cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health mindsets as a predictor of physical activity and body mass index in American Indian college students

American Indians are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease in adulthood, and levels of physical activity and body mass index associate with cardiovascular disease risk. Recent research indicates that one's mindset may play a role in determining health behaviors and outcomes. In a sample of 105 American Indian college students, greater growth health mindset associated with lower body mass index. Bootstrapping analyses revealed a significant indirect effect of health mindset on body mass index through levels of physical activity. These findings suggest that interventions aiming to promote growth health mindsets may be successful in reducing risk for cardiovascular disease in American Indian college students.
Autonomic responses to postural provocations

Abstract Sex differences are known in several facets of cardiac electrophysiology, mostly concerning myocardial repolarization. This chapter describes investigations in which heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) responses to postural provocations were compared in two independent groups of healthy females and males. Two different postural provocative tests with position changes supine → sitting → standing → supine and supine → standing → sitting → supine were repeatedly performed in each subject. Heart rate and HRV spectral indices were measured in 5-min windows before positional changes. At supine position, females had averaged heart rate faster than males, and this sex difference was practically constant during the postural changes. In both sexes, change supine → sitting and supine → standing increased heart rate by approximately 10 and 30 bpm, respectively, with no statistical differences between the sex groups. At supine baseline, females had normalized high frequency components (nHF) of HRV approximately 7% larger compared to males. While the same difference in nHF was found at sitting, the change to standing position leads to significantly larger nHF reduction in females compared to males. This shows that despite similar heart rate increase, females respond to standing by more substantial shifts in cardiac sympathovagal modulations. This makes it plausible to speculate that the differences in autonomic reactions to stress contribute to the known sex differences in psychosocial responses to stressful situations.
C-14: assured timestamps for drone videos

Inexpensive and highly capable unmanned aerial vehicles (aka drones) have enabled people to contribute high-quality videos at a global scale. However, a key challenge exists for accepting videos from untrusted sources: establishing when a particular video was taken. Once a video has been received or posted publicly, it is evident that the video was created before that time, but there are no current methods for establishing how long it was made before that time. We propose C-141, a system that assures the earliest timestamp, tb, of drone-made videos. C-14 provides a challenge to an untrusted drone requiring it to execute a sequence of motions, called a motion program, revealed only after tb. It then uses camera pose estimation techniques to verify the resulting video matches the challenge motion program, thus assuring the video was taken after tb. We demonstrate the system on manually crafted programs representing a large space of possible motion programs. We also propose and evaluate an example algorithm which generates motion programs based on a seed value released after tb. C-14 incorporates a number of compression and sampling techniques to reduce the computation required to verify videos. We can verify a 59-second video from an eight-motion, manual motion program, in 91 seconds of computation with a false positive rate of one in 1013 and no false negatives. We can also verify a 190-second video from an algorithmically derived, 4-motion program, in 158 seconds of computation with a false positive rate of one in one hundred thousand and no false negatives.
Inequality: Do Not Disperse

Many egalitarians incorporate a concern for interpersonal welfare inequality as part of their favored axiology – that is, they take it to be a bad-making feature of outcomes. It is natural to think that, if inequality is in this sense a bad, it is an impersonal bad (one that makes an outcome worse, while not in itself being worse for any person). This natural thought has been challenged. Some writers claim that egalitarian judgments can be accommodated by adopting an expanded view of a person's good, according to which being worse off than others is one of the factors that, in itself, makes one's life go worse. The putatively impersonal bad of inequality is thereby “dispersed” among individuals. I argue that this dispersion strategy fails. In a slogan: if you care about inequality, do not disperse it.
Patient perspectives of a heart failure action plan: A qualitative study.

Individuals with heart failure (HF) have difficulty evaluating their symptoms, understanding when to seek health care, and implementing self-care activities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to inform the development of a heart failure action plan (HFAP) for individuals living with HF. This study used a prospective, descriptive qualitative design with a content analysis approach. The HFAP included clinical indicators of self-reported symptoms, adherence to medication regimen, and physiologic changes. Patients with HF reviewed the HFAP and provided their perceptions to assist in developing the action plan. Participants had a mean age of 65 years, predominately male (78%) and African American (89%). Comorbidities included hypertension, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, and diabetes mellitus. Five thematic categories emerged: (1) Understanding of symptoms and symptom severity, (2) management of symptoms, (3) educational opportunities, (4) changes, and (5) satisfaction. Participants suggested adding content about exercise, diet, additional symptom management, and a compact portable HFAP. Participants provided their perceptions of the HFAP. Their feedback was instrumental in modifying the action plan for use in a broader HF patient population to assist patients in self-management, including the understanding of when to seek health care.
Gut-restricted apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter inhibitor attenuates alcohol-induced liver steatosis and injury in mice

Background Recent studies have shown that human and experimental alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is robustly associated with dysregulation of bile acid homeostasis, which may in turn modulate disease severity. Pharmacological agents targeting bile acid metabolism and signaling may be potential therapeutics for ALD. Methods The potential beneficial effects of a gut-restricted apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) inhibitor were studied in a chronic-plus-binge ALD mouse model. Results Blocking intestinal bile acid reabsorption by the gut-restricted ASBT inhibitor GSK2330672 attenuated hepatic steatosis and liver injury in a chronic-plus-binge ALD mouse model. Alcohol feeding is associated with intestinal bile acid accumulation but paradoxically impaired ileal farnesoid × receptor (FXR) function, and repressed hepatic cholesterol 7α-hydrolase (CYP7A1) expression despite decreased hepatic small heterodimer partner (SHP) and ileal fibroblast growth factor 15 (FGF15) expression. ASBT inhibitor treatment decreased intestinal bile acid accumulation and increased hepatic CYP7A1 expression, but further decreased ileal FXR activity. Alcohol feeding induces serum bile acid concentration that strongly correlates with a liver injury marker. However, alcohol-induced serum bile acid elevation is not due to intrahepatic bile acid accumulation but is strongly and positively associated with hepatic multidrug resistance-associated protein 3 (MRP4) and MRP4 induction but poorly associated with sodium-taurocholate cotransporting peptide (NTCP) expression. ASBT inhibitor treatment decreases serum bile acid concentration without affecting hepatocyte basolateral bile acid uptake and efflux transporters. Conclusion ASBT inhibitor treatment corrects alcohol-induced bile acid dysregulation and attenuates liver injury in experimental ALD.
Nonadditive gene expression is correlated with nonadditive phenotypic expression in interspecific triploid hybrids of willow (Salix spp.)

Many studies have highlighted the complex and diverse basis for heterosis in inbred crops. Despite the lack of a consensus model, it is vital that we turn our attention to understanding heterosis in undomesticated, heterozygous, and polyploid species, such as willow (Salix spp.). Shrub willow is a dedicated energy crop bred to be fast-growing and high yielding on marginal land without competing with food crops. A trend in willow breeding is the consistent pattern of heterosis in triploids produced from crosses between diploid and tetraploid species. Here, we test whether differentially expressed genes are associated with heterosis in triploid families derived from diploid S. purpurea, diploid S. viminalis, and tetraploid S. miyabeana parents. Three biological replicates of shoot tips from all family progeny and parents were collected after 12 weeks in the greenhouse and RNA extracted for RNA-Seq analysis. This study provides evidence that nonadditive patterns of gene expression are correlated with nonadditive phenotypic expression in interspecific triploid hybrids of willow. Expression-level dominance was most correlated with heterosis for biomass yield traits and was highly enriched for processes involved in starch and sucrose metabolism. In addition, there was a global dosage effect of parent alleles in triploid hybrids, with expression proportional to copy number variation. Importantly, differentially expressed genes between family parents were most predictive of heterosis for both field and greenhouse collected traits. Altogether, these data will be used to progress models of heterosis to complement the growing genomic resources available for the improvement of heterozygous perennial bioenergy crops.
Evaluation of Silicon Nitride for Brayton Turbine Wheel Application

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) is being evaluated as a risk-reduction alternative for a Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Brayton turbine wheel in the event that the Prometheus program design requirements exceed the creep strength of the baseline metallic superalloys. Five Si3N4 ceramics, each processed by a different method, were screened based on the Weibull distribution of bend strength at 1700 F (927 C). Three of the Si3N4 ceramics, Honeywell AS800, Kyocera SN282, and Saint-Gobain NT154, had bend strengths in excess of 87 ksi (600 MPa) at 1700 F (927 C). These were chosen for further assessment and consideration for future subcomponent and component fabrication and testing.
Indole Glucocorticoid Receptor Antagonists Active in a Model of Dyslipidemia Act via a Unique Association with an Agonist Binding Site.

To further elucidate the structural activity correlation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonism, the crystal structure of the GR ligand-binding domain (GR LBD) complex with a nonsteroidal antagonist, compound 8, was determined. This novel indole sulfonamide shows in vitro activity comparable to known GR antagonists such as mifepristone, and notably, this molecule lowers LDL (−74%) and raises HDL (+73%) in a hamster model of dyslipidemia. This is the first reported crystal structure of the GR LBD bound to a nonsteroidal antagonist, and this article provides additional elements for the design and pharmacology of clinically relevant nonsteroidal GR antagonists that may have greater selectivity and fewer side effects than their steroidal counterparts.
Keystone characteristics that support cultural resilience in Karen refugee parents

This participatory action research study used the conceptual framework of social–ecological resilience to explore how Karen (pronounced Ka·ren) refugee parents re-construct cultural resilience in resettlement. The funds of knowledge approach helped to define essential knowledge used by Karen parents within their own community. Framing this study around the concept of resilience situated it within an emancipatory paradigm: refugee parents were actors choosing their own cultural identity and making decisions about what cultural knowledge was important for the science education of their children. Sustainability science with its capacity to absorb indigenous knowledge as legitimate scientific knowledge offered a critical platform for reconciling Karen knowledge with scientific knowledge for science education. Photovoice, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews were used to create visual and written narrative portraits of Karen parents. Narrative analysis revealed that Karen parents had constructed a counter-narrative in Burma and Thailand that enabled them to resist assimilation into the dominant ethnic culture; by contrast, their narrative of life in resettlement in the U.S. focused on the potential for self-determination. Keystone characteristics that contributed to cultural resilience were identified to be the community garden and education as a gateway to a transformed future. Anchored in a cultural tradition of farming, these Karen parents gained perspective and comfort in continuity and the potential of self-determination rooted in the land. Therefore, a cross-cultural learning community for Karen elementary school students that incorporates the Karen language and Karen self-sustaining knowledge of horticulture would be an appropriate venue for building a climate of reciprocity for science learning.
Carbohydrate metabolism in pregnancy. A study of 658 patients with the use of the oral glucose tolerance test and the prednisolone glucose tolerance test.

Abstract Six hundred and fifty-eight pregnant women selected consecutively were evaluated by means of an oral glucose tolerance test (GTT) and an oral prednisolone glucose tolerance test (PGTT). The patients were divided into three groups: (1) control, (2) family history of diabetes (FHD), and (3) obstetric prediabetes (OPD). The findings were as follows: the incidence of overt diabetes in the total group was 2.7 per cent; the incidence of abnormal GTT with a normal fasting blood sugar was 10.9 per cent; the incidence of a positive PGTT in patients with normal GTT was 19.7 per cent. It is suggested that a 2 hour postprandial blood sugar be included in the routine examination in pregnancy. If an abnormal value is detected, a complete GTT is indicated. Patients with FHD or OPD should have 2 hour postprandial sugar determinations monthly during the last trimester, since normal carbohydrate metabolism early in pregnancy does not preclude the deterioration of glucose tolerance later in pregnancy. The significance of a positive PGTT in pregnancy needs further evaluation.
Plasma Cell Neoplasms, A Therapeutic Approach

Plasma cell neoplasms represent a spectrum of diseases progressing from monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) to asymptomatic multiple myeloma (MM) to symptomatic MM. Significant advances in the management of MM continue to help increase survival and quality of life for patients. Prior to initiating treatment, diagnosis confirmation and risk stratification are crucial, particularly with transplant eligibility as that can direct initial treatment choices. Major drug classes for treating MM have included alkylating agents, anthracyclines, and corticosteroids for years, but immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) and proteasome inhibitors (PIs) have changed the landscape improving responses and outcomes for patients.
Clonal heterogeneity of anti-AKR/gross leukemia virus cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Evidence for two distinct antigen systems.

AKR/Gross leukemia virus-induced tumor reactive cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clones were derived from C57BL/6 spleen cells. Analysis of their specificity pattern was performed by using a panel of target cells such as E male G2 and AKR.H-2bSL1 (susceptible tumors to polyclonal anti-AKR/Gross virus CTL), and cl. 18-5 and cl. 18-12 (insusceptible variant sublines derived from AKR.H-2bSL1). Several of these CTL clones were selected for further study. Lysis of Gross cell surface antigen-positive tumor cells by these clones was restricted by the H-2Kb molecule. The cell surface phenotype of these clones was Thy-1.2+, Lyt-2.2+, L3T4-, a phenotype consistent with that of polyclonal anti-AKR/Gross CTL, suggesting that they were of conventional CTL origin. According to their fine specificity pattern, the CTL clones were divided into two major groups (A and B) which were further subdivided into five and three subgroups, respectively. The specificity of group A clones was essentially the same as that of the standard polyclonal CTL population except for a variable level of natural killer-like activity by some of the CTL clones. That is, group A clones did not efficiently lyse the insusceptible variant tumors nor any of Friend-Moloney-Rauscher-positive tumors tested, but they showed strong lytic activity to susceptible tumors and iododeoxyuridine-treated insusceptible variants. Thus, their CTL activity appeared to be strictly directed to Gross cell surface antigen-positive tumors that are susceptible to polyclonal anti-AKR/Gross virus CTL. In contrast, group B clones could lyse both susceptible and insusceptible variant tumors and also a Friend virus-induced tumor (FBL3). Therefore, as defined by these CTL clones, at least two distinct antigenic systems (A and B), each with several antigenic determinants, appeared to be present. Because recent findings suggested that most of the polyclonal anti-AKR/Gross virus CTL activity appeared to be directed to N-ecotropic proviral determinants, we further investigated the nature of these two antigenic systems by use of additional target cells including lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated spleen cell blasts from AKXL recombinant inbred strains and retrovirus-infected fibroblasts. Group A clones could lyse all LPS blasts derived from AKXL recombinant inbred strains containing the AKV-1 proviral genome, but lysed only very insufficiently or did not lyse AKV-1-negative blasts containing the AKV-3 and/or AKV-4 provirus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A cis/trans Test of the Effect of the First Enzyme for Histidine Biosynthesis on Regulation of the Histidine Operon

Previous studies showed that when triazolalanine was added to a derepressed culture of a histidine auxotroph, repression of the histidine operon occurred as though histidine had been added (6). However, when triazolalanine was added to a derepressed culture of a strain with a mutation in the first gene of the histidine operon which rendered the first enzyme for histidine biosynthesis resistant to inhibition by histidine, repression did not occur. The studies reported here represent a cis/trans test of this effect of mutations to feedback resistance. Using specially constructed merodiploid strains, we were able to show that the wild-type allele is dominant to the mutant (feedback resistant) allele and that the effect operates in trans. We conclude that the enzyme encoded by the first gene of the histidine operon exerts its regulatory effect on the operon not by acting locally at its site of synthesis, but by acting as a freely diffusible protein.
Pathology subspecialty fellowship application reform, 2007-2010.

The specialty of pathology and laboratory medicine has entered a phase in which the 4-year sequence of residency training is almost universally followed by 1 or more years of subspecialty fellowship training. Such training may occur in an American Board of Pathology―recognized subspecialty or any number of "subspecialty fellowships" that do not lead to subspecialty board certification. Unlike the application process for first year pathology residency, which is run through the National Resident Matching Program, applications for subspecialty pathology fellowships have no consistent coordination. Responding to widespread dissatisfaction voiced in 2007 by national pathology resident organizations, the Association of Pathology Chairs began evaluation and potential intervention in the fellowship application process. After 3 years of effort, the Council of the Association of Pathology Chairs has recommended implementation of a pathology subspecialty fellowship matching program starting in the 2011-2012 recruiting year for applicants matriculating in fellowship programs in July 2013. We report on the data that informed this decision and discuss the pros and cons that are so keenly felt by the stakeholders in this as-yet-incomplete reform process.
Organ culture of human parathyroid glands: effects of catecholamines.

Normal and adenomatous human parathyroid glands were studied in organ culture to determine basal secretory rates of cyclic AMP and parathyroid hormone as well as sensitivity to β-adrenergic catecholamines. Basal cyclic AMP secretion was relatively constant over 4 weeks but parathyroid hormone secretion declined. Both normal and adenomatous tissue were stimulated to secrete cyclic AMP and parathyroid hormone in the presence of the β agonist, isoproterenol. Half-maximal stimulation for adenomas occurred at 1 μM. Propranolol, a β-adrenergic inhibitor, completely prevented the response, with half-maximal inhibition occurring at 0.1 μM. Under basal conditions, normal explants secreted significantly more cyclic AMP and parathyroid hormone than adenomas. The results indicate that both normal and adenomatous human parathyroid glands can be maintained in organ culture for up to 4 weeks and that β-adrenergic catecholamines can stimulate the secretion of cyclic AMP and parathyroid hormone.
Regulating health care: From self-regulation to self-regulation?

�� Debates over the role of government in the private economy date back to the emergence of the U.S. market economy in the early nineteenth century. At that time, the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, argued that a governmental presence was needed to guarantee property rights, enforce contracts, and encourage the nascent entrepreneurial ethos (Sellers 1991). In contrast, the Jeffersonians argued against intrusive government and in favor of self-reliance. That dynamic intersection between economics and political theory continues today regarding the proper regulatory oversight of health care delivery. Arrow’s Theory The health care incarnation of this debate emerged when Kenneth Arrow (1963) identified key market failures in health care, namely “the existence of uncertainty in the incidence of disease and in the efficacy of treatment” (941). Underlying these failures were the “nonmarketability of the bearing of suitable risks and the imperfect marketability of information” (947) (i.e., information asymmetries between patient and physician), making it nearly impossible for patients to verify the quality of medical care. Arrow’s analysis presumes that health care markets will not reach a competitive equilibrium without nonmarket intervention but The author appreciates the financial support provided by a grant from the Robert Wood John Foundation’s Investigator Awards in Health Policy Research program. The author also thanks Gail Agrawal for extremely helpful comments on a previous draft.
Opposing responses to ecological gradients structure amphibian and reptile communities across a temperate grassland–savanna–forest landscape

Temperate savannas are threatened across the globe. If we prioritize savanna restoration, we should ask how savanna animal communities differ from communities in related open habitats and forests. We documented distribution of amphibian and reptile species across an open-savanna–forest gradient in the Midwest U.S. to determine how fire history and habitat structure affected herpetofaunal community composition. The transition from open habitats to forests was a transition from higher reptile abundance to higher amphibian abundance and the intermediate savanna landscape supported the most species overall. These differences warn against assuming that amphibian and reptile communities will have similar ecological responses to habitat structure. Richness and abundance also often responded in opposite directions to some habitat characteristics, such as cover of bare ground or litter. Herpetofaunal community species composition changed along a fire gradient from infrequent and recent fires to frequent but less recent fires. Nearby (200-m) wetland cover was relatively unimportant in predicting overall herpetofaunal community composition while fire history and fire-related canopy and ground cover were more important predictors of composition, diversity, and abundance. Increased developed cover was negatively related to richness and abundance. This indicates the importance of fire history and fire related landscape characteristics, and the negative effects of development, in shaping the upland herpetofaunal community along the native grassland–forest continuum.
An Advanced Real Time Digital Simulator Based Test System for Protection Relays

This paper reports on the developments of the real time digital simulator (RTDS) based test systems for protection relays. The background of the developments in protection relays and their associated technologies, such as optical transducers and IEC 61850, are introduced. New developments in RTDS systems are described. It is shown that the current development in transducers and communication technology will have great impact on the developments of protection relays and their associated RTDS based relay test systems. The paper further describes the current, new developments and the future trend in the development of protection relays and their associated RTDS systems.
The Nervus Intermedius: A Review of Its Anatomy, Function, Pathology, and Role in Neurosurgery

Background Geniculate neuralgia, although uncommon, can be a debilitating pathology. Unfortunately, a thorough review of this pain syndrome and the clinical anatomy, function, and pathology of its most commonly associated nerve, the nervus intermedius, is lacking in the literature. Therefore, the present study aimed to further elucidate the diagnosis of this pain syndrome and its surgical treatment based on a review of the literature. Methods Using standard search engines, the literature was evaluated for germane reports regarding the nervus intermedius and associated pathology. A summary of this body of literature is presented. Results Since 1968, only approximately 50 peer-reviewed reports have been published regarding the nervus intermedius. Most of these are single-case reports and in reference to geniculate neuralgia. No report was a review of the literature. Conclusions Neuralgia involving the nervus intermedius is uncommon, but when present, can be life altering. Microvascular decompression may be effective as a treatment. Along its cisternal course, the nerve may be difficult to distinguish from the facial nerve. Based on case reports and small series, long-term pain control can be seen after nerve sectioning or microvascular decompression, but no prospective studies exist. Such studies are now necessary to shed light on the efficacy of surgical treatment of nervus intermedius neuralgia.
The use of a heptadeoxyribonucleotide as a specific primer for prolactin mRNA: A prediction of ambiguous RNA splicing

Abstract A 5′-labelled oligonucleotide, d(T-C-A-T-C-A-T), complementary to the mRNA sequence coding for the amino acid sequence (Met·Met) present in preprolactin was used to initiate the synthesis of a 135 nucleotide cDNA from poly(A)+RNA isolated from the rat anterior pituitary. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cDNA revealed that it corresponded to a reverse transcript of rat prolactin mRNA. These results established that an oligonucleotide as short as a heptamer with a single nucleotide mismatch at its 5′ end can be used to obtain a specific cDNA which can be sequenced directly. The oligonucleotide initiated cDNA sequence and the sequence of a cloned cDNA to rat prolactin mRNA [Cooke, N., et al. , J. Biol. Chem. 255 , 6502 (1980)] differ in that the former sequence has an additional codon (GCA) for alanine at a position corresponding to the tenth amino acid of the signal sequence of rat preprolactin. This result could be explained by two populations of rat prolactin mRNA arising from ambiguous splicing at an exon-intron junction in the precursor RNA.
FIELD VERIFICATION OF AN INTEGRATED HYDRAULIC AND MULTI-SPECIES WATER QUALITY MODEL

Water distribution system network models are used to simulate both hydraulic and water quality characteristics in water distribution systems. This study provides the first comprehensive evaluation of a multi-species chloramine model through the use of field-scale measurements and distribution system network modeling. Hydraulic and multi-species water quality simulations were performed using EPANET-MSX. This investigation was used to determine knowledge gaps between actual distribution system performance and advanced water quality models. The multi-species model was found to represent some species satisfactorily, while other species were poorly characterized throughout the distribution system. These inconsistencies may be attributed to reactions at the pipe wall, biological nitrification, or misrepresentation of network hydraulics, which were not considered in the model.
Insulin enhances post-translational processing of nascent SREBP-1c by promoting its phosphorylation and association with COPII vesicles

The regulation of lipid homeostasis by insulin is mediated in part by the enhanced transcription of the gene encoding SREBP-1c (sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c). Nascent SREBP-1c is synthesized and embedded in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and must be transported to the Golgi in coatomer protein II (COPII) vesicles where two sequential cleavages generate the transcriptionally active NH2-terminal fragment, nSREBP-1c. There is limited indirect evidence to suggest that insulin may also regulate the posttranslational processing of the nascent SREBP-1c protein. Therefore, we designed experiments to directly assess the action of insulin on the post-translational processing of epitope-tagged full-length SREBP-1c and SREBP-2 proteins expressed in cultured hepatocytes. We demonstrate that insulin treatment led to enhanced post-translational processing of SREBP-1c, which was associated with phosphorylation of ER-bound nascent SREBP-1c protein that increased affinity of the SREBP-1c cleavage-activating protein (SCAP)-SREBP-1c complex for the Sec23/24 proteins of the COPII vesicles. Furthermore, chemical and molecular inhibitors of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway and its downstream kinase protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt prevented both insulin-mediated phosphorylation of nascent SREBP-1c protein and its posttranslational processing. Insulin had no effect on the proteolysis of nascent SREBP-2 under identical conditions. We also show that in vitro incubation of an active PKB/Akt enzyme with recombinant full-length SREBP-1c led to its phosphorylation. Thus, insulin selectively stimulates the processing of SREBP-1c in rat hepatocytes by enhancing the association between the SCAP-SREBP-1c complex and COPII proteins and subsequent ER to Golgi transport and proteolytic cleavage. This effect of insulin is tightly linked to phosphoinositide 3-kinase and PKB/Akt-dependent serine phosphorylation of the precursor SREBP-1c protein.
Effects of Random-Questioning Expectations on Community College Students' Preparedness for Lecture and Discussion.

This study used a posttest‐only control group experimental design to investigate effects of the expectation of random questioning on preparedness for lecture and discussion. Subjects were students ...
Cutting force model of orbital single-point micromachining tool

This paper presents an analytical, ductile cutting force model of a novel micromachining tool that is based on micro-orbital motion of a single-point tool tip. The single-point tool tip used in this study is a single crystal diamond stylus that consists of a cone section of 50° and a spherical tip with radius less than 1 μm. The tool is actuated by a piezo tube that generates a high frequency micro-orbital motion of a single-point tool tip in a circular trajectory. Unlike conventional micromilling, where the cutting occurs at the edges of the tool flutes, a single-point tool may utilize any point on the circumference surface of the tool tip. Also, due to its extreme negative rake angle at small depths of cut, the technique can machine brittle materials such as silicon in the ductile regime. Experiments were performed on an aluminum alloy (AL2024) to obtain the specific cutting force and the coefficient of friction in order to calculate the cutting forces in all 3 axes and to verify the model.
Variational principle for shape design sensitivity analysis

In this paper, the adjoint method of design sensitivity analysis is stated as a general variational principle that is applicable to a wide range of problems. The principle gives a very simple and straightforward method of obtaining the design sensitivity expression for a functional dependent on the state fields. The sensitivity expression involves certain adjoint fields and explicit design variations of the functional and the governing equations for the primary state fields. The principle is stated in terms of an augmented functional that is defined by adding to the response functional whose sensitivity is desired, the equilibrium equation of the primary problem. Then explicit design variation of the augmented functional gives the total design variation of the response functional. Stationarity of the augmented functional with respect to the state fields defines the adjoint problem for the response functional. The principle is proved and applied to several classes of linear and nonlinear problems, such as field problems, structural problems, and dynamic response problems. It is shown that the design sensitivity expressions derived in the literature using long procedures are obtained quite routinely by use of the principle.
Analysis of cosmetic results and complications in patients with stage i and ii breast cancer treated by biopsy and irradiation

Abstract Between May, 1973 and December, 1980, 78 Stage I and 11 breast carcinomas in 76 patients were treated by biopsy and radiotherapy with curative intent. With a maximum follow-up of 10 years, a minimum of 212 years and a median follow-up of 3'/z years, a loco-regional control rate of 97% was obtained. Cosmetic results and treatment complications were studied. Patient characteristics, tumor size, excisional biopsy technique, axillary staging procedure and radiotherapy techniques were analyzed and all found to be important factors affecting cosmesis and complications. The most common complications included transient breast edema observed in 51 % of patients, breast fibrosis (usually mild) seen in 23 % of the population, axillary hematoma or seroma formation in 15 %, mild arm edema in 14% and basilic vein thrombosis in 10% of patients. The causes of these and other less frequent complications are discussed. The overall cosmetic result was excellent in 78%, satisfactory in 18% and unsatisfactory in 4 % of patients. Recommendations for improving cosmetic results and minimizing complications are made. In our prospective trial, the high loco-regional control and good cosmesis supports the use of excisional biopsy and radiation therapy in patients with Stages I and 11 breast carcinoma.
Prostaglandin synthesis in isolated glomeruli

Abstract Prostaglandins are thought to play an important role in the local regulation of glomerular blood flow and in the release of renin from the juxtaglomerular apparatus. We therefore examined prostaglandin synthesis by isolated rat glomeruli. Isolated glomeruli were either prelabeled with [14C] arachidonic acid or were incubated with [14C] arachidonic acid for the entire experimental incubation in Krebs buffer. Prostaglandin synthesis was determined by thin layer radiochromatography of acid extracts of the supernatant solutions. Indomethacin inhibitable synthesis of small amounts of 6-keto-PGF1α, the metabolite of prostacyclin(PGI2,) and larger amounts of PGF2α, and PGE2, and possibly thromboxane B2 (TXB2) by isolated glomeruli could be demonstrated with either prelabeling or direct incubation. These findings support the hypothesis that prostaglandins are produced within the glomerulus where they may affect local glomerular blood flow and function.
Microstructure-based multistage fatigue modeling of aluminum alloy 7075-T651

Abstract The multistage fatigue model for high cycle fatigue of a cast aluminum alloy developed by McDowell et al. is modified to consider the structure–property relations for cyclic damage and fatigue life of a high strength aluminum alloy 7075-T651 for aircraft structural applications. The multistage model was developed as a physically-based framework to evaluate sensitivity of fatigue response to various microstructural features to support materials process design and component-specific tailoring of fatigue resistant materials. In this work, the model is first generalized to evaluate both the high cycle fatigue (HCF) and low cycle fatigue (LCF) regimes for multiaxial loading conditions, with appropriate modifications introduced for wrought materials. The particular microstructural features of relevance to fatigue in aluminum alloy 7075-T651 include micron-scale Fe-rich intermetallic particles and rolling textures. The model specifically addresses the role of local constrained cyclic microplasticity at fractured inclusions in fatigue crack incubation and microstructurally small crack growth, including the effect of crystallographic orientation on crack tip displacement as the driving force. The model is able to predict lower and upper bounds of the fatigue life based on measured inclusion sizes.
Ground-state electronic and magnetic properties of a μ3-oxo-bridged trinuclear Cu(II) complex : Correlation to the native intermediate of the multicopper oxidases

The ground-state electronic and magnetic properties of one of the possible structures of the trinuclear Cu(II) site in the native intermediate (NI) of the multicopper oxidases, the mu(3)-oxo-bridged structure, are evaluated using the C(3)-symmetric Cu(3)(II) complex, mu(3)O. mu(3)O is unique in that no ligand, other than the oxo, contributes to the exchange coupling. However, mu(3)O has a ferromagnetic ground state, inconsistent with that of NI. Therefore, two perturbations have been considered: protonation of the mu(3)-oxo ligand and relaxation of the mu(3)-oxo ligand into the Cu(3) plane. Notably, when the oxo ligand is sufficiently close to the Cu(3) plane (<0.3 Angstroms), the ground state of mu(3)O becomes antiferromagnetic and can be correlated to that of NI. In addition, the ferromagnetic (4)A ground state of mu(3)O is found from variable-temperature EPR to undergo a zero-field splitting (ZFS) of 2D = -5.0 cm(-1), which derives from the second-order anisotropic exchange. This allows evaluation of the sigma-to-pi excited-state exchange pathways and provides experimental evidence that the orbitally degenerate (2)E ground state of the antiferromagnetic mu(3)O would also undergo a ZFS by the first-order antisymmetric exchange that has the same physical origin as the anisotropic exchange. The important contribution of the mu(3)-oxo bridge to the ground-to-ground and ground-to-excited-state superexchange pathways that are responsible for the isotropic, antisymmetric, and anisotropic exchanges are discussed.
Inhibition of pituitary bioactive prolactin secretion in the male rat by the glucocorticoid agonist decadron phosphate.

In the present studies, the soluble glucocorticoid agonist, decadron phosphate (DEC), was administered i.v. to intact adult male rats in order to evaluate the effects of glucocorticoid receptor stimulation on circulating levels of immunoreactive (ir-) and bioactive (bio-) prolactin (PRL). In light of reports that glucocorticoid-specific receptors exist within the rat brain, additional experiments investigated the effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of graded doses of the same drug on pituitary ir- and bioPRL secretion. Concentrations of ir- and bioPRL in samples obtained before and after drug treatments were determined by standard PRL radioimmunoassay and the Nb2 rat node lymphoma bioassay, respectively. Rats injected i.v. with 0.5 mg DEC/kg body weight, but not those treated with a tenfold lesser dose, exhibited decreased plasma irPRL concentrations. However, both doses promoted a decline in circulating levels of bioPRL compared to vehicle-treated controls, along with an overall reduction in the plasma bio/irPRL ratio. The magnitude and duration of this drug-induced decline in biopotency of secreted hormone was dose-dependent. While the plasma bio/irPRL ratio was diminished only transiently in rats injected with 0.05 mg DEC/kg, treatment with the higher dose led to a sustained decrease in the plasma bio/irPRL ratio for the duration of the experiment. The current studies also show that intracerebral administration of DEC resulted in dose-dependent alterations in pituitary PRL release. Circulating levels of ir- and bioPRL were not altered in rats injected i.c.v. with 10 ng of DEC, the lowest dose tested.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Rational Choice and Moral Decision Making in Research

University psychology and sociology researchers rated the likelihood they would engage in misconduct as described in 9 research scenarios, while also making moral judgments and rating the likelihood of discovery and sanctions. Multiple regression revealed significant effects across various scenarios for moral judgment as well as shame and embarrassment on reducing misconduct. The effects on misconduct of the perceived probability of sanctions were conditioned on moral judgments in some scenarios. The results have implications for how universities address the prevention, detection, and sanctioning of research misconduct.
Cyclophilin a Stabilizes the Mature HIV-1 Capsid through a Novel Non-Canonical Binding Site

Host cell factor cyclophilin A (CypA) plays an important role in modulating HIV-1 capsid function. Several other host cell proteins, including TRIMCyp and NUP358, contain a CypA domain that interacts directly with viral capsid. The binding of the host protein CypA to the viral capsid is important for infection, yet the structural effects of this binding have not been identified. We determined the cryoEM structure of CypA in complex with an HIV-1 capsid assembly at 8 A resolution. The density map displays a non-random, selective binding of CypA along the most curved helical direction, forming a bridge directly above the CA CTD-CTD dimer interface cross the adjacent CA hexamers. CryoEM structure-based modeling and large scale all-atoms molecular dynamics simulations reveal unexpectedly that one CypA molecule simultaneously interacts with two CA molecules through a non-canonical novel interface. The individual residuals critical for the interactions were further identified by solution and solid state NMR and confirmed by mutagenesis studies. Our combined cryoEM, computational and NMR studies provide mechanistic insights into the functional role of CypA in modulating capsid uncoating and viral infectivity, and our structure further highlights the novel CypA and CA interface as an attractive therapeutic target for pharmacological intervention.
GASTROESOPHAGEAL MANOMETRY IN CHILDREN WITH GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX

Gastroesophageal reflux (GE reflux) is frequently a serious disorder in children. Esophageal motility and pH (EMpH) studies were performed on 52 children who were not improving after at least 2 weeks of intensive medical treatment of GE reflux. Postoperative studies were also obtained on the 32 patients who eventually had surgery for reflux. An esophageal hiatal hernia was demonstrated in 41 of the patients. In 9, GE reflux was not demonstrated during the initial radiographic examination. Significant congenital abnormalities were identified in 11 children operated upon for GE reflux. Although there is a decreased pressure in the esophageal high pressure zone (HPZ) in the adult with GE reflux, HPZ pressures were normal for age in our patients. HPZ pressures did not increase after surgery. The mean change in patients with good results was +1.2 mm Hg, and +0.3 mm Hg in patients with fair results (reflux only during EMpH studies) or poor results (return of symptoms). Successful surgical repair of GE reflux in adults has been associated with an increased HPZ pressure. EMpH studies are more sensitive than roentgenography in detecting reflux in children. GE reflux in the child differs from the adult in that there is a high incidence of congenital abnormalities, HPZ pressures are not depressed, and a rise in HPZ pressure is not correlated with a successful surgical repair.
The impact of speculative execution on SMT processors

By executing two or more threads concurrently, Simultaneous MultiThreading (SMT) architectures are able to exploit both Instruction-Level Parallelism (ILP) and Thread-Level Parallelism (TLP) from the increased number of in-flight instructions that are fetched from multiple threads. However, due to incorrect control speculations, a significant number of these in-flight instructions are discarded from the pipelines of SMT processors (which is a direct consequence of these pipelines getting wider and deeper). Although increasing the accuracy of branch predictors may reduce the number of instructions so discarded from the pipelines, the prediction accuracy cannot be easily scaled up since aggressive branch prediction schemes strongly depend on the particular predictability inherently to the application programs. In this paper, we present an efficient thread scheduling mechanism for SMT processors, called SAFE-T (Speculation-Aware Front-End Throttling): it is easy to implement and allows an SMT processor to selectively perform speculative execution of threads according to the confidence level on branch predictions, hence preventing wrong-path instructions from being fetched. SAFE-T provides an average reduction of 57.9% in the number of discarded instructions and improves the instructions per cycle (IPC) performance by 14.7% on average over the ICOUNT policy across the multi-programmed workloads we simulate.
Transcortical polarization: facilitation of delayed response performance by monkeys.

Abstract Acquisition of delayed response tasks by monkeys with indwelling nonpolarizable electrodes is facilitated by 20–40 μamps anodal polarization of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Over-all performance scores are higher for blocks of trials with surface positive polarization than for control trials without stimulation or with cathodal polarization. Statistically significant individual effects were observed for two of four monkeys, the most dramatic occurring with continuous anodal polarization applied for blocks of several testing sessions. The data suggest that transcortical polarization excites neural elements implicated in delayed response learning.
Changes in fat and lean body mass during androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.

Abstract Objectives To assess the effects of androgen deprivation therapy on body composition in men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer. Methods In a multicenter study, men with Stage M0 prostate cancer were prospectively evaluated during initial androgen deprivation therapy (gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or bilateral orchiectomy). The main outcomes were changes in weight, percentage fat mass, and percentage lean mass from baseline to 12 months. Results Seventy-nine subjects were assessed. Serum testosterone concentrations decreased by 79.7% ± 3.0% ( P P P Conclusions Androgen deprivation therapy increased weight and fat mass and decreased lean mass in men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer.