cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CONSTITUTIVE AND INDUCIBLE HSP70S ARE INVOLVED IN OXIDATIVE RESISTANCE EVOKED BY HEAT SHOCK OR ETHANOL

Abstract Improved cardiac post-ischemic recovery after whole-body hyperthermia is correlated with an increased expression of the heat shock proteins (hsps). The inducible hsp70 (hsp70i) has a known cardioprotective effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury. Here, we studied whether other hsps are also involved in cardioprotection. Using rat heart-derived H9c2 myocytes, we observed that preheating at 43°C for 20 min conferred resistance to hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). The resistance to mild H 2 O 2 toxicity (3–5 μ mol/10 7 cells) appeared early and persisted, whereas the resistance to moderate H 2 O 2 toxicity (6–9 μ mol/10 7 cells) was detectable only at 20–44 h post heat shock. No resistance was observed at higher doses of hydrogen peroxide (10–12 μ mol/10 7 cells), indicating that severe toxicity exceeds the capacity of the induced protective mechanism. Coincidentally, this thermal regimen elicited a rapid and prolonged increase in the cellular level of hsp70i, and a delayed and transient induction of the constitutive hsp70 (hsp70c). Nuclear translocations of hsp70i and hsp70c also occurred upon heat stimulation. A homogeneous distribution of the accumulated hsp70i and hsp70c throughout the nuclei and cytoplasm paralleled the development of heat-induced resistance to moderate H 2 O 2 challenge. Application of another hsp inducer, ethyl alcohol, evoked a similar pattern of H 2 O 2 resistance, and hsp induction and distribution. Our results suggest that induction and subcellular distribution of hsp70s contribute importantly to cellular antioxidant defenses, and that a co-operation between hsp70i and hsp70c may improve cardiac preservation during oxidative insult.
Design of a 16 384-bit serial charge-coupled memory device

This paper describes a 16 384-bit serial charge-coupled memory device designed primarily for low cost and compatibility with existing high-volume manufacturing techniques. To obtain low access time, the device was organized as 64 recirculating shift registers each 256 bits long. Any one register can be selected at random for reading or writing, by means of a 6-bit address input. The alternatives considered in choosing the charge-coupled device (CCD) structure and chip organization are discussed. Data regeneration circuits are described in detail. The device was fabricated on a silicon chip, with an area of 2.07 mil2/bit (including all peripheral circuitry). It operates at data rates exceeding 2 MHz, and has a minimum average access time of under 100 µs.
Under pressure: preventing pressure ulcers in critically ill infants

Purpose To determine whether a pressure ulcer prevention bundle was associated with a significant reduction in pressure ulcer development in infants in the pediatric intensive care unit. Design and Methods Quasi-experimental design involving 399 infants 0 to 3 months of age at a large tertiary care medical center. Results The implementation of the care bundle was associated with a significant drop in pressure ulcer incidence from 18.8 to 6.8%. Practice Implications Pressure ulcers can be prevented in the most vulnerable patients with the consistent implementation of evidence-based interventions and system supports to assist nurses with the change in practice.
Stochastic processes in estimation theory

We describe the role of various stochastic processes, especially martingales and related concepts, in estimation theory. It is shown, in the simplest context, that in nonlinear estimation theory martingales play the same fundamental role as uncorrelation and white noise do in linear estimation.
Grain Boundary Grooving Studies of Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) Bicrystals

Grain boundary grooving experiments were conducted with Σ5 (210) twist boundaries in Y 3 Al 5 O 12 (YAG) with the goal of extracting information on diffusion in YAG. Planar boundaries oriented 90° to the surface were annealed in air at various times and temperatures. Atomic force microscopy was used to characterize the subsequent grooves. The Mullins approach leads to the following expression for the diffusion coefficient: D (m 2 /s) = 3.9 x 10 -10 exp[-330 ± 75 (kJ/mol)/RT]. The relatively low activation energy agrees well with earlier oxygen tracer diffusion measurements on YAG, suggesting that oxygen is the limiting diffusing species in boundary grooving of YAG.
Models of community care for severe mental illness : A review of research on case management

We describe different models of community care for persons with severe mental illness and review the research literature on case management, including the results of 75 studies. Most research has been conducted on the assertive community treatment (ACT) or intensive case management (ICM) models. Controlled research on ACT and ICM indicates that these models reduce time in the hospital and improve housing stability, especially among patients who are high service users. ACT and ICM appear to have moderate effects on improving symptomatology and quality of life. Most studies suggest little effect of ACT and ICM on social functioning, arrests and time spent in jail, or vocational functioning. Studies on reducing or withdrawing ACT or ICM services suggest some deterioration in gains. Research on other models of community care is inconclusive. We discuss the implications of the findings in terms of the need for specialization of ACT or ICM teams to address social and vocational functioning and substance abuse. We suggest directions for future research on models of community care, including evaluating implementation fidelity, exploring patient predictors of improvement, and evaluating the role of the helping alliance in mediating outcome.
Low skin carotenoid concentration measured by resonance Raman spectroscopy is associated with metabolic syndrome in adults

Abstract Oxidative stress is increased in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS). Antioxidants, including carotenoids, are decreased in MS. We hypothesized that a low skin carotenoid score (SCS), calculated using resonance Raman spectroscopy, would correlate with the presence of MS. We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients referred for dietary assessment between 2010 and 2012. For each patient, a nutrition history, medical history, and SCS were recorded. χ 2 and Student t test were used to determine factors associated with MS. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with MS. One hundred fifty-five patients were included. The mean age was 54.1 ± 13.1 years, and the mean body mass index was 28.3 ± 6.1 kg/m 2 . Metabolic syndrome was present in 43.9% of patients. The mean SCS was 28 084 ± 14 006 Raman counts (RC), including 23 058 ± 9812 RC for patients with MS and 32 011 ± 15 514 RC for patients without MS ( P = .0001). In a multivariate analysis, SCS less than 25 000 RC (odds ratio, 3.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-10.7; P = .01) was independently associated with MS. A higher number of MS components was associated with a progressively lower SCS ( P = .004). In a consecutive sample of patients referred for dietary assessment, a noninvasively measured SCS was lower among patients with MS.
Graph-theoretic clustering for image grouping and retrieval

Image retrieval algorithms are generally based on the assumption that visually similar images are located close to each other in the feature space. Since the feature vectors usually exist in a very high dimensional space, a parametric characterization of their distribution is impossible, so non-parametric approaches, like the k-nearest neighbor search, are used for retrieval. This paper introduces a graph-theoretic approach for image retrieval by formulating the database search as a graph clustering problem by using a constraint that retrieved images should be consistent with each other (close in the feature space) as well as being individually similar (close) to the query image. The experiments that compare retrieval precision with and without clustering showed an average precision of 0.76 after clustering, which is an improvement by 5.56% over the average precision before clustering.
Utilization of Counseling Services: Comparing International and U.S. College Students

Counseling center utilization patterns during a 2-year period for 218 international and 222 U.S. college students were examined. Significant between-group differences were found with regard to age, academic status, referral source, relationship status, self-reported concerns, counselor diagnosis, disposition, hospitalization rates, prior counseling experience, and use of crisis appointments. Significant within-group differences among international students were also found. Implications for improving programs and clinical services are discussed.
Effect of meal-feeding and food deprivation on plasma and whole blood taurine concentrations in cats.

Most experimental and clinical studies have utilized plasma taurine concentration (PTC) to define the tau rine status of cats. Values <25 /imol/L have been de scribed as inadequate in clinical studies involving client-owned cats (1). To investigate the effects of meal-feeding and food deprivation on plasma and whole blood taurine concentrations, 35 cats were fed one of six diets (n = 5 or 6 cats per diet) for sÂ±2 mo before being studied. The diets fed (with abbreviation and percent taurine in the diet on a dry matter basis in parentheses) were purified gel diets3 (â€”TAU,0% and +TAU, 0.14%), a canned commercial-type cat food4 that had been shown to induce systemic taurine
On the application of multilevel modeling in environmental and ecological studies

This paper illustrates the advantages of a multilevel/hierarchical approach for predictive modeling, including flexibility of model formulation, explicitly accounting for hierarchical structure in the data, and the ability to predict the outcome of new cases. As a generalization of the classical approach, the multilevel modeling approach explicitly models the hierarchical structure in the data by considering both the within- and between-group variances leading to a partial pooling of data across all levels in the hierarchy. The modeling framework provides means for incorporating variables at different spatiotemporal scales. The examples used in this paper illustrate the iterative process of model fitting and evaluation, a process that can lead to improved understanding of the system being studied.
Risk of bleeding after elective percutaneous coronary intervention.

About 2.2 million percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) were performed worldwide in 2004 (Mead D: personal communication). Success rates of more than 97%, mortality rates of less than 0.5%, and rates of emergency bypass surgery of less than 0.5% can be anticipated with elective procedures. Major obstacles initially confronting the field — including the inability to reach complex or tortuous lesions, to cross lesions, and to dilate lesions, as well as bifurcation disease, occlusive dissection, and abrupt closure — have largely been overcome. Restenosis has been markedly reduced with the advent of drug-eluting stents.1 As the technical obstacles to safe, effective, . . .
Gregarines on a diet: the effects of host starvation on Gregarina confusa Janovy et al., 2007 (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida) in Tribolium destructor Uyttenboogaart, 1933 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae.

This study was designed to explore the nutritional relationship between Gregarina confusa (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida) parasites and its coleopteran host, Tribolium destructor, by measuring the cytoplasmic density of gregarines in continuously fed larvae, starved larvae, and larvae refed after starvation. Cultures were maintained in a standard media (whole wheat flour:commercial wheat germ:yeast [30:10:1]). Larvae from control and experimental groups were dissected daily for 3 days then allowed to feed or starve for an additional 3 days. On day 6, the remaining experimental larvae were divided and placed into 2 groups; 1 group remained starved while larvae from the second group were fed a Wheaties® flake. Photographs were taken of the parasites daily and analyzed using ScionImage™. Gregarines from starved larvae were significantly longer and skinnier than those from fed controls, and there was also a significant difference between gregarine deutomerite cytoplasmic densities. Parasites from refed larvae re...
Cryptococcal meningitis presenting with recurrent syncope in a patient with chronic lymphoid leukemia: a case report

The clinical presentations of cryptococcal meningitis in HIV-negative patients may be different from that infected with HIV. We report a case of 75-year old male with chronic lymphoid leukemia presenting with recurrent syncope, bi-frontal headache and diplopia. This case discusses the atypical presentations of cryptococcal meningitis in HIV-negative patients and its importance of early diagnosis.
Using Eye Region Biometrics to Reveal Affective and Cognitive States

Various facial region biometrics have been used extensively in the areas of recognition and authentication. However, some regions of the face provide more information than is currently being fully utilized in these specific capacities. Biometrics associated exclusively with the eye region hold a key to identifying and classifying particular affective and cognitive states. This paper focuses on 1) methods for identifying and deriving the appropriate biometric data inherent to the eye region that is most useful in specific HCI scenarios and, 2) outlining a framework for classification of these biometric data into affective and cognitive states relative to a particular HCI context.
Instruction Cache Prefetching Using Multilevel Branch Prediction

This paper presents an instruction cache prefetching mechanism capable of prefetching past branches in multiple-issue processors. Such processors at high clock rates often use small instruction caches which have significant miss rates. Prefetching from secondary cache can hide the instruction cache miss penalties but only if initiated sufficiently far ahead of the current program counter. Existing instruction cache prefetching methods are strictly sequential and cannot do that due to their inability to prefetch past branches. By keeping branch history and branch target addresses we predict a future PC several branches past the current branch. We describe a possible prefetching architecture and evaluate its accuracy, the impact of the instruction prefetching on performance, and its interaction with sequential prefetching. For a 4-issue processor and a cache architecture patterned after the DEC Alpha-21164 we show that our prefetching unit can be more effective than sequential prefetching. The two types of prefetching eliminate different types of misses and thus can be effectively combined to achieve better performance.
The SDSS–2MASS–WISE 10-dimensional stellar colour locus

We present the fiducial main sequence stellar locus traced by 10 photometric colors observed by SDSS, 2MASS, and WISE. Median colors are determined using 1,052,793 stars with rband extinction less than 0.125. We use this locus to measure the dust extinction curve relative to the r-band, which is consistent with previous measurements in the SDSS and 2MASS bands. The WISE band extinction coefficients are larger than predicted by standard extinction models. Using 13 lines of sight, we find variations in the extinction curve in H, Ks, and WISE bandpasses. Relative extinction decreases towards Galactic anti-center, in agreement with prior studies. Relative extinction increases with Galactic latitude, in contrast to previous observations. This indicates a universal mid-IR extinction law does not exist due to variations in dust grain size and chemistry with Galactocentric position. A preliminary search for outliers due to warm circumstellar dust is also presented, using stars with high signal-to-noise in the W3-band. We find 199 such outliers, identified by excess emission in Ks W3. Inspection of SDSS images for these outliers reveals a large number of contaminants due to nearby galaxies. Six sources appear to be genuine dust candidates, yielding a fraction of systems with infrared excess of 0:12 0:05%.
Human Leukocyte Antigen Class II Alleles and Rubella-Specific Humoral and Cell-Mediated Immunity following Measles-Mumps-Rubella-II Vaccination

We examined associations between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II genes and both rubella-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies and lymphoproliferative responses after measles-mumps-rubella-II (MMR-II) vaccination, in a population-based sample of 346 schoolchildren. The DPB1*0301, DPB1*0401, DPB1*1301, and DPB1*1501 alleles were significantly associated with rubella vaccine-induced antibodies. Alleles suggestive of being positively associated with rubella-specific lymphoproliferative stimulation indices were DPB1*0301, DQB1*0501, DRB1*0101, and DRB1*1104. Conversely, the DPB1*0401, DPB1*1001, DPB1*1101, DQB1*0202, and DRB1*0701 alleles were negatively associated with rubella-specific lymphoproliferation. This study of HLA class II-restricted humoral and cellular immune responses to rubella provides significant insight into mechanisms of vaccine response and new vaccine development.
Antenatal magnesium sulfate (Mg SO4) exposure and incidence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in extremely low birth weight infants (ELBW)

PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS (PDA) IN EXTREMELY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS (ELBW) VICTOR GONZALEZ-QUINTERO, TERESA DEL MORAL, NELSON CLAURE, SILVIA VANBUSKIRK, EDUARDO BANCALARI, University of Miami, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Miami, Florida, University of Miami, Pediatrics, Miami, Florida, University of Miami, Neonatology, Miami, Florida OBJECTIVE: Antenatal exposure to Mg SO4 either for tocolysis or seizure prophylaxis can have significant clinical effects in ELBW infants. Among these, it may adversely influence the closure of the ductus arteriosus. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between antenatal exposure to Mg SO4 and the incidence of PDA in ELBW infants. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 952 neonates with birth weight between 500-1000 born at our institution between January 1996 and December 2003, and who survived more than 3 days were followed until death or discharge from the hospital. A research nurse prospectively collected Perinatal and hospital course data. The incidence of PDA was compared in infants exposed to Mg SO4 with those not exposed, and between infants exposed to different maternal doses of Mg SO4. Indications for the administration of Mg SO4 to the mother were preeclampsia and tocolysis. RESULTS: The incidence of PDA was significantly higher in the group of infants exposed to Mg SO4 compared to non exposed (67% vs 60%, p = 0.0178). When stratified by gestational age the differences were significant only in the group of infants with gestational age O26 weeks (58% vs 49%, p= 0.0399). There was no relationship between prenatal exposure to Mg SO4 and the duration of PDA. Logistic regression analysis to adjust for covariables confirmed the increased risk of PDA in infants exposed to Mg SO4 (OR 1.60, CI 1.18-2.16). Furthermore the risk of PDA increased with higher doses of Mg SO4 exposure (OR 1.24 CI 1.09-1.42 per 50g of Mg SO4). CONCLUSION: In ELBW, infants antenatal exposure to Mg SO4 is associate with a higher risk for PDA and this effect is dose related and more significant in the more mature infants (O26 weeks).
Evidence of the Long-Term Persistence of Adults' Political Predispositions

The persistence hypothesis holds that core political predispositions tend to be highly stable through the life span. It has rarely been tested directly, given the scarcity of long-term, large-sample longitudinal studies. We address it using the Terman longitudinal study, in which the party identification and ideology of 1,272 respondents were measured on four occasions between 1940 and 1977, from roughly age 30 to retirement age. These partisan attitudes were highly stable over this long period, yielding continuity coefficients of about 80 between each measurement (separated by at least 10 years), and 65 for the full 37-year span. Examination of the trajectories of individual attitudes reveals that the most common pattern was constancy across time. A substantial minority changed in small but consistent ways, but changes from one partisan side to the other were not very common. Surprisingly, early-life racial attitudes had a resurgent effect on partisan attitudes in the 1970s. There was evidence of increas...
Wood (delta)^(13)C as a Measure of Annual Basal Area Growth and Soil Water Stress in a Pinus Strobus Forest

The relationships between annual wood tissue δ 13 C, growing season soil water potential, and basal area growth were studied in a mature, white pine (Pinus strobus) stand at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, in western North Carolina. In 1992, four bolewood cores that spanned the years from 1980 to 1989 were extracted from each of ten equal-size, co-dominant white pine trees within the stand. The 1980s were a time of extreme climate with some of the hottest, driest, and wettest years recorded at Coweeta. Annual basal area growth ranged from 14.5 to 25.0 cm 2 .tree -1 .yr -1 , and modeled values of average growing season soil water potential ranged from -0.21 to -5.58 MPa, when measured to a depth of 60 cm. After correcting annual wood tissue δ 13 C for atmospheric changes in δ 13 C, carbon isotopic discrimination (A) ranged from 18.52 to 19.62‰. The A of annual wood tissue was positively correlated with average growing season soil water potential (r 2 = 0.74, P = 0.0005, n = 10 growing seasons) and average annual basal area growth (r 2 = 0.78, P = 0.0002, n = 10 seasons). Basal area growth and growing season soil water potential were also correlated (r 2 = 0.64, P = 0.002, n = 10 seasons). These results suggest that annual wood tissue δ 13 C could potentially be useful in estimating historic changes in soil water potential and basal area growth in mature forest ecosystems.
Arabic dialect identification

The written form of the Arabic language, Modern Standard Arabic MSA, differs in a non-trivial manner from the various spoken regional dialects of Arabic "the true native language"i¾of Arabic speakers. Those dialects, in turn, differ quite a bit from each other. However, due to MSA's prevalence in written form, almost all Arabic data sets have predominantly MSA content. In this article, we describe the creation of a novel Arabic resource with dialect annotations. We have created a large monolingual data set rich in dialectal Arabic content called the Arabic On-line Commentary Data set Zaidan and Callison-Burch 2011. We describe our annotation effort to identify the dialect level and dialect itself in each of more than 100,000 sentences from the data set by crowdsourcing the annotation task, and delve into interesting annotator behaviors like over-identification of one's own dialect. Using this new annotated data set, we consider the task of Arabic dialect identification: Given the word sequence forming an Arabic sentence, determine the variety of Arabic in which it is written. We use the data to train and evaluate automatic classifiers for dialect identification, and establish that classifiers using dialectal data significantly and dramatically outperform baselines that use MSA-only data, achieving near-human classification accuracy. Finally, we apply our classifiers to discover dialectical data from a large Web crawl consisting of 3.5 million pages mined from on-line Arabic newspapers.
A Lower Degree of PBMC L1 Methylation Is Associated with Excess Body Weight and Higher HOMA-IR in the Presence of Lower Concentrations of Plasma Folate

Background Identification of associations between global DNA methylation and excess body weight (EBW) and related diseases and their modifying factors are an unmet research need that may lead to decreasing DNA methylation-associated disease risks in humans. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the following; 1) Association between the degree of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) L1 methylation and folate, and indicators of EBW, 2) Association between the degree of PBMC L1 methylation and folate, and insulin resistance (IR) as indicated by a higher homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). Methods The study population consisted of 470 child-bearing age women diagnosed with abnormal pap. The degree of PBMC L1 methylation was assessed by pyrosequencing. Logistic regression models specified indicators of EBW (body mass index–BMI, body fat–BF and waist circumference–WC) or HOMA-IR as dependent variables and the degree of PBMC L1 methylation and circulating concentrations of folate as the independent predictor of primary interest. Results Women with a lower degree of PBMC L1 methylation and lower plasma folate concentrations were significantly more likely to have higher BMI, % BF or WC (OR = 2.49, 95% CI:1.41–4.47, P = 0.002; OR = 2.49, 95% CI:1.40–4.51, P = 0.002 and OR = 1.98, 95% = 1.14–3.48 P = 0.0145, respectively) and higher HOMA-IR (OR = 1.78, 95% CI:1.02–3.13, P = 0.041). Conclusion Our results demonstrated that a lower degree of PBMC L1 methylation is associated with excess body weight and higher HOMA-IR, especially in the presence of lower concentrations of plasma folate.
Deficiency of lymphotoxin-α does not exacerbate high-fat diet-induced obesity but does enhance inflammation in mice

Lymphotoxin-α (LTα) is secreted by lymphocytes and acts through tumor necrosis factor-α receptors and the LTβ receptor. Our goals were to determine whether LT has a role in obesity and investigate ...
Analysis of centromeric activity in Robertsonian translocations: implications for a functional acrocentric hierarchy

Approximately 90% of human Robertsonian translocations occur between nonhomologous acrocentric chromosomes, producing dicentric elements which are stable in meiosis and mitosis, implying that one centromere is functionally inactivated or suppressed. To determine if this suppression is random, centromeric activity in 48 human dicentric Robertsonian translocations was assigned by assessment of the primary constrictions using dual color fluorescence in situ hybridzation (FISH). Preferential activity/constriction of one centromere was observed in all except three different rearrangements. The activity is meiotically stable since intrafamilial consistency of a preferentially active centromere existed in members of six families. These results support evidence for nonrandom centromeric activity in humans and, more importantly, suggest a functional hierarchy in Robertsonian translocations with the chromosome 14 centromere most often active and the chromosome 15 centromere least often active.
Cation Transport in Escherichia coli : VI. K exchange

K influx and net K flux have been measured in suspensions of chloramphenicol-arrested Escherichia coli. The rate of K exchange in the steady state was independent of the K concentration of the medium over a 200-fold range. Under a number of experimental conditions the rate of exchange may be considerably increased or decreased without changing the cellular K content. These results show that under these conditions changes in K influx are associated with equal changes in K efflux, and suggest that the latter process is, at least in part, both carrier-mediated and tightly coupled to the influx process.
NR2F1 disrupts synergistic activation of the MTTP gene transcription by HNF-4α and HNF-1α

Regulation of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) expression mainly occurs at the transcriptional level. We have previously shown that MTTP gene expression was repressed in nondifferentiated intestinal cells by nuclear receptor 2 family 1 (NR2F1). However, mechanisms involved in the repression of MTP by NR2F1 were not elucidated. Here, we show that MTP expression requires hepatic nuclear factor (HNF)-4α transcription factor. Different HNF-1 proteins synergistically enhance MTP promoter activity along with HNF-4α by binding to different cis elements. NR2F1 does not alter individual effects of HNF-4α and HNF-1 proteins on the MTTP gene promoter. However, NR2F1 suppresses synergistic activation of the MTP promoter by HNF-4α/HNF-1α by binding to a direct repeat 1 (DR1) element. This suppression is further enhanced in the presence of nuclear receptor corepressor 1. In short, these studies identified a novel mechanism of MTP repression that involves binding of NR2F1 to the DR1 element and recruitment of corepressors. In this mechanism, NR2F1 does not affect activities of individual transcription factors; instead, it abrogates synergistic activation by HNF-4α and HNF-1 proteins.
POVIDONE-IODINE STERILIZATION OF CONTAMINATED CAPD-EXCHANGE SPIKES

Thirty routine CAPD exchange spikes (Travenol) were dipped in a Staphylococcus aureus suspension and then divided into three equal groups. Group I (G1) spikes were advanced from the bacterial suspe...
Statistical removal of background signals from high-throughput (1)H NMR line-broadening ligand-affinity screens.

NMR ligand-affinity screens are vital to drug discovery, are routinely used to screen fragment-based libraries, and used to verify chemical leads from high-throughput assays and virtual screens. NMR ligand-affinity screens are also a highly informative first step towards identifying functional epitopes of unknown proteins, as well as elucidating the biochemical functions of protein–ligand interaction at their binding interfaces. While simple one-dimensional 1H NMR experiments are capable of indicating binding through a change in ligand line shape, they are plagued by broad, ill-defined background signals from protein 1H resonances. We present an uncomplicated method for subtraction of protein background in high-throughput ligand-based affinity screens, and show that its performance is maximized when phase-scatter correction is applied prior to subtraction.
The investigation of carbon-nanotube-based polymers for improved structural damping

In this paper, experimental and analytical investigations are conducted on the energy dissipation of polymeric composites containing carbon nanotube fillers. The specimens are fabricated by directly mixing single-walled carbon nanotubes into two types of representative polymers, a stiff resin system (Epon 9405/Epodil 749/Ancamine 9470) and a soft resin system (D.E.R. 383/Epodil 748/Ancarez 2364/Ancamine 2384), with high-power ultrasonic agitation. To characterize loss factors, uniaxial testing with harmonic loading is conducted to directly measure the phase lag between stress and strain. The loss factors are measured using different material deformations. The present paper also presents an energy loss model by addressing nanotube/resin interfacial friction. The concept of “stick-slip” motion caused by frictional contacts between nanotubes and resin is proposed to describe the load transfer behavior. Energy dissipation and loss factor are characterized through the work done by interfacial friction. The trends of strain-dependent loss factors obtained from experiments and analysis are compared.
The symplectic structure on moduli space

The «moduli space» referred to in the title of this paper is the space ℳ of gauge equivalence classes of flat connections on a principal G bundle over a compact Riemann surface Σ. Atiyah and Bott [1] constructed a symplectic structure ωℳ on ℳ by symplectic reduction from the infinite dimensional symplectic manifold of all connections. Since ℳ is a finite-dimensional object, it seems desirable to have a finite-dimensional construction of its symplectic form. In fact, ℳ can also be realized as the representation space Hom(π, G)/G, where π is the fundamental group of Σ and G acts by conjugation. Using the resulting identification of the tangent spaces of ℳ with cohomology spaces of π with suitable coefficients, Goldman [9] gave a direct construction of ω ℳ as a nondegenerate 2-form, but he was unable to prove that this form is closed without recourse to the infinite-dimensional picture. This gap in Goldman’s approach was filled recently by Karshon [10], who showed that dω ℳ = 0 by methods of group cohomology, without using the space of connections.2)
Abstract 5620: Therapeutic targeting of glypican-3 using TGF-β2 as a novel treatment approach for HCC

Objective Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a valuable diagnostic marker and a potential therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is over-expressed in more than 60% of the HCC tumors. As a histological marker, GPC3 can be used to distinguish HCC cells from cirrhotic, non-tumorous liver. As a diagnostic marker, GPC3 be used to complement the diagnostic potential of AFP for screening of HCC patients. Previously we found that GPC3 knockdown can suppress HCC tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. Gene expression analysis revealed that GPC3 suppression significantly up-regulated the expression of TGF-β2 at both RNA and protein levels. TGF-β2 itself possesses anti-proliferative effect in GPC3 positive HCC cell lines (HepG2 and Huh7). This study aims at evaluating the use of TGF-β2 as a novel treatment approach for HCC by targeting the GPC3/TGFβ signaling axis. Materials and methods To study the effects of TGF-β2 on HCC cells, cell lines with different level of GPC3 expression (HepG2, Huh7, Hep3B, Hep40, PLC/PRF/5, SNU-398, SNU-182, SNU-449, SNU-475) were treated with 1 or 5 ng/ml of rhTGF-β2 for 48 hours in their normal culture media supplemented with 10% FBS. Cell proliferation was determined by using MTT assay and colony formation assay. Cell cycle progression was measured by using flow cytometry. The presence of self-renewing cancer cells was determined by spheroid formation assay. Gene expression analysis was performed to identify the genes associated with TGF-β2 treatment in HCC cells. For in vivo study, orthotopic xenografts of HCC patient tumors in mice were established, and mice were injected with 100 ng of rhTGF-β2 every week via i.p. injection. Tumor growth was monitored by using non-invasive bioluminescence imaging. Results TGF-β2 effectively inhibited the growth of GPC3 positive cells as shown by the decreased cell proliferation and colony formation (HepG2, Huh7, Hep40, PLC.PRF/5, Hep3B and SNU-398). Additionally, GPC3 positive cells responded to TGF-β2 treatment with down-regulation of anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1) and cell cycle arrest at G 0 /G 1 phase. Cells with no endogenous GPC3 expression did not respond to TGF-β2 treatment. Moreover, TGF-β2 treatment inhibited self-renewal of GPC3 positive HCC cell lines as shown by inhibition of spheroid formation (P Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5620. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5620
Ontogeny of the ascoma of Glomerella cingulata

The ascogonium of Glomerella cingulata forms as a loop or coil from an assimilative hypha and becomes septate, each cell being uninucleate. Branches from the parent hypha envelop the ascogonium, be...
From ‘after the fact’ objective analyses to immediate ‘before the fact’ living meanings

The worlds of therapeutic interactions, and especially the worlds of our everyday social exchanges, as portrayed in the conceptualizations and theories proposed in research papers, are in fact very...
Generalized conservation cells for finite volume calculations

This paper presents a new algorithm development involving a further generalization of the conservation cells used in all current time-marching Euler methods. At present the conservation cells which are used are fairly general, in that they can have an irregular spatial structure and in some unsteady applications may even move during the calculation. However, at present all computational grids share the feature that for time-accurate calculations the nodes at one computational time level all correspond to one physical time. This paper shows the consequences of relaxing this restriction, why it is useful or even necessary in some applications, how it is achieved computationally, the various effects on domains of dependence and numerical stability and some sample results to demonstrate the features discussed.
Observations on the Chigger Mite Trombicula (Eutrombicula) Splendens Ewing (Acarina: Trombiculidae)

During a study of rearing technics and feeding habits of trombiculid mites certain observations were made on Trombicula (Eutrombicula) splendens Ewing, 1913 (= T. masoni). These observations along with a modified rearing chamber and a new laboratory host are reported herein with the hope that they may be of assistance to other workers in the field. Facilities incident to the investigation were provided by the Department of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, Tulane University. For advice throughout the study the author wishes to thank Dr. Albert Miller. Thanks are also extended to Drs. Ernest Carroll Faust and Harold Cummins for counsel, and to Dr. George W. Wharton of Duke University for confirming the specific identity of the mites.
Etiology and long-term functional swallow outcomes in pediatric unilateral vocal fold immobility ☆

Abstract Objective Unilateral vocal fold immobility (UVFI) results in deficits in phonatory, respiratory, and swallow function of the pediatric patient. Little is known about long-term functional swallow outcomes. Methods Medical records of children diagnosed with UVFI between 2005 and 2014 at a tertiary children's hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Etiology, laryngoscopy findings, and swallow status at diagnosis and follow-up were recorded. Swallow outcomes were compared by etiology using Fisher's exact test. McNemar's test was used to identify correlations between return of mobility and swallow recovery. Rates of pneumonia were compared with initial swallow evaluation results using a two-tailed t -test. Results Eighty-eight patients with UVFI were identified and 73 patients (47% female, mean age 14.4 months, standard deviation (SD) 26.7 months) had complete medical records. Mean follow up time was 52.7 months (SD 36.8 months). Etiologies included cardiothoracic surgery (68.5%), idiopathic (12.3%), prolonged intubation (11.0%), central nervous system (CNS) abnormality (5.5%), and non-cardiac iatrogenic injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (2.7%). Forty-seven patients underwent a follow up laryngoscopy, and recovery of vocal fold (VF) mobility was documented in 42.6% (20/47). At diagnosis, 31.5% fed orally, compared with 79.5% at follow-up. Direct correlation between recovery of VF mobility and swallow recovery was not demonstrated. Cardiac etiologies demonstrated higher rates of swallow recovery than CNS abnormalities (p = 0.0393). Twenty-five children aspirated on initial modified barium swallow (MBS) and 10 children developed pneumonias at some point during the follow up period. There was no significant difference in rates of pneumonia in patients with and without aspiration on MBS. Conclusion Recovery of swallow in children with UVFI does not directly parallel return of VF mobility. Long-term swallow outcome is favorable in this population. Initial MBS does not indicate ultimate swallow outcome.
Hypotheses on Conciliation

This study began with two observations. The first of these was that President Anwar Sadat’s conciliatory initiative of visiting Israel and addressing the Knesset had clearly ‘succeeded’, in at least two senses. Firstly it had altered the perceptions, behaviour and perceived options of Israeli leaders, elites and constituents, as well as many others in and outside the Middle East; and secondly it initiated an accommodative process leading towards a solution of at least the Egyptian-Israeli component of the protracted, intractable conflict between Arabs and Israelis
Abstract B54: A candidate gene study of smoking cessation

Background: Efforts to identify genes that influence smoking cessation have been largely unsuccessful to date. However, SNPs in the chromosome 15q25 region that encodes the nicotinic receptor subunits CHRNA5, CHRNA3, and CHRNB4 have been consistently and strongly associated with nicotine dependence as measured directly through dependence surveys or indirectly with smoking quantity (cigarettes per day, cpd). These SNPs have been found to either be modestly or not at all associated with smoking cessation as defined by a variety of different phenotypes. Despite the fact that nicotine dependence influences smoking cessation, these results suggest that cessation may be influenced by a wider range of genetic variants than just those that influence measures of nicotine dependence. Methods: To identify genes important for smoking cessation, we defined a smoking cessation phenotype based on number of quit attempts; easy quitters achieved successful, long-term (> 1 year) abstinence after their first quit attempt and difficult quitters reported ≥10 attempts before either continuing to smoke or quitting. We identified 1,500 easy quitters and 1,500 difficult quitters who were participants in the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3), a large prospective study of cancer incidence and mortality conducted by the American Cancer Society. The association of 83 SNPs from 25 nicotine signaling and metabolism genes that had previously been associated with some aspect of smoking behavior with difficulty quitting was determined using logistic regression. Results: Three SNPs in three separate genes were significantly associated with difficult quitting (p Conclusions: Although none of the SNPs investigated were statistically significantly associated with the number of quit attempts, these results suggest that examining this phenotype in future genome-wide association studies would be useful for the discovery of genes that could be targeted for the development of novel smoking cessation aids. Citation Format: Victoria L. Stevens, Susan M. Gapstur, Juzhong Sun, Eric J. Jacobs, Mia M. Gaudet, J. Lee Westmaas, Alpa V. Patel. A candidate gene study of smoking cessation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr B54.
High transconductance 0.1 mu m pMOSFET

Very high transconductance 0.1 mu m surface-channel pMOSFET devices are fabricated with p/sup +/-poly gate on 35 AA-thick gate oxide. A 600AA-deep p/sup +/ source-drain extension is used with self-aligned TiSi/sub 2/ to achieve low device series resistance. The maximum saturation transconductances, 400 mS/mm at 300K and 500 mS/mm at 80K, are the highest reported to date for pMOSFET devices. >
Are We the Walking Dead? Burnout as Zombie Apocalypse

The Walking Dead, one of the most popular television shows in recent history, uses the plot of a zombie apocalypse as a lens into exploring the human condition. Amidst a particularly dangerous moment, the show's hero references the human struggle to survive by remarking, "We are the walking dead." This offhand comment sheds light upon physicians' struggles in medicine, in particular the high prevalence of burnout and the challenge to cultivate compassion and meaning. This is an important question for our age and for our profession. Are we the walking dead?
Silo-Stored Pistachios at Varying Humidity Levels Produce Distinct Volatile Biomarkers.

Fungal-contaminated tissues are known to produce volatile profiles that are different from uncontaminated tissues. Fungi require certain water activity levels before growth can occur. For nonxerophilic fungi, a water activity of 0.85 is typical for growth, and for extreme xerophilic fungi, the water activity can be as low as 0.64. Recent investigations with stored pistachios (kernels in shell, no hull tissue) at varying relative humidities showed differences among the collected volatile profiles at the tested humidities (ambient, 63, 75, and 84%). Water activities of the kernel and shell were also measured. Results showed significant changes in volatile profiles as a function of water activity of the corresponding pistachio tissue with measured water activity levels at or below that of what is considered extreme xerophilic activities. Because fungal growth, including mycotoxigenic fungi, is dependent upon water activity, the detected volatile profiles could be used for early detection of fungal presence. ...
"Hospitalists, Two Decades Later: Which Hospitals Utilize Them?"

Hospitalists are a group of hospital-based physicians specializing in managing hospitalized patients. The number of hospitalists has grown rapidly over the last two decades. Prior studies have focu...
Management trends of infantile hemangioma: A national perspective.

Abstract Introduction The primary management of infantile hemangioma (IH) has changed since 2008, with the initiation of propranolol. The change that propranolol has affected on resource utilization is unknown. Materials and methods The Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) in 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012 was queried for ICD-9 codes for IH in children under age three. The number of patients undergoing the following procedures of interest: tracheostomy, tracheoscopy and laryngoscopy with biopsy, and excision of skin lesion were evaluated. Data was analyzed for demographics and details on the admission. Trends were identified. Weighted statistical analyses were performed with SAS 9.4. Results The number of qualified admissions significantly increased over the years (9271 in 2003–12029 in 2012, OR 1.042 per year increase, p Conclusions Total admissions and hospital charges in children with IH has increased from 2003 to 2012. The percentage of patients undergoing tracheostomy, tracheoscopy and laryngoscopy with biopsy, and skin lesion excision significantly decreased in 2012 compared to 2003, suggesting a potential impact of propranolol. Further studies are needed to examine these changes more closely.
An Investigation of the Huangmei Opera Film Genre: The Audience’s Perception of Ling Po’s Male Impersonation

This chapter focuses on the spectatorship in Huangmei Opera films, especially on the issues related to audiences’ perception of Ling Po’s practice of male impersonation. It employs Laura Mulvey’s psychoanalytic theory from her famous essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” to discuss the unconscious pleasure experience of the audience of Huangmei Opera films. However, it challenges Mulvey’s theory about male gaze and identification in cinematic apparatus by the case of Ling Po’s male impersonation, while men perceive him as a woman and women perceive her as a man. This chapter considers that the spectator’s identifications of Ling Po’s impersonation rely on the fantasy proposing links among cultural, societal, and psychological modes. It suggests that Ling Po’s images on and off screen represent a sexual ambivalence and enable polymorphous identification.
NuSys: Collaborative Insight Extraction on Shared Workspaces

Gaining insights – the act of acquiring a deep and intuitive understanding of a thing or concept – is often achieved through discussions in small work groups. Students frequently conduct informal study group sessions where scholarly material is revisited, and questions and ideas are bounced back and forth as a way to gain and present new insights. NuSys is a software framework that enhances how groups develop ideas when a shared workspace on an interactive whiteboard (IWB) and smaller devices driven by pen & touch gestures replace a physical whiteboard as the collaborative focal point. The core component of our system provides a fluid interface to an unbounded two-dimensional workspace, where study material can be seamlessly imported, laid out, grouped, annotated, linked and tagged collaboratively on multiple clients in real-time and in a free-form fashion.
Advancing Cybersecurity: The Growing Need for a Cyber-Resiliency Workforce

As the world becomes more dependent on connected cyber-physical systems, the cybersecurity workforce must adapt to meet these growing needs. The authors present the notion of a cyber-resiliency workforce to prepare the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.