cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sixty years in the making: collagenase Clostridium histolyticum, from benchtop to FDA approval and beyond

The introduction of collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) as the first and only FDA-approved non-surgical treatment for Peyronie’s disease (PD) has been an important step in its management. Our aim is to provide an overview of the historical origins of CCH and its development through FDA approval and beyond for the treatment of PD. A PubMed search using the terms Peyronie OR Peyronie’s AND collagenase and limited to clinical research studies resulted in 24 articles that were examined for the current review. PD is a connective tissue disorder of the penile tunica albuginea involving fibrotic penile plaques that cause abnormal curvature and, in many cases, erectile pain. Although the exact mechanism and underlying pathophysiology are not well characterized, the known lability of these plaques to exogenous bacterial collagenase combined with a lack of effective medical therapies led to the development of CCH as an evidence-based treatment of PD. The initial discovery of collagenase was followed by in vitro studies on PD plaque tissue and following the phase 3 IMPRESS trial culminated in FDA approval of CCH in 2013. Future directions in CCH therapy include improved patient selection, use in acute phase PD, adjuvant and combination therapies, and novel delivery mechanisms. CCH provides an effective non-surgical treatment option for men with PD. We have traced the development of CCH in the treatment of PD from the earliest in vitro investigations to comprehensive multi-study meta-analyses confirming its highly rated efficacy when compared to other historical non-surgical remedies.
A study of DMS oxidation in the tropics : Comparison of Christmas Island field observations of DMS, SO2, and DMSO with model simulations

This study reports comparisonsbetween model simulations, based on current sulfurmechanisms, with the DMS, SO2 and DMSOobservational data reported by Bandy et al.(1996) in their 1994 Christmas Island field study. For both DMS and SO2, the model results werefound to be in excellent agreement with theobservations when the observations were filtered so asto establish a common meteorological environment. Thisfiltered DMS and SO2 data encompassedapproximately half of the total sampled days. Basedon these composite profiles, it was shown thatoxidation of DMS via OH was the dominant pathway withno more than 5 to 15% proceeding through Cl atoms andless than 3% through NO3. This analysis wasbased on an estimated DMS sea-to-air flux of 3.4 ×109 molecs cm-2 s-1. The dominant sourceof BL SO2 was oxidation of DMS, the overallconversion efficiency being evaluated at 0.65 ± 0.15. The major loss of SO2 was deposition to theocean's surface and scavenging by aerosol. Theresulting combined first order k value was estimated at 1.6 × 10-5 s-1. In contrast to the DMSand SO2 simulations, the model under-predictedthe observed DMSO levels by nearly a factor of 50. Although DMSO instrument measurement problems can notbe totally ruled out, the possibility of DMSO sourcesother than gas phase oxidation of DMS must beseriously considered and should be explored in futurestudies.
LIN28B regulates transcription and potentiates MYCN-induced neuroblastoma through binding to ZNF143 at target gene promotors.

LIN28B is highly expressed in neuroblastoma and promotes tumorigenesis, at least, in part, through inhibition of let-7 microRNA biogenesis. Here, we report that overexpression of either wild-type (WT) LIN28B or a LIN28B mutant that is unable to inhibit let-7 processing increases the penetrance of MYCN-induced neuroblastoma, potentiates the invasion and migration of transformed sympathetic neuroblasts, and drives distant metastases in vivo. Genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with massively parallel DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq) and coimmunoprecipitation experiments show that LIN28B binds active gene promoters in neuroblastoma cells through protein–protein interaction with the sequence-specific zinc-finger transcription factor ZNF143 and activates the expression of downstream targets, including transcription factors forming the adrenergic core regulatory circuitry that controls the malignant cell state in neuroblastoma as well as GSK3B and L1CAM that are involved in neuronal cell adhesion and migration. These findings reveal an unexpected let-7–independent function of LIN28B in transcriptional regulation during neuroblastoma pathogenesis.
Factual Causation in Toxic Tort Litigation: A Philosophical View of Proof and Certainty in Uncertain Disciplines

The purpose of this article is to expose the ontologically proof-based requirements for factual causation created by the judiciary and imposed against toxic exposure plaintiffs. Part II first explains the differences between factual causation in traditional tort cases can factual causation in toxic tort cases, then determines that the “but for” paradigm of traditional tort cases is an unrealistic burden to toxic exposure plaintiffs resulting in the dismissal of meritorious toxic tort claims. Part II also will analyze the various threshold requirements for establishing factual causation and compares there requirements to determine the test that best balances the interests between toxic exposure plaintiffs and defendants. Part III discusses the burdens of proof for factual causation and illustrates the tension between legal standard of admissibility and sufficiency and scientific standards of reliability and certainty. Part III also argues that the tension between law and science and the dangers of summarily dismissing meritorious toxic tort claims requires courts to consider that: (1) toxic tort defendants receive unfair advantages over toxic tort plaintiffs in the current legal climate; (2) the judiciary has a responsibility to level the playing field between parties by establishing clear, defined, and fair procedural and substantive standards for admitting and weighing scientific evidence of factual causation; and (3) the judiciary must remain vigilant in propounding the corrective, distributive, compensatory, and deterrent purposes of the tort system. Finally, Part IV concludes that beyond scientific and medical certainties of proof of factual causation, philosophical and moral arguments exist which require the judiciary to recognize that toxic tort defendants should not be permitted to seek cover under varying yet stringent standards of proof for factual causation. As in any causal relationship, what is projected as a consequence is tested through experience.
Leibniz sur « l’avancement vers une plus grande culture ». Leibniz über den „Fortschritt zu höherer Kultur“

G. W. Leibniz has been praised as an exemplar of tolerance on both theological and political grounds. His irenic efforts within Christendom as well as his positive attitude towards pagans like the Chinese is well documented. He thought that “the great majority of mankind” were already “civilized”. This paper highlights Leibniz’s political treatment of the “uncivilized” peoples, whom he termed “barbarians” and “savages”. Given Leibniz’s worldly outlook and prodigious reading, including writings detailing the horrors inflicted on the natives of the Americas, he blithely ignored a reality that was quite at odds with his own vision for such peoples. The dissonance between his ideas on how to treat “barbarian” peoples (whom he considered to be fully human and deserving of mutual respect) and his awareness of their actual treatment in many nascent European colonies is striking. The only conclusion that can be reached (though Leibniz never says so explicitly) is that their conversion to Christianity and the consequent enlightenment of their posterity trumped their present suffering.
Designing and validating a Markov model for hospital-based addiction consult service impact on 12-month drug and non-drug related mortality

Introduction Addiction consult services (ACS) engage hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) in care and help meet their goals for substance use treatment. Little is known about how ACS affect mortality for patients with OUD. The objective of this study was to design and validate a model that estimates the impact of ACS care on 12-month mortality among hospitalized patients with OUD. Methods We developed a Markov model of referral to an ACS, post-discharge engagement in SUD care, and 12-month drug-related and non-drug related mortality among hospitalized patients with OUD. We populated our model using Oregon Medicaid data and validated it using international modeling standards. Results There were 6,654 patients with OUD hospitalized from April 2015 through December 2017. There were 114 (1.7%) drug-related deaths and 408 (6.1%) non-drug related deaths at 12 months. Bayesian logistic regression models estimated four percent (4%, 95% CI= 2%, 6%) of patients were referred to an ACS. Of those, 47% (95% CI= 37%, 57%) engaged in post-discharge OUD care, versus 20% not referred to an ACS (95% CI= 16%, 24%). The risk of drug-related death at 12 months among patients in post-discharge OUD care was 3% (95% CI= 0%, 7%) versus 6% not in care (95% CI = 2%, 10%). The risk of non-drug related death was 7% (95% CI =1%, 13%) among patients in post-discharge OUD treatment, versus 9% not in care (95% CI= 5%, 13%). Discussion Our novel Markov model reflects trajectories of care and survival for patients hospitalized with OUD. This model can be used to evaluate the impact of other clinical and policy changes to improve patient survival.
Honeycomb molecular network based upon a hydrate of 4,6-dichlororesorcinol and the photoproduct rtct-tetrakis(pyridin-4-yl)cyclobutane.

The formation of a self-inter­penetrated honeycomb mol­ecular network based upon 4,6-di­chloro­resorcinol (4,6-diCl res), a water mol­ecule, and the photoproduct rtct-tetra­kis­(pyridin-4-yl)cyclo­butane (rtct-TPCB) is reported. Inter­estingly, only three of the four pyridine rings on the central cyclo­butane ring are found to engage in O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds with either the 4,6-diCl res or an included water mol­ecule, resulting in a three-connected net. Notably, the solid (4,6-diCl res)·(rtct-TPCB)·(H2O), C6H4Cl2O2·C24H20N4·H2O, contains channels that run along the crystallographic b axis, which are found to be inter­penetrated. Although rtct-TPCB has been employed as a bridging ligand in the formation of numerous metal–organic materials, surprisingly neither the single-com­ponent X-ray structure nor any multi-com­ponent mol­ecular solids based upon this stereoisomer have been reported previously. Lastly, the single-crystal X-ray structure of the photoproduct rtct-TPCB is also reported.
KARGA: Multi-platform Toolkit for k-mer-based Antibiotic Resistance Gene Analysis of High-throughput Sequencing Data

High-throughput sequencing is widely used for strain detection and characterization of antibiotic resistance in microbial metagenomic samples. Current analytical tools use curated antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) databases to classify individual sequencing reads or assembled contigs. However, identifying ARGs from raw read data can be time consuming (especially if assembly or alignment is required) and challenging, due to genome rearrangements and mutations. Here, we present the k-mer-based antibiotic gene resistance analyzer (KARGA), a multi-platform Java toolkit for identifying ARGs from metagenomic short read data. KARGA does not perform alignment; it uses an efficient double-lookup strategy, statistical filtering on false positives, and provides individual read classification as well as covering of the database resistome. On simulated data, KARGA’s antibiotic resistance class recall is 99.89% for error/mutation rates within 10%, and of 83.37% for error/mutation rates between 10% and 25%, while it is 99.92% on ARGs with rearrangements. On empirical data, KARGA provides higher hit score (≥1.5-fold) than AMRPlusPlus, DeepARG, and MetaMARC. KARGA has also faster runtimes than all other tools (2x faster than AMRPlusPlus, 7x than DeepARG, and over 100x than MetaMARC). KARGA is available under the MIT license at https://github.com/DataIntellSystLab/KARGA.
Clinical implications of haemoptysis in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Summary Introduction: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disabling disease that may result in haemoptysis. Patients with congenital heart disease associated PAH (CHD-APAH) may have a survival advantage when compared with patients with other types of PAH presenting with haemoptysis. The effects of aetiology and subsequent management choice of haemoptysis in PAH patients is not well-defined. Methods: We conducted outcome analysis in CHD-APAH vs. all other subtypes of PAH patients presenting with haemoptysis to The Methodist Hospital. Twenty-one patients were identified, 13 patients in the CHD-APAH group and eight patients in the non-CHD group. We evaluated outcomes related to treatment (bronchial artery embolisation (BAE) vs. conservative management), hospital length of stay, mortality rates and survival in this cohort. Results: The CHD-APAH and non-CHD groups had similar baseline demographic, haemodynamic and laboratory values except BMI was higher in the non-CHD group and haematocrit was higher in the CHD-APAH group. Twenty-eight-day mortality (0% vs. 31%) and 1-year mortality (0% vs. 54%) was lower in the CHD-APAH patients as compared with non-CHD group. A statistically significant difference was found in the survival rate in favour of CHD-APAH group for the total follow-up period (p = 0.02). Although not statistically significant, patients treated with BAE had shorter length of stay (4.0 days ± 4.0 vs. 13.7 days ± 22.5; p = 0.26). There was recurrent haemoptysis in 43% of patients treated with BAE. Conclusion: Haemoptysis in PAH patients is a serious event with a high mortality rate. CHD-APAH seems to confer a survival advantage, independent of therapy utilised. Termination of haemoptysis with BAE is rapid with relatively few complications except for frequent re-bleeding episodes. Further studies are needed to determine the risk factors that may predispose PAH patients to excessive mortality from haemoptysis and to identify an optimal therapeutic modality.
Case Studies in Finance: Managing for Corporate Value Creation

Preface: note to the student - how to study and discuss cases. Part 1 Case: Warren E. Buffett, 1995 the Fidelity Magellan Fund, 1995 Jeanne Mockard, at Putman Investments the battle for value - Federal Express Corporation versus United Parcel Service of America Inc. Part 2 Financial analysis and forecasting - the financial detective, 1996 Oracle Systems Corp. the Body Shop International PLC - an introduction to financial modelling Padgett Paper Products Co. Sengupta Fibres Ltd Bayerns Brauerei Merril Electronics. Part 3 Estimating the cost of capital: best practice in estimating the cost of capital - survey an synthesis Grand Metropolitan PLC the Boeing 777 Teletech Corporation, 1996. Part 4 Capital budgeting and resource allocation: the investment detective Vesuvio Fonderia SpA Empirical Chemicals Ltd (A) Empirical Chemicals Ltd. (B) Glaxo Italia SpA -the Zinnat marketing decision Pan-Europa Foods, S.A. Astral Records N.A. Part 5 Management of shareholders' equity: Northboro Maching Tools Corporation Donaldson Lufkin, Jenrette, 1995 British Aerospace PLC (A). Part 6 Management of the corporate capital structure: introduction to debt policy and value MCI Communications Corp -capital structure theory Polaroid Corporation, 1996 Rosario Acero S.A. Planet Copias and Imagem. Part 7 Analysis of financing tactics: leases, options and foreign currency Merton Electronics Burlington Northern Railroad Company - euqipment leasing Boston Chicken 4 1/2per cent convertible subordinated debentures Bank of Tokyo General Motors -'99 equity financing. Part 8 Valuing the enterprise: acquisitions, buyouts, restructuring, and projects Rock Mountain advanced genome McCaw Cellular - ATT/McCaw merger negotiation Euro Disneyland S.C.A. - the project financing Calaveras Vineyards Mirth Press Inc. Medimedia International LTD Caledonian Newspapers AB Volvo/Regie Nationale DES - Usines Renault S.A. Rhone-Poulenc Roter. Part 9 Cross-border investments into emerging markets: Procter & Gamble Company - Mexico 1991 Paginas Amarelas Continental Cablevision/Fintelco joint venture Westmoreland Energy Inc. - power project at Zhangze China government of Euroslavia - GM-Euroslavia joint venture investment simulation. Part 10 Setting corporate financial policy: technical note - structuring corporate financial policy the Home Depot, Inc. United Telecommunications, Inc Rhones-Poulenc S.A. Massive Power Design Corp.
THE PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF SPUTTERING BY ENERGETIC PLASMA IONS

Energetic ions from the solar wind, local pick-up ions or magnetospheric plasma ions impact the atmospheres and surfaces of a number of solar system bodies. These energetic incident ions deposit energy in the gas or solid. This can lead to the ejection of atoms and molecules, a process referred to as sputtering. In this paper we first describe the physics and chemistry of atmospheric and surface sputtering. We then apply this to the production of a thin atmosphere on Europa by magnetospheric ion bombardment of Europa’s surface and show that Europa loses more Na atoms than it receives from the Jupiter magnetosphere. The loss of atmosphere from Mars in earlier epochs by pick-up ion sputtering of that atmosphere is also calculated.
The Role of Contextual Factors in the Uptake and Continuance of Mobile Money Usage in Kenya

The use of mobile money, mobile payments and other related mobile financial transactions in Africa vary from one country to another. This can be attributed to the level of technology maturity, a country’s level of social-economic development and the financial transactions ecosystem. The study investigates usage patterns and adoption of mobile money in day-to-day person-to-person money transfers using mobile telephone, mobile payments and integration of mobile money in financial services in Kenya. The study explores the underlying contextual social and economic factors influencing successful use of mobile money in Kenya by probing the pre-usage (before mobile money) transfer of funds and the innovation attributes of mobile money that could have positively influenced this rapid uptake and continuance intentions. The study employs a survey questionnaire and two focus groups to collect data from mobile money users. The study result indicates that pre-usage methods of money transfers significantly influenced initial uptake of mobile money in Kenya while its technical attributes have sustained a positive influence on continuance intentions. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Increased Expression of NAPDH Oxidase 4 in Systemic Sclerosis Dermal Fibroblasts: Regulation by Transforming Growth Factor β

Objective Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by severe and often progressive fibrosis of the skin and multiple internal organs. The mechanisms responsible for these alterations remain obscure, although excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS)–mediated oxidative stress has been implicated. NOX-4 is 1 of 7 isoforms of NADPH oxidase responsible for the generation of ROS. The purpose of this study was to examine NOX-4 expression in skin and cultured dermal fibroblasts from SSc patients and to examine its regulation by transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1). Methods NOX-4 was assessed in normal and SSc skin by immunohistologic analysis and in normal and SSc cultured dermal fibroblasts by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, fluorescence microscopy, and Western blotting. ROS levels were assessed by fluorescence measurement of H2O2 production. Specific kinase inhibitors were used to study the TGFβ1 signaling involved in NOX-4 stimulation. NOX-4 inhibition/down-regulation was induced with a selective NOX-4 small-molecule inhibitor and NOX-4 small interfering RNA (siRNA). Results In contrast with normal skin fibroblasts, those from SSc skin showed intense NOX-4 staining. Cultured SSc fibroblasts displayed increased NOX-4 expression. TGFβ1 caused potent NOX-4 protein and messenger RNA stimulation in normal and SSc fibroblasts, which was mediated by the protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) and Smad2/3 pathways. NOX-4 knockdown in SSc fibroblasts reduced the production of ROS and lowered the expression of type I collagen. Conclusion NOX-4 expression and production were found to be constitutively elevated in SSc skin and cultured SSc dermal fibroblasts. TGFβ1 stimulated NOX-4 expression in normal and SSc fibroblasts through PKCδ and Smad2/3 signaling pathways. A small-molecule NOX-4 inhibitor decreased collagen and fibronectin production by normal and SSc fibroblasts, and NOX-4 siRNA knockdown reduced ROS and collagen production by SSc fibroblasts. These results demonstrate the involvement of NOX-4 in SSc-associated fibrosis and indicate NOX-4 inhibitors as novel therapeutic approaches for SSc.
Proximal humerus fragility fractures: recent trends in nonoperative and operative treatment in the Medicare population.

Background With an aging population, fragility fractures including injuries to the proximal humerus continue to rise in the United States. The purpose of this study was to investigate recent trends in the incidence and treatment of proximal humerus fractures (PHFs) in a cross-sectional elderly population. Methods Medicare data from 2005 to 2012 were queried to identify patients treated for PHF. Associated patient demographics, hospitalization data, treatment, and revision status were obtained. Statistical analyses were performed to identify significant trends in treatment. Results There were 259,506 PHFs recorded, with 79% occurring in female patients. In all age groups, nonoperative treatment of PHF was the most common method (67%). Within the surgical group, open reduction with internal fixation was most frequently used, and total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) was the least common (11%). However, although the overall rate of surgical intervention remained constant, there was a significant increase in treatment with TSA from 3% in 2005 to 17% in 2012. In particular, RTSA represented 89% of all TSAs for PHF in 2011. All surgical treatment options demonstrated high 2-year survival rates without revision surgery (97%). Conclusion Recent trends show that in the elderly population, nonoperative management remains the most common treatment for PHFs. Within the surgically treated cohort, there has been an increase in treatment with arthroplasty including RTSA, with a low rate of early revisions. There are excellent survival rates in all surgically treated PHFs, but long-term data will be required to fully evaluate the viability of these surgical options.
Relation Of Infant Mortality To The Availability Of Maternity Care In Rural Florida

Background: This cross-sectional study was designed to explore the impact of the availability of maternity care services on the infant mortality rates in nonmetropolitan (rural) counties in Florida. Methods: We evaluated the sufficiency of physicians providing maternity care in each rural county. We then constructed a mathematical model to compare physician availability with the infant mortality rates for each county, while controlling for socioeconomic variables. Results: Thirty-one family physicians and 974 obstetrician-gynecologists were delivering babies in Florida in 1991. Forty-seven counties were lacking in maternity care services; 45 of these counties had family physicians who practiced in the county but did not provide maternity care services. There was a negative correlation in rural counties between availability of maternity care services and infant mortality ( R = −0.42, R 2 = 0.176, P = 0.012), implying that 17.6 percent of the variation in rural Florida9s infant mortality was explained by a ranking in physician availability. Multivariate analysis revealed that increasing infant death rates can be predicted by decreasing physician availability ( P = 0.003). A multiplicative risk model developed for this study demonstrated that the loss of 1 family physician delivering babies would predict the increase of infant mortality by 2.3 percent, and the loss of 1 obstetrician-gynecologist increased infant mortality by 9.6 percent. Conclusions: Access to maternity care for women in rural Florida is a problem that could be hampering Florida9s ability to reduce its infant mortality rate. Family physicians appear to be the most geographically distributed health care providers in Florida; therefore, strategies should be developed to recruit Florida9s rural family physicians into maternity care.
Building an Undergraduate STEM Team Using Team-Based Learning Leading to the Production of a Storyboard Appropriate for Elementary Students

A unique undergraduate team that spans five different engineering disciplines, chemistry, biology, and mathematics was formed. The team was formed to promote cross-disciplinary learning, to improve retention, and to prepare the students for the kind of problems they will face in their careers. This paper describes the variety of activities used over 2 years to tie the team together, as well as afford opportunities to develop team-building skills. The activities described highlight the critical elements of a faculty leader whose own work is interdisciplinary, correct balance of disciplines in the team, and sufficient time for team development. The use of external feedback was essential for all activities. Clearly defined goals and hard deadlines were critical for the completion of individual activities, as well as developing a healthy team environment. Although the student cohort has learned from the activities, more time is needed to assess whether the students have become a fully efficient team. Furthermore, an additional cohort would be needed to assess whether the approach was able to assist with student’s interest in STEM and their desire to help other people.
How do women of diverse backgrounds value prenatal testing outcomes

Objectives To describe women's preferences for prenatal testing outcomes and to explore their association with sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 584 racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse pregnant women aged 16 to 47 years recruited from 23 San Francisco Bay Area practices. We assessed preferences for 12 potential prenatal testing outcomes using the time trade-off metric for all outcomes and the standard gamble metric for two outcomes. Preferences were calculated on a scale of 0 (death) to 1 (perfect health). Participants also completed a sociodemographic and attitude survey. Results Highest preference scores were assigned to outcomes resulting in the birth of a chromosomally normal infant (mean = 0.91–0.93; median = 0.99–1.00). Lower scores were obtained for outcomes involving pregnancy loss (mean = 0.69–0.87; median = 0.76–0.92), which were correlated with attitudes regarding miscarriage, pregnancy termination, and Down syndrome. The lowest scores were assigned to Down syndrome–affected births (mean = 0.67–0.69; median = 0.73–0.75), which also were correlated with attitudes toward Down syndrome. We did not find a statistically significant relationship between participants' preference scores and age. Conclusion Preferences for prenatal testing outcomes vary according to the pregnant women's underlying attitudes about pregnancy loss and Down syndrome, and not according to her age. Current age/risk-based guidelines should account for individual variation in patient preferences. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Selective C-H bond activation of arenes catalyzed by methylrhenium trioxide

Abstract Arenes, in glacial acetic acid, are oxidized to para -benzoquinones by hydrogen peroxide when methylrhenium trioxide (CH 3 ReO 3 or MTO) is used as a catalyst. In some cases an intermediate hydroquinone was also obtained in lower yield. Oxidation of the methyl side chains of various methylbenzenes did not occur. The active catalyst species are the previously-characterized η 2 -peroxorhenium complexes, CH 3 Re(O) 2 ( η 2 -O 2 ) and CH 3 Re(O)( η 2 -O 2 ) 2 H 2 O). Separate tests showed that hydroquinones and phenols are oxidized by H 2 O 2 -MTO more rapidly than the simple arenes; in the proposed mechanism they are intermediate products. Higher conversions were found for the more highly-substituted arches, consistent with their being the most reactive species toward the electrophillically-active peroxide bound to rhenium. High conversions of the less substituted members of the series were not achieved, reflecting concurrent deactivation of MTO-peroxide, a process of greater import for the more slowly-reacting substrates.
TCF-1 flips the switch on Eomes.

The interaction between different transcriptional pathways in CD8+ T cell memory remains incompletely understood. In this issue, Zhou et al. (2010) demonstrate an important role for T cell factor 1 in regulating CD8+ T cell memory via control of a second transcription factor, Eomesodermin.
Modulation of infant formula fat profile alters the low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein ratio and plasma fatty acid distribution relative to those with breast-feeding

The effect of breast-feeding was compared with that of two fat-modified milk formulas in 45 infants (15 per group) studied by assessing body weight gain for 4 months and plasma lipids, lipoprotein profiles, fatty acid profiles of plasma and red blood cells, and plasma tocopherol status 3 months after birth. A saturated fat formula with coconut oil/soybean oil (COCO/SOY) had a fatty acid content and polyunsaturated/saturated ratio (P/S, 0.55) comparable with that of human milk fat (P/S, 0.39) and had the same fat energy content (50% kcal). The second formula, with corn oil/soybean oil (COCO/SOY), was highly unsaturated (P/S, 4.6), with only 35% kcal from fat. Energy intake and body weight gain were similar for all groups. Plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, and phospholipid levels were significantly lower (>20% on average) in infants fed the CORN/SOY formula than in infants fed either the COCO/SOY formula or human milk. Infants fed the CORN/SOY formula also had lower (25% to 35%) plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels and low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I ratios. Plasma, red blood cell, and cholesteryl ester fatty acids from infants fed COCO/SOY contained less 18:1 and more 18:2; cholesterol esters in plasma from breast-fed infants had the highest 20:4n−6 levels. Plasma tocopherol levels were higher in infants consuming formulas. The presence of cholesterol in human milk appeared to expand the low-density lipoprotein pool and exert an “unfavorable” increase in the low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein ratio. Thus modulation of infant lipoproteins by changing dietary fat and cholesterol is feasible and in keeping with the known response in adults.
3D printer selection: A decision-making evaluation and ranking model

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the capability of five desktop additive manufacturing (AM) machines based on the ability to produce a standard component. This work also developed a model/method for evaluating and ranking AM technologies based on select criteria that can facilitate purchasing decisions. A standard part was designed and printed on each machine, and evaluated based on dimensional accuracy and surface finish. Additionally, the machines were compared based on build time for single and multiple parts as well as material consumption and unit cost. The research highlights the differences between AM units and suggests a method by which to ascertain the differences. With the rapid proliferation of desktop additive manufacturing units, a quantitative ranking system was developed to rate the units so a comparison can be made. Although the focus of the work was on desktop systems, the approach can be applied across all AM technologies.
Hospital Website Rankings in the United States: Expanding Benchmarks and Standards for Effective Consumer Engagement

Background: Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) increased the roles hospitals and health systems play in care delivery and led to a wave of consolidation of medical groups and hospitals. As such, the traditional patient interaction with an independent medical provider is becoming far less common, replaced by frequent interactions with integrated medical groups and health systems. It is thus increasingly important for these organizations to have an effective social media presence. Moreover, in the age of the informed consumer, patients desire a readily accessible, electronic interface to initiate contact, making a well-designed website and social media strategy critical features of the modern health care organization. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the Web presence of hospitals and their health systems on five dimensions: accessibility, content, marketing, technology, and usability. In addition, an overall ranking was calculated to identify the top 100 hospital and health system websites. Methods: A total of 2407 unique Web domains covering 2785 hospital facilities or their parent organizations were identified and matched against the 2009 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey. This is a four-fold improvement in prior research and represents what the authors believe to be a census assessment of the online presence of US hospitals and their health systems. Each of the five dimensions was investigated with an automated content analysis using a suite of tools. Scores on the dimensions are reported on a range from 0 to 10, with a higher score on any given dimension representing better comparative performance. Rankings on each dimension and an average ranking are provided for the top 100 hospitals. Results: The mean score on the usability dimension, meant to rate overall website quality, was 5.16 (SD 1.43), with the highest score of 8 shared by only 5 hospitals. Mean scores on other dimensions were between 4.43 (SD 2.19) and 6.49 (SD 0.96). Based on these scores, rank order calculations for the top 100 websites are presented. Additionally, a link to raw data, including AHA ID, is provided to enable researchers and practitioners the ability to further explore relationships to other dynamics in health care. Conclusions: This census assessment of US hospitals and their health systems provides a clear indication of the state of the sector. While stakeholder engagement is core to most discussions of the role that hospitals must play in relation to communities, management of an online presence has not been recognized as a core competency fundamental to care delivery. Yet, social media management and network engagement are skills that exist at the confluence of marketing and technical prowess. This paper presents performance guidelines evaluated against best-demonstrated practice or independent standards to facilitate improvement of the sector’s use of websites and social media.
TSH AND CAMP ENHANCE EXPRESSION OF THE MYC PROTO-UNCOGENE IN CULTURED THYROID CELLS

The effect of TSH stimulation on cellular (c)-myc mRNA content in cultured thyroid cells was examined by Northern blot analysis. Polyadenylated nRNA was prepared from quiescent FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells and from cells stimulated by TSH for 8 h. A major 2.1 kilobase (kb) transcript was enhanced 5.5-fold by TSH. (Bu)2cAMP and forskolin each enhanced c-myc expression 2.7-fold. These data indicate that TSH, via cAMP as a second messenger, can regulate expression of a cellular oncogene in a non-neoplastic, specific target cell.
Mechanism of Je Enhancement of YBa2Cu3O7-α Due to Ag-Doping

Ag-doping was found to enhance the critical current density of the ceramic superconductors by as much as a factor of 15. This Jc enhancement is due to both the increased amount of the superconducting phase and the resulting preferred crystal orientation. The optimum level of dopant may vary according to the chemical forms of Ag dopants.
Who expects what from the internship

(1967). Who expects what from the internship? Peabody Journal of Education: Vol. 44, No. 5, pp. 279-281.
Wavelet filtering for position estimation of permanent magnet machine in carrier signal injection based sensorless control

The estimation of rotor position at low speed is heavily effected by the signal processing used for extracting the high frequency current signal in carrier signal injection based sensorless control algorithm. An appropriate signal processing strategy assures the successful extraction of the required signal used for the position estimation. In this paper, we propose a wavelet based filtering approach capable of extracting the position information even at low values of injection voltage where conventional filters fail to extract the information. The results obtained are compared with 1st order Butterworth band pass filter.
Erratum to ‘Tyrosine kinase inhibitors regulate serotonin uptake in platelets’ [Eur. J. Pharmacol. 280 (1995) R5–R7]

Abstract Uptake of tritiated serotonin into human platelets was found to be rapidly inhibited by the tyrosine kinase inhibitors, genistein and methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate. Binding studies indicated that uptake inhibition did not correlate with direct binding of these inhibitors to the transporter. Chelation of mobilizable intracellular Ca 2+ did not inhibit the effects of genistein on uptake. These results suggest a more direct, non-Ca 2+ mediated effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitors on uptake.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Review of Epidemiology, Screening, Imaging Diagnosis, Response Assessment, and Treatment

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a common malignancy for which prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance demand a multidisciplinary approach. Knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology as well as advances in clinical management should be employed by radiologists to effectively communicate with hepatologists, surgeons, and oncologists. In this review article, we present recent developments in the clinical management of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Muonium and hydrogen in semiconductors

As impurities in semiconductors muonium and hydrogen should have many similarities. In principle properties such as structures which depend primarily on their identical adiabatic potential energies should be much the same while dynamic characteristic such as diffusion would be quite different. The experimental results are in fact quite different for the two but for other reasons. This paper indicates something of the current interest in hydrogen impurities, which is mostly focussed on passivation and hydrogen pairs with other impurities or intrinsic defects, and then discusses muonium in semiconductors, where the abundant information has to do with the isolated impurity. Consequently a complete picture of hydrogen/muonium at the moment requires the study of both.
Lower extremity muscle activity during cycling in adolescents with and without cerebral palsy

Abstract Background In individuals with cerebral palsy, adaptation and plasticity in the neuromuscular system can lead to detrimental changes affecting gait. Cycling may be an effective method to improve mobility. The biomechanics of cycling in adolescents with cerebral palsy have been studied, but further analysis of the frequency and amplitude characteristics of the electromyographic signals can assist with interpretation of the cycling kinematics. Methods Data were analyzed from 10 adolescents with typical development (mean = 14.9, SD = 1.4 years) and 10 adolescents with cerebral palsy (mean = 15.6, SD = 1.8 years) as they cycled at two different cadences. Analyses of the lower extremity electromyographic signals involved frequency and amplitude analysis across the cycling revolution. Findings Examination of cycling cadence revealed that adolescents with cerebral palsy had altered electromyographic characteristics in comparison to adolescents with typical development across the entire crank revolution for all muscles. Analyses of individual muscles indicated both inappropriate muscle activation and weakness. Interpretation A more comprehensive analysis of electromyographic activity has the potential to provide insight into how a task is accomplished. In this study, the control of the several muscles, especially the rectus femoris, was significantly different in adolescents with cerebral palsy. This, combined with muscle weakness, may have contributed to the observed deviations in joint kinematics. Interventions that increase muscle strength with feedback to the nervous system about appropriate activation timing may be beneficial to allow individuals with cerebral palsy to cycle more efficiently.
Multilayer Alkoxysilane Silylation of Oxide Surfaces

Anhydrous silylation of vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) onto silica and zirconia substrates was investigated experimentally to demonstrate and quantify the effects of surface water on multilayer silylation. Silylation coverage was controlled by the availability of surface water, which is consumed in multilayer silylation reactions. Silylation coverage increased with surface water coverage, reaching a maximum at approximately two monolayers of water. The subsequent decline in silylation coverage is attributed to the formation of bulk polysilanes and the decreased accessibility of the water-bearing surface to the hydrophobic VTMS molecules. Atomic force microscopy images revealed a nanometer-scale clusterlike surface morphology consistent with the formation of bonded polysilanes. The present study suggests that multilayered silylated surfaces can be prepared reproducibly. Such surfaces could prove useful in applications that require a high concentration of surface active groups such as in ceramic membrane modi...
Assessment of health-related quality of life in children with cancer: consistency and agreement between parent and child reports.

BACKGROUND In pediatric settings, measures of health-related quality of life (HRQL) are often obtained by proxy, especially from parents, but the correlation between parental report and patient report has not been clearly established. In the current study, the authors examined the agreement between child and parent reports of HRQL in children with cancer (both those receiving treatment and those off treatment) and healthy controls. METHODS Two groups of children with cancer who differed with regard to treatment status (n = 199) and a group of healthy control children (n = 108) were assessed using a standardized measure of HRQL. Both children and parents reported on the child's HRQL using parallel forms of the Children's Health Questionnaire. RESULTS Significant parent-child correlations were found for all 10 HRQL scales, and these correlations were higher in the cancer groups compared with controls. Parents in the cancer groups tended to underestimate the HRQL of their children compared with the child report, although there were no significant parent-child mean differences in the group of patients who were off treatment and only 2 significant differences in the group of children receiving treatment. In contrast, parents in the control group tended to overestimate the HRQL of their children, and the parent-child differences were found to be larger, achieving statistical significance on 8 of 10 scales. CONCLUSIONS Parents and children tend to report comparable child HRQL outcomes, and this is particularly true in oncology populations. In cases in which the child is either too young or too ill to provide a self-report, parent-reported HRQL can be viewed as a reliable substitute. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Filterbank Multicarrier Communications for Underwater Acoustic Channels

This work is motivated by the needs in the doubly dispersive underwater acoustic (UWA) communication channels. We propose and develop the use of filterbank multicarrier (FBMC) technique for communications in the channels of interest. A novel cost function for optimization of the filterbank prototype filter, to achieve a robust performance in doubly dispersive channels, is proposed. A design algorithm that optimizes the proposed cost function is then developed. The developed FBMC technique is compared with the celebrated orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM). Our study shows that in doubly dispersive channels, in terms of signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), FBMC outperforms OFDM by several decibels. The theoretical results are validated and confirmed to be applicable to UWA communications, by examining real data from an at-sea experiment (ACOMM10), off the coast of New Jersey in July 2010.
Stability properties of an Abelianized chromoelectric flux tube

The quantum fluctuations about a uniform chromoelectric field confined to a cylindrical region are computed. The effective Lagrangian determined from this procedure yields the following interesting results. (1) The chromoelectric flux contained in this region must be less than a calculable critical value to preclude the existence of unstable fluctuation modes which would render the calculation ill-defined. (2) At a flux below this critical value, the fluctuations tend to make it energetically favorable for the flux tube to collapse upon itself. (3) Making analogies between this chromoelectric flux-tube model and physical hadronic strings, we estimate that the string of flux in a physical QQ-bar hadronic system is well within the region of stability. However, if the quark charges are increased by a factor of roughly 3, the string would become unstable by the above mechanism. This is given as an argument against the existence of certain exotic quark states.
Nutrient-sensing nuclear receptors coordinate autophagy

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process that recycles nutrients upon starvation and maintains cellular energy homeostasis. Its acute regulation by nutrient-sensing signalling pathways is well described, but its longer-term transcriptional regulation is not. The nuclear receptors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) and farnesoid X receptor (FXR) are activated in the fasted and fed liver, respectively. Here we show that both PPARα and FXR regulate hepatic autophagy in mice. Pharmacological activation of PPARα reverses the normal suppression of autophagy in the fed state, inducing autophagic lipid degradation, or lipophagy. This response is lost in PPARα knockout (Ppara(-/-), also known as Nr1c1(-/-)) mice, which are partially defective in the induction of autophagy by fasting. Pharmacological activation of the bile acid receptor FXR strongly suppresses the induction of autophagy in the fasting state, and this response is absent in FXR knockout (Fxr(-/-), also known as Nr1h4(-/-)) mice, which show a partial defect in suppression of hepatic autophagy in the fed state. PPARα and FXR compete for binding to shared sites in autophagic gene promoters, with opposite transcriptional outputs. These results reveal complementary, interlocking mechanisms for regulation of autophagy by nutrient status.
Bridged crack models for the toughness of composites reinforced with curved nanotubes

Abstract In this work, the effect of nanotube curvature on nanocomposite toughness is studied by considering a matrix crack bridged by curved nanotubes. The bridging nanotubes undergo a pull-out process as the crack opening displacement increases. An approximate analytical form for the pull-out force versus displacement relationship for a single curved fiber is derived here based on the numerical pull-out model of Chen et al. (2009b) . This new analytical description accounts for the sequential elastic, debonding, and sliding response of the interface. When incorporated into a crack bridging model it becomes possible to predict the crack bridging stress and nanocomposite toughness as a function of nanotube curvature, nanotube strength, and interfacial friction resistance. Model predictions indicate that increases in nanotube curvature increase the peak bridging stress, but also decrease the average pull-out lengths. The overall effect can be a reduction in toughness as nanotube curvature increases depending on chosen parameters including interfacial friction properties, nanotube and matrix modulus, and even crack opening.