cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuronal migration is mediated by inositol hexakisphosphate kinase 1 via α-actinin and focal adhesion kinase.

Abstract Inositol hexakisphosphate kinase 1 (IP6K1), which generates 5-diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate (5-IP7), physiologically mediates numerous functions. We report that IP6K1 deletion leads to brain malformation and abnormalities of neuronal migration. IP6K1 physiologically associates with α-actinin and localizes to focal adhesions. IP6K1 deletion disrupts α-actinin’s intracellular localization and function. The IP6K1 deleted cells display substantial decreases of stress fiber formation and impaired cell migration and spreading. Regulation of α-actinin by IP6K1 requires its kinase activity. Deletion of IP6K1 abolishes α-actinin tyrosine phosphorylation, which is known to be regulated by focal adhesion kinase (FAK). FAK phosphorylation is substantially decreased in IP6K1 deleted cells. 5-IP7, a product of IP6K1, promotes FAK autophosphorylation. Pharmacologic inhibition of IP6K by TNP [N2-(m-Trifluorobenzyl), N6-(p-nitrobenzyl)purine] recapitulates the phenotype of IP6K1 deletion. These findings establish that IP6K1 physiologically regulates neuronal migration by binding to α-actinin and influencing phosphorylation of both FAK and α-actinin through its product 5-IP7.
Abstract 269: Collagen Topographical Patterning Modulates Endothelial Cell Morphology, Gene Expression and Function

Endothelial cells (ECs) exposed to laminar shear stress align in the direction of blood flow and express low levels of adhesion molecules. However, it is unknown whether these biological responses result from shear stress per se, or if they can be recapitulated using topography cues from the underlying extracellular matrix (ECM). We hypothesized that collagen topographical patterning can regulate EC assembly and function in the absence of shear stress. We fabricated collagen-coated polydimethylsiloxane microchannels (30μm wide) to induce EC alignment. When grown on microchannels, the ECs underwent striking re-organization of their actin cytoskeleton (aligned within 10 degrees of the microchannel direction) and their focal adhesions (Fig A). Mimicking the reported EC responses to laminar shear stress, aligned ECs were more quiescent (reduced Ki67 expression), and less adhesive for monocytes (with 50% reductions in the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and in monocyte adhesion in a functional binding assay). DNA microarrays revealed a transcriptional signature of 600 genes that were differentially expressed by ECs cultured on the patterned substrates (Fig B), including genes previously not associated with EC function such as histones (HIST1H2AH, HIST2H2BF) and heat shock proteins (HSPB7, HSPB9). These results demonstrate that topographical cues from the underlying ECM are potent regulators of EC morphology and function and mimic the effects of laminar shear-stress. This work highlights the importance of cell-ECM interactions in maintenance of EC phenotype and has implications in the design of vascular conduits to minimize atherogenesis. ![Graphic][1] [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
Brexit and the Future of Liberal Democracy

In this short essay, I advance the admittedly speculative thesis that Brexit and the Trump election expose the limits of liberal self-government.
Design and Operational Analysis of a Green Data Center

Data centers are at the heart of the IT-driven economy. Power consumption of a single data center can range from tens to a hundred megawatts, and operational costs can run into millions of dollars a month. Data center operators incorporate careful design and optimizations to reduce large-scale data centers energy consumption. Because data center design and operations are a source of competitive advantage, insight into modern data centers is scarce. This article describes the design and analysis of a state-of-the-art green university data center, and provides several insights into its operational and efficiency characteristics.
Fan Noise for a Concept Commercial Supersonic Transport

NASA is currently studying a commercial supersonic transport (CST) aircraft that could carry 35+ passengers at Mach 1.6+ with a 4000+nm range. The aircraft should also meet environmental goals for sonic boom, airport noise and emissions at cruise. With respect to airport noise, considerable effort has been put into predicting the noise due to the jet exhaust. This report describes an internal NASA effort to consider the contribution of fan noise to the overall engine noise of this class of aircraft.
Racial disparities in outcomes after intact abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Abstract Objective We aimed to compare perioperative morbidity and mortality and late survival among black, white, and Asian patients undergoing intact abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Methods We identified all patients undergoing intact, infrarenal AAA repair in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) from 2003 to 2017. We compared in-hospital outcomes by race using the Fisher exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models of perioperative outcomes adjusted for differences in demographics, comorbidities, hospital volume, and procedure. We used Cox regression to evaluate late survival by race. Results In the cohort, 21,961 (94%) patients were white, 1215 (5.2%) were black, and 318 (1.4%) were Asian. Black patients were more likely to be symptomatic (black, 16%; white, 9.1%; Asian, 11%; P P P = .80) or open repair (black; 4.3%; white, 2.6%; Asian, 1.9%; P = .33). However, black patients were more likely to receive new postoperative dialysis (black, 1.6%; white, 0.8%; Asian; 0.7%; P = .01) and to return to the operating room (black, 4.3%; white, 2.9%; Asian, 0.9%; P P P P P P = .04). Conclusions Although perioperative mortality is comparable across races after AAA repair, black patients are more likely than white or Asian patients to develop new postoperative renal failure and return to the operating room, even after adjusting for differences in comorbidities, operative variables, and hospital volume. In addition, whereas Asian patients have the highest rate of postoperative myocardial infarction, they also have the highest late survival. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanism of these disparities.
Female Labor Force Participation and Voter Turnout: Evidence from the American Presidential Elections

This study investigates a state-level panel dataset for the five most recent U.S. Presidential elections, namely, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016, for which all data needed to reflect all of the variables in the model are available. While the general objective is to shed further insights into identifying factors that in a contemporary setting influence the aggregate voter participation rate in such elections, the emphasis is on the impact of the female labor force participation rate , which is hypothesized, ceteris paribus , to positively affect aggregate voter turnout. Several Cross Section Random Effects estimates are undertaken, each of which supports the hypothesis. Indeed, the semi-log estimate implies that a one unit (one percentage point) higher level for the female labor force participation rate in a state is associated with a 0.61% higher overall voter turnout in the state. Although the nation’s female labor force participation rate in the U.S. has effectively stabilized, there is considerable interstate variation in this variable; thus, candidates for elected office in states with higher female labor force participation rates and/or growing female labor force participation rates would be well advised to be sensitive to the needs of this demographic when campaigning.
Conservation value of koa (Acacia koa) reforestation areas on Hawaii Island

Efforts to restore forests for ecological and economic benefit in Hawaii are converging on koa (Acacia koa), an endemic dominant or codominant canopy tree common across broad elevation and moisture gradients. We quantified plant species composition and forest structure in koa reforestation areas (KRAs) and in nearby intact native forest on Hawaii Island. Total species richness and percentage native species richness were lower in the plantation forests than in the intact forests, although species richness in the KRAs at one site was not significantly different from that in intact forest. Tree, sapling, and seedling densities differed between KRAs and forest sites at one site. At another, the native forest and one KRA had similar tree and seedling densities and similar canopy height and percentage canopy cover. Total stand basal area was greatest in the intact forest at both sites, although the basal area for the KRAs at one site exceeded those for intact forest at the other. Koa plantings can be structurally similar to intact forests though species composition differs. Our results suggest that koa forestry can facilitate native understorey development in some cases.
The Natural Environment and Behavior

The writings of philosophers, poets and naturalists, the works of painters of all periods and styles, the zealous efforts of conservationists and environmentalists all bear witness to the high amount of affect and interest that we invest in our natural environment. Yet this topic has played little role in the development of environmental psychology as it is typically conceived, as a perusal of major reviews (e. g., item #6), and anthologies (e. g., item #30) makes apparent. It is as though psychologists, preoccupied with concepts of proxemics and socio-spatial processes, with problems of environmental stress, and with cognitive representation of the environment, have not known quite what to do with this somewhat elusive side of our environmental experience. This has not, however, inhibited those in diverse applied fields, including landscape architecture, forestry, natural recreation, and natural resource conservation, from devoting themselves to the study of behavioral and social-science aspects of problems relating to the use, conservation, and management of the natural environment, aided by a scattering of psychologists, sociologists and even economists who have harbored compatible interests.
Labor and Agricultural Production at Sylvester Manor Plantation, Shelter Island, New York

Archaeological and historical research on Sylvester Manor, Shelter Island, New York, provides insight into the productive strategies and labor organization of a northern agricultural plantation. Between 1652 and 1693, Sylvester Manor produced and shipped food, animals, and other provisions to a sugar plantation on Barbados. This New York plantation was a commercial-scale operation, based on the labor of enslaved Africans and free Native Americans. Plant and animal remains recovered from the archaeological excavations at the site provide evidence of the plantation’s products and insights into the various daily agricultural tasks that comprised the work of the plantation. The choice of crops and animals, seasonal agricultural cycles, cultural and gendered conceptions of labor tasks, and the power dynamics inherent in multicultural plantation settings all structured the agricultural work of the plantation.
The moral discourse of HIV providers within their organizational context: An ethnographic case study.

Abstract Objective Providers make judgments to inform treatment planning, especially when adherence is crucial, as in HIV. We examined the extent these judgments may become intertwined with moral ones, extraneous to patient care, and how these in turn are situated within specific organizational contexts. Methods Our ethnographic case study included interviews and observations. Data were analyzed for linguistic markers indexing how providers conceptualized patients and clinic organizational structures and processes. Results We interviewed 30 providers, observed 43 clinical encounters, and recorded fieldnotes of 30 clinic observations, across 8 geographically-diverse HIV clinics. We found variation, and identified two distinct judgment paradigms: 1) Behavior as individual responsibility : patients were characterized as “good,” “behaving,” or “socio-paths,” and “flakes.” Clinical encounters focused on medication reconciliation; 2) Behaviors as socio-culturally embedded : patients were characterized as struggling with housing, work, or relationships. Encounters broadened to problem-solving within patients’ life-contexts. In sites with individualized conceptualizations, providers worked independently with limited support services. Sites with socio-culturally embedded conceptualizations had multidisciplinary teams with resources to address patients’ life challenges. Conclusions and Practice Implications When self-management is viewed as an individual’s responsibility, nonadherence may be seen as a moral failing. Multidisciplinary teams may foster perceptions of patients’ behaviors as socially embedded.
Female C57BL/6J mice lacking the circadian clock protein PER1 are protected from nondipping hypertension

The circadian clock is integral to the maintenance of daily rhythms of many physiological outputs, including blood pressure. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated the importance of the clock p...
LAG3 Promotes Acute Myeloid Leukemia-Induced Immune Suppression

Abstract Background: The curative potential of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (SCT) for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) depends in part on the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) cellular immune response. Mechanisms of resistance to GVL and methods to overcome post-SCT relapse are a critical focus of research. AML blasts can inhibit activation and proliferation of immune cells in culture. We hypothesized that irradiating AML blasts would diminish their immune suppressive capacity while maintaining antigen presentation, leading to higher activation of CD8+ T cells among peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in co-culture. Furthermore, we investigated the capacity of live and irradiated AML blasts to induce expression of immune checkpoints on CD8+ T cells in co-culture, focusing on Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG3) which interacts with class II MHC. Methods: PBMC were isolated from healthy donors in compliance with an IRB-approved protocol. PBMC were co-cultured with live human AML K-1 cells (CRL-2724) and irradiated K-1 cells (40 Gy) at the following ratios: 1:1, 1:2, 1:4 and 1:8. Cells were cultured in RPMI complete media supplemented with 10% FBS and IL-2 20 IU/ml. On day 3 of co-culture, immunophenotypic characterization of T cells was performed on an Attune NxT flow cytometer using the following antibody markers: CD3, CD4, CD8, CD25, CD137, CD154, PD-1, TIM3, TIGIT, and LAG3. PBMC were fixed and permeabilized prior to intracellular staining of IFNg and FOXP3. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) were identified as CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+. To correlate the expression of the genes encoding for IFNg, LAG3, PD1, and antigen presentation molecules in the tumor microenvironment, we analyzed RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (NCI TCGA) AML database. Associations were determined by Spearman's correlation and K-means clustering. Results: PBMC co-cultured with irradiated AML K-1 showed significant higher IFNg expression (11.8% ± 3.1 v. 7% ± 3.3; n=7, P=0.012) and higher CD137 (4-1BB) expression (9.3% ± 1.21 v. 5.7% ± 3.4; n=7, P Conclusion: In our in vitro model, LAG3 upregulation correlates with decreased activation of CD8+ cells and higher Tregs when healthy donor PBMC are co-cultured with AML K-1 cells. Antibody-mediated blocking of LAG3 may potentially reverse the suppression of CD8+ T cells by AML K-1 cells and produce fewer Tregs. Bioinformatic analysis of TCGA database confirmed a positive correlation between LAG3 transcript levels and expression of both immune activation and antigen presentation genes. LAG3 transcript levels are higher in unfavorable-risk AML. Download : Download high-res image (143KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures Lin: Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria.
Michael Bratman’s planning, time, and self-governance

Michael’s Planning, Time, and Self-Governance collects his most recent contributions to the philosophy of action, further developing his agenda-setting theory of agency. Michael calls it a planning...
Validation of a reflection rubric for higher education

Reflection in learning is a popular and widely studied concept that has historical roots in higher education. Previous authors reported little agreement on the assessment methods and procedures for...
UV-254 transformation of antibiotics in water and wastewater treatment processes

Abstract Drinking water and wastewater treatment plants have adopted UV-based disinfection processes to replace traditional chlorine systems and eliminate production of toxic disinfection by-products. As with other disinfection systems, UV irradiation not only inactivates microorganisms but also partially transforms contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Due to the human health implications associated with antimicrobial resistance, antibiotics are considered priority CECs. This chapter describes the efficacy of UV-based processes to transform fluoroquinolone, macrolide, sulfonamide, and tetracycline antibiotics. After a brief introduction of UV disinfection and general discussion of the antibiotics of concern, the light absorbance properties of antibiotics are discussed by class. The absorbance spectra are deconvoluted as a function of (1) particular moieties in the chemical structure and (2) protonation state. This discussion informs the characteristic absorbance patterns observed for specific classes of antibiotics and highlights the impacts of structural changes and solution pH on absorption of light at different wavelengths. Then, the phototransformation kinetics of representative antibiotics from the four classes of concern are described in terms of fluence-based, pseudo–first-order rate constants and quantum yields. This discussion builds on the description of light absorbance by chemical moieties present in the antibiotic chemical structure to identify transformation sites. The reactions are further contextualized in terms of the antibiotic mechanism of action to highlight whether UV-induced chemical changes result in loss of antimicrobial properties. Overall, this chapter highlights that low transformation efficiencies are expected for antibiotics in typical UV systems; furthermore, the primary transformation products are likely to retain antimicrobial properties, leaving concerns about antimicrobial resistance unresolved.
Seeing through the smoke : a world-wide comparative study of e-cigarette flavors, brands and markets using data from Reddit and Twitter.

The growing popularity of E-cigarettes, an alternative to cigarettes, has motivated us to study trends of the brands, flavors and online market activity using posts from Reddit and Twitter. The main motivation for this world-wide study is to emphasize the difference that laws and regulations have on the usage and availability of different flavors and brands of vapes in different countries. Data has been obtained from subreddits belonging to e-cigarette communities from Australia, Canada, Europe, and the UK. Extensive cleaning of data, and rigorous text mining operations provide varying results for different countries. Varying results have been obtained from Reddit and Twitter since they provide different atmospheres to the users.
The Hemodynamic Impact of Mitral Regurgitation on Aortic Insufficiency in the LVAD-Supported Heart

Purpose Aortic valve incompetence (AI) is a serious complication that develops in 20% of LVAD patients within 12 months of implantation. Many LVAD patients with AI also develop mitral regurgitation (MR). Our goal in this study was to measure systemic flow (Qsys) and LVAD flow (QLVAD) during AI, MR and AI+MR. Methods A mock circulatory loop with a dilated silicone LV and bioprosthetic valves was attached to a HeartMate II LVAD (Abbott Labs), and pressure and flow measured in the LV, LVAD and aorta. A Pre-LVAD ejection fraction of 20% without any valve dysfunction was established, followed LVAD support at speeds of 8, 9.4 and 11krpm. AI and MR were created with small stents that were non-obstructive to forward flow but prevented the leaflets from fully closing. Four conditions were tested: Normal, AI, MR and AI and MR combined. Average flow was obtained from ten cycles of data, and Q calculated as QLVAD/Qsys. Results Pre-LVAD AI, MR and AI+MR produced a 28%, 12% and 45% reduction in Qsys, respectively. LVAD support at 9.4krpm increased Normal Qsys to 3.6 L/min with 95% of flow through the LVAD. MR reduced Qsys by 16% and QLVADby 21%; AI reduced by Qsys by 24% but QLVADby only 5%; and AI+MR reduced Qsys by 25% and QLVADby 7%, which was comparable to AI alone. In all conditions except AI+MR, Q increases with LVAD speed indicating that QLVAD increases faster than Qsys. This trend reverses when MR is present, reducing the impact of AI as LVAD speed is increased. Conclusion The major finding of these studies is that MR does not worsen Qsys when it coincides with AI and LVAD support. AI and MR occur during different phases of the cardiac cycle and sum in the absence of LVAD support. When an LVAD is added without valve dysfunction, QLVADis evenly distributed across systole and diastole. AI and MR reduces systolic and increases diastolic QLVAD, but AI+MR restores the original distribution. AI+MR produces the same overall Qsys but QLVADoccurs more evenly throughout the cardiac cycle resulting in a greater sensitivity to LVAD speed changes.
A timing uncertainty-aware clock tree topology generation algorithm for single flux quantum circuits

This paper presents a low-cost, timing uncertainty-aware synchronous clock tree topology generation algorithm for single flux quantum (SFQ) logic circuits. The proposed method considers the criticality of the data paths in terms of timing slacks as well as the total wirelength of the clock tree and generates a (height-) balanced binary clock tree using a bottom-up approach and an integer linear programming (ILP) formulation. The statistical timing analysis results for ten benchmark circuits show that the proposed method improves the total wirelength and the total negative hold slack by 4.2% and 64.6%, respectively, on average, compared with a wirelength-driven state-of-the-art balanced topology generation approach.
Phonon anharmonicity in bulk Td-MoTe2

We examine anharmonic contributions to the optical phonon modes in bulk Td-MoTe2 through temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy. At temperatures ranging from 100 K to 200 K, we find that all modes redshift linearly with temperature in agreement with the Gruneisen model. However, below 100 K, we observe nonlinear temperature-dependent frequency shifts in some modes. We demonstrate that this anharmonic behavior is consistent with the decay of an optical phonon into multiple acoustic phonons. Furthermore, the highest frequency Raman modes show large changes in intensity and linewidth near T ≈ 250 K that correlate well with the Td→1T′ structural phase transition. These results suggest that phonon-phonon interactions can dominate anharmonic contributions at low temperatures in bulk Td-MoTe2, an experimental regime that is currently receiving attention in efforts to understand Weyl semimetals.
Correction: Weich, K., et al. Pigment Intensity in Dogs Is Associated with a Copy Number Variant Upstream of KITLG . Genes 2020, 11 , 75

Author(s): Bannasch, Danika L; Affolter, Verena K; York, Daniel; Rebhun, Robert B; Grahn, Robert A; Weich, Kalie M; Kallenberg, Angelica | Abstract: The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...].
Resolution of Loculated Chylous Ascites Using Intraperitoneal Fibrinolytic Therapy.

Therapeutic paracentesis is the preferred therapy for symptom relief in patients with large-volume ascites. However, when the ascites becomes loculated, removal of sufficient fluid to provide symptomatic relief may not be achieved. Loculation, rare without previous abdominal surgery, is typically associated with malignancy, post-surgical adhesions, bowel perforation, and chylous ascites.
Ablative Radiotherapy for Liver Tumors Using Stereotactic MRI-Guidance: A Prospective Phase I Trial.

Abstract Background and purpose To prospectively determine the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to primary and secondary liver tumors with MR-guided radiation therapy (MRgRT). Materials and methods Treatment plans with a conventional CT-guided linear accelerator and a MRI-guided tri-60Co teletherapy unit (MR-Co) were generated and compared for patients undergoing liver-directed SBRT from 2015 to 2017. If dosimetric parameters were met on MR-Co, patients were treated with MRgRT. The highest priority constraint was >1000 cc or >800 cc of normal liver receiving Results Of 23 patients screened, 20 patients (8 primary, 12 secondary) and 25 liver tumors underwent MR-guided SBRT to a median dose of 54 Gy (range 11.5-60) in a median of 3 fractions (range 1-5). With a median follow up of 18.9 months, the 1- and 2-year estimate of local control were 94.7% and 79.6%, respectively. A difference in local control between single and multiple lesions or BED ≥100Gy10 and BED Conclusion MR-guided SBRT is a viable and safe option in the delivery of ultrahypofractionated ablative radiation treatment to primary and secondary liver tumors resulting in high rates of local control and very favorable toxicity profiles.
Voltage Clamp and Internal Perfusion With Suction-Pipette Method

The method discussed in this chapter fits between perfusion methods applied to very large cells such as the squid axon (1, 21) and diffusion methods applied to very small cells such as chromaffin cells (9). The suction-pipette method has been applied to spherical cells such as snail neurons between 50 and 100 µm in diameter (19) and to cylindrical cells such as mammalian ventricular myocytes with diameters, ≥10 µm and lengths ≤200 μm (1). There are several similar techniques available for the study of cells with these dimensions. Kostyuk et al. (15) originally introduced a partition method to isolate single neurons and have subsequently extended the method to a form of suction pipette (16) Takahashi and Yoshii (22) and Byerly and Hagiwara (5) also used modified suction-pipette methods to achieve the same results. In squid axon true perfusion is performed; in chromaffin cells exchange with intracellular components is by diffusion from a micropipette. In intermediate-sized cells, such as snail neurons in which the suction pipette is useful, control of the milieu interieur is achieved mainly by dialysis, although some bulk flow may occur. A true flow-through system based on simultaneous use of two suction pipettes has also been described (2, 18). In this chapter the adequacy of the exchange and the limitations of the voltage-clamp system are emphasized, beginning with an account of the design and fabrication.
Assessing the Genetics Content in the Next Generation Science Standards

Science standards have a long history in the United States and currently form the backbone of efforts to improve primary and secondary education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Although there has been much political controversy over the influence of standards on teacher autonomy and student performance, little light has been shed on how well standards cover science content. We assessed the coverage of genetics content in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) using a consensus list of American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) core concepts. We also compared the NGSS against state science standards. Our goals were to assess the potential of the new standards to support genetic literacy and to determine if they improve the coverage of genetics concepts relative to state standards. We found that expert reviewers cannot identify ASHG core concepts within the new standards with high reliability, suggesting that the scope of content addressed by the standards may be inconsistently interpreted. Given results that indicate that the disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) included in the NGSS documents produced by Achieve, Inc. clarify the content covered by the standards statements themselves, we recommend that the NGSS standards statements always be viewed alongside their supporting disciplinary core ideas. In addition, gaps exist in the coverage of essential genetics concepts, most worryingly concepts dealing with patterns of inheritance, both Mendelian and complex. Finally, state standards vary widely in their coverage of genetics concepts when compared with the NGSS. On average, however, the NGSS support genetic literacy better than extant state standards.
The Relationship between Phytoplankton Annual Carbon Production and New Nitrogen Production

Phytoplankton annual carbon production is a linear function of new production, estimated from data obtained with nitrogen methods, and of export production, estimated from measurements of sediment-trap carbon flux. A plot of the f ratio as a function of total phytoplankton production, obtained using the linear new production equation, increased nonlinearly to an asymptotic value. The plot of percent new production obtained by Eppley and Peterson (1979) from six data values is a good approximation to the curve derived from the new production equation obtained with 41 values. Data on 14C production in the Sargasso Sea and new, nitrogen production data pairs were distributed along the linear regression line, with average new production estimated from oxygen data in agreement with average new production estimated from nitrogen measurements.
Cardiovascular ultrasound imaging – A survey of technical development

This article reviews the physics fundamentals in cardiovascular imaging using ultrasound and discusses the current technology and advances in clinical practices. Challenges in future development are included at the end of the article.
Laser assisted electron emission from free standing carbon nanotube paper

Laser assisted electron emission from a free standing, non-aligned carbon nanotube film is observed with low power (<100 mW) continuous wave (785 nm) laser excitation. An increase in emission current by 330 times is realized.
Sensitivity analysis of cardiac function detection for patients with ventricular assist device support

Maximum ventricular elastance, Emax, is a strong candidate representing the healthy status of a patient's heart. However evaluating Emax usually requires invasive pressure and flow sensors, which only can be performed under certain clinical facility. If an indirect index of Emax can be identified from the measurements of a ventricular assist device (VAD) without any indwelling sensor, this would facilitate an effective way to monitor the healthy condition of the patient's heart while the patients is under VAD support. This index can also be used to control the VAD to gradually wean the patient from the mechanical circulatory support. In this paper, two possible indices, pump flow pulsatility and arterial pulse pressure, were evaluated as a representation of Emax using data from a computer simulation model of cardiovascular system with a HeartMat II rotary type VAD. Pump flow pulsatility showed a strong correlation to Emax regardless of pump speed changes, and thus can be used as an Emax index.
Molecular stepping stones in memory consolidation.

After a learning experience, memories are vulnerable to disruption during a consolidation period. Antisense against the transcription factor C/EBPβ in the hippocampus is now reported to disrupt the initial consolidation of memories, but not their 'reconsolidation' after later recall.
Preparation and Evaluation of Novel Hydrous Metal Oxide (HMO)-Supported Noble Metal Catalysts

Hydrous Metal Oxides (HMOs) are chemically synthesized materials that, because of their high cation exchange capacity, possess a unique ability to allow the preparation of highly dispersed supported-metal catalyst precursors with high metal loadings. This study evaluates high weight loading Rh/HMO catalysts with a wide range of HMO support compositions, including hydrous titanium oxide (HTO), silica-doped hydrous titanium oxide (HTO:Si), hydrous zirconium oxide (HZO), and silica-doped hydrous zirconium oxide (HZO:Si), against conventional oxide-supported Rh catalysts with similar weight loadings and support chemistries. Catalyst activity measurements for a structure-sensitive model reaction (n-butane hydrogenolysis) as a function of catalyst activation conditions show superior activity and stability for the ZrO{sub 2}, HZO, and HZO:Si supports, although all of the Rh/HMO catalysts have high ethane selectivity indicative of high Rh dispersion. For the TiO{sub 2}-, HTO-, and HTO:Si supported Rh catalysts, a significant loss of both catalyst activity and Rh dispersion is observed at more aggressive activation conditions, consistent with TiO{sub x} migration associated with SMSI phenomena. Of all the Rh/HMO catalysts, the Rh/HZO:Si catalysts appear to offer the best tradeoff in terms of high Rh dispersion, high activity, and high selectivity.
Energy and Angular Distributions of Secondary Electrons Produced by Electron Impact Ionization

Atomic and molecular cross sections for electron impact ionization are of fundamental importance in modeling the interaction of charged particles with matter. In order to follow the history of the ejected electrons and understand the subsequent events and products, not only the total ionization cross sections but often the cross sections differential in ejected electron energies and angles are also needed.
Isolation and Characterization of Tubules and Plasma Membranes from Cytophaga columnaris

Tubular structures are released from cells of Cytophaga columnaris after lysis of the cells. To determine the nature of these tubules, they were purified and their composition was determined. Tubules were isolated after treating cell lysates with 1.0% sodium dodecyl sulfate at pH 8.1, which solubilizes all structural components except tubules. Plasma membranes from the same organism were isolated by discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation of lysed cells. Both tubules and membranes are composed of lipids and proteins. Lipids extracted from tubules and plasma membranes produced similar patterns when examined by thin-layer chromatography. Proteins solubilized from membranes were separated into 14 bands by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, whereas those solubilized from tubules separated into only 5 bands. The presence of lipids in tubules from C. columnaris supports the idea that they are derived from membranes of intact cells. In this respect they are similar to tubules produced by cells of Clostridium botulinum and different from other tubular structures (“rhapidosomes”) found in cells of Saprospira grandis . Images
Analyzing changing organizational environments: Methodological approach and the academic health center case

Purpose – Recognizing the difficulty inherent in studying organizational change stimulated by the external environment, this paper seeks to present a four‐phase model useful for collecting information and for analyzing the impact of organization‐environment dynamics.Design/methodology/approach – In the context of a case study of academic health centers, a research methods model is offered with four phases: case study; comparative case study; experimental/quasi experimental; and meta analysis. This four‐phase methodology relies on varying information styles and data streams within the context of exploratory, comparative, and large dataset analysis.Findings – The synthesis of research approach highlights the strengths, weaknesses, and the linkage to system thinking in theory and in practice and are illustrated by the case.Practical implications – Mixed methods approaches are increasingly sought and used in multi‐disciplinary research and applied settings. The model is useful for examining the multiple effec...
Pituitary adrenal recovery following short-term suppression with corticosteroids.

Abstract To provide clinical guidelines for the use of high-dose short-term glucocorticoid therapy, we studied recovery of the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis in 10 normal men following the administration of suppressive doses of prednisone (25 mg twice daily for five days). Cortisol responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia and synthetic ACTH before treatment were compared with responses two and five days after concluding the prednisone course when adrenal function was not influenced by the presence of exogenous steroid. Two days after prednisone therapy, peak cortisol responses to both hypoglycemia (11.0 ± 0.9 μg/dl mean ± SEM) and synthetic ACTH (13.3 ± 1.4 μg/dl) were significantly reduced compared to pretreatment (20.6 ± 1.6 and 27.3 ± 2.5 μg/dl, respectively, p
Ligand-Regulated Protein/Protein Interactions: A Versatile Way to Build an Environmental Sensor

Many biological processes are regulated by environmental cues via control of protein conformation, leading to functional changes. Commonly, this is mediated by sensory protein domains that bind both protein targets and biochemical cofactors, using the cofactors to trigger allosteric changes in the sensory domain. Notably, related domains can integrate different input stimuli and effector activities in various proteins.To understand the mechanisms used by these sensory domains in diverse settings, we have combined solution NMR spectroscopy with other biophysical and biochemical approaches to compare the properties of related domains. Here, I will present some of our results of the Per-ARNT-Sim (PAS) domains, a group of small (∼130 aa) modules that control both intra- and intermolecular protein/protein interactions. These domains also often bind internal cofactors, letting us examine stimulus/effector linkage in these systems.As examples of these studies, I will discuss are photosensory PAS domains, where in situ laser irradiation during NMR experiments allows us to trigger a light-induced covalent bond formation within these proteins. This event generates conformational changes that disrupt inhibitory protein/protein interactions, activating downstream effectors. Combining experimental and computational approaches, we can quantitatively describe how alterations in protein/cofactor interactions perturb the structural and functional activation of these proteins.In parallel, our studies on PAS domains in the hypoxia response system have provided a foundation for understanding how these domains participate in heterodimeric transcription factors. Interestingly, these domains share many common features with the light-regulated systems, including ligand binding and alternative protein conformations, despite having completely different biological contexts. Taken together, these data identify common facets of PAS-based signaling and lay the foundation for artificial control of these systems in the future.
Understanding solvent effects in the selective conversion of fructose to 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural: a molecular dynamics investigation

Selective conversion of fructose to 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural (HMF) involves the participation of high-boiling solvents like dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). In order to replace DMSO with low-boiling solvents, it is imperative that we understand the effect of DMSO solvation in protecting (i) HMF from rehydration and humins formation reactions and (ii) fructose from side reactions, other than its dehydration to HMF. In the present work, molecular dynamics simulations of HMF and fructose in water and in water–DMSO mixtures are carried out using the OPLS-AA force field. Radial pair distribution functions, coordination numbers and the hydrogen-bond network between the HMF/fructose molecule and the solvent molecules are analysed. The local 3-dimensional picture of the arrangement of solvent molecules around the solute, which cannot be accessed from pair distribution functions, is also computed. We show preferential coordination of DMSO around HMF and explain how this could provide a shielding effect to the HMF molecule, thus protecting it from further rehydration to levulinic acid and formic acid and from humins formation. In the case of fructose, the presence of DMSO also reduces the number of water molecules in the immediate vicinity of fructose. Though fewer water molecules coordinate around fructose, they are bound strongly to it. Analysis of the local 3-dimensional arrangement of DMSO molecules suggests that it protects the fructose molecule from side reactions that would lead to condensation or reversion products. However, the presence of DMSO molecules does not hamper the water molecules coming into contact with the oxygen atom of the hydroxyl groups of fructose, which is required for a proton transfer from water to fructose, to initiate the dehydration reaction to HMF.
Studies on the hot corrosion of a nickel-base superalloy, Udimet 700

The hot corrosion of a nickel-base superalloy, Udimet 700, was studied in the temperature range of 884 to 965 C and with different amounts of Na2SO4. Two different modes of degradation were identified: (1) formation of Na2MoO4 - MoO3 melt and fluxing by this melt, and (2) formation of large interconnected sulfides. The dissolution of Cr2O3, TiO2 in the Na2SO4 melt does not play a significant role in the overall corrosion process. The conditions for the formation of massive interconnected sulfides were identified and a mechanism of degradation due to sulfide formation is described. The formation of Ns2MoO4 - MoO3 melt requires an induction period and various physiochemical processes during the induction period were identified. The factors affecting the length of the induction period were also examined. The melt penetration through the oxide appears to be the prime mode of degradation whether the degradation is due to the formation of sulfides or the formation of the Na2MoO4 - MoO3 melt.
Dose and duration of oxytocin to prevent postpartum hemorrhage: a review.

Objective Oxytocin, the most commonly used uterotonic agent in the United States to prevent postpartum hemorrhage, has no established standard dose. The aim of this review is to present data on oxytocin dosing for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage. Study Design We conducted a PubMed search for clinical trials that utilized oxytocin for hemorrhage prophylaxis following either vaginal or cesarean delivery. We further narrowed the results to studies that compared alternative dosing and duration of oxytocin administration. Results Seven of 46 eligible reports were selected for detailed review. We compared the dose and duration of oxytocin used, study population, and outcomes (estimated blood loss, need for additional uterotonics, and change in hematocrit after delivery). Dose of oxytocin used ranged from 5 to 100 IU and duration of administration ranged from 5 to 30 seconds (intravenous bolus) to 8 hours diluted in crystalloid. Conclusion Overall, higher infusion doses (up to 80 IU/500 mL) and bolus doses of oxytocin appear to be more effective than lower doses or protracted administration of a fixed dose at reducing outcome measures of postpartum hemorrhage, particularly among cesarean deliveries.
Digestive and liver diseases statistics, 2004

Abstract Background & Aims: Digestive and liver diseases are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in the United States. Statistics about the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and resource utilization of digestive and liver diseases in the United States may be cumbersome to obtain because they are scattered in multiple sources. These data may be useful for policy makers, grant applicants, and authors. Methods: Data on the most common gastrointestinal and liver diseases were collected from large publicly available national databases. Information was collected on inpatient and outpatient gastrointestinal complaints and diagnoses, gastrointestinal cancers, and deaths from common liver diseases. Results: The leading gastrointestinal complaint prompting an outpatient visit is abdominal pain, with 12.2 million annual visits, followed by diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Abdominal pain is the leading outpatient gastrointestinal diagnosis, accounting for 5.2 million visits annually, followed by gastroesophageal reflux disease, with 4.5 million visits. Gallstone disease is the most common inpatient diagnosis, with 262,411 hospitalizations and a median inpatient charge of $11,584. Colorectal cancer is the most common gastrointestinal cause of death and is the most common gastrointestinal cancer, with an incidence of 54 per 100,000. Among gastrointestinal cancers, primary liver cancer had the highest increase in incidence from 1992 to 2000. Conclusions: Gastrointestinal and liver diseases are associated with significant outpatient and inpatient healthcare utilization. Following trends in utilization is important for determining allocation of resources for health care and research.
Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Ternary SulfidesA3MS4withA=Na, Rb andM=Nb, Ta

Abstract The new ternary sulfides Na 3 M S 4 and Rb 3 M S 4 ( M =Nb, Ta) were prepared from tantalum nitride or niobium powder in the respective alkali metal polysulfide melt. Both sodium sulfides crystallize in form of yellow (Nb) or yellow-orange (Ta) needles in the orthorhombic space group Fdd 2 with Z =32 and a =27.3034(4) A, b =28.4662(1) A, and c =7.9642(1) A, R / R w =0.024/0.048 for M =Nb and a =27.2322(2) A, b =28.4264(2) A, and c =7.9634(6) A, R / R w =0.066/0.177 for M =Ta. The rubidium sulfides were obtained as yellow (Nb) and orange (Ta) crystals with irregular shape. They crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Pnma with Z =4 and a =9.6109(6) A, b =11.1013(7) A, and c =9.6390(6) A, R / R w =0.030/0.072 for M =Nb and a =9.6084(5) A, b =11.1067(6) A, and c =9.6426(5) A, R / R w =0.031/0.070 for M =Ta. The structures of all four compounds are built by stacking isolated M S 3− 4 units with the alkali metal ions.
Previous pulmonary infection in lung cancer: a review.

Abstract Recent autopsy investigations of lung cancers arising in tuberculosis scars, infarcts and in pneumonia-infected alveoli seem to confirm the connexion, predicted on the basis of histological evidence, between lung cancer and previous injury. The hypothesized correlation emphasizes host factors in lung cancer and physical rather than chemical carcinogenic mechanisms. Statistical evidence is, however, contradictory. Four retrospective studies of previous lung infections in lung cancer patients fail to demonstrate a consistently significant excess of previous disease in lung cancer patients or, when an excess has been found, to distinguish the portion attributable to smoking or to pre cancer-diagnosis symptoms from that which may play a direct causal role in lung cancer. A prospective study of British veterans of the First World War reported a two-fold lung cancer increase in veterans with chronic bronchitis over a matched sample, whereas a similar study of American veterans failed to show a significant increase among soldiers hospitalized with pneumonia during the 1917 influenza epidemic. The immediate need is for replication of the statistical studies with better controls and larger numbers.
Disturbances along the Arizona monsoon boundary

The possibility of the occurrence of disturbances along the 'Arizona monsoon boundary' (the boundary between two air masses in the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico) during the summer is evaluated. Linear calculations demonstrate that the monsoon boundary is indeed unstable, with maximum growth rates of 0.4-0.6/d at a wavelength near 1200 km. It is found that the energy source for the most unstable waves is baroclinic and that the waves are barotropically damped.