cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Functional Below-the-knee Cast for Tibial Fractures

1. An experimental method of treatment for fractures of the tibia with a below-the-knee total-contact weight-bearing cast are discussed. 2. The success of this method appears to depend on the careful application and molding of plaster to the fractured leg after swelling has been reduced to a minimum and closed reduction has been obtained. Good alignment is essential, but slight shortening or overriding of fragments can be accepted with the expectation that little or no increase in the amount of shortening will occur. 3. The results obtained indicate that this type of cast not only holds reduction well but permits healing of fractures of the tibia in a relatively short period of time. The maintenance of the limb in a near-physiological condition throughout the entire reparative process is offered as an explanation for rapid healing. 4. Treatment of tibial fractures by this method has the advantage of retaining functional activity of the extremity during healing and of eliminating the need for extensive rehabilitation of the knee and thigh muscles after healing has occurred.
Rub Interactions of Flexible Casing Rotor Systems

Rub interactions between a rotor assembly and its corresponding casing structure has long been one of the major causes for machine failure. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of a complex rotor-bearing-blade-casing system during component rub interactions. The modal method is used in this study. The dynamic characteristics of the system are examined in both the time domain and the frequency domain using a numerical FFT procedure. A multibearing flexible casing rotor system will be used as an example
The treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome: A comparison of different operations

Abstract Although transaxillary first rib resection is one of the popular treatments for thoracic outlet syndrome today, recurrences and nerve injuries have led to investigation of other operations that might reduce complications and improve results. This article compares the results of transaxillary first rib resection with (1) scalenectomy (anterior and middle) and (2) supraclavicular first rib resection with scalenectomy. Between 1964 and 1987, 668 primary operations were performed for thoracic outlet syndrome on 491 patients. Seventy-one percent were women. Eight-six percent gave histories of neck trauma, often a whiplash injury, (traumatic thoracic outlet syndrome); 4.5% had cervical ribs. Common symptoms included paresthesia in the hands (90%); arm pain (80%); neck pain (86%); and occipital headaches (69%). On physical examination, tenderness over the scalene muscles and duplication of symptoms with the arms abducted to 90 degrees in external rotation were present in over 90% of patients. By use of life-table analysis methods, success after surgery was found to be the same for all operations: 91% to 93% at 3 months; 76% to 79% at 1 to 2 years; 70% to 73% at 3 to 5 years; and 69% to 72% at 5 to 10 years. After rib resection plexus injuries occurred in 2.6%, with partial disability in 0.5%. No plexus injuries occurred after scalenectomy, but temporary phrenic nerve palsy occurred in 4.4%. Scalenectomy is as successful an operation as first rib resection for traumatic thoracic outlet syndrome and has fewer serious complications. Rib resection is still indicated for patients with nontraumatic causes of thoracic outlet syndrome, such as bony abnormalities and arterial or venous compression and for patients with recurrence of thoracic outlet syndrome after scalenectomy. (J Vasc Surg 1989;10:626–34.)
Brain monoaminergic control of male reproductive behavior. II. Dopamine and the post-ejaculatory refractory period

This study was designed to examine the role of central dopaminergic mechanisms in the control of copulation and the subsequent post-ejaculatory refractory period in the male rat. Disruption of central dopaminergic pathways was achieved in two separate groups of animals by: (1) selective electrolytic lesions of the substantia nigra (the major locus for dopamine cell bodies in the brain); or (2) localized intracerebral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine, a specific neurotoxin for catecholaminergic pathways. A third group of animals was tested for sexual behavior following administration of the dopamine receptor blocker pimozide. Both electrolytic and neurochemical lesions localized in the substantia nigra produced a significant increase in the length of the post-ejaculatory refractory period. Dopamine receptor blockade following administration of pimozide also caused a significant increase in refractory period duration. These results support the hypothesis that central dopaminergic pathways are involved in the motivational or arousal component of copulation and may be integral to the maintenance of a normal post-ejaculatory refractory period.
Some properties of unstable monopoles in super-QCD

We study embeddings of the Prasad-Sommerfield monopole solution in SU(N{sub c}) super-QCD (N{sub c}{ge}3), where the role of the Higgs field is played by the squarks in the fundamental representation. Classically, the resulting configurations live in a phase with unbroken SU(k) subgroups of SU(N{sub c}) (as a result they are not topologically stable). The structure of zero modes of these monopoles is such that they can be naturally interpreted as massive chiral superfields, with R charge one and baryon number zero. They transform in the adjoint representation of a dual gauge group defined using the Goddard-Nuyts-Olive (GNO) framework. We speculate on the possible applications of these monopoles to N=1 duality and more generally on the possibility of relating GNO-type dual gauge groups to those appearing in N=1 duality. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Vascular safe zones for surgical dislocation in children with healed Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.

Background: Legg-Calve-Perthes disease consists of idiopathic osteonecrosis of the femoral head, causing proximal femoral growth deformity. Recent advances in surgical technique have permitted safe surgical dislocation of the hip, allowing for correction of femoracetabular impingement. The purpose of this study was to characterize the location and number of lateral epiphyseal arteries supplying the femoral head in children with healed Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. Methods: This retrospective study included nineteen children (twenty-two hips) with a diagnosis of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (the LCPD group) and a matched control group of seventeen children (twenty hips) with developmental hip dysplasia. All patients underwent high-resolution contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize the path of the medial femoral circumflex artery and the lateral epiphyseal artery branches supplying the femoral head. Results: All patients in the LCPD group were classified as having Waldenstrom grade-4 disease. Their average age at the time of MRI was fifteen years (range, eleven to eighteen years). The lateral epiphyseal arteries reliably inserted on the posterior-superior aspect of the femoral neck from a superior-anterior to a superior-posterior position in both groups. An average of 2.63 (standard deviation [SD], 1.47) retinacular vessels were visualized in the LCPD group, compared with 5.20 (SD, 1.06) retinacular vessels in the dysplasia group (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The lateral epiphyseal arteries of the femoral head reliably insert in a narrow anatomic window on the femoral neck. Reperfusion of the medial femoral circumflex artery does occur in patients with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease; however, the overall number of vessels is decreased as compared with that in patients with developmental hip dysplasia.
β-Arrestin Mediates β1-Adrenergic Receptor-Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Interaction and Downstream Signaling

β1-Adrenergic receptor (β1AR) stimulation confers cardioprotection via β-arrestin-de pend ent transactivation of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs), however, the precise mechanism for this salutary process is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that the β1AR and EGFR form a complex that differentially directs intracellular signaling pathways. β1AR stimulation and EGF ligand can each induce equivalent EGFR phos pho ryl a tion, internalization, and downstream activation of ERK1/2, but only EGF ligand causes translocation of activated ERK to the nucleus, whereas β1AR-stimulated/EGFR-transactivated ERK is restricted to the cytoplasm. β1AR and EGFR are shown to interact as a receptor complex both in cell culture and endogenously in human heart, an interaction that is selective and undergoes dynamic regulation by ligand stimulation. Although catecholamine stimulation mediates the retention of β1AR-EGFR interaction throughout receptor internalization, direct EGF ligand stimulation initiates the internalization of EGFR alone. Continued interaction of β1AR with EGFR following activation is dependent upon C-terminal tail GRK phos pho ryl a tion sites of the β1AR and recruitment of β-arrestin. These data reveal a new signaling paradigm in which β-arrestin is required for the maintenance of a β1AR-EGFR interaction that can direct cytosolic targeting of ERK in response to catecholamine stimulation.
Protein Dynamical Transition at Cryogenic Temperatures

Hydrated proteins are known to undergo a dynamical transition at around 200 K. Several mechanisms have been proposed but the underlying mechanism, physical origin and relationship to water remain controversial. We studied protein dynamics inside protein crystals using a high pressure cryocooling technique [1] and X-ray diffraction at cryogenic temperatures (90 to 160 K). Water crystallization was bypassed by inducing an unusual form of water: high-density amorphous ice. Surprisingly, we observed a protein dynamical transition as low as 110 K, which is ∼ 100 K below the conventional protein dynamical transition temperatures (200 - 240 K) [2]. This unexpected protein dynamical transition precisely correlated with the cryogenic phase transition of water from a high-density amorphous to low-density amorphous state [3]. The results provide new insights into the underlying mechanism of protein dynamical transition and its relationship with the unusual physical properties of supercooled water.References1. Chae Un Kim, Raphael Kapfer and Sol M. Gruner (2005), High pressure cooling of protein crystals without cryoprotectants, Acta Cryst. D61, 881-890.2. Chae Un Kim, Mark W. Tate and Sol M. Gruner (2011), Protein dynamical transition at 110 K, PNAS108, 20897-20901.3. Chae Un Kim, Buz Barstow, Mark W. Tate and Sol M. Gruner (2009), Evidence for liquid water during the high-density to low-density amorphous ice transition, PNAS106, 4596-4600.
Recent developments in the Trefftz method for finite element and boundary element applications

In 1926 E. Trefftz published a paper about a variational formulation which utilizes boundary integrals. Almost half a century later researchers became interested again in the ideas of Trefftz when the potential advantage of the Trefftz-method for an efficient use in numerical application on a computer was recognized. The concept of Trefftz can be used both for finite element and boundary element applications. A crucial ingredient of the Trefftz- method is a set of linearly independent trial functions which a priori satisfy the governing differential equations under consideration. In this paper an overview of some recent developments to construct trial functions for the Trefftz-method in a systematic manner is given. Using different types of approximation functions (singular or non-singular) we can obtain very accurate finite element and boundary element algorithms.
Abstract 2863: RNase-L modulates the immune response to intestinal damage and ameliorates murine colitis and colitis-associated cancer.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC The endoribonuclease RNase-L is a Type-I interferon (IFN)-regulated component of the innate immune response that functions in antiviral and antibacterial activities. Here we identify a protective role for RNase-L in the inflammatory response to gastrointestinal (GI) injury and commensal bacteria. In a dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced model of ulcerative colitis RNase-L-/- mice exhibited a more severe clinical score and increased mortality compared to wild type animals. The enhanced sensitivity to GI damage was accompanied by delayed leukocyte infiltration and reduced expression of the proinflammatory cytokines IFNβ, TNFα, IL-1β and IL-18 at early times post-DSS exposure. This impaired innate immune response corresponded with increased inflammation and a decreased capacity to recover from GI injury at later times. Consistent with the established role of inflammation as a risk factor for colorectal cancer, in a model of colitis-associated cancer DSS treated RNase-L-/- mice displayed an increased carcinogen-induced tumor burden and mortality. A potential mechanism by which RNase-L functions in the response to GI damage and commensal bacteria is via the production of RNA agonists of RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs), sensors of cytosolic pathogen-associated RNAs that initiate signaling to induce proinflammatory cytokines important to GI homeostasis. Indeed, we found that bacterial RNA triggers IFNβ induction in macrophages in an RNase-L-dependent manner. Together, these results support a model in which the protective role for RNase-L in experimental colitis and colitis-associated cancer occurs through RNase-L-dependent RLR signaling and IFNβ induction. Citation Format: Tiha M. Long, Arindam Chakrabarti, Heather Ezelle, Sarah Brennan-Laun, Jean-Pierre Raufman, Irina Polyakova, Robert Silverman, Bret Hassel. RNase-L modulates the immune response to intestinal damage and ameliorates murine colitis and colitis-associated cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2863. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2863
Primary Carcinoid Tumor of Urinary Bladder Discovered on Pelvic Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Pure primary carcinoid tumor of the urinary bladder is an exceedingly rare lesion with less than twenty cases reported in the English language literature. These tumors are typically small and rarely invade past the lamina propria. Amenable to transurethral resection alone, they are associated with a favorable prognosis. We present a case of pure primary carcinoid tumor of the bladder discovered on T2-weighted pelvic magnetic resonance imaging.
The molecular structures comprising catalytically polymerized pyrene pitch

Key molecular species present in a model pyrene pitch catalytically polymerized (using AlCl3) from pure pyrene have been unambiguously identified. Packed-column, dense-gas extraction, using supercritical toluene as the solvent, was used to fractionate the pitch into monomer- and dimer-rich cuts. The resultant fractions were then analyzed for molecular-structure information via matrix-assisted, laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry and by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV–vis detection. Results indicate that only one of the possible isomers of pyrene dimer, that is, 1.14,7.8-dibenzoperopyrene, is present. In addition, mono-, di-, and tri-methylated pyrenes, which are completely absent in the starting pyrene, are present in the pyrene pitch in small but nontrivial (i.e., several per cent) quantities. Furthermore, the purity of the starting pyrene has no discernable impact on the relative amounts of alkylated pyrene species that are produced. A portion of the pyrene dimers, trimers, and tetramers are similarly alkylated.
A unique structural pattern shared by T-cell-activating and abscess-regulating zwitterionic polysaccharides.

In contrast to the conventional dogma that carbohydrates are poorly immunogenic T-cell-independent antigens, zwitterionic polysaccharides (ZPSs) can significantly stimulate T-cell proliferation and regulate abscess formation in bacterial infection. Despite their similar biological activities, ZPSs from various bacteria are greatly different in primary chemical compositions and building block linkages. To identify the common structural features that govern the peculiar immunologic activity of ZPSs, we have been determining three-dimensional structures of compositionally different ZPSs by NMR spectroscopy and molecular mechanics and dynamics calculations. We report here the conformation of type 1 capsular polysaccharide from the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp1) to be a right-handed helix with repeated zwitterionically charged grooves. We also report the striking similarity between the structures of Sp1 and our previously determined PS A2 from Bacteroides fragilis. These results support our hypo...
A gonadotropin-inhibiting substance in the urine of normal young children.

The presence of a gonadotropin-inhibiting factor in the urine of normal young children is reported. Urinary extracts were tested by the mouse uterine weight response, assayed against purified HCG. This factor is consistently observed in the urine of children under the age of 6 years, and specifically inhibits the action of gonadotropin. It exercises no inhibitory effect on estrogen.
Seroepidemiologic Investigations of Human Hepatitis Caused by A, B, and a Possible Third Virus

SummarySeroepidemiologic studies were made of normal subjects in populations in the United States and Costa Rica and in family outbreaks of hepatitis in Costa Rica. Hepatitis A affected a majority of children of very young age in Costa Rica, while such experience in persons of high socioeconomic status in the United States did not occur before middle life. Persons of low socioeconomic status (paid plasma donors) and residents and attendants of institutions for the mentally retarded showed a far greater incidence of hepatitis A antibody than did their counterparts in the open community. Hepatitis A and B epidemics occurred in families in Costa Rica with rapid spread to other susceptible members of the group. The disease was clinically apparent in roughly half the cases, whether the responsible agent be hepatitis A or B. Five cases of nonhepatitis A or B (hypothetical hepatitis C) were found and all but one of them were subclinical.The authors are indebted to M. A. Chacon, D. Jimenez E., and A. Rivas E. and...
A Nationwide Analysis of Postoperative Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in Colon and Rectal Surgery

There are limited data regarding predictive factors of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing colorectal resection. We sought to identify associations between patient comorbidities and postoperative VTE in colorectal resection. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was used to examine clinical data of patients experiencing postoperative VTE after colorectal resection from 2005 to 2011. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression was performed to quantify risk factors of VTE. We sampled 116,029 patients undergoing colorectal resection. The rate of VTE was 2 % (2,278) with 0.2 % (182) having deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). The first week after operation was the most common time for postoperative VTE. A significant number of patients suffering DVT and PE were diagnosed after index hospital discharge (PE 34.6 %, DVT 29.3 %). The most important risk factors identified for DVT include (P 2 (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.77) and hypoalbuminemia (serum albumin level <3.5 mg/dl) (AOR 1.69). The most important factors had associations with PE include (P < 0.05) DVT (AOR 14.60) and disseminated cancer (AOR 1.70). Ulcerative colitis (AOR 1.48, P = 0.01) and stage 4 cancer (AOR 1.29, P = 0.02) have associations with DVT. Open colorectal procedures have higher risk of DVT compared to laparoscopic procedures (AOR 1.33, P < 0.01). Postoperative VTE occurs in 2 % of colorectal resections. Thirty percent of VTE events were diagnosed after discharge. Prophylactic treatment of VTE after discharge may have benefits in high-risk patients. Thirteen and eleven perioperative risk factors have associations with DVT and PE, respectively. Emergent admission, open procedures, ulcerative colitis, and stage 4 cancer patients have increased risk of DVT.
Humanism and the Culture of Renaissance Europe

Introduction 1. The birth of humanist culture 2. Humanism and Italian society 3. Crossing the Alps 4. Triumph and disaster 5. Humanism and High-Renaissance culture 6. Humanism in the late Renaissance 7. The end of an age Bibliography.
Biological Chromium(VI) Reduction in the Cathode of a Microbial Fuel Cell

The biocathode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) offers a promising potential for the reductive treatment of oxidized pollutants. In this study, we demonstrated biological Cr(VI) reduction in the cathode of a MFC and identified putative Cr(VI) reducing microorganisms. The MFC was continuously monitored for Cr(VI) reduction and power generation. Acetate was provided to the anode compartment as substrate and bicarbonate was added to the cathode compartment as the sole external carbon source. The contribution of biomass decay and abiotic processes on Cr(VI) reduction was minimal, confirming that most of the Cr(VI) reduction was assisted by microbial activity in the cathode, which utilizes electrons and protons generated from the oxidation of acetate in the anode compartment. Relatively fast Cr(VI) reduction was observed at initial Cr(VI) concentrations below 80 mg/L. However, at 80 mg Cr(VI)/L, Cr(VI) reduction was extremely slow. A maximum Cr(VI) reduction rate of 0.46 mg Cr(VI)/g VSS.h was achieved, which resulted in a current and power density of 123.4 mA/m(2) and 55.5 mW/m(2), respectively. The reduced chromium was nondetectable in the supernatant of the catholyte which indicated complete removal of chromium as Cr(OH)(3) precipitate. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene based clone library revealed that the cathode biomass was largely dominated by phylotypes closely related to Trichococcus pasteurii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the putative Cr(VI) reducers.
Stage-specific effects of cadmium on preimplantation embryo development and implantation in the mouse

Abstract The effects of cadmium (Cd) exposure during the preimplantation period of pregnancy on the subsequent development and implantation of mouse embryos were examined. Injection of a high dose of Cd (38 μmol Cd/kg body wt.) on day 2 (D1 = vaginal plug), when the embryo is at the two-cell stage, had little effect on the initiation and maintenance of pregnancy when examined on D8. The initiation of implantation (localized sites of increased uterine vascular permeability) in a similarly treated group of mice was assessed in the morning of D5, and these sites were absent in 62% of the animals examined. Thus, Cd treatment on D2 delayed temporarily, but did not prevent implantation and was not embryolethal. In marked contrast, the same dose Cd administered on D4 caused pregnancy failure in all mice examined on D8. No implantation sites were detected on D5 and the few blastocysts recovered were degenerating. To explore the mechanisms underlying these in vivo stage-specific effects of Cd, preimplantation embryos (two-cell, four-cell, eight-cell and morulae) were exposed in vitro to a high concentration of Cd (50 μM) for 8 h followed by reculture to monitor their potential to develop to the blastocysts stage. Two-cell embryos were remarkably resistant to Cd, but toxicity increased with development, and morulae readily degenerated after Cd exposure. Analysis of the accumulation of 109Cd (50 μM) by preimplantation embryos showed little or none in two-cell embryos, but rapid accumulation and efflux of this metal by blastocysts. Removal of the zona pellucida had no influence on Cd accumulation. Nifedine (500 nM), a potent voltage-gated calcium channel blocker, and zinc (Zn; 100-fold molar excess) each significantly reduced (≈ 50% in 2 h) Cd accumulation by blastocysts, whereas N-ethylymaleimide (NEM; 20 μM) increased it. These results provide evidence that pregnancy failure after Cd exposure during the preimplantation period reflects a direct embryotoxic effect of Cd, although maternal injury by Cd may also contribute. Resistance to Cd at the two-cell stage (D2) reflects a lack of uptake of this metal, whereas sensitivity to Cd at the blastocyst stage (D4) reflects the ability to accumulate Cd.
The epidemic of cocaine-related juxtapyloric perforations: with a comment on the importance of testing for Helicobacter pylori.

In 1996, an estimated 1.7 million persons in the United States used cocaine (benzoylmethylecgonine or C17H21NO4) at least once a month. 1 Approximately 40% of these addicts used “crack” cocaine (cocaine base), a street product made by mixing cocaine hydrochloride (powder or crystalline cocaine) with alkali in boiling water. Crack cocaine has been available for illicit use for approximately 12 years in the United States. Although the numerous adverse effects of using cocaine hydrochloride intranasally (“snorting”) or intravenously are well known, 2–11 only a few reports have documented the complication of gastroduodenal perforation after the smoking of crack cocaine in glass pipes or cigarettes. 12–16 This is a report of the recent experience with cocaine-related juxtapyloric gastrointestinal perforations at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.
Testing Developmental Plasticity in Aquatic Larvae of Corethrella appendiculata (Diptera: Corethrellidae)

Insects with complex life cycles show a variety of developmental strategies when faced with low nutrient conditions requiring trade-offs in timing and nutrient storage. Previously documented strategies among insects include plasticity or canalization (fixation) of the pupation threshold, postthreshold developmental time, and adult size or stored resources. Using four models previously developed by Juliano et al. (2004), we tested the plasticity of these traits in the aquatic larvae of the frog-biting midge, Corethrella appendiculata Grabham. Rates of prey consumption and timing of pupation of fourth instar midges were compared across a range of prey densities. Model comparisons revealed that final instar C. appendiculata larvae exhibit a canalized pupation threshold followed by a canalized lengthy postthreshold period. Males entered the final instar earlier and reached a significantly lower threshold while females entered later and averaged more prey consumed daily, suggesting differing developmental strategies between sexes. Plasticity in body and egg clutch sizes of females from differing nutrient treatments was observed, but all females produced eggs autogenously. The canalized developmental pattern and long postthreshold period displayed in C. appendiculata is hypothesized to be related to the midge's preference for relatively permanent aquatic habitats.
Redistribution of actin during assembly and reassembly of the contractile ring in grasshopper spermatocytes.

Cytokinesis in animal cells requires the assembly of an actomyosin contractile ring to cleave the cell. The ring is highly dynamic; it assembles and disassembles during each cell cleavage, resulting in the recurrent redistribution of actin. To investigate this process in grasshopper spermatocytes, we mechanically manipulated the spindle to induce actin redistribution into ectopic contractile rings, around reassembled lateral spindles. To enhance visualization of actin, we folded the spindle at its equator to convert the remnants of the partially assembled ring into a concentrated source of actin. Filaments from the disintegrating ring aligned along reorganizing spindle microtubules, suggesting that their incorporation into the new ring was mediated by microtubules. We tracked incorporation by speckling actin filaments with Qdots and/or labeling them with Alexa 488-phalloidin. The pattern of movement implied that actin was transported along spindle microtubules, before entering the ring. By double-labeling dividing cells, we imaged actin filaments moving along microtubules near the contractile ring. Together, our findings indicate that in one mechanism of actin redistribution, actin filaments are transported along spindle microtubule tracks in a plus-end–directed fashion. After reaching the spindle midzone, the filaments could be transported laterally to the ring. Notably, actin filaments undergo a dramatic trajectory change as they enter the ring, implying the existence of a pulling force. Two other mechanisms of actin redistribution, cortical flow and de novo assembly, are also present in grasshopper, suggesting that actin converges at the nascent contractile ring from diffuse sources within the cytoplasm and cortex, mediated by spindle microtubules.
Cloudcommuting: games, interaction, and learning

This paper discusses the design, process, and results of an experimental workshop with mid-school students that introduced the theory, underlying technologies, and operational challenges of smart urban systems. Students brainstormed ideas of how to use electronics, interaction design and game theory to make bike-sharing systems that incentivize users to rebalance bikes through rewards/penalties. Furthermore they tested their ideas by collaboratively designing, prototyping, and playing an interactive board game implementing both theory and technology. Through their game students explored questions such as: how can we create coordinated behavior from self-interested players? How and when can the game reach a sustainable equilibrium? In what other systems can we apply similar concepts?
24 Ectopic Expression of GATA2 Normalizes Aberrant Myelomonocytic Differentiation Induced by Activating PTPN11 Mutations.

Purpose of Study: Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by overproduction of myelomonocytic cells. Activating mutations of PTPN11, which encodes the protein tyrosine phosphatase, Shp-2, are found in 35% of JMML patients. Murine bone marrow low density mononuclear cells (LDMNCs) expressing activating Shp-2 mutants preferentially undergo myelomonocytic differentiation despite being subjected to conditions that select for mast cell development (Chan et al., Blood 106, Abstract #3519, 2005). Consistently, GATA-2 expression is dramatically reduced in cells expressing activating Shp-2, suggesting that Shp-2 gain-of-function mutants alter hematopoietic lineage-specific transcription factors and thus shift myeloid differentiation toward the myelomonocytic lineage. We hypothesized that ectopic GATA2 expression would normalize the aberrant myelomonocytic differentiation induced by activating Shp-2 mutants.
Sensor Array: Impedimetric Label‐Free Sensing of DNA Hybridization in Real Time for Rapid, PCR‐Based Detection of Microorganisms

A novel, impedance-based electronic sensor format was used for label-free, real-time detection of microbial DNA on oligonucleotide probe arrays. Detection limits of 5–10 nM were achieved for single-stranded, PCR-amplified DNA targets. Hybridization selectivity yielded 9- to 12-fold signal increases for specific targets, and the sensor arrays were re-used multiple times without significant signal degradation. These and other features of the SHARP Laboratories of America (SLA) sensor array, such as its ability to acquire continuous measurements of DNA as it accumulates on the array surface, make it an attractive biosensor platform for field detection and monitoring of sentinel and/or pathogenic microorganisms.
Use of semiconductor detectors with synchrotron radiation

Abstract Silicon and germanium semiconductor detectors are widely used as photon and charged-particle spectrometers. Semiconductor detectors combine wide energy bandwidth with good energy resolution to make useful spectrometers for use with the high-intensity X-ray sources available at synchrotron facilities. High-quality silicon and germanium single-crystal starting material is now available for the fabrication of large-volume detector. Techniques have also been developed to reliably make detectors with passivated surfaces, thin windows and complex geometries. New low-noise preamplifiers and pulse-shaping networks allow higher counting rates and improved pulse throughput. For applications where accurate flux measurements of intense photon beams are required, a semiconductor detector with a current-measuring voltage-to-frequency converter provides a simple system which has excellent linearity and stability. Examples are given where semiconductor detectors have been used in experiments at synchrotron facilities.
A stochastic model for stream pollution

Abstract A stochastic model is given for the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and dissolved oxygen (DO) profiles downstream from a source of organic pollution of a natural stream. The model results in a random vector differential equation whose mean square solution gives the stochastic process for BOD and DO. Also, trajectories of the BOD and DO stochastic processes for a hypothetical example are simulated by computer.
Abstract C78: Integrin αvβ3 drives stemness in the pregnant and neoplastic mammary gland

Carcinoma cell expression of the integrin αvβ3 is associated with enhanced tumorigenicity and metastasis in a diverse array of human tumors. Here, we reveal αvβ3 expression in a subset of CD44+CD24-/low cancer stem cells in human breast tumor biopsies. In fact, αvβ3 is both necessary and sufficient to account for stem-like properties in breast tumor cells, suggesting that αvβ3 may contribute to mammary stem (MaSC)/progenitor cell behavior. While αvβ3 is a luminal progenitor marker in the virgin murine mammary gland, we noted a dramatic, but transient, increase in αvβ3 levels that defined the mammary stem cell pool at mid-pregnancy. Genetic deletion of β3 surprisingly had no effect on luminal progenitor behavior or ductal morphogenesis. In contrast, β3 was specifically required for MaSC clonogenicity and alveologenesis at mid-pregnancy, yet had no influence on MaSCs in the virgin gland. These findings reveal an unexpected role for αvβ3 in driving mammary stemness during pregnancy that may be related to the stem-like properties, and high metastatic potential associated with αvβ3 expression in human breast cancers. Citation Format: Jay Desgrosellier, Jacqueline Lesperance, Laetitia Seguin, David Cheresh. Integrin αvβ3 drives stemness in the pregnant and neoplastic mammary gland. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Invasion and Metastasis; Jan 20-23, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(3 Suppl):Abstract nr C78.
Chemical transfer of learned preference.

IT has been reported1–2 that the natural preference of mice for the dark can be reversed by injection of brain extracts taken from donors trained to avoid a black box. This effect was considered to represent a "transfer of learned fear". The possibility remained, however, that the apparent transfer was caused by a substance produced in response to the stress of repeated shocking rather than as a result of learning. A test was therefore carried out to see whether a similar transfer could be obtained with extracts from donors trained to prefer a white box using positive reinforcement.
Susceptibility of a Louisiana species of Tropicorbis to infection with Schistosoma mansoni.

Abstract Thirteen of 131 Tropicorbis havanensis from a laboratory colony started from two snails collected at Baton Rouge, Louisiana shed cercariae 22 to 32 days following mass-exposure to a Puerto Rican strain of Schistosoma mansoni. This and the Tropicorbis havanensis found in New Orleans, Louisiana were both refractory to a strain of S. mansoni found in a baboon. The latter colony of T. havanensis was also refractory to the Puerto Rican strain. Control snails, Australorbis glabratus, invariably became infected when exposed to five or more miracidia of either the Puerto Rican or baboon strain of S. mansoni.
Standard reference devices for high temperature superconductor critical current measurements

Abstract Obtaining repeatable critical current measurements for a high temperature superconductor (HTS) is a challenging task, since HTSs are highly susceptible to degradation due to mechanical stress, moisture, thermal cycling and aging. This paper discusses the development of a high temperature superconducting standard reference device (SRD) to address these measurement concerns and gives preliminary data on its characteristics. An SRD is an HTS specimen that has had its critical current lc non-destructively evaluated. Because HTSs are sensitive to mechanical alterations, minor changes in sample preparation or mounting procedure could yield large changes in the measured critical current. Preliminary data on SRDs made using Bi-based oxide tapes (2212) with an Ag substrate are presented. Differences between two consecutive measurements of lc can typically change by 40%; these deviations have been reduced to ≈ 4%.
Emerging anticoagulants for venous thromboembolism prevention.

Purpose To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of currently available anticoagulants, describe the characteristics of the ideal anticoagulant, and compare and contrast the mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, administration, efficacy, safety, and potential for drug interactions of currently available and emerging anticoagulants for prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Summary Despite the proven efficacy of currently available agents for VTE prevention, several shortcomings exist that may prevent their use under various circumstances. These include administration by injection, narrow therapeutic index, unpredictable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, need for laboratory monitoring, risk for bleeding, and drug interactions. The ideal anticoagulant would overcome many of these issues; in particular, it would be available as an oral formulation. Dabigatran, an oral direct thrombin (factor IIa) inhibitor, and apixaban and rivaroxaban, oral direct factor Xa inhibitors, represent new agents for anticoagulation that may address many of these issues. While not available as an oral agent, desirudin is an additional option and offers increased flexibility when a non-heparin-based injectable anticoagulant is desired. Current literature indicates that these agents generally do not require laboratory monitoring and are safe and effective for VTE prevention in clinical studies of patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery. Conclusion The development of new anticoagulants that may overcome limitations of existing agents represents an opportunity to further improve outcomes in patients at risk for VTE in orthopedic surgery.
High temperature sensing using higher-order-mode rejected sapphire fiber gratings

In this paper, we report the fabrication of higher-order-mode rejected fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) in sapphire crystal fiber using infrared (IR) femtosecond laser illumination. The grating is tested in high temperature furnace up to 1600 degree Celsius. As sapphire fiber is only available as highly multimode fiber, a scheme to filter out higher order modes in favor for the fundamental mode is theoretically evaluated and experimentally demonstrated. The approach is to use an ultra thin sapphire crystal fiber (60 micron in diameter) to decrease the number of modes. The small diameter fiber also enables bending the fiber to certain radius which is carefully chosen to provide low loss for the fundamental mode LP01 and high loss for the other high-order modes. After bending, less-than-2-nm resonant peak bandwidth is achieved. The grating spectrum is improved, and higher resolution sensing measurement can be achieved. This mode filtering method is very easy to implement. Furthermore, the sapphire fiber is sealed with hi-purity alumina ceramic cement inside a flexible high temperature titanium tube, and the highly flexible titanium tube offers a robust packaging to sapphire fiber. Our high temperature sapphire grating sensor is very promising in extremely high temperature sensing application.
Safekeeping fungi that protect plants against pests

Insect mycologist Richard Humber from the USDA-ARS Plant Protection Research Unit at Ithaca, New York, is involved in the acquisition and storage of strains of fungi for use as possible biological control agents.
Toward a science of other minds: escaping the argument by analogy

Since Darwin, the idea of psychological continuity between humans and other animals has dominated theory and research in investigating the minds of other species. Indeed, the field of comparative psychology was founded on two assumptions. First, it was assumed that introspection could provide humans with reliable knowledge about the causal connection between specific mental states and specific behaviors. Second, it was assumed that in those cases in which other species exhibited behaviors similar to our own, similar psychological causes were at work. In this paper, we show how this argument by analogy is flawed with respect to the case of second-order mental states. As a test case, we focus on the question of how other species conceive of visual attention, and in particular whether chimpanzees interpret seeing as a mentalistic event involving internal states of perception, attention, and belief. We conclude that chimpanzees do not reason about seeing in this manner, and indeed, there is considerable reason to suppose that they do not harbor representations of mental states in general. We propose a reinterpretation model in which the majority of the rich social behaviors that humans and other primates share in common emerged long before the human lineage evolved the psychological means of interpreting those behaviors in mentalistic terms. Although humans, chimpanzees, and most other species may be said to possess mental states, humans alone may have evolved a cognitive specialization for reasoning about such states.
Direct Inhibitory Effect of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone upon Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Induction of Luteinizing Hormone Receptor and Aromatase Activity in Rat Granulosa Cells

The effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and its agonists upon FSH induction of LH/hCG receptor and aromatases was studied. Immature, hypophysectomized, estrogen-treated female rats were injected with FSH and/or GnRH agonists twice daily for 2 days. FSH (100 μg/injection) increased LH/hCG receptor in granulosa cells by 66-fold, whereas concomitant treatments with GnRH (100 μg/injection) or GnRH agonist (50 μg [d-Leu6(N0Me)Leu7]GnRH or 10 μg des-Gly10-[d-Trp6,Pro9-NHEt]GnRH) inhibited the FSH-induced increase in LH/hCG receptor by 95%. Incubation of granulosa cells obtained from FSH-treated animals with graded doses of aromatase substrate (Δ4-androstenedione) resulted in a dose-dependent increase in estrogen production (maximal production, 1.65 ng/105 cells; ED50 = 3 × 10−8 m). In contrast, concomitant treatment with GnRH agonists depressed estrogen production. Histological examination of the ovaries from animals treated with FSH plus GnRH agonist indicated the presence of antrumcontaining folli...
An examination of gender differences among college students in their usage perceptions of the internet

In today's higher education, the Internet is indispensable in creating, storing, and disseminating information and knowledge. This study examines gender differences among college students in their usage perceptions of the Internet. A multiple-variable logistic model was proposed and tested using data gathered from 805 college students. The results of the study suggest gender differences in usage perceptions of the Internet can be detected among college students. Specifically, the differences are reflected in that male college students have a higher level of perceptions of Internet self-efficacy, experience, and information overload than females. Implications for research in information systems and practice in higher education are discussed.
Transcending memory: remembrance and the design of place☆

Abstract We all retain memories of places. They identify who we are as individuals. At the same time, they tie us to networks of people, culture and society. Even through time they reach into the past to people whose lives and experiences were as real as ours, and into the future to those whose lives we can only imagine. Our ability to transcend our own experiences, by using them to imagine other people and places, discover something new and surprising, and deepen a thought demonstrates the power and potential that remembrance holds for us as we create future places. If we are to design, and teach others to design, places that are memorable and support a meaningful existence, we must first understand the essence and content that makes a place memorable and how to transfer this content as we design. When we, as architectural designers, understand how memorable experiences translate into meaningful inquiry and design strategies, it points us toward fruitful conjectures and comparisons and helps us develop a broad range of conceivable avenues to pursue and evaluate. We complete a meaningful design cycle by not only prying our remembered past loose from its content, but also by imagining the future through referring to that past.
Reassessing the Food Guide Pyramid: Decision-Making Framework

Abstract Food guides are dynamic nutrition education tools based on current nutrition recommendations, data on foods consumed by the target population, and nutrient content of those foods. As new nutrient/food recommendations are proposed, food guides must be reassessed to ensure that they continue to meet nutrient objectives. A framework for conducting this assessment is described, consisting of six major steps. The first two steps identify the specific source and nature of a new nutrition standard and consider data on prevalence of inadequate intakes in the population in order to establish research priorities among candidate issues.The third step assesses the ability of current food guide recommendations to meet the proposed new standard, leading to a fourth step, if needed, in which potential changes to the Food Guide are systematically explored. A fifth step considers the consistency of any potential food guide modifications with current objectives for practicality and usefulness of the guide to its target audience. The final step recognizes that some nutrient recommendations may have no feasible dietary solution, and supplements must be considered. As examples, this paper applies this framework to determining implications for food guidance of the new Dietary Reference Intakes for calcium, magnesium, and folic acid and presents options for consideration in providing individualized dietary guidance for specific age groups regarding these nutrients. Application of this assessment framework can help assure nutrition educators, researchers, and policy makers that proposed modifications to food guidance are based on a systematic, documented research process, consistent with established goals and objectives of the Food Guide and with current nutritional data and recommendations. Assessment activities can help identify research needs for improved data on nutrient composition of food and data on consumer understanding and application of food guidance principles. These activities can also help inform those who establish nutrition standards or propose fortification levels of the potential consequences of their recommendations for food-guide-based diet patterns.