cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tuberous sclerosis-2 tumor suppressor modulates ERK and B-Raf activity in transformed renal epithelial cells

The tuberous sclerosis-2 (Tsc-2) gene is a suppressor of renal tumorigenesis and an early target of reactive oxygen species-induced renal cancer. Tuberin, the protein product of the Tsc-2 gene, participates in the regulation of cell proliferation, although the mechanism by which it suppresses proliferation is unknown. Quinol-thioether-transformed rat renal epithelial (QT-RRE) cell lines, derived from quinol-thioether-transformed primary renal epithelial cells from Eker rats, lack tuberin expression due to loss of heterozygosity of the Tsc-2 gene. These cell lines were used to examine the mechanism by which tuberin exerts its antiproliferative action. Loss of tuberin function correlates with high ERK activity (39), which could contribute to the formation of renal tumors. In this study, we sought to identify possible downstream effectors regulated by tuberin, using QT-RRE cells transfected with Tsc-2 cDNA to restore tuberin expression. Constitutively high ERK, B-Raf, and Raf-1 activities were observed in QT-RRE cells. However, restoration of tuberin expression in QT-RRE cells by transient transfection with Tsc-2 cDNA substantially decreased both ERK and B-Raf activity, with only modest changes in Raf-1 activity, suggesting tuberin functions as an upstream negative regulator of the ERK pathway. High ERK activity was not mediated through EGF receptor activation, but treatment with genistein demonstrated that protein kinases are involved in ERK cascade activation. The data indicate that loss of tuberin results in the upregulation of the ERK signaling pathway with subsequent increases in new DNA synthesis, and ultimately, tumor formation.
Spatial analysis of plague in California: niche modeling predictions of the current distribution and potential response to climate change

Background: Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is a public and wildlife health concern in California and the western United States. This study explores the spatial characteristics of positive plague samples in California and tests Maxent, a machine-learning method that can be used to develop niche-based models from presence-only data, for mapping the potential distribution of plague foci. Maxent models were constructed using geocoded seroprevalence data from surveillance of California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) as case points and Worldclim bioclimatic data as predictor variables, and compared and validated using area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) statistics. Additionally, model results were compared to locations of positive and negative coyote (Canis latrans) samples, in order to determine the correlation between Maxent model predictions and areas of plague risk as determined via wild carnivore surveillance. Results: Models of plague activity in California ground squirrels, based on recent climate conditions, accurately identified case locations (AUC of 0.913 to 0.948) and were significantly correlated with coyote samples. The final models were used to identify potential plague risk areas based on an ensemble of six future climate scenarios. These models suggest that by 2050, climate conditions may reduce plague risk in the southern parts of California and increase risk along the northern coast and Sierras. Conclusion: Because different modeling approaches can yield substantially different results, care should be taken when interpreting future model predictions. Nonetheless, niche modeling can be a useful tool for exploring and mapping the potential response of plague activity to climate change. The final models in this study were used to identify potential plague risk areas based on an ensemble of six future climate scenarios, which can help public managers decide where to allocate surveillance resources. In addition, Maxent model results were significantly correlated with coyote samples, indicating that carnivore surveillance programs will continue to be important for tracking the response of plague to future climate conditions.
Sickle Hb polymerization in RBC components from donors with sickle cell trait prevents effective WBC reduction by filtration.

BACKGROUND: RBC components collected from donors with sickle cell trait frequently occlude WBC-reduction filters. In vitro, sickle trait RBCs have the potential for sickle Hb (Hb S) polymerization at low oxygen saturations and high Hb concentrations. STUDY DESIGN AND METHOD: To determine if the low pH and high osmolarity of the CP2D used in the collection contributed to filter failures, the filterability of sickle trait donor RBCs collected in CP2D was compared with RBCs from the same donors collected in heparin. RESULTS: Five of six sickle trait components collected in CP2D did not complete filtration, but all six RBC components collected in heparin filtered completely. RBC components collected in CP2D from four other sickle trait donors were divided in two, and one-half was treated with carbon monoxide to convert Hb S to its liganded form to prevent Hb S polymerization. All four carbon monoxide-treated components filtered within 9 minutes, but only one untreated component filtered completely. RBC components collected by apheresis contained less CP2D, and five of seven sickle trait apheresis components filtered completely; four of the five filtered rapidly (<15 min) and one filtered in 100 minutes. Hb oxygen saturation was greater in the four rapidly filtering apheresis RBC components (68 ± 9%) than in the three that filtered slowly or incompletely (37 ± 5%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Hb S polymerization appears responsible for RBC WBC-reduction filter failures. Citrate anticoagulant and low oxygen saturation are responsible in part for Hb S polymerization in this setting.
Stochastic simulation of pulses in nonlinear-optical fibers with random birefringence

Numerical simulations of nonlinear pulse propagation in optical fibers with randomly varying birefringence are presented. For short-length-scale randomness the dominant effect is due to phase-velocity birefringence and produces a probabilistic uncertainty that increases with propagation distance for the expected value of the pulse’s polarization state. An approximate evolution equation for the probability distribution of the polarization state was derived previously [ Physica D55, 166 ( 1992)]. Comparisons between this distribution and Monte Carlo simulations are presented that demonstrate the validity of the analytical results. The simulations also show that the polarization state of a pulse is completely randomized on the longer soliton-period length scale. This provides justification for the assumption of a uniformly distributed polarization state used in previous analyses of this problem [ Opt. Lett.16, 1231 ( 1991); J. Lightwave Technol.10, 28 ( 1992)]. Furthermore, the higher-order effects of group birefringence are assessed. In particular, the polarization-state fluctuations induced by the randomness are shown to reduce significantly the effects of pulse splitting and dispersive radiation loss caused by group-velocity birefringence.
Exofacial epitope-tagged glucose transporter chimeras reveal COOH-terminal sequences governing cellular localization

The insulin-regulated adipocyte/skeletal muscle glucose transporter (GLUT4) displays a characteristic steady-state intracellular localization under basal conditions, whereas the erythrocyte/brain transporter isoform (GLUT1) distributes mostly to the cell surface. To identify possible structural elements in these transporter proteins that determine their cellular localization, GLUT1/GLUT4 chimera cDNA constructs that contain the hemagglutinin epitope YPYDVPDYA (HA) in their major exofacial loops were engineered. Binding of monoclonal anti-HA antibody to non-permeabilized COS-7 cells expressing HA-tagged transporter chimeras revealed that expression of transporters on the cell surface was strongly influenced by their cytoplasmic COOH-terminal domain. This method also revealed a less marked, but significant effect on cellular localization of amino acid residues between transporter exofacial and middle loops. The subcellular distribution of expressed chimeras was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy of permeabilized COS-7 cells. Thus, HA-tagged native GLUT4 was concentrated in the perinuclear region, whereas a chimera containing the COOH-terminal 29 residues of GLUT1 substituted onto GLUT4 distributed to the plasma membrane, as did native GLUT1. Furthermore, a chimera composed of GLUT1 with a GLUT4 COOH-terminal 30-residue substitution exhibited a predominantly intracellular localization. Similar data was obtained in CHO cells stably expressing these chimeras. Taken together, these results define the unique COOH-terminal cytoplasmic sequences of the GLUT1 and GLUT4 glucose transporters as important determinants of cellular localization in COS-7 and CHO cells.
Impact of design-manufacturing interface on SoC design methodologies

Today's semiconductor manufacturing trends are increasingly influencing hardware design techniques, tools, and methodologies. We analyze these trends and describe their effects on design methodologies. These effects clearly include impacts on yield optimization resolution enhancement.
PERFORIN-ENHANCING PROTEIN, A LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT PROTEIN OF CYTOTOXIC LYMPHOCYTE GRANULES, ENHANCES PERFORIN LYSIS

Perforin is a 68 kD protein found in the granules of cytotoxic lymphocytes and is used by lymphocytes to form lethal pores in the membranes of the cells they kill. We and others have found that when perforin is purified, its lytic activity is markedly reduced. ELISAs indicated that our final recovery of perforin protein was excellent. We decided to determine if depletion of other granule proteins contributed to the loss of lytic activity. We isolated perforin to the point where lytic activity was diminished and added back granule proteins that had no lytic activity or detectable (antigenic) perforin. Perforin was isolated by Cu2+-immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) followed by phenyl-Superose hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). Its lytic activity was enhanced by a low molecular weight (<15 kD) protein, perforin enhancing protein (PEPr). We have isolated PEPr by two methods, HIC and MonoQ. Nonlytic PEPr restored perforin to close to its original lytic activity. A protein similar if not identical to PEPr was also detectable as an 125I-labeled protein associated with lytic perforin. We propose that PEPr acts in conjunction with perforin to form lethal pores and suggest that PEPr may be the rat equivalent of the human cytotoxic lymphocyte protein, granulysin.
Mechanisms of seawater acclimation in a primitive, anadromous fish, the green sturgeon

Relatively little is known about salinity accli- mation in the primitive groups of fishes. To test whether physiological preparative changes occur and to investigate the mechanisms of salinity acclimation, anadromous green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris (Chondrostei) of three different ages (100, 170, and 533 dph) were acclimated for 7 weeks to three different salinities (\3, 10, and 33 ppt). Gill, kidney, pyloric caeca, and spiral intestine tissues were assayed for Na ? ,K ? -ATPase activity; and gills were ana- lyzed for mitochondria-rich cell (MRC) size, abundance, localization and Na ? ,K ? -ATPase content. Kidneys were analyzed for Na ? ,K ? -ATPase localization and the gastro- intestinal tract (GIT) was assessed for changes in ion and base content. Na ? ,K ? -ATPase activities increased in the gills and decreased in the kidneys with increasing salinity. Gill MRCs increased in size and decreased in relative abundance with fish size/age. Gill MRC Na ? ,K ? -ATPase content (e.g., ion-pumping capacity) was proportional to MRC size, indicating greater abilities to regulate ions with size/age. Developmental/ontogenetic changes were seen in the rapid increases in gill MRC size and lamellar length between 100 and 170 dph. Na ? ,K ? -ATPase activities increased fourfold in the pyloric caeca in 33 ppt, presum- ably due to increased salt and water absorption as indicated by GIT fluids, solids, and ion concentrations. In contrast to teleosts, a greater proportion of base (HCO3 - and 2CO3 2- ) was found in intestinal precipitates than fluids. Green sturgeon osmo- and ionoregulate with similar mechanisms to more-derived teleosts, indicating the importance of these mechanisms during the evolution of fishes, although salinity acclimation may be more dependent on body size.
Relationship between Fathers' and Mothers' Socialization Practices and Children's Locus of Control in Brazil, the Philippines, and the United States

Abstract This study examined the relationship between children's locus of control and their perceptions of their fathers' and mothers' socialization practices in intact, rural families in Brazil, the Philippines, and the United States. Results showed that Brazilian children scored significantly higher in locus of control, followed by Filipino and American children, respectively. Significant differences were found in locus of control scores between younger and older children in the three samples. Moreover, American and Filipino children's perceptions of their parents' socialization practices were significantly correlated with their locus of control scores. Only one significant relationship was found between Brazilian children's locus of control scores and their parents' socialization practices. The cultural implications of these findings are discussed.
Transcription of native and denatured DNA preparations by bacteriophage T3 induced RNA polymerase.

It is now well established that the expression of genetic information in bacteriophages, as well as in more complex organisms, is subject to temporal control; not all genes are expressed simultaneously. Early- and late–functioning cistrons have been distinguished in λ, T-even, and other bacteriophages. In these viruses, temporal regulation of gene expression seems to occur at the transcriptional level. At a certain time after infection, mRNA synthesis, originally specific for early phage proteins, is altered to produce RNA that directs the synthesis of late phage proteins. Evidence for this control mechanism has been reviewed (1,2). The change in transcription specificity leading to the synthesis of late mRNA may be achieved either by modification of the host RNA polymerase or by de novo synthesis of a new RNA polymerase coded by the viral genome. The modified or the new RNA polymerase can initiate RNA synthesis corresponding to late bacteriophage genes.
Epitome of Modifying Factors and an Approach toward Prevention

DR. GROEN: The term “arteriosclerosis” is applied to a variety of quite different lesions affecting the vascular (mainly arterial) wall. While the lesions differ from one another in appearance and composition, they often appear to be related as part of a sequence of pathological changes in the tissue. Evidence from experimental studies as well as pathological surveys establish that the different types of lesions may occur together or separately in the same place or in different places, and in vessels of the same individual or of different individuals. Fatty streaks, elevated lesions of fibrous or fatty type, endothelial, subendothelial and elastica changes and accumulation of lipids, sulfated mucopolysaccharides, platelets, muscle cells, fibroblasts, mononuclear cells and rupture, thrombosis, hyalinosis necrosis and calcification all appear to be part of the arteriosclerotic processes. The multiple manifestations of arteriosclerosis appear to be set in motion in a variety of ways. Depending on the different causal processes (alone or in combination), the lesions have different appearances and ways of developing. Apparently a coincidence of many causal factors is operating in most Western human populations. This may explain why the “complicated lesions” are found at a relatively early age in the vessels of heart, brain, kidneys and extremities among these populations.
An observational study of shift length, crew familiarity, and occupational injury and illness in emergency medical services workers

Objectives Emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians are shift workers deployed in two-person teams. Extended shift duration, workplace fatigue, poor sleep and lack of familiarity with teammates are common in the EMS workforce and may contribute to workplace injury. We sought to examine the relationship between shift length and occupational injury while controlling for relevant shift work and teamwork factors. Methods We obtained 3 years of shift schedules and occupational injury and illness reports were from 14 large EMS agencies. We abstracted shift length and additional scheduling and team characteristics from shift schedules. We matched occupational injury and illness reports to shift records and used hierarchical logistic regression models to test the relationship between shift length and occupational injury and illness while controlling for teammate familiarity. Results The cohort contained 966 082 shifts, 4382 employees and 950 outcome reports. Risk of occupational injury and illness was lower for shifts ≤8 h in duration (RR 0.70; 95% CI 0.51 to 0.96) compared with shifts >8 and ≤12 h. Relative to shifts >8 and ≤12 h, risk of injury was 60% greater (RR 1.60; 95% CI 1.22 to 2.10) for employees that worked shifts >16 and ≤24 h. Conclusions Shift length is associated with increased risk of occupational injury and illness in this sample of EMS shift workers.
Poco a Poco Leadership Practices Supporting Productive Communities of Practice in Schools Serving the New Mainstream

Purpose: Culturally and linguistically diverse students frequently do not receive equitable educational opportunities. Schools across public and private sectors that are striving to ameliorate this...
An Analysis of Real Estate Curriculum Requirements at AACSB International-Accredited Institutions

Real estate courses are a staple of business school curricula throughout the world, yet a wide diversity of courses, programs, concentrations and majors exist. Historically, the academic field of r...
Ground-Surface Arthropods of an Old-Field Habitat in the Delta of Mississippi, with Emphasis on the Cicindelidae (Coleoptera)

Ground-surface arthropods were captured by barrier pitfall traps over a 15-month period in an old-field habitat adjacent to a cotton field. Members of the Coleoptera, Orthoptera, and Araneae constituted 89% of the 11,496 captures. The most abundant species group was Gryllus sp. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).The most abundant predator species was Megacephala Carolina L. (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), present in atypically large numbers. The peak abundance of nymphal Gryllus sp. (July–October) overlapped the peak abundance period (August) of M. Carolina. Feeding experiments indicated M.Carolina adults were active predators on Gryllus sp. nymphs. As a potential biocontrol agent, methods to encourage M. Carolina adults to move each season from old-field habitats into adjacent crop fields should be considered.
Hyperprolactinemia and Hyperadrenocorticism Accompanied by Normal Blood Pressure in Sprague-Dawley Rats

AbstractPituitary glands removed from adult female normotensive Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rats were implanted beneath the renal capsule of 100-day-old male S-D rats. Female neonatal S-D rats were given a single sc injection of 1.25 mg of testosterone proprionate (TP) suspended in sesame oil. Systolic blood pressure and blood samples were taken at various time intervals postimplantation and TP treatment prior to autopsy. Both the TP treatment and pituitary implants caused hyperprolactinemia, increased adrenal weight concomitant with thymus gland involution, hypersecretion of corticosterone, but no increase in systolic blood pressure. It is suggested that the failure of these hyperprolactinemic S-D rats to develop hypertension was due to the absence of a genetically mediated hypertensinogenic factor present in this normotensive strain which is activated by chronic hyperprolactinemia.
Coincident Stimulation With Pheromone Components Improves Temporal Pattern Resolution in Central Olfactory Neurons

Christensen, Thomas A. and John G. Hildebrand. Coincident stimulation with pheromone components improves temporal pattern resolution in central olfactory neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 775–781, 1997...
On the Direct Kinematics of a New 4-DOF Parallel Robot

This paper presents the closed-form solution of the direct kinematics problem of a new 4-DOF parallel robot. Since the derivation of closed-form direct kinematics is very complicated, it is desirable to find a set of possible simplest constraint equations as the basic equations. This will not only help to simplify the derivation procedure but also help to avoid the extraneous solutions. According to geometric conditions, we constructed a set of three equations in three variables. Then making use of symbolic computation method and Dialytic method, the direct kinematics was reduced to a 32th order polynomial equation in one variable. Two numerical examples for the real solutions of the direct kinematics are given by the software Mathematica.
Assisted reproductive technologies

Case example Thirty-year-old Mr. Edward Dawson, an investment manager in a large bank, collapses one afternoon in his office. His assistant immediately calls 911. Emergency medical technicians respond rapidly, recognize that Mr. Dawson is in cardiac arrest, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation, intubate Mr. Dawson, and transport him to nearby Downtown Medical Center, where he is placed on a ventilator and admitted to the medical intensive care unit. Physical examination and diagnostic imaging reveal that he has suffered a severe anoxic brain injury, and he does not regain consciousness. Eight weeks later, Mr. Dawson's medical condition is unchanged. A consulting neurologist informs his wife that, although he does not satisfy all of the neurologic criteria for the determination of death, his brain injury is extensive and irreversible. The neurologist explains that it is highly unlikely that Mr. Dawson will ever regain consciousness or the ability to breathe on his own . Mr. Dawson had been married just four months before this accident. Dr. Milam, his attending physician, offers Mrs. Dawson the option that ventilator support be withdrawn and Mr. Dawson be allowed to die. Mrs. Dawson agrees with this treatment plan, but requests that, before the ventilator is withdrawn, her husband's sperm be recovered for artificial insemination at a later date. She reports that they had intended to have children in the course of the marriage, and that she would like to fulfill that goal. How should Dr. Milam respond? Overcoming infertility Reproduction is, of course, a natural process essential for the survival of any biological species, but not all individual organisms have the ability or the opportunity to reproduce. For most human beings, reproduction is also a life-changing event with great personal and moral significance. People who desire children and who experience difficulty reproducing may therefore seek medical assistance in achieving that goal. Human infertility is, in fact, a relatively common condition. According to a US National Survey of Family Growth conducted between 2006 and 2010, 6 percent of all married women aged 15–44 (1.5 million women) were infertile, where infertility was defined as having been sexually active without using contraceptive measures over the past twelve months and not having become pregnant. In the same survey, 11.5 percent of all men aged 25–44 who were not surgically sterile reported inability or difficulty fathering a child.
Coda to Chapter 6: Writing the New Wollstonecraft

In a letter believed to have been written to Mary Hays in the Summer of 1797, and just a few months before her death, Mary Wollstonecraft warns: “We ought not to be too anxious respecting the opinions of others. — I am not fond of vindications […] I am easy with regard to the opinions of the best part of mankind. -I rest on my own” (Collected Letters 413).1 And yet, in spite of Wollstonecraft’s distaste for them, vindications have abounded. The legacy of William Godwin’s Memoirs, as well as the collapse of radical idealism, may have suppressed overt considerations of Wollstonecraft’s life and work throughout most of the mid-Victorian period, but as Barbara Caine points out, Wollstonecraft continued to “haunt” memoirs and letters, as well as nineteenth-century constructions of women’s education and feminism. Indeed, as early as 1855 George Eliot addressed Wollstonecraft’s legacy in a brief essay entitled “Margaret Fuller and Mary Wollstonecraft”. Eliot proclaims her admiration for the “rational” writer with a “loving woman’s heart” and lauds the Vindication as “eminently serious, severely moral, and withal rather heavy” (333).
Neuroendocrine Tumors Within the Non-endocrine Organs

Neuroendocrine tumors are seen in many other organs besides those we have discussed in the previous chapters, including lung, GI tract, skin, and metastatic to lymph node. The histologic features of neuroendocrine tumors among these sites are the same. The clinical presentations and histologic features of neuroendocrine tumor have been discussed in great details in previous chapters within this volume or the different volumes within this series. It would not be very difficult to make this diagnosis if this entity is considered.
Positron induced electron emission from graphene

We report here the energy spectra of positron-induced electrons emitted from single- and multilayer graphene films. One of UT Arlington's two Time of Flight positron beam systems was used to deposit very low energy (KE < 1.5 eV) positrons at the surface of graphene samples consisting of a) 1 layer of graphene on polycrystalline Cu and b) 6-8 layers of graphene deposited on polycrystalline Cu. A time of flight spectrometer was used to measure the energy of positron-induced electrons. A peak in the electron energy spectrum was observed at ~263 eV corresponding to annihilation induced Auger electrons as a result of the KVV transition from the two graphene samples, which were comparable in intensity to that observed from a bulk graphite sample. In addition, we have observed a low energy peak in the annihilation induced electron energy spectra from graphene which extends up to ~15 eV. Our observation that the positron annihilation induced KVV Auger signal from graphene has a significant intensity indicates that the low energy positrons can be efficiently trapped on the surface of graphene layer on Cu down to a single-layer.
Introduction to Chemical and Structural Defects in Crystalline Solids

The concept of the crystalline solid defines the perfect crystal to be a solid in which the atoms are arranged in a three-dimensional periodic array of perfect order. A basic group of atoms or molecules, themselves in a definite arrangement, is repeated in space according to a regular pattern to give the crystal structure. That atoms are arranged in crystals in regular patterns was deduced during the latter part of the 18th century by early crystallographers, such as R. J. Hauy, from the occurrence of macroscopic planar faced crystals in nature. These ideas were confirmed when diffraction of crystals by X-rays was discovered by Von Laue in 1912 and by the subsequent determination of structure of crystals beginning with the Braggs.
Subduing Attitude Polarization? How Partisan News May Not Affect Attitude Polarization for Online Publics

Researchers have sought to understand the effects of like-minded versus contrary news exposure on attitude polarization, which can be a threat to democracy. The online news environment offers opportunities for exposure to both types of news, albeit unequally. This study tests the effects of exposure to heterogeneous partisan news bundles (both like-minded and contrary news) on attitude polarization. Because media exposure can lead to bias, attitude polarization is tested as a direct and indirect effect via hostile media perceptions. Data in this study are from a between-subjects experimental design about the issue of assisted suicide. Results indicate that even though the effect of the partisan news bundle on hostile media perceptions is significant, both direct and indirect effects on attitude polarization are null.
Inflammatory Masses Following Acute Pancreatitis: Phlegmon, Pseudocyst, and Abscess

The sequelae of acute pancreatitis may pose greater problems in management than the attack itself. Diagnostic and therapeutic measures for inflammatory masses, suspected or confirmed, that arise in the period of recovery from acute pancreatitis are considered.
The Imagery in Movement Method

It has been said within the Zen tradition: “If you meet the Buddha, kill him.” The reference is an admonition to accept no concepts, no ideas, no dogma but only one’s own direct experience of the spiritual, for the true Buddha lives within. If transpersonal psychologists are to benefit from the esoteric psychologies that are at the root of many spiritual traditions, they must surely value this admonition, for if spiritual experiences are more than myth and legend, they should emerge in any thoroughgoing and open-ended investigation of consciousness.
Least Squares Methods For Photoelasticity

Least-squares methods are presented as having many advantages for photoelastic stress analysis. Excess information can be included to obtain an overdetermined solution of improved accuracy. It is also possible to increase the influence of data in which there are high confidence or of relationships which are considered to have high accuracy. Least-squares opens the door to the inclusion of other linear stress relationships and, specifically, enables photoelasticity to be combined with the finite element method. Methods are demonstrated in example problems.
The P300 Event-Related Brain Potential in Psychiatric and Neurological Diagnosis

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is the record of voltage recorded from the human scalp (as a function of time) that is thought to be attributable to underlying cortical (brain) activity. P300 (P3) is an EEG-derived event-related potential (ERP) recordable from the human scalp using EEG-type electrodes and physiological recording parameters (for a detailed description, see Fabiani, Gratton, Karis, & Donchin, 1987). The word “event” in “event-related potential” refers to the external physical or internal psychological event that causes the deflection (in the ongoing EEG) that defines the ERP. A quarter of a century ago, the term “evoked potential” was used to describe EEG deflections caused by external stimuli (e.g., light flashes, tones). The deflections were known to be related to cortical sensory neuronal activity occurring synchronously on the arrival in the cortex of the neuronal activity evoked by the discrete sensory—physical event. It is now known that other events, i.e., events not of a sensory nature, are also associable with distinct EEG deflections, and thus the more general term ERP was developed and understood to include such special cases or subcategories as sensory evoked potentials. Hillyard (1985) has provided a concise review of the approximately half dozen well-studied psychologically related ERPs, including the P3 wave.
Himalayan Landscapes of India

The Himalaya of northern India comprise a series of mountain ranges, including the Siwaliks, Lesser and Greater Himalaya and Transhimalaya. The region is amongst the most geomorphically dynamic on the planet. The mountain ranges that constitute the Himalaya are the consequence of the continued collision of the Indian and Eurasian continental lithospheric plates. In addition to the tectonic processes that help create the mountains, glaciers and their associated processes, vast rivers that drain the mountains, mass movements, aeolian processes and weathering, are actively shaping them. Human-influences are also becoming important in modifying Himalayan landscapes, but their magnitude is yet to be fully assessed. The relative importance of tectonic and surface processes varies across the Himalaya, and their magnitude and frequency is greatly influenced by the climate gradients and topography. The spatial and temporal variation in processes has led to a great diversity in landscapes throughout the Himalaya of northern India, making it one of the most fascinating and challenging places to study geomorphology and landscape evolution.
Anxious community: EU as (in)security community

From the Eurocrisis to the migration crisis, and from Brexit to a strengthening far right, the European Union (EU) faces multiple stressors. But while crises unleash anxiety, they do not necessaril...
Wind Farm Layout Optimization Problem Using Joint Probability Distribution of CVaR Analysis

This study proposes the optimal layout of an offshore wind farm (WF) allocation for a number (N) of wind turbines (WTs) in a 2 km × 2 km fixed area. The paper aims to maximize expected WF power output and efficiency, considering the joint probability distribution of wind speed and direction. In fact, the effects of both stochastic variables (wind speed and direction) are considered to find optimal WF layout. Unlike most previous studies, using the coordinate model (CM) allows the WTs to be located on any available spot in the WF but not only at the center of the grids. Thus, by applying joint probability distribution to the WF expected power output, a new multi-variant conditional value-at-risk model is being presented to find the best possible layout under the worst-case scenarios for both wind speeds and directions. Indeed, the presented optimization model obtains the optimal WF locations, while it guarantees the robustness of the WF layout with certain confidence level (1-α). Finally, a case study with actual manufacturer data for the same WTs with realistic wind profile data are performed under the scope of this research to show the robustness of presented model.
RESPONSE: Transition to Early Career in Critical Care Cardiology: Know Who You Want to Be.

Dr. Miller and colleagues eloquently capture challenges that are common for fellows making the transition to early careers in a field that is on rapidly shifting ground. They also provide a pragmatic summary of training pathways for trainees pursuing a professional focus in critical care cardiology
Introduction: Bringing Matter into Science Education

The chapters for this book take as their starting point the notion of culture as fields of material and social practice and worlds of meaning that are weakly bounded, internally contradictory, contested, and subject to constant change (Sewell, 1999). Historically, the focus in the research on teaching and learning trends has mediated social practices through language. The chapters in this book consider how material and social practices are entangled in ways that enrich our understanding of what it means to know and our connections with reality. The authors use a range of philosophies and positions that give prominence to the material in culture.
Effortful control of motivation, not withdrawal motivation, relates to greater right frontal asymmetry.

Abstract Past models of frontal asymmetry have associated greater relative right frontal cortical activity with greater withdrawal motivation and greater relative left frontal cortical activity with greater approach motivation. However, this traditional model of frontal asymmetry leaves little to no room for the control processes that engage and regulate these emotional and motivational systems. A growing body of literature suggests that greater relative right frontal activation may be associated with greater regulatory control (Gable et al. 2018). However, this work confounded regulatory control and motivational direction. The current studies sought to test the competing hypotheses that currently exist in the literature by examining whether greater right frontal activation is more closely associated with regulatory control or withdrawal motivation. In Study 1, participants listened to negative and neutral sounds while suppressing their emotional reactions or listening naturally. Greater relative right frontal activation during the sound clips was associated with participants' reported effort when attempting to suppress their motivational responses to negative stimuli. Greater relative right frontal activation did not relate to experiencing negative affect. In Study 2, participants could win money by looking at a negative or neutral image or escape from looking at them for no reward. Greater relative right frontal activation was associated with looking at the negative pictures longer when there was a possibility of reward, but not when the possibility of reward was absent. Together, these studies suggest that it is the affective control of emotion rather than negative affect driving greater relative right frontal asymmetry. Additionally, these studies suggest that motivational conflicts engage effortful control.
Orbitofrontal-striatal potentiation underlies cocaine-induced hyperactivity

Psychomotor stimulants increase dopamine levels in the striatum and promote locomotion; however, their effects on striatal pathway function in vivo remain unclear. One model that has been proposed to account for these motor effects suggests that stimulants drive hyperactivity via activation and inhibition of direct and indirect pathway striatal neurons, respectively. Although this hypothesis is consistent with the cellular actions of dopamine receptors and received support from optogenetic and chemogenetic studies, it has been rarely tested with in vivo recordings. Here, we test this model and observe that cocaine increases the activity of both pathways in the striatum of awake mice. These changes are linked to a dopamine-dependent cocaine-induced strengthening of upstream orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) inputs to the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) in vivo. Finally, depressing OFC-DMS pathway with a high frequency stimulation protocol in awake mice over-powers the cocaine-induced potentiation of OFC-DMS pathway and attenuates the expression of locomotor sensitization, directly linking OFC-DMS potentiation to cocaine-induced hyperactivity. Psychomotor stimulants increase dopamine levels in the striatum and promote locomotion but their effects on striatal pathways in vivo remain unclear. The authors show that cocaine increases the activity of direct and indirect pathway striatal neurons of awake mice via the orbitofrontal cortex.
“This is My Girl”: How Men’s Desires Obscure Women’s Sexual Aggression Experiences in Public Drinking Settings:

In this article, we use 198 interviews with young men and women to explore how they define and negotiate boundaries of unwanted sexual contact in public drinking settings. Men and women’s contrasti...
Association Between Clinical Value and Financial Cost of Cancer Treatments: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Background The cost of cancer treatment has increased significantly in recent decades, but it is unclear whether these costs have been associated with commensurate improvement in clinical value. This study aimed to assess the association between the cost of cancer treatment and 4 of the 5 NCCN Evidence Blocks (EB) measures of clinical value: efficacy of regimen/agent, safety of regimen/agent, quality of evidence, and consistency of evidence. Methods This is a cross-sectional, observational study. We obtained NCCN EB ratings for all recommended, first-line, and/or maintenance treatments for the 30 most prevalent cancers in the United States and calculated direct pharmacologic treatment costs (drug acquisition, administration fees, guideline-concordant supportive care medications) using Medicare reimbursement rates in January 2019. We used generalized estimating equations to estimate the association between NCCN EB measures and treatment cost with clustering at the level of the treatment indication. Results A total of 1,386 treatments were included. Among time-unlimited treatments (those administered on an ongoing basis without a predetermined stopping point), monthly cost was positively associated with efficacy ($3,036; 95% CI, $1,782 to $4,289) and quality of evidence ($1,509; 95% CI, $171 to $2,847) but negatively associated with safety (-$1,470; 95% CI, -$2,790 to -$151) and consistency of evidence (-$2,003; 95% CI, -$3,420 to -$586). Among time-limited treatments (those administered for a predetermined interval or number of cycles), no NCCN EB measure was significantly associated with treatment cost. Conclusions An association between NCCN EB measures and treatment cost was inconsistent, and the magnitude of the association was small compared with the degree of cost variation among treatments with the same EB scores. The clinical value of cancer treatments does not seem to be a primary determinant of treatment cost.
Resurrected Ancestors Reveal Origins of Metamorphism in XCL1

In a recent study, Dishman et al. resurrected ancestors of the metamorphic chemokine, XCL1, inferred through phylogenetics, and found that metamorphism arose in the XCL1 lineage ~150 million years ago. A zigzagging evolutionary path suggests that the metamorphic properties are adaptive and reveals three design principles that could be used for technological applications.
Reducing the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Using Meaning-Based Coping Strategies: Voices of Somali, Karen and Latinx Immigrant and Refugee Communities in the Twin Cities, Minnesota

This study explored how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the Karen, Latinx, and Somali immigrants/refugees in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area and how they searched and made meaning of the situati...
The Constitutional Entity of Exophthalmic Goiter and So-called Toxic Adenoma

Excerpt There is perhaps no more interesting chapter in Internal Medicine today than that dealing with disease of the thyroid, in so far as etiology, symptomatology and pathology are concerned. Thi...
Functional Equations with Causal Operators

Introduction. Auxiliary Concepts. Existence Theory for Functional Equations With Causal Operators. Linear Quasilinear Equations with Causal Operators. Stability Theory. Neutral Functional Equations. Miscellanea (Applications and Generalizations).
Dendritic cells engineered to secrete interleukin-12 p70 when delivered into tumors results in the crosspriming of an expanded anti-tumor CD8+ T cell repertoire and therapeutic benefit.

2722 Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) were engineered using recombinant adenovirus to secrete high levels of IL-12p70 and subsequently evaluated for their ability to promote therapeutic anti-tumor immunity in a subcutaneous CMS4 (H-2 d ) murine sarcoma model. Material and methods: Day 5 bone marrow DCs developed in cultures containing rIL-4 and rGM-CSF were infected with control (Ad.ψ5) or IL-12 encoding (Ad.IL12) adenoviruses for 48h at 37 o C. Fifty microliters of PBS (as a control) or DC cell suspensions (10 6 DC total) were injected into established day 7 CMS4 tumors, with repeat injections provided on day 14. Tumor growth was then monitored through day 28. To evaluate the repertoire of tumor peptide epitopes recognized by CD8 + T cells in treated mice, splenocytes were harvested on d28 and analyzed for reactivity against reverse-phase HPLC fractionated tumor peptides (that had been acid extracted from MHC complexes isolated from resected CMS4 tumors) presented by syngenic DC using an IFN-γ ELISA. RP-HPLC fractions containing peptides recognized by therapeutic CD8 + T cells were also submitted to mass spectrometric analysis for determination of their identity. Results: Ad.IL-12 infection (MOI = 20-50) of DC resulted in significant production of IL-12p70 (7.3-17 ng/ml/10 6 DC) and increased expression of MHC class I molecules vs. DC controls. When compared to the PBS or DC.ψ5 treated group, tumors in mice treated with DC.IL12 (at either MOI of Ad.IL12 infection) were suppressed in their growth. CD8 + T cells isolated from DC.IL-12 (vs. PBS or DC-ψ5) treated animals also displayed a stronger and more diverse pattern of reactivity against CMS4-derived (naturally-processed and -presented) peptides, with several immunodominant HPLC fractions identified. Conclusion: Intratumoral administration of DC.IL12 promoted the crosspriming of a stronger and more diverse anti-tumor CD8 + T cell response in association with improved therapeutic benefit than similar therapies using control DC.
A Comparative Assessment of Early Adult Life Status of Graduates of the North Carolina Adolescent Parenting Program

PROBLEM: What is the comparative impact of a second pregnancy prevention program for teen mothers on those who graduate from the program compared with a sample of young mothers of similar age and social circumstances who did not participate in the program? METHODS: Fifteen program graduates and 20 nonprogram cohorts were surveyed regarding a range of life domains. FINDINGS: Data indicated that program graduates were on a more positive life course: greater primary responsibility for housing and utilities, greater higher education enrollment, more job stability, and greater focus on career goals. CONCLUSION: The differences demonstrate the value of programs designed to assist teen mothers through the challenges of parenting and their own adolescent development. Teen mothers who received these resources became more capable, happier, and confident, which in turn will make them better parents and more empowered to pursue their own personal development.
Risk factor screening and intervention: a psychological/behavioral cost or a benefit?

Abstract Based upon the assessement of anxiety/depression and functional heart symptoms in high risk (HRS) and low risk samples (LRS) participating in clinical trials, the present study concluded that screening and intervention did not have psychological costs to the randomized sample (HRS). The results of the present study were compared to parallel studies in other clinical trials. The main conclusion was that the HRS group had less depressive symptoms than the group (LRS) that did not enter the trial. The psychological reactions to screening and intervention programs may have person-environment interactions that lead to different outcomes based upon the specific population under study. The present paper attempts to integrate the findings in the previous studies.
Purification and analyses of histone H1 variants and H1 posttranslational modifications.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the techniques such as chromatographic (cation-exchange, reversed-phase, and cation-exchange hydrophilic interaction), electrophoretic, mass spectrometry (MS) for resolving H1 allelic variants. Chromatography is performed at ambient temperature on a binary gradient chromatography system at 0.8 ml/min with absorbance detection at 214 nm. The column is equilibrated (i.e., 5 column volumes) with 100% buffer A before sample injection. Mass spectrometry (MS) has been used to establish the purity of chromatographic fractions of H1 prepared from calf thymus54 and to determine the molecular masses of mouse liver H1 variants separated by RP-HPLC and confirm identification of the corresponding gene sequences. MS techniques have been used to characterize posttranslational modifications of H1 variants. Current knowledge and techniques for analyzing posttranslational modifications of H1 are also described.
Exploiting Spatial Autocorrelation to Efficiently Process Correlation-Based Similarity Queries

A spatial time series dataset is a collection of time series, each referencing a location in a common spatial framework. Correlation analysis is often used to identify pairs of potentially interacting elements from the cross product of two spatial time series datasets (the two datasets may be the same). However, the computational cost of correlation analysis is very high when the dimension of the time series and the number of locations in the spatial frameworks are large. In this paper, we use a spatial autocorrelation-based search tree structure to propose new processing strategies for correlation-based similarity range queries and similarity joins. We provide a preliminary evaluation of the proposed strategies using algebraic cost models and experimental studies with Earth science datasets.