cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The 2012 NASA ~532,200 m 3 Super Pressure Balloon Test Flight

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Balloon Program Office recently completed a successful test flight of a large pumpkin shaped Super Pressure Balloon. This flight represents another incremental step toward offering the capability of extended duration stratospheric flights of large science instruments at mid latitudes with the goal of lifting a ton of science to greater than 33 km on a balloon that will fly at a near constant pressure altitude for extended periods. A ~532,200 m3 (18.8-MCF) pumpkin shaped Super Pressure Balloon test flight was launched from the Swedish Space Corporation’s Esrange Balloon Launch Facilities near Kiruna, Sweden on 14 August, 2012. This first test flight of a vehicle this size was a deployment verification test of this vehicle with a test flight gondola configured specifically for this mission. The goals of this test flight were to verify the balloon design through demonstration of balloon deployment and subsequent pressurization of the structure. The balloon ascent was just as predicted and performed flawlessly for the duration of the flight. The balloon fully deployed at a very low differential pressure of ~15 Pa, which was an outstanding demonstration of the design. The flight reached a float altitude of ~34 km (111,600 ft, GPS) with a suspended load of ~2,270 kg (~5,000 lbs). The total flight time was 6 hours 27 minutes. Ballast was dropped in increments to increase the differential pressure of the structure to explore the structures strength. All ballast on board was dropped resulting in a maximum pressure differential of ~160 Pa, or approximately 90% of the maximum design value. The balloon remained stable throughout the flight and maintained pressure during the entire flight. The flight was terminated by command in an area conducive to recovery. This flight was another success for this development program. The Super Pressure Balloon development project approach has focused on incremental steps up in balloon volume and payload carrying capability. This test flight successfully demonstrated balloon vehicle performance, obtained a large amount of video, measured differential pressure at the base of the balloon, measured the tension in a select number of tendons, obtained temperature and altitude data, and demonstrated the balloon vehicles altitude stability.
Sex differences in the contexts of extreme jealousy

Research on sex differences in jealousy using continuous measures sometimes reveals that women report more intense jealousy than men in response to both sexual and emotional infidelity. Two studies tested whether these findings might have stemmed from sex differences in the interpretation of the upper anchor of the jealousy scales (e.g., ‘‘extremely jealous’’). In Study 1, women and men offered different types of exemplars when describing situations in which they felt extremely jealous. A significantly greater proportion of women than men reported feeling extreme jealousy in the context of romantic relationships. Additional results demonstrated that women and men confuse the terms ‘‘jealousy’’ and ‘‘envy,’’ although this confusion cannot account for the sex differences in the contexts of extreme jealousy. Study 2 demonstrated that the sex difference in the intensity of reported jealousy disappears if the upper anchor of the scale is modified to include specific contextual information (e.g., ‘‘as jealous as you could feel in a romantic relationship’’). Do women feel jealousy more intensely than men? According to Buss (1999), the weight of past evidence would suggest not: ‘‘Prior to studies by evolutionary psychologists, dozens of empirical studies explored the psychology of jealousy. The most common finding was that men and women do not differ in either the frequency or the magnitude of the jealousy they experience’’ (p. 325; see also Buunk & Hupka, 1987; White, 1981). Evolutionary psychologists did not dispute the equivalence of women and men’s overall experience of jealousy, but they theorized that the sexes would differ in the types of infidelity that would elicit greater jealousy. On the basis of the theory that male sexual jealousy evolved as an adaptive solution to the specter of paternal
A new top boundary condition for modeling surface diffusive exchange of a generic volatile tracer: theoretical analysis and application to soil evaporation

Abstract. We describe a new top boundary condition (TBC) for representing the air–soil diffusive exchange of a generic volatile tracer. This new TBC (1) accounts for the multi-phase flow of a generic tracer; (2) accounts for effects of soil temperature, pH, solubility, sorption, and desorption processes; (3) enables a smooth transition between wet and dry soil conditions; (4) is compatible with the conductance formulation for modeling air–water volatile tracer exchange; and (5) is applicable to site, regional, and global land models. Based on the new TBC, we developed new formulations for bare-soil resistance and corresponding soil evaporation efficiency. The new soil resistance is predicted as the reciprocal of the harmonic sum of two resistances: (1) gaseous and aqueous molecular diffusion and (2) liquid mass flow resulting from the hydraulic pressure gradient between the soil surface and center of the topsoil control volume. We compared the predicted soil evaporation efficiency with those from several field and laboratory soil evaporation measurements and found good agreement with the typically observed two-stage soil evaporation curves. Comparison with the soil evaporation efficiency equation of Lee and Pielke (1992; hereafter LP92) indicates that their equation can overestimate soil evaporation when the atmospheric resistance is low and underestimate soil evaporation when the soil is dry. Using a synthetic inversion experiment, we demonstrated that using inverted soil resistance data from field measurements to derive empirical soil resistance formulations resulted in large uncertainty because (1) the inverted soil resistance data are always severely impacted by measurement error and (2) the derived empirical equation is very sensitive to the number of data points and the assumed functional form of the resistance. We expect the application of our new TBC in land models will provide a consistent representation for the diffusive tracer exchange at the soil–air interface.
Sorafenib Inhibits STAT3 Activation to Enhance TRAIL-Mediated Apoptosis in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) is constitutively active in human pancreatic cancer cells and can promote cell growth and apoptosis resistance that contribute to tumorigenesis. We determined if sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, can induce apoptosis by targeting STAT3 signaling to enhance apoptosis induction by tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Human pancreatic cancer cell lines (PANC-1 and BxPC-3) were preincubated with sorafenib (Nexavar) alone or followed by TRAIL. Apoptosis was determined by Annexin V labeling, caspase cleavage, and Bax/Bak activation. Protein expression was analyzed by immunoblotting. Knockdown of STAT3, Mcl-1, and Bim were achieved by lentiviral small hairpin RNA. Adenoviral dominant-negative or retroviral constitutively active (CA) STAT3 were also used. Sorafenib inhibited constitutive STAT3 phosphorylation (Tyr(705)) and suppressed Mcl-1 and Bcl-x(L) proteins in a dose- and time-dependent manner. CA-STAT3 overexpression was shown to attenuate caspase-3 cleavage and suppression of Mcl-1 by sorafenib. STAT3 knockdown or a DN STAT3 was shown to downregulate Mcl-1 and Bcl-x(L) and to sensitize cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. Treatment with sorafenib enhanced TRAIL-induced Annexin V staining and release of mitochondrial cytochrome c and AIF. Because the BH3-only Bim protein is a potent inducer of mitochondrial apoptosis, Bim knockdown was shown to attenuate caspase-3, caspase-9 cleavage, and Bax/Bak activation by sorafenib plus TRAIL. The suppression of STAT3 by genetic means or using sorafenib was shown to downregulate Mcl-1 and Bcl-x(L) and to sensitize cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. These data indicate that targeting STAT3 may enhance treatment efficacy against pancreatic cancer.
Data Center Heat Monitoring Using Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper demonstrates a method for implementing wireless sensor networks to monitor temperatures within data centers. Previous methods for monitoring these temperatures are costly and difficult to modify once implemented. Multiple TelosB nodes were placed in strategic locations based on knowledge of basic heat flow in data centers, to collect temperature readings. It was possible to gather data matching the predictions of their placement, and detecting alarming trends in the data center's environment. The result is a portable, cost-effective, and energy efficient method for gathering precise temperature readings from data centers.
Inverted Immunodominance and Impaired Cytolytic Function of CD8+ T Cells During Viral Persistence in the Central Nervous System

Mice infected with the neurotropic JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus (JHMV) clear infectious virus; nevertheless, virus persists in the CNS as noninfectious RNA, resulting in ongoing primary demyelination. Phenotypic and functional analysis of CNS infiltrating cells during acute infection revealed a potent regional CD8+ T cell response comprising up to 50% virus-specific T cells. The high prevalence of virus-specific T cells correlated with ex vivo cytolytic activity and efficient reduction in viral titers. Progressive viral clearance coincided with the loss of cytolytic activity, but retention of IFN-γ secretion and increased expression of the early activation marker CD69, indicating differential regulation of effector function. Although the total number of infiltrating T cells declined following clearance of infectious virus, CD8+ T cells, both specific for the dominant viral epitopes and of unknown specificity, were retained within the CNS, suggesting an ongoing T cell response during persistent CNS infection involving a virus-independent component. Reversed immunodominance within the virus-specific CD8+ T cell population further indicated epitope-specific regulation, supporting ongoing T cell activation. Even in the absence of infectious virus, the CNS thus provides an environment that maintains both unspecific and Ag-specific CD8+ T cells with restricted effector function. Chronic T cell stimulation may thus play a role in preventing viral recrudescence, while increasing the risk of pathological conditions, such as demyelination.
Microbial community composition in sediments resists perturbation by nutrient enrichment

Functional redundancy in bacterial communities is expected to allow microbial assemblages to survive perturbation by allowing continuity in function despite compositional changes in communities. Recent evidence suggests, however, that microbial communities change both composition and function as a result of disturbance. We present evidence for a third response: resistance. We examined microbial community response to perturbation caused by nutrient enrichment in salt marsh sediments using deep pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA and functional gene microarrays targeting the nirS gene. Composition of the microbial community, as demonstrated by both genes, was unaffected by significant variations in external nutrient supply in our sampling locations, despite demonstrable and diverse nutrient-induced changes in many aspects of marsh ecology. The lack of response to external forcing demonstrates a remarkable uncoupling between microbial composition and ecosystem-level biogeochemical processes and suggests that sediment microbial communities are able to resist some forms of perturbation. The ISME Journal advance online publication, 17 March 2011; doi:10.1038/ismej.2011.22 Subject Category: microbial ecology and functional diversity of natural habitats
Response Properties of Whisker-Associated Trigeminothalamic Neurons in Rat Nucleus Principalis

Nucleus principalis (PrV) of the brain stem trigeminal complex mediates the processing and transfer of low-threshold mechanoreceptor input en route to the ventroposterior medial nucleus of the thal...
Pain-tolerance as a measure for assessing instructionally induced ego-involvement.

The use of ego-involvement in laboratory studies of attitudes necessitates the development of procedures designed to test whether or not involvement was successfully induced. In addition, such tests should be independent of predicted dependent variable effects. The present study reports the use of pain-tolerance measures to indicate the success of instructionally induced ego-involvement. As part of an investigation studying ego-involvement effects on psychophysical judgments, an Involvement condition (N = 36) and a Control group (N = 36) were given pre- and post-experimental assessments of pressure and cold-pressor pain-tolerance. The pre-experimental measures served as a baseline from which to compare changes in pain-tolerance following either ego-involving or standard instructions which were introduced in conjunction with a statement that connected pain-tolerance with participation in future experiments. Results reliably indicated that Ss in Involvement condition increase and Controls lower their pain-t...
Histone deacetylase inhibitors induce antigen specific anergy in lymphocytes: a comparative study.

Induction of immune tolerance to transplanted tissue continues to be a challenge for organ transplantation. In the present study, six widely used histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDAI), sodium butyrate (n-butyrate), Trichostatin A, Oxamflatin, Scriptaid, HDAC I and HDAC III, were examined for ability to induce antigen-specific immune anergy in cloned and naive murine CD4(+) T cells. When first compared for their ability to inhibit histone deacetylation Trichostatin A was found to be 10 times more potent than HDAC III, Oxamflatin and Scriptaid and 10(4) times more potent than n-butyrate. When we compared ability to inhibit CD4(+) T cell proliferation in response to IL-2 stimulation, Trichostatin A was the most potent with 100% inhibition using 100 nM Trichostatin A, while 1 muM of HDAC III, Oxamflatin and Scriptaid and 1 mM of n-butyrate were required for this effect. When the tolerogenic activity of Trichostatin A, Scriptaid and n-butyrate were compared using cloned Th1 cells specific for keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), all three HDAI were effective, but Trichostatin A was again the most potent. Finally, Trichostatin A (0.05 mM) was shown to induce anergy in OT-II ovalbumin-specific naive CD4(+) T-cells. We concluded that Trichostatin A was the most potent HDAI with regard to inhibition of histone deacetylation and the ability to induce antigen-specific anergy in both cloned and naive CD4(+) T cells. These results will guide future studies examining HDAIs for ability to induce clinical tolerance in organ transplantation.
Secondary Infections, Expanded Tissue Tropism, and Evidence for Malignant Potential in Immunocompromised Mice Infected with Mus musculus Papillomavirus 1 DNA and Virus

Papillomavirus disease poses a special challenge to people with compromised immune systems. Appropriate models to study infections in these individuals are lacking. We report here the development of a model that will help to address these deficiencies. The MmuPV1 genome was synthesized and used successfully to produce virus from DNA infections in immunocompromised mice. In these early studies, we have demonstrated both primary and secondary infections, expanded tissue tropism, and extensive dysplasia.
Unprovoked Aggression: Effects of Psychopathic Traits and Sadism

Psychopathic individuals engage in the most violent and cold-blooded acts of aggression. In the laboratory, psychopathy traits have been linked to the commission of unprovoked aggression. The purpose of this study was to assess affective motives that may underlie the relationship between psychopathy and unprovoked aggression. One hundred thirty-seven men viewed a series of photographs depicting violent imagery, completed a lexical decision task designed to assess state affect, and competed in a laboratory-based aggression paradigm. Results indicated that participants who responded faster to happiness words after viewing violent imagery (i.e., sadistic) were significantly more likely to engage in unprovoked aggression. Additionally, Factor 1 psychopathy (emotional detachment) predicted increased probability of unprovoked aggression; however, this relationship was not mediated by sadism. Rather, Factor 1 and sadism each independently predicted unprovoked aggression. The implications of the present data suggest that the type of violence evinced may inform the risk for perpetration of future acts. That is, the individual who demonstrates unprovoked violence may be more likely to employ aggressive tactics across situational contexts than the individual who demonstrates only impulsive acts of hostile/reactive aggression.
Early weaning does not accelerate the expression of nursing-related taste aversions.

Preweanling rat pups do not display an aversion to a flavor conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with illness if the CS is presented during the act of suckling. In contrast, 20-day-old pups do form such a conditioned taste aversion while suckling (Martin & Alberts, 1979). The dissolution of the nursing-related “blockade” of toxiphobia correlates with the onset of solid food intake. Moreover, prevention of weaning prolongs the blockade; ingestive experience with solid food is necessary for the expression of nursing-related taste aversions in 26-day-old “food naive” pups (Gubernick & Alberts, 1984). The present experiments tested the possibility that premature weaning to solid food might accelerate the onset of nursing-related toxiphobia. Pups were weaned at 13 days of age and ingested only food and water. These prematurely weaned pups received taste aversion conditioning while suckling on Day 16, but showed no aversion to the CS flavor during a later food test. Thus, conditions that lead to early weaning (ingestion of solid food) do not accelerate the onset of taste aversions to mother’s milk. Infant rats can learn numerous kinds of associations, including toxiphobia following conditional pairing of taste or odor cues with illness (Campbell & Alberts, 1979; Rudy & Cheatle, 1977). However, rats less than 17 days of age do not display such learned aversions when they are trained during the act of suckling (Martin & Alberts, 1979). We have described the pup’s failure to acquire or display nursing-related toxiphobia as a “blockade” of the toxiphobia because it appears that specific aspects of the suckling context interfere with the typical consequence of such associative pairings (Martin & Alberts, 1979). Older rats pups, those more than 20 days of age, learn taste aversions even when training occurs in the context of suckling (Martin & Alberts, 1979). We believe that the “blockade” of toxiphobia operates on the pup’s ability to express rather than to learn the aversion (Gubernick & Alberts, 1984; Martin & Alberts, 1979). What developmental mechanisms dictate the transition from the stage when suckling interferes with conditioned aversions to the subsequent stage when it does not? We have examined this question from a viewpoint of feeding experience. Specifically, we noted
Experimental Study and Simulation of Interface Development and Penetration in Two-Component Transfer Molding of Rubber Compounds

Simulation and experimental studies of pressure-controlled sequential transfer molding of two SBR rubber compounds under isothermal condition have been carried out to obtain a two-layered sandwich structure. One SBR compound, intended for the skin, is first laid up in the cavity; and another SBR compound, intended for the core, is used for transfer. The SBR is subjected to pressure in order to penetrate into the skin and push the layup to fully fill the cavity. The obtained moldings have an encapsulated skin/core sandwich structure. Two material combinations with different viscosity ratios have been studied. The rheological interaction of skin/core components and its effect on the penetration behavior and interface shape have been investigated. The influence of processing conditions, such as the volume fraction transferred and pressure, is elucidated. From the experiment and simulation it is found that the penetration and the interface development are significantly affected by the rheological properties of the compounds and the volume fraction transferred. At the same time, the pressure imposed during transfer molding is found to have little effect on the interface development at a constant volume fraction transferred.
Deuterium Studies Reveal a New Mechanism for the Formose Reaction Involving Hydride Shifts

In the formose reaction, formaldehyde is converted to glycolaldehyde, its dimer, under credible prebiotic conditions. Breslow proposed a mechanism for the process in 1959, but recent studies by Benner showed that it was wrong in detail. Our present studies clarify the mechanism, which involves the original Breslow intermediates but some different connecting steps.
Role of Barium Swallow in Diagnosing Clinically Significant Anastomotic Leak following Esophagectomy.

Background: Barium swallow is performed following esophagectomy to evaluate the anastomosis for detection of leaks and to assess the emptying of the gastric conduit. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the barium swallow study in diagnosing anastomotic leaks following esophagectomy. Methods: Patients who underwent esophagectomy from January 2000 to December 2013 at our institution were investigated. Barium swallow was routinely done between days 5–7 to detect a leak. These results were compared to clinically determined leaks (defined by neck wound infection requiring jejunal feeds and or parenteral nutrition) during the postoperative period. The sensitivity and specificity of barium swallow in diagnosing clinically significant anastomotic leaks was determined. Results: A total of 395 esophagectomies were performed (mean age, 62.2 years). The indications for the esophagectomy were as follows: malignancy (n=320), high-grade dysplasia (n=14), perforation (n=27), benign stricture (n=7), achalasia (n=16), and other (n=11). A variety of techniques were used including transhiatal (n=351), McKeown (n=35), and Ivor Lewis (n=9) esophagectomies. Operative mortality was 2.8% (n=11). Three hundred and sixty-eight patients (93%) underwent barium swallow study after esophagectomy. Clinically significant anastomotic leak was identified in 36 patients (9.8%). Barium swallow was able to detect only 13/36 clinically significant leaks. The sensitivity of the swallow in diagnosing a leak was 36% and specificity was 97%. The positive and negative predictive values of barium swallow study in detecting leaks were 59% and 93%, respectively. Conclusion: Barium swallow is an insensitive but specific test for detecting leaks at the cervical anastomotic site after esophagectomy.
Cloned T Cell Lines Do Not Discriminate Between Self Ia Molecules on B Cells and Antigen Presenting Cells

A number of investigations over the past several years have suggested that there exists a specialized class of Ia-antigen bearing cells whose function is to ‘present’ antigen to self-Ia-recognizing, antigen-specific T cells. This antigen presentation function is commonly measured as the induction of proliferation of populations of T cells primed with the antigen in vivo. By contrast, most studies find that B cells do not present antigen to T cells as measured in this assay, although it is well known that such cells do bear Ia antigens and interact with helper T cells in an la- restricted manner. This generalization has been weakened recently by studies of two types. First, Chestnut and Grey (1) have shown that T cells primed with the antigen rabbit immunoglobulin will proliferate in response to B cells if the antigen used is rabbit anti-mouse immunoglobulin, which binds strongly to the B cells. Second, a number of authors have shown that certain B cell tumors will present antigen to T cells (2,3). However, the first study suffers from the possibility that the antigen bound to the B cells is then presented by some contaminating cell in the T cell population, while the latter studies beg the question of whether normal B cells can present antigen to T cells. Some authors have suggested that the differential ability of B cells and antigen presenting cells (APC) to stimulate T cell proliferation may reflect differences in antigen processing or in the Ia antigens expressed by these two cell types, and, indeed, evidence for differences in glycosylation of Ia antigens isolated from the two cell types have been reported (4).
Modified Devine's operation for correcting children's concealed penis

Objective To study the methods of orthopedic effect for children's concealed penis. Methods From January to December 2006, the clinical data of 14 cases with children's concealed penis received modified Devine's operation were analyzed retrospectively. Results The penis external appearance and function were satisfactory after operation. No complications were found. Conclusion The curative effects are sure with modified Devine's operation for the treatment of children's concealed penis.
Effect of aging treatment on property of Al-1.5Mg-0.3Sc alloy wire formed by SCR technology

Al-1.5Mg-0.3Sc alloy wires were prepared by SCR process and on-line solution, the effects of aging treatment on the microstructure, tensile property of the alloy wires formed by shearing-cooling-rolling (SCR) under different on-line solution temperature were studied. The results show that the grain of the alloy wires is very fine, Al3Sc dispersoids precipitating from the supersaturated solid solution in the heating process can effectively pin dislocation .As the on-line solution temperature decrease, the degree of dispersion of precipitated phase (Al3Sc) increase, while the tensile strength and elongation of the alloy increase. However, the tensile strength decrease under over-aging, but the elongation still increase with the increase of aging time. The elongation can be up to peak value at aging 8 h.
An experimental study on inhibiting growth and metastasis or mouse melanoma by engineering endostatin

Aim To explore inhibitory effects and mechanism of engineering endostatin on growth and metastasis of melanoma cells in the. methods Melanome cells(2 × 106/mouse) were inoculaled sabcutaneously to C57BL/6 mice. After tumorigenesis, endostatin(8mg/kg.d) was administrated to tumor-bearing mice, once a day , twenty-one in all. Dietetic state and weight change of the tumor-bearing mice were observed and tumorous sige was measured during administration of endostatin. On 26thday, the tumor-bearing mice were sacrificed, subcutaneously tumorous weight was weighed and brain. lung, liver, spleen and kidney were excised and sections were made to supply the pathological examination. Results Area under curve in the endostatin-treated group was obviously less than that in tamor control group(P 0. 01 ). Pathological study revealed that lavge areal necrosis arose in tumor and newborn cappillaries around the tumor disapeared. Conclusion Endostatin possosses strongly inhibitory effects on growth and metastasis of mouse melanoma and formation of newborn capillaries around tumor.
Metabolomics and metabolic pathway networks from human colorectal cancers, adjacent mucosa, and stool

Colorectal cancers (CRC) are associated with perturbations in cellular amino acids, nucleotides, pentose-phosphate pathway carbohydrates, and glycolytic, gluconeogenic, and tricarboxylic acid intermediates. A non-targeted global metabolome approach was utilized for exploring human CRC, adjacent mucosa, and stool. In this pilot study, we identified metabolite profile differences between CRC and adjacent mucosa from patients undergoing colonic resection. Metabolic pathway analyses further revealed relationships between complex networks of metabolites. Seventeen CRC patients participated in this pilot study and provided CRC, adjacent mucosa ~10 cm proximal to the tumor, and stool. Metabolomes were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). All of the library standard identifications were confirmed and further analyzed via MetaboLyncTM for metabolic network interactions. There were a total of 728 distinct metabolites identified from colonic tissue and stool matrices. Nineteen metabolites significantly distinguished CRC from adjacent mucosa in our patient-matched cohort. Glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate demonstrated 0.64-fold and 0.75-fold lower expression in CRC compared to mucosa, respectively, whereas isobar: betaine aldehyde, N-methyldiethanolamine, and adenylosuccinate had 2.68-fold and 1.88-fold higher relative abundance in CRC. Eleven of the 19 metabolites had not previously been reported for CRC relevance. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed significant perturbations of short-chain fatty acid metabolism, fructose, mannose, and galactose metabolism, and glycolytic, gluconeogenic, and pyruvate metabolism. In comparison to the 500 stool metabolites identified from human CRC patients, only 215 of those stool metabolites were also detected in tissue. This CRC and stool metabolome investigation identified novel metabolites that may serve as key small molecules in CRC pathogenesis, confirmed the results from previously reported CRC metabolome studies, and showed networks for metabolic pathway aberrations. In addition, we found differences between the CRC and stool metabolomes. Stool metabolite profiles were limited for direct associations with CRC and adjacent mucosa, yet metabolic pathways were conserved across both matrices. Larger patient-matched CRC, adjacent non-cancerous colonic mucosa, and stool cohort studies for metabolite profiling are needed to validate these small molecule differences and metabolic pathway aberrations for clinical application to CRC control, treatment, and prevention.
Combination 6-mercaptopurine-adriamycin in refractory adult acute leukemia.

Remission induction therapy with 6MP and adriamycin in combination was administered to 19 adult leukemic patients refractory to previous therapy. Eight patients also received vincristine and prednisone. Thirteen patients had acute myelogenous leukemia, 3 undifferentiated leukemia, and 3 blastic transformation of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Four patients who died of severe infection received less than 6 wk of therapy. Four patients achieved remission but in only 2 were the remissions complete. Eleven patients failed to respond. Ten of the 19 patients developed unexpected severe liver toxicity manifested by a clinical picture of cholestasis (in the majority) or ascending cholangitis (in 2 patients). In the postmortem examination of 8 patients there was cholestasis and mild to severe hepatocellular damage in all.
Elevated Pressure in the Left Renal Vein in Patients with Varicocele: Preliminary Observations

AbstractIn 3 patients with varicocele a pressure difference was found between the left renal vein and inferior vena cava. No pressure difference was found between the right renal vein and inferior vena cava in these same patients. In a control group of 5 patients right and left renal veins and inferior vena cava pressures closely approximated each other. These preliminary findings are discussed and found to be in disagreement with current concepts of the pathogenesis of varicocele.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Citywide Emergency Department Care Coordination Program to Reduce Prescription Opioid Related Emergency Department Visits.

Abstract Background Increasing prescription overdose deaths have demonstrated the need for safer emergency department (ED) prescribing practices for patients who are frequent ED users. Objectives We hypothesized that the care of frequent ED users would improve using a citywide care coordination program combined with an ED care coordination information system, as measured by fewer ED visits by and decreased controlled substance prescribing to these patients. Methods We conducted a multisite randomized controlled trial (RCT) across all EDs in a metropolitan area; 165 patients with the most ED visits for complaints of pain were randomized. For the treatment arm, drivers of ED use were identified by medical record review. Patients and their primary care providers were contacted by phone. Each patient was discussed at a community multidisciplinary meeting where recommendations for ED care were formed. The ED care recommendations were stored in an ED information exchange system that faxed them to the treating ED provider when the patient presented to the ED. The control arm was subjected to treatment as usual. Results The intervention arm experienced a 34% decrease (incident rate ratios = 0.66, p Conclusion This RCT showed the effectiveness of a citywide ED care coordination program in reducing ED visits and controlled substance prescribing.
A short-wave infrared single photon camera

We demonstrate single photon imaging at a megapixel-resolution in the short-wave infrared region using compressive imaging. The timing resolution of our system is 150 ps, enabling high-resolution single-photon time-of-flight imaging.
Rising from the Rubble: The Vital Significance of Christian Research Universities in the Twenty-First Century

This essay begins with a framing from Vaclav Havel, suggesting that the modern age is exhausted. Havel suggests that something else, still indistinct, will rise from the rubble. I propose that a vision of a robust “Christian Research University” will be central to what rises from the rubble in higher education. This is because of the richness of each of those three key terms, understood in their intersections. The essay unpacks each term and shows why such a university is positioned for transformational leadership in the twenty-first century. The essay concludes with suggestions for the key commitments that the stakeholders in such a university need to have in order for the university to be sustained and flourish.
Potential functions of LEA proteins from the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana - anhydrobiosis meets bioinformatics.

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are a large group of anhydrobiosis-associated intrinsically disordered proteins, which are commonly found in plants and some animals. The brine shrimp Artemia franciscana is the only known animal that expresses LEA proteins from three, and not only one, different groups in its anhydrobiotic life stage. The reason for the higher complexity in the A. franciscana LEA proteome (LEAome), compared with other anhydrobiotic animals, remains mostly unknown. To address this issue, we have employed a suite of bioinformatics tools to evaluate the disorder status of the Artemia LEAome and to analyze the roles of intrinsic disorder in functioning of brine shrimp LEA proteins. We show here that A. franciscana LEA proteins from different groups are more similar to each other than one originally expected, while functional differences among members of group three are possibly larger than commonly anticipated. Our data show that although these proteins are characterized by a large ...
The Existence of a Designer Al=Al Double Bond in the LiAl2H4− Cluster Formed by Electronic Transmutation

The Al=Al double bond is elusive in chemistry. Herein we report the results obtained via combined photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio studies of the LiAl2H4- cluster that confirm the formation of a conventional Al=Al double bond. Comprehensive searches for the most stable structures of the LiAl2H4- cluster have shown that the global minimum isomer I possesses a geometric structure which resembles that of Si2H4, demonstrating a successful example of the transmutation of Al atoms into Si atoms by electron donation. Theoretical simulations of the photoelectron spectrum discovered the coexistence of two isomers in the ion beam, including the one with the Al=Al double bond.
Inflation and equity mutual fund flows

Abstract We document a negative relation between inflation and aggregate equity mutual fund flows and hypothesize that this relation is partly due to inflation illusion on the part of investors. Inflation illusion occurs when investors fail to incorporate the effect of inflation into their estimates of nominal growth rates. Consequently, they lower their estimates of the intrinsic values of stocks and move their assets away from equities. Our results are robust to controls for alternative explanations such as inflation proxying for poorer future real cash flow growth and periods of higher inflation being associated with higher equity risk premia.
Food Technologies: Pulsed Ultraviolet Radiation Processing

The principles for using ultraviolet (UV) radiation to sanitize foods are presented. UV radiation is defined based on its physical properties and its applications. A brief account of the development of UV technologies is provided beginning with its discovery and reaching to the present status of UV source availability. The photochemical mechanisms of UV-induced disinfection are explained including the potential for repair mechanisms. Finally, a few selected applications of pulsed UV sources in food sanitation are given with special emphasis on factors affecting efficacy and the challenges remaining for a reliable surface disinfection of fresh produce and other liquid commodities.
Unsupervised Learning of Curved Manifolds

We describe a variant of the Isomap manifold learning algorithm [1], called ‘C-Isomap’. Isomap was designed to learn non-linear mappings which are isometric embeddings of a flat, convex data set. C-Isomap is designed to recover mappings in the larger class of conformal embeddings, provided that the original sampling density is reasonably uniform. We compare the performance of both versions of Isomap and other algorithms for manifold learning (MDS, LLE, GTM) on a range of data sets.
Abstract #2759: Thymoquinone-induced E2F-1 downregulation and induction of apoptosis enhances gemcitabine effects in pancreatic cancer

Background: Response rates to gemcitabine (Gem), the most commonly used chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer (PC), remain quite low, which is partly due to de novo chemo-resistance, in addition to over-expression of ribonucleotide reductase M2 subunit (RR-M2), a rate-limiting enzyme in DNA synthesis that is regulated by E2F-1. Moreover, E2F-1 is a key transcriptional factor necessary for transition to S phase, cellular proliferation, viability, and has recently been correlated with poor differentiation and survival in PC. Thus, E2F-1 represents a unique therapeutic target in PC. We have previously reported E2F-1 targeted effects in prostate cancer using thymoquinone (TQ), an herbal agent that spares normal cells. Aim: The aim of our study was to determine the effects of TQ either alone or in combination with Gem in PC, both in vitro and in vivo. Methods and Results: We observed that TQ inhibited proliferation of PC cell lines (AsPC-1, BxPC3, MIAPaCa-2, and PANC-1) but not that of immortalized human pancreatic ductal epithelial (HPDE) cells. We showed that TQ synergistically potentiated pro-apoptotic effects of Gem in PC cell lines. Using PANC-1 (Gem-resistant) cells as our model system, we showed that TQ down-regulated E2F-1 and increased p21 (Cip1) and p27 (Kip1) expression. We demonstrated that TQ inhibited expression of anti-apoptotic proteins including IAP-1, survivin, and Bcl-2 and proliferative proteins including Cyclin D1. We also showed that TQ inhibited expression of proteins involved in invasion and metastasis including COX-2, VEGF, and MMP-9. Further, TQ significantly potentiated Gem effects in reduction of E2F-1 and anti-apoptotic proteins along with increase of p21 and p27. In a PANC-1 heterotopic xenograft model, TQ given daily orally (50 mg/kg) in combination with Gem (25 mg/kg intraperitoneally twice weekly) for 4 weeks significantly reduced tumor volume as compared to control vehicle, TQ alone, or Gem alone groups. We showed that in vivo suppression of tumor growth was associated with potent reduction in E2F-1, c-myc, and Cyclin D1 with concomitant increase in p21 and p27 expression in tumor explants. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TQ + Gem significantly reduced proliferation index (Ki-67+ cells) and increased apoptosis (in situ TUNEL assay) in tumor explants. Conclusion: Collectively, we showed that TQ potently potentiated cytotoxic effects of gemcitabine in PC cells both in vitro and in vivo. These effects could be in part due to downregulation of E2F-1, necessary for proliferation, survival, and chemo-resistance of PC. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 2759.
PharmOmics: A Species- and Tissue-specific Drug Signature Database and Online Tool for Toxicity Prediction and Drug Repurposing

Drug development has been hampered by a high failure rate in clinical trials due to suboptimal efficacy or safety issues that are not predicted by preclinical studies in model systems. A key contributor to this hurdle is our incomplete understanding of how drug molecules function across organ systems and species. Therefore, elucidating species- and tissue-specific molecular actions of drugs can provide systems level insights into therapeutic efficacy, toxicity, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and between-species differences that are necessary for more effective translational medicine. Here, we present a comprehensive drug knowledgebase and analytical tool, PharmOmics, comprised of genomic footprints of drugs in individual tissues from multiple species (human, mouse, and rat) based on meta-analysis of global transcriptome data from public repositories (GEO, ArrayExpress, TG-GATEs, drugMatrix). Using multi-species multi-tissue gene expression signatures as molecular indicators of drug functions, we demonstrate the potential of PharmOmics to predict drugs that can be used for new disease indications or that may induce ADRs. PharmOmics was able to accurately predict known drugs for multiple diseases and identify potential drugs targeting non-alcoholic fatty liver disease for which no approved drugs are currently available. In addition, we found that drugs causing similar ADRs tend to have gene signatures with close proximity in gene regulatory networks. Comparison of our PharmOmics platform with other commonly used drug signature databases, most of which are based on data derived from in vitro cell lines, demonstrates that our tissue- and species-specific drug signatures serve as a complementary resource to support drug characterization.
Equivalent union rates between intramedullary nail and locked plate fixation for distal femur periprosthetic fractures - a systematic review

Abstract Background The incidence of periprosthetic fracture following total knee arthroplasty continues to rise as the number of knee arthroplasty procedures increases. Management of periprosthetic fractures can be complex, with locked compression plating (LCP) and intramedullary nailing (IMN) being the most commonly used treatment options. We performed a systematic review to report and compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients treated with intramedullary nail fixation versus plate fixation for periprosthetic fractures of the distal femur. Methods Several databases were screened. Studies evaluating intramedullary nail fixation or locked plate fixation for distal femur periprosthetic fractures were included. Primary and secondary variables as mentioned below, when included, were analyzed and compared. Results One prospective comparative study, 9 retrospective comparative studies, and 28 retrospective case series with 1,188 patients were included in this review. No statistically significant differences were found between IMN and LCP when analyzing union rate or time to union. Plating demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in the overall complication rate and reoperation rate when compared with IMN (p Conclusions Both intramedullary nail and locked plate fixation offer unique benefits in terms of clinical and radiographic outcomes for treatment of periprosthetic distal femur fractures after total knee arthroplasty. While the standard of care remains controversial, an increase in the recent literature has allowed for better clarification of the significant clinicoradiologic advantages and disadvantages of both popular treatment options.
Yin and Yang of MCS-Related Coagulopathy: Shear Stress Promotes Platelet Prothrombosis and Microparticle Generation While Inducing Integrin Downregulation and Decreased Aggregability

Purpose Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) has emerged as a lifesaving therapy for patients with advanced and end-stage heart failure. Sadly, MCS therapy is limited by a paradoxical coagulopathy accompanied by both thrombosis and bleeding. We hypothesized that shear-mediated alterations of platelet hemostatic function, i.e. integrin expression, procoagulant activity, and aggregation, mechanistically drive MCS-related coagulopathy. Methods Human platelets were exposed to shear stress in a hemodynamic shearing device (30-70 dyn/cm2, 10 min). Integrin αIIbβ3 & GPIb surface expression/activation, phosphatidylserine externalization (PSE) and microparticles (MPs) were quantified by flow cytometry. Platelet procoagulant activity was verified by thrombin generation assay. Platelet aggregation was measured by optical aggregometry. Results Shear stress exposure induced notable PSE, simultaneously promoting thrombin generation on platelets and MP. Paradoxically, shear-mediated platelet activation (SMPA) did not induce integrin αIIbβ3 activation. Moreover, high shear (70 dyn/cm2) prevented activation and upregulation of αII2bβ3 mediated by biochemical agonists. Aggregometry findings further validate flow cytometry results, as high shear did not promote aggregation, rather decreased ADP- and TRAP-6 induced aggregation. Likewise, SMPA led to the evident reduction of GPIb surface expression, as indicated by significant drop of GPIb+ platelet number and their fluorescence intensity (73.5 ± 2.9% & 953.1 ± 101.0 AU vs. 94.3 ± 0.7% & 1620 ± 72.4 AU for intact platelets; M ± SEM, ANOVA, p ≤ 0.05). Shear-mediated decrease of GPIb expression along with evident augmentation of GPIb- & αIIbβ3-positive MPs (3.3 ± 0.6% & 12.5 ± 2.8%, respectively) supports integrin shedding as an operative mechanism. Conclusion SMPA promotes platelet PSE and procoagulant MP generation, thus facilitating thrombin formation and driving prothrombosis. Yet, shear stress did not promote platelet aggregation, rather impaired agonist-induced platelet aggregation via integrin αIIbβ3 and GPIb shedding from the platelets into MPs. This dichotomic effect of shear on platelets mechanistically defines the paradoxical prothrombotic state with a concomitant propensity of bleeding in MCS patients.
Virtual dioramas transform natural history museum exhibit halls & gardens to life with immersive AR

The original motivation and design process of the AR Perpetual Garden App is discussed in detail. Available on Apple iTunes and Google Play Stores, children and parents, teachers and students, may download and learn with it now, thus amplifying the learning impact of immersive experiences even at home. Inspired by the dioramas of the past, both the creation process and their use in museums as interactive, multimodal, knowledge artifacts are discussed and carefully analyzed. This paper may be of interest to researchers and practitioners alike. First, as a way to understand and generalize the critical design factors used and to extend findings into their design research, and second, as an iterative design and development process model, learner-user experience (LUX) design, extensible to other domains.
Workplace and safety perceptions among New York City employees after the 9/11 attacks.

This study examined associations of individual characteristics on perceived workplace conditions and safety in a volunteer sample of 254 employees from businesses in New York City’s World Trade Cen...