cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of megestrol acetate on pituitary function and end-organ hormone secretion: a post hoc analysis of serum samples from a 12-week study in healthy older men.

Abstract Background: Megestrol acetate (MA) is a synthetic progestin commonly used to promote weight gain in malnourished older individuals. In small studies, MA administration has been associated with reduced serum cortisol concentrations in patients with cancer or AIDS. The impact of MA on the pituitary secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and other hormones is unclear, and the prevalence and extent of hypocortisolemia in older individuals after MA treatment is unknown. A randomized, placebo-controlled study of the effects of testosterone (T) and resistance training (RT) on body composition after MA administration in older men has been reported previously. Objective: The purpose of this post hoc analysis was to examine the effect of 12 weeks of MA on pituitary function and end-organ hormone secretion in healthy older individuals using frozen serum samples from that study. Methods: The previous study was conducted at the Department of Geriatrics, Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging and the General Clinical Research Center at The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas. Healthy male volunteers aged 60 to 85 years were recruited from the center and were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 study groups: RT + T, T, RT + placebo (P), or P. Subjects enrolled in the RT groups underwent supervised upper- and lower-body strength-training exercises 3 d/wk at 80% of 1 repetition maximum. Subjects in the groups to receive T received injections of testosterone enanthate 100 mg IM QW for 12 weeks. Subjects receiving P were given 1-mL saline injections IM QW for 12 weeks. All subjects received MA 800 mg PO QD concurrently for 12 weeks. For the present analysis, serum concentrations of the pituitary hormones follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), ACTH, prolactin (PRL), and luteinizing hormone (LH), as well as the end-organ hormones estradiol (E 2 ), cortisol, free T4, and T, were measured in samples obtained at baseline (week 0) and after 12 weeks of MA treatment. Results: Serum samples from 21 men (mean [SD]age, 67.0 [7.3]years; mean [SD] body mass index, 23.1 [10.4] kg/m 2 ; mean [SD] percentage of body fat, 22.5% [8.8%]; RT + T, T, RT + P, and P groups, n = 4, 5, 6, and 6 subjects, respectively) were available from the original study. The mean percentage changes from baseline in serum pituitary hormone concentrations after 12 weeks of MA administration were as follows: TSH, −14.7%; ACTH, −89.5%; PRL, 162.2%; and LH, −49.0%; ( P = 0.03, 2 , 181.6%; and cortisol, −90.8% (both, P P Conclusions: This analysis of serum samples from healthy older men suggests that MA administration significantly affected the secretion of several pituitary hormones and end-organ hormone synthesis. Most notably, ACTH secretion and serum cortisol levels were statistically significantly suppressed in 20 of 21 subjects, without the development of clinically significant adrenal suppression.
Adaptive dictionary matching

Semiadaptive and fully adaptive dictionary matching algorithms are presented. In the fully adaptive algorithm, the dictionary is processed in time O( mod D mod log mod D mod ). Inserting a new pattern P/sub k+1/ into the dictionary can be done in time O mod P/sub K+1/ mod log mod D mod ). A dictionary pattern can be deleted in time O(log mod D mod ). Text scanning is accomplished in time O( mod T mod log mod D mod ). Also presented is a parallel version of the algorithm with optimal speedup for the dictionary construction and pattern addition phase and a logarithmic overhead in the text scan phase. The method used incorporates a new way of using suffix trees as well as a new data structure in which the suffix tree is embedded for the sequential algorithm. >
Generalized Signaling for Control: Evidence From Postconflict and Posterror Performance Adjustments

Goal-directed behavior requires cognitive control to effect online adjustments in response to ongoing processing demands. How signaling for these adjustments occurs has been a question of much interest. A basic question regarding the architecture of the cognitive control system is whether such signaling for control is specific to task context or generalizes across contexts. In this study, the authors explored this issue using a stimulus–response compatibility paradigm. They examined trial-to-trial adjustments, specifically, the findings that incompatible trials elicit improved performance on subsequent incompatible trials and that responses are slower after errors. The critical question was, Do such control effects—typically observed within a single task context—occur across task contexts? The paradigm involved 2 orthogonal, stimulus–response sets: Stimuli in the horizontal direction mapped only to responses in the horizontal direction, and likewise for the vertical direction. Cues indicated that either compatible (same direction as stimulus) or incompatible (opposite to stimulus) responses were required. The results showed that trial-to-trial adjustments exist for both direction-repeat and direction-switch trials, demonstrating that signaling for control adjustments can extend beyond the task context within which they arise.
Current Status of Cardiac Transplantation

Cardiac transplantation, first introduced 30 years ago, has become a widely used and increasingly important procedure for treatment of truly end-stage heart disease. Current use is limited strictly by donor supply, making selection of appropriate recipients an important ethical and societal issue. Survival rates after transplantation rose in the 1980s with the use of cyclosporine and have remained relatively consistent since then, although recipients older than 65 years or younger than 1 year have lower survival rates than recipients of other ages. Although immunosuppressive drugs have helped establish cardiac transplantation as a successful procedure, risks of opportunistic infection and rejection, as well as coronary arteriopathy, have led to development of new immunosuppressive agents currently under study. Future alternatives to the current technology of cardiac allotransplantation may include xenotransplantation and/or nonbiological replacement of the heart with mechanical devices.
FIBRIN-GLUE ASSISTED VASOEPIDIDYMOSTOMY: A COMPARISON TO STANDARD END-TO-SIDE MICROSURGICAL VASOEPIDIDYMOSTOMY IN THE RAT MODEL

ABSTRACTPurpose: The use of fibrin glue for vasovasostomy has produced high patency rates in animal models. Vasoepididymostomy is a microsurgical technique that might be made easier if fibrin glue could substitute for microsutures. We evaluated the efficacy of a new vasoepididymostomy technique using fibrin glue.Materials and Methods: Bilateral vasoepididymostomies were performed in 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats using a conventional microsurgical technique on one side and a fibrin-glue assisted technique on the other. The rats were sacrificed 30 days after surgery and anastomotic patency was assessed by examining the vasal fluid for sperm, injecting methylene blue dye into the vas deferens and observing backflow into the epididymis by gross inspection and histological studies. Additionally, the incidence of granuloma formation was compared between the two techniques.Results: Fibrin-glue anastomoses showed a patency rate of 79% (n = 19), compared with 63% (n = 15) for the conventional suture anastomoses (p =...
Houston's rapid ozone increases: preconditions and geographic origins.

Many of Houston's highest 8-h ozone (O3) peaks are characterised by increases in concentrations of at least 40ppb in 1h, or 60ppb in 2h. These rapid increases are called non-typical O3 changes (NTOCs). In 2004, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) developed a novel emissions control strategy aimed at eliminating NTOCs. The strategy limited routine and short-term emissions of ethene, propene, 1,3-butadiene and butene isomers, collectively called highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs), which are released from petrochemical facilities. HRVOCs have been associated with NTOCs through field campaigns and modelling studies. This study analysed wind measurements and O3, formaldehyde (HCHO) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations from 2000 to 2011 at 25 ground monitors in Houston. NTOCs almost always occurred when monitors were downwind of petrochemical facilities. Rapid O3 increases were associated with low wind speeds; 75% of NTOCs occurred when the 3-h average wind speed preceding the event was less than 6.5kmh � 1 . Statistically significant differences in HCHO concentrations were seen between days with and without NTOCs. Early afternoon HCHO concentrations were greater on NTOC days. In the morning before an observed NTOC event, however, there were no significant differences in HCHO concentrations betweendayswithandwithoutNTOCs.HourlySO2concentrationsalsoincreasedrapidly,exhibitingbehavioursimilarto NTOCs. Oftentimes, the SO2 increases preceded a NTOC. These findings show that, despite the apparent success of targeted HRVOC emission controls, further restrictions may be needed to eliminate the remaining O3 events.
Escherichia coli RecX Inhibits RecA Recombinase and Coprotease Activities in Vitro and in Vivo

In Escherichia coli the RecA protein plays a pivotal role in homologous recombination, DNA repair, and SOS repair and mutagenesis. A gene designated recX (or oraA) is present directly downstream of recA in E. coli; however, the function of RecX is unknown. In this work we demonstrated interaction of RecX and RecA in a yeast two-hybrid assay. In vitro, substoichiometric amounts of RecX strongly inhibited both RecA-mediated DNA strand exchange and RecA ATPase activity. In vivo, we showed that recX is under control of the LexA repressor and is up-regulated in response to DNA damage. A loss-of-function mutation in recX resulted in decreased resistance to UV irradiation; however, overexpression of RecX in trans resulted in a greater decrease in UV resistance. Overexpression of RecX inhibited induction of two din (damage-inducible) genes and cleavage of the UmuD and LexA repressor proteins; however, recX inactivation had no effect on any of these processes. Cells overexpressing RecX showed decreased levels of P1 transduction, whereas recX mutation had no effect on P1 transduction frequency. Our combined in vitro and in vivo data indicate that RecX can inhibit both RecA recombinase and coprotease activities.
One- and two-proton inclusive spectra in 800 MeV proton-nucleus collisions and the mean free path of protons in nuclei☆

TWO-WEEK LOAN COPY is is a Library Circulating Copy wh may be borrowed for two weeks. For a retention copy, call Tech. Info. Division, Ext 6782.
Investigating Differences Between American and Indian Raters in Assessing TOEFL iBT Speaking Tasks

This article reports on an investigation of the role raters’ language background plays in raters’ assessment of test takers’ speaking ability. Specifically, this article examines differences between American and Indian raters in their scores and scoring processes when rating Indian test takers’ responses to the Test of English as a Foreign LanguageTM Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT®) Speaking tasks. Three American and three Indian raters were asked to score 60 speech samples from 10 Indian test takers’ responses to TOEFL iBT Speaking tasks and to perform think-aloud protocols while scoring. The data were analyzed with Multifaceted Rasch and verbal protocol analyses. Findings indicate that Indian raters were better than American raters at identifying and understanding features of Indian English in the test takers’ responses. However, Indian and American raters did not differ in their use of scoring criteria, their attitudes toward Indian English, or in the internal consistency and severity of the scores.
On-chip lookup tables for fast symmetric-key encryption

On public communication networks such as the Internet, data confidentiality can be provided by symmetric key ciphers. One of the most common operations used in symmetric key ciphers are table lookups. These frequently constitute the largest fraction of the execution time when the ciphers are implemented using a typical RISC-like instruction set. To accelerate these table lookups, we describe a new hardware module, called PTLU (for parallel table lookup), which consists of multiple lookup tables that can be accessed in parallel. A novel combinational circuit included in the module can optionally perform simple logic operations on the data read from the tables. On a single issue 64-bit RISC processor, PTLU provides maximum speedups of 7.7x for AES and 5.4x for DES. With wordsize scaling, PTLU speedups are significantly higher than that available through more conventional architectural techniques such as superscalar or VUW execution.
Register transfer modeling and simulation for array processors

This paper presents a register transfer modeling scheme for array processor simulation. Its main goals are to verify the application specific design by real data computation, and to help fine tune the array architecture by precise timing analysis. The data flow graph of the design is translated into a register transfer language which is further combined with a hardware description module. An interactive simulator SISim v2.0 has been implemented to simulate the behavior of such a system. The results are compared with the expected valves to verify the array processor design. The recorded timing information can help the designer to analyze the system and improve the performance and resource utilization. >
Image retrieval using transaction-based and SVM-based learning in relevance feedback sessions

This paper introduces a composite relevance feedback approach for image retrieval using transaction-based and SVM-based learning. A transaction repository is dynamically constructed by applying these two learning techniques on positive and negative session-term feedback. This repository semantically relates each database image to the query images having been used to date. The query semantic feature vector can then be computed using the current feedback and the semantic values in the repository. The correlation measures the semantic similarity between the query image and each database image. Furthermore, the SVM is applied on the session-term feedback to learn the hyperplane for measuring the visual similarity between the query image and each database image. These two similarity measures are normalized and combined to return the retrieved images. Our extensive experimental results show that the proposed approach offers average retrieval precision as high as 88.59% after three iterations. Comprehensive comparisons with peer systems reveal that our system yields the highest retrieval accuracy after two iterations.
A Biomechanical Model of the Liver for Reality-Based Haptic Feedback

Biomechanical model of soft tissue for remote probing based on observed experimental data is critical for developing a reality-based model for minimally invasive surgical training and simulation. In our research, we have focused on developing a biomechanical model of the liver with the ultimate goal of using this model for local tool-tissue interaction tasks and providing feedback through a haptic display. We have designed and developed tissue indentation equipment for characterizing the biomechanical properties of the liver and formulated a hybrid nonlinear model that is valid in both low strain and high strain regions. The pig liver is simplified as the incompressible, isotropic, and homogeneous elastic material. This model will be the basis for a finite element model for the pig liver.
Problems of Fungicide Resistance in Penicillium Rot of Citrus Fruits

Green and blue mold of citrus fruits are incited by the ubiquitous fungi Penioillium digitatum Sacc. and P. italioum Wehm., respectively. Green mold is the most important cause of postharvest decay of citrus fruits produced in areas with scant rainfall during the period of fruit maturation. Blue mold is of lesser overall importance, but may become the major problem under environmental conditions or fungicide treatments that selectively suppress the development of green mold. Penicillium molds are also important in humid production areas but tend to be overshadowed there by the stem-end rots. In nature, P. digitatum completes its life cycle only on citrus fruits, whereas P. italioum can infect an array of different fruits and vegetables. Spores of P. digitatum and P. italioum that form on diseased fruits on the ground in citrus groves and in packinghouses are transported by air currents to healthy fruits. The surface of virtually every citrus fruit is contaminated with these spores at harvest time, but they are unable to germinate and infect the fruit except at injury sites, where the rate of infection reaches a maximum at about 25°C under high humidity conditions. Infected fruit are decayed totally within 7 days and the fungus sporulates heavily on the fruit surface.
Case studies in reproduction and sexual adjustment

The treatment of infertility is discussed and illustrated by a case study. A 24 year-old woman and her husband were classified as "normal-fertile" by the usual standard, yet she had failed to conceive. Treatment with estrogen at mid-cycle, tranquilizers, oxytocin, cortisone, hysterogram, and saline hydrotubation had no beneficial effect. However, the administration of 50 mg/day of clomiphene from Days 5-9 of the cycle, followed by frequent sexual intercourse, resulted in pregnancy. Of 170 "normal-fertile" infertile couples, hysterosalpingography was the most successful form of treatment (88 pregnancies). Various other treatments resulted in 40 pregnancies. Saline hydrotubation, clomiphene, cortisol, and sedation were the most effective methods for treating infertility. If other less effective treatments also fail, psychiatric evaluation, culdoscopy, laparoscopy, laparotomy, sperm agglutination studies, or endocrine assays may be in order. The importance of psychological considerations in treating infertile patients is discussed. Language: en
A model of text for experimentation in the social sciences

ABSTRACTStatistical models of text have become increasingly popular in statistics and computer science as a method of exploring large document collections. Social scientists often want to move beyond exploration, to measurement and experimentation, and make inference about social and political processes that drive discourse and content. In this article, we develop a model of text data that supports this type of substantive research. Our approach is to posit a hierarchical mixed membership model for analyzing topical content of documents, in which mixing weights are parameterized by observed covariates. In this model, topical prevalence and topical content are specified as a simple generalized linear model on an arbitrary number of document-level covariates, such as news source and time of release, enabling researchers to introduce elements of the experimental design that informed document collection into the model, within a generally applicable framework. We demonstrate the proposed methodology by analyzi...
Oviposition Preference of the Mimosa Webworm, Homadaula anisocentra (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

In the field, the mimosa webworm, Homadaula anisocentra Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), oviposits preferentially on branches or on leaf rachises or petioles of uninfested ornamental honeylocust, Gleditsia triacanthos L. On infested trees, oviposition occurs almost entirely on larval webbing. In the laboratory, uninfested mature leaves of both honeylocust and mimosa, Albizzia julibrissin Durazzini, are preferred over uninfested young leaves as oviposition sites. The addition of larval webbing to leaves of any age or to nonhost substrate induces oviposition preferentially on the webbing.
Development of selective colorimetric probes for hydrogen sulfide based on nucleophilic aromatic substitution

Hydrogen sulfide is an important biological signaling molecule and an important environmental target for detection. A major challenge in developing H2S detection methods is separating the often similar reactivity of thiols and other nucleophiles from H2S. To address this need, the nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reaction of H2S with electron-poor aromatic electrophiles was developed as a strategy to separate H2S and thiol reactivity. Treatment of aqueous solutions of nitrobenzofurazan (7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole, NBD) thioethers with H2S resulted in thiol extrusion and formation of nitrobenzofurazan thiol (λmax = 534 nm). This reactivity allows for unwanted thioether products to be converted to the desired nitrobenzofurazan thiol upon reaction with H2S. The scope of the reaction was investigated using a Hammett linear free energy relationship study, and the determined ρ = +0.34 is consistent with the proposed SN2Ar reaction mechanism. The efficacy of the developed probes was demonstrated in bu...
Observations on the Life History of Pseudanthonomus krameriae, with Descriptions of Larva and Pupa (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The life history and habits of Pseudanthonomus krameriae Pierce are discussed. Descriptions and illustrations of the larval and pupal stages are presented. In addition, a brief review of the known hosts of other species of Pseudanthonomus is included.
Pulmonary and pleural complications of cardiac disease

Disorders of the heart frequently cause pulmonary dysfunction because of the close structural and functional association of the heart and lungs. The pulmonary vasculature is very commonly affected by cardiac pathology. The pulmonary vasculature is normally a low-pressure, low-resistance circuit with high compliance and tremendous vascular reserve. Although resting vascular tone is low, there are many identified mediators of pulmonary arterial tone that may help mediate pulmonary blood flow. Alveolar hypoxia is clearly a stimulus for increasing pulmonary vascular resistance although factors that mediate the response to hypoxia are not fully understood. Patients with left-to-right shunting due to congenital heart disease because of elevations in pulmonary artery flow and pressure tend to develop progressive anatomic changes in the pulmonary vasculature. This leads to an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance, irreversible pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure, reversal of shunt flow, and Eisenmenger's syndrome. The degree of anatomic vascular damage due to left-to-right shunting can be graded histologically. Lesser grades of damage are reversible with corrective surgery, whereas more severe grades show no improvement or progression with operation. Chronic left-sided congestive heart failure seen in rheumatic mitral stenosis can cause secondary changes in the pulmonary vasculature. Pulmonary hypertension and increased pulmonary vascular resistance can increase reflexly and form a "second stenosis" that further limits cardiac output. Unlike congenital heart disease, severe grades of pulmonary arterial damage are not seen in left heart failure from mitral stenosis or other causes, and consequently with surgical correction pulmonary hypertension reverses. Pulmonary function testing is adversely affected by congestive heart failure. Both restrictive (stiff lungs) and obstructive (cardiac asthma) defects are observed in congestive heart failure. DLCO is abnormally decreased. With treatment of heart failure these defects reverse. Both elevated systemic and pulmonary venous pressures affect fluid filtration in the pleural space and cause pleural fluid accumulation. The fluid is transudative with low protein, low lactate dehydrogenase, and low cell counts. Transudative effusions from heart failure resolve with treatment. With large effusions and cardiomegaly, pulmonary dysfunction results because of atelectasis from compression and space-occupying effects of the heart and pleural fluid. Following myocardial infarction, cardiac surgery, or other cardiac trauma, the postcardiac injury syndrome can result. The syndrome is characterized by exudative pleural and pericardial effusions along with pulmonary infiltrates, fever, chest pain, leukocytosis, and an elevated ESR. The syndrome must be diagnosed by exclusion of bacterial pneumonia, pulmonary emboli, and congestive heart failure. Treatment is with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents or systemic co
Study on OPGW withstand-lightning performance

At present, the study on OPGW cables resisting lightning strike has been paid more and more attention by manufactures, users and research institutes. But the study only limits to outer wring thread material and diameter based on some lightning tests of OPGW. This paper analyses the impacts on the OPGW withstand-lightning performance coming from the aspects of configuration, material, conductivity, testing strain, raw materials and manufacture techniques. It discusses the OPGW 250 C withstand-lightning performance and makes a comprehensive analysis on the testing results.
Catch-Up Growth of Children with Longstanding Untreated Hypothyroidism

Objective To analyze the catch-up growth of children with longstanding untreated hypothyroidism and to assess whether catch-up growth is complete and the use of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist(GnRHa) and growth hormone(GH) is feasible in longstanding untreated and puberty-onset substitution hypothyroidism.Methods Catch-up growth was analyzed in 28 cases with hypothyroi-dism[13 prepubertal children(group A) with hypothyroidism and 15 pubertal children(group B)].During the period of treatment,the clinical parameters including height(HT),weight,pubertal stage,bone age were documented every 3 months.The serum levels of thyroidtropin,tetraiodotyrosine and triiodotyrosine were monitored using immunofluorescence assay or radioimmunoassay.GnRHa and GH were used in addition to L-thyroxine in two longstanding untreated and puberty-onset substitution hypothyroidism patients.Results Two groups presented with significant growth retardation and bone age delay.The prepubertal children with hypothyroidism started treatment at the age of (7.1±2.0) years,bone age (3.0±1.5) years and a height standard deviation score(HT SDS)(-3.89±1.29),while group B with hypothyroidism at the age of (14.3±1.6) years,bone age (5.6±2.3) years and a HT SDS of-5.55±1.38.There was no target height difference between 2 groups.At the end of the 3rd year,HT SDS of group A advanced to-1.12±1.14 and group B to-1.94±1.39.In group B,bone age progression was (5.2±1.8) years·a-1,(2.4±1.0) years·a-1,(2.6±0.8) years·a-1,faster than (2.5±0.5) years·a-1,(1.6±0.5) years·a-1,(1.4±0.6) years·a-1 in group A during the 1st,2nd and 3rd year(Pa0.01),respectively.Especially in the first year,group B achieved the similar HT velocity compared with group A but cost 3 more years of bone age.Adult final height(FH) of group B reached a HT SDS of-1.85±1.18,not within their range(TH 0.18±0.84),while group A (-0.40±0.99) reached their TH(-0.12±0.77).Two years of combined use of GnRHa and GH in 2 cases of hypothyroidism starting to be treated at puberty improved their adult height to a HT SDS,both within their TH.Conclusions Catch-up growth in childhood onset hypothyroidism is complete,but in longstanding untreated and puberty-onset substitution hypothyroidism children is incomplete.GnRHa and GH treatment are needed to improve this incomplete growth and increase the TH.
Isolation and properties of alpha-D-mannosidase from human kidney.

Abstract Alpha-D-Mannosidase activity exists in three forms that can be separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography, alpha-D-Mannosidase was isolated from human kidney in a homogeneous state, and was purified 2100-fold, with p-nitrophenyl alpha-D-mannoside as substrate. The purified alpha-D-mannosidase was practically free from all other glycosidases tested. The Km of the synthetic substrate with the enzyme was 1 X 10(-3) M and the pH optimum 4.5. It was inhibited by heavy metals, sodium dodecyl sulphate, urea and compounds that react with the thiol groups, and was activated by Zn2+, Na+, 2-mercaptoethanol, human albumin and gamma-globulin. The mol. wt. of the enzyme was estimated to be 180 000 +/- 4500. After pretreatment with 2-mercaptoethanol and sodium dodecyl sulphate, alpha-D-mannosidase dissociated into subunits of mol. wts. of 58 000 +/- 600 and 30 000 +/- 380 respectively. Subunits of the same molecular weights were also obtained after the enzyme was heated at 100 degrees C.
Microblogs Data Management Systems: Querying, Analysis, and Visualization

Microblogs data, e.g., tweets, reviews, news comments, and social media comments, has gained considerable attention in recent years due to its popularity and rich contents. Nowadays, microblogs applications span a wide spectrum of interests, including analyzing events and users activities and critical applications like discovering health issues and rescue services. Consequently, major research efforts are spent to manage, analyze, and visualize microblogs data to support different applications. In this tutorial, we give a 1.5 hours overview about microblogs data management, analysis, visualization, and systems. The tutorial gives a comprehensive review for research on core data management components to support microblogs queries at scale. This includes system-level issues and on-going work on supporting microblogs data through the rising wave of big data systems. In addition, the tutorial reviews research on microblogs data analysis and visualization. Through its different parts, the tutorial highlights the challenges and opportunities in microblogs data research.
Drivers of Bromus tectorum Abundance in the Western North American Sagebrush Steppe

Bromus tectorum can transform ecosystems causing negative impacts on the ecological and economic values of sagebrush steppe of the western USA. Although our knowledge of the drivers of the regional distribution of B. tectorum has improved, we have yet to determine the relative importance of climate and local factors causing B. tectorum abundance and impact. To address this, we sampled 555 sites distributed geographically and ecologically throughout the sagebrush steppe. We recorded the canopy cover of B. tectorum, as well as local substrate and vegetation characteristics. Boosted regression tree modeling revealed that climate strongly limits the transformative ability of B. tectorum to a portion of the sagebrush steppe with dry summers (that is, July precipitation 15°C) and low native grass canopy cover. This portion includes the Bonneville, Columbia, Lahontan, and lower Snake River basins. These areas are likely to require extreme efforts to reverse B. tectorum transformation. Our predictions, using future climate conditions, suggest that the transformative ability of B. tectorum may not expand geographically and could remain within the same climatically suitable basins. We found B. tectorum in locally disturbed areas within or adjacent to all of our sample sites, but not necessarily within sagebrush steppe vegetation. Conversion of the sagebrush steppe by B. tectorum, therefore, is more likely to occur outside the confines of its current climatically optimal region because of site-specific disturbances, including invasive species control efforts and sagebrush steppe mismanagement, rather than climate change.
193 nm Ultraviolet Photodissociation Mass Spectrometry for Phosphopeptide Characterization in the Positive and Negative Ion Modes.

Advances in liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) have permitted phosphoproteomic analysis on a grand scale, but ongoing challenges specifically associated with confident phosphate localization continue to motivate the development of new fragmentation techniques. In the present study, ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) at 193 nm is evaluated for the characterization of phosphopeptides in both positive and negative ion modes. Compared to the more standard higher energy collisional dissociation (HCD), UVPD provided more extensive fragmentation with improved phosphate retention on product ions. Negative mode UVPD showed particular merit for detecting and sequencing highly acidic phosphopeptides from alpha and beta casein, but was not as robust for larger scale analysis because of lower ionization efficiencies in the negative mode. HeLa and HCC70 cell lysates were analyzed by both UVPD and HCD. While HCD identified more phosphopeptides and proteins compared to UVPD, the unique matches fr...
Decoding the Structure of Abuse Potential for New Psychoactive Substances: Structure-Activity Relationships for Abuse-Related Effects of 4-Substituted Methcathinone Analogs.

Many cathinone analogs act as substrates or inhibitors at dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin transporters (DAT, NET, SERT, respectively). Drug selectivity at DAT vs. SERT is a key determinant of abuse potential for monoamine transporter substrates and inhibitors, such that potency at DAT > SERT is associated with high abuse potential, whereas potency at DAT < SERT is associated with low abuse potential. Quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) studies with a series of 4-substituted methcathinone analogs identified volume of the 4-position substituent on the methcathinone phenyl ring as one structural determinant of both DAT vs. SERT selectivity and abuse-related behavioral effects in an intracranial self-stimulation procedure in rats. Subsequent modeling studies implicated specific amino acids in DAT and SERT that might interact with 4-substituent volume to determine effects produced by this series of cathinone analogs. These studies illustrate use of QSAR analysis to investigate pharmacology of cathinones and function of monoamine transporters.
Procedures: Algorithms and Abstraction

After completing this module, a student should be able to: Read and understand simple NetLogo models. Make changes to NetLogo procedures and predict the effect on the simulation. Name the control structures sufficient to express all components of programs.
Exploring the coordination chemistry of N-heterocyclic phosphenium/phosphido ligands using nickelocene as a synthon

Treatment of the N-heterocyclic chlorophosphine precursor (PPP)Cl (1) with two equivalents of nickelocene (NiCp2) affords the phosphorus-bridged dimer [(μ-PPP)Ni2Cp2]Cl (2). In contrast, an equimolar mixture of 1 and NiCp2 in the presence of PPh3 generates a different product, (PP(C5H5)P)NiCl2 (3), in which a cyclopentadienyl anion has migrated to the N-heterocyclic phosphenium center. The phosphorus-bound Cp ring in complex 3 has undergone a [1,5]-hydride shift to afford a vinylic C5H5− ring, and can be subsequently deprotonated to produce [(PP(C5H4)P)NiCl] (4).
Interrogating Cellular Functions with Designer Janus Particles

Janus particles have two distinct surfaces or compartments. This enables novel applications that are impossible with homogeneous particles, ranging from the engineering of active colloidal metastructures to creating multimodal therapeutic materials. Recent years have witnessed a rapid development of novel Janus structures and exploration of their applications, particularly in the biomedical arena. It, therefore, becomes crucial to understand how Janus particles with surface or structural anisotropy might interact with biological systems and how such interactions may be exploited to manipulate biological responses. This perspective highlights recent studies that have employed Janus particles as novel toolsets to manipulate, measure, and understand cellular functions. Janus particles have been shown to have biological interactions different from uniform particles. Their surface anisotropy has been used to control the cell entry of synthetic particles, to spatially organize stimuli for the activation of immu...
Association of Delayed Antimicrobial Therapy with One-Year Mortality in Pediatric Sepsis.

Objective Delayed antimicrobial therapy in sepsis is associated with increased hospital mortality, but the impact of antimicrobial timing on long-term outcomes is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that hourly delays to antimicrobial therapy are associated with 1-year mortality in pediatric severe sepsis. Design Retrospective observational study. Setting Quaternary academic pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) from February 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. Patients One hundred sixty patients aged ≤21 years treated for severe sepsis. Interventions None. Measurements and main results We tested the association of hourly delays from sepsis recognition to antimicrobial administration with 1-year mortality using multivariable Cox and logistic regression. Overall 1-year mortality was 24% (39 patients), of whom 46% died after index PICU discharge. Median time from sepsis recognition to antimicrobial therapy was 137 min (IQR 65-287). After adjusting for severity of illness and comorbid conditions, hourly delays up to 3 h were not associated with 1-year mortality. However, increased 1-year mortality was evident in patients who received antimicrobials ≤1 h (aOR 3.8, 95% CI 1.2, 11.7) or >3 h (aOR 3.5, 95% CI 1.3, 9.8) compared with patients who received antimicrobials within 1 to 3 h from sepsis recognition. For the subset of patients who survived index PICU admission, antimicrobial therapy ≤1 h was also associated with increased 1-year mortality (aOR 5.5, 95% CI 1.1, 27.4), while antimicrobial therapy >3 h was not associated with 1-year mortality (aOR 2.2, 95% CI 0.5, 11.0). Conclusions Hourly delays to antimicrobial therapy, up to 3 h, were not associated with 1-year mortality in pediatric severe sepsis in this study. The finding that antimicrobial therapy ≤1 h from sepsis recognition was associated with increased 1-year mortality should be regarded as hypothesis-generating for future studies.
The Hydration of CO2 Catalysed by Carbonic Anhydrase

ABSTRACT The carbonic anhydrases comprise a large class of zinc-containing metalloenzymes that can be divided into two broad groups of the animal and the much less studied plant carbonic anhydrases. The catalytic hydration of CO 2 by the animal carbonic anhydrases relies on the activation by zinc of water in the active site, assisted by nearby amino-acid residues which orient and enhance the nucleophilicity of the zinc-bound hydroxide, Kinetic and structural data are consistent with direct nucleophilic attack on a weakly bound CO 2 , with the metal helping to delocalize developing negative charge in the transition state. The resulting zinc-bound bicarbonate dissociates to leave a water molecule on the metal. The subsequent protolysis of the zinc-bound water molecule with the transfer of the resulting proton out to solution are the predominant rate-limiting steps of the maximum velocity of catalysis. These proton transfer steps for carbonic anhydrase II involve a histidine at residue 64 in isozyme II as a proton shuttle residue. Application of Marcus rate theory suggests that this intramolecular proton transfer is preceded by an unfavorable equilibrium representing structural reorganization in the active site.
Point-of-care testing in the acute management of traumatic brain injury: Identifying the coagulopathic patient.

Background The use of anticoagulants or antiplatelet medications has become increasingly common and is a well-established risk factor for worsening of hemorrhages in trauma patients. The current study addresses the need to investigate the efficacy of point-of-care tests (POC) as an adjunct to conventional coagulation testing in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Methods A retrospective review of 190 TBI patients >18 years of age who underwent both conventional and POC testing as part of their admission coagulopathy workup was conducted. Coagulation deficiency was defined as an international normalized ratio (INR) >1.4, a reaction time (r-value) on rapid thromboelastography >50 seconds, or a VerifyNow Aspirin (VN-ASA) level of Results Among 190 patients, 91 (48%) disclosed a history of either warfarin or antiplatelet use or had documented INR >1.4. Of the 18 (9%) patients who reported warfarin use, 83% had elevated INR and 61% had elevated r-value. However, 41% of the patients without reported anticoagulant usage revealed significantly elevated r-value consistent with a post-traumatic hypocoagulable state. Of 64 (34%) patients who reported taking ASA, 51 (80%) demonstrated therapeutic VN-ASA. Interestingly, 31 of 126 (25%) patients not reporting ASA use were also noted to have therapeutic VN-ASA suggestive of platelet dysfunction. Conclusions The coagulopathy POC panel consisting of r-TEG and VN-ASA successfully identified a subset of TBI patients with an occult coagulopathy that would have otherwise been missed. Standardization of these POC assays on admission in TBI may help guide patient resuscitation in the acute setting.
Lessons From the Social Innovation Fund: Supporting Evaluation to Assess Program Effectiveness and Build a Body of Research Evidence

Tiered evidence initiatives are an important federal strategy to incentivize and accelerate the use of rigorous evidence in planning, implementing, and assessing social service investments. The Soc...
Concurrent MMBIRFinder

Recent literature has found Microhomology-mediated break-induced replication (MMBIR) to be a common mechanism producing complex mutations. Complex mutations underlie the genomic instability that results in various cancers. MMBIRFinder is a tool that has successfully detected the MMBIR mutations in budding yeast DNA by comparing sampled DNA reads to a whole reference genome. A major challenge for the MMBIRFinder is the heavy computational expense needed to find MMBIR regions in human DNA, where the size of a human DNA genome is very large compared to yeast DNA. In this work, we propose a modified approach, which utilizes parallel computations to significantly reduce the processing time consumed by the MMBIFinder to search for MMBIR regions in the human genome. Moreover, the newly proposed tool preserves the validity and accuracy of the original tool for yeast, where the original MMBIRFinder often fails to operate on the much larger human genome. This will allow for identification of complex mutations generated by MMBIR in human cancer genomes, thereby improving understanding of the roles played by MMBIR in generating the mutations and rearrangements that hallmark various types of cancers and genetic disease.
Tranexamic Acid Decreased Death from Bleeding but Not All-Cause Mortality in Women with Postpartum Hemorrhage.

In this really large study, tranexamic acid did not decrease the frequency of the primary outcome of death or hysterectomy in women with postpartum hemorrhage. However, there was a very small reduction in the rate of death from bleeding in the women treated with tranexamic acid.
Soviet Studies: Culture

This article examines a cultural approach in the area studies of the former Soviet Union. Part of the broader category of Slavic studies, Soviet studies focuses primarily on the history, politics, and culture of the Soviet Union and its descendant states, with the emphasis on Russia. However, the pre-Soviet period of the Russian Empire also constitutes a part of this regional study. Culture occupies an important place in Soviet studies. One sense of the concept refers to political culture, another to artistic culture expressive of Russian national culture, and the third to the anthropologically informed idea of culture as a realm of socially shared meanings. This article examines the development of the third sense of culture as the most related to the understanding of the term in cultural studies, although some attention is given to the studies of artistic culture. Thus oriented, the article outlines the research done in Soviet Studies on class, national, gender and sexual identities, consumer culture, youth and popular cultures. The analysis also identifies thematic and conceptual changes in Soviet Studies—a reflection of the 1991 decomposition of the Soviet Union. These developments pertain to the new social and cultural realities of the changing society, as well as the critical reconsideration of previous paradigms which exhibited their analytical limitations. Throughout, the term Soviet culture refers to cultural developments of the socialist period from 1917 to 1991. Post-Soviet culture defines the contemporary stage of cultural development.
Partial correctness assertions provable in dynamic logics

We consider a formalism DL for first order Dynamic Logic, based on Segerberg’s axioms for modalities, and observe that DL is not conservative over Hoare Logic (HL) when the background theory is empty, but is conservative if the background theory is the complete theory of an expressive structure (in the sense of Cook). We identify Peano Arithmetic (PA) as the transition point between these two states of affairs: DL is conservative over HL in the presence of a number theory that contains PA, and is not conservative for the sub-theories of PA with a bound on the complexity of induction formulas.
The efficacy of reducing agents or antioxidants in blocking the formation of dense cells and irreversibly sickled cells in vitro

We show that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has the ability to cause statistically significant diminishment in the in vitro formation of irreversibly sickled cells (ISCs) at concentrations greater than 250 μmol/L. Other antioxidants, approved for human use (cysteamine, succimer, dimercaprol), were not efficacious. NAC had the ability to cause statistically significant conversion of ISCs formed in vivo back to the biconcave shape. NAC was also shown to reduce the formation of dense cells and increase the available thiols in β-actin. We showed that diminishing reduced glutathione (GSH), by treatment with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, resulted in increased dense cells. We conclude the NAC blocks dense cell formation and ISC formation by targeting channels involved in cellular dehydration and β-actin, respectively. The efficacy of NAC is probably due to its combined antioxidant activity and ability to increase intracellular GSH.
Reviewing and Editing Manuscripts for Scientific Journals

Reviewers and editors of manuscripts for articles that summarize scientific research that is published in scholarly journals perform several critical functions for the field, most especially that of gatekeepers of scientific knowledge. In this capacity, they are charged with determining which manuscripts are of sufficient quality that they should be published and disseminated to other scientists versus those that should not be published because they do not contribute new scientific knowledge and/or have significant methodological problems.
Economics of Child Protection: Maltreatment, Foster Care, and Intimate Partner Violence

Violence within families and child neglect are strikingly common: 700,000 children are found to be victims of abuse or neglect in the United States each year; over the course of childhood, 6% of children are placed in foster care, and 18% witness intimate partner violence. These children are at much higher risks of homelessness, criminal justice involvement, unemployment, and chronic health conditions compared to their neighbors. This article reviews the state of the economics literature on the causes and consequences of child maltreatment and intimate partner violence and calls for greater research into interventions aimed at improving child well-being.