cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of crystalline lysine and intact lysine used as a supplement in practical diets of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract The study was conducted using channel catfish and tilapia to evaluate the production performance of these fish to increasing levels of lysine from crystalline and intact lysine supplemented in practical diets. A practical lysine deficient basal diet was developed using corn protein concentrate (Empyreal® 75) as a primary protein source. To this diet either graded levels of crystalline lysine or similar levels from a high lysine corn protein concentrate (Lysto™) were added. In the channel catfish trial, the first five diets were designed to contain increasing levels of crystalline lysine (1.21%, 1.34%, 1.45%, 1.56%, and 1.72%) with an additional four diets using intact protein from a high lysine corn protein concentrate (1.40%, 1.57%, 1.77%, and 1.91% lysine). In the tilapia trial, lysine from two sources was added to 11 diets to produce analyzed lysine levels of 0.92%, 1.11%, 1.23%, 1.34%, 1.54% 1.65% in the first six diets using crystalline lysine and 1.13%, 1.38%, 1.61%, 1.81%, 2.02% in the last five diets using intact lysine. Results indicated that channel catfish and tilapia have positive performance with increasing lysine supplementation up to the requirement. Fish fed with the higher levels of lysine had the highest weight gain and lowest feed conversion ratio. The regression analysis on the increased level of inclusion of crystalline lysine and intact lysine showed no significant difference in slope. Based on the growth, feed conversion ratio and apparent net protein retention data obtained from this study, it can be concluded that the effectiveness of using intact lysine via high lysine corn protein concentrate as a lysine supplement is not significantly different from crystalline lysine. Thus, the high lysine corn protein concentrate is a feasible ingredient for aquaculture feeds, which can be used to balance the amino acid composition of the diet without addition of crystalline lysine. Statement of relevance Present study shows that high lysine corn protein concentrate is a feasible ingredient for aquaculture feeds, which can be used to balance the amino acid composition of the diet without addition of crystalline lysine.
Beyond Bureaucracy: How Prosecutors and Public Defenders Enforce Urban Planning Laws in São Paulo, Brazil

Cities need law to thrive, but it is not clear how abstract texts become tangible policy outcomes. Existing research on the role of law in urban affairs conceives law as either an algorithm that shapes urban life or a reflection of political disputes. The former assumes that the meaning of law is obvious; the latter claims it is irrelevant. In contrast to these views, I argue that laws are multipurpose instruments that acquire a specific function when enforced by those government agents who operate at the frontlines of public service. To understand what these agents do and why, I conducted a qualitative study of the Ministerio Publico and the Defensoria Publica in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Through this process, I found that these government agencies are not cohesive bureaucracies but heterarchies composed of distinct internal factions with different evaluative principles. Moreover, officials within them are not isolated from other entities in society but tightly entangled with them, and these connections influence what these officials do. Finally, enforcement agents are not always resigned to solving conflicts as they arise. Rather, they strive to find acceptable solutions in the interstices of existing conditions or even change the circumstances that created the conflict in the first place.
Shrinking of core neoclassical tearing mode magnetic islands due to edge localized modes and the role of ion-scale turbulence in island recovery in DIII-D

Experimental signature of long-wavelength turbulence accelerating the recovery of Neoclassical Tearing Mode (NTM) magnetic islands after they have been transiently reduced in size due to interaction with Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) is reported for the first time. This work shows that perturbations associated with ELMs result in peaking of the electron temperature (Te) in the O-point region of saturated core m/n = 2/1 islands (m/n being the poloidal/toroidal mode numbers). In synchronization with this Te peak, the island width shrinks by as much as 30% suggesting a key role of the Te peak in NTM stability due to modified pressure gradient (∇p) and perturbed bootstrap current (δjBS) at the O-point. Next, this Te peak relaxes via anomalous transport (i.e., the diffusivity is 2 orders of magnitude larger than the neoclassical value) and the island recovers. Long-wavelength turbulent density fluctuations ( n ) are reduced at the O-point of flat islands but these fluctuations are increased when Te is peaked w...
Systematic Subjectivity: How Subtle Biases Infect the Scholarship Review Process:

In light of renewed debate regarding publication rigor and ethics, this commentary raises questions about the subjectivity of the peer review process. We argue that the same biases organizational scientists consider as topics of our research—such as confirmation bias, negative bias, anchoring and adjustment, overconfidence bias, and social dynamics—may infect the scholarship process. In addition to these general phenomena, we examine subtle biases that may be unique to or exacerbated within diversity management scholarship. We describe the theoretical basis of such biases and offer preliminary evidence of their nuanced manifestations before outlining suggestions for their reduction.
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast epithelial cells treated with cadmium and the role of Snail.

Epidemiological and experimental studies have implicated cadmium (Cd) with breast cancer. In breast epithelial MCF10A and MDA-MB-231 cells, Cd has been shown to promote cell growth. The present study examined whether Cd also promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a hallmark of cancer progression. Human breast epithelial cells consisting of non-cancerous MCF10A, non-metastatic HCC 1937 and HCC 38, and metastatic MDA-MB-231 were treated with 1 or 3 μM Cd for 4 weeks. The MCF10A epithelial cells switched to a more mesenchymal-like morphology, which was accompanied by a decrease in the epithelial marker E-cadherin and an increase in the mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and vimentin. In both non-metastatic HCC 1937 and HCC 38 cells, treatment with Cd decreased the epithelial marker claudin-1. In addition, E-cadherin also decreased in the HCC 1937 cells. Even the mesenchymal-like MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited an increase in the mesenchymal marker vimentin. These changes indicated that prolonged treatment with Cd resulted in EMT in both normal and cancer-derived breast epithelial cells. Furthermore, both the MCF10A and MDA-MB-231 cells labeled with Zcad, a dual sensor for tracking EMT, demonstrated a decrease in the epithelial marker E-cadherin and an increase in the mesenchymal marker ZEB-1. Treatment of cells with Cd significantly increased the level of Snail, a transcription factor involved in the regulation of EMT. However, the Cd-induced Snail expression was completely abolished by actinomycin D. Luciferase reporter assay indicated that the expression of Snail was regulated by Cd at the promotor level. Snail was essential for Cd-induced promotion of EMT in the MDA-MB-231 cells, as knockdown of Snail expression blocked Cd-induced cell migration. Together, these results indicate that Cd promotes EMT in breast epithelial cells and does so by modulating the transcription of Snail.
A 3.5/5.9-GHz dual-band output matching network for an efficiency-optimized multiband power amplifier

This paper describes the design and implementation of a dual-band output matching network (OMN) to enable the design of a dual-band power amplifier. The three-port network transforms 50-Q loads and presents, in two separate bands around 3.5 and 5.9 GHz, optimized fundamental impedances to a GaN HEMT transistor for maximum power added efficiency (PAE). The OMN is comprised of four subcircuits: two circuits perform a real-to-real impedance transformation and two perform a real-to-complex impedance transformation, connected to the transistor through a tee junction. The measured performance of the passive networks shows high isolation between the bands.
Using Patient Risk Factors to Identify Whether Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infections Are Caused by Carbapenemase-Producing Organisms

Evaluating all inpatient carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections over a 1-year period, 47% were caused by carbapenemase-producing (CP) organisms. Compared with non-CP-CRE patients, patients with CP-CRE had an 18-fold greater odds of a recent stay in a foreign health care facility and a 3-fold greater odds of transfer from a post-acute care facility.
Emotion-Related Impulsivity and the Mood Disorders

Abstract This chapter focuses on emotion-related impulsivity and its relation to mood disorders. We begin with a brief overview of emotion-related impulsivity, in which we discuss theory and measure development. We then review a growing literature on the relevance of emotion-related impulsivity to depression, suicidality, and bipolar disorder. With the mounting evidence that this form of impulsivity is particularly important for understanding these syndromes, we consider newer research on possible mechanisms. We end by considering future directions.
Chapter Seven - Crystalline Silicon Feedstock Preparation and Analysis

Abstract We review and evaluate historical, present, and future trends in high-volume manufacturing (HVM) processes for polysilicon solar feedstock. Witnessing expanding HVM closed-loop capacities based on the purification of metallurgical silicon on the gaseous phase and chemical vapor phase deposition of chlorosilane precursors according to the Siemens process, we provide an interpretation of this trend. Analytical methods for quality assurance and quality assessment are also presented.
Tumor extracellular vesicles are required for tumor-associated macrophage programming

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are highly infiltrated by tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) that promote tumor growth, survival, metastasis and therapeutic resistance. Although cytokines such as CCL5 have been implicated in TAM recruitment to TNBC tumors, the mechanism by which tumor cells educate TAMs is not understood. Here we show that tumor EVs are both necessary and sufficient for programming TAMs toward a pro-metastatic phenotype. The mechanism involves CCL5 regulation of tumor extracellular vesicles (EVs), which activate TLR2 and TLR3, leading to secretion of a common set of cytokines that further stimulate tumor cell invasion and metastasis as well as alter the tumor microenvironment. Cytokine expression is significantly correlated to CCL5 expression and up-regulated in TNBC patient tumors. These results demonstrate for the first time that tumor EVs are key mediators of TAM education, phenocopy the pro-metastatic and drug resistant state of the tumors to TAMs, and illustrate the potential clinical relevance of these findings to TNBC patients.
Geometry, religion and politics: context and consequences of the Hobbes–Wallis dispute

The dispute that raged between Thomas Hobbes and John Wallis from 1655 until Hobbes's death in 1679 was one of the most intense of the ‘battles of the books’ in seventeenth-century intellectual lif...
Phospholipid-Protein Kinase C Involvement in the Adrenergic Regulation of Pinealocyte Cyclic AMP: A Model of How Modulators Act?

The mammalian pineal gland is regulated by norepinephrine (NE) released into the pineal perivascular space from sympathetic nerve terminals; there is a 24-hour pattern of release, with high levels occurring at night. This rhythmic release of NE is controlled by a neural circuit which includes a circadian clock and passes through both central and peripheral structures (Klein et al., 1981).
Reversal of Vocal Fold Mucosal Fibrosis Using siRNA against the Collagen-Specific Chaperone Serpinh1.

Vocal fold (VF) mucosal fibrosis results in substantial voice impairment and is recalcitrant to current treatments. To reverse this chronic disorder, anti-fibrotic therapies should target the molecular pathology of aberrant collagen accumulation in the extracellular matrix. We investigated the therapeutic potential of siRNA against Serpinh1, a collagen-specific chaperone that enables cotranslational folding and assembly of procollagens in the endoplasmic reticulum. We implemented a previously validated siRNA construct, conducted transfection experiments using in vitro and in vivo rat models, and measured knockdown efficiency, dose responses, delivery strategies, and therapeutic outcomes. Liposome-mediated delivery of Serpinh1-siRNA downregulated collagen production in naive and scar VF fibroblasts as well as naive VF mucosa; moreover, sustained Serpinh1 knockdown in fibrotic VF mucosa reversed scar-associated collagen accumulation within 4 weeks. Analysis of therapeutic effects at the transcriptome level showed evidence of cell cycle upregulation, catabolism, matrix disassembly, and morphogenesis. These findings indicate that Serpinh1-siRNA holds potential as a molecular therapy for chronic VF mucosal fibrosis.
Role of Solid-State Miscibility during Anion Exchange in Cesium Lead Halide Nanocrystals Probed by Single-Particle Fluorescence.

In this Letter, we used fluorescence microscopy to image the reversible transformation of individual CsPbCl3 nanocrystals to CsPbBr3, which enables us to quantify heterogeneity in reactivity among ...
HCN domain is required for HCN channel expression and couples voltage- and cAMP-dependent gating mechanisms

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are major regulators of synaptic plasticity, and rhythmic activity in the heart and brain. Opening of HCN channels requires membrane hyperpolarization and is further facilitated by intracellular cyclic nucleotides (cNMPs). In HCN channels, membrane hyperpolarization is sensed by the membrane-spanning voltage sensor domain (VSD) and the cNMP-dependent gating is mediated by the intracellular cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) connected to the pore-forming S6 transmembrane domain via the C-linker. Previous functional analysis of HCN channels suggested a direct or allosteric coupling between the voltage- and cNMP-dependent activation mechanisms. However, the specifics of the coupling were unclear. The first cryo-EM structure of an HCN1 channel revealed that a novel structural element, dubbed HCN domain (HCND), forms a direct structural link between the VSD and C-linker/CNBD. In this study, we investigated the functional significance of the HCND. Deletion of the HCND prevented surface expression of HCN2 channels. Based on the HCN1 structure analysis, we identified R237 and G239 residues on the S2 of the VSD that form direct interactions with I135 on the HCND. Disrupting these interactions abolished HCN2 currents. We then identified three residues on the C-linker/CNBD (E478, Q382 and H559) that form direct interactions with residues R154 and S158 on the HCND. Disrupting these interactions affected both voltage- and cAMP-dependent gating of HCN2 channels. These findings indicate that the HCND is necessary for the surface expression of HCN channels, and provides a functional link between the voltage- and cAMP-dependent mechanisms of HCN channel gating.
Giving E. coli a newfound appetite for formate.

By introducing a rationally designed metabolic pathway into the genome of Escherichia coli, Kim et al. have re-engineered central carbon metabolism to utilize the one-carbon intermediates formate and methanol for the first time, thus generating a biological platform for sustainable fuel and chemical production.
A Clinic-based Approach to Diagnosis and Management of Prediabetes in High-risk Children and Adolescents.

Background Type 2 diabetes (T2D) in youth is increasing in prevalence. Diabetes screening is recommended for at-risk youth but best-practice strategies for management of pediatric prediabetes are unknown. This study leverages a pediatric prediabetes clinic to assess identification of high-risk patients, the rate of clinic follow-up and progression to T2D in youth over time. Methods Retrospective chart review of children referred to a single center for evaluation of prediabetes over a 3-year period. Measurements included hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C) and oral glucose tolerance testing. Patients were classified as normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or T2D based on 2019 American Diabetes Association criteria. Patients classified as IGT/T2D were prescribed metformin. Results Of the 254 patients included; 25.6% had IGT and 6.7% had T2D. The IGT/T2D groups were older and more obese than the NGT group. There was a moderate correlation between HbA1C and fasting glucose (r = 0.59, P < 0.001); HbA1C and 2-hour glucose (r = 0.63, P < 0.001). Over the 3-year study, 52 of 82 patients with IGT/T2D (63%) returned for follow-up. Four patients regained NGT; 3 of those had isolated impaired fasting glucose (100 to 102 mg/dL). Three patients (4.6%) progressed from IGT to T2D over an average of 13 ± 6.2 months. In those patients, body mass index had increased 1.7 ± 2.3 kg/m2 from baseline. Conclusions A pediatric prediabetes clinic may allow for identification of high-risk youth but lost to follow-up rates are high. Continued weight gain is a risk factor for progression to T2D and effective weight management programs are needed.
Safe Asset Migration

Post-crisis reforms changed the location of safe asset production. I propose a pair of tests to identify who issues safe assets and which safe asset issuers opportunistically time issuance when the price of safe assets is high. The Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) system is a newly crucial safe asset producer. FHLB debt issuance is an important determinant of the price of safe assets, and FHLB debt issuance responds to day-to-day fluctuations in the demand for safe assets — measured via the convenience yield. FHLBs issue more after an unexpected increase in the convenience yield and an unexpectedly large FHLB issue decreases the convenience yield. The FHLBs' ability to produce safe assets depends on their implicit government backing, a potential source of concern for future policymakers.
“They Think I'm a Lawyer”: Undocumented College Students as Legal Brokers for Their Undocumented Parents

Past research demonstrates that children of immigrants serve as language and cultural brokers for their parents. However, much of this work centers on immigrants with protected legal status. Drawing on thirty in‐depth interviews with undocumented college students, I conceptualize the phenomenon of legal brokering to capture how undocumented students share legal resources with their parents. In addition to this conceptualization, I find that four factors shaped how students served as legal brokers: (1) online platforms; (2) institutional support; (3) networks of support; and (4) involvement in immigrant rights organizations. These findings advance theoretical frameworks in segmented assimilation theory, sociolegal studies, and immigrant illegality.
Serum Uric Acid and Progression of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: Results from the HALT PKD Trials.

BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies have suggested that elevated serum uric acid may contribute to the progression of chronic kidney disease. However, no large prospective study has examined whether hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for the progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). METHODS We measured uric acid in stored serum samples from the 2-year study visit in 671 participants from the HALT PKD multicenter trials. Participants were categorized according to uric acid tertiles. For Study A (participants aged 15-49 years with preserved kidney function, n=350) we used linear mixed effects models to examine the association between uric acid and repeated measures of height-adjusted total kidney volume (htTKV), the primary outcome for Study A. For Study B (participants aged 18-64 with decreased kidney function, n=321) we used Cox proportional hazards models to assess the hazard for the combined endpoint of 50% loss in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), or death, the primary outcome for Study B. To assess the association of uric acid with the slope of eGFR decline (secondary outcome of HALT A and B) we used linear mixed effects models in the combined population of Study A and B. RESULTS In the unadjusted model, the annual change in htTKV was 2.7% higher in the highest uric acid tertile compared to the lowest (p<0.001), but this difference became insignificant after adjustment for gender. Men had faster TKV growth than women (p<0.001). There was no difference in eGFR decline between the 3 uric acid tertiles. Hazard ratios for the clinical endpoint were 2.9 (95% confidence interval, 1.9-4.4) and 1.8 (1.1-2.8) respectively in the high and medium uric acid groups in unadjusted and partially adjusted models (p<0.001), but the significance was lost after adjustment for baseline eGFR. Results were similar when uric acid was examined as a continuous variable. CONCLUSION Elevated serum uric acid is not an independent risk factor for disease progression in ADPKD.
Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 and Exercise Capacity in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Abstract Background Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy and decreased exercise capacity. Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), a hormone involved in phosphate, vitamin D, and iron homeostasis, is linked to left ventricular hypertrophy and HF. We measured c-terminal FGF23 (cFGF23) and intact FGF23 (iFGF23) levels and examined their associations with exercise capacity in patients with HFpEF. Methods and Results Using multivariable linear regression and linear mixed models, we studied the associations of cFGF23 and iFGF23 with baseline and mean weekly change over 24 weeks in peak oxygen consumption and 6-minute walk distance in individuals enrolled in the Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibition to Improve Clinical Status and Exercise Capacity in HFpEF trial. Our study population included 172 individuals with available plasma for cFGF23 and iFGF23 measurements. Median (25th–75th percentile) baseline cFGF23 and iFGF23 levels were 208.7 RU/mL (132.1–379.5 RU/mL) and 90.3 pg/mL (68.6–128.5 pg/mL), respectively. After adjustment for cardiovascular disease and hematologic and kidney parameters, higher cFGF23 was independently associated with a lower peak oxygen consumption at baseline. Higher iFGF23 was independently associated with shorter 6-minute walk distance at baseline. No significant associations were appreciated with the longitudinal outcomes. Conclusions In patients with HFpEF, higher FGF23 levels are independently associated with decreased exercise capacity at baseline.
Thirty Controversies and Considerations in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

More than 60 years after the first description of “asymmetric septal hypertrophy of the heart,” hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) as a disease has continued to provide clinicians and researchers fe...
Transverse Beam Emittance Measurement by Undulator Radiation Power Noise

Generally, turn-to-turn power fluctuations of incoherent spontaneous synchrotron radiation in a storage ring depend on the 6D phase-space distribution of the electron bunch. In some cases, if only one parameter of the distribution is unknown, this parameter can be determined from the measured magnitude of these power fluctuations. In this Letter, we report an absolute measurement (no free parameters or calibration) of a small vertical emittance (5-15 nm rms) of a flat beam by this method, under conditions, when it is unresolvable by a conventional synchrotron light beam size monitor.
The Cost of Financial Misconduct in Non-Profits

I explore the impact of financial crime on non-profit fundamentals, showing that service revenue and employee compensation, the largest sources of non-profit revenue and expenditures, fall in the years following financial misconduct and its disclosure. However, I observe no declines in volunteerism or employment after financial crime. These results do not align well with the reputational damage hypothesis proposed by prior scholarship. Assuming a competitive free market for services and labor, my findings suggest that afflicted non-profits may experience declines as a result of either operational disruptions that follow the discovery and disclosure of crime or some other non-reputational consequences.
Impact of insurance status on ICD implantation practice patterns: Insights from the NCDR ICD registry.

Background Whether insurance status influences practice patterns in implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) defibrillators, when indicated, is not known. Methods and results We analyzed the NCDR ICD Registry to evaluate associations of insurance status with guidelines-based receipt of CRT, as well as device-type, complication rates, and use of optimal medical therapy defined by guidelines. Among 798,028 patients with de novo ICD implants, we included only patients Conclusions In propensity-weighted analysis, uninsured patients are less likely to receive CRT when indicated but more likely to be receiving optimal medical therapy at discharge. Reasons for differences in device implantation practices based on insurance status require further study.
Two Grand Challenges for DSS Evolution

A review of Decision Support Systems (DSS) research shows technology and DSS evolve in a synchronized fashion. As new technological tools are introduced, researchers leverage the tools to expand the capabilities of DSS. However, advances in DSS are often piecemeal, lacking synergies that could come from adopting a grand challenge. The future will exhibit a similar pattern of technological advances, with analytics and artificial intelligence being two technologies that can be expected to impact DSS design. Analytics and artificial intelligence are broad technologies that have the potential to make significant impacts on decision support. For DSS to have a meaningful impact on decision-making processes, DSS must get “smarter.” DSS can get smarter by having greater understanding the contexts in which they operate. Two grand challenges are proposed: expanding the model of context implicit in all DSS and implementing a model of shared context understanding for networks of DSS. Each grand challenge provides opportunities for DSS researchers in many specialty areas to contribute, while also moving the discipline forward in a significant way.
Kinetics of Growth and Substrate Uptake in a Biological Film System

The rates of growth and substrate uptake in a biological film continuous-flow reactor were studied. The experiments were performed with high fluid velocities to bring the reactor operation to the reaction-controlled regime, thus avoiding external diffusional resistances. The glucose uptake experiments were performed with small film thicknesses so that full substrate penetration within the entire film thickness could be obtained. In this way, the catalyst effectiveness factor was 1.0 and the observed rate was the true, or intrinsic, rate. The results of the experiments indicate that both the intrinsic rate of substrate uptake and the rate of film growth are independent of the substrate concentration remaining in the reactor (zero-order reactions). However, the value of the initial substrate concentration when the film is in the early stages of growth defines the magnitude of both the rate of uptake and growth. This effect of the initial substrate concentration follows a saturation-function pattern.
Use of Truncated Regression Methods to Estimate the Shelf Life of a Product from Incomplete Historical Data

Over a period of time, experiments were conducted to estimate the shelf life of a product. Each trial used a combination of a temperature level and an additive concentration that was used to inhibit spoilage. The policy was to terminate each trial after 270 days, even if the product sample had not yet failed. Particularly at the lower temperatures, some trials ended before the product sample reached the failed state. No records were kept on the number of unfailed samples. Thus the resulting data were truncated. This paper describes the analysis of the resulting data and the methods that were used to estimate the shelf life distribution of the product.
The Art of Algebra from al-Kwarizmi to Viète : A Study in the Natural Selection of Ideas

L'algebre dans le monde arabe : al-Khwarizmi, abu-Kamil et al-Karaji. La redecouverte de " Arithmetica " de Diophante et l'oeuvre de R. Bombelli et F. Viete
The Hypervirulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strain HN878 Induces a Potent TH1 Response followed by Rapid Down-Regulation

The HN878 strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is regarded as "hypervirulent" due to its rapid growth and reduced survival of infected mice when compared with other clinical isolates. This property has been ascribed due to an early increase in type I IFNs and a failure to generate TH1-mediated immunity, induced by a response to an unusual cell wall phenolic glycolipid expressed by the HN878 isolate. We show, however, that although type I IFN does play an inhibitory role, this response was most apparent during the chronic disease stage and was common to all M. tuberculosis strains tested. In addition, we further demonstrate that the HN878 infection was associated with a potent TH1 response, characterized by the emergence of both CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets secreting IFN-gamma. However, where HN878 differed to the other strains tested was a subsequent reduction in TH1 immunity, which was temporally associated with the rapid emergence of a CD4+CD25+FoxP3+CD223+IL-10+ regulatory T cell population. This association may explain the paradoxical initial emergence of a TH1 response in these mice but their relatively short time of survival.
Proteins but not amino acids, carbohydrates, or fats stimulate cholecystokinin secretion in the rat

Because of prior difficulties in measuring plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) levels, it has not been established which components of food stimulate CCK secretion in rats. In the present study, we used a sensitive and specific bioassay for measuring plasma CCK and determined the effects of proteins, protein hydrolysates, amino acids, fats, starch, and glucose on CCK secretion in this species. Intact proteins were the only stimulants of CCK release. Solutions of 18% casein and 0.2% soybean trypsin inhibitor caused prompt increases in plasma CCK levels from 0.5 +/- 0.2 to 7.9 +/- 1.9 and 8.0 +/- 2.0 pM, respectively, within 5 min of orogastric administration. The proteins lactalbumin and bovine serum albumin caused smaller elevations in circulating CCK. In contrast, hydrolysates of casein and lactalbumin and the amino acids L-phenylalanine and L-tryptophan did not stimulate CCK release. In addition, plasma CCK levels did not increase with the feeding of fat, starch, or glucose. The ability of proteins to stimulate CCK secretion paralleled their ability to inhibit trypsin activity in vitro. Furthermore, the plasma CCK response to casein was completely abolished by the simultaneous administration of trypsin. These studies indicate that proteins are the major food stimulants of CCK release in the rat and that the effects of proteins are related to inhibition of intraluminal protease activity.
The Lindbergh Kidnapping—A Psychiatric View

The Lindbergh kidnapping provides an illustration of the need of the public to see certain crimes as the result of conspiracy even when evidence points to a lone operator explanation. The Lindbergh kidnapping, like the assassination of President Kennedy and the killing of Jack Ruby, gave rise to conspiratorial theories. Responsible, political leaders and law enforcement officials have been induced by the emotional need to see these crimes as conspiracies to act in a less than professional manner. The Lindbergh kidnapping showed that forensic psychiatry can be of great value in crime investigations. The Lindbergh trial remains to this day an example of excellence in terms of scientific, forensic testimony.
Caching and Distributing Statistical Analyses in R

We present the cacher package for R, which provides tools for caching statistical analyses and for distributing these analyses to others in an efficient manner. The cacher package takes objects created by evaluating R expressions and stores them in key-value databases. These databases of cached objects can subsequently be assembled into packages for distribution over the web. The cacher package also provides tools to help readers examine the data and code in a statistical analysis and reproduce, modify, or improve upon the results. In addition, readers can easily conduct alternate analyses of the data. We describe the design and implementation of the cacher package and provide two examples of how the package can be used for reproducible research.
Pharmacology of tamsulosin : Saturation-binding isotherms and competition analysis using cloned α1-adrenergic receptor subtypes

Background alpha 1-adrenergic receptors (alpha 1 ARs) are important in the dynamic component of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Currently, several alpha 1AR antagonists are being used in the treatment of BPH. Methods In order to more fully characterize the pharmacology of the alpha 1AR antagonist tamsulosin, we utilized saturation-binding isotherms with [3H] tamsulosin to determine the Kd of this compound at all three cloned alpha 1AR subtypes stably expressed in rat-1 fibroblasts. To confirm these results, we performed competition binding experiments, displacing [125I]HEAT with increasing concentrations of alfuzosin, doxazosin, 5-methyl-urapidil, prazosin, tamsulosin, terazosin, and (+)YM617 (stereoisomer of tamsulosin) in the same clonal cell lines. Results [3H]tamsulosin binds to cloned alpha 1AR subtypes with a rank order of affinity of alpha 1a = alpha 1d > alpha 1b. Competition experiments confirmed the relative nonselectivity of alfuzosin, doxazosin, and prazosin, but revealed slight alpha 1b = alpha 1d > alpha 1a selectivity for terazosin, and clear alpha 1a = alpha 1d > alpha 1b for (+)YM617 and tamsulosin([-]YM617); alpha 1a > alpha 1d > alpha 1b selectivity for 5-methyl-urapidil was confirmed. Conclusions We conclude that tamsulosin displays selectivity for alpha 1a and alpha 1d ARs. This selectivity may contribute to the tamsulosin efficacy reported in several recent clinical studies in patients with BPH.
Stability in Nonlinear Programming

This paper establishes necessary and sufficient conditions for constraint set stability requiring neither convex constraint functions not convex constraint sets. These conditions then lead to a sufficiency result for the continuity of the optimal objective values as the right-hand side varies. Applications to quasiconvex functions are presented.
A new method for the synthesis of some 9-β--arabinofuranosylpurines by a combination of chemical and enzymatic reactions

Abstract An enzymatic transarabinosylation between 2-chlorohypoxanthine and 1-β- D -arabinofuranosyluracil gave 9-β- D -arabinofuranosyl-2-chlorohypoxanthine which was chemically converted to 9-β- D -arabinofuranosylguanine and its derivatives.
Goals, Culture, and Subjective Well-Being

The present studies examined the role of independent and interdependent goal pursuits in the subjective well-being (SWB) of Asian and European American college students. In Study 1, the authors found that independent goal pursuit (i.e., goal pursuit for fun and enjoyment) increased the benefit of goal attainment on SWB among European Americans but not among Asian Americans. In Study 2, the authors found that interdependent goal pursuit (i.e., goal pursuit to please parents and friends) increased the benefit of goal attainment on the SWB of Asian Americans, whereas it did not increase the benefit of goal attainment on the SWB of European Americans. In Study 3, the authors found that whereas interdependent goal pursuit increased the benefit of goal attainment, independent goal pursuit did not increase the benefit of goal attainment among Japanese college students. Altogether, the present findings suggest that independent and interdependent goal pursuits result in divergent affective consequences across cultures.
Metal donation and apo-metalloenzyme activation by stable isotopically labeled metallothionein.

Abstract Coupled HPLC-ICP-MS has been used to quantitatively study the effects of GSSG and GSH on the ability of metallothionein (MTII) to donate essential and non-essential metals to apo-carbonic anhydrase. Stable isotopically labeled 67Zn3Cd4 MTII was used to enable Zn donated from MTII to be differentiated from extraneous sources of Zn. Transfer of both 67Zn and Cd from MTII to apo-carbonic anhydrase was noted in the absence of either GSSG or GSH. GSSG increased the initial transfer of both Zn and Cd. Thereafter, a gradual increase in the 67Zn content at the expense of Cd was noted over 24-h indicating continued interaction and exchange between MTII and the enzyme commensurate with the relative preferences shown by the proteins for these two metals. Although GSH also increased transfer of 67Zn from MT it reduced the simultaneous transfer of Cd to the enzyme thereby conferring protection against Cd induced activation.
Reproduction of confused flour beetle Tribolium confusum Du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on common and spelt wheat and their products.

The interest in spelt wheat production has grown in recent years but there is hardly any information on pest development on that wheat species in storehouses. The influence of common and spelt wheat and their products on the reproduction and offspring of confused flour beetles Tribolium confusum Du Val was studied under laboratory conditions (22-25°C and 40-60% RH). The experiment was carried out in four replications with four, 10 and 20 insects over a period of six months. The reproduction of confused flour beetles significantly varied depending on the wheat species and product. The highest reproduction rate was recorded on spelt wheat (Triticum spelta L.). The greatest number of offspring beetles appeared on spelt wheat flour (23469). The number of offspring beetles was higher on common (7044) than on spelt wheat kernels (5469). No offspring developed on common wheat pasta while only 4 young beetles were found on spelt wheat pasta. Offspring numbers increased with storage period up to a point but further on they depended on insect number. The number of insects increased over the first four months but decreased later on and the mortality rate was higher. Initial population density affected the offspring numbers but offspring numbers did not rise proportionally with the rising initial population density. Considering the species of wheat, higher mortality was recorded in common wheat. Regarding the type of product, the highest mortality was recorded in pasta, then in kernels and the lowest in flour. The paper shows that confused flour beetles develop extremely well on spelt wheat, even better than on common wheat which is widely grown in Serbia. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. BT-46005]
Nanoarchitecture Multi‐Structural Cathode Materials for High Capacity Lithium Batteries

Lithium-rich composite cathodes have been extensively investigated for lithium-ion batteries. Nanoarchitecture hydroxide precursor for these cathodes with two levels of particle agglomeration (1–2 μm and 10 μm) is produced using a co-precipitation method. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction confirm that the precursor is a composite comprising transition metal hydroxides and Mn3O4. Cathode materials synthesized based on the precursor are “layered (Rm)-layered (C2/m)-spinel (Fdm)” composite phase. The electrochemical performance of lithium cells utilizing this material as the cathode is determined to be excellent. Both the layered-layered-spinel composite structure and the nanoarchitecture morphology contribute to the electrochemical performance advantage of this material over other cathode materials.
Vortex-assisted DNA delivery

Electroporation is one of the most widely used methods to deliver exogenous DNA payloads into cells, but a major limitation is that only a small fraction of the total membrane surface is permeabilized. Here we show how this barrier can be easily overcome by harnessing hydrodynamic effects associated with Dean flows that occur along curved paths. Under these conditions, cells are subjected to a combination of transverse vortex motion and rotation that enables the entire membrane surface to become uniformly permeabilized. Greatly improved transfection efficiencies are achievable with only a simple modification to the design of existing continuous flow electroporation systems.
Dynamic responses analysis and disaster prevention of transmission line under strong wind

Dynamic analysis of a typical transmission line section under strong wind was carried out. Firstly, according to the design conditions of the typical transmission line section, a three dimensional finite element analysis model of cup tower-stay frame tower-conductor-ground wire-insulator system was established in ANSYS. The initial tension force of the conductors was applied by the cooling method. Before the wind-induced vibration analysis, the form-finding analysis of conductors under self weight was carried out. Secondly, time history of the impulsive wind velocity was generated by spectral representation method. Time history of the impulsive wind velocity can be obtained by Fourier transformation in MATLAB program. The average wind pressure is applied to the tower line system by static method, and the impulsive wind pressure is applied by transient dynamic method. Thirdly, for the wind load case of design velocity, the wind-induced responses of the typical transmission line section were analyzed. Effect of the structural damping was considered by Rayleigh damping coefficients. Nonlinear transient analysis was employed for the wind-induced dynamic analysis of transmission line system. Under different wind velocities and directions, some wind-induced responses were obtained, which includes the tension forces of the conductors and the ground wires, axial forces of the towers, and the tension forces of the stray frame tower. Lastly, based on the analyzed results, the prewarning wind velocity for the typical transmission line section was determined. Some strengthen suggestions for the tower design in the strong wind zone was presented.
Psychological aggression in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals' intimate relationships: A review of prevalence, correlates, and measurement issues

Abstract Psychological Aggression (PA) is a common and serious problem in the relationships of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. It includes a range of behaviors that are used to hurt, coerce, control, and intimidate intimate partners. This paper reviewed the conceptualizations of PA, summarized the extant literature on PA among LGB women and men, and offered recommendations to improve the investigation of PA among LGB individuals. The conceptualization, definition, measurement, and prevalence of PA perpetration and victimization vary widely across studies. Different definitions and methods of assessing PA, a lack of consistency in examining and reporting psychometric information on measures used to assess PA among LGB samples, and varying sample characteristics make it difficult to compare results across studies. As a result, we know relatively little about the antecedents and consequences of PA among LGB individuals. In order to advance research in this area and increase understanding of this serious public health problem, it is necessary to: (1) clarify what constitutes PA; (2) specify the psychometric aspects of measures used to assess PA; (3) report details about sexual minority participants' sexual orientation/identity; (4) examine LGB-specific variables; and (5) utilize advanced methodological and statistical approaches to studying PA.
Novel method for fabricating capillary membrane oxygenators.

Operating problems associated with existing capillary membrane oxygenators have been impaired CO2 removal, nonuniform tube perfusion, thrombus formation in the blood manifolds (headers) and fall-off in performance with scale-up of small units. These faults are primarily due to poor tube ventilation, inadequate control of tube lengths, and ineffective header design. A novel semiautomatic fabrication technique is described that minimises or eliminates these deficiencies. The technique produces a well ventilated tube bundle by accurately spacing the tubes within the potted end-sections (tube sheet). The tube sheet is 10–12 mm thick, about one half of that in previously described units. To give uniform tube perfusion and eliminate stagnant regions over the tube sheet, blood is introduced normal to the tube axis through headers of hemitoroidal configuration. Three oxygenators with different dimensions and flow capacities were testedin vitro andin vivo. Good agreement was obtained between the theoretically predicted and experimentally measured oxygen-transfer rates for all units, no loss in performance being shown with oxygenator scale-up. After canine partial-bypass of six hours duration, thrombus formation was minimal in the headers with only 1 per cent of the tubes being occluded. Further optimisation is possible with smaller-diameter capillaries.
The Bulge Inflation Response of Bovine Sclera

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States and in the world [1]. It is caused by damage to the retinal ganglion cells (RGC), a type of neuron that transmits visual information to the brain. Despite therapeutic efforts to reduce the rate of vision loss in glaucoma patients, the rate of blindness remains high [2]. There is evidence that elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) plays an important role in the damage to RGCs [3–5], but the relationship between the mechanical properties of the connective tissue and how it affects the cellular function is not understood. The load-bearing eye wall consists of the cornea and the sclera. Both tissues are collagen rich structures with preferentially aligned collagen lamellae dictating its mechanical response. Previous studies have shown that the viscoelastic material response of the eye wall differs between normal and glaucoma animal tissues [6]. However, these previous studies relied on strip testing of tissue samples.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Older GLBT Family and Community Life: Contemporary Experiences, Realities, and Future Directions

Gay male, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) elders are rarely portrayed in existing literature as deeply embedded within families and communities. Yet, we cannot fully understand aging if w...