cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
INFUSION OF CITRUS FRUIT PEEL BY LOW‐PRESSURE FLUID INJECTION USING A SELF‐SEALING NOZZLE

Removal of citrus peel is facilitated by infusion of water into the peel. A low-pressure fluid injection (LPFI) technique was developed to improve infusion efficacy. Water under low pressure (340 to 1700 mbar) was forced through an opening formed near the equator of the fruit. The water spread uniformly throughout the albedo before exiting through an additional hole made on the opposite side of the fruit. Increasing pressure and flow rate reduced injection time, but excessive levels created high internal pressures that occasionally caused peels to rupture. A rubber bulb with an orifice at the tip created a nozzle that produced a water-tight interface with the fruit during injection.
Binding mechanisms for Thermobifida fusca Cel5A, Cel6B, and Cel48A cellulose‐binding modules on bacterial microcrystalline cellulose

The family II cellulose-binding modules (CBM) from Thermobifida fusca Cel5A and Cel48A were cloned in the Escherichia coli/Streptomyces shuttle vector pD730, and the plasmids were transformed into Streptomyces lividans TKM31. CBM(Cel5A), and CBM(Cel48A), CBM(Cel6B) were expressed and purified from S. lividans. The molecular masses were determined by mass spectrometry, and the values were 10595 +/- 2, 10915 +/- 2, and 11291 +/- 2 Da for CBM(Cel5A), CBM(Cel6B), and CBM(Cel48A), respectively. Three different binding models (Langmuir, Interstice Penetration, and Interstice Saturation) were tested to describe the binding isotherms of these CBMs on bacterial microcrystalline cellulose (BMCC). The experimental binding isotherms of T. fusca family II CBMs on BMCC are best modeled by the Interstice Saturation model, which includes binding to the constrained interstice surface of BMCC as well as traditional Langmuir binding on the freely accessible surface. The Interstice Saturation model consists of three different steps (Langmuir binding, interstice binding, and interstice saturation). Full reversibility only occurred in the Langmuir region. The irreversibility in the interstice binding and saturation regions probably was caused by interstice entrapment. Temperature shift experiments in different binding regions support the interstice entrapment assumption. There was no systematic difference in binding between the two types of exocellulase CBMs--one that hydrolyzes cellulose from the nonreducing (CBM(Cel6B)) end and one that hydrolyzes cellulose from the reducing end (CBM(Cel48A)).
Identification of Small-Sized Cracks on Cross-Stiffened Plate Structures for Ships

In this paper we discuss the results of experimental and numerical studies carried out for monitoring the integrity of a 1∕20th model of the side shell of a ship’s structure, using its vibration responses. The model was tested for different crack development scenarios under random exciting force having a dominant spectral frequency much lower (≈2Hz) than the first natural frequency of the structure (≈580Hz). Sensor locations were justified based on modal responses under intact and damaged conditions. A damage detection procedure using the root mean square response modal amplitudes is also presented.
Effects of Climate, Latitude, and Season on the Incidence of Bell’s Palsy in the US Armed Forces, October 1997 to September 1999

Bell's palsy is a relatively common disease characterized by the sudden onset of unilateral facial paralysis. Using a centralized surveillance system that contains demographic, military assignment, and medical encounter data of US military service members, the authors estimated rates, trends, and demographic correlates of risk of Bell's palsy during a 2-year period. Poisson regression was used to estimate the independent effects of climate, season, and latitude. From October 1997 to September 1999, there were 1,181 incident cases of Bell's palsy among US service members. The crude incidence rate was 42.77 per 100,000 person-years. Incidence rates increased with age and were higher among females, Blacks, Hispanics, married persons, and enlisted service members. Both climate (adjusted rate ratio for arid vs. nonarid climate = 1.34) and season (adjusted rate ratio for cold vs. warm months = 1.31) were independent predictors of risk of Bell's palsy. Latitude was not a statistically significant predictor when demographic, climate, and season effects were taken into account. The results are consistent with hypotheses regarding viral etiologies (e.g., reactivation of herpes simplex) of Bell's palsy.
The Impact of Exposure to Peer Suicidal Self-Directed Violence on Youth Suicidal Behavior: A Critical Review of the Literature

There is considerable evidence that being exposed to the suicide or suicidal behavior of another can increase the risk for suicide. Significant relationships between media coverage and youth suicide have been documented in the professional literature. Exposure to familial suicidal behavior has also been established as a risk factor for youth suicidal behavior; However, peer suicide exposure is not as clear cut as research results in this area have been mixed. In the current paper the empirical literature focused on the associations between exposure to peer suicides and suicide attempts and youth suicidal behavior is critically reviewed. Effect sizes were computed for each of the 23 studies included in the review to allow for cross-study comparisons. The results demonstrate that having a friend or acquaintance attempt suicide is significantly related to risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior. However, the support for the relationship between the suicide of a peer and youth suicidal behavior was less consistent. Implications for clinical practice and suicide postvention as well as areas of future research are discussed.
Iconic Decay in Schizophrenia

Working memory impairment is considered a core deficit in schizophrenia, but the precise nature of this deficit has not been determined. Multiple lines of evidence implicate deficits at the encoding stage. During encoding, information is held in a precategorical sensory store termed iconic memory, a literal image of the stimulus with high capacity but rapid decay. Pathologically increased iconic decay could reduce the number of items that can be transferred into working memory before the information is lost and could thus contribute to the working memory deficit seen in the illness. The current study used a partial report procedure to test the hypothesis that patients with schizophrenia (n = 37) display faster iconic memory decay than matched healthy control participants (n = 28). Six letters, arranged in a circle, were presented for 50 ms. Following a variable delay of 0–1000 ms, a central arrow cue indicated the item to be reported. In both patients and control subjects, recall accuracy decreased with increasing cue delay, reflecting decay of the iconic representation of the stimulus array. Patients displayed impaired memory performance across all cue delays, consistent with an impairment in working memory, but the rate of iconic memory decay did not differ between patients and controls. This provides clear evidence against faster loss of iconic memory representations in schizophrenia, ruling out iconic decay as an underlying source of the working memory impairment in this population. Thus, iconic decay rate can be added to a growing list of unimpaired cognitive building blocks in schizophrenia.
A Comparison of the Usage of Tablet PC, Lecture Capture, and Online Homework in an Introductory Chemistry Course.

Three emerging technologies were used in a large introductory chemistry class: a tablet PC, a lecture capture and replay software program, and an online homework program. At the end of the semester...
Rotational stability of the carpus relative to the forearm

To perform rotational tasks adequately, the rotational laxity between the radius and the carpus must be constrained within a certain limit. The contribution of nine individual capsuloligamentous structures to the rotational stability of the radiocarpal joint was studied using 14 freshfrozen human cadaveric specimens. Torque-rotation curves, with sequential section of the soft-tissue structures, were used to calculate the percentage contribution of each individual structure. The primary pronation constraint was the palmar radioscaphocapitate ligament. The contributions to supination constraint were more complex; the dorsal radiotriquetral ligament was dominant, assisted by the palmar ulnolunate ligament. Structures originating from the ulna changed their major constraint contribution with forearm orientation, whereas those with a radial origin had a constant contribution independent of forearm rotation. Injury of these structures may lead to rotational instability at the radiocarpal level and should be considered when treating carpal instabilities.
Critical branching neural computation

Liquid state machines have been engineered so that their dynamics hover near the “edge of chaos” [1], [2], where memory and representational capacity of the liquid were shown to be optimized. Previous work found the critical line between ordered and chaotic dynamics for threshold gates by using an analytic method similar to finding Lyapunov exponents [3]. In the present study, a self-tuning algorithm is developed for use with leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neurons that adjusts postsynaptic weights to a critical branching point between subcritical and supercritical spiking dynamics. The tuning algorithm stabilizes spiking activity in the sense that spikes propagate through the network without multiplying to the point of wildfire activity, and without dying out so quickly that information cannot be transmitted and processed. The critical branching point is also found to maximize memory and representational capacity of the network when used as liquid state machine.
Site-specific Derivatives of Wheat Germ Calmodulin INTERACTIONS WITH TROPONIN AND SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM*

Wheat germ calmodulin (CaM) was derivatized at its single cysteine (Cys27) with either the fluorescent reagent, N-(iodoacetylaminoethyl)-5-naphthylamine-1-sulfonic acid (I-EDANS) or the photoactivable cross-linker benzophenone-4-maleimide. Comparison of the native and derivatized wheat germ CaMs with native bovine testis CaM indicates that the concentrations of these proteins required for half-maximal stimulation of either erythrocyte membrane Ca2+-ATPase activity or cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum phosphorylation are very similar. Affinity labeling of troponin subunits with 125I- and benzophenone-4-maleimide-labeled CaM demonstrates CaM binding to troponin I (TnI) and troponin T (TnT) in binary complexes, as well as to both subunits in the CaM.TnI.TnT ternary complex. This suggests that both subunits are within 10 A of Cys27 of calmodulin. Affinity labeling of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles with 125I- and benzophenone-4-maleimide-labeled CaM exhibits a Ca2+- and Mg2+-dependent labeling of phospholamban, as shown previously with bovine calmodulin (Louis, C.F., and Jarvis, B. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 15187-15191). Thus, it appears that Ca2+-binding site I of calmodulin is at or near binding sites of calmodulin for TnI, TnT, and phospholamban. Analysis of the time-resolved fluorescence decay curves of I-EDANS-labeled calmodulin indicates a major component with a lifetime of 11.9 ns (+Ca2+), which accounts for 81% of the total fluorescence. The lifetime decreases slightly to 11.3 ns in the absence of Ca2+. Fluorescence anisotropy experiments indicate that I-EDANS-labeled CaM binds TnI with Kd = 6 x 10(-8) M in the presence of Ca2+. This study suggests that these single-site derivatives will be useful for characterizing a variety of calmodulin-receptor interactions because they lack ambiguities inherent in less specific labeling methods.
Preparing Seniors for Life after College.

A survey of employers released in 2008 reveals that college graduates are well prepared—for their first jobs. The ongoing work that must be done, particularly at the end of the undergraduate experience, is to help students get ready for life beyond that.
SAA-only HDL formed during the acute phase response in apoA-I+/+ and apoA-I-/- mice.

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute phase protein of unknown function that is involved in systemic amyloido- sis and may also be involved in atherogenesis. The precise role of SAA in these processes has not been established. SAA circulates in plasma bound to high density lipoprotein- 3 (HDL 3 ). The pathway for the production of SAA-containing HDL is not known. To test whether apolipoprotein (apo)A-I- HDL is required in the production of SAA-HDL, we ana- lyzed the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced changes in apoA-I 1 / 1 and apoA-I 2 / 2 mice. In apoA-I 1 / 1 mice, after in- jection of LPS, remodeling of HDL occurred: total choles- terol increased and apoA-I decreased slightly and shifted to lighter density. Dense (density of HDL 3 ) but large (size of HDL 2 ) SAA-containing particles were formed. Upon fast phase liquid chromatography fractionation of plasma, . 90% of SAA eluted with HDL that was enriched in cholesterol and phospholipid and shifted "leftward" to larger particles. Non-denaturing immunoprecipitation with anti-mouse apoA- I precipitated all of the apoA-I but not all of the SAA, con- firming the presence of SAA-HDL devoid of apoA-I. In the apoA-I 2 / 2 mice, which normally have very low plasma lipid levels, LPS injection resulted in significantly increased total and HDL cholesterol. Greater than 90% of the SAA was lipid associated and was found on dense but large, spherical HDL particles essentially devoid of other apolipoproteins. We conclude that serum amyloid A (SAA) is able to seques- ter lipid, forming dense but large HDL particles with or without apoA-I or other apolipoproteins. The capacity to isolate lipoprotein particles containing SAA as the pre- dominant or only apolipoprotein provides an important system to further explore the biological function of SAA. — Cabana, V. G., C. A. Reardon, B. Wei, J. R. Lukens, and G. S. Getz. SAA-only HDL formed during the acute phase re- sponse in apoA-I 1 / 1 and apoA-I 2 / 2 mice. J. Lipid Res. 1999. 40: 1090-1103.
Charge-Assisted Halogen Bonding in Bromo- and Iodophenylpyridinium Chlorides

Ten N-halophenylpyridinium salts (halogen = Br or I) with chloride (and in one case iodide) counterions have been prepared and structurally characterized in order to examine the degree of solid state halogen bonding exhibited in these systems. N-Halophenylpyridinium salts are easily synthesized from existing pyridines, and the cationic pyridinium group is expected to increase the halogen bond donor ability of attached halophenyl moieties. Halide anions functioning as halogen bond acceptors facilitate formation of charge-assisted halogen bonds. All five substrates featuring iodophenyl or diiodophenyl substituents displayed the expected halogen bonding interactions. In several cases halide ion acceptors were also engaged in complementary hydrogen bonding interactions with C–H groups of pyridinium rings and O–H groups of water solvates. Halogen bond donors containing a diiodophenyl group formed either an extended network or discrete supramolecular macrocyclic constructs through ArI···Cl–···IAr bridging inter...
Friend or Foe? Detecting and Isolating Malicious Nodes in Mobile Edge Computing Platforms

The evolution of mobile devices into highly capable computing platforms that sense, store, and execute complex tasks is making them attractive candidates for edge computational micro-cloud settings. Such solutions are creating novel security challenges due to the increased push for more seamless computational cyber-foraging that leverages the exploding proliferation of mobile devices. A major concern is that security challenges stemming from these trends, are growing at a rate exceeding the evolution of security solutions. In this paper, we consider an environment in which computational offloading is performed among a set of mobile devices. We propose HoneyBot, a defense technique for device-to-device (d2d) malicious communication. While classical honeypots designed to isolate distributed denial of service (DDoS) botnet attacks fail to detect d2d insider attacks, HoneyBot nodes detect, track, and isolate such attacks. We propose and investigate detection and tracking algorithms that leverage insecure d2d infected communication channels to accurately and efficiently identify suspect malicious nodes and isolate them. Our data driven evaluation and analysis, based on 3 real world mobility traces, show that the number and placement of HoneyBot nodes (Hb) in the network considerably impact the tracking delay and the detection accuracy.
Large α-helical movements observed in ternary crystals of RB69 DNA polymerase following nucleotide incorporation

Raman difference spectroscopy is used to monitor the conformational changes associated with dNMP incorporation in single crystals of a RB69 DNA polymerase (RB69pol) ternary complex. An inactive crystal of L415G RB69pol exo- with a primer/template duplex and a cognate dATP was produced in the presence of Ca2+. The Raman spectrum of the crystallized complex was obtained using a Raman microscope. Phosphodiester bond formation is triggered by soaking in Mg2+. The Raman difference spectra [ie, (ternary complex + Mg2+)–(ternary complex with no Mg2+)] show that conformational changes are complete prior to the acquisition of the first Raman spectrum following magnesium incorporation into the crystal. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis experiments carried in parallel show that dNMP incorporation occurs rapidly in the crystal. The Raman data indicate that significant changes in protein amide features, tyrosine ring modes, and nucleic acid base backbone modes have occurred. Overall, they are dominated by the dichroic effect with the molecular groups changing orientation with respect to the laser beam following nucleotide incorporation. The amide I and amide III α-helix features are unusually narrow and are assigned to movement of the P and N helices. These results demonstrate the ability of Raman spectroscopy to monitor conformational changes in proteins via dichroism. The Raman spectra and the gel electrophoresis support the hypothesis that the major spectroscopic changes are because of structural changes in the ternary complex crystal following correct dNMP incorporation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ENDOPHYTE-HOST ASSOCIATIONS IN GRASSES. XVII. ECOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FEATURES CHARACTERIZING EPICHLOE TYPHINA AND SOME ANAMORPHIC VARIETIES IN ENGLAND

Field research was conducted in central England on grasses infected by Epichloe typhina. Both asymptomatic and stromata-producing infections were encountered and examined. Isolations of endophytes were made and comparative laboratory studies conducted on sugar utilization capacities, starch and protein hydrolysis capacities, and cultural morphologies. The presence of distinct varieties of Acremonium typhinum is proposed to account for variation in ecology, physiology, and morphology of isolates.
L Colonies from Hemolytic Streptococci: New Technic in the Study of L Forms of Bacteria.,

SummaryL type colonies have been isolated from group A streptococci by the combined effect of penicillin and concentrations of various salts considerably higher than usually incorporated in bacteriological media. The appearance and morphology of these cultures correspond to those isolated from the alpha streptococci. There is reason to believe that the technic described will be helpful in the isolation of L forms of other bacterial species.
Abstract PR2: Warburg effect revisited: Glucose addiction in precancerous mammary epithelial cells in African American women

Background: Only 14% of African American women with triple-negative breast cancers will be alive at one year. Early detection is greatly needed. Here we aimed to investigate whether activation of biologic pathways that predict aggressive triple-negative breast cancers are also activated in atypia in high-risk African American women. Aggressive cancers are known to consume glucose avidly and produce lactic acid (rather than fully metabolize glucose via the Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) cycle). This shift toward lactate production, even in the presence of adequate oxygen, is termed the Warburg effect. The Warburg effect is thought to be a late event in breast cancer, however, our studies in high-risk African American women provide evidence that the Warburg effect occurs during cancer initiation. This is an important observation as glucose-signaling can be readily targeted for breast cancer prevention with minimal toxicity. Here we investigated the role of the Warburg effect in breast cancer initiation in young high-risk African American women. Methods and Results: Similar to fluorodeoxyglucose, 2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-2-deoxyglucose (2-NBDG) is a fluorescent glucose analog that can be used to track glucose uptake and glycolysis. 2-NBDG spectroscopy provides a means to track glucose metabolism in live mammary epithelial cells from high-risk women. We used 2-NBDG spectroscopy to measure glucose uptake in ER-breast cancer and live atypical mammary epithelial cells from high-risk premenopausal women. We observe that both triple-negative breast cancer and a subset of atypia exhibits accumulation of 2-NBDG. There is growing recognition that phosphoprotein signaling networks (rather than single genes) play a key role in breast cancer initiation and progression. Our team used Reverse Phase Proteomic Microarray (RPPM) profiling to test for activation of phosphoprotein signaling networks in atypical RPFNA cytology from high-risk premenopausal women in our cohort. RPFNA were obtained from two independent sets of 39 and 38 high-risk premenopausal women; 45% of these women were African American. The signaling network most highly expressed in precancerous cells contained activated signaling proteins associated with the Warburg effect (AKT/mTOR/PI3K), insulin signaling (pACC, IRS1) and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) IL6/Stat3/vimentin. Conclusions: This is the first evidence that abnormal glucose uptake and the Warburg effect occurs during breast cancer initiation in high-risk African American premenopausal women. These studies demonstrate our ability to identify abnormal glucose and activated signaling networks associated with the Warburg effect in atypical mammary cells from high-risk African American women and provide an important target for breast cancer early detection and prevention. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):PR2.
Study of the Reaction π + n → p π 0 π 0 at 2.1 GeV/ c

Using the reaction ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}pp(\mathrm{MM})$ at 2.13 GeV/c with photons from the final-state ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}'\mathrm{s}$ detected by tantalum plates in the 30-in. ANL bubble chamber, a $2{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ mass spectrum has been obtained in several ways. This spectrum is found to be in good agreement with phase-space expectations and presents no evidence for the production of a "narrow" $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ ($\ensuremath{\Gamma}l200$ MeV). The $2{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ cross section for ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{2}l15{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{2}$ is 386 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 80 \ensuremath{\mu}b. $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ production and scattering angular distributions are presented. Good agreement with the one-pion-exchange model is noted. Assuming that the ratios of peripheral pion-production cross sections are equal to their pole values, a new method for extracting $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ scattering parameters is discussed. Using this method the $I=0$ $s$-wave phase shift is uniquely determined from threshold to 1 GeV/${\mathit{c}}^{2}$ and found to be similar to the so-called UP-DOWN solutions of $s\ensuremath{-}p$ wave interference analyses. In addition, the ratios of $I=0$ to $I=2$ $s$-wave scattering phase shifts and scattering lengths are found to be equal to -(${3.2}_{\ensuremath{-}1.0}^{+1.5}$) near $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ threshold. Using a dispersion sum rule, the $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ scattering lengths are found to be ${a}_{0}=+(0.15\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08){\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and ${a}_{2}=\ensuremath{-}(0.05\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01){\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.
Chopart’s Amputation for Osteomyelitis of the Midfoot

Osteomyelitis involving the midfoot tarsal bones is typically associated with contiguous spread of infection from an adjacent neuropathic ulceration. Charcot arthropathy and infected gangrene are common contributing factors. Persistent wounds and festering midfoot osteomyelitis frequently result in leg amputation which may be the most viable option for the majority of patients who have failed prior treatment. Amputation at the Chopart’s level has historically been avoided due to the perception of poor healing, difficulty with prosthetic fitting, and limited function of the residual foot. This chapter will focus on identifying patients who are appropriate candidates for Chopart’s amputation for midfoot osteomyelitis based on extent of bone involvement, size and location of the wound defect, lower extremity circulation, and projected ambulatory status. The Chopart’s surgical technique is detailed including a modified surgical approach which is intended to provide a more functional amputation stump with less risk of recurrent wound breakdown. Incorporation of angiosome-based plantar rotational flaps is also described for patients with compromised plantar tissue.
The skeletal treatment of orbital hypertelorism.

This article presents different approaches to the correction of orbital hypertelorism. Affected patients require multispecialty considerations of associated anomalies in developing reconstructive plans..
Transcriptional Control of Osteoblast Differentiation and Function

Abstract As is the case for every cell differentiation process, differentiation of a mesenchymal pluripotent cell into any cell type is governed in large part by transcription factors that trigger the entire program of cell differentiation. Our knowledge about the transcriptional control of osteoblast differentiation made its main strides at the end of the 20th century and has been significantly refined since then, with the emergence of novel mechanisms regulating gene expression in addition to transcription factors. Briefly and ideally, a transcription factor that is a differentiation factor for a given cell type should (1) be expressed in progenitors of this cell type, (2) regulate the expression of all cell-specific genes in this cell type, (3) induce expression of the aforementioned genes when ectopically expressed in other cell types (sufficiency criterion), and (4) be necessary for the differentiation of this cell type in vivo, in mice, and at best in humans. As presented in this chapter, the transcription factor currently viewed as the master gene of osteoblast differentiation is one of the very few differentiation factors to fulfill all these criteria.
Drug Abuse in Athletes

The trainers would bring your medication to your hotel room the night before the game. Empirin compound for men in pain, amphetamine for men expecting pain, specialty drugs for players with chronic injuries, experimental drugs for those who had little body left to sacrifice, including butazolidin for joint pain (a drug also used to treat horses) and of course, sleeping pills.1
College students' perceptions of risk and addictiveness of e-cigarettes and cigarettes

ABSTRACTBackground: As conventional cigarette use is declining, electronic cigarette (“e-cigarette”) use is rising and is especially high among college students. Few studies examine dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes among this population. This study explores the relationship between dual and exclusive e-cigarette / cigarette use and perceptions of harm and addictiveness of both products. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from students attending 24 colleges in Texas (n=5,482). Multinomial logistic regression was employed to test the association between current e-cigarette / cigarette use and perceived harm and addictiveness of both products. Three tobacco groups were included: cigarette only users, e-cigarette only users, and dual users. Results: Dual users reported lower perceived harm of e-cigarettes most consistently (p<0.001, all comparisons). Perceived harm of cigarettes was significantly lower among cigarette only and dual users only, compared to non-users (p<0.001, all compar...
Abstract 268: Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Increases Resistance of Fibroblasts to Apoptotic Cell Death

Introduction: Cardiac injury results in the death of cardiac myocytes and subsequent scar formation through extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition by fibroblasts (FB) and myofibroblasts (myoFB). Excessive fibrosis results in pathological scarring that predisposes to arrhythmogenesis and heart failure, particularly in the elderly. Strategies to limit adverse ECM remodeling are urgently needed to curtail the growing epidemic of atrial fibrillation and heart failure in the aging population. Persistence of myoFB and resistance to apoptotic cell death has been proposed to underlie the mechanism of excessive fibrosis, yet is not fully characterized. Methods: Cultured NIH/3T3 cells (control and TGF-β1 treated) have been challenged with activators of extrinsic (FAS-Ligand, 1 μg/mL) or intrinsic (Thapsigargin 10 μM and Staurosporine 5 μM) apoptotic pathways and Caspase-3 activity was measured in cellular lysate. Results: FAS-L exposure induced ~40-fold suppression of Caspase-3 activity in TGF-β1 treated cells as compared with control (17±12 vs 686±5 nmol AMC/min/106 cells, respectively). Similarly, Staurosporine activated Caspase-3 in TGF-β1 treated cells ~3-fold (171±38 vs 536±29 nmol AMC/min/106 cells), and Thapsigargin ~10-fold (73±33 vs 742±8 nmol AMC/min/106 cells). Conclusion: TGF-β1 treatment increased the sensitivity of NIH/3T3 cells toward extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic stimuli. Although, TGF-β1 treatment increased overall resistance of NIH/3T3 cells to apoptosis, the responsiveness of cells to extrinsic vs intrinsic pathways was differentially affected. This data support the hypothesis that persistence of myoFB results in pathological scarring.
Tamm Review: Shifting global fire regimes: Lessons from reburns and research needs

Abstract Across the globe, rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns have caused persistent regional droughts, lengthened fire seasons, and increased the number of weather-driven extreme fire events. Because wildfires currently impact an increasing proportion of the total area burned, land managers need to better understand reburns – in which previously burned areas can modify the patterns and severity of subsequent fires. For example, knowing how long past fire boundaries can function as barriers to fire spread may empower decision-makers to manage some wildfires as large-scale fuel treatments, or alternatively, determine where prescribed burning or strategic wildfire management are required. Additionally, a clear understanding of how prior burn mosaics influence future fire spread and burn severity is critical knowledge for landscape and fire-dependent wildlife habitat planning under a rapidly changing climate. Here, we review published studies on reburns in fire-adapted ecosystems of the world, including temperate forests of North America, semi-arid forests and rangelands, tropical and subtropical forests, grasslands and savannas, and Mediterranean ecosystems. To date, research on reburns is unevenly distributed across the world with a relative abundance of literature in Australia, Europe and North America and a scarcity of studies in Africa, Asia and South America. This review highlights the complex role of repeated fires in modifying vegetation and fuels, and patterns of subsequent wildfires. In fire-prone ecosystems, the return of fire is inevitable, and legacies of past fires, or their absence, often dictate the characteristics of subsequent fires.
Evidence for Transdiagnostic Repetitive Negative Thinking and Its Association with Rumination, Worry, and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: A Commonality Analysis

Recent theoretical advances have emphasized the commonality between rumination and worry, often referred to as repetitive negative thinking. Although not studied extensively, repetitive negative thinking may not only account for a substantial overlap between depression and anxiety symptoms but also encapsulate other constructs including one’s tendency to experience unwanted intrusive thoughts or have low levels of mindfulness. In this study, 643 college students completed self-report questionnaire measures of repetitive negative thinking (the Habit Index of Negative Thinking) and other relevant constructs including rumination, worry, depression and anxiety symptoms, intrusive thoughts, and mindfulness. To analyze the data, we conducted systematic commonality analyses, which algebraically decomposed shared variances among these measures into various unique components. Results in Study 1 indicated that individual differences in repetitive negative thinking were explained largely by the overlap between rumination and worry, but also by some rumination-specific and worry-specific variance. Moreover, the shared variation in rumination and worry explained the frequencies of depression and anxiety symptoms and their overlap. We also found in Study 2 that repetitive negative thinking was positively related to intrusive thoughts and negatively related to mindfulness. These associations were mostly explained by shared variance with rumination and worry, but there was also some mindfulness-specific variance. These results suggest that repetitive negative thinking may indeed lie at the core of the comorbidity between depression and anxiety symptoms, but that it is also a broader construct that encompasses intrusive thoughts and low levels of mindfulness.
Surface Stresses and a Force Balance at a Contact Line.

Results of the coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations are used to show that the force balance analysis at the triple-phase contact line formed at an elastic substrate has to include a quarte...
Computer Technology in Quantum Chemistry

The link between computer technology and quantum chemistry is an important one. The current fast pace of methodological developments anticipates more powerful computing systems and opens up more and more chemical problems to theoretical/computational investigation.
Tiling Research Project

During the 1990s, southern Iowa producers faced several years of wet growing seasons. Many producers were forced to abandon wet fields in 1992 and 1993 and yields were reduced in 1996, 1998, and 1999 from late planting due to wet soils. Drainage classifications of soils in southern Iowa range from poorly drained to moderately well drained. Most efforts at draining soils have been aimed at surface drainage. Little effort has been made to drain the southern Iowa soils using the subsurface drainage tile common in other areas of the state. Many producers feel that the effects of pattern tiled, subsurface drainage would be short-lived and not effective on southern Iowa’s heavy clay soils. The pattern tile is also expensive. Little research has been conducted on the effects of subsurface drainage on southern Iowa soils using modern plastic tile, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and laser-guided installation. The purpose of this project was to examine the long-term effects of subsurface, pattern tiling on yield, duration, and economics in southern Iowa soils.
Towards a More Comprehensive Fiscal Policy Management in Ghana

Ghana’s thriving democracy has created space for the country to implement various fiscal reforms with the aim of ensuring a sustainable macroeconomic environment over the past three decades. Despite these reforms, the country has experienced recurrent fiscal slippages since 1992 usually occurring in election years. The paper investigates four sources of budget rigidities and fragmentation which fuel expenditure overruns in Ghana; namely the type of fiscal rules governing the budget process, the poor administration of internally generated funds, the increasing share of earmarked budget revenue, and the over dependence of state owned enterprises on central government budget. The main finding of the paper is that budget rigidities explain the country’s inability to successfully prevent budget overruns during elections. The paper concludes that Ghana could be ranked very high for undertaking fiscal reforms but equally scores very low for functionality of the reforms overtime. Many of the reforms are abandoned after they gain legitimacy from development partners. Ghana’s piece meal approach to the implementation of fiscal reforms and the lack of strong oversight of fiscal policies have also contributed to the inability of the country to put in place appropriate fiscal management systems to solve its macroeconomic challenges. It is recommended that Ghana creates a comprehensive fiscal reform package within which it will address the inherent fiscal rigidities in the budget cycle.
A Comparative Survey of Event Related Brain Oscillations

Nature loves to oscillate. Ongoing oscillations of a wide range of periods are familiar in animals, from the circannual, circalunar and circadian, to the so-called minute rhythms of Galambos and Makeig (1988), from the respiratory, cardiac, and EEG rhythms of delta, theta and alpha frequencies, to the 40 Hz cerebral, 200 Hz cerebellar, and the medullary pacemakers of electric organ discharges in certain electric fish which run at 1000–2000 Hz, night and day. In addition, many living systems — or parts of them — love to show event-related oscillation. The gamma band of frequencies is popular from invertebrates to mammals, especially for transient oscillations, such as event-related rhythms, which have recently come to prominence and have been called induced rhythms in a recent book of that title (Basar and Bullock 1992).
Introduction to chiral symmetry and non-linear lagrangians

The non-linear realization of the approximate chiral symmetry of the strong interactions is presented.
Assessing Craniofacial Secular Change in American Blacks and Whites Using Geometric Morphometry

American crania have changed significantly in the past 150 years. In the sagittal plane, most of the change is associated with a downward movement of the cranial base, especially at basion. Secular change in American crania is proximately related to a decrease in cranial base breadth and an increase in cranial capacity, and ultimately a reflection of improved infant growth due to better health and nutrition. The environment of 20th century Americans has no parallel in history. Activity levels are at an all-time low, and diet has improved to the point where overnutrition has surpassed undernutrition as our most serious malnutrition problem (Flegal et al., 1998). In addition, epidemic infectious diseases are now mostly controlled, and mortality is at an all-time low (Armstrong et al., 1999). It is not surprising that there is a biological response to this unparalleled environmental change.
Fish Passage Through Urban and Rural-Residential Areas

Migration is a critical aspect of salmonid life histories and salmonids migrate at multiple spatial and temporal scales depending on species, age, and season. Resident salmonids often migrate a few kilometers between stream reaches and river segments and between lakes and streams, whereas anadromous salmonids may migrate hundreds of kilometers between oceans and headwaters (Quinn 2005). Large- and small-scale migrations are governed by differences in species life histories, body size, differing habitat requirements of each life stage, and habitat heterogeneity and connectivity (Fausch et al. 2002). The timing and time frames over which salmonids migrate have evolved to maximize survival and reproductive fitness in variable environments.
Design and Evaluation of a Soft Robotic Smart Shoe for Haptic Terrain Rendering

Haptic terrain rendering is challenging in most virtual reality applications. While existing physical terrain display devices focus on rendering gross terrain features, like slopes and stairs, the bladder based soft robotic smart shoe can render subtle features as well as slopes. This research improves smart shoe design to provide more consistent haptic display among different users and improve shoe life. New bladder models, including wall mechanics and air behavior, allow parametric shoe simulations to study design variables, loading scenarios, and user sizes. Pareto optimal design is applied to derive customized shoe designs. Experiments validate models and demonstrate significantly improved durability. Subject tests measure biomechanical response and gather survey data, which demonstrate haptic rendering of terrain and the ability to compensate uneven terrain.
Quantum dot enabled lateral flow immunoassay for detection of cardiac biomarker NT-proBNP

Abstract B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac-derived neurohormone regulated by intra-cardiac pressure. N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a bio-inert product of BNP production identified as a blood biomarker for diagnosing cardiac distress. Rapid, point-of-care quantification of NT-proBNP concentration is challenging because accurate recognition is often masked by interference of native BNP in blood samples. Recently, monoclonal antibodies have been engineered with high specificity to the tail, i.e. cleaved region, of NT-proBNP; herein, we present a case study using two monoclonal antibodies for NT-proBNP, respectively, as detector and capture antibodies. Using the selected antibodies, we fabricated and characterized a lateral flow immunoassay for NT-proBNP using antibody-labeled quantum dots to improve limit of detection. The reported lateral flow immunoassay exhibited clinically-relevant linear response range: 50–1200 pg mL−1, good stability and repeatability with pooled variance of 8.8% across concentrations of NT-proBNP—highlighting a method for high-resolution, low-cost quantification of NT-proBNP as a point-of-care, single-step diagnostic sensor.
Chest wall stabilization and rib plating in 15-year-old male adolescent after blunt thoracic trauma

Rib fractures after blunt trauma to the chest wall are a very common injury in adults, but are less often encountered in the pediatric population due to the bony compliance of the pediatric chest wall (1). Rib fractures carry morbidity and mortality risks, and can lead to long-term disabilities, prolonged narcotic use, pneumonia, respiratory difficulties while complicating the rehabilitation of other injuries.
Safety and Feasibility of Telestroke in the Prehospital Emergency Medical Services Setting – The REACHOUT Project (P2.251)

Objective: REACHOUT project was conducted in order to determine safety and feasibility of performing telemedicine in the pre-hospital setting. Background: Implementation of telestroke in community hospitals and primary stroke centers has reduced door-to-needle times. Mobile stroke units equipped with CT scanners, also utilizing telestroke have demonstrated further reduction in door-to-needle times. Despite the benefits of mobile stroke units, the cost of producing and maintaining these units may be a limiting factor in system-wide adoption of the concept. There is little data examining continuous telestroke support provided by neurologists in the EMS setting. Design/Methods: Stroke-specialized neurologists provided continuous (24/7) video-based telestroke access to two local EMS agencies from December 2015 through May 2017. Intravenous (IV) tPA door-to-needle times were compared between patients who were assessed via EMS telestroke to patients assessed by hospital-based telestroke in one of the nine hospitals within our telestroke network, during the same time period. We hypothesized that telestroke in the EMS setting would be safe, feasible and reduce door-to-needle times. Results: 58 telestroke requests were registered with 52 (89.7%) successful consultations during the study period. Initial telestroke impression in 42/52 (80.8%) cases was possible acute stroke or TIA. 142 patients were treated with IV tPA via hospital based telestroke encounters and 4 patients were treated with IV tPA after being evaluated via EMS telestroke. A comparison of door-to-needle times suggested shorter door-to-needle times in the EMS telestroke group (mean rank 12.8; median 39.5 min) compared to the hospital based telestroke group (mean rank 74.2; median 65.5 min), U =41, p =.004, r =.24. Conclusions: Despite isolated connectivity issues, we found EMS based telestroke encounters to be safe and feasible. Reduced door-to-needle times were reported in EMS based telestroke compared to hospital based telestroke. Disclosure: Dr. Saleemi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hackett has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rahangdale has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tayal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rana has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fishman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Protetch has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wright has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schmidt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pratt has nothing to disclose.
TTP-like Syndrome Associated with Hemoglobin SC Disease Treated Successfully with Plasma and Red Cell Exchange

Abstract Background Sickle cell hemoglobinopathies are associated with end organ damage but very rarely present with a clinical and laboratory picture of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) and thrombocytopenia, characteristic of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Case presentation We present a patient with HbSC disease who developed thrombotic microangiopathy, needing both RBC exchange transfusion and therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for complete clinical recovery. Conclusion Although literature showed therapeutic plasma exchange alone can abrogate a similar clinical scenario, we did an in-depth review which concluded that in most of the TMA cases secondary to sickle cell disease, treatment with both with plasma exchange and red cell exchange transfusion are necessary.
Effect of Surface Finish on High-Temperature Oxidation of Steels in CO2, Supercritical CO2, and Air

Current and future power systems require steels resistant to high-temperature oxidation in CO2-rich environments. The introduction of structural defects by various surface treatments can profoundly affect the oxidation/corrosion behavior of steels in many environments. This effect is largely unexplored for steels exposed to high-temperature CO2, which is the focus of this work. We prepared Grade 22, Grade 91, 347H, and 310S steels with three different surface finishes, ranging from little to substantial surface damage, and exposed the steels to 1 bar CO2, 200 bar supercritical CO2, and laboratory air at 550 °C for up to 1500 h. Surface finish had little impact on the oxidation behavior of low-Cr (2 wt%) Grade 22 and high-Cr (25 wt%) 310S steels. In contrast, intermediate-Cr steels Grade 91 (8 wt%) and 347H (17 wt%) generally showed improved oxidation and carburization resistance with increasing extent of surface damage, which was attributed to the delay or prevention of the onset of Fe-rich oxide nodule growth. Comparison between exposure environments suggests that this effect is more complex for CO2 compared to air and that it is additionally affected by CO2 pressure. The results suggest that surface treatments should be considered as one approach to achieve improved corrosion resistance in high-temperature CO2, particularly for steels containing Cr levels near the transition that is required to form and maintain a protective Cr-rich oxide scale.