cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Guiding epithelial cell phenotypes with engineered integrin-specific recombinant fibronectin fragments.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides important cues for directing cell phenotype. Cells interact with underlying ECM through cell-surface receptors known as integrins, which bind to specific sequences on their ligands. During tissue development, repair, and regeneration of epithelial tissues, cells must interact with an interstitial fibronectin (Fn)-rich matrix, which has been shown to direct a more migratory/repair phenotype, presumably through interaction with Fn’s cell binding domain comprised of both synergy Pro-His-Ser-Arg-Asn (PHSRN) and Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequences. We hypothesized that the Fn synergy site is critical to the regulation of epithelial cell phenotype by directing integrin specificity. Epithelial cells were cultured on Fn fragments displaying stabilized synergy and RGD (FnIII9’10), or RGD alone (FnIII10) and cell phenotype analyzed by cytoskeleton changes, epithelial cell–cell contacts, changes in gene expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers, and wound healing assay. Data indicate that epithelial cells engage RGD only with αv integrins and display a significant shift toward a mesenchymal phenotype due, in part, to enhanced transforming growth factor-β activation and/or signaling compared with cells on the synergy containing FnIII9’10. These studies demonstrate the importance of synergy in regulating epithelial cell phenotype relevant to tissue engineering as well as the utility of engineered integrin-specific ECM fragments in guiding cell phenotype.
The Distribution of Growth Hormone and Prolactin in Subcellular Fractions of Porcine Adenohypophysis1

Porcine growth hormone (pGH) and porcine prolactin (pPRL) were measured by radioimmunoassay in pituitary homogenates and subcellular fractions derived therefrom. A nonnormal population distribution was found for pPRL content and concentration; larger anterior pituitary glands exhibited a high pPRL content and concentration, and prolactin cell hyperplasia. Nearly 90% of both hormones present in the post-nuclear supernatant sedimented with the large secretory granule fraction, and the bulk of the protein found in this fraction was accounted for by these two hormones. Electrophoresis of secretory granule extracts on polyacrylamide gel, followed by radioimmunoassay of gel segment eluates, revealed a distribution of immunoreactive hormone which paralleled the migration of stainable protein bands, with the exception of very slowly migrating protein species which were not immunoreactive in either assay system. (Endocrinology 92: 477, 1973)
Global networks in telecommunication and transportation

This study examines the global network structures of telecommunication and transportation, and tests structural relationships among countries in the global system. Specifically, telephone and air t...
Perioperative β-blockade: atenolol is associated with reduced mortality when compared to metoprolol.

Background: The Atenolol study of 1996 provided evidence that perioperative β-blockade reduced postsurgical mortality. In 1998, the indications for perioperative β-blockade were codified as the Perioperative Cardiac Risk Reduction protocol and implemented at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The current study tested the following hypothesis: Is there a difference in mortality rates between patients receiving perioperative atenolol and metoprolol? Methods: Epidemiologic analysis of the operations performed at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center since 1996 was performed. High-risk inpatients with perioperative β-blockade were divided into two groups: patients who received perioperative atenolol only and those who received metoprolol only. Patients who switched between the two chronic oral β-blocker medications were excluded. IV administration of β-blockers was ignored. Propensity matching analysis was used to correct for population differences in risk factors. Results: There were 38,779 operations performed from 1996 to 2008, with 24,739 inpatient procedures. Based on analysis of inpatient medication use, 3,787 patients received atenolol only (1,011) or metoprolol only (2,776). Thirty-day mortality (atenolol 1% vs. metoprolol 3%, P < 0.0008) and 1-yr mortality (atenolol 7% vs. metoprolol 13%, P < 0.0001) differed between the two β-blockers. Analysis based on inpatient and outpatient β-blocker use showed a similar pattern. Propensity matching that corrected for multiple cardiac risk factors found an odds ratio (OR) of 2.1 [95% CI 1.5-2.9], P < 0.0001 for increased 1-yr mortality with metoprolol for inpatient use. Conclusion: Perioperative β-blockade using atenolol is associated with reduced mortality compared with metoprolol.
Properties and structure of nylon fibers in relation to drawing and aqueous phenol treatments

The changes in nylon 66 fiber structure and properties which take place during drawing and aqueous phenol treatments were studied by means of measurements of length, birefringence, density, moisture regain, x-ray diffraction, stress–strain behavior, and sound velocity. Drawing was found to establish molecular orientation along the fiber axis predominantly in the early stages, whereas the development of lateral order occured primarily after a certain level of orientation had been achieved. Treatments in aqueous phenol solutions caused longitudinal contractions which depended on phenol concentration (1-5%), draw ratio (1-6), and the tension on the fiber during the treatment. The treatments resulted in an increase in the lateral order, decrease in orientation and corresponding changes in mechanical properties. Moisture regain was inversely related with density for the untreated fibers of various draw ratios, but the relationship became complex after treatments in phenol. The data are interpreted in terms of changes in the lateral order distributions, which permits an increase in the fibers' sorptive capacity despite an increase in the mean lateral order.
A Note on Saturation in Microwave Spectroscopy

The investigation of Van Vleck and Weisskopf, on the shape of collision-broadened absorption lines, is extended to high power levels of the exciting radiation. Transitions among the molecular states are then induced at a rate that is not negligible compared with the collision rate, thus invalidating the assumption of thermal equilibrium. The theory is based on a quantum transcription of the previous semiclassical treatment, the essential tool being the density matrix. When the resonant frequencies of the molecule are widely spaced, an absorption line is ultimately broadened as the power level increases. Correspondingly, the peak absorption coefficient decreases, the power absorbed per unit volume approaching saturation with increasing incident power. It is shown that the broadening of an absorption line is not to be attributed to any intrinsic modification of the line shape, but rather to a frequency dependent alteration of the energy level populations. A molecule for which all resonant frequencies coincide, a one-dimensional harmonic oscillator, is treated in Appendix II. No saturation effect occurs here, since the absorption is independent of the molecular distribution among the oscillator energy levels.
Changes in soil carbon pools and microbial biomass from urban land development and subsequent post-development soil rehabilitation

Abstract Urbanization degrades soil by surface soil removal and subsoil compaction. Subsoiling and organic matter incorporation offer potential to increase soil carbon (C) storage over time. We evaluated the effects of urban land development practices and post-development soil rehabilitation on soil C pools and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). In 2007, four treatments [typical development practice (A horizon removed, subsoil compacted, and A horizon soil partially replaced), enhanced topsoil (same as typical practice plus tillage), profile rebuilding (compost incorporation to 60-cm depth in subsoil; A horizon soil partially replaced plus tillage), and undisturbed soil] were applied to 24 plots in Virginia, USA. In 2011, soil C pools and MBC were measured at 0–5, 5–10 and 15–30 cm depths. In surface soils, undisturbed soils had greater total soil C (12.10 and 7.73 Mg C ha −1 at 0–5 and 5–10 cm depths, respectively) than the three practices where A horizon soils were disturbed. However, profile rebuilding had higher total soil C (6.12 Mg C ha −1 ) and larger available and aggregate-protected C pools (1.59 and 2.04 Mg C ha −1 , respectively) at 15–30 cm depth than other treatments, including undisturbed. In surface soils, MBC ranged from 185.3 to 287.3 mg C kg −1 soil among all practices. At the 15–30 cm soil depth, profile rebuilding had the greatest MBC (149.5 mg C kg −1 soil). Total soil C, available, aggregate-protected and mineral-bound C pools had positive relationships with MBC at the 15–30 cm depth ( r = 0.85, 0.71, 0.77, and 0.69, respectively). We found typical land development practices led to soil C loss during construction processes even when topsoil is replaced. Soil rehabilitation that includes compost additions and subsoiling has potential to increase soil C storage below the surface horizons.
Covert Political Rebellion as Ressentiment

The contradictory findings of studies of adolescent political rebellion as overt oppositional action are noted and an alternative passive model is suggested which is linked to Scheler's theory of ressentiment via the powerlessness variant of alienation. Secondary analysis of data on adolescent attitudes tentatively suggests the validity of this alternative conceptualization as it relates to father-oriented adolescent political rebellion qua non-involvement. D iscussions of youth and politics have, in a great part, been concerned with one of two seemingly conflicting, but possibly related themes: (1) the lack of involvement or concern of youth with politics, and (2) youthful rebellion as expressed through politics. Harold Laski's question of thirty years ago, "Why don't young men care?" has continued to interest students of youth and politics.' Similarly, the examination of the potential utilization of politics as a channel for, or as a cause of, youthful rebellion lias been of ongoing
An update on complex I assembly: the assembly of players

Defects in Complex I assembly is one of the emerging underlying causes of severe mitochondrial disorders. The assembly of Complex I has been difficult to understand due to its large size, dual genetic control and the number of proteins involved. Mutations in Complex I subunits as well as assembly factors have been reported to hinder its assembly and give rise to a range of mitochondria disorders. In this review, we summarize the recent progress made in understanding the Complex I assembly pathway. In particularly, we focus on the known as well as novel assembly factors and their role in assembly of Complex I and human disease.
Balloon-Based Measurements of the Cosmic Background Radiation

We have developed and flown a balloon-borne liquid-heliumcooled spectrometer to measure the cosmic background radiation in the 3 -18-cm/sup -1/ region. It features a cooled horn antenna, a polarizing Michelson interferometer, and a germanium bolometer. These design features and the performance of the instrument are discussed.
Load-Balanced Routing in Ad hoc Networks

Many multipath routing protocols proposed to date have used destination sequence numbers to provide multiple loop-free paths to destinations. We present the first on-demand multipath routing protocol for ad hoc networks that uses source sequence numbers to maintain loop-free routes. We propose a novel load-balancing scheme that incurs very little control overhead. Extensive simulations illustrate that the proposed multipath protocol performs better than single-path approaches and that the proposed load-balancing scheme performs better than basic round-robin scheduling.
Are You Becoming a Diabetic? A Data Mining Approach

Data today is accumulated in a fast pace. This makes traditional data analysis methods impractical. Data mining (DM) presents an innovative approach to address this problem. This study use DM techniques to identify diabetic patients of a large healthcare enterprise. Consequently, we show the benefits of taking the DM method to identify patients.
Needle biopsy of the liver: Comparison of initial clinical and histological diagnoses, with a note on postbiopsy mortality in patients with metastatic neoplasm

Abstract 1.1. The admission clinical diagnosis has been compared with the histologic diagnosis in 341 patients undergoing needle biopsy of the liver. 2.2. The initial clinical diagnosis was in error in 30.2 per cent of the cases. 3.3. The histologic diagnosis as established by needle biopsy was proved by laparotomy or autopsy to be in error in eight cases. Errors in diagnosis probably occurred in three additional cases, as demonstrated by cytologic study of ascitic fluid and sputum. 4.4. Five deaths occurred following biopsy. Intraperitoneal hemorrhage was proved in four of these patients. Four deaths occurred in patients with metastatic malignancy, for a biopsy mortality of 12 per cent under these circumstances. 5.5. Needle biopsy of the liver in the presence of suspected malignant disease is hazardous and surgical biopsy under local anesthesia may be a preferable procedure in this situation.
Magnetic equivalent circuit modeling of induction machines under stator and rotor fault conditions

In this paper, stator and rotor failures in squirrel-cage induction machines are modeled using the magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) approach. Failures associated with stator winding and rotor cage are considered. More specifically, stator inter-turn short circuit and broken rotor bar failures are modeled. When compared to conventional modeling techniques, the MEC modeling approach offers two main advantages: 1) relatively high speed of execution, and 2) high accuracy. The developed MEC model is validated here with respect to the experimental tests and time-stepping finite-element simulations for healthy and various faulty conditions.
Sjögren's syndrome involing the larynx: report of a case

SJOGREN's syndrome is a presumably autoimmune disease with parthologic findings of lymphocytic infiltration of the involved structures. Although the salivary and lacrimal gl ands are the most commonly involved sites, extragl andular lymphoproliferation also occurs. Upper and lower respiratory tract lymphoproliferation is known, but only one case of Sjogren's disease of the larynx has been previously reported. We present a case of laryngeal involvement in which the gross pathologic appearance is different from that in the earlier case report. The otolaryngologist should consider Sjogren's disease in the differential diagnosis of diffuse laryngeal lesions.
Loss of the acinar-restricted transcription factor Mist1 accelerates Kras-induced pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia

Background & Aims Invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is thought to originate from duct-like lesions called pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN). PanINs progress from low grade (PanIN-1) to high grade (PanIN-3) as the cells attain molecular alterations to key regulatory genes, including activating mutations in the KRAS protooncogene. Despite a well-documented progression model, our knowledge of the initiator cells of PanINs and the transcriptional networks and signaling pathways that impact PanIN formation remains incomplete. Methods In this study, we examined the importance of the acinar-restricted transcription factor Mist1 to Kras G12D -induced mouse PanIN (mPanIN) formation in 3 different mouse models of pancreatic cancer. Results In the absence of Mist1 ( Mist1 KO ), Kras G12D -expressing mice exhibited severe exocrine pancreatic defects that were rescued by ectopic expression of Mist1 in acinar cells. mPanIN development was greatly accelerated in Mist1 KO / Kras G12D/+ pancreata, and in vitro assays revealed that Mist1 KO acinar cells were predisposed to convert to a ductal phenotype and activate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Notch-signaling pathways. Conclusions We propose that convergence of EGFR, Notch, and Kras pathways in acinar cells lacking Mist1 leads to enhanced mPanIN formation.
Intrinsic Toxicity of Unchecked Heterochromatin Spread Is Suppressed by Redundant Chromatin Boundary Functions in Schizosacchromyces pombe

Effective boundary mechanisms halt the spread of repressive histone methylation. In the fission yeast Schizosacchromyces pombe, two factors/elements required for boundary function have been described, the jmjC protein Epe1 and binding sites for the RNA polymerase III transcription factor TFIIIC. Perplexingly, individual mutation of Epe1 or TFIIIC sites produces only mild boundary defects, and no other boundary factors have been identified. To approach these issues, we developed a synthetic reporter gene tool that uses a tethered Clr4 histone H3K9 methyltransferase and monitors the ability of a DNA element to block heterochromatin spread. The inverted repeat (IR) that flanks the mat2/3 silent mating-type cassette region demonstrates strong boundary activity compared to sequences that flank pericentromeric heterochromatic repeats. Rather than acting in the same inhibitory pathway, Epe1 and TFIIIC sites mediate boundary function of the IR via the two parallel and largely redundant pathways. We also use the system to demonstrate that HP1/Swi6 promotes boundary activity in addition to promoting silencing and acts in the same pathway as Epe1. Inhibition of heterochromatin spread at the endogenous IR element also requires either Epe1 or TFIIIC sites. Strikingly, mutation of both mechanisms results in growth inhibition that is associated with the spread of heterochromatin over many kilobases to the nearest essential gene and the near-complete silencing of several intervening euchromatic genes. The growth defect is reversed by deletion of clr4+, indicating that the redundant boundary mechanisms protect cells from intrinsic toxicity caused by the spread of heterochromatin.
Academic Job Involvement: Multiple Measures and Their Correlates

For a sample of 223 college students, scales reflecting two approaches to measuring “academic job involvement” were correlated with each other and with measures of verbal ability, personality characteristics, academic performance, and course satisfaction. The two approaches to measuring academic job involvement were an adaptation of the Lodahl and Kejner job involvement scale and two semantic differential scales. The Lodahl and Kejner and semantic differential scales were only moderately correlated. None of the academic job involvement scales were significantly related to either verbal ability or academic performance. The Lodahl and Kejner scale correlated higher with measures of resultant achievement motivation and Protestant Ethic attitudes, and the semantic differential scales correlated higher with course satisfaction.
HP Precision: a spectrum architecture

The author discusses the Hewlett-Packard Precision architecture, which was designed as a common architecture for HP computer systems. It has a RISC (reduced-instruction-set computer)-like execution model, with features for code compaction and execution time reduction for frequent instruction sequences. In addition, it has features for making the architecture extendible, for enhancing its longevity, and for supporting different operating environments. The author describes some aspects of the Precision processor architecture, its goals, how it addresses the spectrum of general-purpose use information, processing needs, and some architectural design tradeoffs. >
Nef-mediated enhancement of cellular activation and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication in primary T cells is dependent on association with p21-activated kinase 2

The HIV-1 accessory protein Nef is an important determinant of lentiviral pathogenicity that contributes to disease progression by enhancing viral replication and other poorly understood mechanisms. Nef mediates diverse functions including downmodulation of cell surface CD4 and MHC Class I, enhancement of viral infectivity, and enhancement of T cell activation. Nef interacts with a multiprotein signaling complex that includes Src family kinases, Vav1, CDC42, and activated PAK2 (p21-activated kinase 2). Although previous studies have attempted to identify a biological role for the Nef-PAK2 signaling complex, the importance of this complex and its constituent proteins in Nef function remains unclear. Here, we show that Nef mutants defective for PAK2-association, but functional for CD4 and MHC Class I downmodulation and infectivity enhancement, are also defective for the ability to enhance viral replication in primary T cells that are infected and subsequently activated by sub-maximal stimuli (1 μg/ml PHA-P). In contrast, these Nef mutants had little or no effect on HIV-1 replication in T cells activated by stronger stimuli (2 μg/ml PHA-P or anti-CD3/CD28-coated beads). Viruses bearing wild-type Nefs, but not Nef mutants defective for PAK2 association, enhanced NFAT and IL2 receptor promoter activity in Jurkat cells. Moreover, expression of wild-type Nefs, but not mutant Nefs defective for PAK2 association, was sufficient to enhance responsiveness of primary CD4 and CD8 T cells to activating stimuli in Nef-expressing and bystander cells. siRNA knockdown of PAK2 in Jurkat cells reduced NFAT activation induced by anti-CD3/CD28 stimulation both in the presence and absence of Nef, and expression of a PAK2 dominant mutant inhibited Nef-mediated enhancement of CD25 expression. Nef-mediated enhancement of cellular activation and viral replication in primary T cells is dependent on PAK2 and on the strength of the activating stimuli, and correlates with the ability of Nef to associate with PAK2. PAK2 is likely to play a role in Nef-mediated enhancement of viral replication and immune activation in vivo.
NUTRITION SUPPORT FOR A STEM CELL TRANSPLANT PATIENT : A COMPLICATED TEACHING CASE

A 36-year-old woman received an autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant for recurrent Hodgkin's disease. Failure to thrive, pancytopenia, and multiple infections complicated her first year after autologous transplant. She required blood products and growth factors on a chronic basis, and nutrition support was begun 8 months after transplant. After other nutrition interventions failed, enteral feeding was initiated, which eventually brought her to her pretransplant weight. Although transplant patients are monitored closely with regard to nutrition, such a difficult course and the need for an extended period of nutrition support are unusual for an autologous transplant patient.
Cell biology: a high-resolution image, viewed through a powerful lens

Our profession, cell biology, has its epistemological roots in Europe, descending from the sciences of anatomy and pathology that rose to unparalleled zeniths there in the 18th and 19th centuries. The American chapter of cell biology was written much later and played out on the East and West Coasts, as well as in Chicago in between. There can be no argument that a catalytic center in the arrival and evolution of this scientific discipline in America was at 1230 York Avenue in Manhattan—the institution first known as the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research and later as the Rockefeller University (Hanson, 2000 ). In this book Carol Moberg, a long-time research scientist at Rockefeller, has chronicled the seminal role that key people at Rockefeller played in ushering in the American chapter of 20th century cell biology. She has done a superb job overall, but there are some deficiencies in the book as to structure and style.
Continuous system simulation languages (CSSL's)

This tutorial introduces CSSL's (Continuous System Simulation Languages) by using examples from three of the popular commercial languages used in North America at the present time. The languages are CSSL-IV (1), DSL/VS (2) and ISIM (3).Continuous System Simulation Languages are user-oriented software systems. CSSL's are designed to assist engineers and scientists to mathematically model, analyze, and evaluate the dynamic behavior of physical phenomena. By providing a set of tools for computer-aided-analysis, they make it easy for the user to get his simulation on the computer quickly and to easily conduct experiments, collect data and present that data in useful form with minimal knowledge of the computer system itself.
Exploiting spatial architectures for edit distance algorithms

In this paper, we demonstrate the ability of spatial architectures to significantly improve both runtime performance and energy efficiency on edit distance, a broadly used dynamic programming algorithm. Spatial architectures are an emerging class of application accelerators that consist of a network of many small and efficient processing elements that can be exploited by a large domain of applications. In this paper, we utilize the dataflow characteristics and inherent pipeline parallelism within the edit distance algorithm to develop efficient and scalable implementations on a previously proposed spatial accelerator. We evaluate our edit distance implementations using a cycle-accurate performance and physical design model of a previously proposed triggered instruction-based spatial architecture in order to compare against real performance and power measurements on an x86 processor. We show that when chip area is normalized between the two platforms, it is possible to get more than a 50× runtime performance improvement and over 100× reduction in energy consumption compared to an optimized and vectorized x86 implementation. This dramatic improvement comes from leveraging the massive parallelism available in spatial architectures and from the dramatic reduction of expensive memory accesses through conversion to relatively inexpensive local communication.
Residual Stress Effects on the Fracture of Tantalum Nitride Films

In this study, continuous microscratch testing was used to determine the effects of compressive residual stresses on the fracture of thin tantalum nitride films. The films were sputter deposited at room temperature onto single crystal sapphire substrates to a thickness of 600 nm. Some films were left in the as-deposited condition while the remaining films were vacuum annealed at 300°C. The only discernible change in structure was a surface rearrangement of atoms into parallel arrays of striations on the vacuum annealed samples revealing a high compressive residual stress in the films. These stresses had a strong effect on fracture as shown by the as-deposited films which buckled readily during scratch tests forming uniform-width and circular blisters while the vacuum annealed films exhibited a much lower susceptibility to fracture. Application of mechanics-based models for film buckling defined the levels of compressive residual stress and their effect on interfacial fracture.
Rotor Design to Attenuate Flow Distortion—Part I: A Semiactuator Disk Analysis

The transfer of stationary circumferential inlet distortion through a rotor is analyzed using unsteady semiactuator disk cascade theory. This method models the blade cascade as one-dimensional wave guides and describes the transmission characteristics of a rotor to be a function of the distortion wave length and the length of the rotor chord, as well as the normal design parameters. Two parametric studies on the response of a loaded rotor to inlet distortions are done for a single rotor operating at off design conditions and a number of rotors operating at their design points. Fourier series representations of arbitrary distortion wave shapes are used for comparison with experimental data.
A Prospective Phase II Trial of Vinblastine and Methotrexate in Multivessel Intraluminal Pulmonary Vein Stenosis in Infants and Children

Objective. To determine the safety and efficacy of the chemotherapeutic agents vinblastine and methotrexate in the treatment of children with progressive multivessel intraluminal pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS). Methods. Children received weekly vinblastine and methotrexate for a period of 1 year. Outcomes (for patients receiving ≥1 month of chemotherapy) were classified separately for patients with isolated PVS and PVS with congenital heart disease (CHD). Primary efficacy outcome was “response to treatment” categorized by echocardiographic criteria of response. Survival to 1 year was also evaluated. All adverse events were classified according to Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, Common Terminology Criteria version 3.0. Events were further classified as related to chemotherapy, cardiac, or other causes. Results. Among 29 patients enrolled, 28 received at least one dose of chemotherapy and were evaluable for toxicity, while 23 were evaluable for response (21 CHD, 2 isolated). Both patients in the isolated group had progressive disease and died. Overall, 33% (7/21) of patients with PVS and CHD had stable disease; 1-year survival of 38%; and four patients continue in remission (93, 96, 124, and 125 months after treatment initiation). While both cardiac-related (19%) and chemotherapy-related (53%) toxicities were common, most were asymptomatic laboratory changes. Grade 3 (13%) and grade 4 (4%) toxicities were reversible, and no treatment-related grade 5 toxicities were observed. Conclusion. We report on the first prospective trial of chemotherapy for infants and children targeting the presence of myofibroblastic cells within the lesions of PVS based on myofibroblastic proliferation associated with desmoid tumors of infancy. The toxicity profile resulted in numerous treatment delays and interruptions that, combined with limited information on the natural history of PVS in this patient population, hampered our ability to determine the true efficacy of this approach. These results will be important as a baseline for clinical trials in this patient population.
High-speed photography of compressed human trabecular bone correlates whitening to microscopic damage

Mechanical testing of trabecular bone is mainly motivated by the huge impact of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women and the aged in society in terms of social and health care costs. Trabecular bone loss and impairment of its mechanical properties reduce bone strength and increase fracture risk, especially in vertebrae. It is generally accepted that in addition to bone mineral density, microarchitecture and material properties of bone also play important roles for bone strength and fracture risk. In order to overcome the limitations of standard mechanical tests delivering merely integral information about complicated samples, experiments were designed for step-wise mechanical testing with concurrent imaging of trabecular and cortical bone. In this communication we present an approach for real-time imaging of trabecular bone during compression using high-speed photography and investigate the hypothesis whether the whitening of deformed trabeculae is due to microdamage. Experiments on human trabecular bone samples from a healthy male donor revealed that failure of such samples is highly localized in fracture bands. Moreover, strongly deformed trabeculae were seen to whiten, an effect similar to stress whitening in polymers. Scanning Electron Microscopy of the same regions of interest revealed that whitened trabeculae were strongly damaged by microscopic cracks and mostly failed in delamination. Higher resolution images uncovered mineralized collagen fibrils spanning the cracks. The whitening partially faded after unloading of the samples, presumably due to partial crack closure. Overall, high-speed photography enables microdamage detection in real-time during a mechanical test and provides a correlation to recorded stress strain curves.
Bioavailability of Hydrocortisone From Commercial 20-mg Tablets

The relative bioavailability of hydrocortisone was determined from four different 20-mg tablet formulations and one suspension in 15 healthy male volunteers; results were compared with in vitro dissolution rates. Plasma levels of hydrocortisone were determined by a liquid chromatography method developed in this laboratory. Dissolution of the tablet formulations, using the official USP test, varied from 7.8 to 93.8% in 30 min. Similar plasma profiles were obtained from all tablet products, and there were no differences among tablets in the cumulative percentage of drug absorbed. There were no clear trends in any pharmacokinetic parameter values among the tablet dosages, and the four products were considered bioequivalent. The suspension dosage yielded significantly higher plasma levels compared with some of the tablet formulations during the initial 30-min postdose, significantly higher cumulative absorption at 0.5 and 1.0 h compared with one tablet formulation, and significantly higher ka and Cmax, and shorter tmax values, compared with some of the tablets.
A Hexapod-Based Thrust Balance

The measurement of forces and moments produced by nozzles is needed for a wide range of applications. Typical thrust balances used for this purpose are three-axis translation stages equipped with load cells to measure forces along the three translation directions. Modern nozzles with thrust vectoring can be well served by thrust balances that measure moments as well as forces requiring additional complexity in the design. Sophisticated balances can be quite costly and difficult to integrate with high pressure nozzle supply lines. To address these shortcomings, a hexapod-based balance is proposed here. A hexapod is a six legged device often used for accurate micro-positioning and vibration damping (see, for example, McInroy and Hamman). Hexapods were originally investigated in the 60s for use in applications such as flight simulations. Here, the traditional hexapod design is adapted to a force/moment measurement device by replacing the typical actuators with load cells. The goal of the present work is to demonstrate the feasibility of such a device and demonstrate its use on a thrust stand. The theory associated with the thrust balance is first discussed and the hardware implementation is then presented. The progress to date on implementing this balance in a jet facility is briefly discussed. The lower inertia, tunability, and integration with the thrust stand all indicate that this is a design that might be considered in new thrust stands being developed.
Bicelles at low concentrations

Bilayered detergent–lipid assemblies known as bicelles have been widely used as model membranes in structural biological studies and are being explored for wider applications, including pharmaceutical use. Most studies to date have involved the use of concentrated bicelle mixtures, such that little is known about the capacity of bicellar mixtures to be diluted without unwanted transitions to nonisotropic phases. Here, different detergent/lipid mixtures have been explored, leading to the identification of two different families of bicelles for which it is possible to lower the total amphiphile (detergent + lipid) concentration to <1% (w/v) while retaining isotropic assemblies. These include a novel family of bicelles based on mixtures of 6-cyclohexyl-1-hexylphosphocholine (Cyclofos-6) and the lipid dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC). Bicelles formed by these mixtures can be diluted to <0.5% and also have attractive biochemical properties. However, a caveat of our results is that the diffusion coefficien...
Vessel growth and collapsible pressure-area relationship.

The role that the pattern of vessel wall growth plays in determining pressure-lumen area (P-A) and pressure-compliance curves was examined. A P-A vessel model was developed that encompasses the com...
Elementary graphical perception for older adults: a comparison with the general population

We identified the graphical perceptual information needs of older adults (≥60 years of age) through a set of psychophysical experiments on bar, stacked, and pie charts. The results are compared with those of a general population (<60 years of age). We conducted the experiments as online remote studies with 202 total participants across two experimental types: (1) comparison judgments of graphs (50 older adults, 50 general population) and (2) proportion judgments of graphs (52 older adults, 50 general population). Older adults took longer than the general population to complete tasks across both comparison (4.09 s) and proportion judgments (3.66 s). However, this translated to an approximately equal level of perceptual accuracy. Bar charts were the most effective graphical display when considering both speed and accuracy. Older adults were more accurate using pie charts compared with the general population in the comparison task.
DNA Methylation Leads to DNA Repair Gene Down-Regulation and Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion in Patient-Derived Huntington Disease Cells.

Huntington disease (HD) is an autosomal dominantly inherited disease that exhibits genetic anticipation of affected progeny due to expansions of a trinucleotide repeat (TNR) region within the HTT gene. DNA repair machinery is a known effector of TNR instability; however, the specific defects in HD cells that lead to TNR expansion are unknown. We hypothesized that HD cells would be deficient in DNA repair gene expression. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed expression of select DNA repair genes involved in mismatch/loop-out repair ( APEX1 , BRCA1 , RPA1 , and RPA3 ) in patient-derived HD cells and found each was consistently down-regulated relative to wild-type samples taken from unaffected individuals in the same family. Rescue of DNA repair gene expression by 5-azacytidine treatment identified DNA methylation as a mediator of DNA repair gene expression deficiency. Bisulfite sequencing confirmed hypermethylation of the APEX1 promoter region in HD cells relative to control, as well as 5-azacytidine–induced hypomethylation. 5-Azacytidine treatments also resulted in stabilization of TNR expansion within the mutant HTT allele during long-term culture of HD cells. Our findings indicate that DNA methylation leads to DNA repair down-regulation and TNR instability in mitotically active HD cells and offer a proof of principle that epigenetic interventions can curb TNR expansions.
Case-Only Survival Analysis Reveals Unique Effects of Genotype, Sex, and Coronary Disease Severity on Survivorship.

Survival bias may unduly impact genetic association with complex diseases; gene-specific survival effects may further complicate such investigations. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a complex phenotype for which little is understood about gene-specific survival effects; yet, such information can offer insight into refining genetic associations, improving replications, and can provide candidate genes for both mortality risk and improved survivorship in CAD. Building on our previous work, the purpose of this current study was to: evaluate LSAMP SNP-specific hazards for all-cause mortality post-catheterization in a larger cohort of our CAD cases; and, perform additional replication in an independent dataset. We examined two LSAMP SNPs—rs1462845 and rs6788787—using CAD case-only Cox proportional hazards regression for additive genetic effects, censored on time-to-all-cause mortality or last follow-up among Caucasian subjects from the Catheterization Genetics Study (CATHGEN; n = 2,224) and the Intermountain Heart Collaborative Study (IMHC; n = 3,008). Only after controlling for age, sex, body mass index, histories of smoking, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension (HR = 1.11, 95%CI = 1.01–1.22, p = 0.032), rs1462845 conferred significantly increased hazards of all-cause mortality among CAD cases. Even after controlling for multiple covariates, but in only the primary cohort, rs6788787 conferred significantly improved survival (HR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.69–0.92, p = 0.002). Post-hoc analyses further stratifying by sex and disease severity revealed replicated effects for rs1462845: even after adjusting for aforementioned covariates and coronary interventional procedures, males with severe burden of CAD had significantly amplified hazards of death with the minor variant of rs1462845 in both cohorts (HR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.08–1.55, p = 0.00456; replication HR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.05–1.49, p = 0.013). Kaplan-Meier curves revealed unique cohort-specific genotype effects on survival. Additional analyses demonstrated that the homozygous risk genotype (‘A/A’) fully explained the increased hazard in both cohorts. None of the post-hoc analyses in control subjects were significant for any model. This suggests that genetic effects of rs1462845 on survival are unique to CAD presence. This represents formal, replicated evidence of genetic contribution of rs1462845 to increased risk for all-cause mortality; the contribution is unique to CAD case status and specific to males with severe burden of CAD.
Translation of the Care of Persons with Dementia in their Environments (COPE) intervention in a publicly-funded home care context: Rationale and research design.

Abstract Background Dementia is the leading cause of loss of independence in older adults worldwide. In the U.S., approximately 15 million family members provide care to relatives with dementia. This paper presents the rationale and design for a translational study in which an evidence-based, non-pharmacologic intervention for older adults with dementia and family caregivers (CGs) is incorporated into a publicly-funded home care program for older adults at risk for nursing home admission. Methods The 4-month Care of Persons with Dementia in their Environments (COPE) intervention is designed to optimize older adults' functional independence, and to improve CG dementia management skills and health-related outcomes. COPE features 10 in-home occupational therapy visits, and 1 in-home visit and 1 telephone contact by an advanced practice nurse. COPE was deemed efficacious in a published randomized clinical trial. In the present study, older adults with dementia enrolled in the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) and their CGs are randomly assigned to receive COPE plus their ongoing CHCPE services, or to continue receiving CHCPE services only. Outcomes The primary outcome for older adults with dementia is functional independence; secondary outcomes are activity engagement, quality of life, and prevention or alleviation of neuropsychiatric symptoms. CG outcomes include perceived well-being and confidence in using activities to manage dementia symptoms. Translational outcomes include net financial benefit of COPE, and feasibility and acceptability of COPE implementation into the CHCPE. COPE has the potential to improve health-related outcomes while saving Medicaid waiver and state revenue-funded home care program costs nationwide.
Gender Differences In Smoking Prevalence In Asia

The first decade of active American and multinational cigarette exportation to Asia has witnessed aggressive attempts to increase smoking, including advertising specifically targeted to women. Previously, Asian men have had high rates of smoking, while Asian women hardly smoked at all. Now, the increased exportation of American cigarettes to Asian countries threatens to alter this balance.
The Effect of Transesophageal Echocardiography Probe Placement on Intracuff Pressure of an Endotracheal Tube in Infants and Children.

Objectives To evaluate the effects of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe insertion on the endotracheal cuff pressure (CP). Design Prospective observational study. Setting Single standing, not-for-profit pediatric hospital. Participants A total of 80 pediatric patients (aged 6 days to 18.4 years) who underwent cardiac surgery and intraoperative TEE. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Following anesthesia induction and endotracheal intubation, the CP was recorded at 4 points: before the insertion of the TEE (P1), at TEE insertion (P2), during TEE examination (P3), and after the probe was advanced into the stomach (P4). Twenty patients were enrolled in each of the following age groups: Conclusion Following a transient increase in CP with TEE probe insertion, the CP returned to baseline after the tip of the TEE probe was advanced into the stomach. There was no variation among age groups in the magnitude of the CP change during the study.
Intensity stabilization of ionizing pulses in high-pressure, gas-filled capillaries

We theoretically demonstrate stable nonlinear propagation of ultrashort pulses over several centimeters in high-pressure, gas-filled waveguides with intensities approaching 1014 W/cm2. This intensity stabilization is achieved by self-compression to a single cycle combined with modal loss.
Planning Assignments of the Italian Metropolitan Cities. Early Trends

The last stage of the process of establishment of the Italian Metropolitan Cities, which took place in 2014, follows of a few decades the start of this institutional reform. In 1990, in fact, the Act 142 (Local Autonomies Reform) had planned metropolitan areas as the administrative organization more suitable to provide these territories of structures for the management and the strategic development alike the best international models. The paper proposes to analyse the first activities taken by the Italian Metropolitan Cities in the sector of territorial government, three years after the enactment in 2014 of Act nr. 56. Focal point of the analysis is the jurisdiction in the formation of two plans (the Strategic Plan and the Metropolitan Territorial Plan) and the following relationships among them, in the logical assumption that between them a necessary and strict consistency there should be. In the first part, the paper analyses some factors characterizing the metropolitan areas and the functions that the law assigns to the new institution in the territorial government sector. The second part outlines the updated situation with regard to the formation of the sectoral tools (Strategic Plan, Territorial Plan and homogeneous zones). The third part analyses the progresses in three Metropolitan Cities taken as sample (Milan, Genoa and Bologna) and, in general, to those of Southern Italy. In the last part, the paper exposes some considerations regarding the issues raised in the article, particularly about the innovativeness of the tools and the timeline for the implementation of the act.
Rabi-like vibrational coherence transfer in a hydrogen-bonded charge transfer material

We report ultrafast spectroscopic measurements of intersite charge transfer in a single crystal of the hydrogen-bonded material quinhydrone showing anticorrelated dynamics of vibrational coherences at 172 and $216\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. To explain these coherent dynamics we derive a density matrix model in the presence of higher order electron-vibration coupling. Given the symmetry of vibrations calculated using density functional theory, the Huang-Rhys parameter of the Raman-active vibration found from spontaneous resonance light scattering measurements, and previously reported nonresonant impulsive stimulated Raman scattering measurements on quinhydrone, we restrict the density matrix model to three levels in the excited state of this material to simulate the observed dynamics with a density matrix approach. The close agreement between the experiment and our theoretical treatment leads us to conclude that the measured behavior corresponds to intermolecular Rabi-like oscillatory coherence transfer. These results provide foundational knowledge into the capability of functional organic materials to support quantum coherent transport of charge and energy as well as shed light on recent experimental and theoretical investigations of room temperature organic ferroelectrics.