cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 1170: Maresin 1: a potent endogenous anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving inhibitor of primary tumor growth and metastasis

Background: Inflammation is a recent hallmark of cancer, and chemotherapeutic agents, such as etoposide, cisplatin and paclitaxel, stimulate pro-inflammatory cytokine production by macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. A new direction has emerged in inflammation research with the discovery of endogenous anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid-autacoid mediators derived from omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. These specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPM), including maresin 1, have novel inflammation clearing (‘pro-resolution’) activity without being immunosuppressive. Maresin 1 (Mar1) is a novel endogenous anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid autacoid mediator biosynthesized by human macrophages from endogenous docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The role of maresin 1 in cancer has not been studied to date. However, we hypothesize that maresin 1 inhibits cancer progression and metastasis by stimulating the resolution of inflammation and down-regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. Results: Maresin 1 stimulated macrophage phagocytosis of chemotherapy-induced melanoma (A375-SM) cell debris by 117%. The maresin 1 epimer, 7(S)-Mar1, also enhanced macrophage phagocytosis of chemotherapy-induced cell debris by 58%. Maresin 1 stimulated macrophage phagocytosis of apoptotic prostate (PC3M-LN), melanoma (A375-SM), head and neck (HSC-3), and ovarian (HEY) tumor cells by 206%, 32%, 35%, and 13%, respectively, as well as enhanced macrophage phagocytosis of zymosan by 62%. Macrophages, exposed to tumor cells treated with cisplatin, secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mar1 and 7(S)-Mar1 regulated these inflammatory cytokines. Mar1 decreased cisplatin-induced pro-tumorigenic and pro-inflammatory cytokines secreted by macrophages, including: IL-8, IL-6, CXCL1, CCL1, CCL2, CCL5, and Serpin E1. In contrast, 7(S)-Mar1 increased IL-6, CXCL1, CCL2, CCL3, CCL5. Systemic therapy with Mar1 (15 nanogram/mouse/day) for 15-24 days potently inhibited primary melanoma xenografts (A375-SM) and lung metastasis (B16F10) by 75% and 57%, respectively, without toxicity. Conclusions: Maresin 1 inhibits primary tumor growth and metastasis via the stimulation of phagocytosis of apoptotic and chemotherapy-treated tumor cells by macrophages. In addition, maresin 1 reduces tumor inflammation by counter-regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines secreted by macrophages. Our results provide a mechanistic rationale to specifically enhance endogenous resolution processes to complement conventional modalities for cancer treatment. Citation Format: Dayna Mudge, Mark W. Kieran, Diane Bielenberg, Ofra Benny, Jesmond Dalli, Sui Huang, Charles N. Serhan, Dipak Panigrahy. Maresin 1: a potent endogenous anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving inhibitor of primary tumor growth and metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1170. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1170
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual College Students: Risk, Resiliency, and Retention

While some colleges and universities acknowledge the presence of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB)—or sexual minority—students on their campuses, few institutions gather and maintain data on the num...
Functional nausea and vomiting

Although functional vomiting (FV), cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) and chronic idiopathic nausea (CIN) are fairly rare disorders, it has been increasingly recognized that these conditions can be highly disabling. Traditionally, FV, CVS and CIN have been under-investigated; however, interest in the cause and treatment of these disorders has increased, particularly with regard to their pathophysiology and the evaluation of new treatment approaches. This article presents a literature-based review of the nomenclature, pathophysiology, clinical presentation and management of CIN, CVS and FV. There is a dearth of randomized, controlled trials of treatments for these disorders, owing mainly to their low prevalence. Consequently, referral centers that see a large number of patients with these challenging disorders are working together to share their experience, so that the most productive treatment strategies can be used to help patients. Our knowledge of the treatment of FV, CVS and CIN, as best we know it, is presented here.
Military Interventions and the “Lessons of Iraq”

The disastrous invasion of Iraq has shed a stark light on the limitations of military interventions. Much of the ensuing skepticism is quite healthy. But there is a risk that “the lessons of Iraq” will be learnt to the exclusion of lessons that can be drawn from the more than two dozen other interventions of the post-Cold War era.
The family routines inventory: development and validation

This report builds upon pertinent theoretical considerations regarding the nature and importance of routinization within families and describes the development and validation of a standardized inventory to measure family routines. The Family Routines Inventory (FRI) measures 28 positive, strength-promoting family routines, those observable, repetitive behaviours which involve two or more family members and which occur with predictable regularity in the daily life of a family. The 28 routines were selected from an extensive list of 104 routines obtained through family interviews. Scoring options for the inventory were identified based on their face validity and consistency with the underlying theoretical construct. The inventory was subsequently administered to a diverse group of families for reliability and validity testing. This testing identified an optimal scoring method (frequency score) for the inventory and revealed that the Family Routines Inventory, which measures the extent and importance of routinization within a given family, appears to be a reliable and valid measure of family cohesion, solidarity, order and overall satisfaction with family life.
A risk assessment for lead in birds

Ecotoxicologists and ecologists have examined the effects of pollutants on individuals and populations largely in terms of one or only a few effects. Yet the recent trend toward a holistic approach to ecological risk assessment suggests that a rigorous paradigm should be applied to toxicants, from hazard identification to risk characterization. Recent discussions have recognized that an up-front problem formulation phase is more critical in ecological risk assessment than it is for human health risk assessment. In this article a modified environmental health risk assessment paradigm is used to examine the risk of lead to birds. This risk analysis is largely conceptual, based on laboratory and field data, and incorporates information currently available. The model expands the hazard identification phase to create a target identification phase that includes the identification of receptors, endpoints, relationships, spatial and temporal scales, and indicators. The target identification phase is unique to the particular hazard, species, population, or community being examined. Lead can cause mortality, or can indirectly affect populations through effects on the food base, avian behavior, reproductive success, and recruitment. Lead can (1) decrease the abundance and availability of prey, (2) bioaccumulate in prey causing increased lead toxicosis in predators, or (3) increase prey availability by interfering with its hiding or escape behavior. Moreover, lower abundance of prey can lead to starvation or nutrient deficiencies, which amplify the absorption and retention of lead. Lead also causes decreases in clutch and egg size, mortality of embryos and nestlings, depression of growth, and deficits in behavior that affect survival. Lead decreases migratory behavior, and increases vulnerability to cold stress, hunters, and other predators. Research needs for evaluating the risk of lead in birds include obtaining data on (1) metal dynamics within various tissues as a function of dose and time since initial exposure, (2) low-level effects on embryos, (3) effects on chicks following fledging and in the period prior to recruitment, (4) effects on adult foraging skills and reproductive behavior, and (5) the relationship between effects from exposure in the laboratory and those from exposure in the wild. This latter point is extremely important, particularly if wild birds have other means of ridding the body of lead not available or less apparent to laboratory birds.
Direction-reversing traveling waves

Abstract A simple mechanism for generating traveling waves which reverse their direction of propagation in a periodic manner is presented. This mechanism is generic in systems possessing O(2) symmetry, and corresponds to a codimension-one symmetry-breaking Hopf bifurcation from a circle of nontrivial steady states.
Independence of ℓ of monodromy groups

o-\ : Garith(?A,r/) ^ GL(C\f?). The philosophy of motives in algebraic geometry leads one to suspect that if our ^-compatible system L = {C\} is "motivic", then the collection {Garith(^A5 v)ia\} of ?-adic monodromy groups and their tautological representations should be "in dependent of ?" in a suitable sense. This philosophy can be made more precise in the form of the following conjecture, which we are going to address in this paper.
Nest connectivity and colony structure in unicolonial Argentine ants

Unicolonial ant colonies occupy many nests and individuals rarely show aggression across large geographic distances. These traits make it difficult to detect colony structure. Here we identify colony structure at scales of hundreds of square-meters, within an invasive population of unicolonial Argentine ants. In experiments using labeled food, and in a 3-year census of nests and trails, we found that food was shared and nests were linked by trails at distances up to 50 meters. Food was not distributed to all nearby Argentine ant nests, showing that ants tend to share resources within a spatially bounded group of nests. The spatial extent of food sharing increased from winter to summer. Across different habitats and nest densities, nests were consistently aggregated at spatial scales of 3- 4 meters in radius. This suggests that new nests bud from old nests at short distances regardless of local conditions. We suggest that a ‘colony’ of Argentine ants could be defined as a group of nests among which ants travel and share food. In our study population, colonies occupy up to 650 m2 and contain as many as 5 million ants. In combination with previous work showing that there is genetic differentiation among nests at similar spatial scales, the results suggest that Argentine ant populations do not function ecologically as single, large supercolonies, but instead as mosaics of smaller, distinct colonies consisting of groups of interacting nests.
Energies of ground-state bands of even nuclei from generalized variable moment of inertia models

Abstract Energies of ground-state bands of even open-shell nuclei have been fitted to the standard variable moment of inertia (VMI) two-parameter formula and to two physically motivated generalized three-parameter formulas corresponding to the variable anharmonic vibrator model (VAVM) and the generalized VMI model (GVMI). Energy levels for 150 nuclei are tabulated and compared with the model predictions. The parameters derived are also tabulated and are of future interest in defining an effective Hamiltonian for each band described. The improved fit obtainable from the generalized models is emphasized.
Asymptotic analysis of Toda lattice on diagonalizable matrices

Soit X˙=[X, Π 0 (G(X))], X(0)=X 0 , X est une matrice a valeur complexe et G(X) une integrale de contour a valeur matricielle. On etudie la dynamique de X(t) sous les hypotheses suivantes: 1) X(0)=X 0 ∈R n×n est diagonalisable; 2) G(Z)=Z; 3) X 0 est une matrice de Hessenberg superieure irreductible
Spectroscopic studies of ionic solvation. XIX. Fluorine-19 and sodium-23 NMR studies of ionic interactions in nonaqueous solutions of hexafluorophosphate salts

Fluorine-19 and sodium-23 NMR measurements were carried out on sodium hexafluorophosphate solutions in a number of solvents. In solvents of medium polarity and donicity (e.g., propylene carbonate, acetone, acetonitrile) the19F chemical shift moved upfield with increasing concentration of the salt. This behavior is indicative of anion-cation interactions which may be of long-range type, i.e., formation of solvent-separated ion pairs; the possibility of contact ion pair formation, however, cannot be excluded. In solvents of low polarity and donicity (acetic acid, tetrahydrofuran), the salt is essentially completely associated in the 0.1–1.0M concentration range. On the other hand, in solvating solvents with high dielectric constants, such as dimethyl-formamide, dimethylsulfoxide, and formamide, there is very little ionic association in the same concentration range. The above conclusions are supported by23Na chemical shift measurements. Potassium hexafluorophosphate solutions do not show any concentration dependence of the19F chemical shifts, while for tetra-n-butylammonium solutions the19F resonance moves downfield with increasing concentration of the salt.
Lung injury in guinea pigs caused by multiple exposures to submicron zinc oxide mixed with sulfur dioxide in a humidified furnace

Sulfur dioxide, water vapor, and ultrafine particles rich in oxides of zinc and other surface‐deposited trace elements are important products of coal combustion. In order to study the toxicity of zinc oxide generated under conditions simulating combustion, guinea pigs were exposed in a nose‐only apparatus for 3 h on 6 consecutive days to 6 mg/m 3 of submicron zinc oxide particles (count median diameter of 0.05 μm, σg 2.0), which were generated in a humid furnace and mixed with 1 ppm sulfur dioxide. The exposures caused increases in lung weight and [ 3 H]thymidine labeling index of terminal bronchioiar cell nuclei and inflammation of the proximal portion of the alveolar duct. The lung weights and labeling index had returned to nromal and inflammatory changes had nearly resolved by 72 h after the last exposure. Total lung capacity, vital capacity, functional residual volume, alveolar volume, and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide were decreased following exposure and had not returned to normal by 72 h a...
fMRI reactivity on a delay discounting task predicts weight gain in obese women

Obesity can be accompanied by abnormalities in executive function and related neural circuitry. A useful task for studying executive function is delay discounting (DD), in which an individual chooses between sooner and delayed, but greater, amounts of money or other commodities. We previously found that obese compared to normal-weight women made more immediate choices on a monetary DD task, or had greater delay discounting. In the present study, we performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of obese women during performance of a DD of money task. Confirming the results of previous studies, we found that more difficult compared to easy DD trials resulted in activation in putative executive function areas of the brain, the middle and inferior frontal gyri, and medial prefrontal cortex. Most interestingly, we also found that less activation in executive function areas such as the inferior, middle, and superior frontal gyri on difficult vs. easy DD trials predicted a greater rate of weight gain over the subsequent 1.3-2.9 years. These results suggest that suboptimal functioning of executive function areas such as prefrontal cortex contributes to the progression of obesity.
Role of Obesity in Cardiomyopathy and Pulmonary Hypertension

Obesity is becoming a worldwide problem of epidemic proportions, and its effect on the heart is increasingly being recognized. Obesity is often associated with an increased risk for heart failure. In this article, the authors review the evidence for obesity-related cardiomyopathy. The importance of metabolic disturbances in the development of cardiomyopathy in obese patients is highlighted. The authors also briefly explore whether obesity plays a role in the development of pulmonary hypertension. Better recognition and understanding of both obesity cardiomyopathy and pulmonary hypertension are needed in the obese patient population.
Constraints on a charge in the Reissner-Nordström metric for the black hole at the Galactic Center

Using an algebraic condition of vanishing discriminant for multiple roots of fourth-degree polynomials, we derive an analytical expression of a shadow size as a function of a charge in the Reissner-Nordstr\"om (RN) metric [1,2]. We consider shadows for negative tidal charges and charges corresponding to naked singularities $q={\mathcal{Q}}^{2}/{M}^{2}g1$, where $\mathcal{Q}$ and $M$ are black hole charge and mass, respectively, with the derived expression. An introduction of a negative tidal charge $q$ can describe black hole solutions in theories with extra dimensions, so following the approach we consider an opportunity to extend the RN metric to negative ${\mathcal{Q}}^{2}$, while for the standard RN metric ${\mathcal{Q}}^{2}$ is always non-negative. We found that for $qg9/8$, black hole shadows disappear. Significant tidal charges $q=\ensuremath{-}6.4$ (suggested by Bin-Nun [3--5]) are not consistent with observations of a minimal spot size at the Galactic Center observed in mm-band; moreover, these observations demonstrate that a Reissner-Nordstr\"om black hole with a significant charge $q\ensuremath{\approx}1$ provides a better fit of recent observational data for the black hole at the Galactic Center in comparison with the Schwarzschild black hole.
Hemodynamic studies in conscious domestic ponies

Abstract Hemodynamic parameters were determined in 14 conscious, unmedicated, standing domestic ponies. Average body wt was 97.1 kg. Mean heart rate was 75.9 beats/min during cardiac output determination, and 59.3 beats/min during uncatheterized monitoring. Arterial blood pressure averaged 139/99 mm Hg. Cardiac output for the group was 8.9 liters/min, and cardiac index was 4.46 liters/min/m2. Stroke volume was 131 ml/stroke, and stroke index was 62.7 ml/stroke/m2. Systolic time intervals were measured, and relationships to heart rate determined. Left ventricular ejection time, electromechanical systole, and the Q-T interval were inversely and linearly related to heart rate. Preejection period, electromechanical lag, and isovolumic contraction time did not show a significant relationship to heart rate. Comparison with data reported for the calf by other investigators shows that the pony does not differ significantly from the calf in hemodynamic function, except in those parameters directly affected by the relatively lower average heart rate. The absence of major hemodynamic differences between pony and calf suggests that the mature domestic pony can be a surgical model which provides some solutions to the problems of growth and immaturity encountered in the calf.
Optical wavefront measurement and/or modification using integrated optics

Sensors consisting of an array of interferometers to measure phase differences and straight waveguides to measure intensity along an optical wavefront have been fabricated in LiNbO/sub 3/ at four wavelengths, lambda =0.458, 0.514, 0.82, and 3.39 mu m, and the performance of the sensors has been evaluated. The outputs of the arrays are coupled to an imaging CCD and fed into a computer. Calculations are presented for a conceptual design of a scanning one-dimensional array producing a 50*50 pixel snapshot. Experimental results are presented for 20-resolution-element one-dimensional interferometer arrays at 0.514, 0.82, and 3.39 mu m. The results indicate that accurate modification of wavefronts as well as measurements of wavefronts are possible. Two structures for modification of optical wavefronts are proposed. >
Cancer Cell Invasion Is Enhanced by Applied Mechanical Stimulation

Metastatic cells migrate from the site of the primary tumor, through the stroma, into the blood and lymphatic vessels, finally colonizing various other tissues to form secondary tumors. Numerous studies have been done to identify the stimuli that drive the metastatic cascade. This has led to the identification of multiple biochemical signals that promote metastasis. However, information on the role of mechanical factors in cancer metastasis has been limited to the affect of compliance. Interestingly, the tumor microenvironment is rich in many cell types including highly contractile cells that are responsible for extensive remodeling and production of the dense extracellular matrix surrounding the cancerous tissue. We hypothesize that the mechanical forces produced by remodeling activities of cells in the tumor microenvironment contribute to the invasion efficiency of metastatic cells. We have discovered a significant difference in the extent of invasion in mechanically stimulated verses non-stimulated cell culture environments. Furthermore, this mechanically enhanced invasion is dependent upon substrate protein composition, and influenced by topography. Finally, we have found that the protein cofilin is needed to sense the mechanical stimuli that enhances invasion. We conclude that other types of mechanical signals in the tumor microenvironment, besides the rigidity, can enhance the invasive abilities of cancer cells in vitro. We further propose that in vivo, non-cancerous cells located within the tumor micro-environment may be capable of providing the necessary mechanical stimulus during the remodeling of the extracellular matrix surrounding the tumor.
Megagauss Magnetic Fields in Semiconductor Physics

A review of megagauss experiments using different kinds of field generator up to 1,000 T is given. The effiency of the single-turn coil, the electromagnetic and the explosive flux-compression, and finally the nearly steady-state long-pulse generators are presented. The basic feature of magnetic fields in semiconductor physics is related to the quantity of the magnetic length λ = (ħ/eB)1/2 where ħ and e are natural constants with the usual meaning and B is the magnetic flux density. For B = 100 T we obtain λ = 2.56 nm. The parameter λ is a measure for the extension of the corresponding wavefunction of the charged particle and completely independent of the cyclotron mass. It should be noted that megagauss magnetic fields and nano structures have thus a natural correspondence: the magnetic length λ serves as a length measure in space in the nm-regime to be tuned by the external magnetic field. A second feature of megagauss fields is the generally extremely short pulse of field realization accompanied by a very high dB/dt. In this way the fields are "transient" and can be used to study the dynamics of the charge-carrier system. Also "eddy current"-effects can modify the system and manifest in new physical phenomena. Setup, performance and data analysis are demonstrated in different examples.
Shamans and Acute Schizophrenia1

Acute schizophrenic behaviors in our culture and shaman inspiration-gathering behaviors of certain primitive cultures are considered in terms of several core psychological factors. Significant differences between acute schizophrenics and shamans are not found in the sequence of underlying psychological events that define their abnormal experiences. One major difference is emphasized—a difference in the degree of cultural acceptance of a unique resolution of a basic life crisis. In primitive cultures in which such a unique life crisis resolution is tolerated, the abnormal experience (shamanism) is typically beneficial to the individual, cognitively and affectively; he is regarded as one with expanded consciousness. In a culture that does not provide referential guides for comprehending this kind of crisis experience, the individual (schizophrenic) typically undergoes an intensification of his suffering over and above his original anxieties.
Family Characteristics of Anxious ADHD Children Preliminary Results

Objective: To investigate the family environments of children in a community sample with ADHD and co-occurring anxiety.Method: Family Environment Scale, Behavioral Assessment System for Children, a...
Pathological behavior of multicomponent systems interacting through non-factorizable effective potentials

Abstract Effective interaction pseudo-potentials for a multicomponent system are, in feature generates, probably unphysical, unstable solutions of the dispersion relation.
Effects of alcohol on alpha-adrenergic receptor regulation of calcium ATPase in liver plasma membranes ☆

Abstract The effects of α1- and α2-adrenergic agonists, viz., phenylephrine and clonidine, respectively, were studied on rat liver plasma membrane Ca++-ATPase. Phenylephrine produced a 23% inhibition of enzyme activity at 5 μM. Prazosin, an alpha1 antagonist, completely prevented the effect of phenylephrine. Clonidine produced a comparable inhibition of Ca++-ATPase, but was not reversed by the antagonist yohimbine, suggesting a lack of functionally significant α2 receptors as previously reported. The results support the role of high-affinity Ca++-ATPase in liver plasma membranes in the control of cytosolic free Ca++ levels through regulation by α1-adrenergic receptors. In vitro and acute ethanol exposure produced inhibition of plasma membrane Ca++-ATPase. In addition, ethanol treatment significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of phenylephrine on Ca++-ATPase. Chronic ethanol exposure for four weeks increased Ca++-ATPase activity over control and increased enzyme activity in the presence of phenylephrine. These results demonstrate that ethanol alters the α-adrenergic receptor interaction with Ca++-ATPase resulting in reduced receptor regulation of cytosolic Ca++ levels. These changes may prevent the liver from maintaining Ca++ levels for second messenger functions, such as glycolysis and gluconeogenesis.
Teaching the software testing course: a tutorial

This tutorial provides materials and supporting discussion for teaching the software testing course. Readers who see this description after CSEE&T 2004 is complete, can find the latest set of course materials at www.testingeducation.org.
The Risk for Impaired Learning-related Abilities in Childhood and Educational Attainment Among Adults Born Near-term

Objective To examine whether near-term births (NTB) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants are at high risk for childhood learning-related problems and poor adult educational attainment, and whether poverty amplifies the adverse effects of NTB and SGA on those outcomes. Methods A randomly selected birth cohort (n ¼1,619) was followed into adulthood. IQ and learning abilities were measured in childhood and educational attainment was measured in adulthood. Results NTB (n ¼226) and SGA (n ¼154) were associated with lower educational attainment mediated through learning-related abilities at age 7. Childhood poverty moderated the impact of NTB on educational attainment both directly and mediated through lower learning-related abilities. Poverty did not moderate the effect of SGA. Conclusions Poorer learning-related outcomes and educational attainment were not limited to children born very (<32 weeks) or extremely (<28 weeks) preterm, especially among those living in poverty. Targeted interventions such as remedial learning during childhood among NTB in poor families may yield higher educational attainment.
Behavioral Indicators of Emotional Avoidance and Subsequent Worry in Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression

Empirically-supported theories posit that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) experience uncomfortable affective states and distress in response to perceived emotionally-laden conte...
Bounds for the multiplicities of cohomological automorphic forms on GL2

We prove a power saving for the dimension of the space of cohomological automorphic forms of xed level and growing weight on GL 2 over any number eld that is not totally real. Our proof involves the theory of p-adically completed cohomology developed by Calegari and Emerton and a bound for the growth of coinvariants in certain nitely generated noncommutative Iwasawa modules.
Social Baseline Theory: The Role of Social Proximity in Emotion and Economy of Action

Social proximity and interaction attenuate cardiovascular arousal, facilitate the development of nonanxious temperament, inhibit the release of stress hormones, reduce threat-related neural activation, and generally promote health and longevity. Conversely, social subordination, rejection and isolation are powerful sources of stress and compromised health. Drawing on the biological principle of economy of action, perception ⁄ action links, and the brain’s propensity to act as a Bayesian predictor, Social Baseline Theory (SBT) proposes that the primary ecology to which human beings are adapted is one that is rich with other humans. Moreover, SBT suggests that the presence of other people helps individuals to conserve important and often metabolically costly somatic and neural resources through the social regulation of emotion. To survive, grow, and reproduce, all organisms must take in more energy than they expend, a principle of biological systems called economy of action 1 (cf. Proffitt, 2006). We think this principle underlies the many benefits humans derive from the social networks they inhabit—that adaptations promoting social interaction and proximity have arisen partly as a function of the energy benefits social relationships confer to individuals. This perspective underlies a framework for understanding how humans utilize social resources that we call Social Baseline Theory (SBT). Below, we describe the sense in which SBT refers to social proximity as a ‘baseline’ condition, ground our perspective in the principle of economy of action, and review evidence that social relationships serve the energy saving functions that we claim. Afterward, we explore similarities and differences between SBT and Attachment Theory, and highlight the importance of emotion as a source of information about current and predicted resources. Although we review a large and diverse literature in support of SBT, we emphasize that some of the specific ideas discussed below are speculative and remain to be tested.
MicroRNAs as gatekeepers of apoptosis

Apoptosis is a well-orchestrated cellular mechanism that balances the effects of cell proliferation and cell death. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to control cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis; and can be significantly deregulated in many cancers types. In fact, the ability to evade apoptosis is a hallmark of tumorigenesis. Although the role of miRNAs in the regulation of apoptosis is not fully understood, the recent influx of data strongly suggests that miRNAs play a significant role in regulating programmed cell death, or apoptosis. The genes involved in apoptotic pathways can be broadly classified as pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic. Many of these apoptotic genes, irrespective of their positive or negative functional role in apoptosis, are regulated by miRNAs. In this review, we discuss the emerging role of miRNA-mediated gene networks in the control of apoptosis.
The Interaction of Mycoplasmas with Mammalian Cells. II. Monocytes and Lymphocytes.

The incubation of mycoplasmas with human peripheral blood buffy coats resulted in the uptake of these microorganisms by more than 50% of the mononuclear cells. Mycoplasmas adhered to the plasma membranes of all leukocytes, most of which developed long cytoplasmic processes not seen in the controls. In human and rat thoracic duct lymph, about 6% of the cells ingested the microorganisms. T2 phage and thorotrast were taken up by a similar percentage of lymphocytes. On morphological grounds, the cells which were able to take up PPLO's or particles could not be distinguished from the cells which were incapable of this function. Following phagocytosis, neither the cell nor the microorganism showed any morphological alterations over a 3 hr period of observation. The demonstration that a small percentage of "lymphocytes" are able to phagocytose may have pathological and immunological implications.
Comb size and color relate to sperm quality: a test of the phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis

In many avian species, males display dramatic and conspicuous ornaments that serve as honest signals of quality to females. The phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis suggests that the honesty of these signals may be maintained through a link with fertility. Indeed, in some recent studies, bright coloration has been linked with better fertility and also indicates semen characteristics that influence fertility, such as sperm performance. However, most of these studies were performed on species with ornamental feather coloration, in which the ornament is produced months prior to reproduction. We tested the phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis in the domestic rooster, a species where comb characteristics fluctuate on a short-term basis according to environmental and physiological conditions and thus may serve as immediate signals of quality to hens. We examined the relationships of comb size and color with measures of sperm quality, including concentration, mobility, and viability. We found that comb size was inversely correlated, whereas comb color was positively correlated with sperm viability. Thus, males with the smallest reddest combs had the highest percentage of viable sperm. Our finding that comb color signals better quality sperm supports the phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis. However, the negative relationship between comb size and sperm viability indicates that females who choose larger ornaments also choose males with lower fertility, a counterintuitive behavior in terms of the phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis. To understand these signals in an adaptive context, it is important to determine how each individual comb characteristic is interpreted and utilized by females during mate choice. Key words: carotenoids, fleshy ornaments, hemoglobin, semen, sexual selection. [Behav Ecol]
Role of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Matrix Phosphorylation in an Early Postentry Step of Virus Replication

The matrix domain (MA) is important for targeting of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag assembly to the plasma membrane, envelope incorporation into virions, preintegration complex import into the nucleus, and nuclear export of viral RNA. Myristylation and phosphorylation are key regulatory events for MA function. Previous studies have indicated that MA phosphorylation at serine (Ser) residues is important for viral replication. This study defines the molecular mechanisms of virus particle assembly and infectivity through a detailed study of the role of MA serine phosphorylation. We show that the combined mutation of Ser residues at positions 9, 67, 72, and 77 impairs viral infectivity in dividing and nondividing cells, although the assembly of these Ser mutant viruses is comparable to that of wild-type virus. This defect can be rescued by pseudotyping these mutant viruses with vesicular stomatitis virus G protein, suggesting that these serine residues are critical in an early postentry step of viral infection. The phosphorylation level of MA in defective mutant viruses was severely reduced compared to that of the wild type, suggesting that phosphorylation of Ser-9, -67, -72, and -77 is important for an early postentry step during virus infection.
Modified Seed Growth of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Benzyl Alcohol — Optimization for Heating and Broad Stability in Biomedical Applications:

Iron oxide nanoparticles have received sustained interest for biomedical applications as synthetic approaches are continually developed for control of nanoparticle properties. However, many approaches focus solely on the material, rather than the complete optimization of synthesis and functionalization together to enhance translation into biological systems. Presented herein is a modified seed growth method designed for obtaining optimal nanoparticle properties and ease of surface functionalization for long term stability. With a one or two addition process, iron oxide nanoparticles were produced in crystallite sizes ranging from 5-15 nm using only benzyl alcohol and an iron precursor. In the functionalization process, concentration variations were required for stabilizing different nanoparticle sizes. Radio frequency induction heating experiments of various crystallite and hydrodynamic sizes verified that the heating efficiency greatly increased while approaching the 15 nm crystallite, and suggested an important role of the overall particle size on heating efficiency. Initial in vitro experiments with the functionalized nanoparticles showed success in providing hyperthermia-induced tumour cell killing without an increase in the temperature of the cell suspension medium. This demonstrates the potential for nanoparticle-based hyperthermia to provide a therapeutic effect while limiting normal tissue damage.
Perceived risk of HIV infection and mental health in rural Malawi

Background: The emerging literature on HIV/AIDS and mental health in sub-Saharan Africa stresses that HIV-positive status is significantly related to mental illness. However, the literature has neglected an equally important concern in contexts where HIV is highly prevalent, namely, whether and how an HIV/AIDS epidemic affects the mental well-being of individuals in the general population, regardless of their HIV status. Objective: This paper adopts an innovative perspective for addressing this public mental health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. It examines the relationship between perceived risk of HIV infection and mental health in rural Malawi and evaluates four psychosocial mechanisms that potentially influence the relationship, including (1) worry about being infected and fear of death, (2) health and economic conditions, (3) social support, and (4) the stigma of HIV/AIDS. Methods: The analysis uses data from the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health collected in 2006 and 2008. Random-effects and fixed-effects linear regression models are used to predict mental health status (measured by the SF-12 Mental Component Summary scale). Results: Regardless of HIV status, the perceived risk of infection has a strong negative relationship with mental health outcomes. This relationship is in part associated with the individual's health, fear of death (or pessimism about survival), and marital/cohabitation status Conclusions: Mental health concerns in the context of an HIV/AIDS epidemic need to be addressed not only for HIV-infected individuals, but also for those who are not infected but are uncertain and fearful about being infected and about the ensuing life changes.
Less is More: Membrane Protein Digestion Beyond Urea–Trypsin Solution for Next-level Proteomics

The goal of next-level bottom-up membrane proteomics is protein function investigation, via high-coverage high-throughput peptide-centric quantitation of expression, modifications and dynamic structures at systems scale. Yet efficient digestion of mammalian membrane proteins presents a daunting barrier, and prevalent day-long urea-trypsin in-solution digestion proved insufficient to reach this goal. Many efforts contributed incremental advances over past years, but involved protein denaturation that disconnected measurement from functional states. Beyond denaturation, the recent discovery of structure/proteomics omni-compatible detergent n-dodecyl-β-d-maltopyranoside, combined with pepsin and PNGase F columns, enabled breakthroughs in membrane protein digestion: a 2010 DDM-low-TCEP (DLT) method for H/D-exchange (HDX) using human G protein-coupled receptor, and a 2015 flow/detergent-facilitated protease and de-PTM digestions (FDD) for integrative deep sequencing and quantitation using full-length human ion channel complex. Distinguishing protein solubilization from denaturation, protease digestion reliability from theoretical specificity, and reduction from alkylation, these methods shifted day(s)-long paradigms into minutes, and afforded fully automatable (HDX)-protein-peptide-(tandem mass tag)-HPLC pipelines to instantly measure functional proteins at deep coverage, high peptide reproducibility, low artifacts and minimal leakage. Promoting-not destroying-structures and activities harnessed membrane proteins for the next-level streamlined functional proteomics. This review analyzes recent advances in membrane protein digestion methods and highlights critical discoveries for future proteomics.
Detecting and estimating structure regularity of soft tissue organs from ultrasound images

This paper deals with the problem of detecting and estimating the scatterer spacing between the regularly-spaced resolvable coherent scatterers found in tissue. This parameter has been successfully used in classifying tissue structure, in differentiating between normal and cirrhotic liver, and in detecting diffuse liver disease. This paper presents a Wold decomposition of the radio frequency (RF) field into its diffused and coherent components from which maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) or minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimates of the scattering spacing is easily computed.
Phase Transitions During Ion-Beam Irradiation of the Perovskite-structure Oxides

Several perovskite-structure oxide compounds, including CaTiO{sub 3}, SrTiO{sub 3}, BaTiO{sub 3}, KNbO{sub 3}, and KTaO{sub 3} were irradiated by 800 keV Kr{sup +} ions in order to investigate and compare their response to heavy-ion irradiation. The critical amorphization temperature {Tc} above which amorphization could not be induced, was found to increase in the order SrRiO{sub 3} {r_arrow} CaTiO{sub 3} {r_arrow} BaTiO{sub 3} {r_arrow} KNbO{sub 3} {r_arrow} KTaO{sub 3}. No single physical parameter explains the observed sequence, although {Tc} correlates well with the melting temperatures. The well-known solid state phase transformations in these materials did not have a significant effect on the dose required for amorphization. Domain boundaries were observed in the pristine samples; however, after only a low dose, the boundaries became poorly defined and with increasing dose, eventually disappeared. Dislocation loops were observed to aggregate at the domain boundaries.
Robust control of parallel DC-DC buck converters by combining integral-variable-structure and multiple-sliding-surface control schemes

We develop a robust controller for parallel DC-DC buck converters by combining the concepts of integral-variable-structure and multiple-sliding-surface control. The advantages of the scheme are its simplicity in design, good dynamic response, robustness, ability to nullify the bus-voltage error and the error between the load currents of the converter modules under steady-state conditions, and ability to reduce the impact of very high-frequency dynamics due to parasitics on the closed-loop system. We describe a method for determining the region of existence and stability of the sliding manifolds for such parallel converters. The results show good steady-state and dynamic responses.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION AND A CONCEPTUAL INTEGRATION

Culture is defined as a system of shared values which produces normative pressures on members of organizations. Its unique influence on individuals' motivation is to enhance members' commitment, which acts jointly with instrumental motivation to influence individuals' behavior. Conditions affecting the relative weight of cultural-normative and instrumental processes in determining behavior are discussed.
Properties of the x/sup 2/ mod N pseudorandom number generator

In 1986, L. Blum, R.I. Blum, and M. Shub introduced the x/sup 2/ mod N generator of pseudorandom bit strings and showed, given certain plausible but unproved hypotheses, that it has the desirable cryptographic property of unpredictability. They also studied the period length of the sequences produced by this generator and proposed a way to guarantee that these sequences will have maximum possible period. In this correspondence we prove that it is very likely that for many values of N the sequences produced by the x/sup 2/ mod N generator are usually not balanced (that is, having equal frequency of 0's and 1's). We further prove that the proposed method for guaranteeing long periods is also very likely to guarantee relatively large imbalances between the frequencies of 0's and 1's. However, we also prove that the average imbalance for these sequences is no worse than what would be expected in a truly random bit string of the same length. Thus our results provide further support for the use of the x/sup 2/ mod N generator in cryptographic applications. >
Neurofeedback in the Treatment of Developmental Trauma: Calming the Fear-Driven Brain

Neurofeedback technique can be traced back to the 1930s, where electroencephalography (EEG) alpha-blocking response could be classically conditioned. The first application of EEG conditioning was r...
Sperm depletion and a test of the phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis in Gray Treefrogs (Hyla versicolor)

The phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis (PLFH) predicts that ejaculate characteristics correlate with male phenotype, and that females may select for exaggerated phenotypes to guarantee high fert...
The Cost-Effectiveness of Intensive Interdisciplinary Pediatric Chronic Pain Rehabilitation

OBJECTIVE Examine the cost-effectiveness of a 3-week interdisciplinary pediatric chronic pain rehabilitation program. METHODS Self-reported health care utilization and parent missed work of youth with chronic pain (n = 127) at admission and 1-year follow-up were compared. Financials were calculated from program revenue and established national costs for health care and wages. RESULTS Data indicate significant reductions in days hospitalized, physician office visits, physical/occupational therapy services, psychotherapy visits, and parental missed work. Estimated health care expenses were $61,988 in the year before admission and $14,189 in the year after admission (-$58,839). Estimated cost of missed work was $12,229 in the year prior and $1,189 in the year after (-$11,039). CONCLUSIONS Comparing estimated expenses before ($74,217) and after ($15,378) minus program costs ($31,720), yielded estimated savings of $27,119 per family in the year following admission. These findings extend the benefit of the program beyond clinical improvement, to outcomes important to both families and insurers.
Long-Run Stock Returns Following Seasoned Equity Offerings

We document that firms making seasoned equity offerings during 1975-1989 substantially under-performed a sample of matching firms from the same industry and of similar size that did not issue equity. Specifically, returns in the five-year period following a seasoned equity offering are, on average, 31.2 percent lower than those of non-issuing matched firms. This long-run underperformance persists even after controlling for trading system, firm book-to-market ratio, firm size, and firm age. It is similar to that previously documented for initial public offerings, implying that managers may be able to take advantage of overvaluation in both the initial and seasoned equity offerings markets.