cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Architected elastomer networks for optimal electromechanical response

Abstract Dielectric elastomers (DEs) that couple deformation and electrostatics have the potential for use in soft sensors and actuators with applications ranging from robotic, biomedical, energy, aerospace and automotive technologies. However, currently available DEs are limited by weak electromechanical coupling and require large electric fields for significant actuation. In this work, a statistical mechanics-based model of DE chains is applied to elucidate the role of a polymer network architecture in the performance of the bulk material. Given a polymer network composed of chains that are cross-linked, the paper examines the role of cross-link density, orientational density of chains, and other network parameters in determining the material properties of interest including elastic modulus, electrical susceptibility, and the electromechanical coupling. From this analysis, a practical strategy is presented to increase the deformation and usable work derived from (anisotropic) dielectric elastomer actuators by as much as 75 − 100 % .
Beyond “In Spring, the Dawn”: Redeeming The Pillow Book through Manga

This paper examines three manga adaptations of The Pillow Book ( Makura no sōshi , early 11 th c.) published in the past thirty years to show how popular culture challenges Japanese school education and its approaches to teaching classical literature. It argues that manga rewritings of the Heian-period text aim to increase modern interest in this ancient work and help to rectify misconceptions of it generated by national literature ( kokubungaku ) scholarship and traditional methods of teaching classical literature in Japan. Prioritizing the content instead of its formal features, these rewritings offer a new approach to the eleventh-century work by presenting the material in an engaging and relevant way that resonates with modern readers.
COVID-19 Automatic Diagnosis With Radiographic Imaging: Explainable Attention Transfer Deep Neural Networks

Researchers seek help from deep learning methods to alleviate the enormous burden of reading radiological images by clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, clinicians are often reluctant to trust deep models due to their black-box characteristics. To automatically differentiate COVID-19 and community-acquired pneumonia from healthy lungs in radiographic imaging, we propose an explainable attention-transfer classification model based on the knowledge distillation network structure. The attention transfer direction always goes from the teacher network to the student network. Firstly, the teacher network extracts global features and concentrates on the infection regions to generate attention maps. It uses a deformable attention module to strengthen the response of infection regions and to suppress noise in irrelevant regions with an expanded reception field. Secondly, an image fusion module combines attention knowledge transferred from teacher network to student network with the essential information in original input. While the teacher network focuses on global features, the student branch focuses on irregularly shaped lesion regions to learn discriminative features. Lastly, we conduct extensive experiments on public chest X-ray and CT datasets to demonstrate the explainability of the proposed architecture in diagnosing COVID-19.
Honokiol Affects Stem Cell Viability by Suppressing Oncogenic YAP1 Function to Inhibit Colon Tumorigenesis

Honokiol (HNK) is a biphenolic compound that has been used in traditional medicine for treating various ailments, including cancers. In this study, we determined the effect of HNK on colon cancer cells in culture and in a colitis-associated cancer model. HNK treatment inhibited proliferation and colony formation while inducing apoptosis. In addition, HNK suppressed colonosphere formation. Molecular docking suggests that HNK interacts with reserve stem cell marker protein DCLK1, with a binding energy of −7.0 Kcal/mol. In vitro kinase assays demonstrated that HNK suppressed the DCLK1 kinase activity. HNK also suppressed the expression of additional cancer stem cell marker proteins LGR5 and CD44. The Hippo signaling pathway is active in intestinal stem cells. In the canonical pathway, YAP1 is phosphorylated at Ser127 by upstream Mst1/2 and Lats1/2. This results in the sequestration of YAP1 in the cytoplasm, thereby not allowing YAP1 to translocate to the nucleus and interact with TEAD1-4 transcription factors to induce gene expression. However, HNK suppressed Ser127 phosphorylation in YAP1, but the protein remains sequestered in the cytoplasm. We further determined that this occurs by YAP1 interacting with PUMA. To determine if this also occurs in vivo, we performed studies in an AOM/DSS induced colitis-associated cancer model. HNK administered by oral gavage at a dose of 5mg/kg bw for 24 weeks demonstrated a significant reduction in the expression of YAP1 and TEAD1 and in the stem marker proteins. Together, these data suggest that HNK prevents colon tumorigenesis in part by inducing PUMA-YAP1 interaction and cytoplasmic sequestration, thereby suppressing the oncogenic YAP1 activity.
Stochastic simulation of biological cellular processes using VHDL-AMS

Accurate, predictive models of biological cellular processes are a key component of the quest to transform the engineering of genetic controls within organisms. Biological systems include a dizzying variety of interacting biochemical pathways, each consisting of numerous reactions and chemical species. Moreover, such classical assumptions of differential equations models as equilibrium (including well-stirred species) and a large number of reactants do not hold for mesoscalar, intra-cellular modeling. In fact, these systems require the seamless, accurate modeling of interacting discrete and continuous behaviors. Previous research has demonstrated the potential of using portions of biochemical pathways as switches to control behavior, with emergent behaviors such as logic gates created. Accurate, efficient models require the ability to mix discrete and continuous descriptions while providing for the high-fidelity interaction between these domains. Although a number of previous researchers have discussed the use of analog and mixed signal hardware description languages (AMS HDLs) such as VHDL-AMS and Verilog-AMS for representing the behavior of MEMS, microfluidic, optical, and thermal systems, similar benefits can result from the use of AMS HDLs for biological systems modeling. We present preliminary research into the VHDL-AMS representation of biological systems at different levels of abstraction and the capability to support multi-resolution modeling. We discuss the role of this research within the context of the DARPA BioSPICE research program, our modeling and simulation approach, and future plans.
Some Effects of Organic Solvents on the Reaction Kinetics of Milk Xanthine Oxidase

Abstract The rate of reduction of 2,6-dichlorobenzenoneindophenol by xanthine oxidase plus its aldehydic or purine substrates is strikingly stimulated by the admixture of water-miscible organic solvents. In addition to acting as the electron acceptor in these assays, 2,6-dichlorobenzenoneindophenol is found to be a potent competitive inhibitor of xanthine oxidase with a KI of 1 x 10-6 M. The leuco form of this dye is a much less effective inhibitor, with a KI of 1.5 x 10-5 M. Dimethoxyethane and other water-miscible organic solvents reduce the inhibitory potency of 2,6-dichlorobenzenoneindophenol and thus give the appearance of activating the enzyme in this dye reduction assay. The inhibition of the enzyme by several other competitive inhibitors was not affected by dimethoxyethane. Dimethoxyethane, per se, is an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase. Its effects on the kinetics of this enzyme are notably complex. The reversal of the 2,6-dichlorobenzenoneindophenol inhibition by organic solvents appears best explained in terms of their effects on the solvent properties of the medium.
Linkage analysis for age-related macular degeneration supports a gene on chromosome 10q26.

PURPOSE Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a retinal degenerative disease that is the leading cause of blindness worldwide in individuals over the age of 60. Although the etiology of AMD remains largely unknown, numerous studies have suggested both genetic and environmental influences. A previous study of affected multiplex families identified four chromosomal regions that potentially harbor AMD susceptibility genes. The purpose of our study was to further investigate these regions with additional microsatellite marker coverage in our independent data set. METHODS We examined regions on chromosomes 1q, 9p, 10q, and 17q for genetic linkage in our 70 multiplex families (consisting of 133 affected sibpairs). Two point heterogeneity LOD score (HLOD) and nonparametric LOD score (MLS) analyses were performed for disease models defined by the most severe status in either eye. Conditional analyses were performed using apolipoprotein E (APOE) alleles as covariates in semiparametric LOD (LOD*) score calculations. RESULTS Regions on chromosomes 1q, 9p, and 17q did not provide evidence of linkage in our data set. However, markers D10S1230 and D10S1656 on chromosome 10q26 generated maximum HLOD scores of 1.52 and 1.13, respectively. Marker D10S1230 also generated an MLS score of 1.56 in stage 4 and 5 individuals. Controlling for the potential effect of the APOE-epsilon4 allele did not substantially alter these scores. CONCLUSIONS With the inclusion of this study, at least five AMD data sets provide support of genetic linkage to 10q26. Such consistency and confirmation of evidence strongly suggests that this region should be the subject of further detailed genomic efforts for the disease.
Vibration of Mechanical Systems

1. Equivalent single degree of freedom system and free vibration 2. Vibration of a single degree of freedom system under constant and purely harmonic excitation 3. Responses of a SDOF spring-mass-damper system to periodic and arbitrary forces 4. Vibration of two degrees of freedom systems 5. Finite and infinite (continuous) dimensional systems References Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C.
Airspace risk management using surveillance track data: Stabilized approaches

The outcome of operations in a designated airspace is a function of the cooperation between flights in the airspace and the coordination of Air Traffic Control (ATC). A critical airspace is the approach airspace in which flights are sequenced and separated to minima to maximize utilization of the available runways. Airline procedures call for flights to meet “stable approach criteria” at 1000 ft. and 500 ft. above ground level (AGL). ATC procedures define the trajectories flown, including airspeed, to maximize throughput through the airspace and runways. The ability to achieve the stabilized approach criteria is therefore a function of the coordination of the flight crews and ATC. This paper describes a method for analysis of stabilized approaches using surveillance track data. Risk events and factors related to stabilized approach criteria are defined. A case study of 8,219 approaches is conducted at a runway of slot controlled airport with a dominant carrier. The results quantify the portion of the approaches which violate the stabilized approach criteria. Results show that 27.8% of the approaches exhibited more than 10 knots change in groundspeed after sequencing 1000 ft. AGL, 14.1% after sequencing 750 ft. AGL, and 4.4% after sequencing 500 ft. AGL. The flights with rate of descent in excess of 1000 feet per minute (fpm.) are also studied. The effects of factors such as the speed at Final Approach Fix (FAF) and the runway centerline/glidepath acquisition position are analyzed. Results show that a flight that acquires glidepath after FAF has a higher probability of having an excessive speed change from 1000 ft. AGL to the runway threshold. Aircraft weight classes are also studied. The results indicate a lower landing speed and higher deceleration rate for small aircraft. The implications of these results and the limitations of using surveillance track data for this purpose are discussed.
Design conceptualization of air-cooled coated silicon nitride plates for gas turbine applications

This parametric study investigates the feasibility of cooling of silicon nitride plates with thermal/environmental barrier coatings (TBC/EBC) for high-temperature gas turbine components. Heat transfer analysis coupled with coolant flow analysis, using the ESC task of I-DEAS package, has been conducted for modeling a flat ceramic plate with changing airflow parameters as well as coating configurations. The parametric study was conducted by varying the airflow rate, inlet air temperature, passage surface roughness, and coating configurations including thickness and thermal conductivity. The results include ceramic material and air temperatures, cooling effectiveness, heat transfer coefficient on cooling passage surfaces and heat convected to air. Results with respect to the study key design parameters include variation of ceramic material and air temperatures, cooling effectiveness, heat transfer coefficient on cooling passage surfaces, and heat convected to air. The potential for air-cooled ceramic gas turbine components was demonstrated from the thermal and fluid flow standpoints. Additional work is necessary to further investigate the structural and material aspects for ceramic gas turbine components under engine operating conditions.
Exploring the population genetic consequences of the colonization process with spatio-temporally explicit models: insights from coupled ecological, demographic and genetic models in montane grasshoppers

Understanding the genetic consequences of shifting species distributions is critical for evaluating the impact of climate-induced distributional changes. However, the demographic expansion associated with the colonization process typically takes place across a heterogeneous environment, with population sizes and migration rates varying across the landscape. Here we describe an approach for coupling ecological-niche models (ENMs) with demographic and genetic models to explore the genetic consequences of distributional shifts across a heterogeneous landscape. Analyses of a flightless grasshopper from the sky islands of the Rocky Mountains of North America are used to show how biologically informed predictions can be generated about the genetic consequences of a colonization process across a spatially and temporally heterogeneous landscape (i.e. the suitability of habitats for the montane species differs across the landscape and is itself not static, with the displacement of contemporary populations into glacial refugia). By using (i) ENMs for current climatic conditions and the last glacial maximum to (ii) parameterize a demographic model of the colonization process, which then (iii) informs coalescent simulations, a set of models can be generated that capture different processes associated with distributional shifts. We discuss how the proposed approach for model generation can be integrated into a statistical framework for estimating key demographic parameters and testing hypotheses about the conditions for which distributional shifts may (or may not) enhance species divergence, including the importance of habitat stability, past gene-flow among currently isolated populations, and maintenance of refugial populations in multiple geographic regions.
Symptomatic Sinus Node Dysfunction in Children Without Structural Heart Disease

Symptomatic sinus node dysfunction rarely occurs in children with structurally normal hearts. Three children with syncope and bradycardia are described. Noninvasive and invasive testing revealed isolated sinus node dysfunction and normal cardiac anatomy. Electrophysiologic evaluation showed abnormalities of sinus node automaticity and sinoatrial conduction. All three patients were treated with permanent ventricular pacemakers and have remained asymptomatic. Sinus node dysfunction should be considered in the differential diagnosis whenever a child is seen with unexplained dizziness or syncope.
Experiences of African‐American Women with Smartphone‐Based Ecological Momentary Assessment

Objective Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA), or real-time, repeated sampling of participants' states, behaviors, or experiences over time, is a promising approach to understanding obesity-related behaviors in African-American women—a population with the highest obesity prevalence. In this study, we explored participants' experiences with this methodology. Design and Sample In this secondary analysis of data, 100 African-American women participated in seven consecutive days of EMA data collection. Measures Measures related to acceptability (technical challenges, daily burden, emotional responses, willingness to participate in future studies) and data quality (reporting accuracy, behavior reactivity, adherence), as well as demographics, were collected. Results While there were few demographic differences, women who were unemployed, had the lowest educational levels, or had the lowest per capita income reported the greatest enjoyment with mobile technology-based EMA, while at the same time reporting the highest levels of challenge with use of the equipment. Participants consistently indicated willingness to participate in future EMA studies and indicated that the study method was acceptable. EMA methodology produced data of sufficient quality. Conclusion Findings suggest future studies using smartphone-based EMA with African-American women are feasible.
Alcohol-Induced Blackouts and Other Negative Outcomes During the Transition Out of College

Objective:There is considerable debate about the prospective association between alcohol-dependence symptoms and alcohol-related blackouts. The goal of this study was to examine the associations among alcohol-dependence symptoms, blackouts, and social and emotional consequences during the transition out of college.Method:Participants (N = 829; 66% female) were part of a 6-year longitudinal study designed to explore alcohol use and risky behaviors during and after college. Data for these analyses were from Years 4 and 5 of data collection, which most closely corresponded to the transition out of college. Using cross-lagged models, we tested the prospective associations of alcohol-dependence symptoms, blackout frequency, and social and emotional consequences.Results:Alcohol-dependence symptoms in Year 4 predicted increased frequency of blackouts and social and emotional consequences during the subsequent year. Blackouts during Year 4 also significantly predicted increased alcohol-related social and emotiona...
Trends in Language Instruction

Author's Summary— A discussion of expansion in modern foreign language instruction caused by the war, its trends and effects.
Interactions between a stream caddisfly and the algae on its case: factors affecting algal quantity

SUMMARY 1. Field experiments were conducted to examine interactions between larvae of the caddisfly Gumaga nigricula and the algae (primarily diatoms) located on their sand grain cases. Floating experimental enclosures were placed in sunlit pools of a California stream. Treatments applied to occupied cases, or to those from which caddisflies had been removed, included variations in grazer density, addition of nutrients, and modification of illumination using shade cloth. 2. Neither faecal-enriched agar in empty cases nor injections of faecal material into plugged cases affected case chlorophyll a concentration; injected nutrients (N and P), however, did increase chlorophyll a concentration. Faecal material may be nutrient poor, or nutrients may not be readily released. In addition, the relatively impermeable case wall may reduce the likelihood that nutrients from caddisflies reach the algae on the outer case surface. 3. Although a Gumaga larva may graze algae from its own case, grazing by conspecifics and the caddisfly Helicopsyche borealis causes a greater reduction in the chlorophyll a content of cases. 4. Chlorophyll a content of empty cases was decreased by experimental reduction of light. Because of shading associated with burrowing, chlorophyll a content of cases occupied by Gumaga was low and was unaffected by experimental light reduction. 5. Removal of Gumaga from its case results in rapid accrual of algae. Thus, the net effect of larval presence is to diminish the algal content of its case.
Slow wave changes in amygdala to visual, auditory, and social stimuli following lesions of the inferior temporal cortex in squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus)

Radiotelemetry of slow wave activity of the amygdala was recorded under a variety of conditions. Power, and the percentage of power in the δ band, increased in response to stimulation. Recordings of monkey vocalizations and slides of ethologically relevant, natural objects produced a greater increase in power than did control stimuli. The responses to auditory stimuli increased when these stimuli were presented in an unrestrained, group setting, yet the responses to the vocalizations remained greater than those following control stimuli. Both the natural auditory and visual stimuli produced a reliable hierarchy with regard to the magnitude of response. Following lesions of inferior temporal cortex, these two hierarchies are disrupted, especially in the auditory domain. Further, these same stimuli, when presented after the lesion, produced a decrease, rather than an increase, in power. Nevertheless, the power recorded from the natural stimuli was still greater than that recorded from control stimuli in that the former produced less of a decrease in power, following the lesion, than did the latter. These data, in conjunction with a parallel report on evoked potentials in the amygdala, before and after cortical lesions, lead us to conclude that sensory information, particularly auditory, available to the amygdala, following the lesion, is substantially the same, and that it is the interpretation of this information, by the amygdala, which is altered by the cortical lesion.
Citizen Attitudes and Political Behavior

The field of comparative political behavior has experienced an ironic course of development. Over the past generation, the field has generated a dramatic increase in the knowledge about how people think about politics, become politically engaged, and make their political decisions. Empirical data on citizen attitudes are now available on a near global scale. However, this increase in knowledge has occurred as the processes and structures of contemporary politics are transforming citizen politics. Thus, although more is known about contemporary electorates, the behavior of the public has become more complex and individualistic, which limits the ability to explain the behavior with the most common models. This article documents the expansion of this knowledge in several areas—political culture, political cognition, voting behavior, and political participation—and discusses the current research challenges facing the field.
Reflections on the Hymer thesis and the multinational enterprise

Abstract Understanding the economic function of the multinational enterprise remains a seminal issue. Almost half a century ago, Stephen Hymer initiated serious scholarly inquiry into the theory of multinational enterprise by positing that domestic firms needed special advantages to go global and succeed. However, he failed to fully unlock the foundations of the posited special advantages. Moreover, he sensed that multinational firms could not exist in a (theoretical) world of perfect competition, and wrongfully concluded that pernicious market power must be associated with the overseas activities of the multinational enterprise. This article examines Hymer's contributions and hints at the need for an (intangible) assets/capabilities based analysis of the multinational enterprise.
Analysis of the transient movement of water and solutes in stream-aquifer systems

Abstract A Galerkin-type finite-element method is used to formulate the problem of simulating the transient movement of water and solute in saturated or partially-saturated porous media. The numerical model uses linear triangular elements. The model includes the effects of advection, dispersion, sorption, a first-order reaction, and a source or sink for the dissolved constituent. The model is tested for flow with finite-difference results and for solute transport with analytical solutions results. The results from a hypothetical case of simulating water and solute transport in a stream-aquifer system are presented and discussed.
Postoperative right ventricular failure after left ventricular assist device placement is predicted by preoperative echocardiographic structural, hemodynamic, and functional parameters.

Abstract Background Right ventricular failure (RVF) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation results in significant morbidity and mortality. Preoperative parameters from transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) that predict RVF after LVAD implantation might identify patients in need of temporary or permanent right ventricular (RV) mechanical or inotropic support. Methods and Results Records of all patients who had preoperative TTE before implantation of a permanent LVAD at our institution from 2008 to 2011 were screened, and 55 patients (age 54 ± 16 years, 71% male) were included: 26 had LVAD implantation alone with no postoperative RVF, 16 had LVAD implantation alone but experienced postoperative RVF, and 13 had initial biventricular assist devices (BIVADs). The LVAD with RVF and BIVAD groups (RVF group) were pooled for comparison with the LVAD patients without RVF (No RVF group). RV fractional area change (RV FAC) was significantly lower in the RVF group versus the No RVF group (24% vs 30%; P = .04). Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion was not different among the groups (1.6 cm vs 1.5 cm; P = .53). Estimated right atrial pressure (RAP) was significantly higher in the RVF group versus the No RVF group (11 mm Hg vs 8 mm Hg; P = .04). Left atrial volume (LAV) index was lower in patients with RVF versus No RVF (27 mL/m 2 vs 40 mL/m 2 ; P = .008). Combining RV FAC, estimated RAP, and LAV index into an echocardiographic scoring system revealed that the TTE score was highly predictive of RVF (5.0 vs 2.8; P = .0001). In multivariate models combining the TTE score with clinical variables, the score was the most predictive of RVF (odds ratio 1.66, 95% confidence interval 1.06–2.62). Conclusions Preoperative RV FAC, estimated RAP, and LAV index predict postoperative RVF in patients undergoing LVAD implantation. These parameters may be combined into a simple echocardiographic scoring system to provide an additional tool to risk-stratify patients being evaluated for LVAD implantation.
Ab initio and semiempirical molecular orbital studies of alpha and beta lithiated vinyl ethers

Abstract Ab initio and semiempirical SCF MO methods are used to study models for vinyl ether carbanions and lithiocarbanions.
Protein secondary structure prediction using different encoding schemes and neural network architectures

Protein secondary structure prediction is very important for drug design, protein engineering and immunological studies. This research uses fully connected multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network with one, two and three hidden layers to predict protein secondary structure. Orthogonal matrix, BLOSUM62 matrix and hydrophobicity matrix are used for input profiles. To increase the input information for neural networks, the combined matrix from BLOSUM62 and orthogonal matrix and the combined matrix from BLOSUM62 and hydrophobicity matrix are also experimented. Binary classifiers indicate test accuracy of one hidden layer is better than that of two and three hidden layers. This may indicate that increasing complexity of architecture may not help neural network to recognize structural pattern of protein sequence more accurately. The results also show that the combined input profile of BLOSUM62 matrix and orthogonal matrix is the best one among five encoding schemes. While accuracy of the tertiary classifier reaches 63.20%, binary classifier for H/~H is 78.70%, which is comparable to other researchers’ results.
FPGA Implementation of Subcarrier Index Modulation OFDM Transceiver

OFDM (Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) is an efficient modulation scheme for wide-band digital communications and applications ranging from modems to next-generation high-speed wireless data communications[9]. Several enhancements of the OFDM have been proposed to reduce the complexity and power consumption of the transceiver while maintaining the performance. The goal of this paper is to design and to evaluate the performance of a Subcarrier index modulation (SIM) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transceiver on FPGA. The subcarrier-index modulation (SIM) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) has been presented as a power-efficient and spectral-efficient multi-carrier modulation, and therefore adequate for optical wireless communications. The implementation was done on a Xilinx Virtex 5 platform. The design, based on power saving policy as presented in the SIM OFDM concept, achieves a timing of 9.98 ns and can be clocked at 100 MHz like most of OFDM implementations on FPGA.
Preparative gas chromatographic resolution of 3,3-dimethyl-2-butanol and other alcohols☆☆☆

Abstract The feasibility of preparative gas chromatographic resolution of small quantities of certain alcohols as the N-triflouroacetyl- l -alanyl diastereomeric esters was demonstrated. The degree of resolution attained and the quantity resolved were strongly affected by the column length. Utilizing a 1 × 1584 cm column, both optical forms of 3,3-dimethyl-2-butanol were obtained with greater than 98% purity.
Parental Influences on the Educational Outcomes of Immigrant Youth

Recent research suggests that children with immigrant parents tend to outperform their counterparts with native-born parents. This article examines whether the relative advantage of children of immigrants can be traced to differences in the character of parent-child relationships. Using the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS), I examine whether parent-child interaction varies among racial and generational groups. Descriptive tabulations suggest that immigrant parents are less likely to share decisionmaking power and to talk about school in general than are native-born parents. However, immigrant parents are more likely to talk about college, and their children report that they are closer to their parents than youth of native-born parents. While differences in parent-child interaction account for some of the differences in educational achievement between racial and generational groups, significant variation by race and generational status remains. Finally, I found significant variation between parenting behavior and its impact on GPA by race and ethnicity.
Understanding the influence of MgO and SrO binary doping on the mechanical and biological properties of β-TCP ceramics

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of MgO and SrO doping on the mechanical and biological properties of beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP). beta-TCP was doped with two different binary compositions, 0.25 and 1.0wt.% SrO along with 1.0wt.% MgO. MgO and SrO doping increased the beta phase stability at a sintering temperature of 1250 degrees C and marginally decreased the compressive strength of beta-TCP. An in vitro cell-material interaction study, using human fetal osteoblast cells (hFOB), indicated that doped beta-TCP was non-toxic, and MgO/SrO dopants improved cell attachment and growth. beta-TCP implants doped with 1.0wt.% MgO and 1.0wt.% SrO showed good in vivo biocompatibility when tested in male Sprague-Dawley rats for 16 weeks. Histomorphology analysis indicated that MgO/SrO-doped beta-TCP promoted more osteogenesis than pure beta-TCP. In vivo osteocalcin and type I collagen assay also revealed faster bone formation in rats with doped beta-TCP implant compared to rats with pure beta-TCP implant. Low Ca(2+) concentration in the urine of rats with doped beta-TCP implant confirmed slower degradation of MgO/SrO-doped beta-TCP than pure beta-TCP.
Préservation neurologique et vasculaire au cours de la prostatectomie totale laparoscopique

Resume L’objectif de la preservation nerveuse est de traumatiser le moins possible les fibres non myelinisees et les arteres qui se destinent aux corps caverneux. Le plan anatomique de la dissection peut etre inter ou extra fascial et il est possible de preserver toute ou partie des pedicules neurovasculaires. La technique depend du risque carcinologique evalue et des caracteristiques anatomiques locales. La preservation des arteres pudendales accessoires doit egalement etre tentee, lorsqu’elles sont identifiees afin d’ameliorer les chances de recuperer des erections naturelles.
Rationale for a Personal Monitor for Heat Strain

Worker heat-stress exposures can be controlled for short periods above the threshold limit value (TLV®) by self-assessment, if the worker can avoid overexposure based on excessive heart rate and/or excessive core temperature. A socially acceptable surrogate for core temperature and a measure of heart rate are objective measures that can increase the reliability of the self-assessment decision. This article describes a surface-mounted temperature sensor developed to indicate when rectal temperature reaches a safe limit. Protective criteria were established for temperature sensor alert limits. A fixed threshold for heart rate may cause premature alerts during bursts of activity and miss lower, but sustained, heart rates that represent significant physiological strain. For these reasons, heart rate criteria based on seven moving-time averages also were developed. The criteria are based on a relationship between heart rate and endurance time. The temperature sensor and heart rate criteria form the basis of a ...
Structure-Function Analysis of VapB4 Antitoxin Identifies Critical Features of a Minimal VapC4 Toxin-Binding Module

Bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems play a critical role in the regulation of gene expression, leading to developmental changes, reversible dormancy, and cell death. Type II toxin-antitoxin pairs, composed of protein toxins and antitoxins, exist in nearly all bacteria and are classified into six groups on the basis of the structure of the toxins. The VapBC group comprises the most common type II system and, like other toxin-antitoxin systems, functions to elicit dormancy by inhibiting protein synthesis. Activation of toxin function requires protease degradation of the VapB antitoxin, which frees the VapC toxin from the VapBC complex, allowing it to hydrolyze the RNAs required for translation. Generally, type II antitoxins bind with high specificity to their cognate toxins via a toxin-binding domain and endow the complex with DNA-binding specificity via a DNA-binding domain. Despite the ubiquity of VapBC systems and their critical role in the regulation of gene expression, few functional studies have addressed the details of VapB-VapC interactions. Here we report on the results of experiments designed to identify molecular determinants of the specificity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis VapB4 antitoxin for its cognate VapC4 toxin. The results identify the minimal domain of VapB4 required for this interaction as well as the amino acid side chains required for binding to VapC4. These findings have important implications for the evolution of VapBC toxin-antitoxin systems and their potential as targets of small-molecule protein-protein interaction inhibitors. IMPORTANCE VapBC toxin-antitoxin pairs are the most widespread type II toxin-antitoxin systems in bacteria, where they are thought to play key roles in stress-induced dormancy and the formation of persisters. The VapB antitoxins are critical to these processes because they inhibit the activity of the toxins and provide the DNA-binding specificity that controls the synthesis of both proteins. Despite the importance of VapB antitoxins and the existence of several VapBC crystal structures, little is known about their functional features in vivo. Here we report the findings of the first comprehensive structure-function analysis of a VapB toxin. The results identify the minimal toxin-binding domain, its modular antitoxin function, and the specific amino acid side chains required for its activity.
Metrics and benefits analysis and challenges for Smart Grid field projects

This paper describes approaches to determine metrics, costs, and benefits from Smart Grid field projects including the 140 Smart Grid Investment Grants and Smart Grid Demonstration Projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The paper describes DOE's metrics and benefits framework that links Smart Grid technologies with their applications and the benefits that result from those applications. Benefits are derived by comparison of grid performance before and after installation and operation of Smart Grid components. These benefits are accrued to utilities/ratepayers, consumers, and society. There are significant challenges in attempting to collect field information and convert the information to metrics, costs, and benefits. For example, determining the monetary value of performance benefits such as reduced environmental emissions, reduced outages, and reduced peak load requires assumptions based on experience and must be rooted in solid technical and financial bases.
Synergistic effect of rapamycin and cisplatin in endometrial cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors modulate signaling pathways involved in cell cycle progression, and phase 2 trials for endometrial cancer are currently being conducted. Because rapamycin is known to enhance the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs, the authors' goal was to examine the effects of rapamycin and cisplatin in endometrial cancer cell lines. METHODS: By using Ishikawa and ECC-1 cells, cell proliferation was assessed after exposure to rapamycin, cisplatin, or both in combination. The combination index (CI) was calculated using the method of Chou and Talalay. Apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Immunoblot analysis was performed to assess expression of S6 kinase 1 and the DNA mismatch repair proteins, MSH2 and MSH6. mTOR small interfering (siRNA) was transfected into the cell lines, and proliferation and apoptosis were assessed after exposure to cisplatin. RESULTS: Cisplatin inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner in both cell lines (median inhibition concentration of 8-13 μM). Simultaneous exposure of cisplatin in combination with rapamycin resulted in a significant synergistic antiproliferative effect (CI < 1). Rapamycin increased cisplatin-induced apoptosis and stimulated expression of MSH2 and MSH6 in the cisplatin-treated cell lines. Cell growth was significantly decreased in cells transfected with mTOR siRNA and treated with cisplatin compared with either alone (CI < 1). Transfection of mTOR siRNA did not induce apoptosis, but combined treatment with cisplatin increased apoptosis over that of cisplatin alone. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study provide evidence of a synergistic relation between rapamycin and cisplatin in both inhibition of cell growth and induction of apoptosis. This suggests that rapamycin and cisplatin may be a rational combination of a targeted therapy for endometrial cancer. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Travel Determinants and Multiscale Transferability of National Activity Patterns to Local Populations

The ability to transfer national travel patterns to a local population is of interest for modeling either large areas that exceed the boundaries of a metropolitan planning organization or small regions with no available travel survey data. At the core of this research are questions about the connection between travel behavior and land use, urban form, and accessibility. To explore this relationship, the researchers selected a group of land use variables to define activity and travel patterns for individuals and households. The 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) participants were divided into categories consisting of a set of latent cluster models representing persons, travel, and land use. This set was compared with two sets of cluster models constructed for two local travel surveys. Mean statistical tests were compared to assess differences among sociodemographic groups residing in localities with similar land uses. The results showed that the NHTS and the local surveys shared mean population a...
Modified phase correction algorithms in VCD/FT-IR spectrometry

Phase correction induced spectral anomalies in FT-IR vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra have been investigated. Spectral anomalies can appear in VCD spectra such as “reflected peaks”. These peaks are readily observed in quarterwave plate reference spectra. The anomalies are directly correlated to the arctangent function used to define the phase curve and result only from the unique nature of the VCD signal. Both Mertz and Forman phase correction algorithms have been modified to correct the phase of VCD interferograms without error.
Structural defects and critical electric field in 3C-SiC

3C-SiC p-type epilayers were grown to thicknesses of 1.5, 3, 6 and 10 μm on 2.5° off-axis Si(001) substrates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Silane and propane were used as precursors. Structural analysis of epilayers was performed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution x-ray diffractometry (HRXRD), and Raman spectroscopy. TEM showed defect densities (stacking faults, twins and dislocations) decreasing with increasing distance from the SiC/Si interface as the lattice mismatch stress is relaxed. This observation was corroborated by a monotonic decrease in HRXRD peak width (FWHM) from 780 arcsecs (1.5 μm thick epilayer) to 350 arcsecs (10 μm thick epilayer). Significant further reduction in x-ray FWHM is possible because the minimum FWHM detected is greater than the theoretical FWHM for SiC (about 12 arcsecs). Raman spectroscopy also indicates that the residual biaxial in-plane strain decreases with increasing epilayer thickness initially, but becomes essentially constant between 6 and 10 μm. Structural defect density shows the most significant reduction in the first 2 μm of growth. Phosphorus implantation was used to generate n+/p junctions for the measurement of the critical electric field in 3C-SiC. Based on current-voltage analyses, the critical electric field in p-type 3C-SiC with a doping of 2x1017 cm-3 is 1.3x106 V/cm.
Abstract 2811: A prostate stroma-derived profile is predictive of early relapse and reflects potential mechanisms of aggressive disease.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC The microenvironment of prostate cancer plays a major role in tumor initiation, growth, and metastatic spread. Using RNA expression data from fresh frozen human prostatectomies for which the clinical outcome was followed for over 5 years, we have developed a general approach to identify gene expression changes of the tumor-adjacent stroma that distinguishes aggressive prostate cancer cases from indolent cases. Highly significant gene associations were defined by correlating expression with Disease-free Survival (DFS) and also, separately, by comparing RNA expression between cases that remained disease free for at least 4 years following surgery with those cases that exhibited relapse within 1 year of surgery. A total of 193 highly significant genes were identified, of which 15 were common to the two approaches. These 15 genes were used to develop a PAM (Prediction Analysis for Microarrays)-based algorithm to classify new cases as indolent or aggressive and to provide a probability for each classification. The algorithm was tested on stroma-enriched samples from 47 new cases with known outcome with an accuracy of 87% [1]. A potential functional basis for some the genes associated with aggressive disease was suggested by the observation that p53 expression is decreased in aggressive disease whereas p53-target genes and cell cycle inhibitors including p21, GADD45A, and GADD45B are increased, which is a pattern others have noted as suggestive of senescence [2]. Increased IGFBP6, Tubulin alpha 1a, and Lamin A/C further suggest a senescence-associated secretory phenotype [3]. A potential secretory factor of known significance in the growth of prostate cancer (IGF-1/Somatomedin-C) has elevated RNA levels in the stroma of the same cases. These features argue that an accurate and general prediction of aggressiveness may be derived from the tumor microenvironment and may be composed of genes that have functional roles in bringing about aggressive disease. [1] Jia et al. 2012 PLoS ONE, 7(8):e41371 [2] Liebermann and Hoffman 2008 Journal of Molecular Signaling, 3:15 [3] Coppe et al. 2008 PLoS Biology, 6(12):e301 Citation Format: Zhenyu Jia, Farahnaz Rahmatpanah, Xin Chen, Michael McClelland, Dan Mercola. A prostate stroma-derived profile is predictive of early relapse and reflects potential mechanisms of aggressive disease. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2811. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2811 Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.
The Clostridium cellulovorans cellulosome: an enzyme complex with plant cell wall degrading activity

Cellulose comprises a major portion of biomass on the earth, and the turnover of this material contributes to the CO2 cycle. Cellulases, which play a major role in the turnover of cellulosic materials, have been found either as free enzymes that work synergistically, or as an enzyme complex called the cellulosome. This review summarizes some of the general properties of cellulosomes, and more specifically, the properties of the Clostridium cellulovorans cellulosome. The C cellulovorans cellulosome is an extracellular enzyme complex with a molecular weight of about 1 x 10(6), and is comprised of at least ten subunits. The major subunit is the scaffolding protein CbpA, with a molecular weight of 189,000. This nonenzymatic subunit contains a cellulose binding domain (CBD) that binds the cellulosome to the substrate, nine conserved cohesins or enzyme binding domains, and four conserved surface layer homologous (SLH) domains. It is postulated that the SLH domains help to bind the cellulosome to the cell surface. The cellulosomal enzymes include cellulases (family 5 and 9 endoglucanases and a family 48 exoglucanase), a mannanase, a xylanase, and a pectate lyase. The cellulosome is capable of converting Arabidopsis and tobacco plant cells to protoplasts. One of the endoglucanases, EngE, contains three tandemly repeated SLHs at its N-terminus, and therefore appears capable of binding to the scaffolding protein CbpA as well as to the cell surface. Cellulosomes can attack crystalline cellulose, but the free cellulosomal enzymes can attack only soluble and amorphous celluloses. Nine genes for the cellulosome are found in a gene cluster cbpA-exgS-engH-engK-hbpA-engL-manA-engM-engN. Other cellulosomal genes such as engB, engE, and engY are not linked to the major gene cluster or to each other. By determining the structure and function of the cellulosome, we hope to increase the efficiency of the cellulosome by genetic engineering techniques.