cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Androgens and androgen receptor signaling in prostate tumorigenesis

Androgens and androgen receptor (AR) signaling are necessary for prostate development and homeostasis. AR signaling also drives the growth of nearly all prostate cancer cells. The role of androgens and AR signaling has been well characterized in metastatic prostate cancer, where it has been shown that prostate cancer cells are exquisitely adept at maintaining functional AR signaling to drive cancer growth. As androgens and AR signaling are so intimately involved in prostate development and the proliferation of advanced prostate cancer, it stands to reason that androgens and AR are also involved in prostate cancer initiation and the early stages of cancer growth, yet little is known of this process. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge concerning the role of androgens and AR signaling in prostate tissue, from development to metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer, and use that information to suggest potential roles for androgens and AR in prostate cancer initiation.
Gestation length red howler monkeys.

Gestations determined for Venezuelan Alouatta seniculus seniculus are within the range of those reported for Costa Rican Alouatta palliata Gray. Earlier reports of considerably shorter gestations for this genus appear to be inacurate.
Identification of methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) influencing promoter DNA methylation of alcohol dependence risk genes

Interaction of DNA methylation and sequence variants that are methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) may influence susceptibility to diseases such as alcohol dependence (AD). We used genome-wide genotype data from 268 African Americans (AAs: 129 AD cases and 139 controls) and 143 European Americans (EAs: 129 AD cases and 14 controls) to identify mQTLs that were associated with promoter CpGs in 82 AD risk genes. 282 significant mQTL–CpG pairs (9.9 × 10−100 ≤ Pnominal ≤ 7.7 × 10−8) in AAs and 313 significant mQTL–CpG pairs (2.7 × 10−53 ≤ Pnominal ≤ 9.9 × 10−8) in EAs were identified [i.e., mQTL–CpG associations survived multiple-testing correction, q values (false discovery rate) ≤ 0.05]. The most significant mQTL was rs1800759, which was strongly associated with CpG cg12011299 in both AAs (Pnominal = 9.9 × 10−100; q = 6.7 × 10−91) and EAs (Pnominal = 2.7 × 10−53; q = 1.4 × 10−44). Rs1800759 (previously known to be associated to AD) and CpG cg12011299 (distance: 37 bp) are both located in alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) 4 gene (ADH4) promoter region. In general, the strength of association between mQTLs and CpGs was inversely correlated with the distance between them. Association was also influenced by race and AD. Additionally, 48.3 % of the mQTLs identified in AAs and 65.6 % of the mQTLs identified in EAs were predicted to be expression QTLs. Three mQTLs (rs2173201, rs4147542, and rs4147541 in ADH1B-AHD1C gene cluster region) found in AAs were previously identified by our genome-wide association studies as being significantly associated with AD in AAs. Thus, DNA methylation, which can be influenced by sequence variants and is implicated in gene expression regulation, appears to at least partially underlie the association of genetic variation with AD.
Cell-Type-Specific Activation of PAK2 by Transforming Growth Factor β Independent of Smad2 and Smad3

Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) causes growth arrest in epithelial cells and proliferation and morphological transformation in fibroblasts. Despite the ability of TGF-β to induce various cellular phenotypes, few discernible differences in TGF-β signaling between cell types have been reported, with the only well-characterized pathway (the Smad cascade) seemingly under identical control. We determined that TGF-β receptor signaling activates the STE20 homolog PAK2 in mammalian cells. PAK2 activation occurs in fibroblast but not epithelial cell cultures and is independent of Smad2 and/or Smad3. Furthermore, we show that TGF-β-stimulated PAK2 activity is regulated by Rac1 and Cdc42 and dominant negative PAK2 or morpholino antisense oligonucleotides to PAK2 prevent the morphological alteration observed following TGF-β addition. Thus, PAK2 represents a novel Smad-independent pathway that differentiates TGF-β signaling in fibroblast (growth-stimulated) and epithelial cell (growth-inhibited) cultures.
Anionic phospholipids regulate native and expressed epithelial sodium channel (ENaC).

Abstract Using patch clamp techniques, we found that the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity in the apical membrane of A6 distal nephron cells showed a sudden rundown beginning at 4 min after forming the inside-out configuration. This sudden rundown was prevented by addition of anionic phospholipids such as phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), and phosphatidylserine (PS) to the “cytoplasmic” bath. Conversely, chelation of endogenous PIP2 with anti-PIP2 antibody, hydrolysis of PIP2 with either exogenous phospholipase C (PLC) or activation of endogenous PLC by extracellular ATP, or application of the positively charged molecule, poly-l-lysine, accelerated channel rundown. However, neutral phosphatidylcholine had no effect on ENaC activity. By two-electrode voltage clamp recordings, we demonstrated that PIP2 and PIP3 significantly increased amiloride-sensitive current in Xenopus oocytes injected with cRNAs of rat α-, β-, and γ-ENaC. However, PIP2 and PIP3 did not affect surface expression of ENaC, indicating that PIP2 and PIP3 regulate ENaC at the level of the inner plasma membrane through a mechanism that is independent of ENaC trafficking. These data suggest that anionic phospholipids may mediate the regulation of ENaC by PLC- or phosphoinositide 3-kinase-coupled receptors.
Proteases of the Aeromonas hydrophila complex: identification, characterization and relation to virulence in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)

. Traditional biochemieal techniques and a stain to detect proteases in polyacrylamide gels were used to identify and partially characterize three proteases, P1, P2 and P3, produced by Aeromonas hydrophila strain Ah 22. P1 was found to be a heat-labile serine protease with an optimum pH of 7·5, while P2 is a heat-stable metalloprotease with an optimum pH of 8·0, and P3 is a moderately heat-stable metalloprotease with peak activity beween pH 7 and 11. A comparison of 17 other strains of the A. hydrophila complex indicated that four produced P1, P2 and P3. Two strains produced just P1 and P3; one produced only P3; six produced two different serine proteases, P2a and P2b; and two produced a number of uncharacterized proteases. Virulence studies in age-0 + channel catfish indicated no correlation between either quantitative or qualitative protease production and virulence.
Cytoplasmic domain requirements for Frazzled-mediated attractive axon turning at the Drosophila midline.

The conserved DCC ligand-receptor pair Netrin and Frazzled (Fra) has a well-established role in axon guidance. However, the specific sequence motifs required for orchestrating downstream signaling events are not well understood. Evidence from vertebrates suggests that P3 is important for transducing Netrin-mediated turning and outgrowth, whereas in C. elegans it was shown that the P1 and P2 conserved sequence motifs are required for a gain-of-function outgrowth response. Here, we demonstrate that Drosophila fra mutant embryos exhibit guidance defects in a specific subset of commissural axons and these defects can be rescued cell-autonomously by expressing wild-type Fra exclusively in these neurons. Furthermore, structure-function studies indicate that the conserved P3 motif (but not P1 or P2) is required for growth cone attraction at the Drosophila midline. Surprisingly, in contrast to vertebrate DCC, P3 does not mediate receptor self-association, and self-association is not sufficient to promote Fra-dependent attraction. We also show that in contrast to previous findings, the cytoplasmic domain of Fra is not required for axonal localization and that neuronal expression of a truncated Fra receptor lacking the entire cytoplasmic domain (FraΔC) results in dose-dependent defects in commissural axon guidance. These findings represent the first systematic dissection of the cytoplasmic domains required for Fra-mediated axon attraction in the context of full-length receptors in an intact organism and provide important insights into attractive axon guidance at the midline.
Unanswerable queries in a spontaneous speech task

This paper outlines the general strategies followed in developing the CMU (Carnegie Mellon University) speech understanding system. Our system is oriented toward the extraction of information relevant to a task. It uses a flexible frame-based parser. Our system handles phenomena that are natural in spontaneous speech, for example, restarts, repeats and grammatically ill-formed utterances. It maintains a history of the key features of the dialogue. It can resolve elliptical, anaphoric and other indirect references. In general, the system may not be able to generate a database response to a query for a number of reasons, for example, the user may inquire about information not in the database. These unanswerable (Class X) queries constituted about 30% of the data in the November 92 ARPA Spoken Language Systems benchmark evaluation. We will present some results which indicate that the perplexity of the unanswerable queries is significantly higher than the perplexity of the remaining data. In this paper, we focus on our attempts to improve the performance of CMU's Spoken Language System on the unanswerable queries. The system has been used to model an air travel information service (ATIS) task. In the December 93 DARPA Spoken Language Systems benchmark evaluation, the CMU ATIS system correctly answered 90.7% transcript inputs and 86.8% speech inputs. These were the best numbers reported for the evaluation. >
Loss of NADPH Oxidase–Derived Superoxide Skews Macrophage Phenotypes to Delay Type 1 Diabetes

Macrophages are early islet-infiltrating cells seen in type 1 diabetes (T1D). While proinflammatory M1 macrophages induce T1D, M2 macrophages have been shown to delay this autoimmune disease in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, but the environmental cues that govern macrophage polarization and differentiation remain unresolved. We previously demonstrated the importance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in T1D, as NOD mice deficient in NADPH oxidase (NOX)-derived superoxide (Ncf1m1J) were protected against T1D partly because of blunted Toll-like receptor–dependent macrophage responses. We provide evidence that NOX-derived ROS contribute to macrophage differentiation in T1D. During spontaneous diabetes progression, T1D-resistant NOD.Ncf1m1J islet-resident macrophages displayed a dampened M1 and increased M2 phenotype. The transfer of diabetogenic T cells into NOX-deficient NOD.Rag.Ncf1m1J recipients resulted in decreased TNF-α+ and IL-1β+ islet-infiltrating M1 macrophages and a concomitant enhancement in arginase-1+ M2 macrophages. Mechanistic analysis of superoxide-deficient bone marrow–derived macrophages revealed a marked diminution in a proinflammatory M1 phenotype due to decreased P-STAT1 (Y701) and interferon regulatory factor 5 compared with NOD mice. We have therefore defined a novel mechanistic link between NOX-derived ROS and macrophage phenotypes, and implicated superoxide as an important factor in macrophage differentiation. Thus, targeting macrophage redox status may represent a promising therapy in halting human T1D.
Elements of a Radical Counter-movement to Neoliberalism: Employment-led Development:

After highlighting the failure of mainstream economic theory in dealing with the rising global inequality and economic struggles brought about by neoliberal economic policies, the paper presents the outline of an alternative policy proposal to create full employment and price stability, and to restore financial sovereignty to developing countries. Under the Employer of Last Resort (ELR) program, the government guarantees employment to all through a decentralized community-based job creation policy. Projects are selected by local community groups based on community needs and the availability of skills in the unemployment pool. Funding is provided by a central/federal fiscal authority and requires policy coordination with the central bank.
Visual Alertness in Neonates: Individual Differences and Their Correlates

In a study of individual differences in neonates, frequencies and durations of spontaneous visual alertness were recorded and visual pursuit was measured in 32 2- to 3-day-old healthy neonates. Rank correlations of .60, .65, and .74 between the three visual measures suggested that infants who alerted frequently tended also to be the infants who alerted longest and who were most capable of visual pursuit. The results showed not only this intra-individual stability in the visual behaviors but also high variance between infants in their capacity for visual alertness. The infants' sex, parity, birthweight, estimated conceptual age, and postnatal age were not significantly related to the capacity for visual alertness, nor were the moderate levels of obstetric sedation used in this sample. The three visual measures, while tapping a shared capacity, had different correlates. Frequencies and durations of visual alertness were significantly related to a number of variables which had in common, moderate degrees of ...
Glial differences between naïve withdrawal seizure-prone and -resistant mice.

Background: Withdrawal seizure-prone (WSP) and withdrawal seizure-resistant (WSR) mice were bred in replicate (i.e., WSP-1 and WSP-2) to exhibit differences in handling-induced convulsion severity during ethanol withdrawal. Methods: We examined the role of the glutamatergic system in susceptibility to ethanol-withdrawal convulsions in naive mice by measuring the density of immunolabeling for several glutamate transporters and the glutamate-metabolizing enzyme, glutamine synthetase. The density of glial fibrillary acidic protein immunolabeling (a marker of glial structure) and cytochrome oxidase activity (a marker of neuronal activity) were also characterized in naive mice. Results: We observed a significantly greater density of immunolabeling for the glial transporter, gluta-mate/aspartate transporter, in CA1 subfield of the hippocampus (CA1) of naive WSP-2 mice as compared to WSR-2 mice. No other significant differences were observed. However, as compared to WSR mice, naive WSP mice exhibited a trend toward (a) greater immunolabeling for the glial glutamate transporter, glutamate transporter-1, in CA3, (b) greater immunolabeling for glial-specific glutamate-metabolizing enzyme, glutamine synthetase, in CA1 (replicate-2 only), and (c) less immunolabeling for the glial structural protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, in all brain regions tested. In contrast, no trends or significant differences in the labeling density for the neuronal transporter, excitatory amino acid carrier 1, or the neuronal activity marker, cytochrome oxidase, were observed between the selected lines. Conclusions: These data suggest that the glutamatergic system and glia may play a pivotal role in the increased susceptibility to handling-induced convulsions observed in WSP mice.
Scheme dependence and transverse momentum distribution interpretation of Collins-Soper-Sterman resummation

Abstract Following an earlier derivation by Catani, de Florian and Grazzini (2000) on the scheme dependence in the Collins–Soper–Sterman (CSS) resummation formalism in hard scattering processes, we investigate the scheme dependence of the Transverse Momentum Distributions (TMDs) and their applications. By adopting a universal C -coefficient function associated with the integrated parton distributions, the difference between various TMD schemes can be attributed to a perturbative calculable function depending on the hard momentum scale. We further apply several TMD schemes to the Drell–Yan process of lepton pair production in hadronic collisions, and find that the constrained non-perturbative form factors in different schemes are consistent with each other and with that of the standard CSS formalism.
A database federation platform for gene chips and the human genome database

Data sources that are typical of the next generation of biological information entities are gene chips that identify the individual genes in a given biological sample. These data are currently stored in a database format defined by the Genetic Analysis Technology Consortium (GATC). To interpret the chip data, we also need information about the genes themselves, as found in the Human Genome Database (HGDB). These two databases were conceived at different times to serve different purposes, and their designs differ significantly. Extracting information simultaneously from multiple databases has proved to be a very difficult problem. We have developed a system that will intelligently direct a single client query against a federation of databases. Our solution uses software standards common in the.-field today XML, CORBA, and Java - but these standards by themselves are not sufficient. We have developed a new component called the Class Mapper, a software layer unique to each database. Each Class Mapper represents its database as an object-oriented schema consistent with the schema level of the federation. A Federation Platform reads the query, the Class Mappers execute the query across their respective databases, and the Federation Platform returns results to the client.
An Evaluation of California's Adolescent Sibling Pregnancy Prevention Program

CONTEXT: The siblings of adolescents who have been pregnant or are parents have disproportionately high rates of teenage pregnancies and births. California’s Adolescent Sibling Pregnancy Prevention Program is targeted at these high-risk youths. METHODS: An evaluation of the program was conducted in 1997–1999 with 1176 predominantly Hispanic 11–17- year-olds who had at least one sibling who was an adolescent parent or had been pregnant—731 youths who were program clients and 445 youths who received no systematic services. All evaluation participants completed an interview and questionnaire at enrollment and again nine months later. RESULTS: Female program clients had a significantly lower pregnancy rate than comparison females over the evaluation period (4% vs. 7%) as well as a lower rate of sexual initiation (7% vs. 16%). They also significantly decreased their frequency of school truancy whereas this outcome increased among comparison females; program females had significantly more definite intentions of remaining abstinent at posttest than comparison females. Consistency of contraceptive use increased over time among males in the program and decreased among comparison males. Delivery of group services was correlated with delayed onset of intercourse among males and the receipt of services related to psychosocial skills was correlated with greater contraceptive use at last sex among all sexually experienced youth. CONCLUSIONS: This new program which serves a population known to be at very high risk for early pregnancy appears to be effective at reducing rates of pregnancy and improving several pregnancy-related risk behaviors. (excerpt)
Lateral band-structure engineering in micromachined semiconductors

We demonstrate that micromachining multiple quantum wells produces lateral (in-plane) modifications to the semiconductor band structure that are accurately modeled by finite-element analysis combined with an eight-level band-structure calculation
Oxidation of free amino acids and amino acid residues in proteins by radiolysis and by metal-catalyzed reactions

Basic mechanisms that underlie the oxygen free radical-promoted oxidation of free amino acids and amino acid residues of proteins are derived from radiolysis studies. Results of these studies indicate that the most common pathway for the oxidation of simple aliphatic amino acids involves the hydroxyl radical-mediated abstraction of a hydrogen atom to form a carbon-centered radical at the alpha-position of the amino acid or amino acid residue in the polypeptide chain. Addition of O2 to the carbon-centered radicals leads to formation of peroxy radical derivatives, which upon decomposition lead to production of NH3 and alpha-ketoacids, or to production of NH3, CO2, and aldehydes or carboxylic acids containing one less carbon atom. As the number of carbon atoms in the amino acid is increased, hydrogen abstraction at other positions in the carbon chain becomes more important and leads either to the formation of hydroxy derivatives, or to amino acid cross-linked products as a consequence of carbon-centered radical recombination processes. alpha-Hydrogen abstraction plays a minor role in the oxidation of aromatic amino acids by radiolysis. Instead, the aromatic ring is the primary site of attack leading to hydroxy derivatives, to ring scission, and in the case of tyrosine to the formation of Tyr-Tyr cross-linked dimers. The basic pattern for the oxidation of amino acids by metal ion-catalyzed reactions (Fenton chemistry) is similar to the alpha-hydrogen abstraction pathway. But unlike the case of oxidation by radiolysis, this Fenton pathway is the major mechanism for the oxidation of all aliphatic amino acids, regardless of chain length, as well as for the oxidation of aromatic amino acids. Curiously, the Fe(III)-catalyzed oxidation of free amino acids is almost completely dependent upon the presence of bicarbonate ion, and is greatly stimulated by iron chelators at chelator/Fe(III) ratios less than 1.0, and is inhibited at chelator/Fe(III) ratios greater than 1.0. It is deduced that the most active catalytic complex is composed of two equivalents of HCO3-, an amino acid, and at least one equivalent of iron; however, two forms of iron, an iron-chelate and another form, must somehow be involved. In contrast to the situation with radiolysis, the aromatic rings of aromatic amino acids are only minor targets for metal-catalyzed reactions. All amino acid residues in proteins are subject to attack by hydroxyl radicals generated by ionizing radiation; however, the aromatic amino acids and sulfur-containing amino acids are most sensitive to oxidation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Serine 363 of a Hydrophobic Region of Archaeal Ribulose 1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase from Archaeoglobus fulgidus and Thermococcus kodakaraensis Affects CO2/O2 Substrate Specificity and Oxygen Sensitivity

Archaeal ribulose 1, 5-bisphospate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) is differentiated from other RubisCO enzymes and is classified as a form III enzyme, as opposed to the form I and form II RubisCOs typical of chemoautotrophic bacteria and prokaryotic and eukaryotic phototrophs. The form III enzyme from archaea is particularly interesting as several of these proteins exhibit unusual and reversible sensitivity to molecular oxygen, including the enzyme from Archaeoglobus fulgidus. Previous studies with A. fulgidus RbcL2 had shown the importance of Met-295 in oxygen sensitivity and pointed towards the potential significance of another residue (Ser-363) found in a hydrophobic pocket that is conserved in all RubisCO proteins. In the current study, further structure/function studies have been performed focusing on Ser-363 of A. fulgidus RbcL2; various changes in this and other residues of the hydrophobic pocket point to and definitively establish the importance of Ser-363 with respect to interactions with oxygen. In addition, previous findings had indicated discrepant CO2/O2 specificity determinations of the Thermococcus kodakaraensis RubisCO, a close homolog of A. fulgidus RbcL2. It is shown here that the T. kodakaraensis enzyme exhibits a similar substrate specificity as the A. fulgidus enzyme and is also oxygen sensitive, with equivalent residues involved in oxygen interactions.
Histologic Appearances of SMC Clusters and Realms

Under special circumstances, the clustering of intimai SMC’s into layers can be demonstrated by connective tissue stains that reveal the lamellae of condensed reticulin between layers. Such stains disclose progressive dissolution of the layers with aging. The dissolution may be important for the construction of lipid traps at sites where solitary SMC’s build excessively bulky collagenous realms for themselves.
Effects of vigorous exercise training and β-agonist administration on bone response to hindlimb suspension

Bloomfield, Susan A., Beverly E. Girten, and Steven E. Weisbrode. Effects of vigorous exercise training and β-agonist administration on bone response to hindlimb suspension.J. Appl. Physiol. 83(1):...
Hospital formularies: organizational aspects and supplementary components

The organizational aspects and supplementary components of 44 formularies in teaching hospitals of 500 beds or more were compared. The aspects of formularies studied included prescribing regulations and technical aids, economic considerations, information on pharmacy services and procedures, information regarding drug products, hospital regulations, and format and readability. Many inconsistencies were found in the organization of the formularies and in the types of supplementary sections they included. It is suggested that the formulary has not been employed effectively as a document for transmitting drug information and hospital regulations.
Electrochemical energy storage characteristics of CaB6

Abstract CaB 6 has a tunneled framework lattice structure that is suitable for intercalation of ions. Electrochemical charge-discharge testing of CaB 6 in lithium containing non-aqueous electrolyte showed a specific capacitance of 35.7 F/g at 0.42 A/g current rating. Even though the specific capacitance was low, CaB 6 shows promise as a Li-ion intercalating material because of its higher diffusivity (3×10 −10 cm 2 /s), p-type semiconductivity, high conductivity, and low density.
Digital Document Technology Selection and Workflow Optimization

This paper highlights the importance of document workflow design when new workflow and electronic document management systems are adopted together. Merely replacing paper documents with electronic counterparts will not solve all the problems nor does it exploit fully the potential of this technology. We examine the support that the different document technologies take and the advantage of these technologies. Document composition, document technology, and routing of workflow are optimized to maximize the benefits to the organization.
The rhetoric of precedent

This paper attempts to move from the rhetorical analysis of the individual judicial opinion championed early in the law and literature movement to a form of “distant reading” of cases. Positing that precedents serve as a kind of trope — turning the reader to another context to understand the issue at hand — the piece looks at the stories that the assemblage of precedents cited tell in the majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions of the Supreme Court’s constitutional decisions. Mapping precedents visually puts on display instances of surprising discrepancy among the precedents that disparate opinions invoke. The paper concludes by suggesting that this divergence in the citation of precedents, more than even different uses of precedent, could indicate a breakdown in the dialogue among different positions on the Court.
Nutritional Management of the CAPO Patient

Malnutrition and wasting are common in patients undergoing maintenance dialysis. These problems may be more prevalent in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis due to inadequate dialysis, poor pro...
Numerical modeling of percolating flow path in a caprock formation during aquifer pressurization and its implication for CO2 sequestration

Spatial distribution of sand bodies in caprock is important to its sealing potential in the evaluation of a potential waste disposal site. A numerical investigation was conducted to investigate the roles of sand bodies in caprock integrity, and a new leaking mechanism associated with the embedded sand bodies has been identified for the first time. This numerical model is characterized by a low proportion of sand bodies in caprock formation and stochastic permeability assignments to the shale facies with a consideration of stress-sensitive permeability. The research revealed that sand bodies in caprock, even initially unconnected due to their low concentration, represent the foundation for creating a percolating flow path if certain conditions are met. These conditions include a relatively high pore pressure gradient across the caprock, which may occur during fluid injection and a favorable geometric configuration of these sand bodies. Sand bodies of different shapes play different roles in forming a percolating flow path. Sand bars/dykes can lead pore pressure front to cover a considerable vertical thickness quickly, while thin sand sheets tend to transfer the pore pressure front across a large horizontal range and thus increase the possibility of involving other local sand bodies in the evolution of percolating flow paths. On the other hand, the presence of percolating flow path in caprock can limit the pore pressure increase in the aquifer formation during fluid injection. The more active the flow paths, the less increase the pore pressure that occurs in the aquifer. Stress-dependent permeability can facilitate the formation of percolating flow path, but evaluating how much impact it may have remains a question for future research. The modeling results indicate that the underlying geologically based discrete structure of permeable domains, even when masked by a low-permeable rock matrix, exerts a significant influence on the location and magnitude of fluid flow within the system during fluid injection.
Conservation reconsidered: a modified input-output analysis of the economic impact of China’s land conservation policy

To estimate the economic impact of China’s land conversion policy, I present a modified input–output model, applying supply constraints to the cropping sector to reflect exogenous restrictions on land availability. Strong biophysical linkages are integrated into the model to capture heterogeneities of climate, soil and terrain conditions relevant to agricultural production. Empirical study demonstrates that this long-term land-retiring programme has evident negative impacts on the rural economy. In Western China, the net present value of total social cost is USD 487 per hectare per year or a capital equivalent of land rent of USD 1,508 per hectare over 10 years, with 5% discounting.
Climate Change, Violence, and Film:

While debates over the existence of climate change rage on, impacts thereof have begun to unfold. Yet such impacts are uneven: for some, the impacts of climate change comprise direct threats, while for others it remains a relatively abstract idea. In this essay, I suggest that conceptualizing climate change as violence rather than exclusively an environmental or technological problem brings it closer to everyday life by exposing it as a concrete social and political issue, and that film provides a medium through which audiences might profitably grapple with climate change as violence. I first situate climate change amidst theories of structural violence and slow violence. I then argue that film represents the violence of climate change in a way that invites its audiences to locate their own corporeal and psychic lives in relation to climate change impacts. I demonstrate these claims through readings of The Day after Tomorrow and Half-Life.
A Review of Mitochondrial Optic Neuropathies: From Inherited to Acquired Forms

In recent years, the term mitochondrial optic neuropathy (MON) has increasingly been used within the literature to describe a group of optic neuropathies that exhibit mitochondrial dysfunction in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Interestingly, MONs include genetic aetiologies, such as Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and dominant optic atrophy (DOA), as well as acquired aetiologies resulting from drugs, nutritional deficiencies, and mixed aetiologies. Regardless of an inherited or acquired cause, patients exhibit the same clinical manifestations with selective loss of the RGCs due to mitochondrial dysfunction. Various novel therapies are being explored to reverse or limit damage to the RGCs. Here we review the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, current treatment, and promising therapeutic targets of MON.
Sequential sensory and decision processing in posterior parietal cortex

Decisions about the behavioral significance of sensory stimuli often require comparing sensory inference of what we are looking at to internal models of what we are looking for. Here, we test how neuronal selectivity for visual features is transformed into decision-related signals in posterior parietal cortex (area LIP). Monkeys performed a visual matching task that required them to detect target stimuli composed of conjunctions of color and motion-direction. Neuronal recordings from area LIP revealed two main findings. First, the sequential processing of visual features and the selection of target-stimuli suggest that LIP is involved in transforming sensory information into decision-related signals. Second, the patterns of color and motion selectivity and their impact on decision-related encoding suggest that LIP plays a role in detecting target stimuli by comparing bottom-up sensory inputs (what the monkeys were looking at) and top-down cognitive encoding inputs (what the monkeys were looking for).
Nonlinear optical frequency conversion in aluminum nitride photonic circuits

I will discuss the development of high efficiency optical frequency converters based on AlN nonlinear photonic circuits, including visible-to-IR conversion leveraging AlN's x(2) nonlinearity and microwave driven noiseless in-band frequency conversion at single photon levels.
Abstract 12131: Mechanism of Hypokalemia-dependent Arrhythmias in a New Porcine Model of Advanced Heart Failure: Insights Into the Pathophysiology of Increased Afterload in Chronic Myocardial Infarction

Introduction: Hypertension worsens the prognosis of post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. To examine the underlying mechanisms, we developed a new porcine model of post-MI heart failure with ch...
Physiological insulin action is opposed by beta-adrenergic mechanisms in dogs.

To investigate the possible role of adrenergic mechanisms in modulating glucose homeostasis during physiological insulin changes, we studied the effects of alpha-, beta-, or combined alpha- and beta-adrenergic blockade on glucose production (Ra) and utilization (Rd) via isotope ([3-(3)H]glucose) dilution during nonstressful, nonhypoglycemic conditions in response to physiological insulin changes in conscious dogs. Without adrenergic blockade, infusion of insulin at 0.275 mU.kg-1.min-1 (control) caused glucose to fall from 92 +/- 4 to 82 +/- 4 mg/dl over 30 min, because of transient fall in Ra from 2.8 +/- 0.4 to 2.3 +/- 0.3 mg.kg-1.min-1, which recovered to base line by 30 min. There was a later rise in Rd to 3.9 +/- 0.4 mg.kg-1.min-1 at 45 min, but no counter-regulatory hormonal changes (glucagon, cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine) to account for these findings in glucose kinetics. alpha-Blockade alone led to an initial rise in base-line insulin and consequent fall in glucose, associated with a transient fall in Ra but no change in Rd; infusion of insulin led to a further small fall in glucose, with no change in Ra, but with a rise at 30 min in Rd similar to controls. beta-Blockade alone led to an initial fall in insulin and modest rise in glucose; insulin infusion led to a greater rate of fall in glucose than in controls (from 112 +/- 6 to 78 +/- 7 mg/dl over 30 min).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Evaluation of the stability of lyophilized loop-mediated isothermal amplification reagents for the detection of Coxiella burnetii.

Abstract Coxiella burnetii, the causative pathogen for Q fever, is an obligate intracellular bacterium and designated as a biosafety level 3 agent. Detection and quantification of the bacteria with conventional culturing methods is time-consuming and poses significant health risks. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays have been developed for detecting C. burnetii and could provide rapid diagnosis. However, they require specialized equipment, including a cold chain for PCR reagents that maintains their stability during storage and transport. These requirements limit the advantage of PCR-based methods, especially in resource-limited areas. Previously, we had developed a lyophilized loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay to detect the presence of C. burnetii. To simplify and improve this assay, the reagents for the LAMP assay and the detecting reagent, SYBR green, were lyophilized together. The stability of the lyophilized reagents was evaluated by measuring changes in detection limit for plasmid DNA encoding a C. burnetii gene upon storage at 4 °C, 25 °C, or 37 °C. Our data indicate that the lyophilized reagents remain stable for 24 months when stored at 4 °C, 28 days at 25 °C, and 2 days at 37 °C. This improved LAMP assay can be easily performed in a simple water bath or heating block. The stability at ambient temperature, the simplicity of assay procedure, and the availability of low cost equipment make this method ideal for use in resource-limited settings where Q fever is endemic.
Cognition in canine epilepsy: what do we know and where are we going?

Cognition, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, is ‘the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and the senses.’ In people, mild cognitive impairment typically manifests as abnormal learning ability or deficits in memory and attention. A strong association between epilepsy and cognitive impairment has been reported.1–3 Structural lesions of the thalamocortex, genetic factors that may predispose to both epilepsy and other cognitive disorders, repeated seizures themselves, and the effects of anticonvulsant therapy may cause these impairments. Cognitive impairments pose life-long challenges for people with epilepsy; however, the presence of such impairment has been historically under-emphasised in veterinary medicine. The presence and effects of epilepsy-associated cognitive deficits are the focus of a new study by Winter and colleagues,4 summarised on p 633 of this week’s issue of Vet Record . This study …
Photosynthetic Electron Transfer and Energy Transduction in Plants

The photosynthetic membranes of plants perform a remarkable feat. They convert a portion of the energy available in light into the chemical energy of ATP and NADPH. In this way photosynthetic membranes provide a stable form of energy that can be used at later times for energy-requiring biochemical processes, such as the reduction of CO2 to carbohydrate. The first step in photosynthetic energy transformation is the absorption of light by the antenna array, resulting in the conversion of the transient energy stored in electromagnetic radiation into the excited state of pigment molecules. The excited state energy residing in the antenna system is short lived and must migrate rapidly to reaction center complexes, where it drives primary charge separation. The energy stored in the reaction centers by charge separation drives a series of oxidation/reduction reactions within the thylakoid membrane that ultimately convert the energy into the chemical free energy of ATP and NADPH. These energy conversion reactions are achieved by the cooperative interaction of four major protein complexes located in the thylakoid membrane. Three of these complexes, photosystems I and II (PS I and PS II) and the cytochrome bf complex (Cyt bf) are involved in light-driven electron and proton transfer. The fourth protein complex (ATP synthase) produces ATP from ADP and phosphate. In this introductory overview we have two goals. First is to introduce the players, that is the components of the chloroplast thylakoid membrane that are responsible for the basic reactions of photosynthetic electron transfer and energy transduction. Second we will track the energy transformations that ultimately result in the conversion of light energy into stable chemical forms. For the sake of clarity, we focus on general concepts and reference mostly review articles from which the interested reader can launch into the primary literature.
Die neoadjuvante Radiochemotherapie erhöht die R0-Resektionsrate des Rektumkarzinomrezidivs / Neoadjuvant Radiochemotherapy Increases the Rate Curative Resections in Patients with Locoregional Recurrence of Rectal Carcinoma

Analysiert wurden prospektiv erhobene Daten von 82 Patienten mit histologisch nachgewiesenem lokoregionarem Rektumkarzinomrezidiv zwischen 1.1.1995 und 31.12.1999. Bei 50 Patienten wurde neoadjuvant eine Radiochemotherapie durchgefuhrt. In der Gruppe der neoadjuvant behandelten Patienten betrug die Resektionsrate 78% (39/50), lokale Tumorfreiheit konnte in 42% (21/50) erzielt werden. In der Gruppe der nicht vorbehandelten Patienten betrug die Resektionsrate 34% (11/32), lokale Tumorfreiheit wurde in 13% (4/32) erreicht. Multiviszerale Resektionen wurden in 30 Fallen durchgefuhrt. Nach R0 Resektion des lokoregionaren Rektumkarzinomrezidivs belief sich die 3-Jahres-Uberlebensrate auf 72%. War keine radikale Entfernung des Rezidivtumors moglich (R1/R2), so sank sie auf 24%.
Pharmacodynamic/Pharmacokinetic Relationships for Rapidly Acting Drugs (NSAIDS) in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Problems and Preliminary Solutions

The application of pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic (PK/PD) principles to anti-inflammatory therapy is hampered by a lack of knowledge about the etiologies of rheumatic diseases and a lack of precise endpoints of response.
Intralesional Treatment of Peyronie’s Disease

Peyronie’s disease (PD) is a pathological condition of the penis that is most likely linked to the repetitive minor trauma that occurs during intercourse. The initial inflammatory process in some genetically susceptible individuals gives way to a subsequent persistent low-level autoimmune response. At the cellular level, this disorder involves increased deposition of collagen and glycosaminoglycans in the tunica albuginea of the penis, which leads to fibrosis and eventual plaque formation. The fibrous plaque can cause structural alterations in penile anatomy and sexual dysfunction. Experimental research in PD has invoked a role for cytokines and fibroblast activity, which has motivated clinicians to explore a number of nonsurgical and minimally invasive treatment options. With the experimental in vitro success of calcium channel blockers and interferons in counteracting the fibrotic process in PD, researchers have initiated a number of clinical studies with these agents. Both intralesional verapamil and interferon #x03B1;-2b have demonstrated significant clinical benefits to men with PD regarding a decrease in penile curvature and plaque size, reduction of penile pain on erection, and improved sexual function. Intralesional injection therapy can be initiated in most cases of PD but must be individualized to each man’s presentation based on the onset and severity of the disease, the patient’s motivations, and realistic expectations from this therapy.
Effect of small incision intraocular lens surgery on postoperative inflammation and astigmatism. A study of the AMO SI-18NB small incision lens.

Abstract A single center, single surgeon, randomized, prospective clinical trial was performed comparing the effectiveness of small (3.5 mm to 4.0 mm) incision intraocular lens surgery and a larger (6.0 mm) incision in improving uncorrected visual acuity and reducing postoperative inflammation and surgically induced astigmatism. One hundred twelve eligible unilateral cases were randomized to receive a 3.5 mm to 4.0 mm incision with implantation of an Allergan Medical Optics three-piece SI-18NB silicone lens (56 cases) or a 6.0 mm incision with implantation of a three-piece biconvex poly(methyl methacrylate) lens (56 cases). At one day after surgery, significantly ( P P
Characteristics Associated With Mortality in 372 Patients Receiving Low-Dose Recombinant Factor VIIa (rFVIIa) for Cardiac Surgical Bleeding.

Objective Activated recombinant factor VII (rFVIIa) has been used to treat cardiac surgical bleeding in an off-label manner. This observational report analyzes the outcomes with use of a low dose and early administration of rFVIIa for cardiac surgical bleeding. Design A retrospective, observational study. Setting Single-center, tertiary care cardiothoracic surgical setting. Participants A total of 6,862 patients underwent cardiac surgery from January 2012 to January 2018. Of those, 372 patients received rFVIIa perioperatively. Interventions An institutional policy directed low-dose, incremental aliquots of intravenous rFVIIa (0.5-1 mg). Characteristics and outcomes were compared among patients who survived (n = 328) and patients who died (n = 44). Measurements and Main Results The median dose of rFVIIa was low at 13.29 μg/kg. Higher doses were given to patients who died (15.79 μg/kg v 12.99 μg/kg; p = 0.0133). Patients who died received more blood and component transfusions (median 9 products in those who died v 6 products in survivors; p = 0.0022), although the median transfusion requirement for all patients was 6 units per patient. The rate of reoperation was not different in the 2 groups. Mortality was associated with emergent/urgent surgical procedures (p = 0.0282), type of surgical procedure with aortic procedures being highest risk (p = 0.0014), cardiogenic shock (p = 0.0028), postoperative renal failure (p = 0.0035), postoperative cardiac arrest (p = 0.0006), and ischemic stroke (p = 0.0084). Conclusion Mortality after life-threatening cardiac surgical bleeding treated with rFVIIa was more common in aortic procedures and emergent and urgent surgeries. Lower doses of rFVIIa than previously reported may achieve bleeding cessation because overall blood component transfusions were low in this cohort.
Instagram: Friend or foe? The application’s association with psychological well-being:

The current study examined the association between the social media application Instagram and its users’ psychological well-being. Participants, both Instagram users and non-users, were surveyed on...
SOHO State of the Art Updates and Next Questions: T-Cell–Directed Immune Therapies for Multiple Myeloma: Chimeric Antigen Receptor–Modified T Cells and Bispecific T-Cell–Engaging Agents

Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies targeting SLAMF7 and CD38 are the first classes of targeted immunotherapies approved for multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells. These agents are effective, particularly in combination with the immunomodulatory drugs lenalidomide and pomalidomide. The next generation of myeloma immunotherapy under investigation consists of T-cell-directed strategies designed to promote cytotoxic activity against myeloma cells, as embodied by chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells (CAR-T) and bispecific T-cell-engaging agents. Early clinical trial results with these classes of therapies are promising, with high response rates reported. These strategies appear to be strong activators of immunoresponse, and adverse effects, particularly cytokine release syndrome and cytokine-related encephalopathic syndrome, are common. Ongoing research explores the optimal disease setting and combination therapies for these agents. These studies provide an unprecedented opportunity to understand the mechanisms of action and their relations to adverse effects and resistance to therapy.
Facilitating queer of color feminist co-mentorship: reflections on an online archive of scholar-activism

AbstractWe reflect on our relationship to the Feminist Freedom Warriors (FFW) online archive of transnational scholar-activist genealogies. From our respective locations at a PWI and an HBCU, we ex...