cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rates of Mitochondrial and Peroxisomal β-Oxidation of Palmitate Change during Postnatal Development and Food Deprivation in Liver, Kidney and Heart of Pigs

We measured total, mitochondrial and peroxisomal capacities for β-oxidation of [1- 14 C]palmitate in homogenates of liver, kidney and heart from pigs within 0.5 h after birth (0 h, unfed) and at 24 h (suckled or unfed), 10 d (suckled or 24-h food-deprived), 21 d (suckled or 24-h food-deprived) and 5 mo (overnight food-deprived) of age. Assays were conducted in the absence (total β-oxidation) or presence (peroxisomal β-oxidation) of anti-mycin A and rotenone. Mitochondrial β-oxidation was calculated as total minus peroxisomal β-oxidation. Acid-soluble products (ASP) from incubation of tissue homogenates from 24-h-old unfed pigs with [1- 14 C]palmitate were analyzed by radio-HPLC. Total and mitochondrial β-oxidation capacities were greater (P < 0.05) at 24 h after birth in liver, and at 10 d in kidney and heart, than at 0 or 24 h. Peroxisomal β-oxidation capacity was increased (P < 0.05) at 24 h after birth in liver and at 10 and 21 d in heart; in kidney, the capacity was higher during the preweaning period than in adults. Across ages, peroxisomal β-oxidation capacity represented 37 to 51%, 28 to 41%, and 26 to 31% of total β-oxidation capacity in liver, kidney, and heart, respectively. Food deprivation increased hepatic total β-oxidation at 10 d and decreased peroxisomal β-oxidation at 24 h but had no effect in kidney and heart. Regardless of the presence of respiratory inhibitors, 32%, 31 to 40%, and 45 to 50% of palmitate carboxyl carbon in acid-soluble products was accumulated in acetate in liver, kidney, and heart, respectively. We suggest that a high percentage contribution of peroxisomal β-oxidation may act as a compensatory mechanism for piglets to oxidize milk fatty acids during postnatal development. Furthermore, acetogenesis may be an important fate of acetyl-CoA from β-oxidation of fatty acids in various piglet tissues.
THE VARIABLE INVASIVE SUCCESS OF CORTADERIA SPECIES IN A COMPLEX LANDSCAPE

It is likely that plant invasions result from complex interactions between species traits, community traits, and abiotic conditions. Despite this, there have been few experimental studies that directly examine these interactions. Two morphologically similar perennial grass species in the genus Cortaderia are currently invasive pests in California, but their patterns of invasion differ. In this study I experimentally compared the performance of the two species across four vegetation types in central California. I examined how the different invasive patterns of the species result from differential responses to environmental factors that vary over relatively small spatial and temporal scales. Cortaderia selloana had consistently higher seed germination than C. jubata, but germination rates interacted significantly with soil disturbance and habitat type, and these interactions varied between experimental years. When mammalian herbivores were excluded, the principal cause of transplant mortality was physiological stress, and C. selloana transplants had greater survivorship than C. jubata transplants in all habitats except maritime chaparral. In the presence of mammalian herbivores, however, herbivory became the dominant source of transplant mortality, and the survivorship of both species was indistinguishable in all habitats. At the seasonal wetland site, patterns of transplant survivorship varied significantly between years, probably as a result of increased competition for water during the second experimental year. Transplants of the two species did not differ significantly in growth except at the seasonal wetland site where C. selloana transplants added significantly more leaf area than C. jubata transplants. These results indicate that the relative invasive potential of C. selloana and C. jubata is strongly moderated by the presence of generalist herbivores. The influence of herbivory is in turn dependent on the community type. In addition, plant competitors can modify the invasive success of the two species, but the effect of competitors varies with seasonal differences in resource supply. Although important mechanisms that influence the invasion process can be identified, the complex invasion dynamics exhibited by these morphologically similar species across relatively small spatial and temporal scales suggest that overly broad invasion rules will be of little practical utility in the regional management of invasive species.
Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) Home Range Use in an Amazonian Forest: Implications for the Aggregated Distribution of Forest Trees

Abstract We radio-tracked five red-rumped agoutis (Dasyprocta leporina) for two to nine months each at the Estacao Ecologica Ilha de Maraca in the northern Brazilian Amazon. Agoutis fed primarily on seeds and pulp but also ate cotyledons, leaves, flowers, and invertebrates. Three plant species made up 63 percent of the feeding observations. Home range size varied from 3 to 8.5 ha. High-use areas and home range boundaries shifted from the season of high fruit availability to the season of low fruit availability as different individual trees became the focus of feeding activities. Agoutis foraged preferentially within conspecific patches of preferred fruit species and concentrated their feeding and scatterhoarding activities near individual fruiting trees. These results suggest that agoutis, as extremely short-distance seed dispersers, may contribute to the aggregated dispersion pattern of large-seeded tropical forest trees.
Unravelling the low thermal expansion coefficient of cation-substituted YBaCo4O7+δ

With an aim to understand the origin of the low thermal expansion coefficients (TECs), cation substituted YBaCo4O7-type oxides have been investigated by in-situ neutron diffraction, bond valence sum (BVS), thermogravimetric analysis, and dilatometry. The compositions YBaCo4O7+δ, Y0.9ln0.1BaCo3ZnO7+δ, and Y0.9ln0.1BaCo3Zn0.6Fe0.4O7+δ) were synthesized by solid-state reaction at 1200 °C. Here, Rietveld refinement of the joint synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction data shows that the Zn and Fe dopants have different preferences to substitute the Co ions in the 6c and 2a sites.
Managing Smart Sanctions Against Terrorism Wisely

Economic sanctions, tools that seek to deprive terrorist organizations of the financial ability to support and conduct operations such as the attacks on Washington and New York, are among the U.S. government's most powerful weapons in the war on terrorism. Sanctions greatly expand the reach of the government's own anti-terrorism efforts, by effectively enlisting the aid of the financial and trading communities in identifying and blocking access to assets belonging to terrorist organizations and their supporters. However, there is a significant difference between simply serving political goals by announcing sanctions, and promulgating controls that are actually effective in combating terrorism. Given the new appreciation of the very real need to deprive terrorist of the ability to finance attacks like those that occurred late last year, one might ask how these controls can be made more practical and effective in the ongoing war on terrorism than they evidently proved to be in the past?The manner in which sanctions programs are actually implemented and administered has immediate and practical consequences. The importance of enlisting non-govermnental parties in the war on terrorism, for example in foreclosing the terrorists' ability to move or launder funds through unofficial channels such as the hawalu or hundi money networks, is now more clear than ever but the devil is in the details. If these programs are not properly implemented, the government's objectives may be undermined or frustrated. Similarly, the burdens imposed on those who seek to comply in good faith with the government's policies may be unnecessarily increased if the regulatory controls are not properly crafted and administered. This paper attempts to show how those burdens can be eased while simultaneously making the governmental controls more effective.
Immanent Liberalism: The Politics of Mutual Consent

Part One of Marx's “On the Jewish Question” is a communitarian manifesto, one of the finest and subtlest ever penned. But has it anything valuable to offer defenders of liberalism?I think it does; for in “On the Jewish Question” Marx points to a potential danger into which communitarians are liable to fall, and I shall argue that his discussion sheds light on an analogous peril for liberals. Specifically, Marx distinguishes between a genuine and a spurious form of communitarianism, and warns that a failure to recognize this distinction may lead communitarians to embrace liberal values in communitarian guise. Using Marx's analysis as a model, I hope to show that the same distinction may be found within the liberal tradition, posing a corresponding danger (communitarian values in liberal guise) into which contemporary liberalism has in large part already fallen.
Dynamics of Endoergic Bimolecular Proton Transfer Reactions: F- + ROH → HF + RO- (R = H, CH3, CH3CH2, (CH3)2CH, and (CH3)3C)

Guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry techniques are used to measure reaction threshold energies for proton transfer of water, methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, and 2-methyl-2-propanol with fluoride anion, F- + ROH → RO- + HF, where R = H, CH3, CH3CH2, (CH3)2CH, or (CH3)3C. The measured reaction threshold energy is an upper limit for the gas-phase acidity of the alcohol relative to hydrogen fluoride. Our guided ion beam measurements yield threshold energies that are consistently higher than those based on current literature gas-phase acidity values by 5−9 kJ/mol, indicating that the reactions have a small effective barrier in excess of the endoergicity. To help interpret the experiments, ab initio and density functional theory techniques are used to calculate the proton transfer reaction potential energy surfaces. No intrinsic barriers or double minima along the reaction path are found on the potential energy surfaces. Possible dynamical bottlenecks for translational activation are discussed in detail.
III-nitride Microdomes for High Efficiency Light-Emitting Diodes and Concentrator Photovoltaics

Uniform III-nitride microdomes were fabricated based on a low cost and scalable self-assembled approach. Our studies show that III-nitride microdomes significantly enhance light extraction efficiency in light-emitting diodes and light collection efficiency in solar cells.
The forkhead box-F (FOXF) proteins, important regulators in development, function as tumor suppressors and are epigenetically silenced in breast cancer

C277 The forkhead-box (FOX) family of transcription factors have steadily garnered attention following the discovery of their critical role in the regulation of various developmental and immunological processes in eukaryotes. Although transforming genetic alterations of a few FOX gene members (e.g. FOXO subfamily) have been identified in cancers, the role of other many FOX gene members has not yet been explored and characterized. We have found frequent epigenetic silencing of the forkhead box-F (FOXF) genes, FOXF1 and FOXF2, in breast cancer cell lines and in primary tumors. The CpG-island-containing promoters of FOXF1 and FOXF2 genes were hypermethylated in 37.6% (44/117) and 71.0% (83/117) of invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC), respectively, but not in normal mammoplasty specimens and mammary epithelial organoids (0/14) examined. The methylation of FOXF1 gene correlated with tumor grade (p = 0.04) and the methylation of FOXF2 gene correlated with the patients’ age (p = 0.048), tumor size (p = 0.019) and stage (p = 0.022). mRNA and protein expression studies indicate that loss or downregulation of FOXF1 and F2 expression in breast cancer cell lines and tumors is tightly correlated with hypermethylation of CpG-island promoter sequence. Inactivation of methyltransferases in cancer cells by treatment with the demethylating agent (5-azaC) or by genetic knockout of DNMT genes restored expression of FOXF genes. The restoration of FOXF gene expression caused growth suppression of cancer cells in vitro and suppressed tumor formation in nude mice. Dependent on cell types analyzed, the growth suppression was attributable to FOXF-induced G1 arrest with or without apoptosis. FOXF factors were found to block the cell cycle at the G1-S transition by inhibiting the kinase activity of Cdk2, RB hyperphosphorylation and E2F1 transcriptional activity. Besides their involvement in regulation of developmental processes, we have shown for the first time, that FOXF genes possess functional characteristics of a tumor suppressor gene, whose function is frequently abolished in breast cancer.
Decreasing the Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus or Hepatitis B Virus Infection during Endoscopic Surgery

AbstractThe risk of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus infection is small but finite. Urological surgeons are exposed through needle punctures in open surgery and splashes during endoscopic surgery. Safety glasses are difficult to use during endoscopic surgery and they do not offer complete protection. The Steri-Shield,††Cook (Canada), Inc., Toronto, Canada. a facial shield designed to be fixed to the endoscope, is described.
Unprecedented quality factors at accelerating gradients up to 45 MVm-1 in niobium superconducting resonators via low temperature nitrogen infusion

We report the finding of new surface treatments that permits one to manipulate the niobium resonator nitrogen content in the first few nanometers in a controlled way, and the resonator fundamental Mattis–Bardeen surface resistance and residual resistance accordingly. In particular, we find surface 'infusion' conditions that systematically (a) increase the quality factor of these 1.3 GHz superconducting radio frequency (SRF) bulk niobium resonators, up to very high gradients; (b) increase the achievable accelerating gradient of the cavity compared to its own baseline with state-of-the-art surface processing. Cavities subject to the new surface process have more than two times the state-of-the-art Q at 2 K for accelerating fields >35 MVm−1. Moreover, very high accelerating gradients ~45 MVm−1 are repeatedly reached, which correspond to peak magnetic surface fields of 190 mT, among the highest measured for bulk niobium cavities. These findings open the opportunity to tailor the surface impurity content distribution to maximize performance in Q and gradients, and have therefore very important implications on future performance and cost of SRF based accelerators. They also help deepen the understanding of the physics of the RF niobium cavity surface.
Stages of Corporate Sustainability: Integrating the Strong Sustainability Worldview:

Businesses are increasingly adopting sustainability, yet the environment continues to decline. This research responds to Dyllick and Muff’s assertion that this paradox is caused by a constricted understanding of the meaning of corporate sustainability, lack of inclusion of constructs from related streams of literature, and failure to integrate micro and macro perspectives of sustainability. The current research addresses these concerns through an integration of 22 micro- and macro-level models of stages of development from literature in corporate sustainability, corporate social responsibility, environmental management, and sustainable development. This integration results in a new unified model of stages of corporate sustainability that broadens the current narrowly constricted understanding of corporate sustainability, extends the paradigm of corporate sustainability beyond the business case and into the realm of ecological science and strong sustainability, and sheds light on the paradox.
48 Community violence exposure and psychological distress among filipino mothers: the protective role of religiosity

Purpose Community violence exposure has profound implications for individuals’ psychological well-being, and yet, little is known about its effects on parents, especially those residing outside Western industrialised regions. In a sample of low-income mothers from urban neighbourhoods in the Philippines, we examined (a) the relation between community violence exposure and psychological distress and (b) the role of religiosity as a moderator of the relation between community violence exposure and psychological distress. Methods The sample included 116 mothers or mother figures who have an adolescent child between the ages of 12 and 18. Trained researchers travelled to community centres close to the mothers’ homes in three urban neighbourhoods in Manila, and conducted structured one-on-one interviews with mothers. Mothers reported on the frequency of their past-year exposure to community violence (e.g., been attacked with a weapon, seen someone mugged), psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress), and religious involvement. Results Hierarchical regression analyses showed that community violence exposure was associated with higher levels of psychological distress (B=0.27, SE=0.07, p=0.001), after controlling for demographic and socioeconomic variables. There was a significant interaction between community violence exposure and religiosity (B=¼.08, SE=0.03, p=0.014), such that community violence exposure was significantly associated with higher psychological distress at low and average levels of religiosity, but this significant relation was nonsignificant at high levels of religiosity. Conclusions Results suggest that community violence exposure may be detrimental to Filipino mothers’ mental health, and highlight the role of religiosity as a protective factor that could mitigate the negative effects of community violence. Significance/contributions to injury and violence prevention science Interventions aimed at enhancing Filipino mothers’ psychological health should consider strengthening faith-based institutions in local communities, along with investing in larger-scale efforts to reduce poverty and community violence.
Ante-mortem detection of chronic wasting disease in recto-anal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues from elk ( Cervus elaphus nelsoni ) using real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay: A blinded collaborative study

Prion diseases are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) characterized by fatal, progressive neurologic diseases with prolonged incubation periods and an accumulation of infectious misfolded prion proteins. Antemortem diagnosis is often difficult due to a long asymptomatic incubation period, differences in the pathogenesis of different prions, and the presence of very low levels of infectious prion in easily accessible samples. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a TSE affecting both wild and captive populations of cervids, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose, muntjac, and most recently, wild reindeer. This study represents a well-controlled evaluation of a newly developed real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay as a potential CWD diagnostic screening test using rectal biopsy sections from a depopulated elk herd. We evaluated 69 blinded samples of recto-anal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT) obtained from USDA Veterinary Services. The results were later un-blinded and statistically compared to immunohistochemical (IHC) results from the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) for RAMALT, obex, and medial retropharyngeal lymph node (MRPLN). Comparison of RAMALT RT-QuIC assay results with the IHC results of RAMALT revealed 92% relative sensitivity (95% confidence limits: 61.52-99.8%) and 95% relative specificity (95% confidence limits: 85.13-99%). Collectively, our results show a potential utility of the RT-QuIC assay to advance the development of a rapid, sensitive, and specific prion diagnostic assay for CWD prions.
Postmaterial Experience Economics

A materialist view of economics presumes that from material possession flows the best of life’s satisfactions. A postmaterialist view claims instead that the best of human satisfactions come not ju...
Children's early understanding of number predicts their later problem-solving sophistication in addition.

Previous studies suggest that the sophistication of the strategies children use to solve arithmetic problems is related to a more basic understanding of number, but they have not examined the relation between number knowledge in preschool and strategy choices at school entry. Accordingly, the symbolic and nonsymbolic quantitative knowledge of 134 children (65 boys) was assessed at the beginning of preschool and in kindergarten, and the sophistication of the strategies they used to solve addition problems was assessed at the beginning of first grade. Using a combination of Bayes and standard regression models, we found that children's understanding of the cardinal value of number words at the beginning of preschool predicted the sophistication of their strategy choices 3 years later, controlling for other factors. The relation between children's early understanding of cardinality and their strategy choices was mediated by their symbolic and nonsymbolic quantitative knowledge in kindergarten. The results suggest that sophisticated strategy choices emerge from children's developing understanding of the relations among numbers, in keeping with the overlapping waves model.
A semiparametric method for estimating the progression of cognitive decline in dementia

Although many patients develop cognitive decline, their trajectories of cognitive decline are diverse and incompletely understood. Accurate prediction of the cognitive decline process is critical f...
Landmarks in the Judicial Interpretation of Civil Rights in America.

Approximately 65 applicants opted for acceptance in this seminar, from whom twenty were ultimately selected. All accepted. They came from seven colleges and thirteen universities, located in ten states; ranked from instructor through professor; ranged in age from 29 to 61; and included seventeen men and three women. Wisely, the objectives of the four seminars conducted under the program constituted both substantive inquiry and teaching methodology. Consequently, my approach to the examination of “landmarks in the judicial interpretation of civil rights in America” was designed to stress the communicative responsibilities of teaching as well as content matter. All too frequently, the latter suffers because of insufficient attention to the former. I did not utilize video aids in the seminar, but I provided sundry types of exhibits that have proved helpful in my now more than four decades of teaching at the university level. Although the thrust of the seminar's aims and context was self-evident, it seemed to me that to address the subject matter without an analysis of seminal components of the nature of the judicial process, in general, and the parameters of judicial power, in particular, would be both short-sighted and dysfunctional. Looking back to the seminar now, I am more persuaded than ever that that resolve was appropriate—for, perhaps quite naturally and understandably in view of the deeply felt components of the subject matter, pre-conceived personal, as well as professional commitments, were indubitably in evidence at the threshold. Consequently, the entire first day's attention to an examination of the lines and limits of the judicial role and the postures of individual jurists would serve as seminal background material for the gravamen of the seminar's remaining days.
A Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Narcotics, Alcohol and the Barbiturates on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of our current state of knowledge regarding the effects of alcohol, the narcotics and the barbiturates on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in the male. Three facets of this problem will be considered: acute drug effects; chronic effects, particularly with respect to the development of tolerance and physical dependence; and, finally, an attempt will be made to indicate the way in which these three substances of abuse are similar and/or dissimilar in their effects on this system. The effects of acute and chronic treatment with narcotics, alcohol and the barbiturates will be discussed first and then an attempt will be made, in a General Discussion, to summarize the data, make general comparisons between the drugs and suggest future lines of research.
That Soluble Specific Substance

Bacterial infections, as we have seen, remained a cause of significant morbidity and mortality well into the first half of the twentieth century. They remain so today, although the worst culprits are now those acquired not in daily life but in hospitals and other health care facilities. But it is important to remember that neither prevention nor control of bacterial diseases became a possibility until the end of the nineteenth century. Prior to that time, infected individuals either survived—largely on the basis of their intrinsic host defense systems and good fortune—or they succumbed—an outcome that was frighteningly common, even with seemingly trivial infections.
Set Phasers to Cleave: PIWI Cleavage Directs All piRNA Biogenesis.

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Gainetdinov et al. (2018) show that PIWI proteins direct both piRNA biogenesis and piRNA function in most animals.
Der IBM Spracherkennungsprototyp TANGORA

TANGORA ist ein sprecherabhangiges Spracherkennungssystem fur Satzerkennung bei isoliert gesprochenen Wortern. Es ist ausgelegt fur die Erkennung eines grosen Vokabulars von etwa 20000 Wortformen in Echtzeit. Das System arbeitet mit rein statistischen Methoden ohne Anwendung von linguistischem Wissen. Die Erkennungsrate liegt bei der 20k Version fur Englisch bei 95 bis 98%. Die deutsche Version kennt zur Zeit etwa 1300 Worte, das Vokabular wird im Laufe des Jahres auf etwa 10000 Worte erweitert.
Study of Free Carrier Effects for an Optical Property Modulation-Based Detector Concept for PET

In order to overcome the intrinsic limit on the achievable coincidence time resolution (CTR) of scintillation detectors and to potentially significantly improve PET CTR, we propose to use the modulation of material’s optical properties for annihilation photon detection instead of using the scintillation mechanism. Optical property modulation mechanisms based on "free carrier effects" show promise to achieve this goal. Free carrier effects depend on the change of charge carrier density in a material to modulate the material’s optical properties. This modulation can be in the optical absorption coefficient (photo-absorption) or in the index of refraction (photo-refraction). In this work, we study free carrier effects in different detector materials. The materials we experimented with include cadmium telluride (CdTe), bismuth silicon oxide (BSO), vanadium doped cadmium manganese telluride (CdMnTe:V), lead bismuth gallium (PbBiGa) heavy metal glass, and cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr 3 ). Due to different surface conditions, the crystal samples were tested with different optical setups. CdTe, BSO and PbBiGa were tested in the spatial interference setup. CdMnTe:V was tested with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and CsPbBr 3 was studied with a direct transmission setup. In this work a laser diode was used to provide the source of ionization-induced free carriers. To study free carrier effects, the experiments were done under zero bias voltage for the detector crystal. For comparison purposes, we also measured the modulation signal with the crystal biased at 1000 V. The CdTe crystal shows a modulation strength (unit of 1×10−4) of 7.2 at 0 V bias, and 20.8 at 1000 V bias. The BSO crystal generates a modulation strength of 4.1 at 0 V bias, and 7.5 at 1000 V bias. The PbBiGa crystal has a modulation strength of 7.2 at 0 V bias, and 6.4 at 1000 V bias. For CdMnTe:V, the modulation signal has an amplitude of 4.8 when the crystal is biased at 1000 V. For CsPbBr 3 , the modulation signal has an amplitude of 2.0 under zero bias voltage. We conclude that free carrier effects show up in CdTe, BSO, PbBiGa and CsPbBr 3 crystal samples. CdTe and PbBiGa show potential to generate the strongest free carrier induced optical property modulations.
Fully Automated, MRI-based Left-Ventricular Contractility Analysis in Breast Cancer Patients Following Chemotherapy

This study investigated if measurements of mechanical contractile parameters, such as strains, torsion and left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), are indicative of left-ventricular (LV) remodeling that may occur in patients who have been exposed to the anthracycline and trastuzumab type of chemotherapeutic agents (CA). An equally important goal was investigating this contractility using a single-scan cardiac strain analysis tool comprising of the Displacement Encoding with Stimulated Echoes (DENSE) sequence for MRI scans and the Radial Point Interpolation Method (RPIM). Data was acquired in 11 patients who had been exposed to CA agents and were under either a regimen of breast cancer antineoplastic drugs and/or were being treated for cardiac complications. A Bland-Altman analysis of interobserver strain measurements showed agreements of 0.01 ± 0.06 for longitudinal strain, 0.10 ± 1.92° for torsion. Enlarging of the LV in the patient population was indicated by a significant difference in their diastolic diameters in healthy subjects. Significant longitudinal strains differences were seen between patients and healthy subjects which were 0.15 ± 0.03 vs 0.21 ± 0.04 (p=0.02) and 0.17 ± 0.02 vs 0.22 ± 0.03 (p=0.01) for the mid-ventricular and apical sections. A similar result for torsion was found between patients and healthy subjects for the mid-ventricular and basal sub-regions. The results from the statistical analysis show the likelihood of LV remodeling and fibrosis in these patients that is otherwise not indicated by LVEF measurements.
Salience and central executive networks track overgeneralization of conditioned-fear in post-traumatic stress disorder.

Background Generalization of conditioned-fear, a core feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has been the focus of several recent neuroimaging studies. A striking outcome of these studies is the frequency with which neural correlates of generalization fall within hubs of well-established functional networks including salience (SN), central executive (CEN), and default networks (DN). Neural substrates of generalization found to date may thus reflect traces of large-scale brain networks that form more expansive neural representations of generalization. The present study includes the first network-based analysis of generalization and PTSD-related abnormalities therein. Methods fMRI responses in established intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) representing SN, CEN, and DN were assessed during a generalized conditioned-fear task in male combat veterans (N = 58) with wide-ranging PTSD symptom severity. The task included five rings of graded size. Extreme sizes served as conditioned danger-cues (CS+: paired with shock) and safety-cues (CS−), and the three intermediate sizes served as generalization stimuli (GSs) forming a continuum-of-size between CS+ and CS–. Generalization-gradients were assessed as behavioral and ICN response slopes from CS+, through GSs, to CS–. Increasing PTSD symptomatology was predicted to relate to less-steep slopes indicative of stronger generalization. Results SN, CEN, and DN responses fell along generalization-gradients with levels of generalization within and between SN and CEN scaling with PTSD symptom severity. Conclusions Neural substrates of generalized conditioned-fear include large-scale networks that adhere to the functional organization of the brain. Current findings implicate levels of generalization in SN and CEN as promising neural markers of PTSD.
COVID-19 Pandemic: Advisory and Consensus Statement for the provision of surgical services from The Association of Paediatric Surgeons of Pakistan (APSP)

This is an advisory and consensus statement of the Association of Paediatric Surgeons of Pakistan (APSP) regarding guidelines for providing surgical services to the children. This can be implemented for other surgical services as well.
Lactate activation of α-cell KATP channels inhibits glucagon secretion by hyperpolarizing the membrane potential and reducing Ca2+ entry.

Abstract Objective Elevations in pancreatic α-cell intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) lead to glucagon (GCG) secretion. Although glucose inhibits GCG secretion, how lactate and pyruvate control α-cell Ca2+ handling is unknown. Lactate enters cells through monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) and is also produced during glycolysis by lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), an enzyme expressed in α-cells. As lactate activates ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels in cardiomyocytes, lactate may also modulate α-cell KATP. Therefore, this study investigated how lactate signaling controls α-cell Ca2+ handling and GCG secretion. Methods Mouse and human islets were used in combination with confocal microscopy, electrophysiology, GCG immunoassays, and fluorescent thallium flux assays to assess α-cell Ca2+ handling, Vm, KATP currents, and GCG secretion. Results Lactate-inhibited mouse (75 ± 25%) and human (47 ± 9%) α-cell [Ca2+]i fluctuations only under low-glucose conditions (1 mM) but had no effect on β- or δ-cells [Ca2+]i. Glyburide inhibition of KATP channels restored α-cell [Ca2+]i fluctuations in the presence of lactate. Lactate transport into α-cells via MCTs hyperpolarized mouse (14 ± 1 mV) and human (12 ± 1 mV) α-cell Vm and activated KATP channels. Interestingly, pyruvate showed a similar KATP activation profile and α-cell [Ca2+]i inhibition as lactate. Lactate-induced inhibition of α-cell [Ca2+]i influx resulted in reduced GCG secretion in mouse (62 ± 6%) and human (43 ± 13%) islets. Conclusions These data demonstrate for the first time that lactate entry into α-cells through MCTs results in KATP activation, Vm hyperpolarization, reduced [Ca2+]i, and inhibition of GCG secretion. Thus, taken together, these data indicate that lactate either within α-cells and/or elevated in serum could serve as important modulators of α-cell function.
The Use and Concurrent Use of Side Effect Controlling Medications Among Women on Aromatase Inhibitors.

Background: Women on aromatase inhibitors (AIs) as part of their breast cancer treatment often experience difficult to control side effects. Although there are several medications to manage the side effects of AI therapy, many of them are associated with their own risk, particularly sedation. The objective of this study was to describe the prescribing practices for side effect managing (SE) medications among women with breast cancer on AI therapy and to assess for combinations of medications that may present a clinical risk to patients. Methods: Retrospective data analysis using Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data of all women aged 66-90 years with stage I-III hormone positive breast cancer diagnosed between 2008 and 2014 who initiated AI therapy within 12 months of their diagnosis. We determined the percentage of patients prescribed an SE medication in the 12 months prior and in the 24 months after the initiation of AI therapy. We calculated the number of prescriptions and the number of days of overlapping (i.e., >1 SE) prescriptions, and examined predictors of overlapping prescriptions. Results: The use of SE medications was pervasive and increased after initiation of AI therapy. The most commonly prescribed medications were opiates (55.1%), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (22.6%), benzodiazepines (18.4%), tramadol (17.7%) and gabapentin (14.6%). In total 15.5% of patients had overlapping prescriptions; among those, 36.2% had three overlapping prescriptions. Prior use was the strongest predictor of overlapping prescriptions with an odds ratio of 7.9 (95% confidence interval: 7.17-8.77). Conclusion: Among women on AI therapy, the use of SE medications is common and many have overlapping prescriptions raising concern for potential harm from polypharmacy.
Local Officials and Crisis Response in Non-Democratic Countries: How Career Concerns Affected Pandemic Controls in China

This paper studies the role of local Chinese leaders’ career incentives in decisions regarding large-scale crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Most local leaders were reluctant to impose lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic, because their promotions rely on posting strong numbers for economic growth in their region, while lockdowns can suppress growth. Once the nation’s top leader warned that local leaders who failed to control the disease would be removed from office, many rapidly implemented resolute measures. However, we find that local leaders with larger promotion incentives were still more likely to downplay the virus by avoiding or minimizing lockdowns.
Planet matching and orbit determination in multi-planet systems for exoplanet direct imaging

A key aspect of the search for earth-like exoplanets with direct imaging, is determining if the exoplanet is in the habitable zone. For mission design of potential future direct imaging missions, such as HabEx and LUVOIR, an efficient cadence of observations is needed. Previous work has shown that three epochs, spanning more than half a period, is the minimum to determine orbital parameters to 10%. One aspect that still needs improvement is the ability to fit multiple planets with limited prior information about which planet is which. Since data from direct observations is expected to consist of multiple objects at each epoch, looking at each epoch separately is not sufficient to decide whether 1) a detected object is part of an exosolar system and 2) which planet it corresponds to. Existing multi-planet trajectory matching libraries, such as “Orbits For The Impatient” (OFTI), currently require the user to specify which data points belong to which planet. This assumes that the user has already matched true-positive detections to planets. Additionally, this planet matching between detected objects needs to be taken into account when assessing the impact of observation scheduling on the accuracy of trajectory estimation. To address this need for fitting orbits to multiple objects with limited knowledge, we propose an approach that uses a Monte Carlo study of different observation schedules and planetary systems. For each case we automatically match observations to planets and check the accuracy of the match. By considering a large number of such cases, we provide constraints on the number of observations and their spacing necessary to “deconfuse” the detections. We present preliminary planet matching success rates for several observation schedules based on simulated planetary systems and assess the accuracy of trajectory fitting combined with OFTI.
Preoperative Shoulder Strength Is Associated with Postoperative Primary Anatomic Total Shoulder Arthroplasty Outcomes and Improvement.

Abstract Background While numerous preoperative factors that influence postoperative outcomes after anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (aTSA) have been identified, preoperative shoulder strength has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to determine if preoperative shoulder strength is predictive of postoperative outcomes and improvement after primary aTSA. Methods A retrospective review was conducted of prospectively-collected data from 160 shoulders with minimum 2-year follow-up after primary aTSA. Preoperative external rotation (ER) strength, supraspinatus strength, and abduction strength score were analyzed to determine their correlation with postoperative outcomes and improvement in shoulder strength, range of motion (ROM), and outcome scores. Multiple linear regression models were subsequently used to adjust for covariates and determine the preoperative measures of shoulder strength that most influenced postoperative outcomes and improvement. Results Preoperative ER strength, supraspinatus strength, and abduction strength score were each moderately correlated with their respective postoperative values and improvement (P Conclusion Preoperative shoulder strength is moderately associated with postoperative outcomes and improvements in shoulder strength, ROM, and outcome scores after primary aTSA. Importantly, we identified preoperative strength values that led to a decrease in strength postoperatively, but not ROM or outcome scores. The results from our study demonstrate abduction strength may be a useful indicator of patient outcomes after aTSA. Our findings will provide surgeons with useful prognostic insight to aid in guiding patient expectations.
Post-mating Refractoriness in Drosophila melanogaster Depends Upon Ecdysis Triggering Hormone Signaling

The decision to engage in courtship depends on external cues from potential mates and internal cues related to maturation, health, and experience. Hormones allow such information to be conveyed to distal tissues in a coordinated fashion. Here, we show Ecdysis-Triggering Hormone (ETH) is a regulator of male courtship in Drosophila melanogaster, and critical for mate choice and courtship inhibition after the completion of copulation. Preventing ETH release increases male-male courtship and decreases post-copulation courtship inhibition (PCCI). Such aberrant male courtship behavior in ETH-deficient males appears to be the consequence of inabilityto integrate pheromone cues into decision making. Silencing of ETH receptor (ETHR) in GR32A-expressing neurons leads to reduced ligand sensitivity and elevated male-male courtship. We find OR67D is critical for suppression of courtship after mating, and ETHR silencing in OR67D-expressing neurons, and GR32A-expressing neurons to a lesser degree, elevates post-copulation courtship. Finally, ETHR silencing in the corpus allatum increases post-copulation courtship; treatment of with juvenile hormone analog partially restores normal post-mating behavior. ETH, a stress-sensitive reproductive hormone, appears to coordinate multiple sensory modalities to guide Drosophila male courtship behaviors, especially after mating.
Reactive and nonreactive aluminum hydroxide gels. Dose-response relationships in vivo.

Summary Five aluminum hydroxide gels were prepared with greatly differing solubility in dilute acid. The duration of "neutralization" produced by these gels in doses ranging from 7.5 to 60 ml was tested in patients with basal hypersecretion. The results in vivo corresponded in general with those obtained in vitro. For the more reactive gels the duration of neutralization increased linearly with logarithm of dose. A 30-ml dose of the more reactive gels produced a p H above 3 lasting 15 min or more in 90% of subjects, 30 min or more in 60% and 45 min or more in 30%. Duration of effect was not related to basal secretory rate, except for 7.5-ml doses. For reactive gels the major factor limiting the duration of neutralization appeared to be gastric emptying.
The Enzymes of the Galactose Operon in Escherichia coli II. THE SUBUNITS OF URIDINE DIPHOSPHOGALACTOSE 4-EPIMERASE

Abstract Uridine diphosphogalactose 4-epimerase of Escherichia coli had previously been shown to have a molecular weight of 7.9 x 104 and to contain 1 molecule of tightly bound DPN (Wilson, D. B., and Hogness, D. S., J. Biol. Chem., 239, 2469 (1964)). This enzyme is further characterized here with regard to (a) amino acid composition, (b) number of tryptic peptides, (c) amino-terminal residues, and (d) molecular weight in guanidine hydrochloride. The number of tryptic peptides indicates that an amino acid sequence of 360 residues is represented twice within the native enzyme. The finding of only one pair of amino-terminal residues (aspartic acid) per enzyme molecule and the reduction of the molecular weight by a factor of 2 in guanidine hydrochloride are consistent with the simplest conclusion that the sequence of 360 residues is contained within a single polypeptide. Uridine diphosphogalactose 4-epimerase therefore appears to be a complex consisting of two identical polypeptides and one molecule of DPN held together by noncovalent bonds. Some implications regarding the size of the structural gene for this enzyme and the nature of the binding sites for DPN are discussed.
Nonequivalence of the Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide Moieties of Chicken Liver Xanthine Dehydrogenase

Abstract Prior reduction of chicken liver xanthine dehydrogenase with xanthine or NADH leads to accelerated loss of enzymic FAD on exposure to 3 m KI. Reduction with NADH leads to the dissociation of all of the FAD, whereas reduction with xanthine results in the rapid dissociation of only 50% of the FAD. In both cases the xanthine → NAD activity is completely abolished. Oxidation of xanthine in the presence of artificial electron acceptors is effected at comparable rates by the two apoproteins. Oxidation of NADH by the partially deflavinated enzyme is generally commensurate with its flavin content, whereas the fully deflavinated enzyme is incapable of oxidizing NADH. Spectrophotometric and electron paramagnetic resonance studies on the apoproteins have shown that the partially deflavinated enzyme is reducible by both xanthine and NADH, whereas the fully deflavinated enzyme is reducible only by xanthine. The results are discussed in the context of the arrangement of the electron carrier components in the active center of the enzyme.
Proteomic analysis of KRASV12-mediated oncogenic transformation of human pancreatic ductal epithelia

4457 Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most aggressive and devastating human disease. Almost all patients diagnosed with the disease die from the malignancy with a medium survival of less than six months. Activating KRAS mutations occur almost universally in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and represent an early event in the development of PC. To study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of KRAS V12 -mediated oncogenic human pancreatic ductal epithelia (HPDE) transformation, we applied a proteomic approach involving two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to profile two HPDE cell lines, one immortalized with HPV E6/E7 oncogenes and the other transformed with an additional oncogenic KRAS V12 allele. Differentially expressed protein spots were identified and subsequently analyzed by mass spectrometry. Furthermore, to dissect signaling pathways important for KRAS-mediated oncogenic transformation we examined the global changes of phosphoproteome in response to oncogenic KRAS using the Pro-Q Diamond phosphoprotein-specific staining. These studies will provide new insights into understanding the roles of the KRAS oncogene and its down-stream signaling pathways in pancreatic adenocarcinoma development and may lead to the identification of potential novel diagnosis and treatments for pancreatic cancer.
Effects on crosstalk from a single-ended trace by referencing a non-ground reference plane

The work studies the crosstalk issues between two single-ended traces when they reference a non-ground plane, such as a power plane. Both near-end and far-end crosstalk may be enhanced at the distributed resonant frequencies associated with the printed circuit board. Methods to decrease the crosstalk voltages are also investigated.
A Vision for the World Optical Community of the 21st Century

The field of optics continues to grow almost without limits as optics becomes an enabling technology for an ever wider range of scientific, engineering, and technological applications, New areas and applications of optics continually emerge, bringing new groups of people into the optics community. Commercial opportunities in optics arc expanding rapidly. At the same time optical science and optical engineering have become ever more closely linked, and the world itself more globally interconnected, so that workers in all areas of optics become one worldwide community.