cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interply Behavior Exhibited in Compliant Filamentary Composite Laminates

Abstract Cord-rubber composite systems allow a visualization of interply shear strain effects because of the compliant nature of the matrix material. A technique termed the pin test was developed to aid this visualization of interply shear strain. The pin test performed on both flat pads and radial tires shows that interlaminar shear strain behavior in both types of specimens is similar, most of the shear strain being confined to a region approximately 10 interly rubber thicknesses from the edge. The observed shear strain is approximately an order of magnitude greater than the applied extensional strain. A simplified mathematical model, called the Kelsey strip, for describing such behavior for a two-ply (±θ) cord-rubber strip has been formulated and demonstrated to be qualitatively correct. Furthermore, this model is capable of predicting trends in both compliant and rigid matrix composites and allows for simplified idealizations. A finite-element code for dealing with such interply effects in a simple bu...
SNaP: A Process for Achieving Adhesion between Electroless Copper and Dielectrics with Minimal Surface Roughening

The continuing demands of the electronics industry for faster and/or smaller products have been driving the necessity for the size reduction of all subsystems and components. This continuing trend in miniaturization leads to challenges in circuitry as adhesion of the conductor to the dielectric substrates has historically been achieved by the roughening of the substrate. This adhesion technique limits the line width because a highly roughened surface which will have strong adhesion to the copper may lead to poor line definition and compromise electrical performance and signal transfer. Alternatively, a less roughened surface with precise line definition may have poor adhesion of the copper to the substrate leading to reliability issues. It is evident that an alternative method for creating adhesion of copper to dielectric substrates is necessary. SNaP, a nanoparticle-based chemical adhesion process, will be introduced as a method to impart adhesion of electroless-deposited copper onto dielectric substrate...
Corynebacterium parvum: Preliminary Report of a Phase I Clinical and Immunological Study in Cancer Patients

Immunopotentiating agents are being used with increasing frequency in the therapy of human malignancy. The most thoroughly investigated of these materials in clinical trials is Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG). Therapy with BCG (with or without active specific immunization) has been reported to prolong remission and/or survival of patients with childhood lymphoblastic leukemia (Mathe et al., 1969), adult myeloblastic leukemia (Powles et al., 1973; Vogel and Chan, 1974; Gutterman et al., 1974b), chronic myelogenous leukemia (Sokal et al., 1973), malignant lymphoma (Sokal et al., 1974), as well as malignant melanoma (Bluming et al., 1972; Gutterman et al., 1973; Gutterman et al., 1974b). It may also increase the remission rate in malignancy (Gutterman et al., 1974a; Donaldson, 1972).
Is There a Standard of Care for the Management of Advanced Pancreatic Cancer?. Highlights from the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. Orlando, FL, USA. January 25-27, 2008

Despite advances in our understanding of the molecular and genetic basis of pancreatic cancer, the outcome for this disease remains dismal. Gemcitabine, the standard chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, offers modest improvement of tumor-related symptoms and marginal advantage of survival. Many chemotherapeutic and targeted agents have been pitted against or combined with gemcitabine in randomized phase III trials and no drug was shown to be superior to single-agent gemcitabine except two gemcitabine-containing combinations: capecitabine plus gemcitabine vs. gemcitabine and erlotinib. In this article, the author debates: "Is there a standard of care for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer?". In addition, he summarizes the key studies presented at the "Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium" held in Orlando, FL, USA on January 25-27, 2008. The studies discussed here include the following: i) a phase I study of a chemotherapy doublet gemcitabine plus capecitabine, combined with a biologic doublet (bevacizumab plus erlotinib) in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (abstract #141); ii) a phase II study of gemcitabine, bevacizumab, and erlotinib in locally advanced and metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (abstract #151); iii) final results of the multicenter phase II study on gemcitabine, capecitabine, and bevacizumab in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (abstract #198); iv) interim results from a phase II study of volociximab in combination with gemcitabine in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (abstract #142); v) a pilot study of combination chemotherapy with S-1 and irinotecan for advanced pancreatic cancer (abstract #155); vi) a multicenter phase II study of gemcitabine and S-1 combination chemotherapy in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer (abstract #212); vii) a phase I/II study of PHY906 plus capecitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma (abstract #260); and viii) the final results of a phase II trial of Genexol-PM(R), a novel cremophor-free, polymeric micelle formulation of paclitaxel in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (abstract #269). Based on the results presented at the meeting, it comes to us that patients with locally advanced vs. metastatic pancreatic cancer should be studied separately, better understanding of the biology of pancreatic cancer is mandatory and evaluation of novel agents is crucial. We, as oncologist, have to change our attitudes towards clinical trials and need to think beyond a trial design such as gemcitabine vs. drug of our choice.
Combustion of Lunar Regolith/Magnesium Mixtures for the Fabrication of Construction Materials

Combustible mixtures of lunar regolith with magnesium could be used for the production of construction materials on the Moon. The present paper focuses on decreasing Mg content in these mixtures and increasing the density and strength of the combustion products. It has been shown that preheating to 100°C allows combustion of JSC-1A/Mg mixtures at 8 wt% Mg. Combustion of pellets submerged in silica led to a noticeable increase in the product strength. Significantly higher density and strength were achieved using SHS compaction. I. Introduction ELF-PROPAGATING high-temperature synthesis (SHS) has been envisioned for the production of construction materials on the Moon. This technique involves self-sustained propagation of the combustion wave over the mixture due to exothermic reactions between the mixture components. SHS has been used for synthesis of numerous ceramic compounds and other materials. Recently, SHS in the mixtures of JSC-1A lunar regolith simulant with magnesium has been investigated. 1-3 Thermodynamic calculations of the adiabatic flame temperatures and combustion products over a wide range of regolith/metal mixture ratios have shown that magnesium provides higher adiabatic temperatures as compared to aluminum. 1 Experiments on the combustion of Mg/JSC-1A mixture pellets in argon environment determined the combustion characteristics at under different conditions. 1-3 For stable combustion, the minimum concentration of magnesium was 13 wt%. 3 These experiments have shown, however, that the strength of the combustion products is not sufficiently high for using them as construction materials. The present paper focuses on two goals: to decrease the content of magnesium in the JSC-1A/Mg reaction and to obtain denser and stronger products. To minimize the magnesium content, a preheating step was added before ignition of the JSC-1A/Mg mixture. It is common in many SHS systems to raise the initial temperature of the green mixture for increasing the combustion temperature and front velocity. To produce dense and stronger materials, a technique called SHS compaction was used. In this method, the green mixture is located inside some inert powder (e.g., sand) placed under a hydraulic press. The mixture is ignited and after the combustion process, the product mixture is compacted by the press. This method allows for the production of denser products and items that have complicated shape and can be used with no subsequent treatment. As a preparation for SHS compaction, experiments with pellets submerged in silica powder were initially conducted. Next, an apparatus for quasi-isostatic pressing was constructed and SHS compaction tests with JSC1A/Mg mixtures were performed.
What's new in Alzheimer's disease?

PreviewWhile certain important facets of Alzheimer's disease—specifically, causes and preventive measures—remain to be discovered, progress has been made in diagnosis and management. Dr Pfeiffer describes the techniques now available to aid in accurately identifying this condition and outlines the many resources that can ease the way for the Alzheimer's patient and his or her family caregivers.
Inhibition of the postcastration rise of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone in female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) by the administration of a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone inhibitory analog ([N-Ac-D-Trp1-3,D-p-Cl-phe2,D-Phe6,D-Ala10]-LH-RH).

Regularly cycling rhesus monkeys were bilaterally oophorectomized for study of postcastration rise of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The animals were divided in two groups, control animals, which received vehicle, and experimental animals, which received intramuscularly 1mg of a potent luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) inhibitory analog ([N-Ac-D-Trp 1-3 ,D-p-Cl-phe 2 ,D-Phe 6 ,D-Ala 10 -LH-RH) from the day of castration for 10 days. The controls showed significant elevations of FSH and LH 3 to 4 days after castration, but in the experimental animals the rise in gonadotropins was blocked until the LHRH antagonist administration was discontinued. The dynamics of gonadotropin elevation after the discontinuation of [N-Ac-D-Trp 1-3 ,D-p-Cl-phe 2 ,D-Phe 6 ,D-Ala 10 ]-LH-RH administration were similar to those observed in control animals after castration. The availability of a compound that selectively inhibits FSH and LH secretion in primates opens a new approach to contraception and for the treatment of conditions in which gonadotropin inhibition is desired.
Defect character at grain boundary facet junctions: Analysis of an asymmetric Σ = 5 grain boundary in Fe

Abstract Grain boundaries often develop faceted morphologies in systems for which the interfacial free energy depends on the boundary inclination. Although the mesoscale thermodynamic basis for such morphological evolution has been extensively studied, the influence of line defects, such as secondary grain boundary dislocations, on the facet configurations has not been thoroughly explored. In this paper, through a combination of atomistic simulations and electron microscopic observations, we examine in detail the structure of an asymmetric Σ = 5 [001] grain boundary in well-annealed, body-centered cubic (BCC) Fe. The observed boundary forms with a hill-and-valley morphology composed of nanoscale {310} and {210} facets. Our analysis clarifies the atomic structure of the {310}/{210} facet junctions and identifies the presence of an array of secondary grain boundary dislocations that are localized to these junctions. Analysis of the Burgers vectors of the grain boundary dislocations, which are of type (1/5) and (1/5) , shows that the defect density is consistent with that required to accommodate a small observed angular deviation from the exact Σ = 5 orientation relationship. These observations and analysis suggest a crucial role for secondary grain boundary dislocations in dictating the length-scale of grain boundary facets, a consideration which has not been included in prior analyses of facet evolution and equilibrium facet length.
Ambient Personal Environment Experiment (APEX): A Cyber-Human Prosthesis for Mental, Physical and Age-Related Disabilities

We present an emerging research project in our laboratory to extend ambient intelligence (AmI) by what we refer to as “extreme personalization” meaning that an instance of ambient intelligence is focused on one or at most a few individuals over a very long period of time. Over a lifetime of co-activity, it senses and adapts to a person’s preferences and experiences, and crucially, his or her (changing) special needs; needs that differ significantly from the normal baseline. We refer to our agent-based cyber-physical system as Ambient Personal Environment eXperiment (APEX). It aims to serve as a Companion , a Coach , and a Caregiver : crucial support for individuals with mental, physical, and age-related disabilities and those other people who help them. We propose that an instance of APEX, interacting socially with each of these people, is both a social actor as well as a cyber-human prosthetic device . APEX is an ambitious integration of multiple technologies from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other disciplines. Its successful development can be viewed as a grand challenge for AI. We discuss in this paper three research thrusts that lead toward our vision: robust intelligent agents, semantically rich human-machine interaction, and reasoning from comprehensive multi-modal behavior data.
The Ice Water Paths of Small and Large Ice Species in Hurricanes Arthur (2014) and Irene (2011)

AbstractDual-polarization scanning radar measurements, air temperature soundings, and a polarimetric radar-based particle identification scheme are used to generate maps and probability density functions (PDFs) of the ice water path (IWP) in Hurricanes Arthur (2014) and Irene (2011) at landfall. The IWP is separated into the contribution from small ice (i.e., ice crystals), termed small-particle IWP, and large ice (i.e., graupel and snow), termed large-particle IWP. Vertically profiling radar data from Hurricane Arthur suggest that the small ice particles detected by the scanning radar have fall velocities mostly greater than 0.25 m s−1 and that the particle identification scheme is capable of distinguishing between small and large ice particles in a mean sense. The IWP maps and PDFs reveal that the total and large-particle IWPs range up to 10 kg m−2, with the largest values confined to intense convective precipitation within the rainbands and eyewall. Small-particle IWP remains mostly <4 kg m−2, with the...
Literacy as social (media) practice: Refugee youth and native language literacy at school

Abstract Research indicates that immigrant and refugee students benefit from use of their native languages in education. Nevertheless, what this means in practice has infrequently been examined by researchers, and teachers often struggle to find ways to use their refugee students’ native languages as resources that encourage the development of the native languages as well as academic language and literacy in the new language. This small-scale, exploratory project employed an innovative, five-day critical media literacy curricular unit, and then examined how it served as a context for native language and English literacy development. Participants were 14 adolescent newcomers to the U.S. from Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia, all speakers of Somali with limited or interrupted formal schooling experiences. Participants had varying but mostly beginning levels of print literacy skills; yet as recent migrants, most used social media to interact with others locally and globally, in multiple languages, oral and written. As described here, our efforts to foster peer-to-peer Somali language communication resulted in multilingual interaction across a range of social and academic purposes in the classroom. These research findings highlight how in-class use of social media analysis can serve to achieve multilingual and (critical) literacy learning aims.
Effect Modification of Chronic Kidney Disease on the Association of Circulating and Imaging Cardiac Biomarkers With Outcomes.

BackgroundCardiac troponin T and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are elevated in >50% of dialysis patients and are associated with poor outcomes. Few data investigated these associations in earlier...
Computational Study of Combustor–Turbine Interactions

The Open National Combustion Code is applied to the simulation of a realistic combustor configuration (Energy Efficient Engine) in order to investigate the unsteady flowfields inside the combustor ...
The sustainability route to corporate legitimacy

The world’s resources, especially nonrenewable ones, are depleting exponentially due to accelerated consumption. Environmental degradation, obesity, pollution, human rights violations, and poverty ...
Expression of bacteriorhodopsin in Sf9 and COS-1 cells.

We report studies on the expression of the archaebacterial membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin in Sf9 insect cells and in COS-1 mammalian cells. In both cell systems, the apoprotein bacterio-opsin was expressed at levels of ∼ 1 μg/106 cells. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the expressed protein was accumulated in the endoplasmic reticulum. However, upon addition of all-trans retinal to membranes isolated from either Sf9 or COS-1 cells expressing bacterio-opsin, the characteristic bacteriorhodopsin chromophore (λmax at ∼560 nm) was rapidly generated. This is in contrast to bacterio-opsin expressed in E. coli, which cannot be functionally reconstituted with retinal unless it is first denatured, and then renatured in vitro. These studies demonstrate that the bacterio-opsin expressed is correctly folded and show that localization of a heterologously expressed membrane protein in the endoplasmic reticulum does not necessarily imply that it is misfolded.
The financial effect of physician practice style on hospital resource use.

Several specifications of a statistical model were used to measure the effect that internal medicine attending physicians had on inpatient charges and length of stay at a large urban teaching hospital. The study was based on a sample of 1,458 patients discharged during 1985-1987 with 12 common principal diagnosis clusters. The relationship between 31 physicians' clinical decisions and hospital charges and length of stay was analyzed controlling for patients' health status, as measured by demographic characteristics, diagnostic group, and ratings for the Severity of Illness Index (SOII). Results indicated that attending physicians were statistically significant predictors of the log of total charges (p = .0030) and the log of length of stay (p less than .0001), and not as significant predictors of untransformed total charges (p = .1255). Equivalent results were obtained when overall SOII ratings were replaced by SOII subscale ratings for the presenting stage of the principal diagnosis on admission. Examination of individual physician regression coefficients revealed that physicians varied within a 40 percent range of generated per patient charges. No significant differences in mortality, early readmissions or residual impairment on discharge were found between the ten highest and ten lowest resource use physicians. The conservatively estimated range of attending physician practice variations observed in this study has serious financial implications for hospitals operating under incentives to minimize operating costs, particularly for teaching hospitals facing reductions in subsidies for graduate medical education.
Kinematics of Particles

As you begin the study of dynamics, you should be filled with excitement, interest, and a craving to discover new principles, conquer new frontiers, and develop new insights. This is a necessary step to establishing a solid foundation for your future development as an engineer. At times you may question the benefits of some topics and their real engineering value. This is not an unexpected reaction for a beginning engineering student whose sense of the profession is yet to be developed.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE NATURE OF MATHEMATICAL DISCOVERY

Our research has indicated that in some domains of mathematics a purely empirical approach is insufficient to model the discovery process. In this paper we discuss an analytic technique which can be coupled usefully with empirical techniques of discovery.
Usable implantation depth for watchman left atrial appendage occlusion is greater with appendage angiography than transesophageal echocardiography

OBJECTIVES To compare left atrial appendage (LAA) angiography to transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for assessing usable LAA depth. BACKGROUND TEE is typically employed for procedural measurement of LAA ostial diameter and depth. Since angiography enhances distal LAA anatomy, we sought to compare angiography to TEE for determining usable LAA depth. METHODS Seventy five Watchman device cases were retrospectively evaluated. Two independent cardiologists measured intraoperative LAA ostial diameter and depth at standard 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135° TEE omniplane views and in the right anterior oblique (RAO) 30°, caudal (CAUD) 30° angiographic view. RESULTS The average age and CHA2 DS2 VASc score were 74 (±7.2) years and 4.6 (±1.3), respectively. The average ostial diameter and depth (mm) by TEE were 0°: 19.6 and 26.5; 45°: 17.5 and 26.6; 90°: 18.3 and 25.1; 135°: 19.5 and 23.3. The ostial diameter and depth (mm) by RAO 30° CAUD 30° angiography were 21.1 and 29.7. This angiographic view corresponds to a TEE view between 90° and 135°. In comparison to angiography, TEE 90° underestimated the LAA ostial diameter by 2.9 ± 3.7 mm (P < 0.001) and by 1.9 ± 4.0 mm at TEE 135° (P < 0.01); Pearson's r 0.53 angiography/TEE 90° and 0.50 angiography/TEE 135°. More importantly, TEE 90° underestimated the true usable LAA depth by 5.4 ± 5.8 mm (P < 0.001) and by 7.3 ± 6.1 mm at TEE 135° (P < 0.001); Pearson's r 0.39 angiography/TEE 90° and 0.30 angiography/TEE 135°. CONCLUSIONS Compared to TEE, LAA angiography provides additional depth information and may be particularly valuable when patients have insufficient depth for Watchman by TEE measures.
Interplay Between Amphetamine and Activity Level in Gene Networks of the Mouse Striatum

The psychostimulant amphetamine can be prescribed to ameliorate the symptoms of narcolepsy, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and to facilitate weight loss. This stimulant can also have negative effects including toxicity and addiction risk. The impact of amphetamine on gene networks is partially understood and this study addresses this gap in consideration of the physical activity. The striata of mice exposed to either amphetamine or saline treatment were compared in a mouse line selected for home cage physical overactivity, a phenotype that can be mitigated with amphetamine, and in a contemporary control line using RNA-seq. Genes presenting opposite expression patterns between treatments across lines included a pseudogene of coiled-coil-helix-coiled-coil-helix domain containing 2 gene (Chchd2), ribonuclease P RNA component H1 (Rpph1), short stature homeobox 2 (Shox2), transient receptor potential melastatin 6 (Trpm6), and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 9 (Tnfrsf9). Genes presenting consistent treatment patterns across lines, albeit at different levels of significance included cholecystokinin (Cck), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (Vip), arginine vasopressin (Avp), oxytocin/neurophysin (Oxt), thyrotropin releasing hormone (Trh), neurotensin (Nts), angiotensinogen (Agt), galanin (Gal), prolactin receptor (Prlr), and calcitonin receptor (Calcr). Potassium inwardly rectifying channel, subfamily J, member 6 (Kcnj6), and retinoic acid-related (RAR)-related orphan receptor alpha (Rora) were similarly differentially expressed between treatments across lines. Functional categories enriched among the genes presenting line-dependent amphetamine effect included genes coding for neuropeptides and associated with memory and neuroplasticity and synaptic signaling, energy, and redox processes. A line-dependent association between amphetamine exposure and the synaptic signaling genes neurogranin (Nrgn) and synaptic membrane exocytosis 1(Rims1) was highlighted in the gene networks. Our findings advance the understanding of molecular players and networks affected by amphetamine in support of the development of activity-targeted therapies that may capitalize on the benefits of this psychostimulant.
Real-Time Simulation of Electric Vehicle Battery Charging Systems

The sale of electric vehicles (EVs) is rapidly increasing around the world due to EVs’ efficiency and energy security. Charging systems play a vital role in electric vehicle. Charging systems can be categorized into three levels according to Society of Automatic Engineers (SAE). This paper presents the topologies of three types of charging systems. The charging systems are simulated in RT-Lab real-time simulator. The input ac for Level 1 and Level 2 charging systems is single-phase. The charging system consists of two diode bridge rectifiers, a power factor correction (PFC) boost circuit, a DC/AC converter, an LLC resonant converter, and a high frequency transformer. Constant current/constant voltage (CC/CV) control is employed for the DC/AC converter. The Level 3 charging system uses a three-phase source as input and its bi-directional converter is equipped with reactive power and DC bus voltage control. Three testbeds are setup to simulate the three types of charging systems with different charging power levels. A 10 kWh-battery will be charged. Simulation results demonstrate the expected charging performance of the charging systems.
Oxygen and lactic acid transport in skeletal muscle: effect of reactive hyperemia.

A mathematical model of oxygen and lactic acid transport in skeletal muscle is used to test the effects of reactive hyperemia on oxygen and lactic acid concentrations following a period of ischemia. The model is based on the Krogh cylinder as the geometrical representation of the functional unit of transport, i.e., a capillary and the tissue it supplies. Included in the mathematical development of the model are the convective and diffusive transport of the chemical species, the nonlinear aspects of oxygen and lactic acid kinetics, and the reversible reaction of oxygen with hemoglobin in capillary blood and myoglobin in the tissue. The steady-state solution to the model is obtained first as the baseline for the study. Ischemia is then simulated by the cessation of capillary blood flow. This is followed by a reactive hyperemic response that is a function of the occlusion duration. The general effect of reactive hyperemia is to shorten the time intervals for initial return of tissue oxygen levels and the washout of accumulated lactic acid and to maintain tissue oxygen levels above steady-state values.
Tuning catalytic bias of hydrogen gas producing hydrogenases.

Hydrogenases display a wide range of catalytic rates and biases in reversible hydrogen gas oxidation catalysis. The interactions of the iron–sulfur-containing catalytic site with the local protein ...
BAND STRUCTURES AND ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES OF SiO2

ABSTRACT The results of mixed-basis calculations of the electronic energy bands of SiO2 in both the idealized beta cristobalite and alpha quartz structures are discussed. Simple tight-binding fits to the lowest conduction bands are presented and effective masses and densities of states are obtained. The valence and lowest conduction bands of idealized tridymite are obtained by the simple tight-binding technique; the tridymite results are then compared with results on cristobalite and quartz.
The PLAGL2/MYCN/miR-506-3p interplay regulates neuroblastoma cell fate and associates with neuroblastoma progression

The oncogene MYCN is critical for tumorigenesis of several types of cancers including neuroblastoma. We previously reported that miR-506-3p repressed MYCN expression in neuroblastoma cells. However, the mechanism underlying such regulation was undetermined since there is no miR-506-3p target site in MYCN 3’UTR. By a systematic investigation combining microarray, informatics and luciferase reporter assay, we identified that the transcriptional factor pleiomorphic adenoma gene-like 2 (PLAGL2) is a direct target of miR-506-3p that mediates its regulation on MYCN expression. Using CHIP-PCR and luciferase reporter assay, we validated the transcriptional regulation of MYCN by PLAGL2 and we further demonstrated the transcriptional regulation of PLAGL2 by MYCN. We examined the function of PLAGL2 in regulating neuroblastoma cell fate by cell viability assay, colony formation and Western blotting of differentiation markers. We examined the effect of retinoic acid, the differentiation agent used in neuroblastoma therapy, on miR-506-3p, PLAGL2 and MYCN expressions by quantitative PCR and Western blots. We investigated the clinical relevance of PLAGL2 expression by examining the correlation of tumor PLAGL2 mRNA levels with MYCN mRNA expression and patient survival using public neuroblastoma patient datasets. We found that miR-506-3p directly down-regulated PLAGL2 expression, and we validated a PLAGL2 binding site in the MYCN promoter region responsible for promoting MYCN transcription, thereby establishing a mechanism through which miR-506-3p regulates MYCN expression. Conversely, we discovered that MYCN regulated PLAGL2 transcription through five N-Myc-binding E-boxes in the PLAGL2 promoter region. We further confirmed the reciprocal regulation between endogenous PLAGL2 and MYCN in multiple neuroblastoma cell lines. Moreover, we found that PLAGL2 knockdown induced neuroblastoma cell differentiation and reduced cell proliferation, and combined knockdown of PLAGL2 and MYCN showed a synergistic effect. More strikingly, we found that high tumor PLAGL2 mRNA levels were significantly correlated with high MYCN mRNA levels and poor patient survival in neuroblastoma patients. Furthermore, we found that retinoic acid increased expression of miR-506-3p and repressed expression of MYCN and PLAGL2. Our findings altogether suggest that the interplay network formed by PLAGL2, MYCN and miR-506-3p is an important mechanism in regulating neuroblastoma cell fate, determining neuroblastoma prognosis, and mediating the therapeutic function of retinoic acid.
Universal free-energy landscape produces efficient and reversible electron bifurcation

For decades, it was unknown how electron-bifurcating systems in nature prevented energy-wasting short-circuiting reactions that have large driving forces, so synthetic electron-bifurcating molecular machines could not be designed and built. The underpinning free-energy landscapes for electron bifurcation were also enigmatic. We predict that a simple and universal free-energy landscape enables electron bifurcation, and we show that it enables high-efficiency bifurcation with limited short-circuiting (the EB scheme). The landscape relies on steep free-energy slopes in the two redox branches to insulate against short-circuiting using an electron occupancy blockade effect, without relying on nuanced changes in the microscopic rate constants for the short-circuiting reactions. The EB scheme thus unifies a body of observations on biological catalysis and energy conversion, and the scheme provides a blueprint to guide future campaigns to establish synthetic electron bifurcation machines.
Don’t stand so close to me: Public spaces, behavioral geography, and COVID-19

COVID-19 is influencing how people engage with one another in geographic space. Stay-at-home orders and social distancing have reduced people’s bodily presences and social interactions in public sp...
Suppressing Black Power through Black Panther's neocolonial allegory

This essay argues that the superhero movie Black Panther (2018) operates allegorically as a neocolonial text. The central conflict between T’Challa/Black Panther and his nemesis Killmonger maps ont...
Pneumothorax and Pneumomediastinum in COVID-19: A Case Series

Abstract COVID- 19 has become a major pandemic affecting more than 11 million people worldwide. Common radiological manifestations of COVID-19 include peripheral based ground-glass or consolidative opacities; however, pneumothorax and pneumo-mediastinum are very rare manifestations; even more so within patients not on mechanical ventilation. We present a case series of 5 patients with COVID-19 who either presented with or developed spontaneous pneumothorax or pneumo-mediastinum within the course of hospitalization. With the exception of one patient, all other patients developed pneumothorax as a late manifestation in their illness; more than 10 days after initial symptom onset in COVID-19. From within this case series, all patients who developed spontaneous pneumothorax or pneumo-mediastinum during hospitalization subsequently succumbed to the illness. Spontaneous pneumothorax or pneumo-mediastinum may be an important late manifestation in COVID-19; even in spontaneously breathing patients. This may be related to development of cystic changes within the lung parenchyma. Although the clinical relevance of this finding is unknown; in our series, it portended a worse prognosis in the majority of patients.
On colors of stainless-steel surfaces polished with magnetic abrasives

Multiple colors visible to the naked eye across the internal surfaces of stainless-steel 304 tubes polished with a magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) process were investigated at varying levels of magnification. The colors were found to result from microscopic colored features of four different hues — green, blue, red, and yellow — having irregular sizes and shapes. Spectral analysis of their dispersion indicates that these colored features appear along the lay marks generated during MAF. Surface characterization employing energy dispersive spectroscopy and instrumented indentation testing indicates the presence of films of non-stochiometric chromium oxide and nickel oxide in the colored regions. Variations in the momentum and the density of the abrasive particles interacting with the surface during the MAF process, together with the chemical composition and morphology of the surface, provide thermodynamic conditions favorable for a non-uniform growth of the oxides film. Local color is dependent on the local composition and thickness of the oxides film.
Respiratory Alkalosis Provokes Spike-Wave Discharges in Seizure-Prone Rats

Hyperventilation reliably provokes seizures in patients diagnosed with absence epilepsy. Despite this predictable patient response, the mechanisms that enable hyperventilation to powerfully activate absence seizure-generating circuits remain entirely unknown. Using the WAG/Rij rat, an established rodent model of absence epilepsy, we demonstrate that absence seizures are highly sensitive to arterial carbon dioxide, suggesting that seizure-generating circuits are sensitive to pH. Moreover, hyperventilation consistently activated neurons within the intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus, a structure implicated in seizure generation. We show that intralaminar thalamus also contains pH-sensitive neurons. Collectively, these observations suggest that hyperventilation activates pH-sensitive neurons of the intralaminar nuclei to provoke absence seizures.
Orthostatic Disorders of Blood Pressure Control: Definitions and Classification

The detection and investigation of orthostatic blood pressure disorders are completely dependent on accurate and reliable blood pressure measurements in the upright posture. This chapter discusses technical details of these simple measurements, the range of changes in healthy subjects, and definable orthostatic disorders of blood pressure control.
The Biosynthesis and Metabolism of Gibberellins in Higher Plants

The gibberellins (GAs) are all tetracyclic diterpenoid acids with theent- gibberellane ring system (structure 1). There are two main types of GAs, the C20-GAs which have a full complement of 20 carbon atoms (structure 2), and the C19-GAs in which the twentieth carbon atom has been lost by metabolism (structure 3). In almost all of the C19-GAs, the carboxylic acid at carbon-19 bonds to carbon-10 to give a lactone bridge.
The Teleprompter Presidency: Comparing Obama's Campaign and Governing Rhetoric

Objectives. Are the skills presidents require to be elected the same skills they will need once they assume office? Is there a change in rhetoric between presidential campaigning and presidential governing? The objective of this article is to examine those questions. Methods. WecomparecandidateBarackObama’scampaignspeecheswith his governing speeches to determine if his rhetoric on the campaign trail provides the basis for his later governance. We compare speeches on certainty, positivity, and inclusiveness. Results. We find that, in general, Obama’s campaign and governing rhetoric are consistent, suggesting that he used the rhetoric of the campaign to help build a basis for governance. We find no statistical difference in the level of certainty or inclusiveness that he used before or after taking office. Conclusions. We conclude that most differences between presidential campaign rhetoric and governing rhetoric, at least in the case of Barack Obama, seem to be caused by the specifics of the political environment. Are the skills presidents require to get elected the same skills they will need once they assume office? In a presidential campaign, there is a premium on such qualities as the candidate’s likeability, rhetorical skill, and an uncanny ability to reduce any complex question to a 30-second sound bite or to obfuscate the issue completely. Candidates do make consequential decisions, particularly their choice of a qualified running mate; building a campaign organization; and making strategic choices during the labyrinth of primaries, caucuses, and the fall election. Yet, elections are poll-driven affairs, with a greater emphasis on horse race questions (who is up and who is down) than a knowledge or application of substantive policy views. As the election of
Intracellular folate concentrations in Down syndrome patients with arthritis

Purpose Patients with Down syndrome (DS) have an increased prevalence of arthritis compared to the general population, and often the arthritis is severe and debilitating. In light of the concern for folate deficiency in this patient population, and a clinically observed increased risk for methotrexate (MTX) toxicity, we investigated intracellular folate concentrations in DS patients on methotrexate therapy.
On Making Problems Evolutionarily Friendly - Part 1: Evolving the Most Convenient Representations

The idea of evolutionary friendliness recognizes that problem representations have a significant impact on the performance of evolutionary algorithms. There are two aspects of these representations. Different solution schemes exploit different natural symmetries. Very commonly, problems also possess symmetries that are determined by the coordinate systems used to represent them. Solution symmetries are typically specified by the user and are not allowed to evolve. The problem coordinate system is again typically chosen by the user and not evolved. In this first paper, the most appropriate solution symmetry is evolved. In the second paper, the coordinate system is evolved. In this paper, common detection problems with decision boundaries that possess special symmetries are solved using an evolutionary programming (EP) framework that is capable of exploiting these symmetries to quickly generate solutions. In particular, neural networks possessing appropriate symmetries are evolved by optimizing both their bases and their parameters. Simulation results indicate that the EP procedure is capable of selecting appropriate basis functions for different regions of the input space as well as optimizing the associated set of parameters.
Moviéndose a Través de Languages and Literacies Through Code-Switching in a Community Literacies Event

This article describes a community literacies event from a larger project, one goal of which was to connect those affiliated to with university with the Latino/a community in the greater Lafayette area in Indiana. The notion of code-switching is used to describe how participants, including faculty, graduate students, preservice teachers, and volunteers, moved across languages and literacies to engage with community members—a central characteristic for the establishment of partnerships with culturally and linguistically diverse groups. The following questions are addressed: How can we move across community literacies and academic literacies to partner with Latino/a families? What models exist to promote understanding of community literacies? Based on exploration of these questions, it is clear that code-switching may play a key role in establishing partnerships with Latino/a communities. Suggestions for practitioners’ and scholars’ engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse communities are given.
Insertion loss synthesis of matching networks for microwave amplifiers

A generalized synthesis technique for the design of amplifier matching networks, which allows flexible topology, arbitrary gain shape and parisitic absorption capability, will be presented. The design procedure will be illustrated on a 12-GHz FET amplifier.
Health Care Delivery System: Russia

This entry examines the transition of Russia's health care delivery system from its former Soviet version to today's insurance-based approach. Accompanying this transition was a major health crisis that ranked as one of the late twentieth century's most significant public health problems. Especially affected were middle-aged, working-class males whose high rates of premature mortality were caused by negative health lifestyles, primarily binge drinking and high levels of alcohol consumption. The crisis has yet to be fully resolved. Keywords: alcoholism; health lifestyles; Marxism, Russia
A climatology of tropical congestus using CloudSat

[1] Cumulus congestus clouds have long been identified as an important part of the spectrum of convective clouds in the tropics. These clouds—which range in size from growing cumulus to slightly smaller than a cumulonimbus—make important contributions to precipitation and latent heat fluxes in the tropics. Past studies have used numerical simulations and satellite observations to examine these clouds globally, although definitions of congestus vary between studies. In this study, congestus in the tropics are identified using contiguous cloud area with cloud tops between 5 and 8 km from 5 years of CloudSat reflectivity data. Alternatively, congestus clouds are defined by contiguous cloud areas with infrared brightness temperature ranging from 273 to 260 K and radar-detected surface rainfall from 14 years of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data. Due to the resolution of CloudSat, the congestus identified using this method represent groups of congestus clouds rather than individual turrets. The regional, seasonal variations of the population of congestus are presented globally. Congestus clouds are found most frequently over the Amazon. There is a strong diurnal variation of congestus clouds over land with a peak in the early afternoon shown by TRMM. General differences are found between the properties of congestus over land and those over ocean, especially the shapes of groups of congestus over land and ocean. Ocean congestus clusters are more bell shaped, while land congestus clusters tend to have flatter sides and larger area above the freezing level. These differences have important implications in the proper representation of congestus in numerical models.
Mutation of the htrB locus of Haemophilus influenzae nontypable strain 2019 is associated with modifications of lipid A and phosphorylation of the lipo-oligosaccharide

The HtrB protein was first identified in Escherichia coli as a protein required for cell viability at high temperature, but its expression was not regulated by temperature. We isolated an htrB homologue from nontypable Haemophilus influenzae strain (NTHi) 2019, which was able to functionally complement the E. coli htrB mutation. The promoter for the NTHi 2019 htrB gene overlaps the promoter for the rfaE gene, and the two genes are divergently transcribed. The deduced amino acid sequence of NTHi 2019 HtrB had 56% homology to E. coli HtrB. In vitro transcription-translation analysis confirmed production of a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 32-33 kDa. Primer extension analysis revealed that htrB was transcribed from a σ70-dependent consensus promoter and its expression was not affected by temperature. The expression of htrB and rfaE was 2.5-4 times higher in the NTHi htrB mutant B29 than in the parental strain. In order to study the function of the HtrB protein in Haemophilus, we generated two isogenic htrB mutants by shuttle mutagenesis using a mini-Tn3. The htrB mutants initially showed temperature sensitivity, but they lost the sensitivity after a few passages at 30°C and were able to grow at 37°C. They also showed hypersensitivity to deoxycholate and kanamycin, which persisted on passage. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that the lipo-oligosaccharide (LOS) isolated from these mutants migrated faster than the wild type LOS and its color changed from black to brown as has been described for E. coli htrB mutants. Immunoblotting analysis also showed that the LOS from the htrB mutants lost reactivity to a monoclonal antibody, 6E4, which binds to the wild type NTHi 2019 LOS. Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analysis of the O-deacylated LOS oligosaccharide indicated a modification of the core structure characterized in part by a net loss in phosphoethanolamine. Mass spectrometric analysis of the lipid A of the htrB mutant indicated a loss of one or both myristic acid substitutions. These data suggest that HtrB is a multifunctional protein and may play a controlling role in regulating cell responses to various environmental changes.
Milosevic on Trial

International Law is argued to have a “civilized” component, but viewing the actions of supposed “civilized” states, it is hard to agree. An example is the case of Slobodan Milosevic, the former head of Yugoslavia, who was put on trial (until his death in The Hague) for acts, which were in fact committed by many, including heads of state who are not subject to similar charges let alone trials. A close examination of the articles on which this purported international law rests reveals serious doubts about the legal basis for the trial, while agreeing that the acts of Milosevic might well have been morally reprehensible.
Anisotropic properties of sinter-forged YBa2Cu3O7-σ

Abstract The anisotropy of the upper critical field slopes and resistivity has been measured in sinter-forged YBa2Cu3O7−σ. An analysis based on the anisotropic Ginzburg-Landau theory, combined with a Gaussian fit to the measured angular distribution function of the crystallites was carried out. The fundamental quantities derived are consistent with the single crystal results, implying that this method is useful in determining the anisotropic properties (or in deducing the degree of the preferential orientation) in similar anisotropic compacts.
Genetic analysis of sodium-lithium countertransport in 10 hypertension-prone kindreds.

The rate of sodium-lithium countertransport (SLC flux) across red cell membranes has been reported to be elevated in hypertensive persons and their relatives as compared to normotensive individuals without family histories of hypertension. We have investigated the inheritance of this trait in 434 persons from 10 kindreds. Relatives show positive correlation of SLC flux values, but there is no spouse-spouse correlation. Pedigree analysis favors a model of polygenic inheritance over models of major-gene inheritance. Major-gene index statistics and offspring-between-parent statistics provide similar results. The proportion of total pheno-typic variance that is attributable to polygenic differences between persons is estimated at 71%. The SLC flux values of hypertensive persons in this study population are lower than those reported from Boston, but are similar to those reported from Europe. We found a broad overlap of SLC flux values for hypertensive and normotensive persons. We conclude that SLC flux probably is not useful as a preclinical marker for essential hypertension.