cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cellular Regulation of Extension and Retraction of Pseudopod-Like Blebs Produced by Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field (nsPEF)

Recently we described a new phenomenon of anodotropic pseudopod-like blebbing in U937 cells exposed to nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF). In Ca2+-free buffer such exposure initiates formation of pseudopod-like blebs (PLBs), protrusive cylindrical cell extensions that are distinct from apoptotic and necrotic blebs. PLBs nucleate predominantly on anode-facing cell pole and extend toward anode during nsPEF exposure. Bleb extension depends on actin polymerization and availability of actin monomers. Inhibition of intracellular Ca2+, cell contractility, and RhoA produced no effect on PLB initiation. Meanwhile, inhibition of WASP by wiskostatin causes dose-dependent suppression of PLB growth. Soon after the end of nsPEF exposure PLBs lose directionality of growth and then retract. Microtubule toxins nocodazole and paclitaxel did not show immediate effect on PLBs; however, nocodazole increased mobility of intracellular components during PLB extension and retraction. Retraction of PLBs is produced by myosin activation and the corresponding increase in PLB cortex contractility. Inhibition of myosin by blebbistatin reduces retraction while inhibition of RhoA–ROCK pathway by Y-27632 completely prevents retraction. Contraction of PLBs can produce cell translocation resembling active cell movement. Overall, the formation, properties, and life cycle of PLBs share common features with protrusions associated with ameboid cell migration. PLB life cycle may be controlled through activation of WASP by its upstream effectors such as Cdc42 and PIP2, and main ROCK activator—RhoA. Parallels between pseudopod-like blebbing and motility blebbing may provide new insights into their underlying mechanisms.
Functional Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Expression in Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelial Cells by AAV6.2-Mediated Segmental Trans-Splicing

Cystic fibrosis is characterized by deficiency of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a Cl(-) transporter. The packaging constraints of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors preclude delivery of both an active promoter and CFTR cDNA to target cells. We hypothesized that segmental trans-splicing, in which two AAV vectors deliver the 5' and 3' halves of the CFTR cDNA, could mediate splicing of two pre-mRNAs into a full-length, functional CFTR mRNA. Using a segmental trans-splicing 5' donor-3' acceptor pair that split the CFTR cDNA between exons 14a and 14b, cotransfection of donor and acceptor plasmids into CFTR(-) cells resulted in full-length CFTR message and protein. Microinjection of plasmids into CFTR(-) cells produced cAMP-activated Cl(-) conductance. Vectors created with an engineered human serotype, AAV6.2, were used to deliver CFTR donor and acceptor constructs, resulting in full-length CFTR mRNA and protein as well as cAMP-activated Cl(-) conductance in CFTR(-) cells, including human CF airway epithelial IB3-1 cells. Thus, segmental trans-splicing can be used with AAV vectors to mediate expression of CFTR, a strategy potentially applicable to individuals with CF.
Health care issues for families traveling internationally with children.

Abstract For a variety of reasons, international travel by American families and their children is increasingly more common. Comfort and health care issues are important to these families, and they often address their questions and concerns to their health care practitioner. Traveling to foreign countries involves concerns about food, water, medications, immunizations, and supplies. Seeking medical care on both a routine and emergency basis may be challenging for families traveling to countries outside the United States. This article discusses health care topics relating to children traveling outside the United States and includes answers to the most commonly asked questions and a list of references and resources for parents and practitioners. Pediatric care providers will find this article to be a helpful guide for their traveling pediatric patients. J Pediatr Health Care. (2002). 16, 51-59.
Strain Differentiation of Dermatophytes

As molecular-based investigations begin to uncover the large degree of genetic variation that can exist within dermatophyte species, and population-based studies reveal exceedingly high rates of endemicity for these organisms, species typing has become inadequate to gain insight into these pathogens and the nature of the infections that they cause. This review examines studies that have applied strain typing strategies to explore intra-specific genetic diversity among the dermatophytes in attempts to address a number of relevant clinico-epidemiologic questions about these common fungal pathogens.
Picking sides: distinct roles for CYP76M6 and CYP76M8 in rice oryzalexin biosynthesis

Natural products biosynthesis often requires the action of multiple CYPs (cytochromes P450), whose ability to introduce oxygen, increasing solubility, is critical for imparting biological activity. In previous investigations of rice diterpenoid biosynthesis, we characterized CYPs that catalyse alternative hydroxylation of ent-sandaracopimaradiene, the precursor to the rice oryzalexin antibiotic phytoalexins. In particular, CYP76M5, CYP76M6 and CYP76M8 were all shown to carry out C-7β hydroxylation, whereas CYP701A8 catalyses C-3α hydroxylation, with oxy groups found at both positions in oryzalexins A-D, suggesting that these may act consecutively in oryzalexin biosynthesis. In the present paper, we report that, although CYP701A8 only poorly reacts with 7β-hydroxy-ent-sandaracopimaradiene, CYP76M6 and CYP76M8 readily react with 3α-hydroxy-ent-sandaracopimaradiene. Notably, their activity yields distinct products, resulting from hydroxylation at C-9β by CYP76M6 or C-7β by CYP76M8, on different sides of the core tricyclic ring structure. Thus CYP76M6 and CYP76M8 have distinct non-redundant roles in orzyalexin biosynthesis. Moreover, the resulting 3α,7β- and 3α,9β-diols correspond to oryzalexins D and E respectively. Accordingly, the results of the present study complete the functional identification of the biosynthetic pathway underlying the production of these bioactive phytoalexins. In addition, the altered regiochemistry catalysed by CYP76M6 following C-3α hydroxylation has some implications for its active-site configuration, offering further molecular insight.
Dimethyl sulfoxide: lens changes in dogs during oral administration

Oral administration of dimethyl sulfoxide to young dogs reduces relucency of the lens cortex, causing the normal central zone of lens to act as a strong biconvex lens.
Optical Design for Broadband Super-Absorption in Sparse Arrays of III-V Nanowire Arrays for Photoelectrochemical and Photovoltaic Applications

We report the experimentally-measured, strong light absorption (60-100%) properties of geometrically-uniform sparse (<5% fill fraction) III-V NW arrays, and optical design methods for further broadband absorption enhancements based on FDTD simulations and analytical calculations.
Quantifying unique individual portfolio insurance premiums

This article defines a model that identifies specific insurance premiums for unique individual portfolio protection against a pre-determined level of volatility. Individuals approaching retirement age are assumed to reach a satiation level of wealth sufficient to optimize their desire for future consumption and leisure time. A utility model is defined based on individuals’ unique preferences with respect to consumption and leisure time. The certainty-equivalent framework is then applied to this time-utility model to calculate specific insurance premiums for risk-averse investors.
SUPPRESSION OF INSULIN SECRETION BY THE GROWTH HORMONE OF THE ANTERIOR PITUITARY AS DETERMINED WITH THE ISOLATED RAT PANCREAS IN A PERFUSION APPARATUS1

THE DIABETES which is produced by the administration of anterior pituitary extract (APE) is the result of an interplay of several factors. These include the direct effect of APE upon 1) the pancreas, 2) other endocrine glands, especially the adrenal and thyroid, and 3) other tissues such as muscle and liver. The interaction of these various factors and their impact on the entire organism make the problem of pituitary diabetes exceedingly complex. An understanding of the separate factors is necessary before the problem as a whole can be analyzed. This paper deals with an attempt to study an isolated factor, namely the direct effect of APE upon the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.
Health-information altruists - A potentially critical resource

Although we have successfully sequenced the human genome, progress toward defining the genetic basis of disease has been limited by the availability of people willing to share their phenotypic information along with their genotypic information. In this article, the authors offer a proposal to increase participation in genetic studies.
Exploring Green Streets and rain gardens as instances of small scale nature and environmental learning tools

Sustainable stormwater management facilities such as bioswales and rain gardens are one way in which cities are simultaneously addressing the need to replace or repair stormwater infrastructure while also meeting regulatory obligations. Retrofitting patterns of neighborhood development through the implementation of infrastructure like bioswales is localized solution to stormwater management. Such infrastructure addresses sustainability and resilience goals while reflecting the city as part of rather than separate from the ecosystem. This article presents results of a subset of 42 semi-structured interviews collected through an exploratory qualitative case study of Portland Oregon's Tabor to the River program. These findings focus on Green Streets (bioswales), asking whether participants consider them small scale nature, and whether stormwater visibility fosters environmental learning. Results suggest that sustainable stormwater management facilities have potential toward aiding in stormwater awareness, particularly if combined with additional ways of learning (e.g., informational signs). Participant perceptions of Green Streets as small scale nature are less straight forward. This study gives some insight into the subtleties of human experiences with sustainable stormwater infrastructure, giving a glimpse into the potentials of Green Streets, and other educational inputs, in contributing to increased understanding of Portland's stormwater system. Building upon this first attempt at discovering the potential for environmental learning through sustainable stormwater infrastructure, or in their capacity in fostering connectedness with nature, could be instructive for future infrastructure planning and policy development that seeks to foster human–nature connectedness and ecological understanding within our communities.
Singlet and Triplet Reaction Paths for Gas-Phase Zr + C2H4 by Density Functional Theory

We use the B3LYP density functional theory with a large basis set to characterize stationary points on both triplet and singlet potential energy surfaces for the gas-phase reaction Zr + C2H4 → ZrC2H2 + H2. The previously described stepwise rearrangement path occurs on the triplet surface, requiring passage over a substantial exit channel barrier. A new, lower energy triplet path involves concerted rearrangement of the HZrC2H3 insertion intermediate directly to a weakly bound, product-like complex with no exit channel barrier to triplet products. A new low-energy singlet path involves stepwise rearrangement from HZrC2H3 to the strongly bound dihydrido species H2ZrC2H2, which then dissociates to singlet products over a small exit channel barrier of 4 kcal/mol. We argue that the singlet path is more consistent than either triplet path with the experimental product kinetic energy distribution, which peaks at 3−5 kcal/mol. This in turn suggests that access of the singlet surface via fast intersystem crossing f...
On the mechanism of electron-capture-induced dissociation of peptide dications from 15n-labeling and crown-ether complexation.

15N-labeling of di- and tripeptides reveals that electron capture to doubly protonated peptides results almost exclusively in ammonia loss from the N-terminal end, which clearly shows that a significant fraction of electron capture occurs at this end. In accordance with this finding, the competing channel of N−Cα bond breakage leads to z+• ions and neutral c fragments after electron capture to small dications. In larger peptides that live long enough for internal proton exchanges to occur, c+ ions are also formed and in some cases in dominant yield. Attachment of one or two crown ethers to ammonium groups is likely to reduce the probability of proton transfer, which enhances the formation of z+• relative to c+. The total yield of z+• and c+ is, however, more or less unchanged, which indicates that proton transfer or hydrogen transfer from a NH3 group to the amide group is not required for the N−Cα bond breakage.
Social reactions toward people vs. computers: How mere lables shape interactions

What criteria afford a machine the status of a social agent? In this investigation, the mere label identifying an oral interviewer as human or computer was sufficient to affect participants' responses toward the interviewer during an online interview for a competitive mock job. Participants' impressions of the interviewer and self-reported emotional reactions to the interview were unaffected by the interviewer's identity. Despite this invariance, however, participants exhibited more interpersonal displays when the interviewer was identified as human. Overall, these results show that participants engaged in heightened impression management strategies (deferral to, or attempts to engage or appease) with the ''human'' interviewer. The computer interviewer did not merit equivalent social status.
Differential susceptibilities of serine/threonine phosphatases to oxidative and nitrosative stress.

Abstract Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are signal-transducing molecules that regulate the activities of a variety of proteins. In the present investigation, we have compared the effects of superoxide (O2−), nitric oxide (NO), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the activities of three highly homologous serine/threonine phosphatases, protein phosphatase type 1 (PP1), protein phosphatase type 2A (PP2A), and calcineurin (protein phosphatase type 2B). Although superoxide, generated from xanthine/xanthine oxidase or paraquat, and NO, generated from (±)-(E)-4-ethyl-2-[(E)-hydroxyimino]-5-nitro-3-hexenamide or sodium nitroprusside, potently inhibited the phosphatase activity of calcineurin in neuroblastoma cell lysates, they had relatively little effect on the activities of PP1 or PP2A. In contrast, H2O2 inhibited the activities of all three phosphatases in lysates but was not a potent inhibitor for any of the enzymes. Calcineurin inactivated by O2−, NO, and H2O2 could be partially reactivated by the reducing agent ascorbate or by the thiol-specific reagent dithiothreitol (DTT). Maximal reactivation was achieved by the addition of both reagents, which suggests that ROS and RNS inhibit calcineurin by oxidizing both a catalytic metal(s) and a critical thiol(s). Reactivation of H2O2-treated PP1 also required the combination of both ascorbate and DTT, whereas PP2A required only DTT for reactivation. These results suggest that, despite their highly homologous structures, calcineurin is the only major Ser/Thr phosphatase that is a sensitive target for inhibition by superoxide and nitric oxide and that none of the phosphatases are sensitive to inhibition by hydrogen peroxide.
Comparison of attached algal communities on natural and artificial substrata along a thermal gradient

Colonization rate and community structure of periphyton assemblages was examined on aluminium and glass substrata and compared to populations on four submerged macrophyte species in three temperature zones in Cholla Lake, Arizona, U.S.A. Higher densities were achieved over shorter incubation intervals in the warmer zones (26–35° C). Representatives from the planktonic diatom community were first to colonize artificial substrata during the initial two hour incubation period in all temperature zones. Two periphyton diatom representatives, Amphora coffeiformis and Cocconeis placentula var. lineata were the numerical dominants after one week. Cocconeis placentula var. lineata was most competitive on natural substrata at temperatures 26°C with no significant preferences for artificial or natural substrata. The significance of temperature, specific conductance and availability of living hosts is discussed with respect to regulating populations of th...
Mutagenicity of formalin in the Ames assay.

Formaldehyde is usually considered a weak mutagen in most microbial mutagenicity assays (Auerbach et al., 1977). Although several studies have been conducted with formaldehyde, there are only limited data available concerning its mutagenicity in microbial systems, especially Salmonella typhimurium. While most studies state that formaldehyde is being examined, a formalin solution is usually the actual species utilized in these tests. Commercial formalin contains less than 0.1070 formaldehyde monomer and 5 other forms are present in aqueous solution with methylene glycol being the most prevalent (Meyer, 1979). Koops and Butterworth (1976) have reported that formaldehyde was not mutagenic in strains of S. typhimurium. An abstract by Sasaki and Endo (1978) in which a preincubation technique was used with S. typhimurium TA100 and TA98, reported that formaldehyde and 2 other aldehydes, of 19 tested, were mutagenic for TA100 and that S9 eliminated and reduced the mutagenicity of formaldehyde and glyoxal but increased the mutagenicity of DL-glyceraldehyde. Gocke et al. (1981) examined the mutagenicity of 31 cosmetics ingredients, including formaldehyde. Strains TA 1535, TA 1538, TA 100 and TA98 were tested up to toxic dose without and with $9. 15 of the chemicals were mutagenic in Salmonella and although no data were given for formaldehyde, it was among those chemicals considered nonmutagenic. Couch et al. (1982) also reported that formaldehyde was not mutagenic in a plate assay with TA100 or in a forward-mutation plate assay with TM677. However, both strains were mutated when a liquid preincubation period
Can 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine be used to assess oxidative stress caused by particulate matter air pollution in the general population?

Assess the association between 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) levels and particulate matter air pollution in non-occupational exposure groups from peer-reviewed literature. Ovid Medline and PubMed were used to search for all peer-reviewed articles published between 1946 and May 2013. Keywords included particulate matter, air pollution, deoxyguanosine, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, and known abbreviations. Seven English, non-occupational exposure, human subject studies were evaluated. Of the two studies involving children one found significant positive associations between exposure to particulate matter air pollution and 8OHdG. Investigations into non-occupationally exposed adults were mixed. The lone double-blind crossover study found no relationship between diesel exhaust exposure and 8OHdG. Two out of three panel studies and one cohort study found significant associations between 8OHdG and classes of particles and for various lags. Analyses accounting for particle composition and lags between exposure and physiological responses had the strongest significant associations. Results are not conclusive due to the inconsistency in study designs, small sample sizes, and differences in exposure assessment techniques. Consistent methodology with representative populations including women and other non-occupationally exposed groups are recommended.
Statistical relaxation under nonturbulent chaotic flows: Non-Gaussian high-stretch tails of finite-time Lyapunov exponent distributions

We observe that high-stretch tails of finite-time Lyapunov exponent distributions associated with interfaces evolving under a class of nonturbulent chaotic flows can range from essentially Gaussian tails to nearly exponential tails, and show that the non-Gaussian deviations can have a significant effect on interfacial evolution. This observation motivates new insight into stretch processes under chaotic flows.
Retention of Orally Administered Radio-Phosphorus by Mice.∗

SummaryGlucose increased and iron salts decreased the absorption of radioactive phosphorus from the gastro-intestinal tract.
Rapid electrophoretic analysis of DNA in limited nuclease digests of chromatin and nuclei.

Abstract Addition of Sarkosyl to complex protein-nucleic acid mixtures allows direct analysis of the component nucleic acids by either polyacrylamide or agarose gel electrophoresis. Since no other deproteinization, concentration, or purification steps are necessary for analysis of DNA fragments generated by nuclease digestion of chromatin in intact nuclei or RNA components in ribosomes, these nucleic acids can be analyzed within 1–2 h of preparing digests or cell lysates. It is demonstrated that with this modification of standard gel techniques, nucleic acids can be separated by electrophoresis in the presence of high concentrations of proteins with a resolution comparable to that obtained with fully purified nucleic acids.
Optimal ordering policies for a retailer who offers distinct trade credits to its good and bad credit customers

Abstract In practice, to reduce default risks, a retailer frequently offers its bad credit customers a partial trade credit, in which the retailer requests its customers to pay a portion of the purchase amount at the time of placing an order as a collateral deposit, and then grants a permissible delay on the rest of the purchase amount. By contrast, the retailer usually provides a full trade credit to its good credit customers without the collateral deposits. For generality, in this paper, I establish an economic order quantity (EOQ) model for a retailer who receives a full trade credit by its supplier, and offers either a partial or a full trade credit to its customers. The proposed model is in a general framework that includes numerous previous models as special cases. I then analyze the characteristics of the optimal solution, and provide an easy-to-use closed-form optimal solution. Finally, I use a real-world inventory problem to illustrate the proposed model and its optimal solution.
Redundancy and Operational Safety of Composite Stringer Bridges with Deteriorated Girders

AbstractAs a critical component of the national transportation network, bridges have received a lot of attention regarding their safety and condition state. Bridge superstructures begin to degrade after they are placed in service; to combat this issue, owners have begun to utilize a variety of technologies to monitor the behavior and detect different sources of damage in these structures and generate higher fidelity condition metrics. However, an appropriate maintenance decision-making process requires knowledge of the influence of detected damage and deterioration mechanisms on the overall system behavior. This paper presents a performance measurement and evaluation framework that can be used to characterize the impact of deteriorating conditions on the performance of in-service bridge superstructures. The framework was established based on a numerical modeling approach and was validated through a sensitivity analysis of two representative in-service composite steel girder bridges under the impact of cor...
Prolonged stimulation of respiration by a new central neural mechanism

The inspiratory responses to stimulation by peripheral chemoreceptor, central chemoreceptor and calf muscle afferents were studied in anesthetized, or decerebrate, paralyzed cats whose end-tidal PCO2 was servo-controlled and kept constant. All stimuli were associated with immediate increases of inspiratory (phrenic) activity and at offset were followed by a respiratory afterdischarge lasting approximately five minutes. The level of inspiratory activity following decay of the afterdischarge was the same as the prestimulation control after central chemoreceptor and calf muscle stimulation. However, after peripheral chemoreceptor afferent stimulation the stable level of inspiratory activity following the afterdischarge had increased over the prestimulation level and remained elevated for as long as it was followed, up to 90 min. Decerebration, vagotomy, and section of the spinal cord at C--T1 did not prevent this long-lasting increase in respiration. We conclude that we have demonstrated a new ponto-medullary neural mechanism which is uniquely activated by peripheral chemoreceptor afferent input; once activated, this mechanism sustains respiration at an increased level for a long period of time.
Intention to use condoms among three low-income urban African American subgroups: cocaine users noncocaine drug users and non-drug users.

Cocaine use, marijuana use, alcohol use, and polysubstance use (e.g., alcohol and cocaine, alcohol and marifuana) are associated with high-risk sexual behavior and higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The purpose of this study was to examine readiness for using condoms among three groups (cocaine users, noncocaine drug users, and non-drug users) of African Americans living in low-income urban settings. African Americans in this sample differed in sex risk behaviors according to their drug use status. Noncocaine drug users reported higher levels of sex risk behaviors than non-drug users, and cocaine users reported the highest levels of risk. Cocaine users also reported lower levels of condom use with their main and nonmain sexual partners than both other groups. Results of multivariate analyses indicate that, compared to the other two groups, cocaine users are at earlier stages of readiness for condom use with main partners. Cocaine users have accurate perceptions of their HIV risk, but are more likely to factor into their decisions for using condoms cost and the trouble that it takes to get condoms. Different approaches to sexually transmitted disease and human immunodeficiency virus prevention will be necessary to meet the needs of these three different subgroups.
Long-Term Retention of Random Sequential Digital Information with the Aid of Phonemic Recoding: A Case Report

A single S learned a random sequence of 1,152 digits in 34½ hr. with the aid of a prelearned phonemic recoding system, while he was able to learn only one-third of that length without phonemic recoding in the same period of time. After a 3-mo. retention interval, S remembered two-thirds of the learning sequence, while in the control condition there was no evidence of recall. Utility of multiple recoding of binary sequential information was demonstrated. Results were compared with previous findings on phonemic recoding. Practical applicability of phonemic recoding of sequential digital information was suggested.
Resistant Hypertension Revisited: A Comparison of Two University-Based Cohorts

Background More than a decade ago, we found that a suboptimal medication regimen was the leading cause of resistant hypertension (RH) among patients referred to a tertiary care clinic. Since then, lower blood pressure (BP) goals have been recommended, suggesting that more patients may have RH. To assess whether the reasons for and treatment of RH have changed, we determined the frequency of various causes of resistance, the proportion of patients achieving goal BP, and the changes made in antihypertensive regimens. Methods The charts of all new patients seen at the RUSH University Hypertension Center between January 1, 1993, and November 1, 2001, were reviewed for strict criteria for RH: 1) physician referral for uncontrolled hypertension; 2) BP ≥140/90 mm Hg despite use of three antihypertensive drugs; and 3) at least one follow-up visit. Patients were followed-up until goal BP was achieved on two consecutive visits or their last visit or until March 2002. Results Of 1281 patients, 141 met criteria for RH. A cause of resistance was found in 94% of cases, including the following: drug-related causes (58%); nonadherence (16%); psychological causes (9%); office resistance (ie, in-clinic BP readings that were higher than goal despite treatment with antihypertensive medications and despite normotensive BP outside of the clinic as demonstrated by 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring) (6%); and secondary hypertension (5%). Overall, 53% of patients had their BP controlled to Conclusions These data are strikingly similar to those from our previous study of RH, in which a suboptimal medication regimen was the most common reason for resistance. Goal BP was most commonly achieved after optimizing the diuretic regimen and increasing the number of medications, suggesting that physicians should use these measures to attain the recommended lower BP goals If goal BP is not reached, referral to a clinical hypertension specialist may be appropriate.
Executive function in girls with turner's syndrome

Turner's syndrome (TS), a genetic disorder affecting girls, has a well‐described neurocognitive profile including difficulty with visuospatial processing and attention skills. The goal of this study was to investigate executive function and attention abilities in girls with TS. Executive skills include the ability to plan, organize, monitor, and execute multistep problem‐solving processes. Measures of attention and executive function were analyzed from 105 girls with TS and from 153 female controls matched for age, IQ, and socioeconomic status. Three age groups were evaluated in order to assess developmental patterns in executive skills. The TS group (all ages) performed significantly less well than did controls on measures of attention, including the Freedom From Distractibility factor of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children‐Revised and the Test of Variables of Attention. In the executive function domain, girls with TS performed at levels comparable to controls on the Wisconsin Card Sort Test and...
Protein C activity and postoperative metabolic liver function after liver transplantation.

Abstract Background Protein C is a natural thrombin antagonist produced by hepatocytes. Its levels are low in liver failure and predispose patients to increased risk for thrombosis. Little is known about the relationship between protein C activity and hepatic function after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Methods We measured protein C activity of 41 patients undergoing liver transplantation by the Staclot method (normal range, 70%–130%) preoperatively and then daily on postoperative days (POD) 0–5. Results The mean protein C activity was low before OLT (34.3 ± 4.3%) and inversely correlated with the preoperative Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (Spearman's r = −0.643; P 5 mg/dL on POD 7. These patients had significantly lower protein C activity from POD 3 (47.2 ± 9.6% vs 75.9 ± 5.8%; P = .01) to POD 5. Preoperative protein C activity correlated inversely with the severity of liver failure as indicated by preoperative MELD score. Conclusion Protein C activity recovered rapidly in patients with good allograft function but remained significantly lower in patients who had limited metabolic function as evidenced by increased total bilirubin levels.
Using EQS for a simple analysis of the Colorado Adoption Project data on height and intelligence.

Simple models in the general spirit of Coonet al. (1990) are fit to the Colorado Adoption Project height and intelligence data as the second step in a two-step process. In the first step, over-time data on height and IQ are reduced to level and slope parameters. In the second, these are incorporated in path models along with parental data and fitted using EQS in a multiple-group design. Some comparisons are made between EQS and LISREL for this kind of modeling.
Dual scattering foil design for poly-energetic electron beams.

The laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) mechanism can accelerate electrons to energies within the 6–20 MeV range desired for therapy application. However, the energy spectrum of LWFA-generated electrons is broad, on the order of tens of MeV. Using existing laser technology, the therapeutic beam might require a significant energy spread to achieve clinically acceptable dose rates. The purpose of this work was to test the assumption that a scattering foil system designed for a mono-energetic beam would be suitable for a poly-energetic beam with a significant energy spread. Dual scattering foil systems were designed for mono-energetic beams using an existing analytical formalism based on Gaussian multiple-Coulomb scattering theory. The design criterion was to create a flat beam that would be suitable for fields up to 25 × 25 cm2 at 100 cm from the primary scattering foil. Radial planar fluence profiles for poly-energetic beams with energy spreads ranging from 0.5 MeV to 6.5 MeV were calculated using two methods: (a) analytically by summing beam profiles for a range of mono-energetic beams through the scattering foil system, and (b) by Monte Carlo using the EGS/BEAM code. The analytic calculations facilitated fine adjustments to the foil design, and the Monte Carlo calculations enabled us to verify the results of the analytic calculation and to determine the phase-space characteristics of the broadened beam. Results showed that the flatness of the scattered beam is fairly insensitive to the width of the input energy spectrum. Also, results showed that dose calculated by the analytical and Monte Carlo methods agreed very well in the central portion of the beam. Outside the useable field area, the differences between the analytical and Monte Carlo results were small but significant, possibly due to the small angle approximation. However, these did not affect the conclusion that a scattering foil system designed for a mono-energetic beam will be suitable for a poly-energetic beam with the same central energy. Further studies of the dosimetric properties of LWFA-generated electron beams will be done using Monte Carlo methods.
Electromagnetic gauge invariance of chiral hybrid quark models.

In this work, we investigate the question whether the conventional analysis of the electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon, evaluated in the framework of the cloudy bag model (CBM) or other chirally invariant hybrid quark models utilizing the same philosophy, is gauge invariant In order to address that point, we first formulate the CBM in a style that resembles the technique of loop integrals. Evaluating the self-energy and the electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon in that manner, and comparing with the standard analysis where nonrelativistic perturbation theory is used, allows us to show that our approach is appropriate and to point out what approximations are made in the standard derivation of the model. From the form of those loop integrals, we then show that additional diagrams are needed to preserve electromagnetic gauge invariance and we assess the corresponding corrections.
Immunohistochemical detection of ras and myc oncogene expression in regenerating rat liver.

Abstract The expression of ras and myc oncogene proteins was examined in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of male Sprague-Dawley rat liver at various times after liver regeneration was induced by either a necrogenic dose of CCl 4 or a 2/3 partial hepatectomy. Antibody specific for these proteins and immuno-histochemical (IHC) procedures were used to detect oncogene expression in the liver. Increased expression of both oncogene proteins was detected at times comparable to those reported by others using either Northern or Western blot methods. However, the IHC procedure provided additional information since oncogene expression was detected only in hepatocytes, mainly occupying liver lobule zones known to contain proliferating hepatocytes during regeneration. Also, ras and myc stain intensity of individual hepatocytes did not increase during regeneration. Rather, a greater number of hepatocytes were positive at several time points in the regeneration process. This suggested that the increased ras and myc expression detected in Northern and Western blot methods probably represents a greater number of hepatocytes expressing the oncogene proteins rather than increased expression by individual hepatocytes. Overall, this study provides additional information on the cells involved in the expression of the ras and myc oncogenes during regeneration and further substantiates their role in a normal physiological process.
Technology readiness and the smart grid

Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) originated as a way for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to monitor the development of systems being readied for space. The technique has found wide application as part of the more general topic of system engineering. In this paper, we consider the applicability of TRLs to systems being readied for the smart grid. We find that there are many useful parallels, and much to be gained by this application. However, TRLs were designed for a developer who was also a user. That is not usually the case for smart grid developments. We consider the matter from the point of view of the company responsible for implementation, typically a utility, and we find that there is a need for connecting the many standards in the industry. That connection is explored, and some new considerations are introduced.
The Id2 Transcriptional Repressor Is Induced by Follicle-stimulating Hormone and cAMP

Id (inhibitor of DNA binding/differentiation) proteins repress differentiation and promote cell division by dimerizing with and inhibiting the action of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors including those that bind to E-box motifs. Of the four characterized Id proteins, only Id2 is found in the nucleus of Sertoli cells that support the development of spermatozoa in the testis. Differential display analysis of rat primary Sertoli cell mRNA identified Id2 as being inducible by forskolin, a stimulator of cAMP production. Northern blot analysis confirmed that Id2 mRNA expression peaked in Sertoli cells 6–12 h after stimulation with forskolin or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), the major physiological stimulator of cAMP in Sertoli cells. Similarly, Id2 promoter activity in Sertoli cells was induced after forskolin or FSH stimulation as well as by overexpression of protein kinase A. Forskolin induction of the Id2 promoter required sequences located between positions -122 and -82. Protein(s) of 40–45 kDa were found to bind two activated transcription factor/cAMP-response element-like sites and a GATA motif within the regulatory region. The induction of the Id2 gene by FSH corresponded with a decrease in protein binding to an E-box consensus motif and decreased E-box-mediated transcription. Together, these findings raise the possibility that FSH-mediated induction of Id2 and resultant inhibition of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor-regulated genes in Sertoli cells may contribute to the regulation of spermatogenesis.
Managing incidental genomic findings: legal obligations of clinicians

Clinical whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing will result in a broad range of incidental findings, but clinicians’ obligations to identify and disclose such findings are a matter of debate. We sought legal cases that could offer insights into clinicians’ legal liability. We searched for cases in which incidental findings were related to the cause of action, using the search engines WestLaw, WestLaw Next, Lexis, and Lexis Advance. We found no case law related to incidental findings from genetic testing but identified eight cases involving incidental findings in medical imaging. These cases suggest that clinicians may face liability for failing to disclose incidental findings that would have offered an opportunity for interventions to improve health outcome, if under the applicable standard of care, they fail to identify or appreciate the significance of the incidental finding or they negligently fail to notify other clinicians and/or the patient of the identified incidental finding. Other cases support liability for failure to refer appropriately to a clinician with greater expertise. Clinicians may face liability if they fail to disclose incidental information that could inform interventions to improve health outcome; information lacking clinical actionability is likely to have less import. Genet Med 2013:15(8):624–629
The Art of Strategic Management: A Case-Based Exercise

This article contends that the strategic thinking process is composed of two joint, but paradigmatically distinct, activities—analysis and synthesis. Analysis represents the scientific paradigm, whereas synthesis represents the artistic paradigm. Nevertheless, the Strategic Management course is dominated by the scientific paradigm, even though the artistic paradigm is the means by which true strategic value emanates. Therefore, this article examines the relationship between the scientific and artistic paradigms, concluding that consilience is necessary although challenging. A review of the management education literature reveals attempts at introducing the artistic paradigm to the management classroom. This review leads to the proposal of a case-based experiential exercise that integrates analysis and synthesis in the context of the Strategic Management course.
A 1 MHz, 100 W commercial, high-density point-of-load power supply using direct-bond copper and surface mount technologies

A point-of-load power supply is designed for use in a distributed power system. In order to be commercially viable this supply requires low-cost components and packaging, while maintaining a small footprint and a half-inch height for interboard spacing requirements. The unique combination of direct-bond copper, surface mount, and advanced magnetic technologies permits an estimated maximum hybrid power density of 40 W/in/sup 3/ while using low-cost, readily available commercial components. Packaging details of a 100 W prototype operating at 1 MHz with 34 W/in/sup 3/ hybrid power density are described, including packaging constraints caused by the electrical requirements of the resonant topology utilized. In addition, thermal considerations which must be met in order to reach the maximum hybrid power density are discussed. >
Biosynthesis of Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Is Essential to the Survival of the Protozoan Parasite Toxoplasma gondii

The PIGA gene from Toxoplasma gondii has been cloned and characterized. Like mammalian PIGA, the transmembrane and C-terminal domains are sufficient to direct localization to the parasite endoplasmic reticulum. A functional copy of PIGA is required for tachyzoite viability, demonstrating that glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis is an essential process in T. gondii.
Thermodynamic Behavior of Copper‐Coated Silicon Carbide Particles during Conventional Heating and Spark Plasma Sintering

75Cu·25SiC (vol%) compacts were prepared using copper-coated SiC particles and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The preliminary thermal performance of the coated particles was determined using simultaneous DSC-TG-MS measurement. Characterization of compacts using XRD and SEM techniques was conducted to investigate the physical and chemical changes during the SPS operation. It was found that CuO decomposed at 850° and 500°C during conventional heating and SPS, respectively. Cu2O facilitated the densification of Cu/SiC composites. The optimized sintering temperature of Cu/SiC composites using SPS was ∼730°C. The compacts showed improved hardness because of the SiC reinforcement.
Identification of a Twin-Arginine Translocation System in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 and Its Contribution to Pathogenicity and Fitness

The bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (DC3000) causes disease in Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato plants, and it elicits the hypersensitive response in nonhost plants such as Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana benthamiana. While these events chiefly depend upon the type III protein secretion system and the effector proteins that this system translocates into plant cells, additional factors have been shown to contribute to DC3000 virulence and still many others are likely to exist. Therefore, we explored the contribution of the twin-arginine translocation (Tat) system to the physiology of DC3000. We found that a tatC mutant strain of DC3000 displayed a number of phenotypes, including loss of motility on soft agar plates, deficiency in siderophore synthesis and iron acquisition, sensitivity to copper, loss of extracellular phospholipase activity, and attenuated virulence in host plant leaves. In the latter case, we provide evidence that decreased virulence of tatC mutants likely arises from a synergistic combination of (i) compromised fitness of bacteria in planta; (ii) decreased efficiency of type III translocation; and (iii) cytoplasmically retained virulence factors. Finally, we demonstrate a novel broad-host-range genetic reporter based on the green fluorescent protein for the identification of Tat-targeted secreted virulence factors that should be generally applicable to any gram-negative bacterium. Collectively, our evidence supports the notion that virulence of DC3000 is a multifactorial process and that the Tat system is an important virulence determinant of this phytopathogenic bacterium.
Mechanisms of contrast agent destruction

Various applications of contrast-assisted ultrasound, including blood vessel detection, perfusion estimation, and drug delivery, require controlled destruction of contrast agent microbubbles. The lifetime of a bubble depends on properties of the bubble shell, the gas core, and the acoustic waveform impinging on the bubble. Three mechanisms of microbubble destruction are considered: fragmentation, acoustically driven diffusion, and static diffusion. Fragmentation is responsible for rapid destruction of contrast agents on a time scale of microseconds. The primary characteristics of fragmentation are a very large expansion and subsequent contraction, resulting in instability of the bubble. Optical studies using a novel pulsed-laser optical system show the expansion and contraction of ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles with the ratio of maximum diameter to minimum diameter greater than 10. Fragmentation is dependent on the transmission pressure, occurring in over 55% of bubbles insonified with a peak negative transmission pressure of 2.4 MPa and in less than 10% of bubbles insonified with a peak negative transmission pressure of 0.8 MPa. The echo received from a bubble decorrelates significantly within two pulses when the bubble is fragmented, creating an opportunity for rapid detection of bubbles via a decorrelation-based analysis. Preliminary findings with a mouse tumor model verify the occurrence of fragmentation in vivo. A much slower mechanism of bubble destruction is diffusion, which is driven by both a concentration gradient between the concentration of gas in the bubble compared with the concentration of gas in the liquid, as well as convective effects of motion of the gas-liquid interface. The rate of diffusion increases during insonation, because of acoustically driven diffusion, producing changes in diameter on the time scale of the acoustic pulse length, thus, on the order of microseconds. Gas bubbles diffuse while they are not being insonified, termed static diffusion.
Therapeutic targeting of bile acids

The first objectives of this article are to review the structure, chemistry, and physiology of bile acids and the types of bile acid malabsorption observed in clinical practice. The second major th...