cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circuits between infected macrophages and T cells in SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Some patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) develop severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome1 (ARDS). Distinct clinical features in these patients have led to speculation that the immune response to virus in the SARS-CoV-2-infected alveolus differs from that in other types of pneumonia2. Here we investigate SARS-CoV-2 pathobiology by characterizing the immune response in the alveoli of patients infected with the virus. We collected bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples from 88 patients with SARS-CoV-2-induced respiratory failure and 211 patients with known or suspected pneumonia from other pathogens, and analysed them using flow cytometry and bulk transcriptomic profiling. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing on 10 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples collected from patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) within 48 h of intubation. In the majority of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the alveolar space was persistently enriched in T cells and monocytes. Bulk and single-cell transcriptomic profiling suggested that SARS-CoV-2 infects alveolar macrophages, which in turn respond by producing T cell chemoattractants. These T cells produce interferon-γ to induce inflammatory cytokine release from alveolar macrophages and further promote T cell activation. Collectively, our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 causes a slowly unfolding, spatially limited alveolitis in which alveolar macrophages containing SARS-CoV-2 and T cells form a positive feedback loop that drives persistent alveolar inflammation. Analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples from patients with SARS-CoV-2-induced respiratory failure suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infects alveolar macrophages to cause release of T cell chemoattractants, thereby inducing local inflammatory cytokine release and further T cell activation, ultimately resulting in a positive feedback loop that drives alveolar inflammation.
Overcurrent-driven LEDs for consistent image colour and brightness in agricultural machine vision applications

Abstract Machine vision systems are being utilized extensively in agriculture applications. Daytime imaging in outdoor field conditions presents challenges such as variable lighting and colour inconsistencies due to sunlight. Motion blur can occur due to vehicle movement and vibrations from ground terrain. A camera system with active lighting can be a solution to overcome these challenges. In this study, the usage of over-current driven LEDs to produce a powerful flash was investigated as a viable light source for daytime imaging. The current drawn by an LED was increased by a factor of six times its normal rating resulting in increased illuminance. A circuit was designed for storing and releasing energy to the LEDs for a strobe-like effect and a controller was used for synchronizing the strobe with a camera to acquire images. The system was deployed in an apple orchard on three days in summer of 2020. Images were taken throughout the day in both sunny and cloudy conditions of different canopy structures. There was substantial improvement in image brightness and colour consistency by using the LED flashes. Images captured by the prototype system during an 11-hour period showed an average decrease of 85% in standard deviation for the Hue-Saturation-Value (HSV) channels compared to that of the auto-exposure setting. Additionally, the prototype system was able to fix motion blur in images averaging 7 mm in error for a stereo vision application with the camera moving at 7 km/hr. These results show that the designed LED flash system can reduce the undesirable effects of lighting variability and motion blur in images stemming from outdoor field conditions.
Spatial variation in direct and indirect contact rates at the wildlife-livestock interface for informing disease management.

Abstract Little is known about disease transmission relevant contact rates at the wildlife-livestock interface and the factors shaping them. Indirect contact via shared resources is thought to be important but remains unquantified in most systems, making it challenging to evaluate the impact of livestock management practices on contact networks. Free-ranging wild pigs (Sus scrofa) in North America are an invasive, socially-structured species with an expanding distribution that pose a threat to livestock health given their potential to transmit numerous livestock diseases, such as pseudorabies , brucellosis , trichinellosis, and echinococcosis , among many others. Our objective in this study was to quantify the spatial variations in direct and indirect contact rates among wild pigs and cattle on a commercial cow-calf operation in Florida, USA. Using GPS data from 20 wild pigs and 11 cattle and a continuous-time movement model, we extracted three types of spatial contacts between wild pigs and cattle, including direct contact, indirect contact in the pastoral environment (unknown naturally occurring resources), and indirect contact via anthropogenic cattle resources (feed supplements and water supply troughs). We examined the effects of sex, spatial proximity, and cattle supplement availability on contact rates at the species level and characterized wild pig usage of cattle supplements. Our results suggested daily pig-cattle direct contacts occurred only occasionally, while a significant number of pig-cattle indirect contacts occurred via natural resources distributed heterogeneously across the landscape. At cattle supplements, more indirect contacts occurred at liquid molasses than water troughs or molasses-mineral block tubs due to higher visitation rates by wild pigs. Our results can be directly used for parameterizing epidemiological models to inform risk assessment and optimal control strategies for controlling transmission of shared diseases.
Abstract 149: Evaluating the Risk of Cerebrovascular Events Among Those Seeking Information on Transient Ischemic Attack Symptoms on the Internet

Background: Despite the high risk of stroke after transient ischemic attack (TIA), many people do not seek urgent medical attention because symptoms may be mild or have already resolved or be incor...
Economists free ride, does anyone else?: Experiments on the provision of public goods, IV

Abstract Eleven closely related experiments testing the free rider hypothesis under different conditions, and sampling various subpopulations, are reported. Results question the empirical validity and generality of a strong version of the hypothesis. Some reasons for its failure are discussed.
Adenosine-3':5'-monophosphate-dependent and plasma-membrane-associated protein kinase from bovine corpus luteum. Solubilization and properties of solubilized enzyme.

The solubilization of plasma membrane fractions FI and FII associated protein kinases has been attempted using monovalent salts of high ionic strength and various detergent treatments. Extraction of FI and FII plasma membranes with high ionic strength salt solutions did not release more than 20% of the protein kinase activity. Similarly, monovalent salts released little adenosine 3′: 5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) binding activity, but after extraction binding capacity of cyclic [3H]AMP to plasma membranes was increased about 150–200%. Triton X-100 was a better solubilizing agent than Lubrol WX or deoxycholate. In addition to solubilization, 0.1% Triton X-100 also stimulated the protein kinase activity 150-200%. The properties of Triton X-100 solubilized FI and FII and purified cytosol KII were characterized with respect to protein substrate specificity, effect of cyclic AMP, cyclic nucleotide specificity, effects of divalent metal ion and gonadotropins. Upon sucrose density gradient centrifugation, FI solubilized protein kinase and cyclic AMP binding activities co-sedimented with a sedimentation coefficient of 6.3 S. The FII solubilized protein kinase sedimented as two components with sedimentation coefficients of 7.7 S and 5.5 S. The cyclic AMP binding activity also sedimented as two components with sedimentation coefficient 6.7 S and 5.5 S. Cyclic AMP caused dissociation of solubilized protein kinase from FI into a single catalytic (4.8 S) and two cyclic AMP binding subunits (8.1 S and 6.7 S). FII solubilized enzyme was dissociated into one catalytic (4.8 S) and one cyclic AMP binding subunit (6.3 S). Fractionation of FI and FII solubilized enzymes on DEAE-cellulose column chromatography resolved them each into two peaks Ia, Ib and IIa, IIb, respectively. Peaks Ib and IIb were more sensitive to cyclic AMP stimulation than Ia and IIa peaks. From these studies it is concluded that the plasma-membrane-associated and cytosol protein kinases have similar catalytic properties but differ in some of their physical properties.
Growth of lead barium niobate (Pb1−xBaxNb2O6) crystals by the vertical Bridgman method: II. Sr0.61Ba0.39Nb2O6-seeded growth

Abstract Pb 1− x Ba x Nb 2 O 6 (PBN) single crystals have been grown by the vertical Bridgman method in the composition range of 1− x =0.5–0.6. Centimeter size crystals have been grown using Sr 0.61 Ba 0.39 Nb 2 O 6 (SBN 61) single-crystal seeds which have the same tungsten bronze structure and a higher melting temperature. Compositional analysis of the PBN boules revealed that mass transport in the melt is dominated by diffusion, making possible crystals of uniform axial composition from an incongruent melt composition. A crystal grown at 1 mm/h exhibited a radial composition inhomogeneity caused by a concave melt/solid interface. When the growth rate was reduced to 0.5 mm/h, the interface became almost planar and thus little compositional inhomogeneity in the radial direction was found. A Ce-doped PBN crystal has also been grown using a PBN single-crystal seed. The Ce-doped crystal had an orange to brown color, in contrast to the light yellowish color of undoped crystals, and had a broadband absorption, from near the interband transition throughout most of the visible spectrum.
Herbivory in sun versus shade at a natural meadow-woodland ecotone in the Rocky Mountains

We examined herbivore damage in a natural association in order to evaluate the hypothesis that herbivory is generally greater in the shade (Maiorana 1981). Damage was measured in relation to habitat, adult plant distribution, and plant size for 13 species of native herbaceous forbs that cross the natural shade/sun ecotone at the interface of montane meadow and aspen (Populus tremuloides) woodland. Eight of the 13 species had statistically significant differences in leaf area damaged between sun and shade individuals (p<0.05). Only 3 of those were more damaged in shade (Aquilegia coerulea, Epilobium angustifolium, and Galium biflorum), while six were more damaged in the sun (Delphinium nelsoni, Helianthella quinquenervis, Lupinus argenteus, Thalictrum fendleri, and Vicia americana). No pattern was detected for 5: Erigeron speciosus, Fragaria ovalis, Lathyrus leucanthus, Viguiera multiflora, and Viola nuttallii. Levels of herbivory were species-specific rather than habitat-related. Thus, the shade habitat hypothesis must be rejected for our system, and the null hypothesis accepted for this natural assemblage. Herbivory within the shade was generally related to plant and leaf size. Two equally common community level patterns of loss occurred in relation to plant distribution. These were: 1. frequency-related, where herbivory was higher in the habitat of highest adult plant occurrence, and 2. inversely-related, where herbivory was higher in the habitat where plants were less common.
CR2/CD21 Proximal Promoter Activity Is Critically Dependent on a Cell Type-Specific Repressor

Transcription of the human complement receptor type 2 (CR2/CD21) gene is controlled by both proximal promoter and intronic elements. CR2 is primarily expressed on B cells from the immature through mature cell stages. We have previously described the presence of an intronic element that is required for both cell- and stage-specific expression of CR2. In this study, we report the identification of a cell type-specific repressor element within the proximal promoter. This repressor sequence is shown by linker scanning mutagenesis to comprise an E box motif. By supershift analysis this element binds members of the basic helix-loop-helix family of proteins, in particular E2A gene products. Mutational analysis demonstrates that binding of E2A proteins is critical for functioning of this repressor. Thus, E2A activity is key not only for early B cell development, but also for controlling CR2 expression, a gene expressed only during later stages of ontogeny.
Embeddings of graphs of fixed treewidth and bounded degree

Let F be any family of graphs of fixed treewidth and bounded degree. We construct a quadratic-time algorithm for calculating the genus distribution of the graphs in F . Within a post-order traversal of the decomposition tree, the algorithm involves a full-powered upgrading of production rules and root-popping . This algorithm for calculating genus distributions in quadratic time complements an algorithm of Kawarabayashi, Mohar, and Reed for calculating the minimum genus of a graph of bounded treewidth in linear time.
Global warming and winter weather.

In mid-January, a lobe of the polar vortex sagged southward over the central and eastern United States. All-time low temperature records for the calendar date were set at O'Hare Airport in Chicago [−16°F (−27°C), 6 January], at Central Park in New York [4°F (−15.6°C), 7 January], and at
Functional inhibition in direction-selective retinal ganglion cells: spatiotemporal extent and intralaminar interactions.

We recorded from on-off direction-selective ganglion cells (DS cells) in the rabbit retina to investigate in detail the inhibition that contributes to direction selectivity in these cells. Using pa...
A superconducting quadrupole array for transport of multiple high current beams

We present a conceptual design of a superconducting quadrupole magnet array for the side-by-side transport of multiple high current particle beams in induction linear accelerators. The magnetic design uses a modified cosine 2/spl theta/ current distribution inside a square cell boundary. Each interior magnet's neighbors serve as the return flux paths and the poles are placed as close as possible to each other to facilitate this. No iron is present in the basic 2-D magnetic design; it will work at any current level without correction windings. Special 1/8/sup th/ quadrupoles are used along the transverse periphery of the array to contain and channel flux back into the array, making every channel look as part of an infinite array. This design provides a fixed dimension array boundary equal to the quadrupole radius that can be used for arrays of any number of quadrupole channels, at any field level. More importantly, the design provides magnetic field separation between the array and the induction cores which may be surrounding it. Flux linkage between these two components can seriously affect the operation of both of them.
Vulvar vestibulitis-a complex clinical entity.

Objective: This study aims to determine the pathophysiology of vulvar vestibulitis and to evaluate currently used treatment options. Methods: Two hundred twenty women with vulvar vestibulitis were seen between October 1987 and March 1995. Every patient had vulvar pain when they attempted intercourse, 75% had excessive vaginal discharge, 36.4% had constant or recurring vulvar burning, and 10.9% had symptoms suggestive of cystitis. All were cultured for the presence of Candida albicans. One hundred sixty-one (73.2%) were also tested for vaginal IgE and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2); 72 (32.7%) had a vulvar biopsy performed as well. Results: A wide range of variants were noted: 53 (24.1%) had a human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, 25 (11.4%) had a Candida vulvovaginitis, 43 (19.5%) had a vaginal allergy, 15 (6.8%) had vaginal PGE2 present, 14 (6.4%) had elevated urinary oxalate excretion, and 29 (13.2%) had a variety of diagnosed variants. In 81 (36.8%) no underlying diagnosis was made. This understates the numbers and varieties of vulvar vaginal diagnoses, for not all patients received a vaginal fluid analysis, a vulvar biopsy, or a 24 h urine screen for oxalates. A variety of medical and operative interventions was used. Symptoms were relieved in 65.9% of patients. The degree of sueeess varied. Successful outcomes were achieved in 14.3% of patients using a low oxalate diet and calcium citrate supplementation, 16% with anti-Candida treatment, 48.1% with antihistamines, 77% with vulvar injection of interferon, 83% with operative removal of inflamed vulvar tissue, and a posterior colporrhaphy used to cover the cutaneous defect. Conclusions: The diagnosis of vulvar vestibulitis is easy to make. An etiology for this chronic condition will not be achieved in every patient. A majority of patients can get relief by a variety of medical and operative interventions.
Pin1 Mediates Neural-Specific Activation of the Mitochondrial Apoptotic Machinery

Summary Apoptosis of neurons plays fundamental roles in brain development and disease. Although neurons share with other cell types components of the mitochondrial apoptotic machinery, how this machinery is specifically activated in neurons remains poorly understood. Remarkably, phosphorylation of the BH3-only protein BIM EL at Ser65 triggers apoptosis in neurons but suppresses cell death in non-neural cells. Here, we report that the prolyl isomerase Pin1 interacts with Ser65-phosphorylated BIM EL in neurons. Pin1 is enriched at the mitochondrial membrane in neurons, where it forms a physical complex with the neuron-specific JNK scaffold protein JIP3. Activation of JNK signaling induces the dissociation of Pin1 from JIP3 and concomitantly promotes Pin1 binding to phosphorylated BIM EL . The interaction of Pin1 with phosphorylated BIM EL stabilizes BIM EL and thereby activates neuronal apoptosis. These findings define a neural-specific mechanism of cell death whereby Pin1 couples phosphorylation of BH3-only proteins to activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic machinery.
Importance of enhanced mass resolution in removing interferences when measuring volatile organic compounds in human blood by using purge-and-trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be purged from human blood is so great that they cannot be separated completely by capillary gas chromatography. As a result, the single-mass chromatograms used for quantitating the target compounds by mass spectrometry have many interferences at nominal (integer) mass resolution of a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The results of these interferences range from small errors in quantitation to completely erroneous results for the target VOCs. By using a magnetic sector mass spectrometer, these interferences at nominal mass can be removed at higher resolution by lowering the ion chromatogram windows around the masses of interest. At 3000 resolution (10% valley definition), unique single-ion chromatograms can be made for the quantitation ions of the target VOCs. Full-scan mass data are required to allow the identification of unknown compounds purged from the blood. By using isotope-dilution mass spectrometry, most target VOCs can be detected in the low parts per trillion range for a 10-mL quantity of blood from which the VOCs have been removed by a purge-and-trap method.
Trade as an Instrument of Dominance: The Latin American Experience

The present conjuncture of world capitalism is characterized by the globalization of the international economy, which has reached a new stage that Donald Bray and I (1998) have called "transperialism," in large part as the result of technological advances that permit instantaneous communication and thus even greater rationalization of production. Nevertheless, persistent regional differences permit the enterprises of the metropolitan areas to continue to dominate the system, taking advantage of the low-wage labor markets of the periphery. The role of the international structures of finance and investment controlled by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in the maintenance of this hegemony has been widely studied and discussed. The history of trade policy, negotiated among states and serving the interests of the elites of the dominant ones, has been given less attention. In order to understand current developments it is necessary to put them into the context of past relationships. In the current international economic climate, the neoliberal model, which calls for open economies, is the dominant paradigm even in many nations of the Third World. Under the guise of "free trade," a new structure of domination, the World Trade Organization (WTO), has been created that will make economic policy even less responsive to the interests of the smaller, weaker nations in the international system and of the ordinary citizens of the currently dominant nations as exercised by their legislatures. In addition, regional trade blocs being created in the western hemisphere will assist capital from the dominant economies in taking advantage of the low-wage economies of the region. Pursuing the policies of this new stage, most countries of Latin America have reduced their tariffs and are seeking to become partners in free-trade agreements and common markets with each other and with industrialized nations. Similar policies have been attempted in the past with less than salutary results.
Another theory for the action of ruminal buffer salts : decreased starch fermentation and propionate production

Sodium carbonates have been fed to ruminants for more than 20 yr and, in many cases, have alleviated milk fat depression. These effects usually have been ascribed to increased ruminal buffering capacity, but this mode of action has several problems. For the buffering capacity to increase, the concentrations of ruminal bicarbonate, dissolved CO2, and Na have to increase. Ruminal fluid already is saturated with CO2, and the cation concentration of ruminal fluid is regulated closely to prevent hemoconcentration or hemodilution. Based on these latter observations, a significant increase in ruminal buffering capacity is unlikely. The action of bicarbonates is explained more easily by increased water intake, increased ruminal fluid dilution rate, increased flow of undegraded starch from the rumen, and decreased ruminal propionate production.
Prevention of erythrocyte adhesion onto porous surfaces by fluid perfusion.

Abstract This study was undertaken in order to investigate the use of fluid perfusion to prevent the adhesion of erythrocytes to a porous foreign surface. Three pore sizes each of two different commercially available polyethylene and aluminium oxide (Al2O3) tubes were investigated. Tubes were perfused with Ringer's solution while immersed in a bath of whole canine blood. Control tubes were prepared in an identical fashion but were not perfused. After testing, tubes were fixed in glutaraldehyde and dehydrated with graded ethanol. Samples were then sectioned and prepared for erythrocyte adhesion analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results indicate that fluid perfusion can be used as a means to prevent erythrocyte adhesion in the range of pore sizes (10–60 μm diameter) studied. Critical values of the fluid perfusion rate are 0.027, 0.073 and 0.21 ml/min. cm2 for 10 μm, 35 μm, and 60 μm pore polyethylene respectively. The critical values for the ceramic samples are 0.22, 0.16 and 0.72 ml/min cm2 respectively for 7, 11 and 31 μm pore diameter respectively.
Surface Modification of Ordered Mesoporous Carbons via 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition of Azomethine Ylides

Functionalization of ordered mesoporous carbons via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides has been achieved.
Near-field laser-assisted localized crystal growth and nanodeposition

The ability to integrate nano-components onto MEMS devices in a controlled manner has been a limiting problem in interfacing micro-nano technologies, for the current methods of growing nano-structures/wires are inflexible and cannot be supported as a post-processing step for on-chip microelectronics. The main objective of this work is to selectively induce nucleation and further achieve crystal growth of silicon nano-structures/wires at specified sites without contaminating the outlining regions. A method utilizing a Q-switched, 532 nm, 10 Hz, Nd:YAG laser coupled to cantilevered NSOM fiber probes is proposed in this deposition experiment. A finite difference time domain simulation result is offered to illustrate the spatial confinement of the laser transmission field intensity emanating from the tip aperture. A vapor phase silane mixture (1% silane, 99% helium) was introduced into the vacuum chamber at pressures ranging from 200 to 440 Torr during the deposition experiments. The deposition and growth results for silicon nano-structure/wires on silicon substrates will be presented.
Accumulation and food chain transfer of fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene in Chironomus riparius and Lepomis macrochirus

This research investigated the accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by Chironomus riparius from sediments and transfer of these contaminants to bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus. Experiments were conducted in laboratory microcosms containing sediments spiked with either benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) or fluoranthene (FLU). Chironomids rapidly accumulated PAHs from sediments. Concentrations of BAP and FLU in chironomids increased with sediment concentration; however, FLU accumulated to a much greater extent. At sediment concentrations ranging from 47 to 4,040 μg/kg, levels of FLU in chironomids ranged from below detection to 181,000 μg/kg. In contrast, the maximum concentration of BAP measured in chironomids at similar sediment levels was 6,030 μg/kg. Levels of FLU and BAP in bluegill that were fed contaminated chironomids were generally low, indicating either low uptake or rapid metabolism of these compounds. Bioturbation of sediments by chironomids decreased water clarity and released sediment-associated BAP to overlying water. BAP in water and in C. riparius increased significantly with chironomid density. In experiments where bluegill were exposed to BAP from water, direct contact with sediments, and chironomids, each source contributed to total body burden. The results of the experiments indicated that PAHs in sediments may be mobilized and made available to benthic invertebrates and fish.
Multiscale derivation of an augmented Smoluchowski equation

Abstract Smoluchowski and Fokker–Planck equations for the stochastic dynamics of order parameters have been derived previously. The question of the validity of the truncated perturbation series and the initial data for which these equations exist remains unexplored. To address these questions, we take a simple example, a nanoparticle in a host medium. A perturbation parameter e , the ratio of the mass of a typical atom to that of the nanoparticle, is introduced and the Liouville equation is solved to O ( e 2 ) . Via a general kinematic equation for the reduced probability W of the location of the center-of-mass of the nanoparticle, the O ( e 2 ) solution of the Liouville equation yields an equation for W to O ( e 3 ) . An augmented Smoluchowski equation for W is obtained from the O ( e 2 ) analysis of the Liouville equation for a particular class of initial data. However, for a less restricted assumption, analysis of the Liouville equation to higher order is required to obtain closure.
On data provenance in group-centric secure collaboration

In this paper, we explore data provenance in a group-centric secure collaboration environment. In collaborations, participating organizations are likely to want certain trustworthiness on the data that are shared from other organizations and some assurance on how the shared data are used by users regardless of their organizations. By utilizing data provenance in group collaboration environment, we can provide the participating organizations with various provenance information that can establish trustworthiness and assurance on the shared data. To achieve this, we first identify what kind of operation information can be and should be captured as provenance data and how this information can be expressed in a formal representation which can be queried via the provenance system for certain utilities. We show the identified provenance data for a group collaboration application can provide some unique provenance utilities such as ability to trace the origins or usages of a shared data object even if it was created in a different organization. We utilize Open Provenance Model (OPM) [13] to capture various group collaboration operations identified in [12] and introduce a provenance system for a group collaboration environment that utilizes Resource Description Framework (RDF) data representations [10] and GLEEN-enabled SPARQL query language [7].
Online social networking issues within academia and pharmacy education.

Online social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace are extremely popular as indicated by the numbers of members and visits to the sites. They allow students to connect with users with similar interests, build and maintain relationships with friends, and feel more connected with their campus. The foremost criticisms of online social networking are that students may open themselves to public scrutiny of their online personas and risk physical safety by revealing excessive personal information. This review outlines issues of online social networking in higher education by drawing upon articles in both the lay press and academic publications. New points for pharmacy educators to consider include the possible emergence of an “e-professionalism” concept; legal and ethical implications of using online postings in admission, discipline, and student safety decisions; how online personas may blend into professional life; and the responsibility for educating students about the risks of online social networking.
A Grassroots Mammography Demonstration Project Targeted to Medically Underserved Rural and Urban Illinois Women of Diverse Races and Ethnicity

: Unique community and private-sector linkages, initiated through American Cancer Society, Illinois Division, Inc. leadership, demonstrated that aggressive community interventions can increase mammography utilization in medically low socioeconomic status and ethnically and racially diverse women and thus help to save lives from breast cancer. Through volunteer involvement and breast cancer education, 2506 women were screened. Data showed that a medically and ethnically and racially diverse population in urban Chicago and rural Illinois had been reached.
Probing multiple effects on 15N, 13Cα, 13Cβ, and 13C′ chemical shifts in peptides using density functional theory

We have used density functional calculations on model peptides to study conformational effects on (15)N, (13)C alpha, (13)C beta, and (13)C' chemical shifts, associated with hydrogen bonding, backbone conformation, and side-chain orientation. The results show a significant dependence on the backbone torsion angles of the nearest three residues. Contributions to (15)N chemical shifts from hydrogen bonding (up to 8 ppm), backbone conformation (up to 13 ppm), side-chain orientation and neighborhood residue effects (up to 22 ppm) are significant, and a unified theory will be required to account for their behavior in proteins. In contrast to this, the dependence on sequence and hydrogen bonding is much less for (13)C alpha and (13)C beta chemical shifts (<0.5 ppm), and moderate for carbonyl carbon shifts (<2 ppm). The effects of side-chain orientation are mainly limited to the residue itself for both nitrogen and carbon, but the chi(1) effect is also significant for the nitrogen shift of the following residue and for the (13)C' shift of the preceding residue. The calculated results are used, in conjunction with an additive model of chemical shift contributions, to create an algorithm for prediction of (15)N and (13)C shifts in proteins from their structure; this includes a model to extrapolate results to regions of torsion angle space that have not been explicitly studied by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Crystal structures of 20 proteins with measured shifts have been used to test the prediction scheme. Root mean square deviations between calculated and experimental shifts 2.71, 1.22, 1.31, and 1.28 ppm for N, C alpha, C beta, and C', respectively. This prediction algorithm should be helpful in NMR assignment, crystal and solution structure comparison, and structure refinement.
Pediatric interventional cardiology in the United States is dependent on the off-label use of medical devices.

Objective. A substantial unmet medical device need exists in pediatric care. As a result, the off-label use of approved devices is routine in pediatric interventional cardiology, but the extent and nature of this practice has not been previously described. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to evaluate the prevalence and nature of off-label cardiac device use in an active pediatric interventional program in the United States. Study Design. This study is a retrospective review of all interventional cardiac procedures performed at our institution from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2008. Diagnostic (noninterventional) catheterizations, myocardial biopsies, invasive electrophysiology studies, and studies involving investigational devices were excluded. Interventions performed were compared with the manufacturer's labeled indications for each device. Results. During this 3-year period, 473 patients (median age 4.1 years) underwent 595 transcatheter interventions. An approved device was utilized for an off-label application in 63% of patients, and in 50% of all interventions performed. The most frequent off-label procedures were stent implantations (99% off-label), balloon dilations (78% off-label), and coil embolizations (29% off-label). In contrast, the off-label use of septal and ductal occluders was relatively uncommon. Conclusions. In our routine (noninvestigational) practice of pediatric interventional cardiology, 63% of patients underwent procedures utilizing medical devices for off-label indications. These data underscore the need to enhance cardiac device review and approval processes in the United States to include pediatric applications.
Magnetic resonance urography and laparoscopy in paediatric urology: a case series

Paediatric urology often presents challenging scenarios. Magnetic resonance urography (MRU) and laparoscopy are increasingly used. We retrospectively studied children affected by a disease of the upper urinary tract who after MRU were elected for laparoscopic treatment. This pictorial essay draws on our experience; it illustrates some specific MRU findings and highlights the usefulness of MRU for the diagnosis of upper urinary tract pathology in children. It also offers some examples of the potential additional diagnostic information provided by laparoscopy as well as its therapeutic role.
Ground-state properties and phase/shape transitions in the IBA

Detailed fits to energies and electromagnetic transition rates for isotopic chains in the rare-earth region were performed using a simple IBA-1 Hamiltonian. The resulting parameters were then used to calculate two-neutron separation energies, isomer and isotope shifts. Comparison of the isotope shift behavior with other observables in this mass region suggests that the isotope shift could provide an indication for a first-order phase transition.
The overtraining reversal effect in a probability learning situation

The present study investigated the overtraining reversal effect in a probability learning situation. Groups of 15 Ss received either 100 or 200 training trials with either.90:. 10 or.75:.25 schedules, and then received 100 trials with reversed probability schedules. There were no differences between the 100 and 200 training trial groups during the reversal trials, and thus, no evidence for an overtraining reversal effect. Previous reports of an overtraining reversal effect were attributed to differences in prereversal levels of performance.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of Escherichia coli branching enzyme.

Branching enzyme catalyzes the formation of the branch points in glycogen and starch by cleavage of the α-1,4 link and its subsequent transfer to the α-1,6 position. This paper reports the crystallization and preliminary structural studies of an amino-terminally truncated branching enzyme from Escherichia coli. High-resolution diffracting crystals were obtained and a complete native data set to a resolution of 2.3 A was collected. These crystals belong to the P21 space group, with unit-cell parameters a = 91.44, b = 102.58, c = 185.41 A, β = 91.38°. A native data set with 99.6% completeness, an overall Rmerge of 0.086 and I/σ(I) of 10.43 was obtained.
Lyman X-rays from a highly stripped nitrogen beam

The Lyman series has been observed for the hydrogen-like system of bare nitrogen (+7) plus an electron. The experimental resolution for these X-ray lines is about 2 eV.
Freeze-quench 57Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy: trapping reactive intermediates

57Fe-Mossbauer spectroscopy is a method that probes transitions between the nuclear ground state (I = 1/2) and the first nuclear excited state (I = 3/2). This technique provides detailed information about the chemical environment and electronic structure of iron. Therefore, it has played an important role in studies of the numerous iron-containing proteins and enzymes. In conjunction with the freeze-quench method, 57Fe-Mossbauer spectroscopy allows for monitoring changes of the iron site(s) during a biochemical reaction. This approach is particularly powerful for detection and characterization of reactive intermediates. Comparison of experimentally determined Mossbauer parameters to those predicted by density functional theory for hypothetical model structures can then provide detailed insight into the structures of reactive intermediates. We have recently used this methodology to study the reactions of various mononuclear non-heme-iron enzymes by trapping and characterizing several Fe(IV)-oxo reaction intermediates. In this article, we summarize these findings and demonstrate the potential of the method.
Improving Oxygen Electrochemistry through Nanoscopic Confinement

Oxygen evolution and reduction offer a promising method of grid-level energy storage that could facilitate widespread adaptation of solar and wind power. However, the efficiency of these technologies is fundamentally limited by high overpotentials, which stem from correlations between adsorption energies of different reaction intermediates. We propose a scheme to circumvent these scaling relationships by defining a three-dimensional nanoscopic catalyst structure that capitalizes on different interactions between the intermediates and the catalyst owing to confinement. These nanoscopic channels reduce the theoretical overpotential for oxygen evolution on RuO2 by over 200 mV, corresponding to a 10 % increase in theoretical catalyst efficiency compared with a two-dimensional RuO2 surface. This approach may hold promise for other oxygen-evolution catalysts or, more broadly, to other reactions limited by (intermediate) adsorption-energy scaling relationships.
c-Met and hepatocyte growth factor: Potential as novel targets in cancer therapy

Receptor tyrosine kinases have come to fruition as therapeutic targets in a variety of malignancies. In this group of targets, the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase plays an important role in increased cell growth, reduced apoptosis, altered cytoskeletal function, increased metastasis, and other biologic changes. The ligand for c-Met is hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), also known as scatter factor. Met is overexpressed and mutated in a variety of malignancies, among which germline mutations are of particular interest. Most mutations of Met have been found in the juxtamembrane, the tyrosine kinase, and the semaphorin domain. Met gain-of-function mutations lead to deregulated or prolonged tyrosine kinase activity, which is instrumental to its transforming activity. This review summarizes the biologic functions regulated by Met and its structural requirements as well as related developments in targeted therapy. Treatment approaches, including antagonism of HGF binding to Met, targeting of RNA and the Met protein, and inhibition of the tyrosine kinase domain of Met, are highlighted. Targeting of the HGF/Met pathway, alone or in combination with standard therapies, is likely to improve current therapies in Met-dependent malignancies.
A Convergence of Limits

When in doubt, generalize. That's often good advice for mathematicians, and we follow it here to great advantage. Intrigued by a striking similarity between recursive algorithms for approximating the arctangent and the natural logarithm, we look for a simple theory that includes both. There are certainly enough connections between the two functions to make a common source likely, even though the algorithms seem to have disparate geometrical origins. Instead of focusing on these special cases, we broaden our search, and examine a general method for producing convergent sequences in recursive form. As we study it, a simple pattern emerges, answering the original questions and leading to some unexpected additional results. We find a simple relation between a type of recursion formula and the limit of the sequence it generates. We discover a single formula unifying our algorithms for the arctangent and the natural logarithm, and that's what produced the similarity. We find other interesting examples; one unifies recursive algorithms for computing the arcsine and the inverse hyperbolic sine. Along the way, we'll see some interesting examples of how mathematics develops. More importantly, we'll leave an idea that undergraduates can use for independent investigations, with a real opportunity to make new discoveries. A deeper analysis of a family of recursive algorithms for approximating a number of transcendental functions appears in the 1971 article by B. C. Carlson [1]. For each
Temporal Evolution of the Composition of Mixed Monolayers on TiO2 Surfaces: Evidence for a Dimerization-Induced Chelate Effect

Mixed monolayers of octanoic acid (OA) and 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHDA) were adsorbed to nanocrystalline TiO2 films from mixed solutions in tetrahydrofuran. For a range of solution compositions, the mole fraction of MHDA within the mixed monolayers (χMHDA,surf) exceeded that of the coadsorption solution. In addition, χMHDA,surf increased with time, while the sum of the surface coverages of MHDA and OA remained constant. To account for these effects, we propose a mechanism involving disulfide formation between the terminal thiol groups of surface-adsorbed MHDA molecules. Disulfide formation leads to an increase in the surface adduct formation constant (Kad) of dimeric MHDA, causing the gradual displacement of OA from the surface. The mechanism is supported by spectroscopic evidence and desorption kinetics. These are the first examples of mixed monolayers that undergo time-dependent compositional changes as a result of covalent bond formation between surfactants. Our findings illustrate that dimeriza...
On Sequencing the Feature Extraction Techniques for Online Damage Characterization

The current state of the health-monitoring technology lacks a generalized and definitive approach to the identification and localization of mechanical damage in structural materials. In past decades, several signal-processing tools have been used for solving different health-monitoring problems but the commutability of the tools between different problems has been restricted. The fundamental reasons for this shortcoming have never been investigated in detail. A thorough study is presented in this article employing almost all promising feature extraction tools on a representative problem—a plate with rivet holes. The cracks around rivet holes in a joint panel of a steel truss bridge are very difficult to detect. Although well established, Lamb wave–based nondestructive evaluation techniques are revisited and new tools are developed to address this issue. The simulation of scattered ultrasonic wave field is carried out using the finite element method. This ultrasonic wave field is further analyzed to evalua...
Nb(OCH(CF3)2)6−: prototype for a new class of weakly coordinating anions based on polyfluoroalkoxide substituents

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of Li + and CPh 3 + salts of the new weakly coordinating anion Nb(OCH(CF 3 ) 2 ) 6 − (Nb(HFIP) 6 − ) are reported. The lithium salt was found to be an effective catalyst in 1,2-dichloroethane for the addition of a silyl ketene acetal to a sterically hindered α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound. Its catalytic activity and regioselectivity are similar to those of LiCo(C 2 B 9 H 11 ) 2 and are far superior to those of LiClO 4 . The lithium salt was also used to prepare salt-in-polymer electrolytes using amorphous polyethylene oxide (aPEO). Three new electrolytes were prepared: aPEO 12 LiNb(HFIP) 6 , aPEO 24 LiNb(HFIP) 6 and aPEO 30 LiNb(HFIP) 6 . Their glass 1.0 × 10 −4 and transition temperatures were found to be 227, 222 and 219 K, respectively. Their 293 K d.c. conductivities were found to be 1.4×10 −5 , 5.0×10 −5 S cm −1 , respectively.
Short-term prediction of mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: classification of outcomes using random forests.

Objective To identify demographic and clinical characteristics that classify patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at risk for in-hospital mortality. Methods Patients hospitalized in California from 1996 to 2000 with a principal diagnosis of SLE (N = 3,839) were identified from a state hospitalization database. As candidate predictors of mortality, we used patient demographic characteristics; the presence or absence of 40 different clinical conditions listed among the discharge diagnoses; and 2 summary indexes derived from the discharge diagnoses, the Charlson Index and the SLE Comorbidity Index. Predictors of patients at increased risk of mortality were identified and validated using random forests, a statistical procedure that is a generalization of single classification trees. Random forests use bootstrapped samples of patients and randomly selected subsets of predictors to create individual classification trees, and this process is repeated to generate multiple trees (a forest). Classification is then done by majority vote across all trees. Results Of the 3,839 patients, 109 died during hospitalization. Selecting from all available predictors, the random forests had excellent predictive accuracy for classification of death. The mean classification error rate, averaged over 10 forests of 500 trees each, was 11.9%. The most important predictors were the Charlson Index, respiratory failure, SLE Comorbidity Index, age, sepsis, nephritis, and thrombocytopenia. Conclusion Information on clinical diagnoses can be used to accurately predict mortality among hospitalized patients with SLE. Random forests represent a useful technique to identify the most important predictors from a larger (often much larger) number and to validate the classification.
Non-parallel evolution of metabolic and growth-promoting functions of insulin

Insulin has both metabolic and growth-promoting activities1–3. From extensive studies on the relative potencies of naturally occurring and chemically modified insulins, a region of the insulin molecule that is essential for its metabolic effects has been proposed4. Here, we have compared the effects of 23 different insulins and insulin analogues on growth (thymidine incorporation into DNA) and metabolic activities (glucose oxidation). For many insulins striking differences in potency in these two assays were observed. Most exhibited greater relative activity in growth-promoting than in the metabolic assay, suggesting that growth and metabolic activities of the insulin molecule have evolved in a non-parallel fashion and may involve separate functional domains of the molecule.