cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mimimorphism: a new approach to binary code obfuscation

Binary obfuscation plays an essential role in evading malware static analysis and detection. The widely used code obfuscation techniques, such as polymorphism and metamorphism, focus on evading syntax based detection. However, statistic test and semantic analysis techniques have been developed to thwart their evasion attempts. More recent binary obfuscation techniques are divided in their purposes of attacking either statistical or semantic approach, but not both. In this paper, we introduce mimimorphism, a novel binary obfuscation technique with the potential of evading both statistical and semantic detections. Mimimorphic malware uses instruction-syntax-aware high-order mimic functions to transform its binary into mimicry executables that exhibit high similarity to benign programs in terms of statistical properties and semantic characteristics. We implement a prototype of the mimimorphic engine on the Intel x86 platform, and evaluate its capability of evading statistical anomaly detection and semantic analysis detection techniques. Our experimental results demonstrate that the mimicry executables are indistinguishable from benign programs in terms of byte frequency distribution and entropy, as well as control flow fingerprint.
Effects of Extended Time for College Students With and Without ADHD

Objective: The number of students with a disability requesting test accommodations has been steadily increasing in higher education settings. The present study examined the effects of extra time on...
Lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia: maintaining symptom control and reducing complications.

Abstract Because the average patient with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or LUTS/BPH, has a remaining life expectancy of 15 to 20 years, both short-term and long-term outcomes matter in the management of LUTS/BPH. Sustained symptom control and improvement of quality of life (QOL), control of disease progression (ie, prevention or reduction of bladder wall hypertrophy [BWH]/increased bladder mass and reduction of the risk of serious complications), and minimization of the need to switch to other medical therapy or surgery are important. In this respect, α1-adrenoceptor antagonists, such as tamsulosin, have been shown to provide effective and rapid relief of symptoms and improvement in QOL, which is sustained in the long term (up to 6 years). Obstruction may, in the long term, induce changes in the bladder wall (eg, BWH), which may result in (irreversible) bladder damage and serious complications. Preliminary data suggest that α1-adrenoceptor antagonists prevent the development of BWH in rabbits and reduce existing BWH in obstructed LUTS/BPH patients. Pooled analyses and indirect comparisons of clinical studies up to 1 year have shown that α1-adrenoceptor antagonists, such as tamsulosin, reduce the risk of acute urinary retention and the need for surgery to at least the same extent as the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride. In addition, monotherapy with an α1-adrenoceptor antagonist reduces the risk of long-term clinical progression; the combination with finasteride may be more beneficial in patients at high risk (patients with large prostate volume, high level of prostate-specific antigen, high International Prostate Symptom Score, high postvoid residual amount, and low maximum flow rate). Therefore, α1-adrenoceptor antagonists, such as tamsulosin, are first-line therapy, not only in the short term but also in the long-term management of LUTS/BPH.
Surgical experience, hospital size and severity adjusted mortality: James Y Simpson, 1869

Do experienced surgeons have better outcomes? Is mortality lower in “the wards of our (large) palatial hospitals”? To make such comparisons of outcomes of care between providers, it is necessary to adjust for the severity of the patient’s illness. Should hospitals with poor results be publicly named? These are some of the hot topics in quality research today.1–3 If you visit the handsome Playfair Library Hall of Old College, University of Edinburgh, you will see among the marble busts of 19th century professors and notables that of Sir James Young Simpson MD (1811–1870). Son of a baker in Bathgate Scotland, educated at Edinburgh, qualified as a surgeon at age 18, and elected to the Professorship of Midwifery there in 1840. In 1847 he was appointed “Physician Accoucheur to the Queen for Scotland”. He is remembered in Edinburgh today for his introduction of chloroform as an anaesthetic. Queen Victoria received it in April 1853 during childbirth.4 His collected published works fill several volumes. Of all this, our interest is in his forgotten comparative study of severity adjusted surgical mortality in 1869. Simpson sent out survey questionnaires to practising country surgeons in England and Scotland. 374 replies were received. He asked …
Analysis of driving backward in an electric-powered wheelchair

The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of caster orientations and driving speeds on the reverse directional stability of electric-powered wheelchairs. An experiment was set up to record wheelchair trajectories and ground reaction forces/moments for the front caster wheels and rear wheels when a wheelchair initiates reverse motions at six initial caster orientations and three desired driving speeds. A kinematic model as well as a dynamic model were developed to simulate the wheelchair motion and conduct a parametric study of different factors on wheelchair reverse directional stability. The experimental and simulation results show agreement, both of which indicate that different caster orientations at the start of reverse driving introduce disturbances and the faster the intended speed, the less deviation of the wheelchair from its desired heading. The center of gravity (CG) was also found to be a dominant influence on the reverse directional stability of power wheelchairs.
VRSPATIAL: DESIGNING SPATIAL MECHANISMS USING VIRTUAL REALITY

The traditional computer interface provides a twodimensional (2D) interface to design. The monitor is a twodimensional visual display and the desktop mouse is a twodimensional input device. These tools are sufficient for designing 2D products such as planar linkages. When these tools are used to design three-dimensional (3D) products however, the designer must learn how to use the 2D tools to interact with objects defined in three-dimensional space. Virtual reality technology provides truly three-dimensional tools, with position tracked visual displays and input devices, that allow interaction with 3D digital products. Over the last few years we have developed a virtual environment for spatial mechanism design [1-4]. This paper describes the differences between designing a spatial mechanism using traditional computer interfaces and designing using the VRSpatial application.
Improving the performance of one column analogs to SMBs

A simple unmixed reservoir was developed for the one column chromatograph with recycle analogous to an SMB (Analog) to replace mixed tanks or a complicated unmixed reservoir. Separation of the 1,1' bi-2-naphthol enantiomers was studied. In the linear range the purity index (PI) of the Analog with mixed tanks is 87.5, PI = 94.8 for the unmixed reservoir Analog, and PI = 96.9 for the SMB. SMB scaling rules, extended to Analogs, are used to increase the product purities of the unmixed reservoir Analog to match SMB purities but with lower productivity. Then productivity is increased at constant purity by operating at the maximum allowable pressure drop (15 bar) in each step. After scaling, the unmixed reservoir Analog's productivity was higher than the productivity of a standard SMB (one recycle pump) at the same purities (PI = 96.9), and the mixed tanks Analog's productivity was 3.5 times higher than the standard SMB, but with a significantly lower purity.
Morphologies and optical properties of nanostructures self-assembled from asymmetrical, amphiphilic perylene derivatives

Two asymmetrical, amphiphilic perylene derivatives, N-Decyl-perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracaboxylic-3,4-di(methoxyethoxyethyl)ester-9,10-imide (D1E2) and N-(1-Decylundecyl)-perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracaboxylic-3,4-di(methoxyethoxyethyl)ester-9,10-imide (D2E2), have been synthesized and characterized. These compounds contain one long hydrophobic chain on one end and two hydrophilic ethoxy chains on the other end. Self-assembly of these molecules in a variety of solvents has been demonstrated. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that these compounds self-assembled to various nanostructures in different solvents. The most well-defined structure was flexible nanoribbons obtained from D1E2 precipitation in methanol. The UV–vis absorption and fluorescence spectra of these compounds in solution and solid form are also reported. The self-assembled nanostructures have potential applications in optoelectronics.
Will Intravascular OCT Shed Light on Vascular Biology

The regulatory imperatives of contemporary medicine require extensive pre-clinical and clinical investigations to properly evaluate the risks and benefits of novel therapies. Yet, it was only after hundreds of thousands of devices had been implanted in humans that we “discovered” the inadequate
Placing the Waitangi Tribunal: Attitudes Towards the Claims Settlement Process in New Zealand

This article reports the findings of a 1998 survey of the general New Zealand public's attitudes towards race relations and the Treaty of Waitangi. The survey sought to determine whether demographic variables such as age, gender, race, and educational level impact attitudes towards the Treaty of Waitangi and the Treaty Claims Settlement Process. The survey findings indicate some polarisation among New Zealanders according to ethnicity on certain issues, and a general lack of knowledge and/or informed opinions about sovereignty, Treaty, and Tribunal issues.
Limited Control: A Re-Examination of the War-Weariness Hypothesis

The war-weariness hypothesis has received little empirical support in recent scholarship, despite often being considered as one of the more intuitive theories of international relations. However, the war-weariness hypothesis, which states that long-term wars cause states to become 'war-weary' and thus avoid conflict in the future, has been tested only by its effect on the presence or absence of conflict in future periods. In this paper, I argue a better test for democratic nations is its effect on party turnover. Neither voters nor leaders can control the actions of other states and extra-state actors. Voters can, however, control which party leads the government. By replacing the traditional dependent variable, the presence or absence of conflict, with party turnover and controlling for other mitigating factors, we are able to gain a much clearer picture of how the war-weariness hypothesis effects democratic states.
Microstructure and Deformation of Rapidly Solidified TiAl Alloys

Binary TiAl alloys containing 45–60 at.% Al were studied in detail in order to understand the fundamental deformation behavior and to establish a guideline for advanced alloy design. Because the formation of this compound involves a peritectic reaction, all alloys were processed by the melt spinning technique to minimize segregation. Microstructural and mechanical characterizations were carried out on both the as-solidified and consolidated materials. The results are presented to address the issues of (1) the equilibrium phase relationship, (2) the rapid solidification microstructure, (3) the room temperature deformation behavior, (4) the brittle/ductile transition, (5) the temperature dependence of yield stress, and (6) the implication on alloying effects. Several examples of ternary alloys are given.
A discussion on pretreatment method of dioxins in milk powder

[Objective] To establish a pretreatment method to accelerate solvent extraction(ASE) and improve clean-up process and.apply this method to certify the standard reference materials of dioxins [Methods] After being extracted by SOXHLET and ASE,then being cleaned up by FMS,samples of milk powder were diluted by isotope and analyzed by the HRGC/HRMS technique quantitatively and qualitatively. [Results] The recovery rate of isotopic labeled standard compounds by SOXHLET and ASE were 66.9% and 66.5% respectively,and the comparative standard variation of RSD were 18.4% and 12.3%. [Conclusion] As a newly developed pretreatment method to accelerate solvent extraction and clean-up technique,ASE is convenient,quick and solvent-saving.Its recovery rate and density meet coith the regulation of USEPA method 1613 and are close to the regulation of EU 2002/69/EC that isotopic labeled material is recovered not less than 60%.If TEQ in single compound is less than 10% of total TEQ,it is no longer under the above restriction.
Live Working on EHV/UHV Transmission Lines

With the rapid development of power grid in China,the EHV/UHV transmission lines have been constructed.In order to provide a technical support for live working on the lines,according to the characteristics of 750kV,1 000kV AC and±660kV,±800kV DC transmission lines,the key technical parameters of live working were obtained by experiments and theoretical calculation,the safety protective principle of operating personnel was determined and the large tonnage lifting insulating tools and insulator holder were developed.Meanwhile,based on the research results,the rules and guidelines of the EHV/UHV transmission line live working were formulated,and the success of the on-site application proved that live working on EHV/UHV transmission lines was safe and feasible.The research achievements in the technology of live working on EHV/UHV transmission lines can effectively direct safe implementation of live working.
Effect of methylprednisolone sodium succinate on experimental pulmonary contusion.

Methylprednisolone administered after experimental pulmonary contusion reduces the size of the lesion and the weight of the contused lobe. The significance of this finding is discussed.
Characterizing and Detecting Surge and Co-Surge in Automotive Compressors

Abstract The instability phenomena associated with compressor surge impose limitations on the operation of turbocharged engines because of undesired noise, engine torque capability constraints, and hardware strain. Characterizing and detecting surge is of interest, e.g., when defining the useful operating range for a compressor or for advanced online mitigation techniques. To that end, an intensity metric based on classical wave theory is proposed. The metric is computed based on measurements capturing the surge oscillations in either pressure or mass flow. The metric characterizes how powerful the surge oscillations are and is effectively a scaling of the oscillation amplitude with the thermodynamic conditions. An algorithm for computing the intensity and detecting surge is developed and demonstrated on a single-turbo I-engine and a twin-turbo V-engine application exhibiting deep surge and co-surge, respectively. The advantages of the metric are highlighted and differences in using pressure versus mass flow sensors for computing the oscillation amplitudes are discussed.
Unforgivable Blackness: Visual Rhetoric, Reader Response, and Critical Racial Literacy

Perceptions of black representations in literature and other visual mediums as positive or negative continuously cause consternation and debate (Fleetwood, 2011). Because African American children are literacy participants and consumers, they are not immune from experiencing this tension. This essay considers the effects and affective threads of racism and racialization connected to visuality (Foster, 1988), and how educators might support and nurture children’s roles as aesthetic critics and critical readers of books featuring racial imagery and representations. The young African American readers in this study resist a picturebook using colorist logic and macro-level social indexing of phenotypic traits. The author argues that negative social messages about blackness within the larger ethos of society, as well as the absence of diverse representations in children’s literature, contribute to such interpretations. She suggests explicitly teaching African American children about counter-visuality and the ways in which “art works” to shape and transform understandings about complex experiences like racism.
Is it Worth it? Science Education of the Talented 2%

This essay critiques mismatch theory in science education, a theory supported by opponents of affirmative action who strive to derail efforts to diversify institutions of higher education. Can high-achieving students survive and thrive in an academic environment dominated by their super high-achieving peers? Our research suggests that while there are a variety of nuanced factors that impact an undergraduate's success in certain majors, students of all backgrounds can excel at highly selective universities, given the proper resources and support.
Spin-torque oscillation in large size nano-magnet with perpendicular magnetic fields

Abstract DC current induced magnetization reversal and magnetization oscillation was observed in 500 nm large size Co90Fe10/Cu/Ni80Fe20 pillars. A perpendicular external field enhanced the coercive field separation between the reference layer (Co90Fe10) and free layer (Ni80Fe20) in the pseudo spin valve, allowing a large window of external magnetic field for exploring the free-layer reversal. A magnetic hybrid structure was achieved for the study of spin torque oscillation by applying a perpendicular field >3 kOe. The magnetization precession was manifested in terms of the multiple peaks on the differential resistance curves. Depending on the bias current and applied field, the regions of magnetic switching and magnetization precession on a dynamical stability diagram has been discussed in details. Micromagnetic simulations are shown to be in good agreement with experimental results and provide insight for synchronization of inhomogeneities in large sized device. The ability to manipulate spin-dynamics on large size devices could be proved useful for increasing the output power of the spin-transfer nano-oscillators (STNOs).
Abstract 989: Regulation of metastatic potential through adiponectin-stimulated induction of autophagy

Each year, an unacceptable number of deaths occur in women because of the lack of curative approaches for metastatic breast cancer. Some of the key regulators of breast cancer progression are molecules within the tumor microenvironment including adipokines, a broad array of autocrine-, endocrine-, and paracrine-acting bioactive molecules secreted by adipocytes. Adiponectin is one of the most abundant adipokines and, while multiple widely cited epidemiological studies have indicated that low levels of circulating plasma adiponectin portend poorer prognosis, recent work has reported that elevated adiponectin expression in breast tissue is, in fact, correlated with more advanced disease. Thus, the purpose of this work is to better understand how adiponectin in breast tissue acts directly on tumor cells to regulate the early steps of breast cancer metastasis. Our hypothesis is that adiponectin alters metastatic potential of breast cancer cells via induction of autophagy. To begin to test this premise, we discerned the effect of globular versus full-length adiponectin on invasive and migratory phenotypes of a human metastatic breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). In transwell assays with and without Matrigel, globular adiponectin increased invasion (91%; p Citation Format: Emily Falk Libby, Jianzhong Liu, Monica J. Lewis, Andra R. Frost, Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Douglas R. Hurst. Regulation of metastatic potential through adiponectin-stimulated induction of autophagy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 989. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-989
Boron–Heteroatom Addition Reactions via Borylative Heterocyclization: Oxyboration, Aminoboration, and Thioboration

ConspectusOrganoboron compounds and heterocycles are powerful building blocks and precursors for organic synthesis, including for drug discovery and agrochemical and material synthesis. The common strategy for the synthesis of borylated heterocycles involves two separate synthetic steps: first, synthesis of the heterocyclic core, and second, borylation of the core through established methods such as transition-metal-catalyzed C–H or C–X activation/borylation or lithiation/borylation.In this Account, we describe our laboratory’s development of borylative heterocyclization reactions that access the heterocyclic core and install boron in one synthetic step. These methods provide complementary bond disconnections, regiochemistry, and functional-group compatibility to current methods. We describe our methods with two categories: a direct borylation method that refers to addition reactions starting from a preformed B–element σ bond, which is essential in the mechanistic route to product formation, and a formal ...
Validation of a Statistical Methodology for Extracting Vegetation Feedbacks: Focus on North African Ecosystems in the Community Earth System Model

AbstractGeneralized Equilibrium Feedback Assessment (GEFA) is a potentially valuable multivariate statistical tool for extracting vegetation feedbacks to the atmosphere in either observations or coupled Earth System Models. The reliability of GEFA at capturing the terrestrial impacts on regional climate is demonstrated here using the National Center for Atmospheric Research - Community Earth System Model (CESM), with a focus on North Africa. The feedback is assessed statistically by applying GEFA to output from a fully coupled control run. In order to reduce the sampling error caused by short data records, the traditional full GEFA is refined through stepwise GEFA by dropping unimportant forcings. Two ensembles of dynamical experiments, against which GEFA-based vegetation feedbacks are evaluated, are developed for the Sahel or West African monsoon region. In these dynamical experiments, regional leaf area index (LAI) is modified either alone or in conjunction with soil moisture, with the latter runs motiv...
Using airbrushes to pattern reagents for microarrays and paper-fluidic devices.

We report using an airbrush to pattern a number of reagents, including small molecules, proteins, DNA, and conductive microparticles, onto a variety of mechanical substrates such as paper and glass. Airbrushing is more economical and easier to perform than many other patterning methods available (for example, inkjet printing). In this work, we investigated the controllable parameters that affect patterned line width and studied their mechanisms of action, and we provide examples of possible patterns. This airbrushing approach allowed us to pattern lines and dot arrays from hundreds of μm to tens of mm with length scales comparable to those of other patterning methods. Two applications, enzymatic assays and DNA hybridization, were chosen to demonstrate the compatibility of the method with biomolecules. This airbrushing method holds promise in making paper-based platforms less expensive and more accessible. An innovative technique that uses airbrushes to pattern reagents onto substrates offers a simple and cheap solution for medical diagnostics. DNA and protein microarrays have become powerful tools in the cost-effective and timely diagnosis of infectious diseases. They are also increasingly important for point-of-care testing. However these techniques require tiny amounts of DNA or protein reagents to be deposited onto materials such as paper, glass or plastic in a uniform and reproducible manner — which can prove wasteful and costly. This prompted Hugh Fan and colleagues at the University of Florida, United States, to develop a method that airbrushes reagents onto paper and glass in patterns from hundreds of micrometers to tens of millimeters in size. Their results open the door to basic and inexpensive paper-based microfluidic devices for disease diagnosis.
Coherent Doppler lidar measurements of winds

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the coherent doppler lidar measurements of winds. Coherent Doppler lidar is an attractive method for remote measurements of winds. A short laser pulse is transmitted and the photons scattered by aerosol particles are collected by a telescope, focused on to a detector and mixed with a frequency-stable polarization-matched laser reference beam called the Local Oscillator (LO). Coherent or heterodyne detection is a sensitive method for detection of weak signals and is immune to the effects of background light. The first coherent Doppler lidars were based on the CO2 laser. More recently, solid state Doppler lidars have been successfully operated. The main use of these instruments is wind measurements in the atmospheric surface layer. Coherent Doppler lidar is under consideration for measurements of the global wind field from space, and the Doppler frequency is estimated from an oscillating signal. Finally, this chapter also reviews the design and operation of coherent Doppler lidar, the performance evaluation, the effects of refractive turbulence, the velocity estimation, examples of wind measurements, and the basic characteristics of the measurements.
Plug-and-play irrigation control at scale

Lawns, also known as turf, cover an estimated 128,000km2 [9] in North America alone, with landscape requirements representing 30% of freshwater consumed in the residential domain [27]. With this consumption comes a large amount of environmental, economic, and social incentive to make turf irrigation systems as efficient as possible. Recent work introduced the concept of distributed control in irrigation systems, but existing control strategies either do not take advantage of the distributed control, or don't revise the strategy over time in response to collected data. In this work, we introduce PICS, a data-driven control strategy that self-improves over time, adapts to the local specific conditions and weather changes, and requires virtually no human input in both setup and maintenance providing a plug-and-play system that requires minimal pre-deployment efforts. In addition to substantial improvements in ease-of-use, we find across 4 weeks of large-scale irrigation system deployment that PICS improves system efficiency by 12.0% in comparison to industry best and 3.3% in comparison to academic state-of-the-art. Despite using less water, PICS also was found to improve quality of service by a factor of 4.0x compared to industry best and 2.5x compared to academic state of the art.
Technical Aspects of Large Scale Liquid Helium Liquefaction and Transportation

R. E. Brown has just presented some of his thoughts on the economics of large scale liquid helium transportation as applied to the shipment of Navy helium. CEL-NBS, as part of a study sponsored by the Bureau of Aeronautics, Department of the Navy, has investigated the technical aspects of a liquefaction and transportation program of the magnitude proposed by the previous paper.
Summary and Future Endeavors

The first half of the 20th century saw the development of the concept of a receptor and the isolation of the first hormone. The last half of the 20th century revealed that there are many subtypes of the adrenergic receptors with different pharmacological properties, and that they are coupled to different G proteins and signal transduction mechanisms. We then basically determined how the ligands bind to the receptor, how G proteins become activated, and how G proteins can selectively couple to receptors through interactions with the intracellular loops of the receptor. We also determined which tissues contain the different subtypes and some of the physiological processes that are regulated by the receptors. The century ended with the cloning of the receptors and the application of basic molecular biological techniques to discern the roles of the individual subtypes. Although much information was garnered in cell lines, there remained a noticeable lack of information in integrated systems and whole animal physiology.
Catharsis and Cognition

Modern psychotherapy had its origin in the 1890s with the work of Sigmund Freud. By 1912, several of Freud’s followers had split off to form rival schools of thought, and since then, “brands” of psychotherapy and counseling have continued to proliferate. Therapeutic approaches range from behavior modification to past lives therapy, from Eastern meditation to positive thinking. In The Psychology Today Omnibook of Personal Development, Matson (1977) listed 119 therapeutic methods in current use; Karasu (1986) counted over 450. In recognition of the confused state of affairs, Colby (1964) began his review of the various therapies in current use with the simple statement, “Chaos prevails.”
Tightly Coupled Dipole Array with Wideband Differential Feeding Network

Differential RF front-end components provide greater immunity to ground noise and distortion by suppressing external interference. Recent advancements in differential RF front-end components offer high dynamic range, high input linearity, and low noise in the transceiver chain. However, differential phased arrays are not inherently ultra-wideband (UWB). To create a wideband differentially fed array for chip-integrated transceivers, a novel approach was taken on the well-established UWB Tightly Coupled Dipole Array (TCDA). This differential TCDA (D-TCDA) is proposed for S-Ku band (3–18 GHz) communications with emphasis on dual linear polarization and wide-angle scanning. The array achieves 6:1 bandwidth for VSWR < 3 at broadside with scanning down to 45° from boresight in both E and H planes. The array exhibits very low cross-polarization, on the order of 70 dB.
Non-contact monitoring of extra-cellular field potentials with a multi-electrode array

Developing tools to enable non-invasive, high-throughput electrophysiology measurements of large functional-networks of electrogenic cells used as in vitro disease models for the heart and brain remains an outstanding challenge for preclinical drug discovery, where failures are costly and can prove to be fatal during clinical trials. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that it is possible to perform non-contact monitoring of extra-cellular field potentials with a multi-electrode array (MEA). To do this preliminary demonstration we built a prototype with a custom mechanical stage to micro-position cells grown on conventional glass coverslips over the recording surface of a MEA sensor. The prototype can monitor extra-cellular fields generated by multi-cellular networks in a non-contact configuration, enabling a single MEA sensor to probe different cultures in succession, without fouling or degrading its sensitive electronic surface. This first demonstration with easy to culture cardiomyocyte cells and a prototype device points to the exciting possibility for instrument development leading to more efficient and cost-effective drug screening paradigms for cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
Neurobiology of rapid-acting antidepressants: convergent effects on GluA1-synaptic function.

Efforts to develop efficacious antidepressant agents with novel mechanisms have been largely unsuccessful since the 1950’s until the discovery of ketamine, an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist that produces rapid and sustained antidepressant actions even in treatment-resistant patients. This finding has ushered in a new era for the development of novel rapid-acting antidepressants that act at the NMDA receptor complex, but without dissociative and psychotomimetic side effects of ketamine. Here, we review the current state of rapid-acting antidepressant drug development, including NMDA channel blockers, glycine site agents, and allosteric modulators, as well as ketamine stereoisomers and metabolites. In addition, we focus on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the actions of these diverse agents and discuss evidence of convergent mechanisms including increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling, increased synthesis of synaptic proteins, and most notably increased GluR1 and synaptic connectivity in the medial prefrontal cortex. These convergent mechanisms provide insight for potential additional novel targets for drug development (e.g., agents that increase synaptic protein synthesis and plasticity). Importantly, the convergent effects on synapse formation and plasticity also reverse the well-documented neuronal and synaptic deficits associated with stress and depression, and thereby target the underlying pathophysiology of major depressive disorder.
Cell-specific regulatory effects of CXCR2 on cholestatic liver injury

This study is the first to reveal cell-specific roles of the chemokine receptor CXCR2 in cholestatic liver injury caused by bile duct ligation. CXCR2 on neutrophils facilitates neutrophil recruitme...
Obesity Does Not Impact Outcome in Patients with AML/MDS Undergoing Allogeneic Transplantation.

Background: Impact of obesity on transplant outcome is unknown. We hypothesized that obesity increases allogeneic transplant related morbidity/mortality. We therefore performed a case control study of obese patients with AML and MDS undergoing allogeneic transplant (AlloSCT) at our institution. Patients and Methods: Sixty one patients with AML or MDS and a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 35 were transplanted from 1987 and 2006. 61 control patients were identified with BMI less than 30. The patients had similar characteristics. Controls were matched for age (within 5 years), disease status (relapse or remission), donor type (sib or MUD) and conditioning regimen. Results: The median weight of obese patients was 109.5 Kg (range 78–151.3 Kg). Obese and controls had similar distribution of age (median age 47 years and 46 years respectively). Likewise gender, disease status, and cytogenetic risk groups were similar in the two groups. The majority (62%) of patients in both groups had IV Busulfan based conditioning therapy, while 11% had a TBI based regimen and 26% in both groups had reduced intensity conditioning with Fludarabine and Melphalan. Donor was a matched sib in 65% of cases and 66% of controls. The median time between transplant day and discharge was 23 days (range 14–98days) in both groups. Only significant difference between the two groups was the presence of comorbidites in obese patients. 75% of cases had a comorbidty score of 3 or more compared to 38% of controls (p Conclusion: Despite the higher prevalence of comorbidities in obese patients, obesity did not impair outcome in patients with AML/MDS undergoing AlloSCT. Hence, obesity should not be considered a contraindication to AlloSCT.
Experimental Comparison of Diagnostic Imaging Pressure Fields through the Abdominal Wall with Water

We previously showed in simulations that the Mechanical Index is inaccurate for estimating peak rarefaction pressure (PRP) and can overestimates PRP by more than 40%. In this work, we created a new experimental method to measure in situ pressures when accounting for propagation through the abdominal wall and liver. Our experimental results show concordance with the previous simulation work.
Colorectal cancer risk based on extended family history and body mass index.

Family history and body mass index (BMI) are well-known risk factors for colorectal cancer (CRC), however, their joint effects are not well described. Using linked data for genealogy, self-reported height and weight from driver's licenses, and the Utah Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results cancer registry, we found that an increasing number of first-degree relatives (FDR) with CRC is associated with higher standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for overweight/obese probands but not for under/normal weight probands. For probands with two CRC-affected FDRs, the SIR = 1.91 (95% CI [0.52, 4.89]) for under/normal weight probands and SIR = 4.31 (95% CI [2.46, 7.00]) for overweight/obese probands. In the absence of CRC-affected FDRs, any number of CRC-affected SDRs did not significantly increase CRC risk for under/normal weight probands, but for overweight/obese probands with at least three CRC-affected SDRs the SIR = 2.68 (95% CI [1.29, 4.93]). In the absence of CRC-affected FDRs and SDRs, any number of CRC-affected third-degree relatives (TDRs) did not increase risk in under/normal weight probands, but significantly elevated risk for overweight/obese probands with at least two CRC-affected TDRs was observed; SIR = 1.32 (95% CI [1.04, 1.65]). For nonsyndromic CRC, maximum midlife BMI affects risk based on family history and should be taken into account for CRC risk communication when possible.
Macro Marketing Comes of Age

Marketing scholars have increasingly recognized the impact marketing has, and can have (both good and bad), on society as a whole. This commentary gives examples of this and raises some questions a...
Inferior Alveolar Nerve Dysfunction following Embolization of Inferior Alveolar Artery Pseudoaneurysm

Abstract We report a case of left inferior alveolar nerve dysfunction following management of left inferior alveolar artery pseudoaneurysm in a 32-year old female following third molar extractions. After failing to manage the bleeding with conservative methods, embolization of the left inferior alveolar artery and the anastomosing branches of the facial artery was performed by interventional neuroradiology utilizing a fibered coil and N-butyl cyanoacrylate. Immediate hemostasis was achieved without major complications. The patient suffered transient anesthesia of left inferior alveolar nerve but recovered fully after two months.
Extreme Antagonism Arising from Gene-Environment Interactions.

Abstract Antagonistic interactions in biological systems, which occur when one perturbation blunts the effect of another, are typically interpreted as evidence that the two perturbations impact the same cellular pathway or function. Yet, this interpretation ignores extreme antagonistic interactions wherein an otherwise deleterious perturbation compensates for the function lost because of a prior perturbation. Here, we report on gene-environment interactions involving genetic mutations that are deleterious in a permissive environment but beneficial in a specific environment that restricts growth. These extreme antagonistic interactions constitute gene-environment analogs of synthetic rescues previously observed for gene-gene interactions. Our approach uses two independent adaptive evolution steps to address the lack of experimental methods to systematically identify such extreme interactions. We apply the approach to Escherichia coli by successively adapting it to defined glucose media without and with the antibiotic rifampicin. The approach identified multiple mutations that are beneficial in the presence of rifampicin and deleterious in its absence. The analysis of transcription shows that the antagonistic adaptive mutations repress a stringent response-like transcriptional program, whereas nonantagonistic mutations have an opposite transcriptional profile. Our approach represents a step toward the systematic characterization of extreme antagonistic gene-drug interactions, which can be used to identify targets to select against antibiotic resistance.
The Battle of Kalavrye Revisited

Στο άρθρο eπανeξeτάζονται τα σχeτικά μe την μάχη της Καλαβρύης (1078), της κρίσιμης αυτής αντιπαράθeσης μeταξὺ Αλeξίου Κομνηνού και Νικηφόρου Βρυeννίου, και προτeίνeται μία άλλη eρμηνeία για την eξέλιξή της. Η σύγχρονη βιβλιογραφία βασίζeται στην eξιστόρηση του νeωτέρου Νικηφόρου Βρυeννίου στην Ύλη Ιστορίας , μe σύντομeς αναφορές στα λίγα σημeία διαφοροποίησης που υπάρχουν στην αφήγηση της Άννας Κομνηνής στην Αλeξιάδα , και η ακρίβeιά της θeωρeίται δeδομένη. Έχeι αγνοηθeί όμως σe μeγάλο βαθμό η λίγο παλαιότeρη eκδοχή που παρουσιάζeι ο Μιχαήλ Ατταλeιάτης. Στο άρθρο eπιχeιρeίται να αποδeιχθeί ότι μία βασική λeπτομέρeια που αναφέρeται στην σύγχρονη βιβλιογραφία –η αιφνίδια άφιξη των Τούρκων μισθοφόρων που έγeιρe την πλάστιγγα υπέρ του Αλeξίου– βασίζeται στην παράδοση της Ύλης Ιστοριών και της Αλeξιάδας , δeν eπαληθeύeται όμως από την Ιστορία του Μιχαήλ Ατταλeιάτη. Η αναφορά σe «αιφνίδια άφιξη» των Τούρκων μισθοφόρων οφeίλeται σe παρeρμηνeία της τακτικής του Αλeξίου: οι Τούρκοι ήσαν eξ αρχής παρόντeς στο πeδίο της μάχης.
Misogyny New and Old: The Darkest Corners of the Web... and Euripides

Flint and obsidian blades, bronze and steel ones later, like projectiles from throwing weapons and bow-shot arrows to musket balls and high speed bullets, have been a starkly mixed blessing to Homo...
Parasite protein pirates host cytoskeletal modulator during invasion.

Host cytoskeletal rearrangements are an essential yet poorly understood component of Cryptosporidium invasion. Guerin et al. demonstrate that actin rearrangements occur immediately during adherence and capture a unique mechanism of invasion using live-cell imaging. The authors identify a parasite-secreted effector, ROP1, recruited by a host protein, LMO7, involved in pathogenesis.
Intracavity frequency doubling in a Ti:sapphire laser: generation of 14-fs pulses at 416 nm.

We demonstrate the use of intracavity frequency doubling in a self-mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser to generate We as short as 14 fs. We use a 100-μm-thick lithium triborate (LiB3O5) crystal in a standard Ti:sapphire pulses for the frequency doubling. The average blue output power is 30 mW in each of two beams directly laser cavity the laser and 11 mW after compression. The repetition rate is 91 MHz, and the spectral bandwidth is from a near-transform-limited 19.2 nm centered at 416 nm. To our knowledge, these results represent the shortest pulse duration yet demonstrated in the blue region of the spectrum.
Near-Wall Reconstruction of Higher-Order Moments and Length Scales using the POD

An analysis of the near-wall behavior of the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) eigenfunctions (see Lumley 1967) derived from direct numerical simulation (DNS) of channel flow of Dinavahi and Zang (1993) is performed. This work is driven in part by a desire to include structure in turbulence models. Although this particular application is in the near wall region (because of availability of the data base), the ideas discussed here are applicable in free shear flows as well. Consistent with previous studies, a low order multi-mode reconstruction of the kinetic energy and Reynolds shear stress suffices. A similar reconstruction of the isotropic dissipation rate is shown to be insufficient, however. An analysis is performed of the multi-mode composition of the dissipation rate in the near-wall region, and it is shown that a significant number of higher-order modes are required to achieve the correct asymptotic consistency in the near-wall region. In an attempt to avoid this problem, a length scale definition is proposed in terms of an integration of the two-point correlation tensor which factors in the presence of the wall. The wall is accounted for by only integrating out to 2y+and not over the entire domain. Viscous and inviscid estimates for the dissipation rate are used in the near-wall and core regions, respectively, in conjunction with this length scale representation, to obtain an estimate of the dissipation rate throughout the domain. The resulting dissipation rate exhibits the proper behavior near the wall and in the inertial layer. Higher-order POD mode estimates of the length scale are computed and compared to that computed using the full correlation tensor from the DNS results of Dinavahi and Zang (1993).
Protective effects of vitamin A and vitamin E succinate against 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced body wasting, hepatomegaly, thymic atrophy, production of reactive oxygen species and DNA damage in C57BL/6J mice.

Abstract: The protective effect of vitamin A and vitamin E succinate against 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced acute toxicity and measures of oxidative stress was studied. Ten mice were treated with either vitamin A (50 mg/kg every other day for eight days) or vitamin E succiante (150 mg/kg/day followed by a dose of 40 mg/kg/day for five additional days). Half of each of the above groups of animals received TCDD on day 4. Five mice received corn oil or TCDD alone. After five days of TCDD treatment, antioxidant combination treatment with vitamin A and TCDD or vitamin E succinate and TCDD resulted in a significant reduction in indicators of acute toxicity including the decrease in total body and thymus weight as compared to TCDD alone (P<0.05). The combination treatment produced also a significant reduction in the increase in liver weight as compared to TCDD only (P<0.05). Following one day of treatment with 50 μg TCDD/kg, vitamin A and vitamin E succinate produced a significant decrease in the production of superoxide anion by peritoneal lavage cells (P<0.05) and in DNA-single strand breaks in the same cells (P<0.05) as assessed by the reduction of cytochrome c and the alkaline elution technique, respectively. A significant decrease in DNA-single strand breaks in peritoneal lavage cells was observed following 5 days treatment with 50 μg TCDD/kg (P<0.05). The results indicate a potential role for oxidative stress in the acute toxicity of TCDD and a protective effect for vitamin A and vitamin E succinate in the overall toxicity of TCDD including measures of oxidative stress.
Bull semen nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide nucleosidase: VII. Nonenzymatic basis of apparent transglycosidation with histamine☆

Abstract The reaction between NAD and histamine in the presence of purified bull semen nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide nucleosidase (NADase) was studied with respect to the rate of disappearance of the nicotinamide ribosidic linkage of NAD and the rate of the loss of one orcinol-positive ribose of NAD. It was observed that in the presence of this enzyme, 50% of the ribosidic linkage was hydrolyzed prior to any change in orcinol-positive ribose. A nonenzymatic reaction of the product of hydrolysis, adenosine diphosphoribose with histamine was observed to result in the loss of one orcinol-positive ribose. Similar nonenzymatic reactions of histamine were observed with ribose and ribose-5-phosphate. The data suggest that the bull semen NADase does not catalyze a transglycosidation reaction between NAD and histamine as had been claimed previously.
Retrospective: Judah Folkman (1933-2008).

An innovative and inspirational pioneer in the field of angiogenesis research and its medical applications is remembered.