cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geniculate neuralgia in an adolescent treated via sectioning of the nervus intermedius and microvascular decompression

Geniculate neuralgia or nervus intermedius (NI) neuralgia is a rare condition characterized by intermittent, severe, stabbing deep ear pain. The pain can be triggered by stimulation of the external ear and is sometimes accompanied by facial pain. The condition is thought to result, in part, from vascular compression of the NI, although other etiologies exist. To date, fewer than 150 cases have been described in the English-language literature, and only 1 case of surgically treated geniculate neuralgia with microvascular decompression (MVD) of cranial nerves VIII, IX, and X has been described in a pediatric patient. Here, the authors present the case of an adolescent boy with bilateral geniculate neuralgia treated at two different time points with sectioning of the NI and MVD.
Research of children suffering from epilepsy with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) is a common childhood and adolescence developmental disorder of neurological and psychiatric diseases.ADHD is regarded as a common comorbidity of epilepsy,but clinicians are usually unable to identify or assess correctly of this comorbidity.Therefore,early identification and treatment of this comorbidity become a huge challenge for pediatricians.This article reviews recent progress of ADHD with epilepsy. Key words: Epilepsy; Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Comorbidity
Improving the Intensive Care Patient Experience With Virtual Reality-A Feasibility Study

Objectives Patients' stays in the ICU are often characterized by prolonged immobility, sedation, disrupted sleep, and extended periods of pain, which put ICU patients at greater risk for ICU-acquired weakness and delirium-related mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of using meditative virtual reality to improve the hospital experience of ICU patients. Design Final report of prospective observational trial. Setting Surgical and trauma ICUs of the University of Florida Health, an academic hospital. Patients Fifty-nine nonintubated adult ICU patients without delirium at recruitment. Interventions Patients were exposed to sessions of commercially available meditative virtual reality applications focused on calmness and relaxation, performed once daily for up to 7 days. Measurements and main results Outcome measures included pain level, pain medication administration, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, delirium status, and patient ratings of the virtual reality system. Comparisons were made using paired t tests and mixed models. The virtual reality meditative intervention improved patients' ICU experience with reduced levels of anxiety and depression; however, there was no evidence that virtual reality had significant effects on physiologic measures, pain, or sleep. Conclusions The use of meditative virtual reality technology in the ICU was easily implemented and well-received by patients.
The mortality burden of non-trauma fracture for adults with cerebral palsy.

Abstract Background Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) manifest skeletal fragility problems early in life, are vulnerable to non-trauma fracture (NTFx), and have a high burden of premature mortality. No studies have examined the contribution of NTFx to mortality among adults with CP. The purpose of this study was to determine if NTFx is a risk factor for mortality among adults with CP and if NTFx exacerbates mortality risk compared to adults without CP. Methods Data from 2011 to 2016 Optum Clinformatics® Data Mart and a random 20% sample Medicare fee-for-service were used for this retrospective cohort study. Diagnosis codes were used to identify adults (18+ years) with and without CP, NTFx, and pre-NTFx comorbidities. Crude mortality rates per 100 person years were estimated. Cox regression estimated hazard ratios (HR and 95% confidence interval [CI]) for mortality, comparing: (1) CP and NTFx (CP + NTFx; n = 1777); (2) CP without NTFx (CP w/o NTFx; n = 12,933); (3) without CP and with NTFx (w/o CP + NTFx; n = 433,560); and (4) without CP and without NTFx (w/o CP w/o NTFx; n = 6.8 M) after adjusting for demographics and pre-NTFx comorbidities. Results The 3-, 6-, and 12-month crude mortality rates were highest among CP + NTFx (12-month mortality rate = 6.80), followed by w/o CP + NTFx (12-month mortality rate = 4.91), CP w/o NTFx (12-month mortality rate = 2.15), and w/o CP w/o NTFx (12-month mortality rate = 0.49). After adjustments, the mortality rate was elevated for CP + NTFx for all time points compared to CP w/o NTFx (e.g., 12-month HR = 1.61; 95%CI = 1.29–2.01), w/o CP + NTFx (e.g., 12-month HR = 1.49; 95%CI = 1.24–1.80), and w/o CP w/o NTFx (e.g., 12-month HR = 5.33; 95%CI = 4.42–6.44). There were site-specific effects (vertebral column, lower extremities) on 12-month mortality. Conclusions NTFx is associated with an increase of 12-month mortality risk among adults with CP and compared to adults without CP. Findings suggest that NTFx may be a robust risk factor for mortality among adults with CP.
Dysregulation of the mevalonate pathway during SARS-CoV-2 infection: An in silico study.

SARS-CoV-2 triggers a dysregulated innate immune system activation. As the mevalonate pathway (MVP) prevents the activation of inflammasomes and cytokine release and regulates endosomal transport, compromised signaling could be associated with the pathobiology of COVID-19. Prior transcriptomic studies of host cells in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection have not reported to date the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the MVP. In this study, we accessed public data sets to report in silico investigations into gene expression. In addition, we proposed candidate genes that are thought to have a direct association with the pathogenesis of COVID-19, and which may be dependent on signals derived from the MVP. Our results revealed dysregulation of genes involved in the MVP. These results were not found when investigating the gene expression data from host cells infected with H3N2 influenza virus, H1N1 influenza virus, or respiratory syncytial virus. Our manually curated gene set showed significant gene expression variability in A549 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2, as per Blanco-Melo et al. data set (GSE147507). In light of the present findings, SARS-CoV-2 could hijack the MVP, leading to hyperinflammatory responses. Prompt reconstitution of this pathway with available agents should be considered in future studies.
Temperature is a key determinant of alpha- and beta-synuclein membrane interactions in neurons.

Aggregation of α-synuclein (αS) leads to the hallmark neuropathology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related synucleinopathies. αS has been described to exist in both cytosolic and membrane-associated forms, the relative abundance of which has remained unsettled. To study αS under the most relevant conditions by a quantitative method, we cultured and matured rodent primary cortical neurons for >17 days and determined αS cytosol:membrane distribution via centrifugation-free sequential extractions based on the weak ionic detergent digitonin. We noticed that at lower temperatures (4 °C or room temperature), αS was largely membrane-associated. At 37 °C, however, αS solubility was markedly increased. In contrast, the extraction of control proteins (GAPDH, cytosolic; calnexin, membrane) was not affected by temperature. When we compared the relative distribution of the synuclein homologs αS and β-synuclein (βS) under various conditions that differed in temperature and digitonin concentration (200–1200 μg/ml), we consistently found αS to be more membrane-associated than βS. Both proteins, however, exhibited temperature-dependent membrane binding. Under the most relevant conditions (37 °C and 800 μg/ml digitonin, i.e., the lowest digitonin concentration that extracted cytosolic GAPDH to near completion), cytosolic distribution was 49.8% ± 9.0% for αS and 63.6% ± 6.6% for βS. PD-linked αS A30P was found to be largely cytosolic, confirming previous studies that had used different methods. Our work highlights the dynamic nature of cellular synuclein behavior and has important implications for protein-biochemical and cell-biological studies of αS proteostasis, such as testing the effects of genetic and pharmacological manipulations.
Lumbar Scoliosis in Postmenopausal Women Increases with Age but is not Associated with Osteoporosis.

Context The contribution of lumbar scoliosis to osteoporosis is unknown. Objective This work aimed to determine the prevalence and relationship of lumbar scoliosis to osteoporosis in aging women. Methods A cross-sectional analysis used dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of randomly selected groups of postmenopausal women (64-68, 74-78, and 84-88 years; N = 300 each) in a university teaching hospital from 2014 to 2019. Lumbar Cobb angle was tested for an association to femoral neck (FN), total hip (TH), and spine T score, age, weight, and ethnicity. Logistic regression tested an association between scoliosis (Cobb angle > 10°) and osteoporosis (T score ≤ -2.5). Available sequential DXA scans (N = 51) were analyzed for changes in Cobb angle using a linear mixed model of these longitudinal data. Results Osteoporosis and Cobb angle both increased with age: from 22% and 4.4 (SD = 7.8) respectively in 64- to 68-year-olds to 32.9% and to 9.7 (SD = 9.2) in women age 84 to 88 years. The prevalence of clinically significant scoliosis rose from 11.5% in the youngest group, to 27.3% and 39.4% in the age 74 to 78 and 84 to 88 cohorts, respectively. Cobb angle increased 0.7° per year of follow-up. After adjusting for covariates, there was no significant association between T scores at any site (TH, FN, or spine) and Cobb angle. Conclusion Based on screening DXAs, the incidence and degree of lumbar scoliosis increases significantly in women between age 65 and 85 years. There was no association between the incidence of lumbar scoliosis and FN bone density.
A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Text Messaging to Increase Tobacco Treatment Reach in the Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION Automated text messaging programs have been studied as a treatment tool, but have not been studied as an outreach tool to increase the reach of smoking cessation treatment. AIMS AND METHODS Two distinct text messaging programs were developed. One was aimed at connecting smokers to quitline phone counseling via text message (Text4Coach [T4C]) and the other was aimed at connecting smokers to a smoking cessation text messaging program (Text&Quit [T&Q]). Adult daily smokers with Medicaid insurance (N = 80) were recruited from the Emergency Department at an urban hospital and randomized to T4C or T&Q. The primary outcome was program reach. RESULTS Outreach text messages were found to have moderately high uptake, with the majority of participants (63.8%) opting into their assigned tobacco treatment program and younger and female participants more likely to opt in (p < .01). Receipt of the treatment portion of the program differed among the programs with 67.5% of T&Q receiving the treatment program and 27.5% of T4C receiving the program (p < .001). Most participants across both groups replied to at least one message (71.3%) and very few unsubscribed from the service over the 3-week trial. The majority of participants reported overall satisfaction with their program (63.8%), found it helpful for quitting smoking (60.0%) and would recommend the program to a friend (62.5%). Overall, 11 (13.8%) participants reported being abstinent from smoking for the past 7 days at follow-up, with no differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS Outreach text messages were found to have moderately high reach among Medicaid smokers. Larger trials are needed to evaluate the impact of such programs on helping low-income smokers quit. IMPLICATIONS Automated text messaging programs have been tested as a treatment tool, but have not been tested as an outreach tool to increase the reach of smoking cessation treatment. This study tests a new way of conducting outreach to smokers in a health system through text messages. It tests the effect of outreach on (1) rates of opting in and (2) successful treatment delivery. Results may inform new models of providing outreach for tobacco treatment in health systems.
Hemicraniectomy and externalized ventricular drain placement in a pediatric patient with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-associated tumefactive demyelinating disease.

Acquired demyelination of the central nervous system in children can manifest as multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-associated demyelination, or as an acute monophasic illness without serum antibodies. Rarely do patients with demyelinating disease need surgical intervention for fulminant crises. We report a case of anti-MOG antibody-related tumefactive demyelination in a 10-year-old female who required urgent hemicraniectomy and external ventricular drain placement for progressive white matter edema with obstructive hydrocephalus, subfalcine, and transtentorial herniation.
Design and Validation of a Smartphone-based Haptic Feedback System for Gait Training

This letter presents a novel vibrotactile haptic system controlled by a smartphone that can be used for gait training of older adults. Compared to previous works, the system's modularity as well as its smartphone-based controller and user interface can enhance its usability and promote regular gait training of users during their daily living. Given the prevalence of reduced stride length and speed in older adults, we developed a biomechanical data-driven approach to enable improving those outcomes via modifying their underlying surrogates. A subject study was performed by recruiting 12 young participants (19–39 years) to assess the efficacy of the haptic system and our approach based on biomechanical surrogates. It was found that the participants could significantly increase their thigh and shank extensions (i.e., the surrogates) via the feedback provided by our system, and those increases resulted in higher values of their stride length and walking speed. The results provide a clear proof-of-concept for the developed biomechanics-driven haptic system for gait training of older adults to potentially improve their mobility and living independence.
Acoustic Source Localization in Shallow Water: A Probabilistic Focalization Approach

This paper presents a Bayesian estimation method for the passive localization of an acoustic source in shallow water. Our probabilistic focalization approach estimates the time-varying source location by associating direction of arrival (DOA) observations to DOAs predicted based on a statistical model. Embedded ray tracing makes it possible to incorporate environmental parameters and characterize the nonlinear acoustic waveguide. We demonstrate performance advantages of our approach compared to matched field processing using data collected during the SWellEx-96 experiment.
Legal Scholarship Production on CoVid-19: An Analysis on Italian Law Journals’ Articles

In 2020, over 100.000 scientific articles were published on CoVid-19. Scholarly production on this topic has shown exponential growth in multiple disciplines, from medicine to social sciences. Lega...
Effects of Bolus Holding on Respiratory-Swallow Coordination in Parkinson's Disease.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of bolus holding on respiratory–swallow coordination (RSC) in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Method: People with PD were prospective...
The Wilds and the Township

The 1930s saw the creation of The Wilds, a simulacrum of “unspoiled veld” in the heart of Johannesburg, and the town of Orlando, the first of many “rationally planned” African townships that would be developed just outside the city. These two different urban operations were alternative manifestations of modernity at a time of rapid economic, social, and physical change. In The Wilds and the Township: Articulating Modernity, Capital, and Socio-nature in the Cityscape of Pre-apartheid Johannesburg, Jeremy Foster argues that the growing consciousness of the cityscape among the white population, a result of the 1936 Johannesburg Empire Exhibition, became intertwined with revisioning the city's environs as a hinterland that was both other and essential to its existence. Within a disorderly cityscape The Wilds and the African township of Orlando articulated a new symbolic relationship between urban culture and regional nature that seemed to resolve the threat of the westernized urban African. This dialectical patterning of socio-nature within the same cityscape naturalized the African population's socio-political segregation and facilitated the operations of the capitalist mining-based urban economy.
i YO quiero Java!: teaching Java as a second programming language

This paper presents one approach to teaching Java as a second programming language. Although multitudes of textbooks using Java exist, many of these are introduction to programming texts that use Java as the example language; they assume that the reader is learning to program for the first time. Their orientation and emphasis cause them to offer little help to the instructor designing a course in Java for students who have already been introduced to programming using another language. General Java references are often not student-friendly enough to be of sufficient help, either, in a course for students who are new to Java but not to the basics of programming. The ideas presented here could help other instructors in this situation by giving them a "starting" list of topics to consider including that is more appropriate than those immediately apparent when perusing the typical intro-to-programming-using-Java text.
Performance of Multiple Stream Pulsed Jet Combustion Systems

In the course of our studies on pulsed jet combustion (PJC) a series of tests were carried out to determine the performance of multi-stream systems. This included multi-jet efflux, as well as dual-generator aggregates. The essential performance indicator of a PJC system is the pressure transducer record, yielding, in particular, data on the rise time and amplitude of the pressure pulse, as well as the rate of pressure rise. Concomitantly with pressure measurements, a sequence of schlieren records were obtained to reveal the salient features of the fluid mechanical phenomena of the PJC process. Elucidated thereby are the effects of entrainment induced by large scale vortex structures of turbulent jet plumes, and their decisive role in governing the process of combustion, as influenced by their particular configuration. Our tests demonstrated the capability of multiple stream PJC systems to shorten the rise time and increase the amplitude of the pressure pulse, both effects of obvious potential benefit to engine performance. 23 refs., 17 figs.
Adenosine Diphosphate Glucose Pyrophosphorylase: A REGULATORY ENZYME IN THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF STARCH IN SPINACH LEAF CHLOROPLASTS

The spinach leaf adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase has been purified about 260-fold. The enzyme was activated by 3-phosphoglycerate and other glycolytic intermediates, and was inhibited by inorganic phosphate and ADP. Phosphate inhibition could be overcome by increasing 3-phosphoglycerate concentrations. ADP inhibition could be only partially overcome by increasing 3-phosphoglycerate concentrations. The 3-phosphoglycerate saturation curve is hyperbolic at neutral pH. At alkaline pH, however, the curve is sigmoidal. Kinetic studies suggest that the activators fructose diphosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate bind to the same sites as 3-phosphoglycerate. These results suggest a mechanism for the regulation of starch synthesis in spinach leaf chloroplasts.
Interleukin-2 receptor regulates activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) stimulates proliferation of T lymphocytes and is involved in the activation of both natural killer and lymphokine-activated killer precursor cells. The intracellular messengers which mediate IL-2-dependent events have not yet been identified. IL-2 receptor is not a protein-tyrosine kinase. Activation of a cellular protein-tyrosine kinase and direct association of a protein-tyrosine kinase activity with the IL-2 receptor occurs within minutes of IL-2 stimulation. We investigated the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) in IL-2-mediated signal transduction using the IL-2-dependent murine T-cell line, CTLL-2, and human phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes (phytohemagglutinin blasts). Within a minute following stimulation of these cells with IL-2, PI 3-kinase activity could be detected in antiphosphotyrosine (anti-P-Tyr) antibody immunoprecipitates. IL-2 triggered a direct association of PI 3-kinase with the IL-2 receptor as detected in immunoprecipitates using anti-IL-2 receptor beta chain antibody. In vivo labeled CTLL-2 cells have a time-dependent increase in D-3-phosphorylated polyphosphoinositides following stimulation with IL-2. This is the first group of second messengers identified in IL-2-mediated signal transduction.
Planning for healthful landscape values

This paper focuses on how we may balance the health functions of nature and landscape values in development planning. The concept “balance” implies discussing measures to mitigate, minimize and compensate for negative impacts. In this context, negative impact is understood as a disturbance by development projects of resources that improve people’s health. The resources may be both existing nature and landscape values and potential, as yet undeveloped, landscape qualities. The health functions are defined using scientific studies in environmental medicine and environmental psychology. This paper presents cases that have applied such scientific results to the planning of housing and infrastructure in two development projects in southwestern Sweden, the towns of Lomma and Akarp. Evaluations of health functions in these projects constitute an important part of the process of designing and analyzing impacts, and the process of negotiating mitigation measures as conditions for permits granted by the municipalities, the county administration and the government of Sweden. In the long run, this research will hopefully lead to a growing awareness among the public, developers and politicians about improving the health aspect as a parameter for sustainable development.
Long wavelength GaInNAs(Sb) lasers on GaAs

Summary from only given. We present a new structure utilizing antimony, either incorporated into the crystal or used as a surfactant, to enable higher nitrogen and indium incorporation. This results in a shift of the post-annealed emission to longer wavelengths. The material for this study was grown by MBE with an RF plasma source. GaNAsSb barriers can also reduce the overall strain of the active region GaInNAsSb quantum wells and GaNAsSb barriers because the high In mole fraction QWs are compressively strained and the GaNAs barriers are tensile strained.
Isolation and preparation of pretyrosine, accumulated as a dead-end metabolite by Neurospora crassa.

Abstract Pretyrosine is an amino acid intermediate of phenylalanine and/or tyrosine biosyntheses in a variety of organisms. A procedure for the isolation of high-quality pretyrosine as the barium salt is described. Stable solutions of ammonium pretyrosine that are suitable for use as substrate in enzyme assays can be prepared in good yield with relatively few purification steps. A triple mutant of Neurospora crassa, bearing genetic blocks corresponding to each initial enzyme step of the three pathway branchlets leading to the aromatic amino acids, accumulates prephenate and pretyrosine. Although the time courses of prephenate and pretyrosine accumulations were found to be parallel in any given experiment, the ratios of the two metabolites varied as much as 100-fold depending upon such variables as carbon source, temperature of growth, accumulation, and especially the presence of aromatic pathway metabolites. Under appropriate nutritional conditions of accumulation, pretyrosine concentrations in excess of 4 mM in culture supernatant fluids were obtained. Strains individually auxotrophic for phenylalanine or tyrosine accumulate lesser amounts of prephenate and pretyrosine. The metabolic blocks of the mutant result in high intracellular levels of prephenate, which is then partially transaminated to pretyrosine. In N. crassa, pretyrosine is a dead-end metabolite since it is not enzymatically converted to phenylalanine or tyrosine. At a mildly acidic pH, pretyrosine is quantitatively converted to phenylalanine in a nonenzymatic reaction.
Experimental evaluation of chromatic dispersion estimation method using polynomial fitting

Abstract We experimentally validate a non-data-aided, modulation-format independent chromatic dispersion (CD) estimation method based on polynomial fitting algorithm in single-carrier coherent optical system with a 40 Gb/s polarization-division-multiplexed quadrature-phase-shift-keying (PDM-QPSK) system. The non-data-aided CD estimation for arbitrary modulation formats is achieved by measuring the differential phase between frequency f±fs/2 (fs is the symbol rate) in digital coherent receivers. The estimation range for a 40 Gb/s PDM-QPSK signal can be up to 20,000 ps/nm with a measurement accuracy of ±200 ps/nm. The maximum CD measurement is 25,000 ps/nm with a measurement error of 2%.
kANN on the GPU with shifted sorting

We describe the implementation of a simple method for finding k approximate nearest neighbors (ANNs) on the GPU. While the performance of most ANN algorithms depends heavily on the distributions of the data and query points, our approach has a very regular data access pattern. It performs as well as state of the art methods on easy distributions with small values of k, and much more quickly on more difficult problem instances. Irrespective of the distribution and also roughly of the size of the set of input data points, we can find 50 ANNs for 1M queries at a rate of about 1200 queries/ms.
Reduction of cytochrome c at a lipid bilayer modified electrode

Abstract The reduction of horse heart cytochrome c has been investigated at a platinum electrode modified with a lipid bilayer membrane (BLM) which immobilized vinyl ferrocene as an electron mediator. The current-voltage curves show that the direct electrochemistry of cytochrome c at the metal electrode occurs quite efficiently. An adsorption equilibrium constant for cytochrome at the BLM surface, as well as an electron transfer rate constant between the protein and the modified electrode have been estimated from these results. The values of both parameters are much higher than those reported with other types of electrode modifications, indicating that a lipid bilayer-modified platinum electrode system using vinyl ferrocene as a mediator provides substantial improvements in electrochemical activity of cytochrome c at metal electrodes. The potential for modifying and utilizing this new class of “biomembrane-like” electrode surface for metalloprotein electrochemistry is briefly discussed.
Correlation of inhibitory potencies of putative antagonists for σ receptors in brain and spleen

Abstract The putative σ receptor antagonists, haloperidol, HR 375, BMY 14802 and BW 234U potently inhibited both [3H]d-N-allylnormetazocine binding to σ receptors in brain homogenates and [3H]haloperidol binding to σ receptors in spleen homogenates. An excellent correlation of inhibitory potencies in the two assay systems was obtained. The results support the view that [3H]d-N-allylnormetzocine and [3H]haloperidol both label the same receptor populations, and suggest that σ antagonists may be useful in elucidating physiological role(s) of σ receptors in the nervous and immune systems.
Development of continuous stiffness measurement technique for composite magnetic tapes

Studying mechanical properties of materials on the nanoscale has received much attention in recent years as the properties are size dependent. Continuous measurements of mechanical properties of these materials during indentation are greatly needed. A continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) technique allows the contact stiffness to be measured at any point along the loading curve and not just at the point of unloading. In the present investigation, an analytical methodology of CSM technique used for characterizing nonuniform materials is developed and applied to nanocomposite magnetic tapes. The contact stiffness, elastic modulus and hardness of fused silica, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and metal-particle (MP) tapes were measured as a function of indentation depth using the CSM technique. For the first time, the graded material characteristics of MP tapes are reported.
Rickettsia Sca2 has evolved formin-like activity through a different molecular mechanism

Sca2 (surface cell antigen 2) is the only bacterial protein known to promote both actin filament nucleation and profilin-dependent elongation, mimicking eukaryotic formins to assemble actin comet tails for Rickettsia motility. We show that Sca2’s functional mimicry of formins is achieved through a unique mechanism. Unlike formins, Sca2 is monomeric, but has N- and C-terminal repeat domains (NRD and CRD) that interact with each other for processive barbed-end elongation. The crystal structure of NRD reveals a previously undescribed fold, consisting of helix–loop–helix repeats arranged into an overall crescent shape. CRD is predicted to share this fold and might form together with NRD, a doughnut-shaped formin-like structure. In between NRD and CRD, proline-rich sequences mediate the incorporation of profilin-actin for elongation, and WASP-homology 2 (WH2) domains recruit actin monomers for nucleation. Sca2’s α-helical fold is unusual among Gram-negative autotransporters, which overwhelmingly fold as β-solenoids. Rickettsia has therefore “rediscovered” formin-like actin nucleation and elongation.
The Role of Small Distributed Natural Gas Fuel Cell Technologies in the Smart Energy Grid

As the utility grid evolves to transmit information along with energy and water to the end-user, the traditional grid model is changing. The Pecan Street Smart Grid Demonstration Project in Austin, TX is at the leading edge of the evolution of the smart grid. Currently, over 100 homes, soon to be 1,000, have electricity demand information being measured on a 15 second interval. Using the highly granular energy use and solar generation data from Pecan Street, we attempt to estimate the potential for small natural gas fuel cells as distributed firming power for intermittent renewables in the built environment. Micro-grids have traditionally relied on the macro-grid for stabilization in the event of local interruptions in generation. In this paper we analyze the utility, economic, and system efficiency impacts of small distributed natural gas fuel cells as an alternative to the macro-grid for stabilization. Using our unique dataset, we have determined that the average home could utilize a 5.5 kW fuel cell either for total generation or backup, and the average home could operate as its own micro-grid while not sacrificing core functionality. We also explore the utility of matching the thermal output of a possibly smaller fuel cell, used in combined heat and power mode (CHP), to an absorption refrigeration system in place of traditional space cooling. With these types of energy assets, homes could possibly participate with local electricity markets, or the grid at large, in a highly dynamic way. A home energy network could, given homeowner set-points, adjust home uses of energy and sell high priced electricity back to the grid, possibly from both solar PV and fuel cell production, possibly eliminating energy bills. Lastly, we estimate that the system efficiency could possibly double by transporting natural gas to the end user to be converted into electricity and hot water as compared with traditional methods of using natural gas for power generation followed by electricity delivery.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
On the arithmetic of the endomorphisms ring $${{\rm End}(\mathbb{Z}_{p} \times \mathbb{Z}_{p^{2}})}$$

For a prime number p, Bergman (Israel J Math 18:257–277, 1974) established that $${{\rm End}(\mathbb{Z}_{p}\times \mathbb{Z}_{p^{2}})}$$ is a semilocal ring with p 5 elements that cannot be embedded in matrices over any commutative ring. We identify the elements of $${{\rm End}(\mathbb{Z}_{p} \times \mathbb{Z}_{p^{2}})}$$ with elements in a new set, denoted by E p , of matrices of size 2 × 2, whose elements in the first row belong to $${\mathbb{Z}_{p}}$$ and the elements in the second row belong to $${\mathbb{Z}_{p^{2}}}$$; also, using the arithmetic in $${\mathbb{Z}_{p}}$$ and $${\mathbb{Z}_{p^{2}}}$$, we introduce the arithmetic in that ring and prove that the ring $${{\rm End}(\mathbb{Z}_{p} \times \mathbb{Z}_{p^{2}})}$$ is isomorphic to the ring E p . Finally, we present a Diffie-Hellman key interchange protocol using some polynomial functions over E p defined by polynomials in $${\mathbb{Z}[X]}$$.
Retinol decreases phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase activity in colon cancer cells

Previously, we showed that retinol inhibited all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA)-resistant human colon cancer cell invasion via a retinoic acid receptor-independent mechanism. Because phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) regulates cell invasion, the objective of the current study was to determine if retinol affected PI3K activity. Following 24 h of serum starvation, the ATRA resistant human colon cancer cell lines HCT-116 and SW620 were treated with 0, 1, or 10 µM retinol. Thirty minutes of retinol treatment resulted in a significant decrease in PI3K activity in both cell lines. To determine the mechanism by which retinol reduces PI3K activity, the levels and heterodimerization of the regulatory subunit, p85, and the catalytic subunit, p110, of PI3K were examined. Retinol treatment did not alter p85 or p110 protein levels or the heterodimerization of these subunits at any time point examined. To determine if retinol affected the ability of PI3K to phosphorylate the substrate, phosphatidylinositol (PI), PI3K was immunoprecipitated from control cells and incubated with 10 µg PI and increasing concentrations of retinol or 10 µg retinol and increasing concentrations of PI. Retinol decreased PI3K activity in a dose-responsive manner and increased PI suppressed the inhibitory effect of retinol on PI3K activity. Finally, the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, mimicked the ability of retinol to decrease cell invasion. Computational modeling revealed that retinol may inhibit PI3K activity in a manner similar to that of wortmannin. Thus, a decrease in PI3K activity due to retinol treatment may confer the ability of retinol to inhibit ATRA-resistant colon cancer cell invasion. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Parotid squamous cell carcinoma: Outcome of multidisplinary management

Purpose : To evaluate the origin and outcome of parotid squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) Methods and patients : Fifty nine patients were identified with parotid SCC through the hospital data-base, patients’ charts, imaging studies and computerized notes. Results : Fifty of the patients were diagnosed as metastatic SCC from skin primary cancer to parotid lymph nodes; 28% were immunocompromized and 9 patients were diagnosed as primary SCC of the parotid gland, none was immunocompromized. Forty seven patients with metastatic SCC were treated with surgery and post-operative radiotherapy. The rate of neck lymph node metastases was 54%. The median follow up of these patients was 33 months and the 3-year actuarial cause specific survival was 91%. The 3-year actuarial local recurrence free survival (LRFS) and disease free survival rate were 79% and 77% respectively. Positive surgical margin after parotidectomy was the only factor that had statistically significant poor LRFS. Patients with primary parotid SCC had DFS of 100%. Conclusion : The most common site of the primary tumor was a cutaneous SCC of the face. All patients should be considered for facial nerve sparing radical parotidectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy. Neck dissection or elective neck irradiation for ipsilateral neck is recommended due to high occult LN metastasis.
Rigorous bounds for the calculated dielectric constants of ferroelectric polymers

Abstract A theory is presented for calculating rigorous upper and lower bounds for the dielectric constant of a semi-crystalline polymer in terms of the volume fraction of crystalline phase, the dielectric constant of the liquid phase and the anisotropic dielectric tensor of the crystalline phase. Also required are two orientation functions and where θ defines the tilt of crystal lamellae and α the orientation of the electric moment of each crystal with respect to the measuring field. Bounds are presented for polyvinylidene fluoride for a variety of orientations.
The decay of soot surface growth reactivity and its importance in total soot formation.

Abstract The empirical soot surface growth kinetics of Haynes and Wagner are reconciled to the acetylene kinetics of Harris and Weiner by including the decay of the surface reactivity. The empirical rate constant measured by Haynes and Wagner is the decay rate of the surface growth reactivity, not the surface growth rate itself. This rate has a value of 50–400 s−1 and appears to depend only on temperature, but not pressure and flame composition. This description of surface growth with coagulation but without particle inception predicts the spherule size in soot chains and a near-constant value of the total soot surface area concentration. An analytic expression for the volume fraction history indicates small discrepancies with Haynes and Wagner's empirical form. When the initial number density is high (>1011 cm−3), the highly nonlinear dependence of the final volume fraction f v ∗ on the initial “inception” volume fraction fv0 is predicted to be f ∗ 1 3 = (f 0 ) 1 3 + (f sg ) 1 3 , where fsg is dependent on measured kinetic parameters and is of the order 2 × 10−8. Using this kinetic description it should be possible to extrapolate late volume fractions backward to give either initial volume fractions or number densities. Given this sensitivity, it will be important to understand the systematic dependences of inception soot concentrations.
Pulsed Doppler Characterization of Left Atrial Appendage Flow

Recent evidence suggests that left atrial (LA) appendage velocities may provide clues to the thrombogenic potential of this structure. Pulsed Doppler evaluation of LA appendage flow during transesophageal echocardiography was performed in 109 patients to evaluate the effects of rhythm, mitral regurgitation, and spontaneous contrast. During sinus rhythm, there was a forward LA appendage contraction wave of 46 ± 18 cm/sec followed by a retrograde filling wave of 46 ± 17 cm/sec. In 40% of the patients in sinus rhythm, additional forward and retrograde velocities of 23 ± 10 and 22 ± 11 cm/sec, respectively, were seen. In contrast, atrial fibrillation was associated with reduced forward and retrograde flows in an irregularly irregular pattern. In sinus rhythm moderate to severe mitral regurgitation did not appear to affect the LA appendage velocities. Last, although forward LA appendage velocities were found to be significantly reduced in patients with spontaneous contrast by univariate analysis, multivariate analysis demonstrated that only the presence of atrial fibrillation was a significant predictor for spontaneous contrast.
Adaptive grid generation based onthe least-squares finite-element method

Approximate solutions of a partial differential equation become inaccurate if they arecomputed on a fixed grid that is not sufficiently fine in regions of the domain where the variables change rapidly. For time dependent problems, special features of a partial differential equation and their location could change in time as well. Thus, adaptive grid methods are necessary. In this paper, we develop an adaptive deformation method based on the least-squares finite-element method (LSFEM). A main advantage of this method as compared to the existing deformation method is its ability to generate adaptive grids on domains with moving boundary. It computes the node velocity from a div-curl system according to an error indicator (monitor function), and then moves the nodes to new locations so that the size of the new grid cells can be directly controlled. In this method, the connectivity of the nodes is unchanged if the grid quality is acceptable. Otherwise, various optimization procedures can be applied after node movements to improve grid quality. The grid formed becomes refined in regions where the solution error is large.
Free electron laser with longitudinal wiggler and finite axial magnetic field

An analysis of the excitation of a space charge wave and a predominantly transverse magnetic mode in a cylindrical metallic waveguide filled with a relativistic electron beam is presented. The beam is guided by a uniform, axial magnetic field of arbitrary magnitude and passes through a spatially periodic, longitudinal electric (wiggler) field. A non-linear wave equation is derived in a form which includes the coupling of TM and TE modes due to the finite axial magnetic field. For the case of a weak and purely axial wiggler field, a solution of this wave equation is developed with each of the two excited waves expressed as a sum of three partial waves. A spatial growth rate formula is derived in a form appropriate for operation infinitesimally above cut-off of the TM mode. Numerical calculations indicate that the axial magnetic field magnitude should be somewhat larger than the value which maximizes the growth rate in order to achieve high efficiency.
Effect of high volume epidural morphine, ketamine and butorphanol on halothane minimum alveolar concentration in ponies

This study determined the effects of epidurally administered morphine, ketamine and butorphanol on halothane minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) in ponies. Seven ponies were anaesthetised with thiopentone and succinylcholine, intubated and anaesthesia maintained with halothane. Ventilation was controlled and blood pressure was maintained within normal limits. Following the determination of baseline halothane MAC for the pelvic and thoracic limbs the ponies were given morphine (0.1 mg/kg bwt), ketamine (0.8 or 1.2 mg/kg bwt), butorphanol (0.05 mg/kg bwt) or saline, epidurally, to a final volume of 0.15 ml/kg bwt. The halothane MAC for the pelvic and thoracic limbs was redetermined following each treatment. The baseline halothane MAC for the control group was mean +/- s.e. 0.85 +/- 0.02% and no significant change occurred after saline administration. Morphine significantly (P = 0.002) decreased MAC from, mean +/- s.e. 0.90 +/- 0.05% to 0.77 +/- 0.06% in the pelvic limb. Ketamine significantly decreased MAC in the pelvic limb from mean +/- s.e. 0.86 +/- 0.06% to 0.71 +/- 0.04%, and 0.82 +/- 0.03% to 0.71 +/- 0.02%, for the low (P = 0.008) and high dose (P = 0.001), respectively. No significant change in MAC occurred following butorphanol. No treatment reduced halothane MAC for the thoracic limb.
Profilin: emerging concepts and lingering misconceptions.

Conflicting data suggest that profilin might function to promote either actin polymerization or depolymerization in cells. There are theoretical reasons and supportive data to suggest that profilin might do both. Perhaps the most accurate description of profilin emphasizes its ability to augment actin-filament dynamics, both in polymerization and in depolymerization. The effect of profilin on the critical concentration of actin, its ability to depolymerize filaments at the barbed end and the formation of a ternary complex with thymosin β 4 all need to be accurately represented in any attempt to determine a model for profilin function.
The APC gene in colorectal cancer

Mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene are not only responsible for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), but also play a rate-limiting role in the majority of sporadic colorectal cancers. Colorectal tumours are known to arise through a gradual series of histological changes, the so-called 'adenoma-carcinoma' sequence, each accompanied by a genetic alteration in a specific oncogene or tumour suppressor gene. Loss of APC function triggers this chain of molecular and histological changes. In general, an intestinal cell needs to comply with two essential requirements to develop into a cancer: it must acquire selective advantage to allow for the initial clonal expansion, and genetic instability to allow for multiple hits at other genes responsible for tumour progression and malignant transformation. Inactivation of APC seems to fulfill both requirements. In this short review, I will discuss the role played by APC in providing, when mutated, selective advantage, through constitutional activation of the Wnt signal transduction pathway, and chromosomal instability to the nascent intestinal tumor cell.
The brain's three catecholamines

Abstract Three catecholamines — dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine — serve as neurotransmitters in brain. The understanding of how these 3 types of neurons function and what physiological roles they have, has advanced to different stages but there is evidence that selective pharmacological intervention with respect to each of the 3 types of catecholamine neurons has, or will have, therapeutic uses.
Runoff Nitrogen Loss with Simulated Rainfall Immediately Following Poultry Manure Application for Corn Production

Nitrogen loss from a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr,]-corn (Zea mays L.) rotation by runoff to surface water can be significant. This study was conducted to determine short-term N loss in runoff immediately after poultry manure application and assess the effects of manure rate and incorporation on losses. The study was conducted for 3 yr at nine Iowa fields previously cropped to soybean. Poultry manure sources were applied in the fall or spring to untilled soybean stubble at intended rates of 0, 84, and 168 kg total N ha -1 with three replications. Within 2 d of application, simulated rainfall was applied to 3-m 2 areas to provide a single 30-min runoff event. The total Kjeldahl N (TKN) and NH 4 + -N concentration and load in runoff increased with higher manure rates, with the associated manure TKN and NH 4 + -N correlated with runoff losses. With the high manure rate, runoff TKN and NH 4 + -N concentration averaged 33 and 15 mg L -1 and the TKN and NH 4 + -N load 2.6 and 1.1 kg ha -1 , respectively. Runoff concentration and load of TKN and NH 4 + -N was significantly decreased with incorporation, approximately 50% and 90%, respectively. Tillage increased TKN in runoff when no manure was applied, but loses were lower than the treatment with manure and incorporation. The NO 3 - -N load in runoff was low and not affected by manure application. The results show that rainfall shortly after surface application of poultry manure can result in increased runoff TKN and NH 4 + -N, with loss related to manure rate, specific N fraction, and incorporation, which significantly reduced manure N in surface runoff.