cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The solubilization and separation of two forms of microsomal cytochrome P-450 from the house fly, Musca domestica l.

Abstract Microsomes prepared from house fly abdomens were solubilized with sodium deoxycholate and resolved on a DEAE cellulose column into two fractions containing cytochrome P-450. On the basis of spectral characteristics the cytochrome in a fraction eluting with 0.3M KCl is different from that eluting with 0.5M KCl. The two forms of P-450 were found in both susceptible and resistant strains of house flies. The P-450 in the 0.5M KCl eluting fraction appears to be more unstable than that in the 0.3M fraction. These results are in disagreement with those of other workers who have concluded that only one of two possible forms of cytochrome P-450 is present in a given strain of the house fly.
Avalanche mode operation of transistors

The fact that avalanche multiplication in a transistor can be used to provide regenerative feedback has been known for some time. Circuits utilizing this effect have been used to obtain very high switching speeds. Essentially all methods of analysis of such circuits have been based upon models developed for germanium alloy junction transistors. The experiments in this study were performed with silicon planar transistors. It was found that the performance of a transistor in the avalanche mode is greatly influenced by transverse voltages in the base region. The base currents duritig switching lead to a considerable pinch-in of the current carrying area of the transistor, and the dis­ tribution of the collector capacitance emphasizes this effect. 'A model for the avalanche transistor is developed which includes the changes resulting from pinch-in and is superior to previous models used for the analysis of avalanche switching. The necessary modifications to the previous model include a base spreading resistance through which most of the collector to base capacitance of the transistor must be coupled. If the pinch-in is severe, this resistance can become quite high and nearly isolate the capacitive feedback from the active area of the tran­ sistor. It is shown that transistors with collector breakdown voltages of 10 to 20 volts are potentially superior for avalanche operation. Operation with any lower breakdown voltage is found to be impractical because of the threshold effect in avalanche multiplication. This, rather than internal field emission, proves to be the important limitation upon
Carboxylate Shifts in the Active Site of the Hydroxylase Component of Soluble Methane Monooxygenase from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath)

Carboxylate anions constitute an especially versatile group of ligands in inorganic chemistry. Numerous complexes in which the electron lone pairs of a carboxylate anion are coordinated to one or more metal ions have been reported (R. C. Mehrotra, R. Bohra, 1983).
High-efficiency heterojunction crystalline Si solar cells

High-efficiency back-contact heterojunction crystalline Si (c-Si) solar cells with record-breaking conversion efficiencies of 26.7% for cells and 24.5% for modules are reported. The importance of thin-film Si solar cell technology for heterojunction c-Si solar cells with amorphous Si passivation layers in improving conversion efficiency and reducing production cost is demonstrated. Our attempts to reduce the production cost of a heterojunction c-Si solar cell by applying a SiO x layer prepared by a plasma-enhanced CVD method are presented. The characteristics of heterojunction c-Si solar cells are clarified by comparing them with those of practical homojunction solar cells, and crucial targets for industrialization of back-contact heterojunction c-Si solar cells are discussed. Owing to the recent improvement of c-Si solar cells and perovskite solar cells, conversion efficiencies over 30% have become a realistic target by using a two-terminal tandem structure with a heterojunction c-Si solar cell and a perovskite solar cell.
The Utilization of Chromosomal Microarray Technologies for Hematologic Neoplasms: An ACLPS Critical Review.

Objectives Chromosome (G-banding) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) serve as the primary methodologies utilized for detecting genetic aberrations in hematologic neoplasms. Chromosomal microarray can detect copy number aberrations (CNAs) with greater resolution when compared to G-banding and FISH, and can also identify copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (CN-LOH). The purpose of our review is to highlight a preselected group of hematologic neoplasms for which chromosomal microarray has the greatest clinical utility. Methods A case-based approach and review of the literature was performed to identify the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing chromosomal microarray for specific hematologic neoplasms. Results Chromosomal microarray identified CNAs and CN-LOH of clinical significance, and could be performed on fresh or paraffin-embedded tissue and liquid neoplasms. Microarray studies could not detect balanced rearrangements, low-level clones, or distinguish independent clones. Conclusions When utilized appropriately, chromosomal microarray can provide clinically significant information that complements traditional cytogenetic testing methodologies.
Muscle-specific effect of aging on beef tenderness.

Abstract Tenderness is a muscle-specific trait critically influencing consumers’ acceptance of beef and overall eating satisfaction. Muscles in a beef carcass differ in their biochemical properties and thus may respond differentially to postmortem aging. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to examine the effect of aging time on tenderness of beef longissimus lumborum (LL), psoas major (PM), and semitendinosus (ST). The LL, PM, and ST muscles obtained from eight (n = 8) beef carcasses were subjected to aging for 0, 7, 14, or 21 days, and tenderness was evaluated instrumentally. Muscle source and aging days influenced (P
Social capital and the voluntary provision of public goods

Abstract Individual contributions to public good investments are subject to the problem of free riding. We investigate the possibility of overcoming the free-riding problem through creating social capital via communication. Using data from a public goods experiment, we empirically test the effectiveness of two commonly used types of communication interventions in various organizations—structured, goal-oriented communication and unstructured, free-form communication—in creating social capital. Although both types of communication are found to reduce free-riding, when players stay in the same groups before and after communication, unstructured communication brings voluntary contributions closer to the efficient level persistently; structured communication is less successful. In contrast, structured communication is more successful when players are allocated to different groups after communication; unstructured communication has a smaller impact on voluntary contributions in this case.
Parent-reported prevalence of food allergies in children with autism spectrum disorder: National health interview survey, 2011–2015

Food allergies are frequently reported to co-occur with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the prevalence of this co-occurrence remains uncertain. In the present study, we examined parent-reported prevalence of co-occurring food allergy and ASD in a nationally representative sample of US children ages 2-17 in the National Health Interview Survey, study years 2011-2015. All analyses used survey weights to account for the complex sampling design. In the analytic sample of 53,365 children ages 2-17, there were 905 children with parent-reported ASD (prevalence of 1.7%) and 2,977 children with parent-reported food allergy (prevalence of 5.6%). Parent-reported food allergies were nearly 2.5 times more common in children with ASD (prevalence of 13.1%) than in children without ASD (5.4%). These results indicate that food allergies commonly co-occur with ASD, which may have etiological implications. Autism Research 2019, 12: 802-805. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Food allergies are frequently reported to occur with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the prevalence of this co-occurrence remains uncertain. In the present study, we examined parent-reported prevalence of co-occurring food allergy and ASD in a nationally representative sample of United States children. In the sample of 53,365 children ages 2-17, 1.7% of children were reported to have ASD, and 5.6% were reported to have food allergies. Parent-reported food allergies were nearly 2.5 times more common in children with ASD (13.1%) than in children without ASD (5.4%).
SReachTools: a MATLAB stochastic reachability toolbox

We present SReachTools, an open-source MATLAB toolbox for performing stochastic reachability of linear, potentially time-varying, discrete-time systems that are perturbed by a stochastic disturbance. The toolbox addresses the problem of stochastic reachability of a target tube, which also encompasses the terminal-time hitting reach-avoid and viability problems. The stochastic reachability of a target tube problem maximizes the likelihood that the state of a stochastic system will remain within a collection of time-varying target sets for a give time horizon, while respecting the system dynamics and bounded control authority. SReachTools implements several new algorithms based on convex optimization, computational geometry, and Fourier transforms, to efficiently compute over- and under-approximations of the stochastic reach set. SReachTools can be used to perform probabilistic verification of closed-loop systems and can also perform controller synthesis via open-loop, affine, and state-feedback controllers. The code base is available online at https://github.com/unm-hscl/SReachTools, and it is designed to be extensible and user friendly.
Mechanical Behavior of Hybrid Lattices Composed of Elastic and Elastoplastic Struts

AbstractThe mechanical behavior of cellular solids has been extensively studied in the literature. Nevertheless, possible structural effects of inhomogeneities in the form of elastoplastic struts h...
PAR4 activation involves extracellular loop 3 and transmembrane residue Thr153

Protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4) mediates sustained thrombin signaling in platelets and is required for a stable thrombus. PAR4 is activated by proteolysis of the N terminus to expose a tethered ligand. The structural basis for PAR4 activation and the location of its ligand binding site (LBS) are unknown. Using hydrogen/deuterium exchange (H/D exchange), computational modeling, and signaling studies, we determined the molecular mechanism for tethered ligand-mediated PAR4 activation. H/D exchange identified that the LBS is composed of transmembrane 3 (TM3) domain and TM7. Unbiased computational modeling further predicted an interaction between Gly48 from the tethered ligand and Thr153 from the LBS. Mutating Thr153 significantly decreased PAR4 signaling. H/D exchange and modeling also showed that extracellular loop 3 (ECL3) serves as a gatekeeper for the interaction between the tethered ligand and LBS. A naturally occurring sequence variant (P310L, rs2227376) and 2 experimental mutations (S311A and P312L) determined that the rigidity conferred by prolines in ECL3 are essential for PAR4 activation. Finally, we examined the role of the polymorphism at position 310 in venous thromboembolism (VTE) using the International Network Against Venous Thrombosis (INVENT) consortium multi-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis. Individuals with the PAR4 Leu310 allele had a 15% reduction in relative risk for VTE (odds ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.94) compared with the Pro310 allele. These data are consistent with our H/D exchange, molecular modeling, and signaling studies. In conclusion, we have uncovered the structural basis for PAR4 activation and identified a previously unrecognized role for PAR4 in VTE.
Framework for Seismic Damage and Renewal Cost Analysis of Buried Water Pipelines

AbstractBuried water pipelines suffer extensive damages when subjected to earthquake loading. Probable seismic damage of buried pipelines is typically estimated based on empirical analyses, where t...
Optimism and pessimism in bargaining and contests

Abstract This paper uses the rank-dependent expected utility (RDEU) model to capture the effects of optimism and pessimism on the choice between a pre-trial settlement and a trial (or more generally, between a private settlement and a litigation). These two legal procedures are described as a bargaining game and a contest game, respectively. My models predict that a contest occurs if the aggregate optimism premium in a contest (AOPC) is sufficiently high. I also find that the AOPC tends to be higher for close cases. Such predictions are consistent with the Priest-Klein empirical observation that a plaintiff's winning probability is often near 50% in many areas of civil litigation. I also show that the highest levels of effort in both a bargaining game and a contest game are exerted when one is moderately optimistic. However, excessive optimism will reduce one's effort level, and hence, one's winning rate. As a result, when faced with an excessively optimistic party, a risk-neutral party may prefer a contest over bargaining.
The Dynamics of Infectious Diseases Associated With Injection Drug Use in Lawrence and Lowell, Massachusetts.

Background There are a wide variety of infectious complications of injection drug use. Understanding the trajectory of these complications might inform the development of an early warning system for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) outbreaks that occur regularly among people who inject drugs (PWID). Methods A distributed lag Poisson regression model in the Bayesian setting was used to examine temporal patterns in the incidence of injection-associated infectious diseases and their association with HIV cases in Lawrence and Lowell, Massachusetts between 2005 and 2018. Results Current-month HIV counts are associated with fatal overdoses approximately 8 months prior, cases of infective endocarditis 10 months prior, and cases of skin and soft tissue infections and incision and drainage procedures associated with these infections 12 months prior. Conclusions Collecting data on these other complications associated with injection drug use by public health departments may be important to consider because these complications may serve as input to a sentinel system to trigger early intervention and avert potential outbreaks of HIV.
Animal Agriculture and Emission Reductions: The Viability of a Farm Transition Offset Protocol

Animal agriculture is one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offset markets have emerged as a mechanism that allows entities to reduce their overall climate impact by financing projects that decrease emissions elsewhere in the economy. This is the first report to analyze the viability of a carbon offset protocol that credits farms for transitioning from raising livestock to growing crops. This report finds that a livestock-to-plants farm transition satisfies all criteria for offset protocols. This report then provides a preliminary methodology to calculate the emission reductions associated with a farm transition. Carbon offset registries, legislative bodies, and administrative agencies may implement these findings to help address the environmental and social harms associated with our current food system.
The effect of next day responsibilities and an adaptive purchase task on cannabis demand.

Abstract Background The marijuana purchase task (MPT) is a commonly used behavioral economic measure of relative cannabis value (i.e. demand) that presents specific methodological concerns due to non-standardized measurement, variability in modality of use, and evolving legalization policies. Refinement of the task is critical to improve task ecological validity and accurate measurement of cannabis demand. The present study examined the construct validity of an adaptive MPT that allowed for participant selection of their preferred cannabis-based product and unit of measurement and the effect of next-day responsibilities on demand. Methods Participants reporting at least monthly cannabis use (N = 186, 40.3 % women, Mage = 33.59) were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk and completed the original MPT and our adaptive form with 2 next-day responsibilities scenarios (no responsibilities vs. morning job interview) for each MPT. Cannabis use motives, problems, and risk for cannabis use disorder were also assessed. Results Cannabis demand was sensitive to next-day responsibility, with higher hypothetical consumption observed in the no responsibilities condition. Responsibility-related decreases in Omax (F(1,185) = 4.83, p = .029, η2p = .03) were significantly greater on the adaptive MPT than the original MPT. Demand indices derived from the adaptive MPT were significantly correlated with cannabis problems (rbreakpoint = .19, rPmax = 0.18, relasticity=-0.18) and motives (rrange=-.32−.25), and demand metrics from the original MPT. Conclusions Results provide preliminary support for the construct validity of an adaptive MPT and suggest that early-morning work responsibilities may reduce cannabis demand. Continued research is needed to further refine this task and determine implications for cannabis use disorder intervention and prevention approaches.
An 'Unusual Jurisdictional Argument': The Codifier's Canon in Ayestas v. Davis

Not every one of a judge’s actions is judicial. Judges also engage in administrative tasks, such as hiring personnel. In Ayestas v. Davis, the Court has been asked to decide a jurisdictional question that rests on whether a particular authority was conferred on judges in their administrative or judicial capacities. This Essay offers a resolution to the jurisdictional issue by looking at the underlying statutory provision. By examining the provision’s codification in the United States Code, interpreted in light of the codifier’s canon, it can be seen that the relevant authority is judicial in nature.
Characterization of Bone Marrow Progenitor Cell Uterine Engraftment and Transdifferentiation

Regeneration of uterine tissue is an important physiological process that allows for maintenance of fertility after menstruation or pregnancy. Stem cells, especially bone marrow–derived progenitors, play a crucial role in this regeneration. Here, we describe the conversion of DsRed-labeled bone marrow–derived stem cells (BMDSCs) into specific uterine cell types with both differentiated and stem cell properties in a murine model. Irradiated recipient mice underwent bone marrow transplant with DsRed-expressing BMDSCs and were analyzed for engraftment and differentiation of BMDSCs in the uterus after 2, 6, and 16 weeks. Microarray and qRT-PCR analysis of bone marrow–derived cells obtained from the uterus identified upregulation of markers indicating a contribution to the population of stromal, epithelial, endothelial, and muscle cells, followed by a late expansion of epithelial cells. Other engrafted BMDSCs in the uterus were characterized by the continued expression of specific stem cell markers such as Sca1, CD44, CD146, and CD133, indicating the some BMDSCs remain as progenitor cells. BMDSCs established in recipient mice by the 16th week were sorted by flow cytometry using DsRed and progenitor cell surface markers. In vitro cell culture studies showed that single sorted cells had clonogenic properties. These results suggest that engrafted BMDSCs in the uterus had both a stem cell component and were able to differentiate into several differentiated cell types. The pool of progenitor cells likely continues to supply differentiated uterine cells in the process of uterine repair and remodeling.
Graft choice or drilling technique does not influence outcomes of ACL reconstruction in patients over forty-five.

To evaluate whether graft-type and tunnel location in ACL reconstruction impact patient-reported outcomes in individuals over the age of 45. From 2015 to 2018, patients over 45 years old undergoing primary ACL reconstruction without multi-ligamentous injuries were enrolled in an institutional registry. Baseline International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective scores, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS), Marx Activity Scale, and patient characteristics were collected. Follow-up occurred at a minimum of two years to obtain patient-reported outcomes. Of the 51 patients who qualified for the study, 44 (86.3%) patients were available at a minimum of two years after surgery date (range 24–60 months). Average age at time of surgery of the available patients was 51.6 ± 4.87 (range 45–66). Between femoral tunnel drilling methods, there were no differences in the proportion of patients achieving clinically significant improvement or post-operative outcome scores. While patients who received patellar tendon autografts were more likely to achieve clinically significant improvement in the KOOS sports subscale, there were no other differences in outcomes measures between graft types. Two patients had a retear of their graft, and an additional five patients complained of subjective instability. In patients over the age of 45, neither the method used to create the femoral tunnel nor the graft type used in ACL reconstruction caused a significant difference in post-operative PROMs with a minimum of two years of follow-up. Therapeutic IV, Case Series.
The boeing 747 is not immune against clear air turbulence

Upper-air analyses are presented for a case of strong turbulence, presumably CAT, that befell a Boeing 747 on November 4, 1970, near Nantucket Island. Although there were thunderstorms in the vicinity, the main cause for the incident seemed to have been shear-generated turbulence typical of CAT.
co2amp: A software program for modeling the dynamics of ultrashort pulses in optical systems with CO_2 amplifiers

A computer code for simulating the amplification of ultrashort mid-infrared laser pulses in CO2 amplifiers and their propagation through arbitrary optical systems is described. The code is based on a comprehensive model that includes an accurate consideration of the CO2 active medium and a physical optics propagation algorithm, and takes into account the interaction of the laser pulse with the material of the optical elements. The application of the code for optimizing an isotopic regenerative amplifier is described.
How Can Higher Education Best Support UAS Growth in America

This position paper considers how the university-based aviation training and education can best support the growth of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the U.S., including integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). The author briefly reviews the statements of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) on this topic, noting that both organizations are long-standing proponents of this technology. The author outlines four strategies or areas that could be employed: the use of academic and educational institutions in the performance of research and development (RD the need for stakeholders to work together to educate the public and lawmakers about UAS, their intended uses, and typical system capabilities and limitations; the idea of identifying specific needs in different populations, such of civil and commercial operations; and the infrastructure necessary to support the use of UAS. The author concludes that involving and engaging all stakeholders, providing a collaborative framework for R&D, ensuring access to airspace is routine and available, and educating the public and policymakers will result in in an environment that fosters the technological and monetary growth expected from this field.
Poly[[(acetonitrile)­lithium(I)]-μ3-tetra­fluoridoborato]

The structure of the title compound, [Li(BF4)(CH3CN)]n, consists of a layered arrangement parallel to (100) in which the Li+ cations are coordinated by three F atoms from three tetra­fluoridoborate (BF4−) anions and an N atom from an acetonitrile mol­ecule. The BF4− anion is coordinated to three different Li+ cations though three F atoms. The structure can be described as being built from vertex-shared BF4 and LiF3(NCCH3) tetra­hedra. These tetra­hedra reside around a crystallographic inversion center and form 8-membered rings.
High School Athletes and Concussions

No head injury is too severe to despair of, nor too trivial to ignore. —Hippocrates In 2006, Zackery Lystedt, age 13, was a star football player. 1 He was so talented that he played on both the off...
Energizing the Indian Economy: Obstacles to Growth in the Indian Oil and Gas Sector and Strategies fro Reform

India is rapidly becoming one of the largest consumers of energy in the world. At the same time, India continues to be hindered by bureaucratic delays, an archaic tax system, security problems and prohibitive investment regulations that have made expansion and consolidation in the petroleum sector difacult. This Note explores underlying structural problems in India’s investment, tax, and regulatory climate that have worked to the detriment of Indian oil and gas companies. This Note argues that corruption, problems associated with contractual stability, a restrictive investment climate, and security concerns have prevented meaningful mergers and acquisitions by Indian companies, prevented them from exploring oil and gas opportunities abroad, and have disadvantaged them with respect to their competitors in other countries. This Note further argues that despite India’s progress in liberalizing its economy, its government must work to address these core underlying problems in order to secure a stable and secure supply of energy to meet its growing demands.
Bibliotherapy for Children in Stepfamilies.

tepchildren comprise a rapidly growing segment of S the classroom population, and one that deserves special attention in the reading curriculum (Gray and Pippin 1984). Prior to becoming a member of a stepfamily, most children’s perceptions of stepfamily life are primarily derived from popular literature, which presents a highly negative portrayal, particularly of the stepmother. The character of the wicked stepmother prevails in world literature at least as far back as Greek mythology, and American children today are raised from infancy on fairy tales, such as Cinderella and Snow White, in which innocent children are unwelcome members of the stepmother’s household and are tormented cruelly by her. Unless professional educators charged with responsibility for selecting and purchasing reading material for today’s children make a conscious effort to provide modern stepchildren with alternative literary models of stepfamily life, negative, even frightening, pictures of stepfamily life will be the only ones routinely presented to children who are themselves involved in these relationships (Jacobson 1979). Such negative portrayals can be expected to affect a significant number of children in reading classes each year. The number of children who are stepchildren in at least one household is increasing every year. In 1965, there were 8 million U.S. stepchildren under the age of 18; by 1975, that number had grown to 15 million. As of 1980, 13 percent of all U.S. families were stepfamilies, and by 1983, 20 percent of American children were stepchildren (Visher and Visher 1983). In 1984, Gray and Pippin reported that 1,150,000 children would become stepchildren through divorce (850,000) or the death of a parent (300,000). Given this steady increase in the number of children involved in stepfamily relationships, it is quite likely
Business Interests and the Exchange Rate: Preferences Over Adoption of the Euro in Britain

This article contributes to the International Political Economy literature on special interests and monetary policy, which has been understudied. Through a longitudinal study of the preference of business interests on British membership of the euro, the author addresses two highly debated issues: (1) whether business actors are able to assess the distributional consequences of monetary integration on their welfare; and (2) whether they try to influence economic policy in a way that maximizes their interests. While these two questions are answered positively, the empirical findings reveal a more complex picture than anticipated in terms of the relationship between government and business. The government responded to the demands of export-oriented firms for adoption of the euro by buying time – through reassuring rhetoric and compensation – allowing for developments to occur that diminished the intensity of their preferences. International firms found innovative ways to work around the currency problem, and sterling eventually depreciated against the euro while the exchange rate between the two currencies became less volatile. As a result, internationally-oriented firms reverted to neutrality on the issue of British membership of the euro zone.
Jealousy experience and expression in romantic relationships

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews numerous factors that affect the experience and expression of romantic jealousy. Biology, culture, personality, relationships, situations, and strategic (partner-initiated) maneuversprovide a foundation for the study of romantic jealousy. These six factors work together to influence the type and intensity of affective responses, the extent of jealous cognition, and ultimately, the ways that members of the romantic triangle communicate about jealousy. Jealous affect and cognition influence one another, and often determine how one communicates about jealousy. Sometimes, communicative responses to jealousy are automatic responses to arousal or to intense emotions. There are six communicative functions related to jealousy: (1) preserving self-esteem, (2) maintaining the primary relationship, (3) reducing uncertainty about the primary relationship, (4) reducing uncertainty about the rival relationship,(5) restoring relational equity, and (6) reassessing the primary relationship. All of these functions have been shown to correspond with particular types of communicative responses to jealousy, such as negative affect expression, integrative communication, distributive communication, active distancing, surveillance behavior, and compensatory restoration.
Teaching Problem Students

Part 1: General Principles and Techniques for Managing Classrooms and Coping with Problem Students Choosing to Work with Problems Students and Creating a Context for Doing So Successfully. General Princioples and Techniques for Socialising Students and Resolving Conflicts. Teacher's Ideas about Coping with Problem Students Part 2: Students with Achievement Problems. Low-Achieving Students. Failure Syndrome Students. Overly Perfectionistic Students. Underachieving Students Part 3: Students with Hostility Problems. Hostile-Aggressive Students. Passive-Aggressive Students. Defiant Students Part 4: Student Role-Adjustment. Hyperactive Students. Distractible Students. Immature Students Problems Part 5: Students with Social Relationship Problems. Students Rejected by their Peers. Shy/Withdrawn Students Part 6: Conclusion. Looking Back - and Ahead
Inflammation And Er Stress Downregulate Bdh2 Expression And Dysregulate Intracellular Iron In Macrophages

Altered iron homeostasis is associated with many chronic diseases and characterized by misdistribution of iron that manifests in hypoferremia and iron retention in the reticuloendothelial system. Macrophages play a very important role in host defense and in iron homeostasis by engulfing senescent red blood cells and recycling iron. Hepcidin is the master iron regulating hormone that limits dietary iron absorption from the gut and limits iron egress from macrophages; therefore, upon infection macrophages retain iron to limit its bioavailability which limits bacterial growth. Recently, a short chain butyrate dehydrogenase type 2 (BDH2) protein was reported to contain an iron responsive element and to mediate cellular iron trafficking by catalyzing the synthesis of the mammalian siderophore that binds labile iron; therefore, BDH2 plays a crucial role in intracellular iron homeostasis. However, BDH2 expression and regulation in macrophages has not yet been described. Here we show that LPS-induced inflammation combined with ER stress led to massive BDH2 downregulation, increased the expression of ER stress markers, upregulated hepcidin expression, downregulated ferroportin, caused iron retention in macrophages, and dysregulated cytokine release from macrophages. We also show that ER stress combined with inflammation synergistically upregulated the expression of the iron carrier protein NGAL and the stress-inducible heme degrading enzyme heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) leading to iron liberation. However, vitamin D treatment prior to LPS exposure restored BDH2 expression. Taken together, the data suggest that inflammation combined with ER stress dysregulated intracellular iron homeostasis in macrophages. This is the first report to show that inflammation and ER stress downregulates the expression of BDH2 in human THP-1 macrophages. A clinical translational study of this finding will be conducted on patients with Alzheimer disease, cystic fibrosis disease and COPD compared to healthy subjects to investigate iron status i.e. anemia of chronic inflammation, iron indexes, inflammation markers (proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as IL-6 and MCP-1) and expression of BDH2, hepcidin-ferroprotin axis and intracellular iron retention in peripheral monocytes. Since vitamin D improves iron status, relieves ER stress and restores BDH2 expression we propose to translate our finding in a double blind clinical study where subjects will receive high dose of vitamin D or placebo as therapy to restore altered iron homeostasis.
Exogenous hormone use, reproductive factors, and risk of intracranial meningioma in females

Object The 2-fold higher incidence of meningioma in women compared with men has long suggested a role for hormonally mediated risk factors, but specific mechanisms remain elusive. Methods The study included data obtained in 1127 women 29–79 years of age with intracranial meningioma diagnosed among residents of Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, the San Francisco Bay Area, and 8 Texas counties between May 1, 2006, and October 6, 2011, and data obtained in 1092 control individuals who were frequency matched for age group and geography with meningioma patients. Results No association was observed for age at menarche, age at menopause, or parity and meningioma risk. Women who reported breastfeeding for at least 6 months were at reduced risk of meningioma (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.63–0.96). A significant positive association existed between meningioma risk and increased body mass index (p < 0.01) while a significant negative association existed between meningioma risk and current smoking (p < 0.01). Among pr...
Effects of segregation on the packing of spherical and nonspherical particles

Abstract The packing of particles is important in the processing of the powders and in the ultimate properties of articles processed from the powders. Using an apparatus originally designed for the experimental determination of the packing density of powders, segregation effects with spherical and nonspherical particles with low aspect ratios were studied. The segregation of the powder samples according to particle sizes occurred upon vibration of the bed, following the well-known mechanisms of segregation according to size and elutriation segregation due to entrainment of particles in air. Segregation effects were also demonstrated with a melamine powder which consisted of nonspherical particles with low aspect ratios. Furthermore, additional data are provided for the packing density values of spherical particles with multimodal particle size distributions, which further support the theory of Ouchiyama and Tanaka on the packing of spherical particles, when segregation effects are not significant.
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: Diagnosis and Early Management

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is the only congenital heart lesion that requires the talents of the neonatologist, pediatric cardiologist, and cardiovascular surgeon operating and communicating as a team to effect the desired outcome of survival with normal neurodevelopment. Prenatal diagnosis, initial resuscitation, and preoperative management are key elements that allow the best opportunity for low surgical morbidity and mortality in the affected infant. Physicians and nurses caring for such infants must understand the physiology of oxygen delivery and the response of the neonatal pulmonary and systemic vascular bed to interventions that affect the balance between systemic and pulmonary blood flow. Outcomes with current surgical management, including the Norwood procedure and the Sano modification, are equivalent to those associated with the arterial switch procedure and repair of neonatal tetralogy of Fallot. Families of infants born with HLHS should be encouraged by the current results of palliation and long-term outcome.
A model for shear stress-induced deformation of a flow sensor on the surface of vascular endothelial cells.

Fluid mechanical shear stress elicits humoral, metabolic, and structural responses in vascular endothelial cells (ECs); however, the mechanisms involved in shear stress sensing and transduction remain incompletely understood. Beyond being responsive to shear stress, ECs distinguish among and respond differently to different types of shear stress. Recent observations suggest that endothelial shear stress sensing may occur through direct interaction of the flow with cell-surface structures that act as primary flow sensors. This paper presents a mathematical model for the shear stress-induced deformation of a flow sensor on the EC surface. The sensor is modeled as a cytoskeleton-coupled viscoelastic structure exhibiting standard linear solid behavior. Since ECs respond differently to different types of flow, the deformation and resulting velocity of the sensor in response to steady, non-reversing pulsatile, and oscillatory flow have been studied. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the results to changes in various model parameters including the magnitude of applied shear stress, the constants that characterize the viscoelastic behavior, and the pulsatile flow frequency (f) has been investigated. The results have demonstrated that in response to a suddenly applied shear stress, the sensor exhibits a level of instantaneous deformation followed by gradual creeping to the long-term response. The peak deformation increases linearly with the magnitude of the applied shear stress and decreases for viscoelastic constants that correspond to stiffer sensors. While the sensor deformation depends on f for low f values, the deformation becomes f -independent above a critical threshold frequency. Finally, the peak sensor deformation is considerably larger for steady and non-reversing pulsatile flow than for oscillatory flow. If the extent of sensor deformation correlates with the intensity of flow-mediated endothelial signaling, then our results suggest possible mechanisms by which ECs distinguish among steady, non-reversing pulsatile, and oscillatory shear stress.
A Note on a Generalization of Waring's Formula

We show Zeng's “corrected” form of the generalized Waring formula is, in fact, equivalent to Konvalina's original form.
Interactive multi-objective design of long-span trusses

The research presented develops a method for capturing user design preferences interactively and then incorporating these preferences into the multi-objective optimization of long-span trusses. A self-organizing map groups truss designs found in genetic algorithm populations based on information concerning quantifiable truss features. The user interactively selects preferred designs by examining representative truss designs from each group. A hybrid neural network trains on the user selections and is used by the multi-objective genetic algorithm to predict whether a user prefers new trusses in new truss designs. The predicted truss preferences are used in combination with structural design criteria during fitness evaluation, selection, and ranking. The addition of user preferences generates more design alternatives on the Pareto-optimal front and the designs evolved reflect the user preferences in addition to optimizing structural criteria.
Association Between Time Spent Interpreting, Level of Confidence, and Accuracy of Screening Mammography

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of time spent viewing images and level of confidence on a screening mammography test set on interpretive performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Radiologists from six mammography registries participated in this study and were randomized to interpret one of four test sets and complete 12 survey questions. Each test set had 109 cases of digitized four-view screening screen-film mammograms with prior comparison screening views. Viewing time for each case was defined as the cumulative time spent viewing all mammographic images before recording which visible feature, if any, was the “most significant finding.” Log-linear regression fit via the generalized estimating equation was used to test the effect of viewing time and level of confidence in the interpretation on test set sensitivity and false-positive rate. RESULTS. One hundred nineteen radiologists completed a test set and contributed data on 11,484 interpretations. The radiologists spent more t...
A fluorescence-based imaging-fiber electrode chemical sensor for hydrogen peroxide

Abstract The fabrication and characterization of imaging fiber electrodes (IFEs) is presented, and the concept of an electrochemically-modulated, fluorescence-based, imaging-fiber electrode chemical sensor (IFECS) is demonstrated. In brief, an imaging fiber distal tip was sputter-coated with a semi-transparent gold layer to create an IFE, and a fluorescent redox dye was immobilized across the IFE face to create an IFECS. An electroactive analyte was imaged by monitoring the change in the immobilized redox dye’s fluorescence following its homogeneous electron transfer reaction with the electroactive analyte. Fluorescence images were collected through the IFECS and detected by an epi-fluorescence microscope/CCD imaging system. Cyclic voltammetry and fluorescence microscopy were utilized to characterize the electrochemical and fluorescence properties of IFECSs. Reversible voltammetry was observed for the rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RBITC) redox couple at IFEs. IFECSs using RBITC as the fluorescent redox dye and Nafion as the immobilization polymer were fabricated to detect hydrogen peroxide. The IFECS’s RBITC-fluorescence was decreased by ∼27% upon exposure to 250 μM hydrogen peroxide and ∼95% of the original fluorescence was observed following the electrochemical regeneration of the Nafion-immobilized RBITC. These IFECSs represent the first union in which remote fluorescence imaging of an electroactive analyte can be performed through the actual fiber-optic electrode itself.
Viscous energy dissipation in a model of the human bronchial tree.

Abstract The viscous energy dissipation in a two generation model of the human bronchial tree is determined from inspiratory velocity and static pressure data obtained for large Reynolds numbers (10 4 Re 5 ). This dissipation is found to be an increasing function of both Re and distance downstream from the inlet of the model. The ratio of the dissipation in the model to the energy dissipation in an equivalent straight pipe system is determined. This ratio, Z ∗ , for the model is compared to values in the literature for lower (laminar) Re . There is more dissipation in the branched model than in a straight pipe ( Z ∗ > 1 ) and turbulence keeps Z ∗ at roughly a fixed value for large Reynolds numbers (10 4 Re 5 ). Z ∗ values for curved pipes are also compared to the branching system values. It is found that the energy dissipation for the branched model behaves similarly to that in curved pipes.
Imaging brain amyloid in nondemented young adults with Down syndrome using Pittsburgh compound B.

Abstract Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most common causes of intellectual disability. Although DS accounts for only 15% of all individuals with intellectual disabilities, adults with DS account for approximately 60% of individuals with intellectual disabilities and Alzheimer's disease. This is thought to be because of overproduction of the β-amyloid (Aβ) protein due to trisomy for the Aβ precursor protein gene on chromosome 21. Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) is a noninvasive in vivo positron emission tomography tracer used to image amyloid deposition in living humans. Studies using PiB have shown an age-dependent asymptomatic amyloid deposition in more than 20% of the cognitively normal elderly population. Presymptomatic carriers of presenilin (PS-1) and Aβ precursor protein gene mutations who are destined to develop Alzheimer's disease also show preclinical amyloid deposition. This report describes a pilot study involving the use of PiB in seven adults with DS (age: 20–44 years). Compared with objective cutoffs for amyloid positivity in older non-DS cognitively normal control subjects, only two of the seven DS subjects (age: 38 and 44 years) showed increased PiB retention. The remaining five subjects aged between 20 and 35 years showed no detectable increase in PiB retention. Interestingly, the two subjects who showed elevated PiB retention showed a striatal-predominant pattern similar to that previously reported for PS-1 mutation carriers. These results demonstrate the feasibility of conducting PiB positron emission tomography scanning in this special population, and suggest a link between Aβ overproduction and early striatal deposition of fibrillar Aβ.
A statistical evaluation and comparison of coastal point source Dispersion Models

Abstract Fumigation caused by elevated sources in coastal areas has been simulated by two base models: the CRSTER Shoreline Fumigation Model (CSFM) and the Shoreline Dispersion Model (SLDM). This study consisted of evaluating the two base models along with variations of the SLDM model. The statistical evaluation procedures involved the use of scatterplots, variances, total root mean square error and systematic root mean square error. In addition, an index of agreement value ( d ) was used in place of the standard statistical correlation coefficient ( r ) because of the restrictive nature of the correlation coefficient. The 2-y comprehensive Nanticoke, Canada power plant study was used for evaluation purposes. The 13 test cases taken from the data base met the criteria of daytime onshore flow and sufficient land-water temperature difference. The statistical evaluation indicated that the SLDM model performed better than the CSFM base model. This decision was based on (among other factors) the comparatively high index of agreement values (0.76 vs 0.46) for the SLDM model. Reasons for the comparatively poor performance of the CSFM model are given in terms of the Pasquill-Gifford curves vs the convective velocity scaling approach of the SLDM model and also the point source vs areal type dispersion approach. Two variations of the SLDM model were then evaluated. This evaluation indicated that the SLDM/downdraft model outperformed the SLDM/empirical model but was not better than the base SLDM model.
Peer Cohorts and the Unintended Consequences of Freshman Learning Communities

First-year programs and freshman learning communities (FLCs) have become an institutionalized feature of the higher-education landscape. Although a vast amount of literature asserts the positive consequences of these programs, less attention has been devoted to the unintended, and occasionally negative, consequences of FLCs. The author identifies the formation of the "peer cohort" as the central intended consequence of FLCs that also produces unintended student behaviors that may hinder student learning, student development, and faculty-student relations. A number of social-psychological theoretical principles are used to illustrate the peer cohort dynamics that emerge in FLCs.