cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elaboration of a Multispecies Model of Solid Tumor Growth with Tumor-Host Interactions

There has been increasing evidence of the critical effects of microenvironmental influence on tumor growth and metastasis. In this report, we extend a multispecies continuum model of solid tumor growth to include interaction of the tumor with its microenvironment. This new model, which incorporates reported interactions between tumor- and stroma-derived chemical signals, predicts a nonlinear response to host factors: increased growth and asymmetry of the tumor at low levels of stromal fibroblast-produced Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Scatter Factor (HGF/SF), and reduced growth at high levels.We test the model predictions using colon cancer initiating cell (CCIC) spheroids grown in media in varying concentrations of HGF. The experiments show qualitatively similar behavior to the model predictions. We plan to use the experimental studies to calibrate the mathematical model, and to use the mathematical model to make predictions regarding tumor behavior in order to guide future experimental studies.
The apical complex protein Pals1 is required to maintain cerebellar progenitor cells in a proliferative state

Through their biased localization and function within the cell, polarity complex proteins are necessary to establish the cellular asymmetry required for tissue organization. Well-characterized germinal zones, mitogenic signals and cell types make the cerebellum an excellent model for addressing the crucial function of polarity complex proteins in the generation and organization of neural tissues. Deletion of the apical polarity complex protein Pals1 in the developing cerebellum results in a remarkably undersized cerebellum with disrupted layers in poorly formed folia and strikingly reduced granule cell production. We demonstrate that Pals1 is not only essential for cerebellum organogenesis, but also for preventing premature differentiation and thus maintaining progenitor pools in cerebellar germinal zones, including cerebellar granule neuron precursors in the external granule layer. In the Pals1 mouse mutants, the expression of genes that regulate the cell cycle was diminished, correlating with the loss of the proliferating cell population of germinal zones. Furthermore, enhanced Shh signaling through activated Smo cannot overcome impaired cerebellar cell generation, arguing for an epistatic role of Pals1 in proliferation capacity. Our study identifies Pals1 as a novel intrinsic factor that regulates the generation of cerebellar cells and Pals1 deficiency as a potential inhibitor of overactive mitogenic signaling.
Evidence for Superstructures of Wet Chromatin

The wet replication technique, using a differentially pumped hydration chamber in a vacuum evaporator has revealed that a major class of wet chicken erythrocyte and rat liver chromatins is represented by a supercoiled configuration of polynucleosomes. In general, the nucleosomes are continuous on a strand while the latter is organized into close-packed helices and takes the shape of a solenoidal coil. This coil is as wide as two to three nucleosomes (viz. diam. 25–35 nm). About 1.7 nm diameter filamentous material, which may be the DNA molecule, is seen to wrap around the nucleosomes. In the presence of Mg++ ions the nucleosomes become tightly opposed to each other and the above coil takes the shape of a smooth fiber of about 30 nm in diameter. The 25–35 nm wide coil also exhibits a higher order supercoiling. The solenoidal turns of the nucleosome strand are seen in this superstructure in ‘on-edge’ and ‘flat’ orientations and also as stacks in intact regions. These solenoidal turns have been named ‘superbeads’ or ‘supernucleosomes’.
Superior Efficacy of Gross Total Resection in Anaplastic Astrocytoma Patients Relative to Glioblastoma Patients

Introduction Because of their relative rarity, anaplastic astrocytomas (AAs) often are grouped with glioblastomas in clinical treatment paradigms. There are reasons, however, to expect that the therapeutic response of AAs may differ from those of glioblastoma. Here, we examined the clinical benefit of gross total resection (GTR) in AA relative to glioblastoma patients. Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database, we identified 2755 patients with AA and patients with 21,962 glioblastoma between 1999 and 2010. Surgical resection was defined as GTR, subtotal resection (STR), biopsy only, or no resection. Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression were used to assess the association between GTR and survival. Results The hazard of dying from the AA was reduced in GTR patients by 40% relative to STR patients. This reduction is 59% greater than that observed in glioblastoma where GTR was associated only with a 24% reduction relative to STR ( P Conclusions The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results data suggest that survival benefit associated with GTR was greater for patients with AA relative to glioblastoma patients, particularly for patients
Broiler Litter Application to Land in an Agricultural Watershed: A GIS Approach

This paper studies broiler litter utilization in an agricultural watershed using a Geographical Information System (GIS) and an optimization model. An optimization model is developed which selects broiler litter management practices that maximize total net returns to land and management and estimates economic value of litter as a fertilizer substitute for an agricultural watershed experiencing rapid growth in broiler production. Land application rates are determined based on crop nutrient requirements, fertilizer source, and litter cleanout schedule. Results indicate that litter as a fertilizer is economically favored over commercial fertilizer. Land area required for current litter application does not exceed suitable land application areas after excluding sensitive areas such as streams, roads and sink holes. However, litter from further growth in broiler production will soon reach the maximum capacity of suitable land areas in the watershed. Nutrients in current litter amounts do not exceed crop nutrient requirements, but would equal crop requirements if broiler production is doubled (tripled) and litter application rates are determined on a phosphate (nitrogen or potash) basis. GIS is a powerful analytical tool for analyzing economic and environmental problems. Litter is an inexpensive substitute for commercial fertilizer and its value varies with the nutrient basis used to determine application rates, litter cleanout schedule and litter availability.
Lost Possible Selves and Personality Development

This chapter explores the role of goals, life dreams, or possible selves that are disrupted by life experiences in personality development. We first compare and contrast the concepts of posttraumatic growth and personality development (from a trait perspective), suggesting that these approaches offer complementary evidence about the potential role of stressful life experiences in development. However, each falls short in capturing the process by which such events can facilitate development. Then, we describe an alternative approach to personality development, ego development, that is well suited to revealing that process. We show how narrative features suggesting accommodation (the active revision of meaning structures) provide a means of tracking active personality development, as demonstrated in a sample of parents of children with Down syndrome. Then, we return to the potential place of lost goals in personality development, considering how accommodation is demonstrated in narrative descriptions of lost possible selves. We review the studies on community samples of divorced women, gay men, and lesbian women showing that the capacity to elaborate on lost possible selves is associated with ego development concurrently and prospectively, over 2 years. We suggest that this research has implications on two levels. First, it suggests that the goal changes that are likely common to adults can be opportunities to grow. Second, we note that, as well-being and ego development were independent in all of these samples, the acquisition of wisdom through potentially traumatic life events need not come at the cost of happiness.
Dexamethasone and corticosterone receptor sites. Differential topographic distribution in rat hippocampus revealed by high resolution autoradiography.

High resolution light microscopic autoradiography was used, together with regional surveys and combined aeridine orange staining, to define in rat hippocampus cellular and subcellular sites of concentration and retention of 3H dexamethasone and to compare the topographic pattern of labeling with that of 3H corticosterone. Nuclear uptake of 3H dexamethasone in the hippocampus is demonstrated for the first time in vivo. With 3H dexamethasone, strongest nuclear radioactive labeling was observed in certain glial cells throughout the hippocampus, followed by strong nuclear labeling in most neurons in area CA1 and in the adjacent dorsolateral subiculum and weak nuclear labeling in granule cells of the dentate gyrus. Neurons in areas CA2, CA3, CA4, and in the dorsomedial subiculum and indusium griseum showed little or no nuclear labeling after 3H dexamethasone. With 3H corticosterone, strongest nuclear labeling was observed in neurons in area CA2 and in the dorsomedial subiculum and indusium griseum, followed by area CA1, then CA3 and CA4; the dentate gyrus contained scattered strongly labeled cells among cells with intermediate nuclear labeling. At the subcellular level, evidence for both nuclear and cytoplasmic accumulation of label was found. The results indicate that dexamethasone and corticosterone have both nuclear and cytoplasmic binding sites and that particular patterns of target cell distribution exist, characteristic for each agent. This suggests a differential regulation of cellular functions for the two compounds. Corticosterone nuclear binding appears to be more extensive and encompasses regions with dexamethasone binding. Whether in certain of these common regions corticosterone binds to the same receptor as dexamethasone, which seems possible, or to different receptors, remains to be clarified.
Coumarin-Based Photodegradable Hydrogel: Design, Synthesis, Gelation, and Degradation Kinetics

The design, synthesis, and characterization of a new class of coumarin-based photodegradable hydrogels are reported. Hydrogel formation was achieved rapidly and efficiently under aqueous conditions using copper-catalyzed click chemistry, which afforded excellent control over the rate of network formation. Rapid photodegradation, to the point of reverse gelation, was observed using both 365 and 405 nm light, and micrometer-scale features were eroded using two-photon irradiation at wavelengths as long as 860 nm.
Microtribological Study of Internal Surfaces of Fluorinated Mesoporous Silica Films

Fluorinated mesoporous silica films were synthesized via sol-gel co-condensation and coated on glass substrates. Surfactant template concentrations were varied to examine the effect of encapsulated organic functionality on the microtribological properties of films using atomic force microscopy. Films were tested as synthesized and also after being abraded to expose interior mesostructured surfaces. Results indicate that templating allows fluorinated moieties to become encapsulated within the film, which affect the tribological properties of the exposed internal surfaces. Depending on the amount of template added, the interior surfaces were able to achieve a friction level comparable to that of conventional monolayers. The dependence of friction on sliding speed revealed that fluorinated templated films have tribological properties intermediate to those of a nonfunctional surface and a conventional fluorinated monolayer.
Get the word out.

Sharing progress in nanotechnology education is as important as developing the research programmes themselves, as Kurt Winkelmann explains.
238 U and 232 Th photofission and photoneutron emission near threshold

Variable-energy photons defined to 100 keV were used to study $^{238}\mathrm{U}$ and $^{232}\mathrm{Th}$ from 5 to 8 MeV. The inferred fission transmission indicates (a) that the lowest ${1}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ fission barrier is about 6.5 MeV in $^{238}\mathrm{U}$ and 6.3 MeV in $^{232}\mathrm{Th}$, and (b) that there is an energy gap before the rapid opening of additional fission channels above 7 MeV in $^{238}\mathrm{U}$.
Origin of Water-Induced Fluorescence Turn-On from a Schiff Base Compound: AIE or H-Bonding Promoted ESIPT?

A nonfluorescent Schiff base compound (4) in an aprotic solvent (e.g., CH3CN) is found to give blue fluorescence turn-on (λem ≈ 475 nm) upon addition of H2O. By using a wide range of spectroscopic methods, including 1H NMR and dynamic light scattering, the fluorescence response is shown to be not originating from the molecular aggregation-induced emission (AIE). Spectroscopic studies at low temperatures further reveal a dynamic response of 4 to temperature, showing that the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) can be ON or OFF through interaction with protic solvent. In the binary solvent (with composition CH3CN/H2O = 3:1), the Schiff base gives ESIPT emission (λem ≈ 524 nm) only at extremely low temperature (below −80 °C), which is turned off when being warmed to −60 °C, attributing to the increasing photoinduced electron transfer (PET) effect. When the temperature is further raised to −20 °C, ESIPT emission is reactivated to give blue emission (λem ≈ 475 nm) that is observed at room temp...
Fuzzy evaluation on support ability of special refitting for ocean trawler based on grey relational analysis

Based on the systematical analysis of the factors that influence the support ability of ocean trawlers,the evaluation index system of "factor-effect" was constituted by hierarchical process.A comprehensive evaluating model based on grey relational analysis was presented according to the grey and fuzzy characteristics of the complicated decision-making of the support ability of special refitting for ocean trawlers.Based on the theory of fuzzy membership degree,the evaluation data were presented by linguistic variables and fuzzy numbers to quantify the qualitative indexes and present the approaches for dealing with the original evaluation data and the solution-making procedure of the given model.The case study shows the simplicity and the precision of the given model which can ensure the possibility to evaluate the comprehensive refitting ability of the fishery habors objectively and uncover the existing problems accurately.
Analysis on surveillance of death causes in Taian City in 2012

Objective: To investigate the features of death level and death structure of Taian residents in order to provide references for preventing and controlling measures of disease and government decision-making. Methods: Death surveillance data analysis software from National Center for Disease Control and Prevention was used to analyse the data. Results: In 2012,the average life expectancy of Taian residents was 76. 94,the mortality was703. 08 /105,chronic disease death rate was 90. 78% of the total death rate,and the top five causes of death were malignant tumor,heart disease,cerebrovascular disease,respiratory system disease and injury,which was 92. 88% of all causes of death. Cconclusion: The chronic diseases are the main causes of deaths in Taian in 2012.
Beziehungen zwischen Chromosomenbefund und Prognose in akuten myeloischen Leukämien

Im Fruhjahr 1969 begannen wir in Buffalo ein Forschungsprogramm mit dem Ziel, zu zwei Fragenkomplexen eine Antwort zu finden: 1. Geht die klinische und hamatologische Vollremission einer akuten Leukamie auch mit einer cytogenetischen Normalisierung des Knochenmarks einher ? 2. Welchen Stellenwert hat die Chromosomenanalyse fur den Kliniker; erlaubt sie irgendwelche Aussagen bezuglich des Ansprechens auf die cytostatische Therapie bzw. der Prognose ?
The Forensic Stage: Author's note on terminology, transliteration, translation, and texts

Four categories of terminology need to be explained: idiosyncratic usages of the author, periodization, Greek and Latin terms, and conventions of analytic scholarship. I use “New Comedy” as a blanket term for both Greek New Comedy and Roman Comedy. When I mean to specify the one or the other, I use the ethnic adjective. ‘Analytic scholarship’ refers to the work and methods of those classical philologists who have engaged in the close examination of Latin plays in order to reconstruct the Greek originals, to conjecture Plautine or Terentian originality in their treatment of Greek models, and to diagnose earlier and later accretions to the Latin plays. Other idiosyncratic usages are no doubt present in this book; context or explicit exegesis, I hope, will clarify. Chronological periodization is, by and large, conventional. In the Greek spectrum, the period of the Attic orators belongs to “classical Athens”; the period of Greek New Comedy belongs to the Hellenistic age, commencing with the death of Alexander the Great (323 BC) and ending with the battle of Actium (31 BC). In the Roman spectrum, the period during which Plautus and Terence wrote is the “mid-Republic”; the “Gracchan revolution” can be used as the commencement of the “late Republic.” Temporal references such as these are always somewhat arbitrary and inaccurate (e.g., at least two poets of Greek New Comedy were writing before the death of Alexander); my purpose in using the ready-made framework is, in the main, to identify a chunk of time, although there is a purposeful, if slight, disputatious point in not lumping together the last two centuries of the Republic into a monolithic slab (see “Introduction”).
Urine and serum potassium levels after potassium cardioplegia.

Potassium cardioplegia for myocardial preservation is being used extensively in heart operations. This study was designed to determine the effect of potassium cardioplegia on serum and urine potassium levels. A control group of 11 patients was compared to a study group of 24 patients. Myocardial preservation in the control group was achieved by whole body cooling to 20° to 30° C and in the study group, by repeated injections every 30 minutes of 500 to 700 ml of cold pump blood, containing potassium chloride 30 mEq/L, into the aortic root after aortic clamping. Total potassium dose in the study group was 46 ± 21 mEq (mean ± SD). Mean serum potassium level was significantly higher during and after bypass in the study group (after bypass: control 3.65 ± 0.11 mEq/L, study 4.24 ± 0.10 mEq/L [mean ± SE], p
Amphiphilic Residues 29–44 of DREAM N-Termini Mediate Calmodulin:DREAM Complex Formation

DREAM (downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator) is a neuronal calcium sensor that has been shown to modulate gene expression as well as to be involved in numerous neuronal processes. In this report, we show that association of calcium-bound calmodulin (CaM) with DREAM is mediated by a short amphipathic amino acid sequence located between residues 29 and 44 on DREAM. The association of CaM with a peptide analogous to DREAM(29-44) or to full-length DREAM protein is calcium-dependent with a dissociation constant of 136 nM or 3.4 μM, respectively. Thermodynamic and kinetic studies show that the observed decrease in affinity for the native protein is due to electrostatic interactions between the basic N-terminus and an electronegative surface on DREAM. These results are further supported by circular dichroism, binding studies, and molecular dynamics simulations. Additionally, fluorescence anisotropy decay measurements show a rotational correlation time of 10.8 ns for a complex of CaM with a DREAM(29-44) peptide, supporting a wraparound semispherical model with 1:1 stoichiometry. Furthermore, the interaction between an IEDANS-labeled CaM construct with DREAM is best modeled as a heterotetramer that adopts an elongated conformation with a correlation time of 45 ns in the presence of Ca(2+). We also demonstrate that association of CaM with DREAM eliminates the nonspecific interaction of DREAM with the DRE double-stranded DNA sequence of the human prodynorphin gene. This work provides molecular insight into the CaM:DREAM complex and its potential role in modulation of gene expression.
Internalization of Listeria monocytogenes in Whole Avocado.

ABSTRACT In recent years, tree fruits have emerged as a new concern for Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the potential internalization of L. monocytogenes from the surface of avocados into the edible portions of the fruit during certain postharvest practices simulated in a laboratory setting. One set of intact avocados was spot inoculated with L. monocytogenes on the stem scar, and the second set was hydrocooled in water contaminated with L. monocytogenes. Under these experimental conditions, L. monocytogenes internalized into the avocado pulp through the stem or stem scar after both spot inoculation and hydrocooling. In avocados spot inoculated with 50, 130, 500, and 1,300 CFU per fruit, bacteria were detected in the edible portion adjacent to the stem scar within 15 days postinoculation during storage at 4°C. In avocados hydrocooled in water containing L. monocytogenes at 106 and 108 CFU/ml, bacteria reached the bottom end of the fruit, and the pop...
Národní styl: kultura a politika

The decades around 1900 are characterized by a trend in a number of Central and East European regions that aspired to introduce national traditions, or their metamorphoses, into architecture and de...
Cultural factors, depression, and somatic symptoms among Chinese Americans and European Americans

Introduction Previous research suggests that people of Chinese descent may somatize psychological distress and depression. Cultural variations in depression among Chinese may be associated with differences in culturally relevant factors, such as self-construal, loss of face, emotion regulation, and acculturation. Objective The study examined how cultural factors associate with the report of depressive and somatic symptoms among Chinese American and European American college students. Methods Data were collected from 205 Chinese American and 316 European American colleges students using online questionnaires. Results Independent t -tests revealed no ethnic differences in depression scores between Chinese and European Americans. However, European Americans surprisingly reported more somatic symptoms than Chinese Americans. Post-hoc analyses revealed that this difference was largely due to the high report of somatic symptoms among European American females. When somatic symptoms and gender were controlled for, an ethnic difference in depression emerged with Chinese Americans reporting higher scores than European Americans. As hypothesized, this ethnic difference was not longer significant when the culturally relevant psychological variables were included in the regression. Conclusions This study did not find evidence for somatization among Chinese Americans and suggested that depression differences could be explained by examining culturally salient constructs. Clinical implications include the reduction of health disparities in accessing and receiving quality depression treatment and provision of culturally sensitive treatments for depression.
Abstract 444: Proximal Tubule Angiotensin AT2 Receptors Mediate Anti-inflammatory Response via Interleukin-10: Role in Renoprotection in Obese Rats.

The angiotensin AT2 receptor (AT2R) has been shown to lower inflammation in the kidney. However the role of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in AT2R mediated attenuation of inflammation has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that AT2R activation is renoprotective by directly increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in the kidney via nitric oxide (NO) signaling. For in vitro studies, the human proximal tubule epithelial cell-line (HK-2) was treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 μg/ml) and/or AT2R agonist C21 (1μM) for 24 hrs and media cytokine levels were assessed. Compared to control, LPS treatment significantly increased TNF-α (1.25 ± 0.22 vs 46.27 ± 3.22 pg/ml), IL-6 (1.43 ± 0.06 vs 5.204 ± 0.41 ng/ml) and IL-10 (5.11 ± 0.46 vs 13.35 ± 0.74 pg/ml) levels. C21 treatment with LPS lowered the levels of both, TNF-α and IL-6 by 65% but caused 55% increase in IL-10 levels. C21 treatment alone significantly increased IL-10 levels (5.11 ± 0.46 vs 18.37 ± 0.87 pg/ml) while there was no effect on TNF-α or IL-6 levels. The anti-inflammatory effect of C21 was abolished in the presence of neutralizing IL-10 antibody (1 μg/ml). Also, pre-incubation with NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME (1 mM) prevented the C21-mediated decrease in IL-6 levels and increase in IL-10 levels in activated cells. For in vivo studies, 5 wk old lean and obese Zucker rats (OZR) were treated for 2 wks with C21 (300 μg/kg/day, i.p) and/or AT2R antagonist (PD123319, 50 μg/kg/min, s.c. infusion). Compared to LZR, OZR had higher levels (pg/mg protein) of renal TNF-α (1.42 ± 0.14 vs 2.78 ± 0.42) and IL-6 (6.59 ± 0.77 vs 11.71 ± 0.42). C21 treatment decreased levels of TNF-α by 75% and IL-6 by 60% while PD had no effect. Conversely, PD treatment lowered the renal IL-10 levels in OZR (8.5 ± 0.49 vs 3.69 ± 0.65 pg/mg protein) while C21 had no effect. Renal morphometry revealed increased mesangial matrix expansion score in OZR (0.27 ± 0.08 vs 1.3 ± 0.12) which was worsened by PD (1.97 ± 0.16) and improved by C21 treatment (0.8 ± 0.13). Our findings suggest that proximal tubule AT2R activation is anti-inflammatory by increasing IL-10 production which is largely NO-dependent and thus offers renoprotection by preventing early inflammation-induced renal injury in obesity.
Habitat restoration incentives for major infrastructure projects

ABSTRACTIncentives for early consideration of habitat restoration measures for major infrastructure projects include public support, streamlined regulatory review, cost savings, and opportunities for innovation. Three case study projects in Washington State are used to demonstrate the benefits of these incentives: the Seattle Department of Transportation Elliott Bay Seawall Project in Seattle; the Washington State Department of Transportation State Route 520 Bridge Replacement and High-occupancy Vehicle Program between Seattle and Bellevue; and the Washington State Department of Ecology/U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan in the Yakima River Basin. In all case studies, project proponents considered habitat restoration early in the design phase, and in some cases, incorporated habitat restoration into the design of the project, allowing them to develop innovative design approaches and partnerships to accommodate multiple stakeholder interests and provide ...
Damage detection using time-frequency decay-rate based features

Some automotive components, for instance a clutch housing, need to fit the assembly (dimensional constraint), and must be perfectly weight balanced for proper functioning (functional fidelity), which could be achieved by removing material from the body (relaxed geometry). While such mission critical components require 100% inspection, current non-destructive methods are often inadequate, trying to trade-off cycle time with inspection thoroughness. In this paper, a non-destructive global structural damage detection method has been demonstrated at its infancy, to be fast, accurate, and immune to inconsistent resonant frequencies which is an outcome of relaxed geometry. This method requires a traditional wide band exogenous acoustic excitation of the component being evaluated, followed by a joint time-frequency characterization of the response such that it is immune to dominant modal frequencies. A quadratic discriminant analysis on the time-frequency features successfully detected all damaged samples and falsely identified 1 among the 6 healthy samples available for testing, as damaged.
Echocardiography‐quantified myocardial strain—a marker of global and regional infarct size that stratifies likelihood of left ventricular thrombus

Background Myocardial strain provides a novel means of quantifying subtle alterations in contractile function; incremental utility post-MI is unknown. Objectives To test longitudinal—quantified by postprocessing routine echo—for assessment of MI size measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and conventional methods, and assess regional and global strain (GLS) as markers of LV thrombus. Methods The population comprised of patients with anterior ST-segment MI who underwent echo and CMR prospectively. Preexisting echoes were retrieved, re-analyzed for strain, and compared to conventional MI markers as well as CMR-evidenced MI, function, and thrombus. Results Seventy-four patients underwent echo and CMR 4 ± 1 weeks post-MI; 72% had abnormal GLS. CMR-quantified MI size was 2.5-fold larger and EF lower among patients with abnormal GLS, paralleling 2.6–3.1 fold differences in Q-wave size and CPK (all P ≤ .002). GLS correlated with CMR-quantified MI (r = .66), CPK (r = .52) and Q-wave area (r = .44; all P ≤ .001): Regional strain was lower in the base, mid, and apical LV among patients with CMR-defined transmural MI in each territory (P < .05) and correlated with cine-CMR regional EF (r = .53–.71; P < .001) and echo wall motion (r = .45–.71; P < .001). GLS and apical strain were ~2-fold lower among patients with LV thrombus (P ≤ .002): Apical strain yielded higher diagnostic performance for thrombus (AUC: 0.83 [0.72–0.93], P = .001) than wall motion (0.73 [0.58–0.88], P = .02), as did global strain (0.78 [0.65–0.90], P = .005) compared to LVEF (0.58 [0.45–0.72], P = .41). Conclusions Echo-quantified longitudinal strain provides a marker of MI size and improves stratification for post-MI LV thrombus beyond conventional indices.
Internship Job Performance Determinants of Business Students in Thailand

Education in looking beyond academic learning provides experiential learning that helps the students find employment after graduation. Internship or cooperative education is provided to achieve this intention. This study aims to assess the determinants of internship job performance of business students by looking deeper on the level of job performance, the relationship and difference of the determinants, the strengths and weaknesses of the performance, and the proposed enhancement of the internship/cooperative education program. The study involved the job supervisors of 34 business students. The descriptive type of research using quantitative and qualitative approaches were applied in the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics specifically Pearson correlation and ANOVA were utilized. The study found that all the determinants were rated ’very good’ with work achievement as rank 1. The work achievement is the only determinant with no significant relationship with the other determinants and also with no weaknesses. The results pointed to the development of a manual for internship/cooperative education program that includes activities for the enhancement of the internship job performance of the students on knowledge and ability, personality, responsibility, and work achievement.
Energy distribution during the quasi-static confined comminution of granular materials

A method is proposed to calculate the distribution of energy during the quasi-static confined comminution of particulate assemblies. The work input, calculated by integrating the load-displacement curve, is written as the sum of the elastic deformation energy, the breakage energy and the redistribution energy. Experimental results obtained on samples subjected to compression stresses ranging between 0.4 and 92 MPa are used to calibrate the model. The elastic energy stored in the samples is obtained by simulating the compression test on the final particle size distributions (PSDs) with the discrete element method and by extracting the contact forces. A PSD evolution law is proposed to account for particle breakage. The PSD is related to the total particle surface in the sample, which allows calculating the breakage energy. The redistribution energy, which comprises the kinetic energy of particles being rearranged and the friction energy dissipated at contacts, is obtained by subtracting the elastic energy and breakage energy from the work input. Results show that: (1) at least 60% of the work input is dissipated by particle redistribution; (2) the fraction of elastic deformation energy increases, and the fraction of redistribution energy decreases as the compression stress increases; (3) the breakage energy accounts for less than 5% of the total input energy, and this value is independent of the compressive stress; (4) the energy dissipated by redistribution is between 14 and 30 times larger than the breakage energy.
Spiritual Grammar: Genre and the Saintly Subject in Islam and Christianity

Scholars and students of comparative theology are familiar with the linguistic metaphor used to emphasize the prerequisites for critical, constructive and fruitful engagement with a religious tradi...
NPK-fertilizer efficiency — a situation analysis for the tropics

This paper examines the efficiency of applied N, P, and K fertilizers under tropical conditions. To meet their food demands, tropical countries are importing large quantities of fertilizers at an enormous cost. There is a need for improving crop yields at a reduced cost and a better understanding of the factors that contribute to the overall efficiency of applied fertilizers. It is estimated that under tropical condition, the efficiency of applied N is less than 50%, less than 10% for P and for K it is somewhere around 40%. Losses of N are mainly due to leaching, runoff and volatile losses of ammonia. Under flooding and in alternate wetting and drying conditions of rice lands and low lands, dentrification and volatile ammonia losses are considerable. The N losses from these soil could be minimized by proper management such as rate, methods and time of application. The coating of urea with S has shown some improvement in increasing efficiency. Nitrification and urea hydrolysis inhibitors can improve fertilizer efficiency in certain situations provided they are properly used. The efficiencies of these inhibitors depend on the nature of the chemical compounds, soil properties, and method of application. Low efficiency of applied P fertilizer is mainly due to retention of P by soil clay fractions and iron and aluminum hydroxides. Even though retained P is not available to the first crop, it is made available to a certain extent to the succeeding crops. The rate and methods of P applications and forms of P determine the efficiency of applied P fertilizers. The use of native rock phosphate along with P fertilizers on acid soils appears to be an attractive alternative in reducing the fertilizer cost. The loss of K in tropical soils is largely attributed to leaching and runoff. To reduce K loss by leaching, it is more advisible to apply K in split doses than a single dose. Liming has a beneficial effect in retention of K and reducing P fixation in acid soils.
Purified factor IX using monoclonal immunoaffinity technique: clinical trials in hemophilia B and comparison to prothrombin complex concentrates

Replacement therapy for hemophilia B (factor IX deficiency) using prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) has been associated with serious complications of thromboembolic events and transmission of viral infections. Monoclonal antibody-purified factor IX (Mononine) provides a highly purified factor IX concentrate, while eliminating other vitamin K-dependent factors (II, VII, and X). Mononine was evaluated for in vivo recovery, half-life, and for its safety and efficacy in 10 patients with hemophilia B. The in vivo recovery of factor IX with Mononine was a 0.67 +/- 0.14 U/dL (mean +/- SD) increase per 1U/kg of infused factor IX, and the biologic half-life (t1/2), determined using the terminal phase of elimination, was 22.6 +/- 8.1 hours. Comparison of in vivo recovery of other vitamin K-dependent factors following a single infusion of either Mononine or PCC showed that, whereas Mononine infusion caused no changes in other vitamin K-dependent factors or in prothrombin activation fragment (F1+2), PCC infusion was associated with significant increases of factors II (2.7 U/dL per 1 U/dL of IX increase) and X (2.2 U/dL for 1 U/dL for 1 U/dL of IX). Patients who used Mononine as their sole therapeutic material during the 12-month period showed an excellent response in hemostasis for their bleeding episodes. Their experience with long-term use of Mononine was at least equivalent to their previous experience with PCC in the frequency and amount of factor usage. No patients developed antibody against mouse IgG or an increase in IX inhibitor during the 12-month period. These results indicate that monoclonal antibody-purified factor IX concentrate provides hemostatically effective factor IX replacement while avoiding extraneous thrombogenic substances.
Studies on oral adjuvants against murine salmonellosis.

Besredka originally postulated the primary role of local immune mechanisms in protection against enteric bacterial infections over 40 years ago (1). Since then, there have been many studies pertaining to this subject (2,3) indicating importance of locally produced antibodies as a “first line of defense.” It is also clear that this local antibody is best elicited by local immunization. However, it has been noted that such local antibacterial protection is of short duration in the absence of further antigenic stimulus. This might indicate that repeated immunization is necessary, which may be difficult for mass application. Therefore, one of the approaches for developing effective prophylaxis against enteric diseases is to search for oral adjuvants which, when administered with the vaccine, will prolong and enhance vaccine-generated local immunities.
General Discussion on Morphology of Elastin and Elastic Tissue

Dr. Ross: I would like to make a statement about the work that Dr. Cotta-Pereira showed because I am guilty of having used the term histoalchemy for oxytalan and elaunin staining procedures. As a matter of fact, I even used it in a paper we wrote several years ago. In a sense, it is histoalchemy, but I think what his work has shown, confirmed in part by Dr. Keith’s presentation, is that these stains now may have a very useful purpose even though they don’t tell us anything about the chemistry of the fibers. The concordance that Dr. Cotta-Pereira beautifully showed between oxytalan, those microfibrils with a small percentage of elastin; and the elastic fiber, principally elastin; permit us to use these relatively simple approaches at the light microscope level, to get some notion as to what’s residing where, since he’s now shown this in a number of different systems. And I think that represents an important contribution in the sense that it now will permit us to use these stains and go back and look at a number of tissues with some sense of confidence about what’s there. It doesn’t answer the question, obviously, why the stains work the way they do; but it does say something about what’s there. It also poses a number of fascinating questions. His observations in the skin suggest that this may be at least part of the reason for dermal-epidermal adherence, since he would suggest that these bundles of microfibrils which stain for oxytalan run from a series of connections in the deep dermis via elastic fibers and those containing small amounts of elastin, right up to the basal lamina. People have been looking for these modes of connection and this, in fact, may provide such connective modes. So I think these have opened a series of observations that will permit us to ask a number of questions that we’ve not really been able to ask, simply because we haven’t been thinking in those terms before.
Prevalence and factors associated with antenatal depressive symptoms among women enrolled in Option B+ antenatal HIV care in Malawi: a cross-sectional analysis.

Background Option B+ has increased the number of pregnant women initiating antiretroviral therapy for HIV, yet retention in HIV care is sub-optimal. Retention may be affected by antenatal depression. However, few data exist on antenatal depression in this population. Aim Describe the prevalence and factors associated with antenatal depression among Malawian women enrolled in Option B+. Method At their first antenatal visit, women with HIV provided demographic and psychosocial information, including depression as measured with the locally validated Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Prevalence ratios (PR) for factors associated with probable depression (EPDS ≥6) were estimated with log binomial regression. Results 9.5% (95% CI: 7.5-11.9%) of women screened positive for current depression, and 46% self-reported a history of depression or anxiety. Women were more likely to screen positive for current depression if they reported a history of depression (adjusted PR: 2.42; 95% CI: 1.48-3.95) or had ever experienced intimate partner violence (1.77; 1.11-2.81). Having an unintended current pregnancy (1.78; 0.99-3.21), being unmarried (1.66; 0.97-2.84), or employed (1.56; 1.00-2.44) had potential associations with probable depression. Conclusions Probable antenatal depression affected a notable proportion of women living with HIV, comparable to other global regions. Screening for antenatal depression in HIV care should be considered.
Topic Development in the Freshman Engineering Paper: Finding a Focus

Topic development and focus are relatively neglected areas of the student research process. This study examined how students in a freshman engineering writing class developed initial research paper...
Functionally Related Genes Cluster into Genomic Regions That Coordinate Transcription at a Distance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

ABSTRACT Balancing gene expression is a fundamental challenge of all cell types. To properly regulate transcription on a genome-wide level, there are myriad mechanisms employed by the cell. One layer to this regulation is through spatial positioning, with particular chromosomal loci exerting an influence on transcription throughout a region. Many coregulated gene families utilize spatial positioning to coordinate transcription, with functionally related genes clustering together which can allow coordinated expression via adjacent gene coregulation. The mechanisms underlying this process have not been elucidated, though there are many coregulated gene families that exhibit this genomic distribution. In the present study, we tested for a role for the enhancer-promoter (EP) hypothesis, which demonstrates that regulatory elements can exert transcriptional effects over a broad distance, in coordinating transcriptional coregulation using budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We empirically validated the EP model, finding that the genomic distance a promoter can affect varies by locus, which can profoundly affect levels of transcription, phenotype, and the extent of transcriptional disruption throughout a genomic region. Using the nitrogen metabolism, ribosomal protein, toxin response, and heat shock gene families as our test case, we report functionally clustered genes localize to genomic loci that are more conducive to transcriptional regulation at a distance compared to the unpaired members of the same families. Furthermore, we report that the coregulation of functional clusters is dependent, in part, on chromatin maintenance and remodeling, providing one mechanism underlying adjacent gene coregulation. IMPORTANCE The two-dimensional, physical positioning of genes along a chromosome can impact proper transcriptional regulation throughout a genomic region. The transcription of neighboring genes is correlated in a genome-wide manner, which is a characteristic of eukaryotes. Many coregulated gene families can be found clustered with another member of the same set—which can result in adjacent gene coregulation of the pair. Due to the myriad gene families that exhibit a nonrandom genomic distribution, there are likely multiple mechanisms working in concert to properly regulate transcriptional coordination of functionally clustered genes. In this study, we utilized budding yeast in an attempt to elucidate mechanisms that underlie this coregulation: testing and empirically validating the enhancer-promoter hypothesis in this species and reporting that functionally related genes cluster to genomic regions that are more conducive to transcriptional regulation at a distance. These clusters rely, in part, on chromatin maintenance and remodelers to maintain proper transcriptional coordination. Our work provides insight into the mechanisms underlying adjacent gene coregulation.
Fossils and avian evolution

Discoveries of archaic Mesozoic fossil birds ('opposite' birds, or enantiornithines) during the past decade have revolutionized our understanding of early avian evolution, but the rarity of Early Cretaceous ornithurines — birds that are closely related to the modern avian radiation — has meant that information about these species has lagged behind.
Exploring Fanon’s psychopolitical project as a theory of learning: Fanon, education, action: child as method, by Erica Burman, Abingdon, Routledge, 2019, 244 pp., ISBN 978-1-138-08994-5, £120 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-138-08995-2, £35 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-315-10889-6 (eBook)

The learning sciences are currently being reinvigorated by cultural-historical approaches. Part of this process of regeneration includes engaging with the theory of developmentalists who worked in ...
Reactivity of Metabolic Intermediates and Cofactor Stability under Model Early Earth Conditions

Understanding the emergence of metabolic pathways is key to unraveling the factors that promoted the origin of life. One popular view is that protein cofactors acted as catalysts prior to the evolution of the protein enzymes with which they are now associated. We investigated the stability of acetyl coenzyme A (Acetyl Co-A, the group transfer cofactor in citric acid synthesis in the TCA cycle) under early Earth conditions, as well as whether Acetyl Co-A or its small molecule analogs thioacetate or acetate can catalyze the transfer of an acetyl group onto oxaloacetate in the absence of the citrate synthase enzyme. Several different temperatures, pH ranges, and compositions of aqueous environments were tested to simulate the Earth's early ocean and its possible components; the effect of these variables on oxaloacetate and cofactor chemistry were assessed under ambient and anoxic conditions. The cofactors tested are chemically stable under early Earth conditions, but none of the three compounds (Acetyl Co-A, thioacetate, or acetate) promoted synthesis of citric acid from oxaloacetate under the conditions tested. Oxaloacetate reacted with itself and/or decomposed to form a sequence of other products under ambient conditions, and under anoxic conditions was more stable; under ambient conditions the specific chemical pathways observed depended on the environmental conditions such as pH and presence/absence of bicarbonate or salt ions in early Earth ocean simulants. This work demonstrates the stability of these metabolic intermediates under anoxic conditions. However, even though free cofactors may be stable in a geological environmental setting, an enzyme or other mechanism to promote reaction specificity would likely be necessary for at least this particular reaction to proceed.