cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Co-localization of the α-subunit of BK-channels and c-PLA2 in GH3 cells

Large conductance, calcium-activated potassium channels (maxi K- or BK-channels) can be regulated by arachidonic acid produced by c-Phospholipase A 2 (c-PLA 2 ). Since in every excised patch from GH3 cells where there was BK-channel activity, treatment with either a stimulator or inhibitor of c-PLA 2 resulted in a corresponding increase or decrease in BK-channel activity, we hypothesized that there must be a close association between BK-channel proteins and c-PLA 2 in the cell membrane. To test this hypothesis, we first determined whether the two proteins would co-immunoprecipitate. We then used confocal imaging of fluorescently tagged proteins to determine where in the cells BK-channel proteins and c-PLA 2 co-localize. The α-subunit of the BK-channel was strongly co-immunoprecipitated by c-PLA 2 antibodies, suggesting that most of the BK channel α-subunits are associated with c-PLA 2 . This interaction was not affected by pharmacologically inhibiting c-PLA 2 suggesting that the association does not require functionally active c-PLA 2 . Following dual immunohistochemical labeling and confocal microscopy, image analysis revealed that in the cytosol there was some co-localization, but most of the c-PLA 2 was separate from BK-channel proteins. On the other hand, the c-PLA 2 and BK-channel proteins at the plasma membrane were strongly co-localized. Immunoprecipitation experiments conducted with plasma membrane proteins support these findings. We conclude that c-PLA 2 is likely physically associated with BK-channel proteins at the cell surface.
When is a sex difference not a sex difference

Brain sexual differentiation in mammals requires activity of gonadal hormones; organizational effects of these steroids on brain development occur early in life while activational ones in adulthood ensure appropriate and timely sex-specific behaviors. This traditional view has long served as a reliable model for sexual differentiation of reproductively relevant brain structures. Here, we take a fresh look at this model but refocused in the context of sexual differentiation of non-reproductive parameters and with an emphasis on the hippocampus, a telencephalic brain structure predominantly involved in cognition and stress regulation. We explore sex differences in morphology, neurochemistry, and hippocampal-dependent behaviors to propose a new prototype that can be used to explain and further investigate the effects of steroid hormones, those synthesized gonadally or intracerebrally, on hippocampal development and function. We also propose that a new vernacular be employed, one that distinguishes hormonally modulated responses from sex differences, and argue these are mechanistically and functionally distinct. Understanding when and how the sexes are different is as important as understanding when and how they are the same, at the biological, social, and cultural level.
Inclusion of electron-plasmon scattering in ensemble Monte Carlo simulations

We compare two approaches of incorporating the long‐range Coulomb electron‐electron interaction into Monte Carlo simulations of bulk, degenerate GaAs, i.e., the semi‐classical approach of solving the Poisson equation self‐consistently, and the first order quantum mechanical treatment in which the electron‐plasmon interaction is included as an additional scattering mechanism. The critical issues involved in the semi‐classical, direct approach are the mesh size, charge assignment to the mesh nodes, and interpolation of the field at the particle location. All of these factors determine the stability of the system, the accuracy and computational time required in the calculation. The steady‐state electron drift velocity in bulk GaAs calculated using the direct, semi‐classical approach for the electron‐plasmon interaction is significantly less than the corresponding bulk drift velocity in the absence of the electron‐plasmon interaction. The alternative approach of treating the electron‐plasmon interaction as a scattering mechanism is attractive since it is computationally easier to include and is, at least to first order, quantum mechanically based. It is found that the calculated steady‐state electron drift velocity in bulk GaAs based on this model is affected in the opposite way, i.e., the velocity is greater than in the absence of the electron‐plasmon interaction. The cause of the discrepancy in the calculated results of the two approaches is not too surprising since they attack the problem from very different directions. Neither model can at present be considered complete. Further detailed investigations are required to achieve a better model for the electron‐plasmon interaction.
Differential behavior of EGFR-overexpressing cancer cells through aptamer-functionalized micropores

Circulating tumor cell detection is one important avenue for early cancer diagnosis. A differential solid-state micropore approach is reported that detects a very low number of tumor cells from blood samples. One micropore is functionalized with an aptamer molecule specific to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), known to be overexpressed on cancer cell surfaces, whereas the other micropore is bare. The translocation behavior of tumor cells is seen to be distinctly different from normal counterparts and control when passed through functionalized micropore. The differentiation stems from the selective interactions between the aptamer molecules and overexpressed EGFR on the tumor cells. Normal cells, on the other hand, do not show selective interaction with aptamers. As a result, cancer cells are distinguished from normal cells just by looking at the translocation data from an aptamer-functionalized micropore. The interactions between the cells and the aptamer in a micropore provide a detection modality that interrogates each cell.
Penetration of Organic Compounds Through Isolated Cuticular Membranes with Special Reference to C14 Urea

Studies of solute penetration into living cells are becoming legion. Protective or barrier membranes -must be traversed. Cell particulates, cells themselves, and external plant surfaces are covered with membranes of varying permeabilities. Not the least among the membranes are the noncellular cuticles that cover all aerial plant parts including leaves. Absorption by living leaf cells of any foliar applied chemical (mineral nu.trients, grlowth regulators, pesticides, antibiotics) must be preceded by transcuticular penetration (14). Some permeability, surface binding, and ion exehan.ge characteristics have been reported for enzymically isolated cuticular membranes (16, 17). They include the stomatous green onion leaf cuticle and the :astomatous tomato fruit cuticle. Penetration through stomatous and astonmatous cuticles was much greater from the outer to the inner surface (influx) than from the inner to the outer surface (efflux), more pronounced for cations than anions, and a function of the extent of ion binding on the surface opposite the site of initial entry. Ion exchange capacities of cuticular membrane surfaces were greater for Ca+ + than for SO4--, and for green onion leaf cuticles than for those isolated from ripe tomato fruit. These observations suggested a study of the colimparative rates of penetration and extent of cuticular *surface binding of certain C14 labelled organic compounds with th,ose already reported for inorganic ions. Special attention was given urea which is comlmonly applied as a nutrient spray to some agricultural crops to prov,ide nitrogen. The results of a few studies are also included for the plant growth inhibitors nmaleic lhydrazide and N,N-dimethylanminosuccinamic acid. Organic molecules, because of their size, functional groups, and charge pose nmore complex problemls than the inorganic ions.
Biosynthetic studies of eudistomin H in the tunicate Eudistoma olivaceum

Abstract Eudistomin H ( 1 ) is an antibiotic alkaloid isolated from the tunicate Eudistoma olivaceum . In our continuing investigation of the biosynthetic origin of β-carboline derivatives in this marine invertebrate, we have evaluated 5-bromotryptamine and 5-bromotryptophan as intermediates. Both of these amino acid derivatives served efficiently as precursors to eudistomin H.
Effective Coverage and Connectivity Preserving in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, the problem of finding an optimal coverage set by effectively eliminating redundant nodes with guaranteed connectivity without using centralized control and accurate location information was addressed. Using a fully distributed approach, an effective redundant node elimination method that considers even the smallest overlapping regions was proposed to establish a coverage set. Further, an extension scheme is presented that finds the minimum number of sensors among the coverage set, where the network connectivity is guaranteed. The simulation results were presented to illustrate achievable coverage set while preserving connectivity, and energy saving to verify the approaches.
Application of Semidefinite Programming to Circuit Partitioning

In this paper we apply Semidefinite Programming (SDP) to solving the circuit partition problem. Unlike other local search methods, we first translate the hypergraph into a weighted (undirected) graph, and then solve it as a graph partition problem using the recent semidefinite program relaxation and heuristic or randomized approximation. Our preliminary computational results indicate that as the number of modules in the circuit increases, the quality of the partition resulted from SDP becomes superior to that resulted from previous methods.
Efficient synchronization primitives for large-scale cache-coherent multiprocessors

This paper proposes a set of efficient primitives for process synchronization in multiprocessors. The only assumptions made in developing the set of primitives are that hardware combining is not implemented in the inter-connect, and (in one case) that the interconnect supports broadcast.The primitives make use of synchronization bits (syncbits) to provide a simple mechanism for mutual exclusion. The proposed implementation of the primitives includes efficient (i.e. local) busy-waiting for syncbits. In addition, a hardware-supported mechanism for maintaining a first-come first-serve queue of requests for a syncbit is proposed. This queueing mechanism allows for a very efficient implementation of, as well as fair access to, binary semaphores. We also propose to implement Fetch and Add with combining in software rather than hardware. This allows an architecture to scale to a large number of processors while avoiding the cost of hardware combining.Scenarios for common synchronization events such as work queues and barriers are presented to demonstrate the generality and ease of use of the proposed primitives. The efficient implementation of the primitives is simpler if the multiprocessor has a hardware cache-consistency protocol. To illustrate this point, we outline how the primitives would be implemented in the Multicube multiprocessor [GoWo88].
SIRUP: Switch Insertion in RedUndant Pipeline Structures for Yield and Yield/Area Improvement

Except for regular arrays, yield enhancement for high performance VLSI systems is usually addressed at the physical layers rather than at the architectural level. In addition, pipelines are prevalent in many SoC architectures. In this paper we present new architectural approaches and results to improve the yield and yield/area of pipelines by using redundancy and steering logic . We present a procedure of time complexity O(n) that finds the minimal number of switches to insert within an n-stage redundant pipeline of order q to improve yield. Experimental results indicate that for parameter values of interests, this procedure also improves the yield/area of the pipeline, especially when the yields for some modules are low.
Use of Non-Partitioned Ventilator Tubing Results in Dead-Space Ventilation Hypercarbia

We present a case of severe postoperative hypercarbia in a patient with severe COPD. Hypercarbia and respiratory acidosis continued to increase despite maximal ventilation, bronchodilator therapy, sedation, and paralysis. Mistaken use of non-partitioned ventilator circuit was the cause of the hypercarbia. The ventilator's self-test function failed to detect the error. We changed to a partitioned-lumen circuit, with much less ventilation dead space, and the hypercarbia resolved immediately.
High-quality optical modes in low-dimensional arrays of nanoparticles: application to random lasers

The optical modes in finite partially ordered arrays of dielectric particles are studied within the coupled dipole approach. It is shown that high-quality modes can be attained under conditions of small enough interparticle distance when the light-cone constraint is satisfied. We performed analytical and numerical investigations of these modes to determine their dependence on system size, dimensionality, and extent of disordering. The opportunity to use these modes to make high-performance random lasers is discussed.
Differential sensitivity in the survival of oligodendrocyte cell lines to overexpression of myelin proteolipid protein gene products.

The proteolipid (PLP) gene encodes at least four proteins, including the classic PLP and DM20, which are important components of the myelin sheath, and the recently identified soma-restricted (sr) isoforms, srPLP and srDM20. The classic PLP and DM20 gene products have been implicated in oligodendrocyte survival by overexpression studies in vitro and in vivo. The classic and sr proteolipids are targeted to different cellular compartments in the oligodendrocyte, suggesting different cellular functions. Accordingly, we examined the effects of in vitro overexpression of the sr-PLP/DM20 isoforms on the survival of stably transfected, conditionally immortalized, oligodendroglial cell lines and compared this to overexpression of the classic and the jimpy-mutated proteolipids. The results indicate that overexpression of either normal or jimpy classic PLP/DM20 resulted in a dramatic reduction in the survival of the oligodendrocyte cell lines at the nonpermissive temperature, but not the COS-7 cell line, a cell line expressing the same oncogene constitutively. Survival of the oligodendrocyte cell lines was significantly less affected when either the sr-PLP/DM20 or the dopamine D-2 receptor, another cell membrane protein, was overexpressed in the cell lines. These results suggest that overexpression of the “classic” PLP or DM20 can compromise the survival of oligodendrocytes whether or not they are mutated. Furthermore, they suggest that the internal mechanisms for normal targeting of the PLP/DM20 isoforms of either the “classic” or the “sr” types influence the oligodendrocyte's ability to survive when these proteolipids are overexpressed. J. Neurosci. Res. 65:485–492, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice: A national workforce perspective

In 2004, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) adopted a position statement concerning the future of advanced practice nursing education. A target date of 2015 was articulated as the point by which master's preparation for advanced practice nurses would be replaced by doctoral level education. Seismic shifts in the realities surrounding nursing education and practice have occurred since the proposal to require a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree for entry into advanced practice nursing was proposed. Unprecedented economic challenges have resulted in significant budget downturns for all sectors, including higher education. The consequent cutbacks, furloughs, and restructuring in educational operations of all types have placed enormous demands on faculty, staff, and students across the country. In addition, the growing incidence and earlier onset of chronic disease, a rapidly aging population, health care reform agendas, a shortage of primary care practitioners, and projected severe shortages of nursing faculty have raised fundamental questions about the capacity of nursing education to produce the numbers of advanced practice nurses needed. This article addresses the changing realities and growing concerns associated with the future of advanced practice nursing. Recommendations to ensure continuing development of advanced nursing practice that serves the interests and needs of the public now and in the future are presented within the context of a national workforce perspective.
Platelet-activating factor stimulates eicosanoid production in cultured feline tracheal explants.

Eicosanoids have been shown to be major mediators of airway inflammation. Platelet-activating factor (PAF), a potent bronchoconstrictor and stimulator of respiratory mucous secretion, may mediate some of its effects via eicosanoid production. To explore eicosanoid generation by cultured feline tracheal explants, eicosanoids were measured following PAF stimulation. After labeling the explants with [3H] arachidonic acid, supernatant from control and PAF treated explants was fractionated by reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The resulting elution pattern suggested the release of arachidonic acid (AA), 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE), leukotriene (LT)B4, C4, prostaglandin (PG) D2/E2/F2α, and 6-keto-PGF1α, Radioimmunoassay (RIA) following HPLC resolution confirmed that PAF induced a significantly increased release of peptido-leukotrienes, PGD2, PGE2, PGF2α, LTB4, and 5-HETE, as well as thromboxane (TX) B2. The most remarkable increase was LTC4/D4/E4 (15 x control) and PGD2 (4 x...
Time, Cost, and Environmental Impact Analysis on Construction Operation Optimization Using Genetic Algorithms

AbstractEnvironmentally conscious construction has become a subject of research during the last decades. Even though construction literature involves plenty of studies that emphasize the importance of environmental impact during the construction phase, most of the previous studies failed to combine environmental analysis with other project performance criteria in construction. To achieve environmentally conscious construction and successfully manage a complex construction environment, multiple project objectives and their relationships need to be considered. In this study, the authors propose a framework on the basis of the concept of control accounts to determine optimal construction operations when project time, cost, and environment impact (TCEI) are considered as project objectives during project planning. The framework also supports decision-making by using sensitivity analysis. Life cycle assessment is applied to the evaluation of environmental impact in terms of global warming potential (GWP). The ...
Central Asia in the Post–Cold War World

The anthropology of Central Asia provides socially situated, ethnographically grounded analyses that complicate grand narratives of post-Soviet transformations in this understudied and undertheorized region. Coalescing as a field with the sudden outsider access since the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, western anthropological research in Central Asia is only beginning to contribute to current conceptual debates in anthropology. This review surveys the English-language literature, focused on the ex-Soviet republics Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Azerbaijan, with comparative references to Xinjiang, China. Themes revolve around economic survival strategies amid upheaval, traditionalist revivals in nationalizing states, Soviet rule's peculiar productivity of culture and imaginaries, post-9/11 Islamic modalities, the nature of state power, and the importance of Cold War epistemologies in critiquing this literature. It considers fruitful future directions of research within a post–Cold War...
Deletion of Ultraconserved Elements Yields Viable Mice

Ultraconserved elements have been suggested to retain extended perfect sequence identity between the human, mouse, and rat genomes due to essential functional properties. To investigate the necessities of these elements in vivo, we removed four noncoding ultraconserved elements (ranging in length from 222 to 731 base pairs) from the mouse genome. To maximize the likelihood of observing a phenotype, we chose to delete elements that function as enhancers in a mouse transgenic assay and that are near genes that exhibit marked phenotypes both when completely inactivated in the mouse and when their expression is altered due to other genomic modifications. Remarkably, all four resulting lines of mice lacking these ultraconserved elements were viable and fertile, and failed to reveal any critical abnormalities when assayed for a variety of phenotypes including growth, longevity, pathology, and metabolism. In addition, more targeted screens, informed by the abnormalities observed in mice in which genes in proximity to the investigated elements had been altered, also failed to reveal notable abnormalities. These results, while not inclusive of all the possible phenotypic impact of the deleted sequences, indicate that extreme sequence constraint does not necessarily reflect crucial functions required for viability.
Torsional Fatigue and the Initiation Mechanism of Pilling

Torsional fatigue studies in polyester fibers have revealed that the fracture morphology of ruptured fiber surfaces is influenced by the level of torsional strain amplitude. At relatively high strain ampli tude the mechanism of fracture seems to be governed by the propagation of a single large crack. However, at low strain amplitudes, the fibers exhibit a slow and gradual breakdown of structure, starting with the surface layers. The surface morphology and the fracture phenomenon observed in the later case essentially resemble what happens in the formation of pills from polyester fibers in garments.
Fine‐needle aspiration cytology of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma utilizing ThinPrep® liquid‐based sample and cytospin preparations: A case confirmed by FKHR break apart rearrangement by FISH probe

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common childhood sarcoma that occurs in the soft tissues of the head and neck, genitourinary system, and extremities. While this tumor may also be seen in young adults, it is distinctly unusual to see this neoplasm beyond the fifth decade. The use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probes on fine-needle aspiration material for chromosomal analysis to detect chromosomal translocations are not well established. Herein we present a case of metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma originating in the nasal sinus and recurring in the neck of an adult man 5 yr after his initial presentation. The ThinPrep® smear demonstrated isolated malignant tumor cells similar to his previous histologic material. The cytologic findings of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma were confirmed utilizing a dual color break apart FISH probe which identified the FKHR translocation on the cytospin preparation prepared from a ThinPrep® vial and processed as a cytospin preparation. In addition to routine and immunocytologic staining, we demonstrate that aspirated tumor cells can be analyzed using a FISH probe to identify specific chromosomal abnormalities. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2006;34:704–706. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Visible and Infrared Remote Imaging of Hazardous Waste: A Review

One of the critical global environmental problems is human and ecological exposure to hazardous wastes from agricultural, industrial, military and mining activities. These wastes often include heavy metals, hydrocarbons and other organic chemicals. Traditional field and laboratory detection and monitoring of these wastes are generally expensive and time consuming. The synoptic perspective of overhead remote imaging can be very useful for the detection and remediation of hazardous wastes. Aerial photography has a long and effective record in waste site evaluations. Aerial photographic archives allow temporal evaluation and change detection by visual interpretation. Multispectral aircraft and satellite systems have been successfully employed in both spectral and morphological analysis of hazardous wastes on the landscape and emerging hyperspectral sensors have permitted determination of the specific contaminants by processing strategies using the tens or hundreds of acquired wavelengths in the solar reflected and/or thermal infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. This paper reviews the literature of remote sensing and overhead imaging in the context of hazardous waste and discusses future monitoring needs and emerging scientific research areas.
The Development and Longitudinal Test of a Model of Organizational Identification

This study proposed and tested a theoretical model of the organizational identification process using a sample (N= 198) of electric utility employees. Based upon a longitudinal design, results indicated that the antecedents of perceived role-related characteristics and construed external image were related to employees' identification with their organization, while perceived motivating job characteristics were not. Additionally, organizational identification was positively related to the employees' intention to remain within the organization. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
A noise-reducing 0.48 nJ/bit interference-robust non-coherent energy detection IR-UWB receiver for wireless sensor networks

A non-coherent interference-tolerant energy detection (ED) IR-UWB receiver with a front-end noise reduction technique is presented. By relaxing the LNA noise requirement, a reduction in power consumption is achieved without sacrificing performance. The fabricated prototype in a 130 nm CMOS process operating with a supply voltage of 1.2 V, achieves the best energy efficiency of 0.48 nJ/bit for ED receivers reported to date. This energy efficiency is maintained across a wide data rate range of 0.1-25 Mb/s. In-band and out-of-band narrowband interferers as strong as -61 dBm and -42 dBm, respectively, can be tolerated to achieve a BER of 10-3. The measured sensitivity is -82 dBm.
Traveling Salesperson Problems for the Dubins Vehicle

In this paper, we study minimum-time motion planning and routing problems for the Dubins vehicle, i.e., a nonholonomic vehicle that is constrained to move along planar paths of bounded curvature, without reversing direction. Motivated by autonomous aerial vehicle applications, we consider the traveling salesperson problem for the Dubins vehicle (DTSP): given n points on a plane, what is the shortest Dubins tour through these points, and what is its length? First, we show that the worst-case length of such a tour grows linearly with n and we propose a novel algorithm with performance within a constant factor of the optimum for the worst-case point sets. In doing this, we also obtain an upper bound on the optimal length in the classical point-to-point problem. Second, we study a stochastic version of the DTSP where the n targets are randomly and independently sampled from a uniform distribution. We show that the expected length of such a tour is of order at least n 2/3 and we propose a novel algorithm yielding a solution with length of order n 2/3 with probability one. Third and finally, we study a dynamic version of the DTSP: given a stochastic process that generates target points, is there a policy that guarantees that the number of unvisited points does not diverge over time? If such stable policies exist, what is the minimum expected time that a newly generated target waits before being visited by the vehicle? We propose a novel stabilizing algorithm such that the expected wait time is provably within a constant factor from the optimum.
Publishing naive Bayesian classifiers: privacy without accuracy loss

We address the problem of publishing a Naive Bayesian Classifier (NBC) or, equivalently, publishing the necessary views for building an NBC, while protecting privacy of the individuals who provided the training data. Our approach completely preserves the accuracy of the original classifier, and thus significantly improves on current approaches, such as randomization or anonymization, which typically degrade accuracy to preserve privacy. Current query-view security checkers address the question of 'Is the view safe to publish?' and are computationally expensive (often Πp2-complete). Here instead, we tackle the question of 'How to make a view safe to publish?' and propose a linear-time algorithm to publish safe NBC-enabling views.We first show that a simple measure that restricts the ratios between the published NBC statistics is sufficient to prevent any breach of privacy. Then, we propose a linear-time algorithm to enforce this measure by producing perturbed statistics that assure both (i) individuals' privacy, and (ii) a classifier that behaves in the same way as the NBC trained on the original data. By carefully expressing the derived statistics using rational numbers, we can easily produce synthetic (sanitized) datasets. Thus, for any given dataset, we produce another dataset that is secure to publish (w.r.t. a uniform prior) and achieves the same classification accuracy. Finally, we extend our results by providing sufficient conditions to cope with arbitrary (non-uniform prior) distributions, and we validate their effectiveness in practice through experiments on real-world data.
Model-based analysis of deep brain stimulation of the thalamus

High-frequency (/spl sim/150 Hz) deep brain stimulation (DBS) represents a rapidly emerging therapy in the treatment of medically refractory movement disorders. However, fundamental questions remain about the effects of DBS at both the single cell and network levels. We determined the effects of high frequency stimulation of the thalamus using the combination of a finite element model of the DBS electrode, a multi-compartment cable model of a thalamocortical relay neuron, and a large-scale neural network model of the thalamocortical system. The results show that DBS has an excitatory effect on neural elements near the electrode, and this thalamic excitation results in increased cortical activity. This study supports the hypothesis of excitation-induced changes in network activity as a therapeutic mechanism of DBS.
The relationship of soluble ICAM-1, VCAM-1, P-selectin and E-selectin to cardiovascular disease risk factors in healthy men and women

Background : Clinical studies have shown that elevated serum concentrations of cell adhesion molecules such as inter-cellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin (ESEL) and P-selectin (PSEL) may be independent risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Less is known of the relationship of these inflammatory markers with established CVD risk factors in healthy individuals, particularly women. Objective : The aim of this study was to examine cross-sectional relationships between the concentrations of soluble adhesion molecules (sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, sPSEL and sESEL) and smoking behaviour, body composition, blood pressure, serum lipids and physical activity in a large sample of healthy men and women, with special emphasis on interactions between smoking and other CVD risk factors. Subjects : The analysis included 592 healthy white adults aged 18-82 years. Results : There were no sex differences in the concentrations of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sPSEL...
A Versatile Temperature-Controlled Reaction Cuvet

A thermostatted reaction cuvet, operating under computerized or manual temperature control in the ultraviolet or visible region, is described and evaluated. The cell was designed for use with the automated chemistry system described earlier [ Clin. Chem. 19, 1114 (1973)], but can readily be adapted for other applications. The entire 3-ml cuvet assembly warms from ambient temperature to 37 °C in less than 10 min, with ±0.15 °C stability; the long-term stability is ±0.05 °C; temperature recovery time after washing or reagent addition is less than 3 min. The optical pathlength is 10.00 mm and the carryover volume is 18 µl.
Why Outlet Stores Exist: Averting Cannibalization in Product Line Extensions

Outlet stores offer attractive prices at locations far from central shopping districts. They form a large and growing component of many firms' retailing strategies, particularly in the fashion industry. I use a structural demand model to show that consumers are segmented according to their sensitivity to travel distance and taste for product newness. I then develop a supply model to predict product development responses to changes in store locations. Through policy simulations, I discover that the firm uses outlet stores to serve lower-value consumers who self-select by traveling to outlet stores from central shopping districts. The firm sells older, less desirable merchandise through outlet stores to prevent cannibalization of regular store revenues by means of exploiting the positive correlation between consumers' travel sensitivity and taste for new products. I find that the rate of new product introduction in regular stores would fall by 16% if outlet stores were closed down, while variable profits would decline by 23%. These results imply that the existence of outlet stores may enable firms to improve quality in their regular channels, thus counteracting brand dilution effects. Data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2017.1031 .
Palmitic Acid Increases Enac Expression and Contributes to Insulin Resistance in Renal Distal Tubule

Insulin resistance and obesity are two conditions associated with hypertension. Although the causes of hypertension are likely to be multifactorial, dysregulation of renal distal tubule sodium reabsorption may play a role. It has been shown that insulin increases sodium reabsorption in the distal tubule through the increased expression of epithelial sodium channels (ENaC); and obesity has been shown to cause insulin resistance in various tissues. Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are insulin-sensitizing drugs whose use can be limited by a side effect of fluid-retention leading to edema and congestive heart failure. We set out to determine if the expression of ENaC in distal tubule cells, as modeled by the A6 (frog nephron) cells, became resistant to insulin following exposure to various concentrations of free-fatty acids (FFAs). We then set out to determine if TZDs had an insulin-sensitizing effect on distal tubule cells in both a FFA naive environment and after being exposed to FFAs. We exposed monolayers of A6 nephron cells to palmitic acid (PA) in concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mM. After an incubation time of 20 hours we stimulated the cells with insulin. Measuring the cells with equivalent short-circuit current we found that as the PA concentration increased from 0 to 0.5 mM there was an increase in current (Isc), implying an increase in ENaC activity, followed by a marked decrease in Isc at PA concentrations of 1 mM or greater. Consistent with an increase in Isc, the calculated transepithelial resistance decreased with 0.25 and 0.5 mM PA, however, at higher concentrations of PA we observed a marked drop in resistance, implying probable apoptosis. After insulin treatment we found that in control cells (0 mM PA) the Isc increased 100% whereas with increasing concentrations of PA, there was a smaller fractional increase of 46%, 12% and 0% at 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mM PA, respectively. After verifying that PPARα, β, and γ were expressed in these cells we treated A6 cells with 10 μM of Rosiglitazone (PPARg agonist) or 3 mM of Clofibrate (PPARa agonist). We found there was no change in Isc following exposure to these drugs. We next pretreated the cells with both 0.5 mM PA with Clofibrate or Rosiglitazone. Again, there was no statistically-significant difference between these conditions. Overall we found that exposure to PA caused resistance to the insulin induced ENaC expression in A6 cells; at small concentrations of PA there was increased base-line ENaC expression but higher concentrations were toxic to the cells. We also found that TZDs did not have any effect on ENaC expression at base-line, with insulin, or with exposure to PA.
NIPBL Controls RNA Biogenesis to Prevent Activation of the Stress Kinase PKR

NIPBL, a cohesin loader, has been implicated in transcriptional control and genome organization. Mutations in NIPBL, cohesin, and its deacetylase HDAC8 result in Cornelia de Lange syndrome. We report activation of the RNA-sensing kinase PKR in human lymphoblastoid cell lines carrying NIPBL or HDAC8 mutations, but not SMC1A or SMC3 mutations. PKR activation can be triggered by unmodified RNAs. Gene expression profiles in NIPBL-deficient lymphoblastoid cells and mouse embryonic stem cells reveal lower expression of genes involved in RNA processing and modification. NIPBL mutant lymphoblastoid cells show reduced proliferation and protein synthesis with increased apoptosis, all of which are partially reversed by a PKR inhibitor. Non-coding RNAs from an NIPBL mutant line had less m(6)A modification and activated PKR activity in vitro. This study provides insight into the molecular pathology of Cornelia de Lange syndrome by establishing a relationship between NIPBL and HDAC8 mutations and PKR activation.
Conference Navigator 3: An Online Social Conference Support System

In this poster we introduce Conference Navigator 3, an online social system that helps conference attendees in selecting the talks most relevant to their interests, and it also supports them in exploring and building their research contacts' network. In particular, we show how some features that we have progressively incorporated in different conferences have significantly increased user participation.
Displacement of the monophagous grasshopper, Hypochlora alba (Dodge) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), in a patchy environment

During the summer of 1982, individuals of the monophagous grasshopper, Hypochlora alba (Dodge), third instar through adult, were marked and released in a mapped patch of their host plant, Artemisia ludoviciana Nuttall. Recapture data indicate that displacement tended to increase with age and lacked a detectable directional component. The greatest daily displacement was ca. 3 m for both fifth instars and adults, a value much lower than those found for several other species. There were no significant differences in displacement between adults of the two sexes. Ninety-two percent of recaptures occurred on the host plant. No marked individuals were found in an adjacent patch of the host plant 8 m away, suggesting that local populations remain isolated despite close proximity.
Charge-Complementary-Ligands Directed Assembly of a Lithium Dimer into a Three-Dimensional Porous Framework

Lithium ion, the first and the lightest metallic element, has the potential to generate novel materials and properties when used in the construction of metal–organic frameworks. However, so far this potential remains underexplored. Existing materials design methods developed from heavier and higher-valent elements, while extensible to other elements of the same (and perhaps higher) oxidation states are of limited value to the lithium system. To address the unique structural chemistry of monovalent lithium ion, we previously reported a method based on charge-complementary neutral and mononegative N-donor ligands in an effort to mimic ZIF-like frameworks containing monomeric lithium nodes. In this work, we demonstrate the success of this strategy beyond monomeric lithium nodes to include dimeric [Li2]2+ clusters. In addition, we demonstrate the successful transitioning of this strategy away from pure N-donor-based ligand pairs into O-donor and mixed N,O-donor based ligand pairs.
Case 1: Hypoglycemia, Apnea, and Poor Feeding in a Term Infant

A term male infant born to a primigravida is referred 5 days after birth for recurrent hypoglycemia, hypotonia, difficulty feeding, and subtle dysmorphic features. The pregnancy was complicated by uterine fibroids and preeclampsia in the third trimester. A full fetal survey at 20 weeks’ gestational age was normal. The infant was born via emergent cesarean section for nonreassuring fetal heart tracing, and emerged depressed with a 1-minute Apgar score of 1 (heart rate of 60 beats per minute), but responded well to positive pressure ventilation (5-minute Apgar score of 8) and was subsequently admitted to the newborn nursery. During the first 2 hours after birth, he developed hypoglycemia, with a glucose concentration of 21 mg/dL (1.17 mmol/L) and difficulty feeding, as well as hypotonia, hypothermia, and desaturations. He was transferred to the special care nursery with suspected sepsis and transient hypoglycemia, and mild encephalopathy. He was treated with intravenous dextrose and his symptoms quickly resolved. He received antibiotics for 48 hours, and a blood culture was negative. He was discharged to the newborn nursery on full oral feeds with stable serum glucose concentrations on the fourth day after birth. Later that day, he was again hypotonic, unable to take oral feeds, and having multiple desaturation and apnea episodes. His serum glucose at that time was less than 20 mg/dL (1.11 mmol/L). Intravenous dextrose was restarted and he was admitted to the NICU. On admission, the infant’s weight was 2.86 kg (27%), length 51 cm (78%), and head circumference 33.5 cm (40%). He had a temperature of 97.2°F (36.2°C), heart rate of 114 beats per minute, respiratory rate of 46 breaths …
A patient with Cushing disease lateralizing a pituitary adenoma by inferior petrosal sinus sampling using desmopressin: a case report

A 14-year-old girl was referred for evaluation of the etiology of Cushing syndrome. During the previous 2 years, she had experienced weight gain, secondary amenorrhea, growth retardation, and back pain. Random serum cortisol level, 24-hour urinary free cortisol excretion, and overnight and low-dose dexamethasone suppression tests suggested Cushing syndrome. Midnight adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level and high-dose dexamethasone suppression test confirmed Cushing disease. Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging was suspicious for microadenoma. To eliminate ectopic ACTH syndrome, and lateralize the pituitary tumor, inferior petrosal sinus sampling (IPSS) was performed by desmopressin use to stimulate ACTH. Finally, the patient was diagnosed with Cushing disease due to ACTH-secreting pituitary microadenoma, lateralized to the left side; subsequently underwent transsphenoidal surgery. Here we report a case of a 14-year-old girl diagnosed with Cushing disease with a pituitary tumor lateralized by IPSS using desmopressin, which is very rare in pediatric Cushing disease.
Guidelines for screening for breast cancer. Is a revision in order

Screening women over the age of 50 for breast cancer has clearly been proven to be capable of reducing population mortality from breast cancer. Population based screening for women aged 40 to 49 has not been shown to be effective, and in several trials there is an early excess breast cancer mortality in the screened population. Because tumors tend to grow more rapidly in younger women than in older women, those trials performed at biannual intervals will detect only the intermediate and slower growing lesions. The more rapidly growing tumors will occur between screens. Furthermore, maintaining a high positive predictive value will lead to a lower sensitivity rate. If the screening interval is too long or the positive predictive value too high, the reassuring effect of a false-negative screening examination may contribute to delay in diagnosis beyond even the usual clinical detection threshold. This may cause more deaths in the study population than in the control population. Guidelines that take the various factors into account have been proposed.
The Vibrio cholerae ToxR Regulon Encodes Host-Specific Chemotaxis Proteins that Function in Intestinal Colonization

Virulence gene regulation in Vibrio cholerae is under the control of the ToxR-ToxT regulatory cascade. Chemotaxis and net motility have been shown to influence the infectivity of Vibrio cholerae. V. cholerae toxR mutants do not synthesize proteins required for chemotaxis towards mucus. The inability of the toxR mutant strain to recognize and swim towards mucus is due to their failure to synthesize AcfB, a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein. AcfB has previously been shown to be involved in intestinal colonization using the infant mouse model of cholera infection. Wild type V. cholerae recognizes galactose-6-sulfate in the capillary tube assay whereas V. cholerae acfB mutants fail to migrate into the capillary tubes. Vibrio strains carrying a mutation in tcpI, a ToxR regulated gene found within the Vibrio Pathogenicity Island (VPI), which encodes a methyl accepting chemotaxis protein are fully chemotactic towards mucus and galactose-6-sulfate.
The Tempest: ‘Something Rich and Strange’

No Shakespearean play uses music more extensively than The Tempest, widely regarded for more than one hundred and fifty years now as the final play Shakespeare wrote singlehandedly even though, as Stephen Orgel notes, there is no way to determine ‘chronological priority’ between it and The Winter’s Tale (1987, p. 63). The second of nine songs in The Tempest tells of changes being worked upon the body of Ferdinand’s father, drowned, he is certain, in the shipwreck he himself has just survived: Full fadom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes: Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange. (I.ii.399–404)
Thymic Carcinoma Management Patterns among International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group (ITMIG) Physicians with Consensus from the Thymic Carcinoma Working Group.

Abstract Introduction Thymic carcinomas are rare epithelial malignancies with limited data to guide management. Methods To identify areas of agreement and variability in current clinical practice, a 16-question electronic survey was given to members of the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group (ITMIG). Areas of controversy were discussed with the Thymic Carcinoma Working Group and consensus was achieved, as described. Results A total of 100 ITMIG members responded. There was general agreement regarding the role for multimodality therapy with definitive surgical resection in physically fit patients with advanced but resectable disease. Areas of controversy included the need for histologic confirmation before surgery, the role of adjuvant therapy, the optimal first-line chemotherapy regimen, and the recommended treatment course for marginally resectable disease with invasion into the great vessels, pericardium, and lungs. Conclusions The results of the questionnaire provide a description of the management of thymic carcinoma by 100 ITMIG members with a specific interest or expertise in thymic malignancies. Although there was agreement in some areas, clinical practice appears to vary significantly. There is a great need for collaborative research to identify optimal evaluation and treatment strategies. Given the need for multimodality therapy in many cases, a multidisciplinary discussion of the management of patients with thymic carcinoma is critical.