cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sigma S-Dependent Antioxidant Defense Protects Stationary-Phase Escherichia coli against the Bactericidal Antibiotic Gentamicin

Stationary-phase bacteria are important in disease. The σs-regulated general stress response helps them become resistant to disinfectants, but the role of σs in bacterial antibiotic resistance has not been elucidated. Loss of σs rendered stationary-phase Escherichia coli more sensitive to the bactericidal antibiotic gentamicin (Gm), and proteomic analysis suggested involvement of a weakened antioxidant defense. Use of the psfiA genetic reporter, 3′-(p-hydroxyphenyl) fluorescein (HPF) dye, and Amplex Red showed that Gm generated more reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mutant. HPF measurements can be distorted by cell elongation, but Gm did not affect stationary-phase cell dimensions. Coadministration of the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) decreased drug lethality particularly in the mutant, as did Gm treatment under anaerobic conditions that prevent ROS formation. Greater oxidative stress, due to insufficient quenching of endogenous ROS and/or respiration-linked electron leakage, therefore contributed to the greater sensitivity of the mutant; infection by a uropathogenic strain in mice showed this to be the case also in vivo. Disruption of antioxidant defense by eliminating the quencher proteins, SodA/SodB and KatE/SodA, or the pentose phosphate pathway proteins, Zwf/Gnd and TalA, which provide NADPH for ROS decomposition, also generated greater oxidative stress and killing by Gm. Thus, besides its established mode of action, Gm also kills stationary-phase bacteria by generating oxidative stress, and targeting the antioxidant defense of E. coli can enhance its efficacy. Relevant aspects of the current controversy on the role of ROS in killing by bactericidal drugs of exponential-phase bacteria, which represent a different physiological state, are discussed.
Translocation after Synthesis of a Four-Nucleotide RNA Commits RNA Polymerase II to Promoter Escape

Transcription is a complex process, the regulation of which is crucial for cellular and organismic growth and development. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms that define transcription is essential to understanding the regulation of RNA synthesis. Here we describe the molecular mechanism of escape commitment, a critical step in early RNA polymerase II transcription. During escape commitment ternary transcribing complexes become stable and committed to proceeding forward through promoter escape and the remainder of the transcription reaction. We found that the point in the transcription reaction at which escape commitment occurs depends on the length of the transcript RNA (4 nucleotides [nt]) as opposed to the position of the active site of the polymerase with respect to promoter DNA elements. We found that single-stranded nucleic acids can inhibit escape commitment, and we identified oligonucleotides that are potent inhibitors of this specific step. These inhibitors bind RNA polymerase II with low nanomolar affinity and sequence specificity, and they block both promoter-dependent and promoter-independent transcription, the latter occurring in the absence of general transcription factors. We demonstrate that escape commitment involves translocation of the RNA polymerase II active site between synthesis of the third and fourth phosphodiester bonds. We propose that a conformational change in ternary transcription complexes occurs during translocation after synthesis of a 4-nt RNA to render complexes escape committed.
Sorted Patterned Ground: New Appalachian Localities South of the Glacial Border

Sorted stripes, nets, and polygons in the Appalachians of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia display patterns and stone orientations visibly similar to those of ground patterned under current cold climates. Larger forms appear inactive or fossil and may provide data on the paleoclimate and slope stability.
Oral Fluid Cannabinoids in Chronic Cannabis Smokers during Oral Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Therapy and Smoked Cannabis Challenge

Background: Oral Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is effective for attenuating cannabis withdrawal and may benefit treatment of cannabis use disorders. Oral fluid (OF) cannabinoid testing, increasing in forensic and workplace settings, could be valuable for monitoring during cannabis treatment. Methods: Eleven cannabis smokers resided on a closed research unit for 51 days and received daily 0, 30, 60, and 120 mg of oral THC in divided doses for 5 days. There was a 5-puff smoked cannabis challenge on the fifth day. Each medication session was separated by 9 days of ad libitum cannabis smoking. OF was collected the evening before and throughout oral THC sessions and analyzed by 2-dimensional GC-MS for THC, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC), and 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THCCOOH). Results: During all oral THC administrations, THC OF concentrations decreased to ≤78.2, 33.2, and 1.4 μ g/L by 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. CBN also decreased over time, with concentrations 10-fold lower than THC, with none detected beyond 69 h. CBD and 11-OH-THC were rarely detected, only within 19 and 1.6 h after smoking, respectively. THCCOOH OF concentrations were dose dependent and increased over time during 120-mg THC dosing. After cannabis smoking, THC, CBN, and THCCOOH concentrations showed a significant dose effect and decreased significantly over time. Conclusions: Oral THC dosing significantly affected OF THCCOOH but minimally contributed to THC OF concentrations; prior ad libitum smoking was the primary source of THC, CBD, and CBN. Higher cannabinoid concentrations following active oral THC administrations vs placebo suggest a compensatory effect of THC tolerance on smoking topography.
Stochastic Inventory Systems in a Supply Chain with Asymmetric Information: Cycle Stocks, Safety Stocks, and Consignment Stock

The two critical factors distinguishing inventory management in a multifirm supply-chain context from the more traditional centrally planned perspective are incentive conflicts and information asymmetries. We study the well-known order quantity/reorder point Q, r model in a two-player context, using a framework inspired by observations during a case study. We show how traditional allocations of decision rights to supplier and buyer lead to inefficient outcomes, and we use principal-agent models to study the effects of information asymmetries about setup cost and backorder cost, respectively. We analyze two “opposite” models of contracting on inventory policies. First, we derive the buyer's optimal menu of contracts when the supplier has private information about setup cost, and we show how consignment stock can help reduce the impact of this information asymmetry. Next, we study consignment and assume the supplier cannot observe the buyer's backorder cost. We derive the supplier's optimal menu of contracts on consigned stock level and show that in this case, the supplier effectively has to overcompensate the buyer for the cost of each stockout. Our theoretical analysis and the case study suggest that consignment stock helps reduce cycle stock by providing the supplier with an additional incentive to decrease batch size, but simultaneously gives the buyer an incentive to increase safety stock by exaggerating backorder costs. This framework immediately points to practical recommendations on how supply-chain incentives should be realigned to overcome existing information asymmetries.
The Million-Variable March for Stochastic Combinatorial Optimization

Combinatorial optimization problems have applications in a variety of sciences and engineering. In the presence of data uncertainty, these problems lead to stochastic combinatorial optimization problems which result in very large scale combinatorial optimization problems. In this paper, we report on the solution of some of the largest stochastic combinatorial optimization problems consisting of over a million binary variables. While the methodology is quite general, the specific application with which we conduct our experiments arises in stochastic server location problems. The main observation is that stochastic combinatorial optimization problems are comprised of loosely coupled subsystems. By taking advantage of the loosely coupled structure, we show that decomposition-coordination methods provide highly effective algorithms, and surpass the scalability of even the most efficiently implemented backtracking search algorithms.
Exploiting information content in relative motion

We present a formal protocol for communication based on modulating the relative motion between mobile agents. This type of communication is typically dependent on context in that a particular motion or gesture will indicate something related to the current activity. The focus of this article is on enabling such motion-based signaling between non-holonomic mobile agents moving in ℝ2. A Control law that enables such signaling is presented and analyzed. Properties of signals that are amenable to such signaling are presented, as are error bounds to the sensing of such motion by the agent receiving the signal. We conclude with a presentation of potential applications and current technological challenges towards enabling these applications.
Key Neurological Impairments Influence Function-Related Group Outcomes After Stroke

Background and Purpose— The function-related group (FRG) classification is based on functional assessment and has been assumed to encompass the effects of different patterns and severity of neurological impairments. This assumption may not be correct. It has been proposed as a means of comparing rehabilitation outcome across institutions. If neurological impairments significantly affect FRG outcome, then higher FRG outcome scores may reflect selection bias favoring patients with fewer neurological impairments rather than better quality of rehabilitation care. The goal of this study was to assess the influence of motor, somatosensory, and hemianopic visual impairments on FRG outcomes after stroke. Methods— All 288 consecutive stroke patients discharged in 1999 from an acute rehabilitation hospital were assigned to 1 of 5 FRGs on the basis of their Functional Independence Measure (FIM) mobility subscore and age. Each FRG was also stratified into 1 of 4 cohorts on the basis of the presence or absence of key ...
α‐Amylase Induced Enhanced Enzymatic Degradation of Binary Polymeric Blends of Crosslinked Starch and Gelatin

Abstract Binary polymeric blends of crosslinked starch (CLS) and gelatin were prepared and characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The prepared blends were examined for enzymatic degradation taking α‐amylase as a degrading enzyme and the kinetics of degradation process was monitored gravimetrically. A plausible mechanism for α‐amylase induced degradation was suggested and the influence of various factors, such as chemical composition of the blend, pH, and temperature of the enzyme solution and concentration of enzyme solution, were investigated on the degradation profiles of the CLS–gelatin blends. The blends were also studied for water‐uptake potential and effects of various experimental factors such as composition of the blends, pH, and temperature of the swelling bath were investigated on the swelling ratio (SR) of the blends. A correlation was established between the extent of degradation and water imbibing capacity ...
Effects of repeated exposures to ozone and nitrogen dioxide on respiratory tract prostanoids

AbstractProstanoids (prostaglandins, thromboxanes) are mediators of various physiological functions in the respiratory tract. The toxic action of air pollutants may include the ability to alter prostanoid metabolism. Rabbits were exposed to 0.3 ppm O3 3 ppm NO2, or their combination, for 2 h/day for up to 74 days. Levels of selected prostanoids in bronchopulmonary lavage fluid were assessed after 7 (t7) and 14 (t14) exposures, and again at 24 h following the last exposure (t15) Ozone resulted in a significant decrease in prostaglandin E2 at t14 and t15, while NO2 and the pollutant mixture resulted in a decrease in prostaglandin E2 at all three of the time points examined. Levels of 6-keto-prostaglandin-F1a were depressed at t15 following exposure to either NO2 or to the mixture. No effects on thromboxane B2 or prostaglandin F2a were found. The responses to the mixture did not suggest any synergism but, depending upon the specific prostanoid, were either additive or similar to that due to either O3 or NO2 ...
Ferric iron-bearing sediments as a mineral trap for CO2 sequestration: Iron reduction using sulfur-bearing waste gas

Abstract We present a novel method for geologic sequestration of anthropogenic CO 2 in ferrous carbonate, using ferric iron present in widespread redbeds and other sediments. Iron can be reduced by SO 2 that is commonly a component of flue gas produced by combustion of fossil fuel, or by adding SO 2 or H 2 S derived from other industrial processes to the injected waste gas stream. Equilibrium and kinetically controlled geochemical simulations at 120 bar and 50 and 100 °C with SO 2 or H 2 S show that iron can be transformed almost entirely to siderite thereby trapping CO 2 , and simultaneously, that sulfur can be converted predominantly to dissolved sulfate. If there is an insufficient amount of sulfur-bearing gas relative to CO 2 as for typical flue gas, then some of the iron is not reduced, and some of the CO 2 is not sequestered. If there is an excess of sulfur-bearing gas, then complete iron reduction is ensured, and some of the iron precipitates as pyrite or other solid iron sulfide, depending on their relative precipitation kinetics. Gas mixtures with insufficient sulfur relative to CO 2 can be used in sediments containing Ca, Mg, or other divalent metals capable of precipitating carbonate minerals. For quartz arenite with an initial porosity of 21% and containing 0.25 wt.% Fe 2 O 3 , approximately 0.7 g of CO 2 is sequestered per kg of rock, and the porosity decrease is less than 0.03%. Sequestration of CO 2 using ferric iron has the advantage of disposing of SO 2 that may already be present in the combustion gas.
Preference assessment of recruitment into a randomized trial for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Background: Randomized controlled trials are powerful tools to evaluate the outcomes of clinical treatments. However, these trials tend to be expensive and time-consuming, and their conclusions can be threatened by several limitations. This study estimated the strength of three common limitations (underenrollment, selective enrollment, and nonadherence to protocol) in a proposed study of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Methods: Patients with scoliosis and their parents were asked to complete a web-based survey about their preferences concerning a hypothetical randomized trial. Adolescents without scoliosis and their parents also participated. Surveys included questions about treatment preference, likelihood of participation, required risk reduction, and propensity to drop out or choose a different treatment while enrolled in the study. Results: Ninety adolescents and eighty-three parents participated. Observation was preferred to bracing by the majority of subjects. Overall, 33% of the parents and adolescents would both agree to participate in the hypothetical trial. Of the subjects who would not agree to participate, the majority would rather share the decision-making responsibility with the physician than have the treatment chosen in a random fashion. Many of the subjects would consider changing treatments during the course of the trial if they were not satisfied with the outcomes; the majority of parents who preferred bracing would consider crossing over to the bracing arm if their children were randomized to observation. Conclusions: Recruitment into a randomized trial of bracing compared with observation for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis may well be problematic, considering the relatively small percentage of families who said they would consider randomization. Additionally, the threat of nonadherence to protocol may be strong and must be addressed in the protocol of the trial. Most families wanted to make the treatment decision with the physician in lieu of randomization; therefore, the role of the physician in patient recruitment and retention should not be underestimated.
Beyond Today and Pass Tomorrow: Self‐Efficacy Among African‐American Adolescent Mothers

Abstract: In the 21st century, African-American youth continue to be negatively defined by the media, by educators, and even some youth-focused organizations as either super-predators or super-breeders. Black teenage mothers, in particular, are held responsible for poverty, escalating school dropout rates, child abuse and neglect, welfare dependence, despair and crime. Despite the persistence of these negative portrayals, researchers who strive to understand the lives of African-American girls find that there are both subtle and overt forms of resistance to negative stereotyping as well as nuanced and creative strategies for self-definition. This paper describes a research project that allowed some brief glimpses into the lives of teenage mothers in two low-income communities. I discuss expressions of self-efficacy that emerged in interviews with these young women and the critical need for youth programs in low-income communities. I also include some programmatic suggestions that are specific to teen mothers and discuss the importance of feminist anthropology in research on community-based youth programs.
The Knowledge Bank and poverty reduction

The World Bank’s (WB) mission and overarching goal is to reduce poverty. Moving ahead, what can the WB do to enhance its contribution to the poverty reduction agenda? This question can be answered from at least two perspectives: the WB as a lending institution and the WB as a knowledge bank. Here we will concentrate on the latter and suggest two areas in which more and better information and analysis could help move the poverty reduction agenda forward: improving data on poverty and redressing poverty assessments to include the impact of fiscal policy on poverty and inequality.
An Analytic Approximation to the Distribution of Lilliefors's Test Statistic for Normality

Abstract Table 1 corrects the critical values for testing normality reported by Lilliefors (1967). The corrected table allows us to derive a simple analytic approximation to the upper tail probabilities of his test statistic for probabilities less than .10. With few exceptions, the approximation is more accurate than Lilliefors's original table.
Production, respiration, and overall carbon balance in an old-growth Pseudotsuga-Tsuga forest ecosystem

Ground-based measurements of stores, growth, mortality, litterfall, respiration, and decomposition were conducted in an old-growth forest at Wind River Experimental Forest, Washington, USA. These measurements were used to estimate gross primary production (GPP) and net primary production (NPP); autotrophic respiration (Ra) and heterotrophic (Rh) respiration; and net ecosystem production (NEP). Monte Carlo methods were used to calculate uncertainty (expressed as ± 2 standard deviations of 200–400 calculations). Live carbon (C) stores were 39,800 g C m )2 (34,800– 44,800 g C m )2 ). The store of C in detritus and mineral soil was 22,092 g C m )2 (20,600–23,600 g Cm )2 ), and the total C stores were 61,899 g C m )2 (56,600–67,700 g C m )2 ). Total NPP was 597 g C m )2 y )1 (453 to 741 g C m )2 y )1 ). Ra was 1309 g C m )2 y )1 (845–1773 g C m )2 y )1 ), indicating a GPP of 1906 g C m )2 y )1 (1444–2368 g C
Multiobjective Maintenance Planning Optimization for Deteriorating Bridges Considering Condition, Safety, and Life-Cycle Cost

Many of the currently available bridge management system tools focus on minimizing life-cycle maintenance cost of deteriorating bridges while imposing constraints on structural performance. The computed single optimal maintenance planning solution, however, may not necessarily meet a bridge manager's specific requirements on lifetime bridge performance. In this paper the life-cycle maintenance planning of deteriorating bridges is formulated as a multiobjective optimization problem that treats the lifetime condition and safety levels as well as life-cycle maintenance cost as separate objective functions. A multiobjective genetic algorithm is used as the search engine to automatically locate a large pool of different maintenance scenarios that exhibits an optimized tradeoff among conflicting objectives. This tradeoff provides improved opportunity for bridge managers to actively select the final maintenance scenario that most desirably balances life-cycle maintenance cost, condition, and safety levels of deteriorating bridges.
Taking Rights Spherically: Formal and Collective Aspects of Legal Rights

Contemporary debates over rights proceed from the common assumption that rights are purely or predominantly individualistic constructs. In this essay, the author reveals an important sense in which that common assumption is false. While rights are grounded in the interests of individuals, they also possess, under law and formal justice, critical and inherent collective aspects. By virtue of their generality, rights in legislation and adjudication necessarily relate individuals one to another: They engender collective spheres of membership. This improved understanding of the nature of legal rights demonstrates as well the powerful effect rights can have on the development of shared aspects of our individual identities. Further, it suggests a theoretical framework in which group difference may be taken into account even in the liberal public sphere.
A NOTE ON THE ORIGINS OF “UNCLE SAM,” 1810–1820

Abstract Conventional wisdom holds that “Uncle” Sam Wilson—a Troy, New York, meatpacker who, when he was supplying troops during the War of 1812, stamped his crates “U.S.”—inspired the federal government’s nickname; new evidence suggests, however, that the personification originated earlier, simply as a creative and colorful expansion of “U.S.”
Contaminants in Food Lipids

Edible oils, as high value food products, are frequently the target of economic adulteration. They are also susceptible to environmental contamination, particularly from nonpolar materials that are highly soluble in oils. In addition, they are also commonly processed industrially, which can lead to the production of manufacturing- or storage-induced contaminants. This chapter will review the origin, health effects, mitigation approaches, and analytical methods related to economic adulterants, environmental contaminants, and processing contaminants that are known to occur in oils.
Triggered Moving Range Queries over RFID Monitored Objects

As a promising technology for monitoring and tracing the product flows and human activities, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has received much attention within database community. Moving range query over RFID data streams is one of the most important spatio-temporal queries to support valuable information analysis. However, the uncertainty of the monitored object location challenges the query strategy. Novel models and methods are desired. In this paper, we propose a probability evaluation model in the RFID-enabled monitoring environments and discuss the query optimization techniques under the scenarios of triggered moving range query, which can also be applied into more situations. The extensive experimental evaluation verifies the efficiency and effectiveness of our proposed model and methods.
Intracerebroventricular delivery of self-complementary adeno-associated virus serotype 9 to the adult rat brain

Gene therapy for the central nervous system is poised to become a powerful treatment for numerous neurological disorders. Adeno-associated viral vectors based on serotype 9 (AAV9) have proven themselves to be strong candidates for delivering gene-based therapies throughout the brain and spinal cord when administered intravenously, intrathecally, intracisternally, and intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.). Previous studies of i.c.v.-delivered self-complimentary AAV9 have been performed in neonatal mice with delivery of a single dose. However, before clinical trials can be considered, more information is required about the dose-response relationship for transduction efficiency in adult animals. In the current study, three doses of self-complementary AAV9 were administered to adult rats. High levels of transduction were observed in the hippocampus, cerebellum and cerebral cortex, and transduction increased with increasing dosage. Both neurons and astrocytes were transduced. There was no evidence of astrocytosis at the doses tested. Preliminary results from pigs receiving i.c.v. self-complementary AAV9 are also presented. The results of this study will serve to inform dosing studies in large animal models before clinical testing.
Reactive Oxygen Species as Agents of Fatigue.

AB Introduction: For more than three decades, muscle biologists have been fascinated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in exercising muscle and the potential role that ROS may play in fatigue. Methods: Reports in the peer-reviewed literature were analyzed and published findings integrated to synthesize an overview of ROS as agents of fatigue. Results: Muscle tissue contains multiple sources of ROS, and specific ROS molecules have been detected in muscle, including superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals. These species are present throughout the tissue, i.e., myofiber organelles and cytosol, extracellular space, and intravascular compartment, and ROS concentrations increase during strenuous contractions. Direct ROS exposure evokes many of the same changes that occur in muscle during fatigue, suggesting a possible relationship. The hypothesis that ROS play a causal role in fatigue has been tested extensively, a large body of data have been compiled, and the once-controversial verdict is now in: ROS accumulation in working muscle clearly contributes to the loss of function that occurs in fatigue. This is evident in a range of experimental settings ranging from muscle fiber bundles in vitro to neuromuscular preparations in situ, from volitional exercise of small muscle groups to whole-body exercise by elite athletes. Conclusion: The robust capacity of antioxidant pretreatment to delay fatigue provides compelling evidence that ROS play a causal role in this process. There are caveats to this story of course, issues related to the type of antioxidant and mode of administration. Also, the translation of this laboratory concept into clinical practice has been slow. Still, antioxidant therapy has the potential to benefit individuals who experience premature fatigue and this remains a promising area for future research. (C) 2016 American College of Sports Medicine
Density of liquid—Organic compounds

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the density of liquid for organic compounds in tabular form. For the tabulation, an equation is selected for correlation of liquid density as a function of temperature. The tabulation is arranged by carbon number such as C, C2, and C3 to provide ease of use in quickly locating the data by using the chemical formula. The compound name and chemical abstracts registry number (CAS No) are also provided in columns. Values for regression coefficients are given in the adjacent columns. The temperature range for use is also given in columns (TMIN and TMAX). The equation should not be used for temperatures outside this range. The next column provides the code for the tabulation. The last two columns provide a representative temperature and value for liquid density at the representative temperature. The compilations of CRC, Daubert and Danner, TRC, and Yaws are used extensively for liquid density. Estimates of liquid density are primarily based on Schroeder correlation, Le Bas method, and Tyn-Calus equation. A comparison of calculated and data values is also presented for a representative compound. The graph shows favorable agreement of equation and data.
Case Studies in Conserving Large Mammals

From an aircraft flying overhead, much of the African rain forest canopy may appear intact, verdant and, therefore, rich in wildlife. However, the reality on the ground is often quite different. Large mammals are hunted extensively for their meat, hides and tusks, sometimes to the point of being wiped out over large areas. In addition, the rate at which the tropical forest is disappearing is having a devastating effect on wildlife. The combined effects of hunting and the destruction of forest on elephants and primates are considered in detail in this chapter.
Epidemiology, Measurement, and Cost of Obesity

Obesity currently affects 78.6 million people (33 %) in the United States and is expected to increase to over 50 % of the population by 2030. The epidemic is fueled by the growing rate of obesity in adolescents of 17 %. Healthcare systems have the responsibility to provide care to this burgeoning group of people. Accurate measurement and tracking of a patient’s BMI is critical. As a screening tool it may identify patients with a BMI of 25 kg/m2 and above who are classified as overweight and are at risk for progression of weight and obesity-related disease. Identification of this group of people presents a tremendous opportunity to reverse the progression of obesity with traditional and less expensive methods of weight loss and control such as diet and exercise. Patients in the overweight BMI group (25.0–29.9 kg/m2) have generally not yet experienced amplification of their obesity through genetic resetting™. Current research proves that keeping a patient in the overweight range or bringing a patient to a lower BMI from the obese range will stave off obesity-related disease and save billions of dollars in direct and indirect cost. This chapter will describe the preferred clinical method of accurately measuring obesity using Weight Related Health Indicators (WRHI), which should include BMI, waist circumference, and body fat percentage. The WRHI should be measured and recorded for every patient at every visit and become part of the patient's ongoing educational and monitoring process.
MicroRNA and Metastasis

Noncoding RNAs are important regulatory molecules of cellular processes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that bind to complementary sequences in the 3' untranslated region of target mRNAs, leading to degradation of the target mRNAs and/or inhibition of their translation. Some miRNAs are essential for normal animal development; however, many other miRNAs are dispensable for development but play a critical role in pathological conditions, including tumorigenesis and metastasis. miRNA genes often reside at fragile chromosome sites and are deregulated in cancer. Some miRNAs function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors, collectively termed "oncomirs." Specific metastasis-regulating miRNAs, collectively termed "metastamirs," govern molecular processes and pathways in malignant progression in either a tumor cell-autonomous or a cell-nonautonomous manner. Recently, exosome-transferred miRNAs have emerged as mediators of the tumor-stroma cross talk. In this chapter, we focus on the functions, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potential of miRNAs, particularly oncomirs and metastamirs.
Computing a Pocket Depth Descriptor for Bio-Molecules

We consider the following problem. Given a simple polytope S in R3, with a total of n edges, and a query point s on S, find a shortest path from s to the boundary of the convex hull, CH(S), of S, that does not go through the interior of S. The problem has applications in structural proteomics in the computation of shape descriptors. Specifically, if s is a point on the surface S of a protein P and s is within a pocket of P, finding the pocket depth of s reduces to this problem. Our main contribution is to show how to extend two point-to-point approximation algorithms proposed by Papadimitriou and Har-Peled to solve the point-to-face version of the shortest path problem proposed in this paper.
Zinc supplementation leads to immune modulation and improved survival in a juvenile model of murine sepsis.

Children with severe sepsis are known to have altered zinc homeostasis and decreased circulating zinc levels, suggesting a role for zinc supplementation to improve outcomes. We tested the hypothesi...
A review of methods to assess coactivation in the spine

Coactivation is an important component for understanding the physiological cost of muscular and spinal loads and their associations with spinal pathology and potentially myofascial pain. However, due to the complex and dynamic nature of most activities of daily living, it can be difficult to capture a quantifiable measure of coactivation. Many methods exist to assess coactivation, but most are limited to two-muscle systems, isometric/complex analyses, or dynamic/uniplanar analyses. Hence, a void exists in that coactivation has not been documented or assessed as a multiple-muscle system under realistic complex dynamic loading. Overall, no coactivation index has been capable of assessing coactivation during complex dynamic exertions. The aim of this review is to provide an understanding of the factors that may influence coactivation, document the metrics used to assess coactivity, assess the feasibility of those metrics, and define the necessary variables for a coactivation index that can be used for a variety of tasks. It may also be clinically and practically relevant in the understanding of rehabilitation effectiveness, efficiency during task performance, human-task interactions, and possibly the etiology for a multitude of musculoskeletal conditions.
Formal specification and analysis approaches for spacecraft attitude control requirements

The cost to develop software in aerospace systems is on an exponential curve driven by increasing system complexity, which is exacerbated by a systems engineering process that discovers the majority of design errors late in the design process. Implementing formal specification and analysis techniques starting at the requirements development phase has the potential to drastically reduce aerospace software development costs by identifying and fixing errors while the cost of fault removal is still relatively low. As an example, this paper presents an approach for formalizing common spacecraft attitude control system requirements such as actuator limits, pointing error, reachability, drift, settling time, rise time, and overshoot. The proposed formalization approach allows early analysis of requirements for consistency and can facilitate the generation of rigorous verification evidence from formal methods analysis techniques such as model checking. Limitations in analysis of nonlinear systems by model checking techniques drove use of hypothesis testing as an alternative formal approach for analysis in this research. Formal requirements may be used in hypothesis testing to provide a statistical determination of whether a simulated or tested system meets requirements. To evaluate the use of the formal requirements based hypothesis testing approach, a space filling experimental design simulation is conducted on simulated spacecraft slewing maneuvers. Finally, the results are presented and discussed.
Shrinkage / stress reduction and mechanical properties improvement in restorative composites formulated with thio-urethane oligomers.

Abstract Thio-urethane oligomers (TUs) have been shown to favorably modify methacrylate networks to reduce stress and significantly increase fracture toughness. Since those are very desirable features in dental applications, the objective of this work was to characterize restorative composites formulated with the addition of TUs. TUs were synthesized by combining thiols – pentaerythritol tetra-3-mercaptopropionate (PETMP) or trimethylol-tris-3-mercaptopropionate (TMP) – with isocyanates − 1,6-Hexanediol-diissocyante (HDDI) (aliphatic) or 1,3-bis(1-isocyanato-1-methylethyl)benzene (BDI) (aromatic) or dicyclohexylmethane 4,4'-Diisocyanate (HMDI) (cyclic), at 1:2 isocyanate:thiol, leaving pendant thiols. 20 wt% TU were added to BisGMA-TEGDMA (70-30%). To this organic matrix, 70 wt% silanated inorganic fillers were added. Near-IR was used to follow methacrylate conversion and rate of polymerization (Rpmax). Mechanical properties were evaluated in three-point bending (ISO 4049) for flexural strength/modulus (FS/FM) and toughness (T), and notched specimens (ASTM Standard E399-90) for fracture toughness (KIC). Polymerization stress (PS) was measured on the Bioman. Volumetric shrinkage (VS) was measured with the bonded disk technique. Glass transition temperature (Tg) and heterogeneity of network were obtained with dynamic mechanical analysis. The addition of TUs led to an increase in mechanical properties (except for Tg and FS). Fracture toughness ranged from 1.6–1.94 MPa m1/2 for TU-modified groups, an increase of 33–61% in relation to the control (1.21 ± 0.1 MPa m1/2). Toughness showed a two-fold increase in relation to the control: from 0.91 MPa to values ranging from 1.70–1.95 MPa. Flexural modulus was statistically higher for the TU-modified groups. The Tg, as expected, decreased for all TU groups due to the greater flexibility imparted to the network (which also explains the increase in toughness and fracture toughness). Narrower tan-delta peaks suggest more homogeneous networks for the TU-modified materials, though differences were marked only for TMP_AL. Degree of conversion was not affected by the addition of TUs. VS was similar for all groups, with one exception where VS dropped (PETMP-cyclic). Finally, PS showed a reduction of 23–57% for TU-modified groups (6.7 ± 1.3 to 11.9 ± 1.0 MPa) in relation to the control (15.56 ± 1.4 MPa). The addition of thio-urethane oligomers was able to reduce polymerization stress by up to 57% while increasing fracture toughness by up to 61%.
Neuroinflammatory disease: IBC meeting on neuroinflammatory disease: research and treatment strategies London, UK, 17 and 18 September 1996

The conference focused on the impact of neuroinflammation in several important neurological illnesses. The similarities between the diseases were clearly brought out. It is unlikely that a single treatment for inflammation will emerge that will be useful in such diverse conditions. However, those who attended the conference felt that emphasizing the common features of these diseases was very useful. This highly successful meeting was organized by Drs V. Hugh Perry and Andy Gearing.
EFEITOS DO EXERCÍCIO FÍSICO NO TRATAMENTO DA ARTRITE IDIOPÁTICA JUVENIL: UMA REVISÃO SISTEMÁTICA

Introducao: A Artrite Idiopatica Juvenil (AIJ) e uma doenca autoimune, cronica, de etiologia desconhecida, que acomete criancas menores de 16 anos de idade, caracterizada por dor articular e edema, podendo progredir para comprometimento da cartilagem e do osso, resultando em perda da funcao e deformidades articulares. Exercicios fisicos tem como finalidade a melhoria do desempenho fisico, logo, pode-se pensar neles como terapia adjuvante ao tratamento convencional da AIJ. Contudo, questiona-se qual seria o tipo mais apropriado para os portadores da doenca. Objetivo: Buscar evidencias na literatura cientifica sobre os potenciais beneficios do exercicio fisico na AIJ. Metodo: Busca nas bases de dados PubMed e SciELO, utilizando-se os termos artrite reumatoide , artrite reumatoide juvenil , artrite idiopatica juvenil , atividade fisica , exercicio fisico , treinamento fisico , ginastica , corrida e esporte . Resultados: Sete estudos foram selecionados para analise dos resultados, pois enquadravam-se nos criterios de inclusao. Os poucos estudos sobre os efeitos do exercicio fisico na AIJ se diferenciam bastante nos testes e protocolos de treinamento, tornando dificil o estabelecimento de comparacoes. Conclusao: Embora o conjunto dos fatores que contribuem para a ocorrencia da artrite reumatoide (AR) seja extensamente estudado, principalmente fatores geneticos e imunologicos, os mecanismos precisos envolvidos na iniciacao, progressao e destruicao autoimune presentes na AIJ nao estao totalmente elucidados. As evidencias explicitadas sugerem que o exercicio pode e deve ser estimulado e incorporado a terapia medicamentosa para beneficiar individuos com AIJ, atenuando sintomas clinicos relacionados a doenca. Nao foram observados efeitos prejudiciais relacionados ao exercicio, corroborando este como terapia adjuvante ao tratamento da AIJ.
Opportunities for Flexible, On-Demand Care Delivery Through Telemedicine

Efficient response to health care needs when clinical resources are limited is a critical issue in health care delivery. Technologies such as telemedicine hold promise to support adaptive service delivery models to address these issues. The authors explore how a simple, low-tech approach to telemedicine paired with an on-demand staffing model to create a virtual pool of consultants may improve capacity and flexibility for providing inpatient consultation-liaison psychiatric services.
New methods for generating student's t and gamma variables

Algorithms based on ratio-of-uniforms method are developed for generating random variables from the Student'st and gamma families.
Hardware-assisted rootkit detection via on-line statistical fingerprinting of process execution

Kernel rootkits generally attempt to maliciously tamper kernel objects and surreptitiously distort program execution flow. Herein, we introduce a hardware-assisted hierarchical on-line system which detects such kernel rootkits by identifying deviation of dynamic intra-process execution profiles based on architecture-level semantics captured directly in hardware. The underlying key insight is that, in order to take effect, malicious manipulation of kernel objects must distort the execution flow of benign processes, thereby leaving abnormal traces in architecture-level semantics. While traditional detection methods rely on software modules to collect such traces, their implementations are susceptible to being compromised through software attacks. In contrast, our detection system maintains immunity to software attacks by resorting to hardware for trace collection. The proposed method is demonstrated on a Linux-based operating system running on a 32-bit x86 architecture, implemented in Simics. Experimental results, using real-world kernel rootkits, corroborate the effectiveness of this method, while a predictive 45nm PDK is used to evaluate hardware overhead.
Impact fragmentation of a brittle metal compact

The fragmentation behavior of a metal powder compact which is ductile in compression but brittle in tension is studied via impact experiments and analytical models. Consolidated metal compacts were prepared via cold-isostatic pressing of <10 μm zinc powder at 380 MPa followed by moderate annealing at 365 °C. The resulting zinc material is ductile and strain-hardening in high-rate uniaxial compression like a traditional metal, but is elastic-brittle in tension with a fracture toughness comparable to a ceramic. Cylindrical samples were launched up to 800 m/s in a gas gun into thin aluminum perforation targets, subjecting the projectile to a complex multiaxial and time-dependent stress state that leads to catastrophic fracture. A soft-catch mechanism using low-density artificial snow was developed to recover the impact debris, and collected fragments were analyzed to determine their size distribution down to 30 μm. Though brittle fracture occurs along original particle boundaries, no power-law fragmentation behavior was observed as is seen in other low-toughness materials. An analytical theory is developed to predict the characteristic fragment size accounting for both the sharp onset of fragmentation and the effect of increasing impact velocity.The fragmentation behavior of a metal powder compact which is ductile in compression but brittle in tension is studied via impact experiments and analytical models. Consolidated metal compacts were prepared via cold-isostatic pressing of <10 μm zinc powder at 380 MPa followed by moderate annealing at 365 °C. The resulting zinc material is ductile and strain-hardening in high-rate uniaxial compression like a traditional metal, but is elastic-brittle in tension with a fracture toughness comparable to a ceramic. Cylindrical samples were launched up to 800 m/s in a gas gun into thin aluminum perforation targets, subjecting the projectile to a complex multiaxial and time-dependent stress state that leads to catastrophic fracture. A soft-catch mechanism using low-density artificial snow was developed to recover the impact debris, and collected fragments were analyzed to determine their size distribution down to 30 μm. Though brittle fracture occurs along original particle boundaries, no power-law fragmentation ...
Influence of dense granular columns on the performance of level and gently sloping liquefiable sites.

AbstractDense granular columns are often used as a liquefaction mitigation measure to (1) enhance drainage; (2) provide shear reinforcement; and (3) densify and increase lateral stresses in the sur...
Acquiring schemata through understanding and generalizing plans

This paper discusses explanatory schema acquisition, a learning technique with several interesting properties. It does not require a teacher or concept matching predicate to be provided. It does not reply on searching a concept space to produce generalizations. It can acquire a new concept based on only one input example, although later inputs might result in refinement of learned concepts. These features are made possible by taking a very knowledge-based approach.
Stretchable, Printable and Electrically Conductive Composites for Wearable RF Antennas

The rapid growth of wearable electronics has driven the demand for new material solution in electronic packaging. Highly stretchable and electrically conductive composites can be of great use as stretchable conductors in wearable devices. Recently, the reduction in package size and increase in device functionalities have posed more stringent yet challenging requirements for stretchable conductors, including the capability to provide distinctive electrical signals under strains, perform exceptional reliability, and show compatibility with printing technologies to make high resolution patterns. In this work, we have developed a novel conductive composite consisting of a modified elastomer and silver nanostructures that combines high stretchability, conductivity, and printability with fine feature sizes. The formulated composites have been applied in smart wearable bands for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Oxygen uptake in complexes related to [NiFeS]- and [NiFeSe]-hydrogenase active sites

A biomimetic study for S/Se oxygenation in Ni(μ-EPh)(μ-SN2)Fe, (E = S or Se; SN2 = Me-diazacycloheptane-CH2CH2S); Fe = (η5-C5H5)FeII(CO) complexes related to the oxygen-damaged active sites of [NiFeS]/[NiFeSe]-H2ases is described. Mono- and di-oxygenates (major and minor species, respectively) of the chalcogens result from exposure of the heterobimetallics to O2; one was isolated and structurally characterized to have Ni-O-SePh-Fe-S connectivity within a 5-membered ring. A compositionally analogous mono-oxy species was implicated by ν(CO) IR spectroscopy to be the corresponding Ni-O-SPh-Fe-S complex; treatment with O-abstraction agents such as P(o-tolyl)3 or PMe3 remediated the O damage. Computational studies (DFT) found that the lowest energy isomers of mono-oxygen derivatives of Ni(μ-EPh)(μ-SN2)Fe complexes were those with O attachment to Ni rather than Fe, a result consonant with experimental findings, but at odds with oxygenates found in oxygen-damaged [NiFeS]/[NiFeSe]-H2ase structures. A computer-generated model based on substituting -SMe for the N-CH2CH2S- sulfur donor of the N2S suggested that constraint within the chelate hindered O-atom uptake at that sulfur site.