cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protease-resistant Prion Protein Amplification Reconstituted with Partially Purified Substrates and Synthetic Polyanions

Little is currently known about the biochemical mechanism by which induced prion protein (PrP) conformational change occurs during mammalian prion propagation. In this study, we describe the reconstitution of PrPres amplification in vitro using partially purified and synthetic components. Overnight incubation of purified PrP27-30 and PrPC molecules at a molar ratio of 1:250 yielded approximately 2-fold baseline PrPres amplification. Addition of various polyanionic molecules increased the level of PrPres amplification to approximately 10-fold overall. Polyanionic compounds that stimulated purified PrPres amplification to varying degrees included synthetic, homopolymeric nucleic acids such as poly(A) and poly(dT), as well as non-nucleic acid polyanions, such as heparan sulfate proteoglycan. Size fractionation experiments showed that synthetic poly(A) polymers must be >0.2 kb in length to stimulate purified PrPres amplification. Thus, one possible set of minimal components for efficient conversion of PrP molecules in vitro may be surprisingly simple, consisting of PrP27-30, PrPC, and a stimulatory polyanionic compound.
Up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-C by nicotine in cervical cancer cell lines.

Problem: Smoking and infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) are major risk factors for cervical cancer. Our earlier work shows that nicotine enhances cellular proliferation of cervical cancer cell lines by up-regulating epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor EGF-R, which leads to increased insulin-like growth factor II in vitro. We found that the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, one of the five isoforms of VEGF, may be specifically involved in lymphogenic metastasis of cervical cancer. This has prompted us to study if in vitro nicotine treatment will up-regulate VEGF-C alongside EGF-R levels, while down regulating the anti-proliferative transforming growth factor (TGF)-β levels in HPV positive cervical cancer cell lines. Method of study: Cervical cancer cell lines CaSki, HeLa and ME-180, were cultured in serum free DMEM medium for 24-hr, and treated with 10 ng/mL nicotine in the medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. A group of untreated cells served as controls. The cells were cultured in chamber slides (for immunofluorescent antibody assay) as well as microtiter plate wells (for BrdU cell proliferation assay). The cellular levels of VEGF-C, TGF-β, EGF-R and HPV-E6 (early protein 6) were measured by a semi-quantitative immunofluorescent antibody assay. The cell proliferation and immunofluorescent assay data were analyzed by a Student's t-test. Results: Cell proliferation was significantly increased after nicotine treatment in all the cell lines. The VEGF-C levels were significantly increased, while TGF-β levels were decreased by nicotine in all the cell lines (P < 0.00001). EGF-R levels were also significantly increased after nicotine treatment in HeLa and ME-180, while HPV-E6 levels remained unchanged in all three. Conclusions: Nicotine up regulates expression of cell proliferative VEGF-C and EGF-R, while down-regulating anti-proliferative TGF-β. Our data suggest that nicotine in circulation and in cervical squamous epithelial cells may promote not only rapid tumor growth but its lympho-angiogenic spread (VEGF-C) as well. It appears that nicotine does not promote HPV spread in the cervical cancer cells.
Effect of Chronic Caloric Restriction on the Synchronization of Various Physiological Measures in Old Female Fischer 344 Rats

A variety of physiological and behavioral parameters which relate to metabolism were continuously monitored in 18 month old female Fischer 344 rats which were maintained on either ad libitum or reduced calorie diets. Caloric restriction (CR) stimulated average motor activity per day, the duration of each feeding episode, food consumed per episode, and water consumed per gram lean body mass (LBM). However, CR limited total food consumption, feeding time, number of feeding episodes per day, total eating and drinking time, and the daily ratio of food consumed to water consumed, CR also decreased average body temperature per day, O2 consumption, CO2 production, and respiratory quotient. A variety of parameters concerning water consumption were not affected. CR rats ate their food immediately when food was presented during the light span, while ad libitum fed animals ate numerous small meals throughout the entire dark span. An anticipatory response to restricted feeding was also noted. Total motor activity, metabolism, and body temperature increased just prior to scheduled feeding and reached maximum values shortly after feeding, suggesting that these parameters were highly synchronized to feeding. Females and males were found to respond to caloric restriction in a similar fashion. Dramatic changes in respiratory quotient and body temperature suggest rapid shifts between metabolic pathways (glycolysis to gluconeogenesis) to obtain optimal efficiency. Lower body temperature and metabolism may provide protection against DNA damage, thereby increasing the survival potential of restricted rats. These responses may provide insight into the mechanisms by which caloric restriction acts to extend life span.
Resistant “Candidal Intertrigo”: Could Inverse Psoriasis Be the True Culprit?

Inverse psoriasis is a disorder of intertriginous areas of the skin that can easily masquerade as candidal intertrigo. Candidal rashes are commonly encountered in primary care and typically respond promptly to therapy. When treatment fails, nonadherence to treatment and medication resistance often are suspected; however, the possibility of an incorrect diagnosis should also be entertained. This article presents the case of a patient with inverse psoriasis who was misdiagnosed with recurrent candidal intertrigo multiple times. The diagnosis and treatment of inverse psoriasis is reviewed, and other conditions that may be confused with Candida and inverse psoriasis, including bacterial intertrigo, tinea, and seborrheic dermatitis, are discussed. When confronted with a case of "resistant Candida," consideration of inverse psoriasis and other Candida mimics can allow physicians to diagnose and treat these conditions more effectively, avoiding the frustration experienced by our patient.
Mapping and genomic targeting of the major leaf shape gene ( L ) in Upland cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Key message A major leaf shape locus (L) was mapped with molecular markers and genomically targeted to a small region in the D-genome of cotton. By using expression analysis and candidate gene mapping, twoLMI1-like genes are identified as possible candidates for leaf shape trait in cotton.
Constraints on experimentation: protecting children to death.

Why are so many adolescent girls becoming pregnant even though contraception is available? What is the best technique for repairing the congenital heart defects that still kill many newborns? Is it possible to develop a drug that will slow or stop progression of brain tumors in children? These questions are among those being asked today by researchers. Although presumably everyone wishes that these and other questions had answers, the notion of finding answers by performing research on adolescents and children, especially infants, still meets with strong resistance in some segments of our society.1 Often this resistance is unwarranted. For instance, if a two-year-old boy needs a haircut, his mother takes him to a barbershop, sits him in a chair, and regardless of objection, forces him to get a haircut. Few, if any, advocates of children's rights would consider this haircut a threat to the child's welfare. If a medical researcher, in contrast, wants to study children's hair and the same two-year-old is brought by the same mother to have a piece of hair snipped by a physician instead of a barber, some people would argue that the child's fundamental
CYP3A inductive potential of the rifamycins, rifabutin and rifampin, in the rabbit.

Rifabutin is effective in the treatment and prevention of Mycobacterium avium infection in people with HIV infection. Rifabutin is structurally related to another rifamycin, rifampin, a well-known inducer of the human P-450 isoform 3A. The rabbit isoform CYP3A6 and the human isoform CYP3A4 have similar P-450 predominance and substrate specificity and are both induced by rifampin. Our goal was to predict the CYP3A induction capacity of rifabutin and to determine if ex vivo CYP3A induction potential of rifamycins is predictive of that obtained in vivo. We determined the in vivo and ex vivo CYP3A6 induction by 4 days of treatment with rifabutin (100 mg/kg), rifampin (100 mg/kg), or vehicle (DMSO) in the rabbit. The ex vivo measures were CYP3A6 activity (N-demethylation of erythromycin and hydroxylation of triazolam) and CYP3A content in rabbit hepatic microsomes preparations. The in vivo measures were oral clearance of triazolam and its formation clearance to its hydroxylated metabolites, α-hydroxytriazolam and 4-hydroxytriazolam. Rifampin increased CYP3A6 activity by 2- to 3-fold in hepatic microsomes compared to vehicle. Rifabutin increased CYP3A content 1.7-fold, but did not significantly increase microsomal CYP3A6 activity. Oral triazolam clearance and formation clearances to the two hydroxylated metabolites were 2- to 3-fold greater in rabbits treated with rifampin. These clearances were unaffected by rifabutin administration. Ex vivo enzyme activities correlated with in vivo changes in clearance of triazolam and the formation clearance to its hydroxylated metabolites. Rifabutin is a weaker inducer of CYP3A6 than rifampin. These data suggest that ex vivo enzyme activity is a viable approach to predict in vivo inductive potential of CYP3A inducers. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficient modeling of discrete events for anomaly detection using hidden markov models

Anomaly detection systems are developed by learning a baseline-model from a set of events captured from a computer system operating under normal conditions. The model is then used to recognize unusual activities as deviations from normality. Hidden Markov models (HMMs) are powerful probabilistic finite state machines that have been used to acquire these baseline-models. Although previous research has indicated that HMMs can effectively represent complex sequences, the traditional learning algorithm for HMMs is too computationally expensive for use with real-world anomaly detection systems. This paper describes the use of a novel incremental learning algorithm for HMMs that allows the efficient acquisition of anomaly detection models. The new learning algorithm requires less memory and training time than previous approaches for learning discrete HMMs and can be used to perform online learning of accurate baseline-models from complex computer applications to support anomaly detection.
Using nitroxide decay to study the photooxidation kinetics of automotive topcoat enamels.

Free radical scavenging by nitroxide dopant is used to quantify the photoinitiation rate of free radicals in acrylic/melamine and polyesterlurethane coatings during photolysis under “near ambient” exposure conditions. Photoinitiation rate measurements on weathered coatings reveal that acrylic/melamine coatings photooxidize non-autocatalytically, while polyester/urethane coatings photooxidize autocatalytically. The decomposition of hydroperoxide photolysis products by melamine crosslinker is claimed to account for this difference in photooxidation kinetics.
The Meaning of Terms Related to Curing

Abstract Anyone unfamiliar with rubber technology would naturally assume that the terms used in describing vulcanization convey the same concepts to all technologists in the industry. This is not the case. For example, the term optimum cure is variously defined, and compounders utilize a variety of methods for selecting optimum cures. Some technologists rely mainly on the shape of the modulus-time curve; others include tensile strength values in their analysis; still others depend on sensory indications, such as resistance to tearing by hand, before choosing an optimum. That there is no common basis for selecting optimum cures from moduli, tensile strengths, and ultimate elongations of a series of five cures ranging from 30 to 150 minutes was clearly demonstrated some years ago. Data of this kind were obtained for specimens of GR-S supplied by the fifteen GR-S plants then operating. These data were presented to six technologists employed in the larger rubber companies and at the Government Laboratories, w...
Coagulation Abnormalities Associated with Stroke or Porencephaly

The prevalence of genetic and functional coagulation abnormalities in 59 children (age 0-18 years) with arterial ischemic stroke or porencephaly was compared with previously published population frequencies in a study at the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD.
Parapet Effects on Full-Scale Wind-Induced Roof Pressures

Parapet walls around the perimeter of a building serve several functions including changing the wind-induced pressures on the walls and roof surfaces of the building. To quantify the effects of parapet walls on a buildings surfaces full-scale data was collected on the Texas Tech University’s (TTU) Wind Engineering Field Laboratory (WERFL) test building with and without a parapet around the entire building perimeter. The WERFL test building is instrumented with 204 pressure transducers connected to taps flush mounted on the surface of the building providing the capability to observe the pressures on the building surface and parapet with a high degree of detail. The pressure taps are positioned on the building surface with two planes of aerodynamic symmetry. The positions allow the pressure data to be reflected about these axes of symmetry thus quadrupling the data set for better resolution of confidence intervals. Three data sets were collected for comparison; WERFL without a parapet, WERFL with a 1.2 m (48 in) parapet, and WERFL with a 85.1 cm (33.5 in) parapet. The data was analyzed based on the summary statistics of the validated pressure coefficients. The pressure coefficients studies are based on 15 degree increments of wind angle of attacks from 0 thru 359 degrees. The effects of the parapets on the roof pressures as a function of the parapet height is presented. Generally the parapets reduced the magnitude of the negative mean roof pressures while the leeward wall parapets contain the airflow creating slight positive pressure on the flat roof of the test structure.
Analysis of Nucleation of Dislocation Loops from Stressed Surfaces Based on the Peierls-Nabarro Dislocation Model

Nucleation of dislocation loops from stressed crystal surfaces is analyzed based on a variational boundary integral method in the Peierls-Nabarro framework. The stress dependent activation energies required to activate dislocation loops from their stable to unstable saddle point configurations are determined. Compared to previous analyses of this problem based on continuum elastic dislocation theory, the presented analysis provides more definitive solutions because it eliminates the uncertain core cutoff parameter by allowing for the existence of an extended dislocation core as the embryonic dislocation evolves. Moreover, the shape of the dislocation loop is solved by the variational principle instead of assumed to be semicircular as in previous analyses based on continuum elastic dislocation theory. It is noteworthy that the presented methodology can be readily used to study effects of surface inhomogeneities such as cracks and steps on dislocation nucleation.
An Efficient CCA Secure Public Key Broadcast Encryption Scheme

A broadcast encryption is a cryptographic scheme that uses broadcast channel to transmit encrypted content. It ensures that only a subset of target users,which is dynamically selected at the time of encryption,can decrypt the content. There are many broadcast encryption schemes based on public key cryptography at present. However,the previous schemes have very low efficiency when the broadcaster needs to send message to both large and small subset simultaneously. In this paper,we present an efficient CCA secure public key broadcast encryption scheme using the BDHE assumption. The scheme is based on the BGW2 scheme,and improves the efficiency of sending message to both large and small subset by sharing system parameters of broadcast encryption. Security analysis shows that the scheme can resist chosen ciphertext attack and collusion of the users outside the subset. Both ciphertext and private key are of constant size,but the public key size is linear in the total number of receivers. The experimental results show that,compare to BGW2 scheme,the efficiency of our scheme's encryption and decryption algorithm has been greatly improved..
An overview on the topological optimization design of structures

From two aspects of structural topological optimization of discrete body and of structural topological optimization of continuous body,a comment on the developing course and the current status of research of structural topological optimization was carried through.The direction of research on the aspects of theoretical research,practical widening application research and software research etc.was brought forward.
The curative effect influence of rehabilitation nursing with the core of multiple sensory stimulation on neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy

Objective: To explore the curative effect influence of rehabilitation nursing with the core of multiple sensory stimulation on neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy.Methods: Seventy-four neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy were randomly divided into control group(35 cases) and observation group(39 cases).Patients in control group were nursed with routine nursing.Patients in observation group were nursed with rehabilitation nursing with the core of multiple sensory stimulation.The developmental quotient(DQ),psychomotor development index(PDI) and mental development index(MDI) of two groups were measured at 6,9 and 12 months before and after treatment.Results: DQ,PDI and MDI of two groups improved significantly at 6,9 and 12 months after treatment(P 0.01).Compared with the control group,the DQ of the observation group were significant improvement at 6 and 12 months after treatment(P 0.05 to P 0.01),and the PDI and MDI were significant improvement at 6,9 and 12 months after treatment(P 0.01).Conclusions: The rehabilitation nursing with the core of multiple sensory stimulation can effectively promote the recovery of cranial nerve,motor function and intellectual development of neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy.
Office work-up of lower urinary tract dysfunctions and indications for referral for urodynamic testing.

Most women with urinary incontinence can accurately be evaluated in the office using simple evaluation methods and equipment. Only a minority of women with urinary incontinence have a problem that requires the more complicated, multichannel urodynamic evaluation. Primary office evaluation and indications for referrals are discussed in this article
Ascorbate-mediated transplasma membrane electron transport in pulmonary arterial endothelial cells

Pulmonary endothelial cells are capable of reducing certain electron acceptors at the luminal plasma membrane surface. Motivation for studying this phenomenon comes in part from the expectation that it may be important both as an endothelial antioxidant defense mechanism and in redox cycling of toxic free radicals. Pulmonary arterial endothelial cells in culture reduce the oxidized forms of thiazine compounds that have been used as electron acceptor probes for studying the mechanisms of transplasma membrane electron transport. However, they reduce another commonly studied electron acceptor, ferricyanide, only very slowly by comparison. In the present study, we examined the influence of ascorbate [ascorbic acid (AA)] and dehydroascorbate [dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA)] on the ferricyanide and thiazine reductase activities of the bovine pulmonary arterial endothelial cell surface. The endothelial cells were grown on microcarrier beads so that the reduction of ferricyanide and methylene blue could be studied colorimetrically in spectrophotometer cuvettes and in flow-through cell columns. The ferricyanide reductase activity could be increased 80-fold by adding DHAA to the medium, with virtually no effect on methylene blue reduction. The DHAA effect persisted after the DHAA was removed from the medium. AA also stimulated the ferricyanide reductase activity but was less potent, and the relative potencies of AA and DHAA correlated with their relative rates of uptake by the cells. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that AA is an intracellular electron donor for an endothelial plasma membrane ferricyanide reductase and that the stimulatory effect of DHAA is the result of increasing intracellular AA. Adding sufficient DHAA to markedly increase extracellular ferricyanide reduction had little effect on the plasma membrane methylene blue reductase activity, suggesting that pulmonary arterial endothelial cells have at least two separate transplasma membrane electron transport systems.
"We Must Deflate": The Crime of 1920 Revisited

Post-World War I Federal Reserve System policy focused on reducing price levels. Faith in liquidationist ideas led Federal Reserve officials to maintain tight-money policies during the depression of 1920–1921. Farmers suffering through this economic crisis objected to contemporary monetary policy. Organized labor and leading Progressive reformer Robert M. La Follette Sr. seconded their criticism. Postwar challenges to the nation’s financial leadership and its priorities bore tangible results by producing a number of notable reforms, including modifications of Federal Reserve policy and the Agricultural Credits Act of 1923. In the absence of similar political pressure during the Great Depression, the Federal Reserve System adhered to liquidationist ideas and did not pursue monetary expansion.
Spontaneous or carcinogen-mediated amplification of a mutated ras gene promotes neoplastic transformation

Mouse C3H10T1/2 cells were co-transfected with a plasmid containing the KiSV DNA and a plasmid carrying sequences coding for resistance to mycophenolic acid. Only 30% of the transfected colonies had a transformed phenotype, i.e. highly refractile rounded cells. The remaining colonies had varied morphologies with flat or slightly elongated cells. Analysis of p21 ras protein indicated that higher levels of the protein were expressed in cells with the more transformed phenotype. Tumors formed by a poorly tumorigenic clone were found to have undergone in vivo amplification of the transfected KiSV sequence. Transformed variants of this clone were also isolated in vitro. Treatment with 5-azacytidine resulted in an increase of about 10 fold in the formation of transformed variants. All transformed cells isolated, either spontaneous or 5-azacytidine induced, were tumorigenic in nude mice. The neoplastic conversion of these cells was accompanied by amplification of the transfected K-ras sequences. The data reported here indicate that a chemical agent that modifies DNA structure can enhance the frequency of amplification events in cellular DNA and, by affecting ras copy number, promote cell transformation.
Vaccines in the prevention of viral pneumonia

Vaccines to control respiratory virus infections have been limited to inactivated whole virus or split virus product of influenza. Over the last few years, advances in the understanding of immunity to and importance of these infections has led to the development of newer, more immunogenic inactivated influenza vaccines and to the exploration of live attenuated influenza vaccines. In parallel, both inactivated and live attenuated vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza virus have been undergoing evaluation. More effective or new vaccines could reduce morbidity, reduce the frequency of hospitalization, and decrease the death rate. Since viral respiratory disease would be decreased in frequency, vaccines could reduce the use of antibiotics, and by so doing, preserve the usefulness of our currently available antibiotics.
A New Wavelet Denoising Method for Selecting Decomposition Levels and Noise Thresholds

A new method is presented to denoise 1-D experimental signals using wavelet transforms. Although the state-of-the-art wavelet denoising methods perform better than other denoising methods, they are not very effective for experimental signals. Unlike images and other signals, experimental signals in chemical and biophysical applications, for example, are less tolerant to signal distortion and under-denoising caused by the standard wavelet denoising methods. The new method: 1) provides a method to select the number of decomposition levels to denoise; 2) uses a new formula to calculate noise thresholds that does not require noise estimation; 3) uses separate noise thresholds for positive and negative wavelet coefficients; 4) applies denoising to the approximation component; and 5) allows the flexibility to adjust the noise thresholds. The new method is applied to continuous wave electron spin resonance spectra and it is found that it increases the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by more than 32 dB without distorting the signal, whereas standard denoising methods improve the SNR by less than 10 dB and with some distortion. In addition, its computation time is more than six times faster.
Position-normal distributions for efficient rendering of specular microstructure

Specular BRDF rendering traditionally approximates surface microstructure using a smooth normal distribution, but this ignores glinty effects, easily observable in the real world. While modeling the actual surface microstructure is possible, the resulting rendering problem is prohibitively expensive. Recently, Yan et al. [2014] and Jakob et al. [2014] made progress on this problem, but their approaches are still expensive and lack full generality in their material and illumination support. We introduce an efficient and general method that can be easily integrated in a standard rendering system. We treat a specular surface as a four-dimensional position-normal distribution, and fit this distribution using millions of 4D Gaussians, which we call elements. This leads to closed-form solutions to the required BRDF evaluation and sampling queries, enabling the first practical solution to rendering specular microstructure.
Language, Learning, and Teaching

In the previous chapter I emphasized the variation that exists among TESOL practitioners, but in this chapter we will focus on our common knowledge base: language, teaching, and learning. As noted in Chapter 1, teaching is not simply a matter of imitating or avoiding the actions of other instructors we have observed. Good teaching requires a great deal of technical, specialized knowledge: an understanding of the structure and functions of language, of general principles of learning, of how languages are acquired, and, yes, of pedagogical principles. This chapter will introduce you to a variety of theoretical perspectives and current thinking on language, learning, and teaching.
Hearing the Voices of the Universe: Choral Theatre

Choral theatre performances of simultaneous poetry surrounded audiences with atmospheric music, voice, light, and dance to create a modern spiritual experience that reinvented the ancient Greek chorus, using Futurist ideas of polyvocal simultaneity and synaesthesia or cross-sensory perception. Autant proposed an acoustic shell structure to reflect orchestral music into full resonance, while multiple choruses sang poetic verses as vocal figures suspended in the sound-laden air. Auguste Perret’s 1928 concert hall, the Salle Cortot, similarly transforms the music “like a violin.” Two of Perret’s churches include hollow towers that resonate music in a deep hum, as if from the earth itself. In the artistic circle of Autant and Perret, this shared immersion in sound was considered a secular form of spiritual communion.
Sir Henry Rider Haggard and Eric Brighteyes (1898)

It was ingenuous of H. Rider Haggard (1856–1925) to write in his posthumously-published autobiography The Days of My Life (two volumes, 1926) that his notorious article ‘About Fiction’, had been written ‘very much against [his] own will’.1 The views expressed in that essay — published in the Contemporary Review, February 1887 — expressed deep-rooted convictions about the attractions of romance, the distasteful and even repellent content of Naturalistic fiction, the low standards of circulating-library three-deckers, and the anarchy of the international copyright situation. Haggard was never to change his mind about any of these issues.
The Initial-Value Problem: Admissibility of Solutions

The initial-value problem for a hyperbolic system of conservation laws will be formulated, and classical as well as weak solutions will be considered. Nonuniqueness of weak solutions will be demonstrated in the context of the simplest nonlinear scalar conservation law, the well-known Burgers equation. This raises the need to devise conditions that will weed out unstable, physically irrelevant, or otherwise undesirable solutions, hopefully singling out a unique admissible solution of the initial-value problem. Two admissibility criteria will be introduced in this chapter: The requirement that admissible solutions satisfy a designated entropy inequality; and the principle that the hyperbolic system should be viewed as the “vanishing viscosity” limit of a family of systems with diffusive terms. A preliminary investigation of the compatibility of the above two criteria will be conducted. The chapter will close with remarks on the interpretation of boundary conditions in the context of weak solutions.
Providing High-Quality Support Services to Home-Based Child Care: A Conceptual Model and Literature Review

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Home-based child care accounts for a significant proportion of nonparental child care arrangements for young children in the United States. Yet the early care and education field lacks clear models or pathways for how to improve quality in these settings. The conceptual model presented here articulates the components of high-quality support to child care providers; related factors; and hypothesized provider, family, and child outcomes. The model is based on a literature review of research on home-based child care, home visiting, early childhood mental health consultation, coaching, and family services. We hypothesize that high-quality support to home-based child care that offers relationship-based services focused on quality caregiving (individual home visiting and group supports such as training and networking) and sustainability (materials, equipment, referrals) is most likely to positively impact quality caregiving for children and families. Practice or Policy: Current federa...
378. Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 2 Overexpression Ameliorates Ischemia Reperfusion Injury to the Kidney

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality, affecting 35% of critical care patients and 7% of hospital admissions nationwide. Furthermore, the 60 day mortality rate for AKI patients requiring renal replacement therapy was as high as 53.6%. Understanding the molecular underpinnings responsible for the variation in response to injury is an important step to addressing AKI. Previous work on AKI resistant Brown Norway s rats indicated that several proteins active in metabolism were overexpressed post-injury. Among these was Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2), a mitochondria-enzyme that has a crucial role in metabolism.. In order to assess the contribution of heightened expression of IDH2 to AKI resistance, the protein was overexpressed in a highly oxygen-dependent cell line derived from mouse proximal tubule (S3 cells). Overexpression was confirmed via western blotting. The membrane potential of the mitochondria was assessed by use of the cationic dye JC-1. Mitochondrial polarization, as measured by the red-shift of JC-1 dye, was increased by 11% (p<0.02, n=16) in cells overexpressing IDH2 versus those that were sham transfected. Initial assessment of cell death performed by propidium iodide staining and Hoechst counterstaining followed by flow cytometry analysis indicated a reduction in the fraction of cells that had undergone cell death. Subsequent imaging studies were performed utilizing both propidium iodide and Hoechst to assess apoptotic versus necrotic cell death as determined by cellular morphology. Once the protective effect of IDH2 overexpression was confirmed in cell culture, the in vivo efficacy was tested using hydrodynamic delivery to kidneys of Sprague Dawley rats. Delivery of naked IDH2 plasmid DNA (600 μg in 500 μl) to the left kidney was achieved by rapid injection into the renal vein while blood flow into, and out of the kidney was occluded. Uptake and overexpression of IDH2 was confirmed by western blot analysis using the right kidney as a control. After one week of recovery, a 40 minute ischemia/reperfusion injury was induced by bilateral renal pedicle cross clamping. In comparison to the sham gene delivery group, IDH2 overexpressing animals exhibited an 82% reduction in peak post-injury serum creatinine levels (p<0.01). TMRM staining coupled with intravital microscopy confirmed increased mitochondrial potential seen in the earlier JC-1 experiments and histology indicated that proximal tubule architecture was preserved.Our work indicates that modulating levels of IDH2 helps decrease susceptibility to and severity of AKI. This finding coupled with the new gene delivery technique of hydrodynamic delivery offers an avenue towards devising rational gene therapies to protect susceptible populations and the possibility that, with other candidate genes, regeneration of the kidney can be induced.
Two‑Phase Reactions in Microdroplets without the Use of Phase‑Transfer Catalysts

Many important chemical transformations occur in two-phase reactions, which are widely used in chemical, pharmaceutical, and polymer manufacturing. We present an efficient method for performing two-phase reactions in microdroplets sheared by sheath gas without using a phase-transfer catalyst. This avoids disadvantages such as thermal instability, high cost, and, especially, the need to separate and recycle the catalysts. We show that various alcohols can be oxidized to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones within milliseconds in moderate to good yields (50–75 %). The scale-up of the present method was achieved at an isolated rate of 1.2 mg min−1 for the synthesis of 4-nitrobenzylaldehyde from 4-nitrobenzyl alcohol in the presence of sodium hypochlorite. The biphasic nature of this process, which avoids use of a phase-transfer catalyst, greatly enhances synthetic effectiveness.
Cost-quality trade-offs of approximate memory repair mechanisms for image data

The traditional approach for increasing yield in large memory arrays has been to eliminate all hard errors using repair mechanisms. However, the cost of these mechanisms can become prohibitive for cheaper memories, which have higher error rates. Instead of completely repairing faulty cells, this paper introduces new approximate memory repair mechanisms that only partially repair both CMOS DRAMs and STT-MRAMs. By combining redundant repair with unequal protection, such as skewing the limited spare elements available for repairing faults towards the k most significant bits, and a hybrid bit-shuffling and redundant repair scheme, the new mechanisms maintain excellent output quality while substantially reducing the cost of the repair mechanism, particularly for increasingly important cluster faults.
Zero-range Model of p-scattering by a Potential Well

A well-known method of zero-range potentials consists of replacing a deep potential well of a small radius by a boundary condition at the point of the centre of the well. However, in passing to the limit from a deep and narrow potential well to the zero-range model, information, concerning pscattering and scatterings of higher orders, disappears. Traditional zero-range model describes only bound states and s-scattering. The principal mathematical difficulty, which arises in the mathematical construction of a zero-range model, describing p-scattering, is that p-scattered waves have a square nonintegrable singularity at the point, where the well should be located. It is not possible to construct the corresponding energy operator in \(L_2(\mathbb{R}^3)\) . We construct the energy operator in some Hilbert space, which naturally arises from the problem and includes \(L_2(\mathbb{R}^3)\). We explicitly construct the complete system of generalized eigenfunctions in this space.
Abstract P091: Transcriptional Profiling of Pluripotent Stem Cell--Derived Neuropilin-1+CD34- Vascular Precursors Reveals Significant Overlap with Ventral Mesoderm and Identifies Signaling Pathways in Differentiation from Vascular Cells

Background: Pluripotent stem cells are a model to understand the mechanisms of vascular differentiation in humans. We previously showed that the onset of Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) expression identifies vascular precursors in mouse and human embryonic stem cells. Our goal was to determine the degree of overlap between NRP1+CD34- cells and embryonic primitive streak, and identify novel growth factor signaling pathways controlling their differentiation. Methods: Human pluripotent stem cells were differentiated, and NRP1+CD34- cells were isolated. Following RNA extraction, whole genome transcriptional profiling was performed. Microarray data were compared with undifferentiated stem cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using differential gene expression analysis with a false discovery rate of 5%, and greater than two-fold change between groups. We compared significantly enriched transcripts in NRP1+CD34- cells against genes expressed in the primitive streak in Xenopus embryos using hypergeometric testing. Functional annotation-based clustering was used to identify putative cell signaling pathways. Results: A total of 785 transcripts were significantly enriched in NRP1+CD34- vascular precursors vs. hESCs, and 605 transcripts were unique to NRP1+CD34- vascular precursors. NRP1+CD34- cells shared a significant number of transcripts (46 of 357 human homologs) with ventral mesoderm isolated from Xenopus embryos, (p ≤ 1 x 10-14). We then identified CXCL14, Neuregulin 2, Leptin and Apelin receptors as significantly upregulated in NRP1+CD34- vascular precursors, potentially controlling human ventral mesoderm and new vessel formation. Conclusions: NRP1+CD34- vascular precursors have significant transcript identity with ventral mesoderm from embryonic primitive streak, and a unique transcriptional profile compared with HUVECs. These findings suggest NRP1+CD34- human vascular precursors significantly resemble ventral mesoderm, and provide a model of human vascular development. The identification of a comprehensive database of cell-surface receptors expressed by the human ventral mesoderm analogs permits future pharmacological approaches to induce vascular differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells.
Metarhizium microsclerotia and hydrogel versus hydromulch: testing fungal formulations against Asian longhorned beetles

ABSTRACTThe efficacy of microsclerotia of Metarhizium brunneum (Petch) (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) strain F52 (ARSEF 7711) was tested using samples which had been exposed on forest trees, allowing time for conidia to be produced. An aqueous slurry of microsclerotial granules (61.3% of dry mass), a straw mulch hydroseeding product (29.4%), xanthan gum as a tackifier (5.4%), and water-absorbing hydrogel (3.9%), was sprayed on small wood-veneer samples attached to tree trunks within the Ohio USDA quarantine zone for eradication of Asian longhorned beetles, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Samples were collected biweekly June to August, and adult female beetles in a quarantine laboratory were exposed for 2 days to individual samples after each collection. Median survival time (ST50) after exposure to samples which had been outdoors four weeks was 9.5 days (95% CI 8.5–10.5); the beetles died faster than with samples from 2 or 6–10 weeks, but slower than using positive contr...
Bernstein–Nikol’skii-Type Inequalities for Trigonometric Polynomials with an Arbitrary Choice of Harmonics

We obtain the Bernstein–Nikol’skii-type inequalities for trigonometric polynomials with an arbitrary choice of harmonics.
Review of Nanoindentation Size Effect: Experiments and Atomistic Simulation

Nanoindentation is a well-stablished experiment to study the mechanical properties of materials at the small length scales of micro and nano. Unlike the conventional indentation experiments, the nanoindentation response of the material depends on the corresponding length scales, such as indentation depth, which is commonly termed the size effect. In the current work, first, the conventional experimental observations and theoretical models of the size effect during nanoindentation are reviewed in the case of crystalline metals, which are the focus of the current work. Next, the recent advancements in the visualization of the dislocation structure during the nanoindentation experiment is discussed, and the observed underlying mechanisms of the size effect are addressed. Finally, the recent computer simulations using molecular dynamics are reviewed as a powerful tool to investigate the nanoindentation experiment and its governing mechanisms of the size effect.
Pulmonary Endothelial Cell Apoptosis in Emphysema and Acute Lung Injury

Apoptosis plays an essential role in homeostasis and pathogenesis of a variety of human diseases. Endothelial cells are exposed to various environmental and internal stress and endothelial apoptosis is a pathophysiological consequence of these stimuli. Pulmonary endothelial cell apoptosis initiates or contributes to progression of a number of lung diseases. This chapter will focus on the current understanding of the role of pulmonary endothelial cell apoptosis in the development of emphysema and acute lung injury (ALI) and the factors controlling pulmonary endothelial life and death.
New Developments for the Ultrasonic Characterization of Materials

This paper summarizes several recent developments which are facilitating new approaches for quantitative ultrasonic measurements whose application is to the characterization of materials. These include the development of point sources and point receivers, a theory for analyzing the propagation of transient elastic waves through a bounded, dispersive and attenuative medium, and the development and implementation of appropriate signal processing algorithms. An alternative to these deterministic approaches is a processing scheme based on a simulated intelligent system which processes the signals like a neural network. Examples of each of these ideas are presented.
Risk Assessment and Air Pollution

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an introduction to risk assessment and illustrates its application to outdoor air pollution. Risk assessment may be used to estimate the effect of a point source of pollution on the surrounding population or to assess the effect of air pollution or on an air pollutant in general. It has also been used by advocacy organizations to motivate more stringent control measures on the basis of estimated public health burden. In spite of relatively limited use to date in the context of outdoor air pollution, risk assessment can inform decision makers about the management of risks of air pollution, providing an estimate of the attributable burden of disease and of the potential consequences of alternative control strategies. In managing environmental pollutants, including air pollution, risk assessment plays an increasing role. It can inform policy decisions and characterize the anticipated benefits of control measures. It can be used to rank environmental problems and assign priorities to various public health threats, including air pollution. Expanding use worldwide, building from the development of risk assessment in the United States and other countries, can be anticipated.
Ultramafic and Related Rocks

The ultramafic rocks are composed mainly of dark-colored mafic or ferro-magnesian minerals such as olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, serpentine, garnet, biotite, and opaque oxides. They are usually, but not always, ultra-basic (having less than 45 percent SiO2). Ultramafic rocks have been comprehensively reviewed in a volume edited by Wyllie (1967), who recognizes 10 ultramafic rock associations. 87Sr/86Sr ratio measurements are available for the following: (1) the layered gabbro-norite-peridotite association in major intrusions, (2) the alpine-type peridotite-serpentinite association,(3) ultrmafic rocks in differentiated basic sills and in minor intrusions,(4) kimberlites, (5) ultrmafic nodules, (6) alkali ultrabasic rocks in ring complexes, and (7) ultrabasic lavas. In the following sections of this chapter we shall review the strontium isotopic data for the first five of these associations; the last two have been covered in Chapter VI.
Biofeedback: A Selective Review of Clinical Applications in Behavioral Medicine

At one time, biofeedback and behavioral medicine were considered synonymous, as evidence by Birk’s 1973 book, Biofeedback: Behavioral Medicine. As is obvious from the contents of this present book, behavioral medicine encompasses much, much more than biofeedback. However, as pointed out by Blanchard (1977), biofeedback is one important aspect of behavioral medicine. Much of behavioral medicine is concerned with changing gross, observable behavior. This can be accomplished either as direct treatment of a disorder with demonstrable pathophysiology, such as the treatment of obesity through modifying eating behavior and exercise patterns, or as an adjunct to standard medical treatment, such as improving medication-taking compliance in the drug treatment of hypertension. Biofeedback is somewhat different in that it represents psychological intervention delivered directly at the physiological level rather than at the level of gross motor behavior. Thus, in a sense, biofeedback could be seen as applied, or clinical, psychophysiology.
Functional similarity between adenovirus E1B 19-kDa protein and proteins encoded by Bcl-2 proto-oncogene and Epstein-Barr virus BHRF1 gene.

The isolation and physical mapping of a class of mutants designated large plaque (Ip) mutants of adenovirus (Ad) type 2 (group C) within the E1B 19 kDa- coding region provided initial clues about the functions of E1B 19-kDa protein (Chinnadurai et al. 1979; Chinnadurai 1983). A class of mutants designated the cytocidal (cyt) mutants of Ad12 (group A) isolated by Takemori and colleagues (Takemori et al. 1968) which also produce large plaques on infected cell monolayers was subsequently mapped to the E1B 19 kDa-coding region by intertypic mutant complementation (Subramanian et al. 1984b). The cyt mutants of Ad12 induce extensive cytopathic effect on infected cells (Takemori et al. 1968). As expected, subsequent studies revealed that several Ad2 and Ad5 mutants defective in the 19-kDa protein (19K mutants) also induced severe cytopathic effects (Subramanian et al. 1984b; Takemori et al. 1984). In accordance with an observation by Mak and colleagues (Ezoe et al. 1981 ) that viral DNA is extensively degraded in cells infected with Ad12 cyt mutants, several Ad2/Ad5 19K mutants were also found to induce fragmentation of cellular and viral DNA (deg) in infected cells (Subramanian et al. 1984a; Pilder et al. 1984; White et al. 1984a). Genetic studies have indicated that the cyt and deg phenotypes are linked, thereby indicating that the fragmentation of cellular and viral DNA is a consequence of the cytopathic effect induced by the 19K mutants (Subramanian and Chinnadurai 1986).