cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopic Brain Imaging in Autism

This chapter summarizes the findings from spectroscopic brain imaging studies of autism that have occurred thus far, including magnetic resonance spectroscopy [MRS (terms displayed in bold can be found in the Glossary for this chapter)], magnetic resonance imaging spectroscopy (MRSI), and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The chapter begins with a table summarizing all the NIRS studies of autism and moves on to a summary of the MRS/MRSI findings in autism. First, MRS/MRSI findings of young children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are summarized, followed by MRS/MRSI findings from specific brain regions and in different types of brain tissue (gray and white matter). The chapter then examines how various characteristics of study participants (age, sex, ASD subtypes, and clinical features) and other potentially confounding variables (cerebral volume, medication use, sedation during scanning, and methods for measuring metabolites) might lead to differences in MRS/MRSI findings. The chapter concludes by exploring what findings from MRS/MRSI studies suggest about possible neurodevelopmental mechanisms of autism. The chapter contains numerous tables to provide convenient summaries of spectroscopy studies of autism that have been published in the literature. The chapter also contains teaching boxes that provide information on the neurochemicals examined in MRS/MRSI studies of autism and some background on MRS/MRSI methods, in addition to a commentary provided by a leading MRS/MRSI expert, along with his biographical information. Overall, this chapter will provide those interested in autism neuroimaging with a comprehensive portrait of the spectroscopic neuroimaging that has been done in autism thus far, providing both a retrospective and a prospective look at this challenging and important area of research.
Correlates of daytime sleepiness in 4578 elderly persons: The cardiovascular health study

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of self-reported daytime sleepiness in older men and women and to describe their relationships with demographic factors, nocturnal complaints, health status, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Design: Cross-sectional survey and clinical exam. Setting: Participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study, 4578 adults aged 65 and older, recruited from a random sample of non-institutionalized Medicare enrollees in four U.S. communities. Measures: Daytime sleepiness measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), magnetic resonance imaging of the brain (MRI), cognitive function tests, and standardized questionnaires for cardiopulmonary symptoms and diseases, depressive symptoms, social support, activities of daily living, physical activity, and current medications. Results: Approximately 20% of the participants reported that they were usually sleepy in the daytime. Although elderly black men were less likely to report frequent awakenings than those in the other three race and gender groups, they had significantly higher mean ESS scores. The following were independently associated with higher ESS scores in gender-specific models: non-white race, depression, loud snoring, awakening with dyspnea or snorting, frequent nocturnal awakenings, medications used to treat congestive heart failure, non-use of sleeping pills, a sedentary lifestyle, and limitation of activities of daily living in both men and women; additional correlates included hip circumference and current smoking in men, and hayfever in women. The following were not independently associated with ESS in the models: age, education, use of wine or beer to aid sleep, use of tricyclic antidepressants, long- or short-acting benzodiazepines, asthma, angina, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure itself, forced vital capacity, social support, cognitive function, or MRI evidence of global brain atrophy or white matter abnormality. Conclusions: Daytime sleepiness is common in the elderly, probably due to nocturnal disturbances such as frequent awakenings and snoring. The occasional use of sleeping pills for insomnia is associated with reduced daytime sleepiness in the elderly, while the use of medications for congestive heart failure is associated with daytime sleepiness. Surprisingly, anatomic abnormalities such as evidence of previous strokes and brain atrophy (as seen on brain MRI scans) were not associated with daytime sleepiness in these non-institutionalized elderly persons.
STUDIES ON BIOLOGICAL OXIDATIONS V. COPPER AND HEMOCHROMOGENS AS CATALYSTS FOR THE OXIDATION OF ASCORBIC ACID. THE MECHANISM OF THE OXIDATION

SUMMARY Ascorbic acid is not autoxidizable in acid and neutral solutions up to pH 7.0. It is autoxidizable in alkaline solutions, the rate of autoxidation increasing considerably as the pH increases. Among the metallic salts tested (Mn, Ni, Fe, Co, Ca, Cu) copper is the only catalyst for the oxidation of ascorbic acid, its catalytic action being noticed in concentrations as small as 46 micrograms of copper per liter. This catalytic effect is completely inhibited by 0.001 M KCN, and to the extent of 80 per cent by mixtures of CO : 02 of 95 : 5. When this oxidation is performed in acid and neutral solutions, there is an uptake of oxygen of 1 atom per molecule of the substrate. The oxidized form can be completely reduced by H&S up to pH 5.0. Above this pH the amount of ascorbic acid recovered gradually decreases until at pH 7.6 only 4 per cent of the oxidized form can be recovered as ascorbic acid. Hydrogen in the presence of colloidal palladium does not reduce oxidized ascorbic acid. The temperature coefficient for the oxidation of ascorbic acid by oxygen with copper as catalyst is 1.65. Electromotively active oxidation-reduction systems of suitable potential can also act as oxidizing catalysts. The hemochromo- gens of nicotine, pyridine, and pilocarpine, taken as representative examples, were found to act as catalysts. The mechanism of the oxidation of ascorbic acid by atmospheric oxygen in the presence of catalysts has been discussed. After this paper was sent in for publication there came to the authors’ attention two recently published communications bearing a relation to our experiments. Mawson (25) and Kellie and Zilva (26) have reported on the stability of ascorbic acid in the absence of catalysts, and on the catalytic power of copper. Kellie and Zilva report also that “the oxidation catalysed by Cu was very much slower when NaCl (0.1 M) was present.” We found no such inhibiting effect in our experiments. In fact, 0.02 mM of ascorbic acid in phosphate buffer + 0.1 M NaCl, with 0.0002 mM of CuCh as catalyst (final pH, 6.00), was half oxidized in 16.2 minutes. In Table II it can be seen that at the same pH value, without NaCl, ascorbic acid was half oxidized in 15 minutes. On the other hand, the addition of amino acids, through the
Trade Intensities with Asian Countries: Comparing Australia, Canada and Sweden

In recent years, Canadian government officials have been under increasing pressure to promote increased Canadian economic integration with fast growing Asian economies, especially Southeast Asia. While the Canadian government has become more active in promoting trade with Asia through government-sponsored trade missions and the like, there has been little research documenting the underlying causes of Canada's limited trade and investment ties to the region. This study provides some empirical evidence that Canada's trade performance with Asian countries is consistent with Canada's underlying pattern of comparative advantage. The main policy implication is that a more aggressive pursuit of freer trade and investment regimes with Asian countries might be the most promising instrument for promoting increased exports and outward direct investment to the region.
THE STUDY OF GESTURE: SOME REMARKS ON ITS HISTORY

The modern word ‘gesture’ is derived from a Latin root gerere which means ‘to bear or carry, to take on oneself, to take charge of, to perform or to accomplish.’ It derives more immediately from a Mediaeval Latin word ‘gestura’ which means ‘way of carrying’ or ‘mode of action’ (Partridge, 1959) and in its earliest uses in English it referred to the manner of carrying the body, bodily bearing or deportment. Somewhat later it came to be used in Rhetorical treatises to refer to the way in which the body was to be employed in the making of speeches and this usage included, of course, the specific actions of the limbs and face that, nowadays, we usually have in mind when the term ‘gesture’ is used. It is probably through a specialization of this usage that the modern meaning derived.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis with antiepileptic drugs: An analysis of the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System.

Objective Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are rare and potentially fatal adverse skin reactions that are most commonly triggered by certain medications. One class of medications that has been highly associated with SJS/TEN reactions is antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). We sought to quantify the risk of SJS/TEN associated with AEDs as a class, as well as individual AEDs, in the United States. Methods An analysis was performed of the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from July 2014 through December 2017. Rates of SJS/TEN were calculated for each AED compared with all other non-AEDs. Reporting odds ratios (RORs), proportional reporting ratios (PRRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using OpenEpi. Results With 198 reports, AEDs had more reports of SJS/TEN than any other medication class. AEDs as a class had an ROR of 8.7 (95% CI 7.5-10.2) and a PRR of 8.7 (95% CI 7.5-10.2) compared with all other non-AEDs. The AEDs with the highest risk estimates were zonisamide (ROR 70.2, 95% CI 33.1-148.7; PRR 68.7, 95% CI 32.9-143.5), rufinamide (ROR 60.0, 95% CI 8.3-433.5; PRR 58.9, 95% CI 8.4-411.5), clorazepate (ROR 56.0, 95% CI 7.8-404.1; PRR 55.1, 95% CI 7.8-385.0), lamotrigine (ROR 53.0, 95% CI 43.2-64.9; PRR 52.2, 95% CI 42.7-63.7), phenytoin (ROR 26.3, 95% CI 15.5-44.7; PRR 26.1, 95% CI 15.4-44.2), and carbamazepine (ROR 24.5, 95% CI 16.0-37.5; PRR 24.3, 95% CI 16.0-37.1). Significance Although AEDs as a class were associated with 9 times the risk of SJS/TEN compared with non-AEDs, there were 6 AEDs with risk estimates greater than 20. Increased awareness of this risk among both prescribers and patients, particularly variations in risk among different AEDs, along with education on early recognition of SJS/TEN signs/symptoms, may help mitigate the number and severity of these adverse events.
Fusion into One: Exploring the Complementarity of Shitao’s Waterfall on Mount Lu and Its Inscribed Poem

Shitao’s famous poem-painting Waterfall on Mount Lu has generated a great interest in the field of Chinese paintings. However, the purpose of the work remains a topic of discussion among scholars. From the standpoint of complementarity of poetry and painting, this paper discusses the work through a close examination of the painting and its inscribed poem. The interartistic features of the painting and the poem are interpreted in terms of their themes, structures, and imagery. The Chinese aesthetic concept of artistic mood (yijing) is employed to illustrate the connection among these elements. This paper demonstrates that the holistic approach to the poem-painting helps illuminate its Daoist theme of unity of man and nature. This paper also highlights a structural contrast between the secular world and the eternal world expressed in the peom-painting.
Functional MRI: Cognitive Neuroscience Applications

Cognitive neuroscience is a discipline that attempts to determine the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes. Specifically, cognitive neuroscientists test hypotheses about brain–behavior relationships that can be organized along two conceptual domains: (1) functional specialization – the idea that functional modules exist within the brain, i.e., areas of the cerebral cortex that are specialized for a specific cognitive process; and (2) functional integration – the idea that a cognitive process can be an emergent property of interactions among a network of brain regions, which suggests that a brain region can play a different role across many functions.
Delaunay lofts: a new class of space-filling shapes

We have developed an approach to construct and design a new class of space-filling shapes, which we call Delaunay Lofts. Our approach is based on interpolation of a stack of planar tiles whose dual tilings are Delaunay diagrams. We construct control curves that interpolate Delaunay vertices. Voronoi decomposition of the volume using these control curves as Voronoi sites gives us lofted interpolation of original polygons in planar tiles. This, combined with the use of wallpaper symmetries allows for the design of space-filling shapes in 3-space. In the poster exhibition, we will also demonstrate 3D printed examples of the new class of shapes (See Figures 1 and 3).
Power-Optimal Guidance for Planar Space Solar Power Satellites

This paper presents power-optimal guidance for a planar space solar power satellite (SSPS). Power-optimal guidance is the attitude trajectory that maximizes the solar power transmitted by the SSPS....
Effect of Study Design and Survey Instrument to Identify the Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Physical Activity in Type 2 Diabetes, 2000-2018: A Systematic Review.

IntroductionPrevious studies have used a variety of survey measurement options for evaluating the association between physical activity (PA) and depressive symptoms, raising questions about the typ...
Genetic Control of the Immune Response to Insulin: Its Dependence Upon a Macrophage Mediated Selection of Distinct Antigenic Sites

Current interest in the genetic control of the immune response to chemically well defined natural and synthetic polypeptides gives clear indication of the necessity for us to understand the contribution of structure to the antigenicity of proteins (1). Previously biochemist and immunologist alike had concerned themselves with the relationship of protein structure to the diversity and specificity of the antibody elicited following immunization. In view of our present appreciation of the complex cellular interactions which occur between macrophages, T lymphocytes (both helper and suppressor) and B lymphocytes, it is necessary to precisely define the influence of antigen structure on the initial step in the antigen recognition process, namely at the level of macrophage-T cell interaction.
Right Digit Effect and Subjective Relative Income: An Abstract

The manipulation of the rightmost digits in prices has been an effective tactic utilized by retailers for decades. A long stream of research studies how the manipulation of price endings plays a role in influencing consumer behavior intentions and perceived value of a certain item. While a lot of research focuses on the effectiveness of those tactics or the different form of them, very little research is available on what might moderate those effects, specifically, whether factors like subjective relative income will moderate the effect of this price frame on offer attractiveness or even behavioral intentions. This paper explores that very question. We begin by reviewing literature on the effectiveness of 99 ending pricing strategies and then explore the variances in those tactics’ effectiveness in low vs. high subjective relative income conditions. Next, we conduct an experiment to test our propositions.
Time-Dependent Shortest Path Problems with Penalties and Limits on Waiting

Waiting at the right location at the right time can be critically important in certain variants of time-dependent shortest path problems. We investigate the computational complexity of time-depende...
Brucella abortus Induces A Warburg Shift In Host Metabolism That Enhances Intracellular Replication Of The Pathogen

Intracellular bacterial pathogens exploit host cell resources to replicate and survive inside the host. Targeting these host systems is one promising approach to developing novel antimicrobials for intracellular infections. We show that human macrophage-like cells infected with Brucella abortus undergo a metabolic shift characterized by attenuated tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolism, altered mitochondrial morphology and increased lactate production. This shift to an aerobic glycolytic state resembles the Warburg effect, a change in energy production that is well-described in cancer cells, and also occurs in activated inflammatory cells. B. abortus efficiently uses lactic acid as a carbon and energy source and requires the ability to metabolize lactate for normal replication in human macrophage-like cells. We further demonstrate that chemical inhibitors of host glycolysis and lactate production do not affect in vitro growth of B. abortus in axenic culture, but decrease its replication in the intracellular niche. Our data support a model in which infection shifts host metabolism to a Warburg-like state, and B. abortus uses this change in metabolism to promote intracellular replication. Pharmacological perturbation of these features of host cell metabolism may be a useful strategy to inhibit infection by intracellular pathogens.
Organizational Assimilation of Innovations: A Multilevel Contextual Analysis

This study examined the assimilation of innovations into organizations, a process unfolding in a series of decisions to evaluate, adopt, and implement new technologies. Assimilation was conceptuali...
Expanding, Retrieving and Infilling: Diversifying Cross-Domain Question Generation with Flexible Templates

Sequence-to-sequence based models have recently shown promising results in generating high-quality questions. However, these models are also known to have main drawbacks such as lack of diversity and bad sentence structures. In this paper, we focus on question generation over SQL database and propose a novel framework by expanding, retrieving, and infilling that first incorporates flexible templates with a neural-based model to generate diverse expressions of questions with sentence structure guidance. Furthermore, a new activation/deactivation mechanism is proposed for template-based sequence-to-sequence generation, which learns to discriminate template patterns and content patterns, thus further improves generation quality. We conduct experiments on two large-scale cross-domain datasets. The experiments show that the superiority of our question generation method in producing more diverse questions while maintaining high quality and consistency under both automatic evaluation and human evaluation.
Practical Scientific Writing and Publishing in Anatomic Pathology.

OBJECTIVES To develop a structured, introductory curriculum in scientific writing and publishing for residents in anatomic pathology. METHODS We assessed the need for this curriculum by using an online questionnaire sent to anatomic pathology residents in our program and tailored content to address areas of least familiarity. The curriculum consisted of 4 virtual lectures delivered by select experts in the field. Curriculum evaluation was assessed through a postcurriculum questionnaire. RESULTS In total, 27 of 31 (87%) residents responded to the initial questionnaire. The major educational need was identified in the following topics: "responsibilities of a corresponding author"; "selecting a journal for publication"; "editor's approach to evaluating a manuscript"; "correspondence with editors and reviewers"; and "open access, cost and increasing exposure to manuscript." Eight residents participated in at least 3 of 4 lectures and completed the pre- and postcurriculum survey. The postcurriculum survey demonstrated statistically significant interval increases in familiarity with 7 of 18 topics, and the leading increases were noted in topics of most significant educational need. CONCLUSIONS Development of novel curricula is vital to the ever-changing landscape of pathology resident education. This study proposes a generalizable algorithmic approach to assessing new areas of educational need and effectively addressing them through targeted curricula.
Expression of phospho-AKT (Ser 473) is an excellent predictor of PSA failure in prostate cancer

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 45, 2004 1463 The serine/threonine protein kinase AKT (also known as Protein Kinase B), a downstream effector of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), is a well-known mediator of cell survival, while ERK1/2, a member of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, is usually thought to be a mediator of proliferation. We previously showed by immunohistochemistry elevated expression of the phosphorylated (activated) form of AKT (Ser 473) (pAkt) and decreased expression of phosphorylated ERK1/2 (Thr202/Tyr204) (pERK), indicative of inactivation, in high Gleason grade prostate cancer (Malik et al, Clin Cancer Res, 2002, 8:1168-1171). Here we report a highly significant progressive increase in staining for the cell proliferation antigen, Ki67, with increasing Gleason scores (Pearson coefficient = 0.47, p<0.0001) in prostate tissue from 74 patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Comparison of Ki67 labeling indices (Ki67-LI) with pAKT expression showed a significant positive correlation (Pearson coefficient = 0.36, p = 0.003). There was no correlation between staining for pERK and Ki67-LI. These results suggested that pAKT, but not pERK, mediated proliferation in prostate cancer. Next, we determined whether expression of pAkt or pERK predicted clinical outcome. PSA failure (detectable and rising PSA) vs. PSA non-failure (undetetectable PSA 5 years post-prostatectomy) was used as a surrogate for outcome. Prostatic tissues from cases of PSA failure vs. non-failure were stained for pAKT and pERK. Significant increase in mean pAKT staining (p<0.001) in the PSA failures vs non-failures were seen based on the Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Using the best fitting multiple logistic regression equation, a 100-point increase in pAKT resulted in a 160% increase in the odds of being a PSA failure. For pERK, there was decreased staining in PSA failures vs non-failures (p<0.08): a 100-point decrease resulted in an 80% increase in the odds of being a PSA failure. Each of these effects assumed the other biomarker was held constant. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for these two biomarkers predicting PSA failure was 0.84, indicating excellent discrimination between PSA failure and non-failure cases. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test indicates a good fit for both models (pAKT and pERK). These data indicate that increase in pAKT and decreases in pERK are important predictors of probability of PSA failure.
Dissociation Phenomenon and Subunit Nature of Follicle-stimulating Hormone from Human Pituitary Glands

Abstract Sedimentation rate as a function of protein concentration obtained by ultracentrifugation has revealed the dissociation of follicle-stimulating hormone at concentrations below 0.5%; extrapolation to zero protein concentration indicated two s20,w values of 1.98 and 2.89 S, suggesting the existence of a monomer-dimer system. With the s20,w of 2.89 S, diffusion coefficient of 7.504 x 10-7 cm2 sec-1, and a partial specific volume of 0.72 calculated from the amino acid analysis, the molecular weight of the undissociated follicle-stimulating hormone was calculated to be 32,600, which is in good agreement with the value of 31,000 ± 600 obtained for the weight average molecular weight by sedimentation equilibrium studies. Stokes radii of the unlabeled and 131I-labeled follicle-stimulating hormones were determined by molecular sieve chromatography to be 31.3 and 23.7 A, respectively, supporting the dissociation of the follicle-stimulating hormone at lower concentrations. Treatment of the follicle-stimulating hormone with 8 m urea yielded an s20,w of 0.61 ± 0.10 S. Ion exchange chromatography of the urea-treated hormone on diethyl amino ethyl Sephadex A-50 resulted in the separation of two subunits designated as α and β. Incubation of the α and β subunits (1:1 w/w) resulted in a 400% augmentation of the biological activity of the subunits, exhibiting recombination of the subunits. Disc electrophoreses of the α and β subunits showed two basic and three acidic bands, respectively, suggesting microheterogeneity. Acid hydrolysates (24-, 48-, and 72-hour) of the follicle-stimulating hormone, and 24-hour acid hydrolysates of the subunits were analyzed for amino acids. Amino acid analysis of the follicle-stimulating hormone revealed a total of 236 amino acid residues for a molecular weight of 32,600. A comparison of the amino acid analyses of the subunits indicates higher quantities of histidine, methionine, and glycine, and lower quantities of proline, cysteine, and tyrosine in the α subunit than in the β subunit. The disc electrophoreses, amino acid analyses, and bioassays indicate that the α and β subunits are two nonidentical, noncovalently linked components of follicle-stimulating hormone.
Dietary Wheat Bran Lowers Colonic pH in Rats

The effect of chronic dietary wheat bran supplementation on the pH of gastrointestinal contents was examined in thirty-one Sprague-Dawley rats. Ten control rats received a fiber-free diet while twenty-one rats were fed the same diet plus a 20% wheat bran supplement. The fiber-fed rats developed a greater acidity of intestinal contents: cecal pH was 6.30 +/- 0.33 in the controls (P less than 0.01). These changes in gastrointestinal pH may be of relevance to the nutrient modulation of gastric and colonic tumor development.
Genetics of Circadian Disorders in Humans

Circadian rhythm sleep wake disorders present with symptoms of insomnia and excessive sleepiness due to an alteration in the circadian timing system resulting in desynchronization between the timing of endogenous circadian rhythms with the 24 h external environment. Jet lag and shift work sleep disorders occur as a response to changes in entrainment cues or perturbations of normal sleep and wake times, whereas advanced sleep-wake phase disorder (ASWPD) and delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD) are thought to be primarily due to fundamental changes in the regulation of circadian timing. ASWPD and DSWPD are characterized by persistent advances or delays of the sleep and wake period. Genetic study of familial and nonfamilial ASWPD and DSWPD has demonstrated heritability of these disorders and identified variants in known circadian and non-circadian genes causing these circadian rhythm sleep disorders.
War and Taxes

During World War II, Americans were urged to ration food, raise money, and accept higher taxes. After September 11, we were given tax cuts and asked to shop. Has the United States broken a noble tradition of fiscal sacrifice with the current, unprecedented wartime tax cuts, or are they the mark of new economic and social forces at work? This piece, and the book from which it is drawn, War and Taxes, weighs the question by considering seven conflicts that span the American Revolution to the present war in Iraq.
Going Green: Market Reaction to CSR Newswire Releases

Voluntary disclosure theory predicts that an optimal disclosure decision should produce an overall net benefit for shareholders, and that such net benefit should decrease in public information availability. This study supports the predictions of voluntary disclosure theory in the context of climate change. Using voluntary disclosures made through the CSRwire news service, we find that managers’ disclosure decisions involving greenhouse gas emissions produce positive returns to shareholders. This response varies negatively with company size and public information availability. For small companies in a limited public information environment, we find that mean market-adjusted share price increases significantly by 2.32% over days −2 to 2 around the CSR newswire release date. Our sample of disclosing companies received an aggregate market value boost from their CSR news releases of approximately ten billion dollars, independent of differences in public information availability.
New Developments in the Management of Prostate Cancer

Rapid progress was recently made in the treatment of prostate cancer, especially metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. At the NCCN 18th Annual Conference, Dr. Philip W. Kantoff reviewed the data supporting the use of abiraterone acetate, enzalutamide, cabazitaxel, sipuleucel-T, and radium-223 (pending approval), and offered recommendations for their sequential use in different settings. Dr. James L. Mohler described factors that dictate who should receive treatment, when they should receive it, and how to treat in the setting of prostate-specific antigen elevation. He explained how better treatment decisions will result from individualized estimation of threat-to-life posed by prostate cancer, chance of cure by treatment, and treatment risks.
Preferential star strand biogenesis of pre-miR-24-2 targets PKC-alpha and suppresses cell survival in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

microRNAs (miRNA) are regulators of cellular pathways and alterations of normal miRNA expression levels have been shown to increase tumorigenesis. miR-24 has been demonstrated as having both tumor suppressive and oncogenic properties depending on cell context. Here, we demonstrate a possible role for pre-miR-24-2 as a tumor suppressor in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line through the preferential processing of mature miR-24-2* over miR-24. Specifically, we show that the ectopic expression of miR-24-2* in MCF-7 breast cancer cells results in a suppression of cellular survival both in vivo and in vitro. Notably, the overexpression of miR-24-2* results in a dampening of cell survival through the targeted suppression of PKCα. In addition, a similar biological change is observed in vivo where MCF-7 cells overexpressing pre-miR-24-2 have decreased tumorigenicity and tumor incidence. Taken together our data demonstrate that when overexpressed biogenesis of the pre-miR-24-2 favors miR-24-2* in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and suggests a tumor suppressive role for miR-24-2* observed through the inhibition of PKCα-mediated cellular survival. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Successful combined liver and kidney transplant for COACH syndrome and 5-yr follow-up

The COACH syndrome is a very rare disorder with cerebellar vermis hypoplasia, oligophrenia, ataxia, coloboma, and hepatic fibrosis. Nineteen cases with COACH diagnosis have been reported. Neurologic abnormalities are the first symptoms in most cases. Complications of the hepatopathy [portal hypertension, esophageal varices, and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding] contribute extensively to the morbidity and lethality in the course of the disease. We describe a 28-yr-old female with COACH syndrome resulting in chronic renal and hepatic insufficiency. The patient was found to have significant mental retardation, truncal ataxia, motor abnormality and occulomotor abnormality. She began to develop GI bleeding and encephalopathy because of biopsy-confirmed cirrhosis. We performed combined liver and kidney transplant after challenging discussion. Her postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on the ninth postoperative day (POD). She has not had any problems at 1, 3 and 5-yr follow-up with excellent liver and renal function. This is the first description of successful combined liver and kidney transplant with long-term follow-up. The decision for transplant is challenging because COACH syndrome is rare with only descriptive characterization and patients have non-progressive ataxia and mental retardation. However, our case shows that liver and kidney transplant can be medically successful, and the individuals achieve long-term success if they have a stable neurological condition and an excellent support system.
Cutting Edge: Dichotomy of Homing Receptor Dependence by Mucosal Effector B Cells: αE Versus L-Selectin

The common mucosal immune system may be compartmentalized because lymphocyte homing to the upper respiratory tract appears to be mediated by L-selectin interactions rather than α4β7 interactions, as is the case for gut-associated lymphoreticular tissue. To assess the role of L-selectin in effector B cell immunity, L-selectin-deficient mice were intranasally immunized with cholera toxin (CT), and mucosal immune responses were compared with C57BL/6 mice. The absence of L-selectin correlated with a reduction in CT-specific secretory-IgA responses in nasal passages and reproductive tract, but not intestinal lamina propria. Cell sorting experiments showed that an L-selectin-dependent subset was responsible for CT-specific responses in nasal passages and reproductive tract, whereas an αEβ7+ B cell subset was responsible for L-selectin-independent intestinal immunity. This study provides evidence for compartmentalization of the common mucosal immune system into “intestinal” vs “nonintestinal” effector sites.
Low-dose endotoxin induces inflammation by selectively removing nuclear receptors and activating CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein δ.

Subclinical levels of circulating endotoxin are associated with the pathogenesis of diverse human inflammatory diseases, by mildly inducing the expression of proinflammatory mediators. In this study, we examined the molecular mechanism responsible for the effect of low-dose LPS in macrophages. In contrast to high-dose LPS, which activates NF-κB and induces the robust expression of proinflammatory mediators, we observed that low-dose LPS failed to activate NF-κB. Instead, it selectively activated C/EBPδ and removed nuclear repressors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and retinoic acid receptor α, enabling a mild and leaky expression of proinflammatory mediators. The effect of low-dose LPS required IRAK-1, which interacts with and acts upstream of IκB kinase e to contribute to LPS-mediated induction of C/EBPδ and proinflammatory mediators. Additionally, mice fed a high-fat diet acquired elevated levels of endotoxin and proinflammatory mediators in an IRAK-1-dependent fashion. Taken together, these data reveal a distinct pathway preferentially used by low-dose endotoxin in initiating low-grade inflammation.
Sodium channels and pain therapy.

Researchers have characterized changes in the nervous system that occur in response to tissue injury in order to identify possible targets for novel therapeutic interventions for the treatment of pain. That blockers of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are clinically effective for the treatment
Ideal forming—I. Homogeneous deformation with minimum plastic work

Abstract Ideal homogeneous deformation is defined as the path which produces a desired homogeneous deformation with minimum plastic work. Under rather broad assumptions, it is shown that this path corresponds to a path of minimum effective strain. The minimum work path is achieved when (1) the principal material lines are fixed with respect to the material during deformation, and (2) the ratio of principal true strain rates is constant. This path is unique for materials having smooth yield surfaces, such as Mises materials. For materials having pointed yield surfaces, the two conditions are only partially required and the path is not unique. For Tresca materials, an ideal path is achieved when only the major principal material line is fixed. For isotropic materials, the fixed material lines may be chosen arbitrarily; but, for anisotropic materials they are more restrictive.
The nucleating effect of exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets and their influence on the crystal structure and electrical conductivity of polypropylene nanocomposites

The focus of this research is to investigate how exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets, xGnP™, (graphene sheets ∼10 nm thickness, ∼1 μm diameter), a nanomaterial developed by the Drzal group, affects the crystallization of semicrystalline thermoplastics i.e., polypropylene (PP). In addition, this study explores how the presence of xGnP in combination with the processing conditions used to make the xGnP-PP nanocomposites alter the crystal structure and electrical conductivity of these systems. The nanocomposites are fabricated (i) by melt mixing followed by injection molding and (ii) by coating PP powder with xGnP with sonication in isopropyl alcohol followed by compression molding. PP was found to nucleate on the graphene surface of xGnP that is an effective nucleating agent for the β-form of PP crystals at low concentrations. The β-form of PP crystals has higher impact strength and toughness compared to the more common occurring α-form. It is found that the aspect ratio and concentration of xGnP combined with the crystallization conditions can be used to engineer the crystal structure such as the population and size distribution of PP spherulites and alter the electrical conductivity of xGnP-PP nanocomposites. The reason is that the presence of many small spherulites nucleated by the xGnP disrupts the percolated network formed by the conductive particles and thus increases the concentration required to reach conductivity and alters the conductivity value.
Thermophysical characterization of oil sands. 1. Specific heats

Abstract Differential scanning calorimetry is used to measure the specific heats (Cp) of oil sands selected from four major deposits in the US and Canada. The Cp values are in the range 0.670–1.57 J g−1 K−1 for temperatures ranging from 100 to 350 °C. The temperature dependence of Cp for N.W. Asphalt Ridge (94.5 m burial depth) and P.R. Springs oil sands is larger than for Circle Cliffs and N.W. Asphalt Ridge (158.5 m burial depth) oil sands. Oil sands from the Athabasca deposit have slightly lower Cp values relative to other deposits. Specific heats of oil sand bitumen are always appreciably higher than those of the corresponding parent samples. Predictive equations, obtained from regression analyses of the experimental data, are presented, which allow computation of Cp values for an oil sand at a given temperature.
Molecular calculations with the MODPOT, VRDDO, and MODPOT/VRDDO procedures. IV. Boron hydrides and carboranes†

Reference completely ab initio 6–3G and nonempirical 3G/MODPOT (ab initio effective core model potential) LCAO-MO-SCF calculations (using the same valence atomic orbital basis) were performed for a series of boron hydrides (B4H10, B5H9, B5H11, and B6H10) and a test 3G/MODPOT + VRDDO (variable retention of diatomic differential overlap for charge conserving integral prescreening) calculation were also performed for B5H9, B6H10, and B10H14. The agreement between the ab initio 6–3G and the corresponding 3G/MODPOT calculations was excellent for valence orbital energies, gross atomic populations, and dipole moments. The results also compared favorably to previous ab initio minimum STO basis results of Lipscomb and coworkers. The 3G/MODPOT + VRDDO calculations verified that for such spatially compact molecules (such as boron hydrides, which are fragments of polyhedra), the VRDDO procedure does not result in a noticeable savings in computer time for molecules of the size and shape of B5H9 and B6H10, in contrast to the savings previously realized for organic molecules of comparable atomic size. However, the agreement in calculational results between the 3G/MODPOT and the 3G/MODPOT+VRDDO results was still as extremely close as it had been for the organic molecules. 3G/MODPOT calculations were also carried out for B8H12, B9H15, B10H14, B10H14−2, 1,2-C2B4H6, and 1,6-C2B4H6 and the results compared to the previous minimum STO basis results. For B10H14, the 3G/MODPOT+VRDDO method led to savings in computer time of 28% over the 3G/MODPOT method itself. The agreement of the 3G/MODPOT results with available experimental photoelectron spectral data for B5H9 and 1,6-C2B4H6 was as good as that of the previous ab initio minimum STO basis calculations.
Why do we punish groups? High entitativity promotes moral suspicion ☆

Abstract People typically take a moral deservingness perspective when deciding on appropriate punishment for intentional wrongdoings committed by individuals. Considerably less is known about how people reason about wrongdoings committed by groups, even though there are fundamental differences in how people perceive individuals versus groups. The present research examined perceived entitativity, the degree to which a group is perceived to be a unified, single agent, as a potential determinant of moral reasoning about transgressions committed by groups. We found that participants recommended more severe punishments for high entitativity (vs. low entitativity) perpetrator groups, particularly in the presence of morally mitigating circumstances that typically lessen punitiveness. This effect was mediated by perceptions of greater moral accountability in high-entitativity groups. Thus, justice is not equal for all groups. Implications for retributive justice and the criminal justice system are discussed.
Sex differences in territorial defense in a shell-breeding cichlid, Neolamprologus multifasciatus

Most studies of territorial defense focus on responses of either male or female residents but not both. In a laboratory study of Neolamprologus multifasciatus, a territorial, shell-inhabiting cichlid from Lake Tanganyika, we altered the distribution of shells to manipulate defense costs and examined resident pairs’ behavioral responses to intruders. Given that defense costs are lower when territories are separated by visually distinctive structures, we used the presence/absence of a buffer zone, an area of bare sand, to alter defense costs. With a buffer zone, males and females invested 10.4 and 5.4 % of their time in defense, respectively. Without a buffer zone, males increased time in defense (30.1 %) more than did females (6.6 %). Females rarely performed highly aggressive acts; males performed such acts more frequently against male intruders than against female intruders and when there was no buffer zone. Overall, intrasexual aggression was more frequent, and males interacted with a greater proportion of same-sex intruders (71.6 %) than did females (33.4 %). Without a buffer zone, the proportion of intruders with which the males interacted increased with the number of intrusions. This was not the case for females or for either sex when a buffer zone was present. These findings show that males and females responded differently to changes in shell distribution. We interpret this finding as a sex difference in response to altered defense costs. The stronger tendency of males to intrude when a buffer zone was absent indicates that the shell-free area between territories may have acted as a visual landmark that reduced intrusions by neighboring territory holders.
Design of a hybrid amine functionalized polyacrylamide hydrogel-porous silicon optical sensor

This work focuses on the development of a proof-of-concept optical sensor design that incorporates an amine-functionalized polyacrylamide hydrogel into a 1D porous silicon (PSi) photonic crystal. The PSi acts as both a template and a transducer capable of detecting morphological and dielectric changes in the incorporated hydrogel structure. Free radical copolymerization of acrylamide (AAm) and N-(3- aminopropyl)-methacrylamide (NA) monomers was utilized to form copolymer chains with a controlled concentration of nucleophilic amine moieties. These amine groups facilitated chemical cross-linking of the copolymer chain to generate hydrogel networks. A molar fraction of >2 mol% of NA monomer was needed to facilitate a visibly gelatinous hydrogel in a 5 wt% polymer solution. Addition of sodium formate (chain transfer agent) during copolymer synthesis facilitated decreased copolymer chain length and improved infiltration of the copolymer into the p-type PSi mesoporous sensor (pore diameters ~20-30 nm). Controlled cross-linking of the copolymer chains was completed with using glutaraldehyde, as a model system, to form a hydrogel network that could be optically monitored by the incorporated PSi sensor. These results lay foundation for extending this versatile methodology towards the design of an affinity based complimentary target-probe system to create a hybrid target-responsive hydrogel-PSi chemical sensor.
Electrocardiographic changes following adriamycin treatment.

Two hundred and fifty-six patients with a wide variety of advanced neoplasms who were treated with adriamycin at Roswell Park Memorial Institute were studied for electrocardiographic changes. All the patients had pre- and posttreatment electrocardiograms (ECG's) and changes were found in 85 (33.2%). In the group of 168 patients with normal pretreatment ECG's, changes occurred in 51 (30.3%). In the group of 88 patients who had abnormal pretreatment ECG's, 34 (38.6%) developed further changes following treatment. Twenty-five patients received cytoxan concomitantly and ECG changes developed in 12 (48%); however, this and the above differences were not statistically significant. Frequency of ECG changes was higher and the extent of histologic abnormality in the myocardium was greater in those patients who received high doses of adriamycin. Arrythmias were rather benign and only a small number of patients required treatment. ECG changes following adriamycin treatment occurred more frequently than previously reported.
Scalable dynamic technique for accurately predicting power-supply noise and path delay

Most existing techniques and tools predict static IR-drop, which accounts for only part of the total voltage drop on the power grid. We present a scalable current-based dynamic method to estimate both IR and Ldi/dt drop caused by simultaneous switching activity and use the technique to predict the increase in path delay caused by variations in power-supply voltage. This increase in delay can cause significant overkill during transition and delay testing. It is critical to account for this increase in delay during the ATPG process. However, it is infeasible to carry out full-chip SPICE-level simulations on a design to validate the ATPG generated test patterns. To overcome this issue, our technique uses simulations of individual extracted paths and thus it can be integrated with existing ATPG tools. The method uses these path simulations and a convolution-based technique to estimate power-supply noise and path delays. Simulation results for the C6288 ISCAS'85 benchmark circuit are presented. Our technique can also be applied to sequential circuits and simulation results demonstrating this are also presented.
Phosphorylation of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum by a calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase

Abstract Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum is phosphorylated by a cytosolic Ca 2+ -activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase. This phosphorylation is independent of cyclic nucleotides and enhanced by unsaturated diacylglycerols; saturated diacylglycerols, mono- and tri-glycerides are ineffective. Diacylglycerol stimulation is due to increased Ca 2+ sensitivity of the kinase reaction. Protein kinase catalyzed phosphorylation results in enhanced Ca 2+ -transport ATPase activity and may be an important determinant of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum function.
Avalanches, transport, and local equilibrium in self-organized criticality

We obtain numerical evidence of local equilibrium in a family of sandpile models which exhibit self-organized criticality (SOC), by comparing them with closed systems which exhibit dynamical depinning transitions. In particular, we construct a mapping between the open and closed system avalanche size distributions which accounts for finite size fluctuations in the density and the critical point. Our results suggest a generalization of the singular diffusion description of SOC which transcends the point where this description was previously seen to break down.