cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Esophageal Pepsin and Proton Pump Synthesis in Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Gastroesophageal reflux disease and associated metaplasia of the esophagus (Barrett's esophagus [BE]) are primary risk factors for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Widespread use of acid suppression medications has failed to stem the rise of EAC, suggesting that nonacid reflux may underlie its pathophysiology. Pepsin is a tumor promoter in the larynx and has been implicated in esophageal carcinogenesis. Herein, specimens from the esophageal cancer spectrum were tested for pepsin presence. Pepsin-induced carcinogenic changes were assayed in an esophageal cell culture model. STUDY DESIGN Laboratory analysis. METHODS Pepsin was assayed in reflux and cancer free esophagi, BE, EAC, and esophageal cancer lacking association with reflux (squamous cell carcinoma [SCC]). Refluxed or locally synthesized pepsin was assayed by Western blot. Local synthesis of pepsin and proton pumps was assayed via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The effect of pepsin on BE and EAC markers was investigated via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative polymerase chain reaction in human esophageal epithelial cells treated with pepsin or control diluent. RESULTS Pepsinogen and proton pump mRNA were observed in BE (3/5) and EAC (4/4) samples, but not in normal adjacent specimens, SCC (0/2), or reflux and cancer-free esophagi. Chronic pepsin treatment (0.1-1 mg/mL, 4 weeks) of human esophageal cells in vitro induced BE and EAC markers interleukin 8 and KRT8 and depleted normal esophageal marker KRT10 (P < .05) expression. CONCLUSIONS Local synthesis of pepsin and proton pumps in BE and EAC is not uncommon. Absence of these molecules in normal (noncancer) esophagi, SCC, and in vitro data support a role for pepsin in reflux-attributed carcinogenic changes in the esophagus. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA Laryngoscope, 129:2687-2695, 2019.
"Quick-Silver" from a Systematic Study of Highly Luminescent, Two-Coordinate, d10 Coinage Metal Complexes.

A systematic study is presented on the physical and photophysical properties of isoelectronic and isostructural Cu, Ag, and Au complexes with a common amide (N-carbazolyl) and two different carbene...
Selective Deprotection of Silyl Ethers

Reactions, which permit the selective deprotection of one silyl-protected alcohol in the presence of another are reviewed. This review covers examples reported in the literature from mid-2004 through 2011. Examples are categorized by the type of silyl ether, that is, deprotected in the presence of the type of silyl ether that remains intact. A complete listing of examples is provided in tabular form at the end of the manuscript. <div class=" textboxdefault "> Figure options Download full-size image Download as PowerPoint slide
Simulations of sawtooth-wave adiabatic passage with losses

The results of simulations of cooling based on sawtooth-wave adiabatic passage (SWAP) are presented, including the possibility of population leaking to states outside of the cycling transition. The amount of population leaking can be substantially suppressed compared to Doppler cooling, which could be useful for systems that are difficult to repump back to the cycling transition. The suppression of the leaked population was more effective when simulating the slowing of a beam than in cooling a thermal distribution. As expected, calculations of the leaked population versus branching ratio of spontaneous emission show that the suppression is more effective for narrow linewidth transitions. In this limit, using SWAP to slow a beam may be worth pursuing even when the branching ratio out of the cycling transition is greater than 10%.
Will coral reef sponges be winners in the Anthropocene

Recent observations have shown that increases in climate change-related coral mortality cause changes in shallow coral reef community structure through phase shifts to alternative taxa. As a result, sponges have emerged as a potential candidate taxon to become a "winner," and therefore a numerically and functionally dominant member of many coral reef communities. But, in order for this to occur, there must be sufficient trophic resources to support larger populations of these active filter-feeding organisms. Globally, climate change is causing an increase in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and a decrease in salinity, which can lead to an intensification in the stratification of shallow nearshore waters (0-200 m), that affects both the mixed layer depth (MLD) and the strength and duration of internal waves. Specifically, climate change-driven increases in SSTs for tropical waters are predicted to cause increased stratification, and more stabilized surface waters. This causes a shallowing of the MLD which prevents nutrients from reaching the euphotic zone, and is predicted to decrease net primary production (NPP) up to 20% by the end of the century. Lower NPP would subsequently affect multiple trophic levels, including shallow benthic filter-feeding communities, as the coupling between water column productivity and the benthos weakens. We argue here that sponge populations may actually be constrained, rather than promoted, by climate change due to decreases in their primary trophic resources, caused by bottom-up forcing, secondary to physical changes in the water column (i.e., stratification and changes in the MLD resulting in lower nutrients and NPP). As a result, we predict sponge-dominated tropical reefs will be rare, or short-lived, if they occur at all into the future in the Anthropocene.
Abstract WP301: Telestroke Consultation Can Accurately Diagnose Ischemic Stroke Mimics

Introduction: Telestroke (TS) networks have become standard in many areas of the US, increasing thrombolysis rates in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). By providing an early, accurate diag...
Structural Analysis of the Regulatory GAF Domains of cGMP Phosphodiesterase Elucidates the Allosteric Communication Pathway.

Abstract Regulation of photoreceptor phosphodiesterase (PDE6) activity is responsible for the speed, sensitivity, and recovery of the photoresponse during visual signaling in vertebrate photoreceptor cells. It is hypothesized that physiological differences in the light responsiveness of rods and cones may result in part from differences in the structure and regulation of the distinct isoforms of rod and cone PDE6. Although rod and cone PDE6 catalytic subunits share a similar domain organization consisting of tandem GAF domains (GAFa and GAFb) and a catalytic domain, cone PDE6 is a homodimer whereas rod PDE6 consists of two homologous catalytic subunits. Here we provide the x-ray crystal structure of cone GAFab regulatory domain solved at 3.3 A resolution, in conjunction with chemical cross-linking and mass spectrometric analysis of conformational changes to GAFab induced upon binding of cGMP and the PDE6 inhibitory γ-subunit (Pγ). Ligand-induced changes in cross-linked residues implicate multiple conformational changes in the GAFa and GAFb domains in forming an allosteric communication network. Molecular dynamics simulations of cone GAFab revealed differences in conformational dynamics of the two subunits forming the homodimer and allosteric perturbations on cGMP binding. Cross-linking of Pγ to GAFab in conjunction with solution NMR spectroscopy of isotopically labeled Pγ identified the central polycationic region of Pγ interacting with the GAFb domain. These results provide a mechanistic basis for developing allosteric activators of PDE6 with therapeutic implications for halting the progression of several retinal degenerative diseases.
Cardiovascular disease knowledge, risk factors, and resilience among US veterans with and without post-traumatic stress disorder.

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of hospitalization and disability among the US veterans. Information about CVD knowledge and risk factors, and connection between psychological health and CVD among veterans transitioning from the military are limited. Purpose We examined the existing knowledge of CVD and its risk factors among the US veterans with and without post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the relationship between knowledge, risk factors, resilience, and PTSD. Methods A total of 104 veterans participated in our study by responding to the Primary Care PTSD Screen for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire (HDFQ) knowledge scale, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 10. Data were extracted from the online Qualtrics survey software into SPSS (v. 25) for analysis. Results Mean age was 52.3 years, mostly males (85.6%), married (72.1%), employed (54.8%), and with college education. Most were in the Navy or Air Force (72.1%) and served in a war (68.0%). Hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity were the most common CVD risk factors reported. Average CVD knowledge score was 85%. Marines scored higher on resilience than other branches of the military. Seventeen percent reported having PTSD. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 10 was significantly correlated with the HDFQ in the probable PTSD group (r = .589, p = .013). Implications for practice Our study provides information about the knowledge and risk factors of CVD among veterans and insights about interventions needed to improve CV health. Nurse practitioners should assess the CV and psychological health of veterans and screen for PTSD to provide appropriate care and referral.
Aging and Functional Health Literacy: A Population-based Study.

ABSTRACT Objectives To investigate functional health literacy and its associated factors among older adults drawn from a disadvantaged area. Design Cross-sectional epidemiologic study. Setting Population-based cohort randomly selected from the voter registration lists. Participants Individuals aged 65+ (N=1066). Measurements The Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA); demographics; self-rated health; number of prescription drugs; modified Center for Epidemiologic Studies- Depression scale; Mini-Mental State Examination; Wechsler Test of Adult Reading; Clinical Dementia Rating; cognitive domain composite scores; independence in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and medication management; health services utilization (emergency/urgent care visits and hospitalizations). Results Low (inadequate or marginal) S-TOFHLA scores were obtained by 7.04% of the sample. In unadjusted analyses, participants with low S-TOFHLA scores were significantly more likely than those with higher scores to be older, male, non-White, with lesser education and lower household income, to have lower scores on the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and all cognitive domains; to be more dependent in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and be taking more prescription drugs. In a multiple regression model including all covariates, only older age, male sex, and lower reading level were independently associated with inadequate or marginal S-TOFHLA scores. Conclusion In a population-based sample of older adults, low functional health literacy was associated with age, sex, education, and reading ability. Basic functional health literacy is essential for understanding health information and instructions. Clinicians should formally or informally assess health literacy in their older patients to ensure effective communication and enhance health outcomes.
Transformation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Teacher Candidates in an International Student Teaching Program:

This case study addressed effects of international student teaching on U.S. teacher candidates’ cross-cultural adaptability and perspectives on language, culture, and schooling. Interviews and the ...
Utilization and outcomes of adjuvant therapy for stage II and III uterine leiomyosarcoma

Objectives: Uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare and extremely aggressive tumor with a high recurrence rate and low disease-specific survival. Treatment involves surgical resection of all visible disease. Adjuvant therapy, however, remains controversial as clinical trial accrual has been low given the rarity of the tumor. NCCN guidelines currently recommend consideration of systemic chemotherapy and/or consideration of external beam radiation therapy after completion of hysterectomy for women with stage II-III LMS. We analyzed the utilization of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy for stage II and III LMS and explored the association between use of adjuvant therapy and survival. Methods: Patients who had pathologically confirmed stage II or III LMS treated from 2004 - 2016 and recorded in the National Cancer Database (NCDB) were identified. Multivariable regression models were fit to estimate predictors of use of either adjuvant radiation therapy or chemotherapy. To analyze the impact of chemotherapy on all-cause mortality, an inverse probability of treatment weighted (IPTW) propensity score method was used to account for measured confounders. The IPTW outcome model was fit adjusting for the receipt of radiation therapy. The process was repeated to analyze the impact of radiation therapy on all-cause mortality by using an IPTW propensity score method and adjusting for the receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy in the outcome model. Results: A total of 852 patients were identified. Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy were utilized in 67% and 16% of patients, respectively. Adjuvant chemotherapy use grew from 62% in 2010 to 70% in 2016, whereas radiation usage decreased from 27% in 2010 to 10% in 2016. Patients with stage III (vs stage II) disease and tumors larger than 10 cm were less likely to receive radiation therapy. Overall 5-year survival for the entire cohort was 27.9% (95% CI 24.0 - 31.9%). After propensity score weighting and adjusting for receipt of chemotherapy, radiation therapy was associated with 41% decreased risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.41 - 0.88, Figure 1A). In contrast, after propensity score weighting and adjusting for receipt of radiation therapy, chemotherapy was not associated with mortality (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.71 - 1.07, Figure 1B). Five-year survival for patients undergoing adjuvant radiation was 40.4% (95% CI 30.2 - 50.3%) whereas 5-year survival for patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy was 25.9% (95% CI 21.0 - 31.1%). Download : Download high-res image (131KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Among women with stage II-III uterine LMS, use of chemotherapy is common and increasing while use of radiation therapy is decreasing. Radiation therapy is associated with improved survival while there was no association between use of adjuvant chemotherapy and survival. Prospective trials are needed to determine the optimal adjuvant therapy for women with stage II-III LMS.
Use of Immunochemical Separation and Electrochemical Detection in Flow Injection Analysis of Lactic Dehydrogenase

Health is one of the most important factors for a high quality of life. People have been trying their best to maintain a healthy condition during their life span. Unfortunately, we sometimes expose ourself to an unfavorable environment that could induce organ disorders and cause diseases. In the living system, enzymes constitute the machinery of the cell, they are sites of functional importance in regulating metabolism. Change in enzyme activity indicate an abnormal metabolism inside the system and can be used to predict an organ disorder. Early detection of such disorder in a screening program could prevent the onset of a large number of diseases.
The Dead Have Nothing to Lose by Telling the Truth

What can they do to gain our attention? Shall he dance, shall he spin in the air, shall he vote with his feet, with his voice, with the shells of his burning ears? Shall she tell the world to hear the world’s crying? Shall she number the bodies, the prisons, the pyres, shall he mark the graves, display the bloody shackles? How many pairs of disembodied heads will it take? How many detached hands and feet? How many hollow cheeks, empty stomachs, vacant eyes? How many skulls without memory? He has been there, she has seen it, they have lived and died a long time. He has something to say about who did what. She has something to say about the living. Let history honor the murmurs of conscience that are heard above ground. Let praise flow to those who unclenched a fist. Who granted men and women the freedom of the sparrow. Who taught us to think twice. Who showed us that famine is not a fast. That exile is the last step. That the rights of the few must be written down by the many.
Involuntary Imports: Williams, Lutwak, the Defense of Marriage Act, Federalism, and 'Thick' and 'Thin' Conceptions of Marriage

Profound conflicts may arise when a person enters into a same-sex marriage in one jurisdiction where such marriages are permitted and then attempts to import that marital status into another jurisdiction where same-sex marriage is not permitted. The Supreme Court, in North Carolina v. Williams I and II, established the standard for interstate (horizontal) recognition of marital status. In Lutwak v. United States the court set out the standards for vertical recognition of marital status (federal-state and federal-international). Both of these principles are codified in DOMA. There are compelling justifications to protect the traditional “thick” concept of marriage as a gender integrating institution rich with meaning and responsibility. Likewise, there are justifications for rejecting the new “thin” conception of marriage with its diminished requirements, duties, and more subjective content. Courts should resist letting political movements distort sound judicial analysis. Prudence on the part of the same-sex movement, including efforts to accomplish its goal legislatively rather than through the courts, may increase the value and longevity of this social movement’s contribution to the development of the law.
Exchange resins and toxemia of pregnancy; a preliminary study.

Abstract Carboxyllated resin and potassium resin administered to pregnant patients near term with excessive weight gain and with pre-eclampsia resulted in an average weight loss of 8.0 pounds in ten patients on a 1-Gm. NaCl intake and in an avearge weight loss of 7.8 pounds in ten patients on a 3-Gm. NaCl intake. Resin therapy caused a compensated acidosis. In one patient resin therapy was associated with a consistantly depressed urea clearance test and with a rising blood nonprotein nitrogen. Loss of weight (water) is associated with a lessened pressor response to solution of posterior pituitary.
Echinomycin Decreases Induction of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Hepatocyte Regeneration in Acetaminophen Toxicity in Mice

Up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is important to hepatocyte regeneration in the late stages of acetaminophen (APAP) toxicity in the mouse. This study was conducted to examine the relationship of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) to VEGF and hepatocyte regeneration in APAP toxicity using an inhibitor of HIF-1α DNA-binding activity, echinomycin (EC). B6C3F1 male mice were treated with APAP (200 mg/kg IP), followed by EC (0.15 mg IP) and killed at 4 hr. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), necrosis, hepatic glutathione (GSH) and APAP protein adducts were comparable in the APAP/EC and the APAP/veh mice at 4 hr. Additional studies showed that high dose EC (0.3 mg) reduced hepatic VEGF but also lowered hepatic GSH. Subsequent studies were performed using the 0.15-mg dose of EC. Although EC 0.15 mg had no effect on hepatic VEGF levels at 8 hr, by 24 hr VEGF levels were decreased by 40%. Toxicity (ALT and histopathology) was comparable in the APAP and APAP/EC groups at 24 and 48 hr. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression was reduced by both Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining in the APAP/EC mice at 48 hr. The data support the hypothesis that induction of HIF-1α, its binding to DNA and subsequent expression of VEGF are important factors in hepatocyte regeneration in APAP toxicity in the mouse.
Digital Controller for a Nuclear Reactor

This paper presents the development and implementation of a digital control system in an operating nuclear reactor. The control system incorporates on-line detection and isolation of faulty equipment, sensor calibration, measurement estimation, and information display in a given controller structure. It is tolerant of process disturbances, certain equipment failures, and sensor degradation and noise. Rather than relying on signals from single sensors, each feedback/feedforward signal that is sent to the controller under this approach is a digitally processed, weighted average of several valid measurements of the appropriate process variable. The weights are not a priori fixed but depend on the a posteriori probabilities of failure of individual sensors and are computed on the basis of past and current observations. Thus, for a gradually degrading measurement, its weight is smoothly reduced and eventual isolation of the fault does not cause an abrupt change in the estimate, i.e. the controller action remains bumpless.
Weight change and lower body disability in older Mexican Americans.

OBJECTIVES To examine the association between 2-year weight change and onset of lower body disability over time in older Mexican Americans.
Smart Environments: Middleware Building Blocks for Pervasive Network Computing (A Position Paper)

With the explosive expansion of the Internet as the global information infrastructure, coupled with rapid advances in wireless technologies, a new vision for computing is emerging. A seamless, anywhere, anytime, untethered, pervasive computing paradigm is touted as the next major paradigm shift in the way we compute and communicate. In order to realize this vision, the complexity of this environment must be masked from its consumers (users) and producers alike (service providers). We believe that a middleware infrastructure that provides appropriate high-level abstractions for both users and service-providers is needed. Such a middleware infrastructure must allow powerful services to be easily deployed and permit users to interact with such services in a personalized, yet effortless manner. In this position paper, we introduce the notion of a "smart service" - services with which users can dynamically interact in an automated and personalized manner, and can be composed to form "smart environments." Smart environments present an integrated view of services to the user to enable much higher-level, domain-specific interactions and to support user customization. We present a system architecture for building smart services and smart environments, and the middleware research challenges that must be addressed to realize this architecture and the core abstractions.
Sliding Regimes on Slow Manifolds of Systems with Fast Actuators

In this article the slow manifold of a system with actuator parasitics is used as a sliding surface on which a Variable Structure Controller recovers the qualitative properties of the reduced order, closed loop system obtained from an ideal actuator-based feedback controller design. Illustrative examples are presented, where 1) the simplicity of reduced order singular perturbation design methods; and 2) the robustness of Variable Structure sliding modes, are advantageously combined.
Processing of Idioms by L2 Learners of English

This study investigated the on-line processing strategies used by a sample of nonnative speakers of English who were asked to give the meanings of selected common idioms presented in a written context. Data were collected by means of the think-aloud procedure: Participants were asked to verbalize their thoughts as they arrived at the meanings of the idioms. Analysis revealed that most of the participants engaged in a heuristic approach to idiom comprehension, employing a variety of strategies through trial and error to find the meanings of the idioms. Models of L1 idiom acquisition did not apply well to the comprehension of idioms by the L2 users. Some pedagogical suggestions derived from the findings are included.
Presentation of protective antigen to the mouse immune system: immune sequelae

Protective antigen (PA), the major protective component of the existing vaccine, is a potent immunogen. Protective antigen in alhydrogel induced a high serum IgG titre (> log10 4) in both the C57B16 and Balb/c mouse and the predominant subclass of antibody induced was IgG1, indicating that the response to PA was predominantly Th2 directed. When plasmid DNA encoding PA was used to immunize the Balb/c mouse, a low serum IgG titre was detected (≤log10 1), which was slightly increased by boosting with plasmid DNA. However, when mice immunized with plasmid DNA were later boosted with rPA, a significant and rapid increase in titre (up to threefold) was observed. Priming mice with PA-encoding plasmid DNA may be a mechanism of enhancing and accelerating the immune response to PA.
WASHINGTON, DU BOIS AND PLESSY V. FERGUSON

When Homer Plessy brought suit against the state of Louisiana for its laws segregating the races on railways he was not complaining about the poor accommodations for black people on the state’s railways. Neither was he objecting to the economic injustice of forcing blacks to pay the same fare as whites, but for inferior accommodations. If the state required the railways to reserve separate accommodations for black people that were as good as the accommodations they reserved for white people this would have satisfied Booker T. Washington -he said so — but it would not have satisfied Plessy.1 Plessy would not be satisfied until he got the right to sit next to whites on railway carriages.
The influence of hyaluronidase and hyaluronidase substrates on penetration of cultured cells by eimerian sporozoites.

SYNOPSIS Leighton tube cultures of bovine embryonic kidney cells were inoculated with Eimeria adenoeides sporozoites suspended in media containing either hyaluronidase, hyaluronidase substrates (chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid) or Ficoll. After 1 hr at 41 C, coverslips were removed and cells were fixed and stained. Hyaluronidase (1 and 10 mg/ml) did not increase the number of intracellular sporozoites. Chondroitin sulfate (1 and 10 mg/ml) and hyaluronic acid (1 mg/ml) did not reduce the number of intracellular sporozoites. However, the number was reduced when the media contained either chondroitin sulfate (100 mg/ml) or hyaluronic acid (5 mg/ml), which were quite viscous. Ficoll (117 mg/ml), which produced the same viscosity as 5 mg hyaluronic acid/ml, also reduced the number of intracellular sporozoites. This finding circumstantially indicates that sporozoites may be physically inhibited from entering cells by the high viscosity of the substrates. Biochemical tests, which detected as little as 0.2 μg of known hyaluronidase, failed to detect hyaluronidase activity in excysted intact or fragmented E. adenoeides sporozoites or in sporozoites within E. tenella oocysts.
CAD challenges for 3D ICs

A fundamental shift in the technology has occurred at 90nm CMOS and beyond where the interconnect resistance has been increasing so much that the distance a clock cycle can reach has been dwindling as a fraction of the dimension of the chip. to cause a repeater explosion problem. This problem translates into an explosion of repeaters which not only added significant overhead in area but also power, as repeaters are major contributors to leakage. By reaching out to the vertical dimension, 3D technology has the potential of easing repeater explosion (Figure 1), reducing latency between units, increasing memory bandwidth and integrating heterogeneous tecnologies. However, in order to exploit the full potential of 3D technology, new challenges in the area of system level design and analysis, physical design, thermal analysis need to be addressed.To justify the cost and complexity overhead of 3D technology, it is essential to understand and study the benefit of 3D. It is clear that the biggest performance lever of 3D is at the architecture level. There is a strong need for a architectural exploration tool that combines performance and power analysis, and thermal mapping with 3D physical floorplanning to optimize system implementation in 3D technology. This requires strong linkage between architecture level analysis tools and 3D physical planning tools. Most of the advantages of 3D will be realized with novel system architectures and physical implementations. Therefore, the tools to aid 3D implementation must also operate at the higher level.3D interconnects have the potential of reducing critical paths delays significantly, which are typically between memory and the interfacing logic. To leverage that, current physical design infrastructure that supports 2D designs must enable 3D designs. Therefore, tools such as Physical design layout (placement, routing), timing, extraction, LVS, DRC all must support silicon layers in the third dimension. New tools that consider thermally aware physical design implementations, most importantly at the architecture and SoC level are crucial to the success of 3D as thermal issues are exacerbated in 3D implementations.Most of the studies reporting huge benefits from 3D for wire length do not adequately consider the physical impact of vertical vias. It is crucial to consider the impact of vertical vias on the physical design of ICs, from area, latency, and thermal impact point of view. Figure 2 shows that the sweet spot of partitioning for 3D implementation lies at the unit level (where a unit is a large logical entity such as floating point logic or Instruction decode logic etc). and beyond, when considering the via impact. Therefore the 3D place and route algorithms that have been proposed in the literature will be of limited use (at least in the immediate future), since initial 3D layer partitioning will be very coarse grained and current 2D designs do a fairly good job of optimizing the critical path distance.
Effect of breast-feeding on weight retention at 3 and 6 months postpartum: data from the North Carolina WIC Programme.

Objective Pregnancy-related weight retention can contribute to obesity, and breast-feeding may facilitate postpartum weight loss. We investigated the effect of breast-feeding on postpartum weight retention. Design A retrospective follow-up study of weight retention, compared in women who were fully breast-feeding, combining breast-feeding with formula-feeding (mixed feeding), or formula-feeding at 3 months (n 14 330) or 6 months (n 4922) postpartum, controlling for demographic and weight-related covariates using multiple linear regression. Setting The North Carolina Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Subjects Participants in the North Carolina WIC Programme who delivered a baby between 1996 and 2004. Results In covariate-adjusted analyses, there was no association between breast-feeding and weight retention at 3 months postpartum. At 6 months postpartum, as compared to formula-feeders, mean weight retention was 0·84 kg lower in mixed feeders (95 % CI 0·39, 1·29; P = 0·0002) and 1·38 kg lower in full breast-feeders (95 % CI 0·89, 1·87; P ≤ 0·0001). Conclusions Breast-feeding was inversely associated with weight retention at 6 months postpartum in this large, racially diverse sample of low-income women. Further, full breast-feeding had a larger protective effect than did breast-feeding combined with formula-feeding.
Identification of vegetative heat‐tolerant upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) germplasm utilizing chlorophyll fluorescence measurement during heat stress

Heat stress adversely affects upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production in the United States. Heat tolerance is difficult to determine, especially when yield and fibre quality are the parameters measured in photoperiodic, non-adapted genotypes. Our objective was to evaluate wild (mostly photoperiodic, non-adapted) genotypes for vegetative heat tolerance using chlorophyll fluorescence. Parameters were measured in three phases of heat stress assays to select candidate lines for introgression of increased heat tolerance into commercial cotton germplasm. Forty-four wild accessions were selected from 1762 wild accessions in the USDA germplasm collection using a single-leaf sample assay (phase I). In the growth chamber, 6-week-old cotton plants were subjected to heat stress at 45°C and 80% humidity for 24 h. After heat stress, the mean ΦPSII for the selected accessions was higher than that of a set of randomly chosen accessions and adapted cultivars (phase II). In the field under high temperatures (>35°C), the top nine accessions had higher average ΦPSII than adapted cultivars (phase III). Based on these results, the three-phased stepwise approach was consistent in identifying putative genetic resources for increased vegetative heat tolerance. Accessions were identified that may have potential as genetic materials for development of adapted heat-tolerant upland cotton germplasm.
BLENDS AND SEMIINTERPENETRATING NETWORKS OF ZEIN AND POLY(N,N-DIMETHYLACRYLAMIDE)

Solubilization of zein in N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm) followed by DMAAm polymerization affords pseudoplastic blends and stable semiinterpenetrating networks (IPNs) of the protein with polyDMAAm. Thermoinduced aggregation of hydrophobic chains of zein in the IPNs is shown to be reversible. Mechanistic concept is forwarded that allows explanation of the blends' thermo-thinning and shear-thinning behavior as well as temperature-induced changes in the IPN permeability.
The mixing of electrically-charged droplets between and within electrohydrodynamic fine sprays

Abstract The results of experiments conducted to characterize droplet motion within electrohydro-dynamic fine sprays are examined in the context of providing information on the mixing of electrically-charged droplets. Two cases are considered: one involving droplet mixing between two electrohydrodynamic fine sprays, and the other droplet mixing within a single electrohydrodynamic fine spray. The results collectively support that droplet mixing can be enhanced by relatively simple means, such as increasing the charge density of the spray, decreasing the separation distance between two sprays, or locally modifying the applied electric field within the spray.
Interdisciplinary Industrial Ecology Education: Recommendations for an Inclusive Pedagogical Model.

Industrial ecology education is being developed and delivered predominantly within the domains of engineering and management. Such an approach could prove somewhat limiting to the broader goal of developing industrial ecology as an integrated knowledge base inclusive of diverse disciplines, contributing to sustainable development. This paper hypothesizes that industrial ecology could be optimally delivered across broader disciplines if it were to be delivered as a supplemental knowledge among disciplines that engage with sustainable development education. Based on this hypothesis, a pedagogical experiment was devised and is presented here. This paper is descriptive, reflective and exploratory in approach, highlighting the challenges embedded in an interdisciplinary industrial ecology education, and recommending an inclusive pedagogical model to address the challenges. The intention is binary, to contribute towards the advancement of industrial ecology as an integrated knowledge base, and to introduce the ...
Public attention to science and political news and support for climate change mitigation

Analysis of survey data reveals how political ideology shapes the influence of media coverage on public attitudes regarding climate change.
The neuroexcitotoxic amino acids glutamate and aspartate are altered in the spinal cord and brain in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Because recent studies showed a systemic defect in glutamate metabolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we measured the levels of free amino acids in frontal and cerebellar cortex and two areas of spinal cord obtained at autopsy from 22 patients who died of this disease. Glutamate levels were significantly decreased (by 21 to 40% of control values) in all areas investigated; cervical and lumbar spinal cord showed the greatest change. Aspartate levels were also significantly reduced (by 32 to 35%) in the spinal cord only. A positive correlation was shown between the changes of glutamate and aspartate as well as a significant alteration in the glutamate to glutamine ratio in the spinal cord of patients with ALS. Although we cannot exclude the possibility that these abnormalities may partly result from neuronal cell loss, the data suggest the presence of a generalized defect that may affect the neurotransmitter and metabolic pool of glutamate. The defect may be expressed more severely in the spinal cord than in other central nervous system areas. These results, taken together with the previously shown systemic abnormality, raise the possibility that distribution of glutamate between the intracellular and extracellular pool may be altered in ALS and may mediate the neurodegeneration.
DNA-DNA interstrand cross-linking by cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II): N7(dG)-N7(dG) cross-linking at 5′-d(GC) in synthetic oligonucleotides

The nucleotide sequence specificity of the DNA-DNA interstrand cross-linking reaction of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) was studied in synthetic oligonucleotides. Of six self-complementary DNAs tested, only those containing the central sequence 5′-(GC) formed appreciable interstrand cross-linked product, as assayed by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (DPAGE). The nucleotide connectivity of the interstrand cross-link was defined by sequence random oxidative fragmentation followed by DPAGE, revealing that dG residues on opposite strands at the sequence 5′-d(GC) were connected to one another. The covalent structure of the cross-link was established following hydrolysis of the phosphodiester backbone of a structurally homogeneous sample of a cis-DDP interstrand cross-linked DNA tetradecamer. HPLC analysis of the hydrolysate returned all of the deoxynucleoside residues from the starting DNA except for two deoxyguanosine residues. Also returned was diammine-bis-[N7-(2′-deoxyguanosyl)]platinum(II)2+, identified by a combination of spectroscopic methods, and comparison to a synthetic authentic sample. This study directly establishes that cis-DDP forms interstrand crosslinks at the duplex sequence 5′-d(GC), linking deoxyguanosine residues on opposite strands at N7 through a bridging platinum atom. Computer simulation of the interstrand cross-linked product using molecular mechanics energy minimization and molecular dynamics revealed significant structural reorganization at the site of the cross-link including a ca 40° angle between the platinated guaninyl residues, which propagated to adjacent residues by base stacking to yield duplexes bent by some 30° toward the major groove.
Comparison of skin esterase activities from different species.

Many topically applied drugs contain esters that are hydrolyzed in the skin. Minipigs have emerged as potential models of human dermatology and, in some aspects, may be superior to commonly used rat skin. The aims of this study were to evaluate the suitability of minipig and rat skin as in vitro models of human epidermal esterase activity. Naphthyl acetate and para-nitrophenyl acetate were tested as prototypical substrates of carboxylesterases from skin, plasma, and liver. Reaction products were monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet analysis. Hydrolysis efficiency in skin was higher than plasma, but lower than liver. The esterase efficiency of rat skin microsomes (580–1100 min−1 mg−1) was two to three orders of magnitude higher than human (1.3–4.2 min−1 mg−1) and minipig microsomes (1.2–4.2 min−1 mg−1). Rat skin cytosol (80–100 min−1 mg−1) was 2- to 10-fold more efficient than human (2.4–67 min−1 mg−1) or minipig cytosol (18–61 min−1 mg−1). Most importantly, human skin fractions displayed kinetics of hydrolysis very similar to minipig skin. These studies show minipig skin as an appropriate, potentially valuable model for human epidermal ester metabolism and support the use of minipig skin in preclinical development of topically applied compounds.
Predator odor-evoked BOLD activation in the awake rat: Modulation by oxytocin and V1a vasopressin receptor antagonists

Modulators of unconditioned fear are potential targets for developing treatments for anxiety disorders. We used blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) MRI to investigate the pattern of brain activity during the presentation of a predator odor (cat fur) and a repulsive novel odor, butyric acid (BA), to awake rats. We further tested whether odor-evoked BOLD activation involved oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin V(1a) receptors. Animals were subdivided into groups either administered an intracerebroventricular injection of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), an OT receptor antagonist or a V(1a) antagonist (125 ng/10 μL each) 90 min before studies. BA odor evoked robust brain activation across olfactory, sensory, memory and limbic regions. The magnitude of BOLD activation across these regions was greater for BA than with cat fur. However, blockade of OT and V(1a) receptors differentially modulated odor evoked neural activity, particularly in the amygdala. OT and V(1a) antagonism preferentially modulated BOLD responding to BA in the cortical amygdala. While, OT and V(1a) antagonisms preferentially modulated BOLD responding to cat fur in the central amygdala. The data suggest that although OT receptors modulate BOLD activation in response to a novel and repulsive odor such as BA, vasopressin V(1a) receptors exert a modulatory influence on the neural response to a predator odor.
Large-Scale Circulation Variability over the Tropical Western North Pacific. Part II: Persistence and Transition Characteristics

Abstract The variability of the large-scale circulation over the tropical western North Pacific is described within a framework defined by recurrent 700-mb circulation patterns that were defined by a fuzzy cluster analysis. Individual cluster patterns (defined in Part 1), which represent instantaneous depictions of the circulation variability, define favorable and unfavorable regions for tropical cyclone genesis and preferred track types. The fuzzy cluster coefficients, which describe the time variability of 700-mb large-scale circulation anomalies, are used to identify the basic persistence properties of the recurrent, anomalous circulation patterns. It is found that recurrent circulation patterns that are defined by small anomalies (i.e., close to the center of the cluster analysis phase space) are less persistent than recurrent patterns that represent distinct circulation anomaly patterns. Furthermore, the persistence of a particular sequence of anomaly maps that pass through a cluster is dependent upo...
Antimicrobial Activity In Vitro of Netilmicin and Comparison with Sisomicin, Gentamicin, and Tobramycin

The antimicrobial activity of netilmicin, a new semisynthetic aminoglycosidic aminocyclitol, was determined against 123 recent gram-negative clinical isolates susceptible to gentamicin and 60 isolates resistant to either sisomicin, gentamicin, or tobramycin. The minimal inhibitory concentrations and minimal bactericidal concentrations of netilmicin, sisomicin, gentamicin, and tobramycin against Pseudomonas, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Proteus mirabilis, and indole-positive Proteus were, in general, quite similar. Gentamicin was the most active against Serratia. A total of 54, 67, and 88% of gentamicin-resistant Pseudomonas, Serratia, and Klebsiella, respectively, were susceptible to netilmicin. Strains of indole-positive Proteus, Acinetobacter, Providencia, and E. coli resistant to gentamicin were likely to be resistant also to netilmicin.
Photophysical properties of functionalized fullerene derivatives: a selective overview

Time-resolved and steady-state techniques are employed to explore the photophysical properties of C60C(COOEt)2, equatorial-C60[C(COOEt)2]2, trans3- C60[C(COOEt)2]2, trans2-C60[C(COOEt)2]2, and equatorial-C60[C(COOEt)2]3. Picosecond-resolved energy transfer to the fullerene core results in the formation of the excited singlet state with remarkably blue-shifted singlet-singlet transitions in going from C60 to 3. Rapid formation of the triplet-triplet absorption as a consequence of intersystem crossing to the energetically lower lying excited triplet state suffers a deceleration with increasing number of functionalizing addends. The corresponding triplet-triplet absorption energies also show a significant dependence on the degree and site of functionalization, spreading over a range of 100 nm. Energy transfer from radiolytically excited biphenyl to the fullerene's ground state, corroborates the photolytic data. 0->0 transitions from the lowest level of the excited singlet state and excited triplet state are mirror- images to the reversed 0->0 absorption transitions. Red- shifts of these emission, relative to pristine C60, again sensitively reflect the degree and site of functionalization. Cyclic voltammetry and reductive quenching of triplet excited fullerenes demonstrate that functionalization of the fullerene's (pi) -system obstructs the ease of reduction in the ground and excited triplet state. An increasing number of bis(ethoxycarbonyl)methylene groups shifts the redox potential of the ground state from -0.54 to -0.86 V versus SCE and of the excited triplet state from +1.01 V versus SCE to +0.64 V versus SCE for C60 and 3, respectively.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.