cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mature activating natural killer cell immunologic synapse is formed in distinct stages

Abstract Rationale Natural killer (NK) cells form a structure called the activating NK cell immunologic synapse (NKIS) at their interface with susceptible target cells. These studies were designed to further elucidate this structure as well as the cytoskeletal requirements for its formation. Methods Ex vivo NK cells from normal individuals or patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) were evaluated in conjugation with susceptible target cells by laser scanning confocal microscopy. An immortalized NK cell line transfected with a CD2-green fluorescent protein construct using a retroviral expression system was also studied. Results The mature activating NKIS contains a central (c) and peripheral (p) supramolecular activation cluster (SMAC) and includes polarized surface receptors, filamentous actin (F-actin) and perforin. Evaluation of the NKIS revealed CD2, CD11a, CD11b and F-actin in the pSMAC with perforin in the cSMAC. The accumulation of F-actin and surface receptors was rapid and depended upon WAS protein (WASp)-driven actin polymerization. These processes were impaired in the presence of an actin polymerization inhibitor (by >75%, p 50%, p 50% by inhibitors or in patient cells, p Conclusions The process of CD2, CD11a, CD11b and F-actin accumulation in the pSMAC and perforin accumulation in the cSMAC of the NKIS are sequential processes with distinct cytoskeletal requirements.
A quantitative study of characters on biomedical catalogue cards—a preliminary investigation

The data reported in this paper were compiled for use in estimating computer memory file capacity required to store information from research medical library card catalogues. The computer file would be the basis for an automatic information-retrieval system. The findings also provide comparisons of descriptive and subject cataloguing practices in the Columbia, Harvard, and Yale Medical Libraries as well as cataloguing of biomedical books at the Library of Congress. Such data seem not to have appeared in the literature before and are being published with the hope that they will be useful to others in the early stages of devising unconventional library information-retrieval systems as well as mechanized cataloguing procedures.
Cellular stroke therapy: from cell replacement to trophic support.

The past decade has marked a significant paradigm shift in the postulated recovery mechanisms behind cell-based therapies for stroke. Although initially considered as primarily a cell-replacement s...
Use of Text Search to Effectively Identify Lifetime Prevalence of Suicide Attempts among Veterans

Suicide is an important emerging problem among active duty personnel and veterans of recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Suicide rates among veterans treated in the VA System are about 50% higher than in the general population, and the rate of suicide among active duty service personnel has recently exceeded the rate in the general population. Preventing suicides and providing services is a high priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration (VA). The VA electronic medical record system stores a very large corpus of clinical notes. Application of search engine technology to a subset of this corpus demonstrated that text search confers an 8- to 10-fold improvement in the ability to identify individuals who have made prior suicide attempts. This technology is highly relevant to health care institutions that have adopted electronic medical record systems.
Lower Extremity Muscle Strength After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury and Reconstruction

Context: Quadriceps and hamstrings weakness occurs frequently after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction. Evidence suggests that knee injury may precipitate hip and ankle muscle weakness, but few data support this contention after ACL injury and reconstruction. Objective: To determine if hip, knee, and ankle muscle weakness present after ACL injury and after rehabilitation for ACL reconstruction. Design: Case-control study. Setting: University research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Fifteen individuals with ACL injury (8 males, 7 females; age = 20.27 ± 5.38 years, height = 1.75 ± 0.10 m, mass = 74.39 ± 13.26 kg) and 15 control individuals (7 men, 8 women; age = 24.73 ± 3.37 years, height = 1.75 ± 0.09 m, mass = 73.25 ± 13.48 kg). Intervention(s): Bilateral concentric strength was assessed at 60°/s on an isokinetic dynamometer. The participants with ACL injury were tested preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. Control participants were tested on 1 occasion. Main Out...
IKKβ regulates the repair of DNA double-strand breaks induced by ionizing radiation in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Activation of the IKK-NFκB pathway increases the resistance of cancer cells to ionizing radiation (IR). This effect has been largely attributed to the induction of anti-apoptotic proteins by NFκB. Since efficient repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) is required for the clonogenic survival of irradiated cells, we investigated if activation of the IKK-NFκB pathway also regulates DSB repair to promote cell survival after IR. We found that inhibition of the IKK-NFκB pathway with a specific IKKβ inhibitor significantly reduced the repair of IR-induced DSBs in MCF-7 cells. The repair of DSBs was also significantly inhibited by silencing IKKβ expression with IKKβ shRNA. However, down-regulation of IKKα expression with IKKα shRNA had no significant effect on the repair of IR-induced DSBs. Similar findings were also observed in IKKα and/or IKKβ knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). More importantly, inhibition of IKKβ with an inhibitor or down-regulation of IKKβ with IKKβ shRNA sensitized MCF-7 cells to IR-induced clonogenic cell death. DSB repair function and resistance to IR were completely restored by IKKβ reconstitution in IKKβ-knockdown MCF-7 cells. These findings demonstrate that IKKβ can regulate the repair of DSBs, a previously undescribed and important IKKβ kinase function; and inhibition of DSB repair may contribute to cance cell radiosensitization induced by IKKβ inhibition. As such, specific inhibition of IKKβ may represents a more effective approach to sensitize cancer cells to radiotherapy.
Structured leisure as a context for the development of attention during adolescence.

Abstract This article employs data from two studies to examine the hypothesis that structured leisure activities, such as music, sports and creative activities, provide an important context for young adolescents' development of the capacity to direct and control attention. Study 1 examines age differences in the contexts where young adolescents experience “paying attention,” employing time sampling data from 483 fifth to ninth graders. Findings show that between fifth to ninth grade “paying attention” is experienced less frequently during “other- controlled” activities, such as schoolwork and watching TV, and more frequently during self-controlled leisure contexts, particularly during talk. Study 2 uses data from interviews with 207 young adolescents to investigate their psychological knowledge in leisure and non-leisure contexts and examine how this knowledge changes with age. Findings indicate that structured leisure activities are a major context for adolescents' understanding of attention, though cont...
Thymidine dinucleotide mimics the effect of solar simulated irradiation on p53 and p53-regulated proteins.

The tumor suppressor protein p53 participates in DNA repair and cell cycle regulation in response to injuries like ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. We have previously reported that the thymidine dinucleotide (pTpT), a common target for DNA photoproduct formation by UV light, mimics many effects of UV irradiation in cultured skin-derived cells, at least in part through the activation of p53. In this report we compare the effects of solar-simulated irradiation and pTpT on p53 and p53-regulated proteins involved in cellular growth arrest and DNA repair in cultured human dermal fibroblasts. We find that, like UV irradiation, pTpT increases the levels of p53, p21, and proliferating-cell nuclear antigen. The magnitude and time course of the inductions are UV dose dependent and consistent with known regulatory interactions among these nuclear proteins. These data confirm and expand previous studies of UV effects on nuclear proteins involved in cell cycle regulation and DNA repair. Our observations suggest that such protective effects can also be induced by pTpT in the absense of initial DNA damage, rendering cells more capable of responding to subsequent DNA damage.
Internal nasal floor configuration in Homo with special reference to the evolution of Neandertal facial form.

Abstract The presence of a steeply sloping or depressed nasal floor within the nasal cavity of Neandertals is frequently mentioned as a likely specialization or autapomorphy. The depressed nasal floor has also been seen as contributing to a relatively more capacious nasal cavity in Neandertals, which is tied to cold-climate respiratory adaptation and energetics. These observations have been limited largely to a relatively few intact crania, and the character states associated with this trait have not been as precisely codified or analyzed as those published for Plio-Pleistocene hominins (McCollum et al., 1993, J. Hum. Evol. 24, 87; McCollum, 2000, Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 112, 275). This study examines the internal nasal floor topography in complete crania and isolated maxillae in European, west Asian, and African fossil Homo (n = 158) including 25 Neandertals, and a wide range of recent humans from Europe, the Near East, and Africa (n = 522). The configuration of the internal nasal floor relative to the nasal cavity entrance is codified as: 1) level , forming a smooth continuous plane; 2) sloped or mildly stepped; or 3) bilevel with a pronounced vertical depression. The frequency of these nasal floor configurations, and their relationship to both nasal margin cresting patterning and a comprehensive set of nasofacial metrics is examined. Neandertals show a high frequency of the bilevel (depressed) configuration in both adults and subadults (80%), but this configuration is also present in lower frequencies in Middle Pleistocene African, Late Pleistocene non-Neandertal (Skhul, Qafzeh), and European Later Upper Paleolithic samples (15%–50%). The bilevel configuration is also present in lower frequencies (ca. 10%) in all recent human samples, but attains nearly 20% in some sub-Saharan African samples. Across extinct and extant Homo (excluding Neandertals), internal nasal floor configuration is not associated with piriform aperture nasal margin patterning, but the two are strongly linked in Neandertals. Variation in internal nasal floor configuration in recent humans is primarily associated with internal nasal fossa breadth and nasal bridge elevation, whereas in fossil hominins, it is associated primarily with variation in facial height. Cold-climate and activity-related thermal adaptation as an explanation for the high frequency of pronounced nasal floor depression in Neandertals is inconsistent with all available data. Alternatively, variation in internal nasal floor configuration is more likely related to stochastically derived populational differences in fetal nasofacial growth patterns that do not sharply differentiate genus Homo taxa (i.e., cladistically), but do phenetically differentiate groups, in particular the Neandertals, especially when considered in combination with other nasofacial features.
Comparison of users and non-users of mental health services among depressed, older, urban African Americans.

Objective The authors sought to determine differences between depressed older black residents in an urban community who do and do not use formal mental health services. Methods The Treatment Group (TG) consisted of 106 black patients age ≥55 with a diagnosis of depression who were recruited from outpatient psychiatric programs in Brooklyn, NY. The Untreated Community Group (UCG) consisted of 101 cognitively intact black subjects age ≥55 from randomly selected block groups in Brooklyn who met symptom criteria for major or minor depression and had no previous history of psychiatric treatment. Results In logistic regression analysis, TG persons were significantly more likely than the UCG persons to be female, younger, born in the United States, to have impaired daily functioning, have a family history of mental illness, and believe that environmental factors and religious activities could influence mental illness. TG persons were significantly less likely to have social network members who provided advice, to use spiritualists or their products, to have vision or hearing impairments, and to have depressive symptoms. Although most UCG persons visited their doctor at least three times annually, only 11% reported using these physicians for help with mental health problems. Conclusions A combination of demographic and attitudinal factors, family psychiatric history, social supports, and functional impairments were associated with the use of mental health services. Despite reluctance of persons in the UCG to use primary-care physicians for mental health reasons, the latter remain the most feasible intervention point within the existing service system.
Fluorous effect in proteins: De novo design and characterization of a four-α-helix bundle protein containing hexafluoroleucine

Several studies have demonstrated that proteins incorporating fluorinated analogues of hydrophobic amino acids such as leucine and valine into their hydrophobic cores exhibit increased stability toward thermal denaturation and unfolding by guanidinium chloride. However, estimates for the increase in the thermodynamic stability of a protein (ΔΔGunfold) afforded by the substitution of a hydrophobic amino acid with its fluorinated analogue vary quite significantly. To address this, we have designed a peptide that adopts an antiparallel four-helix bundle structure in which the hydrophobic core is packed with leucine, and investigated the effects of substituting the central two layers of the core with l-5,5,5,5‘,5‘,5‘-hexafluoroleucine (hFLeu). We find that ΔΔGunfold is increased by 0.3 kcal/mol per hFLeu residue. This is in good agreement with the predicted increase in ΔΔGunfold of 0.4 kcal/mol per residue arising from the increased hydrophobicity of the hFLeu side chain, which we determined experimentally fr...
Effect of long-term exposure to marine environments on the flexural properties of carbon fiber vinylester composites

Abstract Marine industries are increasingly embracing carbon fiber–vinylester resin composites as structural materials for military and civilian naval crafts. This move is driven by the ability of vinylester to better tolerate ultraviolet (UV) radiation and moisture as compared to other resins. Vinylester composites, even with long-term exposure to UV and moisture, exhibit limited surface damage which has a minor effect on their bulk properties. However, this surface-confined damage can impact the composite flexural strength which can be critical for marine crafts; particularly, as marine crafts are often subjected to out-of-plane loads (e.g., hull slamming). This work reports on a series of experiments aimed to investigate the individual and synergistic damaging effects of UV radiation and moisture on the flexural properties of carbon fiber vinylester composites. Results show that marine environment-induced damage can significantly reduce the flexural strength of carbon fiber–vinylester laminas (−10% to −40%).
Anomalous carbon isotope fractionation between atmospheric CO2 and dissolved inorganic carbon induced by intense photosynthesis

Abstract A stable isotope mass-balance of dissolved inorganic carbon during a blue-green algae bloom in a softwater lake demonstrates that at low partial pressure of carbon dioxide there must be a large net negative carbon isotope fractionation between atmospheric CO2 and the CO2 absorbed by lake water at pH = 9.5. The net fractionation of CO2(g) with respect to HCO−3 was about −13%. compared with about +8%. for water at equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 at pH ≈ 7. Chemical enhancement of CO2 invasion at high pH by the reaction CO2 + OH−→ HCO−3 at large apparent film thicknesses may result in carbon isotope fractionation approaching that for a hydroxide solution. This phenomenon, coupled with a decrease in the photosynthetic fractionation, forced the surface water of a softwater lake to achieve increasingly negative δ13C values during an algal bloom, which is in the opposite sense to the trend that results from photosynthesis under less extreme conditions. This and other similar systems must operate under non-equilibrium (kinetic) conditions, causing a large kinetic fractionation during CO2 invasion at pH > 8 and relatively large film thicknesses (i.e., low wind stress).
VARIATION IN FOOD QUALITY AND TEMPERATURE CONSTRAIN FORAGING OF GREGARIOUS CATERPILLARS

We examined the separate and combined effects of changing food quality, thermal environment, and larval behavior on the foraging pattern of a gregarious caterpillar, Hemileuca lucina (Saturniidae), which specializes on the shrub Spiraea latifolia (Rosaceae). First-instar larvae, which encounter only new leaves under field conditions, showed no preference for new leaves over mature ones. In contrast, third-instar larvae, which normally encounter both leaf types, exhibited a preference for new leaves, in both 12-h and instar- length choice tests. In laboratory tests, larvae in groups were more likely to survive and exhibited less variation in biomass gained than solitary larvae. An experiment was con- ducted to determine the interactions of temperature (with daytime temperatures of 200, 250, or 300C), group size (solitary or in groups of 10), and diet (new or mature leaves) on third-instar larvae. The effect of diet and group size on relative growth rate depended on the daytime temperature. At a daytime temperature of 200, representing overcast and cool spring conditions, growth rates were similar for all group size-diet combinations. Thus, at such a cool temperature, there was no advantage in feeding on new leaves or in larval groups. In contrast, solitary larvae fed mature leaves gained less mass and developed more slowly than the other group size-diet combinations at the mean maximal day temperature (250) for field conditions. At 300, representing the average temperature reached through basking, larvae eating new leaves grew significantly faster than those on mature leaves, regardless of larval group size. These results indicate that in the absence of predators, in which case larvae eat new leaves, bask, and remain aggregated, the larvae can grow twice as fast and attain more biomass per instar than solitary larvae eating mature leaves in the shade, which is often the case when they avoid predators.
Mass diffusion-controlled bubbling and optimum schedule of thermal degradation of polymeric binders in molded powders

Abstract During the thermal removal of polymeric binders from molded powder specimens, the gas pressure of the species produced in the thermal degradation of the polymer may exceed the ambient pressure and then bubbling (a defect) occurs. Here the gas-pressure evolution in the early stages of thermal degradation is modeled using experimental degradation kinetics, thermodynamic models for the gas–liquid equilibrium, models for the diffusion coefficient, and the species conservation principle. The predicted results show a strong dependence of the instantaneous gas-pressure distribution within the specimen on the earlier temperature history and the initial concentration of the volatile product (pre-charge) formed during molding. Through simulations, the minimization of the processing time is addressed using successive constant (but different) heating-rate periods. It is shown that two distinct regimes exist, the pre-charge dominated and the generation-dominated regimes. A single-period heating-rate is dominated by the effect of the pre-charge which can cause bloating at low temperatures. A large number of periods allows for the progressive isolation of the effect of the pre-charge. It is shown that compared to the single-period, the processing time can be reduced by over 60% when a large number of varying heating-rate periods are used. Experiments are performed using poly[ethylene-co-(vinyl acetate)] (EVA) and silicon carbide particles, the results are compared with the predictions, and a good agreement is found.
Government ‘strength’ and budget deficits in advanced democracies

. Roubini and Sachs provided the first systematic test of the idea that political structure the size, composition, diversity, and/or stability of a governing cabinet - is related to budget deficits. In this paper, we take issue with several of Roubini and Sachs' choices concerning data and operationalization, and argue that their approach cannot offer clear conclusions about the relationship between national political structure and budget deficits. We test the ‘strength of government’ hypothesis using central government finance data on 16 countries, 1959–1990. We measure deficits in a way that maximizes comparability across countries but avoids the potential problems of standardizing by GDP. We examine carefully the definition and measurement of ‘strength of government’, in light of recent theoretical and empirical work in comparative politics. We perform pooled time-series regression analysis of deficit change in 16 OECD countries for the period 1959–1990. We argue that while structural differences between governments may have little impact on deficits during good economic times, they may become especially noticeable and influential during periods when governments struggle to cope with severe economic problems.
Evolution of host avoidance in a leafmining fly, Amauromyza flavifrons

Herbivorous insects are characterized by a great diversity of host plant associations, yet, the processes driving host range evolution are not fully understood. When herbivores encounter a novel host, local selection pressures are expected to shape traits that mediate plant‐insect interactions. I show that a leafmining fly, Amauromyza flavifrons (Meigen) (Diptera: Agromyzidae), suffers a profound fitness cost by ovipositing on a novel host, Beta vulgaris L. (sugar beet) (Chenopodiaceae). Leafminers from a sugar beet-free population readily oviposit on B. vulgaris leaves, whereas those collected from a population near sugar beet farms discriminate against B. vulgaris . This finding suggests that oviposition specificity in A. flavifrons populations may have evolved in response to the presence of the novel host, and represents the first evidence of host-avoidance evolution in the wild. Because this study compared only one pair of populations and thus lacks replication, future studies will test whether parallel evolution has occurred at B. vulgaris farm locales across North America.
Schema disruption in tree-structured chromosomes

We study if and when the inequality dp(H) ≤ relΔ(H) holds for schemas H in chromosomes that are structured as trees. The disruption probability dp(H) is the probability that a random cut of a tree limb will separate two fixed nodes of H. The relative diameter relΔ(H) is the ratio (max distance between two fixed nodes in H) / (max distance between two tree nodes), and measures how close together are the fixed nodes of H. Inequality dp(H) ≤ relΔ(H) is of significance in proving Schema Theorems for non-linear chromosomes, and so bears upon the success we can expect from genetic algorithms. For linear chromosomes, dp(H) ≤relΔ(H). Our results include the following. There is no constant c such that dp(H) ≤ c • relΔ(H) holds for arbitrary schemas and trees. This is illustrated in trees with eccentric, stringy shapes. Matters improve for dense, ball-like trees, explained herein. Inequality dp(H) ≤ relΔ(H) always holds in such trees, except for certain atypically large schemas. Thus, the more compact are our tree-structured chromo-somes, the better we can expect our genetic algorithms to work.
Technology Improvements for the 2013 AGU Fall Meeting

AGU staff is dedicated to offering cutting-edge technology at Fall Meeting to improve meeting attendees' experience, provide state-of-the-art scientific content features, and continue developing features and elements of community building and social media. The overall goal is to implement technology that provides an accessible, manageable, and personal experience at Fall Meeting.
Towards unsupervised whole-object segmentation: Combining automated matting with boundary detection

We propose a novel step toward the unsupervised segmentation of whole objects by combining ldquohintsrdquo of partial scene segmentation offered by multiple soft, binary mattes. These mattes are implied by a set of hypothesized object boundary fragments in the scene. Rather than trying to find or define a single ldquobestrdquo segmentation, we generate multiple segmentations of an image. This reflects contemporary methods for unsupervised object discovery from groups of images, and it allows us to define intuitive evaluation metrics for our sets of segmentations based on the accurate and parsimonious delineation of scene objects. Our proposed approach builds on recent advances in spectral clustering, image matting, and boundary detection. It is demonstrated qualitatively and quantitatively on a dataset of scenes and is suitable for current work in unsupervised object discovery without top-down knowledge.
On extremum problems in the presence of unbounded operator constraint

The classical extremal problem of minimizing a functional under equality operator constraint becomes complicated if the operator which determines the constraint is unbounded. In this paper Altman's «Global Linearization iterative Method» is applied in order to determine the tangent directions to the equality constraint given by a nonlinear unbounded operator. On the basis of this result a necessary condition for extremal problem with such a constraint is determined. The Dubovitskii-Milyutin method in the case of several equality constraints is extended to the case where one of the equality constraints is given by the nonlinear unbounded operator mentioned earlier. The idea of such an extension is to provide a model for optimization or optimal control problems of nonlinear evolution equations subject to equality constraints
Parameter Estimation for Gene Regulatory Networks from Microarray Data: Cold Shock Response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We investigated the dynamics of a gene regulatory network controlling the cold shock response in budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The medium-scale network, derived from published genome-wide location data, consists of 21 transcription factors that regulate one another through 31 directed edges. The expression levels of the individual transcription factors were modeled using mass balance ordinary differential equations with a sigmoidal production function. Each equation includes a production rate, a degradation rate, weights that denote the magnitude and type of influence of the connected transcription factors (activation or repression), and a threshold of expression. The inverse problem of determining model parameters from observed data is our primary interest. We fit the differential equation model to published microarray data using a penalized nonlinear least squares approach. Model predictions fit the experimental data well, within the 95% confidence interval. Tests of the model using randomized initial guesses and model-generated data also lend confidence to the fit. The results have revealed activation and repression relationships between the transcription factors. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the model is most sensitive to changes in the production rate parameters, weights, and thresholds of Yap1, Rox1, and Yap6, which form a densely connected core in the network. The modeling results newly suggest that Rap1, Fhl1, Msn4, Rph1, and Hsf1 play an important role in regulating the early response to cold shock in yeast. Our results demonstrate that estimation for a large number of parameters can be successfully performed for nonlinear dynamic gene regulatory networks using sparse, noisy microarray data.
Using edit distance to analyze card sorts

: Card sorts are a knowledge elicitation technique in which participants are given a collection of items and are asked to partition them into groups based on their own criteria. Information about the participant's knowledge structure is inferred from the groups formed and the names used to describe the groups through various methods ranging from simple quantitative statistical measures (e.g. co-occurrence frequencies) to complex qualitative methods (e.g. content analysis on the group names). This paper introduces a new technique for analyzing card sort data that uses quantitative measures to discover rich qualitative results. This method is based upon a distance metric between sorts that allows one to measure the similarity of groupings and then look for clusters of closely related sorts across individuals. By using software for computing these clusters, it is possible to identify common concepts across individuals, despite the use of different terminology.
Correlated changes in fertility and fitness traits in lines of oMt1a‐oGH transgenic mice selected for increased 8‐week body weight*

Correlated responses in fitness and fertility traits were compared in transgenic and nontransgenic lines of mice selected for increased 8-week body weight. Two replicates of lines which either carried or did not carry the sheep metallothionein-1a sheep growth hormone transgene (oMt1a-oGH) were established. Host lines had been previously selected for rapid growth or selected randomly. Within-litter selection was carried out for 13 generations, and a randomly selected control line was kept for each set of replicate lines. Mice were genotyped every generation for the presence of the transgene, but this information was not used in selection decisions. The oMt1a-oGH construct was activated by adding 25 m m ZnSO₄ to the drinking water from 3 weeks (weaning) until 8 weeks of age. Zinc stimulation of the transgene was not carried out during mating, gestation and lactation. Correlated responses in fitness traits were measured by regression of least-squares means (as deviations from the control lines) on generation number. Two fitness indexes were defined to combine the information on individual fitness traits. The proportion of infertile matings was higher in generations 7 to 13 than in generations 0 to 6. Correlated responses to selection showed an increase in the cohabitation to littering interval in nontransgenic lines and an increase in litter sizes in lines from the selected background. Preweaning pup survival did not change over generations. Overall fitness increased in the transgenic line from the selection background whereas no changes were observed in the transgenic line from the control background. The initial frequency of 0.5 of the transgene was reduced to less than 0.10 in the selected background, but increased to an average of 0.62 in the control lines. The comparison of specific mating groups involving transgenic and nontransgenic mates revealed that the only consistent disadvantage in having a transgenic parent was the increase in the length of the cohabitation to littering interval. Major fitness problems were not associated with the oMt1a-oGH transgene, which makes this construct a potential choice for use in livestock breeding programmes.
Glucuretic effects and renal safety of dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes

Dapagliflozin is a selective sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor approved as a treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the United States, the European Union and other countries. Dapagliflozin increases renal glucose excretion in an insulin-independent manner, and its mechanism of action is complementary to those of other antidiabetes medications. When used as monotherapy or in combination with other oral antidiabetes medications or insulin, dapagliflozin improves glycemic measures in patients with T2DM. Dapagliflozin treatment is also associated with weight reduction and a decrease in blood pressure, both of which may be beneficial in patients with T2DM. Because of its mechanism of action, dapagliflozin has a low intrinsic propensity to cause hypoglycemia. Overall, dapagliflozin is well tolerated, with the frequency of most adverse events similar to that seen with placebo. Cases of genital infections and, in some studies, urinary tract infections have been more frequent in dapagliflozin-treated groups compared with placebo groups. In the clinical development program, more cases of newly diagnosed bladder cancer were reported for patients treated with dapagliflozin (0.17%) compared with placebo or comparator (0.03%). Although there were not enough cases to determine causality, dapagliflozin should not be used in patients with bladder cancer and should be used with caution in patients with a history of bladder cancer. Dapagliflozin may decrease glomerular filtration rate (GFR), especially in elderly patients and patients with impaired renal function. Renal function should be monitored before initiation of dapagliflozin. Dapagliflozin should not be used in patients with an estimated GFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m(2). No cardiovascular safety signals have been detected for dapagliflozin, and a long-term cardiovascular outcomes study is ongoing. Evidence from clinical trials suggests that dapagliflozin is a promising new treatment option for T2DM.
Hydrolysis of biodegradable polymers by superoxide ions

The objective of this study was to examine the reactivity of superoxide ion as an oxygen nucleophile towards biodegradable biomaterials having an aliphatic polyester structure, such as poly(D,L-Lactide) (PDLLA). The changes in molecular weights and thermal properties of PDLLA were studied as a function of the superoxide ion concentration, hydrolysis time, and hydrolysis temperature. The superoxide ion induced fragmentation of PDLLA yielded a mixture of various species with different chain length. A combined size exclusion chromatography (SEC) method with a chemical tagging by phenyl isocyanate revealed that the structure of the oligomer species with the lowest molecular weight formed in the superoxide ion induced degradation mixture was linear. The significant reduction in Tg was consistent with the significant reduction in the molecular weight of PDLLA. The linear low molecular fragments (dimers and trimers) in the reaction mixture could act as an internal plasticizers to enhance the Tg reduction by increasing the free volume of chain ends. The relationship of Tg with molecular weight of PDLLA followed the general theory of Fox–Flory. The mechanism of simple hydrolysis of ester by superoxide ion proposed by Forrester et al. was modified to interpret the data obtained from the synthetic biodegradable polymers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3558–3567, 1999
Gravity balancing rehabilitative robot for the human legs

People with severe muscle weakness from neurological injury, such as hemiparesis from stroke, often have substantial limitations. The focus of rehabilitation after stroke is often on walking function, however, equipment available to facilitate walking function is severely limited. Most devices move patients through predetermined movements rather than allowing the patient to move under their control. This work presents the design of a gravity balancing rehabilitative robot to assist persons with both leg impairment to walk through elimination of the effects of gravity. The design of the machine is based on a hybrid method for gravity balancing, with two steps: (i) locate the center of mass of a machine using auxiliary parallelograms; (ii) select springs to connect from the center of mass such that the total potential energy of the system is invariant with configuration. The design of the machine considers all motions of the leg and the pelvis by assuming the center of mass of pelvis to be located on the line joining the two hip joints. Preliminary version of this machine, with limited features, is being fabricated.
Signaling static: Artistic, religious, and scientific truths in a relational ontology

In this essay I point toward the difficulties inherent in ontological objectivity and seek to restore our truth claims to validity through a relational ontology and the dynamic of coimplication in signals and noise. Theological examination of art and science points toward similarities between art, religion, and science. All three have often focused upon a "metaphysics of presence," the desire for abso- lute presence of the object (the signified, the divine, the natural ob- ject). If we accept a relational ontology, however, we must accept that the revelation of presence is always simultaneously a concealment. This helps explain technoscientific achievement without recourse to a philosophically flawed objectivity. Twentieth-century information theory shows the impossibility of a "pure signal." By accepting that signal and noise are permanently interconnected, we begin to see how noise makes signal possible and even how noise becomes signal (al- lowing the discovery of novel facts). Information theory thus under- scores important similarities and leads toward new approaches in aesthetics, Christian theology, and scientific research. By comparing art, religion, and science, I argue that rejecting a metaphysics of pres- ence without rejecting presence itself allows human beings to know the world. Although religion, science, and art often seek the absolute presence of their objects, they function better without.
Absolute Ultrasonic Measurements of Residual Stresses

The characteristic dependence of ultrasonic velocity on stress has for a long time been thought promising for residual stress measurements in materials. A review of theory and experimental methods can be found in [1, 2, 3]. The major problem in practical utilization of most of these techniques is the necessity of separating the effects of texture (anisotropy) and stress on the measured ultrasonic velocity. In most cases the materials under consideration have unknown anisotropy and even if the anisotropy is small its effect cannot be neglected in stress measurements.
Resonance tunneling of polaritons in 1D chain with a single defect

Abstract We consider propagation of coupled waves (polaritons) formed by a scalar electromagnetic wave and excitations of a finite one-dimensional chain of dipoles. It is shown that a microscopic defect (an impurity dipole) embedded in the chain causes resonance tunneling of the electromagnetic wave with a macroscopic wavelength through the forbidden band between two polariton branches. We demonstrate that the resonance tunneling occurs due to local polariton states caused by the defect.
Coding for skew-tolerant parallel asynchronous communications

A communication channel consisting of several subchannels transmitting simultaneously and asynchronously is considered, an example being a board with several chips, where the subchannels are wires connecting the chips and differences in the lengths of the wires can result in asynchronous reception. A scheme that allows transmission without an acknowledgment of the message, therefore permitting pipelined communication and providing a higher bandwidth, is described. The scheme allows a certain number of transitions from a second message to arrive before reception of the current message has been completed, a condition called skew. Necessary and sufficient conditions for codes that can detect skew as well as for codes that are skew-tolerant, i.e. can correct the skew and allow continuous operation, are derived. Codes that satisfy the necessary and sufficient conditions are constructed, their optimality is studied, and efficient decoding algorithms are devised. Potential applications of the scheme are in on-chip, on-board, and board to board communications, enabling much higher communication bandwidth. >
Contour path FDTD method for pyramidal horns with composite E-plane walls

The CPFDTD (contour-path finite-difference time-domain) method was used for analysis of pyramidal horn antennas with or without composite E-plane walls. For the metallic horn very accurate antenna gain patterns were computed compared to measurements. When the E-plane walls are coated with lossy magnetic material, for gain pattern control, the CPFDTD yields acceptable gain patterns compared to measurements. >
Ultraviolet radiation and lysosomes in skin.

ERYTHEMA followed by scaling and increased pigmentation develops in human skin which has been exposed to moderate doses of ultraviolet radiation. Oedema, blistering and necrosis may occur after higher doses, and continued exposure to high intensity ultraviolet radiation may result in premature ageing and skin cancer; similar reactions occur in animal skin1–3. Biochemical and histochemical changes4–6 in irradiated skin have been difficult to correlate with these gross reactions. Decreased phospholipid in mouse skin after massive doses of ultraviolet radiation at −40° C7 and similar findings with lower doses in vivo8, together with reports of the formation of lipid peroxide in irradiated lipid9 and skin10, may be indicative of changes in membrane integrity. Although protein is considered the target for ultraviolet radiation haemolysis, increased permeability typically precedes colloid osmotic disruption of the plasma membrane11. Among the more complex membranous components of other tissue cells, lysosomes are the most susceptible to rupture by ultraviolet radiation12. There is also indirect evidence for lysosomal enzyme action in damage caused by this radiation to rat skin in organ culture13.
Computational and experimental investigations of mono-septanoside binding by Concanavalin A: correlation of ligand stereochemistry to enthalpies of binding

Structure-energy relationships for a small group of pyranose and septanose mono-saccharide ligands are developed for binding to Concanavalin A (ConA). The affinity of ConA for methyl “manno” β-septanoside 7 was found to be higher than any of the previously reported mono-septanoside ligands. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) in conjunction with docking simulations and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) modeling established the specific role of binding enthalpy in the structure–energy relations of ConA bound to natural mono-saccharides and unnatural mono-septanosides. An important aspect in the differential binding among ligands is the deformation energy required to reorganize internal hydroxyl groups upon binding of the ligand to ConA.
Retrospective analysis of the initiation of antibiotic therapy in severe sepsis in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND The 2008 Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines state that intravenous antibiotic therapy should be started within the first hour of recognition of septic shock. Currently, there are no published studies looking at antibiotic timing in pediatric sepsis patients. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to determine if sepsis patients admitted to a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) are administered antibiotics in the appropriate time frame according to the Surviving Sepsis Guidelines. METHODS A retrospective chart review was conducted during a six-month time frame. For the purpose of this pilot study the onset of severe sepsis was defined as the time of a physician order for a vasopressor. Antibiotic appropriateness was based on culture results, drug dosing, and route. Length of PICU stay, overall hospital days, and mortality data were collected. Descriptive statistics on patient demographics, and the prescribing and time of administration of both antibiotics and vasopressors are included. RESUL...
Nursing workload: a concept analysis

Aim The aim of the present study was to develop a comprehensive understanding of the concept ‘workload’ within the nursing profession in order to arrive at a clear definition of nursing workload based on the evidence in existing literature. Background Nursing workload is a common term used in the health literature, but often without specification of its exact meaning. Concept clarification is needed to delineate the meaning of the term ‘nursing workload’. Method A concept analysis was conducted using Walker and Avant's method to clarify the defining attributes of nursing workload. As the subject matter was nursing focused, only one database was searched, the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Articles that did not use ‘workload’ in the title or abstract were excluded. A model case, contrary case, related case and empirical referents were constructed to clarify the concept and to demonstrate how the workload is captured by the main attributes. Results The attributes of nursing workload found in the literature fall into five main categories: the amount of nursing time; the level of nursing competency; the weight of direct patient care; the amount of physical exertion; and complexity of care. The attributes were organised according to the leading antecedents, which were identified as the patient, nurse and health institution. Implications for Nursing Management Nurse managers need to address the workload issues with regard to the real nature of nursing work; this could increase nurses' productivity, nurses' satisfaction, turnover, work stress and provide sufficient staffing to patient care needs. Conclusion The concept analysis demonstrated clearly the complexity of the concept and its implications for practice and research. It is believed that the current concept analysis will help to provide a better understanding of nursing workload and contribute towards the standardisation of the nursing workload and the development of a valid and reliable measurement system.
The Roles of Awareness, Sanctions, and Ethics in Software Compliance

ABSTRACTMonitoring agencies continue to express concern over the use of unlicensed business software in organizations because of the ethical, legal, and financial implications of noncompliance. We constructed a multiple mediation model based on protection motivation theory in order to examine the threat and coping evaluation processes of employees regarding software license compliance. The responses of 138 organizational employees were used to empirically test the research model. The research model helps explain why compliance awareness influences compliance attitudes and behavior. The empirical findings indicate that compliance attitudes result from both consequence and coping appraisals with ethical beliefs having a stronger influence on compliance attitudes compared to the threat of sanctions. Furthermore, awareness drives the formation of threat and coping beliefs and directly influences attitude. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the findings that will enable organizations to m...