cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reading Positions, the Cow Bell Effect, and the Sounds of Silent Film

Cet article demontre les faiblesses de l’hypothese historique de meme que de l’hypothese hermeneutique dans l’approche des problemes de reception. Etudiant les modalites relatives a certaines pratiques du film muet americain, l’auteur conclut qu’a la place de mettre l’accent sur les conditions culturelles des spectateurs comme element fondamental dans les modifications de la reception, nous devrions nous pencher davantage sur la capacite des textes a contenir et controler leur propre reception.
A straightforward structure to construct shape functions for variable p-order meshes

This paper describes a method for specifying variable p-order meshes based on the topological hierarchy of mesh entities defining the finite elements. A decomposition of p-version mesh entity shape functions into a product of a function defined over the mesh entity and a blending function defined over the elements that the mesh entity bounds is presented. The decomposed shape functions allow the effective construction of the shape functions and derivatives needed to construct element matrices for variable p-enrichment.
Children, education and migration: Win-win policy responses for codevelopment

Abstract Among the many challenges that the world faces today, one is of particular relevance to international migration and development. The world faces significant demographic changes affecting the future developmental prospects of both developed and less developed countries. More developed countries are simultaneously facing low fertility rates and ageing populations, while less developed countries, in contrast, are experiencing higher birth rates and a significant “youth bulge.” The fiscal, social, economic and political implications of these imbalances are obvious for both developed and less developed countries, while the policy interventions to attenuate these impacts, however, are not so obvious. More developed countries, for instance could increase productivity levels, significantly increase the age of retirement and eligibility for benefits and could potentially use other tax revenues to fund benefits. For less developed countries the policy choices are basically reduced to interventions seeking to increase the rate of economic growth in order to incorporate younger generations into the labour market and to expand the state’s capacities to provide basic social services such as health and education. One of the single most accommodative policies that could potentially address these challenges is international migration. On average, migrants tend to be young people seeking for the most part better economic prospects to support their families. Migrants moving from countries with high unemployment rates, and dire prospects to better their lives, to countries with an increasing ageing population and low fertility rates could not only balance out these demographic imbalances but also improve the developmental prospects of both developed and less developed countries.
Adipose Tissue: The New Endocrine Organ? A Review Article

Fat is either white or brown, the latter being found principally in neonates. White fat, which comprises adipocytes, pre-adipocytes, macrophages, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and leukocytes, actively participates in hormonal and inflammatory systems. Adipokines include hormones such as leptin, adiponectin, visfatin, apelin, vaspin, hepcidine, chemerin, omentin, and inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and plasminogen activator protein (PAI). Multiple roles in metabolic and inflammatory responses have been assigned to adipokines; this review describes the molecular actions and clinical significance of the more important adipokines. The array of adipokines evidences diverse roles for adipose tissue, which looms large in the mediators of inflammation and metabolism. For this reason, treating obesity is more than a reduction of excess fat; it is also the treatment of obesity’s comorbidities, many of which will some day be treated by drugs that counteract derangements induced by adipokine excesses.
Theory of population transport.

A transport equation for population systems is developed. The equation is for a distribution function in which position, age and time are independent variables. It includes as special cases the classical equations of Malthus, Verhulst and Volterra. It is shown under what conditions diffusion-like behavior of migration result, and how mass-migration terms come about. For simplicity, the discussion is confined to a single species; the generalization to interacting species is mentioned briefly.
Up-regulation of lysosomal TRPML1 channels is essential for lysosomal adaptation to nutrient starvation

Upon nutrient starvation, autophagy digests unwanted cellular components to generate catabolites that are required for housekeeping biosynthesis processes. A complete execution of autophagy demands an enhancement in lysosome function and biogenesis to match the increase in autophagosome formation. Here, we report that mucolipin-1 (also known as TRPML1 or ML1), a Ca2+ channel in the lysosome that regulates many aspects of lysosomal trafficking, plays a central role in this quality-control process. By using Ca2+ imaging and whole-lysosome patch clamping, lysosomal Ca2+ release and ML1 currents were detected within hours of nutrient starvation and were potently up-regulated. In contrast, lysosomal Na+-selective currents were not up-regulated. Inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) or activation of transcription factor EB (TFEB) mimicked a starvation effect in fed cells. The starvation effect also included an increase in lysosomal proteostasis and enhanced clearance of lysosomal storage, including cholesterol accumulation in Niemann–Pick disease type C (NPC) cells. However, this effect was not observed when ML1 was pharmacologically inhibited or genetically deleted. Furthermore, overexpression of ML1 mimicked the starvation effect. Hence, lysosomal adaptation to environmental cues such as nutrient levels requires mTOR/TFEB-dependent, lysosome-to-nucleus regulation of lysosomal ML1 channels and Ca2+ signaling.
Association of Aversive and Reinforcing Stimuli during Intermittent Punishment

12 hungry rats were trained to press a bar for milk on an FR 80 schedule. In one group of 6 Ss the 80th or reinforced response was also followed by shock in an increasing order of intensities. The remaining Ss were punished after the 40th response of the FR 80 sequence. It was found that the suppressing effects of intermittent punishment were attenuated by associating aversive and reinforcing stimuli.
Comparative studies of temporal changes in polarographic currents and ultraviolet absorption of benzylpenicillenic acid

Abstract The time behavior of the polarographic current and u.v. absorbance of benzylpenicillenic acid in buffers at different pH values are compared. The rate of decrease of current with time is the same as the rate of decrease of absorbance in the intermediate pH region but is slower in the alkaline and acidic regions. The slower rate in these regions is explained by the transformation of the thiazolidinyl-oxazolone isomer to the u.v.-absorbing and polarographically active isomer at the electrode.
Lack of reinforcement enhancing effects of nicotine in non-dependent smokers

Rationale Recent animal research has shown that, aside from its primary and secondary reinforcing effects, nicotine may enhance reinforcement from stimuli unrelated to nicotine intake. Little human research has directly examined this potentially important influence of nicotine.
α3β1 integrin modulates neuronal migration and placement during early stages of cerebral cortical development

We show that alpha3 integrin mutation disrupts distinct aspects of neuronal migration and placement in the cerebral cortex. The preplate develops normally in alpha3 integrin mutant mice. However, time lapse imaging of migrating neurons in embryonic cortical slices indicates retarded radial and tangential migration of neurons, but not ventricular zone-directed migration. Examination of the actin cytoskeleton of alpha3 integrin mutant cortical cells reveals aberrant actin cytoskeletal dynamics at the leading edges. Deficits are also evident in the ability of developing neurons to probe their cellular environment with filopodial and lamellipodial activity. Calbindin or calretinin positive upper layer neurons as well as the deep layer neurons of alpha3 integrin mutant mice expressing EGFP were misplaced. These results suggest that alpha3beta1 integrin deficiency impairs distinct patterns of neuronal migration and placement through dysregulated actin dynamics and defective ability to search and respond to migration modulating cues in the developing cortex.
A 1.2 TB/s on-chip ring interconnect for 45nm 8-core enterprise Xeon® processor

Nehalem-EX® is the most recent product in the family of the X86 Xeon microprocessors targeting high performance, low-power products [1, 2]. Several key design requirements for this product include high bandwidth, low-latency shared L3 cache access, design modularity to support efficient release of multiple products, and low power and silicon area overhead. A ring interconnect is particularly well suited to achieve all of these design requirements [3]. The implementation details for accomplishing the design target will be described in this paper.
Potential benefits of eliminating planning target volume expansions for patient breathing in the treatment of liver tumors

Purpose: To investigate potential benefits derived from reduction or elimination of planning target volume ( PTV ) margins associated with patient breathing through examination of hepatic tumors treated with conformal therapy. Methods and Materials: We reviewed the treatment plans of 50 patients who had previously received conformal partial organ liver irradiation for treatment of hepatic malignancies. PTVs for these plans included expansions (1-2 cm) for patient breathing. Data consisted of the three-dimensional dose distributions computed for the conformal plans generated for these volumes, and also for plans using identical beam arrangements but smaller block margins to treat planning target volumes that did not include the expansions for breathing. We calculated effective volumes (V eff ) and normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) using dose-volume histograms for normal liver and analyzed changes in: V eff , NTCP at the prescription dose, doses associated with selected NTCP levels, and tumor control probabilities (TCP) at these new dose levels. Results: Elimination of the patient breathing components of the PTVs for these conformal treatments of liver tumors: (a) decreased the average V eff by 5%; (b) decreased the average predicted NTCP at the prescription (isocenter) dose used to treat the patients by 4.5%; (c) increased the average target volume (isocenter) dose associated with low (1-10%) predicted normal liver NTCP by 6-8 Gy, which corresponded to (d) a predicted average 6-7% increase in TCP for aggressive liver tumors. Plans with PTV expansions for breathing that occurred mostly within the liver showed greatest potential benefit. Conclusions: Elimination of the margin added to hepatic target volumes for patient ventilation could lead to clinically meaningful increases in dose without increasing the predicted frequency of complications.
Fungi: toxic killers or unavoidable nuisances?

Objectives This discussion is focused on the many roles of fungi in human health, and also to put the mycotoxin literature into perspective. Data Sources Data are derived from the literature referenced in PubMed from the National Library of Medicine, earlier references in the authors' reprint collection, and ongoing research. Studies for review were either selected from the peer-reviewed literature or from standard texts that are well recognized in the field. Results The review yielded many studies of the role of fungi in allergic disease, but none that systematically documented such a role for mycotoxins or fungal volatiles. Many case studies were found, but none of these unequivocally document a cause/effect relationship between mycotoxin exposure by inhalation and human disease in residential, school, or office settings. Conclusions The review led to the conclusion that that the primary result from fungal exposure is allergic disease, and that the evidence for inhalation disease resulting from mycotoxin exposure in residential and office settings is extremely weak.
The key role of impurities in ancient damascus steel blades

The art of producing the famous 16–18th century Damascus steel blades found in many museums was lost long ago. Recently, however, research has established strong evidence supporting the theory that the distinct surface patterns on these blades result from a carbide-banding phenomenon produced by the microsegregation of minor amounts of carbide-forming elements present in the wootz ingots from which the blades were forged. Further, it is likely that wootz Damascus blades with damascene patterns may have been produced only from wootz ingots supplied from those regions of India having appropriate impurity-containing ore deposits.
On the political theory of political economy: conceptual ambiguity and the global economy

Abstract This article explores conceptual ambiguities and contests involved in the movement from an ‘international’ to a ‘global’ economy. It argues that these contests involve, potentially, fundamental transformations in the concept of economic life. After offering an historical interpretation of the concept of the ‘economic’ in current International Political Economy, the article addresses three sets of conceptual contests raised by the forces of a global capitalist economy: descriptions of the geo‐economic map of the world economy; the identity of economic life, especially ambiguities in the relation of public and private life; and descriptions of the spatio‐temporal frame of economic life in the world economy. I conclude that the analysis of conceptual transformation and contest suggests a need for reassessing the political theory of the world economy.
Proteotoxicity in the endoplasmic reticulum: lessons from the Akita diabetic mouse

Mutations that impair polypeptide folding commonly result in an unstable and hypofunctional gene product. Their phenotype reflects this loss of function, and the resulting genetic disorder is usually transmitted as a recessive trait. Common forms of cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, and familial hypercholesterolemia are examples of this genetic mechanism in action. A second class of mutations (so-called gain-of-function mutations) encodes proteins with new functions, whose associated disorders are typically transmitted as dominant traits. Some of these are “dominant negative” alleles whose encoded protein can interact with components of the cellular machinery normally accessed by the wild-type gene product. With varying degrees of specificity, these mutations affect the activities of the wild-type allele, for example by disrupting the assembly of a multisubunit complex. Recent observations suggest that gain-of-function mutations that affect protein folding can also impair cellular function by less specific mechanisms related to the ability of the mutant protein to challenge the folding capacity in specific cellular compartments. Such mutant proteins are hypothesized to act as proteotoxins and may play a role in important human diseases (1, 2). The paper by Oyadomari et al. (3) appearing in this issue of the JCI addresses important issues related to proteotoxicity in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).
Hippocampal hypometabolism predicts cognitive decline from normal aging.

Objective This longitudinal study used FDG-PET imaging to predict and monitor cognitive decline from normal aging.
Augmentation of 5-Fluorouracil Cytotoxicity in Human Colon Cancer Cells by Dipyridamole

The effect of dipyridamole (DP), an inhibitor of nucleoside transport, on the uptake and toxicity of 5-fluorouracil (FUra) was examined in a human colon cancer cell line (HCT 116). DP substantially increased the cytotoxicity of FUra in cell growth experiments and in viability assays measuring colony formation. The augmentation by DP was dose and time dependent. Several possible mechanisms by which DP enhanced FUra toxicity were investigated. DP did not alter the uptake of FUra into the acid-soluble and -insoluble fractions of HCT 116 cells. While DP did not affect the uptake of FUra, it did inhibit the transport of the nucleoside analogues, fluorouridine and fluorodeoxyuridine, of FUra. Although DP effectively inhibited the uptake of thymidine and uridine in a dose-dependent manner, several lines of evidence suggested that inhibition of nucleoside salvage was not the critical effect. ( a ) The toxicity of FUra was not prevented by thymidine, uridine, or the combination of thymidine and uridine. ( b ) Thymidine triphosphate pools, decreased by 50% during the initial 8 h of exposure to FUra, were not further depleted by the addition of DP. The shrinkage in deoxythymidine triphosphate pools produced by FUra was prevented by concomitant exposure to thymidine; however, this did not translate into protection from FUra lethality. ( c ) The use of dialyzed serum, which greatly diminished the availability of nucleic acid precursors, did not increase the toxicity of FUra. ( d ) DP increased the cytotoxicity of FUra as effectively in experiments utilizing dialyzed serum as when nondialyzed serum was used. Surprisingly, however, the addition of sufficient thymidine to overcome the DP block did prevent the augmentation of FUra toxicity produced by DP. DP may provide a novel means of enhancing the cytotoxicity of FUra.
Journal writing as a teaching technique to promote reflection.

Objective: To introduce the process of journal writing to promote reflection and discuss the techniques and strategies to implement journal writing in an athletic training education curriculum. Background: Journal writing can facilitate reflection and allow students to express feelings regarding their educational experiences. The format of this writing can vary depending on the students' needs and the instructor's goals. Description: Aspects of journal writing assignments are discussed, including different points to take into account before assigning the journals. Lastly, various factors to contemplate are presented when providing feedback to the students regarding their written entries. Clinical Advantages: Journal writing assignments can benefit students by enhancing reflection, facilitating critical thought, expressing feelings, and writing focused arguments. Journal writing can be adapted into a student's clinical course to assist with bridging the gap between classroom and clinical knowledge. In addition, journals can assist athletic training students with exploring different options for handling daily experiences.
A note on the envelope and phase-modulated components of narrow-band Gaussian noise

The autocorrelation function and power spectrum of the phase-modulated portion of narrow-band gaussian noise is studied and specific computations are carried out for the case of a rectangular noise spectrum. Related results are given for the noise envelope. General asymptotic expressions for the spectra are obtained, together with experimental verification.
Ligation-mediated PCR: robotic liquid handling for DNA damage and repair.

The investigation of in vivo DNA repair in mammalian cells at nucleotide resolution requires the quantification of break frequencies less than one per kilobase. By optimizing several parameters of the ligation-mediated PCR technique, we find that the required sensitivity can be achieved. We also report details of a one-day procedure that can be performed either with or without a robotic liquid handling workstation. The use of near-infrared fluorescent-labeled primers with detection by a LI-COR® DNA sequencer provides for safe, nonradioactive detection, similar in sensitivity to the use of 32P-labeled primers but with the additional advantage that high-quality digitized data are obtained directly. Multiplexing can be performed; that is, more than one sequence can be analyzed in a single reaction, and multiple reactions can be processed robotically. Primer sets for exons 5–8 of the tumor suppressor gene, p53, were designed for simultaneous thermal cycling. The improved procedure with infrared detection was used to monitor low-frequency damage (<1 break/kb) and/or repair of UVB, UVC, and chemical methylation. Quantitative data on the linearity of response and reproducibility are described. The coefficient of variation for technical replicates was typically 10%. The methods described here will permit high sample throughput for the detection of DNA damage and repair as well as in vivo protein footprints.
Social Networks, Norms, and 12-Step Group Participation

In a sample of active drug users, we assessed the associations between frequency of attending a 12-step program, perceived social norms, and social network structure. Participants who reported that most or all of their drug partners attended 12-step groups were over ten times more likely to be frequent attenders compared to individuals who did not go to Narcotics Anonymous (NA). While social network structure of number of cocaine and heroin users and number of members in treatment was associated with frequent attendance, there was no association among individuals who infrequently went to a 12-step program. Individuals who are trying to control their drug use should be encouraged to affiliate with others in recovery or attending a 12-step program.
What Does Race Have to Do with Ugly Betty? An Analysis of Privilege and Postracial(?) Representations on a Television Sitcom

This article examines ABC’s television comedy Ugly Betty, in particular one episode that explores race-based affirmative action decisions and quotas, to argue that race and racial categories are ever more present in our society and that they need to be. Asserting how and in what ways race “matters” is important in a social and political climate that often suggests race dare not speak its name. Circulating within sociology and education discourse is the notion of a “color-blind society” (meaning that we no longer see color or that the color of one’s skin will not determine his or her life chances). This idea has been has been recently redefined by the media as “postracial” (meaning that we have moved beyond race and that race no longer structures our thinking or our actions). Either discourse silences talk of racial privilege and disadvantage. As a discursive racial project, the Ugly Betty text helps reify notions of race and difference.
Cracks in the defenses: scouting out approaches on circuit lower bounds

Razborov and Rudich identified an imposing barrier that stands in the way of progress toward the goal of proving superpolynomial lower bounds on circuit size. Their work on "natural proofs" applies to a large class of arguments that have been used in complexity theory, and shows that no such argument can prove that a problem requires circuits of superpolynomial size, even for some very restricted classes of circuits (under reasonable cryptographic assumptions). This barrier is so daunting, that some researchers have decided to focus their attentions elsewhere. Yet the goal of proving circuit lower bounds is of such importance, that some in the community have proposed concrete strategies for surmounting the obstacle. This lecture will discuss some of these strategies, and will dwell at length on a recent approach proposed by Michal Koucky and the author.
Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Abacavir (1592U89) following Oral Administration of Escalating Single Doses in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Adults

Abacavir (1592U89) is a nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor that has been demonstrated to have selective activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro and favorable safety profiles in mice and monkeys. A phase I study was conducted to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of abacavir following oral administration of single escalating doses (100, 300, 600, 900, and 1,200 mg) to HIV-infected adults. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, subjects with baseline CD4+ cell counts ranging from < 50 to 713 cells per mm3 (median, 315 cells per mm3) were randomly assigned to receive abacavir (n = 12) or placebo (n = 6). The bioavailability of the caplet formulation relative to that of the oral solution was also assessed with the 300-mg dose. Abacavir was well tolerated by all subjects; mild to moderate asthenia, abdominal pain, headache, diarrhea, and dyspepsia were the most frequently reported adverse events, and these were not dose related. No significant clinical or laboratory abnormalities were observed throughout the study. All doses resulted in mean abacavir concentrations in plasma that exceeded the mean 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for clinical HIV isolates in vitro (0.07 microgram/ml) for almost 3 h. Abacavir was rapidly absorbed following oral administration, with the time to the peak concentration in plasma occurring at 1.0 to 1.7 h postdosing. Mean maximum concentrations in plasma (Cmax) and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0-infinity) increased slightly more than proportionally from 100 to 600 mg (from 0.6 to 4.7 micrograms/ml for Cmax; from 1.0 to 15.7 micrograms.h/ml for AUC0-infinity) but increased proportionally from 600 to 1,200 mg (from 4.7 to 9.6 micrograms/ml for Cmax; from 15.7 to 32.8 micrograms.h/ml for AUC0-infinity. The elimination of abacavir from plasma was rapid, with an apparent elimination half-life of 0.9 to 1.7 h. Abacavir was well absorbed, with a relative bioavailability of the caplet formulation of 96% versus that of an oral solution (drug substance in water). In conclusion, this study showed that abacavir is safe and is well tolerated by HIV-infected subjects and demonstrated predictable pharmacokinetic characteristics when it was administered as single oral doses ranging from 100 to 1,200 mg.
Intra‐ and interspecies comparison of sperm migration through polyacrylamide gel as an index of spermatozoal viability

Sperm migration distance through a polyacrylamide gel mimicking cervical mucus was compared among seven species: dog, cat, goat, ram, clouded leopard, dorcas gazelle, and Eld's deer. Freshly collected spermatozoa were evaluated microscopically and then assayed for migration distance in gel-filled capillary tubes in raw or diluted concentrations or after longevity declines in sperm motility and progressive status. Sperm count per milliliter of ejaculate and sperm percent motility ratings varied (P < 0.05) among selected species. Undiluted ejaculated spermatozoa from all species, except the clouded leopard, penetrated the polyacrylamide gel. Migration distance (mm) was different (P < 0.05) among species and not clearly correlated to concentration or motility factors. Although sperm concentrations in the dog and Eld's deer were similar, average migration distance of deer sperm was more than fourfold greater (P < 0.01) than that of dog sperm. The sperm motility rating for the gazelle was greater (P < 0.05) than that for the cat; however, penetration distance in the cat was more than twice as great (P < 0.05) as that in the gazelle. Species also varied in migration response after altering sperm concentration: Halving the sperm count of the dog, gazelle, and Eld's deer had no effect, but the same procedure decreased (P < 0.05) penetration distance in the goat and ram. No migration was observed in any species at a sperm concentration of 25 × 106 cells or less. Within species a decline in sperm percent motility-progressive status ratings was correlated (P < 0.05) to a subsequent decrease in penetration distance. These results provide a comparative assessment of sperm cell migration through a synthetic cervical mucus and suggest that this test may be a useful adjunct in evaluating reproductive potential. However, the assay is specific in interpretive merit, as sperm penetration distance within a single batch of gel is markedly variant among species and in some species dependent on sperm concentration. This interspecies specificity in sperm migration through a homogeneous gel suggests intrinsic species variance in sperm cell-cervical mucus interaction, suggesting that this assay could be valuable in future studies of the mechanism of sperm transport.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Temperament Assessment Battery for Children-Revised: Parent Form

Temperament refers to the biologically rooted, individual differences in behavioral tendencies that present early in life and are relatively sta ble across situations and over time. Tempera ment has been shown to relate to adult per sonality characteristics and to predict behav ioral problems during childhood and into adulthood. The Temperament Assessment Battery for Children-Revised: Parent Form (TABC-R:PF) was developed by Martin (1998) to measure temperament characteristics of children aged 3 to 7 years. The factor structure of this instrument was evaluated using EFA and CFA of mothers' ratings of 266 typically developing children. The results indicated that a four-factor temperament model (Inhibition, Negative Emotionality, Activity Level, and Task Persistence) based on 27 items provided the best fit for the data. The internal consistency of these factors was found to be acceptable (Cronbach's α = .73 to .86).
Metal-clad semiconductor nanoring lasers

Lasing in a metal-clad semiconductor ring laser of 0.9λ 0 -diameter and 0.8λ 0 height is demonstrated. It is experimentally shown that the metal coverage is critical in achieving the lasing threshold.
Longer gestation among children born full term influences cognitive and motor development.

Children born preterm show persisting impairments in cognitive functioning, school achievement, and brain development. Most research has focused on implications of birth prior to 37 gestational weeks; however, the fetal central nervous system continues to make fundamental changes throughout gestation. Longer gestation is associated with reduced morbidity and mortality even among infants born during the period clinically defined as full term (37–41 gestational weeks). The implications of shortened gestation among term infants for neurodevelopment are poorly understood. The present study prospectively evaluates 232 mothers and their full term infants (50.4% male infants) at three time points across the first postnatal year. We evaluate the association between gestational length and cognitive and motor development. Infants included in the study were full term (born between 37 and 41 weeks gestation). The present study uses the combination of Last Menstrual Period (LMP) and early ultrasound for accurate gestational dating. Hierarchical Linear Regression analyses revealed that longer gestational length is associated with higher scores on the Bayley scales of mental and motor development at 3, 6 and 12 months of age after considering socio-demographic, pregnancy, and infant-level covariates. Findings were identical using revised categories of early, term, and late term proposed by the Working Group for Defining Term Pregnancy. Our findings indicate that longer gestation, even among term infants, benefits both cognitive and motor development.
Protective effect of D609 against amyloid-beta1–42-induced oxidative modification of neuronal proteins: Redox proteomics study

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathophysiology of a number of diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder associated with cognitive decline and enhanced oxidative stress. Amyloid-beta peptide(1-42) (Abeta(1-42)), one of the main component of senile plaques, can induce in vitro and in vivo oxidative damage to neuronal cells through its ability to produce free radicals. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of the xanthate D609 on Abeta(1-42)-induced protein oxidation by using a redox proteomics approach. D609 was recently found to be a free radical scavenger and antioxidant. In the present study, rat primary neuronal cells were pretreated with 50 microM of D609, followed by incubation with 10 microM Abeta(1-42) for 24 hr. In the cells treated with Abeta(1-42) alone, four proteins that were significantly oxidized were identified: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase, malate dehydrogenase, and 14-3-3 zeta. Pretreatment of neuronal cultures with D609 prior to Abeta(1-42) protected all the identified oxidized proteins in the present study against Abeta(1-42)-mediated protein oxidation. Therefore, D609 may ameliorate the Abeta(1-42)-induced oxidative modification. We discuss the implications of these Abeta(1-42)-mediated oxidatively modified proteins for AD pathology and for potential therapeutic intervention in this dementing disorder.
Threonine phosphorylation post-translationally regulates protein secretion in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Secreted proteins are crucial to the arsenal of bacterial pathogens. Although optimal activity of these proteins is likely to require precise regulation of release, the signalling events that trigger secretion are poorly understood. Here, we identify a threonine phosphorylation event that post-translationally regulates the Hcp secretion island-I-encoded type VI secretion system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (H-T6SS). We show that a serine-threonine kinase, PpkA, is required for assembly of the H-T6SS and for secretion of Hcp1. PpkA activity is antagonized by PppA, a Ser-Thr phosphatase. These proteins exhibit reciprocal effects on the H-T6SS by acting on an FHA domain-containing protein, termed Fha1. Colocalization experiments with the T6S AAA+ family protein, ClpV1, indicate that Fha1 is a core scaffolding protein of the H-T6SS. Mutations affecting this H-T6S regulatory pathway provide a molecular explanation for the variation in Hcp1 secretion among clinical P. aeruginosa isolates. This mechanism of triggering secretion may be general, as many T6SSs contain orthologues of these proteins. Post-translational regulation of protein secretion by Thr phosphorylation is unprecedented in bacteria, and is likely to reflect the requirement for T6S to respond rapidly and reversibly to its environment.
Shared Responsibility: California's State and Community Partnerships to Promote Physical Activity among Diverse Populations

Abstract This article discusses the models and implementation strategies used by the California Department of Health Services' ON THE MOVE! program and the community projects to plan and implement physical activity programs in ethnically and sociodemographically diverse populations. Despite differences in community settings and target populations, universal needs guided state health program consultants in their provision of technical assistance and support to local community agencies. However, unique approaches were used to tailor physical activities to each population, requiring flexibility in the consideration of ethnic, cultural, geographic, and socioeconomic differences. Lessons learned from the success of this shared partnership between the state health department and local communities hold important implications for health planners and educators striving to meet the challenges of health promotion in diverse populations.
THE RESULTS OF TREATMENT OF OSTEOGENIC SARCOMA

Knowledge as to the therapeutic value of the methods of treatment in cases of osteogenic sarcoma depends on accurate records and follow-up reports of clinician, roentgenologist, surgeon, and pathologist. The incidence of this rare malignant tumor was one in 4000 patients who presented themselves at The Mayo Clinic for treatment. The relation of the grade of malignancy of osteogenic sarcomata to the survival of the patients was similar to that which exists in the presence of malignancy of other neoplasms of other tissues. Patients whose tumors were of a low grade of malignancy had the highest record for five-year survival. Grade 1 was associated with a five-year survival rate of 60 per cent.; Grades 2 and 3, with an average five-year survival rate of 15.9 per cent.; and Grade 4, with a five-year survival rate of 11.1 per cent. Of those patients treated by irradiation only, and traced for five years, 9.1 per cent. lived five years or more; of those treated by excision, with or without irradiation, 34.1 per cent. lived five years or more; and of those treated by amputation, with or without irradiation, 24.7 per cent. lived five years or more. Excision was employed in a relatively favorable group of cases. Amputation sometimes was used with the understanding that it was only a palliative measure; it was not used at all if the malignancy was of Grade 1. Of 158 patients treated by any method, and traced for five years, 23.4 per cent. lived five years or more after treatment.
Sarcoma: Non-Rhabdomyosarcoma Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Non-rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) tumors comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases that rarely involve the head and neck. Fifty percent of all head and neck tumors are rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), with only 5 % of the remaining 50 % comprised of non-RMS tumors arising from the bone or soft tissue. There is little published data regarding the treatment approach for non-RMS tumors, particularly the small subset involving the head and neck. In this chapter, we discuss the unique non-RMS tumors affecting the head and neck region in pediatric patients, symptoms dependent on tumor location, a differential diagnosis, and diagnostic approach. The treatment of non-RMS tumors centers around surgical resection and radiation therapy, however, we discuss limited data on the use of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy. We review the role of tumor size, location, grade, histology, and metastases on treatment approach and overall outcome.
Brief of Amici Curiae Interested Patent Law Professors in Support of Neither Party in Prometheus v. Mayo

In Prometheus v. Mayo, the district court erred in characterizing an entirely man-made biological correlation, which did not and could not exist absent human intervention, as an unpatentable “natural phenomenon" under 35 U.S.C. § 101. Contrary to the district court’s conclusion, the mere fact that the breakdown of a man-made, non-naturally occurring drug (i.e., drug metabolism) involves natural processes in the body does not render the breakdown of the drug a natural process, nor does it render a correlation between these non-naturally occurring drug breakdown products (i.e., drug metabolites) and the optimal dosage of the drug a natural phenomenon. If not reversed, the decision below could cast doubt on the patentability of many important innovations, particularly in the area of diagnostics and personalized medicine. In re Bilski did not obviate the necessity to accurately distinguish between non-natural and natural phenomena, and the instant case provides appropriate facts for this Court to provide critical guidance for future courts faced with this important inquiry.
Transcriptome-Wide Analysis of Hepatitis B Virus-Mediated Changes to Normal Hepatocyte Gene Expression

Globally, a chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains the leading cause of primary liver cancer. The mechanisms leading to the development of HBV-associated liver cancer remain incompletely understood. In part, this is because studies have been limited by the lack of effective model systems that are both readily available and mimic the cellular environment of a normal hepatocyte. Additionally, many studies have focused on single, specific factors or pathways that may be affected by HBV, without addressing cell physiology as a whole. Here, we apply RNA-seq technology to investigate transcriptome-wide, HBV-mediated changes in gene expression to identify single factors and pathways as well as networks of genes and pathways that are affected in the context of HBV replication. Importantly, these studies were conducted in an ex vivo model of cultured primary hepatocytes, allowing for the transcriptomic characterization of this model system and an investigation of early HBV-mediated effects in a biologically relevant context. We analyzed differential gene expression within the context of time-mediated gene-expression changes and show that in the context of HBV replication a number of genes and cellular pathways are altered, including those associated with metabolism, cell cycle regulation, and lipid biosynthesis. Multiple analysis pipelines, as well as qRT-PCR and an independent, replicate RNA-seq analysis, were used to identify and confirm differentially expressed genes. HBV-mediated alterations to the transcriptome that we identified likely represent early changes to hepatocytes following an HBV infection, suggesting potential targets for early therapeutic intervention. Overall, these studies have produced a valuable resource that can be used to expand our understanding of the complex network of host-virus interactions and the impact of HBV-mediated changes to normal hepatocyte physiology on viral replication.
Health and Safety Education from the Trash Can

(1979). Health and Safety Education from the Trash Can. Health Education: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 22-23.
Hydrogen Desorption Rates in LaNi5−xAlx-H

The desorption of hydrogen in intermetallic compounds of the system LaNi5−xAlx has been investigated because these compounds exhibit potential as hydrogen reservoirs for high power cold cathode/reservoir thyratrons. Hot cathode/reservoir thyratrons have been used for 25 years to switch high power pulsed radar operation. Cold cathode/reservoir thyratron tubes would be capable of switching high power without the reservoir heater, power supply and power source presently required in hot tubes using Ti as a reservoir. An ideal reservoir material is one that exhibits a plateau pressure between 400 and 600 millitorr in its room temperature P vs C equilibrium diagram, is not easily poisoned by the ambients of a cold cathode (O2, H2O, CO2, CO), and exhibits recovery of pressure in seconds.
Riccati's Nonlinear Differential Equation

(1960). Riccati's Nonlinear Differential Equation. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 134-139.
Gamow-Teller strength in the 26Mg(p,n)26Al reaction at 135 MeV and its fractionation into T= 0, 1, and 2 isospin channels.

The excitation-energy distribution of transition strength to 1/sup +/ states excited via the /sup 26/Mg(p,n)/sup 26/Al reaction at 134.4 MeV was measured for excitation energies up to 25 MeV. The structures observed in the neutron spectra with ..delta..L = 0 angular distributions were identified as 1/sup +/ states, except for the isobaric analog transition. The total 1/sup +/ strength in this reaction was extracted by normalizing the intensity of the four lowest 1/sup +/ states to the strength measured for the analogous beta decays to these states. A detailed comparison of the experimental results with known analogous transitions and with a large-basis shell-model calculation leads to the conclusion that strengths to states of isospin T = 0, 1, and 2 were observed in this reaction. The apportionment of the observed strength among the three isospin values is compared with the shell-model prediction. The total strength observed to all states below an excitation energy of 15 MeV is 57 percent of the total strength predicted by the shell-model calculation with the assumption of the ''free-nucleon'' normalization of the Gamow-Teller beta decay operator.
Asian medicinal plants in seventeenth century french literature

Many scholars have proposed the lure of silks and spices as an important stimulus for the ventures of Europeans into Asia. Yet the enormous drain of lives and money over centuries in order to secure commodities and market information about them from India, Southeast Asia and China was not sustained simply in pursuit of exotic luxuries. Western Europeans were relentlessly pursuing life and health in a struggle for survival. Some of the foods, spices, dyes and woods which began to reach Europe directly from the East in the sixteenth century were believed to have curative properties. A study published by the National Academy of Sciences supports this supposition and recommended further investigation after a search was made of the computerized literature files of the University of Illinois' Pharmacology Department for pharmacologic effects of Chinese medicinal plants. Of the 796 prescriptions that were examined, 44.7% were found to have "a rational basis," 5.3% though thought to be inefficacious are used for the same conditions in non-Chinese cultures, and 48.7% are too little studied for evaluation (American Herbal Pharmacology Delegation, 1975, p. 69). An unforeseen consequence of the influx of Asian biota and information about it was the destabilization of European biological concepts. Linnaeus' efforts in the early eighteenth century were aimed in part at the reestablishment of order. Europeans of the seventeenth century had ample reason to be anxious about survival. To the old terror plague and new epidemics of influenza and syphilis were added the horrors of wounds. War increased the frequency of wounds, new weapons increased the horror of wounds and the Bourbons contributed to the frequency of war. In the 1630s the developing Royal Medicinal Garden of Paris where Eastern plants were studied attested the practical intentions of its patron, Louis XIII. Later Louis XIV expanded the garden. We will examine 6 sources of information on Asian plants available to readers of French, Europe's emerging lingua franca, between 1602 and 1664. We will indicate the supposed medicinal values of some of what are often loosely termed spices whose essence Milton made more correctly memorable as "spicy drugs." Botanical source-areas of some of these commodities have been tabulated (Newcomb, 1963), Chinese medicinal uses have been studied (Hu, 1976), and Perry (1980) has surveyed medicinal properties and uses of East and Southeast Asian plants. Extensive evidence of the general significance of the drug and dyestuff trade has been presented by Tippo and Stern (1977). And the influence of Asia upon Europe in all its complexity is being studied by Lach in his multivolume Asia in the Making of Europe (1965).
Thyroid Function in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis: No Longer a Concern?

Background: Development of goiter and hypothyroidism has been reported in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) since the 1970s, especially when treated with iodine-based expectorants. With iodine-containing expectorants no longer in routine use, the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in CF patients is unknown. This cross-sectional study assessed thyroid function status in a large cohort of CF patients. Methods: Sera from ambulatory subjects were obtained from an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved biorepository of patients seen at the Emory CF Center between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2014. Sera from hospitalized subjects were obtained from banked specimens from an IRB-approved inpatient clinical trial. Demographics, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and medication use were assessed from medical records. Thyroid function tests were measured from the stored sera. Multivariate regression models assessed associations between covariates and thyrotropin (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), and t...