cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulating fragile X gene transcription in the brain and beyond

The past several years have seen remarkable growth in our understanding of the molecular processes underlying fragile X syndrome (FXS). Many studies have provided new insights into the regulation of Fmr1 gene expression and the potential function of its protein product. It is now known that the promoter elements modulating Fmr1 transcription involve a complex array of both cis and trans factors. Moreover, recent studies of epigenetic modification of chromatin have provided novel clues to unlocking the mysteries behind the regulation of Fmr1 expression. Here, we review the latest findings on the regulation of Fmr1 transcription.
A conceptual framework for the choice of interventions in cognitive therapy

The aim of cognitive therapy is to modify distress or dissatisfaction by changing thinking and behavior. If the source of distress is considered to relate to a desired but frustrated goal (whether to feel better or to function better), three options exist for reducing distress: changing the goal, changing the approach to the goal, or changing the assessment of one's relationship to the goal. Three ways to motivate the patient are proposed: challenges to the validity, the consistency, or the utility of one's thinking and behavior. The locus of authority for changing cognitions and behavior may reside in oneself, in the consensus of a group, or in expert authority. These considerations generate a 3 ×3 ×3 dimensional cube that provides a simple way to conceptualize structurally the strategies of therapeutic intervention. This visualization offers a means to study the process dimension of cognitive therapy.
Low iron storage in children and adolescents with neurally mediated syncope.

Objective To investigate whether neurally mediated syncope (NMS) is associated with low iron storage or serum ferritin (SF). Study design 206 children evaluated between 2000 and 2004 for probable syncope at a tertiary care Pediatric Neurology Clinic were included in a retrospective study. Serum ferritin (SF), iron, total iron binding capacity, and hemoglobin were measured prospectively after initial history taking and physical examination, along with other diagnostic testing. We defined iron deficiency (ID) as SF Results Among 106 included patients with syncope, 71 had NMS and 35 had other causes of syncope. Patients with NMS, when compared with those with other causes of syncope, had a higher prevalence of low iron storage (57% vs 17%, P P P , P Conclusions Low iron storage or serum ferritin is associated with NMS and is a potentially pathophysiologic factor in NMS.
Hybrid and Monolithic Integration of Planar Lightwave Circuits (PLCs)

In this paper, we review the status of monolithic and hybrid integration of planar lightwave circuits (PLCs). Building blocks needed for system integration based on polymeric materials, III-V semiconductor materials, LiNbO 3 and SOI on Silicon are summarized with pros and cons. Due to the maturity of silicon CMOS technology, silicon becomes the platform of choice for optical application specific integrated circuits (OASICs). However, the indirect bandgap of silicon makes the formation of electrically pumped silicon laser a remote plausibility which requires hybrid integration of laser sources made out of III-V compound semicouductor.
Wavelet and statistical analysis for melanoma classification

The present work focuses on spatial/frequency analysis of epiluminesence images of dysplastic nevus and melanoma. A three-level wavelet decomposition was performed on skin-lesion images to obtain coefficients in the wavelet domain. A total of 34 features were obtained by computing ratios of the mean, variance, energy and entropy of the wavelet coefficients along with the mean and standard deviation of image intensity. An unpaired t-test for a normal distribution based features and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test for non-normal distribution based features were performed for selecting statistically correlated features. For our data set, the statistical analysis of features reduced the feature set from 34 to 5 features. For classification, the discriminant functions were computed in the feature space using the Mahanalobis distance. ROC curves were generated and evaluated for false positive fraction from 0.1 to 0.4. Most of the discrimination functions provided a true positive rate for melanoma of 93% with a false positive rate up to 21%.
Inhibition of cowpox virus and monkeypox virus infection by mitoxantrone

Mitoxantrone, an FDA-approved therapeutic for the treatment of cancer and multiple sclerosis, was previously reported to exhibit antiviral activity against vaccinia virus. To determine whether this activity extends to other orthopoxviruses, mitoxantrone was tested against cowpox and monkeypox. Mitoxantrone demonstrated an EC50 of 0.25 μM against cowpox and 0.8 μM against monkeypox. Intraperitoneal treatment of cowpox virus-challenged C57Bl/6 mice with 0.5 mg/kg mitoxantrone resulted in 25% survival and a significant increase in survival time. In an effort to improve its efficacy, mitoxantrone was tested for synergistic activity with cidofovir. In vitro tests demonstrated significant synergy between the two drugs against cowpox; however, no synergistic effect on animal survival or median time-to-death was seen in intranasally-infected BALB/c mice. Significantly fewer animals survived when treated with a combination of 0.5 mg/kg mitoxantrone and 100 mg/kg cidofovir than with 100 mg/kg cidofovir alone. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of limited anti-orthopoxvirus activity by mitoxantrone in an animal model.
Monte Carlo simulation of a compact microbeam radiotherapy system based on carbon nanotube field emission technology.

Purpose: Microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is an experimental radiotherapy technique that has shown potent antitumor effects with minimal damage to normal tissue in animal studies. This unique form of radiation is currently only produced in a few large synchrotron accelerator research facilities in the world. To promote widespread translational research on this promising treatment technology we have proposed and are in the initial development stages of a compact MRT system that is based on carbon nanotube field emission x-ray technology. We report on a Monte Carlo based feasibility study of the compact MRT system design. Methods: Monte Carlo calculations were performed using EGSnrc-based codes. The proposed small animal research MRT device design includes carbon nanotube cathodes shaped to match the corresponding MRT collimator apertures, a common reflection anode with filter, and a MRT collimator. Each collimator aperture is sized to deliver a beam width ranging from 30 to 200 μm at 18.6 cm source-to-axis distance. Design parameters studied with Monte Carlo include electron energy, cathode design, anode angle, filtration, and collimator design. Calculations were performed for single and multibeam configurations. Results: Increasing the energy from 100 kVp to 160 kVp increased the photon fluence through the collimator by a factor of 1.7. Both energies produced a largely uniform fluence along the long dimension of the microbeam, with 5% decreases in intensity near the edges. The isocentric dose rate for 160 kVp was calculated to be 700 Gy/min/A in the center of a 3 cm diameter target. Scatter contributions resulting from collimator size were found to produce only small (<7%) changes in the dose rate for field widths greater than 50 μm. Dose vs depth was weakly dependent on filtration material. The peak-to-valley ratio varied from 10 to 100 as the separation between adjacent microbeams varies from 150 to 1000 μm. Conclusions: Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the proposed compact MRT system design is capable of delivering a sufficient dose rate and peak-to-valley ratio for small animal MRT studies.
Synthesis of IFN-γ by CD8+ T cells is preserved in HIV-infected women with HPV-related cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate whether coinfection with HIV affects the synthesis of Th1 and Th2 cytokines by peripheral blood T cells of women infected with human papillomavirus (HPV). Methods. Cervical swabs and peripheral blood were obtained from women referred for colposcopy. HPV DNA by Digene's hybrid capture assay, HIV RNA by Roche's Amplicor assay, and cytokine synthesis of T-cell subsets by flow cytometry were assessed. HPV-associated cervical and HIV-associated immune deficiency diseases were staged using the Bethesda System and the Centers for Disease Control criteria, respectively. Results. Patients with HIV and/or HPV infections had lower percentages of IL-2 + and higher percentages of IL-10 + T cells than healthy women. Furthermore, women with both virus infections (HIV + /HPV + ) had significantly fewer IL-2 + CD4 + , IFN-γ + CD4 + , and TNF-α + CD4 + T cells than women with HPV infection alone (HPV + ). Whereas HIV + and healthy women had similar numbers of IFN-γ + CD8 + T cells, HPV + women had significantly fewer IFN-γ + CD8 + T cells than healthy women. Conclusion. HIV infection adversely affects the synthesis of Th1 cytokines by CD4 + , but not IFN-γ synthesis by CD8 + T cells of women with active HPV infection. The increase in IFNγ + CD8 + T cells, a phenotype consistent with cytotoxic T lymphocytes, may account for the stable HIV disease of the women studied. However, the increase in IFN-γ + CD8 + T cells is less likely to be HPV-specific as there was a higher incidence of HPV-related cervical SIL in HIV + /HPV + women compared with HPV + women.
Linkage analysis of candidate obesity genes among the Mexican-American population of Starr County, Texas.

Recent advances in the molecular basis of body fat regulation have identified several genes in which genetic variation may influence obesity and related measures in human populations. Genes that have been shown to have a regulatory function in the control of body fat utilization, eating behavior, and/or metabolic rate in rodent models of obesity include leptin (LEP), leptin receptor (LEPR), neuropeptide Y (NPY), NPY Y1 receptor (NPYY1), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), GLP-1 receptor (GLP1R), and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). We have typed microsatellite markers located within or near these seven candidate obesity genes in 302 non-diabetic individuals from 59 Mexican-American families from Starr County, Texas. Sib pair linkage analysis was used to examine linkage between these genes and obesity status (obese siblings only; n = 170 pairs) and several obesity-related quantitative variables (all siblings; n = 545 total sibling pairs). Significant linkage (P = 0.042) was found between obesity and NPY within the obese sibling pairs. No other candidate gene was linked to obesity status in this subsample. Consistent with the obese sib pair linkage results, NPY showed evidence of linkage to body weight (P = 0.020), abdominal circumference (P = 0.031), hip circumference (P = 0.012), diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.005), and a composite measure of body mass and size (P = 0.048) in the entire sibling sample. Other significant linkages observed were between LEP and waist/hip ratio (P = 0.010), total cholesterol (P = 0.030), and HDL cholesterol (P = 0.026) and between LEPR and fasting blood glucose (P = 0.018) and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.003). These results support further investigation of NPY, LEP, and LEPR to identify genetic variation that may influence obesity status, glucose and lipid metabolism, and blood pressure in Mexican Americans. Genet. Epidemiol. 16:397–411, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Improved Passive Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage in Mushroom Compost Amended with Crab-Shell Chitin

Crab-shell chitin, which is inherently high in calcium carbonate and nutrients, was tested as a multifunctional, fractional amendment to improve the effectiveness of spent mushroom compost (SMC), which is a low-cost, frequently used, but often underperforming substrate for treating acid mine drainage (AMD). Batch and continuous-flow column tests were used to evaluate different crab-shell/SMC mixtures for their ability to neutralize acidity, reduce sulfate, and remove metals in field-collected AMD. Alkalinity generation and the removal of manganese and sulfate were strongly correlated to the fraction of crab shell in the substrate: the treatment capacity increased from 36.7 L/kg for the traditional 90% SMC/10% limestone substrate up to 428 L/kg for 100% crab shell. The costs associated with adding crab shell to SMC were found to be minimal relative to the resulting improvement in water quality. Based on these data, it appears that a small fraction of crab shell (5–15%) does not provide a significant benefi...
Interpreting Soap Operas and Creating Community: Inside a Computer-Mediated Fan Culture

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The publisher's version is available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/3814314.
Injectable sources of locally controlled electrical fields to facilitate tissue repair

Both pulsatile (AC) and continuous (DC) electrical fields have been reported to increase growth or healing or otherwise modify the structure of various tissues, including nerves, bones and skin. Systematic application of these techniques in both animal research and clinical treatment has been hampered by the limitations of currently available technology. We describe a new modular approach in which one or more wireless, microminiature, programmable current generators can be injected or implanted in a wide range of sites. Each device has its own address and can be powered and commanded via an external RF field to produce 10, 100 or 500 /spl mu/A DC and/or pulse trains of 0.2-30 mA at 4-512 /spl mu/s duration. The implants are 2 mm in diameter and 16 mm long. They are made from hermetically sealed, biocompatible materials, so they can be used indefinitely or left in situ after treatment is complete.
A measurement study of a commercial-grade urban wifi mesh

We present a measurement study of a large-scale urban WiFi mesh network consisting of more than 250 Mesh Access Points (MAPs), with paying customers that use it for Internet access. Our study, involved collecting multi-modal data, e.g., through continuous gathering of SNMP logs, syslogs, passive traffic capture, and limited active measurements in different parts of the city. Our study is split into four components - planning and deployment of the mesh, success of mesh routing techniques, likely experience of users, and characterization of how the mesh is utilized. During our data collection process that spanned 8 months, the network changed many times due to hardware and software upgrades. Hence to present a consistent view of the network, the core dataset used in this paper comes from a two week excerpt of our dataset. This part of the dataset had more than 1.7 million SNMP log entries (from 224 MAPs) and more than 100 hours of active measurements. The scale of the study allowed us to make many important observations that are critical in planning and using WiFi meshes as an Internet access technology. For example, our study indicates that the last hop 2.4GHz wireless link between the mesh and the client is the major bottleneck in client performance. Further we observe that deploying the mesh access points on utility poles results in performance degradation for indoor clients that receive poor signal from the access points.
Pancreatico-pericardial fistula as a complication of chronic pancreatitis

Pancreatico-pericardial fistula is an extremely rare complication of chronic pancreatitis. We present a case of a 58-year-old man who presented with syncope. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology. Pericardiocentesis and pericardial fluid analysis demonstrated a lipase level of 2321 U/L. Subsequently, an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed, confirming the presence of a pancreatico-pericardial fistula (PPF) from the distal body of the pancreas. A pancreatic duct stent was placed across the duct disruption on two separate occasions; however, despite stent placement, the patient continued to re-accumulate pericardial fluid and deteriorated. While rare, PPFs may complicate chronic pancreatitis, may not respond to pancreatic duct stenting and may portend a poor prognosis.
Dysmetabolic Syndrome: Multiple Risk Factors for Premature Adult Disease in an Adolescent Girl

The clinical diagnosis of dysmetabolic syndrome in an adult defines a patient with abnormal glucose metabolism (or diabetes), hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity. This disorder accelerates atherosclerosis and significantly raises the risk for cardiovascular events. With the marked rise in the prevalence of obesity in childhood, obesity-linked risk factors are being expressed at young ages. The case of a 12-year-old girl with dysmetabolic syndrome is described and discussed. Emerging clinical data now indicate that the presence of 1 risk factor for cardiovascular disease in an overweight child should prompt screening for additional clinical abnormalities, with the aim of finding treatable disorders.
Birth-Cohort Changes in Manic and Depressive Disorders in Relatives of Bipolar and Schizoaffective Patients

• Eight hundred twenty-three relatives of bipolar and schizoaffective patients were divided into groups of birth cohorts. The rates of bipolar, schizoaffective, and unipolar disorders were higher in the cohorts born after 1940 than in the cohorts born earlier. Life-table analysis of the cumulative hazard of illness in the different cohorts revealed significant differences among them, implying that the cumulative hazard of developing any affective disorder by a given age was greater in the post-1940 cohorts. When these data are combined with other reports, an ominous trend may be present, leading to an increase in prevalence of a broad spectrum of familial affective disorders in the coming decades.
Transformation superplasticity of water ice and ice containing SiO2 particulates

[1] Transformation superplasticity is a deformation mechanism that occurs during the phase transformation of an externally stressed material. Pressure-induced transformation superplasticity, which has long been postulated to occur in olivine in the Earth's interior, is shown to take place in water ice. Pure ice specimens were subjected to hydrostatic pressure cycling between 0 and 300 MPa to reversibly induce the I/II transformation (at 220 or 230 K) or the I/III transformation (at 240 K). When a small uniaxial compressive stress was applied during cycling, the specimens exhibited a uniaxial compressive strain (as large as 22% after a single cycle) proportional to the applied stress, in agreement with observations and theory for transformation superplasticity of metals and ceramics, induced by polymorphic thermal cycling. Additionally, specimens of ice containing 10 vol% SiO2 were deformed by this mechanism during the I/II transformation at 230 K. The presence of silica particles was found to enhance the deformation, rather than strengthen the ice. These experimental results are discussed both qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of existing models of transformation superplasticity and implications for the lithosphere rheology of the icy moons of the outer planets.
La nebbia: luoghi reali e metaforici

The fog as an atmospheric phenomenon and as represented in literary and poetic landscapes in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish texts. Frequent presence of the theme in some literary genres, as the fantastic story or detective fiction. Metaphoric and symbolic use of the image of fog to express obfuscation of the senses, confusion of mind, solitude, forgetfulness, nostalgia, melancholy, loss of consciousness, desperation, unforeseeable future, death, holocaust. A particularly insistent symbolic and even allegorical use of the fog in Spanish literature: probably due to the influence of Unamuno's novel Niebla (1914)
Level and mechanisms of perceptual learning: learning first-order luminance and second-order texture objects.

Perceptual learning is an improvement in perceptual task performance reflecting plasticity in the perceptual system. Practice effects were studied in two object orientation tasks: a first order, luminance object task and a second-order, texture object task. Perceptual learning was small or absent in the first-order task, but consistently occurred for the second-order (texture) task, where it was limited to improvements in low external noise conditions, or stimulus enhancement [Dosher, B., & Lu, Z. -L. (1998). Perceptual learning reflects external noise filtering and internal noise reduction through channel reweighting. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 95 (23) 13988–13993; Dosher, B., & Lu, Z. -L. (1999). Mechanisms of perceptual learning. Vision Research, 39 (19) 3197–3221], analogous to attention effects in first- and second-order motion processing [Lu, Z. -L., Liu, C. Q., & Dosher, B. (2000). Attention mechanisms for multi-location first- and second-order motion perception. Vision Research, 40 (2) 173–186]. Perceptual learning affected the later, post-rectification, stages of perceptual analysis, possibly localized at V2 or above. It serves to amplify the stimulus relative to limiting internal noise for intrinsically noisy representations of second-order stimuli. � 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Effects of Oxytocin on Steroidogenesis by Bovine Theca and Granulosa Cells

Oxytocin (OT) is secreted during the final stages of bovine follicular development. To test OT's potential role as a regulator of follicular steroidogenesis, theca and granulosa cells were isolated from bovine preovulatory follicles 48 h after initiation of luteolysis with prostaglandin F2α, and cultured with graded doses of OT (0, 0.5, 5, 50, and 500 mlU/ml). Granulosa cells were cultured with testosterone (0.5 μM) in either defined medium or medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum in the presence or absence of FSH (300 ng/ml); medium was collected and replaced daily for 5 days. In defined medium, oxytocin alone significantly increased progesterone production by granulosa cells (P < 0.001) in a dose-dependent manner; over 5 days, doses of 0.5, 5, 50, and 500 mlU/ml OT caused 1.7-, 2.0-, 2.2-, and 2.6- fold increases. FSH enhanced progesterone 5-fold, but no dose of OT increased progesterone in the presence of FSH. OT also elevated progesterone in serum-containing medium (P < 0.005), but the magnitude of...
Human and mouse colon cancer utilizes CD95 signaling for local growth and metastatic spread to liver.

Background & Aims Analysis of clinical colon cancer specimens show alterations in the CD95 (Fas Ag/Fas L) pathway as tumors progress from local to metastatic disease, suggesting that this pathway may play a role in invasive behavior of colon cancer. However, direct causality between these alterations and clinical disease progression has not been shown. Methods Surgically resected metastatic colon cancer samples were evaluated for Fas Ag/L and apoptosis. Alterations in the Fas-signaling pathway found in human samples were recreated through a series of staged transfection experiments in the MC38 mouse colon cancer cell line and the effects on growth tested in vitro and in vivo. Results Expression of FLICE-like inhibitory protein confers apoptosis resistance, increasing the incidence of primary tumors through a survival advantage by avoiding apoptosis and inducing Fas-mediated proliferation. Coexpression of Fas L enables colon cancer cells to metastasize to the liver from local tumors as well as from intravenous injection of cells. MC38-FasL/FLICE-like inhibitory protein colon cancer cells induce apoptosis in hepatocytes via activation of type II Fas Ag signaling, thus creating a niche conducive to tumor growth and fueling their own growth via Fas proliferative signaling. Conclusions Alterations in the Fas Ag pathway which inhibit apoptosis and increase Fas-mediated proliferation directly increase local colon cancer growth, and enhance metastasis to the liver. Delineating points in the pathway responsible for growth and metastasis will offer targets that may be exploited for therapy.
Toward an Integrated Model of Applicant Faking Behavior

The present research tested a model that integrated the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with a model of faking presented by McFarland and Ryan (2000) to predict faking on a personality test. In Study 1, the TPB explained sizable variance in the intention to fake. In Study 2, the TPB explained both the intention to fake and actual faking behavior. Different faking measures (i.e., difference scores and social desirability scales) tended to yield similar conclusions, but the difference scores were more strongly related to the variables in the model. These results provide support for a model that may increase understanding of applicant faking behavior and suggest reasons for the discrepancies in past research regarding the prevalence and consequences of faking.
Pure motor mononeuropathy with distal conduction block: an unusual presentation of multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction blocks.

Abstract Objective : To report an hitherto undescribed presentation of Motor Neuropathy with Multifocal Conduction Block (MMNCB). Methods : Description of two patients presenting with complete paralysis of the 3 heads of the trapezius muscle (case one) and progressive weakness of finger extension (case 2). Results : Nerve conduction studies (NCS) established that the corresponding nerves were distally inexcitable. In the affected muscles, no voluntary activity was elicited in both patients with spontaneous activity noted in patient 2. Systematic NCSs documented an asymptomatic, partial conduction block (CB) in a median nerve forearm segment in both patients. Neurophysiological follow-up after a dramatic response to intravenous immunoglobulins demonstrated recovery of the initially unobtainable motor responses. Conclusions : This indicates that a complete, distal CB of the motor fibers destined to the trapezius muscle in patient 1, and to the extensor indicis proprius in patient 2, had caused the heralding deficits. Significance : These findings underscore the possibility of distal CB in this disorder and the need for extensive NCSs, including asymptomatic nerves, for an accurate diagnosis.
Fabrication of highly fluorescent graphene quantum dots using L-glutamic acid for in vitro/in vivo imaging and sensing

A facile bottom-up method for the synthesis of highly fluorescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) has been developed using a one-step pyrolysis of a natural amino acid, L-glutamic acid, with the assistance of a simple heating mantle device. The developed GQDs showed strong blue, green and red luminescence under irradiation with ultra-violet, blue and green light, respectively. Moreover, the GQDs emitted near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence in the range 800–850 nm with an excitation-dependent manner. This NIR fluorescence has a large Stokes shift of 455 nm, providing a significant advantage for the sensitive determination and imaging of biological targets. The fluorescence properties of the GQDs, such as the quantum yields, fluorescence life times, and photostability, were measured and the fluorescence quantum yield was as high as 54.5%. The morphology and composites of the GQDs were characterized using TEM, SEM, EDS, and FT-IR. The feasibility of using the GQDs as a fluorescent biomarker was investigated through in vitro and in vivo fluorescence imaging. The results showed that the GQDs could be a promising candidate for bioimaging. Most importantly, compared to the traditional quantum dots (QDs), the GQDs are chemically inert. Thus, the potential toxicity of the intrinsic heavy metal in the traditional QDs would not be a concern for GQDs. In addition, the GQDs possessed an intrinsic peroxidase-like catalytic activity that was similar to graphene sheets and carbon nanotubes. Coupled with 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), the GQDs can be used for the sensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide with a limit of detection of 20 μM.
Cocurrent downflow of air and water in a two‐dimensional packed column

Multiple hydrodynamic states were observed during cocurrent down-flow of air and water under trickling flow conditions in a packed bed of rectangular cross section. Although the multiplicity was exhibited by both pressure gradient and liquid holdup, the pressure gradient showed the largest variations at identical conditions. The multiplicity is interpreted as being due to the liquid flowing in two different modes, namely, film flow and rivulet flow. The characteristics of pulsing flow in a packed bed of rectangular cross section were found to be appreciably different from those reported in the literature for flow in small-diameter cylindrical columns. The most significant observation in the packed bed of rectangular cross section was that the pulses did not always span the column cross section, unlike the case in small-diameter columns. The lower pressure drop and pulse velocity in the packed bed of rectangular cross section are believed to result from the bypassing of gas around the edge of the pulses. The location of the pulses was found to depend on the quality of gas and liquid distribution at the top of the column, and the shape of the top surface of the packing. A distributor configuration in which the gas was injected directly into the bed was found to be the most desirable, and is recommended in industrial practice.
Simulation of image quality issues at low k 1 for 100-nm lithography

ABSTRACT Mask quality issues in pushing lithography to features below 0.5 NA are identified and quantified through simulation of mask interactions and images. Guidelines summarize the results from detailed studies of aberrations, phase-shift mask image imbalance, 3D phase defects and EUV buried defects. Programmed-probe based aberration targets are extended to distinguish both even and odd lens aberrations and their mask tolerance requirements are assessed. Complex diffraction coefficients and results for cross-talk simulation are used to set guidelines for phase-shifting mask design. An antireflection coating (50 nm MoO 3 ) is shown to reduce cross-talk between trenches. Type, location and size data are given for 3D phase-defects and the end regions of lines are shown to be more vulnerable to CD variation. Results for buried 3D Gaussian defects in EUV multilayers show a wo rst isolated defect size of half of the resolution and that 2nm high defects of any size can be tolerated. Keywords: simulation, imaging, aberrations, aberration monitors, phase-shift masks, diffraction, diffracted orders, cross-talk, defects, phase defect, linewidth variation, buried defects.
mRNA processing in Escherichia coli: an activity encoded by the host processes bacteriophage f1 mRNAs

To examine the regions of the male-specific filamentous bacteriophage f1 genome that include signals for mRNA processing, the 5' endpoints of the major in vivo phage mRNAs have been located in the f1 DNA sequence by S1 nuclease mapping. The 5' ends of the purified mRNAs and additional phage-specific RNAs transiently visible early after infection occur in clusters of T-rich residues within genes that code for three phage proteins. When a 270-nucleotide region encompassing the 5' endpoints of three processed RNAs is transcribed as part of the bacteriophage lambda N mRNA in uninfected female cells, RNA 5' ends identical to ends of the three f1 RNAs are generated from the lambda-f1 precursor. This finding indicates that the mRNA processing activity is encoded by the bacterial host, and that its recognition sites are present in the local regions near the 5' ends which result from RNA cleavage. Several characteristics of f1 mRNA processing events have implications for the differential regulation of adjacent phage genes constrained in the same transcription unit, and may be representative of similar processing events occurring in the bacterial cell.
Current State of Knowledge on Oral Anticoagulant Reversal Using Procoagulant Factors

OBJECTIVE:To discuss current trends and challenges in the use of procoagulants for treating bleeding caused by use of oral anticoagulants.DATA SOURCES:Literature searches of PubMed (MEDLINE), Google, and Medscape were conducted in February 2013. There were no date limitations. Search terms included anticoagulation agents, anticoagulation reversal, anticoagulation reversal agents, apixaban, clinical studies, dabigatran, 3-factor PCCs, 4-factor PCCs, FEIBA, fresh frozen plasma, human studies, pharmacology, prescribing information, rFVIIa, rivaroxaban, vitamin K, and warfarin.DATA SYNTHESIS:Warfarin has been the mainstay for the treatment and prevention of primary and secondary thrombosis in patients with cardiovascular disorders such as atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and stroke. Three oral anticoagulants have recently become available in the US: a direct thrombin inhibitor, dabigatran etexilate, and 2 direct factor Xa inhibitors, rivaroxaban and apixaban. Reversal strategies ...
Patient-Ventilator Interaction During Acute Lung Injury, and the Role of Spontaneous Breathing: Part 1: Respiratory Muscle Function During Critical Illness

Since the early 1970s there has been an ongoing debate regarding the wisdom of promoting unassisted spontaneous breathing throughout the course of critical illness in patients with severe respiratory failure. The basis of this debate has focused on the clinical relevance of opposite problems. Historically, the term "disuse atrophy" has described a situation wherein sustained inactivity of the respiratory muscles (ie, passive ventilation) results in deconditioning and weakness. More recently it has been referred to as "ventilator-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction." In contrast, "use atrophy" describes a situation where chronic high-tension inspiratory work causes structural damage to the diaphragm and weakness. Both laboratory and clinical studies demonstrated that relatively brief periods of complete respiratory muscle inactivity, as well as intense muscle loading, result in acute inflammation, loss of muscle mass, and weakness. Yet in critical illness other factors also affect respiratory muscle function, including prolonged use of neuromuscular blocking agents, administration of corticosteroids, and sepsis. This makes the attribution of acquired respiratory muscle weakness and ventilator-dependence to either ventilator-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction or loaded breathing extremely difficult. Regardless, the clinical implications of this research strongly suggest that passive mechanical ventilation should be avoided whenever possible. However, promotion of unassisted spontaneous breathing in the acute phase of critical illness also may carry a substantial risk of respiratory muscle injury and weakness. Use of mechanical ventilation modes in a manner that induces spontaneous breathing effort, while simultaneously reducing the work load on the respiratory muscles, is probably sufficient to minimize both problems.
The N Terminus of the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Triplex Protein, VP19C, Cannot Be Detected on the Surface of the Capsid Shell by Using an Antibody (Hemagglutinin) Epitope Tag

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) triplex is a complex of three protein subunits, VP19C and a dimer of VP23 that is essential for capsid assembly. We have derived HSV-1 recombinant viruses that contain monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP1), a Flu hemagglutinin (HA) epitope, and a six-histidine tag fused to the amino terminus of VP19C. These viruses were capable of growth on Vero cells, indicating that the amino terminus of VP19C could tolerate these fusions. By use of immunoelectron microscopy methods, capsids that express VP19C-mRFP but not VP19C-HA were labeled with gold particles when incubated with the corresponding antibody. Our conclusion from the data is that a large tag at the N terminus of VP19C was sufficiently exposed on the capsid surface for polyclonal antibody reactivity, while the small HA epitope was inaccessible to the antibody. These data indicate that an epitope tag at the amino terminus of VP19C is not exposed at the capsid surface for reactivity to its antibody.
Experimental Analysis of an Early Life-History Stage: Water Loss and Migrating Hatchling Turtles

Abstract The effect of water dynamics is well known for some aspects of turtle biology, particularly for egg incubation. The role water plays during migration from the nest to the aquatic environment, however, is not well understood. To evaluate water loss and movement patterns of hatchling turtles during migration, we conducted an experimental release of 463 hatchling snapping turtles, Chelydra serpentina, under ecologically relevant field conditions. We recaptured 62.9% of hatchlings released, and 90% of these were caught during the first four days following release. Hatchlings migrating for less time lost more water than those migrating for a longer time; changes in water content ranged from +1.2% to −4.7%. Mean air temperature during the recapture interval was positively correlated with water loss. Furthermore, hatchlings lost significantly more water when recaptured during periods with no rainfall compared to intervals with rainfall (14.5% and 8.3% water loss, respectively). Additionally, more hatchl...
A Framework for Understanding the Emerging Role of Corticolimbic-Ventral Striatal Networks in OCD-Associated Repetitive Behaviors

Significant interest in the mechanistic underpinnings of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has fueled research on the neural origins of compulsive behaviors. Converging clinical and preclinical evidence suggests that abnormal repetitive behaviors are driven by dysfunction in cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical (CSTC) circuits. These findings suggest that compulsive behaviors arise, in part, from aberrant communication between lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and dorsal striatum. An important body of work focused on the role of this network in OCD has been instrumental to progress in the field. Disease models focused primarily on these regions, however, fail to capture an important aspect of the disorder: affective dysregulation. High levels of anxiety are extremely prevalent in OCD, as is comorbidity with major depressive disorder. Furthermore, deficits in processing rewards and abnormalities in processing emotional stimuli are suggestive of aberrant encoding of affective information. Accordingly, OCD can be partially characterized as a disease in which behavioral selection is corrupted by exaggerated or dysregulated emotional states. This suggests that the networks producing OCD symptoms likely expand beyond traditional lateral OFC and dorsal striatum circuit models, and highlights the need to cast a wider net in our investigation of the circuits involved in generating and sustaining OCD symptoms. Here, we address the emerging role of medial OFC, amygdala, and ventral tegmental area projections to the ventral striatum (VS) in OCD pathophysiology. The VS receives strong innervation from these affect and reward processing regions, and is therefore poised to integrate information crucial to the generation of compulsive behaviors. Though it complements functions of dorsal striatum and lateral OFC, this corticolimbic-VS network is less commonly explored as a potential source of the pathology underlying OCD. In this review we discuss this network’s potential role as a locus of OCD pathology and effective treatment.
Memory for generic and quantified sentences in Spanish-speaking children and adults.

Generic language ( Owls eat at night) expresses knowledge about categories and may represent a cognitively default mode of generalization. English-speaking children and adults more accurately recall generic than quantified sentences ( All owls eat at night) and tend to recall quantified sentences as generic. However, generics in English are shorter than quantified sentences, and may be better recalled for this reason. The present study provided a new test of the issue in Spanish, where generics are expressed with an additional linguistic element not found in certain quantified sentences ( Los buhos comen de noche 'Owls eat at night' [generic] vs. Muchos buhos comen de noche 'Many owls eat at night' [quantified]). Both preschoolers and adults recalled generics more accurately than quantified sentences, and quantified sentences were more often recalled as generic than the reverse. These findings provide strong additional evidence for generics as a cognitive default, in an understudied cultural context.
The p38 MAPK pathway mediates aryl propionic acid induced mRNA stability of p75NTR in prostate cancer cells

C275 The p75NTR acts as a tumor suppressor in the prostate, but its expression is lost as prostate cancer progresses and is low or absent in established prostate cancer cell lines such as PC-3 and DU-145. Previously, we demonstrated that treatment with R-flurbiprofen or ibuprofen induced p75NTR expression in PC-3 and DU-145 cells leading to p75NTR mediated decreased survival. Here we investigate the mechanism by which these drugs induce p75NTR expression. We show that the observed increase in p75NTR protein due to R-flurbiprofen and ibuprofen treatment was accompanied by an increase in p75NTR mRNA, and this increase in mRNA was the result of increased mRNA stability and not an upregulation of transcription. In addition, we show that treatment with R-flurbiprofen or ibuprofen led to sustained activation of the p38 MAPK pathway. Furthermore, inhibition of the p38 MAPK pathway using the p38 MAPK specific inhibitor SB202190 or by siRNA knockdown of p38 MAPK protein prevented induction of p75NTR by R-flurbiprofen and ibuprofen. We also observed that siRNA knockdown of MK2 and MK3, the kinases downstream of p38 MAPK that are responsible for the mRNA stabilizing effects of the p38 MAPK pathway, also prevented an induction of p75NTR by R-flurbiprofen and ibuprofen. Finally, we show that the RNA stabilizing protein HuR bound to the p75NTR transcript upon treatment with R-flurbiprofen or ibuprofen, and that siRNA knockdown of HuR prevented induction of p75NTR by R-flurbiprofen and ibuprofen. Collectively, the data suggest that R-flurbiprofen and ibuprofen induce p75NTR expression by increased mRNA stability that is mediated through the p38 MAPK pathway.
Risky electronic communication behaviors and cyberbullying victimization

The present study tested Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) as an explanation of electronic communication safe behavioral intentions and behaviors and cyberbullying victimization. We recruited 577 college students who completed a battery of surveys examining PMT-based constructs and cyberbullying victimization. We found that higher perceived susceptibility to cyberbullying victimization was associated with lower electronic communication safe behavioral intentions, higher electronic communication risky behaviors, and higher cyberbullying victimization. In addition, higher perceived severity of cyberbullying victimization was associated with higher electronic communication safe behavioral intentions and lower cyberbullying victimization. Furthermore, higher response efficacy and self-efficacy regarding electronic communication safe behaviors were predictive of higher electronic communication safe behavioral intentions. The PMT-based model accounted for over 30% of the variability in cyberbullying victimization. PMT constructs may be promising targets for interventions designed to decrease the incidence of cyberbullying victimization. We applied the Protection Motivation Theory to cyberbullying victimization.Coping and threat appraisal predicted safe electronic communication intentions.Safe electronic communication intentions predicted risky electronic communication.Risky electronic communication predicted increased cyberbullying victimization.
Abstract WMP103: Late Adverse Events of Patent Foramen Ovale Closure: A Systematic Review

Background: Optimal secondary stroke prevention for patients with cryptogenic stroke (CS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) is not established. Observational studies imply a benefit for PFO closure over conventional medical management. Data from randomized trials are more equivocal or pending. Most studies report short term follow-up that will miss late adverse events (AEs). Methods: A systematic review was conducted of the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database for all septal closure device reports of late (>30 days) AEs between 1/1/00-9/10/11. Search terms were brand names of closure devices used in PFOs. To exclude patients not treated for a PFO, cases were those for whom 1) the narrative clearly described PFO as the target lesion, or 2) the device was designed only for PFO closure. Data extracted were device type, indication for closure, time from implantation to AE, and explantation. We collected clinical (e.g. stroke) and device-related (e.g. thrombus on device) AEs. Results: We reviewed 1250 reports - 50 (4%) met inclusion criteria. Devices were CardioSEAL (n=28), Gore Helex (n=11) and Amplatzer PFO or ASD Occluders (n=11). Clinical AEs were stroke/TIA or systemic embolism (n=20), arrhythmia/palpitations (n=6), pericardial effusion (n=3), visual symptoms (n=3), chest pain (n=2), asymptomatic (n=7), and unknown/other (n=18). Device AEs were thrombus (n=24), residual shunt (n=8), embolization (n=7), erosion (n=3), infection (n=2), fracture (n=1), and unknown/other (n=8). AEs led to device explantation in 28 patients. The range of time between device placement and AE was 30 days to 6 years; 23 reports (46%) were >1 year. Conclusion: The most common late clinical AE for device PFO closure was embolization and most common device event was thrombus. Nearly half of reported devices were explanted. These data cannot produce AE incidence rates because the number of implanted devices is unknown. We are also unable to determine the comparative safety of devices. However, the data emphasize that late AEs should be included when calculating the overall risk with the possible benefits of PFO closure.
Autocrine and paracrine effects of an ES-cell derived, BCR/ABL-transformed hematopoietic cell line that induces leukemia in mice

During differentiation in vitro, Embryonic Stem (ES) cells generate both primitive erythroid and definitive myeloid lineages in a process that mimics hematopoiesis in the mammalian yolk sac. To investigate leukemic transformation of these embryonic hematopoietic progenitors, we infected differentiating cultures of ES cells with the Chronic Myeloid Leukemia-specific BCR/ABL oncoprotein. Following a period of liquid culture, we isolated two transformed subclones, EB57 and EB67, that retained characteristics of embryonic hematopoietic progenitors and induced a fatal leukemia in mice characterized by massive splenomegaly and granulocytosis. Histopathology of the spleen revealed an abundance of undifferentiated blast-like cells. Investigation of the clonal origins of the granulocytes in the peripheral blood demonstrated that the injected donor cells contributed modestly to the granulocyte population while the majority were host-derived. EB57 secretes IL-3 and unidentified cytokines that can stimulate autocrine and paracrine cell proliferation, presumably accounting for the reactive granulocytosis in diseased mice. These BCR/ABL transformed hematopoietic derivatives of ES cells recapitulate the relationship of BCR/ABL expression to IL-3 production that has been described for primitive hematopoietic progenitors from human CML patients, and illustrates the potential for autocrine and paracrine effects of BCR/ABL-infected cells in murine models.
A fully implantable, NFC enabled, continuous interstitial glucose monitor

This work presents an integrated system-on-chip (SoC) that forms the core of a long-term, fully implantable, battery assisted, passive continuous glucose monitor. It integrates an amperometric glucose sensor interface, a near field communication (NFC) wireless front-end and a fully digital switched mode power management unit for supply regulation and on board battery charging. It uses 13.56 MHz (ISM) band to harvest energy and backscatter data to an NFC reader. System was implemented in 14nm CMOS technology and validated with post layout simulations.