cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fifth SIGSMALL Symposium 2, 3, 4 August 1982 Colorado Springs, Colorado

In the summer of 1980, a California communications firm contracted me to conduct a feasibility study, the focus of which was to be a hand-held Diet Calculator which would keep a running total of the calories, tata, carbohydrates, cholesterol, protein, sodium, etc. intake for individuals on restricted diets. The president of the firm wanted a display prototype and a rough estimate of unit cost. If the results of the study looked favorable, a new company would be formed to manufacture and market this product. In this paper I will brietly summarize the results of this project.The key to this endeavor was flexibility. We were unsure of which food properties would eventually be important to monitor, and what ultimate size the calculator should have. So we aimed at 8 food properties, and an overall dimension of approximately 6" × 3" × 1/2". Other than these basic guidelines, the project was omnidirectional. Every facet of the product had to be explored including the hardware and software engineering, subcontracting the plastics, keyboard, LCD display, power supply, estimates on tooling and mask charges, etc. This soon became an eye-opening experience.
Technical Adequacy of General Outcome Measures for Middle School Mathematics

This study examined three aspects of technical adequacy with respect to two general outcome measures in mathematics. The first two aspects were the effects of aggregating scores and correcting for random guessing on the reliability and validity of the measures. The third issue was the extent to which the measures were sensitive to changes in student performance. One hundred and five sixth-grade students completed two general outcome measures (basic facts and estimation) weekly for a 10-week period. With respect to aggregation, the results indicated that while fluency with basic facts is measured quite precisely with a single score, aggregation of scores for the estimation task increases both reliability and validity. Correcting the estimation scores for random guessing is recommended to increase criterion validity. Analyses of sensitivity to growth revealed that although both the fact and estimation measures reflect statistically significant changes across the 10-week period, the fact measure is likely to...
The Paper Trail: Forests to Ponds then back to Forests

My paper trail started with the trees before they became paper. Family walks in the woods where my parents taught me the wild flowers and trees of the Blue Ridge Mountains at a young age sowed the seeds that germinated and flourished when I attended Nature Camp sponsored by the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs as a camper, then counselor, and instructor of botany and herpetology (1955–1964). Entering college, I was an experienced naturalist and woodsman who had been indoctrinated in traditional concepts of conservation by Nature Camp mentors from the wildlife group at Virginia Tech (Henry Mosby and Byrd McGinnis) and Max Carpenter, a wildlife Biologist with the state game commission.
Primary electric propulsion thrust subsystem definition

A review is presented of the current status of primary propulsion thrust subsystem (TSS) performance, packaging considerations, and certain operational characteristics. Thrust subsystem related work from recent studies by Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL), Rockwell and Boeing is discussed. Existing performance for 30-cm thrusters, power processors and TSS is present along with projections for future improvements. Results of analyses to determine (1) magnetic field distributions resulting from an array of thrusters, (2) thruster emitted particle flux distributions from an array of thrusters, and (3) TSS element failure rates are described to indicate the availability of analytical tools for evaluation of TSS designs.
Brightness and direction as cues for spontaneous alternation behavior

In a study designed to test the relative effectiveness of spatial direction and brightness cues for spontaneous alternation, 29 rats were run in a grey T-maze with black and white inserts in the goal arms. Odor-trail cues were eliminated by changing the paper flooring of the maze between trials and between Ss. In Part A, the Ss received two daily trials, with the inserts switched between Trials I and 2 to contrast direction and brightness cues-to alternate spatial direction, a rat had to repeat brightness. Insignificant alternation occurred with this procedure. In Part B, when the Ss were forced four times to the same direction and stimulus insert and then were given a free trial with the inserts switched to contrast cues, significant alternation of spatial direction was observed. In Part C, when Ss received four forced trials to opposite arms but to the same stimulus insert, brightness was alternated significantly. The alternation rates in the three parts of the experiment were interpreted as evidence that brightness is an important cue for spontaneous alternation.
Sex Differences in Absence from Work: A Reinterpretation:

Sex differences in absence from work were investigated for parents and nonparents during a period of 11 months. Personnel records showed sex differences only among working parents, with mothers taking significantly more sick leave than fathers (p < .05). By using self-reports obtained under protection of anonymity it was found that in the parent group both sexes reported absences necessitated by child care as personal illness, but significantly more women than men were absent from work for such activities (p < .01). Results from this study shed light on the statement that “women are more likely than men to be absent from work because of illness” (U.S. Department of Labor Bureau Bulletin, 1977); child care, rather than personal illness, appears to be the major variable that mediates sex differences in absence from work.
Resuscitation after cardiac arrest: a 3-phase time-sensitive model.

suggests a lower incidencerate, about 184000 cardiac arrests per year, as well as a de-creasing proportion of cardiac arrests with ventricular fi-brillation (VF) as the first identified rhythm.Current International Liaison Committee on Resuscita-tion (ILCOR) guidelines promulgate rhythm-based thera-piesduringcardiacarrest.
Modulation and coding for linear Gaussian channels

Shannon's determination of the capacity of the linear Gaussian channel has posed a magnificent challenge to succeeding generations of researchers. This paper surveys how this challenge has been met during the past half century. Orthogonal minimum-bandwidth modulation techniques and channel capacity are discussed. Binary coding techniques for low-signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) channels and nonbinary coding techniques for high-SNR channels are reviewed. Recent developments, which now allow capacity to be approached on any linear Gaussian channel, are surveyed. These new capacity-approaching techniques include turbo coding and decoding, multilevel coding, and combined coding/precoding for intersymbol-interference channels.
Exploring Stress and Coping Strategies among National Guard Spouses during Times of Deployment: A Research Note

Studies on active duty military families indicate that deployment disrupts normal functioning of the family. Scholars still, however, lack the necessary knowledge to fully grasp the impact that the current Iraq and Afghanistan wars have had on Army National Guard (ARNG) families who have experienced deployment. A grounded theoretical approach to interviews with ARNG spouses yields insight into how these families are coping with the often-unexpected event of wartime deployment. The authors identify stressors and coping strategies used by these spouses and offer suggestions for future research that will allow scholars to more fully understand the present situation ARNG families are facing.
Intravenous Ketorolac vs Intravenous Prochlorperazine for the Treatment of Migraine Headaches

Objective To compare i.v. ketorolac with i.v. prochlorperazine as the initial treatment of migraine headaches in the ED. Methods A prospective, double-blind comparison study was performed, using a convenience sample of 64 patients suffering from migraine headaches presenting to the ED at a tertiary care university teaching hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 10 mg of prochlorperazine i.v. or 30 mg of ketorolac i.v.. Patients scored the severity of their headaches using a 10-cm visual analog pain scale. An initial mark was made on the scale at the time of entry into the study and later another mark was made on a new unmarked pain scale 1 hour after medication administration. Changes in pain scores within each treatment group and between groups were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results Prior to treatment, the patients assigned to receive prochlorperazine had a median score of 9.2 cm (mean +/- SD pain score of 8.3 cm +/- 2.1 cm), while the patients receiving ketorolac had a median score of 9.0 (mean pain score of 8.4 cm +/- 1.7 cm). There was no significant difference between the pain scores of the participants in the 2 groups prior to treatment (p = 0.80). One hour after medication administration, the patients in the prochlorperazine group had a median score of 0.5 cm (mean 2.1 +/- 3.2 cm), while those patients receiving ketorolac had a median pain score of 3.9 (mean 4.0 +/- 3.3 cm). The decrease in pain score was significant for both groups of patients (p = 0.0001). The change in pain score for the patients in the prochlorperazine group (median 7.1) was significantly greater than the change in pain score for the patients in the ketorolac group (median 4.0; p = 0.04). Conclusion Although both drugs were associated with a significant reduction in pain scores, benefit over a placebo agent was not tested. Furthermore, the patients who received prochlorperazine i.v. for migraine headaches had a statistically significant greater decrease in their pain scores than did those receiving ketorolac i.v.
Solid-State 2H NMR Reveals Changes in Membrane Flexibility Due to Osmotic Pressure

Cellular membrane properties are sensitive to pressure, temperature, and dehydration as well as lipid composition, which can affect function through non-specific lipid-protein interactions [1]. Functional lipid rafts in cellular membranes may correspond to detergent-resistant domains due to the presence of cholesterol. Changes in swelling and stiffening of pure lipid bilayers in the liquid-crystalline phase have been observed [2-4] with addition of detergent and cholesterol. Here we show how structure and associated dynamics of mixed-lipid bilayers are affected by osmotic pressure. Determinations of area per lipid and motional parameters of DMPC membranes in the presence of detergent (C12E8) or cholesterol utilize 2H NMR together with a mean-torque model for interpreting acyl-chain order parameters (SCD) [5]. Swelling by addition of detergent is due to enhanced membrane flexibility, and is counteracted by applying osmotic pressure to the lipid dispersion. By contrast, reduced swelling of multilamellar dispersions due to the stiffening action of cholesterol is reinforced by osmotic pressure. In both cases the membrane area compressibility modulus Ka is calculated from SCD order parameters. We propose that apparent Ka values differ with osmotic pressure for both systems due to changes in the hierarchy of forces and motions. Calculation of the bilayer bending rigidity and the area elastic modulus provides a basis for molecular dynamics simulations of membrane deformations at the atomistic and mesoscopic levels. Osmotic pressure-induced deformation of membranes reveals how lipid-protein interactions can play key roles in biological functions of pressure-sensitive proteins and channels. [1] K.J. Mallikarjunaiah et al. (2011) BJ 100, 98-107 [2] M.F. Brown et al. (2002) JACS 124, 8471-8484. [3] D. Otten et al. (2000) JPC 104, 12119-12129. [4] G.V. Martinez et al. (2002) PRE 66, 050902. [5] H.I. Petrache et al. (2000) BJ 79, 3172-3192.
Do Attitudes Toward Divorce Affect Marital Quality

Exchange theory predicts that people who adopt favorable attitudes toward divorce invest fewer resources in their marriages, thus eroding marital quality. Cognitive dissonance theory predicts that people who experience declines in marital quality adopt more favorable attitudes toward divorce as they anticipate leaving the relationship. This study tests both hypotheses. National, longitudinal data and structural equation models are used to estimate reciprocal paths between changes in attitudes toward divorce and changes in marital quality. The data provide stronger support for the exchange theory hypothesis than the cognitive dissonance hypothesis. Adopting more favorable attitudes toward divorce appears to undermine marital quality in the long run.
Telomere and ribosomal DNA repeats are chromosomal targets of the bloom syndrome DNA helicase

Bloom syndrome is one of the most cancer-predisposing disorders and is characterized by genomic instability and a high frequency of sister chromatid exchange. The disorder is caused by loss of function of a 3' to 5' RecQ DNA helicase, BLM. The exact role of BLM in maintaining genomic integrity is not known but the helicase has been found to associate with several DNA repair complexes and some DNA replication foci. Chromatin immunoprecipitation of BLM complexes recovered telomere and ribosomal DNA repeats. The N-terminus of BLM, required for NB localization, is the same as the telomere association domain of BLM. The C-terminus is required for ribosomal DNA localization. BLM localizes primarily to the non-transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal DNA repeat where replication forks initiate. Bloom syndrome cells expressing the deletion alleles lacking the ribosomal DNA and telomere association domains have altered cell cycle populations with increased S or G2/M cells relative to normal. These results identify telomere and ribosomal DNA repeated sequence elements as chromosomal targets for the BLM DNA helicase during the S/G2 phase of the cell cycle. BLM is localized in nuclear bodies when it associates with telomeric repeats in both telomerase positive and negative cells. The BLM DNA helicase participates in genomic stability at ribosomal DNA repeats and telomeres.
Initiation and Regulation of Complement during Hemolytic Transfusion Reactions

Hemolytic transfusion reactions represent one of the most common causes of transfusion-related mortality. Although many factors influence hemolytic transfusion reactions, complement activation represents one of the most common features associated with fatality. In this paper we will focus on the role of complement in initiating and regulating hemolytic transfusion reactions and will discuss potential strategies aimed at mitigating or favorably modulating complement during incompatible red blood cell transfusions.
Strategies for Conducting Adolescent Health Research in the Clinical Setting: The Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center HPV Experience

Abstract Background Clinical research with adolescents can be challenging due to issues of informed consent, parental involvement, institutional review board requirements, and adolescent psychosocial development. These requirements present a dilemma, particularly in the area of sexual health research, as adolescents are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV). To successfully conduct adolescent research in the clinical setting, one requires an awareness of state statutes regarding adolescent confidentiality and consent for medical care, and a close partnership with the IRB. Case Study In 2007, the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center in collaboration with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine developed a longitudinal research study to examine the natural history of oral, cervical, and anal HPV in an adolescent female population engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors. We use this research project as a case study to explore the ethical, methodological, and clinical issues related to conducting adolescent health research. Summary and Conclusions Several strategies were identified to promote adolescent study participation, including: (1) building a research team that is motivated to work with adolescents; (2) combining research and patient care visits to avoid duplication of services; and (3) establishing a personalized communication network with participants. Using these methods, adolescent sexual health research can successfully be integrated into the clinical setting. While retaining a prospective cohort of adolescents has its challenges, a persistent and multi-disciplinary approach can help improve recruitment, sustain participation, and acquire critical data that will lead to improved healthcare knowledge applicable to understudied populations of adolescents.
Enhancement of forest canopy research, education, and conservation in the new millennium

Study of the forest canopy has reached a critical stage in its development from a young ‘frontier’ area of study to a vibrant and coalescing field of investigation and communication. Many current environmental and social issues at global scales (e.g., environmental change, acid deposition, loss of biodiversity) are related directly to our knowledge of forest canopies. I present six activities that are needed to help the vibrant and growing field of forest canopy studies progress efficiently. Enabling canopy researchers to communicate with each other and with those outside our field is an important element to address these issues. The establishment of a graduate-level training program is also a high priority to generate and maintain a healthy discipline. Formal procedures to identify particular forest sites of critical concern should be initiated, and these should include communication of prioritized sites to conservation groups and policy makers. Instilling a sense of wonder and appreciation for organisms and interactions in non-scientists is another important avenue for forest canopy conservation.
Immunoglobulin G2 antibodies promote neutrophil killing of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

Sera from patients with localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP) often contain markedly elevated levels of immunoglobulin G2 (IgG2) antibodies reactive to cell envelope constituents of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. The objective of this study was to determine if these IgG2 antibodies are capable of supporting phagocytosis and killing of A. actinomycetemcomitans by human neutrophils. Polyclonal IgG2 antibodies were prepared from high-titer LJP serum by affinity chromatography, yielding a preparation which was > 99% subclass restricted and retained immunoreactivity to A. actinomycetemcomitans antigens. Affinity-purified IgG2 antibodies were evaluated by an in vitro opsonophagocytic assay that employed neutrophils obtained from donors who were homozygous for the H131 allotype of Fc gamma receptor type IIa (CD32), which efficiently binds human IgG2 antibodies. Affinity-purified IgG2 antibodies from LJP serum but not from sera of periodontally healthy individuals promoted phagocytosis and killing of A. actinomycetemcomitans. The expression of IgG2-dependent opsonic activity required the presence of complement. Incubation of A. actinomycetemcomitans with neutrophils in the presence of an optimal concentration of LJP IgG2 (50 micrograms/ml) and 5% hypogammaglobulinemic serum (as a complement source) resulted in a > 1 log10 reduction in bacterial viability within 30 min. The opsonic activity of IgG2 antibodies was found to be comparable to that observed with affinity-purified IgG1 antibodies. Moreover, IgG1 antibodies interacted synergistically with IgG2 antibodies in promoting opsonophagocytosis of A. actinomycetemcomitans. The results of this study indicate that LJP serum contains IgG2 antibodies which, when employed in conjunction with neutrophils that express Fc gamma receptors capable of recognizing this subclass, are opsonic for A. actinomycetemcomitans.
Arrays of horizontally polarized loop-fed slotted cylinder antennas

Measured center element gain patterns, voltage standing-wave ratio (VSWR), and mutual coupling for passively terminated arrays of horizontally polarized loop-fed slotted cylinder antennas over a ground plane are given. A seven-element hexagonal array is investigated in detail. The element gain pattern is shown to have a null at broadside with omnidirectional coverage along a constant cone angle from broadside. Maximum gain occurs close to 50\deg from broadside which provides for wide-angle phased array scanning capability. The antennas are also configured in a linear array geometry, to investigate mutual coupling effects on the element gain pattern as the number of elements is varied. The element gain pattern is shown to converge for a relatively few number of elements and there is no indication of undesired blind spots.
Increasing Part Accuracy in Additive Manufacturing Processes Using a k-d Tree Based Clustered Adaptive Layering

Additive manufacturing (AM) is widely used in aerospace, automobile, and medical industries for building highly accurate parts using a layer by layer approach. The stereolithography (STL) file is the standard file format used in AM machines and approximates the three-dimensional (3D) model of parts using planar triangles. However, as the STL file is an approximation of the actual computer aided design (CAD) surface, the geometric errors in the final manufactured parts are pronounced, particularly in those parts with highly curved surfaces. If the part is built with the minimum uniform layer thickness allowed by the AM machine, the manufactured part will typically have the best quality, but this will also result in a considerable increase in build time. Therefore, as a compromise, the part can be built with variable layer thicknesses, i.e., using an adaptive layering technique, which will reduce the part build time while still reducing the part errors and satisfying the geometric tolerance callouts on the part. This paper describes a new approach of determining the variable slices using a 3D k-d tree method. The paper validates the proposed k-d tree based adaptive layering approach for three test parts and documents the results by comparing the volumetric, cylindricity, sphericity, and profile errors obtained from this approach with those obtained using a uniform slicing method. Since current AM machines are incapable of handling adaptive slicing approach directly, a “pseudo” grouped adaptive layering approach is also proposed here. This “clustered slicing” technique will enable the fabrication of a part in bands of varying slice thicknesses with each band having clusters of uniform slice thicknesses. The proposed k-d tree based adaptive slicing approach along with clustered slicing has been validated with simulations of the test parts of different shapes.
Distributed calculations on fixed-income securities: keynote

This paper reviews real-world examples of distributed computing in the finance industry, specifically in institutional trading of fixed-income securities. Three examples illustrate small to large-scale distributed calculations: valuation of fixed-income derivatives, loading and producing time sequences of prices in statistical arbitrage on fixed-income instruments, and valuation of large portfolios of mortgage-backed securities. Two of these also serve to illustrate a recurring pattern in distributed access of financial data--- distributed caching.
Altered Hormonal Responsiveness of Proliferation and Apoptosis During Myometrial Maturation and the Development of Uterine Leiomyomas in the Rat

Uterine leiomyomas are responsive to the ovarian steroids, estrogen and progesterone; however, a mechanistic understanding of the role of these hormones in the development of this common gynecologic lesion remains to be elucidated. We have used the Eker rat uterine leiomyoma model to investigate how ovarian hormones regulate or promote the growth of these tumors. Proliferative and apoptotic rates were quantitated in normal uterine tissues and leiomyomas in response to endogenous ovarian steroids. In 2- to 4-mo-old animals, cell proliferation in the normal uterus corresponded with high serum levels of steroid hormones during the estrous cycle, and apoptosis occurred in the rat uterus in all cell types following sharp, cyclical declines in serum hormone levels. It is interesting that the responsiveness of uterine mesenchymal cells changed between 4 and 6 mo of age, with significant decreases in both proliferative and apoptotic rates observed in myometrial and stromal cells of cycling animals. Leiomyomas displayed much higher levels of proliferation than did age-matched myometrium; however, their apoptotic index was significantly decreased in comparison with normal myometrium. This disregulation between proliferative and apoptotic responses, which were tightly regulated during ovarian cycling in the normal myometrium, may contribute to the disruption of tissue homeostasis and underlie neoplastic growth of these tumors.
The Impaired Growth Induced by Zinc Deficiency in Rats Is Associated with Decreased Expression of the Hepatic Insulin-like Growth Factor I and Growth Hormone Receptor Genes

This study was conducted to determine whether dietary zinc status affects the expression of the insulin-like growth factor I and growth hormone receptor/growth hormone binding protein genes in the liver of growing rats. Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allotted to zinc-deficient, pair-fed or ad libitum-fed dietary treatments and fed diets containing no added zinc for 14 d. Zinc acetate was added to the deionized, distilled water (30 mg/L) provided to pair-fed and ad libitum-fed rats. As expected, zinc deficiency significantly reduced growth rate by 60% and was associated with a significantly lower serum insulin-like growth factor I concentration (46 and 67% lower than pair-fed and ad libitum-fed rats, respectively). The reduction in serum insulin-like growth factor I concentration was associated with a decrease in insulin-like growth factor 1 gene expression. The abundance of the 7.5-kb insulin-like growth factor I mRNA transcript in zinc-deficient and pair-fed rats was 14 and 31% that of the ad libitum-fed rats. The 0.8-1.2-kb insulin-like growth factor I transcript also was significantly lower in the zinc-deficient and pair-fed rats. In contrast, the abundance of the 1.8-kb insulin-like growth factor I transcript was unaffected by zinc deficiency. The growth hormone receptor mRNA levels of zinc-deficient and pair-fed rats were 17 and 50% and their growth hormone binding protein mRNA levels were 46 and 65% those of the ad libitum-fed rats. In summary, zinc deficiency markedly decreases expression of the insulin-like growth factor I and growth hormone receptor genes. The mechanisms that account for the decreases are obscure. Nonetheless, our results indicate that the growth retardation caused by zinc deficiency is associated with defects in the growth hormone receptor signaling pathway
Design metrics in quantum turbulence simulations: How physics influences software architecture

The information hiding philosophy of object-oriented programming encourages localizing data structures within objects rather than sharing data globally across different classes of objects. This emphasis on local data leads naturally to fine-grained data abstractions, particularly in scientific simulations involving large collections of small, discrete physical or mathematical objects. This paper focuses on a subset of such simulations where dynamically reconfigurable links bind the objects together. It is demonstrated that fine-grained data structures reduce the complexity of local operations on the data at the potential expense of increased global operation complexity. Two metrics are used to describe data structures: granularity is the number of instantiations required to cover the data space, whereas extent is the continuously traversable length of the data along a given direction. These definitions are applied to two abstractions for simulating the turbulent motion of quantum vortices in superfluid liquid helium. Several local and global operations on a fine-grained linked list are compared with those on a coarse-grained array. It is demonstrated that fine-grained data structures recover the simplicity of more coarse-grained structures if maximal extent is maintained as the granularity increases.
Genotoxicology and Risk Assessment in the Era of the Human Genome Project

(1996). Genotoxicology and Risk Assessment in the Era of the Human Genome Project. Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology: Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 521-523.
Achievable rates for the broadcast channel with feedback

A single-letter achievable rate region is proposed for the two-receiver discrete memoryless broadcast channel with feedback. It is shown through an example that the rate-region can be strictly larger than the no-feedback capacity region. The coding strategy involves block-Markov superposition coding using Marton's scheme as the starting point. If the message rates in the Marton scheme are too high to be decoded at the end of a block, each receiver is left with a list of messages compatible with its output. In the next block, we send resolution information for each receiver to resolve its list. The key observation is that the resolution information of the first receiver is correlated with that of the second. We transmit this correlated information efficiently in the following block using ideas from the Han-Costa coding scheme.
Factors affecting phytoplankton species‐specific differences in accumulation of 40 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Experiments were conducted to compare the bioaccumulation of hydrophobic compounds among different phytoplankton divisions, and to evaluate the factors that affect species-specific differences. Unialgal batch cultures of Selenastrum capricornutum, Anabaena sp., and Synedra sp. were exposed to 40 PCB congeners at 11 C for 40 d. PCBs selected for this study represented all 10 homologs, different substitution patterns, and a wide range of physical-chemical properties representative of compounds known to bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms. Congener-specific partitioning into the algal phase over time was investigated. Species differences were observed in the rate and magnitude of accumulation. For all species, a rapid association of PCBs with the algal phase was followed by a slower partitioning from the media to the algae, which continued for several days. Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) could be predicted from K[sub ow] for PCB congeners with log K[sub ow] values < 6.0, whereas no such correlation was found for the more hydrophobic congeners. Normalization of BAFs to total lipid or glycolipid content reduced some of the variability between species for the less hydrophobic congeners, but not for the more hydrophobic congeners. Normalization of BAFs to the phospholipid fraction reduced species variability for the more hydrophobic congeners, supporting the hypothesismore » that these compounds have restricted membrane permeability.« less
Renal Involvement by IgG4-Related Disease

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized systemic immune-mediated disease, typically characterized by mass-forming fibroinflammatory lesions that may affect nearly any organ. In the kidney, IgG4-RD is most often manifested as IgG4-related tubulointerstitial nephritis (IgG4-TIN), which can present as mass lesions, renal insufficiency, or both. IgG4-TIN has a histologic appearance to other organs involved by IgG4-RD and shows a plasma cell-rich tubulointerstitial nephritis with “storiform” fibrosis; most cases also show tubular basement membrane immune complex deposits, which is a helpful feature on biopsy. IgG4-TIN, like fibroinflammatory manifestations of IgG4-RD in other organs, typically shows a brisk response to steroid therapy, although there is a high relapse rate. Glomerular involvement by IgG4-RD, especially membranous glomerulonephritis, has been recognized more recently.
A METHOD FOR STUDYING HEALING OF BONE

1. A method is described for making uniform lesions in the bone to permit a study of its healing. 2. A method of using radio-active tracers to stutdy the healing of bone in vivo is described. 3. The uptake by healing bone of radiophosphorus and radiostrontium is determined at different. stages in the healing process. 4. The uptake by healing bone of phosphorus and strontium is compared. 5. The effect of the age of the animals upon the uptake of phosphorus in the healing of bone is studied. 6. In young animals, the latent period for an increased uptake of phosphorus is shorter than in older animals (2 as compared with 4 days). 7. The maximum uptake of phosphorus and strontium occurs on the eighth to the tenth day in young rats, as compared with the maximum of 15 days reached in old rats. This parallels the gross healing of the old and young bones. 8. By comparing the ratio of uptake of strontium and phosphorus, it is seen that this ratio tends to increase later in the healing process; it may be possible to utilize this tendency to differentiate between the proliferating and the calcifying stages of bone healing.
Laboratory Membrane Systems

Many lipids of cell membranes form bilayers spontaneously, even as pure species, in aqueous environment. For example, introduction of most phospholipids to water will lead to the formation of liposomes, multiple layers of concentric bilayers, often referred to as multilamellar vesicles. A useful unilamellar form of bilayer can be formed by sonication of phospholipid dispersions in an aqueous environment. Small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) form under the influence of sonication. They are much smaller in diameter than the large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs), but are much more homogeneous in size. Larger than SUVs, but still unilamellar, are the LUVs. These can be formed from detergent mixes and from extrusion. In each of these systems, it is difficult to experimentally access the inside of these vesicles. The black lipid membrane system is roughly planer and can be created as a microscopic membrane separating macroscopic chambers of aqueous solutions. This allows ready experimental access to both sides of the single membrane lipid bilayer. However, the lipid bilayer retains significant amounts of organic solvent. The Langmuir–Blodgett lipid monolayer allows experimental control of a different variable, the lateral surface pressure.
Effect of urea and methylamine on plasmin.

Conclusions1. Preparation of partially purified and highly active human plasmin free of streptokinase is described. 2. In neutral solutions plasmin undergoes rapid auto-digestion at 37°C. 3. Autolysis of plasmin can be inhibited by concentrations of urea and methylamine which inhibit digestion of protein by plasmin.
An Overview of Y-Family DNA Polymerases and a Case Study of Human DNA Polymerase η

Y-Family DNA polymerases specialize in translesion synthesis, bypassing damaged bases that would otherwise block the normal progression of replication forks. Y-Family polymerases have unique structural features that allow them to bind damaged DNA and use a modified template base to direct nucleotide incorporation. Each Y-Family polymerase is unique and has different preferences for lesions to bypass and for dNTPs to incorporate. Y-Family polymerases are also characterized by a low catalytic efficiency, a low processivity, and a low fidelity on normal DNA. Recruitment of these specialized polymerases to replication forks is therefore regulated. The catalytic center of the Y-Family polymerases is highly conserved and homologous to that of high-fidelity and high-processivity DNA replicases. In this review, structural differences between Y-Family and A- and B-Family polymerases are compared and correlated with their functional differences. A time-resolved X-ray crystallographic study of the DNA synthesis reac...
Extruded Superparamagnetic Saloplastic Polyelectrolyte Nanocomposites

Iron oxide nanoparticles of diameter ca. 12 nm were dispersed into polyelectrolyte complexes made from poly(styrenesulfonate) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium). These nanocomposites were plasticized with salt water and extruded into dense, tough fibers. Magnetometry of these composites showed they retained the superparamagnetic properties of their constituent nanoparticles with saturation magnetization that scaled with the loading of nanoparticles. Their superparamagnetic response allowed the composites to be heated remotely by radiofrequency fields. While the modulus of fibers was unaffected by the presence of nanoparticles the toughness and tensile strength increased significantly.
A brite idea for noncoding variants

Obesity has a strong genetic component of 40 to 80% heritability, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed the existence of obesity-associated regions in the human genome. However, the majority of signals from GWAS are noncoding variants, and the role of noncoding variants is challenging to interpret. To give meaning to variants that may increase the risk of being obese, Claussnitzer et al . performed a combined epigenomic and genomics analysis to find targets of the FTO risk genotype, which has been shown to have the strongest association with obesity. The authors combined results from ChIP-seq, chromatin conformation capture, and comparative genomic analyses to find the targets of the risk genotype. Their analysis demonstrated that the causal variant of the FTO risk genotype disrupts the binding of ARID5B, a repressor of the region, resulting in a gain of enhancer activity and increased expression of the genes IRX3 and IRX5 . Owing to their role in thermogenesis, an increase in IRX3 and IRX5 led to a change in the behavior of fat cells: Adipocytes went from active, energy-dissipating “beige (brite)” cells, to fat-storing “white” cells. Blocking the activity of Irx3 in adipose tissue in mice returned the animals’ weight to normal. Furthermore, repairing the risk allele in human adipocytes with the CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technique, the authors rescued the cells’ obese phenotype and negated the risky genotype. Other than elucidating the mechanism of noncoding FTO obesity variants, this study shows how both epigenomic and genomic information can be combined with gene-editing technologies to develop therapeutic approaches to challenging metabolic and genetic diseases, including obesity. M. Claussnitzer et al ., FTO obesity variant circuitry and adipocyte browning in humans. N. Engl. J. Med . 10.1056/NEJMoa1502214 (2015). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1502214
The observation of the curative effect of pneumonia mixture as adjuvant treatment of infant pneumonia

Objective: To verify curative effect of the pneumonia mixture as a adjuvant treatment when combined with western medicine.Methods: Curative effect of western medicine was compared with that of combined administration of western medicine and pneumonia mixture.Results: The total efficiency of the combination group was superior to that of the western medicine group(P0.05)and the average disappearing time of various body symptoms and high temperature is apparently different from that of western medicine group(P0.05).Conclusions: The combination of the pneumonia mixture and the western medicine is an effective method to cure infant pneumonia.
Response of extraparenchymal resistance arteries of rat skeletal muscle to reduced PO2

Isolated resistance arteries from the gracilis muscle of rats were simultaneously perfused and superfused with physiological salt solution (PSS) equilibrated with control (21% O2) and reduced (15, 10, 5, or 0% O2) concentrations of O2. The vessels exhibited a significant dilation in response to reduced PO2, which could be inhibited by selective perfusion of the lumen with 21% O2 PSS, endothelial removal, and 1 microM indomethacin, but was unaffected by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine (10 microM). Contraction of the arteries in response to 50 mM K+ was inhibited by 0% O2, whereas agonist (norepinephrine and serotonin)-induced contractions and pressure-induced myogenic responses were insensitive to reduced PO2. These results suggest that 1) skeletal muscle resistance arteries are intrinsically sensitive to reduced PO2 independent of parenchymal cell influences, 2) inhibition of resting tone in these vessels is mediated by an endothelium-derived product of the cyclooxygenase pathway, and 3) various forms of contractile activation are not equally sensitive to inhibition by reduced PO2 in extraparenchymal resistance arteries of skeletal muscle.
The Outer Structure and the Inner Nature of Spirituality

To the apostle who doubted, Jesus replied: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”. This idea that belief unmediated by vision is deeper and more profound than belief of the sort that flows from observation captures the basic orientation of living organisms. That orientation is a form of faith. We sense an environment continuous with our bodies, and that deeply felt relation is charged with the urgency of incipient action. Acting successfully requires believing in a real world where actions find their intended objects, and those objects, altering course as a result, yield the desired consequences. Flowers and grass perfectly embody this kind of faith. “The vegetative soul”, Santayana wrote, “enjoys [a] … Christian blessedness: it sees not, yet it believes. But believes in what? In whatever it may be that envelopes it; in what we, in our human language, call space, earth, sunlight, and motion; in the throbbing possibility of putting forth something which we call leaves, for which that patient soul has no name and no image.”1
Using High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound as a Means to Provide Targeted Drug Delivery: A Literature Review

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)–mediated drug delivery is a relatively novel technique used to deliver drugs to a targeted location in the body. High-intensity focused ultrasound–mediated ...
Great Expectations: Cost-Utility Models as Decision Criteria

One of the more puzzling features of published claims for cost-effectiveness is the popularity of claims presented in terms of quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Despite the popularity of QALYs as the ‘gold standard’ outcome measures among academic audiences, professional groups and a number of single payer health care systems, there is no evidence to suggest that cost-per-QALY based claims have ever been assessed, either through experimentation or observation, to support formulary decisions. In part this stems from the fact that cost-per-QALY claims are typically not expressed in evaluable terms; it also stems from the fact that, despite the plethora of QALY publications, QALYs are not collected on a regular basis by any health care system as part of administrative claims or electronic medical records. In the US QALYs have typically been ignored by health care decision makers. Given this, the continuing popularity of utility-based measures for studies published in the leading pharmacoeconomics journals is difficult to understand. One possible explanation is that those promoting QALY claims are locked into a relativist position that defends the publication of nontestable product claims. A position that is reinforced by recommendations from ‘peer organizations’ such as the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) in their promotion of their Format for Formulary Submission standards which support the role of lifetime cost-per-QALY modeled imaginary worlds or thought experiments. Another explanation is that QALYs have been taken at face value with little though given to how they might be implemented to support both initial formulary decisions as well as ongoing disease area therapeutic class reviews. The purpose of this review is to put the case that the continued emphasis on cost-per-QALY claims has no practical benefit in formulary decision making. Type: Commentary
Constrained variant detection with SPaRC: Sparsity, parental relatedness, and coverage

Structural variants (SVs) are rearrangements of DNA sequences such as inversions, deletions, insertions and translocations. The common method for detecting SVs has been to sequence data from a test genome and map it to a reference genome. More recently, DNA sequencing studies may consist of hundreds, or even thousands of individuals, some of which may be related. In order to improve our ability to identify SVs, we boost the true SV signals by simultaneously analyzing parent and child genomes. Our algorithmic formulation — SPaRC — employs realistic criteria such as sparsity of SVs, relatedness between individuals and variable sequencing coverage throughout the genome.
Instantaneous phase shifting deflectometry

An instantaneous phase shifting deflectometry measurement method is presented and implemented by measuring a time varying deformable mirror with an iPhone ® 6. The instantaneous method is based on multiplexing phase shifted fringe patterns with color, and decomposing them in x and y using Fourier techniques. Along with experimental data showing the capabilities of the instantaneous deflectometry system, a quantitative comparison with the Fourier transform profilometry method, which is a distinct phase measuring method from the phase shifting approach, is presented. Sources of error, nonlinear color-multiplexing induced error correction, and hardware limitations are discussed.
Coupling 3D printing with hot-melt extrusion to produce controlled-release tablets

The main objective of this work was to explore the potential of coupling fused deposition modeling in three-dimensional (3D) printing with hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology to facilitate additive manufacturing, in order to fabricate tablets with enhanced extended release properties. Acetaminophen was used as the model drug and different grades and ratios of polymers were used to formulate tablets. Three-point bending and hardness tests were performed to determine the mechanical properties of the filaments and tablets. 3D-printed tablets, directly compressed mill-extruded tablets, and tablets prepared from a physical mixture were evaluated for drug release rates using a USP-II dissolution apparatus. The surface and cross-sectional morphology of the 3D-printed tablets were assessed by scanning electron microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize the crystal states and thermal properties of materials, respectively. The 3D-printed tablets had smooth surfaces and tight structures; therefore, they showed better extended drug release rates than the directly compressed tablets did. Further, this study clearly demonstrated the feasibility of coupling HME with 3D printing technology, which allows for the formulation of drug delivery systems using different grades and ratios of pharmaceutical polymers. In addition, formulations can be made based on the personal needs of patients.
Active Targeting of the Nucleus Using Nonpeptidic Boronate Tags

Active intracellular transport is a central mechanism in cell biology, directed by a limited set of naturally occurring signaling peptides. Here, we report the first nonpeptide moiety that recruits intracellular transport machinery for nuclear targeting. Proteins synthetically modified with a simple aromatic boronate motif are actively trafficked to the nucleus via the importin α/β pathway. Significantly, proteins too large to passively diffuse through nuclear pores were readily imported into the nucleus through this boronate-mediated pathway. The use of this simple motif to provide active intracellular targeting provides a promising strategy for directing subcellular localization for therapeutic and fundamental applications.