cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the ARL/ATAD constant level and the NCAR isentropic trajectory analyses for selected case studies

Abstract The following study is a comparison of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) isentropic trajectory model and the Air Resources Laboratories Atmospheric Transport and Dispersion (ARL/ATAD) variable height trajectory model. Back-trajectories from each model were computed within the boundary layer and at two levels above the boundary layer over periods in July and December of 1977 and February of 1978. All trajectories terminated in Charlottesville, Virginia. Assessment of the models was achieved through the study of potential vorticity measurements computed along NCAR trajectories, wind shear values computed along the ARL/ATAD trajectories, as well as through consideration of synoptic patterns available during the case study periods. A root mean square (r.m.s.) analysis was performed to quantify model differences. Results of this study show that in the absence of frontal movement the ARL/ATAD model is a better choice within the boundary layer, but only because the model is less expensive to run. NCAR trajectories are probably more realistic in the vicinity of fronts or other large sources of vertical movement. Above the boundary layer, both models produce similar trajectories when the atmosphere is barotropic; NCAR trajectories appear more accurate in baroclinic atmospheres because of better treatment of vertical motion, r.m.s. studies show that NCAR and ARL/ATAD trajectories differ more during winter than summer, especially after 48 h of trajectory calculation r.m.s. trajectory differences remain similar for different levels for a given season and period of time.
Comparison of the cytotoxicity of 5-thio-D-glucose and misonidazole on hypoxic cells in vitro

The cytotoxicity of 5-thio-D-glucose (5-TG) and misonidazole (MISO) on hypoxic cells in vitro was compared, and the combined effect of these two compounds was investigated. The cytotoxicity of 5-TG on hypoxic SCK mammary carcinoma cells of mice was markedly greater than that of MISO. However, MISO was more toxic than was 5-TG to P815-X2 mastocytoma cells of mice. The elevation of temperature from 37.5 degrees C to 40.0 degrees C during incubation with drugs greatly enhanced the cell death. The thermal enhancement of cytotoxicity of 5-TG to mastocytoma cells appeared to be greater than that of MISO. Preliminary studies indicated that the combined effect of 5-TG and MISO is additive, suggesting the intracellular targets or cytocidal mechanisms of these two compounds may be different.
External sponsored projects: lessons learned

Although student experience with large-scale software development projects contributes significantly to their education, the burden of managing projects for external sponsors can be equally significant for the faculty. While sponsored projects provide more real-world experiences, can the additional demands on the faculty be too much? This paper explores the lessons we have learned over six years of faculty experience with sponsored projects.
Genetic histories: Native Americans’ accounts of being at risk for diabetes

In an age of genetic medicine, ethnic groups are increasingly being labeled at risk for chronic diseases. Biomedical and genetics research studies have had a significant impact on Native Americans’ perceptions of diabetes risk. Ethnographic interviews with 53 Native Americans were conducted in a tribal community that has participated extensively in studies of diabetes. Tribal members had varying reactions to research labeling them at risk genetically for diabetes, from fatalism to motivation for changing diet/exercise habits. Interviewees spontaneously discussed the ‘thrifty genotype’ hypothesis in diverse ways. Some felt Native Americans had ‘weak genes’ that made them ‘poorly adapted’ to modern society’s diet, while others stated that Native Americans had ‘survival genes’ that historically helped them thrive in harsh environments. Interviewees used genetics as a metaphor for expressing vulnerability in the face of a challenging history that resulted in rapid changes to Native American lifestyles. Intere...
Scaffold‐free inkjet printing of three‐dimensional zigzag cellular tubes

The capability to print three-dimensional (3D) cellular tubes is not only a logical first step towards successful organ printing but also a critical indicator of the feasibility of the envisioned organ printing technology. A platform-assisted 3D inkjet bioprinting system has been proposed to fabricate 3D complex constructs such as zigzag tubes. Fibroblast (3T3 cell)-based tubes with an overhang structure have been successfully fabricated using the proposed bioprinting system. The post-printing 3T3 cell viability of printed cellular tubes has been found above 82% (or 93% with the control effect considered) even after a 72-h incubation period using the identified printing conditions for good droplet formation, indicating the promising application of the proposed bioprinting system. Particularly, it is proved that the tubular overhang structure can be scaffold-free fabricated using inkjetting, and the maximum achievable height depends on the inclination angle of the overhang structure. As a proof-of-concept study, the resulting fabrication knowledge helps print tissue-engineered blood vessels with complex geometry.
Mediating Effect of Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) and Family Network on Quality of Life Among Low-Income Older Korean Immigrants

The purpose of this study is to examine the direct and indirect effects of Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) and family network on Quality of Life (QOL) for low-income older Korean immigrants in Los Ang...
A pusher/steerer model for strongly cooperative mobile robot manipulation

Presents an empirical example of a strongly cooperative manipulation system (the pusher/steerer system), whose capabilities derive from the redistribution of resources typically used in a single robot system. The authors define strongly cooperative strategies to be, intuitively, those which are not trivially serializable. In the authors' system, one robot steers, and the other pushes; the object lies between them. The steerer is the only agent that has information about the path, while the pusher exerts the necessary motive force, and rotates to follow changes in the object's orientation. The system is asynchronous, with no explicit communication between the robots. The authors are interested in studying manipulation systems of this type, because they are strongly cooperative; that is, the two robots must act in concert to achieve the goal. The authors have performed over one hundred pusher/steerer manipulation experiments with two of their mobile robots, TOMMY and LILY. As the authors' analysis predicts, they have found that their system allows a wide variety of paths and manipulable objects for these robots.
Electric pulses to prepare feeder cells for sustaining and culturing of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells

Current challenges in embryonic-stem-cell (ESC) research include inability of sustaining and culturing of undifferentiated ESCs over time. Growth-arrested feeder cells are essential to the culture and sustaining of undifferentiated ESCs, and they are currently prepared using gamma-radiation and chemical inactivation. Both techniques have severe limitations. In this study, we developed a new, simple and effective technique (pulsed-electric-fields, PEFs) to produce viable growth-arrested cells (RTS34st) and used them as high-quality feeder cells to culture and sustain undifferentiated zebrafish ESCs over time. The cells were exposed to 25 sequential 10-nanosecond-electric-pulses (10nsEPs) of 25, 40 and 150 kV/cm with 1s pulse interval, or 2 sequential 50-microsecond-electric-pulses (50μsEPs) of 2.83, 1.78 and 0.7 kV/cm with 5s pulse interval, respectively. We found that cellular effects of PEFs depended directly upon the duration, number and electric-field-strength (E) of the pulses, showing the feasibility of tuning them to produce various types of growth-arrested cells for culturing undifferentiated ESCs. Either 10nsEPs of 40 kV/cm or 50μsEPs of 1.78 kV/cm provided by inexpensive and widely available conventional electroporators, generated high-quality growth-arrested feeder cells for proliferation of undifferentiated ESCs over time. One can now use PEFs to replace radiation methods for preparation of growth-arrested feeder cells for advancing ESC research.
The Religious Difference in Clinical Healthcare

When attempting to answer the question, “What difference does religion make?” in the context of clinical healthcare, one might be tempted to leap to either of two rather obvious, but seemingly contradictory conclusions. On the one hand, we might have a general impression of religion not making much of a distinctive and clear difference, at least in the actions and outcomes of most cases of clinical interaction. Those of us in the bioethics world of discourse are likely to think only of the less common cases of Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Orthodox Jews, or certain “fringe” religious groups who seem to the majority of the population to hold especially sectarian, if not “irrational,” beliefs about medical matters. The so-called mainstream religious groups do not get much attention because they largely don't cause much trouble (at least where their religion is concerned); they have learned to bracket their religious commitments from at least any professional settings (if they even understand how those commitments relate to healthcare at all); or they don't hold views entailing consequences any different from those of most nonbelieving, generally upright individuals. Furthermore, although religious believers may have some distinctive views, these views don't often noticeably manifest themselves in distinctive or significant “difference-making” ways.
Cost-Effectiveness of Prostate Specific Antigen Screening in the United States: Extrapolating From the European Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer

Purpose: Preliminary results of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer showed a decrease in prostate cancer specific mortality associated with prostate specific antigen screening. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of prostate specific antigen screening using data from the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer protocol when extrapolated to the United States.Materials and Methods: We used previously reported Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare data and a nationwide sample of employer provided estimates of costs of care for patients with prostate cancer. The European data were used in accordance with the study protocol to determine the costs and cost-effectiveness of prostate specific antigen screening.Results: The lifetime cost of screening with prostate specific antigen, evaluating abnormal prostate specific antigen and treating identified prostate cancer to prevent 1 death from prostate cancer was $5,227,306 based on the European findings and ...
Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Rate of Progression to Alcohol Dependence in Young Women

Background The development of alcohol dependence (AD) involves transitions through multiple stages of drinking behaviors and is shaped by both heritable and environmental influences. We attempted to capture this dynamic process by characterizing genetic and environmental contributions to the rate at which women progressed through 3 significant transitions along the pathway to AD: nonuse to initiation, initiation to onset of first alcohol-related problem, and first problem to onset of AD.
Building interacting partner predictors using co‐varying residue pairs between histidine kinase and response regulator pairs of 48 bacterial two‐component systems

The two-component system (TCS) is a signal transduction system that involves a histidine kinase (HK) and a response regulator (RR). Although up to hundreds of TCSs may operate in parallel in a bacterial cell, the high-fidelity of a TCS signaling is well maintained, minimizing irrelevant crosstalk between TCSs. When a HK gene and a RR gene in a given TCS system exist in neighboring positions, it is almost certain that their protein products (i.e., HK and RR) are interacting partners. However, large bacterial genomes often have multiple HK genes and/or cognate RR genes that are not neighboring positions. In many partially assembled genomes, some HK genes and RR genes belong to different contigs. In these cases, it is not clear which HK(s) and RR(s) interact. By combining information-theoretic and graph-theoretic approaches, we developed a computational method identifying co-evolving residue pairs between HKs and cognate RRs and predicting the interacting HK:RR pairs for each TCS. In addition, we built a TCSppWWW webserver (http://compath.org/platcom/tcs) that takes query sequences of pairing candidates and predicts their HK:RR pairing using precomputed models. The current release of TCSppWWW provides predictors for 48 TCSs using over 20,000 protein sequences from about 900 bacterial genomes. Three different types of predictors using Random Forest, RBF Network, and Naive Bayes are provided. Once a set of HK and RR candidate sequences are submitted, TCSppWWW aligns query sequences to the precomputed multiple sequence alignment of HK:RR pairs, extracts co-evolving column positions, then returns prediction results with prediction margin and additional information.
An Autonomous Open-Ocean Stereoscopic PIV Profiler

Abstract Over the past decade, a novel free-fall imaging profiler has been under development at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to observe and quantify biological and physical structure in the upper 100 m of the ocean. The profiler provided the first detailed view of microscale phytoplankton distributions using in situ planar laser-induced fluorescence. The present study examines a recent incarnation of the profiler that features microscale turbulent flow measurement capabilities using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV). As the profiler descends through the water column, a vertical sheet of laser light illuminates natural particles below the profiler. Two sensitive charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras image a 25 cm × 25 cm × 0.6 cm region at a nominal frame rate of 8 Hz. The stereoscopic camera configuration allows all three components of velocity to be measured in the vertical plane with an average spatial resolution of approximately 3 mm. The performance of the PIV system is evaluated ...
Class D-E resonant DC/DC converter

A resonant DC/DC converter is introduced, along with its analysis and experimental results. It consists of a Class D resonant inverter and a Class E rectifier. The Class D inverter ensures a low peak voltage across the transistors and the Class E rectifier offers low switching losses and noise. An analysis leading to design equations is carried out. Experimental results are given for a 50-W converter. The converter can operate for load resistances ranging from full load to infinity. The DC output voltage is regulated against load and line variations by varying the switching frequency. The relative frequency range was about 70% as the load resistance was varied from a full load of 50 Omega to infinity. The measured parameters agreed well with theoretical predictions. The converter can be used in off-line power supplies. >
Can we model nitric oxide biotransport? A survey of mathematical models for a simple diatomic molecule with surprisingly complex biological activities.

■ Abstract Nitric oxide (NO) is a remarkable free radical gas whose presence in biological systems and whose astonishing breadth of physiological and pathophysiological activities have only recently been recognized. Mathematical models for NO biotransport, just beginning to emerge in the literature, are examined in this review. Some puzzling and paradoxical properties of NO may be understood by modeling proposed mechanisms with known parameters. For example, it is not obvious how NO can survive strong scavenging by hemoglobin and still be a potent vasodilator. Recent models do not completely explain how tissue NO can reach effective levels in the vascular wall, and they point toward mechanisms that need further investigation. Models help to make sense of extremely low partial pressures of NO exhaled from the lung and may provide diagnostic information. The role of NO as a gaseous neurotransmitter is also being understood through modeling. Studies on the effects of NO on O2 transport and metabolism, also reviewed, suggest that previous mathematical models of transport of O2 to tissue need to be revised, taking the biological activity of NO into account.
Decentralized practical design and centralized benchmark for analog network coding

This article proposes both centralized and decentralized design schemes for an analog network coding multiple-input multiple-output system with a relay node between two end nodes. The proposed centralized scheme is called the generalized iterative approach (GIA). It jointly designs the precoders and decoders at the two end nodes, and the processor at the relay to maximize the sum mutual information. Numerical results for the per-node power constraint show the convergence behavior of the GIA and give a performance benchmark for the analog network coding scheme. The proposed decentralized scheme is a practical joint transceiver and signaling design scheme. The keys to its low signaling load are time-division duplex and a symmetric relay processing matrix. The proposed signaling protocol enables the needed information, including channel state information (CSI), to be available at each node. With the needed CSI, a novel symmetric processor design at the relay is developed to maximize an approximate sum mutual information formula (to reduce the signaling loading, the precoders at both end nodes and the noise propagated from the relay are not considered). Employing singular value decomposition transceivers at the two end nodes, it is remarkable that the proposed decentralized approach performs almost as well as the centralized GIA design. It is concluded that the proposed decentralized scheme is a feasible way to implement analog network coding systems.
Tenofovir-induced kidney injury

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate is a nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor with activity against both HIV and the hepatitis B virus. It has had minimal nephrotoxic effects in early clinical trials, but as clinical use has widened, case reports describing tenofovir-induced renal tubular damage, Fanconi’s syndrome and diabetes insipidus have been described. The authors review the pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action and clinical uses of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. The large clinical trials, as well as the case reports of tenofovir-induced kidney injury, are also reviewed. The potential mechanism of renal damage is discussed and recommendations for evaluation and treatment of tenofovir-induced kidney injury are given.
Market‐based conservation: Aligning static theory with dynamic systems

This paper provides a broad evaluation of the implications of market-based conservation (MBC) strategies from economic, social and ecological perspectives. After reviewing the economic theory that underlies MBC initiatives, we develop a list of approaches that have been labeled as “market-based”, and categorize them according to the degree to which they are free-standing markets or require the intervention of the state. A multidisciplinary critique reveals the potential problems and pitfalls of MBC are due to a lack of ability to deal with dynamic systems in the real world. The dynamics of these three systems can undermine the intended goals of MBC.
Dealing with Conflict and Aggression in the Classroom: What Skills Do Teachers Need?:

Demographic and socioeconomic shifts in our nation's population and changes in the family structure have placed increasing demands on the public school systems of this country. Perhaps none is so great as the task of dealing with the increased incidence of aggression and violence perpetrated by the youth of this nation. In this paper, I briefly outline some of the variables related to the increase in youth violence and suggest that teacher education programs must acknowledge the problem and begin to provide their students with the knowledge and skills necessary to address this issue. Specifically, teachers must be prepared to (a) employ instructional techniques and modify existing curricula so as to teach social problem solving and conflict resolution skills to their students, (b) implement verbal and nonverbal intervention techniques aimed at de-escalating resistive and combative students, and (c) physically intervene, when necessary, to protect the students thermelves, and others in crisis situations.
Reading Comprehension Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities, 1995—2006: A Meta-Analysis:

Meta-analysis procedures were employed to synthesize findings of research for improving reading comprehension of students with learning disabilities published in the decade following previous meta-analytic investigations. Forty studies, published between 1995 and 2006, were identified and coded. Nearly 2,000 students served as participants. Interventions were classified as fundamental reading skills instruction, text enhancements, and questioning/strategy instruction—including those that incorporated peer-mediated instruction and self-regulation. Mean weighted effect sizes were obtained for criterion-referenced measures: .69 for treatment effects, .69 for maintenance effects, and .75 for generalization effects. For norm-referenced tests, the mean effect size was .52 for treatment effects. These outcomes were somewhat lower than but generally consistent with those of previous meta-analyses in their conclusion that reading comprehension interventions have generally been very effective. Higher outcomes were ...
On the instantaneous availability and performability evaluation of fault-tolerant computer systems

The problem of evaluating the performability and instantaneous availability of gracefully degradable computer systems is considered. The key to the development of a unifying mathematical framework is the introduction of two related performability processes: forward performability process over the interval (0,t) and the performability-to-go process over the interval (t,T), where T is the mission time. Using the techniques of partial differential equations, it is shown that the joint distribution of the forward performability and configuration states satisfies a linear, hyperbolic partial differential equation (PDE) running forward in time, while the performability-to-go process satisfies a similar PDE running in reverse time. The method includes nonhomogeneous Markov models of the configuration mode. A numerical method for solving the PDEs is presented and illustrated with examples. Practical implications of the reverse-time equations for the sensitivity analysis of instantaneous availability is discussed. >
Evaluation of an open-loop, computer-based infusion system designed to achieve a series of constant, targeted plasma procainamide concentrations in patients undergoing electrophysiologic testing.

Study Objective. To evaluate the performance of a computer-based procainamide infusion system in patients undergoing electrophysiologic testing. Design. Prospective case series. Setting. Electrophysiology laboratory in a university hospital. Patients. Thirty-four patients with inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia. Interventions. Intravenous infusion of procainamide to achieve and maintain targeted plasma concentrations. Measurements and Main Results. System performance was assessed by comparing targeted and observed plasma concentrations. The population median absolute performance error (size of typical miss) was 12.6% (95% CI 11.2–14.1%). The population median performance error (system bias) was not significantly different from zero. A small but statistically significant improvement in performance over time was observed (population absolute performance error divergence −0.125%/min). Population wobble (overall system stability) was 7.6% (95% CI 6.8–8.3%). Population-based estimates of central compartment volume and volume of distribution at steady state were significantly higher and lower, respectively, than estimates used by the infusion system. Conclusion. The computer-based infusion system is capable of achieving and maintaining a series of targeted procainamide concentrations in patients undergoing electrophysiologic testing.
Implementation of accelerated molecular dynamics in NAMD

Accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD) is an enhanced sampling method that improves the conformational space sampling by reducing energy barriers separating different states of a system. Here, we present the implementation of aMD in the parallel simulation program NAMD. We show that aMD simulations performed with NAMD have only a small overhead compared with classical MD simulations. Through example applications to the alanine dipeptide, we discuss the choice of acceleration parameters, the interpretation of aMD results, as well as the advantages and limitations of the aMD method.
Monument, Ruin, and Redress in South African Heritage

Apartheid ended in 1991, but its monuments were still standing. And so the question for the new government, brought to power in the first democratic elections in South African history (1994), was: What to do with them? Around these monuments had been generated powerful communalizing energies for the National Party, itself a cruel phoenix arisen from the ruination of the Afrikaner peoples in the Boer War; their devaluing of African culture had been a central symbol for the apartheid state. In response the moment of political transition to democracy was scripted as a de-monumentalizing one. This essay narrates the transitional moment and through a reading of the South African Constitutional Court considers whether the chief instances of this de-monumentalizing language were not in fact monumentalizing by other means. The question has no easy answer but is rather a window into the cultural politics of the transition.
α2-Adrenergic autoreceptors in A5 and A6 neurons of neonate rats

A5 noradrenergic neurons control sympathetic outflow, nociception, and respiration. The presence of α2-adrenergic receptors (α2-ARs) in A5 cells has been suggested by immunohistochemistry. In the p...
Effects of bicarbonate versus HEPES buffering on measured properties of neurons in the salamander retina

Electrophysiological studies of the isolated retina involve perfusing the tissue with a physiological Ringer's. Organic pH buffers such as HEPES have become increasingly popular in recent years because for many purposes they offer a convenient and reliable alternative to the more traditional bicarbonate/CO2. In this paper, however, we report that important functional properties of rods, bipolar cells, and horizontal cells in the salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum, are sensitive to the choice of buffer and, in the case of horizontal cells, that sensitivity is acute. In bicarbonate/CO2 Ringer's, the dark potential of the horizontal cell was typically near -50 mV and saturating light caused it to hyperpolarize to about -75 mV. On switching to HEPES-buffered Ringer's at the same pH, horizontal cells depolarized in darkness to about -20 mV, close to the chloride equilibrium potential, and the kinetics of their light responses changed. The cone-driven components of light responses increased in size relative to rod-driven components. Saturating lights still hyperpolarized the cells to -75 mV, however. Horizontal cells, being coupled via gap junctions, form a syncytium and syncytial length constants, measured in bicarbonate/CO2 Ringer's, were generally in the range 150-225 microm. On switching to HEPES-buffered Ringer's, length constants increased substantially to 250-330 microm. All these changes were reversible. We discuss our findings within the context of the cell's ability to regulate its internal pH.
Differential effects of spinal transection on sympathetic nerve activities in rats

We measured renal, splenogastric, and lumbar multiunit sympathetic activities in chloralose-anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially respired Sprague-Dawley rats. Acute spinal transection reduced arterial pressure and lumbar sympathetic activity. However, renal and splenogastric activities were doubled after transection. We conclude that spinal systems exist in the rat that are capable of maintaining renal and splenogastric, but not lumbar, sympathetic activities after spinal transection. Cross-correlation and power spectral analysis of simultaneously recorded sympathetic activities indicated that renal and splenogastric activities often, but not always, shared periodicities near the respiratory rate. These shared periodicities were responsible for high correlations between renal and splenogastric activities. After spinal transection, the shared periodicities usually disappeared, and correlations were reduced. Renal and lumbar activities were rarely strongly correlated, and they rarely shared major periodicities. We conclude that brain stem systems often provide synchronization of abdominal sympathetic activities. However, these activities can be independently generated in both intact and spinally transected rats.
Income Tax Deductions for Charitable Bequests of IRD

Estates and trusts are recognizing growing amounts of taxable income from “income in respect of a decedent” (or “IRD”). These are payments attributable to income earned by a decedent before death but received by an estate, trust, or other beneficiary after death, and taxed to that recipient. The most common source of IRD is a distribution from an inherited retirement plan account, such as an IRA, 401(k) plan or a profit sharing plan. Since IRD can be taxed twice (once on an estate’s estate tax return and again on the estate’s income tax return), it is possible for a single charitable bequest of IRD to produce charitable tax deductions on both returns.However, many estates and trusts that received IRD and also made charitable bequests were not able to claim a charitable income tax deduction. This was usually because the governing instrument – either the will or a trust instrument – failed to contain instructions to pay charitable bequests with IRD. Another income tax problem occurs when a retirement account or appreciated property satisfies a pecuniary (i.e., fixed dollar) charitable bequest. The IRS contends that taxable income is triggered, and there might not be any offsetting charitable income tax deduction.This article describes the best ways to structure a charitable bequest of retirement plan and other IRD assets (savings bonds, employee stock options, etc.), citing relevant court cases and IRS rulings. It recommends that every governing instrument contain instructions to “pay charitable bequests (if any) first with IRD (if any).” Sample drafting language is provided. Finally, the article describes techniques to avoid adverse tax consequences even when the governing instrument is missing these instructions.
Conventional Kolsky bars

A Kolsky bar, also widely known as a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB), is a characterization tool for the mechanical response of materials deforming at high strain rates (102 – 104 s–1). This chapter presents the brief history, general working principles, considerations in design, and data reduction process of a Kolsky bar, illustrated by its compression version.
Placental enzymes: Specific activities and isoenzyme patterns during early and late gestation

Abstract The specific activities and the isoenzyme patterns of 6 enzymes—lactate dehydrogenase, glucose dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, β-glucuronidase, and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase—were studied in extracts from first-trimester, second-trimester, and term placentas. All 6 enzymes were present in all specimens. Significant decreases were noted in the specific activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the second trimester relative to the first, of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in the second trimester relative to both the first trimester and term, and of N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase at term relative to both the first and second trimesters. Isoenzyme patterns of 5 of the enzymes were basically unchanged from the first trimester to term. Lactate dehydrogenase showed an additional isoenzyme in first-trimester zymograms; it also exhibited marked shifts in relative isoenzyme intensities between the first trimester and term.
Expert Witnesses and the Sixth Amendment

Recently, in the Baxter case, a federal district court vacated the sentence imposed as a result of a guilty plea in a criminal tax case. The court held that the failure of defense counsel to retain the services of an expert in tax crimes sentencing violated the defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to effective representation. This installment of the Tax Crimes column explores Baxter.
Evaluation of Psychological Distress in the Rheumatology Clinic

Patients with rheumatic disease often present with comorbid psychiatric disorders, most commonly, depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety have been found to interfere with quality of life, increase disability, and contribute to other health risks. However, despite their high prevalence, these disorders are often undetected and/or unmanaged in rheumatology care. This chapter describes the importance of psychological screening in rheumatology settings and its importance in patient care, treatment, and outcomes. We review the most commonly used and empirically validated depression and anxiety assessment measures that are applicable for arthritis patients, including their strengths, weaknesses, and relevance for different cultural groups. We provide an overview of how to integrate screening and treatment protocols within a clinical setting and an example of an in-flow administration and referral process.
Swelling-Etching Characterization of PDMS-Copper Particle for the Development of the Nano/Micro-Particle Polymer Composite MEMS Corrosion Sensor

The concept of using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) for in-situ corrosion sensing and for long-term applications has been proposed and is currently under development by our research lab. This is a new type of sensing using MEMS technology and, to the knowledge of our team, has not been explored previously. The MEMS corrosion sensor is based on the oxidation of metal nano/micro-particle embedded in elastomeric polymer to form a composite sensing element. The polymer controls the diffusion into and out of the sensor while the corrosion of the metal particles inhibits electrical conduction which is used as the detection signal. The work presented here is based on the experimental wet-chemistry method developed for the removal of native and process-induced metal oxides. A major aspect is the study of the swelling dynamics of the polymer matrix (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) and its influence on the material transport of etchants into and reaction products out of the composite during oxide removal. The understanding of this process is important to the ultimate development of the MEMS corrosion sensor, where the swelling must be controlled sufficiently to prevent stress-induced delamination of the sensing element from the substrate. For the first time, the simultaneous swelling (toluene) and oxide removal (acetic acid) characterization of the copper particles embedded in PDMS will be published. The experimental setup consists of small disk samples of the composite (6.35mm diameter × 1mm thick) dropped into a 50mL beaker filled with the swelling agent (the amount of which is part of the parametric study). This is then followed by the addition of the etching agent after reaching the swelling time constants characterized in prior work. The full process is captured through a HD webcam set inverted underneath the beaker. The swelling and contraction process is analyzed in real-time, while post processing of the recorded video is available to verify unexpected responses. Data gather so far indicate interesting swelling recovery phenomenon that is mostly consistent with the two part kinetics of swelling and etching. However, some data also seem to suggest a third mechanism that may be explained by material stiffness changes as etching and swelling proceed simultaneously. A full set of data currently being gathered will provide more clues and aid in the development of a consistent theoretical explanation. The final goal of this series of experiment is to provide mathematical models of the observed phenomenon so they can be used to aid the development of the fabrication processes of the MEMS corrosion sensor.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Bile Acid Diarrhea: Prevalence, Pathogenesis, and Therapy

Bile acid diarrhea (BAD) is usually seen in patients with ileal Crohn's disease or ileal resection. However, 25% to 50% of patients with functional diarrhea or diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) also have evidence of BAD. It is estimated that 1% of the population may have BAD. The causes of BAD include a deficiency in fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF-19), a hormone produced in enterocytes that regulates hepatic bile acid (BA) synthesis. Other potential causes include genetic variations that affect the proteins involved in BA enterohepatic circulation and synthesis or in the TGR5 receptor that mediates the actions of BA in colonic secretion and motility. BAs enhance mucosal permeability, induce water and electrolyte secretion, and accelerate colonic transit partly by stimulating propulsive high-amplitude colonic contractions. There is an increased proportion of primary BAs in the stool of patients with IBS-D, and some changes in the fecal microbiome have been described. There are several methods of diagnosing BAD, such as (75)selenium homotaurocholic acid test retention, serum C4, FGF-19, and fecal BA measurement; presently, therapeutic trials with BA sequestrants are most commonly used for diagnosis. Management involves the use of BA sequestrants including cholestyramine, colestipol, and colesevelam. FXR agonists such as obeticholic acid constitute a promising new approach to treating BAD.
Strapless oral-nasal interface for positive-pressure ventilation

A custom-fabricated strapless oral-nasal interface (SONI) is described. It was used in the long-term administration of intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (IPPV) by 18 patients with paralytic or restrictive pulmonary insufficiency. This interface is an acrylic shell which is firmly fixed to an orthodontic bite plate; it is designed to form a seal over the nose and mouth for the entry of IPPV. Eight patients were ventilator dependent 24 hours a day. The ten patients who required only nocturnal aid had improvement in daytime arterial blood gases. Although nine of these patients could manage less than 15 minutes of unassisted breathing (free time) supine, all slept supine on SONI IPPV. The 13 patients who underwent sleep monitoring maintained a mean oxygen saturation of 95.3% +/- 1.7% and acceptable end-tidal pCO2 (30 to 45 mmHg). These 13 patients have used SONI IPPV for an average of 22 months (range = 3 to 63 months). Impediments to successful long-term use of a SONI include the presence of a hyperactive gag reflex or stimulation of excessive oral secretions. When combined with mouth IPPV, glossopharyngeal breathing, the intermittent abdominal pressure ventilator, or the cuirass ventilator for daytime use, SONI IPPV is an option for the patient who prefers total ventilatory support by noninvasive means.
Engineering Fluorescent Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

Fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely studied in preclinical research, for cancer imaging and/or theranostics because of their attractive optical properties. Fluorescent NPs present several advantages compared to free fluorescent dyes, such as indocyanine green, for clinical application. Their design has to comprise not only parameters related to enhanced fluorescence but also provide efficient blood circulation half-life, tumor delivery, biocompatibility, and low toxicity. Safety is one of the most important criteria in NP design for clinical use, which explains, in part, why despite the high number NPs published, only very few have reached clinical trials. In this chapter, we focus on three major groups of fluorescent NPs: quantum dots (QDs), fluorescent dye-loaded inorganic and organic NPs, which include calcium phosphate, silica, lipid, and polymer based NPs. For each, we will briefly highlight their characteristics, advantages, limitations, and engineering strategies employed to enhance their in vivo use and describe preclinical studies. We will emphasize translational relevant work and when applicable describe examples of NPs that were translated to human studies. Finally, we would provide a perspective of the fluorescent NPs advances needed for future human application.
Systems Analysis for Systems Biology

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on system's analysis tools and its application to the study of biological systems through mathematical modeling. The tools from classical sensitivity analysis are outlined, and described with application to the unraveling of design principles in complex biophysical networks, particularly with regard to robustness. Applications to optimized experimental design, and hypothesis discrimination are also discussed. In the field of systems biology, sensitivity analysis has been used in a number of applications, including optimized design of synthetic circuits, design of experiments for optimal parameter estimation, and robustness analysis to provide insights into design principles. Examples of how these sensitivity analysis implications and extensions have already been applied to biological systems are provided in this chapter. Sensitivity analysis investigates the changes in a system's behavior in response to infinitesimal parametric perturbations. Results from UPR sensitivity comparisons showed the greatest disparity between the BiP-heterologous unfolded protein binding rate sensitivities for the two models. Sensitivity analysis is also used to explore a stochastic, oscillatory system: the mouse circadian rhythm. The fundamental sensitivity analysis concept, or definition, is quite basic: perturbations in model parameters will affect model outputs. However, its implications, extensions, and applications are profound and numerous in the field of systems biology.
Distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers on silicon

We demonstrate distributed feedback (DFB) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) that are heterogeneously integrated on silicon. The lasers emit up to 210 mW of pulsed power at room temperature, and operate up to 100 °C.
Trends and correlates of marijuana use among late middle-aged and older adults in the United States, 2002-2014.

Abstract Background Recent trend studies suggest that marijuana use is on the rise among the general population of adults ages 18 and older in the United States. However, little is known about the trends in marijuana use and marijuana-specific risk/protective factors among American adults during the latter part of adulthood. Method Findings are based on repeated, cross-sectional data collected from late middle-aged (ages 50–64) and older adults (ages 65 and older) surveyed as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2002 and 2014. Results The prevalence of past-year marijuana use among late middle-aged adults increased significantly from a low of 2.95% in 2003 to a high of 9.08% in 2014. Similarly, the prevalence of marijuana use increased significantly among older adults from a low of 0.15% in 2003 to a high of 2.04% in 2014. Notably, the upward trends in marijuana use remained significant even when accounting for sociodemographic, substance use, behavioral, and health-related factors. We also found that decreases in marijuana-specific protective factors were associated with the observed trend changes in marijuana use among late middle-aged and older adults, and observed a weakening of the association between late-middle aged marijuana use and risk propensity, other illicit drug use, and criminal justice system involvement over the course of the study. Conclusions Findings from the present study provide robust evidence indicating that marijuana use among older Americans has increased markedly in recent years, with the most evident changes observed between 2008 and 2014.
Research on the Academic Benefits of the Advanced Placement Program: Taking Stock and Looking Forward

With more than 3 million participants per year, the Advanced Placement (AP) program is one of the most popular programs in the United States for exposing high-achieving high school students to adva...
Circadian organization in the lizard Anolis carolinensis: a multioscillator system

The locomotor activity rhythm of normal anoles freerunning in conditions of constant darkness or constant dim light typically shows a bimodal pattern. Pinealectomy of freerunning anoles renders the lizards arrhythmic (continuously active). Pinealectomy of anoles entrained to light-dark (LD) cycles often causes a large phase advance of the lizards' daily activity onsets relative to light onsets. Also, the activity onsets of individual pinealectomized anoles entrained to LD cycles often alternate between two ‘preferred’ phase relationships relative to the LD cycle. These data support the hypothesis that at least two circadian oscillators (or sets of oscillators) drive the overt rhythm of locomotor activity and the pineal acts either as a circadian pacemaker or as a coupling device for these oscillators.
Anti-bullying Policies and Disparities in Bullying: A State-Level Analysis

Introduction Recent research suggests that anti-bullying laws may be effective in reducing risk of bullying victimization among youth, but no research has determined whether these laws are also effective in reducing disparities in bullying. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-bullying legislation in reducing disparities in sex- and weight-based bullying and cyberbullying victimization. Methods Data on anti-bullying legislation were obtained from the U.S. Department of Education, which commissioned a systematic review of 16 key components of state laws in 2011. States were also categorized based on whether their legislation enumerated protected groups and, if so, which groups were enumerated. These policy variables from 28 states were linked to individual-level data on bullying and cyberbullying victimization from students in 9th through 12th grade participating in the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System study (N=79,577). Analyses were conducted in 2016. Results There was an absence of any kind of moderating effect of anti-bullying legislation on weight-based disparities in bullying and cyberbullying victimization. Only state laws with high compliance to Department of Education enumeration guidelines were associated with lower sex-based disparities in bullying victimization. Conclusions Anti-bullying policies were not associated with lower weight-based disparities in bullying and cyberbullying victimization among youth, and only one form of policies (high compliance to Department of Education enumeration guidelines) was associated with lower sex-based disparities in bullying victimization. Results therefore suggest that anti-bullying legislation requires further refinement to protect youth who are vulnerable to bullying victimization.