cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age-dependent differential expression of apoptosis markers in the gingival tissue.

Abstract Objective The current study was performed to test the hypothesis that periodontal disease produces age-dependent activation of apoptotic markers in the gingival tissues. Methods To address the hypothesis a prospective experimental study was designed and twenty-two patients were enrolled. Out of the twenty-two patients, gingival tissue biopsies samples were obtained from active sites of ten and twelve periodontal-healthy (HS) and periodontal disease (PD, probing depths >5 mm patients, respectively. The groups were further divided into 25–50 and Results A significant decrease in the expression of TRADD (Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Death Domain) was observed in 25–50 years of PD group compared to the HS group. Bax (BCL 2 -associated X protein) expression in the PD groups was significantly decreased in PD 25–50 years age group but increased in the >50 years age group compared to respective HS age groups. PD patients of both 25–50 years and >50 years age exhibited a significant increase in the expression of Cytochrome C and Caspase-3 compared to the respective HS groups. The PD patients exhibited a stronger correlation with age in the expression of TRADD and Bax compared to the HS groups. Further analyses revealed that the expression of Caspase-3 correlated with an increase in the age of the healthy patients. Conclusions The data suggested that modulation of apoptotic cascade may contribute to the damage of gingival tissues particularly in PD patients >50 years age.
Theoretical prediction of phase relationships in planetary mantles

Thermodynamic and phase equilibrium data are used to generate an internally consistent set of enthalpies and entropies for important components of the CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 (CMAS) system in silica-undersaturated compositions. The addition of Na and Fe(2+) to the CMAS system produces shifts in the plagioclase, spinel and garnet stability fields. While the Morgan and Anders (1979) model Martian composition has stability fields of plagioclase and garnet lherzolite, and a small spinel lherzolite field at temperatures below 900 C, the Martian mantle composition of McGetchin and Smyth (1978) would not contain orthopyroxene, and a low pressure assemblage of plagioclase-spinel wehrlite would be replaced by garnet-spinel wehrlite at higher pressure. In both cases, the Fe-Mg ratio would be substantially greater than that found in primitive terrestrial basalts.
The role of social support and social networks in health information–seeking behavior among Korean Americans: a qualitative study

This study used social network theory to explore the role of social support and social networks in health information–seeking behavior among Korean American (KA) adults. A descriptive qualitative study using a web-based online survey was conducted from January 2013 to April 2013 in the U.S. The survey included open-ended questions about health information–seeking experiences in personal social networks and their importance in KA adults. Themes emerging from a constant comparative analysis of the narrative comments by 129 of the 202 respondents were analyzed. The sample consisted of 129 KA adults, 64.7% female, with a mean age of 33.2 (SD = 7.7). Friends, church members, and family members were the important network connections for KAs to obtain health information. KAs looked for a broad range of health information from social network members, from recommendations and reviews of hospitals/doctors to specific diseases or health conditions. These social networks were regarded as important for KAs because there were no language barriers, social network members had experiences similar to those of other KAs, they felt a sense of belonging with those in their networks, the network connections promoted increased understanding of different health care systems of the U.S. system, and communication with these network connections helped enhance feelings of being physically and mentally healthy. This study demonstrates the important role that social support and personal social networks perform in the dissemination of health information for a large ethnic population, KAs, who confront distinct cultural challenges when seeking health information in the U.S. Data from this study also illustrate the cultural factors that influence health information acquisition and access to social support for ethnic minorities. This study provides practical insights for professionals in health information services, namely, that social networks can be employed as a channel for disseminating health information to immigrants.
Radiation Characterization of Commercial GaN Devices

Commercially available devices fabricated from GaN are beginning to appear from a number of different suppliers. In this initial study of the radiation tolerance of commercial GaN devices, several device types from several suppliers were chosen. Three different studies were performed: 1) a preliminary DDD/TID test of a variety of part types was performed by irradiating with 55 MeV protons, 2) a detailed DDD/TID study of one particular part type was performed by irradiating with 55 MeV protons, and 3) a SEB/SEGR test was performed on a variety of part types by irradiating with heavy ions. No significant degradation was observed in any of the tests performed in this study.
Foraging by deep-burrowing earthworms degrades surface soil structure of a fluventic Hapludoll in Ohio

The presence of deep-burrowing earthworms can affect soil structure and infiltration, therefore influencing agricultural productivity. We investigated the effects of deep-burrowing earthworm species on soil structure at the surface of chisel-plowed or ridge-tilled cropping systems in Pike County, OH, planted to corn (Zea mays L.). Earthworm populations were experimentally manipulated in field enclosures by adding predominantly deep-burrowing Lumbricus terrestris L., or leaving enclosures unmodified in each tillage system. In 1995, after 2 years of bi-annual additions, we measured surface residue cover, dry sieved aggregates (DSA)- and water-stable aggregates (WSA), and carbon and nitrogen concentration of aggregates by size class, in each treatment combination. Also, in 1998, we used tension infiltrometry to examine crusting effects at the soil surface among earthworm treatments in the chisel-plow treatment. Earthworm additions yielded increased density and biomass of L. terrestris than ambient controls, and to a greater extent in the ridged corn‐soybean (Glycine max L. Mess.)‐ wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (CSW) than corn‐soybean (CS) rotation. Percentage residue cover in CS cropping decreased with earthworm additions. Earthworm additions decreased the geometric mean weight diameter (GMWD) of DSA and WSA in chisel-plow treatment compared to no additions. Earthworm additions influenced carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios for smaller DSA and WSA. Water-stable aggregate C/N decreased with size class. The overall effect of earthworm additions was an increase in deep-burrowing earthworms, a decrease in surface residue cover, and more pronounced crusting, which decreased mesopore conductivity. # 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Protein Structure Determination by Magic-Angle Spinning Solid-State NMR, and Insights into the Formation, Structure, and Stability of Amyloid Fibrils

Protein structure determination methods using magic-angle spinning solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS SSNMR) have experienced a remarkable development in the past decade. Significant advances in instrumentation, sample preparation, spectroscopic techniques, and computational methods have made possible the determination of the first high-resolution structures of a peptide and a protein in 2002. Subsequent developments allowed the investigation of larger proteins, the initial application of automated analysis routines, and substantial improvements in structural resolution. The application of these methods has enabled the investigation of amyloid fibril structures, conformational dynamics, and their assembly pathways at an atomic level for the first time, as these are systems not accessible by other common techniques. Recent advances and future trends for protein structure determination using MAS SSNMR, as well as its application to the study of amyloid fibrils, are reviewed.
Repurposing the antihelmintic mebendazole as a hedgehog inhibitor.

The hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is activated in many types of cancer and therefore presents an attractive target for new anticancer agents. Here we show that mebendazole (MBZ), a benzamidazole with a long history of safe use against nematode infestations and hydatid disease, potently inhibited Hh signaling and slowed the growth of Hh-driven human medulloblastoma cells at clinically attainable concentrations. As an antiparasitic, MBZ avidly binds nematode tubulin and causes inhibition of intestinal microtubule synthesis. In human cells, MBZ suppressed the formation of the primary cilium, a microtubule-based organelle that functions as a signaling hub for Hh pathway activation. The inhibition of Hh signaling by MBZ was unaffected by mutants in the gene that encodes the Hh pathway signaling protein SMO, which are selectively propagated in cell clones that survive treatment with the Hh inhibitor vismodegib. Combination of vismodegib and MBZ resulted in additive Hh signaling inhibition. Because MBZ can be safely administered to adults and children at high doses over extended time periods, we propose that MBZ could be rapidly repurposed and clinically tested as a prospective therapeutic agent for many tumors that are dependent on Hh signaling.
Nanocomputing with Probabilistic Logic

This presentation considers the impact on logic design and computing of the fundamental unreliability of nanoscale device technologies. In general, these technologies will provide implementations of logic gates and circuits where logic levels are “0” or “1” with some probability related to the error rates of gates and interconnect. In this context, reliable circuit design becomes a problem of maximizing the probability of the correct logic levels of the output of the function implemented by the circuit for the relevant inputs. This presentation reviews some recent results and proposes new ideas for the characterization and design of probabilistic logic. Since the early days of computing it has been well known that the design of reliable arbitrary logic circuits is only possible if individual gates have error rates below some threshold which varies with gate functionality. Using bifurcation analysis of probabilistic gate models, thresholds for different types of gates are derived and their implications for logic design are revisited. Similar techniques are used to analyze multi-gate circuits and the functions they implement. The resulting thresholds provide reliability bounds for the circuits. Also considered are several proposed models for either analyzing reliability or maximizing it. Reference is also made to circuits designed to implement probabilistic computations.
Fission-neutron-induced Expression of a Tumour-associated Antigen in Human Cell Hybrids (HeLa × Skin Fibroblast): Evidence for Increased Expression at Low Dose Rate

SummaryThe induction of a tumour-associated antigen in a human cell hybrid line (HeLa × skin fibroblast) following exposure to fission neutrons of average energy 0·85 MeV (Janus reactor, Argonne National Laboratory) at two dose rates, 0·086 and 10·3 cGy/min, has been examined. The dose-response data obtained indicate the lower dose rate to be 2·9-fold more effective than the higher in inducing expression of the tumour-associated antigen, while there was no significant dose-rate effect in terms of cell killing. These results are qualitatively in agreement with previous observations using neutrons from the Janus reactor for the neoplastic transformation of C3H10T½ cells and Syrian hamster embryo cells.
Correlates of Family Satisfaction with Hospice Care: General Inpatient Hospice Care versus Routine Home Hospice Care

Abstract Background: The quality of communication and support provided to families is associated with greater satisfaction with hospice care. Prior work has not explored whether the predictors of family satisfaction are different in different hospice care settings. Objective: The study objective was to explore whether correlates of family satisfaction are different in general inpatient hospice care versus routine home hospice care. Methods: Survey data from bereaved family members of approximately 1600 patients from a nonprofit, midsized hospice in western Pennsylvania were used. Data was obtained from Family Evaluation of Hospice Care (FEHC) survey responses from 2008–2013 and separated into two groups, general inpatient hospice care and routine home hospice care. The analysis was completed using a binomial logistic regression model. Results: Three variables were associated with greater overall satisfaction in both care settings: being kept informed about the patient's condition (adjusted odds ratio [AOR...
Comparative Genomics Provides Insight into the Diversity of the Attaching and Effacing Escherichia coli Virulence Plasmids

Attaching and effacing Escherichia coli (AEEC) strains are a genomically diverse group of diarrheagenic E. coli strains that are characterized by the presence of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) genomic island, which encodes a type III secretion system that is essential to virulence. AEEC strains can be further classified as either enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), typical enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), or atypical EPEC, depending on the presence or absence of the Shiga toxin genes or bundle-forming pilus (BFP) genes. Recent AEEC genomic studies have focused on the diversity of the core genome, and less is known regarding the genetic diversity and relatedness of AEEC plasmids. Comparative genomic analyses in this study demonstrated genetic similarity among AEEC plasmid genes involved in plasmid replication conjugative transfer and maintenance, while the remainder of the plasmids had sequence variability. Investigation of the EPEC adherence factor (EAF) plasmids, which carry the BFP genes, demonstrated significant plasmid diversity even among isolates within the same phylogenomic lineage, suggesting that these EAF-like plasmids have undergone genetic modifications or have been lost and acquired multiple times. Global transcriptional analyses of the EPEC prototype isolate E2348/69 and two EAF plasmid mutants of this isolate demonstrated that the plasmid genes influence the expression of a number of chromosomal genes in addition to the LEE. This suggests that the genetic diversity of the EAF plasmids could contribute to differences in the global virulence regulons of EPEC isolates.
Evaluation of initial posttrauma cardiovascular levels in association with acute PTSD symptoms following a serious motor vehicle accident

The present study examined the relationship between heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) levels assessed at multiple time points posttrauma and subsequent acute posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms present at a 1-month follow-up. HR and BP levels were measured in 65 motor vehicle accident (MVA) survivors during Emergency Medical Service transport, upon admission to the trauma unit, for the first 20 min postadmission and on the day of discharge. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses revealed no significant relationships between cardiovascular levels and acute PTSD symptoms. Given the small sample size, these results should be interpreted with caution. However, the present results question the use of initial cardiovascular levels as predictors of subsequent acute PTSD in seriously injured MVA victims.
Tunable adsorbate-adsorbate interactions on graphene.

We propose a mechanism to control the interaction between adsorbates on graphene. The interaction between a pair of adsorbates---the change in adsorption energy of one adsorbate in the presence of another---is dominated by the interaction mediated by graphene's $\ensuremath{\pi}$ electrons and has two distinct regimes. Ab initio density functional, numerical tight-binding, and analytical calculations are used to develop the theory. We demonstrate that the interaction can be tuned in a wide range by adjusting the adsorbate-graphene bonding or the chemical potential.
Mission-driven needs: understanding the military relevance of socio-cultural capabilities

The process of translating socio-cultural understanding and models into improved military effectiveness and expanded capabilities often seems sisyphean in its difficulty. This paper describes the clash of cultures that occurs when the deterministic mindset meets non-deterministic models and in which the desire for prediction can only be met by descriptive models. This disjuncture is exacerbated by the fact that the vocabularies, modeling assumptions and data sets that have supported the military modeling and simulation community do not provide adequate bases for the inclusion of social science models. We contend that in such an environment, solutions must be crafted to be specific to missions, areas of operation (geographic regions), levels of command (tactical, strategic, etc.) and operator skill level. By using the above parameters to clarify needs, the community will be better positioned to provide viable solutions supported by available data that can meet the expectations of end users.
Detection of protein-protein interactions in the alkanesulfonate monooxygenase system from Escherichia coli.

The two-component alkanesulfonate monooxygenase system utilizes reduced flavin as a substrate to catalyze a unique desulfonation reaction during times of sulfur starvation. The importance of protein-protein interactions in the mechanism of flavin transfer was analyzed in these studies. The results from affinity chromatography and cross-linking experiments support the formation of a stable complex between the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) reductase (SsuE) and monooxygenase (SsuD). Interactions between the two proteins do not lead to overall conformational changes in protein structure, as indicated by the results from circular dichroism spectroscopy in the far-UV region. However, subtle changes in the flavin environment of FMN-bound SsuE that occur in the presence of SsuD were identified by circular dichroism spectroscopy in the visible region. These data are supported by the results from fluorescent spectroscopy experiments, where a dissociation constant of 0.0022 ± 0.0010 μM was obtained for the binding of SsuE to SsuD. Based on these studies, the stoichiometry for protein-protein interactions is proposed to involve a 1:1 monomeric association of SsuE with SsuD.
GLOBALLY OPTIMIZED FOURIER FINITE-DIFFERENCE MIGRATION METHOD

Summary To accurately image complex structures with strong lateral velocity variations and steep dips, we develop a globally optimized Fourier finite-difference method that uses a rational approximation of the square-root operator in the one-way wave equation. The method uses a split-step Fourier operator coupled with a one-term optimized finite-difference operator. The two coefficients in the rational approximation are obtained by an optimization scheme that maximizes the maximum dip angle of the method for a given model. Our optimized method uses the same coefficients throughout a model in contrast
Investigation of the mechanics of rail seat deterioration and methods to improve the abrasion resistance of concrete sleeper rail seats

A sustained increase in gross rail loads and cumulative freight tonnages on heavy haul railways, as well as increased interest in high- and higher-speed passenger rail development, is placing an increasing demand on railway infrastructure and its components. Rail seat deterioration (RSD) refers to the degradation of the material at the contact interface between the sleeper’s rail seat and the pad that protects the bearing area of the sleeper. RSD continues to be identified as one of the primary factors limiting concrete sleeper service life, particularly in heavy haul operations. This paper includes results from two laboratory experiments that used test setups and protocols and were designed to isolate the abrasion mechanism. The first experiment was used to acquire quantitative and qualitative data related to the frictional properties of rail pad materials sliding on a concrete surface under various normal loads. The second experiment quantified the abrasion resistance of rail seat materials. Results confirmed that abrasion is a feasible RSD mechanism and that the frictional characteristics at the contact interface between the rail pad and concrete rail seat appear to have an impact on the transfer of forces and relative movement, and thus the abrasion mechanism. Also, the abrasion resistance of the rail seat’s surface can be improved by grinding off the top cement paste layer to expose a hard aggregate surface and also by applying an epoxy coating to the surface. Increasing the service life of railway track components will facilitate capacity building on heavy haul, mixed-traffic and passenger railways around the world by reducing maintenance costs and decreasing the demand for maintenance windows.
Awareness of heart attack symptoms among US adults in 2007, and changes in awareness from 2001 to 2007.

Objective: Timely access to emergency care, prompt receipt of advanced treatment and survival from heart attack is dependent on both the early recognition of heart attack symptoms, by both victims and bystanders, and by immediately calling the emergency services. The objective of this study is to measure the awareness of heart attack symptoms and the emergency response among US adults. Method: We analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System’s module on heart attack and stroke, which was conducted in 17 states/territories in 2001 and 12 states/territories in 2007. The module included five questions related to heart attack symptoms, one decoy question and one question regarding the first action to take if someone is having a heart attack. Age-adjusted prevalence of awareness was estimated, and odds ratios were calculated. Differences between 2001 and 2007 were assessed for five states that used the module in both years. Results: In 2007, among 76,864 adults, awareness of individual hear...
The sound of silence: missing the opportunity to save lives at birth

The adverse impact of syphilis on child health has been known for over 500 years, yet the World Health Organization (WHO) only targeted congenital syphilis for elimination in 2007.1 Syphilis in pregnancy is not rare. Far more pregnant women have syphilis than human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection: 1.9 million (2008) and 1.49 million (2010), respectively.2 The fraction of pregnant women with syphilis that is detected and treated is unknown, but estimates suggest that it is less than 10%.3 Whereas untreated maternal HIV infection is transmitted to infants in about one third of the cases, untreated maternal syphilis nearly always results in an adverse pregnancy outcome. For these reasons, syphilis is as important an infection during pregnancy as infection with HIV. It therefore makes sense to build on global efforts to prevent and treat HIV infection during pregnancy to strengthen the fight against maternal syphilis.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder: beyond segregated cortico-striatal pathways

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects approximately 2–3% of the population and is characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions), typically performed in response to obsessions or related anxiety. In the past few decades, the prevailing models of OCD pathophysiology have focused on cortico-striatal circuitry. More recent neuroimaging evidence, however, points to critical involvement of the lateral and medial orbitofrontal cortices, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and amygdalo-cortical circuitry, in addition to cortico-striatal circuitry, in the pathophysiology of the disorder. In this review, we elaborate proposed features of OCD pathophysiology beyond the classic parallel cortico-striatal pathways and argue that this evidence suggests that fear extinction, in addition to behavioral inhibition, is impaired in OCD.
Reduced-rank antenna selection for MIMO DS-CDMA channels

Receive antenna subset selection is an effective scheme to reduce the number of expensive RF chains in multi-input multi-output (MIMO) wireless systems (Gorokhov, A. et al., IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol.49, p.2687-96, 2003). In order to speed up the selection process, two suboptimal antenna subset selection schemes are proposed for the downlink of direct-sequence (DS) code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems under frequency selective fading. These schemes are decremental and incremental selection algorithms (DSA and ISA, respectively), which recursively drop or select one more antenna element based on the mutual information maximization criterion for different channel realizations. Moreover, the high computational complexity of matrix inversion required by these two algorithms can be further reduced by a multistage Wiener filter (MSWF) (Goldstein, J.S., IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol.44, p.2943-59, 1998). Monte Carlo simulation results show that the reduced-rank DSA not only precipitates the selection process with little capacity degradation, but outperforms the full-rank ISA by 2 dB.
Histone trimethylation by Set1 is coordinated by the RRM, autoinhibitory, and catalytic domains

Trimethylation of lysine 4 of histone H3 occurs at the 5′ end of active genes and is catalyzed by Set1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Trimethylation requires histone H2B ubiquitylation and the PAF1 complex, which are linked to transcription elongation, but how they activate Set1 is not known. Set1 also bears several conserved domains with uncharacterized contributions to activity. Here, we isolated dominant hyperactive SET1D alleles, which revealed a complex interplay among Set1 regulatory domains. Remarkably, the RNA-recognition motif (RRM) of Set1 is required for H3K4 trimethylation, but not dimethylation. Also, a central autoinhibitory domain was identified that opposes RRM function by inhibiting trimethylation. Furthermore, a G990E replacement in the catalytic domain conferred Set1 hyperactivity and restored trimethylation to a Set1 derivative bearing mutations in the RRM domain. Surprisingly, certain SET1D alleles also partially restored trimethylation to strains lacking histone H2B ubiquitylation or Paf1. Taken together, our data suggest that the catalytic domain of Set1 integrates opposing inputs from the RRM and autoinhibitory domains to link properly H3K4 methylation to the transcript elongation process.
A Model for Managing a Family-Planning System

This paper describes a planning model designed to be used by managers of family-planning systems to improve understanding, forecasting, and planning. The macro-flow model describes the patient movement through post-partum and nonpost-partum programs. The flows model the phenomena of: outreach recruitment, continuance, post-partum checkups, switching methods, referral, migration, contraceptive-use experience, private protection, method effectiveness, advertising response, follow up, abortion, and medical services. Strategic variables can be linked to the flow parameters to produce capacity requirements and budgetary implications. The model output includes benefit measures of total active patients, couple years of protection, "births protected," and unwanted births prevented. The fertility aspects of births prevented are modeled through a nonstationary Markov process submodel that considers demographic phenomena without burdening the basic flow structure. The input procedures used to process patient-visit, outreach, clinic-survey, and experimental data are discussed and some empirical results are reported. The combination of data-based estimates and subjective judgment is done by "fitting" the model to past observed data. Testing and control are done by "tracking" model performance through conditional prediction, diagnosis, and updating. The model is implemented in an on-line, conversational program that facilitates evolutionary model building by allowing the user to specify his model options. The application and testing of the model in the Atlanta Area Family Planning System are discussed and the experiences of managers in using the model to gain new insights, forecasts, budgets, and plans are reported.
Femoral vein ligation increases bone mass in the hindlimb suspended rat

Bone remodeling in response to changing mechanical demands is well recognized. It has been hypothesized that alterations in interstitial fluid flow (IFF), due to intraosseous pressure changes, influence bone remodeling. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of IFF in bone in the absence of mechanical strain using an in vivo model, the hindlimb suspended rat. Bone remodeling was assessed by direct measurements of weight, dimensions, bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and trabecular density using peripheral computed tomography (pQCT). Ligation of one femoral vein was performed as a means to alter the IFF within the ipsilateral femur; the contralateral limb was sham-operated as control. Animals were suspended for a period of 19 days. Intramedullary pressure in the venous-ligated femurs increased relative to the sham-operated control femurs (27.8 mmHg vs. 16.4 mmHg, p < 0.05), suggesting venous ligation increased IFF proportional to the pressure drop across the bone. Bone mineral content (BMC), when normalized to body weight, increased significantly in the venous-ligated femurs relative to control limbs (115.9 +/- 15.6% vs. 103.8 +/- 13.2%, p < 0.001); similarly, gains in length (106.2 +/- 2.4% vs. 104.5 +/- 2.1%, p < 0.05) and distal width (110.8 +/- 10.3% vs. 106.2 +/- 8.2%, p < 0.05) for the femurs with venous ligation were significantly greater relative to sham control. Furthermore, trabecular density was significantly higher in the femurs with venous ligation (351 +/- 12 g/cm3 vs. 329 +/- 11 g/cm3, p < 0.05). Daily administration of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, via drinking water, suppressed the length increases observed for the venous ligated femur, suggesting a role for prostaglandins in IFF-mediated remodeling. These results suggest that IFF can directly influence bone adaptation independent of mechanical loading, and supports the hypothesis that fluid flow modulates bone remodeling.
Tumor-induced solid stress activates β-catenin signaling to drive malignant behavior in normal, tumor-adjacent cells.

Recent work by Fernandez-Sanchez and coworkers examining the impact of applied pressure on the malignant phenotype of murine colon tissue in vivo revealed that mechanical perturbations can drive malignant behavior in genetically normal cells. Their findings build upon an existing understanding of how the mechanical cues experienced by cells within a tissue become progressively modified as the tissue transforms. Using magnetically stimulated ultra-magnetic liposomes to mimic tumor growth -induced solid stress, Fernandez-Sanchez and coworkers were able to stimulate β-catenin to promote the cancerous behavior of both a normal and genetically modified colon epithelium. In this perspective, we discuss their findings in the context of what is currently known regarding the role of the mechanical landscape in cancer progression and β-catenin as a mechanotransducer. We review data that suggest that mechanically regulated activation of β-catenin fosters development of a malignant phenotype in tissue and predict that mechanical cues may contribute to tumor heterogeneity.
The Scientist as Behaving Organism

The core analytic unit in any evolutionary perspective is variation and selective retention. Behavior analysis has always been part of the community of evolution sciences, but in some ways it is the most thorough going because it is most willing to consider the behavior of the scientist in the same terms. Strange things occur when that is done. Many behavior analysts trace the core insight of Skinner’s radical behaviorism to his 1945 paper on the operational analysis of psychological terms. In that paper Skinner takes the radical step of considering scientific concepts and data in terms of the contingencies controlling actions of scientists when they observe and analyze. In so doing, artificial prohibitions against introspection are overthrown and the door to the analysis of private events is forever opened inside behavioral thinking. In the present series of remarks (what we might simply call blogs in the modern era) Murray Sidman repeatedly shows sensitivity to this issue: “my intention is to remind behaviorists that their very philosophy obliges them to treat themselves as a component of the behavioral systems they study” (1977b, p. 127). His immediate concern there is the application of aversive behavioral methods, a worry he would later explore in his book on coercion, but the point has broader application, as Dr. Sidman notes. For example, in another blog Dr. Sidman wonders aloud about “whether a commitment to a theoretical practice is not actually forcing practitioners to ignore theoretical issues whose study might in turn affect the practices” (1977a, p. 113). This again is a concern over the consequences of analytic practices on those analyzing. It is just good behavioral (one might say evolutionary) thinking, and it is fitting that someone of Dr. Sidman’s stature should have shown such sensitivity to it. There is probably not a field in all of experimental psychology more prone to interpretation than behavior analysis. Inside tightly defined terms it is easy for behaviorists to become concerned with what is the right, true, or correct way of analyzing problems from a behavioral point of view—all the while using an implicit definition of right, true, and correct that is based on correspondence or coherence and without a focus on consequences. To be honest, at times Dr. Sidman flirts with this as well, but the dominant thread is how willing he is to wander from mainstream behavior analytic perspectives if it might lead to something useful. Consider this section of his 1979 blog:
A Methionine-Induced Animal Model of Schizophrenia: Face and Predictive Validity.

Background: Modulating the methylation process induces broad biochemical changes, some of which may be involved in schizophrenia. Methylation is in particular central to epigenesis, which is also recognized as a factor in the etiology of schizophrenia. Because methionine administration to patients with schizophrenia has been reported to exacerbate their psychotic symptoms and because mice treated with methionine exhibited social deficits and prepulse inhibition impairment, we investigated whether methionine administration could lead to behavioral changes that reflect schizophrenic symptoms in mice. Methods: l-Methionine was administered to mice twice a day for 7 days. Results: We found that this treatment induces behavioral responses that reflect the 3 types of schizophrenia-like symptoms (positive, negative, or cognitive deficits) as monitored in a battery of behavioral assays (locomotion, stereotypy, social interaction, forced swimming, prepulse inhibition, novel object recognition, and inhibitory avoidance). Moreover, these responses were differentially reversed by typical haloperidol and atypical clozapine antipsychotics in ways that parallel their effects in schizophrenics. Conclusion: We thus propose the l-methionine treatment as an animal model recapitulating several symptoms of schizophrenia. We have established the face and predictive validity for this model. Our model relies on an essential natural amino acid and on an intervention that is relatively simple and time effective and may offer an additional tool for assessing novel antipsychotics.
Economic Implications of Widespread Expansion of Frozen Section Margin Analysis to Guide Surgical Resection in Women With Breast Cancer Undergoing Breast-Conserving Surgery

Purpose:In the current health care environment, cost effectiveness is critically important in policy setting and care of patients. This study performed a health economic analysis to assess the implications to providers and payers of expanding the use of frozen section margin analysis to minimize reoperations for patients undergoing breast cancer lumpectomy.Methods:A health care economic impact model was built to assess annual costs associated with breast lumpectomy procedures with and without frozen section margin analysis to avoid reoperation.Results:If frozen section margin analysis is used in 20% of breast lumpectomies and under a baseline assumption that 35% of initial lumpectomies without frozen section analysis result in reoperations, the potential annual cost savings are $18.2 million to payers and $0.4 million to providers. Under the same baseline assumption, if 100% of all health care facilities adopted the use of frozen section margin analysis for breast lumpectomy procedures, the potential annu...
S2Sim: Smart Grid Swarm Simulator

The Smart Grid is drawing attention from various research areas. Distributed control algorithms at different scales within the grid are being developed and deployed; yet their effects on each other and the grid's health and stability has not been sufficiently studied due to the lack of a capable simulator. Simulators in the literature can solve the power flow by modeling the physical system, but fail to address the cyber physical aspect of the smart grid with multiple agents. To answer these questions, we have developed S2Sim: Smart Grid Swarm Simulator. S2Sim allows any object within the grid to have its own independent control, transforming physical elements into cyber-physical representations. Objects can have any size ranging from a light bulb to a whole microgrid and their representative data can be supplied from a real device, simulation, distributed control algorithm or a database. S2Sim shields the complexity of the power flow solution from the control algorithms and directly supplies information on system stability. This information can be used to give feedback signals like price or regulation incentives by virtual coordinators to form closed-loop control. Using three case studies, we illustrate how different distributed control algorithms can have varying effects on system stability, which would go undetected in the absence of our simulator. Furthermore, our case studies show that control algorithms can't be justified without being tested within the grid.
Is Routine Upper Gastrointestinal Contrast Study Necessary prior to Laparoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Placement in Children

Introduction Before gastrostomy tube (GT) placement, many pediatric surgeons request that children undergo a preoperative upper gastrointestinal contrast study (UGI) to evaluate for the presence of either gastroesophageal reflux (GER) or intestinal malrotation. We hypothesized that routine UGI is unnecessary before GT placement. Materials and Methods We performed a retrospective review of 500 consecutive children who had a GT placed in a single children's hospital from 2009 to 2012. Results There were 403 children who underwent UGI before planned GT placement; 196 of which were placed during the same hospitalization. Only 1/403 (0.25%) diagnosis of malrotation was identified on UGI, and treated with a Ladd procedure at the time of GT placement. There were 154 children who had evidence of reflux on UGI; 97 underwent an antireflux procedure in conjunction with GT placement. An additional 57 children with no evidence of reflux on UGI also underwent a concurrent antireflux procedure. Of these 160 children who underwent concurrent fundoplication, only 3 (2%) had a confirmatory pH probe study performed before GT placement. Conclusions We found that in children undergoing routine preoperative UGI before GT placement (1) the risk of malrotation is less than 1%; (2) the decision to perform an antireflux procedure weakly correlates with the UGI findings of GER; and (3) one in five patients without radiographic GER still underwent concomitant fundoplication with or without confirmatory pH probe study. We conclude that the practice of routine UGI before laparoscopic gastrostomy placement in children is likely unnecessary.
Extension of the non-linear depth imaging capability of the inverse scattering series to multidimensional media: strategies and numerical results

The inverse scattering series (ISS) has proven, and continues to prove, to be a highly effective formalism for the separate and isolated accomplishment of several key tasks of reflection seismic processing and inversion. In particular, Weglein et al. (2000), Shaw et al. (2003), and Shaw (2005) describe the development of an algorithm distilled from the ISS that concerns itself with the location of subsurface reflectors with no prior knowledge, or related intervening estimation, of the medium wavespeed. The specific non-linear data activity that accomplishes this goal has been investigated by Shaw as such for an idealized 1D pre-stack acoustic experiment; we here describe the extension of those ideas to accommodate media with lateral variation. This is a non-trivial step. Nevertheless, beneath the added algebraic complexity, recognizable patterns and mechanisms are visible. Analysis of these terms and patterns suggests that certain portions of the 2D reflector location mechanisms of the ISS are a good starting point for the creation of algorithms for the accurate depth location of reflectors with a moderate level of lateral variability. The partial 2D imaging capability within the ISS is examined in this paper for the special case of a constant density acoustic medium and taking kh=0. We demonstrate numerical implementations of these forms and discuss ongoing work towards capturing further imaging capability residing within the ISS, especially with regards to the accommodation of larger levels of contrast and rapidity of spatial variation in medium properties.
A Symplectic Technique for Model Reduction of Wave Equations

A symplectic model reduction technique, proper symplectic decomposition (PSD), is proposed to preserve the geometric structure and achieve computational saving for largescale wave equations. As an empirical model reduction approach, the PSD combines the idea of symplectic reduction with SVD-based projection. After rewriting the wave equation into a Hamiltonian form, the PSD can be applied to construct a low-order system that is suitable for the long-time integration. The stability, accuracy and efficiency of the reduced model are illustrated through the numerical simulations.
Knowledge Curation Discussions and Activity Dynamics in a Short Lived Social Q&A Community

Studying the dynamics and life-cycles of online knowledge curation communities is essential to identify and assemble community type specific repertoires of strategies, rules, and actions of community design, governance, content creation and curation. This paper examines the lifecycle of a short lived social Q&A community on Stack Exchange by performing the content analysis of the logs of member discussions and content curation actions.
Characteristics of Youth With Combined Histories of Violent Behavior, Suicidal Ideation or Behavior, and Gun-Carrying.

Abstract. Background: Youth reporting combined histories of nonfatal violence, suicidal ideation/behavior, and gun-carrying (VSG) are at risk for perpetrating fatal interpersonal violence and self-harm. Aims: We characterized these youth to inform prevention efforts. Method: We analyzed 2004 data from 3,931 seventh-, ninth-, and 11–12th-grade youth and compared VSG youth (n = 66) with non-gun carrying youth who either had no histories of violence or suicidal thoughts/behavior (n = 1,839), histories of violence (n = 884), histories of suicidal thoughts/behaviors (n = 552), or both (n = 590). We compared groups based on demographic factors, risk factors (i.e., friends who engage in delinquency, peer-violence victimization, depressive symptoms, illicit substance use), and protective factors (i.e., school connectedness, parental care and supervision). Regression models identified factors associated with VSG youth. Results: Illicit substance use and having friends who engage in delinquency were more common amo...
Changes in Retinal N-Acylethanolamines and their Oxylipin Derivatives During the Development of Visual Impairment in a Mouse Model for Glaucoma.

Neurons are especially susceptible to oxidative damage, which is increasingly implicated in neurodegenerative disease. Certain N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) have been shown to protect neurons from oxidative stress. Since glaucoma may be considered a neurodegenerative disorder and the survival of retinal neurons could also be influenced by N-acylethanolamines, our goal was to quantify changes in certain N-acylethanolamine species and their oxylipin derivatives in the retina of a mouse model for glaucoma. We also sought to identify relationships between these and parameters of glaucoma disease development, specifically intraocular pressure, visual acuity, and contrast sensitivity. Five N-acylethanolamine species and three NAE oxylipin derivatives were quantified in retina from young and aged DBA/2Crl mice. N-Acylethanolamines and NAE-oxylipins in retinal extracts were quantified against deuterated standards by isotope dilution gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Levels (nmol/g dry weight) of N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide; NAE 20:4) were significantly (p = 0.008) decreased in aged (2.875 ± 0.6702) compared to young animals (5.175 ± 0.971). Conversely, the anandamide oxylipin, 15(S)-HETE ethanolamide (15(S)-HETE EA), was significantly (p = 0.042) increased in aged (0.063 ± 0.009) compared to young animals (0.039 ± 0.011). Enzymatic depletion of the anandamide pool by 15-lipoxygenase and consequent accumulation of 15(S)-HETE ethanolamine may contribute to decreased visual function in glaucomatous mice. Since N-acylethanolamines effectively attenuate glaucoma pathogenesis and associated visual impairment, our data provides additional rationale and novel targets for glaucoma therapies.
TANGO-Inspired Design of Anti-Amyloid Cyclic Peptides

β-Amyloid peptide (Aβ) self-associates into oligomers and fibrils, in a process that is believed to directly lead to neuronal death in Alzheimer’s disease. Compounds that bind to Aβ, and inhibit fibrillogenesis and neurotoxicity, are of interest as an anti-Alzheimer therapeutic strategy. Peptides are particularly attractive for this purpose, because they have advantages over small molecules in their ability to disrupt protein–protein interactions, yet they are amenable to tuning of their properties through chemical means, unlike antibodies. Self-complementation and peptide library screening are two strategies that have been employed in the search for peptides that bind to Aβ. We have taken a different approach, by designing Aβ-binding peptides using transthyretin (TTR) as a template. Previously, we demonstrated that a cyclic peptide, with sequence derived from the known Aβ-binding site on TTR, suppressed Aβ aggregation into fibrils and protected neurons against Aβ toxicity. Here, we searched for cyclic pe...
Capacitively Coupled Measurements of the Magnetoconductivity Tensor in Heterostructures

We have studied the Hall voltage and magnetoresistance of high mobility (10-50 m2/V-s) GaAs-(AlGa)As heterostructures using large area capacitors in place of ohmic contacts. Measurements were made at frequencies between 100 Hz and 100 kHz at temperatures between 1.2 and 4.2K. The vanishing differential capacitance of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) replaces the flats in the Hall voltage with minima. However additional structure is also observed as the Fermi level moves between Landau levels. In addition, this technique improves resolution of the quantized Hall effect (QHE) and we have observed the 1/3 and 1/5 states as well as a signature from the 1/7 state.