cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The xanthine oxidase inhibitor Febuxostat reduces tissue uric acid content and inhibits injury-induced inflammation in the liver and lung

Necrotic cell death in vivo induces a robust neutrophilic inflammatory response and the resulting inflammation can cause further tissue damage and disease. Dying cells induce this inflammation by releasing pro-inflammatory intracellular components, one of which is uric acid. Cells contain high levels of intracellular uric acid, which is produced when purines are oxidized by the enzyme xanthine oxidase. Here we test whether a non-nucleoside xanthine oxidase inhibitor, Febuxostat (FBX), can reduce intracellular uric acid levels and inhibit cell death-induced inflammation in two different murine tissue injury models; acid-induced acute lung injury and acetaminophen liver injury. Infiltration of inflammatory cells induced by acid injection into lungs or peritoneal administration of acetaminophen was evaluated by quantification with flow cytometry and tissue myeloperoxidase activity in the presence or absence of FBX treatment. Uric acid levels in serum and tissue were measured before giving the stimuli and during inflammation. The impact of FBX treatment on the peritoneal inflammation caused by the microbial stimulus, zymosan, was also analyzed to see whether FBX had a broad anti-inflammatory effect. We found that FBX reduced uric acid levels in acid-injured lung tissue and inhibited acute pulmonary inflammation triggered by lung injury. Similarly, FBX reduced uric acid levels in the liver and inhibited inflammation in response to acetaminophen-induced hepatic injury. In contrast, FBX did not reduce inflammation to zymosan, and therefore is not acting as a general anti-inflammatory agent. These results point to the potential of using agents like FBX to treat cell death-induced inflammation.
Antibody-modified liposomes for cancer chemotherapy.

Background: Liposomes, phospholipids, nanosized bubbles with a bilayered membrane structure, have drawn a lot of interest as pharmaceutical carriers for drugs and genes. In particular, liposomes are widely used for drug delivery into tumors. Objective: In many cases, to enhance the efficacy of the liposomal drugs, drug-loaded liposomes are targeted to the tumors by means of different specific ligands, such as monoclonal antibodies. Thus, this review analyzes the application of antibody-targeted liposomes loaded with various chemotherapeutic agents and various liposomal products under development at experimental and preclinical level. Methods: The papers published on the subject of cancer-targeted liposomes mainly over the last 10 – 15 years are discussed. Conclusion: Antibody-targeted liposomes loaded with anticancer drugs demonstrate high potential for clinical applications.
A functional aquaporin co-localizes with the vacuolar proton pyrophosphatase to acidocalcisomes and the contractile vacuole complex of Trypanosoma cruzi

We cloned an aquaporin gene from Trypanosoma cruzi (TcAQP) that encodes a protein of 231 amino acids, which is highly hydrophobic. The protein has six putative transmembrane domains and the two signature motifs asparagine-proline-alanine (NPA) which have been shown, in other aquaporins, to be involved in the formation of an aqueous channel spanning the bilayer. TcAQP was sensitive to endo H treatment, suggesting that the protein is N-glycosylated. Oocytes of Xenopus laevis expressing TcAQP swelled under hyposmotic conditions indicating water permeability, which was abolished after preincubating oocytes with very low concentrations of the AQP inhibitors HgCl2 and AgNO3. glycerol transport was detected. No Immunofluorescence microscopy of T. cruzi expressing GFP-TcAQP showed co-localization of TcAQP with the vacuolar proton pyrophosphatase (V-H+-PPase), a marker of acidocalcisomes. This localization was confirmed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining using polyclonal antibodies against a C-terminal peptide of TcAQP. In addition, there was a strong anterior labeling in a vacuole, close to the flagellar pocket, that was distinct from the acidocalcisomes and that was identified by immunogold electron microscopy as the contractile vacuole complex. Taking together, the presence of an aquaporin in acidocalcisomes and the contractile vacuole complex of T. cruzi, provides support for the role of these organelles in osmotic adaptations of these parasites.
Petrographic Textures of Detrital Polycrystalline Quartz as an Aid to Interpreting Crystalline Source Rocks

ABSTRACT The internal textures of detrital polycrystalline quartz can be used to distinguish between polycrystalline quartz populations derived from different crystalline source rocks. This is supported by the petrographic examination of the quartz fraction in 65 metamorphic rocks with known metamorphic histories and the detrital polycrystalline quartz populations in 57 samples of medium sand-size Holocene fluvial sand derived from known crystalline source rocks. Empirical observations by metamorphic petrologists have shown that quartz crystal sizes increase systematically with increase in metamorphic grade of the rocks. Petrographic examination of quartz crystals deformed in controlled laboratory experiments have shown quartz responds to stress via a systematic series of processes: deformation, recovery, primary recrystallization, and secondary recrystallization. Deformation is reflected optically by undulose extinction, deformation lamellae and bands, elongated crystal units, and sutured crystal-crystal boundaries. Recovery is recognized optically be segmented extinction (semi-composite extinction) reflecting polygonization of the crystal. Primary recrystallization occurs when strain-free areas surrounded by dislocation tangles form new crys als, and is recognized optically by the presence of small (50 µm), nonundulose crystals. Secondary recrystallization develops large, nonundulose, strain-free polyhedral crystals with smooth crystal-crystal boundaries. Deformation, recovery, and primary recrystallization features characterize quartz in greenschist-grade metamorphic rocks. Detrital quartz grains with these features are, for the lack of a better term, called "unstable", reflecting the transformation from old crystals to new, recrystallized crystals. Detrital polycrystalline quartz with features of secondary recrystallization are called "stable" grains, and are derived from medium- to high-grade metamorphic rocks. Detrital polycrystalline quartz grains derived from intrusive igneous rocks are also characterized by "stable" features. A plot of a polycrystallinity index (the ratio of detrital polycrystalline quartz with more than 3 crystal units per grain to total detrital polycrystalline quartz) vs. an instability index (the ratio of detrital polycrystalline quartz with "unstable" characteristics to total detrital polycrystalline quartz) discriminates between medium sand-size polycrystalline quartz populations in Holocene sands derived from low-, and medium- to high-grade metamorphic source rocks Detrital polycrystalline quartz populations in Holocene sands derived from granitic plutons partly overlap the medium- to high-grade field.
Liquid chromatographic analysis of sebum lipids and other lipids of medical interest

Abstract A technique is described for the high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of sebum lipid classes. The lipid classes present in sebum are separated by gradient elution HPLC from a microparticulate silica column and detected using a moving-wire detector. The system described can be linked to a computer. Quantitation can be carried out by comparing peak areas obtained with those of an internal standard. Peak trapping for further investigations of the separated components, for example by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry, is very easy. Sebum lipids are separated into the following lipid classes: hydrocarbons and squalene, cholesterol esters and wax esters, fatty acids as their methyl esters, triglycerides, 1,3-diglycerides, 1,2-diglycerides, free cholesterol, monoglycerides and other polar materials. Besides to sebum, the method has been successfully applied to other lipid mixtures, such as serum lipids. Examples of other applications are shown.
Synthesis, Structure, and Spectroscopy of Epitaxial EuFeO3 Thin Films

Rare earth iron perovskites RFeO3, where R is a rare earth cation, exhibit an array of magnetic, catalytic, optical, and electrochemical properties. Here we study EuFeO3 films synthesized by molecular beam epitaxy to improve our understanding of the optical properties of ferrites. A combination of X-ray diffraction, X-ray reflectivity, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize the film structure and cation composition. X-ray absorption spectroscopy confirms the nominal 3+ valence states of Eu and Fe. The optical properties of EuFeO3 were investigated using variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry between the photon energies of 1.25 and 5 eV. We find that EuFeO3 is a semiconductor with an onset of optical absorption near 2.5 eV. The absorption spectrum of EuFeO3 is blue-shifted with respect to LaFeO3 films, a result that is attributed to the structural differences between the two materials.
Video rate control strategies for cloud gaming

Abstract Cloud gaming, also called gaming on demand, is a new kind of service that provides real-time video game experience to the players over the Internet. Although cloud gaming services are getting more and more popular recently, its performance is highly limited by the network bandwidth and latency. This work makes use of the unique characteristics of human visual system (HVS) of video game players to improve bandwidth efficiency. In this work, discussions about the characteristics of game players’ HVS are conducted. The discussions can be further extended to all interactive video on demand systems. Then, some schemes of extracting region of interest and key frames from gaming videos are raised. Based on that, a Macro-block level rate control scheme is proposed based on region of interest and scene-change detection. The simulation results show that, under the same bandwidth constraint, the video quality of proposed method outperforms other methods.
Effects of prenatal hypoxia upon locomotor activity of the mouse.

Abstract Levels of activity and rates of adaptation were recorded on 100 mice, the offspring of females asphyxiated during pregnancy plus their controls. The pregnant mice were exposed to an atmosphere of N 2 and CO 2 between 6 and 10, 11 and 15, or 16 and 20 days of gestation. The offspring were studied on the forty-second through forty-fourth days after birth. Although no differences were found in over-all level of activity between the four groups of mice, differences were found among the three groups of experimental subjects (11–15 and 16–20 days, high; 6–10 days, low). More striking, however, were the differences in the rates of adaptation. The control and the early gestation groups showed increased activity with repeated exposure, whereas the later gestation groups showed an equally pronounced decrease. All groups showed a marked decrease during each of the recording sessions. These data were related to the studies of adaptive behavior following prenatal hypoxia and to studies of emotionality and activity following neonatal hypoxia. These data are seen as having a theoretical bearing on the interpretation of the dysfunctions in adaptive behavior and the neuropathology of pre- and neonatal hypoxia by way of an induced change in reactivity during early environmental experience.
Synergistic Binding of Sterol Regulatory Element-binding Protein and NF-Y to the Farnesyl Diphosphate Synthase Promoter Is Critical for Sterol-regulated Expression of the Gene

Sterol-regulated transcription of the farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase gene is dependent on two cis elements in the proximal promoter. These elements, an inverted CCAAT box and sterol regulatory element 3 (SRE-3), bind NF-Y and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1), respectively. We now demonstrate that the binding of recombinant SREBP-1 to its cognate site (SRE-3) within the FPP synthase promoter in vitro is enhanced by binding of NF-Y to the upstream inverted CCAAT box. Using an FPP synthase promoter fragment containing the binding sites for both NF-Y and SREBP-1 in gel mobility shift assays, we demonstrate that the addition of NF-Y increases the binding of SREBP-1 to SRE-3 over 20-fold. In contrast, NF-Y does not stimulate the binding of SREBP-1 to SRE-3 when the inverted CCAAT box is either mutated or 4 base pairs (bp) are inserted between the inverted CCAAT box and SRE-3. Promoter-reporter genes, containing either the wild-type FPP synthase promoter sequence or containing the 4-bp insertion between the inverted CCAAT box and SRE-3, were transiently transfected into cells. The activity of the wild-type promoter-reporter gene increased when the cells were either incubated in sterol-depleted medium or were co-transfected with an expression vector encoding transcriptionally active SREBP-1. This increase in activity was attenuated when the promoter contained the 4-bp insert, consistent with defective binding of SREBP to the promoter in vivo. These studies suggest that the binding of SREBP-1 to SRE-3 in the FPP synthase promoter, and subsequent stimulation of transcription, is dependent on synergistic binding and a functional interaction between SREBP-1 and NF-Y.
Survey of cooperative inventory games and extensions

We examine cooperative games in supply-chain management termed Inventory Games. Supply-chain management has non-cooperative and cooperative interactions between the participating players. We provide a concise survey of cooperative inventory games in the form of extensions on two basic problems. For deterministic games, Economic Order Quantity-like policies with joint replenishment are of primary interest. For stochastic games we examine Newsvendor-like centralization games and their extensions. We conclude with a short summary of a dynamic Newsvendor realization game and directions for further research.
Direct Evidence of Controlled Structure Reorganization in a Nanoorganized Polypeptide Multilayer Thin Film

Aspects of poly(l-lysine) (PLL) and poly(l-glutamic acid) (PLGA) multilayer thin film assembly, physical properties of the films, and changes in film structure on pH shift have been studied by far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD), ultraviolet spectroscopy (UVS), ellipsometry, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We show that CD can be used to assess the secondary structure content of a polypeptide multilayer film deposited on quartz substrates by electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly (LbL). Measurements have revealed that, under conditions where PLL and PLGA displayed a random coillike conformation in solution, the polypeptides formed predominantly β-sheet structures in multilayer films fabricated by LbL. A substantial conformational change occurred on exposure of such films to a strongly acidic (pH ≤ 2.5) or strongly basic (pH ≥ 12.0) aqueous medium, from β-sheet to predominantly α-helical structure. pH shift thus may be a useful postpreparation approach for stimul...
Peroxidase passage through the outflow channels of human and rhesus eyes.

Pathways for outflow of aqueous humor from the anterior chamber through the trabecular meshwork in human and rhesus enucleated eyes were studied at the ultrastructural level with horseradish peroxidase. Peroxidase appeared to pass through intercellular clefts of the trabecular endothelial cells but not between the endothelial cells of the inner wall of Schlemm's canal where zonulae occludentes are present. The presence of reaction product formed by peroxidase in the so-called vacuoles within the endothelial lining of the canal of Schlemm supports the concept that flow of aqueous humor from the trabecular spaces into Schlemm's canal occurs through relatively large intracytoplasmic passageways in the inner wall of Schlemm's canal.
On a Discrete Version of the Mohr-Mascheroni Theorem

We introduce a new geometric tool called n-compass and show that the famous theorem of Mascheroni and Mohr remains valid if the traditional compass is replaced by the newly introduced tool.
In vivo 13C spectroscopy in the rat brain using hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate and [2-13C]pyruvate

The low sensitivity of 13C spectroscopy can be enhanced using dynamic nuclear polarization. Detection of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate and its metabolic products has been reported in kidney, liver, and muscle. In this work, the feasibility of measuring 13C signals of hyperpolarized 13C metabolic products in the rat brain in vivo following the injection of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate and [2-13C]pyruvate is investigated. Injection of [2-13C]pyruvate led to the detection of [2-13C]lactate, but no other downstream metabolites such as TCA cycle intermediates were detected. Injection of [1-13C]pyruvate enabled the detection of both [1-13C]lactate and [13C]bicarbonate. A metabolic model was used to fit the hyperpolarized 13C time courses obtained during infusion of [1-13C]pyruvate and to determine the values of VPDH and VLDH.
Society for general systems research at twenty‐five: What agenda for our second quarter‐century?

This article deals with the evolution of general systems thinking over the past quarter-century, as reflected in the annals of the Society for General Systems Research. Likewise, on the basis of that evolution, the author speculates as to how best we can now provide mechanisms for implementing the theory that has been developed. In this time of critical need for utilization of general systems thinking in man's affairs the world over, it is argued that the Society should now stress application as much as research.
Mechanisms for coexistence of collocated WLAN and bluetooth in the same device

In this paper, we investigate the performance of WLAN power save and active mode for collocated WLAN and Bluetooth technologies in the same device. We present a simple, yet accurate, analysis for these mechanisms and also show simulation results. We identify practical issues with these mechanisms and propose an algorithm that reduces overhead in the network from 30% to 10%.
Current treatment for ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecologic malignancy. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) constitutes approximately 90% of cases of ovarian cancer and 70% of the patients with EOC present in advanced stage. Treatment of EOC usually consists of cytoreductive surgery which includes total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), omentectomy and lymphadenectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Current adjuvant chemotherapy includes paclitaxel and either cisplatin or carboplatin given every 3 weeks for six cycles. The combination paclitaxel and platinum chemotherapy achieves clinical response in approximately 80% of patients. However, most patients will have tumour recurrence within 3 years following treatment. Patients with platinum-sensitive tumours can be re-treated with platinum and/or paclitaxel. Those with platinum-resistant tumours have poor prognosis and treatment is palliative. Options of treatment in these patients include topotecan, doxil, gemcitabine, etoposide, or enrolment in clinical trials. Future research needs to focus on the role of cytoreductive surgery, second-look surgery, consolidation chemotherapy, development of new chemotherapeutic agents, chemoresistance modulators, as well as new approaches to the treatment of women with ovarian cancer.
Revisiting fuzzy differential equations

Abstract We revisit the original formulation of fuzzy differential equations (FDEs) and provide examples to show that the theory of FDEs is richer than the corresponding theory of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and therefore need not be rejected. The alternative formulation in terms of differential inclusions does not always have advantage over ODEs, as claimed. We also discuss a stability result via Lyapunov functions in this setup.
Internal Conversion Electrons from Coulomb Excitation of Ta 181

The conversion electron spectrum following Coulomb excitation of Ta/sup 181/ has been measured width greater accuracy. The results are internally consistent with the rotational model of Bohr and Mottleson and are in excellent agreement wfth the gamma-ray angular distribution and yield data of McGowan and Stelson. (auth)
Severe adverse skin reactions to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs: A review of the literature

Purpose Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) associated with the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are described. Summary A search of the English- language medical literature was conducted to identify studies and cases of SJS and TEN associated with NSAIDs and cyclooxygenase-2-selective NSAIDs available in the United States. Several epidemiologic studies, case reports, and case series involving SJS and TEN associated with NSAIDs were identified. Of the available NSAIDs, oxicam derivatives appeared to have the greatest association with SJS and TEN. The relative risks reported with other NSAIDs are much lower. The risk with cyclooxygenase-2-selective NSAIDs and meloxicam is less clear, since all were introduced after the completion of the epidemiologic studies. SJS or TEN from NSAIDs and cyclooxygenase-2-selective NSAIDs appears to affect the same patient population as other medications that cause SJS or TEN. The risk of SJS or TEN caused by NSAIDs is extremely low (less than 2 per 1 million users per week for oxicam derivatives, less than 1 per 1 million users per week for other NSAIDs, and 6 cases per 1 million person-years for celecoxib). Aspirin is not typically associated with SJS or TEN. Of the other salicylates, SJS or TEN has only been reported with diflunisal. Conclusion The risk of SJS or TEN in patients receiving NSAIDs is extremely low; older patients, women, and patients within the first month of treatment initiation appear to have the greatest risk. Health care providers and patients should be aware of the signs and symptoms of SJS and TEN.
Dynamical Models for Control of Cavity Oscillations

We investigate nonlinear dynamical models for selfsustained oscillations in the flow past a rectangular cavity. The models are based on the method of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) and Galerkin projection, and we introduce an inner product and formulation of the equations of motion which enables one to use vector-valued POD modes for compressible flows. We obtain models between 3 and 20 states, which accurately describe both the shorttime and long-time dynamics. This is a substantial improvement over previous models based on scalarvalued POD modes, which capture the dynamics for short time, but deviate for long time.
Psychobiology of purging disorder: reduction in circulating leptin levels in purging disorder in comparison with controls.

The provisional syndrome known as purging disorder, a prevalent subtype of “eating disorder not otherwise specified,” shares several psychological and behavioral characteristics with bulimia nervosa, including preoccupation with body weight and shape, and recurrent purging episodes (1-3). Purging disorder is symptomatically distinct from bulimia nervosa as reflected in the absence of objectively large binge episodes. An important focus of current research is to identify psychobiological factors that contribute to the onset, severity, and perpetuation of this syndrome. Thus, a recent study showed that individuals with purging disorder have normal release of the gut peptide cholecystokinin (CCK) following a standardized test-meal, in contrast to significantly blunted CCK response in bulimia nervosa (4). The purging disorder group reported less hunger before the test meal, and less hunger and greater fullness following the test meal, compared to the bulimia nervosa and control groups. Leptin, a circulating adipokine derived primarily from white adipose tissue, acts in the central nervous system to decrease food intake and increase energy metabolism (5, 6). Most studies in bulimia nervosa have demonstrated low serum leptin levels in comparison to values for matched controls (7-11). These alterations may be related to symptom severity (12), a factor which may contribute to some variability in findings across studies (13-16). Additionally, circulating leptin levels are strongly influenced by nutritional patterns and can be substantially reduced by dieting and weight loss (17, 18). Thus, leptin levels are markedly reduced in anorexia nervosa (10, 19, 20). Although the physiological basis for reduced leptin levels in normal weight patients with bulimia nervosa has not been identified, recent theories have focused on patients’ restriction of energy intake motivated by a desire to maintain a body weight which is below their physiological weight set point (9, 21). In that purging disorder resembles bulimia nervosa with respect to significantly elevated ratings of dietary restraint (4), we hypothesized that individuals with purging disorder might also exhibit decreased serum leptin levels. Recent studies on the neurobiology of eating disorders have also focused on ghrelin, a gut-related peptide which acts in the hypothalamus to stimulate food intake (22, 23). Ghrelin levels increase in response to fasting (24), and decrease postprandially in association with reduction in hunger ratings (25, 26). While the majority of studies report that fasting plasma ghrelin levels in bulimia nervosa are similar to control values (16, 27-30), there are also reports of increased levels in patients with the binge-purge subtype of the disorder (11, 31-33). On an exploratory basis, plasma ghrelin levels were compared across study groups.
High Directivity, Vertical Fiber-to-Chip Coupler with Anisotropically Radiating Grating Teeth

Efficient vertical grating-coupler designs are proposed that allow near 50:1 up/down directivity using only two lithographic layers, without top/bottom mirrors, in high-index-contrast silicon waveguides. FDTD simulations predict single-mode-fiber-coupling efficiencies of 75% even for non-apodized gratings.
Role of Interfacial Gaseous Heat Transfer in the Transverse Thermal Conductivity of a Uniaxial Carbon Fiber‐Reinforced Aluminoborosilicate Glass

The transverse thermal conductivity of an aluminoborosilicate glass uniaxially reinforced with carbon fibers was found to be lower under near-vacuum than in nitrogen, whereas no such difference was found for the longitudinal thermal conductivity. This effect was attributed to the existence of an interfacial gap resulting from the thermal expansion mismatch between the matrix and fibers. The presence of this gap permits the gaseous environment access to the fiber-matrix interface and thereby contributes to the interfacial heat transfer. Its presence does not affect the longitudinal thermal conductivity, however, because the gap is aligned parallel to the fibers and, therefore, the direction of heat flow. Analysis of the experimental data indicates that, in nitrogen at atmospheric pressure, the gaseous conductance constitutes about one-third of the total interfacial conductance.
The design and synthesis of a new anticancer drug based on a natural product lead compound: From neplanocin a to cyclopentenyl cytosine (cpe-c)

In 1979, an unusual, carbocyclic nucleoside was discovered in a Japanese fermentation broth and designated neplanocin A. This compound is an analog of adenosine possessing a cyclopentene-containing “sugar” glycon. Although neplanocin A was biologically active, it was quite toxic. It therefore became a lead compound for analog synthesis in an attempt to maximize antitumor and antiviral activity while minimizing toxicity. First, a total synthesis of naturally occurring (-)-neplanocin A was accomplished using a new, versatile cyclopentenone carbocyclic “sugar” intermediate. This intermediate was then used to synthesize some 20 purine and pyrimidine analogs of neplanocin A which were evaluated for their antitumor and antiviral properties. Among the purine analogs, 3-deazaneplanocin A, a powerful inhibitor of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase, was found to have excellent antiviral activity both in vitro and in vivo. Cyclopentenyl cytosine (CPE-C) was found to be the most biologically active compound among the carbocyclic pyrimidine nucleosides. In addition to activity against over 20 viruses, this compound had excellent preclinical antitumor activity against both murine leukemias and human tumor xenografts. CPE-C is currently under clinical evaluation as an anticancer drug.
Using Critiques of Business Research for Practical Experience.

Abstract “…a thoughtful wrap-up for a distinct section of a course or the whole course itself—all according to the business research chosen.”
Assessment and Management of Pediatric Iatrogenic Medical Trauma

Medically ill children are often exposed to traumatizing situations within the medical setting. Approximately 25-30 % of medically ill children develop posttraumatic stress symptoms and 10-20 % of them meet criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. Parents of medically ill children are at even higher risk for posttraumatic stress symptoms. Most children and parents will experience resolution of mild trauma symptoms without formal psychological or psychiatric treatment. Posttraumatic stress symptoms are associated with medical nonadherence, psychiatric co-morbidities, and poorer health status. Therefore, evidenced-based trauma-focused treatment is indicated for those who remain highly distressed or impaired. This paper reviews approaches to the assessment and management of pediatric iatrogenic medical trauma within a family-based framework.
Progesterone has rapid and membrane effects in the facilitation of female mouse sexual behavior.

Ovariectomized (ovx) mice require both estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) administration to reinstate feminine sexual behavior (lordosis). The importance of P's actions at E2-induced intracellular progestin receptors (PRs) to facilitate lordosis was investigated in PR knockout (PRKO) mice, PRKO's wild type littermates (C57X129), and wild type C57BL/6J (C57) mice. Subjects were ovx, E2-primed (0.5 microg) and tested following intravenous (i. v.) and intercereberal P. Intravenous P (200 microg) significantly increased lordosis of all mice within 10 min of P, but vehicle infusion did not (Experiment 1). Intravenous P significantly increased the amount and duration and reduced the latency of lordosis, over that seen with vehicle infusion, in PRKO and wild type mice. Whole brain concentrations of P and its 5alpha-reduced metabolite, 5alpha-pregnan-3alpha-ol-20-one (3alpha,5alpha-THP), which has low affinity for intracellular PRs, were also increased following P compared to vehicle infusion. Progesterone, but not vehicle infusions, significantly increased the number of PR-immunoreactive (PR-IR) cells in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) of C57 and C57X129 mice and increased number of 3alpha, 5alpha-THP-immunoreactive (3alpha,5alpha-THP-IR) cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of all mice. In Experiment 2, P conjugated to bovine serum albumin (P:BSA) increased lordosis when applied bilaterally to both the VMH and VTA of E2-primed mice more than BSA implants. Progesterone implants increased the number of PR-IR cells in the VMH of C57 and C57X129 mice and the number of 3alpha,5alpha-THP-IR cells in the VTA of all mice. The rapid facilitation of lordosis with i.v. P infusion and increases in lordosis when P's effects are relegated to the membrane in the VMH and VTA of PRKO and wild type mice suggest that P may facilitate lordosis through actions at substrates other than intracellular PRs. The present findings suggest a role of 3alpha,5alpha-THP.
Rapid development of glutathione-S-transferase-dependent drug resistance in vitro and its prevention by ethacrynic acid

Exposure of A2780 human ovarian tumor cells to a low concentration of melphalan in vitro for 7 days resulted in the development of melphalan resistance. This resistance was not a stable characteristic of the cells since it was lost after 2 weeks in culture in the absence of drug. The melphalan-resistant cells exhibited significant cross-resistance to cisplatin but only minor cross-resistance to doxorubicin. The resistant cells had elevated levels of glutathione-S-transferase activity and mRNA. Exposure of the cells to the ethacrynic acid resulted in a decrease in enzyme activity as well as a reversal of their drug-resistant phenotype, indicating that the enzyme is involved in the resistance. When ethacrynic acid was present during the 7-day exposure of the cells to melphalan, the development of drug resistance was prevented. This system may serve as a useful preliminary step in screening for agents which can prevent the development of chemotherapy-induced drug resistance in human cancer.
Effect of pheromones, hormones, and handling on sucrose response thresholds of honey bees ( Apis mellifera L.)

The responsiveness of bees to sucrose is an important indicator of honey bee foraging decisions. Correlated with sucrose responsiveness is forage choice behavior, age of first foraging, and conditioned learning response. Pheromones and hormones are significant components in social insect systems associated with the regulation of colony-level and individual foraging behavior. Bees were treated to different exposure regimes of queen and brood pheromones and their sucrose responsiveness measured. Bees reared with queen or brood pheromone were less responsive than controls. Our results suggest responsiveness to sucrose is a physiologically, neuronally mediated response. Orally administered octopamine significantly reduced sucrose response thresholds. Change in response to octopamine was on a time scale of minutes. The greatest separation between octopamine treated and control bees occurred 30 min after feeding. There was no significant sucrose response difference to doses ranging from 0.2 μg to 20 μg of octopamine. Topically applied methoprene significantly increased sucrose responsiveness. Handling method significantly affected sucrose responsiveness. Bees that were anesthetized by chilling or CO2 treatment were significantly more responsive than control bees 30 min after handling. Sixty minutes after handling there were no significant treatment differences. We concluded that putative stress effects of handling were blocked by anesthetic.
FRESH WORDS FOR A FRESH WORLD: TĀZA-GŪ'Ī AND THE POETICS OF NEWNESS IN EARLY MODERN INDO-PERSIAN POETRY

This article examines a crucial phase of Indo-Persian literary modernity, beginning in the late sixteenth century CE, when poets and other literati across South, Central, and West Asia began articulating an unprecedented break with their cultural past through calls for ‘speaking the fresh’ (tāza-gū'ī). In later, nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholarship, this period of literary ingenuity has been almost universally decried as decadent and unworthy of serious study, an indictment that has, over the years, become specifically and explicitly coded in terms of India's allegedly debilitating effect on Persian language and literature. Thus in scholarly parlance this era is regularly (and pejoratively) referred to as that of the ‘Indian Style’ (sabk-i hindī), despite the fact that the early modern poets themselves never used such metageographical terminology, and despite the tāza-gū'ī movement's incontrovertibly transregional reach and cosmopolitan tenor. To interrogate this conceptual slippage, this article...
First-principles study of transition-metal aluminates as high-k gate dielectrics

The semiconductor industry is searching for a high-k gate dielectric replacement for silica. We study the electronic properties of Nb, Zr, Y, and Sc aluminates using density functional theory to screen aluminates for further study. The transition metals substituted favorably at the octahedral Al sites in the κ-alumina model system. Zirconium and niobium substitution for Al introduced localized d-electron states 0.6 and 1.1 eV below the conduction band. Yttrium and scandium introduced states 0.1 and 1.4 eV above the delocalized s and p states of the conduction band causing little change in the κ-alumina band gap and are promising replacement candidates that maintain the large alumina band offset.
An effect of conifers on available soil nitrogen

Comparison of the soil and herbaceous vegetation beneath young conifers and adjacent open fields identical in prior treatment shows that conifers increase nitrogen availability above their own net uptake. The effect extends a short distance beyond their crowns. The presumed explanation is greater mineralization of soil nitrogen rather than fixation.
Runaway and Pregnant: Risk Factors Associated with Pregnancy in a National Sample of Runaway/Homeless Female Adolescents

Abstract Purpose Homeless youth are at particularly high risk for teen pregnancy; research indicates as many as 20% of homeless young women become pregnant. These pregnant and homeless teens lack financial resources and adequate health care, resulting in increased risk for low–birth-weight babies and high infant mortality. This study investigated individual and family-level predictors of teen pregnancy among a national sample of runaway/homeless youth in order to better understand the needs of this vulnerable population. Methods Data from the Runaway/Homeless Youth Management Information System (RHY MIS) provided a national sample of youth seeking services at crisis shelters. A sub-sample of pregnant females and a random sub-sample (matched by age) of nonpregnant females comprised the study sample (N = 951). Chi-square and t tests identified differences between pregnant and nonpregnant runaway females; maximum likelihood logistic regression identified individual and family-level predictors of teen pregnancy. Results Teen pregnancy was associated with being an ethnic minority, dropping out of school, being away from home for longer periods of time, having a sexually transmitted disease, and feeling abandoned by one's family. Family factors, such as living in a single parent household and experiencing emotional abuse by one's mother, increased the odds of a teen being pregnant. Conclusions The complex problems associated with pregnant runaway/homeless teens create challenges for short-term shelter services. Suggestions are made for extending shelter services to include referrals and coordination with teen parenting programs and other systems of care.
Enabling large-scale multicast simulation by reducing memory requirements

The simulation of large-scale multicast networks often requires a significant amount of memory that can easily exceed the capacity of current computers, both because of the inherently large amount of state necessary to simulate message routing and because of design oversights in the multicast portion of existing simulators. We describe three approaches to substantially reduce the memory required by multicast simulations: 1) We introduce a novel technique called "negative forwarding table" to compress multicast routing state. 2) We aggregate the routing state objects from one replicator per router per group per source to one replicator per router. 3) We employ the NIx-Vector technique to replace the original unicast IP routing table. We implemented these techniques in the ns2 simulator to demonstrate their effectiveness. Our experiments show that these techniques enable packet level multicast simulations on a scale that was previously unachievable on modern workstations using ns2.
International Standards organization-compatible Index for pavement roughness

The development of a new pavement roughness index, which is compatible to the current International Standards Organization (ISO) standard on "exposure to whole-body vibration" is described. The index was intended to be the independent variable in the future development of relationships between user cost (i.e., vehicle depreciation, repairs, discomfort and so on) and pavement roughness; hence it was named RIDE (Roughness Index for Driving Expenditure). RIDE is based on the sprung mass acceleration response of a reference vehicle to the pavement profile. It is calculated in the frequency domain by multiplying the power spectral density (PSD) of the pavement profile by the square of the transfer function of the sprung mass acceleration of the reference vehicle. The resulting sprung mass acceleration PSD is integrated over frequency to yield the root-mean-square of the sprung mass acceleration per unit length of pavement traveled. The sprung mass acceleration is shown to be the main contributor of dynamic axl...
Multimodal Therapy for the Treatment of Severe Ischemic Stroke Combining GPIIb/IIIa Antagonists and Angioplasty After Failure of Thrombolysis

Background and Purpose— Intraarterial and intravenous thrombolysis are often ineffective for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke and are associated with a significant risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Multimodal rescue therapy combining mechanical disruption and platelet GPIIb/IIIa receptor antagonists may improve recanalization. Methods— Patients who did not recanalize with thrombolysis were treated with GPIIb/IIIa antagonists, angioplasty, or an embolectomy device. Treatment was individualized based on vascular anatomy, stroke mechanism, patient status, and symptom duration. Results— Twelve patients were treated within 3.8±2.2 hours. The mean National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 19.4±4.1. Six patients had carotid terminus occlusion, whereas 5 had middle cerebral artery and 1 had basilar artery occlusion. The average doses of intraarterial tPA and reteplase were 17.1±8.6 mg and 2±0.6 units, respectively. All patients received either an intravenous or intraarterial abcixima...
Evaluation of ion binding to DNA duplexes using a size-modified Poisson-Boltzmann theory.

Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) theory is among the most widely applied electrostatic theories in biological and chemical science. Despite its reasonable success in explaining a wide variety of phenomena, it fails to incorporate two basic physical effects, ion size and ion-ion correlations, into its theoretical treatment. Recent experimental work has shown significant deviations from PB theory in competitive monovalent and divalent ion binding to a DNA duplex. The experimental data for monovalent binding are consistent with a hypothesis that attributes these deviations to counterion size. To model the observed differences, we have generalized an existing size-modified Poisson-Boltzmann (SMPB) theory and developed a new numerical implementation that solves the generalized theory around complex, atomistic representations of biological molecules. The results of our analysis show that good agreement to data at monovalent ion concentrations up to ;150 mM can be attained by adjusting the ion-size parameters in the new size-modified theory. SMPB calculations employing calibrated ion-size parameters predict experimental observations for other nucleic acid structures and salt conditions, demonstrating that the theory is predictive. We are, however, unable to model the observed deviations in the divalent competition data with a theory that only accounts for size but neglects ion-ion correlations, highlighting the need for theoretical descriptions that further incorporate ion- ion correlations. The accompanying numerical solver has been released publicly, providing the general scientific community the ability to compute SMPB solutions around a variety of different biological structures with only modest computational resources.
Epigenetic Regulation of the lncRNA MEG3 and Its Target c-MET in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

Biallelic inactivation of MEN1 encoding menin in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) associated with the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) syndrome is well established, but how menin loss/inactivation initiates tumorigenesis is not well understood. We show that menin activates the long noncoding RNA maternally expressed gene 3 (Meg3) by histone-H3 lysine-4 trimethylation and CpG hypomethylation at the Meg3 promoter CRE site, to allow binding of the transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein. We found that Meg3 has tumor-suppressor activity in PNET cells because the overexpression of Meg3 in MIN6 cells (insulin-secreting mouse PNET cell line) blocked cell proliferation and delayed cell cycle progression. Gene expression microarray analysis showed that Meg3 overexpression in MIN6 mouse insulinoma cells down-regulated the expression of the protooncogene c-Met (hepatocyte growth factor receptor), and these cells showed significantly reduced cell migration/invasion. Compared with normal islets, mouse or human MEN1-associated PNETs expressed less MEG3 and more c-MET. Therefore, a tumor-suppressor long noncoding RNA (MEG3) and suppressed protooncogene (c-MET) combination could elicit menin's tumor-suppressor activity. Interestingly, MEG3 and c-MET expression was also altered in human sporadic insulinomas (insulin secreting PNETs) with hypermethylation at the MEG3 promoter CRE-site coinciding with reduced MEG3 expression. These data provide insights into the β-cell proliferation mechanisms that could retain their functional status. Furthermore, in MIN6 mouse insulinoma cells, DNA-demethylating drugs blocked cell proliferation and activated Meg3 expression. Our data suggest that the epigenetic activation of lncRNA MEG3 and/or inactivation of c-MET could be therapeutic for treating PNETs and insulinomas.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF IN-FLIGHT HOT-FILM SIGNALS OF TRANSITIONAL FLOWS

Accurate prediction of the performance characteristics of lifting surfaces at high-lift conditions requires a complete understanding of the transition characteristics. In recent flight experiments, data were gathered to provide some insight into these transition characteristics. The flow mechanisms that caused transition include growth of crossflow and Tollmien-Schlichting instabilities, laminar separation, attachment-line contamination and turbulent flow contamination by upstream elements. In addition, reversion from turbulent to laminar flow was detected in areas encountering strong favorable pressure gradients. The purpose of this paper is to provide more insight into these flight measured boundary-layer state changes by statistically analyzing the signals of the hot-film sensors in pertinent regions on the slat and main element.
Testing of spacecraft systems in a simulated ionospheric plasma

Laboratory simulation of interactions between ionospheric plasma and diverse spacecraft systems
Field Estimation From Randomly Located Binary Noisy Sensors

The estimation of bounded multivariate fields from 1-bit quantized and dithered noisy observations is considered. We consider two models for random sensor deployment based on regular Monte Carlo (simple random sampling) and stratified sampling. We propose linear estimators, and for both sensors deployment methods we establish exact expressions for the bias and variance of the estimates (including integrated mean-square errors). We show in particular that estimates of the field on the basis of stratified sensor locations always outperform estimates based on regular Monte Carlo sensor locations. For both estimation schemes, we also establish central limit theorems which can be used to compute the probability of events involving the estimates including confidence intervals.
Nonholonomic path-planning with obstacle avoidance: a path-space approach

For the problem of nonholonomic motion planning in the presence of obstacles, a path-iteration algorithm with an "exterior penalty" function has recently been proposed. The convergence of the iterative algorithm requires the avoidance of singular controls. With the inclusion of a penalty function, the set of singular control may increase substantially. In this paper, we propose a specific guideline for choosing the penalty function which does not introduce additional singular controls. In the case of the N-trailer system, this result can be used to guarantee the convergence of the path planning algorithm. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, simulation results are included.