cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-Similar Micron-Size and Nanosize Drops of Liquid Generated by Surface Acoustic Waves

A planar surface acoustic wave on a solid substrate and its radiated sound into a static liquid drop produce time-averaged, exponentially decaying acoustic and electric Maxwell pressures near the contact line. These localized contact-line pressures are shown to generate two sequences of hemispherical satellite droplets at the tens of microns and submicron scales, both obeying self-similar exponential scaling but with distinct exponents that correspond to viscous dissipation and field leakage length scales, respectively. The acoustic pressure becomes dominant when the film thickness exceeds ($1/4\ensuremath{\pi}$) of the surface acoustic wave wavelength and it affects the shape and stability of the mother drop. The Maxwell pressure of the nanodrops, which exceeds ten atmospheres, is sensitive to the contact angle.
Abstract 2973: Differential regulation of p21waf1 protein half-life by DNA damage and nutlin-3 in p53 wild-type tumors and its therapeutic potential

DNA damage induces cell cycle arrest through both Chk1 and the p53 tumor suppressor protein, the latter arresting cells through induction of p21waf1 protein. Arrest permits cells to repair the damage and recover. The frequent loss of p53 in tumor cells makes them more dependent on Chk1 for arrest and survival. We have used the topoisomerase I inhibitor SN38 to induce DNA damage in three p53 wild-type cell lines: the immortalized MCF10A, and tumorigenic HCT116 and U2OS. Both phospho-Chk1 and p53 were elevated to a similar extent in all three cell lines. However, the HCT116 and U2OS cells exhibited far less accumulation of p21waf1 protein. The p21waf1 mRNA was induced to a similar extent, and the protein half-life was similar (∼ 30 min) in all three cell lines. These results suggest that the two tumor cell lines have a reduced rate of translation of the p21waf1 mRNA. To obtain further insight into the regulation of p21waf1, we incubated the three cell lines with the non-genotoxic drug nutlin-3, which disrupts p53:MDM2 binding thereby inducing a p53 response. Nutlin-3 induced similar levels of p53 in the three cell lines, and these levels were comparable to those seen with SN38. While nutlin-3 had little additional impact on p21waf1 induction in MCF10A cells and the half-life remained at ∼ 30 min, there was a much stronger induction in HCT116 and U2OS cells which was attributed to a much longer protein half-life (∼ 80 to 90 min). Incubation of p53 mutant cells with Chk1 inhibitors such as SCH900776 can overcome SN38-induced cell cycle arrest and drive cells through a lethal mitosis. p53 wild-type cells can be protected from this lethal mitosis through induction of p21waf1. However, the defective p21waf1 induction in HCT116 and U2OS cells is insufficient to protect them from Chk1 inhibition. In contrast, incubation with nutlin-3 induced sufficient p21waf1 that the cells arrested in either G1 or G2. This arrest protected the cells from subsequent incubation with the S phase-specific DNA damaging agents SN38 and hydroxyurea, either alone, or when combined with checkpoint inhibition. This protection was not observed in MCF10A or HCT116 cells deleted for p21waf1, or in MDA-MB-231 cells that have mutant p53. The results demonstrate that some p53 wild-type tumors have defects in p21waf1 expression, and may retain sensitivity to a combination of DNA damage plus checkpoint inhibition. Furthermore, the results suggest nutlin-3 could be used to protect normal cells from these combinations such that therapy can be targeted selectively to p53-defective tumors. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2973. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2973
The interpretation of electrokinetic measurements using a dynamic model of the stern layer

Results from recent electrophoresis, electrical conductivity, and electro-osmosis experiments on polystyrene latices have been ambiguous. ζ potentials derived from complementary measurements of mobility and electrical conductivity, for example, fail to agree with each other. One mechanism which can account for the discrepancy is the lateral movement of ions within the Stern layer in response to concentration gradients and the tangential electric field. A mathematical model of electrokinetics is presented here in which a dynamic model of the Stern layer is coupled to the standard Gouy-Chapman model of the diffuse layer. Transport within the Stern layer is modeled with a two-dimensional analog of the Nernst-Planck equation used to describe electromigration and diffusion in the bulk solution. Adsorption-desorption processes are employed to depict the equilibrium charge using a model which relates concentrations in the Stern layer to those in the adjacent part of the diffuse layer. The model equations are solved numerically and the solutions used to show how various parameters affect the electrophoretic mobility of individual particles and the conductivity of a suspension of particles. It is shown that the presence of mobile counterions in the Stern layer lowers the ζ potentials inferred from mobility measurements and raises those from conductivity measurements, compared to the ζ potentials that correspond to the intrinsic particle charge. In Part II (C. F. Zukoski IV and D. A. Saville, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 114, 45–53 (1986)) the model will be used in the interpretation of experimental measurements.
Survey and Consideration about Usage and Management Actuality of in Vitro Diagnostic Reagents in Medical Institutions

Combining with the survey about usage of in vitro diagnostic reagents in Jiaojiang district,this paper analyzes the main problems and their reasons of in vitro diagnostic reagents management,and puts forward suggestions about enhancing in vitro diagnostic reagents management.
Collective enhancement and suppression in Bose–Einstein condensates

Abstract The coherent and collective nature of a Bose–Einstein condensate can enhance or suppress physical processes. Bosonic stimulation enhances scattering in already occupied states which leads to matter wave amplification, and the suppression of dissipation leads to superfluidity. In this article we present several experiments where enhancement and suppression have been observed and discuss the common roots of and differences between these phenomena.
De novo REEP2 missense mutation in pure hereditary spastic paraplegia.

Alterations in proteins that regulate endoplasmic reticulum morphology are common causes of hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG1-78, plus others). Mutations in the REEP1 gene that encodes an endoplasmic reticulum-shaping protein are well-known causes of SPG31, a common autosomal dominant spastic paraplegia. A closely-related gene, REEP2, is mutated in SPG72, with both autosomal and recessive inheritances. Here, we report a patient with a pure hereditary spastic paraplegia due to a de novo missense mutation (c.119T > G, p.Met40Arg) in REEP2 at a highly-conserved residue very close to another known pathogenic missense change. This represents only the second autosomal dominant SPG72 missense mutation reported.
Interactions of motivation and cognitive control

There is general agreement that both motivation and cognitive control play critical roles in shaping goal-directed behavior, but only recently has scientific interest focused around the question of motivation-control interactions. Here we briefly survey this literature, organizing contemporary findings around three issues: 1) whether motivation preferentially impacts cognitive control processes, 2) the neural mechanisms that underlie motivation-cognition interactions, and 3) why motivation might be relevant for overcoming the costs of control. Dopamine (DA) is discussed as a key neuromodulator in these motivation-cognition interactions. We conclude by highlighting open issues, specifically Pavlovian versus instrumental control distinctions and effects of motivational valence and conflict, which could benefit from future research attention.
Associations of Clinically Relevant Levels of Depressive Symptoms and Antidepressant Use With Mortality in African American Health.

Abstract Background The Institute of Medicine has highlighted unequal treatment for African American individuals in health care. We examined the association of underuse of antidepressants in African American individuals with increased mortality. Methods We conducted a longitudinal cohort study in Metropolitan St Louis, Missouri, in a population-based study of community-dwelling African American individuals, aged 52 to 68 years. Medication evaluations and clinically relevant levels of depressive symptoms (CRLDS) assessments occurred in 2000 and 2004. The analytic sample included 830 (of 853 total, 97%) participants with complete data. CRLDS was defined as ≥9 on the 11-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Antidepressant use was determined by in-home medication recording and in-center coding. Participants were placed into 4 exposure categories: persistent CRLDS–no antidepressant (n = 69); intermittent CRLDS–no antidepressant (n = 123); antidepressant treatment (n = 110); and no CRLDS–no antidepressant (n = 528). Logistic regression with backwards elimination of the 9 identified potential confounders was used to examine associations of exposures with all-cause mortality over 6 years (2004–2010). Five sensitivity analyses investigated robustness of the primary findings. Results The antidepressant group was independently associated with reduced mortality compared with the persistent–no antidepressant group (odds ratio [OR] 0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08–0.44). Sensitivity analyses showed no substantive differences from the primary model; one indicated that the persistent CRLDS–no antidepressant group experienced significantly increased mortality compared with the no CRLDS–no antidepressant group (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.10–4.09), whereas the intermittent–no antidepressant group did not (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.44–1.58). Conclusions These results highlight that underuse of antidepressants in African American individuals is associated with increased mortality.
Myeloproliferative neoplasms with concurrent BCR–ABL1 translocation and JAK2 V617F mutation: a multi-institutional study from the bone marrow pathology group

Myeloproliferative neoplasms arise from hematopoietic stem cells with somatically altered tyrosine kinase signaling. Classification of myeloproliferative neoplasms is based on hematologic, histopathologic and molecular characteristics including the presence of the BCR-ABL1 and JAK2 V617F. Although thought to be mutually exclusive, a number of cases with co-occurring BCR-ABL1 and JAK2 V617F have been identified. To characterize the clinicopathologic features of myeloproliferative neoplasms with concomitant BCR-ABL1 and JAK2 V617F, and define the frequency of co-occurrence, we conducted a retrospective multi-institutional study. Cases were identified using a search of electronic databases over a decade at six major institutions. Of 1570 patients who were tested for both BCR-ABL1 and JAK2 V617F, six were positive for both. An additional five patients were identified via clinical records providing a total of 11 cases for detailed evaluation. For each case, clinical variables, hematologic and genetic data, and bone marrow histomorphologic features were analyzed. The sequence of identification of the genetic abnormalities varied: five patients were initially diagnosed with a JAK2 V617F+ myeloproliferative neoplasm, one patient initially had BCR-ABL1+ chronic myeloid leukemia, while both alterations were identified simultaneously in five patients. Classification of the BCR-ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms varied, and in some cases, features only became apparent following tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. Seven of the 11 patients showed myelofibrosis, in some cases before identification of the second genetic alteration. Our data, reflecting the largest reported study comprehensively detailing clinicopathologic features and response to therapy, show that the co-occurrence of BCR-ABL1 and JAK2 V617F is rare, with an estimated frequency of 0.4%, and most often reflects two distinct ('composite') myeloproliferative neoplasms. Although uncommon, it is important to be aware of this potentially confounding genetic combination, lest these features be misinterpreted to reflect resistance to therapy or disease progression, considerations that could lead to inappropriate management.
Retail stability of three beef muscles from grass-, legume-, and feedlot-finished cattle.

This study aimed to determine the influence of finishing diet on beef appearance and lipid oxidation of three beef muscles. A total of 18 Angus steers were selected from three diet treatments: grass-finished (USUGrass), legume-finished (USUBFT), and grain-finished (USUGrain). After processing, longissimus thoracis (LT), triceps brachii (TB), and gluteus medius (GM) steaks were evaluated over a 7-d display period. A muscle × diet interaction was observed for instrumental lightness (L*) and redness (a*) (P ≤ 0.001). Within each combination, USUGrass was considered darker with lower (P 0.05) among muscles. Visual color scores were in agreement with loss of redness (a*) during display, dependent on diet and muscle type (P 0.05) between USUGrain and USUBFT; however, USUGrass had lower initial (P < 0.05) TBARS than both USUGrain and USUBFT. At days 3 and 7, TBARS were greatest (P < 0.05) in USUGrain steaks, followed by USUBFT, which was greater (P < 0.05) than USUGrass. A diet × muscle interaction was observed for 10 volatile compounds originating from lipid degradation (P ≤ 0.013). These compounds were less (P < 0.05) abundant in USUGrass compared to TB or GM of USUGrain. This study determined grass-finished beef to have a darker more red color and less lipid oxidation in multiple muscles. Possible mechanisms for this may include an increase in endogenous antioxidants in grass-finished beef.
Differential Impact of Learning Activities Designed to Support Robust Learning in the Genetics Cognitive Tutor

This paper describes two types of Conceptually Grounded Learning Activities designed to foster more robust learning in the Genetics Cognitive Tutor: interleaved worked examples and genetic-process reasoning scaffolds. We report three empirical studies that evaluate the impact of these learning activities on three diverse genetics problem-solving topics in the tutor. We found that interleaved worked examples yielded less basic-skill learning than conventional problem solving, unlike many prior ITS studies of worked examples. We also found preliminary evidence that scaffolded reasoning tasks in conjunction with conventional problem solving leads to more robust understanding than conventional problem solving alone. Implications for the use of contextually grounded learning activities are discussed.
Pallidal neuron activity during sequential arm movements.

1. We examined the activity of neurons in the globus pallidus (GP) while monkeys (n = 2) performed sequential pointing movements under two task conditions: visually guided (TRACK task) and remembered (REM task). 2. Almost two-thirds of the task-related neurons in GP (155/236) were considered task dependent because they displayed exclusive or enhanced (greater than +/- 50%) changes in activity for one of the two task conditions. 3. More than 65% of the task-dependent neurons were termed REM neurons because they either displayed changes in activity that occurred only during the REM task or displayed changes that were more pronounced (greater than +/- 50%) during the REM task than during the TRACK task. 4. Nearly half of the REM neurons in GP displayed changes in activity that were limited to a single phase of the REM task (i.e., phase specific). Phase-specific neurons varied in the extent to which their activity depended on the particular sequence of movements performed. Some displayed a change in activity for all of the eight different movement sequences. Others displayed a change in activity during only one of the eight different sequences (i.e., phase and sequence specific). 5. We speculate that an ensemble of GP neurons with phase-specific responses could be used to encode the detailed spatio-temporal characteristics of a sequential movement. In this way, GP neurons would provide part of the neural substrate that solves the "serial order of motor behavior problem".
Management of Research Projects

Problems involved in planning and managing research and development projects have been studied by a number of investigators. The probabilistic models they have constructed are generally considered a part of operations research or managerial economics. We formulate and solve two such problems here. In addition to illustrating the use of ideas and techniques from probability theory, they also serve as vehicles for the introduction of some important ideas of dynamic programming (Problem 1) and of discounting and present value of cash flows (Problem 2).
‘Clinical Epidemiology’ & EBM as Set-Backs

For bringing about the necessary major improvements in clinical medicine, ultimately providing for universal practice of scientific medicine, the current teachings about ‘clinical epidemiology’ and EBM are counterproductive, as they are not founded on tenable principles from the theory of medicine; and the EBM movement that they underpin is, philosophically, wrong-headed in its denial of the role of academic leaders and expert practitioners in the development of the knowledge-base of clinical medicine. The academic leaders, in turn, now consolidate this decadence by their promotion of ‘clinical epidemiology’ and EBM.
4.8 – Vision

The chapter begins with a description of the eye, covering the sclera, the uvea, and the retina. It describes the aqueous humor production by the ciliary body and its resorption into the canal of Schlemm. It describes how incident light is focused on the macula lutea, using Snell’s law and the curvature of the cornea and lens. It shows how to calculate the power of refraction and the power of accommodation and what is wrong in presbyopia, near-sightedness, and far-sightedness. It then describes the rods and cones and contrasts their structure, sensitivity, saturation, and acuity. The mechanism of light transduction to membrane potential is described. The integration of photoreceptor responses in bipolar cells is discussed, as well as their input to the ganglion cells as the only cells in the retina that output action potentials. The nerve pathway to the lateral geniculate nucleus is described, distinguishing between the parvocellular pathway containing detailed visual information from the magnocellular pathway containing gross visual information. Response of ganglion cells to various light stimuli in their visual fields is shown. Final visual processing in the occipital lobe is briefly discussed.
WHAT IS THE TYPICAL NILPOTENT LIE ALGEBRA

Publisher Summary This chapter describes some computer assisted studies of what may be thought of as random samples 1 of nilpotent Lie algebras. It discusses nilpotent Lie algebras and the subclass of metabelian Lie algebras. In each instance, the chapter describes a procedure which, in some sense, corresponds to the choice of a random algebra. As there does not appear to be a natural probability measure to assign to these classes, the chapter highlights the sampling process. It describes certain subvarieties of the variety Lie(X) of Lie multiplications on a vector space X are described. These subvarieties cut across all relevant isomorphism classes. However, unlike the full variety, their structure is suggestive of a selection procedure.
Contaminated Wounds: Fresh Water, Salt Water, and Agricultural Contamination

This review focuses on the appropriate management of contaminated wounds sustained in the freshwater, saltwater, and agricultural settings. While these wounds can be associated with polymicrobial pathogens and infections, Aeromonas spp. and Mycobacterium marinum are commonly seen in fresh water wounds, while Vibrio vulnificus is a common pathogen in saltwater wounds. Each of these organisms can be extremely virulent. Pathogens found in agricultural contamination can vary widely, but can be associated with fungal organism found in the soil. Management of these soft tissue injuries includes early irrigation and debridement, avoiding primary closure, and appropriate antibiotic selection. This review will highlight the most common pathogens found in contaminated wounds and highlight their virulence and potential for life-threatening systemic illness from wound infections. We also discuss appropriate antibiotic selection for these pathogens and our practices for wound management.
Identification of candidates for PFO closure in the echocardiography laboratory.

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is implicated in several pathologic processes, including that of cryptogenic stroke (cCVA). Recent trials identify "high-risk" PFOs in patients with cCVA as likely to benefit from percutaneous closure. The younger the patient (<60 years old) the more likely a PFO may be attributable to the cCVA. The RoPE Score index helps determine the likelihood that an existing PFO is related to a cCVA. This may help guide the clinician and patient when contemplating percutaneous PFO closure. When evaluating a patient for possible percutaneous closure, one should identify the CVA as a typical ischemic type stroke. In order to "rule-out" other causes of CVA, imaging of the intracranial arteries, cervical, and aortic arch vessels should be performed. Small vessel disease or a lacunar-type infarct should be excluded. To rule out atrial fibrillation, prolonged monitoring should be performed. An index has been developed to determine the probability that a PFO is the causative etiology and calculates the risk of recurrence. This may help guide the clinician and patient in the decision for PFO closure. In addition, one should consider a work-up for a hypercoagulable state. We will obtain an ultrasound of the lower extremities or consider deep pelvic vein thrombosis (prolonged sitting or malignancy). If the closure is to be performed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Amplatzer PFO Occluder and the GORE Cardioform Septal Occluder for percutaneous closure. These devices are both approved in patients predominately between ages 18 and 60 years with a cCVA due to presumed paradoxical embolism as verified by a neurologist and cardiologist and when other causes of ischemic CVA have been excluded. "High-risk" PFOs appear to achieve the most potential benefit from percutaneous closure.
Biodistribution and radioimmunoscintigraphy studies of renal cell carcinoma using tumor-preferential monoclonal antibodies and F(ab')2 fragments.

AbstractThe in vivo localization of renal cell carcinoma-preferential monoclonal antibodies A6H, D5D, and C5H was evaluated and the biodistribution of F(ab’) 2 antibody fragments of A6H and the intact Mab were compared in over 100 nude mice. A6H localized well to most renal cell carcinoma xenografts studied; the median tumor to blood ratios ranged from 6.4 to 11.5 for various xenografts. C5H also localized well to most renal cell carcinoma xenografts tested. However, D5D did not localize well to renal cell carcinoma xenografts in vivo despite its highly restrictive in vitro reactivity. The F(ab’)2 fragments of A6H produced higher tumor to blood ratios, which probably resulted from fast clearance of the fragments from the circulation. Preliminary results showed that indium-111 labeling may further improve imaging.
Exploring Referee Abuse Through the Lens of the Collegiate Rugby Coach

Abstract Referees are valuable contributors to the legitimacy of a sporting contest. Despite this, abuse in sport has become a growing concern and is regularly noted as an obstacle with which referees must contend. Continued abuses have been associated with referee discontinuation and have been noted as a detrimental influence in the recruitment and retention of referees. Sporting organizations, coaches, and players all feel the impact when there is an inadequate supply of referees. Coaches have been noted as a primary perpetrator of referee abuse; thus, in this study, the authors utilize a phenomenological approach to explore perceptions of referee abuse through the lens of the collegiate rugby coach. Data were collected from 15 participants, all of whom completed two phone interviews. Five factors that influence one's perceptions of and proclivity towards referee abuse emerged from the data: (a) personal characteristics/philosophies, (b) relationships, (c) social influences, (d) organizational expectations, and (e) culture. Implications to practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Feeding during resuscitation after burn injury.

Burn injury results in a sustained hypermetabolic state with resulting increased caloric and protein requirements to support the stress and immune responses; augmented protein, fat, and carbohydrate catabolism; oxidative stress; and exudative losses. Along with surgical debridement, nutrition and resuscitation are the foundations of patient management after severe burn injury. Recent literature has demonstrated a clear benefit to early enteral nutrition initiation during the resuscitation period. This review aims to examine recent literature discussing both physiologic impact of burn injury and approaches to feeding during resuscitation after burn injury; including methods of determining nutrition requirements, routes, timing, and monitoring response and the associated benefits and consequences thereof.
Quantitative Proteomic Characterization Associated with Woody Breast Meat from Broilers Fed a Standard or an Amino Acid-Reduced Diet

ObjectivesWoody or wooden breast (WB) is an emergent myopathy of broilers and is macroscopically characterized by hardened areas of the Pectoralis major muscle. Woody broiler breast fillets can result in harder texture, higher pH, lower amounts of proteins, lower water-holding capacity, and increased cook loss when compared to normal breasts. The impaired meat quality of WB has been reported to be closely associated with improved nutrition and fast-growth rates. The present research compared the proteome of normal and woody breast muscle from broilers that were fed with either a control diet or an amino acid (AA)-reduced diet.Materials and MethodsMixed-sex broilers were assigned to 16 pens (15 chicks per pen) and fed with control or reduced AA diets (20% reduction of digestible lysine, total sulfur amino acids, and threonine). At 8 wk of age, live broilers were evaluated manually for WB myopathy. Within each diet group, 4 male broilers with normal breast and 4 male broilers with WB were selected (one bird in each pen) and euthanized using CO2 gas. The breast muscle from the cranial portion was immediately sampled after bleeding and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. All experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Mississippi State University (IACUC-16-542). Whole muscle proteins of normal and woody breast were extracted from frozen samples of three birds within each treatment. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE; 6 gels per treatment) coupled with image analysis and mass spectrometry were used to investigate differences in the expression levels of proteins (more than 2.0-fold intensity differences) from chicken breast muscle. Differences were evaluated using Student’s t test at a confidence interval of 95%.ResultsWhen the broilers were fed with the control diet, 10 proteins were expressed differentially between normal and woody breasts. Apolipoprotein A-I, desmin, annexin A2, annexin A5, and ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase were overexpressed (P < 0.05) in WB. Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, four and a half LIM domains protein 1 isoform X3, and an uncharacterized protein were only present in WB muscle, but not in normal chicken breast. Two proteins, keratin, type II cytoskeletal 8 and α-1,4 glucan phosphorylase, were overexpressed (P < 0.05) in normal chicken breast. These differentially expressed proteins were involved in glycolytic metabolism, cell structure, and cellular defense.Interestingly, only one protein (heat shock protein β-1) was expressed differentially between normal and woody breasts when broilers were fed with the AA-reduced diet. This protein was overexpressed (P < 0.05) in WB samples and found to play a role in stress resistance and actin organization.ConclusionThe protein profiles of normal and woody chicken breast samples were different, which might help explain the changes in meat quality. Essential amino acid intake resulted in minimizing difference in protein profiles between normal and woody chicken breasts.
Investigation of the tumoricidal effects of sonodynamic therapy in malignant glioblastoma brain tumors

Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor; survival is typically 12–18 months after diagnosis. We sought to study the effects of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) using 5-Aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride (5-ALA) and high frequency focused ultrasound (FUS) on 2 glioblastoma cell lines. Rat C6 and human U87 glioblastoma cells were studied under the following conditions: 1 mM 5-ALA (5-ALA); focused ultrasound (FUS); 5-ALA and focused ultrasound (SDT); control. Studied responses included cell viability using an MTT assay, microscopic changes using phase contract microscopy, apoptotic induction through a caspase-3 assay, and apoptosis staining to quantify cell death. SDT led to a marked decrease in cell extension and reduction in cell size. For C6, the MTT assay showed reductions in cell viability for 5-ALA, FUS, and SDT groups of 5%, 16%, and 47%, respectively compared to control (p < 0.05). Caspase 3 induction in C6 cells relative to control showed increases of 109%, 110%, and 278% for 5-ALA, FUS, and SDT groups, respectively (p < 0.05). For the C6 cells, caspase 3 staining positivity was 2.1%, 6.7%, 11.2%, and 39.8% for control, 5-ALA, FUS, and SDT groups, respectively. C6 Parp-1 staining positivity was 1.9%, 6.5%, 9.0%, and 37.8% for control, 5-ALA, FUS, and SDT groups, respectively. U87 cells showed similar responses to the treatments. Sonodynamic therapy resulted in appreciable glioblastoma cell death as compared to 5-ALA or FUS alone. The approach couples two already FDA approved techniques in a novel way to treat the most aggressive and malignant of brain tumors. Further study of this promising technique is planned.
The Extraordinarily Rapid Expansion of the X-ray Remnant of Kepler's Supernova (SN1604)

Four individual high resolution X-ray images from ROSAT and the Einstein Observatory have been used to measure the expansion rate of the remnant of Kepler's supernova (SN 1604). Highly significant measurements of the expansion have been made for time baselines varying from 5.5 yrs to 17.5 yrs. All measurements are consistent with a current expansion rate averaged over the entire remnant of 0.239 (+/-0.015) (+0.017,-0.010) % per yr, which, when combined with the known age of the remnant, determines the expansion parameter m, defined as $R\propto t^m$, to be 0.93 (+/-0.06) (+0.07,-0.04). The error bars on these results include both statistical (first set of errors) and systematic (second set) uncertainty. According to this result the X-ray remnant is expanding at a rate that is remarkably close to free expansion and nearly twice as fast as the mean expansion rate of the radio remnant. The expansion rates as a function of radius and azimuthal angle are also presented based on two ROSAT images that were registered to an accuracy better than 0.5 arcseconds. Significant radial and azimuthal variations that appear to arise from the motion of individual X-ray knots are seen. The high expansion rate of the X-ray remnant appears to be inconsistent with currently accepted dynamical models for the evolution of Kepler's SNR.
Communication-Channel Optimized Impurity Partition

Given an original discrete source X with the distribution px that is corrupted by noise to produce a noisy data Y with the given joint distribution $\mathrm{p}_{(X,Y)}$. A quantizer/classifier Q: $Y\rightarrow Z$ is then used to classify/quantize Y to a discrete partitioned output Z having probability distribution pz. Next, Z is transmitted over a discrete memoryless channel (DMC) with a given channel matrix A that produces the final discrete output T. One wants to design an optimal quantizer/classifier $Q^{*}$ to minimize the end-to-end impurity/cost function F(X, T) between the input X and the final output T. Our result generalizes some previous results. First, an iteration linear time complexity algorithm is proposed to find the locally optimal quantizer. Second, we show that the optimal quantizers produce the hard partitions that are equivalent to the cuts by hyper-planes in the space of the posterior distribution $\mathrm{p}_{X|Y}$. This result provides a polynomial-time complexity algorithm to find the globally optimal quantizer. Finally, in the special case where the source X is binary, an efficient algorithm is proposed to find the truly global optimal partition.
Temporal and seasonal variations in incidence of stage II and III NEC-a 28-year epidemiologic study from tertiary NICUs in Connecticut, USA.

OBJECTIVE To investigate seasonality and temporal trends in the incidence of NEC. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective cohort study from two tertiary NICUs in northern and central Connecticut involving 16,761 infants admitted over a 28-year period. Various perinatal and neonatal risk factors were evaluated by univariate, multivariate, and spectral density analyses. RESULTS Incidence of NEC was unchanged over the 28 years of study. Gestational age, birth weight, and birth-months (birth in April/May) were independently associated with stage II or III NEC even after adjusting for confounding factors (p < 0.05). Yearly NEC incidence showed a multi-modal distribution with spectral density spikes approximately every 10 years. CONCLUSION(S) Temporal and seasonal factors may play a role in NEC with a peak incidence in infants born in April/May and periodicity spikes approximately every 10 years. These trends suggest non-random and possibly environmental factors influencing NEC.
Feral swine as sources of fecal contamination in recreational waters

Recreational waters are primary attractions at many national and state parks where feral swine populations are established, and thus are possible hotspots for visitor exposure to feral swine contaminants. Microbial source tracking (MST) was used to determine spatial and temporal patterns of fecal contamination in Congaree National Park (CONG) in South Carolina, U.S.A., which has an established population of feral swine and is a popular destination for water-based recreation. Water samples were collected between December 2017 and June 2019 from 18 surface water sites distributed throughout CONG. Host specific MST markers included human (HF183), swine (Pig2Bac), ruminant (Rum2Bac), cow (CowM3), chicken (CL), and a marker for shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC; stx2). Water samples were also screened for culturable Escherichia coli (E. coli) as part of a citizen science program. Neither the cow nor chicken MST markers were detected during the study. The human marker was predominantly detected at boundary sites or could be attributed to upstream sources. However, several detections within CONG without concurrent detections at upstream external sites suggested occasional internal contamination from humans. The swine marker was the most frequently detected of all MST markers, and was present at sites located both internal and external to the Park. Swine MST marker concentrations ≥ 43 gene copies/mL were associated with culturable E. coli concentrations greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency beach action value for recreational waters. None of the MST markers showed a strong association with detection of the pathogenic marker (stx2). Limited information about the health risk from exposure to fecal contamination from non-human sources hampers interpretation of the human health implications.
Efficient machine learning on data science languages with parallel data summarization

Abstract Nowadays, data science analysts prefer “easy” high-level languages for machine learning computation like R and Python, but they present memory and speed limitations. Also, scalability is another issue when the data set size grows. On the other hand, acceleration of machine learning algorithms can be achieved with data summarization which has been a fundamental technique in data mining. With these motivations in mind, we present an efficient way to compute the statistical and machine learning models with parallel data summarization that can work with popular data science languages. Our summarization produces one or multiple summaries, accelerates a broader class of statistical and machine learning models, and requires a small amount of RAM. We present an algorithm that works in three phases and is capable to handle data sets bigger than the main memory. Our solution evaluates a vector–vector outer product with C++ code to escape the bottleneck of the high-level programming languages. We present an experimental evaluation section with a prototype in the R language where the summarization is programmed in C++. Our experiments prove that our solution can work on both data subsets and full data set without any performance penalty. Also, we compare our solution (R combined with C++) with other parallel big data systems: Spark (Spark-MLlib library), and a parallel DBMS (similar approach implemented with UDFs and SQL queries). We show our solution is simpler and mostly faster than Spark based on the storage of the data set, and it is much faster than a parallel DBMS regardless of the storage of the data set.
Synthesis of (R)-5-(6-[18F]fluoropyridin-2-yl)-N-(quinuclidin-3-yl)thiophene-2-carboxamide for evaluation as a selective {alpha}7 nAChR PET tracer

1221 Objectives: (R)-5-(pyridin-2-yl)-N-(quinuclidin-3-yl)thiophene-2-carboxamide (1), a selective α7 nAChR agonist (Ki= 1.3 nM) lacking cross-reactivity with 5-HT3subR (Ki= 15.5% at 10 μM), is known to be pharmacologically effective in rodent studies (Cilia et al., Psychopharmacology 2005, 182:214 and Allison et al., ACNP Meeting, 2007, 197). The objective of this study was to synthesize an F-18 labeled derivative of 1 and to evaluate it as a radiotracer for the α7 nAChR in the baboon. Methods: We synthesized (R)-5-(6-[18F]fluoropyridin-2-yl)-N-(quinuclidin-3-yl)thiophene-2-carboxamide (6-[18F]1) from its 6-nitro precursor (synthesized in 3 steps), 18F-, and K222 in DMSO (10 min, 135 oC) and purified it by reverse-phase HPLC. We also measured its log D and % unbound in plasma. We examined its kinetics in the anesthetized baboon model over a 90 min period. Results: The total synthesis time was 150 min, and the radiochemical yields and purities were 10-20% and >99%, respectively. Log D (pH= 7.4) was 1.02 and the % unbound in plasma was 23%. Our PET study revealed no uptake of F-18 in the baboon brain. Conclusions: The lack of brain uptake of 6-[18F]1 was surprising given its favorable log D and free fraction. Studies are underway to determine the stability of 6-[18F]1in vitro and in vivo. Research Support: DOE-OBER and NIDA K05 DA 020001
Managing uncertainty and expectations: The strategic response of U.S. agricultural cooperatives to agricultural industrialization

Abstract The 20th century industrialization of agriculture confronted U.S. agricultural cooperatives with responding to an event they neither initiated nor drove. Agrarian-influenced cooperatives used two metaphors, “serfdom” and “cooperatives are like a family” to manage uncertainty and influence producer expectations by predicting industrialization's eventual outcome and cooperatives’ producer driven compensation. The serfdom metaphor alluded to industrialization's potential to either bypass family farmers, the cornerstone of the economy according to agrarian ideology, or to transform them into the equivalent of piece-wage labor as contract growers. The “family” metaphor reflects how cooperatives personalized the connection between cooperative and farmer-member to position themselves as the exact opposite of serfdom. Hypotheses advanced by Roessl (2005) and Goel (2013) suggest that intrinsic characteristics of family businesses such as a resistance to change and operating according to a myth of unlimited choice and independence reinforced the risk of institutional lock-in posed by agrarian ideology. To determine whether lock-in occurred, Woerdman's (2004) neo-institutional model of lock-in was examined in the context of late 20th century cooperative grain and livestock marketing. Increasingly ineffective open markets prompted three regional cooperatives to develop their own models of industrialized pork production. Direct experience with producer contracting allowed cooperatives to evade institutional and ideological lock-in.
Molecular weights of coliphages and coliphage DNA: II. Measurement of diffusion coefficients using optical mixing spectroscopy, and measurement of sedimentation coefficients☆

The molecular weights of the coliphages T4, T5 and T7 have been determined by measurement of their diffusion coefficient (D) and sedimentation coefficients (S). D was determined using the new technique of optical mixing spectroscopy. Values of D20,w for T4, T5, T7, and λ phages were found to be (in units of 10−7 cm2/sec) 0.295 ± 0.003, 0.397 ± 0.004, 0.603 ± 0.006, and 0.497 ± 0.005 respectively. Values of S20,w0 were found to be (in Svedbergs) 890 ± 15, 615 ± 10, 453 ± 8, and 360 ± 10, respectively. Using values of \gn from the preceding paper Bancroft & Freifelder (1970) the phage molecular weights for T4, T5, and T7 were then calculated to be (in millions) 192.5 ± 6.6, 109.2 ± 4.0, and 50.4 ± 1.8. From the percentage DNA in these phages (Bancroft & Freifelder, 1970) the molecular weights of T4, T5, and T7 DNA were found to be (in millions) 105.7 ± 3.8, 67.3 ± 3.1, and 25.8 ± 1.0.
Low-Cycle Fatigue Behavior of Die-Cast Mg Alloy AZ91

An investigation has been conducted on the influence of microstructure and artificial aging response (T6) on the low-cycle fatigue behavior of super vacuum die-cast (SVDC) AZ91. Fatigue lifetimes were determined from total strain-controlled fatigue tests for strain amplitudes of 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6%, under fully reversed loading at a frequency of 5 Hz. Cyclic stress-strain behavior was determined using incremental step test (IST) methods. Two locations in a prototype casting with different thicknesses and, therefore, solidification rates, microstructure and porosity, were examined. In general., at all total strain amplitudes fatigue life was unaffected by microstructure refinement and was attributed to significant levels of porosity. Cyclic softening and a subsequent increased cyclic hardening rate, compared to monotonic tests, were observed, independent of microstructure. These results, fractography and damage accumulation processes, determined from metallographic sectioning, are discussed.
Proceedings of the international workshop on Healthcare information and knowledge management

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the International Workshop on Health Information and Knowledge Management -- HIKM'06, in conjunction with ACM Fifteenth Conference on Information and Knowledge Management -- CIKM'06. Health information technology is receiving a tremendous amount of attention as a strategic area that will benefit the society in the 21st century. The high stakes and unique characteristics of health information require special treatments of traditional information and knowledge management techniques. This workshop is the first in its series for presentation and exchange of research results and experiences on leading edge issues of health information and knowledge management. The mission of the workshop is to provide an open yet focused platform for researchers and practitioners from computer science as well as healthcare industry to discuss current research challenges and advances and share their perspective in various aspects of health information and knowledge management.The program features 7 papers that cover a variety of topics, including healthcare data integration and exchange, security management, medical document indexing and retrieval, medical data mining and clinical trial management. We hope that you will find this program interesting and thought-provoking and that the workshop will provide you with a valuable opportunity to share ideas with other researchers and practitioners from institutions around the world and serve as a catalyst for further research and collaboration.
Cholinergic Stimulation of AP-1 and NFκB Transcription Factors Is Differentially Sensitive to Oxidative Stress in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma: Relationship to Phosphoinositide Hydrolysis

Oxidative stress appears to contribute to neuronal dysfunction in a number of neurodegenerative conditions, notably including Alzheimer's disease, in which cholinergic receptor-linked signal transduction activity is severely impaired. To test whether oxidative stress could contribute to deficits in cholinergic signaling, responses to carbachol were measured in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells exposed to H2O2. DNA binding activities of two transcription factors that are respondent to oxidative conditions, AP-1 and NF kappa B, were measured in nuclear extracts. H2O2 and carbachol individually induced dose- and time-dependent increases in AP-1 and NF kappa B. In contrast, when given together, H2O2 concentration dependently (30-300 microM) inhibited the increase after carbachol in AP-1. Carbachol's stimulation of NF kappa B was not inhibited except with a high concentration (300 microM) of H2O2, which was associated with impaired activation of protein kinase C. Lower concentrations of H2O2 (30-300 microM) inhibited carbachol-induced [3H]phosphoinositide hydrolysis, and this inhibition correlated (r = 0.95) with the inhibition of carbachol-induced AP-1. Activation [3H]phosphoinositide hydrolysis by the calcium ionophore ionomycin was unaffected by H2O2, indicating that phospholipase C and phosphoinositides were impervious to this treatment. In contrast, activation with NaF of G-proteins coupled to phospholipase C was concentration dependently inhibited by H2O2, indicating impaired G-protein function. These effects of H2O2 are similar to signaling impairments reported in Alzheimer's disease brain, which involve deficits in receptor- and G-protein-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis, but not phospholipase C activity. Thus, these findings indicate that oxidative stress may contribute to impaired phosphoinositide signaling in neurological disorders in which oxidative stress occurs, and that oxidative stress can differentially influence transcription factors activated by cholinergic stimulation.
New material of Moropus (Perissodactyla, Chalicotheriidae, Schizotheriinae) from the early Hemingfordian Rose Creek Member of the John Day Formation, Oregon, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT A juvenile maxilla of Moropus with DP3-M1, collected from the early Hemingfordian (He1) Picture Gorge 36 local fauna of the Rose Creek Member of the John Day Formation of Oregon, U.S.A., is the best-preserved chalicothere specimen yet collected from the John Day Basin. It also provides additional understanding of early Miocene Schizotheriinae (Perissodactyla, Chalicotheriidae) in western North America. Although Coombs et al. attributed all of the John Day chalicotheres to Moropus oregonensis, the new specimen resembles in size and morphology some of its early Hemingfordian contemporaries from the Runningwater Formation of the Great Plains and is referred to Moropus sp. Moropus sp. can thus be added to the oreodont Merycochoerus magnus, the amphicyonid Daphoenodon (Borocyon) robustum, the dromomerycid Barbouromeryx, the moschid Parablastomeryx schultzi, and the equid Parahippus pawniensis as John Day taxa with close relatives in the early Hemingfordian of the Great Plains. Further, the identificat...