cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of miR-9 in the Nucleus Accumbens Increases Oxycodone Self-Administration

BACKGROUND There is an urgent need to identify factors that increase vulnerability to opioid addiction to help stem the opioid epidemic and develop more efficient pharmacotherapeutics. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at a posttranscriptional level and have been implicated in chronic drug-taking in humans and in rodent models. Recent evidence has shown that chronic opioid treatment regulates the microRNA miR-9. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that miR-9 in the nucleus accumbens potentiates oxycodone addictive-like behavior. METHODS We utilized adeno-associated virus (AAV) to overexpress miR-9 in the nucleus accumbens of male rats and tested the effects on intravenous self-administration of the highly abused prescription opioid, oxycodone, in 1-hour short-access followed by 6-h long-access sessions, the latter of which leads to escalation of drug intake. In separate rats, we assessed the effects of nucleus accumbens miR-9 overexpression on mRNA targets including RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST) and dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2), which have been shown to be regulated by drugs of abuse. RESULTS Overexpression of miR-9 in the nucleus accumbens significantly increased oxycodone self-administration compared with rats expressing a control, scrambled microRNA. Analysis of the pattern of oxycodone intake revealed that miR-9 overexpression increased "burst" episodes of intake and decreased the inter-infusion interval. Furthermore, miR-9 overexpression decreased the expression of REST and increased DRD2 in the nucleus accumbens at time points that coincided with behavioral effects. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that nucleus accumbens miR-9 regulates oxycodone addictive-like behavior as well as the expression of genes that are involved in drug addiction.
Propane pyrolysis facilitated by phenyl radicals: A combined experimental and kinetic modeling study

Abstract Phenyl radicals generated from nitrobenzene were introduced as hydrogen abstraction agents to accelerate propylene formation from propane pyrolysis. Neat propane pyrolysis and propane pyrolysis facilitated by phenyl radicals were carried out between 550 °C and 650 °C. Our experiments showed that phenyl facilitated pyrolysis gave higher propane conversion over neat reactions, with yields of all main products increased. However, propylene selectivity in phenyl facilitated pyrolysis decreased in favor of methane and ethylene. Results from detailed kinetic modeling showed that the formation of normal propyl and isopropyl radicals was accelerated due to increased hydrogen abstraction of propane by phenyl radicals. Decreased propylene selectivity in phenyl facilitated pyrolysis was resulted from the increased rates of secondary reactions converting propylene into ethylene and methane. Our work demonstrates that a suitable free radical could facilitate propane pyrolysis for higher propylene yields. However, the balance between propylene yields and selectivity remains a major challenge.
Maternal Exposure to Environmental Disruptors and Sexually Dimorphic Changes in Maternal and Neonatal Oxidative Stress

Context Early pregnancy exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may contribute to poor birth outcomes through oxidative stress (OS)-mediated disruption of the maternal and fetal milieu. Most studies have investigated the effect of single EDC exposures on OS. Objective Assess the association of uniquely weighted mixtures of early pregnancy exposures with the maternal and neonatal OS markers. Design Prospective analysis of mother-infant dyads. Setting University hospital. Participants 56 mother-infant dyads. Main outcome measures The association of OS markers (nitrotyrosine, dityrosine, chlorotyrosine) in maternal first trimester and term, and cord blood plasma with maternal first trimester exposure levels of each of 41 toxicants (trace elements, metals, phenols, and phthalates) from 56 subjects was analyzed using Spearman correlations and linear regression. The association of OS markers with inflammatory cytokines and birth outcomes were analyzed by Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis, respectively. Weighted mixtures of early pregnancy exposures were created by principal component analysis and offspring sex-dependent and independent associations with oxidative stress markers were assessed. Results (1) An inverse relationship between levels of maternal/cord OS markers and individual EDCs was evident. In contrast, when assessed as EDC mixtures, both direct and inverse associations were evident in a sex-specific manner; (2) the maternal term OS marker, nitrotyrosine, was inversely associated with gestational age, and (3) both direct and inverse associations were evident between the 3 OS markers and individual cytokines. Conclusions Provides proof of concept that effects of exposures on OS varies when assessed as EDC mixtures versus individually.
From Overhearing to Partial Immersion: L3 Acquisition of Romanian in Three English-Hungarian-Speaking Siblings

The focus of this paper is to describe the acquisition process of Romanian as a third language in three English-Hungarian-speaking siblings. The three children, aged four, six and eight, were born and grew up in the United States in an English-Hungarian-speaking family. They have all had some exposure to Romanian since birth, but mostly through overhearing the language and with hardly any expectation or need for production. In August 2016, the family moved to Romania for one year, and the children’s exposure to Romanian increased significantly. Their access to Romanian consisted of formal instruction of two to four hours per week and informal interactions outside of their home and school. Given that the school and home language were predominantly Hungarian and English, we can, at best, describe the new context of learning Romanian as partial immersion. This study looks at examples of code-switching and language transfer as evidence of trilingualism and of the children’s L3 development. Among the factors that affected their linguistic acquisition were the amount of exposure to Romanian, the children’s perceived language need, and the quality of instruction they received in Romanian taught to minority-language speakers.
Polypharmacy: a healthcare conundrum with a pharmacogenetic solution

The use of multiple medications is growing at an alarming rate with some reports documenting an average of 12–22 prescriptions being used by individuals ≥50 years of age. The indirect consequences ...
Novel Proteasome Inhibitors

Proteasome inhibition is a rational approach to the therapy of multiple myeloma both alone and in combination with other agents, where proteasome inhibitors help induce chemosensitization and overcome drug resistance. These concepts were initially validated with laboratory-grade proteasome inhibitors and then with the clinically relevant peptide boronic acid bortezomib. A second generation of proteasome inhibitors is now being evaluated both preclinically and clinically, including carfilzomib, CEP-18770, marizomib, and MLN9708, among others. Though all of these agents target predominantly the chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome expressed by the β5 subunit, they also have novel and unique properties, including different chemistries, pharmacokinetics, proteasome binding characteristics, and other proteasome subunit specificities. Characterization of these agents has provided a strong rationale for their translation into the clinic, and initial studies suggest that at least several of them could become part of our future chemotherapeutic armamentarium against myeloma. In this chapter, these various properties of the so-called second-generation proteasome inhibitors will be examined, and the biological and clinical basis of their potential will be reviewed.
Injectable Therapies for Regional Melanoma

Patients with unresectable cutaneous, subcutaneous, or nodal melanoma metastases are often candidates for injectable therapies, which are attractive for ease of intralesional delivery to superficial metastases and limited systemic toxicity profiles. Injectable or intralesional therapies can be part of multifaceted treatment strategies to kill tumor directly or to alter the tumor so as to make it more sensitive to systemic therapy. Talimogene laherparepvec is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved injectable therapy currently in wide clinical use in the United States, although ongoing trials are evaluating novel intralesional agents as well as combinations with systemic therapies, particularly checkpoint inhibitors.
Three-dimensional Multi-site Random Access Photostimulation (3D-MAP)

Abstract High precision optical control of neural ensemble activity is essential for understanding brain function and may ultimately revolutionize the treatment of brain disease. Currently only multiphoton holographic optogenetics achieves the requisite spatial resolution for precise neural network control. However, it suffers from critical drawbacks that limit the number of addressable neurons and prevent the development of implantable or wireless devices. Therefore, achieving high-resolution optogenetic control with one-photon activation is essential to catalyze a dramatic leap in spatiotemporally precise multi-site optogenetic technology for research and clinical use. To overcome this challenge, we developed a new light sculpting technique that can synthesize custom illumination patterns in 3D by rapidly projecting structured illumination patterns along with novel computational methods for precise optogenetic control, termed ‘3D-MAP’, for Three-dimensional Multi-site random Access Photostimulation. This technology enables the optogenetic synthesis of complex spatiotemporal sequences of neural activity in the intact brain. As a one-photon photostimulation technology, 3D-MAP can be widely adopted for custom optogenetic applications by the neuroscience research community, and opens the door to scalable, wireless high precision optical brain interfaces.
Elucidation of the antiviral mechanism of cystine and theanine through transcriptome analysis of mice and comparison with COVID-19 gene set data

We previously showed that oral administration of cystine and theanine (CT) to mice confers resistance to influenza virus infection. In human studies, CT prevented colds in healthy subjects and enhanced antibody production after influenza vaccination in elderly individuals with a poor nutritional status. The mechanism of action of CT is thought to be glutathione (GSH)-mediated regulation of intracellular redox, which might affect innate immune systems such as macrophages to exert physiological effects. The effect of CT on influenza is independent of viral type, and this treatment has a broad range of antiviral activities. To explore the mechanisms of CT in viral infection, we performed transcriptome profiling of spleen tissues isolated from influenza A virus (IAV)-infected mice. We identified unique gene signatures in response to CT in the IAV-infected mice. Genes upregulated by CT included redox-regulated genes such as GCLC/GCLM (subunits of glutamate cysteine ligase, a rate-limiting enzyme of GSH biosynthesis), TXN1, TXN2, TXNRD2, and SOD1, suggesting that the intracellular redox environment is substantially altered by CT. However, genes downregulated in response to CT included chemokine/chemokine receptor genes (CCL5, CCL19, CXCL9, CXCL12, CXCR3, CXCR4, and ACKR3), some of which are related to cytokine storm. A comparison with public COVID-19-related gene set data showed that the upregulated gene signature was highly similar to the downregulated gene sets of SARS-CoV/SARS-CoV-2-infected cells and the upregulated gene set of attenuated SARS-CoV-infected cells. In conclusion, the unique gene signatures observed in response to orally administered CT in IAV-infected mouse spleen tissues suggested that CT may attenuate viral infection, replication and associated symptoms such as cytokine storm.
Private competition and market characteristics: evidence from public school efficiency

The traditional market structure paradigm does not fully identify all components that determine the true degree and complexity of a market’s existing competition. Recently, researchers have redefin...
Optimal control under communication constraints for multi-agent unmanned vehicles

This paper considers the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) optimal control problem of multi-agent unmanned vehicle systems under communication constraints with packet drops. The problem is formulated into a distributed optimization problem of minimizing a global cost function through the sum of local cost functions by using local information exchange. By utilizing a newly developed optimization technique, we propose a novel algorithm to solve the distributed LQR problem in a first order (gradient descent based) manner. Moreover, we adopt the key idea of virtualizing an extra node for each agent to store information from the previous step and create a fully distributed optimization algorithm. Extensive simulations demonstrate the efficacy and robustness of the proposed solution.
Hypertrophic Pachymeningitis and Choroid Plexitis in IgG-4-Related Disease.

A 64-year-old male presented with a 6-month history of headache, progressive hearing loss, vertigo, nausea/vomiting, diplopia, and gait instability. Past medical history was significant for hypertension. He was treated with several courses of antibiotics (doxycycline and ceftriaxone) for recurrent sinusitis. Neurological examination was notable for horizontal nystagmus, left facial weakness, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, hyperreflexia in bilateral upper and lower extremities, and gait ataxia. Extensive serum laboratory workup for infectious and inflammatory disorders was non-revealing, except for a slightly elevated IgG4 level of 87.5 mg/dL (normal range: 3.9 to 86.4 mg/dL). CT examination of chest, abdomen, and pelvis was unremarkable. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed the following: protein 112 mg/dl, glucose 66 mg/dl, and white blood cell 41/µl with a lymphocytic predominance. CSF cytology and comprehensive infectious workup including meta-genomic next-generation sequencing was negative. Brain MRI with gadolinium contrast showed diffuse pachymeningeal thickening with enhancement, an enhancing mass in the choroid plexus of the posterior left lateral ventricle and focally enlarged choroid plexus within the fourth ventricle extending through the bilateral foramen of Luschka into the cerebellopontine cisterns (Figure 1). A right frontal dural biopsy showed prominent fibrosis and inflammation with CD3 positive T lymphocytes, CD20 positive B lymphocytes, and CD138 positive plasma cells (Figure 2). Strong IgG4 staining was observed with >100 IgG4 staining cells in one high power microscopic field and an IgG4/IgG staining ratio of >40% (Figure 2). A diagnosis of IgG4-related central nervous system (CNS) disorder involving predominantly the pachymeninges and choroid plexus was made. Treatment of intravenous methylprednisolone, followed by oral prednisone 60 mg and rituximab was initiated, which led to clinical and radiographic improvement at 2 months. At 14 months follow-up, he was asymptomatic with a normal neurological examination, and repeat brain MRI revealed significant improvement of pachymeningeal and choroidal thickening and enhancement (Figure 1).
The Qualms and Quarrels with Online Undergraduate Mathematics: The Experiences of African American Male STEM Majors

Equity-related issues are a critical contemporary concern in mathematics education, and one specific area that has been taken up deals with equitable instructional modalities. However, the focus of...
A Spotlight on Patient- and Physician-Driven Digital Health and Mobile Innovation in Male Reproductive Medicine

What is the goal of your paper? What questions did you seek to answer? Digital health is an emerging discipline that utilizes hardware and software tools to improve healthcare delivery efficiency and accessibility. Technologies that fall under the digital health umbrella include mobile phone applications, telemedicine, and social media networks. The goal of this review is to highlight two mobile phone applications that were developed for premature ejaculation and Peyronie’s disease. Summarize the latest research on your topic. Through the course of our review, we aim to highlight how these applications were conceived, the manner in which users interface with these tools and future directions for these software solutions. We identified that patients and practitioners alike are creating digital health solutions based upon personal and clinical experiences. What answers did you find? What are the major takeaways/conclusions of your examination? What’s the impact on future research? The major takeaway of our examination is that digital health is an emerging area of innovation and investigation. Existing solutions however need further real-world evaluation to assess their clinical validity.
3D printable biomimetic rod with superior buckling resistance designed by machine learning.

Our mother nature has been providing human beings with numerous resources to inspire from, in building a finer life. Particularly in structural design, plenteous notions are being drawn from nature in enhancing the structural capacity as well as the appearance of the structures. Here plant stems, roots and various other structures available in nature that exhibit better buckling resistance are mimicked and modeled by finite element analysis to create a training database. The finite element analysis is validated by uniaxial compression to buckling of 3D printed biomimetic rods using a polymeric ink. After feature identification, forward design and data filtering are conducted by machine learning to optimize the biomimetic rods. The results show that the machine learning designed rods have 150% better buckling resistance than all the rods in the training database, i.e., better than the nature’s counterparts. It is expected that this study opens up a new opportunity to design engineering rods or columns with superior buckling resistance such as in bridges, buildings, and truss structures.
Short-Rate Expectations and Unexpected Returns in Treasury Bonds

I document large and persistent errors in investors’ expectations about the short-term interest rate over the business cycle. The largest errors arise in economic downturns and during Fed easings when investors overestimate future short rates and, thus, underestimate future bond returns. At a one-year horizon, errors about the path of the real rate (as opposed to inflation) account for 80% of short-rate forecast error variance, with more than half of that number attributed to the Fed easing more aggressively than the public expected. Short-rate forecast errors induce ex post predictability of excess returns on Treasury bonds that is not due to time-varying risk premium. Received June 10, 2016; editorial decision February 1, 2018 by Editor Robin Greenwood. The author has furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
Detection of organic and inorganic gunshot residues from hands using complexing agents and LC-MS/MS

Gunshot residue (GSR) refers to a conglomerate consisting of both organic molecules (OGSR) and inorganic species (IGSR). Historically, forensic examiners have focused only on identifying the IGSR particles by their morphology and elemental composition. Nonetheless, modern ammunition formulations and challenges with the GSR transference (such as secondary and tertiary transfer) have driven research efforts for more comprehensive examinations, requiring alternative analytical techniques. This study proposes the use of LC-MS/MS for chromatographic separation and dual detection of inorganic and organic residues. The detection of both target species in the same sample increases the confidence that chemical profiles came from a gun's discharge instead of non-firearm-related sources. This strategy implements supramolecular molecules that complex with the IGSR species, allowing them to elute from the column towards the mass spectrometer while retaining isotopic ratios for quick and unambiguous identification. The macrocycle (18-crown-6-ether) complexes with lead and barium, while antimony complexes with a chelating agent (tartaric acid). The total analysis time for OGSR and IGSR in one sample is under 20 minutes. This manuscript expands from a previous proof-of-concept publication by improving figures of merit, increasing the target analytes, testing the method's feasibility through a more extensive set of authentic specimens collected from the hands of both shooters and non-shooters, and comparing performance with other analytical techniques such as ICP-MS, electrochemical methods and LIBS. The linear dynamic ranges (LDR) spread across the low ppb range for OGSR (0.3-200 ppb) and low ppm range (0.1-6.0 ppm) for IGSR. The method's accuracy increased overall when both organic and inorganic profiles were combined.
Distinct trajectories of depression symptoms in early and middle adolescence: Preliminary evidence from longitudinal network analysis.

Abstract Adolescent depression is a clinically relevant concern that has major implications for mental and physical health. The trajectory of depressive symptoms among adolescents suggests that there is likely variability throughout this developmental period. The aim of the study was to assess the longitudinal relationship between individual symptoms of depression among early and middle adolescents to provide guidance for future research investigating targeted intervention efforts. Data were extracted from electronic medical records (2015–2017) from a pediatric primary care clinic in an urban setting. Cross-Lagged Panel Network analysis was used to evaluate symptoms of depression measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) measured twice over a 1-year period among early adolescents (ages 11–13 years; n = 309) and middle adolescents (ages 14–16 years; n = 255). The sample was predominantly Hispanic (90%) and 56% female. The analyses highlighted key differences and similarities between early and middle adolescence, largely focused on the role of suicidal ideation and tightly linked with feelings of failure and appetitive disturbance. In early adolescence suicidal ideation was highly likely to lead to other symptoms. In middle adolescence, however, suicidal ideation no longer had connections to other symptoms and instead the strongest connections were toward suicidal ideation. Interestingly, across both early and middle adolescence feelings of failure and appetitive disturbance were highly likely to lead to suicidal ideation. These exploratory findings highlight several longitudinal associations between early and middle adolescence that provide insight into differences and similarities regarding how symptoms might progress within those developmental periods. Taken together these results can provide direction for future research to evaluate brief, targeted interventions for adolescents.
Demo: Software-defined Virtual Networking Across Multiple Edge and Cloud Providers with EdgeVPN.io

This demonstration will showcase EdgeVPN.io, an open-source software-defined virtual private network (VPN) that enables the creation of scalable layer-2 virtual networks across multiple providers - including scenarios where devices are behind Network Address Translation (NAT) and firewall middleboxes. Its architecture combines a distributed software-defined networking (SDN) control plane and a scalable structured peer-to-peer overlay of Internet tunnels that form its datapath. EdgeVPN.io provides a foundation for the deployment of virtual networks that enable research and development in distributed computing. The demonstration will include a brief overview of the architecture, and will show step-by-step how a researcher can deploy EdgeVPN.io networks on devices including Raspberry Pis, Jetson Nanos, and VMs/Docker containers in the cloud. Attendees will be provided with trial resources to allow them to follow the demonstration hands-on if they so desire.
Learning communities and laptops: a design experiment

In order to create a technologically fluent community of learners, one College of Education implemented a Laptop Initiative for pre-service teachers. The laptop requirement was a design experiment created to form a community of practice within the College of Education, centered around ubiquitous computing and situating technology use into the classroom practice. The experiences of a cohort of foreign language pre-service teachers are highlighted as an example of this situated community of practice.
Assessing the Strengths and Weaknesses of the European Social Charter's Supervisory System

Since 1961 the European Social Charter (ESC) has been the flagship of international instruments dealing with social rights broadly defined. It constitutes a benchmark against which other international standards and supervisory arrangements in this field have come to be judged. This paper identifies a range of initiatives designed to make the Charter's supervisory arrangements more effective. It consists of four parts: (i) situating the ESC within the overall European human rights regime; (ii) a comparison with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; (iii) an examination of the ESC's strengths and weaknesses as demonstrated by a case study of Italy; and (iv) specific recommendations for enhancing effectiveness.
Novel DNA binding domain and genetic regulation model of Bacillus subtilis transition state regulator AbrB

We have determined the high resolution NMR solution structure of the novel DNA binding domain of the Bacillus subtilis transition state regulator AbrB. Comparisons of the AbrB DNA binding domain with DNA binding proteins of known structure show that it is a member of a completely novel class of DNA recognition folds that employs a dimeric topology for cellular function. This new DNA binding conformation is referred to as the looped-hinge helix fold. Sequence homology investigations show that this DNA binding topology is found in other disparately related microbes. Structural analysis of the AbrB DNA binding domain together with bioanalytical and mutagenic data of full length AbrB allows us to construct a general model that describes the genetic regulation properties of AbrB.
Current perspectives on radiation therapy in autologous and prosthetic breast reconstruction

Background: Postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) has a well-established deleterious effect on both prosthetic and autologous breast reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to perform a literature review of the effects of PMRT on breast reconstruction and to determine predictive or protective factors for complications. Methods: The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were reviewed for articles published between January 2008 and January 2015 including the keywords “breast reconstruction” and “radiation therapy” to identify manuscripts focused on the effects of radiation on both prosthetic and autologous breast reconstruction. This subgroup of articles was reviewed in detail. Results: Three hundred and twenty articles were identified and 43 papers underwent full text review. The 16 papers provided level III evidence; 10 manuscripts provided level I or II evidence. Seventeen case series provided level IV evidence and were included because they presented novel perspectives. The majority of studies focused on the injurious effects of radiation therapy and increased complications and concomitant lower patient satisfaction. Conclusions: Prosthetic based breast reconstruction and immediate autologous reconstruction are associated with lower patient satisfaction in the setting of radiation therapy. Autologous reconstructions can improve patient satisfaction as well as lower revision surgery and long term complications when performed in a delayed fashion after PMRT.
High Tech Programmers in Low-Income Communities: Creating a Computer Culture in a Community Technology Center

For the last twenty years, issues of the digital divide have driven efforts around the world to address the lack of access to computers and the Internet, pertinent and language appropriate content, and technical skills in low-income communities (Schuler & Day, 2004a and b). The title of our paper makes reference to a milestone publication (Schon, Sanyal, & Mitchell, 1998) that showcased some of the early work and thinking in this area. Schon, Sanyal and Mitchell’s book edition included an article outlining the Computer Clubhouse, a type of community technology center model, which was developed to create opportunities for youth in low-income communities to become creators and designers of technologies by (1998). The model has been very successful scaling up, with over 110 Computer Clubhouses now in existence worldwide.
Alcohol breath tests: Criterion times for avoiding contamination by “mouth alcohol”

Using either a gas chromatography or an infrared absorption technique, series of blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) determined by breath tests were obtained from human subjects immediately subsequent to their having only oral contact with beverages ranging in ethyl alcohol concentration from 4% to 95% +. Times for total dissipation of mouth alcohol residuals to a level of practical nonsignificance ranged from 10 to 19 min. Dissipation rates were an inverse and approximately exponential function of the ethyl alcohol concentration of the beverage and were greatly shortened by rinsing the mouth with warm (34°C) water prior to testing. The results are discussed in terms of their relevance to the methodology of a number of research studies employing BAC breath-testing equipment.
Absolute pitch in infancy and adulthood: the role of tonal structure

Despite many similarities in infant and adult auditory processing, the literature suggests that two aspects of music perception, pitch processing and knowledge of tonal structure, change over development. The current experiments assess the use of absolute and relative pitch cues in a tone sequence statistical learning task containing tonal structure. The results suggest that infants preferentially process absolute pitch patterns in continuous tone sequences, supporting the hypothesis that absolute pitch is present in infancy, whereas adults tracked both absolute and relative pitch patterns. Infants and adults detected the tonal structure in the input, suggesting that humans are attuned to basic aspects of tonality early in life.
Solvability of a nonlinear boundary value problem without Landesman-Lazer condition

On considere des solutions de u″+u+f(x,u)=h(x), u(0)=u(π)=0 quand h∈L 2 [0,π] avec ∫π 0 h(x) sin xdx=0 et la non-linearite non bornee f est non necessairement monotone
A simplified model of wound healing (with particular reference to the critical size defect)

This paper is an attempt to construct a simple mathematical model of wound healing/tissue regeneration which reproduces some of the known qualitative features of those phenomena. It does not address the time development of the wound in any way, but does examine conditions (e.g., wound size) under which such healing may occur. Two related one-dimensional models are examined here. The first and simpler of the two corresponds to a ''swath'' of tissue (or more realistically in this case, bone) removed from an infinite plane of tissue in which only a thin band of tissue at the wound edges takes part in tissue/bone regeneration. There is no tissue or bone in the interior. The second model has a similar geometric structure, except that not all the tissue in the interior has been removed: it is a ''gouge'' or ''graze'' rather than a hole or puncture. In each model, there is a thin layer of tissue (e.g., the epidermis) or bone (depending on the context) that is responsible for increased mitotic activity at the edges of the wound by manufacturing a generic growth stimulator of concentration C(x, t) small, where x is the direction of wound closure and t is time. Using a combination of results from these two models, we have been able to predict the size of the critical size defect, which is defined as the smallest intraosseous wound that does not heal by bone formation during the lifetime of the animal being studied. We have also been able to isolate parameter ranges that will give reasonable values for both the thickness of the active region and the critical size defect, and in addition, establish that the models discussed here have the sensitivity to place reasonable bounds on such parameter values.
Directional-hemispherical reflectance for spectralon by integration of its bidirectional reflectance.

The directional-hemispherical reflectance is obtained for Spectralon, the material chosen for onboard radiometric calibration of the multiangle imaging spectroradiometer, at laser wavelengths of 442, 632.8, and 859.9 nm. With p- and s-polarized incident light and for an angle of incidence of 45 degrees , the bidirectional reflectance distribution function was measured over a polar angle range of 1-85 degrees and a range of azimuthal angles of 0-180 degrees in 10 degrees increments. The resultant directional-hemispherical reflectance is found by integration to be 1.00 ? 0.01 at 442 nm, 0.953 ? 0.01 at 632.8 nm, and 0.956 ? 0.01 at 859.9 nm. The experimental methodology and the data analysis are presented together with a full discussion of the primary experimental errors.
Effects of the Position of Internal Histidine Residues on the Collision-Induced Fragmentation of Triply Protonated Tryptic Peptides

The collision-induced dissociation spectra of a series of synthetic, tryptic peptides that differed by the position of an internal histidine residue were studied. Electrospray ionization of these peptides produced both doubly and triply protonated molecular ions. Collision-induced fragmentation of the triply protonated peptide ions had better efficiency than that of the doubly protonated ions, producing a higher abundance of product ions at lower collision energies. The product ion spectra of these triply protonated ions were dominated by a series of doubly charged y-ions and the amount of sequence information was dependent on the position of the histidine residue. In the peptides where the histidine was located towards the C-terminus of the peptide, a more extensive series of sequence specific product ions was observed. As the position of the histidine residue was moved towards the N-terminus of the peptide, systematically less sequence information was observed. The peptides were subsequently modified with diethylpyrocarbonate to manipulate the product ion spectra. Addition of the ethoxyformyl group to the N-terminus and histidine residue shifted the predominant charge state of the modified peptide to the doubly protonated form. These peptide ions fragmented efficiently, producing product ion spectra that contained more sequence information than could be obtained from the corresponding unmodified peptide.
Coping with racism in a patient.

B.F. is a sixty-seven-year-old woman who was transferred late one evening from another hospital with an apparent infection at the site of a total knee replacement. The orthopaedic resident on call attempted to evaluate the patient. The resident's plan was to perform a history and physical examin
Cleavage of a bacterial autotransporter by an evolutionarily convergent autocatalytic mechanism

Bacterial autotransporters are comprised of an N‐terminal ‘passenger domain’ and a C‐terminal β barrel (‘β domain’) that facilitates transport of the passenger domain across the outer membrane. Following translocation, the passenger domains of some autotransporters are cleaved by an unknown mechanism. Here we show that the passenger domain of the Escherichia coli O157:H7 autotransporter EspP is released in a novel autoproteolytic reaction. After purification, the uncleaved EspP precursor underwent proteolytic processing in vitro . An analysis of protein topology together with mutational studies strongly suggested that the reaction occurs inside the β barrel and revealed that two conserved residues, an aspartate within the β domain (Asp 1120 ) and an asparagine (Asn 1023 ) at the P1 position of the cleavage junction, are essential for passenger domain cleavage. Interestingly, these residues were also essential for the proteolytic processing of two distantly related autotransporters. The data strongly suggest that Asp 1120 and Asn 1023 form an unusual catalytic dyad that mediates self‐cleavage through the cyclization of the asparagine. Remarkably, a very similar mechanism has been proposed for the maturation of eukaryotic viral capsids.
Correlating Obstructed Diffusion with Obstacle Morphology using Single Molecule Tracking and AFM in Supported Lipid Bilayers

Biophysical research has shown that membrane phospholipids and proteins diffuse not only under normal Brownian diffusion, but with confined and anomalous behavior. We are motivated to understand this anomalous diffusion because it may be involved in many cell functions. We have used single molecule tracking on phase separated, supported lipid bilayers to investigate the origin of this unusual diffusion. DSPC forms ∼250 nm, gel phase domains that act as obstacles to diffusion in the DOPC continuous liquid phase. Incorporated into the fluid phase at very low concentration is DMPE labeled with Alexa Fluor 647. When combined with the low background of a single supported bilayer on a quartz substrate, this high quantum yield dye yields a signal to noise ratio greater than 10. By controlling the gel domain morphology and characterizing it with atomic force microscopy, we can correlate the observed single molecule diffusion with the obstacle characteristics. We also compare our results to simulated Brownian diffusion in the presence of experimentally determined obstacle fields. An understanding of this correlation will aid studies that cannot directly characterize the obstacles to diffusion.
Chronic maternal depression is associated with reduced weight gain in latino infants from birth to 2 years of age.

Author(s): Wojcicki, Janet M; Holbrook, Katherine; Lustig, Robert H; Epel, Elissa; Caughey, Aaron B; Munoz, Ricardo F; Shiboski, Stephen C; Heyman, Melvin B | Abstract: BackgroundLatino children are at increased risk for mirconutrient deficiencies and problems of overweight and obesity. Exposures in pregnancy and early postpartum may impact future growth trajectories.ObjectivesTo evaluate the relationship between prenatal and postnatal maternal depressive symptoms experienced in pregnancy and infant growth from birth to 2 years of age in a cohort of Latino infants.MethodsWe recruited pregnant Latina mothers at two San Francisco hospitals and followed their healthy infants to 24 months of age. At 6, 12 and 24 months of age, infants were weighed and measured. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed prenatally and at 4-6 weeks postpartum. Women who had high depressive symptoms at both time periods were defined as having chronic depression. Logistic mixed models were applied to compare growth curves and risk for overweight and underweight based on exposure to maternal depression.ResultsWe followed 181 infants to 24 months. At 12 and 24 months, respectively, 27.4% and 40.5% were overweight, and 5.6% and 2.2% were underweight. Exposure to chronic maternal depression was associated with underweight (OR = 12.12, 95%CI 1.86-78.78) and with reduced weight gain in the first 2 years of life (Coef = -0.48, 95% CI -0.94-0.01) compared with unexposed infants or infants exposed to episodic depression (depression at one time point). Exposure to chronic depression was also associated with reduced risk for overweight in the first 2 years of life (OR 0.28, 95%CI 0.03-0.92).ConclusionsExposure to chronic maternal depression in the pre- and postnatal period was associated with reduced weight gain in the first two years of life and greater risk for failure to thrive, in comparison with unexposed infants or those exposed episodically. The infants of mothers with chronic depression may need additional nutritional monitoring and intervention.
Disruptive behavior disorders in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: A review of the prevalence, presentation, and treatment

Abstract Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often exhibit behaviors consistent with a disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder (CD). Understanding the relationship between ASDs and DBDs has important implications for clinicians and researchers. We reviewed 55 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2012 on the prevalence, phenomenology, or psychosocial treatments of DBDs in youth with ASDs. Prevalence estimates vary between 4% and 37% for ODD and 1% and 10% for CD. On the whole, approximately one in four children with an ASD meets diagnostic criteria for either ODD or CD. Most research on phenomenology has focused on distinguishing between DBDs and ASDs, rather than examining their co-occurrence. After the preschool years, the disorders can be reliably distinguished, but certain behaviors are more common among those with ASDs compared to their non-ASD counterparts. If one excludes medication trials and single-subject designs, there have been few treatment studies on DBDs in ASDs. Parent training has been the primary mode of psychosocial treatment and has some support for its efficacy. Overall, when it comes to DBDs, there has been a dearth of research using DSM-nosology in youth with ASDs.
Fluorescence Properties of Pseudomorphine and Congeners: Structure–Activity Relationships

The fluorescence properties of morphine congeners oxidized with potassium ferro-ferricyanide are described. Fluorescence did not occur in congeners with the following structural features: an alkyl or acyl group at the 3-O-position, a C-6 carbonyl group, or absence of the furan oxygen. Masking the carbonyl group by ethylene ketal formation effectively restored fluorescence. Morphine congeners that fluoresced were most sensitive to structural changes at C-6, C-7, and C-8. Details of effects of structural changes on emission maxima, intensity, and Stokes' shift are reported.
Evaluation of plastic pipe, paddle wheel aerators

Paddle wheel aerators made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe had standard aeration efficiencies (SAE) of 2·0–2·6 kg O2 kWh−1 when paddle wheel diameter was 71–81 cm, paddle wheel speed was < 90 rev min−1, and paddle depth was < 15 cm. The standard oxygen transfer rate (SOTR) was low (1·15–1·85 kg O2 h−1 per 1-m length of paddle wheel). To supply enough oxygen for large ponds, PVC paddle wheels would be impractically long, and, even then, values for SOTR per unit length of paddle wheel and SAE would be lower than those obtained for steel paddle wheels currently used in aquaculture. PVC paddle wheels might have application in small ponds and especially in mariculture ponds where construction of noncorrosive material would be beneficial.
Characterization of Opposite-Direction Road Departure Crashes in the United States:

Opposite-direction crashes can be extremely severe because opposing vehicles often have high relative speeds. The objective of this study was to characterize the overall frequency of opposite-direction crashes as well as the frequency of crashes involving fatalities and serious injuries. The results of the study will guide future research and investment in infrastructure-based countermeasures to opposite-direction crashes, such as centerline rumble strips. The study used data from the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System for 2010, the NASS Crashworthiness Data System for 2006 to 2010, and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System for 2010. The most common opposite-direction crash scenario was a driver departing the road driving over the centerline or the road edge to the left, which accounted for only 5% of nonjunction vehicle-to-vehicle crashes but 44% of serious injury and 49% of fatal crashes of the same type. Of the cross-over-to-left crashes, 72% of fatal crashes occurred on rural, undivided, two-lane roads and accounted for 1,659 fatal crashes in 2010. In cross-over-to-left crashes on rural two-lane roads, the driver was going straight or negotiating a curve in 88% to 94% of the crashes. The driver was overtaking another vehicle in only 2% of serious injury crashes and 6% of fatal crashes. Cross-over-to-left crashes on curves were to the outside of the curve more often than to the inside of the curve. This research suggests that countermeasures to opposite-direction crashes should focus on rural two-lane roads.
Design considerations for combined cooling, heating, and power systems at altitude

Abstract Combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) is a technology that makes better use of fuels as consequence of its high overall efficiency, which can be as high as 80%. CCHP systems aid in the reduction of energy consumption by recovering otherwise wasted heat and using it to provide heating and cooling. As a result, they also have the potential to reduce carbon and other pollutant emissions. Generally, for CCHP systems’ components, manufacturers include specifications on the performance of the equipment. However, these specifications are normally given for sea level operation. Changes in altitude affect the performance of any of the CCHP systems’ components that are open to the atmosphere due to changes in the properties of the air, such as atmospheric pressure and humidity. This study focuses on considerations for CCHP systems design at altitude. The analysis covers the processes affected by altitude and their specific application on how to assess the performance of the individual components of CCHP systems when operating at altitude. This paper also summarizes the analysis by presenting equations that can be used in the design stage of CCHP systems in order to account for equipment capacity variation, or in simplified simulations such as those for screening tools, without having a detailed simulation that some times are not cost-effective due to the time and human effort to accomplish it.
A Procedure for the Interpretation of Fly Ash Particle Size Data

A procedure has been developed for organizing and displaying the results of particle size distribution determinations on fly ash so as to promote simple and useful comparisons. The procedure involves comparative plots of histograms displayed on a logarithmic size basis, and is illustrated by selected data drawn from a larger suite of analyses of Indiana fly ashes.
The Role of Enhanced Heterotrophic Bacterial Growth on Iron Oxidation by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

Addition of organic carbon substrate (glucose) profoundly affected the growth of cultures of acidophilic bacteria typical of acid mine drainage (AMD) sites: the iron-oxidizing autotrophic bacteria, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans , and a common heterotrophic strain, Acidiphilium acidophilum . Growth of A. ferrooxidans on soluble ferrous iron media was significantly inhibited in the presence of 1,000 mg/L glucose, regardless of the initial cell density, and in spite of favorable pH and aeration conditions. Interestingly, inhibition of A. ferrooxidans was reduced with addition of the heterotroph, apparently due to the consumption of glucose because the onset of iron oxidation coincided with reduction in glucose concentration in the medium. Another mechanism, local production of CO 2 by A. acidophilum provided inorganic carbon required by A. ferrooxidans cells, was investigated. Although no direct proof of interspecies CO 2 exchange was identified, iron oxidation was enhanced and glucose inhibition reduced wi...