cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A sub-1 mA 1.5-GHz silicon bipolar dual modulus prescaler

This paper describes a 2.7-V dual modulus (/spl divide/64/65, /spl divide/128/129) prescaler that operates up to 1.5 GHz with a power consumption of 1.97 mW (Vcc=2.3 V, Icc=860 /spl mu/A). The prescaler also incorporates a stand-by mode feature, which reduces its power dissipation to 0.12 mW when enabled. This performance has been achieved on a 0.8-/spl mu/m advanced bipolar technology. >
Maladaptive Opioid Use Behaviors and Psychiatric Illness: What Should We Do with What We Know?

It is well established that opioids are broadly effective for chronic pain. Although there is some agreement that stable, moderate dosing is desirable; longer-term management of patients with chronic pain often confronts clinicians with difficult decisions regarding when to intensify opioid treatment and when to declare failure. Under these circumstances the concern for addiction arises with uncomfortable frequency in specialty settings. An emerging literature has defined a number of plausible markers of risk for aberrant opioid use behaviors in clinical chronic pain populations. Some of these risk factors involve the presence of comorbid psychiatric illnesses, which puts clinicians in the difficult position of deciding whether or not to limit treatment to patients who are more complex. The authors discuss the issues of bad behavioral outcomes in opioid therapy, the implications of this emerging literature for clinicians, and suggest broad areas in which researchers can improve the knowledge base with which clinicians operate.
The International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development after 25 Years: Retrospect and Prospect

The International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development observed its 25th anniversary in 1994. Circumstances leading to the establishment of the Society in 1969 are recounted in this art...
Advances in Interventional Neuroradiology

In 2008 we witnessed a rapid advancement in stent technology, which is reflected in the high number of case reports, publications of case series, and randomized trials. Stents not only served for a combined intrasaccular and extrasaccular treatment of challenging aneurysms but also assisted the revascularization in acute and chronic ischemic conditions of the neurovascular system. Although a self-expanding nitinol semiopen cell stent is currently used for intracranial occlusive disease, a new retrievable closed-cell designed stent is widely used for aneurysms because of its easy delivery through a microcatheter in frequently tortuous head and neck as well as cerebrovascular circulation (Figure 1). However, despite numerous publications in the field, the widespread acceptance of the use of stents to routinely treat carotid stenosis awaits the results of the multicenter randomized clinical trials that should be available in 2009. The role of interventional neuroradiology in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke continues to expand and excite interest.
Rhizosphere priming effect increases the temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition

The temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition has been a crucial topic in global change research, yet remains highly uncertain. One of the contributing factors to this uncertainty is the lack of understanding about the role of rhizosphere priming effect (RPE) in shaping the temperature sensitivity. Using a novel continuous 13C-labeling method, we investigated the temperature sensitivity of RPE and its impact on the temperature sensitivity of SOM decomposition. We observed an overall positive RPE. The SOM decomposition rates in the planted treatments increased 17–163% above the unplanted treatments in three growth chamber experiments including two plant species, two growth stages, and two warming methods. More importantly, warming by 5 °C increased RPE up to threefold, hence, the overall temperature sensitivity of SOM decomposition was consistently enhanced (Q10 values increased 0.3–0.9) by the presence of active rhizosphere. In addition, the proportional contribution of SOM decomposition to total soil respiration was increased by soil warming, implying a higher temperature sensitivity of SOM decomposition than that of autotrophic respiration. Our results, for the first time, clearly demonstrated that root–soil interactions play a crucial role in shaping the temperature sensitivity of SOM decomposition. Caution is required for interpretation of any previously determined temperature sensitivity of SOM decomposition that omitted rhizosphere effects using either soil incubation or field root-exclusion. More attention should be paid to RPE in future experimental and modeling studies of SOM decomposition.
RDA and Archives

With the movement toward automation and standardization in archival descriptive practice, archivists have increasingly been impacted by library systems and standards. With the release of the new library descriptive rules, Resource Description and Access (RDA), archives can now be seen to have a reciprocal influence on the development of bibliographic standards. However, RDA's reliance on library conceptual models also introduces new challenges for archivists who may wish to apply library descriptive frameworks to archival materials. This article examines the impact of archives on RDA, and the potential impact of RDA on archives.
Signaling Effects: Increased Content Retention and New Answers—Part II

This study investigated the role of signaling in helping good readers comprehend expository text. As the existing literature on signaling, reviewed in the last issue of this Journal, pointed to deficiencies in previous studies' methodologies, one goal of this study was to refine prose research methods. Two passages were designed in one of eight signaled versions each. The design was constructed to assess the individual and combined effects of headings, previews, and logical connectives. The study also assessed the effect of passage length, familiarity, and difficulty. The results showed that signals do improve a reader's comprehension, particularly comprehension two weeks after the reading of a passage and comprehension of superordinate and superordinate inferential information. This study supports the hypothesis that signals can influence retention of text-based information, particularly with long, unfamiliar, or difficult passages.
Soy Components vs. Whole Soy: Are We Betting Our Bones on a Long Shot?

Soybeans are a good source of bone-healthy nutrients. Epidemiological studies in Asia evaluating diets containing traditional whole soy foods show a positive association with bone mineral density and fracture protection. Smaller scale intervention studies in Western nations mainly feature isolated soy protein (SP) and purified or concentrated soy isoflavones (SI) rather than whole soy foods and they have produced inconsistent results. Consumption of SP does not alter calcium (Ca) retention even though urinary Ca excretion is less in diets with SP compared with proteins higher in sulfur-containing amino acids. SI, often consumed at higher concentrations than would be available in traditional Asian diets, are not yielding the type of incontrovertible evidence that might be expected in support of their benefit to bone health. This forces one to ask whether whole soy might provide a superior effect on bone.
Metadata workflows across research domains: challenges and opportunities for supporting the DFC cyberinfrastructure

This poster presents research results from a survey studying metadata workflows. In the context of this study, a 'metadata workflow' is defined as a workflow that generates metadata for a data collection. The following research question guided this investigation: Where are people (and automated processes) creating metadata in the data life cycle, and what could be done to improve the quality?
Structure of Portions of the Northern Continental Shelf, Gulf of Mexico, as Determined by Seismic Refraction Measurements: ABSTRACT

The data from numerous seismic refraction profiles are presented in the form of five cross sections and three isopach maps. The specific areas covered are (1) the continental shelf south of Galveston, Texas, and (2) the continental shelf south of the Florida Panhandle. The area south of Galveston is represented by one cross section. This section shows the continuation seaward of the south-dipping sedimentary beds of the Texas Gulf Coast to a point approximately 60 km. south of Galveston where a reversal of dip is noted. At this point, presumably the axis of the Gulf Coast geosyncline, there are 13 km. of post-Cretaceous sediments. A broad ridge between the geosyncline and the Sigsbee scarp is shown. In the area south of the Florida Panhandle, four cross sections and three isopach maps show the relationship between the known onshore structure and the structure of the shelf. A continuation seaward of the Apalachicola embayment is noted and the great thickening of the Lower Cretaceous is shown to continue approximately 20 km. south of the present shoreline. End_of_Article - Last_Page 349------------
Development of an RF Conditioning System for Charged-Particle Accelerators

Charged-particle accelerators use various vacuum windows on their accelerating radio-frequency (RF) cavities to throughput very high RF power. Before being placed on the cavities, the windows should be cleaned, baked, and fully RF conditioned to prevent a poor vacuum from outgassing, as well as other forms of contamination. An example is the coaxial fundamental power coupler (FPC) with an annular alumina ceramic window for each of the 81 superconducting RF cavities in the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) linear accelerator. The FPCs needed to be tested up to 650-kW peak in a traveling wave and 2.6 MW with standing wave peaks in 1.3 and 60 pulses/s at 805 MHz. In this paper, an Experimental-Physics-and-Industrial-Control-System-based RF conditioning system for the SNS RF test facility is presented. This paper summarizes the hardware and software design strategies, provides the results obtained, and describes the future research scope.
A thermal transition of passive calcium efflux in fragmented sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The temperature dependence of passive Ca2+ efflux from skeletal muscle fragmented sarcoplasmic reticulum(FSR) was studied by dilution of a suspension of the vesicles into which 1 mM (CaCl2 + 45Ca) had been passively incorporated by overnight incubation at 3°. It was found that in the presence of 5 mM Mg2+, Ca2+ efflux could be resolved into two simultaneous first-order processes between 5° and 35°, but only a single first-order process appeared between 37° and 55°. Two independent functional transitions were found at 30°, indicating an abrupt membrane molecular reorganization at that temperature: (1) The two components of Ca2+ efflux at 5°-35° contributed equally to the total observed initial efflux at temperatures up to 30°. Between 30° and 35°, the relative contribution of the fast component progressively diminished until, by 37°, only the slow component remained. (2) The slow component, which persisted throughout the entire temperature range 5°-55°, exhibited a break in its Arrhenius plot at 30°-32°.El...
Information Theory and Propensity Score Matching

This paper develops a generalized maximum entropy (GME) approach to propensity score matching (PSM). A GME discrete choice model is used to develop propensity scores and estimate treatment effects in a set of Monte Carlo simulations. The GME PSM is compared to a more traditional logit PSM. Sample sizes and common support regions are varied across simulations to reflect common problems in the program evaluation literature. The GME PSM exhibits bias levels that are comparable to the logit PSM, but it provides substantial improvements in the precision of treatment effect estimates (including lower standard deviation of the treatment effect estimate and lower RMSE).
Exploring Health Care Providers’ Views About Initiating End-of-Life Care Communication:

Numerous factors impede effective and timely end-of-life (EOL) care communication. These factors include delays in communication until patients are seriously ill and/or close to death. Gaps in patient-provider communication negatively affect advance care planning and limit referrals to palliative and hospice care. Confusion about the roles of various health care providers also limits communication, especially when providers do not coordinate care with other health care providers in various disciplines. Although providers receive education regarding EOL communication and care coordination, little is known about the roles of all health care providers, including nonphysician support staff working with physicians to discuss the possibility of dying and help patients prepare for death. This study explores the perspectives of physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains on engaging seriously ill patients and families in EOL care communication. Qualitative data were from 79 (medical and nonmedical) providers practicing at 2 medical centers in Central Los Angeles. Three themes that describe providers' perceptions of their roles and responsibility in talking with seriously ill patients emerged: (1) providers' roles for engaging in EOL discussions, (2) responsibility of physicians for initiating and leading discussions, and (3) need for team co-management patient care. Providers highlighted the importance of beginning discussions early by having physicians lead them, specifically due to their medical training and need to clarify medical information regarding patients' prognosis. Although physicians are a vital part of leading EOL communication, and are at the center of communication of medical information, an interdisciplinary approach that involves nurses, social workers, and chaplains could significantly improve patient care.
The Topographical Model of Multiple Sclerosis: A New Visualization of Disease Course (P4.013)

OBJECTIVE: Develop a new unified MS clinical course model. BACKGROUND: Both inflammatory (relapsing) and neurodegenerative (progressive) processes contribute to MS disease course, but neither the relationship between them, nor the spectrum of clinical heterogeneity, is fully characterized in current clinical course categories. We have previously shown both diagnostic and prognostic uncertainty inherent in applying these categories to individual patients. A conceptually lucid, biologically informed model could build on these categories to encompass the admixture of factors underlying MS disease course. DESIGN/METHODS: The model design encapsulates five factors: topographical distribution of lesions and relapses they cause; relapse frequency, severity, and recovery; and progression rate. The model visually depicts the interplay of factors utilizing 3D animated renderings . The CNS is represented as a pool, with a shallow end and a deep end. Spinal cord and optic nerves occupy the shallow end, the posterior fossa comprises the middle, and the cerebral hemispheres constitute the deep end, each having increasing amounts of functional reserve. MS lesions rise up as topographical peaks from the pool floor. The water9s surface depicts the clinical threshold: lesions below the surface are clinically silent; those that cross it cause clinical relapses. Progression is depicted as the slowly dropping water level, representing depletion of functional capacity. Thus, like symptom recrudescence in Uhthoff9s phenomenon, progression clinically takes the form of prior relapses/lesions, incrementally revealing above the surface the underlying lesion topography. RESULTS: A dynamic, 3D-rendered visualization of the topographical model will be shown. Quantifiable clinical and MRI correlates of the depicted factors will be elucidated. CONCLUSIONS: This model depicts disease course in a clinically nuanced way that complements the clinical course categories. Expressed mathematically, the prognostic/predictive implications can be empirically tested, including application to clinical trial datasets. This new conceptualization of disease course may have bench and clinical MS research implications. Disclosure: Dr. Krieger has received personal compensation for activities with Acorda Therapeutics, Bayer HealthCare, Biogen Idec, EMD Serono, Genzyme, Questcor Pharmaceuticals, and Teva Neuroscience as a consultant and/or advisory board member.
Russia’s Modernization: The Role of the Russian Orthodox Church

These theses form part of a book length project on the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the modernization of Russia. In it I will seek to explain why the rise of traditional religious institutions in Russia is occurring at the same time that the government and society are embarked upon a massive program of modernization. Social science theory suggests that modernization ought to be accompanied by a decline in both religious sentiment and the influence of religious institutions. Exactly the opposite has happened in Russia since the collapse of USSR, and we need to understand why.
Household Correlates of Purchase Price for Grocery Products

The authors report a study of the correlation between selected household socioeconomic and purchasing characteristics and the average purchase price paid for a grocery product, replicated over each...
Demethylation of the progesterone receptor CpG island is not required for progesterone receptor gene expression

Progesterone receptor (PR) is an estrogen-stimulated gene which has a CpG island that is heavily methylated in a significant fraction of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative/PR-negative human breast cancers and cell lines, including MDA-MB-231 cells. Treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells with the demethylating agent, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (deoxyC) led to demethylation and expression of ER and PR. However, simultaneous treatment with antiestrogen prevented PR transcription, suggesting that demethylation of PR alone is not sufficient to reactivate the PR gene. To examine the effects of ER on the methylation status of the PR CpG island, we stably transfected MDA-MB-231 cells with an inducible expression vector for ER. Surprisingly, in two cell clones, we found that induction of PR gene expression by ligand-bound ER does not require demethylation of the PR CpG island. In contrast, induction of PR transcription was inhibited by blocking the interaction of ER with SRC-1A, a coactivator of ER function. For the first time, we show that a transcription factor with the potential to remodel heterochromatin can activate gene expression without altering the methylation status of the CpG island. These results raise the possibility that demethylation and histone acetylation are distinct but complementary mechanisms for destabilizing heterochromatin and activating transcription.
Spatial Regulators for Bacterial Cell Division Self-Organize into an Oscillator on a Flat Bilayer

The E. coli Min system self-organizes into a cell-pole to cell-pole oscillator on the membrane to position cell division at mid-cell. We reconstituted and visualized the Min system on a flat lipid bilayer under protein depletion conditions and identified a pattern we call ‘bursts’ - radially expanding bilayer binding centers of the MinD ATPase that are corralled and disassembled by a ring of the ATPase stimulator, MinE. Bursts share several features with in vivo dynamics such as the ability to oscillate. We propose a patterning mechanism whereby the Min system self-organizes into an oscillator without the spatial confinement of a bacterial cell.
Additional observations on abdominal appendages of notched sternite mutants of Blattella germanica (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

The notched sternite (st) mutant of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), alters development of ventral abdominal segments. Reoccurrence of valvulae on a pregenital segment and of a stylus-bearing appendage that lies laterally to the first valvulae (gonapophyses) in st females is described. Also reported is a replacement of a pleuropodium by a small segmented leg and pleuropodia-like structures on abdominal segments posterior to the first segment in embryos. Evolutionary implications of these structures are considered.
Action of fibrinolysin (plasmin) on proteins.

SummaryBy the action of fibrinolysin fibrinogen is converted to products which are not coagulated by thrombin, but which are precipitated by TCA. The enzyme is much less active for fibrin and casein. The former is lysed to give a product only about 20% of which is soluble in TCA. The product from casein, which is not coagulated by rennin, is also largely precipitated by TCA, although soluble to the extent of about 20%.
The pattern and timing of prehistoric settlement in Central Australia

The focus of this thesis has been upon the question of the age and timing of human settlement in the arid zone, upon changes in prehistoric landuse, and upon establishing the antiquity of the distinctive seedgathering economies of the region. I have been seeking to document the early foundations of desert societies, to document the transformations that have taken place and to understand the processes underlying these changes. I have shown that on existing archaeological evidence seed-grinding implements have an antiquity of no more than 3000-4000 years BP. In a series of excavations in Central Australia I have documented major changes in landuse. I have also been able to demonstrate that the central part of the arid tone was penetrated by human groups before 20,000 years BP. I have interpreted the pattern and timing of settlement, the discontinuities in occupation of the region and the technological innovations as exemplifying the cultural and technological responses of a human population to a fluctuating environment.
BKM-120 (Buparlisib): A Phosphatidyl-Inositol-3 Kinase Inhibitor with Anti-Invasive Properties in Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is an aggressive, invasive tumor of the central nervous system (CNS). There is a widely acknowledged need for anti-invasive therapeutics to limit glioblastoma invasion. BKM-120 is a CNS-penetrant pan-class I phosphatidyl-inositol-3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitor in clinical trials for solid tumors, including glioblastoma. We observed that BKM-120 has potent anti-invasive effects in glioblastoma cell lines and patient-derived glioma cells in vitro. These anti-migratory effects were clearly distinguishable from cytostatic and cytotoxic effects at higher drug concentrations and longer durations of drug exposure. The effects were reversible and accompanied by changes in cell morphology and pronounced reduction in both cell/cell and cell/substrate adhesion. In vivo studies showed that a short period of treatment with BKM-120 slowed tumor spread in an intracranial xenografts. GDC-0941, a similar potent and selective PI3K inhibitor, only caused a moderate reduction in glioblastoma cell migration. The effects of BKM-120 and GDC-0941 were indistinguishable by in vitro kinase selectivity screening and phospho-protein arrays. BKM-120 reduced the numbers of focal adhesions and the velocity of microtubule treadmilling compared with GDC-0941, suggesting that mechanisms in addition to PI3K inhibition contribute to the anti-invasive effects of BKM-120. Our data suggest the CNS-penetrant PI3K inhibitor BKM-120 may have anti-invasive properties in glioblastoma.
Impact of disruption of secondary binding site S2 on dopamine transporter function.

The structures of the leucine transporter, drosophila dopamine transporter, and human serotonin transporter show a secondary binding site (designated S2 ) for drugs and substrate in the extracellular vestibule toward the membrane exterior in relation to the primary substrate recognition site (S1 ). The present experiments are aimed at disrupting S2 by mutating Asp476 and Ile159 to Ala. Both mutants displayed a profound decrease in [(3) H]DA uptake compared with wild-type associated with a reduced turnover rate kcat . This was not caused by a conformational bias as the mutants responded to Zn(2+) (10 μM) similarly as WT. The dopamine transporters with either the D476A or I159A mutation both displayed a higher Ki for dopamine for the inhibition of [3H](-)-2-β-carbomethoxy-3-β-(4-fluorophenyl)tropane binding than did the WT transporter, in accordance with an allosteric interaction between the S1 and S2 sites. The results provide evidence in favor of a general applicability of the two-site allosteric model of the Javitch/Weinstein group from LeuT to dopamine transporter and possibly other monoamine transporters. X-ray structures of transporters closely related to the dopamine (DA) transporter show a secondary binding site S2 in the extracellular vestibule proximal to the primary binding site S1 which is closely linked to one of the Na(+) binding sites. This work examines the relationship between S2 and S1 sites. We found that S2 site impairment severely reduced DA transport and allosterically reduced S1 site affinity for the cocaine analog [(3) H]CFT. Our results are the first to lend direct support for the application of the two-site allosteric model, advanced for bacterial LeuT, to the human DA transporter. The model states that, after binding of the first DA molecule (DA1 ) to the primary S1 site (along with Na(+) ), binding of a second DA (DA2 ) to the S2 site triggers, through an allosteric interaction, the release of DA1 and Na(+) into the cytoplasm.
The MAPK Pathway in Melanoma

Dysregulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway has been associated with various neoplasms including melanomas. Common alterations in the MAPK pathway in melanomas include mutations in BRAF, EGFR, KIT, RAS, MEK, and ERK. The increased understanding of the biology and genetics of melanoma has generated interest in targeting the MAPK pathway for the treatment of melanoma. Vemurafenib, which targets the BRAF-V600E mutant protein, was the first FDA-approved drug for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma. In this chapter, we summarize the current understanding of the contributions of MAPK pathway alterations to melanoma development. We also discuss the association between mutations in particular genes and specific melanoma subtypes and the role of MAPK alterations in melanoma diagnosis. Therapeutic agents, in various stages of development, which target members of the MAPK pathway, are also discussed.
Leptin-Induced JAK/STAT Signaling and Cancer Growth

Growth factor and cytokine signaling can influence the development of several cancer types. One of the key players in the development of cancer is the Janus kinas (JAK) signal transducer of activators of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway. The majority of growth factors and cytokine interactions with their membrane-bound receptors trigger JAK-STAT activation. The influential relationship between obesity and cancer is a fact. However, there is a complex sequence of events contributing to the regulation of this mechanism to promote tumor growth, yet to be fully elucidated. The JAK-STAT pathway is influenced by obesity-associated changes that have been shown to impact cancer growth and progression. This intricate process is highly regulated by a vast array of adipokines and cytokines that exert their pleiotropic effects on cancer cells to enhance metastasis to distant target sites. Leptin is a cytokine, or more precise, an adipokine secreted mainly by adipose tissue that requires JAK-STAT activation to exert its biological functions. Leptin is the central regulator of energy balance and appetite. Leptin binding to its receptor OB-R in turn activates JAK-STAT, which induces proliferation, angiogenesis, and anti-apoptotic events in normal cells and malignant cells expressing the receptor. Leptin also induces crosstalk with Notch and IL-1 (NILCO), which involves other angiogenic factors promoting tumor growth. Therefore, the existence of multiple novel classes of therapeutics that target the JAK/STAT pathway has significant clinical implications. Then, the identification of the signaling networks and factors that regulate the obesity-cancer link to which potential pharmacologic interventions can be implemented to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. In this review, we will discuss the specific relationship between leptin-JAK-STAT signaling and cancer.
Comparison of conventional DCE-MRI and a novel golden-angle radial multicoil compressed sensing method for the evaluation of breast lesion conspicuity

Purpose To compare a novel multicoil compressed sensing technique with flexible temporal resolution, golden-angle radial sparse parallel (GRASP), to conventional fat-suppressed spoiled three-dimensional (3D) gradient-echo (volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination, VIBE) MRI in evaluating the conspicuity of benign and malignant breast lesions. Materials and Methods Between March and August 2015, 121 women (24–84 years; mean, 49.7 years) with 180 biopsy-proven benign and malignant lesions were imaged consecutively at 3.0 Tesla in a dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI exam using sagittal T1-weighted fat-suppressed 3D VIBE in this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant, retrospective study. Subjects underwent MRI-guided breast biopsy (mean, 13 days [1–95 days]) using GRASP DCE-MRI, a fat-suppressed radial “stack-of-stars” 3D FLASH sequence with golden-angle ordering. Three readers independently evaluated breast lesions on both sequences. Statistical analysis included mixed models with generalized estimating equations, kappa-weighted coefficients and Fisher's exact test. Results All lesions demonstrated good conspicuity on VIBE and GRASP sequences (4.28 ± 0.81 versus 3.65 ± 1.22), with no significant difference in lesion detection (P = 0.248). VIBE had slightly higher lesion conspicuity than GRASP for all lesions, with VIBE 12.6% (0.63/5.0) more conspicuous (P < 0.001). Masses and nonmass enhancement (NME) were more conspicuous on VIBE (P < 0.001), with a larger difference for NME (14.2% versus 9.4% more conspicuous). Malignant lesions were more conspicuous than benign lesions (P < 0.001) on both sequences. Conclusion GRASP DCE-MRI, a multicoil compressed sensing technique with high spatial resolution and flexible temporal resolution, has near-comparable performance to conventional VIBE imaging for breast lesion evaluation. Level of Evidence: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;45:1746–1752
Luminescent tin-doped phosphate glasses activated by carbon

Abstract This paper reports on the use of carbon powder together with tin(IV) oxide to produce rare earth-free blue-emitting phosphate glasses by melting in ambient atmosphere. While the as-prepared SnO 2 -doped glass was lacking in luminescent features, increasing amounts of graphite added to batch materials lead to developing the blue-emitting character of the glasses under excitation in the ultraviolet (UV). Upon addition of the highest amount of graphite at 2.0 wt%, the luminescence of carbon-induced defects became noticeable. Time-resolved UV-excited emission spectra appeared consistent with the different contributors to the exhibited luminescence being the twofold-coordinated tin centers alongside carbon-induced defects.
Porphyromonas gingivalis Is the Most Abundant Species Detected in Coronary and Femoral Arteries

ABSTRACTAn association between oral bacteria and atherosclerosis has been postulated. A limited number of studies have used 16S RNA gene sequencing-based metagenomics approaches to identify bacteria at the species level from atherosclerotic plaques in arterial walls. The objective of this study was to establish detailed oral microbiome profiles, at both genus and species level, of clinically healthy coronary and femoral artery tissues from patients with atherosclerosis. Tissue specimens were taken from clinically non-atherosclerotic areas of coronary or femoral arteries used for attachment of bypass grafts in 42 patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Bacterial DNA was sequenced using the MiSeq platform, and sequence reads were screened in silico for nearly 600 oral species using the HOMINGS ProbeSeq species identification program. The number of sequence reads matched to species or genera were used for statistical analyses. A total of 230 and 118 species were detected in coronary and femoral...
A case for complements? Location and attendance in Major League Soccer

ABSTRACTAs Major League Soccer (MLS) continues to award expansion franchises throughout North America, the league must be considerate of how new clubs may impact attendance levels at nearby clubs. Regardless of whether new MLS clubs are awarded to cities with strong North American Soccer League histories, league officials must be mindful of the effect that geographically close competitors can have on attendance. Perhaps stemming from the limited number of clubs in competition, MLS teams currently appear to operate as strategic complements to one another, increasing season-long attendance as teams locate closer to one another.
Knowledge behavior model of e-government social media users

Purpose A social media user behavior model is presented as a function of different user types, i.e. light and heavy users. The users’ behaviors are analyzed in terms of knowledge creation, framing and targeting. Design/methodological approach Data consisting of 160,000 tweets by nearly 40,000 twitter users in the city of Newark (NJ, USA) were collected during the year 2014. An analysis was conducted to examine the hypothesis that different user types exhibit distinct behaviors driven from different motivations. Findings There are three important findings of this study. First, light users reuse existing content more often, while heavy and automated users create original content more often. Light users also use more sentiments than the heavy and automated users. Second, automated users frame more than heavy users, who frame more than light users. Third, light users tend to target a specific audience, while heavy and automated users broadcast to a general audience. Research implications Decision-makers can use this study to improve communication with their customers (the public) and allocate resources more effectively for better public services. For example, they can better identify subsets of users and then share and track specialized content to these subsets more effectively. Originality/value Despite the broad interest, there is insufficient research on many aspects of social media use, and very limited empirical research examining the relevance and impact of social media within the public sector. The social media user behavior model was established as a framework that can provide explanations for different social media knowledge behaviors exhibited by various subsets of users, in an e-government context.
Novel Electrophysiology Signal Recording System Improves Signal Acquisition and Appreciation of Catheter Contact Force

Catheter stability and adequate tissue contact are recognized as being fundamental to achieving favorable outcomes in ablation procedures. Conversely, excessive contact is associated with procedural complications. At present, electrogram amplitude and impedance are poor predictors of electrode-
Epsin-Dependent Ligand Endocytosis Activates Notch by Force.

DSL ligands activate Notch by inducing proteolytic cleavage of the receptor ectodomain, an event that requires ligand to be endocytosed in signal-sending cells by the adaptor protein Epsin. Two classes of explanation for this unusual requirement are (1) recycling models, in which the ligand must be endocytosed to be modified or repositioned before it binds Notch and (2) pulling models, in which the ligand must be endocytosed after it binds Notch to exert force that exposes an otherwise buried site for cleavage. We demonstrate in vivo that ligands that cannot enter the Epsin pathway nevertheless bind Notch but fail to activate the receptor because they cannot exert sufficient force. This argues against recycling models and in favor of pulling models. Our results also suggest that once ligand binds receptor, activation depends on a competition between Epsin-mediated ligand endocytosis, which induces cleavage, and transendocytosis of the ligand by the receptor, which aborts the incipient signal.
A Navigation Solution Using a MEMS IMU, Model-Based Dead-Reckoning, and One-Way-Travel-Time Acoustic Range Measurements for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Recent advances in acoustic navigation methods are enabling extended autonomous underwater vehicles’ (AUVs) mission time while maintaining their XY position error within appropriate limits. Furthermore, while advances in inertial sensor technology are drastically lowering the size, power consumption, and cost of these sensors, these sensors remain noisy and accrue error over time. This paper builds on the research and recent developments in single beacon one-way-travel-time acoustic navigation and investigates the degree of bounding position error for small AUVs with a minimal navigation strapdown sensor suite, relying on a consumer grade microelectromechanical system inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a vehicle's dynamic model velocity. An implementation of an extended Kalman filter that includes IMU bias estimation and coupled with a range filter is obtained in the field on two types of AUVs. Results from these field trials in controlled environments and ocean show that the reported navigation solution possesses an accuracy comparable to existing methods.
17O MAS and 3QMAS NMR Investigation of Crystalline V2O5 and Layered V2O5·nH2O Gels

The environments for oxygen sites in crystalline V 2 O 5 and in layered vanadia gels produced via sol-gel synthesis have been investigated using 17 O MAS and 3QMAS NMR. For crystalline V 2 O 5 , three structural oxygen sites were observed: V=O (vanadyl), V 2 O (doubly coordinated), and V 3 O (triply coordinated). Line-shape parameters for these sites were determined from numerical simulations of the MAS spectra. For the vanadia gels at various stages of dehydration, assignments have been proposed for numerous vanadyl, doubly coordinated, and triply coordinated oxygen sites. In addition, by correlating the 17 O MAS and 3QMAS NMR, 51 V MAS NMR, and thermogravimetric analysis data, the coordination of water sites has been established. On the basis of these results, the gel structure and its evolution at various stages of hydration have been detailed. Upon rehydration of the layered gel, we observed a preferred site for initial water readsorption. The oxygen atoms of these readsorbed water molecules readily exchanged into all types of oxygen sites even at room temperature.
The Assertive Job-Hunting Survey.

This article describes the development of the 25-item Assertive Job Hunting Survey, an instrument designed to assess self-reported job-hunting attitudes. This survey meets acceptable standards for internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .82) and stability (test/retest correlation = .77 over a two-month period). Two separate groups of students have demonstrated statistically significant increases in Assertive Job Hunting Survey scores from beginning to end of four-week classes designed to apply the concept of assertiveness to job-hunting behaviors. The results of these studies also indicated that sex and previous job-hunting experience affected scores. Becker discusses potential uses of the survey and possible directions for future research.
ALI, ARDS, and Protective Lung Ventilation

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are clinical syndromes characterized by acute onset of severe hypoxemia and diffuse bilateral pulmonary infiltrates in the absence of clinical evidence of left heart failure. The mainstay of treatment is supportive care with an emphasis on the delivery of mechanical ventilation. Often these syndromes are a part of a systemic critical illness, such as severe sepsis, polytrauma, or multiple organ failure with injury to the lung, either directly or indirectly. Increasingly, recognition of the genetic predisposition to lung injury has enhanced our understanding about these syndromes. Though therapeutic options are limited, evidence from prospective randomized trials over the last decade has provided insights into mechanical ventilation and fluid management strategies for these patients, which have improved mortality and decreased ventilator days.
Personal Reflections on Reading Discourse on the Middle East for New Intercultural Understandings

While creating a lasting peace process in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and the Arab world, and more specifically with Palestine, has a history of more than 2000 years, this article ...
Parametric Modeling of AZ31-Mg Alloy Friction Stir Weld Temperature Histories

A parametric model of friction stir weld temperature histories is presented that uses constraint conditions, which are three-dimensional isothermal boundary conditions on the calculated temperature fields. This study describes further extension, with respect to formulation, of a parametric-modeling methodology, which is relatively optimal in terms of representation for application to friction stir welding and processing. These parametric representations of temperature histories can be used for modeling friction stir welds whose process conditions are similar to those in this study. Calculations of AZ31-Mg alloy friction stir weld temperature histories are presented, which use temperature-field constraint conditions based on measured weld cross sections and a model for the estimation of weld stir zone temperatures.
Transcommissural afferent projections of lemniscal and spino-reticulo-thalamic systems.

1. In experimental animals (cats), besides classical pathways of conduction of kinesthetic sensation from each half of the body to the ipsilateral structures of the forebrain, which are crossed at the level of the medulla, there exist also uncrossed pathways. 2. Both classical and unclassical kinesthetic pathways have transcommissural projections, rostrally to the midbrain, to the somatosensory structures of the contralateral thalamus and hemisphere. On account of this, kinesthetic impulses from each half of the body “meet” in the somatosensory structures of each hemisphere. 3. The lemniscal system, a classical system for conduction of kinesthetic sensation, has transcommissural projections to somatosensory structures of the contralateral thalamus and hemisphere. They are evidently carried by the interthalamic commissure and the corpus callosum. 4. Activation of the lemniscal and also, possibly, the spino-cervico-thalamic system as a result of stimulation of the forelimb is reflected in the somatosensory structures of both hemispheres by the appearance of an early complex of the response, which develops in animals anesthetized with pentobarbital during the first 20 msec after the beginning of stimulation. 5. The ipsilateral pathways of the spino-reticulo-thalamic somatosensory system have transcommissural projections rostral to the midbrain to the somatosensory structures of the contralateral thalamus and hemisphere.
Advancing Knowledge for Use in Coastal and Estuarine Management: Competitive Research in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Decades of research has generated new scientific understanding and technologies aimed at better managing environmental change in estuarine and coastal regions. Yet many across the communities of coastal and estuarine research, management, and funding believe that progress has been too slow in applying this research in practice. This essay reviews how the National Estuarine Research Reserve System’s funding program evolved over the past two decades to improve how researchers and users of research work together to increase the uptake of science to achieve resource management and conservation goals. Incremental innovation in the design of the NERRS funding program enabled more intensive and multiway engagement between funders, researchers, and users, which created new pathways for applying science in practice. Furthermore, these interactions stimulate reflection and adaptation within each separate institutional setting, supporting changes that may science to better support environmental problem solving.
A Novel Mechanism of High Dose Radiation Sensitization by Metformin.

Introduction: Metformin, the most widely used treatment for diabetes, is lethal to cancer cells and increases in toxicity when used in combination with radiation. In addition to various molecular and metabolic mechanisms that have been previously proposed, the studies presented provide evidence of an additional, novel mechanism of sensitization following high dose radiotherapy; the magnitude of sensitization depends on the microenvironmental levels of glucose and oxygen which are in turn affected by high dose radiation. Methods: Cancer cells (A549 and MCF7) were studied in vitro under various controlled conditions. Endpoints included clonogenic cell survival and ROS expression measured by DHE and DCFDA. CD1 nu/nu athymic mice implanted with A549 cells received metformin alone (200 mg/kg, i.p.), radiation alone (15 Gy) or a combination of metformin and radiation; the effect of treatment sequence on efficacy was assessed by tumor growth delay and histology. In a separate set of experiments, tumor blood flow was measured using a tracer clearance technique using SPECT after the administration of metformin alone, radiation alone and the combined treatment. Results: In vivo, metformin provided equally effective tumor growth delay when given 24 hours after radiation as when given 1hour or 4 hours before radiation, an observation not previously reported and, in fact, unexpected based on published scientific literature. When drug followed radiation, the tumors were histologically characterized by massive cellular necrosis. In vitro, cancer cells when glucose depleted and/or hypoxic were preferentially killed by metformin, in a drug dose dependent manner. A549 cells exposed to 5.0 mM of metformin was reduced seven fold in survival when in a glucose deprived as compared to a low-glucose medium (0 vs 1.0 g/L). Finally, using a SPECT detector to follow the washout of a radioactive tracer, it was shown that a high single dose of radiosurgery (15 Gy) could dramatically inhibit blood flow and presumably diminish glucose and oxygen. Discussion: Insight into the best timing of drug and radiation administration is gained through an understanding of the mechanisms of interaction. A new mechanism of metformin sensitization by high dose radiation is proposed based on the blood flow, glucose and oxygen.
Challenges of gene delivery to the central nervous system and the growing use of biomaterial vectors

Abstract Gene therapy is a promising form of treatment for those suffering from neurological disorders or central nervous system (CNS) injury, however, obstacles remain that limit its translational potential. The CNS is protected by the blood brain barrier, and this barrier blocks genes from traversing into the CNS if administered outside of the CNS. Viral and non-viral gene delivery vehicles, commonly referred to as vectors, are modified to enhance delivery efficiency to target locations in the CNS. Still, there are few gene therapy approaches approved by the FDA for CNS disease or injury treatment. The lack of viable clinical approaches is due, in part, to the unpredictable nature of many vector systems. In particular, safety concerns exist with the use of viral vectors for CNS gene delivery. To seek some alternatives to viral vectors, development of new non-viral, biomaterial vectors is occurring at a rapid rate. This review discusses the challenges of delivering various forms of genetic material to the CNS, the use and limitations of current viral vector delivery systems, and the use of non-viral, biomaterial vectors for CNS applications.