cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A male with multiple cardiac masses.

SummaryThirty-seven-year-old male presented with cough, dyspnea, significant weight loss (20 kg) and subacute fever for the past 2 months. Physical examination revealed inspiratory and expiratory wheezing bilaterally. A normal S1, S2 and a 3/6 systolic ejection murmur at the left upper parasternal border with respiratory variation were found during cardiac auscultation. Kidney and bone marrow biopsy reported a high-grade B-cell lymphoma. Echocardiography and cardiac CT findings consisted of multiple intracardiac masses affecting the right ventricular (RV) outflow track, RV apex, medial portion of the right atrium and posterior left atrium, as well as mild impairment of the RV systolic function. The masses in the RV outflow track caused partial obstruction (pulmonary valve peak velocity 2.3 m/s) with a RV systolic pressure of 43 mmHg. The infiltrative mass in the interatrial septum extended into both the right and left atrial cavities. The right superior pulmonary vein was occluded. This patient was treated with aggressive chemotherapy and had a good clinical response that resulted in mass size reduction after the first course of chemotherapy. Multimodality imaging techniques such as echocardiography, cardiac CT and PET scan can provide complementary information to better evaluate, stage and manage these patients. LEARNING POINTS Lymphoma can be found as a primary tumor in cardiac tissue, but secondary cardiac lymphoma is far more common.Appropriate investigation, histopathology, immunophenotype, staging and risk assessment are required for definite diagnosis and treatment.Cardiac lymphoma frequently manifests as an ill-defined, infiltrative mass. Typical location is in the atrium (right atrium is the most common site). Pericardial thickening or effusion is also common.Echocardiography is a quick, bedside, non-invasive assessment of anatomical involvement and hemodynamics affected by cardiac lymphoma. Echocardiographic findings of cardiac lymphoma include a hypoechoic, ill-defined infiltrative masses in the myocardium, nodular protrusion into cardiac chambers and pericardial effusion. Obstruction of inflow/outflow track can also be found.If a diagnosis of cardiac lymphoma is made, the most effective treatment is chemotherapy. Surgical treatment may have a role when hemodynamic compromise does not respond to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
What is Mentoring and Who is a Mentor

Mentoring is the provision of personal and professional guidance usually to a younger individual. A mentor is an experienced advisor and trusted friend who is committed to the personal and professional successes of the mentee. Changing demographics in surgery mandate the need for multiple mentors for each mentee. Future changes in mentoring will incorporate ongoing advances in information technology.
An Indian Spice: Turmeric, in Relation to Skin Health and Cancer

The effects of turmeric’s circumin component is being critically studied in animals as well as humans.
Spray-Coated Multilayer Cellulose Nanocrystal—Chitin Nanofiber Films for Barrier Applications

Chitin is an abundant biopolymer whose natural production is second only to cellulose. Similar to cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) or nanofibers (CNFs), chitin nanofibers (ChNFs) can be isolated and used as sustainable O2 barrier materials for food, electronics, and pharmaceutical packaging. These bioavailable nanomaterials are readily dispersed in water enabling spray-coated films to be deposited at high rates onto uneven or delicate surfaces. In the present study, we demonstrate the successful layer-by-layer spray coating of cationic ChNF and anionic CNC suspensions onto poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films. ChNF/CNC multilayers were found to lead to a reduction in the O2 permeability of the final composite film by as much as 73% with the largest effects seen in composites with three alternating layers (ChNF-CNC-ChNF). Multilayer ChNF/CNC coatings were found to have lower O2 permeability and lower haze than those coated with ChNF or CNCs alone (72% and 86% lower haze, respectively), pointing to a synergistic effe...
A non-synthetic approach to extending the lifetime of hyperpolarized molecules using D2O solvation.

Abstract Although dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization is a robust technique to significantly increase magnetic resonance signal, the short T1 relaxation time of most 13C-nuclei limits the timescale of hyperpolarized experiments. To address this issue, we have characterized a non-synthetic approach to extend the hyperpolarized lifetime of 13C-nuclei in close proximity to solvent-exchangeable protons. Protons exhibit stronger dipolar relaxation than deuterium, so dissolving these compounds in D2O to exchange labile protons with solvating deuterons results in longer-lived hyperpolarization of the 13C-nucleus 2-bonds away. 13C T1 and T2 times were longer in D2O versus H2O for all molecules in this study. This phenomenon can be utilized to improve hyperpolarized signal-to-noise ratio as a function of longer T1, and enhanced spectral and imaging resolution via longer T2.
Sex differences in long-term outcomes of patients across the spectrum of coronary artery disease.

Background Patients with nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) have worse outcomes compared with those without CAD; however, few studies have compared the intermediate- and long-term impact of CAD severity as a function of patient sex. Methods We evaluated 5-year and long-term all-cause mortality of women and men undergoing elective coronary angiography at a single center by degree of CAD: no CAD (1%-24% stenosis), nonobstructive CAD (25%-69% epicardial stenosis or 25%-49% left main stenosis), or obstructive CAD (epicardial stenosis ≥70% or left main stenosis ≥50%), both overall and after adjusting for baseline clinical risk factors using Cox proportional-hazards models. Results Between January 1986 and July 2010, 8,766 women and 11,638 men underwent angiography and were followed for a median of 9.2 years. The majority (67%) of women had no CAD or nonobstructive CAD, whereas the majority of men had obstructive CAD (56%, P Conclusions Although women undergoing elective catheterization have less severe CAD than men, nonobstructive CAD is prevalent in both sexes and carries a worse prognosis than no CAD. These data suggest a need for further investigation to establish optimal therapies for this at-risk group of patients with nonobstructive CAD.
Corrigendum to 'Does Cognition Predict Treatment Response and Remission in Psychotherapy for Late-Life Depression?' [The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 23 (2015) 215-219].

The authors regret that the above article did not examine pharmacotherapy— “and pharmacotherapy”, and “or nortriptyline versus paroxetine” should be deleted (p. 216). The corrected text should read: We derived decision trees to identify cognitive and therapeutic predictors of treatment response and remission for psychotherapy using signal detection software for receiver operator characteristics (ROCs). …Baseline variables examined as predictors of response and remission in the ROC analyses included: demographics (age, sex, education, ethnicity), treatment type (PST versus ST), depression (HAM-D), health (SF-36 mental and physical health functioning), and cognition (memory and executive functioning). The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Suppression of glial inflammatory responses by IL-24

Maintenance of an immunoquiescent environment and/or resolution of inflammation is of critical importance within the confines of the central nervous system (CNS). The cytokine IL-10 has previously been demonstrated to play a critical role in resolving inflammation within the CNS and in suppressing damaging host responses. However, little is known regarding the role played by other IL-10 family members in the control of neuroinflammation. We have previously reported that bacterially challenged glia produce IL-10 and the related cytokine IL-19 in a delayed manner, and can respond to these cytokines by upregulating the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), a key anti-inflammatory response gene. More recently, we have determined that murine astrocytes can similarly express another IL-10 family member, IL-24, in a delayed manner following activation, and constitutively express both subunits of the receptor for this cytokine. Here, we have investigated the ability of glial cells to respond to IL-24 and assessed its effect on the inflammatory responses of these cells to bacterial ligands. We demonstrate that recombinant murine IL-24 (rmIL-24) elicits the rapid expression of mRNA encoding SOCS3 by primary murine astrocytes. Importantly, we have determined that pretreatment with rmIL-24 significantly limits the production of the key pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 by bacterially challenged astrocytes. These findings are consistent with previous reports in peripheral tissues indicating that IL-24 acts to suppress host responses and provides another potential mechanism whereby resident CNS cells can limit detrimental neuroinflammation.
Change-point analysis using logarithmic quantile estimation

Abstract We present a new approach for estimating quantiles for change-point problems, specifically for Pettitt’s rank test (1979). We use the logarithmic quantile estimation procedure introduced by Thangavelu (2005), which is based on the concept of the almost sure limit theorem. Numerical results for small data sets and simulated data are given.
Storytelling, Leadership, and the Law: Using Amicus Briefs to Understand the Impact of School District Policies and Practices Related to Transgender Student Inclusion:

Purpose: In 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a highly publicized case brought by a transgender student, G.G., who was denied access to the bathroom that corresponds with his gender ident...
Immunopathology of parasitic diseases: a conceptual approach.

The pathology caused by parasites, the most prevalant infectious diseases of humankind, can be divided into two major aspects: the first relates to the effects of the parasite per se, e.g., iron deficiency anemia, secondary to blood loss caused by intestinal nematodes; hemolytic anemia, secondary to intracellular protozoans; or hepatobiliary fibrosis, secondary to toxic products produced by intraductal trematodes. However, in many parasitic conditions there is limited pathology directly attributable to the parasite. Most host morbidity is related to the immunoinflammatory response of the host to the parasite. This reaction is the principal subject of this chapter.
Applied tensional analysis: Engaging practitioners and the constitutive shift:

This article introduces applied tensional analysis as a methodological framework that integrates constitutive ontologies (that depict organizations as processes in constant states of emerging or be...
Role of Immunoregulatory Cytokine IL-15 in the Endometrium

Within the endometrial environment, which is tightly controlled by ovarian hormones, cells of the immune system play an important role in the regulation of processes that must happen in preparation for embryo implantation and placental growth. Immune cells are numerous in the endometrium; they include lymphocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, and neutrophils. NK cells represent the most abundant and dynamic population of immune cells in the endometrium, as their number gradually increases with the progression of the menstrual cycle and remains exclusively high in decidualized stroma when pregnancy occurs. A key cytokine responsible for NK cell proliferation, survival, and functional activity is IL-15. The endometrium is among the tissues with a high IL-15 mRNA expression. The expression of IL-15 in the endometrium is low in the proliferative phase and peaks during the secretory phase. Main producers of IL-15 in the endometrium are stromal cells, which upregulate IL-15 production upon the influence of progesterone and differentiation into decidual cells. Endometrial stromal cells also express IL-15Rα; this allows them to trans-present the IL-15 to the neighboring NK cells. Prolonged stimulation of NK cells by the membrane-bound IL15/IL15Rα complex is known to mediate a metabolic reprogramming in NK cells and increase their effector functions such as degranulation. This feature of NK cells is important for clearance of senescent endometrial cells which drive a transient inflammatory reaction specific for receptive endometrium. Overexpression of IL-15 could have a detrimental effect on pregnancy development due to excessive activation of uterine NK cells. Thus, IL-15 production in endometrium has to be tightly regulated to achieve an optimal balance in tuning uterine NK cell activity toward supporting embryo implantation and placental development.
Current and future gene therapies for hemoglobinopathies.

Purpose of review In this work we briefly summarize the key features and currently available conventional therapies for the two main β-hemoglobinopathies, sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia, and review the rapidly evolving field of novel and emerging genetic therapies to cure the disease. Recent findings Gene therapy using viral vectors or designer nuclease-based gene editing is a relatively new field of medicine that uses the patient's own genetically modified cells to treat his or her own disease. Multiple different approaches are currently in development, and some have entered phase I clinical studies, including innovative therapies aiming at induction of fetal hemoglobin. Summary Early short-term therapeutic benefit has been reported for some of the ongoing clinical trials, but confirmation of long-term safety and efficacy remains to be shown. Future therapies aiming at the targeted correction of specific disease-causing DNA mutations are emerging and will likely enter clinical testing in the near future.
Predictors of smoking cessation attempts and success following motivation-phase interventions among people initially unwilling to quit smoking

INTRODUCTION Most people who smoke cigarettes are not willing (ie, not ready) to make a quit attempt (QA) at any given time. Unfortunately, interventions intended to increase QAs and the success of QAs are only modestly effective. Identifying processes leading to QAs and quitting success could guide intervention development. AIMS AND METHODS This is a secondary analysis of a randomized factorial trial of 6 weeks of motivation-phase interventions among primary care patients (N = 517) who were initially unwilling to quit but were willing to reduce their smoking. Using logistic regression, we controlled for treatment condition and tested whether baseline or change in smoking-related constructs after 6 weeks of treatment predicted (1) making an at least 24 h QA between weeks 6 and 26 and (2) quitting success at week 26 (7-day point-prevalence abstinence among those who made a QA). Predictors included cigarettes/day, time to first cigarette, motivation to quit, quitting self-efficacy, anticipated urges to smoke if quit, positive affect, negative affect, and time spent around others who smoke. RESULTS In multivariable models that included all smoking-related constructs, changes in the following variables predicted initiating a QA above and beyond other variables: greater baseline time to first cigarette (odds ratio [OR] = 1.60), increases in time to first cigarette (OR = 1.27), and increases in quitting self-efficacy (OR = 1.14). Increased motivation to quit predicted conversion of a QA into quitting success at 26 weeks (OR = 1.36). CONCLUSION Predictors of making a QA differed from predictors of quitting success. Predictors of QAs and success could each serve as important treatment targets of motivation-phase interventions. IMPLICATIONS Motivation-phase interventions for people initially unwilling to quit smoking cigarettes may be improved by striving to increase their (1) time to first cigarette and quitting self-efficacy to promote QAs and (2) motivation to quit to promote quit success. Future experimental tests of such interventions are needed to identify causal determinants of QAs and quitting success.
Research Policy: A Trailblazer for Institutional Change

The last empirical chapter explores the creation of the European Community’s new political agenda for research, which ultimately proved successful. Toward the late 1970s, the Commission grew frustrated with the slow progress with its initiatives and changed its strategy: the launch of the first Framework Program in 1984 as well as the first major Community technology programs (such as ESPRIT) was made in a close consultation with the industry as well as the research and innovation community. Crucially, the Brussels institution could now rely on a sturdy institutional and ideational setting. By the 1980s, an “epistemic community” of national and independent experts and the Commission officials had emerged through regular meetings in various Community committees and working groups. This community shared a robust set of assumptions and beliefs that in a political context more favorable for deepening European integration could be used for drafting new initiatives.
ASCELLA: accelerating sparse computation by enabling stream accesses to memory

Sparse computations dominate a wide range of applications from scientific problems to graph analytics. The main characterization of sparse computations, indirect memory accesses, prevents them from effectively achieving high performance on general-purpose processors. Therefore, hardware accelerators have been proposed for sparse problems. For these accelerators, the storage format and the decompression mechanism is crucial but have seen less attention in prior work. To address this gap, we propose Ascella, an accelerator for sparse computations, which besides enabling a smooth stream of data and parallel computation, proposes a fast decompression mechanism. Our implementation on a ZYNQ FPGA shows that on average, Ascella executes sparse problems up to 5.1× as fast as prior work.
What Knot to Do: Retrieval of a Kinked and Trapped Coronary Catheter

Abstract Diagnostic coronary artery catheter knotting and kinking are uncommon but potentially catastrophic complications. Our case emphasizes the importance of avoiding this problem and provides recommendations for catheter retrieval in the unlikely event of this complication. To our knowledge, the technique used in our case has not been described before. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.)
Evolution, systematics, and the unnatural history of mitochondrial DNA

The tenets underlying the use of mtDNA in phylogenetic and systematic analyses are strict maternal inheritance, clonality, homoplasmy, and difference due to mutation: that is, there are species-spe...
Switchable Transducers in GaN MEMS Resonators: Performance Comparison and Analysis.

This work presents a comprehensive comparison of switchable electromechanical transducers in an AlN/GaN heterostructure toward the goal of reconfigurable RF building blocks in next-generation ad hoc radios. The transducers’ inherent switching was achieved by depleting a 2D electron gas (2DEG) channel, allowing an RF signal launched by interdigital transducers (IDTs) to effectively excite the symmetric (So) Lamb mode of vibration in the piezoelectric membrane. Different configurations for applying DC bias to the channel for electromechanical actuation in the piezoelectric are discussed. Complete suppression of the mechanical mode was achieved with the transducers in the OFF state. Equivalent circuit models were developed to extract parameters from measurements by fitting in both ON and OFF states. This is the first time that an extensive comparative study of the performance of different switchable transducers in their ON/OFF state is presented along with frequency scaling of the resonant mode. The switchable transducer with Ohmic IDTs and a Schottky control gate showed superior performance among the designs under consideration.
Attitudes of Suburban Kansan Parents Regarding School-Required Immunizations and the Influences of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Introduction: Understanding suburban, Kansas parental attitudes and adherence of recommended childhood vaccination schedules adopts a new level of importance in the era of the SARS-CoV-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. With hopes for release of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine underway, understanding parental perception of vaccines is important to design successful vaccination interventions. Methods: A web-based, cross-sectional survey was administered to approximately 900 parents in Johnson County, Kansas during the summer of 2020. Pearson chi square and Mann-Whitney U tests were utilized to assess the attitudes of Kansas parents towards a potential addition of the influenza vaccine to the required list for K-12 students and furthermore, their general perception of vaccinations, and the impact of COVID-19 on those beliefs. Results: A total of 179 parents responded. Fifty-one percent (n = 92) were in favor of adding the influenza vaccine to the mandatory list (Pro-Addition). Anti-Addition parents had significantly higher levels of distrust (2.1, p < 0.001) and were significantly more concerned about vaccine adverse effects. When presented with a hypothetical situation in which a "safe and effective" COVID-19 vaccine was available, 24% of Anti-Addition parents indicated they would receive the vaccine or obtain it for their children (21 people, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Kansas suburban parents were split on their attitudes towards the addition of the influenza vaccine to the required list for children and the effects of the pandemic. Follow-up qualitative studies of Anti-Addition parents are critical for successful vaccine distribution and coverage in the communities.
Immune signatures reveal tumor escape targets in mice and man

2743 Immunotherapy represents a powerful tool for reversing the immune system’s tolerance to cancer. The success of a given immunotherapy regimen in a particular cancer, however, depends on the treatment’s ability to reverse the escape mechanism(s) being employed by that cancer. We sought to determine the molecules involved in the tumor escape strategies of specific cancers by measuring the expression levels of immunomodulatory molecules in five BALB/c mouse tumors (4TI breast, A20 lymphoma, C26 colon, MAD109 lung, and RENCA renal cell carcinoma) and two human counterparts (breast and colon cancers). For the murine studies, groups of tumor-bearing mice were treated with an immunotherapy regimen, LEC/chTNT-3 + PC61, known to produce significant tumor regression in a tumor model-dependent fashion. Real-time rtPCR was used to measure the expression profiles of a panel T cell activation/inhibition genes at the tumor site. Gene expression was compared between control mice (no treatment), mice completely responsive to treatment (A20, C26), mice moderately responsive to treatment (4TI), and mice poorly responsive to treatment (MAD109, RENCA). The Treg transcription factor FoxP3 was found to be high in untreated 4TI, A20, and C26 tumor signatures, but not in the immune signatures of untreated MAD109 or RENCA tumors. This insight could predict the preferable response of C26, A20, and 4TI tumors to Treg depletion using PC61 treatment. Genes like PD-L2 were profoundly increased in all five cancers and may thus represent a more universal target for immunotherapy. To determine the clinical utility of these gene signatures, murine 4TI and C26 tumors were compared to their human counterparts (breast and colorectal adenocarcinomas). Remarkably, all tested cases of breast cancer (n=8) displayed a homogenous signature, a signature also consistent with that of murine breast tumor. Human colorectal cases (n=12), however, displayed marked heterogeneity, suggesting that while a single immunotherapeutic reagent may be appropriate for the majority of ductal breast carcinomas, subgroups of colorectal cancers may require different immunotherapeutic strategies, despite their similar histology. These data underscore the importance of attaining immune signatures of the common human cancers, which would facilitate both the design of immunotherapies capable of targeting and reversing immune abnormalities and the determination of which patients are likely to respond to which immunotherapeutic regimens.
Observation of ionization trends in a laboratory photoionized plasma experiment at Z.

We report experimental and modeling results for the charge state distribution of laboratory photoionized neon plasmas in the first systematic study over nearly an order of magnitude range of ionization parameter $\ensuremath{\xi}\ensuremath{\propto}F/{N}_{e}$. The range of $\ensuremath{\xi}$ is achieved by flexibility in the experimental platform to adjust either the x-ray drive flux $F$ at the sample or the electron number density ${N}_{e}$ or both. Experimental measurements of photoionized plasma conditions over such a range of parameters enable a stringent test of atomic kinetics models used within codes that are applied to photoionized plasmas in the laboratory and astrophysics. From experimental transmission data, ion areal densities are extracted by spectroscopic analysis that is independent of atomic kinetics modeling. The measurements reveal the net result of the competition between photon-driven ionization and electron-driven recombination atomic processes as a function of $\ensuremath{\xi}$ as it affects the charge state distribution. Results from radiation-hydrodynamics modeling calculations with detailed inline atomic kinetics modeling are compared with the experimental results. There is good agreement in the mean charge and overall qualitative similarities in the trends observed with $\ensuremath{\xi}$ but significant quantitative differences in the fractional populations of individual ions.
Umami taste-a novel mechanism driving food intake and obesity.

Over-nutrition is a major driver of obesity, but the mechanisms that promote and perpetuate it remain poorly understood. A recent study explores a role for umami taste in driving leptin resistance, hyperphagia and hypothalamic inflammation via overproduction of uric acid.
Marijuana as a Holy Sacrament: Is the Use of Peyote Constitutionally Distinguishable from That of Marijuana in Bona Fide Religious Ceremonies

In April 1990, within one week, the Supreme Court: 1) denied certiorari to Carl Eric Olsen, an Ethiopian Zion Coptic priest appealing the denial of a DEA exemption for the sacramental use of marijuana;' and 2) held that the State of Oregon could deny unemployment compensation to two Native Americans who had been fired for the sacramental use of peyote. 2 Similarities between the two cases end there. The Supreme Court's latter holding does not change the fact that Congress and the Drug Enforcement Administration ("DEA"), have decided to accommodate the religious practices of the Native American Church ("NAC"), and accord it a preferential position by establishing, pursuant to regulation, its right to religious drug use over against all other churches.s Part I of this article will set forth the favorable treatment which the federal government extends to the NAC regarding its unlimited exemption to use peyote in religious ceremonies.' Part II of this article will examine the basic tenets of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church ("EZCC"), related to the sacramental use of marijuana.' Part III of this article will detail the responses of the DEA and the courts to the EZCC's requests for an exemption similar to that held by the NAC.' Finally, Part IV of this article will ~ analyze the constitutionality of the differing treatment of the two religions.
Adenosine Triphosphate and Guanosine Triphosphate Determinations in Intertidal Sediments

Measurements were made of the spatial distributions of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on a variety of sandy beaches. Samples were collected during ebb flow and extracted in the field using cold sulfuric acid and ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA); the neutralized extracts were immediately frozen for subsequent analyses. ATP was measured using the firefly bioluminescent reaction; however, during these investigations, a disparity was observed between the concentrations of ATP that were calculated from peak height and integrated light flux determinations. Integral measurements were consistently higher. Examination of the kinetics of the light emission reaction revealed an altered pattern of reactivity (relative to ATP standards) for nearly all of the sediment extracts. Thin-layer chromatographic separation procedures indicated that the sediment extracts contained additional nucleotide triphosphates (that is, GTP, UTP) at levels high enough to significantly interfere with quantitative ATP determinations. A technique was devised to eliminate this altered kinetic pattern in order to calculate true ATP levels. Additional methods were developed for the quantitative determination of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) using a nucleoside diphosphate kinase-firefly luciferase coupled reaction. The role of GTP in microbial metabolism, especially in the process of protein synthesis, results in an increase in the [GTP]/[ATP] ratio as a function of increasing growth rate. The measurement of [GTP]/[ATP] ratios in cell extracts may be useful for determining the metabolic states and rates of growth of microbial populations in nature.
The fifth transmembrane segment of the neuromedin B receptor is critical for high affinity neuromedin B binding.

Abstract The two bombesin receptor subtypes, neuromedin B (NMB-R) and gastrin releasing peptide (GRP-R) receptors, bind their respective ligands with high affinity. To identify molecular components mediating high affinity NMB binding, four mutant receptors were constructed, in which different parts of the NMB-R were replaced with the corresponding regions of the GRP-R. When stably expressed in Balb 3T3 fibroblasts, all four NMB-R/GRP-R chimeras were functional and showed NMB-induced stimulation of inositol phosphate (IP) formation. Results of 125I-[D-Tyr0]NMB displacement assays using unlabeled NMB for competition indicated that high affinity NMB binding was determined by amino acid sequences in transmembrane domain V (TM-V) of the NMB-R. To identify which amino acid(s) in TM-V of NMB-R contributed to high affinity NMB binding, four additional NMB-R mutants were constructed where non-conserved amino acids in TM-V of NMB-R were replaced by the corresponding GRP-R amino acids. Three of the mutations, TyrPheLeu220-222-->PheTyrVal, Ile230-->Val, and His234-->Phe, did not affect high affinity NMB binding. The Ile216-->Ser substitution, however, abolished high affinity NMB binding and severely impaired the ability of the mutant receptor to stimulate NMB-dependent inositol phosphate formation. These results suggest that ILe216 in TM-V of NMB-R may be critical for high affinity NMB binding.
Satellite Rendezvous and Conjunction Avoidance: Case Studies in Verification of Nonlinear Hybrid Systems

Satellite systems are beginning to incorporate complex autonomous operations, which calls for rigorous reliability assurances. Human operators usually plan satellite maneuvers in detail, but autonomous operation will require software to make decisions using noisy sensor data and problem solutions with numerical inaccuracies. For such systems, formal verification guarantees are particularly attractive. This paper presents automatic verification techniques for providing assurances in satellite maneuvers. The specific reliability criteria studied are rendezvous and conjunction avoidance for two satellites performing orbital transfers. Three factors pose challenges for verifying satellite systems: (a) incommensurate orbits, (b) uncertainty of orbital parameters after thrusting, and (c) nonlinear dynamics. Three abstractions are proposed for contending with these challenges: (a) quotienting of the state-space based on periodicity of the orbital dynamics, (b) aggregation of similar transfer orbits, and (c) overapproximation of nonlinear dynamics using hybridization. The method’s feasibility is established via experiments with a prototype tool that computes the abstractions and uses existing hybrid systems model checkers.
Applying pharmacogenomics to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH): A target-based approach to therapy

INTRODUCTION & AIMS: Pharmacogenomics, the study of how genetic variations influence the response to drugs, has the desirable objective of tailor-making drugs for each individual genetic makeup. The successful application of this concept in oncology provided the rationale for this study. Like cancer, PAH is a heterogeneous disorder with an unsatisfactory outlook, where responses to drugs often differ in different forms of the disease. METHODS: We examined 2 experimental models of PH: mice with deletion of the Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide gene (VIP -/- ), and rats injected with monocrotaline (MCT), 2 models with comparable, though not identical, phenotypic features. We analyzed their particular gene alterations, with special reference to genes related to vascular remodeling and inflammation, and compared phenotypic and genotypic responses in each model to treatment with VIP. RESULTS: VIP -/- mice showed overexpression of genes promoting vascular proliferation and inflammation, with underexpression of anti-proliferative genes. VIP fully corrected all PH features and matching gene expression alterations. MCT rats, however, showed complex gene expression alterations: As in VIP -/- mice, those promoting vascular remodeling and inflammation, and others tending to modulate the PH. Further, VIP treatment failed to correct many of the genotypic abnormalities, and only partially corrected the phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary proof-of-concept study demonstrates the importance of genomic information in determining the therapeutic response to a given drug. Full validation of the role of pharmacogenomics in PAH must await comparable studies in patients with different forms of the disease.
Facies architecture of a submarine fan channel–levee complex: the Juniper Ridge Conglomerate, Coalinga, California

The Upper Cretaceous Juniper Ridge Conglomerate (JRC) near Coalinga, California, provides a rare, high-quality exposure of a submarine channel to overbank transition. The facies architecture of the JRC comprises a thick, predominantly mudstone sequence overlain by a channellized conglomerate package. Conglomeratic bounding surfaces truncate successions of interbedded turbiditic sandstones and mudstones both vertically and laterally. Thick-bedded, massive sandstones are interbedded with conglomerates. Facies architecture, palaeocurrent indicators, slump features, sandstone percentages and sandstone bed thickness trends lead to the interpretation that these elements comprise channel and overbank facies. A vertical sequence with conglomerate at the base, followed by thick-bedded sandstone, and capped by interbedded turbiditic sandstone and mudstone form a fining-upward lithofacies association that is interpreted as a single channel-fill/overbank system. Three similar lithofacies associations can be related to autocyclic processes of thalweg migration and submarine fan aggradation or to allocyclically driven changes in sediment calibre.
Unanticipated Difficult Direct Laryngoscopy: Methods to Improve Its Success

When faced with a difficult intubation, one might abandon direct laryngoscopy in favor of another intubation technique. As technology promises to render the improbable routine, it is difficult to generate interest in a traditional airway technique such as direct laryngoscopy, especially when it proves to be difficult. However, direct laryngoscopy has also benefitted from technological advances. Illumination has improved with brighter sources such as light emitting diodes (LED) or fiberoptic light transmission replacing the direct light of incandescent bulbs. Battery longevity in modern laryngoscope handles is improved, including rechargeable options. Magnetic resonance imaging compatible (non-ferromagnetic) blades and disposable laryngoscope blades and handles have been designed. Despite these advances, interest in direct laryngoscopy, especially when it becomes difficult, pales in comparison to the excitement surrounding the use of a multitude of newer video-driven airway devices. Innovation and technological advancement in airway management are inevitable and desirable, but the simplicity and sheer efficacy of direct laryngoscopy remain constant. New airway techniques must always be evaluated against a “gold standard,” and for most airway devices, the gold standard is direct laryngoscopy. In the setting of difficult laryngoscopy, it is important to recognize that techniques and tools can facilitate difficult intubation and that a difficult airway need not be an absolute contraindication to the use of the technique.
Urbanization and modernization: a longitudinal analysis.

It has been the goal of this paper to describe longitudinal patterns in urbanization over the last century and to analyze longitudinal relationships between urbanization and selected components of the modernization process. In order to accomplish these goals, an index of urbanization (Su) was constructed which took into consideration not only the proportion of the population in cities of a given size or larger, but also the pattern of the urban size-rank hierarchy.
Mouse lung inflammation after instillation of particulate matter collected from a working dairy barn

Coarse and fine particulate matter (PM(2.5-10) and PM(2.5), respectively) are regulated ambient air pollutants thought to have major adverse health effects in exposed humans. The role of endotoxin and other bioaerosol components in the toxicity of PM from ambient air is controversial. This study evaluated the inflammatory lung response in mice instilled intratracheally with PM(2.5-10) and PM(2.5) emitted from a working dairy barn, a source presumed to have elevated concentrations of endotoxin. PM(2.5-10) was more pro-inflammatory on an equal weight basis than was PM(2.5); both fractions elicited a predominantly neutrophilic response. The inflammatory response was reversible, with a peak response to PM(2.5-10) observed at 24 h after instillation, and a return to control values by 72 h after instillation. The major active pro-inflammatory component in whole PM(2.5-10), but not in whole PM(2.5), is heat-labile, consistent with it being endotoxin. A heat treatment protocol for the gradual inactivation of biological materials in the PM fractions over a measurable time course was developed and optimized in this study using pure lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a model system. The time course of heat inactivation of pure LPS and of endotoxin activity in PM(2.5-10) as measured by Limulus bioassay is identical. The active material in both PM(2.5-10) and PM(2.5) remained in the insoluble fraction when the whole PM samples were extracted with physiological saline solution. Histological analysis of lung sections from mice instilled with PM(2.5-10) or PM(2.5) showed evidence of inflammation consistent with the cellular responses observed in lung lavage fluid. The major pro-inflammatory components present in endotoxin-rich PM were found in the insoluble fraction of PM(2.5-10); however, in contrast with PM(2.5-10) isolated from ambient air in the Central Valley of California, the active components in the insoluble fraction were heat-labile.
Arctic haze, mercury and the chemical composition of snow across northwestern Alaska

Abstract We sampled three layers of snow at 16 sites along a 1200 km transect from Nome to Barrow across northwestern Alaska. Samples were analyzed for major element concentrations, specific conductance and pH. Samples from five of the sites were analyzed for trace element concentrations. Pb, Cd, SO42− and non-sea salt SO42− concentrations were significantly higher in layers deposited later in the winter than those deposited earlier. This is consistent with the seasonal increase in atmospheric aerosol loading (arctic haze) that develops as the Arctic polar front expands southward in March and April. Haze contaminant concentrations in the snow pack were as high south of the Brooks Range as they were to the north, suggesting the Brooks Range is not an effective orographic barrier to aerosol transport. Computed yearly non-sea salt SO42− loading rates at the 16 sites ranged from 12 to 281 mg/m2/yr. Elevated concentrations of Hg, Na and Cl were measured near the Arctic Ocean coast but not near the Bering Sea coast. To explain this pattern we suggest that the “effective distance from the coast,” inferred from prevailing wind directions and storm tracks, is critical in governing whether halogen emissions from the ocean are available for photochemical reactions that result in Hg deposition to the snow.
Calculability and stability in the flipped string

Abstract We show that the highly successful structure of the recently proposed superstring flipped SU (5) model remains intact after the inclusion in the superpotential of the low-energy effective theory of all relevant string-induced nonrenormalizable terms. This structure provides for only two light Higgs doublets, hierarchical fermion mass matrices, and an adequate proton lifetime. We reach this conclusion by explicit calculations using a recently derived set of rules to evaluate nonrenormalizable terms in the four-dimensional free fermionic formulation of superstrings. This remarkable stability of the infrared limit of the flipped string makes its experimental predictions trustworthy and hence its physical existence falsifiable.
The Logical Status of Metacognitive Training

It is argued that knowing-how (to perform) is not dependent on knowing that (knowing propositions about performance). Existing evidence allows any benefits from “metacognitive” training to be attributed to generalization training, not to the announcement of rules. Rules may encourage the subject to learn new tasks, but these tasks must be learned in the contexts of eventual application.
Physical growth and cognitive abilities in concordant versus discordant birth weight twins at three years old

Abstract Background Discordant birth weight twins have been shown to have high rates of adverse perinatal outcomes, but little is known about their growth and development. Aim To determine whether smaller and larger birth weight premature twins in concordant and discordant birth weight groups differ on measures of physical growth and intelligence at 3 years. Study design Prospective cohort study. Eight-four children, 52 concordant and 32 discordant birth weight twin pairs, were measured for height, weight, and head circumference and on intelligence at 3 years. Perinatal and demographic variables, including birth weight, head circumference, small for gestational age, zygosity, in vitro fertilization, gender and social class were recorded. Results Smaller and larger birth weight twins did not differ significantly from each other on any growth parameters in either concordant or discordant birth weight groups at 3 years of age. Smaller birth weight twins in the discordant birth weight group performed significantly less well on Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ scores (Verbal IQ for smaller twins was 8.6 points lower, p Conclusions Smaller discordant birth weight twins performed significantly less well on intelligence, although they did not differ significantly from their larger twins on growth parameters at 3 years old. We conclude that smaller discordant birth weight twins had less optimal intra-uterine environments than their larger birth weight twin, which affected both their birth weights and brain development.
Weld microstructure of (Ni, Fe)3(V,Ti) long-range-ordered alloy

The microstructure of gas tungsten arc (GTA) welds of a (Ni, Fe)3 (V, Ti) long-range-ordered alloy has been investigated. Crack-free welds were produced in which the heat affected zone (HAZ) and fusion zone were disordered and softened. A post-weld heat treatment increased the hardness of both zones by reordering the structure. The reordering treatment produced additional hardening in the fusion zone due to precipitation of small VC particles on grain boundaries and matrix dislocations.
Comparisons between the small-angle approximation and the numerical solution for radiative transfer theory

Dans l'approximation des petits angles on suppose que l'onde diffusee est confinee a l'interieur d'un petit angle. Ceci est valable lorsque la dimension de la turbulence est plus grande que la longueur d'onde et lorsque l'indice de refraction est proche de 1
Effect of wetting solvent on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanotubles fabricated via template wetting

Abstract Template wetting is a simple, solution based nanofabrication method that has been shown effective for a wide range of polymers. Like other solution based polymer processing methods, it is reasonable to expect that the choice of solvent will have a significant impact on the chain orientation in the final solid structure. Here we examine the impact of wetting solvent on the properties of 100 nm diameter poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanotubules made via template wetting. The degree of alignment of the P3HT backbone with the nanotubule axis as observed through dichroism in the FTIR spectrum was observed to depend on the strength of polymer–solvent interaction forces, observed experimentally through thermogravimetric analysis experiments. This solvent effect was not observed in other properties as neither the UV–Vis absorbance nor the hole mobility was observed to depend significantly on the wetting solvent. It is believed that the rigid rod structure and large side chain limited the degree of increase in the effective conjugation length and preventing even the aligned chains from being more tightly packed as would be necessary for an increase in inter-chain π-bond interactions sufficient to impact these performance characteristics of the material.
Calcium-stimulated respiration and active calcium transport in the isolated chick chorioallantoic membrane

Calcium markedly stimulates the respiration of the isolated chick chorioallantoic membrane. This stimulation of oxygen uptake appears to be closely associated with the membrane's active transcellular calcium transport mechanism. In the presence of 1mm Ca++ the rate of uptake increases from 9.3±0.15 to 13.0±0.2 μliters O2/cm2/hr, an increase of about 40%. The calcium-stimulated respiration is specific for the ectodermal layer of cells, the known location of the calcium transport mechanism, and only occurs when the calcium transport mechanism is operative. Sr++ and Mn++ are transported by the tissue at a lower rate than Ca++ and cause a smaller stimulation of oxygen consumption. Mg++ and La3+ have no effect on tissue respiration. In the presence of Ca++, the organic mercurialp-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate (PCMBS) inhibits calcium transport and specifically decreases the oxygen uptake of the ectoderm to a rate identical to that obtained in a calcium-free medium. Stripping the inner shell membrane away from the chorioallantoic membrane mimics these effects. The specificity and locus of action of these two inhibitors suggest that a vital component of the active transcellular calcium transport mechanism resides on or near the outer surface of the plasma membrane of the ectodermal cells and that sulfhydryl groups are important to the normal function of this component.
Many-body effects on intersubband resonances in narrow InAs/AlSb quantum wells

Intersubband polarization couples to collective excitations of the interacting electron gas confined in a semiconductor quantum well (QW) structure. Such excitations include correlated pair excitations (repellons) and intersubband plasmons. The oscillator strength of intersubband resonances (ISBRs) strongly varies with QW parameters and electron density because of this coupling. Using the intersubband semiconductor Bloch equations for a two-conduction-subband model, we show that intersubband absorption spectra for narrow wells are dominated by the Fermi-edge singularity (via coupling to repellons) when the electron gas becomes degenerate and in the presence of large nonparabolicity. Thus the resonance peak position appears at the Fermi edge and the peak is greatly narrowed, enhanced, and red shifted as compared to the free particle result. Our results uncover a new perspective for ISBRs and indicate the necessity of proper many-body theoretical treatment in order for modeling and prediction of ISBR line shape.