cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dopamine challenge reveals neuroadaptive changes in marijuana abusers

The current watershed in legal status and rising use of marijuana can be traced to a California ballot initiative (Prop. 215, its legal successor SB420), that enabled widespread access to smokeable or edible forms of marijuana for self-reported medical conditions. Circumventing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug approval process, the movement in California was replicated by ballot or legislative initiatives in 23 states and the District of Columbia, and culminated in the legalization of marijuana in 2012 by Washington state and Colorado. The shifting status of marijuana reflects a change in public perception and belief that marijuana is harmless. Marijuana use in the population over age 12 is escalating; 60% of 12th graders do not perceive marijuana as harmful, and daily or nearly daily use has risen dramatically in this cohort (1, 2). Paradoxically, public perception of marijuana as a safe drug is rising simultaneously with accumulating evidence that frequent marijuana use is associated with adverse consequences, especially among youth (3). In PNAS, Volkow et al. register compelling new observations that marijuana abusers manifest adaptive behavioral, physiological, and biological responses, which conceivably contribute to marijuana addiction and compromised function (4). In response to a dopamine challenge (methylphenidate) and compared with non-using controls, marijuana abusers self-reported blunted reward (less “high”) and heightened negative responses (anxiety and restlessness), which were associated with attenuated dopamine responses in brain and cardiovascular responses.
Free-electron laser and heat-conducting templates: a study of reducing cutaneous lateral thermal damage.

Background and Objectives We developed novel heat-conducting templates, and tested whether they could effectively remove damaging heat from the tissue during laser ablation. The reduction of lateral thermal damage during cutaneous incisional laser procedures should decrease the time in wound healing. In addition, we selected various infrared wavelengths to determine whether the template effects would be influenced by the laser penetration depth and the particular chromophore absorbing the laser light. Study Design/Materials and Methods This study utilized the Free-Electron Laser at wavelengths of 3.0, 5.5, 6.45, 7.5, and 7.7 μm to produce 1.0 cm incisions on in vitro lightly pigmented human skin. At each of these wavelengths, copper, aluminum, glass, and Plexiglas heat conducting templates were tested. At wavelength 5.5 μm, the study was duplicated using in vitro darkly pigmented skin. Histological samples were evaluated using computerized morphometric analysis. Results The adjunct use of both the copper and aluminum templates provided a decrease in thermal damage at each wavelength. Using the copper template reduced lateral thermal damage an average of 67% with no apparent wavelength dependence. The aluminum template reduced thermal damage an average of 54% with no apparent wavelength dependence. The glass and Plexiglas templates did not reduce the lateral thermal damage. At 5.5 μm, no statistically significant difference in lateral thermal damage was observed between darkly and lightly pigmented tissues. Conclusions Heat-conducting templates are an effective new method to reduce lateral thermal damage from thermal laser incisions. Lasers Surg. Med. 30:117–122, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Collaborative consultation: an innovative model for faculty development in technology

Extensive faculty development must be an integral focus of any university's system change efforts. At Northwestern Oklahoma State University, a small regional university in the United States, a federally funded Preparing Tomorrows Teachers to use Technology (PT3) project, known as the TEACHNOLOGY Program, is providing faculty development through a collaborative consultation model. This model has been a very effective model that has resulted in systemic change in faculty member's technology use, particularly the integration of technology into a wide variety of teaching and learning activities.
Determination of Strategies and Selection of Pastoral Leadership

Abstract One of the most important decisions faced by any church or local ministry is the choice of pastoral leadership, yet few tools exist to help church decision-makers with this choice. This paper develops a framework for determining strategies and selecting pastoral leadership in churches and other local ministries. A review of the literature concerning strategic choice models and strategy/manager matching models is combined with an analysis of the unique characteristics of churches and local ministries to develop the proposed framework. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research.
The compressibility of CaCO3–Li2CO3–Na2CO3–K2CO3 liquids: application to natrocarbonatite and CO2-bearing nephelinite liquids from Oldoinyo Lengai

To constrain the compressibility of natrocarbonate liquids, sound-speed measurements were made on 11 liquids in the CaCO3–Li2CO3–Na2CO3–K2CO3 quaternary system from 808 to 1323 K at 1 bar with a frequency-sweep acoustic interferometer. CaCO3 concentrations range from 15 to 50 mol% in four of the experimental liquids. The sound-speed data for all liquids were converted to isothermal compressibility (β T ), which were fit to an ideal mixing model with respect to composition; the average residual is 1.2 %. Fitted values (±1σ) of the partial molar compressibility (10−2 GPa−1) at 1100 K were derived for CaCO3 (5.36 ± 0.13), Li2CO3 (8.09 ± 0.06), Na2CO3 (10.62 ± 0.07), and K2CO3 (14.09 ± 0.06); these values translate to bulk modulus values of 18.7, 12.4, 9.4, and 7.1 GPa, respectively, reflecting the relatively large compressibility of carbonate liquids. The data are additionally used to estimate the partial molar volume and compressibility of the CO2 component dissolved as carbonate in nephelinite liquids; the density of this dissolved component at 1423 K and 1 GPa ranges from 1.62, 1.71 to 1.83 g/cm3 when it is complexed with K+, Na+, and Ca2+, respectively, and is estimated to be ~2.05 and 2.14 g/cm3 when complexed with Fe2+ and Mg2+, respectively. The results from this study can be applied to natrocarbonate liquids, such as those erupted from Oldoinyo Lengai volcano in Africa, and indicate a melt density of ~2.19 g/cm3 at 1150 °C and 1 GPa, which is ~18 % less dense than the average melt density (~2.67 g/cm3) calculated for associated Mg-poor nephelinite liquids at the same conditions and volatile-free. However, the dissolution of 10.1 wt% H2O and 8.7 wt% CO2 in the average nephelinite melt (based on volatile contents reported in the literature for these magmas) reduces its density to ~2.14 g/cm3 at 1150 °C and 1 GPa, eliminating the buoyancy contrast with the natrocarbonate melt. In turn, it is highly likely that the natrocarbonatite melts contained significant amounts of dissolved H2O and, as an example, the addition of 10 wt% H2O lowers the melt density by ~14 % to ~1.88 g/cm3, and therefore re-establishes a large density contrast with the volatile-rich nephelinite melts.
Drug Metabolism in Liver Failure

Any medication entering the body must be eventually metabolized and/or excreted. The liver is the organ positioned between the upper gastrointestinal tract and the general circulation, which is responsible for eliminating and metabolism. It participates in drug elimination via hepatocellular uptake, metabolism, and biliary excretion. As blood travels through the liver, low-molecular weight substances can enter the hepatocytes by passive diffusion or active transport. Clearance of drugs is then facilitated by metabolizing enzymes and transport proteins [1].
Psychoaerobics: An Experiential Method to Empower Therapist Excellence by Zeig, Jeffrey K.

Recall your psychotherapy training. You were likely taught in a didactic manner in a graduate program. Pages upon pages of theory, ideas, and facts were offered to you in the classroom setting. The...
Market-Oriented Behaviors within Organizations: An Individual-Level Perspective

Prior empirical work aimed at understanding market information use has focused primarily on factors impacting the use of market research (a subset of market information) or organizational perspectives relating to market information use. However, organizational use of information is ultimately driven by individual decisions about information use. This paper extends a conceptual model that integrates relevant variables to explain information use by individuals within organizations. The proposed framework relates information use to factors subject to management control and offers important implications for the exploration and management of market information use in organizations.
Calcification of Tubercles by Administration of Calcium Chloride.

In previous communications1, 2 it was shown that a vital dye, trypan blue, or a metal in the form of its salt, ferric chloride, when injected into the circulating blood stream rapidly accumulates in an area of inflammation, where the substance is fixed and fails to drain to the tributary lymph nodes. Subsequently it was shown in infected rabbits3, 4 that repeated daily intravenous injections of ferric chloride are followed by an accumulation of iron in the caseous center of tuberculous areas.The object of this study was to determine whether calcium would likewise penetrate from the blood stream into tuberculous foci. Such evidence might offer a reasonable explanation for the origin of this element in calcified tubercles. The literature fails to reveal any agreement on the effect of calcium in experimental tuberculosis. Michelazzi5 found calcification of lesions in tuberculous rabbits treated with calcium. Hoyle,6 who maintained that these earlier experiments were unsatisfactory, found no appreciable diffe...
Fibrin gels as cell-instructive substrates for regenerative medicine

Fibrin hydrogels are an exciting platform for cell-based therapies, as they contain necessary cues for adhesion, can be remodeled by entrapped cells, and the biophysical properties can be modified with a plethora of strategies. Furthermore, fibrin acts as a provisional matrix in vivo for tissue regeneration. While the majority of studies seek to manipulate fibrin gel properties by changing the concentration of clotting proteins, these studies highlight our capacity to change bulk stiffness and fiber properties by supplementing the solutions with sodium chloride (NaCl). Physical properties including fiber thickness, porosity, compressive modulus, and fluid uptake capacity were dependent on NaCl content, with gels containing 2.60% (w/v) NaCl exhibiting compressive moduli threefold higher than gels without NaCl. These material properties, in turn, affected the gel morphology along with the osteogenic and pro-angiogenic response of entrapped mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). The osteoconductivity of fibrin gels can be enhanced by inclusion of apatite-coated polymer substrata to nucleate mineral, while the efficacy of engineered fibrin gels to simultaneously deploy small molecules with cells to enhance endogenous angiogenic potential has been demonstrated. Collectively, these data demonstrate the broad capacity of engineered fibrin gels to regulate function of entrapped cells for use in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Perceived Motives in the Political Arena

People care about more than the substance of policy outcomes. They also care about how political decisions are made. In this article, I report findings from national surveys and two survey experiments that shed light on the factors that affect how people attribute motives to politicians. I find that party cues, policy preferences, and other factors affect which motives people see as the most important explanations for a representative’s behavior. I also find suggestive evidence that people are not strictly averse to representatives who are motivated by political self-interest. Instead, they appear to be more concerned with the extent to which a representative is motivated by his or her genuinely held preferences and a desire to serve the public. The findings constitute an important step toward understanding how people attribute motives in the political arena and the potential consequences of these judgments about what drives politicians’ behavior.Critics accuse Joe Biden of running for President for polit...
Low Cost 3D-Printed Biosensor Arrays for Protein-based Cancer Diagnostics based on Electrochemiluminescence

Development and fabrication of bioanalytical devices by 3D printing offers revolutionary new routes to low cost clinical diagnostic devices for molecular measurements. Relevant to future protein-based cancer diagnostics, we describe and review here our recent development of prototype protein immunoarray devices using desktop Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and stereolithographic 3D printers. All these system feature sensitive electro-optical detection by a method called electrochemiluminescence (ECL). Our first 3D-printed immunoarray features screen-printed sensors in which manual manipulations enable gravity flow reagent delivery for measurement of 3 proteins at detection limits of 0.3 to 0.5 pg/mL. ECL detection is achieved in an open channel on integrated disposable screen-printed sensor elements. We then address the issue of printing and processing optically clear plastic using a stereolithographic printer to build a closed ECL detection chamber. Finally, we describe a prototype 3D-printed microprocessor-controlled enclosed microfluidic ECL immunoarray featuring reagent reservoirs, micropumps and clear plastic detection chamber with printed nanowells for ECL emission.
Ca~(2+) sparks in cardiac myocytes

In cardiac myocytes, Ca 2+ sparks origining fr om a single RyR or a few RyRs are triggered by a single L-type Ca 2+ channel or occur spontaneously. Ca 2+ sparks constitute the elementary local Ca 2+ release events from the SR. Ca 2+ sparks occur at Z-lines and rando mly distribute at different locations, the characteristics of the kinetics are r egulated by many factors. In addition, I Ca.T, Na+/Ca 2+ exchang e, I Ca(TTX) and IP 3 are other putative sources of Ca 2+ that tr igger SR Ca 2+ release.
High Tech Services Innovativeness: Profiling High Prone Air-to-Ground Telephone Market Segments

Consumer innovative behavior has long been a topic of interest to the marketing discipline. Attempts have been made to understand the attributes of innovative behavior and to profile consumers displaying such behaviors This paper profiles the innovator of high tech air-to-ground telephone services on the forefront of the airline industry.
From Contagious to Resilient and Beyond: A Periodization of Four Decades of Educational Research on LGBTQ Issues

This article presents a periodization of educational research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) issues between 1970 and 2010. Developed through a frame analysis of 105 educational research reports, the periodization maps ideological and chronological patterns in the conceptual frames of research on LGBTQ issues. Five paradigmatic frames for understanding LGBTQ issues in education are discussed: (a) homosexuality as a social contagion; (b) homosexuality as a private identity; (c) LGB youth as “at-risk”; (d) LGBTQ youth as victims; and (f) LGBTQ youth as resilient. The author calls for an expansion beyond individual-level analyses into investigations of educational practice.
Familial heterogeneity in breast cancer predisposition: a study of 22 Utah families

The problem of "missing heritability" in genome-wide analyses of complex diseases is thought to be attributable to some combination of: rare variants of moderate to large effect, common variants of very small effect, and epigenetic, epistatic, or shared environmental effects. Rare variants do not affect large numbers of people by definition, but identified genes and pathways frequently lead to important insights into pathogenesis, and become targets of chemoprevention or therapy. Family studies remain an efficient way to identify rare variants with sizable effects on disease risk. We present a genome-wide study of breast cancer in 22 large high-risk families including 154 women diagnosed with breast cancer. Appropriate marker spacing was achieved by simulation studies of founder haplotypes to reduce the chance that linkage disequilibrium produced spurious linkage peaks. For each family, we generated 100 simulations of null linkage genome-wide to estimate the probability that individual results were due to chance. We identified a total of 12 putative susceptibility regions with per-family genome-wide probability
High-Pressure Injection Injury

There are very few true orthopedic emergencies. Several conditions such as open fractures, once thought to be emergent, have been shown in the literature to be urgencies that should be tended to in prompt rather than emergent fashion. Some notable emergencies are hemodynamically unstable pelvis fractures, necrotizing fasciitis, and compartment syndrome.
The “Perverse Result” of Disability Rights: Deregulating Care Workers’ Labor Unions in the Supreme Court

AbstractIn Harris v. Quinn (2014), the United States Supreme Court used disability rights rhetoric of independence and control to argue that disabled people—not the State—are the real employers of in-home care workers. Consequently, the State cannot force care workers to pay labor union fees. Justice Alito’s majority decision interprets the employment contract as a capacity contract: a device that uses the recognition of equal cognitive capacity to obscure domination. Alito ignored the vulnerability of disabled people and in-home care workers to legitimize neoliberal cutbacks. In her dissent, Justice Kagan argued that disabled people, care workers, and the State forge multiple and iterative contracts. Using Kagan’s dissent, Charles Mills’s critique of ideal theory, and Susan Burgess and Christine Keating’s participatory social contract, I argue that an emancipatory contract must replace cognitive capacity as the condition of membership with the recognition of shared human vulnerability amid oppressive con...
Urolithin C, a gut metabolite of ellagic acid, induces apoptosis in PC12 cells through a mitochondria-mediated pathway

Urolithins (Uros), metabolites of ellagitannins (ET) and ellagic acid (EA) produced by gut microbiota, showed better bioavailability and extensive bioactivity, and were considered as the active compounds responsible for the health benefits exerted by ET-containing foodstuffs. Here, we chemically synthesized three Uros including Uros A, B, and C and compared their anti-proliferative activities with that of EA in PC12 cells. MTT assay showed that EA significantly promoted, while Uros significantly inhibited the proliferation of PC12 cells, among which UroC showed the strongest anti-proliferation. UroC treatment actively increased the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde (MDA), stimulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and caused calcium dyshomeostasis. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis showed that UroC treatment induced apoptosis and S phase cell cycle arrest with increasing UroC concentrations. Consequently, UroC also induced imbalance in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, which triggered the caspase cascade, thereby shifting the balance in favor of apoptosis, as evidenced by western blotting and real-time PCR. These observations indicated that UroC possessed significantly different anti-proliferation activities from EA, and actively induced cell apoptosis through a mitochondria-mediated pathway.
The Detroit Museum of Art

Little in Detroit’s origins suggests it might create one of America’s largest and most distinguished art museums. The city began as a settlement along the western side of a waterway that became a route for westward expansion and trade through the chain of “great lakes” from the Atlantic coast to the American interior. Eventually called the Detroit River, it not only connects Lake St. Clair on the north with Lake Erie toward the south, it also provides a comparatively narrow crossing point from the east—now the Canadian province of Ontario—to the west—now Michigan. The strategic importance of this intersection of water and land passages was first recognized by French explorers who established a frontier trading post and fortification there in 1701 that came to be known as Detroit two years later. For another sixty years the French governed the slowly growing settlement until it was conquered by the British who remained more or less in control until they were forced out by the United States during the War of 1812.
Ending HIV: Stigma, Fear-Based Policing, and Criminalization in Louisiana Through Training of Law Enforcement and Prosecutors

Human immunodeficiency virus, commonly known as HIV is a lentivirus that if left untreated, can lead to acquired immunodeficiency virus, commonly known as AIDS. Currently, HIV/AIDS affects more than 1.2 million people living in the U.S, and 1 out of 8 people are not even aware that they have contracted HIV. HIV emerged during the 1980’s, and was originally seen as a type of cancer because of the severity of the disease, and the almost immediate manner in which it claimed an infected person’s life. Since then, many strides have been made medically in improving the quality and length of life of those who have contracted HIV. Despite these medical advancements, those who have contracted HIV now have obstacles to face criminally. In response to the growing population of persons living with HIV/AIDS, state legislatures created and enacted laws governing the activities of intentional exposure to HIV, intentional transmission of HIV, and disclosure of HIV status to partners. Laws vary from each state regarding what behavior is criminalized, and the penalties imposed if a person is found guilty. In Louisiana, La. R.S. 14:43.5 was enacted in 1987, and criminalizes the intentional exposure to the AIDS virus. The issues with the Louisiana statute are 1) that exposure to the AIDS virus does not necessarily equate to transmission; and 2) some of the behaviors defined, as exposure in the statute will not actually transmit HIV/AIDS. Thus, there has been an emergence of many cases where persons are arrested, tried, and convicted of intentional exposure, where there was little to no rate of transmission of the virus. As of recently, there has been a movement to change the language of the statute to align with the scientific definitions of transmission, and end the criminalization of ordinary behaviors, which will not lead to contracting HIV. This comment serves to argue that amending La. R.S. 14:43.5 is not enough to affect change in the criminalization of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Louisiana; and urges to also include mandatory HIV/AIDS training of law enforcement officers and prosecutors. By including law enforcement officers and prosecutors in the reform of HIV-specific laws, there is a chance to affect change in the way arrests are made and cases are tried.
AN EARLY ATTEMPT AT BALANCE SHEET CLASSIFICATION AND FINANCIAL REPORTING

A recent investigation into the archives of the English East India Company has produced the earliest known classified balance of accounts. Dated May 1, 1782, this statement predates the model balan...
Synthesis and Toxicity of Lipid-Coated-Titanium Oxide Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles have a broad range of applications in novel materials and consumer products. Due to the unique properties of nanoscale materials, the toxic effects of various nanoparticles are largely unknown. Surface modi cations to nanoparticles, such as membrane or lipid coatings, may reduce immunogenicity and environmental toxicity, but these effects remain largely uncharacterized. The synthesis of lipid-coated titanium oxide nanoparticles was optimized and toxicity was evaluated. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that 5 μM of tricarboxylic amphiphile suf ciently generated uniformly coated nanoparticles. Toxicity studies on Zea mays (corn) revealed that uncoated titanium oxide nanoparticles exhibited phytotoxicity, while lipid- coated nanoparticles had effects resembling deionized water. Scanning electron microscopy displayed visual evidence of nanoparticle absorption into the corn seedlings in experimental groups.
Predicting Wave Spectra With a Third Generation Spectral Wave Model

the ability of the third generation spectral wave model, 3GWAM, to simulate frequency and directional spectra during a northeast storm of October 1990 along the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast is investigated. 3GWAM had been observed to predict wave heights very well during the storm which provided an opportunity to evaluate the quality of the spectral predictions. The storm conditions are represented by high speeds (25 m/s wind speeds) with a distinct wind direction shift. In general, the model performed well with under predictions in low frequency wave components most likely due to small under estimates in wave height. The model simulated the shape of the observed directional spectra within the assumed uncertainty of the observations.
Prognostic significance of a diagnosis of multiple lung cancers.

7545 Background: The Martini-Melamed criteria (J Thor Card Surg, 1975) have been used since 1975 to clinically differentiate MLCs from lung metastases, which impacts upon treatment choices. The sur...
A Japanese Peace Maneuver in 19441

A SITUATION which cannot be described as other than bizarre reached its climax on October 14, 1944. On that day, Baron Miyagawa Tada-maro, younger brother of Prince Konoye Fumimaro, alighted at Shanghai from a Japanese army transport plane, ostensibly on business for the South Manchuria Railway. Actually, this mild-mannered little man had come to China as the representative of the Itsuyūkai , a secret organization whose aim was the achievement of peace in the “year of the bird” – 1945.
Soil Quality and Water Redistribution Influences on Plant Production over Low Hillslopes on Reclaimed Mined Land

Coal surface mining in northern Great Plains USA led to reclamation experiments with soil respreading. Respread soil depth (RSD) and runoff of water redistribution (WR) effects interacted in original North Dakota studies, complicating interpretations. We determined WR and soil depth/soil quality (SQ) effects on hillslope production patterns for sites with soil wedges (2%–5% slope, 50-m length) over sodic mine spoils. At Zap, cool-season forages crested wheatgrass (CWG: Agropyron cristatum) and Russian wildrye (Psathyrostachys juncea) generally decreased as RSD increased upslope. At Stanton, alfalfa (Medicago sativa), native grasses (Bouteloua spp.), and CWG responded to RSD, increasing 70% to midslope and decreasing further. A SQ index (SQI) based on six indicator properties was highly correlated ( > 0.7) with RSD. Yield regressions with RSD or SQI were generally significant for Stanton forages and for spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) at both sites. Yield regressions with WR index (catchment area-based) indicated dominance of WR effects at Zap. Cool-season forages at Zap evidently responded to springtime runoff, while Stanton forages and spring wheat at both sites used water later in the season and responded to soil depth/SQ effects. Results suggest models for interaction of SQ and landform WR affecting productivity should include plant community composition and water-use information.
Sleep, Sadness, and Depression

Abstract: This chapter discusses the bidirectional association between sleep duration or quality and sadness, which is broadly defined as low positive affect. Regarding the impact of sleep on sadness and depression, observational and experimental studies suggest that poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep lead to low positive affect among depression-free individuals, but individuals with depression respond to the challenge of sleep deprivation with transient mood elevation. Regarding the impact of low mood on sleep, studies generally find little to no evidence supporting the hypothesis that, among people without depression, a low arousal negative affect, such as sadness, predicts poor sleep the next night. On the other hand, people with depression experience greater sleep abnormalities than do people without depression, including difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep and disturbances in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The chapter also discusses how depression and sad mood could contribute to the severity of insomnia, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, and sleep apnea.
Use of photoluminescence to investigate apparent suicides by firearms.

A photoluminescence technique, which detects lead and antimony in gunshot residue, was evaluated for use in investigations of apparent gunshot suicides. The study was conducted in conjunction with forensic science laboratories in five U.S. cities. Samples were collected by the adhesive lift method from the backs of the hands of 67 gunshot suicide victims, 41 subjects who died of other causes, and 31 live subjects with high occupational exposure to lead and antimony. Tentative simultaneous threshold levels of 0.85μg for lead and 0.01 μg for antimony were selected as criteria for presuming the presence of gunshot residue on samples from the hands of these suicide victims. Although blood decreases the detectability of lead and antimony in the samples, 48% of the suicide cases involving handguns other than .22 revolvers exceeded the threshold levels for both lead and antimony. Methods are suggested for eliminating the effects of blood, which should significantly increase the success rate for cases involving these guns. A much lower success rate was obtained for cases involving .22 revolvers and long guns, as expected from the sparse amounts of residue found in previous test firings of these guns.
Photofootprinting DNA in Vitro and in Vivo

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses photofootprinting DNA in vitro and vivo . Photofootprinting refers to the use of light or light-activated molecules to footprint nucleic acids. The chapter discusses the most widely used photofootprinting technique, termed ultraviolet footprinting photons to footprint nucleic acids. The use of UV light to footprint nucleic acids has several important advantages over other footprinting techniques. The UV footprinting technique is based on the premise that changes in the structure of DNA, or the formation of protein-DNA complexes, will alter UV damage rates along the DNA helix. The UV footprinting technique was developed on the premise that protein-DNA contacts and altered structures of DNA will alter UV damage rates by affecting the ability of DNA to adopt geometry necessary to form a UV photoproduct. UV footprinting measures the ease with which bases along the DNA helix can unwind and bend to form UV photoproducts. Agents that inhibit these structural deformations in DNA inhibit UV damage rates whereas agents that facilitate these deformations enhance UV damage rates.
Fabricating high-quality VARTM laminates by magnetic consolidation: experiments and process model

Abstract In recently developed magnet assisted composite manufacturing (MACM) processes, a magnetic consolidation pressure is applied on composite laminates by a set of permanent magnets during fabrication. This magnetic pressure was shown to provide considerable benefits such as increased fiber volume fraction, improved mechanical properties, and reduced void content in wet lay-up/vacuum bag processes. In this article, the effectiveness of MACM to fabricate high-quality vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) laminates is investigated and a new, transient process model for MACM is introduced. Towards this goal, 6-, 12-, and 18-ply, random mat E-glass/epoxy composite laminates were fabricated by placing Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets on the vacuum bag either after or before the resin infusion. In both scenarios, the magnetic pressure was shown to considerably improve surface quality, reduce laminate thickness, and increase fiber volume fraction to above 50%. The flexural strength of the 6-, 12-, and 18-ply laminates was improved by more than 28%, 23%, and 11%, respectively. The flexural modulus was also enhanced substantially, at least by 41%, 34%, and 23%, for the same set of laminates. Applying the magnets before infusion increased the filling time due to decreased fabric permeability, and consequently reduced the process-induced voids to under 1%, while the laminates made by conventional VARTM contained up to 6% voids. The transient magnetic consolidation model developed for this process is shown to accurately predict the fiber volume fraction and final laminate thickness for all the fabricated laminates.
Seasonal and Interannual Variability in Net Ecosystem Production of a Subtropical Coastal Lagoon Inferred from Monthly Oxygen Surveys

A central organizing concept in estuarine biogeochemistry is net ecosystem production (NEP). However, estimates of seasonal and interannual variability of whole-system estuarine NEP, which provide insight into how estuaries respond to climatic and anthropogenic forcing, are rare. The main objectives of this study are to (1) determine the seasonal and interannual variability in whole-system NEP of Biscayne Bay, a subtropical, shallow estuary located in southeastern Florida, USA, and (2) determine the potential driving mechanisms of NEP in this estuary. We compute monthly NEP over more than 12 years by constructing the dissolved oxygen budget for the estuary from monthly snapshot oxygen survey data (i.e., collected once per month). High-frequency observations of oxygen in similar subtropical estuaries were used to quantify the error associated with the snapshot monthly sampling. Oxygen air–water exchange and NEP closely balanced each other, with the long-term mean NEP (± 2 standard errors) equal to − 5.3 ± 0.3 mol O2 m−2 year−1, indicating net heterotrophy. Significant seasonality was found, with lowest NEP in September. At monthly time scales, NEP was significantly positively correlated with chlorophyll and total phosphorus and significantly negatively correlated with canal flow. Interannual variability in NEP was substantial, and the bay temporarily shifted from net heterotrophy to net autotrophy after the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, probably in response to increases in nutrients from runoff and resuspension. These findings show that monthly oxygen surveys can be used to quantify whole-system estuarine NEP and that Biscayne Bay NEP is sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic forcing on seasonal and interannual timescales.
Nitrogen: Kjeldahl nitrogen determination ‐ what's in a name

The total nitrogen (N) content of a plant or one of its parts is an important physiological measurement, a parameter used to evaluate the plant's nutritional status. Kjeldahl digestion is the most frequently used analytical procedure for this N determination, a method developed over 100 years ago. The procedure may be defined in terms of the sample aliquot (micro, semimicro or macro), and by the method to assay the generated ammonium whether by acidimetric titration, colorimetry or by means of an ammonia‐sensing electrode. The obtained Kjeldahl N result will be affected whether nitrate is recovered, what catalyst is used, the digestion temperature and the length of time following clearing. In addition, sample particle size, amount of sample assayed and the digestion apparatus will contribute to the precision of the determination. All of these factors must be known if the determined Kjeldahl N content is to have significant value.
The self and the ontic trust: toward technologies of care and meaning

Contemporary technology has been implicated in the rise of perfectionism, a personality trait that is associated with depression, suicide and other ills. This paper aims to explore how technology can be developed to promote an alternative to perfectionism, which is a self-constructionist ethic.,This paper takes the form of a philosophical discussion. A conceptual framework is developed by connecting the literature on perfectionism and personal meaning with discussions in information ethics on the self, the ontic trust and technologies of the self. To illustrate these themes, the example of selfies and self-portraits is discussed.,The self today must be understood as both individualistic and relational, i.e. hybrid; the trouble is a balance. To realize balance, the self should be recognized as part of the ontic trust to which all information organisms and objects belong. Thus, technologically-mediated self-care takes on a deeper urgency. The selfie is one example of a technology for self-care that has gone astray (i.e. lost some of its care-conducive aspects), but this can be remedied if selfie-making technology incorporates relevant aspects of self-portraiture. This example provides a path for developing self-constructionist and meaningful technologies more generally.,Technology development should proceed with self-care and meaning in mind. The comparison of selfies and self-portraits, situated historically and theoretically, provides some guidance in this regard. Some specific avenues for development are presented.,The question of the self has not been much discussed in information ethics. This paper links the self to the ontic trust: the self can be fruitfully understood as an agent within the ontic trust to which we all belong.
Science and Stakeholders: A Synthesis

Stakeholders are all the interested and affected parties, and include (but are not limited to) Tribal nations, U.S. governmental agencies (federal, state, local), nongovernmental groups (conservation groups, recreational groups, hunting and fishing groups, citizens’ groups), industry and their representative organizations, the media and information organizations, and the public. Governmental agencies include not only regulators, but human and ecological health groups. There are several levels of stakeholder involvement, including informational, acquisitional, dialogue, intragovernmental, stakeholder involvement stakeholder-driven, and stakeholder collaborative. In all cases, however, a range of stakeholders is involved in different phases of decision making. I suggest combining stakeholder models of involvement and collaboration during all phases from problem formulation to solutions and decision making, with an adaptive management approach. This would involve an adaptive management approach of a structured, iterative process of optimal decision making, with stakeholder involvement at all phases.
Hydroelastic damping of low aspect ratio cantilevered plates

Abstract This study considers the hydroelastic damping of cantilevered flat plates undergoing free vibration in flowing water. Of particular interest are plates with aspect ratios (defined as span length divided by chord length) less than one. Experimental trials involving plates of aspect ratios from 0.3 to 0.7 are conducted in a high-speed water tunnel. The tests involve flow velocities well below those corresponding to hydroelastic instability. Additionally, an unsteady, linear vortex lattice model is coupled to a structural dynamic plate model to predict flow-induced damping as a function of flow speed. The numerical model has been previously used with air, but never with water as the fluid medium. The model is able to predict the hydroelastic damping associated with the first several plate modes with less than 30% error in most cases. While the hydroelastic damping remains linear in the experimental flow regime, at higher flow speeds more complicated hydroelastic damping behavior is predicted. Numerical studies involving mass ratio, aspect ratio, and reduced velocity are conducted to predict hydroelastic damping across a wide parameter space. All else being equal, chordwise bending modes are found to exhibit two to three times greater hydroelastic damping than spanwise bending modes. There is also an inverse relationship between mass ratio and hydroelastic damping. Further, for plates with low aspect ratios and at fixed reduced velocities, hydroelastic damping increases with increasing aspect ratio.
Can ocean acidification interfere with the ability of mud snails (Tritia obsoleta) to sense predators

Abstract Nonlethal predator-prey interaction between Dyspanopeus sayi (northern mud crab) and Tritia obsoleta (mud snail) under ocean acidification conditions (OA) were investigated. Nonlethal interactions can influence predator-prey relationships and magnify the ecological impact of predators in marine habitats. Future increases in OA necessitate an understanding of how prey perceive the threat of predation and how this may be impacted by ocean acidification. In baseline experiments at pH 8.1, mud snails responded differently to crab cues compared to crushed conspecifics, burying in the presence of crushed conspecifics and fleeing in the presence of a mud crab. While many predator cue experiments combine these two types of cues, these results suggest that mud snails not only discern between threat cues but also have a nuanced response that is tailored to specific threats. Mud snail responses to predator-prey relationships were delayed under lower pH conditions, as snails in acidified treatments did not exhibit any of the escape responses that they commonly displayed under control conditions. Thus, acidification could shift predator-prey relationships and significantly alter food webs under acidified conditions.
Glucocorticoid-Induced Fatty Liver Disease

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are commonly used at high doses and for prolonged periods (weeks to months) in the treatment of a variety of diseases. Among the many side effects are increased insulin resistance with disturbances in glucose/insulin homeostasis and increased deposition of lipids (mostly triglycerides) in the liver. Here, we review the metabolic pathways of lipid deposition and removal from the liver that become altered by excess glucocorticoids. Pathways of lipid deposition stimulated by excess glucocorticoids include 1) increase in appetite and high caloric intake; 2) increased blood glucose levels due to GC-induced stimulation of gluconeogenesis; 3) stimulation of de novo lipogenesis that is augmented by the high glucose and insulin levels and by GC itself; and 4) increased release of free fatty acids from adipose stores and stimulation of their uptake by the liver. Pathways that decrease hepatic lipids affected by glucocorticoids include a modest stimulation of very-low-density lipoprotein synthesis and secretion into the circulation and inhibition of β-oxidation of fatty acids. Role of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases-1 and -2 and the reversible conversion of cortisol to cortisone on intracellular levels of cortisol is examined. In addition, GC control of osteocalcin expression and the effect of this bone-derived hormone in increasing insulin sensitivity are discussed. Finally, research focused on gaining a better understanding of the dose and duration of treatment with glucocorticoids, which leads to increased triglyceride deposition in the liver, and the reversibility of the condition is highlighted.
Mechanisms and Consequences of Drug–Drug Interactions

Understanding the mechanisms and consequences of drug–drug interactions is essential for the development of new pharmaceuticals and for the design of multidrug regimens. Drug interactions occur when one drug changes the pharmacokinetic and/or the pharmacodynamic actions of another drug. This article focuses on the common mechanisms of drug–drug interactions and pharmacokinetic principles of drug interactions, including different experimental systems and modeling tools used to investigate possible drug interactions. Keywords: drug–drug interactions; pharmacokinetics; pharmacodynamics; modeling tools
No Significant Differences in Muscle Growth and Strength Development When Consuming Soy and Whey Protein Supplements Matched for Leucine Following a 12 Week Resistance Training Program in Men and Women: A Randomized Trial.

There are conflicting reports regarding the efficacy of plant versus animal-derived protein to support muscle and strength development with resistance training. The purpose of this study was to determine whether soy and whey protein supplements matched for leucine would comparably support strength increases and muscle growth following 12 weeks of resistance training. Sixty-one untrained young men (n = 19) and women (n = 42) (18–35 year) enrolled in this study, and 48 completed the trial (17 men, 31 women). All participants engaged in supervised resistance training 3×/week and consumed 19 grams of whey protein isolate or 26 grams of soy protein isolate, both containing 2 g (grams) of leucine. Multi-level modeling indicated that total body mass (0.68 kg; 95% CI: 0.08, 1.29 kg; p 0.05). These data indicate that increases in lean mass and strength in untrained participants are comparable when strength training and supplementing with soy or whey matched for leucine.
Biomechanics of Spinal Fixation in Metastatic Disease

Modern decision-making in the treatment of spinal metastasis is dependent on multiple patient-specific factors, including neurologic function, tumor type, spinal biomechanics, and systemic disease. Instrumented spinal fixation has been a proven treatment modality for spinal metastasis to preserve neurologic function and achieve biomechanical stabilization. However, surgical spinal fixation continues to evolve as both primary and adjunctive treatment for spinal metastasis. In this chapter, we provide an up-to-date synopsis of all biomechanical considerations in the modern-day treatment of spinal metastasis with instrumented fixation. We will discuss the different types of instrumentation and implant technology widely utilized in metastasis surgery, including pedicle screws and interbody cages and graft material. We will review different approaches to all areas where spinal metastasis may arise and the unique biomechanical considerations of spinal fixation with each. Finally, the biomechanics of newer and less invasive approaches to metastasis surgery will be described, including minimally invasive approaches and separation surgery. Spinal instrumentation for spinal metastasis is a growing and ever-changing field, and the biomechanics of traditional and new stabilization strategies must always be considered in surgical planning.
Perioperative Blood Loss after Preoperative Prostatic Artery Embolization in Patients Undergoing Simple Prostatectomy: A Propensity Score‒Matched Study.

PURPOSE To assess perioperative blood loss following prostatic artery embolization (PAE) before surgery in patients undergoing simple prostatectomy. METHODS A retrospective chart review was used to identify 63 patients (mean age, 65.3 ± 8.0 years) with prostatic hypertrophy and severe lower urinary tract symptoms who underwent prostatectomy from September 2014 to December 2019, 18 (28.5%) of whom underwent PAE before surgery. Demographic data, pertinent laboratory results, procedural or operative information, hospital course details, and pathology reports were obtained. A 2:1 propensity score‒matching analysis was performed to compare intraoperative blood loss in patients who underwent prostatectomy alone with intraoperative blood loss in those who first underwent bilateral PAE before surgery. RESULTS Sixteen (89%) of the 18 patients underwent bilateral PAE before surgery. Thirty-two patients who underwent prostatectomy without embolization before surgery were selected for the 2:1 propensity score‒matched analysis based on age, race, surgery type, prostate gland size, and comorbidities. The mean estimated blood loss (EBL) for prostatectomy alone was 545 ± 380 mL (mean ± standard deviation). There was a statistically significant reduction in the EBL for patients who underwent bilateral PAE (303 ± 227 mL, P < .01). The operative time was also significantly decreased for patients who underwent PAE before surgery (P < .05). For patients who underwent PAE, there were no complications related to the procedure. CONCLUSIONS Bilateral PAE before surgery appears to be safe and may be effective in reducing perioperative bleeding and operative time.