cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spheroidal and nanocrystal structures created from carbodiimide crosslinking reaction with RADA16

Abstract RADA16 is a widely studied polypeptide known for its ability to self-assemble into β -sheets that form nanofibers. Here we show that it is possible to self-crosslink the molecule via 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) as aqueous solutions. The product results in a mix of nanocrystals and near micron-size spherules. SEM and TEM pictures provide a view of the structures and nano tracking analysis gives their size distributions. FTIR analysis provides evidence for the existence of a crosslinking reaction.
General Background for Plant-Plant Allelopathic Interactions

This chapter describes sources, sinks, turnover rates, modifying elements and identity, mobility, distribution, states and effects of potential allelopathic compounds.
Applying the Dark Target aerosol algorithm with Advanced Himawari Imager observations during the KORUS-AQ field campaign

Abstract. For nearly 2 decades we have been quantitatively observing the Earth's aerosol system from space at one or two times of the day by applying the Dark Target family of algorithms to polar-orbiting satellite sensors, particularly MODIS and VIIRS. With the launch of the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) and the Advanced Baseline Imagers (ABIs) into geosynchronous orbits, we have the new ability to expand temporal coverage of the traditional aerosol optical depth (AOD) to resolve the diurnal signature of aerosol loading during daylight hours. The Korean–United States Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) campaign taking place in and around the Korean peninsula during May–June 2016 initiated a special processing of full-disk AHI observations that allowed us to make a preliminary adoption of Dark Target aerosol algorithms to the wavelengths and resolutions of AHI. Here, we describe the adaptation and show retrieval results from AHI for this 2-month period. The AHI-retrieved AOD is collocated in time and space with existing AErosol RObotic NETwork stations across Asia and with collocated Terra and Aqua MODIS retrievals. The new AHI AOD product matches AERONET, and the standard MODIS product does as well, and the agreement between AHI and MODIS retrieved AOD is excellent, as can be expected by maintaining consistency in algorithm architecture and most algorithm assumptions. Furthermore, we show that the new product approximates the AERONET-observed diurnal signature. Examining the diurnal patterns of the new AHI AOD product we find specific areas over land where the diurnal signal is spatially cohesive. For example, in Bangladesh the AOD increases by 0.50 from morning to evening, and in northeast China the AOD decreases by 0.25. However, over open ocean the observed diurnal cycle is driven by two artifacts, one associated with solar zenith angles greater than 70 ∘ that may be caused by a radiative transfer model that does not properly represent the spherical Earth and the other artifact associated with the fringes of the 40 ∘ glint angle mask. This opportunity during KORUS-AQ provides encouragement to move towards an operational Dark Target algorithm for AHI. Future work will need to re-examine masking including snow mask, re-evaluate assumed aerosol models for geosynchronous geometry, address the artifacts over the ocean, and investigate size parameter retrieval from the over-ocean algorithm.
Application of Glass Failure Prediction Model to Bent Glass Using Finite-Element Modeling

Abstract Designers of architectural glass in the United States rely on model building codes and standards for definitions of load resistance (LR) and other factors pertinent to design. Unfortunatel...
Chapter 4 – Conduct Disorder

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the characteristics and causes of conduct disorder (CD). CD is one of two disruptive behavior disorders defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. CD refers to a persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others and major societal norms or rules are violated. The symptoms used to operationally define this pattern of behavior fall into four categories: aggression to people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, and serious violation of rules. The breakdown of CD into childhood-onset and adolescent-onset subtypes illustrates a very important concept for understanding and treating children with CD. Specifically, it illustrates the fact that children with CD constitute a very heterogeneous group with major differences among those with the disorder in their clinical presentation, clinical course, and underlying causes of behavior. The prevalence of CD depends on a number of factors including the type of symptoms leading to the diagnosis, the age group studied, and the gender of the child. Case conceptualization is critical for designing effective treatments for children with CD. It should be the cornerstone of clinical endeavor and a bridge between the research literature on CD in children and adolescents, and the design of treatment plans for them as individuals.
A Model Checking-based Analysis Framework for Systems Biology Models

Biological systems are often modeled as a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with time-invariant parameters. However, cell signaling events or pharmacological interventions may alter the cellular state and induce multimode dynamics of the system. Such systems are naturally modeled as hybrid automata, which possess multiple operational modes with specific nonlinear dynamics in each mode. In this paper we introduce a model checking-enabled framework than can model and analyze both single- and multi-mode biological systems. We tackle the central problem in systems biology- identify parameter values such that a model satisfies desired behaviors-using bounded model checking. We resort to the delta- decision procedures to solve satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) problems and sidestep undecidability of reachability problems. Our framework enables several analysis tasks including model calibration and falsification, therapeutic strategy identification, and Lyapunov stability analysis. We demonstrate the applica- blitliy of these methods using case studies of prostate cancer progression, cardiac cell action potential and radiation diseases.
Concurrent Surgical Management of Advanced Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Proximal Tibiofibular Joint With Compressive Peroneal Neuropathy: 3-Year Follow-Up On a Complex Case

Abstract The proximal tibiofibular joint (PTFJ) is susceptible to osteoarthritis (OA), making it a rare but potential source of lateral knee pain. Because PTFJ OA is a rare presentation of knee pain, no first-line treatment has been established and it can be missed in evaluation before total knee arthroplasty. We report an unusual case of a 59-year-old man who presented with advanced OA of both the knee and PTFJ, along with a progressive peroneal nerve palsy due to a large compressive ganglion cyst from the PTFJ. He was treated with concurrent total knee arthroplasty, peroneal nerve decompression, and resection of the fibular head and ganglion cyst, resulting in full recovery from his arthritic pain and resolution of his peroneal neuropathy. He remains free of symptoms without instability 3 years from the index surgery.
Influence of Brachial Plexus Birth Injury Location on Glenohumeral Joint Morphology.

Purpose Patient presentation after brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) is influenced by nerve injury location; more contracture and bone deformity occur at the shoulder in postganglionic injuries. Although bone deformity after postganglionic injury is well-characterized, the extent of glenohumeral deformity after preganglionic BPBI is unclear. Methods Twenty Sprague-Dawley rat pups received preganglionic or postganglionic neurectomy on a single forelimb at postnatal days 3 to 4. Glenohumeral joints on affected and unaffected sides were analyzed using micro–computed tomography scans after death at 8 weeks after birth. Glenoid version, glenoid inclination, glenoid and humeral head radius of curvature, and humeral head thickness and width were measured bilaterally. Results The glenoid was significantly more declined in affected compared with unaffected shoulders after postganglionic (–17.7° ± 16.9°) but not preganglionic injury. Compared with the preganglionic group, the affected shoulder in the postganglionic group exhibited significantly greater declination and increased glenoid radius of curvature. In contrast, the humeral head was only affected after preganglionic but not postganglionic injury, with a significantly smaller humeral head radius of curvature (–0.2 ± 0.2 mm), thickness (–0.2 ± 0.3 mm), and width (–0.3 ± 0.4 mm) on the affected side compared with the unaffected side; changes in these metrics were significantly associated with each other. Conclusions These findings suggest that glenoid deformities occur after postganglionic BPBI but not after preganglionic BPBI, whereas the humeral head is smaller after preganglionic injury, possibly suggesting an overall decreased biological growth rate in this group. Clinical relevance This study expands understanding of the altered glenoid and humeral head morphologies after preganglionic BPBI and its comparisons with morphologies after postganglionic BPBI.
StimVision v2: Examples and Applications in Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease

Objective Subthalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established therapy for Parkinson's disease. Connectomic DBS modeling is a burgeoning subfield of research aimed at characterizing the axonal connections activated by DBS. This article describes our approach and methods for evolving the StimVision software platform to meet the technical demands of connectomic DBS modeling in the subthalamic region. Materials and methods StimVision v2 was developed with Visualization Toolkit (VTK) libraries and integrates four major components: 1) medical image visualization, 2) axonal pathway visualization, 3) electrode positioning, and 4) stimulation calculation. Results StimVision v2 implemented two key technological advances for connectomic DBS analyses in the subthalamic region. First was the application of anatomical axonal pathway models to patient-specific DBS models. Second was the application of a novel driving-force method to estimate the response of those axonal pathways to DBS. Example simulations with directional DBS electrodes and clinically defined therapeutic DBS settings are presented to demonstrate the general outputs of StimVision v2 models. Conclusions StimVision v2 provides the opportunity to evaluate patient-specific axonal pathway activation from subthalamic DBS using anatomically detailed pathway models and electrically detailed electric field distributions with interactive adjustment of the DBS electrode position and stimulation parameter settings.
Outcomes of Vascularized Lymph Node Transplantation for Treatment of Lymphedema.

Background A growing body of evidence supports the efficacy of surgical treatments for lymphedema. This study reports the outcomes of vascularized lymph node transplantation (VLNT) for the treatment of patients with lymphedema compared with maximal conservative treatment alone. Study Design Consecutive patients undergoing VLNT to treat primary and secondary lymphedema affecting the upper or lower extremities were included. All patients were optimized preoperatively with conservative therapy. Demographic and treatment information was collected, and outcomes data were electronically captured prospectively; descriptive statistics were performed. Results There were 134 patients included that had achieved maximal reductions by conservative therapy preoperatively. This series included jejunal mesenteric (n = 25), groin (n = 43), lateral thoracic (n = 31), omental or right gastroepiploic (n = 21), and submental (n = 14) VLN flaps. At 24 months postoperatively, there were significant reductions in limb volume change (mean [SD] 45.7% [8.7%]; p = 0.002) LDex score (mean [SD] 59.8% [8.7%]; p Conclusions Treatment of lymphedema using VLNT resulted in progressive, significant reductions in limb volume, bioimpedance spectroscopy measurements of extracellular fluid, and episodes of cellulitis, with improved patient-reported outcomes and limb function measures compared with maximal conservative therapy alone. The complication rate was low and there were no significant outcomes differences between the VLNT types.
Complex interactions of lovastatin with 10 chemotherapeutic drugs: a rigorous evaluation of synergism and antagonism

Evidence bearing on the role of statins in the prevention and treatment of cancer is confounded by the diversity of statins, chemotherapeutic agents and cancer types included in the numerous published studies; consequently, the adjunctive value of statins with chemotherapy remains uncertain. We assayed lovastatin in combination with each of ten commonly prescribed chemotherapy drugs in highly reproducible in vitro assays, using a neutral cellular substrate, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cell density (OD600) data were analyzed for synergism and antagonism using the Loewe additivity model implemented with the Combenefit software. Four of the ten chemotherapy drugs – tamoxifen, doxorubicin, methotrexate and rapamycin – exhibited net synergism with lovastatin. The remaining six agents (5-fluorouracil, gemcitabine, epothilone, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide and etoposide) compiled neutral or antagonistic scores. Distinctive patterns of synergism and antagonism, often coexisting within the same concentration space, were documented with the various combinations, including those with net synergism scores. Two drug pairs, lovastatin combined with tamoxifen or cisplatin, were also assayed in human cell lines as proof of principle. The synergistic interactions of tamoxifen, doxorubicin, methotrexate and rapamycin with lovastatin – because they suggest the possibility of clinical utility - merit further exploration and validation in cell lines and animal models. No less importantly, strong antagonistic interactions between certain agents and lovastatin argue for a cautious, data-driven approach before adding a statin to any chemotherapeutic regimen. We also urge awareness of adventitious statin usage by patients entering cancer treatment protocols.
Abstract 17320: Use of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers and Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19

Introduction: COVID-19 is caused by infection with SARS-CoV2 which uses ACE2 as its host receptor. RAS inhibitors such as ACE-inhibitors and ARBs (ACEI/ARB) may increase ACE2 levels. ACE2 levels ma...
A user-interactive system for smart thermal environment control in office buildings

Abstract In this paper, our goal is to develop user-interactive thermal environment control systems that aim to increase energy efficiency and occupant satisfaction in office buildings. Towards this goal, we present a new modeling approach of occupant interactions with a temperature control and energy use interface based on utility theory that reveals causal effects in the human decision-making process. The model is a utility function that quantifies occupants’ preference over temperature setpoints incorporating their comfort and energy use considerations. We demonstrate our approach by implementing the user-interactive system in actual office spaces with an energy efficient model predictive HVAC controller. The results show that with the developed interactive system occupants achieved the same level of overall satisfaction with selected setpoints that are closer to temperatures determined by the model-predictive control (MPC) strategy to reduce energy use. Also, occupants often accept the default MPC setpoints when a significant improvement in the thermal environment conditions is not needed to satisfy their preference. Our results show that the HVAC energy consumption with MPC can be underestimated by up to 55% without considering occupants’ overrides. The prototype user-interactive system recovered 36% of this additional energy consumption while achieving the same overall occupant satisfaction level. Based on these findings, we propose that the utility model can become a generalized approach to evaluate the design of similar user-interactive systems for different office layouts and building operation scenarios.
End of Life Simulation in a Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

Abstract Although undesired, death is a real potential outcome in any critical care unit, and end of life (EOL) care is a necessary nursing skill. While this can be an overwhelming experience for all medical providers, bedside nurses most frequently perform these difficult, but necessary tasks. Preparing newly hired nurses for this experience is challenging. This pediatric cardiac intensive care unit found that many nurses struggled with the emotional reactions, EOL tasks, and family support during their first EOL experience. An EOL simulation curriculum was developed and implemented, and a survey was administered to better understand the EOL educational needs of the newly hired nurses. After completing the simulation experience, the participants noted subjective increased comfort during EOL experience, and their peers noted a perceived increase in competence.
User State Detection Using Facial Images with Mask Cover

Widespread use of masks was mandated in many countries as a direct result of the covid-19 pandemic. This meant that mask wearing, which was previously restricted to specialized occupations or cities with high levels of pollution became the norm in many places of the world. This has obvious implications for any system that uses facial images to infer user state. This work attempts to gauge the effect of mask wearing on such systems. Arousal classification is used in this study due to its well-studied nature in image processing literature. Using “Affect in the wild” video dataset, the “masks” were synthetically placed on the facial images extracted from videos. A binary classification between high and low arousal shows that there is a drop in accuracy when using masks. However, this drop is larger in across subject classification than within subject classification. The study shows that it is feasible to develop effective user state classification models even with mask cover.
Behavioral Teratology of Anticonvulsant and Antianxiety Medications

During the last 15–20 years, epidemiological evidence has mounted, indicating that epileptic women have an increased incidence of delivering children with congenital malformations (Dalessio, 1985). There is not complete agreement on how large this increase is, but most clinical investigations have found it to be between double and triple the rate in control groups (see reviews by Janz, 1975, 1982a,b; Kalter & Warkany, 1983). The central debate in this area has not been on whether epileptic women have increased risk or not; this fact is now widely acknowledged. Instead, the focus has been on the cause of the increase. The question is whether the increase is the result of the disease itself, or whether it results from the anticonvulsant medications. The view that the disease is the cause includes explanations involving genetic contributions and pathophysiological processes, as well as the effect that seizure activity itself may have on the conceptus. The debate is obviously an important one, and major studies can be found suggesting that the increased incidence of malformations among children of epileptic women is attributable to the epilepsy per se (Shapiro, Slone, Hartz, Rosenberg, Siskind, Monson, Mitchell, Heinonen, Idapaan-Heikkila, Haro, & Saxen, 1976), although others conclude that it is attributable to the drugs taken for epilepsy (Kalter & Warkany, 1983; Nakane, 1979).
Chapter 8 – Methods for the measurement of seagrass growth and production

Direct growth measurements require fewer assumptions than those based on reconstructive techniques. When direct measurements, which require repeated visits and considerable effort, are not possible, for instance, in remote populations or in year-round assessments, reconstructive techniques are recommended. Indirect growth measurement methods involve collecting lengths of rhizome with attached stems and leaves, and reconstructing the growth interval and pattern of the plants by counting the number of leaf scars laid down on the stem or rhizome. Reconstructive analyses can also be used to derive estimates of shoot mortality and recruitment in the population. Direct assessments of seagrass growth are recommended using marking methods and the determination of the plastochrone interval, while indirect reconstructive methods are recommended for evaluation of annual growth or long-term cycles from the rhizome record. The marking technique is the choice of approach whenever repetitive visits to the meadow investigated are possible and whenever the different structures to be marked are accessible for marking purposes with tolerable disturbance. However, this is not the case for species with deep-growing rhizomes, where reconstructive techniques are useful. The reconstruction approach is of limited use for species with short life spans or annuals, for which structures older than one year are scarce or non-existent. Application of reconstruction techniques to these populations would likely render biased estimates. In these instances, leaf or rhizome marking must be repeated over time to determine annual growth.
Enzyme kinetics : 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/2,6-bisphosphatase.

Altered energy metabolism is an established hallmark of cancer cells. Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate is an allosteric activator of glycolysis and its concentration in a cell is dictated by the 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatases (PFKFB1-4) family of bifunctional enzymes. The PFKFB family of enzymes are characterized by their different kinase: bisphosphatase activities and were originally determined to be tissue-specific. More recent data however suggest that multiple isoforms are co-expressed in both normal and neoplastic tissues. PFKFB4 is highly expressed in human cancer, strongly induced by hypoxia, and required for the survival of cancer cells. However, it remains unclear whether the kinase or phosphatase activity of human PFKFB4 dominates. In this study, we developed a method of synthesizing and purifying human recombinant PFKFB4 and, using this purified protein, found that PFKFB4 has a kinase to phosphatase ratio of 4.1:1. We found that a novel small molecule inhibitor of PFKFB4 (5MPN) inhibited the kinase activity of PFKFB4 and further that the known PFKFB3 inhibitors (PFK15 and PFK158) inhibited PFKFB4 less efficiently than 5MPN. We conclude that PFKFB4 functions mainly as a kinase and that, given the co-expression of PFKFB3 and PFKFB4, targeting both PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 isoforms using PFK158 and 5MPN may be a useful treatment option in cancer.
Read Disturb Errors in MLC NAND Flash Memory: Characterization, Mitigation, and Recovery

NAND flash memory reliability continues to degrade as the memory is scaled down and more bits are programmed per cell. A key contributor to this reduced reliability is read disturb, where a read to one row of cells impacts the threshold voltages of unread flash cells in different rows of the same block. Such disturbances may shift the threshold voltages of these unread cells to different logical states than originally programmed, leading to read errors that hurt endurance. For the first time in open literature, this paper experimentally characterizes read disturb errors on state-of-the-art 2Y-nm (i.e., 20-24 nm) MLC NAND flash memory chips. Our findings (1) correlate the magnitude of threshold voltage shifts with read operation counts, (2) demonstrate how program/erase cycle count and retention age affect the read-disturb-induced error rate, and (3) identify that lowering pass-through voltage levels reduces the impact of read disturb and extend flash lifetime. Particularly, we find that the probability of read disturb errors increases with both higher wear-out and higher pass-through voltage levels. We leverage these findings to develop two new techniques. The first technique mitigates read disturb errors by dynamically tuning the pass-through voltage on a per-block basis. Using real workload traces, our evaluations show that this technique increases flash memory endurance by an average of 21%. The second technique recovers from previously-uncorrectable flash errors by identifying and probabilistically correcting cells susceptible to read disturb errors. Our evaluations show that this recovery technique reduces the raw bit error rate by 36%.
Demonstration of ground-penetrating radar as a useful tool for assessing pocket gopher burrows

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is an innovative and non-invasive method that uses radar to penetrate the ground and develop three-dimensional digital images of the top several meters of the earth. Ground-penetrating radar has been used extensively in the fields of engineering, military science, forensic science, archaeology, and environmental remediation, but has received little attention by wildlife professionals. We demonstrated a possible application of GPR for wildlife studies for mapping burrow systems using maritime pocket gophers (Geomys personatus maritimus), a subspecies of concern as listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ground-penetrating radar surveys were conducted at Naval Air Station—Corpus Christi on five 15-m × 15-m areas with >200 above-ground gopher mounds/ha during July 2007. Survey areas were scanned with a Geophysical Survey Systems Inc. SIR-3000, GPR digital control unit and a 900-MHz ground-coupled antenna. Within the 5 areas, we located 8 gophers and mapped 267 m of tunnels that had an average depth of 0.6 m. We were able to differentiate deteriorating or abandoned tunnels from active tunnels, detect an underground pipeline, and distinguish changes in soil texture using GPR. Ground-penetrating radar is a non-destructive and non-invasive method to gain knowledge of fossorial animal movements and potential destabilization of soil integrity. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.
Macroporous vanadium phosphorus oxide phases displaying three-dimensional arrays of spherical voids

Macroporous vanadium phosphorus oxide (VPO) phases with remarkable compositional, structural, and morphological properties have been synthesized employing monodisperse polystyrene sphere arrays as a template. Colloidal polystyrene spheres were ordered into close-packed arrays by sedimentation or centrifugation. Depending on the choice of VPO sources and the template removal method, various crystalline VPO phases were obtained. The macroscale-templated synthesis produced VPO phases with unprecedented high surface areas (75 m2/g); desirable macroporous architecture; optimal bulk compositions (P/V ≈ 1.1); desirable vanadium oxidation states (4.1−4.4); and preferential exposure of the surface (100) planes of VO2P2O7, the proposed active and selective phase for the partial oxidation of n-butane.
Endometrial carcinoma of prostatic utricle with osseous metastases

Abstract Endometrial carcinoma of the prostatic utricle is a rare papillary prostatic tumor arising in the region of the prostatic urethra and verumontanum. Since the first description by Melicow and Pachter in 1967, 8 additional cases have been reported. This case is the tenth reported, and the first in which metastases to bone have been proved by biopsy. Transurethral resection of the tumor with postoperative radiation therapy to the prostatic region and metastases has resulted in clinical improvement. The importance of accurate diagnosis of this neoplasm is emphasized to avoid unnecessary delay in the appropriate choice of therapeutic modalities.
Revisiting the flexibility and regularity properties of the asymptotically ideal production model

In this paper we estimate the flexibility properties and regular regions for the first three orders of the seminonparametric Asymptotically Ideal Model (AIM) under four different types of constant returns to scale production technologies. The AIM model's parameters are estimatedfrom a Monte Carlo simulation where the data is generated from a three input, one output, globally regular Constant Differences of Elasticity of Substitution function. The Monte Carlo's input quantity and elasticity of substitution estimates at the unit vector are graphed along with the area of the relative price space where the AIM model is monotonically increasing andquasi-concave.
Structure-activity studies of phosphopeptidomimetic prodrugs targeting the src homology 2 (SH2) domain of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3)

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) transmits signals from growth factors and interleukin-6 family cytokines by binding to their receptors via its Src homology 2 (SH2) domain. This results in phosphorylation of Tyr705, dimerization, translocation to the nucleus, and regulation of transcription of downstream genes. Stat3 is constitutively activated in several human cancers and is a target for anti-cancer drug design. We have shown previously phosphorylation of Tyr705 in intact cancer cells can be inhibited with prodrugs of phosphopeptide mimics targeting the SH2 domain. In a series of prodrugs consisting of bis-pivaloyloxymethyl esters of 4′-phosphonodifluoromethyl cinnamoyl-Haic-Gln-NHBn, appending methyl group to the β-position of the cinnamate increased potency ca. twofold, which paralleled the increase in affinity of the corresponding phosphopeptide models. However, dramatic increases in potency were observed when the C-terminal C(O)NHBn of Gln-NHBn was replaced with a simple methyl group. In this communication we continue to explore the effects of structural modifications of prodrugs on their ability to inhibit Tyr705 phosphorylation. A set of 4-substituted prolines incorporated into β-methyl-4-phosphocinnamoyl-leucinyl-Xaa-4-aminopentamide model peptides exhibited affinities of 88–317 nM by fluorescence polarization (Pro IC50 = 156 nM). In corresponding prodrugs, Pro inhibited constitutive Stat3 phosphorylation at 10 μM in MDA-MB-468 breast tumor cells. However, 4,4-difluoroproline and 4,4-dimethylproline resulted in complete inhibition at 0.5 μM. These results suggest that the prodrug with native proline undergoes metabolism that those with substituted prolines do not. In conclusion, changes in structure with minimal impact on intrinsic affinity can nevertheless have profound effects on the cellular potency of prodrug inhibitors of Stat3.
Sendai virus RNA synthesis and nucleocapsid formation in the presence of cycloheximide

Abstract The effect of cycloheximide on viral specific RNA synthesis and viral nucleocapsid formation was studied in chick embryo cells infected with Sendai virus. When cells were infected at a high multiplicity in the presence of cycloheximide, the 18 S and 35 S viral specific RNAs but not the 57 S (virion) RNA were synthesized during a 90-min period indicating that new protein synthesis is not necessary for the initiation of synthesis of the two smaller RNAs. When cells were treated with cycloheximide 18 hr after infection at the time of maximum viral specific RNA synthesis, the rate of synthesis of the 57 S RNA decreased much more rapidly than synthesis of the 35 S and 18 S RNAs. At the same time after infection, newly synthesized 57 S RNA continued to be converted to viral nucleocapsid in the presence of cycloheximide and the rate of incorporation of uridine-5′- 3 H into nucleocapsid decreased in parallel with the decrease in 57 S RNA synthesis. This indicates that nucleocapsid assembly continues in the absence of active protein synthesis.
Degradation of monolayer lubricants for MEMS

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) with high out-of-plane stiffness are less susceptible to adhesion than more compliant structures, but reliable operation of sliding contacts still requires surfaces that exhibit adequate friction and wear performance after long periods of storage. Alkylsilane monolayers are popular surface treatments for silicon devices, and there has been some research to understand the performance of monolayers as a function of environment. However, there have been limited investigations of the tribological behavior of these surface treatments after exposure to harsh environments. There is a need to quantitatively determine the effects of storage environments on the performance of MEMS interfaces, rather than verifying device functionality alone. To this end, surface micromachined (SMM) structures that contain isolated tribological contacts have been used to investigate interface performance of alkylsilane monolayers after storage in inert environments, and after exposure to a variety of thermal and radiation environments. Results show that both octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODTS) and perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (PFTS) exhibit little change in hydrophobicity or friction after Co-60 radiation exposures at a total dose of up to 500 krad. However, exposure to temperature cycles consistent with packaging technologies, in the presence of low levels of water vapor, produces degradation of hydrophobicity and increase in static friction for ODTS films while producing no significant degradation in PFTS films.
L-edge X-ray absorption and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism of oxygen-bridged dinuclear iron complexes

Iron L-edge X-ray absorption and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) spectroscopy have been used to study the electronic structure of dinuclear iron-oxo complexes with different types of magnetic and electronic interactions between the iron sites. Trapped-valence systems exhibit L-edges with clear multiplet structure. The L-edges of trapped-valence Fe[sup II]Fe[sup III] complexes such as [Fe[sup III,II]2(salmp)[sub 2]][sup [minus]] and [Fe[sub 2][sup III,II](bpmp)([mu]-O[sub 2]CC[sub 2]H[sub 5])[sub 2]][sup 2[center dot]] can be interpreted as the sum of distinct Fe(II) and Fe(III) component spectra. Furthermore, an atomic multiplet theory including adjustable ligand field splittings can successfully simulate the Fe(II) and Fe(III) X-ray absorption. Reasonable ligand field parameters are obtained by optimizing the correspondence between calculated and experimental spectra. The XMCD for the [Fe[sub 2][sup III,II](bpmp)([mu]-O[sub 2]CC[sub 2]H[sub 5])[sub 2]][sup 2] complex is also reported; it exhibits an interesting magnetic field dependence that reflects the weak magnetic coupling between Fe(II) and Fe(III) ions. In contrast with the trapped-valence complex spectra, the L-edge spectrum for the electronically delocalized complex, [Fe[sub 2](Me[sub 3]tacn)[sub 2]-([mu]-OH)[sub 3]](BPh[sub 4])[sub 2]-2MeOH, exhibits a broad L-edge spectrum with poorly resolved multiplet structure. 35 refs., 4 figs.
EFFICACY OF PALATE CLEANSERS FOR REDUCTION OF ASTRINGENCY CARRYOVER DURING REPEATED INGESTIONS OF RED WINE

ABSTRACT The perception of astringency is an important temporal sensory attribute of red wine. The objective of this study was to determine the most effective palate cleanser to reduce the perception of astringency following six successive ingestions of red wine using computerized time–intensity (TI) methodology. Different methods of TI data analysis were also considered. Four palate cleansers were studied: deionized water, pectin (1 g/L), carboxymethylcellulose (CBMC; 1 g/L) and unsalted crackers. Eighteen panelists applied each palate cleanser and scored the astringency intensity of red wine over three successive ingestions and applied the palate cleanser for a second time. The panelists continued to rate astringency for another three successive ingestions (total of six ingestions). Data were analyzed by analysis of variance, a TI-averaging method and principal components analysis. Upon repeated ingestion, maximum intensity (Imax) and time at maximum intensity (Tmax) were found to increase (P < 0.05) with successive ingestions. Cracker was found to be more effective at decreasing perceived astringency than pectin and CBMC, with water being the least effective (P < 0.05). The identification of appropriate palate cleansers over repeated ingestion is important as it is often under these circumstances that sensory panels or wine tasting situations are conducted. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Astringency carry-over is a challenge in repeated wine tasting situations, specifically sensory panels, due to the buildup of astringency over successive ingestions. In this study, a comparison was made between the effectiveness of four palate cleansers, water, pectin, carboxymethylcellulose and cracker, in the reduction of perceived astringency over six ingestions of red wine. The cracker palate cleanser was found to be the most effective at reducing perceived astringency while water was found to be the least effective. The identification of appropriate palate cleansers over repeated ingestion is important as it is often under these circumstances that sensory panels or wine tasting situations are conducted. The use of cracker as an effective palate cleanser is of practical significance for both academic researchers and wine tasters alike.
Nitric Oxide (NO) Production by the Gut Vascular Endothelium Is Coupled to Flow Rate in 3-, but Not 35-Day Old Subjects

Nitric Oxide (NO) Production by the Gut Vascular Endothelium Is Coupled to Flow Rate in 3-, but Not 35-Day Old Subjects
vNUMA-mgr: Managing VM memory on NUMA platforms

Continuing improvements in the scale of many-core platforms are accompanied by increased asymmetry in their memory architectures. Such NUMA architectures, however, require systems software that understands this asymmetry to attain high levels of performance, leading to significant work in optimizing operating systems like Linux and Windows to increase locality of access to memory nodes and to consider differences in access latencies when accessing remote nodes. When running on today's virtualized hardware platforms, however, virtual machines (VMs) remain unaware of underlying memory architecture, leading to non-compliance with their operating system's (OS) policies for managing NUMA memory, and thereby, incurring undesirable performance overheads. This paper describes the vNUMA-mgr approach of dealing with the NUMA memory characteristics of future virtualized multicore architectures, which (1) properly manages VM memory at the hyper-visor (VMM) level through a set of VMM-level strategies, coupled with (2) 'enlightening' guest VM OSes, if possible, to aid their memory management, and also (3) provides mechanisms to maintain the distribution of VM memory (across physical nodes), even when memory is over-provisioned. The vNUMA-mgr implementation in the Xen VMM is evaluated with respect to each of its memory allocation strategies. The evaluation, which uses a set of memory-intensive benchmarks representative of many High-Performance Computing (HPC) applications, shows 30–50% performance improvement on our platform.
National epidemiology of cutaneous abscesses: 1996 to 2005

Abstract Objective Little has been reported regarding the national epidemiology of cutaneous abscesses. We examined the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) national estimates of all emergency department (ED) visits from 1996 to 2005 to determine the trend and the epidemiology of ED abscess visits. Methods Study design: retrospective analysis of NHAMCS databases for 1996 to 2005 available from the National Center for Health Statistics. Subjects: all patients with a first diagnosis of abscess based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification , diagnosis codes were selected for analysis. Measures: estimated total numbers and percentages of patients by year. Analysis: trends from 1996 through 2005 were examined overall and by demographic factors (eg, age, sex) and abscess characteristics (eg, body region affected). Linear regression was used to evaluate trends. Results Emergency department visits for abscesses more than doubled over the 10-year study period (1.2 million in 1996 to 3.28 million in 2005; trend, P Conclusions Emergency department visits for abscesses have shown a large increase since 1996; however, demographic and clinical factors are uniform across years.
3D ACOUSTIC PRESTACK REVERSE‐TIME MIGRATION1

A prestack reverse-time migration algorithm which operates on common-source gathers, recorded at the Earth's surface, from 3D structures, is conceived, implemented and tested. Reverse-time extrapolation of the recorded wavefield (a boundary-value problem), and computation of the excitation-time imaging condition for each point in a 3D volume (an initial-value problem), are both performed using a second-order finite-difference solution of the full 3D scalar wave equation. The algorithm is illustrated by processing synthetic data for a point diffractor, an oblique wedge, and the French double dome and fault model.
The use of postural vital signs in the assessment of fluid volume status

Postural or orthostatic vital signs, although frequently used in many clinical settings to aid in the diagnosis of fluid volume disturbance, can be a source of confusion. Practitioners often have questions about how to perform the test and may be uncertain about what results mean in various clinical situations. Some of this confusion is reflected in the literature, where studies on normal orthostatic responses seem to contradict clinically used parameters of "normal," and where very few studies appear on evaluating unusual responses as indicators of patients' fluid volume status. A review of existing literature is presented, in which relevant data are reviewed in terms of their impact on the use of this clinical sign. Recommendations regarding the use of the orthostatic test are given.
Ultraviolet light attenuates heat-inducible gene expression.

Ultraviolet light (UV) induces a stress response mediated through transcription factors such as NF-kB and AP-1, yet little is known about its effect on other transactivators of stress gene expression such as heat shock factor (HSF1). Analysis of UV-treated HeLa cells unexpectedly revealed uncoupling of the heat shock response. UV weakly induced HSF1 into its DNA bound state and markedly attenuated heat-inducible gene expression. HSF1 was further analyzed as a potential target for the uncharacteristic uncoupling of the thermal stress response by another type of stress. Heat-inducible multimerization and nuclear translocation of HSF1 were found to be intact in UV-treated cells; however, the monomeric rather than the multimeric form of HSF1 become hyperphosphorylated by UV. This effect could be partially abolished by the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine with partial reconstitution of hs gene expression. The reported role of a MAP kinase blockade of HSF1 transactivating properties could not be confirmed by an inhibitor of the MAP kinase pathway. Fibroblasts defective in SAP kinase activity also did not exhibit resistance to UV-inducible phosphorylation of HSF1. Two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping of HSF1 revealed a single tryptic peptide to be affected by UV, but no new pattern of phosphorylation was evident relative to tryptic phosphopeptide profile observed in control cells. These data suggest that UV uncoupling of the hs response possibly involves steps in addition to those associated with phosphorylation the monomeric form of HSF1. J. Cell. Physiol. 172:314–322, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Optical studies of high-field carrier transport of InN thick film grown on GaN

Transient Raman spectroscopy has been used to study electron transport in an InN film grown on GaN at T = 300K. Our experimental results demonstrate that under the subpicosecond laser excitation and probing, electron drift velocity of carriers in the F valley can exceed its steady-state value by as much as 40%. Electron velocities have been found to cut off at around 2 x 10 8 cm/s, significantly larger than those observed for other III-V semiconductors such as GaAs and InP. These experimental results suggest that InN is potentially an excellent material for ultrafast electronic devices.
Dynamical diffraction of x-rays under conditions of a rapidly changing structure factor: theory and possible applications for femtosecond x-ray studies

The diffraction of x-rays in crystalline materials is governed by the amplitudes of the Fourier transform of the electron density, commonly called the structure factors. A change in these amplitudes can be induced by a high-power laser and can lead to a number of interesting effects, like a sweep of the beam propagation direction that could be used for a device for time-resolved x-ray detection that bears some similarity to a streak camera and can potentially reach few-femtosecond resolution. Another effect that becomes relevant on subpicosecond timescales is the generation of frequency-shifted x-rays, which could be used in Mossbauer spectroscopy, or for the concentration of x-ray photons into a narrow energy band. Even small changes in the structure factors can produce a large effect through coherent interaction with the x-rays in a large crystalline volume. A theoretical treatment, based on the Takagi-Taupin theory of dynamical diffraction, is presented.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Yield Stress in Foods: Measurements and Applications

Though the presence of true yield stress has been debated, it has been accepted as an engineering reality. Now, yield stress is routinely measured and used in the food industry not only for basic process calculations and manufacturing practices, but also as a test for sensory and quality indices and to determine the effect of composition and manufacturing procedures on structural and functional properties. In this article, we present a comprehensive review of various measurement methods and the applications of yield stress in many practical situations. The measurement methods have been grouped under traditional and recent methods. An emphasis was placed on the development of measurement methods applied to a variety of foods, and the use of yield stress as a parameter to evaluate certain food material attributes: flow behavior, end-use quality, processability, composition, and so on.
Inhibition of macrophage inducible protein expression by delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

Macrophages have been shown to undergo a sequential process to full activation in response to priming and triggering signals such as gamma interferon (IFN gamma) and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These cells also may be driven directly to full activation by exposure to relatively high concentrations of LPS. Each of the stages to activation is associated with differential protein expression suggesting that newly synthesized proteins are associated with the functional activities attributable to that activation state. These observations indicate that protein profiles may serve as a barometer of the macrophage activation state. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive component in marijuana, was shown to inhibit inducible protein expression in response to the priming agents Concanavalin A (Con A) supernatant and IFN gamma. THC also suppressed protein expression in response to LPS. P388D1 and RAW264.7 macrophage-like cells, treated with Con A supernatant or IFN gamma, exhibited restructuring of protein profiles based on iso-Dalt two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Protein profile restructuring, distinctive from that elicited in response to priming agents, was seen for macrophages treated with LPS. Treatment of macrophages with Con A supernatant, IFN gamma, or LPS in concert with THC (10(-7) M to 10(-5) M), resulted in the generation of protein profiles whose patterns reverted approximately to those of unprimed or unactivated macrophages. THC was shown to alter the expression of select proteins whose induction is associated with macrophage priming or activation. The expression of P388D1 macrophage class II Ia molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), in response to Con A supernatant and IFN gamma, was inhibited. THC also altered the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) elicited by RAW264.7 cells in response to LPS. These results suggest that THC alters macrophage functional activities, at least in part, by suppressing their capacity to express effector molecules elicited in response to priming and activating signals.