cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antisense Vasopressin Oligonucleotides: Uptake, Turnover, Distribution, Toxicity and Behavioral Effects

The uptake, turnover, distribution, toxicity and behavioral effects of antisense vasopressin oligonucleotides were investigated to define how these compounds interact with neural tissue to inhibit translation of a target mRNA. Both phosphorothioate modified and unmodified oligonucleotides are rapidly taken up by mammalian neural tissue. Turnover of the unmodified oligonucleotide was found to be fast (t1/2 < 1 h) relative to the phosphorothioate modified oligonucleotide (t1/2 = 12 h). The phosphorothioate vasopressin antisense oligonucleotide suppressed vasopressin synthesis in vivo at concentrations below the toxic threshold of approximately 5 microM. Intracranial injections of phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotide into the region of the SON in vivo, resulted in a small decrease in vasopressin mRNA and a compensatory drinking response within the first 24 h, consistent with a deficit in vasopressin translation with kinetics similar to those observed in vitro. Water intake returned to normal by the second day indicating relatively rapid clearance of the oligonucleotide and minimal side effects. Although the mechanisms of accumulation and details of the molecular interactions are still unknown, our observation of preferential uptake and/or retention of oligonucleotide within a subset of neurons in vitro suggests some process of selective targeting. Thus, low concentrations of oligonucleotides targeted to the untranslated 5' end of vasopressin mRNA can be effective for the acute and reversible control of vasopressin synthesis in mammalian CNS with relatively rapid onset of behavioral effects and minimal side effects.
Postoperative Junctional Ectopic Tachycardia: Risk Factors for Occurrence in the Modern Surgical Era

Background Postoperative (PO) junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) can be a life-threatening arrhythmia that follows surgical repair of congenital heart disease (CHD) and results in PO morbidity. Methods We reviewed 750 open heart surgeries (OHS) for CHD performed between January 2005 and February 2009. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards model analyses were used to estimate the frequency and evaluate risk factors that might predict JET occurrence. Results The patients ranged in age from 1 day to 36.6 years; half were less than 4.8 months at the time of OHS. JET occurred in 115 of 750 (15.3%) OHS. JET was bimodally distributed by age with a peak incidence between 1–2 weeks and 1–3 years. JET occurred more commonly: (1) in specific types of OHS (single ventricle [19.5%] and cono-truncal defects [19.3%]) (P = 0.03); (2) with increased total surgical time (P = 0.001), aortic cross-clamp time (P < 0.001), cardiopulmonary bypass time (P < 0.001); and (3) followed use of inotropic agents (dopamine or milrinone, P < 0.001). JET lengthened intensive care stay by 3 days (P = 0.0001) and increased mortality (+JET [9.6%] vs –JET [4.6%], P = 0.03). In a multiple variable Cox regression model, total surgical time and PO use of milrinone were the best predictors for JET risk. PO administration of nitroprusside decreased risk of JET. Conclusions JET occurred more commonly following OHS associated with prolonged surgical times and PO use of inotropic medications. In contrast to previous reports, our results suggest that mechanical injury to the atrioventricular node area is not strongly associated with JET.
Ameroid rings for gradual chronic constriction of the sciatic nerve in rats: contribution of different nerves to neuropathic pain.

Abstract Mononeuropathy was induced by placing an ameroid ring around the sciatic nerve and was compared with chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve [Pain 33 (1988) 87] in rats. Mechanical allodynia was assessed and the role of sciatic and saphenous afferents (Aδ and C) in thermal hyperalgesia investigated. A shorter duration of mechanical allodynia in ameroid rats as compared to CCI rats was observed. Thermal hyperalgesia was observed in the saphenous innervated skin of the hindpaw for Aδ and C nociceptors in ameroid and for Aδ nociceptors only in CCI rats, respectively. The sciatic innervated skin showed a thermal hypoalgesia with a fast onset for Aδ afferents and a slower onset for C afferents in CCI and ameroid rats. The duration of both thermal hypo- and hyperalgesia was longer in ameroid rats. We conclude that ameroid rings are a useful tool for the investigation of long-duration hyperalgesic effects of nerve injury, as the effects were more stable and seen for a longer time (>8 weeks) as compared to the CCI model. The uninjured saphenous afferents, in particular C fibers, mediate thermal hyperalgesia after chronic constriction of the sciatic nerve using an ameroid ring.
An assessment of state and lookup overhead in routers

The current internet is based on a stateless (datagram) architecture. However, many recent proposals rely on the maintenance of state information within network routers, leading to the authors' interest in the implications of a stateful network layer. They collected internetwork traffic traces at the border routers of stub and transit networks, and used these data to evaluate, or predict, the effects of design alternatives for stateful architectures. They present an estimate of the number of active conversations at a router, and from this derive the storage requirements for the associated conversation state table. The analysis shows that, at the network periphery, fine-grain control over the traffic may be possible. However, deeper within the network, it may be more efficient to manage the conversations at a coarser level. The network traffic traces are used to perform trace driven simulations of an LRU cache, for different conversation granularities. Results show that locality exists for each of the conversation types investigated. >
Anti-Biofilm Compounds Derived from Marine Sponges

Bacterial biofilms are surface-attached communities of microorganisms that are protected by an extracellular matrix of biomolecules. In the biofilm state, bacteria are significantly more resistant to external assault, including attack by antibiotics. In their native environment, bacterial biofilms underpin costly biofouling that wreaks havoc on shipping, utilities, and offshore industry. Within a host environment, they are insensitive to antiseptics and basic host immune responses. It is estimated that up to 80% of all microbial infections are biofilm-based. Biofilm infections of indwelling medical devices are of particular concern, since once the device is colonized, infection is almost impossible to eliminate. Given the prominence of biofilms in infectious diseases, there is a notable effort towards developing small, synthetically available molecules that will modulate bacterial biofilm development and maintenance. Here, we highlight the development of small molecules that inhibit and/or disperse bacterial biofilms specifically through non-microbicidal mechanisms. Importantly, we discuss several sets of compounds derived from marine sponges that we are developing in our labs to address the persistent biofilm problem. We will discuss: discovery/synthesis of natural products and their analogues—including our marine sponge-derived compounds and initial adjuvant activity and toxicological screening of our novel anti-biofilm compounds.
Aberrant Expression of Fas Ligand in Mice Deficient for the MHC Class II Transactivator

The MHC class II transactivator (CIITA) is a critical regulator of MHC class II genes and other genes involved in the Ag presentation pathway. CIITA-deficient mice lack MHC class II expression on almost all APCs. In this study, we show that these mice also have aberrant Fas ligand expression on both CD4 T cells and B cells. We found that Fas ligand expression was greatly increased on CIITA-deficient CD4 T cells during the Th1 differentiation process. However, both CIITA-deficient and control Th1 effector cells up-regulated Fas ligand to similar levels if cells were reactivated. The introduction of CIITA into primary CD4 T cells via retroviral infection resulted in a reduction in the level of Fas ligand and delay in apoptosis after activation. Interestingly, activated B cells from the CIITA-deficient mice also showed increased levels of Fas ligand that could be to some degree inhibited by the introduction of IL-4.
The Political Economy of Saving Mothers and Babies: The Politics of State Participation in the Sheppard-Towner Program

Enacted in 1922 and repealed in 1929, the Sheppard-Towner program gave federal matching money to states to provide public health education to mothers. We examine variation in state participation in the program, and find that the timing of women's suffrage had an important impact. However, we find that the effect of suffrage was short-lived and did not influence public health spending after the program's repeal. We also find no evidence of a “demonstration effect.” On average, the states that continued activities after Sheppard-Towner ended were those that had sizable public health budgets before the program had even begun.
Comprehending performance from real-world execution traces: a device-driver case

Real-world execution traces record performance problems that are likely perceived at deployment sites. However, those problems can be rooted subtly and deeply into system layers or other components far from the place where delays are initially observed. To tackle challenges of identifying deeply rooted problems, we propose a new trace-based approach consisting of two steps: impact analysis and causality analysis. The impact analysis measures performance impacts on a component basis, and the causality analysis discovers patterns of runtime behaviors that are likely to cause the measured impacts. The discovered patterns can help performance analysts quickly identify root causes of perceived performance problems. We instantiate our approach to study the performance of device drivers on over 19,500 real-world execution traces. The impact analysis shows that device drivers constitute a non-trivial part (≈ 38) in the overall system performance, and a big part (≈ 26) is due to interactions between drivers. The causality analysis effectively discovers highly suspicious and high-impact behavioral patterns in device drivers, examined and confirmed by our automated evaluation, developers, and performance analysts.
Third Party Interventions and the Duration of Intrastate Conflicts

Recent research has begun to focus on the role of outside interventions in the duration of civil conflicts. Assuming that interventions are a form of conflict management, ex ante expectations would...
Commercialism in the clinic: finding balance in medical professionalism.

There is a palpable malaise in American medicine as clinical practice veers off its moorings, swept along by a new commercialism that is displacing medical professionalism and its attendant moral obligations. Although the sociology of this phenomenon is complex and multifactorial, I argue that this move toward medical commercialism was accelerated by the abortive efforts of the Clinton Administration's Health Security Act. Through an analysis of performative speech I show that, although the Clinton plan drew on many strands of speech about healthcare, it favored the discourse of health policy and health economics over that of clinical practice and professionalism. Though the Clinton plan failed, this new vocabulary of health economics has led us to imagine a new descriptive framework, which has commodified healthcare and commercialized the clinic.I am grateful to Drs. William Andereck and Al Jonsen and the California Pacific Medical Center's Program in Medicine and Human Values for the invitation to participate in their deliberations on “Commercialism in Medicine,” my fellow colloquialists for their helpful comments, Dr. Pablo Rodriguez del Pozo for his insights, and Dr. Jonsen, in particular, for his astute editorial advice and guidance.
Asymmetric Effects of Default Probability on Earnings Informativeness

I provide evidence that bankruptcy contagion reduces the earnings informativeness of surviving firms in the wake of an intra-industry bankruptcy. Further, I interact insights from accounting conservatism and earnings-persistence-based valuation theory to develop the prediction and show that the effect of default risk in general, and bankruptcy contagion in particular, on earnings informativeness is concentrated in good news earnings announcements. That is, whereas bankruptcy contagion decreases the informativeness of good news earnings, bankruptcy contagion has little effect on the informativeness of bad news earnings. These contagion effects are more pronounced during industry bankruptcy waves, when the surviving firms have relatively weak financial health, and when the industry is more competitive.
On the relationship of frontal brain activity and anger: Examining the role of attitude toward anger

Activity in the left frontal cortex has been associated with positive affective traits, and activity in the right frontal cortex has been associated with negative affective traits. However, in this past research, the valence of the affect (positive vs. negative) was confounded with the direction of the motivation (approach vs. withdrawal). Recent research found that trait anger, a negative affect with approach tendencies, relates to increased left frontal activity. The present research addressed an alternative explanation for these past results—that the relationship between anger and increased left frontal activity is due to anger being regarded as a positive feeling. After developing a reliable and valid instrument that measures attitude toward anger, research indicated that trait anger related to relative left frontal activity and this relationship was not due to the anger being associated with a positive attitude toward anger.
Phase 2b Weld Residual Stress Round Robin: Mockup Design and Comparisons of Measurement and Simulation Results

The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Electric Power Research Institute, cooperating under the auspices of a memorandum of understanding, conducted a double-blind round robin study for prediction of weld residual stress in a full-scale pressurizer surge line mockup. This work is the latest in a series of studies aimed at understanding and reducing uncertainty in the numerical prediction of weld residual stress. The round robin study involved both measurements and modeling. The measurements included deep hole drilling and contour method. Ten international participants submitted finite element modeling results to the study. This paper summarizes the mockup design, the modeling problem statement, and the measurement and modeling results.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
G-Quadruplexes Involving Both Strands of Genomic DNA Are Highly Abundant and Colocalize with Functional Sites in the Human Genome

The G-quadruplex is a non-canonical DNA structure biologically significant in DNA replication, transcription and telomere stability. To date, only G4s with all guanines originating from the same strand of DNA have been considered in the context of the human nuclear genome. Here, I discuss interstrand topological configurations of G-quadruplex DNA, consisting of guanines from both strands of genomic DNA; an algorithm is presented for predicting such structures. I have identified over 550,000 non-overlapping interstrand G-quadruplex forming sequences in the human genome—significantly more than intrastrand configurations. Functional analysis of interstrand G-quadruplex sites shows strong association with transcription initiation, the results are consistent with the XPB and XPD transcriptional helicases binding only to G-quadruplex DNA with interstrand topology. Interstrand quadruplexes are also enriched in origin of replication sites. Several topology classes of interstrand quadruplex-forming sequences are possible, and different topologies are enriched in different types of structural elements. The list of interstrand quadruplex forming sequences, and the computer program used for their prediction are available at the web address http://moment.utmb.edu/allquads.
COMMUNICATING WITH THE SEXES: Male and Female Responses to Print Advertisements

This research studies how men and women respond to different types of print advertisements. The results show that women have superior affect (A ad and A b ) and purchase intent toward advertisements that are verbal, harmonious, complex, and category-oriented, whereas men have superior affect (A ad and A b ) and purchase intent toward advertisements that are comparative, simple, and attribute-oriented. In two studies, and across a variety of advertisements, men and women listed an equivalent number of total thoughts. In all instances, however, women listed more category-oriented thoughts and men listed more attribute-oriented thoughts. This pattern of results suggests that women use a relational processing style, whereas men use an item-specific processing style.
An Experimental Test of Schrödinger's Theory

ACCORDING to Schrodinger's theory, the intensity of an expectral line in emission is not determined by the number of atoms in the higher level and the coefficient of expontaneous emission, but by the populations of both the higher and the lower levels corresponding to that line. If we have then two lines emitted by the same higher level, their relative intensity ought to change if we change the relative population of the lower levels, and furthermore, the change in the relative intensity of the lines should be equal to the change of the relative populations.
Impact of Environmental Curium on Plutonium Migration and Isotopic Signatures

Plutonium (Pu), americium (Am), and curium (Cm) activities were measured in sediments from a former radioactive waste disposal basin located on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, and in subsurface aquifer sediments collected downgradient from the basin. In situ Kd values (Pu concentration ratio of sediment/groundwater) derived from this field data and previously reported groundwater concentration data compared well to laboratory Kd values reported in the literature. Pu isotopic signatures confirmed multiple sources of Pu contamination. The ratio of 240Pu/239Pu was appreciably lower for sediment samples compared to the associated groundwater. This isotopic ratio difference may be explained by the following: (1) 240Pu produced by decay of 244Cm may exist predominantly in high oxidation states (PuVO2+ and PuVIO22+) compared to Pu derived from the disposed waste effluents, and (2) oxidized forms of Pu sorb less to sediments than reduced forms of Pu. Isotope-specific Kd values calculated from measured Pu...
Work-oriented interest scales.

Linguistic and Mathematical Proclivity Scales, developed from the Picture Interest Inventory (PII) items, distinguished between high and low scorers on relevant tests of the Multiple Aptitude Test (MAT). From U. S. Department of Labor Statistics and Roe's theoretical framework, Worker Demand and Level of Career Responsibility Scales, respectively, were developed for the PII, too. MAT and PII were administered to 130 ninth graders. The work-oriented interest scales were highly intercorrelated. A factor analysis revealed two factors with loadings on the new scales.
Soil Velocity Profiles from In-Situ Seismic Tests at Deep-Mixing Sites

The spectral analysis of surface wave (SASW) and the downhole P- wave velocity tests were carried out to characterize the treated and untreated soils at two deep-mixing (DM) sites located on the median of an interstate highway in Texas. These tests are part of a research project evaluating the effectiveness of deep-mixing technology as applied to expansive soils to mitigate the pavement distress caused by subgrade soil swell-shrink movements. Ground treatment for the two sites was performed by mixing in-situ soil with cement and lime to produce DM columns. Results from the initial SASW tests conducted shortly after site construction are consistent with those from shear-wave velocity tests on the laboratory specimens. Results from SASW tests performed one year later indicate certain decreasing in shear-wave velocity for both of the two sites. Results from third-year SASW tests are similar to those from the second-year tests except for the saturated near surface portion. By assuming a proper Poisson's ratio, results from P-wave downhole tests are also quite consistent with those for SASW tests.
Amorphous Nitride Alloys as Hosts for Rare-Earth Luminescent Ions.

Amorphous alloys of aluminum-gallium nitride doped with erbium (Er) were deposited at 300 K. The compositions ranged from 19% Al to 86% Al with optical band gaps varying linearly with composition from 3.4 eV (GaN) to 6.2 eV (AlN). The films were deposited on p-doped silicon (111) by a dc/rf dual gun system in a nitrogen/argon atmosphere at a pressure of 4.8 milli-Torr. After growth the films were thermally “activated” at 1070 K for 10 minutes in a nitrogen atmosphere. The cathodoluminescence emission intensities decreased linearly with Ga composition. This dependence suggests that the higher energy transitions in the Er ion are quenched by transitions to the conduction band of the alloys.
Pseudomembranous collagenous colitis

Pseumembranous colitis has usually been associated with Clostridium difficile colitis. We describe pseudomembrane formation in association with collagenous colitis in the absence of C. difficile or use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications in two female patients. CASE REPORTS Case 1. A 58-year-old Caucasian female presented to an outside medical facility with the gradual onset of diarrhea consisting of 8‐11 daily bowel movements. A small bowel barium radiological contrast study (SBFT) was normal. The patient was treated with loperamide and, in addition, received lanazaprole for nausea. Colonoscopy was normal, although random biopsies were normal. Treatment was unsuccessful, and dehydration and weight loss ensued. The patient was hospitalized for 10 days and received treatment with intravenous corticosteroids, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), and mesalamine (Asacol; 1200 mg daily) by mouth. Upon discharge, she was prescribed prednisone on a tapering dose schedule and home TPN for 2 months. Serum antigliadin, antiendomyceal, and tissue transglutaminase antibodies were undetectable. Upon presentation to Northwestern, the patient noted a subjective lactose intolerance with diarrhea and flatulence, although she had discontinued lactose-containing foods without a change in her bowel habits. She noted that no specific foods seemed to trigger her diarrhea. There were no known medication allergies. Her medications included prednisone (20 mg/day), mesalamine (1200 mg/day), fluoxetine hydrochloride (Prozac; Lilly), pantoprazole sodium (Protonix; Wyeth), and montelukast sodium (Singular; Merck). When she had tapered her prednisone to 5‐10 mg/day, the diarrhea subjectively, significantly increased. She had not taken estrogens or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory (NSAID) medications. The patient also described occasional lower abdominal, crampy pain and occasional rectal bleeding. Surgical history included a cesarian section and foot surgery. The patient is a teacher. She abused tobacco and consumed 2‐3 glasses of wine weekly. There was no recent travel Preceding diarrheal development. Family history was unremarkable except that her mother died from pancreatic carcinoma.
Thermomechanical asymmetries in ULK dielectric glasses

We show that ULK dielectric materials can have a marked asymmetric elastic modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is inherently related to the interaction of terminal chemical groups and is controlled by the material's density and network connectivity. The existence of asymmetric elastic and thermal expansion behavior has fundamental implications for computational approaches to molecular materials modeling and practical implications on the thermomechanical strains and associated elastic stresses. We develop a design space to control the degree of elastic asymmetry in ULK materials and explore the differences in predicted crack driving forces due to the asymmetric modulus, a vital step towards their integration into the semiconductor industry.
The Nonlinear Thermodynamical Theory of Shells: Descent from 3-Dimensions without Thickness Expansions

A glance at the current engineering literature on shells reveals two strong, interacting trends: the inexorable rise and spread of the finite element method and the pressures of economics that are demanding light, efficient structures for automobiles, air- and spacecraft.
What are the measures of a successful supply chain management

This chapter discusses the measures of a successful supply chain management (SCM). These measures are critical to a successfully performing supply chain. They are implemented only when they add value to the process. The only valid reason for a measurement system is motivation. The simple fact that a measurement is being done in an organization encourages employees to think that it is important to the organization, and they start doing their best to make those numbers look good. Numerous effective measures of supply chain performance exist, but the focus is on (1) cycle time that offers inventory reductions and capacity increases, (2) on-time performance according to customer expectations, and (3) quality, which is the building block of a satisfied customer base. The most important criterion for an effective measurement system in any supply chain environment is that it focuses on motivating the correct response from the employee base. The role and purpose of measures and control systems are also discussed. The chapter illustrates an industrial example—a case of event management—to explain the management system of a supply chain
Dynamics of Culture and Visual Profiling

According to Goodenough, “It is the forms of things that people have in mind, their models for perceiving, relating and otherwise interpreting them.” This work has been primarily focused on the description and explanation of Yoruba thought processes, specifically focusing on their long-sustained core belief system and worldview, which prominently influence their perception of deviant hairstyles. In doing so, it has relied on the manifest behaviors from different contexts of interactions, suggesting connections between “trivial” displays and layered societal cosmology. The approach is based on the assumption that the entire cultural system of a society is best understood by studying symbols, especially their constitutive power, through which the system is not only structured but also motivated. Thus, the symbolism of (normative, as well as deviant) hairstyle is related to sociocultural structures, including, at its base, a cosmologically informed worldview, that is, a people’s view of the way things actually are, as well as their concepts of nature, self, society. Sign is anything that stands for something else; words, objects, and gestures are also signifying elements. The arbitrariness of the relationship between sign and what is signified ensures that the relationship receives peculiar interpretation across cultures. According to Peirce, there are three different types of non-exclusive signs: iconic signs resemble what is represented directly, indexical signs imply the signified and directly connect to other experiences, and symbolic signs offer an arbitrary relationship. Aye is reified in dreadlocks, whereas nefarious activities are indexed by dreadlocks. Yoruba males who wear these hairstyles violate social order, subvert gender roles, and transgress against established norms and mores. Thus, they are the very symbol of the diabolical, walking around in search of whom to destroy.
Comparative physiological, biochemical and molecular thermal stress response profiles for two unionid freshwater mussel species

ABSTRACT Freshwater mussels, aquatic keystone species, are in global decline. Long life spans, sedentary lifestyles, and unique reproductive strategies involving obligate parasitic stages make unionid freshwater mussels particularly sensitive to environmental perturbations resulting from global climate change. A greater understanding of the mechanisms by which closely related species differ in their response to thermal challenge is critical for successful conservation and management practices. As such, both an acute heat shock and a chronic warming simulation were conducted in order to evaluate responses between hypothesized thermally tolerant (Villosa lienosa) and thermally sensitive (Villosa nebulosa) freshwater mussels in response to predicted thermal warming. Multiple biological responses were quantified, including mortality, condition index, growth rates, glycogen and triglyceride content, and candidate gene expression. During acute heat shock, both species upregulated HSP90 and HSP70, although V. lienosa showed consistently greater transcript levels during upregulation. This pattern was consistent during the chronic warming simulation, with V. nebulosa showing greater induction of HSP60. Chronic warming stimulated increases in condition index for V. nebulosa; however, declines in growth rates during a recovery period were observed with no concurrent change in tissue glycogen levels. This contrasts with V. lienosa, where tissue glycogen significantly increased during chronic warming, although no response was observed for condition index or growth rates. These biological differences might indicate disparate thermal stress response mechanisms correlated with metabolic demands and resource utilization, and could thus be a factor influencing current ranges of these two species and their ability to cope with future persistent warming in their native habitats.
Ignition and monitoring technique for plasma processing of multicell superconducting radio-frequency cavities

An in-situ plasma processing technique has been developed at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) to improve the performance of the superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities in operation. The technique uses a low-density reactive neon-oxygen plasma at room-temperature to improve the surface work function, to help remove adsorbed gases on the RF surface, and to reduce its secondary emission yield. SNS SRF cavities have six accelerating cells and the plasma typically ignites in the cell where the electric field is the highest. This article details the technique to ignite and monitor the plasma in each cell of the SNS cavities.
Modern Sulfonylureas: Dangerous or Wrongly Accused?

Except for insulin, sulfonylureas and biguanides are the best studied and most widely used glucose-lowering agents. However, neither class of drugs has had an easy life because of concern about safety. Phenformin, a biguanide, was associated with lactic acidosis and withdrawn from use (1) after causing increased mortality in the University Group Diabetes Program (UGDP) (2). The UGDP also found a sulfonylurea, tolbutamide, to be associated with increased mortality (3). Since then, a newer biguanide, metformin, has risen to its current place as the leading oral therapy for diabetes based on its relative lack of hazard from lactic acidosis and evidence, especially from a subgroup of participants in the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), that it can reduce cardiovascular risk and mortality (4,5). Even though the main randomized comparison in the UKPDS (sulfonylurea or insulin vs. lifestyle therapy) showed that cholorpropamide, glyburide, or glipizide also can reduce medical risks (5,6), the reputation of all sulfonylureas has remained tarnished. A warning of “increased risk of cardiovascular mortality” remains in their labeling information. Treatment guidelines and publications reporting effects of new drugs in other classes often emphasize the risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain from sulfonylureas. And yet, at least 25% of patients with type 2 diabetes are using sulfonylureas (7,8), presumably because they are very inexpensive, allow once-daily oral dosing, reliably reduce glucose, and rarely cause symptomatic side effects other than hypoglycemia. More than 40 years after the UGDP, their risks versus benefits are still debated (9–11). Statistical assessments of data pooled from randomized studies and clinical databases continue to be published, with conflicting …
Outgassing of Spacecraft Composites

Diffusion and outgassing of contaminants in spacecraft composite structures are evaluated. The generalized mass and heat transfer equations are simplified for application to thin platforms, and a mathematical model is constructed for predicting outgassing rates as a function of orbital temperatures. It is found that small changes in temperature can have a major influence on the time needed for a structure to reach a specified level of residual contamination. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate application of the theory, and recommendations are given for testing and for monitoring orbital temperatures.
Francis Bacon: “pintar sensações” (Francis Bacon: “to paint sensations”)

RESUMO O texto aborda, pela via da psicanalise, o que consideramos como o “metodo” de Francis Bacon: “pintar sensacoes”. Para isto, tomo, como referencias principais, a Carta 52 (1896), da correspondencia de Freud com Fliess, e Em busca do tempo perdido, romance de Marcel Proust ([1922] 1995), observando a possibilidade de considerar o que Proust nomeia como “memoria involuntaria” e o seu papel no processo criativo como uma ilustracao esclarecedora do que Freud nos traz na Carta sobre a estratificacao e o funcionamento do psiquismo. Estas ideias nos parecem bastante proficuas para a apreensao dos processos de subjetivacao proprios a atividade artistica, oferecendo, portanto, subsidios para pensar o processo criativo em Francis Bacon. PALAVRAS-CHAVE Sensacao. Memoria. Criacao artistica. ABSTRACT This text covers, by psychoanalysis way, what we consider the “method” of Francis Bacon: “to paint sensations”. For that, we take as main references, the Letter 52 (1896), from Freud to Fliess correspondence, and In search of the lost time, a romance of Marcel Proust ([1922] 1995), observing the possibility to consider what Proust names as “involuntary memory” and its role at the creative process as an enlightening illustration of what Freud brings us, at the mentioned Letter about the memory in the stratification and the psychic operation. These ideas seem to us fruitful for an apprehension of the subjective processes proper to artistic activity, offering, then, subside to think the creative process at Francis Bacon. KEYWORDS Memory. Sensation. Creativity process.
A Novel MnSOD Mimetic Targets Various Redox States to Selectively Treat Hematopoietic Malignancies via Control of AP-1 Signaling

Antioxidant compounds that can mimic the activity of endogenous enzymes via redox cycling offer a novel method of targeted cancer treatment. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effect of a mitochondrial- targeted, MnSOD mimetic, Mn(III) mesotetrakis (N-n-butoxyethylpyridinium-2yl) porphyrin, (MnTnBuOE) within sensitive and resistant myeloid lineage hematopoietic malignancies and utilize the hematopoietic disorder myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) for the presentation of mechanistic insights to MnTnBuOE efficacy. MnTnBuOE treatment results in an increase in both CD34+CD38‒ and CD34+CD38+ normal stem/progenitor cell viability. Similar treatment shows significant cytotoxicity within AML and MDS models. Furthermore, manipulation of the cellular redox state via inhibition of glutathione synthesis, glutathione reductase activity, and treatment with glutathione disulfide sensitizes drug resistant CD34+ CML cells to MnTnBuOE treatment induced cytotoxicity. These results demonstrate glutathione metabolism and redox balance as a potential determinant of MnTnBuOE efficacy. Transcriptional analysis indicates that MnTnBuOE treatment initiates activator protein 1 (AP-1) activity in MDSL cells. DNA binding and immunoprecipitation identifies JunB as a transcriptional mediator of MnTnBuOE induced cytotoxicity. This is supported by siRNA knock down of JunB, resulting in protection against MnTnBuOE induced cytotoxicity. JunB precipitation via reaction with biotin-1,3-cyclopentadione demonstrates MnTnBuOE mediated oxidation of the JunB DNA binding region via hydrogen peroxide. This, in concert with co-immunoprecipitation of JunB, offers an alternative mechanism of JunB transcriptional activation through the identification of Ref-1; a protein specifically involved in the redox-modification of JunB. The finding that MnTnBuOE can target varying cellular redox states and exert selective cytotoxicity in malignant cells via differential activation of molecular pathways controlling lifespan and cell fate will significantly aid further development of safe, effective redox-active therapeutics for clinical applications.
Preventive parenting intervention during childhood and young black adults’ unhealthful behaviors: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE Lifestyle variables such as drug use and excessive weight gain contribute to adult morbidity and mortality. This study was designed to determine whether participation in a preventive intervention designed to enhance supportive parenting can reduce drug use and body mass index (BMI) in young Black adults from disadvantaged neighborhoods. METHOD This study was conducted in the rural southeastern United States. Black parents and their 11-year-old children (517 families) were assigned randomly to the Strong African American Families (SAAF) prevention trial or a control condition. Data assessing neighborhood socioeconomic status and supportive parenting were obtained when the youths were ages 11 and 16. When youths were ages 19-21 and 25, drug use and BMI were measured. RESULTS As hypothesized, significant three-way interactions were detected among neighborhood disadvantage, prevention condition, and gender for BMI (B = 3.341, p = .009, 95% CI [0.832, 5.849]) and substance use (B = -0.169, p = .049, 95% CI [-0.337, -0.001]). Living in a disadvantaged neighborhood during adolescence was associated with increased drug use among young men in the control group (simple-slope = 0.215, p < .003) but not among those in the SAAF condition (simple-slope = 0.030, p = .650). Neighborhood disadvantage was associated with elevated BMI among young women in the control group (simple-slope = 3.343, p < .001), but not in the SAAF condition (simple-slope = 0.204, p = .820). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that participation during childhood in a preventive intervention to enhance supportive parenting can ameliorate the effects of life in a disadvantaged neighborhood on men's drug use and women's BMI across ages 19-25 years. These findings suggest a possible role for parenting enhancement programs in narrowing health disparities.
The Cleveland Adaptive Psychopathology Inventory: preliminary validity and reliability of a multi-scale personality and psychopathology questionnaire

OBJECTIVE: The present study describes the development of the Cleveland Adaptive Psychopathology Inventory (CAPI), a brief multi-scale personality and psychopathology questionnaire for the screenin...
Coalition of National Health Education Organizations

The Coalition of National Health Education Organizations (CNHEO), established in 1972, currently has a membership of ten professional health education organizations. It exists to advance the profession of health education and to foster communication, collaboration and action on issues important to health and health education. Recent accomplishments include two invitational conferences to assess the status of health education and set goals and recommendations for the 21st century, Health Education Advocacy Summit, Health Education Advocate web site, Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession, Standard Occupational Classification of “health educator” by the federal government, and collaboration to promote National Health Education Week. Information can be found at the CNHEO website, http://www.hsc.usf.edu/CFH/cnheo/.
Scalable Identity and Key Management for Publish-Subscribe Protocols in the Internet-of-Things

Publish-Subscribe protocols such as the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol are considered scalable, lightweight, and one-size-fits-all solutions for the Internet-of-Things (IoT) networking. MQTT has been widely adopted in the Industrial IoT to automate distributed power grid equipment such as smart meters and sensors. Such protocols are being adopted rapidly, without much attention being paid to security. Although these protocols support client-side TLS certificates, operators of ten do not enable these features, fearing performance and availability issues. Moreover, managing these certificates would be yet another challenging problem. We present MaQaTooT, a key-management and communication scheme based on Macaroons for the IoT and Smart Grid applications. MaQaTooT offers a technique to authenticate devices throughout their lifecycle, while sustaining the lightweight nature of MQTT, and also keeping the communication confidential and maintaining its integrity. Furthermore, it allows us to revoke keys reliably. To validate our key-management scheme, we built a prototype client for the Firefly RK3288 ARM Development Board and a key-management server for a GNU/Linux machine. We demonstrate that its performance on the prototype client fits the 4 ms latency limit of Industrial IoT protocols. We also verified our session-key establishment protocol using Proverif to ensure that the protocol never leaks the shared secrets.
A Genomic Profile of Local Immunity in the Melanoma Microenvironment Following Treatment with α Particle-Emitting Ultrasmall Silica Nanoparticles

An α particle-emitting nanodrug that is a potent and specific antitumor agent and also prompts significant remodeling of local immunity in the tumor microenvironment (TME) has been developed and ma...
A Music Theory Curriculum for the 99

Due to the lack of diversity as represented by the repertoire typically studied in the undergraduate music theory core, a number of scholars have called for an "integrated" or stylistically neutral theory curriculum, in which more pedagogical attention is devoted to jazz, world, and popular music. I contend that this approach is fundamentally insufficient and inadequate to genuinely address the diversity problems facing the field. Instead, I propose for all music students that the entire first year of theory coursework be devoted exclusively to popular music, with the study of other styles reserved for upper-division courses according to academic interests or tracks. In this essay, I present some of the motivating factors behind my recommendation, provide a brief sketch of what such a curriculum would look like, and discuss some of the challenges in its implementation.
Preemergent Herbicide Protection Seed Coating: A Promising New Restoration Tool

Abstract Invasive annual grasses such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) outcompete native grasses, increase fire frequency, and impact the functionality and productivity of rangeland ecosystems. Preemergent herbicide treatments are often used to control annual grasses but may limit timely restoration options due to negative effects on concurrently planted desired seeded species. We tested the efficacy of activated carbon-based herbicide protection coatings applied to individual bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata [Pursh] A. Love) seeds for protecting seedlings from injury associated with pre-emergent herbicide (imazapic) application in a laboratory environment. Emergence of coated seed averaged 57% ± 5% compared with bare seed, which had 14% ± 10% emergence with imazapic application. Seedling height for coated seed averaged 7.56 ± 0.6 cm compared with 2.26 ± 0.4 cm in uncoated bare seed in the presence of imazapic. Coated seeds produced 87% more plant biomass than uncoated seeds. Our laboratory results suggest that treating individual seeds with an activated carbon-based coating dramatically reduces negative effects of pre-emergent herbicide on desired seeded species. Field studies are needed to confirm these results in an applied restoration context.
The Evolution of Functional Analysis

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, developmental disabilities, and/or intellectual disabilities commonly display aberrant behavior (e.g., self-injurious behavior, aggression, stereotypy), which can interfere with learning and decrease their overall quality of life. Effectively decreasing this aberrant behavior often requires interventionists to conduct a functional behavior assessment to determine the reason why the aberrant behavior is occurring. Part of this functional behavior assessment could be implementing a functional analysis. A functional analysis is a systematic procedure used to determine the function of behavior. In this chapter, we will provide an overview, brief history, and the evolution of functional analysis.
Update on Biomarkers in Spinal Muscular Atrophy

The availability of disease modifying therapies for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has created an urgent need to identify clinically meaningful biomarkers. Biomarkers present a means to measure and evaluate neurological disease across time. Changes in biomarkers provide insight into disease progression and may reveal biologic, physiologic, or pharmacologic phenomena occurring prior to clinical detection. Efforts to identify biomarkers for SMA, a genetic motor neuron disease characterized by motor neuron degeneration and weakness, have culminated in a number of putative molecular and physiologic markers that evaluate biological media (eg, blood and cerebrospinal fluid [CSF]) or nervous system function. Such biomarkers include SMN2 copy number, SMN mRNA and protein levels, neurofilament proteins (NFs), plasma protein analytes, creatine kinase (CK) and creatinine (Crn), and various electrophysiology and imaging measures. SMN2 copy number inversely correlates with disease severity and is the best predictor of clinical outcome in untreated individuals. SMN mRNA and protein are commonly measured in the blood or CSF of patients receiving SMA therapies, particularly those aimed at increasing SMN protein expression, and provide insight into current disease state. NFs have proven to be robust prognostic, disease progression, and pharmacodynamic markers for SMA infants undergoing treatment, but less so for adolescents and adults. Select plasma proteins are altered in SMA individuals and may track response to therapy. CK and Crn from blood correlate with motor function and disease severity status and are useful for predicting which individuals will respond to therapy. Electrophysiology measures comprise the most reliable means for monitoring motor function throughout disease course and are sensitive enough to detect neuromuscular changes before overt clinical manifestation, making them robust predictive and pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Finally, magnetic resonance imaging and muscle ultrasonography are non-invasive techniques for studying muscle structure and physiology and are useful diagnostic tools, but cannot reliably track disease progression. Importantly, biomarkers can provide information about the underlying mechanisms of disease as well as reveal subclinical disease progression, allowing for more appropriate timing and dosing of therapy for individuals with SMA. Recent therapeutic advancements in SMA have shown promising results, though there is still a great need to identify and understand the impact of biomarkers in modulating disease onset and progression.