cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A NUMERICAL MODEL OF MINIFRAC PRESSURE DECLINE CONSIDERING THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE AND FRACTURING FLUID COMPRESSIBILITY

A mathematical model describing the pressure dynamic analysis of minifrac test for a compressible fracturing fluid has been developed from 2D to 3D,and the method has also run from analytic solution to numerical solution.These advances have made the solution more accurate and more practical.This paper presents a mathematical and numerical model to simulate temperature and pressure behavior considering the effect of fracturing fluid compressibility during a minifrac pressure test.The numerical solution and the approximate analytical solution of PKN model were employed to calculate the fracture geometric parameter before shut-in. After shut-in,linear elastic theory was used to calculate the fracture width from simulated pressure.
Financial performance of safety-net hospitals in a changing health care environment.

Safety-net hospitals serving the poor and indigent in inner-cities have received inadequate research attention regarding the determinants of their financial performance in the changing health care environment. We analyze how the 1990-92 financial performance of 275 such hospitals is related to exogenous and endogenous factors such as payer mix, service mix, staffing and ownership. Models of hospital financial performance are developed using operating margin, cost per discharge and revenue per discharge as measures of performance. Stepwise regression is used to test the model with data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) and Health Care Investment Analysts (HCIA). Results suggest that: 1) The profitability of inner-city hospitals appears positively related with technical complexity of care; 2) High interest and low operating surplus may constrain the addition of technically sophisticated services to enhance profitability; 3) There is some evidence that new governmental programs, e.g. Medicaid managed care and Medicaid Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs), may not have improved operating margins, though Medicaid DRGs appear to have contained costs. Follow-up research is needed on this issue; 4) Given external fiscal realities, internal management strategies for inner-city hospitals require research, e.g. developing appropriate managed care systems and timely expansion of sub-acute services and; 5) Services such as AIDS treatment and community health education represent opportunities to respond to community needs, especially since unit cost of such services will decline with high volume.
Process Considerations in Design of Ozone Contactor for Disinfection

A review of the fundamental information available in the existing literature covering the various design variables which affect the degree of inactivation of microorganisms by ozone is presented. The process design variables reviewed include contact time, ozone dosage and residual, ozone bubbles, type of microorganisms, density of microorganisms, pH, mixing, temperature, application of catalyst, organic matter present in wastewater, and organic loading of biological treatment systems. A summary, along with recommendations for the design of an ozone disinfection system, is also given. The major objective of the paper is to provide useful information for designing an effective ozone contactor for disinfection.
Ferns and Fern Allies

The ferns and fern allies include the ferns, psilopsids, lycopsids, and horsetails (sphenopsids). These are seedless, vascular plants. They have an alternation of generations in which the sporophyte is dominant and has an axis containing xylem and phloem. (Further information concerning details of organ and tissue differentiation of vascular plants, with particular reference to seed plants, can be found in Salisbury and Parke, Vascular Plants: Form and Function, this series.) The ferns and fern allies differ from each other primarily in the pattern of organization of the plant body. A little of this diversity, with emphasis on contemporary representatives, is discussed in the following pages.
Obesity and dementia

A measures of obesity, such as Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) are linked to clinical dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in epidemiological studies. Overweight and obesity, measured as BMI or WHR, in midand late-life may increase risk for dementia, whereas decline in body weight or BMI, and subsequent underweight in the years preceding and at the time of dementia diagnosis may relate to dementia. The role of adipose tissue during these periods of life in relation to later and concurrent risk for cognitive decline and dementia is not understood. Biological mechanisms linking adipose tissue to the aging brain and neurocognitive symptoms may be related to interactions between peripheral and central metabolism. Hypotheses relating adipose tissue to cognitive decline and dementia may relate to the peripheral and cerebral vasculature; actions of adipose tissue hormones (adipokines), such as leptin and adiponectin, and adipose tissue-related hormones, such as ghrelin, on brain regions that are important for neurocognition; adipose tissue effects on energy metabolism; change in adipose tissue morphology over time; and genetic susceptibility based on the identification of genes important for both adipose tissue and the brain. Given the ubiquity of adipose tissue and its multi-functionality, metabolic implications over the life course on health of the aging brain and dementia risk are great. The purpose of this presentation is to overview the epidemiology of anthropometric measures and dementia, and to discuss potential underlying mechanisms of action whereby adipose tissue influences neurocognitive processes in the brain.
X-Ray Residual Stress Measurement Systems for Army Material Problems

A summary of the work in X-ray diffraction stress analysis performed at the U.S. Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center (AMMRC, Formerly Watertown Arsenal), beginning in 1925, up to the present time, is presented.
Abstract ED04-01: Untargeted metabolite profiling as a powerful new tool in the armamentarium of cancer researchers

Metabolomics, or global metabolite profiling, hails the lofty goal of establishing the identity and levels of all metabolites in a biological system, under a defined set of circumstances. A convergence of enabling technologies has recently made broad metabolite profiling a reality, providing a powerful new tool for defining disease mechanisms, identifying disease biomarkers and evaluating the efficacy of therapies. This overall goal of this educational session is to describe how global metabolite profiling technologies are being used to develop a systems-wide understanding of cancer cell metabolism and to discover the molecular basis for cancer chemopreventative drug therapies. Citation Format: Steven S. Gross, Qiuying Chen. Untargeted metabolite profiling as a powerful new tool in the armamentarium of cancer researchers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr ED04-01.
Fuzzy Logic Control of Voice Coil Motor Hard Disk Drives

Abstract Fuzzy logic controllers exhibit many advantages over traditional controllers in applications involving systems with uncertain or highly complex dynamics. These controllers do not require a detailed mathematical model of the system, only an intuitive grasp of the system dynamics. Due to these characteristics, fuzzy logic controllers are finding applications in an increasing number of fields. This study applies a fuzzy logic controller to position a hard disk drive read/write head. Performance analysis indicates increased speed and less power consumption than conventional disk drive control methods.
Lifetime prevalence of injuries in incoming division I collegiate football players.

ABSTRACTObjectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the lifetime prevalence of past injuries in incoming first year football players in a Division 1 college football team.Methods: Pre-participation questionnaires from 605 first-year football players over 20 years (1996–2015) were examined to determine the prevalence of concussions, stingers, fractures, and musculoskeletal surgeries sustained before playing at the collegiate level. Players were grouped by position: wide receiver and defensive back (WR/DB), offensive and defensive linemen (OL/DL), all other positions (OP), and unknown (UKN). Prevalence of injuries by year and position was compared using Pearson’s χ2 Test (p < 0.05).Results: The reported lifetime prevalence is as follows: concussion (21%), stinger (23%), musculoskeletal surgery (23%), and fracture (44%). There were no significant differences in lifetime prevalence of concussions (p = 0.49), stingers (p = 0.31), fractures (p = 0.60), or musculoskeletal surgeries (p = 0.97) based on ...
Middle and High School String Students’ Preferences for Alternative String Styles:

The purpose of this study was to investigate middle school and high school string students’ (N = 241) preferences for various alternative string styles. String styles selected for the study were those represented in published, age-appropriate method books available for heterogeneous string study and included American Folk, Bluegrass, Celtic, Jazz, and Mariachi genres. Participants listened to 10 musical examples, two from each style, and gave a preference rating for each example using a seven-point response continuum. Results indicated that the Celtic genre was the most preferred, followed by Jazz, American Folk, Mariachi, and Bluegrass genres. Celtic and Jazz examples received significantly higher ratings than American Folk, Mariachi, and Bluegrass examples. Results also indicated significant differences between the preference ratings of participants who indicated they were familiar with at least one of the examples from each style and preference ratings of participants who were unfamiliar with either of...
Telltale tungsten and the Moon

Advances in high-precision isotopic analysis have provided key constraints on the origin and early evolution of the Earth and Moon. Measurements of the isotopes of tungsten provide the most stringent constraints on this history.
Splenic Trauma during Colonoscopy: The Role of Intra-Abdominal Adhesions.

Splenic rupture following colonoscopy is rare, first reported in 1974, with incidence of 1–21/100,000. It is critical to anticipate splenic trauma during colonoscopy as one of the causes of abdominal pain after colonoscopy especially when located in the left upper quadrant or left shoulder. Postoperative adhesions is a predisposing factor for splenic injury, and management is either operative or nonoperative, based on hemodynamic stability and/or extravasation which can be seen on contrast-enhanced CT scan of the abdomen. We present a case of a splenic rupture after colonoscopy in a patient with splenocolic adhesions, requiring splenectomy as definite treatment.
Examination of the PC-PTSD in previously deployed Air Force Medical Service personnel

ABSTRACTThis study assessed the performance of the PC-PTSD in diagnosing postdeployment posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a cohort of Air Force Medical Services personnel (N = 18,530). The prevalence of PTSD in the cohort was 5.18% based on medical record data. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.69, indicating poor classification accuracy. Sensitivity was 47.55%, specificity was 90.68%, positive predictive value was 21.79%, and negative predictive value was 96.94%. The positive and negative likelihood ratios were 5.10 and 0.58, respectively. Several risk factors were found to be associated with a diagnosis of postdeployment PTSD: being a nurse, being enlisted in the medical service career field, being enlisted in the mental health service career field, those over age 30, being a member of the Active Duty service component, and having one’s first deployment be to Iraq. Being an officer was found to be a protective characteristic. These factors could potentially improve s...
Non-surgical Treatment and Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. Electrical, contractile and structural remodeling of the left atrium underlies the development of AF. AF can be classified as paroxysmal if the arrhythmia terminates within 7 days, persistent if it lasts longer than 7 days, or permanent if cardioversion was not attempted or failed. AF can be further classified according to mechanism of initiation. In general, AF can be expected to recur, although the pattern and tempo of recurrence is widely variable. AF is considered recurrent after two or more episodes, regardless of whether the patient is symptomatic.
IMAGING | Structural Imaging in Epilepsy

This article focuses on the role of structural neuroimaging in the evaluation and management of patients with epilepsy. Current clinical applications of, and indications for, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are discussed. This discussion is followed by a review of recent developments in neuroimaging technology. Four topics are featured: image resolution and 3T MRI; structural analysis and the three-dimensional voxel-based approach; minimizing artifact with the PROPELLER technique; and application of new imaging techniques to the management of tuberous sclerosis. The article concludes with a brief discussion on future directions for imaging in epilepsy.
Interfacing acoustic models with natural language processing systems.

The research presented here focuses on implementation and efficiency issues associated with the use of word graphs for interfacing acoustic speech recognition systems with natural language processing systems. The effectiveness of various pruning methods for graph construction is examined, as well as techniques for word graph compression. In addition, the word graph representation is compared to another predominant interface method, the N-best sentence list.
Altered Binding of Tumor Antigenic Peptides to MHC Class I Affects CD8 + T Cell-Effector Responses

T-cell priming occurs when a naive T cell recognizes cognate peptide-MHC complexes on an activated antigen-presenting cell. The circumstances of this initial priming have ramifications on the fate of the newly primed T cell. Newly primed CD8+ T cells can embark onto different trajectories, with some becoming short-lived effector cells and others adopting a tissue resident or memory cell fate. To determine whether T-cell priming influences the quality of the effector T-cell response to tumors, we used transnuclear CD8+ T cells that recognize the melanoma antigen TRP1 using TRP1high or TRP1low TCRs that differ in both affinity and fine specificity. From a series of altered peptide ligands, we identified a point mutation (K8) in a nonanchor residue that, when analyzed crystallographically and biophysically, destabilized the peptide interaction with the MHC binding groove. In vitro, the K8 peptide induced robust proliferation of both TRP1high and TRP1low CD8+ T cells but did not induce expression of PD-1. Cytokine production from K8-stimulated TRP1 cells was minimal, whereas cytotoxicity was increased. Upon transfer into B16 tumor-bearing mice, the reference peptide (TRP1-M9)- and K8-stimulated TRP1 cells were equally effective at controlling tumor growth but accomplished this through different mechanisms. TRP1-M9-stimulated cells produced more IFNγ, whereas K8-stimulated cells accumulated to higher numbers and were more cytotoxic. We, therefore, conclude that TCR recognition of weakly binding peptides during priming can skew the effector function of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells.
Secondary Visual Workload Capability with Primary Visual and Kinesthetic-Tactual Displays:

Subjects performed a cross-adaptive tracking task with a visual secondary display and either a visual or a quickened kinesthetic-tactual (K-T) primary display. The quickened K-T display resulted in superior secondary task performance. Comparisons of secondary workload capability with integrated and separated visual displays indicated that the superiority of the quickened K-T display was not simply due to the elimination of visual scanning. When subjects did not have to perform a secondary task, there was no significant difference between visual and quickened K-T displays in performing a critical tracking task.
Philosophical Interpretations of Hongzhou Chan Buddhist Thought

This chapter examines some of the most important perspectives that Mazu 馬祖 and his followers hold, based on author’s reading of reliable Hongzhou 洪州 texts and utilizing contemporary philosophical insights. The first is trans-metaphysical perspective, which is embodied in the Hongzhou deconstruction of the tendency to substantialize Buddha-nature as something independent of the everyday world of human beings. Hongzhou overturns Shenhui 神會’s quasi-metaphysical understanding of the realization of Buddha-nature as intuitive awareness isolated from ordinary cognitive activities, and as the favorable ti (essence), which relies on no conditions, over the yong (function). The second is liminological perspective, which is manifested in the Hongzhou understanding of the limits of descriptive language, the relativizing of the absolute boundary between speaking and non-speaking or silence, and the use of language to play at the limits of language. The third is ethical perspective, but it demonstrates itself through a twist of the ethical and non-ethical. While the Hongzhou masters often subvert conventional moral distinctions, they advise students to practice morality merely according to shifting conditions. This relational perspective enhances Hongzhou Chan’s profound ethicality. The fourth is counter-institutional perspective, which describes the Hongzhou masters’ middle way towards institutionalization, an attitude of “being with and against” institution by walking two roads at the same time, and avoiding the extreme iconoclasm and conformism. It helps Hongzhou Chan de-stabilize the hierarchical effect of formalization and generalization, emphasize the expedient nature of institutionalized teaching and practice, and make the institution remain open to changing circumstances. These perspectives provide implications for contemporary discourse on metaphysics/ontology, philosophy of language, ethics, and critical theory about institution; however, they originally only serve Hongzhou Chan’s soteriological purpose.
The First Amendment Implications of Copyright's Double Standard

Beginning with a simple question, “What’s the big deal? It’s just entertainment,” this Article argues that copyright law restricts more than just entertainment - it restricts freedom of artistic expression. Despite copyright’s facial neutrality, courts have interpreted otherwise neutral rules to subject authors to a double standard for expression. Through a series of doctrinal contradictions and hypocrisies, copyright singles out “just entertainment,” imposing greater restrictions upon the freedom of those authors relative to all other authors. By discriminating against “entertainment,” the current doctrine violates its own fundamental tenet of non-discrimination. Moreover, by selectively restricting how authors may choose to engage in expression, copyright law violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of expression. After detailing copyright’s doctrinal difficulties and their First Amendment implications, this essay argues that the Supreme Court’s decision in New York Times v Sullivan is a roadmap for resolving future tensions between copyright and freedom of expression in a digital world in which authors are no longer limited to a privileged few and works of expression are no longer scarce.
Pouch Excision Versus Diversion for the Failed Pouch

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA), the gold standard restorative procedure after proctocolectomy in patients with ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis [1], is durable, associated with a good quality of life (QOL) and excellent outcomes [2–4]. However, pouch failure occurs in a proportion of patients owing to anastomotic leak or stricture, fistula, pelvic sepsis, recurrent pouchitis, and pouch dysfunction [5–9]. When pouch failure occurs, options include a permanent ostomy, pouch repair, revision or redo pouch, or conversion to a continent ileostomy reservoir if this expertise exists at the particular center. When restoration of intestinal continuity or continence is not pursued, pouch excision is usually undertaken. However, performing a permanent ileostomy above a pouch left in-situ is an alternative to pouch excision.
Where Do Teaching and Learning Happen

This chapter examines where teaching and learning take place for students and teachers. It describes the more traditional notions that many have experienced over the twentieth century, but also addresses the types of places that more marginalized populations have faced. This part of the book also explores more informal aspects of education and how teaching and learning have happened outside of the school and how educators have tried to reinvent the school environment to make it less formal by creating more open spaces within schools. Early twentieth-century Open Air schools, the onset of field trips or excursions in the 1930s, and the popularity of schools without walls in the 1960 and 1970s are all explored in this chapter.
Polyester functional graphenic materials as a mechanically enhanced scaffold for tissue regeneration

Traditional metal implants such as titanium, cobalt, and chromium have found wide utility in medicine; however, these come with a risk of toxicity. To overcome metal-related toxicity and enable degradability, polyesters including polycaprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA), and polyglycolic acid (PGA) show promise for the replacement of various biomedical applications of metals due to their accepted biocompatibility and FDA approval. However, polyesters are less stiff than their metallic counterparts, limiting their application to non-load bearing injury sites, such as fixation hardware for fingers. To improve mechanical properties, graphene oxide (GO)-polyester composites are a promising class of biodegradable scaffolds. Initial reports of these composites are encouraging, but mechanical properties still fall short. Traditional composites rely on non-covalent association between GO and the polyesters, which often leads to failure at the interface and weakens the overall strength of the material. Herein, we present a strategy for attachment of these FDA-approved polyesters onto a derivative of GO using a robust covalent bond. By covalently functionalizing the graphenic backbone with polyesters and without metal catalysts, we create functional graphenic materials (FGMs) to not only simultaneously retain biodegradability and compatibility, but also mechanically strengthen PCL, PLA, and PGA; we observed an average increase in the Young's modulus of over 140% compared to the graphenic backbone. These polyester-functionalized FGMs are a promising platform technology for tissue implants.
Using a grounded theory approach to understand the process of teaching soft skills on the job so to apply it in the hospitality classroom

Abstract In the competency research related to management, essential competencies include skills that can be classified as soft skills. This research seeks to better understand how soft skills are taught by managers on the job and to provide faculty with an understanding of this process so that faculty can replicate the efforts of managers. In order to achieve this purpose, the researchers employed grounded theory, utilizing Weber et al.‘s (2013) five factor model of soft skills a theoretical framework. A grounded theory of how managers teach soft skills on the job is developed and practical implications are discussed.
DCEP and bendamustine/prednisone as salvage therapy for quad- and penta-refractory multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) almost invariably progresses through novel therapies. Patients with quad-refractory MM (refractory to bortezomib, carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and pomalidomide) and penta-refractory MM (additional refractoriness to daratumumab) have few treatment options. Two chemotherapy regimens, bendamustine/prednisone (BP) and dexamethasone, cyclophosphamide, etoposide, and cisplatin (DCEP), are often used in quad- and penta-refractory MM, but there are limited data on outcomes in this heavily pre-treated population. We conducted a single-center retrospective study to identify all patients who received DCEP and/or BP for quad- or penta-refractory MM. Disease response and refractoriness were defined by International Myeloma Working Group criteria. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and duration of response (DOR). We identified 27 patients who received BP for quad- or penta-refractory MM. The median number of prior lines of therapy was 6. The ORR for BP was 26%. The median PFS for BP was 1.4 months (95% CI 1.1–1.6) and median OS was 8.7 months (95% CI 2.3–15.0). Patients treated with cyclophosphamide had less response to BP. Thirty-one patients received DCEP for quad-refractory or penta-refractory MM. The median number of prior treatment regimens was 8. The ORR to DCEP was 35%. The median PFS was 2.7 months (95% CI 1.5–3.8) and median OS was 6.2 months (95% CI 4.4–7.8). DCEP and BP retain efficacy in quad- and penta-refractory MM. Our analysis supports prospective study of these regimens, possibly in combination or in comparison with other agents in this area of unmet need.
A safety evaluation of aripiprazole in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Aripiprazole is a third generation antipsychotic approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of schizophrenia. Aripiprazole is available as oral and long-acting injectab...
Vaccination of Term and Preterm Infants.

Newborns, especially those born preterm, are at high risk for infection. Preterm birth rates appear to be increasing in most countries, with ∼15 million infants born preterm globally each year, corresponding to ∼11% of all deliveries. Importantly, the vulnerability of preterm infants to infection continues beyond the perinatal period, following them throughout childhood and adolescence, highlighting the long-lasting effects of infection on overall health and well-being. Other than access to clean drinking water and proper sewage systems, immunization is the most effective biomedical intervention to reduce early life infection. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of infants discharged on or after 2 months of age from the NICU remains unimmunized or underimmunized at that time. Despite being safe and effective, protective responses to immunization in early life are different from those in older individuals, in part because of the distinct immune system of newborns and young infants. The paradigms of the Bacille Calmette-Guerin, hepatitis B, and polio vaccines, the only immunizations currently routinely administered in the neonatal period, provide evidence that it is feasible to successfully administer vaccines via different routes of delivery; thus, production of sufficient vaccine-induced immunity leads to disease prevention in the newborn. Strategies such as maternal immunization, adjuvantation systems, leveraging trained immunity, and counseling caregivers can be used to enhance vaccine-induced specific and heterologous protection from infection and boost adherence to the recommended immunization schedule.
Dividends as Reference Points: A Behavioral Signaling Approach

We outline a dividend signaling model that features investors who are averse to dividend cuts. Managers with strong unobservable cash earnings pay high dividends but retain enough to be likely not to fall short next period. The model is consistent with a Lintner partial-adjustment model, modal dividend changes of zero, stronger market reactions to dividend cuts than increases, comparatively infrequent and irregular repurchases, and a mechanism that does not depend on public destruction of value, which managers reject in surveys. New tests involve stronger reactions to changes from longer-maintained dividend levels and reference point currencies of American Depository Receipt dividends. Received July 16, 2012; accepted September 15, 2015 by Editor David Hirshleifer.
Feel the Burn! Fireworks-related Otolaryngologic Trauma:

Objectives:Fireworks are used commonly for celebrations in the United States, but can lead to severe injury to the head and neck. We aim to assess the incidence, types, and mechanisms of head and n...
Use of intracranial self-stimulation to evaluate abuse-related and abuse-limiting effects of monoamine releasers in rats.

Background and Purpose Monoamine releasers constitute a class of drugs that promote the release of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and/or norepinephrine. Although some drugs in this class are well-known drugs of abuse (amphetamine, methamphetamine), others are thought to have reduced (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine [MDMA]) or no (fenfluramine) abuse potential. The purpose of this study was to further elucidate the role of dopamine versus serotonin selectivity on expression of abuse-related effects produced by monoamine releasers in an assay of intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) in rats. Experimental Approach This study evaluated effects produced in a frequency–rate ICSS procedure by 11 monoamine releasers that vary in selectivity to release DA versus 5-HT. Key Results Efficacy of monoamine releasers to facilitate ICSS correlated with DA-selectivity, such that DA-selective releasers exclusively facilitated ICSS, a 5-HT-selective releaser exclusively depressed ICSS, and mixed-action releasers both facilitated low ICSS rates and depressed high ICSS rates. Fixed-proportion mixtures of a DA-selective releaser and a 5-HT-selective releaser recapitulated effects of mixed-action releasers. Efficacy of monoamine releasers to facilitate ICSS also correlated with previously published data on efficacy to maintain self-administration in rhesus monkeys responding under a progressive-ratio schedule of reinforcement. Conclusions and Implications These data support the importance of selectivity for DA versus 5-HT in determining abuse potential of monoamine releasers and demonstrate a novel correlation between rat ICSS and nonhuman primate self-administration measures of abuse-related effects. Taken together, these results support the use of ICSS in rats as an experimental tool to study the expression and pharmacological determinants of abuse-related effects of monoamine releasers.
Photoactivation and Imaging of Optical Highlighter Fluorescent Proteins

A major advance in the microscopic study of cells and tissues is the introduction of photoactivatable fluorescent proteins which can specifically mark proteins of interest within a living cell. Fluorescent proteins are now available that allow a pool of molecules to be “turned on” by photoactivation. This unit discusses technical aspects for the general use of photoactivatable fluorescent proteins and introduces some specific applications in the concluding remarks.
X-ray structure of the mammalian GIRK2–βγ G-protein complex

G-protein-gated inward rectifier K+ (GIRK) channels allow neurotransmitters, through G-protein-coupled receptor stimulation, to control cellular electrical excitability. In cardiac and neuronal cells this control regulates heart rate and neural circuit activity, respectively. Here we present the 3.5 A resolution crystal structure of the mammalian GIRK2 channel in complex with βγ G-protein subunits, the central signalling complex that links G-protein-coupled receptor stimulation to K+ channel activity. Short-range atomic and long-range electrostatic interactions stabilize four βγ G-protein subunits at the interfaces between four K+ channel subunits, inducing a pre-open state of the channel. The pre-open state exhibits a conformation that is intermediate between the closed conformation and the open conformation of the constitutively active mutant. The resultant structural picture is compatible with ‘membrane delimited’ activation of GIRK channels by G proteins and the characteristic burst kinetics of channel gating. The structures also permit a conceptual understanding of how the signalling lipid phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and intracellular Na+ ions participate in multi-ligand regulation of GIRK channels. An X-ray structure and electrophysiological analysis of mammalian G-protein-gated inward rectifier potassium channel GIRK2 in complex with βγ reveals a pre-open channel structure consistent with channel activation by membrane delimited G-protein subunits. The activation of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) leads to the release of the G-protein subunits Gα and Gβγ from the intracellular surface of the GPCR. Gβγ can then bind to, and activate, the G-protein-gated inward rectifier K+ (GIRK) channel, causing the channel pore to open. The opening of GIRK channels drives the membrane voltage towards the resting (Nernst) potential, which slows the rate of membrane depolarization. In this manuscript, Matthew Whorton and Roderick MacKinnon solve the X-ray crystal structure of a mammalian GIRK2 channel in the presence of the βγ G-protein subunits. Although the overall structure of the βγ G-protein subunits is essentially the same in the presence of Gα or GIRK, the structures of GIRK and GIRK–Gβγ are quite different. The structure also reveals how the signalling lipid PIP2 and intracellular Na+ ions help to regulate the activity of GIRKs.
An Eight Year Study of the Radio Emission from the WR Binary HD 193793

Although we now know of quite a few WR-O star binary systems, only HD 193793 is well studied across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Hence it affords us the best opportunity to test various models for the system against a wealth of observational data. In this paper we present the results of 8 years of monitoring the radio flux density from HD 193793 with the VLA. This database is unique both in terms of its dense coverage of an entire binary cycle and because it extends the radio coverage to 2 cm wavelength, a shorter wavelength than previously available. With this data we are able to simultaneously solve for the time dependent attenuation in the system and the intrinsic radio luminosity. The standard model of spherically symmetric colliding winds faces severe difficulties in explaining the observations. We conclude that the radio data are most readily interpreted in the context of a WR star wind which is confined to a disk. A disk model for the WR wind also provides a natural explanation for the sudden formation of dust just after periastron.
Will California come to Europe? A Numerical Simulation

We discuss under what conditions California’s electricity crisis may happen in Western European countries, taking The Netherlands as an example. We use a simulation model containing the electricity generation and distribution sector. We simulate exogenous events, such as a sudden shift in demand levels, a sharp rise in world fuel prices and a cutback in foreign supply. We use the model to investigate whether supply remains secured under different regulatory regimes. Our results suggest a trade-off between controlled prices and security of supply. Europe’s electricity supply security is vulnerable if prices are not allowed to reflect scarcity. If prices are unrestricted however, they will reach oligopoly levels.
Micrometastatic cancer cells in lymph nodes, bone marrow, and blood: Clinical significance and biologic implications

Cancer metastasis may be regarded as a progressive process from its inception in the primary tumor microenvironment to distant sites by way of the lymphovascular system. Although this type of tumor dissemination often occurs in an orderly fashion via the sentinel lymph node (SLN), acting as a possible gateway to the regional lymph nodes, bone marrow, and peripheral blood and ultimately to distant metastatic sites, this is not a general rule as tumor cells may enter the blood and spread to distant sites, bypassing the SLN. Methods of detecting micrometastatic cancer cells in the SLN, bone marrow, and peripheral blood of patients have been established. Patients with cancer cells in their SLN, bone marrow, or peripheral blood have worse clinical outcomes than patients with no evidence of spread to these compartments. The presence of these cells also has important biologic implications for disease progression and the clinician's understanding of the process of cancer metastasis. Further characterization of these micrometastatic cancer cells at each stage and site of metastasis is needed to design novel selective therapies for a more "personalized" treatment.
Group trajectory analysis helps to identify older cancer survivors who benefit from distance-based lifestyle interventions.

BACKGROUND The number of older cancer survivors is increasing as more adults survive to older ages. The objectives of this study were to examine trajectories of physical activity (PA) and physical function (PF) over a 2-year lifestyle counseling study and to identify characteristics of the trajectory groups. METHODS This was a secondary analysis of Reach Out to Enhance Wellness, a randomized controlled trial of home-based lifestyle counseling. The 641 participants were older (≥65 years), overweight (body mass index [BMI], 25 to 5 years) of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States (21 states) who had been randomly assigned to an immediate intervention or a 12-month-wait-listed control arm. The main outcome measures were PA and PF trajectory group membership. RESULTS Three PA groups and 5 PF trajectory groups were observed. The baseline BMI (P < .001) and self-efficacy for performing strength (P < .0001) and endurance exercises (P < .0002) were the strongest predictors of achieving the highest amount of PA and the most favorable functional trajectory over 2 years. Individuals with low baseline self-efficacy, no PA, and a Short Form 36 PF subscale score < 65 did not benefit from the intervention. CONCLUSIONS This study identified characteristics of survivors who benefited from home-based interventions and suggested alternative approaches for survivors requiring more structured and intensive interventions to promote behavioral changes. Cancer 2015;121:4433–40. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Single spots, unipolar magnetic regions, and pairs of spots: 2. The development of sunspot pairs and the Hale boundary

Sunspot pairs develop in connection with cell networks at or near the boundaries of positive and negative unipolar magnetic (UM) field regions. In this paper, we confirm his findings by recent data. In this connection, Svalgaard and Wilcox (1976) found also that solar activities occur only at one side of UM boundaries, called the “Hale boundary,” on the basis of their observation of the interplanetary magnetic field. It is shown in this paper that the Hale boundary can be recognized also on the photosphere. Further, it is shown that new UM regions grow at the beginning of a new sunspot cycle, and active regions and sunspot pairs tend to develop at or near newly developing Hale boundaries. Thus, it is suggested that UM regions and specifically Hale boundaries are very important for the formation of active regions, sunspots, and sunspot pairs. These facts suggest also that UM regions are not merely remnants of decaying old spots and active regions. Some of the essential features of sunspot pairs, as well as their relationship to the Hale boundary in both even and odd cycles are presented in one figure, illustrating several requirements for a theory of the formation of single spots and sunspot pairs.
Inclined pipe vesicles as indicators of flow direction in basalts: A critical appraisal

Inclined pipe vesicles and stretched vesicles near the base of basalt flows have long been regarded as reliable flow-direction indicators. However, attempts to use such structures in the Santa Rosa Basalt of Southern California to determine regional flow patterns, paleoslope, and source of eruption yielded inconclusive and contradictory results. Orientations of 1070 vesicles at 37 localities were obtained directions of inclination from vertical were plotted on circular histograms. At any specific locality vesicle orientations typically are normally distributed through a 40–60 degree sector. Commonly a pronounced maximum lies within a 20–40 degree sector. Even at localities having bimodal or trimodal distribution patterns, most vesicles plot within a 90 degree sector.
Copy-number variation and association studies of human disease

The central goal of human genetics is to understand the inherited basis of human variation in phenotypes, elucidating human physiology, evolution and disease. Rare mutations have been found underlying two thousand mendelian diseases; more recently, it has become possible to assess systematically the contribution of common SNPs to complex disease. The known role of copy-number alterations in sporadic genomic disorders, combined with emerging information about inherited copy-number variation, indicate the importance of systematically assessing copy-number variants (CNVs), including common copy-number polymorphisms (CNPs), in disease. Here we discuss evidence that CNVs affect phenotypes, directions for basic knowledge to support clinical study of CNVs, the challenge of genotyping CNPs in clinical cohorts, the use of SNPs as markers for CNPs and statistical challenges in testing CNVs for association with disease. Critical needs are high-resolution maps of common CNPs and techniques that accurately determine the allelic state of affected individuals.
Distinguo: Modi Significandi and Covert Case Roles

SUMMARYIn this paper some basic ideas and terms employed by the Modistae are explained and exemplified, particularly the concepts of matter and form, act and potency, and then related to similar concepts in modern linguistics. The distinction of vox, dictio and pars orationis in modistic work is discussed and dictio is compared to Semitic triliteral roots. Neither can be part of spoken language. The distinctions of modes of being, modes of signifying and modes of existing are discussed, and it is pointed out that conceptions of language or linguistics can vary, depending on how the modes are employed. From this perspective, lexical decomposition is discussed, and the ability of language to abbreviate is cited as one of its most effective processes. The suggestiveness of analysing kill as cause/become/not/alive is compared with decomposition of other verbs, notably fetch and read. The proposed verbal classification of Case Grammar and especially the covert case roles are discussed. It is suggested that the perspective of the Modistae can help us see some problems here in a different light. In particular, analysis of reciprocal relations, found in forms like marry, exchange and swap lead to the proposal that the restriction on cases other than Object occurring more than once in a case frame needs reexamination.RESUMEI1 s'agit ici d'expliquer et de commenter par des exemples certaines idees et termes de base employes par les modistes, en particulier les notions de ma-tiere et de forme, d'acte et de puissance, et de les mettre ensuite en relation avec des notions analogues de la linguistique moderne. Sera discutee egalement la distinction entre vox, dictio et pars orationis dans les ouvrages des modistes, la dictio etant comparee aux racines trilitteres des langues semitiques. Aucune de ces deux perspectives ne peut faire partie de la langue partee. Discutant les distinctions de mode d'etre, de mode de signification et de mode d'existence, l'auteur met en relief le fait que les conceptions du langage et de la linguistique peuvent varier, selon l'utilisation que Ton fait des modes. C'est dans cette perspective que l'on examinera la "decomposition" lexicale, et que Ton presentera l'aptitude a l'abregement comme un des processus les plus efficaces de la langue. L'analyse, suggestive, de kill ("tuer") en /causer/devenir/non/vivant/ sera comparee a la decomposition d'autres verbes, notamment de fetch ("aller chercher") et read ("lire"). La classification des verbes proposee par la gram-maire des cas et specialement les fonctions casuelles non-apparentes, l'auteur la soumet ici a l'examen, suggerant que la perspective des modistes peut nous aider a voir certains de ces problemes sous un jour different. En particulier, l'analyse des relations reciproques, qui apparaissent dans des formes telles que marry ("epouser"), exchange ("echanger") et swap ("troquer") amene l'auteur a avancer que la restriction relative aux cas autres que l'objet, qui apparait plus d'une fois dans un cadre casuel, merite d'etre reexaminee.
Viscosity of Polyelectrolyte Solutions with Oppositely Charged Surfactant

The rheological properties of aqueous solutions of poly(acrylic acid) and an oppositely charged surfactant, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C12TAB), are reported. The solution viscosity decreases rapidly as surfactant is added. The effects of polymer molecular weight, polymer concentration, and polymer charge have been studied with no added salt. The results are compared with the predictions of a simple model based on the scaling theory for the viscosity of unentangled semidilute polyelectrolyte solutions in good solvent.1 This model takes into account two effects of added surfactant. The effective chain length of the polyelectrolyte is shortened when a significant fraction of the length wraps around micelles, and an effective addition of salt arises from the polyelectrolyte and surfactant counterions, further lowering the viscosity. The only parameter used in this model is independently determined using an ion-selective electrode, allowing the model to make a quantitative prediction of solution viscosi...
Retrograde Coronary Angioplasty of Native and Branch Vessels Via a Vein Bypass Graft

A case of retrograde coronary angioplasty of native and branch vessels in a patient with prior bypass surgery is presented. The procedure was performed through the vein graft. This unusual, complex approach was employed due to inaccessibility of the lesion antegrade via the native vessel. (J Interven Cardiol 1989:2:1)
CB2: Therapeutic target-in-waiting

CB₂ cannabinoid receptor agonists hold promise as a new class of therapeutics for indications as diverse as pain, neuroinflammation, immune suppression and osteoporosis. These potential indications are supported by strong preliminary data from multiple investigators using diverse preclinical models. However, clinical trials for CB₂ agonists, when they have been reported have generally been disappointing. This review considers possible explanations for the mismatch between promising preclinical data and disappointing clinical data. We propose that a more careful consideration of CB₂ receptor pharmacology may help move CB₂ agonists from "promising" to "effective" therapeutics.
Fenfluramine-induced gene dysregulation in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle and endothelial cells.

AbstractFenfluramine is prescribed either alone or in combination with phentermine as part of Fen-Phen, an anti-obesity medication. Fenfluramine was withdrawn from the US market in 1997 due to reports of heart valvular disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and cardiac fibrosis. Particularly, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), previously referred to as primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), was found to be associated with the use of Fen-Phen, fenfluramine, and fenfluramine derivatives. The underlying mechanism of fenfluramine-associated pulmonary hypertension is still largely unknown. We reasoned that investigating drug-induced gene dysregulation would enhance our understanding of the fenfluramine-associated pathogenic mechanism of IPAH. Whole-genome gene expression profiles in fenfluramine-treated human pulmonary artery smooth muscle (PASMC) and endothelial (PAEC) cells (isolated from normal subjects) were compared with baseline expression in untreated cells. Fenfluramine treatment caus...