cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolism and accumulation of xenobiotics within hepato-pancreas cells of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus

Abstract A number of 14C-labeled xenobiotics were added to the food of juvenile male blue crabs. After various times the hepato-pancreas was removed and either different cell types (R-, F- or B-cells) were isolated or the whole tissue was homogenized followed by isolation of nuclear, mitochondrial, microsomal and cytosolic fractions. For poorly metabolised compounds, e.g. hexachlorobiphenyl, most radioactivity was in the lipid of R-cells. For compounds which were metabolized, e.g. benzo[a]pyrene, pentachlorophenol, chlorobenzoic acid, most radioactivity was in the F-cells in the form of conjugates of various metabolites. A significant amount of benzo[a]pyrene and tributyltin metabolites bound to macromolecules of the various fractions. When cytosol containing bound benzo[a]pyrene metabolites was passed down a Sephadex G-200 column, much of the bound radioactivity was associated with the glutathione S-transferase peak.
Clinical Pharmacogenomics of Warfarin and Clopidogrel

Genetic polymorphisms significantly influence responses to warfarin and clopidogrel. Polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 and vitamin K epoxide reductase genes change warfarin pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, respectively. Because these polymorphisms influence warfarin dose requirements, they may primarily help determine therapeutic warfarin doses in patients who newly start on the drug. To assist in estimating therapeutic warfarin doses, the warfarin label provides a pharmacogenomic dosing table and various warfarin pharmacogenomic dosing algorithms are available. On the other hand, polymorphisms in the CYP2C19 gene affect clopidogrel pharmacokinetics. These polymorphisms may be useful to identify clopidogrel nonresponders who may benefit from taking an alternative antiplatelet agent such as prasugrel and ticagrelor. Although both drugs have pharmacogenomic tests available for clinical use, their clinical utilities have not been established and are currently being actively studied. In this review, clinical application of warfarin and clopidogrel pharmacogenomics will be focused. With the current level of evidence, potential patients who may get benefit from warfarin and clopidogrel pharmacogenomic testing will be discussed. In addition, the interpretation of the warfarin and clopidogrel test results and the current barriers to widespread use of warfarin and clopidogrel pharmacogenomic testing will be discussed.
Staff Assist: A Resource to Improve Nursing Home Quality and Staffing

Purpose This study describes the creation and use of a web-based resource, designed to help nursing homes implement quality improvements through changes in staffing characteristics. Design and methods Information on staffing characteristics (i.e., staffing levels, turnover, stability, and use of agency staff), facility characteristics (e.g., ownership, size), and quality (i.e., quality measures [QMs]) coming from 2,946 nursing homes were utilized in a simulation analysis. The simulation was used to predict changes in each of 11 QMs, based on changes in staffing characteristics for individual nursing homes using the web-tool. Results The website was visited 2,347 times in the first 6 months after it became operational. Evidence would suggest that it was useful in informing nursing home management of the importance of staffing and facilitating staffing changes; moreover, active users of the website showed improvements in quality, with an average of 5 of the 11 QMs improving by more than 1%. Implications The web-based resource may be a feasible low-cost model that can be replicated, to provide further information for other areas of quality improvement in nursing homes.
A policy impact analysis of the mandatory NCAA sickle cell trait screening program

On August 1, 2010, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) implemented one of the largest mandated genetic screening programs in the United States: universal sickle cell trait (SCT) screening of all Division I student-athletes (NCAA 2010b). The policy resulted from a legal settlement with the family of Dale Lloyd II, a Rice University football player, who collapsed during football practice and later died from acute exertional rhabdomyolysis attributed to SCT (Figure 1). Figure 1 Timeline of Significant Events in the Implementation of NCAA Division I Sickle Cell Screening Program The morbidity associated with SCT has long been debated (Sears 1978). Complications of SCT are rare and include infarction associated with hypoxia from high altitudes and renal medullary carcinoma (Tsaras et al. 2009). However, there is also concern that athletes with SCT have an elevated risk of exercise-related sudden death secondary to exertional heat illness or acute exertional rhabdomyolysis (Eichner 2010). The NCAA's mandatory, universal SCT screening program (NCAA Proposal No. 2009-75-B) has sparked significant debate. Endorsement of this policy from professional organizations has been mixed (College of American Pathologists 2007; National Athletic Trainers’ Association 2007; Secretary's Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders and Genetic Diseases in Newborns and Children's 2010). This is due to fear that screening may lead to discrimination and confusion (Bonham, Dover, and Brody 2010), as occurred with previous community and public health sickle cell screening programs (Whitten 1973; Rutkow and Lipton 1974), as well as a paucity of evidence that screening improves health outcomes for student-athletes. Given the scope and controversy of the screening program, we conducted a policy impact analysis (Porell and Adams 1995) to estimate the number of athletes with SCT identified and the anticipated number of exercise-related sudden deaths attributable to SCT among NCAA student-athletes.
Pulsed laser deposition of functionally gradient diamondlike carbon–metal nanocomposites

Abstract Diamondlike carbon thin films possess atomic smoothness, chemical inertness, and hardness properties close to those of diamond. Unfortunately, these films exhibit poor adhesion to metals and polymers used in medical prostheses. This paper presents the processing and characterization of diamondlike carbon–copper, diamondlike carbon–silver, diamondlike carbon–silicon, and diamondlike carbon–titanium nanocomposite films with enhanced adhesion to Ti–6Al–4V alloy substrates. Silver forms nanoparticle arrays within the diamondlike carbon matrix in diamondlike carbon–silver nanocomposite films. On the other hand, titanium forms layers of titanium carbide within the diamondlike carbon matrix in diamondlike carbon–titanium nanocomposite films. These films were characterized using electron energy loss spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, nanoindentation, wear testing, and scratch adhesion testing. Diamondlike carbon–metal nanocomposite films have numerous potential medical applications, including use on the surfaces of medical prostheses.
Characterization of a C3/C3b regulatory protein in normal human serum

A protein which alters the activity of C3 and C3b has been isolated from normal human serum by sequential column chromatography. In purified form, at normal serum concentration, this protein fixes to cell-bound C3b. It cannot bind to C3d. After fixation, it prevents the inactivation of C3b by β1H and C3bINA in both the classical and alternative pathway C5 convertases. Independent of this action, fixation to C3b also markedly enhances the subsequent activity of C5. At higher concentrations, however, this protein is capable of blocking the activation of C3 by both pathway C3 convertases. This material, therefore, appears to represent a potent means of regulating several critical aspects of the biologic activity of the complement system.
Relationship between Body Mass Index and the Incidence of Inguinal Hernia Repairs: A Population-Based Study in Olmsted County, MN

Purpose The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of inguinal hernia development is unclear. To explore the relationship, we determined whether the incidence of inguinal hernia repairs (IHR) varied across patients with different BMI categories.
Cost at Element Level

Pontis is a bridge management system that performs a network level analysis suggesting specific bridge repair/retrofit projects for projected deterioration and budgets. However, Pontis is not a project level analysis that specifies the design or process of constructing a repair/new build. The Pontis cost associated with the suggested repair/retrofit is not designed to represent the specific real-life cost of a suggested repair/retrofit. This paper documents research in parametric cost engineering to provide a comprehensive approach for a total project cost evaluation. A review of the treatment of structural elements from the bridge cost component of the Parametric Cost Engineering System is provided herein and compared with the methodology of Pontis. The writers recommend that the methodology of Pontis for a network level analysis be augmented by a project level analysis utilizing parametric cost engineering to evaluate the repair/new build cost of bridge treatments. The writers’ parametric recommendation is described herein.
Sex differences in perceptions of benefits and costs of mate poaching

Mate poaching occurs when an individual is aware that the person with whom he or she has sexual relations is already in a nominally exclusive relationship with someone else. The current study extends the results of the only previous study (Davies et al., 2007) to investigate the motivations of mate poachers by investigating a comprehensive list of benefits and costs exclusively associated with poaching. Ratings provided by 125 men and 90 women indicated hypothesized sex differences in the likelihood that benefits and costs would motivate them to attract an attached individual (i.e. to poach) versus an unattached individual (i.e. to avoid poaching). Additional results suggested that both sexes avoid poaching if equally attracted to the attached and unattached individuals. This led us to formulate the novel hypothesis that poaching lies between attracting unattached individuals and coercion in a hierarchy of conditional mating strategies.
On the Modalities of the Domestic

ABSTRACTThis article focuses on experiences of the domestic—of houses, of intimacy and privacy—and what relation these bear to the kinds of sentiments about life which are given expression as fragile, endangered or fleeting. We think of singularity as lying in the potential for multiple domesticities that emerge at different times and are neither coterminous with family nor indeed with household. Based on fieldwork with African-American and Caribbean families in Miami, Florida and Baltimore, MD, the article tracks how intimacy and alienation marks the constant moves from, to, and through households. This oscillation engenders an itinerant domesticity and life lived in the interstices of the house, the clinic, the prison, and the street. These spaces and places come to bear on what comes to be marked as so-called “African-American kinship.” Given the disproportionate incarceration of African-American men in US prisons, the article contemplates the permeable relation between carceral institutions and the ho...
Protein threading using context-specific alignment potential

Motivation: Template-based modeling, including homology modeling and protein threading, is the most reliable method for protein 3D structure prediction. However, alignment errors and template selection are still the main bottleneck for current template-base modeling methods, especially when proteins under consideration are distantly related. Results: We present a novel context-specific alignment potential for protein threading, including alignment and template selection. Our alignment potential measures the log-odds ratio of one alignment being generated from two related proteins to being generated from two unrelated proteins, by integrating both local and global contextspecific information. The local alignment potential quantifies how well one sequence residue can be aligned to one template residue based on context-specific information of the residues. The global alignment potential quantifies how well two sequence residues can be placed into two template positions at a given distance, again based on context-specific information. By accounting for correlation among a variety of protein features and making use of context-specific information, our alignment potential is much more sensitive than the widely used context-independent or profile-based scoring function. Experimental results confirm that our method generates significantly better alignments and threading results than the best profile-based methods on several large benchmarks. Our method works particularly well for distantly related proteins or proteins with sparse sequence profiles because of the effective integration of context-specific, structure and global information. Availability: http://raptorx.uchicago.edu/download/. Contact: jinboxu@gmail.com
Cloning of GJA1 (connexin43) and its expression in canine ovarian follicles throughout the estrous cycle.

Abstract GJA1 (also known as connexin43 or Cx43) is the most abundant gap junction protein in mammalian tissues including the ovary. Here, it facilitates intercellular communication among granulosa cells and growing oocytes, thereby connecting the developing gamete to the hormonal axis as well as to the essential network of supporting granulosa cells. To date, the pattern of follicular GJA1 expression has not yet been defined for canines, a species with unique reproductive physiology including delays in follicle development, ovulation, oocyte maturation and fertilization. Here, we report the complete mRNA sequence for canine GJA1 and identify not only increases (P
The protein synthesis inhibitor, anisomycin, causes exacerbation of the iminodipropionitrile-induced spasmodic dyskinetic syndrome in rats.

Abstract The effects of anisomycin on dyskinetic head movements, circling, and locomotor activity were investigated in the IDPN-induced syndrome. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of anisomycin in conjunction with IDPN caused exacerbation of all aspects of the syndrome, although circling and vertical head dyskinesias (retrocollis) were the most affected. Animals treated with only anisomycin showed persistent retrocollis but not latercollis or circling. Biochemical studies confirmed the increases in the concentration of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) previously observed in the striata of IDPN-treated rats two weeks after stopping administration of the drug. Rats treated with anisomycin alone also showed significant increases in striatal 5-HT and 5-HIAA concentrations which were somewhat higher on the side of the ICV infusions. Coadministration of IDPN and anisomycin did not cause any further increases in 5-HT or 5-HIAA. These results suggest that inhibition of protien synthesis by IDPN may be one of the processes involved in the development of the persistent dyskinetic syndrome.
A comparative study of fin-last and fin-first SOI FinFETs

Two FinFET fabrication processes are compared with simulation: the conventional fin-first process and the novel fin-last process. With the fin-last process, more longitudinal strain can be incorporated into the channel from source and drain SiGe stressor than fin-first. pFET mobility advantage is 15% at fully-strained condition and with silicon recess. Maintaining vertical junction uniformity is the main challenge for fin-last. However, its impact on parasitic resistance and capacitances are small. Vertical junction non-uniformity is improved with source and drain recess and doping optimization.
Rare-earth glass reference materials for near-infrared spectrometry: correcting and exploiting temperature dependencies.

Quantitative descriptions of the location of seven near-infrared absorption bands as functions of temperature 5−50 °C are presented here for three recently introduced wavelength/wavenumber Standard Reference Materials (SRMs): SRM 2035, SRM 2065, and SRM 2036. For all bands in all three SRMs, locations are well described as linear models parametrized with the location at 0 °C (intercept) and the rate of location change per °C (slope). Since these materials were produced from compositionally similar melts, the slopes for each band are identical within measurement imprecision in all three SRMs; only minor differences are observed in the intercepts. Because the direction of change in location differs among the bands, it is possible to use the measured band locations to reliably estimate sample temperature. Two approaches to estimating temperature are evaluated: slope and measurement uncertainty-weighted means. While both methods work well with measurements made under well-characterized and stable environmen...
Micropallet arrays with poly(ethylene glycol) walls

Arrays of releasable micropallets with surrounding walls of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were fabricated for the patterning and sorting of adherent cells. PEG walls were fabricated between the SU-8 pallets using a simple, mask-free strategy. By utilizing the difference in UV-transmittance of glass and SU-8, PEG monomer was selectively photopolymerized in the space surrounding the pallets. Since the PEG walls are composed of a cross-linked structure, the stability of the walls is independent of the pallet array geometry and the properties of the overlying solution. Even though surrounded with PEG walls, the individual pallets were detached from the array by the mechanical force generated by a focused laser pulse, with a release threshold of 6 μJ. Since the PEG hydrogels are repellent to protein adsorption and cell attachment, the walls localized cell growth to the pallet top surface. Cells grown in the microwells formed by the PEG walls were released by detaching the underlying pallet. The released cells/pallets were collected, cultured and clonally expanded. The micropallet arrays with PEG walls provide a platform for performing single cell analysis and sorting on chip.
Slurry phase Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with iron-manganese catalysts

Abstract Synthesis gas was reacted over different compositions of iron-manganese Fischer-Tropsch catalysts in a slurry reactor. The reactor operates in a back-mixed mode with a continuous flow of feed gas through the catalyst suspended in the liquid medium. Four catalysts with iron-manganese ratios of 57/43, 44/56, 22/78, and 10/90 were investigated at identical process conditions after a standard activation procedure. With time on stream for each catalyst system, hydrogenation of olefins occurred, along with olefin isomerization reactions. Activity, selectivity, and stability are discussed in general. Analyses of used catalyst samples are also reported.
From scholarly idea to budgetary institution: the emergence of cost-benefit analysis

Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is typically portrayed as a technique for promoting efficiency in government. We don’t deny that CBA can be used in this manner, but instead focus on a different property of CBA, namely, its evolution from scholarly musings into a framing institution within which budgetary processes operate. The evolution of CBA into institutional status, moreover, shows the value of bringing a polyarchical perspective to bear on fiscal organization, wherein budgetary outcomes emerge through structured interaction among participants. CBA is a product of interaction within a political ecology, as distinct from being the product of some person’s optimizing choice.
Resolution Enhancement of Spectra

A numerical method has been developed to correct high-resolution infrared spectra for the distortion introduced by the spectrometer. The method involves, first, an accurate determination of the spectrometer response function and, then, deconvolution by a point-successive over-relaxation procedure. The method is applied to portions of the Q branches N2O and CH4 near 3.3 μ. The spectra are observed at pressures below 1.0 torr with spectrometer response-function half-widths less than 0.02 cm−1. The deconvolved spectra show an improvement of resolution which approaches the limit set by the Doppler widths of the lines. Line separations measured from the deconvolved spectra are within 0.001 cm−1 of the calculated values. The reduction of line overlap in the deconvolved spectra considerably increases the number of lines whose positions may be accurately measured.
Mortality Decline in the Twentieth Century and Supply of Kin Over the Life Course

Declining mortality over the Twentieth Century has altered the supply of older relatives in the kin networks of persons at all stages of life. Mortality decline has also changed the supply of kin for older persons. Using period life tables for selected years between 1900 and 2000, I calculate the proportion of persons who, at various stages of the life course, would have grandparents, parents, spouses, siblings and children still living. The results draw attention to the unprecedented potential for kinship ties involving older persons afforded by contemporary high survival rates.
Causality Analysis of IT Capabilities to Achieve Maximum Business Outcomes

Outcome-based business (OBB) is a business model that directly links a service provider's revenue or fee to the business value delivered by enabled services to the client. Its financial construct allows for a shared risk and reward model. Using OBB model, the service provider earns its revenue upon meeting mutually agreed benchmarks that affect these key client business outcomes. An OBB engagement typically requires establishing a long-term relationship with the client and reduces the risk for the client during the business transformation. A key component of an OBB business model is its ability to determine the impact of a particular IT solution on the performance of client financial and operational metrics. We outline a systematic method to enable us to do so. We begin with a process to identify gaps in the client's financial or operational performance. Then, we identify the business drivers that can improve those gaps. Next, we map the prioritized business drivers to the underlying IT capabilities that impact these drivers, creating a causal relationship chart called a service value map. Based on the causal relationship between the IT capabilities and the prioritized business drivers, we identify the priorities of the IT capabilities for gap improvement. In the second part of the analysis, we assume that each high level business driver can be measured by a metric (key performance indicator). With the help of a heuristic approach, we estimate the change of the metric over time using the service value map. This is accomplished by: 1) creating two baselines that define the bounds of the metric, and 2) using a maturity analysis to quantify the impact of the IT capabilities over time.
The undecidability of the preperfectness of thue systems

Abstract Since the word problem for Thue systems was proved to be undecidable by Post and Markov in the 1940's. there has been some interest in developing conditions under which the word problem is decidable. At present it is possible to decide whether a finite Thue system is almost-confluent or Church-Rosser, but testing for preperfectness has been an open problem for years. Here we prove this to be undecidable.
The Analysis of Theophylline — Containing Pharmaceuticals by Room Temperature Phosphorescence

Abstract A simple and specific technique is used in analyzing pharmaceutical preparations (capsules, elixirs, syrups, and tablets) for theophylline and related compounds. The procedure consists of dissolving (diluting) appropriate amounts of the preparations and standards in (with) a 1 M KI-water solution, spotting 5 μL of each resultant solution onto filter paper discs, determining the phosphorescence intensities at room temperature and comparing sample signal levels to those of standards. The quantities of active ingredients and standards used in the determinations ranged from 25 ng to 1 μg. The results indicate that room temperature phosphorescence is useful for analyzing pharmaceutical preparations where active ingredients are usually contained in a wide variety of matrices.
Accuracy of dynamic disk-based DDA with respect to a single sliding disk cluster

Disk clusters are developed to represent the shape of granular materials more precisely (compared to circular particles) and to minimise excessive rolling. Investigating the behaviour of dynamic disk-based discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) with disk clusters is very important to evaluate the applicability of disk-based DDA to dynamic problems in geomechanics. In this paper, the accuracy of disk-based DDA under dynamic conditions is studied by a comprehensive sensitivity analysis. The results obtained by disk-based DDA are compared with the analytical solutions of a disk cluster on an incline subjected to gravitational force only, and three different accelerations of increasing complexity with sinusoidal input functions as well as gravitational load. In this research, the effects of time step size and interface friction angles on the results are studied. Overall, most of the error for both velocity and displacement occurs at the beginning of the solution. With increasing friction angle, the initial ...
Binomial sampling plans for estimating and classifying population density of adult Bemisia tabaci in cotton

We used an empirical relationship to develop models for estimating and for classifying the population density of adult Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) in cotton based on the proportion of infested leaves. We examined models based on tally thresholds (the minimum number of insects present before a leaf is considered infested) of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 adults per fifth mainstem node leaf from the terminal. For the estimation of density, sampling precision (SE/mean) increased with higher tally thresholds (T); however, there was negligible improvement in precision with T ≥ 3 adults per leaf. Using T = 3 as few as 30 samples were necessary to achieve a precision of 0.25 over a wide range of population densities. To evaluate these binomial models for the classification of population density for pest management application, we used simulation analyses to determine operating characteristic curves (error probabilities), and to estimate average sample size and cost functions. Error probabilities and average sample sizes declined with higher values of T, but there was negligible decline in error probabilities using T ≥ 3 adults per leaf, and the overall cost of sampling was lowest for T = 3. Wald's sequential probability ratio test was used to formulate sequential sampling stop lines for classifying population density relative to two nominal action thresholds, 5 or 10 adults per leaf. Simulation analysis indicated that by using T = 3, fewer than 30 samples, on average, were needed to classify populations relative to either action threshold. However, simulated error probabilities consistently exceeded the nominal error probabilities used to initially formulate sequential sampling stop lines regardless of the tally threshold. Comparing binomial models using T = 1 or T = 3 to independent data from four field sites, the model for T = 1 was generally biased towards overprediction of mean density, but the T = 3 model was a robust and relatively unbiased predictor of mean density. The binomial sampling plans presented here should permit the rapid estimation of population density and enhance the efficiency of pest management programs based on the prescriptive suppression of B. tabaci in cotton.
Drug insight: insulin-sensitizing drugs in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome--a reappraisal.

Insulin resistance has a pivotal role in polycystic ovary syndrome. This Review evaluates the clinical implications of findings from several recent studies on the role of insulin-sensitizing drugs, such as metformin and thiazolidinediones in polycystic ovary syndrome, with particular regard to insulin action, cardiovascular disease, hyperandrogenism, infertility and pregnancy.
Planned Delay of Oral Intake After Esophagectomy Reduces the Cervical Anastomotic Leak Rate and Hospital Length of Stay

Cervical anastomotic leak rates are high after esophagectomy. We examined the effect of a purposeful delay in institution of oral diet after esophagectomy on the leak rate and hospital length of stay. A retrospective analysis of 120 patients submitted to esophagectomy with cervical esophagogastric anastomosis was conducted. Eighty-seven resumed diet within 7 days of surgery (early eaters), and 33 had delayed diet until a mean of 12 days after surgery (late eaters). Mean age was 62.3 years; 98 patients were male. One hundred one resections were for cancer, and 49 % of cancer patients received neoadjuvant therapy. The overall leak rate was 17.5 %, and hospital length of stay was 10.9 days. Anastomotic leak rate was 3 % for late eaters versus 23 % for early eaters (OR of 9.57, p = 0.010). Hospital length of stay was 6 days for late eaters versus 11.8 days for early eaters (p < 0.001). Anastomotic leak was significantly associated with increased length of stay (p < 0.001), adding an average of 7.6 days to hospital stay. Respiratory complications (p < 0.001) and delayed gastric emptying (p = 0.014) were also independent predictors of increased length of stay, but early eater status was not. Delayed resumption of oral diet after esophagectomy significantly reduces cervical anastomotic leak rate and avoids the increased length of stay associated with leak.
Weathering and landscape evolution

Abstract In recognition of the fundamental control exerted by weathering on landscape evolution and topographic development, the 35th Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium was convened under the theme of Weathering and Landscape Evolution. The papers and posters presented at the conference imparted the state-of-the-art in weathering geomorphology, tackled the issue of scale linkage in geomorphic studies and offered a vehicle for interdisciplinary communication on research into weathering and landscape evolution. The papers included in this special issue are encapsulated here under the general themes of weathering mantles, weathering and relative dating, weathering and denudation, weathering processes and controls and the ‘big picture’.
School Psychologists' Services In Special Education Programs.

Abstract Reviews school psychologists' services in special education programs. Fifty-eight credentialed school psychologists in 10 school districts were interviewed individually about background and training, professional duties, favored clinical techniques, and opinions and recommendations for improved services. According to self-reports, the bulk of time was devoted to activities directly related to assessment of pupils with little involvement in research, in-service training, or other clinical activities. Professional association memberships were primarily local. Assessment techniques tended to be limited to a few standardized tests. Overall findings support sample psychologists' expressed concerns as to need for changes in preservice and in-service training.
Ghrelin increases the rewarding value of high-fat diet in an orexin-dependent manner.

Background Ghrelin is a potent orexigenic hormone that likely impacts eating via several mechanisms. Here, we hypothesized that ghrelin can regulate extra homeostatic, hedonic aspects of eating behavior. Methods In the current study, we assessed the effects of different pharmacological, physiological, and genetic models of increased ghrelin and/or ghrelin-signaling blockade on two classic behavioral tests of reward behavior: conditioned place preference (CPP) and operant conditioning. Results Using both CPP and operant conditioning, we found that ghrelin enhanced the rewarding value of high-fat diet (HFD) when administered to ad lib-fed mice. Conversely, wild-type mice treated with ghrelin receptor antagonist and ghrelin receptor-null mice both failed to show CPP to HFD normally observed under calorie restriction. Interestingly, neither pharmacologic nor genetic blockade of ghrelin signaling inhibited the body weight homeostasis-related, compensatory hyperphagia associated with chronic calorie restriction. Also, ghrelin's effects on HFD reward were blocked in orexin-deficient mice and wild-type mice treated with an orexin 1 receptor antagonist. Conclusions Our results demonstrate an obligatory role for ghrelin in certain rewarding aspects of eating that is separate from eating associated with body weight homeostasis and that requires the presence of intact orexin signaling.
Preventing a Broken Heart: Critical Screening for Congenital Heart Disease

Newborn Care Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program To develop an interdisciplinary program of universal screening for congenital cardiac heart disease (CCHD) based on the 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for the 4,000 term and late‐preterm infants cared for in our mother–baby unit. Proposed Change Before implementation of this evidence‐based practice change, only symptomatic newborns had screening and diagnostic evaluation. Through the CCHD screening program, all newborns receiving care in the mother–baby unit benefit from early screening to determine the risk of CCHD. Based on positive‐pulse oximetry screening, infants at risk receive a predischarge diagnostic echocardiogram and evaluation by a pediatric cardiologist, with follow‐up as indicated. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation An interdisciplinary committee of physicians, nurses, and advanced practice nurses met to review the literature, evaluate current practice, and develop plans for implementation of CCHD risk identification and referral for diagnostic and cardiology follow‐up. Implementation strategies included the following: developed a policy for newborn CCHD screening; revised preprinted order sets/protocols; developed procedure for pulse oximetry screening; completed physician education, nurse education, and competencies related to the screening program; obtained additional equipment; established the coordination of diagnostic echocardiogram and cardiology referrals for positive‐pulse oximetry screens; revised documentation forms to include CCHD screen/referrals; developed patient teaching guidelines and written education materials; and established the communication of the results to the newborn's primary care provider. This collaborative initiative resulted in a change in the standard of practice to improve the outcomes and safety of newborns that may be at risk of morbidity and mortality due to unknown cardiac factors. Screening through pulse oximetry provides an inexpensive, noninvasive tool to identify newborns with structural heart defects, which usually are associated with hypoxia and physiologic changes in the newborn period that could have significant sequelae. Parents receive education about CCHD and the importance of postscreening follow‐up with primary care providers or pediatric cardiology based on the results of the newborn CCHD screen. Implications for Nursing Practice The CCHD screening program is an example of interdisciplinary collaboration among nursing, medicine, and cardiology for universal identification, early diagnosis, and management of asymptomatic newborn cardiac pathology to prevent morbidity and mortality. Through assessment, pulse oximetry screening, and patient teaching, nurses are integral to the safety and well‐being of newborns. This timely implementation of the 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics CCHD recommendations promotes the organization's mission of patient safety and can be a model to others for establishing CCHD screening programs.
Distinct muscle apoptotic pathways are activated in muscles with different fiber types in a rat model of critical illness myopathy

Critical illness myopathy (CIM) is associated with severe muscle atrophy and fatigue in affected patients. Apoptotic signaling is involved in atrophy and is elevated in muscles from patients with CIM. In this study we investigated underlying mechanisms of apoptosis-related pathways in muscles with different fiber type composition in a rat model of CIM using denervation and glucocorticoid administration (denervation and steroid-induced myopathy, DSIM). Soleus and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles showed severe muscle atrophy (40–60 % of control muscle weight) and significant apoptosis in interstitial as well as myofiber nuclei that was similar between the two muscles with DSIM. Caspase-3 and -8 activities, but not caspase-9 and -12, were elevated in TA and not in soleus muscle, while the caspase-independent proteins endonuclease G (EndoG) and apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) were not changed in abundance nor differentially localized in either muscle. Anti-apoptotic proteins HSP70, -27, and apoptosis repressor with a caspase recruitment domain (ARC) were elevated in soleus compared to TA muscle and ARC was significantly decreased with induction of DSIM in soleus. Results indicate that apoptosis is a significant process associated with DSIM in both soleus and TA muscles, and that apoptosis-associated processes are differentially regulated in muscles of different function and fiber type undergoing atrophy due to DSIM. We conclude that interventions combating apoptosis with CIM may need to be directed towards inhibiting caspase-dependent as well as -independent mechanisms to be able to affect muscles of all fiber types.
The sheepskin psychosis

(1966). The Sheepskin Psychosis. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 52-53.
Regulation of sodium currents through oxidation and reduction of thiol residues

Changes in redox state are involved in several physiological and pathophysiological processes. Previous experiments have demonstrated that nitric oxide can function as a reactive oxygen species, inhibiting neuronal sodium currents by nitrosylation of thiol residues. We hypothesized that nitric oxide and thiol oxidizers similarly modulate voltage-dependent sodium currents. Voltage-dependent sodium currents were studied with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique in NB41A3 neuroblastoma cells. The nitric oxide donor 3-(2-hydroxy-2-nitroso-1-propylhydrazino)-1-propanamine did not affect sodium currents. In contrast, the thiol oxidizers thimerosal and 4,4'-dithiopyridine significantly inhibited sodium currents. The effect of thimerosal persisted after washout, but could be fully reversed by the reducing agent dithiothreitol. Reduced glutathione did not restore the sodium current amplitude when given extracellularly, while intracellular glutathione prevented the inhibitory effect of thimerosal. Pretreatment with the alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide blocked the inhibitory action of thimerosal. Thiol oxidation caused a shift in the voltage dependence of fast and slow inactivation to more hyperpolarized potentials without concomitant effects on the voltage dependence of activation. Mercaptoethanol and reduced glutathione enhanced sodium currents by shifting the voltage dependence of inactivation to depolarized potentials. These results demonstrate that the oxidation and reduction of thiol residues alters the properties of voltage-sensitive sodium channels and may play an important role in the regulation of membrane excitability.
Meeting the 80-hour work week requirement: what did we cut?

Objective To meet the new accreditation requirement, small programs with limited manpower must make hard decisions to safeguard quality. We devised a system to meet the requirement in our own environment, making the obligatory cuts in educational components as prioritized by the trainees. This study examined what aspect of training is impacted and the residents’ perception of the resulting change. Method In a fully accredited program where the baseline work hours/week exceeded the new requirement by over 20% even with full deployment of physician’s assistants, the strategies used included reducing external rotations, transitioning PGY-3 into senior responsibility, and integrating senior rotations to 2 hospitals into 1 (2 weeks/month), so that time in a lower volume hospital helped to bring the monthly average to target. Residents were surveyed at 6-month intervals for their perception of the change. Results Compared with baseline, the new system averaged 77 ± 5 hours/week, significantly reduced from before (98 ± 12, p Conclusion Reducing work hours cannot be accomplished without reducing educational components. Unlike junior residents, senior residents felt less fulfilled with the new system and do not benefit in physical fatigue.
Numerical Modeling of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections and Comparison with Heliospheric Images

Abstract Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) have complex magnetic and density structures, which are the result of their interaction with the structured solar wind and with previous eruptions. ICMEs are revealed by in situ measurements and in the past five years, through remote-sensing observations by heliospheric imagers. However, to understand and analyze these observations often requires the use of numerical modeling. It is because no instruments can yet provide a simple view of ICMEs in two or three dimensions. Numerical simulations can be used to determine the origin of a complex ejecta observed near Earth, or to analyze the origin, speed and extent of density structures observed remotely. Here, we review and discuss recent efforts to use numerical simulations of ICMEs to investigate the magnetic topology, density structure, energetics and kinematics of ICMEs in the interplanetary space. After reviewing existing numerical models of ICMEs, we first focus on numerical modeling in support of the SMEI and STEREO observations. 3-D simulations can help determining the origins of the fronts observed by SECCHI and SMEI, especially for complex events such as the January 24–25, 2007 CMEs. They can also be used to test different methods to derive ICME properties from remote observations, to predict and explain observational effects, and to understand the deceleration and deformation of ICMEs. In the last part, we focus on the numerical investigation of non-magnetic cloud ejecta. We discuss how simulations are crucial to understand the formation of non-twisted ejecta and the formation of complex ejecta due to the interaction of multiple ICMEs.
Trend detection through temporal link analysis

Although time has been recognized as an important dimension in the co-citation literature, to date it has not been incorporated into the analogous process of link analysis on the Web. In this paper, we discuss several aspects and uses of the time dimension in the context of Web information retrieval. We describe the ideal case-- where search engines track and store temporal data for each of the pages in their repository, assigning timestamps to the hyperlinks embedded within the pages. We introduce several applications which benefit from the availability of such timestamps. To demonstrate our claims, we use a somewhat simplistic approach, which dates links by approximating the age of the page's content. We show that by using this crude measure alone it is possible to detect and expose significant events and trends. We predict that by using more robust methods for tracking modifications in the content of pages, search engines will be able to provide results that are more timely and better reflect current real-life trends than those they provide today.
The ShakeOut Earthquake Source and Ground Motion Simulations

The ShakeOut Scenario is premised upon the detailed description of a hypothetical Mw 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault and the associated simulated ground motions. The main features ...
Hydromagnetic acceleration in relativistic outflows

Abstract We demonstrate that hydromagnetic acceleration can be the driving mechanism of relativistic outflows in AGNs as well as in Gamma-ray burst sources and Crab-like pulsars. Using semianalytical solutions of the full set of the steady, axisymmetric, ideal hydromagnetic equations in flat spacetime—i.e., solving the momentum equation along the flow as well as in the transfield direction—we model the acceleration of relativistic outflows. We find that a Poynting-flux dominated flow near the source reaches equipartition between matter and magnetic energy-fluxes, or even becomes completely matter-dominated (as in the case of Crab-like pulsar winds).
Contractile Effects of a Calcium Ionophore

THE contractile state of muscle is controlled through variations of the intracellular concentration of calcium ion1–3. In different types of muscle, Ca2+ transients inside the fibres are sustained to various degrees by calcium movements to and from intracellular stores, such as the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). In skeletal muscle, the activity of SR is sufficient to account for release and uptake of intracellular calcium, fulfilling concentration and time requirements for a single twitch. But it is not as well developed in cardiac and even less so in smooth muscle.
Sarcolemmae from Chicken Skeletal Muscle. 2. Properties

SUMMARY– Sarcolemmae are usually identified solely by morphological characteristics. We have determined several chemical and enzymic properties of sarcolemmae from chicken breast muscle prepared by homogenization of aged muscle in dilute CaCl2 solution, washing 4 times in NaCl-histidine at pH 7.4, extraction with water buffered to pH 7 and isolation by differential centrifugation on a discontinuous sucrose gradient. The phospholipid content of the sarcolemmae was low, representing only 2 to 3% by weight compared with the 20 to 35% usually found in membraneous systems. This discrepancy may be due to the relatively small proportion of plasma membrane in the sarcolemma. Analyses indicate little contamination by nuclei or mitochondria. The sarcolemmae have, like the microsomal fraction, high contents of RNA and glucose-6-phosphatase activity. The sarcolemma is either rich in these elements or is contaminated by other subcellular elements, such as the transverse tubules (T system), which are. The sarcolemmae display a Mg+2- activated ATPase activity which is typical for membraneous systems. Lactate dehydrogenase was shown to be associated with the sarcolemmae. Whether this represents the situation in vivo or is an artifact of preparation is not clear. The sarcolemmae are capable of binding soluble LDH.
Non-stationary return levels of CMIP5 multi-model temperature extremes

The objective of this study is to evaluate to what extent the CMIP5 climate model simulations of the climate of the twentieth century can represent observed warm monthly temperature extremes under a changing environment. The biases and spatial patterns of 2-, 10-, 25-, 50- and 100-year return levels of the annual maxima of monthly mean temperature (hereafter, annual temperature maxima) from CMIP5 simulations are compared with those of Climatic Research Unit (CRU) observational data considered under a non-stationary assumption. The results show that CMIP5 climate models collectively underestimate the mean annual maxima over arid and semi-arid regions that are most subject to severe heat waves and droughts. Furthermore, the results indicate that most climate models tend to underestimate the historical annual temperature maxima over the United States and Greenland, while generally disagreeing in their simulations over cold regions. Return level analysis shows that with respect to the spatial patterns of the annual temperature maxima, there are good agreements between the CRU observations and most CMIP5 simulations. However, the magnitudes of the simulated annual temperature maxima differ substantially across individual models. Discrepancies are generally larger over higher latitudes and cold regions.
When My Avatar Went to Work

This paper talks about the robots. The robot is also called QB. QB ia what is known as a telepresence robot. It is the creation of silicon valley start-up Anybots.