cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recovery of articular cartilage metabolism following thermal stress is facilitated by IGF-1 and JNK inhibitor.

BackgroundThe safety of intra-articular use of thermal probes is related to whether chondrocytes can tolerate exposure to high temperatures and whether cytoprotective agents may improve chondrocyte survival after thermal injury.PurposeThis study was conducted to characterize the metabolic responses of articular cartilage after short-term exposure to temperatures between 50 ° C and 60 ° C with and without addition of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor.MethodsHuman articular cartilage from osteoarthritic knees was subjected to defined thermal stress.ResultsAlthough significant reduction of proteoglycan synthesis was observed after 5 seconds of exposure to 55 ° C and 60 ° C and after 10- to 30-second exposures to 53 ° C, recovery of metabolic activity levels was observed after 7 days.ConclusionAddition of IGF-1 and JNK inhibitor Sp600125 enabled the cartilage to maintain significantly higher levels of proteoglycan synthesis immediately after thermal stress. IGF-1...
Nursing home residents covered by Medicare risk contracts: early findings from the EverCare evaluation project.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the characteristics of a sample of EverCare nursing home residents with two control groups: one composed of other residents in the same homes and another made up of residents in matched nursing homes. To compare levels of unmet need, satisfaction with medical care, and the use of advance directives. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental design using two control groups to minimize selection effects. Information collected by in-person surveys of nursing home residents and telephone surveys of proxies and family members. SETTING: Nursing homes affiliated with EverCare and matched control homes. PARTICIPANTS: Nursing home residents and their family members. MEASUREMENTS: Questionnaire addressing function (activities of daily living (ADLs)), unmet care needs, pain, use of advance directives, satisfaction, and caregiver burden. RESULTS: In general, the experimental and control groups were similar, but the EverCare sample had more dementia and less ADL disability. Family members in the EverCare sample expressed greater satisfaction with several aspects of the medical care they received than did controls. Satisfaction of residents in the EverCare sample was more comparable with that of controls. There was no difference in experience with advance directives between EverCare and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: EverCare appears to be a model of managed care worth tracking. It is producing care that is at least comparable with what is available in the fee-for-service environment, with evidence that families seem to appreciate the added attention. There is some suggestion that it has enrolled a less disabled but more demented population. Pending results on the effects of this care on hospitalization and emergency care should shed useful light.
Mindfulness-based relapse prevention with racial and ethnic minority women

Abstract Racial and ethnic disparities in the treatment of addiction have been acknowledged for several years, yet little is known about which empirically supported treatments for substance use disorders are more or less effective in treating racial and ethnic minority clients. The current study was a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial of two evidence-based treatments, mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) and relapse prevention (RP), as part of a residential addiction treatment program for women referred by the criminal justice system (n = 70). At 15-week follow-up, regression analyses found that racial and ethnic minority women in MBRP, compared to non-Hispanic and racial and ethnic minority women in RP, reported significantly fewer drug use days (d = .31) and lower addiction severity (d = .65), based on the Addiction Severity Index. Although the small sample size is a limitation, the results suggest that MBRP may be more efficacious than traditional treatments for racial and ethnic minority women.
Making a love connection: Loneliness and communication competence in the dating marketplace

The relationship of loneliness to individuals' competence at marketing themselves to potential romantic partners is examined. Subjects completed two hypothetical date‐initiation tasks and a measure of loneliness. In one task, they described how they would advertise their availability to potential romantic partners. Content analyses of these advertising actions revealed that loneliness was inversely related to familiarity with situations where partners might be met, to the ability to manipulate situations to create “accidental” encounters, and to the use of third parties in obtaining dates. Loneliness was positively related to efforts at assessing another's availability before pursuing romance. In the second task, subjects pretended that they had enrolled in a video‐dating service and wrote scripts for their presentation. Loneliness was associated with revealing demographic information while withholding personality information, self‐deprecation (females only), selectivity in dating, ratings by both self an...
DEAD-box protein CYT-19 is activated by exposed helices in a group I intron RNA

DEAD-box proteins are nonprocessive RNA helicases and can function as RNA chaperones, but the mechanisms of their chaperone activity remain incompletely understood. The Neurospora crassa DEAD-box protein CYT-19 is a mitochondrial RNA chaperone that promotes group I intron splicing and has been shown to resolve misfolded group I intron structures, allowing them to refold. Building on previous results, here we use a series of tertiary contact mutants of the Tetrahymena group I intron ribozyme to demonstrate that the efficiency of CYT-19–mediated unfolding of the ribozyme is tightly linked to global RNA tertiary stability. Efficient unfolding of destabilized ribozyme variants is accompanied by increased ATPase activity of CYT-19, suggesting that destabilized ribozymes provide more productive interaction opportunities. The strongest ATPase stimulation occurs with a ribozyme that lacks all five tertiary contacts and does not form a compact structure, and small-angle X-ray scattering indicates that ATPase activity tracks with ribozyme compactness. Further, deletion of three helices that are prominently exposed in the folded structure decreases the ATPase stimulation by the folded ribozyme. Together, these results lead to a model in which CYT-19, and likely related DEAD-box proteins, rearranges complex RNA structures by preferentially interacting with and unwinding exposed RNA secondary structure. Importantly, this mechanism could bias DEAD-box proteins to act on misfolded RNAs and ribonucleoproteins, which are likely to be less compact and more dynamic than their native counterparts.
Nanotribology and nanomechanics

Abstract The recent emergence and proliferation of proximal probes, in particular scanning probe microscopies (the scanning tunneling microscope and the atomic force microscope), the surface force apparatus, and of computational techniques for simulating tip-surface interactions and interfacial properties, have led to the appearance of the new field of nanotribology, which pertains to experimental and theoretical investigations of interfacial processes on scales ranging from the atomic- and molecular- to the microscope, occurring during adhesion, friction, scratching, wear, indentation, and thin-film lubrication at sliding surfaces. Nanotribological studies are needed to develop fundamental understanding of interfacial phenomena on a small scale and to study interfacial phenomena in micro/nanostructures used in magnetic storage systems, micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), and other applications. Proximal probes have also been used for nanomechanics and materials characterization studies. In this paper, we present a review of significant aspects of nanotribology, nanomechanics, and materials characterization studies conducted using an atomic force microscope.
Image analysis of small pulmonary nodules identified by computed tomography.

Detection of small pulmonary nodules has markedly increased as computed tomography (CT) technology has advanced and interpretation evolved from viewing small CT images on film to magnified images on large, high-resolution computer monitors. Despite these advances, determining the etiology of a lung nodule short of major surgery remains problematic. Initial nodule size is a major criterion in evaluating the risk for malignancy, and the majority of CT detected nodules are <10 mm in diameter. Also, the likelihood that the nodule is a lung cancer increases with increasing age and smoking history, and such clinical information needs to be integrated into algorithms that guide the workup of such nodules. Baseline and annual repeat screening results are also very helpful in developing and assessing the usefulness of such algorithms. Based on CT morphology, subtypes of nodules have been identified; today nodules are routinely classified as being solid, part-solid, or nonsolid. It has been shown that part-solid nodules have a higher frequency of being malignant than solid or nonsolid ones. Other nodule characteristics such as spiculation are useful, although granulomas and fibrosis also have such features, so these characteristics have not been as useful as nodule-growth assessment. Depending on the aggressiveness of the lung cancer and the size of the nodule when it is initially seen, a follow-up CT scan 1–3 months after the first CT scan can identify those nodules with growth at a malignant rate. Software has been developed by all CT scanner manufacturers for such growth assessment, but the inherent variability of such assessments needs further development. Nodule-growth assessment based on 2-dimensional approaches is limited; therefore, software has been developed for the 3-dimensional assessment of growth. Different approaches for such growth assessment have been developed, either using automated computer segmentation techniques or hybrid methods that allow the radiologist to adjust such segmentation. There are, however, inherent reasons for variability in such measurements that need to be carefully considered, and this, together with continued technologic advances and integration of the relevant clinical information, will allow for individualization of the algorithms for the workup of small pulmonary nodules. Mt Sinai J Med 78:882–893, 2011. © 2011 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Limonoid glucosides in Tetradium rutaecarpa

Abstract Limonin 17-β- d -glucopyranoside, limonin diosphenol 17-β- d -glucopyranoside and 6β-hydroxy-5-epilimonin 17-β- d -glucopyranoside were isolated from Tetradium rutaecarpa fruit tissues. The limonoid aglycones were identified by 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy. Limonin, rutaevin and limonin diosphenol were also isolated.
Remarks on a proposed Super-Kamiokande test for quantum gravity induced decoherence effects

Lisi, Marrone, and Montanino have recently proposed a test for quantum gravity induced decoherence effects in neutrino oscillations observed at Super-Kamiokande. We comment here that their equations have the same qualitative form as the energy conserving objective state vector reduction equations discussed by a number of authors. However, using the Planckian parameter value proposed to explain state vector reduction leads to a neutrino oscillation effect many orders of magnitude smaller than would be detectable at Super-Kamiokande. Similar estimates hold for the Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber spontaneous localization approach to state vector reduction, and our remarks are relevant as well to proposed K meson and B meson tests of gravity induced decoherence.
The New Dish on Fish

Although fish oil has been widely recognized to provide health benefits for patients with heart disease, now there is something more worrisome than bad taste or mercury levels when it comes to fish oil capsules: an increased risk of colon cancer in patients with chronic colitis. Fish oil is rich in
Intracellular Ca2+ waves, afterdepolarizations, and triggered arrhythmias

Clinical studies have shown that sudden death is initiated by an ill-timed propagated ectopic beat that leads to fibrillation.1–4 However, the mechanism underlying these focal excitations is not completely understood. Experimental studies have demonstrated that abnormal calcium (Ca2+) cycling is a critical factor in the development of focal excitations.5–9 These excitations can be caused by spontaneous Ca2+ release (SCR) in the form of intracellular Ca2+ waves. These waves are initiated when Ca2+ release from a few Ca2+ release units (CRUs) on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) causes regenerative release in adjoining units via Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR), causing Ca2+ wave propagation. The resulting depolarizing inward current through the electrogenic Na+–Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) depolarizes the cell membrane to threshold, producing a triggered beat.10–14 The relationship between subcellular Ca2+ waves and focal excitations in cardiac tissue is, however, still not completely understood. The basic unanswered question is how Ca2+ release within a population of cardiac cells can induce sufficient inward current to overcome the electrotonic load of the neighbouring cells. In this paper, we will discuss some key ideas that are essential in answering this question, focusing on the probabilistic nature of SCR and the importance of measuring the timing distribution of Ca2+ waves in multicellular populations in tissue. We will also discuss our recent results showing that the likelihood of a triggered beat is determined by the variance of the timing distribution, which is dictated by the time course of SR reloading.15,16 In addition, we will discuss our observations of a form of Ca2+ wave that is distinct from SCR. These Ca2+ waves occur only during rapid pacing and occur with a latency …
A Statistically-Based Process for Auditing Clinical Data Listings:

In October 1995, members of the DuPont Merck Biometrics and Quality Assurance staffs met to discuss improvements in the audit process for clinical data listings. With the advent of the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) good clinical practices (GCPs), they were concerned about assuring that the procedures and processes for managing incoming clinical data and reporting to regulatory agencies were appropriately rigorous to ensure complete and accurate processing of clinical trial data. The following article describes a statistically-based audit plan that takes into consideration the phase of the trial, the importance of the trial to regulatory filings, and key study variables. The audit plan also includes a procedure for randomly selecting studies and patients for audit, and establishes statistically-based acceptance and rejection criteria. This audit process has been in use for six months and has resulted in more efficient planning and execution of clinical data audits. Due to the randomness of the process and high standards for acceptable quality levels (AQL), internal quality control (QC) procedures have been strengthened to assure that all data listings meet these standards.
Generating edges of D-stable polynomials

It is shown that if a polynomial P is D-stable, where D is convex and contains the origin, then all convex linear combinations of P and its normalized derivative, zP'/n, are also D-stable. It is also shown that convex linear combinations of the logarithmic derivatives of a D-stable polynomial with a convex D have both their poles and zeros in D. Both theorems provide an example of how to generate edges and polytopes of D-stable polynomials and rational functions from a given finite set of D-stable polynomials. >
Co-stimulatory signals upregulate PD-1 expression on human T lymphocytes: Implications for cancer immunotherapy

demonstrated significantly decreased tumor growth compared to the untreated control group. Intraperitoneal treatments of xenografts yielded dose-dependent regression proportional to viral inoculum. The IT group demonstrated tumor regression approaching that of the high dose IP group. The dnMEK xenografts showed no difference in any treatment compared to the control. No toxicity was noted in either treatment group.
Conversion of a helix-turn-helix motif sequence-specific DNA binding protein into a site-specific DNA cleavage agent.

Abstract Escherichia coli catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) is a helix-turn-helix motif sequence-specific DNA binding protein [de Crombrugghe, B., Busby, S. & Buc, H. (1984) Science 224, 831-838; and Pabo, C. & Sauer, R. (1984) Annu. Rev. Biochem. 53, 293-321]. In this work, CAP has been converted into a site-specific DNA cleavage agent by incorporation of the chelator 1,10-phenanthroline at amino acid 10 of the helix-turn-helix motif. [(N-Acetyl-5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline)-Cys178]CAP binds to a 22-base-pair DNA recognition site with Kobs = 1 x 10(8) M-1. In the presence of Cu(II) and reducing agent, [(N-acetyl-5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline)-Cys178]CAP cleaves DNA at four adjacent nucleotides on each DNA strand within the DNA recognition site. The DNA cleavage reaction has been demonstrated using 40-base-pair and 7164-base-pair DNA substrates. The DNA cleavage reaction is not inhibited by dam methylation of the DNA substrate. Such semisynthetic site-specific DNA cleavage agents have potential applications in chromosome mapping, cloning, and sequencing.
Ganglion cells influence the fate of dividing retinal cells in culture

The different retinal cell types arise during vertebrate development from a common pool of progenitor cells. The mechanisms responsible for determining the fate of individual retinal cells are, as yet, poorly understood. Ganglion cells are one of the first cell types to be produced in the developing vertebrate retina and few ganglion cells are produced late in development. It is possible that, as the retina matures, the cellular environment changes such that it is not conducive to ganglion cell determination. The present study showed that older retinal cells secrete a factor that inhibits the production of ganglion cells. This was shown by culturing younger retinal cells, the test population, adjacent to various ages of older retinal cells. Increasingly older retinal cells, up to embryonic day 9, were more effective at inhibiting production of ganglion cells in the test cell population. Ganglion cell production was restored when ganglion cells were depleted from the older cell population. This suggests that ganglion cells secrete a factor that actively prevents cells from choosing the ganglion cell fate. This factor appeared to be active in medium conditioned by older retinal cells. Analysis of the conditioned medium established that the factor was heat stable and was present in the 10 kDa fractions. Previous work showed that the neurogenic protein, Notch, might also be active in blocking production of ganglion cells. The present study showed that decreasing Notch expression with an antisense oligonucleotide increased the number of ganglion cells produced in a population of young retinal cells. Ganglion cell production, however, was still inhibited in cultures using antisense oligonucleotide to Notch in medium conditioned by older retinal cells. This suggests that the factor secreted by older retinal cells inhibits ganglion cell production through a different pathway than that mediated by Notch.
THE SOCIAL INTERACTION OF COLLEGE STUDENTS AND CHRONICALLY ILL MENTAL PATIENTS.

For several years college students have been volunteering as companions to chronically ill mental patients. Anecdotal data support the conclusion that the patients derive benefit from this interaction. More systematic data indicate that students undergo an enlargement of their conceptions of mental illness, and at the same time manifest a series of quasi-therapeutic personality changes.
Use of an isogenic Escherichia coli panel to design tests for discrimination of beta-lactamase functional groups of Enterobacteriaceae.

A study was designed to determine if an isogenic panel of Escherichia coli strains containing many different beta-lactamases could be used for the preliminary screening of a large number of beta-lactam agents to identify which might be most useful in the development of a definitive test for specific beta-lactamases found among the members of family Enterobacteriaceae. The susceptibilities of 46 strains, comprising the isogenic panel, to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins, cephamycins, and aztreonam were determined in the presence and absence of beta-lactamase inhibitors in broth microdilution tests. The results indicated that strains producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) could be distinguished from strains producing other Bush-Jacoby-Medeiros functional group 2 or group 1 beta-lactamases. For strains producing group 1 beta-lactamases, cefpodoxime and ceftazidime MICs were > or = 4 micrograms/ml and addition of clavulanate did not reduce the MICs more than fourfold. For strains producing group 2 enzymes other than ESBLs, cefpodoxime and ceftazidime MICs were or = 4 micrograms/ml and addition of clavulanate reduced the MICs by more than eightfold. Cephamycins could also be used to discriminate between strains producing group 1 beta-lactamases and ESBLs, since only the former required cefotetan concentrations as high as 8 micrograms/ml or cefoxitin concentrations of > 16 micrograms/ml for inhibition. Other cephalosporins provided some discrimination between the various beta-lactamase producers, although they were not as reliable as either cefpodoxime or ceftazidime. These results indicate the utility of an isogenic panel for identification of candidate drugs among many for further testing with clinical isolates of the family Enterobacteriaceae to determine the best agents for detection of specific beta-lactamases in this family.
The Stag Hunt: A Vehicle for Evolutionary Cooperation

A potentially useful model for multi-agent system design is the Stag Hunt game. However, when viewed in the context of classical game theory, this game cannot readily evolve a non-cooperative society into a cooperative one. Satisficing game theory provides a natural framework within which it is possible for players to possess more flexibility with regard to their choices than conventional theory affords, thereby making it possible for cooperation to emerge via replicator dynamics in the Stag Hunt.
Living donor exchange programs: theory and practice

Background The crisis in organ availability has triggered innovative approaches to meet a rapidly expanding worldwide demand for donor kidneys. HLA and ABO incompatibility represents one of the most significant barriers to optimizing the utilization of living donors. Kidney paired donation (KPD) allows patients with incompatible live donors to receive compatible or better-matched organs by exchanging donors. Sources of data The data presented in this review have been published and represent the most up-to-date sources of the theory and practice of KPD. Areas of agreement There is wide agreement that in most cases the best transplant solution for a patient with an incompatible donor is to receive a compatible organ in a KPD. Areas of controversy There has been disagreement about the capacity of KPD to solve the incompatibility problem. However, it is now clear that not all phenotypes will benefit from KPD. Growing points Combining KPD with desensitization greatly expands the boundaries of each of these modalities.
Sovereigns and citizens in close encounter: airport anthropology and customs regimes in neoliberal Ghana.

Through the examination of encounters between Customs officers and travelers at Ghana's international airport, I pose a series of arguments regarding sovereignty and citizenship within a developing state deeply enmeshed in processes of liberalization. Supporting the contention that transnational flows and supranational interventions restructure rather than undermine state power, the Ghanaian case reveals neoliberal conditions to facilitate the expansion of administrative authorities oriented to the cross-border mobility of persons, capital, and commodities. Such bureaucratic realms emerge, in turn, as key arenas for an expression of state sovereignty that is not founded on social alienation and absolute distinctions between rulers and ruled. Because of the multiplicity and ambiguity of regulatory orders at play, sovereignty here hinges on intimacy, emotion, and identification as much as on force and legal sanction. [sovereignty, citizenship, aviation, customs regimes, transnationalism, neoliberalism, travel, affect]
Can Classical Structures Explain Quantum Phenomena

In semiclassical mechanics one finds explanations of quantum phenomena that appeal to classical structures. These explanations are prima facie problematic insofar as the classical structures they appeal to do not exist. Here I defend the view that fictional structures can be genuinely explanatory by introducing a model-based account of scientific explanation. Applying this framework to the semiclassical phenomenon of wavefunction scarring, I argue that not only can the fictional classical trajectories explain certain aspects of this quantum phenomenon, but also that an explanation that does not make reference to these classical structures is, in a certain sense, deficient.IntroductionThe Case of Wavefunction ScarringModel Explanations, or How Fictional Structures Can ExplainPutting Understanding Back into Explanation
Accelerated degradation of methyl iodide by agrochemicals

The fumigant methyl iodide (MeI, iodomethane) is considered a promising alternative to methyl bromide (MeBr) for soil-borne pest control in high-cash-value crops. However, the high vapor pressure of MeI results in emissions of a significant proportion of the applied mass into the ambient air, and this may lead to pollution of the environment. Integrating the application of certain agrochemicals with soil fumigation provides a novel approach to reduce excessive fumigant emissions. This study investigated the potential for several agrochemicals that are commonly used in farming operations, including fertilizers and nitrification inhibitors, to transform MeI in aqueous solution. The pseudo-first-order hydrolysis half-life (t(1/2)) of MeI was approximately 108 d, while the transformation of MeI in aqueous solutions containing selected agrochemicals was more rapid, with t(1/2) 300 h).
Personality correlates of polydrug abuse.

Although the personality correlates of heroin addiction, LSD use, and marijuana ingestion have been frequently investigated, few data are available which describe personality or life-style variables correlated with the pattern of polydrug abuse. Polydrug abuse is characterized by ingestion of drugs from a variety of psychopharmacological categories based largely on the availability of a drug at any given time. A group of 17 polydrug users, identified within a group of 224 young adult male hospitalized veterans, was matched for socioeconomic class and age with 17 controls who reported no experience with drugs of any kind. The two groups were then compared on several personality measures. Polydrug addicts were more neurotic and more candid on the Eysenck Personality Inventory, higher in state anxiety on the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale, and higher in sensation seeking as measured by the Zuckerman scale. No differences in dogmatism, ego strength, trait anxiety, extraversion, or fearfulness were foun...
Design and Convergence of a Time-Varying Iterative Learning Control Law

This paper presents a novel linear time-varying (LTV) iterative learning control law that can provide additional performance while maintaining the robustness and convergence properties comparable to those obtained using traditional frequency domain design techniques. Design aspects of causal and non-causal linear time-invariant (LTI), along with the proposed LTV, ILC update laws are discussed and demonstrated using a simplified example. Asymptotic as well as monotonic convergence, robustness and performance characteristics of such systems are considered, and an equivalent condition to the frequency domain convergence condition is presented for the time-varying ILC. Lastly the ILC algorithm developed here is implemented on a Microscale Robotic Deposition system to provide experimental verification.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Answer Sets and the Language of Answer Set Programming

Answer set programming is a declarative programming paradigm based on the answer set semantics of logic programs. This introductory article provides the mathematical background for the discussion of answer set programming in other contributions to this special issue.
Recursive Fréchet Mean Computation on the Grassmannian and Its Applications to Computer Vision

In the past decade, Grassmann manifolds (Grassmannian) have been commonly used in mathematical formulations of many Computer Vision tasks. Averaging points on a Grassmann manifold is a very common operation in many applications including but not limited to, tracking, action recognition, video-face recognition, face recognition, etc. Computing the intrinsic/Frechet mean (FM) of a set of points on the Grassmann can be cast as finding the global optimum (if it exists) of the sum of squared geodesic distances cost function. A common approach to solve this problem involves the use of the gradient descent method. An alternative way to compute the FM is to develop a recursive/inductive definition that does not involve optimizing the aforementioned cost function. In this paper, we propose one such computationally efficient algorithm called the Grassmann inductive Frechet mean estimator (GiFME). In developing the recursive solution to find the FM of the given set of points, GiFME exploits the fact that there is a closed form solution to find the FM of two points on the Grassmann. In the limit as the number of samples tends to infinity, we prove that GiFME converges to the FM (this is called the weak consistency result on the Grassmann manifold). Further, for the finite sample case, in the limit as the number of sample paths (trials) goes to infinity, we show that GiFME converges to the finite sample FM. Moreover, we present a bound on the geodesic distance between the estimate from GiFME and the true FM. We present several experiments on synthetic and real data sets to demonstrate the performance of GiFME in comparison to the gradient descent based (batch mode) technique. Our goal in these applications is to demonstrate the computational advantage and achieve comparable accuracy to the state-of-the-art.
Beneficial Effects of Chondroitinase ABC Release From Lipid Microtubes Encapsulated in Chondrocyte-Seeded Hydrogel Constructs

Tissue-engineered cartilage using a hydrogel scaffold is capable of achieving native compressive properties and glycosaminglycan (GAG) content [1]; however, promoting collagen growth towards native values has been challenging. As the cells in the cartilage constructs deposit matrix over time in culture, transport of nutrients to the construct center becomes increasingly hindered [2]. Digestion of mature tissue engineered constructs with chondroitinase (chABC) temporarily suppresses the GAG content, allowing an increase in the collagen content and eventually improving the mechanical properties after GAG content recovers [1]. However, adding chABC into the feeding media limits its effectiveness to the construct’s periphery, reflecting enzyme diffusion gradients. Additionally, long-term use of chABC, without re-application, is limited since its enzymatic activity degrades within 5 days at 37°C [3]. Lee and co-workers have developed a method for delivering thermostabilized chABC using sugar trehalose and hydrogel-microtubes for applications desiring extended enzyme release [4]. Lipid microtubes loaded with thermostabilized chABC may be incorporated into an agarose hydrogel scaffold to provide long-term release of the enzyme uniformly throughout the construct [3]. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that chABC-filled microtubes will enhance in vitro development of engineered cartilage.© 2011 ASME
Unity 3 tutorial

This tutorial will provide an overview of a singular game engine and development environment from Unity Technologies, Unity 3. What Unity 3 excels in many respects, what distinguishes it the most is its ease of use and its precise, comprehensive documentation, making it appropriate for all students, from Freshmen to Seniors. Games can be written in JavaScript, C# or Boo (a variant of Python), and Unity 3 makes it possible to develop games on numerous platforms (both desktop and mobile), using just one codebase.
Estimating Core Unemployable And Workforce Non-Participants: A Study Of Rural Pennsylvania's Labor Force

Rural unemployment rates persistently have run higher than the national average for many years. In addition, multiple studies have established that rural underemployment also remains a long-running problem. Unfortunately, it is not yet fully understood how the various factors contributing to rural unemployment and underemployment interact to adversely affect rural labor markets. The contribution of this paper is to gain insight as to the amount of slack labor force at the county level, focusing on the application to the labor force of rural Pennsylvania. By comparing the actual number of working-age adults presently not in a county’s labor force (using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the US Census) against an estimated number of core unemployable and workforce non-participants (Core NPW) individuals in the county we can generate estimates of the potential up-swing in employment for the regional labor market if participation rates were to become among the best in their national peer group. The study’s methodology and findings provide guidance to policy makers in identifying regions most likely in need of greater assistance as to how to best spend scarce public dollars across various programs aimed at improving local labor markets.
Optimal Impulsive Escape Trajectories from a Circular Orbit to a Hyperbolic Excess Velocity Vector

Feasible impulsive transfers from a circular parking orbit to some hyperbolic excess velocity vector are constructed, and used as initial guesses in solving corresponding, minimum V , constrained parameter optimization problems. Much attention is devoted to quantifying and enhancing the proximity of the feasible escape to the optimal, thereby improving convergence. The impulsive solutions may be further utilized as initial guesses for a procedure to determine optimal, nite-burn, continuous transfers between celestial bodies. Signicant fuel costs associated with certain escape geometries motivates in-depth understanding of this fundamental optimization problem. Reducing these costs provides increased: landing site coverage, abort capability, and parking orbit geometries which may have otherwise not met mission constraints. 1-impulse and 3-impulse (time-of-ight free and
Abstract 276: Docosahexaenoic acid alters the spatio-temporal segregation and activation of EGF receptor

We have previously demonstrated that dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), a component of fish oil, profoundly alters the biochemical make up of colonocyte lipid rafts/caveolae microdomains. Since epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, ErbB1) is considered a major target for treatment of colorectal cancer and its activation can be regulated by manipulating the lipid composition of the membrane, we further elucidated the effects of DHA with respect to the EGFR signaling axis. Immortalized mouse colonocytes (YAMC cells) were treated with fatty acids (50 μM) for 72 h and stimulated in the presence or absence of EGF (0-50 ng/mL) for 0-10 min and receptor stimulation was assessed by determining levels of phosphotyrosine-EGFR. Downstream signaling was evaluated by measuring Akt, ERK 1/2, and Stat3 phosphorylation. EGFR phosphorylation was increased >2-fold (p 4-fold, while Stat 3 activation was decreased by 2-fold (p 2-fold (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 276.
Coccidioidomycosis in Michigan

With so many people traveling to areas of the country where coccidioidomycosis is endemic, recognizing this disease has become a matter of concern to physicians in every state. A history of exposure is an essential clue in diagnosis, but absence from an endemic area for a considerable time does not exclude the possibility of the disease.
Impact of Regional Trade Structure on Economic Growth

This paper constructs a computable general equilibrium model with China' s regional input-output tables in 2000 and 2007 to empirically analyze the impact of changes in foreign trade structure on economic growth.The results show that contributions of changes in the regional trade structure to China' s GDP in 2000 and 2007 are respectively about 8 and 14 percentage,that changes in the structure of foreign trade continue to play a facilitating role for China' s economic growth while its effects decrease,that regional changes in trade structure are favorable to eastern and western regions while unfavorable to central region and promote the GDP growth for central and western regions while slow down that for eastern region,that compared with the regional trade structure,foreign trade structure change promotes the added value of the agricultural sector in large scale.Finally we propose policy recommendations based on our research findings.
UrotensinII and endothelial nitric oxide synthase and preeclampsia relations research

Objective To investigate the effect of urotensin II and endothelial nitric oxide synthase and preeclampsia relationship.Methods From 30 pregnant women with preeclampsia,named as the observation group,while the other 30 cases of healthy pregnant women as control group.Fasting morning blood in pregnant women were collected 2 ml,after anticoagulation,after separation from the upper level by ELISA method,detecting content of tail pressure and endothelial nitric oxide synthase,and carries on the contrast.Results The group of lysophosphatidic acid Ⅱ were significantly increased;the content of nitric oxide synthase in observation group was significantly lower than the control group.Conclusion Urotensin Ⅱ and endothelial nitric oxide synthase imbalance may be critical in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
Pharmacokinetic indices for cefovecin after single-dose administration to adult sea otters (Enhydra lutris)

Seven sea otters received a single subcutaneous dose of cefovecin at 8 mg/kg body weight. Plasma samples were collected at predetermined time points and assayed for total cefovecin concentrations using ultra-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The mean (±SD) noncompartmental pharmacokinetic indices were as follows: CMax (obs) 70.6 ± 14.6 μg/mL, TMax (obs) 2.9 ± 1.5 h, elimination rate constant (kel ) 0.017 ± 0.002/h, elimination half-life (t1/2kel) 41.6 ± 4.7 h, area under the plasma concentration-vs.-time curve to last sample (AUClast) 3438.7 ± 437.7 h·μg/mL and AUC extrapolated to infinity (AUC0→∞ ) 3447.8 ± 439.0 h·μg/mL. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for select isolates were determined and used to suggest possible dosing intervals of 10 days, 5 days, and 2.5 days for gram-positive, gram-negative, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacterial species, respectively. This study found a single subcutaneous dose of cefovecin sodium in sea otters to be clinically safe and a viable option for long-acting antimicrobial therapy.
Social Structure and Conflict: A Relational Approach to the Study of Conflict and Its Management in Organizations

Conflict and its management are central organizational phenomena affecting a wide array of outcomes ranging from individual attitudes and perceptions to group and firm-level performance (Amason 1996; De Dreu 1997; De Dreu and van Vianen 2001; De Dreu and Weingart 2003; Jehn 1995, 1997; Lovelace et al. 2001; Schweiger and Sandberg 1989; Schwenk 1990). Over the past 30 years conflict scholars have amassed an impressive body of research documenting the effects that this construct can have on a host of organizational stakeholders and outcome measures, from employee wellbeing ( De Dreu et al. 2004) to team effectiveness (De Dreu 1997; Jehn 1997). This research has also distinguished between different types of conflict. Most notably is a distinction made between relationship conflict, which centers on how well individuals get along, and task conflict, which centers on how individuals perform their work (Jehn 1995, 1997).
Numerical Methods for ODEs

This chapter reviews the numerical methods used for finding solutions to ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The analytical continuation method is applicable to initial value ordinary differential equations, a single equation or a system to yield a numerical approximation in the form of a Taylor series. If the Taylor series of a function is known at a single point, then the Taylor series of that function may be found at another (nearby) point. This process may be repeated until a particular point is reached.
Soil–litter mixing and microbial activity mediate decomposition and soil aggregate formation in a sandy shrub-invaded Chihuahuan Desert grassland

Drylands account globally for 30% of terrestrial net primary production and 20% of soil organic carbon. Present ecosystem models under predict litter decay in drylands, limiting assessments of biogeochemical cycling at multiple scales. Overlooked decomposition drivers, such as soil–litter mixing (SLM), may account for part of this model-measurement disconnect. We documented SLM and decomposition in relation to the formation of soil-microbial films and microbial extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) in the North American Chihuahuan Desert by placing mesh bags containing shrub (Prosopis glandulosa) foliar litter on the soil surface within contrasting vegetation microsites. Mass loss (in terms of k, the decay constant) was best described by the degree of SLM and soil-microbial film cover. EEA was greatest during periods of rapid litter decomposition and associated SLM. Soil-microbial film cover on litter surfaces increased over time and was greater in bare ground microsites (50% litter surface area covered) compared to shrub and grass microsites (37 and 33% covered, respectively). Soil aggregates that formed in association with decomposing leaf material had organic C and N concentrations 1.5–2× that of local surface soils. Micrographs of soil aggregates revealed a strong biotic component in their structure, suggesting that microbial decomposition facilitates aggregate formation and their C and N content. Decomposition drivers in arid lands fall into two major categories, abiotic and biotic, and it is challenging to ascertain their relative importance. The temporal synchrony between surface litter mass loss, EEA, biotic film development, and aggregate formation observed in this study supports the hypothesis that SLM enhances decomposition on detached litter by promoting conditions favorable for microbial processes. Inclusion of interactions between SLM and biological drivers will improve the ability of ecosystem models to predict decomposition rates and dynamics in drylands.
Reconstruction in China

My British friend Mr. G. E. Hubbard has elsewhere defined Chinese reconstruction as “the evolutionary process which is taking place in economic, social and cultural spheres of China.” The Chinese term for this movement simply means “construction,” or building up. It is reconstruction in the sense that what is being built up is actually remaking and reshaping the surface of an old country and the life of an ancient people.
North american free trade and the environment: border environmental groups and the NAFTA

El Tratado de Libre Comercio en Norteamerica ha generado un nivel de interes y preocupacion sin precedente sobre los posibles efectos que tendran el comercio y la inversion en Norteamerica sobre el medio ambiente y la salud publica. Este articulo evalua el papel de las organizaciones no gubernamentales ambientalistas a lo largo de la frontera Mexico-Estados Unidos en el contexto del debate sobre el TLC, concluyendo que, independientemente del proceso de ratificacion del TLC, los grupos ambientalistas fronterizos continuaran jugando un rol importante en el planteamiento de proyectos de desarrollo en la region asi como planteando reformas en el regimen ambiental transfronterizo. ABSTRACT The North American Free Trade Agreement has generated an unprecedented degree of interest and concern over the potential impact of unrestricted trade and investment on North America's environmental and public health conditions. This paper evaluates the role of nongovernmental environmental organizations along the U .S. /Mexico border within the context of the NAFTA debate, concluding that regardless of NAFTA's ratification, border environmental groups will continue to play an important role in the development of on-site projects as well as proposals for transboundary environmental reform.
Endocrinological aspects of HIV infection.

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are living longer with effective antiretroviral therapies and are enjoying near normal life span. Therefore, they are encountering endocrine issues faced by the general population along with those specific to HIV infection. The purpose of this article is to review the common endocrine aspects of HIV infection, and the early detection and management strategies for these complications. Recent literature on HIV and endocrine disease was reviewed. HIV can influence endocrine glands at several levels. Endocrine glandular function may be altered by the direct effect of HIV viral proteins, through generation of systemic and local cytokines and the inflammatory response and via glandular involvement with opportunistic infections and HIV-related malignancies. Endocrine disorders seen in people with HIV include metabolic issues related to obesity such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, lipohypertrophy, lipoatrophy and lipodystrophy and contribute significantly to quality of life, morbidity and mortality. In addition, hypogonadism, osteopenia and osteoporosis are also more prevalent in the patients with HIV. Although disorders of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis resulting in adrenal insufficiency can be life threatening, these along with thyroid dysfunction are being seen less commonly in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era. ARTs have greatly improved life expectancy in people living with HIV but can also have adverse endocrine effects. Clinicians need to have a high index of suspicion for endocrine abnormalities in people with HIV as they can be potentially life threatening if untreated. Endocrine evaluation should be pursued as in the general population, with focus on prevention, early detection and treatment to improve quality of life and longevity.