cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrating Behavioral Health Services Into Pediatric Gastroenterology: A Model of an Integrated Health Care Program

Integration of behavioral health services into pediatric health care is critical to optimal patient care, but logistic and financial barriers often prevent integration. We describe an integrated clinical, research, and training program bringing pediatric psychologists into a hospital-based pediatric gastroenterology clinic. Almost 300 pediatric patients with gastroenterology problems were seen by pediatric psychologists over the first 31 months. The 3 most common gastroenterology presentations included encopresis, abdominal pain, and irritable bowel syndrome. One third of the patients followed by psychologists were in therapy for less than 1 month and an additional third were seen for between 1 and 4 months, supporting a short-term model of care. Financial arrangements, clinical service reimbursement data, and research and training integration are described. Demonstrations of feasibility and acceptance of psychology services integrated into pediatric care are crucial for new models of health care delivery that more closely align with our biopsychosocial models of health.
Impact of Irrigation Methods on Land Surface Model Spinup and Initialization of WRF Forecasts

AbstractIn the United States, irrigation represents the largest consumptive use of freshwater and accounts for approximately one-third of total water usage. Irrigation impacts soil moisture and can ultimately influence clouds and precipitation through land–planetary boundary layer (PBL) coupling processes. This study utilizes NASA’s Land Information System (LIS) and the NASA Unified Weather Research and Forecasting Model (NU-WRF) framework to investigate the effects of drip, flood, and sprinkler irrigation methods on land–atmosphere interactions, including land–PBL coupling and feedbacks at the local scale. To initialize 2-day, 1-km WRF forecasts over the central Great Plains in a drier-than-normal (2006) and a wetter-than-normal year (2008), 5-yr irrigated LIS spinups were used. The offline and coupled simulation results show that regional irrigation impacts are sensitive to time, space, and method and that irrigation cools and moistens the surface over and downwind of irrigated areas, ultimately resulti...
Singly curved dual-reflector synthesis technique applied to a quasi-optical antenna for a gyrotron with a whispering-gallery mode output

An improved-efficiency quasi-optical antenna for the transformation of the output of a gyrotron operating in a whispering-gallery mode has been reported by M. Iima et al. (1989). The improved antenna incorporates a shaped reflecting surface attached to the helically-cut waveguide launcher of the configuration proposed by S.N. Vlasov et al. (1975). This second reflector allows for the manipulation of the output-beam power distribution parallel to the direction of the polarization of the beam. A measured Gaussian-like near-field profile in which 93% of the beam power is contained in the main lobe has been obtained. The present authors establish, in a rigorous theoretical manner, a dual-reflector synthesis technique based upon geometrical optics principles to obtain the shapes of the reflectors. The design procedure may be extended to allow for manipulation of the power distribution across both dimensions of the output beam. >
Optical Characterization Of Semiconductors With A Free Electron Loser

There are few laser sources capable of producing tunable radiation in the mid to far infrared, and none of them is a high-average power or high-peak power source. Free electron lasers (FELs) using a linear accelerator as a source of relativistic electrons do produce a beam with the following general characteristics: tunability from I 1 pm to 2 10 pm, high average power (>1 W), high peak power (2100 kW), and short pulses (-5 ps). There are three such facilities in operation in the United States (a fourth FEL, based on a somewhat different principle, generates cw radiation at wavelengths longer than 50 pm). In this presentation, I report the results of experiments performed on semiconductors which exploit the special features of the EL. The prospects for the use of FELs for routine optical diagnostics of semiconductors are discussed in the light of the experience we have accumulated over the past 5 years. We have performed picosecond pump and probe experiments in thin films of amorphous hydrogenated silicon-germanium alloys. The FEL was tuned around 1.5 pm. The pump beam was obtained by frequency doubling the FEL output and the probe beam was directly obtained from the FEL output. Our results [ 11 show that the photoinjected electrons and holes recombine in less than 10 ps, a result in agreement with earlier results we had obtained on amorphous hydrogenated silicon using conventional short pulse lasers [2]. We are also performing two types of experiments on GAS-A1As quantum wells. In the first experiments in progress, we are frequency doubling the FEL output from 4 pm to 2 pm by taking advantage of the strong resonances due to intersubband transitions in the valence band of very narrow asymmetric p-type wells. In the second experiments also in progress, we are performing pump and probe transmission measurements at 4 pm in similar structures. All these nonlinear optics experiments are strongly facilitated by the high peak power of the free electron laser. Our work using FELs and the few results obtained to date by other groups with FELs indicate that spectroscopic characterization of materials with these complex machines is possible. The model for the four centers that are presently in operation in the United States is that of synchrotron facilities, where users from various disciplines share the use of the machine. I will discuss the improvements that must be made for the FELs to be as useful and reliable as synchrotrons.
BEYOND FORMAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: TOWARDS AN EXPANDED VIEW OF THE TRAINING EVALUATION PROCESS

Textbook treatments of training evaluation typically equate evaluation with the measurement of change and focus on formal experimental design as the mechanism for controlling threats to the inference that the training intervention produced whatever change was observed. This paper notes that two separate questions may be of interest: How much change has occurred? and, Has a target performance level been reached? We show that the evaluation mechanisms needed to answer the two types of questions are markedly different, and discuss circumstances under which an evaluator's interests will focus on one, the other, or both of these questions. We then discuss alternatives to formal design as mechanisms for reducing various threats to validity, and discuss trade-offs between internal validity and statistical conclusion validity.
Assessing Business and Marketing Teachers' Attitudes toward Cultural Pluralism and Diversity.

Student populations within business and marketing classrooms, like our nation, continue to grow increasingly diverse. Teachers' attitudes are critical to meeting the educational needs of learners from diverse backgrounds. This study used the Pluralism and Diversity Attitude Assessment (PADAA) to investigate business and marketing teachers' attitudes toward issues related to multicultural education. The PADAA uses four sub scales (Appreciate Cultural Pluralism, Value Cultural Pluralism, Implement Cultural Pluralism, and Uncomfortable with Cultural Pluralism) to describe respondents' attitudes toward cultural pluralism and diversity. Business and marketing teachers tended to reflect positive attitudes about the issues examined. However, they did express resistance toward classroom implementation of cultural pluralism as well as uncomfortable feelings about diversity. Results from this study will be useful to preservice and inservice career and technical educators, teacher educators, and school administrators attempting to understand and expand multicultural perspectives within career and technical education.
Fatigue Reliability of Structural Components under Scheduled Inspection and Repair Maintenance

A fatigue reliability analysis methodology is developed for structural components under scheduled inspection and repair maintenance in service. Emphasis is placed on the airframe components in which fastener holes are critical locations. The significant effect of the NDE system as well as the scheduled inspection maintenance on the fatigue reliability of structural components is illustrated. A numerical example for the crack propagation in fastener holes of an F-16 lower wing skin is worked out to demonstrate the application of the developed analysis methodology.
The risk of mesothelioma from exposure to chrysotile asbestos.

Purpose of reviewThis review assesses the risk of developing diffuse malignant mesothelioma of the pleura from exposures to chrysotile fibers and contrasts it with the known risk of amphibole asbestos.Recent findingsAlthough a rare cancer, the mortality rates of pleural mesothelioma continue to be s
MicroRNAs and Other Non-Coding RNAs: Implications for Cancer Patients

The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) has shed new light on the role of RNA in gene regulation. MiRNAs are small molecules (size, 19–22 nucleotides) that do not encode proteins but interfere with translation and transcription, thereby regulating gene expression. Multiple miRNAs are dysregulated in human cancer, supporting the hypothesis that miRNAs are involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. Prototypic malignancies in which a role for miRNAs has been demonstrated include chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma. More research is necessary, but miRNAs have already improved our understanding of the pathogenesis of cancer. MiRNAs measured in bodily fluids, especially plasma, may be useful as biomarkers for cancer. Beyond miRNAs, several thousand other non-coding (also called ultraconserved) RNAs may be important in the pathogenesis and prognosis of cancer. Some ultraconserved non-coding RNAs interfere with signal transduction by modifying chromatin structures, but most are not yet well characterized. MiRNAs and other non-coding RNAs may be useful for the gene therapy of cancer.
The role of sodium chloride in the process of induction by lithium chloride in cells of the Rana pipiens gastrula.

A study of the effects of a series of monovalent cations, Li + , Na + and K + , and a series of divalent cations, Mn 2+ , Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ , upon small aggregates of cells taken from the presumptive epidermis of Rana pipiens gastrulae revealed that these ions induce nerve and pigment cells (Barth, 1965). The effectiveness of both series of ions as inductors was similar to their effects on decreasing the electrophoretic mobility of DNA as determined by Ross & Scruggs (1964). When it was found that sucrose in glass-distilled water also would induce nerve and pigment cells the role of ions as inductors came under closer scrutiny. A study of the nature of the induction by sucrose revealed that a relatively high concentration of sodium ions was necessary in the culture medium used after sucrose treatment (Barth, 1966). If after sucrose treatment the cells were cultured in a medium containing a relatively low concentration of NaCl no induction occurred, and the cells differentiated into ciliated and mucus cells, as did untreated controls. One suggestion offered was that sucrose altered the cell surface and sodium ions penetrated and brought about the actual induction. In any case the dependence of the induction by sucrose upon sodium ions brought into question the nature of the induction by other substances such as LiCl. Does LiCl induce by itself or does it merely change the cell surface so that sodium ions can enter and effect the actual induction? In the experiments recorded below small aggregates of presumptive epidermis cells were treated for varying lengths of time with LiCl and then returned to relatively high and low concentrations of NaCl in our standard culture medium. A second question arises regarding the period of competence for induction of nerve and pigment cells. If the induction actually occurs after the LiCl is removed, then the competent period must be extended farther than revealed by the LiCl treatment.
The Impact of China’s Acid Rain and Sulfur Dioxide Control Zones Policy on Industrial Sulfur Dioxide Emissions: A Panel Analysis

In order to control sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, the Chinese govern- ment in 1998 implemented the Acid Rain and Sulfur Dioxide Emission Control Zones policy (known as the Two Control Zone or TCZ policy). In a panel analy- sis of the impact of the TCZ policy on China's industrial SO2 emissions, two-way fixed-effects models show that it did not significantly reduce either per capita SO2 emissions or SO2 intensity in China. The study also reveals that instead of the traditional inverted U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve, the relationship between income growth and sulfur pollution in China favors an N-shaped pattern. The empirical results indicate that the TCZ policy has not had a consistent, long- term impact on sulfur pollution control. This is in accord with previous studies and the actual situation in the two control zones. This paper presents two policy recommendations for improving the mitigation of SO2 pollution in China.
Silicone Adhesive Sealants and Abhesives

Silicones are synthetic polymeric materials that possess an extraordinarily wide range of physical properties. They can be low- or high-viscosity liquids, solid resins, or vulcanizable gums. As a class of substances, silicones are characteristically very resistant to extremes of temperature, to ultraviolet and infrared radiation, and to oxidative degradation. They display an unusual combination of organic and inorganic chemical properties that are due to their unique molecular structure of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms; this polysiloxane chemical structure is common to all silicones.
An Evaluation of Alternative Strategies for Implementing Dialogue Policies Using Statistical Classification and Hand-Authored Rules

We present and evaluate a set of architectures for conversational dialogue systems, exploring rule-based and statistical classification approaches. In a case study, we show that while a rule-based dialogue policy is capable of high performance if perfect natural language understanding is assumed, a direct classification approach that combines the dialogue policy with NLU has practical advantages.
A dynamic neural field model of temporal order judgments.

Temporal ordering of events is biased, or influenced, by perceptual organization-figure-ground organization-and by spatial attention. For example, within a region assigned figural status or at an attended location, onset events are processed earlier (Lester, Hecht, & Vecera, 2009; Shore, Spence, & Klein, 2001), and offset events are processed for longer durations (Hecht & Vecera, 2011; Rolke, Ulrich, & Bausenhart, 2006). Here, we present an extension of a dynamic field model of change detection (Johnson, Spencer, Luck, & Schoner, 2009; Johnson, Spencer, & Schoner, 2009) that accounts for both the onset and offset performance for figural and attended regions. The model posits that neural populations processing the figure are more active, resulting in a peak of activation that quickly builds toward a detection threshold when the onset of a target is presented. This same enhanced activation for some neural populations is maintained when a present target is removed, creating delays in the perception of the target's offset. We discuss the broader implications of this model, including insights regarding how neural activation can be generated in response to the disappearance of information. (PsycINFO Database Record Language: en
The New Genus Fregatiella (Mallophaga: Menoponidae) for Menopon aurifasciatum from the Frigate-Bird

The new genus FREGATIELLA is erected to include the single species Menopon aurifasciatum Kellogg. Menopon intermissum Harrison is placed as a junior synonym of M. aurifasciatum.
The role of light in suppressing hypocotyl elongation in lettuce and Petunia

Hypocotyl elongation in two varieties of Petunia and in Grand Rapids lettuce is shown to be affected by a high-energy reaction and by phytochrome action. These two photoreactions interact in such a way that, on the one hand, shortening of the hypocotyls due to the high-energy reaction can be entirely masked by brief terminal far-red light treatment, while on the other hand, there is no evidence of phytochrome action unless brief exposures to red light are preceded by relatively long exposure of high-intensity.
PolyGP: Improving GP-based analog optimization through accurate high-order monomials and semidefinite relaxation

Geometric programming (GP) is popular for use in equation-based optimization of analog circuits thanks to GP-compatible analog performance functions, and its convexity, hence computational tractability. The main challenge in using GP, and thus a roadblock to wider use and adoption, is the mismatch between what GP can accurately fit, and the behavior of many common device/circuit functions.
Analysis on Epidemiological Features of Rubella in Yichang City in 2008

[Objective] To understand the epidemiological features and cause of rubella in Yichang in 2008.[Methods]Epidemiological analysis was performed on rubella cases reported in Yichang in 2008.[Results]A total of 531 cases of rubella were reported, the reported incidence was 13.08/100 000 which raised 3.71 times than 2007, the high-risk age group was 0~15 years, most cases appeared during March to May.[Conclusion]Most of rubella cases are students in Yichang in 2008 due to the low immunization coverage rate in mountain area. Expanded Program on Immunization should be implemented exactly to increase the immunization coverage rate.
The Boothiaspidinae, a new agnathan subfamily (Heterostraci, Cyathaspididae) from the late Silurian and Early Devonian of the western United States and the Canadian Arctic

Three new species of the new genus Phyllonaspis are described from Early Devonian localities in the western United States. Phyllonaspis laevis, P. serratus, and P. taphensis are broad, flattened cyathaspids with lateral brims and fine dermal ornament, that show a close relationship to the cyathaspids Boothiaspis and Alainaspis from the late Silurian and Early Devonian of the Canadian Arctic. These taxa are here accommodated within the new subfamily Boothiaspidinae within the family Cyathaspididae. This relationship supports previous evidence of faunal connection between these two areas and indicates dispersal around the Old Red Sandstone Continent from a center in the Canadian Arctic. Isolated oral plates allow a reconstruction of the oral cover and increase our knowledge of the range of oral structures in this family.
Alterations in a Unique Class of Cortical Chandelier Cell Axon Cartridges in Schizophrenia.

Abstract Background The axons of chandelier cells (ChCs) target the axon initial segment of pyramidal neurons, forming an array of boutons termed a cartridge. In schizophrenia, the density of cartridges detectable by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) membrane transporter 1 immunoreactivity is lower, whereas the density of axon initial segments detectable by immunoreactivity for the α2 subunit of the GABA A receptor is higher in layers 2/superficial 3 of the prefrontal cortex. These findings were interpreted as compensatory responses to lower GABA levels in ChCs. However, we recently found that in schizophrenia, ChC cartridge boutons contain normal levels of the 67 kDa isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67) protein, the enzyme responsible for GABA synthesis in these boutons. To understand these findings we quantified the densities of ChC cartridges immunoreactive for vesicular GABA transporter (vGAT+), which is present in all cartridge boutons, and the subset of cartridges that contain calbindin (CB+). Methods Prefrontal cortex tissue sections from 20 matched pairs of schizophrenia and unaffected comparison subjects were immunolabeled for vGAT, GAD67, and CB. Results The mean density of vGAT+/CB+ cartridges was 2.7-fold higher, exclusively in layer 2 of schizophrenia subjects, whereas the density of vGAT+/CB– cartridges did not differ between subject groups. Neither vGAT, CB, or GAD67 protein levels per ChC bouton nor the number of boutons per cartridge differed between subject groups. Conclusions Our findings of a greater density of CB+ ChC cartridges in prefrontal cortex layer 2 from schizophrenia subjects suggests that the normal developmental pruning of these cartridges is blunted in the illness.
ISQUA16-3180THE IMPACT OF AN INNOVATIVE PATIENT-CENTERED CARE MODEL ON PATIENT AND FAMILY EXPERIENCE IN ACUTE CARE

To assess the impact of an interventional patient-centered care model which wasdesigned to address patient expectations and improve patient and family experience during hospitalization. Based on our previous studies [1–3], we developed a structured, pro-active, patient-centered care model (Patient-SatisfActive model) comprised of interpersonal communicative steps between clinicians and patients that aims to improve patient experience during hospitalization. The model incorporates clinicians’ efforts …
Multiple Lectins in Two Species of Cellular Slime Molds

Evidence has been presented in the preceding communication (Barondes and Rosen, elsewhere this volume) that specific cell cohesion in the cellular slime molds is accomplished by the interaction of carbohydrate-binding lectins with complementary cell surface oligosaccharide-containing receptors. In the species Dictyostelium discoideum and Polysphondylium pallidum both the lectins (1, 3, 5) and their surface receptors (2) are developmentally regulated. That is, both are absent in feeding, vegetative amoebae and appear as the starved cells differentiate and become cohesive. The proteins responsible for the lectin (red cell agglutination) activity of crude extracts of five species of cellular slime mold have been purified and partially characterized. Several of these lectins exhibit heterogeneity. In particular, cohesive D), discoideum cells contain two structurally and functionally distinct lectins and cohesive P. pallidum cells contain three.
Autologous reconstitution of human cancer and immune system in vivo

// Juan Fu 1 , Rupashree Sen 1 , David L. Masica 2 , Rachel Karchin 2,3 , Drew Pardoll 3 , Vonn Walter 4 , D. Neil Hayes 5 , Christine H. Chung 6 and Young J. Kim 3,7 1 Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, SKCCC, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA 2 Department of Biomedical Engineering and The Institute for Computational Medicine, SKCCC, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA 3 Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, SKCCC, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA 4 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA 5 UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC, USA 6 Department of Head & Neck - Endocrine Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA 7 Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, VICC, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA Correspondence to: Young J. Kim, email: // Keywords : tumor microenvironment, autologous reconstitution, STAT3, humanized mice, head neck carcinoma, Immunology and Microbiology Section, Immune response, Immunity Received : August 19, 2016 Accepted : December 13, 2016 Published : December 19, 2016 Abstract Correlative studies from checkpoint inhibitor trials have indicated that better understanding of human leukocytic trafficking into the human tumor microenvironment can expedite the translation of future immune-oncologic agents. In order to directly characterize signaling pathways that can regulate human leukocytic trafficking into the tumor, we have developed a completely autologous xenotransplantation method to reconstitute the human tumor immune microenvironment in vivo. We were able to genetically mark the engrafted CD34+ bone marrow cells as well as the tumor cells, and follow the endogenous leukocytic infiltration into the autologous tumor. To investigate human tumor intrinsic factors that can potentially regulate the immune cells in our system, we silenced STAT3 signaling in the tumor compartment. As expected, STAT3 signaling suppression in the tumor compartment in these autologously reconstituted humanized mice showed increased tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and reduction of arginase-1 in the stroma, which were associated with slower tumor growth rate. We also used this novel system to characterize human myeloid suppressor cells as well as to screen novel agents that can alter endogenous leukocytic infiltration into the tumor. Taken together, we present a valuable method to study individualized human tumor microenvironments in vivo without confounding allogeneic responses.
Embedded Niobium Using PI-2611 for Superconducting Flexible Cables

Dense, controlled-impedance, superconducting cables with small cross-sections are desirable, especially for quantum computing applications. In this study, superconductivity properties, rf microwave response and mechanical reliability performance of embedded Nb dc cables and Nb microstrip transmission line resonators with different thicknesses of polyimide PI-2611 encapsulation layers (0, 4 and 8 µm) have been investigated. Critical temperature (Tc) and critical current (Ic) of embedded Nb dc cables are ~ 8.2 K and ~ 0.2 A, respectively. Embedded Nb resonators yield high loaded quality factor (QL), with values as high as 14481 at ~ 1.2 K and at a fundamental resonance of ~ 2 GHz. From mechanical fatigue testing, we have observed that a polyimide encapsulation layer can effectively enhance the mechanical reliability of superconducting Nb flexible cables.
The Arab-Israeli Conflict Simulation Game

The popular undergraduate political science course on “The Arab-Israeli Conflict” at the University of Michigan has had as its focus since 1975 an enormously successful large-scale simulation game, or simprovisation in Frederick Goodman’s phrase. While the four-credit upper division level course of some 100 students is of the quite standard lecture-discussion section format, the simulation game has been closely integrated into it. The game is the goal towards which the students move and is the educational structure around which the course has been organized. The concept of simulation gaming was introduced almost as an aside when Clement Henry and I were designing the course, to be taught by Professor Henry, in 1974. The games organized that year were small, short and disjointed, but they were sufficient to demonstrate the educational utility of the idea, if nothing else. The following year, with the central collaboration of Leonard Suranski, the game was moved to the fore and from that point on it has been the focus of the course.
A Path to Understanding How Motor Cortex Influences Muscle Activity

The influence of motor cortex on muscles during different behaviors is incompletely understood. In this issue of Neuron, Miri et al. (2017) show that the population activity patterns produced by motor cortex during different behaviors determine the selective routing of signals along different pathways between motor cortex and muscles.
Ultrafast Charging High Capacity Asphalt-Lithium Metal Batteries.

Li metal has been considered an outstanding candidate for anode materials in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its exceedingly high specific capacity and extremely low electrochemical potential, but addressing the problem of Li dendrite formation has remained a challenge for its practical rechargeable applications. In this work, we used a porous carbon material made from asphalt (Asp), specifically untreated gilsonite, as an inexpensive host material for Li plating. The ultrahigh surface area of >3000 m2/g (by BET, N2) of the porous carbon ensures that Li was deposited on the surface of the Asp particles, as determined by scanning electron microscopy, to form Asp–Li. Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) were added to enhance the conductivity of the host material at high current densities, to produce Asp–GNR–Li. Asp–GNR–Li has demonstrated remarkable rate performance from 5 A/gLi (1.3C) to 40 A/gLi (10.4C) with Coulombic efficiencies >96%. Stable cycling was achieved for more than 500 cycles at 5 A/gLi, and the areal ...
Role Of The Ca2+ Channel TRPM2 In Regulation Of Oxidative Stress And Energy Balance

The transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) ion channel has an essential function in modulating cell survival following oxidant injury and is highly expressed in many cancers including neuroblastoma. To study the function of TRPM2 in cancer cell growth, TRPM2 was inhibited with the dominant negative short splice variant TRPM2-S or depleted in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells with CRISPR technology. Inhibition of TRPM2 with TRPM2-S or depletion in neuroblastoma cells significantly decreased tumor growth in xenograft models and increased sensitivity to doxorubicin in cell culture, demonstrating the important role of TRPM2-mediated calcium entry. To examine the mechanism, expression of HIF-1/2α, which can be regulated by calcium dependent processes, was studied. HIF-1/2α expression and that of downstream proteins regulated by HIF-1/2α were reduced in TRPM2 inhibited cells, including proteins involved in glycolysis, mitochondrial electron transport chain activity (complex I, NDUFA4L2; complex IV, cytochrome oxidase 4.1/4.2), mitophagy (BNIP3), and antioxidants (SOD1/2, FOXO3a). Mitochondrial membrane potential, oxygen consumption rate, and ATP production were significantly decreased in TRPM2 inhibited or depleted cells. Expression of the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and downstream antioxidant enzymes were also significantly decreased in TRPM2 depleted cells. This was associated with a significant reduction in glutathione (GSH) and NADPH. Together, the decrease in mitochondrial electron transport chain proteins and the decrease in anti-oxidant enzymes resulted in a significantly increased mitochondrial and cellular ROS levels. These data show that expression and activity of TRPM2 are important for mitochondrial function, cellular bioenergetics, and modulation of ROS. In TRPM2 depleted cells, oxidant stress is increased, both by higher ROS production and lower levels of HIF-1α, Nrf2, GSH, and NADPH. Inhibition of TRPM2 is a novel therapeutic approach to target tumor cells and increase susceptibility to chemotherapy agents through increased ROS and impaired energy production.
The Citizen’s Information System “Dresden and the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady)” — Realization, Experiences, Prospects

The “Dresden and the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady)” citizen’s information system informs residents and visitors about the 800 year history of the city, offers an overview of the most significant secular and religious architectural masterpieces and provides users with a detailed insight into the history of the Frauenkirche, built in 1726–43 by George Bahr. It is comprised of three chapters of equal length, each chapter equally important from a topical point of view. Some 350 pages of pictures and text shown on the screen are enhanced by historical and current documentary film sequences of about 40 minutes in length, 20 minutes of musical extracts from Dresden composers and singers, and quotations and poetry from leading literary figures and contemporary witnesses in Dresden. The multimedia application, that is provided in the form of a Point-of-Information (PoI) solution, is available on a daily basis and free of charge to those people visiting the pavilion on the Frauenkirche construction site. Furthermore, it is also available for purchase on a CD-ROM, whereby approximately 65% of the sales proceeds go towards the restoration. The technical equipment of the Pol system consists of an IBM pentium computer, a laser disc player and an IBM touch screen XT 21. It was decided not to compress the moving picture sequences in order to ensure maximum quality. The contents of the system have been transferred almost 1:1 to the CD-ROM, although the moving picture sequences have been compressed in MPEG standard.
Expression of p53 antigen in inflamed and regenerated mucosa in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Abstract Physiologic overexpression of p53 protein may occur in the G1 stage of the cell cycle to slow down the cell cycle and allow DNA repair in stressed or injured cells. We questioned whether there is increased expression of p53 protein in acutely inflamed mucosa (AI) and regenerated mucosa (RM) in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of resected bowels from eight patients with UC and 20 with CD were reviewed, and blocks were selected having areas defined as follows: AI = two high-power fields (HPFs) at the edge of an ulcer, or one HPF with an inflamed crypt in the center; RM = branched or irregular glands with only mild chronic inflammation. Blocks with normal mucosa were available in 20 cases. One case of CD also had dysplasia, adenoma, and invasive carcinoma. p53 was identified with PAb1801 antibody using a labeled avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase technique. In each defined area, the positive nuclei were counted and expressed as the number of positive nuclei per 10 HPFs. Data were analyzed statistically for comparisons within and between the diseases. In normal mucosa, only rare cells expressed p53 in two cases of CD. The mean frequency of positive nuclei was 2.24/10 HPFs in AI and 0.30/10 HPFs in RM in CD, and 7.63/10 HPFs in AI and 1.14/10 HPFs in RM in UC. Differences between the means for AI and RM were statistically significant in both UC and CD. Although not significant, the frequency of positive staining in both AI and RM was greater in UC as compared with CD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Resolving Filament Level Mechanics in Collagen Networks using Activity Microscopy

Collagen is the most abundant protein in humans and the primary component of the extracellular matrix, a meshwork of biopolymer networks, which provides structure and integrity to tissues. Its mechanical properties profoundly influence the fate of cells. The cell-matrix interaction, however, is not well understood due to a lack of experimental techniques to study the mechanical interplay between cells and their local environment. Here we introduce Activity Microscopy, a new way to visualize local network mechanics with single filament resolution. Using collagen I networks in vitro, we localize fibril positions in two-dimensional slices through the network with nanometer precision and quantify the fibrils' transverse thermal fluctuations with megahertz bandwidth. Using a fibril's thermal fluctuations as an indicator for its tension, we find a heterogeneous stress distribution, where "cold" fibrils with small thermal fluctuations surround regions of highly fluctuating "hot" fibrils. We seed HeLa cells into collagen networks and quantify the anisotropy in the propagation of their forces.
Facility volume and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Trends and effect on survival.

e18518Background: Facility volume has been found to predict improved survival for patients with breast and esophageal cancer. However, the role of facility volume in head and neck squamous cell car...
Targeting epigenetic mechanisms in diabetic wound healing

Impaired wound healing is a major secondary complication of type 2 diabetes that often results in limb loss and disability. Normal tissue repair progresses through discrete phases including hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. In diabetes, normal progression through these phases is impaired resulting in a sustained inflammatory state and dysfunctional epithelialization in the wound. Due to their plasticity, macrophages play a critical role in the transition from the inflammation phase to the proliferation phase. Diabetes disrupts macrophage function by impairing monocyte recruitment to the wound, reducing phagocytosis, and prohibiting the transition of inflammatory macrophages to an anti-inflammatory state. Diabetes also impedes keratinocyte and fibroblast function during the later phases resulting in impaired epithelialization of the wound. Several recent studies suggest that altered epigenetic regulation of both immune and structural cells in wounds may influence cell phenotypes and healing, particularly in pathologic states, such as diabetes. Specifically, it has been shown that macrophage plasticity during wound repair is partly regulated epigenetically and that diabetes alters this epigenetic regulation and contributes to a sustained inflammatory state. Epigenetic regulation is also known to regulate keratinocyte and fibroblast function during wound repair. In this review, we provide an introduction to the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate tissue repair and highlight recent findings that demonstrate, how epigenetic events are altered during the course of diabetic wound healing.
FANCI-FANCD2 Binds RNA, Which Stimulates Its Monoubiquitination

Fanconi anemia (FA) is characterized by developmental abnormalities, bone marrow failure, and a strong cancer predisposition. FA cells are hypersensitive to DNA replicative stress, and accumulate co-transcriptional R-loops. Previous work has demonstrated that BRCA2 binds to R loops, and increased R loops are noted in FA-D2 mutant cells. Additionally, it is understood that at least one FA protein, FANCA, binds RNA. The goal of this study was to understand the relationship between FANCD2 and RNA, especially with regard to manifestation of R loops as a part of the pathophysiology of FA. First, we confirmed the increased presence of R loops in FA mutant cells using the S9.6 monoclonal antibody immunofluorescence microscopy. RNAseH overexpression removes R loop signal and increases cell survival upon mitomycin C treatment. We also showed the presence of increased R loops in an actively transcribed region of the actin gene by bisulfite DNA sequencing. We used the Damage At RNA Transcription (DART) assay, which is designed to combine oxidative DNA damage and the genomic insertion of a hyper transcription site (Fig A). Coactivation of transcription and DNA damage results in colocalization of FANCD2 and S9.6/R loop signal at the transcriptional site (Fig B and C). Consistent with the S9.6 IF, wild type RNAseH overexpression resulted in the abrogation of FANCD2 colocalization. We then asked if FANCD2 binds RNA. FANCD2 in cell lysate bound to biotinylated RNA species, preferring GC rich RNAs. Using recombinant FANCI-FANCD2 (ID2) protein (Fig D), we found that ID2 binds preferably to single stranded RNA in a more robust manner than DNA (Fig E and F). Interestingly, an ID2 complex with a known DNA binding mutation in FANCI also was defective for RNA binding. Furthermore, ID2 bound to R loops but was mediated via the single stranded DNA component of the structure. Importantly, an in vitro monoubiquitination reconstitution system using FANCL as the E3 ligase demonstrated that monoubiquitination of ID2 was stimulated to an equal or greater degree by RNA versus DNA, with greater signal in presence of GC-rich, single-stranded RNA as well as R loops (Fig G and H and data not shown). Collectively, our results support a novel mechanism the ID2 complex suppresses the formation of pathogenic R-loops by binding RNA species, thereby activating the FA pathway (Fig I). Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Blood amyloid levels and risk of dementia in the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study (GEMS): A longitudinal analysis.

Abstract Introduction Both high or low plasma amyloid levels have been associated with risk of dementia in nondemented subjects. Methods We examined baseline plasma β-amyloid (Aβ) levels in relationship to incident dementia during a period of 8.5 years in 2840 subjects age >75 years; 2381 were cognitively normal (CN) and 450 mild cognitive impairment. Results Increased plasma Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 levels were associated with gender (women), age, low education, creatinine levels, history of stroke, and hypertension. CN participants who developed dementia had lower levels of Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-42/Aβ1-40 ratio compared with those who did not. Aβ levels did not predict dementia in mild cognitive impairment participants. Discussion There was an inverse association between Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-42/Aβ1-40 ratio to risk of dementia in CN participants. Cerebral and cardiovascular disease and renal function are important determinants of increased Aβ levels and must be considered in evaluations of relationship of plasma Aβ and subsequent risk of dementia.
Synthesis and Electrocatalytic HER Studies of Carbene-Ligated Cu3-xP Nanocrystals.

N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are an important class of ligands capable of making strong carbon-metal bonds. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the study of carbene-ligated nanocrystals, primarily coinage metal nanocrystals, which have found application as catalysts for numerous reactions. The general ability of NHC ligands to positively affect the catalytic properties of other types of nanocrystal catalysts remains unknown. Herein, we present the first carbene-stabilized Cu3-xP nanocrystals. Inquiries into the mechanism of formation of NHC-ligated Cu3-xP nanocrystals suggest that crystalline Cu3-xP forms directly as a result of a high-temperature metathesis reaction between a tris(trimethylsilyl)phosphine precursor and an NHC-CuBr precursor, the latter of which behaves as a source of both the carbene ligand and Cu+. To study the effect of the NHC surface ligands on the catalytic performance, we tested the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolving ability of the NHC-ligated Cu3-xP nanocrystals and found that they possess superior activity to analogous oleylamine-ligated Cu3-xP nanocrystals. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the NHC ligands minimize unfavorable electrostatic interactions between the copper phosphide surface and H+ during the first step of the hydrogen evolution reaction, which contributes to the superior performance of NHC-ligated Cu3-xP catalysts as compared to oleylamine-ligated Cu3-xP catalysts.
Jamming Resilient Spread Spectrum Receiver with Time-Varying Transmission Line (TVTL) RF Correlator

In-band jamming/interference could be alleviated by performing direct correlation at the RF front-end through coding and decoding. In this paper, a chip-scale RF correlator is designed utilizing the monolithically integrated time-varying transmission line (TVTL). The proposed correlator is low-loss, has low noise figure and can handle large power. Both correlation and correlation/demodulation tests are carried out.
Theoretical Aspects of Polycrystalline Pattern Growth in Al/Ge Films

These notes discuss recent theoretical approaches to polycrystalline fingering during annealing of amorphous Al/Ge thin films, and compare them to experiment.
On the apolar algebra of a product of linear forms

Apolarity is a important tool in commutative algebra and algebraic geometry which studies a form, f, by the action of polynomial differential operators on f. The quotient of all polynomial differential operators by those which annihilate f is called the apolar algebra of f. In general, the apolar algebra of a form is useful for determining its Waring decomposition, which consists of writing the form as a sum of powers of linear forms with as few summands as possible. In this article we study the apolar algebra of a product of linear forms, which generalizes the case of monomials and connects to the geometry of hyperplane arrangements. In the first part of the article we provide a bound on the Waring rank of a product of linear forms under certain genericity assumptions; for this we use the defining equations of so-called star configurations due to Geramita, Harbourne, and Migliore. In the second part of the article we use the computer algebra system Bertini, which operates by homotopy continuation methods, to solve certain rank equations for catalecticant matrices. Our computations suggest that, up to a change of variables, there are exactly six homogeneous polynomials of degree six in three variables which factor completely as a product of linear forms defining an irreducible multi-arrangement and whose apolar algebras have dimension six in degree three. As a consequence of these calculations, we find six cases of such forms with cactus rank six, five of which also have Waring rank six. Among these are products defining subarrangements of the braid and Hessian arrangements.
Vehicle Class, Speed, and Roadway Geometry Based Driver Behavior Identification and Classification.

Over the past decades, the intense emphasis has been placed on the understanding of car-following behavior and the factors that affect it. The car-following process, however, still remains a very complex field of study in spite of all the efforts. This paper focuses on the study of the effect that the class of the vehicle, leading heavy vehicles in particular, causes on the following vehicle behavior, specifically in terms of the following bumper-to-bumper distance (gap) that the following vehicle keeps from the lead vehicle. This was done by extracting and analyzing different car following episodes in the Next Generation Simulation (NGSIM) dataset for Interstate 80 (I 80) in Emeryville, California, USA. The results of the statistical analysis are compared to that of the synthesized literature of research efforts that have been carried out on the topic, then are further assessed utilizing different calibrated behavioral clusters for the Gazis-Herman-Rothery (GHR) car-following model to address the similarities and differences in car-following behavior between drivers of the same vehicle class. The paper also validates the results of the statistical analysis and highlights possible future implementations.
Introns Control Stochasticity in Metazoan Gene Expression

Abstract Introns are noncoding DNA elements found in between coding exons of most genes in most metazoans. Introns are known to both increase expression levels and provide means for making different protein products from the same gene via alternative splicing. It is thought that evolution has selected for these functions of introns. Here we present evidence for an additional reason why so many metazoan genes have introns, and why some do not. We found that introns control stochasticity in metazoan gene expression. They do this by controlling stochastic autosomal allele bias. We determined this by measuring the expression of differently colored reporter alleles with and without introns. We find that introns control stochastic autosomal allele biases using a 5’-position dependent mechanism. Intron control of allele expression noise provides an additional mechanism to consider when pondering why so many metazoan genes have introns and why some have lost them.