cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distinct Sensitivity of Slo1 Channel Proteins to Ethanol

Ethanol levels reached in circulation during moderate-to-heavy alcohol intoxication (50–100 mM) modify Ca2+- and voltage-gated K+ (BK) channel steady-state activity, eventually altering both physiology and behavior. Ethanol action on BK steady-state activity solely requires the channel-forming subunit slo1 within a bare lipid environment. To identify the protein regions that confer ethanol sensitivity to slo1, we tested the ethanol sensitivity of heterologously expressed slo1 and structurally related channels. Ethanol (50 mM) increased the steady-state activities of mslo1 and Ca2+-gated MthK, the latter after channel reconstitution into phospholipid bilayers. In contrast, 50–100 mM ethanol failed to alter the steady-state activities of Na+/Cl−-gated rslo2, H+-gated mslo3, and an mslo1/3 chimera engineered by joining the mslo1 region encompassing the N terminus to S6 with the mslo3 cytosolic tail domain (CTD). Collectively, data indicate that the slo family canonical design, which combines a transmembrane 6 (TM6) voltage-gated K+ channel (KV) core with CTDs that empower the channel with ion-sensing, does not necessarily render ethanol sensitivity. In addition, the region encompassing the N terminus to the S0–S1 cytosolic loop (missing in MthK) is not necessary for ethanol action. Moreover, incorporation of both this region and an ion-sensing CTD to TM6 KV cores (a design common to mslo1, mslo3, and the mslo1/mslo3 chimera) is not sufficient for ethanol sensitivity. Rather, a CTD containing Ca2+-sensing regulator of conductance for K+ domains seems to be critical to bestow KV structures, whether of TM2 (MthK) or TM6 (slo1), with sensitivity to intoxicating ethanol levels.
A note on optimal switching between two activities

Let f1 and f2 map [0, T] into the real numbers. A system is following either f1 or f2 and earning the associated reward ∫ f1 or ∫ f2, respectively. It is possible at any time to switch from fi to fj by paying a switching cost b > 0. We determine a switching policy which maximizes the total reward. Conditions which guarantee a planning horizon are established.
Modulation Selection from a Battery Power Efficiency Perspective: A Case Study of PPM and OOK

Sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are often expected to operate on batteries for a long period of time. Battery power efficiency (BPE) is therefore a critical factor dictating the lifetime of WSNs. In this paper, we aim to select the appropriate modulation scheme from a battery power efficiency perspective. Pulse position modulation (PPM) and on-off keying (OOK), as low-complexity pulse-based modulation schemes, are used for a case study of our methodology. The analysis is based on a general model that integrates typical WSN transmission and reception modules with a realistic nonlinear battery model. We first present the quantitative comparison results under general system design criteria. Then, we illustrate the comparisons with theoretical and numerical results under the bit error rate (BER) system design criterion.
A Phospholipase C-γ1–Independent, RasGRP1-ERK–Dependent Pathway Drives Lymphoproliferative Disease in Linker for Activation of T Cells–Y136F Mutant Mice

Mice expressing a germline mutation in the phospholipase C-γ1-binding site of linker for activation of T cells (LAT) show progressive lymphoproliferation and ultimately die at 4-6 mo age. The hyperactivated T cells in these mice show defective TCR-induced calcium flux but enhanced Ras/ERK activation, which is critical for disease progression. Despite the loss of LAT-dependent phospholipase C-γ1 binding and activation, genetic analysis revealed RasGRP1, and not Sos1 or Sos2, to be the major Ras guanine exchange factor responsible for ERK activation and the lymphoproliferative phenotype in these mice. Analysis of isolated CD4(+) T cells from LAT-Y136F mice showed altered proximal TCR-dependent kinase signaling, which activated a Zap70- and LAT-independent pathway. Moreover, LAT-Y136F T cells showed ERK activation that was dependent on Lck and/or Fyn, protein kinase C-θ, and RasGRP1. These data demonstrate a novel route to Ras activation in vivo in a pathological setting.
Structure of bacteriophage T4 fibritin: a segmented coiled coil and the role of the C-terminal domain

Background: Oligomeric coiled-coil motifs are found in numerous protein structures; among them is fibritin, a structural protein of bacteriophage T4, which belongs to a class of chaperones that catalyze a specific phage-assembly process. Fibritin promotes the assembly of the long tail fibers and their subsequent attachment to the tail baseplate; it is also a sensing device that controls the retraction of the long tail fibers in adverse environments and, thus, prevents infection. The structure of fibritin had been predicted from sequence and biochemical analyses to be mainly a triple-helical coiled coil. The determination of its structure at atomic resolution was expected to give insights into the assembly process and biological function of fibritin, and the properties of modified coiled-coil structures in general. Results: The three-dimensional structure of fibritin E, a deletion mutant of wildtype fibritin, was determined to 2.2 A resolution by X-ray crystallography. Three identical subunits of 119 amino acid residues form a trimeric parallel coiled-coil domain and a small globular C-terminal domain about a crystallographic threefold axis. The coiled-coil domain is divided into three segments that are separated by insertion loops. The C-terminal domain, which consists of 30 residues from each subunit, contains a b-propeller-like structure with a hydrophobic interior. Conclusions: The residues within the C-terminal domain make extensive hydrophobic and some polar intersubunit interactions. This is consistent with the C-terminal domain being important for the correct assembly of fibritin, as shown earlier by mutational studies. Tight interactions between the C-terminal residues of adjacent subunits counteract the latent instability that is suggested by the structural properties of the coiled-coil segments. Trimerization is likely to begin with the formation of the C-terminal domain which subsequently initiates the assembly of the coiled coil. The interplay between the stabilizing effect of the C-terminal domain and the labile coiled-coil domain may be essential for the fibritin function and for the correct functioning of many other a-fibrous proteins.
Psychological support and psychiatric management of patients with automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

There are well over 6, 000 automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICD) that have been implanted in the United States since 1980. The device clearly reduces arrhythmic mortality in high risk patients. Many AICD patients have other cardiac diseases, most commonly, coronary artery disease with associated prior myocardial infarctions. These patients have special psychosocial stresses that may make them vulnerable to depression and other psychological disturbances. Psychological support together with psychiatric treatment, if needed, should be provided to these patients. Use of psychotropic medications should be closely monitored, especially in this population, as many of these drugs can exacerbate ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Special precautions should also be taken when administering electroconvulsive therapy in these patients.
If you stock it, will they buy it? Healthy food availability and customer purchasing behaviour within corner stores in Hartford, CT, USA.

Objective: Literature on food environments has expanded rapidly, yet most research focuses on stores and community characteristics without integrating customer-level data. The present study combines customer shopping behaviour with store food inventory data. Design: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with customers shopping in corner stores to measure food shopping behaviour, household food security and demographics. Store inventories were conducted to measure availability of healthy food in corner stores. Multilevel logistic regression models estimated the probability of customers purchasing a food item given the availability of that item in the store. Setting: Nineteen corner stores in Hartford, CT, USA, average size 669ft 2 (62?15m 2 ). Subjects: Sample of 372 customers. Results: The majority of customers were Black or Hispanic (54% and 40%, respectively) and 61% experienced food insecurity. For each additional type of fruits or vegetables available in the store, the estimated odds of a customer purchasing fruits increased by 12% (P 50?03) and the odds for purchasing vegetables increased by 15% (P 50?01). Customers receiving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) were 1?7 times as likely to purchase fruit as those not receiving SNAP (P 50?04). Greater availability of reduced-fat milk was not associated with increased likelihood of customers purchasing reduced-fat milk. Conclusions: There is a positive association between fruit and vegetable variety and the probability that a customer purchases fruits and vegetables. Increasing the selection of produce in corner stores may increase their consumption by foodinsecure and low-income residents at risk for health disparities. These findings have implications for future store interventions and food policies.
Everyday Action Impairment in Parkinson's Disease Dementia

This study examined everyday action impairment in participants with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) by comparison with participants with Parkinson's disease-no dementia (PD) or Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in reference to a neuropsychological model. Participants with PDD (n = 20), PD (n = 20), or AD (n = 20) were administered performance-based measures of everyday functioning that allowed for the quantification of overall performance and error types. Also, caregiver ratings of functional independence were obtained. On performance-based tests, the PDD group exhibited greater functional impairment than the PD group but comparable overall impairment relative to the AD group. Error patterns did not differ between PDD and PD participants but the PDD group demonstrated a higher proportion of commission errors and lower proportion of omission errors relative to the AD group. Hierarchical regression analyses showed omission errors were significantly predicted by neuropsychological measures of episodic memory, whereas commission errors were predicted by both measures of general dementia severity (MMSE) and executive control. Everyday action impairment in PDD differs quantitatively from PD but qualitatively from AD and may be characterized by a relatively high proportion of commission errors-an error type associated with executive control deficits. (JINS, 2012, 18, 1-12).
A general class of aggregation operators with applications to information fusion in distributed systems

A collection of all plausible solutions to a given complex problem is considered, and it is assumed that these solutions are separately ranked by the degree to which they satisfy each member of an a priori chosen criteria set. Oftentimes these rankings can be accurately modeled as partial orders. Given such a collection of partially ordered sets (posets), one may wish to define a class of operators whose members may be used to aggregate this collection of posets into a single poset. Selection of a solution to the given problem can then be performed on this poset directly. The authors propose a framework that allows the construction of a variety of aggregation operators so as to bring forth their algebraic structure. >
N‐(tert‐Butoxycarbonyl)‐p‐toluenesulfonamide

[18303-04-3] C12H17NO4S (MW 271.33) InChI = 1S/C12H17NO4S/c1-9-5-7-10(8-6-9)18(15,16)13-11(14)17-12(2,3)4/h5-8H,1-4H3,(H,13,14) InChIKey = DUTLOVSBVBGNDM-UHFFFAOYSA-N (useful component in Mitsunobu reactions for the direct preparation of protected amines from alcohols) Physical Data: mp 121–123 °C. Solubility: sol most common organic solvents. Form Supplied in: white solid; commercially available. Preparative Method: the title compound 1 is readily prepared in high yield by addition of tert-butanol to tosyl isocyanate.1 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: the reagent can be stored for extended periods of time in an amber bottle at rt.
The importance of patient selection for adjunctive postoperative radiation therapy for cancer of the rectum. Patient selection in adjunctive therapy.

Background. Clinical stage of disease is an important selection criterion for choice of primary treatment and strategies for adjunctive therapy for most cancers. For adenocarcinoma of the rectum, strategies for adjuvant treatment are based primarily on pathologic stage alone, without consideration of presenting clinical factors. This analysis was undertaken to assess the effect of patient selection on results of adjunctive therapy. Methods. Three groups of patients with Astler-Coller Stage B2 and C rectal cancer were compared to assess the effect of patient selection factors on outcome of treatment after adjuvant postoperative radiation. Thirty-two patients in Group 1 received only 5 Gy preoperatively; 54 patients in Group 2 received low-dose (5 Gy) preoperative and high-dose (45 Gy) postoperative radiation; and 53 patients in Group 3 received high-dose (45 Gy) postoperative radiation. All patients have a minimum follow-up of 5 years. Whereas Group 1 and Group 2 patients were similar in distribution by clinical tumor characteristics, Group 3 had more patients with poor clinical features: higher median age, more men, and a higher proportion of tumors in the distal rectum. Group 3 also had a slightly higher percentage of C2 tumors compared with the other two groups. Results. Treatment was well tolerated with minimal side effects. Patients in Group 1 had no long-term complications. Four percent of patients (2 of 54) in Group 2 and 6% of patients (3 of 53) in Group 3 experienced major small bowel complications. The incidence of local recurrence was 34% (11 of 32) in Group 1, 9% (5 of 54) in Group 2, and 21% (11 of 53) in Group 3. The incidence of distant metastasis was 28% (9 of 32), 22% (12 of 54), and 38% (20 of 53), respectively. Absolute 5-year survival rates were 54%, 72%, and 41% in these three groups, respectively. Conclusions. Low-dose preoperative adjunctive radiation alone (Group 1) resulted in a high incidence of local recurrence and poor survival compared with patients treated more appropriately with low-dose preoperative plus adjunctive postoperative irradiation (Group 2). In spite of postoperative radiation, patients with clinically unfavorable rectal cancer (Group 3) did worse than carefully selected patients, although both were nominally Stage B2 and C. Careful patient selection before surgery, histopathologic stage of disease postsurgery, and adequate adjunctive therapy are all important factors in obtaining the best results from adjunctive therapy.
Genomics and proteomics: Emerging technologies in clinical cancer research

Fueled by the complete genomic data acquired from the human genome project and the desperate clinical need of comprehensive analytical tools to study a heterogeneous disease like cancer, genomic and proteomic technologies have evolved rapidly, accelerating the rate and number of discoveries in clinical cancer research. These discoveries include mechanistic understanding of cancer biology as well as the identification of biomarkers supporting early detection, molecular classification of tumors, molecular predictors of metastasis, treatment response, and prognosis. While the technical advances have been significant, clinical researchers and practicing physicians are now confronted with the challenges of understanding technically and statistically complex data sets, translating this complex information to fit clinical contexts and incorporating it into clinical studies. In this review, we will summarize the available technologies and associated bioinformatics, discuss studies that are clinically relevant, and discuss the limitations we are still facing. We will present a framework for future directions of these technologies and how we believe they should be applied in clinical studies.
Content analysis of antismoking videos on YouTube: message sensation value, message appeals, and their relationships with viewer responses

Focusing on several message features that are prominent in antismoking campaign literature, this content-analytic study examines 934 antismoking video clips on YouTube for the following characteristics: message sensation value (MSV) and three types of message appeal (threat, social and humor). These four characteristics are then linked to YouTube's interactive audience response mechanisms (number of viewers, viewer ratings and number of comments) to capture message reach, viewer preference and viewer engagement. The findings suggest the following: (i) antismoking messages are prevalent on YouTube, (ii) MSV levels of online antismoking videos are relatively low compared with MSV levels of televised antismoking messages, (iii) threat appeals are the videos' predominant message strategy and (iv) message characteristics are related to viewer reach and viewer preference.
Transition-independent decentralized markov decision processes

There has been substantial progress with formal models for sequential decision making by individual agents using the Markov decision process (MDP). However, similar treatment of multi-agent systems is lacking. A recent complexity result, showing that solving decentralized MDPs is NEXP-hard, provides a partial explanation. To overcome this complexity barrier, we identify a general class of transition-independent decentralized MDPs that is widely applicable. The class consists of independent collaborating agents that are tied together through a global reward function that depends upon both of their histories. We present a novel algorithm for solving this class of problems and examine its properties. The result is the first effective technique to solve optimally a class of decentralized MDPs. This lays the foundation for further work in this area on both exact and approximate solutions.
Antioxidant vitamins and their influence in diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease associated with serious complications. A number of studies have suggested that enhanced oxidation is the underlying abnormality responsible for some of the complications of diabetes. It is not known whether the ingestion of antioxidant vitamins could retard or perhaps reverse the oxidative damage. The information regarding the benefit of antioxidant vitamin supplementation is conflicting some trials have demonstrated adverse effects of excessive consumption of vitamin supplements. In this article, we review the available literature on the association of cardiovascular events and ingestion of vitamins with antioxidant properties. Given the lack of data to substantiate the benefit and safety of ingestion of antioxidant vitamins in excess of the recommended dietary allowance, physicians should avoid the recommendation of vitamin supplementation to their patients.
Influence of TiHX Addition on SHS Porous Shape Memory Alloy

Abstract Porous NiTi alloys are receiving considerable attention as they can be used as scaffold for bone replacement. Most production routes presented in the literature use metal powders as raw material (pure Ni and Ti or prealloyed NiTi powders): among these processes, Self propagating High temperature Synthesis (SHS) is investigated as a possible energy saving, quick and easy method of production. To obtain porous NiTi, compacted Ti and Ni powders are preheated and then ignited, avoiding high reaction temperatures at which the compound melts and consequently pores collapse. A drawback of low reaction temperatures is the formation of secondary phases. In this paper the addition of hydrided titanium (TiHX, x=1.5-1.9) powder is considered. During the reaction, hydrided titanium endothermically decomposes and can act as process controlling media. Reference Ni-Ti and Ni-TiHx mixed powders were reacted and the temperature evolution monitored. Differential Scanning Calorimetry was used to verify the presence of transforming phases (austenite, martensite). Microstructure characterization was performed with X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscope, equipped with EDX and EBSD detectors. The results confirmed that decomposition of hydrided titanium is the controlling process of the reaction, limiting the availability of Ti and absorbing reaction heat. The presence of TiHx can suppress SHS reaction, leaving un-reacted Ni and Ti powders and high amount of other intermetallic phases. If partial or complete decomposition of TiHx is allowed during preheating of reactants, NiTi production can occur: secondary phases content decreases for increased decomposition of TiHx before SHS reaction.
Bis(cyclopentadienyl)dimethyltitanium

[1271-66-5] C12H16Ti (MW 208.14) InChI = 1S/2C5H5.2CH3.Ti/c2*1-2-4-5-3-1;;;/h2*1-5H;2*1H3; InChIKey = QWHJQOJNNKDPBE-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent of low basicity and acidity, useful for the methylenation of carbonyl compounds;2 methylenates highly enolizable ketones,2 esters2 and lactones,2 including aldonolactones3 and acid-labile substrates;4 homologs of the reagent perform carbonyl alkylidenations;5-7 reacts with alkynes8, 9 and nitriles8-10 and can initiate the ring-opening metathesis polymerization of strained cyclic alkenes;11 it is a useful precursor for Ziegler–Natta polymerization catalysts,12 a cocatalyst for alkene metathesis13 and a catalyst for alkene hydrogenation14 and the dehydrogenative coupling of silanes15, 16) Alternate Name: dimethyltitanocene. Physical Data: mp >90 °C dec. Solubility: sol most aprotic organic solvents, e.g. Et2O, THF, CH2Cl2, toluene, hexanes. Form Supplied in: orange crystals; not available commercially. Analysis of Reagent Purity: 1H NMR (250 MHz, C6D6) δ 0.04 (s, 6H), 5.69 (s, 10H). Preparative Method: 17 a solution of Methyllithium (2.1 equiv) in Et2O is added dropwise to a suspension of Dichlorobis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium in Et2O (3–5 mL mmol−1) cooled in an ice bath. After 1 h the reaction mixture is quenched with ice water, the ether layer is separated, dried over MgSO4, filtered and evaporated. The resulting bright orange crystals of the reagent, obtained in 95% yield, are dissolved in THF or toluene and stored in the dark, in the refrigerator or freezer. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: sensitive to oxygen and light, but can be briefly exposed to air and water. In the solid state the reagent is not stable for more than a few hours at rt, but it can be stored for months in the dark as a THF or toluene solution. Although it is stable in solution at rt, the reagent is best stored in a refrigerator.
The Coin-Exchange Problem of Frobenius

Suppose we are interested in an infinite sequence of numbers \(\left (a_{k}\right )_{k=0}^{\infty }\) that arises naturally from geometric problems, or from recursively defined problems. Is there a “good formula” for a k as a function of k? Are there identities involving various a k ’s? Embedding this sequence into the generating function \(F(z) =\sum _{k\geq 0}a_{k}\,z^{k}\) allows us to retrieve answers to the questions above in a surprisingly quick and elegant way. We may think of F(z) as lifting our sequence a k from its discrete setting into the continuous world of functions. We introduce techniques for working with generating functions, and we use them to shed light on the Frobenius coin-exchange problem: Given relatively prime positive integers \(a_{1},a_{2},\ldots,a_{n}\), what is the largest integer that cannot be written as a nonnegative integral linear combination of \(a_{1},a_{2}\ldots,a_{n}\)?
Ultracytochemical Localization of Acid Phosphatase within Deliquescing Asci of Chaetomium brasiliense

Within asci of Chaetomium brasiliense, acid phosphatase activity is localized in epiplasmic vacuoles, spore-delimiting membranes, and ascospore walls. Enzyme activity appears to increase greatly at...
Sidewall morphology-dependent formation of multiple twins in Si nanowires.

Precise placement of twin boundaries and stacking faults promises new opportunities to fundamentally manipulate the optical, electrical, and thermal properties of semiconductor nanowires. Here we report on the appearance of consecutive twin boundaries in Si nanowires and show that sidewall morphology governs their spacing. Detailed electron microscopy analysis reveals that thin {111} sidewall facets, which elongate following the first twin boundary (TB1), are responsible for deforming the triple-phase line and favoring the formation of the second twin boundary (TB2). While multiple, geometrically correlated defect planes are known in group III–V nanowires, our findings show that this behavior is also possible in group IV materials.
The Influence of Situational Variables on Consumer Choice Behavior, And Its Impact on Marketing Strategy

A frequently heard response when consumers are questioned on their intention to buy a brand/product is "it depends upon the situation." Researchers and practitioners often overlook the impact of situational variables on marketing strategy formulation.
Here’s What You’ll Learn From This News Story Prior Framing and Learning Reasons From News

In the online news environment, audience information processing may be influenced by the framing not only of a news story itself but also of other messages that introduce, link to, or accompany the news content. We test these mixed media framing effects on audience reason acquisition from news content with an experiment, in which we manipulate the frame—value or strategy—of a text introduction about the issue of stem cell research, followed by exposure, or no exposure, to a video news report about stem cell research. Value framing (as opposed to strategy framing) prior to a news story increased the number of reasons for one’s own side of the issue acquired from the news report, but no effects were found on learning reasons for the other side.
Radar Imaging Studies Based on Spectral Analysis in Angle-domain

In order to acquire high quality images of targets,the traditional small-angle radar imaging algorithms need high sampling rate in both of the angle-domain and the frequency-domain. To solve the problem,this paper presented a high Signal to Noise Ratio( SNR) small-angle radar imaging algorithm from the fundamental formula of 2-Dimensional radar imaging,which is based on the spectral analysis in angle-domain and focused in frequency-domain. Meanwhile,the formulas of the Maximum Unambiguous Range( MUR) and the resolution were deduced strictly. In contrast to the traditional small-angle imaging algorithms,the proposed algorithm can decrease the sampling rate in both of the angle-domain and the frequency-domain effectively,and increase the SNR of the image obviously.At last,the proposed algorithm was testified by the simulated results in Ka-band. The results show that the proposed method can be used to acquire high quality and high resolution of 2-Dimensional images of targets,and has the ability of decreasing the sampling rate in both of the angle-domain and the frequency-domain,increasing the SNR of the image effectively.
On-Line Information Systems for the Environmental Sciences

On-line systems are available to assist engineers and scientists in the retrieval and acquisition of technical information. This paper reviews the on-line data bases and related information services in the environmental sciences. The different types of data bases (bibliographic, numeric, and full text), the information they contain, and their potential value to researchers are described.
An electron microscopic study of spleen in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia.

The ultrastructure of the spleen was studied in four patients with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) who underwent splenectomy. The basic structure of the spleen is not altered. Degenerative changes are seen in the white pulp, which appears atrophic. Hemopoietic tissue (erythropoietic and granulopoietic cells, as well as megakaryocytes) is seen in the sinuses, as well as in the cords of the red pulp, but is not seen in the white pulp. Nuclear and cytoplasmic abnormalities are seen in hemopoietic cells. Nuclear changes consist of the nuclear membrane projecting into the cytoplasm and forming nuclear blebs or loops. The nuclear blebs are sometimes connected to the main nuclear body by a stalk containing fibrillar structures. The nuclear loops may be so large as to engulf almost all the cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic changes are degenerative in nature and result in premature destruction followed by phagocytosis. Macrophages are ubiquitous in the red pulp, particularly in association with extracellular reticulum and the basement membranes. They often contain debris of developing hemopoietic cells. These findings support previous studies that indicate that a portion of splenic hemopoiesis in MMM is ineffective.
Structure in “Amorphous Regions”, Accessible Segments of Fibrils, of the Cotton Fiber

The extent of hydrogen bonding of O(3)H and O(6)H in “amorphous” regions, more specifically in accessible segments of fibrils, of the cotton fiber varied from near perfection to almost complete disorder in samples under examination. Perfection of hydrogen bonding in various samples and segments of cotton fibers decreased with decreasing crystallinity of the cellulose within the fibrils. For the most part, extents of O(3)H hydrogen bonding and O(6)H hydrogen bonding followed similar patterns with substantial differences in degrees of perfection, the O(3)H ranging from about 95% hydrogen bonding down to 8% and the O(6)H) from 92% down to 41%. Details of hydrogen bonds assessed in these chemical studies are discussed relative to crystallinities and assignments of hydrogen bond structures from x-ray diffraction studies.
Accurate prediction of retention in hydrophilic interaction chromatography by back calculation of high pressure liquid chromatography gradient profiles.

Abstract Gradient retention times are difficult to project from the underlying retention factor ( k ) vs. solvent composition ( φ ) relationships. A major reason for this difficulty is that gradients produced by HPLC pumps are imperfect – gradient delay, gradient dispersion, and solvent mis-proportioning are all difficult to account for in calculations. However, we recently showed that a gradient “back-calculation” methodology can measure these imperfections and take them into account. In RPLC, when the back-calculation methodology was used, error in projected gradient retention times is as low as could be expected based on repeatability in the k vs. φ relationships. HILIC, however, presents a new challenge: the selectivity of HILIC columns drift strongly over time. Retention is repeatable in short time, but selectivity frequently drifts over the course of weeks. In this study, we set out to understand if the issue of selectivity drift can be avoid by doing our experiments quickly, and if there any other factors that make it difficult to predict gradient retention times from isocratic k vs. φ relationships when gradient imperfections are taken into account with the back-calculation methodology. While in past reports, the accuracy of retention projections was >5%, the back-calculation methodology brought our error down to ∼1%. This result was 6–43 times more accurate than projections made using ideal gradients and 3–5 times more accurate than the same retention projections made using offset gradients (i.e., gradients that only took gradient delay into account). Still, the error remained higher in our HILIC projections than in RPLC. Based on the shape of the back-calculated gradients, we suspect the higher error is a result of prominent gradient distortion caused by strong, preferential water uptake from the mobile phase into the stationary phase during the gradient – a factor our model did not properly take into account. It appears that, at least with the stationary phase we used, column distortion is an important factor to take into account in retention projection in HILIC that is not usually important in RPLC.
Formation of Cellulose and Protein Blend Biofibers

Cellulose and proteins are potential polymers for developing biodegradable materials for high value-added applications. A combination with these natural polymers could be useful to enhance the properties of final materials and to extend their application areas. In particular, blend biofibers that are degradable and sustainable can be engineered from a mixture of cellulose and proteins, such as soy protein, silk fibroin, collagen, etc. In a binary polymeric blend, the compatibility of cellulose and proteins is influenced by the characteristics of each polymer in the employed solvent system as well as processing conditions. Therefore, utilizing solvents that can dissolve cellulose and proteins, and coagulants that are non-solvents for both polymers is of importance. In this book chapter, the formation and characteristics of blend biofibers from these polymers will be discussed.
Mimesis and clinical pictures: thinking with Plato and Broekman through the production and meaning of images of disease

This paper contends, following Plato and Broekman, that (1) seeing images as images is crucial to theorizing medicine and that (2) considering clinical pictures as images of images is a much-needed epistemic complement to the domineering view that sees clinical pictures as mirrors of disease. This does not only offer epistemic, but also ethical benefits to individual patients, especially in those cases where patients suffer from chronic, debilitating, and terminal illnesses and where medicine provides no, or limited, answers in terms of treatment, intervention, and meaning. By creating room for a theory of clinical pictures that rightfully emphasizes its pictorial nature, patients and doctors alike may be encouraged to consider under what authorship, and with which epistemic tools, alternative, supplemental images may be produced to get at the existential reality of disease and suffering. Ultimately, this paper argues that the epistemic tools provided by aesthetics may offer such glimpses into the reality of disease and suffering, and I conclude by discussing a few artistic renditions of breast cancer to illustrate my point.
Electronic Freedom of Information

The United States Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)1 is a model for governmental transparency throughout the world. Amendments made in 1996 (EFOIA Amendments) ensure appropriate application of the FOIA to government information represented in electronic formats.2 The EFOIA Amendments are a model for how law can ensure that information from public institutions is a part of the information superhighway.3 This Article
Differential Regulation of Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) By P53, P63 and P73

Kommagani, Ramakrishna. Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Program, Wright State University, 2009. Differential regulation of vitamin D receptor (VDR) by p53, p63 and p73. The tumor suppressor p53 is the single most altered gene in human cancers. p53 homologues, p63 and p73 play a major role in development and in human cancer. Both p63and p73-null mice exhibit profound developmental abnormalities, suggesting a vital role for p63 and p73 in development. Although the role of p73 in human cancers is well established, the role of p63 still remains to be understood. While p63 plays a major role in development, p73 plays a major role in tumor suppression as well as in development. Although a functional co-operation is evident between each member of p53 family, additional studies are required to understand the functional cross-talk between each member of the p53 family, and their ability to govern multiple biological functions. Identifying common and specific transcriptional networks of p53 family is essential for understanding the existing functional co-operation between each member. This dissertation focuses on defining the functional relevance of the regulation of vitamin D receptor (VDR) by p53 family members. Secosteroid hormone vitamin D, through its cognate receptor VDR, regulates genes involved in mineral homeostasis, bone formation and in epidermal differentiation. Vitamin D and its analogues also exhibit antiproliferative activities and are widely used as cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Findings from this study demonstrated VDR as a direct target of p63 and p73; however p53 does not appear to regulate VDR directly or indirectly. One part of this dissertation underpinned the role of VDR in p63 mediated biological functions. Down regulation of endogenous p63 in human epidermoid cancer cells resulted in complete loss of
Chronic Pain After Breast Surgery: A Prospective, Observational Study.

Chronic pain is an important complication of breast surgery, estimated to affect 20–30% of patients. We prospectively examined surgical, demographic, and psychosocial factors associated with chronic pain 6 months after breast surgery. Patients undergoing breast surgery for benign and malignant disease preoperatively completed validated questionnaires to assess baseline pain and psychosocial characteristics. Pain at 6 months was quantified as the Pain Burden Index (PBI), which encompasses pain locations, severity, and frequency. Surgical type was categorized as breast-conserving surgery (BCS), mastectomy, and mastectomy with reconstruction; axillary procedure was categorized as no axillary surgery, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), and axillary dissection. PBI was compared between groups using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA, and the relationship between baseline demographic and psychosocial factors and PBI was assessed using Spearman’s Rank Correlation. p < 0.05 was considered significant. PBI was variable amongst patients reporting this endpoint (n = 216) at 6 months, but no difference was found between primary breast surgical types (BCS, mastectomy, and mastectomy with reconstruction) or with surgical duration. However, axillary dissection was associated with higher PBI than SLNB and no axillary procedure (p < 0.001). Younger age (< 0.001) and higher BMI (p = 0.010), as well as higher preoperative anxiety (p = 0.017), depression (p < 0.001), and catastrophizing scores (p = 0.005) correlated with higher 6-month PBI. Amongst surgical variables, only axillary dissection was associated with greater pain at 6 months after surgery. Patient characteristics that were associated with higher PBI included lower age and higher BMI, as well as higher baseline anxiety, depression, and catastrophizing.
Incidence of pneumonitis with use of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of trials.

e20647Background: PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors show clinical activity in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). However, these agents are sometimes associated with potentially fatal immune related pneumon...
Phosphorylation of Phenylalanine Hydroxylase Increases the Rate Constant for Formation of the Activated Conformation of the Enzyme

Liver phenylalanine hydroxylase (PheH) is an allosteric enzyme that is activated by phenylalanine. The enzyme is also phosphorylated by protein kinase A, but the effects of phosphorylation are unclear. Recent structural studies ( Meisburger et al. ( 2016 ) J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 138 , 6506 - 6516 ) support a model in which activation of the enzyme involves dimerization of the regulatory domains, creating the allosteric site for phenylalanine at the dimer interface. This conformational change also results in a change in the fluorescence of the protein that can be used to monitor activation. The kinetics of activation of PheH are biphasic over a range of phenylalanine concentrations. These data are well-described by a model involving an initial equilibrium between the resting form and the activated conformation, with a value of the equilibrium constant for formation of the activated conformation, L, equal to 0.007, followed by binding of two molecules of phenylalanine. Phosphorylation increases L 10-fold by increasing the rate constant for conversion of the resting form to the activated form. The results provide functional support for the previous structural model, identify the specific effect of phosphorylation on the enzyme, and rationalize the lack of change in the protein structure upon phosphorylation.
Outcomes following intravenous bisphosphonate infusion in pediatric patients: A 7-year retrospective chart review.

Abstract Introduction Intravenous bisphosphonates (IV BP) have been used to treat children with osteoporosis for many years. Favorable side effect profile and improvements in bone mineral density (BMD) have been demonstrated in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a primary form of osteoporosis in pediatrics. Less is known about the safety of IV BP in children with secondary osteoporosis or glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO). We aimed to determine the prevalence of both acute and long-term side effects and assess the efficacy of IV BP treatment to increase bone mineral density in pediatric patients with varying presentations of compromised bone health. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of pediatric patients ( Results 123 patients (56% male) received 942 infusions (83% PAM and 17% ZA). APR was reported in 7% of all infusions and more common in secondary osteoporosis (16%, p Conclusions APR due to intravenous BP treatment for pediatric osteoporosis were infrequent and generally mild. APR were more likely to occur in patients with secondary osteoporosis, a group who may require closer monitoring. A higher proportion of hypophosphatemia occurred in the patients with GIO. Long-term serious adverse events including ONJ and AFF were not identified in our patient population. LS aBMD Z-score increased following initiation of IV BP. However, the change in BMD was not associated with risk of fracture during the follow-up interval. These data provide reassurance and suggest that IV BP can be safely used in pediatric patients with osteoporosis.
Equol’s efficacy is greater than astaxanthin for antioxidants, extracellular matrix integrity & breakdown, growth factors and inflammatory biomarkers via human skin gene expression analysis

Abstract Skin homeostasis and dermal aging can be influenced by phytochemicals. Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, while equol’s beneficial properties have been recently reported. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare astaxanthin versus equol at a 1% concentration by a single topical application using epidermal full-thickness skin cultures. After 24 h (exposure) human gene expression was quantified by qPCR-mRNA across 9 functional categories for 63 genes. For 39 biomarkers equol significantly altered the parameters compared to astaxanthin. Astaxanthin significantly influenced 6 genes compared to equol. The results revealed significantly greater effects of equol compared to astaxanthin for the antioxidants, growth factors, extracellular integrity and extracellular breakdown, and the inflammatory biomarkers. These findings indicate that equol’s efficacy is greater than astaxanthin for various skin biomarkers and suggest that equol may be incorporated into topical and oral applications to improve skin health and reduce photo-aging.
Salicylaldehyde based oxazolidines as catalysts for the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

A series of oxazolidines have been prepared by condensation of N-isopropyl norephedrine with a variety of salicylaldehyde derivatives. Despite the stereochemical relationship of (1R,2S)-norephedrine with (1R,2S)-ephedrine, the resultant oxazolidines 12-14 were determined to have a stronger stereochemical relationship with (1S,2S)-pseudoephedrine based oxazolidines. The resultant oxazolidines were used as catalytic ligands in the addition of diethylzinc to several aldehydes. It was determined that the oxazolidine derivative 12 gave the highest yield and a moderate enantioselectivity.
Performance and mechanism of polypeptidylated hemoglobin (Hb)/iron oxide magnetic composites for enhanced dye removal

Abstract Composites of polypeptidylated hemoglobin supported on different iron oxide weights (0.5:1 and 1:1) were developed and demonstrated to function as efficient adsorbents for Eriochrome black-T dye removal. The synthesis of these adsorbents were performed through N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) polymerization at low temperature (4 °C) and near-neutral pH for 24 h followed by chemical co-precipitation. The synthesized adsorbents were found to exhibit BET surface area (54–87 m2/g), pore volume (0.30–0.35 cm3/g), average pore diameter (160–218 A) and average pore width (136–171 A). The developed adsorbents were tested in a batch dye adsorption system. Adsorption was found to follow pseudo-second order kinetics and the Langmuir adsorption capacities were 123, 204 and 217 mg/g for Fe3O4, 0.5:1 and 1:1 adsorbent samples, respectively. Chemical regeneration was successfully carried out using methanol and the reusability of the adsorbents were demonstrated with a decrease in adsorption capacities from ∼49 to ∼33 mg/g after the fourth reuse.
Synthesis of (±)-rupestines B and C by intramolecular Mizoroki-Heck cyclization

Abstract The total synthesis of rupestines B and C, two guaipyridine sesquiterpene alkaloids, is reported. These compounds are isolated from Artemisia rupestris L. and have structural similarities to that of cananodine, a guaipyridine alkaloid with activity against two liver cancer cell lines. The synthesis of rupestines B and C was accomplished in six steps using an intramolecular Mizoroki-Heck cyclization as the key-step to form the seven-membered carbocycle of the targets.
Tunable, room-temperature multiferroic Fe-BaTiO3 vertically aligned nanocomposites with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Abstract Room-temperature ferromagnetic materials with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are widely sought after for spintronics, magnetic data storage devices, and stochastic computing. To address this need, a new Fe-BaTiO3 vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) has been fabricated—combining both the strong room-temperature ferromagnetic properties of Fe nanopillars and the strong room-temperature ferroelectric properties of the BaTiO3 matrix. Furthermore, the Fe-BaTiO3 VAN allows for highly anisotropic magnetic properties with tunable magnetization and coercivity. In addition, to demonstrate the multiferroic properties of the Fe-BaTiO3 system, the new metal-oxide hybrid material system has been incorporated in a multilayer stack. This new multiferroic VAN system possesses great potential in magnetic anisotropy and property tuning and demonstrates a new material family of oxide-metal hybrid systems for room-temperature multiferroic material designs.
Recent advances in new drugs for neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial malignant tumor in children. Chemotherapy is a vital treatment of high-risk NB patients. Because of its late recurrence, distant metastasis and drug resistance, the clinical prognosis remains poor despite aggressive interventions. In recent years, development and application of various types of drugs, represented by immunotherapy and targeted therapy of gene/signaling pathway, have significantly improved the survival rate. This systematic review offers an overview of the mechanism, effectiveness, advantages and disadvantages of new drugs for NB. Key words: Neuroblastoma; Drug therapy; Immunotherapy; Targeted therapy
Monitoring Lévy-process crossovers

Abstract The crossover among two or more types of diffusive processes represents a vibrant theme in nonequilibrium statistical physics. In this work we propose two models to generate crossovers among different Levy processes: in the first model we change gradually the order of the derivative in the Laplacian term of the diffusion equation, whereas in the second one we consider a combination of fractional-derivative diffusive terms characterized by coefficients that change in time. The proposals are illustrated by considering semi-analytical (i.e., analytical together with numerical) procedures to follow the time-dependent solutions. We find changes between two different regimes and it is shown that, far from the crossover regime, both models yield qualitatively similar results, although these changes may occur in different forms for the two models. The models introduced herein are expected to be useful for describing crossovers among distinct diffusive regimes that occur frequently in complex systems.