cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased Expression of Ifi202, an IFN-Activatable Gene, in B6.Nba2 Lupus Susceptible Mice Inhibits p53-Mediated Apoptosis

Increased expression of p202 protein (encoded by the Ifi202 gene) in splenocytes derived from B6.Nba2 mice (congenic for the Nba2 interval derived from the New Zealand Black mice) was correlated with defects in apoptosis of splenic B cells and increased susceptibility to develop systemic lupus erythematosus. We have now investigated the molecular mechanisms by which increased expression of p202 in B6.Nba2 cells contributes to defects in apoptosis. In this study, we report that increased expression of p202 in the B6.Nba2 splenocytes, as compared with cells derived from the parental C57BL/6 (B6) mice, was correlated with increased levels of p53 protein and inhibition of p53-mediated transcription of target genes that encode proapoptotic proteins. Conversely, knockdown of p202 expression in B6.Nba2 cells resulted in stimulation of p53-mediated transcription. We found that p202 bound to p53 in the N-terminal region (aa 44-83) comprising the proline-rich region that is important for p53-mediated apoptosis. Consistent with the binding of p202 to p53, increased expression of p202 in B6.Nba2 mouse embryonic fibroblasts inhibited UV-induced apoptosis. Taken together, our observations support the idea that increased expression of p202 in B6.Nba2 mice increases the susceptibility to develop lupus, in part, by inhibiting p53-mediated apoptosis.
Sputtered atom transport processes

It is noted that the transport of sputtered atoms can be described in terms of three pressure regimes: low pressure, where no collisions occur during the trajectory of the atom; intermediate pressure, where the atom undergoes perhaps several collisions but does not completely thermalize; and high pressure, where the sputtered atom effectively stops and begins a density-gradient-driven conventional gas-phase diffusion process. The intermediate region is the most complicated to model, given the dependence of the energy on the collision cross-section, the various distributions in energy and angle of the sputtered atoms, and the extended nature of most sputtering sources. Experimental studies reported here have measured the transport probability by observing the distribution of atoms around a chamber following sputtering. The transport is found to be quite dependent on the mass of both the sputtered atom and the background gas, as well as the particle density and geometry of the vacuum system. A strong effect of sputtered-atom-induced gas rarefaction has also been observed. This results in power-dependent transport of sputtered atoms, and as a result may also lead to power-dependent compositional variation in alloy depositions. The general result is that high discharge powers tend to correlate with lower power operation at a significantly lower operating pressure than had been assumed. >
Recessed-channel structure for fabricating ultrathin SOI MOSFET with low series resistance

A new recessed-channel SOI (RCSOI) technology has been developed for fabricating ultrathin SOI MOSFET's with low source/drain series resistance. Thin-film fully depleted SOI MOSFET's with channel film thickness of 72 nm have been fabricated with the RCSOI technology. The new structure demonstrated a 70% reduction in source/drain series resistance compared with conventional processes. In the deep-submicron region, more than 80% improvement in saturation drain current and transconductance over conventional devices was achieved using the RCSOI technology. The new technology would also facilitate the use of silicide for further reducing the series resistance. >
Expression of Sympathetic Nervous System Genes in Lamprey Suggests Their Recruitment for Specification of a New Vertebrate Feature

The sea lamprey is a basal, jawless vertebrate that possesses many neural crest derivatives, but lacks jaws and sympathetic ganglia. This raises the possibility that the factors involved in sympathetic neuron differentiation were either a gnathostome innovation or already present in lamprey, but serving different purposes. To distinguish between these possibilities, we isolated lamprey homologues of transcription factors associated with peripheral ganglion formation and examined their deployment in lamprey embryos. We further performed DiI labeling of the neural tube combined with neuronal markers to test if neural crest-derived cells migrate to and differentiate in sites colonized by sympathetic ganglia in jawed vertebrates. Consistent with previous anatomical data in adults, our results in lamprey embryos reveal that neural crest cells fail to migrate ventrally to form sympathetic ganglia, though they do form dorsal root ganglia adjacent to the neural tube. Interestingly, however, paralogs of the battery of transcription factors that mediate sympathetic neuron differentiation (dHand, Ascl1 and Phox2b) are present in the lamprey genome and expressed in various sites in the embryo, but fail to overlap in any ganglionic structures. This raises the intriguing possibility that they may have been recruited during gnathostome evolution to a new function in a neural crest derivative.
Burden of cirrhosis on older Americans and their families: analysis of the health and retirement study.

Prevalence of cirrhosis among older adults is expected to increase; therefore, we studied the health status, functional disability, and need for supportive care in a large national sample of individuals with cirrhosis. A prospective cohort of individuals with cirrhosis was identified within the longitudinal, nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Cirrhosis cases were identified in linked Medicare data via ICD-9-CM codes, and compared to an age-matched cohort without cirrhosis. Two primary outcome domains were assessed: 1) patients’ health status (perceived health status, comorbidities, healthcare utilization, and functional disability as determined by activities of daily living [ADLs] and instrumental activities of daily living [IADLs]), and 2) informal caregiving (hours of caregiving provided by a primary informal caregiver and associated cost). Adjusted negative binomial regression was used to assess the association between cirrhosis and functional disability. 317 individuals with cirrhosis and 951 age-matched comparators were identified. Relative to the comparison group, individuals with cirrhosis had worse self-reported health status, more comorbidities, and used significantly more health care services (hospitalizations, nursing home stays, physician visits; p<0.001 for all bivariable comparisons). They also had greater functional disability (p<0.001 for ADLs and IADLs), despite adjustment for covariates such as comorbidities and healthcare utilization. Individuals with cirrhosis received over twice the number of informal caregiving hours per week (p<0.001), at an annual cost of $4,700 per person. Conclusion Older Americans with cirrhosis have high rates of disability, health care utilization, and need for informal caregiving. Improved care coordination and caregiver support is necessary to optimize management of this frail population.
Localization of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Gag and Env at the Plasma Membrane by Confocal Imaging

Budding of lentiviruses occurs at the plasma membrane, but the preceding steps involved in particle assembly are poorly understood. Since the Gag polyprotein mediates virion assembly and budding, studies on the localization of Gag within the cell should provide insight into the mechanism of particle assembly. Here, we utilize biochemical fractionation techniques as well as high-resolution confocal imaging of live cells to demonstrate that Gag is localized at the plasma membrane in a striking punctate pattern. Mutation of the N-terminal myristoylation site results in the formation of large cytosolic complexes, whereas mutation of the N-terminal basic residue cluster in the matrix domain redirects the Gag protein to a region partially overlapping the Golgi apparatus. In addition, we show that Gag and Env colocalize at the plasma membrane and that mistargeting of a mutant Gag to the Golgi apparatus alters the pattern of surface expression of Env.
MICROTUBULE DYNAMICS AND ORGANIZATION IN THE PLANT CORTICAL ARRAY

Live-cell studies have brought fresh insight into the organizational activities of the plant cortical array. Plant interphase arrays organize in the absence of a discrete microtubule organizing center, having plus and minus ends distributed throughout the cell cortex. Microtubule nucleation occurs at the cell cortex, frequently followed by minus-end detachment from origin sites. Microtubules associate tightly with the cell cortex, resisting lateral and axial translocation. Slow, intermitant loss of dimers from minus ends, coupled with growth-biased dynamic instability at the plus ends, results in the migration of cortically attached microtubules across the cell via polymer treadmilling. Microtubule-microtubule interactions, a direct consequence of treadmilling, result in polymer reorientation and creation of polymer bundles. The combined properties of microtubule dynamics and interactions among polymers constitute a system with predicted properties of self-organization.
Effects of occupational therapy services on fine motor and functional performance in preschool children.

Purpose This study examined how performance components and variables in intervention influenced fine motor and functional outcomes in preschool children. Method In a sample of 44 preschool-aged children with fine motor delays who received occupational therapy services, eight fine motor and functional performance assessments were administered at the beginning and end of the academic year. Data on the format and intervention activities of each occupational therapy session were recorded for 8 months. Results The children received a mean of 23 sessions, in both individual and group format. Most of the sessions (81%) used fine motor activities; 29% addressed peer interaction, and 16% addressed play skills. Visual motor outcomes were influenced by the number of intervention sessions and percent of sessions with play goals. Fine motor outcomes were most influenced by the therapists' emphasis on play and peer interaction goals; functional outcomes were influenced by number of sessions and percent of sessions that specifically addressed self-care goals. Conclusion The influence of play on therapy outcomes suggests that a focus on play in intervention activities can enhance fine motor and visual motor performance.
Get With the Guidelines: A New Chapter?

For more than 25 years, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have collaborated on clinical practice guidelines in an effort to improve the quality of care in this country. Studies in the early 1990s showed that the medical therapy recommended by the guidelines was frequently not followed. Both organizations initiated programs to improve the implementation of guidelines, which focused on medical therapy in patients with known coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndromes, and congestive heart failure. However, there have been relatively little data regarding the implementation of guideline recommendations for revascularization.1 Article see p 267 In this issue of Circulation , Hannan et al2 have completed an important study on that subject. Using the resources of the New York State Cardiac Diagnostic Catheterization database, the authors examined the recommendations for revascularization made by the catheterization laboratory cardiologist in 10,333 patients for whom that physician was the final source of the recommendation. Their findings suggest that 94% of patients for whom percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was indicated by the guidelines were recommended for PCI, and that 93% of patients for whom either bypass surgery (CABG) or PCI was indicated by the guidelines were recommended for PCI. A more controversial finding from this study relates to patients for whom the ACC/AHA guidelines indicated CABG, inasmuch as only 53% of these patients were recommended for CABG by the catheterization laboratory cardiologist, and 34% of these patients were recommended for PCI. Of patients for whom neither CABG nor PCI was indicated by the guidelines, 6% were recommended for CABG, and 21% were recommended for PCI. Before we accept or interpret these findings, we must carefully review the authors’ methodology and the fundamental general limitations of guidelines. As the authors indicate, it is not easy to apply …
THE ATTITUDES OF MEN AND WOMEN CONCERNING GENDER DIFFERENCES IN GRIEF

Attitudes concerning gender and grief were investigated using a convenience sample of 106 men and women ages 23 to 82 years. Participants rated conjugal grief behaviors of target figures for sympathy and appropriateness on the Attitudes Toward Gender and Grief Scale, rated their own sex-role type on the Bem Sex Role Inventory, and provided demographic information and a brief grief history. Results from factor analysis of the Attitudes Toward Gender and Grief Scale showed evidence for the construct validity of the scale by yielding three factors: sympathy, appropriateness of instrumental grief, and appropriateness of intuitive grief. The hypothesis that factor analysis of the Attitudes Toward Gender and Grief Scale would show that vignettes describing gender-stereotypical grief behavior would load positively on factors for sympathy and appropriateness was not confirmed. However, the hypothesis that female participants would give more sympathy to grieving people than males was confirmed. Contrary to expectation, participants did not give female target figures more sympathy than male figures; women did not give the most sympathy to female target figures; and men did not give male target figures the least sympathy. As hypothesized, feminine sex-typed and androgynous participants gave more sympathy to grieving people than masculine sex-typed participants. Findings were discussed in terms of evolutionary, developmental, and sex-role socialization theories.
CoreDet: a compiler and runtime system for deterministic multithreaded execution

The behavior of a multithreaded program does not depend only on its inputs. Scheduling, memory reordering, timing, and low-level hardware effects all introduce nondeterminism in the execution of multithreaded programs. This severely complicates many tasks, including debugging, testing, and automatic replication. In this work, we avoid these complications by eliminating their root cause: we develop a compiler and runtime system that runs arbitrary multithreaded C/C++ POSIX Threads programs deterministically. A trivial non-performant approach to providing determinism is simply deterministically serializing execution. Instead, we present a compiler and runtime infrastructure that ensures determinism but resorts to serialization rarely, for handling interthread communication and synchronization. We develop two basic approaches, both of which are largely dynamic with performance improved by some static compiler optimizations. First, an ownership-based approach detects interthread communication via an evolving table that tracks ownership of memory regions by threads. Second, a buffering approach uses versioned memory and employs a deterministic commit protocol to make changes visible to other threads. While buffering has larger single-threaded overhead than ownership, it tends to scale better (serializing less often). A hybrid system sometimes performs and scales better than either approach individually. Our implementation is based on the LLVM compiler infrastructure. It needs neither programmer annotations nor special hardware. Our empirical evaluation uses the PARSEC and SPLASH2 benchmarks and shows that our approach scales comparably to nondeterministic execution.
Immigration and family separation in the U.S. at the turn of the twentieth century.

This essay provides the first quantitative and comparative estimates based on a nationally representative sample of the extent and duration of family separation associated with immigration to the U.S. at the turn of the century. It uses information from the Public Use Sample of the 1910 U.S. Census to examine the separation of husbands and wives and parents and children and compares the largest ethnic groups (British Irish Scandinavians Germans Poles Italians and Jews). Of those couples who were living together at the time of the 1910 census and who had married before immigration more than half immigrated in the same year. Children were often separated from their fathers but rather rarely from their mothers. Most separations of any kind were brief usually lasting less than two years. (EXCERPT)
Clinico-Radiological Profile of Pediatric Glioblastoma

Researchers at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India, studied the clinico-radiological profile, pathology, treatment and outcome of 65 pediatric patients (age < 18 years) with histopathologically proven diagnosis of intracranial glioblastoma.
Political Comedy Shows and Knowledge About Primary Campaigns: The Moderating Effects of Age and Education

Humorous coverage of political objects (e.g., political figures, issues, and events) is one of the central themes of political comedy shows (e.g., Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart). This is particularly true during presidential campaigns. Many people, particularly young people, claim to watch such programs regularly. This study examined the relationship between exposure to political comedy shows and political knowledge during the 2000 and 2004 primary campaigns. The results indicated that age and education had modest interactive effects with such exposure on campaign knowledge.
Abstract 42: A Novel Role of Proximal Tubular Na+/H+ Exchanger 3 (NHE3) in Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension in Nhe3-/- Mice with Transgenic Rescue of NHE3 in Intestines

The Na +/ H + Exchanger 3 (NHE3) plays an important role in the regulation of Na + and HCO 3 - reabsorption in proximal tubules of the kidney, but its contribution to the renal mechanisms of angiotensin II (ANG II)-induced hypertension remains unknown. Using global NHE3-deficient mice with transgenic rescue of the NHE3 gene in intestines (tg Nhe3 -/- ) as a model of proximal tubule-specific Nhe3 -/- mice, we tested the hypothesis that deletion of NHE3 selectively in proximal tubules impairs long-term blood pressure responses to extracellular and intracellular ANG II. Three groups of wild-type (tg Nhe3 +/+ ) and six groups of tg Nhe3 -/- mice (n=>8 per group) were treated with vehicle, ANG II (40 ng/min, i.p.), or in vivo adenovirus-mediated transfer of an intracellular ANG II fusion protein, ECFP/ANG II, for 2 weeks. Under basal conditions, tgNhe3 -/- mice had significantly lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) (tg Nhe3 +/+ : 119±3 mmHg vs. tg Nhe3 -/- : 109±3 mmHg, p Nhe3 +/+ : 148.7±13.0 vs. tg Nhe3 -/- : 83.9±5.1 μl/min, p Nhe3 +/+ : 1.25±0.15 vs. tg Nhe3 -/- : 0.68±0.10 ml, p + excretion (tg Nhe3 +/+ : 210.5.1±10.3 vs. tg Nhe3 -/- : 36.3±2.3 μmol, p + excretion (tg Nhe3 +/+ : 343.8±19.4 vs. tg Nhe3 -/- : 125.5±13.3 μmol, p +/+ : 303.4±26.9 vs. tg Nhe3 -/- : 397.7±27.2 pg/ml, p +/+ : 506±26.3 vs. tg Nhe3 -/- : 759.9±12.7 pg/ml, p + /HCO 3 - cotransporter and Na + /K + -ATPase proteins in proximal tubules ( p Nhe3 -/- mice. Deletion of NHE3 selectively in proximal tubules significantly attenuated the SBP responses to exogenous ANG II (tg Nhe3 +/+ : 50±3 vs. tg Nhe3 -/- : 33±5 mmHg, p Nhe3 +/+ : 18±3 vs. tg Nhe3 -/- : 6±2 mmHg, p Nhe3 -/- mice. 24 h urine and urinary Na + excretory responses to ANG II were also attenuated in these mice ( p
Surgical Intensive Care Considerations

So-called “surgical” patients are identifiable, and require a somewhat different nutritional approach than medical critical care patients. Disease onset is usually defined, by injury, operation, or acute disease such as pancreatitis or intestinal perforation. The injured patient is the prototype, but postoperative patients are quite similar. Both have an acute inflammatory response, mediated by the neuroendocrine system and the cytokine response. Sepsis is often present, as is hypermetabolism. Indirect calorimetry is particularly useful. Generally, injured patients should be started on nutrition support within 48 hours, as soon as resuscitation is complete. Elective surgical patients, assuming they are well-nourished to begin with, can wait for 5 to 7 days. Enteral nutrition is preferable. Parenteral nutrition is reserved for patients with acute intestinal failure, such as obstruction, gastrointestinal injury, or prolonged ileus. A number of conditions, in particular abdominal injuries, pancreatitis, short bowel syndrome, and enteric fistula, require individualized nutritional management.
Dewey's Theory of Knowledge

A central theme to be found in Dewey's writings is his criticism of theories of knowledge proposed throughout the history of West ern philosophy. None of the once familiar "isms," whether it be a variant of empiricism, rationalism, or idealism, escaped Dewey's scrutiny. And each in its turn proved to be unacceptable to Dewey, because it was found that each rested upon what Dewey referred to as "the philosophical fallacy," namely "the conversion of eventual functions into antecedent existence," or the fallacy of selective em phasis.1 Basically, this fallacy amounted for Dewey to the emphasis of one aspect of scientific inquiry to the exclusion of the rest, and taking the features characteristic of that aspect as paradigmatic for the purpose of accounting for knowledge. Thus, for example, advo cates of what Dewey called sensationalism*, for whom knowledge was to be explicated in terms of an immediate acquaintance with a perceptual given, emphasized an aspect of scientific inquiry, viz., that inquiry is engaged in only when some given situation is prob lematic, without regard to the fact that even those features of a problematic situation, which are taken to be given and stable fea tures for purposes of resolving the problem, are so taken only pro visionally, depending upon whether the ensuing inquiry is successful in resolving the problem at hand. The question remains, however, whether all the problems one would expect an adequate theory of knowledge to handle are in fact settled when scientific method itself is taken as paradigmatic for the purpose of accounting for knowledge. This is to ask whether instru mentalism, as Dewey conceived it, is itself an adequate theory of knowledge. I cannot attempt an exhaustive answer to this question here, if only because I cannot specify, nor am I confident that any one to date has specified, all the conditions of adequacy a theory of knowledge must meet. What I shall do instead is consider some criticisms raised against Dewey's instrumentalism which were in
Crop Loss Assessment Methods for the Cabbage Maggot (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) in Cabbage

Methods for evaluating insecticidal treatment effects against larvae of Hylemya brassicae (Weide-mann) on cabbage are discussed. The number of pupae and larvae associated with mature cabbage roots was a more sensitive indicator of treatment effects than the number of tunnels in mature cabbage roots. For newly transplanted cabbage, evaluations of treatment effects were based on calculating a roor damage index and recording the number of surviving plants. The root damage index was more sensitive in discerning treatment differences, but together with information on plant mortality, provided a useful technique for assessing crop loss.
Book Review: Pneumonia Essentials, 3rd edition. Burke A Cunha, editor. Physicians Press. 2010. Soft cover, illustrated, 413 pages, $24.95.

Pneumonia is one of the most frequently encountered clinical conditions in the hospital and in the ambulatory setting. Given pneumonia's wide variability in etiology, it is not surprising that challenges exist in every aspect of pneumonia management, from considerations of diagnosis, epidemiology,
Thermal Design and Characterization of Heterogeneously Integrated InGaP/GaAs HBTs

Flip-chip heterogeneously integrated n-p-n InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with integrated thermal management on wide-bandgap AlN substrates followed by GaAs substrate removal are demonstrated. Without thermal management, substrate removal after integration significantly aggravates self-heating effects, causing poor $I$ – $V$ characteristics due to excessive device self-heating. An electrothermal codesign scheme is demonstrated that involves simulation (design), thermal characterization, fabrication, and evaluation. Thermoreflectance thermal imaging, electrical-temperature sensitive parameter-based thermometry, and infrared thermography were utilized to assess the junction temperature rise in HBTs under diverse configurations. In order to reduce the thermal resistance of integrated devices, passive cooling schemes assisted by structural modification, i.e., positioning indium bump heat sinks between the devices and the carrier, were employed. By implementing thermal heat sinks in close proximity to the active region of flip-chip integrated HBTs, the junction-to-baseplate thermal resistance was reduced over a factor of two, as revealed by junction temperature measurements and improvement of electrical performance. The suggested heterogeneous integration method accounts for not only electrical but also thermal requirements providing insight into realization of advanced and robust III-V/Si heterogeneously integrated electronics.
A Fast Parallel Parsing Scheme for Massive PQDIF Files With Map-Reduce Model

To solve the problem of low parsing efficiency and long parsing time caused by massive power quality data interchange format(PQDIF) files in the present power quality monitoring system,a fast parsing scheme for massive PQDIF files based on cluster computing architecture was researched and implemented.Fast parallel parsing of the massive PQDIF files was realized in this scheme with Map-Reduce model.To improve operation efficiency,Map-Reduce model split the large-scale operation task of data sets into several subtasks and assign them to each compute node to process on the network.Programming via Java and C++,this scheme has a strong portability between heterogeneous platforms,and it also has a strong extensibility by increasing compute nodes to improve analytical efficiency.The reliability and practicality of this scheme are prosed through the test of parsing actual massive PQDIF files.
Protein calorie malnutrition in the hospitalized elderly.

Protein calorie malnutrition occurs frequently in hospitalized elderly patients and is usually secondary to an underlying disease. The diagnosis is difficult because PCM and the aging process cause similar reductions in muscle mass and immune and hematopoietic function. Nutritional therapy, usually enteral hyperalimentation by means of a nasogastric tube, should begin once the underlying disease process is stabilized. Prolonged nutritional support and intensive rehabilitation result in marked improvement in nutritional status.
New York Law School and the Crisis of September 11, 2001

New York Law School, an independent law school founded in 1891, stands in the Tribeca section of Manhattan about eight blocks from the site of the World Trade Center. On a mild, sunny Tuesday, September 11, 2001, students and a few faculty members and staff who had arrived early to get coffee before classes had an unobstructed view of the incomprehensible: a jetliner slamming full speed into the upper reaches of the north tower at 8:46 a.m., followed less than ten minutes later by a second suicide run at the south tower. Shortly after 9:00 a.m., our main switchboard was alerting callers with a message saying that the Law School was closed—the first non-weather-related term-time closing in our history.
Internal Inhibitions and Controls

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses internal inhibitions and controls. The issues related to internal inhibitions and controls are definitional issues wherein it is difficult to define internal controls and inhibitions because they are negative constructs. Moreover, since inhibitions are linked to values that vary from person to person, society to society, and period to period, the specific behaviors that are inhibited also differ. Internal inhibitions originated from psychological mechanisms and psychological factors. In physiological mechanisms every behavior is physiologically mediated. Physiological factors have an impact on internal prohibitions and controls irrespective of both internal prohibitions and controls, resulting from innate genetic pattern or from conditioning or learning. Theorists are addressing these two distinct issues: (1) the first is why some people in every society appear to have values that differ from that society's norms. (2) This is concerned with determining why so many people do not live up to their respective codes of values. For many reasons, personality researchers have not been eager to study controls and inhibitions.
Surface Modification of Biomaterials

Several surface modification approaches are employed for all classes of biomaterials to engineer biofunctionality at the material-tissue interface in order to modulate biological responses without altering material bulk properties. Surface modifications are classified into two general categories that include physicochemical modifications involving alterations to the atoms, compounds, or molecules on the surface, and surface coatings consisting of a different material from the underlying support. Physicochemical modifications include chemical reactions such as oxidation, reduction, silanization, and acetylation and also involve etching and mechanical roughening/polishing and patterning. Methods for generating surface texture could be grouped into approaches for engineering either roughness or topography. Surface roughness indicates a random or complex pattern of features of varying amplitude and spacing, typically on a scale smaller than a cell, and surface topography refers to patterns of well-defined, controlled features on the surface. Overcoating alterations comprise grafting (including tethering of biomolecules), noncovalent and covalent coatings, and thin film deposition. Common noncovalent coating methods are solvent-casting, and vapor deposition of metals, parylene, and carbons. Covalent coating methodologies rely on direct tethering of overcoats onto the base material to improve film stability and adherence. Radiation grafting, both with ionizing radiation and high-energy electron beams, and photografting are extensively employed to modify polymer substrates in order to introduce chemically reactable groups into inert hydrophobic polymers and polymerize overcoats onto the base support.
Unintended Consequences of Expanding the Genetic Alphabet

The base pair d5SICS·dNaM was recently reported to incorporate and replicate in the DNA of a modified strain of Escherichia coli, thus making the world’s first stable semisynthetic organism. This newly expanded genetic alphabet may allow organisms to store considerably more information in order to translate proteins with unprecedented enzymatic activities. Importantly, however, there is currently no knowledge of the photochemical properties of d5SICS or dNaM—properties that are central to the chemical integrity of cellular DNA. In this contribution, it is shown that excitation of d5SICS or dNaM with near-visible light leads to efficient trapping of population in the nucleoside’s excited triplet state in high yield. Photoactivation of these long-lived, reactive states is shown to photosensitize cells, leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species and to a marked decrease in cell proliferation, thus warning scientists of the potential phototoxic side effects of expanding the genetic alphabet.
A Nationwide Survey of Prostate Specific Antigen Based Screening and Counseling for Prostate Cancer

Abstract Introduction Controversy surrounds prostate specific antigen screening following the 2012 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force grade D recommendation. There is limited evidence evaluating patterns of prostate specific antigen counseling and patient perceptions of the prostate specific antigen test since 2012. We evaluated the association between prostate cancer screening counseling and patient sociodemographic factors in a nationally representative sample. Methods Using data from the 2013 Health Information National Trends Survey we identified 768 male respondents age 40 to 75 years without a prior prostate cancer diagnosis. Using logistical regression we assessed trends in prostate cancer screening, counseling and prostate specific antigen use. Results Overall 54.1% of respondents reported ever having a prostate specific antigen test. Men undergoing prostate specific antigen testing were more likely to have had a prior cancer diagnosis other than prostate cancer (OR 3.93, 95% CI 1.19–12.94) and to have had at least some college education (OR 11.35, 95% CI 3.29–39.04). Men 40 to 49 years old had decreased odds of undergoing prostate specific antigen testing compared to men 50 to 69 years old (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.10–0.39). History of cancer (OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.19–5.26) was associated with greater odds of being counseled on the potential adverse effects of prostate cancer treatment. Younger men (age 40 to 49 years) had decreased odds of discussing the prostate specific antigen test with a health care professional (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.16–0.62) and being informed of the controversy surrounding prostate specific antigen screening (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13–0.95). Conclusions We show that certain men receive substantially different prostate specific antigen screening counseling, which may impact shared patient-provider decision making before prostate specific antigen counseling.
Improved Engraftment of Bone Marrow and Mobilized Peripheral Blood Stem Cells in a Fanconi Anemia Murine Model.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetic syndrome characterized by development of progressive bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition. The difficulty in harvesting FA HSC and their fragility during subsequent in vitro manipulations has proven a confounding factor in attempted gene therapy of this disease. Mobilization of HSC/P in FA patients is poor (Croop et al . Blood, 2001) probably due to HSC deficiency. We have previously shown that the genetic deletion of the Rac GTPases 1 and 2 results in an increase in circulating hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors (HSC/P) (Gu et al . Science 2003). In addition, administration of a single dose of a small molecule inhibitor of Rac GTPases, NSC23766, results in a transient mobilization of engraftable stem cells (Cancelas et al . Nat. Med., 2005). Here, we analyzed the role of NSC23766 in mobilizing HSC/P in FA A ( Fanca − / −) mice (Cheng et al ., Hum. Mol. Genet., 2000; kindly provided by M. Grompe, OHSU). First, we validated that this murine model of FA demonstrated a stem cell phenotype by a competitive repopulation assay of BM HSC. We found that Fanca − / − HSC contribute decreased chimerism in short-term engraftment (52.6 ± 2.6% donor engraftment) compared to wild-type (WT) controls (63.8 ± 1.0%, respectively, p Fanca −/ − HSC/P at sixteen-hours post infusion was not impaired (7.0% in BM and 6.1% in spleen) compared to WT mice (7.8% in BM and 5.4% in spleen) and there was no difference in expression of CXCR4, a 4 -integrin, a 5 -integrin and L-selectin between Lin − /c-kit + /Sca-1 + BMC and mobilized PBC derived from Fanca − / − and WT mice, also supporting an intrinsic HSC defect. We then analyzed the ability of NSC23766, alone or in combination with G-CSF, to mobilize HSC. We observed that Fanca − / − mice also show an impaired mobilization response to G-CSF administration (200 mcg/Kg/day for five days), which can be partially rescued by administering a single dose of NSC23766, 6 hours before peripheral blood harvest (Table1). We additionally demonstrated the impaired engraftment of in vitro manipulated Fanca −/ − BMC in a competitive transplant assay. This engraftment defect could be completely ameliorated by treatment with Diprotin A (5.9±2.0% donor engraftment untreated vs. 12.0±4.4% treated; p value = 0.01). Diprotin A is an inhibitor of CD26 peptidase which has been shown to cleave SDF1alpha/CXCL12. The combined use of G-CSF and NSC23766 may constitute a future novel approach to induce mobilization of Fanconi anemia HSC and, when coupled with Diprotin A treatment, could act to enhance the engraftment of cells undergoing genetic correction.
Reward gain model describes cortical use-dependent plasticity

Consistent repetitions of an action lead to plastic change in the motor cortex and cause shift in the direction of future movements. This process is known as use-dependent plasticity (UDP), one of the basic forms of the motor memory. We have recently demonstrated in a physiological study that success-related reinforcement signals could modulate the strength of UDP. We tested this idea by developing a computational approach that modeled the shift in the direction of future action as a change in preferred direction of population activity of neurons in the primary motor cortex. The rate of the change follows a modified temporal difference reinforcement learning algorithm, in which the learning policy is based on comparison between what reward the population experiences on a particular trial, and what it had expected on the basis of its previous learning. By using this model, we were able to characterize the nature of learning and retention of UDP. Exploring the relationship between reinforcement and UDP constitutes a crucial step toward understanding the basic blocks involved in the formation of motor memories.
Exploring the Mechanism of Microtubule Depolymerization by the Kinesin 13 KLP10A and it's Phosphoregulation

Kinesins-13s are non-motile molecular motors that regulate microtubule (MT) dynamics by promoting MT depolymerization activity at the MT tips. We have used cryo-electron microscopy and functional assays to investigate the mechanism of action and regulation of the Drosophila melanogaster kinesin-13 KLP10A. Previous work has shown that phosphorylation of serine 573 in the KLP10A motor domain down regulates depolymerization activity. We have obtained cryo-EM sub-nanometer resolution maps of constructs that include the KLP10A motor and N-terminal neck domains bound to MTs and to tubulin depolymerization intermediates. Comparison of these structures revealed key features of the depolymerization process. To study the down-regulation mechanism by phosphorylation we have combined a variety of cell biology and biophysical methods and compared the behavior of phosphomutant (S573E) and wild-type (WT) KLP10A. Surprisingly, we found that the binding affinity and ATPase activity stimulated by curved tubulin polymers (mimicking MT ends) of WT-KLP10A and S573E-KLP10A were relatively similar (kcat of 1.8 s−1 and 2.5 s−1 respectively). In contrast, we found significant differences in their MT-lattice stimulated ATPases (kcat of 0.56 s−1 and 0.14 s−1 respectively). We also found that the mutant S573E had shorter residence time relative to WT (τ of 5 s and 28 s respectively) while undergoing one-dimensional diffusion over the MT lattice. These results suggest a model in which phosphorylation of S573 reduce KLP10 MT depolymerization activity by decreasing the probability of reaching the MT ends by one dimensional diffusion. Consistent with this model we found by fluorescent live cell imaging that KLP10A-S573E MRFP labeled constructs accumulate significantly less at the tip of growing MTs than WT-KLP10A MRFP labeled constructs.
Microplasma-Induced in Situ Formation of Patterned, Stretchable Electrical Conductors

We report a microplasma-based process to fabricate stretchable, electrically conductive metal patterns from metal-cation containing polymers. The technique is compatible with prestraining strategies, allowing films to remain conductive with almost no drop in resistance up to 35% strain. We show that the stretchability of the films is related to uniform strain delocalization which is made possible by how the metallized layer is formed in situ, growing from within the polymer matrix rather than by deposition, to create a quasi-monolithic structure without a well-defined metal–polymer interfacial boundary.
Magnetic Structure of Density Matrices

The spin structure of wave functions is reflected in the magnetic structure of the one-particle density matrix. Indeed, for single determinants we can use either one to determine the other. In this work we discuss how one can simply examine the one-particle density matrix to faithfully determine whether the spin magnetization density vector field is collinear, coplanar, or noncoplanar. For single determinants, this test suffices to distinguish collinear determinants which are eigenfunctions of Sn from noncollinear determinants which are not. We also point out the close relationship between noncoplanar magnetism on the one hand and complex conjugation symmetry breaking on the other. Finally, we use these ideas to classify the various ways single determinant wave functions break and respect symmetries of the Hamiltonian in terms of their one-particle density matrix.
Documentation of e-cigarette use and associations with smoking from 2012 to 2015 in an integrated healthcare delivery system.

It is unclear whether use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) precedes cigarette smoking initiation, relapse, and/or quitting. Healthcare systems with electronic health records (EHRs) provide unique data to examine ENDS use and changes in smoking. We examined the incidence of ENDS use (2012-2015) based on clinician documentation and tested whether EHR documented ENDS use is associated with twelve-month changes in patient smoking status using a matched retrospective cohort design. The sample was Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) patients aged ≥12 with documented ENDS use (N = 7926); 57% were current smokers, 35% former smokers, and 8% never-smokers. ENDS documentation incidence peaked in 2014 for current and former smokers and in 2015 for never-smokers. We matched patients with documented ENDS use to KPNC patients without documented ENDS use (N = 7926) on age, sex, race/ethnicity, and smoking status. Documented ENDS use predicted the likelihood of smoking in the following year. Among current smokers, ENDS use was associated with greater odds of quitting smoking (OR = 1.17, 95%CI = 1.05-1.31). Among former smokers, ENDS use was associated with greater odds of smoking relapse (OR = 1.53, 95%CI = 1.22-1.92). Among never-smokers, ENDS use was associated with greater odds of initiating smoking (OR = 7.41, 95%CI = 3.14-17.5). The overall number of current smokers at 12 months was slightly higher among patients with (N = 3931) versus without (N = 3850) documented ENDS use. Results support both potential harm reduction of ENDS use (quitting combustibles among current smokers) and potential for harm (relapse to combustibles among former smokers, initiation for never-smokers).
THz performance of 1550-nm-driven photoconductive switches made from GaAs:Er with ErAs quantum dots

Ultrafast 1550-nm extrinsic photoconductivity in GaAs:Er makes it possible to fabricate THz photoconductive devices having performance comparable to GaAs:Er devices based on traditional 780-nm intrinsic photoconductivity. This paper addresses the effect of Er doping concentration and its associated ErAs quantum-dot formation on THz device performance, focusing on photoconductive switches.
Muscle Functional Morphology in Paleobiology: The Past, Present, and Future of “Paleomyology”

Our knowledge of muscle anatomy and physiology in vertebrates has increased dramatically over the last two-hundred years. Today, much is understood about how muscles contract and about the functional meaning of muscular variation at multiple scales. Progress in muscle anatomy has profited from the availability of broad comparative samples, advances in microscopy have permitted comparisons at increasingly finer scales, and progress in muscle physiology has profited from many carefully designed and executed experiments. Several avenues of future work are promising. In particular, muscle ontogeny (growth and development) is poorly understood for many vertebrate groups. We consider which types of advances in muscle functional morphology are of use to paleobiologists. These are only a modest subset for muscle anatomy and a very small subset for muscle physiology. The relationship between muscle and bone - spatially and mechanically-is critical to any future advances in "paleomyology". Anat Rec, 301:538-555, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
RISK OF ADVERSE OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION SUBTYPES IN HEART FAILURE WITH PRESERVED EJECTION FRACTION

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk for adverse events in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), but it is currently unknown if differences exist in patients with paroxysmal versus sustained AF. We examined the risk of adverse outcomes
Symmetry from Asymmetry or Asymmetry from Symmetry

The processes of DNA replication and mitosis allow the genetic information of a cell to be copied and transferred reliably to its daughter cells. However, if DNA replication and cell division were always performed in a symmetric manner, the result would be a cluster of tumor cells instead of a multicellular organism. Therefore, gaining a complete understanding of any complex living organism depends on learning how cells become different while faithfully maintaining the same genetic material. It is well recognized that the distinct epigenetic information contained in each cell type defines its unique gene expression program. Nevertheless, how epigenetic information contained in the parental cell is either maintained or changed in the daughter cells remains largely unknown. During the asymmetric cell division (ACD) of Drosophila male germline stem cells, our previous work revealed that preexisting histones are selectively retained in the renewed stem cell daughter, whereas newly synthesized histones are enriched in the differentiating daughter cell. We also found that randomized inheritance of preexisting histones versus newly synthesized histones results in both stem cell loss and progenitor germ cell tumor phenotypes, suggesting that programmed histone inheritance is a key epigenetic player for cells to either remember or reset cell fates. Here, we will discuss these findings in the context of current knowledge on DNA replication, polarized mitotic machinery, and ACD for both animal development and tissue homeostasis. We will also speculate on some potential mechanisms underlying asymmetric histone inheritance, which may be used in other biological events to achieve the asymmetric cell fates.
Physiological variations in reproductive and metabolic features of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) bucks throughout the rutting season.

Abstract White-tailed deer farming is a growing industry in the United States, yet there is still a need to improve breeding practices in captive cervids. The objective of this study was to compare reproductive and somatic characteristics of white-tailed bucks early in the breeding season (September), at peak rut (December), and late breeding season (March). We hypothesized that reproductive parameters would improve at the peak of the breeding season. Young, mature bucks (n = 7–11, ages 2–3 yr) were anesthetized via projector with tiletamine-zolazepam and xylazine. Semen was collected by electroejaculation and evaluated for sperm output, motility, and morphology. The bulbourethral, vesicular, and prostate glands were measured by transrectal ultrasound. Body condition score, thoracic circumference, rump fat thickness, scrotal circumference, and testicular measurements were also recorded. Serum testosterone, estradiol, and IGF-I concentrations were measured. Body condition score and rump fat thickness were highest in September, intermediate in December, and lowest in March (p