cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pregnancy Augments VEGF-Stimulated In Vitro Angiogenesis and Vasodilator (NO and H2S) Production in Human Uterine Artery Endothelial Cells.

Context Augmented uterine artery (UA) production of vasodilators, including nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), has been implicated in pregnancy-associated and agonist-stimulated rise in uterine blood flow that is rate-limiting to pregnancy health. Objective Developing a human UA endothelial cell (hUAEC) culture model from main UAs of nonpregnant (NP) and pregnant (P) women for testing a hypothesis that pregnancy augments endothelial NO and H2S production and endothelial reactivity to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Design Main UAs from NP and P women were used for developing hUAEC culture models. Comparisons were made between NP- and P-hUAECs in in vitro angiogenesis, activation of cell signaling, expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and H2S-producing enzymes cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine γ-lyase, and NO/H2S production upon VEGF stimulation. Results NP- and P-hUAECs displayed a typical cobblestone-like shape in culture and acetylated low-density lipoprotein uptake, stained positively for endothelial and negatively for smooth muscle markers, maintained key signaling proteins during passage, and had statistically significant greater eNOS and CBS proteins in P- vs NP-hUAECs. Treatment with VEGF stimulated in vitro angiogenesis and eNOS protein and NO production only in P-hUEACs and more robust cell signaling in P- vs NP-hUAECs. VEGF stimulated CBS protein expression, accounting for VEGF-stimulated H2S production in hUAECs. Conclusion Comparisons between NP- and P-hUAECs reveal that pregnancy augments VEGF-stimulated in vitro angiogenesis and NO/H2S production in hUAECs, showing that the newly established hUAEC model provides a critical in vitro tool for understanding human uterine hemodynamics.
Historical Pollution and Criminal Liability in the United States

“Historical pollution” in the United States may mean many things. For the purposes of the definition used in our project, the United States has a fairly evolved framework for addressing the phenomena. As a common law country, traditional and newly interpreted tort law may be applicable. So too, traditional criminal law can be and has been utilized. Before modern historical pollution legislation was enacted, legal means existed to punish historical pollution and to remediate and remove orphan dumps, related pollution and its effects—and to compensate victims. Most important now is federal (and some state) law passed specifically to address the massive historical pollution discovered several decades ago. Central is the Superfund law, which provides for rules of liability, punishment, removal, remediation, and compensation. It has had considerable success, after inefficient and expensive beginnings. Thus, U.S. laws of several kinds are relevant to the types of scenarios noted in this report. Complicating the analysis further is the need for several factual assumptions to make the scenarios realistic under U.S. law and the various interpretations of the arsenal of relevant law.
Loss Models For Broadband Networks With Non-Linear Constraint Functions

In recent years multi-service loss networks have become popular modeling tools for estimating the performance of broadband communication networks (Dziong and Roberts, 1987; Kelly, 1991; Ross, 1995). These stochastic models consist of a finite number of capacitated links and classes of calls, where a call’s class determines its route in the network, its arrival rate and average holding time, and its end-to-end bandwidth requirement. These models capture virtual channel (VC) dynamics in an ATM network when admission is based on peak rates or on effective bandwidths. Moreover, they are amenable to a variety of efficient and accurate analytical procedures, including combinatorial algorithms for product-form networks, reduced load approximations, and Monte Carlo summation (Ross, 1995).
Man, Economy, and Liberty: Essays in Honor of Murray N. Rothbard

Man, Economy, and Liberty, which grew out of a conference celebrating Murray Rothbard’s 60th birthday in 1986, is a collection of essays by 30 contributors—economists, philosophers, historians, political scientists, sociologists, and long-time friends and companions—honoring one of the world’s foremost living champions of liberty.
Professor Support Networks

How does one establish and sustain a progressive positive support mechanism throughout the academician’s career trajectory? This chapter answers this question by defining and pictorially presenting what a Professor Support Network (PSN) is. Next, the author provides step-by-step instructions on how to create a PSN and identify key nodes. Examples are given which demonstrate how to progressive advancement within the academy depends less on credentials and knowledge and more on an informal web of contacts is provided. Advancement tactics and strategic moves are mentioned and shared with the reader. Lastly, the connections between people and one’s ability to foster relationships that cultivate good communication, awareness, trust, and decision making which is critical in determining if one survives or thrives is deliberated.
Channeling others’ biases to meet role demands

Abstract Five studies illuminate how the demands of the roles that people occupy can sometimes contribute to the maintenance of group inequality by promoting the accommodation of others' biases, even when those biases disadvantage an in-group or clash with personal views. When role demands to maximize candidate fit in hiring selections were strong, preference for job candidates of a given group tended to be lower when there were cues to third-party prejudice against that group (vs. no cues), irrespective of in-group favoritism effects (Studies 1–5) or participant attitudes (Studies 4 and 5). We found supporting evidence for the underlying processes in the context of hiring selections involving fictional groups (Study 1) as well as female job candidates (Studies 2–5). A concern with meeting the demands of the gatekeeper role was at the root of prejudice accommodation: When role-demands to prioritize candidate fit were strong, role-relevant considerations (interpersonal and task-focused) mediated the accommodation effect (Studies 1 and 4). The more gatekeepers in charge of hiring sought to meet role demands by considering the preferences of relevant third parties, the more they accommodated third-party prejudice (Study 2). Moreover, role-based concerns mediated the accommodation of prejudice—but not other potential considerations that were unrelated to role demands (Study 3). Finally, the accommodation effect was eliminated when the role definition did not prioritize candidate fit (Study 4) and when we experimentally reduced the strength of role-related concerns (Study 5). These findings illustrate the relevance of the role concept for understanding the social transmission of bias.
Écoulements mamelonnaires : nouveaux standards ?

Resume L’ecoulement mammaire est assez frequent et anxiogene. L’ecoulement « pathologique » justifie une mammographie en premiere intention, ainsi qu’une echographie qui a l’avantage de visualiser une lesion intragalactophorique. L’IRM peut s’envisager lorsque le bilan conventionnel est normal.
Study of Twitter Communications on Cardiovascular Disease by State Health Departments.

The present study examines Twitter conversations around cardiovascular health in order to assess the topical foci of these conversations as well as the role of various state departments of health. After scraping tweets containing relevant keywords, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) was used to identify the most important topics discussed around the issue, while PageRank was used to determine the relative prominence of different users. The results indicate that a small number of state departments of health play an especially significant role in these conversations. Furthermore, irregular events like ebola outbreaks also exert a strong influence over the volume of tweets made in general by state departments of health.
Incorporation of a silicon-based polymer to PEG-DA templated hydrogel scaffolds for bioactivity and osteoinductivity

A scaffold that is inherently bioactive, osteoinductive and osteoconductive may guide mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to regenerate bone tissue in the absence of exogenous growth factors. Previously, we established that hydrogel scaffolds formed by crosslinking methacrylated star poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMSstar-MA) with diacrylated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-DA) promote bone bonding by induction of hydroxyapatite formation ("bioactive") and promote MSC lineage progression toward osteoblast-like fate ("osteoinductive"). Herein, we have combined solvent induced phase separation (SIPS) with a fused salt template to create PDMSstar-PEG hydrogel scaffolds with controlled PDMSstar-MA distribution as well as interconnected macropores of a tunable size to allow for subsequent cell seeding and neotissue infiltration ("osteoconductive"). Scaffolds were prepared with PDMSstar-MA of two number average molecular weights (Mns) (2k and 7k) with varying PDMSstar-MA:PEG-DA ratios and template salt sizes. The distribution of PDMSstar-MA within the hydrogels was examined as well as pore size, percent interconnectivity, dynamic and static moduli, hydration, degradation and in vitro bioactivity (i.e. mineralization when exposed to simulated body fluid, SBF). Finally, cell culture with seeded human bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBMSCs) was used to confirm non-cytotoxicity and characterize osteoinductivity. Tunable, interconnected macropores were achieved by utilization of a fused salt template of a specified salt size during fabrication. Distribution of PDMSstar-MA within the PEG-DA matrix improved for the lower Mn and contributed to differences in specific material properties (e.g. local modulus) and cellular response. However, all templated SIPS PDMSstar-PEG hydrogels were confirmed to be bioactive, non-cytotoxic and displayed PDMSstar-MA dose-dependent osteogenesis. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: A tissue engineering scaffold that can inherently guide mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to regenerate bone tissue without growth factors would be a more cost-effective and safe strategy for bone repair. Typically, glass/ceramic fillers are utilized to achieve this through their ability to induce hydroxyapatite formation ("bioactive") and promote MSC differentiation to an osteoblast-like fate ("osteoinductive"). Herein, we have fabricated an interconnected, macroporous PEG-DA hydrogel scaffold that utilizes PDMSstar-MA as a bioactive and osteoinductive scaffold component. We were able to show that these PDMSstar-PEG hydrogels maintain several key material characteristics for bone repair. Further, bioactivity and osteoinductivity were simultaneously achieved in human bone marrow-derived MSC culture, representing a notable achievement for an exclusively material-based strategy.
Issues and Trends in Instructional Technology: Access to Mobile Technologies, Digital Content, and Online Learning Opportunities Continues as Spending on IT Remains Steady

This chapter comprises of four sections: Overall Developments, Corporate Training and Development, Higher Education, and K-12 Education. This chapter synthesizes the findings of major annual reports, including the Online Report Card: Tracking Online Education in the United States (Allen & Seaman, 2016); the ECAR Study of Students and Information Technology (Dahlstrom, Brooks, Grajek & Reeves, 2015); the New Media Consortium’s, Horizon Reports (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada & Freeman, 2016; Johnson, Adams Becker, Cummins, Estrada, Freeman and Hall, 2016); the Education Week’s Technology Counts 2017 Report (Education Week, 2017); and Project Tomorrow’s Speak Up Reports, Trends in Digital Learning: Building Teachers’ Capacity to Create New Learning Experiences for Students (Project Tomorrow & Blackboard, 2017). The authors note steady growth in access to instructional technology in three sectors, that is, mobile technologies, digital content, and online learning opportunities, and these continue to provide unique instructional and learning opportunities in all three sectors.
A Class of Fe III Macrocyclic Complexes with Alcohol Donor Groups as Effective T 1 MRI Contrast Agents

Early studies suggested that FeIII complexes cannot compete with GdIII complexes as T1 MRI contrast agents. Now it is shown that one member of a class of high-spin macrocyclic FeIII complexes produces more intense contrast in mice kidneys and liver at 30 minutes post-injection than does a commercially used GdIII agent and also produces similar T1 relaxivity in serum phantoms at 4.7 T and 37 °C. Comparison of four different FeIII macrocyclic complexes elucidates the factors that contribute to relaxivity in vivo including solution speciation. Variable-temperature 17 O NMR studies suggest that none of the complexes has a single, integral inner-sphere water that exchanges rapidly on the NMR timescale. MRI studies in mice show large in vivo differences of three of the FeIII complexes that correspond, in part, to their r1 relaxivity in phantoms. Changes in overall charge of the complex modulate contrast enhancement, especially of the kidneys.
Staying Connected: A Qualitative Analysis of Couple’s Technology Use during Pregnancy

The transition to parenthood is an exciting time for couples; however it also presents unique challenges. Many couples use technology to navigate these challenges and to stay better connected. The ...
Embolization of carotid-cavernous fistulas: A technical note on simultaneous balloon protection of the internal carotid artery.

Abstract A carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) is an abnormal connection between the carotid circulation and the cavernous sinus. Treatment of CCFs often consists of obliteration of the fistula by a transarterial or transvenous endovascular approach using embolic agents. However, fistula embolization is often halted due to the potential embolic complications that may arise from the retrograde flow of the embolic agents into the arterial circulation, which often leads to the development of fistula recurrence. Moreover, retreatment of a CCF recurrence is challenging and more complex approaches may be required. In this technical note, we describe our experience with CCF embolization in 25 patients treated at a single center. We utilized a transvenous approach for CCF embolization with simultaneous balloon occlusion of the internal carotid artery during the infusion of the embolic material into the fistula. In our series, this simultaneous protection of the internal carotid artery showed to be a safe technique to prevent embolic complications and to achieve successful obliteration of the fistula. On follow-up, 2 cases presented a recurrence, one due to technical difficulties and the other related to an undetected vascular injury. In conclusion, this technique provides a safe approach in the treatment of CCFs by decreasing the risk of embolic complications and increasing the effectiveness of the embolic agents in accomplishing the obliteration of the CCF.
Finite Step Performance of First-order Methods Using Interpolation Conditions Without Function Evaluations.

We present a procedure to numerically compute finite step worst case performance guarantees on a given algorithm for the unconstrained optimization of strongly convex functions with Lipschitz continuous gradients. The solution method provided serves as an alternative approach to that derived by Taylor, Hendrickx, and Glineur in [Math. Prog. 161 (1-2), 2017]. The difference lies in the fact that our solution uses conditions for the interpolation of a set of points and gradient evaluations by the gradient of a function in the class of interest, whereas their solution uses conditions for the interpolation of a set of points, gradient evaluations, and function evaluations by a function in the class of interest. The motivation for this alternative solution is that, in many cases, neither the algorithm nor the performance metric of interest rely upon function evaluations. The primary development is a procedure to avoid suffering from the factorial growth in the number of these conditions with the size of the set to be interpolated when solving for the worst case performance.
Open source software for the analysis of microarray data.

DNA microarray assays represent the first widely used application that attempts to build upon the information provided by genome projects in the study of biological questions. One of the greatest challenges with working with microarrays is collecting, managing, and analyzing data. Although several commercial and noncommercial solutions exist, there is a growing body of freely available, open source software that allows users to analyze data using a host of existing techniques and to develop their own and integrate them within the system. Here we review three of the most widely used and comprehensive systems, the statistical analysis tools written in R through the Bioconductor project (http://www.bioconductor.org), the Java-based TM4 software system available from The Institute for Genomic Research (http://www.tigr.org/software), and BASE, the Web-based system developed at Lund University (http://base.thep.lu.se).
An Inkjet-Printed Paper-Based Flexible Sensor for Pressure Mapping Applications

Biometric observation using portable and wearable sensors is transforming health monitoring since patients can now have their conditions frequently checked outside the hospital setting. However, modern biosensors mostly use the standard printed circuit board substrate, which is physically incompatible with irregular-surface applications. The need for a flexible, low-cost and high-resolution monitoring device for observing elderly patient mobility out of hospital settings is the motivation driving this research. The following paper is a characterization of an experimental inkjet-printed sensor that circumvents the problem of rigidity by using a highly flexible substrate while also benefiting from low fabrication costs, low power usage, and environmental friendliness. The sensor is a 4 × 4 grid of Aluminum-doped Zinc Oxide nodes inkjet-printed on paper-based substrates. The tests performed show nodes are capable of responding to applied pressures of over 540 PSI. Notably, they exhibit sensitivity to heat and humidity without shielding measures, making it more useful for physical therapy. Power usage of the device is shown to be as low as 5 μW. Silver nanoparticle ink was chosen as electrical routing between the Zinc Oxide and data collection scheme. The analog signal is connected through ELVIS II+ analog pins, where a MATLAB script retrieves and stores the data for visual analysis. The cost of printing a single pressure node of this sensor is estimated to be $0.01. These conditions make it a monetarily attractive pressure sensing and mapping option for human impact monitoring applications.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Parent, Child, and Family Functioning.

To quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and public health interventions on parent and child mental health and family relationships, we examined change in individual and family functioning in a sample of parents enrolled in a prevention trial; we examined change before the pandemic (2017-2019) when children were an average of 7 years old to the first months after the imposition of widespread public health interventions in the United States (2020) with paired t tests and HLM models. We examined moderation by parent gender, education, family income, and coparenting conflict. We found large deteriorations from before the pandemic to the first months of the pandemic in child internalizing and externalizing problems and parent depression, and a moderate decline in coparenting quality. Smaller changes were found for parent anxiety and parenting quality. Mothers and families with lower levels of income were at particular risk for deterioration in well-being. Results indicate a need for widespread family support and intervention to prevent potential family "scarring," that is, prolonged, intertwined individual mental health and family relationship problems.
Genome-wide analysis, identification, evolution and genomic organization of dehydration responsive element-binding (DREB) gene family in Solanum tuberosum .

Background The dehydration responsive element-binding (DREB) gene family plays a crucial role as transcription regulators and enhances plant tolerance to abiotic stresses. Although the DREB gene family has been identified and characterized in many plants, knowledge about it in Solanum tuberosum (Potato) is limited. Results In the present study, StDREB gene family was comprehensively analyzed using bioinformatics approaches. We identified 66 StDREB genes through genome wide screening of the Potato genome based on the AP2 domain architecture and amino acid conservation analysis (Valine at position 14th). Phylogenetic analysis divided them into six distinct subgroups (A1-A6). The categorization of StDREB genes into six subgroups was further supported by gene structure and conserved motif analysis. Potato DREB genes were found to be distributed unevenly across 12 chromosomes. Gene duplication proved that StDREB genes experienced tandem and segmental duplication events which led to the expansion of the gene family. The Ka/Ks ratios of the orthologous pairs also demonstrated the StDREB genes were under strong purification selection in the course of evolution. Interspecies synteny analysis revealed 45 and 36 StDREB genes were orthologous to Arabidopsis and Solanum lycopersicum, respectively. Moreover, subcellular localization indicated that StDREB genes were predominantly located within the nucleus and the StDREB family's major function was DNA binding according to gene ontology (GO) annotation. Conclusions This study provides a comprehensive and systematic understanding of precise molecular mechanism and functional characterization of StDREB genes in abiotic stress responses and will lead to improvement in Solanum tuberosum.
Better Algorithms for Individually Fair $k$-Clustering

We study data clustering problems with $\ell_p$-norm objectives (e.g. $k$-Median and $k$-Means) in the context of individual fairness. The dataset consists of $n$ points, and we want to find $k$ centers such that (a) the objective is minimized, while (b) respecting the individual fairness constraint that every point $v$ has a center within a distance at most $r(v)$, where $r(v)$ is $v$'s distance to its $(n/k)$th nearest point. Jung, Kannan, and Lutz [FORC 2020] introduced this concept and designed a clustering algorithm with provable (approximate) fairness and objective guarantees for the $\ell_\infty$ or $k$-Center objective. Mahabadi and Vakilian [ICML 2020] revisited this problem to give a local-search algorithm for all $\ell_p$-norms. Empirically, their algorithms outperform Jung et. al.'s by a large margin in terms of cost (for $k$-Median and $k$-Means), but they incur a reasonable loss in fairness. In this paper, our main contribution is to use Linear Programming (LP) techniques to obtain better algorithms for this problem, both in theory and in practice. We prove that by modifying known LP rounding techniques, one gets a worst-case guarantee on the objective which is much better than in MV20, and empirically, this objective is extremely close to the optimal. Furthermore, our theoretical fairness guarantees are comparable with MV20 in theory, and empirically, we obtain noticeably fairer solutions. Although solving the LP {\em exactly} might be prohibitive, we demonstrate that in practice, a simple sparsification technique drastically improves the run-time of our algorithm.
Lanthanide Oxides: From Diatomics to High-Spin, Strongly Correlated Homo- and Heterometallic Clusters.

Small lanthanide (Ln) oxide clusters present both experimental and theoretical challenges because of their partially filled, core-like 4f n orbitals, a feature that results in a plethora of close-lying and fundamentally similar electronic states. These clusters provide a bottom-up approach toward understanding the electronic structure of defective or doped bulk material but also can offer a challenge to the theorists to find a method robust enough to capture electronic structure patterns that emerge from within the 4f n (0 < n < 14) series. In this Feature Article, we explore the electronic structures of small lanthanide oxide clusters that deviate from bulk stoichiometry using anion photoelectron spectroscopy and supporting density functional theory calculations. We will describe the evolution of electronic structure with oxidation and how LnxOy- cluster reactivities can be correlated with specific Ln-local orbital occupancies. These strongly correlated systems offer additional insights into how interactions between electrons and electronically complex neutrals can lead to detachment transitions that lie outside of the sudden one-electron detachment approximation generally assumed in anion photoelectron spectroscopy. With a better understanding of how we can control nominally forbidden transitions to sample an array of spin states, we suggest that more in-depth studies on the magnetic states of these systems can be explored. Extending these studies to other Ln-based materials with hidden magnetic phases, along with sequentially ligated single molecule magnets, could advance current understanding of these systems.
Providing whole blood for an urban paramedical ambulance system

Introduction Hemorrhage is the second leading cause of death among urban trauma patients, and the provision of prehospital blood-based resuscitation can be lifesaving. We developed an efficient system to support blood-based resuscitation by an urban advanced life support ambulance system. Methods We worked with our state health department for permission for fire department paramedics to initiate blood transfusion and built protocols for field whole blood resuscitation. Our regional trauma center transfusion service provided 2 units of O positive, low-titer, leukoreduced whole blood in an internally monitored and sealed ice box weighing 10 pounds to the fire department paramedic supervisor. When notified, the supervisor transported the blood to the sites of anticipated need. Total blood use and wastage were recorded. Results Following two public hearings, we obtained state-wide approval for the initiation of emergency uncrossmatched blood transfusion by paramedics. Over a 1-year period beginning August 27, 2019, 160 units of whole blood were made available for use, and 51 units were transfused to 39 patients, 30 of whom were trauma patients. Other recipients include patients in shock from massive gastrointestinal, peripartum, or other suspected bleeding. Unused units were returned to the providing transfusion service after 1 week and used for hospital patient care without loss. The estimated cost of providing blood per mission was $0.28 and per patient transfused was $1138. Conclusions With appropriate attention to detail, it is possible to provide whole blood to an urban paramedical ambulance system with efficient blood component usage, minimal blood wastage, and low cost.
Optimizing patient treatment decisions in an era of rapid technological advances: the case of hepatitis C treatment

How long should a patient with a treatable chronic disease wait for more effective treatments before accepting the best available treatment? We develop a framework to guide optimal treatment decisions for a deteriorating chronic disease when treatment technologies are improving over time. We formulate an optimal stopping problem using a discrete-time, finite-horizon Markov decision process. The goal is to maximize a patient’s quality-adjusted life expectancy. We derive structural properties of the model and analytically solve a three-period treatment decision problem. We illustrate the model with the example of treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). Chronic HCV affects 3-4 million Americans and has been historically difficult to treat, but increasingly effective treatments have been commercialized in the past few years. We show that the optimal treatment decision is more likely to be to accept currently available treatment—despite expectations for future treatment improvement—for patients who have high-risk history, who are older, or who have more comorbidities. Insights from this study can guide HCV treatment decisions for individual patients. More broadly, our model can guide treatment decisions for curable chronic diseases by finding the optimal treatment policy for individual patients in a heterogeneous population.
Abstract W MP45: RNA-seq Analysis of mRNA/miRNA in Rabbit Aneurysm Model Reveals Similar Expression Patterns to Human Intracranial Aneurysms

Background and Purpose: Rabbit aneurysm models are used in the testing of embolization devices as well as elucidating the mechanisms human intracranial aneurysm growth and healing. We employed ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq) technology to identify genes relevant to induced rabbit aneurysm biology and compare these with genes related to human intracranial aneurysms to identify genes of potential clinical interest. This included sequencing micro RNA, which are important regulatory non-coding RNA. Materials and Methods: Elastase-induced saccular aneurysms were created at the origin of the right common carotid artery (CCA) in 5 rabbits. Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and micro ribonucleic acid (miRNA) was isolated from the aneurysm and the control unoperated left CCA at 12 weeks and was processed using RNA-seq technology. The results from RNA-seq were analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Results: 9396 genes were analyzed using RNA-seq, of which 649 (6.9%) were found to be significantly differentially expressed between aneurysm and control tissues (p < 0.05, false discovery rate 2). Of these, 500 were up-regulated in the aneurysm and 149 were down-regulated as compared to controls. Using the same criteria, 3 miRNA were identified as down regulated and 5 were identified as up regulated. Pathway analysis associated these genes with inflammatory response, cellular migration, and coagulation, among other functions and pathologies. Conclusion: RNA-seq next-gen analysis of rabbit aneurysms shows similarities to human intracranial aneurysms with respect to regulation of some key pathways.
Interaction of polynucleotides with cultured mammalian cells: II. Cell surface charge density and RNA uptake

Abstract This report describes the uptake of high molecular weight RNA by Ehrlich ascites tumor cells treated with enzymes and polycations which reduce cell net negative surface charge density. Enzyme treatment had little effect on RNA uptake, but treatment with poly- L -lysine resulted in increased binding and uptake of RNA. Present data indicate that decreased cell surface charge, increased availability of positive surface sites, and cell death, all contribute to increased RNA uptake. The individual contributions of these factors has been partially resolved. A possible mechanism for polyanion uptake by cells is proposed.
A high density pad-on-pad connector utilizing a flexible circuit

This paper describes a high density, controlled impedance flexible interconnect system used between daughter cards and a mother board in a coolant immersed environment. Topics presented include connector design, alignment techniques utilized, uniform contact pressure methods, connector assembly and feasibility/reliability testing performed on the connector. >
Family as Institution

The family is a mode of social organization often characterized by marriage and children. Permanence, joint production, coresidence, and the social recognition of a sexual and child rearing union are, perhaps, the most important characteristics of the institution of marriage. Although most children are born to married couples, increasingly childbearing occurs outside of the structure of marriage. The definition of family has changed to include nontraditional structures such as gay and lesbian partnerships, cohabiting couples, and nonmarried childbearing. In the United States, the share of adults who are unmarried has risen as more people delay first marriage and fewer remarry following the divorce from or the death of their spouse. The structure of the family differs around the globe, but remains one of the key social institutions in every society.
Nuclear transplantation studies on the early gastrula (Rana pipiens). I. Nuclei of presumptive endoderm.

Abstract Previously published studies showed that the nuclear changes associated with endodermal differentiation are well advanced at the late gastrula stage in Rana pipiens . In the present investigation an attempt was made to determine when in development this process of nuclear “differentiation” begins. Presumptive endoderm nuclei from the vegetal pole region of early gastrulae were tested by transplantation into enucleated eggs. For comparison, control transfers were performed with nuclei from the undetermined animal pole region of blastulae. The recipient eggs developed as follows: 1. 1. Cleavage: Control and experimental transfers gave about the same results. Approximately 60% of the transfers in each series led to the formation of complete blastulae. 2. 2. Embryonic differentiation: Eighty per cent of the complete blastulae resulting from the control transfers developed normally to larval stages. In the case of the transfers of presumptive endoderm nuclei, 52% of the blastulae developed normally. The majority of the remaining embryos displayed abnormalities in postneurula stages and failed to attain the larval stage. A few of these abnormal embryos (5) showed extreme deficiencies in the ectodermal derivatives. In the majority, however, the deficiencies were not related to the endodermal origin of the nuclei in any obvious fashion. 3. 3. Larval development: All embryos which passed through the embryonic stages normally were reared until they died or reached metamorphosis. In their larval development the nuclear-transplant animals did not differ from their normally fertilized controls. A possible exception to this conclusion is mentioned on page 261. The results summarized above are compared with those previously obtained by us in transplantation studies on nuclei from older donors; and with the results of experiments on Xenopus laevis nuclei recently reported by Fischberg et al. , 1958.
Assessing Error Detection Coverage by Simulated Fault Injection

Server dependability is of increasing importance as more critical applications rely on the client-server computing model. As a consequence, complex fault/error handling mechanisms are becoming common features of today servers. This paper presents a new simulated fault injection method, which allows the assessment of the effectiveness of error detection mechanisms without using expensive test circuits. Fault injection was performed in two stages. First, physical fault injection was performed on a prototype server. Transient faults were injected in randomly selected signals. Traces of the signals sensitive to transients were captured. A complex protocol checker was devised for increasing error detection. The new detection circuitry was simulated in the second stage of the experiment. Signal traces, injected with transient faults, were used as inputs of the simulation. The error detection coverage and latency were derived. Fault injection also showed that coverage probability was a function of fault duration.
Huntingtin Supplies a csaA-Independent Function Essential for EDTA-Resistant Homotypic Cell Adhesion in Dictyostelium discoideum

Background: The CAG triplet repeat expansion mutation in the HTT locus, which results in neurodegeneration in Huntington’s disease, elongates a polyglutamine tract in huntingtin, a HEAT/HEAT-like protein that has been highly structurally conserved through evolution. In several organisms, huntingtin is necessary for proper cell-cell adhesion and normal development. Objective: Dictyostelium discoideum huntingtin null (htt − ) cells display a variety of developmental abnormalities and completely fail to acquire EDTA-resistant homotypic cell adhesion during starvation in suspension culture. Methods: Here, we have assessed the hypothesis that htt may be a genetic interactor of csaA, a major regulator of EDTA-resistant homotypic cell adhesion in D. discoideum. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that csaA protein expression is dysregulated in htt − cells. Results: Unexpectedly, csaA overexpression, previously shown to rescue csaA − cell adhesion, failed to rescue the htt − adhesion defect. Thus, while htt was required for proper expression of the csaA protein, csaA overexpression was not sufficient to confer EDTA-resistant adhesion in the context of the htt − genetic background in contrast to parental cells. This implies a novel role for htt in conferring csaA-dependent, EDTA-resistant cell adhesion that warrants further investigation. Calcium supplementation restored both endogenous csaA protein levels and EDTA-resistant adhesion in htt − cells. Conclusions: Our data suggests the existence of an additional mechanism that overcomes the EDTA-resistant adhesion defect of htt − cells in the early development of D. discoideum.
Corrosion of Reinforcing Steel in Concrete—A General Overview of the Problem

It is shown in this review that the problems resulting from corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete are widespread and very serious. This is especially true of the bridge decks on the highways of the snow belt states of the United States, where increased deicer salt are associated with the bare pavement policy has resulted in maintenance expenses that are currently costing the American taxpayers $200 million per year and are rapidly rising. Corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete exposed to marine atmospheric environments is also shown to be a problem.
A structural and spectrophotometric study on the complexation of Am(III) with TMOGA in comparison with the extracted complex of DMDOOGA.

Complexation of Am(III) with tetramethyl-3-oxa-glutaramide (TMOGA, LI) is studied by spectrophotometric titrations and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Three successive complex species, [AmLI]3+, [AmLI2]3+, and [AmLI3]3+, have been identified and their stability constants are calculated to be 3.71 ± 0.012, 5.95 ± 0.021, and 6.93 ± 0.034 respectively, from the absorption spectra collected from the titrations of Am(III) with LI at 25 °C in 1 M NaNO3. Single crystals of AmLI3(ClO4)3 have been grown from a HClO4 solution containing Am3+ and LI. The crystal structure of AmLI3(ClO4)3 shows that Am(III) is coordinated by nine oxygen atoms from three LI ligands. The deconvoluted UV-Vis absorption spectrum of [AmLI3]3+ in aqueous solution is nearly identical to the diffusion reflectance spectrum of AmLI3(ClO4)3 in the solid state, indicating that the coordination geometry of the complexes is nearly the same. In addition, to provide parallels to solvent exaction, the extracted Am(III) complex with N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-dioctyl-3-oxa-glutaramide (DMDOOGA, LII) is also prepared and studied using spectrophotometry. The similarity in UV-Vis absorption of the extracted complex of Am(III) with LII and [AmLI3]3+ suggests that the Am(III) ion is also coordinated by three tridentate LII ligands existing as [AmLII3]3+ in the organic phase of solvent extraction.
Orientation and ingestion rates of larval Anopheles albimanus in response to floating particles

Response of fourth-instar larvae of Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann (Diptera: Culicidae) to food and inert particles floating at the water surface was studied. In a choice test, larvae aggregated at powdered organic materials (blood meal, liver powder, alfalfa flour and wheat flour) but not at inert materials (kaolin, chalk or charcoal). Larvae responded positively to proteins as well as some carbohydrates, but not to cellulose. Retention of larvae at food sources found by random locomotion was found to be responsible for larval aggregation. Larvae ingested food particles 6–9 times faster than inert particles. The significance of Anopheline feeding behavior in the development of formulations of stomach toxins (bacterial agents) used in larval control is discussed. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Orientierung und Fressraten von Anopheles albimanus Larven bei Angebot von an der Wasserober-flache schwimmenden Partikeln. Die vorliegende Studie befasst sich mit Verhaltensreaktionen von Anopheles albimanus Viertlarven auf an der Wasseroberflache schwimmende Partikel. Verteilung und Orientierung der Larven wurde in einer Wahlapparatur quantifiziert. Nach Auftrag von Alfalfamehl, Weizenmehl, Starke, Blutmehl, Leberpulver und Fischmehl wurde Aggregation der Larven in den bekoderten Fachern der Apparatur beobachtet. Sowohl Proteine (Casein) als auch einige Kohlehydrate (Amylose, Amylopectin) losten Aggregationen der Larven aus. Im Unterschied dazu fuhrte Auftrag von Kreide, Kaolin, Polyaethylenpulver, Talcum oder Cellulose nicht zu Aggregationen. Zur Beschreibung der Entstehung larvaler Aggregationen bei Futterstoffen wurden die Schwimmbewegungen der Larven in Anwesenheit von Weizenmehl als Kodersubstanz quantifiziert. Da keine Attraktion der Larven im Sinne einer gerichteten Schwimmbewegung beobachtet werden konnte, wird geschlussfolgert, dass sofortige Beendung der Suchaktivitat der Larven bei zufallig gefundenen Futterquellen fur die beobachteten Aggregationen bei organischen Substanzen verantwortlich ist. Die Fressraten der Larven bei Angebot verschiedener Substanzen im uberschuss wurde bestimmt. Larven fulten drei von insgesamt sechs Darmabschnitten innerhalb von 15–30 min bei Angebot von Futtersubstanzen, wahrend die Fullung von nur zwei Darmabschnitten mit inerten Materialien erst nach 90–120 min zu beobachten war. Die Resultate werden in Bezug auf wasseroberflachengebundene Formulierungen von Frassgiften diskutiert. Inerte Tragersubstanzen werden wahrscheinlich wesentlich langsamer aufgenommen als Futtersubstanzen. Da An. albimanus Larven nicht von Futterquellen angezogen werden, ist eine rasche und wirksame Giftaufnahme besonders dann zu erwarten, wenn die gesamte Oberflache der Brutgewasser mit toxinhaltigen Tragerpartikeln bedeckt werden kann.
In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Bifunctional Bisthiosemicarbazone 64Cu-Complexes for the Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Hypoxia

The copper(II) bisthiosemicarbazonato complex, copper-diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazonate) (Cu-ATSM), has been used clinically as a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for the delineation of hypoxia. Six novel, asymmetric bis(thiosemicarbazones) derived from diacetyl-2-(4-N-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone)-3-(4-N-amino-3-thiosemicarbazone) (H2ATSM/A), one of which contained a nitroimidazole functionality, were radiolabeled with 64Cu (t½ = 12.7 h, β+ = 19.3%). In vitro studies were performed on three of the compounds using EMT6 mammary carcinoma cells under hypoxic and normoxic conditions. All compounds displayed rapid cellular association and appreciable hypoxic selectivity with increased uptake under normoxic and hypoxic conditions when compared to 64Cu-ATSM. Biodistribution and small animal PET imaging studies were then carried out in vivo using two compounds in EMT6 tumor-bearing mice. The compounds showed high tumor uptake, but also substantial accumulation in the liver. These complexes demonst...
Decadelong Profile of Women in Ophthalmic Publications

Importance In recent decades, there has been an increase in the number of women practicing medicine. We believe this shift may be reaching academic publications in ophthalmology and changing gender trends. Objective To determine whether there has been an increase in women publishing academic articles and editorials in ophthalmology during the past decade. Design, Setting, and Participants In this observational retrospective study, 3 ophthalmology journals were sampled from 2000 and 2010 for at least 100 articles per journal, per year, and all editorials published in both years. Data reviewed included the authors’ gender, number of authors, number of references, subspecialty, and country of origin. Exposure Publication by women authors. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome measure was an increase in women publishing in ophthalmology. The hypothesis was formulated before data collection. Results Our analysis included 671 original articles (336 from 2000 and 335 from 2010) and 89 editorials. The percentage of original articles with a woman as first author increased from 23.2% in 2000 to 32.5% in 2010, a difference of 9.3% (95% CI, 2.3%-16.4%;P = .009). The percentage of original articles with a woman last author increased from 16.9% in 2000 to 24.4% in 2010, a difference of 7.5% (95% CI, 1.7%-21.2%;P = .02). The percentage of original articles with a woman first author increased in Asia from 9.1% in 2000 to 32.6% in 2010, a difference of 23.5% (95% CI, 5.0%-66.5%;P = .003). The percentage of articles with a woman last author increased in Europe from 11.1% in 2000 to 37.9% in 2010, a difference of 26.8% (95% CI, 10.5%-43.2%;P = .001) and in Asia from 0% in 2000 to 23.3% in 2010, a difference of 23.3% (95% CI, 12.9%-33.9%;P = .001). Editorials were written predominantly by men: 33 of 38 editorials (87%) in 2000 and 46 of 51 (90%) in 2010. Conclusions and Relevance Our data suggest an increase in women publishing original investigations in ophthalmic literature, but no increase in editorial authorship.
Growth and dissipation of phytoplankton in Chesapeake Bay. II. A statistical analysis of phytoplankton standing crops in the Rhode and West Rivers and an adjacent section of the Chesapeake Bay

It is possible to make statistically significant comparative measurements of similar sections of subestuaries under conditions where the large natural variations would mask all but drastic changes in the systems if they were studied individually. The comparative study is proposed as a modification to the baseline study of a single system for the assessment of the effects of man’s activities in an estuary. We have made temporally coincident measurements of phytoplankton production, standing crops and a range of physical and chemical parameters in comparable sections of the Rhode and West rivers and in an adjacent section of the Chesapeake Bay for the 3-year period 1970–1972. We analyzed the data for standing crops and demonstrated that at least at the trophic level of phytoplankton, the judicious application of a paired comparative sampling protocol to the Rhode and West rivers is superior to a study of either system alone. We calculate that the paired comparison sampling protocol requires approximately one tenth the sample size of the single-system sampling technique to achieve the same significance level.
A Viscoplastic Constitutive Theory for Monolithic Ceramics—I

This paper, which is the first of two in a series, provides an overview ofa viscoplastic constitutive model that accounts for time-dependent material deformation (e.g., creep, stress relaxation, etc.) in monolithic ceramics. Using continuum principles of engineering mechanics, the complete theory is derived from a scalar dissipative potential function first proposed by Robinson (1978), and later utilized by Duffy (1988). Derivations based on a flow potential function provide an assurance that the inelastic boundary value problem is well posed, and solutions obtained are unique. The specific formulation used here for the threshold function (a component of the flow potential function) was originally proposed by Willam and Warnke (1975) in order to formulate constitutive equations for time-independent classical plasticity behavior observed in cement and unreinforced concrete. Here constitutive equations formulated for the flow law (strain rate) and evolutionary law employ stress invariants to define the functional dependence on the Cauchy stress and a tensorial state variable. This particular formulation of the viscoplastic model exhibits a sensitivity to hydrostatic stress, and allows different behavior in tension and compression.