cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An analysis of the relative effects of VKORC1 and CYP2C9 variants on anticoagulation related outcomes in warfarin-treated patients

The objective of this study was to assess the relative influence of VKORC1 and CYP2C9 genetic variants on several clinical outcomes related to warfarin treatment. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 172 anticoagulation clinic patients followed from warfarin initiation. We assessed the following clinical outcomes: time to stable dose; time in, above, and below therapeutic range; the probability of overanticoagulation (international normalized ratio [INR] >5); frequency of anticoagulation clinic visits; and the contribution of genetics to maintenance dose. Patients with CYP2C9 variants, compared to those without, achieved stable dose 48% later (p5 (OR: 4.15, p=0.03). In contrast, the only statistically significant effect withVKORC1 was a higher odds of an INR >5 (OR: 4.47,p=0.03) for patients homozygous for theVKORC1 low-dose haplotype (AA) compared to heterozygotes.We did not detect an influence of CYP2C9 norVKORC1 on the frequency of clinic visits. CYP2C9 alone,VKORC1 alone, and a combination of genetic and clinical factors explained 12%, 27%, and 50%, respectively, of the variation in warfarin maintenance dose. In conclusion, genetic variation in VKORC1 appears to have a different influence than CYP2C9 on anticoagulation-related outcomes such as bleeding events and time in therapeutic range. This difference may be due, in part, to pharmacokinetics factors (e.g. drug halflife), which are influenced primarily by CYP2C9; these findings should be confirmed in additional studies.
Applying Herrnstein's Matching Law to Influence Students' Choice to Complete Difficult Academic Tasks

Abstract In an extension of choice research and Herrnstein's matching law to a more ecologically valid setting, college students were asked to work on a control mathematics assignment containing 16 three-digit by two-digit multiplication (3 × 2) problems and an experimental assignment that contained 16 equivalent 3 × 2 problems plus six interspersed 1 × 1 problems. Afterwards, they rated the experimental assignment as less difficult and time-consuming and requiring less effort than the control assignment. Performance on 3 × 2 problems was equivalent across the control and experimental assignments. Furthermore, when given the opportunity to choose a new control-format or experimental-format assignment (each containing similar, but different, problems as the initial assignments), significantly more students chose the latter format Because these results could be explained by the novelty of the problems interspersed in the experimental assignment, another experiment that interspersed division problems was con...
The atypical RNA components of cytoplasmic ribosomes from Crithidia fasciculata

Abstract RNA extracted by cold phenol from the large cytoplasmic ribosomal subunit of the trypanosomatid flagellate Crithidia fasciculata and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at 4 °C consisted of one species with a molecular weight of 1.3 × 106 (relative to ribosomal RNA from E. coli MRE 600). When extracted with hot phenol (65 °C), the large ribosomal subunit gave rise to two components with molecular weights of 0.72 and 0.56 × 106. On heating for 60 s, followed by rapid cooling, the single cold-phenol-extracted 1.30 × 106-dalton species completely dissociated into two components of molecular weights 0.72 and 0.56 × 106, present in equimolar amounts. When analyzed by polyacrylamide-agarose gel electrophoresis in the presence of SDS, RNA extracted by cold phenol from the large cytoplasmic ribosomal subunit consisted of three components of molecular weights 1.3, 0.72, and 0.56 × 106, present in apparently equimolar amounts. RNA from the small cytoplasmic ribosomal subunit consisted of one species with a molecular weight of 0.84 × 106, independent of extraction or analytical conditions. It is proposed that under high salt and low temperature conditions, the large ribosomal RNA molecule is held together by its secondary structure, and that denaturing extraction or analytical conditions reveal an otherwise “hidden” lesion present in the molecule in vivo.
Chemical Vapor Transport and Crystal Growth of the Hg0.8Cd0.2Te System, Crystal Morphology and Homogeneity

Mass transport rate studies of the system Hg1−xCdxTe-iodine (with x = 0.2 for the source material) are performed in the temperature gradient 590° 535°C as a function of transport agent pressure and for different orientations of the density gradient relative to the gravity vector. The combined results reveal that convection, even when not sufficient to increase the diffusive mass transport rates appreciably at low pressures, affects the surface morphology and compositional homogeneity of crystals. Under vertical, stabilizing conditions, the crystallographic and chemical homogeneity of crystals is distinctly improved relative to those obtained for the horizontal orientation of the transport ampoule. These result suggest that elimination of convection (micro-g environment) may yield a further improvement of crystals. Der chemische Transport und das Kristallwachstum von Hg0,8Cd0,2Te, Kristallmorphologie und Homogenitat Studien der Transportraten des Systems Hg1−xCdxTe-Iod (mit x = 0,2 fur das Ausgangsmaterial) wurden im Temperaturgefalle 590° 535°C als Funktion des Druckes des Transportgases und fur verschiedene Orientierungen des Dichtegradienten zur Schwerkraft durchgefuhrt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, das selbst geringe Konvektion, die nicht ausreicht, Diffusions-Transportraten bei niedrigen Drucken mesbar zu erhohen, jedoch die Oberflachenmorphologie und chemische Homogenitat der Kristalle beeinflust. Bei senkrechter Ampullenstellung (hohere Temperatur oben) ist die kristallographische und chemische Homogenitat der Kristalle deutlich verbessert gegenuber solchen, die bei waagerechter Anordnung der Transportampulle erhalten wurden. Diese Beobachtungen deuten an, das Abwesenheit von Konvektion eine weitere Verbesserung der Kristalle bewirken konnte.
Equation-of-state spinning fluids in the Einstein-Cartan theory

The relativistic fluid equations may be completed in two physically distinct methods. One method assumes the mass, rho, (or particle number) is conserved, while the other method assumes an equation of state of the form P = P(rho). A variational principle for the mass conservation method both with and without an intrinsic spin for the fluid was constructed earlier (Ray and Smalley, 1982 and 1983). A variational principle for the fluid described by an equation of state both with and without spin is formulated. In all cases the variational principle is set in the Einstein-Cartan metric-torsion U4 geometry. The results for general relativity follow as a special case.
Monolithic Sensor Interfaces with On-Board Digital Signal Processing

This paper describes a method to reduce the cost of interfacing to sensors despite the rise in computational complexity and the number of variables associated with modern control systems. It is based on monolithically mixing analog and digital functions that are customized to perform a specific application. This approach has the advantage of bringing signal processing close to the sensor tip which off-loads the main CPU and reduce in-system signal bandwith, power consumption and component complexity. As an example, a single chip 3-channel data acquisition system for power management applications has been successfully designed, fabricated and tested. This mixed, analog/digital single chip system is composed of three 11-bit Delta-Sigma analog-to-digital converters with an oversample clock of 3.58 MHz. The dedicated digital signal processor has 32- bit two's complement, fixed point architecture and performs lowpass filtering, accumulation, and data comparison and selection.
The reversal of hydrops fetalis by intravascular intrauterine transfusion in severe isoimmune fetal anemia

Abstract Seventy-two intrauterine intravascular transfusions were performed on 26 patients with severe erythroblastosis fetalis. Twenty of the 26 fetuses were hydropic at the time of referral. Of the 20 hydropic fetuses, 16 (80%) survived. Hydrops was completely reversed in 13 of the 16 fetuses (81%). Total protein of
Weathering Patterns of Ignitable Liquids with the Advanced Distillation Curve Method

One can take advantage of the striking similarity of ignitable liquid vaporization (or weathering) patterns and the separation observed during distillation to predict the composition of residual compounds in fire debris. This is done with the advanced distillation curve (ADC) metrology, which separates a complex fluid by distillation into fractions that are sampled, and for which thermodynamically consistent temperatures are measured at atmospheric pressure. The collected sample fractions can be analyzed by any method that is appropriate. Analytical methods we have applied include gas chromatography (with flame ionization, mass spectrometric and sulfur chemiluminescence detection), thin layer chromatography, FTIR, Karl Fischer coulombic titrimetry, refractometry, corrosivity analysis, neutron activation analysis and cold neutron prompt gamma activation analysis. We have applied this method on product streams such as finished fuels (gasoline, diesel fuels, aviation fuels, rocket propellants), crude oils (including a crude oil made from swine manure) and waste oils streams (used automotive and transformer oils). In this paper, we present results on a variety of ignitable liquids that are not commodity fuels, chosen from the Ignitable Liquids Reference Collection (ILRC). These measurements are assembled into a preliminary database. From this selection, we discuss the significance and forensic application of the temperature data grid and the composition explicit data channel of the ADC.
Intercomparison of Spatially Distributed Models for Predicting Surface Energy Flux Patterns during SMACEX

The treatment of aerodynamic surface temperature in soil–vegetation–atmosphere transfer (SVAT) models can be used to classify approaches into two broad categories. The first category contains models utilizing remote sensing (RS) observations of surface radiometric temperature to estimate aerodynamic surface temperature and solve the terrestrial energy balance. The second category contains combined water and energy balance (WEB) approaches that simultaneously solve for surface temperature and energy fluxes based on observations of incoming radiation, precipitation, and micrometeorological variables. To date, few studies have focused on cross comparing model predictions from each category. Land surface and remote sensing datasets collected during the 2002 Soil Moisture–Atmosphere Coupling Experiment (SMACEX) provide an opportunity to evaluate and intercompare spatially distributed surface energy balance models. Intercomparison results presented here focus on the ability of a WEB-SVAT approach [the TOPmodelbased Land–Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (TOPLATS)] and an RS-SVAT approach [the Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model] to accurately predict patterns of turbulent energy fluxes observed during SMACEX. During the experiment, TOPLATS and TSEB latent heat flux predictions match flux tower observations with root-mean-square (rms) accuracies of 67 and 63 W m 2 , respectively. TSEB predictions of sensible heat flux are significantly more accurate with an rms accuracy of 22 versus 46 W m 2 for TOPLATS. The intercomparison of flux predictions from each model suggests that modeling errors for each approach are sufficiently independent and that opportunities exist for improving the performance of both models via data assimilation and model calibration techniques that integrate RS- and WEB-SVAT energy flux predictions.
A 15-ketosterol is a liver X receptor ligand that suppresses sterol-responsive element binding protein-2 activity.

Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease. Oxysterols are known to inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis and have been explored as potential antihypercholesterolemic agents. The ability of 3β-hydroxy-5α-cholest-8(14)-en-15-one (15-ketosterol) to lower non-HDL cholesterol has been demonstrated in rodent and primate models, but the mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. Here we show in a coactivator recruitment assay and cotransfection assays that the 15-ketosterol is a partial agonist for liver X receptor-α and -β (LXRα and LXRβ). The binding affinity for the LXRs was comparable to those of native oxysterols. In a macrophage cell line of human origin, the 15-ketosterol elevated ATP binding cassette transporter ABCA1 mRNA in a concentration-dependent fashion with a potency similar to those of other oxysterols. We further found that in human embryonic kidney HEK 293 cells, the 15-ketosterol suppressed sterol-responsive element binding protein processing activity and thus inhibited mRNA expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, LDL receptor, and PCSK9. Our data thus provide a molecular basis for the hypocholesterolemic activity of the 15-ketosterol and further suggest its potential antiatherosclerotic benefit as an LXR agonist.
Structure and mechanism of citrate synthase.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the structure and mechanism of citrate synthase. The enzyme citrate synthase that catalyzes the reaction at the entry to the citric acid cycle, forms an outstanding system for investigation of enzymatic mechanisms, enzyme–substrate interactions, conformational change, protein folding, quaternary assembly of biological structures, and organelle targeting. Citrate synthase provides a system in which the simplest example of quaternary structural assembly to an active oligomer can be studied. In eukaryotes, the enzyme is a dimer in which each subunit contributes functional groups to the active site of the other. The dimer can be reversibly denatured to inactive monomers. The enzyme requires no unusual cofactors or metal ions for activity; it is one of few enzymes that can catalyze the synthesis of a carbon–carbon bond, and it does so at a rate that approaches the diffusion limit. Citrate synthase has been discovered in essentially every organism examined. The enzyme catalyzes the reversible condensation of acetyl-CoA to form citryl-CoA, which is subsequently hydrolyzed to yield citrate and coenzyme A. Thus, the enzyme closes the loop of the citric acid cycle, regenerating the six-carbon compound citrate from the four-carbon compound oxaloacetate.
Conceptual design and analysis of ITM oxy-combustion power cycles.

Ion transport membrane (ITM)-based oxy-combustion systems could potentially provide zero-emissions power generation with a significantly reduced thermodynamic penalty compared to conventional carbon capture applications. This article investigates ITM-based oxy-combustion power cycles using an intermediate-fidelity model that captures the complex physical coupling between the two systems and accurately accounts for operational constraints. Coupled ITM-cycle simulation reveals hidden design challenges, facilitates the development of novel cycle concepts, and enables accurate assessment of new and existing power cycles. Simulations of various ITM-based zero and partial-emissions power cycles are performed using an intermediate-fidelity ITM model coupled to power cycle models created in ASPEN Plus®. The objectives herein are to analyze the prevalent ITM-based power cycle designs, develop novel design modifications, and evaluate the implementation of reactive ITMs. An assessment of the potential for these ITM power cycles to reduce both the thermodynamic penalty and reactor size associated with ITM air separation technology is conducted. The power cycle simulation and analysis demonstrate the various challenges associated with implementing reactive ITMs; hybridization (the use of both reactive and separation-only ITMs) is necessary in order to effectively utilize the advantages of reactive ITMs. The novel hybrid cycle developed herein displays the potential to reduce the size of the ITM compared to the best separation-only concept while maintaining a comparable First Law efficiency. Next, the merit of implementing partial-emissions cycles is explored based on a proposed linear-combination metric. The results indicate that the tradeoff between the main thermodynamic performance metrics efficiency and CO2 emissions does not appear to justify the use of partial-emissions cycles.
Effects of the transcendental meditation program on adaptive mechanisms: Changes in hormone levels and responses to stress after 4 months of practice ☆

Stress has been implicated in both somatic and mental disorders. The mechanisms by which stress leads to poor health are largely unknown. However, studies in animals suggest that chronic stress causes high basal cortisol and low cortisol response to acute stressors and that such changes may contribute to disease. Previous studies of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique as a possible means of countering effects of stress have reported altered levels of several hormones both during the practice and longitudinally after regular practice of this technique. In this prospective, random assignment study, changes in baseline levels and acute responses to laboratory stressors were examined for four hormones-cortisol, growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone and testosterone-before and after 4 months of either the TM technique or a stress education control condition. At pre- and post-test, blood was withdrawn continuously through an indwelling catheter, and plasma or serum samples were frozen for later analysis by radioimmunoassay. The results showed significantly different changes for the two groups, or trends toward significance, for each hormone over the 4 months. In the TM group, but not in the controls, basal cortisol level and average cortisol across the stress session decreased from pre- to post-test. Cortisol responsiveness to stressors, however, increased in the TM group compared to controls. The baselines and/or stress responsiveness for TSH and GH changed in opposite directions for the groups, as did the testosterone baseline. Overall, the cortisol and testosterone results appear to support previous data suggesting that repeated practice of the TM technique reverses effects of chronic stress significant for health. The observed group difference in the change of GH regulation may derive from the cortisol differences, while the TSH results are not related easily to earlier findings on the effects of chronic stress.
Resistance Exercise Reduces Skeletal Muscle Cachexia and Improves Muscle Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, autoimmune, inflammatory disease associated with cachexia (reduced muscle and increased fat). Although strength-training exercise has been used in persons with RA, it is not clear if it is effective for reducing cachexia. A 46-year-old woman was studied to determine: (i) if resistance exercise could reverse cachexia by improving muscle mass, fiber cross-sectional area, and muscle function; and (2) if elevated apoptotic signaling was involved in cachexia with RA and could be reduced by resistance training. A needle biopsy was obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle of the RA subject before and after 16 weeks of resistance training. Knee extensor strength increased by 13.6% and fatigue decreased by 2.8% Muscle mass increased by 2.1%. Average muscle fiber cross-sectional area increased by 49.7%, and muscle nuclei increased slightly after strength training from 0.08 to 0.12 nuclei/μm(2). In addition, there was a slight decrease (1.6%) in the number of apoptotic muscle nuclei after resistance training. This case study suggests that resistance training may be a good tool for increasing the number of nuclei per fiber area, decreasing apoptotic nuclei, and inducing fiber hypertrophy in persons with RA, thereby slowing or reversing rheumatoid cachexia.
A new fourth generation of hybrid computer systems

It has long been recognized that hybrid computer systems are more cost effective than digital computers in solving many types of dynamic problems. This indeed has been the reason for the sizable number of hybrid computer systems currently in operation. The one to two order of magnitude speed advantage which hybrid computers enjoy over digital computers in solving differential equations is due to the speed of the analog subsystem. This high speed results from the high bandwidth (up to 1 megahertz) of the analog components and the parallel configuration of the analog mechanization.
Method for the Quantitative Evaluation of Data from Flow Microfluorometry

Abstract A new method is proposed for estimating the distribution of cells among the phases of the mitotic cycle using data from a flow microfluorometer. The method can be applied to asynchronous or synchronous cell populations, and is not limited to systems with very low coefficients of variation of fluorescence intensity. It is based on a mathematical model of the cell population having the following properties: (i) the population is separated into compartments, one consisting of G1 cells, another of G2 and M cells, and several of S phase cells which have synthesized different specified fractions of their DNA; (ii) the fluorescence intensity of cells in each compartment is normally distributed with the mean of the G2 + M compartment having a channel location twice that of G1; the S phase compartments have means at intermediate values. Coefficients of variation are the same for all compartments. The sizes of the compartments are determined by a least squares fitting procedure utilizing the observed data. The method and some of its limitations are illustrated by selected examples of simulated data from asynchronous and partially synchronized cell populations.
Are those premature ventricular complexes

Ventricular parasystole has been known to be a benign rhythm. We present a case of a 53-year-old man with chest pain and ventricular parasystole on electrocardiogram upon initial presentation. He was admitted and found to have normal serial cardiac enzymes and nuclear stress testing. He was discharged home with primary care follow-up. We highlight this case, as ventricular parasystole has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease and is a rhythm that should not be ignored. Our review of the literature shows that a thorough cardiovascular investigation should take place when this rhythm is identified.
A web-portal for interactive data exploration, visualization, and hypothesis testing

Clinical research studies generate data that need to be shared and statistically analyzed by their participating institutions. The distributed nature of research and the different domains involved present major challenges to data sharing, exploration and visualization. The Data Portal infrastructure was developed to support ongoing research in the areas of neurocognition, imaging and genetics. Researchers benefit from the integration of data sources across domains, the explicit representation of knowledge from domain experts, and user interfaces providing convenient access to project specific data resources and algorithms. The system provides an interactive approach to statistical analysis, data mining, and hypothesis testing over the lifetime of a study and fulfills a mandate of public sharing by integrating data sharing into a system built for active data exploration. The web-based platform removes barriers for research and supports the ongoing exploration of data.
The Capillary Contact Angle

It was recognized by the initiators of capillarity theory that the underlying hypotheses leading to the notion of contact angle are satisfied only under very particular circumstances, usually related to purity and cleanliness of the materials and smoothness of the bounding surfaces. Even so, reproducible experimental determinations of contact angle are notoriously difficult to obtain. There remains considerable disagreement as to the root causes of the difficulty, but a body of literature has arisen describing a resistance to motion of the contact line (or “hysteresis”) as evidenced by a discrepancy between “advancing” and “receding” contact angles. Even on this point there remains disagreement. For an expository survey, see [42]; experiments with discordant, seemingly conflicting, results are reported in [1, 45, 104, 121, 188]. We remark also the comments in [4, p. 609].
Essential pharmacokinetic information for drug dosage decisions: a concise visual presentation in the drug label.

A critical issue in labeling is to succinctly communicate, in a manner that is readily understandable and actionable, changes in systemic exposure that affect drug dosing. Current practices in labeling make it difficult for prescribers to locate the most important information influencing their dosing decisions. In this report, we propose the use of forest plots for communicating the pharmacokinetic consequences of intrinsic and extrinsic factors in a concise and readily interpretable manner. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2011) 90 3, 471–474. doi:10.1038/clpt.2011.149
Two-Component Response Regulators of Vibrio fischeri: Identification, Mutagenesis, and Characterization

Two-component signal transduction systems are utilized by prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells to sense and respond to environmental stimuli, both to maintain homeostasis and to rapidly adapt to changing conditions. Studies have begun to emerge that utilize a large-scale mutagenesis approach to analyzing these systems in prokaryotic organisms. Due to the recent availability of its genome sequence, such a global approach is now possible for the marine bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri, which exists either in a free-living state or as a mutualistic symbiont within a host organism such as the Hawaiian squid species Euprymna scolopes. In this work, we identified 40 putative two-component response regulators encoded within the V. fischeri genome. Based on the type of effector domain present, we classified six as NarL type, 13 as OmpR type, and six as NtrC type; the remaining 15 lacked a predicted DNA-binding domain. We subsequently mutated 35 of these genes via a vector integration approach and analyzed the resulting mutants for roles in bioluminescence, motility, and competitive colonization of squid. Through these assays, we identified three novel regulators of V. fischeri luminescence and seven regulators that altered motility. Furthermore, we found 11 regulators with a previously undescribed effect on competitive colonization of the host squid. Interestingly, five of the newly characterized regulators each affected two or more of the phenotypes examined, strongly suggesting interconnectivity among systems. This work represents the first large-scale mutagenesis of a class of genes in V. fischeri using a genomic approach and emphasizes the importance of two-component signal transduction in bacterium-host interactions.
Utility Of Nitric Oxide And Hydrogen Sulfide-Releasing Chimeras As Anticancer Agents.

Background Aspirin is chemopreventive but has significant side effects. We developed NOSH-aspirin a safer, nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide releasing hybrid. Aim Here we report on NOSH-aspirin as an anti-inflammatory and its effects on human cancer cell kinetics and various cancer xenografts. Methods Anti-inflammatory: Carageenan rat paw edema model. Cancer cell lines: Colon, HT-29, HCT 15, SW 480; breast, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231; pancreas, MIA PaCa2, BxPC3. Normal cell lines: human mammary, HMEpC; pancreatic epithelial, ACBRI 515. Xenografts: nude mice implanted with HT-29, MDA-MB-231, MIA PaCa2 cells, were treated with NOSH-aspirin (100 mg/kg/d) or vehicle. After 3 weeks, mice were sacrificed, tumors excised, weighed, and fixed for IHC studies. Results NOSH-aspirin significantly reduced paw edema as function of time. NOSH-aspirin’s IC 50 in nM at 24 h for cell growth inhibition ranged from 50±2 to 250±10 in the cancer cell lines and about 400-fold higher in the normal cell lines. The cell growth inhibitory effects were due to a dose-dependent induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest (G0/G1), leading to reductions in cell proliferation. In xenografts, NOSH-aspirin had no effect on the weight of the mice. Tumor volume was reduced as a function of treatment time. At sacrifice, tumor mass reductions were colon: 89%, P =0.005; breast: 91%, P =0.006; pancreas: 75%, P =0.0031. Growth inhibition was due to reduced proliferation (decreased PCNA expression), and induction of apoptosis (increased TUNEL positive cells). Conclusions NOSH-aspirin is a potent anti-inflammatory, preferentially affecting cancer cells and targets parameters important in determining cellular mass.
Enzyme activities and maturation in unstimulated and exogenous gonadotropin-stimulated human oocytes

With the advent of new techniques of human in vitro fertilization (IVF), identifying parameters of oocyte quality to allow selection of those most likely to fertilize becomes crucial. Morphology of oocytes, which correlates positively with biological performance, is the currently utilized classification criterion. However, biological links between form and function are tenuous, and underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We investigated whether biochemical activation is quantitatively associated with the stages of maturation in ova obtained from patients undergoing gynecologic surgery during unstimulated cycles and women undergoing IVF after exogenous gonadotropin stimulation. Changes in selected enzymes from protein, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism (hexokinase, phosphoglucomutase, glycogen synthetase, uridine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, cytosolic thiolase, beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase) were determined simultaneously, in individual oocytes, utilizing a highly sensitive biochemical methodology. Several enzyme activities paralleled maturation grade and were higher in stimulated oocytes after correction for grade. These biochemical findings quantify metabolic and functional changes that increase as ova mature, possibly contributing to their reproductive performance.
Molecular Dynamics Investigation of Alkali Metal Ions in Liquid and Aqueous Ammonia.

A polarizable potential model for M+–NH3 interactions (M+ = Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+) is optimized based on the ab initio properties of the ion–ammonia dimers calculated at the MP2 level of theory. The optimized model reproduces the ab initio binding energies of M+(NH3)n (n = 2–4) and M+(NH3)n(H2O)m (n, m = 1–3 and n + m ≤ 4) clusters and gives relative solvation free energies in liquid ammonia in good agreement with experimental data, without further adjustments. It also reproduces binding cooperativity in ion–ammonia and ion–ammonia–water clusters. The model is used in molecular dynamics simulations of isolated ions in liquid ammonia and in aqueous ammonia solutions with various ammonia molar fractions (0.0 ≤ xNH3 ≤ 1.0). Simulations in liquid ammonia show coordination numbers of 4.0 for Li+, 5.3 for Na+, 6.1 for K+, 6.7 for Rb+, and 7.7 for Cs+, in very good agreement with available experimental results. Simulations of ions in aqueous ammonia show preferential solvation by water in their first solvation ...
Feeding Responses of Rhopalosiphum padi (Homoptera: Aphidae) to Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus Resistant and Susceptible Barley Varieties

The probing and feeding behavior of an important vector of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi was electronically monitored on barley varieties with and without the Yd2 gene, a gene that imparts BYDV resistance to certain cereal cultivars. The presence of the Yd2 gene was shown to have no significant effect on the time elapsed to the first sieve element contact, total number of sieve element contacts, or duration of phloem sieve element ingestion by R. padi . Furthermore, aphid probing and feeding was not greatly affected by BYDV infection in susceptible plants. These data demonstrate that the mechanisms underlying BYDV resistance in plants with the Yd2 gene do not involve factors significantly influencing plant-aphid interactions that invoke alterations in aphid probing or feeding behavior. In addition, the number of sieve element contacts and duration of ingestion from sieve element cells by R. padi indicate that this aphid should be highly efficient in acquiring and transmitting the phloem-delimited BYDV to ‘California Mariout’ barley, with or without the Yd2 gene.
Lung and heart-lung transplantation: the state of the art

Lung and heart-lung transplantation is one of the most rapidly evolving transplantation fields. Survival has been improving with better patient selection, better graft preservation, and better immunosuppression. This paper outlines criteria for patient selection, reviews the surgical options involving lung transplantation, and discusses factors influencing morbidity and survival in these patients. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation experience with these procedures is presented. Lung and heart-lung transplantation has emerged from the experimental realm to the therapeutic, and can now be offered as an effective treatment option to many patients with previously fatal heart and lung disorders.
Physical Gill Efficiency and Winter Dormancy in the Pigmy Backswimmer, Neoplea striola (Hemiptera: Pleidae)

Laboratory studies indicate that the backswimmer, Neoplea striola (Fieber), emerges in spring at ca. 12°C (range 8-18°C) despite variations in light intensity or oxygen content of the water. Long term studies and field surveys support this conclusion. Physical gill efficiency (the ability of the physical gill to absorb oxygen relative to the oxygen required) appears to be size-related and favors smaller species and immature stages. Neoplea striola has the most efficient gill of the backswimmers studied and can remain submerged for the longest time (x=585 minutes in adults, at 25±1°C) without drowning. This ability appears to be coupled with an average dive duration of 39 min, considerably longer than other backswimmers previously studied. Temperatures below 12°C lead to the submergence of pleids in fall. Pleids can survive submergence for months at 8° and 4°C but die in less than 21 days when kept under water at 12°C and above. Pleids apparently can change their physical gill size to adjust for different metabolic and buoyancy requirements at different temperatures. This coordination between gill size and temperature allows temperature to control overwintering.
Human learning in multiple T maze: An investigation of verbal and motor learning modes

Maze learning efficiency was measured under verbal and motor learning modes and single and double maze conditions to investigate additivity of response produced cues. The results indicated that an additivity of response produced cues assumption would not accountfor superiority of verbal mode maze learners.
Effects of Carbon Dioxide Anesthesia on the Larval Growth of the Corn Earworm

Larvae of the corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), grown on a bean diet were repeatedly anesthetized with a mixture containing 30% CO2:20% O2:50% N2 for periods up to 40 minutes without significant retardation of growth. However, 5 exposures to 100% CO2 for 5 or 10 minutes at 3-day intervals caused a 27% retardation. A single exposure to 100% CO2 for 5 or 10 minutes had no measurable effect.
Spectroscopic diagnostics of defect and interface effects on carrier dynamics in semiconductor optoelectronics

We use steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy to evaluate optoelectronic material quality and obtain detailed information about carrier generation, transport, and relaxation in semiconductor devices and test structures. This report focuses on time-resolved and steady-state photoluminescence of III-V reference heterostructures at temperatures between 4K and 300K in order to investigate the mechanisms limiting carrier lifetime and to develop the capability to provide actionable feedback to research-and-development efforts for improvement and optimization of material properties and/or device performance. We combine the results of photoluminescence experiments with model-based analyses and simulations of carrier relaxation to assess the impacts of defects and interface quality on the relaxation dynamics of photo-generated carriers in double heterostructure test vehicles grown by MOCVD and MBE.
The Entrenchment of a Confessional Church

Although in many ways the seventeenth century was at least as turbulent as the sixteenth, by this time the ideological outlook of the various protagonists had become much more clearly defined. The ‘Old Irish,’ ‘Old English,’ ‘New English,’ and ‘Colonists,’ had all evolved into definable groups, each with its own political and religious agendas. In the middle of the political turmoil stood the Catholic Church in Ireland — focus and symbol of the power struggle between church and state; the forces of tradition versus innovation; and the conflict between the colonizers and the colonized. What was at stake was the entrenchment of a fully confessionalized institutional church — not merely an official, but scarcely recognized, Protestant Church, and not just survivalist Catholicism. Thus on both sides the stage was set for a new form of conflict. No longer was it a dispute over somewhat vaguely understood ideological and theological positions, that is, the popular reformation of the sixteenth century. Rather, by the seventeenth century the religious situation of Ireland had developed into a sharply etched conflict in which a militantly self-aware state Protestantism clashed with a militantly self-aware Tridentine Catholicism.
Phosphorus(III)-Mediated Stereoconvergent Formal [4+1]-Cycloannulation of 1,2-Dicarbonyls and o-Quinone Methides: A Multicomponent Assembly of 2,3-Dihydrobenzofurans

A phosphorus(III)-mediated formal [4+1]-cycloaddition of 1,2-dicarbonyls and o-quinone methides to provide 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans is described. By exploiting the carbene-like nature of dioxyphospholenes, dihydrobenzofurans bearing a quaternary center at C2 are obtained in 30–92% yield with diastereoselectivities up to ≥20:1. This study highlights the subtle steric interactions involved in the [4+1]-cycloannulation and the impact they have on yield and stereoselectivity in dihydrobenzofuran formation.
Remagnetization and folding in the frontal Montana Rocky Mountains

Local-scale folds within the Mississippian Madison Group of the frontal Montana Rockies preserve pre- and synfolding remagnetization data. Paleomagnetic results display inclinations of ∼70°, in contrast to the expected shallower directions for North American Mississippian rocks. The magnetization is chemical in origin, preserved in superparamagnetic to single-domain magnetite grains from fluid activity. Magnetic intensity results in the study area suggest that mineralization was more prevalent in the interior of the fold-and-thrust belt and diminished toward the east, resulting in lower intensities from less magnetite growth in the very frontal portions of the belt into the foreland. Fold test results of individual folds show syn- and prefolding remagnetizations as a function of location across the belt, with synfolding results in more westerly locations and prefolding results in the most frontal folds of the belt. By comparing our synfolding results with previously determined deformation ages for the Rocky Mountains, an Eocene (53.6 Ma) age for the remagnetization can be assigned. Based on the relative timing of remagnetization, a spatial pattern of folding in the study area is revealed. Major folding commenced (i.e., synfolding magnetization) during an Eocene remagnetization event, while the most frontal portion remained undeformed (i.e., prefolding magnetization) and was subsequently folded after regional remagnetization.
Separation of the bar: Systemic solution of runner bar cull remain problem through leadframe design change

With the drive to enhance Moisture Sensitivity Level for TSSOP-48L package in OSPI, plating type for this package was converted to roughened treated upgraded Pre-Plated Nickel Palladium Gold(RT-UPG PPF). The enhanced property of this plating type to adhere to the epoxy molding compound, results in processing difficulty for the runner bars to be removed from the strip. This paper will discuss in detail the systematic approach taken to resolve the problem, the design changes implemented both on the material and the tool parts. It closes on the point that with the new leadframe design a more robust process is achieved without compromising the integrity of the package and processes involved.
Paracrystalline Disorder from Phosphate Ion Orientation and Substitution in Synthetic Bone Mineral

Hydroxyapatite is an inorganic mineral closely resembling the mineral phase in bone. However, as a biological mineral, it is highly disordered, and its composition and atomistic structure remain poorly understood. Here, synchrotron X-ray total scattering and pair distribution function analysis methods provide insight into the nature of atomistic disorder in a synthetic bone mineral analogue, chemically substituted hydroxyapatite. By varying the effective hydrolysis rate and/or carbonate concentration during growth of the mineral, compounds with varied degrees of paracrystallinity are prepared. From advanced simulations constrained by the experimental pair distribution function and density functional theory, the paracrystalline disorder prevalent in these materials appears to result from accommodation of carbonate in the lattice through random displacement of the phosphate groups. Though many substitution modalities are likely to occur in concert, the most predominant substitution places carbonate into the...
Design and experiments of a SiC power MOSFET bidirectional switching power pole

This paper presents the design and experiments of a SiC power MOSFET-based bidirectional switching power pole (BSPP) by benefiting from the advantages of SiC power MOSFETs: high-speed switching, high power density, and low power losses. The goal of the work is to design a printed circuit board (PCB) power traces of the BSPP with the minimum parasitic inductance and balanced switching transient performance between the high-side and low-side power MOSFETs. With such power traces, it is possible to reach the best switching performance with SiC power MOSFETs. A prototype BSPP with SiC power MOSFETs was developed and tested. A simulation of the prototype circuit model was built using Cadence simulation tools. The simulation and experimental results were compared to validate the model parameters and the calculated parasitic inductance of the PCB power traces.
CXC chemokines in angiogenesis and metastasis.

CS11-03 Over the last 20 years, the biology of chemokines has expanded beyond their initial role in mediating migration of specific subsets of leukocytes. More specifically, CXC Chemokines demonstrate pleiotropic effects in the pathobiology of a variety of cancers. CXC chemokines enhance innate and adaptive immunity, regulate angiogenesis, and mediate tumor cell metastases. For example, the CXC chemokine receptor, CXCR2, and its putative CXCR2 ligands (i.e., CXCL1/GROα, CXCL5/ENA-78, and IL-8/CXCL8) have been determined to promote angiogenesis in a variety of solid tumors. In contrast, the CXC chemokine receptor, CXCR3, and its putative CXCR3 ligands (i.e., CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11) behave as both potent promoters of Th1 cytokine-dependent cell-mediated immunity and inhibit angiogenesis via the concept of "immunoangiostasis". For example, first 9priming9 the circulating pool of mononuclear cells to express CXCR3 can optimize immunoangiostasis. Once systemic CXCR3 levels are optimally expressed on mononuclear cells, induction of intratumor CXCR3 ligand production optimizes the chemotactic gradient necessary to target circulating CXCR3+ mononuclear cells to the tumor and concomitantly inhibit angiogenesis. The combined temporal and spatial priming and induction optimizes both tumor immunity and inhibition of angiogenesis. The tumor microenvironment and receptor signaling within the tumor cell plays a role in promoting the expression of hypoxia-responsive genes that may be relevant in promoting tumor metastases. The CXC chemokine, CXCL12, and its receptor, CXCR4 promote metastases of a variety of solid tumors. Recent findings have linked HIF-1α and the expression of CXCR4 on tumor cells, and the expression of CXCR4 on these cells may represent a biomarker that predicts the metastatic potential of specific tumor cells. In this presentation, we will review the importance of CXC chemokines in regulating angiogenesis and metastases; and demonstrate why they should be seen as important therapeutic targets for intervention in cancer.
Measuring Medical Students' Preparedness and Skills to Provide Cross-Cultural Care

Purpose: Cross-cultural education is an integral and required part of undergraduate medical curricula. However, the teaching of cross-cultural care varies widely and methods of evaluation are lacking. We sought to better understand medical students' perspectives on their own cultural competency across the 4-year curriculum using a validated survey instrument. Methods:We conducted an annual Internet-based survey at Harvard Medical School with students in all 4 years of training, for four consecutive years. We used a tool previously validated with residents and slightly modified it for medical students, assessing their (1) preparedness, (2) skillfulness, and (3) perspectives on the educational curriculum and learning climate. Results: Of 2592 possible survey responses, we received 1561 (60% response rate). Fourth-year students had significantly higher scores than first-year students (p<0.001) for all but one preparedness item (caring for transgender patients) and all but one skillfulness item (identifying ability to read/write English). Less than 50% of students felt adequately prepared/skilled by their fourth year on 8 of 11 preparedness items and 5 of 10 skillfulness items. Lack of practical experience caring for diverse patients was the most frequently cited challenge. Conclusions: While students reported that preparedness and skillfulness to care for culturally diverse patients seem to increase with training, fourth-year students still felt inadequately prepared and skilled in many important aspects of cross-cultural care. Medical schools can use this tool with students to self-assess cultural competency and to help guide enhancements to their curricula focusing on cross-cultural care.
Food safety and food quality perceptions of farmers’ market consumers in the United States

Abstract The number of farmers’ markets in United States (U.S.) increased dramatically from 1775 markets in 1994 to 8476 markets in 2014. However, few studies have investigated consumers’ food safety perceptions toward products in farmers’ market or their impact on consumers’ purchasing behaviors. The objectives of this study were to understand consumers’ perception of food safety at farmers’ markets and to explore the role of food safety perception on their purchasing fresh produce at a farmers’ market. Analysis of covariance was used to investigate food safety perceptions at farmers’ market among different demographic groups. In addition, multiple linear regression was used to explore factors including consumers’ food safety perception and quality perception on their purchasing at a farmers’ market. The results from the ANCOVA indicated that millennial generation consumers perceived better food safety conditions at farmers’ markets. The linear regressions indicated quality perception and willingness to support local foods are primary reasons that consumers purchase products at farmers’ markets, while food safety perception is not significantly related to purchasing fresh produce. The results imply that consumers generally hold a positive food safety perception that may be in contrast to actual microbial safety of produce obtained from farmers’ markets. The results highlight an increasing need for consumer education specifically related to food safety awareness at farmers’ markets.