cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid Delivery of Diazepam from Supersaturated Solutions Prepared Using Prodrug/Enzyme Mixtures: Toward Intranasal Treatment of Seizure Emergencies

Current treatments for seizure emergencies, such as status epilepticus, include intravenous or rectal administration of benzodiazepines. While intranasal delivery of these drugs is desirable, the small volume of the nasal cavity and low drug solubility pose significant difficulties. Here, we prepared supersaturated diazepam solutions under physiological conditions and without precipitation, using a prodrug/enzyme system. Avizafone, a peptide prodrug of diazepam, was delivered with—Aspergillus oryzae (A.O.) protease, an enzyme identified from a pool of hydrolytic enzymes in assay buffer, pH 7.4 at 32°C. This enzyme converted avizafone to diazepam at supersaturated concentrations. In vitro permeability studies were performed at various prodrug/enzyme ratios using Madin-Darby canine kidney II-wild type (MDCKII-wt) monolayers, a representative model of the nasal epithelium. Monolayer integrity was examined using TEER measurement and the lucifer yellow permeability assay. Prodrug/drug concentrations were measured using HPLC. Enzyme kinetics with avizafone-protease mixtures revealed KM = 1,501 ± 232 μM and Vmax = 1,369 ± 94 μM/s. Prodrug-protease mixtures, when co-delivered apically onto MDCKII-wt monolayers, showed 2–17.6-fold greater diazepam flux (S = 1.3–15.3) compared to near-saturated diazepam (S = 0.7). Data for prodrug conversion upstream (apical side) and drug permeability downstream (basolateral side) fitted reasonably well to a previously developed in vitro two compartment pharmacokinetic model. Avizafone-protease mixtures resulted in supersaturated diazepam in less than 5 min, with the rate and extent of supersaturation determined by the prodrug/enzyme ratio. Together, these results suggest that an intranasal avizafone-protease system may provide a rapid and alternative means of diazepam delivery.
On the strain-energy function for isotropic bodies

The strain-energy function φ is assumed to be made up of a sum of homogeneous polynomials of the first, second, third, etc. degrees in the components of the strain tensor eαβ. The expansion is carried only so far as to include the third degree group of terms and then this expression for φ is studied from the point of view of the isotropy of space. Isotropy of space having been defined by means of rectangular trihedrons (or orthogonal ennuples), the effect on the "structure-tensor" cαβγδρσ (which forms with eαβ the third degree terms) of the assumption of isotropy is obtained. It is found that the third degree group introduces, for a completely isotropic state, only two coefficients of elasticity, which when taken together with the corresponding Lame's coefficients λ, μ of the second degree group gives only four elastic moduli in the complete expression for φ. The expression for φ thus developed is introduced into a set of equations obtained by F. D. Murnaghan connecting the stress and strain components by means of φ; and so we obtain relations between stress and strain which are applicable to deformations of higher order than those allowed by Hooke's law. These latter relations are then applied to the case of normal and uniform compression and these further applied to P. W. Bridgman's experiments on the change of volume of sodium under pressure at 30°C. In this application the four elastic moduli are reduced to two.
Wall loss and origin of soluble carbohydrates during mating of Chlamydomonas reinhardi

Abstract In the mating reaction between gametes of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardi , a lytic factor which solubilizes the cell wall is released. It has been shown that carbohydrates accumulate in the supernatant of mating gametes. We present here data which support the notion that the released carbohydrates arise from solubilized gametic cell walls. The evidence is based, in part, on the comparison of the carbohydrates and amino acids in the acid hydrolysates of cell-free supernatants to the reported composition of isolated cell walls. In both cases the three predominant sugars are mannose, arabinose and galactose, and also, in both cases, large amounts of the amino acid hydroxyproline are present. In addition, it is shown that if gametic cell walls are removed prior to mating interactions by treatment with a preparation of lytic factor, much less carbohydrate is subsequently released into the supematant, when such ‘nake’ gametes are mated.
A quadtree dictionary approach to multi-resolution compression

As we attempt to harness the power of tomorrow's mobile devices, intelligent information delivery becomes a primary concern. Getting the appropriate data to the resources that need it is referred to as the needs mismatch problem. In this paper we present a lossless multi-resolution compression technique based on a quadtree dictionary (QTD) that achieves 8:1 compression in the worst case. Test results show our method improves upon probabilistic, wavelet, and tree reduction techniques while providing 54:1 compression in the average case.
Carbon Nanotube based X-ray Sources: Applications in Pre-Clinical and Medical Imaging.

Abstract Field emission offers an alternate method of electron production for Bremsstrahlung based X-ray tubes. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) serve as very effective field emitters, allowing them to serve as electron sources for X-ray sources, with specific advantages over traditional thermionic tubes. CNT derived X-ray sources can create X-ray pulses of any duration and frequency, gate the X-ray pulse to any source and allow the placement of many sources in close proximity. We have constructed a number of micro-CT systems based on CNT X-ray sources for applications in small animal imaging, specifically focused on the imaging of the heart and lungs. This paper offers a review of the pre-clinical applications of the CNT based micro-CT that we have developed. We also discuss some of the current and potential clinical applications of the CNT X-ray sources.
Igbo Women in the Nigerian-Biafran War 1967-1970 An Interplay of Control

This study presents a brief history of the events of the Nigerian-Biafra Civil War and the roles played by women in the Biafra sector. An analysis of women’s coping strategies using the two process model of primary and secondary control shows that rather than privileging one over the other, the women combined both processes in ways that were functional and meaningful in the Biafra cultural context.
Classically-forbidden processes in photoabsorption spectra

We review two classically-forbidden processes that give rise to prominent structures in atomic photoabsorption spectra. In one, the electron undergoes classically-forbidden reflection above a potential-energy barrier. In the other, absorption occurs into a classically-forbidden region of the electron's motion.
Aggregation of nanoscale iron oxyhydroxides and corresponding effects on metal uptake, retention, and speciation: II. Temperature and time

Abstract The aggregation and growth of nanosized particles can greatly impact their capacity to sorb and retain dissolved metals, thus affecting metal fate and transport in contaminated systems. Aqueous suspensions of synthesized nanoscale iron oxyhydroxides were exposed to dissolved Zn(II) or Cu(II) and aged at room temperature (∼20 °C), 50 °C, and 75 °C for timeframes ranging from 0 to 96 h before sorbed metal ions were desorbed by lowering the suspension pH. Atomic absorption spectroscopic analysis of supernatants both before and after the desorption step determined how temperature and time affect macroscopic metal uptake and retention capacities. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy analysis described the local binding environment of the sorbed/retained metals on the solid phase. With increasing aging temperature and time, the initial ∼5-nm oblong nanoparticles formed dense aggregates, lost reactive surface area, and retained progressively larger fractions of the initially-introduced Zn(II) and Cu(II) following the desorption step, with the copper species inhibiting the oriented aggregation of the nanoparticles into nanorods. Based on EXAFS analysis, the speciation of the sorbed metal species evolves with increasing time and temperature from surface-sorbed metal ions, which readily desorb and return to solution, to more strongly-bound, structurally-incorporated metal ions. These retained metals appear to associate intimately with the nanoparticle aggregates by substituting for iron in the nanoparticle lattice or by binding within nanoparticle aggregate pore spaces.
Temperature and Supersaturation Dependent Nucleation Rates of Water by Molecular Cluster Model Calculations

Abstract The homogeneous nucleation process for water has been the subject of great interest, despite the fact that water droplet formation in the atmosphere occurs by heterogeneous nucleation. This is because the homogeneous nucleation process is the simplest of the nucleation processes to treat, both theoretically and experimentally, and because it is strongly dependent on, and hence can be used to illuminate, the molecular interactions and processes that are important for heterogeneous nucleation and aerosol hydration. Using a microphysical approach to nucleation, we present an extensive study of water nucleation rates for wide ranges of both temperature and supersaturation ratio. Based on the fundamental molecular properties of clusters instead of bulk properties, the microphysical approach is demonstrated to predict good agreement with measured nucleation rates over this broad range of conditions. Predicted critical sizes for nucleation are found to be relatively small, and are in the molecular clust...
Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy: A Survey of Wavelength Selection To Determine Dry Matter Digestibility, ,

Abstract This study examined the usage of wavelengths for determining DM digestibility by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy. Samples of legumes, grasses, and mixtures of forages and concentrates with known in vitro or in vivo DM digestibilities were scanned. The samples and analysis equations were from many different studies and locations. Wavelengths chosen for calibration equations in each study were obtained from published and unpublished reports. Frequency analysis was employed to determine which wavelengths were selected within specific forage types and across all forage types. Many of the wavelengths chosen to determine digestibility were 1600 to 1900 and 2200 to 2300 nm, regardless of forage type. The 1600- to 1700-nm region is associated with overtones of C-H, C-N, and N-H groups, which are related to fiber and protein, and the 2200- to 2300-nm area is associated primarily with C-H groups (fiber). There were slight differences in frequency of wavelength selection between legumes and grasses within these two predominant areas. Forage and concentrate mixtures utilized wavelengths in the 1500-nm area more than the other forage types. This area is associated with O-H and N-H groups (water, starch, and protein) in grains. Published wavelength data from near infrared reflectance spectroscopy determinations, combined with the frequency of wavelength occurrence for digestibility determinations, may help ascertain the relationship of plant chemistry measured by this method and digestion by animals.
Abstract PR11: Medulloblastoma-associated mutations in the DEAD box RNA helicase DDX3X impair protein translation

Whole genome sequencing technologies recently identified novel recurrent mutations in childhood medulloblastomas (MB), including missense mutations in the DEAD box RNA helicase DDX3X. In the present study, we used complementary genomic approaches to illuminate normal DDX3X function and the impact of cancer-associated mutations. We used CLIPseq to identify the RNA targets of endogenous DDX3X. This analysis revealed that DDX3X primarily binds mature mRNAs and, further, that the distribution of DDX3X binding sites in targets spans the full length of these mRNAs, with enrichment in the coding regions, suggesting a role for DDX3X in translation elongation. Consistent with this observation, we detected a fraction of wild type DDX3X in polysomes by sedimentation experiments. In contrast, MB-associated DDX3X mutants appear to associate poorly with polysomes, but induce spontaneous stress granule (SG) formation in cells, suggesting a role of mutant DDX3X in triggering translation silencing. In fact, the RNA binding capabilities of DDX3X are still preserved in the context of cancer-associated mutations further supporting a role of mutant DDX3X in repressing translation of specific RNAs by retaining them within SGs. Interestingly, gene ontology analyses find mRNAs encoding translation factors themselves to be highly enriched among DDX3X RNA targets, suggesting that perturbations of DDX3X functions could have far-reaching impact on cellular translation. Indeed, knocking down DDX3X with siRNA or overexpressing a mutant led to a significant impairment in global translation as measured by S35-methionine metabolic labeling. Furthermore, assessment of whole-genome protein translation by ribosomal profiling analyses in cells overexpressing cancer-associated mutant DDX3X confirmed a decreased translation rate of direct DDX3X mRNA targets in particular, but also numerous other mRNAs. Finally, we have generated an allelic series of transgenic fruit flies expressing wild type or mutant versions of human DDX3X or its Drosophila ortholog Belle, and have captured mutation-dependent phenotypes when these transgenes are expressed in specific tissues. Together, our data show that DDX3X regulates the translation of a key subset of mRNAs and thereby indirectly influences cellular translation globally, and that this function is perturbed by cancer-associated mutations. This abstract is also presented as poster C48. Citation Format: Yasmine A. Valentin-Vega, Matthew Parker, Michael Rusch, Demelza Smeeth, Nam Chul Kim, Jinghui Zhang, Richard J. Gilbertson, Joseph P. Taylor. Medulloblastoma-associated mutations in the DEAD box RNA helicase DDX3X impair protein translation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Third AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research; Sep 18-22, 2013; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(19 Suppl):Abstract nr PR11.
The Psychiatric Team as a Differential Decision-Maker with Child Patients

The decision-making capabilities of the psychiatric team were examined with focus on whether a sample child patient should be placed in individual therapy, group therapy, or be terminated. A survey research approach was implemented in order to ascertain the relative degree of commonality in dispositional judgments rendered by team members (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers) and whether differential criteria were employed for these three decision-making conditions.
Common Belief with the Logic of Individual Belief

The logic of common belief does not always reflect that of individual beliefs. In particular, even when the individual belief operators satisfy the KD45 logic, the common belief operator may fail to satisfy axiom 5. That is, it can happen that neither is A commonly believed nor is it common belief that A is not commonly believed. We identify the intersubjective restrictions on individual beliefs that are incorporated in axiom 5 for common belief.
Beginning with the Particular: Reimagining Professional Development as a Feminist Practice

This article analyzes the work of a long-term network of teachers, the Philadelphia Teachers Learning Cooperative, with a focus on their descriptive practices. Drawing on three years of ethnographic documentation of weekly meetings and a historical archive of meetings over 30 years, I characterize the teachers' knowledge about teaching and learning as a feminist stance, steeped in the particular. I argue further that the teachers' analysis of and knowledge about teaching and learning comes from a grounded, phenomenological standpoint that attends to the multiplicity, complexity, and uncertainty that characterize learning. Finally, I explore the ways the routines of this group allow teachers to develop a common language and set of practices to speak back to the restrictive mandates of the school district.
Surgical Decompression for Optic Neuropathy From Carotid Artery Ectasia: Case Report with Technical Considerations

Objective Symptomatic compression of the optic nerve (ON) through its intracranial course or within the orbit may occur at several locations by abnormalities of adjacent soft tissue, bony, or vascular structures. Compressive optic neuropathy secondary to vascular ectasia is a rare phenomenon. Case Description An adult male patient presented with a several month history of monocular visual loss. Imaging demonstrated compression of the ipsilateral ON by an ectatic carotid artery. Magnetic resonance imaging, ophthalmologic examination, and cerebral angiography did not demonstrate an alternative etiology of his visual loss. Conservative management was recommended; however, the patient's vision deteriorated further and pterional craniotomy was offered. Intraoperative examination demonstrated a distal origin of the ophthalmic artery that was bulging into, and pulsating against, the adjacent ON. Anterior clinoidectomy, falciform ligament transection, and sponge padding of the ON were then performed. The patient's visual loss improved rapidly postoperatively and at 1 month follow-up the patient exhibited normal visual fields on ophthalmologic testing. Conclusions We present a patient with severe monocular visual loss and significant anatomic displacement of the ON by an ectatic internal carotid artery–ophthalmic artery complex with dramatic and rapid visual improvement after surgical decompression. Complete untethering of the nerve and total cessation of transmitted pulsatility may not be necessary for symptomatic improvement. Optic nerve contact or displacement by the ipsilateral carotid artery is common in asymptomatic patients, therefore ruling out other etiologies of monocular visual loss before surgical decompression is paramount.
In Vitro Atherosclerosis: Correlation Between IV Ultrasonic Imaging And High Resolution MRI

Previous in vitro ultrasonic imaging in our laboratory with a prototype subassembly suitable for use in an imaging catheter was performed at 20 MHz using a rather large transducer having a 2 mm aperture focussed at 10 mm [1,2,3]. More recently ultrasonic images obtained at 30 MHz with a 1 mm active aperture focussed at 3 mm, have been compared with high resolution magnetic resonance images (MRI). Axial and lateral ultrasonic resolutions have improved from 100 and 450 μm, respectively, to 100 and 150 μm using the newer, smaller transducer. Signal-to-noise ratios as visualized in the resulting images remains unchanged, and penetration of normal vessel walls is complete.
Proximate Correlates of Carotenoid-Based Mouth Coloration in Nestling House Sparrows

Abstract. The mouth coloration of passerine nestlings is hypothesized to attract parental care by increasing the visual conspicuousness of begging chicks and/or by signaling the reproductive value of nestlings. Specifically, carotenoids are often hypothesized to mediate the latter relationship. In House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) nestlings, we confirmed both the presence of carotenoids in rictal flanges and a positive relationship between carotenoid concentration and the intensity of yellow coloration. This carotenoid-based coloration was positively associated with nestling mass and with plasma carotenoid concentration. Red gape coloration also revealed titers of circulating carotenoids. Carotenoids reduced the overall brightness and the UV reflectance of flanges, an effect that may limit the detectability of carotenoid-rich mouth colors and the ability of brightness and UV coloration to function in communication. For example, flange brightness, likely the primary determinant of conspicuousness, was posi...
An 8×8 Monolithic Tunable Optical Router (MOTOR) Chip in InP

We demonstrate 10 Gbps error free operation through multiple ports of an InP monolithic tunable optical router consisting of eight input wavelength converters and an 8x8 passive arrayed-waveguide grating router.
Old carbon in living organisms and young CaC03 cements from abyssal brine seeps

ABYSSAL brine springs at the base of the Florida Escarpment in the Gulf of Mexico (∼3,280 m, 26° O2' N 84° 55' W) are surrounded by communities of abundant heterotrophic organisms1–4 and carbonate-cemented crusts5. These organisms are apparently supported by local chemosynthetic primary production because the 13C content of their tissues is lower than that found in typical photosynthetically fixed organic carbon6, and the enzymes associated with chemosynthetic metabolism are present in their tissues7,8. Here we report that fossil methane is the dominant source of carbon found in living tissues and recent authigenic carbonate minerals associated with abyssal brine seeps at the base of the Florida Escarpment. Most organic carbon and authigenic carbonates adjacent to the seeps contain progressively less modern carbon as their 13C contents approach that of methane carried in the brine. Incorporation of fossil methane (⩾=1.3% modern carbon) into living tissues and carbonate cements results in recently formed materials which are depleted in 14C. Therefore, 14C cannot be used to indicate the age of authigenic materials produced at the pore-water-seepage environments that speckle the continental margins of the world.
Home Smoking Bans Among U.S. Households with Children and Smokers: Opportunities for Intervention

Background Public health campaigns have reduced the exposure of U.S. children to secondhand smoke at home; however, these may not have been equally effective across subgroups. Purpose To examine prevalence of home smoking bans among U.S. households with both children and smokers, over time and by demographic subgroups. Methods The Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS) is a nationally representative household survey of tobacco use. The 1992/1993 and 2006/2007 TUS-CPS interviewed 22,746 households from a major racial/ethnic group with both children and adult smokers. Predictors of complete home smoking bans among demographic subgroups were identified using multivariate logistic regression. Analyses were conducted in 2010–2011. Results Complete home smoking bans among U.S. households with children and smokers (smoking families) more than tripled, from 14.1% in 1992/1993 to 50.0% in 2006/2007. However, non-Hispanic white and African-American smoking families lagged behind Asian/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics. In 2006/2007, 67.2% of African-American smoking families allowed smoking in the home, as did 59.2% of smoking families with all children aged ≥14 years. Bans were more likely among more-educated households and in states with lower adult smoking prevalence; however, these differences were attenuated in some racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions As of 2006/2007, only half of U.S. households with both children and smokers had complete home smoking bans. Home bans were less common among smoking families with older children, in African-American households, and in Hispanic or non-Hispanic white households in states with high smoking prevalence. Interventions are needed to promote smokefree homes among these groups.
ExsE, a secreted regulator of type III secretion genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Type III secretion systems are toxin delivery systems that are present in a large number of pathogens. A hallmark of all type III secretion systems studied to date is that expression of one or more of their components is induced upon cell contact. It has been proposed that this induction is controlled by a negative regulator that is itself secreted by means of the type III secretion machinery. Although candidate proteins for this negative regulator have been proposed in a number of systems, for the most part, a direct demonstration of their role in regulation is lacking. Here, we report the discovery of ExsE, a negative regulator of type III secretion gene expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Deletion of exsE deregulates expression of the type III secretion genes. We provide evidence that ExsE is itself secreted by means of the type III secretion machinery and physically interacts with ExsC, a positive regulator of the type III secretion regulon. Taken together, these data demonstrate that ExsE is the secreted negative regulator that couples triggering of the type III secretion machinery to induction of the type III secretion genes.
Employee influence on decisions: An analysis

Attitude data from a national sample of 2300 working adults are reported. The data show that employees feel they should have more influence on a number of decisions. This feeling is stronger for decisions affecting how their job is done, than for matters of corporate policy and personnel decisions. However, it is in the policy and personnel areas that they perceive the greatest discrepancy between the amount of influence they presently have and the amount of influence they feel they should have. Older, better educated, and higher-paid respondents felt they should have more influence on all decisions. The implications of these findings for the Quality of Work Life movement were considered. The data suggest a favourable future climate for certain types of employee influence/Quality of Work Life projects.
Dimension and Measures for a Curvilinear Sierpinski Gasket or Apollonian Packing

In this paper we apply some results about general conformal iterated function systems to A , the residual set of a standard Apollonian packing or a curvilinear Sierpinski gasket. Within this context, it is straightforward to show that h , the Hausdorff dimension of A , is greater than 1 and the packing dimension and the upper and lower box counting dimensions are all the same as the Hausdorff dimension. Among other things, we verify Sullivan's result that 0 H h ( A ) P h ( A )=∞.
A quantum dot longwave infrared photodetector with integrated optical amplifier

A quantum dot longwave infrared photodetector with vertically integrated optical amplifier structure is presented. The optical gain of ~ 15dB can be achieved. Such integrated QDIP and optical amplifier structure is promising to improve the sensitivity of IR sensing and imaging systems.
MOXE - An X-ray all-sky monitor for the Soviet Spectrum-X-Gamma mission

A Monitoring X-Ray Equipment (MOXE) is being developed for the Soviet Spectrum-X-Gamma Mission. MOXE is an X-ray all-sky monitor based on array of pinhole cameras, to be provided via a collaboration between Goddard Space Flight Center and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The objectives are to alert other observers on Spectrum-X-Gamma and other platforms of interesting transient activity, and to synoptically monitor the X-ray sky and study long-term changes in X-ray binaries. MOXE will be sensitive to source as faint as 2 milliCrab (5 sigma) in 1 day, and cover the 2 to 20 KeV band.
Static array storage optimization in MATLAB

An adaptation of the classic register allocation algorithm to the problem of array storage optimization in MATLAB is presented. The method involves the decomposition of an interference graph’s color classes using inferred type information. A key trait is the use of symbolic types, along with control flow, in performing the decomposition. On a benchmark suite spanning the published test suites of some recent research MATLAB compilers, our implementation produces savings in the average virtual memory size, with respect to code generated by a commercial MATLAB compiler, of between 51% and 139% in 6 out of 11 programs, and savings between 0.7% and 47% in the remaining. In absolute terms, this ranged from 123KB to over 9MB. Substantial improvements in other categories of memory, such as resident sets and dynamic data (stack plus heap), were also observed and are reported. Speedups in execution times of at least over an order of magnitude in 4 programs, of over 100% in 4 of the remaining, and 10% and over in the rest are also reported.
Engineering a family of synthetic splicing ribozymes

Controlling RNA splicing opens up possibilities for the synthetic biologist. The Tetrahymena ribozyme is a model group I self-splicing ribozyme that has been shown to be useful in synthetic circuits. To create additional splicing ribozymes that can function in synthetic circuits, we generated synthetic ribozyme variants by rationally mutating the Tetrahymena ribozyme. We present an alignment visualization for the ribozyme termed as structure information diagram that is similar to a sequence logo but with alignment data mapped on to secondary structure information. Using the alignment data and known biochemical information about the Tetrahymena ribozyme, we designed synthetic ribozymes with different primary sequences without altering the secondary structure. One synthetic ribozyme with 110 nt mutated retained 12% splicing efficiency in vivo. The results indicate that our biochemical understanding of the ribozyme is accurate enough to engineer a family of active splicing ribozymes with similar secondary structure but different primary sequences.
MIR-23A microRNA cluster inhibits B-cell development.

Objective The transcription factor PU.1 (encoded by Sfpi1 ) promotes myeloid differentiation, but it is unclear what downstream genes are involved. Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small RNAs that regulate many cellular pathways, including proliferation, survival, and differentiation. The objective of this study was to identify miRNAs downstream of PU.1 that regulate hematopoietic development. Materials and Methods miRNAs that change expression in a PU.1-inducible cell line were identified with microarrays. The promoter for an miRNA cluster upregulated by PU.1 induction was analyzed for PU.1 binding by electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Retroviral transduction of hematopoietic progenitors was performed to evaluate the effect of miRNA expression on hematopoietic development in vitro and in vivo. Results We identified an miRNA cluster whose pri-transcript is regulated by PU.1. The pri-miRNA encodes three mature miRNAs: miR-23a, miR-27a, and miR-24-2. Each miRNA is more abundant in myeloid cells compared to lymphoid cells. When hematopoietic progenitors expressing the 23a cluster miRNAs were cultured in B-cell−promoting conditions, we observed a dramatic decrease in B lymphopoiesis and an increase in myelopoiesis compared to control cultures. In vivo, hematopoietic progenitors expressing the miR-23a cluster generate reduced numbers of B cells compared to control cells. Conclusions The miR-23a cluster is a downstream target of PU.1 involved in antagonizing lymphoid cell fate acquisition. Although miRNAs have been identified downstream of PU.1 in mediating development of monocytes and granulocytes, the 23a cluster is the first downstream miRNA target implicated in regulating development of myeloid vs lymphoid cells.
Reaction of I-131 anti-Rh-o(D) with enzyme treated red cells.

The effect of proteolytic enzymes (papain, trypsin, ficin and bromelin) on Rho(D) positive and negative red cells was studied with I131 anti-Rho(D). Enzymatic pretreatment of red cells results in almost a two-fold increase in the amount of I131 antiRho(D) bound to these cells. The “enzyme exposed Rho(D)” antigen by some criteria (stability to hemolysis, absence of an increase in negative cells and studies on the supernatant solutions) appears to have the same specificity as the Rho(D) antigen on the untreated cell. The ability of proteolytic enzymes to produce this effect on Rho(D) positive red cells does not correlate directly with the ability of these enzymes to digest casein, although the effect appears to be associated with the proteolytic activity of these enzymes. The amount of increase in uptake of I131 anti-Rho(D) induced by enzymes is directly proportional to the quantity of antibody bound by the untreated cell, irrespective of the Rh phenotype or zygosity of the red cell.
Psychological Science in the 21st Century

Science is constantly changing. If one hopes to keep pace with advances in science, one cannot simply repeat what one has done in the past, whether deciding how to invest limited research funds, se...
RAPID REVERSAL OF HYPEROXALURIA IN A RAT MODEL AFTER PROBIOTIC ADMINISTRATION OF OXALOBACTER FORMIGENES

Purpose: The gut inhabiting bacterium Oxalobacter formigenes may be a negative risk factor in recurrent calcium oxalate kidney stone disease that apparently maintains oxalic acid homeostasis in its host via the degradation of dietary oxalate. The possibility of using this bacterium as probiotic treatment to reduce urinary oxalate was investigated in a rat model.Materials and Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were placed on a diet supplemented with ammonium oxalate to induce a state of severe hyperoxaluria. Subgroups of these rats received an esophageal gavage of 1 × 103, 105, 107 or 109 O. formigenes per feeding for a 2-week period. Each rat was followed for general health and changes in urinary oxalate.Results: Rats with chronic hyperoxaluria resulting from high dietary oxalate that were treated with O. formigenes showed decreased urinary oxalate within 2 days of initiating probiotic supplementation. The amount of the decrease in a 2-week period proved directly proportional to the dose of bacteria. Urina...
Chemical Name Extraction Based on Automatic Training Data Generation and Rich Feature Set

The automation of extracting chemical names from text has significant value to biomedical and life science research. A major barrier in this task is the difficulty of getting a sizable and good quality data to train a reliable entity extraction model. Another difficulty is the selection of informative features of chemical names, since comprehensive domain knowledge on chemistry nomenclature is required. Leveraging random text generation techniques, we explore the idea of automatically creating training sets for the task of chemical name extraction. Assuming the availability of an incomplete list of chemical names, called a dictionary, we are able to generate well-controlled, random, yet realistic chemical-like training documents. We statistically analyze the construction of chemical names based on the incomplete dictionary, and propose a series of new features, without relying on any domain knowledge. Compared to state-of-the-art models learned from manually labeled data and domain knowledge, our solution shows better or comparable results in annotating real-world data with less human effort. Moreover, we report an interesting observation about the language for chemical names. That is, both the structural and semantic components of chemical names follow a Zipfian distribution, which resembles many natural languages.
Scenario based approach for control design for DC-DC Buck Converter

The article presents the application of a probabilistic robust control scheme for DC-DC Buck Converter, on the basis of the idea of randomly selected scenarios from an uncertain set. This technique involves the analysis of a wide range of control system analysis and design problems for uncertain systems which are amenable to solve the numerical problems in efficient way if the requirements regarding robustness are imposed in probabilistic sense within the paradigm. The output voltage of the converter can be affected by changes in load current. This variation in load appears as a linear uncertain parameter, with a known range, in the dynamic model of the converter. Maintaining the output voltage to the desired value in the presence of load variations is formulated as an LPV H-infinity optimization problem. However, instead of covering the entire uncertainty set using the conventional polytopic approach, we use the scenario based approach to extract the scenarios by explicitly and providing the bound on the number of scenarios, resulting in a design to guarantee an a-priori particular probabilistic robustness in design of control problem for DC-DC Buck Converter. This results in a marginal improvement in transient performance, with regard to overshoot and settling time, of the closed loop system. Numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the above, and a comparison with the LPV polytopic approach and linear PID control is presented.
MemTracker: Efficient and Programmable Support for Memory Access Monitoring and Debugging

Memory bugs are a broad class of bugs that is becoming increasingly common with increasing software complexity, and many of these bugs are also security vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, existing software and even hardware approaches for finding and identifying memory bugs have considerable performance overheads, target only a narrow class of bugs, are costly to implement, or use computational resources inefficiently. This paper describes MemTracker, a new hardware support mechanism that can be configured to perform different kinds of memory access monitoring tasks. MemTracker associates each word of data in memory with a few bits of state, and uses a programmable state transition table to react to different events that can affect this state. The number of state bits per word, the events to which MemTracker reacts, and the transition table are all fully programmable. MemTracker's rich set of states, events, and transitions can be used to implement different monitoring and debugging checkers with minimal performance overheads, even when frequent state updates are needed. To evaluate MemTracker, we map three different checkers onto it, as well as a checker that combines all three. For the most demanding (combined) checker, we observe performance overheads of only 2.7% on average and 4.8% worst-case on SPEC 2000 applications. Such low overheads allow continuous (always-on) use of MemTracker-enabled checkers even in production runs
The molecular and cellular pathophysiology of heart failure

In the United States, it is estimated that heart failure develops in 465,000 people each year. Heart failure occurs in both men and women and is associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate in both sexes and in all races. Our knowledge of the pathophysiology of heart failure has advanced beyond the cardiorenal-neurohumoral model and now includes changes in myocyte structure and function. Cellular changes in heart failure include myocyte hypertrophy, abnormalities in calcium homeostasis, excitation-contraction coupling, cross-bridge cycling, and changes in the cytoskeletal architecture. Data also indicate that some of these changes are found during the compensated stage of heart failure; whereas other changes are found during overt decompensation and are associated with changes in systolic and diastolic function. The transition from compensated to decompensated heart failure is more than likely related to the overexpression of neurohormones and peptides such as norepinephrine, angiotensin II, and proinflammatory cytokines. The purpose of this article is to review the epidemiology and cellular pathophysiology of heart failure.
Atherosclerotic calcification and intimal medial thickness of the carotid arteries

Background and purpose: Carotid intimal medial thickness (IMT) is a measure of subclinical atherosclerosis and is predictive of future cardiovascular events. The purpose of this study was to determine the significance and magnitude of association between IMT and atherosclerotic calcification of the carotid arteries. Methods: Forty-five subjects underwent electron beam computed tomography of the neck to ascertain the extent of atherosclerotic calcification in the carotid arteries followed by B-mode carotid ultrasonography for IMT. Results: The mean age, BMI and total cholesterol to HDL ratio were 61.4, 26.2 and 4.3, respectively. Forty-one percent were women. The overall mean IMT was 0.91 mm with the mean for the right and left being 0.93 and 0.87 mm, respectively. The median total carotid calcium score (CCS) was 48.4 [range: 0–973]. Age-adjusted correlations were significant between the overall mean IMT and total CCS (r=0.53, pb0.01), mean right IMT and right CCS (0.31, 0.05), mean left IMT and left CCS (0.31, 0.05), right common carotid IMT and right CCS (0.53, b0.01) and left common carotid IMT and left CCS (0.31, 0.05). The mean IMT was 0.14 mm greater in subjects with any carotid calcification adjusted for risk factors. A 0.05 mm increase in the carotid IMT was associated with an approximate 3-fold increase in risk for the presence of atherosclerotic calcification. Conclusions: Carotid IMT is significantly correlated with and predictive of atherosclerotic calcification. Conversely, individuals with any carotid calcification have significantly greater intimal medial thicknesses. D 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Global patterns in availability of emergency obstetric care

Objective: This paper examines the availability of basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric care (EmOC), interventions used to treat direct obstetric complications. Determining what interventions are provided in health facilities is the first priority in analyzing a country's capabilities to treat obstetric emergencies. There are eight key interventions, six constitute basic EmOC and all eight comprehensive EmOC. Methods and results: Based on data from 24 needs assessments, the following global patterns emerge: comprehensive EmOC facilities are usually available to meet the recommended minimum number for the size of the population, basic EmOC facilities are consistently not available in sufficient numbers, both in countries with high and moderate levels of maternal mortality, and the majority of facilities offering maternity services provide only some interventions indicating an unrealized potential. Conclusion: Upgrading maternities, health centers and hospitals to at least basic EmOC status would be a major contributing step towards maternal mortality reduction in resource-poor countries.
RAG and HMGB1 create a large bend in the 23RSS in the V(D)J recombination synaptic complexes

During V(D)J recombination, recombination activating gene proteins RAG1 and RAG2 generate DNA double strand breaks within a paired complex (PC) containing two complementary recombination signal sequences (RSSs), the 12RSS and 23RSS, which differ in the length of the spacer separating heptamer and nonamer elements. Despite the central role of the PC in V(D)J recombination, little is understood about its structure. Here, we use fluorescence resonance energy transfer to investigate the architecture of the 23RSS in the PC. Energy transfer was detected in 23RSS substrates in which the donor and acceptor fluorophores flanked the entire RSS, and was optimal under conditions that yield a cleavage-competent PC. The data are most easily explained by a dramatic bend in the 23RSS that reduces the distance between these flanking regions from >160 A in the linear substrate to <80 A in the PC. Analysis of multiple fluorescent substrates together with molecular dynamics modeling yielded a model in which the 23RSS adopts a U shape in the PC, with the spacer located centrally within the bend. We propose that this large bend facilitates simultaneous recognition of the heptamer and nonamer, is critical for proper positioning of the active site and contributes to the 12/23 rule.
Deciding to Bribe: a Cross-Level Analysis of Firm and Home Country Influences on Bribery Activity

Local firms in their home countries often engage in behavior that constitutes corruption, at least through some cultural lenses. One such practice is bribery of public officials. This study uses mu...
The Enduring Value of an Ethic of Caring.

AbstractIn the late 19th century, faculty members on American college campuses turned their attention away from life outside the classroom, a responsibility they had assumed from the earliest days of the colonial college. The result was the establishment of a field known familiarly today as student affairs, which focuses on the work of administrators interested in the total student experience. An ethic of caring has characterized this work, reflected today both in its professional literature and in its daily practices.
Pharmacokinetics of the etonogestrel contraceptive implant in obese women.

Objective We sought to examine the pharmacokinetics and acceptability of the etonogestrel contraceptive implant in obese women. Study Design We developed and validated a plasma etonogestrel concentration assay and enrolled 13 obese (body mass index ≥30) women and 4 normal-weight (body mass index Results All obese participants were African American, while all normal-weight participants were white. Across time, the plasma etonogestrel concentrations in obese women were lower than published values for normal-weight women and 31-63% lower than in the normal-weight study cohort, although these differences were not statistically significant. The implant device was found highly acceptable among obese women. Conclusion Obese women have lower plasma etonogestrel concentration than normal-weight women in the first 6 months after implant insertion. These findings should not be interpreted as decreased contraceptive effectiveness without additional considerations.
Sequence-Divergent Chordopoxvirus Homologs of the O3 Protein Maintain Functional Interactions with Components of the Vaccinia Virus Entry-Fusion Complex

Composed of 35 amino acids, O3 is the smallest characterized protein encoded by vaccinia virus (VACV) and is an integral component of the entry-fusion complex (EFC). O3 is conserved with 100% identity in all orthopoxviruses except for monkeypox viruses, whose O3 homologs have 2 to 3 amino acid substitutions. Since O3 is part of the EFC, high conservation could suggest an immutable requirement for interaction with multiple proteins. Chordopoxviruses of other genera also encode small proteins with a characteristic predicted N-terminal α-helical hydrophobic domain followed by basic amino acids and proline in the same relative genome location as that of VACV O3. However, the statistical significance of their similarity to VACV O3 is low due to the large contribution of the transmembrane domain, their small size, and their sequence diversity. Nevertheless, trans-complementation experiments demonstrated the ability of a representative O3-like protein from each chordopoxvirus genus to rescue the infectivity of a VACV mutant that was unable to express endogenous O3. Moreover, recombinant viruses expressing O3 homologs in place of O3 replicated and formed plaques as well or nearly as well as wild-type VACV. The O3 homologs expressed by the recombinant VACVs were incorporated into the membranes of mature virions and, with one exception, remained stably associated with the detergent-extracted and affinity-purified EFC. The ability of the sequence-divergent O3 homologs to coordinate function with VACV entry proteins suggests the conservation of structural motifs. Analysis of chimeras formed by swapping domains of O3 with those of other proteins indicated that the N-terminal transmembrane segment was responsible for EFC interactions and for the complementation of infectivity.
The Promise of High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing

Several high-performance computers now use field-programmable gate arrays as reconfigurable coprocessors. The authors describe the two major contemporary HPRC architectures and explore the pros and cons of each using representative applications from remote sensing, molecular dynamics, bioinformatics, and cryptanalysis.
Metadata and the Use of XML

I will try and keep this section brief, and reasonably simplified: more extensive introductions, such as the Wikipedia entry, are freely available. Software developers who have worked with XML may wish to skip this section.