cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accelerated Bone Healing in Calvarial and Femoral Defects with Injectable Microcarriers that Mimic the Osteogenic Niche

Osteo-enhanced human mesenchymal stem cells (OEhMSCs) secrete an osteogenic cell matrix (OCM) that mimics the composition of anabolic bone tissue and strongly enhances OEhMSC retention and subsequent bone repair in vivo. Here we demonstrate a system for rapid production of gelatin methacrylate microcarriers coated with decellularized OCM (OCM-GelMA) to serve as an injectable bone graft material with high osteogenic potential comparable to a clinically utilized gold standard, bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP-2). OEhMSCs seeded onto OCM-GelMA secreted high levels of osteogenic and angiogenic cytokines and expressed higher levels of BMP-2 relative to OEhMSCs on bare GelMA microcarriers. OEhMSCs co-administered with OCM-GelMA microcarriers resulted in enhanced healing of murine critical-sized calvarial defects, which was comparable to that achieved with a BMP-2-laden gelatin sponge control. When tested in a murine femoral defect model, OCM-GelMA co-administered with OEhMSCs also induced profound bone growth within the defect. We submit that OCM-GelMA promotes OEhMSC paracrine release to accelerate bone repair, indicating their potential as a bone graft for use in minimally invasive surgery.
Vibrational predissociation versus intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) in rare gas⋯dihalogen complexes: IVR identified in Ar⋯I2(B, ν′) using velocity-map imaging

The competition between multiple pathways sampled during the energetic relaxation of excited molecules can be difficult to experimentally decipher. The rare gas···dihalogen van der Waals complexes have remained key systems for exploring the competition between relaxation pathways, such as intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) and vibrational predissociation (VP). As these mechanisms can yield the same products, the relaxation pathways traversed are often deduced from the excitation spectra or product-state distributions. In addition to a brief perspective on IVR and VP in rare gas⋯dihalogen complexes, we present new results obtained using time-of-flight velocity-map imaging (VMI) on T-shaped Ar⋯I2(B, ν', n' = 0) complexes that illustrate how contributions from these two pathways can be separated. The angular anisotropies of the ion images collected for the I2(B, ν 0) intermolecular vibrational levels that sample linear Ar-I-I orientations during dissociation.
For Business and Pleasure: Red-Light Districts and the Regulation of Vice in the United States, 1890–1933

Mara L. Keire's history of red-light districts in the United States offers readers a fascinating survey of the business of pleasure from the 1890s through the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Anti-vice reformers in the late nineteenth century accepted that complete eradication of disreputable pleasure was impossible. Seeking a way to regulate rather than eliminate prostitution, alcohol, drugs, and gambling, urban reformers confined sites of disreputable pleasure to red-light districts in cities throughout the United States. They dismissed the extremes of prohibitory law and instead sought to limit the impact of vice on city life through realistic restrictive measures. Keire's thoughtful work examines the popular culture that developed within red-light districts, as well as efforts to contain vice in such cities as New Orleans; Hartford, Connecticut; New York City; Macon, Georgia; San Francisco; and El Paso, Texas. Keire describes the people and practices in red-light districts, reformers' efforts to limit their impact on city life, and the successful closure of the districts during World War I. Her study extends into Prohibition and discusses the various effects that scattering vice and banning alcohol had on commercial nightlife.
Chapter 11. Antibiotics

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the clinical applications and side effects of antibiotics. The structure and preliminary pharmacological evaluation of pseudomonas-active aminoglycoside antibiotic nebramycin factor 6 were reported. Factor 6 inhibited all Gram-negative species of bacteria studied at 2 mcg/ml or less and was reported to be more active than gentamicin against 48 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Peak serum levels of 2.8 mcg/ml were observed within 1 hour following administration of 75 mg of factor 6 intramuscularly. Antibiotic 6640 (sisomicin) was announced as a new aminoglycoside structurally related to gentamicin C 1A ; it had approximately 5 times the therapeutic activity of gentamicin in mice and twice the acute toxicity. Results of a worldwide evaluation of the toxicity and clinical effectiveness of rifampicin are also reported. Clinical and bacteriological cures generally fulfilled the expectations based on in vitro studies. Original pathogens were eliminated in 70–93% of infections due to staphylococci, pneumococci, and gonococci, and in 45–58% of cases due to streptococci and Gram-negative bacteria. Rifampicin is recommended as a primary treatment for tuberculosis. More than 82% of recent cases and more than 54% of chronic patients showed improvement on rifampicin therapy.
Workflow modeling and diagnosis with Petri nets - A case study of a manufacturing process

This paper presents modeling and analysis of workflows for Printing Wiring Board manufacturing system using Petri nets.
Weighing worth against uncertain work: the interplay of exhaustion, ambiguity, hope and disappointment in mothers breastfeeding late preterm infants

Poor breastfeeding outcomes among late preterm infants (LPIs) have been attributed to inadequate breast milk transfer stemming from physiological immaturities. However, breastfeeding is more than a biological phenomenon, and it is unclear how mothers of LPIs manage other factors that may also impact the breastfeeding course. Using grounded theory methods and incorporating serial post-partum interviews with several novel data collection techniques, we examined breastfeeding establishment over a 6-8-week-period among 10 late preterm mother-infant dyads recruited from a maternity hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. We found that breastfeeding in the LPI population was a fluctuating, cascade-like progression of trial and error, influenced by a host of contextual factors and events and culminating with breastfeeding continuation (with or without future caveats for duration or exclusivity of breastfeeding) or cessation. The trajectory was explained by the basic psychosocial process Weighing Worth against Uncertain Work, which encompassed the tension among breastfeeding motivation, the intensity of breastfeeding work and the ambiguity surrounding infant behaviour and feeding cues. Several sub-processes were also identified: Playing the Game, Letting Him Be the Judge vs. Accommodating Both of Us and Questioning Worth vs. Holding out Hope. If valid, our theoretical model indicates a need for earlier, more extensive and more qualified breastfeeding support for mothers of LPIs that emphasizes the connection between prematurity and observed feeding behaviours.
Quasi-instantaneous transverse vorticity measurements in an excited, two-dimensional, single stream mixing layer

Quasi-instantaneous transverse vorticity time series were obtained with a four-wire array at each of the 414 points in the measurement grid. These vorticity measurements indicate absolute values of peak vorticity which are an order of magnitude greater than those indicated by phase averaged transverse vorticity measurements. These large quasi-instantaneous transverse vorticity fluctuations indicate strong mixing throughout the core and periphery of the newly formed and saturated vortical structures. Although the magnitude is approximately the same throughout these structures, the frequency of occurrence of these large fluctuations appears to be less on the low speed side of the newly formed vortex.
Onset of enzyme induction with pregnenolone‐16α‐carbonitrile in male and female rats

Abstract Male and female rats treated with a single 20‐mg/kg ip dose of pregnenolone‐16α‐carbonitrile (PCN) produced parallel increases in hepatic cytochrome P‐450 and aniline hydroxylase activity. However, the onset of increase in aniline hydroxylase activity and cytochrome P‐450 content was slower in male than female animals. The maximal levels achieved in male rats were 89% of the values observed in the female animals. Furthermore, the hepatic aniline hydroxylase activity and P‐450 content declined more rapidly in male than in female rats.
The New American Empire

The phrase “American empire” has reentered the popular lexicon but remains contested. What does it mean to say that the United States is an empire? Why has this term resurfaced after so many decades to describe the United States in the new millennium? What does this mean for American foreign policy? I attempt to answer these questions by making three interrelated points. First, empire is a particular authority relationship between two polities constituted by extreme forms of both security and economic hierarchy. Second, the United States today is not an empire but it does exert substantial authority over other states in a range of hierarchical relationships. Third, although not an empire, the United States is acting in an imperialist fashion and, paradoxically, is undermining the international authority that it has cultivated and nurtured over the last century.
What are the true values of the bending modulus of simple lipid bilayers

Values of the bending modulus KC are reviewed, and possible causes for the considerable differences are discussed. One possible cause is the use of glucose and sucrose in the classical micromechanical manipulation and shape analysis methods. New data, using the more recent low angle X-ray method, are presented that do not support an effect of glucose or sucrose on KC. Another possible cause is using an incomplete theory to interpret the data. Adding a tilt term to the theory clearly does not affect the value obtained from the shape analysis method. It is shown that a tilt term, using a value of the modulus Kθ indicated by simulations, theory, and estimated from order parameters obtained from NMR and from the wide angle X-ray method, should also not affect the value obtained using the micromechanical manipulation method, although it does require a small correction when determining the value of the area compressibility modulus KA. It is still being studied whether including a tilt term will significantly affect the values of KC obtained using low angle X-ray data. It remains unclear what causes the differences in the experimental values of KC for simple lipid bilayers.
Fast matrix multiplication without APA-algorithms☆

Abstract The method of trilinear aggregating with implicit canceling for the design of fast matrix multiplication ( MM ) algorithms is revised and is formally presented with the use of Generating Tables and of linear transformations of the problem of MM . It is shown how to derive the exponent of MM below 2.67 even without the use of approximation algorithms.
Synthesis of polymeric models of elastin: Polyhexapeptides and an insoluble, hybrid cross-linked polypeptide

The polymer of the hexapeptide sequence, Val-Ala-Pro-Gly-Glu-Gly, was synthesized and demostrated of exhibit a reversible, pH-dependent coacervation in low-pH aqueous solution. In addition, the synthesis of an insoluble, hybrid, cross-linked polypeptide matrix is described. The cross-linking was achieved in the coacervate state during flow orientation of the polymers. The chemical means of covalent cross-linking was intermolecular primary amide bond formation between the lysyl side chains in one polypentapeptide unit and the glutamyl side chains in another polyhexapeptide unit. The carboxyl activating reagent was a water-soluble carbodiimide. The key intermediates in the syntheses, the hexamers and their high polymers, were analyzed by carbon-13 magnetic resonance to verify the correctness of synthesis and to obtain information on conformation.
A PROCEDURE FOR ESTIMATION OF UPLIFT CAPACITY OF ROUGH PILES

ABSTRACT The model test results for the ultimate uplift capacity of piles of Das, Seeley and Pfeifle (1977) have been extended. Based on the model test results, it has been found that the unit skin friction at the soil-pile interface increases linearly with depth up to a critical embedment ratio. The critical embedment ratio is dependent on the relative density of the soil. Based on the laboratory experimental results, a tentative procedure for estimation of the ultimate uplift capacity of piles has been presented.
Periodic Structures in Quiescent Prominences

The observed structural periodicities in quiescent prominences and filaments are examined in terms of the instability of a plasma supported by a magnetic field against gravity. It is suggested that the spacing of arch-like structures may be identified with the most unstable wavelength of the interface between the prominence and the supporting magnetic field. The results of analysis further suggest that the observed spacing of periodic structures corresponds to the supporting magnetic field which lies at an angle 90° to 60° with respect to the long axis of the prominence.
Treatment of Spontaneous Osteonecrosis of the Tarsal Navicular With a Free Medial Femoral Condyle Vascularized Bone Graft: A New Approach to Managing a Difficult Problem.

Adult-onset spontaneous osteonecrosis of the tarsal navicular joint, or Mueller–Weiss syndrome (MWS), is an uncommon debilitating disease characterized by a painful clinical course with progressive...
Transition behavior in fatigue of human dentin: Structure and anisotropy

Abstract The influence of tubule orientation on the transition from fatigue to fatigue crack growth in human dentin was examined. Compact tension (CT) and rectangular beam specimens were prepared from the coronal dentin of molars with three unique tubule orientations (i.e., 0°, 45° and 90°). The CT specimens (N=25) were used to characterize fatigue crack initiation and steady-state cyclic extension, whereas the rectangular beams (N=132) were subjected to 4-pt flexure and used in quantifying the stress-life fatigue response. The transition behavior was analyzed using both the Kitagawa–Takahashi and El Haddad approaches. Results showed that both the fatigue crack growth and stress-life responses were dependent on the tubule orientation. The average Paris Law exponent for crack growth perpendicular (90°) to the tubules (m=13.3±1.1) was significantly greater (p
Hydrogen and oxygen from water —IV. Control of an effusional separator during a solar intensity transient

Abstract An example performance map of an archetypal reactor for producing hydrogen and oxygen from water in a one-step thermochemical process is presented. We show that readjustment of the device in response to a change in incident solar intensity may be achieved, without changing the reactor temperature, Knudsen number, or feed rate, by simply changing the downstream pressure, with very little effect on the thermal efficiency.
PEI-cellulose thin-layer chromatography product studies of the creatine kinase and pyruvate kinase reactions

Abstract Detailed methods for polyethylenimine-cellulose thin-layer chromatographic determination of the reactants and products of the creatine kinase and pyruvate kinase reactions are presented. The technique has been developed as a highly sensitive method both for estimation of relative initial rates afforded by creatine and creatine analogs in the creatine kinase reaction and also for estimation of trace amounts of inorganic phosphate and ADP contamination in samples of ATP.
Electroluminescent Poly(quinoline)s and Metalloquinolates

Over the last two decades, poly(quinoline)s have become the subject of intense research as electroluminescent materials, for example organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs), thanks to their superior physical properties such as high electron mobility, photoluminescent efficiency, and stability. In this review, we outline the current research efforts on the employment of poly(quinoline)s and their closely related metallated analogs as materials for organic light‐emitting diodes. We will describe in detail the advantages and disadvantages of current poly(quinoline) systems, and suggest strategies to overcome current challenges that limit their use in OLEDs.
Endemic pulmonary mycoses

Fungal infections are seen with increasing frequency in the pediatric age group. Aspergillus fumigatus, Coccidioides immitis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Blastomyces dermatitidis, and Histoplasma capsulatum all have a spectrum of illness ranging from asymptomatic exposure to significant pulmonary and disseminated disease. Coccidiomycosis, blastomycosis, and histoplasmosis are seen in well-described endemic regions. Diagnosis can be made by the identification of the causative organism. New serological and chemical methods may provide a more rapid and complete diagnosis. Amphotericin B has been the mainstay of treatment, but oral azole antifungal agents now provide a less toxic altermative in some cases and allow for treatment of less severe pulmonary mycotic infections.
Precise flow-insensitive may-alias analysis is NP-hard

Determining aliases is one of the foundamental static analysis problems, in part because the precision with which this problem is solved can affect the precision of other analyses such as live variables, available expressions, and constant propagation. Previous work has investigated the complexity of flow-sensitive alias analysis. In this article we show that precise flow-insensitive may-alias analysis is NP-hard given arbitrary levels of pointers and arbitrary pointer dereferencing.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis of Peroneal Tendon Pathology Associated With Low-Lying Peroneus Brevis Muscle Belly A Case-Control Study

Background. Low-lying peroneus brevis tendon muscle belly has been speculated to be an associated factor with symptomatic peroneal tendon pathology. Multiple studies have analyzed normal and anomalous anatomy associated with peroneal tendon pathology; however, no study has confirmed the clinical association between peroneal tendon pathology and low-lying peroneus brevis muscle belly. Purpose. To identify the correlation of low-lying peroneus brevis muscle belly with peroneal tendon pathology. Study Design. Case-control study; Level of evidence 3. Methods. The level of peroneus brevis muscle belly was compared between patients with symptomatic peroneal tendon pathology (experimental group) and asymptomatic individuals with otherwise normal lateral ankle using magnetic resonance images. Results. Of the 32 consecutive patients with symptomatic peroneal tendon pathology, 28 (87.5%) demonstrated peroneus brevis muscle distal to the fibular groove while 53.8% of control patients demonstrated such findings (P = ...
THE EXCRETION OF DRUGS IN MILK: A SURVEY

Summary In this review a summary of the literature on the excretion of drugs in milk is reported. Because of the current trend of a return to breast-feeding and the ever-increasing number of drugs available, a thorough understanding of the potential hazard of medication to a nursing mother becomes very important for clinical pharmacists and other health professionals in advising their patients. This review focuses on the physiological and physicochemical factors affecting secretion of different types of drugs into milk. A brief discussion of the mechanisms of drug excretion is also given. Both plasma (or serum) and milk levels of various drugs reported in humans are compiled. Because of the variations in dose regimens, experimental conditions, analytical methods, and subject to subject variations, wide ranges of both plasma and milk levels have been observed for many drugs. More uniform data will be needed to allow meaningful analysis of various physicochemical models proposed to account for the milk/plasma ratio of various drugs in human subjects. Potentially adverse effects of various drugs present in human milk are presented.
Factorization problems for nests: Factorization methods and characterizations of the universal factorization property

Let M be a von Neumann algebra and let β be a nest in M. We consider the problem of factoring an invertible element S of M as S = WA, where W is a unitary element in M and both A and A−1 are elements of M which also belong to Alg(β). It is known that this is not always possible, however, using a variant of the LU decomposition for matrices, we show that if β is an injective nest and S is an invertible operator, then there exists an isometry W such that both S−1W and W∗S belong to Alg(β). We characterize when an invertible operator factors with respect to an injective nest. We also prove a result which simultaneously generalizes results of Arveson and Gohberg and Krein. Finally, we give a number of characterizations of those nests within a factor such that every invertible operator factors with respect to the nest.
A Low Incidence of Proarrhythmia Using Low-Dose Amiodarone

The incidence of proarrhythmia with antiarrhythmic agents is reported to be 2%-23%, depending on the agent, definition of proarrhythmia, method of assessment, and severity of underlying rhythm disturbance. Several case reports of amiodarone-induced proarrhythmia have appeared; however, its prevalence and clinical significance have not been adequately defined. In our series of 107 patients with potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmias, amiodarone was administered as a 5-mg/kg bolus infusion, followed by 600–800 mg/day for 7–10 days. A mean daily maintenance dose of 270 mg/day was given for an average of 15 months (range <57). Proarrhythmia was defined by the method of Morganroth as: (1) a three- to tenfold increase in VPC frequency, (2) a marked increase in VT rate, or (3) the development of new sustained VT/VF or torsade de pointes. Bradyarrhythmias, conduction delays, and out-of-hospital sudden death were not included by definition. Baseline 24-hour-Holter monitoring revealed 449 ± 685 VPCs/hr, 740 ± 584 couplets/24 hr, and 61 ± 685 episodes of nonsustained VT/24 hr. Proarrhythmia occurred in three patients (2.8%). Two of these episodes occurred during the first week of treatment and resolved without dosage adjustment. These episodes included a 4.7- and 5.1-fold increase in VPC frequency. The other proarrhythmic event was a case of torsade de pointes that occurred after 12 months of treatment and required acute intervention and withdrawal of amiodarone. In conclusion, low-dose amiodarone appears to have a low potential for proarrhythmia and compares favorably with other agents in this regard, perhaps owing to its unique electrophysiologic properties.
Vitamin D physiology and its importance in dairy cattle: a review.

Abstract High milk yields make considerable demand on calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the dairy cow. Vitamin D plays a major role in calcium metabolism and, hence, indirectly in phosphorus metabolism. Too often vitamin D has been neglected in current dairy cow nutrition. Several factors including high energy rations, high milk production, and use of exotic rations indicate a need to reevaluate vitamin D nutrition for high producing cows. In rations with sufficient calcium, adequate vitamin D promotes positive body balance, but natural sources may provide insufficient vitamin D in many high-energy, low-roughage rations. Recent discoveries of vitamin D metabolites and their role in calcium metabolism have spurred related basic research. Knowledge of vitamin D/calcium metabolism may have practical value in treating and preventing parturient paresis as well as in nutrition per se. In addition, vitamin D may be related to reproductive performance via enhanced psychic estrus expression. Finally, the knowledge of vitamin D in contemporary dairy cattle nutrition is simply less complete than many believe.
The Lacanian Real as a Productive Supplement to Rhetorical Critique

The purpose of this essay is to advance the importance of the Lacanian registers for rhetorical scholarship by focusing (paradoxically) on the register of the Real. We argue that the Real functions as a condition of (im)possibility of critical invention for rhetorical critique. We advance five varieties of the Real that disrupt the coherence of rhetorical method/perspective and rhetorical formations: (1) the Real as Void, (2) The Real as Return, (3) The Real as Enjoyment, (4) The Real as Recalcitrance, and (5) The Real as Materiality.
Computer graphics displays of nonlinear calculations

Abstract Computer graphics is proving to be an increasingly useful tool in helping the analyst to fully appreciate pattern information contained within the results of nonlinear calculations. This paper reviews the applications of a general purpose computer graphics system, called MOVIE.BYU, to the display of the results of a wide range of static and dynamic nonlinear finite element analyses. These results are presented in line drawing and continuous tone image format. They display sophisticated problems in geotechnical engineering, nonlinear fracture mechanics, material failure, and finite deformation of elastic plastic materials.
An Applied Example of Pooled Time Series Analysis: Cardiovascular Reactivity to Stressors in Children With Autism

The advent of telemetric devices that sample data extensively over time has facilitated single subject or idiographic research to intensively study a single person over time. One of the challenges of idiographic research is combining single subject results to determine generalizability across subjects. This article demonstrates the first behavioral science application of pooled time series analysis, an extension of time series analysis that allows for the testing of between-person effects. The analysis used cardiovascular data gathered from 4 children with autism between the ages of 10 and 20 while exposed to 6 experimentally manipulated environmental stressors. A pooled time series analysis using the general transformation approach identified 1 general (a difficult learning task) and 3 specific stressors (exposure to a loud noise, unstructured time, and eating a preferred food) across the 4 participants. This application of pooled time series analysis demonstrates the challenges and potential for this me...
Decon2LS: An open-source software package for automated processing and visualization of high resolution mass spectrometry data

Data generated from liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based studies of a biological sample can contain large amounts of biologically significant information in the form of proteins, peptides, and metabolites. Interpreting this data involves inferring the masses and abundances of biomolecules injected into the instrument. Because of the inherent complexity of mass spectral patterns produced by these biomolecules, the analysis is significantly enhanced by using visualization capabilities to inspect and confirm results. In this paper we describe Decon2LS, an open-source software package for automated processing and visualization of high-resolution MS data. Drawing extensively on algorithms developed over the last ten years for ICR2LS, Decon2LS packages the algorithms as a rich set of modular, reusable processing classes for performing diverse functions such as reading raw data, routine peak finding, theoretical isotope distribution modelling, and deisotoping. Because the source code is openly available, these functionalities can now be used to build derivative applications in relatively fast manner. In addition, Decon2LS provides an extensive set of visualization tools, such as high performance chart controls. With a variety of options that include peak processing, deisotoping, isotope composition, etc, Decon2LS supports processing of multiple raw data formats. Deisotoping can be performed on an individual scan, an individual dataset, or on multiple datasets using batch processing. Other processing options include creating a two dimensional view of mass and liquid chromatography (LC) elution time features, generating spectrum files for tandem MS data, creating total intensity chromatograms, and visualizing theoretical peptide profiles. Application of Decon2LS to deisotope different datasets obtained across different instruments yielded a high number of features that can be used to identify and quantify peptides in the biological sample. Decon2LS is an efficient software package for discovering and visualizing features in proteomics studies that require automated interpretation of mass spectra. Besides being easy to use, fast, and reliable, Decon2LS is also open-source, which allows developers in the proteomics and bioinformatics communities to reuse and refine the algorithms to meet individual needs. Decon2LS source code, installer, and tutorials may be downloaded free of charge at http://http:/ncrr.pnl.gov/software/ .
Medios de comunicación asincrónica para mejorar la interacción educativa

The purpose of this field pre-experimental study was to apply asynchronous means of communication to improve educational interaction in the subject Communication and Language at Nursery School from Universidad Centrooccidental "Lisandro Alvarado." The means used were blogs and e-mails with a group of 17 students. Results show that most students interacted with their peers in blogs, enhancing knowledge and reflecting on the process of paragraph writing. On the other hand, e-mails were used for teacher-students' individual tutoring interaction. It is concluded that the use of these type of means represent an effective way to imporve interaction in the subject.
Consuming Splendor: Society and Culture in Seventeenth-Century England – By Linda Levy Peck

This sumptuous book posits nothing less than a reappraisal of the standard narrative of the history of seventeenth‐century England. In the Whig version, that narrative privileges a story of high po...
Clinical and metabolic parameters in non-small cell lung carcinoma and colorectal cancer patients with and without KRAS mutations

Lung cancer (LC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are the first and second deadliest types of cancer worldwide. EGFR-based therapy has been used in the treatment of these cancers with variable success. Presence of mutations in the KRAS driver oncogene, possibly induced by environmental factors such as carcinogens in diet and cigarette smoke, may confer worse prognosis and resistance to treatment for reasons not fully understood. Data on possible associations between KRAS mutational status and clinical and metabolic parameters, which may help in clinical management, as well as in identifying risk factors for developing these cancers, are limited in the current literature. We sequenced the KRAS gene and investigated the associations of variations in 108 patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), the most common form of LC, and in 116 patients with CRC. All of the mutations originated from the guanosine nucleotide and over half of all transversions in NSCLC and CRC were c.34 G>T and c.35 G>T, respectively. c.35 G>A was the most frequent type of transition in both cancers. Excluding smoking, the clinical and metabolic parameters in patients carrying mutant and wild type KRAS were similar except that the CRC patients with transversion mutations were 8.6 years younger than those carrying the transitions (P < 0.01). Dyslipidemia, hypertension, family cancer history, and age of diagnosis older than 60 years were more frequent in NSCLC than CRC (P ≤ 0.04). These results suggest that most of the clinical and metabolic parameters investigated in this study are probably not associated with the more aggressive phenotype and differences in response to EGFR-based treatment previously reported in patients with KRAS mutations. However, the increased rates of abnormal metabolic parameters in patients with NSCLC in comparison to CRC indicate that these parameters may be more important in the management of NSCLC. CRC patients carrying transition mutations are older than those carrying transversions, suggesting that age may determine the type of KRAS mutation in CRC patients.
Bootstrap hybrid decoding for symmetrical binary input channels

Hybrid decoding technique for symmetrical binary input channels, using bootstrap algorithm across convolutionally encoded information streams
Lectin site ligation of CR3 induces conformational changes and signaling

Neutrophils provide an innate immune response to tissues infected with fungal pathogens such as Candida albicans. This response is tightly regulated in part through the interaction of integrins with extracellular matrix ligands that are distributed within infected tissues. The β2 integrin, CR3 (CD11b/CD18), is unique among integrins in containing a lectin-like domain that binds the fungal pathogen-associated molecular pattern β-glucan and serves as the dominant receptor for recognition of fungal pathogens by human granulocytes. β-Glucan, when isolated in soluble form, has been shown to be a safe and effective immune potentiator when administered therapeutically. Currently a pharmaceutical grade preparation of β-glucan is in several clinical trials with an anti-cancer indication. CR3 binding of extracellular matrix, carbohydrate, or both ligands simultaneously differentially regulates neutrophil function through a mechanism not clearly understood. Using FRET reporters, we interrogated the effects of soluble β-glucan on intracellular and extracellular CR3 structure. Although the canonical CR3 ligand fibrinogen induced full activation, β-glucan alone or in conjunction with fibrinogen stabilized an intermediate conformation with moderate headpiece extension and full cytoplasmic tail separation. A set of phosphopeptides differentially regulated by β-glucan in a CR3-dependent manner were identified using functional proteomics and found to be enriched for signaling molecules and proteins involved in transcriptional regulation, mRNA processing, and alternative splicing. These data confirm that CR3 is a signaling pattern recognition receptor for β-glucan and represent the first direct evidence of soluble β-glucan binding and affecting a signaling-competent intermediate CR3 conformation on living cells.
Cyclic strain and forskolin differentially induce cAMP production in phenotypically diverse endothelial cells

Abstract The effects of cyclic strain and forskolin on cAMP production were studied in 4 endothelial cell types. Basal cAMP levels varied among the various types. Cyclic strain induced an increase in cAMP levels in endothelial cells isolated from bovine aortae, pig pulmonary arteries and human adipose microvessels, but not in endothelial cells isolated from human umbilical veins. 100μM forskolin induced a differential increase in cAMP which ranged from 5-fold in pig pulmonary artery endothelial cells to 50-fold in human microvascular endothelial cells. Forskolin and cyclic strain, when applied to the cells concomitantly, had no additional effects on cAMP levels. However, when forskolin was applied 5niin after initiation of cyclic strain, a synergistic elevation of cAMP was observed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. This action of forskolin was not mimicked by isoproterenol (10μM). We suggest that the cAMP signalling system of phenotypically diverse endothelial cells is differentially regulated by cyclic strain and forskolin and that these differences might contribute to endothelial cell phenotypic diversity.
Genetic differences between humans and great apes.

The remarkable similarity among the genomes of humans and the African great apes could warrant their classification together as a single genus. However, whereas there are many similarities in the biology, life history, and behavior of humans and great apes, there are also many striking differences that need to be explained. The complete sequencing of the human genome creates an opportunity to ask which genes are involved in those differences. A logical approach would be to use the chimpanzee genome for comparison and the other great ape genomes for confirmation. Until such a great ape genome project can become reality, the next best approach must be educated guesses of where the genetic differences may lie and a careful analysis of differences that we do know about. Our group recently discovered a human-specific inactivating mutation in the CMP-sialic acid hydroxylase gene, which results in the loss of expression of a common mammalian cell-surface sugar throughout all cells in the human body. We are currently investigating the implications of this difference for a variety of issues relevant to humans, ranging from pathogen susceptibility to brain development. Evaluating the uniqueness of this finding has also led us to explore the existing literature on the broader issue of genetic differences between humans and great apes. The aim of this brief review is to consider a listing of currently known genetic differences between humans and great apes and to suggest avenues for future research. The differences reported between human and great ape genomes include cytogenetic differences, differences in the type and number of repetitive genomic DNA and transposable elements, abundance and distribution of endogenous retroviruses, the presence and extent of allelic polymorphisms, specific gene inactivation events, gene sequence differences, gene duplications, single nucleotide polymorphisms, gene expression differences, and messenger RNA splicing variations. Evaluation of the reported findings in all these categories indicates that the CMP-sialic hydroxylase mutation is the only one that has so far been shown to result in a global biochemical and structural difference between humans and great apes. Several of the other known genetic dissimilarities deserve more exploration at the functional level. Among the areas of focus for the future should be genes affecting development, mental maturation, reproductive biology, and other aspects of life history. The approaches taken should include both going from the genome up to the adaptive potential of the organisms and going from novel adaptive regimes down to the relevant repercussions in the genome. Also, as much as we desire a simple genetic explanation for the human phenomenon, it is much more probable that our evolution occurred in multiple genetic steps, many of which must have left detectable footprints in our genomes. Ultimately, we need to know the exact number of genetic steps, the order in which they occurred, and the temporal, spatial, environmental, and cultural contexts that determined their impact on human evolution.
Can We—and Should We—Measure Well-Being?

In this article, I argue that recent criticisms of happiness research in economics can be extended to any conception of well-being used for scientific or policymaking purposes. These criticisms are both practical and ethical: well-being is not only impossible to define, measure, or implement, but its use also offends human dignity through unjust distribution of harm and value substitution. On this basis, I recommend the abandonment of welfare economics and urge social economists to propose new approaches to addressing social problems that are more focused and respect the dignity of persons.
Pattern of 4-thiouridine-induced cross-linking in 16S ribosomal RNA in the Escherichia coli 30S subunit.

The locations of RNA−RNA cross-links in 16S rRNA were determined after in vivo incorporation of 4-thiouridine (s4U) into RNA in a strain of Escherichia coli deficient in pyrimidine synthesis and ir...
Rewarding political supporters

Consider an elected politician who wants to identify politically savvy people who could offer him good advice. Since the incumbent won an election, people who supported him are probably better attuned to the political winds than are people who did not. The official should therefore listen to people who had supported him. For similar reasons, he may preferentially listen to groups that had given him political contributions than to groups that had not. And a politician who is initially unsure about which voters best recognize benefits promised them will favor groups that he had previously favored and that had supported him.
Changes in estrogen receptor-α expression in hypothalamic dopaminergic neurons during proestrous prolactin surge

A surge of prolactin (PRL) occurs in female rats during proestrus in response to elevated estradiol and progesterone levels. Dopamine is the primary hypothalamic inhibitor of PRL secretion from the pituitary. Using double-label immunocytochemistry, we investigated the pattern of estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) immunoreactivity in dopaminergic neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and the periventricular nucleus (PeVN) during the proestrous PRL surge and compared it to that during diestrus, when PRL levels are constantly low. Our results showed that during diestrus >80% of dopaminergic neurons in the ARC were also positive for ER-α, and this colocalization percentage decreased significantly during proestrus. By contrast, <15% of dopaminergic neurons in the PeVN expressed ER-α, and the low percentage of ER-α expression was unchanged throughout proestrus and diestrus. Results from estrogen plus progesterone-treated ovariectomized rats showed similar patterns of ER-α expression within the ARC and the PeVN and, once again, compared with the control group, had a significant reduction in ER-α immunoreactivity in dopaminergic neurons in the ARC, but not in the PeVN. These results provide an anatomic basis that dopaminergic neurons in the ARC and the PeVN are functionally different regarding to ER-α expression. Our study also supports the hypothesis that dopaminergic neurons in the ARC are an important neuronal population responsive to estrogen by changing the expression of ER-α in those neurons. This modification of sensitivity of dopaminergic neurons in the ARC in response to ovarian steroids may be an important molecular mechanism involved in PRL regulation, including the regulation of the proestrous surge of PRL.
Structural characteristics of alkali borate flux liquids

Abstract Analysis of the role of flux liquids in controlling nucleation and crystal growth requires an understanding of the way in which the cations to be grown are bound in the parent liquid. The nature of the alkali borate family of fluxes was examined by measuring the deviation of the solution from ideality utilizing the growth of NiO as a probe. Precise liquids relations were determined for the systems NiO-Na 2 O · 2B 2 O 3 , NiO-K 2 O · 2B 2 O 3 , and NiO-Rb 2 O · 2B 2 O 3 . The experimental liquidus curves were fitted to a model using regular solution theory. The deviations from ideal solution lead to a liquid model involving a di-borate molecular aggregate. The thermodynamic results were combined with results from optical spectroscopy to deduce the environment of the Ni ++ ion in solution prior to crystallization. It was shown that Ni ++ (and therefore by inference, other transition metal ions) is in a large network-modifying site with a very weak bonding to its surroundings. This situation accounts at least in part for the low-energy barriers to crystal growth in the borate fluxes.
Carbon monoxide intoxication

Carbon monoxide intoxication may be more frequent than currently detected. Two cases are presented in which the patients exhibited electrocardiographic changes and elevated blood sugar. One patient sustained a myocardial infarction and a cardiac arrest. The pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment, including the use of hyperbaric oxygen, are discussed in detail.
The community problem for Stieltjes matrices

Abstract The communality problem in factor analysis is that of reducing the diagonal elements of a correlation matrix so that the resulting matrix will be positive semidefinite and of minimum rank. The problem is well studied, but no effective solution procedures have been devised. In this paper, we propose a variant problem and give an algorithm for its solution. We prove that a solution to this problem also solves the communality problem if the correlation matrix is Stieltjes.
Needle aspiration of breast masses in the emergency department

Abstract The discovery of a breast mass is often the source of great concern for a patient. The mass may, however, be no more than a benign cyst that may be treated in the emergency department. This article describes the technique of needle aspiration — a simple, safe procedure that in many cases is both therapeutic and curative.
Synthesis of novel alkoxylated triacylglycerols and their lubricant base oil properties

Development and application of bio-based fluids in industrial and automotive sectors are rapidly increasing due to their non-toxic and biodegradable character unlike mineral oil-based products. Synthetic lubricant base fluid with improved high and low-temperature stability was prepared by chemical modification of epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO). The reaction was carried out in two-steps: (i) synthesis of dihydroxylated soybean oil from ESBO with HClO4, (ii) reaction of acetic, butyric and hexanoic anhydride with the dihydroxylated product. The composition of the reaction products were confirmed by NMR and FTIR analysis. Chain length variation of the anhydrides used in the synthesis resulted in base fluids with different physical and chemical properties. Low-temperature stability was excellent for hexanoic anhydride derivative. When compared with SBO, thermal and oxidative stabilities were improved. Viscosity, volatility and other lubricant base oil properties were evaluated qualitatively. Bio-fluids based on this chemical modification offer great potential for the development of industrial fluids and products based on such fluids.
Location-Aware and Safer Cards: Enhancing RFID Security and Privacy via Location Sensing

In this paper, we report on a new approach for enhancing security and privacy in certain RFID applications whereby location or location-related information (such as speed) can serve as a legitimate access context. Examples of these applications include access cards, toll cards, credit cards, and other payment tokens. We show that location awareness can be used by both tags and back-end servers for defending against unauthorized reading and relay attacks on RFID systems. On the tag side, we design a location-aware selective unlocking mechanism using which tags can selectively respond to reader interrogations rather than doing so promiscuously. On the server side, we design a location-aware secure transaction verification scheme that allows a bank server to decide whether to approve or deny a payment transaction and detect a specific type of relay attack involving malicious readers. The premise of our work is a current technological advancement that can enable RFID tags with low-cost location (GPS) sensing capabilities. Unlike prior research on this subject, our defenses do not rely on auxiliary devices or require any explicit user involvement.
Growth of silver hake within the U.S. continental shelf ecosystem of the northwest Atlantic Ocean

Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated for silver hake Merluccius bilinearis within four regions of the United States continental shelf ecosystem of the northwest Atlantic Ocean during 1975–1980, 1982–1987 and 1988–1992. Differences in silver hake growth were found between the Middle Atlantic and southern Georges Bank regions (P<0–01) over all three time periods. Growth also differed between northern Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine (P<0–01) during 1975–1980 and 1982–1987, and significant differences between southern Georges Bank and northern Georges Bank were found only during 1982–1987. Silver hake in the Gulf of Maine exhibited larger asymptotic sizes, but attained their asymptotic size at slower rates (L00= 47 cm and K=0–33) in comparison to silver hake in the Middle Atlantic (L00= 43 cm and K=0–51), while growth parameter estimates for silver hake on Georges Bank were intermediate between these. Although significant differences in growth of silver hake between the various regions are consistent with separate stocks in the U.S. continental shelf ecosystem, the growth characteristics from the different regions are inconsistent with the presently assigned stock boundaries. (c) 1996 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles