cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
For a Foundation

Rasmussen makes an opening case for an ultimate and necessarily existent foundation of things. He puts forward three arguments: (i) from explanation, (ii) from contingency, and (iii) from possible causes. The first argument is a reason to think that the best explanation of existence—of why anything exists—will be in terms of a necessarily existing reality. The second argument is a plurals-version of the argument from contingency. Third, Rasmussen gives a version of his argument from possible causes. This argument uses modal logic to deduce necessary existence from the possibility of a cause of events. He proposes these arguments as initial data relevant to the larger inquiry. Rasmussen closes with an assessment of a Humean objection to necessary existence.
GABA levels in ventral visual cortex decline with age and are associated with neural distinctiveness

Abstract Age-related neural dedifferentiation – reduced distinctiveness of neural representations in the aging brain– has been associated with age-related declines in cognitive abilities. But why does neural distinctiveness decline with age? Based on prior work in non-human primates, we hypothesized that the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) declines with age and is associated with neural dedifferentiation. To test this hypothesis, we used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to measure GABA and functional MRI (fMRI) to measure neural distinctiveness in the ventral visual cortex in a set of older and younger participants. Relative to younger adults, older adults exhibited lower GABA levels and less distinct activation patterns for faces and houses in the ventral visual cortex. Furthermore, individual differences in GABA within older adults predicted individual differences in neural distinctiveness even after controlling for gray matter volume and age. These results provide novel support for the view that age-related reductions of GABA contribute to age-related reductions in neural distinctiveness (i.e., neural dedifferentiation) in the human ventral visual cortex. Significance Statement Neural representations in the ventral visual cortex are less distinguishable in older compared to younger humans, and this neural dedifferentiation is associated with age-related cognitive deficits. Animal models suggest that reductions in the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) may play a role. To investigate this hypothesis, we combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in a study of the human ventral visual cortex. We observed reduced distinctiveness of neural patterns and reduced GABA levels in older compared to younger adults. Furthermore, older adults with higher GABA levels tended to have more distinctive neural representations. These findings suggest that reduced GABA levels contribute to age-related declines in neural distinctiveness in the human ventral visual cortex.
Skeletal muscle microvasculature response to β-adrenergic stimuli is diminished with cardiac surgery.

Abstract Background Cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass are associated with alterations in blood pressure in the perioperative period, which, if uncontrolled, can result in end organ damage or dysfunction. Microvessels, significant contributors to blood pressure, both in the myocardium and peripheral skeletal muscle, have diminished responsiveness to major mediators of vascular tone, including thromboxane and serotonin after cardiopulmonary bypass. Responsiveness of these vessels to β-adrenergic stimulation, a major mediator of vascular tone, has not yet been studied. In this report, we investigated the role of β-adrenergic receptors in vascular tone regulation in human skeletal muscle microvessels before and after β-adrenergic stimulation. Methods Skeletal muscle microvessels were isolated from patients undergoing cardiac surgery before and after cardiopulmonary bypass. Vessels were exposed in an ex vivo model to the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol, or the direct adenylyl cyclase activator, forskolin, and the selective β-receptor antagonist ICI18.551 hydrochloride plus isoproterenol. Immunofluorescence of β receptors and Western blotting were also performed. Results Microvessels showed diminished responsiveness to isoproterenol (10–6 to 10–4M) after cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 8/group, P = .01). Pretreatment with the selective β-2 blocker ICI18.551 (10–6M) prevented isoproterenol-induced microvascular relaxation (P = .001). Forskolin-induced relaxation response was also significantly diminished after cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 4/group, P Conclusion Microvessels isolated from human skeletal muscle show diminished responsiveness to isoproterenol and its downstream activator forskolin after cardiopulmonary bypass, suggesting there is an alteration in β-adrenergic receptor responsive in adenylate cyclase. The relaxation response to isoproterenol was via activation β-2 receptors without changes in β-adrenergic receptor abundance.
The C3b Component of Complement Inhibits NK Cell Activation Induced by Rituximab-Coated Target Cells.

Rituximab (RTX) is an accepted therapy for B cell malignancies, but there is still much to learn about the mechanisms responsible for the observed responses and the potential interactions between various mechanisms of action. Some studies suggest that complement fixation followed by lysis through the membrane attack complex contributes to the anti-tumor effects of RTX. Other investigations indicate that antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) mediated by NK cells is central to the response of therapy. In prior studies, we found that RTX-coated target cells activate NK cells as indicated by NK cell modulation of CD16, upregulation of CD54 and CD69, and production of IFNγ. NK activation induced by RTX-coated target cells was dependent on the affinity of multivalent interactions between Fc γ receptors III (CD16) of the NK cell and Fc regions of cell-bound RTX molecules. We used these in vitro assays to assess the relationship between complement fixation, and the ability of RTX-coated target cells to activate NK cells. Normal human serum inhibited the modulation of NK cell CD16, and also blocked upregulation of CD54, induced by RTX-coated target cells. The ability of serum to inhibit NK activation was dose dependent and was abrogated upon heat inactivation. Serum depleted of C1q or C3 also failed to inhibit NK cell activation. The inhibitory activity of serum depleted of these complement components was restored when purified C1q or C3 were added back respectively. In addition, the level of NK cell inhibition was dependent on the amount of C3b deposited on the target cells. An antibody that stabilizes C3b on the target cell surface (3E7, DiLillo et al., Molec Immunol 2006) further enhanced the inhibition of NK cell activation induced by RTX-coated target cells. One possible explanation for these findings is that complement-mediated lysis destroyed the RTX-coated target cells before they had the opportunity to induce activation of the NK cells. To assess this possibility, lymphoma cells were killed, fixed with formaldehyde, and washed prior to their use as target cells. These RTX-coated and fixed target cells were able to induce modulation of CD16 on the NK cells, which was again inhibited by normal human serum. These findings indicate that the observed inhibition of NK activation by complement is unlikely to be a consequence of complement mediated lysis of the target cells. Instead, these data suggest that C3b deposition on RTX-coated target cells inhibits the interaction between the Fc portions of RTX and CD16 on the NK cells, and so limits the ability of RTX-coated target cells to induce NK activation. These results could have implications in our understanding of the relationship between complement fixation and ADCC, and their relative roles in potentiating destruction of malignant cells in the blood and tissues.
Respiratory support in acute heart failure with preserved vs reduced ejection fraction

Background There is little evidence addressing the use and differential impact of respiratory support in acute heart failure (AHF) patients with preserved (HFPEF) vs reduced (HFREF) ejection fraction. Therefore, our objective was to determine the usage and clinical outcomes of critical care respiratory support in AHF across the two populations. Hypothesis Respiratory support would be associated with adverse outcome in both HFPEF and HFREF. Methods We identified HFPEF, HFREF, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and noninvasive ventilation (NIV) using International Classification of Disease-Ninth Edition codes in the National Inpatient Sample between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2014. We determined rates of IMV and NIV use. We identified predictors of need for IMV and NIV and the association between ventilation strategies and in-hospital mortality in HFPEF vs HFREF. Results 1.3 million AHF-HFPEF and 1.7 million AHF-HFREF hospitalizations were included; 5.98% of AHF HFPEF hospitalizations included NIV and 0.57% included IMV. Among HFREF hospitalizations, fewer (4.1%) included NIV and more (0.93%) included IMV. In HFPEF hospitalization, NIV use was associated with 2.24-fold increased risk for death compared to no respiratory support in an adjusted model (HR 2.24 95% CI 2.05-2.44) and IMV use was associated with 2.85-fold increased risk for death (HR 2.85 95% CI 2.30-3.53). This increased risk of in-hospital mortality was similar among HFREF patients. Conclusions Use of respiratory support is increasing among patients with both HFPEF and HFREF and associated with substantially increased mortality in both heart failure subtypes.
An Update on Level of Evidence Trends in Facial Plastic Surgery Research.

Background: Knowledge of the quality of evidence in facial plastic surgery research is essential for the implementation of evidence-based practices. The purpose of this study is to provide an updat...
Putting Museums in the Data Curation Picture

For the past several decades, museums worldwide have recognized the need to digitize their collection records and images. The global reach of the web has increased the urgency of this work in order to make museum collections and information accessible to online users. Museums in Europe and North America are now routinely digitizing all collection objects as they are acquired and loaned, not only for access purposes but also as documentation in the event of loss, damage, or theft of the physical originals. Increasingly, museums are also acquiring born-digital content such as digital media art, historical data in digital formats, and scientific research data. The creation and acquisition of digital assets is expanding at a rapid pace, and museums now have a critical need for professionals in the field who know how to manage and preserve digital assets and who will participate in the development of standards and policies for the creation, management, preservation, exchange, and use of digital data.
Loss of antiphospholipid antibody positivity post-thrombosis in SLE.

Background/Purpose Loss of positivity of antiphospholipid antibodies has been observed in clinical practice post-thrombosis in patients with SLE with secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Our study defined the frequency of this loss and the duration before positivity recurred. Methods In this prospective study, patients with SLE having at least two positive antiphospholipid markers prior to thrombosis and at least 1 year of follow-up after thrombosis were included. Antiphospholipid markers included lupus anticoagulant (dilute Russell viper venom test >45 s followed by mixing and confirmatory tests) and/or anticardiolipin titre (aCL IgG ≥20, aCL IgM ≥20 and/or aCL IgA ≥20). The percentage of visits with positive antiphospholipid markers after thrombosis was calculated. For patients with a negative antiphospholipid marker any time after thrombosis, survival estimates were performed to calculate the time to return of antiphospholipid positivity. Results In APS due to SLE, complete loss of antiphospholipid positivity post-thrombosis was up to 41% for aCL IgG, 51% for IgM and 50% for IgA, but only 20% for those with lupus anticoagulant. Of those who at some point lost aCL IgG or became negative for lupus anticoagulant, the majority (60% and 76%, respectively) reacquired the antibody within 5 years. In contrast, of those who lost aCL IgM or IgA, fewer reacquired it within 5 years (37% and 17%, respectively). Conclusion Intermittent positivity of antiphospholipid antibodies is present in APS due to SLE. These fluctuations make it difficult to decide on length of anticoagulation. Lupus anticoagulant is more likely to persist post-thrombosis.
Mediterranean diet adherence and metabolic syndrome in US adolescents.

The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been found to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in adults. Little is known about its acceptance and relationship to cardiovascular risk markers i...
Empirical characterization of vertical-tube inlets in hot-water storage tanks

Abstract Hot-water storage in residential and commercial tanks is of growing interest for peak-shifting the electrical demand associated with hot-water loads. How the water enters the tank can significantly affect the extraction efficiency of the storage. Vertical-tube inlets (VTIs) direct cold water into the tank. The VTI design influences whether large-scale mixing occurs, which can reduce the delivery capacity of the hot-water storage. In this work, the mixing at the VTI discharge was characterized by the eddy diffusivity factor (EDF) in an allometric curve fit to the ratio Re:Ri using inlet superficial velocities. The full experimental campaign tested VTI's with Re’s between 170 and 22,300 and Ri's between 0 and 376. Animated visualization of the experimentally measured data is provided, showing tank temperature evolution during inlet flows. The most predictive correlations for EDF are for VTI Re in the transition zone (i.e. ~2300 5). For vertical-tubes that distribute cold water below the thermocline, increasing the EDF will decrease the stratification in a hot-water tank as EDF quantifies inlet mixing. The new correlations for VTIs can be used to design and model thermally-stratified storage tanks.
Does It Pay to Know the Prices in Health Care

Consumers rarely know the price of medical care before they consume it. I use variation in the timing of access to a new source of price information to show how access to and search for price information leads consumers to pay significantly less for care. I provide suggestive evidence that insurance coverage inhibits the use of price information, rationalizing the relatively low rates of search. The results indicate that availability of price information could have large impacts on prices even in the absence of general equilibrium effects.
Electronic Worklist Improves Timeliness of Screening Mammogram Interpretation in an Urban Underserved Population.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the impact of an electronic workflow update on screening mammography turnaround time and time to diagnostic imaging for mammography performed on our urban mobile mammography van and at an urban community health center. Method Prior to 10/15/2019, screening exams for the mammography van and urban community health center were made available for interpretation to a single designated radiologist via a manually generated paper list. On 10/15/2019, screening exams were routed electronically onto PACS for any breast radiologist across our Network to interpret. Screening mammogram turnaround time (defined as time form image acquisition to report finalization), time to diagnostic imaging, and time to tissue sampling were collected for pre- and post-implementation periods (6/1-9/30/2019 and 11/1/2019-2/29/2020, respectively) and compared via student t-test and statistical process control analyses. Results The number of screening exams in the pre- and post-implementation periods were 851 and 728 exams, respectively. Patients were predominately Black and/or African American (400/1579, 25%), non-English speaking (858/1579, 54%) and insured by Medicaid (751/1579, 48%). After implementation of the electronic workflow, turnaround time decreased from 101.0 to 36.4 hours (63.9%, P Conclusion Electronic workflow management can reduce screening mammography turnaround time for underserved populations, but additional efforts are warranted to improve time to imaging follow-up for abnormal screening mammograms.
McCann and Habiger (2020), “The Detection of Nonnegligible Directional Effects With Associated Measures of Statistical Significance,” : The American Statistician, 74:3, 213–217: Comment by Berger

Dear Editor, McCann and Habiger (2020: henceforth MH) propose a new decision rule for determining, if a univariate parameter, θ, satisfies a directional claim. This is a potentially useful framewor...
Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma With Systemic Recurrence.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is an extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma confined to the brain, leptomeninges, spinal cord, or eyes without systemic involvement. Nearly half of patients with PCNSL who achieve complete remission, relapse within five years. The majority of patients who relapse have a local recurrence. Systemic relapse, however, is much rarer. Here, we report a rare case of a 70-year-old male diagnosed with PCNSL who relapsed systemically nearly 1.5 years after achieving complete remission. His treatment consisted of chemoimmunotherapy and targeted therapy followed by an autologous transplant. Currently, there is no standard of care for systemic relapse of PCNSL. This multiagent treatment modality may be one such option for salvage therapy.
Hedge fund family ties

Abstract Using a novel dataset, I show that hedge fund managers connected through shared employment histories hold and trade more of the same stocks than unconnected managers. A long-short portfolio of connected-unconnected overlapped trades generates 3.6% of annual alpha. Results are greater between fund-pairs with stronger social connections and longer relationships implying a socially reinforcing channel is responsible. Shock based tests confirm social channels lead to the main findings, supporting models of manager coordination. The findings identify common sources of risk and return for employment-linked hedge funds, except during severe drawdowns when common holdings are protected from fire sales.
Influence of collector doping setback in the quantum transport characteristics of GaN/AlN resonant tunneling diodes

Harnessing resonant tunneling transport in III-nitride semiconductors to boost the operating frequencies of electronic and photonic devices, requires a thorough understanding of the mechanisms that limit coherent tunneling injection. Towards this goal, we present a concerted experimental and theoretical study that elucidates the impact of the collector doping setback on the quantum transport characteristics of GaN/AlN resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs). Employing our analytical model for polar RTDs, we quantify the width of the resonant-tunneling line shape, demonstrating that the setback helps preserve coherent injection. This design results in consistently higher peak-to-valley-current ratios (PVCRs), obtaining a maximum PVCR=2.01 at cryogenic temperatures.
Confirmation bias and methodology in social science: an editorial

While science is presumably objective, scholars are humans, with subjective biases. Those biases can lead to distortions in how they develop and use scientific theory and how they apply their resea...
Fast cortical dynamics: Receptive field plasticity, synaptic mechanisms and perceptual consequences

Publisher Summary This chapter describes various aspects of fast cortical dynamics. The functional dynamics of cortex can be documented at many levels including alteration of cortical connections, receptive field structure, cortical functional architecture, and perception. The largest scale changes in the topography of adult visual cortex are observed following the placement of binocular retinal lesions. Within the cortex, the connections responsible for providing visual input to the original cortical scotoma are likely to be the long range horizontal connections formed by cortical pyramidal cells. The fact that cells are capable of expanding their receptive fields suggests that they have access to input from a larger part of the visual field than one would expect from measuring their original receptive fields. There are several classes of connections that have the potential of propagating visual information between disparate visuotopic locations on the cortical map. The finding that receptive field expansion after conditioning is accompanied by an increase in effective intracortical connection strengths is inferred from an increase in the peak areas of flank-normalized cross-correlograms of neuron pairs in superficial layers of cat primary visual cortex. The effective connection strength obtained using this measure does not increase with conditioning if the neuron pair under study fails to expand.
Probabilistic Duration Automata for Analyzing Real-Time Systems

We present a novel methodology and tools for analyzing real-time systems that use probability density functions (pdfs) to represent the durations of operations within the system. We introduce the concept of a probabilistic duration automaton in which clocks are defined by pdfs rather than by explicit times. A state of a probabilistic duration automaton is a set of active clocks, and a transition is triggered by the expiration of one or more of these clocks. We present an algorithm for determining the probability that a clock in a state expires, the residual pdfs for the unexpired clocks, the probability of each transition, the probability of each state, and the duration of each state represented as a pdf. The algorithm also calculates the pdfs for durations of intervals between pairs of states within the automaton. These pdfs are used to determine whether a real-time system can meet its probabilistic timing constraints. An example application illustrates the use of this methodology in analyzing the real-time behavior of a four-phase handshaking protocol used in input/output systems.
TESTICULAR STEROLS. 1. INCORPORATION OF MEVALONATE AND ACETATE INTO STEROLS BY TESTICULAR TISSUE FROM RATS.

Abstract Conditions have been established for the incorporation of labeled acetate and mevalonate into sterols of rat testicular tissue. Maximal rates of incorporation into the nonsaponifiable lipids were obtained with phosphate buffer (0.05 M , pH 7.4), sodium chloride (0.05 M ), glucose (0.033 M ), potassium (0.024 M ), magnesium (0.006 M ), suspended testicular tissue (approximately 50–75 mg. of protein), and acetate (0.0028 M ) or d, l -mevalonate (0.00050 M ). Unlabeled mevalonate (2.7 × 10 −8 −2.7 × 10 −5 M ) depressed the incorporation of labeled acetate (3.2 × 10 −5 M ). Labeled lanosterol, squalene, cholesterol, and acyclic alcohols (farnesol and nerolidol) were purified with unlabeled carriers. In addition, small amounts of activity were associated with minor fractions of sterols (possibly 24,25-dihydrolanosterol and Δ 7 -cholestenol). After incubation with acetate-1-C 14 in vitro , relative amounts of activity in the various fractions of the nonsaponifiable lipids were: squalene, 34%; lanosterol and companion C 30− , C 29− , and C 28− sterols, 19%; cholesterol and companion C 27− sterols, 16%; and unfractionated steroids, 26%. After incubation with mevalonate-2-C 14 , the relative activities were 32, 21, 12, and 8%, respectively, of the total label that was isolated in the nonsaponifiable fraction. Labeled acetate was incorporated into all fractions of testicular sterols in vivo . Labeled acetate and mevalonate were not incorporated into sterols by cell-free homogenates of testicular tissue in fortified media; similar homogenates metabolized labeled lanosterol.
The Abundances of Isotopes in the Cosmic Radiation

Studies of the isotopic composition of nuclei in the cosmic radiation are reviewed, including abundances of the isotopes of elements from H to Ni (nuclear charge 1<Z<28), and their implications for cosmic ray origin, acceleration, and transport in the Galaxy. The review focuses on determinations of the composition of cosmic ray source material, and the extent to which the isotopic composition of this material is different from, or similar to, typical solar system material and other samples of Galactic matter. Theoretical models that have been advanced to explain the observed overabundance of neutron‐rich isotopes in cosmic rays are described. Also discussed are studies of various radioactive ‘‘clocks’’ that record the time‐scales associated with the nucleosynthesis, acceleration, and transport of cosmic ray nuclei, and studies of the so‐called ‘‘anomalous’’ cosmic ray component, thought to represent a sample of the neutral interstellar medium. Finally, the goals and prospects for future cosmic ray isotope spectrometers are described.
Socioeconomic Status and the Health of Racial Minority Populations

This chapter considers the role that socioeconomic status (SES) plays in racial and ethnic variations in health status in the United States. The Office of Management and Budget’s standard for federal statistics recognizes four racial groups (black, white, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander) and one ethnic category (Hispanic). However, because this directive is without scientific basis, because race and ethnicity are socially constructed categories, and because the distinctions between race and ethnicity are unclear in health research, we treat all of these categories as “racial” groups.
Verifying a Logic Synthesis Tool in Nuprl: A Case Study in Software Verification

We have proved a logic synthesis tool with the Nuprl proof development system. The logic synthesis tool, Pbs, implements the weak division algorithm, and is part of the Bedroc hardware synthesis system. Our goal was to develop a proven and usable implementation of a hardware synthesis tool. Pbs consists of approximately 1000 lines of code implemented in a functional subset of Standard ML. The program was verified by embedding this subset of SML in Nuprl and then verifying the correctness of the implementation of Pbs in Nuprl. In the process of doing the proof we learned many lessons which can be applied to efforts in verifying functional software. In particular, we were able to safely perform several optimizations to the program. In addition, we have invested effort into verifying software which will be used many times, rather than verifying the output of that software each time the program is used. The work required to verify hardware design tools and other similar software is worthwhile because the results of the proofs will be used many times.
Reevaluating Planned Parenthood v. Abbott

The Fifth Circuit’s March 2014 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Abbott garnered attention due to the controversial legislation that it upheld as constitutional: Texas H.B. 2, which in part required abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital located within thirty miles of their clinic. Critics have argued that this requirement is a legislative charade intended to force abortion providers to close, continuing a broader debate regarding the constitutionality of abortion regulations. This essay reevaluates Abbott’s use of rational basis review in scrutinizing H.B. 2 by comparing it to the Fifth Circuit’s March 2013 decision in St. Joseph Abbey v. Castille, where the court used the heightened “rational basis with bite” test to find a Louisiana funeral industry regulation unconstitutional. In light of this comparison, Abbott’s rational basis analysis demonstrates a judicial double standard, and likely manifests the court’s political agenda.
Chapter 2. Molecular architecture of the endothelium

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the molecular architecture of the endothelium. The integrity of the endothelial cell layer is a primary factor in the vascular barrier between underlying tissues and blood fluids, mediators, and formed elements. The permeability characteristics of this vast, but very thin, endothelial membrane essentially rest on the architectural characteristics of the individual endothelial cells, their links to each other, and their adhesion to the acellular basement membrane. The chapter explains determinants of the cellular structure–function relationship. The polar disk-like structure of the normal, quiescent endothelial cell is critically dependent upon the cytoskeletal architecture. This three-dimensional, intracellular cytoskeletal network that determines and supports the maintenance of the unique cell shape consists of microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and the microtubule assembly. The cytoskeleton provides the cellular anchorage for the different membrane spanning junctional complexes at the basal surface, the lateral borders, and the luminal aspect associated with glycocalyx. Thus, the cytoskeleton is important in the organization of cellular biophysical and biochemical processes and in determining and maintaining the polarity of the cell. The chapter also examines the endothelial actin cytoskeleton.
Rapid Polyubiquitination and Proteasomal Degradation of a Mutant Form of NAD(P)H:Quinone Oxidoreductase 1

The NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1)*2 polymorphism is characterized by a single proline-to-serine amino acid substitution. Cell lines and tissues from organisms genotyped as homozygous for the NQO1*2 polymorphism are deficient in NQO1 activity. In studies with cells homozygous for the wild-type allele and cells homozygous for the mutant NQO1*2 allele, no difference in the half-life of NQO1 mRNA transcripts was observed. Similarly, in vitro transcription/translation studies showed that both wild-type and mutant NQO1 coding regions were transcribed and translated into full-length protein with equal efficiency. Protein turnover studies in NQO1 wild-type and mutant cell lines demonstrated that the half-life of wild-type NQO1 was greater than 18 h, whereas the half-life of mutant NQO1 was 1.2 h. Incubation of NQO1 mutant cell lines with proteasome inhibitors increased the amount of immunoreactive NQO1 protein, suggesting that mutant protein may be degraded via the proteasome pathway. Additional studies were performed using purified recombinant NQO1 wild-type and mutant proteins incubated in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system. In these studies, no degradation of wild-type NQO1 protein was observed; however, mutant NQO1 protein was completely degraded in 2 h. Degradation of mutant NQO1 was inhibited by proteasome inhibitors and was ATP-dependent. Mutant NQO1 incubated in rabbit reticulocyte lysate with MG132 resulted in the accumulation of proteins with increased molecular masses that were immunoreactive for both NQO1 and ubiquitin. These data suggest that wild-type NQO1 persists in cells whereas mutant NQO1 is rapidly degraded via ubiquitination and proteasome degradation.
An Illustrated Guide to Relativity

Aimed at both physics students and non-science majors, this unique book explains Einstein's special theory of relativity pictorially, using diagrams rather than equations. The diagrams guide the reader, step-by-step, from the basics of relativity to advanced topics including the addition of velocities, Lorentz contraction, time dilation, the twin paradox, Doppler shift, and Einstein's famous equation E=mc². The distinctive figures throughout the book enable the reader to visualize the theory in a way that cannot be fully conveyed through equations alone. The illustrative explanations in this book maintain the logic and rigour necessary for physics students, yet are simple enough to be understood by non-scientists. The book also contains entertaining problems which challenge the reader's understanding of the materials covered.
Chronic motivational state interacts with task reward structure in dynamic decision-making

Research distinguishes between a habitual, model-free system motivated toward immediately rewarding actions, and a goal-directed, model-based system motivated toward actions that improve future state. We examined the balance of processing in these two systems during state-based decision-making. We tested a regulatory fit hypothesis (Maddox & Markman, 2010) that predicts that global trait motivation affects the balance of habitual- vs. goal-directed processing but only through its interaction with the task framing as gain-maximization or loss-minimization. We found support for the hypothesis that a match between an individual’s chronic motivational state and the task framing enhances goal-directed processing, and thus state-based decision-making. Specifically, chronic promotion-focused individuals under gain-maximization and chronic prevention-focused individuals under loss-minimization both showed enhanced state-based decision-making. Computational modeling indicates that individuals in a match between global chronic motivational state and local task reward structure engaged more goal-directed processing, whereas those in a mismatch engaged more habitual processing.
Impact of a formulary switch from ticarcillin-clavulanate to piperacillin-tazobactam on colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci

Background The prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) is increasing, despite infection control measures. Limited data link ticarcillin-clavulanate to higher VRE prevalence. Methods Active surveillance for VRE was conducted before and after a formulary switch from ticarcillin-clavulanate to piperacillin-tazobactam. Rectal swabs were obtained serially in 863 adult patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) between November 1, 2000 and September 30, 2004. Results In the postswitch period, 38 of 497 (7.6%) patients acquired VRE versus 42 of 366 (11.5%) patients in the preswitch period. Survival analysis showed an overall hazard ratio (HR) of .68 postswitch versus preswitch ( P = .07), with the greatest change in the surgical ICU (HR = .17, P = .006). Multivariate analysis showed an overall HR = .51 ( P = .004). Hospital-wide, nonstool VRE clinical cultures fell from 39 (.58/1000 patient days) in the 10-month preswitch period to 27 (.33/1000 patient days) in the 12-month postswitch period. Infection control practices and use of other antibiotics remained stable. Conclusions VRE acquisition appeared to decrease in association with a formulary change from ticarcillin-clavulanate to piperacillin-tazobactam.
Neurotrophin Regulation of β-Actin mRNA and Protein Localization within Growth Cones

Neurotrophins play an essential role in the regulation of actin-dependent changes in growth cone shape and motility. We have studied whether neurotrophin signaling can promote the localization of β-actin mRNA and protein within growth cones. The regulated localization of specific mRNAs within neuronal processes and growth cones could provide a mechanism to modulate cytoskeletal composition and growth cone dynamics during neuronal development. We have previously shown that β-actin mRNA is localized in granules that were distributed throughout processes and growth cones of cultured neurons. In this study, we demonstrate that the localization of β-actin mRNA and protein to growth cones of forebrain neurons is stimulated by neurotrophin-3 (NT-3). A similar response was observed when neurons were exposed to forskolin or db-cAMP, suggesting an involvement of a cAMP signaling pathway. NT-3 treatment resulted in a rapid and transient stimulation of PKA activity that preceded the localization of β-actin mRNA. Localization of β-actin mRNA was blocked by prior treatment of cells with Rp-cAMP, an inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A. Depolymerization of microtubules, but not microfilaments, inhibited the NT-3–induced localization of β-actin mRNA. These results suggest that NT-3 activates a cAMP-dependent signaling mechanism to promote the microtubule-dependent localization of β-actin mRNA within growth cones.
TOXIC AND TERATOGENIC EFFECTS OF ESTERS OF SATURATED AND UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS ON HOUSE FLY LARVAE (DIPTERA: MUSCIDAE)

Toxicities and teratogenic effects on Musca domestica L. of methyl and ethyl esters of fatty acids have been described. In general, esters of fatty acids containing 10 or fewer carbon atoms in the chain are toxic and melanogenic. Esters of higher members are less toxic, but melanogenic. However, esters of acids containing 13 or more carbon atoms in the chain show special interactions with insects, and methyl trans -2-tridecenoate has a teratogenic effect on the developing wing of the house fly.
An interoperability test system for IEEE 1451.5–802.11 Standard

Interoperability is the ability of systems or software applications to communicate with each other. Interoperability testing verifies that systems can work together based on a standard protocol in an operational environment. This paper introduces an interoperability test system for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1451.5–802.11 standard. This system consists of a Standard Network Capable Application Processor (NCAP) and a Standard Wireless Transducer Interface Module (WTIM) developed based on the IEEE 1451.5–802.11 standard. A test case of reading transducer data is provided to verify the interoperability between the Standard NCAP and the Standard WTIM.
AMP-activated protein kinase: a target for old drugs against diabetes and cancer.

Abstract The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is considered a key checkpoint to ensure energy balance in both cells and organisms. AMPK is an αβγ heterotrimer controlled by allosteric regulation by AMP, ADP and ATP, auto-inhibitory features and phosphorylation, with the threonine-172 phosphorylation on the catalytic α-subunit by LKB1, CaMKKβ or Tak1 being essential for its fully activation. AMPK acts as a protective response to energy stress in numerous systems, but it is also a key player in diabetes and related metabolic diseases and cancer. Pharmacological activation of AMPK by metformin or other compounds holds a considerable potential to reverse the metabolic abnormalities associated with type 2 diabetes. In cancer, correction of the dysregulated metabolic pathway LKB1/AMPK/mTORC1 can lower the Warburg effect, suggesting AMPK as a potential target for cancer prevention and/or treatment. In this commentary, we review recent findings that support the role and function of AMPK in normal and pathological conditions. We also discuss how the activation of AMPK by naturally occurring compounds could help to prevent the development of numerous chronic diseases contributing in such a way to the well-being of ageing population.
Activation of ERK is critical for glutamine-mediated intestinal cell survival

METHODS: (i) Rat epithelial cells (RIE-1) were cultured in the presence or absence of Gln (1mmol/L) for 24h; cell survival and DNA fragmentation was determined by MTT assay and ELISA, respectively. (ii) RIE-1 cells were serumand Gln-deprived for 24h. Cells were treated with Gln (1mmol/L) or vehicle (control), lysed and protein extracted over a time course. Phosphorylated and total ERK was assessed by Western blot. (iii) RIE-1 cells were treated with Gln (1mmol/L) or vehicle and the MEK/ERK inhibitor UO126 (10muM) or vehicle after 24h serumand Gln-deprivation. Protein was extracted and assessed by Western blot. (iv) RIE-1 cells were cultured in the presence or absence of Gln for 24h and treated with UO126 or vehicle; DNA fragmentation was quantitated.
Computationally useful bridge diagram series for the structure and thermodynamics of Lennard-Jones fluids

The first two orders of bridge diagrams, those with two and three field points, have been calculated exactly for the Lennard-Jones fluid for several isotherms. The method of calculation was one of expansion in Legendre polynomials, and the dependence of the method on the number of polynomials needed for accurate results was investigated. Thermodynamic and structural properties of the Lennard-Jones fluid calculated from integral equation methods with the inclusion of bridge diagrams were found to be systematically improved. Two attempts at predicting the missing bridge diagrams of even higher order were discussed. The first, which uses the functional form of those diagrams that were calculated exactly, showed no significant improvement. The second, a series sum based on the first two orders of calculated diagrams and motivated by the success of a similar heuristic sum in the case of hard spheres, was extremely successful. When the series sum was employed, thermodynamic and structural quantities were improved to the point where the difference between simulation results and integral equation results was of the same order as the error in the simulations themselves.
Selective laser ablation of venous thrombus: implications for a new approach in the treatment of pulmonary embolus

Laser radiation was employed to ablate venous thrombus or emboli with parameters that would not injure endovascular tissues. Output from a 482-nm, 1-microsec pulsed dye laser was delivered through a 320-microns-diameter fiber to in vitro samples of fresh thrombus (T), venous or pulmonary emboli (VE), inferior vena cava (IVC), pulmonary artery (PA), pulmonary valve, and endocardium (atrial and ventricular). The mean threshold fluences for ablation of T and VE were 1.1 and 5.1 J/cm2, respectively. In contrast, the mean threshold fluences for IVC and PA were significantly higher (P less than 0.0001), at 120 and 124 J/cm2, respectively. Ablation efficiency of thrombus was in excess of 100 mg/J, under conditions that caused no histologic injury to the pulmonary artery. To correlate ablation studies with optical absorption by the tissues, optical properties of fresh T, VE, IVC, and PA were studied. Hemoglobin species accounted for the more than 10 times higher 482-nm absorption by T and VE compared to IVC and PA. This explains the differences in ablation thresholds and, thus, the selectivity encountered. These observations demonstrate, more than any other study in the vascular system, that with pulsed optical radiation, efficient laser ablation of venous thrombus is feasible with amore » wide margin of safety, and without damage to the surrounding vascular tissue.« less
Proposed model for assuring quality of Medicare’s medication therapy management

Medication therapy management (MTM) provisions in the Medicare Modernization Act present new opportunities for pharmacists and other providers to improve the quality of medication use for over 41 million seniors and Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities.[1][1],[2][2] In July 2004, the American
'PPAR'ting ways with inflammation.

Although it often acts as a transcriptional activator, the nuclear hormone receptor PPAR-γ also 'transrepresses' inflammatory responses mediated by the transcription factor NF-κB. New data demonstrate that sumoylation of PPAR-γ leads to the retention of repressor complexes on promoters of inflammatory genes.
Active Wavelet Networks for Face Alignment.

The active appearance model (AAM) algorithm has proved to be a successful method for face alignment and synthesis. By elegantly combining both shape and texture models, AAM allows fast and robust deformable image matching. However, the method is sensitive to partial occlusions and illumination changes. In such cases, the PCA-based texture model causes the reconstruction error to be globally spread over the image. In this paper, we propose a new method for face alignment called active wavelet networks (AWN), which replaces the AAM texture model by a wavelet network representation. Since we consider spatially localized wavelets for modeling texture, our method shows more robustness against partial occlusions and some illumination changes.
A Place Like Home: Care and Action in Public Administration

Public administration has regularly reached across the divide between public and private to import ideas and practices from private business, yet ideas of home rarely make their way into administrative theory. Inspired by the "city as a home" thinking of progressive-era social reformers, this article explores conceptual barriers and generative possibilities. It suggests, first, that home vivifies aspects of administration that foster caring concern for human development. Second, drawing on the work of Hannah Arendt, it argues that despite Arendt's dim view of the household, an ontology of home furthers her vision of action--public spirited speech--in administrative practice.
Multidrug resistance associated with mexXY expression in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a Texas hospital

Fluoroquinolones and carbapenems are important drug classes used for the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. However, overexpression of the P. aeruginosa efflux pump, MexEF-OprN, can provide dual resistance to both fluoroquinolones and carbapenems. Recently, a hospital in Texas encountered several P. aeruginosa isolates resistant to both of these drug classes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the mechanism responsible for this multidrug resistance involved the overexpression of MexEF-OprN. To test this hypothesis, 7 clinical isolates from the Texas hospital were analyzed for clonality, antimicrobial susceptibility, expression of the porin, oprD, and four multidrug-resistant efflux pumps (mexAB-oprM, mexCD-oprJ, mexEF-oprN, and mexXY), quinolone resistance-determining region mutations, and beta-lactamase production. Two groups of isolates possessed similar pulse field gel electrophoresis patterns indicating their genetic relatedness. In addition to fluoroquinolone and carbapenem resistance, each isolate also displayed varying degrees of susceptibility to additional beta-lactams tested and resistance to gentamicin. Interestingly, none of the 7 clinical isolates overexpressed mexEF-oprN as determined by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, but overexpression of mexXY was observed in 6 of the 7 isolates. All 7 isolates showed a decrease of OprD in the outer membrane and a reduction in transcriptional expression of oprD compared to wild-type strain, PAO1. These results demonstrate that multidrug resistance to the fluoroquinolones and carbapenems in these clinical isolates was not a result of the overexpression of the mexEF-oprN pump. Instead, resistance to these two agents seemed to arise through independent mutational events.
Ubiquitous computing using SIP

In the past decade, there have been numerous efforts in ubiquitous computing, making computational resources or communication more widely available. We believe that it is time to move to a global-scale ubiquitous computing system that is securable, administered by multiple independent administrators and integrates off-the-shelf hardware and software. We are developing such a system based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), with Bluetooth devices for location sensing and Service Location Protocol (SLP) for service discovery. We also introduce context-aware location information to augment device discovery and user communication. The system builds on our CINEMA infrastructure and can support a range of activities, from home-based settings to collaboration between distant sites.