cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance modeling and optimization for single- and multi-wall carbon nanotube interconnects

Based on physical circuit models the performances of signal and power interconnects at the local, semi-global and global levels are modeled at 100degC. For local signal interconnects, replacing copper wires with a typical aspect ratio of 2 by thin SWNT interconnects can lower power dissipation by 50%. This would also improve their speed by up to 50% by the end of the ITRS. Copper wires and large diameter MWNTs offer the lowest resistance for power distribution in the first and second interconnect levels, respectively. SWNT-bundles and MWNTs can be used to lower the delay of signal interconnects in semi-global levels. MWNTs with diameters of 50 nm and 100 nm can potentially increase the bandwidth density of global interconnects by up to 50% and 100%, respectively.
Foster Wheeler, Ltd

In December 2003, Foster Wheeler Ltd., a publicly traded global engineering and construction company with large capital requirements, was on the brink of bankruptcy. In the midst of restructuring efforts, it had accumulated a shareholder deficit of $872 million. Going forward, management had to decide whether to pursue a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and how to approach the ongoing negotiations with the company's creditors.
Notch filtering of RF interference in PET data for simultaneous PET-MR acquisition

We have developed a filtering method to reduce RF interference in PET data for simultaneously acquired PET-MR. Data was acquired from a SiPM-based PET detector coupled to LYSO scintillators using a transmission-line readout scheme and high-speed waveform sampling. The detector was placed within a 9.4 T small animal MR system with either copper or no shielding, and PET data from a low-activity 22Na source and LYSO background were acquired while MR images were also acquired. MR images showed no image quality degradation. 4% and 7% of PET waveforms demonstrated RF interference with and without shielding. After applying a notch filter, the energy spectrum of RF-affected events was comparable to RF-unaffected events due to improved measurement of the waveform maximum amplitude. Differential time measurements of events on the transmission-line were also improved. This study demonstrates the utility of waveform sampling readout which allows straightforward post-processing in PET data acquisition for simultaneous PET-MR.
Microbial Sphingomyelinase Induces RhoA-mediated Reorganization of the Apical Brush Border Membrane and Is Protective Against Invasion

The apical brush border membrane (BBM) of intestinal epithelial cells forms a highly structured and dynamic environmental interface that serves to regulate cellular physiology and block invasion by intestinal microbes and their products. How the BBM dynamically responds to pathogenic and commensal bacterial signals can define intestinal homeostasis and immune function. We previously found that in model intestinal epithelium, the conversion of apical membrane sphingomyelin to ceramide by exogenous bacterial sphingomyelinase (SMase) protected against the endocytosis and toxicity of cholera toxin. Here we elucidate a mechanism of action by showing that SMase induces a dramatic, reversible, RhoA-dependent alteration of the apical cortical F-actin network. Accumulation of apical membrane ceramide is necessary and sufficient to induce the actin phenotype, and this coincides with altered membrane structure and augmented innate immune function as evidenced by resistance to invasion by Salmonella.
Improvement of urban lake water quality by removal of Escherichia coli through the action of the bivalve Anodonta californiensis.

High levels of fecal indicator bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, can be indicative of poor water quality. The use of shellfish to reduce eutrophication has been proposed, but application of bivalves to reduce bacterial levels has not been extensively reported. Removal of E. coli by the native freshwater mussel Anodonta californiensis was studied using laboratory batch systems and field-based flow-through systems. Batch systems were utilized to determine the fate and inactivation of E. coli after uptake by the mussel. Batch experiments demonstrated that uptake patterns followed first order kinetics and E. coli was inactivated with less than 5% of the initial colonies recoverable in fecal matter or tissue. Flow-through systems located at an urban impaired lake in San Francisco, CA were utilized to determine uptake kinetics under environmentally relevant conditions. The bivalves maintained a 1-log removal of E. coli for the duration of exposure. The calculated uptake rates can be used in conjunction with h...
The Ionization of Adsorbed Protein.

The electric mobility of freely dispersed egg albumin and of microscopic quartz particles covered with the same protein have been shown to be fairly similar between pH 3.2 and 5.5.1 Zetapotential measurements by the method of streaming potentials have confirmed this relationship.2 The mobilities of quartz and other kinds of particles covered with egg albumin and with gelatin have since then been studied in the pH range noted in conjunction with the titration curves for these proteins. Under certain conditions, the change in mobility of the protein covered particles has been found to follow the titration curves of these proteins very closely. (Fig. 1.)All of these observations indicate that the process of adsorption of the proteins mentioned does not appreciably change the ionization of the adsorbed protein at the protein-water interface. The free amino and carboxyl groups of the protein are, therefore, not primarily involved in the quartz-protein combination. These facts lend a particular biologic importa...
Enhanced Area of Secondary Hyperalgesia in Women with Multiple Stressful Life Events: A Pilot Study.

Objective. Stressful life events are associated with increased pain severity and chronicity. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains disputed. Recent animal studies suggest that chronic stress increases pain sensitivity and persistence by enhancing peripheral and central sensitization mechanisms. To test this hypothesis in humans, the authors examined whether sensitization is enhanced in healthy women reporting more stressful life events using the topical capsaicin test. Methods. Thirty-two healthy young women reporting varying levels of stressful life events were invited for laboratory pain testing. Capsaicin was applied topically to the volar forearm. Measurements included capsaicin-induced spontaneous pain and area of secondary hyperalgesia in the region surrounding capsaicin application. Physiological (heart rate and skin conductance) and self-reported affective (emotional valence and arousal) states were also measured. Results. The results indicate that more stressful life events predicted a linear increase in the area of secondary hyperalgesia (β = 0.40, p = 0.023, R 2 = 0.16), but not the intensity of secondary hyperalgesia nor capsaicin-induced spontaneous pain. These findings suggest that life stressors may be associated with heightened central sensitization manifested by an increased area of secondary hyperalgesia. Additionally, life stressors were related to greater sympathetic cardiac, but not to affective responses to capsaicin-induced pain. Conclusion. This study shows that women reporting more stressful life events show a larger area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia. These preliminary findings suggest that life stressors may facilitate pain processing by enhancing central sensitization.
Bladder Augmentation: Experience with 129 Children and Young Adults

AbstractFrom 1977 to 1989 bladder augmentation was performed in 56 male and 73 female patients from 1 to 35 years old (average age 12.7 years). In 59 cases augmentation was performed as part of an undiversion operation. Indications for augmentation included neurogenic bladder, severely scarred bladder from prior operations, noncompliant bladder after previous treatment of severe urethral valves, small bladder in former exstrophy patients, epispadias with a small bladder, cloacal exstrophy, and small, noncompliant bladder after therapy for cancer, trauma, cloaca and miscellaneous conditions. We used 145 bowel segments, since 16 patients had 2 bowel segments. Segments included cecum in 65 cases, sigmoid in 46, small bowel in 24, stomach in 4 and left colon in 1. The most common complication was stones. Detubularized bowel for augmentation of small noncompliant bladders allows functional reconstruction in a wide range of urological disorders that were formerly treated by diversion. Reconstruction is possible...
Particle size and frother effects in column flotation

Flotation experiments were carried out in a 76-mm- (3-in.-) diam, 3.55-m- (11.65-ft-) high column equipped with a Mott porous sparger. The variables studied included coal type, particle size, airflow rate and frother type. The column throughput was found to be a function of the airflow rate, frother type and feed size, and it was correlated to the Froude number. The Froude number exponent was found to be a function of frother type and feed size, but it was independent of the froth phase gas hold-up over the range 0.43 to 0.65. MIBC was determined to be a better frother for coal flotation than F-579. For a given frother, the gas velocity exponent for the coarse (70 x 100-mesh) feed was approximately one-half that of the fine (−100-mesh) feed. The use of wash water was also found to increase the dependence of the column carrying capacity on the gas velocity.
Ten-year experience with pericardial xenograft valves

Five hundred fifty-three pericardial xenografts were inserted in 520 patients during a 9-year period at the Fu Wai Hospital in Beijing. The bovine pericardial xenograft was modeled after a similar type of prosthesis manufactured by Shiley Inc. (Irvine, Calif.). The late mortality rate in this series was only 1.8% per annum and the actuarial survival rate was 73.0% ± 12% at 10 years. There was a very acceptable low incidence of thromboembolism of 0.41% per annum without the need for permanent anticoagulation. This is similar to the clinical reports with other tissue valves. The main question is the durability of the tissue prosthesis or, in other words, the freedom from valve-related clinical complications. In this series, the expected actuarial valve durability rate was 75.0% ± 8.8% at 10 years. Whether this will continue to hold up over the next follow-up period is unclear. Certainly other tissue prostheses have shown significant degeneration rates beginning after the sixth year that have risen progressively thereafter. In any case, given the relatively low probability of thromboembolic phenomenon without anticoagulation, the trade-off of a prosthesis that may not be as durable as the mechanical ones is certainly acceptable.
Redemption and the Voice of Trauma

Eisenach’s preservation conflicts offer an ideal site for examining the ways in which government officials, scholars, specialists, and citizens in East Germany wrangle with the past and the conundrums of belonging at the level of local politics and everyday practice. Politicians and officials regard preservation as an object of legal regulation and preservation specialists claim it as a province of scholarly expertise, but these attempts to rationalize it do not lighten its moral and symbolic load. But why should they? Preservation’s links to nationalism and other forms of identity, the moral significance attached to it, and its role in safeguarding cherished objects from the dangers of time and irreverent others make it quite difficult to contain preservation within frames of rational calculation, bureaucratic order, and democratic compromise. At the same time, by virtue of what I call the transparency of the material, landmarks are treated as possessing a basic, obvious, tangible truth.
Multicultural Inclusion of Lesbian and Gay Literature Themes in Elementary Classrooms.

This article provides a rationale for and methods to assist elementary educators in creating spaces where the enhancement of awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning ...
Neural Control of the Upper Airway: Respiratory and State-Dependent Mechanisms

Upper airway muscles subserve many essential for survival orofacial behaviors, including their important role as accessory respiratory muscles. In the face of certain predisposition of craniofacial anatomy, both tonic and phasic inspiratory activation of upper airway muscles is necessary to protect the upper airway against collapse. This protective action is adequate during wakefulness, but fails during sleep which results in recurrent episodes of hypopneas and apneas, a condition known as the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). Although OSA is almost exclusively a human disorder, animal models help unveil the basic principles governing the impact of sleep on breathing and upper airway muscle activity. This article discusses the neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and neurophysiology of the different neuronal systems whose activity changes with sleep-wake states, such as the noradrenergic, serotonergic, cholinergic, orexinergic, histaminergic, GABAergic and glycinergic, and their impact on central respiratory neurons and upper airway motoneurons. Observations of the interactions between sleep-wake states and upper airway muscles in healthy humans and OSA patients are related to findings from animal models with normal upper airway, and various animal models of OSA, including the chronic-intermittent hypoxia model. Using a framework of upper airway motoneurons being under concurrent influence of central respiratory, reflex and state-dependent inputs, different neurotransmitters, and neuropeptides are considered as either causing a sleep-dependent withdrawal of excitation from motoneurons or mediating an active, sleep-related inhibition of motoneurons. Information about the neurochemistry of state-dependent control of upper airway muscles accumulated to date reveals fundamental principles and may help understand and treat OSA. © 2016 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 6:1801-1850, 2016.
Cognitive-Behavior Family Therapy: Contemporary Myths and Misconceptions

The field of couple and family therapy has grown in the direction of expanding its horizons by looking toward innovative ideas and whatever works to facilitate change. Despite its demonstrated track record with a broad range of behavioral and emotional disorders, the cognitive-behavior therapies (CBT) may have been underutilized by couples and family therapists unlike some of the more traditional and postmodern approaches. This article explores some of the basic tenets of the cognitive-behavioral approach with families and proposes it as both a useful intervention tool as well as a theoretically compatible model to systemic approaches. In addition, a number of contemporary myths and misconceptions are discussed that may be precluding CBT's utilization by therapists in the field.
Vulnerability of Southern Plains agriculture to climate change

Projections of greater interannual and intrannual climate variability, including increasing temperatures, longer and more intense drought periods, and more extreme precipitation events, present growing challenges for agricultural production in the Southern Plains of the USA. We assess agricultural vulnerabilities within this region to support identification and development of adaptation strategies at regional to local scales, where many management decisions are made. Exposure to the synergistic effects of warming, such as fewer and more intense precipitation events and greater overall weather variability, will uniquely affect rain-fed and irrigated cropping, high-value specialty crops, extensive and intensive livestock production, and forestry. Although the sensitivities of various agricultural sectors to climatic stressors can be difficult to identify at regional scales, we summarize that crops irrigated from the Ogallala aquifer possess a high sensitivity; rangeland beef cattle production a low sensitivity; and rain-fed crops, forestry, and specialty crops intermediate sensitivities. Numerous adaptation strategies have been identified, including drought contingency planning, increased soil health, improved forecasts and associated decision support tools, and implementation of policies and financial instruments for risk management. However, the extent to which these strategies are adopted is variable and influenced by both biophysical and socioeconomic considerations. Inadequate local- and regional-scale climate risk and resilience information suggests that climate vulnerability research and climate adaptation approaches need to include bottom-up approaches such as learning networks and peer-to-peer communication.
A recharge-discharge water budget and evaluation of water budgets for the Edwards Aquifer associated with Barton Springs

The Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer represents a small, relatively independent part of the aquifer. Data for the sources of recharge and especially for discharge from the aquifer are well documented. Based on a 6-year water budget of surface recharge and surface discharge, the volumes match within 5%, which is within the potential error limits of the recharge and discharge values. Recharge volumes include increased runoff due to urbanization in the recharge area. A previous water budget based on an earlier period also displayed a balance between recharge and discharge volumes. Both budgets are based on slightly “wetter” than long-term mean recharge and discharge conditions, thus subsurface recharge from south of the aquifer segment, which is documented to occur during dry conditions, was an insignificant source of recharge during the budget periods. The recharge volumes are based on data from streamflow gaging stations operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. However, one of the stations (Bear Creek near Brodie Lane) was discontinued in 2010; this station is needed to calculate recharge volumes on Bear Creek and Little Bear Creek. Because of the discontinuance of the station, any calculations of recharge volumes after 2010 would contain substantial potential error.
A Novel S-C-U Dual Four-Bar Linkage

This paper presents the kinematic architecture, analysis, and simulation of the S-C-U Dual Four-Bar Linkage (Larochelle and Du, Dual four-bar linkage mechanism, 2015, [4]). The S-C-U Dual Four-Bar Linkage, or SCUD Linkage, is a biologically inspired design for articulating the leg in a mechanical walking machine. The SCUD Linkage consists of dual planar four-bar mechanisms used to support and generate the desired motion of a rod in three-dimensional space. The rod is supported by two joints; each of these binary joints connecting the rod to a coupler point on a planar four-bar mechanism. At one end of the rod a universal joint connects it to a coupler point. At the rod’s midpoint, a combination of a cylindrical joint and a spherical joint are used to connect it to the other supporting coupler point. The result is a two degree of freedom closed kinematic chain with two parallel sub chains. The end-effector or workpiece of the SCUD Linkage is affixed to the free end of the rod. Here, the concept of the SCUD Linkage as well as its kinematic analysis and simulation are presented. The analysis of an example SCUD Linkage is included.
Arthroscopic and Open Surgery for Osteochondritis Dissecans

Osteochondritis dissecans lesions of the elbow occur in 3.4% of adolescent baseball players, and the lesions will inevitably progress without intervention. Fifty percentage of patients who initially presented with advanced lesions had decreased range of motion and pain with activities of daily living. Patients treated early have high return to sports rates. After radiographs are obtained, patients suspected of having an osteochondritis dissecans lesion in the elbow should undergo a magnetic resonance arthrogram to determine the integrity of the cartilage cap. Central lesions with an intact cartilage cap can often be successfully treated with bracing and a course of formal therapy. Patients who fail conservative treatment with a violated cartilage cap can undergo microfracture or fragment fixation. Patients with lesions that extend to the lateral wall require an autograft transfer to restore the structural integrity of the capitellum and prevent instability.
Chapter 174 – Gangliosidoses

The gangliosidoses comprise a family of lysosomal storage diseases characterized by the accumulation of complex glycosphingolipids in the nervous system and other tissues, secondary to the deficient activity of lysosomal hydrolases or their associated activator proteins. GM1 and GM2 gangliosidosis are associated with deficiency of β-galactosidase and β-hexosaminidase respectively. All gangliosidoses are characterized by progressive neurodegeneration, the severity of which is proportional to the residual enzyme activity. The GM1 gangliosidoses are characterized by dysostosis, organomegaly and coarsening in their most severe forms, whereas children with classic infantile GM2 gangliosidosis (Tay–Sachs disease) are usually spared systemic involvement, except in the case of the Sandhoff variant, in which organomegaly may occur. Cherry-red macular spots occur in the early onset forms of the gangliosidoses, but are less frequently seen in the less severe, later onset phenotypes. Macrocephaly, an exaggerated startle response, cognitive decline, seizures, ataxia, and progressive muscular atrophy may occur in different forms of gangliosidosis. The diagnosis is made by assay of enzyme activity, and can be confirmed by mutation analysis. Carrier screening for Tay–Sachs disease has been remarkably successful in reducing the incidence of this disease in the at-risk Ashkenazi population. There are no proven disease-modifying therapies for the gangliosidoses.
Analysis of driver's visual attention using near-miss incidents

The number of fatal traffic accidents has been decreasing in Japan because of vehicles' recent safety technologies, such as stiff cabins, antilock braking systems, and seat belts. Automated vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems can advance the trend. However, many traffic accidents occur on narrow streets in residential sections, where it is difficult for even advanced vehicles to drive safely. In this research, we utilized a near-miss incident database to analyze driver gazing. The result showed that preventive warning systems are useful for avoiding traffic accidents.
Quantized interlevel character in quantum systems

For a quantum system subject to external parameters, the Berry phase is an intralevel property, which is gauge invariant module $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ for a closed loop in the parameter space and generally is nonquantized. In contrast, we define an interband character $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Theta}}$ for a closed loop, which is gauge invariant and quantized as integer values. It is a quantum mechanical analogy of the Euler character based on the Gauss-Bonnet theorem for a manifold with a boundary. The role of the Gaussian curvature is mimicked by the difference between the Berry curvatures of the two levels, and the counterpart of the geodesic curvature is the quantum geometric potential which was proposed to improve the quantum adiabatic condition. This quantized interband character is also generalized to quantum degenerate systems.
Changes in bale moisture, thickness, and force due to changing environments and bagging

In a three-phase study, changes in moisture content, bale thickness, and bale tie forces in cotton bales were strongly influenced by bale density, storage climate, and permeability of the protective covering on the bales. In Phase I, eight bales of cotton were packaged at universal density and stored without bagging at ambient conditions for 81 d. Bale thickness and tie force were measured periodically, and the bale weights were taken before and after the storage period. The same eight bales were then randomly placed in four different types of bagging and stored at 26.7 °C (80 °F) and 80% relative humidity (RH) for 100 d (Phase II). The bagging included two types of experimental bagging and two types of standard bagging. The experimental bagging was less permeable than the standard bagging. In Phase III, the same bales were stored for 305 d at 21.1 °C (70 °F) and 50% RH. The bales gained moisture (weight) during Phases I and II but lost moisture during Phase III. In Phase I, bale thickness and tie force initially increased after storage and then responded to the fluctuations in climatic conditions. During Phase II at 80% RH, the bale thickness and tie force increased, but during Phase III at 50% RH, the thickness and the tie force decreased. Weight of bales covered in the standard bags changed by 2.19, 1.42, and -2.35 after storage at ambient conditions, 80% RH, and 50% RH, respectively. Weight of bales covered in experimental bags changed by 2.08, 1.02, and -1.67% after storage at ambient conditions, 80% RH, and 50% RH, respectively.
Women’s Health and Health Behaviors

Prior to the 1980s, the scientific community paid little serious attention to gender-specific health issues. Most clinical trials conducted before 1980 failed to include women. When women were included, gender differences were typically not reported and presumably not assessed. Findings from studies of men were generalized to women with little regard for the possibility that the results might lack validity across genders. This situation has finally begun to change, as reflected in events such as the 1986 National Institutes of Health (NIH) mandate that government-funded research include women and the 1990 formation within the NIH of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (Stanton, 1995).
Imperial Unknowns: the French and British in the Mediterranean, 1650–1750, by Cornel Zwierlein

Cornel Zwierlein begins this book with the observation that “empires are built on ignorance” (1) and he then examines the ways in which British and French imperial actors dealt with various forms o...
Functional Adaptation and Fragility of the Skeleton

It is human nature that our perspectives on various subjects are colored by expectations derived from previous experiences, and this includes our attempts to understand the physiology and pathology of the skeleton. Medical students, having studied biochemistry far more than mechanics, often regard the skeleton as a static, mechanical framework on which are hung all the more interesting, biochemical parts of the body. In this view, the only physiologically interesting role of the skeleton is as a calcium reservoir, and beyond that its medical significance is summarized by the word “fractures.” Anthropology students, on the other hand, learn to value the skeleton as the part of the body that survives death, decay, and geological storage. A surviving bone may be examined at great length to try to elicit the behaviors, diet, illnesses, and other characteristics of its former owner. To obtain a more complete understanding of the role and function of the skeleton from any perspective, perhaps we should all try to see the skeleton from a bone’s own standpoint. This Chapter attempts to do that in the light of new developments in bone biology and mechanics that are of great consequence for both medicine and anthropology.
Direct 3-D Printing of Nonplanar Linear-Dipole-Phased Array Antennas

Design and rapid prototyping of a nonplanar linear-array antenna for multimission applications are discussed. The array elements are simple half-wavelength dipoles that were printed uniformly with parallel line and ground plane in a single step. The array antenna was designed for the frequency range of 2.7–3 GHz. A six-element linear-array prototype was fabricated and measured. To achieve higher polarization purity, the elements are mirrored in the array arrangement with respect to the center of the array antenna. With VSWR $ 1 over the entire frequency range, the proposed linear array obtains $-$ 30 dB cross-polarization level in scanning up to ${\pm }$ 45 $^{\circ }$ in the principal plane. The light weight, low cost, and high performance of the proposed array antenna demonstrate the strong potential of three-dimensional printing technology for multimission applications.
Brownian dynamics of a neutral protein moving through a nanopore in an electrically biased membrane

The ability to separate proteins is desirable for many fields of study, and nanoporous membranes may offer a method for rapid protein filtration at high throughput volume, provided there is an understanding of the protein dynamics involved. In this work, we use Brownian dynamics simulations to study the motion of coarse-grained proteins insulin and ubiquitin in an electrically biased membrane. In our model, the protein is subjected to various biases applied to the silicon membrane equipped with a nanopore of different radii. The time each protein takes to find a cylindrical nanopore embedded in a thin silicon membrane, attempt to translocate it (waiting time), and successfully translocate it in a single attempt (translocation time) is calculated. We observe insulin finding the nanopore and translocating it faster than the electrically neutral ubiquitin due to insulin’s slightly smaller size and net negative charge. While ubiquitin’s dynamics is also affected by the size of the pore, surprisingly, its translocation process is also noticeably changed by the membrane bias. By investigating the protein’s multipole moments, we demonstrate that this behavior is largely due to the protein’s dipole and quadrupole interactions with the membrane potential.The ability to separate proteins is desirable for many fields of study, and nanoporous membranes may offer a method for rapid protein filtration at high throughput volume, provided there is an understanding of the protein dynamics involved. In this work, we use Brownian dynamics simulations to study the motion of coarse-grained proteins insulin and ubiquitin in an electrically biased membrane. In our model, the protein is subjected to various biases applied to the silicon membrane equipped with a nanopore of different radii. The time each protein takes to find a cylindrical nanopore embedded in a thin silicon membrane, attempt to translocate it (waiting time), and successfully translocate it in a single attempt (translocation time) is calculated. We observe insulin finding the nanopore and translocating it faster than the electrically neutral ubiquitin due to insulin’s slightly smaller size and net negative charge. While ubiquitin’s dynamics is also affected by the size of the pore, surprisingly, its tran...
Abstract TP206: The Influence of Contextual Factors on Gaps in Hypertension Management for Veterans with TIA/Minor Stroke

Introduction: Many patients with TIA/minor stroke do not achieve goal blood pressure their cerebrovascular event, thereby remaining at high risk for future events. Understanding the influence of co...
Taurine Improves the Actions of Metformin and Lovastatin on Plasma Markers of Carbohydrate and Lipid Dysfunction of Diabetic Rats

The present study has investigated the effect of adding taurine (TAU) to a treatment of diabetes with metformin (MET), a hypoglycemic, and lovastatin (LOV), an antihyperlipidemic. To this end, male Sprague-Dawley rats, agent, 250–275 g in weight, were made diabetic with a single 60 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.) dose of streptozocin (STZ) in 10 mM citrate buffer pH 4.5, and, after 14 days, treated daily with oral doses of MET (2.4 mM/kg), LOV (0.075 mM/kg) or TAU (2.4 mM/kg), and with binary and ternary combinations of these agents. Rats receiving only 10 mM citrate buffer pH 4.5 or only STZ served as negative and positive controls, respectively. In addition, rats receiving insulin (INS, 4 units/kg) by the subcutaneous route served as a reference treatment. All the rats were sacrificed on day 57 and their bloods collected into heparinized tubes. The corresponding plasma samples were analyzed for their glucose (GLC), insulin (INS), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), cholesterol (CHOL) and triglycerides (TG) contents. In comparison to normal rats, diabetic ones showed marked increases in GLC (+313%), HbA1c (+207%), CHOL (+66%) and TG (+188) and a profound decrease of INS levels (−76%) (p < 0.001 vs. control values). Among the various treatments, one with INS produced the greatest lowering effect on the plasm a GLC (+23%, p < 0.05), INS (+23%, p < 0.05) and TG (+3%), with the remaining changes being similar to those seen with MET. A treatment with MET reduced all the diabetic changes by at least threefold; and one with LOV had a significant (p < 0.001) lowering effect on the plasma CHOL and TG but was without an effect on the plasma GLC, INS and HbA1c. In common with LOV, TAU reduced the diabetic levels of both CHOL and TG and, in addition, reduced the diabetic plasma GLC and raised the corresponding INS level. Among binary combinations, one with LOV-MET provided a greater effect than MET alone only in terms of the plasma CHOL and TG; and one with LOV-TAU was only significantly better than TAU alone in lowering the TG levels. However, a treatment with LOV-MET-TAU led to reductions in all the plasma parameters examined that were much greater than those achieved with any of the individual agents or with their binary combinations (at p ≤ 0.05).
Low atmospheric CO2 induces nocturnal carbon accumulation in the lycophyte genus Isoetes

Abstract Metabolic shifts play an essential role in the survival of plants in extreme habitats. Certain desert plant species, for example, avoid water loss by temporally segregating the light and dark reactions of photosynthesis. By only opening their stomata at night these plants inhibit significant water loss during the day. At night CO2 is incorporate into 4-carbon acids for subsequent daytime fixation1-5. This behavior is known as Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) and leads to noticeable diel cycles in pH of photosynthetic organs1-5. Oddly, similar acidity cycles are found in the submerged aquatic lycophyte genus Isoetes2,6-12, which are not water limited in any sense. It has long been assumed that their nocturnal CO2 accumulation is an adaptation to low daytime carbon levels in aquatic ecosystems, but this has never been empirically tested2,6-13. Here, we offer direct evidence that CO2 starvation induces CAM-like nocturnal carbon accumulation in terrestrial Isoetes. Populations of terrestrial Isoetes engelmannii grown in climate-controlled chambers and starved of atmospheric CO2 during the day displayed diel acidity cycles similar to those in both xerophytic CAM plants and submerged Isoetes species. These results substantiate the hypothesis that carbon starvation provides a selective pressure for nocturnal carbon accumulation in Isoetes. Furthermore, while aquatic CO2 levels undoubtedly promote nocturnal carbon accumulation in extant Isoetes, the induction of this behavior in terrestrial plants suggests a possible earlier terrestrial evolution of this metabolism in response to low atmospheric CO2 levels during the Carboniferous period14-17. Our findings therefore both provide empirical support for a long-standing assumption about nocturnal carbon accumulation in the lycophyte lineage2,6-12,18 and suggest an earlier evolution of this behavior, leading to the notion that CAM in xerophytes may only represent a subset of metabolisms that employ nocturnal carbon accumulation in response to variable environmental pressures.
“ALL Faculty Should Take this”: a Universal Design for Learning Training for Community College Faculty

This design case details the design and development of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Academy, a two-phase training to guide community college faculty in applying the UDL framework to their instruction. This article focuses on the first phase, in which faculty were trained in UDL. The authors of this paper, who were the creators and instructional designers of the UDL Academy, guided faculty as they analyzed their instructional practices through the lens of the UDL framework and designed revisions to their courses. Based on faculty participant responses to the first UDL Academy post-training questionnaire, changes were made to the training when it was offered a second time. Participant responses to a questionnaire after the second UDL Academy indicated these changes improved the training. Suggestions for implementing a similar training at other institutions are provided.
Culture, corruption, and women in government:

Previous studies have posited that women are less tolerant of unethical behaviors than men and have found that countries with a greater percentage of women in government are associated with lower l...
A Randomized Evaluation of Group Training for Paraprofessionals to Implement Systematic Instruction Strategies with Students with Severe Disabilities.

Paraprofessionals are often tasked with providing instruction to students with severe disabilities despite little or no training in evidence-based practices. Previous studies have demonstrated that...
A New Graph Polynomial and Generalized Tutte–Grothendieck Invariant from Quantum Circuits

A new polynomial \(Q_G(x)\) associated to graphs G is defined and studied. The main theorems represent \(Q_G(x)\) as a quasi-specialization of the rank-generating polynomial \(S_G(x,y)\) of Oxley and Whittle, J Comb Theory Ser B 59:210–244, 1993, [10] and show that \(Q_G\) is likewise a generalized Tutte–Grothendieck invariant. The value \(Q_G(1)\) gives the amplitude of acceptance for a class of quantum circuits with associated graphs G. This class, called stabilizer circuits or Clifford circuits, has long been known to have deterministic polynomial time simulation, so \(Q_G(1)\) is polynomial time computable, given G as input. The specialization has \(y = -\sqrt{2}i\), which (along with its complex conjugate) is the only choice that invalidates formulas in a theorem by Noble, Comb. Probab. Comput 15:449–461, 2006, [9] classifying hard and easy real points of \(S_G\), so the complexity of other points \(Q_G(x)\) is open. We reduce the base cases for \(S_G\) by adjoining multiple kinds of isolated nodes and draw possible further implications of the connections between matroid theory and quantum computing developed by this work.
The Safety of Maternal Influenza Vaccination and Infant Health Outcomes

Influenza vaccination during pregnancy has been recommended for more than 70 years in the United States because of the high risk of complications resulting in hospitalization and mortality in pregnant women who acquire seasonal or pandemic influenza infection, particularly in the third trimester of pregnancy and during the postpartum period.1,2 Concerns regarding the safety of maternal immunization continue to be an important barrier to wide implementation and high rates of coverage for vaccines currently recommended for pregnant women, including influenza and pertussis vaccines.3 In this issue of Pediatrics, Foo et al4 report on their evaluation of potential adverse effects on long-term health outcomes for infants who were exposed to maternal influenza vaccination while in utero. Many studies conducted before, during, and after the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic consistently have shown that the administration of inactivated influenza vaccines during pregnancy is safe for the mother and is not associated with an increased risk of fetal or neonatal adverse outcomes such as stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, or congenital anomalies.5,6 The potential long-term effects of fetal exposure to maternal vaccines are not often evaluated, as evidenced by the … Address correspondence to Flor M. Munoz, MD, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, 1102 Bates Ave, Suite 1150, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: florm{at}bcm.edu
ACUTE NECROTIZING ENCEPHALOPATHY IN AN 18 MONTH OLD GIRL

Objective Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) of childhood is described in increasing numbers in the European Union, but remains a rare disease with higher prevalence in Asian countries. The etiology of ANE remains uncertain. Infectious, metabolic, immune mediated or inherited reasons for ANE are reported. Methods We report about an infant presenting an acute necrotizing encephalopathy. Results An 18 month old European girl, previously healthy, born and immunized in Germany, attended our hospital with a history of 24 h of high fever and seizures. At time of admission the girl was comatose (Glasgow Coma Scale 4). Laboratory findings from serum showed physiologic values and no sign of major infection. Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed discrete pleocytosis and increased IL-6. No infectious pathogens were detected. There was no evidence for metabolic disease. Repeated MRI scans showed progressive symmetric necrotic areas in the thalami and brainstem. Additionally contrast-enhancement of basal meningea was detected. Based upon these neuroradiologic findings we diagnosed acute necrotizing encephalopathy. Typical neuroradiologic characteristics are multifocal, symmetric lesions involving thalami, brainstem, tegmentum, supratentorial white matter and cerebellum. Initially we treated our patient with broad specturm antibiotics and antiviral drugs. On day three of hospital stay we administered high dose cortisone and immunoglobulins. Despite a close multifactorial therapeutic strategy no clinical improvement was detectable. Conclusions Clinicians should be aware of ANE as an important differential diagnosis of seizures and fever. Early diagnosis of ANE seems of importance for initiation of adequate treatment. Clinical improvement of ANE is reported after immediate immune-suppressive therapy.
Exploring the relationship between Overall Survival (OS), Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Objective Response Rate (ORR) in patients with advanced melanoma.

Abstract Purpose From 2011 to 2016, 13 randomized clinical trials with active controls were submitted to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of advanced melanoma. While regular approval is generally granted due to a substantial improvement in overall survival (OS), or a large, clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS), accelerated approval can be granted based on incremental change in a surrogate end point reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, such as objective response (ORR) of large magnitude and long duration. However, the relationship between objective response rate and progression free survival or objective response rate and overall survival in advanced melanoma has not been established. Patients and Methods We conducted analyses to assess the correlation of objective response rate with progression free survival as well as overall survival by examining all advanced melanoma trials submitted to the FDA between 2011 and 2016. In order to examine these relationships, associations between trial-level hazard ratio (HR) of progression free survival, hazard ration of survival and odds ratio of objective response rate were analyzed using a weighted linear regression model. Patient-level responder analyses comparing progression free survival and overall survival between patients with and without an objective response were performed using pooled data from all studies. Results In the trial-level analysis, the linear relationships between progression free survival and objective response rate, and overall survival and objective response rate were weak (R²adj = 0.019 and 0.093, respectively). The linear relationship between overall survival and progression free survival (R²adj = 0.075) was also weak. In the patient-level responder analyses, patients who achieved a response had better progression free survival and overall survival compared with non-responders in both the control drug treatment and the experimental drug treatment. Conclusion Based on this analysis, use of objective response rate as a surrogate endpoint for overall survival or progression free survival in this population appears not appropriate. However, due to the nature of heterogeneity, interpretation needs to be cautious.
Evaluation of simulated ground motions using probabilistic seismic demand analysis: CyberShake (ver. 15.12) simulations for Ordinary Standard Bridges

Abstract There is a need for benchmarking and validating simulated ground motions in order for them to be utilized by the engineering community. Such validation may be geared towards a specific ground motion simulation method, a target engineering application, and a specific location; the validation presented herein focuses on a bridge engineering application in southern California. Catalogs of simulated ground motions representing a 200,000-year forecast are selected from the Southern California Earthquake Center CyberShake version 15.12 database for five sites in Southern California (~20,000 unscaled ground motions per site). They are used in Non-Linear Time History Analysis (NLTHA) of four Ordinary Standard Bridge structures. For each site, these data are used to obtain simulation-based Engineering Demand Parameter (EDP) hazard curves. These are compared against EDP hazard curves that are constructed using conventional methods based on empirical models, i.e., using recorded ground motions through Incremental Dynamic Analysis and integration over the Intensity Measure (IM) hazard curve. The two sets of simulation-based and conventional EDP hazard curves are compared at various return periods. To further account for the differences between simulated and recorded ground motions, direct comparisons are also made between IM hazard curves for simulated and recorded catalogs, as well as the EDP versus IM data obtained from NLTHA of the bridges. We observe that CyberShake simulates motions that yield similar EDP values compared to empirical data for shorter return periods. For longer return periods, however, EDPs from the simulation-based analysis tend to be lower than the EDPs obtained from utilizing recorded ground motions for short-period bridges, while the opposite is the case for long-period bridges. It is recommended that validation efforts go beyond IM levels and also include comparisons of the relations between IMs and EDPs. Finally, site-specific relations are proposed that correlate the ratio between the two types of EDPs (simulation-based and conventional) with the hazard level, shallow site condition, and site basin depth.
Dynamic conversion of cell sorting patterns in aggregates of embryonic stem cells with differential adhesive affinity.

Mammalian early development comprises the proliferation, differentiation, and self-assembly of the embryonic cells. The classic experiment undertaken by Townes and Holtfreter demonstrated the ability of dissociated embryonic cells to sort and self-organize spontaneously into the original tissue patterns. Here, we further explored the principles and mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of spontaneous tissue organization by studying aggregation and sorting of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells with differential adhesive affinity in culture. As observed previously, in aggregates of wild-type and E-cadherin-deficient ES cells, the cell assemblies exhibited an initial sorting pattern showing wild-type cells engulfed by less adhesive E-cadherin-deficient ES cells, which fits the pattern predicted by the differential adhesive hypothesis proposed by Malcom Steinberg. However, in further study of more mature cell aggregates, the initial sorting pattern reversed, with the highly adhesive wild-type ES cells forming an outer shell enveloping the less adhesive E-cadherin-deficient cells, contradicting Steinberg’s sorting principle. The outer wild-type cells of the more mature aggregates did not differentiate into endoderm, which is known to be able to sort to the exterior from previous studies. In contrast to the naive aggregates, the mature aggregates presented polarized, highly adhesive cells at the outer layer. The surface polarity was observed as an actin cap contiguously spanning across the apical surface of multiple adjacent cells, though independent of the formation of tight junctions. Our experimental findings suggest that the force of differential adhesive affinity can be overcome by even subtle polarity generated from strong bilateral ligation of highly adhesive cells in determining cell sorting patterns.