cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatial memory deficits, increased phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB, and induction of the AP-1 complex following experimental brain injury

Traumatic brain injury causes both short- and long-term neurological impairments. A cascade of biochemical changes triggered by the injury may increase the expression of several genes, which has been hypothesized to contribute to the observed cognitive deficits. The mechanism(s) of induction for these genes is not yet known. We present evidence that lateral cortical impact injury in rats that produces spatial memory deficits also increases phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB (cAMP response element binding). Subsequent to the phosphorylation of CREB, c-Fos expression and the AP-1 complex are enhanced. The temporal and spatial activation of c-Fos is consistent with it being induced by phosphorylated CREB proteins. Thus, CREB-mediated gene activation may contribute to the observed behavioral deficits. Further elucidation of the biochemical and pathophysiological changes will be of importance for clinical therapy.
Effects of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone and Its Analogs on Daytime Sleepiness and Cataplexy in Canine Narcolepsy

The therapeutic potential of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and TRH analogs in narcolepsy, a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and daytime sleepiness, was examined using the canine model. The effects of TRH and the biologically stable TRH analogs CG3703, CG3509, and TA0910 on daytime sleep and cataplexy, a symptom of abnormal REM sleep, were assessed using polysomnographic recordings and the food elicited cataplexy test (FECT), respectively. CG3703 (100 and 400 microg/kg, i.v.) and TA0910 (100 and 400 microg/kg, i.v.) significantly increased wakefulness and decreased sleep in narcoleptic canines, whereas TRH (400 and 1600 microg/kg, i.v.) had no significant effect. TRH (25-1600 microg/kg, i.v.) and all three TRH analogs, CG3703 (6. 25-400 microg/kg, i.v., and 0.25-16 mg/kg, p.o.), CG3509 (25-1600 microg/kg, i.v.), and TA0910 (25-1600 microg/kg, i.v.), significantly reduced cataplexy in canine narcolepsy. These compounds did not produce any significant side effects during behavioral assays, nor did they alter free T3 and T4 levels in serum even when used at doses that completely suppressed cataplexy. Although more work is needed to establish the mode of action of TRH analogs on alertness and REM sleep-related symptoms, our results suggest a possible therapeutic application for TRH analogs in human sleep disorders.
Implications of Design Thinking for Teaching, Learning, and Inquiry

The term design thinking has recently gained prominence within postsecondary design programs across the United States. The term is often used to explain and advocate for design's unique approach to solving problems in innovative ways. The term is also used as a general description for unexplained or ill-defined representations of what designers do. If design educators have a clear understanding of design thinking, they can improve teaching and learning, and reframe design-based and interdisciplinary inquiry. This article addresses design thinking through two layers. The first layer highlights key ways that designers think through an overview of more than 50 years of design thinking's foundational literature. The second layer reports a 3-year-long, teaching-and-learning research project that compared learning in a design course and a similar nondesign course. The research project explores the application of design thinking's key ideas through the two courses. The project examined learning by 110 students enrolled in two courses during an annual, residential, summer enrichment program for high school seniors. The courses were structured in parallel ways for exploring design thinking and wicked problems, but addressed design and nondesign topics. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the courses and student learning demonstrate how the students used attributes of design thinking. The results challenge design educators to reconsider how design thinking may influence the classroom and inquiry.
Activation and detoxication of promutagens by toadfish (Opsanus tau) hepatic postmitochondrial fractions in the Salmonella assay.

Abstract Three groups of experiments were conducted to characterize the hepatic postmitochondrial fraction (S9) from the oyster toadfish ( Opsanus tau ) as an activation system for promutagens in the Salmonella assay and to provide an initial evaluation of the extent to which data from standard in vitro assays with mammalian activation systems are predictive of possible genotoxic effects in this marine fish. In the first group of experiments the effects of increasing the concentration of S9 from untreated and 3-methylcholanthrene (MC)- or Aroclor 1254 (AC)-pretreated toadfish and Sprague-Dawley rats on the mutagenicities of different concentrations of 2-aminoanthracene (2AA) and benzo[ a ]pyrene (BAP) were examined in Salmonella (TA98) plate assays. The maximum levels of 2AA mutagenicity attained by S9 from untreated (UI S9) toadfish and rats were comparable, but UI S9 from toadfish was moreeffective than UI S9 from rats in mediating BAP mutagenicity. MC pretreatment decreased maximum levels of 2AA mutagenicity and increased maximum levels of BAP mutagenicity mediated by S9 from both species. MC pretreatment also altered the pattern of dependence of 2AA mutagenicity on the concentration of S9 protein for S9 from both species. A similar alteration in the pattern of dependence of BAP mutagenicity on the concentration of S9 protein was also observed with S9 from MC-pretreated toadfish. Although AC pretreatment of rats effected changes in the mutagenicities of both test chemicals similar to those effected by MC pretreatment, AC pretreatment of toadfish effected little or no change in the mutagenicities of either test chemical. The changes in the pattern of dependence of 2AA and BAP mutagenicities on the concentration of S9 protein effected by MC pretreatment of toadfish were confirmed in a separate group of experiments. A third group of experiments was designed to examine the effects of α-naphthoflavone (ANF) on the mutagenicities of 2AA and BAP mediated by UI and MC S9 from toadfish. Although ANF did not affect the 2AA mutagenicity mediated by UI S9, a significant decrease in 2AA mutagenicity and a significant increase in BAP mutagenicity mediated by MC S9 and a significant decrease in BAP mutagenicity mediated by UI S9 were observed. These results indicate that 2AA and BAP are effectively activated by toadfish S9 and that, as in rats, these two test chemicals are activated and/or detoxicated by different cytochrome P-450-dependent pathways. These results also support the contention that cytochrome P-450-dependent detoxication pathways can be an important determinant of the mutagenic potency of some promutagens in vitro.
Assessing heat-adaptive behaviors among older, urban-dwelling adults

Abstract Objectives Health studies have shown that the elderly are at a greater risk to extreme heat. The frequency and intensity of summer heat waves will continue to increase as a result of climate change. It is important that we understand the environmental and structural factors that increase heat vulnerability, as well as examine the behaviors used by the elderly to adapt to hot indoor temperatures. Study design From June 1 to August 31, 2009, residents in 29 homes in Detroit, MI, kept an hourly log of eight heat-adaptive behaviors: opening windows/doors, turning fans or the air conditioner on, changing clothes, taking a shower, going to the basement, the porch/yard, or leaving the house. Percentages of hourly behavior were calculated, overall and stratified by housing type and percent surface imperviousness. The frequency of behavior use, as a result of indoor and outdoor predetermined temperature intervals was compared to a reference temperature range of 21.1–23.8 °C. Results The use of all adaptive behaviors, except going to the porch or yard, was significantly associated with indoor temperature. Non-mechanical adaptations such as changing clothes, taking showers, and going outside or to the basement were rarely used. Residents living in high-rises and highly impervious areas reported a higher use of adaptive behaviors. The odds of leaving the house significantly increased as outdoor temperature increased. Conclusions These findings suggest that the full range of heat adaptation measures may be underused by the elderly and public health interventions need to focus on outreach to these populations.
Enhanced CREB and DARPP‐32 phosphorylation in the nucleus accumbens and CREB, ERK, and GluR1 phosphorylation in the dorsal hippocampus is associated with cocaine‐conditioned place preference behavior

Environment-induced relapse is a major concern in drug addiction because of the strong associations formed between drug reward and environment. Cocaine-conditioned place preference is an ideal experimental tool to examine adaptations in the molecular pathways that are activated upon re-exposure to an environment previously paired with drug reward. To better understand the mechanism of cocaine-conditioned place preference we have used western blot analysis to examine changes in phosphorylation of cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein 32 (DARPP-32), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and GluR1, key molecular substrates altered by cocaine, in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and dorsal hippocampus (DHC) of C57BL/6 mice. Our studies revealed that re-exposing mice to an environment in which they were previously given cocaine resulted in increased levels of Ser133 phospho-CREB and Thr34 phospho-DARPP-32 with a corresponding decrease in Thr75 phospho-DARPP-32 in the NAc. In DHC there were increased levels of phospho-CREB, Thr183/Tyr185 phospho-ERK, and Ser845 phospho-GluR1. These data suggest that the formation of contextual drug reward associations involves recruitment of the DHC-NAc circuit with activation of the DARPP-32/CREB pathway in the NAc and the ERK/CREB pathway in the DHC.
A Calculation Model for the Film Thickness and Component Uniformity of Twin Co-Sputtering Target System

In the vacuum film coating field, the co-sputtering method by two or more targets has been widely used for coating the composite film consisted of a variety of component elements. In this paper, a typical co-sputtering system is studied which composes the twin round planar magnetron sputtering targets settled symmetrically and slantways towards a single flat substrate with self-rotation. A model is set up to describe the non-dimensional relationship between the film thickness and the structural parameters of co-sputtering system, such as distance of the substrate-to-target , symmetrical eccentricity , translation length and obliquity angle of target . On the assumption that the sputtered particles are emitted in the direction of cosine distribution and fly straightly without collision scattering, the depositing rate distribution, film thickness distribution, the utilization ratio of the target sputtering material, and the fluctuant ratio of the components from two targets are calculated. Some of simulating examples are given by use of Matlab software.
Uterotropic actions of relaxin in prepubertal gilts.

Uterotropic actions of relaxin (RLX) have been demonstrated in rats and mice but not in other species. Experiments were conducted to assess (1) if RLX has uterotropic effects in prepubertal gilts and (2) if RLX-induced imbibition of water by uterine tissues is mediated by histamine. Prepubertal gilts received (i.m.) either 0.5 mg pRLX (greater than or equal to 3000 U/mg; n = 10) in 0.1 M phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or PBS vehicle (n = 8) every 6 h for 54 h. Additionally, one-half of each group received either (1) the histamine receptor antagonists (300 mg i.m. of each), pyrilamine maleate (H1) and cimetidine (H2), in PBS and corn oil, respectively, or (2) control vehicles every 6 h for 66 h beginning 12 h prior to initiation of RLX treatment. Treatment with RLX stimulated a twofold increase (p less than or equal to 0.05) in uterine weight in prepubertal gilts. Increases in total uterine weight were manifested by greater (p less than or equal to 0.05) uterine water content and dry weight in RLX-treated gilts. Cotreatment with histamine receptor antagonists did not alter RLX-induced changes in uterine water content or dry weight. Uterine contents of soluble protein and DNA were greater (p less than or equal to 0.05) in RLX-treated gilts compared to controls. Treatment with RLX tended (p approximately 0.08) to reduce protein; DNA ratio of uterine tissues and increased (p less than or equal to 0.05) uterine DNA as a percentage of uterine dry weight.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The ultimate display: where will all the pixels come from?

Building a wall-sized display that supports human visual acuity during close-up viewing would require about 670 megapixels, with 190 dpi. A wall display that supports these would require roughly 165 gigapixels at 3,000 dpi. This is more than 10,000 times the pixels available in today's largest displays. Obviously, we won't see such displays for a long time. In the meantime, we can pursue a more realistic and still extremely useful challenge: printer-resolution (600 dpi) wall displays updated at 240 Hz, requiring 7.2 gigapixels. The real challenge of these displays is bandwidth, to which the authors offer one innovative solution: adaptive frameless rendering. This approach abandons the traditional concepts of animation as sequence of images, or frames, and departs from viewing images as temporally coherent grids of samples, or pixels. Instead, it generates samples selectively when and where they are needed. A prototype system indicates that our approach could reduce bandwidth requirements by one to two orders of magnitude.
Synthesis of fluorinated α-diketones and as-triazines and quinoxalines

Abstract Benzylheptafluoropropyl ketone and 1,8-diphenyl-3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6-octafluoro-2,7-octafluoro-2,7-octanedione were prepared by the reaction of benzylmagnesium chloride with heptafluorobutyric acid and octafluoroadipic acid, respectively. Oxidation of the methylene ketones with selenium dioxide produced 1-phenyl-3,3,4,4,5,5,5-heptafluoro-1,2-pentanedione and 1,8-diphenyl-3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6-octafluoro-1,2,7,8-octanetetrone. Both α-diketones were yellow and readily formed crystalline hydrates. Several alternate routes to the synthesis of the fluorinated α-diketones were investigated. The α-diketones were reacted with amidrazones and aromatic o -diamines to form as -triazines and quinoxalines, respectively.
CPSF30, a Novel Non-Classical Zinc Finger Protein that Utilizes Iron & Zinc Coordination for RNA Recognition

Zinc finger (ZF) proteins are eukaryotic proteins that are involved in transcriptional and translational regulation. ZFs utilize cysteine and histidine residues to coordinate zinc ions to fold and function properly. There are fourteen different classes of zinc finger proteins, which are classified based upon the ligands involved in zinc coordination, the ZF domain folds, and the proteins’ biological targets. Cleavage and Polyadenylation Specificity Factor 30 (CPSF30) is a ‘non-classical’ ZF protein that contains multiple Cys3His zinc binding domains and is involved in pre-mRNA regulation. CPSF30 contains 5 Cys3His domains and a Cys2HisCys zinc knuckle domain. A construct of CPSF30 construct containing only CPSF30's five Cys3His domains, denoted as CPSF305FE was prepared. This protein is predicted to have five zinc ions; however, UV-visible and ICP-MS analysis of the isolated construct revealed that CPSF305FE contains iron in addition to zinc in a 1:4:1 Fe:Zn:CPSF305FE stoichiometetry. XAS analysis identified the iron site as a 2Fe-2S cluster. CPSF30 is predicted to recognize AU-rich RNA sequences. To test this hypothesis, RNA binding studies using both electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and fluorescence anisotropy (FA) of CPSF305FE with α-synuclein pre-mRNA (which contains an AU-rich sequence) along with a series of mutated RNA sequences were performed. These studies revealed that CPSF30 binds to α-synuclein pre-RNA with nanomolar affinity and requires the AU-rich sequence for binding. The binding interaction was best fit to a cooperative binding model, suggesting that the CPF30/RNA binding event is cooperative.
Astronomical observatories on the moon

The Space Exploration Initiative presents an opportunity to construct astronomical telescopes on the Moon using the infrastructure provided by the lunar outpost. Small automatically deployed telescopes can be carried on the survey missions, be deployed on the lunar surface and be operated remotely from the Earth. Possibilities for early, small optical telescopes are a zenith pointed transit telescope, a student telescope, and a 0.5 to 1 meter automatic, fully steerable telescope. After the lunar outpost is established the lunar interferometers will be constructed in an evolutionary fashion. There are three lunar interferometers which have been studied. The most ambitious is the optical interferometer with a 1 to 2 -km baseline and seven 1.5 aperture elements arranged in a 'Y' configuration with a central beam combiner. The Submillimeter interferometer would use seven, 5-m reflectors in a 'Y' or circular configuration with a 1-km baseline. The Very Low Frequency (VLF) array would operate below 30 mHz with as many as 100 elements and a 200-km baseline.
Bifurcation of time periodic solutions of the McKendrick equations with applications to population dynamics

Abstract A local two parameter bifurcation theorem concerning the bifurcation from steady states of time periodic solutions of a nonlinear system of partial, integro-differential equations is proved. A Hopf bifurcation theorem is derived as a corollary. By means of independent and dependent variable changes this theorem is applicable to the general McKendrick equations governing the growth of an age-structured population (with the added feature here of a possible gestation period). The theorem is based on a Fredholm theory developed in the paper for the associated linear equations. An application is given to an age-structured population whose fecundity is density and age dependent and it is shown that for a sufficiently narrow age-specific “reproductive and resource consumption window” steady state instabilities, accompanied by sustained time periodic oscillations, occur when the birth modulus surpasses a critical value.
An analysis of memory-based theories of automaticity.

Memory-based theories of automaticity predict that performance in a memory search task which is automatic will not require a representation of the memory set in working memory. The information contained in working memory was manipulated by inserting an interference task between the presentation of a memory set and a probe stimulus in a memory search task. The interference task prevented rehearsal, necessitating the retrieval of the memory set from long-term memory in variably mapped (VM) conditions. Performance in consistently mapped (CM) conditions provided strong support for memory-based theories of automaticity. With CM practice, both the effects of memory load and the effect of the interference task were eliminated. Furthermore, there was a temporal coupling in the reduction of these two effects with consistent practice. Monte Carlo simulations of memory-based automaticity predict such a temporal coupling. Automaticity is viewed as a continuum reflecting the relative contribution of the direct memory access of past solutions from long-term memory on performance. Language: en
Excitation and Ionization in H(1s)-H(1s) Collisions

Hydrogen atom - hydrogen atom scattering is a prototype for many of the fundamental principles of atomic collisions. In this work we present an approximation to the H+H system for scattering in the intermediate energy regime of 1 to 100 keV. The approximation ignores electron exchange and two-electron excitation by assuming that one of the atoms is frozen in the 1s state. We allow for the evolution of the active electron by numerically solving the 3D Schroedinger equation. The results capture many features of the problem and are in harmony with recent theoretical studies. Excitation and ionization cross sections are computed and compared to other theory and experiment. New insight into the mechanism of excitation and ionization is inferred from the solutions.
Rheological Properties of Prune Juice

The effect of preparation procedures, raw material and additives on prune juice viscosity was investigated. Prune juice preparation procedure had the greatest effect on juice viscosity of any parameters studied, with the disintegration process producing juice having higher viscosity than the diffusion process. Juice viscosity decreased during elevated storage temperatures. Also, prune size and maturity influenced viscosity, with smaller prunes harvested early in the season producing juice with higher viscosities. In diffusion juice extraction, the first leach product had a lower viscosity, lighter color and higher potassium content that the rest. Prune concentrate over 45° brix exhibited dilatant properties.
EFFECTS OF BLEACHING ON TOOTH STRUCTURE AND RESTORATIONS, PART IV: EFFECTS ON RESTORATIVE MATERIALS

Tooth whitening has become a common treatment over the last 15 years, and much research has been reported on the effects of bleaching procedures on enamel, dentin, and restorative materials. We are presenting a series of Critical Appraisals covering recent research in this area. This final installment describes studies regarding the effects of bleaching agents on various types of restorative materials.
Ocean-sized threats

Jane Lubchenco, professor of marine biology and zoology at Oregon State University, and president-elect of the International Council for Science, said that scientists can do more than they currently are doing to clearly communicate to the public and to policy-makers those issues associated with the many ecological threats faced by the world's oceans. In doing so, scientists can overcome popularly-held misperceptions about the health of the world's oceans and thus, help protect the seas. “Science,” Lubchenco said, “has a huge role to play in informing [the public] what is happening and to guide the choice of solutions.]
Optimization of ETV-ICP(TOF)MS and transient signal profiles for reducing isobaric interferences

One of the advantages of the ETV sample introduction is the ability to temporally separate analyte elements in complex mixtures by differences in their vaporization temperatures within the ETV for ICPMS. However, the broadening of the transient peaks in the transport tubing often obscures this temporal resolution. This study shows that decreasing the transport tubing diameter produces little broadening beyond that produced during aerosol production in the ETV. Maintaining such narrow peaks through the transport process to the ICP permits time resolution to circumvent atomic isobaric interferences. Differences in vaporization characteristics of the elements were used to resolve the isobaric overlaps among Zn, Ni, Se, Ge, Cd, In and Sn. A Monte Carlo simulation that focused on particle motion from the ETV to the plasma source was employed to evaluate the roles of diameter of transport tubing and heating rate of the ETV on signal broadening. It was shown that laminar flow broadening was reduced by decreasing the transport tubing diameter and thus more closely reflected the generation function of the ETV. However, for some elements there was as much as a 75% reduction in signal from use of the smaller, 1.5 mm i.d. tubing. There was also a trend to further improve the resolution using lower heating rates of the ETV, although the longitudinal non-isothermality of the graphite furnace broadened the peaks beyond the values expected if there was no gradient along the length of the ETV. This was more noticeable for lower heating rates, e.g., <400 °C s−1. Results are presented for Monte Carlo simulations and time resolved signals obtained on an ETV-ICP(TOF)MS system.
Free Energy Perturbation Hamiltonian Replica-Exchange Molecular Dynamics (FEP/H-REMD) for Absolute Ligand Binding Free Energy Calculations

Free Energy Perturbation with Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics (FEP/REMD) offers a powerful strategy to improve the convergence of free energy computations. In particular, it has been shown previously that a FEP/REMD scheme allowing random moves within an extended replica ensemble of thermodynamic coupling parameters “λ” can improve the statistical convergence in calculations of absolute binding free energy of ligands to proteins [J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2009, 5, 2583]. In the present study, FEP/REMD is extended and combined with an accelerated MD simulations method based on Hamiltonian replica-exchange MD (H-REMD) to overcome the additional problems arising from the existence of kinetically trapped conformations within the protein receptor. In the combined strategy, each system with a given thermodynamic coupling factor λ in the extended ensemble is further coupled with a set of replicas evolving on a biased energy surface with boosting potentials used to accelerate the interconversion among different...
Automatic segmentation of lung parenchyma based on curvature of ribs using HRCT images in scleroderma studies

Segmentation of lungs in the setting of scleroderma is a major challenge in medical image analysis. Threshold based techniques tend to leave out lung regions that have increased attenuation, for example in the presence of interstitial lung disease or in noisy low dose CT scans. The purpose of this work is to perform segmentation of the lungs using a technique that selects an optimal threshold for a given scleroderma patient by comparing the curvature of the lung boundary to that of the ribs. Our approach is based on adaptive thresholding and it tries to exploit the fact that the curvature of the ribs and the curvature of the lung boundary are closely matched. At first, the ribs are segmented and a polynomial is used to represent the ribs' curvature. A threshold value to segment the lungs is selected iteratively such that the deviation of the lung boundary from the polynomial is minimized. A Naive Bayes classifier is used to build the model for selection of the best fitting lung boundary. The performance of the new technique was compared against a standard approach using a simple fixed threshold of -400HU followed by regiongrowing. The two techniques were evaluated against manual reference segmentations using a volumetric overlap fraction (VOF) and the adaptive threshold technique was found to be significantly better than the fixed threshold technique.
232 EFFECTS OF MATERNAL ISOXSUPRINE (VASODILAN) ADMINISRATION ON PREMATURE INFANTS

A retrospective one year study of all inborn infants of ≥35 weeks' gestation was undertaken to determine neonatal effects of maternal Isoxsuprine (I) administration. Mothers of 43 infants received I. within 48 hours of delivery and mothers of 107 received no I. When divided into gestational age groups, there were no significant differences in infants' birthweights, Apgar scores, pulse rates, hematocrits, or the incidence of respiratory diseases. Hypocalcemia, hypoglycemia, abdominal symptoms of ileus, hypotension and death were all significantly higher in infants whose mothers received I. Hypotension and death occurred predominantly in very pre-term infants. Significant ileus and metabolic derangements appear to be related to maternal I. administration. The high mortality and incidence of hypotension deserves further investigation.
Acute subjective responses to paroxetine in normal volunteers

The purpose of this study was to compare the subjective effects of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, paroxetine, to those of the prototypic stimulant, d-amphetamine. Ten healthy volunteers attended 5 sessions and received paroxetine (10, 20, 50 mg), d-amphetamine (20 mg), and placebo. Subjective effects were measured at regular intervals for 26-30 h. Paroxetine and d-amphetamine produced highly dissimilar effects on mood. For example, whereas d-amphetamine increased ratings of euphoria, drug high, and desire for drug, paroxetine produced no effects on these measures. Conversely, whereas paroxetine increased ratings of Confusion and Fatigue, d-amphetamine did not. These findings suggest that serotonin does not play a significant role in mediating the positive subjective effects of stimulant drugs.
Relationship of Silurian sea-level fluctuations to oceanic episodes and events

Abstract Eight distinct highstands in sea level emerged from the author's study of the Silurian System on a continent-to-continent basis during the 1980s and 1990s. Some emendations are needed to accommodate other trends recognized since that time, but the overall pattern is strong. Five major highstands and one minor highstand fit the Lower Silurian (Llandovery and Wenlock series). Three major highstands fit the Upper Silurian (Ludlow and Přidoli series). Three separate episodes of glaciation correspond to drops in sea level from the Lower Silurian but fluctuations recorded in the Upper Silurian have no clear cause. Many oceanic events share common trends when the relationship with sea-level fluctuations is tested against a tight biostratigraphic framework. The Sandvika Event correlates with a sea-level drop between the second and third highstands from the Llandovery Series. An unnamed secundo-primo event overlaps the fall between the third and fourth highstands. The Ireviken Event corresponds to a drop ...
On the heat transfer and flow of a non-homogenous fluid

In this paper, we consider the flow a complex fluid such as coal-water slurry or biomass. We assume the suspension can be modeled as a non-homogenous viscous fluid whose viscosity is a function of spatial coordinates and temperature. We study the heat transfer and the steady fully developed flow of this complex fluid between two long horizontal plates subject to the no-slip condition at the plates. Two different correlations are proposed for the viscosity and the thermal conductivity and analytical and numerical results are presented for the velocity, temperature and the volumetric flow rate.
The Banana Tree at the Gate: A History of Marginal Peoples and Global Markets in Borneo

Review of The Banana Tree at the Gate: A History of Marginal Peoples and Global Markets in Borneo. Michael R. Dove. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2011. Xix, 332 pp. Illus. Bibliography, indexes. ISBN 978‐0‐300‐15321‐7 (hardcover). $55.00.
Human cytosolic sulfotransferase database mining: identification of seven novel genes and pseudogenes

A total of 10 SULT genes are presently known to be expressed in human tissues. We performed a comprehensive genome-wide search for novel SULT genes using two different but complementary approaches, and developed a novel graphical display to aid in the annotation of the hits. Seven novel human SULT genes were identified, five of which were predicted to be pseudogenes, including two processed pseudogenes and three pseudogenes that contained introns. Those five pseudogenes represent the first unambiguous SULT pseudogenes described in any species. Expression-profiling studies were conducted for one novel gene, SULT6B1, and a series of alternatively spliced transcripts were identified in the human testis. SULT6B1 was also present in chimpanzee and gorilla, differing at only seven encoded amino-acid residues among the three species. The results of these database mining studies will aid in studies of the regulation of these SULT genes, provide insights into the evolution of this gene family in humans, and serve as a starting point for comparative genomic studies of SULT genes.
Hybrid solar cells of micro/mesoporous Zn(OH)2 and its graphite composites sensitized by CdSe quantum dots

Quantum efficiencies (QEs) of innovative hybrid solar cells fabricated using micro/mesoporous zinc (hydr)oxide and its graphite-based composites sensitized by semiconductor quantum dots (SQDs) are reported. High absorption coefficient of CdSe SQDs and the wide band gap of zinc (hydr)oxide and its composites with graphite oxide (GO) are essential to achieve solar cells of higher QEs. Hybrid solar cells are fabricated from zinc (hydr)oxide and its composites (with 2 and 5 wt.% of graphite oxides, termed as, ZnGO-2 and ZnGO-5, respectively) while using potassium iodide or perovskite as an electrolyte. A two-photon fluorescence (TPF) imaging technique was used to determine the internal structure of the solar cell device. The photocurrent and current-voltage measurements were used to measure short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage to calculate the fill factor and QE of these solar cells. The highest QE (up to ∼ 10.62% ) is realized for a ZnGO-2-based solar cell using potassium iodide as its electrolyte and the CdSe quantum dot as its sensitizer.
Development of Stepped Care Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Young Children

Young children who are exposed to traumatic events are at risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While effective psychosocial treatments for childhood PTSD exist, novel interventions that are more accessible, efficient, and cost-effective are needed to improve access to evidence-based treatment. Stepped care models currently being developed for mental health conditions are based on a service delivery model designed to address barriers to treatment. This treatment development article describes how trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), a well-established evidence-based practice, was developed into a stepped care model for young children exposed to trauma. Considerations for developing the stepped care model for young children exposed to trauma, such as the type and number of steps, training of providers, entry point, inclusion of parents, treatment components, noncompliance, and a self-correcting monitoring system, are discussed. This model of stepped care for young children exposed to trauma, called Stepped Care TF-CBT, may serve as a model for developing and testing stepped care approaches to treating other types of childhood psychiatric disorders. Future research needed on Stepped Care TF-CBT is discussed.
WE-D-16A-01: ACR Radiology Leadership Institute

The Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI) was established in 2011 by the American College of Radiology with a mission to prepare leaders who will shape the future of radiology to ensure quality, elevate service and deliver extraordinary patient care. Leadership skills are critical to medical physicists in order for them to assure that imaging and therapy are safe and of the highest quality possible. This session will provide an introduction to the RLI and its programs with an emphasis on how medical physicists can get involved and what they might expect to gain through their engagement with the RLI. The session will also provide a framework for leadership in healthcare with an emphasis on roles and opportunities for medical physicists to enhance their effectiveness as members of the healthcare, medical education, and research communities.
Evolutionism and Historical Particularism at the St. Petersburg Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography

In the 1900s–1920s, Lev Shternberg played a major role in transforming the St. Petersburg Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography into Russia's most comprehensive ethnology museum and a popular site for visitors. As an anthropologist, Shternberg was committed to both a Boasian investigation of individual cultures (and intercultural relations) and classical evolutionism. Hence he believed that his museum had to include displays depicting distinct cultures and culture areas and a separate department illustrating “the evolution and typology of culture.” The article examines his work of putting the former part of this vision into practice and the reasons why the latter one failed.
Using FPGA-based configurable processors in teaching hardware/software co-design of embedded multiprocessor systems

With the growing popularity of using multiprocessors in embedded systems, teaching multiprocessors in universities is becoming more and more important. FPGA-based configurable processors offer a low-cost, fast turnaround, and versatile design and implementation platform for this challenging task. This paper presents an introductory embedded systems design course that integrates configurable processors, FPGAs, and multiprocessor design and implementation. We emphasize hands-on hardware-software codesign skills by a series of carefully designed tutorials, lab assignments, and a comprehensive project on the Altera DE2 FPGA development board. Developing and teaching such a new course with no appropriate textbook available is quite challenging. The course has been popular and well received as reflected by the students evaluation and feedback.
In vitro studies of actin filament and network dynamics

Now that many genomes have been sequenced, a central concern of cell biology is to understand how the proteins they encode work together to create living matter. In vitro studies form an essential part of this program because understanding cellular functions of biological molecules often requires isolating them and reconstituting their activities. In particular, many elements of the actin cytoskeleton were first discovered by biochemical methods and their cellular functions deduced from in vitro experiments. We highlight recent advances that have come from in vitro studies, beginning with studies of actin filaments, and ending with multi-component reconstitutions of complex actin-based processes, including force-generation and cell spreading. We describe both scientific results and the technical innovations that made them possible.
Response probabilities and “same-different” reaction times

A “same-different” reaction-time (RT) task with multidimensional stimuli was used with a 50:50 and a 75:25 proportion of “different” to “same” response. The “different” RTs to each dimension were similar for the two proportions. However, the “same” RT in the 50:50 condition was faster than the “same” for the 75:25 condition and faster than the slowest “different” RT. Interpretations of the results in terms of response bias and processing criteria are offered.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Because treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients can be frustrating to the clinician and patient as well, the physician should strive to gain the patient’s confidence with a concise, appropriate work-up and by offering reassurance and education that IBS is a functional disorder without significant long-term health risks. First-line treatment should be aimed at treating the most bothersome symptom. Tricyclic antidepressants are superior to placebo in reducing abdominal pain scores, as well as improving global symptom severity [1••]. Loperamide is superior to placebo in managing IBS-associated diarrhea [2••]. Whereas fiber has a role in treating constipation, its value for IBS or, specifically, in the relief of abdominal pain or diarrhea associated with IBS is controversial [2••]. Although certain antispasmodics have demonstrated superiority over placebo in managing abdominal pain, none of these agents are available in the United States [3••]. Probiotic therapy using Lactobacillus plantarum has demonstrated superiority to placebo in improving pain, regulating bowel habits, and decreasing flatulence [4]. As studied in a recent placebo-controlled prospective study, Chinese herbal medicines significantly improved bowel symptom scores and global symptom profile, and reduced IBS-related quality of life impairment [5]. Some of the most promising emerging therapies in IBS revolve around targeted pharmacotherapeutic modulation of serotonin receptors (ie, 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 subtypes), which are involved in sensory and motor functions of the gut. Other investigational agents that are also being explored include cholecystokinin antagonists, α2-adrenergic agonists (eg, clonidine), serotonin reuptake inhibitors (eg, citalopram), and neurokinin antagonists [6]. IBS is best understood through the biopsychosocial paradigm, and therefore, its effective management requires a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach based on patient education and reassurance, enhanced by diet recommendations and lifestyle modifications, and complemented by pharmacotherapy and psychosocial intervention in more severe cases.
Genomic instability is associated with natural life span variation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Increasing genomic instability is associated with aging in eukaryotes, but the connection between genomic instability and natural variation in life span is unknown. We have quantified chronological life span and loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) in 11 natural isolates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that genomic instability increases and mitotic asymmetry breaks down during chronological aging. The age-dependent increase of genomic instability generally lags behind the drop of viability and this delay accounts for ∼50% of the observed natural variation of replicative life span in these yeast isolates. We conclude that the abilities of yeast strains to tolerate genomic instability co-vary with their replicative life spans. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quantitative evidence that demonstrates a link between genomic instability and natural variation in life span.
Co-culture of dulse Palmaria mollis and red abalone Haliotis rufescens under limited flow conditions.

Abstract A series of experiments was conducted to determine factors limiting the stocking density and growth rates of red abalone in a co-culture system with the macroalgae dulse (Palmaria mollis). Co-culture conditions were altered by varying the degree of artificial illumination (0 h, 12 h at night, and 24 h d−1 in addition to ambient sunlight) used to supplement ambient sunlight and water volume exchange rate (1, 6, or 35 d−1). Rates of dulse production, dulse consumption by abalone, ammonia uptake by dulse and ammonia excretion by abalone were measured seasonally over 1 year. Abalone growth rates under co-culture conditions were measured. Maximum abalone stocking densities within the co-culture system were first limited by the amount of algae available for abalone consumption, and then by the capacity of the algae to absorb ammonia excreted by abalone. Degree of supplemental illumination, water volume exchange rate, and abalone body weight all affected maximum stocking densities within the co-culture system. The growth rates of abalone fed dulse grown under all co-culture conditions (range: 112–132 μm shell length d−1) compared favorably with that of abalone fed on other algal and artificial diets. Both duration of supplemental illumination and water volume exchange rate affected abalone growth. Overall, the co-culture of dulse and abalone provides the farmer with a reliable supply of nutritious abalone food while ensuring high water quality through uptake of excreted ammonia by the dulse.
EMT, cancer stem cells and drug resistance: an emerging axis of evil in the war on cancer

Tumors are cellularly and molecularly heterogeneous, with subsets of undifferentiated cancer cells exhibiting stem cell-like features (CSCs). Epithelial to mesenchymal transitions (EMT) are transdifferentiation programs that are required for tissue morphogenesis during embryonic development. The EMT process can be regulated by a diverse array of cytokines and growth factors, such as transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, whose activities are dysregulated during malignant tumor progression. Thus, EMT induction in cancer cells results in the acquisition of invasive and metastatic properties. Recent reports indicate that the emergence of CSCs occurs in part as a result of EMT, for example, through cues from tumor stromal components. Recent evidence now indicates that EMT of tumor cells not only causes increased metastasis, but also contributes to drug resistance. In this review, we will provide potential mechanistic explanations for the association between EMT induction and the emergence of CSCs. We will also highlight recent studies implicating the function of TGF-β-regulated noncoding RNAs in driving EMT and promoting CSC self-renewal. Finally we will discuss how EMT and CSCs may contribute to drug resistance, as well as therapeutic strategies to overcome this clinically.
Evidence for Coupling between Glucose Metabolism and Glutamate Cycling Using FDG PET and 1H Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Patients with Epilepsy

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between glucose metabolism and glutamate concentration in the human brain, in both the normal and diseased state. Regional values of glucose metabolism measured with 2-deoxy-2[F-18]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) studies and single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) measurements of the glutamate/ glutamine/gamma-aminobutyric acid (Glx) tissue concentration were determined in multiple brain regions in 11 patients (5 girls and 6 boys, mean age 7.5 years) with medically intractable partial epilepsy. FDG PET and 1H MRS studies were performed in the interictal state in seven patients and in the ictal/periictal state in four patients. Regions of interest were identified in epileptic cortex (determined by intracranial and/or scalp electroencephalography) and in contralateral normal brain regions. Lower glucose metabolism and lower Glx concentrations were found in the epileptic focus than in the contralateral normal cortex in all seven patients examined in the interictal state, whereas higher glucose metabolism and higher Glx concentrations were observed in the epileptic focus in the four patients who had ictal/periictal studies. Significant correlations were found between the values of cerebral glucose utilization and Glx concentration in epileptic brain region, in nonepileptic brain regions, and in epileptic and nonepileptic regions combined. These results demonstrate a significant relation between glucose metabolism and glutamate/glutamine concentration in normal and epileptic cerebral cortex. This relation is maintained in both the interictal and ictal states.