cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and spectroscopic and photoconduction characteristics of coaxial poly[2‐methoxy‐5‐(2′‐ethylhexyloxy)−1,4‐phenylene vinylene] single‐walled carbon nanotube films with ohmic‐like transport attributes

Highly luminescent, core–shell, single-walled carbon nanotube–poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)−1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) one-dimensional networks were synthesized by a multicycle unstable micellization method. The current–voltage data indicated that the charge transport within the nanowire network remained Ohmic, with the differential conductance scaling linearly with temperature in the temperature range of about 120 to 300 K. Further analysis based on the comparative study involving photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopic tests pointed to interchain interactions and nanotube–polymer interface as primary factors influencing the electronic characteristics of the processed samples. Likewise, steady-state photoconduction tests confirmed that the heterointerface played a dominant role behind the increased photoresponse induced by exciton annihilation at a low bias regime. The study helped us identify the underlying physical mechanisms that controlled the optical, electrical, and photoconduction properties of the MEH-PPV–carbon nanotube heteronetworks. Potentially, this will open a door to the development of next generation, low-cost, all-organic nanooptoelectronic devices and systems. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014, 131, 40029.
Treatment of murine cryptococcal meningitis with UR-9751 and UR-9746.

In these studies, we compare the efficacy of two new azole antifungals with fluconazole in a murine model of cryptococcal meningitis. Mice were infected intracranially. Beginning one day later, groups of 7-10 mice were treated through to day 10 orally with UR-9751 or UR-9746 at 0·1, 0·25, 0·5, 1 or 10 mg kg-1 day-1 or fluconazole at 10 mg kg-1 day-1. At 10 mg kg-1 day-1, all three drugs prolonged survival over controls, but at 1 mg kg-1 day-1, only UR-9746 prolonged survival. Tissue counts were more varied on mice sacrificed 8 days after infection. In general, both UR drugs were equal or more potent than fluconazole, and UR-9751 was more effective than UR-9746.
Efferent projections of the superior colliculus in the opossum.

The Fink and Heimer technique was used to study the ascending and descending fiber degenerations resulting from unilateral electrolytic lesions in the superior colliculus of sixteen adult opossums. The ascending fiber degeneration left the colliculus by way of a small parabrachial bundle or with the brachium of the superior colliculus. The former bundle contributed degenerating terminals to the suprageniculate, parabrachial, and magnocellular medial geniculate nuclei and appeared to terminate in the lateral terminal nucleus of Hayhow (Hayhow, '66). The latter bundle contributed fibers to the pretectal and posterolateral nuclei as well as discrete projections to the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus and ventral thalamus. Descending degenerating fibers in the brainstem were destributed along three tracts: (1) a medial predorsal bundle, (2) an intermediate tectoreticular, and (3) a lateral tectopontine. These tracts were seen to terminate mainly in tegmental and reticular centers as well as in the lateral basilar nucleus of the pons. Degenerating fibers of the predorsal bundle were followed to lower medullary levels but could not be traced to spinal levels. The present findings are descussed in relation to data reported for more developed mammalian species.
Outcome after prenatal diagnosis of the hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Objective—To derive accurate survival figures in the current surgical era for counselling in early pregnancy after the diagnosis of fetal hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Setting—A tertiary referral centre for paediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery. Design—A retrospective study of the outcome in all cases of hypoplastic left heart syndrome presenting in fetal life between mid-1993 and the end of 1996. Patients—The diagnosis was made in 30 fetuses. In four of 12 identified before 24 weeks' gestation the mothers chose to terminate the pregnancy. There was an intention to treat in 24 of the remaining fetuses. Main outcome measure—Survival to six months of postnatal life. Results—Of the 24 infants, five were not offered Norwood stage 1 because of trisomy 18 (n = 2), unfavourable cardiac anatomy (n = 2), or neurological impairment (n = 1). One further infant did not survive to cardiac surgery after gastrointestinal surgery. Of the remaining 18 patients, eight had features that were considered to increase the risk of surgical repair. Of the 18 patients who underwent Norwood stage 1, there were nine survivors. There was a survival rate of 70% in infants undergoing surgery with no complicating features, a 50% survival of the all surgical candidates, and 37.5% survival from an intention to treat position. Conclusions—At the initial diagnosis of fetal hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the overall survival appears to be less than 40%. Evaluation must include detailed extracardiac and intracardiac assessment to predict the risks of surgical treatment. Prenatal counselling can be modified as pregnancy advances, depending on the detection or exclusion of complicating factors. Keywords: fetus; congenital heart disease; hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Searching for protein classification features

A genetic algorithm is used to search for a set of classification features for a protein superfamily which is as unique as possible to the superfamily. These features may then be used for very fast classification of a query sequence into a protein superfamily. The features are based on windows onto modified consensus sequences of multiple aligned members of a training set for the protein superfamily. The efficacy of the method is demonstrated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) values and the performance of resulting algorithm is compared with other database search algorithms
Contributions of maternal adult attachment to socialization of coping

This research examined whether maternal adult attachment predicted coping suggestions mothers made to their children. A sample of 157 youth (M age = 12.42, SD = 1.20) and their maternal caregivers completed semi-structured interviews and questionnaires in a two-wave longitudinal study. Results revealed that maternal insecure attachment predicted fewer engagement coping suggestions (orienting toward stress) and heightened disengagement coping suggestions (avoiding or denying stress) both concurrently and over time. These associations remained after adjusting for child, mother, and contextual characteristics. This study contributes to our understanding of the implications adult attachment has for parenting behavior, suggesting that insecure attachment undermines a parent’s ability to provide adaptive coping guidance to their children.
Cross-species affective neuroscience decoding of the primal affective experiences of humans and related animals.

Background The issue of whether other animals have internally felt experiences has vexed animal behavioral science since its inception. Although most investigators remain agnostic on such contentious issues, there is now abundant experimental evidence indicating that all mammals have negatively and positively-valenced emotional networks concentrated in homologous brain regions that mediate affective experiences when animals are emotionally aroused. That is what the neuroscientific evidence indicates. Principal Findings The relevant lines of evidence are as follows: 1) It is easy to elicit powerful unconditioned emotional responses using localized electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB); these effects are concentrated in ancient subcortical brain regions. Seven types of emotional arousals have been described; using a special capitalized nomenclature for such primary process emotional systems, they are SEEKING, RAGE, FEAR, LUST, CARE, PANIC/GRIEF and PLAY. 2) These brain circuits are situated in homologous subcortical brain regions in all vertebrates tested. Thus, if one activates FEAR arousal circuits in rats, cats or primates, all exhibit similar fear responses. 3) All primary-process emotional-instinctual urges, even ones as complex as social PLAY, remain intact after radical neo-decortication early in life; thus, the neocortex is not essential for the generation of primary-process emotionality. 4) Using diverse measures, one can demonstrate that animals like and dislike ESB of brain regions that evoke unconditioned instinctual emotional behaviors: Such ESBs can serve as ‘rewards’ and ‘punishments’ in diverse approach and escape/avoidance learning tasks. 5) Comparable ESB of human brains yield comparable affective experiences. Thus, robust evidence indicates that raw primary-process (i.e., instinctual, unconditioned) emotional behaviors and feelings emanate from homologous brain functions in all mammals (see Appendix S1), which are regulated by higher brain regions. Such findings suggest nested-hierarchies of BrainMind affective processing, with primal emotional functions being foundational for secondary-process learning and memory mechanisms, which interface with tertiary-process cognitive-thoughtful functions of the BrainMind.
Practical mobile robot self-localization

A map-making robot integrates accumulated sensor data into a data structure that can be used for future localization or planning operations. Localization is the process of determining the robot's location within its environment. This paper describes experiments in which a robot simultaneously makes a map and localizes to that map. The map is a collection of tangent vectors constructed from stored sonar readings localized to a series of estimated poses. The vectors retain sensed surface normal information to improve accuracy. The localization scheme is a Hough transform into a space described by the robot's current sonar scan. The Hough transform finds a best fit in the presence of both sporadic sensor noise and discretization error.
Applications of Incremental Economic Analysis for Public Sector Decisions

This paper describes a “common sense” model to address two decision problems and one information problem. These are: 1 Should a light plane pilot training program be implemented at the United States Air Force Academy? 2 Should a waiver from stringent visual requirements for pilots be granted to Air Force Academy graduates? 3 How can the high cost of education at the United States Air Force Academy be justified? For decision problems 1 and 2, the analyses described resulted in the implementation of a new light plane pilot training program at the Academy, and in the continuation of a policy to grant waivers for Academy graduates to enter pilot training. The questions raised about the high cost of the Academy were answered by securing and disseminating information about the value of an Academy graduate. Critical data assumptions are compared to data made available subsequent to these analyses.
NMOS/SiGe Resonant Interband Tunneling Diode Static Random Access Memory

Tunneling-based static random access memory(SRAM)has been sought as a viable solution for a lowpower and high speed embedded memory application. The first cell design, proposed by Goto et al. [1],consists oftwotunnel diodes connected in series, oneacting as the drive andthe other as the load as showninFig. 1. This configuration allows for bistable operation at a particular range ofsupply voltages (VDD). Theinformation is stored at the sense node, whichcanbe altered by modulating current into the node via a FET.Byinjecting a current into the sense node, the cell is forced to latch to a high state as illustrated in Fig l(b).During write low operation, the FETis used to discharge the cell, pulling the sense node potential to a lowstate as depicted in Fig l(c). The demonstration ofthis type of bistable latch has been done in the Ill-Vmaterial system, showing avery promisingperformance bothin speedandpowerdissipation [2]. Morimotoetal. realizedthe systemin Si
Activin Induces Tactile Allodynia and Increases Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide after Peripheral Inflammation

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a sensory neuropeptide important in inflammatory pain that conveys pain information centrally and dilates blood vessels peripherally. Previous studies indicate that activin A increases CGRP-immunoreactive (IR) sensory neurons in vitro, and following wound, activin A protein increases in the skin and more neurons have detectable CGRP expression in the innervating dorsal root ganglion (DRG). These data suggest some adult sensory neurons respond to activin A or other target-derived factors with increased neuropeptide expression. This study was undertaken to test whether activin contributes to inflammatory pain and increased CGRP and to learn which neurons retained plasticity. After adjuvant-induced inflammation, activin mRNA, but not NGF or glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, increased in the skin. To examine which DRG neurons increased CGRP immunoreactivity, retrograde tracer-labeled cutaneous neurons were characterized after inflammation. The proportion and size of tracer-labeled DRG neurons with detectable CGRP increased after inflammation. One-third of CGRP-IR neurons that appear after inflammation also had isolectin B4 binding, suggesting that some mechanoreceptors became CGRP-IR. In contrast, the increased proportion of CGRP-IR neurons did not appear to come from RT97-IR neurons. To learn whether central projections were altered after inflammation, CGRP immunoreactivity in the protein kinase Cgamma-IR lamina IIi was quantified and found to increase. Injection of activin A protein alone caused robust tactile allodynia and increased CGRP in the DRG. Together, these data support the hypothesis that inflammation and skin changes involving activin A cause some sensory neurons to increase CGRP expression and pain responses.
Representation and discretization of arbitrary surfaces for finite element shell analysis

An interactive computer graphics system has been developed for generating the geometric description of an arbitrary shell surfface. The various difficulties facing the user of sophisticated, doubly-curved shell finite elements and the inefficiency of preprocessing for shell analysis are discussed to explain the benefits of this system. The method is a synthesis of spline theory and algorithms, and an interactive means for man–machine communication. The basic technique employed is a modified lofting method in which cardinal splines. An inversion procedure is incorporated which increases significantly the efficiency of the B-spline approximation process. Static and dynamic graphic displays greatly enhance visualization at any stage of the procedure. Two examples of practical interest are presented in some detail to demonstratge the flexibility and usefulness of this approach. Some natural extensions of this system for interactive mesh generation on the surface are also demonstrated.
High-gain optical phase conjugation using degenerate four-wave mixing via coherent population trapping in moving atoms

Previously, we have used four-wave mixing via coherent population trapping to achieve optical phase conjugation (OPC) with high gain, using two dye lasers and a sodium vapor cell. The /spl Lambda/ transition used involved the two hyperfine ground states and one excited state, so that two different optical frequencies were needed to satisfy the two-photon resonant condition between the probe and one of the pump beams. Later, we demonstrated in rubidium that a single hyperfine transition with Zeeman sublevels is enough to achieve OPC with equally high gain, thus eliminating the need for high-frequency sideband generation. However, in order to guarantee that the diffraction from the grating is primarily dispersive, the backward pump beam had to be detuned by about 60 MHz from the probe and the forward pump. One of the key disadvantages of such a nondegenerate scheme is that applications such as phase-conjugate mirrors are hard to implement. Here, we report the observation of optical phase conjugation in rubidium with equally high gain, but all the frequencies are degenerate.
Balancing Trie-Based Policy Representations for Network Firewalls

Firewalls inspect arriving packets according to a security policy. The complexity of these policies can cause significant delays in the processing of packets, resulting in degraded performance, traffic bottlenecks, and ultimately violating Quality of Service (QoS) constraints. As network capacities continue to increase, the improvement of firewall performance is a main concern. One technique that dramatically reduces required processing is the representation of security policies in software with n-ary tries. This paper describes trie balancing methods that further improve performance by placing more frequently used rules in high precedence positions which require fewer tuple comparisons. A proof of sorted trie integrity is presented along with experimental results showing that on average, sorting reduces the number of comparisons by 27% as compared to the original trie and by 83% as compared to a list representation. Sorting methods are described in detail and their benefits are demonstrated empirically.
Comparison of Pulmonary Artery, Rectal, and Tympanic Membrane Temperatures in Adult Intensive Care Unit Patients

Tympanic thermometry using infrared thermography technology offers a noninvasive, rapid temperature measurement tool which may be useful for selected intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Multiple comparisons of pulmonary artery catheter (PAC), rectal (R), and tympanic membrane (TM) temperatures were performed in nine adult ICU patients using PAC temperature as the gold standard. The correlation between R (r=0.93) and PAC was significantly better than TM (r=0.74) temperatures. However, PAC (37.2 ± 0.06°C ; mean ± SEM) and TM (37.1 ± 0.08°C) temperatures were not significantly different, whereas R (37.6 ± 0.07°C) was significantly warmer than both (P <.05). Differences between either R (+0.4°C) or TM (-0.1 °C) and PAC temperatures were consistent over selected ranges between 35°C and 40°C. The performance of TM and R was similar in the ability to predict PAC temperatures.
The Risk of Second Primary Malignancies up to Three Decades after the Treatment of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Background: The 10-yr survival rate of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer exceeds 90%. These patients may be at elevated risk for secondary cancers. Methods: The risk of nonthyroid second primary malignancies after differentiated thyroid cancer was determined in 30,278 patients diagnosed between 1973 and 2002 from centers participating in the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. Median follow-up was 103 months (range, 2–359 months). Risk was further assessed for the addition of radioisotope therapy, gender, latency to development of secondary cancer, and age at thyroid cancer diagnosis. Results: There were 2158 patients who developed a total of 2338 nonthyroid second primary malignancies, significantly more than that expected in the general population [observed/expected (O/E) = 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05–1.14; P < 0.05; absolute excess risk per 10,000 person-years (AER) = 6.39]. A significantly greater risk of second primary malignancies o...
Impaired Telomere Maintenance and Decreased Canonical WNT Signaling but Normal Ribosome Biogenesis in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from X-Linked Dyskeratosis Congenita Patients.

Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome characterized by the presence of short telomeres at presentation. Mutations in ten different genes, whose products are involved in the telomere maintenance pathway, have been shown to cause DC. The X-linked form is the most common form of the disease and is caused by mutations in the gene DKC1, encoding the protein dyskerin. Dyskerin is required for the assembly and stability of telomerase and is also involved in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) processing where it converts specific uridines to pseudouridine. DC is thought to result from failure to maintain tissues, like blood, that are renewed by stem cell activity, but research into pathogenic mechanisms has been hampered by the difficulty of obtaining stem cells from patients. We reasoned that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from X-linked DC patients may provide information about the mechanisms involved. Here we describe the production of iPS cells from DC patients with DKC1 mutations Q31E, A353V and ΔL37. In addition we constructed “corrected” lines with a copy of the wild type dyskerin cDNA expressed from the AAVS1 safe harbor locus. We show that in iPS cells with DKC1 mutations telomere maintenance is compromised with short telomere lengths and decreased telomerase activity. The degree to which telomere lengths are affected by expression of telomerase during reprograming, or with ectopic expression of wild type dyskerin, is variable. The recurrent mutation A353V shows the most severe effect on telomere maintenance. A353V cells but not Q31E or ΔL37 cells, are refractory to correction by expression of wild type DKC1 cDNA. Because dyskerin is involved in both telomere maintenance and ribosome biogenesis it has been postulated that defective ribosome biogenesis and translation may contribute to the disease phenotype. Evidence from mouse and zebra fish models has supported the involvement of ribosome biogenesis but primary cells from human patients have so far not shown defects in pseudouridylation or ribosomal RNA processing. None of the mutant iPS cells presented here show decreased pseudouridine levels in rRNA or defective rRNA processing suggesting telomere maintenance defects account for most of the phenotype of X-linked DC. Finally gene expression analysis of the iPS cells shows that WNT signaling is significantly decreased in all mutant cells, raising the possibility that defective WNT signaling may contribute to disease pathogenesis.
TRANS: Top-k Implementation Techniques of Minimum Effort Driven Faceted Search For Databases.

In this paper, we investigate opportunities to improve the performance of minimum effort driven faceted search techniques. The main idea is motivated by the early stopping techniques used in the TA-family of algorithms for top-k computations. Our initial set of experimental results demonstrate that the proposed techniques expedite performance significantly.
International Consumer Learning Is Different in Different Cultures

In Chap. 12, a very strong point was made about consumer involvement. This particular force must be joined with the learning process. After all, if consumers are not learning about the company, the brand, and the product (or series), they are not likely to buy whatever the international company is offering. Both involvement and learning are the key final stages of purchase behavior. The two factors, or forces as I referred to them in my earlier book (Samli 1995), basically form the final phase of purchase behavior. All of the other factors, discussed in this book, i.e., culture screen, need hierarchy, social class, personal and interpersonal influences, diffusion processes, and country-of-origin effects—among a few others—typically make their mark in building the purchase behavior. They are partial builders and partial modifiers. They condition the individual to perform the all-important final purchase act. This purchase act is sealed, however, only when the individual becomes involved and learns. Involvement is already discussed in Chap. 12; the present chapter deals with the final act of total purchasing behavior, which is learning. As is discussed in this chapter, this activity must be carefully explored, since learning is different in different cultures to begin with. However, purchase-leading learning has even more different and important connotations. International marketing cannot be successful without understanding how the consumer is likely to learn about the product or service in question.
The Role of Social Network Structure in Street-Level Innovation

In considering how peer relationships can aid street-level bureaucrats in doing their jobs, existing literature has emphasized the importance of peers in providing the social and emotional support ...
(U) Implementation and demonstration of a time-resolved pyrometry/spectroscopy capability in shock compression experiments on metal oxide powders

Temperature is notably the most difficult quantity to measure in shock compression experiments; however, it is critical for accurately constraining theoretical or tabular equations of state. Until now, the temperature achieved during the shock loading of porous materials could only be calculated. The technique presented in this report measures, for the first time, the shocked temperature of porous systems.
Factors Associated With Smoking Status among HIV-Positive Patients in Routine Clinical Care

Background: Treatment-related reductions in morbidity and mortality among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients have been attenuated by cigarette smoking, which increases risk of cardiovascular, respiratory, and neoplastic diseases. This study investigated factors associated with smoking status among HIV-positive patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 2,464 HIV-positive patients attending the HIV Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham between April 2008 and December 2013. Smoking status (current, former, never), psychosocial factors, and clinical characteristics were assessed. Multinomial logistic regression was used to obtain unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of the various factors with smoking status. Results: Among HIV-positive patients (mean age 45 years, 75% male, 55% African-American), the majority reported a history of smoking (39% current and 22% former smokers). In adjusted models, patient characteristics associated with increased odds of current smoking were male gender (OR for heterosexual men, 1.8 [95% CI: 1.3-2.6]; for men who have sex with men, 1.5 [1.1-1.9]), history of respiratory diseases (1.5 [1.2-1.9]), unsuppressed HIV viral load (>50 copies/mL) (1.5 [1.1-1.9]), depression (1.6 [1.3-2.0]), anxiety (1.6 [1.2-2.1]), and prior and current substance abuse (4.7 [3.6-6.1] and 8.3 [5.3-13.3] respectively). Male gender, anxiety, and substance abuse were also associated with being a former smoker. Conclusions: Smoking was common among HIV-positive patients, with several psychosocial factors associated with current and former smoking. This suggests smoking cessation programs in HIV clinic settings may achieve greater impact by integrating interventions that also address illicit substance abuse and mental health.
INFLUENCE OF DRUG DELIVERY ON THERAPEUTIC BENEFIT IN GBM–CDK4 AND MDM2 INHIBITOR COMPARISON IN FLANK VERSUS ORTHOTOPIC MODELS AND COMPARISON OF BRAIN PENETRANT VERSUS IMPENETRANT PI3K/MTOR INHIBITORS

BACKGROUND: Insufficient drug delivery across an intact blood-brain barrier (BBB) may limit the efficacy of therapeutic strategies. This study tested whether penetration across the BBB in glioblastoma could affect the efficacy of promising therapies. METHODS: The efficacy of a CDK4 inhibitor (PD0332991) and an MDM2 inhibitor (SAR405838), both with limited brain penetration, were tested singly in flank and orthotopic xenograft models in Mayo GBM22 and GBM108 lines, respectively. Structurally similar PI3K/mTOR inhibitors with limited (GDC-0980) and robust (GNE-317) brain penetration were tested in combination with bevacizumab in an orthotopic model of GBM10. Integrity of the BBB was assessed by injection of TexasRed-dextran conjugate 10 minutes prior to sacrifice. Drug concentrations were assessed by mass spectrometry. RESULTS: PD0332991 was effective in GBM22 flank tumors with a median time to reach the 1500mm3 endpoint of 116 days compared to 32 days for placebo (p < 0.05), while the same drug was ineffective in an orthotopic model (median survival 43 days vs. 44 days for placebo). Brain-to-plasma ratios for PD0332991 were 0.12 in wild-type mice compared to 10.3 in BBB-deficient mice. Similar results were obtained with the MDM2 inhibitor in GBM108 with profound effects on flank tumor growth (median time to 1500mm3 62 days for placebo versus 132 days with SAR405838; p < 0.05) but provided no survival benefit in an orthotopic model (median survival 38 days vs. 39 days). The effects of disrupting the BBB on the efficacy of SAR405838 in GBM108 orthotopic tumors will be reported. The clinical use of bevacizumab in GBM results in reduced contrast enhancement on MRI. Similarly, bevacizumab treatment of GBM10 orthotopic tumors results in a marked reduction in TexasRed-dextran accumulation within orthotopic tumors. Using this model, we compared the time to reach a moribund state following treatment with bevacizumab combined with either GDC-0980 or GNE-317. Compared to placebo (median survival 26 days), treatment with either GDC-0980 (29 days) or GNE-317 (33 days) did not significantly extend survival. However, when compared to bevacizumab alone (55 days), the combination of GNE-317 + bevacizumab significantly extended survival (71 days; p < 0.05) while GDC-0980 + bevacizumab did not (50 days). The brain-to-plasma AUC ratio for GNE-317 was 0.75 while GDC-080 was 0.07 in wild-type mice. The impact of bevacizumab therapy on tumor drug delivery will be reported. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of promising therapeutic strategies against relevant targets may be significantly compromised if tested using drugs that have limited penetration across the BBB. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Tumor Biology.
Alignment, vibronic level splitting, and coherent coupling effects on the pump-probe polarization anisotropy.

The pump−probe polarization anisotropy is computed for molecules with a nondegenerate ground state, two degenerate or nearly degenerate excited states with perpendicular transition dipoles, and no ...
Assessment of Vibrational Nonequilibrium for State Resolved Simulation of a Hypersonic Flow

Recent developments in internal energy nonequilibrium modeling for hypersonic gas flow simulations indicate a strong need for improved fidelity, and efforts have consequently focused on discrete state kinetic relaxation (DSKR) techniques which independently model quantum state populations. High computational requirements for DSKR modeling of large scale flows have to date limited the applicability of this type of model, and further work is needed to greatly improve model efficiency without compromising accuracy. With an ultimate goal of developing models for DSKR methods with locally adaptive (model) fidelity or other strategies to achieve large efficiency gains, in the present work we investigate various means of quantifying and predicting vibrational nonequilibrium for a representative hypersonic flow. We assess a series of nonequilibrium metrics based on the normalized difference between translational and vibrational temperatures, Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) statistics and population ratios which directly measure deviation from equilibrium state populations. Additional metrics are based on time scale ratios that indicate relative magnitudes of collisional equilibration effects and gradient-driven nonequilibrium forcing for individual vibrational states. We consider a simple two-dimensional case of inviscid and N2 flowing over a cylindrical forebody with a freestream Mach number of 6.5. The forced harmonic oscillator model is used to determine rate coefficients for single quantum vibrational-translational energy exchange, while dissociation and vibration-vibration transfer effects are neglected. In observing trends among different nonequilibrium metrics, we find areas of agreement as well as significant discrepancies. These observations point to a need for careful interpretation of nonequilibrium assessments and choice of nonequilibrium metrics in the use of state-to-state kinetics in CFD flow solvers.
Sulfuric Acid Attack on Concrete Sewer Pipe

Research was performed to determine if selected surface treatments would react chemically with the portland cement and increase the resistance of a mortar to sulfuric acid attack. Four parameters were investigated: (1) Portland cement type; (2) water/cement ratio; (3) sulfuric acid concentration; and (4) chemical surface treatment. The laboratory tests did not produce a desired solution for the problem of sulfuric acid attack on portland cement mortar. However, the experience in the laboratory did lead to the following conclusions: (1) Magnesium silicofluoride, sodium silicate, potassium silicate, and sodium alginate do not benefit the resistance of portland cement mortar to sulfuric acid attack; (2) even weak sulfuric acid solutions caused deterioration of both treated and untreated mortars; (3) varying the constituents of mortar produced from either Type I or Type II cement do not prevent failure due to sulfuric acid attack; and (4) sulfuric acid attack on portland cement mortar is a surface phenomenon and does not affect the structural integrity of the interior of the mortar specimens.
Some Topological Dynamics

We continue to use semigroup notation for a dynamical system S(t) t ≥0 on a metric space χ (see Definitions III. 1.1, III. 1.2), recalling that the mapping S(.)x: ℛ+ → χ is the motion corresponding to the initial state x ∈ χ, x e ∈ χ is an equilibrium if S(t)x e = x e for all t ∈ ℛ+, and a set δ ⊂ χ is positive invariant if x ∈ δ implies that S(t)x ∈ δ for all t ∈ ℛ+. We define the set γ(x) ≡ ⋃ t ≥0 S(t)x to be the positive orbit corresponding to the initial state x. We see that δ ⊂ χ is positive invariant if and only if γ(x) ⊂ δ for every x ∈ δ, and x e ∈ χ is an equilibrium if and only if γ(x e ) = xe.
How can genetics help in the management of obesity

Obesity usually results from unwanted variations in metabolism. Inadequate neurotransmission, thermogenesis, or acylation underlie about 90% of cases. These are complex, weakly heritable, polygenic traits. Mutations in major gene loci cause another 5% of cases, and still another 5% of cases are due to gluttony. Careful observation can help define the type of obesity. All forms are associated with excess mortality and require lifelong episodic or continuous management. Management centers around diet, exercise, behavior therapy, and life-style counseling. Serotonin agonists and serotonin uptake inhibitors, as well as alternative therapies like phototherapy and 5-hydroxytryptophan are worthwhile for neurotransmitter inadequacy, except in children and pregnant women. When thermogenesis is inadequate, intake may be normal and weight reduction may require subnormal intake. Some degree of obesity may be required for optimal health in patients with inadequate acylation. In some Mendelian syndromes, obesity may balance a metabolic error, and weight reduction may restore metabolic imbalance.
Neuroethics and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)

Advances in brain-computer interface (or brain-machine interface) technology raise interesting and important ethical questions. BCI researchers encounter some of these questions, such as informed c...
Abstract 865: Isolation of WDR77-mediated interaction between androgen receptor and p53 uncovers novel treatment strategy for prostate cancer

The ∼30,000 prostate cancer (CaP) deaths in the United States annually are due to failure of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). ADT prevents ligand-activation of androgen receptor (AR), which is the main target for treatment of non-organ-confined CaP. ADT fails while CaP remains dependent on AR. Recent NextGen sequencing approaches on ADT-recurrent CaP specimens have confirmed AR amplification, and emergence of gain-of-function AR mutations and forms of AR that do not require ligand-activation. The same sequencing studies also identified a striking enrichment in gain-of-function p53 mutations during ADT. AR and p53 have been recognized as the 2 major genomic drivers of lethal CaP progression, do not interact directly and are not targeted efficiently for therapy in ADT-recurrent CaP. Recently, using a customized gene expression oligoarray, we defined the contribution of 18 clinically relevant coregulators to androgen regulation of 452 AR target genes. Coregulator contribution to AR action was highly gene-specific and context-dependent. Selectivity in dependence of AR target genes on individual coregulators was reflected in the composition of associated AR binding sites, as well as in CaP cell biology and clinical CaP progression that was controlled by these AR target genes. The existence of diverse AR-coregulator-transcription factor (TF) transcriptional codes was evidenced by WDR77-dependent interaction between AR and p53. In this novel AR-, p53- and WDR77-dependent transcriptional mechanism, the coregulator WDR77 physically and functionally bridged the action of AR and p53. WDR77 controlled selectively androgen regulation of 96 AR target genes that are associated with aggressive CaP and that mediate cell death, DNA replication, recombination and repair. Using Cistrome project tools, binding motifs for p53 were found close to AR binding sites in WDR77-dependent AR target genes, and ChIP validated androgen-dependent recruitment of p53 and WDR77 to those genomic regions. Genome-wide gene expression profiling confirmed significant overlap (n = 262) in p53- and WDR77-dependent androgen-responsive genes in CaP cells. Co-immunoprecipitation and mammalian-2-hybrid assays demonstrated p53 and WDR77 interaction, and delineated the p53-WDR77 interacting domains. In conclusion, WDR77-dependent interaction between AR and p53 provides the rationale for a novel CaP treatment strategy, namely disruption of functional interaction(s) between AR and TFs, such as p53, that control the CaP biology responsible for lethal disease progression. Citation Format: Sangeeta Kumari, Simon Schlanger, Dan Wang, Song Liu, Hannelore Heemers. Isolation of WDR77-mediated interaction between androgen receptor and p53 uncovers novel treatment strategy for prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 865.
Dilemma between the Structured and Object-Oriented Approaches to Systems Analysis and Design

In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in adapting object-oriented (OO) concepts, UML, and Unified Process of system development in the Systems Analysis and Design texts. However, there is a question of how to best fit these concepts with the existing coherent discussion of structured approach. This paper addresses some of the intricacies of OO concepts such as complexity of diagrams and models, weak links between phases, and lack of support for designing system components. We would like to recommend that there should be a separate text for the OO methodology and it should not present various OO models according to the phases of the traditional structured approach, rather it should focus on the evolution of the models leading to the design of the system components. Furthermore, there should be a standard set of models for the OO methodology as well as a clear definition of steps as an analyst moves from one set of models to the next.
A Case of Pulmonary Foreign Body Granulomatosis Secondary to Intravenous Injection of Acetaminophen/Oxycodone.

ABSTRACTForeign body granulomatosis is a rare complication of intravenous injection of pulverized oral prescription tablets. We present the case of an active duty male who was ultimately diagnosed with foreign body granulomatosis caused by the crushing and intravenous injection of acetaminophen with oxycodone (Percocet). The 24-year-old patient initially presented with multiple syncopal episodes, hemoptysis and hypoxia. The patient presentation and imaging findings involved in foreign body granulomatosis can mimic many pulmonary disorders and can be widely variable. Diagnosis is made following lung biopsy. The disease has irreversible effects and patients usually have a progressive decline in pulmonary function. Treatment is supportive although lung transplantation may be beneficial in patients with end-stage lung disease. Pulmonary foreign body granulomatosis should be considered in patients presenting with unexplained hypoxia and imaging consistent with diffuse micronodular disease.
Green Chemistry Education: 25 Years of Progress and 25 Years Ahead

This Feature summarizes the advances in green chemistry education during the last 25 years and highlights some new strategies being developed to support curricular reform at the undergraduate level. The infusion of green chemistry into the curriculum has enabled educators to improve lab safety, address facilities limitations, and modernize the chemistry curriculum. Strategic partnerships and investments in rapid dissemination and capacity building supported the development of early educational materials and the development of networks of educators interested in collaborative efforts to transform chemistry education. The first section illustrates the breadth of the achievements of the educational community and highlights approaches that provide inspiration for the development of successful educational materials and resources. In the second section, we take stock of the current state of green chemistry education, examine the drivers that are creating pull for further infusion, and describe a roadmap for gre...
Dopaminergic treatment weakens medium spiny neuron collateral inhibition in the parkinsonian striatum.

With the use of a large database, this study establishes that neighboring homotypic striatal spiny projection neurons have a 50% chance to form one-way collateral inhibitory connection, a substanti...
Alcoholic fatty liver is enhanced in CYP2A5 knockout mice: The role of the PPARα-FGF21 axis.

Abstract Background & aims Cytochrome P450 2A5 (CYP2A5) is induced by ethanol, and the ethanol induction of CYP2A5 is regulated by nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2). Cyp2a5 knockout ( Cyp2a5 −/− ) mice develop more severe alcoholic fatty liver than Cyp2a5 +/+ mice. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a PPARα-regulated liver hormone, is involved in hepatic lipid metabolism. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver are enhanced in Pparα knockout ( Pparα −/− ) mice. This study investigates the relationship between the PPARα-FGF21 axis and the enhanced alcoholic fatty liver in Cyp2a5 −/− mice. Methods Mice were fed the Lieber-Decarli ethanol diet to induce alcoholic fatty liver. Results More severe alcoholic fatty liver disease was developed in Cyp2a5 −/− mice than in Cyp2a5 +/+ mice. Basal FGF21 levels were higher in Cyp2a5 −/− mice than in Cyp2a5 +/+ mice, but ethanol did not further increase the elevated FGF21 levels in Cyp2a5 −/− mice while FGF21 was induced by ethanol in Cyp2a5 +/+ mice. Basal levels of serum FGF21 were lower in Pparα −/− mice than in Pparα +/+ mice; ethanol induced FGF21 in Pparα +/+ mice but not in Pparα −/− mice, whereas ethanol induced hypertriglyceridemia in Pparα −/− mice but not in Pparα +/+ mice. Administration of recombinant FGF21 normalized serum FGF21 and triglyceride in Pparα −/− mice. Alcoholic fatty liver was enhanced in liver-specific Fgf21 knockout mice. Pparα and Cyp2a5 double knockout ( Pparα −/− / Cyp2a5 −/− ) mice developed more severe alcoholic fatty liver than Pparα +/+ / Cyp2a5 −/− mice. Conclusions These results suggest that CYP2A5 protects against the development of alcoholic fatty liver disease, and the PPARα-FGF21 axis contributes to the protective effects of CYP2A5 on alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Value-Based Insurance Design Benefit Offsets Reductions In Medication Adherence Associated With Switch To Deductible Plan.

Enrollment in high-deductible health plans is increasing out-of-pocket spending. But innovative plans that pair deductibles with value-based insurance designs can help preserve low-cost access to high-value treatments for patients by aligning coverage with clinical value. Among adults in high-deductible health plans who were prescribed medications for chronic conditions, we examined what impact a value-based pharmacy benefit that offered free chronic disease medications had on medication adherence. Overall, we found that the value-based plan offset reductions in medication adherence associated with switching to a deductible plan. The value-based plan appeared particularly beneficial for patients who started with low levels of medication adherence. Patients with additional clinical complexity or vulnerable populations living in neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic status, however, did not show adherence improvements and might not be taking advantage of value-based insurance design provisions. Additional ...
Applications of a Cartesian Mesh Boundary-Layer Approach for Complex Configurations

This paper examines the performance of a coupled Euler boundary-layer approach in simulating viscous flows around a variety of aerospace configurations. The method combines an established multilevel Cartesian-mesh Euler solver with a transpiration boundary condition to account for the boundary-layer displacement thickness. This boundary condition is set via a strip-wise solution of the 2D boundary-layer equations which uses the inviscid solution as a driver. The implementation uses local flow topology to establish attachment and separation and an elliptic solve on the surface triangulation to couple surface transpiration velocities back to the inviscid solver. While interacting boundary-layer (IBL) approaches are not necessarily new, the current approach is strongly focused on complex configurations and the implementation includes some novel techniques for coping with geometric complexity, markedly improving its utility, and removing the need for additional viscous corrections. The use of IBL solvers is well established for transport aircraft configurations, and the current work examines the success of the technique for such cases and explores its utility outside this class of problems. The investigations demonstrate the technique’s performance with both single-point and parametric studies on 2D supercritical airfoils, isolated wings, finned-missiles, and full-aircraft configurations. Results on the NACA RM-10 showed good agreement over a range of transonic and supersonic Mach numbers. Simulations on the DLR F-4 wing-body yielded aerodynamic force coefficients that agreed well with established results from the 1st AIAA Drag Prediction Workshop over a range of conditions. The discussion of these numerical results highlights regions of continued research.
Effect of a silane coupling agent on composite repair strengths.

PURPOSE To evaluate the use of a silane coupling agent (Silane Bond Enhancer) for repair of a glass-filled hybrid resin composite (Herculite XR). MATERIALS AND METHODS Composite specimens (n = 20) were either air-abraded (AA) with an intraoral sandblaster (Microetcher), etched with 9.6% hydrofluoric acid (HF) (Porcelain Etch Gel), or treated with both methods (AA/HF). A silane coupling agent was applied to half of the specimens after these initial surface treatments. Composite repairs were completed by application of a phosphonate ester bonding agent (Bondlite) and resin composite (XRV Herculite). Transverse strengths of repaired specimens and intact (control) specimens were determined using an Instron. RESULTS The mean bond strengths of repaired specimens ranged from 41% to 62% of the composite's cohesive strength. All repair strengths were significantly lower than the cohesive strength, but were not significantly different from each other. Silanation slightly improved the transverse strength of specimens repaired using the HF and AA/HF methods, but not those repaired using the AA procedure.