cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Urologic Complications in Renal Transplantation

The current overall reported incidence of major urologic complications following renal transplantation is 5 per cent. The presence of such a complication increases the likelihood of patient mortality by a factor of three. Standard utilization of postoperative radionuclide scanning is very useful in early diagnosis. Vesical fistulas generally result from improper bladder closure. The incidence of bladder complications increases with secondary and tertiary grafts. Ureteral complications result when the blood supply of the ureter is impaired. These include fistula formation, necrosis, and obstruction. Immediate surgical correction is indicated in almost all serious urologic complications following transplantation; otherwise there is marked increase in morbidity and mortality. Complications appearing early in the postoperative period carry a poor prognosis for both graft and recipient survival. The presence of urinary tract infection early in the postoperative period also correlates negatively with graft survival. The presence of multiple renal arteries in the donor has been associated with an increased rate of urologic complications. Ureteral fistulas can be avoided by meticulous dissection of the donor at the time or organ harvesting. Great care must be taken to preserve the arterial and venous blood supply to the ureter by avoiding any dissection into the renal hilum. Aberrant renal arteries must be preserved or repaired if damaged. Ureteroneocystostomy is the preferred method for re-establishing urinary tract continuity following transplantation. The immediate surgical correction of urologic complications is mandatory, and the techniques involved are highly specialized and must be individualized with each patient.
Production systems comparing early weaning to normal weaning with or without creep feeding for beef steers

A 2-yr study was conducted to determine the effects of three weaning management systems on cow and steer performance. Cow-calf pairs were randomly assigned to one of three treatments, in which the steer calves were 1) early-weaned (yr 1, 177 ± 9 d; yr 2, 158 ± 21 d of age) and placed on a finishing diet (EW), 2) supplemented with grain for 55 d on pasture (yr 1, 177 to 231 d; yr 2, 158 to 213 d of age) while nursing their dams and then placed on a finishing diet (NWC), and 3) on pasture for 55 d while nursing their dams (yr 1, 177 to 231 d; yr 2, 158 to 213 d of age) and then placed on a finishing diet (NW). In yr 2, potential breed differences were evaluated using steers of three breed types: 1) Angus × Hereford (BRI); 2) Angus × Simmental (CON); and 3) Angus × Wagyu (WAG). In yr 1, EW steers gained 100% faster ( P =.0001) than the average of NWC and NW steers, and NWC steers gained 32% faster (P = .02) than NW steers before weaning. In the feedlot, EW steers had lower intakes (7.70 vs 8.16 kg/d, P = .008) and better feed conversions (.170 vs.153, P = .002) than the average of NWC and NW steers. Marbling score was improved for EW steers compared with the average of NWC and NW steers ( P =.003). In yr 2, EW steers had higher gains (P =.0006) during the entire study than the average of NWC and NW steers, and NWC steers had higher gains (P = .003) than NW steers. The EW steers had lower intakes (7.29 vs 7.68 kg/d, P =.0008) and better feed conversions (.160 vs.141, P =.0001) than the average of NWC and NW steers. The CON steers were heavier at slaughter than BRI steers ( P =.01), and BRI steers were heavier than WAG steers (P =.0004). Early weaning improved the percentage of steers grading Average Choice or higher by 40%. The percentage of BRI steers grading Choice or greater was 21% higher and percentage of steers grading Average Choice or greater was 33% higher than CON. Cows with EW steers had higher ADG than cows with NW steers (.38 vs -.17 kg/d, P =.0001) before weaning. Cows with EW steers gained in body condition score (.23 vs.00, P =.04), and cows with NW steers did not change. Early weaning improved feed efficiency and quality grades of beef steers.
On the stability, consistency and convergence of numerical schemes

In this paper, we present a theoretical framework, which describes the numerical schemes with consistency, stability and convergence; moreover, we construct the equivalence among these three ends. Examples are given to show the application of the theory in the analysis of numerical schemes.
Abstract LB-330: Somatic copy number alterations at oncogenic loci show diverse correlations with gene expression

Somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) affecting oncogenic drivers have a firmly established role in promoting cancer. However, no agreed-upon standard exists for calling locus-specific amplifications and deletions in each patient sample. Here, we report the correlative analysis of copy number amplitude and length with gene expression across 6,109 samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset across 16 cancer types. Using specificity, sensitivity, and precision-based scores, we analyzed over 30 recurrently focally altered loci that had sufficient pan-cancer penetrance for robust statistical assessment. We were able to assign optimized amplitude and length cutoffs for nine recurrent SCNAs affecting known oncogenic drivers, using mRNA expression as a functional readout. These cutoffs captured the majority of SCNA-driven, highly-expression-altered samples. The majority of oncogenes required only amplitude cutoffs, as high amplitude samples were almost invariably focal; however, CDKN2A and PTEN uniquely required both amplitude and length cutoffs as primary predictors. For PTEN, these extended to downstream AKT activation. In contrast, the remaining 20+ assessed SCNA genes, particularly ones located peri-telomerically or in fragile sites, showed poor expression-copy number correlations. Finally, we describe several novel associations between copy number and gene expression that have implications for how SCNAs are assessed as harboring candidate cancer driver genes. Overall, our analyses identify optimized amplitude and length cutoffs as efficient predictors of gene expression changes for specific oncogenic SCNAs, yet warn against one-size-fits-all interpretations across all loci. Our results have implications for cancer data analyses and the clinic, where copy number and mutation data are increasingly used to personalize cancer therapy. Citation Format: Jason Roszik, Ching Jiun Wu, Alan E. Siroy, Alexander J. Lazar, Michael A. Davies, Scott Woodman, Lawrence N. Kwong. Somatic copy number alterations at oncogenic loci show diverse correlations with gene expression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-330.
Low gate drive IGBT enabling direct control through Digital Isolator power

Known to the power industry, there is an increasing functional safety need to isolate delicate control systems from the violent world of the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), which has resulted in a growing demand for Digital Isolators. This is where the gate control signal for the IGBT can be coupled across a dielectric barrier, while the barrier itself is capable of withstanding high working voltages and surge events. Preventing the formation of a complete integrated system solution for the end customer is the fact that while the control signal can be coupled across the isolation barrier - the transient power needed to drive the IGBT gate cannot. To solve that problem, this paper describes the development of an innovative IGBT architecture that targets the 1200V voltage node, has a first silicon V CE (SAT) = 2.7V at JC=10Amm−1, provides latch-up immunity, and critically has gate drive capacitances that are over two orders of magnitude smaller, at 0.58pF for every Amp of IGBT current, relative to conventional IGBT architectures that report values in the range of 70 – 150pFA−1 at 25°C. This low input capacitance opens the door for the gate of this IGBT to be directly powered by integrated magnetically coupled isolation coils. For future work, further optimization of the V CE (SAT), and transient switching times are required.
Modeling a new energy harvesting pavement system with experimental verification

Abstract A novel design of an energy harvesting pavement system (EHPS) is introduced in this paper. The basic concept behind this design is to transform asphalt layers into a piezoelectric energy harvester to collect dissipated vehicle kinetic energy in a large-scale system. This EHPS design consists of two conductive asphalt layers and one piezoelectric material layer. To verify the feasibility of the design, this ongoing study theoretically analyzed the EHPS via a three-degree-of-freedom electromechanical model and practically tested a prototype in the laboratory. As a result, voltage outputs measured in the laboratory from the prototype design matched those estimated from the electromechanical model. Through testing the effects of several components in the EHPS on electricity generation, this study confirms that using more flexible conductive asphalt mixtures and arranging more piezoelectric elements with a higher piezoelectric stress constant can increase electrical outputs from the EHPS. Regarding specific external vibration conditions, a high frequency of external vibration can lead to a dramatic effect of each piezoelectric element’s capacitance on increasing electrical outputs, but also can reduce the benefit from adding more piezoelectric elements to produce higher electrical outputs. After optimizing this EHPS prototype by adding more piezoelectric elements with higher piezoelectric stress constant and improving the flexibility of conductive asphalt mixtures, the maximum electric power from the proposed EHPS can be increased from approximately 1.2 mW to 300 mW under a high frequency (30 Hz) external vibration. The levelized cost of electricity of this EHPS can be $19.15/kWh on a high-volume roadway within a 15-year service life.
Use of Increased Operating Cash Flow by Firms that Avoid Taxes

We investigate whether firms use pretax cash flow freed-up by tax avoidance to make real investments. We expect uncertainty about tax avoidance to affect how this cash is used, and predict that firms facing low (high) financial constraints will use more of this cash for real investments (savings). Using a flow-of-funds model we identify uses of pretax operating cash flow, demonstrate how these uses change as tax avoidance increases, and find results generally consistent with predictions. We separate cash flow freed-up by permanent (temporary) strategies and find firms use this cash flow for real investment (reducing external financing).
Critically thinking about engineering through kinesthetic experiential learning

In recent years, use of and interest in active learning techniques has been on the rise. In this special session, participants will be immersed in kinesthetic experiential learning activities that emphasize the “active” in active learning. Participants will be guided through a number of in-class activities and the underlying pedagogical philosophy. The session will end with open discussion and Q&A, allowing participants to consider how they may incorporate these activities into their own courses and explore opportunities to develop kinesthetic experiential learning activities to suit their own classroom needs.
Memory Attribution and Cognitive Control

Recognition memory was thought to place minimal demands on the prefrontal and parietal cortical regions underlying controlled decision making. However, functional imaging research examining recognition repeatedly demonstrated increased activation for hits (successfully identified studied materials) relative to correct rejections (successfully identified novel materials) in prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex. Although initially thought to directly reflect successful memory retrieval, recent fMRI and neuropsychological research suggest that these activations reflect cognitive control processes involved in foregrounding of memory probe semantic features, maintaining retrieval goals, implementing recognition decision biases, and orienting when biases are contradicted.
Characteristics of healthcare delivery system in Bhutan

In the Kingdom of Bhutan, also known as the ‘country of happiness’, both traditional healing and Western medicine are at work. However, from an epidemiological point of view, Western medicine has p...
On Some Shortcomings of Shannon Entropy as a Measure of Information Content in Indirect Measurements of Continuous Variables

AbstractShannon entropy has long been accepted as a primary basis for assessing the information content of sensor channels used for the remote sensing of atmospheric variables. It is not widely appreciated, however, that Shannon information content (SIC) can be misleading in retrieval problems involving nonlinear mappings between direct observations and retrieved variables and/or non-Gaussian prior and posterior PDFs. The potentially severe shortcomings of SIC are illustrated with simple experiments that reveal, for example, that a measurement can be judged to provide negative information even in cases in which the postretrieval PDF is undeniably improved over an informed prior based on climatology. Following previous authors’ writing mainly in the data assimilation and climate analysis literature, the Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence, also commonly known as relative entropy, is shown to suffer from fewer obvious defects in this particular context. Yet, even KL divergence is blind to the expected magnitud...
Is the high concentration of ascorbic acid in the eye an adaptation to intense solar irradiation

Ascorbic acid is known to exist in high concentration in the aqueous humor of the eye in many species. It has been observed that diurnal mammals have a very high concentration in aqueous humor whereas nocturnal mammals do not. It has been hypothesized that ascorbic acid protects the eye from the harmful effects of sunlight. We have discovered that of two closely related species of spiny mice, the diurnal species (Acomys russatus) has a concentration in aqueous humor that is 35 times higher than that of the nocturnal species (Acomys cahirinus). Studies of these two species may be fruitful to extend what is known about adaptation of the eye to protect itself from intense solar radiation.
Acute perceptions of preferred cigarettes when blinded to brand.

Background Marketing claims often have promoted specific perceptions that users should expect from acutely smoking that cigarette brand. Yet, little controlled study has determined the degree to which actual perceptions are based on the cigarette’s tobacco constituents in the absence of knowledge about the brand’s identity. Methods 194 adult dependent smokers rated their perceptions on ‘liking’, ‘satisfying’, ‘strong’ and perceived amount of ‘nicotine’ after smoking ad lib one of their preferred brands of cigarettes. All did so either when blinded (n=118) or unblinded (n=76) to the brand they were given, with the blinding conditions from separate studies. These between-groups secondary analyses determined differences in perceptions based on blinding to brand, controlling for age and cigarettes/day. Results All perceptions were lower for those smoking own brand under blinded versus unblinded conditions, as hypothesised. Consistent with lowered perceptions for smoking one’s own brand obtained from the 118 blinded to brand, their ‘somewhat’ ratings for a ‘how similar to own brand’ item indicated uncertainty, just mid-way between ‘not at all’ and ‘very much’ on the 0–100 visual analogue scale. (The 76 unblinded were already informed it was their own brand.) Conclusions Acute perceptions of one’s own cigarette are substantially lower when smokers are simply unaware of brand, relative to those aware it is their preferred brand. Results support the notion that perceptions of smoking own brand are enhanced by marketing efforts to associate brands with expectations of pleasurable subjective effects, beyond the impact due solely to the cigarette’s manufactured product constituents.
View-Invariant Method for Calculating 2D Optical Strain

Two-dimensional optical strain maps have been shown to be a useful feature that describes a bio-mechanical property of facial skin tissue during the non-rigid motion that occurs during facial expressions. In this paper, we propose a method for accurately estimating and modeling the three-dimensional strain impacted onto the face and demonstrate its robustness at different depth resolutions and views. Experimental results are given for a publically available dataset that contains high depth resolutions of facial expressions, as well as a new dataset collected using the Microsoft Kinect synchronized with two HD webcams.
Medicine and Managed Care, Morals and Markets

There can be no doubt that the health care system in the United States is in transition. The cost explosion of the 1970s and 1980s appeared to be contained by managed care as the excesses of seemingly unrestrained spending was brought to heel by mechanisms designed to manage excessive spending by controlling the process of health care decision making. Even as political attempts to standardize health care and control the cost spiral failed in 1993 and 1994, the efficiencies wrung out of the system by managed care reached their peak. In the last 5 years, it has become clear that managed care can no longer control health care cost at the same time that it is under fire politically for its draconian methods. The nation seems to lack both the political heart for a single payer system and the tolerance for the market solutions we have seen so far. Although a plethora of views have been expressed concerning the direction health care reform ought to take, there has lately been a notable paucity of predictions of where it actually will go.
Ilizarov’s apparatus for correction of metaphyseal-Epiphyseal deformities of the tibia in skeletally immature patients

Objectives Correction of bony deformities at metaphyseal-epiphyseal level of long bones through a corticotomy and gradual distraction. Restoration of shape and function of lower limb.
Mean dynamics and transition to turbulence in oscillatory channel flow

The mean dynamics in oscillatory channel flow is examined to investigate the dynamical mechanisms underlying the transition to turbulence in oscillatory wall-bounded flow. The analyses employ direct numerical simulation data acquired at three Stokes Reynolds numbers: ), a four layer structure is not observed in the mean balance of forces and the flow remains weakly transitional over the entire cycle.
Physicochemical and Biochemical Spatiotemporal Maps of a Mouse Penis

Abstract Spatiotemporal mechanobiology resulting in penile pathologies continues to be investigated using small scale animals models such as mice. However, species-dependent functional biomechanics of a mouse penis, is not known. In this study, spatial mapping of a mechanosensitive transcription factor, scleraxis (Scx), at ages 4, 5, 6 weeks, and 1 year were generated to identify mechanoactive regions within penile tissues. Reconstructed volumes of baculum collected using micro X-ray computed tomography illustrated significantly increased baculum length with decreased porosity, and increased mineral density (p α -smooth muscle actin. The corpus cavernosum penis (CCP) contained significantly (p
In Situ Synthesis of an Aptamer-Based Polyvalent Antibody Mimic on the Cell Surface for Enhanced Interactions between Immune and Cancer Cells.

An ability to promote therapeutic immune cells to recognize cancer cells is important for the success of cell-based cancer immunotherapy. We present a synthetic method for functionalizing the surface of natural killer (NK) cells with a supramolecular aptamer-based polyvalent antibody mimic (PAM). The PAM is synthesized on the cell surface through nucleic acid assembly and hybridization. The data show that PAM has superiority over its monovalent counterpart in powering NKs to bind to cancer cells, and that PAM-engineered NK cells exhibit the capability of killing cancer cells more effectively. Notably, aptamers can, in principle, be discovered against any cell receptors; moreover, the aptamers can be replaced by any other ligands when developing a PAM. Thus, this work has successfully demonstrated a technology platform for promoting interactions between immune and cancer cells.
Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder as a risk factor for substance use among adults living with HIV

This study examined the association between symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and substance use among 932 people living with HIV (PLWH) in Florida. PLWH completed a 45-minute questionn...
101. A RESIDENT-LED QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE TO INCREASE NURSING PRESENCE ON INPATIENT ROUNDS

Background Recently the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has placed increased emphasis on experiential quality improvement (QI) education for pediatric residents. In response to this focus, our residency program developed an immersive QI curriculum comprised of didactic teaching and a longitudinal resident-led project. Over the course of the academic year, our residents select an issue to target and design and execute a QI initiative to address it. Recognizing that nursing presence on rounds improves safety, communication, and family satisfaction but is challenged by competing clinical priorities, the 2018-2019 project focused on increasing nursing presence on bedside rounds for hospitalist patients. Aim Statement Increase nursing presence during pediatric hospitalist rounds to 80% over the second half of the academic year. Interventions Senior residents used the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's model for improvement to design and implement 4 plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles with multidisciplinary participation: 1) Visual aids to emphasize the importance of nurse participation on rounds, 2) notification of nurse prior to rounds, 3) nurse-centered rounding order and 4) scripted nurse participation at the start of rounds. Measures The percent of nurses in attendance on rounds was recorded for one month as pre-intervention data, after which PDSA cycles were begun and outcomes were assessed for the subsequent 6 months. Qualitative interviews analyzed nursing perceptions and guided interventions. Residents met monthly to hand off project leadership and review core QI concepts with mentorship from hospitalists. PDSA cycle timing and teaching content were adapted to maximize learning. Results Nursing attendance improved from a baseline of 34% to 87% after the interventions (Figure 1). Qualitative data identified nurse-centered rounding and early nursing input as key interventions. Conclusions and Next Steps Improvement in nursing attendance on rounds was seen throughout the PDSA cycles in this resident-led QI initiative. Creating a nursing-centered rounding schedule and eliciting nursing input at the start of rounds are noted to be key factors for increasing nursing presence. This project demonstrates feasibility of resident-led QI endeavors within an educational model that addresses core residency program requirements for education in quality and safety.
La definición de Software libre

En este numero y en la presente seccion Zona Remix publicamos un texto de Richard Stallman. Se trata de un capitulo de su texto Software libre para una sociedad libre. Especificamente nos centramos en el capitulo titulado "La definicion de Software libre". Un capitulo fundamental para comprender no solo el movimiento, del que Stallman es fundador, sino para entender los porques de la necesidad de liberar el conocimiento en sus diferentes dimensiones cientifica y cultural. La filosofia del software libre procura una liberacion del lenguaje informatico y con ello facilita las claves para la liberacion del conocimiento mas general.El texto mantiene: © Copyright 2004 del texto: Richard M. Stallman y © Copyright 2004 de la Edicion: Copyright 2004 de la Edicion, Traficantes de Suenos. Se permite la copia, ya sea de uno o mas articulos completos de esta obra o del conjunto de la edicion, en cualquier formato, mecanico o digital, siempre y cuando no se modifique el contenido de los textos, se respete su autoria y esta nota se mantenga.
Pain phenotypes among adults living with cerebral palsy and spina bifida.

ABSTRACT Chronic pain is the most commonly reported physical symptomology of cerebral palsy (CP) and spina bifida (SB) throughout the lifespan, and yet, pain is perhaps the least understood comorbidity in these populations. The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence and types of pain diagnosed among adults living with and without CP or SB. In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed data from a nationwide commercial insurance claims database. Beneficiaries were included if they had an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis code for CP or SB (n = 22,648). Adults without CP or SB were also included as controls (n = 931,623). Pain phenotypes (nociceptive, nociplastic, and neuropathic pain) and pain multimorbidity (≥2 conditions) were compared. We found that adults living with CP or SB had a higher prevalence of any pain disorders (55.9% vs 35.2%), nociceptive pain (44.0% vs 26.7%), nociplastic pain (26.1% vs 11.9%), neuropathic pain (9.6% vs 5.6%), and pain multimorbidity (21.1% vs 8.4%), as compared to adults without CP or SB, and differences were to a clinically meaningful extent. Adjusted odds ratios of nociceptive pain (odds ratio [OR]: 2.20; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.15-2.24), nociplastic pain (OR: 2.47; 95% CI: 2.41-2.53), neuropathic pain (OR: 2.71; 95% CI: 2.54-2.89), and other pain (OR: 3.92; 95% CI: 3.67-4.19) were significantly higher for adults living with CP or SB. In conclusion, adults with CP or SB have a significantly higher prevalence and odds of common peripheral, central, and neuropathic pain disorders and pain multimorbidity, as compared to adults without CP or SB.
White-headed woodpecker nesting habitat at multiple spatial scales: Are habitat preferences adaptive?

Abstract Ecological theory predicts that animals will select habitats for breeding that confer an adaptive advantage through increased reproductive success. We therefore expect to see congruence between habitat preferences and measures of fitness. We studied abundance, nest site selection, and nest survival in white-headed woodpeckers (Picoides albolarvatus) in four forest types along an elevational gradient in the southern Sierra Nevada, California. Our primary objective was to ascertain what habitat features white-headed woodpeckers were selecting for nesting and at what scale, and whether those choices translated into increased reproductive success. We examined sets of models that included abiotic factors and habitat at three spatial scales: nest site (0.04 ha), local (~1 ha), and home range (~125 ha). White-headed woodpeckers were more abundant at higher elevations, with low abundance in low-elevation ponderosa pine forest, moderate abundance in mid-elevation mixed conifer forest, and reached their highest abundance in true fir habitat before becoming rare in high-elevation lodgepole pine forest. They both selected for and nested more successfully at higher elevations in true fir forest. White-headed woodpecker nesting ecology in the Sierra Nevada demonstrated a mixed pattern of congruence between characteristics important to nest habitat selection and nest survival. We found congruence for abiotic and home range scale models (agreement between preferences and nest survival), indicating adaptive selection. At the landscape scale, White-headed woodpeckers selected closed-canopy conifer forests with abundant edges. Habitat preferences at the nest site scale were negatively related to nest survival, suggesting maladaptive habitat selection at this scale. White-headed woodpeckers selected open forest with higher basal area of snags compared to available sites, but nest survival was higher in forest with higher canopy closure and lower basal area of snags. Local scale models were weak and did not help clarify habitat relationships. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple spatial scales when examining habitat preferences. The primary management considerations for white-headed woodpecker habitat include retention of large, suitable snags and the need to consider forest heterogeneity. The close association with ponderosa pine forests and large-seeded pines found over most of their range did not hold in the Sierra Nevada, where white-headed woodpeckers were most abundant in true fir forests and selected and nested more successfully in true fir forests. Habitat models developed outside the area for which they were developed should be validated before they are applied to other locations.
AFM Verification of CFn Surface Treatment Effect and Its Correlation to Stiction Reduction in Microvalves

The purpose of this paper is to show AFM verification of adhesion reduction between valve seat/membrane interfaces by surface coatings from a C4 F8 /Ar plasma in an ICP DRIE. Our check valves utilize a polyimide (PI, Polyimide 5878G, HD Microsystem) membrane on a Si/SiO2 valve seat. These valves form a seal between a polished Si/SiO2 substrate and a smooth polymer membrane. PI absorbs moisture up to 3.4% wt per volume, and the SiO2 surface also has an affinity to water. The smooth PI membrane touches the SiO2 surface, giving rise to relatively strong van der Waals adhesion. Under humid conditions, hydrogen-bonded stiction can occur at the interface between the PI and SiO2 during the drying step. The C4 F8 /Ar plasma coating is utilized for the actual device in order to lower the interface adhesion between Si/SiO2 and PI film. The opening pressures of devices with/without CFn film are measured. The valves without non-stiction coating did not open with inlet pressures up to 210 KPa. With a non-stiction coating, the valves showed an initial opening pressure of 32.5±11 KPa. AFM pull-off measurements using nano-sized tips and micro sized tips are performed to quantify the effect of the CFn film-treated surface between solid-solid surface pairs. The original surface pair for the microvalve membrane and seat surface is Si/SiO2 and PI film. The CFn film treatment is possible on one or both sides of the surfaces. AFM pull-off testing has been performed to measure the work of adhesion between four possible surface combinations, including SiO2 /PI, CFn /PI, CFn /SiO2 , and CFn /CFn . The work of adhesion of the surface pairs is obtained using the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) theory. Two types of AFM probes were used, a regular nano-sized AFM probe and a one micron particle AFM probe. The work of adhesions obtained for the pairs above are 257.6±37.1, 59.4±29.2, 89.6±18.2, and 41.0±8.2 [mJ/m2 ] from regular tips, and 159.48±4.0, 41.9±2.0, 65.7±12.2, and 37.4±3.7 [mJ/m2 ] from the particle tips. The CFn film treatment reduced the adhesion energy up to 84% for the regular AFM tip results, and up to 76.7% from the particle AFM tip results. The static contact angle of CFn film with respect to de-ionized water is 116.4 ± 0.9°. The surface coatings from a C4 F8 /Ar plasma in an ICP DRIE can reduce the contact adhesion forces and capillary forces during the fabrication process preventing stiction.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Prostaglandin endoperoxide analogues stimulate phospholipase C and protein phosphorylation during platelet shape change

We have studied the effects of two stable prostaglandin endoperoxide analogues on platelet lipid metabolism in relation to specific platelet functional changes. During platelet shape change, the endoperoxide analogues induce the formation of 1,2-diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid, indicating the activation of a phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C. In parallel, they stimulate the phosphorylation of a 40-kd and a 20-kd protein. During platelet shape change, arachidonic acid is released, but not metabolized by platelet cyclo-oxygenase or lipoxygenase. Phospholipase C activation and platelet shape change are independent of extracellular Ca++ and Mg++, arachidonate metabolism, and release of adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Activation of phospholipase C during platelet aggregation seems, however, to be mediated partly by release of ADP. We conclude that endoperoxide analogues initially stimulate in platelets the formation of products derived from phospholipase C activation, which might serve as intracellular messengers for phosphorylation of specific proteins related to platelet shape change.
U small nuclear ribonucleoprotein requirements for nematode cis- and trans-splicing in vitro.

Abstract In nematodes, a fraction of mRNAs acquires a common 22-nucleotide 5'-terminal spliced leader sequence via a trans-splicing reaction. The same premessenger RNAs which receive the spliced leader are also processed by conventional cis-splicing. Whole cell extracts prepared from synchronous embryos of the parasitic nematode Ascaris lumbricoides catalyze both cis- and trans-splicing. We have used this cell-free system and oligodeoxynucleotide directed RNase H digestion to assess the U small nuclear RNA requirements for nematode cis- and trans-splicing. These experiments indicated that both cis- and trans-splicing require intact U2 and U4/U6 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). However, whereas cis-splicing displays the expected requirement for an intact U1 snRNP, trans-splicing is unaffected when approximately 90% of U1 snRNP is degraded. These results suggest that 5' splice site identification differs in nematode cis- and trans-splicing.
Communicatics and communicationism as knowledge tools for a sustainable civilization

Sustainability is not just an issue at the level of economic-ecological systems but an issue at the level of civilizations and the ways that different civilizations interact with each other. A global-wide sustainable civilization cannot be created if conciliation and mutual understanding among the Christian Civilization, the Islamic Civilization, and the Eastern Civilization are not reached. Furthermore, sustainable civilization cannot be achieved on "spaceship earth," if the difference in living conditions between the developing countries and the developed countries is not controlled within a sustainable threshold. New ideas and new knowledge tools need to be developed to facilitate these efforts. Among many elements which cause the unsustainability of the current world system, one element carrying a considerable weight is the failure and/or the difficulty of communication among different perspectives developed through different cultural-ideological-political systems. The theory of communicatics, with its consequent value of comnunicationism, is being developed as a knowledge tool which may be used to facilitate the transformation towards sustainability.
Synapsin II and calcium regulate vesicle docking and the cross-talk between vesicle pools at the mouse motor terminals.

The synapsins, an abundant and highly conserved family of proteins that associate with synaptic vesicles, have been implicated in regulating the synaptic vesicle cycle. However, it has not been determined whether synapsin directly regulates the number of docked vesicles. Here we document that reducing Ca2+ concentration [Ca2+]o in the extracellular medium from 2 to 0.5 mm led to an approximately 40% decrease in both docked and undocked synaptic vesicles in wild-type nerve terminals of the mouse diaphragm. The same treatment reduced the number of undocked vesicles in nerve terminals derived from synapsin II gene deleted animals, but surprisingly it did not decrease vesicle docking, indicating that synapsin II inhibits docking of synaptic vesicles at reduced [Ca2+]o. In accordance with the morphological findings, at reduced [Ca2+]o synapsin II (−) terminals had a higher rate of quantal neurotransmitter release. Microinjection of a recombinant synapsin II protein into synapsin II (−) terminals reduced vesicular docking and inhibited quantal release, indicating a direct and selective synapsin II effect for regulating vesicle docking and, in turn, quantal release. To understand why [Ca2+]o has a prominent effect on synapsin function, we investigated the effect of [Ca2+]o on the distribution of synaptic vesicles and on the concentration of intraterminal Ca2+. We found that reduced [Ca2+]o conditions produce a decrease in intracellular Ca2+ and overall vesicle depletion. To explore why at these conditions the role of synapsin II in vesicle docking becomes more prominent, we developed a quantitative model of the vesicle cycle, with a two step synapsin action in stabilizing the vesicle store and regulating vesicle docking. The results of the modelling were in a good agreement with the observed dependence of vesicle distribution on synapsin II and calcium deficiency.
Critical fields and characteristic lengths in copper oxide superconductors

There have been a number of studies of the critical fields and critical currents in the two copper oxide superconducting families La2−xSrxCuO4 and YBa2Cu3O7−δ which show unexpected and unusual properties. Resistive measurements of the superconducting transition in zero and finite field often show long tails extending to low temperatures, and the critical field curves constructed from such data often show unusual upward curvature, especially near Tc. Initially most of the critical field studies were done on polycrystalline sintered samples. With such samples there is always a lingering question as to whether the measured properties are intrinsic to the material or are due to poor connections between particles or to the averaging of strongly anisotropic behavior over many crystallite orientations. With the advent of measurements on single crystal samples in several laboratories it is now possible to compare measurements on polycrystals and single crystals to determine the intrinsic behavior and to assess the degree of sample dependence which cannot be attributed to particle connections or to anisotropy. In this review we characterize the typical behavior of polycrystalline samples and compare it to results on single crystals. We find that much of the behavior seen in polycrystals also appears in single crystals and that among single crystal samples there is significant sample dependence. Nevertheless, there is sufficient agreement on the upper critical field values to define approximately the slope at Tc, from which the coherence length can be derived. We combine this information with new measurements of the lower critical field at low temperature to derive the anisotropic magnetic penetration depth. Finally, we compare the derived characteristic length with relevant unit cell dimensions and with the scale of the microstructure to infer information about the dimensionality of the superconductivity and the pinning forces in YBa2Cu3O7−δ.
Therapeutic Communication: Principles and Effective Practice

The Talking Cure. Cyclical Psychodynamics I: Vicious Circles. Cyclical Psychodynamics II: The Centrality of Anxiety. Cyclical Psychodynamics III: Insight, the Therapeutic Relationship, and the World Outside. Therapeutic and Countertherapeutic Interpretations. Exploration, Not Interrogation. Building on the Patient's Strengths. Affirmation and Change. Attribution and Suggestion. Reframing, Relabeling, and Paradox. Therapist Self-Disclosure: Prospects and Pitfalls. Achieving Resolution of the Patient's Difficulties: Resistance, Working Through, and Following Through. Ellen F. Wachtel, Postscript: Therapeutic Communication with Couples. References. Index.
Human Breast Cancer Invasion and Aggression Correlates with ECM Stiffening and Immune Cell Infiltration

Tumors are stiff and data suggest that the extracellular matrix stiffening that correlates with experimental mammary malignancy drives tumor invasion and metastasis. Nevertheless, the relationship between tissue and extracellular matrix stiffness and human breast cancer progression and aggression remains unclear. We undertook a biophysical and biochemical assessment of stromal–epithelial interactions in noninvasive, invasive and normal adjacent human breast tissue and in breast cancers of increasingly aggressive subtype. Our analysis revealed that human breast cancer transformation is accompanied by an incremental increase in collagen deposition and a progressive linearization and thickening of interstitial collagen. The linearization of collagen was visualized as an overall increase in tissue birefringence and was most striking at the invasive front of the tumor where the stiffness of the stroma and cellular mechanosignaling were the highest. Amongst breast cancer subtypes we found that the stroma at the invasive region of the more aggressive Basal-like and Her2 tumor subtypes was the most heterogeneous and the stiffest when compared to the less aggressive luminal A and B subtypes. Intriguingly, we quantified the greatest number of infiltrating macrophages and the highest level of TGF beta signaling within the cells at the invasive front. We also established that stroma stiffness and the level of cellular TGF beta signaling positively correlated with each other and with the number of infiltrating tumor-activated macrophages, which was highest in the more aggressive tumor subtypes. These findings indicate that human breast cancer progression and aggression, collagen linearization and stromal stiffening are linked and implicate tissue inflammation and TGF beta.
The significance of nitroglycerin-induced changes in ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction

Abstract The potential of nitroglycerin for improving global and regional ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction and predicting serial change in ventricular function at the time of hospital discharge was investigated. Equilibrium multiple gated blood pool scintigrams were performed at rest before and after sublingual administration of nitroglycerin in 18 patients an average of 36 hours after infarction and again at discharge. Global right and left ventricular function and regional left ventricular function of infarct and noninfarct zones were determined scintigraphically. In the early study nitroglycerin increased both mean (± standard deviation) left ventricular ejection fraction (0.51 ± 0.15 to 0.55 ± 0.15; p Early after infarction, sublingual nitroglycerin improved left, right and regional ejection fraction at the infarct site in some patients. These nitroglycerin-induced changes predicted those patients whose global ventricular function and regional left ventricular function at the infarct site improved late.
Morphometric analysis of B2cAMP-induced reverse transformation in synchronized CHO cells

Synchronized tranformed and reverse-transformed (by 10(-3) M B2cAMP) CHO-K1 cells, growing adherent to plastic, are characterized by means of geometric and densitometric parameters at the level of both the entire cell and of the nuclei at various time intervals after selective miotic detachment. Transformed and reverse-transformed cells triple-stained with Feulgen, Napthol Yellow S, and periodic acid-Schiff appeared very similar in terms of integrated optical density (IOD), related to either polysaccharides, protein, or DNA amount. On the other hand, a shift from a polygonal to a spindle-shaped morphology is a accompanied by a significant decrease in both form factor and average optical density (AOD) of intact cell and nuclei, which are the most conspicuous measured changes caused by B2cAMP, in addition to a lengthening of the cell cycle duration. In both control and treated cells, important and parallel cell-cycle-dependent modulations of geometric and densitometric parameters are also observed, for both the cytoplasmic (i.e., cell morphometry) and DNA space (i e., nuclear morphometry). Specifically, the modulation in nulear morphometry during G1, S, G2, and M phases confirms previous findings on synchronized HeLa cells. The optical density threshold-dependence of geometric parameters shows that, while becoming fusiform, the cytoplasm of reverse-transformed cells had a particularly low optical density precisely in the polar area. Utilization of such an approach in the development of an objective morphological classification of all cell lines grown as monolayers "in vitro" is also discussed.
Targeting Liver Cancer: First Steps toward a miRacle?

In a recent issue of Cell, Iliopoulos and colleagues demonstrate a novel and targetable epigenetic amplification loop in hepatocellular carcinoma involving HNF4α, miR-124, IL6-R, Stat3, miR-24, and miR-629. These results establish microRNAs as novel players in early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis and as potential targets for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Winter evaporation on a mountain slope, Hawaii.

Abstract Evaporation measurements at six sites on the island mountain, Haleakala, Hawaii were conducted between late November, 1987 and early January, 1988. Measurements were compared with estimated evaporation using four models to determine the applicability of the models to tropical islands and to identify possible sources of error in model estimates. All four models tested underestimated evaporation at all sites. Positive heat advection from the surrounding ocean and from land sources increased evaporation at low elevations while mixing of dry air through the trade wind inversion greatly increased evaporation at the highest elevation.
The Addition of Choline to Parenteral Nutrition

Choline is a quaternary amine endogenously synthesized from the amino acid methionine or absorbed via the portal circulation. It is ubiquitous in the diet, although it has a greater presence in organ meats. Choline is an essential component of all cell membranes, and has been considered a required dietary nutrient since 1998 by the US Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board. Choline is necessary for DNA repair, mediated by its role as a methyl donor. It also serves as the precursor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Evidence has accumulated that hepatic steatosis, which occurs during parenteral nutrition therapy, develops as a result of choline deficiency because endogenous production of choline from parenterally infused methionine is deficient. In addition, memory deficits and skeletal muscle abnormalities have been described, and choline deficiency appears to activate cellular apoptosis. Provision of intravenous choline ameliorates hepatic steatosis associated with parenteral nutrition infusion.
Heteronormativity, school climates, and perceived safety for gender nonconforming peers

Abstract Students’ perceptions of their school climates are associated with psychosocial and academic adjustment. The present study examined the role of school strategies to promote safety in predicting students’ perceptions of safety for gender nonconforming peers among 1415 students in 28 high schools. Using multilevel modeling techniques, we examined student- and school-level effects on students’ perceptions of safety for gender nonconforming peers. We found that older students, bisexual youth, Latino youth, and youth who experienced school violence perceived their gender nonconforming male peers to be less safe. Similarly, we found that older students and students who experienced school violence and harassment due to gender nonconformity perceived their gender nonconforming female peers to be less safe. At the school-level, we found that when schools included lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) issues in the curriculum and had a Gay-Straight Alliance, students perceived their schools as safer for gender nonconforming male peers.