cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel peptide therapeutics for treatment of infections

As antibiotic resistance increases worldwide, there is an increasing pressure to develop novel classes of antimicrobial compounds to fight infectious disease. Peptide therapeutics represent a novel class of therapeutic agents. Some, such as cationic antimicrobial peptides and peptidoglycan recognition proteins, have been identified from studies of innate immune effector mechanisms, while others are completely novel compounds generated in biological systems. Currently, only selected cationic antimicrobial peptides have been licensed, and only for topical applications. However, research using new approaches to identify novel antimicrobial peptide therapeutics, and new approaches to delivery and improving stability, will result in an increased range of peptide therapeutics available in the clinic for broader applications.
Howells's Obscure Hurt

‘ Every loyal American who went abroad during the first years of our great war felt bound to make himself some excuse for turning his back on his country in the hour of her trouble ’, wrote W. D. Howells in 1881. It is a striking coincidence in American literary history that four major writers of the late nineteenth century – Howells, Henry James, S. L. Clemens, and Henry Adams – all failed to serve in the Civil War. Whether or not they believed that they had turned their backs on their country, each made some excuse in his published work. The most notorious is Henry James's statement in Notes of a Son and Brother that ‘ a horrid even if an obscure hurt ’ had prevented him from volunteering to fight.
How is the lower urinary tract affected by gynaecological surgery

Prospective longitudinal studies where LUTS are evaluated before and after hysterectomy with a questionnaire should help to eliminate bias. In 209 patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy and supravaginal amputation, 10% had preoperative nocturia and dysuria, which was unchanged when assessed a year after surgery, suggesting little effect of surgery. In a separate study, 57% of women complained of LUTS before the procedure, which was significantly reduced by the intervention of hysterectomy [5,6], whereas an increase from 58% to 75% of patients with troublesome LUTS after hysterectomy was reported in another study [7]. Analysis of symptom questionnaires can be criticised because they are subjective; they depend on the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. There are many potential reasons to explain the discrepancy between different studies. Hysterectomy is a common operation and LUTS increase with age. The prevalence of both these conditions is high and may explain their apparent association. Common findings in patients after undergoing hysterectomy are haematoma, oedema and minor trauma to the bladder or urethra, possibly explaining the short duration of symptoms. Patients may often associate the onset of LUTS with the hysterectomy, as they remember a specific event such as an operation.
Identification of Antifungal Compounds Active against Candida albicans Using an Improved High-Throughput Caenorhabditis elegans Assay

Candida albicans, the most common human pathogenic fungus, can establish a persistent lethal infection in the intestine of the microscopic nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The C. elegans–C. albicans infection model was previously adapted to screen for antifungal compounds. Modifications to this screen have been made to facilitate a high-throughput assay including co-inoculation of nematodes with C. albicans and instrumentation allowing precise dispensing of worms into assay wells, eliminating two labor-intensive steps. This high-throughput method was utilized to screen a library of 3,228 compounds represented by 1,948 bioactive compounds and 1,280 small molecules derived via diversity-oriented synthesis. Nineteen compounds were identified that conferred an increase in C. elegans survival, including most known antifungal compounds within the chemical library. In addition to seven clinically used antifungal compounds, twelve compounds were identified which are not primarily used as antifungal agents, including three immunosuppressive drugs. This assay also allowed the assessment of the relative minimal inhibitory concentration, the effective concentration in vivo, and the toxicity of the compound in a single assay.
Narrow track recording in perpendicular thin film media

Narrow track recording in a double-layer perpendicular film medium is studied via micromagnetic modeling. A 3-D probe head field with a track width W=1.5 mu m is used for recording simulations. Recordings of multiple consecutive transitions are simulated. Edge transition patterns and edge overwrite properties are characterized. Simulated transition magnetization pattern at track edges turns towards to the head motion direction and extends to the next transition front. Edge overwrite is studied by simulating recording of a new track over a previously recorded track. It is found that the edges of the new track exhibit no separations with the overwritten track and the intertrack edge of newly recorded transitions is strongly modified by the previously written transitions. >
What Works After School? The Relationship Between After-School Program Quality, Program Attendance, and Academic Outcomes

This article examines the relationship between after-school program quality, program attendance, and academic outcomes for a sample of low-income after-school program participants. Regression and hierarchical linear modeling analyses use a unique longitudinal data set including 29 after-school programs that served 5,108 students in Grades 4 to 8 over 2 years. Program quality measures, based on activity observations, include supportive environment, opportunities for purposeful engagement, and structured interactions. Findings suggest that middle school students attend programs with greater purposeful engagement less often, while attendance for younger students is less sensitive to program quality. Greater purposeful engagement is associated with lower test scores for elementary and middle school students. In contrast, a more supportive environment and greater opportunities for structured interactions relate to improvements in test scores. Findings are discussed in light of ongoing policy debate regarding t...
Quartz tube atomizers for hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry: fate of free arsenic atoms

Abstract The effect of atomizer design, purge hydrogen flow rate and atomizer temperature on the sensitivity of arsenic in quartz tube atomizers was investigated. A variety of atomizers of two basic designs (externally heated or unheated flame-in-tube atomizers and externally heated “flameless” atomizers of different dimensions) were employed. The following conclusions have been drawn from the experiments and thermodynamic equilibrium calculations: factors influencing analyte transfer prior to atomization include surface temperature, atomizer dimension and gas flow; the decay of free analyte atoms is controlled by the pattern of gas flow; in a T-shaped atomizer, there is an important zone of turbulence in the junction, whereas a laminar flow pattern prevails in the remaining part of the tube; substantial decay takes place within the turbulent zone; and the decay in the laminar zone is significant only for low gas flow rate and in broader tubes. Decayed As species are volatile and can be completely reatomized in an additional flame downstream in the atomizer. They cannot be reatomized, however, in a heated atomizer without a separate oxygen inlet. Emerging possibilities for improvement of sensitivity and for a reduction of atomization interferences by optimizing the design of quartz tube atomizers are discussed.
Screening Colonoscopy and Risk for Incident Late-Stage Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis in Average-Risk Adults: A Nested Case–Control Study

The effectiveness of screening for colorectal cancer with colonoscopy in average-risk adults has not been defined in randomized trials. However, this observational study found that colonoscopy was ...
Harmonics in multiplicative and additive noise: performance analysis of cyclic estimators

Multiplicative noise causes smearing of spectral lines and thus hampers frequency estimation relying on conventional spectral analysis. In contrast, cyclic mean and correlation statistics have proved to be useful for harmonic retrieval in the presence of multiplicative and additive noise of arbitrary color and distribution. Performance analysis of cyclic estimators is carried through both for nonzero and zero mean multiplicative noises. Cyclic estimators are shown to be asymptotically equivalent to certain nonlinear least squares estimators, and are also compared with the maximum likelihood ones. Large sample variance expressions of the cyclic estimators are derived and compared with the corresponding Cramer-Rao bounds when the noises are white Gaussian. It is demonstrated that previously well established results on constant amplitude harmonics are special cases of the present analysis. Simulations not only validate the large sample performance analysis, but also provide concrete examples regarding relative statistical efficiency of the cyclic estimators. >
Cultural Commitment and the Counseling Preferences and Counselor Perceptions of Native American Women

Native American women (N = 218) living on a reservation were surveyed to assess their preferences for counselor sex, ethnicity, cultural awareness, counseling style, and commitment to Native American and Anglo-American cultures. Women generally preferred a counselor with the following attributes: female, ethnically similar, culturally sensitive, and used a nondirective counseling style. All these preferences, except for counseling style, were generally stronger for personal versus vocational problems and were stronger for women with high commitment to Native American culture. Written analogue portrayals depicted counselors in four combinations (Native American vs. Anglo, culturally sensitive vs. insensitive). The Native American/sensitive counselor was rated highest, with the Anglo/insensitive counselor rated lowest. The Anglo/sensitive counselor was preferred to the Native/insensitive counselor by women who strongly identified with Native American culture.
Inactivation of lysosomal proteases by oxidized low density lipoprotein is partially responsible for its poor degradation by mouse peritoneal macrophages.

Deficient processing of apo B in oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) by macrophage lysosomal proteases has been documented and attributed to modifications in apo B. We have investigated whether direct inactivation of lysosomal proteases by oxLDL could also be responsible for this deficient degradation. When mouse peritoneal macrophages(MPM) were preincubated for 21 h at 370C with ox-LDL, LDL, or vortex-aggregated LDL, only ox-LDL inhibited the subsequent degradation of '251-labeled forms of the above lipoproteins. Uptake of labeled lipoproteins was not appreciably affected by preincubation with ox-LDL, suggesting that the inhibition was at the level of lysosomal degradation. Thiol protease activity of cell extracts atpH 4.0, was reduced inMPM preincubated with ox-LDL relative to cells preincubated with LDL or medium alone. Extracts from untreated MPM, or mixtures of cathepsin B and D, showed a reduced ability to degrade '"I-LDL at pH 4.5 and reduced cathepsin B activity, after incubation with ox-LDL relative to incubation with LDL. Thus, the reduced degradation of lipoproteins inMPM pretreated with ox-LDL could be due to direct inactivation of the lysosomal protease, cathepsin B. (J. Clin. Invest. 1994.
Convergent diversity-oriented side-chain macrocyclization scan for unprotected polypeptides

Here we describe a general synthetic platform for side-chain macrocyclization of an unprotected peptide library based on the SNAr reaction between cysteine thiolates and a new generation of highly reactive perfluoroaromatic small molecule linkers. This strategy enabled us to simultaneously “scan” two cysteine residues positioned from i, i + 1 to i, i + 14 sites in a polypeptide, producing 98 macrocyclic products from reactions of 14 peptides with 7 linkers. A complementary reverse strategy was developed; cysteine residues within the polypeptide were first modified with non-bridging perfluoroaryl moieties and then commercially available dithiol linkers were used for macrocyclization. The highly convergent, site-independent, and modular nature of these two strategies coupled with the unique chemoselectivity of a SNAr transformation allows for the rapid diversity-oriented synthesis of hybrid macrocyclic peptide libraries with varied chemical and structural complexities.
Testing for a mass extinction without selecting taxa

Statistical inference about mass extinction events is commonly based on the pattern of fossil finds among a group of taxa. An important issue for existing methods is the selection of taxa for inclusion in the analysis. A common approach is to select taxa on the basis of the stratigraphic height of their uppermost finds. This approach creates a bias in favor of detecting a mass extinction event. This paper describes and illustrates an approach that avoids this problem.
Assault Victimization: A Comparative Analysis of the United States, the Netherlands, and England & Wales

Routine activities/lifestyles theories recognize the importance of opportunity, as it is related to victimization. Most of the research utilizing a routine activities/lifestyles theoretical framework has concentrated on populations in a single country, and results are inconsistent. Some research indicates that the relationship between daily activities and victimization is of prime importance, while other studies note demographic characteristics as proxies for lifestyle to best explain victimization. The utility of a routine activities/lifestyles approach to explain victimization is less clear within a crossnational scope. Additionally, much cross-national research is limited by the availability of comparable data on victimization. In this study, I examine the relationship between routine activities/lifestyles and assault victimization for respondents in the U.S., the Netherlands, and England and Wales. In this study, I utilize the International Crime Victimization Survey and the European Survey on Crime and Safety. The results indicate characteristics of assault victimization vary across the three countries. Moreover, the relationship between daily activities/lifestyles and victimization differs across the U.S., the Netherlands, and England and Wales.
Early Regulation of Profibrotic Genes in Primary Human Cardiac Myocytes by Trypanosoma cruzi

The molecular mechanisms of Trypanosoma cruzi induced cardiac fibrosis remains to be elucidated. Primary human cardiomyoctes (PHCM) exposed to invasive T. cruzi trypomastigotes were used for transcriptome profiling and downstream bioinformatic analysis to determine fibrotic-associated genes regulated early during infection process (0 to 120 minutes). The identification of early molecular host responses to T. cruzi infection can be exploited to delineate important molecular signatures that can be used for the classification of Chagasic patients at risk of developing heart disease. Our results show distinct gene network architecture with multiple gene networks modulated by the parasite with an incline towards progression to a fibrogenic phenotype. Early during infection, T. cruzi significantly upregulated transcription factors including activator protein 1 (AP1) transcription factor network components (including FOSB, FOS and JUNB), early growth response proteins 1 and 3 (EGR1, EGR3), and cytokines/chemokines (IL5, IL6, IL13, CCL11), which have all been implicated in the onset of fibrosis. The changes in our selected genes of interest did not all start at the same time point. The transcriptome microarray data, validated by quantitative Real-Time PCR, was also confirmed by immunoblotting and customized Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) array showing significant increases in the protein expression levels of fibrogenic EGR1, SNAI1 and IL 6. Furthermore, phosphorylated SMAD2/3 which induces a fibrogenic phenotype is also upregulated accompanied by an increased nuclear translocation of JunB. Pathway analysis of the validated genes and phospho-proteins regulated by the parasite provides the very early fibrotic interactome operating when T. cruzi comes in contact with PHCM. The interactome architecture shows that the parasite induces both TGF-β dependent and independent fibrotic pathways, providing an early molecular foundation for Chagasic cardiomyopathy. Examining the very early molecular events of T. cruzi cellular infection may provide disease biomarkers which will aid clinicians in patient assessment and identification of patient subpopulation at risk of developing Chagasic cardiomyopathy.
The novel ketamine analog methoxetamine produces dissociative-like behavioral effects in rodents.

Methoxetamine (MXE) is a ketamine analog sold online that has been subject to widespread abuse for its dissociative and hallucinogenic effects. Previous studies have shown that MXE has high affinity for the phencyclidine (PCP) binding site located within the channel pore of the NMDA receptor (NMDAR), but little is known about its behavioral effects. Dissociative anesthetics such as ketamine and PCP produce a characteristic behavioral profile in rats that includes locomotor hyperactivity and disruption of prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle. The goal of the present investigation was to determine whether MXE produces PCP-like effects in Sprague-Dawley rats using the PPI paradigm and the behavioral pattern monitor (BPM), which enables analyses of patterns of locomotor activity and investigatory behavior. PPI studies were conducted with several other uncompetitive NMDAR antagonists that produce dissociative effects in humans, including PCP, the S-(+) and R-(−) isomers of ketamine, and N-allylnormetazocine (NANM; SKF-10,047). MXE disrupted PPI when administered at 3 and 10 mg/kg SC. The rank order of potency of MXE and the other test compounds in the PPI paradigm (PCP > MXE > S-(+)-ketamine > NANM > R-(−)-ketamine) parallels their affinities for the PCP binding site reported in the literature. When tested in the BPM, 10 mg/kg MXE induced locomotor hyperactivity, reduced the number of rearings, increased the roughness of locomotor paths, and produced perseverative patterns of locomotion. Administration of PCP (2.25 and 6.75 mg/kg, SC) produced a similar profile of effects in the BPM. These results indicate that MXE produces a behavioral profile similar to that of other psychotomimetic uncompetitive NMDAR antagonists. Our findings support the classification of MXE as a dissociative drug and suggest that it likely has effects and abuse potential similar to that of PCP and ketamine.
Molecular Control of Flower Development

The last decade has been an exciting period in plant molecular biology in general and in molecular studies of flower development in particular. The isolation of the first floral meristem identity and floral homeotic genes of Arabidopsis in the late 1980s—early ‘80s opened the way to in-depth studies of molecular aspects of floral development (Bowman et al., 1989; Coen et al., 1990; Sommer et al., 1990; Yanofsky et al., 1990). These investigations have led to insights into inflorescence and flower development in higher eudicotyledonous flowering plants, using mainly the predominant model of Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress). The abundance of mutants, a relatively small genome, and easy transformation procedures have made this small plant a primary tool of modern plant biology. Among the ornamentals, Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon) and Petunia hybrida (petunia) are the best-characterized plants at the molecular level. As far as is known, flower development in these species follows genetic principles and mechanisms similar to those in Arabidopsis, although some differences exist in the details at the molecular level, and will be discussed later.
Accurate and Efficient Quantum Chemistry Calculations for Noncovalent Interactions in Many-Body Systems: The XSAPT Family of Methods

We present an overview of “XSAPT”, a family of quantum chemistry methods for noncovalent interactions. These methods combine an efficient, iterative, monomer-based approach to computing many-body polarization interactions with a two-body version of symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT). The result is an efficient method for computing accurate intermolecular interaction energies in large noncovalent assemblies such as molecular and ionic clusters, molecular crystals, clathrates, or protein–ligand complexes. As in traditional SAPT, the XSAPT energy is decomposable into physically meaningful components. Dispersion interactions are problematic in traditional low-order SAPT, and two new approaches are introduced here in an attempt to improve this situation: (1) third-generation empirical atom–atom dispersion potentials, and (2) an empirically scaled version of second-order SAPT dispersion. Comparison to high-level ab initio benchmarks for dimers, water clusters, halide–water clusters, a methane clathrate...
Hole removal rate limits photodriven H2 generation efficiency in CdS-Pt and CdSe/CdS-Pt semiconductor nanorod-metal tip heterostructures.

Semiconductor–metal nanoheterostructures, such as CdSe/CdS dot-in-rod nanorods with a Pt tip at one end (or CdSe/CdS-Pt), are promising materials for solar-to-fuel conversion because they allow rational integration of a light absorber, hole acceptor, and electron acceptor or catalyst in an all-inorganic triadic heterostructure as well as systematic control of relative energetics and spatial arrangement of the functional components. To provide design principles of such triadic nanorods, we examined the photocatalytic H2 generation quantum efficiency and the rates of elementary charge separation and recombination steps of CdSe/CdS-Pt and CdS-Pt nanorods. We showed that the steady-state H2 generation quantum efficiencies (QEs) depended sensitively on the electron donors and the nanorods. Using ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, we determined that the electron transfer efficiencies to the Pt tip were near unity for both CdS and CdSe/CdS nanorods. Hole transfer rates to the electron donor, measured b...
Argument for esophageal cancer screening in high risk U.S. populations.

Because cancer of the esophagus is usually recognized late in its course, treatment is often ineffective. Detection at an early stage has been associated with a more favorable prognosis. Occult blood bead detection and balloon-mesh cytology are reviewed for their effectiveness in mass screening. Screening high prevalence populations by one of these methods may help to lower the high mortality of the disease.
Abstract 723: Distinguishing macrophages by a unique gene signature to measure response to treatment

Objectives: Tumor-associated macrophage infiltration is associated with poor prognosis, making macrophage depletion an ideal therapy. This study aims to identify a macrophage-specific gene signature to quantify macrophage content and measure response to treatment of high-grade serous cancer (HGSC) with colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitor. Methods: 39 murine genes were identified in the literature as being macrophage-specific. Corresponding human orthologous genes were identified using BioMart database. Expression levels (log-transformed normalized RSEM values) of human homologous genes were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) portal. Principal component (PC) and hierarchical clustering (HC) analysis of 305 primary HGSC was performed. Q-PCR was performed on human macrophage cell line, endothelial cell line, and fibroblast cell line. Q-PCR was also performed on tumor tissue obtained from CD57Bl/6 mice injected with murine ovarian cancer and treated with CSF1R inhibitor. Results: 37 human homologous genes were identified for the macrophage specific murine genes. Of the 37 genes, 12 tracked together tightly and included the top 3 genes with greatest median absolute deviance of RSEM values, thus were chosen for further analysis. Q-PCR using human macrophage cell line revealed high expression in all 12 genes (delta CT Conclusions: These data suggest that macrophage specific genes could be useful for quantifying macrophage content in tumor samples to monitor therapy-related changes. Citation Format: Yasmin A. Lyons, Sunila Pradeep, Jean M. Hansen, Rebecca A. Previs, Hui Yao, Keith A. Baggerly, Anil K. Sood. Distinguishing macrophages by a unique gene signature to measure response to treatment. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 723.
An Examination of the Effects of Behavioral Variables and Employee Characteristics on the Salesperson’s Propensity to Quit

The present research examines the effects of personal, psychological, and job-related factors on propensity to quit. The research provides the foundation for the development of a profile of "high PQ" candidates. Our results fail to support the existence of several attitu-dinal variables thought to be predictors of PQ. The findings may be useful in predicting PQ levels much earlier in a sales career and from less complex variables. These findings hold implications for sales management researchers and human resource/personnel managers.
ID4 promotes AR expression and blocks tumorigenicity of PC3 prostate cancer cells.

Deregulation of tumor suppressor genes is associated with tumorigenesis and the development of cancer. In prostate cancer, ID4 is epigenetically silenced and acts as a tumor suppressor. In normal prostate epithelial cells, ID4 collaborates with androgen receptor (AR) and p53 to exert its tumor suppressor activity. Previous studies have shown that ID4 promotes tumor suppressive function of AR whereas loss of ID4 results in tumor promoter activity of AR. Previous study from our lab showed that ectopic ID4 expression in DU145 attenuates proliferation and promotes AR expression suggesting that ID4 dependent AR activity is tumor suppressive. In this study, we examined the effect of ectopic expression of ID4 on highly malignant prostate cancer cell, PC3. Here we show that stable overexpression of ID4 in PC3 cells leads to increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation and migration. In addition, in vivo studies showed a decrease in tumor size and volume of ID4 overexpressing PC3 cells, in nude mice. At the molecular level, these changes were associated with increased androgen receptor (AR), p21, and AR dependent FKBP51 expression. At the mechanistic level, ID4 may regulate the expression or function of AR through specific but yet unknown AR co-regulators that may determine the final outcome of AR function.
Testing a Brief Substance Misuse Preventive Intervention for Parents of Pre-Adolescents: Feasibility, Acceptability, Preliminary Efficacy

Evidence-based interventions to reduce substance misuse among adolescents are resource and time intensive. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate a novel, adaptable, and resource-efficient substance misuse preventive intervention for parents/guardians, focusing on talking with children about substance use and eating family meals. We randomized 70 parents of children in third-through-sixth grades within a large, urban public school system in New England to the intervention or control condition. Over a 6-month follow-up period, we assessed feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and examined frequency of parent–child conversations about alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs, and frequency and duration of family meals. A total of 29 parents were assigned to the intervention and 35 to the control condition. The intervention was found to be feasible and acceptable to participants as evidenced by high recruitment and retention rates and positive feedback from qualitative exit interviews. At 3-month and 6-month follow up, 64.3 % and 44.5 % of parents in the intervention condition were talking “a lot” to their children about alcohol, compared to 8.7 % and 8.7 % of the parents in the control condition, respectively (p < 0.01 and p = 0.03). Patterns in frequency and duration of family meals between the two conditions were not significantly different over time. In conclusion, a higher percentage of parents randomized to the intervention condition spoke with their children about alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs, but the frequency and duration of meals was not impacted. Further testing of the brief intervention with a larger sample to assess efficacy is warranted.
Β3-Integrin expression reduces ovarian cancer proliferation and metastasis

C37 Ovarian cancer is characterized by tumor cell proliferation and metastasis within the peritoneal cavity. It involves a regulated process of ovarian cancer cell adhesion and invasion into the mesothelial surface of all organs within the peritoneal cavity. This process involves integrins, which are cell surface glycoproteins that allow for cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. The role of β3-integrin in human ovarian cancer cell metastasis was studied in vitro using a 3-dimensional (3D) cell attachment/invasion model simulating the human omental microenvironment, composed of primary human fibroblasts overlaid with human omental mesothelial cells. SKOV3ip.1 ovarian cancer cells were stably transfected with β3-integrin and higher expression of β3-integrin in transfected cells was confirmed by Western blot analysis. We found that β3-expressing cells were more adhesive and less invasive on full thickness human omentum, peritoneum and the 3D culture compared to control transfected cells. In vivo assessment of relative metastatic potential was carried out in nude mice by intra-peritoneal injection of β3-integrin overexpressing and control transfected cells. Mice were sacrificed 32days after intraperitoneal injection, and the tumors were counted and collected. Tumor weight and number of tumors were significantly less in cells expressing β3-integrin as compared to the control group. To investigate the mechanism involved, we studied the proliferation rate of SKOV3ip.1 cells and found that the control SKOV3ip.1 cells had a higher proliferation rate compared to cells expressing β3-integrin. The effect of β3-integrin expression on cell cycle was studied by staining the cells with propidium iodide (PI) and observing the different phases of cell cycle by flow cytometry. β3-integrin expressing cells were equivalent in number to control SKOV3ip1 cells in S, and G1 phases of cell cycle, however less cells were in the G2 phase. The effect of β3-integrin expression on apoptosis was studied by caspase-3 western blot analysis and we found that caspase-3 was up-regulated in cells expressing β3-integrin. Taken together these results indicate that a reduced growth rate of β3-integrin expressing cells is due to G2/M-phase cell cycle arrest and/or higher rate of apoptosis. These studies suggest that expression of β3-integrin decreases ovarian cancer invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo through a reduction in cell proliferation.
IN‐VEHICLE HEALTH AND WELLNESS

This chapter provides a detailed overview of the in‐vehicle technology enablers for health and wellness (HW focuses on the technical challenges for implementing in‐vehicle H&W products and services. The automotive industry is expanding beyond the traditional concerns of cars and transportation into personalized ownership experiences that would enhance the connected lifestyle of its customers. One of the major challenges for the automotive industry in the 1990s was the rapid growth of electronics features. Built‐in technologies are enabled through hardware the automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) built into their vehicles, such as the onboard spoken dialog system or the embedded modem that allows the vehicle to connect to the internet directly. Beamed‐in products and services are enabled through harnessing the power of cloud computing and data storage by leveraging the connectivity brought in by consumer devices or by a secure embedded connectivity platform.
Complementary and alternative medicine education in U.S. schools and colleges of pharmacy.

Abstract Introduction The objective of this survey is to provide an update on the state of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) education and describe instructional and assessment methods across schools and colleges of pharmacy. Methods One hundred thirty-five schools of pharmacy were contacted to participate in a survey describing the incorporation of CAM education into their respective curricula. The survey also inquired about perceived barriers and future plans for CAM-related courses. Results Ninety-six schools responded to the survey (71.1%), with all schools reporting that CAM is incorporated into the curriculum. Topics covered, teaching strategies, and assessment methods varied among the 74 elective and 116 required courses described. Respondents listed lack of evidence to support CAM use as the most common barrier to CAM education, and 50% of respondents reported plans for expansion of CAM education at their schools. Conclusions CAM education in pharmacy curricula has grown over the last decade, but remains varied in topics taught and teaching methods.
Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Colonic Organoids via Transient Activation of BMP Signaling.

Gastric and small intestinal organoids differentiated from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have revolutionized the study of gastrointestinal development and disease. Distal gut tissues such as cecum and colon, however, have proved considerably more challenging to derive in vitro. Here we report the differentiation of human colonic organoids (HCOs) from hPSCs. We found that BMP signaling is required to establish a posterior SATB2+ domain in developing and postnatal intestinal epithelium. Brief activation of BMP signaling is sufficient to activate a posterior HOX code and direct hPSC-derived gut tube cultures into HCOs. In vitro, HCOs express colonic markers and contained colon-specific cell populations. Following transplantation into mice, HCOs undergo morphogenesis and maturation to form tissue that exhibits molecular, cellular, and morphologic properties of human colon. Together these data show BMP-dependent patterning of human hindgut into HCOs, which will be valuable for studying diseases including colitis and colon cancer.
Suicidal ideation declines with improvement in the subjective symptoms of major depression.

Abstract Background Suicidal ideation appears to be more strongly associated with subjective rather than neurovegetative symptoms of depression. Effective treatment, then, should produce reductions in suicidal ideation to the degree that these subjective symptoms are alleviated relative to treatment effects on other symptoms. Methods In a randomized clinical trial comparing paroxetine and bupropion for treatment of depression in patients with either suicidal ideation or past attempt, depression severity and suicidal ideation were assessed weekly during the 8-week study. Depression rating scales - the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HDRS] and the Beck Depression Scale [BDI] - were decomposed into symptom clusters based on our published factor analyses, and their change over time compared to changes on the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation [SSI]. Results Improvement in factor scores associated with subjective symptoms of depression - HDRS Psychic Depression, BDI Subjective Depression, and BDI Self-Blame - were the best predictors of declining scores on the SSI regardless of type of drug treatment. BDI Subjective Depression was the best single predictor in the context of all other significant univariate predictors, accounting for 31.4% of the variance in the change in SSI. The three factors together accounted for 35.3%. Limitations This is a secondary analysis of clinical trial data, with fixed treatments. Conclusions Effective treatments to reduce suicidal ideation are associated with the reduction of the subjective symptoms of depression, which may not always decline in synchrony with improvement in neurovegetative symptoms. This asynchrony may result in a period of elevated risk after the initiation of therapy. Data indicate that subjective depression symptoms should be a primary target in the treatment of depressed suicidal patients.
Qualitative Controlled Feedback for Forming Group Judgments and Making Decisions

Abstract We present a new methodology for helping members of a group arrive at carefully reasoned value judgments or decisions. The new procedure, called qualitative controlled feedback, presents each group member with a common question; each member is asked independently for both an answer to the question and for reasons which he feels justify his answer. An intermediary collects all stated reasons and informs all group members of the composite of reasons (but not of the answers). The question is presented to the group members independently again, and the process is repeated until the individual judgments stabilize.
A Flatfile of Ground Motion Intensity Measurements from Induced Earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas

We have produced a uniformly processed database of orientation-independent (RotD50, RotD100) ground motion intensity measurements containing peak horizontal ground motions (accelerations and veloci...
Characterizing Phage Genomes for Therapeutic Applications

Multi-drug resistance is increasing at alarming rates. The efficacy of phage therapy, treating bacterial infections with bacteriophages alone or in combination with traditional antibiotics, has been demonstrated in emergency cases in the United States and in other countries, however remains to be approved for wide-spread use in the US. One limiting factor is a lack of guidelines for assessing the genomic safety of phage candidates. We present the phage characterization workflow used by our team to generate data for submitting phages to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for authorized use. Essential analysis checkpoints and warnings are detailed for obtaining high-quality genomes, excluding undesirable candidates, rigorously assessing a phage genome for safety and evaluating sequencing contamination. This workflow has been developed in accordance with community standards for high-throughput sequencing of viral genomes as well as principles for ideal phages used for therapy. The feasibility and utility of the pipeline is demonstrated on two new phage genomes that meet all safety criteria. We propose these guidelines as a minimum standard for phages being submitted to the FDA for review as investigational new drug candidates.
An Evidence-Based Course at U.C. Berkeley on Religious and Spiritual Factors in Public Health

This chapter describes a compact (9 week, 18 hour) evidence-based course on religious/spiritual (R/S) factors and public health that has been offered with success for nearly a decade at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health. We describe a logical sequence of topics and readings that convey the public health importance and key ideas of the R/S-health field, while maintaining respectful stance toward diverse student beliefs. Weekly readings initially focus on (1) conceptual introductions; (2) examples of empirical health research on religious involvement; and (3) examples of empirical health research on spiritual practices. Attention then turns to (4) mechanisms underlying R/S-health effects, (5) weighing the evidence through meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and in other ways, (6) clinical applications, (7) public health applications, and finally (8) worldviews and science/religion dialogue. Pedagogy, assignments, grading, and student reactions are discussed, along with the role that similar courses might play in school-level strategies for teaching about religious/spiritual factors and public health.
Interpersonal Pain Dynamics in Couples: Interactions Between Spouses’ Physical Health Predict Caregiver Outcomes

Pain is a private experience which patients may express through verbal or behavioral means. The communication of such suffering can result in the individual’s pain potentially becoming a social stressor. Patients’ verbal or nonverbal pain behaviors may elicit social support from others, frequently including their spouse. In high quality marriages, spouses engage in shared efforts to cope with the stress of one partner’s painful condition. However, prior research on the interpersonal dynamics of pain among couples has focused on the impact of one partner’s health condition while ignoring the potential that both spouses may be coping with a chronic health condition. Congruence frequently occurs between marital partners in respect to health behaviors and diagnoses. Herein, the interactions between the physical health of 101 older women with osteoarthritis and their caregiving husbands are considered. Results illustrate significant interactions between spouses’ physical health, which predict the behavior and mental health of the caregiving spouse. Further, husbands’ provision of emotional support and depressive symptoms are influenced by actor effects, while provision of instrumental support and life satisfaction are associated with partner effects. Therefore, future research on interpersonal dynamics of pain within married couples should consider the health status of both spouses.
The Sun Is a Gas

The sun is a ball of gas—a special kind of gas to be sure. It is so hot in some regions in the interior that the atoms have come apart completely to form a state of matter known as a plasma—an electrically charged gas. To understand the physical processes that cause stars, like the sun, to shine and to understand how and why stars evolve, we must learn something about the behavior of gases. A quantity that is quite useful in describing the state of a fluid (gas or liquid) is the pressure. We define the average pressure p ona small area ΔA in a fluid as (ΔF)⊥, the component of the force exerted perpendicular to the area, divided by the area,
Evidence for Copper Dimers in Low-Loaded CuOx/SiO2 Catalysts for Cyclohexane Oxidative Dehydrogenation

Copper oxide catalysts supported on KIT-6 silica were evaluated for cyclohexane oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) to determine the effects of copper oxide domain size on ODH activity and selectivity. The catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation of KIT-6 at copper surface densities spanning 0.01–0.7 Cu/nm2 with carefully controlled drying and calcination conditions to systematically vary the average local copper oxide domain size. A distinct copper oxide active site exhibiting an order of magnitude higher activity than large copper oxide domains was identified by model cyclohexane ODH studies coupled with in situ X-ray absorption and UV–visible spectroscopies during reduction in H2. The structure of this site is experimentally identified by a combination of extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis, resonant Raman studies, and modeling by density functional theory. All constraints imposed by these techniques indicate the active site is a mono(μ-oxo)dicopper(II) structure with copper ...
Voltage effects on muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-mediated contractions of airway smooth muscle

Studies have shown that the activity of muscarinic receptors and their affinity to agonists are sensitive to membrane potential. It was reported that in airway smooth muscle (ASM) depolarization evoked by high K+ solution increases contractility through direct effects on M3 muscarinic receptors. In this study, we assessed the physiological relevance of voltage sensitivity of muscarinic receptors on ASM contractility. Our findings reveal that depolarization by high K+ solution induces contraction in intact mouse trachea predominantly through activation of acetylcholine release from embedded nerves, and to a lesser extent by direct effects on M3 receptors. We therefore devised a pharmacological approach to depolarize tissue to various extents in an organ bath preparation, and isolate contraction due exclusively to ASM muscarinic receptors within range of physiological voltages. Our results indicate that unliganded muscarinic receptors do not contribute to contraction regardless of voltage. Utilizing low K+ solution to hyperpolarize membrane potentials during contractions had no effect on liganded muscarinic receptor-evoked contractions, although it eliminated the contribution of voltage-gated calcium channels. However, we found that muscarinic signaling was potentiated by at least 42% at depolarizing voltages (average -12 mV) induced by high K+ solution (20 mmol/L K+ ). In summary, we conclude that contractions evoked by direct activation of muscarinic receptors have negligible sensitivity to physiological voltages. However, contraction activated by cholinergic stimulation can be potentiated by membrane potentials occurring beyond the physiological range of ASM.
Audio-Only Character Narration Overcoming Resistance to Narrative Persuasion

Using an entertainment overcoming resistance framework, a posttest-only randomized experimental design demonstrated that, compared to no audio-only character narration (n = 57), audio-only characte...
Stability of organic permeable base transistors

Organic Permeable Base Transistors (OPBTs) reach a very high transit frequency and large on-state currents. However, for a later commercial application of this technology, a high operational stability is essential as well. Here, the stability of OPBTs during continuous cycling and during base bias stress is discussed. It is observed that the threshold voltage of these transistors shifts toward more positive base voltages if stressed by applying a constant potential to the base electrode for prolonged times. With the help of a 2D device simulation, it is proposed that the observed instabilities are due to charges that are trapped on top of an oxide layer formed around the base electrode. These charges are thermally released after removing the stress, and the device reaches its initial performance after around 24–48 h.Organic Permeable Base Transistors (OPBTs) reach a very high transit frequency and large on-state currents. However, for a later commercial application of this technology, a high operational stability is essential as well. Here, the stability of OPBTs during continuous cycling and during base bias stress is discussed. It is observed that the threshold voltage of these transistors shifts toward more positive base voltages if stressed by applying a constant potential to the base electrode for prolonged times. With the help of a 2D device simulation, it is proposed that the observed instabilities are due to charges that are trapped on top of an oxide layer formed around the base electrode. These charges are thermally released after removing the stress, and the device reaches its initial performance after around 24–48 h.