cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
QUANTITATIVE HISTOCHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION OF COENZYME A IN THE RAT ADRENAL IN VARIOUS FUNCTIONAL STATES12

Modifications of the procedure of Malmstrom and Glick for the micro measurement of coenzyme A were employed in a study of the quantitative histological distribution of the coenzyme in adrenal glands of male albino rats. Subcutaneous injection of 25 mg. ACTH per kg. 3 hours before sacrifice produced significant increases in coenzyme A concentration in the adjoining zones between the glomerulosa and fasciculata, and the fasciculata and reticularis. Small increases occurred in the medulla and the reticular-medullary border zone. Subcutaneous injection of 5 mg. calcium-d-pantothenate 3 hours before sacrifice increased the coenzyme concentration in all zones except the adjacent fascicular-reticular regions. Analysis of whole gland homogenates prepared from adrenals of animals killed at noon and at midnight revealed that the coenzyme concentration was about 100 per cent greater in the latter. Injection of ACTH abolished day-night differences by producing maximal concentrations in both groups. Injection of panto...
Geospatial encountering: Opportunistic information discovery in web-based GIS environments

Web-based geographical information systems have become ubiquitous in daily life. They include such familiar tools as Google Earth, Google Maps, and a plethora of geolocational mobile applications for smart phones. These geospatial web systems present new opportunities for users to discover information opportunistically, in unexpected and non-intentional ways. This paper examines one specific type of incidental information acquisition - information encountering (Erdelez, 1997) - as it may occur in geospatial web environments. Accordingly, this preliminary research brings together findings and frameworks developed within two diverse fields: a) human information behavior, and b) geographic information systems. The Information Encountering model serves as a conceptual framework for understanding how the distinctive characteristics of geospatial web applications impact the nature of information encountering episodes. Exploratory research was conducted via a focus group session. Users were found to engage regularly with a variety of geolocational systems and report frequent episodes of information encountering, but they also display difficulty recalling details of individual episodes. Findings suggest the need to develop tools to capture information encountering experiences in the field, at or close to the time they occur.
Comparative Cardiovascular Effects of Tyramine, Ephedrine, and Norepinephrine in Man

The systemic hemodynamic and forearm vascular effects of tyramine, ephedrine, and norepinephrine were studied in normal male subjects. The pressor effect of tyramine was associated usually with bradycardia, unchanged cardiac output, and moderate arteriolar constriction in the forearm. A similar pressor effect of ephedrine was characterized by an increase of heart rate and output, with a slight fall in forearm vascular resistance. Occasional subjects responded to tyramine with an increase of cardiac output and a fall in forearm vascular resistance, and to ephedrine, with a marked increase of vascular resistance. The pressor effect of norepinephrine was associated always with bradycardia and with marked arteriolar and venous constriction in the forearm. Brachial arterial infusions of the drugs in nonpressor doses confirmed the vascular effects. Norepinephrine produced dose-dependent forearm constriction in all subjects, while vasodilatation was observed occasionally with tyramine and frequently with ephedrine. The demonstrated differences in local vascular and systemic hemodynamic effects of these drugs suggest some inconsistency in the hypothesis that the effect of either ephedrine or tyramine is mediated exclusively by norepinephrine release.
A cyclostationary feature detector

Cyclostationary models for communications signals have been shown in recent years to offer many advantages over stationary models. Stationary models are adequate in many situations, but they cause important features of the signal to be overlooked. One such important feature is the correlation between spectral components that many signals exhibit. Cyclostationary models allow this spectral correlation to be exploited. This paper presents a signal detector that exploits spectral correlation to determine the presence or absence of a cyclostationary signal in noise. The detector's probability of false alarm is analytically derived. Computer simulations verify that the analytical derivation is correct. The detector's receiver operating characteristic curves are determined from the simulation data and the analytical expression for the probability of false alarm. >
Impact Vaporization as a Possible Source of Mercury's Calcium Exosphere

Mercury's calcium exosphere varies in a periodic way with that planet's true anomaly. We show that this pattern can be explained by impact vaporization from interplanetary dust with variations being due to Mercury's radial and vertical excursions through an interplanetary dust disk having an inclination within 5 degrees of the plane of Mercury's orbit. Both a highly inclined dust disk and a two-disk model (where the two disks have a mutual inclination) fail to reproduce the observed variation in calcium exospheric abundance with Mercury true anomaly angle. However, an additional source of impacting dust beyond the nominal dust disk is required near Mercury's true anomaly (ν) 25deg +/-5deg. This is close to but not coincident with Mercury's true anomaly (ν=45deg) when it crosses comet 2P/Encke's present day orbital plane. Interestingly, the Taurid meteor storms at Earth, which are also due to Comet Encke, are observed to occur when Earth's true anomaly is +/-20 or so degrees before and after the position where Earth and Encke orbital planes cross. The lack of exact correspondence with the present day orbit of Encke may indicate the width of the potential stream along Mercury's orbit or a previous cometary orbit. The extreme energy of the escaping calcium, estimated to have a temperature greater than 50000 K if the source is thermal, cannot be due to the impact process itself but must be imparted by an additional mechanism such as dissociation of a calcium-bearing molecule or ionization followed by recombination.
RACing up a New Regulatory Mechanism for Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration

Pathophysiological vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration is a critical component of atherosclerosis and contributes substantially to neointimal hyperplasia. Injury to the intimal layer of the vessel promotes the dedifferentiation of VSMCs in the tunica media from a quiescent contractile phenotype to a synthetic phenotype that proliferates and migrates, thus contributing to neointimal thickening. A better understanding of the signaling mechanisms that promote VSMC dedifferentiation, proliferation, and migration may lead to the identification of new pharmacological targets for atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases. See accompanying article on page 702 Several signal transduction pathways regulate actin polymerization and cell contractility, both integral to VSMC migration. The process of cell migration is complex but requires fundamental processes that depend on tight regulation of the GTPases Rac and Rho (Figure).1–3 Migration initiates when a cell is exposed to a chemoattractant gradient and establishes polarity. This triggers the extension of the plasma membrane, called a lamellipodium, in the direction of eventual cell movement and establishes the front/leading edge of the cell.2,4 In vascular injury, a gradient is often established by the release of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), such that VSMCs migrate toward the lumen of the vessel.4,5 The formation of lamellipodia requires the polymerization and assembly of actin, which is regulated by the GTPase Rac. …
A Universal Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor-Producing Bystander Cell Line for Use in the Formulation of Autologous Tumor Cell-Based Vaccines

Irradiated tumor cells transduced with the gene encoding the cytokine GM-CSF have been extensively studied as a vaccine formulation capable of priming systemic antitumor immune responses in the tumor-bearing host. In spite of the therapeutic promise of this vaccine strategy demonstrated in both animal models and early-phase clinical trials, clinical development has been limited by difficulties pertaining to the need to establish in culture the tumor of each patient and to perform individualized gene transfer. To circumvent these issues, we generated an HLA-negative human cell line producing large quantities of human GM-CSF for use as a universal bystander cell to be mixed with unmodified autologous tumor cells in the formulation of a vaccine. This line is easily propagated as a suspension culture in defined, serum-free medium. In a mouse model, we find that vaccination with a mixture of autologous tumor cells and an MHC-negative allogeneic GM-CSF-producing bystander cell primes antitumor immune responses that are equivalent or better than those achieved using autologous tumor cells directly transduced to secrete GM-CSF. This strategy greatly simplifies further clinical development of autologous tumor cell-based vaccines.
Quantification of Malignant Breast Cancer Cell MDA-MB-231 Transmigration Across Brain and Lung Microvascular Endothelium

Tumor cell extravasation through the endothelial barrier forming the microvessel wall is a crucial step during tumor metastasis. However, where, how and how fast tumor cells transmigrate through endothelial barriers remain unclear. Using an in vitro transwell model, we performed a transmigration assay of malignant breast tumor cells (MDA-MB-231) through brain and lung microvascular endothelial monolayers under control and pathological conditions. The locations and rates of tumor cell transmigration as well as the changes in the structural components (integrity) of endothelial monolayers were quantified by confocal microscopy. Endothelial monolayer permeability to albumin P (albumin) was also quantified under the same conditions. We found that about 98% of transmigration occurred at the joints of endothelial cells instead of cell bodies; tumor cell adhesion and transmigration degraded endothelial surface glycocalyx and disrupted endothelial junction proteins, consequently increased P (albumin); more tumor cells adhered to and transmigrated through the endothelial monolayer with higher P (albumin); P (albumin) and tumor transmigration were increased by vascular endothelial growth factor, a representative of cytokines, and lipopolysaccharides, a typical systemic inflammatory factor, but reduced by adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate. These results suggest that reinforcing endothelial structural integrity is an effective approach for inhibiting tumor extravasation.
Hydroxylamine and methoxylamine as probes of DNA structure.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the structure of DNA using hydroxylamine and methoxylamine as probes. In the presence of oxygen, the treatment of DNA with low concentrations of hydroxylamine (0.01–0.1 M) results in reaction with all four bases and extensive cleavage of the polynucleotide chain. These reactions are inhibited at higher concentrations of hydroxylamine (>0.1 M) by the removal of oxygen or by the addition of catalase or peroxidase, and they appear to be mediated by hydroxyl radicals produced through the oxidation of hydroxylamine. The oxygen-dependent reactions are probably mostly responsible for the mutagenicity and other biological effects of hydroxylamine. When hydroxylamine-reactive sites in DNA are visualized by backbone cleavage by piperidine, a faint guanine ladder is frequently seen. This ladder is probably mainly due to depurination during the reaction with hot piperidine, because it is seen to some extent when unmodified DNA is treated with piperidine.
New Media, New Challenges: Towards a Theory of Transactional Diversity for Public Relations

New media’s influence upon diversity, access, and public communication has been a subject of focused concern since a series of reports in the 1990s documented a "digital divide" -– a growing chasm between the those with access to new media technologies and those without (NTIA, 1996). These studies, released through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, chronicled expanding disparities of computer access among populations of color, when compared against the white population majority. These contrasts coincided with the economic and income differences documented from comparisons of communities of color on the whole, with those of white communities. And although similar disadvantages were noted between rural and urban populations, the discourse of the "digital divide" came to symbolize a growing chasm between technology "haves" and "have nots" -- and this difference often turned on race.This paper examines some touchstones of new media development, how race has informed our thinking about the location of new media in society, and what the implications may be for public relations conceptualizations about publics, identity and technology.
Proteostasis Maintenance of Cys-Loop Receptors

The Cys-loop receptors play prominent roles in the nervous system. They include γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, 5-hydroxytryptamine type-3 receptors, and glycine receptors. Proteostasis represents an optimal state of the cellular proteome in normal physiology. The proteostasis network regulates the folding, assembly, degradation, and trafficking of the Cys-loop receptors, ensuring their efficient functional cell surface expressions. Here, we summarize current advances about the protein biogenesis process of the Cys-loop receptors. Because operating on individual biogenesis steps influences the receptor cell surface level, manipulating the proteostasis network components can regulate the function of the receptors, representing an emerging therapeutic strategy for corresponding channelopathies.
Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) for analysis of histone modifications and chromatin-associated proteins

Disruption of epigenetic regulators of transcription is a central mechanism of oncogenesis. Many of the advances in the understanding of these mechanisms are attributable to the successful development of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) for in vivo detection of histone modifications as well as chromatin binding regulatory proteins. This is a powerful technique for analyzing histone modifications as well as binding sites for proteins that bind either directly or indirectly to DNA. Here we present two ChIP protocols. The first is particularly useful for identifying histone modifications or binding at specific, known genomic sites. The second, employing serial analysis of gene expression, is particularly powerful for the discovery of previously unidentified sites of modification or binding.
Energy extraction from a slider-crank wave energy converter under irregular wave conditions

A slider-crank wave energy converter (WEC) is a novel energy conversion device. It converts wave energy into electricity at a relatively high efficiency, and it features a simple structure. Past analysis on this particular WEC has been done under regular sinusoidal wave conditions, and suboptimal energy could be achieved. This paper presents the analysis of the system under irregular wave conditions; a time-domain hydrodynamics model is adopted and a rule-based control methodology is introduced to better serve the irregular wave conditions. Results from the simulations show that the performance of the system under irregular wave conditions is different from that under regular sinusoidal wave conditions, but a reasonable amount of energy can still be extracted.
Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society 2014 Consensus Statement: Pharmacotherapies in Cardiac Critical Care Antihypertensives.

Objective:Hypertension remains a common condition in pediatric cardiac intensive care. The physiologic effects of hypertension in this population are complex and are impacted by patient age, comorbidities, and primary cardiac disease. The objective of this study is to review current pharmacotherapie
TRENDS IN THE HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR ACUTE ON CHRONIC HEART FAILURE WITH PRESERVED EJECTION FRACTION IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 2003 TO 2013

While previous studies have shown similar outcomes for heart failure patients with preserved (HFpEF) or reduced ejection fraction, few have reported trends in healthcare utilization among patients with HFpEF. To address this gap, we studied the national trends in diagnosis, length of stay, cost and
Effect of Experimental Portacaval Shunt on Hepatic Drug Metabolizing Enzymes

SummaryDiversion of the portal flow from the liver in rats results in a reduction of the activities of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes. Such animals still respond to phenobarbital with an increase in hepatic enzyme levels and hypertrophy of smooth endoplasmic reticulum in hepatocytes. It is suggested that a defect in the detoxifying ability of the liver itself may play an additional role in portasystemic encephalopathy in man.
Success in the shadows: (counter) narratives of achievement from Black scholar athletes at a historically Black college/university.

The current study incorporated an anti-deficit achievement framework [Harper, S. R. (2012). Black male student success in higher education: A report from the National Black Male College Achievement Study. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania, Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education.] and a critical race methodology [Solorzano, D., & Yosso, T. (2002). Critical race methodology: Counter-storytelling as an analytical framework for education research. Qualitative Inquiry, 8(1), 23–44] to examine the experiences and perceptions of achievement among Black scholar athletes at a Division I historically Black college/university (HBCU). Two focus group interviews and six in-depth individual interviews were conducted with eight Black scholar athletes. An eight-item demographic questionnaire was also administered to ascertain information about the participants’ personal backgrounds. Specific influences such as familial factors, college classroom experiences, out-of-class engagement in college, an...
The influence of butylphthalide on amino acid in epileptic mice's brain

Objective Aim to investigate the influence of butylphthalide(NBP) on amino acid content in epileptic mice's brain.Methods NBP was intraperitoneally injected(ip) mice and acute epileptic mice models were made after 30 min.The change of the four amino acid(aspartic acid,gamma-aminobutyric acid,glutamate,glycine) content in brain of epileptic mice was investigated.Results For NBP treated epileptic mice,when compared with model group,the contents of glutamate and glutamate/gamma-aminobutyric acid(model group:38.78;NBP hige dose group:5.52) were reduced(P0.05)in brain of epileptic mice.Conclusion NBP could regulate the balance of excitement and inhibition systems which might relieve seizures.
A comparison of drug products available in Germany and the United States.

Health-care professionals practicing with the U.S. European Command frequently encounter drug products of their host nation. Confusion about the identity or use of these medications can slow emergency treatment or mislead the medical management of patients. This article compares drug products available in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) with those of the United States of America. Differences in nomenclature used for generic drug names are described, as well as prescription practices unique to the FRG, such as unusual drug combinations, additional dosage forms, and divergent labeling practices. Military pharmacies are effective resources for translation of host nation drug products.
Functional Rescue of Calmodulinopathy IPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes -- a Foray into Personalized Medicine

Calmodulinopathies comprise a growing population of patients with congenital life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, including severe long-QT syndrome (LQTS). The underlying mutations disrupt Ca2+ binding to calmodulin (CaM), implicating a myriad of Ca2+/CaM targets as potential pathogenic elements. To gain further mechanistic insight, we utilized induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs), a model of congenital cardiac diseases with a patient-specific genetic background. First, we demonstrated that calmodulinopathy iPSC-CMs indeed display (1) significantly prolonged action potentials (APs), (2) increased Ca2+ transient (CaT) amplitudes, (3) delayed CaT upstrokes, and (4) drastically slower CaT decay rates -- all potential components of an arrhythmic substrate and an ideal platform for developing a treatment strategy. Next, we considered the role of the L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) in arrhythmogenesis within these cells. Indeed, the iPSC-CMs displayed severely diminished LTCC Ca2+/CaM-dependent inactivation (CDI), a known mechanism for AP prolongation. Finally, taking advantage of the fact that calmodulinopathy patients harbor a mutation in only a single of three redundant CaM genes, we have devised a strategy to selectively suppress the mutant gene while sparing the wild-type counterparts. The extent of this suppression was confirmed via quantitative RNA expression profiling. Importantly, this manipulation produced a functional rescue (restoration of the AP duration) in calmodulinopathy iPSC-CMs in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, selective knockdown of any of the three genes underlying calmodulinopathies could be achieved. This technique not only promises significant relief of LQT symptoms, but any disease manifestations in these patients as well. Thus, we have expanded the therapeutic toolkit for treatment of calmodulinopathies and initiated a path towards personalized medicine.
The Architecture of Sets

We present the theory of pure sets—the basis of all classical mathematics—in the form of the Zermelo-Fraenkel Axiomatics. This theory is illustrated with Iannis Xenakis’ composition Herma.
Early Palliative Care for Patients with Advanced Cancer

Patients with advanced cancers represent a particularly vulnerable population given their medical complexity, high symptom burden, often incurable prognosis, and need to make critical decisions about care at the end of life. Over the last decade, a new model of outpatient palliative care has shown great promise and efficacy in meeting these many challenges for patients and their families. Palliative care typically consists of a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains who provide services to enhance symptom management, psychosocial and spiritual support, and assistance with treatment decision-making for patients and families coping with serious illness. A number of clinical trials have demonstrated that outpatient palliative care, delivered simultaneously or integrated with oncology care from the time of diagnosis of advanced cancer, leads to improved quality of life, lower rates of depression, more accurate prognostic understanding, as well as less aggressive and higher quality care at the end of life. In this chapter, we (1) provide the rationale for delivering palliative care services early in the course of disease for patients diagnosed with advanced cancer, (2) review the evidence base for this new model of integrated palliative care, (3) highlight the key clinical interventions, and (4) describe a case example using the approach.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α accelerates α-chlorofatty acid catabolism

α-Chlorofatty aldehydes are generated from myeloperoxidase-derived HOCl targeting plasmalogens, and are subsequently oxidized to α-chlorofatty acids (α-ClFAs). The catabolic pathway for α-ClFA is initiated by ω-oxidation. Here, we examine PPAR-α activation as a mechanism to increase α-ClFA catabolism. Pretreating both HepG2 cells and primary mouse hepatocytes with the PPAR-α agonist, pirinixic acid (Wy 14643), increased the production of α-chlorodicarboxylic acids (α-ClDCAs) in cells treated with exogenous α-ClFA. Additionally, α-ClDCA production in Wy 14643-pretreated wild-type mouse hepatocytes was accompanied by a reduction in cellular free α-ClFA. The dependence of PPAR-α-accelerated α-ClFA catabolism was further demonstrated by both impaired metabolism in mouse PPAR-α-/- hepatocytes and decreased clearance of plasma α-ClFA in PPAR-α-/- mice. Furthermore, Wy 14643 treatments decreased plasma 2-chlorohexadecanoic acid levels in wild-type mice. Additional studies showed that α-ClFA increases PPAR-α, PPAR-δ, and PPAR-γ activities, as well as mRNA expression of the PPAR-α target genes, CD36, CPT1a, Cyp4a10, and CIDEC. Collectively, these results indicate that PPAR-α accelerates important pathways for the clearance of α-ClFA, and α-ClFA may, in part, accelerate its catabolism by serving as a ligand for PPAR-α.
Shipping mouse bone marrow: Keep it in the bone

Sharing reagents is of self-evident value in life science research, however, primary cell populations often do not cryopreserve well or can require extensive preparation by collaborators, making shipping difficult. Here we report an evaluation of different conditions for the storage shipment of mouse bone marrow (BM) cells that would best preserve the number, viability, and frequency of different hematopoietic lineages, as well as functionality of progenitor populations. Bones were either crushed to release BM cells or stored intact in one of three media: Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) supplemented with 2% fetal bovine serum (FBS), Plasmalyte, or RPMI at 4°C. Cell numbers, viability, phenotype, and functionality were assessed 16 hours and 40 hours later and compared to freshly prepared samples. Whereas BM cells stored in suspension for 16 hours and BM cells kept in bone for 40 hours suffered major losses in cell number, hematopoietic lineages that were kept in the bone for 16 hours had only minor differences compared to fresh cells. With no significant differences among the different media used, intact long bones stored in media, Plasmalyte, or PBS 2% FBS for up to 16 hours provided a reasonable means of preserving bone marrow cell populations.
Do p53 stress responses impact organismal aging

p53 is a transcriptional regulator that responds to cellular stresses to suppress oncogenesis, but some of these responses can have unintended consequences that influence non-cancer-related aging processes. The impact of these consequences is not well understood—partly due to the many complex processes that influence p53 function and partly due to the vast array of processes that p53 affects. p53 has the potential to both accelerate and hinder cellular aging processes, which would likely have antithetical biological outcomes with regard to organismal aging. To accelerate aging, p53 induces apoptosis or cell cycle arrest as a prerequisite to cellular senescence; both can impair the mobilization of stem and progenitor cell populations. To suppress aging, p53 inhibits unregulated proliferation pathways that could lead to cellular senescence and a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which creates a pro-inflammatory and degenerative tissue milieu. A review of mouse models supports both possibilities, highlighting the complexity of the p53 influence over organismal aging. A deeper knowledge of how p53 integrates and is integrated with various biological processes will improve our understanding of its influence over the aging process.
Integration of transparent insulation materials into solar collector devices

Abstract The integration of Transparent Insulation Materials (TIMs) into Flat Plate Collectors (FPCs), Parabolic Trough Collectors (PTCs), and Central Receiver (CR) collectors is studied in this paper. A general model including optical and thermal analyses is developed. The effects of TIM’s properties, such as the emittance, thermal conductivity, extinction coefficient, and thickness, on the collectors’ performance, are analyzed. At low absorber temperatures, performances of traditional-type collectors are relatively high. The efficiency of these collectors reduces dramatically at high temperatures due to the increment in heat losses. The incorporation of a TIM decreases thermal losses, leading to higher collectors’ efficiencies at high absorber temperatures. The main goal of this study is to determine the critical operation temperature from which thermal losses reduction overcome the optical efficiency losses due to a TIM integration. In general, for high performance collectors, TIMs are characterized by low emittances and thermal conductivities, high transmittances, and low extinction coefficients.
9.6-mm diameter femtosecond laser microsurgery probe

We present a 9.6-mm fiber-coupled probe for femtosecond laser microsurgery and nonlinear imaging. Towards enabling clinical use, we successfully reduced the volume of our earlier 18-mm surgery probe by 5 times, while improving optical performance.
The Effects of Body Weight and Shifts in Body Weight Upon the Reward Value of Indifferent Stimuli

The effects of sensory reinforcement upon the exploration of indifferent stimuli was tested using two groups of rats maintained at 75 % or 100% body weight. Subjects were leverpress-tested on two non contingent bars for 11 days and then were shifted so that depression of one of two levers resulted in light onset; testing continued for 9 more days. Subjects at 100% body weight barpressed for light at a higher rate than subjects at 75% body weight prior to the drive shift. After the drive shift, subjects changed to 100% body weight demonstrated a large increment in responding, while subjects shifted to 75% body weight showed a lesser postshift decrement in responding.
An Institutional History: History of the Ohio State University, 1910—1925, Volume II

(1937). An Institutional History: History of the Ohio State University, 1910—1925, Volume II. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 228-228.
Urban visions: from urban planning culture to landscape urbanism

In his foreword to Urban Visions: From Urban Planning Culture to Landscape Urbanism, Rafael Moneo celebrates the book as a valuable reminder of those studies in urbanism, a compendium of singular m...
Targeted Deletion of Adipocyte Abca1 (ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter A1) Impairs Diet-Induced Obesity.

Objective— Adipose tissue cholesterol increases with adipocyte triglyceride content and size during development of obesity. However, how adipocyte cholesterol affects adipocyte function is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the cellular cholesterol exporter, Abca1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter A1), on adipose tissue function during diet-induced obesity. Approach and Results— Adiponectin Cre recombinase transgenic mice were crossed with Abca1 flox/flox mice to generate ASKO (adipocyte-specific Abca1 knockout) mice. Control and ASKO mice were then fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol (45% calories as fat and 0.2% cholesterol) diet for 16 weeks. Compared with control mice, ASKO mice had a 2-fold increase in adipocyte plasma membrane cholesterol content and significantly lower body weight, epididymal fat pad weight, and adipocyte size. ASKO versus control adipose tissue had decreased PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein expression, nuclear SREBP1 (sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1) protein, lipogenesis, and triglyceride accretion but similar Akt activation after acute insulin stimulation. Acute siRNA-mediated Abca1 silencing during 3T3L1 adipocyte differentiation reduced adipocyte Abca1 and PPARγ protein expression and triglyceride content. Systemic stimulated triglyceride lipolysis and glucose homeostasis was similar between control and ASKO mice. Conclusions— Adipocyte Abca1 is a key regulator of adipocyte lipogenesis and lipid accretion, likely because of increased adipose tissue membrane cholesterol, resulting in decreased activation of lipogenic transcription factors PPARγ and SREBP1.
Stemness Phenotype in Tamoxifen Resistant Breast Cancer Cells May be Induced by Interactions Between Receptor Tyrosine Kinases and ERα-66.

Background Tamoxifen is widely administered for patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Despite many patients benefiting from Tamoxifen as an effective anti-hormonal agent in adjuvant therapy, a noticeable number of patients tend to develop resistance. Objective The aim of this study was to shed light upon the molecular mechanisms associated with Tamoxifen resistance which can help improve current treatment strategies available for stimulating responsiveness and combating resistance. Methods Relevant articles were obtained from PubMed and google scholar, nearly all dated from 2010 to 2017. Articles were screened to select the ones meeting the objective. The molecular interactions in the resistant network were extracted from the appropriate articles. Results The mechanisms of developing Tamoxifen resistance were briefly outlined. Overactivation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs) pathways, commonly known as alternative growth cascades, is one of the main players in acquired cancer cell stemness, which can induce unrestricted proliferation in the presence of Tamoxifen. There are seven recent patents including 6291496B1 as an anti-HER2, 8143226B2 as an inhibitor of RTK phosphorylation, 9062308B2 as an anti-HOXB7, Lapatinib functioning as an anti-EGFR/HER2, Everolimus as an inhibitor of mTOR, Exemestane as an aromatase inhibitor and Perifosine as an AKT inhibitor. Conclusion Altogether, it seems that tumor cells express a stemness phenotype which tends to override anti-hormonal adjuvant therapies. Since RTKs are overactivated and overexpressed in such cells, specialized targeted therapies suppressing RTKs would be a novel and effective way in restoring Tamoxifen sensitivity in resistant breast cancer tumor cells.
Control and Chaos

Control and chaos in the same phrase would seem contradictory, but the reader knows by now that chaos is both predictable and structured in phase space. That phase space structure contains within it many simpler topological features which are unstable [DN79] and through which the system may have passed as we altered the driving on the system by varying parameters. It may not come as a surprise then that careful adjustment of these same parameters using the known stable and unstable directions of the vector field might allow one to stabilize what had become unstable. In this chapter we examine a very interesting set of methods for control which slightly change the vector field as given, by adding dynamical degrees of freedom to the system. These make formerly constant parameters time dependent. After doing this phase space structures “nearby” the unstable structures of the original system can now become stable structures of the augmented system. In particular unstable periodic orbits of the original system may be slightly altered but acquire stability as the vector field develops a carefully selected set of time dependencies. Another kind of control scheme we will examine traces its lineage to standard control theory [Owe81, Bro85] even though that may often cast in a linear context. In this approach an external force acting on the dynamical variables is added to the vector field while the parameters of the original dynamics are unaltered.
Reserve design to optimize the long-term persistence of multiple species

Protected areas form the cornerstone of global efforts to conserve biodiversity. Most current methods for designing reserve networks focus on maximizing the representation of species, but with no assurance that those species will persist in the protected landscapes into the future. We present a new strategy for reserve design that combines metapopulation theory with spatial conservation prioritization to estimate conservation solutions that minimize extinction risk across numerous species simultaneously. Our framework optimizes the spatial configuration of reserves to maximize metapopulation persistence for an entire assemblage of species by accounting for both species representation and landscape connectivity. As a case study, we design a reserve network for 114 terrestrial mammal species in Indonesian New Guinea. Our approach builds on Marxan, the flagship representation-based reserve design tool, improving estimated persistence (metapopulation capacity) by an average of 4.6-fold across species, without increasing the socioeconomic cost. We suggest that enhancing species persistence, rather than protecting arbitrary proportions of species' ranges, should be the ultimate objective of conservation planning.
OC-Trust: Towards Trustworthy Organic Computing Systems

This article summarises the current status of the OC-Trust project and gives an outlook to further research.
The use of psychotropic medication in the management of problem behaviors in the patient with alzheimer’s disease

Although a variety of potential alternatives to the neuroleptics in the management of agitated behavior in Alzheimer's disease exist, more large, well-controlled studies are needed. At present, neuroleptics remain the standard treatment for this problem. It is also important for the clinician to investigate thoroughly underlying instigators of behavior change in Alzheimer's patients, such as delirium, anxiety, depression, or environmental factors, and target treatment to these disorders.
Management and Business Education in Africa: A Post-Colonial Perspective of International Accreditation

Business schools throughout the world are pursuing national and international validation by seeking accreditation such as AACSB, EQUIS, and/or AMBA. The issue of accreditation of African universiti...
CHAPTER 42 – Tumor Growth and Metastasis

The requirement of platelets for experimental pulmonary metastasis and the ability of tumor cells to aggregate platelets was first recognized by Gasic and coworkers in 1968, who demonstrated impaired experimental pulmonary metastasis in mice following platelet depletion.1 These observations prompted numerous studies that have demonstrated a role for platelets in the hematogenous dissemination of animal tumors: many tumor cells require platelets for the development of metastasis;1-5 ultrastructural studies have demonstrated arrested tumor emboli surrounded by platelets; 6-9 several tumor cells induce thrombocytopenia in vivo1-3 and aggregate platelets in vitro; 2,4,10-18 and a correlation exists between the ability of some tumor cells to aggregate platelets in vitro and their requirement for metastasis in vivo . 2,4
Segmentation of Brain Tumors Using DeepLabv3

Multi-modal MRI scans are commonly used to grade brain tumors based on size and imaging appearance. As a result, imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment administered to patients. Deep learning based approaches in general, and convolutional neural networks Open image in new window in particular, have been utilized to achieve superior performance in the fields of object detection and image segmentation. In this paper, we propose to utilize the DeepLabv3+ network for the task of brain tumor segmentation. For this task, we build 18 different models using various combinations of the T1CE, FLAIR, T1 and T2 images to identify the whole tumor, the tumor core and the enhancing core of the brain tumor for the testing and validation data sets. We use the MICCAI BraTS training data, which consists of 285 cases, to train our network. Our method involves the segmentation of individual slices in three orientations using 18 different combinations of slices and a majority voting-based combination of the results of some of the classifiers that use the same combination of slices, but in different orientations. Finally, for each of the three regions, we train a separate model, which uses the results from the 18 classifiers as its inputs. The outputs of the 18 models are combined using bit packing to prepare the inputs to the final classifiers for the three regions. We achieve mean Dice coefficients of 0.7086, 0.7897 and 0.8755 for the enhancing tumor, the tumor core and the whole tumor regions respectively.
Brain Regional and Temporal Changes in BDNF mRNA and microRNA-206 Expression in Mice Exposed to Repeated Cycles of Chronic Intermittent Ethanol and Forced Swim Stress

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and signaling activity in brain are influenced by chronic ethanol and stress. We previously demonstrated reduced Bdnf mRNA levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) following chronic ethanol treatment and forced swim stress (FSS) enhanced escalated drinking associated with chronic ethanol exposure. The present study examined the effects of chronic ethanol and FSS exposure, alone and in combination, on Bdnf mRNA expression in different brain regions, including mPFC, central amygdala (CeA), and hippocampus (HPC). Additionally, since microRNA-206 has been shown to negatively regulate BDNF expression, the effects of chronic ethanol and FSS on its expression in the target brain regions were examined. Mice received four weekly cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor or air exposure and then starting 72-h later, the mice received either a single or 5 daily 10-min FSS sessions (or left undisturbed). Brain tissue samples were collected 4-h following final FSS testing and Bdnf mRNA and miR-206 levels were determined by qPCR assay. Results indicated dynamic brain regional and time-dependent changes in Bdnf mRNA and miR-206 expression. In general, CIE and FSS exposure reduced Bdnf mRNA expression while miR-206 levels were increased in the mPFC, CeA, and HPC. Further, in many instances, these effects were more robust in mice that experienced both CIE and FSS treatments. These results have important implications for the potential link between BDNF signaling in the brain and ethanol consumption related to stress interactions with chronic ethanol experience.
Unexpected systemic phenotypes result from focal combined deficiencies of forebrain insulin receptor/IGF-1 receptor signaling.

Midlife obesity has recently been identified as a global pandemic (1). Morbidities and mortalities attributable to excess adiposity include atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes (T2D) (2), certain cancers (3), and dementia (4), each of which has reached epidemic proportions on its own. It is no exaggeration to state that T2D and dementia threaten the emotional and financial stabilities of most Western economies. Moreover, when T2D and dementia comorbidity is present, the severities and costs of management of each are dramatically increased (5). Thus, there are major imperatives that drive current inquiries into the borderland where cognition and metabolism intersect. New research in PNAS by Soto et al. (6) provides significant insight into this area by describing dramatic links to phenotypes relevant to cognition, behavior, and metabolism. A key set of principles drove this work: ( i ) insulin receptors (IRs) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) receptors (IGF1Rs), upon binding of their cognate ligand, trigger two closely related signaling pathways that promote both redundant and distinct intracellular effects (7), and ( ii ) this redundancy includes the formation of IR/IGF1R hybrids, and it has been estimated that at least half of the IRs and IGF1Rs in brain exist as heterodimers (8), which have greatest affinity for IGF-1 and IGF-2 (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Focal forebrain IR/IGF1R DKO eliminates signaling by receptor homodimers and hybrids in hippocampus or central amygdala. ( A ) Focal forebrain IR/IGF1R DKO eliminates homodimers and IR/IGF1R heterodimers and precludes distinct and collateral insulin, IGF-1, and IGF-2 signaling via these receptors. HR, IR/IGF1R hybrid receptors; IRS, insulin receptor substrate. ( B ) Targeted DKO in forebrain causes dramatic region-specific phenotypes. Hippo-DKO mice show anxiety, learning behavior deficits, and glucose intolerance, while CeA-DKO mice show defective thermogenesis … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: samuel.gandy{at}mssm.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Structural and Functional Interrelationships of Adrenocorticotropin and the Melanotropins

Analysis of the structure-function relationships of ACTH and the melanotropins of the pituitary gland indicates that a tetrapeptide segment common to the structures of these hormones is involved in eliciting such diverse biological actions as stimulation of adrenal steroidogenesis, lipolysis and melanin dispersion. The structural features of the hormones around the common peptide segment serve to distinguish between receptors in the different target tissues and ensure relative specificity of function of such closely related molecules as ACTH and α-MSH. Although the mammalian adrenal cortical cell and the amphibian melanocyte appear to be stimulated by the same peptide segment, it can be inferred that there are significant differences in the structural features of the receptors in the two cell types even in the region of interaction with the peptide segment. The evolutionary interrelationships of these hormones as well as their specific receptors are also discussed.
Thermodynamic Behavior of the Heisenberg Ferromagnet

A finite-temperature perturbation theory is presented for the Heisenberg model with the object of providing a formalism in which contact can be made with the low-temperature treatment by Dyson, with the random phase approximation of Englert, and, above the Curie point, with high-density treatments of the Ising model. A linked cluster expansion is set up and a simple high-density classification, valid above the Curie point, is applied. The first two terms in the high-density series, tree graphs and ring graphs, yield, respectively, molecular field theory and a form reducing to spin-wave results at low temperatures. A low-temperature classification is then developed which leads to an expansion of the free energy in powers of $T$ in which the terms have the form of those describing bosons with an effective interaction similar to Dyson's $\ensuremath{\Gamma}_{\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$. The first two terms are the low-temperature approximations of trees and rings, respectively, which justifies the use of the high-density expansion below the Curie point. The next term, including all the effects of spin-wave interactions up to ${T}^{4}$ in the free energy, contains the Born approximation series presented by Dyson. In particular, the cancellation of ${T}^{3}$ terms in the leading Born approximation is demonstrated. A renormalized version of the high-density expansion necessary to treat the region of the Curie point is then considered, and its approximation by an "excluded volume" sum is shown to yield the Curie point of the spherical model, in common with the random phase approximation and with high-density approximations to the Ising model. The extent to which the high-density theory misrepresents the effect of spin-wave interactions is then discussed. In an Appendix an equations-of-motion approach to the random phase approximation and to the interactions between spin waves is presented.