cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cannabis Use is Associated with Lower Odds of Prescription Opioid Analgesic Use Among HIV-Infected Individuals with Chronic Pain

ABSTRACTBackground: Chronic pain is common in the United States and prescribed opioid analgesics use for noncancer pain has increased dramatically in the past two decades, possibly accounting for the current opioid addiction epidemic. Co-morbid drug use in those prescribed opioid analgesics is common, but there are few data on polysubstance use patterns. Objective: We explored patterns of use of cigarette, alcohol, and illicit drugs in HIV-infected people with chronic pain who were prescribed opioid analgesics. Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis of screening interviews conducted as part of a parent randomized trial of financial incentives to improve HIV outcomes among drug users. In a convenience sample of people with HIV and chronic pain, we collected self-report data on demographic characteristics; pain; patterns of opioid analgesic use (both prescribed and illicit); cigarette, alcohol, and illicit drug use (including cannabis, heroin, and cocaine) within the past 30 days; and current treat...
Maternal use of personal care products during pregnancy and risk of testicular germ cell tumors in sons

Abstract Background The etiology of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) is poorly understood, however, exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may be related to increased risk. Personal care products, some of which contain EDCs, are widely used on a daily basis and are known to cross the placenta, be present in breastmilk, and are capable of inducing reproductive tract abnormalities. To determine the association between personal care product use during pregnancy and breastfeeding and TGCT risk, an analysis among mothers of TGCT cases and controls was conducted. Methods The US Servicemen's Testicular Tumor Environmental and Endocrine Determinants (STEED) study enrolled TGCT cases and controls and their mothers between 2002 and 2005. The current analysis examined personal care product use during pregnancy among 527 mothers of TGCT cases and 562 mothers of controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using unconditional logistic regression adjusting for identified covariates. Results Maternal use of face lotion more than one time per week was associated with a significantly increased risk of TGCT (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.08–1.86, p-trend: 0.01). None of the other products examined (perfume, hairspray, nail polish, hair dye, permanent wave, body lotion, deodorant, sunscreen) were associated with TGCT risk. Conclusions Frequent exposure to face lotion during pregnancy and while breastfeeding may be associated with increased TGCT risk. Further investigation into the endocrine disrupting effects of personal care products is warranted.
Enhancement of thymopoiesis after bone marrow transplant by in vivo interleukin-7

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is followed by a period of profound immune deficiency, during which new T lymphocytes are generated from either stem cells or immature thymic progenitors. Interleukin-7 (IL-7) induces proliferation and differentiation of immature thymocytes. We examined whether the in vivo administration of IL-7 to mice receiving BMT would alter thymic reconstitution. Lethally irradiated C57BL/6 mice received syngeneic BMT, followed by either IL-7 or placebo from days 5 to 18 post-BMT. At day 28, BMT recipients that had not received IL-7 had profound thymic hypoplasia (< 5% of normal), with relative increases in the numbers of immature thymocytes, decreased numbers of mature peripheral (splenic) T lymphocytes, and severely impaired T- and B-cell function. In contrast, transplanted mice treated with IL-7 had normalization of thymic cellularity, with normal proportions of thymic subsets and T-cell receptor beta variable gene (TCRV beta) usage, normal numbers of peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytes, and improved antigen-specific T- and B-cell function. In the BMT-IL-7 mice, there was an eightfold increase in the number of immature CD3-CD4-CD8- thymocytes in G2-M of the cell cycle, indicating that restoration of thymic cellularity was due to enhanced proliferation of immature thymic progenitors. Similar effects following IL-7 administration were also observed when donor bone marrow was depleted of mature T lymphocytes, indicating that IL-7 administration affected immature hematopoietic progenitors. IL-7 promotes thymic reconstitution after BMT, and may be useful in preventing post-BMT immune deficiency.
Increasing Brain Healthspan by Dietary Restriction

The energy required to sustain cells throughout the body must be obtained in the diet. However, excessive calorie intake can promote many different diseases and can reduce lifespan. Conversely, caloric restriction (with maintained vitamin and mineral intake) can extend lifespan and can increase the resistance of the nervous system to age-related diseases including neurodegenerative disorders. Caloric restriction may exert beneficial effects in the brain by inducing a mild cellular stress that stimulates the production of proteins that enhance neuronal plasticity and survival, including neurotrophic factors and protein chaperones. Neurons in the brains of rats and mice maintained on caloric restriction exhibit decreased oxidative stress, enhanced cellular calcium homeostasis and increased resistance to a form of programmed cell death called apoptosis. Neuronal survival and behavioral outcome are improved by caloric restriction in animal models of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Hungtington’s diseases, and stroke. Caloric restriction may promote synaptic plasticity and thereby improve cognitive and motor performance, and can stimulate neurogenesis (production of new neurons from stem cells) which may increase the brain’s capacity for plasticity and self-repair. The discovery of profound beneficial effects of caloric restriction on the brain are revealing previously unrecognized molecular and cellular mechanisms whereby diet affects brain function and disease susceptibility.
Microarray Analysis of Novel Adrenergic Receptor Functions

The advent of DNA microarray technology has provided a means to identify changes in the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously. This research tool has enabled investigators to study the effects of adrenergic receptor (AR) stimulation on gene expression on a large scale and has led to the identification of many genes that are regulated by adrenergic receptors (ARs). Microarrays have been used to compare the effects of α1A-AR, α1B-AR, and α1D-AR stimulation on gene expression. This work demonstrated that all three α1-AR subtypes commonly regulate many types of genes. However, genes that are regulated by only one or two α1-AR subtypes have also been identified. These data provide evidence that the physiological roles of the three α1-AR subtypes are not redundant despite their activation by the same ligand, use of common signal transduction pathways, and overlapping tissue distributions. Microarray studies have also identified genes that underlie AR-mediated regulation of the cell cycle, apoptosis, neuronal differentiation, cell hypertrophy, and other biological processes that are regulated by ARs. In addition, microarrays have identified changes in gene expression that accompany AR-mediated disease states, including cardiac hypertrophy, neurodegeneration, and hypermetabolism. The purpose of this chapter is to review how microarrays have contributed to our understanding of AR function at the genomic level.
The Effect of Substrate Curvature on Flexible EHD Conduction Pumping Performance: A Numerical Study

Electrohydrodynamics (EHD) pumps enable to manipulate fluids by means of electrical forces. Such electrical forces are driven by the ions transport that arises as a natural response of the fluid subjected to an electric field. EHD pumps, therefore, make possible to act on the fluid at practically our discretion via an appropriate electrodes arrangement. Because of this ability to alter the flow, pumps arouse a wide variety of potential applications from biotechnology to microelectronics, to name but a few. However, although the EHD pump effect is well-known since 60’s, most new generations of applications coming nowadays require a more in-depth insight. Particularly, most of those new applications such as bioreactors, microcooling systems, etc., require being adjustable to the working environment. Flexible pumps are devised to cover this requirement in terms of geometrical versatility, although elucidating the optimal setting in such conditions involve investigating and exploring a wider variety of scenarios. This work is aimed at tackling how the curvature on the substrate modifies the net pumping effect induced by the EHD force. Our results suggest that for a moderate curvature the EHD pumping effect remains unaltered. Nonetheless, more complex curvature and setups, including the possibility of a moving substrate, will need to be considered in future studies.
Chronic dialysis in patients with end‐stage renal disease: Relevance to kidney xenotransplantation

Renal allotransplantation clearly offers better survival and quality of life for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients than chronic dialysis. The median waiting time for a deceased donor kidney in a suitable ESRD patient is 3.9 years. The initial candidates for pig kidney xenotransplantation will be those with ESRD unlikely to receive an allograft within a reasonable period of time. It is thus reasonable to ascertain whether clinical trials of xenotransplantation might likewise offer superior outcomes. Chronic dialysis in patients with ESRD is associated with poor quality of life, significant morbidity, and relatively high mortality, with only 56% surviving 3 years and 42% at 5 years. However, a significant number of these patients, because of comorbidities, frailty, etc, would not be considered for renal allotransplantation and likely not for xenotransplantation. As genetically engineered pig kidneys have satisfactorily supported life in immunosuppressed nonhuman primates for many months or even more than a year, consideration in carefully selected patients could be given to pig kidney xenotransplantation. We suggest that, in order to give a patient the best possible outcome, the pig kidney could be transplanted pre-emptively (before dialysis is initiated). If it fails at any stage, the patient would then begin chronic dialysis and continue to await an allograft. The present (limited) evidence is that failure of a pig graft would not be detrimental to a subsequent allograft.
Products of graceful bipartite graphs

A graceful labeling of a graph G with n edges is an assignment to each vertex of G a distinct element of $$\{0,\ldots ,n\}$$ such that if each edge of G inherits the label given by the absolute value of the difference of the labels of its incident vertices, then the set of inherited edge labels is $$\{1,\ldots ,n\}$$. The long-standing graceful labeling conjecture proposes that every tree is graceful. In this paper we present methods to combine graceful bipartite graphs to create new graceful graphs. These methods unify and generalize some well-known results in the graceful labeling literature. Along the way we introduce a new class of graceful trees.
Metabolons in plant primary and secondary metabolism

Metabolons are multi-enzyme protein complexes composed of enzymes catalyzing sequential reactions in a metabolic pathway. Metabolons mediate substrate channeling between the enzyme catalytic cores to enhance the pathway reactions, to achieve containment of reactive intermediates, and to prevent access of competing enzymes to the intermediates. These provide unique advantages in metabolic regulation. The discovery of plant metabolons has been accelerated by the recent technical developments and a considerable number of metabolons involved in both primary and secondary metabolism have been indicated in the last decade. These findings related with plant metabolons are comprehensively reviewed in this review, indicating metabolome-wide engagement of metabolons. However, there are still unexplored frontiers remaining for further discovery of metabolons in plant metabolism. Pathways with high potential of novel metabolon and technical issues to be solved for the future discovery will also be discussed.
Impact Of Medicare Readmissions Penalties On Targeted Surgical Conditions.

The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, announced in 2010 to penalize excess readmissions for patients with selected medical diagnoses, was expanded in 2013 to include targeted surgical diagno...
Household Chaos, Maternal Emotional Responsiveness, and Child Eating Behavior: A Moderation Analysis.

Objective To address calls for a resilience-informed approach to understand the cause and prevention of childhood obesity, the current study aims to investigate the independent and interactive associations between household chaos, maternal emotional responsiveness, and eating behavior in early childhood. Method A sample of (n = 108) families of 18- to 24-month-olds completed self-report surveys and consented to home visits as part of the larger STRONG Kids 2 (N = 468) study. Videotapes of family mealtimes were collected during home visits and coded for observed maternal emotional responsiveness. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing maternal emotional responsiveness, household chaos, and child eating behaviors. Moderation analyses assessed independent and interactive effects of chaos and emotional responsiveness on child appetite self-regulation. Results In moderation analyses controlling for demographic covariates, higher levels of chaos were associated with more emotional overeating and with more food responsiveness, but only among children of mothers observed engaging in low levels of responsiveness at mealtimes. There was no association between chaos and eating behavior among children of mothers observed engaging in high levels of emotional responsiveness at mealtimes. There was also no independent or interactive association between chaos and child eating behaviors characterized by food avoidance. Conclusion Preliminary evidence suggests that maternal emotional responsiveness at mealtimes may attenuate the deleterious effects of chaos on child overeating and food responsiveness. Future research should prioritize using longitudinal designs, developing observational assessments of early childhood eating behaviors, and understanding these processes among families exposed to greater socioeconomic adversity.
A quality improvement approach to optimizing infusion wait times.

61Background: Long wait times are a common and occasionally unavoidable experience for patients receiving chemotherapy infusions. It unfavorably impacts patient satisfaction and clinic efficiency. ...
CALCIUM OXIDE REMEDIATION OF ANTHROPOGENIC CONTAMINATION OF WATER AT THE GBNERR IN MISSISSIPPI.

Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR) is an important ecosystem in the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The GBNERR may be a potential source for contamination with anthropogenic bacterial pathogens that may play a significant role in the causation of waterborne human diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction of physicochemical and microbiological water quality parameters at the GBNERR to determine quantitative levels and establish the potential for remediation of post-contamination of water and seafood by human fecal pollution from anthropogenic sources at the reserve. Water samples were collected aseptically from Bayous Heron, Cumbest, Point Aux Chenes Bay and Bangs Lake (Pine-O-Pine). Physicochemical parameters were determined using standard protocols. Eight bacterial species including Campylobacter were concentrated from water samples by membrane filtration. Water samples were tested for the presence of traditional indicator microorganisms including: heterotrophic (HPC), total coliforms (TC), fecal coliforms (FC), and enterococcus (ENT) in CFU/ml concentrations. Mean values of temperature, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and pH were within acceptable levels in comparison to MDEQ, USEPA, and the USGS standards during the time of investigation. However, the values of turbidity in Grand Bay water exceeded USEPA recommended levels in several occasions during the investigation. Data from this study indicates significant variability (p < 0.0001) in mean bacteria concentrations between sites. The data also indicates significant impact of acetic acid treatment in the remediation of post contamination and survival of pathogens from the GBNERR Bayous Heron, Cumbest, and Pine-O-Pine when compared with control findings. The interaction of physicochemical and microbiological parameters of water through external chemical manipulation by acetic acid may provide utility in the remediation of post-contamination with anthropogenic pathogens such as E. coli, Enterococci, Campylobacter, Vibrio, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium. Presence of high numbers of indicator bacteria suggests public health concerns for oyster and shellfish consumers as well as other water contact activities. Hence, control strategies should be developed and implemented to prevent or remediate any future contamination of the GBNERR waters citing the economic impact of such contamination on shellfish fishing activities on the reserve.
Post-Glycosylation Modification of Sialic Acid and Its Role in Virus Pathogenesis

Sialic acids are a family of nine carbon keto-aldononulosonic acids presented at the terminal ends of glycans on cellular membranes. α-Linked sialoglycoconjugates often undergo post-glycosylation modifications, among which O-acetylation of N-acetyl neuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) is the most common in mammalian cells. Isoforms of sialic acid are critical determinants of virus pathogenesis. To date, the focus of viral receptor-mediated attachment has been on Neu5Ac. O-Acetylated Neu5Acs have been largely ignored as receptor determinants of virus pathogenesis, although it is ubiquitous across species. Significantly, the array of structures resulting from site-specific O-acetylation by sialic acid O-acetyltransferases (SOATs) provides a means to examine specificity of viral binding to host cells. Specifically, C4 O-acetylated Neu5Ac can influence virus pathogenicity. However, the biological implications of only O-acetylated Neu5Ac at C7–9 have been explored extensively. This review will highlight the biological significance, extraction methods, and synthetic modifications of C4 O-acetylated Neu5Ac that may provide value in therapeutic developments and targets to prevent virus related diseases.
Synthesis of organometallic pincer-supported cobalt(II) complexes

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of the new pincer-supported CoII organometallic complexes (iPrPNP)CoII(Me) and (iPrPNP)CoII(Ph) (iPrPNP = N{CH2CH2(P(iPr)2)}2−) is reported. These complexes were prepared through the treatment of (iPrPNP)CoII(Cl) with MeMgCl or PhMgBr, respectively. Additionally, the κ2-BH4 species (iPrPNP)CoII(κ2-BH4) was synthesized through the reaction of (iPrPNP)CoII(Cl) with nBu4NBH4. The related CoI complex (iPrPNP)CoI(2,6-xylyl isonitrile) was prepared through the reaction of the known complex (iPrPNP)CoI(N2) with 2,6-xylyl isonitrile. The stoichiometric and catalytic activity of the new CoI and CoII complexes with CO2 and formic acid was evaluated.
Whole saliva and residual mucosal saliva in patients with burning mouth syndrome: a case-control study

Objectives Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic pain condition. Xerostomia is a common complaint among patients with BMS. However, previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding salivary flow rate reduction among these patients. The aim of this study was to examine unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) and stimulated whole saliva (SWS) flow rates, degree of mucosal hydration, and xerostomia in female patients with BMS compared with controls. Study Design The study included female patients diagnosed with BMS (ICD-10 code K14.6) at a university oral medicine clinic. Controls were similarly aged women without BMS. Collection of salivary samples and other data took place during a 1-hour session between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. UWS was collected under resting conditions by passive drooling into a plastic tube for 10 minutes; to assess mucosal hydration, residual mucosal saliva (RMS) was collected by using filter paper strips, from 4 mucosal sites—anterior hard palate, buccal mucosa, anterior tongue, and lower lip. The strips were then placed in a microcentrifuge tube and weighed. SWS was collected while the patient chewed on gum base for 5 minutes. Low UWS was defined as 0.1 mL/min or less and low SWS as 0.7 mL/min or less. Participants completed the Short Form of the Xerostomia Inventory (SXI-D). We used the χ2 test to assess the association between UWS, SWS, and BMS and t tests to assess the differences in residual mucosal saliva (RMS) levels. Results Fifty-six women (27 cases and 29 controls) participated in this study. Mean age was 61 years for cases and 58 for controls (n.s.). Most participants in each group were postmenopausal; 66% of cases versus 38% of controls had low UWS (P = .03; and 48% of cases versus 34% of controls had low SWS (P =.06). Compared with controls, BMS cases had lower mean levels of tongue RMS (0.007 g vs 0.01 g; P = .03); 55% of the cases versus 7% of controls reported xerostomia (P Conclusions Patients with BMS had statistically significant reductions in UWS and tongue RMS and a higher prevalence of xerostomia. Low hydration of the tongue should be further investigated as a possible trigger of xerostomia sensation.
Persistent Proarrhythmic Neural Remodeling Despite Recovery From Premature Ventricular Contraction-Induced Cardiomyopathy

Abstract Background The presence and significance of neural remodeling in premature ventricular contraction-induced cardiomyopathy (PVC-CM) remain unknown. Objectives This study aimed to characterize cardiac sympathovagal balance and proarrhythmia in a canine model of PVC-CM. Methods In 12 canines, the investigators implanted epicardial pacemakers and radiotelemetry units to record cardiac rhythm and nerve activity (NA) from the left stellate ganglion (SNA), left cardiac vagus (VNA), and arterial blood pressure. Bigeminal PVCs (200 ms coupling) were applied for 12 weeks to induce PVC-CM in 7 animals then disabled for 4 weeks to allow complete recovery of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), versus 5 sham controls. Results After 12 weeks of PVCs, LVEF (p = 0.006) and dP/dT (p = 0.007) decreased. Resting SNA (p = 0.002) and VNA (p = 0.04), exercise SNA (p = 0.01), SNA response to evoked PVCs (p = 0.005), heart rate (HR) at rest (p = 0.003), and exercise (p Conclusions Neural remodeling in PVC-CM is characterized by extracardiac sympathetic hyperinnervation and sympathetic neural hyperactivity that persists despite normalization of LVEF. The altered cardiac sympathovagal balance is an important trigger and substrate for atrial and ventricular proarrhythmia.
Extracting the Gravitational Recoil from Black Hole Merger Signals

Gravitational waves carry energy, angular momentum, and linear momentum. In generic binary black hole mergers, the loss of linear momentum imparts a recoil velocity, or a ``kick,'' to the remnant black hole. We exploit recent advances in gravitational waveform and remnant black hole modeling to extract information about the kick from the gravitational wave signal. Kick measurements such as these are astrophysically valuable, enabling independent constraints on the rate of second-generation merger. Further, we show that kicks must be factored into future ringdown tests of general relativity with third-generation gravitational wave detectors to avoid systematic biases. We find that, although little information can be gained about the kick for existing gravitational wave events, interesting measurements will soon become possible as detectors improve. We show that, once LIGO and Virgo reach their design sensitivities, we will reliably extract the kick velocity for generically precessing binaries---including the so-called superkicks, reaching up to $5000\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}/\mathrm{s}$.
An experimental exploration of deformation-dependent AC conductivity in carbon nanofiber-modified epoxy

Conductive nanofiller-modified materials have received a significant amount of interest for use in self-sensing, nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM) owing to their piezoresistive properties (i.e. having deformation-dependent electrical transport). To date, the majority of the work related to piezoresistivity has focused on the relation between direct current (DC) conductivity or resistivity and strains. However, DC-based methods of selfsensing have important limitations such as poor sensitivity to spatially distributed damage and high resistivity. Alternating current (AC)-based methods of electrical interrogation have potential to address these limitations. Unfortunately, much less work exists on the effect of strain on AC conductivity. Therefore, we herein explore the effect of strain on AC conductivity in piezoresistive polymer nanocomposites. Specifically, epoxy is modified with carbon nanofibers (CNFs) at 1 wt.% and tested under uniaxial loading as AC conductivity is measured as a function of interrogation frequency. The AC conductivity-frequency relation is then fit to a universal power law for a range of compressive and tensile strains such that power-law fitting constants can be expressed as a function of normal strain. The basic insights revealed from this work are an important step toward transitioning piezoresistive-based self-sensing from prevailing DC approaches to potentially much more powerful AC methods.
Abstract TP112: Delayed Oligodendrocyte Maturation Corresponds to Myelin and Motor Recovery After Neonatal Stroke

Introduction: Neonatal stroke is a common cause of lifelong neurologic disability. White matter repair after neonatal stroke has been understudied. Objective: Characterize acute myelin injury withi...
Structured Time-Delay Models for Dynamical Systems with Connections to Frenet-Serret Frame

Time-delay embeddings and dimensionality reduction are powerful techniques for discovering effective coordinate systems to represent the dynamics of physical systems. Recently, it has been shown that models identified by dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) on time-delay coordinates provide linear representations of strongly nonlinear systems, in the so-called Hankel alternative view of Koopman (HAVOK) approach. Curiously, the resulting linear model has a matrix representation that is approximately antisymmetric and tridiagonal with a zero diagonal; for chaotic systems, there is an additional forcing term in the last component. In this paper, we establish a new theoretical connection between HAVOK and the Frenet-Serret frame from differential geometry, and also develop an improved algorithm to identify more stable and accurate models from less data. In particular, we show that the sub- and super-diagonal entries of the linear model correspond to the intrinsic curvatures in Frenet-Serret frame. Based on this connection, we modify the algorithm to promote this antisymmetric structure, even in the noisy, low-data limit. We demonstrate this improved modeling procedure on data from several nonlinear synthetic and real-world examples.
Transient testing of uranium silicide fuel in zircaloy and silicon carbide cladding

Abstract Using the newly restarted Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility at Idaho National Laboratories, fresh (unirradiated) U3Si2 fuel pellets were tested under reactivity-initiated accident conditions in dry helium capsules. These tests were performed with total energy depositions sufficient to induce melting of the U3Si2 fuel pellets based on available thermophysical property data. The instrumented experiments utilized in-pile thermocouples and infrared pyrometers to measure the cladding temperature during the transient, which are in reasonable agreement with predicted peak cladding temperatures using a simple BISON fuel performance model. This same model is then used to predict expected cladding stresses during the transients in areas where pellet cladding interaction is expected. It was shown that for transient energy depositions up to 528 J/g rod like geometry of the test articles was maintained. While it is acknowledged that more confirmatory testing is required in more prototypic environments, these first of their kind experiments have demonstrated that unirradiated U3Si2 fuel and unirradiated SiC-SiC claddings can likely retain a “rod like” geometry for transient energy depositions up to 528 J/g.
Genetic Differences in the N-Methyl- d -Aspartate Receptor

There are at least three subtypes of receptor in the CNS that are activated by glutamate, a major excitatory neurotransmitter. These receptors have been designated, based on their preferential affinity for particular ligands, as the kainate, quisqualate, and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (Watkins, 1981; Collingridge and Lester, 1989). The receptors are coupled to ion channels, and activation of kainate and/or quisqualate receptors generates fast depolarizing responses. In contrast, NMDA-receptor-gated responses are slower, and the ion channel associated with the NMDA receptor, when open, is permeable to calcium as well as to sodium and potassium ions (Watkins, 1981). The NMDA receptor response is also different from those mediated by the other glutamate-sensitive receptors in that it is voltage dependent. The voltage dependence appears to be a function of extracellular Mg2+, which blocks the ion channel and is cleared from the channel as the cell is depolarized (Watkins, 1981; Cotman et al., 1989). This voltage dependence means that with greater depolarization, an increasing number of NMDA-receptor-gated channels open, and correspondingly more calcium can enter the cell. Therefore, the magnitude of the response to the neurotransmitter activating the NMDA receptor depends on the level of neuronal depolarization, which in turn is a function of activation of other postsynaptic receptors.
Characterization of Porosity in Green-State and Partially Densified Al2O3 by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Characterizing advanced ceramics presents a challenge to conventional nondestructive evaluation techniques. Small bulk-density gradients, caused mainly by porosity differences, may lead to failure. Specimens were prepared from two Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ powders with different particle size distributions. The specimens prepared from each powder ranged in density from as-pressed to nominally 90% TD. The relative porosity levels of the specimens were measured by a small-bore nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for characterizing open porosity in ceramic bodies.
Endoscopic biliary stent migration to the iliopsoas muscle in a liver transplant recipient: percutaneous removal.

Internal drainage with endoscopically placed endoprostheses is an established management strategy for biliary tract obstruction. The method is preferred over surgical drainage because of the significantly lower complication rate [1]. Complications after stent placement are rare and include cholangitis, cholecystitis, bile duct erosion, pancreatitis, stent occlusion, stent fracture, stent migration, and intestinal impaction [1, 2] Intestinal perforation is perhaps the rarest complication of endoscopic biliary stenting, with sporadically published reports [2-4]. The perforation is typically caused by a very long and rigid stent impacted in the duodenum [2, 3]. Distal perforations involving the small bowel [2] or colon [4] are among the most unexpected life-threatening abdominal emergencies.
Perspective on cells: Evolution of cytopathology and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

This document briefly captures the development of cytopathology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) in Philadelphia PA; the first medical school and the teaching hospital in the Country. Literature suggests that cells from malignancy have been described since early 1830s. While earlier accounts are not available, in the year 1895, 9th edition of the book written by Professor of Pathology, Dr. Tyson of the University of Pennsylvania describes urothelial cell morphology. It is also noted that both gynecologic as well as non-gynecologic cytopathology is routinely being practiced at this Institution since 1949. Following the administrative consolidation of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine, a separate section of cytopathology within the department was established. Growing academic and clinical enterprises of HUP have resulted in establishment of Ruth and Raymond Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine (PeCAM) in the year 2010. Currently, the section has seven full time cytopathologists. It has patented a cart for onsite cytopathology interpretation, offers state of the art cytopathology services including onsite interpretation and reporting, point of care specimen triaging, molecular cytopathology testing as well as hosts telecytopathology systems within the Health System and training program. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2015;43:169–173. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Abstract 3910: Identification of lead organic compounds active against stem cell-like neuroblastoma cells by high throughput screening

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are plastic in nature, a characteristic that hampers cancer therapeutics. We previously reported the establishment of induced neuroblastoma (NB) stem cells (iCSC), which were stable stem cell-like NB cells in sphere culture. These cells recapitulated the in vivo histological phenotypes of Large-Cell NB (LCN), the most aggressive and deadly subset of NB, including vesicular nuclei and two to three prominent nucleoli (PNAS Vol. 110: 6097-102 2013). In addition to the LCN phenotype, high-level expression MYC or MYCN is the consistent feature of the iCSC xenografts grown in immune-compromised mice. The goal of this study is to identify lead organic compounds active against NB iCSCs by high throughput screening. By using MTS assays, the SKNAS iCSC and the parental monolayer cells were used to screen the Prestwick Chemical Library®, containing 1200 FDA-approved small molecules. Growth suppressive compounds were defined as they exhibited cell survival reduction of greater than 80% compared to DMSO control. There were unexplored compounds with significant antineoplastic activity among existing antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, and anthelmintic compounds. Among the compounds screened, we identified a dozen of small molecules that were preferentially growth suppressive to the SKNAS iCSC over the monolayer cells. The secondary MTS assay confirmed so far that Chlorhexidine (antiseptic), Benzethonium (antiseptic) and Digoxin (cardiac glycoside) were potential anti-NB iCSC agents: they were more effective in suppressing growth of the SKNAS iCSC than the monolayer cells. In addition, these compounds exhibited MYC destabilizing activity in the SKNAS iCSC. Notably, JQ1, the recently identified MYC destabilizer, was less effective than Chlorhexidine, Benzethonium and Digoxin in suppressing growth of SKNAS iCSC. The above three compounds also showed the MYCN destabilizing effect in another pair of MYCN-amplified SKNBE(2)C iCSCs and SKNBE(2)C monolayer cells. We are currently completing characterization of the small molecules identified with focus on their anti- iCSC growth and anti-MYC/MYCN effects. This study would reveal specific pathways that regulate biological activities of the CSCs. In addition, it is a promising approach that could lead to development of safe and effective anti-cancer therapeutics not only for NB but also other cancer types. Citation Format: Naohiko Ikegaki, Kiira Ratia, Ruth Hsiao, Mariko M. Limpar, Sarah Lomahan, Xao X. Tang. Identification of lead organic compounds active against stem cell-like neuroblastoma cells by high throughput screening. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3910. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3910
Real-world design of thin absorbers for RCS reduction of arbitrarily shaped radar targets over a wide band and for arbitrary incident angles and polarization using the concepts of Transformation Optics

In this paper we propose a systematic strategy, which takes a cue from the concept of Transformation Optics (TO) to design thin coatings for arbitrarily shaped radar targets. In contrast to the cloaks designed by using the TO, whose frequency bandwidth is extremely narrow, and which only work for one polarization, the present design not only provides a very wideband performance, but is capable of handling arbitrary polarization as well. The scattering performance of the coating, which is designed by using real materials - as opposed to metamaterials - is systematically investigated. An algorithm for tailoring the material parameters of the coating to adapt to localized shape perturbations is presented.
Visual information processing: artificial intelligence and the sensorium of sight

For human vision to be explained by a computational theory, the first question is plain: What are the problems the brain solves when we see?
Regional Anesthesia and Ischemic Pain: Go with the Flow

The launch of a new section on acute pain in this journal [1], followed by the formation of a new Special Interest Group on this topic by the academy [2], have helped break down compartmental thinking separating acute pain medicine and the management of long-term or recurrent painful conditions. The physiological circumstance of ischemia lies at the crossroads between acute and chronic pain, offering an opportunity for mutually beneficial crosstalk between those who primarily focus upon acute vs chronic pain. Ischemia can befall any organ to produce deleterious, disastrous, or even fatal consequences. Cardiac ischemia responds to thoracic epidural analgesia, which has been applied perioperatively during cardiac surgery as well as chronically in the treatment of outpatients with angina [3]. Chronic symptomatic ischemia of the spine and lumbar nerve roots, i.e., neurogenic claudication of the lower extremities as seen in spinal stenosis, is less responsive to epidural analgesia. Since the invention of this technique by Bier in 1908, deliberate tourniquet ischemia of an extremity has been combined with instillation of local anesthetic …
Teaching Integrative Medicine to Residents: A Focus on Populations Rather Than Individual Patients.

Introduction Integrative medicine (IM) is by its very definition patient centric: “It reaffirms the importance of the relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches.” Best methods for teaching IM in residency have not been well described. Methods An IM curriculum for preventive medicine (PM) residents was thoughtfully developed and iteratively revised using Kern’s six-step approach. The centerpiece of this curriculum was to have learners work collaboratively within teams on projects that would facilitate IM-focused care within primary care practices. Before embarking on specific IM-related projects, residents immersed themselves within the practices to understand the needs of the community. Results Forty-eight PM residents have participated in the curriculum in the last 3 years, and 27 unique physician preceptors served as mentors for the projects. Both residents and preceptors enjoyed working on the projects, and both groups considered the work to be a valuable educational pursuit. Common IM content areas covered by the projects dealt with interprofessional collaboration, health promotion, and population-based prevention. Although there were challenges associated with implementation of the projects, overcoming these enhanced the PM residents’ confidence and ability to serve as agents of change. Conclusions An IM curriculum was successfully incorporated into a PM residency program. The focus on serving the community, or a population health approach, may not be the most common approach in IM, but it worked effectively to enhance the IM knowledge and skills of PM residents.
The Connecticut Effect: The Great Compromise of 1787 and the History of Small State Impact on Electoral College Outcomes

Two major compromises reached at the 1787 Philadelphia Constitutional Convention affected the Electoral College. Of these two, scholars have focused on the Three‐Fifths Compromise, which apportione...
Deposition Corrosion of Galvanized Steel in the Presence of Copper

Deposition corrosion, via formation of microgalvanic cells from copper ions (e.g., Cu[I], Cu[II]) on iron or galvanized (zinc-coated) steel pipe, has been linked to disastrous field corrosion failures. Key factors expected to control deposition corrosion, including soluble copper concentration, copper ion speciation, and flow pattern (stagnant versus recirculating), were examined. The mass of copper plating was directly proportional to the soluble copper concentration in solution. The presence of flow, which allowed greater mass transport of reactants to the pipe surface, proved to be crucial to replicating deposition corrosion in the laboratory: tests with flow demonstrated up to 7× more zinc release and 55× more iron release when copper was present than when it was absent, compared to increases of only ≈2× in the same water under stagnant conditions. Scale dissolution, x-ray fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize copper-rich deposits on the surface of both field and lab...
Four-Photon Excitation of 2,2‘-Dimethyl-p-terphenyl†

We report the emission spectra, intensity decays, and anisotropy decay of 2,2‘-dimethyl-p-terphenyl (DMT) with four-photon excitation. When excited with a fs Ti:Sapphire laser the emission intensity of DMT was found to depend on the third power of the incident intensity for excitation of 783 nm, and on the fourth power of the incident intensity for excitation at 882 nm. Surprisingly, at the highest value incident power, the emission intensity for four-photon excitation was about 10-fold less than with three-photon excitation. The emission spectra, intensity decays and correlation times were found to be identical for three- and four-photon excitation. However, the fundamental anisotropy (r0) of DMT depended on the mode of excitation. To the best of our knowledge, the r0 value of 0.70 is the highest ever observed for an isotropic solution. These results suggest that four-photon excitation can be used with red-NIR lasers to obtain excitation of UV-absorbing chromophores.
Divergence-free reconstruction of magnetic fields and WENO schemes for magnetohydrodynamics

In a pair of earlier papers the author showed the importance of divergence-free reconstruction in adaptive mesh refinement problems for magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and the importance of the same for designing robust second order schemes for MHD. Second order accurate divergence-free schemes for MHD have shown themselves to be very useful in several areas of science and engineering. However, certain computational MHD problems would be much benefited if the schemes had third and higher orders of accuracy. In this paper we show that the reconstruction of divergence-free vector fields can be carried out with better than second order accuracy. As a result, we design divergence-free weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes for MHD that have order of accuracy better than second. A multi-stage Runge-Kutta time integration is used to ensure that the temporal accuracy matches the spatial accuracy. While this is achieved quite simply up to third order in time, going beyond third order is most simply achieved by using the ADER-WENO schemes that are detailed in a companion paper. (ADER stands for Arbitrary Derivative Riemann Problem.) Accuracy analysis is carried out and it is shown that the schemes meet their design accuracy for smooth problems. Stringent tests are also presented showing that the schemes perform well on those tests.
Tracheal tear caused by extubation of a double-lumen tube.

A COMPLETE tear of the posterior memrane of the trachea due to extubation of a single-lumen (SLT) or double-lumen tube (DLT) has never been described. The facts of the case reported herein show that extubation of a DLT in a patient with persistent complete collapse of the left upper lobe likely caused a 7-cm long, clean, midline tear of the posterior membrane of the trachea.
Women and Organized Racial Terrorism in the United States

Racial terrorism—violence perpetrated by organized groups against racial minorities in pursuit of white and Aryan supremacist agendas—has played a significant role in U.S. society and politics. Women have been important actors in much of this violence. This article examines women's involvement in racial terrorism from the immediate post-Civil War period to the present. Although organized racial violence by women has increased over time, this trend may not continue. The strategic directions and tactical choices of Aryan and white supremacist groups are likely to alter the extent and nature of women's involvement in racial terrorism in the future.
Double-transseptal, double-balloon valvuloplasty for congenital mitral stenosis

BACKGROUND Eight patients with severe congenital mitral stenosis underwent double transseptal, double-balloon valvuloplasty; two had isolated congenital mitral stenosis, six had additional cardiac defects, and one had previous surgical valvotomy. Ages ranged from 0.6 to 36 years (median, 9 years). METHODS AND RESULTS All procedures were tolerated well. After valvuloplasty, the left atrial a wave minus the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) gradient was reduced from 25 +/- 6 mm Hg to 9 +/- 3 mm Hg (p less than 0.001), the mitral valve mean gradient was reduced from 18 +/- 7 mm Hg to 8 +/- 3 mm Hg (p = 0.003), and the LVEDP was unchanged. All patients had marked clinical improvement. Only one patient developed significant mitral regurgitation. Two of the first four patients underwent repeat balloon valvuloplasty 7 months later. Follow-up evaluation on six patients from 4 to 54 months revealed no recurrence of symptoms or increased mitral regurgitation. CONCLUSIONS Double transseptal, double-balloon valvuloplasty is an effective treatment for many forms of congenital mitral stenosis. Mitral regurgitation is uncommon after this procedure. The double transseptal approach results in less trauma to the atrial septum and femoral veins and allows easy assessment of any residual postvalvuloplasty gradient.
Immunological detection of Na(+)/H(+) exchangers in the gills of a hagfish, Myxine glutinosa, an elasmobranch, Raja erinacea, and a teleost, Fundulus heteroclitus.

Abstract Na+/H+ exchangers (NHE) are a family of ion exchangers with diverse functions that are well defined in mammals. NHE-1 is expressed in the plasma membrane of most mammalian cells where it regulates intracellular pH, and usually in the basolateral membrane of epithelial cells. It has also been detected in teleost gills where it may participate in systemic pH regulation. NHE-3 is usually expressed in the apical membrane of mammalian epithelial cells where it helps reabsorb Na+ and HCO3−; it has also been detected in teleost gills. We used Western blotting and heterologous antibodies to screen for expression of NHE-1 and NHE-3 in gills of an agnathan (Myxine glutinosa) and an elasmobranch (Raja erinacea), and NHE-3 in gills of a teleost (Fundulus heteroclitus). Positive NHE-1 bands were detected in gills from the agnathan and elasmobranch. Using the NHE-3 antibody, bands were detected in the gills of the elasmobranch and teleost. These data are some of the first direct evidence of NHEs in the gills of an agnathan and elasmobranch, and confirm the presence of NHEs in the gills of teleosts.
Topological properties of random crack networks

The junctions of cracks in mudcrack, patterned ground, and columnar joint patterns can be categorized into “Y,” “T,”and “X”types. The mean number of sides,\(\tilde g\),to the polygonal areas in such nets is\(\tilde \bar g\) = 2(2JT + 3JY + 4JX)/(JT + JY + 2JX)where JT, JY,and JXare the proportions of T, Y,and Xjunctions, respectively.