia and other toxicity and side effects caused by many kinds of cancer chemotherapy drugs.【Conclusions】Fuerkang capsules is a kind of broad-spectrum cancer chemotherapy reduction agent.
Completion and achievement of the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling (CCSD) Project

After 1309 days of hard work, the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling (CCSD) project drilled a total depth of 5118.20 m and reached its target depth by January 23th, 2005. The well completion is a new landmark in the development of China′s drilling technology. A comprehensive on-going study is being carried out and great advances have been made in the following aspects:precise dating of deep subduction of voluminous continental materials, UHP deep subduction and exhumation, setting of formation of protoliths of UHP rocks, upper mantle rheology, discovery of special, new mantle minerals and discovery of subsurface fluid anomalies and subsurface microorganisms.
Monitoring GPCR Conformational Changes during Agonist Release in Real-Time: Evidence that Transmembrane Helix 6 (TM6) Movement in Rhodopsin Lags Behind Retinal Release

GPCR activation involves an outward movement of the cytoplasmic end of TM6, which exposes a binding site for G proteins, arrestins, and kinases. This movement, observed for several GPCRs (including rhodopsin and the β2 adrenergic receptor), appears critical for formation of the active receptor state. Previously, we showed real-time monitoring of TM6 movement using Tryptophan-Induced Quenching (TrIQ) of fluorescence of a bimane probe on TM6 by a tryptophan on TM3 (Schafer, Janz, and Farrens Biophysics Abstract 2014). The TrIQ data are consistent with an outward TM6 movement during activation; which then returns to its original position as the agonist, all-trans retinal (ATR), exits the receptor. We initially concluded that this TM6 “resetting” occurs simultaneously with agonist release, as the rates are similar to changes in intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence we measure during ATR dissociation.However, our more recent and precise measurements reveal a small, but reproducible time-lag between ATR release and the TM6 resetting. Interestingly, this lag slightly increases for a constitutively inactive mutant, as well as for another mutation inside the retinal binding pocket. Similarly, dramatically increasing the agonist dissociation rate by chemical attack (hydroxylamine) exacerbates the lag. Although the molecular mechanism underlying the delay between ATR release and TM6 movement is still unknown, the similar activation energies (∼21kcal/mol) they exhibit by Arrhenius analysis suggest a common mechanism for both. We propose these results suggest a heretofore unidentified empty opsin is present immediately after retinal release, one that differs from the “traditional” inactive opsin conformation, in which TM6 adopts an inward position. Our further investigations into this phenomenon and the implications they have on the process of retinal binding and release will be discussed along with potential caveats.
Study of two-phase pressure drop and heat transfer in a micro-scale pin fin cavity: Part A

Novel hierarchical radially expanding micro-channel networks with pin fins have been proposed recently to enable high-performance embedded two-phase liquid cooling of two- and three-dimensional integrated circuits dissipating extremely high heat fluxes (of the order of 1kW/cm2) [1]. The effective design of such a complex two-phase liquid cooling architecture requires a comprehensive understanding of the various constituent sub-systems. Fundamental experiments were performed as a part of this work to study and model two-phase flow boiling and heat transfer using R-1234ze refrigerant in a two-port micro-scale cavity populated with pin fins which provide structures to accommodate vertical electrical interconnects (TSVs) as well as enhance heat transfer. In this first part of a two-part paper, results from the aforementioned fundamental study are presented. First, experimental procedure, including motivation, test set up, data acquisition and analysis is described. Next, the procedure for data reduction is detailed where an assumption of one-dimensional (1D) heat conduction in silicon is applied to resolve the two-phase flow boiling data. From this reduced data, empirical pressure drop and heat transfer correlations were derived as a function of mass flux, wall heat flux, pin fin angle of attack and the local vapor quality. These correlations were used to simulate and design two-phase cooled microchannels with enhanced heat transfer geometries such as pin fins, using compact low-complexity thermal models called STEAM and RTP. The accuracy and the speed of the models are demonstrated using simulations and validation against the experimental data.
Movimientos defensivos: La figura del entrenador en las parábolas futbolísticas de Juan Sasturain, Sérgio Sant'Anna y Juan Villoro

Este articulo interpreta el uso de la figura del entrenador profesional en tres ficciones latinoamericanas de futbol. Las obras del argentino Juan Sasturain, del brasileno Sergio Sant'Anna y del mexicano Juan Villoro trascienden tiempos y lugares especificos al articular las tensiones psicologicas y emocionales que pueden aparecer durante las inexorable transicion hacia papeles menos activos en la vida. Los tres cuentos evocan los binomios de triunfo-derrota y orgullo-verguenza que yacen en la profundidad subterranea de la cultura deportiva al retratar las complicadas relaciones entre el ego y el deporte en momentos de crisis y de transicion. Estas ejemplares parabolas futbolisticas desmitifican la simulada version del entrenador profesional (fabricada para la television) y advierten contra los peligros del desarrollo de identidades que esten desproporcionadamente arraigadas en el deporte.
Teaching the New Intermediate Macroeconomics During the Global Financial Crisis: A Tale of Two Texts and how to Explain the GFC

While an ongoing theme since Miller and Upton wrote Macroeconomics: A Neoclassical Introduction, a number of texts have emerged to introduce the post-IS-LM frontiers of macroeconomic theory and policy at a more fundamental level. I review Williamson (2008, 2011) and Barro (2008), which I used during the Global Financial Crisis. Overall, Williamson’s text seems easier to use, but Barro’s coverage of topics like growth and public finance is more effective. Williamson (2011) now includes an extensive discussion of how the Global Financial Crisis affected the US economy. However, his treatment does not give readers a clear sense of what caused the crisis so I conclude by summarizing how I taught intermediate macroeconomics students about the causes of the Subprime and Global Financial Crisis.
The Courts and the People in a Democratic System: Against Federal Courts’ Exceptionalism

The law of federal procedure is on the Supreme Court’s docket for the October 2016 Term, with granted petitions addressing pleading sufficiency, standing, and jurisdiction. And, of course, the Advisory Committee on Rules of Civil Procedure continues its annual tinkering with the rules in an elusive effort to micromanage federal practice. That reality, coupled with recent exchanges with colleagues on procedural interpretation and reform, has prompted these reflections on the role of procedure in our democratic system. This short essay is intended to summarize those reflections, which are more extensively elaborated in my other works.
Negotiating Whose Property It Is, for the Public Good

This chapter analyzes collective bargaining agreements in 4-year institutions of higher education, examining language surrounding ownership, use, and distribution of the proceeds of intellectual property in distance education, and identifying ways in which the public good can be, and occasionally is, built in to contractual provisions.
The Mobility and Diffusion of Ions in Gases

(1975). The Mobility and Diffusion of Ions in Gases. Nuclear Science and Engineering: Vol. 57, No. 2, pp. 175-175.
Calcineurin and mTOR Inhibitor-Free Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide and Bortezomib Combination for Graft-versus-Host Disease Prevention after Peripheral Blood Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Phase I/II Study.

Abstract Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) hampers the utility of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT). The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a novel combination of post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTC) and bortezomib for the prevention of GVHD. Patients undergoing peripheral blood AHSCT for hematological malignancies after reduced-intensity conditioning with grafts from HLA-matched related or unrelated donors were enrolled in a phase I/II clinical trial. Patients received a fixed dose of PTC and an increasing dose of bortezomib in 3 cohorts, from .7 to 1 and then to 1.3 mg/m2, administered 6 hours after graft infusion and 72 hours thereafter, during phase I. The study was then extended at the higher dose in phase II for a total of 28 patients. No graft failure and no unexpected grade ≥3 nonhematologic toxicities were encountered. The median times to neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 16 and 27 days, respectively. Day +100 treatment-related mortality was 3.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], .2% to 15.7%). The cumulative incidences of grades II to IV and grades III and IV acute GVHD were 35.9% (95% CI, 18.6% to 53.6%) and 11.7% (95% CI, 2.8% to 27.5%), respectively. The incidence of chronic GVHD was 27% (95% CI, 11.4% to 45.3%). Progression-free survival, overall survival, and GVHD and relapse-free survival rates were 50% (95% CI, 30.6% to 66.6%), 50.8% (95% CI, 30.1% to 68.2%), and 37.7% (95% CI, 20.1% to 55.3%), respectively. Immune reconstitution, measured by CD3, CD4, and CD8 recovery, was prompt. The combination of PTC and bortezomib for the prevention of GVHD is feasible, safe, and yields promising results. The combination warrants further examination in a multi-institutional trial.
Operations Performed for Patients with Congenital Heart Disease

When dealing with congenital heart disease, it is vital to understand the basic terminology regarding postoperative shunts, procedures, and surgeries.
Portal MV imaging with thin-film high-energy current X-ray detectors: A Monte Carlo study.

Purpose We investigate the potential of the recently introduced High-Energy Current (HEC) thin-film detector as an alternative design to existing electronic portal imaging devices (EPID). The HEC radiation detectors employ multiple nano-/micro-meter layers made of disparate atomic number (Z) conductors separated by solid or gaseous (e.g., air) dielectrics. The HEC detector may be designed as an external structure or an auxiliary device integrated into the existing EPID. Method Using Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations, we compare the image contrast of a HEC detector to that of a commercial EPID device (AS500) for a 2.5 MV X-ray beam. The detector response was modeled using a series of mono-energetic incident photons with detector signal scored as the energy deposition in the air gaps (HEC) and in the phosphor layer (EPID). Las Vegas (LV) phantom was employed to test the spatial resolution and contrast of the single- and multi-element HEC detector. The HEC detector pixel size was the same as for AS500 (0.78 mm × 0.78 mm). In addition, image contrast of a water/bone phantom using both the multi-element HEC and EPID detectors was simulated and compared. Results The HEC detector has higher relative response to low-energy photons compared to EPID. The multi-element HEC has 32.3 times greater response at 100 keV than at 500 keV, while the EPID without copper shows a factor of 6.8 between the same energies. LV phantom images indicate that the image contrast is approximately the same for single- and multi-element HEC detectors, but the latter has lower noise. Both single- and multi-element HEC could resolve a 2 mm diameter hole with an image magnification factor of 1.2. In the present design, the HEC detector has much less material (9.66 mg/cm2 gold) compared to EPID (133 mg/cm2 Gd2O2S) to interact with incident photons. For imaging bony structures, the HEC detector needs about 9 times greater photon flux as the EPID to acquire data at same uncertainty level. Despite this, the HEC sensor requires less than 1 cGy dose to obtain images with statistical uncertainty better than 2.5%. In the case when the field diameter is 10 cm, the multi-element HEC image contrast is 14.3% higher than that of EPID with copper removed. When the field diameter is decreased to 5 cm, HEC contrast is 27.1% better than the EPID contrast. Conclusion It is demonstrated that image contrast of the HEC detectors are comparable and in some cases better than that of the standard EPID design. This opens a potential for complementary HEC and EPID designs that may better utilize the kV portion of the spectrum. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Educators Acculturating to Serve Student Veterans and Service Members

Though literature on student veterans and service members’ (SVSM) transition to higher education has increased, absent is literature on the transition of non-veteran student affairs staff who work ...
Detection of root-infecting fungi on cool-season turfgrasses using loop-mediated isothermal amplification and recombinase polymerase amplification.

Abstract Root-infecting fungal pathogens such as Gaeumannomyces avenae, Ophiosphaerella korrae, and Magnaporthiopsis poae cause extensive damage to amenity turfgrasses in temperate climates. The diseases they cause are difficult to diagnose by visual symptoms or microscopic inspection, and traditional polymerase chain reaction-based assays require large financial investments in equipment such as thermal cyclers and highly trained staff. The primary objective of this research was to develop fast and accurate detection assays for the three pathogens listed above that did not require the use of thermal cycling equipment. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays were developed for each pathogen based on known fungal cultures. The assays were tested on 27 samples received at the University of Wisconsin's Turfgrass Diagnostic Laboratory in 2016 and 2017 and both methods provided accurate diagnoses within about 30 min with minimal sample preparation. However, the RPA assays had lower levels of false positive contamination relative to the LAMP assays and are more likely to be effective in a field or diagnostic laboratory for improved turf root-pathogen detection.
Religion as a World Force: A Jewish View

This conference could only have held in the Twentieth Century. We are able to gather from all parts of the world because of technical advances which have occurred in this century. Rapid and mass communications systems now enable us to cover distances of space and language. But the same forces which have made for the technical and scientific conditions which have brought us together, have also created a new ethical situation for man. Science which has conquered space has also produced Hiroshima. Man has the capacity to eradicate malaria but also to annihilate his neighbor. The blessing and the curse of progress hang over us all. United by the promise and the threat as never before, we who take our respective theologies with some seriousness have become a little more humble about our religious certitudes, a little more conscious of the fact that perhaps our truth is not necessarily the truth of others. Slowly we are opening our minds to modes of thought and faith of which we have been hitherto innocently ignorant or which we deliberately ignored. This conference will fail if we come here to press our truth against the truth of those who do not worship as we do. It will not succeed if we merely learn to tolerate one another. It will achieve its purpose only if we try to grasp for the truth that underlies all systems which strive for the redemption of man.
Exploring the Use of Advertising Agency Review Consultants

The author investigates the often controversial role of advertising agency review consultants by focusing on (1) relationships between their use and client-ad agency relationship success, (2) reasons for consultant use, and (3) the extent to which consultants directly influence final review decisions. The results of a national survey indicate that advertisers who use review consultants evaluate the relationship with their advertising agencies neither more nor less favorably compared to advertisers who manage their own reviews. Review consultants are most commonly hired because advertisers lack the in-house resources they need to conduct a review themselves. The results also indicate that most advertisers who use consultants disagree that they have a direct influence on the final decision regarding which agency to hire.
ISOZYMES AND NON-DARWINIAN EVOLUTION: A RE-EVALUATION

ABSTRACT . The controversy over the importance of stochastic processes in molecular evolution is reviewed. Experimental data relevant to this controversy are obtained from three different sources: isozyme techniques (especially electrophoresis), amino acid sequences, and nucleic acid hybridization studies. The interrelationship of data obtained by these techniques is discussed. The conclusion is reached that, in the main, genetic variation revealed by isozyme techniques is adaptively significant. However, electrophoresis can detect only about 0.1% of the possible nucleotide substantions in a eukaryote genome. The other two sources of information reveal that certain selective constraints are operating on the other 99.9% of the potential variation; however, no conclusion can be drawn whether drift or selection is the predominant force in evolutionary change of this material. Thus the view that natural populations are highly polymorphic for adaptively significant genetic variation is not necessarily incompatible with the view that most evolutionary changes on the nucleotide level are a result of random fixation of neutral mutations.
Abstract TP177: Previous Stroke/TIA History is Associated With Low Medication Adherence in a Multi-ethnic Cohort of Stroke Survivors

Introduction: Proper adherence to medication regimens including antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and lipid-lowering medications has been shown to reduce risk of stroke-related events. Yet stroke and...
Monuments and public memory: Antonio López y López, slavery, and the Cuban-Catalan connection

At around the same time as the political controversy was unfolding in the United States over the removal of Confederate statues,1 a similar controversy was brewing in Barcelona around the fate of a...
Reducing faking on personality tests: Testing a new faking‐mitigation procedure in a U.S. job applicant sample

Faking has remained a major concern for organizations using self‐report personality measures for selection. Scholars recenlty developed a new middle‐warning faking‐mitigation procedure. The present replication study was the first field test in the United States using 193 applicants for an entry‐level position in a New York‐based consulting firm. Results replicated most of Fan et al.'s findings including (a) the middle‐warning significantly lowered fakers' personality scores over retesting, whereas the control message had little influence on nonfakers; (b) the above warning effect carried over to personality scales that were not retested; and (c) the persistent tendency of potential fakers rising to the top of personality score distribution was weakened. In addition, applicants' perceptions were not being negatively affected by the warning.
18.3 A 120mA Non-Isolated Capacitor-Drop AC/DC Power Supply

A wide variety of offline applications ranging from electricity meters, appliances, smoke alarms to ground fault detectors require a non-isolated DC supply that is powered directly from the AC mains. These applications typically require the ability to handle up to $305\mathrm{V}_{\mathrm{AC},\mathrm{rms}}$ at the input while providing a regulated 5V/3.3V output at load currents $\leq 100\mathrm{mA}$ , Small enclosure sizes in industrial electronics and home automation systems dictate the need for small form factors. In electricity metering, industry standards set targets for quiescent power and low-load efficiency of the system.
Surgical Telementoring and Teleproctoring

The use of telemedicine for mentoring and proctoring is long-standing, but only in recent years has it been applied to the many specialties in surgery. Despite being relatively new, the concept of telepresence and telesurgery and the new technological advances in robotic surgery have made possible telementoring and teleproctoring in many disciplines including such as e-ICU consultations and advise on how to manage a critically ill patient. This form of telementoring and teleproctoring is probably best known clinically relevant, yet it has been accepted as routine care. Other forms of telementoring and teleproctoring include telemedicine and telepresence applications for trauma, emergency management. In this chapter we will address telementoring, and to a lesser degree teleproctoring in just about all surgical disciplines with exception of gynecology and orthopedics.
Feasibility of an Integrated Treatment Approach for Youth with Depression, Suicide Attempts, and Substance Use Problems

Depression, suicidal behaviors and substance use problems frequently co-occur, and treatment for youth with these co-occurring problems is often fragmented and challenging. An integrated cognitive-...
Early adverse life events and post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with constipation and suspected disordered defecation

BACKGROUND Early adverse life events (EALs) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Disordered defecation (DD) presents with symptoms of IBS or functional constipation (FC) and is associated with psychological distress. However, the role of trauma and stress in chronic constipation is poorly defined. We aimed to examine EALS, PTSD, and psychological symptoms in patients with constipation and suspected DD. METHODS We conducted a survey study among adults with constipation who completed anorectal manometry (ARM) and balloon expulsion testing (BET). Data were collected on socio-demographics, EALs, PTSD, bowel symptoms, quality of life, and anxiety and depression. We performed comparisons between individuals with normal versus abnormal ARM or BET, subgroup analysis by detailed ARM and BET findings, and latent class analysis using individual EAL domains. KEY RESULTS Among 712 eligible patients, 69 completed the study. EALs and provisional PTSD were present in 75.4% and 27.5%, respectively; rates did not differ between those with normal versus abnormal ARM or BET. Normal testing was associated with higher rates of specific EAL domains (emotional abuse and mental illness), higher depression scores, and poorer mental component scores in both primary and subgroup comparisons (all p < 0.05). Normal testing was associated with a lower likelihood of high-EAL latent class (p = 0.01) membership. Presence of IBS or FC did not influence associations. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES Early adverse life events and PTSD are prevalent in patients with constipation and suspected DD. Those with normal ARM and BET have higher rates of prior emotional abuse and poorer mental health.
Subtle Variants of Hyperparathyroidism: Normocalcemic Hyperparathyroidism

Normocalcemic hyperparathyroidism (NCHPT) was recognized as a distinct variant of primary hyperparathyroidism during the Third International Workshop on Asymptomatic Hyperparathyroidism. Normal, albumin-corrected, serum, or ionized calcium levels paired with inappropriately elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels are required to make the diagnosis after secondary causes of hyperparathyroidism are ruled out. The decision to intervene in these patients is often challenging. In asymptomatic patients, close monitoring with annual clinical assessment and biochemical testing is reasonable. When surgery is pursued, a focused parathyroidectomy with the use of intraoperative PTH monitoring can be considered. Critically, a low threshold to convert to a four-gland exploration if strict PTH criteria are not achieved is required.
Long-term outcomes and satisfaction rates after costal cartilage resection for slipping rib syndrome.

Abstract Purpose Slipping rib syndrome (SRS) is a challenging and underdiagnosed condition. We previously demonstrated the efficacy of costal cartilage resection for SRS and now report long-term follow-up of our updated cohort. Methods Retrospective chart review with prospective telephone follow-up was performed for 30 previously analyzed patients and 22 new patients to elucidate risk factors for recurrence, discuss preoperative experience, current symptoms, postoperative course, and satisfaction. Results From 2006–2020, 49 patients met inclusion criteria and underwent 67 operations. Eleven underwent re-operation for recurrence, with median time of 1.6 years [1.2, 2.6]. Median age of symptom onset was 13 years [ 11 , 14 ] while median age at diagnosis was 15.4 years [14, 16.7]. 29/49 (59%) patients were contacted, with median follow-up of 4.5 years [2.1, 5.7]. Twenty-one patients (72%) reported complete cure, 20 (69%) reported satisfaction 10/10, with 83% rating their satisfaction >7/10. Eleven patients (38%) were offered opioids for pain control prior to surgical evaluation. Patients with recurrence had residual or fused cartilage, hypermobile bony ribs, or both, at re-excision. Conclusions Costal cartilage resection is an effective treatment for SRS with high satisfaction rates and an appropriate consideration for patients who fail conservative management. Level of Evidence: Level IV; Case series with no comparison groups
A manipulative activity for exploring effective nuclear charge (Zeff)

High-school and undergraduate college students may often rely on memorization when learning periodic trends, leading to an ineffective understanding of introductory chemistry concepts like atomic radius, ionization energy, and electron affinity. Comprehension of effective nuclear charge (Zeff) is foundational to a complete understanding of periodic trends. Zeff remains an abstract concept for many students, indicating that a manipulative activity for teaching the phenomenon could be a useful way to explain the concept for greater student comprehension. Here we report a hands-on learning activity to target this knowledge gap using magnetic attraction as an analogy for electrostatic attraction within the atom. This approach enables students to explore the phenomenon of effective nuclear charge at a macroscopic level and apply their learning to periodic trends and related concepts. We anticipate that this activity will fill a long-standing hole in the active learning of chemical principles. Importantly, this activity is low-cost and can be assembled using readily accessible materials to allow implementation in most classrooms and virtual learning environments.
Recent Advances in End-to-End Automatic Speech Recognition.

Recently, the speech community is seeing a significant trend of moving from deep neural network based hybrid modeling to end-to-end (E2E) modeling for automatic speech recognition (ASR). While E2E models achieve the state-of-the-art results in most benchmarks in terms of ASR accuracy, hybrid models are still used in a large proportion of commercial ASR systems at the current time. There are lots of practical factors that affect the production model deployment decision. Traditional hybrid models, being optimized for production for decades, are usually good at these factors. Without providing excellent solutions to all these factors, it is hard for E2E models to be widely commercialized. In this paper, we will overview the recent advances in E2E models, focusing on technologies addressing those challenges from the industry's perspective.
Mitologies: Medieval Labyrinth Narratives in Virtual Reality

Advances in technology have made it possible to create vast, rich, and architecturally intricate virtual worlds. The Mitologies project is an attempt to utilize this technology as a means of artistic expression and for the exploration of historical, political, musical, and visual narratives. Mitologies draws inspiration from a large pool of literary and artistic sources by capturing their intertwining relationships in a cinematic form, hence making connections to the strong narrative tradition of other media, such as film and literature.
Pursuing Solutions to Sustain Groundwater in California's Changing Climate

A century of groundwater development in California with comparatively little regulation has yielded enduring legal, political, and hydrologic challenges compounded by drought, population growth and shifts, and climate change. With the debate over state and local roles in managing the resource garnering considerable attention, focus is shifting to how best to address groundwater issues for future sustainability. Groundwater does not exist in isolation, and sustainable management requires understanding interconnections with climate, land surface, and human actions. This integrated approach to California's groundwater raises significant cross-disciplinary questions that will need to be answered by the next generation of scientists, managers, and policy makers.
Stereospecificity of Microbial Hydrations of Oleic Acid to 10-Hydroxystearic Acid

Abstract We recently described a simple method for ascertaining the stereochemical purities of hydroxy fatty acids (S. H. El-Sharkawy, W. Yang, L. Dostal, and J. P. N. Rosazza, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 58:2116-2122, 1992) based on the 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analysis of diastereomeric S-(+)-O-acetylmandelate esters of hydroxystearates. This report describes the stereochemistries of microbial hydrations of oleic acid to 10-hydroxystearic acid by Nocardia aurantia (also known as Rhodococcus rhodochrous) ATCC 12674, Nocardia restrictus ATCC 14887, Mycobacterium fortuitum UI-53387, Pseudomonas species strain NRRL-2994, Pseudomonas species strain NRRL B-3266, and baker's yeast. 10(R)-hydroxystearic acid isolated from Pseudomonas species strain NRRL-2994 was the standard for use in the 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectral technique to permit simple assignments of the absolute configurations of 10-hydroxystearic acid produced by different microorganisms. While the R. rhodochrous ATCC 12674-mediated hydration of oleic acid gave mixtures of enantiomers 10(R)-hydroxystearic acid and 10(S)-hydroxystearic acid, Pseudomonas species strain NRRL-B-3266 produced optically pure 10(R)-hydroxystearic acid. The remaining microorganisms stereoselectively hydrated oleic acid to 10(R)-hydroxystearic acid containing between 2 and 18% of the contaminating 10(S)-hydroxystearic acid.
Toxic Effects of High-Dose Cyanate Administration in Rodents

Cyanate inhibits hemoglobin synthesis in vitro. In vivo studies were performed to determine the effect of the drug on erythropoiesis. Adult female rats received daily intraperitoneal injections of 400 µmoles of cyanate, leading to over 3 CNO/Hb by 3 wk. Controls received sodium chloride. DPG was measured in a small number of animals and declined from 5.5 to 4.1 mmoles/liter (p
Realizing Optical Magnetism from Dielectric Metamaterials

We demonstrate, for the first time, an all-dielectric metamaterial composite in the midinfrared based on micron-sized, high-index tellurium dielectric resonators. Dielectric resonators are desirable compared to conventional metallodielectric metamaterials at optical frequencies as they are largely angular invariant, free of Ohmic loss, and easily integrated into three-dimensional volumes. Measurements and simulation provide evidence of optical magnetism, which could be used for infrared magnetic mirrors, hard or soft surfaces, and subwavelength cavities.
Deoxygenation-induced changes in sickle cell-sickle cell adhesion

The tendency for sickle cells to adhere to each other is increased in oxygenated sickle blood in parallel with cell density. The increased adherence of these cells occurred despite their reduced deformability and diminished ability to form rouleaux. Using a method developed in our laboratory, we measured the yield stress: a sensitive index of cell-cell adhesion of deoxygenated suspensions of sickle cells. Deoxygenation of whole sickle blood to 30 to 50 mm Hg caused a significant increase in yield stress of all sickle blood samples. Deoxygenation caused a significant increase in yield stress of both dense and light sickle cells. Deoxygenation-induced increases in yield stress occurred at higher oxygen tensions for dense (> 55 mm Hg) than for light sickle cells (< 45 mm Hg). The increase in yield stress on deoxygenation was correlated with hemoglobin polymerization as assessed morphologically by sickling or by changes in relative viscosity. Thus, deoxygenation-induced cell sticking must involve small areas of strong membrane adhesion because the changes in yield stress occurred despite a reduction in rouleaux formation and surface area of membrane contact. Sickle trait red blood cells also exhibited increased yield stress on deoxygenation but only under hypertonic conditions where sickling occurred. Thus, deoxygenation-induced cell adhesion did not require prior membrane damage because it occurred in sickle trait cells. No change in yield stress was seen when deoxygenated sickle cells were suspended in buffer, but the addition of physiologic amounts of fibrinogen to buffer restored the deoxygenation-induced increase in cell adhesion. We speculate that the increase in sticking among sickle cells on deoxygenation results from spicule formation and may involve interaction of fibrinogen and possibly other plasma proteins with the cell membrane.
Making the Body Beautiful: A Cultural History of Aesthetic Surgery

Making The Body Beautiful:. Cultural History of Aesthetic Surgery. By Sander L. Gilman. 1999. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. $29.95 (cloth)
PETE Doctoral Institutions: Programs, Faculty, and Doctoral Students

Purpose: The present study of doctoral physical education teacher education (D-PETE) programs was part of a longitudinal study that provided an extensive description of demographics including: (a) doctoral program characteristics, (b) faculty, and (c) doctoral students/graduates. Method: This trend study incorporated 3 data sets (2005–2006, 2008–2009, and 2011–2012) that described the characteristics of D-PETE programs. Academic heads of D-PETE programs provided demographic information on their doctoral students, faculty, and institutional characteristics for the 2005–2006, 2008–2009, and 2011–2012 academic years and selected summary data from 1996–1997 through 2011–2012. Results/Conclusion: As a result of this longitudinal data collection, the following trends were revealed. First, there was a decrease in the number of D-PETE programs and an increase of nontenured and part-time pedagogy faculty. Second, initial teacher licensure programs remained in existence at the vast majority of D-PETE programs. Thir...
Optimal risky choice in humans: Effects of amount of variability

The present study investigated whether the predictions of an optimal risk-sensitive foraging model (the energy-budget rule) would extend to humans' choices between high- and low-variance monetary response options. In Experiment 1, participants were presented with repeated choices between two options that had the same mean values but different variances across positive- and negative-budget conditions. In Experiment 2, a within-subject comparison was conducted to investigate choice under positive- and negative-budget conditions when the options were either (a) a fixed option and a high-variance option, or (b) a low-variance option and a high-variance option. Session-wide choices were analyzed in relation to the predictions of the energy-budget rule and sequential choices were analyzed with dynamic optimization modeling. When both options were variable choice was generally consistent with predictions of the energy-budget rule and was more risk prone under negative-budget than positive-budget conditions. Sequential choices were sensitive to local budget conditions, but choices were less consistent with optimality when both options were variable, possibly because of the greater similarity in expected earnings for optimal and nonoptimal choices in these conditions. Overall, the results provide further evidence that the energy-budget rule may have broad applicability and that it can extend to human risky choice between multiple variable response options.
Purification and properties of carnitine acetyltransferases from bovine spermatozoa and heart

Abstract To investigate the physical and kinetic properties of sperm carnitine acetyltransferase, the enzyme was purified from bovine spermatozoa and heart muscle. Carnitine acetyltransferase was purified 580-fold from ejaculated bovine spermatozoa to a specific activity of 85 units/mg protein (95% homogeneity). Sperm carnitine acetyltransferase was characterized as a single polypeptide of Mr 62,000 and pI 8.2. Heart carnitine acetyltransferase was purified 650-fold by the same procedure to a final specific activity of 71 units/mg protein. The kinetic properties of purified bovine sperm carnitine acetyltransferase were consistent with the proposed function of this enzyme in acetylcarnitine pool formation. Product inhibition by either acetyl- l -carnitine or CoASH was not sufficient to predict significant in vivo inhibition of acetyl transfer. At high concentrations of l -carnitine, bovine sperm and heart carnitine acetyltransferases were most active with propionyl- and butyryl-CoA substrates, although octanoyl-, iso-butyryl-, and iso-valeryl-CoA were acceptable substrates. Binding of one substrate was enhanced by the presence of the second substrate. Carnitine analogs that have significance in reproduction, such as phosphorylcholine and taurine, did not inhibit carnitine acetyltransferase. Bovine sperm and heart carnitine acetyltransferases were indistinguishable on the basis of purification behavior, pI, pH optima, kinetic properties, acyl-CoA specificity, and sensitivity to sulfhydryl reagents and divalent cations; thus there was no indication that bovine sperm carnitine acetyltransferase is a sperm-specific isozyme.
The pre-conditions for "building capacity" in an ethics program.

Most organizations and/or their sub-units like ethics programs want to acquire the knowledge, skills and other resources needed to achieve their goals efficiently and effectively. Thus, they want to acquire or develop needed “capacity.” But there are pre-conditions to building capacity that are often overlooked or forgotten, but which nevertheless, must be in place before capacity can be developed. This essay identifies these pre-conditions and discusses why they are necessary before attempts are made to enhance the capacity of any ethics program. The essay closes by offering a series of questions that ethics program leaders/and or members can asked themselves to assess whether or not these pre-conditions exist.