cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CRY1/2 Selectively Repress PPARδ and Limit Exercise Capacity

Summary Cellular metabolite balance and mitochondrial function are under circadian control, but the pathways connecting the molecular clock to these functions are unclear. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) enables preferential utilization of lipids as fuel during exercise and is a major driver of exercise endurance. We show here that the circadian repressors CRY1 and CRY2 function as co-repressors for PPARδ. Cry1 −/− ; Cry2 −/− myotubes and muscles exhibit elevated expression of PPARδ target genes, particularly in the context of exercise. Notably, CRY1/2 seem to repress a distinct subset of PPARδ target genes in muscle compared to the co-repressor NCOR1. In vivo, genetic disruption of Cry1 and Cry2 enhances sprint exercise performance in mice. Collectively, our data demonstrate that CRY1 and CRY2 modulate exercise physiology by altering the activity of several transcription factors, including CLOCK/BMAL1 and PPARδ, and thereby alter energy storage and substrate selection for energy production.
A materials perspective on Li-ion batteries at extreme temperatures

Thermal effects on batteries, both due to external variations and internal fluctuations, significantly impact their performance. Ajayan and colleagues survey recent advances in understanding the thermal effects on individual battery components.
Three-Day Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections

AbstractThere is little rationale to support the currently accepted 10 to 14-day treatment period for urinary tract infection. To assess the cure rate in patients given 3 days compared to the standard 10-day period of antimicrobial therapy a prospective trial was designed to test the over-all effectiveness of each treatment. Sixty patients were randomized to either penicillin-G or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for either 3 or 10 days. Urine and external vaginal cultures were done before therapy was instituted, at day 3 while on therapy and 7 days after the completion of treatment. The over-all cure rate in the short-term treatment group was 86 per cent and in the long-term treatment group it was 88 per cent.Patients receiving trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole had a much better response to clearance of the pathogenic bacteria from the external vagina but this did not correlate with clearance of the bladder bacteriuria. Bacterial sensitivities on the external vaginal cultures suggest that in some patients 10 da...
Recent Arguments against the Gold Standard

The presidential primary contests of 2011–12 brought renewed attention to the idea of reinstituting a gold standard. The 2012 Republican Party platform ultimately included a plank calling for the creation of a commission to study the issue.The favorable attention given to the idea of reinstituting a gold standard has attracted criticism of the idea from a variety of sources. Considered here are the most important arguments against the gold standard that have been made by economists and economic journalists in recent years.A few recent arguments are novel to some extent, but not all add weight to the case against a gold standard. Several authors identify genuine historical problems that they blame on the gold standard when they should instead blame central banks for having contravened the gold standard.Gold standards, being real-world human institutions, fall short of perfection. No doubt a well-trained academic economist can describe on the whiteboard an ideal monetary system that produces greater stability in the purchasing power of money than a gold standard does — or scores higher on whatever one criterion the economist favors — while sparing us a gold standard’s resource costs by employing fiat money. But other well-trained economists have proposed different criteria, and even a flawless central bank cannot pursue all criteria with one policy.More important, fiat standards in practice have been far from perfect monetary systems. We need to examine historical evidence if we want to come to an informed judgment about whether actual gold-based systems or actual fiat based systems display the smaller set of flaws. I find that the most automatic and least managed kind of gold-based system — a gold standard with free banking — can be expected to outperform a gold standard with central banking and to outperform the kind of fiat monetary systems that currently prevail.
Do We Understand Somaclonal Variation

Tissue culture is clearly a mutagenic procedure. Although some progenies of regenerated plants may be highly productive and appear normal in all measured traits, most have detectable variation not present in the controls. The tissue culture process itself appears to be inducing these alterations as the cells proliferate in a relatively undifferentiated state. Probably all forms of mutational events that can occur in nature also happen in tissue cultured cells. However, certain mutational events appear to occur in exceedingly high frequencies in plant tissue cultures. These events may vary in frequency among species, genotypes, explant source, media, etc., but, in general, elevated mutational events appear to occur regardless of the specific cultured materials or conditions. The unusually frequent events include the following: 1) Single gene mutations; 2) Transposable element activation; 3) Quantitative trait variation; and 4) Chromosome breakage. In this paper, we will propose a hypothesis attempting to relate these four seemingly different kinds of heritable variation.
Reward Predictive Representations Generalize Across Tasks in Reinforcement Learning

One question central to reinforcement learning is which representations can be generalized or re-used across different tasks. Existing algorithms that facilitate transfer typically are limited to cases in which the transition function or the optimal policy is portable to new contexts, but achieving "deep transfer" characteristic of human behavior has been elusive. This article demonstrates that model reductions that minimize error in predictions of reward outcomes generalize across tasks with different transition and reward functions. Such state representations compress the state space of a task into a lower dimensional representation by combining states that are equivalent in terms of both the transition and reward functions. Because only state equivalences are considered, the resulting state representation is not tied to the transition and reward functions themselves and thus generalizes across tasks with different reward and transition functions. The presented results motivate further experiments to investigate if humans or animals learn such a representation, and whether neural systems involved in state representation reflect the modeled equivalence relations.
The effective magnetic moments of Co2+ and Co3+ in SrTiO3 investigated by temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility

Abstract The magnetic behavior of Co2+ and Co3+ ions doped into a well-known perovskite, SrTiO3, is investigated. We report the change in the effective magnetic moment of the cobalt ions, based on temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements, as a function of their formal valence. A low Co content (4%) is chosen to minimize the effects of Co-Co interactions and the co-dopant Nb5+ is employed to control the Co valence. The materials have formulas SrTi0.96-xCo0.04NbxO3, with x between x = 0.04 (Co3+) and x = 0.08 (Co2+). Both standard Curie-Weiss analysis and Kotani-type analysis reach the same conclusions: neither Co2+ nor Co3+ is in a low moment magnetic state when doped into SrTiO3, and no temperature-induced spin state transitions are observed.
Understanding ‘clause’ as an emergent ‘unit’ in everyday conversation

Linguists generally assume ‘clause’ to be a basic unit for the analysis of grammatical structure. Data from natural conversations, however, suggests that ‘clause’ may not be grammaticized to the same extent across languages. Understanding ‘clause’ as a predicate (plus any arguments, inferred or expressed), we can show that participants do indeed organize their talk around ‘clauses’. I argue that English-speaking participants in everyday interaction do indeed orient to clausal units as so defined, by building their turns around predicates, and that these turns do key interactional work. The data further reveal that these units must be understood as emergent structures, recurrent patterns in a given language that emerge from humans pursuing their ordinary interactional business of communicating information, needs, identities, attitudes, and desires.
Take the First Available Heart: Use of Higher-Risk Donors in Recipients with Pre-Transplant Mechanical Circulatory Support

Purpose Availability of heart transplantation (HTx) is limited by donor supply. We evaluated the post-transplant outcomes of higher-risk organs in recipients supported with pre-HTx mechanical circulatory support (MCS) Methods In this retrospective analysis of the UNOS registry, a total of 18,338 adult patients underwent HTx from 1/2010 to 3/2018. Multi-organ transplant patients were excluded. Higher-risk organs were defined as meeting at least one of the following: donor ejection fraction 55, or ischemic time>240 minutes. The primary outcome was overall 1-year post-transplant survival Results Among HTx recipients, 4,381 (23.9%) had higher-risk donor hearts, including 3,684 recipients who had donor to recipient predicted heart mass ratio mismatch and 428 recipients with elderly donor age. There were 133 (0.7%) patients supported with pre-HTx extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), with 39 and 94 receiving higher-risk and normal-risk organs, respectively. In this subgroup, the higher-risk organ recipients were more likely to be male (82.1 vs. 60.6%; p=0.02) (Figure 1). There was no association between use of higher-risk organs in pre-HTx ECMO patients and overall 1-year survival (71.6% [95% CI: 61.2-79.7] vs. 66.8% [95% CI: 48.8-79.7], p=0.72) (Figure 1). There were 3,776 (20.6%) patients supported with pre-HTx durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD), with 884 and 2,892 receiving higher-risk and normal-risk organs respectively. Similarly, there was no association between use of higher-risk organs in pre-HTx durable LVAD patients and overall 1-year survival (90.6% [95% CI: 88.4-92.4] vs. 90.7% [95% CI: 89.5-91.7], p=0.34) Conclusion In patients supported with pre-HTx ECMO or LVAD, those who received carefully selected higher-risk organs did not have worse overall 1-year post-transplant survival. Utilization of higher-risk organs in HTx may be a feasible option to avoid prolonged MCS
Improved oncologic outcomes for minimally invasive left pancreatectomy: Propensity‐score matched analysis of the National Cancer Database

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Minimally invasive (MIS) left pancreatectomy (LP) is increasingly used to treat pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Despite improved short-term outcomes, no studies have demonstrated long-term benefits over open resection. METHODS The National Cancer Database was queried between 2010 and 2016 for patients with PDAC, grouped by surgical approach (MIS vs open). Demographics, comorbidities, clinical staging, and pathologic staging were used for propensity-score matching. Perioperative, short-term oncologic, and survival outcomes were compared. RESULTS After matching, both cohorts included 805 patients. There were no differences in baseline characteristics, staging, or preoperative therapy between cohorts. The MIS cohort had a shorter length of stay (6.8 ± 5.5 vs 8.5 ± 7.3 days; P < .0001) with the trend toward improved time to chemotherapy (53.9 ± 26.1 vs 57.9 ± 29.9 days; P = .0511) and margin-positive resection rate (15.3% vs 18.9%; P = .0605). Lymph node retrieval and receipt of chemotherapy were similar. The MIS cohort had higher median overall survival (28.0 vs 22.1 months; P = .0067). Subgroup analysis demonstrated the highest survival for robotic compared with laparoscopic and open LP (41.9 vs 26.6 vs 22.1 months; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the safety of MIS LP and favorable long-term oncologic outcomes. The improved survival after MIS LP warrants further study with prospective, randomized trials.
Effects of pH and Structure on the Mutagenic Activity of N-Nitroso Compounds

N-nitroso compounds comprise a class of chemicals containing a wide variety of carcinogens and mutagens.(1–4) These compounds have been of theoretical and practical interest to researchers for a number of reasons, such as their organo-tropic tumor induction, the large variability in the potencies and target organs of various N-nitroso compounds, the relatively simple metabolism and breakdown of the lower molecular weight compounds, and the fact that some members of this class of compounds are environmental chemicals or can be formed in vivo from nitrite and secondary or tertiary amines under acidic conditions.(1–4)The contribution to human cancer caused by continued exposure to low levels of N-nitroso compounds is uncertain, but exposure of pregnant mice to levels of 10 ppb of DMN resulted in significant lung tumor formation in the male progeny.(5) A generalized scheme for the metabolism and decomposition of N-nitroso compounds is given in Figure 1.(2)
Lymphedema Symptom Intensity and Distress Surveys-Truncal and Head and Neck, Version 2.0.

Background: A comparison of symptom prevalence, intensity, and distress for participants with truncal lymphedema, head and neck lymphedema, and no lymphedema identified a need for a truncal-specific, lymphedema-related symptom assessment tool and a revision of the Lymphedema Symptom Intensity and Distress Survey-Head and Neck (LSIDS-H&N). The purpose of this study was to institute the development of the Lymphedema Symptom Intensity and Distress Survey-Truncal (LSIDS-T) and revise the LSIDS-H&N. Methods and Results: A comprehensive midline measure and subsequent series of analyses were used to develop the LSIDS-T and revise the initial LSIDS-H&N. Participants included 97 without lymphedema, 82 with truncal lymphedema, and 72 with head and neck lymphedema. Cluster analysis for the LSIDS-T resulted in five clusters with a total of 21 items. Cluster analysis for the LSIDS-H&N resulted in seven clusters with a total of 31 items. Key correlations in expected directions were found with the validated measures for both surveys, and correlations with the Marlowe Crown Social Desirability Scale did not indicate issues with social desirability of response. Conclusion: The 24-item LSIDS-T and the 31-item revised LSIDS-H&N v.2 are promising additions to the suite of other LSIDS measures for use in clinical environments.
تأثير التعرض للدراما عبر المنصات الرقمية على أنماط علاقة الشباب بالدراما التليفزيونية

جاءت هذه الدراسة التي ترصد وتحلل وتفسر أنماط مشاهدة الشباب المصري للدراما التليفزيونية في المنصات الرقمية الإلکترونية وتأثيراتها على مشاهدتهم للتليفزيون والمواد الدرامية التي يقدمها. بناءا على الدراسة المسحية التي طبقت على عينة عشوائية بسيطة من الشباب المصري في المرحلة العمرية (18- 35) عام، لدراسة طبيعة استخدامهم للمنصات الرقمية لمشاهدة الدراما التليفزيونية وتأثيره على مشاهدتهم لها في التليفزيون؛ بينت النتائج أن الشباب المصري أصبح معتادا على هذا النمط من المشاهدة الدرامية عبر الإنترنت، فقد أصبح يعيش في بيئة رقمية تحيط به من کل جانب وتتداخل مع مختلف الأدوار الحياتية التي يؤديها، ومن ثم کان من المنطقي أن يلتمس مشاهدة الدراما من خلال هذا الوسيط الإلکتروني، وإن جاءت معدلات متابعته للدراما التليفزيونية عبر هذه الوسائط على فترات متباعدة وليست بشکل منتظم أو کثيف، نظرا لطغيان عادات مشاهدة الدراما عبر التليفزيون والتي استقرت لسنوات طويلة وأصبحت عادة ومتعة في آن واحد. وتشير هذه النتائج إلى متغير بارز يتمثل في أن المشاهدة الدرامية عبر التليفزيون لا تزال تؤثر تأثيرا مباشرا على المشاهدة عبر المنصات الرقمية، وهو ما يتضح من تفضيل الشباب متابعة الدراما التليفزيونية عبر التليفزيون بشکل يفوق نسبة تفضيلهم لمتابعة الدراما التليفزيونية عبر الإنترنت، وهي نتيجة طبيعية ومنطقية وتم تفسيرها من خلال إجابات الشباب أنفسهم عن أسباب ذلک، والذي کان بشکل أساسي بسبب الجو عائلي أو الجماعي للمشاهدة والاندماج مع العمل. في حين أن النسبة الأقل التي فضلت الإنترنت ومنصاتها الرقمية لمشاهدة الدراما عن التليفزيون کانت مدفوعة بعوامل التميز للبيئة الرقمية والتي تمثلت في المشاهدة في أي وقت وأي مکان، مع إمکانية التحکم في المشاهدة وممارسة العديد من الأدوار والأعمال إلى جانب المشاهدة الدرامية. وجاءت يوتيوب في صدارة المنصات التي يفضل الشباب متابعة الدراما التليفزيونية عبرها ثم شبکات التواصل الاجتماعي، ويتفق ذلک مع الشهرة الواسعة التي حققتها يوتيوب في مختلف أنحاء العالم والمنطقة العربية ومصر أيضا لمشاهدة مختلف أنواع المواد المرئية ومن بينها الدراما. أما على المستوى العکسي، والذي اهتمت الدراسة برصده وقياسه بشکل رئيسي، والمتعلق بتأثير مشاهدة الدراما في الإنترنت على تقليل مشاهدتها في التليفزيون؛ فقد اتضح أن 32% من الشباب قلت مشاهدتهم بدرجة کبيرة و24% قلت مشاهدتهم بدرجة ضعيفة و16% قلت مشاهدتهم بدرجة متوسطة مقابل 28% لم تقل مشاهدتهم على الإطلاق، وهو ما يکشف على المحور العکسي أن هناک أيضا تأثيرا مماثلا لمشاهدة الدراما في الإنترنت على مشاهدتها في التليفزيون. وهو ما اختبرته الدراسة بشکل إحصائي وأثبتت صحته، فقد ثبت وجود علاقة ارتباطية دالة عکسية بين معدلات متابعة المبحوثين للدراما التليفزيونية عبر الإنترنت وانخفاض مشاهدتهم لها في التليفزيون، فکلما زادت الأولى انخفضت الثانية. کما ثبت وجود علاقة ارتباطية دالة بين متابعة المبحوثين للدراما التليفزيونية عبر الإنترنت وتفضيل وسيلة معينة لمتابعة الدراما التليفزيونية. وأوضح اختبار بيرسون وجود علاقة ارتباطية دالة إحصائيا بين متابعة المبحوثين للدراما التليفزيونية عبر الإنترنت وبين اتجاهاتهم نحو الدراما التليفزيونية، وهو ما يؤکد أن متابعة المبحوثين للدراما عبر المنصات الرقمية أسهمت في تشکيل اتجاهات المبحوثين نحو الدراما التليفزيونية.
Impact of Cancer History on Outcomes Among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Early reports suggested increased mortality from COVID-19 in patients with cancer but lacked rigorous comparisons to patients without cancer. We investigated whether a current cancer diagnosis or cancer history is an independent risk factor for death in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified patients with a history of cancer admitted to two large hospitals between March 13, 2020, and May 10, 2020, with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and matched them 1:2 to patients without a history of cancer. RESULTS: Men made up 56.2% of the population, with a median age of 69 years (range, 30-96). The median time since cancer diagnosis was 35.6 months (range, 0.39-435); 80% had a solid tumor, and 20% had a hematologic malignancy. Among patients with cancer, 27.8% died or entered hospice versus 25.6% among patients without cancer. In multivariable analyses, the odds of death/hospice were similar (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65-1.82). The odds of intubation (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.28-0.78), shock (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.32-0.91), and intensive care unit admission (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.32-0.81) were lower for patients with a history of cancer versus controls. Patients with active cancer or who had received cancer-directed therapy in the past 6 months had similar odds of death/hospice compared with cancer survivors (univariable OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.66-2.60; multivariable OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 0.69-3.16). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with a history of cancer hospitalized for COVID-19 had similar mortality to matched hospitalized patients with COVID-19 without cancer, and a lower risk of complications. In this population, patients with active cancer or recent cancer treatment had a similar risk for adverse outcomes compared with survivors of cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study investigated whether a current cancer diagnosis or cancer history is an independent risk factor for death or hospice admission in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Active cancer, systemic cancer therapy, and a cancer history are not independent risk factors for death from COVID-19 among hospitalized patients, and hospitalized patients without cancer are more likely to have severe COVID-19. These findings provide reassurance to survivors of cancer and patients with cancer as to their relative risk of severe COVID-19, may encourage oncologists to provide standard anticancer therapy in patients at risk of COVID-19, and guide triage in future waves of infection.
The evolution of cost-productivity and efficiency among US credit unions

Abstract Advances in information-processing technology have eroded the advantages of small scale and proximity to customers that traditionally enabled small lenders to thrive. Nonetheless, the membership and market share of US credit unions have increased, though their average size has also risen. We investigate changes in the efficiency and productivity of US credit unions during 1989–2006 by benchmarking the performance of individual firms against an estimated order- α quantile lying “near” the efficient frontier. We construct a cost analog of the Malmquist productivity index, which we decompose to estimate changes in cost and scale efficiency, and changes in technology. We find that cost-productivity fell on average across all credit unions but especially among smaller credit unions. Smaller credit unions confronted a shift in technology that increased the minimum cost required to produce given amounts of output. All but the largest credit unions also became less scale efficient over time.
The sticky surgical floor: An analysis of female authorship trends in vascular surgery.

Abstract Objective Prior research in vascular surgery has identified significant gender disparities in leadership positions, but few data exist regarding gender disparities in vascular publications. This study aims to evaluate authorship trends by gender in the three highest impact factor vascular surgery journals. Methods In this bibliometric analysis, PubMed was searched for articles published in the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, the Journal of Vascular Surgery, and Annals of Vascular Surgery from 2015 to 2019. The web-based application Genderize used predictive algorithms to classify names of first and last authors as male or female. Statistical analyses regarding trends in authorship were performed using Stata16. Results A total of 6457 articles were analyzed, with first author gender predicted with >90% confidence in 83% (4889/5796) and last author gender in 88% (5078/5796). Overall, 25% (1223/4889) of articles had women first authors, and 10% (501/5078) had women last authors. From 2015 to 2019, there was a slight increase in the proportion of articles written by women first authors (P = .001), but no increase in the proportion of articles written by women last authors (P = .204). The proportion of articles written by women last authors was lower than the proportion of active women vascular surgeons in 2015 (8% of articles vs 11% of surgeons; P = .015), 2017 (9% of articles vs 13% of surgeons; P Conclusions Over the past 5 years, there has been no significant increase in women last authors among top-tier journals in vascular surgery. Women remain under-represented as last authors in terms of proportion of published articles, but not in terms of proportion of unique authors. Nevertheless, women last authors are more likely to publish with women first authors, indicating the importance of women-led mentorship in achieving publication gender equity. Support for women surgeons through grants and promotions is essential not only for advancing last authorship gender equity, but for advancing junior faculty and trainee academic careers.
Gold nanoparticles capable of templating entire enzyme cascades and improving production yield through substrate channeling

We have demonstrated that multi-enzyme cascades can be templated on individual gold nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters below 100 nm. Utilizing a three enzyme cascade of amylase, maltase, and glucokinase we found a ~3-fold enhancement in product formation when all three enzymes were bound to the same NP as compared to controls. This strongly suggests that the increased kinetics was due to substrate channeling. Additional controls were realized to ensure that only when the enzymes were bound to the NPs was enhancement observed by modifying the ratio of enzyme to NP. Furthermore the experiments support a model where a single-layer of enzymes conjugate to the NPs independently of the enzyme to NP ratio. Being able to conjugate entire cascades on individual NPs should allow for optimized design of NPs and enzyme cascades for in vitro biocatalysis.
Traumatic Superficial Temporal Artery Pseudoaneurysm Treated With Thrombin Injection

Pseudoaneurysms of the superficial temporal artery are rare. They commonly occur after blunt trauma to the frontotemporal region of the head. There have been less than 400 cases of superficial temp...
Evaluating Well-being at Community Level.

Abstract Objective To measure well-being at a community level using a valid instrument. Patients and Methods Written surveys were mailed to a random sample of residents in Olmsted County, Minnesota, in 2015 and 2019 including the 5-item World Health Organization Well-being Index (0-100; for which 100 is the best imaginable well-being or quality of life). Multivariable hierarchical regression was used to evaluate the association between well-being and demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, and environmental factors. Results The survey was returned by 1232 of 4000 individuals (response rate, 30.80%). The average well-being score was 70.02. Impaired well-being was identified in 223/1187 individuals (18.79%). Adjusted regression models showed that impaired well-being was independently associated with household poverty, financial stress, reduced access to medical or mental health care, ever having depression diagnosed, living in an unsafe community, or being socially isolated. Conclusion One in 5 people in a county in the US Midwest have impaired well-being. Well-being was associated with several modifiable factors. Data provide a rationale for policies that align transportation and housing and create opportunities for community members to connect and interact in a safe environment.
A generalized photon-tracking approach to simulate spectral snow albedo and transmissivity using X-ray microtomography and geometric optics

Abstract. A majority of snow radiative transfer models (RTM) treat snow as a collection of idealized grains rather than a semi-organized ice-air matrix. Here we present a generalized multi-layer photon-tracking RTM that simulates light transmissivity and reflectivity through snow based on x-ray microtomography, treating snow as a coherent structure rather than a collection of grains. Notably, the model uses a blended approach to expand ray-tracing techniques applied to sub-1 cm3 snow samples to snowpacks of arbitrary depths. While this framework has many potential applications, this study's effort is focused on simulating light transmissivity through thin snowpacks as this is relevant for surface energy balance applications and sub-nivean hazard detection. We demonstrate that this framework capably reproduces many known optical properties of a snow surface, including the dependence of spectral reflectance on snow grain size and incident zenith angle and the surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). To evaluate how the model simulates transmissivity, we compare it against spectroradiometer measurements collected at a field site in east-central Vermont. In this experiment, painted panels were inserted at various depths beneath the snow to emulate thin snow. The model compares remarkably well against the spectroradiometer measurements. Sensitivity simulations using this model indicate that snow transmissivity is greatest in the visible wavelengths and is limited to the top 5 cm of the snowpack for fine-grained snow, but can penetrate as deep as 8 cm for coarser grain snow. An evaluation of snow optical properties generated from a variety of snow samples suggests that coarse grained low density snow is most transmissive.
WE‐D‐201‐01: Plastimatch and SlicerRT

This session is intended for researchers who need customized software tools to analyze their datasets. Publicly available software tools are designed to facilitate research by implementing many standard algorithms, but choosing one that fits a researcher’s background and project needs is a critical decision for timely and cost-effective research. Indeed while some libraries are easy to use, needing minimal investment to learn their usage, other open-source libraries are very flexible allowing development of customized algorithms but the user has to be proficient in a programing language to use its functionalities. The session will familiarize new researchers with the pros and cons of open source software libraries and applications (CERR, ITK, VTK, RTK, Plastimatch, and 3DSlicer) frequently used in talks presented at AAPM. Each speaker will give an overview of one or more of the libraries, covering its capabilities and learning curve so that listeners can choose a tool that best fits their needs. A panel discussion will be held to answer questions. Learning Objectives: 1. Familiarize the audience with the available software libraries 2. Present the pros and cons of each library in a side-by-side comparison
School Choice and Religious Liberty in the Netherlands: Reconsidering the Dutch School Struggle and the Influence of Abraham Kuyper in Its Resolution

While both the United States and the Netherlands promote religious tolerance in their publicly funded school systems, they do so in very different ways. The United States mandates the avoidance of all religious teaching in public school curricula whereas the Netherlands not only allows but pays for the establishment and operation of a variety of religious schools in addition to neutral public schools. Interestingly, both nations have historically defended their systems as indispensable to religious liberty, national unity, and social justice. In order to better understand the religious pluralism of the Dutch school system, this article examines the history of the Dutch School Struggle from the perspective of the religious parties who eventually prevailed with the ratification of a constitutional amendment guaranteeing parents the right to send their children to religious schools. After a description of the early school struggle (roughly 1801–1869), particular attention is given to the leadership of Abraham Kuyper, and the social philosophy which grounded and informed his political strategy. Four distinct phases of his leadership in the school struggle between 1869 and 1889 are identified. In the first phase, he sought to awaken Christians to the nature and social/political significance of their faith in God’s sovereignty. It was his conviction that the Dutch heritage of religious and social liberty was a direct result of the influence of Calvinism with its doctrine of predestination by which the human heart was governed by God alone and impervious to human coercion. In the second phase, he helped to build a Christian democratic political party with a detailed platform which included a pluralistic educational policy. In the third phase, he sought to awaken the nation as a whole to the threat of tyranny from the Liberal party whose belief that traditional Christianity was a pre-modern obstacle to rational enlightenment motivated its systematic discrimination against Christian schools. Lastly, Kuyper mobilized his constituency of largely disenfranchised Protestants and Catholics to exercise their voice and peaceful protest at the national level.
Knockdown of aberrantly upregulated aryl hydrocarbon receptor reduces tumor growth and metastasis of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated transcription factor that belongs to the basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH)–Per-ARNT-Sim (PAS) superfamily of transcription factors, mediates toxic response induced by environmental chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). AhR is expressed at high levels in several human breast carcinoma cell lines in direct correlation with the degree of their malignancy. Recent studies suggest a possible role for AhR in cancer independent of PAH. Therefore, we established stable AhR knockdown cells of the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and analyzed their tumorigenic properties in in vitro and in vivo model systems. In addition we analyzed their response to radiation and chemotherapeutic treatment. AhR knockdown attenuated these cells tumorigenic properties in vitro including proliferation, anchorage independent growth, migration and apoptosis and reduced orthotopic xenograft tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Notably, we observed that AhR knockdown enhanced radiation-induced apoptosis as well as significantly decreased cell clonogenic survival. Furthermore, AhR knockdown in MDA-MB-231 cells sensitized them to paclitaxel treatment, evident by a decrease in the required cytotoxic dose. Subsequent analysis revealed AhR knockdown significantly reduced phosphorylation of AKT, which impacts cell proliferation and survival. Apoptosis-focused gene expression analyses revealed an altered expression of genes regulating apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. Collectively, our data identify AhR as a potential novel therapeutic target in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
III1. Determination of Rates and Mechanisms by Electron Spin Resonance

The occurrence of events with characteristic times in the range 10−9 to 10−4 seconds may produce observable effects on electron spin resonance spectra. In some cases detailed information concerning mechanisms, not accessible to standard kinetic methods, may be obtained. Several cases of the use of electron spin resonance for these purposes are described. Des evenements avec des temps caracteristiques entre 10−9-10−4 secondes peuvent avoir des effets observables aux spectres de la resonance du spin electronique. Quant au mecanisme on peut obtenir en quelques cas des informations qui ne sont pas accessible par les methodes courantes de la cinetique. Quelques exemples a ce but sont decrits. Das Auftreten von Vorgangen mit charakteristischen Zeiten zwischen 10−9 bis 10−4 Sekunden kann beobachtbare Wirkungen auf die Elektronenresonanzspektren haben. In manchen Fallen konnen ins einzelne gehende Informationen uber den Reaktionsmechanismus erhalten werden, die die Standardmethoden der Kinetik nicht zu liefern vermogen. Verschiedene Beispiele der Anwendung der Elektronenspinresonanz fur diese Zwecke werden beschrieben.
Treatment of chemotherapy‐induced alopecia

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia has been well documented as a cause of distress to patients undergoing cancer treatment. Despite the importance of hair loss to patients, however, patients often receive little more counseling than the advice to purchase a wig or other head covering for the duration of their treatment. Research into non-camouflage (wigs, turbans, and head scarves) treatment methods has been complicated both by a lack of a standardized methodology for evaluating hair loss and hair regrowth and by a lack of human trials. Nevertheless, scalp cooling as a method of preventing hair loss during chemotherapy and 2% topical minoxidil as a therapy for accelerating regrowth after chemotherapy are both effective non-camouflage options for treatment. Other proposed treatments for prevention of hair loss during chemotherapy have demonstrated promise in early trials, but these findings will need validation from rigorous further studies. The increasing number of reports of permanent alopecia not just with pre-bone marrow transplant, high-dose busulfan, and cyclophosphamide regimens but also with standard breast cancer chemotherapy regimens illustrates the importance of further research into treatment methods for chemotherapy-induced alopecia.
Reduced-Memory Direct Digital Frequency Synthesizer Using Parabolic Initial Guess

Based on the parabolic approximation, which was recently introduced by the authors, a new architecture for sine-output direct digital frequency synthesizers has been developed. Due to using this approximation, and also considering several memory-reduction techniques, the proposed architecture is so designed that needs only 728 bits read-only memory for mapping a 12-bit phase address to 10-bit sine amplitude. The synthesizer has also been implemented and the experimental results show its desired operation and performance.
Attenuation of the unfolded protein response and endoplasmic reticulum stress after mechanical unloading in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Our study shows that mechanical unloading by left ventricular assisted devices can improve cardiac markers of endoplasmic reticulum stress and cell death in advanced heart failure. Improvement of e...
Isolation of a Mutant of Escherichia coli with a Temperature-sensitive Fructose-1,6-Diphosphate Aldolase Activity.

Abstract Bock, August (Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.), and Frederick C. Neidhardt. Isolation of a mutant of Escherichia coli with a temperature-sensitive fructose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase activity. J. Bacteriol. 92:464–469. 1966.—A mutant of Escherichia coli was isolated which was able to grow in rich medium at 30 C but not at 40 C. Upon exposure to 40 C, the cells immediately stopped ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis, but protein synthesis continued at a diminished rate for a short time. Addition of chloramphenicol did not release RNA synthesis from inhibition at 40 C. Synthesis of β-galactosidase could be induced at high temperature despite the presence of glucose in the medium, indicating a lesion in glucose catabolism. Of many catabolic enzymes tested in cell-free extracts, only fructose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase activity appeared to be altered in the mutant cells. No activity was demonstrable in extracts of mutant cells grown at either 30 or 40 C, but determination of glucose-oxidation patterns revealed that the enzyme is probably active in vivo at 30 C. Temperature-resistant secondary mutants were found to have partially or fully restored aldolase activity, and temperature-resistant recombinants had normal aldolase activity, indicating that the growth pattern and the altered aldolase had a common genetic basis. Linkage data permitted the assignment of an approximate map location for the mutated aldolase gene.
An Acoustic Lens-Horn for Signal Enhancement in Acoustic Quality Assurance

Summary In recent years there has been growing interest in the use of acoustic emission and airborne sound analysts as a means of machinery condition condition monitering or as a technique for assessing product quality. One fundamental practical problem in using airborne sound as a measured signal is that, it exists in a highly polluted environment, particularly in the workshop or in the neighborhood of conveyors or transfer mechanisms. In using airborne sound emission, it is essential to create an environment as free as possible of extraneous sound, however, it is not possible t. o achieve an ideal environment for on-line measurement. This paper discusses a number of alternative methods which may be used to magnify the noise of a discrete source and to enhance the signal to noise relationship. One particular device, the acoustic lens, is selected for on-line production use. The principles of its design are discussed. A specific lens design is evaluated and test data on directionality and train versus frequency are presented.
American farmers’ markets: two types of informality

Farmers’ markets in the United States are structured in various ways. Even those once‐or‐twice‐a‐week markets that remain outside of the mass production and distribution system by requiring that all goods sold be produced by the seller take two distinct forms. The varieties of produce sold, the number of choices offered customers, the prices charged, the age and income expectations of the sellers, the rules the sellers obey and the role of the sellers in writing and enforcing those rules are consistent within each type of informal, American farmers’ markets but are quite different between the two types.
Self-punitive avoidance behavior in the mouse

Mice were trained to avoid shock by leaving a startbox and traversing a straight alley. During the first extinction phase (Phase I), two groups were given 30 regular extinction (RE) trials, while another two received punished extinction (PE) trials in the center of the alley. During the last 50 extinction trials (Phase II), conditions were reversed for one of the two groups receiving the same treatment in Phase I. This resulted in two nonshifted groups (RE-RE and PE-PE) and two shifted groups (RE-PE and PE-RE). PE treatment led to higher running speed in both phases and reversed an extinction trend. Furthermore, punishment-induced facilitation was greater for the group receiving PE following RE than for the group receiving PE immediately after avoidance training.
The effect of coenzyme A on energy-linked reactions of maize mitochondria

Abstract Mitochondria isolated from seedlings of inbred maize ( Ze mays L.) parents were found to exhibit enhanced respiratory control and oxidative phosphorylation in the presence of physiological concentrations of coenzyme A. Significant differences in the response to the coenzyme of mitochondria of parental maize varieties, their F 1 hybrid, and a 1:1 mixture of parental mitochondria were observed. Coenzyme A selectively enhances oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria of inbred maize but does not significantly affect mitochondria of the F 1 hybrid of these inbreds. Treatment of maize mitochondria with bovine serum albumin, cysteine, or glutathione does not enhance oxidative phosphorylation as does coenzyme A. The coenzyme A is most effective in enhancing oxidative phosphorylation when the mitochondria are in the contracted steady state, State 3.
GAPDH mediates nitrosylation of nuclear proteins

S-nitrosylation of proteins by nitric oxide is a major mode of signalling in cells. S-nitrosylation can mediate the regulation of a range of proteins, including prominent nuclear proteins, such as HDAC2 (ref. 2) and PARP1 (ref. 3). The high reactivity of the nitric oxide group with protein thiols, but the selective nature of nitrosylation within the cell, implies the existence of targeting mechanisms. Specificity of nitric oxide signalling is often achieved by the binding of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) to target proteins, either directly or through scaffolding proteins such as PSD-95 (ref. 5) and CAPON. As the three principal isoforms of NOS--neuronal NOS (nNOS), endothelial NOS (eNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS)--are primarily non-nuclear, the mechanisms by which nuclear proteins are selectively nitrosylated have been elusive. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is physiologically nitrosylated at its Cys 150 residue. Nitrosylated GAPDH (SNO-GAPDH) binds to Siah1, which possesses a nuclear localization signal, and is transported to the nucleus. Here, we show that SNO-GAPDH physiologically transnitrosylates nuclear proteins, including the deacetylating enzyme sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), histone deacetylase-2 (HDAC2) and DNA-activated protein kinase (DNA-PK). Our findings reveal a novel mechanism for targeted nitrosylation of nuclear proteins and suggest that protein-protein transfer of nitric oxide groups may be a general mechanism in cellular signal transduction.
Orientation and motion of current layers: minimization of the Faraday residue

A simple analytical solution is presented for a minimization problem encountered by Terasawa et al. [1996] in analyzing electromagnetic (EM) field and plasma data series acquired by a spacecraft traversing a one-dimensional (1D) current layer. Their analysis was developed to infer the direction of spatial variation, n, and velocity, un, along n of a 1D EM structure such as the bowshock, the magnetopause, or the geotail current sheet. We show that the optimization procedure of Terasawa et al., which involved a numerical search, in fact reduces to solving a 3 × 3 eigen-problem for a certain matrix Q defined in terms of the data. A step-by-step outline is given of the operations needed to predict n and un in this manner from an actual data set. Statistical estimates of uncertainty are given. Two magnetopause crossings by the spacecraft AMPTE/IRM are used to illustrate the procedure and to compare the results with those obtained by other methods.
Shocking the World of Batteries: A Bio-Inspired Approach to Electrode Construction

In the modern world there exists an ever increasing demand for more efficient forms of energy storage. Electrochemical cells are the most widely used form of portable energy storage and are possible candidates for large scale energy storage. From mobile devices to cars, batteries are integrated into many facets of daily life, yet little improvement in their performance is being recognized. While batteries have been improving over the years, the growth is slow and staggered. An improvement similar to the discovery of lithium ion batteries needs to be made in order to keep up with demand. This presentation is focused on maximizing battery performance by interfacing biology and batteries.My research focuses on using a bio-inspired approach to address battery performance. We use the technique of phage display to isolate Solid Binding Peptides (SBP) that bind specifically to Lithium Cobalt Phosphate (LCP). This technique has yielded two peptides that bind specifically to LCP. These specific SBPs are then combined with SBPs that are specific to carbon nanotubes (CNT). This creates a multifunctional peptide that will be used to bio-tether conducting CNTs with LCP and thus generate better conducting hybrid electrodes. This new model for the electrode would enhance multiple aspects of battery performance, including capacity, cyclabilty, and power.
Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II: role in learning and memory

Numerous studies over the past decade have established a role(s) for protein phosphorylation in modulation of synaptic efficiency. This article reviews this data and focuses on putative functions of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II) which is highly concentrated at these synapses which utilize glutamate as the neurotransmitter. Evidence is presented that CaM-kinase II can phosphorylate these glutamate receptor/ion channels and enhance the ion current flowing through them. This may contribute to mechanisms of synaptic plasticity that are important in cellular paradigms of learning and memory such as long-term potentiation in the hippocampus.
Trace amine-associated receptor agonists: synthesis and evaluation of thyronamines and related analogues.

We have previously shown that several thyronamines, decarboxylated and deiodinated metabolites of the thyroid hormone, potently activate an orphan G protein-coupled receptor in vitro (TAAR1) and induced hypothermia in vivo on a rapid time scale [Scanlan, T. S.; Suchland, K. L.; Hart, M. E.; Chiellini, G.; Huang, Y.; Kruzich, P. J.; Frascarelli, S.; Crossley, D. A.; Bunzow, J. R.; Ronca-Testoni, S.; Lin, E. T.; Hatton, D.; Zucchi, R.; Grandy, D. K. 3-Iodothyronamine is an endogenous and rapid-acting derivative of thyroid hormone. Nat. Med. 2004, 10 (6), 638−642]. Herein, we report the synthesis of these thyronamines. Additionally, a large number of thyroamine derivatives were synthesized in an effort to understand the molecular basis of TAAR1 activation and hypothermia induction. Several derivatives were found to potently activate both rTAAR1 and mTAAR1 in vitro (compounds 77, 85, 91, and 92). When administered to mice at a 50 mg/kg dose, these derivatives all induced significant hypothermia within 60 min ...