cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vascular Biology: Look What We Staggered Into

The nuclear receptor superfamily, which includes receptors for steroid hormones, eicosanoids, and retinoic acid, is a group of ligand-dependent transcription factors.1 Included in this family are “orphan” receptors for which regulatory ligands have yet to be defined (Figure). One such group is the retinoid-related orphan receptor (ROR) subfamily, which has three known members (RORα, RORβ, and RORγ). Previous work has suggested that RORs are involved in diverse processes including embryonic development as well as cell differentiation, cell proliferation, and cancer.1 Schematic summary of known influences of RORα in vascular biology. The transcription factor RORα is activated by ligands that are presently unknown. Stimuli that regulate expression of RORα are only beginning to be defined (see text). It is also possible that RORα may be constitutively active in some cell types. RORα interacts and binds with ROR-response elements (RORE), which then influence transcriptional activity of RORα-sensitive target genes. Studies to date, including the present study by Besnard et al,5 suggest that RORα target genes influence several prominent vascular phenotypes including vascular inflammation and development of atherosclerosis, expression of contractile proteins, and regulation of vascular tone (vasodilation and vasoconstriction). Much less is known regarding potential roles for RORs in the cardiovascular system. RORα mRNA is expressed constitutively in human endothelium and vascular muscle in culture as well as within the wall of intact arteries.2,3⇓ The constitutive levels of RORα mRNA are reduced in human atherosclerotic plaques.3 Several proinflammatory stimuli—interleukin-1β, TNFα, and lipopolysaccharide—all increase …
Seemingly unrelated nonlinear regressions

Abstract The article considers the estimation of the parameters of a set of nonlinear regression equations when the responses are contemporaneously but not serially correlated. Conditions are set forth such that the estimator obtained is strongly consistent, asymptotically normally distributed, and asymptotically more efficient than the single-equation least squares estimator. The methods presented allow estimation of the parameters subject to nonlinear restrictions across equations. The article includes a discussion of methods to perform the computations and a Monte Carlo simulation.
Fourier transforms and quantum computation

The foundations of computer science are built upon the modified Church-Turing thesis. This thesis states that any reasonable model of computation can be simulated by a probabilistic Turing Machine with at most polynomial factor simulation overhead (see [10] for a discussion). Early interest in quantum computation from a computer science perspective was sparked by results indicating that quantum computers violate the modified Church-Turing thesis [3],[8]. The seminal work by Shor giving polynomial time algorithms for factorization and discrete logarithms [9] shook the foundations of modern cryptography, and gave a practical urgency to the area of quantum computation. All these quantum algorithms rely crucially upon properties of the Quantum Fourier transforms over finite Abelian groups. Indeed these properties are exactly what is required to solve a general problem known as the hidden subgroup problem, and it is easiest to approach the the algorithms for factoring and discrete logarithms as instances of this general approach. This survey paper focusses on presenting the essential ideas in a simple way, rather than getting the best results.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Early Pregnancy

Publisher Summary Because of the structural similarities between hLH and hCG, the two hormones are similar in their primary biological and immunological activities. Since the 30 amino acid carboxy-terminal sequence is not present in the hLH-β subunit, it is reasonable to assume that portion of the hCG molecule is not necessary for biologic activity. hCG and both of its subunits are highly antigenic. Maintenance of corpus luteum gestation is essential for the maintenance of pregnancy during periimplantation. The primary biological role of chorionic gonadotropin extends the functional life span of the corpus luteum in the fertile menstrual cycle. As human trophoblast cells in tissue culture can produce ample amounts of hCG without involvement of any maternal factor, it would seem more likely that the 99 trophoblast cells present in the 107 cells of human blastocyst could already produce sufficient hCG to provide the necessary signal to the corpus luteum to persist.
Effects of anoxia on the metabolism of the human placenta in vitro.

Abstract Term placental slices metabolize pyruvate, glucose, and fructose to lactate, lipids, and CO 2 like other human tissues. The utilization of glucose or fructose by the placental slices indicates the presence of active hexokinases; only a minute amount of glucose is produced by the term placenta. Term placenta has rates of lipogenesis and glycolysis in nitrogen similar to adult liver. The amount of metabolites produced by fetal and adult liver are about equal to those produced by term placenta in oxygen and nitrogen, when measured per unit of ribonucleic acid to adjust for the variations in the water content. On the basis of these results, biochemical placental senescence and onset of labor are discussed. In contrast to the similarities summarized above, term placenta has its own patterns in some other aspects, namely, fructose production, low glycogen content, and glucose production. It is still fairly active at term.
Interest Group Politics within Kuyper's Sphere Sovereignty

Whether viewed as advocating on behalf of “special interests” or the broader “public interest,” interest groups play a central role in modern politics. But theories of pluralism presume that, so long as interest groups have access to participate in the political process, the outcome of the process is, democratically-speaking, good. Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), a Dutch journalist, politician, and theologian, proposed the concepts of “sphere sovereignty” and “public justice” to delineate the proper function and scope of government in relation to other non-governmental institutions (e.g. families, churches, civic associations), and insisted that different institutions in society exercise governance (i.e. sovereignty) over their respective spheres of responsibility. In my paper I seek to normatively assess the role of interest groups based on Kuyper’s central concepts of sphere sovereignty and public justice. On his view, it would seem that interest groups, to the extent that they themselves recognize and respect the boundaries of their own sphere of sovereignty, serve a legitimate role in the political system by providing informational and mobilization links between government (or the state) and civil society. Further, Kuyper’s religiously-based political views may provide a previously underappreciated perspective from which to seek a solution to a seemingly intractable problem of global politics: how to resolve policy disagreements between groups with deep, paradigm-based differences.
Azimuthal quadrupole correlation from gluon interference in 200 GeV and 7 TeV p + p collisions

The Balitskii-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov multi-Pomeron model of Levin and Rezaeian, with extension to the gluon saturation region, is applied to long-range pseudorapidity correlations on relative azimuth for low-momentum final-state hadrons produced in $\sqrt{s}=200\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ and 7 TeV $p+p$ collisions. The multi-Pomeron exchange probabilities in the model were estimated by fitting the minimum-bias $p+p$ multiplicity frequency distributions. The multi-Pomeron model prediction for the amplitude of the minimum-bias average quadrupole correlation, proportional to $\mathrm{cos}2({\ensuremath{\phi}}_{1}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\phi}}_{2})$, is consistent with the 200 GeV data when theoretically expected gluon saturation momentum scales are used. Correlation predictions for the high-multiplicity 7 TeV $p+p$ collision data are also consistent with the long-range pseudorapidity correlations at small relative azimuth observed in the data. The results presented here show that the present application of a multiple-parton-shower gluon interference mechanism for generating the long-range pseudorapidity, azimuthal quadrupole correlation is not excluded by the data.
THE EVOLUTION OF CLUTCH SIZE. II. A TEST OF THE MURRAY-NOLAN EQUATION.

We test the Murray-Nolan equation for calculating clutch sizes of birds with demographic data from a long-term study of the Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma c. coerulescens). The predicted value, 3.43, is very close to the observed clutch size, 3.33. This result provides further support for the equation's being an adequate description of the relationship among the factors affecting the clutch size of birds.
Simulating the Consumers' Energy Profiles Using Multiagent Systems

Simulation of home use of electric energy is a very powerful tool for the purpose of studying, planning and managing at electric energy distribution companies. This paper presents a NetLogo-based multi-agent system for energy consumption simulation in residential areas. Several possible consumers profiles and household appliances with different powers are modeled and simulated using computational agents. Seven distinct profiles of possible behaviors of consumers and household appliances with different powers are modeled and simulated using computational agents.
Can inflammation regulate systemic aging

Senescence, at both the cellular and organismal levels, results from an accumulation of genetic and epigenetic changes that lead to progressive cell deterioration, impaired tissue function, homeostatic imbalance, declining resilience in response to stressors, and a subsequent vulnerability to age-induced disease development (Burton, 2009). While a single mechanism for the cause and progression of biological aging has not been established, among the most common theories include telomere attrition, endocrine disorders, and oxidative stress (Kirkwood, 1988). Despite these widely accepted models, however, the etiology of senescence at the cellular and molecular levels remains largely undefined. Previous studies have suggested that chronic inflammation contributes to cellular senescence by propelling basic aging processes (Ren et al., 2009).While the immune response characteristic of acute inflammation dampens within days, chronic inflammation is characterized by elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to physiological and environmental stressors that essentially arrest the immune system in a state of low-level activation (Baylis et al., 2013). The chronically active immune system associated with advancing age, termed “inflammaging,” eventually initiates immunosenescence, the functional decline of the immune system with age (Franceschi et al., 2007; Freund et al., 2010). Although definitive mechanisms are yet to be identified, the pro-inflammatory phenotype of senescent cells, coupled with the up-regulation of the inflammatory responsewith increasing age, has been found to play a role in the initiation and progression of age-
A Consistent Method for Producing Gram Quantities of Typical Bipolaris Zeicola and B. Maydis Conidia

A consistent method was developed to economically produce gram quantities of typical Bipolaris zeicola and B. maydis conidia that are viable, uniform, morphologically normal, and free from other fungi and bacteria. Such conidia were produced on a lima bean agar (LBA) consisting of 20 g/liter finely ground dry baby lima bean seed and 7.5 g/liter USP crude agar. Plates of LBA were inoculated with conidia, incubated at 25 C in the dark or under fluorescent light (continuous 100-200 lux) for 14 days, and dried at 32-35 C to a thin film. Conidia were aseptically vacuumed at 200 mm Hg from the dried medium with a cyclone spore collector. We obtained 25 g of phragmoconidia of each species from 300 LBA petri dish cultures (-82 mg conidia/plate culture). Cultures on the LBA medium produced four to six times more conidia than on potato dextrose agar medium and at the lowest practical cost of any of several substrates tried.
Not All Generic Concerta Is Created Equal: Comparison of OROS versus Non-OROS Methylphenidate ER for the Treatment of ADHD (P6.331)

Objective: Examine treatment effectiveness between equivalent doses of non-OROS methylphenidate ER and OROS (unique extended release delivery system) methylphenidate ER among a clinical sample of youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Background: In November 2014, the FDA announced concerns regarding the therapeutic equivalence of non-OROS methylphenidate ER (generics manufactured by Mallinckrodt and Kremers) as compared to OROS methylphenidate ER (brand name Concerta, generic manufactured by Actavis). Anecdotal caregiver reports corroborate this claim. Methods: As part of routine clinical care, some patients taking generic methylphenidate ER continued to demonstrate significant symptoms of ADHD. Contact with patient pharmacies revealed that the non-OROS formulation had been dispensed. Patients were then instructed to fill their prescription at a pharmacy that supplied OROS at the same dosage. The Conners-Third Edition:Parent Rating Scale-Short Form was used to compare ADHD symptoms when patients were taking non-OROS versus OROS at follow up visits. A repeated measures mixed-model approach was used to compare treatment effectiveness. Results: For the entire sample (N=14), there was a reduction in the mean score on the Inattention Scale from clinically significant (T-score>65) to not clinically significant (T-score<65) when patients were changed from non-OROS to OROS (mean T-score reduction=23, p<.0001). When stratified by ADHD subtype, patients with Combined Type (mean T-score reduction=21, p=.0015) and Predominantly Inattentive Type (mean T-score reduction=27, p=.0141) demonstrated a similar reduction in T-scores on the Inattention Scale when they were changed from non-OROS to OROS. Patients with Combined Type demonstrated a similar reduction on the Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Scale when they were changed from non-OROS to OROS (mean T-score reduction=21, p=.0048). Conclusions: Results provide empirical support for FDA concerns that non-OROS is not therapeutically equivalent to OROS for the treatment of ADHD. This is important information for neurologists who care for youth with ADHD and something to consider when other long-acting medications go generic. Disclosure: Dr. Lally has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kral has nothing to disclose. Dr. Boan has nothing to disclose.
Clinical analysis of 10 cases of glibenclamide treatment of neonatal diabetes mellitus

Objective To analyze and discuss the effect of treatment on patients with neonatal diabetes mellitus with glibenclamide. Methods To analyze and summarize the clinical data 10 cases of neonatal diabetes mellitus patients during the period of 2000 May-2013 year in March in our hospital. Analysis of the effect of glibenclamide on the treatment of patients with. Results The birth weight of 10 patients at the age of 3days-2 months at the age of 3days-2 months was in 2.5-3 kg,to the hospital for treatment,blood glucose increased significantly,and the symptoms associated with ketosis acid poisoning.In hospitalized patients, insulin therapy on,improved diabetic ketoacidosis patients.The patient’s blood sugar was reduced to below 15 mmol/L,then treated with glibenclamide.Treatment of 5 patients with glibenclamide,dosage was 0.5 mg/(kg·d),to stop the use of insulin.For a period of 7 months of follow up for patients,patients still need to take glibenclamide, the daily use of 0.3 mg/kg,the patients blood sugar stable,no significant side effects. Conclusion Some patients with glibenclamide treatment,obvious effect,does not require the use of insulin, and alleviate the suffering of patients.Therefore,treatment,patients with neonatal diabetes mellitus with glibenclamide effect is obvious,it is worthy of clinical application.
Comparion of Contents of Flavonoids in Radix Astragali Tap Root and Lateral Root

Objective:To compare the contents of flavonoids in radix astragali tap root and lateral root.Method:Use calycosin and fermononetin as the indicators,determination of the contents of their in radix astragali tap root and lateral root by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).Result:The average contents of calycosin and fermononetin in lateral root higher than the tap root were 28.00%,29.84%.Conclusion:The research with positive significance to the astragalus quality evaluation,and worth to be further study.
Malignant Androblastoma (Sertoli Cell Tumor) of the Testis. A Case Report with a Review of the Literature

AbstractSertoli cell tumor of the testis is rare. Of those reported only 10 per cent are malignant. An additional malignant Sertoli cell tumor is reported with a discussion of the pathological aspects and a review of the literature.
The discursive roots of the community: a genealogy of the curriculum

Abstract: This article explores discourses constructed about the curriculum in the United States. The highlighted period goes from the 1890s to the first thirty years of the 20 th century. Attention is given to the documents produced by the National Education Association (NEA) and the discursive formations outlined by three key individuals: Edward L. Thorndike, Ross L. Finney, and John Dewey. The main issue is about the curriculum as an effort to institute and perpetuate group living and the dispute around the idea of community. Keywords: Curriculum, Community, Dewey, Thorndike, Finney. Resumo: Este artigo explora discursos construidos em torno do curriculo nos Estados Unidos. O periodo destacado se situa entre os anos de 1890 e os primeiros trinta anos do seculo XX. Destacam-se os documentos produzidos pela National Education Association (NEA) e as formacoes discursivas delineadas por tres individuos chave: Edward L. Thorndike, Ross L. Finney e John Dewey. A questao central abordada diz respeito ao curriculo como esforco de instituir e perpetuar a vida grupal e a disputa pela ideia de comunidade Palavras-chave: Curriculo, Comunidade, Dewey, Thorndike, Finney. Resumen Este articulo explora los discursos construidos en torno del curriculo en los Estados Unidos. El periodo destacado se situa entre los anos de 1890 y los primeros treinta anos del siglo XX. Se destacan los documentos produzidos por la Asociacion Nacional de Educacion (NEA) y las formaciones discursivas delineadas por tres individuos clave: Edward L. Thorndike, Ross L. Finney y John Dewey. La cuestion abordada considera el curriculo como el esfuerzo de instituir y perpetuar la vida grupal y la disputa por la idea de comunidad. Palabras-clave: Curriculo, Comunidad, Dewey, Thorndike, Finney.
Grand Challenges for Engineering Education

In 2013 the National Research Council released A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts (NRC 2012), followed soon after by Next Generation Science Standards. Unlike previous documents that were confined to knowledge and skills in science, the new standards include engineering design at the same level as scientific inquiry. Although science and engineering have always been close partners, meeting the new standards poses huge challenges for science and engineering educators that range from communicating a broader understanding of the nature of technology and engineering to the development of entirely new instructional materials, professional development methods, and breaking down barriers at every level of our nation’s science educational infrastructure.
186Os/188Os variations in upper mantle peridotites: Constraints on the Pt/Os ratio of primitive upper mantle, and implications for late veneer accretion and mantle mixing timescales

Abstract 186 Os/ 188 Os variations in mantle peridotites provide constraints on the long-term Pt/Os evolution of the depleted mantle and the Pt/Os ratio of the primitive upper mantle (PUM). We report new 186 Os/ 188 Os data for mantle peridotites from continental (Rio Grande Rift and Colorado Plateau) and oceanic (Lena Trough and Hawaiian Islands) settings that span a wide range in fertility (Al 2 O 3 ≈ 0.67-4.42 wt.%) and 187 Os/ 188 Os ratios (0.1138-0.1305). Although peridotite 186 Os/ 188 Os values span only a narrow range (from 0.1198345 to 0.1198384), 186 Os/ 188 Os broadly correlates with indices of melt depletion including bulk rock Al 2 O 3 , spinel Cr#, and clinopyroxene Cr#, consistent with Pt depletion in residual peridotites. PUM 186 Os/ 188 Os is estimated to be 0.1198378 ± 23 (2 SD) based on extrapolation of 186 Os/ 188 Os-fertility trends, which is very slightly lower than H-chondrites [≈ 0.1198398 ± 16 (2 SD); Brandon et al., 2006]. This value is consistent with a PUM Pt/Os of 1.7 ± 0.2, similar to average Pt/Os ratios of fertile continental peridotites. The inferred PUM Pt/Os is slightly lower than but within error of Pt/Os values measured in several classes of chondrites [Carbonaceous ≈ 1.8 ± 0.2, Ordinary ≈ 1.9 ± 0.1, and Enstatite ≈ 1.9 ± 0.1 (Brandon et al., 2006)] indicating that PUM Pt/Os is broadly chondritic. In contrast, estimates for PUM Ru/Ir and Pd/Ir (cf. Becker et al., 2006) are suprachondritic. The addition of a chondritic late veneer alone cannot create a combination of chondritic and suprachondritic HSE ratios for the PUM. Instead, minor core segregation occurring concurrently with the addition of a late veneer may explain the observed mantle HSE abundances and ratios. Combined 186 Os/ 188 Os- 187 Os/ 188 Os isotopic and Pt/Os and Re/Os variability in peridotites suggest an average mantle homogenization timescale of ~ 1.2 Ga. In contrast, combined Hf-Nd isotopic and Lu/Hf and Sm/Nd variability in peridotites indicate much shorter homogenization timescales (
A Comparative Investigation of Two Methods of Teaching Phonics in a Modern Reading Program

(1963). A Comparative Investigation of Two Methods of Teaching Phonics in a Modern Reading Program. The Journal of Experimental Education: Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 249-256.
Frequency-selective I/Q imbalance compensation for OFDM receivers using decision-feedback adaptive filtering

I/Q imbalance in practical direct-conversion receivers is a major impairment in OFDM systems. The increasing demand for wider bandwidth and higher data throughput illuminates the need for robust and high performance frequency-selective I/Q imbalance compensation in OFDM direct-conversion receivers. Inspired by the 2005 work of Capozio, Pratima, and Vizzi, this paper presents an approach for mitigating frequency-selective I/Q imbalance using decision-feedback adaptive filtering. The presented approach may be viewed as a generalization of the cited 2005 work to frequency-selective operation. By making use of decision-feedback, a very high level of image rejection can be achieved, thereby enabling the use of higher order modulation on OFDM subcarriers. The method is online, fully adaptive, and is suitable for use in systems with digitally compensated carrier frequency offset (CFO). For the specific frequency-selective I/Q imbalance case considered, simulations show a significant improvement in the image rejection ratio (IRR) and the post compensation effective E b /N o , with the proposed method outperforming similar compensation methods.
Relative costs of anesthesiologist prepared, hospital pharmacy prepared and outsourced anesthesia drugs

Abstract Background Anesthesia drugs can be prepared by anesthesia providers, hospital pharmacies or outsourcing facilities. The decision whether to outsource all or some anesthesia drugs is challenging since the costs associated with different anesthesia drug preparation methods remain poorly described. Methods The costs associated with preparation of 8 commonly used anesthesia drugs were analyzed using a budget impact analysis for 4 different syringe preparation strategies: (1) all drugs prepared by anesthesiologist, (2) drugs prepared by anesthesiologist and hospital pharmacy, (3) drugs prepared by anesthesiologist and outsourcing facility, and (4) all drugs prepared by outsourcing facility. Main results A strategy combining anesthesiologist and hospital pharmacy prepared drugs was associated with the lowest estimated annual cost in the base-case budget impact analysis with an annual cost of $225 592, which was lower than other strategies by a margin of greater than $86 000. Conclusion A combination of anesthesiologist and hospital pharmacy prepared drugs resulted in the lowest annual cost in the budget impact analysis. However, the cost of drugs prepared by an outsourcing facility maybe lower if the capital investment needed for the establishment and maintenance of the US Pharmacopeial Convention Chapter compliant facility is included in the budget impact analysis.
Molecular Packing of Amphiphilic Nanosheets Resolved by X-ray Scattering

Molecular packing in light harvesting 2D assemblies of photocatalytic materials is a critical factor for solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency. However, structure–function correlations have yet to be fully established. This is partly due to the difficulties in extracting the molecular arrangements from the complex 3D powder averaged diffraction patterns of 2D lattices, obtained via in situ wide-angle X-ray scattering. Here, we develop a scattering theory formalism and couple it with a simple geometrical model for the molecular shape of chromophore 9-methoxy-N-(sodium hexanoate)perylene-3,4-dicarboximide (MeO-PMI) used in our study. This generally applicable method fully reproduces the measured diffraction pattern including the asymmetric line shapes for the Bragg reflections and yields the molecular packing arrangement within a 2D crystal structure with a remarkable degree of detail. We find an approximate edge-centered herringbone structure for the PMI fused aromatic rings and ordering of the carboxypentyl...
Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral Oxime Ethers: Desymmetrization and Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of Substituted Cyclohexanones

Axially chiral cyclohexylidene oxime ethers exhibit unique chirality because of the restricted rotation of C=N. The first catalytic enantioselective synthesis of novel axially chiral cyclohexylidene oximes has been developed by catalytic desymmetrization of 4-substituted cyclohexanones with O-arylhydroxylamines and is catalyzed by a chiral BINOL-derived strontium phosphate with excellent yields and good enantioselectivities. In addition, chiral BINOL-derived phosphoric acid catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution of α-substituted cyclohexanones has been performed and yields versatile intermediates in high yields and enantioselectivities.
Hero and Villain on a Foreign Land: A Textual Analysis on U.S. Newspaper Coverage of China’s Uighur Unrest

This study aims at understanding U.S. media coverage of China’s relationship with its mostly Muslim minority group Uighur during the period of several deadly attacks conducted by members from Uighur ethnic group. The study looks into 52 news stories and 3 opinion pieces in the New York Times and the Washington Post in a six-month period. Drawn from the theories of news framing and news narratives, the analysis found that the news discourse about China’s Uighur unrest presented a clear-cut vision of a repressive government and a prisoned intellectual Ilham Tohti. This image conjures two major mythical elements: the repressive villain and the persecuted hero. By attributing the ultimate blame unanimously to government control and policy, the articles employed a resentment frame to portray China’s ethnic relationships and downplayed the severity of actual attacks.
Stearoyl CoA Desaturase 1 (SCD1) Is Upregulated in Rapidly Growing Myeloma Cells and Is Required for Cell Proliferation

Abstract 3943 Myeloma plasma cell high labeling index and molecular signature of proliferation are strong adverse prognostic factors often characterize patients with high risk disease. The overall aim of the study was to identify cell proliferation associated genes implicating highly proliferating myeloma cells in the supportive bone marrow environment. To shed light on molecular factors associated with rapid growth of myeloma cells, primary myeloma cells from 10 patients, molecularly classified as high risk were engrafted in SCID-rab mice. Growth rate of myeloma varied between patients9 cells but in all cases myeloma propagated within and surrounding the supportive implanted bone but not in any murine organs. We performed global gene expression profiling (GEP) on myeloma plasma cells recovered from mice and compared their GEP with the baseline, pre-injected myeloma cells. Based on stringent criteria (e.g. p 2 folds) approximately 127 probe sets were commonly overexpressed and 36 probe sets underexpressed in myeloma cells from SCID-rab mice than baseline myeloma cells. Genes whose expression altered were mainly associated with proliferation, survival, metabolism, transcription and immunity. Among genes involved in cell proliferation we indentified stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), which was upregulated in 7 of 10 cases by overall 2.3±0.6 folds (p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Ablation of Musculoskeletal Metastases.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to summarize the evidence supporting thermal ablation of musculoskeletal metastases on the basis of clinical application and to describe an approach to per...
Inductively Coupled Plasmas (ICPs)

Inductively Coupled Plasmas are so called because the RF electric field is induced in the plasma by an external antenna. ICPs have two main advantages: 1) no internal electrodes are needed as in capacitively coupled systems, and 2) no dc magnetic field is required as in ECR reactors. These benefits make ICPs probably the most common of plasma tools. These devices come in many different configurations, categorized in Fig. 10. In the simplest form, the antenna consists of one or several turns of water-cooled tubing wrapped around a ceramic cylinder, which forms the sidewall of the plasma chamber. Fig. 2 shows two commercial reactor of this type. The spiral coil acts like an electromagnet, creating an RF magnetic field inside the chamber. This field, in turn generates an RF electric field by Faraday’s Law: $$ \nabla \times E = {{ - dB} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{ - dB} {dt \equiv }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {dt \equiv }}\dot B, $$ (3) B-dot being a term we will use to refer to the RF magnetic field. This field is perpendicular to the antenna current, but the E-field is more or less parallel to the antenna current and opposite to it. Thus, with a slinky-shaped antenna, the E-field in the plasma would be in the azimuthal direction.
Estimating Hydraulic Conductivity in Vivo Using Magnetic Resonance Elastography

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is an imaging technique that estimates mechanical properties of in vivo tissue. Traditionally, a linear elastic or viscoelastic material model has been used to describe tissue behavior. Recently, a poroelastic algorithm has been developed to better estimate properties of biphasic tissues such as brain, which is 75-80% water. While shear modulus and pore-pressure are usually estimated from this model, hydraulic conductivity may also provide pertinent clinical information. Defined as the rate at which fluid penetrates through pores, estimates of this parameter would be an important biomarker in applications like tumor identification, detection of increased intracranial pressure, diagnosing traumatic brain injury, and drug delivery. Sensitivity analyses have been performed to demonstrate the feasibility of reconstructing this parameter, and hydraulic conductivity has been successfully estimated in simulations. The focus of current work is improving the reliability of this parameter for use in phantoms and in vivo. A robust hydraulic conductivity reconstruction would allow for a wide array of studies testing its applicability to diagnosing disease.
Solving Large-scale Quadratic Programs with Tensor-train-based Algorithms with Application to Trajectory Optimization

In this paper, we develop an efficient interior point method (IPM) for convex quadratic programming (QP). The proposed algorithm keeps all relevant variables in a compressed format enabled by the tensor-train (TT) decomposition. The algorithm, called TT-IPM, requires much less memory, even when compared to IPMs that utilize sparse arrays, and is able to solve large-scale QPs. Under certain assumptions, we prove that the TT-IPM inherits the superlinear convergence property of traditional IPMs. Furthermore, the TT-IPM uses storage that scales polylogarithmically with the number of variables and the TT-ranks. Finally, we illustrate the computation time and storage savings of TT-IPM in a trajectory optimization problem. We show that even in fairly sparse optimization problems with percentage of nonzero elements in the problem data close to 0.0002 percent, the tensor-train representation allows TT-IPM to outperform state-of-the-art IPM that use sparse arrays.
Nicotine is neuroprotective to neonatal neurons of sympathetic ganglion in rat.

Abstract Sympathetic neurons of SCG are dependent on availability of nerve growth factor (NGF) for their survival. SCG neurons express nicotinic receptors (nAChR) whose expression levels are modulated by nicotine. Nicotine exerts multiple effects on neurons, including neuroprotection, through nAChR binding. Although sympathetic neurons express robust levels of nAChR, a possible neuroprotective role for nicotine in these neurons is not well-understood. Therefore we determined the effect of nicotine exposure on survival of SCG neurons during NGF withdrawal in a well-established cell culture system. NGF was withdrawn in rat neonatal SCG neuron cultures which were then treated with either 10 μM nicotine alone or with nAChR antagonists 0.1 μM α-bungarotoxin (antagonist for α7 subunit bearing nAChR) and 10 μM mecamylamine (non-specific antagonist for ganglionic nAChR) for 48 h. Apoptotic death was determined by TUNEL staining. Cell survival was also determined by MTS assay. Western blot analysis of ERK1/2 was also performed. Our results showed that exposure to 10 μM nicotine significantly reduced apoptotic cell death in SCG neurons resulting from NGF withdrawal as shown by fewer TUNEL positive cells. The MTS assay results also revealed that 10 μM nicotine concentration significantly increased cell survival thus indicating neuroprotective effect of nicotine against cell death resulting from NGF withdrawal. Nicotinic receptor antagonists (bungarotoxin & mecamylamine) attenuated the effect of nicotine's action of neuroprotection. Western blot analysis showed an increased expression of ERK1/2 in nicotine treated cultures suggesting nicotine provided neuroprotection in SCG neurons by increasing the expression of ERK1/2 through nicotinic receptor dependent mechanisms.
New OTC Drugs and Devices 2002: A Selective Review

objective To create a heightened awareness of two consumer issues confronting pharmacists in the self-care arena-consumers' need for accurate information about over-the-counter (OTC) products and consumers' attitudes and beliefs about OTC drugs-and to educate pharmacists about newly introduced nonprescription products, home screening devices, and home accessories. Data Sources Recently published clinical and pharmaceutical industry literature and survey results from the National Council on Patient Information and Education. Data Synthesis Although changes have been made to labeling for OTC products to heighten consumers' awareness of the dangers associated with misuse of these products, consumers need the expertise of the pharmacist to guide them toward effective and safe self-care. It remains critical that pharmacists be knowledgeable about the numerous nonprescription products that become available on the U.S. market each year and take the initiative to counsel patients appropriately on the benefits and risks associated with their use. Conclusion Patients will continue to place an increasing emphasis on self-care. To assist them, pharmacists must remain up-to-date on trends and have an understanding of the nuances of consumers' behavior and thinking in relation to OTC products and their use. The new nonprescription medications and diagnostic screening devices discussed in this review article represent valuable additions to the growing array of self-care products.
The Climate System

Interesting but sometimes complex interacting processes cause differences in climate between more urbanized areas and nearby less urbanized areas. This chapter aims to provide an understanding of urban climate systems and the ecological significance of the differences between rural and urban climate. We include explanations of terms, units of measurement, and basic equations that are commonly used in the expanding scientific literature from urban climate research around the world. We describe the physical processes that govern energy balances of urban landscapes—human-caused heat input; modified solar and thermal radiation; transfer of sensible heat, which we feel as air temperature differences; and movement of heat by evaporation and condensation of water. The urban effects on energy transfer and the flow of air in the lower layers of the Earth’s boundary layer cause temperature differences between urban and rural areas known at the urban heat island (UHI) effect, which can commonly reach intensities of 10 °C. This effect is a main focus of the chapter. UHIs are altered by topographic influences that sometimes overwhelm urban land cover influences on air temperature. We describe types of UHIs and provide examples, the methods used to detect UHIs, and the influences of tree cover and parks. We briefly describe the effects of urban structure on wind, including thermally driven flow. Finally, we relate urban climate to global climate change and explore some of the difficulty of separating urbanization influences from global climate change.
Pestacin: a 1,3-dihydro isobenzofuran from Pestalotiopsis microspora possessing antioxidant and antimycotic activities

Abstract Pestalotiopsis microspora, an endophytic fungus native to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea, produces a 1,3-dihydro isobenzofuran. This product, pestacin, is 1,5,7-trisubstituted and exhibits moderate antifungal properties and antioxidant activity 11 times greater than the vitamin E derivative trolox. Antioxidant activity is proposed to arise primarily via cleavage of an unusually reactive C–H bond and, to a lesser extent, through O–H abstraction. Isolation of pestacin was achieved by extraction of culture fluid with methylene chloride followed by silica gel chromatography. Structure was established by X-ray diffraction and 13C and 1H NMR. The X-ray data demonstrate that pestacin occurs naturally as a racemic mixture. A mechanism for post-biosynthetic racemization is proposed.
Cryo-EM Reveals Ligand Induced Allostery Underlying InsP3R Channel Gating

Inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (InsP 3 Rs) are cation channels that mobilize Ca 2+ from intracellular stores in response to a wide range of cellular stimuli. The paradigm of InsP 3 R activation is the coupled interplay between binding of InsP 3 and Ca 2+ that switches the ion conduction pathway between closed and open states to enable the passage of Ca 2+ through the channel. However, the molecular mechanism of how the receptor senses and decodes ligand-binding signals into gating motion remains unknown. Here we present the electron cryo-microscopy structure of InsP 3 R1 from rat cerebellum determined to 4.1 A resolution in the presence of activating concentrations of Ca 2+ and adenophostin A (AdA), a structural mimetic of InsP 3 and the most potent known agonist of the channel. Comparison with the 3.9 A-resolution structure of InsP 3 R1 in the Apo-state, also reported herein, reveals the binding arrangement of AdA in the tetrameric channel assembly and striking ligand-induced conformational rearrangements within cytoplasmic domains coupled to the dilation of a hydrophobic constriction at the gate. Together, our results provide critical insights into the mechanistic principles by which ligand-binding allosterically gates InsP 3 R channel.
The Influence of Donor and Reservoir Additives on Caco-2 Permeability and Secretory Transport of HIV Protease Inhibitors and Other Lipophilic Compounds

Purpose. To optimize the conditions for determining Caco-2 permeation of HIV protease inhibitors and other lipophilic compounds, and to compare cyclic urea HIV protease inhibitors with marketed compounds.
Prediction of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis progression using early quantitative changes on CT imaging for a short term of clinical 18–24-month follow-ups

High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) plays an indispensable role in the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Due to unpredictability in progression and the short median survival of 2–5 years, it is critical to delineate the patients with rapid progression. The aim is to evaluate the predictability of IPF progression using the early quantitative changes. Automated texture-based quantitative lung fibrosis (QLF) was calculated from the anonymized HRCT. Two datasets were collected retrospectively: (1) a pilot study of 35 subjects with three sequential scans (baseline and 6 and 12 months) to obtain a threshold, where visual assessments were stable at 6 months but worsened at 12 months; (2) 157 independent subjects to test the threshold. Landmark Cox regressions were used to compare the progression-free survival (PFS) defined by pulmonary function using the threshold from the early changes in QLF. C-indexes were reported as estimations of the concordance of prediction. A threshold of 4% QLF change at 6 months corresponded to the mean change that worsened on HRCT visually at 12 months from the pilot study. Using the threshold, significant differences were found in the independent dataset (hazard ratio (HZ) = 5.92, p = 0.001 by Cox model, C-index = 0.71 at the most severe lobe; and HZ = 3.22, p = 0.012, C-index = 0.68 in the whole lung). Median PFS was 11.9 months for subjects with ≥ 4% changes, whereas median PFS was greater than 18 months for subjects with < 4% changes at the most severe lobe. Early structural changes on HRCT using a quantitative score can predict progression in lung function. • Changes on HRCT using quantitative texture-based scores can play a pivotal role for providing information and an aid tool for timely management decision for patients with IPF. • Quantitative changes on HRCT of 4% or more, which matched 6-month prior changes with visual assessment of worsening, can play a pivotal role for providing prediction of clinical progression by 3–5 folds higher in the next incidence, compared with those of subjects with less than 4% changes. • Early structural changes of 4% or more in a paired HRCT scans derived by quantitative scores can predict the progression in lung function in 1–2 years in subjects with IPF, which is critical information for timely management decision for subjects with IPF where the median survival is 2 to 5 years.
“Providing a perspective that’s a little bit different”: Academic and professional experiences of male speech-language pathologists

Purpose: A significant gender imbalance exists in the profession of speech-language pathology and the perspectives of male speech-language pathologists are underrepresented in the professional lite...
Evolution makes a splash

North Star Games9 new board game, Oceans, simulates marine evolution, modeling the fierce struggle for existence among competing species in an "eat or be eaten" environment. Building on the prior successes of the series, it packages all this into a fast-paced and dynamic strategy game with high replay value.
Additive Manufacturing Cyber-Physical System: Supply Chain Cybersecurity and Risks

Additive Manufacturing (AM) methods have become increasingly efficient and industrially viable in the past ten years. These methods offer the freedom of complexity to the designers and choices of localized and pull-based production system to the managers. These propositions of AM have been enabling custom manufacturing and are catalysts for rapid growth of additive manufacturing (AM). This paper analyzes the general characteristics of AM supply chain and proposes three AM supply chain models based on the specific nature of the industry. Our description of the models emphasizes on adopting an holistic view of the AM supply chain and therefore includes raw material, printer hardware and the virtual supply chain. Throughout the product life cycle of additively manufactured products, the interlacing of the virtual supply chain ( digital thread ) with the physical supply chain and their operations fundamentally make the AM process a cyber-physical system (CPS). Therefore, the technology brings along with it benefits of a CPS as well as a new class of attack vectors. We discuss the possible attacks (printer, raw material and design level), risks (reverse engineering, counterfeiting and theft) and provide an enhanced risk classification scheme. We contend that the traditional cybersecurity methods need to evolve to address the new class of attack vectors that threaten the AM supply chain and also discuss the nature of existing solutions that help in addressing the risks and attack threats. In providing an holistic view of the AM supply chain the interdependencies of the processes in the AM supply chain are presented and we elucidate the effects of local attack vectors on the entire supply chain. Further, we discuss the existing security measures to mitigate the risk and identify the existing gap in AM security that needs to be bridged.
Postexercise Slowing on the King-Devick Test and Longer Recovery From Sport-Related Concussion in Adolescents: A Validation Study.

Context The King-Devick (KD) test is a rapid number-reading test that has emerging use in the assessment of sport-related concussion (SRC). Previous research suggested that healthy individuals and ...
Brain Computer Interface Implementation on Cognitive States

Brain–Computer Interface (BCI) is a channel of communication between a brain and a machine. It is based on the interpretation of the electrical activity of mind and can be used to direct any external action such as control of a wheelchair. This paper discusses the development of a cost effective, efficient, non-invasive and easy to use multiclass BCI. For this self-acquired Electroencephalography (EEG) signals of different cognitive actions recorded over cerebral cortexes of different people are analyzed and then classified using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). These classified signals are used to control the movement of a self-developed prototype of stretcher via a microcontroller. Stretcher in the proposed model can be replaced by any other machine and that machine can be controlled directly by brain. Hence this novel model can be used to develop brain-controlled devices for normal people as well as for People with Disability (PWD).
Object attachment and decision-making

The perceived value of our possessions extends well beyond their monetary worth or utility. Many possessions produce abiding attachments and contain deep conceptual meanings, which strongly influence our drive to acquire, retain, or relinquish them. In both the endowment effect and hoarding disorder (HD) research had focused on the degree that a fear of loss produces overvaluation by owners. There is evidence for this at both the behavioral and neural level, for example with self-reported negative emotions and activation in the insula and anterior cingulate cortex when one struggles to relinquish a good. However, there is also evidence from both fields that positive appraisals, motivations, and attachments participate in this process, with supporting activation in the dopaminergic mesolimbocortical system (e.g. nucleus accumbens and orbitofrontal cortex). These processes appear continuous between typical and clinical populations and with decisions about rewarding items in other contexts and species, such as food storing in rodents and offspring care in mammals. More research is needed on the degree that our attachment to and protection of goods reflect ancient neural systems for offspring care. We also need to study participants from other demographics and levels of wealth, and to consider how task framing shifts the proportion of associated negative and positive emotional states.