cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Benzoate X Receptors α and β Are Pharmacologically Distinct and Do Not Function as Xenobiotic Receptors

The Xenopus benzoate nuclear hormone receptors, BXRα and BXRβ, share 82% identity within their ligand-binding domains and are classified as members of the NR1I2 subfamily that includes the mammalian steroid and xenobiotic receptor, SXR/PXR. Although alkyl benzoates have been identified as endogenous ligands, the exact role of the benzoate receptors in amphibian physiology has not been established. In this report, we show that BXRα and BXRβ are pharmacologically distinct from each other: BXRα is more promiscuous than BXRβ with respect to both ligand specificity and co-activator recruitment. BXRα can be transactivated by a number of benzoate derivatives including 4-amino-butylbenzoate (4-ABB), 4-hydroxy-butylbenzoate (4-HBB), 3-hydroxy ethyl benzoate (3-HEB), and benzyl benzoate, but only 4-HBB acts as an agonist for both receptors. Furthermore, BXRα-specific agonists such as 4-ABB, chlorpyrifos, and trifluralin act as antagonists on BXRβ. BXRs are widely distributed in adult tissues but do not show any enrichment in liver and intestine, major sites of SXR/PXR expression that are critical in xenobiotic metabolism. Neither BXR shows the broad specificity toward steroids or xenobiotics exhibited by SXR/PXR. Therefore, we conclude that the BXRs are pharmacologically distinct from each other and unlikely to serve as xenobiotic sensors.
Properties of Graphite

The structure, thermal properties, electrical characteristics, and mechanical behavior of graphite are reviewed and the highly anisotropic character of graphite crystals is emphasized. The interesting properties of graphite are due in large measure to the strong semimetallic bonds between carbon atoms in plane layers and to the relatively weak binding between planes. Details of its structure are due in part to the Frank dislocation mechanism for growth of crystals. Thus graphite has a low vapor pressure and approximately two-dimensional electrical and thermal conductivity. It is easily deformed in slip on the basal plane, but in polycrystalline form it is relatively strong at high temperature. Its lamellar nature is emphasized by its reaction with alkali metals and bromine.
Evolution of behavior disorder in a group of mentally retarded children.

Abstract. The psychiatric courses are reported in a group of 44 mildly retarded middle-class children over a 6-year period. Early diagnosis, appropriate early educational assignment, and parental dedication to home rearing should maximize adaptive and behavioral outcome. Initial data included physical, neurological, psychological, and psychiatric status and detailed home and school histories and observations. Predictive factors potentiating both positive outcome and psychiatric casualty are identified and discussed. These include positive neurological findings, temperamental vulnerabilities, fortuitous events, and environmental factors
A statistical analysis of acetylcholine receptor activation in Xenopus myocytes: stepwise versus concerted models of gating.

1. The kinetic properties of single channel currents from fetal-type acetylcholine receptors in embryonic Xenopus myocytes (60 h old) have been analysed by a maximum-likelihood method. 2. At very high acetylcholine (ACh) concentrations (up to 5 mM) the effective opening rate appears to saturate at approximately 30,000 s-1. 3. The kinetics were analysed according to the standard concerted scheme that postulates a single channel-opening conformational change after two agonists are bound, and a rarely invoked stepwise scheme that postulates semi-independent conformational changes in two distinct gating domains. Both models assume that agonist cannot escape from a channel (or domain) that is in its activated conformation. 4. With either activation scheme the kinetic analyses indicate that ACh binds at a rate of approximately 2 x 10(8) s-1 M-1 and dissociates from doubly liganded receptors at a rate of approximately 28,000 s-1, and that the activation process is asymmetric, i.e. the binding (concerted model) or gating (stepwise model) transitions are not equal and independent. 5. In eighteen of twenty-seven file-by-file comparisons, the likelihood of the stepwise model was greater than that of the concerted model. In seven such comparisons, the likelihood of the concerted model was greater than that of the stepwise model, and in two there was no difference. Log likelihood ratio distributions were obtained from three files (those with the most events) by multiple cycles of resampling and fitting. The means of these distributions were significantly greater than zero, indicating that the stepwise scheme was as good as, or better than, the concerted scheme in describing receptor activation. 6. According to the stepwise view, two binding sites must be occupied and two ‘gates’ activated for conduction to occur. Although equivalent binding is not an essential aspect of stepwise activation, the binding sites can be identical and have a low affinity for ACh (Kd approximately 130 microM). Either the isomerization rates of the gating domains are different, or they are influenced by the conformational status of its counterpart, with activation increasing approximately 3-fold and deactivation decreasing approximately 10-fold if the complementary domain is in the active conformation. Stepwise activation predicts that the decay of the endplate current is determined by five rates.
A scheme for reliable delivery of events in distributed middleware systems

Increasingly interactions that services and entities have with each other, and among themselves, are network bound. These interactions can be encapsulated in events. We describe a scheme for the reliable delivery of events in the presence of link and node failures.
Ecological consequences of the Guadalupian extinction and its role in the brachiopod-mollusk transition

The Guadalupian (middle Permian) extinction may have triggered substantial ecological restructuring in level-bottom communities, such as turnover in dominant brachiopod genera or a shift from abundant brachiopods to mollusks, despite comparatively minor taxonomic losses. However, ecological changes in relative abundance have been inferred from limited data; as a result, constraints on important shifts like the brachiopod-mollusk transition are imprecise. Here, I reevaluate the magnitude of ecological shifts during the Guadalupian-Lopingian (G-L) interval by supplementing previous census counts of silicified assemblages with counts from non-silicified assemblages and global occurrence data, both sourced from the Paleobiology Database. Brachiopod occurrences are consistent with more pronounced faunal composition changes from the Guadalupian to Lopingian than among stages within those intervals, but only in Iran and South China, and not in Pakistan or a Tethys-wide data set. In Iran and South China, Bray-Curtis dissimilarity values comparing occurrence frequencies between adjacent stages were elevated across the G-L transition, although other intervals exhibited similarly large shifts. However, genus occurrence frequencies were less strongly correlated or were anti-correlated across the G-L transition, suggesting moderate faunal turnover among dominant brachiopod genera. In contrast to previous inferences from silicified faunas, abundances of brachiopods, bivalves, and gastropods remained consistent from the Guadalupian to Lopingian in non-silicified local counts and global occurrences, implying that the brachiopod-mollusk shift did not occur until the end-Permian extinction. Ecological and taxonomic consequences were both minor in level-bottom settings, suggesting that severe environmental perturbations may not be necessary to explain biotic changes during the Guadalupian-Lopingian transition.
A Linear Matrix Inequality Solution to the Output Covariance Constraint Control Problem

In this paper, the output covariance constraint (OCC) control problem is cast as a convex optimization with linear matrix inequality (LMI) constraints. The OCC control problem is an optimal control problem that is concerned with minimizing control effort subject to multiple performance constraints on output covariance matrices. The contribution of this paper is the characterization of the control synthesis LMIs used to solve the OCC control problem. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach a numerical example is solved with the control synthesis LMIs. The LMI solutions are then compared to results obtained when using the original iterative OCC algorithm. Both discrete and continuous-time problems are considered.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Everything is illuminated … with quantum dots

Evaluation of: Slotkin JR, Chakrabarti L, Dai HN, et al.: In vivo quantum dot labeling of mammalian stem cell and progenitor cells. Dev. Dyn. (2007) (Epub ahead of print) [1]. Quantum dots (QDs) show great promise for their use in cell tracking. In this recent study by Slotkin, et al., QDs are delivered to neural stem and progenitor cells in vitro and in vivo without having any effects on normal cell behavior. The results highlight a promising step towards the development of methodologies for tracking the role of stem cells in embryogenesis, tumorigenesis, organogenesis, tissue repair and regeneration. This evaluation will discuss the implications of the study and important future applications.
Discussion of "internal control weaknesses and client risk management"

Randal Elder, Yan Zhang, Jian Zhou, and Nan Zhou (2009) study auditors' strategies to manage client risk resulting from internal control weaknesses in the first year of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)...
Superconductivity in doped insulators

It is shown that many synthetic metals, including high temperature superconductors are “bad metals”, with such a poor conductivity that the usual mean-field theory of superconductivity breaks down because of anomalously large classical and quantum fluctuations of the phase of the superconducting order parameter. It is argued that the supression of a first order phase transition (phase separation) by the long-range Coulomb interaction leads to high temperature superconductivity accompanied by static or dynamical charge inhomogeneity. Evidence in support of this picture for high temperature superconductors is described.
Aldosterone receptor antagonists: effective but often forgotten.

A 63-year-old woman is evaluated after a recent hospitalization for an acute myocardial infarction. She reports fatigue and exertional dyspnea after ambulating 25 m. Her left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction is 38%, and her medications include aspirin, clopidogrel, a loop diuretic, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I), and a β-adrenergic receptor antagonist. On physical examination, her blood pressure is 144/92 mm Hg, and her heart rate is 72 bpm. Her jugular venous pressure is 9 cm water, and bilateral inspiratory rales and 1+ peripheral edema are noted. The patient’s serum K+ is 4.5 mEq/L and creatinine is 1.2 mg/dL. She is diagnosed with hypertension and moderate congestive heart failure (CHF) with LV systolic dysfunction. Despite evidence from clinical trials demonstrating a morbidity and mortality advantage for selected patients treated with aldosterone receptor antagonists, these drugs are underused in clinical practice. The Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study (RALES) and Eplerenone Post-Acute Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure Efficacy and Survival Study (EPHESUS) established that spironolactone and eplerenone, respectively, increased survival in patients with severe CHF symptoms from LV systolic dysfunction occurring with minimal exertion or at rest (New York Heart Association [NYHA] class III or IV) or CHF after an acute myocardial infarction.1–3 As a result of these studies, aldosterone receptor antagonists were given an American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology class I recommendation for use, yet only 32% of eligible patients are routinely prescribed these drugs.4,5 This trend likely reflects clinicians’ persisting concerns over reports linking increased community-based spironolactone use with drug-induced deaths and hospitalizations.6 This association is drawn largely from population-based observational data demonstrating a temporal (and not causal) relationship between increased prescription rates of spironolactone and increased rates of hospital admission for the treatment of hyperkalemia and subsequent in-hospital deaths. Given that aldosterone receptor antagonists are often used …
Dietary copper affects azoxymethane-induced intestinal tumor formation and protein kinase C isozyme protein and mRNA expression in colon of rats.

Previous studies have show that changes in protein kinase C (PKC) isoform expression may be related to increased susceptibility of copper-deficient rats to aberrant crypt formation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether dietary copper would affect azoxymethane-induced intestinal tumor formation and PKC isozyme expression in normal colonic mucosa and tumor samples. Eighty weanling Fischer-344 rats were randomly assigned to diets that contained either 0.8 or 5.3 microg Cu/g diet. After 24 and 31 d of diet consumption, 30 rats/diet were administered azoxymethane (15 mg/kg i.p.) and 10 rats/diet were administered saline. Rats continued to consume their respective diets for an additional 38 wk. Rats injected with azoxymethane and fed the low copper diet had a significantly (P < 0.0001) greater small intestinal and total tumor incidence compared with rats fed adequate dietary copper. However, dietary copper did not affect colon tumor incidence. Low dietary copper significantly (P < 0.004) decreased PKC alpha protein expression in normal but not in tumor tissue. In contrast, low dietary copper did not affect PKC delta or zeta protein expression in either the normal or tumor tissue. PKC alpha and delta protein and mRNA expression were lower in tumor tissue than in normal tissue. These results along with previous observations suggest that dietary copper-mediated changes in PKC alpha, delta and zeta protein expression are not as important for colon tumor promotion/progression as they are for tumor initiation.
Hiring priorities for BSW/MSW programs in the United States: Informing doctoral programs about current needs

SummaryThis study was designed to identify the hiring needs of social work programs across the United States. The study used a national survey of social work programs, including closed questions for quantitative analysis and an open question for qualitative comments.FindingsOf the 226 MSW and BSW programs participating in this study, 95% stated that they expected to hire additional faculty in the next 5 years. The vast majority reported plans to hire at the assistant professor level. Although a PhD is a preferred degree for many programs, 62% suggested they would consider a DSW as equivalent to a PhD. Respondents suggested the most important factors influencing hiring decisions would be the candidate’s interpersonal skills, refereed publications, filling a diversity need, and supporting social work ethics. The most commonly sought areas of expertise sought include generalist practice, research/evaluation, policy, community practice, and diversity.ApplicationsThis study has implications for doctoral progra...
Health-related quality of life improves following pulmonary rehabilitation and lung volume reduction surgery.

Study objectives: To evaluate changes in health-related quality of life (HRQL) as assessed by the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item questionnaire (SF-36) after pulmonary rehabilitation and lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS). Design: Prospective cohort study. Patients: Nineteen patients with severe emphysema who underwent pulmonary rehabilitation in preparation for LVRS. Interventions: Pulmonary rehabilitation followed by bilateral sequential LVRS. Measurements and results: HRQL assessed by the SF-36 was measured at baseline, after pulmonary rehabilitation, and 6 months after LVRS. One-way analysis of variance with repeated measures demonstrated no significant change from baseline in any of the eight domains after pulmonary rehabilitation. Scores for only one domain, vitality, improved significantly after LVRS compared with scores after pulmonary rehabilitation. However, significant improvements over baseline scores were demonstrated after combined preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation and LVRS in the domains of physical functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, social functioning, and vitality. Pulmonary rehabilitation contributed most to the overall improvements in role limitations due to physical problems, whereas LVRS contributed mainly to the overall improvements in physical functioning, social functioning, and vitality. Conclusions: Patients with severe emphysema experience significant improvements in both physical and social health status as assessed by the SF-36 after combined pulmonary rehabilitation and LVRS. Each intervention makes unique and complementary contributions to the overall improvements in HRQL. (CHEST 1999; 115:383‐389)
Convergence of Galerkin solutions and continuous dependence on data in spectrally-hyperviscous models of 3D turbulent flow

We obtain results on the convergence of Galerkin solutions and continuous dependence on data for the spectrally-hyperviscous Navier–Stokes equations. Let uN denote the Galerkin approximates to the solution u, and let wN=u−uN. Then our main result uses the decomposition wN=PnwN+QnwN where (for fixed n) Pn is the projection onto the first n eigenspaces of A=−Δ and Qn=I−Pn. For assumptions on n that compare well with those in related previous results, the convergence of ‖QnwN(t)‖Hβ as N→∞ depends linearly on key parameters (and on negative powers of λn), thus reflective of Kolmogorov-theory predictions that in high wavenumber modes viscous (i.e. linear) effects dominate. Meanwhile ‖PnwN(t)‖Hβ satisfies a more standard exponential estimate, with positive, but fractional, dependence on λn. Modifications of these estimates demonstrate continuous dependence on data.
The Metabolic Syndrome and Biochemical Recurrence following Radical Prostatectomy

Metabolic syndrome refers to a set of conditions that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and has been associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, particularly among African American men. This study aimed to estimate the association of metabolic syndrome with biochemical recurrence (BCR) in a racially diverse population. Among 383 radical prostatectomy patients, 67 patients had documented biochemical recurrence. Hypertension was significantly, positively associated with the rate of BCR (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.1, 3.8). There were distinct racial differences in the prevalence of individual metabolic syndrome components; however, the observed associations with BCR did not differ appreciably by race. We conclude that hypertension may contribute to a poorer prognosis in surgically treated prostate cancer patients. Our findings suggest that targeting components of the metabolic syndrome which are potentially modifiable through lifestyle interventions may be a viable strategy to reduce risk of BCR in prostate cancer.
Rapid Diagnosis of MEN2B Using Unlabeled Probe Melting Analysis and the LightCycler 480 Instrument

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN2B) is an autosomal dominant, inherited cancer syndrome. MEN2B patients have a high risk of developing medullary thyroid carcinoma, and prophylactic thyroidectomy is recommended by 6 months of age. Genetic testing can identify MEN2B patients before cancer progression. Two RET proto-oncogene mutations, in exon 15 at codon 883 (GCT>TTT) and in exon 16 at codon 918 (ATG>ACG), account for more than 98% of MEN2B cases. An assay using unlabeled probes and the LightCycler 480 instrument was developed to genotype these two common MEN2B RET mutations. Asymmetric polymerase chain reaction was used to increase ssDNA products followed by melting analysis of the unlabeled probe/ssDNA amplicon duplex. The available samples were either patient DNA of known RET genotype or artificial templates. Analysis of the codon 883 heterozygous mutation demonstrated a ΔTm of 5.70 ± 0.11°C, while the codon 918 heterozygous mutation generated a ΔTm of −5.72 ± 0.11°C. Samples with the targeted RET mutation genotypes were accurately detected and easily distinguishable from five other reported sequence changes using these probes. Thus, MEN2B diagnosis using unlabeled probes and the LightCycler 480 is a rapid, closed-tube method that is less time consuming and less expensive than sequencing. This assay demonstrates 100% specificity and sensitivity for the identification of RET mutations causative of MEN2B.
Effect of slow display on detectability when browsing large image datasets

— In this work, the effect of display temporal characteristics on detectability of signals was studied by comparing detection performance with a slow liquid-crystal-display (LCD) monitor and a fast, cathode-ray-tube (CRT) monitor when browsing multi-slice image datasets in stack-mode presentation. Thirteen readers evaluated 200 image sequence pairs in a two-alternative forced choice experiment. The image sets consisted of three-dimensional cluster lumpy backgrounds and were presented to the readers in two display devices: a three-million-pixel medical color LCD and a color desktop CRT. For the LCD, many inter-gray-level transitions are on the order of 50–60 msec, which was almost twice the frame time. The CRT had 2–5-msec inter-gray-level transitions. The reader study was performed with a graphical-user interface programmed using direct calls to OpenGL libraries to precisely control the browsing speed. The results were analyzed in terms of the difference in reader performance for each reader and each display, between a browsing speed of 20 and 50 frames per sec (fps). Average reader performance difference between 20 and 50 fps was measured to be 0.049 and 0.156 for the CRT and LCD monitors, respectively. The corresponding drop in reader performance associated with slow display was 0.11.
New services for the optical network

This talk addresses new optical services with dynamic operation to make bandwidth available when needed and better granularity to "right-size" connections, increase efficiency and be more data-friendly. The result is more flexibility with significantly lower capital and operations expenditures.
Canine pancreatic juice stimulates the release of secretin and pancreatic secretion in the dog

A secretin-releasing factor (SRF) was found in canine pancreatic juice that increases plasma secretin and stimulates pancreatic secretion in rats, suggesting that a positive feedback mechanism may ...
Role of ω phase in the formation of extremely refined intragranular α precipitates in metastable β-titanium alloys

Abstract Coupling high-resolution characterization and phase-field microelasticity modeling, the non-conventional transformation pathway, mediated by ω precipitates, that leads to super-refined intragranular α precipitates in a metastable β Ti-alloy (Ti–5Al–5Mo–5V–3Cr, all in wt%) has been rationalized for the first time. Samples are initially solution treated above the β transus, rapidly cooled to room temperature, and then slowly heated (in the range 20°C–1 °C/min) to 600 °C. Interrupted tests, coupled with characterization involving scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high angle annular dark field-high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-HRSTEM) and atom probe tomography (APT), have revealed the role of the ω phase on the copious nucleation of α leading to super-refined precipitation. Thus, both stress and compositional variations associated with the development of isothermal ω during heating contribute to an extra driving force for nucleation. It is also found that the interfaces between the super-refined α and the β matrix are relatively coherent, unlike the case of such interfaces in α/β Ti alloys. The experimental results have been combined with CALPHAD and phase field microelasticity modeling to assist in developing a robust notion of the factors influencing copious nucleation in these samples.
Cardiac CT and MR Evaluation of the Adult Fontan Patient

Congenital heart disease resulting in single ventricular physiology includes many diverse diagnoses (see Table 21.1). Optimal palliation for such patients requires that the ventricle act as the systemic pump and that a secure source of pulmonary blood flow is created. Unobstructed flow to the systemic and pulmonary circulations is the goal; optimally, widely patent aortic anatomy and branch pulmonary arteries are desirable. Due to complex anatomy and hemodynamics, any single ventricle patient with Fontan palliation requires continued meticulous medical surveillance. A critical component of this care involves advanced cardiac imaging. A multimodality imaging approach for the Fontan patient is best performed at a center with expertise in adult congenital heart disease and in-depth knowledge regarding the advantages and disadvantages of each imaging technique. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and multidetector cardiac computed tomography (MDCT) are the noninvasive, advanced cardiac imaging techniques presented here.
Cesium Lead Halide Perovskites with Improved Stability for Tandem Solar Cells

A semiconductor that can be processed on a large scale with a bandgap around 1.8 eV could enable the manufacture of highly efficient low cost double-junction solar cells on crystalline Si. Solution-processable organic–inorganic halide perovskites have recently generated considerable excitement as absorbers in single-junction solar cells, and though it is possible to tune the bandgap of (CH3NH3)Pb(BrxI1–x)3 between 2.3 and 1.6 eV by controlling the halide concentration, optical instability due to photoinduced phase segregation limits the voltage that can be extracted from compositions with appropriate bandgaps for tandem applications. Moreover, these materials have been shown to suffer from thermal degradation at temperatures within the processing and operational window. By replacing the volatile methylammonium cation with cesium, it is possible to synthesize a mixed halide absorber material with improved optical and thermal stability, a stabilized photoconversion efficiency of 6.5%, and a bandgap of 1.9 eV.
Acceleration of hepatic sterol synthesis after a single dose of the porphyrogenic chemical allylisopropylacetamide

Hepatic sterol synthesis is accelerated in animals after a single dose of allylisopropylacetamide, a chemical known to be porphyrogenic. Evidence is provided to show that enhanced sterol biosynthesis is due to an increased formation of mevalonic acid, indicating that the primary site of action of the chemical is on one or more steps in the pathway from acetate to mevalonate.
Analysis of Beijing city Miyun 2014 AIDS Sentinel Surveillance

Objective To understand the status of HIV infection in Miyun population related purposes, to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control countermeasures. Methods According to the national standard "work" AIDS monitoring, a questionnaire survey was conducted on the STD clinic attenders, tuberculosis, abortion, female sex workers, collecting venous blood detection of HIV antibody and syphilis serology. Results A total of 998 monitoring, in the 20~40 age young and middle-aged; cultural level high school and below accounted for the majority of the majority; marital status married; household registration in addition to prostitutes outside, the rest of the three population of Beijing household registration are; ethnic han. The HIV positive rate was0.1%, the positive rate of syphilis 5.2%. The patients of venereal diseases and among the positive rate of syphilis was higher than other groups, was significantly lower than the other three populations in the AIDS knowledge of STD patients. Conclusion It is necessary to strengthen health education and behavior intervention, effective control of the spread of AIDS through sexual means.
Evidence of Shared Genome‐Wide Additive Genetic Effects on Interpersonal Trauma Exposure and Generalized Vulnerability to Drug Dependence in a Population of Substance Users

Exposure to traumatic experiences is associated with an increased risk for drug dependence and poorer response to substance abuse treatment (Claus & Kindleberger, 2002; Jaycox, Ebener, Damesek, & Becker, 2004). Despite this evidence, the reasons for the observed associations of trauma and the general tendency to be dependent upon drugs of abuse remain unclear. Data (N = 2,596) from the Study of Addiction: Genetics and Environment were used to analyze (a) the degree to which commonly occurring single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; minor allele frequency > 1%) in the human genome explains exposure to interpersonal traumatic experiences, and (b) the extent to which additive genetic effects on trauma are shared with additive genetic effects on drug dependence. Our results suggested moderate additive genetic influences on interpersonal trauma, h(2) SNP-Interpersonal = .47, 95% confidence interval (CI) [.10, .85], that are partially shared with additive genetic effects on generalized vulnerability to drug dependence, h(2) SNP-DD = .36, 95% CI [.11, .61]; rG-SNP = .49, 95% CI [.02, .96]. Although the design/technique does not exclude the possibility that substance abuse causally increases risk for traumatic experiences (or vice versa), these findings raise the possibility that commonly occurring SNPs influence both the general tendency towards drug dependence and interpersonal trauma.
Nutritional support and cancer cachexia. Evolving concepts of mechanisms and adjunctive therapies.

Despite the widespread employment of intravenous feeding in patients with cancer cachexia to improve outcome, conflicting data exist regarding the efficacy of such therapy in addressing metabolic alterations secondary to immobility, malnutrition, and disease-specific processes. Persistence of distinct abnormalities of body and tissue integrity and peripheral tissue plasma interorgan nitrogen flux imply the need for anabolic agents to enhance the therapeutic effects of parenteral nutrition. This article focuses upon potential anabolic agents such as chronic submaximal exercise, hormonal augmentation, pharmacologic intervention, and variations in substrate composition. Finally, the immunologic, metabolic, and endocrine consequences of bypassing the gastrointestinal tract are considered and related to the limited efficacy of current total parenteral nutrition regimens.
DCl Transport through Dodecyl Sulfate Films on Salty Glycerol: Effects of Seawater Ions on Gas Entry.

Gas–liquid scattering experiments were employed to measure the entry and dissociation of the acidic gas DCl into salty glycerol coated with dodecyl sulfate ions (DS– = CH3(CH2)11OSO3–). Five sets of salty solutions were examined: 0.25 and 0.5 M NaCl, 0.25 M MgCl2, 0.25 M CaCl2, and artificial sea salt. DS– bulk concentrations were varied from 0 to 11 mM, generating DS– surface coverages of up to 34% of a compact monolayer, as determined by surface tension and argon scattering measurements. DS– surface segregation is enhanced by the dissolved salts in the order MgCl2 ≈ CaCl2 > sea salt > NaCl. We find that DCl penetration through the dodecyl chains decreases at first gradually and then sharply as more chains segregate to the surface, dropping from 70% entry on bare glycerol to 11% for DS– surface concentrations of 1.8 × 1014 cm–2. When plotted against DS– surface concentration, the DCl entry probabilities fall within a single band for all solutions. These observations imply that the monovalent Na+ and diva...
The Mediating Role of School Motivation in Linking Student Victimization and Academic Achievement

This study examined the mediating role of student school motivation in linking student victimization experiences and academic achievement among a nationally representative sample of students in 10th grade. Structural equation modeling supported that there were significant associations between student victimization and academic achievement for high school students. Give these significant associations, identification of the cognitive mechanisms that underlie these relationships is critical to understanding the plight of repeated victims. Our results indicated that students who reported frequent peer victimization also reported reduced school motivation (self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation), resulting in lower achievement in both reading and math. These pathways existed after accounting for differences in achievement that may be due to socioeconomic status and gender.
The dynamics of internalizing and externalizing comorbidity across the early school years

High rates of comorbidity are observed between internalizing and externalizing problems, yet the developmental dynamics of comorbid symptom presentations are not yet well understood. This study explored the developmental course of latent profiles of internalizing and externalizing symptoms across kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. The sample consisted of 336 children from an urban, low-income community, selected based on relatively high (61%) or low (39%) aggressive/oppositional behavior problems at school entry (64% male; 70% African American, 20% Hispanic). Teachers reported on children's symptoms in each year. An exploratory latent profile analysis of children's scores on aggression/oppositionality, hyperactivity/inattention, anxiety, and social withdrawal symptom factors revealed four latent symptom profiles: comorbid (48% of the sample in each year), internalizing (19%-23%), externalizing (21%-22%), and well-adjusted (7%-11%). The developmental course of these symptom profiles was examined using a latent transition analysis, which revealed remarkably high continuity in the comorbid symptom profile (89% from one year to the next) and moderately high continuity in both the internalizing and externalizing profiles (80% and 71%, respectively). Internalizing children had a 20% probability of remitting to the well-adjusted profile by the following year, whereas externalizing children had a 25% probability of transitioning to the comorbid profile. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that a common vulnerability factor contributes to developmentally stable internalizing-externalizing comorbidity, while also suggesting that some children with externalizing symptoms are at risk for subsequently accumulating internalizing symptoms.
Mechanisms Governing Disruption of Telomere Maintenance in Dyskeratosis Congenita

Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a bone marrow failure syndrome characterized by widespread defects in diverse tissues and a strong predisposition to cancer. DC is caused by germline mutations in genes controlling maintenance of telomeres, nucleoprotein caps that protect chromosome ends. DC is part of a larger collection of telomere disorders whose manifestations include pulmonary fibrosis, liver cirrhosis and defects in many other tissues. Mutations in components of the telomerase enzyme comprise a large share of cases, including in TERT, TERC, dyskerin, TCAB1, NOP10 and NHP2. These mutations compromise telomerase function leading to telomere shortening, which in turn impairs stem cell function. The telomerase holoenzyme operates according to a complex cycle of assembly, nuclear trafficking, recruitment to telomeres and catalytic action to elongate telomeres. In patients with telomere disease states, each of these steps can be impaired leading to a common set of disease phenotypes. We previously created patient-derived iPS cells from patients with mutations in TERT, dyskerin or TCAB1 and analyzed these cells to understand the biochemical defects in the telomerase pathway. Molecular defects in these patients operate according to diverse mechanisms including: reduced catalytic function, impaired telomerase assembly, mislocalization of the enzyme to nucleoli and defective recruitment to telomeres. The development of therapeutics to treat these disease states will require approaches targeted to the underlying molecular defects in each form of the disease. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Internal Contamination in the Wide Field/Planetary Camera

Following thermal vacuum/thermal balance testing, a gray haze was discovered on the corners of the Wide Field/Planetary Camera (WF/PC) aperture window. The phenomenon was suggested to be a result of molecular transport from a low outgassing structural adhesive. Detailed analyses, both chemical and analytical, were conducted to assess the formation of the haze. Each material was considered individually, as it was not known if the actual contamination was a result of one, many, or possibly none of the materials considered. Results of the analytical assessment and the comparison with the aforementioned chemical analyses provided incontrovertible evidence as to the cause of the window haze. The resultant cleanup and subsequent elimination of the problem are also addressed.
Stair walking is more energizing than low dose caffeine in sleep deprived young women

Abstract Introduction The acute energizing effect of exercise and caffeine has never been examined in a single study of adults with chronic sleep deprivation but evidence from a study of this type could help individuals choose between these two common alertness-enhancing options. Aim The apriori primary aim of this experiment was to compare the influence of 10-min of low-to-moderate intensity stair walking to the consumption of capsules containing 50 mg caffeine or flour (placebo) on feelings of energy in physically active, college female caffeine users with chronic insufficient sleep. Effects on secondary outcomes related to feelings of energy also were assessed. Material-method A repeated measures crossover experiment was conducted with 18 college women (18–23 years) who reported (i) daily caffeine consumption that was not extreme (40–400 mg), (ii) typical leisure time physical activity that was not extreme (at least 2 weekly mild 15-min or longer bouts and no > 5 strenuous 15-min or longer bouts), and (iii) sleeping Results Condition × Time interactions showed that stair walking increased POMS-BF vigor at Post-1 compared to both placebo and caffeine. Other interactions were not significant. Conclusion A brief bout of low-to-moderate intensity stair walking has transient energizing effects that exceed a low dose of caffeine for active young women with chronic insufficient sleep.
Vitamin D and breast cancer: Past and present

The presence of the vitamin D receptor in mammary gland and breast cancer has been recognized since the early 1980s, and multiple pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that its ligand 1,25D modulates normal mammary gland development and sensitivity to carcinogenesis. Although studies have characterized many 1,25D responsive targets in normal mammary cells and in breast cancers, validation of relevant targets that regulate cell cycle, apoptosis, autophagy and differentiation, particularly in vivo, has been challenging. Vitamin D deficiency is common in breast cancer patients and some evidence suggests that low vitamin D status enhances the risk for disease development or progression. Model systems of carcinogenesis have provided evidence that both VDR expression and 1,25D actions change with transformation but clinical data regarding vitamin D responsiveness of established tumors is limited and inconclusive. Because breast cancer is heterogeneous, analysis of VDR actions in specific molecular subtypes of the disease is necessary to clarify the conflicting data. Genomic, proteomic and metabolomic analyses of in vitro and in vivo model systems is also warranted to comprehensively understand the network of vitamin D regulated pathways in the context of breast cancer heterogeneity.
Glioblastoma stem cells exploit the αvβ8 integrin-TGFβ1 signaling axis to drive tumor initiation and progression

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a primary brain cancer that contains populations of stem-like cancer cells (GSCs) that home to specialized perivascular niches. GSC interactions with their niche influence self-renewal, differentiation and drug resistance, although the pathways underlying these events remain largely unknown. Here, we report that the integrin αvβ8 and its latent transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) protein ligand have central roles in promoting niche co-option and GBM initiation. αvβ8 integrin is highly expressed in GSCs and is essential for self-renewal and lineage commitment in vitro. Fractionation of β8high cells from freshly resected human GBM samples also reveals a requirement for this integrin in tumorigenesis in vivo. Whole-transcriptome sequencing reveals that αvβ8 integrin regulates tumor development, in part, by driving TGFβ1-induced DNA replication and mitotic checkpoint progression. Collectively, these data identify the αvβ8 integrin-TGFβ1 signaling axis as crucial for exploitation of the perivascular niche and identify potential therapeutic targets for inhibiting tumor growth and progression in patients with GBM.
Effect of information availability on stability of traffic flow: Percolation theory approach

Abstract: Connectivity and automation are expected to enhance safety and efficiency in transportation systems. Connectivity will provide information to drivers/autonomous vehicles to enhance decision-making reliability at the operational and tactical levels. Consequently, drivers are more likely to execute safe and efficient maneuvers and autonomous vehicles will have a more accurate perception of the traffic condition and an “error-free” execution of the driving maneuvers. At the operational level, ensuring string stability is a key consideration since unstable traffic flow results in shockwave propagation and possibly crashes. While several studies have examined the effects of information availability on string stability in a connected environment, most of the approaches are focused on automated driving (e.g., Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control systems) and do not consider a mixed environment with regular, connected, and autonomous vehicles. To ensure connectivity in such a mixed environment, the correlation between communication range and connected vehicles density should be considered. To capture the effects of this correlation, this study uses the Continuum Percolation theory to determine the effects of the vehicular density and communication range on the connectivity level in telecommunications network and consequently, on the string stability of traffic flow. Based on the Continuum Percolation theory, there is a critical density of connected vehicles above which the entire system is connected. This critical density also depends on the communication range. This study presents an analytical derivation of this critical density. Moreover, this study evaluates the string stability under different communication ranges and market penetration rates of connected and autonomous vehicles. Results revealed that as communication range increases, the system becomes more stable and at high communication ranges, the system performs similar to the system with full connectivity. Moreover, results indicated the existence of an optimal communication range to maximize stability and ensure information delivery.
Large Eddy Simulations of Electromagnetic Braking Effects on Argon Bubble Transport and Capture in a Steel Continuous Casting Mold

In continuous casting of steel, argon gas is often injected to prevent clogging of the nozzle, but the bubbles affect the flow pattern, and may become entrapped to form defects in the final product. Further, an electromagnetic field is frequently applied to induce a braking effect on the flow field and modify the inclusion transport. In this study, a previously validated GPU-based in-house code CUFLOW is used to investigate the effect of electromagnetic braking on turbulent flow, bubble transport, and capture. Well-resolved large eddy simulations are combined with two-way coupled Lagrangian computations of the bubbles. The drag coefficient on the bubbles is modified to account for the effects of the magnetic field. The distribution of the argon bubbles, capture, and escape rates, are presented and compared with and without the magnetic field. The bubble capture patterns are also compared with results of a previous RANS model as well as with plant measurements.
NSAIDs alone or with opioids as therapy for cancer pain.

Short-term trials indicate that cancer pain can be reduced with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as initial monotherapy. NSAIDs combined with opioids can result in slight short-term improvement in pain compared with either agent alone. Long-term efficacy and safety of NSAIDs for cancer pain have not been established.
Renal ultrasound abnormalities in children with syndromic and non-syndromic microtia.

Abstract Objective Renal abnormalities are commonly considered in the work up of pediatric patients with external ear malformations. However, there is little consensus regarding an appropriate renal screening protocol for patients with microtia. We sought to characterize renal abnormalities detected on ultrasonography in pediatric patients with microtia. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients diagnosed with microtia who underwent renal ultrasound from 1991 to 2014 at a single tertiary academic institution. Renal ultrasound reports and medical records were reviewed to assess for renal abnormalities and to determine whether patients required specialist follow-up or interventions. Audiograms and otolaryngology notes were used to determine patterns of hearing loss. The following additional information was recorded from the electronic medical records: patient sex, microtia grade (I-IV), microtia laterality, and known associated syndromes. Characteristics were compared between those who did and did not have renal ultrasound findings using Fisher's exact test. Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with renal ultrasound findings. Results The majority of patients in this cohort were syndromic (n = 51, 64%) with grade III microtia (n = 46, 58%) and conductive hearing loss (n = 58, 72%). Syndromic children with microtia demonstrated a higher crude rate of renal ultrasound abnormalities (22%) than children with isolated microtia (7%). Of these patients, 69% required specialist follow-up. Univariate logistic regression analysis did not identify predictors that were significantly associated with renal ultrasound findings. Conclusion Fairly high rates of abnormalities in syndromic and non-syndromic patients may warrant screening renal ultrasound in all patients with microtia, especially given the high percentage of findings requiring renal follow-up. A prospective study to formally evaluate screening efficacy is needed.
Developmental differences in the neural correlates supporting semantics and syntax during sentence processing.

School-aged and adolescent children continue to demonstrate improvements in how they integrate and comprehend real-time, auditory language over this developmental time period, which can have important implications for academic and social success. To better understand developmental changes in the neural processes engaged during language comprehension in this age group, we use electroencephalography to investigate how 8-9 year old, 12-13 year olds, and adults process semantics and syntax in naturally paced, auditory sentences. Participants listened to semantically and syntactically correct and incorrect sentences and were asked to complete an acceptability judgment task. When processing a semantic error, developmental differences were observed in theta, but not the N400, suggesting that the N400 may be too gross a measure to identify more subtle aspects of semantic development that occur in the school years. For the syntactic task, errors resulted in a larger P600 and greater beta decrease than correct sentences, but the amplitude and location of the P600 and amplitude of beta decreases differed as a function of age, suggesting specialization of syntactic skills is ongoing through adolescence. The current findings shed new light on the development of the neural oscillations supporting language comprehension and suggest that the neural substrates underlying semantic processing reach adult-like levels at a younger age than those underlying syntactic processing.