cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A retrospective review of three antibiotic prophylaxis regimens for pediatric cardiac surgical patients.

Abstract Background Optimal antimicrobial prophylaxis for the pediatric cardiac surgical patient is unknown. We have reviewed our experience with more than 4,000 pediatric cardiac surgical patients at the University of Michigan to evaluate antibiotic prophylaxis regimens. Methods Three antibiotic prophylaxis protocols were serially used during a 6-year period: Protocol 1 (n = 786): cefazolin was administered before operation and continued as long as thoracostomy tubes or central venous catheters were present; Protocol 2 (n = 1095): cefazolin was discontinued 48 hours postoperatively, regardless of the presence of tubes or catheters; Protocol 3 (n = 2039): cefazolin was continued as long as thoracostomy tubes were present, but not for central venous catheters. Patients with an open chest postoperatively received vancomycin and gentamicin until chest closure. This was identical during all three protocols. We retrospectively determined the rate of surgical site infections and unrelated bloodstream infections (the latter for both cardiac medical and surgical patients) for the three protocols. Results Surgical site infections per 100 operations for protocols 1, 2, and 3 was 2.04, 6.58, and 1.67, respectively ( p p Conclusions These data suggest that pediatric cardiac surgical patients may benefit from prophylactic antibiotics as long as thoracostomy tubes are in place.
Physicians’ attitudes towards living wills and cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Objective:To determine whether a physician’s familiarity with the living will directly relates to an expressed willingness to discuss resuscitation issues with patients.
The ultrastructure and cytochemistry of the shell membrane-secreting region of the Japanese quail oviduct.

The isthmic mucosa or shell membrane-secreting portion of the Japanese quail oviduct was examined by light and electron microscopy and by cytochemical techniques. Preliminary studies of the shell membrane were also made. The mucosa of the isthmus is thrown into numerous longitudinal folds which are covered by a simple columnar epithelium consisting of ciliated and mucussecreting cells. Numerous convoluted simple tubular glands lie densely packed beneath the surface epithelium and are connected to it by short ducts. The tubular glands are made up of a single cell type, the principal cell, which contains numerous large secretory granules. Mature granules display an eccentrically placed dense spherical core surrounded by a less dense cortex. The shell membrane is composed of a meshwork of intersecting fibers oriented randomly in the plane of the membrane; each fiber is made up of a medulla and cortex. Cytochemical methods indicate that the principal cell secretory granules consist of a complex of carbohydrate with protein. The protein is rich in sulfhydryl groups; the polysaccharide moiety is neither sulfated nor rich in carboxyl groups. The mucigen granules are composed of a nonsulfated carbohydrate-containing substance. The shell membrane has both carbohydrate and protein components. Speculations are presented on the morphological relationships between the various components of the completed shell membrane and their secretory precursors.
Static and Dynamic Errors in Particle Tracking Microrheology

Particle tracking techniques are often used to assess the local mechanical properties of cells and biological fluids. The extracted trajectories are exploited to compute the mean-squared displacement that characterizes the dynamics of the probe particles. Limited spatial resolution and statistical uncertainty are the limiting factors that alter the accuracy of the mean-squared displacement estimation. We precisely quantified the effect of localization errors in the determination of the mean-squared displacement by separating the sources of these errors into two separate contributions. A "static error" arises in the position measurements of immobilized particles. A "dynamic error" comes from the particle motion during the finite exposure time that is required for visualization. We calculated the propagation of these errors on the mean-squared displacement. We examined the impact of our error analysis on theoretical model fluids used in biorheology. These theoretical predictions were verified for purely viscous fluids using simulations and a multiple-particle tracking technique performed with video microscopy. We showed that the static contribution can be confidently corrected in dynamics studies by using static experiments performed at a similar noise-to-signal ratio. This groundwork allowed us to achieve higher resolution in the mean-squared displacement, and thus to increase the accuracy of microrheology studies.
A fast, accurate, and reliable reconstruction method of the lumbar spine vertebrae using positional MRI.

In vivo measurement of lumbar spine configuration is useful for constructing quantitative biomechanical models. Positional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) accommodates a larger range of movement in most joints than conventional MRI and does not require a supine position. However, this is achieved at the expense of image resolution and contrast. As a result, quantitative research using positional MRI has required long reconstruction times and is sensitive to incorrectly identifying the vertebral boundary due to low contrast between bone and surrounding tissue in the images. We present a semi-automated method used to obtain digitized reconstructions of lumbar vertebrae in any posture of interest. This method combines a high-resolution reference scan with a low-resolution postural scan to provide a detailed and accurate representation of the vertebrae in the posture of interest. Compared to a criterion standard, translational reconstruction error ranged from 0.7 to 1.6 mm and rotational reconstruction error ranged from 0.3 to 2.6°. Intraclass correlation coefficients indicated high interrater reliability for measurements within the imaging plane (ICC 0.97–0.99). Computational efficiency indicates that this method may be used to compile data sets large enough to account for population variance, and potentially expand the use of positional MRI as a quantitative biomechanics research tool.
Regulation of cyclic-AMP synthesis in amphibian melanotrope cells through catecholamine and GABA receptors.

Abstract Catecholamines and GABA are neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of release of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) derived peptides from the neurointermediate lobe of Xenopus laevis. The present study concerns the relation of these neurotransmitters to the adenylate cyclase system of the melanotrope cell. During in vitro incubation of isolated melanotrope cells it was found that dopamine, adrenaline and LY 171555 induced inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP production and concomitantly inhibited MSH release. Activation of the GABAb receptors by baclofen also induced inhibition of cAMP production and αMSH secretion. Activation of the GABAa receptors evoked stimulation of cAMP production, while αMSH release was slightly inhibited, indicating that the GABAa mechanism may prove to be complex. A dual regulation through two subtypes of this receptor might be involved, one stimulating release through the adenylate cyclase system, while the other would inhibit secretion.
Ethical, legal and social issues for personal health records and applications

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Project HealthDesign included funding of an ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI) team, to serve in an advisory capacity to the nine design projects. In that capacity, the authors had the opportunity to analyze the personal health record (PHR) and personal health application (PHA) implementations for recurring themes. PHRs and PHAs invert the long-standing paradigm of health care institutions as the authoritative data-holders and data-processors in the system. With PHRs and PHAs, the individual is the center of his or her own health data universe, a position that brings new benefits but also entails new responsibilities for patients and other parties in the health information infrastructure. Implications for law, policy and practice follow from this shift. This article summarizes the issues raised by the first phase of Project HealthDesign projects, categorizing them into four topics: privacy and confidentiality, data security, decision support, and HIPAA and related legal-regulatory requirements. Discussion and resolution of these issues will be critical to successful PHR/PHA implementations in the years to come.
Tendons attached to prostheses by tendon-bone block fixation: An experimental study in dogs

To develop a method of tendon attachment to a metallic endoprosthesis, we evaluated fixation strength, clinical function of the tendon, and morphological changes in an experimental model. The canine supraspinatus tendon was removed from the greater tubercle of the humerus and attached to a titanium prosthesis. In 12 animals, the bone block underlying the tendon insertion was preserved and attached in one limb; the soft part of the tendon was attached directly to the prosthesis in the contralateral limb. Fixation strength was evaluated after 16 weeks of in vivo implantation (12 specimens) and compared with the in vitro fixation strength (12 specimens) and with intact normal controls (six specimens from cadavera). Function of the tendon in vivo was evaluated by force-plate analysis (at 3-weeks intervals). All specimens were evaluated histologically. Sixteen weeks after surgery, the tendon-bone block attachment was significantly stronger (mean, 16%) than the direct tendon attachment and not significantly different from the normal control, and the direct tendon attachment was significantly weaker (mean, 68%) than the normal control. There was significantly more weight-bearing on the limbs with a tendon-bone block attachment than on the limbs with a direct tendon attachment at both 3 and 6 weeks postoperatively. Both front legs showed increased weight-bearing with time, but the differences were not statistically significantly. Anchorage by tissue ingrowth to the titanium prosthesis was found consistently–there was bone ingrowth in the tendon-bone block attachments and fibrous tissue ingrowth in the direct tendon attachments. When a bone block was preserved, the strength and stiffness were comparable with those of a normal tendon insertion. This mechanical linkage was capable of transmitting muscle forces to the prosthesis and consequently to the limb.
Age-dependent effects of environmental enrichment on spatial reference memory in male mice

Although environmental enrichment has been shown to improve various types of memory in young and aging mice, no study has directly compared the degree to which enrichment improves memory at different ages throughout the lifespan in male mice. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of long-term continuous enrichment in young (3 months), middle-aged (15 months), and aged (21 months) male C57BL/6 mice. Spatial reference memory was tested in the Morris water maze. Results demonstrate that 24h/day environmental enrichment for approximately 6 weeks significantly improved spatial memory in the Morris water maze in aged males, but not in young or middle-aged males. These data also indicate that 24h exposure to complex enriched housing conditions increases the magnitude of enrichment-induced improvements in memory among aged mice relative to those previously reported by this lab and others.
Insights into the role of the immune system in prion diseases.

Prion diseases are a class of neurodegenerative disorders leading to severe neurological dysfunction and, ultimately, to death. Scrapie, a disease of sheep and goats, as welU as two human diseases, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and kuru, is transmitted by an infectious agent called a prion. In addition, there are two familial forms of prion diseases, an alternative form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker (GSS) syndrome, which are genetically inherited neurodegenerative disorders. For many years, the molecular nature of the prion particle, and the mode of transmission of the infectious disease, remained an enigma. A heroic effort has painstakingly led to the elucidation of many of the unusual features of prion diseases. One memorable point in these earlier investigations came in the early 1980s, when it was first suggested that infectious prion particles may completely lack a nucleic acid genome (1). While this concept, arriving as it did at the height of the golden age of molecular biology, was greeted with intense skepticism, over the years data have accumulated that provide increasing evidence that the active agent in infectious prion particles is a modified form of a host-encoded protein called PrP (prion protein). This work has culminated in the demonstration, recently reported in this journal (2) and in Cell (3), that mice that do not express PrP are resistant to scrapie infection. One aspect of prion diseases that has not received a great deal of attention is their relationship to the immune system. It has been noted for years that no immune response seems to accompany scrapie inoculation and the onset of prion disease (4). The identification of the PrP as an essential component of scrapie transmission has focused attention on immune responses to PrP. The recent reports of prion-deficient mice (2, 3) have provided further insights into this aspect of prion diseases. In the sections below, I first summarize the evidence indicating that scrapie and other prion diseases are protein mediated and then consider the role of the immune system during the infectious process. Evidence for the Essential Role of PrP in Prion Diseases
Selective stimulation of brush border glutamine transport in the tumor-bearing rat.

Intestinal extraction of circulating glutamine across the basolateral membrane is diminished in the tumor-bearing rat (TBR). This study was designed to investigate the effects of progressive malignant growth on brush border glutamine transport in order to gain further insight into the adaptive/regulatory changes in intestinal glutamine metabolism that occur in the tumor-bearing rat. Fischer 344 rats (225 ± 5 g) were implanted with fibrosarcoma cells and were studied at various time points after implantation when the tumors comprised 7%, 20%, and 29% of total body weight. Control and tumor-bearing rats were pair-fed throughout the study. Jejunal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) were prepared by magnesium aggregation/differential centrifugation and transport of radioactively labeled l-glutamine, l-leucine, l-alanine, and d-glucose by BBMVs was measured using a Millipore filtration technique. BBMVs were enriched 15-fold in alkaline phosphatase, indicating brush border vesicle purity. Uptake of all substrates occurred into an osmotically active space, exhibited overshoots, and had similar 1-hr equilibrium values. The rate of glutamine uptake by BBMVs from all tumor-bearing rats was significantly greater than controls, regardless of tumor size. The increase in transport activity was not due to a change in carrier affinity but rather to an increase in maximal transport velocity. In rats with small tumors (7% of body weight), the Vmax was 431 ± 40 pmole/mg protein/10 sec compared to 259 ± 30 in control animals (P < 0.01). In marked contrast, the mean transport of alanine was diminished in BBMVs from TBR (31 ± 3 pmole/mg protein/10 sec in TBR vs 23 ± 2 in controls, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in glucose and leucine transport between control and TBR. The results suggest that the upregulation in brush border transport that occurs in this tumor model may be specific for glutamine, indicating the high cellular priority and requirement for glutamine. Such adaptive regulation in brush border transport activity in tumor-bearing animals has not been previously described.
Isolating Pathogenic Mechanisms Embedded within the Hippocampal Circuit through Regional Vulnerability

Some of the most common and devastating disorders of the brain target the hippocampal formation. The hippocampal formation is a complex circuit of interconnected regions, and it is assumed that clues into the causes of these disorders are embedded within the circuit. Neuroimaging tools have been optimized to interrogate the malfunctioning hippocampal circuit, and by applying these tools to patients in the earliest stages of disease and to animal models, patterns of regional vulnerability have been established for Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and cognitive aging. More recently, studies have begun deciphering the cellular and molecular reasons underlying regional dysfunction. Collectively, this information clarifies the pathophysiology of these disorders and informs on therapeutic strategies.
Nonlinear dynamic analysis in signal typing of pathological human voices

A new quantitative scheme used in signal typing of pathological human voices is presented, which is based on nonlinear dynamic analysis. The conducted research shows that correlation dimension analysis reveals significant differences among various types of voice signals: nearly periodic type 1 signals, type 2 signals containing bifurcations or modulations, and aperiodic type 3 signals. The correlation dimensions of each signal type statistically increase from type 1 to type 3 signals. This study suggests that nonlinear dynamic analysis represents a valuable new method to quantitatively classify pathological human voice signals.
On the Energy Release Rate for Dynamic Transient Anti-Plane Shear Crack Propagation in a General Linear Viscoelastic Body

Abstract T he problem of a semi-infinite mode III crack that suddenly begins to propagate at a constant speed is considered for a general linear viscoelastic body. Simple closed-form expressions are derived for the Laplace transform of the stress, displacement and stress intensity factor. A Barenblatt type failure zone is assumed to exist at the crack tip and an expression for the total energy flux into the failure zone per unit crack advance, G ( t ). is derived. The short time asymptotic form of G is constructed and the rate at which it converges to its steady-state limit is studied. It is shown that the rate of convergence to steady-state is dependent upon crack speed and material properties. Moreover, it is found that whether or not a failure zone is incorporated into the model significantly influences both quantitatively and qualitatively the short and long time behavior of G . This difference is important to predictions of stable vs unstable crack speeds based upon a critical work input to the failure zone fracture criterion.
TH-C-230A-09: Implementation of MINERVA/PEREGRINE as An ATC Review Tool

Purpose: To test the feasibility of a system of software (MINERVA/PEREGRINE) developed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for supporting quality assurance (QA) review of cooperative‐group clinical trials treatment planning data within the Advanced Technology QA Consortium (ATC). Method and Materials: MINERVA is an open architecture, open source code system, designed to accommodate any computation engine through a plugin structure. MINERVA supports two types of data storage ‐ relational databases and XML files. Patient data is stored in a relational database. XML‐based import/export tools have been developed to transfer patient information between QA Centers and reviewers. Tools have been implemented as plugins to allow addition of more advanced tools. The research version of the LLNL PEREGRINE Monte Carlo code has been relocated to UC Davis Medical Center. The basis has been created for an integration of PEREGRINE with ITC, and it has been integrated with MINERVA as a calculation engine. Results: MINERVA supports submission of digital treatment planning data using RTOG format. Ability to import DICOM‐RT objects that satisfies the ATC DICOM conformance statement is needed. MINERVA provides display of DVHs and axial patient images with overlaid organ‐at‐risk/target‐volume contours, as well as user‐defined isodose curves. Users can edit contours, recalculate DVHs for these user‐defined structures, and display point doses. Test cases for several body sites have been calculated using PEREGRINE to demonstrate feasibility. We believe that the use of Monte Carlo simulation will become a key tool for credentialing and QA review of clinical trials treatment planning and verification data in the near future. Conclusion: The MINERVA/PEREGRINE software system appears to be well suited to meet the needs regarding QA of data submitted for future ATC‐supported clinical trials. Conflict of Interest: This work was supported by NIH U24 Grant CA81647.
LOSS OF YIELD IN POTATO SELECTIONS INFESTED WITH POTATO LEAFHOPPERS

The loss of yield resulting from infestation with potato leafhoppers,Empoasca fabae (Harris), was measured in a group of potato selections (Solatium tuberosum subsp.tuberosum). For 6 years in which 300 different clones were tested, the average loss of yield was 39%. The correlation over clones between level of infestation and percent hopperburn equaled 0.56; between level of infestation and loss of yield 0.36; and between percent hopperburn and loss of yield 0.41. Each coefficient is significant at P=0.01. Significant differences were found in levels of infestation and in percent hopperburn among the selections, but even those selections with the most resistant foliage had greatly reduced yields when infested. No selections were found that consistently produced a normal yield when infested with leafhoppers. The low level of infestation on the more resistant clones, however, may make chemical control at lower rates more effective.
Nursing Diagnosis: An Ethical Analysis

The ethical consequences of nursing diagnosis in light of the principle "to do no harm" have not been adequately explored. It is proposed that human suffering is created through nursing actions that objectively judge and reduce human beings and their complex relationships with the world. The ethical dimensions for nurses required to participate in the diagnostic process are clarified and three levels of potential harm for individuals with parallel ethical conflicts for nurses are described. National nursing associations and accrediting agencies are challenged to consider the paternalistic underpinnings of the diagnostic process and the ethical outcomes of mandating only one approach in practice. Parse's humanistic theory of nursing is presented as one scientific approach which upholds the duty "to do no harm."
Use of sensitivity analysis to describe an endothermic/exothermic reaction system

We investigate the use of sensitivity analysis to characterize the presence or absence of temperature runaway in the same two-reaction system
Bootstrap Learning and Visual Processing Management on Mobile Robots

A central goal of robotics and AI is to enable a team of robots to operate autonomously in the real world and collaborate with humans over an extended period of time. Though developments in sensor technology have resulted in the deployment of robots in specific applications the ability to accurately sense and interact with the environment is still missing. Key challenges to the widespread deployment of robots include the ability to learn models of environmental features based on sensory inputs, bootstrap off of the learned models to detect and adapt to environmental changes, and autonomously tailor the sensory processing to the task at hand. This paper summarizes a comprehensive effort towards such bootstrap learning, adaptation, and processing management using visual input. We describe probabilistic algorithms that enable a mobile robot to autonomously plan its actions to learn models of color distributions and illuminations. The learned models are used to detect and adapt to illumination changes. Furthermore, we describe a probabilistic sequential decision-making approach that autonomously tailors the visual processing to the task at hand. All algorithms are fully implemented and tested on robot platforms in dynamic environments.
Static and Dynamic Formulation of a Symmetrically Laminated Beam Finite Element for a Microcomputer

A formulation, an efficient solution procedure, a microcomputer program, and a graphics routine for an anisotropic symmetrically laminated beam finite element in cluding the effect of shear deformation is introduced. The emphasis of the formulation and solution procedure is for simplicity, efficiency, and easy implementation on microcomputers. The element possesses six d.o.f.'s at each of the two nodes: trans verse deflection and slope due to bending and shear, respectively, and a twisting angle and its derivative with respect to the beam axis. The formulation, solution procedure, and the program have been evaluated by performing a systematic choice of examples; whenever possible, the present solutions are compared with alternative existing solu tions.
The Effect of Estate Taxes on Family Business: Survey Results

A survey of 1,003 businesses examined the effect of estate taxes on family business behavior, including investment, employment, and strategic decisions. The results strongly suggest that estate taxes have marked effects on business behavior. These effects are more pronounced in larger firms where their potential impact is of a greater magnitude.
Tissue Engineering of Ligaments for Reconstructive Surgery

Purpose The use of musculoskeletal bioengineering and regenerative medicine applications in orthopaedic surgery has continued to evolve. The aim of this systematic review was to address tissue-engineering strategies for knee ligament reconstruction. Methods A systematic review of PubMed/Medline using the terms "knee AND ligament" AND "tissue engineering" OR "regenerative medicine" was performed. Two authors performed the search, independently assessed the studies for inclusion, and extracted the data for inclusion in the review. Both preclinical and clinical studies were reviewed, and the articles deemed most relevant were included in this article to provide relevant basic science and recent clinical translational knowledge concerning "tissue-engineering" strategies currently used in knee ligament reconstruction. Results A total of 224 articles were reviewed in our initial PubMed search. Non–English-language studies were excluded. Clinical and preclinical studies were identified, and those with a focus on knee ligament tissue–engineering strategies including stem cell–based therapies, growth factor administration, hybrid biomaterial, and scaffold development, as well as mechanical stimulation modalities, were reviewed. Conclusions The body of knowledge surrounding tissue-engineering strategies for ligament reconstruction continues to expand. Presently, various tissue-engineering techniques have some potential advantages, including faster recovery, better ligamentization, and possibly, a reduction of recurrence. Preclinical research of these novel therapies continues to provide promising results. There remains a need for well-designed, high-powered comparative clinical studies to serve as a foundation for successful translation into the clinical setting going forward. Level of Evidence Level IV, systematic review of Level IV studies.
A partitioning approach for the parallel simulation of ungrounded shipboard power systems using Kron's diakoptics and loop analysis

This work seeks to determinate whether the transient simulation on two PCs employing diakoptics to partition short cables is better, flop-wise, than using one PC---even for a small network. A methodology for the parallel simulation of a shipboard power system coupled by short lines is presented. Loop analysis, suggested by the nature of ungrounded power systems, is applied to formulate and solve the system of equations. An approach developed by G. Kron is utilized to partition a line's capacitance to produce isolated sub-networks, which sets up the system for parallel simulation. Upon comparing simulation results from the un-partitioned and partitioned networks and on the basis of Kron's diakoptics, it is concluded that transient simulation using two PCs is better, flop-wise, than using one PC.
Applying genetic engineering to the structural analysis of proteins.

Developments in biochemistry and recombinant DNA technology make it pos-sible to genetically clone, isolate, characterize, and modify any protein of interest. Current techniques in protein purification permit N-terminal sequence analysis of picomolar quantities of proteins. From this amino acid sequence information, DNA probes can be designed and used to clone the gene sequence encoding that protein. The gene can be expressed at high levels in the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli using specialized plasmid vectors. The overexpressed protein can often be purified in sufficient quantities to allow biophysical characterization. Mutagenesis can be used to analyze the structure-function relationships of the protein and to generate new and novel proteins for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
Retrospective Perceptions of Graduates of a Self-Contained Program in Taiwan for High School Students Talented in STEM

This retrospective qualitative study was designed to investigate perceptions of the learning experiences of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-talented male students who were in a self-contained, single-gender, gifted program in a selective high school in Taiwan. Twenty-four graduates of the high school’s gifted program completed a confidential survey and participated in one-on-one interviews. The participants identified the most valuable learning experience as the independent study course; they reported that the independent study course influenced their choice of college major and positively affected their studies in their senior year of college. Most participants valued their overall academic experience in the self-contained program, although a few reported that they were unable to learn so many science-related subjects simultaneously at such a fast pace, suggesting that this type of program needs to be differentiated. The social impacts of the program varied. Implications of the f...
Analysis of the levels of lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) mRNA in human ovarian tumors and the effects of chemical LSD1 inhibitors in ovarian cancer cell lines

Background: Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1, also known as KDM1A and AOF2) is a chromatin-modifying activity that catalyzes the removal of methyl groups from lysine residues in histone and non-histone proteins, regulating gene transcription. LSD1 is overexpressed in several cancer types, and chemical inhibition of the LSD1 activity has been proposed as a candidate cancer therapy. Here, we examine the levels of LSD1 mRNA in human ovarian tumors and the cytotoxicity of several chemical LSD1 inhibitors in a panel of ovarian cancer cell lines. Methods: We measured LSD1 mRNA levels in a cohort of n = 177 normal and heterogeneous tumor specimens by quantitative real time-PCR (qRT-PCR). Tumors were classified by FIGO stage, FIGO grade, and histological subtypes. We tested the robustness of our analyses in an independent cohort of n = 573 serous tumor specimens (source: TCGA, based on microarray). Statistical analyses were based on Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn’s and Mann Whitney tests. Changes in LSD1 mRNA levels were also correlated with transcriptomic alterations at genome-wide scale. Effects on cell viability (MTS/PMS assay) of six LSD1 inhibitors (pargyline, TCP, RN-1, S2101, CAS 927019-63-4, and CBB1007) were also evaluated in a panel of ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3, OVCAR3, A2780 and cisplatin-resistant A2780cis). Results: We found moderate but consistent LSD1 mRNA overexpression in stage IIIC and high-grade ovarian tumors. LSD1 mRNA overexpression correlated with a transcriptomic signature of up-regulated genes involved in cell cycle and down-regulated genes involved in the immune/inflammatory response, a signature previously observed in aggressive tumors. In fact, some ovarian tumors showing high levels of LSD1 mRNA are associated with poor patient survival. Chemical LSD1 inhibition induced cytotoxicity in ovarian cancer lines, which roughly correlated with their reported LSD1 inhibitory potential (RN-1,S2101 >> pargyline,TCP). Conclusions: Our findings may suggest a role of LSD1 in the biology of some ovarian tumors. It is of special interest to find a correlation of LSD1 mRNA overexpression with a transcriptomic signature relevant to cancer. Our findings, therefore, prompt further investigation of the role of LSD1 in ovarian cancer, as well as the study of its enzymatic inhibition in animal models for potential therapeutic purposes in the context of this disease.
Examining The Employment Intensity Of Economic Growth Of The PIIGS

At the beginning of the second decade of the 21 st century, several countries in the periphery of Europe began suffering from sovereign debt crises, resulting from and contributing to economic weakness. As of late 2013, each country was struggling with double-digit unemployment rates with rates in Greece and Spain near 27%. Though economic weakness was responsible for falling employment, the linkage between economic growth and employment, known as the employment intensity of economic growth (also called employment elasticity), may differ between nations. Estimation of models developed reveal different dynamics in the respective countries. Regardless of the model employed, the results revealed a very high employment intensity of economic growth in Spain relative to the other nations, indicating that employment was highly sensitive to changes in economic growth. As such, an equivalent decline in GDP had a much larger impact on employment in Spain than the other PIIGS. There is evidence that the structure of the labor market may play some role in explaining different employment elasticities for the countries in question. In particular, the degree of unionization appeared to be negatively correlated with employment intensity (economic growth had a smaller impact on employment in nations that have a larger percentage of unions) while the portion of workers on temporary contracts was positively correlated with employment intensity; countries with a larger percentage of workers on temporary contracts, such as Spain, had a higher employment intensity as employment responded more to changes in economic growth.
Teaching Aids for Laboratory Courses in Electrical Circuits and Electronics

As more and more material becomes relevant for laboratory work in the undergraduate curriculum in electrical engineering, it becomes increasingly important to find more efficient systems for setting up the equipment for laboratory experiments. Any such system should result in a neat, easily followed arrangement when assembled, should be flexible with respect to the experiments which can be performed, and should not result in stereotyped experiments. This paper describes a system which has been evolved utilizing chassis upon which are mounted an array of banana jacks on three-quarter inch centers. Many different circuits can be assembled easily and quickly by plugging in components which are mounted on double banana plugs. Different chassis are arranged for different circuits such as a dual triode, single pentode, and push-pull power amplifier.
A Novel, Highly Sensitive Method for Assessing Gap Junctional Coupling

To assess gap junctional intercellular communication we have developed a tracer-based methodology which is both highly sensitive and potentially adaptable for in vivo measurements. We found that injection of serotonin revealed significantly more intercellular communication than that injection of the most permeant synthetic tracer currently in use, neurobiotin. Furthermore, mechanical tracer loading steps can be replaced by transfection with human serotonin transporter and the inclusion of serotonin in the medium. Tracer and transporter are detected using immunocytochemical techniques and the presence of cells that are tracer-positive but transporter-negative indicates junctional communication. Tracer loading in vivo using transgenesis, electroporation or viral transduction to direct expression of transporter should be more easily accomplished than with mechanical loading methods.
Secularization Theories and the Study of Chinese Religions

The author proposes a dialogue between recent literature on the history of Chinese popular religion and recent sociological debates about secularization theory, asking whether a better understanding of concepts, theories and evidence from one field may be productive in interpreting those of the other. The author suggests on the one hand that certain elements of secularization theory can be useful tools in understanding the modern history of religions in China and on the other that thinking about what secularization has meant in China is crucial to a comparative global history of religion and modernity. He also argues that attention to secularization both as a historical process and as a political ideology may help us to better understand the religious policies of the People’s Republic of China today.
ECOLOGICAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL CONTEXT OF NATURAL SELECTION: MATERNAL EFFECTS AND THERMALLY INDUCED PLASTICITY IN THE FROG BOMBINA ORIENTALIS

Variation in fitness generated by differences in functional performance can often be traced to morphological variation among individuals within natural populations. However, morphological variation itself is strongly influenced by environmental factors (e.g., temperature) and maternal effects (e.g., variation in egg size). Understanding the full ecological context of individual variation and natural selection therefore requires an integrated view of how the interaction between the environment and development structures differences in morphology, performance, and fitness. Here we use naturally occurring environmental and maternal variation in the frog Bombina orientalis in South Korea to show that ovum size, average temperature, and variance in temperature during the early developmental period affect body sizes, shapes, locomotor performance, and ultimately the probability of an individual surviving interspecific predation in predictable but nonadditive ways. Specifically, environmental variability can significantly change the relationship between maternal investment in offspring and offspring fitness so that increased maternal investment can actually negatively affect offspring over a broad range of environments. Integrating environmental variation and developmental processes into traditional approaches of studying phenotypic variation and natural selection is likely to provide a more complete picture of the ecological context of evolutionary change.
Materials issues in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)

Abstract Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have recently become an important area of technology, building on the success of the microelectronics industry over the past 50 years. MEMS combine mechanical and electrical function in devices at very small scales. Examples include pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes and optical devices, as well as chemical, biomedical and fluidic applications. The status of MEMS technology is reviewed with particular emphasis on materials issues therein. The materials issues in MEMS are divided into three categories, the MEMS material set, microfabrication processes, and material characterization and design. Each of these areas is addressed, with particular emphasis on the potential impact of materials solutions. A discussion of the future of MEMS and the role of materials in that future is given.
Contribution of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis MmpL Protein Family to Virulence and Drug Resistance

The genome sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis revealed the presence of 12 membrane proteins proposed to have a function in the transport of lipids. Insertional inactivation of 11 of these has revealed that only 1 (MmpL3) is apparently essential for viability. Five of these proteins are conserved within the genome of Mycobacterium leprae. The drug susceptibilities of these 11 mutants to a broad spectrum of agents are unaltered, suggesting that unlike their function in other organisms, these proteins do not play a significant role in intrinsic drug resistance. Each of these mutants was assessed for growth kinetics and lethality in a murine low-dose aerosol model of tuberculosis, and four were found to be impaired in one or both measures of virulence. Two of these, with mutations of MmpL4 and the previously characterized MmpL7, which transports phthiocerol dimycocerosate, were found to have both impaired growth kinetics and impaired lethality. Mutants with inactivation of MmpL8, which transports a precursor of the sulfatides, or MmpL11, which transports an unknown substrate, were found to establish infection normally but to be significantly attenuated for lethality in time-to-death studies. These studies support the concept that MmpL-mediated lipid secretion both contributes to the innate ability of the pathogen to survive intracellularly and also contributes directly to the host-pathogen dialogue that determines the ultimate outcome of infection.
Dynamic market-driven allocation of network resources using genetic algorithms in a competitive electronic commerce marketplace

In this paper, we propose a practical algorithm which finds cost-efficient routes from Service Provider (SP) to Content Provider (CP) dynamically in a multi-operator networking environment, using Genetic Algorithm (GA) concepts. The proposed algorithm is a kind of stochastic algorithm searching process in the solution space by emulating biological selection and reproduction.
Nation Building and Economic Growth

Nation building, the joint provision of economic and military aid in conflict or postconflict areas, has been used as an important and expensive foreign policy tool. Yet despite the huge costs of these investments, the growth effects of nation-building operations for recipient nations remain underexplored. While recent literature documents the negative growth effects of conflict (Yamarik, Johnson, and Compton 2010) and the positive effects of economic aid after conflict (Collier and Hoeffler 2002) very little has been done on the confluence of different kinds of aid and the effectiveness of such joint efforts during times of turmoil. This paper attempts to answer the following three questions regarding the growth effects of nation-building operations. Does the joint provision of economic and military assistance help a country grow when it is embroiled in conflict? Does such joint provision
Fear of Falling

Since the identification of the post-fall syndrome1 and use of the term “ptophobia” (the phobic reaction to standing or walking)2 in the early 1980s, fear of falling (FOF) has gained recognition as a health problem of older adults. In an attempt to measure this entity, various definitions have evolved. Tinetti and Powell3 described FOF as an ongoing concern about falling that ultimately limits the performance of daily activities. Other authors4,5 have referred to FOF as a patient's loss of confidence in his or her balance abilities. Still other authors6 defined FOF as a general concept that described low fall-related efficacy (low confidence at avoiding falls) and being afraid of falling. Subjects in one study7 indicated they did not describe themselves as being “afraid of falling,” but rather were “worried” about falling. In the early phase of research, FOF was largely believed to be a consequence of falling. Researchers discussed FOF as resulting from the psychological trauma of the fall, leading to reduced activity and subsequent losses in physical capabilities.2,8–10 Recent research, however, has revealed FOF in those who have not fallen4,11,12 and, furthermore, has uncovered a relationship to physical, psychological, and functional changes in older adults.6 Ongoing studies are focusing on the causes of FOF, dispelling misconceptions (eg, FOF being a result of the normal aging process), and identifying the interventions that address FOF most effectively. The researchers, however, agree that FOF is multifactorial in etiology,12,13 and they suggest that FOF may be a more pervasive and serious problem than falls in older adults6,13 and thus deserves attention. The purpose of this update is to increase the reader's awareness of the current findings about FOF, …
Inorganic Polyphosphate in Escherichia coli: the Phosphate Regulon and the Stringent Response

Escherichia coli transiently accumulates large amounts of inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), up to 20 mM in phosphate residues (Pi), in media deficient in both Pi and amino acids. This transient accumulation is preceded by the appearance of nucleotides ppGpp and pppGpp, generated in response to nutritional stresses. Mutants which lack PhoB, the response regulator of the phosphate regulon, do not accumulate polyP even though they develop wild-type levels of (p)ppGpp when subjected to amino acid starvation. When complemented with a phoB-containing plasmid, phoB mutants regain the ability to accumulate polyP. PolyP accumulation requires high levels of (p)ppGpp independent of whether they are generated by RelA (active during the stringent response) or SpoT (expressed during Pi starvation). Hence, accumulation of polyP requires a functional phoB gene and elevated levels of (p)ppGpp. A rapid assay of polyP depends on its adsorption to an anion-exchange disk on which it is hydrolyzed by a yeast exopolyphosphatase.
Comparison of simulated changes of climate in Asia for two scenarios: Early Miocene to present, and present to future enhanced greenhouse

Abstract We use a climate model (GENESIS) to simulate the changes in climate associated with two scenarios, one from the past and one from the future, with a focus on the Asian continent. The two scenarios are: (1) Early Miocene to Present—a period of uplift of the Himalayan–Tibetan plateau and of decreasing concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and (2) Present to Future Enhanced Greenhouse—a period of increasing concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. In the past climate scenario, the combination of uplift and decreased concentration of greenhouse gas causes the model to simulate widespread cooling and, primarily due to the effect of uplift, greatly increased precipitation in southern Asia and decreased precipitation in northern Asia. In the future climate scenario, the increased concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide causes the model to simulate widespread warming and, by comparison with the past climate scenario, relatively small changes in precipitation; the changes are generally towards increased precipitation, except in parts of northern China. The output of the climate model, along with the changed concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, is also used to calculate changes in biome distributions. Owing to the high concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide in both the past and future scenarios, relative to present, the simulations of Early Miocene biomes and Future biomes are somewhat similar—and both are very unlike the Present.
The moral significance of the therapy-enhancement distinction in human genetics.

The therapy-enhancement distinction occupies a central place in contemporary discussions of human genetics and has been the subject of much debate. At a recent conference on gene therapy policy, scientists predicted that within a few years researchers will develop techniques that can be used to enhance human traits. In thinking about the morality of genetic interventions, many writers have defended somatic gene therapy, and some have defended germline gene therapy, but only a handful of writers defend genetic enhancement, or even give it a fair hearing. The mere mention of genetic enhancement makes many people cringe and brings to mind the Nazi eugenics programs, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, “The X-Files,” or the recent movie “Gattaca.” Although many people believe that gene therapy has morally legitimate medical uses, others regard genetic enhancement as morally problematic or decidedly evil.