cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
17β-Estradiol Potentiates the Reinstatement of Cocaine Seeking in Female Rats: Role of the Prelimbic Prefrontal Cortex and Cannabinoid Type-1 Receptors.

Clinical observations imply that female cocaine addicts experience enhanced relapse vulnerability compared with males, an effect tied to elevated estrogen phases of the ovarian hormone cycle. Although estrogens can enhance drug-seeking behavior, they do not directly induce reinstatement on their own. To model this phenomenon, we tested whether an estrogen could augment drug-seeking behavior in response to an ordinarily subthreshold reinstatement trigger. Following cocaine self-administration and extinction, female rats were ovariectomized to isolate estrogen effects on reinstatement. Although neither peak proestrus levels of the primary estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2; 10 μg/kg, i.p., 1-h pretreatment) nor a subthreshold cocaine dose (1.25 mg/kg, i.p.) alone were sufficient to reinstate drug-seeking behavior, pretreatment with E2 potentiated reinstatement to the ordinarily subthreshold cocaine dose. Furthermore, E2 microinfusions revealed that E2 (5 μg/0.3 μl, 15-min pretreatment) acts directly within the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PrL-PFC) to potentiate reinstatement. As E2 has been implicated in endocannabinoid mobilization, which can disinhibit PrL-PFC projection neurons, we investigated whether cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R) activation is necessary for E2 to potentiate reinstatement. The CB1R antagonist AM251 (1 or 3 mg/kg, i.p., 30-min pretreatment) administered prior to E2 and cocaine suppressed reinstatement in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, PrL-PFC AM251 microinfusions (300 ng/side, 15-min pretreatment) also suppressed E2-potentiated reinstatement. Together, these results suggest that E2 can augment reactivity to an ordinarily subthreshold relapse trigger in a PrL-PFC CB1R activation-dependent manner.
Unravelling the effect of cell phone reliance on adolescent self-control

Abstract This study examines whether cell phones are a plausible source of adolescent behavioral problems by testing whether cell phone reliance is associated with adolescent self-control. We estimate two-level random effects regression models using three waves of the Korean Children Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) data. The results revealed that cell phone reliance might have a contemporaneous negative effect on the level of adolescent self-control, but it has no long-term association with self-control. Concerns about the long-term effects of excessive cell phone use on adolescent self-control may be overstated, and any effect of cell phone reliance may be transient.
Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Risk of Self-Reported Bacterial Vaginosis in a Prospective Cohort Study of Young African American Women.

Abstract Background: Bacterial vaginosis (BV), the leading cause of vaginal discharge, is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes; however, its etiology is unknown. BV treatment is not very effective, thus prevention approaches are needed. Studies investigating the impact of vitamin D on the risk of BV have had mixed findings, including two studies reporting increased risk of recurrent BV for women with higher vitamin D. Materials and Methods: Participants were nonpregnant women in a prospective fibroid study of African Americans (ages 23–34 years) from the Detroit area. The exposure was seasonally adjusted annual mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] at enrollment. The outcome was self-reported doctor-diagnosed BV over ∼20 months between baseline and follow-up. Multivariable-adjusted binomial regression models estimated the risk of BV for a doubling of 25(OH)D and sufficient (≥20 ng/mL) versus deficient (<20 ng/mL) 25(OH)D. Results: In total, 1459 women were included. Median 25(OH)D was 15.2 ...
Nicks, Nodes, and New Motifs for DNA Nanotechnology

The properties that make DNA such an effective molecule for its biological role as genetic material also make it a superb molecule for nanoconstruction. One key to using DNA for this purpose is to produce stable complex motifs, such as branched molecules. Combining branched species by sticky ended interactions, leads to N- connected stick figures whose edges consist of double helical DNA. Zero node removal or reciprocal crossover, leads to complex fused motifs, such as rigid multi-crossover molecules and paranemic crossover molecules. Multi-crossover molecules have been used to produce 2D arrays and a nanomechanical device. Algorithmic assembly and the use of complex complementarities for joining units are goals in progress that are likely to produce new capabilities for DNA nanotechnology.
Modeling Next Generation Feedstock Development for Chemical Process Industry

Abstract A new network representation to study the impact of capital and research & development (R&D) investment decisions on the evolution of biomass to commodity chemicals technologies is presented. The corresponding mathematical programming formulation is developed. The model is solved for a simplified ethylene production scenario to demonstrate its ability to predict the capacity expansion and R&D investment decisions.
In vitro evaluation of anti-fibrotic effects of select cytokines for vocal fold scar treatment

Scarring of the vocal fold lamina propria (LP) can cause considerable voice disorders due to reduced pliability in scar tissue, attributed in part to abnormal extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition produced by the fibrotic vocal fold fibroblast (fVFF). Cytokines with anti-fibrotic potential have been investigated to limit abnormal LP ECM, but are limited by the need for repeat injections. Moreover, the potentially significant role played by activated macrophages (AMOs) is usually not considered even though the interaction between AMO and fibrotic fibroblasts is known to regulate scar formation across different tissues. AMO are also regulated by cytokines that are used for LP scar removal, but little is known about AMO behaviors in response to these cytokines within the context of LP scar. In the present study, we evaluated anti-fibrotic effects of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in a 3D, in vitro fVFF-AMO co-culture system using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels. Data from all cytokines was synthesized into a heat-map that enabled assessment of specific associations between AMO and fVFF phenotypes. Cumulatively, our results indicated that both HGF and IL-10 are potentially anti-fibrotic (reduction in fibrotic markers and enhancement in normal, anti-fibrotic VFF markers), while IL-6 displays more complex, marker specific effects. Possible associations between AMO and fVFF phenotypes were found and may highlight a potential desirable macrophage phenotype. These data support the therapeutic potential of HGF and IL-10 for LP scar treatment, and shed light on future strategies aimed at targeting specific AMO phenotypes. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 1056-1067, 2019.
FFT, FMM, and multigrid on the road to exascale: Performance challenges and opportunities

Abstract FFT, FMM, and multigrid methods are widely used fast and highly scalable solvers for elliptic PDEs. However, emerging large-scale computing systems are introducing challenges in comparison to current petascale computers. Recent efforts (Dongarra et al. 2011) have identified several constraints in the design of exascale software that include massive concurrency, resilience management, exploiting the high performance of heterogeneous systems, energy efficiency, and utilizing the deeper and more complex memory hierarchy expected at exascale. In this paper, we perform a model-based comparison of the FFT, FMM, and multigrid methods in the context of these projected constraints. In addition we use performance models to offer predictions about the expected performance on upcoming exascale system configurations based on current technology trends.
Implementing a Multidisciplinary Clinical Pathway Can Reduce the Deep Surgical Site Infection Rate After Posterior Spinal Fusion in High-Risk Patients

Abstract Design Retrospective comparative study. Objective The purpose of this study is to measure SSI outcomes before and after implementation of our center’s multidisciplinary clinical pathway protocol for high-risk spinal surgery. Background Surgical site infections (SSIs) after spinal fusion harm patients and are associated with significant health care costs. Given the high rate of SSI in neuromuscular populations, there is a rationale to develop infection prevention strategies. Methods An institutional clinical pathway was created in 2012 and based on nationally published Best Practice Guidelines as well as hospital practices with a goal of reducing the rate of deep SSI in high-risk patients. Patient and procedure characteristics were compared prior to (2008-2011) and after (2012-2016) implementation of the pathway. Logistic regression using penalized maximum likelihood was used to assess differences in rate of infection before and after implementation. Results Cohorts of 132 and 115 high-risk patients were analyzed before and after pathway implementation. Rate of deep infections decreased from 8% to 1% of patients (p = .005). Preoperative antibiotics were dosed within 1 hour in 90% of the postpathway cohort. Redosing was successful in 94% of patients for first redose and 79% for second redose. Betadine irrigation was used in 76% of cases and vancomycin administered in 86%. Multivariable analysis determined that instances of compliant antibiotics dosing had 63% lower odds of infection compared with instances of noncompliance (p = .04). Conclusions Implementation of a multidisciplinary pathway aimed to reduce infection in patients at high risk for SSI after spinal fusion led to a significant reduction in deep SSI rate. It is impossible to attribute the drop in the deep SSI rate to any one factor. Our results demonstrate that adherence to a protocol using multiple strategies to reduce infection results in a lower SSI rate, lower care costs, and improved patient-related outcomes. Level of Evidence Level III.
Three-dimensional liquid-vapor interface reconstruction from high-speed stereo images during pool boiling

Abstract A technique for reconstruction of liquid-gas interfaces based on high-speed stereo-imaging is applied to the liquid-vapor interfaces formed above a heated surface during pool boiling. Template matching is used for determining the correspondence of local features of the liquid-vapor interfaces between the two camera views. A sampling grid is overlaid on the reference image, and windows centered at each sampled pixel are compared with windows centered along the epipolar line in the target image to obtain a correlation signal. The three-dimensional coordinates of each matched pixel are determined via triangulation, which yields the physical world representation of the liquid-vapor interface. Liquid-vapor interface reconstruction is demonstrated during pool boiling for a range of heat fluxes. Textured mushroom-like vapor bubbles that are fed by multiple nucleation sites are formed close to the heated surface. Analysis of the temporal attributes of the interface distinguishes the transition with increasing heat flux from a mode in which vapor is released from the surface as a continuous plume to one dominated by the occurrence of intermittent vapor bursts. A characteristic morphology of the vapor mushroom formed during vapor burst events is identified. This liquid-vapor interface reconstruction technique is a time-resolved, flexible and non-invasive alternative to existing methods for phase-distribution mapping, and can be combined with other optical-based diagnostic tools, such as tomographic particle image velocimetry. Vapor flow morphology characterization during pool boiling at high heat fluxes can be used to inform vapor removal strategies that delay the occurrence of critical heat flux during pool boiling.
Endoscopic ultrasound guided liver biopsy for parenchymal liver disease

Liver biopsy plays an essential role in the diagnosis, evaluation and management of a vast proportion of liver diseases. Conventionally, percutaneous and trans-jugular approaches have been used to obtain liver biopsies. Endoscopic ultrasound guided liver biopsy (EUS-LB) has emerged as a safe and effective alternate in the past two decades. EUS-LB carries a role in evaluation of both benign and malignant diseases of the liver. It can offer higher resolution imaging of the liver and can detect smaller lesions than computed tomography scan of the abdomen or ultrasound scans with the option for doppler assistance to reduce complications. Current evidence demonstrates the superiority of EUS-LB for a targeted approach of focal lesion and there is also evidence of less sampling variability in heterogeneous parenchymal pathologies. These advantages combined with an improved safety profile had led to the rapid progress in the development of new techniques, equipment and procedures for EUS-LB. We provide a comprehensive review of EUS-LB for parenchymal liver disease.
Forecasting the Future, Remembering the Past: Misrepresentations of Daily Emotional Experience in Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder

Studies have shown that individuals with emotional disorders expect and recall more negative and less positive information than healthy individuals. However, no study of emotional disorders has investigated affective forecasting and affective memory within the same individuals. Using ecological momentary assessment, we compared daily affective experiences to forecasts and memories in 145 adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), comorbid GAD/MDD, or no psychopathology. All three clinical groups forecast, experienced, and remembered more negative affect than controls; positive affect showed the opposite pattern, which was especially robust for the depressed groups. All clinical groups demonstrated stronger negative forecasting and memory biases as well as a weaker positive forecasting bias than controls. However, when the independent contributions of symptom dimensions were analyzed, MDD severity was associated with a negative forecasting bias while GAD severity was associated with a negative memory bias. Cognitive representations of emotional experiences in GAD and MDD are biased in ways that may maintain the disorders and represent promising intervention targets.
Disaster risk reduction is not ‘everyone's business’: Evidence from three countries

Abstract Reflecting the shift from government to governance in public administration, disaster risk reduction (DRR) is typically framed as ‘everyone's business’, a multi-stakeholder activity involving many different local, national, and international organizations. However, it is not clear which types of organizations actually participate in DRR and how they work together. In this article, I use a social network analysis to compare the DRR networks in three countries, Kenya, Bangladesh, and Sierra Leone. Results provide a better understanding of the types of organizations engaged in DRR. I find that while the number of organizations involved in DRR differs across these countries, local, national, and international governmental, nongovernmental, and private sector organizations are all involved in DRR. This breadth of organizations suggests that DRR is indeed a multi-stakeholder endeavor. However, engagement is limited in other respects: community influence is low, private sector involvement is minimal, and local governmental participation is varied. Such limitations mean that DRR is not actually ‘everyone's business’, but rather the business of a select few. While these limitations may compromise DRR activities, further research is needed to understand the effect that the absence of different types of stakeholders has on the ways that risks are managed.
Framing the discussion of microorganisms as a facet of social equity in human health.

What do “microbes” have to do with social equity? These microorganisms are integral to our health, that of our natural environment, and even the “health” of the environments we build. The loss, gain, and retention of microorganisms—their flow between humans and the environment—can greatly impact our health. It is well-known that inequalities in access to perinatal care, healthy foods, quality housing, and the natural environment can create and arise from social inequality. Here, we focus on the argument that access to beneficial microorganisms is a facet of public health, and health inequality may be compounded by inequitable microbial exposure.
A principal component approach to improve association testing with polygenic risk scores

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have become an increasingly popular approach for demonstrating polygenic influences on complex traits and for establishing common polygenic signals between different traits. PRSs are typically constructed using pruning and thresholding (P+T), but the best choice of parameters is uncertain; thus multiple settings are used and the best is chosen. This optimization can lead to inflated type I error. To correct this, permutation procedures can be used but they can be computationally intensive. Alternatively, a single parameter setting can be chosen a priori for the PRS, but choosing suboptimal settings result in loss of power. We propose computing PRSs under a range of parameter settings, performing principal component analysis (PCA) on the resulting set of PRSs, and using the first PRS-PC in association tests. The first PC reweights the variants included in the PRS with new weights to achieve maximum variation over all PRS settings used. Using simulations, we compare the performance of the proposed PRS-PCA approach with a permutation test and a priori selection of p-value threshold. We then apply the approach to the Mayo Clinic Bipolar Disorder Biobank study to test for PRS association with psychosis using a variety of PRSs constructed from summary statistics from the largest studies of psychiatric disorders and related traits. The PRS-PCA approach is simple to implement, outperforms the other strategies in most scenarios, and provides an unbiased estimate of prediction performance. We therefore recommend it to be used PRS association studies where multiple phenotypes and/or PRSs are being investigated.
Pulmonary hypertension in children with hemolytic disorders

Abstract Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an insidious and potentially devastating complication in adults with hemolytic disorders, with pathophysiologic changes starting in childhood. Hemolysis predisposes to PH through nitric oxide depletion from extracellular release of hemoglobin and arginase, and through red blood cell membrane alterations and formation of microparticles, all promoting oxidative damage, vasoconstriction, inflammation, vascular remodeling, and thromboembolic state. PH is best diagnosed by right heart catheterization, though screening often utilizes Doppler echocardiographic measurement of tricuspid regurgitant velocity, and functional assessment by six minute walk test. Understanding the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of PH in sickle cell disease, thalassemias, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and other hemolytic disorders can improve recognition, evaluation, and management of this condition.
Thymic cancer in lynch syndrome: an unusual association.

Lynch syndrome has been associated with predominantly colorectal, endometrial, and ovarian cancer. We report hereby an unusual case of thymic carcinoma in a patient with Lynch syndrome. A 45-year-old Caucasian woman with a personal history of Lynch syndrome (MLH1 heterozygous mutation) presented with dyspnea, chest pain, and dysphagia. CT chest showed a bulky anterior mediastinal mass, pulmonary nodules, and pericardial effusion. Lung biopsy demonstrated a poorly differentiated carcinoma with squamous features with extensive necrosis, favouring thymic origin. Genomic studies on the tumour revealed deficient mismatch repair status with a two-copy deletion of MLH1 at 3p22.2 and c-Kit mutation. She received carboplatin and paclitaxel, with initial clinical improvement, but then died within 3 months after diagnosis. This case highlights that thymic cancer may be one of the malignancies associated with Lynch syndrome, and MLH1 gene mutation may have a role in the pathogenesis of thymic cancer.
Importance of Cultural Competence in Supervisory Relationships

Purpose The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of cultural competence in the area of supervision. The article uses a fictional scenario to consider the value of open conversations...
Automation and the Fate of Young Workers: Evidence from Telephone Operation in the Early 20th Century

Telephone operation, one of the most common jobs for young American women in the early 1900s, provided hundreds of thousands of female workers a pathway into the labor force. Between 1920 and 1940, AT&T adopted mechanical switching technology in more than half of the U.S. telephone network, replacing manual operation. We show that although automation eliminated most of these jobs, it did not affect future cohorts' overall employment: the decline in demand for operators was counteracted by growth in both middle-skill jobs like secretarial work and lower-skill service jobs, which absorbed future generations. Using a new genealogy-based census linking method, we show that incumbent telephone operators were most impacted by automation, and a decade later were more likely to be in lower-paying occupations or have left the labor force entirely.
CRISPR/Cas9 Mediated Deletion of the Angiotensinogen Gene Reduces Hypertension: A Potential for Cure?

Hypertension is a major contributor to the global burden of disease. Unfortunately, hypertension is controlled in less than one-fifth of patients worldwide due to either failure to treat or lack of...
Supervised Learning for Performance Prediction in Underwater Acoustic Communications

The propagation of acoustic waves under water is a highly complex and stochastic process. Such channel dynamics renders large performance variation in underwater acoustic (UWA) communications. Prediction of the UWA communication performance is critical for selection and adaptation of the communication strategies. This work explores the use of supervised learning for performance prediction in UWA communications. This work first quantifies the transmitter design, the UWA channel characteristics and the receiver design by numerical and categorical parameters. For a chosen performance metric (e.g., the bit error rate or the packet error rate), the performance prediction is cast individually into a numerical prediction problem and a classification problem. Using the data sets from two field experiments, the performance of typical supervised learning methods are examined. The data processing results reveal that some supervised learning methods can achieve fairly good numerical prediction or classification performance, and the discriminative models typically outperform the generative models.
Anti-TNF-α agents Modulate SARS-CoV-2 Receptors and Increase the Risk of Infection Through Notch-1 Signaling.

Although millions of patients with underlining conditions are treated primarily with anti-TNF-α agents, little is known about the safety of this standard therapy during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this study, we investigated the effect of anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibodies on the cellular entry mechanism of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and increasing the risk of COVID-19 development. We focused on the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2), type II transmembrane serine proteases (TMPRSS2)/TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE) ratio. We also investigated the involvement of Notch-1 signaling and its downstream influence on IL-6, myeloid cell leukemia sequence-1(MCL-1) in the anti-TNF-α mode of action and increased the susceptibility to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection. Surprisingly, anti-TNF-α downregulated ACE2 expression by 0.46-fold and increased TMPRSS2/TACE ratio by 44% in THP-1 macrophages. Treatment of macrophages with rIL-6 also downregulated ACE2 and increased TMPRSS2/TACE ratio by 54%. Interestingly, anti-TNF-α treatment upregulated Notch-1, IL-6, and MCL-1 by 1.3, 1.2, and 1.9-fold, respectively, and increased viability and burden of MAP infection in macrophages. Blocking Notch signaling doubled ACE2 expression, decreased TMPRSS2/TACE ratio by 38%, and reduced MAP viability by 56%. In a small group of patients, ACE2 level was significantly lower in the plasma from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients on anti-TNF-α treatment compared to healthy control. The data in this critical study demonstrated that through Notch-1/IL-6 signaling, anti-TNF-α agents decreased ACE2 expression and shedding through TMPRSS2/TACE modulation and increased the susceptibility to infection. Overall, this study warns against anti-TNF-α therapy in some patients with underlining inflammatory conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings should impact current guidelines regarding treatment decisions of patients on anti-TNF-α during the COVID-19 pandemic.
14 C-Tracing of Lipid Metabolism

Lipids are produced through a dynamic metabolic network involving branch points, cycles, reversible reactions, parallel reactions in different subcellular compartments, and distinct pools of the same lipid class involved in different parts of the network. For example, diacylglycerol (DAG) is a biosynthetic and catabolic intermediate of many different lipid classes. Triacylglycerol can be synthesized from DAG assembled de novo, or from DAG produced by catabolism of membrane lipids, most commonly phosphatidylcholine. Quantification of lipids provides a snapshot of the lipid abundance at the time they were extracted from the given tissue. However, quantification alone does not provide information on the path of carbon flux through the metabolic network to synthesize each lipid. Understanding lipid metabolic flux requires tracing lipid metabolism with isotopically labeled substrates over time in living tissue. [14C]acetate and [14C]glycerol are commonly utilized substrates to measure the flux of nascent fatty acids and glycerol backbones through the lipid metabolic network in vivo. When combined with mutant or transgenic plants, tracing of lipid metabolism can provide information on the molecular control of lipid metabolic flux. This chapter provides a method for tracing in vivo lipid metabolism in developing Arabidopsis thaliana seeds, including analysis of 14C labeled lipid classes and fatty acid regiochemistry through both thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) approaches.
Newton, Isaac 1642/3–1726/7

Isaac Newton was an English physicist and mathematician, who made seminal contributions to several domains of science, and was considered a leading scientist of his era and one of the most influential scientists of all time. He was born prematurely on December 25, 1642, in Lincolnshire.
Transplant-related trauma, personal growth and alcohol use outcomes in a cohort of patients receiving transplants for alcohol associated liver disease.

Abstract Background Liver transplantation (LT) is stressful experience which can cause psychological trauma but also positive growth. We examined the prevalence of transplant related post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) in a cohort of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) LT recipients. We also examined whether PTG or PTSD symptoms were associated with post-LT alcohol use. Methods Cross sectional survey of 51 ALD LT recipients one-year post-LT assessed PTSD symptoms, PTG, stress, self-efficacy, social support, and alcohol use. Results 18% endorsed symptoms of PTSD; 59% endorsed high PTG. PTSD symptoms and PTG were not associated. 18% drank alcohol; 10% returned to health harmful use. Neither PTSD symptoms nor PTG were associated with alcohol use. Less self-efficacy to abstain and thoughts of drinking were associated with alcohol use. Conclusions A substantial percentage of ALD LT patients had transplant-related PTSD symptoms and high PTG. Alcohol use was not associated with PTSD symptoms or PTG. Lower self-efficacy to abstain from alcohol use may provide a valuable clinical measure to assess risk for post-LT use. Clinical screening for PTSD would be beneficial as effective treatments for PTSD exist. Whether PTG can be facilitated in transplant recipients would be a valuable future line of inquiry.
Assessment of some chemical elements in wild Shih (Artemisia herba-alba Asso) using INAA technique

Abstract Instrumental neutron activation analysis has been used to make a multi-elemental determination in Artemisia herba-alba Asso, a traditional medicine plant used in Algeria to treat diabetes mellitus. The exactitude of the results was assessed by analyzing the certified reference material GBW 07605 (GSV-4) tea leaves. A. herba-alba was characterized by high K and Ca contents. However toxic elements in this species were within the safety limits suggested by WHO/FAO. These data analysis for this medicinal plant can be useful for therapeutics and pharmaceutical purposes.
Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy from Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics and Static Normal Mode Analysis: The C-H Region of DMSO as a Case Study.

Carbon–hydrogen (C–H) vibration modes serve as key probes in the chemical identification of hydrocarbons and in vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy of hydrocarbons at the liquid/gas interface. Their assignments pose a challenge from a theoretical viewpoint. In this work, we present a detailed study of the C–H stretching region of dimethyl sulfoxide using a new ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) module that we have implemented in NWChem. Through a combination of AIMD simulations and static normal mode analysis, we interpret experimental infrared and Raman spectra and explore the role of anharmonic effects in this system. Comprehensive anharmonic normal mode analysis of the C–H stretching region casts doubt upon previous experimental assignments of the shoulder on the symmetric C–H stretching peak. In addition, our AIMD simulations also show significant broadening of the in-phase symmetric C–H stretching resonance, which suggests that the experimentally observed shoulder is due to thermal bro...
Spatially realistic computational physiology: Past, present and future

Publisher Summary Physiological function depends on the spatial and temporal dynamics of specific genes, proteins, signaling molecules, and metabolites, within and between cells. Realistic physiological simulations present a grand challenge, because of the wide range of underlying space and time scales, as well as the widely disparate organization and properties of different cells. This chapter describes unique methods developed for spatially realistic physiological simulations and illustrates their use with simulations of synaptic transmission. The simulation of synaptic transmission at the nerve-muscle synapse is discussed. Synaptic transmission exemplifies cellular interactions in which stochastic behaviors and spatial complexity are very important. Changes in synaptic signal size and time course (plasticity) may underlie high-level cognitive functions, such as learning and memory, and can also be an integral component of many neurological disorders. The computational cost of a MCell simulation is mostly dependent on the number of tests for ray/polygon intersections. In a naive algorithm, every mesh element would have to be checked for a potential intersection every time each diffusing molecule moves. Future extensions to MCell's present capabilities include simulation of arbitrary chemical interactions between diffusing molecules in solution as well as in membrane environments, and also incorporation of volume meshes with embedded surfaces. The needs for algorithm design and efficient large-scale parallel computing is discussed.
The New Ford 2.3L High-Swirl-Combustion (HSC) Engine

A completely new in-line four cylinder engine has been designed at Ford Motor Company for use in the 1984 Tempo/Topaz front-wheel-drive vehicle line. This paper will describe several factors which influenced the engine design, specifically in the areas of improved combustion, reduced friction, electronic controls, packaging and manufacturing. Individual component and overall system designs will also be described.
Gene related to anergy in lymphocytes deficiency confers spontaneous tumor regression (TUM2P.897)

T cell tolerance is the main obstacle to successful cancer immunotherapy; thus, today it is a high priority to develop strategies to break T cell tolerance and thereafter enhance T-cell cytotoxicity towards tumor cells. We, as well as other groups, have acknowledged the E3 ubiquitin ligase, Gene related to anergy in lymphocytes (Grail), as an essential component of T-cell tolerance phenotype. Here we report that Grail expression is highly upregulated in CD8+ T cells infiltrated into the EG-7 tumors compared to T cells in lymphoid tissues, and Grail deficiency confers spontaneous protection against inoculated EG-7 tumors. Importantly, therapeutic transfer of naive tumor-antigen-specific Grail deficient CD8+ T cells into the wild-type hosts was sufficient to reject established tumors. Mechanistically, Grail deficient CD8+ T cells exhibit augmented effector cytokine expression and enhanced cytolytic function compared to wild-type CD8+ T cells, and are resistant to the suppression mediated by regulatory T cells. Moreover, the elevated cytotoxic function of Grail-deficient CD8+ T cells essentially depends on TCR and IL-21-signaling pathway; Grail promotes IL21R ubiquitination and degradation. Altogether, our data demonstrate that Grail is a crucial factor that controls anti-tumor activity of cytotoxic T cells, thus, inhibition of Grail may be a beneficial immunotherapeutic approach to induce potent immune responses against established tumors.
Abstract 16319: Distribution and Severity of Myocardial Ischemia Modify Mitral Regurgitation (MR) Response to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

INTRODUCTION: Myocardial properties impact mitral valve closure, but MR response to PCI is poorly understood. This study tested if PCI alone can improve MR and whether MR change is predicted by myocardial ischemia pattern. METHODS: The population comprised consecutive patients with perfusion evidenced ischemia and no intrinsic mitral valve disease undergoing echocardiography (echo) and PCI. Stress SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) was used to measure rest perfusion and inducible ischemia via a 17 segment model, 5 point per segment scoring system. Echo (within 1 week of MPI) measured MR and LV chamber dimensions; followup echo (≥1 month post PCI) assessed change in MR. RESULTS: 358 patients undergoing PCI (50% LAD
Ornithine cyclase (deaminating). Purification of a protein that converts ornithine to proline and definition of the optimal assay conditions.

Abstract A protein that converts l-ornithine to l-proline and ammonia has been partially purified (up to 37-fold) from Clostridium PA 3679. The preparation contained a very active Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (l-proline:NAD(P) 5-oxidoreductase, EC 1.5.1.2), but this enzyme is not involved in the reaction. The cyclase was completely separated from the reductase activity by filtration through Sephadex G-200, centrifugation in a linear sucrose gradient, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The cyclase activity in the peak fractions from these treatments was very unstable. Since the protein with cyclase activity has a much smaller sedimentation coefficient than the Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (5.7 versus 10.7), it could not be an aggregate containing the reductase. The partially purified cyclase had a pH optimum of 8.0 to 8.2 and a temperature optimum of 44°. NAD+ was required for a maximum activity but some response was evident when high levels of NADP+ or FAD+ were added. Lineweaver-Burk plots for NAD+ and NADP+ were linear and the apparent Km values were 6.1 x 10-3 and 3.3 mm, respectively. The enzyme is specific for l-ornithine and the apparent Km is 11.1 mm. The products are l-proline and ammonia. No tritium was incorporated into either ornithine or proline when the cyclase reaction was carried out in 3H2O.
Epidemiogical Persperspective on Infections in Chronic Dialysis Patients

Infectious complications are a source of substantial morbidity and a common cause of death among dialysis patients. This article considers the magnitude and impact of the problem of infection among patients treated with hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) using data from national registries and large cohort studies of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). United States Renal Data System (USRDS) data indicate that in the United States for years 1991 to 1992, infection accounted for 12% of all deaths among HD patients and 15% of all deaths among PD patients. Septicemia was the underlying cause in 76% of these infectious deaths among HD patients, of which the vascular access, peritonitis, peripheral vascular disease, and other causes accounted for 12%, 5%, 24%, and 59% respectively. Among PD patients, septicemia accounted for 79% of infectious deaths. Of these deaths attributable to septicemia, peritonitis, peripheral vascular disease, and other causes were reported as the cause in 35%, 23%, and 41 % respectively. Infection is also a major cause of morbidity in the dialysis population. Among HD patients, an average of 7.6 bacteremic episodes per 100 patient years (0.076 per year) has been described, of which 48% were associated with access infections. Among PD patients, studies have reported peritonitis rates ranging from 1 in 7.6 to 21.5 months (0.56 to 1.58 per patient year) and exit and/or tunnel infections occurring at a rate of 0.6 episodes per year. The known predictors of infectious complications among these populations are reviewed.
The Dark Side of Shareholder Influence: Toward a Holdup Theory of Stakeholders in Comparative Corporate Governance

Most comparative corporate governance scholarship is preoccupied with the protection of shareholders against illicit self-dealing by managers and controlling shareholders, and the problem of agency cost. Differences in the role of stakeholders such as employees are acknowledged in the literature, but usually not explained in functional terms. At the same time, US legal scholars are increasingly debating the strong insulation of the board of directors from shareholders in the United States, and are seeking to find an explanation for it. Proponents of a stakeholder view of corporate law have argued that the insulation of the board of directors in the United States from shareholders mitigates the risk of holdup of members of nonshareholder constituencies by shareholders, thus encouraging specific investment by these groups. The most hotly debated type of specific investment is the human capital of employees. However, US corporate law is unusual in the large degree of autonomy enjoyed by managers vis-a-vis shareholders. Since holdup of stakeholders typically takes place within what is considered legitimate managerial business judgment, but shareholders are the primary financial beneficiary of this type of ex-post opportunism, comparative corporate governance needs to take into account the degree to which managers are shielded against shareholder influence, an issue that is quite unrelated to shareholder protection. I argue that concentrated ownership, as it is typical for Continental Europe, is conducive to holdup problems because it implies strong shareholder influence on management decision-making. Given their costs, laws aiming at the protection of stakeholders (such as codetermination or restrictive employment law) are therefore normatively more desirable in the presence of stronger shareholder influence, particularly under concentrated ownership. Without postulating that each corporate governance system of the Wealthy West has an optimal level of such laws, the theory is corroborated by the observation that they tend to be more strongly developed in corporate governance systems with stronger shareholder influence. Thus, I provide a new explanation for institutional complementarities in different corporate governance systems. The United Kingdom, which (in spite of dispersed ownership) has both stronger shareholder influence than the US and stronger employment law, is classified as an intermediate case.
Familial visceral neuropathy with autosomal dominant transmission.

Abstract This report describes a family with a visceral neuropathy without extraintestinal manifestations transmitted over at least four generations in an autosomal dominant manner. Four of 7 living patients underwent extensive evaluation including histology, radiography, gastric emptying and secretory studies, esophageal and jejunal manometry, and measurements of plasma levels of gastrointestinal hormones. The only characteristic radiologic abnormality in 7 patients was dilatation of jejunum and ileum. Gastric emptying studies were normal in 2 patients, whereas 2 others showed accelerated emptying of liquids either alone or in combination with grossly delayed solid emptying. Manometry of the esophagus and proximal small intestine and gastric secretory studies were normal. Histologic studies showed hypertrophy of the smooth muscle, a markedly reduced number of argyrophilic neurons, and degenerative changes of argyrophilic neurons and nerve fibers but without Schwann cell proliferation, intranuclear inclusions, or inflammatory cells. This appears to be a familial visceral neuropathy characterized by (a) distinct involvement of the jejunum and ileum as defined radiographically, (b) histology different from that of two previously described forms of familial visceral neuropathy, (c) autosomal dominant transmission, and (d) no evidence for extraintestinal neurologic manifestations.
A Summary of the Manufacture, Uses, and Properties of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

This report is a review of the properties and performance of autoclaved aerated concrete. The material has a relatively low thermal conductivity combined with load-bearing capacity for use in structural and non-structuralapplications. This feature may make its use attractive for energy-conserving applications. The review addressed an overview of the manufacturing process, uses of autoclaved aerated concrete in building constructions, properties, energy considerations, the availability of code-related documents, and standards. Uses include block and panel construction in load-bearing and non-load-bearing applications for walls, floors, and roofs. Many properties are reviewed including density, fire resistance, moisture expansion and shrinkage, strength, structure, and thermal conductivity. With regard to energy considerations, the review points out that, for energy-efficient applications under severe climatic conditions, the autoclaved aerated concrete unit alone may be insufficient to provide the targeted minimum value of thermal resistance. In these cases, autoclaved aerated concrete has to be used together with additional thermal insulation. In contrast, autoclaved aerated concrete alone may satisfy insulation needs in areas having mild climates.
VLSI-Based System Design Challenges in the Early 1990s

As electronic technologies decrease in cost and so find their way into everyday life at an increasing rate, it is utility and ease of use that play a key role in determining the success or failure of a product or product family. Innovations in user interface and a proliferation of personal technologies will obsolete general-purpose computing as an end-user technology during the 1990s and the general-purpose computer companies of today will have to adapt very quickly to survive. Markets such as personal, mobile Communications systems, the “home bus,” and “virtual reality” interfaces will play a key role in driving these changes. To meet these challenges a number of new base technologies must be developed, including new packaging technologies, computer-aided design and engineering systems, and design approaches for low power logic and memory.
Mother and peer attachment under conditions of fear in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

Attachment behavior of six infant rhesus monkeys was examined in a fear situation under two experimental conditions. When both a familiar agemate and the infant's mother were present in separate cages, the infants spent significantly more time in proximity to their mother than to their agemate. When a caged agemate and an empty cage were present, the infants distributed their time approximately equally between the empty cage and the agemate. Five additional behavioral measures also indicated that the infants did not use their peers as mother substitutes in a fear-arousing situation. These findings supportHarlow's postulate of independence of the infant-mother and agemate affectional systems.
Gastrojejunocolic ulcer and fistula

Abstract Gastrojejunocolic ulcers and fistula present a most formidable surgical problem. They are a complication of gastrojejunal ulcer which occurred in about 3.2 per cent of cases in which gastroenterostomy was performed at the clinic. Gastrojejunocolic fistula occurs in about 14 per cent of cases of gastrojejunal ulcer and in about 0.5 per cent of cases in which gastroenterostomy is performed. Patients who have gastrojejunal ulcers should be operated upon before the ulcer perforates into the colon and a fistula occurs. Gastrojejunocolic fistula occurs almost exclusively among men; it usually affects men who are between 40 and 60 years of age. The surgical treatment of gastrojejunocolic fistula is difficult and hazardous, but it is imperative as soon as the condition of the patient can be improved sufficiently to warrant such a procedure. Surgical management should include not only closure of the fistula but also measures to control the ulcer-forming tendencies of the patient. Two-stage procedures are frequently advisable.
Insulating and conducting phases of RbC60.

Optical measurements were performed on thin films of ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$, identified by x-ray diffraction as mostly x=1 material. The samples were subjected to various heat treatments, including quenching and slow cooling from 400 K. The dramatic increase in the transmission of the quenched samples, and the relaxation towards the transmission observed in slow-cooled samples, provides direct evidence for the existence of a metastable insulating phase. Slow cooling results in a phase transition between two electrically conducting phases.
Idiom understanding in adulthood: Examining age-related differences

AbstractIdioms are figurative expressions such as hold your horses, kick the bucket, and lend me a hand, which commonly occur in everyday spoken and written language. Hence, the understanding of these expressions is essential for daily communication. In this study, we examined idiom understanding in healthy adults in their 20s, 40s, 60s and 80s (n = 30 per group) to determine if performance would show an age-related decline. Participants judged their own familiarity with a set of 20 idioms, explained the meaning of each, described a situation in which the idiom could be used, and selected the appropriate interpretation from a set of choices. There was no evidence of an age-related decline on any tasks. Rather, the 60s group reported greater familiarity and offered better explanations than did the 20s group. Moreover, greater familiarity with idioms was associated with better understanding in adults.
Distal Chevron metatarsal osteotomy for bunionette.

Nineteen distal chevron metatarsal osteotomy operations were performed in 13 patients with painful bunionette. The average duration of follow-up was 7.1 years. Mean forefoot score improved from 35.8 points to 73.9 points out of a possible 75 points. Intermetatarsal 4–5 angle, metatarsophalangeal 5 angle, and forefoot width improved significantly. Overall results were considered good in 17 feet and fair in 2; there were no failures. Complications were transfer metatarsalgia (1 foot) and wound infection (1 foot). Distal chevron fifth metatarsal osteotomy is effective treatment for symptomatic bunionette.