cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fantasy and Desire: On Friday Night Lights and Coach Carter

This chapter offers a contrapuntal reading of Peter Berg’s Friday Night Lights (2004) and Thomas Carter’s Coach Carter (2005), two films wherein high school sport adjudicates young men’s education and allegorizes economic prospects in the contemporary United States. The former is set in a predominantly white working-class rural community in 1980s West Texas and the latter in a predominantly black working-class urban community in 1990s Northern California. Both films feature individual salvation for the community’s young men tutored by a tough-loving patriarch and pivot on the masculine ambition to flee dead-end lives. However, these two films are not two versions of the same story. Rather, the success and possibility of Friday Night Lights is premised on the failure and impossibility of Coach Carter.
Outcomes of hospitalization in adults with Fontan palliation: The Mayo Clinic experience.

Background The outcomes of hospitalization in the Fontan population have not been specifically studied. The purpose of this study was to describe outcomes of hospitalization (frequency and indications for hospitalization, and in-hospital mortality) in this population and to determine how these outcomes differ from those of other adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods This was a retrospective study of adult Fontan patients hospitalized at Mayo Clinic Rochester in 1990-2015. We selected age- and gender-matched control group of patients with repaired CHD and biventricular circulation hospitalized within the study period. Results A total of 367 Fontan patients (age 31 ± 7 years and 259 [71%] with atriopulmonary Fontan) had 853 hospital admissions in 4 years (58 hospitalizations per 100 patient-years). The most common indications were arrhythmia (n = 188, 22%), heart failure (n = 169, 20%), and cardiac surgery (n = 133, 16%). Overall in-hospital mortality was 4% (n = 38), and the highest in-hospital mortality occurred in patients hospitalized for cardiac surgery (n = 15, 11%) and heart failure (n = 13, 8%). In comparison to the repaired CHD and biventricular circulation group, the Fontan group had more frequent hospitalizations (22 vs 58 per 100 patient-years, P Conclusions Adults with Fontan palliation had more frequent hospitalization and in-hospital mortality compared to the rest of the CHD population. Arrhythmia and heart failure were the most common indications for hospitalization. Perhaps optimal management of heart failure and arrhythmia may improve outcomes in this population.
PREVALENCE OF FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA AND LDL CHOLESTEROL REDUCTION AMONG YOUNG ADULTS WITH MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Nearly 90% of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) remain undiagnosed. Our objective was to assess the prevalence of FH in a cohort of young adults who experience their first myocardial infarction (MI) ≤ 50 years. We retrospectively analyzed all records of patients presenting with
Vendor Selection and Contract Negotiation

Selecting an EHR vendor is like selecting your spouse. You expect the decision will be life-changing (you hope for the better) and that it will have a long-term effect. Also, you can be certain that if things don’t work out, the separation will be painful. Understanding your organization’s business needs and its culture are essential to selecting not just the right software, but the right vendor partner as well. Misunderstandings over expected functionalities and delivery dates can quickly sour a business relationship.
Can neuroimaging help combat the opioid epidemic? A systematic review of clinical and pharmacological challenge fMRI studies with recommendations for future research

The current opioid epidemic is an urgent public health problem, with enormous individual, societal, and healthcare costs. Despite effective, evidence-based treatments, there is significant individual variability in treatment responses and relapse rates are high. In addition, the neurobiology of opioid-use disorder (OUD) and its treatment is not well understood. This review synthesizes published fMRI literature relevant to OUD, with an emphasis on findings related to opioid medications and treatment, and proposes areas for further research. We conducted a systematic literature review of Medline and Psychinfo to identify (i) fMRI studies comparing OUD and control participants; (ii) studies related to medication, treatment, abstinence or withdrawal effects in OUD; and (iii) studies involving manipulation of the opioid system in healthy individuals. Following application of exclusionary criteria (e.g., insufficient sample size), 45 studies were retained comprising data from ~1400 individuals. We found convergent evidence that individuals with OUD display widespread heightened neural activation to heroin cues. This pattern is potentiated by heroin, attenuated by medication-assisted treatments for opioids, predicts treatment response, and is reduced following extended abstinence. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of literature examining neural characteristics of OUD and its treatment. We discuss limitations of extant research and identify critical areas for future neuroimaging studies, including the urgent need for studies examining prescription opioid users, assessing sex differences and utilizing a wider range of clinically relevant task-based fMRI paradigms across different stages of addiction.
Postoperative Management and Nutritional Deficiencies

A 52-year-old woman presents for her annual postoperative bariatric surgery appointment. She underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) 3 years ago. Since then, she has lost more than 100 lbs. and no longer requires antihypertensive medication. In reviewing her diet, she reports becoming a vegan over the past year and has continued to avoid sweets and carbonated beverages. Six months ago, she sustained a left wrist fracture after tripping on the sidewalk. She also reports generalized fatigue and tingling in her fingers and toes for the past 2 months. She admits to not taking her vitamins as recommended. On exam, she weighs 161 lbs. with a BMI of 26.8 kg/m2. She is afebrile with a blood pressure of 120/60 and heart rate of 95 beats/min. A beefy, red tongue and pale conjunctiva are notable. The rest of her exam including neurological assessment is otherwise normal. Labs reveal hemoglobin 10.8 g/dl [normal 11.2–14.7] and hematocrit 33.7% [normal 33.8–43.3] with an MCV of 105 fL [normal 79.4–94.7]. Serum folate is 10 ng/ml [normal ≥4.8] and vitamin B12 is 150 pg/ml [normal 299–1054]. Methylmalonic acid is elevated. 25-hydroxyvitamin D is 8 ng/ml [normal ≥20 ng/ml]. Basic metabolic panel is normal and other micronutrient labs are normal.
Products, multiplicative Chern characters, and finite coefficients via noncommutative motives

Abstract Products, multiplicative Chern characters, and finite coefficients, are unarguably among the most important tools in algebraic K -theory. In this article, making use of the theory of noncommutative motives, we characterize these constructions in terms of simple and precise universal properties. We illustrate the potential of these results by developing two of its manifold consequences: (1) the multiplicativity of the negative Chern characters follows directly from a simple factorization of the mixed complex construction; (2) Kassel’s bivariant Chern character admits an adequate extension, from the Grothendieck group level, to all higher K -theory groups.
The End of the World as We Know It: The Cold War's Killing Fields and the Origins of Modern Conflict

As the Cold War neared its end in the late 1980s, John Lewis Gaddis heralded the closing era as one of remarkable international stability, unprecedented for its lack of direct great power conflict....
Temporal flexibility of gene regulatory network underlies a novel wing pattern in flies

Organisms have evolved endless morphological, physiological, and behavioral novel traits during the course of evolution. Novel traits were proposed to evolve mainly by orchestration of preexisting genes. Over the past two decades, biologists have shown that cooption of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) indeed underlies numerous evolutionary novelties. However, very little is known about the actual GRN properties that allow such redeployment. Here we have investigated the generation and evolution of the complex wing pattern of the fly Samoaia leonensis We show that the transcription factor Engrailed is recruited independently from the other players of the anterior-posterior specification network to generate a new wing pattern. We argue that partial cooption is made possible because 1) the anterior-posterior specification GRN is flexible over time in the developing wing and 2) this flexibility results from the fact that every single gene of the GRN possesses its own functional time window. We propose that the temporal flexibility of a GRN is a general prerequisite for its possible cooption during the course of evolution.
Clinical analysis of children's relapsesable intussusception by Peutz-Jeghers syndrome

Objective To investigate the clinical diagnosis and treatment of children's relapsesable intussusception by Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.Methods 5 cases of relapsesable intussusception result from Peutz-Jeghers syndrome which confirmed by operation and pathological diagnosis in children were analyzed retrospectively.Results All patients were diagnosed definitely by operation and pathological diagnosis and recovered well postoperatively.Conclusions Treated with the intussusception and resected polypus is effect to Peutz-Jeghers syndrome because it caused intussusception recurred easily,and patients should be followed up and examined regularly. Key words: Peutz-Jeghers syndrome; Relapsesable intussusception
Depressive Symptoms and Trust of Healthcare Provider in Rural Adolescents: Relationships and Predictors.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate associations among depressive symptoms, trust of healthcare provider, and health behavior in adolescents who live in a rural area. Two hundred twenty-four ...
Man vs. Machine: Comparing Physician vs. Electronic Health Record–Based Model Predictions for 30-Day Hospital Readmissions

Electronic health record (EHR)-based readmission risk prediction models can be automated in real-time but have modest discrimination and may be missing important readmission risk factors. Clinician predictions of readmissions may incorporate information unavailable in the EHR, but the comparative usefulness is unknown. We sought to compare clinicians versus a validated EHR-based prediction model in predicting 30-day hospital readmissions. We conducted a prospective survey of internal medicine clinicians in an urban safety-net hospital. Clinicians prospectively predicted patients’ 30-day readmission risk on 5-point Likert scales, subsequently dichotomized into low- vs. high-risk. We compared human with machine predictions using discrimination, net reclassification, and diagnostic test characteristics. Observed readmissions were ascertained from a regional hospitalization database. We also developed and assessed a “human-plus-machine” logistic regression model incorporating both human and machine predictions. We included 1183 hospitalizations from 106 clinicians, with a readmission rate of 20.8%. Both clinicians and the EHR model had similar discrimination (C-statistic 0.66 vs. 0.66, p = 0.91). Clinicians had higher specificity (79.0% vs. 48.9%, p < 0.001) but lower sensitivity (43.9 vs. 75.2%, p < 0.001) than EHR model predictions. Compared with machine, human was better at reclassifying non-readmissions (non-event NRI + 30.1%) but worse at reclassifying readmissions (event NRI − 31.3%). A human-plus-machine approach best optimized discrimination (C-statistic 0.70, 95% CI 0.67–0.74), sensitivity (65.5%), and specificity (66.7%). Clinicians had similar discrimination but higher specificity and lower sensitivity than EHR model predictions. Human-plus-machine was better than either alone. Readmission risk prediction strategies should incorporate clinician assessments to optimize the accuracy of readmission predictions.
Defining the need for faculty development in assessment

Abstract Background High-quality workplace-based assessments are essential for competency-based surgical education. We explored education leaders’ perceptions regarding faculty competence in assessment. Methods Surgical education leaders were surveyed regarding which areas faculty needed improvement, and knowledge of assessment tools. Respondents were queried on specific skills regarding (a)importance in resident/medical student education (b)competence of faculty in assessment and feedback. Results Surveys (n = 636) were emailed, 103 responded most faculty needed improvement in: verbal (86%) and written (83%) feedback, assessing operative skill (49%) and preparation for procedures (50%). Cholecystectomy, trauma laparotomy, inguinal herniorrhaphy were “very-extremely important” in resident education (99%), but 21–24% thought faculty “moderately to not-at-all” competent in assessment. This gap was larger for non-technical skills. Regarding assessment tools, 56% used OSATS, 49% Zwisch; most were unfamiliar with all non-technical tools. Summary These data demonstrate a significant perceived gap in competence of faculty in assessment and feedback, and unfamiliarity with assessment tools. This can inform faculty development to support competency-based surgical education.
Estimation of the Increase in Solubility of Drugs as a Function of Bile Salt Concentration

Purpose. The objective of this study was to develop a model to predict the extent to which bile salts can enhance the solubility of a drug, based on the physicochemical properties of the compound. The ability to predict bile salt solubilization of poorly soluble drugs would be a key component in determining which drugs will exhibit fed vs. fasted differences in drug absorption.
Thermal equation of state of lower-mantle ferropericlase across the spin crossover

The thermal equation of state of ferropericlase [(Mg{sub 0.75}Fe{sub 0.25})O] has been investigated by synchrotron X-ray diffraction up to 140 GPa and 2000 K in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell. Based on results at high pressure-temperature conditions, the derived phase diagram shows that the spin crossover widens at elevated temperatures. Along the lower-mantle geotherm, the spin crossover occurs between 1700 km and 2700 km depth. Compared to the high-spin state, thermoelastic modeling of the data shows a {approx}1.2% increase in density, a factor of two increase in thermal expansion coefficient over a range of 1000 km, and a maximum decrease of 37% and 13% in bulk modulus and bulk sound velocity, respectively, at {approx}2180 km depth across the spin crossover. These anomalous behaviors in the thermoelastic properties of ferropericlase across the spin crossover must be taken into account in order to understand the seismic signatures and geodynamics of the lower mantle.
Resorption Rate Tunable Bioceramic: Si, Zn-Modified Tricalcium Phosphate

This dissertation is organized in an alternate format. Several manuscripts which have already been published or are to be submitted for publication have been included as separate chapters. Chapter 1 is a general introduction which describes the dissertation organization and introduces the human bone and ceramic materials as bone substitute. Chapter 2 is the background and literature review on dissolution behavior of calcium phosphate, and discussion of motivation for this research. Chapter 3 is a manuscript entitled ''Si,Zn-modified tricalcium phosphate: a phase composition and crystal structure study'', which was published in ''Key Engineering Materials'' [1]. Chapter 4 gives more crystal structure details by neutron powder diffraction, which identifies the position for Si and Zn substitution and explains the stabilization mechanism of the structure. A manuscript entitled ''Crystal structure analysis of Si, Zn-modified Tricalcium phosphate by Neutron Powder Diffraction'' will be submitted to Biomaterials [2]. Chapter 5 is a manuscript, entitled ''Dissolution behavior and cytotoxicity test of Si, Zn-modified tricalcium phosphate'', which is to be submitted to Biomaterials [3]. This paper discusses the additives effect on the dissolution behavior of TCP, and cytotoxicity test result is also included. Chapter 6 is the study of hydrolysis process of {alpha}-tricalcium phosphate in the simulated body fluid, and the phase development during drying process is discussed. A manuscript entitled ''Hydrolysis of {alpha}-tricalcium phosphate in simulated body fluid and phase transformation during drying process'' is to be submitted to Biomaterials [4]. Ozan Ugurlu is included as co-authors in these two papers due to his TEM contributions. Appendix A is the general introduction of the materials synthesis, crystal structure and preliminary dissolution result. A manuscript entitled ''Resorption rate tunable bioceramic: Si and Zn-modified tricalcium phosphate'' was published in Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceedings (the 29th International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites - Advances in Bioceramics and Biocomposites) [5].
Time for the Child Tax Credit to Grow Up: Preserving the Credit’s Availability and Enhancing Benefits for Families

The Child Tax Credit is one of the largest subsidies in the tax code for families with children. The CTC provides a supplementary boost to families by providing cash income when they do not have income tax liability. The CTC has more recently been used as an economic recovery measure and as a work incentive. However, the Credit's own structure undermines its ability to serve these purposes. The Credit should be structured such that it will further the program's key purposes and remain available to more lowincome families. Some beneficial structural changes include permanently setting the refundability threshold at $3,000 and insulating the Credit's provisions from inflation.  J.D. 2011, Columbia Law School; B.A. 2006, Drew University. The author would like to thank Anne Lieberman for her outstanding editorial assistance and the members of the Columbia Journal of Tax Law for their comments and editorial work. 302 COLUMBIA JOURNAL OF TAX LAW [Vol.2:301
Silk Fibroin Proteins: Structure, Function, and Evolution

Introduction Historical Outline Biological Aspects Mechanical Properties Protein Sequences: Conservation, Divergence, and Convergence Major Ampullate Silk Proteins Minor Ampullate Silk Proteins Flagelliform Silk Proteins Sequence Comparisons Between Spider Species Biophysical Studies Protein Structure–Function Relationships Expression of Synthetic Spider Silk Proteins Strategies for Synthetic Gene Construction Expression of Spider Silk Proteins Materials Studies with Expressed Proteins Outlook and Perspectives Keywords: spider silk; protein; DNA; motif; beta-sheet; beta-spiral
Fluid Ontologies: Myth, Ritual and Philosophy in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea

Fluid Ontologies: Myth, Ritual and Philosophy in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. L. R. Goldman and C. Ballard. eds. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey, 1998. 172 pp.
Sex differences in cell proliferation in the ventricular zone of young ring doves

Abstract Cell proliferation Into ventricular zone was studied in 3-month-old ring doves, using [ 3 H]-thymidine as the marker for DNA synthesis and hence cell division. We found sex differences in the rate of cell proliferation on the plane of preoptic area in these immature doves whose gonads were just undergoing changes.
Abstract A20: Molecular Detection of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen in Canine Prostate Carcinoma Cells

Apart from the man, the dog develops prostate cancer spontaneously. Although the diseases in both species have several clinical aspects in common, not much is known about the expression of markers in the canine prostate cancer due to the lack of study in canine prostate cancer research. Therefore, the vast majority of canine prostate cancers at the time of diagnosis are end-staged. Numerous prostate cancer cell lines have been developed, but few cell lines develop bone metastases and no cell lines have been reported to cause brain metastases except the Ace-1 and the Leo canine prostate cancer cell lines. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which is known as a prostate cancer biomarker in humans, its usefulness in canine specimens has not been examined fully in these cell lines. Although there has been a considerable effort toward the development of PSMA-targeted diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for dogs, methods for detecting circulating and invasive prostate tumor cells currently remain limited. Previously, we developed a prostate circulating tumor cell (PCTC) detection method by a fluorescent PSMA inhibitor. The focus of the study is to evaluate PSMA expression on the Ace-1 and Leo cell lines by fluorescent conjugated PSMA inhibitor in flow cytometry. It is expected that the results will enable the development of detecting PSMA expressing canine cells in circulation for prognosis and diagnosis of canine prostate cancer. Citation Format: Lisa Y. Wu, Tiancheng Liu, Bernard Vanwie, William C. Davis, Clifford E. Berkman. Molecular Detection of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen in Canine Prostate Carcinoma Cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chemical Systems Biology: Assembling and Interrogating Computational Models of the Cancer Cell by Chemical Perturbations; 2012 Jun 27-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(13 Suppl):Abstract nr A20.
Transformed Bacterial Symbionts Re-Introduced to and Detected in Host Gut

Strains of Enterobacter agglomerans and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from Rhagoletis completa Cresson were engineered to express transgenic fluorescent proteins (ECFP, DsRed). These bacteria were introduced into flies by feeding the flies a sucrose solution in which the bacteria were suspended. The transgenic and heterologous marker protein was expressed and visible in the bacteria after they were ingested by WHF and while they were in the fly gut. We describe the plasmids used to transform these bacteria and demonstrate expression of heterologous proteins from the transforming plasmids and discuss the implications for future pest control strategies.
Application of the Brown-Shook model to the Kirkwood gaps and resonant asteroids

The mathematical model developed by Brown and Shook is used to explain the absence of asteroids in the Kirkwood gaps as well as the existence of some resonant asteroids with orbital periods commensurable to that of Jupiter. In addition, this model can possibly explain the biased number distributions at the commensurable positions of both resonant gaps and clusters. However, this resonant model is probably not applicable to the Saturnian ring system due to the possible cosmogonic plasma process during its formation.
The plus-construction, Bousfield localization, and derived completion

Abstract We define a plus-construction on connective augmented algebras over operads in symmetric spectra using Quillen homology. For associative and commutative algebras, we show that this plus-construction is related to both Bousfield localization and Carlsson’s derived completion.
Perspectives on rehabilitation of individuals with cognitive impairment after brain injury: rationale for reconsideration of theoretical paradigms.

Background:The frequency of cognitive impairment associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) has led to the widespread use of cognitive rehabilitation as a discrete rehabilitative service. This service has become controversial in part because of disagreements regarding its theoretical base and impl
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland as a second malignant neoplasm.

We report two second malignant neoplasms (SMNs) of the parotid gland. Patient 1 was initially diagnosed with precursor B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma of the scalp. Eight years after her initial diagnosis she presented with a small, painless mass in the region of her parotid gland. Patient 2 was diagnosed with pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Thirteen years after her initial diagnosis she presented with a painless mass in her right cheek. Both patients underwent superficial parotidectomies following excisional biopsies. Pathology revealed low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) in both cases. Both patients are currently tumor free. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Superficial inferior epigastric vessels in the massive weight loss population: implications for breast reconstruction.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer risk and reconstructive options after massive weight loss are undefined. Use of the resulting pannus for autologous reconstruction is possible, with one option being the superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) flap. Large superficial inferior epigastric vessels have been observed in massive weight loss patients during abdominal contouring procedures, but their anatomical features have not been assessed. METHODS Thirty-two consecutive massive weight loss patients undergoing abdominal contouring had their superficial inferior epigastric vessels measured intraoperatively to assess correlation with body mass indices and pannus weight using appropriate statistical analyses. RESULTS Sixty-four hemiabdomens were assessed. Mean age was 46 +/- 9.8 years. Mean maximum body mass index was 49.5 +/- 8.3, current body mass index was 29.6 +/- 6.0, change in body mass index was 19.9 +/- 5.6, and mean pannus weight was 3338.4 g. Mean artery size was 1.7 mm and mean vein size was 2.9 mm. Thirty-two of 62 hemiabdomens (52 percent) had a usable vessel (>or=1.5 mm). Maximum body mass index was related to the overall presence of a SIEA (p = 0.009) or usable artery (p = 0.04), whereas both current body mass index and maximum body mass index were related to superficial inferior epigastric vein size (p < 0.001). Pannus weight was correlated to superficial inferior epigastric vein and SIEA size (p < 0.001) and strongly correlated to current body mass index (r = 0.78) and maximum body mass index (r = 0.46). CONCLUSIONS The superficial inferior epigastric vessel system is commonly present in massive weight loss patients. Body mass index before weight loss is the strongest predictor of SIEA presence and usability. When massive weight loss patients present for breast reconstruction, careful patient selection along with weight loss history and assessment of pannus size may aid in determining the likelihood of using the SIEA flap.
Leptin induces phagocytosis of apoptotic bodies by hepatic stellate cells via a Rho guanosine triphosphatase-dependent mechanism.

Leptin, a profibrogenic cytokine, plays an important role in the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Leptin also regulates immune responses, including macrophage phagocytic activity. Stellate cells are key elements in liver fibrogenesis, and previously we have demonstrated that phagocytosis of apoptotic bodies by stellate cells is profibrogenic. To study the effects of leptin on the phagocytic activity of hepatic stellate cells, we exposed both LX-2 cells and primary stellate cells to leptin, and we have observed increased phagocytic activity. In stellate cells isolated from Zucker (fa/fa) rats, the rate of phagocytosis was significantly decreased. To investigate the mechanism by which leptin induces phagocytosis, we focused on the role of Rho-guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-ases. We found that leptin induced the PI3K-dependent activation of Rac1, and that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced form (NADPH) oxidase activation was also implicated in this process. Leptin also induced RhoA activation and translocation to the phagosomes. Expression of the constitutive active Rac1 and RhoA both increased the phagocytic rate, whereas inhibition of the Rho-dependent kinase decreased the phagocytic activity. Conclusion: We describe a novel role of leptin in the fibrogenic process, the induction of phagocytosis of apoptotic bodies by hepatic stellate cells. The data provide strong evidence of a Rho-GTPase–mediated regulation of the cytoskeleton during stellate cell phagocytosis. Leptin-mediated phagocytic activity of stellate cells therefore could be an important mechanism responsible for progression of fibrosis in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.)
Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging of Mammalian Cells and Xenograft Tumors with SNAP-Tag

Fluorescence in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region is suitable for in vivo imaging due to its reduced background and high penetration capability compared to visible fluorescence. SNAPf is a fast-labeling variant of SNAP-tag that reacts with a fluorescent dye-conjugated benzylguanine (BG) substrate, leading to covalent attachment of the fluorescent dye to the SNAPf. This property makes SNAPf a valuable tool for fluorescence imaging. The NIR fluorescent substrate BG-800, a conjugate between BG and IRDye 800CW, was synthesized and characterized in this study. HEK293, MDA-MB-231 and SK-OV-3 cells stably expressing SNAPf-Beta-2 adrenergic receptor (SNAPf-ADRβ2) fusion protein were created. The ADRβ2 portion of the protein directs the localization of the protein to the cell membrane. The expression of SNAPf-ADRβ2 in the stable cell lines was confirmed by the reaction between BG-800 substrate and cell lysates. Microscopic examination confirmed that SNAPf-ADRβ2 was localized on the cell membrane. The signal intensity of the labeled cells was dependent on the BG-800 concentration. In vivo imaging study showed that BG-800 could be used to visualize xenograph tumors expressing SNAPf-ADRβ2. However, the background signal was relatively high, which may be a reflection of non-specific accumulation of BG-800 in the skin. To address the background issue, quenched substrates that only fluoresce upon reaction with SNAP-tag were synthesized and characterized. Although the fluorescence was successfully quenched, in vivo imaging with the quenched substrate CBG-800-PEG-QC1 failed to visualize the SNAPf-ADRβ2 expressing tumor, possibly due to the reduced reaction rate. Further improvement is needed to apply this system for in vivo imaging.
Clinical and Functional Characterization of a Human ORNT1 Mutation (T32R) in the Hyperornithinemia-Hyperammonemia-Homocitrullinuria (HHH) Syndrome

We studied two related families (HHH013 and HHH015) with the hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria (HHH) syndrome, a disorder of the urea cycle and ornithine degradation pathway, who have the same novel ornithine transporter (ORNT1) genotype (T32R) but a variable phenotype. Both HHH015 patients are doing well in school and are clinically stable; conversely, the three affected HHH013 siblings had academic difficulties and one suffered recurrent episodes of hyperammonemia and ultimately died. Overexpression studies revealed that the product of the ORNT1-T32R allele has residual function. Ornithine transport studies in HHH015 fibroblasts, however, showed basal activity similar to fibroblasts carrying nonfunctional ORNT1 alleles. We also examined two potential modifying factors, the ORNT2 gene and the mitochondrial DNA lineage (haplogroup). Haplogroups, associated with specific diseases, are hypothesized to influence mitochondrial function. Results demonstrated that both HHH015 patients are heterozygous for an ORNT2 gain of function polymorphism and belong to haplogroup A whereas the HHH013 siblings carry the wild-type ORNT2 and are haplogroup H. These observations suggest that the ORNT1 genotype cannot predict the phenotype of HHH patients. The reason for the phenotypic variability is unknown, but factors such as redundant transporters and mitochondrial lineage may contribute to the neuropathophysiology of HHH patients.
In-Group Salience, Intergroup Comparison, and Individual Performance and Self-Esteem

Because of connections between individual self-esteem and in-group status, it was expected that in-group focus of attention would motivate individual performance in circumstances where high performance would help establish the superiority of the group. Lacking circumstances indicating the importance of individual performance to group status, in-group salience was expected to lead to a general decrease in motivation to perform by providing an unthreatened boost to self-esteem. One study having an in-group salience manipulation, with implied group comparison as a constant, and one study in which both in-group salience and perceived intergroup comparison were manipulated yielded evidence supporting these propositions.
Comparison of particulate trace element concentrations in the North Atlantic Ocean as determined with discrete bottle sampling and in situ pumping

The oceanic geochemical cycles of many metals are controlled, at least in part, by interactions with particulate matter, and measurements of particulate trace metals are a core component of the international GEOTRACES program. Particles can be collected by several methods, including in-line filtration from sample bottles and in situ pumping. Both approaches were used to collect particles from the water column on the U.S. GEOTRACES North Atlantic Zonal Transect cruises. Statistical comparison of 91 paired samples collected at matching stations and depths indicate mean concentrations within 5% for Fe and Ti, within 10% for Cd, Mn and Co, and within 15% for Al. Particulate concentrations were higher in bottle samples for Cd, Mn and Co but lower in bottle samples for Fe, Al and Ti, suggesting that large lithogenic particles may be undersampled by bottles in near-shelf environments. In contrast, P was 58% higher on average in bottle samples. This is likely due to a combination of analytical offsets between lab groups, differences in filter pore size, and potential loss of labile P from pump samples following misting with deionized water. Comparable depth profiles were produced by the methods across a range of conditions in the North Atlantic.
Evidence for malonyl-CoA-sensitive carnitine acyl-CoA transferase activity in sarcoplasmic reticulum of canine heart.

The formation of palmitoylcarnitine is catalyzed by carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT-I) and this catalysis is the first committed step in β-oxidation. The malonyl-CoA-inhibited isoform appears to be distinct from latent (CPT-II) activity, which is localized to the matrix side of the mitochondrial inner membrane. Sarcoplasmic reticulum from canine cardiac muscle was fractionated on a discontinous sucrose density gradient into three major bands, all of which contained Ca2+-ATPase activity. Only the fraction that banded at a concentration of 38% sucrose was slightly contaminated by mitochondria. Peroxisomal uricase was low or absent in fractionated SR. All sarcoplasmic reticulum fractions contained malonyl-CoA-sensitive medium- (COT) and long-chain (CPT) carnitine acyltransferase activities. CPT activity decreased in sarcoplasmic reticulum when Triton X-100 was present. Carnitine acyltransferase activities were inactivated by preincubating the sarcoplasmic reticulum with the sulfhydryl reagent, 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB). In contrast, mitochondrial CPT-II activity was stable in the presence of DTNB and activated by Triton X-100. Western blots of mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum fractions showed that the mitochondrial fractions reacted with antibody to mitochondrial CPT-II but not with SR protein when both were added at comparable specific activities. The data suggest that cardiac SR contains a unique malonyl-CoA-sensitive isoform of CPT, and that synthesis of acylcarnitine may occur in the microenvironment of Ca2+ transport, where the extent of production of acylcarnitine is controlled by cardiac acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity.
Does homocysteine contribute to bone disease in hyperparathyroidism

Abstract Background Osteoporosis is a complication of hyperparathyroidism (HPT). Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCy) is an independent risk factor for osteoporotic fractures. We hypothesize that HHCy correlates with bone disease in HPT. Methods A prospectively collected database of 250 patients treated for HPT was reviewed. Patients were categorized into 3 groups: group I, normal renal function; group 2, mild renal insufficiency; and group 3, secondary HPT with end-stage renal disease on dialysis. Serum homocysteine levels, markers of bone metabolism, and bone density studies were examined. Results The prevalence of HHCy in group 1 (208 patients) was 5%, in group 2 (23 patients), 82%, and in group 3 (19 patients), 78%. Mean (±SD) preoperative homocysteinemia (HCy) levels in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 9.3 ± 4.0, 20 ± 10.2, and 20.6 ± 12.3 μmol/L, respectively. Elevated serum markers of bone metabolism increased significantly with decreasing renal function. Conclusions Prevalence of HHCy is low in HPT patients with normal renal function. It is significantly greater in those with dialysis-independent and -dependent renal insufficiency. HHCy correlates with other serum markers of bone metabolism in HPT and may be useful for monitoring progression or improvement.
Seismic evidence for small-scale heterogeneity throughout the Earth's mantle

Details in the amplitude structure of short-period precursors to the seismic core phase PKP can be used to constrain the depth extent of mantle scattering. The simplest model consistent with the observations invokes small (∼8 km), weak (r.m.s. velocity perturbations of 1%), random heterogeneities uniformly distributed throughout the mantle. The data do not support previously proposed models that place an increase in the concentration of scattering sites near the base of the mantle, and instead place an upper limit on the amplitude of any short-wavelength topography at the core-mantle boundary.
Acute presentation of cystic and mass-like lesions of the chest in children

A wide variety of cystic and mass-like lesions can occur in the chest of infants and children, but those that cause acute symptoms are often associated with pneumonia or infection of pre-existing congenital or developmental lung lesions. Pediatric chest masses can be classified by location, multiplicity, and the presence or absence of air-filled or fluid-filled cysts. Characteristic radiographic findings are diagnostic for some lesions, whereas others can appear quite similar radiographically. This article illustrates the common chest masses and cysts that present emergently in pediatric patients and discusses imaging approaches to the diagnosis of such lesions.
Dominant chemistry and physical factors affecting no formation and control in oxy-fuel burning

NO formation in oxygen-enriched counterflow methane diffusion flames has been computationally studied with detailed chemistry and transport properties. Particular interests are the identification of the dominant chemistry in the production of NO and the investigation of the sensitivity of NO production due to effects of air infiltration, fuel contamination, flame radiation, and aerodynamic straining when applying oxy-fuel combustion as a control technique for NO emissions. It is shown that oxygen displacement significantly modifies the diffusion flame structure from the familiar one obtained with air as the oxidizer, with thermal NO gradually replacing Fenimore NO as the dominant production pathway with increasing oxygen enrichment. Based on GRI-Mech 2.11, the net production of NO through the Fenimore mechanism is shown to be negative in oxygen-enriched combustion such that simulation of NO formation in oxy-fuel combustion by considering thermal mechanism alone will yield an overprediction of NO emissions. Important reactions leading to NO formation and destruction are also identified and compared under various levels of oxygen enrichment. It is further demonstrated that NO emission is very sensitive to the extent of air leakage and that it is advantageous to apply oxy-fuel control with even more than 0.6% nitrogen contamination of methane, provided that there is no severe air infiltration in the oxidizer stream. For the nonadiabatic oxygen-enriched combustion with radiative heat loss, the net production through Fenimore mechanism is negative over a wide range of strain rate, while NO emissions decrease with increasing strain rate. The study suggests that because NO formation can be substantially reduced with increasing strain rate and because oxy-fuel combustion is more resistant to stretch-induced extinction, the strategy to minimize effects of air infiltration and fuel contamination is to operate the burner at high turbulence intensities and, thereby, correspondingly high local strain rates.
Between Realism and Anti-realism: Deleuze and the Spinozist Tradition in Philosophy

In 1967, after a talk Deleuze gave to the Society of French Philosophy, Ferdinand Alquie expressed concern during the question and answer session that perhaps Deleuze was relying too heavily upon science and not giving adequate attention to questions and problems that Alquie took to be distinctively philosophical. Deleuze responded by agreeing with Alquie; moreover, he argued that his primary interest was precisely in the metaphysics science needs rather than in the science philosophy needs. This metaphysics, Deleuze argues, is to be done ‘in the style of Whitehead’ rather than the style of Kant, and in developing this metaphysics Deleuze draws heavily on Spinoza. The present essay examines this Deleuzian-Spinozist metaphysics done in the style of Whitehead, the ‘metaphysics science needs’, drawing on the writings of David Hume and Bruno Latour in the process. This discussion will in turn enable us to situate Deleuze's metaphysics in relation to contemporary debates concerning speculative realism and corr...
CASS: Protein sequence simulation with explicit genotype-phenotype mapping

CASS (coarse-grained artificial sequence simulator) is a software package for simulating protein sequences with an explicit genotype-to-phenotype mapping that takes protein structure and function into account. It is capable of reproducing many structure-specific properties of protein sequence evolution, most notably spatial and temporal variation in rates, and has been used to investigate several hypotheses about the influence of thermodynamics on molecular evolution. The software is implemented in object-oriented C++, is supported on Linux, and the source code is made freely available under the GPL v3 license at http://www.wyomingbioinformatics.org/Liberle sGroup/CASS/.
Solvability of Graph Inequalities

We investigate a new type of graph inequality (in the tradition of Cvetkovic and Simic [Contributions to Graph Theory and Its Applications, Technische Hochschule Ilmenau, Ilmenau, Germany, 1977, pp. 40--56] and Capobianco [Ann. New York Acad. Sci., 319 (1979), pp. 114--118]) which is based on the subgraph relation and which allows as terms fixed graphs, graph variables with specified vertices, and the operation of identifying vertices. We present a simple graph inequality that does not have a solution and show that the solvability of inequalities with only one graph variable and one specified vertex can be decided (in nondeterministic exponential time). The solvability of graph inequalities over directed graphs, however, turns out to be undecidable.
Properties and prospective applications of ultra thin layered rubber-metal laminates for limited travel bearings

Abstract Limited and/or oscillating motions represent the most severe operating conditions for conventional bearings, both sliding and antifriction. Thin-layered rubber-metal laminates seem to be ideal substitutes for conventional bearings for oscillating motions. This paper descirbes experimental investigations of the compression and shear properties of flat and spherical laminates. The very high compression stiffness and strength of the laminates are accompanied by low shear stiffness. Strong non-linearity of the hardening type in compression is accompanied by weak non-linearity of the softening type in shear. Substantial non-linearity in compression starts as early as at relative compression 0.001. Applications of thin-layered laminates for compensating couplings, U-joints, gears, vibration isolators and impact cushioning in joints of mechanisms are described. Expressions have been derived for efficiency of couplings and joints equipped with laminates
Microarray analysis of the transcriptional network controlled by the photoreceptor homeobox gene Crx.

Abstract Background: Terminal differentiation of many cell types is controlled and maintained by tissue or cell-specific transcription factors. Little is known, however, of the transcriptional networks controlled by such factors and how they regulate differentiation. The paired-type homeobox transcription factor, Crx, has a pivotal role in the terminal differentiation of vertebrate photoreceptors. Mutations in the human CRX gene result in either congenital blindness or photoreceptor degeneration and targeted mutation of the mouse Crx results in failure of development of the light-detecting outer segment of photoreceptors. Results: We have characterized the transcriptional network controlled by Crx by microarray analysis of gene expression in developing retinal tissue from Crx +/+ and Crx −/− mice. These data were combined with analyses of gene expression in developing and adult retina, as well as adult brain. The most abundant elements of this network are ten photoreceptor-specific or enriched genes, including six phototransduction genes. All of the available 5′ regulatory regions of the putative Crx targets contain a novel motif that is composed of a head-to-tail arrangement of two Crx-binding element-like sequences. Analysis of the 5′ regions of a set of mouse and human genes suggests that this motif is specific to Crx targets. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that cDNA microarrays can be successfully used to define the transcriptional networks controlled by transcription factors in vertebrate tissue in vivo .
Scalar Implicatures in Complex Sentences

This article develops a Gricean account for the computation of scalar implicatures in cases where one scalar term is in the scope of another. It shows that a cross-product of two quantitative scales yields the appropriate scale for many such cases. One exception is cases involving disjunction. For these, I propose an analysis that makes use of a novel, partially ordered quantitative scale for disjunction and capitalizes on the idea that implicatures may have different epistemic status.
Laser-induced damage of photo-thermo-refractive glasses for optical holographic element writing

Bulk and surface-damage thresholds of photo-thermo- refractive glasses used for hologram writing were measured after different stages of development. Values obtained are compared with threshold from widely used glasses, such as BK7 or fused silica. Polished glass samples were exposed to 325-nm He-Cd laser radiation and thermodeveloped at 520 degrees C. Nd-glass, nanosecond laser pulses were used to irradiate the bulk and surfaces of glasses. It was found that laser-induced damage thresholds of photo-thermo- refractive glasses are within a factor of 2-4 of those for fused silica or BK7 glass. This indicates that phase element made from these glasses are promising candidates for use in high-power laser systems. Possible mechanisms of laser- induced damage are discussed.
A rapid and efficient one-tube PCR-based mutagenesis technique using Pfu DNA polymerase

A rapid method for efficiently generating site-directed mutations on a clean sequence background is described. This modification of the megaprimer PCR mutagenesis approach can be performed in one tube in less than 4.5 hours, and does not require purification of intermediate products. High fidelity of DNA sequence replication is obtained by employing Pfu DNA polymerase and limiting the total number of amplification cycles to 30. The mutagenesis efficiency of the procedure is high enough to allow rapid, direct identification of mutants by restriction digest or sequencing techniques.