cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conformational stability is a determinant of ribonuclease A cytotoxicity.

Onconase™, a homolog of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase A) with high conformational stability, is cytotoxic and has efficacy as a cancer chemotherapeutic agent. Unlike wild-type RNase A, the G88R variant is toxic to cancer cells. Here, variants in which disulfide bonds were removed from or added to G88R RNase A were used to probe the relationship between conformational stability and cytotoxicity in a methodical manner. The conformational stability of the C40A/G88R/C95A and C65A/C72A/G88R variants is less than that of G88R RNase A. In contrast, a new disulfide bond that links the N and C termini (residues 4 and 118) increases the conformational stability of G88R RNase A and C65A/C72A/G88R RNase A. These changes have little effect on the ribonucleolytic activity of the enzyme or on its ability to evade the cytosolic ribonuclease inhibitor protein. The changes do, however, have a substantial effect on toxicity toward human erythroleukemia cells. Specifically, conformational stability correlates directly with cytotoxicity as well as with resistance to proteolysis. These data indicate that conformational stability is a key determinant of RNase A cytotoxicity and suggest that cytotoxicity relies on avoiding proteolysis. This finding suggests a means to produce new cancer chemotherapeutic agents based on mammalian ribonucleases.
SYSTEM DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE OF RECONFIGURABLE AND SIMULTANEOUS 2D MULTIPLE-PLANE WDM OPTICAL INTERCONNECTS

A system design for reconfigurable and simultaneous 2D multiple-plane WDM optical interconnects has been investigated. Device characteristics such as detector responsivity shape, efficiency, and complexity affect the design requirements for wavelength separation and channel power. With decreasing wavelength separation, increased optical crosstalk and signal power loss result in performance penalties most notably for the middle wavelength channels. When signal power loss and optical crosstalk from the detection of undesired channels are evaluated, it is found that wavelength channel spacing down to 10 nm can be tolerated for the specific detector responsivity shape and efficiency attainable from currently available devices.
High temperature Pt Schottky diode gas sensors on n-type GaN

The characteristics of Pt Schottky diodes on n-type GaN in hydrogen and propane are reported for the first time. This response from 200–400°C has been characterized by current–voltage measurements, revealing that the diodes are able to detect hydrogen from 200–400°C and propane from 300–400°C. The high temperature stability of Pt diodes on GaN has been investigated by long term annealing at 400°C in Ar or 20% O2 in Ar. The diodes have been held at 400°C for 500 h without degradation of their electrical characteristics or response to hydrogen-containing gases.
Adhesion of murine cells to glass microbeads: substrate-adsorbed serum proteins.

Small (1 mm diameter) glass beads treated with acid and alkali provided a satisfactory substratum for the attachment and growth of normal and SV-40 transformed Balb/c 3T3 murine cells. Cells attached to the beads with similar, though slower kinetics as to flat glass surfaces, and spread and grew with their usual morphology; when detached by EGTA treatment, they left behind cellular substrate-attached material (SAM) which was similar electrophoretically to that obtained from tissue culture plastic. Because of their small size and rough etched surfaces, the beads have a large surface area and high adsorptive capacity, and so are a useful tool to isolate specific serum proteins adsorbed from the culture medium that may be important for cell attachment and spreading. The adsorbed serum proteins were solubilized with SDS and analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) under reducing and non-reducing conditions. They included all reduced species adsorbed to tissue culture plastic, and only small amounts of one other major protein extracted from a “bacteriological” polystyrene surface on which cells could not grow. Profiles of unreduced samples differed considerably. The profile of adsorbed proteins varied little with tiem (5 minutes–4 days), temperature (4°–37°C), pH (5–9), presence of the protease inhibitor PMSF, or serum concentration (0.1–10%). Much of the adsorbed protein, qualitatively similar to the SDS-extracted material, could be eluted with H2O or phosphate-buffered saline. Purified albumin and fibrinogen bound avidly to the beads; the material adsorbed from serum contained a large amount of albumin, however, little fibrinogen and no cold-insoluble globulin (as a 220 K protein) could be detected by Coomassie blue stained SDS-PAGE gels.
Near tip stress and strain fields for short elastic cracks

Recent experimental fatigue crack growth studies have concluded an apparent anomalous behavior of short cracks. To investigate the reasons for this unexpected behavior, the present paper focuses on identifying the crack length circumstances under which the requirements for a single parameter (K1 or ΔK1 if cyclic loading is considered) characterization are violated. Furthermore, an additional quantity, the T stress, as introduced by Rice, and the related biaxiality ratio B are calculated for several crack lengths and two configurations, the single-edge-cracked and the centrally-cracked specimen. It is postulated that a two-parameter characterization by K and T (or B) is needed for the adequate description of the stress and strain field around a short crack. To further verify the validity of this postulate, the influence of the third term of the Williams series on the stress, strain and displacement fields around the crack tip and in particular on the B parameter is also examined. It is found that the biaxiality ratio would be more negative if the third term effects are included in both geometries. The study is conducted using the finite element method with linearly elastic material and isoparametric elements and axial (mode I) loading. Moreover, it is clearly shown that it is not proper to postulate the crack size limits for ‘short crack’ behavior as a normalized ratio with the specimen width a/w; it should instead be stated as an absolute, or normalized with respect to a small characteristic dimension such as the grain size. Finally, implications regarding the prediction of cyclic (fatigue) growth of short cracks are discussed.
The Revolutionary Constitution. By David J. Bodenhamer. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2012. Pp. ix, 281. $29.95.)

The author of this study offers a brisk overview of American constitutional development organized topically around a central theme—that the Constitution has been interpreted and applied with an eye...
The unsung American (accounting?) hero: W. Morgan Shuster

In this age of global terrorism, religious scandals, unbridled capitalism, corporate and accounting scandals, greed, wars, and selfishness, the one‐year adventure of a bull‐headed, uncompromising, honest, fearless, conscientious, hardworking, compassionate, and no‐nonsense American by the name of W. Morgan Shuster is a must read for those who are struggling with the questions of accounting, ethics, politics, and self‐interest. Shuster was a lawyer with expertise in governmental accounting and taxation who was commissioned and sent to Iran (known then as Persia) in 1911 to create a system of accounting control, audit, and responsibility accounting for the government of Iran. This is the condensed account of his adventures and what he accomplished in a span of less than eight months. This article is about Morgan Shuster but, more so, it is about the fundamentals of ethics and responsibility in business and governmental affairs. It provides an understanding of how accounting, accountability, and fiscal planning can be initiated from scratch. Shuster was a devout Christian and had decided that his conduct and his association with people should be reflective of the ideals of his faith as well as the ideals of his nation in pursuit of “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” for all God's children. Concludes that, perhaps, the so‐called “real world” should reconcile with the conduct and attitude of Morgan Shuster if the human race is to survive.
Abstract 5161: Cell mechanics-cytoskeleton-membrane protein transduction loop mediates brain metastasis of breast cancer cells

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Brain metastasis is the worst stage of breast cancer, as no therapy exists that prevents or eliminates breast cancer spreading to the brain. New therapeutic strategies depend on specific knowledge of tumor cell properties that allow breast cancer cells get through blood-brain barrier and grow in brain tissue. To provide information in this direction, we developed a microfluidic single-cell patch clamp microdevice to study the electrophysiological and biomechanical properties of human breast cancer brain metastatic cells for the first time. The results show that the brain metastatic cells possess higher membrane resistance and greater membrane stiffness compared to non-brain metastatic cells. The over-expression of HER2 and EGFR decrease the cell membrane resistance, while increase the cell stiffness, which correlates with the enhanced cell invasion through the in vitro blood-brain barrier and increased formation of brain metastatic loci in the xenograft mice. Gene expression analysis of the brain metastatic cells identifies cell membrane protein PCDH7 mediates the increased cell mechanics property functionally, and PCDH7 is also an enhancer of blood-brain barrier crossing and brain colonization for the brain metastatic cells, through the cytoskeleton rearrangement mechanism. This cell mechanics-cytoskeleton-PCDH7 protein loop mechanism may prove to be an attraction therapeutic target to block the brain metastasis of breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5161. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5161
The Development of Connective Tissue Diseases in Patients with Autoimmune Hepatitis: A Case Series

Objectives To study the prevalence of connective tissue diseases (CTD) in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Methods We identified 11 cases of AIH over the past 7 years at our institution, through a systematic chart review of patients with this diagnosis. Their charts were reviewed for the development of systemic CTD. Results Three of the 11 patients with a definitive diagnosis of AIH developed systemic CTD. All were white: 2 women and 1 man, with an age range of 33 to 62 years, and with disease duration of 1 to 7 years. One patient developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with vasculitis and peripheral neuropathy. The second developed limited scleroderma and the third developed undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) and interstitial lung disease. There appear to be shared susceptibility alleles for AIH and CTD in addition to the shared positive autoantibodies. Conclusions Patients with AIH may be at increased risk for developing systemic CTD. Conversely, a review of the literature reveals that patients with systemic CTD may be at increased risk of developing AIH. Patients with either AIH or CTD should be monitored for further development of concurrent autoimmune diseases.
Gelatinization of Dieffenbachia Starch

The starch grain of Dieffenbachia seguine has the shape of an elongated, flat rod, one of whose ends is rounded and the other square. Its hilum lies near the rounded end of the grain. The molecules of the central core are parallel to the long axis of the grain while those of the peripheral layer tend to be nearly perpendicular (radial) to that axis. Gelatinization makes evident a fibrillar construction in which the fibrils of the core region are elongated parallel to the long axis of the grain while those of the periphery are crossed, at a low angle to the perpendicular. Presumably the heated starch molecules contract along their long axis, becoming randomly coiled, and thereby cause radial expansion in the core and axial and tangential expansion at the periphery of the starch grain.
NP-external arguments a study of argument sharing in English

We explore some predicate-argument-structure phenomena in the context of the NomBank annotation project for English. Support verbs ( They completed the acquisition), transparent nouns ( His first batch of questions), prepositions (At Mary's request, John left the room ) and other lexical items can link arguments of a noun N to positions outside of the NP headed by N. In these examples, They is an argument of acquisition, His is an argument of questions and John left the room is an argument of request. In most cases, these NP-external arguments are linked to a multiword expression (MWE) consisting of the noun predicate and (at least) one other item: a support verb, transparent noun, preposition, etc. This paper discusses properties of these constructions and how they interact. For example, in Disney made dozens of attempts to acquire Apple, Disney is an argument of acquire, due to linking properties of the support construction make + attempt and the quantificational noun dozens.
Dimensional reduction with correlated random fields. A superspace renormalization-group calculation

We consider phase transitions in the presence of random magnetic fields, with long-range correlations such that $〈h(0)h(r)〉\ensuremath{\sim}\frac{1}{{r}^{d\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\sigma}}}$. The upper critical dimension is $6+\ensuremath{\sigma}$. A superspace renormalization-group calculation is carried out to order ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2}$, where $\ensuremath{\epsilon}=6+\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{-}d$. To order $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$, the critical properties are that of a pure system in $d\ensuremath{-}2\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\sigma}$ dimensions. This dimensional reduction is also justified by physical arguments concerning the lower critical dimensionality, and the hyperscaling relationship. However, it fails at order ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2}$.
Sodium Induces Hypertrophy of Cultured Myocardial Myoblasts and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Abstract —The mechanisms of sodium-induced myocardial hypertrophy and vascular hypertrophy are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that a high sodium concentration can directly induce cellular hypertrophy. Neonatal rat myocardial myoblasts (MMbs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were cultured in a 50:50 mixture of DMEM and M199 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. When the monolayers reached ≈80% confluence, normal sodium medium (146 mmol/L) was replaced with high sodium media (152 mmol/L, 160 mmol/L, and 182 mmol/L) for up to 5 days. Increasing sodium from a baseline concentration of 146 mmol/L to the higher concentrations for 5 days caused dose-related increases in cell mean diameter, cell volume, and cellular protein content in both MMbs and VSMCs. Increasing the sodium concentration by only 4% (from 146 mmol/L to 152 mmol/L) caused the following respective changes in MMbs and VSMCs: 8.5% and 8.7% increase in cell mean diameter, 27.6% and 27.0% increase in cell volume, and 55.7% and 46.7% increase in cellular protein content. The rate of protein synthesis, expressed as [ 3 H]leucine incorporation, increased by 87% and 99% in MMbs after exposure to 152 mmol/L and 160 mmol/L sodium, respectively, compared with the 146-mmol/L sodium control group. Exposure of MMbs to medium with a sodium concentration of 10% above normal, ie, 160 mmol/L, caused a significant decrease (range, 26% to 44%) in the rate of protein degradation at multiple time points over a 48-hour period compared with normal sodium control cells. The increase in cellular protein content caused by 160 mmol/L sodium returned to normal within 3 days after MMbs were returned to a normal sodium medium. These findings support the hypothesis that sodium has a direct effect to induce cellular hypertrophy and may therefore be an important determinant in causing myocardial and/or vascular hypertrophy in subjects with increased sodium concentration in the extracellular fluid.
542: Availability of dilation and evacuation training at maternal-fetal medicine fellowships

542 Availability of dilation and evacuation training at maternal-fetal medicine fellowships Melissa Rosenstein, Jody Steinauer, Aaron Caughey, Jennifer Kerns University of California, San Francisco, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco, CA, Oregon Health and Science University, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Portland, OR OBJECTIVE: To describe the availability of second-trimester dilation and evacuation (DE 38% of respondents are located in the Northeast, 30% in the South/Southwest, 18% in the Midwest, and 15% in the West. The availability of DE 7 programs (18%) offer routine training, 12 programs (30%) offer organized optional training, and16 programs (40%) do not have formalized training opportunities but allow fellows to participate in D&Es that are occasionally performed. Five programs (13%) have no D&E training available. Fellowship directors at programs without formalized routine or optional training opportunities are more likely to report that a majority of their fellows pursue D&E training (8/21 vs 4/19, p 0.07). CONCLUSION: SomeformofD&Etraining isavailableatmostof theMFM fellowship sites participating in this survey. Program directors report that many fellows are motivated to acquire skills in D&E, and expanding these training opportunities could be beneficial to MFM fellows.
OROBORO: a collaborative controller with interpersonal haptic feedback

OROBORO is a novel collaborative controller which focuses on musical performance as social experience by exploring synchronized actions of two musicians operating a single instrument. Each performer uses two paddle mechanisms - one for hand orientation sensing and one for servo-motor actuated feedback. We introduce a haptic mirror in which the movement of one performer's sensed hand is used to induce movement of the partner's actuated hand and vice versa. We describe theoretical motivation, and hardware/software implementation.
DReX: A Declarative Language for Efficiently Evaluating Regular String Transformations

We present DReX, a declarative language that can express all regular string-to string transformations, and can still be efficiently evaluated. The class of regular string transformations has a robust theoretical foundation including multiple characterizations, closure properties, and decidable analysis questions, and admits a number of string operations such as insertion, deletion, substring swap, and reversal. Recent research has led to a characterization of regular string transformations using a primitive set of function combinators analogous to the definition of regular languages using regular expressions. While these combinators form the basis for the language DReX proposed in this paper, our main technical focus is on the complexity of evaluating the output of a DReX program on a given input string. It turns out that the natural evaluation algorithm involves dynamic programming, leading to complexity that is cubic in the length of the input string. Our main contribution is identifying a consistency restriction on the use of combinators in DReX programs, and a single-pass evaluation algorithm for consistent programs with time complexity that is linear in the length of the input string and polynomial in the size of the program. We show that the consistency restriction does not limit the expressiveness, and whether a DReX program is consistent can be checked efficiently. We report on a prototype implementation, and evaluate it using a representative set of text processing tasks.
The influence of acculturation and familism on Puerto Rican delinquency

This study examines the contributions of sociocultural context to delinquency theory to explain interpersonal violence and theft among Puerto Rican male adolescents in New York City. By integrating variables that reflect the unique sociocultural processes in Puerto Rican communities (acculturation and familism) with measures of social bonding and social learning, we analyze the effects of these socialization processes to determine their contribution to delinquency or its avoidance. The increased risk of theft and violence by boys with higher levels of acculturation appears to be due to the loss or blurring of boundaries and roles in the structure of Puerto Rican families in which traditional cultural values are not unheld, family bonds are weakened, and contact with deviant peers increases. Familism, a measure of individuals' expressed concern with family values rather than individual opportunities, has powerful effects on the avoidance of deviance through family attachment, school commitment, and belief....
Self-phase-modulation of optical beams- the formative years

An overview will be presented covering early initial observations and interpretation of self-phase modulation in self-trapped filaments of light and mode-locked laser pulses, the subsequent evolution of the basic concepts, and various applications.
Roughening, deroughening, and nonuniversal scaling of the interface width in electrophoretic deposition of polymer chains

Growth and roughness of the interface of deposited polymer chains driven by a field onto an impenetrable adsorbing surface are studied by computer simulations in (2+1) dimensions. The evolution of the interface width W shows a crossover from short-time growth described by the exponent beta(1) to a long-time growth with exponent beta(2) (>beta(1)). The saturated width increases, i.e., the interface roughens, with the molecular weight L(c), but the roughness exponent alpha (from W(s) approximately Lalpha) becomes negative in contrast to models for particle deposition; alpha depends on the chain length-a nonuniversal scaling with the substrate length L. Roughening and deroughening occur as the field E and the temperature T compete such that W(s) approximately (A+BT)E(-1/2).
Inhibition of Notch1-Dependent Cardiomyogenesis Leads to a Dilated Myopathy in the Neonatal Heart

Rationale: Physiological hypertrophy in the developing heart has been considered the product of an increase in volume of preexisting fetal cardiomyocytes in the absence of myocyte formation. Objective: In this study, we tested whether the mouse heart at birth has a pool of cardiac stem cells (CSCs) that differentiate into myocytes contributing to the postnatal expansion of the parenchymal cell compartment. Methods and Results: We have found that the newborn heart contains a population of c-kit–positive CSCs that are lineage negative, self-renewing, and multipotent. CSCs express the Notch1 receptor and show the nuclear localization of its active fragment, N1ICD. In 60% of cases, N1ICD was coupled with the presence of Nkx2.5, indicating that the commitment of CSCs to the myocyte lineage is regulated by Notch1. Importantly, overexpression of N1ICD in neonatal CSCs significantly expanded the proportion of transit-amplifying myocytes. To establish whether these in vitro findings had a functional counterpart in vivo, the Notch pathway was blocked in newborn mice by administration of a γ-secretase inhibitor. This intervention resulted in the development of a dilated myopathy and high mortality rates. Ventricular decompensation was characterized by a 62% reduction in amplifying myocytes, which resulted in a 54% decrease in myocyte number. After cessation of Notch blockade and recovery of myocyte regeneration, cardiac anatomy and function were largely restored. Conclusions: Notch1 signaling is a critical determinant of CSC growth and differentiation; when this cascade of events is altered, cardiomyogenesis is impaired, physiological cardiac hypertrophy is prevented, and a life-threatening myopathy supervenes.
Abstract 3766: Development of a model using genetics and PSA to reduce unnecessary prostate biopsies

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Background: Prostate cancer screening with PSA has decreased the average age of prostate cancer detection and increased the number of men who undergo prostate biopsies. Currently two thirds of the prostate biopsies performed due to a high PSA test are negative for prostate cancer leading to unnecessary expense and distress for the individual. One way to decrease the unnecessary procedures associated with PSA screening would be to identify individuals who are at higher or lower risk of prostate cancer using newly discovered genetic and environmental risk factors. Aims: Using the males in the Personalized Medicine Research Project (PMRP) population that have had a PSA test, determine if genetic and environmental factors can be incorporated into the PSA screening model to better discriminate individuals who will have a diagnosis of prostate cancer from those with negative biopsies. Methods: All men in PMRP who have had a PSA test (N=4659) were genotyped for 12 polymorphisms that have been associated with prostate cancer in GWAS studies and an additional 52 polymorphisms that were associated with a number of diseases. We also included dietary history, particularly dairy intake if available for the individual. Results: A total of 935 of the 4659 men in the study have had a prostate biopsy with a positive biopsy rate of 34%. Using a panel of 12 previously identified polymorphisms; seven were significantly associated with prostate cancer in our population. Another three polymorphisms were found to be associated in our population (LPL rs328, NOS3 rs1799983, and PON2 rs7493). None of the tested polymorphisms were associated with the biopsy procedure. Individuals with 4 or fewer of the 10 associated risk alleles (17.33% of the population) were more likely to have a negative biopsy (OR 1.87 p=0.0017) while those individuals who have 8 or more associated risk alleles (11% of the population) were more likely to have a positive biopsy (OR 2.68). Conclusions: The PMRP population that has experienced at least one PSA screen is a viable population for testing new screening algorithms that incorporate genetic and environmental factors for better identification of prostate cancer risk. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3766.
The relationship between matter and life.

The disciplines of artificial intelligence and artificial life build computational systems inspired by various aspects of life. Despite the fact that living systems are composed only of non-living atoms there seems to be limits in the current levels of understanding within these disciplines in what is necessary to bridge the gap between non-living and living matter.
Multiple bonds to gold: a theoretical investigation of XAuC (X = F, Cl, Br, I) molecules

Structures and spectroscopic properties are reported for the linear XAuC (X = F, Cl, Br, I) series of molecules and their related diatomic species at a high level of accuracy. The singles and doubles coupled cluster method including a perturbational correction for connected triple excitations, CCSD(T), with systematic sequences of new correlation consistent basis sets have been employed. Scalar relativistic effects have been accurately included by making use of relativistic effective core potentials. Extrapolation to the complete basis set limit has been used with accurate treatments of core–valence correlation and spin–orbit effects in order to accurately predict spectroscopic properties, as well as dissociation and atomization energies at 0 K of AuC, AuC + , AuF, AuCl, AuBr, AuI, and the XAuC molecules. The Au–C bond length in the FAuC molecule is predicted to be nearly identical to that calculated for AuC + , which makes it the shortest known for a neutral gold molecule. The Au–C and Au–F (0 K) bond dissociation energies in FAuC are predicted to be 92.5 and 93.1 kcal/mol, respectively, also making them some of the strongest known bonds to gold.
Biosynthesis of long chain fatty acids by oligodendroglia isolated from bovine white matter.

— Radioactively labelled fatty acids were incubated with interfascicular oligodendroglial preparations isolated from 9 month fetal and adult bovine CNS white matter to study their metabolism by these cells. Of the various acids studied, the uptake was greatest for palmitic acid and decreased with decreasing chain length. Laurie acid was converted to the greatest extent to other fatty acids. The incorporation of oleic and linoleic acids in the oligodendroglia from both the fetal and adult brains was higher than that of linolenic acid. Fatty acids underwent chain elongation, desaturation and oxidation. Oleic acid was elongated to nervonic acid. Fatty acids were incorporated into both cerebrosides and phospholipids, with preferential incorporation into ethanolamine phosphoglyceride.
Tetrodotoxin-Bupivacaine-Epinephrine Combinations for Prolonged Local Anesthesia

Currently available local anesthetics have analgesic durations in humans generally less than 12 hours. Prolonged-duration local anesthetics will be useful for postoperative analgesia. Previous studies showed that in rats, combinations of tetrodotoxin (TTX) with bupivacaine had supra-additive effects on sciatic block durations. In those studies, epinephrine combined with TTX prolonged blocks more than 10-fold, while reducing systemic toxicity. TTX, formulated as Tectin, is in phase III clinical trials as an injectable systemic analgesic for chronic cancer pain. Here, we examine dose-duration relationships and sciatic nerve histology following local nerve blocks with combinations of Tectin with bupivacaine 0.25% (2.5 mg/mL) solutions, with or without epinephrine 5 µg/mL (1:200,000) in rats. Percutaneous sciatic blockade was performed in Sprague-Dawley rats, and intensity and duration of sensory blockade was tested blindly with different Tectin-bupivacaine-epinephrine combinations. Between-group comparisons were analyzed using ANOVA and post-hoc Sidak tests. Nerves were examined blindly for signs of injury. Blocks containing bupivacaine 0.25% with Tectin 10 µM and epinephrine 5 µg/mL were prolonged by roughly 3-fold compared to blocks with bupivacaine 0.25% plain (P < 0.001) or bupivacaine 0.25% with epinephrine 5 µg/mL (P < 0.001). Nerve histology was benign for all groups. Combinations of Tectin in bupivacaine 0.25% with epinephrine 5 µg/mL appear promising for prolonged duration of local anesthesia.
Observability and estimation uncertainty analysis for PMU placement alternatives

The synchronized phasor measurement unit (PMU), developed in the 1980s, is considered to be one of the most important devices in the future of power systems. While PMU measurements currently cover fewer than 1% of the nodes in the U.S. power grid, the power industry has gained the momentum to advance the technology and install more units. However, with limited resources, the installation must be selective. Previous PMU placement research has focused primarily on the network topology, with the goal of finding configurations that achieve full network observability with a minimum number of PMUs. Here we present a new approach that also includes stochastic models for the signals and measurements, to characterize the observability and corresponding uncertainty of any given configuration of PMUs, whether that configuration achieves full observability or not. We hope that this approach can provide planning engineers with a new tool to help choose between PMU placement alternatives.
Decorated Young Tableaux and the Poissonized Robinson-Schensted Process

Abstract We introduce an object called a decorated Young tableau which can equivalently be viewed as a continuous time trajectory of Young diagrams or as a non-intersecting line ensemble. By a natural extension of the Robinson–Schensted correspondence, we create a random pair of decorated Young tableaux from a Poisson point process in the plane, which we think of as a stochastic process in discrete space and continuous time. By using only elementary techniques and combinatorial properties, we identify this process as a Schur process and show it has the same law as certain non-intersecting Poisson walkers.
An Investigation of the Influence of Plasma Characteristics on the Electronic and Optical Properties of Device Quality a-Si:H Grown by Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma Deposition

The electronic and optical properties of device quality hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films grown by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma deposition were studied together with in-situ plasma characteristics. Hydrogen and helium plasmas, excited by 50-250 watts of 2.45 GHz microwave power under ECR conditions, were used to decompose silane at 6 to 20 mtorr pressures during the deposition of a-Si:H films at a 297 C substrate temperature. Both the electron temperature and density, and ion flux are measured near the deposition surface using plane and cylindrical Langmuir probes. An attempt is made to correlate these plasma properties with the light and dark photoconductivity, optical gap, refractive index, and subband gap photoconductivity.
Allometry of Phloem Thickness and Resin Flow and Their Relation to Tree Chemotype in a Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Forest

We measured traits of 470 Pinus ponderosa in northern Arizona and constructed equations scaling phloem thickness and resin flow to tree size. We tested the hypothesis that these traits were related to tree monoterpene chemotype. The monoterpene composition of resin was analyzed for a subset of trees (n 146). Correlation analyses revealed that all tree phenotypic traits were positively correlated. Equations of phloem thickness and resin flow were nonlinear: phloem thickness was a logarithmic function of tree diameter, and diameter explained moderate variation in phloem thickness (R 2 0.234). Similarly, resin flow was a reciprocal function of diameter (R 2 0.214). Resin flow rapidly increased with tree diameter but plateaued as tree diameter exceeded 40 cm. Phloem thickness was only weakly linearly related to resin flow (R 2 0.078). A multivariate regression incorporating diameter, height, and phloem thickness did not explain substantially more variance in resin flow than diameter alone. We found no evidence to suggest that tree phenotype was related to tree chemotype. We conclude that there are positive but weak relationships between tree size, phloem thickness, and resin flow in southwestern ponderosa pine and that trees with thick phloem are not necessarily better defended from herbivory by resin flow.
Influence of Acute and Chronic Suckling on Plasma Corticosterone and Mammary Nucleic Acids

SummaryThoracic teats of rats were ligated and litters were adjusted to 2 or 6 pups on day 2 of lactation. Rats were constantly with their litters until day 7 of lactation when they were subjected to: (i) continued suckling; (ii) 12.5 hr nonsuckling; or (iii) 12.0 hr nonsuckling then 0.5 hr suckling.Plasma corticosterone (μg/100 ml) of rats suckling 2 or 6 pups was 23.83 and 29.31, respectively, when litters suckled continuously. It was reduced to 19.75 and 20.15, respectively, following 12.5 hr of nonsuckling. Following 12 hr nonsuckling, 0.5 hr of suckling increased plasma corticosterone to 39.44 and 70.01 μg/100 ml in rats with 2 and 6 pups, respectively. Corticosterone released in response to suckling appeared to be related to intensity of the suckling stimulus.Rats suckling 6 pups had more mammary ribonucleic acid (RNA), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and a greater RNA/DNA ratio than rats with 2 pups. Mammary gland RNA and RNA/DNA ratio decreased after 12.5 hr nonsuckling and mammary weight increased 8...
Investigation of a gastroenteritis outbreak caused by norovirus GII in a school in Jiangmen, Guangdong

Objective To probe the pathogens,transmitting vector and risk factors of the gastroenteritis outbreak occurred in a school in Jiangmen. Methods Descriptive epidemiology and case-control study were used to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of the epidemic,modes of transmission and risk factors. Classrooms,school canteen and drinking water conditions were also investigated. Samples were tested for norovirus nucleic acid by RT-PCR. Results 69 cases were found in this gastroenteritis outbreak,and the attack rate in the school was 5.66%. All of the cases were students. No in-patient cases were reported. The general symptoms of the cases were vomiting(98.55%). The onset date of the index case was on November3 rd,lasting to November 9th,2014. The peak time was on November 5th. The distribution of cases in classes appeared distinct spatial aggregation. 88.41% cases were in first grade. Daycare at school(OR=3.12,95%CI=1.14~8.52) and sitting nearby gastroenteritis classmates(RR=2.80,95%CI=1.52~5.26) were risk factors. 4 out of 8 anal swabs were positive for Norovirus GⅡ nucleic acid. Conclusion This gastroenteritis outbreak happened in a school of Jiangmen was caused by Norovirus GⅡinfection. The main transmission mode was person-to-person contact.
Sleep apnea in epistaxis patients treated with nasal packs

The presence of anterior and posterior nasal packs in patients with epistaxis is known to be associated with cardiorespiratory problems and sometimes death, although the mechanism has not been well understood. To determine the incidence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with epistaxis treated with both anterior and posterior nasal packs, we obtained polysomnograms on twelve patients while the packs were in place. Ten of these patients demonstrated obstructive sleep apnea. The apnea index (apneas/hour sleep) ranged from 1 to 83, with a mean of 29; the hypopnea index (hypopneas/hour sleep) ranged from 9 to 33, with a mean of 20; and the lowest oxygen saturation (SaO2) ranged from 17% to 91%, with a mean of 77%. Ten patients returned for another polysomnogram after removal of the packs. These baseline studies showed improvement in the apnea index and in the lowest SaO2 in all patients, although four patients still demonstrated at least mild obstructive sleep apnea. This study demonstrates that nasal packs used for the treatment of epistaxis may induce obstructive sleep apnea or markedly exacerbate underlying obstructive sleep apnea and, therefore, contribute to the sudden deaths that have been reported in epistaxis patients.
Is posttraumatic stress a viable model for understanding responses to childhood cancer

The application of a trauma model to understanding the impact of life-threatening illness has been informative. In the case of childhood cancer patients, it appears clear that a full PTSD syndrome is not the normative response either during or after treatment. Some aspects of cancer diagnosis and treatment, however, are experienced as traumatic by a subset of children, some of whom report symptoms of posttraumatic stress. There is some evidence that children may respond to cancer treatment as a repeated trauma, with the result of more subtle changes in affect modulation, world view, and interpersonal relationships. This area requires further investigation. The trauma model is also useful in understanding parental responses to childhood cancer. The epidemiologic data to date regarding posttraumatic stress symptoms in parents of childhood cancer survivors is consistent with the trauma literature regarding responses to moderate-magnitude traumatic exposure. These findings have important implications for clinical interventions for families of childhood cancer patients. More research is needed in the prediction and prevention of the long-term distress reported by so many parents of children who have undergone successful treatment for life-threatening illness.
Censorship and the law: the Caroline inheritance

William Prynne, who was tried in the court of Star Chamber in 1634 for several charges (including sedition and perjury) in relation to the duly authorized book he had written denouncing actors and the theatre ( Histrio-mastix , 1633), looms so large in the historical imagination of Caroline England, that however often his story has been told, any effort to come to terms with the relationship between the government of Charles I and print culture must contend with Prynne and his place in the historical imagination. I begin here with Prynne's name not to ground my study of Caroline press censorship in the encounter between Prynne and the Caroline regime, but to suggest the complex investments that have attended even the most astute studies of England between Charles I's accession in 1625 and his execution in 1649. However cautiously scholars have sought to navigate the troubled waters of seventeenth-century historiography, the events of the 1640s and 1650s – whether “Civil War,” “Rebellion,” or “Revolution” – inevitably impinge upon the ways in which stories like Prynne's have been told. It may appear to be an artificial exercise to attempt to place press censorship during the reign of Charles within its prevailing economic, political, and religious contexts, looking back to historical precedents rather than forward to the Civil War, as this study seeks to do. Considering a few of the narratives that have attached to Prynne's trial, however, should suggest the desirability (indeed the necessity) of such an approach.
Optimal Reversal of Novel Anticoagulants in Trauma

The incidence of patients with trauma on novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for the treatment of thromboembolic disorders is increasing. In severe bleeding or hemorrhage into critical spaces, urgent reversal of this underlying pharmacologic coagulopathy becomes paramount. Optimal reversal strategy for commonly used NOACs is still evolving. Basic tenets of evaluation of patients with trauma and resuscitation remain the same. Clinical outcomes data in bleeding human patients with trauma are lacking, but are needed to establish efficacy and safety in these treatments. This article summarizes the available evidence and provides the optimal reversal strategy for bleeding patients with trauma on NOACs.
Role of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the Detoxication of Cyclophosphamide (CP) in Rat Embryos

The carbonyl compound 4-hydroxynonenal is one of the major and most toxic products of the oxidative lipid breakdown of biological membranes. Its formation has been quantified in rat liver homogenates, microsomes and whole parenchymal cells under various conditions of enhanced lipid peroxidation (Benedetti, et al., 1980; Esterbauer, et al., 1982; Poli, et al., 1985,1986).
Does the Dietary Pattern of Shanghai Residents Change across Seasons and Area of Residence: Assessing Dietary Quality Using the Chinese Diet Balance Index (DBI).

Background: Few studies have applied the Chinese Diet Balance Index (DBI) in evaluating dietary quality across seasons. Method: The Shanghai Diet and Health Survey (SDHS) included 1680 participants from all districts of Shanghai from 2012 to 2013. Dietary data were obtained using three‐day 24‐h recall in spring, summer, fall, and winter. Higher bound score (HBS), lower bound score (LBS) and diet quality distance (DQD) were calculated according to compliance with the dietary guidelines and based on the recommendations for consumption within the main food groups. HBS, LBS, and DQD represent over‐intake, under‐intake, and overall imbalance of the diet, respectively. Results: 836 males and 844 females were included. The HBS indicated that 10.08%, 11.84%, 10.31%, and 12.73% people have moderate or high levels of over‐intake of food in spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively; and 74.04%, 37.61%, 53.09%, and 42.72% people have moderate or high levels of deficit food intake for each of the four seasons. The mean HBS and LBS among the four seasons were statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). The mean (SD) DQD was 43.27 (10.21), 35.67 (9.71), 39.19 (9.36), and 36.84 (9.45) in each season. A multivariable model showed statistically significant differences in DQD according to age, gender, occupational status, education, smoking, drinking status, season, and residency (p < 0.001). Conclusion: An unbalanced diet is common among people living in Shanghai. Seasonality and area of residence were found to be two significant predictors. Strengthening the accessibility and the supply of food across seasons and regions should be considered.
Abstract 359: Tripartite Motif Protein 58 (trim58) is a Novel Regulator of Membrane Repair With Increased Expression in Failing Cardiac Muscle

In recent years, members of the tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) family of E3 ubiquitin ligases have been shown to be both positively and negatively regulated in various disease pathologies. TRIM72 (MG53) has been directly linked with regulation of sarcolemmal membrane repair in striated muscle cells, including cardiomyocytes. Recently, we were first to identify that a novel tripartite motif family member, TRIM58, is a negative regulator of the cell membrane repair process in striated muscle cells. Overexpression of TRIM58 decreases the membrane repair capacity of cultured myoblasts as measured by dye occlusion following laser-mediated disruption of the sarcolemmal membrane. We also find that TRIM58 can directly interact with TRIM72/MG53 and alter signaling through phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K). Protein profiling experiments show that TRIM58 expression increases during the development of heart failure suggesting that TRIM58 may be relevant in the development of cardiac failure. Western blot and histological examination in both human (Fig.1) and mouse transverse aortic constriction (TAC) heart failure samples clearly show an increased expression of TRIM58 in cardiac tissue. Our results suggest that TRIM58 levels might serve as a potential prognostic marker and that TRIM58 may be a therapeutic target for the management of cardiovascular disease.
Between Astrology and Copernicanism: Morin – Gassendi – Boulliau

Jean-Baptiste Morin, arguably Europe’s most noted astrologer and anti-Copernican, was a key figure in a bitter controversy involving Pierre Gassendi, Ismael Boulliau, and a dozen other notable savants. News of the dispute captivated Learned Europe for two decades (1630-1650). It was not a backwater affair. After a humiliating quarrel on longitude, Morin expressed his anger by publicly pitting astrology against Copernicanism, by counterpointing the Copernican Question and the Astrology Question in matters of theology and cosmology. His strategy failed. Capitalizing on Morin’s challenge, the New Science not only turned a bitter personal dispute into a fruitful public debate, it firmly established its autonomy and authority. In the end, astrology was not simply marginalized – it did not die from collateral damage – and it did not die a natural death. The death of astrology was by public execution.
Service performance of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) slabs

Abstract Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC), particularly steel FRC (SFRC), offers the potential to improve the service level performance of structures by controlling the width of cracks and potentially allowing for a reduction in the amount of traditional reinforcing steel. Full-scale tests of hybrid reinforced concrete (continuous reinforcement with SFRC) one-way slab strips were conducted to investigate the interaction of rebar with SFRC. Parameters varied were slab depth, amount of reinforcement, and location of reinforcement. Readings from strain gages on the rebar were used to investigate the impact of SFRC on the service stresses. Crack width measurements were made at regular intervals and compared to strain readings. In SFRC slabs, service stress limits were reached at larger demands than in RC slabs. When service stress limits were reached in SFRC slabs, crack widths were much smaller than common crack width limits, suggesting design for crack widths may be an appropriate method for addressing serviceability in SFRC slabs. Applying the results of the tests to sample bridges, it was demonstrated that SFRC can be used to either decrease the amount of steel in a bridge deck to satisfy service performance requirements or to increase the slab span without the need for additional reinforcement.