cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract B053: GPER signaling inhibits melanoma and improves response to PD-1 blockade

Female sex and pregnancy are associated with reduced risk of melanoma and improved stage-specific survival; however, the mechanism underlying this apparent clinical benefit is unknown. We previously discovered that pregnancy-associated 17β-estradiol drives melanocyte differentiation by activating the nonclassical G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). Here, we show that pregnancy inhibits melanoma, and that transient GPER activation induces long-term changes in melanocytes, which are associated with increased cellular differentiation and resistance to melanoma. A selective GPER agonist induced c-Myc protein degradation, slowed tumor growth, and inhibited expression of immune-suppressive proteins, including PD-L1, suggesting that GPER signaling may render melanoma cells more vulnerable to immunotherapy. Systemically delivered GPER agonist was well tolerated, and cooperated with PD-1 blockade in melanoma-bearing mice to dramatically extend survival. These results thus define GPER as a target for differentiation-based melanoma therapy. Citation Format: Christopher A. Natale, Jinyang Li, Junqian Zhang, Ankit Dahal, Ben Stanger, Todd Ridky. GPER signaling inhibits melanoma and improves response to PD-1 blockade [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B053.
Primal–Dual Algorithms for Convex Optimization via Regret Minimization

We consider a large-scale convex program with functional constraints, where interior point methods are intractable due to the problem size. The effective solution techniques for these problems permit only simple operations at each iteration, and thus are based on primal–dual first-order methods such as the Arrow–Hurwicz–Uzawa subgradient method, which utilize only gradient computations and projections at each iteration. Such primal–dual algorithms admit the interpretation of solving the associated saddle point problem arising from the Lagrange dual. We revisit these methods through the lens of regret minimization from online learning and present a flexible framework. While it is well known that two regret-minimizing algorithms can be used to solve a convex–concave saddle point problem at the standard rate of $O$ ( $1/\sqrt {T}$ ), our framework for primal–dual algorithms allows us to exploit structural properties such as smoothness and/or strong convexity and achieve better convergence rates in favorable cases. In particular, for non-smooth problems with strongly convex objectives, our primal–dual framework equipped with an appropriate modification of Nesterov’s dual averaging algorithm achieves $O$ ( $1/T$ ) convergence rate.
SlowReq: A Weapon for Cyberwarfare Operations. Characteristics, Limits, Performance, Remediations

In the last years, with the advent of the Internet, cyberwarfare operations moved from the battlefield to the cyberspace, locally or remotely executing sabotage or espionage operations in order to weaken the enemy. Among the technologies and methods used during cyberwarfare actions, Denial of Service attacks are executed to reduce the availability of a particular service on a network. In this paper we present a Denial of Service tool that belongs to the Slow DoS Attacks category. We describe in detail the attack functioning and we compare the proposed threat with a similar one known as slowloris, showing the enhancements provided by the proposed tool.
Causes, symptoms, and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.

The causes and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea and how it is diagnosed. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Does Industry Benefit from Cooperative Research Centers More Than Other Stakeholders? An Exploratory Analysis of Knowledge Transactions in University Research Centers

In this chapter contribution to the edited volume, Branco Ponomariov and Craig Boardman explore the potential usefulness of a standardized assessment of center impacts relevant to all stakeholder groups by focusing on knowledge transactions and their organizational outcomes, rather than exclusively on the production of discrete, stakeholder-specific outcomes (e.g., publications, patents, processes, products, human capital). Using survey data, the authors analyze the relationship of knowledge transactions (e.g., type, frequency, duration, content, usage, formalness) to other general stakeholder outcomes (e.g., improvement in organizational capacity). Ponomariov and Boardman discuss their focus as a potentially fruitful approach to center evaluation insofar that it speaks directly to the rationale of the major centers programs both in the United States and abroad: to advance collective capacity towards dealing with complex societal problems through boundary-spanning collaboration. For complementary examinations, see the chapters on the challenges to evaluating government cooperative research centers programs by Irwin Feller and colleagues and by David Roessner and colleagues.
Innovation in the Social Sciences: Herbert A. Simon and the Birth of a Research Tradition

Abstract: Innovation presumes creativity, but creativity does not necessarily entail innovation. The latter involves both the cognitive process of creation and the social-historical process by which the created product is assimilated into a milieu. My concern in this essay is with innovation in the social sciences. In particular, I examine how the American polymath Herbert Simon was led to a model of human decision-making that gave birth to a new research tradition in the human sciences. For his role in the creation of this research tradition, Simon received the 1978 Nobel Prize in Economics.
Myocardial infarction after epilepsy onset: A population-based retrospective cohort study

Abstract Introduction Cardiovascular comorbidities of epilepsy such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes are associated with myocardial infarction (MI). Little data on the development of subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in persons with epilepsy (PWE) are available, with inconsistent findings regarding the association between epilepsy and subsequent MI. A higher risk of MI among adults (without prior MI) following epilepsy diagnosis compared with that among controls was hypothesized. Methods This retrospective cohort study used statewide hospital and emergency department (ED) encounter data from 2000–2013 for South Carolina residents aged > 18 years without prior MI at the onset of epilepsy, or the first encounter for controls. Persons with epilepsy were compared with 1) persons with migraine (PWM), whose neurological condition has characteristics similar to epilepsy; and 2) persons with isolated lower extremity fracture (PWLF). Subsequent MI was defined as a diagnosis of MI after the first clinical encounter for epilepsy, migraine, or lower extremity fracture (LEF); the association was evaluated with Cox proportional hazard modeling methods. Results In this study, 2.2% of PWE, 0.6% of PWM, and 1.2% of PWLF had a subsequent MI. Persons with epilepsy were significantly more likely to be non-Hispanic Black (NHB), be covered by Medicaid, and reside in a rural or low income area compared with PWM and PWLF. Specific cardiovascular disease risk factors were more prevalent in PWE than in PWM and PWLF. After adjustment, the hazard of subsequent MI in PWE was 48% higher than in PWM (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.48; 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.31–1.67) and 24% higher than in PWLF (HR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.10–1.39). The hazard of MI increased with increasing age and number of additional comorbidities and was higher in males, those living in rural areas, and those with specific cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusion Persons with epilepsy had moderately elevated risk of subsequent MI compared with PWM or PWLF. The association between epilepsy and MI needs to be further investigated, and clinical care of PWE should include evaluation and management of risk factors for MI.
5G-based Converged Electric Power Grid and ICT Infrastructure

This paper examines and explores the potential of how the capabilities of the emerging Fifth-Generation (5G) cellular technologies can be integrated with the power grid to enable the realization of a truly smart grid. Based on time-to-market strategy, we identify and propose two different 5G-based business and architectural models that enable a truly converged power grid-ICT infrastructure, namely, near-term model and long-term model.
Patient Dissatisfaction After Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty: The Patient Perspective.

Abstract Background Despite improvements in surgical technique and implant longevity, some patients continue to report dissatisfaction after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). As patient satisfaction is increasingly used as a quality metric, the objective of this study was to gain better understanding of satisfaction with total joint arthroplasty from the patient perspective. Methods Five hundred fifty-one primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with a minimum of 1-year follow-up and were responsive to a satisfaction survey were analyzed. The incidence, predictive factors, and subjective reasoning for patient dissatisfaction were assessed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results Patient satisfaction was 89% for THA and 88% for TKA. Hispanic race was the most significant predictor of dissatisfaction (P = .037). The most common reasons for dissatisfaction after THA were persistent pain (N = 14/34, 41%), functional limitation (N = 12/34, 35%), surgical complication and reoperation (N = 4/34, 12%), staff or quality of care issues (N = 2/34, 6%), and slow recovery (N = 2/34, 6%). The most common reasons for dissatisfaction after TKA were persistent pain (N = 19/46, 41%), functional limitation (N = 12/46, 26%), surgical complication and reoperation (N = 8/46, 17%), staff or quality of care issues (N = 5/46, 11%), and unmet expectations (N = 2/46, 4%). Conclusion While persistent pain and functional limitation are the 2 leading reasons for dissatisfaction in both TKA and THA, a subset of patients view satisfaction as an evaluation of the process by which care is delivered. Patient satisfaction is not solely a reflection of surgical outcome and should be interpreted with caution. Potential for incomplete pain relief or full functional recovery should be discussed during preoperative counseling. Empathic care is also important and should be encouraged to enhance the overall patient experience.
Regularized Linear Programs with Equilibrium Constraints

We consider an arbitrary linear program with equilibrium constraints (LPEC) that may possibly be infeasible or have an unbounded objective function. We regularize the LPEC by perturbing it in a minimal way so that the regularized problem is solvable. We show that such regularization leads to a problem that is guaranteed to have a solution which is an exact solution to the original LPEC if that problem is solvable, otherwise it is a residual-minimizing approximate solution to the original LPEC. We propose a finite successive linearization algorithm for the regularized problem that terminates at point satisfying the minimum principle necessary optimality condition for the problem.
Nutrient availability shapes methionine metabolism in p16/MTAP-deleted cells

Codeletions of gene loci containing tumor suppressors and neighboring metabolic enzymes present an attractive synthetic dependency in cancers. However, the impact that these genetic events have on metabolic processes, which are also dependent on nutrient availability and other environmental factors, is unknown. As a proof of concept, we considered panels of cancer cells with homozygous codeletions in CDKN2a and MTAP, genes respectively encoding the commonly-deleted tumor suppressor p16 and an enzyme involved in methionine metabolism. A comparative metabolomics analysis revealed that while a metabolic signature of MTAP deletion is apparent, it is not preserved upon restriction of nutrients related to methionine metabolism. Furthermore, re-expression of MTAP exerts heterogeneous consequences on metabolism across isogenic cell pairs. Together, this study demonstrates that numerous factors, particularly nutrition, can overwhelm the effects of metabolic gene deletions on metabolism. These findings may also have relevance to drug development efforts aiming to target methionine metabolism.
Road mirage angle

A video is taken of a road-sign mirage from the passenger seat in a car traveling at constant speed on a highway. The video spans the duration of seeing the mirage of the sign, viewing the vanishing of the mirage as the car approaches, and passing the road sign. The mirage angle, defined as the angle with respect to the horizontal at the moment the observer notes the vanishing of the mirage, can be determined from the video, the speed of the car, and known dimensions of the standard road sign. The value can be checked with a theoretical formula using the ambient weather temperament and consulting references to determine the temperature of the air in contact with the road surface. Agreement between observation and theory is within the error bounds. In the conclusion, a quick observational estimate is made in the car without needing the video.
Interference effects for 0 ν β β decay in the left-right symmetric model

Various mechanisms may contribute to neutrinoless double beta decay in the left-right symmetric model. The interference between these mechanisms also contribute to the overall decay rate. The analysis of the contributions of these interference terms is important for disentangling different mechanisms. In the present paper we study interference effects contributing to the decay rate for neutrinoless double-$\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay in the left-right symmetric model. The numerical values for maximum interference for several nuclides are calculated. It is observed that, for most of the interference terms, the contribution is smaller than $20%$ for all the nuclei considered in the study. However, the interference between the mass mechanisms (light and heavy) and $\ensuremath{\eta}$ mechanism is observed to be in the range $30%--50%$. The variation of the interference effect with the $Q$ values is also studied.
Molecular Mechanisms of Primary Aldosteronism

Primary aldosteronism (PA) results from excess production of mineralocorticoid hormone aldosterone by the adrenal cortex. It is normally caused either by unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) or by bilateral aldosterone excess as a result of bilateral adrenal hyperplasia. PA is the most common cause of secondary hypertension and associated morbidity and mortality. While most cases of PA are sporadic, an important insight into this debilitating disease has been derived through investigating the familial forms of the disease that affect only a minor fraction of PA patients. The advent of gene expression profiling has shed light on the genes and intracellular signaling pathways that may play a role in the pathogenesis of these tumors. The genetic basis for several forms of familial PA has been uncovered in recent years although the list is likely to expand. Recently, the work from several laboratories provided evidence for the involvement of mammalian target of rapamycin pathway and inflammatory cytokines in APAs; however, their mechanism of action in tumor development and pathophysiology remains to be understood.
Improving Precision and Confidence of Research Application Through Mediator and Moderator Models.

Purpose:The purpose of this article is to conceptually discuss moderator and mediator models in healthcare design studies.Background:Healthcare outcomes are many times the result of meaningful inte...
Nusinersen injections in adults and children with spinal muscular atrophy: a single-center experience

Purpose Nusinersen is a drug approved in December 2016 for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). We want to share our initial experience with image-guided, non-image-guided, and port-delivered nusinersen injections in a large single-center SMA patient cohort, treating both pediatric and adult patients with focus on technical considerations and other patient concerns from a combined perspective of patient, neurologist, and radiologist. Methods All nusinersen injections between February 2017 and September 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. We obtained age, sex, SMA type and technical details of the injections and postprocedure complications for each procedure. Results A total of 52 patients (24 women [46%]; 4 patients with SMA-1 [7.6%]; 30 patients with SMA-2 [57.8%]; 18 patients with SMA-3 [34.6%]; mean age, 25.5 years [7 months to 62 years]) with a total of 265 injections were included. Of the 265 injections, 206 (77.9%) were performed with local anesthetic, 25 (9.4%) with moderate sedation, and 23 (8.6%) under general anesthesia. We performed 65 CT-guided transforaminal injections in 13 patients, 106 fluoroscopy-guided lumbar punctures in 24 patients and 83 lumbar punctures in 16 patients using conventional technique. Only 6 of 265 injections (2.2%) ended up with a post-lumbar puncture headache (PLPH) requiring medical treatment. None required an epidural blood patch. Fourteen PLPH (5.2%) occurred and resolved at the same day without any treatment. After 6 of 265 injections (2.2%), patients reported soreness at the injection site which resolved spontaneously. Three elected to have an intrathecal reservoir placement (2 lumbar, 1 intraventricular) with a total of 11 injections. One patient with lumbar catheter developed infection after surgery with subsequent meningitis and treatment delay. After the resolution of meningitis, a new intraventricular reservoir was placed without any complication in the following injections. Conclusion With the introduction of nusinersen treatment, neurologists and radiologists play an important role in treatment of SMA patients and therefore should be familiar with different techniques and complications of drug administration. Using good technique, it is possible to have very low complication rates even in this complex patient population, and various image-guided procedures can be a safe alternative to surgical approach, even in the most difficult cases.
Lloyd Leroy Hogan

Lloyd Leroy Hogan was the first permanent editor of The Review of Black Political Economy who edited Volumes IV through XI. Under his leadership, The Review became a primary journal devoted to unde...
Dual-Class Firms and Innovation after NAFTA

We examine the effect of dual-class shares on U.S. firm innovation after the exogenous shock of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which intensified international competition. Us...
Prurigo nodularis: Pathogenesis and management

Prurigo nodularis is a chronic skin condition characterized by severely pruritic nodules that cause a profound negative impact on quality of life. The second article in this 2-part continuing medical education series focuses on reviewing the pathogenesis of prurigo nodularis and exploring management algorithms for this condition. In addition, we discuss some emerging and novel therapies for treating prurigo nodularis. The first article in this 2-part series describes the broader epidemiology, patient demographics, physical examination findings, and symptoms to aid in the timely recognition and diagnosis of prurigo nodularis.
“Going into Classes Blind”: Comparing Student-Athletes’ Challenges and Experiences

This chapter gives a brief comparison between the patterns found in Chapters 2 and 3, and looks at time and energy management for student-athletes as an area to focus on and improve. It offers simple solutions to help student-athletes and non-athletes manage their time, so college courses are less overwhelming. This chapter also serves as a bridge between student-athletes and the adults they work most closely with during their academic careers: their coaches and various academic personnel, such as advisors, who work for athletic departments.
Erddap: Providing Easy Access to Remote Sensing Data for Scientists and Students

ERDDAP, an open source data platform developed at NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), improves the usability of remote sensing data by overcoming difficulties in data access, including dealing with differing file formats, download protocols, and machine-to-machine access capabilities. ERDDAP aggregates gridded and tabular datasets, from diverse local and remote sources, and provides a uniform way to subset datasets and download data in common file formats. Environmental events can be identified using an easy-to-use web interface and customizable maps and graphs. Machine-to-machine data access is provided via RESTful web services. These features of ERDDAP reduce the barriers to data access, and can lead to increased use of remote sensing data across disciplines, including use in education by students and by educators. In this paper we describe the basic functionality of ERDDAP, including examples of its visualization capabilities.
Findings from the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline

Human trafficking is a public health crisis in the United States, yet it is difficult to understand national patterns and trends as official law enforcement data often suffer from reporting and ide...
Analysis on the Saving Rate Test of the Frequency Converter in Power Plant

In order to increase the energy-saving rate and reduce emissions, the power generation enterprises generally use the frequency converter to control part of high-voltage motors. After the power generation was put into operation, many power generation enterprises are unable to correctly monitor and evaluate the power saving effect of high-voltage motor frequency converter, so it is necessary to evaluate the power saving effect of high-voltage motor frequency converter. At present, there are many methods to test and evaluate the power-saving effect of frequency converter. At present, the power-saving rate of frequency converter is usually used to characterize the power-saving effect of frequency converter. The so-called power saving rate is the percentage of the power consumption saved by the application of variable-frequency speed drive system and the power consumption of the system without the application of variable-frequency speed control device in the same specified operation cycle, when the terminal needs are met, the environmental conditions are similar, and the operation conditions are the same.
Recruitment of CTCF to an Fto enhancer is responsible for transgenerational inheritance of obesity

Abstract Transgenerational transmission of epiphenotypes is poorly understood. Here we show that exposure of pregnant mouse F0 females to BPA results in obesity in the F2 progeny due to increased food intake and leptin resistance. This epiphenotype can be transmitted up to the F6 generation and disappears in F7. Analyses of chromatin accessibility in sperm of the F1-F6 generations reveals alterations in the binding of CTCF at two enhancers of the Fto gene in obese but not control animals that correlates with transmission of obesity. Deletion of the CTCF site in Fto results in mice that fail to become obese when exposed to BPA. These Fto enhancers show increased interactions in sperm of obese mice with the Irx3 and Irx5 genes, which are involved in the differentiation of appetite controlling AgRP/NPY neurons. Single-nucleus and immunofluorescence analyses in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus suggest that exposure to BPA results in expansion of the number of orexigenic AgRP neurons. This expansion correlates with increased accessibility of the Fto proximal enhancer in radial glia-like neural stem cells (RG-NSCs), which give rise to AgRP/NPY neurons, and in mature oligodendrocytes. The results provide a molecular mechanism for transgenerational inheritance in mammals and suggest that both genetic and epigenetic alterations of Fto can lead to the same phenotypic outcomes.
Bis(η5-cyclopentadienyl)[μ-(4b,5,5a-η3:9b,10,10a-η3)-2,3,7,8-tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)benzo[3,4]cyclobuta[1,2-b]biphenylene]-syn-dicobalt (Co–Co), a Dinuclear π-Complex of the Linear [3]Phenylene Framework

The title compound was made by the reaction of the CpCo-complex of 2,3,7,8-tetrakis(trimethylsilyl) linear [3]phenylene, in which the metal coordinates one of the cyclobutadiene rings, with CpCo(C2H4)2. Because of its relative stability, a syn-dicobalt-bound configuration is indicated rather than its anti alternative.
DIEL PATTERNS OF ACTIVITY AND OF SELECTED AMBIENT TEMPERATURE OF THE SAND-SWIMMING LIZARD SPHENOPS SEPSOIDES (REPTILIA: SCINCIDAE)

ABSTRACT Diel patterns of activity and temperature selection were determined for two age classes of the sand-swimming skink, Sphenops sepsoides, under laboratory conditions. Activity levels were the highest between 1500 and 2100 h, and lowest between 2100 and 0600 h. Selected ambient temperatures averaged 29.7°C but varied during the diel cycle with the highest temperatures recorded at 1800 h and the lowest at 1200 h. Selected ambient temperatures were consistently about 1°C higher for juvenile than for adult individuals. The period that lizards were most active in corresponded to the period of highest selected ambient temperature. These patterns do not match those of nocturnal geckos in the field, which are the most active after dark but select high body temperatures during the day. However, these results are consistent with observations of activity and selected body temperatures of Eremiascincus fasciolatus, another sand-swimming skink. Field observations on S. sepsoides suggest that sub-surface activit...
Music and Operations Research

The well-known link between music and mathematics has increased in significance due to the explosion in digital music information. The importance of mathematical modeling of music problems and their computational solution has led to the emergence of the field of music information research. There exist a number of significant links between music and operations research (OR). This article surveys some of these research advances. Beginning with mathematical representations of music pitch and time structures, we give an overview of OR formulations of problems in music composition and improvisation. We touch upon a range of problems in the analysis of music structures and of expressive gestures, then give a deeper treatment of dynamic programming formulations and solutions of problems across a number of music topics. Keywords: music representation; improvisation; computer-assisted composition; music analysis; score alignment
Why Redraw the Map of Africa: A Moral and Legal Inquiry

This article questions the legitimacy of the African state and the imperial cartography on which it is based. It argues that African states are conceptually faulty because they are the crude and thoughtless handiworks of European colonial powers. It is the artificiality of the African state that has been responsible for its failure to cohere into a nation that is viable. The piece argues for geographic and normative re-articulation of the African state - by smashing the current states - to endow them with moral, political, and legal legitimacy. It concludes that democratic entities are unlikely to develop where pre-colonial nations and peoples find no rationale in the imposed state.
High energy gamma ray observations

Since the trajectories of astrophysical charged particles are bent by magnetic fields and normally curl many times before their detection, their origin may not be inferred from their directions as is the case with photons. Fortunately, charged particles reveal their presence through interactions in many instances leading to high-energy gamma rays. Bremsstrahlung, Compton, synchrotron, and curvature radiation all generally have a monotonically decreasing energy spectra reflecting that of the parent particles, whereas nucleon-nucleon radiation has a maximum at about 70 MeV reflecting the nature of the interaction process. Gamma radiation has been seen coming from neutron stars in pulses with the same period as the radio pulsar. Solar gamma rays also have been seen, as have short bursts of gamma rays whose origin remain a mystery. Galactic diffuse gamma radiation reveals the distribution of cosmic rays in our Galaxy. Beyond our Galaxy, active galaxies are seen in gamma rays implying a huge energy in the form of cosmic rays to be present there. The Optically Violent Variable quasar 3C 279 is particularly astounding. During an active state 3C 279 was seen to be emitting approximately 10 exp 48 erg/s if its radiation is isotropic.
Current technological impediments to business-to-consumer electronic commerce

Internet and World Wide Web technologies provide the infrastructure for the Electronic Commerce (e-Commerce) revolution now taking place. As a result of these technologies, even the smallest organization can afford to market its wares to hundreds of millions of potential e-Consumers. However, these technologies also pose threats to the very electronic commerce which they enable. For managers to strategize and implement e-Commerce effectively in their organizations, these impediments need to be recognized and understood. While hundreds of articles identify problems with Internet computing or conducting eCommerce, no unified framework of technological impediments specific to eCommerce yet exists.
The Cysts of Blastocrithidia triatomae Cerisola et al., 19711

. Flagellar cysts of Blastocrithidia triatomae form from active flagellates by diminution in size. The pellicular microtubules disappear. The inner layer of the cell membrane thickens progressively as the organism shrinks. The fully formed cyst has an electrondense layer that corresponds to the outer layer of the unit membrane. An electron-lucent layer is approximately twice the thickness of the middle layer of the unit membrane. Inside that is a 92 nm layer that may represent the cytoplasm. The nuclear content is in the form of whorled bundles of 10–15 nm fibrils. The kinetoplast was not seen in electron micrographs of cysts.
Comparative Metabolism of Phylloquinone and Menaquinone-9 in Rat Liver

The hepatic turnover of phylloquinone and menaquinone-9 (MK-9) and their relative efficacy in satisfying the dietary requirement for vitamin K were compared in male rats. Rats fed 1.1 mumol phylloquinone/kg diet had higher initial liver and serum vitamin K concentrations than rats fed an equimolar amount of MK-9. The initial rate of hepatic turnover of phylloquinone was two to three times as rapid as that of MK-9. After about 48 h of vitamin K restriction there were no significant differences in hepatic vitamin K concentration of rats fed phylloquinone or MK-9. Phylloquinone was much more effective than MK-9 in maintaining normal vitamin K status at low dietary concentrations (0.2 mumol/kg diet), whereas at high dietary concentrations (5.6 mumol/kg diet) they were equally effective.
Estimating the maximal potential for intestinal lymphatic transport of lipophilic drug molecules

This paper concerns itself with the importance of lipid solubility in a vehicle such as peanut oil (as well as partition coefficient) as an important criteriom for estimating the potential for intestinal lymphatic transport of orally ingested drugs and xenobiotics. Absorbability, and metabolic stability in the lumen and mucosal cells of the molecule, are other important criteria. The intestinal lymphatic system provides a potential route for drug molecules to enter systemic circulation subsequent to oral administration. The physiology of the intestinal lymphatic system is such that drugs transported from the intestinal lumen by the intestinal lymph gain access directly to the general circulation of the body at the junction of the left internal jugular and left subclavian veins, thereby avoiding initial liver contact (Youmans, 1962). Therefore, the promotion of the intestinal absorption of drug molecules which are susceptible to first-pass liver metabolism may offer a means of circumventing this initial clearance of the drug. In addition, intestinal
Optimal specimen processing of fine needle aspirates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) in conjunction with flow cytometry (FC) is a useful technique for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) diagnosis. We sought to investigate the effect of storage medium and time to processing on lymph node (LN) FNA viability. Benign LN FNAs were distributed among Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI), Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) and Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) storage media, and viability was compared at 0, 4.5 and 24 hours. FC survival analysis showed viable cells (%): at 0 hrs: HBSS 83.6%, RPMI 87.7%, DMEM 87.7%. At 4.5 hrs: HBSS 86.3%, RPMI 89.0%, DMEM 78.2%. At 24 hrs: HBSS 82.7%, RPMI 86.7%, DMEM 77.2%. FNA from a peri-pancreatic LN involved by grade 2 follicular lymphoma was stored in RPMI at 4° C and analyzed at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days. Over 90% of follicular lymphoma cells were suitable for FC analysis at 1, 3, and 5 days after collection, decreasing to 76% at 7 days. In conclusion: RPMI appears to be the optimal storage medium compared to DMEM and HBSS.An NHL FNA sample stored at 4° C remains suitable for FC analysis for up to 5 days. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hyaluronate Gel Stapedotomy

Objective To evaluate hearing results and postoperative dizziness after stapedotomy with application of sodium hyaluronate gel (HG) to the oval window niche during fenestration of the footplate. Study design Case-control study comparing 27 stapedotomies with HG and 32 stapedotomies without HG. Outcome measure Preoperative and postoperative audiometric data, postoperative dizziness (vertigo or dysequilibrium), and nystagmus. Results Postoperative hearing results were not statistically different for the 2 groups. There were no cases of postoperative sensorineural hearing loss greater than 10 dB. Early postoperative dizziness (χ2 = 4.08, P = 0.043) and nystagmus (χ2 = 5.05, P = 0.024) were reduced in the HG group. Conclusions HG stapedotomy is safe and effective and results in less early postoperative dizziness and nystagmus when compared with the standard technique of stapedotomy. The application of HG to the oval window niche to prevent blood from entering or perilymph from escaping the vestibule during fenestration of the stapes footplate may contribute to a quicker recovery in outpatient otosclerosis surgery. EBM rating: B-3b
Young Adults' Perceptions of an Adolescent's Use of Marijuana and Alcohol

Adolescent substance use is a serious problem often invoking negative reactions. The current study extends the literature in this area. A total of 425 college students read one of five vignettes, each of which described an adolescent who used marijuana, hard liquor, or drank an occasional beer (control) and who had received or not received treatment. Participants responded to questions assessing acceptance, willingness to help, and beliefs about the adolescent's academic functioning. Students provided higher acceptance of the adolescent who drank an occasional beer compared to the one who had received treatment for alcohol use and the one who was using marijuana, but did not receive treatment. Results differed based on question type, suggesting that interpretation of stigma is complex and that context plays a role in understanding perceptions. Future research, focusing on reasons for differences in judgments across contexts, will provide new information.
Structure and organization of mammalian stratum corneum.

The structure of horny cells and their spatial relationship in the stratum corneum of several mammals, including man, have been studied by the combined use of Nomarski differential interference microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In the body skin of these mammals the horny cells and cells in the stratum granulosum are organized in neatly stacked vertical columns. The cells in each stack interdigitate at their edges with the cells in adjacent stacks by means of a steplike shallow depression which encircles the superficial aspect of each cell, thus maintaining contiguity and uniform thicknesss for the stratum corneum as a whole. The columned stack arrangement is quite likely responsible for the hexagonal shape of the individual cell. In the palmar and plantar skin of the mammals studied, the horny cells of the stratum corneum apparently lack a specific organization as well as the hexagonal shape. The horny cells from all areas are characterized by abundant villous-like processes which are consistent in size, shape, and distribution with attachment sites of desmosomes.
Low-Cost, Ubiquitous RFID-Tag-Antenna-Based Sensing

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) has been well established as an effective technology for track and trace applications. In this paper, we go beyond the ID in RFID, and discuss the potential for RFID tags to be used as low-cost sensors by mapping a change in some physical parameter of interest to a controlled change in RFID tag antenna electrical properties. We will also show that it is possible to design the tag antenna to suffer a permanent change in case of violation of a critical threshold in the parameter of interest thereby creating a low-cost threshold sensing mechanism. This can be achieved by inducing controlled changes to the tag antenna geometry parameters or to the antenna boundary conditions, in effect creating a nonelectric memory to monitor state. After identifying the application space for which this class of sensing is well suited, we present details into the design and testing of three different kinds of sensors based on this sensing paradigm. We demonstrate how we use this concept to sense displacements, temperature thresholds, and fluid levels. We will show that RFID-tag-antenna-based sensing has the potential to revolutionize application domains in which there is a need for low-cost, long-lasting, ubiquitous sensors.
Conformational Pathways of Saturated Six-Membered Rings. A Static and Dynamical Density Functional Study

The conformation of the six-membered ring of pyranosyl sugars has pronounced effects on the physical and chemical properties of carbohydrates. We present a method to determine key features of the potential energy surfaces, such as transition states associated with the inversion pathways of the model compounds cyclohexane, tetrahydropyran, p-dioxane, m-dioxane, s-trioxane, and 2-oxanol. Finally, we make the first determination of the pathways for inversion of penta-O-methyl-α-d-glucopyranose and penta-O-methyl-β-d-glucopyranose. For both anomers, a transition state with five coplanar atoms with appreciable OE character was found. The method is based on constrained Car−Parrinello ab initio molecular dynamics, as implemented in the projector augmented-wave (PAW) method. The constraints are derived from the normal modes of six-membered rings and are described in terms of the canonical conformations 1C4 chair, 1,4B boat, and OS2 skew-boat. The PAW derived trajectories are in agreement with previous suggestions...
The complete amino acid sequence of proapolipoprotein A‐I of chicken high density lipoproteins

The complete amino acid sequence of proapolipoprotein (proapo) A-I of chicken high density lipoproteins was determined by sequencing overlapping peptides produced by trypsin, S. aureus V8 protease, and cyanogen bromide cleavage. There are 240 amino acid residues in mature chicken apoA-I. By direct sequence analysis of a cyanogen bromide peptide, we also determined the sequence of a 6-amino-acid prosegment which is present at approx. 10% the molar amount of the mature peptide in chicken plasma. Sequence comparison among apoA-I from chicken, human, rabbit, dog and rat, and secondary structure analysis indicate that while the degree of sequence homology is only moderate ( < 50% between chicken and man), there is good conservation of apoA-I secondary structure, especially in the N-terminal two-thirds of the protein in these widely separated species.
Score tests in the two - way layout of counts

For the balanced two-way layout of a count response variable Y classified by fixed or random factors A and B, we address the problems of (i) testing for individual and interactive effects on Y of two fixed factors, and (ii) testing for the effect of a fixed factor in the presence of a random factor and conversely. In case (i), we assume independent Poisson responses with µij= E(Y| A=i,B=j) = αiβjγij corresponding respectively to the multiplicative interactive and non-interactive cases. For case (ii) with factor A random, we derive a multivariate gamma-Poisson model by mixing on the random variable associated with each level of A. In each case Neyman C(α) score tests are derived. We present simulation results,and apply the interaction test to a data set, to evaluate and compare the size and power of the score test for interaction between two fixed factors, the competing Poisson-based likelihood ratio test, and the F-tests based on the assumptions that √Y+1 or log(Y+1) are approximately normal. Our results ...
Feature level fusion of hand and face biometrics

Multibiometric systems utilize the evidence presented by multiple biometric sources (e.g., face and fingerprint, multiple fingers of a user, multiple matchers, etc.) in order to determine or verify the identity of an individual. Information from multiple sources can be consolidated in several distinct levels, including the feature extraction level, match score level and decision level. While fusion at the match score and decision levels have been extensively studied in the literature, fusion at the feature level is a relatively understudied problem. In this paper we discuss fusion at the feature level in 3 different scenarios: (i) fusion of PCA and LDA coefficients of face; (ii) fusion of LDA coefficients corresponding to the R,G,B channels of a face image; (iii) fusion of face and hand modalities. Preliminary results are encouraging and help in highlighting the pros and cons of performing fusion at this level. The primary motivation of this work is to demonstrate the viability of such a fusion and to underscore the importance of pursuing further research in this direction.
Industrial Structure, Conduct and Performance: Evidence from Corporate Combinations

In the literature of industrial organization, debate continues on the relationship between industrial structure on the one hand and competitive behavior and performance on the other. This debate is fueled by alternative explanations of the positive relationship between concentration and profitability observed in early research by Bain (1951, 1956) and subsequently by others. The original explanations were based on the view that concentration facilitates collusive behavior, and adherents to the Monopoly Power view naturally attributed the relationship to the existence of monopoly profits in concentrated industries. The counterargument proposed by Demsetz (1973) views concentration as the result of active competition by which firms are motivated to improve efficiency. In the presence of scale economies, larger firms are more efficient and, hence, more profitable than their smaller rivals. Since their larger market shares produce higher concentration, a positive relationship between industry concentration and profitability is observed. In the Efficient Structure (ES) view, concentration reflects intra‐industry efficiency differences; in the Monopoly Power (MP) view, concentration reflects collusive behavior. Importantly, the empirical distinction between these theories and, hence, their empirical validity as competing alternative hypotheses remains unclear.
Induction of prostaglandin H synthase 2 in human airway epithelial cells exposed to residual oil fly ash

Abstract Exposure to am bient air containing respirable particulate matter at concentrations below the current National Ambient Air Quality Standard has been associated with increased rates of pulmonary-related morbidity and mortality. To identify mechanisms involved in pulmonary responses to such exposure, we studied the effects of the mission source particulate air pollutant residual oil fly ash (ROFA) on prostaglandin metabolism in cultured human airway epithelial cells. Epithelial cells exposed to ROFA for 24 hr secreted substantially increased amounts of the prostaglandin H synthase (PHS) products prostaglandins E 2 and F 2 α . The ROFA-induced increase in prostaglandin synthesis was correlated with a marked increase in PHS activity. Western blots showed that ROFA exposure induced dose-dependent increases in PHS2 protein levels. Reverse transcriptase-PCR analyses demonstrated accompanying increases in PHS2 mRNA which were evident by 2 hr of continuous exposure. In contrast, expression of PHS1 was not affected by ROFA treatment of airway epithelial cells. There were no alterations in arachidonic acid release, incorporation, or availability in ROFA-exposed cells. These data show that exposure to ROFA induces PHS2 expression, leading to increased prostaglandin synthesis in cultured airway epithelial cells. These findings suggest that prostaglandins may play a role in the toxicology of air pollution particle inhalation.
Prediction of total dietary fiber by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy in high-fat- and high-sugar-containing cereal products

The near-infrared (NIR) spectral properties of cereal products containing high fat or high sugar can differ substantially from the spectral properties of other cereal products. An existing NIR model, using preprocessed reflectance spectra and partial least-squares analysis, for the prediction of total dietary fiber in cereal products was expanded to two new models called (1) the fat-expanded model and (2) the fat- and sugar-expanded model. The fat-expanded model enlarges the existing model with high-fat-content products as calibration samples, and the fat- and sugar- expanded model also includes products with high sugar and high crystalline sugar content. The dry milled cereal and grain products were analyzed in the laboratory according to AOAC method 991.43 for the determination of total dietary fiber, and NIR reflectance spectra were collected with a scanning monochromator. Data analysis and selection of representative high-fat and high-sugar samples were performed with a commercial analysis program. The two expanded models had standard errors of cross-validation and R 2 similar to those of the existing model, with acceptable standard error of performance and r 2 when tested with independent validation samples. The existing model was, thus, expanded to include high-fat, high-sugar, and high crystalline sugar cereal products while maintaining prediction accuracy.
Theory of the local density of surface states on a metal: Comparison with scanning tunneling spectroscopy of a Au(111) surface.

A simple theory of the effect of monatomic steps on the local density of surface states and on the conductance of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) has been developed. This theory is based upon reflection and transmission amplitudes for surface electron waves. It is assumed that a step acts as a repulsive barrier, which is entirely consistent with experimental observations on the (111) surface of a Au single crystal. Comparison to experiment has been made for a flat surface to establish that the model for the tip and barrier is adequate. The theory for the conductance with the STM tip near a single step and in the center of a pit is shown to agree well with experiment. Theoretical results are also presented for a periodic array of steps for which one-dimensional Kronig-Penney bands should be observable, especially at reduced temperature.
Cell cycle-dependent transcription in yeast: promoters, transcription factors, and transcriptomes.

Cell cycle-dependent transcription in yeast: promoters, transcription factors, and transcriptomes