cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Obesity and Cancer in Appalachia

Appalachia, a diverse, federally designated region that spans 13 states, is home to nearly 25 million residents. It is also an area in which the leading cause of death is cancer and financial and physical access to healthcare are known barriers to regular medical care. Obesity and its risk factors contribute to the region’s burden of cancer incidence and mortality. Disparate prevalences of overweight and obesity have been found in Appalachia as early as preschool, and, compared to the rest of the country, parts of Appalachia have higher rates of physical inactivity and lower prevalence of fruit and vegetable consumption. Obesity is related to at least eight types of cancer, of which colorectal cancer and female breast cancer have been the most heavily examined in Appalachia. This report reviews what is known about obesity and cancer in the Appalachian region and provides suggestions for future intervention and research to address Appalachia’s cancer and obesity burdens.
Maturation of Xenopus oocytes: II. Observations on membrane potential

Large, progesterone-responsive oocytes within their follicles have an average resting potential of about −25 mV. When manually dissected out of their follicles, most of these oocytes undergo a hyperpolarization over the next 30–60 min to values of about −60 to −80 mV. The relatively high negative membrane potentials previously recorded on dissected amphibian oocytes may thus be an artifact in the sense that such measurements do not reflect the electrical characteristics of the oocyte within the follicle. The available evidence indicates that the hyperpolarization reflects the activation of an electrogenic Na+,K+-transport process. One of the terminal events of oogenesis appears to be a suppression of the generation of the Na+,K+-transport process when oocytes are ovulated artificially (by dissection) or naturally. Continuous, long-term recordings on dissected oocytes reveal that a rather pronounced depolarization of the membrane potential together with an inflection in the recorded potential around the time of germinal vesicle breakdown takes place in the presence of progesterone. Recordings of oocytes within the follicle reveal similar changes, although reduced in absolute magnitude. In both cases, final membrane potentials of −10 to −15 mV are achieved. The electrophysiological changes which accompany the normal maturation process thus do not appear to be as pronounced as previously indicated.
Safety Talk and Safety Culture: Discursive Repertoires as Indicators of Workplace Safety and Health Practice and Readiness to Change.

Background Small construction businesses (SCBs) account for a disproportionate share of occupational injuries, days lost, and fatalities in the US and other modern economies. Owner/managers of SCBs confront risks associated with their own and workers' safety and business survival, and their occupational safety and health (OSH) related values and practices are key drivers of safety and business outcomes. Given owner/mangers are the key to understanding and affecting change in smaller firms, as well as the pressing need for improved OSH in small firms particularly in construction, there is a critical need to better understand SCB owners' readiness to improve or adopt enhanced OSH activities in their business. Unfortunately, the social expectation to support safety can complicate efforts to evaluate owners' readiness. Objectives To get a more accurate understanding of the OSH values and practices of SCBs and the factors shaping SCB owners' readiness and intent to implement or improve safety and health programming by comparing their discourse on safety with their self-rated level of stage of change. Methods In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 SCB owner managers. Respondents were asked to self-rate their safety program activity on a 5-point scale from unaware or ignorant ('haven't thought about it at all') to actively vigilant ('well-functioning safety and health program for at least 6 months'). They were also asked to discuss the role and meaning of OSH within their trade and company, as well as attitudes and inclinations toward improving or enhancing business safety practices. Analysis and results Respondents' self-rating of safety program activity was compared and contrasted with results from discourse analysis of their safety talk, or verbal descriptions of their safety values and activities. Borrowing from normative and stage theories of safety culture and behavioral change, these sometimes contradictory descriptions were taxonomized along a safety culture continuum and a range of safety cultures and stages of readiness for change were found. These included descriptions of strong safety cultures with intentions for improvement as well as descriptions of safety cultures with more reactive and pathological approaches to OSH, with indications of no intentions for improvement. Some owner/managers rated themselves as having an effective OSH program in place, yet described a dearth of OSH activity and/or value for OSH in their business. Conclusion Assessing readiness to change is key to improving OSH performance, and more work is needed to effectively assess SCB OSH readiness and thus enable greater adoption of best practices.
ACCESS to Better Health and Clear Skies: Telemedicine and Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Abstract Introduction: This study estimates the reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from 2,020 neuro-emergent telemedicine consultations. We then estimate potential GHG reduction ...
Managing pollution efforts: how to turn pollution into profits ‐ part 2

Examines how the environment can be used as a competitive weapon in business in relation to customer loyalty. Indicates how managers deal with this issue by means of the results of a questionnaire on pollution management. Concludes that there is enormous potential for profit in this field, not only for the company but also for the environment.
Abstract 277: Enhanced Mitochondrial Calcium Uptake Promotes Deleterious Remodeling and Impaired Left Ventricular Function During Chronic Adrenergic Stimulation

The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) constitutes the pore-forming unit of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter channel (mtCU) and is necessary for mitochondrial Ca2+ (mCa2+) uptake. We previous...
Effects of liraglutide on appetite, food preoccupation, and food liking: results of a randomized controlled trial.

Some weight loss medications, including liraglutide 3.0 mg, are thought to facilitate weight loss by improving appetite control. However, no studies have evaluated their long-term appetitive effects. This study examined changes in appetite in a subsample of 113 adults with obesity (76.1% female, 55.8% white, BMI = 38.8 ± 4.8 kg/m2) who participated in a 52-week trial. Participants were randomized to intensive behavioral therapy alone (IBT-alone), IBT with liraglutide 3.0 mg/day (IBT-liraglutide), or IBT-liraglutide combined with a 12-week meal replacement diet (Multi-component). Participants rated their hunger, fullness after meals, liking of meals, and food preoccupation (all as experienced over the past week) using visual analogue scales (0–100 mm). Ratings were completed at baseline and eight subsequent visits over the year. At week 52, participants treated by IBT-alone lost 6.2 ± 1.6% of baseline weight, compared with 11.8 ± 1.6% and 12.1 ± 1.5% in the IBT-liraglutide and Multi-component groups, respectively. Compared to IBT-alone, IBT-liraglutide participants reported larger reductions at week 6 in hunger (−0.3 ± 4.2 vs −16.8 ± 4.0 mm, p = .005) and food preoccupation (+0.2 ± 3.7 vs −16.3 ± 3.6 mm, p = .002) and larger increases in fullness (−5.1 ± 3.2 vs +9.8 ± 3.0 mm, p = .001). These significant differences persisted at all assessments through week 24. There were no differences between IBT-alone and IBT-liraglutide in meal liking. IBT-alone and Multi-component participants differed in hunger at week 6, and in food preoccupation at all assessments through week 24. Multi-component participants reported reduced liking of meals relative to the IBT-alone and IBT-liraglutide groups through weeks 40 and 52, respectively. There were no other differences among any groups at week 52. Consistent with short-term studies, IBT-liraglutide participants reported greater improvements in hunger, fullness, and food preoccupation than those assigned to IBT-alone. Differences in appetite persisted for 24 weeks but were not maintained at week 52, despite the relatively greater weight losses in the liraglutide-treated participants at the trial’s end.
Optimization of Chalcogenide Negative Curvature Fibers for CO2 Laser Transmission

We study the geometry of chalcogenide negative curvature fibers with different numbers of tubes and different core diameters. We optimize the design of chalcogenide negative curvature fibers for CO2 laser transmission.
Blood Vessels and Lymphatic Vessels

Development of the vascular and lymphatic trees is essential for the formation of nearly every organ during embryonic and fetal life. In the fetus, there are some unique features of the vascular tree that facilitate the fetoplacental circulation in utero, such as the umbilical vein, umbilical arteries, ductus venosus, and ductus arteriosus. This chapter highlights the development and microscopic anatomy of the fetal vascular and lymphatic structures.
Xenophagy: Pathogen-Containing Vacuoles Are Hard to Digest.

Many intracellular pathogens reside in host-membrane-encased vacuoles, but the mechanism initiating xenophagic targeting of these vacuoles was unknown. A recent study identifies the host vacuolar-ATPase as essential to xenophagic clearance and the Salmonellae effector SopF that inhibits bacterial clearance by its ADP-ribosylation.
TRAIL-induced variation of cell signaling states provides nonheritable resistance to apoptosis

TNFα-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), specifically initiates programmed cell death, but often fails to eradicate all cells, making it an ineffective therapy for cancer. This fractional killing is linked to cellular variation that bulk assays cannot capture. Here, we quantify the diversity in cellular signaling responses to TRAIL, linking it to apoptotic frequency across numerous cell systems with single-cell mass cytometry (CyTOF). Although all cells respond to TRAIL, a variable fraction persists without apoptotic progression. This cell-specific behavior is nonheritable where both the TRAIL-induced signaling responses and frequency of apoptotic resistance remain unaffected by prior exposure. The diversity of signaling states upon exposure is correlated to TRAIL resistance. Concomitantly, constricting the variation in signaling response with kinase inhibitors proportionally decreases TRAIL resistance. Simultaneously, TRAIL-induced de novo translation in resistant cells, when blocked by cycloheximide, abrogated all TRAIL resistance. This work highlights how cell signaling diversity, and subsequent translation response, relates to nonheritable fractional escape from TRAIL-induced apoptosis. This refined view of TRAIL resistance provides new avenues to study death ligands in general.
The Behavioral Style of the Cat Predicts Owner Satisfaction

ABSTRACTA 9-item, reliable measure of owner satisfaction with their cat, the CatSat, was developed. Item response analysis indicated that the CatSat discriminates lower levels of satisfaction bette...
Mechanism of Gold-Thiol Interactions in Formation of Nano-Materials for Plasmonics

Optically coupled arrays of noble metal nanoparticles hold promise for enabling sub-diffraction limited waveguides and all-optical integrated circuits, due to their size-dependent optical properties and surface plasmon resonance. Realizations of these photonic waveguide structures require precise control of the nanoparticle size. A full understanding of the mechanisms of nanoparticle formations is critical, to develop protocols for ultra-monodisperse nanoparticles. Herein, we evaluate the prevailing hypothesis in the formations of thiol ligand-passivated monodisperse gold (Au) nanoparticles, that the formation of Au-thiol polymer [Au-SR] n is the necessary precursor to the nanoparticle formation. This hypothesis predicts a specific onset of the Au-thiol polymer formation at the Au-to-thiol molar ratio of 1:3. Using glutathione (GSH) as ligand, we correlated the onset of the Au-thiol polymer formation with the emergence of fluorescence associated with the polymer, and with the nanoparticle formation upon reduction. We observed the solvent-dependent onset of the fluorescence in methanol and water at the Au-to-thiol molar ratios of c.a. 1:4.5 and 1:2, respectively, deviating from the prevailing model.
Synthesis and Structure Activity Relationships of DCLK1 Kinase Inhibitors Based on a 5,11-dihydro-6H-benzo[e]pyrimido[5,4-b][1,4]diazepin-6-one Scaffold

Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) is a serine/threonine kinase that is overexpressed in gastrointestinal cancers, including esophageal, gastric, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. DCLK1 is also used as a marker of tuft cells, which regulate type II immunity in the gut. However, the substrates and functions of DCLK1 are understudied. We recently described the first selective DCLK1/2 inhibitor, DCLK1-IN-1, developed to aid the functional characterization of this important kinase. Here we describe the synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 5,11-dihydro-6H-benzo[e]pyrimido[5,4-b][1,4]diazepin-6-one DCLK1 inhibitors, resulting in the identification of DCLK1-IN-1.
Design aspects of vaginal applicators that influence acceptance among target users.

Although sensory-guided product design is most traditionally used by food and beverage companies, the approach has widespread application for many other products, including pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Previously, our team used sensory methods to explore preclinical optimization of soft-gel vaginal microbicides. Past clinical trials suggest vaginal microbicides may be an effective means for women to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, but these microbicides will not work if they are not used due to poor acceptability. Our prior work suggests properties like firmness, size, and shape all influence women’s willingness to try soft-gel vaginal suppositories. As product insertion is part of the overall experience of using vaginal microbicides, understanding the features of vaginal applicators that appeal to women, and incorporating these insights into vaginal drug delivery systems, may also improve user adherence. Despite widespread use of vaginal applicators, there is minimal public data on women’s perceptions of and preferences for physical applicator features. Other work suggests women want vaginal applicators that are single use, pre-filled, made of plastic, and easy to use, store, and discard. Applicator attributes that may be important to women, such as length, color, or visual appeal, have not been investigated previously. The objective of this research was to understand what physical applicator attributes are appealing to women. Here, 18 commercially available applicators were evaluated by a convenience sample of women (n = 102) for overall liking and perceptions of various attributes (perceived length and width, ease-of-grip, expected ease-of-use, expected comfort inside the body, visual appeal, color liking, and environmental friendliness). Preference mapping using both liking data and attribute data showed attributes such as color, visual appeal, ease of grip, expected ease of use, and expected comfort inside the body drove higher liking ratings for applicators, while perceived length negatively affected liking. In general, plastic tampon applicators contained more positive features and were better liked relative to a cardboard tampon applicator or applicators for insertion of medicated gels or suppositories. Incorporating more desirable features into applicators meant for insertion of vaginal microbicides or other vaginal medications may improve the user experience, and possibly user adherence.
Security Analysis of 5G Network

The popularity of mobile network connected devices continues to expand exponentially. An estimated 5 billion devices exist worldwide. With the expansion of wearable devices, a regular user can carry up to two network connected devices. The 5G network attracts users by advertising low latency data communication and high download and upload speeds. With the number of subscribers on the rise, it is no surprise that concerns of information and cyber security would heighten to match the integrity of data safety. As with any form of information security, there is always privacy concerns of users and their sensitive data. This paper shall provide an analysis of the security architectures of mobile connected networks, where these networks are susceptible in being compromised, popular attack techniques, and the mitigations against attacks.
Determining Utility of Additional Days in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) for Patients without Events in First 5 Days of Admission (P3.5-026)

Objective: To identify characteristics predictive of non-diagnostic admission for differential diagnosis/classification EMU patients who have not had events in the first 5 days of admission. Background: There is limited evidence-based guidance regarding appropriate timing of discharge from the EMU. In particular, it is unknown which patients without successful diagnosis early in their admission are likely to benefit from continued monitoring. Design/Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients admitted to the EMU at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania between 1/2012 and 7/2017. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression modelling were used to investigate whether a variety of patient, EEG, and imaging characteristics could independently or in combination predict if a patient would go on to have a non-diagnostic stay. Results: We identified 198 patients with EMU length of stay >5 days without events in first five days of admission out of a total of approximately 1400 EMU admissions over a five year period. Absence of interictal discharges in the first 5 days was associated with non-diagnostic stay (p =.0009, OR = 2.90). Lack of motor semiology was also associated with non-diagnostic stay (p =.0267, OR = 2.36). The absence of both interictal discharges and major motor semiology had a positive predictive value of 82.8% for non-diagnostic admission. Demographic factors, lesional MRI, and number and type of AEDs did not influence likelihood of diagnostic or non-diagnostic stay. Conclusions: Non-motor semiology and the absence of interictal discharges predict non-diagnostic admission in patients admitted to the EMU for >5 days. These criteria may identify patients unlikely to benefit from prolonged EMU admission and thereby facilitate earlier discharge and improved EMU utilization. Disclosure: Dr. Cherayil has nothing to disclose. Dr. Khankhanian has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gelfand has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Guidepoint. Dr. Gelfand has received research support from Aquestive, Biogen Idec, Eisai Inc., Epilepsy Foundation, Engage Therapeutics, Pfizer Inc., SK, and UCB Pharma.
Current and future directions in applied mathematics

With very tight funding in pure mathematics, it has become increasingly necessary for mathematicians to address the question of what applications their work has in the real world of engineering and science. This text discusses the types of problems that are of current interest and provides some guidelines for mathematicians, both professional and graduate students, as to where their efforts could best be placed.
Pulsation and Mass Loss: Evolutionary Considerations

This review includes a general discussion of the status of current investigations concerning the connection between stellar pulsation and stellar mass loss. It includes a brief summary of the evolutionary status of most known classes of pulsating variables. The emphasis is on distinguishing what is known from what is uncertain, both in our theoretical understanding of pulsating stars and the processes driving mass loss, and with respect to setting limits on the amount and significance of mass loss associated with stellar pulsation from observations.
Absence of synthesis-modulating nerve terminal autoreceptors on mesoamygdaloid and other mesolimbic dopamine neuronal populations.

The present study sought to map the distribution of dopamine (DA) synthesis-modulating autoreceptors on DA nerve terminals innervating the amygdala and other limbic structures of the rat brain at a level of anatomic resolution (i.e., discrete component nuclei) commensurate with the functional organization of such structures. The biochemically estimated response of mesoamygdaloid and other limbic DA neuronal populations to conditions of minimal (gammabutyrolactone administration or surgical axotomy) and maximal (low-dose apomorphine administration) activation of nerve terminal DA autoreceptors was examined and compared to the response of mesostriatal and mesocortical DA neurons. In contrast to the caudate nucleus, nucleus accumbens, and olfactory tubercle, neither gammabutyrolactone (GBL) nor axotomy increased biochemically estimated DA synthesis (DOPA accumulation) in any of the amygdaloid nuclei, the anterior amygdaloid area, septal nuclei, or subdivisions of the interstitial (bed) nucleus of the stria terminalis. These results indicate that, similar to the medial prefrontal cortex and median eminence, DA synthesis in mesoamygdaloid and other subcortical limbic DA neuronal populations is not under the regulatory influence of tonically active, nerve terminal-localized autoreceptors. Both GBL and axotomy increased DOPA accumulation in the anterior cingulate cortex, but not in allocortical projection fields. In contrast to the differential distribution of DA synthesis-modulating terminal autoreceptors, the end-product inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase activity appears to be a ubiquitously expressed regulatory property of DA neurons. The decrease in DA metabolism produced by the administration of a low, presumably auto-receptor-selective, dose of apomorphine exhibited a DA neuronal population distribution distinctly unlike that of the aforementioned effects of GBL or axotomy on DOPA accumulation. These results reinforce the DA neuronal population- selective distribution of synthesis-modulating autoreceptors and indicate that nerve terminal-localized autoreceptors are operative in regulating DA synthesis in only a minority of DA-innervated brain structures. Further, the demonstration of such autoreceptors is dependent upon the preparation, pharmacological tools, and functional endpoints chosen for study.
C^k Conjugacy of 1-D Diffeomorphisms with Periodic Points

It is shown that the set of heteroclinic orbits between two periodic orbits of saddle-node type induces functional moduli which are completely contained in a new 'transition map'. For one-dimensional C2 diffeomorphisms with saddle-node periodic points, two such diffeomorphisms are c2 conjugated if and only if the transition maps of their heteroclinic orbits are the same. An equivalent transition map is given for ck diffeomorphisms with hyperbolic periodic points, and it is shown that this transition map is an invariant of Ck conjugation. However, in this case the transition map alone is sufficient to guarantee conjugacy only in a limited sense.
Fatal Cerebral Edema After Trazodone Overdose (P5.103)

OBJECTIVE: To present a previously unreported fatal neurologic complication of trazodone overdose. BACKGROUND: Trazodone is a serotonin modulator approved for the treatment of depression. Overdose is rarely lethal when taken alone, attributed to cardiotoxicity. Neurotoxic effects include the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH), which is rarely associated with seizures. To our knowledge, fatal neurotoxicity has not been reported. We report cerebral edema and death from neurologic complications of trazodone overdose. DESIGN/METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 37 year-old woman with a history of bipolar disorder presented 3 hours after an intentional trazodone overdose. Her husband found her with an empty bottle of the drug. It was estimated that she ingested 6450 mg. She was afebrile, tachycardic and somnolent. She could answer questions and follow commands. Electrocardiogram showed sinus tachycardia and a normal QRS complex. Laboratory studies were notable for hyponatremia [121 mMol/L (136-145)]. Serum osmolality was low [241 mOsm/Kg (281-307)] and urine osmolality was inappropriately elevated [735 mOsm/Kg (50-1400)], consistent with SIADH. A few hours later she had a generalized seizure. Her mental status progressively declined and she required endotracheal intubation. Sodium level decreased to 109 mMol/L. Computed tomography of the brain showed diffuse cerebral edema with almost complete effacement of the fourth ventricle. Osmotic therapy was initiated. Trazodone level, measured approximately 30 hours after the ingestion, was 817 ng/mL (800-1600). The patient continued to deteriorate and her neurologic exam met criteria for brain death. This was confirmed by electrocerebral silence on electroencephalography and absent cerebral blood flow on nuclear imaging. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report of pure trazodone overdose causing death from a neurologic complication. We propose that the mechanism of cerebral edema in our patient was severe hyponatremia secondary to SIADH. Early correction of hyponatremia may prevent this fatal outcome. Disclosure: Dr. Avila has nothing to disclose.
Chronic Wound Biofilm Model

Significance: Multispecies microbial biofilms may contribute to wound chronicity by derailing the inherent reparative process of the host tissue. In the biofilm form, bacteria are encased within an extracellular polymeric substance and become recalcitrant to antimicrobials and host defenses. For biofilms of relevance to human health, there are two primary contributing factors: the microbial species involved and host response which, in turn, shapes microbial processes over time. This progressive interaction between microbial species and the host is an iterative process that helps evolve an acute-phase infection to a pathogenic chronic biofilm. Thus, long-term wound infection studies are needed to understand the longitudinal cascade of events that culminate into a pathogenic wound biofilm. Recent Advances: Our laboratory has recently published the first long-term (2 month) study of polymicrobial wound biofilm infection in a translationally valuable porcine wound model. Critical Issues: It is widely recogniz...
Production of Woody Nursery Crops in Clean Chip Residual Substrate

Clean chip residual (CCR) is a potential replacement for pine bark (PB) in nursery crop substrates. It is a by-product of in-fi eld forestry harvesting practices and has been shown to produce annual plants and perennials similar in size to plants grown in PB. Studies were conducted in two locations, Auburn, AL, and Poplarville, MS, to evaluate growth of woody ornamentals grown in CCR or PB. Five species were tested; Loropetalum chinensis var. rubrum , Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’, Lagerstroemia indica ‘Hopi’, Lagerstroemia × fauriei ‘Natchez’, and Rhododendron indicum ‘Mrs. G.G. Gerbing’. There were few differences in plant growth indices, leaf chlorophyll content, and infl orescence number over the course of the year for all species at both sites. Percent rootball coverage was generally similar among treatments, though those grown in PB had the greatest percent rootball coverage for loropetalum and buddleja (at both sites) and azalea at Auburn. Shoot dry weight of loropetalum and crapemytrle grown in PB at Poplarville was greater than plants grown in CCR.
Influence of Precracked Specimen Configuration and Starting Stress Intensity on the Stress Corrosion Cracking of 4340 Steel

Since the pioneer work of Brown (1966), precracked specimens and related fracture mechanics analyses have been extensively used to study stress corrosion cracking. Certain questions arose in connection with initial attempts to prepare standardized recommended practices by ASTM Committee G-1 on Corrosion of Metals. These questions were related to adequacy of test control as it pertains to acceptable limits of variability, and to validity of expressions for stress intensity and crack-surface displacements for both specimen configurations. An interlaboratory test program, was, therefore, planned with the objective to examine the validity of KIscc testing for selected specimen configurations, materials,and environmental systems. The results reported in the present paper include details of a single laboratory test program. The program was conducted to determine if the threshold value of stress intensity for onset and arrest of stress corrosion cracking was independent for the two specimen configurations examined.
Pathophysiology of Cardiac Arrhythmias

Normal cardiac rhythm occurs when spontaneous electrical impulses generated in the sinoatrial (SA) node are transmitted via the specialized conducting pathways to working myocardium. This orderly progression of impulse formation and propagation ensures a synchronous sequence of contraction in atrial and ventricular myocardium. Myocardial disease, cardioactive drugs, neurotransmitters, and other interventions can disrupt cardiac rhythm by altering spontaneous activity in the sinus node and other potential pacemaker regions in the heart and by impairing impulse propagation. Significant abnormalities of automaticity or conduction precipitate rhythm disturbances that compromise cardiac function, often to the point of producing clinical symptoms or death.
Medieval Cartularies of Great Britain and Ireland – By G. R. C. Davis

Many years ago, as a young scholar researching a dissertation, this reviewer first had occasion to use the original edition of this book, published in 1958. It was an essential resource then, and i...
Role of the Corpus Luteum in Controlling Implantation in Mustelid Carnivores

The studies that have been reviewed in this paper indicate that the ovaries of mustelids play an essential role in induction of blastocyst implantation. Moreover, the data suggest that CL are the primary source of a hormone, which acts in conjunction with progesterone, to initiate the chain of events leading to implantation. The identity of this luteal factor is unknown; however, existing evidence suggests that it may not be a steroid.
Cell-Permissive Protein-Resistant Substrates for Interrogating Neuronal Guidance Cues

Current in vitro tools for evaluating neuronal guidance cues suffer from several drawbacks, including difficult substrate preparation and hard-to-interpret results. Microcontact printing of an alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) provides a robust method for producing high-resolution protein patterns by protein adsorption from solution. However, cell and protein resistant glycol terminated monolayers are typically employed in the background, which prevents the evaluation of potential neuronal guidance cues. We have developed zwitterionic background monolayers that are protein-resistant, but remain cell-permissive. Using surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) and cell-culture studies, we have demonstrated that these zwitterionic monolayers provide well-defined, non-receptor mediate cellular attachment through interactions with cell-surface glycosylation. Exploiting these properties, we have created a monolayer based stripe assay, where the interactions between neurons (cell bodies and neurites) and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins or guidance cues may be observed and quantified. This system goes beyond current technologies, such as direct protein patterning and microfluidics, and is even capable of evaluating neuronal response to ECM protein, such as laminin.
The production of vegetable oils with novel properties: Using genomic tools to probe and manipulate plant fatty acid metabolism

This paper focuses on the metabolic engineering of biosynthetic pathways of unusual fatty acids with potential industrial value in seeds of existing crops. The presence of unusual fatty acids in seed oils of certain plant species and the identification of useful fatty acid metabolism genes (e.g., fatty acid desaturase [acyl-CoA desaturase] related gene families) are described. The advantages of expressed sequence tag approaches to cloning fatty acid metabolism genes and the limitations to production of novel oils in transgenic plants are discussed.
ON THE BEHAVIOR OF SMALL FATIGUE CRACKS IN COMMERCIAL ALUMINUM-LITHIUM ALLOYS

Abstract The fatigue crack propagation behavior of naturally-occurring, microstructurally-small (1–1000 μm), surface cracks is examined as a function of microstructure in commercial aluminum-lithium alloys 2090-T8E41, 8091-T351 and 2091-T351, and results compared with behavior in traditional high-strength aluminum alloys 2124 and 7150. Despite large differences in the fatigue crack propagation behavior of long (≳ 10 μm) cracks in these alloys, little difference is observed in the small crack growth resistance, with the small crack growth rates for all microstructures lying within a scatterband some 2–4 orders of magnitude higher than the near-threshold fatigue behavior of long cracks. Such results are attributed primarily to a lack of crack tip shielding (developed from crack deflection and resulting crack closure from asperity wedging) with small cracks of limited wake. Since the well-known superior fatigue crack growth resistance of aluminum-lithium alloys can be traced principally to such shielding, promoted by the branched and tortuous nature of their crack paths, the anomaly between long and small crack behavior appears to be most significant in these alloys.
On the welfare implications of restricting bankruptcy information

Abstract The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) dictates that adverse events such as a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing must be removed from an individual’s credit record after 10 years. The intent of the law is to provide partial consumption insurance by giving an individual a fresh start. However, the law obviously weakens incentives not to default, which can result in higher interest rates that in turn reduce intertemporal insurance. Because of this tradeoff, it is unclear how long is the optimal length of time that an adverse event remains on an individual’s credit record. In this paper we assess the welfare consequences of varying the length of time that adverse events can be on one’s credit record. We calibrate the model to US data where the exclusion parameter is set to be 10 years on average. Then we run a counterfactual to find the length that maximizes ex-post economywide welfare using a consumption equivalent measure. The model predicts agents prefer to remove the bankruptcy flag after one year, though the gains are small.
Transcriptional Enhancers in Animal Development and Evolution

Regulatory DNAs serve as templates to bring weakly interacting transcription factors into close proximity so they can work synergistically to switch genes on and off in time and space. Most of these regulatory DNAs are enhancers that can work over long distances — a million base pairs or more in mammals — to control gene expression. Critical enhancers are sometimes even found within the introns of neighboring genes. This review summarizes well-defined examples of enhancers controlling key processes in animal development. Potential mechanisms of transcriptional synergy are discussed with regard to enhancer structure and contemporary ChIP-sequencing assays, whereby just a small fraction of the observed binding sites represent bona fide regulatory DNAs. Finally, there is a discussion of how enhancer evolution can produce novelty in animal morphology and of the prospects for reconstructing transitions in animal evolution by introducing derived enhancers in basal ancestors.
Protection of Islets by in SituPeptide-mediated Transduction of the IκB Kinase Inhibitor Nemo-binding Domain Peptide

We have previously demonstrated that adenoviral gene transfer of the NF-kappaB inhibitor IkappaB to human islets results in protection from interleukin (IL)-1beta-mediated dysfunction and apoptosis. Here we report that human and mouse islets can be efficiently transduced by a cationic peptide transduction domain (PTD-5) without impairment of islet function. PTD mediated delivery of a peptide inhibitor of the IL-1beta-induced IkappaB kinase (IKK), derived from IKKbeta (NBD; Nemo-binding domain), and completely blocked the detrimental effects of IL-1beta on islet function and NF-kappaB activity, in a similar manner to Ad-IkappaB. We also demonstrate that mouse islets can be transduced in situ by infusion of the transduction peptide through the bile duct prior to isolation, resulting in 40% peptide transduction of the beta-cells. Delivery of the IKK inhibitor transduction fusion peptide (PTD-5-NBD) in situ to mouse islets resulted in improved islet function and viability after isolation. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using PTD-mediated delivery to transiently modify islets in situ to improve their viability and function during isolation, prior to transplantation.
Relationship Between Increasing Body Weight, Insulin Resistance, Inflammation, Adipocytokine Leptin, and Coronary Circulatory Function

Relationship Between Increasing Body Weight, Insulin Resistance, Inflammation, Adipocytokine Leptin, and Coronary Circulatory FunctionThomas H. Schindler, Jerson Cardenas, John O. Prior, Alvaro D. ...
Hydrodynamical theory of magnetoplasma excitations in an antidot system.

A linear hydrodynamical theory is developed to study the collective excitations of a two-dimensional electron gas in a normal magnetic field, constrained to move about a circular, infinite potential barrier (known as an antidot). The theory reveals three low-frequency branches in the collective spectrum: (i) a branch that starts from zero at zero magnetic field, reaches a broad maximum at a moderate field, and decreases slowly thereafter; (ii) a mode at the cyclotron resonance frequency; and (iii) a mode that starts at a finite frequency at zero field and merges into the cyclotron resonance at high field. Recent experimental data are compared with the present theoretical results.
Imaging extrastriatal dopamine D2 receptor occupancy by endogenous dopamine in healthy humans

The effect of endogenous dopamine on in vivo measurement of dopamine D2 receptors in extrastriatal regions (thalamus and temporal cortex) was evaluated with single photon emission computed tomography and the high affinity ligand [123I]epidepride by comparing the binding potential before and after acute dopamine depletion. Dopamine depletion was achieved by per-oral administration of 5.5 g/70 kg body weight α-methyl-para-tyrosine given in 37 h. The α-methyl-para-tyrosine treatment increased the binding potential significantly in the temporal cortex (13±15%, P=0.036) but not in the thalamus (2±9%). The increase of the binding potential in the temporal cortex correlated strongly with the increase of dysphoric mood evaluated by the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) (ρ=0.88, P=0.004). These results imply that [123I]epidepride, coupled with acute dopamine depletion might provide estimates of synaptic dopamine concentration.
Trends in Extreme Temperatures in Relation to Urbanization in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota

Abstract The long-term trends in extreme summer season temperatures across the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (TCMA) associated with urbanization are examined. To assess trends in extreme temperature data, maximum and minimum temperatures from 1975 to 2002 were assembled for seven stations located in both rural and urban areas. Furthermore, urbanization since 1975 was assessed by estimating the percentage of impervious surfaces from Landsat images acquired for various years. The results of this study indicated a greater rate of increase in overall minimum temperatures, resulting in a slightly declining trend in diurnal temperature range for all of the stations. In the case of extreme temperatures, most of the peripheral urban and rural stations experienced negative trends in extreme maximum temperatures, accompanied by positive trends in extreme minimum temperatures. This was also validated by the simultaneous increase in the percentage of impervious surfaces in those locations. The greatest changes were o...
A novel methodology for thermal characterization of power packages in high current applications

This article describes the thermal characterization of semiconductor packages that include MOSFET solutions for high current capability applications. MOSFETs have three kinds of electrical characteristic parameters in regards to the heat generation of the silicon die, such as linear, saturation and parasitic diode mode. This paper shows the results of a study on thermal characterization according to those electrical characteristics and parameters. The thermal resistance is defined by the function of the temperature difference between junction to referenced temperature and the power dissipation between them. Therefore, the thermal resistance has a different value due to different heating characteristics such as linear mode, saturation mode and diode mode heating respectively. For this paper, thermal simulation and measurement were conducted using CFD simulation and experimentation. In the results illustrated various thermal characteristics depending on the different structure of packages having either Al bonding directly to the substrate or Al bonding to the lead frame with DBC substrate.
City planning in Soviet Russia

Urban land policies in Russia are complicated and their administration is molded to conform to the peculiar organization of the Soviet State. More than one hundred Cities have already worked out definite city plans to be followed by new construction.
Perisurgical management of patients with neuromuscular disorders

Patients who have neuromuscular disorders are at an increased risk of complications during the perioperative period. These complications are often caused by weakness, which predisposes the patient to apnea during the postoperative period. This in turn causes difficult extubation. Some patients develop cardiovascular complications, while others are at increased risk for malignant hyperthermia. Therefore, proper preventive measures, recognition, and management of these complications are particularly important. This article discusses perisurgical complications most frequently experienced by patients who have neuromuscular disorders and offers advice regarding their proper management. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other adult onset motor neuron diseases The complications of general surgery in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are usually caused by weakness, with resultant difficult extubation and hypercapnia from oversedation. In addition, patients who have severe leg weakness may be predisposed to pulmonary embolism from venous thrombosis. The most common procedure performed in ALS is percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), the purpose of which is to improve nourishment and prevent aspirations. This procedure has been demonstrated to prolong survival [1,2], but it should be discussed early with the patient and the patient’s relatives to comply with their wishes concerning long-term care [3]. It is recommended that PEG be performed when the patient’s forced vital capacity is at least 50% that of normal [4], because respiratory failure may
Comparison of immunofluorescence assay and immunomagnetic electrochemiluminescence in detection of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in karst water samples.

Immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and immunomagnetic electrochemiluminescence (IM-ECL) were used for comparison of the percent recovery of Cryptosporidium parvum in environmental water samples obtained from a spring draining a karst basin. The monoclonal antibodies to C. parvum, isotype IgG3 were used for optimization of the IM-ECL protocol. The combination of biotinylated and TAG-labeled anti-C. parvum antibodies with the streptavidin beads gave a linear regression slope for log ECL vs. log fresh oocysts of 0.79 (from 5 to 5000 oocysts), which indicates a constant ECL signal per oocyst. Standard curves gave a dynamic range of 5 to 5000 oocysts/ml (fresh) and 10 to 100,000 cells/ml (4-month-old oocysts) with the maximum limit of linear detection higher than 100,000. The linear slope of 4-month-old oocysts decreased to 0.62, which indicates that ECL signal is a function of oocyst age. The experiment associated with bead storage time shows that even after 4 months of storage of the biotinylated antibodies, the complex retains the ability for binding the oocysts and generating the ECL signal. Based on the IFA results in the experiment evaluating different protocols for oocysts recovery from karst water samples, the most efficient protocol involved dispersion, followed by flotation and immunomagnetic separation (IMS) (24% recovery). The ECL results obtained in that experiment were very similar to the results obtained in the IFA method, which indicates that the IM-ECL method is accurate. Results of the IFA in the study of the prevalence of C. parvum in the groundwater showed that oocysts were present in 78% of 1 L water samples with average number of oocysts of 6.4±5.5 and ranged from 0 (13 samples) to 23.3 (2 samples). The ECL signal generated from these water samples ranged from 3771 to 622 (average 1620±465). However, the background value estimated in groundwater samples with low number of oocysts detected by IFA was highly variable and elevated (from 3702 to 272, average 1503±475). The background value as a result of nonspecific binding to beads by unidentified organic components in the water can inhibit or even completely mask the signal generated by oocysts. Our investigations showed that the IM-ECL method appears to be promising for the qualitative and quantitative detection of C. parvum from the environmental water; however, the method requires further development to improve sensitivity and account for background signals.
Direction estimation in single-index models via distance covariance

We introduce a new method for estimating the direction in single-index models via distance covariance. Our method keeps model-free advantage as a dimension reduction approach. In addition, no smoothing technique is needed, which enables our method to work efficiently when many predictors are discrete or categorical. Under regularity conditions, we show that our estimator is root-n consistent and asymptotically normal. We compare the performance of our method with some dimension reduction methods and the single-index estimation method by simulations and show that our method is very competitive and robust across a number of models. Finally, we analyze the UCI Adult Data Set to demonstrate the efficacy of our method.
Some Historical Roots of the Ethos of Science

This comparative and historical examination of the ethos of science finds significant examples of the Mertonian ethos in university discussions from the 12th through the 14th century. The institutionalization of naturalistic inquiry based on Aristotelian modes of argument and demonstration was unique to Western Europe and did not occur in China or the Islamic Middle East. Nevertheless, Merton's writings on the ethos show no indication of his relying upon the rich historical evidence of Europe when formulating his famous conception.
In vivo neurotoxin administration alters immune responses in chickens (Gallus domesticus)

1. 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) administered in ovo enhanced in primary immune response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) in chicks 2. Splenic norepinephrine levels increased during the peak anti-SRBC response. 3. Cell-mediated immunity as measured by delayed-type hypersensitivity to phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) was not affected by treatment with 6-OHDA.