cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Persistence of Cooperatively Stabilized Signaling Clusters Drives T-Cell Activation

Antigen recognition triggers the recruitment of the critical adaptor protein SLP-76 to small macromolecular clusters nucleated by the T-cell receptor (TCR). These structures develop rapidly, in parallel with TCR-induced increases in tyrosine phosphorylation and cytosolic calcium, and are likely to contribute to TCR-proximal signaling. Previously, we demonstrated that these SLP-76-containing clusters segregate from the TCR and move towards the center of the contact interface. Neither the function of these clusters nor the structural requirements governing their persistence have been examined extensively. Here we demonstrate that defects in cluster assembly and persistence are associated with defects in T-cell activation in the absence of Lck, ZAP-70, or LAT. Clusters persist normally in the absence of phospholipase C-γ1, indicating that in the absence of a critical effector, these structures are insufficient to drive T-cell activation. Furthermore, we show that the critical adaptors LAT and Gads localize with SLP-76 in persistent clusters. Mutational analyses of LAT, Gads, and SLP-76 indicated that multiple domains within each of these proteins contribute to cluster persistence. These data indicate that multivalent cooperative interactions stabilize these persistent signaling clusters, which may correspond to the functional complexes predicted by kinetic proofreading models of T-cell activation.
D-dimer, inflammatory markers, and lower extremity functioning in patients with and without peripheral arterial disease

Background— We determined whether higher levels of D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and serum amyloid A are associated independently with functional impairment in patients with and without peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Methods and Results— Participants were 370 men and women with PAD (ankle brachial index <0.90) and 231 without PAD. Functional outcomes were 6-minute walk distance and 4-meter walking velocity. A summary performance score combined performance in walking speed, standing balance, and time for 5 repeated chair rises into an ordinal score ranging from 0 to 12 (12=best). Adjusting for age, sex, ankle brachial index, comorbidities, and other potential mediators and confounders, D-dimer levels were associated independently and inversely with performance on all 3 functional measures in the entire cohort and among patients with and without PAD, respectively. Adjusting for known and potential confounders, CRP levels were associated independently with 6-minute walk distance and the ...
Deaf and hearing adults' recollections of childhood and beyond

Whereas the average age of earliest reportable personal memory among adults is 3 to 3½, there is considerable individual and group variability in the age of earliest autobiographical memory. Some of the variability is thought to be attributable to differential narrative socialisation. In the present research we tested the hypothesis that by virtue of later exposure to language, individuals born deaf to hearing parents will have earliest memories from later in life, relative to hearing individuals. The average age of single earliest identifiable memory for adults who are deaf and adults who are hearing did not differ. Nevertheless, adults who are deaf were found to have less dense representations of early autobiographical memories and to include in their narrative reports fewer categories of information, including visual-spatial information, relative to hearing adults. Participants' ratings of their memories on a number of dimensions were found to have low utility in predicting the content of autobiographi...
Negative Selection of Immature B Cells by Receptor Editing or Deletion Is Determined by Site of Antigen Encounter

Immature B cells that encounter self-antigen are eliminated from the immune repertoire by negative selection. Negative selection has been proposed to take place by two distinct mechanisms: deletion by apoptosis or alteration of the antigen receptor specificity by receptor editing. While convincing evidence exists for each, the two models are inherently contradictory. In this paper, we propose a resolution to this contradiction by demonstrating that the site of first antigen encounter dictates which mechanism of negative selection is utilized. We demonstrate that the bone marrow microenvironment provides signals that block antigen-induced deletion and promote RAG reinduction. In the periphery, the absence of these signals allows the immature B cell to default to apoptosis as a result of BCR engagement.
System for Infectious Disease Information Sharing and Analysis: Design and Evaluation

Motivated by the importance of infectious disease informatics (IDI) and the challenges to IDI system development and data sharing, we design and implement BioPortal, a Web-based IDI system that integrates cross-jurisdictional data to support information sharing, analysis, and visualization in public health. In this paper, we discuss general challenges in IDI, describe BioPortal's architecture and functionalities, and highlight encouraging evaluation results obtained from a controlled experiment that focused on analysis accuracy, task performance efficiency, user information satisfaction, system usability, usefulness, and ease of use.
Application of the modified differential approximation for radiative transfer to arbitrary geometry

The first-order spherical harmonics method (or P1 approximation) has found prolific usage for approximate solution of the radiative transfer equation (RTE) in participating media. However, the accuracy of the P1 approximation deteriorates as the optical thickness of the medium is decreased. The modified differential approximation (MDA) was originally proposed to remove the shortcomings of the P1 approximation in optically thin situations. This article presents algorithms to apply the MDA to arbitrary geometry—in particular, geometry with obstructions, and inhomogeneous media. The wall-emitted component of the intensity was computed using a combined view-factor and ray-tracing approach. The Helmholtz equation, arising out of the medium-emitted component, was solved using an unstructured finite-volume procedure. The general procedure was validated for both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) geometries against benchmark Monte Carlo results. The accuracy of MDA was found to be superior to the P1 approximation for all optical thicknesses. Its accuracy, when compared with the discrete ordinates method (both S6 and S8), was found to be clearly superior in optically thin situations, but problem dependent in optically intermediate and thick situations. For 3D geometries, calculation and storage of the view-factor matrix was found to be a major shortcoming of the MDA. In addition, for inhomogeneous media, calculation of optical distances requires a ray-tracing procedure, which was found to be a bottleneck from a computational efficiency standpoint. Several strategies to reduce both memory and computational time are discussed and demonstrated.
Diagnosis of Varicella-Zoster Virus Infections in the Clinical Laboratory by LightCycler PCR

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes vesicular dermal lesions which are clinically evident as varicella (primary infection) or zoster (reactivated) diseases. The LightCycler system (Roche Molecular Biochemicals) is a newly developed commercially available system designed to rapidly perform PCR with real-time detection of PCR products using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer. We compared the detection of VZV from dermal specimens by shell vial cell culture (MRC-5) and by LightCycler PCR. Of 253 specimens, VZV was detected in 23 (9.1%) by shell vial cell cultures and 44 (17.4%) by LightCycler PCR directed to a nucleic acid target sequence in gene 28. Twenty-one of 44 (47.7%) specimens were exclusively positive by LightCycler PCR; the shell vial cell culture assay was never positive when DNA amplification was negative (specificity, 100%). VZV DNA was detected in 39 of 44 (88.6%) specimens positive during cycles 10 through 30 of the LightCycler PCR. These VZV DNA-positive specimens (cycles 10 to 30) and 5 of 11 other PCR positive specimens (cycles 31 to 36) were confirmed by another LightCycler PCR directed to another (gene 29) target of the viral genome. For routine laboratory practice, all specimens yielding amplified DNA to the VZV gene 28 target can be considered positive results. The increased sensitivity (91%) of the LightCycler PCR for detection of VZV, rapid turnaround time for reporting results, virtual elimination of amplicon carryover contamination, and equivalent costs compared to shell vial cell culture for detection of VZV indicate the need for implementation of this technology for routine laboratory diagnosis of this viral infection.
Real-time PDA-based recursive Fourier transform Implementation for cochlear implant applications

This paper presents a real-time and interactive implementation of the recursive Fourier transform approach on PDA platforms for cochlear implant signal processing applications. PDA platforms provide a cost-effective and portable platform for cochlear implant studies. The computational complexities of the two commonly used signal processing strategies that are being used in commercial cochlear implants are compared. A more computationally efficient approach using recursive Fourier transform is discussed and a real-time implementation of this approach is then accomplished on a PDA platform. Different versions of the implementation are examined and compared in terms of speed and accuracy.
Supply and Demand: How History and Public Policy Created the Racial Wealth Gap

This research compares the history of wealth accumulation through homeownership for black and white Americans. Homeownership is deemed the greatest source of wealth for most American families. However, as history shows, a great majority of Black people have been excluded from the access to wealth in homeownership and even investment in housing stock, thereby contributing significantly to the current racial wealth gap. Drawing from multiple texts, it is easy to dispel notions of meritocracy and individuality as a means of access to wealth by understanding the federal and social barriers that continuously excluded many African Americans from accumulating homeownership as a signature form of wealth. As can be seen by the U.S. Census Bureau, homeownership levels between black and white families reflect disproportionate access as many Black families are still dealing with the housing economic crisis of 2008. Through use of archival methods and participation research action methods, my research links this contemporary economic crisis which by no accident affected more black than white homeowners to a century-long history of economic policies that have distorted Black participation in homeownership as a form of shelter and wealth accumulation. Hence, this research shows how the economy has boosted wealth for white Americans and denied this access to African Americans.
Subsectional Basis Functions for Multidimensional and Vector Problems

This chapter contains sections titled: Higher Order Lagrangian Basis Functions on Triangles Example: Use of Higher Order Basis Functions with the Two-Dimensional Scalar Helmholtz Equation Lagrangian Basis Functions for Rectangular and Quadrilateral Cells Scalar Basis Functions for Two-Dimensional Cells with Curved Sides Discretization of Two-Dimensional Surface Integral Equations Using an Isoparametric Quadratic Representation Scalar Lagrangian Functions in Three Dimensions Scalar Lagrangian Discretization of the Vector Helmholtz Equation for Cavities: Spurious Eigenvalues and Other Difficulties Polynomial-Complete Vector Basis Functions that Impose Tangential Continuity but not Normal Continuity between Triangular Cells Mixed-Order Vector Basis Functions that Impose Tangential but not Normal Continuity for Triangular and Rectangular Cells TE Scattering Using the Vector Helmholtz Equation with CT/LN and LT/QN Vector Basis Functions Defined on Triangular Cells Analysis of Dielectric-Loaded Waveguides Using Curl-Conforming Vector Basis Functions Mixed-Order Curl-Conforming Vector Basis Functions for Tetrahedral and Hexahedral Cells Divergence-Conforming Vector Basis Functions for Discretizations of the EFIE Mapping Vector Basis Functions to Curvilinear Cells in Two and Three Dimensions Summary This chapter contains sections titled: References Problems
Group Authentication

A new type of authentication, call group authentication, which authenticates all users belonging to the same group is proposed in this paper. The group authentication is specially designed for group-oriented applications. The group authentication is no longer a one-to-one type of authentication as most conventional user authentication schemes which have one prover and one verifier; but, it is a many-to-many type of authentication which has multiple provers and multiple verifiers. We propose a basic t-secure m-user n-group authentication scheme ((t, m, n) GAS), where t is the threshold of the proposed scheme, m is the number of users participated in the group authentication, and n is the number of members of the group, which is based on Shamir's (t, n) secret sharing (SS) scheme. The basic scheme can only work properly in synchronous communications. We also propose asynchronous (t, m, n) GASs, one is a GAS with one-time authentication and the other is a GAS with multiple authentications. The (t, m, n) GAS is very efficient since it is sufficient to authenticate all users at once if all users are group members; however, if there are nonmembers, it can be used as a preprocess before applying conventional user authentication to identify nonmembers.
Work Over the Gendered Life Course

This chapter demonstrates the close relationship between the social organization of work/career paths and the lock-step (and gendered) life course, with both institutionalized in the middle of the last century. Both the changing nature of work and the changing nature of the workforce are producing structural lag, as public and business policies developed in the twentieth century suffer from institutional inertia, failing to keep pace with the changes redefining the risks and realities of work – and life – in the twenty-first century. The chapter draws on key life course themes to provide a historical overview of the institutionalization of the work life course, demonstrate the importance of time and timing in the social organization of work and of the life course, and the fact that both work and the life course are embedded within multilayered (economic, technological, demographic, cultural) changes. It also addresses the constrained agency of individuals and families as well as business, community, and government leaders in reformulating work to better fit the needs of today’s, not yesterday’s, workers. Three processes – socialization, allocation, and strategic selections – are both barriers and portals to redesigning work. Outdated taken-for-granted assumptions limit both advances in scholarship and innovations in work, career, and life course policies and possibilities.
BEST-FIT MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD MODELS FOR PHYLOGENETIC INFERENCE: EMPIRICAL TESTS WITH KNOWN PHYLOGENIES.

Despite the proliferation of increasingly sophisticated models of DNA sequence evolution, choosing among models remains a major problem in phylogenetic reconstruction. The choice of appropriate models is thought to be especially important when there is large variation among branch lengths. We evaluated the ability of nested models to reconstruct experimentally generated, known phylogenies of bacteriophage T7 as we varied the terminal branch lengths. Then, for each phylogeny we determined the best-fit model by progressively adding parameters to simpler models. We found that in several cases the choice of best-fit model was affected by the parameter addition sequence. In terms of phylogenetic performance, there was little difference between models when the ratio of short: long terminal branches was 1:3 or less. However, under conditions of extreme terminal branch-length variation, there were not only dramatic differences among models, but best-fit models were always among the best at overcoming long-branch attraction. The performance of minimum-evolution-distance methods was generally lower than that of discrete maximum-likelihood methods, even if maximum-likelihood methods were used to generate distance matrices. Correcting for among-site rate variation was especially important for overcoming long-branch attraction. The generality of our conclusions is supported by earlier simulation studies and by a preliminary analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear sequences from a well-supported four-taxon amniote phylogeny.
Frankly Propagandist: The Athenian Ephebic Oath of Allegiance in American Schools and Colleges

(1947). Frankly Propagandist: The Athenian Ephebic Oath of Allegiance in American Schools and Colleges. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 18, No. 8, pp. 442-442.
On the Liquation of Metals of the Platinum Group

In the present paper, which is a continuation of a former one which has already been submitted to the Royal Society and has been published in the “roceedings,” an attempt is made to ascertain whether liquation occurs in alloys of the rarer metals, notably in those of platinum, with palladium, and with rhodium, and of gold with aluminium. In the paper communicated to the Royal Society in 1890 upon this subject, I stated that ninety parts of fine gold melted with ten parts of pure platinum, and cast into a spherical mould showed a liquation of the platinum to the centre of the sphere, as shown in Diagram C in that paper.
Solution-Phase Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of Single-Crystal Iron Germanide Nanostructures

Iron–germanium (Fe–Ge) is a complex alloy system that includes several structurally and compositionally diverse phases that exhibit a range of interesting magnetic properties that can change significantly when reduced to nanoscale dimensions. Fe–Ge nanostructures have been synthesized using chemical and physical deposition methods but have not previously been accessible as solution-synthesized colloidal materials. Here, we show that colloidal Fe–Ge nanostructures can be synthesized via the hot injection of an oleylamine solution of Fe(CO)5 into a solution containing GeI4, oleylamine, oleic acid, and hexamethyldisilazane. This approach effectively merges recent advances in the synthesis of colloidal Ge nanocrystals with methods routinely used to synthesize metal and alloy nanoparticles. At 260 °C, spherical nanocrystals of Ni2In-type Fe3Ge2 form. Heating the solution at 300 °C transforms the spherical Fe3Ge2 nanocrystals into CoGe-type FeGe nanowires. The Fe3Ge2 nanocrystals are ferromagnetic with T c ≈ 26...
Axiale Diffusion in Dampfkondensatoren bei Inertgasbelastung

In einer Modell rechnung wird die Hohe der Mischzone zwischen Gas und Dampf in einem Kondensator bestimmt. Die mitgeteilte Gleichung ist algebraisch einfach und enthalt den dimensionslosen Ausdruck zi*, der auch zahlreiche verwandte Probleme charakterisieren sollte: $$z_i^* = z_i \sqrt {\frac{{4U\Delta T_0 \tilde RT_0 }}{{pD_0 R\tilde h_{fg} }}} .$$ Mitgeteilte Daten bestatigen das mathematische Modell.
A New Computational Model of Bigdata

BigData has been a buzzword since a few years ago. However, what is exactly the corresponding (theoretical) computer model? What can be done and cannot be done with such a model? These are questions demanding answers. Recently, a model was proposed to address this issue by simulating a restricted version of the PRAM model. In this paper, we propose a theoretical model called Master/Slave Multiprocessor (MSM for short) which is very similar to a practical system using MapReduce but with additional constraints relevant to BigData processing. This model captures some of the most important properties of the practical coarse-grained multiprocessors (CGM) model (instead of PRAM). The most important ideas under such a master/slave model are that (1) even the master can only access a small fraction of all the data in its slave processors at any given time, (2) a large amount of data transmission between the slave nodes is considered impossible or too costly, and (3) an extra slave processor, together with the data it carries, can be easily integrated into the system to support scalability. Under such a model capturing the most important characteristics of a practical MapReduce system, some standard problems, like sorting, become hard to solve. We then propose an adaptive MSM model where the master node still has limited working memory but a large secondary storage. We demonstrate how these two MSM models can be used to solve some basic problems when the data volume is huge.
Radiation Biology: A Handbook for Teachers and Students

This new Handbook is a summarized radiobiology teaching course developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Handbook is designed for radiation biology professionals who teach radiation ...
Energy Migration Among Gd~(3+) and Quantum Efficiencies of Gd~(3+)-Dy~(3+) Energy Transfer in NaGdF_4:Tm~(3+),Dy~(3+)

The possibility to obtain two blue photons under excitation of one VUV photon in NaGdF4∶Tm3+,Dy3+ has been investigated by means of spectroscopic techniques,based on quantum cutting principle.In this compound visible quantum cutting is achieved through downconversion,i.e.,by making use of energy transfer between different lanthanide ions.Upon VUV excitation in the 4f105d levels of Tm3+,part of the energy is transferred directly from the Tm3+ 4f105d states to Gd3+.The cross-relaxation between Gd3+-Tm3+ is followed,and then the left energy is transferred from Gd3+ to Dy3+.Two visible photons are yielded: one from Tm3+ due to 1G4→3H6 transition,and one from Dy3+ due to 4F9/2→6H15/2 transition.In this paper,the possibility to obtain a new quantum cutting phosphor with higher efficiency,higher stability and higher VUV absorption based on NaGdF4∶Tm3+,Dy3+ has been investigated.The spectroscopic techniques,including luminescent emission,excitation,decay,etc.were performed to characterize the donor Gd3+ ion-acceptor Dy3+ ion energy transfer preceded by energy migration among Gd3+ lattices in NaGdF4 doped with different concentrations of Dy3+ ions.It is shown by the results that the Gd3+-Dy3+ transfer preceded by energy migration among the Gd3+ ions is mainly governed by the exchange interaction.By the theory on excited state relaxation processes,which was developed by Burshtein et al.,the donor-acceptor energy transfer parameter kDA can be calculated from the 6P7/2 emission decay of Gd3+.The quantum efficiency of Gd3+-Dy3+ energy transfer was derived as well.Powders of NaGdF4∶Tm3+(1.5%) and NaGdF4∶Tm3+(1.5%),Dy3+(0.3%) were prepared by the hydrothermal technique,and NaGdF4∶ Dy3+(0.3%,0.6%,1%,3% and 5 %) by the method described in Ref.[4].The emission and excitation spectra were measured by home-made VUV spectrometer and F4500 monochromator.The decay curves were obtained under excitation of OPO laser.The quantum efficiencies for the Gd3+-Dy3+ energy transfer have an optimal value for acceptor concentrations at about NA=0.6% and concentration quenching can be observed obviously.
Sonar biparietal diameter: II. Predictive of three fetal growth patterns leading to a closer assessment of gestational age and neonatal weight

Serial BPD readings were obtained from 142 normal parturients, with established dates, between 20 to 40 weeks of pregnancy. It is noted that fetal BPD's can be separated into one of three percentile rankings: large (i.e. above the seventy-fifth percentile), average (i.e. twenty-fifth to seventy-fifth percentile), and small (i.e. below the twenty-fifth percentile). In addition, it is shown that, under normal conditions, fetuses intially placed in any one of these cephalic levels will continue to grow within the confines of the same percentile range. This biologic phenomenon has not been previously reported in human fetal growth. It is important because it leads to a closer prediction of fetal age and a better assessment of neonatal weight and outcome.
Breast Milk and the High-Risk Baby: Potential Benefits and Hazards

Encouraged by evidence that breast-fed babies get fewer infections than formula-fed babies and that human milk contains a number of protective nutritional and immunologic factors, many centers are establishing breast-milk banks for the feeding of high-risk infants. However, the advantages of banked human milk remain to be proved, while the risks arising from environmental and other contamination are well established.
Net Energy Analysis of Gas Production from the Marcellus Shale

Total production of dry natural gas in the USA increased to 24.4 Tcf in 2013, a 35 % increase from 2005 levels. This increase was largely a result of the rapid development of shale resources in the lower 48 states. The Marcellus play alone accounted for nearly 15 % of the total dry gas produced in 2013. In this study, we calculate the energy return on investment (EROI) using a hybrid life-cycle analysis approach bounded by three process stages: (1) EROIPP (2) EROIP,PT and (3) EROIGRID, which includes the energetic costs associated with electricity generation. Most significantly, the inclusion of electricity generation within the EROI analysis makes possible a functional unit comparison to alternative sources of energy into the power grid. Well pad preparation and well drilling had the largest energy costs of all the upstream process stages, accounting for nearly 75 % of production and processing costs. However, the largest energy consumer among the process stages is the cost associated with electricity production, and our model assumes 43 % power plant efficiency, accounting for nearly 94 % of the total energy costs of producing electricity from natural gas. Defined by process stage, our analysis calculated an EROIP&P of 39.7, a EROIP,P&T of 24.9, and an EROIGRID of 10.7. The EROIGRID value of 10 is the same as that calculated for photovoltaic systems, indicating that shale gas, when burned for electricity, provides similar net energy benefits to society as an average PV system.
Biases in Accounting and Non-Accounting Information: Substitutes or Complements?

This paper studies how bias in non-accounting and in accounting information should be related. Bias in accounting information is modeled, as in some recent literature, as an alteration in the relative information content of accounting numbers. The optimal bias in one type of information is shown to be a complement of the bias in the other type. This result can be applied in various settings to explain a number of phenomena.
Disruption of Auditory Function by Thyroid Hormone Receptor Mutations

More than a century ago, associations between deaf-mutism, cretinism, and goiter were reported. Since then, our understanding for the role of T3 and its receptors in auditory system development has greatly advanced. Much of current understanding is due to the creation of genetic mouse models that have allowed for the dissection of individual components of thyroid hormone action, including the thyroid hormone receptors. This chapter highlights our existing knowledge for the role of T3 and the thyroid hormone receptors, TRα and TRβ, in cochlear development and auditory function that have obtained from these important genetic models. It also discusses auditory deficits in humans with the syndrome of resistance to thyroid hormone caused by mutations in the thyroid hormone receptors. It concludes by briefly discussing where the deficiencies in our understanding of thyroid hormone action in cochlear development remain.
Kv7 voltage-activated potassium channel inhibitors reduce fluid resuscitation requirements after hemorrhagic shock in rats

Recent evidence suggests that drugs targeting Kv7 channels could be used to modulate vascular function and blood pressure. Here, we studied whether Kv7 channel inhibitors can be utilized to stabilize hemodynamics and reduce resuscitation fluid requirements after hemorrhagic shock. Anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats were instrumented with arterial and venous catheters for blood pressure monitoring, hemorrhage and fluid resuscitation. Series 1: Linopirdine (Kv7 channel blocker, 0.1–6 mg/kg) or retigabine (Kv7 channel activator, 0.1–12 mg/kg) were administered to normal animals. Series 2: Animals were hemorrhaged to a MAP of 25 mmHg for 30 min, followed by fluid resuscitation with normal saline (NS) to a MAP of 70 mmHg until t = 75 min. Animals were treated with single bolus injections of vehicle, linopirdine (1–6 mg/kg), XE-991 (structural analogue of linopirdine with higher potency for channel blockade, 1 mg/kg) prior to fluid resuscitation. Series 3: Animals were resuscitated with NS alone or NS supplemented with linopirdine (1.25–200 μg/mL). Data were analyzed with 2-way ANOVA/Bonferroni post-hoc testing. Series 1: Linopirdine transiently (10–15 min) and dose-dependently increased MAP by up to 15%. Retigabine dose-dependently reduced MAP by up to 60%, which could be reverted with linopirdine. Series 2: Fluid requirements to maintain MAP at 70 mmHg were 65 ± 34 mL/kg with vehicle, and 57 ± 13 mL/kg, 22 ± 8 mL/kg and 22 ± 11 mL/kg with intravenous bolus injection of 1, 3 and 6 mg/kg linopirdine, respectively. XE-991 (1 mg/kg), reduced resuscitation requirements comparable to 3 mg/kg linopirdine. Series 3: When resuscitation was performed with linopirdine-supplemented normal saline (NS), fluid requirements to stabilize MAP were 73 ± 12 mL/kg with NS alone and 72 ± 24, 61 ± 20, 36 ± 9 and 31 ± 9 mL/kg with NS supplemented with 1.25, 6.25, 12.5 and 200 μg/mL linopirdine, respectively. Our data suggest that Kv7 channel blockers could be used to stabilize blood pressure and reduce fluid resuscitation requirements after hemorrhagic shock.
Modeling and simulation of bacterial outer membranes and interactions with membrane proteins

The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is composed of phospholipids in the periplasmic leaflet and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in the external leaflet, along with β-barrel OM proteins (OMPs) and lipidated periplasmic lipoproteins. As a defensive barrier to toxic compounds, an LPS molecule has high antigenic diversity and unique combination of OM-anchored lipid A with core oligosaccharides and O-antigen polysaccharides, creating dynamic protein-LPS and LPS-LPS interactions. Here, we review recent efforts on modeling and simulation of native-like bacterial OMs to explore structures, dynamics, and interactions of different OM components and their roles in transportation of ions, substrates, and antibiotics across the OM and accessibility of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to surface epitopes. Simulation studies attempting to provide insight into the structural basis for LPS transport and OMP insertion in the bacterial OM are also highlighted.
Surgical Straightening With Penile Prosthesis

Peyronie’s disease (PD) is an incurable, chronic condition producing scarring fibrosis of the tunica albuginea and is associated with penile deformity and erectile dysfunction. Although men afflicted with PD usually have a number of treatment options, those who also present with erectile dysfunction (ED) arising from it are not easily treated. Surgical straightening procedures that have been used to treat PD may not restore erectile function, and failure to straighten the penis with corrective surgery may be the result of erectile inadequacy during the postoperative period. For those men with PD and associated ED, penile prosthesis implantation will provide penile rigidity and straightening. This chapter discusses penile prosthesis implantation as a surgical option for patients with PD, placing emphasis on the choice of devices and surgical techniques. Implant choices are critical in the success of these procedures, and modeling to attain maximum straightening is the preferred method for correcting penile deformity after prosthesis implantation. Newer techniques hold the promise of high success rates and low morbidity.
Endorectal Mucosal Advancement Flap

Treatment of an anal transsphincteric fistula is usually approached by a two-stage procedure. First, a seton is placed for adequate drainage of the anal fistula and is left in place for at least 3 months. Endorectal mucosal advancement flap is a second-stage option for definitive surgical management for fistula-in-ano. This chapter describes indications, essential steps, variations, and complications of this procedure. It provides a detailed template operative note for the procedure.
Activation of DNA demethylases attenuates aging-associated arterial stiffening and hypertension.

DNA methylation increases with age. The objective of this study was to investigate whether compound H, a potential activator of DNA demethylases, attenuates aging-related arterial stiffness and hypertension. Aged mice (24-27 months) and adult mice (12 months) were used. Pulse wave velocity (PWV), a direct measure of arterial stiffness, and blood pressure (BP) were increased significantly in aged mice. Notably, daily treatments with compound H (15 mg/kg, IP) for 2 weeks significantly attenuated the aging-related increases in PWV and BP. Compound H abolished aging-associated downregulation of secreted Klotho (SKL) levels in both kidneys and serum likely by enhancing DNA demethylase activity and decreasing DNA methylation. Aging-related arterial stiffness was associated with accumulation of stiffer collagen and degradation of compliant elastin which are accompanied by increased expression of MMP2, MMP9, TGF-β1, and TGF-β3. These changes were effectively attenuated by compound H, suggesting rejuvenation of aged arteries. Compound H also rescued downregulation of Sirt1 deacetylase, AMPKα, and eNOS activities in aortas of aged mice. In cultured smooth muscle cells (SMCc) Klotho-deficient serum upregulated expression of MMPs and TGFβ which, however, was not affected by compound H. In conclusion, compound H attenuates aging-associated arterial stiffness and hypertension by activation of DNA demethylase which increases renal SKL expression and consequently circulating SKL levels leading to activation of the Sirt1-AMPK-eNOS pathway in aortas of aged mice.
Specific binding of the lambda phage repressor to lambda DNA.

Genetic experiments show that a group of genes may be switched off by the product of a regulator gene, called a repressor. An isolated repressor is shown here to bind specifically and with high affinity to DNA, strongly suggesting that, in vivo, repressors block the transcription from DNA to RNA by binding directly to the DNA.
Evidence for truth®: the young adult response to a youth-focused anti-smoking media campaign.

Background Previous studies have shown that exposure to truth ® and similar countermarketing campaigns is associated with an increase in anti-smoking attitudes and beliefs in those aged 12–17 years and a decrease in youth smoking. However, it is unclear how such campaigns influence young adults aged 18–24 years. Purpose To examine levels of awareness and the effect of the national truth campaign on smoking-related attitudes, beliefs, and intentions in young adults. Methods Data on respondents, aged 18–24 years, from the Legacy Media Tracking Surveys—eight cross-sectional nationally representative telephone surveys administered from 2000 to 2004—were combined and analyzed in 2009. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between confirmed awareness of the truth campaign and smoking-related attitudes, beliefs, and intentions. A second set of models was used to examine the association of attitudes and beliefs targeted by the campaign with smoking intentions. Results A majority of young adults showed confirmed awareness of the truth campaign. Awareness was associated with roughly half of the anti-smoking attitudes and beliefs, and it was associated marginally with the intention to quit among smokers (p=0.06). Several of the attitudes and beliefs targeted by the campaign were associated with the intention to not smoke (among nonsmokers) and to quit (among smokers). Conclusions Messages contained in youth-focused anti-smoking campaigns may promote attitudinal and behavioral change in young adults. Young adults are at risk for both initiation and establishment of smoking, while also being targeted specifically by the tobacco industry, so it is critical to consider this audience when developing and implementing anti-smoking interventions.
Mistakes and Misdeeds

Science was not perfect. This chapter analyzes early flawed assumptions about polio, its vectors, pathway to infection, and treatments. These resulted in decades of frustration and delays in the development of a vaccine. Simon Flexner, of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (RIMR), represented the source of many of these misconceptions. By the postwar period, with no significant progress in the fight against infantile paralysis, with no formalized, ethical guidelines regarding human subjects, the risks appeared great for children.
Ron Receptor Signaling Ameliorates Hepatic Fibrosis in a Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Mouse Model.

Liver fibrosis is commonly observed in the terminal stages of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and with no specific and effective antifibrotic therapies available, this disease is a major global health burden. The MSP/Ron receptor axis has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in a number of mouse models, due at least in part, to its ability to limit pro-inflammatory responses in tissue-resident macrophages and hepatocytes. In this study, we established the role of the Ron receptor in steatohepatitis-induced hepatic fibrosis using Ron ligand domain knockout mice on an apolipoprotein E knockout background (DKO). After 18 weeks of high-fat high-cholesterol feeding, loss of Ron activation resulted in exacerbated NASH-associated steatosis which is precedent to hepatocellular injury, inflammation and fibrosis. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics identified significant changes in serum metabolites that can modulate the intrahepatic lipid pool in hepatic steatosis. Serum from DKO ...
Driver Behavior in Response to Flashing Lights

Flashing yellow warning lights notify drivers about the presence of work along the road. Current standards for these lights address performance of the individual light but not how lights should fun...
Children on the Battle Line Between Religion and Medicine

Children on the Battle Line Between Religion and Medicine. In 1900 John Alexander Dowie exhorted parents to join a religious crusade against practitioners of scientific medicine. The divine healer brought his mission to Chicago, where he and his followers soon tangled with local health authorities and physicians in the Cook County Coroner’s office. Dowie railed against new laws that forced parents to obtain medical care for children over their religious objections and suggested he would assist parents who stood fast in their faith. In 1901 a follower of Dowie in Westchester County, New York became the first American parent to be successfully prosecuted for religious-based medical neglect following the death of his infant daughter, from pneumonia that had developed from pertussis.
The Development of Nonlinear Oscillations in a Boundary Layer and the Onset of Random Disturbances

A theoretical approach is discussed to elucidate the appearance of spikes in oscilloscope traces featuring an essentially nonlinear stage of TollmienSchlichting wave propagation. On the assumption that the Reynolds number is large enough an asymptotic analysis of the Navier-Stokes equations reveals a complicated four-deck oscillation pattern with a relatively simple mathematical description of each sublayer. The leading role is played by one of the two intermediate regions where disturbances are of inviscid nature giving rise to the Benjamin-Ono integral-differential equation and algebraic solitons. If vibrations of a plate itself are taken into consideration the governing equation becomes nonhomogeneous. It admits of a travelling wave-type solutions provided that the external forcing agency is of the same form.
Enhancing Medical Student Education and Combating Mistreatment During a Surgery Clerkship With a Novel Educational Tool: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND Medical education changes dramatically from preclinical to clinical years, and the learning environment becomes key as students strive to develop clinical competence and informed career decisions. This change becomes heightened on a surgical clerkship where student mistreatment is often perceived, and the fast-paced nature of surgery can result in limited resident-student interactions and time for examination preparation. OBJECTIVE To evaluate medical student and resident perception of educational strategies during a surgical clerkship and to determine whether the addition of a novel educational tool would increase satisfaction with the surgical clerkship on examination preparation and team dynamics. SETTING University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Surgery. STUDY DESIGN During the 2018-2019 academic year, a 10-item “Ask a Resident Topics” (ART) card of high yield general surgery topics was implemented as part of the third-year surgery clerkship curriculum. Students were asked to review a topic and then discuss it with a general surgery resident. They were expected to complete at least 6 of 10 topics by the end of the rotation for credit. At the end of the year, third-year medical students were administered a 23-item survey regarding their experience on the surgery clerkship and with the ART cards. Fourth-year medical students and those students at satellite sites who did not receive the ART cards were administered the same survey, minus specific questions about the ART card, and were used as a preintervention control. General surgery residents who participated in teaching were similarly surveyed. RESULTS Of those students that completed the ART cards, 84% felt it improved their understanding of general surgery and were more likely to report the surgery clerkship prepared them well for the NBME examination compared to those who did not (Χ2 (1, N = 87) = 4.95, p = 0.03). They were also more likely to report residents were willing to discuss surgery topics with them (Χ2 (1, N = 87) = 2.77, p = 0.10). Seventy-three percent of students thought the card did not add undue stress to their clerkship. Sixty-three percent of all students felt they were a productive member of the surgery team, and this did not vary by intervention group (Χ2 (1, N = 87) = 0.03, p = 0.9). Students who completed the ART card were more likely to report being interested in surgery than those who did not (Χ2 (1, N = 87) = 4.20, p = 0.04). Hundred percent of residents surveyed felt the ART card provided value for themselves as a teacher and for the student as a learner. CONCLUSIONS The ART card is mutually beneficial to both residents and medical students during the surgical clerkship. This tool is easy to implement, helps students improve their understanding of general surgery, increases camaraderie among the surgical team, and has a positive impact on students pursuing a career in surgery.
Current-Matched III–V/Si Epitaxial Tandem Solar Cells with 25.0% Efficiency

Summary III–V/Si epitaxial tandems with a 1.7-eV GaAsP top cell promise stable power conversion efficiencies above the fundamental limit of Si single-junction cells. However, III–V/Si epitaxial tandems have suffered from limited minority carrier diffusion length in the top cell, leading to reduced short-circuit current densities (JSC) and efficiencies. While conventional wisdom dictates that dislocation density in III–V/Si tandems must be reduced to boost efficiency, here, we show that heterointerface design and growth sequence also play critical roles in reducing recombination losses. Our improved GaAsP cells make use of a wide-band gap AlGaAsP electron-blocking layer that forms a pristine interface with GaAsP, resulting in a 10%–20% (absolute) boost in quantum efficiency over previous work in the critical red wavelength range (600–725 nm), despite similar dislocation density. Combining the improved top cell carrier collection with Si backside texturing, we obtain 25.0% efficient GaAsP/Si tandem cells with a closely matched JSC of 18.8 mA/cm2.
Template-Based Optimal Robot Design with Application to Passive-Dynamic Underactuated Flapping

We present a novel paradigm and algorithm for optimal design of underactuated robot platforms in highly-constrained nonconvex parameter spaces. We apply this algorithm to two variants of the mature RoboBee platform, numerically demonstrating predicted performance improvements of over 10% in some cases by algorithmically reasoning about variable effective-mechanical-advantage (EMA) transmissions, higher aspect ratio (AR) wing designs, and force-power tradeoffs. The algorithm can currently be applied to any underactuated mechanical system with one actuated degree of freedom (DOF), and can be easily extended to arbitrary configuration spaces and dynamics.
Detection of Osteoarthritis Inflammation by Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography Based on an Inflammation-Targeting Peptide cFLFLF

Although inflammation has been recognized as a key process in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA), there remains no clinical noninvasive imaging modality that can specifically diagnose inflammatory activity of OA. In this study, a formyl peptide receptor 1 (Fpr1) targeting probe cFLFLF-PEG-HYNIC-99mTc and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging was used to detect inflammatory activity by targeting macrophages involved in the pathogenesis of OA. In vitro experiments were performed to evaluate Fpr1 expression during macrophage inflammatory response. In the in vivo studies, anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) surgery was performed, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological data were assessed to analyze the OA model in both mice and rats. The radioactive probe cFLFLF-PEG-HYNIC-99mTc and SPECT imaging were used to corroborate OA-related inflammation and compare ACLT vs sham knees. In vitro macrophage activation resulted in a remarkable increase in Fpr1 expression. In vivo experiments in mice and rats produced similar results. MRI and histological analysis demonstrated significant joint degeneration in the ACLT knee. The ACLT knee produced a much stronger signal from the probe when compared to the sham knee. It is important to note that the ratio of ACLT/sham knee signal intensity decreased with OA progression, indicating greater differences earlier in the progression of OA. The radioactive probe cFLFLF-PEG-HYNIC-99mTc and SPECT imaging are effective for detecting and monitoring inflammation during OA progression by targeting Fpr1 expression in the knee joint.
Measuring Fatherhood: 'Consent Fathers' and Discrimination in Termination of Parental Rights Proceedings

In New York State, unmarried fathers have only tentative rights to parent their children. Unmarried fathers, unlike mothers and married fathers, must prove that they are “consent fathers” - that is, a father who pays child support and maintains contact with his children - before they are allowed to intervene in adoption proceedings. While this makes sense in a private adoption scenario, in which the interests and rights of the mother must be balanced against those of the father, and in which the State has a substantial interest in promoting already intact families, the same analysis should not be unthinkingly applied to termination of parental rights proceedings, as it is now. Unlike the private adoption scenario, a termination of parental rights proceeding involves very different interests on the part of the mother and the State as well as a completely different analysis of what may be best for children. I argue that unmarried fathers should be given the protections in termination of parental rights proceedings that are automatically afforded mothers because the law as it currently stands works against the State’s interest in promoting unified families and violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.