cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibiting Mcl-1 with an antisense oligonucleotide induces cell death in acute myeloid leukemia cells

4075 The apoptotic cascade is regulated by multiple families of both pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins. Mcl-1 is a member of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family of proteins which is highly expressed in various types of solid and hematological cancers, and has recently been shown to be an important survival factor for hematopoietic stem cells. We have identified and characterized a potent antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) inhibitor of Mcl-1. Transfection of this ASO results in the decreased expression of Mcl-1 protein and the induction of apoptosis in multiple cell types, including HL-60. In this study, we investigated the regulation of Mcl-1 expression and its potential as a therapeutic target in AML cells. We found that Mcl-1 protein level is significantly decreased by MEK inhibition in HL-60 and OCI-AML2 cells suggesting that Mcl-1 expression is regulated through MAPK signaling. Downregulation of Mcl-1 by its antisense oligonucleotide induced cell death accompanied by decreases in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), caspase activation and annexin-V positivity, indicating that Mcl-1 is essential for survival in HL-60 cells. By itself, the MEK inhibitor primarily induced G0/G1 cell cycle block. When combined with Mcl-1-ASO, MEK inhibition further decreased Mcl-1 protein level and cell death induced by Mcl-1-ASO was significantly enhanced. These results show that Mcl-1 has the potential to be a good drug target for AML as well as other cancer types. In vivo studies in mouse models of cancer are being performed with this ASO to better understand this potential.
From Jack to Jill: Gender Expression as Protected Speech in the Modern Schoolhouse

In recent years, transgender adults in the entertainment world have capitalized on their public platform to advocate for and increase awareness about issues affecting the transgender community. Even with spokespeople such as Chaz Bono (son of legendary American entertainers Sonny and Cher) in the spotlight, there is a noticeable absence of a voice for transgender youth, a particularly vulnerable segment of this misunderstood population. But, children, often as young as four or five, are more commonly proclaiming to be “born in the wrong body.” In addition to being subject to intolerable bullying and harassment by their peers, transgender youth face an uphill battle in public schools because educators are unprepared to handle the logistics of their transition process, which includes a prolonged period of living in all aspects as the opposite sex. First, this Article acknowledges the quagmire plaguing public schools that serve a transgender population. When and to what extent should schools, standing in loco parentis, intervene when children in their care are confronted with gender identity issues? What responsibilities do schools have to protect and educate both those children struggling with gender identity issues and those children who are impacted by their peers’ non-conforming gender expression? Finally, and most significantly, how should schools address the daily logistics affecting transgender students, including bathroom and locker room designation, which have historically been determined by a student’s biological sex? Second, this Article analyzes the current legal landscape governing issues affecting transgender youth in public K-12 schools. Although there is a beginning recognition in the law of rights for sexual choices and identities that are non-traditional, the current law is insufficient in dealing with the practical and logistical concerns that schools serving transgender students face on a daily basis. Next, the Article advances a novel argument that demands more robust protections for a transgender student’s gender expression. It submits that a transgender student’s expressive conduct (including her desire to use the restroom that corresponds with her gender identity) is speech that falls within the protective umbrella of the First Amendment. Since a transgender student’s outward expression of gender conveys an important message to others about that student’s identity, and because fitting in and being accepted are so vital to a transgender youth’s psychological well-being, a transgender student’s expressive conduct is undoubtedly “speech” as defined by long-standing First Amendment jurisprudence. Lastly, the Article cautions that schools must not yield to the impermissible “heckler’s veto” by silencing a transgender student’s peaceful speech simply because that speech is unpopular. Instead, by modeling inclusiveness and awareness for students’ differences, school officials are in a unique position to affect a sea change in the negative attitudes held toward transgender youth.
Research Techniques Made Simple: Developing and Validating QOL Outcome Measures for Skin Diseases

Skin conditions can significantly impact QOL. Dermatology QOL instruments may measure general skin-specific, disease-specific, or condition-specific QOL. Key components in the development of QOL instruments include (i) instrument and conceptual framework development, (ii) items and conceptual framework refinement, (iii) psychometric property testing, and (iv) clinical meaning and interpretation. First, a theoretical framework based on existing literature and subject experts (i.e., patients living with these conditions) is developed. By administering the pilot instrument to patients, the theoretical framework undergoes testing and revision to improve the instrument. At initial testing, construct validity and internal consistency can be assessed. At 72-hour follow-up, test–retest reliability can be determined. Responsiveness is determined by a follow-up test at a time point reasonable to allow for a detectable change in condition. The clinical meaning of the results must then be determined to allow clinical and statistical interpretation.
Media Framing of Color-Blind Racism: A Content Analysis of the Charlottesville Rally*

This study investigates how major media outlets, particularly CNN and Fox News, presented the “Unite the Right Rally” in Charlottesville Virginia. A computer-assisted content analysis was conducted on 1-week online news articles about the rally from the two networks. Evidence from Topic Modeling and Sentiment analysis suggests that CNN and Fox News share similarities in reporting the rally regardless of their target audiences. The findings demonstrate the efforts made by the media to uphold color-blindness ideology, underplay racial conflict, and subtly normalize white supremacy. The main contribution of this paper lies in (a) offering empirical evidence of media effect, (b) extending the examination of media effect from traditional forms to the online platform, (c) reexamining the political leaning the media posits, and (d) bridging media study and color-blind racism.
Aging brain mechanics: Progress and promise of magnetic resonance elastography.

Novel neuroimaging techniques that can sensitivity characterize healthy brain aging and detect subtle neuropathologies have enormous potential to assist in the early detection of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has recently emerged as a reliable, high-resolution, and especially sensitive technique that can noninvasively characterize tissue biomechanical properties (i.e., viscoelasticity) in vivo in the living human brain. Brain tissue viscoelasticity provides a unique biophysical signature of neuroanatomy that are representative of the composition and organization of the complex tissue microstructure. In this article, we detail how progress in brain MRE has provided unique insights into healthy brain aging, neurodegeneration, and structure-function relationships. We further discuss additional promising technical innovations that will enhance the specificity and sensitivity for brain MRE to reveal considerably more about brain aging. Ongoing technical refinements to the technique may consolidate its use as a valuable biomarker of neurodegeneration. MRE sensitivity may be particularly useful for assessing the efficacy of rehabilitation strategies, assisting in differentiating between dementia subtypes, and in understanding the causal mechanisms of disease which may lead to eventual pharmacotherapeutic development.
Factor structure and short version of the modified Fresno test to assess the use of the evidence-based practice in physiotherapists.

The Modified Fresno Test has been used to evaluate the use of the Evidence-Based Physiotherapy (EBP). So far, none of the versions of the Fresno Test were subjected to analysis of the factorial structure. The objective of the study was to describe the exploratory and confirmatory factor structure of the Modified Fresno Test adapted to the Portuguese-Brazilian and analyze the statistical feasibility for the elaboration of a short version. The questionnaire was applied with a convenience sample of 57 physiotherapists, being 36 professionals (13 of these also professors) and 21 students from the last semester of the physiotherapy course. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed by the method of principal components. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed by the method of maximum likelihood. The total score of the answers in the test and retest was evaluated, totalling 228 observations. Reliability was assessed by means of internal consistency, using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Reliability was satisfactory (α 0.81) for all questions of the instrument. The coefficient α calculated for the corrected item-total showed values higher than 0.20 except for item 9. Preliminary tests for Exploratory Factor Analysis showed acceptable values with Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO = 0.80) and Bartlett’s test of sphericity [chi-square (78) = 1149.615, p 1), which explains 60.9% of the instrument’s total variance. In Confirmatory Factor Analysis, none of the indices came close to an acceptable level (≥ 0.90), however, the second model which tested a three-factor structure provided a better fit to the data. From the results of this study the Modified Fresno Test short version was drawn. The analysis showed good factor validity and adequate internal consistency for the use of the instrument consisting of 13 questions and 3 factors. This model proved to be better than the original model. The short version consisting of 9 questions may be an appropriate alternative for use in the population of interest.
Reduction of opioid use using regional anesthetic blocks after inguinal hernia repair in a high risk, safety net population.

Objective: The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is currently being used perioperatively to reduce postoperative opioid requirements. It is unclear whether TAP blocks reduce postoperative opioid requirements for inguinal hernia repairs. The purpose of this retrospective chart study was to determine whether a TAP block reduces postoperative opioid requirements after an inguinal hernia repair in a safety net hospital. Design: This was a retrospective chart review that evaluated patients at University Hospital in Newark, NJ, who had inguinal hernia repairs from January 2011 to July 2019. Patients were divided into two groups depending on whether they had a TAP block or not. The primary outcome was the amount of opioid required in the first 24 hours postoperatively by a patient reported as morphine equivalent dosing (MED). Results: The group that received the TAP block had a mean (95 percent CI) MED of 7.01 mg (6.70, 7.33), and the control group (no TAP block) had a mean MED of 11.6 mg within 24 hours of the inguinal hernia (p = 0.03). There was no significant difference for postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, presence of nausea, or length of stay. Conclusions: Patients with TAP block required less morphine equivalence of opioid within a 24 hours period after an inguinal hernia repair.
Supplements to Enhance Male Fertility

The role of nutritional supplements in enhancing male fertility is a subject of substantial interest for patients and medical practitioners. Nutritional supplements are presumed to have antioxidant activity that may protect sperm integrity, enhance motility, and/or improve sperm production. Published data on these supplements are very limited. Most studies involve treatment with multiple agents. A recent Cochran meta-analysis suggests that supplements may enhance male fertility potential. A critical review of this report and the potential clinical role of supplements are provided. Existent data do not allow clinicians to make a rational recommendation of whether a male interested in enhancing fertility should take supplements, or what agent or dose to take.
Closed form flow model of a damped slug test in a fractured bedrock borehole

Summary An existing closed form model is modified to describe the damped response of groundwater in a fractured bedrock borehole with variable apertures and dips to a slug test. The existing theory, which requires single sized horizontal fractures, is accurately calibrated by slug test data from three uncased bedrock boreholes in the Dedham Granite and an observation well screened just below the contact surface with a till drumlin. Apertures and dips vary however, so the ability of the modified theory to accommodate different sizes and inclinations improves upon the physical validity of its predecessor when fracture information accompanies slug test data. Geophysical logs identify a large number and dip of fractures in the uncased boreholes in the Dedham Granite in this regard. A lognormally distributed, horizontal aperture calibration of the slug tests in the uncased boreholes retains the accuracy of the single size model, and yields aperture statistics more consistent with literature values. The slug test in the screened observation well is accurately calibrated with the modified horizontal theory for discrete (two) sizes, based upon the average fracture spacing found in the uncased boreholes. All four results yield comparable compressibility estimates, which depend on fracture spacing but not size or dip. The calibrated aperture size and calculated fracture porosity and permeability decrease with length of the borehole into the Dedham Granite. The measured dip and aperture for flowing and nonflowing fractures in one of the boreholes accurately calibrates the modified theory. The inclusion of dip reduces the calibrated permeability because of the increased ellipsoidal area at the interface of the borehole and the inclined fractures.
On the mechanism by which bupivacaine conducts protons across the membranes of mitochondria and liposomes.

Abstract Bupivacaine and etidocaine possess the remarkable property of stimulating mitochondrial respiration to levels comparable with those observed with classical anionic protonophores (Dabadie, P., Bendriss, P., Erny, P., and Mazat, J.P. (1987) FEBS Lett. 226, 77-82). We show that these amphiphilic amines conduct protons across the membranes of mitochondria and liposomes and stimulate respiration by a true protonophoretic mechanism. The kinetics of drug-induced H+ flux exhibited integer Hill coefficients that were greater than two under all conditions, suggesting that multimers are required for H+ transport. When the energy barrier for ion transport was lowered in mitochondria, by increasing the membrane potential, or in liposomes, by adding phloretin, the Hill coefficients decreased to lower integer numbers. Protonophoretic activity depended exclusively on medium concentration of free base, leading us to conclude that bupivacaine and etidocaine conduct protons as associated, intramembrane multimers of the free base. Bupivacaine-induced H+ leak was ohmic rather than nonohmic, as would be expected of a mobile charged carrier. This kinetic behavior seems improbable for a multimeric mobile carrier mechanism and suggests a channel mechanism, in which ohmicity results from splitting of the energy barrier by energy wells along the transport pathway (Garlid, K. D., Beavis, A. D., and Ratkje, S. K. (1989) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 976, 109-120). We hypothesize that bupivacaine and etidocaine act by a novel "flickering channel" mechanism, in which transient linear complexes of free base molecules provide weak binding sites (energy wells) for protons within lipid bilayer membranes.
Regression of an atlantoaxial rheumatoid pannus following posterior instrumented fusion

Abstract Objective Rheumatoid patients may develop a retrodental lesion (atlantoaxial rheumatoid pannus) that may cause cervical instability and/or neurological compromise. The objective is to characterize clinical and radiographic outcomes after posterior instrumented fusion for atlantoaxial rheumatoid pannus. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent posterior fusions for an atlantoaxial rheumatoid pannus at a single institution. Both preoperative and postoperative imaging was available for all patients. Anterior or circumferential operations, non-atlantoaxial panni, or prior C1–C2 operations were excluded. Primary outcome measures included Nurick score, Ranawat score (neurologic status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis), pannus regression, and reoperation. Pannus volume was determined with axial and sagittal views on both preoperative and postoperative radiological images. Results Thirty patients surgically managed for an atlantoaxial rheumatoid pannus were followed for a mean of 24.43 months. Nine patients underwent posterior instrumented fusion alone, while 21 patients underwent posterior decompression and instrumented fusion. Following a posterior instrumented fusion in all 30 patients, the pannus statistically significantly regressed by 44.44%, from a mean volume of 1.26 cm 3 to 0.70 cm 3 ( p p p = 0.312). Six patients (20%) required reoperations over a mean of 13.18 months. Reoperations were indicated for C1 instrumentation failure in four patients and pseudoarthrosis in two patients. Conclusion Following posterior instrumented fusion, the pannus radiographically regressed by 44.44% over a mean of 8.02 months, and patients clinically improved per the Nurick score. The Ranawat score did not improve, and 20% of patients required reoperation over a mean of 13.18 months. The annualized reoperation rate was approximately 13.62%.
Modeling and control of a multi-agent system using mixed integer linear programming

The RoboFlag competition was proposed by the second author as a means to study cooperative control of multi-vehicle systems. Here we study a simplified version of the competition that we model as a hybrid system. We use an optimization approach to synthesize control policies by solving mixed integer linear programs.
The 3'-Terminal Heptanucleotide Sequence of the l Strand of T7 Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Abstract In a reaction catalyzed by the T4 DNA polymerase, the 3'-terminal deoxythymidylate of the l strand of T7 DNA can be exchanged for a [32P]deoxythymidylate without introducing any net covalent changes into the molecule. Degradation of the terminally labeled [32P]DNA to pyrimidine oligonucleotides using diphenylamine and formic acid revealed that almost all of the radioactivity was in a unique pyrimidine pentanucleotide. This fact indicates that the l strand has a 3'-terminal sequence of five pyrimidines. By 5'-terminal labeling and exonuclease digestion of the purified pentanucleotide, its structure was shown to be d-pTpCpCpCpT. This structure, together with data obtained earlier from nearest neighbor analyses (Englund, P. T. (1972) J. Mol. Biol. 66, 209–224), indicates that the 3'-terminal nucleotide sequence of the l strand of T7 DNA is ... pTpGpTpCpCpCpT.
A study of relaxin in primigravidas

Abstract 1. 1. One hundred consecutive primigravidas who met the requirements of established labor with 4 cm. of cervical dilation were given 80 mg. of a commercial preparation of the hormone relaxin in divided doses. 2. 2. A control group was selected of 100 consecutive primigravidas who met these requirements but received no relaxin. 3. 3. The time interval from 4 cm. of dilation to complete dilation, as well as the stages and total duration of labor, were measured and recorded. 4. 4. There was no significant difference in the duration of the measured interval or in the various stages or total duration of labor between the group receiving relaxin and the control group. 5. 5. Relaxin administration appeared to have an accelerating rather than a slowing effect on the premature labors included in this series. 6. 6. Palpable softening of the cervix was not a striking feature following relaxin administration in this series.
Adaptive stabilization of LTI systems with distributed input delay

SUMMARY We solve stabilization problems of LTI systems with unknown parameters and distributed input delay. The key challenge is that the infinite-dimensional input dynamics are distributed, which makes traditional infinite-dimensional backstepping inapplicable. We resolve this challenge by employing backstepping–forwarding transformations of the finite-dimensional state of the plant and of the infinite-dimensional actuator state. These transformations enable us to design Lyapunov-based update laws. We also design an adaptive controller for rejecting a constant disturbance in the input of the LTI plant, in the case where the parameters of the plant are known. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sexual recombination punctuated by outbreaks and clonal expansions predicts Toxoplasma gondii population genetics

The cosmopolitan parasitic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii is capable of infecting essentially any warm-blooded vertebrate worldwide, including most birds and mammals, and establishes chronic infections in one-third of the globe’s human population. The success of this highly prevalent zoonosis is largely the result of its ability to propagate both sexually and clonally. Frequent genetic exchanges via sexual recombination among extant parasite lineages that mix in the definitive felid host produces new lines that emerge to expand the parasite’s host range and cause outbreaks. Highly successful lines spread clonally via carnivorism and in some cases sweep to pandemic levels. The extent to which sexual reproduction versus clonal expansion shapes Toxoplasma’s current, global population genetic structure is the central question this review will attempt to answer.
A developmental sequence in preschool children's acquisition of reading readiness skills and print awareness concepts

Abstract While various attempts have been made to explain the relationships among preschool children's acquisition of various aspects of print-related knowledge, studies have generally employed statistical procedures appropriate for linear relationships. Yet the relationships among measures of print-related knowledge may not be linear. One technique that has not been employed in this area but which provides a means for identifying nonlinear hierarchical relationships among measures is order analysis. The purpose of this paper was to examine empirically the acquisition of preschool children's print-related knowledge through order analysis. A data set that consisted of 60 preschool children's performances on five measures which assessed concepts about the purposes and processes of reading and the reading readiness skills of letter naming and visual and auditory discrimination was reanalyzed using ordering procedure. A multivariate analysis indicated a multidimensional relationship among the three reading readiness and two print awareness measures that differed across the three age groups. The hierarchical orderings of the five measures indicated that mastery of the reading readiness skills occurred prior to the mastery of the print awareness concepts.
In-vitro evaluation in man of immunostimulation by subfractions of Actinomyces viscosus

Abstract Actinomyces viscosus was fractionated into cell wall (PEL) and intracellular supernatant (SUP) fractions following ultrasonication. In vitro lymphocyte transformation induced by each fraction was assessed using the lymphocytes obtained from subjects with minimal periodontal disease. In kinetic experiments, a detectable blastogenic response to both fractions was measured by the fourth day, with a peak at day 7. Nuclease treatment enhanced the immunostimulatory activity of the PEL fraction 5.5-fold over untreated PEL; it had no effect on the activity of SUP. Although pronase treatment had no effect on the PEL fractions, it abrogated the ability of SUP to activate lymphocytes. Fractions of nuclease-treated and untreated SUP were batch-eluted from DEAE-sepharose columns with increasing concentrations of NaCl, producing 3 major stimulatory subfractions which accounted for 75 per cent of the activity of unfractionated SUP. Comparisons of lymphocyte responses to the DEAE-fractionated SUP indicated that not all individuals responded equally to each subfraction. As there was a differential responsiveness to the various antigenic components, detailed evaluation of the antigens of A. viscosus is warranted to define differences in antigen responsiveness in individuals with differing severities of periodontal disease.
Transcutaneous sampling of ciprofloxacin and 8-methoxypsoralen by electroporation (ETS technique).

Abstract The novel technique of transcutaneous sampling of drugs by electroporation was developed to study the dermatokinetics of ciprofloxacin and 8-methoxypsoralen. The selected drugs differ in their aqueous solubility and also with respect to the extent of protein binding. Ciprofloxacin (15 mg/kg) was administered i.v. through tail vein, whereas 8-methoxypsoralen (5 mg/kg) was given by oral administration, in hairless rats and the time course of drug concentration in the plasma was determined. Drug concentration in the dermal extracellular fluid (ECF) was determined by ETS and microdialysis sampling techniques. The extent of penetration into dermal ECF for ciprofloxacin and 8-methoxypsoralen was found to be ∼19–32% and ∼13–23%, respectively. The drug concentration in the dermal ECF determined by ETS and microdialysis did not differ significantly from each other and so as were the pharmacokinetic parameters. The results show that ETS can be utilized as a potential technique for sampling of drugs from the dermal ECF.
Are Bilateral Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients at a Higher Risk of Developing Pulmonary Embolism Following Total Hip and Knee Surgery

Despite developments in prophylactic methods, venous thromboembolism (VTE) continues to be a serious complication following total joint arthroplasty. The new AAOS/ACCP guidelines on preventing pulmonary embolism (PE) after total hip/knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) do not make specific recommendations for bilateral vs. unilateral procedures. In-patient PE rates were examined for patients undergoing unilateral or simultaneous bilateral TKA/THA at our institution in 2011. Of the 7,437 THA/TKA surgeries completed at our institution in 2011, 36 patients suffered from PE (0.48%). The rate of PE for unilateral TKA was 0.61% vs. 1.87% for bilateral (P < 0.001) and for unilateral THA was 0.17% vs. 0.52% for bilateral THA. Despite patients being screened before being cleared to undergo bilateral THA/TKA, they remain at higher risk for VTE.
Phase stability of doped β-LiAl

The effect of the addition of a third element M (M ≡ Ge, Sn, In, Ag) to the intermetallic compound β-LiAl at the quasi-binary composition Li50Al50−Mx was studied with X-ray diffraction and density measurements. The solubilities of the group IVa elements germanium and tin were found to be less than x = 1 while indium (group IIIa) and silver (group Ib) showed solubilities of at least x = 5. The defect structure of β-LiAl appeared to change in different manners for doping with indium and silver. The results are discussed in terms of phase stability correlated with atomic size, electrochemical and band factors in alloy formation.
Inborn errors of metabolism and Reye syndrome: Differential diagnosis

Si, au debut, le diagnostic et le traitement du syndrome de Reye (SR) et des erreurs hereditaires du metabolisme (ECM) qui lui ressemblent sont identiques, ensuite, les recherches diagnostiques, le traitement, le pronostic varient avec la cause sous-jacente. Revue des caracteristiques cliniques et metaboliques pouvant faire suspecter une ECM devant un tableau de SR
Airborne 131I at a background monitoring site

As part of an environmental surveillance program, measurements of 131I in samples of atmospheric aerosols were determined in week-long collection periods at 0.3 km and 1.5 km from a municipal-sewage sludge incinerator located in Albany, New York. During an 11-month period when the sampler was temporarily located near the incinerator, sampling canisters of activated charcoal nearly always contained detectable airborne 131I activity (range of 0.1-6.0 mBq m(-3)). In contrast, remote concentrations where the sample was normally located were near or below analytical detection limits, both before and after the 11-month relocation. Activities of wet and dry fallout at both locations were below detection limits. The source of 131I in the aerosols associated with the sewage sludge was likely excreta from patients following medical treatments at local hospitals.
Conservation practices in US agriculture and their implication for global climate change.

Abstract Increase in the use of conservation practices by agriculture in the United States will enhance soil organic carbon and potentially increase carbon sequestration. This, in turn, will decrease the net emission of carbon dioxide. A number of studies exist that calibrate the contribution of various individual, site-specific conservation practices on changes in soil organic carbon. There is a general absence, however, of a comprehensive effort to measure objectively the contribution of these practices including conservation tillage, the Conservation Reserve Program and conservation buffer strips to an change in soil organic carbon. This paper fills that void. After recounting the evolution of the use of the various conservation practices, it is estimated that organic carbon in the soil in 1998 in the United States attributable to these practices was approximately 12 200 000 metric tons. By 2008, there will be an increase of approximately 25%. Given that there is a significant potential for conservation practices to lead to an increase in carbon sequestration, there are a number of policy options that can be pursued. These include education and technical assistance, financial assistance, research and development, land retirement and regulation and taxes.
Acute cardiovascular effects of bepridil in anesthetized mongrel dogs

The cardiovascular effects of bepridil, a calcium antagonist, were investigated in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. The intravenous administration of bepridil, 5 mg/kg, produced significant reductions in heart rate, cardiac output, and cardiac contractility. There was an initial transient marked increase in coronary blood flow and a significant increase in oxygen consumption which was followed by a decrease in oxygen consumption 5 min after administration of bepridil. The progressive and significant reductions in heart rate, cardiac contractility, cardiac output, and left ventricular minute work could be responsible for the secondary reduction in oxygen consumption. Coronary hemodynamic effects appeared to be independent of other cardiac effects since there appears to be no temporal correlation between these two phenomena. The coronary vasodilator property of bepridil was specific since there was an initial decrease in renal, femoral, and mesenteric blood flows.
The Use of the Normalization Data Reduction Technique for Measuring Upper Shelf Toughness Under Impact Loading Rates

The multiple-specimen method (low-blow or stop-block tests) is the conventional approach for measuring the upper shelf fracture toughness of steels under impact loading rates, using fatigue precracked Charpy (PCC) specimens tested with an instrumented pendulum machine. The method is fairly simple but requires a relatively large number of specimens. As an alternative, the single-specimen method denominated normalization data reduction (NDR) is based on the analysis of the instrumented force/displacement trace and does not need dedicated instrumentation for the measurement of crack extension during the test. In this study, the NDR technique was applied to low-blow tests performed at different temperatures on two reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels, 20MnMoNi55 and A553B Cl. 1. Analyses were performed after applying a double fitting approach to the raw test data, which allows selecting a limited set of force/displacement data which are representative of the whole instrumented trace. Results show that the NDR technique provides acceptable accuracy in terms of both ductile crack initiation and resistance to crack propagation (tearing modulus).
Physical Unclonable Functions: A Primer

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) make use of the measurable intrinsic randomness of physical systems to establish signatures for those systems. PUFs provide a means to generate unique keys that don't need to be stored in nonvolatile memory, and they offer exciting opportunities for new authentication and supply chain security technologies.
Airplane Yaw Perturbations due to Vertical and Side Gusts

the rotating airfoils are much higher than that for stationary airfoils in two-dimensional flow. The effect can be traced out to be due to the separation being delayed at larger angle of incidence. The displacement of separation is explained by Dwyer and McCroskey to be due to the appearance of a favorable pressure-gradient, cross-flow derivative, Coriolis forces and centrifugal forces. The Coriolis forces and apparent pressure-gradient are induced by the potential crossflow. The maximum benefits with regard to separation are due to favorable pressure-gradient, and it will be more when close to the axis of rotation. The detailed explanation is given in Ref. 2. The slope of the lift curve for two-dimensional flow is larger than the rotating case. Therefore, at smaller angles of attack the stationary blade in two-dimension al flow gives higher lift-coefficient than the rotating one, and is better in performance at those angles. However, at large angles of attack, the rotating airfoil has a better lift-coefficient. Conclusions From the results of the investigation the following conclusions can be drawn: 1) The over-all lift coefficient decreases with the increase of blade length. 2) The slope of lift curve for two-dimensional case is larger than the rotating. Lift coefficients at large angles of attack are greater for the rotating case. The rotating blade stalled at higher angle of attack than a stationary blade. 3) The present study confirms the experimental results obtained by Himmelskamp and theoretical results by Dwyer and McCroskey. Hopefully the present study will help pave the way for an extended study of rotating airfoils.
A yield phenomenon in face-centered cubic single crystals

Abstract A small yield-point effect is found during interrupted tensile tests on single crystals of pure aluminum and nickel. The effect is most marked at low temperatures. Experiments have been carried out to determine the conditions under which the effect occurs, and these are correlated with those of other workers. It is concluded that the phenomenon is unlikely to be a strain-aging effect. An explanation is sought in terms of dislocation rearrangements during unloading.
Why Poverty Remains High: The Role of Income Growth, Economic Inequality, and Changes in Family Structure, 1949-1999

After dramatic declines in poverty from 1950 to the early 1970s in the United States, progress stalled. This article examines the association between trends in poverty and income growth, economic inequality, and changes in family structure using three measures of poverty: an absolute measure, a relative measure, and a quasi-relative one. I found that income growth explains most of the trend in absolute poverty, while inequality generally plays the most significant role in explaining trends in relative poverty. Rising inequality in the 1970s and 1980s was especially important in explaining increases in poverty among Hispanics, whereas changes in family structure played a significant role for children and African Americans through 1990. Notably, changes in family structure no longer had a significant association with trends in poverty for any group in the 1990s.
A tubicolous animal from the Hunsrück Slate (Lower Devonian, Southern Germany)

Ein kleiner in einer Rohre wohnender Organismus wird als Sediment-Bewohner gedeutet. Diese Lebensweise wird abgeleitet aus dem Unterschied zwischen verkleideten Grabgangen und Rohren sowie zwischen weichen und steifen Rohren. Lamellare Anhange der Korperwand konnen der Wasserzufuhr fur den wurmformigen Teil des Korpers gedient haben. Die klaffende Apertur besitzt kein Operculum und kann fortlaufend geoffnet gewesen sein; der Rand der Offnung wurde durch Spiculae verstarkt. Das Exemplar ist nicht segmentiert und kann deshalb nicht als annelider Wurm angesehen werden. Das Fehlen von Anneliden im Crinoiden-»Wald« des Hunsruck-Meeres ist merkwurdig, da dieser Biotop theoretisch fur jene Organismen geeignet gewesen ware.
Prosimian hemoglobins: IV. The structural difference responsible for the hemoglobin phenotype of Lemur catta

The ring-tailed lemur, Lemur catta, shows a two-component hemoglobin phenotype after alkaline electrophoresis. A difference in the amino acid sequence of the isolated α-globins was observed at position 15 (α I-Gly, α II-Lys) and can account for the electrophoretic pattern of two hemoglobin components. Only one other amino acid difference was found in the sequence of the two globin chains: a neutral substitution occurs at position 53 (α I-Gly, α II-Ala). The complete primary structures of the duplicated α-globin chains of Lemur catta are presented.
Supraumbilical rash caused by nontarget radioembolization to the falciform artery.

utility of an intravascular US catheter for creation of the transhepatic access into the portal vein further reduced the fluoroscopy time and radiation exposure. The role of the intravascular US catheter for creation of a TIPS has been evaluated and shown to be useful in difficult circumstances like portal vein thrombosis (8). The present case demonstrates the use of TIPS creation with intravascular US assistance in the preoperative setting to decompress enlarging caput medusae before Cesarean section, while limiting the radiation exposure compared with conventional TIPS creation.
Abstract 2992: Mitotic role for Pten in accurate chromosome segregation

During mitosis, sister chromatids are separated and equally divided over two daughter cells. If missegregation of whole chromosomes occurs, progeny cells with an abnormal number of chromosomes will arise. This is referred to as aneuploidy, a hallmark of most human cancers. We found that inactivation of a single Pten allele in mouse splenocytes and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) is sufficient to cause aneuploidy, suggesting a role for Pten in the chromosome segregation process. Upon further study by live cell imaging of haploinsufficient and null Pten MEFs, we indeed found many missegregation errors (59% and 79% respectively, compared to 15% in wildtype MEFs). These abnormalities were independent from the AKT pathway since overexpression of a myristoylated, constitutively active form of AKT in wildtype MEFs resembled a wildtype instead of a Pten heterozygous phenotype. In addition, overexpression of a catalytic mutant Pten (C124S) in Pten+/- MEFs corrected the missegregation errors. We therefore propose a novel tumor-suppressive function of Pten to prevent whole chromosome instability, independent of the increased cell proliferation and survival caused by the activation of AKT. BubR1 is a regulator of kinetochore-microtubule attachment and a potent inhibitor of Cdc20, a key co-activator of the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) that drives cells into anaphase by targeting the anaphase inhibitors cyclin B1 and securin for degradation by the 26S proteosome. We found that overexpression of BubR1 completely restores accurate chromosome segregation in Pten+/- MEFs, alluding to a specific role for Pten in mitosis. As a first step to test the hypothesis that Pten9s mitotic role in preventing aneuploidization represents a key tumor suppressive function of this phosphatase, we bred a Flag-tagged BubR1 transgene into Pten+/- mice. We are currently in the process of studying the impact of the transgene on the development of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). Consistent with our hypothesis, preliminary analysis of two mice shows that BubR1 overexpression considerably decreases PIN lesion multiplicity. Data from the complete analysis of our double transgenic mouse cohort will be presented at the meeting. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2992. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2992
The Principle of Gratuitousness: Opportunities and Challenges for Business in «Caritas in Veritate»

One major theme in Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate is the “Principle of Gratuitousness.” The point of this essay is to begin a reflection on what it actually means and its possible relevance. By comparing the “Principle of Gratuitousness” and its normative assumptions about “the logic of gift” with anthropological studies focused on the same phenomenon, I hope to show, not only the relevance of the encyclical’s normative vision but also where and how it needs further clarification. The findings of empirical anthropology provide qualified support for the encyclical’s focus on generating and replenishing “social capital” in order to sustain both markets and politics in an effort to “civilize the economy.” In order to put the “Principle of Gratuitousness” into more effective practice, the encyclical highlights the creative role of “civil society” and calls for the creation social enterprises whose goals are broader and deeper than maximizing profits. Assessing the realism of Benedict’s proposal will require further research and reflection on innovative entrepreneurial ventures designed to address social problems on a commercial basis, for example, Muhammad Yunus’ concept of a “social business” and its development in a series of joint business ventures involving the Grameen Bank and related organizations.
Experimental inoculations with Ostertagia ostertagi or exposure to artificial illumination alter peripheral cortisol in dairy calves (Bos taurus).

A series of experiments were conducted on dairy calves (Bos taurus) to assess, by way of circulating cortisol, the impact of a parasitic infection as a systemic stressor. The first study was designed to assess the effects of chronic stress on dairy calves resulting from a large bolus inoculation of the nematode parasite, Ostertagia ostertagi. Peripheral cortisol concentrations and adrenal cortical competency to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge were utilized as indicators of chronic stress for 5 weeks. Calves were cleared of nematodes by anthelminthic treatment after the third week of infection. Calves were challenged with ACTH on weeks 0 and 2, and blood samples were obtained at a 12 × 10-min bleeding schedule. Cortisol concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the infected calves than in the uninfected calves. The maximal response level to the ACTH challenge was also higher while the calves were infected. Two additional experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of experimental procedures that became evident during Experiment 1. Firstly, calves that had previously been fitted with jugular cannulae were sampled from 3 hr predawn until 5 hr after dawn under red- or white-light incandescent illumination. Calves under red lights had lower initial cortisol concentrations but increased to the concentrations in calves under white lights, indicating a compounding effect of lighting with the procedures of blood-sample acquisition. Secondly, 12 calves were inoculated with 10,000, 100,000, or 200,000 third-stage, infective larvae of O. ostertagi. Blood samples were obtained similarly to the regimen in Experiment 1. Cortisol concentrations were elevated only in the 200,000-dose group during week 3, correlating with the period immediately after emergence of the young adult parasites from the gastric glands. Continuous emergence of these parasites might induce chronic hyperadrenocorticism and the concomitant negative consequences on metabolic and immunological processes.
Displaced Populations, Humanitarian Assistance and Hosts: A Framework for Analyzing Impacts on Semi-urban Households

Summary This paper presents a framework for understanding the impacts of civil war, displaced populations, and humanitarian assistance on host populations in semi-urban areas. Our model shows that under conditions of conflict where populations flow from rural to urban areas and food aid follows, changes in food, housing and labor markets result in changes to local prices which will potentially impoverish consumers but provide earning opportunities for property owners and suppliers of non-tradable goods, and that the price dynamics are likely to induce significant land use change. We combine satellite, price, aid delivery and population inflow data with qualitative interviews from Nyala, Darfur. The data confirm the hypotheses, and the paper discusses possible policy responses.
A non-peptide substance P antagonist down-regulates SP mRNA expression in human mononuclear phagocytes

Substance P (SP), a potent modulator of neuroimmunoregulation, exerts its activity by binding to the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R). The SP-NK-1R interaction is important in inflammation and viral infections, including HIV infection of human immune cells. We recently demonstrated that SP modulates HIV replication and that a non-peptide SP antagonist CP-96,345 inhibits HIV replication in human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) by affecting the SP-NK-1R interaction. In order to examine the effect of the SP antagonist on SP mRNA expression, MDM was incubated with or without CP-96,345 in the presence or absence of HIV infection. SP mRNA expression in these cells was then determined by real-time PCR technology. The effect of CP-96,345 on chemokine gene expression was also investigated by using a cDNA array assay. CP-96,345 down-regulated SP mRNA expression and antagonized exogenous SP-enhanced SP expression at the mRNA level, suggesting that SP autocrine regulation was interrupted by CP-96,345. CP-96,345 inhibited HIV replication in MDM, associated with down-regulated SP mRNA expression in comparison to HIV infection controls. In parallel with down-regulated SP and CCR5 mRNA expression, cDNA array assays indicated that CP-96,345 treatment also inhibited IL-8 gene expression, while enhancing expression of fractalkine and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3). Since SP plays an important role in inflammation and viral infections, these studies may have potential applications for therapeutic intervention of inflammation and viral infection of immune cells.
Automatic rule discovery for field work in anthropology

This paper deals with the problem of discovering rules that govern social interactions and relations in preliteral societies. Two older computer programs are first described which can receive data, possibly incomplete and redundant, representing kinship relations among named individuals. The programs then establish a knowledge base in the form of a directed graph, which the user can query in a variety of ways. Another program, written on the “top” of these (rewritten in LISP), can form concepts of various properties, including kinship relations, of and between the individuals. The concepts are derived from the examples and non-examples of a certain social pattern, such as inheritance, succession, marriage, class (tribe, moiety, clan, etc.) membership, domination-subordination, incest and exogamy. The concepts become hypotheses about the rules, which are corroborated, modified or rejected by further examples and non-examples.