cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Positive inotropic and lusitropic effects of HNO/NO− in failing hearts: Independence from β-adrenergic signaling

Nitroxyl anion (HNONO(-)), the one-electron reduced form of nitric oxide (NO), induces positive cardiac inotropy and selective venodilation in the normal in vivo circulation. Here we tested whether HNO/NO(-) augments systolic and diastolic function of failing hearts, and whether contrary to NO/nitrates such modulation enhances rather than blunts beta-adrenergic stimulation and is accompanied by increased plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). HNO/NO(-) generated by Angelis' salt (AS) was infused (10 microg/kg per min, i.v.) to conscious dogs with cardiac failure induced by chronic tachycardia pacing. AS nearly doubled contractility, enhanced relaxation, and lowered cardiac preload and afterload (all P < 0.001) without altering plasma cGMP. This contrasted to modest systolic depression induced by an NO donor diethylamine(DEA)NO or nitroglycerin (NTG). Cardiotropic changes from AS were similar in failing hearts as in controls despite depressed beta-adrenergic and calcium signaling in the former. Inotropic effects of AS were additive to dobutamine, whereas DEA/NO blunted beta-stimulation and NTG was neutral. Administration of propranolol to nonfailing hearts fully blocked isoproterenol stimulation but had minimal effect on AS inotropy and enhanced lusitropy. Arterial plasma CGRP rose 3-fold with AS but was unaltered by DEA/NO or NTG, supporting a proposed role of this peptide to HNO/NO(-) cardiotropic action. Thus, HNO/NO(-) has positive inotropic and lusitropic action, which unlike NO/nitrates is independent and additive to beta-adrenergic stimulation and stimulates CGRP release. This suggests potential of HNO/NO(-) donors for the treatment of heart failure.
Germline mosaicism does not explain the maternal age effect on trisomy.

A variety of hypotheses have been proposed to explain the association between trisomy and increasing maternal age in humans, virtually all of which assume that the underlying mechanisms involve meiotic errors. However, recently Hulten and colleagues [Hulten et al., 2010b] proposed a provocative model—the Oocyte Mosaicism Selection Model (OMSM)—that links age-dependent trisomy 21 to pre-meiotic errors in the ovary. Specifically, they propose that nondisjunctional events occur in a proportion of germ cells as they mitotically proliferate, resulting in mosaicism for trisomy 21. Assuming that the presence of an additional chromosome 21 delays meiotic progression, these cells would be ovulated later in reproductive life, resulting in an age-dependent increase in aneuploid eggs. Because this model has important clinical implications, we initiated studies to test it. We first analyzed oocytes from two trisomy 21 fetuses, combining immunostaining with FISH to determine the likelihood of detecting the additional chromosome 21 at different stages of meiosis. The detection of trisomy was enhanced during the earliest stage of prophase (leptotene), before homologs synapsed. Accordingly, in subsequent studies we examined the chromosome content of leptotene oocytes in seven second trimester female fetuses, analyzing three chromosomes commonly associated with human trisomies (i.e., 13, 16, and 21). In contrast to the prediction of the OMSM, we found no evidence of trisomy mosaicism for any chromosome. We conclude that errors in pre-meiotic germ cells are not a major contributor to human aneuploidy and do not provide an explanation for the age-related increase in trisomic conceptions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Incidence of visualization of the normal appendix on different MRI sequences

The purpose of this paper is to assess the incidence of visualization of the normal appendix on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations of the pelvis in a large adult population and to compare the yield of commonly used sequences. Pelvic MRI scans of 111 randomly selected patients were retrospectively reviewed by two fellowship-trained body imagers. Thirty-six cases, where the entire cecum and terminal ileum were not included in the field of view, were excluded. A normal appendix was definitively visualized in 55 of 71 patients on T1 spin echo (SE) sequences (78%). The appendix was seen on 25 of 42 (60%) half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin echo T2. Visualization rates were 42% on pre-gadolinium T1 FS GRE, 54% on post-gadolinium T1 fat-suppressed gradient echo, and 17% of short tau inversion recovery sequences. MRI is an effective modality for visualization of the normal appendix. This may have important implications in patients with abdominal or pelvic pain, as visualization of a normal appendix should exclude the possibility of acute appendicitis from the differential diagnosis.
Samuel Andrew Stouffer 1900–1960

(1960). Samuel Andrew Stouffer 1900–1960. The American Statistician: Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 36-36.
Genetic Analysis of Blast Resistance in Rice with Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR)

Gene-linked markers are powerful tools to detect the presence of gene(s) for rice (Oryza sativa) blast resistance; they are useful in conducting marker-assisted selection. Eight genotypes of rice were used for genetic analysis with 85 gene-linked SSR markers for rice blast resistance and defensive response genes to study the parental polymorphism between resistant and susceptible genotypes. PCR-amplification results revealed that 39 primers out of 85 exhibited distinct polymorphism among the eight genotypes. The number of alleles varied from 2 to 4, with a mean of 2.26. The genetic associations among eight genotypes were examined via unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) analysis. Cluster analysis revealed that two blast-resistant genotypes (WGL167 and NBR 16) and susceptible genotype (BPT 5204) were grouped into cluster I, showing polymorphic loci for RM 138 (pib) and RM 3330 (pi40) gene-linked markers. Three other blast-resistant genotypes (NBR 11, MTU 1003, and NLR 34449) and a susc...
Differential expression of extracellular matrix and cell adhesion molecules in the olfactory nerve and glomerular layers of adult rats

Owing to the continual turnover of afferent input, the olfactory system offers a unique opportunity to study development and reorganization of neuronal networks in adults. To explore substrates that may underlie these processes in the adult olfactory system, we examined the expression and distribution of extracellular matrix and cell adhesion molecules (CAM) thought to be involved in axon guidance/extension. N-CAM, laminin, and tenascin were all detected by immunocytochemistry in the nerve and glomerular layers of the adult rat olfactory bulb, although the intensity and laminar distribution were varied. Antisera for N-CAM(total), N-CAM180, and tenascin bound to fascicles within the olfactory nerve layer and the glomerular neuropil. However, binding was nonuniform in that only subsets of axon fascicles and restricted glomeruli showed evidence of immunoreactivity. Antilaminin and a polyclonal antitenascin similarly exhibited heterogeneous intralaminar immunoreactivity. Tenascin colocalized with glial processes at the borders of glomeruli and subcompartments of the glomerular neuropil. Laminin immunoreactivity was evident in subsets of olfactory nerve fascicles and, to a lesser extent, the glomeruli. The data are consistent with the notion that ongoing axon extension and glomerular targeting in the olfactory system is subserved in part by a heterogeneous expression of the same extracellular matrix and CAMs present at higher levels during perinatal development.
INTELLECTUAL AND PERSONALITY FACTORS IN EFFECTIVE CHILD CARE WORKERS

Psychological tests were administered to child care workers in a residential treatment center; supervisors rated them on personality traits and job performance. Correlations reveal some predicted and some unanticipated associations between IQ, supervisors' ratings, workers' self-ratings, and findings from projective tests.
A Computer-Aided Optimization Approach for the Design of Injection Mold Cooling Systems

A methodology is presented for the design of optimal cooling systems for injection mold tooling which models the mold cooling as a nonlinear constrained optimization problem. The design constraints and objective function are evaluated using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The objective function for the constrained optimization problem is stated as minimization of both a function related to part average temperature and temperature gradients throughout the polymeric part. The goal of this minimization problem is to achieve reduction of undesired defects as sink marks, differential shrinkage, thermal residual stress built-up, and part warpage primarily due to non-uniform temperature distribution in the part. The cooling channel size, locations, and coolant flow rate are chosen as the design variables. The constrained optimal design problem is solved using Powell's conjugate direction method using penalty function. The cooling cycle time and temperature gradients are evaluated using transient heat conduction simulation. A matrix-free algorithm of the Galerkin Finite Element Method (FEM) with the Jacobi Conjugate Gradient (JCG) scheme is utilized to perform the cooling simulation. The optimal design methodology is illustrated using a case study.
Synthesis of data from studies by the National Irrigation Water-Quality Program

: From 1986 to 1993, the National Irrigation Water-Quality Program (NIWQP) of the U.S. Department of the Interior studied whether contamination was induced by irrigation drainage in 26 areas of the Western United States. In 1992, a study to evaluate and synthesize data collected during these 26 investigations began. Selenium, boron, and molybdenum are the trace elements and DDT the pesticide most commonly found in surface water at concentrations exceeding chronic criteria for the protection of aquatic life. In six of the areas, the median selenium concentration exceeded the criterion. Aquatic-life criteria have not been developed for uranium, but the median uranium concentration exceeded the proposed Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water in seven areas. A principal components analysis indicates that severity of selenium contamination is not related to the severity of contamination by boron, molybdenum, and arsenic. Arsenic, boron, molybdenum, and selenium concentrations are nearly the same in both filtered and unfiltered samples, which indicates that contaminant concentrations in filtered samples can be directly compared with biological-effects data developed using unfiltered samples. At a given site, selenium concentrations in surface water can change by an order of magnitude during the course of a year and from one year to another.
ABILITY OF MIDDLE-SCHOOL SOCCER PLAYERS TO LOCALIZE OVERUSE LEG PAIN CORRECTLY USING A GRAPHIC SELF-REPORT FORM

Summary.-This study was conducted to assess the probabhty of success with which middle-school-age soccer players could correctly localize lower leg pain to sites of common overuse injuries, using a gaphic selF-report instrument. Subjects included 98 middle-school soccer players, ages 12 to 15 years. Players' self-reports of leg pain were compared with the results of a blind physical examination. Players reporting pain of more than two weeks' duration successfully localized a statistically significant number of their sites of pain using the graphic form, providing evidence of concurrent validity. Further development is needed before the measure can be used in surveillance of overuse injuries in youth sports. Little is known about the incidence of injuries from overuse among youth who play soccer or about the impact of these injuries on athletic performance and health care costs. The majority of overuse injuries in young athletes occur in the lower extremity (2). The common overuse injuries of the leg in youngsters include "shin sphts" (medal tibial stress syndrome), patellar tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, Osgood-Schlatter disease (tibial tubercle apophysitis), and Sever dlsease (calcaneal apophysitis). There have been only two previous studies of overuse injuries in youth soccer. Nielsen and Yde (5) found that 37% of injuries in youth soccer clubs were overuse injuries. In a later study, Yde and Nielsen (8) reported that 5% of players in youth soccer clubs developed overuse injuries over a season. In both studies, injury data were gathered drectly by physician's examination. A major technical obstacle to obtaining data on injury for youth sports is the difficulty in dlrectly observing large numbers of athletes. Ideally, survedance of sports injuries is performed by trained observers such as trainers or physicians who are able to evaluate directly each injured subject (7). However, dlrect surveillance of injuries in youth sports is not practical in most cases as many youth sports clubs do not have the regular services of such a trained observer. In these situations, indirect means of survedance may be more practical. Schmidt-Olsen and colleagues used a self-administered questionnaire in a study of acute injuries among youth soccer players (6). The accuracy of children's self-reports of injury may be improved by the addition
Stimulus specificity of binocular cells in the cat's visual cortex: ocular dominance and the matching of left and right eyes.

Most cells in the striate cortex respond to visual stimulation through either eye. We have examined quantitatively the matching of response specificity for the two eyes. Our intention was to determine the degree to which this matching depends on ocular dominance. We used standard single cell recording techniques and studied responses to sinusoidal gratings of different spatial frequencies, orientations, and contrasts. For all tests, stimuli were randomly interleaved both with respect to the value of each parameter, and the eye which was stimulated. After estimating ocular dominance qualitatively and quantitatively, we measured: response modulation (to help identify whether a cell was simple or complex), orientation and spatial frequency tuning, and contrast response functions (to estimate contrast thresholds). Results show that: (1) Response modulation is well matched between the two eyes, but there is a slight tendency for the dominant eye to respond with less modulation. (2) Optimal orientation and spatial frequency and their respective tuning widths were similar for the two eyes. In general, tuning functions for the two eyes differed mainly in slope. However, in each case, there was a tendency for the dominant eye to have broader tuning widths. (3) In most cases, contrast response functions for the two eyes differed mainly in their slopes. Extrapolation to spontaneous levels suggests that estimated contrast thresholds are relatively independent of ocular dominance although, again, there was a tendency for the dominant eye to exhibit slightly lower estimated thresholds. These findings demonstrate that response characteristics between the two eyes are generally well matched regardless of relative response strength. There are, however, small but clear differences between the two eyes for all parameters we measured which are related to and demonstrate that ocular dominance influences the degree of matching between the two eyes.
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 DNA Cleavage/Packaging: The UL28 Gene Encodes a Minor Component of B Capsids

An antiserum directed against a bacterial fusion protein containing UL28 protein sequences specifically recognized an 86,000 apparent Mr protein in immunoblots of wild-type capsids. This protein was not detected in immunoblots of capsids purified from cells infected with a UL28 deletion virus, indicating that the protein was a product of UL28. The 86,000 Mr protein was also detected in capsids purified from cells infected with mutant viruses lacking the UL6, UL15, and UL25 genes, indicating that the UL28 protein can associate with capsids independently of successful DNA packaging and other minor capsid components. The UL6 protein, full-length UL15 protein, and UL25-encoded proteins were also detected in capsids purified from cells infected with the UL28 deletion virus. The UL28 and UL6 proteins remained associated with capsids treated with 1.0 M guanidine-HCl, indicating that, like the UL6 protein, the UL28 protein was an integral component of capsids. Amounts of UL28 protein were reduced in DNA-containing capsids and UL28 protein was not detected in virions, suggesting that some UL28 protein is lost during the cleavage-packaging reaction.
Inhibitory Oxidation Products of Indole-3-Acetic Acid: Enzymic Formation and Detoxification by Pea Seedlings

Extracts of etiolated pea seedlings oxidize indole-3-acetic acid, a plant auxin, to 3-hydroxymethyloxindole. At physiological pH this compound is dehydrated to 3-methyleneoxindole, a highly reactive sulfhydryl reagent and inhibitor of cell growth. 3-Methlyeneoxindole is in turn detoxified by an enzymatic, triphosphopyridine nucleotide-linked reduction to 3-methyloxindole, a nontoxic compound. These enzymatic conversions may be responsible for some of the responses to auxin, particularly sensitivity to its inhibitory effects on growth.
Localization of a DNA-binding determinant in the bacteriophage P22 Erf protein

Four amber fragments of the recombination-promoting P22 Erf protein were characterized. The intact Erf monomer contains 204 amino acids. The amber mutations produce fragments of 190, 149, 130 and 95 amino acid residues, all of which are inactive in vivo. The 190 residue fragment is more susceptible to proteolysis in cell extracts than is intact Erf. It breaks down to a stable remnant that is slightly larger than the 149 residue fragment. The 149 and 130 residue fragments are stable; electron microscopy of the purified fragments reveals that they have similar morphologies, retaining the ring-like oligomeric structure, but lacking the tooth-like protruding portions of intact Erf. Intact Erf and the 149 residue fragment have similar affinities for single-stranded DNA; the affinity of the 130 residue fragment is 40-fold lower in low salt at pH 6.0. The 95 residue fragment is unstable in vivo. These observations, combined with previous observations, are interpreted as suggesting that the boundary of the amino-terminal domain of the protein lies between residues 96 and 130, that certain residues between 131 and 149 form part of an interdomain DNA-binding segment of the protein, that the boundary of the carboxy-terminal domain lies to the C-terminal side of residue 149, and that the carboxy-terminal domain is not necessary for assembly of the ring oligomer, although it is essential for Erf activity in vivo.
Face Tracing Based Geographic Routing in Nonplanar Wireless Networks

Scalable and efficient routing is a main challenge in the deployment of large ad hoc wireless networks. An essential element of practical routing protocols is their accommodation of realistic network topologies. In this paper, we study geographic routing in general large wireless networks. Geographic routing is a celebrated idea that uses the locations of nodes to effectively support routing. However, to guarantee delivery, recent geographic routing algorithms usually resort to perimeter routing, which requires the removal of communication links to get a planar sub-network on which perimeter routing is performed. Localized network planarization requires the wireless network to be a unit-disk graph (UDG) or its close approximation. For networks that significantly deviate from the UDG model, a common case in practice, substantially more expensive and non-localized network planarization methods have to be used. How to make such methods efficiently adaptable to network dynamics, and how to avoid the removal of an excessive number of links that leads to lowered routing performance, are still open problems. To enable efficient geographic routing in general wireless networks, we present face-tracing based routing, a novel approach that routes the message in the faces of the network that are virtually embedded in a topological surface. Such faces are easily recognizable and constructible, and adaptively capture the important geometric features in wireless networks - in particular, holes, -thus leading to very efficient routing. We show by both analysis and si mulations that the face-tracing based routing is a highly scalable routing protocol that generates short routes, incurs low overhead, adapts quickly to network dynamics, and is very robust to variations in network models.
ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma exhibits phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/akt activity with retained but inactivated PTEN—A report from the Children's Oncology Group†

Background ALK+ Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) is usually a disease of young patients. We investigated phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway-associated factors in pediatric cases and cell lines.
Clinical and community risk models of incident tooth loss in postmenopausal women from the Buffalo Osteo Perio Study.

Bole C, Wactawski-Wende J, Hovey KM, Genco RJ, Hausmann E. Clinical and community risk models of incident tooth loss in postmenopausal women from the Buffalo Osteo Perio Study. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2010; 38: 487–497. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Objective: While risk factors for tooth loss in adults have been identified, limited studies describing factors associated with incident tooth loss in postmenopausal women exist. This study assessed both clinical and non-clinical risk factors for incident tooth loss. Methods: Postmenopausal women (N = 1341) were recruited between 1997 and 2000 from 1847 eligible Observational Study participants of the Buffalo, NY center of the Women’s Health Initiative who had complete dental examinations to assess alveolar bone height, soft tissue attachment and general oral health, and completed questionnaires concerning demographics, general health, lifestyle and oral health (72.6% participation rate). Five years later (2002–2005), 1021 women (76.1%) repeated these examinations and questionnaires. Incident tooth loss was determined by oral examination. Results: After an average 5.1 years of follow-up (SD, 0.38), a total of 323 teeth were lost in 293 women, resulting in 28.7% of women with incident loss of at least one tooth. In multivariable models, diabetes history, gum disease history, smoking, previous tooth loss, BMI and plaque index, baseline clinical measures including alveolar crestal height (ACH) (OR = 1.22 per mm loss, 95% CI 1.11, 1.35), clinical attachment loss (CAL) (OR = 1.13 per mm loss, 95% CI 1.05, 1.23), and pocket depth (PD) (OR = 1.26 per mm loss, 95% CI 1.13, 1.41) were significant risk factors of incident tooth loss. In a community model that included no clinical measures, diabetes history (OR = 2.45, 95% CI 1.26, 4.77), prior gum disease (OR = 1.97, 95% CI 1.43, 2.70), ever smoking (OR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.06, 1.89), number of teeth lost at baseline (OR = 1.05 per tooth, 95% CI 1.02, 1.08), and BMI (OR = 1.15 per 5 km/m2 increase, 95% CI 1.01, 1.33) were associated with an increased risk of incident tooth loss. Conclusions: Clinical and questionnaire-based models were found to provide similar risk estimates for incident tooth loss in postmenopausal women. These models identified high-risk postmenopausal women where preventive strategies may be targeted.
Medical Treatment of Pediatric Status Epilepticus

Status epilepticus (SE) is a common pediatric neurologic emergency that refers to a prolonged seizure or recurrent seizures without a return to baseline mental status between seizures. Appropriate treatment strategies are necessary to prevent prolonged SE and its associated morbidity and mortality. This review discusses the importance of a rapid and organized management approach, reviews data related to commonly utilized medications including benzodiazepines, phenytoin, phenobarbital, valproate sodium, and levetiracetam, and then provides a sample SE management algorithm.
Effects of Immigrant Legalization on Crime

In the late 1970s, rates of undocumented immigration into the United States began to increase dramatically. Fearing negative labor market and social effects, Congress passed the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). The primary purpose of the bill was to enhance the controls on the hiring of undocumented immigrants, making it illegal to hire or recruit undocumented immigrants. However, the legislation also represented a near-universal legalization of immigrants in the United States, a group comprising almost three million people, about 1 percent of the nation’s population. This paper examines the effects that the IRCA had on the commission of crime in the United States. I provide estimates of the total effect of this legalization, exploiting the large amount of variation in both the geographical distribution and the quasi-random timing of the legalizations. I find persistent decreases in crime of 3 percent to 5 percent, primarily driven by a drop in property crimes. This fall in crime is equivalent to 120,000 –180,000 fewer violent and property crimes committed each year across the nation due to legalization. Moreover, the declines in crime cannot be explained by existing trends, economic conditions, declines in drug crimes, changes to police forces and prison populations, or other common explanations of changes in crime rates during this period.
Applying the Scientific Method & Phylogenetics to Understand the Transition from Kingdoms to Domains: Does One Plus One Equal Five, Six, or Three?

The progression of the taxonomic organization of life from Linnaeus’s original two kingdoms to the traditional five-kingdom system to today’s widely accepted three-domain system is explored in a group-learning activity. Working with a set of organisms, students organize them into each system. Discussion after each step focuses on viewing classification schemes as hypotheses about the relatedness of organisms and how hypotheses are altered with accumulation of new data. Finally, the connection between phylogenetic trees and the hierarchal system of biological classification is emphasized by using tree-thinking to analyze the universal phylogenetic tree as the basis of the three-domain system.
Post-exercise analgesia: replication and extension

This study was designed to investigate whether post-exercise analgesia occurs following an ad lib exercise routine. All of the 17 male participants exercised on a regular basis. In an exercise setting (student gymnasium) they participated in 20 min of self-selected exercise, while in the neutral setting (laboratory) they rested quietly for 20 min. Pain was induced via the gross pressure device. Pain threshold and pain tolerance were measured twice, with an interval of 20 min, in both the exercise and the neutral setting. Pain threshold was stable in the exercise setting. A significant increase in pain tolerance followed the 20 min bout of exercise, indicating a post-exercise analgesic response. These results support the prediction that the analgesic effect of exercise is not limited to controlled experimental conditions, but generalizes to naturally occurring situations.
Satisfaction with healthcare services in South Africa: results of the national 2010 General Household Survey.

INTRODUCTION: The 1998 and 2003 Demographic and Health Surveys suggested increasing rates of dissatisfaction with health services in South Africa. The goal of this analysis was to examine national healthcare satisfaction rates in 2010. METHODS: We conducted weighted logistic regression analysis of data from 22,959 household representatives who participated in the nationally-representative 2010 General Household Survey (GHS). RESULTS: In total, 88.5% of participants were somewhat or very satisfied with their last visit to their usual healthcare provider, including 84.6% of those visiting a public provider and 97.3% of those consulting a private provider. Satisfaction rates were lower for black South Africans (87.0%) and low income households (86.3% of households with monthly incomes less than 2500 rands) than for white South Africans (96.0%) and high income households (94.0% of those with monthly incomes of at least 8000 rands) (p<0.001). However, after adjusting for provider type, there were few differences in satisfaction rates by race/ethnicity and income level. CONCLUSION: The analysis suggests that differences in satisfaction with healthcare services in South Africa by racial/ethnic group and income level are due in large part to different rates of use of private providers.
Silicon and III-V nanoelectronics

Sustaining Moore's Law of doubling CMOS transistor density every twenty four months will require not only shrinking the transistor dimensions, but also introduction of new materials and new device architectures. We discuss in this talk the recent innovations that are being researched and pursued to enable high performance Si-based CMOS nanoelectronics such as the use of highly strained Si channel for enhanced carrier transport, high-K dielectric and metal gate stack for low gate leakage, and non-planar multiple gate transistors for reduced short channel effects. In the future, further power-performance benefit may even potentially be achieved by incorporating III-V compound semiconductor nanoelectronics as ultra-high channel mobility materials. Some novel benchmarking results comparing III-V transistors to state-of-the-art advanced Si transistors will be presented.
The opioid antagonist, β-funaltrexamine, inhibits chemokine expression in human astroglial cells

Emerging evidence indicates that neuroinflammatory responses in astroglia, including chemokine expression, are altered by opioids. Astroglial chemokines, such as CXCL10, are instrumental in response to many neuropathological insults. Opioid mediated disruption of astroglial CXCL10 expression may be detrimental in opioid abusers or patients receiving acute opioid therapy. We have characterized the in vitro effects of opioids on CXCL10 protein expression in human astroglial (A172) cells. The proinflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha induced CXCL10 expression in A172 cells. Using MG-132, helenalin and SN50 [inhibitors of the transcription factor, nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB], we determined that NF-kappaB activation is instrumental in TNFalpha-induced CXCL10 expression in A172 astroglia. Morphine exposure during the 24 h TNFalpha stimulation period did not alter CXCL10 expression. However, fentanyl, a more potent mu-opioid receptor (MOR) agonist, inhibited TNFalpha-induced CXCL10 expression. Interestingly, neither the non-selective opioid receptor antagonist, naltrexone nor beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA), a highly selective MOR antagonist, blocked fentanyl mediated inhibition of TNFalpha-induced CXCL10 expression. Rather, beta-FNA dose-dependently inhibited TNFalpha-induced CXCL10 expression with a greater potency than that observed for fentanyl. Immunoblot analysis indicated that morphine, fentanyl and beta-FNA each reduced TNFalpha-induced nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB p65. These data show that beta-FNA and fentanyl inhibit TNFalpha-induced CXCL10 expression via a MOR-independent mechanism. Data also suggest that inhibition of TNFalpha-induced CXCL10 expression by fentanyl and beta-FNA is not directly related to a reduction in NF-kappaB p65 nuclear translocation. Further investigation is necessary in order to fully elucidate the mechanism through which these two opioid compounds inhibit CXCL10 expression. Understanding the mechanism by which chemokine expression is suppressed, particularly by the opioid antagonist, beta-FNA, may provide insights into the development of safe and effective treatments for neuroinflammation.
Obstructive Lung Disease in Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic Whites: An Analysis of Diagnosis and Survival in the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III Follow-up Study

Background Although obstructive lung disease (OLD), which includes COPD, affects all the populations, Hispanics seem to be protected against COPD development and progression. Whether this advantage translates into a survival benefit for this population is unknown. We aimed to determine the risk for OLD in Mexican Americans, the largest US Hispanic subgroup, compared with non-Hispanic whites and to assess all-cause mortality in subjects with OLD. Methods We assessed the relationships between Mexican American ethnicity and spirometric OLD and risk of death among 6,456 US adults aged ≥ 40 years who participated in the Third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey Follow-up Study. We used logistic and Cox regression analyses to estimate the OR for OLD among Mexican Americans and the hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality among Mexican Americans with OLD, respectively. Results After adjustment for demographic factors, socioeconomic status, and COPD risk factors, Mexican Americans had decreased odds of OLD diagnosis compared with whites (OR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.54-0.95]). Among the 1,734 participants with OLD, 1,054 (60.8%) died during median follow-up of 12 years. In an adjusted model, Mexican Americans had no advantage in mortality from all causes (HR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.69-1.13]). After accounting for the fact that some Mexican Americans may have moved back to Mexico and died there (thus, had no US death certificate), there was still no difference in mortality between these groups. Conclusions Although Mexican Americans appear to have lower risk for OLD, subjects of this ethnicity with OLD do not seem to have a survival advantage.
Characterization of an Intestinal Epithelial Cell Receptor Recognized by the Cryptosporidium parvum Sporozoite Ligand CSL

The protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum is a leading cause of diarrhea in humans and neonatal calves. The absence of approved parasite-specific drugs, vaccines, and immunotherapies for cryptosporidiosis relates in part to limited knowledge on the pathogenesis of zoite attachment and invasion. We recently reported that the C. parvum apical complex glycoprotein CSL contains a zoite ligand for intestinal epithelial cells which is defined by monoclonal antibody (MAb) 3E2. In the present study, the host cell receptor for CSL was characterized. For these studies, a panel of epithelial and mesenchymal cell lines was examined for permissiveness to C. parvum and the ability to bind CSL. Cells of epithelial origin were significantly more permissive and bound significantly greater quantities of CSL than cells of mesenchymal origin. Caco-2 intestinal cells were selected from the epithelial panel for further characterization of the CSL receptor. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that CSL bound initially to the surface of Caco-2 cells and was rapidly internalized. The molecule bound by CSL was identified as an 85-kDa Caco-2 cell surface protein by radioimmunoprecipitation and CSL affinity chromatography. Sporozoite incubation with the isolated 85-kDa protein reduced binding of MAb 3E2. Further, attachment and invasion were significantly inhibited when sporozoites were incubated with the 85-kDa protein prior to inoculation onto Caco-2 cells. These observations indicate that the 85-kDa protein functions as a Caco-2 cell receptor for CSL. CSL also bound specifically to intestinal epithelium from calves, indicating receptor expression in a second important host species. Molecular characterization of the CSL receptor may lead to novel avenues for disrupting ligand-receptor interactions in the pathogenesis of C. parvum infection.
Genetic commonality of macrolide-resistant group A beta hemolytic streptococcus pharyngeal strains

Group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) pharyngitis is a common childhood illness. Penicillin remains the gold standard therapy, but macrolides are indicated for the penicillin allergic patient, and are often used for convenience. We conducted a surveillance study of children with pharyngitis and positive streptococcal rapid antigen testing from 10/05 to 10/06 at 2 sites (A & B). Demographics, treatment, and resistance data was collected and compared to previous data from 2002. Erythromycin (EM) resistance was determined by disk diffusion and E-test on 500 isolates. Pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed to measure genetic relatedness of isolates. StatXact version 8 software (Cytel Inc., Cambridge, MA) was utilized to perform Fisher's exact test and exact confidence interval (CI) analysis. There were no differences in resistance rates or demographic features, with the exception of race, between sites A & B. EM resistance was 0 in 2002, 3.5% in 2005-06 at site A, and 4.5% in 2005-06 at site B. 3/7 and 3/9 had inducible resistance at A and B respectively. 8 isolates had relatedness ≥80%, 5 of which were 88% homologous on PFGE. Community macrolide resistance has increased following increased macrolide use. These results may have treatment implications if use continues to be high.
Emphysematous gastritis and gastric emphysema: Similar radiographic findings, distinct clinical entities

Despite similar appearances on imaging studies, emphysematous gastritis (EG) and gastric emphysema (GE) are rare clinical entities encountered in surgical practices. The purpose of this review is to clarify the presentation, natural history, and optimal treatment strategies for these two disorders. We conducted a comprehensive literature review for reported adult cases of EG and GE in MEDLINE. Two cases from our institution were also included. Patient with demographics, diagnostic and therapeutic data, and outcomes were compared between patients with EG and GE. A total of 75 cases were included for our review. The finding of intramural air in the stomach was often associated with portal vein gas, pneumatosis intestinalis, or pneumoperitoneum in both groups. Surgical removal of the stomach was performed in 23.1 % of EG patients, but only one patient in the GE group. In the EG group, overall mortality (55 %) appeared to be driven by sepsis and its complications, whereas in the GE group, mortality (29 %) was attributable to comorbid conditions and the underlying illness. Prompt surgical intervention is more commonly indicated for severe EG and is directed at removal of the septic organ, while the primary indication for surgical intervention in GE is the uncertainty of the diagnosis.
A content analytic comparison of FTF and ALN case-study discussions

While much research has shown that ALNs can produce learning equivalent to FTF classrooms, there has been little empirical research that explicitly and rigorously explores similarities and differences between the learning processes that occur in ALN and FTF activities. Transcripts from eight case study discussions, 4 FTF, 4 ALN, were content analyzed. The study used a content analytic framework derived primarily from previous work of Anderson, Archer, Garrison and Rourke. These authors developed a model that studies cognitive, social, and teaching processes in ALN discussions. Based on the work of Aviv (2000), the current scheme also considers characteristics of the discourse process. The findings provide evidence that ALNs generate high levels of cognitive activity, at least equal to, and in some cases superior to, the cognitive processes in the FTF classroom.
The influence of temperature and concentration on copper deposition kinetics in supercritical carbon dioxide

The kinetics of copper deposition by the hydrogen-assisted reduction of bis(2,2,7- trimethyloctane-3,5-dionato)copper in supercritical carbon dioxide was studied as a function of temperature and precursor concentration. The growth rate was found to be as high as 31.5 nm/min. Experiments between 220 °C and 270 °C indicated an apparent activation energy of 51.9 kJ/mol. The deposition kinetics were zero order with respect to precursor at 250 °C and 134 bar and precursor concentrations between 0.016 and 0.38 wt.% in CO2. Zero order kinetics over this large concentration interval likely contributes to the exceptional step coverage obtained from Cu depositions from supercritical fluids.
A Decline in Creativity? It Depends on the Domain

Earlier studies using psychometric tests have documented declines in creativity over the past several decades. Our study investigated whether and how this apparent trend would replicate through a qualitative investigation using an authentic nontest measure of creativity. Three-hundred and fifty-four visual artworks and 50 creative writing works produced by adolescents between 1990–1995 and 2006–2011 were assessed. Products were analyzed using a structured assessment method based on technical criteria and content elements. Criteria included in the current investigation (e.g., genre, medium, stylistic approach) are relevant both to the specific media domains and to previously established dimensions of creativity, such as originality and complexity. Results showed strong domain differences: performance in visual arts increased on a variety of indices of complexity and technical proficiency, and performance in writing decreased on indices related to originality and technical proficiency. Findings highlight th...
Metformin suppresses ovarian cancer growth and metastasis with enhancement of cisplatin cytotoxicity in Vivo

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic cancer in women. Its high mortality rate (68%) reflects the fact that 75% of patients have extensive (>stage III) disease at diagnosis and also the limited efficacy of currently available therapies. Consequently, there is clearly a great need to develop improved upfront and salvage therapies for ovarian cancer. Here, we investigated the efficacy of metformin alone and in combination with cisplatin in vivo. A2780 ovarian cancer cells were injected intraperitoneally in nude mice; A2780-induced tumors in nude mice, when treated with metformin in drinking water, resulted in a significant reduction of tumor growth, accompanied by inhibition of tumor cell proliferation (as assessed by immunohistochemical staining of Ki-67, Cyclin D1) as well as decreased live tumor size and mitotic cell count. Metformin-induced activation of AMPK/mTOR pathway was accompanied by decreased microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor expression. More importantly, metformin treatment inhibited the growth of metastatic nodules in the lung and significantly potentiated cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity resulting in approximately 90% reduction in tumor growth compared with treatment by either of the drugs alone. Collectively, our data show for the first time that, in addition to inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, metformin treatment inhibits both angiogenesis and metastatic spread of ovarian cancer. Overall, our study provides a strong rationale for use of metformin in ovarian cancer treatment.
Estimate of high-order linear system with identical design specifications

A novel technique for obtaining low-order estimates of a high-order linear system is proposed. This meets the need for a computationally efficient and conceptually simple algorithm which will yield an estimate of a high-order linear system appropriate for system design purposes. The proposed technique will guarantee that the commonly used system design specifications are identical for both plant and estimate. It overcomes the limitations of most of the existing methods at no additional cost in efficiency. >
Integrating Around the Job to Be Done, Module Note

Unlike traditional market segmentations that are based on a correlation of product sales or service with the attributes of the purchaser (such as age, gender, income level, and education level), jobs-based segmentation seeks to understand the causal roots of purchase--when a buyer needs to "hire" a product or service to get a "job" done. This note details the thought process and the methodology behind a jobs-based segmentation and provides numerous examples. It highlights three levels in the architecture of a job: 1) What is the fundamental job or problem the customer is facing? This includes political, functional, emotional, and social dimensions; 2) What are the experiences in purchase and use that, if all provided, would sum up to nailing the job perfectly? (The "hiring criteria"); and 3) What do we need to integrate, and how must we knit those things together, so that we can provide these experiences?
Multiple independent autonomous hydraulic oscillators driven by a common gravity head

Lab-on-a-chip devices contain liquid circuits, but the electronic-like operation on microfluidic chips at constant pressure is challenging. Here, Kim et al. design a gravity-driven microfluidic oscillator that realizes time-independent self-switching events across multiple parallel sub-circuits.
Promoting Patient Safety Through Reducing Medical Error: A Paradigm of Cooperation Between Patient, Physician, and Attorney

Patient safety has recently become a predominant health law and policy issue. It has been recognized that the vast majority of patient injury occurs due to medical error, and that systems analysis and lessons from other highly complex systems may be useful to reduce error and improve safety. Current medical efforts, however, focus upon individualistic "shame and blame" methods; such punitive approaches are antithetical to well-recognized systems that effectively reduce injury. Further, more modern methods arising from medicine such as risk management appear empirically ineffective. In addition, traditional legal efforts such as the tort system have also not withstood empirical assessment in promoting patient safety. But the law also precludes established systems approaches based on open reporting taken from other industries such as aviation. The common law of tort and contract, statutory law, the law of evidence, state peer review law, and the limits of attorney-client privilege all provide negative incentives to report errors, continuously analyze errors using interdisciplinary teams, and implement and monitor systems solutions in response. A broader infrastructure that incorporates systems analysis, removes legal impediments, and provides opportunities for every member of the health care enterprise to participate in error reduction is necessary to address this critical policy issue.
Book Review - Power Law and the Internet

This is an integrative review of three books: 1. Huberman, Bernardo (2003), The Laws of the Web: Patterns in the Ecology of Information, MIT Press. 2. Watts, Duncan J (2003), Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age, WW Norton and Co. 3. Barabasi, Alberto-Laszlo(2002), Linked: The New Science of Networks, Perseus Book Group.
Modeling and Control of Tensegrity Systems Under LEO Gravitational Effects

The purpose of this paper is to provide a preliminary study of the gravity effects on tensegrity systems operating in low-Earth orbit (LEO). The dynamics of such systems are discussed and a derivation of the effects of gravitational potential energy is provided. A representative tensegrity system is considered and the statics problem for prestressed configurations is analytically solved. Instantaneous analysis of the system’s distortions under the effects of gravity is performed. Furthermore, linear quadratic control design is performed, indicating its feasibility for tensegrity stabilization under LEO gravity effects.
Testing exponentiality based on Kullback-Leibler information

In this paper a test of fit for exponentiality based on the estimated Kullback-Leibler information is proposed. The procedure is applicable when the exponential parameter is or is not specified under the null hypothesis. The test uses the Vasicek entropy estimate, so to compute it a window size m must first be fixed. A procedure for choosing m for various sample sizes is proposed and corresponding critical values are computed by Monte Carlo simulations