cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cleft Care

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had multiple effects on the provision of health care, including the suspension of elective and nonessential surgeries. The objective of this study was to determine the early effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the surgical care of patients with cleft lip and/or palate at a high-volume cleft center. Methods: A retrospective comparative cohort study of patients with cleft lip and/or palate undergoing lip adhesion, cleft lip and nose repair, and palatoplasty before and during the pandemic was conducted. There were 50 patients in the prepandemic cohort and 53 in the pandemic cohort. Results: Mean age at lip adhesion was 3.1 +/- 1.1 months prepandemic (n = 8) and 3.5 +/- 2.5 months in the pandemic cohort (n = 8) (P = 0.75). One lip adhesion was delayed by 1.6 months. Mean age at cleft lip and nose repair was 6.6 +/- 1.9 months prepandemic (n = 23) and 8.0 +/- 2.1 months in the pandemic cohort (n = 23) (P = 0.03). Six pandemic cleft lip and nose repairs were delayed;the mean delay was 2.6 +/- 1.8 months. The mean age at palatoplasty was 13.9 +/- 2.2 months prepandemic (n = 26) and 14.1 +/- 2.9 months in the pandemic cohort (n = 26) (P = 0.79). Seven pandemic palatoplasties were delayed;the mean delay was 3.3 +/- 1.4 months. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic caused delays at each stage of repair for cleft lip and/or palate-related procedures;however, only cleft lip and nose repair were significantly affected. This study emphasizes the importance of remaining vigilant regarding the care of this vulnerable population during this challenging time.
Frequency and Implications of Concurrent Complications Following Adult Spinal Deformity Corrective Surgery.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective review. OBJECTIVE Identify co-occurring perioperative complications and associated predictors in a population of patients undergoing surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Few studies have investigated the development of multiple, co-occurring complications following ASD-corrective surgery. Preoperative risk stratification may benefit from identification of factors associated with multiple, co-occurring complications. METHODS Elective ASD patients in National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) 2005 to 2016 were isolated; rates of co-occurring complications and affected body systems were assessed via cross tabulation. Random forest analysis identified top patient and surgical factors associated with complication co-occurrence, using conditional inference trees to identify significant cutoff points. Binary logistic regression indicated effect size of top influential factors associated with complication co-occurrence at each factor's respective cutoff point. RESULTS Included: 6486 ASD patients. The overall perioperative complication rate was 34.8%; 28.5% of patients experienced one complication, 4.5% experienced two, and 1.8% experienced 3+. Overall, 11% of complication co-occurrences were pulmonary/cardiovascular, 9% pulmonary/renal, and 4% integumentary/renal. By complication type, the most common co-occurrences were transfusion/urinary tract infection (UTI) (24.3%) and transfusion/pneumonia (17.7%). Surgical factors of operative time ≥400 minutes and fusion ≥9 levels were the strongest factors associated with the incidence of co-occurring complications, followed by patient-specific variables like American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification grade ≥2 and age ≥65 years. Regression analysis further showed associations between increasing complication number and longer length of stay (LOS), (R2 = 0.202, P < 0.001), non-home discharge (R2 = 0.111, P = 0.001), and readmission (R2 = 0.010, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION For surgical ASD patients, the overall rate of co-occurring perioperative complications was 6.3%. Body systems most commonly affected by complication co-occurrences were pulmonary and cardiovascular, and common co-occurrences included transfusion/UTI (24.3%) and transfusion/pneumonia (17.7%). Increasing number of perioperative complications was associated with greater LOS, non-home discharge, and readmission, highlighting the importance of identifying risk factors for complication co-occurrences.Level of Evidence: 3.
How different a modern SST would be

The characteristics of a proposed SST are described. The proposed aircraft is to have two engines and an arrow-wing design, a passenger capacity of 250, and attain speeds of Mach 2.7. The low fineness ratio, low-aspect ratio wing planform, different engine nacelles location, and improved lift-to-drag ratio of the aircraft contribute to attaining an economical supersonic cruise. The proposed structural design and materials for the aircraft are examined; the material and design are to be applicable to high Mach and high temperature. Changes in the SST propulsion system, the nozzle designs, and landing and takeoff procedures to improve the operation of the aircraft are discussed.
TNFα Post-Translationally Targets ZnT2 to Lysosomes to Activate Lysosomal-Mediated Cell Death and Mammary Gland Involution

Mammary epithelial cells undergo widespread lysosomal-mediated cell death (LCD) during early mammary gland involution. Recently, we demonstrated that TNFα, a cytokine released during early involuti...
Team Wisdom: Definition, Dynamics, and Applications

This paper focuses on wisdom manifested in work teams, defined here as groups of interdependent individuals who share responsibility for specific outcomes for their organizations (Sundstrom, DeMeuse & Futrell, 1990). Understanding how wisdom applies in teams has particular urgency, considering their ubiquity in today's organizations - at every level, from executive teams to customer service and production teams, across disciplines from health care to engineering, in a seemingly endless variety of specific applications such as surgery, intercontinental flights, and emergency rescue (Edmondson, 2002, 2003; Nielsen, Sundstrom, & Halfhill, 2002). In exploring how wisdom applies to work teams, we begin by offering a definition of team wisdom based on four inherent tensions of teamwork that must be managed to achieve effectiveness. We then offer a framework outlining and analyzing the dynamics of team wisdom. Subsequent sections apply the framework in four ways. First, we use it as a basis for organizing a review of current research and practice relevant to team wisdom. Second, we apply our framework to identify how the four inherent tensions of teamwork impact teams differently. Third, we apply it by identifying potential ways of developing team wisdom. We conclude with a discussion of potential implications for current theory and research about work teams.
The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945

1. Positive christianity: the doctrine of the time of struggle 2. Above the confessions: bridging the religious divide 3. Blood and soil: the paganist ambivalence 4. National renewal: religion and the New Germany 5. Completing the reformation: the Protestant Reich Church 6. Public need before private greed: building the people's community 7. Gottglaubig: assent of the anti-Christians? 8. The Holy Reich: some conclusions.
Innocence Is No Defense: Politicized Childhood in Antonio Skármeta's "La Composición/The Composition".

Chilean author Antonio Skarmeta’s picture book The Composition (2000), illustrated by Alfonso Ruano, focuses on the political involvement of 9-year-old Pedro. This essay brings together Maria Nikolajeva’s concept of aetonormativity and Elisabeth Young-Bruehl’s concept of childism to examine how The Composition troubles normative assumptions regarding children’s political action and reflects necessary changes in how children are regarded. Pedro’s political actions are not grounded in an established political ideology, nor do they result from advice from adults. Rather, Pedro’s parents naively attempt to reinforce the idea that childhood is an apolitical status—this despite the dictatorship’s willingness to exploit children’s assumed lack of political knowledge. Uniting literary critics with psychological and political criticism, this essay insists on the necessity of literature that recognizes children’s political activities and responsibilities. Such literature should not be exclusively directed toward children who are victims of injustice, nor should it deny that those children involved in political action are still children; ascription of an honorary adult status to young political actors may serve to further marginalize specific children as well as children as a class.
Toward a definition of “fresh” whole blood: an in vitro characterization of coagulation properties in refrigerated whole blood for transfusion

Background The hemostatic property of “fresh” whole blood (WB) has been observed in military application and cardiac surgery and is associated with reduced blood loss, transfusion requirements, and donor exposures. The time from donation to transfusion defining “fresh” has not been systematically studied. We undertook an in vitro study of coagulation properties of refrigerated WB stored for 31 days.
The Power of Perception Mediating the Impact of Poverty on Student Achievement

Race and class often marginalize students in impoverished urban neighborhoods, and this reality is evident in consistently low student achievement in many of the schools in these neighborhoods. Thi...
Fluorescence monitoring of the microenvironmental pH of highly charged polymers

We describe the design, fabrication, and characterization of highly charged polymers with microenvironmental pH properties. Immobilization of a pH-sensitive fluorescent probe in the polymers allows the probe to measure the polymer's microenvironmental pH. Differences between the external solution and the internal polymer pH values, first observed for immobilized enzymes, highlight the partitioning of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions between the polymer and bulk solution. MAPTAC, possessing a quaternary ammonium group, was used as the positively charged monomer. AAMPS, a sulfonate derivative, was selected as the negatively charged monomer. Ten percent of each monomer was photo-polymerized in poly(HEMA). Fluorescence intensities as a function of external pH changes were recorded both with a microplate fluorometer and a monochromator. Fluorescein, the pH-sensitive probe, exhibited pKas from 3 to 8, depending on the polymer charge. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 2105–2110, 1997
RAPID DETECTION OF SALMONELLAE IN FOODS BY MEMBRANE FILTER-DISC IMMUNOIMMOBILIZATION TECHNIQUE

A membrane filter-disc immunoimmobilization technique was developed for rapid detection of salmonellae in foods. The method involved concentrating bacteria from the selective enrichment culture of a food sample by membrane filtration. The membrane filter, with the entrapped bacteria, was inverted and placed on the surface of a semi-solid selective medium contained in a 100 × 15 mm plastic Petri plate. A paper disc impregnated with Salmonella polyvalent flagellar antiserum was placed on the surface of the semi-solid agar approximately 2.5 cm from the nearest edge of the membrane filter. The plate was incubated at 37° C under high humidity. Motile salmonellae, if present in the sample, grew and migrated in the semi-solid medium. When the moving front of motile salmonellae came into contact with the diffusing flagellar antiserum, an antigen-antibody reaction occurred resulting in the immobilization of salmonellae. The formation of a line of immobilization indicated the presence of salmonellae in the sample. A semi-solid medium containing dulcitol, proteose peptone, brilliant green, and novobiochin as the major functional components was found to be more efficient than semi-solid modifications of Salmonella-Shigella agar and Hektoen enteric agar for the detection of salmonellae in foods by the membrane filter-disc immunoimmobilization procedure. The new method, when applied to the detection of salmonellae in raw meats and poultry, was found to give good correlation with the conventional cultural method.
Paleocurrents and Oceanography: ABSTRACT

The rationale of paleocurrent studies suggests that directional current structures identify the provenance, transport direction, basin architecture, and paleoslope of sedimentary sequences. Numerous examples from fluvial deposits have reinforced this view. In marginal marine environments, directional current structures are fashioned by a combination of tidal, wave, and wind-driven currents which flow randomly with respect to slope and sediment source. Directional structures formed by these currents are oriented perpendicular or parallel to both slope and sediment source. The resulting structures, therefore, reveal only the direction of transport of the last current to act upon the sediments prior to burial. The direction of flow of bottom-scouring currents in continental shelves and deep ocean basins is determined by changes in density, temperature, and salinity, by wind action, and by the rotation of the earth. Such changes tend to drive currents in random directions in the ideal case, but because of the earth's rotation, most ocean currents flow parallel to topographic strike. Resulting directional current structures of shelf and deep marine sediments cannot define paleoslope or provenance, but they do define topographic strike. Because the direction of flow of ocean currents depends on many variables, several combinations of current systems can be recognized, including converging systems, diverging systems, and stratified systems. Where two currents converge, one system will override the other system because of differences in density. Converging directional data have been reported from ancient turbidites, indicating that similar converging current systems existed in the past. These data also suggest that many "turbidite" directional criteria were formed by bottom scouring ocean currents. End_of_Article - Last_Page 346------------
Electron-microscopic investigation of cerium–cotton cellulose reactions

Cotton fibers were treated with an aqueous solution of ceric ammonium nitrate and examined with the electron microscope. The greatest deposition of cerium occurred in the primary wall due largely to the reaction with noncellulosic constituents in this area of the fiber. The use of ceric ions for an electron-microscopic stain was found ineffective for producing the desired contrast in the cotton fiber.
Issues Associated with Clinical Trials in Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury

The purpose of this article is to discuss the issues associated with conducting clinical trials in pediatric spinal cord injury (SCI). The discussion will be limited to the areas of government regulation of pediatric participation in clinical trials, calcium metabolism, and the potential concerns for neurological and hormonal compromise in children with SCI. The guidelines regarding ethics and consent will be highlighted as recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) section of pediatrics.
Cultural studies, complexity studies and the transformation of the structures of knowledge

The structures of knowledge of the modern world, those patterns of what can and cannot be thought that determine what actions can and cannot be deemed feasible in the material world, are undergoing a transformation. Two knowledge movements, cultural studies with roots in the humanities and complexity studies in the sciences, have challenged the separation of the sciences, social sciences and the humanities by upsetting the epistemological underpinnings of the mutually exclusive epistemologies based on the separation of truth and values in knowledge production. For the future, social analysts may shift from fabricating and verifying theories to imagining and evaluating the multiple possible consequences of diverse interpretative accounts of human reality and the actions they entail.
Inhomogeneous shearing deformation of a rubber-like slab within the context of finite thermoelasticity with entropic origin for the stress

This paper deals with inhomogeneous shearing deformation of an infinite rubber-like slab under a temperature difference across its thickness. The deformation is analyzed within the context of finite thermoelasticity with entropic origin for the stress. The isothermal strain energy functions of Mooney and of Yeoh are generalized by incorporating them into the thermoelastic model. The energy balance equation, which is decoupled from the linear momentum balance equations, is solved for the temperature field using the Fourier's law of heat conduction. The derived linear temperature field and the equations of the thermoelastic model are inserted into the linear momentum balance equations, thus yielding an ordinary differential equation for the shear strain. The shear strain, the degree of inhomogeneity in the shear strain, the stress field, and the principal stresses are then determined using a finite difference method. The Mooney slab undergoes markedly greater shear strain near the colder boundary, thus exhibiting a boundary layer-like structure at higher temperature differences across the thickness. However, the Yeoh slab exhibits a relatively smaller variation of the shear strain even at the highest temperature difference. This difference in the behavior of the two slabs is attributed to the shear stiffening of the Yeoh slab, which counteracts the formation of a boundary layer-like structure. Both slabs experience constant shear stresses across the thickness, whereas they experience much greater normal stress differences varying across the thickness. The values of the major principal stress turn out to be close to those of the first normal stress difference. The presence of a large normal stress difference compared with a relatively smaller shear stress in the slabs creates the possibility for Mode I type fracture propagation.
An eicosanoid-centric view of atherothrombotic risk factors

Cardiovascular disease is the foremost cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Atherosclerosis followed by thrombosis (atherothrombosis) is the pathological process underlying most myocardial, cerebral, and peripheral vascular events. Atherothrombosis is a complex and heterogeneous inflammatory process that involves interactions between many cell types (including vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, macrophages, and platelets) and processes (including migration, proliferation, and activation). Despite a wealth of knowledge from many recent studies using knockout mouse and human genetic studies (GWAS and candidate approach) identifying genes and proteins directly involved in these processes, traditional cardiovascular risk factors (hyperlipidemia, hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, sex, and age) remain the most useful predictor of disease. Eicosanoids (20 carbon polyunsaturated fatty acid derivatives of arachidonic acid and other essential fatty acids) are emerging as important regulators of cardiovascular disease processes. Drugs indirectly modulating these signals, including COX-1/COX-2 inhibitors, have proven to play major roles in the atherothrombotic process. However, the complexity of their roles and regulation by opposing eicosanoid signaling, have contributed to the lack of therapies directed at the eicosanoid receptors themselves. This is likely to change, as our understanding of the structure, signaling, and function of the eicosanoid receptors improves. Indeed, a major advance is emerging from the characterization of dysfunctional naturally occurring mutations of the eicosanoid receptors. In light of the proven and continuing importance of risk factors, we have elected to focus on the relationship between eicosanoids and cardiovascular risk factors.
Values and Attitudes of High School Drug Users.

It is reported that there is a lack of reliable research information about illegal drug usage at the high school level. This study seeks to identify personal value orientations, philosophical attitudes, and social attitudes evident in this age group. Two questionnaires (Philosophical Attitude Description Inventory and Personal Attitude Questionnaire) were administered to 700 eleventh and twelfth grade students. Factor analysis yielded constructs of life styles. Significant differences were demonstrated between users' and non-users' values by discriminate analysis.
A comparison of uncertainty criteria for calibration

Calibration consists of using a fitted regression line to estimate the value of an unobserved independent variable x corresponding to an observed dependent variable y. To construct a confidence interval for a single x, Eisenhart introduced a procedure that consists of inverting prediction intervals around the regression line. Numerous other inference procedures have been proposed for multiple-use calibration, in which a single fitted regression line is used repeatedly to estimate many x's, We provide a synthesis of this literature and offer some numerical comparisons. We also attempt to motivate the use of various criteria based on the particular points of view of the various parties involved in determining the calibration or using the results. In addition, we derive probability expressions for computing exact simultaneous prediction intervals that enable the construction of tighter limits than are currently available based on that criterion.
Message in a model: Teachers' responses to a court-ordered mandate for curriculum reform

This article reports the findings of a qualitative case study of two preschool teachers and their responses to a court-ordered mandate to use the High/Scope curriculum model. Analysis of the data record, which included interviews, observations, and documents, reveal that despite a framework for action, both teachers remained confused about their role and the content of the curriculum. This article suggests that the current policy strategy of using curriculum models to compensate for the lack of qualified teachers in preschool settings is operating on false and outdated logic that may also contribute to teachers implementing less than desirable practices.
School Choice: An Examination of the Empirical Evidence on Achievement, Parental Decision Making, and Equity

Support for all forms of school choice—public school choice, charter schools, and public-private choice—has been growing in recent years. Arguments in favor of greater choice rest on two propositions: that choice would serve to give more control over educational decisions to parents who in turn would choose good schools for their children, and that competition between schools for students will help reduce inefficiencies in the delivery of education, and, in doing so, improve educational outcomes. This review focuses on quantitative assessments of the impact of choice on educational outcomes. Several questions are examined in detail. First, is there any evidence that the various alternatives to traditional public schools—magnet schools, charter schools, and private schools—are delivering education in a fundamentally different and more efficient fashion? In other words, after accounting for differences in the backgrounds of the students attending these schools, are they better at educating students? Second,...
Consequences of prolonged afferent stimulation of the rat fascia dentata: Epileptiform activity in area CA3 of hippocampus

Abstract Following prolonged stimulation of the perforant path input to the dentate gyrus, long-lasting changes occur in the synaptic responses and cell properties of cells in the fascia dentata. The present study describes the effects of sustained stimulation on the major population of cells innervated by the dentate granule cells: area CA3 pyramidal cells of hippocampus. In 46% of slices from rat, sustained stimulation of perforant path was followed by spontaneous, synchronized, rhythmic bursting activity in area CA3 pyramidal cells that was evident for several hours. These bursts could be recorded extracellularly in the pyramidal cell layer, throughout the hilar region, and even in the granule cell layer. With intracellular recording, all of the cells of the fascia dentata were found to be affected by the pyramidal cell bursts. Hyperpolarizing, inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)-like events occurred in all granule cells tested during the CA3 pyramidal cell burst. In contrast, spiny hilar “mossy” cells discharged synchronously with the pyramidal cells, as did some of the “fast spiking” interneurons. However, most interneurons only depolarized a few millivolts during the pyramidal cell burst. These results show that sustained stimulation of the perforant path is followed by a period of hyperexcitability in area CA3 of the hippocampus, and that hyperexcitability in area CA3 influences the activity of the cells in the fascia dentata.
Promoting peptide α-helix formation with dynamic covalent oxime side-chain cross-links

Covalent side-chain cross-linking has been shown to be a viable strategy to control peptide folding. We report here that an oxime side-chain linkage can elicit α-helical folds from peptides in aqueous solution. The bio-orthogonal bridge is formed rapidly under neutral buffered conditions, and the resulting cyclic oximes are capable of dynamic covalent exchange.
Embryonic mouse blood flow and oxygen correlate with early pancreatic differentiation

The mammalian embryo represents a fundamental paradox in biology. Its location within the uterus, especially early during development when embryonic cardiovascular development and placental blood flow are not well-established, leads to an obligate hypoxic environment. Despite this hypoxia, the embryonic cells are able to undergo remarkable growth, morphogenesis, and differentiation. Recent evidence suggests that embryonic organ differentiation, including pancreatic β-cells, is tightly regulated by oxygen levels. Since a major determinant of oxygen tension in mammalian embryos after implantation is embryonic blood flow, here we used a novel survivable in utero intracardiac injection technique to deliver a vascular tracer to living mouse embryos. Once injected, the embryonic heart could be visualized to continue contracting normally, thereby distributing the tracer specifically only to those regions where embryonic blood was flowing. We found that the embryonic pancreas early in development shows a remarkable paucity of blood flow and that the presence of blood flow correlates with the differentiation state of the developing pancreatic epithelial cells in the region of the blood flow.
Carbon and nitrogen mineralization of added particulate and macroorganic matter

Abstract Particulate organic matter (POM) is more sensitive than total SOM to changes in management practices and, accordingly, may indicate changes in soil quality. A soil incubation study was conducted to determine the effects of added POM (75 to 250 μ m size fraction), or macroorganic matter (MOM, 250 to 2000 μ m size fraction) on C and N mineralization and microbial C and N content. A 1 kg composite made from 16 predominantly silt loam soils was amended with 10 g of POM, MOM or MOM ground to a reduced size of 75 to 250 μ m (GMOM). The MOM amendment equaled 4.55-fold and POM equaled 1.60-fold of total MOM and POM found in the composite soil. Carbon mineralization of MOM and POM after 8 weeks was approximately 9 and 4%, respectively of the total MOM and POM-C added. Reducing the size of MOM to 75 to 250 μ m did not affect mineralization. Nitrogen mineralization was slightly greater in the amended soils after 8 weeks and equaled 5 to 6% of the MOM or POM-total N added. Contribution of POM to total mineralized N from soil organic matter (SOM) in the composite soil was proportional to the POM content in SOM or approximately 12%. Amended soils had 25 to 42% more biomass-C than the control soil 2 weeks after amendment application. After 8 weeks, the amended soils contained about 32% more biomass-C. This increase in biomass-C at 8 weeks accounted for approximately 2% of the added C. At 8 weeks, microbial biomass-N in GMOM-, MOM- and POM-amended soils was about 56, 46 and 14% higher, respectively, than in the control soil. These increases were approximately 8% of the MOM-N added and 2% of the POM-N added. Increases in POM resulted in increases in soil respiration and microbial biomass-C and N, which also are suggested indicators of soil quality. Therefore, POM may be a suitable soil quality indicator that provides similar information as soil respiration or microbial biomass determinations.
Short-Circuit Power Reduction by Using High-Threshold Transistors

In this brief paper, the dependency of short-circuit power on threshold voltage is analyzed and utilized for short circuit (SC) power reduction in multi-threshold (MTCMOS) processes. Analytical expressions are developed for estimation of the change of ratio between short-circuit power and dynamic power (PSC/Pdyn) while changing the design process. The analysis shows that the PSC/Pdyn ratio can increase significantly if the VT/Vdd ratio in new process decreases. An analytical expression is also derived for estimation of potential SC power reduction in MTCMOS processes by replacing low-VT transistors by high-VT devices in the same process. The proposed technique allows significant reduction of SC power without the need for process shift. The simulation results show good correlation with the analytical estimation at cell level, while demonstrating an average SC power saving of 36%. The performance impact is also validated, showing that timing degradation is minor and controllable. The proposed optimization technique is applicable to any multi-threshold process. The technique is simple for implementation, and can be easily integrated in the existing optimization tools.
Epigenetic mechanisms regulate NADPH oxidase-4 expression in cellular senescence

Aging is a well-known risk factor for a large number of chronic diseases, including those of the lung. Cellular senescence is one of the hallmarks of aging, and contributes to the pathogenesis of age-related diseases. Recent studies implicate the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating enzyme, NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) in cellular senescence. In this study, we investigated potential mechanisms for epigenetic regulation of Nox4. We observed constitutively high levels of Nox4 gene/protein and activity in a model of replication-induced cellular senescence of lung fibroblasts. In replicative senescent fibroblasts, the Nox4 gene is enriched with the activation histone mark, H4K16Ac, and inversely associated with the repressive histone mark, H4K20Me3, supporting an active transcriptional chromatin conformation. Silencing of the histone acetyltransferase Mof, which specifically acetylates H4K16, down-regulates Nox4 gene/protein expression. The Nox4 gene promoter is rich in CpG sites; mixed copies of methylated and unmethylated Nox4 DNA were detected in both nonsenescent and senescent cells. Interestingly, the Nox4 gene is variably associated with specific DNA methyltransferases and methyl binding proteins in these two cell populations. These results indicate a critical role for histone modifications involving H4K16Ac in epigenetic activation of the Nox4 gene, while the role of DNA methylation may be contextual. Defining mechanisms for the epigenetic regulation of Nox4 will aid in the development of novel therapeutic strategies for age-related diseases in which this gene is overexpressed, in particular idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and cancer.
An analogue echogram range gate tracker for clinical echocardiography.

The fundamental purpose of this paper is to present the results of a feasibility study for an online, real-time automatic range gate tracker (ARGT) for clinical echocardiography, specifically for the purpose of determining cardiac output noninvasively and in real time. The basic ARGT design represents an implementation of specific algorithms and a system controller that permit user interaction and interpretation of clinical echocardiograms. In its analytical mode, the ARGT automatically tracks cardiac echoes as visually perceived and selected by the user. While tracking specific cardiac echoes, the ARGT converts the complex ultrasonic echogram into a pair of meaningful analogue signals (corresponding to the motion of the anterior and posterior left ventricular walls) from which dimensional information corresponding to dynamic geometric changes of the heart are derived. From this information, the cardiac output is computed in real time.
Platelet collagen receptors play molecular ping-pong

Following vessel injury, circulating platelets adhere to and form thrombi on exposed collagen. Traditionally, this response has been mechanistically compartmentalized by assigning adhesive and signaling roles to distinct collagen receptors. Such a neat division of labor fit nicely with the
An IP-based healthcare provider shift design approach to minimize patient handoffs

The new Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty-hour standards for residents and fellows went into effect in 2011. These regulations were designed to reduce fatigue-related medical errors and improve patient safety. The new shift restrictions, however, have led to more frequent transitions in patient care (handoffs), resulting in greater opportunity for communication breakdowns between caregivers, which correlate with medical errors and adverse events. Recent research has focused on improving the quality of these transitions through standardization of the handoff protocols; however, no attention has been given to reducing the number of transitions in patient care. This research leverages integer programming methods to design a work shift schedule for trainees that minimizes patient handoffs while complying with all ACGME duty-hour standards, providing required coverage, and maintaining physician quality of life. In a case study of redesigning the trainees’ schedule for a Mayo Clinic Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), we show that the number of patient handoffs can be reduced by 23 % and still meet all required and most desired scheduling constraints. Furthermore, a 48 % reduction in handoffs could be achieved if only the minimum required rules are satisfied.
Giuseppe Dossetti: L'avventura politica di un riformatore cristiano

Giuseppe Dossetti (1913–96) was a key figure in post-war Italian Catholic politics and culture, as well as one of the founding fathers of the Republic. But that is not all. He was a refined and ecl...
Amyloid Plaques Disrupt Resting State Default Mode Network Connectivity in Cognitively Normal Elderly

Background Important functional connections within the default mode network (DMN) are disrupted in Alzheimer's disease (AD), likely from amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque-associated neuronal toxicity. Here, we sought to determine if pathological effects of Aβ amyloid plaques could be seen, even in the absence of a task, by examining functional connectivity in cognitively normal participants with and without preclinical amyloid deposition. Methods Participants with Alzheimer's disease (AD) ( n = 35) were compared with 68 cognitively normal participants who were further subdivided by positron emission tomography (PET) Pittsburgh Compound-B (PIB) imaging into those without evidence of brain amyloid (PIB−) and those with brain amyloid (PIB+) deposition. Results Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) demonstrated that, compared with the PIB− group, the PIB+ group differed significantly in functional connectivity of the precuneus to hippocampus, parahippocampus, anterior cingulate, dorsal cingulate, gyrus rectus, superior precuneus, and visual cortex. These differences were in the same regions and in the same direction as differences found in the AD group. Conclusions Thus, before any manifestations of cognitive or behavioral changes, there were differences in resting state connectivity in cognitively normal subjects with brain amyloid deposition, suggesting that early manifestation of Aβ toxicity can be detected using resting state fMRI.
Use of somatic cell fusion to reprogram globin genes.

The developmental phenomenon of hemoglobin switching occurs in all classes of vertebrates and is due to differential regulation of divergent globin genes which are arranged in chromosomally clustered families. By fusing erythroid cells of different developmental programs, it has been shown that erythroid nuclei of either early or late developmental stage can be reprogrammed, i.e. the gene switch can be reversed in adult erythroid nuclei and/or prematurely-induced in fetal/embryonic erythroid nuclei. Experiments with heterokaryons demonstrate that the reprogramming is due to trans-acting factors that are developmental-stage-specific. These results suggest the feasibility of using fusisome-carried sets of nuclear factors to reprogram somatic cells.
A Protein Kinase C Agonist, Selective for the β1 Isozyme, Induces E-Selectin and VCAM-1 Expression on HUVEC but Does Not Translocate PKC

A protein kinase C (PKC) agonist selective for the beta I isozyme, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-phenylacetate 20-acetate (dPPA), induced NF-kappa B-like binding activity and surface expression of E-selectin and VCAM-1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), similar to the effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Induction of E-selectin and VCAM-1 expression by dPPA was completely inhibited by the PKC inhibitors staurosporine and Ro31-7549. The PKC inhibitors also reduce TNF-alpha-induced VCAM-1 expression. However, neither dPPA nor TNF-alpha translocated PKC from the cytosolic to the plasma or nuclear membrane particulate fractions in HUVEC. These results indicate that activation of the beta I PKC isozyme is sufficient for expression of E-selectin and VCAM-1, and suggest that PKC may mediate the effects of TNF-alpha and dPPA without requiring the translocation normally associated with activation of PKC.
Optimal control of linear differential-difference systems of neutral type

Abstract The optimal control of linear differential-difference systems of neutral type with respect to quadratic performance criteria over an infinite time interval is treated. The linear differential-difference systems with delays in coordinates, derivatives, and control actions are analysed. Dynamic programming is used to determine the optimization equations. A set of Riccati type equations is obtained. The closed-loop system synthesis problem is discussed. The approximate optimal problem is formulated. A connection is established between the original and approximate optimal problems. Special attention is paid to the suboptimal system synthesis problem.
The effects of environmental enrichment in the chick anxiety-depression model.

Abstract As a validation step of an animal simulation, the effects of environmental enrichment were tested in the anxiety-depression model, in which socially raised chicks are placed in isolation for a 2 h test period. Isolated chicks display an initial high rate of distress vocalizations, constituting the anxiety-like phase, followed by a marked decline and plateau in rates of vocalizations for the remainder of time in isolation, characterizing the depression-like phase. Four separate groups of domestic fowl chicks were group housed under enriched, impoverished (i.e., non-enriched) or a combination of the two housing conditions for six days and tested at 7 d posthatch in the aforementioned isolation procedure. Rates of distress vocalizations in the anxiety-like (2–3 min) or depression-like (30–120 min) phases were not affected by housing conditions. However, chicks continuously housed in enriched environments and chicks housed in the enriched environments on days 4–6 displayed a delay in the onset of the depression-like phase. The beneficial effect of environmental enrichment on the depression-like phase is consistent with other stress paradigms and provides another step towards validating the chick anxiety-depression model as a clinical simulation.
Development and application of hydric soil indicators in Florida

The hydric soil definition and hydric soil criteria are often insufficient for use in field identification/delineation of hydric soils. This paper traces the experiences soil scientists and other wetland scientists had in Florida to properly identify, understand, and use hydric soil indicators to identify those soils that fit both the hydric soil definition and the hydric soil criteria. The hydric soil indicators that properly identify soils that fit the definition and criteria in Florida are as follows: hydrogen sulfide, organic bodies, stratified layers, muck, mucky texture, dark surface, stripped matrix, redox concentrations, gleyed matrix, depleted matrix, iron manganese masses, umbric epipedon, thick mollic epipedon, or marl. Exact thicknesses, depths, percentages, and colors that are required for each of the hydric soil indicators have been developed. Because of the knowledge gained from intense observations of morphological features in soils for hydric soil determinations scientists were able to transfer this technological ability to include the estimation of seasonal high water tables for all soils in Florida.
Impact of anthropogenic absorbing aerosols on clouds and precipitation: A review of recent progresses

Abstract The climate impact of anthropogenic absorbing aerosols has attracted wide attentions recently. The unique forcing distribution of these aerosols displays, as instantaneous and in solar band, a significant heating to the atmosphere and a cooling in a close but smaller magnitude at the Earth's surface, leading to a positive net forcing to the Earth-atmosphere system, i.e., the forcing at the top of the atmosphere, which brings a warming tendency to the climate system. On the other hand, the atmospheric heating and surface cooling introduced by these aerosols have been demonstrated to be able to interact with dynamical processes in various scales to alter atmospheric circulation, and hence clouds and precipitation. Recent studies have suggested that the changes in precipitation caused by persistent forcing of anthropogenic absorbing aerosols through certain dynamical interactions, often appearing distant from the aerosol-laden regions, are likely more significant than those caused through aerosol–cloud microphysical connection confined locally to the aerosol concentrated areas. An active research field is forming to understand the changes in cloud and precipitation caused by anthropogenic absorbing aerosol through various dynamical linkages. This review discusses several recent findings regarding the effect of anthropogenic absorbing aerosols on cloud and precipitation, with an emphasis on works relate to the coupling between aerosol forcing and dynamical processes.
Carbon isotope composition of organic seston and sediments in a Georgia salt marsh estuary

Abstract The distribution of δ13C values for organic seston and sediment was determined in three sounds in the Spartina marsh estuaries along the Georgia coast, which had high, moderate, and low inputs of freshwater. Organic matter in all three sounds had similar carbon isotope compositions, for the most part within the range of marine values (δ13C of −18%. to −24%.). It appears that river flow does not introduce significant quantities of particulate C3 plant material (δ13C of −25%. to −28%.) to Georgia estuaries. Evaluation of δ13C values of estuarine seston and three size fractions of sediment indicated that while Spartina carbon (δ13C of −13%.) can be an important component of organic matter in intertidal sediments (mean δ13C of −14.3%. to −20.0%.), it is less so in subtidal sediments (mean δ13C of −18.8%. to −21.2%.), and it is hardly present at all in the seston (mean δ13C of −24.5%.). δ13C values of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in several water samples ranged between −2.5%. and −5.6%., suggesting that the isotope composition of estuarine DIC is influenced by respiratory CO2 derived from metabolism of 13C-depleted plant carbon. Phytoplankton production utilizing this comparatively light DIC could be a source of relatively negative δ13C carbon in the estuary. Additional origins of estuarine organic matter greatly depleted in 13C compared to Spartina carbon remain to be identified.
Evolution of increased complexity in a molecular machine

Increased complexity in an essential molecular machine evolved through simple, high-probability genetic mechanisms. In a real-life variation on the 'Jurassic Park' theme, ancestral proteins have been resurrected from synthetic DNA using sequences inferred from current versions of their genes. Finnigan et al. take the idea further with the reconstruction of a multiprotein complex — the transmembrane ring of the proton pump V-ATPase — using a protocol that mimics millions of years of evolution. Starting from a two-component 'ancestral' version of the protein, gene duplication and purely degenerative mutations are sufficient to trigger increased complexity in V-ATPase. Through this gradual process, the three-component complexes found in fungi and yet more elaborate equivalents in other organisms can evolve without the need for functions generated by low-probability combinations of mutations. Many cellular processes are carried out by molecular ‘machines’—assemblies of multiple differentiated proteins that physically interact to execute biological functions1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Despite much speculation, strong evidence of the mechanisms by which these assemblies evolved is lacking. Here we use ancestral gene resurrection9,10,11 and manipulative genetic experiments to determine how the complexity of an essential molecular machine—the hexameric transmembrane ring of the eukaryotic V-ATPase proton pump—increased hundreds of millions of years ago. We show that the ring of Fungi, which is composed of three paralogous proteins, evolved from a more ancient two-paralogue complex because of a gene duplication that was followed by loss in each daughter copy of specific interfaces by which it interacts with other ring proteins. These losses were complementary, so both copies became obligate components with restricted spatial roles in the complex. Reintroducing a single historical mutation from each paralogue lineage into the resurrected ancestral proteins is sufficient to recapitulate their asymmetric degeneration and trigger the requirement for the more elaborate three-component ring. Our experiments show that increased complexity in an essential molecular machine evolved because of simple, high-probability evolutionary processes, without the apparent evolution of novel functions. They point to a plausible mechanism for the evolution of complexity in other multi-paralogue protein complexes.
Quantum phase transitions in random magnets

Abstract This talk will discuss novel critical behavior and “Griffiths–McCoy” singularities (which occur away from criticality) near quantum phase transitions in disordered systems with discrete (Ising) symmetry. One finds that distributions of many quantities are very broad, so it is insufficient to simply take the average. After reviewing some exact results in one dimension obtained using a real space renormalization group approach, I will discuss extensions of these results obtained by a numerical method in which the spin problem is mapped on to free fermions. In this way, whole distributions can be determined with precision. The talk will then describe quantum Monte Carlo simulations which show that similar results also occur in higher dimensions, at least for d =2.
Temperature acclimatization in the filtering rates and oxygen consumption of Daphnia ambigua scourfield

1. 1. Filtering rates and oxygen consumption were measured in the field on a wild population of the fresh-water limnetic cladoceran Daphnia ambigua. 2. 2. Filtering rates increased with increasing body size and were significantly affected by environmental temperature. 3. 3. Oxygen consumption increased with increasing body size; there was no significant difference among b values determined at different environmental temperatures but bs were highest at low temperatures. decreased progressively at higher temperatures and increased at the highest temperatures. 4. 4. Temperature significantly affected the rate of oxygen consumption. 5. 5. Both filtering rates and oxygen consumption evidenced classical translation to the left in cold-acclimatized animals. An environmental temperature near 12°C apparently separates warm- and cold-acclimatization processes.