cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Pregnancy Anti-Discrimination Policy in Kentucky: Application of Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework:

While several federal laws including the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Family Medical Leave Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act provide some freedom from discrimination due to pregnancy and breastfeeding-related conditions, many pregnant workers in Kentucky were not covered under these existing laws. The intent of Senate Bill 18, the Kentucky Pregnant Workers Act, was to provide clarity to employers about the protections afforded to pregnant workers by law as well as the need for employers to provide the same level of accommodations for pregnant workers that are available for those who are disabled. Similar bills had been filed during the 2015 to 2018 legislative sessions, and in 2019, Senate Bill 18 passed 87-5 and was signed by the Governor on April 9, 2019. The purpose of this article is to analyze a pregnancy anti-discrimination bill that passed during the 2019 Kentucky General Assembly utilizing Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework. This article also contains multiple policy alternatives, interest group involvement related to pregnancy anti-discrimination policy, unintended consequences of policy implementation as well as potential issues with enforcement of the Kentucky Pregnant Workers Act.
Distributed Convex Optimization With State-Dependent (Social) Interactions and Time-Varying Topologies

In this paper, an unconstrained collaborative optimization of a sum of convex functions is considered where agents make decisions using local information from their neighbors. The communication between nodes are described by a time-varying sequence of possibly state-dependent weighted networks. A new framework for modeling multi-agent optimization problems over networks with state-dependent interactions and time-varying topologies is proposed. A gradient-based discrete-time algorithm using diminishing step size is proposed for converging to the optimal solution under suitable assumptions. The algorithm is totally asynchronous without requiring B-connectivity assumption for convergence. The algorithm still works even if the weighted matrix of the graph is periodic and irreducible in synchronous protocol. Finally, a case study on a network of robots in an automated warehouse is provided in order to demonstrate the results.
Actual and Potential Impact of a Home Nasogastric Tube Feeding Program for Infants Whose Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Discharge Is Affected by Delayed Oral Feedings.

Objective To compare healthcare use and parent health-related quality of life (HRQL) in 3 groups of infants whose neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge was delayed by oral feedings. Study design This was a prospective, single-center cohort of infants in the NICU from September 2018 to March 2020. After enrollment, weekly chart review determined eligibility for home nasogastric (NG) feeds based on predetermined criteria. Actual discharge feeding decisions were at clinical discretion. At 3 months’ postdischarge, we compared acute healthcare use and parental HRQL, measured by the PedsQL Family Impact Module, among infants who were NG eligible but discharged with all oral feeds, discharged with NG feeds, and discharged with gastrostomy (G) tubes. We calculated NICU days saved by home NG discharges. Results Among 180 infants, 80 were orally fed, 35 used NG, and 65 used G tubes. Compared with infants who had NG-tube feedings, infants who had G-tube feedings had more gastrointestinal or tube-related readmissions and emergency encounters (unadjusted OR 3.97, 95% CI 1.3-12.7, P = .02), and orally-fed infants showed no difference in use (unadjusted OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.1-1.7, P = .225). Multivariable adjustment did not change these comparisons. Parent HRQL at 3 months did not differ between groups. Infants discharged home with NG tubes saved 1574 NICU days. Conclusions NICU discharge with NG feeds is associated with reduced NICU stay without increased postdischarge healthcare use or decreased parent HRQL, whereas G-tube feeding was associated with increased postdischarge healthcare use.
A programmable probiotic encapsulation system enhances therapeutic delivery in vivo

Abstract Recent advances in therapeutic modulation of human microbiota have driven new efforts to engineer living microbial medicines using synthetic biology. However, a long-standing challenge for live bacterial therapies is balancing the high dose required to achieve robust efficacy with the potential for sepsis. Here, we developed a genetically encoded microbial encapsulation system with tunable and dynamic expression of surface capsular polysaccharides to enhance therapeutic delivery. Following a synthetic small RNA knockdown screen of the capsular biosynthesis pathway, we constructed synthetic gene circuits that regulate bacterial encapsulation based on sensing the levels of environmental inducer, bacterial density, and blood pH. The induced encapsulation system enabled tunable immunogenicity and survivability of the probiotic Escherichia coli, resulting in increased maximum tolerated dose and enhanced efficacy in murine cancer models. Furthermore, triggering in situ encapsulation was found to increase microbial translocation between mouse tumors, leading to efficacy in distal tumors. The programmable encapsulation system demonstrates a new approach to control microbial therapeutic profiles in vivo using synthetic biology.
New Insights on Advertising Execution And Consumer Engagement

![Figure][1] Since 1960, the Journal of Advertising Research ( JAR ) has delivered cutting-edge, impactful research to advertising scholars and practitioners. That work has reflected not only the continuing theoretical evolutionary advancement of knowledge but also has provided answers to a
The Foundations of Modern Terrorism: State, Society and the Dynamics of Political Violence

Why is it that terrorism has become such a central factor in our lives despite all the efforts to eradicate it? Ranging from early modern Europe to the contemporary Middle East, Martin Miller reveals the foundations of modern terrorism. He argues that the French Revolution was a watershed moment as it was then that ordinary citizens first claimed the right to govern. The traditional notion of state legitimacy was forever altered and terrorism became part of a violent contest over control of state power between officials in government and insurgents in society. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries terrorism evolved into a way of seeing the world and a way of life for both insurgents and state security forces with the two sides drawn ever closer in their behaviour and tactics. This is a groundbreaking history of terrorism which, for the first time, integrates the violence of governments and insurgencies.
Photorefractive image amplification at extremely low light levels

The authors report measurements of image amplification at extremely low light levels in BaTiO/sub 3/ using photorefractive two-wave mixing. Image amplification for signal levels as low as 20 pW with a Fresnel number of 382 was observed. Comparisons of Fourier and direct imaging show that amplification of the Fourier transform of the image provides improved image quality and field-of-view at the lowest light levels. Fourier imaging inherently filters out noise generated from scatterers; consequently, minimum detectable signal levels can be lower. Image structure is viably recovered with far smaller illuminated volumes using Fourier imaging; hence, crystals with smaller apertures may be used. Finally, Fourier imaging is readily implementable and does not require complex optical interferometers or mechanical methods, which reduce signal power as well as noise. >
Imaginary Worlds in Middle Childhood: A Qualitative Study of Two Pairs of Coordinated Paracosms

Imagining alternatives to actual experiences is an important part of everyday life that can take many forms. One manifestation in middle childhood is the creation of elaborate imaginary worlds, called paracosms. Retrospective reports of adults indicate that having a childhood paracosm is more commonly reported in individuals acknowledged for being highly creative. In this study, we interviewed four children aged 10 to 12 years with interconnected paracosms about the details of their imagined worlds. Our findings indicated that paracosms served as a platform for social activity with friends, a way to explore real world interests (e.g., geography, language), and a vehicle for engaging in creative pursuits (e.g., drawing, storytelling).
Older adult report of change in depressive symptoms as a treatment decision tool.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate patient reports of changes in depressive symptoms as information that can be used in treatment decision-making. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: The Prevention of Suicide in Primary Care Elderly: Collaborative Trial and the Primary Care Research in Substance Abuse and Mental Health for the Elderly trial, multisite studies investigating the effect of depression interventions on outcomes in primary care. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-six patients aged 60 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Patient demographics were collected from patient reports. Symptoms of depression were measured using the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D). Changes in depressive symptoms were also measured using the Clinical Global Impressions of Change (CGI-C) as rated by patients in ongoing treatment. RESULTS: Patient ratings of CGI-C were significantly correlated with percentage improvement on the HAM-D as rated by the depression care manager (correlation coefficient (r)=0.44, P<.001) and percentage improvement on the CES-D (r=0.38, P=.005). The patient report of at least “much improved” predicted at least 50% treatment response based on HAM-D scale scores, with a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 74.2%. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that patients are able to accurately report their degree of improvement in depressive symptoms. Patient report of at least “much improved” can be used as an estimate of at least 50% depression treatment response. In an era of increasingly fragmented clinical care, these findings demonstrate that older adult primary care patients can accurately self-report overall change in depressive symptoms. When results of repeated depression instruments are not available, patient report of depression treatment response can be used to inform depression treatment decision-making.
Effect of nitrate on biogenic sulfide production.

The addition of 59 mM nitrate inhibited biogenic sulfide production in dilute sewage sludge (10% [vol/vol]) amended with 20 mM sulfate and either acetate, glucose, or hydrogen as electron donors. Similar results were found when pond sediment or oil field brines served as the inoculum. Sulfide production was inhibited for periods of at least 6 months and was accompanied by the oxidation of resazurin from its colorless reduced state to its pink oxidized state. Lower amounts of nitrate (6 or 20 mM) and increased amounts of sewage sludge resulted in only transient inhibition of sulfide production. The addition of 156 mM sulfate to bottles with 59 mM nitrate and 10% (vol/vol) sewage sludge or pond sediment resulted in sulfide production. Nitrate, nitrite, and nitrous oxide were detected during periods where sulfide production was inhibited, whereas nitrate, nitrite, and nitrous oxide were below detectable levels at the time sulfide production began. The oxidation of resazurin was attributed to an increase in nitrous oxide which persisted in concentration of about 1.0 mM for up to 5 months. The numbers of sulfate-reducing organisms decreased from 106 CFU ml−1 sludge to less than detectable levels after prolonged incubation of oxidized bottles. The addition of 10 mM glucose to oxidized bottles after 14.5 weeks of incubation resulted in rereduction of the resazurin and subsequent sulfide production. The prolonged inhibition of sulfide production was attributed to an increase in oxidation-reduction potential due to biogenic production of nitrous oxide, which appeared to have a cytotoxic effect on sulfate-reducing populations.
Potassium hydroxide solution 10% for the fast hydrolysis of esters for analysis

The applicability of a five-minute hydrolysis method with 10% potassium hydroxide in an alcohol-water (80-20) mixture was investigated for the quantitative determination of certain esters (aspirin, benzocaine, benzyl benzoate, methyl paraben, phenyl salicylate, procaine hydrochloride, propyl paraben, salicylanilide and 0-salicylsalicylic acid) and salicylamide. The results indicate that the method is satisfactory for all but methyl paraben and propyl paraben.
Load-balancing performance of consistent hashing: asymptotic analysis of random node join

Balancing of structured peer-to-peer graphs, including their zone sizes, has recently become an important topic of distributed hash table (DHT) research. To bring analytical understanding into the various peer-join mechanisms based on consistent hashing, we study how zone-balancing decisions made during the initial sampling of the peer space affect the resulting zone sizes and derive several asymptotic bounds for the maximum and minimum zone sizes that hold with high probability. Several of our results contradict those of prior work and shed new light on the theoretical performance limitations of consistent hashing. We use simulations to verify our models and compare the performance of the various methods using the example of recently proposed de Bruijn DHTs.
Intratracheal Pulmonary Ventilation and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in a Sheep Model of Severe Acute Respiratory Failure

Study objectives Previously we have shown that optimal pulmonary gas exchange can be sustained at normal airway pressures in a model of severe acute respiratory failure (ARF), using intratracheal pulmonary ventilation (ITPV), with weaning to room air. In an identical model of ARF, we have now explored whether ITPV, combined with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), can sustain adequate ventilation, with weaning to room air. Design Randomized study in sheep. Setting Animal research laboratory at the National Institutes of Health. Interventions ARF was induced in 12 sheep, using mechanical ventilation at peak inspiratory pressure of 50 cm H 2 O, but excluding 5 to 8% of lungs. Sheep were then randomized into two groups: the CPAP-ITPV group (n=6), in which ITPV was combined with a novel CPAP system; and a control group (n=6) in which the same CPAP circuit was used, but without ITPV. Measurements and results All sheep in the CPAP-ITPV group were weaned to room air in 38.7±14 h. PaO 2 /fraction of inspired oxygen (FIo 2 ) progressively increased from 108.8±43 to 355.7±93.1; PaCO 2 remained within normal range; respiratory rate (RR) ranged from 18 to 120 breaths/min, and tidal volume (Vt) was as low as 1.1 mL/kg. All sheep in the control group (CPAP alone) developed severe respiratory acidosis and hypoxemia after 4.8±4 h. PaO 2 /FIo 2 decreased from 126.6±58.2 to 107.2±52.5 mm Hg, with a final PaCO 2 of 166.8±73.3 mm Hg. Conclusions All sheep treated with CPAP-ITPV maintained good gas exchange without hypercapnia at high RR and at low Vt, with weaning to room air. All control animals treated with CPAP alone developed severe hypercapnia, respiratory acidosis, and severe hypoxemia, and were killed.
Muscarinic and nicotinic responses in the developing pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN).

Abstract The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), the cholinergic arm of the reticular activating system (RAS), is known to modulate waking and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep decreases between 10 and 30 days postnatally in the rat, with the majority occurring between 12 and 21 days. We investigated the possibility that changes in the cholinergic, muscarinic and/or nicotinic, input to PPN neurons could explain at least part of the developmental decrease in REM sleep. We recorded intracellularly from PPN neurons in 12–21 day rat brainstem slices maintained in artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) and found that application of the nicotinic agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenyl-piperazinium iodide (DMPP) depolarized PPN neurons early in development, then hyperpolarized PPN neurons by day 21. Most of the effects of DMPP persisted following application of the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX), and in the presence of glutamatergic, serotonergic, noradrenergic and GABAergic antagonists, but were blocked by the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine (MEC). The mixed muscarinic agonist carbachol (CAR) hyperpolarized all type II (A current) PPN cells and depolarized all type I (low threshold spike-LTS current) and type III (A + LTS current) PPN cells, but did not change effects during the period known for the developmental decrease in REM sleep. The effects of CAR persisted in the presence of TTX but were mostly blocked by the muscarinic antagonist atropine (ATR), and the remainder by MEC. We conclude that, while the nicotinic inputs to the PPN may help modulate the developmental decrease in REM sleep, the muscarinic inputs appear to modulate different types of cells differentially.
Association between the summer season and body fatness and aerobic fitness among Hispanic children.

BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated changes in adiposity and fitness during the academic year (AY) and summer season (SS) in minority children. This study aimed to assess if adiposity indicators and fitness change during the school AY and SS in Hispanic children. METHODS One hundred nineteen low-income Hispanic children (9.2 ± 0.8) participated in the study. Demographic, body weight and height, percent body fat (% BF), and aerobic endurance were assessed at 3 time points: measurement 1 (M1), beginning of AY; M2, end of AY; and M3, end of SS. Using weight and height, body mass index (BMI) was calculated and normalized (BMI z-scores). Mixed effects between-within-subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) design was used to examine changes in selected variables. RESULTS A significant decrease of BMI z-scores in overweight children (p = .024) was observed during the AY only, but not during the SS. Percent BF increased significantly over the AY and SS (p < .001), particularly in girls. Aerobic endurance showed a significant increase over the AY (p < .001), but it did not change over the SS (p = .552). CONCLUSIONS Results indicated that the SS might place Hispanic children at increased risk for additional adiposity and lower fitness.
Influence of Weight Loss, Body Composition, and Lifestyle Behaviors on Plasma Adipokines: A Randomized Weight Loss Trial in Older Men and Women with Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis

Objective. To investigate effects of weight loss on adipokines and health measures in obese older adults with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Methods. Participants were randomly assigned to either weight loss (WL) (men: 12, women: 14) or weight stable (WS) group (men: 12, women: 13). WL intervention included meal replacements and structured exercise training. Measurements of leptin, adiponectin, soluble leptin receptor, lifestyle behaviors, and body composition were collected at baseline and 6 months. Univariate analysis of covariance was performed on 6 month variables, and Spearman and partial correlations were made between variables. Results. Weight loss was 13.0% and 6.7% in WL for men and women, respectively. Women in WL had lower whole body and trunk fat than WS. The leptin : adiponectin ratio was lower for women in WL than WS at 6 months, with no group differences in adipokines for men. Leptin and free leptin index correlated with body fat in both genders at baseline. Interestingly, only women showed reductions in leptin () and correlations between the percentage change leptin and trunk fat and the percentage changes in free leptin index with total fat and trunk fat. Partial correlations between 6 month adipokines after adjustments for covariates and group/time period show potential multivariate influences. Conclusions. In the presence of an effective weight loss intervention in older obese adults, there are significant relationships between weight and fat loss and leptin in women, but not men, suggesting gender-specific features of adipokine metabolism in this age group.
Comparison of immediate and long-term results of mitral balloon valvotomy with the double-balloon versus inoue techniques

There is controversy as to whether the double-balloon or Inoue technique of percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy (PMBV) provides superior immediate and long-term results. This study compares the immediate procedural and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing PMBV using the double-balloon versus the Inoue techniques. Seven hundred thirty-four consecutive patients who underwent PMBV using the double-balloon (n = 621) or Inoue technique (n = 113) were studied. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline clinical and morphologic characteristics between the double-balloon and Inoue patients. The double-balloon technique resulted in superior immediate outcome, as reflected in a larger post-PMBV mitral valve area (1.9 +/- 0.7 vs 1.7 +/- 0.6 cm2; p = 0.005) and a lower incidence of 3+ mitral regurgitation after PMBV (5.4% vs 10.6%; p = 0.05). This superior immediate outcome of the double-balloon technique was observed only in the group of patients with echocardiographic score < or = 8 (post-PMBV mitral valve areas 2.1 +/- 0.7 vs 1.8 +/- 0.6; p = 0.004). Despite the difference in immediate outcome, there were no significant differences in event-free survival at long-term follow-up between the 2 techniques. Our study demonstrates that compared with the Inoue technique, the double-balloon technique results in a larger mitral valve area and less degree of severe mitral regurgitation after PMBV. Despite the difference in immediate outcome between both techniques, there were no significant differences in event-free survival at long-term follow-up.
Genotype/phenotype analyses of low frequency tumor cells using computerized image microscopy

Techniques to identify low frequency (i.e., 10(-4)-10(-5)) tumor cells in bone marrow and peripheral blood of cancer patients provide opportunities for early detection of disseminated disease and characterization of the properties of cells released from the tumor. Low frequency epithelial cells in marrow and blood can be detected using immunophenotypic markers directed against intracellular and/or cell surface antigens. However, nonspecific phenotypic labeling may compromise the ability to discriminate tumor from nontumor cells. We describe optimization of slide-based approaches that facilitate identification and subsequent molecular cytogenetic characterization of rare tumor cell populations in hematopoietic tissues. Colon tumor cells seeded in a hematopoietic background provided a model system to optimize methodologies that are applicable to detection and quantification of micrometastases in clinical specimens. Mixtures of cytogenetically aberrant epithelial cells and hematopoietic cells on slides were labeled with an anti-cytokeratin 20 (anti-CK20) antibody that recognizes > 90% of colon adenocarcinomas. Computerized image analysis was used to record the location of the immunofluorescent cells on microscopic slides. Cells on slides were then hybridized using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with repeat-sequence DNA probes to detect aneusomies. Previously discriminated epithelial cells were relocated for molecular cytogenetic characterization. Tumor cells present at frequencies approximating 5 x 10(-5) were discriminated on the basis of immunofluorescence and cell size. A low frequency (4 x 10(-4)) population of normal hematopoietic cells also labeled with anti-CK20 (data not shown). This strategy of sequential immunophenotyping and molecular cytogenetic analyses may be useful to discriminate tumor from nontumor cells in cancer patients with micrometastatic disease.
Précis of Upheavals of Thought

Emotions shape the landscape of our mental and social lives. Like the "geological upheavals" a traveler might discover in a landscape where recently only a flat plane could be seen, they mark our lives as uneven, uncertain, and prone to reversal. Why and how? Is it because emotions are animal energies or impulses that have no connection with our thoughts, imaginings, and appraisals? In the passage from which my title is taken, Proust denies this, calling the emotions "geological upheavals of thought." In other words, what changes the Baron's mind from a flat plane into a mountain range is not some subterranean jolt, but the thoughts he has about Charlie Morel, a person who has suddenly become central to his well-being, and whom he sees as inscrutable, undependable, and utterly beyond his control. It is these thoughts about value and importance that make his mind project outward like a mountain range, rather than sitting inert in self-satisfied ease. Upheavals argues that emotions are evaluative appraisals that ascribe high importance to things and people that lie outside the agent's own sphere of control. This thesis, associated with the ancient Greek and Roman Stoics, is first developed in a general, and deliberately preliminary, way. Dissecting a complex example of grief and mourning, I argue that emotions involve focus on an object and beliefs about the object. These beliefs are both evaluative and "eudaimonistic," i.e. made from the viewpoint of the person's own most important goals and projects. While feelings and bodily states are typically involved in emotions, I argue that no specific feeling or bodily state should be included as a necessary element in the definition of a type of emotion, both because of the variety with which a single emotion is realized in different people and because of the fact that emotions can be non-conscious. Thus evaluation is central to defining a type of emotion (e.g. grief) in a way that feeling is not.
Enantioselective conjugate addition with chiral amidocuprates

Abstract A series of chiral secondary amines have been screened as non-transferrable cuprate ligands for the promotion of enantioselectivity in conjugate addition to 2-cyclohexenone. A mechanism is presented to rationalize the enantioselectivity observed.
Isolation, sequencing, and functional analysis of the TATA-less human ATPase II promoter.

Abstract Multiple lines of evidence indicate that the P-type Mg 2+ -ATPase, termed ATPase II, could play an important role in apoptosis. With the long-term objective of studying the regulation of this protein during apoptosis, we delineated the exon–intron organization of the human ATPase II gene (within chromosome 4). Subsequently, we used RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends to identify a major transcription start site at position −143 with respect to the translation start site. Luciferase reporter analysis of a 1.2-kb 5′-flanking sequence (−1222 to +94 with respect to the transcription start site) revealed strong promoter activity in three human cell lines, human oligodendroglioma (HOG), SHSY5Y (hybrid neuroblastoma), and EA.hy926 (endothelial cell line). Serial deletions from the 5′ end of this sequence up to nucleotide −291 yielded some decrease in activity only in the EA.hy926 cells. Further deletion to −217 caused a drastic decrease in activity in all three cell lines, but a −148 fragment showed preferential reduction in activity in the EA.hy926 cells. The promoter activity was nearly equal in two sequence variants of the promoter, one of which (designated as Variant 2) contained a 15-bp direct repeat within a GC-rich region. Additionally, there were several single base-pair changes from the sequence reported by the human genome project. Despite the presence of enhancer/repressor elements, such as Sp1 and NFκB, relatively small differences in promoter activity were observed in the three cell lines. However, it is likely that such sequence elements could cause major regulation of promoter activity in cells subjected to conditions that trigger apoptosis. The ATPase II promoter sequence will provide valuable clues to the regulation and role of the ATPase II protein.
Immunity of Fischer 344 rats to salt hypertension

Abstract Female Fischer 344 rats sensitized to the development of salt hypertension by unilateral nephrectomy were given water, 1% NaCl solution or 5% sucrose + 1% NaCl solution to drink. Rats on saline alone drank about twice the fluid volume of those on water, whereas those on the sucrose-saline solution drank four to six times as much. No Fischer 344 rats ever developed hypertension, defined as a systolic pressure exceeding 150 mm Hg, during the six months of the study. However, the group on saline averaged slightly higher arterial pressures than those on water on 13 of the 14 occasions that blood pressure was measured, and the average pressure over the entire experimental period was also significantly increased. The rats on sucrose-saline had a group mean blood pressure which was always significantly higher than that of the group on water and usually greater also than that of the group on saline, and the average pressure over the entire experimental period was significantly augmented above that in either of the other groups. Rats on either of the saline solutions also had a slight but significant degree of heart and kidney enlargement, greatest in the sucrose-saline group, which is attributed to the higher pressures developed, even though they remained within the normotensive range.
Deguelin Action Involves c-Met and EGFR Signaling Pathways in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Background Treatment of breast cancer patients with antiestrogens and aromatase inhibitor(s) or Herceptin have shown significant success in steroid receptor positive or Her-2+ breast cancers respectively. However, choice of treatments for breast cancer patients with negative status for estrogen, progesterone receptors and HER2/neu is limited. As a result, search for appropriate therapy regimen for these triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) has become a major focus of investigations for many laboratories. Recently, Deguelin, a natural product isolated from African plant Mundulea sericea (Leguminossae) has shown both antiproliferative actions in various cancers including breast as well as chemoprenventive activity against carcinogen induced experimental cancers. In this report we evaluated efficacy and mechanism of action of Deguelin in triple negative breast cancer cell lines. Methods/Findings In vitro, Deguelin in a dose and time dependent manner inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, BT-549 and BT-20 cells. Deguelin (2 or 4 mg/kg body weight), when injected intraperitoneally, reduced the in vivo tumor growth of MDA-MB-231 cells transplanted subcutaneously in athymic mice. Moreover it was nontoxic as evident from daily observations on mobility, food and water consumption and comparison of bodyweight and other visceral organ weights with those in control animals at the termination of the study. The western blot analyses and immunostaining studies indicated that the deguelin effects may be mediated through EGFR-PAKT/c-Met p-ERK and NF-κB by down regulating their downstream targets such as p-STAT3, c-Myc, Survivin. Conclusion/Significance These results suggest that Deguelin may have a significant therapeutic value for the treatment of TNBC patients.
The human potential movement

The evidence does not substantiate the predictions of social irresponsibility. But the relationship between human potential ideology and behavior of participants requires further attention than these preliminary findings. Even if it is more firmly established that participants in these trainings do in fact reach out to others by following their own interests, material abundance may be a necessary precondition. The ethic of enlightened self-interest may not be a workable ethic for hard times when material scarcity presages the war of all against all.
Articulated external fixation of the ankle: minimizing motion resistance by accurate axis alignment

This study describes how an optimal single hinge axis position can be established for the application of articulated external fixation to the ankle joint. By deliberately introducing various amounts of relative mal-alignment between the optimal talocrural joint axis and the actual fixator hinge axis, it was possible to measure the corresponding amounts of additional resistance to joint motion. In a cadaveric study of six ankle specimens, we determined the instant axis of rotation of the talocrural joint from 3-D kinematic data. acquired by an electromagnetic motion tracking system. For each specimen, an optimal fixator hinge position was calculated from these motion data. Compared to the intact natural joint, aligning the fixator along the optimized axis position caused a moderate increase in energy (0.14 J) needed to rotate the ankle through a prescribed plantar/dorsiflexion range. However, malpositioning the hinge by 10 mm caused more than five times that amount of increase in motion resistance. While articulated external fixation with limited internal fixation can establish a favorable environment for the repair of severe injuries such as tibial pilon fractures, the large additional resistance to motion accompanying a malpositioned fixator axis suggests the development of untoward intra-articular forces that could act to disturb fragment alignment.
An experimental study of aeolian structures on Venus

Experiments to simulate the formation of aeolian bed forms on Venus show that a high-density atmosphere produces small transverse bed forms with dimensionless similarities to terrestrial dunes but with both dimensional and behavioral similarities to subaqueous current ripples. Their development is influenced by wind speed, particle size, and atmospheric density. Although aeolian bed forms should be observed at all elevations on Venus, their optimum expression is compatible with the lowest elevations where atmospheric pressure is greatest. Their development is relatively unhindered by the presence of dense grains, the lack of sorting in source sediment from which they form, or the addition of cohesive dust. Small (about 10 cm) bed forms are efficient in sorting materials either by density or particle size. Bed forms developed in the limited size of the wind tunnel are probably representative of small bed forms on Venus; considerations suggest that bed forms on Venus may grow to larger sizes. Discovery of dune fields on Magellan images of Venus support this prediction.
Sodium excretory response to acute salt loading and induction of adrenal-regeneration hypertension in fischer 344 rats

Abstract Previous studies have shown Fischer 344 rats to be extremely resistant, if not immune to the development of salt hypertension. This is true even under the severe experimental conditions that overcome the very low susceptability of other strains such as the Long-Evans. These studies were confirmatory and also showed that the resistance could not be attributed to the ability of Fischer 344 rats to excrete salt more effectively than hypertension-prone SPD animals. Fischer 344 rats are normally susceptible to adrenal-regeneration, and not resistant to hypertension as such. Certain attributes and characteristics of strains showing resistance to salt hypertension are compared and contrasted.
Artificial Enzyme-Powered Microfish for Water-Quality Testing

We present a novel micromotor-based strategy for water-quality testing based on changes in the propulsion behavior of artificial biocatalytic microswimmers in the presence of aquatic pollutants. The new micromotor toxicity testing concept mimics live-fish water testing and relies on the toxin-induced inhibition of the enzyme catalase, responsible for the biocatalytic bubble propulsion of tubular microengines. The locomotion and survival of the artificial microfish are thus impaired by exposure to a broad range of contaminants, that lead to distinct time-dependent irreversible losses in the catalase activity, and hence of the propulsion behavior. Such use of enzyme-powered biocompatible polymeric (PEDOT)/Au-catalase tubular microengine offers highly sensitive direct optical visualization of changes in the swimming behavior in the presence of common contaminants and hence to a direct real-time assessment of the water quality. Quantitative data on the adverse effects of the various toxins upon the swimming b...
Effects of Geometry on the Tensile Strength of Extrusion Blow Molding Pinch-Off Welds

The pinch-off weld is formed when the mold closes on the parison. A strong weld is dependant on the correctly designed pinch-off geometry of the mold. A pinch-off design relies mostly on past experience and trial and error. There are few equations available to properly design the pinch-off. Material suppliers have provided some guidelines on pinch-off geometry for their materials. The experiments performed in this study show the effect of pinch-off geometry on the tensile load of the weld in extrusion blow molding parts. When the mold closes on the parison and it is squeezed, the geometry affects how the material flows in the pinch-off region. Previous research on pinch-off load was done without an accurate measurement of the parison thickness. The geometry tested was the land length, first angle, second angle, distance to second angle, and flash pocket. The tensile load of the weld was examined in these experiments by the use of design of experiments.
Transient central nervous system white matter abnormality in X‐linked Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease

X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX) is a hereditary demyelinating neuropathy caused by mutations in the connexin 32 (Cx32) gene. Cx32 is widely expressed in brain and peripheral nerve, yet clinical manifestations of CMTX mainly arise from peripheral neuropathy. We have evaluated two male patients with CMTX who on separate occasions developed transient ataxia, dysarthria, and weakness within 3 days of returning from ski trips at altitudes above 8,000 feet. Magnetic resonance imaging studies in both patients showed nonenhancing, confluent, and symmetrical white matter abnormalities that were more pronounced posteriorly and that resolved over several months. Magnetic transfer images in one patient demonstrated increased magnetization transfer ratios distinct from that seen in demyelination or edema. Both patients returned to their normal baseline within 2 to 3 weeks. These cases suggest that CMTX patients are at risk for developing an acute, transient, neurological syndrome when they travel to places at high altitudes and return to sea level. Cx32 mutations may cause central nervous system dysfunction by reducing the number of functioning gap junctions between oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, making both cells more susceptible to abnormalities of intercellular exchange of ions and small molecules in situations of metabolic stress.
Keynote: Information Assurance in sensor networks

Information Assurance (IA) grew out of the field of computer network security. However, IA is a much broader term than network security and relates to the managing of the risks associated with the use, processing, storage, and transmission of information. The most basic model of IA relies on three properties: confidentiality, integrity, and availability, thus it is often referred to as the CIA model. The wide consensus is that the commonly assumed attributes of sensor nodes, such as low energy, low computational power, unattended operation, and wireless connectivity are considered challenges in implementing IA in sensor networks. Similarly, the broad range of applications, which results in broad range of possibly heterogeneous information modalities, makes the problem even more complex. Though, the relatively constant membership of sensor networks is usually perceived as an advantage. Similarly, the typical massive deployment of nodes can be exploited in the design of IA protocols. In this talk, I will describe an extension of the CIA model and its application to sensor networks. In particular, I will discuss a number of approaches to support IA in sensor networks.
The adverse effects of cervical cancer treatment on bladder function

Bladder dysfunction is a recognized complication following radical hysterectomy, however, the effect of radiation alone or in combination with surgery on bladder function has received little attention. Thirty patients who underwent radical hysterectomy with postoperative whole pelvis radiation (RH + RT) were matched for age, stage of disease, and time interval since therapy, with 30 patients who had radical hysterectomy alone (RH) and 30 patients who were treated with pelvic radiotherapy (RT). Bladder function was assessed by symptoms and urodynamic evaluation. Altered bladder sensation and voiding problems were associated with surgery, and were more frequent after RH or RH + RT than RT (P = 0.002). fifty percent of RH patients voided by abdominal straining compared to 10% who had only RT. No greater problem was seen after RH + RT compared to RH. Urinary incontinence was present in 15% of patients prior to therapy. After treatment, incontinence requiring protection developed in 23% of RT patients, 26% of RH patients, and 63% of RH + RT patients. The severity of the incontinence was greater after RH + RT. Bladder neck and urethral function was similar in all groups, however, bladder compliance was reduced in RT patients and significantly (P = 0.0001) reduced after RH + RT compared to RH alone. This reduction was related to the bladder dose of external radiation and was a factor in the etiology of the urinary incontinence seen in RH + RT patients.
Section 20 versus investment house underwriting of small equity initial public offerings in the USA

This study examines corporate equity initial public offerings (IPOs) underwritten by Section 20 subsidiaries of commercial banks relative to those underwritten by non‐Section 20 underwriters (investment houses). Consistent with a ‘net certification effect’ for banks, corporate equity IPOs underwritten by Section 20 subsidiaries have lower underpricing than those underwritten by investment houses. Secondly, commercial banks brought a relatively larger proportion of small equity IPO issues to market, during the period of this study. Contrary to the contention that universal banking restricts the availability of financing to small firms, bank underwriting appears to benefit small firms. Further, Section 20s do not increase underwriting fees to offset the effect on potential profits from lower underpricing. This study also finds that the focus of Section 20 on small IPOs results in higher quality for the IPOs they underwrite, as indicated by a lower standard deviation of underpricing.
Kinetics of voltage-induced conductance increases in the outer mitochondrial membrane

The kinetics of the increase in conductance in the outer mitochondrial membrane induced by patch-clamping at various negative potentials (pipette inside negative) are reported. The changes are biphasic, a rapid increase is followed by a slowly developing larger change. The results can be predicted by a model in which an initial activation of channels is followed by their assembly into highly conducting channels. The model suggests that five to seven activated subunits form each high-conductance channel.
The Future of Healthcare Informatics: It Is Not What You Think

health records Electronic health records (EHRs) offer many valuable benefits for patient safety, but it becomes apparent that the effective application of healthcare informatics creates problems and unintended consequences. One problem that seems particularly challenging is integration. Painfully missing are low-cost, easy to implement, plug-and-play, nonintrusive integration solutions—healthcare’s “killer app.” Why is this? We must stop confusing application integration with information integration. Our goal must be to communicate data (ie, integrate information), not to integrate application functionality via complex and expensive application program interfaces (APIs). Communicating data simply requires a loosely coupled flow of data, as occurs today via email. In contrast, integration is a chief information officer’s nightmare. Integrating applications, when we just wanted a bit of information, is akin to killing a gnat with a brick. Even worse, like a bad version of Groundhog Day, the healthcare information technology (IT) industry keeps repeating the same mistakes, and we keep working with these mistakes. Consultants and vendors from whom we request simple data communication solutions offer their sleight of hand, which usually recasts the problem into a profitable application integration project that simply costs more money. This misdirection takes us down a maze of tightly coupled integrations that are costly, more complex, and not really based on loosely coupled data flows, which is the technology that allows the Internet to work so well. The key to successful integration lies in simply communicating (or integrating) data flows between EHR silos. If we begin by streaming data from EHR systems onto a common backbone, using a common currency like XML (eXtensible Markup Language), we will have solved healthcare integration in a way that works the way much of the Internet works. This is good. When this happens, we know it will work quite robustly. Clem McDonald, MD, the father of the EHR, noted in 1992 in Aspects of the Computer-based Patient Record that
Tandem mirror reactor with thermal barriers

Abstract A new invention — the thermal barrier — promises to improve the tandem mirror fusion reactor. The thermal barrier consists of a region of reduced magnetic field strength, plasma density, and plasma potential between each end plug and the central cell of a tandem mirror. The depressed plasma potential serves to thermally insulate the plug electrons from the central cell electrons. With barriers and auxiliary electron heating in the plugs, the central cell confining potential can be generated with a lower plug plasma density, magnetic field strength, and beam injection energy than for the case without barriers. This paper summarizes the status of the rapidly evolving physics knowledge concerning tandem mirrors with thermal barriers, describes end plug components typical for tandem mirror reactors — yin-yang magnets, neutral beams, and ECRH heating systems, and discusses central cell design.