cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Near-peer teaching programme for medical students.

Summary Background Near-peer teaching (NPT) is increasingly recognised as an effective method for teaching and learning within medical education. We describe a student-as-teacher programme developed for fourth-year students (MS4s) helping to deliver the second-year Respiratory Pathophysiology course at our medical school. Methods Twelve MS4s were paired with faculty members to co-teach one or two small group case-based sessions for second-year students (MS2s). Beforehand, MS4s attended an orientation session and workshop, reviewing skills and strategies for teaching effectively. Following each teaching session co-taught by MS4s, both MS4s and MS2s completed multiple-choice surveys evaluating the MS4's teaching skills and the experience overall. MS4s also wrote reflection essays describing their experiences. Faculty member co-teachers completed a 12-question feedback form for MS4s during the session. Results We received 114 post-session MS2 surveys, 13 post-session MS4 surveys and 13 post-session faculty staff evaluations. The majority of MS2s reported that MS4s enhanced their understanding of the material, and considered the quality of MS4 teaching to be ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. Nearly all of the MS4s enjoyed their experiences and believed that the programme improved their teaching skills. Time management was the most common challenge cited by both MS4s and faculty member co-teachers. Discussion These data demonstrate that NPT is valuable for both MS2s and MS4s: MS2s benefited from the social and cognitive congruence afforded by near-peer teachers, whereas MS4s used this experience to build and enhance their skills as educators. These results support the continued involvement of MS4s in this second-year course, as well as broadening the scope of and opportunities for student teaching at our medical school and beyond. Near-peer teaching is recognised as an effective method for teaching and learning within medical education
Effect of Intermittent Hypoxia on Breathing Stability in Individuals with Sleep Apnea

There is much speculation that respiratory motor long-term facilitation may have a significant impact on apnea severity in individuals with sleep apnea because this disorder is characterized by exposure to intermittent hypoxia, one stimulus known to initiate long-term facilitation. It has been suggested that activation of long-term facilitation may serve to mitigate apnea by facilitating minute ventilation and, perhaps more importantly, upper airway muscle activity. The less discussed but equally plausible situation is that exposure to intermittent hypoxia might ultimately lead to the promotion of apnea. There are at least two scenarios in which apnea might be promoted following exposure to intermittent hypoxia. In both scenarios, long-term facilitation of upper airway muscle activity is initiated but ultimately rendered ineffective because of muscle fatigue or the initiation of other forms of respiratory plasticity, more specifically progressive augmentation of the hypoxic ventilatory response. The primary goal of this chapter is to discuss whether the complex interactions of various forms of respiratory motor neuronal plasticity have a beneficial or a detrimental impact on breathing stability in individuals with sleep apnea. The overall conclusion is that exposure to intermittent hypoxia should not be considered exclusively beneficial or detrimental to breathing stability in individuals with sleep apnea. Rather, the beneficial or detrimental outcomes of exposure to intermittent hypoxia are likely dependent on a variety of circumstances and the complex interactions between various forms of respiratory motor plasticity.
Molecular Design of a Minimal Peptide Nanoparticle.

Nanoparticles are getting a great deal of attention in the rapidly developing field of nanomedicine. For example they can be used as drug delivery systems, for imaging applications, or as carriers for synthetic vaccines. Protein-based nanoparticles offer the advantage of biocompatibility and biodegradability thus avoiding some of the major toxicity concerns with nanoparticle associated approaches. Our group has developed self-assembling peptide/protein nanopartices (SAPNs) that are built up from two coiled-coil oligomerization domains joined by a linker region and used them to design subunit vaccines. For drug delivery approaches the SAPNs need to be as small as possible to avoid strong immune responses that could possibly even lead to anaphylaxis. Here we used a computational and biophysical approach to minimize the size of the SAPNs for their use as drug delivery system. We tested different charge distributions on the pentameric and trimeric coiled-coils in silico with molecular dynamics simulations to ...
Control of Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water: Case Studies of Alternative Disinfection Technologies

Chloramines have been used in water treatment since the early 1900s (Wolfe et al., 1984) and renewed interest in their use occurred in recent years since they represent a viable alternative for the control of trihalomethanes (THMs). Other advantages of using chloramines include increased residual stability, reduction in odor problems caused by chlorination, and the lowest cost among main alternatives (Wolfe et al., 1984).
Projected shifts in fish species dominance in Wisconsin lakes under climate change

Temperate lakes may contain both coolwater fish species such as walleye (Sander vitreus) and warmwater fish species such as largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Recent declining walleye and increasing largemouth bass populations have raised questions regarding the future trajectories and management actions for these species. We developed a thermodynamic model of water temperatures driven by downscaled climate data and lake-specific characteristics to estimate daily water temperature profiles for 2148 lakes in Wisconsin, US, under contemporary (1989-2014) and future (2040-2064 and 2065-2089) conditions. We correlated contemporary walleye recruitment and largemouth bass relative abundance to modeled water temperature, lake morphometry, and lake productivity, and projected lake-specific changes in each species under future climate conditions. Walleye recruitment success was negatively related and largemouth bass abundance was positively related to water temperature degree days. Both species exhibited a threshold response at the same degree day value, albeit in opposite directions. Degree days were predicted to increase in the future, although the magnitude of increase varied among lakes, time periods, and global circulation models (GCMs). Under future conditions, we predicted a loss of walleye recruitment in 33-75% of lakes where recruitment is currently supported and a 27-60% increase in the number of lakes suitable for high largemouth bass abundance. The percentage of lakes capable of supporting abundant largemouth bass but failed walleye recruitment was predicted to increase from 58% in contemporary conditions to 86% by mid-century and to 91% of lakes by late century, based on median projections across GCMs. Conversely, the percentage of lakes with successful walleye recruitment and low largemouth bass abundance was predicted to decline from 9% of lakes in contemporary conditions to only 1% of lakes in both future periods. Importantly, we identify up to 85 resilient lakes predicted to continue to support natural walleye recruitment. Management resources could target preserving these resilient walleye populations.
Coalescing stochastic processes in retrival from semantic memory

Semantic memory retrieval is one of the most fundamental cognitive functions in humans. It is not fully understood and researchers from various fields of science struggle to find a model that would correlate well with experimental results and help understanding the complex background processes involved. To study such a phenomenon we need a relevant experimental protocol which can isolate the basic cognitive functions of interest from other perturbations. A variety of existing medical tests can provide such information, and the one we analyze is the Category Fluency Test (CFT). It was originally designed to measure frontal brain lobe damages in injured patients, and it tests directly the semantic memory retrieval, which is affected in cases of injury but can be also influenced by dementia, Alzheimer syndrome, or just aging. This paper introduces a new paradigm in analysis of the temporal structure of CFT responses by utilizing coalescent stochastic process model. We believe that this particular model is relevant to how this cognitive function operates and can lead to a better understanding of the background processes. The method turns out to be better at separating the two cognitively different groups studied here than the Weibull model from our previous paper Meyer et al.(2012), and could potentially be used for early diagnostics of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Two other models, one based on the concept of Levy processes, and one related to the fractional Poisson model, are also explored.
Pleiotropic Effects of PCSK9 (Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9) Inhibitors?

Treatment with statins is the standard of care for individuals at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and has been shown to significantly reduce cardiovascular events across a wide range of pretreatment low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk. Further lowering of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) by adding ezetimibe to statin provides incremental benefit, but event rates among such optimally treated patients remain high. PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) is a serine protease that is secreted by the liver, binds to the LDL receptor, and directs the LDL receptor toward lysosomal degradation. Decreased availability of LDL receptors on the cell surface leads to decreased cellular LDL-C uptake and higher plasma LDL-C levels. The observation that PCSK9 loss-of-function mutations are associated with lifelong lower LDL-C levels and markedly decreased cardiovascular risk led to the development of monoclonal antibodies to PCSK9 that lower LDL-C by increasing LDL receptor expression on the cell surface and enhancing LDL-C clearance from plasma. These agents achieve LDL-C reductions of ≥50% to 60%, whether administered alone or in combination with a statin.1 Total …
Cardiovascular effects of fission neutron or 60Co γ exposure in the B6CF1 mouse.

In this study, the B6CF1 mice from the JANUS program at the Argonne National Laboratory were analyzed for increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality from 60Co γ ray or fission neutron exposures administered in either a single dose or protracted weekly doses. The data used for this study represent the last studies conducted at Argonne and have been archived for at least 15 years. CVD mortality increased in a dose-dependent manner from γ rays as well as from neutron exposures. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for neutrons is about 4 or 5. CVD mortality appeared to be enhanced when the dose was protracted, with a DDREF (dose and dose rate effectiveness factor) in the range of 0.4-0.45 for neutron and gamma ray exposure, respectively.
Thermodynamics of Protein Folding Studied by Umbrella Sampling along a Reaction Coordinate of Native Contacts

Spontaneous transitions between the native and non-native protein conformations are normally rare events that hardly take place in typical unbiased molecular dynamics simulations. It was recently demonstrated that such transitions can be well described by a reaction coordinate, Q, that represents the collective fraction of the native contacts between the protein atoms. Here we attempt to use this reaction coordinate to enhance the conformational sampling. We perform umbrella sampling simulations with biasing potentials on Q for two model proteins, Trp-Cage and BBA, using the CHARMM force field. Hamiltonian replica exchange is implemented in these simulations to further facilitate the sampling. The simulations appear to have reached satisfactory convergence, resulting in unbiased free energies as a function of Q. In addition to the native structure, multiple folded conformations are identified in the reconstructed equilibrium ensemble. Some conformations without any native contacts nonetheless have rather compact geometries and are stabilized by hydrogen bonds not present in the native structure. Whereas the enhanced sampling along Q reasonably reproduces the equilibrium conformational space, we also find that the folding of an α-helix in Trp-Cage is a slow degree of freedom orthogonal to Q and therefore cannot be accelerated by biasing the reaction coordinate. Overall, we conclude that whereas Q is an excellent parameter to analyze the simulations, it is not necessarily a perfect reaction coordinate for enhanced sampling, and better incorporation of other slow degrees of freedom may further improve this reaction coordinate.
Diagnosis and Management of Barrett’s Esophagus

There has been an increase in the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma in the USA since the 1970s. The goal of screening and surveillance endoscopy for Barrett’s esophagus was to identify and then subsequently treat the patients who are at the highest risk for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma. In general, the American GI societies, including the American Gastroenterological Society (AGA), American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), are in agreement with screening guidelines for Barrett’s esophagus. Screening should be considered for patients at higher risk for the development of esophageal cancer, and endoscopic screening has not been advocated for the general population. Non-dysplastic Barrett’s esophagus is most often followed with surveillance endoscopy and biopsies every 3–5 years. Since non-dysplastic Barrett’s esophagus has a low risk of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma, endoscopic treatment is not generally recommended. Endoscopic treatment with ablative therapy, mechanical therapy, or combination of both is recommended for patients with Barrett’s esophagus with confirmed low-grade dysplasia, high-grade dysplasia, and intramucosal carcinoma. After complete eradication of both intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia, patients should continue to have endoscopic surveillance to monitor for recurrence of disease.
Evaluation of the Guaiac Positive Patient

One of the more common encounters a physician must deal with is the presence of occult gastrointestinal blood loss. The prevalence may reach up to 1 in 20 adults. The detection of occult blood is important because a person may lose up to 150 ml of blood from the proximal gastrointestinal tract before producing overt melena [Schiff et al. Am J Med Sci 203:409, 1942]. Before proceeding further, an important distinction must be made between occult gastrointestinal blood loss and obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.
Migration is part of the human experience but is far from natural

Although migration has always been part of human behaviour, it isn't natural; rather, it is a necessary response to various forms of violence and adversity, says Heide Castaneda.
Self-control – the moral muscle

The capacity of the human mind to alter its own responses is one of the wonders of nature. It is a vital foundation for culture, progress, achievement, morality and individual success. This article provides an overview of a research programme that has been pursued for the past two decades. It has led the researchers to bring back the Victorian notion of willpower as a limited supply of energy that is used for control and self-discipline – and several other important phenomena, including making decisions. Self-control processes link together mind with body, present with future and past, resisting temptation with making choices, and a remarkably wide range of daily activities with each other.
Evaluation of nano- and mesoscale structural features in composite materials through hierarchical decomposition of the radial distribution function

Composite materials possessing both crystalline and amorphous domains, when subjected to X-ray and neutron scattering, generate diffraction patterns that are often difficult to interpret. One approach is to perform atomistic simulations of a proposed structure, from which the analogous diffraction pattern can be obtained for validation. The structure can be iteratively refined until simulation and experiment agree. The practical drawback to this approach is the significant computational resources required for the simulations. In this work, an alternative approach based on a hierarchical decomposition of the radial distribution function is used to generate a physics-based model allowing rapid interpretation of scattering data. In order to demonstrate the breadth of this approach, it is applied to a series of carbon composites. The model is compared with atomistic simulation results in order to demonstrate that the contributions of the crystalline and amorphous domains, as well as their interfaces, are correctly captured. Because the model is more efficient, additional structural refinement is performed to increase the agreement of the simulation result with the experimental data. The model achieves a reduction in computational effort of six orders of magnitude relative to simulation. The model can be generally extended to other composite materials.
Exploiting Immigrant Vulnerability

Immigrants are vulnerable to exploitation for numerous reasons: their lack of knowledge of the language, culture, resources (financial and family); their need for employment; their necessary reliance upon the representations of numerous officials, salesmen, employers, landlords, employment agents, lawyers, notaries; their distrust of the police and government officials; and their dependence upon their own people and their own banks.
Vortex Filaments and Where to Find Them

In this chapter, we will look at the different places that one might find vortex filaments. In later chapters, we will go more deeply into the analysis of these filaments.
Chapter 2 New directions: Sustainability in strategic air quality planning*

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the need of sustainability in strategic air quality planning. Sustainability is defined as meeting the current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Rather than a shortsighted approach to distribution of capital and opportunity, sustainability emphasizes equity over much longer, intergenerational time scales. While still a relatively new paradigm, support for the concepts inherent to sustainability is spreading. Current policies for meeting and maintaining ambient air quality standards, however, often fail to recognize these precepts. In the United States, the Clean Air Act and its amendments have traditionally provided a planning window on the order of only 5–10 years, with a maximum of 20. The relatively near-team provisions of these policies compound ignorance of the effects of current actions on future opportunities, which could, in turn, preclude a region from ever attaining clean air under current or future standards. Sustainability is relevant in the context of any system—climate, water resources, the economy, etc.—and while a truly holistic perspective may be difficult to attain, it is necessary if intergenerational progress is expected.
An animal model of psoriasis in mice deficient in epidermal Jun proteins.

Psoriasis is a frequent, inflammatory disease of skin and joints with considerable morbidity. Here we report that in psoriatic lesions, epidermal keratinocytes have decreased expression of JunB, a gene localized in the psoriasis susceptibility region PSORS6. Likewise, inducible epidermal deletion of JunB and its functional companion c-Jun in adult mice leads (within two weeks) to a phenotype resembling the histological and molecular hallmarks of psoriasis, including arthritic lesions. In contrast to the skin phenotype, the development of arthritic lesions requires T and B cells and signalling through tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1). Prior to the disease onset, two chemotactic proteins (S100A8 and S100A9) previously mapped to the psoriasis susceptibility region PSORS4, are strongly induced in mutant keratinocytes in vivo and in vitro. We propose that the abrogation of JunB/activator protein 1 (AP-1) in keratinocytes triggers chemokine/cytokine expression, which recruits neutrophils and macrophages to the epidermis thereby contributing to the phenotypic changes observed in psoriasis. Thus, these data support the hypothesis that epidermal alterations are sufficient to initiate both skin lesions and arthritis in psoriasis.
Symptomatic Treatment of Diarrhea With Bismuth Subsalicylate Among Students Attending a Mexican University

Students attending a Mexican university who developed diarrhea were randomly treated with bismuth subsalicylate or a placebo. One hundred and eleven were given 30 ml each 1/2 hr until eight doses (total dose of active drug 4.2 g) were given and 58 students received twice this dose (8.2 g of active drug) over the 3 1/2-hr treatment period. The number of unformed stools was significantly decreased in both bismuth subsalicylate treatment groups compared to the placebo controls for the period 4 to 24 hr after therapy. A reduction in diarrhea was additionally noted for the duration of the 48-hr surveillance period for the students receiving the higher dose of active drug. Subjective relief within 24 hr of therapy of the symptoms of diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain or cramps was reported with a significantly increased frequency in the bismuth subsalicylate group. The most pronounced effect of the treatment occurred in the United States students with diarrhea who had recently arrived in Mexico. This appeared to be related to the favorable effect of bismut subsalicylate on the course of toxigenic Escherichia coli infection. Students with shigellosis did not experience a prolonged illness in either treatment group.
A solid phase bacteria-powered biobattery for low-power, low-cost, internet of Disposable Things

Abstract The Internet of Disposable Things (IoDT) has recently emerged as a simple, low-cost, but powerful paradigm for wireless sensor networks. Stand-alone, self-sustaining IoDT devices are essential to providing effective and reliable functioning even in resource-limited environments. A stable power supply is the most critical factor in developing practical IoDT applications because their performance and deployment depend significantly on power availability. In this work, we created a micro-sized (∼62 μL) bacteria-powered biobattery for potentially powering unattended IoDT applications. The biobattery stores solid-phase microbial anodic nutrients and ionic pathways in microliter-scale chambers without an energy-intensive fluidic system, providing a relatively long-term operational capability (>8 days). We revolutionarily converted the liquid anolyte, salt bridge, and cathodic compartment into solid counterparts, increasing their densities and enabling their slow and continuous reactions. Furthermore, the solid-phase components will make the device favorable in miniaturization, integration, and operation with the solid-state IoDT applications. Our micro-biobattery produced a maximum power density of 4 μW/cm2 (0.33 mW/cm3) and current density 45 μA/cm2 (0.37 mA/cm3) after 96 h of operation while a liquid-based control device stopped generating power within 4 h.
A Highly Simplified Pollution Abatement Game

The version of the pollution abatement game presented here, compared to other versions, is simpler for an instructor with a tight timeline looking for an easy and fun way to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of pollution permits. The absence of equations, tables, or worksheets and the presence of tangible objects makes this version less effort-intensive, more intuitive, and more fun than other versions. The idea behind the creation of this version has been to make the game more like playing monopoly and less like doing taxes. The players in this version hold their wealth in the form of tangible objects, pay taxes using poker chips, and calculate the social cost of abatement by adding up fridge magnet numerals on a collection plate.
Why, After All, Are Chitosan Films Hydrophobic?

Chitosan has a molecular structure very similar to that of cellulose, except that one of the –OH groups on each repeating unit (at the C2 position) is replaced by an amine group. Since chitosan has abundant water-loving groups and is soluble in weakly acidic aqueous solution, one might expect films prepared from casting of chitosan solutions to be hydrophilic. Experiments have shown wide variability, often indicating a hydrophobic character of the chitosan films. A 2008 article by Cunha et al. presented evidence suggesting that the apparent hydrophobicity was attributable to impurities. However, not all the evidence was consistent. In particular, extraction of chitosan film with methanol failed to increase the polar component of surface free energy. It is proposed in this editorial that the explanation can be found in a differing water-affinity of chitosan polymer segments, depending on their orientation. This explanation, if valid, is consistent with differences in the hydrophilic or hydrophilic character of different crystalline faces of cellulose.
Individual-Oriented Relationship Education: Exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences as a Moderator of Individual Distress Outcomes

Indicators of social and economic risk moderate outcomes of couple-formats of relationship education (RE); yet, less is known about moderators of individual-oriented formats or risk associated with...
A comparison of indocyanine green fluorescence and laparoscopic ultrasound for detection of liver tumors.

Abstract Background Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging (ICG-FI) has been suggested for intraoperative identification of liver tumors. We aim to compare the intraoperative diagnostic utility of this imaging modality with laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS). Methods This is an IRB-approved prospective study. ICG was administered intravenously 1–2 days before surgery. The findings on ICG-FI were compared to those on preoperative cross-sectional imaging (POCSI), LUS, diagnostic laparoscopy (DL). Results A total of 144 lesions (62 superficial [visible on DL] and 82 deep) were detected in the study patients. POCSI identified 74%, LUS identified 92%, and ICG-FI identified 43%. ICG-FI detection rate was higher for superficial (95%) versus deep lesions (4%). 3% (4/144) of all lesions were seen only on ICG-FI. However, all of these lesions were small and superficial lesions that were apparent on DL. Conclusion Although ICG-FI allowed detection of small superficial lesions that were not identifiable by POCSI or LUS, these lesions were apparent on DL even before ICG-FI. Therefore, its utility as an intraoperative diagnostic modality is limited at the dosage and timing used in the study. We believe that rather than a diagnostic tool, it has more potential for a dynamic use in guiding the resection of superficial lesions and delineating segmental/lobar anatomy.
In-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy of /sup 74/Se following the /sup 60/Ni(/sup 16/O,2p), /sup 64/Ni(/sup 12/C,2n) and /sup 65/Cu(/sup 11/B,2n) reactions

The energy levels in /sup 74/Se produced in the /sup 60/Ni(/sup 16/O,2p), /sup 64/Ni(/sup 12/C,2n) and /sup 65/Cu(/sup 11/B,2n) reactions were studied. An energy level scheme was deduced from ..gamma..-..gamma.. coincidence measurements. Spin and parity assignments based on angular distribution and directional correlation of oriented nuclei measurements were made for most of the levels. Lifetimes of many of the transitions in /sup 74/Se were deduced from their Doppler broadened lineshapes via the Doppler shift attenuation method. Three ''rotational-like'' band structures to high spin were observed and their properties investigated. A positive parity, ..delta..J = 1, band to (9/sup +/) as well as the positive parity, ..delta..J = 2, yrast band to (14/sup +/) were observed. In addition a negative parity, ..delta..J = 2, band with rotational-like character was seen to (13/sup -/).
Restoration of bilateral motor coordination from preserved agonist-antagonist coupling in amputation musculature.

Neuroprosthetic devices controlled by persons with standard limb amputation often lack the dexterity of the physiological limb due to limitations of both the user’s ability to output accurate control signals and the control system’s ability to formulate dynamic trajectories from those signals. To restore full limb functionality to persons with amputation, it is necessary to first deduce and quantify the motor performance of the missing limbs, then meet these performance requirements through direct, volitional control of neuroprosthetic devices. We develop a neuromuscular modeling and optimization paradigm for the agonist-antagonist myoneural interface, a novel tissue architecture and neural interface for the control of myoelectric prostheses, that enables it to generate virtual joint trajectories coordinated with an intact biological joint at full physiologically-relevant movement bandwidth. In this investigation, a baseline of performance is first established in a population of non-amputee control subjects ( $$n = 8$$ ). Then, a neuromuscular modeling and optimization technique is advanced that allows unilateral AMI amputation subjects ( $$n = 5$$ ) and standard amputation subjects ( $$n = 4$$ ) to generate virtual subtalar prosthetic joint kinematics using measured surface electromyography (sEMG) signals generated by musculature within the affected leg residuum. Using their optimized neuromuscular subtalar models under blindfolded conditions with only proprioceptive feedback, AMI amputation subjects demonstrate bilateral subtalar coordination accuracy not significantly different from that of the non-amputee control group (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, $$P \ge 0.052$$ ) while standard amputation subjects demonstrate significantly poorer performance (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, $$P < 0.001$$ ). These results suggest that the absence of an intact biological joint does not necessarily remove the ability to produce neurophysical signals with sufficient information to reconstruct physiological movements. Further, the seamless manner in which virtual and intact biological joints are shown to coordinate reinforces the theory that desired movement trajectories are mentally formulated in an abstract task space which does not depend on physical limb configurations.
A design approach for layer-by-layer surface-mediated siRNA delivery

Abstract The ability to coat scaffolds and wound dressings with therapeutic short interfering RNA (siRNA) holds much potential for applications in wound healing, cancer treatment, and regenerative medicine. Layer-by-layer (LbL) technology is an effective method to formulate polyelectrolyte thin films for local delivery of siRNA; however, the formation and efficacy of LbL coatings as drug delivery systems are highly contingent on the assembly conditions. Here, we investigate the effects of LbL assembly parameters on film composition and consequent siRNA-mediated gene knockdown efficiency in vitro. Films comprising poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) and siRNA were built on polyglactin 910 (Vicryl) sutures consisting of poly(10% L-lactide, 90% glycolide). A fractional factorial design was employed, varying the following LbL assembly conditions: pH, ionic strength, PBAE concentration, and siRNA concentration. Effects of these parameters on PBAE loading, siRNA loading, their respective weight ratios, and in vitro siRNA-mediated knockdown were elucidated. The parameter effects were leveraged to create a rationally designed set of solution conditions that was predicted to give effective siRNA-mediated knockdown, but not included in any of the original experimental conditions. This level of knockdown with our rationally designed loading conditions (47%) is comparable to previous formulations from our lab while being simpler in construction and requiring fewer film layers, which could save time and cost in manufacturing. This study highlights the importance of LbL solution conditions in the preparation of surface-mediated siRNA delivery systems and presents an adaptable methodology for extending these electrostatically-assembled coatings to the delivery of other therapeutic nucleic acids. Statement of significance Short interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics are powerful tools to silence aberrant gene expression in the diseased state; however, the clinical utility of these therapies relies on effective controlled delivery approaches. Electrostatic self-assembly through the layer-by-layer (LbL) process enables direct siRNA release from surfaces, but this method is highly dependent upon the specific solution conditions used. Here, we use a fractional factorial design to illustrate how these assembly conditions impact composition of siRNA-eluting LbL thin films. We then elucidate how these properties mediate in vitro transfection efficacy. Ultimately, this work presents a significant step towards understanding how optimization of assembly conditions for surface-mediated LbL delivery can promote transfection efficacy while reducing the processing and material required.
Adherence of Tc-99 Sestamibi to Plastic Syringes Could Complicate Efforts in Dose Reduction in MPI SPECT

Multiple disposable syringe designs are available both with and without silicone lubricant. Tc99m sestamibi variably adheres to certain syringe designs. In practice, this increases pre-injection activity to ensure constant acceptable image quality in the setting of high adherence. The residual activity following 35 Tc99m MDP injections was used as a proxy for the dead-space residual activity. This was compared to Tc99m sestamibi injections in the same syringe in 107 injections, a syringe without lubricant in 35 injections, and a syringe without lubricant or rubber gasket in 16 injections. The syringe with lubricated barrel was disassembled and each part separately assayed to see which part demonstrated the most adherence. The standard design demonstrated a mean adherence of 26% (SD 7.0%). This was significantly more than the 6% (SD 3.7%) demonstrated with MDP. The two designs without silicone lubricant demonstrated mean adherence of 7.2% (SD 2.3%) and 6.4% (SD 2.3%). Disassembly of the three part syringe showed the greatest adherence to the rubber gasket. QC procedures determining adherence in the administration syringe are warranted for any change in syringe design or manufacturer. If adherence is present, conversion to non-lubricated plastic syringes with lower and more predictable retention of Tc99m sestamibi enables more precise titration of prescribed activities and reduction of overall patient absorbed doses.
Assessment of Ecologic Risks Related to Chemical Exposure: Methods and Strategies Used in the United States

At present, the United States has yet to develop government- or agency-wide guidelines for conducting ecologic risk assessments; however, various standard test methods have been developed to provide toxicologic benchmarks. The earliest of these methods measured acute toxicologic effects, but as this field of science progressed, methods to measure chronic effects were also developed. Most recently, research efforts have been directed toward developing test methods that predict chronic and acute toxicologic effects based on results of short-term exposure of organisms during sensitive life stages.
Shaping our space : Envisioning the new research library

SUMMARY Academic librarians are designing new spaces in their libraries, in some cases through the re-design and renovation of existing facilities, and in rarer cases, through the opportunity to design an entirely new building. At the Ohio State University, the hundred year old, central research library on campus is undergoing a major, $100 million transformation that involves elements of restoration, gutting, tear down, and new building. What are the architectural and library programmatic directions that are guiding this project and other space design projects in research libraries today? How much space should be devoted to print collections and services, and how much space should be devoted to digital services, information commons, and other new demands on library space? The answers are to be found through an exploration of emerging library practices of “content management” and “learning space design” that must be linked to the aesthetics and functionality of effective architecture.
An abstract domain for analyzing heap-manipulating low-level software

We describe an abstract domain for representing useful invariants of heap-manipulating programs (in presence of recursive data structures and pointer arithmetic) written in languages like C or low-level code. This abstract domain allows representation of must and may equalities among pointer expressions. Pointer expressions contain existentially or universally quantified integer variables guarded by some base domain constraint. We allow quantification of a special form, namely ∃∀ quantification, to balance expressiveness with efficient automated deduction. The existential quantification is over some dummy non-program variables, which are automatically made explicit by our analysis to express useful program invariants. The universal quantifier is used to express properties of collections of memory locations. Our abstract interpreter automatically computes invariants about programs over this abstract domain. We present initial experimental results demonstrating the effectiveness of this abstract domain on some common coding patterns.
The effects of walking on the cross-sectional dimensions of the radius in postmenopausal women.

This report deals with the analysis of data from a 3-year clinical trial on the effect of walking on postmenopausal bone loss. Two hundred fifty-five women, with an average age of 57 at entry, were randomized into two groups, a walking and a control group. Bone measures in the shaft of the radius were carried out with a CT scanner in search of generalized skeletal effects rather than effects localized to the bones of the leg. Although bone density losses were comparable in the two randomized groups, changes in the crosssectional area of the radius were significantly greater in the walkers with high grip strength (>25 Kg) than in the controls with comparable high grip strength which corresponded to the upper half range of the grip-strength distribution. It is concluded that the moderate activity of walking exerted systemically positive effects on the radius which, within the protocol of the study, could be substantiated only when synergized with inherent muscle strength.
Impact of deep vessel wall injury and vessel stretching on subsequent arterial remodeling after balloon angioplasty: a serial intravascular ultrasound study.

Abstract Background Arterial remodeling has been shown to be responsible for lumen narrowing after nonstent interventions. Methods To examine the impact of deep vessel wall injury (DI) after balloon angioplasty on the subsequent vessel remodeling process, we performed serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) analysis in 47 native coronary artery lesions that underwent balloon angioplasty. An IVUS study was performed before and after balloon angioplasty and repeated at follow-up. Vessel and lumen area were measured at the narrowest site before intervention. Plaque area was calculated as vessel area minus lumen area. DI was defined as the presence of plaque/vessel wall fracture deep in the medial layer (sonolucent zone by IVUS) after angioplasty. Results After angioplasty, DI was present in 18 (38%, DI group) and absent in 29 (62%, non-DI group) of lesions. During follow-up, changes in vessel area in the DI group were significantly larger than in the non-DI group ( P =.007). There were no significant differences in changes in plaque area. A trend toward greater late lumen loss was observed in the non-DI group ( P =.05). In the DI group, changes in lumen area correlated better with changes in vessel area ( r = 0.81, P r = 0.32, P =.20). However, in the non-DI group, changes in lumen area correlated with changes in plaque area ( r = −0.55, P =.002), but not with changes in vessel area ( r = 0.30, P =.11). Conclusions Deep vessel wall injury after balloon angioplasty is associated with the magnitude of the subsequent vessel remodeling process. The differences in the remodeling process may have implications regarding adjunctive therapies to prevent restenosis after balloon angioplasty. (Am Heart J 2002;144:323-8.)
Film Analysis System Accuracy Evaluation

Analysis of motion is an important aspect of automotive safety crash testing. As in other applications, high speed photography is frequeutly the best way to obtain motion analysis, and it is usually important to now the accuracy of the motion data that is obtained. In any high speed film analysis system there can be many sources of data error. Generally, error results from either optical distortion, and resolution limits or from limitations in the setup of the test being photographed. Methods of analysis for error of this latter type, such as parallax error, are quite dependent on the specifics of a given test setup and are not discussed in this paper. Techniques for analysis of distortion and resolution error can be quite universal. The following is intended to provide techniques for quantifying in a useable fashion, the error from distortion and resolution limits.© (1974) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Negative ion formation in compounds relevant to SF6 decomposition in electrical discharges

Dissociative and nondissociative electron attachment in the electron impact energy range 0–14 eV are reported for SOF2 SOF4, SO2F2, SF4, SO2, and SiF4 compounds which can be formed by electrical discharges in SF6. The electron energy dependences of the mass-identified negative ions were determined in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The ions studied include F− and SOF 2 −* from SOF2; SOF 3 − and F− from SOF4; SO2F 2 −* , SO2F−, F 2 − , and F− from SO2F2; SF 4 −* and F− from SF4; O−, SO−, and S− from SO2; and SiF 3 − and F− from SiF4. Thermochemical data have been determined from the threshold energies of some of the fragment negative ions. Lifetimes of the anions SOF 2 −* , SO2F 2 −* , and SF 4 −* are also reported.
Single-pass attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for the analysis of proteins in H2O solution.

The application of single-pass attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FT-IR) microscopy was investigated for secondary structure analysis of 15 representative proteins in H2O solution. This is the first reported application of single-pass ATR-FT-IR for protein analysis; thus, the method was validated using transmission FT-IR and multipass ATR-FT-IR as referee methods. The single-pass ATR-FT-IR technique was advantageous since the single-pass geometry permits rapid secondary structure analysis on small volumes of protein in H2O solution without the use of demountable thin path length sample cells. Moreover, the fact that H2O backgrounds were small allowed the simultaneous observation of the amide I−III, A, and B regions without having to perform H2O subtraction. A comparison of replicate protein spectra indicated that the single-pass ATR-FT-IR method yields more reproducible data than those acquired by transmission FT-IR. The observed trends for the amide I−III and A bands obtained by ...
Clones from cultured, B16 mouse-melanoma cells resistant to wheat-germ agglutinin and with altered production of mucin-type glycoproteins☆

Several clones resistant to wheat-germ-agglutinin toxicity were isolated from B16 mouse-melanoma cells. The resistance may be explained in part by fewer binding sites for the agglutinin on the variant lines; the total, cellular sialic acid content appeared somewhat reduced. Analysis of cell glycoproteins indicated a decreased content of sialic acid in one glycoconjugate that binds to wheat-germ agglutinin and has O-linked oligosaccharides.
Development of Cryo-Electron Microscopy Sample Preparation for the Examination of Nanobubble

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has been widely used to characterize bio-macromolecules, such as DNA molecules, proteoliposomes, and protein complexes. The targets of interests were effectively remained the original structure and morphology in amorphous ice. However, in cryo-EM, target of interests in gas phase has not been studied yet. In this study, we utilized cryo-EM to examine the nanobubbles in frozen aqueous solution with a “sandwich” TEM grids assembly. With significantly increased surface area and lower buoyancy, nanobubble system greatly enhances the efficiency of oxygenation and the time of retention in medical application. The substrate of “sandwich” assembly provides sufficient nucleation site for the formation of bubbles. Additionally, elimination of water-air interface increases the possibility to capture bubbles in nano scale. This method demonstrates a promising way to evaluate bubble system using cryo-EM and provides an insight on the study of nanobubble in biomedical application.
Issues concerning the role of chemotherapy and hormonal therapy of bone metastases from breast carcinoma

A significant percentage (50-70%) of patients with metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC) will have disease involving the bony skeleton. Clonal selection mediated by parathyroid hormone-related protein and other factors may explain the high incidence of osseous metastases in MBC. The presence of specific growth factors and cytokines in the microenvironment of bone may contribute to the successful establishment and growth of metastatic lesions and also might determine response or resistance of these lesions to chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. Osteolytic bone lesions in MBC frequently give rise to serious clinical problems including bone pain, pathologic fracture, hypercalcemia, and neurologic complications. MBC often is treated with systemic chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. The purpose of this article was to review the recent published literature describing the impact of systemic chemotherapy and hormonal therapy of MBC on the response of bone lesions and their clinical course and complications. Evaluating the response of bone lesions can be problematic and may be complicated by the phenomenon of "tumor flare" that may be observed with either chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. Use of the International Union Against Cancer criteria for the response of bone lesions is recommended. Several studies report objective responses (20-60%) of lytic bone metastases to standard combination chemotherapy regimens such as cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil, mitoxantrone and 5-FU, newer combinations, and single agents including paclitaxel and docitaxel but responses to vinorelbine may be less frequent. Complete responses of bone lesions to chemotherapy are rare but partial responses and disease stabilization can lead to long term patient benefit. A series from the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center of patients with bone metastases treated with 5-FU, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy reported a median duration of response of 14 months. In a recent multicenter study of 195 patients with lytic lesions from MBC treated with chemotherapy, the objective response rate (complete response + partial response) in bone was 18% and 65% of the patients developed at least 1 morbid skeletal event with a median onset of 7.0 months from the start of chemotherapy. Hormone-dependent breast carcinoma has a proclivity to metastasize to bone. In earlier studies comparing aminoglutethimide or medroxyprogesterone acetate with tamoxifen, a higher response rate of bone metastases was observed for the first two agents. However, in more recent studies comparing newer aromatase inhibitors, such as anastrozole, fadrozole, and letrozole, with megestrol acetate, there were no significant differences in rates of response in bone. Patients with MBC with bony lesions respond to both chemotherapy and hormonal therapy and can have a prolonged survival. Therefore such patients are in a more favorable position to benefit from adjunctive supportive therapy such as bisphosphonates intended to reduce skeletal morbidity.