cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calciphylaxis: a case series and the role of radiology in diagnosis.

Background Calciphylaxis is a syndrome of vascular calcification most commonly affecting patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis. Because of its high mortality rate, early diagnosis and treatment are necessary. Although diagnosis is usually based on skin biopsy, histopathology is often nonspecific. As the role of imaging in calciphylaxis has not been studied extensively, we examined the utility of radiology in the diagnosis of this disease. Methods A thorough review of electronic medical records for 2005–2013 at Loyola University Medical Center yielded 10 patients with biopsy-proven calciphylaxis. Using the radiological picture archiving and communication system (PACS), all imaging studies of the affected body part obtained within 6 months of diagnosis were analyzed and tabulated. Results All 10 patients had undergone imaging (computed tomography, ultrasound, plain radiography, and/or mammography) of the affected anatomy prior to diagnosis by skin biopsy. Nine of these patients were noted to have moderate-to-severe soft tissue vascular calcification in the area of skin biopsy. Conclusions This case series supports the suggestion that findings of superficial vascular calcifications on imaging studies are sensitive for the diagnosis of calciphylaxis. Used in conjunction with histopathological, clinical, and laboratory data, radiology can serve an important role in the diagnosis of calciphylaxis.
Pituitary-adrenal activity in acute and chronically stressed male and female mice lacking the 5-HT-3A receptor.

The serotonin (5-HT)-3A receptor has been localized in limbic and brainstem structures that regulate hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) activity. We previously showed that 5-HT-3A receptor knock-out (KO) male mice displayed lower ACTH responses to acute restraint or lipopolysaccharide administration compared to age-matched wild-type (WT) males. In the present study, we found that pituitary–adrenal responses to acute stress were not different in female WT and KO mice. Furthermore, we examined the role of the 5-HT-3A receptor in regulation of chronic stress-induced HPA activity in both male and female WT and KO mice. The results show that ACTH, but not corticosterone, responses to novel restraint are lower in chronically cold stressed females compared to non-stressed control females but no effect of 5-HT-3A receptor deletion was observed. In contrast, male mice showed facilitated responses to novel restraint after chronic cold stress and this facilitation produced sex differences in ACTH responses to nove...
Effect of soy protein from differently processed products on cardiovascular disease risk factors and vascular endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic subjects

Background: The magnitude of the effect of soy protein on lipoprotein concentrations is variable. This discordance is likely attributable to the various forms of soy protein used and to unrecognized shifts in dietary fatty acid, cholesterol, and fiber. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the effect of soybean processing as well as soy consumption relative to animal protein, independent of alterations in major dietary variables, on cardiovascular disease risk factors and vascular endothelial function. Design: Twenty-eight hypercholesterolemic subjects (LDL cholesterol ≥3.36 mmol/L) aged >50 y consumed each of 4 diets for 6-wk periods according to a randomized crossover design. The diets [55% of energy as carbohydrate, 30% of energy as fat, and 15% of energy as protein-7.5% of energy as experimental protein (37.5 g/d)] were designed to contain products made from either whole soybeans, soyflour, or soymilk and were compared with a diet containing an equivalent amount of animal protein (meat, chicken, and dairy products). The cholesterol, fiber, and fatty acid profiles of the diets were equalized. All food and drink were provided, and body weight was maintained throughout the study. Results: No significant differences in blood pressure, vascular endothelial function, or total cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerol, apolipoprotein B, or C-reactive protein concentrations were observed between the diets. Consumption of the soymilk diet resulted in a modest decrease (4%) in LDL-cholesterol concentrations compared with the animal-protein and soyflour diets (P < 0.05) and higher HDL-cholesterol (1%) and apolipoprotein A-I (2%) concentrations compared with the soybean and soyflour diets (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The results suggest that the consumption of differently processed soy-based products and different types of protein (animal and soy) has little clinical effect on cardiovascular disease risk factors, including peripheral endothelial function, when other major dietary variables are held constant.
Kinetic analysis of the hydrodynamic transition accompanying protein folding using size exclusion chromatography. 2. Comparison of spectral and chromatographic kinetic analyses

The kinetics of the hydrodynamic volume change associated with the unfolding and refolding of a globular protein can be observed using high performance size exclusion chromatography. Chromatographic profiles that evidence such dynamics can be simulated using equations in which Chromatographic partitioning and the conformational transition are described in terms of a finite difference algorithm incorporating an apparent binding model to generate broad and asymmetric peaks. Application of these equations to the simple two-state unfolding transition of ribonuclease A in guanidine hydrochloride indicates that reliable kinetic parameters can be obtained using these equations. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Effects of polar ice on the Earth's rotation and gravitational potential

The contributions of the Antarctic and the Greenland ice sheets to the earth's gravity, displacement, and rotation are estimated using gridded values of the net surface accumulation rates in the ice sheets of these two regions. It is found that the contributions to the low-order zonal harmonic coefficients of the earth's gravitational potential from Antarctica are between 2 and 10 times larger than the uncertainties of the zonal harmonics derived from satellite solutions; for Greenland, the coefficients are within an order of magnitude of the uncertainties of the satellite solutions. Polar contributions to the displacement of the center of mass of the solid earth, as seen in the frame of reference of satellites tracked from the earth surface, range from less than 1 mm to 1.5 cm over a 60-yr period.
Honeggeriella complexa gen. et sp. nov., a heteromerous lichen from the Lower Cretaceous of Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada).

Premise of the study Colonists of even the most inhospitable environments, lichens are present in all terrestrial ecosystems. Because of their ecological versatility and ubiquity, they have been considered excellent candidates for early colonizers of terrestrial environments. Despite such predictions, good preservation potential, and the extant diversity of lichenized fungi, the fossil record of lichen associations is sparse. Unequivocal lichen fossils are rare due, in part, to difficulties in ascertaining the presence of both symbionts and in characterizing their interactions. This study describes an exceptionally well-preserved heteromerous lichen from the Lower Cretaceous of Vancouver Island. Methods The fossil occurs in a marine carbonate concretion collected from the Apple Bay locality on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and was prepared for light microscopy and SEM using the cellulose acetate peel technique. Key results The lichen, Honeggeriella complexa gen. et sp. nov., is formed by an ascomycete mycobiont and a chlorophyte photobiont, and exhibits heteromerous thallus organization. This is paired with a mycobiont-photobiont interface characterized by intracellular haustoria, previously not documented in the fossil record. Conclusions Honeggeriella adds a lichen component to one of the richest and best characterized Early Cretaceous floras and provides a significant addition to the sparse fossil record of lichens. As a heteromerous chlorolichen, it bridges the >350 million-year gap between previously documented Early Devonian and Eocene occurrences.
‘A People with Our Own Identity’: Toward a Cultural Politics of Development in Ecuadorian Amazonia

In this paper I examine the cultural politics of international development among Ecuadorian indigenous federations. Many critiques, focused on the national or international scale, have portrayed development as monolithic, homogenizing, and depoliticized. However, when specific practices and discourses of development are examined, particularly among locally based rural peoples' organizations, it becomes clear that development is a diverse process, and its meaning is highly contested. I argue that, for Ecuadorian indigenous organizations, international development provides an idiom for negotiating civil and resource rights. This process is demonstrated through an institutional ethnography of an indigenous federation in the Ecuadorian Amazon, which highlights the ways that the federation uses the discourses of nationalist development and environmentalism in order to contest official understandings of citizenship and the nation.
Work in progress - the WSU model for engineering mathematics education

This paper summarizes progress to date on the WSU model for engineering mathematics education, an NSF funded curriculum reform initiative at Wright State University. The WSU model seeks to increase student retention, motivation and success in engineering through application-driven, just-in-time engineering math instruction. The WSU approach involves the development of a novel freshman-level engineering mathematics course EGR 101, as well as a large-scale restructuring of the engineering curriculum. By removing traditional math prerequisites and moving core engineering courses earlier in the program, the WSU model shifts the traditional emphasis on math prerequisite requirements to an emphasis on engineering motivation for math, with a just-in-time structuring of the new math sequence. This paper summarizes the development to date of the WSU model for engineering mathematics education, including a preliminary assessment of student performance and perception during the initial implementation of EGR 101. In addition, an assessment of first-year retention results is anticipated in time for the conference
The Effect of Household Appliances on Female Labor Force Participation: Evidence from Micro Data

We estimate the effect of household appliance ownership on the labor force participation rate of married women using micro-level data from the 1960 and 1970 U.S. Censuses. In order to identify the causal effect of home appliance ownership on married women’s labor force participation rates, our empirical strategy exploits both time-series and cross-sectional variation in these two variables. To control for endogeneity, we instrument a married woman’s ownership of an appliance by the average ownership rate for that appliance among single women living in the same U.S. state. Single women’s labor force participation rates did not increase between 1960 and 1970. We find evidence in support of the hypothesis that the diffusion of household appliances contributed to the increase in married women’s labor force participation rates during the 1960’s.
Evolutionary significance of cranial variation in Asian Homo erectus.

Homo erectus inhabited a wide geographic area of Asia, ranging from 40 degrees north latitude in China to 8 degrees south latitude in island Southeast Asia. Yet variation within Asian H. erectus and its relation to ecological and temporal parameters have been little studied. I synthesize the revised radiometric chronologies for hominid sites in Asia and their relation to new oxygen isotope curves (proxies for climatic fluctuations and landbridge connections). These data suggest substantial opportunities in the later Pleistocene for both regional isolation and gene flow between hominids in mainland and Southeast Asia. They also suggest that the most northerly located Chinese sites (Zhoukoudian and Nanjing) may have been occupied during sequential, interglacial periods. Probably reflecting these periods of isolation, nonmetric features and principal components analysis (PCA) of calvarial shape suggest regional differentiation between northern Asian and Southeast Asian H. erectus. The most recent Southeast Asian fossils (e.g., Ngandong) conform to the Southeast Asian pattern. Except perhaps in brain size, there is no evidence that the temporally intermediate Chinese fossils are intermediate in morphology between older and younger Indonesian fossils. In fact, northern Chinese calvaria are easier to exclude from the larger Asian H. erectus hypodigm than are the Ngandong fossils. The Chinese specimens differ from the others based on their narrower occipitals and frontals for their cranial size. The Chinese sample from Zhoukoudian alone is thus not a good proxy for the morphology and variation seen within Asian H. erectus. Both the Chinese and late Indonesian samples exhibit less variation than does the early Indonesian sample; this along with their shared morphological bauplan suggests a common origin and no more than subspecific differentiation. This shared morphology, despite regional differences, was likely maintained by the increasing intensity of multiple glaciations (and longer-lasting land bridge connections) between mainland and island Southeast Asia during the last million years.
Review: β blockers increase fatigue and sexual dysfunction but not depression after myocardial infarction

We disagree with Dr Swann that a nocebo effect and a variation in event rates in the studies invalidate the results of our study.1 Firstly, we disagree that a prominent apparent nocebo effect biases toward underdetection of side effects in placebo controlled trials. The nocebo phenomenon refers to symptoms, physiological changes, or both that follow administration of a placebo that the patients believe to be an active drug.2 Since patients enrolled in placebo controlled trials are unaware of the medication they receive, the nocebo effect should be equally exerted in both treatment groups. In fact, the nocebo effect furnishes a justification for including placebos in clinical trials because it permits a more accurate appraisal of the side effect profile of the active medication. Without such a …
Characteristics of individuals not visiting their primary care provider

The observational study by Rosen and colleagues described the proportion and characteristics of individuals who do not visit their primary care physician regularly. Overall, they identify a very low rate of non-attendance, high rates of visit frequency, and describe predictors of non-attendance. In this study of 421,012 individuals, only 6,217 (or, 1.5% of the study population) did not visit their primary care physician over the four-year study period. Multivariate analysis showed that the strongest predictors of non-attendance were being male, being a new immigrant, and the presence of fewer chronic diseases. This study raises important questions about why patients seem to be so engaged with primary care in Israel, whether this engagement explains part of the Israeli health system’s success, and ways to best structure primary care services in the future.
The Filipino Labor Union: The Salinas Lettuce Strike of 1934

(1978). The Filipino Labor Union: The Salinas Lettuce Strike of 1934. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 1-21.
A Molecular Picture for the Thermo-Reversibility of Gels Formed by Isophthalic Acid-Ended Telechelic Polymers

We demonstrate that isophthalic acid-ended telechelic poly(1,5-cyclooctadiene)s (A-PCODs) form thermo-reversible gels in non-polar solvent with a unique molecular mechanism for their thermo-reversibility. Like other associative telechelic polymers, A-PCODs form “flower-like” micelles at low concentration and form gels through bridging at higher concentration which exhibit linear viscoelasticity. However, unlike the widely studied hydrophobically end-capped PEOs, A-PCODs show clear thermo-reversibility in viscosity and dynamic modulus around 30 °C due to the hydrogen-bonding end groups. In addition, they differ from other reported thermo-reversible gelators (eg. Pluronics, PNIPAm containing block copolymers, etc.): neither the end group nor the backbone in the present system has a critical solution temperature within the measured temperature range (0 °C to 60 °C), indicating that the present system has a unique mechanism for its thermo-reversibility. To obtain a molecular picture of the mechanism, rheology and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) studies were implemented. Topological changes above the transition temperature (30 °C) were observed in both oscillatory rheology and SANS. SANS reveals that the size of clusters, which are formed by interacting micelles, depends highly on temperature (T) but independent of polymer concentration. These results cannot be explained by current theories on associative telechelic polymers which assume constant and large aggregation number of end groups at all temperatures and concentrations. We hypothesize that the temperature-sensitive sol-gel transition is due to a decrease in aggregation number for T above the critical temperature in our system, and this temperature-dependence of aggregation number is further determined by the chemical structure and hydrogen-bonding property of isophthalic acid ends.
SWEETs, transporters for intracellular and intercellular sugar translocation

Three families of transporters have been identified as key players in intercellular transport of sugars: MSTs (monosaccharide transporters), SUTs (sucrose transporters) and SWEETs (hexose and sucrose transporters). MSTs and SUTs fall into the major facilitator superfamily; SWEETs constitute a structurally different class of transporters with only seven transmembrane spanning domains. The predicted topology of SWEETs is supported by crystal structures of bacterial homologs (SemiSWEETs). On average, angiosperm genomes contain ∼20 paralogs, most of which serve distinct physiological roles. In Arabidopsis, AtSWEET8 and 13 feed the pollen; SWEET11 and 12 provide sucrose to the SUTs for phloem loading; AtSWEET11, 12 and 15 have distinct roles in seed filling; AtSWEET16 and 17 are vacuolar hexose transporters; and SWEET9 is essential for nectar secretion. The remaining family members await characterization, and could play roles in the gametophyte as well as other important roles in sugar transport in the plant. In rice and cassava, and possibly other systems, sucrose transporting SWEETs play central roles in pathogen resistance. Notably, the human genome also contains a glucose transporting isoform. Further analysis promises new insights into mechanism and regulation of assimilate allocation and a new potential for increasing crop yield.
Free Vibrations of Hyperboloidal Shells of Revolution

A bending theory of shells is used to determine natural frequencies and mode shapes of a hyperboloid of one sheet. Since these shells are commonly used for cooling towers, the character of the free vibration is of interest. The problem is formulated for a general shell of revolution of which the hyperboloid is considered as a special case. A generalization of the Holzer method is used to solve the eigenvalue problem, and the governing differential equations are integrated numerically with the aid of a technique for suppressing rapidly growing solutions.
Suicides in LOS Angeles County in relation to the Northridge earthquake.

INTRODUCTION: Recently, there has been speculation that suicide rates increase after a disaster. Yet, in spite of anecdotal reports, it is difficult to demonstrate a systematic relationship between suicide and disaster. Suicides are fairly rare events, and single disasters rarely have covered geographic areas with large enough populations to be able to find statistically significant differences in such relatively rare events (annual suicide rates in the United States average 12/100,000 population). HYPOTHESIS: Suicide rates increased in the three calendar years (1994-1996) following the Northridge earthquake as compared to the three calendar years (1991-1993) prior to the earthquake. Likewise the suicide rates for 1993 are compared with the rates in 1994. By looking at the suicide rates in a three-year period after the earthquake, the additional disasters that befell Southern California in 1995 and 1996 may have had an additive effect on psychological disorders and suicide rates that can be measured. METHODS: Data on suicide mortality were compiled for the years from 1989 through 1996. Differences in rates for 1993 compared with 1994 and for three-year periods before and after the earthquake (1991-1993 vs. 1994 -1996) were analyzed using a z-statistic. RESULTS: There is a statistically significant difference in the rates for the years prior to the earthquake (1991-1993) when pooled and compared to the suicide rates for the years after the earthquake (1994-1996). The rates of suicide are lower in the three years following the earthquake (11.85 vs. 13.12/100,000 population) than they are in the three years prior to the earthquake (z = -3.85, p
Electrohydrodynamic processing of p-type transparent conducting oxides

Electrohydrodynamic processing is capable of synthesizing various materials in the form of porous/dense thin films, nanofibers, nanorods, nanobelts, and ribbons, which is highly favorable for functional oxides. The tailored microstructures and properties derived from electrohydrodynamic forming also give rise to new research interests on some classical oxides, such as transparent conducting oxides (TCOs). Here a case of feasible electrospray synthesis of classical ZnO is demonstrated with tailored p-type conductivity. Another p-type TCO, CuAlO2, was prepared by both electrospray and electrospinning methods and the processing-derived electrical and optical properties are demonstrated. The last part of the paper discusses some emerging applications especially for CuAlO2 as potential nanobuilding blocks enabled by electrohydrodynamic processing.
Regulation of ET-1 biosynthesis in cerebral microvascular endothelial cells by vasoactive agents and PKC.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is the most potent vasoconstrictor agent known. ET-1 is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid following hemorrhage and brain injury and can compromise cerebral microvascular homeo...
Teaching Critical Thinking without (Much) Writing: Multiple-Choice and Metacognition.

In this essay, I explore an exam format that pairs multiple-choice questions with required rationales. In a space adjacent to each multiple-choice question, students explain why or how they arrived at the answer they selected. This exercise builds the critical thinking skill known as metacognition, thinking about thinking, into an exam that also engages students in the methods of the academic study of religion by asking them to compare familiar excerpts and images. As a form of assessment, the exam provides a record of students' knowledge and their thought processes, and as a learning strategy, it encourages students to examine the thought processes they use to understand religion(s) and its many manifestations.
Dangling-End Double Networks: Tapping Hidden Toughness in Highly Swollen Thermoplastic Elastomer Hydrogels

This report introduces a unique method of significantly improving toughness in highly swollen block copolymer-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) hydrogels by converting an intrinsically large population of dangling chain ends into a mechanically active second network. In one form, the TPE hydrogels developed by our group are based on swelling of a vitrified melt-blend of two amphiphilic block copolymer species, sphere-forming polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide) (SO-H) diblock and triblock (SOS) copolymers. Here, the PEO midblock in the SOS triblock copolymer serves to tether adjacent PS spherical aggregates, producing hydrogel networks that are incredibly elastic and mechanically robust, preserving their shape even at the very high intrinsic swelling ratios produced at low SOS concentrations (e.g, 37 g of H2O/(g of polymer) at 3.3 mol % SOS). In this report, we advance the utility of this framework by exploiting the hundreds of dangling PEO chain ends per spherical aggregate to form a second, mechanically a...
CHARACTERISTICS AND OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS WITH AORTIC STENOSIS: A CONTEMPORARY APPRAISAL

We sought to determine characteristics and predictors of outcomes in a contemporary group of aortic stenosis (AS) patients. We studied 1983 AS patients with aortic valve area (AVA) < 1.3 cm2 evaluated between 1/07-12/08 (excluding severe other valve disease). Clinical & echo data was recorded.
New models of Tetrahymena telomerase RNA from experimentally derived constraints and modeling.

The telomerase ribonucleoprotein complex ensures complete replication of eukaryotic chromosomes. Telomerase RNA (TER) provides the template for replicating the G-rich strand of telomeric DNA, provides an anchor site for telomerase-associated proteins, and participates in catalysis through several incompletely characterized mechanisms. A major impediment toward understanding its nontemplating roles is the absence of high content structural information for TER within the telomerase complex. Here, we used selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE) to examine the structure of Tetrahymena TER free in solution and bound to tTERT in the minimal telomerase RNP. We discovered a striking difference in the two conformations and established direct evidence for base triples in the tTER pseudoknot. We then used SHAPE data, previously published FRET data, and biochemical inference to model the structure of tTER using discrete molecular dynamics simulations. The resulting tTER structure was dock...
From mud to microbial electrode catalysts and conductive nanomaterials

Dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria (DMRB) are a fascinating group of microorganisms that inhabit many natural environments. They possess a distinct capability wherein they can acquire energy by coupling oxidation of organic matter with reduction of insoluble oxidants such as mineral deposits. This capability requires that DMRB transfer respired electrons to their outer surface where electron transfer can occur to an insoluble oxidant. This is distinct from the dominant paradigm, wherein soluble oxidants are transported into microbes for reduction during metabolism. This unique extracellular electron transfer (EET) capability of DMRB extends to reduction of electrodes on which they can proliferate and form persistent films (biofilms). This capability makes DMRB useful as anode catalysts in microbial fuel cells for alternative energy generation and for degradation of organic wastes. In the case of Geobacter spp., anode biofilms can grow to be many microbes thick. In such biofilms, individual microbes contribute to a flux of electrons to the underlying electrode surface, which may be many cell lengths away, confounding long-held notions about the inability of microbes to engage in such long-range EET. This article describes the electrode-reducing ability of DMRB and the latest results describing the mechanism of long-range extracellular electron transfer, which appears to involve filamentous appendages termed nanowires.
Assessing content validity and user perspectives on the Team Check-up Tool: expert survey and user focus groups

Objective This study assesses content validity and user feedback on the Team Check-up Tool (TCT), an instrument used for measuring dynamic context of quality improvement (QI) teams and their implementation of QI activities. Methods We conducted two focus groups and one larger feedback session with TCT users to assess feasibility, importance of areas of inquiry and barriers to use. A panel of eight QI experts evaluated the item-by-item content (content validity) of TCT by rating the relevance of each item to implementation success. We calculated item-level and scale-level content validity using the content validity index (CVI). Results Scale-level CVI was 0.872. Highly rated items included implementation of recommended interventions, educational activities, team review of performance data, team sharing of performance data with staff and specific barriers to progress. Four items were rated relatively low: presentation of performance data to the hospital/health system board; manner of provision of feedback of data to staff; to what other units the team attempted to spread and turnover of QI team members. Items identified in user focus groups as important included whether there were events distracting staff from the initiative, number of team meetings and turnover of QI team members. Focus groups also identified barriers to the completion of the tool, including lack of feedback and response fatigue during stable activity periods. Conclusion The findings support the conclusion that the TCT measures meaningful areas of context and implementation in team-based QI initiatives, particularly intervention activity tracking, review and sharing of performance data and team progress barriers. We offer a modified instrument with a framework for real-time measurement of important elements of implementation and context of QI teams based on the findings.
Advances on Heterosis Prediction by Genetic Distance Based on Molecular Markers in Rice

This paper reviewed the advances on heterosis prediction of rice,and expounded the status of heterosis prediction using genetic distance based on molecular markers.Moreover,the problems in rice heterosis prediction were discussed,and the corresponding tactics were put forward in the paper.
The Research of Banking Financial Assets Quality’s Regional Differences in China

China's financial assets have changed since the reform and opening up.The amount of financial assets has expand rapidly,the financial assets’regional differences have also been expanding.This article analyzes the quality of financial assets of China's commercial banks from the different regions and draws the quality of financial assets are a lot different in different regional,as well as its reasons.It proves that the level of economic development has a certain influence to the quality of financial assets,but are not the only factor to decide the quality of financial assets.The factors to decide the quality of financial assets are complicated.
Human Colon Cancers Recognize N-Carboxymethyl Gastrin by a Non-CCK1, Non-CCK2 Receptor

N-Carboxymethyl gastrin (G17Gly), which is gastrin (G17) with C-terminal GlyOH in place of the a amide, is a gastrin precursor and is formed by specific post-translational modifications of gastrin precursor peptide G34. G17Gly is the predominant gastrin gene product in human colonic carcinomas [1] and it has been shown to have rnito-genic effect on such cancers [2]. While it has been claimed that G17Gly exerts its effect on human colonic cancers through the CCK2 receptor, this receptor could not be detected on many human colon cancers [3]. Several groups reported the existence of a non-CCK1, non-CCK2 receptor in several cell lines and it has been suggested that this receptor mediates the effect of G17Gly. Seva and coworkers [4] reported that the rat CCK2 receptor binds G17 but not the precursor. In our laboratory, by contrast, G17Gly was found to bind to stably expressed human CCK2 receptor in CHO-K1 cells. Variants of gastrin/CCK receptors have also been found in several colonic cancer cell lines and shown to bind to G17 as well as G17Gly [5]. Hence, the presence of G17Gly receptor in human colonic cancer cell lines remains a controversial issue. In this study, the interaction of G17Gly with cell membranes prepared from human colonic cancer cell lines, HT-29 and DLD-1, by comparison with CHO-K1 cells expressing the human CCK2 receptor, was investigated by competitive binding studies using [3H]G17Gly, [3H]G(11–17)Gly, and [3H-propionyl]CCK-8.
Factors Associated with Aggressive Care and Mortality of Pediatric Stroke

Researchers at University of Utah, Salt Lake City, performed a retrospective study of 10,236 children hospitalized and discharged with a diagnosis of hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke in the USA during years 2000 and 2003.
Using Sociometers to Advance Small Group Research

New technologies transform research specialties and potentiate new fields. Sociometers—wearable electronic sensors collecting quantitative, dynamic data about embodied social interactions at hyperf...
Increased frequency of pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone administration selectively decreases follicle-stimulating hormone levels in men with idiopathic azoospermia

Men with idiopathic azoo-oligospermia and selective elevations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels have evidence for decreased luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) pulse frequency. We assessed whether increasing the frequency of pulsatile LH-RH stimulation can lower FSH levels in such men. We administered 5.0 μg of pulsatile LH-RH subcutaneously at intervals of 30, 60, and 120 minutes for 1 week to four men who had azoospermia, elevated FSH levels, and normal LH and testosterone (T) levels. The order of administration was varied among subjects. Frequent blood samples were obtained for 6 hours before LH-RH treatment and during the last 6 hours of each regimen. Before LH-RH treatment, the FSH levels (mean ± standard error of the mean) were 359 ± 18 ng/ml (normal range, 30 to 230 ng/ml). During LH-RH treatment, FSH levels progressively declined from 397 ± 68 ng/ml to 237 ± 70 ng/ml to 175 ± 43 ng/ml as the frequency of administration increased from every 120 to 60 to 30 minutes, respectively ( P
Note on Sum-of-The-Parts Valuation

Most large companies operate in more than one business. Valuing a diversified company requires separate valuations for each of its businesses and for the corporate headquarters. This method of valuing a company by parts and then adding them up is known as Sum-Of-The-Parts (SOTP) valuation and is commonly used in practice by stock market analysts and companies themselves. However, it is rarely taught in MBA programs or broached in valuation textbooks. Yet the application of the method raises a number of challenges.
FIF-IoT: A Forensic Investigation Framework for IoT Using a Public Digital Ledger

The increased deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) devices will make them targets for attacks. IoT devices can also be used as tools for committing crimes. In this regard, we propose FIF-IoT – a forensic investigation framework using a public digital ledger to find facts in criminal incidents in IoT-based systems. FIF-IoT collects interactions that take place among various IoT entities (clouds, users, and IoT devices) as evidence and store them securely as transactions in a public, distributed and decentralized blockchain network which is similar to the Bitcoin network. Hence, FIF-IoT eliminates a single entity's control over the evidence storage, avoids single-point-offailure on the storage media, and ensures high availability of evidence. FIF-IoT presents a framework that ensures integrity, confidentiality, anonymity, and non-repudiation of the evidence stored in the public digital ledger. Furthermore, FIF-IoT provides a mechanism to acquire evidence from the ledger and to verify the integrity of the obtained evidence. We present a case study of a forensic investigation to demonstrate that FIF-IoT is secure against evidence tampering. We also implement a prototype to evaluate the performance of FIF-IoT.
An Examination and Analysis of Technologies Employed by Accounting Educators

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current state of accounting education in terms of the technology being employed by professors in accounting courses. We address the following two interrelated research questions: (1) what technologies are accounting educators using in the classroom, and (2) what technologies and related software and databases are accounting educators requiring their students to use in and outside of the classroom? We used a survey-based cross-sectional field research design to gather information from accounting educators related to the above research questions. We find that, in general, todayâ€™s accounting students are obtaining valuable experience with a wide array of IT tools â€“ both hardware and software â€“ in their accounting courses. However, we also note some areas in which better use of technology could be made and provide recommendations for the community of accounting educators to consider. Finally, our studyâ€™s results provide a baseline representation of the current use of technology in accounting education programs. Such a baseline should prove valuable to future researchers studying trends in the use of technological tools in accounting education.
Dogs using touchscreens in the home: a case study for assistance dogs operating emergency notification systems

Medical alert dogs can save lives by alerting their human partners of impending seizures, diabetic crises, the presence of allergens, and other medical emergencies. Recent research has shown that dogs can also alert emergency services or family members through body-worn sensors. In the home, however, service dogs do not typically wear their service dog vests. In this study we show that dogs can be trained to operate touchscreens mounted in the home to alert in emergencies. We performed a home-based field study, training three medical alert dogs to perform a specific pattern of interactions with virtual objects randomly throughout the day on a cue. We showed that it is feasible for a dog to understand the task of locating the touchscreen from anywhere in the home and performing the alert interaction. We also report our training methods and challenges in creating fluency for the touchscreen alert interaction skill.
MADD silencing enhances anti-tumor activity of TRAIL in anaplastic thyroid cancer

ATC is an aggressive disease with limited therapeutic options due to drug resistance. TRAIL is an attractive anti-cancer therapy that can trigger apoptosis in a cancer cell-selective manner. However, TRAIL resistance is a major clinical obstacle for its use as a therapeutic drug. Previously, we demonstrated that MADD is a cancer cell pro-survival factor that can modulate TRAIL resistance. However, its role, if any, in overcoming TRAIL resistance in ATC is unknown. First, we characterized ATC cell lines as either TRAIL resistant, TRAIL sensitive or moderately TRAIL sensitive and evaluated MADD expression/cellular localization. We determined the effect of MADD siRNA on cellular growth and investigated its effect on TRAIL treatment. We assessed the effect of combination treatment (MADD siRNA and TRAIL) on mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. The effect of combination treatment on tumor growth was assessed in vivo. We found increased levels of MADD in ATC cells relative to Nthy-ori 3-1. MADD protein localizes in the cytosol (endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi body) and membrane. MADD knockdown resulted in spontaneous cell death that was synergistically enhanced when combined with TRAIL treatment in otherwise resistant ATC cells. Combination treatment resulted in a significant reduction in MMP and enhanced generation of ROS indicating the putative mechanism of action. In an orthotopic mouse model of TRAIL-resistant ATC, treatment with MADD siRNA alone reduced tumor growth that, when combined with TRAIL, resulted in significant tumor regressions. We demonstrated the potential clinical utility of MADD knockdown in sensitizing cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis in ATC.
Biomechanical Evaluation of Dual Plate Configurations for Femoral Shaft Fracture Fixation

Aim. This study aimed at comparing the mechanical properties of conventional and locking dual plates in adjacent and orthogonal orientations for the surgical fixation of transverse femoral shaft fractures. It also assessed the failure mechanics after dual adjacent and orthogonal locking plate removal. Methods. Thirty-two composite femurs were transversally osteotomized and randomly assigned for fixation with either dual locking or compression plates in an adjacent or orthogonal configuration. Sixteen specimens were preloaded axially to 20 N and single-leg stance loads were simulated. The remaining sixteen constructs were subjected to torsional loads of 10 Nm at a rate of 10 Nm/s in external and internal rotation of the femoral head in relation to the knee. Overall combined rotational stiffness was calculated. Eight different specimens with no osteotomy underwent the same experiments after dual locked plate removal and were tested to failure in combined eccentric axial and torsional modes. Data were statistically processed using a two-tailed t-test and one-way analysis of variance for the comparison of means between two or more groups, respectively. Results. Orthogonal constructs were statistically stiffer in axial loading compared to their adjacent counterparts in both conventional and locking configurations (p 0.05). Conclusions. In both orthogonal and adjacent orientations, double locking plates provide higher stability than their dual conventional counterparts. Orthogonal dual plate configuration is more stable and biomechanically superior to dual adjacent plating for constructs fixed with either standard compression or locking plates.
A MULTI-PURPOSE BENCHMARK FOR PHOTOGRAMMETRIC URBAN 3D RECONSTRUCTION IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT

Abstract. This paper presents a novel multi-purpose benchmark for assessing the performance of the entire image-based pipeline for 3D urban reconstruction and 3D data classification. The proposed benchmark is called “3DOMcity” photogrammetric contest and is publicly available at https://3dom.fbk.eu/3domcity-benchmark. Compared to previous benchmark initiatives, the innovative aspects introduced by 3DOMcity are threefold. First, it covers the entire 3D reconstruction pipeline, including image orientation, dense image matching, point cloud classification and 3D building reconstruction. Second, the performance assessment is performed within a metrological context. Finally, the provided datasets offer 2D and 3D data collected at a very high spatial resolution. Furthermore, the benchmark is multi-purpose since it involves a multiplicity of tasks, that can be either performed independently from each other’s, or grouped together. The contributions of this paper are (i) the presentation of the novel benchmark dataset and corresponding reference data, (ii) the description of the multi-purpose benchmark tasks and evaluation procedures, and (iii) the discussion of first results of image orientation, dense image matching and classification.
An economic analysis of different treatments for bleeding in patients with acquired haemophilia

BACKGROUND Acquired haemophilia A (AHA), with potentially high risk of morbidity and mortality, occurs as a result of inhibitors against factor VIII. Bleeding due to AHA can be treated with activated prothrombin complex concentrate (aPCC), recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) or recently, recombinant porcine-sequence factor VIII (rpFVIII). We extended our previous cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) comparing rpFVIII against the available traditional options. METHODS For high-titred, haemorrhaging AHA patients treated with either aPCC, rFVIIa or rpFVIII, over the course of 6-days, a Markov simulation was conducted to evaluate the outcomes when these patients transitioned into any of the four following health states: (1) continuous bleeding, (2) thrombosis, (3) stop bleeding and (4) death, with states (2), (3) and (4) modelled as absorbing states. All model parameters were obtained from the medical literature, except the costs of aPCC, rFVIIa and the factor VIII assay, which came from our institutional data. RESULTS Excluding the cost of the initial treatment on day 0, the total subsequent treatment cost of rFVIIa was substantially more than the costs of aPCC and rpFVIII ($13 925 vs. $1778 vs. $6957, respectively). The average quality-adjusted life days (QALDs) gained from rpFVIII was lowest (4·89 vs. 4·9 for rFVIIa and 4·91 for aPCC). Overall, aPCC dominated the other two treatments. The model was determined to be robust across the tested ranges for all input variables. CONCLUSION Based on this economic model, for AHA patients with high titres who were bleeding, aPCC was the most cost-effective treatment option and may be considered for use if there is no clinical contraindication.
STEM at Stead: Catapults

STEM at Stead consists of three experiment kits aimed at assisting patients in the Stead Family Children’s Hospital with science, engineering, and math education. These experiment kits and discussion materials were created to help fill the gap of information patients were experiencing during their stay at the hospital and consequently their absence from school. The three experiments include building a catapult, creating a bouncy ball, and discovering effective handwashing techniques. The pictures listed with this post show examples from the experiments. The experiments are split into three different levels: beginner, practiced, and advanced scientists. These materials can be found in the interactive power point attached to this document. The experiments were first trialed in the Child/ Adolescent Psychiatry Unit before being introduced to the rest of the units in the children’s hospital. The kits and discussion materials are now available for all pediatric patients (and siblings of patients) inside UIHC. The kits were developed so the teachers within UIHC could run them independently and the hope is for the kits to stay in the units for the years to come.
Reconstruction of Complex Cranial and Orbit Fractures with Associated Hemorrhages: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

We present our experience following a unique case of coincident intracranial hemorrhage and comminuted fractures of both the squamous temporal bone and zygomaticofrontal orbit. Surgical techniques and outcome for this presentation have yet to be sufficiently described. A 55-year-old male presented following trauma with Glasgow Coma Scale score of 7. Radiographic evaluation revealed comminuted fractures of the squamous temporal bone with extension into the lateral orbit, along with zygomatic process fracture extending 2.5 cm medially into the orbital roof. Zygomaticofrontal orbital roof fragments reached superiorly into the middle cranial fossa and inferiorly into the orbit. Surgical intervention was deemed necessary to address underlying epidural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, correction of cranial bone defects, and decompression of the optic nerve and other intraorbital nerves. A frontotemporal approach was employed. Repair of temporal and orbital fractures was accomplished using a combination of wire mesh screws and titanium miniplates. Postoperative imaging demonstrated bony approximation and successful evacuation of traumatic hemorrhage. The patient remains functionally and neurologically intact apart from a sluggishly responsive left eye presumed to result from a left optic nerve or ciliary ganglion lesion. Although rapid reconstruction of complex cranial-orbital trauma and hematoma evacuation can permit acceptable gross functional neurological outcome following massive trauma, orbital fracture and subsequent hemorrhagic processes may be the nidus of neurological sequelae in this complex traumatic constellation. Thus, alterations in surgical approach and reconstruction are appropriate in order to maximize neurological function while supporting restoration of cosmetic space.