cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vertical T-maze Choice Assay for Arthropod Response to Odorants

Given the economic importance of insects and arachnids as pests of agricultural crops, urban environments or as vectors of plant and human diseases, various technologies are being developed as control tools. A subset of these tools focuses on modifying the behavior of arthropods by attraction or repulsion. Therefore, arthropods are often the focus of behavioral investigations. Various tools have been developed to measure arthropod behavior, including wind tunnels, flight mills, servospheres, and various types of olfactometers. The purpose of these tools is to measure insect or arachnid response to visual or more often olfactory cues. The vertical T-maze oflactometer described here measures choices performed by insects in response to attractants or repellents. It is a high throughput assay device that takes advantage of the positive phototaxis (attraction to light) and negative geotaxis (tendency to walk or fly upward) exhibited by many arthropods. The olfactometer consists of a 30 cm glass tube that is divided in half with a Teflon strip forming a T-maze. Each half serves as an arm of the olfactometer enabling the test subjects to make a choice between two potential odor fields in assays involving attractants. In assays involving repellents, lack of normal response to known attractants can also be measured as a third variable.
Suicide Prevention: Critical Elements for Managing Suicidal Clients and Counselor Liability Without the Use of a No-Suicide Contract.

Despite its entrenchment as a standard of practice, no-suicide contracts fail to achieve their purpose as an effective part of treatment or as an effective method of inoculating counselors against potential lawsuits should a client commit suicide. Critical elements for managing suicidal clients and counselor liability without reliance on the no-suicide contract are presented. Therapeutic considerations include evaluating clients to determine (a) no referral for hospitalization needed, (b) referral for voluntary hospitalization, or (c) referral for involuntary hospitalization.
A Unifying Theory of Systems Thinking with Psychosocial Applications

Systems thinking is a field characterized by a baffling array of methods and approaches. We posit that underlying all, however, are four universal rules called DSRP (distinctions, systems, relationships, and perspectives; each containing two co-implying elements). We make distinctions between and among things and ideas, each implying the existence of an other. We identify systems, which are composed of parts and wholes. We recognize relationships composed of actions and reactions. We take perspectives consisting of a point (from which we see) and a view (that which is seen). We argue that DSRP offers a unifying and organizing principle for the field of systems thinking and an indispensable analytical tool for solving complex problems. At the same time, the metacognitive practice of applying these rules has significant psychosocial implications, such as increasing self-awareness, empathy, and a sense of belonging, while decreasing stereotyping and self-harming and other-harming orientations. As such, DSRP has the potential to create advanced analytical thinkers with prosocial orientations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evidence Supporting a Role for Mitochondrial Respiration in Apoptosis Induction by the Synthetic Retinoid CD437

Retinoids have been shown to modulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. It is thought that these effects mediate the chemopreventive and therapeutic effects of retinoids. Recently, some synthetic retinoids, including 6-[3-(1-adamantyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]-2-naphthalene carboxylic acid (CD437), have been found to induce apoptosis even in tumor cell lines that are resistant to all-trans retinoic acid. The proapoptotic activity of CD437 has been attributed to mitochondrial dysfunction via the induction of mitochondrial permeability transition (P. Marchetti et al., Cancer Res. 59: 6257-6266, 1999). The mechanistic aspects pertaining to how CD437 promotes changes in mitochondrial function are unclear. This study investigated the role of mitochondrial respiration in CD437-induced apoptosis. Human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma COLO 16 cells were chronically exposed to ethidium bromide to inhibit mitochondrial DNA synthesis and produce respiration-deficient clones. These clones were exposed to CD437 (<or=10 microM) for 48 h and exhibited a marked resistance to mitochondrial permeability transition and apoptosis illustrating that mitochondrial respiration was required for these effects.
Measurement of the modulation efficiency of an optical phase modulator using a self-homodyne receiver

The authors describe a self-homodyne technique to measure the modulation efficiency of an optical phase modulator. The phase modulator is driven by a sine wave and the baseband spectrum is measured and analyzed. Combinations of the ratio of harmonics are used to estimate V/sub /spl pi// of a commercially available modulator with a resolution of 0.8%. The method offers simplicity because it uses a single laser, does not require sensitive optical adjustments, and lends itself to the measurement of V/sub /spl pi// as a function of modulation frequency and optical carrier wavelength.
Transduction of Human and Mouse Pancreatic Islet Cells Using a Bicistronic Recombinant Adeno-associated Viral Vector

Recent reports indicate successful transduction of pancreatic islets using recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors. This advance offers new possibilities in rendering islets resistant to rejection and recurrence of autoimmune destruction in the setting of islet transplantation as treatment of type 1 diabetes. Most gene delivery approaches using islets have thus far involved transduction with a single gene. However, the concomitant delivery of more than one gene encoding cytoprotective and/or immunoregulatory molecules may offer superior clinical utility. Here, we have generated a bicistronic rAAV (serotype 2) vector incorporating a viral internal ribosome entry site (IRES), derived from polio virus type 1, to allow for translation of two coupled cDNAs from a single mRNA transcript. Our study demonstrates the ability of this vector to produce significant expression of two reporter proteins in human and mouse islets in vitro . This expression did not interfere with β-cell function. Transduction was maintained in vivo following transplantation of mouse islets. These data are the first report of efficient islet cell transduction with two genes using a single bicistronic rAAV vector and have direct implications for strategies aimed at enhancing islet transplant survival.
Prothrombin Complex Concentrate for Critical Bleeding

Objective:To review the evidence supporting the use of prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) as a hemostatic agent in individuals without hemophilia.Data Sources:Articles were identified through a search of Ovid/MEDLINE (up to April 2011) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (up to April 2011). The search terms used were prothrombin complex concentrate, hemorrhage, and bleeding.Study Selection and Data Extraction:The search was limited to comparative studies. Bibliographies of retrieved articles were reviewed to obtain additional articles. The intent of the search was to identify original research comparing PCC to fresh frozen plasma (FFP) or recombinant factor VIIa for the management of bleeding in patients without hemophilia.Data Synthesis:PCCs are recommended as an alternative to FFP and recombinant factor VIIa for the treatment of serious or life-threatening bleeding related to vitamin K antagonist therapy. Studies in this setting have shown that PCCs are safe and effective and provide p...
DERIVING DIVISIBILITY THEOREMS WITH BURNSIDE'S THEOREM

We use the class equation of a finite group action together with Burnside’s orbit counting theorem to derive classical divisibility theorems.
Domain-elongation NMR spectroscopy yields new insights into RNA dynamics and adaptive recognition

By simplifying the interpretation of nuclear magnetic resonance spin relaxation and residual dipolar couplings data, recent developments involving the elongation of RNA helices are providing new atomic insights into the dynamical properties that allow RNA structures to change functionally and adaptively. Domain elongation, in concert with spin relaxation measurements, has allowed the detailed characterization of a hierarchical network of local and collective motional modes occurring at nanosecond timescale that mirror the structural rearrangements that take place following adaptive recognition. The combination of domain elongation with residual dipolar coupling measurements has allowed the experimental three-dimensional visualization of very large amplitude rigid-body helix motions in HIV-1 transactivation response element (TAR) that trace out a highly choreographed trajectory in which the helices twist and bend in a correlated manner. The dynamic trajectory allows unbound TAR to sample many of its ligand bound conformations, indicating that adaptive recognition occurs by “conformational selection” rather than “induced fit.” These studies suggest that intrinsic flexibility plays essential roles directing RNA conformational changes along specific pathways.
“Activities of Older Adults” Survey: Tapping into Student Views of the Elderly

This article describes an exercise used in a life span developmental psychology course to tap into undergraduates' perceptions of activities of the elderly. Students were asked to generate items to be included in a hypothetical Activities of Older Adults survey (to be administered to people 65 years and older). Responses from 1,340 students over a 10-year period show a fairly passive and negative view of life after age 65. Suggestions for utilizing this exercise to stimulate discussions about theories of aging and age stereotypes (including ageism) are offered.
A Novel Arabidopsis Acetyltransferase Interacts with the Geminivirus Movement Protein NSP

Protein acetylation is important in regulating DNA-templated processes specifically and protein-protein interactions more generally in eukaryotes. The geminivirus movement protein NSP is essential for virus movement, shuttling the viral DNA genome between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. We have identified a novel Arabidopsis protein, AtNSI, that interacts with NSP. AtNSI is highly conserved among widely divergent plants. Biochemical studies show that its interaction with NSP is direct and that AtNSI acetylates histones, but not NSP, in vitro. Rather, AtNSI specifically acetylates the viral coat protein. AtNSI is a nuclear protein but does not act as a transcriptional coactivator in vitro, which distinguishes it from known eukaryotic histone acetyltransferases. Its overexpression enhances the efficiency of infection by Cabbage leaf curl virus. These findings suggest a role for protein acetylation in coordinating replication of the viral DNA genome with its export from the nucleus.
Architecture synthesis of high-performance application-specific processors

An automated approach, called architecture synthesis, for designing application-specific processors is presented. The key principles of the application-specific processor design (ASPD) methodology include: a semicustom compilation-driven design/implementation approach, the exploitation of fine-grained parallelism for high performance, and the adaptation of datapath topology to the data transfers required by the application. The powerful microcode compilation techniques of percolation scheduling and pipeline scheduling extract and enhance the parallelism in the application object code to generate all optimized specification of the target processor. Implementation optimization is performed to allocate functional units and register files. Graph-coloring algorithms minimize the amount of hardware needed to exploit available parallelism. Data memory employs an organization with multiple banks. Compilation techniques are used to allocate data over the memory banks to enhance parallel access. >
The effects of musical training on verbal memory

A number of studies suggest a link between musical training and general cognitive abilities. Despite some positive results, there is disagreement about which abilities are improved. One line of research leads to the hypothesis that verbal abilities in general, and verbal memory in particular, are related to musical training. In the present article, we review this line of research and present newly collected data comparing trained musicians to non-musicians on a number of tasks that recruit verbal memory. The results showed an advantage for musicians' long-term verbal memory that disappeared when articulatory suppression was introduced. In addition, we found evidence for a greater verbal working memory span in musicians. Together, these results show that musical training may influence verbal working memory and long-term memory, and they suggest that these improved abilities are due to enhanced verbal rehearsal mechanisms in musicians.
Phylogenetic Analysis of the Incidence of lux Gene Horizontal Transfer in Vibrionaceae

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is thought to occur frequently in bacteria in nature and to play an important role in bacterial evolution, contributing to the formation of new species. To gain insight into the frequency of HGT in Vibrionaceae and its possible impact on speciation, we assessed the incidence of interspecies transfer of the lux genes (luxCDABEG), which encode proteins involved in luminescence, a distinctive phenotype. Three hundred three luminous strains, most of which were recently isolated from nature and which represent 11 Aliivibrio, Photobacterium, and Vibrio species, were screened for incongruence of phylogenies based on a representative housekeeping gene (gyrB or pyrH) and a representative lux gene (luxA). Strains exhibiting incongruence were then subjected to detailed phylogenetic analysis of horizontal transfer by using multiple housekeeping genes (gyrB, recA, and pyrH) and multiple lux genes (luxCDABEG). In nearly all cases, housekeeping gene and lux gene phylogenies were congruent, and there was no instance in which the lux genes of one luminous species had replaced the lux genes of another luminous species. Therefore, the lux genes are predominantly vertically inherited in Vibrionaceae. The few exceptions to this pattern of congruence were as follows: (i) the lux genes of the only known luminous strain of Vibrio vulnificus, VVL1 (ATCC 43382), were evolutionarily closely related to the lux genes of Vibrio harveyi; (ii) the lux genes of two luminous strains of Vibrio chagasii, 21N-12 and SB-52, were closely related to those of V. harveyi and Vibrio splendidus, respectively; (iii) the lux genes of a luminous strain of Photobacterium damselae, BT-6, were closely related to the lux genes of the lux-rib2 operon of Photobacterium leiognathi; and (iv) a strain of the luminous bacterium Photobacterium mandapamensis was found to be merodiploid for the lux genes, and the second set of lux genes was closely related to the lux genes of the lux-rib2 operon of P. leiognathi. In none of these cases of apparent HGT, however, did acquisition of the lux genes correlate with phylogenetic divergence of the recipient strain from other members of its species. The results indicate that horizontal transfer of the lux genes in nature is rare and that horizontal acquisition of the lux genes apparently has not contributed to speciation in recipient taxa.
Improved Method for the Evaluation of Real-Time Biological Aerosol Detection Technologies

There is a growing need to evaluate bioaerosol sensors under relevant operational conditions. New methods are needed that can mimic the temporal fluctuations of ambient aerosol backgrounds and present biological aerosol challenges in a way that simulates a plausible biological agent attack. The Dynamic Concentration Aerosol Generator was developed to address this need. The authors developed a series of aerosol challenges consisting of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) spores in the presence of background aerosols using a newly developed ramp testing method. Using ramping style tests, 5-min Btk releases were overlaid on top of a background aerosol that fluctuated at varying rates. Background aerosol compositions for different tests were designed to simulate the types of aerosol in the ambient environment. Background aerosol concentration was varied between 7.0 × 103 and 1.5 × 104 particles per liter of air (ppL). Aerosol number concentrations of Btk for the challenges were approximately 2.5 × 103 ppL a...
Accuracy and sensitivity of computed tomography-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of pulmonary hilar lymph nodes.

BACKGROUND: Because of their proximity to the pulmonary artery or vein, hilar lymph nodes are routinely biopsied with endobronchial or endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous needle biopsy (PNB) allows the operator to acquire a larger core needle biopsy (CNB) when initial samples are inconclusive, when the suspected disease is not optimally diagnosed with FNAB, or when biomarkers are required. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the sensitivity and accuracy of CT-guided PNB in patients with hilar adenopathy. METHODS: The authors identified 80 patients who underwent 81 CT-guided PNBs of pulmonary hilar lesions from October 2002 through December 2006 and retrospectively reviewed their medical and imaging records. The PNB sensitivity and accuracy were calculated in each case, and each case was reviewed for complications, including pneumothorax and subsequent thoracostomy tube insertion. RESULTS: PNB included FNAB and CNB in 81 (100%) and 14 (17%) procedures, respectively. Data on 69 PNB specimens (67 FNAB specimens and 13 CNB specimens) were available for statistical analysis. Overall, PNB had a sensitivity of 91.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 81.0%-97.1%) and an accuracy rate of 92.8% (95% CI, 83.9%-97.1%). Pneumothoraxes occurred in 39 patients (48%), 26 (32%) of whom required thoracostomy tube insertion. CONCLUSIONS: CT-guided PNB of pulmonary hilar lesions has high sensitivity and accuracy and represents a viable alternative for endobronchial ultrasound- or EUS-guided FNAB when larger biopsy samples are required for diagnosis or biomarker analysis. However, the procedure can result in high rates of pneumothorax. Cancer 2010;116:1974–80. V C 2010 American Cancer Society.
On the Ocean’s Large-Scale Circulation near the Limit of No Vertical Mixing

Abstract By convention, the ocean’s large-scale circulation is assumed to be a thermohaline overturning driven by the addition and extraction of buoyancy at the surface and vertical mixing in the interior. Previous work suggests that the overturning should die out as vertical mixing rates are reduced to zero. In this paper, a formal energy analysis is applied to a series of ocean general circulation models to evaluate changes in the large-scale circulation over a range of vertical mixing rates. Two different model configurations are used. One has an open zonal channel and an Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). The other configuration does not. The authors find that a vigorous large-scale circulation persists at the limit of no mixing in the model with a wind-driven ACC. A wind-powered overturning circulation linked to the ACC can exist without vertical mixing and without much energy input from surface buoyancy forces.
Use of Guideline-Directed Medications for Heart Failure Before Cardioverter-Defibrillator Implantation.

Abstract Background Guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is recommended before primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement. Adherence to this recommendation and associated outcomes are unknown. Objectives This study examined the use of GDMT (≥1 prescription filled for both a renin-angiotensin inhibitor [RAI] and a heart failure–approved beta-blocker [HFBB]) within 90 days before primary prevention ICD placement in patients with HFrEF. Methods Data from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry ICD Registry were merged with a 40% random sample of Medicare administrative data. Prescription fills for recipients of primary prevention ICD between 2007 and 2011 were examined, analyzing GDMT overall and for each U.S. hospital referral region. We identified characteristics associated with GDMT and the association with 1-year mortality. Results Among 19,733 patients with HFrEF and primary prevention ICD, 61.1% filled any GDMT before implantation. Across hospital referral regions, GDMT was applied in 51% to 71%. The strongest predictors of any GDMT included absence of chronic renal disease or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, low-income prescription benefits subsidy, and less recent left ventricular ejection fraction evaluation. Patients receiving GDMT versus those without had a lower 1-year mortality rate after ICD implantation (11.1% vs. 16.2%), even after adjustment for comorbidities, left ventricular ejection fraction, and functional heart failure class. Conclusions Rates of GDMT for HFrEF before primary prevention ICD implantation were low, and failure to achieve GDMT was associated with significantly decreased 1-year survival.
Low Deep Impurity InxGa1-xP Grown by Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition

InxGai-xP (x=0.49) layers lattice-matched to GaAs have been grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). We did not observe any deep levels in the temperature range of 30-380K by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) in undoped In0.49Ga0.51P layers which have a background concentration of 3.1×1015 cm−3. The deep levels, if they exist, have a concentration of less than 5×1011 cm−3, which is the lowest deep level concentration found so far in InxGa1-xP materials. Moreover, lattice-mismatched InxGa1-xP/GaAs heterojunctions were deliberately grown by varying the In-composition ranging from 0.43 to 0.57. No deep levels were created in 1-μm-thick InxGa1-xP layers due to lattice mismatch when 0.469 0.532. We suggest that the lattice-mismatch-induced-defects in InxGa1-xP are either electrically inactive or resided outside the bandgap when In content ranging from 0.469 to 0.532.
Gastroprotection by Nonprostaglandin Substances

Cytoprotection is the term originally introduced into gastrointestinal (GI) pa-thophysiology by Robert to describe the unique feature of prostaglandins (PG) to prevent acute necrotic lesions of the GI mucosa at nonantisecretory doses. This phenomenon has been studied extensively, primarily in experimental animals, and two major categories of cytoprotection have been identified: direct cytoprotection induced by PG administered exogenously, and adaptive cytoprotection elicited by mild irritants and probably mediated by endogenous PG. Since histologic examination of the PG-protected mucosa reveals that only deep hem-orrhagic necrosis is prevented — the surface epithelium becomes damaged — the term cytoprotection has been questioned. Although the surface epithelium cells are lost, the prevention by PG of deep hemorrhagic necrosis and of damage to the cells around the mucous neck allows for rapid cell migration and restitution of the integrity of surface epithelium and almost complete preservation of organ functions. The use of organoprotection (e. g., gastroprotection) is now recommended and is reviewed in this chapter.
No! But Who Should Teach Statistics?…

(1988). No! But Who Should Teach Statistics?… The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 11-12.
Abstract 2157: Is CDK6 the target of amplification at 7q21 in esophageal adenocarcinoma

Introduction: The cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) is a positive regulator of the cell cycle. It binds to D-type cyclins and phosphorylates the pRb tumor suppressor proteins allowing progression through the G1-phase of the cell cycle. Amplification of the 7q21 chromosomal region has been reported in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and it has been proposed that CDK6 is the key gene targeted by this event. However, overexpression of CDK6 in vitro suppresses proliferation of breast cancer cells and causes nuclear accumulation of pRb2 tumor suppressor protein. Thus, it remains unclear whether amplification and overexpression of CDK6 is truly driving the 7q21 amplicon in EAC. Methods: For DNA copy number analysis we analyzed genomic DNA from 83 EAC tumors using Affymetrix 6.0 SNP arrays. Protein expression was analyzed in tissue microarrays comprised of 116 independent EAC samples and pre-EAC lesions (15 high grade dysplasia (HGD), 18 low grade dysplasia (LGD), and 283 cases of columnar cell change (CCM)) using a monoclonal antibody against CDK6. CDK6 was overexpressed by stable transfection of OE19, OE33 and Flo1A esophageal cancer cells using CDK6 cDNA under the control of the pCMV promoter. Results: The microarray DNA copy number analysis showed amplification of the 7q21 region in at least 25% of cases. The minimal amplicon contained CDK6 along with 4 other genes. Immunohistochemistry showed both cytoplasmic and nuclear CDK6 staining in EAC (36, 31.3%), HGD (6, 40.0%), LGD (5, 27.7%), and the CCM (29, 10.2%). Overexpression of CDK6 in EAC cell lines caused either suppression of proliferation and anchorage independence (OE19 cells) or had no effect on proliferation (OE33 and Flo1A cells). The suppression of proliferation in OE19/CDK6 cells is dependent on the kinase activity of CDK6 as OE19 cells overexpressing a kinase-deficient form of CDK6 proliferate normally. As previously reported in breast cancer cells, pRb2 (p130) tumor suppressor protein is upregulated in OE19/CDK6 cells. The upregulation of pRb2, however, does not seem to account for the hypo-proliferative effect of OE19/CDK6 cells as it is also upregulated in normally proliferative cells that overexpress the kinase-negative form of CDK6. Conclusion: Although CDK6 is amplified and overexpressed in EAC and its preneoplastic lesions, it does not seem to account for the tumorigenic importance of the 7q21 amplicon. CDK6 overexpression in vitro does not show any mitogenic phenotype in EAC tumor cells. The presence of other genes within the minimal amplicon raises the possibility that one or more of them might drive such a potential. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2157.
Developing a Framework for the Neural Stem Cell Differentiation in the Presence of Carbon Nanotubes

Delivery of materials, such as drug compounds or imaging agents for treatment or diagnosis of disease still presents a biomedical challenge. Nanotechnological advances have presented biomedicine with a number of agents that possess the appropriate size and chemistry to pass the blood brain barrier. Functionalized carbon nanotubes are one such agent. Functionalized carbon nanotubes, shown to penetrate the blood brain barrier can potentially aid in drug and gene delivery to the central nervous system. In addition, carbon nanotubes have already been applied in several areas of nerve tissue engineering to probe and augment cell behavior, to label and track subcellular components, and to study the growth and organization of neural networks. Although the production of engineered carbon nanotubes has escalated in recent years, knowledge of cellular changes associated with exposure to these materials remains unclear. In this study, we employed multipotent C17.2 neural stem cells to probe how individual single-wall carbon nanotubes functionalized with synthetic ssDNA or RNA affect cellular processes of adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. The research has shown that while toxicity might not be an issue at low concentration of the carbon nanotubes, irregular behavior is nonetheless observed in terms of the fate of cells after differentiation and is worth considering when developing strategies to deliver components to the central nervous system.
Class IIa histone deacetylases affect neuronal remodeling and functional outcome after stroke.

We have previously demonstrated that stroke induces nuclear shuttling of class IIa histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4). Stroke-induced nuclear shuttling of HDAC4 is positively and significantly correlated with improved indices of neuronal remodeling in the peri-infarct cortex. In this study, using a rat model for middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), we tested the effects of selective inhibition of class IIa HDACs on functional recovery and neuronal remodeling when administered 24hr after stroke. Adult male Wistar rats (n = 15-17/group) were subjected to 2 h MCAO and orally gavaged with MC1568 (a selective class IIa HDAC inhibitor), SAHA (a non-selective HDAC inhibitor), or vehicle-control for 7 days starting 24 h after MCAO. A battery of behavioral tests was performed. Lesion volume measurement and immunohistochemistry were performed 28 days after MCAO. We found that stroke increased total HDAC activity in the ipsilateral hemisphere compared to the contralateral hemisphere. Stroke-increased HDAC activity was significantly decreased by the administration of SAHA as well as by MC1568. However, SAHA significantly improved functional outcome compared to vehicle control, whereas selective class IIa inhibition with MC1568 increased mortality and lesion volume and did not improve functional outcome. In addition, MC1568 decreased microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2, dendrites), phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNFH, axons) and myelin basic protein (MBP, myelination) immunoreactivity in the peri-infarct cortex. Quantitative RT-PCR of cortical neurons isolated by laser capture microdissection revealed that MC1568, but not SAHA, downregulated CREB and c-fos expression. Additionally, MC1568 decreased the expression of phosphorylated CREB (active) in neurons. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that selective inhibition of class IIa HDACs impairs neuronal remodeling and neurological outcome. Inactivation of CREB and c-fos by MC1568 likely contributes to this detrimental effect.
Circular Dichroism (CD) Analyses of Protein-Protein Interactions

Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy is a useful technique for studying protein-protein interactions in solution. CD in the far ultraviolet region (178-260 nm) arises from the amides of the protein backbone and is sensitive to the conformation of the protein. Thus, CD can determine whether there are changes in the conformation of proteins when they interact. Changes in the conformation of the protein complexes as a function of temperature or added denaturants, compared to the individual proteins, can be used to determine binding constants. CD bands in the near ultraviolet (350-260 nm) and visible regions arise from aromatic amino acid side chains and prosthetic groups. There are often changes in these regions when proteins bind to each other. Because CD is a quantitative technique, these changes are directly proportional to the amount of the protein-protein complexes formed and thus also can be used to estimate binding constants.
The Date of the “Duo You Ding” and its Significance

The “Duo You ding,” discovered in 1980 in Chang'an county, Shaanxi, contains a 270-graph inscription recording a major battle between Zhou and Xianyun chariotry. In addition to presenting a complete translation of the inscription, this paper attempts to specify the date of the events narrated. The argument is developed along three lines of inquiry. First, it is shown that personal names mentioned in the inscription require that the events took place shortly after the tenth year of King Xuan's reign (i.e., 818 B.C.). Second, evidence from other bronze inscriptions is adduced to show that there was fighting between the Zhou and Xianyun in the years 816-15, suggesting that the battle described in the “Duo You ding” may have been part of this larger warfare. Third, comparison of internal calendrical notations in the inscription with other evidence for the calendrical significance of Zhou victory celebrations not only confirms the first two conclusions but also allows the date to be specified as the tenth month of 816 B.C. Finally, all of this information is correlated to give a rough outline of the Zhou-Xianyun war and to suggest some of its historical significance.
Literature as Window: Developing Interracial Understanding through Fiction.

This article argues that fictional literature can be a useful device for developing greater understanding and improved communication among people from different cultural, racial, and ethnic groups. Literary works possess the capacity to induce reader identification with the characters in a story, thereby providing emotional involvement in the actions, feelings, and motivations of the people in the narrative. Moreover, literature normally invites explanation and description of the cultural and social context in which the story occurs, thereby enhancing the reader's awareness of values, customs, and communication patterns that may differ sharply from his or her own. While such cognitive developments as knowledge of a new culture could be gained from anthropological studies and social science textbooks, the appeal of fiction stems from its presentation through a medium that is at once dramatic and entertaining. As Picasso once suggested, art is a lie that helps us see the truth more clearly. To demonstrate the evocative power of fiction to promote interracial understanding, this article will use Things FallApart by contemporary Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe as a case study.
Pretreatment serum mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) correlates with shorter progression-free and overall survival in patients with advanced ovarian cancer (OC).

5545 Background: Mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns, comprised of mtDNA and formylated peptides, are released after cellular injury and activate innate immune responses. Extracellul...
Uniqueness of the null solution to a nonlinear partial differential equation satisfied by the explosion probability of a branching diffusion

The explosion probability before time t of a branching diffusion satisfies a nonlinear parabolic partial differential equation. This equation, along with the natural boundary and initial conditions, has only the trivial solution, i.e. explosion in finite time does not occur, provided the creation rate does not grow faster than the square power at ∞.
Total Dose Measurement Circuit Design Based on a Voltage Reference Topology

A circuit design for tracking radiation exposure in a CMOS integrated circuit is presented. The design can be scaled and integrated in a variety of CMOS processes. The presented design is based on a voltage reference circuit topology, where changes in voltage due to radiation degradation are amplified in the output. Experimental data from a prototype design using a test chip fabricated in an IBM 180 nm technology and techniques to address limitations of the prototype are presented.
Frauen und Arbeit: der Fähigkeitenansatz

Nussbaum entwickelt in diesem Artikel ihre Version des Fahigkeitenansatzes. Ausgehend von den Lebensgeschichten zweier indischer Frauen zeigt sie, wie verschiedene normative Konzepte die Veranderungen im Leben dieser Frauen bewerten. Sie benennt die Schwierigkeiten, die jeder interkulturelle Bewertungsrahmen meistern muss, kritisiert die dominierenden okonomischen Ansatze, wie Pro-Kopf-Einkommen und Praferenzbefriedigung, und begrundet, warum ein mit den grundlegenden Rechten und Freiheiten der Menschen verbundener Fahigkeitenansatz der fruchtbarste Ansatz fur interkulturelle Zwecke ist.
Reprogramming cells from Gulf War veterans into neurons to study Gulf War illness

Gulf War illness (GWI), which afflicts at least 25% of veterans who served in the 1990–1991 war in the Persian Gulf, is thought to be caused by deployment exposures to various neurotoxicants, including pesticides, anti–nerve gas pills, and low-level nerve agents including sarin/cyclosarin. GWI is a multisymptom disorder characterized by fatigue, joint pain, cognitive problems, and gastrointestinal complaints. The most prominent symptoms of GWI (memory problems, poor attention/concentration, chronic headaches, mood alterations, and impaired sleep) suggest that the disease primarily affects the CNS. Development of urgently needed treatments depends on experimental models appropriate for testing mechanistic hypotheses and for screening therapeutic compounds. Rodent models have been useful thus far, but are limited by their inability to assess the contribution of genetic or epigenetic background to the disease, and because disease-vulnerable proteins and pathways may be different in humans relative to rodents. As of yet, no postmortem tissue from the veterans has become available for research. We are moving forward with a paradigm shift in the study of GWI, which utilizes contemporary stem cell technology to convert somatic cells from Gulf War veterans into pluripotent cell lines that can be differentiated into various cell types, including neurons, glia, muscle, or other relevant cell types. Such cell lines are immortal and will be a resource for GWI researchers to pursue mechanistic hypotheses and therapeutics.
ADHESION, CELL–MATRIX | Focal Contacts and Signaling

Focal adhesions (FAs) are contact points for the cell with the extracellular matrix. These complex structures regulate communication of the cell with the surrounding extracellular environment and signaling through these FAs regulates diverse cellular processes, including proliferation, migration, apoptosis, spreading, and differentiation. The principal components of the FAs are integrins, which are αβ heterodimers that regulate cell–matrix and cell–cell interactions. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a kinase that localizes to FAs and regulates signaling in FAs. FAK communicates signals between integrins and intracellular proteins, which regulate diverse cellular processes such as cell polarity, migration, and invasion. FAs play a central role in regulating normal developmental processes such as blood vessel morphogenesis but increased activity of FA can incite aberrant events such as tumor cell invasion and pulmonary fibrosis. A further exploration of the role of FA in health and disease will provide greater insight into the regulation of normal developmental processes and into the pathogenesis of lung diseases such as lung cancer, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and pulmonary fibrosis.
Against the mandatory reporting of intimate partner violence.

The risks associated with mandated physician reporting of intimate partner violence outweigh the benefits such a policy might confer. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Experimental investigation of the dynamic behavior of metaconcrete

A study investigating the dynamic material behavior of a new type of heterogeneous composite called metaconcrete is presented. Instead of sand, stone and gravel in a conventional concrete, the metaconcrete mortar is filled with heavy, spherical aggregates that are encapsulated in a soft coating. This locally resonant metamaterial exhibits band gaps that lead to the attenuation of applied stress waves at the inclusion’s eigenfrequencies. Plate impact experiments are conducted to investigate the viability of the underlying physical concepts for the attenuation of stress waves. To reduce the effects of porosity and inhomogeneity, the mortar material is substituted by an epoxy matrix and a lead core encapsulated in polyurethane serves as the aggregate. Strain gauges applied between the aggregates on the specimen surface are used to evaluate the performance of the metaconcrete microstructure. Initial conditions were varied with respect to impact velocities (18 m/s - 100 m/s) and flyer plate thickness (0.8 mm - 25.4 mm) to study the dependence of the attenuation properties for a range of impact configurations. Moreover, the resonant frequency of the aggregates was measured using high-speed photography and digital image correlation (DIC) and shown to be in good agreement with analytical predictions. The metaconcrete microstructure lead to a reduction in maximum strain of up to 72% compared to a homogeneous epoxy specimen, showing the potential for metaconcrete to be used in damage mitigation of structures subjected to dynamic stress wave loading.
Future of GERD Research in Asia

Until recently, GERD was thought to be a rare disease in Asia, and research on this topic was sparse. Now several publications have evaluated the prevalence of reflux symptoms in the Asian population. These large studies have predominantly been from China, Korea, Japan, Turkey, Iran, and Israel and show the incidence of GERD is rising throughout Asia.
The axial skeleton of Poposaurus langstoni (Pseudosuchia: Poposauroidea) and its implications for accessory intervertebral articulation evolution in pseudosuchian archosaurs

Dinosaurs and their close relatives grew to sizes larger than any other terrestrial animal in the history of life on Earth, and many enormous dinosaurs (e.g., Diplodocus, Spinosaurus, Tyrannosaurus) have accessory intervertebral articulations that have been suggested to support these large body sizes. Some pseudosuchian archosaurs have been reported to have these articulations as well, but few have been characterized in these taxa because of a lower abundance of complete, three-dimensional pseudosuchian vertebral material in relation to dinosaurs. We describe the axial column of the large (∼4-5 m) poposauroid pseudosuchian Poposaurus langstoni from the Upper Triassic of Texas (TMM Locality 31025 of the Otis Chalk localities; Dockum Group, Howard County, TX, USA). P. langstoni was originally named from pelvic girdle elements and vertebrae; here we describe newly discovered and prepared presacral vertebrae and a presacral rib from the original excavation of the holotype in the 1940s. The well-preserved vertebrae have well-defined vertebral laminae and clear hyposphene-hypantrum intervertebral articulations, character states mentioned in pseudosuchians but rarely described. The new material demonstrates variation present in the hyposphene-hypantrum articulation through the vertebral column. We compared these morphologies to other pseudosuchians with and without the hyposphene-hypantrum articulation. Based on these careful comparisons, we provide an explicit definition for the hyposphene-hypantrum articulation applicable across Archosauria. Within Pseudosuchia, we find the hyposphene-hypantrum appeared independently in the clade at least twice, but we also see the loss of these structures in clades that had them ancestrally. Furthermore, we found the presence of large body sizes (femoral lengths >∼300 mm) and the presence of the hyposphene-hypantrum is correlated in most non-crocodylomorph pseudosuchian archosaurs with a few exceptions. This result suggests that the presence of the hyposphene-hypantrum is controlled by the increases and decreases in body size and not strictly inheritance.
Chinese Student Perceptions of Engineering Ethics

The recent influx of Asian students into both graduate and undergraduate programs in the United States, primarily in the sciences and engineering, has raised concerns about the degree to which they share the same ethical background as domestic students. While a significant amount of research has been done on this issue in other disciplines, especially in business education, there has been relatively little study of engineering students, except in relation to general cultural differences and cross-cultural adjustment. Reporting the results of a survey of Chinese students’ understanding of engineering ethics, this article represents a small step toward looking specifically at the acquaintance of a subset of Asian students with the topics commonly focused on in American engineering ethics teaching.
Distortion of the oxygen sublattice in pure cubic-ZrO2

Multilayer films of pure ZrO2 and CeO2 were grown using molecular beam epitaxy on a yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrate. Distinctive forbidden diffraction spots of (odd, odd, even) type were observed on the selected-area electron-diffraction patterns of the film. Dark-field imaging clearly revealed that these forbidden diffraction spots were solely due to the ZrO2 layers. Comparison of the electron diffraction pattern with that simulated by dynamical calculations suggest that the pure ZrO2 layers possess a cubic structure of space with the group P4 3m oxygen sublattice being displaced diagonally, rather than along the c axis as suggested for YSZ. Our results further suggest that the displacement of the oxygen from the ideal (¼, ¼, ¼) position might have been introduced during the film growth process.
Joint exploration and mining of memory-relevant brain anatomic and connectomic patterns via a three-way association model

Early change in memory performance is a key symptom of many brain diseases, but its underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. While structural MRI has been playing an essential role in revealing potentially relevant brain regions, increasing availability of diffusion MRI data (e.g., Human Connectome Project (HCP)) provides excellent opportunities for exploration of their complex coordination. Given the complementary information held in these two imaging modalities, we hypothesize that studying them as a whole, rather than individually, and exploring their association will provide us valuable insights of the memory mechanism. However, many existing association methods, such as sparse canonical correlation analysis (SCCA), only manage to handle two-way association and thus cannot guarantee the selection of biomarkers and associations to be memory relevant. To overcome this limitation, we propose a new outcome-relevant SCCA model (OSCCA) together with a new algorithm to enable the three-way associations among brain connectivity, anatomic structure and episodic memory performance. In comparison with traditional SCCA, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our model with both synthetic and real data from the HCP cohort.
The Origin and Development of Neutrophils

The information under this general heading is of three rather disconnected kinds. First, there is the classic morphological work, which traces the origin of blood neutrophils from myeloblasts in bone marrow, and physiological evidence about functional differences between mature and immature cells. Second, there is evidence about the kinetics of neutrophil production and utilization during normal and pathological states, which has been derived mostly from radioactively labeled populations of cells. Third, there are the attempts to find a more fundamental cellular origin for the neutrophil and other blood cells. We will take them up in this order.
Positive feedback, lock-in, and environmental policy

During the last several decades, modern economic methods have been brought to bear on problems of environmental policy, with powerful and influential results. However, this policy- making paradigm often relies on some of the most restrictive sets of assumptions of microeconom- ics: the convexity conditions required for competitive markets to be Pareto-efficient. When positive feedback or lock-in occurs, these assumptions do not hold, and standard economic analysis of environmental policy may lead to technologically inferior outcomes, e.g., pollution control costs that are higher than necessary. This paper considers positive feedback in several different forms, and argues that it commonly occurs in markets that affect environmental policies, such as markets for energy technologies. The discussion examines how the standard paradigm for environmental economics breaks down in the presence of positive feedback or lock-in, and considers some policy responses to this problem. The case of SO2 trading helps illustrate how the standard paradigm can miss important technological opportunities for lower-cost pollution mitigation. The argument also suggests how the standard paradigm encourages end-of-pipe solutions and tends to overlook options like pollution prevention strategies, which can sometimes provide more economical environmental improvements.
Gradable Pain Production

We are engaged in a continuing inquiry into the possibility of producing clinical anesthesia solely by the application of electrical current.