cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolism of DHEA by Cytochromes P450 in Rat and Human Liver Microsomal Fractions

Administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to rodents produces many unique biological responses, some of which may be due to metabolism of DHEA to more biologically active products. In the current study, DHEA metabolism was studied using human and rat liver microsomal fractions. In both species, DHEA was extensively metabolized to multiple products; formation of these products was potently inhibited in both species by miconazole, demonstrating a principal role for cytochrome P450. In the rat, use of P450 form-selective inhibitors suggested the participation of P4501A and 3A forms in DHEA metabolism. Human liver samples displayed interindividual differences in that one of five subjects metabolized DHEA to a much greater extent than the others. This difference correlated with the level of P4503A activity present in the human liver samples. For one subject, troleandomycin inhibited hepatic microsomal metabolism of DHEA by 78%, compared to 81% inhibition by miconazole, suggesting the importance of P4503A in these reactions. Form-selective inhibitors of P4502D6 and P4502E1 had a modest inhibitory effect, suggesting that these forms may also contribute to metabolism of DHEA in humans. Metabolites identified by LC-MS in both species included 16alpha-hydroxy-DHEA, 7alpha-hydroxy-DHEA, and 7-oxo-DHEA. While 16alpha-hydroxy-DHEA appeared to be the major metabolite produced in rat, the major metabolite produced in humans was a mono-hydroxylated DHEA species, whose position of hydroxylation is unknown.
A Compact Omnidirectional Self-Packaged Patch Antenna With Complementary Split-Ring Resonator Loading for Wireless Endoscope Applications

A patch loaded with a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) is fabricated on a flexible substrate and folded in a cylindrical shape, forming a self-packaged folded patch antenna with a quasi-omnidirectional radiation pattern. The space inside the cylindrical cavity is electromagnetically shielded by the ground plane of the patch, and therefore electronic circuits can be accommodated in it with little electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the antenna or other external electronics. The CSRR contributes to size reduction. As a test vehicle, a 2.4-GHz ISM-band folded patch antenna is designed, fabricated, and characterized for a wireless capsule endoscope application, where the implemented antenna has a patch length of 10.5 mm (0.11λ ) and a folded cylinder diameter of 10 mm. A 74% size reduction is achieved after CSRR loading. The antenna located at the outermost surface not only functions as an electromagnetic radiator and an EMI shield, but also serve as a mechanical packaging structure.
Modulation of tyrosine hydroxylase gene expression in the rat adrenal gland by age and reserpine

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), TH messenger RNA (TH mRNA) and dopamine (DA) were measured simultaneously in adrenal glands of individual Fischer 344 rats aged 2, 6, 13 and 23 months. Between 2 and 23 months TH activity rose 2-fold as compared to the youngest group. TH mRNA content of the adrenal gland rose 3-fold between 2 and 23 months. A 3-fold increase in adrenal DA content, the first catecholamine product of TH, provides evidence that the increases in TH gene expression are functionally significant. To determine if mechanisms that regulate gene expression are altered by aging, the effects of reserpine on induction of TH mRNA and TH activity were compared in another group of rats aged 2, 12 and 27 months. Consistent with the results of the first experiment, there were age-related increases in both TH activity and TH mRNA in the age-matched control groups. TH activity rose 2-fold and TH mRNA rose more than 6-fold between 2 and 27 months. The discrepancy in the relative magnitudes of increases in TH mRNA and TH protein suggest an uncoupling of regulation of TH mRNA and TH protein levels. Moreover, there were significant age-related differences with respect to modulation of TH gene expression by reserpine treatment. TH activity was induced by reserpine in the youngest group, but not in the two older age-groups. In contrast, reserpine caused significant induction of TH mRNA in all age groups. These results provide evidence that aging is accompanied by alterations in transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms involved in regulation of TH gene expression.
The parental fitness of mothers with multiple personality disorder: A preliminary study

Recent studies show that nearly all individuals who develop multiple personality disorder (MPD) were abused as children. The majority of identified MPD patients are women in the age range associated with child-rearing responsibilities. A review of the parenting patterns of 75 mothers with MPD yielded findings suggesting that 38.7% were competent or exceptional mothers, 16% were grossly abusive to the extent of injuring, molesting, or placing their children at risk, and 45.3% were compromised or impaired as parents. The compromised/impaired mothers were a mixed group, including psychologically abusive individuals and those whose symptoms interfered with parenting despite their best efforts. Clinical illustrations are offered.
Security of MBAN based Health Records in Mobile Broadband Environment

Strong developments in mobile computing and web systems within the last decade have led to their integration in different aspects of our life. This has enabled us to explore new possibilities in the healthcare sector in the form of real time health monitoring and diagnosis systems. Mobile broadband technologies like WiMAX and LTE are being introduced at a rapid pace. This will lead to the development of healthcare systems involving round-the-clock mobile health monitoring, high volume data transmission for remote tests and diagnosis and other real time applications. There are several security issues that should be addressed to enable secured medical data transfer in a mobile broadband environment. In this work, we identify all such security issues and vulnerabilities involving transmission of medical data and propose a security scheme to address some of these issues.
Bias and uncertainty of δ 13 CO 2 isotopic mixing models

Patterns in the isotopic signal (stable C isotope composition; delta(13)C) of respiration (delta(13)C(R)) have led to important gains in understanding the C metabolism of many systems. Contained within delta(13)C(R) is a record of the C source mineralized, the metabolic pathway of C and the environmental conditions during which respiration occurred. Because gas samples used for analysis of delta(13)C(R) contain a mixture of CO(2) from respiration and from the atmosphere, two-component mixing models are used to identify delta(13)C(R). Measurement of ecosystem delta(13)C(R), using canopy airspace gas samples, was one of the first applications of mixing models in ecosystem ecology, and thus recommendations and guidelines are based primarily on findings from these studies. However, as mixing models are applied to other experimental conditions these approaches may not be appropriate. For example, the range in [CO(2)] obtained in gas samples from canopy air is generally less than 100 micromol mol(-1), whereas in studies of respiration from soil, foliage or tree stems, the range can span as much as 10,000 micromol mol(-1) and greater. Does this larger range in [CO(2)] influence the precision and accuracy of delta(13)C(R) estimates derived from mixing models? Does the outcome from using different regression approaches and mixing models vary depending on the range of [CO(2)]? Our research addressed these questions using a simulation approach. We found that it is important to distinguish between large (>1,000 micromol mol(-1)) and small ( or=1,000 micromol mol(-1).
Influence of diet and heredity on the serum protein components of the rat.

Summary1. Wistar rats had a significantly higher amount of total serum protein than BHE rats fed the semipurified diet and a significantly lower relative amount of albumin and alpha-1 globulin than the BHE strain regardless of diet. 2. All 3 strains fed the stock diet varied significantly in their serum beta globulin concentration. BHE and Wistar rats fed the semipurified diet, however, had similar concentrations of beta globulin while Holtzman rats fed this diet had a significantly lower relative value than BHE or Wistar rats. 3. The Holtzman strain had the lowest level of serum gamma globulin, which was significantly different from the Wistar strain regardless of diet, but different only from the BHE strain when the semipurified diet was fed. 4. A significant interaction between strain and diet was found for both the serum pre-albumin and beta globulin fractions. 5. Comparison of rats within strains (BHE, Wistar, Holtzman) fed either a stock diet or a semipurified diet showed no significant differences ...
Gesture as a Private Form of Communication during Lessons in an ESL-Designated Elementary Classroom: A Sociocultural Perspective.

This research studies an elementary classroom of all English language learners (ELLs) for the use of forms of gesture without speech for private communication. This private–public modality allowed the teacher to attend to individuals without significant disruption of her concurrent speech. Students also used this modality in various contexts as well. Three functional categories were determined from the data (70 hours of video-recording) for the use of this modality: managerial and pedagogical forms for teacher–student and student–student interactions, and personal forms for students (typically playful exchanges). The teacher was considered highly effective, having taught ELLs for many years. Her use of representational gesticulations was prolific, suggesting that she had come to recognize that these gestures facilitate listening comprehension for this student population (Church, Ayman-Nolley, & Mahootian, 2004). As such, her development of a gesture-only channel for private communication would seem a natural extension of the prominence she accorded gesture in general. Given the social niche of a classroom, students were sensitive to this modality and engaged in its use themselves. Indeed, newcomers to a community are subjected to mastering the objects and symbols of the new environment only achieved through participation and actuation (Rosa, 2007b).
BF3 Adsorption on α-Cr2O3 (101̄2): Probing the Lewis Basicity of Surface Oxygen Anions

Acid/base characterizations of metal oxide surfaces are used often to explain their catalytic behavior. BF3, a strong Lewis acid, is used in this investigation as a probe molecule to interrogate the basicity of well-defined Cr2O3 (1012) surfaces. BF3 clearly probes differences in oxide ions of different coordination on Cr2O3 (1012). The heat of adsorption of BF3 shows that terminal chromyl oxygens are stronger Lewis bases than three-coordinate oxygen anions on the nearly stoichiometric surface. The trends in basicity found with BF3 are the opposite of those found from the heat of adsorption of CO2, a common probe molecule used to investigate the basicity of oxide surfaces. The use of BF3 as a probe molecule is complicated by some dissociation and the slow build up of surface boron and fluorine during consecutive thermal desorption runs.
Effect of environmental temperature on the vector competence of Aedes fowleri for Rift Valley fever virus.

Summary Studies were conducted to determine the effect of environmental temperature on the ability of Senegalese Aedes fowleri to transmit Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus. Temperatures tested included 17°C, 28°C and a cyclic (17–28°C) regimen designed to mimic temperatures to which a mosquito might be exposed in October in southeastern Senegal. After per oral exposure, infection rates were similar ( ca. 93 %) for all three groups. However, RVF virus disseminated to the haemocoel more rapidly in mosquitoes held at higher temperatures, with peak dissemination rates ( ca. 80 %) reached at 11, 18 and > 42 days after the infectious blood meal for mosquitoes held at 28°C, cyclic and 17°C, respectively. Likewise, the time interval between ingestion of the viremic blood meal and the first transmission by bite was inversely related to environmental temperature, with the first transmission occurring at 11, 18 and 35 days for mosquitoes held at 28°C, cyclic and 17°C, respectively. After being transferred from 17 to 28°C on days 7 or 14 after the infectious blood meal, mosquitoes rapidly developed a disseminated infection and transmitted virus by bite within 7 days. Environmental temperature significantly affected the vectorial capacity of A. fowleri for RVF virus, with transmission occurring earlier and at a higher rate in mosquitoes held at higher temperatures.
The cross-section for u238 fission by fission neutrons fission neutrons

Abstract The cross-section for U 238 fission by neutrons from the thermal-neutron-induced fission of U 235 has been measured to be (0·756 ± 0·008)/gn barn, where ν is the average number of neutrons emitted per U 235 fission. Used with the most recent value of ν for U 235 , ν = 2·46 ± 0·03, this gives 0·307 ± 0·005 barn for the U 238 fission cross-section.
Guidelines for indicator bacteria in waters: uncertainties in applications

Microbiological water quality guidelines have been established in most countries to protect the users from the risk of waterborne diseases. A guideline requires that a minimum number of water samples be collected during a period of time and analysed for an indicator organism. One or more summary statistics are computed and compared to limits specified in the guidelines. When at least one of the limits is exceeded, then certain actions must be taken. Since uncertainty is involved in the implementation of each of these requirements, the use of the guideline is intended to control and not to eliminate the risk from the use of impaired waters. The sources of uncertainties are discussed using two Canadian guidelines for microbiological recreational water quality. However, the methods used are applicable in general to guidelines' specification and use. Criteria are proposed for the selection of an indicator organism and the specification of its limits. The probabilities that quality of recreational water meets the federal guideline are estimated by simulation from the lognormal distribution. These probabilities reveal that imposing a single limit on the maximum eliminates the need for also imposing a limit on the geometric mean. The distributions of the maximum in samples of various sizes are derived by simulation and used to estimate the number of samples needed to detect a predetermined increase in the mean bacterial level. These distributions can be also used to determine the increase in the mean that a sample of a specific size can detect. Finally, the Ontario provincial guideline is compared to its federal counterpart. When the number of samples analysed is less than 15, the Ontario guideline is more conservative, but the reverse is true for larger sample sizes. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Truth, Revenge, and Internalizability

Although there has been a recent swell of interest in theories of truth that attempt solutions to the liar paradox and the other paradoxes affecting our concept of truth, many of these theories have been criticized for generating new paradoxes, called revengeparadoxes. The criticism is that the theories of truth in question are inadequate because they only work for languages lacking in the resources to generate revenge paradoxes. Theorists facing these objections offer a range of replies, and the matter seems now to be at a standoff. I aim, first, to bolster the revenge objections by considering a relation, internalizability, between languages and theories of truth. A theory of truth is internalizable for a language iff there is an extension of that language in which the theory is expressible and for which the theory provides an accurate and complete assignment of semantic values. There are good reasons to think that acceptable theories of truth are internalizable for any language. With this internalizability requirement in hand, I argue that properly formulated revenge objections are decisive and that the replies to them are inadequate. Second, I show that the internalizability requirement can be met by a certain theory of truth. The central claim of this theory is that truth is an inconsistent concept and should be replaced with a pair of consistent concepts that can then be used to provide a semantics for our truth predicates. This theory is compatible with classical logic, does not give rise to revenge paradoxes of any kind, and satisfies the internalizability requirement.
Catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by a flow-through self-regulating platinum black heater

Abstract A flow-through reactor where a fine platinized platinum wire (Pt black wire) runs through the entire length of the PTFE tube was fabricated for the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) at concentrations up to 1 M. Since the Pt black wire is directly electrically heated and the exterior of the tubular reactor is well insulated, the energy efficiency of this heater reactor is excellent. The temperature coefficient of resistance of the wire is significant (3280±40 ppm/°C). This provides a means to ascertain the mean temperature by measuring the resistance of the wire. The concentration of residual H 2 O 2 was determined by the hematin-catalyzed oxidation of nonfluorescent thiamine to fluorescent thiochrome by H 2 O 2 . Essentially, quantitative (99.997%) decomposition of 1 M H 2 O 2 could be achieved at a mean reactor temperature of 108 °C from a neutral aqueous solution with a mean residence time of ∼270 s.
The Life as Vita: Reading The Lady Falkland Her Life as Hagiography

Elizabeth Cary is of interest to scholars of hagiography primarily because she is the subject of The Lady Falkland Her Life, a mid-seventeenth-century spiritual biography by her daughters that this essay argues is modeled structurally on the medieval virgin martyr passiones. Its authors appropriate this structure not only to call attention to their mother's piety but to emphasize Cary's participation in literary culture as a Catholic reader and writer. The attention given to Cary's involvement with textual culture also represents a confluence between the values of the Reformation and those of the Benedictine convent at Cambrai, where the text was produced. The use of a medieval form thus works to legitimate the piety of an English Catholic woman writer and to establish the relevance of a Catholic convent in post-Reformation Europe.
Testing the Efficacy of the Axioms of Migrations and Movements in Toyin Falola's Work: An Ancient Egyptian Behsâu-Pehsa (Predator-Prey) Mathematical Treatise

In his work dealing with nationalism and African intellectuals, Toyin Falola postulates a number of axioms which suggest the ancient Egyptian behsâu-pehsa phenomenon: i.e. the supposition that there are two interacting species that interact as predator and prey. In its simplified version, the predator population only preys on this prey species, the prey is only preyed upon by this predator species, and the prey population’s needs and desires are not taken into account. Ancient Egyptian mathematicians working in the pantheon of Sais during the First Dynasty (c. 3050-2890 BC) would model this relationship in terms of differential equations: i.e. applications of physical phenomena by equations that mention the rate of change of a quantity.Correspondingly, this paper will entail three major sections. The first section will present and discuss the axioms of migrations and movements in Mwalimu Falola’s work. The second section will entail a discussion of the mathematization of the behsâu-pehsa or predator-prey model. The third section will test the efficacy of Mwalimu Falola’s axioms by subjecting them to differential equations using relevant quantitative data. This is important because as mathematicians are fond of saying, the number one task in science is solving differential equations, since they describe the universe. In the end, conclusions are drawn and suggestions are made based on the findings.
Size and shape separation of gold nanoparticles with preparative gel electrophoresis.

We employed agarose gel preparative electrophoresis to separate gold nanoparticles based on size, shape, and charge. The separating technique was first demonstrated by size separation of 5 nm, 15 nm, and 20 nm spherical gold nanoclusters; and further evidenced through the purification of crude 15 ± 2.7 nm nanoclusters to nanoclusters that were 15 ± 0.4 nm. The ability to separate gold nanoparticles by shape was also shown by the purification of a mixture of gold spheres, plates, and long rods.
Closed-loop identification and iterative controller design

An iterative controller design scheme is presented which takes into account the inter-dependence of the modeling and controller design problems. This iterative scheme consists of closed-loop identification and controller redesign cycles. In each cycle, the plant model is identified in a closed-loop using the controller designed in the previous cycle. Then a new controller is redesigned by using the identified model. The iterative process continues until convergence. The q-Markov cover algorithm obtains system state-space models which have the same first q-Markov parameters and covariance parameters as the physical system generating the input-output data. At convergence the controller and the plant model are considered to be consistent. >
BC412 bar code for silicon wafers

The authors present a newly invented BC412 bar code for silicon wafer identification in automated semiconductor manufacturing floor control systems. This code has been tested and has been approved to be a SEMI standard in June 1992. It is a very important technology breakthrough and expected to be used by all semiconductor wafer manufacturers. The technical details of BC412 are presented. >
Smoking Affects Response to Inhaled Corticosteroids or Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists in Asthma

Rationale: One-quarter to one-third of individuals with asthma smoke, which may affect response to therapy and contribute to poor asthma control. Objectives: To determine if the response to an inhaled corticosteroid or a leukotriene receptor antagonist is attenuated in individuals with asthma who smoke. Methods: In a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind, double-dummy, crossover trial, 44 nonsmokers and 39 light smokers with mild asthma were assigned randomly to treatment twice daily with inhaled beclomethasone and once daily with oral montelukast. Measurements and Main Results: Primary outcome was change in prebronchodilator FEV1 in smokers versus nonsmokers. Secondary outcomes included peak flow, PC20 methacholine, symptoms, quality of life, and markers of airway inflammation. Despite similar FEV1, bronchodilator response, and sensitivity to methacholine at baseline, subjects with asthma who smoked had significantly more symptoms, worse quality of life, and lower daily peak flow than nonsmokers. Adherence to therapy did not differ significantly between smokers and nonsmokers, or between treatment arms. Beclomethasone significantly reduced sputum eosinophils and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in both smokers and nonsmokers, but increased FEV1 (170 ml, p = 0.0003) only in nonsmokers. Montelukast significantly increased a.m. peak flow in smokers (12.6 L/min, p = 0.002), but not in nonsmokers. Conclusions: In subjects with mild asthma who smoke, the response to inhaled corticosteroids is attenuated, suggesting that adjustments to standard therapy may be required to attain asthma control. The greater improvement seen in some outcomes in smokers treated with montelukast suggests that leukotrienes may be important in this setting. Larger prospective studies are required to determine whether leukotriene modifiers can be recommended for managing asthma in patients who smoke.
The consequences of informal job finding for men and women

This study examined the role that the gender of job informants plays in the job-finding process for men and women. Data on job seekers at a large bank were used to test hypotheses derived from work...
Evidence suggests water once flowed vigorously on Mars

“In some cases, when you do geology, a picture is worth 1000 words,” Mars Science Laboratory project scientist John Grotzinger said at a 27 September news briefing to announce that imagery taken by a camera onboard NASA's Mars Curiosity rover shows evidence that water once flowed vigorously in a region on the surface of Mars. One of the pictured rock outcrops, about 10–15 centimeters thick and named Hottah after Canada's Hottah lake, “looked like somebody came along the surface of Mars with a jackhammer and lifted up a sidewalk that you might see in downtown LA in sort of a construction site,” said Grotzinger, who is with the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. “This is a rock that was formed in the presence of water, and we can characterize that water as being a vigorous flow on the surface of Mars,” he said. “We were really excited about this because this is one of the reasons we were interested in coming to this landing site, because it presented from orbit quite a strong case that we would find evidence for water on the ground.”
A geometric comparison of source-type plots for moment tensors

SUMMARY We describe a general geometric framework for thinking about source-type plots for moment tensors. We consider two fundamental examples, one where the source-type plot is on the unit sphere, and one where it is on the unit cube. The plot on the sphere is preferable to the plot on the cube: it is simpler, it embodies a more natural assumption about eigenvalue probabilities and it is more consistent with the conventional Euclidian definition of scalar seismic moment. We describe the source-type plots of Hudson, Pearce and Rogers in our geometric context, and we find that they are equivalent to a plot on the cube. We therefore suggest the plot on the sphere as an alternative.
Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) presenting with cytopenias

Autoimmune manifestations are increasingly being recognized as a component of several forms of primary immunodeficiencies (PID). Defects in purging of self-reactive T and B cells, impaired Fas-mediated apoptosis, abnormalities in development and/or function of regulatory T cells, and persistence of immune activation as a result of inability to clear infections have been shown to account for this association. Among autoimmune manifestations in patients with PID, cytopenias are particularly common. Up to 80% of patients with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) have autoantibodies, and autoimmune hemolytic anemia and immune thrombocytopenia have been reported in 23% and 51% of ALPS patients, and may even mark the onset of the disease. ALPS-associated cytopenias are often refractory to conventional treatment and represent a therapeutic challenge. Autoimmune manifestations occur in 22% to 48% of patients with common variable immunodeficiencies (CVIDs), and are more frequent among CVID patients with splenomegaly and granulomatous disease. Finally, autoimmune cytopenias have been reported also in patients with combined immunodeficiency. In particular, autoimmune hemolytic anemia is very common among infants with nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency. While immune suppression may be beneficial in these cases, full resolution of the autoimmune manifestations ultimately depends on immune reconstitution, which is typically provided by hematopoietic cell transplantation.
A new construction for symmetric (4,6)-configurations

Geometric (4,6)-configurations are collections of points and straight lines, in the Euclidean plane, so that every point has four lines passing through it and every line has six points lying on it. In this paper, we present a new construction for (4,6)-configurations which have high degrees of geometric symmetry, by superimposing 4-astral 4-configurations with certain properties.
Polycyclic Hydrocarbon Composition of Wood Smoke

SUMMARY Eleven polycyclic hydrocarbons derived from predominantly hard maple sawdust smoke have been separated and identified. The hydrocarbons were isolated and separated stepwise by a combination of liquid-liquid extraction, chromatography on silicic acid, thin-layer chromatography with acetylated cellulose powder and chromatography on aluminum oxide. They were characterized by ultraviolet and fluorescence studies on the fractions thus obtained from the aluminum oxide column. The polycyclic hydrocarbons found in the hardwood sawdust smoke include naphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, pyrene, fluor-anthene, 1,2-benzanthracene, chrysene, 3,4-benzopyrene and 1,2-benzopyrene. Analysis of whole wood smoke and the vapor phase obtained by an electrostatic air filter showed only quantitative differences.
Rural Tourism Development: Tackling a Culture of Local Nonparticipation in a Postslavery Society

Cultural characteristics that make rural destinations appealing to visitors could limit local engagement in rural tourism development as well. So, the paper looked at St. Thomas in Jamaica to determine the elements of their culture on which a strong rural tourism product could be built but could also limit local participation in the development of their rural tourism industry. St. Thomas is a rural island community with a rich history steeped in colonialism. Interviews and radio program transcripts as well as notes from a town hall meeting of residents were analyzed. Fifteen elements were identified in this community’s culture that explain their traditional, conservative, close to nature, and spiritual way of life; five were identified as possible drivers of community members’ nonengagement behaviors. A holistic approach to resolving cultural dichotomies in rural tourism communities that would preserve cultural characteristics treasured locally and improve local engagement behaviors was proposed.
The fluid mechanics of the ureter

The effect of the presence of a catheter upon the pressure distribution inside the ureter is considered. Under the assumption of Stokes flow and long wavelengths it is shown that during the contraction a thin lubrication-type layer is formed between the catheter and the ureteral wall, capable of sustaining high pressures. Furthermore, it is found that the insertion of a catheter does not change the pressure distribution inside the ureter appreciably, leading to the conclusion that a urometrogram obtained with a catheter gives a good representation of the pressure inside an undisturbed ureter.
Modulation of trophoblast stem cell and giant cell phenotypes: analyses using the Rcho-1 cell model

Trophoblast giant cells are located at the maternal–embryonic interface and have fundamental roles in the invasive and endocrine phenotypes of the rodent placenta. In this report, we describe the experimental modulation of trophoblast stem cell and trophoblast giant cell phenotypes using the Rcho-1 trophoblast cell model. Rcho-1 trophoblast cells can be manipulated to proliferate or differentiate into trophoblast giant cells. Differentiated Rcho-1 trophoblast cells are invasive and possess an endocrine phenotype, including the production of members of the prolactin (PRL) family. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a known differentiation-inducing agent, was found to possess profound effects on the in vitro development of trophoblast cells. Exposure to DMSO, at non-toxic concentrations, inhibited trophoblast giant cell differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. These concentrations of DMSO did not significantly affect trophoblast cell proliferation or survival. Trophoblast cells exposed to DMSO exhibited an altered morphology; they were clustered in tightly packed colonies. Trophoblast giant cell formation was disrupted, as was the expression of members of the PRL gene family. The effects of DMSO were reversible. Removal of DMSO resulted in the formation of trophoblast giant cells and expression of the PRL gene family. The phenotype of the DMSO-treated cells was further determined by examining the expression of a battery of genes characteristic of trophoblast stem cells and differentiated trophoblast cell lineages. DMSO treatment had a striking stimulatory effect on eomesodermin expression and a reciprocal inhibitory effect on Hand1 expression. In summary, DMSO reversibly inhibits trophoblast differentiation and induces a quiescent state, which mimics some but not all aspects of the trophoblast stem cell phenotype.
Seeing is believing or at least changing your mind: The influence of visibility and task complexity on preference changes in computer-supported team decision making

This article describes an experimental study that examines the extent to which a group decision support system GDSS, which allows team members to view other members' preference ratings, can encourage changes in individual preferences. We studied 22, four-person teams performing 2 hidden profile tasks-simple and complex-in a controlled setting. Transparency of the interactions, achieved through the visibility of ratings, influenced changes in participants' preferences as measured before, during and after the team discussion. Visibility of team scores could then offer an effective way to reach consensus, despite individual incumbent preferences. Changes between individuals' initial preferences and team preferences were found to be larger for members working on a complex task compared to a simple task, as were changes between individuals' prediscussion and postdiscussion preferences. Although prior studies established that the initial preferences of individual team members are rather sticky, this study reveals that individuals adjusted their initial preferences to reach a team consensus, as well as modified their preferences after team discussions. Despite the mixed earlier research results on the impact of GDSS on efficient decision making, findings from this study suggest that in complex decision-making contexts, GDSS tools can be effective in enabling consensus building in groups.
Using phylogeny to model cell size evolution in marine and freshwater diatoms

Strategies for optimizing fitness in a dilute, competitive, and changing environment are thought to underlie cell size evolution in phytoplankton. Support for cell size as an adaptive trait comes from observed shifts in cell size distributions in response to environmental cues at geologic time scales and across environmental gradients. Physicochemical differences between marine and freshwater environments are thought to drive diatom cell size evolution in opposite directions, with larger sizes conferring benefits in marine habitats and small sizes in freshwater habitats. We tested this hypothesis in one lineage of diatoms, the Thalassiosirales, which spans marine and freshwater habitats, has a well-supported phylogeny, and whose members are relatively homogenous with respect to cell shape, growth habit, and habitat preference. A comparison of adaptive models for cell size evolution supports the hypothesis for different cell size optima between marine and freshwater habitats. The data are best explained by a model with separate selective regimes for marine and freshwater lineages. However, a scenario of stabilizing selection towards a single global cell size optimum irrespective of habitat cannot be completely discounted. Understanding of the processes that shape cell size evolution in phytoplankton would benefit from models that incorporate phylogeny, intrinsic properties of species (e.g., cell shape, colony formation, and motility), and more specific habitat characterization, as well as genetic and genomic properties of different phytoplankton groups.
Women's Movements across Borders: Towards a More Inclusive Conceptualization?

Regardless of the country where one lives, gendered discrimination and outright misogyny are commonplace. In particular, violence against women remains one of the most widespread and pervasive challenges to women's rights. It crosses all boundaries, geographical and social. Economic inequalities within and across countries continue to expand with gendered patterns. Significant gaps remain in education, employment, and healthcare, among many other things. So, the answer to the question, “Do we need a women's movement?” seems obvious. But what form should the mobilization take? Is it the work of a women's movement? A feminist movement? Where do other social justice movements fit in? Where should mobilization take place: locally, nationally, transnationally, or globally? How do we deal with difference? Can universal messages that unite across borders also deal with the unique circumstances of particular locations? In this piece, I pick up on some of the themes raised by other participants in this forum and elaborate on them in global perspective. My intent is not to apply logics of the United States movements elsewhere, but instead to propose insight gathered from broader comparative and transnational studies that might be applied to this discussion.
Dynamic changes of RNA-sequencing expression for precision medicine: N-of-1-pathways Mahalanobis distance within pathways of single subjects predicts breast cancer survival

Motivation: The conventional approach to personalized medicine relies on molecular data analytics across multiple patients. The path to precision medicine lies with molecular data analytics that can discover interpretable single-subject signals (N-of-1). We developed a global framework, N-of-1-pathways, for a mechanistic-anchored approach to single-subject gene expression data analysis. We previously employed a metric that could prioritize the statistical significance of a deregulated pathway in single subjects, however, it lacked in quantitative interpretability (e.g. the equivalent to a gene expression fold-change). Results: In this study, we extend our previous approach with the application of statistical Mahalanobis distance (MD) to quantify personal pathway-level deregulation. We demonstrate that this approach, N-of-1-pathways Paired Samples MD (N-OF-1-PATHWAYS-MD), detects deregulated pathways (empirical simulations), while not inflating false-positive rate using a study with biological replicates. Finally, we establish that N-OF-1-PATHWAYS-MD scores are, biologically significant, clinically relevant and are predictive of breast cancer survival (P < 0.05, n = 80 invasive carcinoma; TCGA RNA-sequences). Conclusion: N-of-1-pathways MD provides a practical approach towards precision medicine. The method generates the magnitude and the biological significance of personal deregulated pathways results derived solely from the patient’s transcriptome. These pathways offer the opportunities for deriving clinically actionable decisions that have the potential to complement the clinical interpretability of personal polymorphisms obtained from DNA acquired or inherited polymorphisms and mutations. In addition, it offers an opportunity for applicability to diseases in which DNA changes may not be relevant, and thus expand the ‘interpretable ‘omics’ of single subjects (e.g. personalome). Availability and implementation: http://www.lussierlab.net/publications/N-of-1-pathways. Contact: ude.anozira.liame@sevy or ude.anozira.htam@hcsrogeip Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Energy radiation from a spherically symmetric homogeneous source

abstract General expressions for energy radiated from seismic sources in linear elastic bodies are illustrated and clarified by examining the energy radiated from a spherically symmetric source. Calculations with the spherical source demonstrate that the point source approximation for the radiated energy is not asymptotic in the sense that it does not approach the actual radiated energy for small source dimension. Comparison between the energies radiated from the spherical source for a ramp time function and for a modulated ramp demonstrate that the modulation is not effective in increasing the total radiated energy even though it does cause a peak in the spectrum of the far-field particle velocity at the characteristic frequency of the modulation. For a/cT > 2, where a is the radius of the spherical source, c is the wave speed, and T is the rise time, the strain energy change overestimates the radiated energy by less than a factor of two.
Maternal Fever in Labor

1. Labor may be complicated by maternal infection with associated maternal and neonatal risk. 2. Management of maternal fever requires a knowledge of the common sources of infection and appropriate antibiotic coverage for those organisms. 3. Management of maternal infection requires an awareness of the risks and benefits of antibiotic use in pregnancy.
Probing CD8 T Cell Responses with Listeria monocytogenes Infection

CD8 T cells play a critical role in the control and eradication of intracellular pathogens. Increased understanding of CD8 T cell biology provides insight that can be translated into improved vaccination strategies. The intracellular bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes, has been used as a model organism to study every phase of the CD8 T cell response to intracellular bacterial infection. Infection of laboratory mice with L. monocytogenes has provided insight into the factors that are involved in primary T cell responses, memory CD8 T cell generation, maintenance, functionality, and diversification following repeated pathogenic challenges. In this review, we will focus on work from our laboratories utilizing the murine model of L. monocytogenes to investigate the characteristics of CD8 T cell responses to infection. This model has profoundly advanced our understanding of the CD8 T cell response to infection and is likely to continue to provide invaluable basic insights that can be translated into the development of effective vaccination strategies to protect against pathogens.
VASECTOMY AND THE RISK OF PROSTATE CANCER

An unexpected association between history of vasectomy and increased risk of prostate cancer emerged when multiple comparisons were carried out in data collected from 1976-1988 in a US hospital-based case-control study of many diseases and exposures. The association was assessed in detail in these data, in a comparison of 220 men with first episodes of prostate cancer with 571 noncancer controls and 960 cancer controls. The age-adjusted relative risk of prostate cancer was 5.3 (95% confidence interval 2.7-10) when noncancer controls were used and 3.5 (95 percent confidence interval 2.1-6.0) when cancer controls were used. The magnitude of the relative risk estimate appeared to be unrelated to the length of the interval after vasectomy. Allowance for several factors did not alter the estimates, but we did not have information on testosterone level or sexual activity, which may have been confounding factors. The association was stronger among men most likely to have been under more intensive medical surveillance; selective detection of asymptomatic cancer in such men would have led to an excess of cases. Further studies are needed to rule out chance, bias from medical surveillance, and uncontrolled confounding as explanations for the finding.
Mud Mountain Dam Concrete Cutoff Wall—A Case History

Mud Mountain Dam is located on the White River in western Washington. The embankment dam is composed of a central impervious core and transition zones between the core and upstream and downstream rockfill shells. The dam extends across a narrow rock gorge with steep volcanic rock walls more than 275 ft high. Construction records, together with recent subsurface investigations, revealed that the 425-ft high embankment had defects in its internal core. Loose zones and voids had developed as a result of settlement and arching of core material within the narrow, steep rock canyon. The investigations confirmed that the core of the dam was progressively deteriorating due to seepage, differential settlement, and flushing from reservoir fluctuations. During 1989 and 1990, Soletanche Inc., under contract to the Seattle District, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, constructed a concrete cutoff wall through the core of the dam and penetrated the rock foundation to prevent further erosion of the embankment core and to control seepage. During cutoff wall excavation, in the deep canyon section, the embankment core material experienced severe hydraulic fracturing under very nominal slurry pressure. A modification was made to the contract to close the cracks and compact the saturated core material by remedial grouting. Soletanche accomplished the job by means of an unprecedented recompression grouting program. Most of the 807.5-ft long cutoff wall is located 10 ft upstream of the dam centerline. Depth varies from 10 ft to 402.6 ft. Over 300,000 cf of dam core, 40,000 cu ft of mudflow overburden and 33,000 cu ft of rock were excavated for placement of the concrete cutoff wall.
Synthesis and ROMP of Metal Nanocluster Containing Norbornene Derivatives

We report the synthesis of a series of highly functional metal chelated silyl- andtert-butyl-protected 2, 3-diaminomethyl norbornene derivatives. Subsequent alterations to the previously synthesized norbornene adducts afford many other derivatives containing such functionalities as alkyl, cyano, esters, and ethers. These derivatives are then subjected to ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) employing a ruthenium homogeneous catalyst to afford phase separated block polymers. The block polymers formed serve as unique templates for the formation of size controlled metal nanoclusters having a narrow dispersion. These metal nanoclusters containing diblock polymers are evaluated as unique electrical and optical materials.
Effects of feeding calcium oxide on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and ruminal metabolism of cattle

Three experiments tested the effects of feeding CaO as part of the TMR or as CaO-treated corn stover (CS) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and ruminal metabolism of cattle. In Exp. 1, steers (n = 162) were fed 1 of 3 diets containing 20% CS and 40% modified wet distillers grains with solubles: untreated CS (UCS), treated CS with 5% CaO (DM basis; TCS), and dietary inclusion of 1% CaO (DM basis; DC). Feeding DC or TCS decreased (P < 0.05) DMI, final BW, HCW, and back fat compared with feeding UCS. Feeding TCS decreased (P < 0.05) ADG compared with feeding UCS. In Exp. 2, heifers (n = 138) were fed 1 of 3 diets: UCS, TCS, and 40% corn silage (DM basis; SIL). Feeding TCS decreased (P ≤ 0.05) DMI, and final BW, and back fat compared with feeding UCS and SIL. Heifers fed UCS had similar (P ≤ 0.05) ADG, DMI, and marbling score as heifers fed SIL; however, final BW and G:F were decreased (P ≤ 0.05). In Exp. 3, steers (n = 5) were fed in a 5 × 5 Latin square; diets were UCS, TCS, DC, SIL, and a control of 50% cracked corn. Feeding TCS tended to decrease (P = 0.06) ruminal pH when compared with UCS. Steers fed UCS had the least (P ≤ 0.05) DM digestibility and steers fed the control had the greatest. Treating CS with CaO effectively increased digestibility; however, it did not improve cattle performance. Feeding cattle untreated, ensiled CS resulted in ADG and G:F comparable to feeding corn silage.
Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Case 24-2006. A 40-year-old woman with hypotension after an overdose of amlodipine.

A 40-year-old woman was transferred to the emergency department of this hospital because of hypotension. Seven hours earlier she had ingested 100 sample tablets of amlodipine (10 mg) in a suicide attempt. She was taken to an emergency department, where her blood pressure fell from 100/60 mm Hg to 58/38 mm Hg despite the use of pressors.