cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genome-wide effects of social status on DNA methylation in the brain of a cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni

Successful social behavior requires real-time integration of information about the environment, internal physiology, and past experience. The molecular substrates of this integration are poorly understood, but likely modulate neural plasticity and gene regulation. In the cichlid fish species Astatotilapia burtoni, male social status can shift rapidly depending on the environment, causing fast behavioral modifications and a cascade of changes in gene transcription, the brain, and the reproductive system. These changes can be permanent but are also reversible, implying the involvement of a robust but flexible mechanism that regulates plasticity based on internal and external conditions. One candidate mechanism is DNA methylation, which has been linked to social behavior in many species, including A. burtoni. But, the extent of its effects after A. burtoni social change were previously unknown. We performed the first genome-wide search for DNA methylation patterns associated with social status in the brains of male A. burtoni, identifying hundreds of Differentially Methylated genomic Regions (DMRs) in dominant versus non-dominant fish. Most DMRs were inside genes supporting neural development, synapse function, and other processes relevant to neural plasticity, and DMRs could affect gene expression in multiple ways. DMR genes were more likely to be transcription factors, have a duplicate elsewhere in the genome, have an anti-sense lncRNA, and have more splice variants than other genes. Dozens of genes had multiple DMRs that were often seemingly positioned to regulate specific splice variants. Our results revealed genome-wide effects of A. burtoni social status on DNA methylation in the brain and strongly suggest a role for methylation in modulating plasticity across multiple biological levels. They also suggest many novel hypotheses to address in mechanistic follow-up studies, and will be a rich resource for identifying the relationships between behavioral, neural, and transcriptional plasticity in the context of social status.
Summer-Time Carbon and Water Fluxes in Sagebrush Ecosystems Spanning Rain- to Snow-Dominated Precipitation Regimes

Abstract Sagebrush ecosystems consist of different communities of species and subspecies of sagebrush marked by distinct ecotones along elevation gradients, yet few studies have quantified how ecosystem-scale carbon dioxide (net ecosystem exchange, NEE) and water fluxes (evapotranspiration, ET), as well as their environmental drivers, vary among communities dominated by different sub/species of sagebrush at daily and seasonal time scales. To address this knowledge gap, we measured daytime (6 a.m.–6 p.m.) NEE and ET using a tent chamber and associated environmental drivers in three sagebrush communities spanning an elevation gradient of 1 425–2 111 m at the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory in southwestern Idaho. Daytime NEE and ET were greatest at the highest elevation (snow-dominated) site during the study period except NEE in June. By late summer, NEE declined by > 80% at the lower (rain-dominated) sites but only 50% at the highest site, compared with maximal values in June. In contrast, ET declined ∼95% in late summer compared with June at all three sites. Ecosystem-scale NEE and ET were mainly controlled by soil moisture and vapor pressure deficit at the rain-dominated sites and by deep soil moisture and air temperature at the snow-dominated site. Cumulative (June−August) modeled daytime NEE was greatest at the midelevation site, whereas cumulative daytime ET was greatest at the highest-elevation site. Ecosystem models often assume that sagebrush landscapes are homogeneous and do not differ in fluxes and controls, yet our data demonstrate that there are fundamental differences in CO2 and water fluxes and their controls among different shrub communities that should be accounted for in these models.
Weak convergence and weak compactness in the space of integrable functions with respect to a vector meansure

We consider weak convergence and weak compactness in the space L1(m) of real valued integrable functions with respect to a Banach space calued measure m equipped with its natural norm. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for a sequence in L1(m) to be weak Cauchy, and we give necessary and sufficient conditions for a subset of L1(m) to be conditionally sequentially weakly compact.
Health-Related Quality of Life and Health Literacy among Mexican American and Black American Youth in a Southern Border State

Among adults, health literacy and health-related quality of life are highly correlated constructs that are associated with tangible health outcomes. While the connection between these concepts and health outcomes among youth is still unclear, studying these factors among at-risk adolescent populations can provide researchers, policy-creators, and educators a quantifiable summary of the challenge they face in their efforts to reduce health disparities. The purpose of this study was to better understand the health of minority youth living in a Southern state near the US-Mexico border. Specifically, we sought to describe their health literacy and health-related quality of life, and identify how those concepts may be interrelated. Results indicated that our sample of primarily Mexican American and Black American youth living along the US-Mexico border may be struggling more than other known high-risk groups in terms of health literacy and health-related quality of life. Practical implications for families, schools, and border communities are discussed.
Surgical tray reduction for cost saving in pediatric surgical cases: A qualitative systematic review.

Abstract Background Standardization of surgical instrument trays and doctor preference cards (DPC) are known to reduce the cost of adult surgical cases. The practice in pediatric surgery may be more complex owing to a wide range of patient age, leading to difficulty with practice implementation and loss of potential financial savings, which underscore the importance of the review of this topic. Methods A systematic review of pediatric surgical tray standardization and cost-effectiveness was performed. Original and review articles from 2000 to 2018 were extracted from MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, Cinahl, Cochrane, and an electronic search through Scopus. After screening by inclusion and exclusion criteria, articles were selected and reviewed. Results Five articles were included. On average, discontinuation of disposable instruments and standardization of equipment resulted in a removal of 40%–70% of surgical instruments per set. This yielded a cost savings of 20% (an average US $200), with no intraoperative complications or perceived safety issues. Conclusions Standardization of operating room (OR) doctor preference cards (DPC) and surgical instrument trays in pediatric surgical cases result in lower operative supply costs without impacting OR time or safety. Level of evidence Level 3.
Scholarly Communications Training: Professional Development for the Next Generation of Scholars

Many campuses are seeing increased needs for support in scholarly communications areas such as open access, research identity management, scholarship metrics, and related topics. This article discu...
3D RNA nanocage for encapsulation and shielding of hydrophobic biomolecules to improve the in vivo biodistribution

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) nanotechnology platforms have the potential of harboring therapeutics for in vivo delivery in disease treatment. However, the nonspecific interaction between the harbored hydrophobic drugs and cells or other components before reaching the diseased site has been an obstacle in drug delivery. Here we report an encapsulation strategy to prevent such nonspecific hydrophobic interactions in vitro and in vivo based on a self-assembled three-dimensional (3D) RNA nanocage. By placing an RNA three-way junction (3WJ) in the cavity of the nanocage, the conjugated hydrophobic molecules were specifically positioned within the nanocage, preventing their exposure to the biological environment. The assembly of the nanocages was characterized by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) imaging. The stealth effect of the nanocage for hydrophobic molecules in vitro was evaluated by gel electrophoresis, flow cytometry, and confocal microscopy. The in vivo sheathing effect of the nanocage for hydrophobic molecules was assessed by biodistribution profiling in mice. The RNA nanocages with hydrophobic biomolecules underwent faster clearance in liver and spleen in comparison to their counterparts. Therefore, this encapsulation strategy holds promise for in vivo delivery of hydrophobic drugs for disease treatment.
Life Stressors: Elevations and Disparities Among Older Adults with Pain

Objective To examine stressor elevations among older adults with pain, and gender and race disparities in the dual burdens of late-life pain and stressors. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Community. Subjects Participants in the Longitudinal Late-Life Health study (LLLH; N = 1,884) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 7,704). Methods Pain and stressor measures were harmonized across the LLLH and HRS samples. Analyses of covariance were conducted to determine the effects of older adults' pain, gender, race, and interactions between these factors, on their stressors in nine separate life domains, and in stressors overall. Results In both the LLLH and HRS samples, older adults with painful conditions (joint, back, headache, chest pain), more numerous painful conditions, more severe pain, and more pain interference had elevated stressors in all life domains, compared with older adults without or with less serious pain. Pain was more prevalent among women and nonwhites than men and whites. Stressor exposure was higher for men than women in most life domains; it was higher for nonwhites than whites in all life domains. For certain types of pain and life domains, pain and gender, as well as pain and race, interacted to predict stressor elevations. Conclusions Late-life pain is associated with elevations in stressors, and there are gender and race disparities in the dual burdens of heightened pain and elevated stressors in later life. Pain and stressors are not consistently more strongly linked among older women than older men, or among older nonwhite than older white persons.
Escaping Two Dictators: Czechoslovakian Intelligence Defectors from the New Communist Regime, 1948-1949

The Soviet-sponsored communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in February 1948 prompted hundreds of government officials to seek opportunities to escape or to remain abroad. Among those who sought oppo...
Abstract GS1-08: The MYC oncogene suppresses tumor immune infiltration and function which is reversible with combinatorial immunotherapies

Immunotherapy has great potential to improve outcomes for breast cancer patients. Yet, deciding on how to rationally combine therapeutic agents and predict patient populations who would benefit remains challenging. Less than 20% of patients with metastatic breast cancer respond to current immunotherapy regiments, further demonstrating the need for research in this area. We postulate that oncogene activation leads to immune-related vulnerabilities which can be exploited to discover new immunotherapy combinations with improved efficacy. MYC is an oncogene that is frequently overexpressed in the majority of triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs), and is frequently found in disease recurrence, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. Despite the association of MYC with poor patient outcome, little is known about how MYC facilitates immune evasion in TNBC. Using TNBC patient datasets from the TCGA, we discovered that the MYC gene signature is anti-correlated with T-cell activation signatures and a subset of genes that regulate antigen processing and presentation with MHC-I. We further examined the effects of MYC using a MYC-driven mammary tumor mouse model (MTB-TOM). MYC activation leads to downregulation of MHC-I expression on tumor cells, poor CD8+ T cell infiltration and consequently poor response to anti-PD-L1 monotherapy. We demonstrate three methods to improve response to immunotherapy—by inactivation of MYC, by inducing an interferon response within the breast tumor, or by inducing MYC tumor synthetic lethality with a small molecule inhibitor of PIM kinases. Using these combination immunotherapy strategies, we observed that a majority of animals eradicated their breast tumors and demonstrated a durable anti-tumor response following subsequent tumor re-challenge. Our data suggest MYC is an indicator of whether a breast cancer patient will respond to immunotherapy. Analysis of the MYC gene signature as a predictor of patient response to pembrolizumab in combination with paclitaxel followed by AC in the neoadjuvant I-SPY 2 trial is on-going and will be presented. Our study is the first to describe oncogenic MYC downregulation of MHC-I in a TNBC model of breast cancer and to demonstrate translatable approaches to overcome MYC orchestrated immune evasion. Citation Format: Joyce V Lee, Filomena Housley, Christina Yau, Golzar Hemmati, Yibing Zhang, Susan Samson, Carole Baas, Hope Rugo, Mehrdad Matloubian, Andrei Goga. The MYC oncogene suppresses tumor immune infiltration and function which is reversible with combinatorial immunotherapies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr GS1-08.
Hyperlipasemia in absence of acute pancreatitis is associated with elevated D-dimer and adverse outcomes in COVID 19 disease.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 affects multiple organs. Studies have reported mild elevations of lipase levels of unclear significance. Our study aims to determine the outcomes in patients with COVID-19 and hyperlipasemia, and whether correlation with D-dimer levels explains the effect on outcomes. METHODS: Case-control study from two large tertiary care health systems, of patients with COVID-19 disease admitted between March 1 and May 1, 2020 who had lipase levels recorded. Data analyzed to study primary outcomes of mortality, length of stay (LOS) and intensive care utilization in hyperlipasemia patients, and correlation with D-dimer and outcomes. RESULTS: 992 out of 5597 COVID-19 patients had lipase levels, of which 429 (43%) had hyperlipasemia. 152 (15%) patients had a lipase > 3x ULN, with clinical pancreatitis in 2 patients. Hyperlipasemia had a higher mortality than normal lipase patients (32% vs. 23%, OR = 1.6,95%CI = 1.2-2.1, P = 0.002). In subgroup analysis, hyperlipasemia patients had significantly worse LOS (11vs.15 days, P = 0.01), ICU admission rates (44% vs. 66%,OR = 2.5,95%CI = 1.3-5.0,P = 0.008), ICU LOS (12vs.19 days,P = 0.01), mechanical ventilation rates (34% vs. 55%,OR = 2.4,95%CI = 1.3-4.8,P = 0.01), and durations of mechanical ventilation (14 vs. 21 days, P = 0.008). Hyperlipasemia patients were more likely to have a D-dimer value in the highest two quartiles, and had increased mortality (59% vs. 15%,OR = 7.2,95%CI = 4.5-11,P < 0.001) and LOS (10vs.7 days,P < 0.001) compared to those with normal lipase and lower D-dimer levels. CONCLUSION: There is high prevalence of hyperlipasemia without clinical pancreatitis in COVID-19 disease. Hyperlipasemia was associated with higher mortality and ICU utilization, possibly explained by elevated D-dimer.
Knowledge of Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus Among Women Who Are Pregnant or Intend to Become Pregnant, Arizona, 2017.

ObjectivesLevels of knowledge about the sexual transmission of Zika virus are consistently low in populations at risk of a mosquito-borne outbreak, including among women of childbearing age and wom...
Profitability and Resource Use Efficiency in Cassava Production: Evidence from Delta State, Nigeria

Cassava has played and continues to play an outstanding role. The country's failure to meet current demand has been due to the efficiency of farmers' use of resources. The study examined resource use efficiency in cassava production. Data from 120 cassava producers were carefully chosen using random sampling procedure. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression model were applied to analyze the data. The results disclosed that the greater part of the growers were female with mean age of 45 years, educated and married. The mean household size was 6 persons with mean farming experience of 16 years. Majority of the producers belong to farming association. The result of cost and returns shows that the total production cost , total revenue realized and profit were N221,500, N398,000 and N176,500 respectively with BCR of 1.80 which implies that cassava production is profitable. The regression estimated showed that farm sizes, fertilizers, labour and planting material influence the output produced. The estimated output elasticity was 0.934, which means decreasing return to scale. The result indicated that farm size, fertilizers, labour and planting materials were inefficiently used, thereby dropping below the best economic level. The low ratios of MVP / MFC of the entire variables were shown to be less than unitary. Approximately 56.19%, 99.98%, 97.67%, 99.99% and 11.28% increase in MVP are necessary to optimize the allocation of farm size, fertilizer, labour, planting material and agrochemical. Major problems include inaccessibility to financial services, high labour cost, poor market prices and insufficient extension services. Agricultural policies should be aimed at supplying agricultural inputs, such as fertilizer and effective extension programs to guarantee the productive usage of resources. It is also suggested that extension facilities be intensified to provide farmers with information on new innovations and methods of farming while steps should be taken to lessen the militating effect of the constraints.
Protective effects of FK 506 against haemorrhagic shock-induced microvascular hyperpermeability.

Microvascular hyperpermeability, the excessive leakage of fluid and proteins from the intravascular space to the interstitium, is a devastating clinical concern in haemorrhagic shock (HS), sepsis, burn and so forth. Previous studies have shown that HS-induced microvascular hyperpermeability is associated with activation of the mitochondria-mediated 'intrinsic' apoptotic signalling cascade and caspase-3 mediated disruption of the endothelial cell barrier. In this study, our objective was to test if FK506, an immunomodulator that is also known to protect mitochondria, would protect barrier functions and decrease vascular hyperpermeability following HS by acting on this pathway. FK506 (25 µM) was given 10 minutes before the shock period in a rat model of HS. The HS model was a non-traumatic/fixed pressure model of hypovolemic shock developed by withdrawing blood to reduce the mean arterial pressure to 40 mm Hg for 60 minutes. The mesenteric post-capillary venules were monitored for changes in permeability using intravital microscopic imaging. The changes in mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MTP) were determined using the cationic dye 5,5',6,6' tetrachoro-1,1',3,3' tetraethyl benzimidazolyl carbocyanine iodide (JC-1), that was superfused on the mesenteric vasculature followed by intravital imaging. The mesenteric caspase-3 activity was measured fluorometrically. Haemorrhagic shock induced a significant increase in hyperpermeability compared to the sham-control group and FK506 treatment decreased HS-induced hyperpermeability significantly (P < .05). FK506 dampened HS-induced loss of MTP and elevation of caspase-3 activity significantly (P < .05). FK506 has protective effects against HS-induced microvascular hyperpermeability. The maintenance of the MTP and protection against caspase-3 mediated endothelial cell barrier disruption are possible mechanisms by which FK506 attenuates HS-induced hyperpermeability. FK506, currently used in clinical settings as an immunomodulator, needs to be explored further for its therapeutic usefulness against HS-induced vascular hyperpermeability and associated complications.
Thermoelectric Measurements at Millikelvin Temperatures

In the late 1950s and early 1960s physicists at the National Research Council (NRC) in Canada made a pioneering series of thermoelectric measurements on metals to temperatures below 0.1 K.1–7 A fitting tribute to their ultralow temperature work is the fact that until recently not a single measurement they made below 0.3 K had been superceded.
SU-E-T-38: A Head to Head Comparison of Two Commercial Phantoms Used for SRS QA

Purpose: To compare and contrast two commercial SRS QA phantoms. Methods: Both phantoms were evaluated in terms of their ease of setup as well as the time required to switch inserts for different tests. They were both used to evaluate the coincidence of the radiation and laser isocenters of a linear accelerator. End-to-end dosimetric tests were also performed using both ion chambers and films along two planes through the center of the phantoms. Since one phantom allows for multiple ion chamber orientations, a test was also performed to determine the effect of having the chamber oriented along the radiation beam axis’. Results: Changing inserts took 2 minutes on average for one phantom compared to 5 minutes for the other. The laser/radiation isocenter coincidence as determined from each phantom showed a maximum difference of 0.2mm. Ion chamber results were within 0.5% of the expected values when the chamber was perpendicular to the beams but measured a 3% underdose when the chamber was along the beam direction. Gamma (2%,2mm) pass rates of corresponding films were within 1% between phantoms. Conclusion: The results of the corresponding tests run on both phantoms were comparable, showing that the phantoms were equivalent for the subset of SRS QA tests run here. However, the under dose observed when the chamber was parallel to the beam direction suggests that this configuration should be avoided.
Understanding Tire Acoustics Through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) of Grooves With Deforming Walls

Reducing tire noise has been a topic of increased focus in the recent years in industrial countries in order to decrease road traffic noise. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations conducted using ANSYS FLUENT are presented here to provide a better understanding of the small-scale noise generation mechanisms due to air-pumping at the tire-road interface. The CFD model employs a large eddy simulation (LES) turbulence modeling approach, where the filtered compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved for simple groove geometries with a moving bottom wall that represents the deformation due to the tire movement along the road surface. A horizontally moving wall is used to represent the motion of the tire groove in and out of the contact patch while the deformation of the groove is prescribed. Temporal and spatially accurate pressure fluctuations are utilized to determine sound pressure levels and dominant frequencies. In addition to an understanding of noise generation mechanisms in such grooves, the CFD model developed here can potentially provide a series of control parameters that can help optimize the tire performance in terms of tire acoustics.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Allowable Soil Bearing Pressure

It is very difficult to accurately predict the way in which a footing will respond to the loads imposed upon it. There are many intangibles, not the least of which is that an earth mass is rarely homogeneous. Even the thick beds of sand and gravel found along most of the coastlines are not truly homogeneous. Soils are almost invariably mixed-grained, with each material imparting its own individual characteristics to the mass. Soils may also be layered, with each layer having different characteristics and responding differently to the loads to which it is subjected.
On the need of radical ideals in automatic proving: a theorem about regular polygons

The paper deals with a problem of finding natural geometry problem, that is, not specifically built up for the only purpose of having some concrete property, where the hypothesis is not described by a radical ideal. This problem was posed by Chou long ago. Regular polygons in the Euclidean space Ed and their existence in spaces of various dimensions are studied by the technique of Grobner bases. When proving that regular pentagons and heptagons span spaces of even dimension one encounters the case that the ideal describing the hypotheses is not radical. Thus, in order to prove that H ⇒ T one needs to show that T belongs to the radical of the ideal describing H.
Taking Both Biology and International Law Seriously: Evolutionary Biology, Neo-Realist Theories of International Relations, and the Promise(s) of International Law

Borrowing from theories of evolutionary biology and natural selection, neo-realist theorists of international relations assert that states in the international system must either conduct rational, egoistic foreign policies or perish. This paper argues that these neo-realist arguments are misguided. Both logic and empirical evidence undermines the neo-realist claim that low rates of state "death" show high selection pressure in the international system. Furthermore, neo-realist arguments are inconsistent with theories of evolutionary biology concerned with small populations ("genetic drift"), with extinctions concentrated in space and time ("punctuated equilibrium"), and with the fittest mode of reproduction (sexual vs. asexual) in complex and interdependent environments. The shortcomings of neo-realist theories of international relations leave plenty of scope for international law as one method among many viable methods of international cooperation.
The causes of the English Revolution 1529-1642

Dividing the nation and causing massive political change, the English Civil War remains one of the most decisive and dramatic conflicts of English history. Lawrence Stone's account of the factors leading up to the deposition of Charles I in 1642 is widely regarded as a classic in the field. Brilliantly synthesising the historical, political and sociological interpretations of the seventeeth century, Stone explores theories of revolution and traces the social and economic change that led to this period of instability. The picture that emerges is one where historical interpretation is enriched but not determined by grand theories in the social sciences and, as Stone elegantly argues, one where the upheavals of the seventeenth century are central to the very story of modernity. This Routledge Classics edition includes a new foreword by Clare Jackson, Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
Phosphatase Activity Among Candida Species and Other Yeasts Isolated from Clinical Material

A group of 277 yeasts isolated from burned children and 14 reference strains were tested for phosphatase activity by using phenolphthalein phosphate substrates. Phosphatase activity was widely distributed among various species and strains representing seven genera. Candida albicans, which was the most common yeast isolated from clinical material, was notably absent in producing the enzyme, whereas Candida tropicalis was the most consistent, strong, and rapidly active phosphatase-producing organism. The characteristic enzyme activity of a selected isolate of C. tropicalis was demonstrated in the presence of concentrations of inorganic phosphate which inhibited enzyme activity of other species. The greater enzyme activity of C. tropicalis was not related to more rapid or greater cell growth or decrease in the pH of culture media. Extracellular constitutive heat-labile acid phosphatase was found in broth filtrates of C. tropicalis, C. krusei, and a strain of Staphylococcus aureus.
SU-D-204-05: Quantitative Comparison of a High Resolution Micro-Angiographic Fluoroscopic (MAF) Detector with a Standard Flat Panel Detector (FPD) Using the New Metric of Generalized Measured Relative Object Detectability (GM-ROD)

Purpose: In endovascular image-guided neuro-interventions, visualization of fine detail is paramount. For example, the ability of the interventionist to visualize the stent struts depends heavily on the x-ray imaging detector performance. Methods: A study to examine the relative performance of the high resolution MAF-CMOS (pixel size 75µm, Nyquist frequency 6.6 cycles/mm) and a standard Flat Panel Detector (pixel size 194µm, Nyquist frequency 2.5 cycles/mm) detectors in imaging a neuro stent was done using the Generalized Measured Relative Object Detectability (GM-ROD) metric. Low quantum noise images of a deployed stent were obtained by averaging 95 frames obtained by both detectors without changing other exposure or geometric parameters. The square of the Fourier transform of each image is taken and divided by the generalized normalized noise power spectrum to give an effective measured task-specific signal-to-noise ratio. This expression is then integrated from 0 to each of the detector’s Nyquist frequencies, and the GM-ROD value is determined by taking a ratio of the integrals for the MAF-CMOS to that of the FPD. The lower bound of integration can be varied to emphasize high frequencies in the detector comparisons. Results: The MAF-CMOS detector exhibits vastly superior performance over the FPD when integrating over allmore » frequencies, yielding a GM-ROD value of 63.1. The lower bound of integration was stepped up in increments of 0.5 cycles/mm for higher frequency comparisons. As the lower bound increased, the GM-ROD value was augmented, reflecting the superior performance of the MAF-CMOS in the high frequency regime. Conclusion: GM-ROD is a versatile metric that can provide quantitative detector and task dependent comparisons that can be used as a basis for detector selection. Supported by NIH Grant: 2R01EB002873 and an equipment grant from Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.« less
Enterocyte Cytoskeleton: Its Structure and Function

The sections in this article are: 1 Brush-Border Structure: Overview 1.1 Microvillus Core 1.2 Terminal Web 2 Components of Brush-Border Cytoskeleton 2.1 Microvilli 2.2 Terminal Web 3 Functional Properties of Brush-Border Cytoskeleton 3.1 Microvilli: Their Functional Properties 3.2 Terminal Web: Two Functional Domains? 4 Assembly of Brush-Border Cytoskeleton 5 Functions of Other Cytoskeletal Components 5.1 Intermediate Filaments 5.2 Microtubules 6 Note Added in Proof
P-glycoprotein is a marker of tissue eosinophilia and radiographic inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps

Background P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a membrane-bound efflux pump that is upregulated in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and participates in epithelial cytokine secretion. Eosinophilic CRS (ECRS) shares a similar cytokine profile with CRSwNP and is associated with significant inflammation and poor surgical outcomes. The goal of this study is to determine if P-gp expression is associated with degree of eosinophilia and severity of radiographic inflammation in patients with CRS without polyps (CRSsNP). Methods An institutional review board (IRB)-approved study using sinus tissue in 39 steroid-naive patients with CRS. P-gp expression was calculated using quantitative fluorescent immunohistochemistry (Q-FIHC) to generate an epithelial to background staining ratio. Patients were stratified into low and high epithelial expression groups (<3 and ≥3, respectively). Average eosinophils per high powered field (hpf) and Lund-Mackay scores were calculated and compared with P-gp staining ratios using a 2-tailed Student t test. Results Among the 39 patients, 7 (17.95%) had high P-gp expression ratios (mean ± SD, 4.86 ± 1.33) while 32 (82.05%) had low expression ratios (1.91 ± 0.45). The number of eosinophils/hpf were significantly greater in the high P-gp expression group as compared to the low expression group (62.38 ± 83.69 vs 5.11 ± 10.12, p = 0.0003). The Lund-Mackay scores were significantly greater in the high P-gp expression group as compared to the low expression group (11.86 ± 2.79 vs 6.84 ± 4.19, p = 0.005). Conclusion P-gp is known to be overexpressed in CRSwNP. This study suggests that among patients with CRSsNP, P-gp is similarly overexpressed in those with high tissue eosinophilia and correlates with severity of radiographic inflammation.
Organization of the Human Frontal Pole Revealed by Large-Scale DTI-Based Connectivity: Implications for Control of Behavior

The goal of the current study was to examine the pattern of anatomical connectivity of the human frontal pole so as to inform theories of function of the frontal pole, perhaps one of the least understood region of the human brain. Rather than simply parcellating the frontal pole into subregions, we focused on examining the brain regions to which the frontal pole is anatomically and functionally connected. While the current findings provided support for previous work suggesting the frontal pole is connected to higher-order sensory association cortex, we found novel evidence suggesting that the frontal pole in humans is connected to posterior visual cortex. Furthermore, we propose a functional framework that incorporates these anatomical connections with existing cognitive theories of the functional organization of the frontal pole. In addition to a previously discussed medial-lateral distinction, we propose a dorsal-ventral gradient based on the information the frontal pole uses to guide behavior. We propose that dorsal regions are connected to other prefrontal regions that process goals and action plans, medial regions are connected to other brain regions that monitor action outcomes and motivate behaviors, and ventral regions connect to regions that process information about stimuli, values, and emotion. By incorporating information across these different levels of information, the frontal pole can effectively guide goal-directed behavior.
BotGraph: large scale spamming botnet detection

Network security applications often require analyzing huge volumes of data to identify abnormal patterns or activities. The emergence of cloud-computing models opens up new opportunities to address this challenge by leveraging the power of parallel computing. In this paper, we design and implement a novel system called BotGraph to detect a new type of botnet spamming attacks targeting major Web email providers. Bot-Graph uncovers the correlations among botnet activities by constructing large user-user graphs and looking for tightly connected subgraph components. This enables us to identify stealthy botnet users that are hard to detect when viewed in isolation. To deal with the huge data volume, we implement BotGraph as a distributed application on a computer cluster, and explore a number of performance optimization techniques. Applying it to two months of Hotmail log containing over 500 million users, BotGraph successfully identified over 26 million botnet-created user accounts with a low false positive rate. The running time of constructing and analyzing a 220GB Hot-mail log is around 1.5 hours with 240 machines. We believe both our graph-based approach and our implementations are generally applicable to a wide class of security applications for analyzing large datasets.
Human colon tissue in organ culture: calcium and multi-mineral-induced mucosal differentiation.

We have recently shown that a multi-mineral extract from the marine red algae, Lithothamnion calcareum, suppresses colon polyp formation and inflammation in mice. In the present study, we used intact human colon tissue in organ culture to compare responses initiated by Ca2+ supplementation versus the multi-mineral extract. Normal human colon tissue was treated for 2 d in culture with various concentrations of calcium or the mineral-rich extract. The tissue was then prepared for histology/immunohistochemistry, and the culture supernatants were assayed for levels of type I procollagen and type I collagen. At higher Ca2+ concentrations or with the mineral-rich extract, proliferation of epithelial cells at the base and walls of the mucosal crypts was suppressed, as visualized by reduced Ki67 staining. E-cadherin, a marker of differentiation, was more strongly expressed at the upper third of the crypt and at the luminal surface. Treatment with Ca2+ or with the multi-mineral extract influenced collagen turnover, with decreased procollagen and increased type I collagen. These data suggest that calcium or mineral-rich extract has the capacity to (1) promote differentiation in human colon tissue in organ culture and (2) modulate stromal function as assessed by increased levels of type I collagen. Taken together, these data suggest that human colon tissue in organ culture (supporting in vivo finding in mice) will provide a valuable model for the preclinical assessment of agents that regulate growth and differentiation in the colonic mucosa.
Phytochrome Control of Germination of Rumex crispus L. Seeds Induced by Temperature Shifts

High germination of curly dock (Rumex crispus L.) seeds is evident after suitable imbibition and temperature shift treatment, but germination at constant temperatures fails without an input of far red-absorbing form of phytochrome. Preliminary imbibitions at high temperatures (30 C) sharply reduce germination induced by temperature shifts. High germination may be restored by low energies of red radiation, or by brief far red adequate for the photosteady state. Prolonged far red during imbibition also nullifies temperature shift-induced germination. After prolonged far red, high germination may be restored by red radiation of an energy dependent upon the duration of the far red treatment. The evidence supports the conclusion that dark germination induced by temperature shifts arises from the interaction of pre-existent far red-absorbing form of phytochrome in the mature seeds with the temperature shift.
Pulmonary effects of combustion products from nickel-coated polycarbonate

The pulmonary effects of acute (30 min) and chronic (7, 14, or 21 days; 30 min day−1) exposure to smoke from white polycarbonate structural foam, or a Ni-urethane coated version of this plastic, were analyzed by exposing groups of 4 mice in a dome chamber apparatus. The lungs of test fatalities were consistently inflamed and hemorrhagic, and characterized histologically by areas of atelectasis and hyperinflation. The Ni-coated material was more toxic than the uncoated material, and produced greater intrapulmonic hemorrhage. A histological method was developed for assessing the proliferation of type II pneumocytes as an index of damage to the alveolar epithelium. Examination of lungs from animals sacrificed at 2, 4, 8, 14, 21, or 28 days following acute exposure revealed that only the 8-day animals in the Ni-exposure group had significantly more type II pneumocytes than controls (P<0.01). Similar examination of lungs from chronically exposed animals sacrificed at 1 day following the last exposure revealed no significant differences between experimental animals and controls. The Ni content of coated samples and the ash following thermal decomposition was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The original samples were 2.5% Ni. Nickel lost during pyrolysis could account for the increased toxicity of the coated material through production of toxic Ni compounds. These results indicate that pulmonary irritants produced by these plastics affect the vascular elements of the lungs more than the alveolar epithelium, and that the pulmonary damage produced in mice under these conditions does not persist in survivors beyond 1 day post-exposure. The acute combustion toxicity of Ni-coated plastics may reflect the formation of toxic Ni compounds. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reasoning about causality between distributed nonatomic events

Abstract The complex events in distributed applications such as industrial process control, avionics, navigation, planning, robotics, diagnostics, virtual reality, and temporal and geographic databases, are realistically modeled by nonatomic events. This paper derives and studies causality relations between nonatomic distributed events in the execution of a complex distributed application. Such causality relations are useful because they provide a fine level of discrimination in the specification of the relative timing relations and synchronization conditions between the nonatomic events. The paper then proposes a set of axioms on the proposed causality relations. The set of axioms provides a mechanism for temporal and spatial reasoning with the set of relations and can be used to derive all possible implications from any valid predicate on the proposed relations.
Anti-proliferative effects of deflazacort on NB2 cells as quantitated by formazan production

Prolactin and other lactogenic hormones are mitogenic for the rat T-cell lymphoma line, Nb2. Glucocorticoids have antiproliferative effects on these cells. A limiting feature of experiments utilizing the Nb2 line is their labor-intensive nature. We therefore adapted the commonly used MTT dye proliferation assay for the Nb2 cell line. While rPRL, hPRL, oPRL, hGH, bPL, and to a lesser extent bPRL stimulated the Nb2 cells, hormones without lactogenic activity, rGH and oGH did not. Human serum and rat sera from animals bearing a PRL-secreting tumor stimulated the Nb2 cells in parallel to standards. Glucocorticoids had anti-proliferative effects on Nb2 cells in the presence of half-maximal or maximal PRL doses, as measured by the MTT proliferation assay. It has been claimed that an oxazoline steroid, deflazacort, has anti-inflammatory effects in clinical studies with fewer of the deleterious side-effects common to glucocorticoids. We therefore compared the in vitro anti-proliferative effects of deflazacort with other glucocorticoids. Deflazacort's negative effect on Nb2 cell proliferation was similar to that of cortisol and prednisolone and less than that of dexamethasone. We conclude that the MTT proliferation assay can be used to study both mitogenic and anti-proliferative substances in Nb2 cells. In addition we found that deflazacort acts similarly in vitro to other glucocorticoids.
Treatment of Air Embolism With a Special Pulmonary Artery Catheter Introducer Sheath in Sitting Dogs

The treatment of venous air embolism by aspiration from central venous catheters is well established. However, some anesthesiologists prefer to use a pulmonary artery catheter to monitor patients undergoing a neurosurgical procedure in the sitting position. While offering certain advantages, pulmonary artery catheters may be of limited use in the treatment of venous air embolism because the small diameter of the proximal port is poorly suited for efficient air aspiration. The authors have designed a special pulmonary artery catheter introducer sheath which can be positioned by intravascular electrocardiography to provide an efficient and effective means of air aspiration, while permitting the simultaneous use of a pulmonary artery catheter for pressure monitoring. The flow characteristics of this sheath, with and without side holes, were tested in vitro by measuring the time required to aspirate 50 ml of blood. The introducer sheath was compared to a Sorenson CVP catheter, a Bunegin-Albin Air Aspiration CVP Catheter, and the proximal port of a pulmonary artery catheter. The rank order of flow rate was: Bunegin-Albin CVP greater than introducer sheath without side holes = introducer sheath with side holes greater than Sorenson CVP greater than pulmonary artery catheter (P = 0.0001). The introducer sheath was then compared to a pulmonary artery catheter for the treatment of a 4 ml/kg venous air embolism in sitting, anesthetized dogs. The mean proportion of air retrieved by the sheath with or without side holes, 57% and 80%, respectively, was significantly greater than that retrieved by simultaneous aspiration of atrial and distal ports of the pulmonary artery catheter, 16% (P = 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Form and function of the bacterial cytokinetic ring

Bacterial cytokinesis depends upon the tubulin-like GTPase FtsZ, which polymerizes into an annular structure at midcell (the Z-ring) that defines the division site. The Z-ring nucleates assembly of downstream machinery required for cell wall synthesis and membrane fission, but may also generate constrictive force. Recent high-resolution imaging of FtsZ in vivo has begun to illuminate the organization of filaments within the Z-ring. This in vivo work has been complemented by reconstitution of Z-rings in vitro to demonstrate the force-generating capacity of FtsZ and explore its mechanism of action. Despite these technical advances, whether FtsZ-mediated force generation is required for cytokinesis and how Z-ring structure and constriction are mechanistically linked to cell wall remodeling are open questions.
Signal extrapolation in noisy data with wavelet representation

A new approach for signal extrapolation based on wavelet representation known as scale-time limited extrapolation and a denoising process is investigated in this research. We first examine a new signal modeling technique using wavelets and the corresponding scale-time limited signal extrapolation algorithm. Then, the sensitivity of the algorithm to noise is discussed, and a denoising algorithm based on the time-localization property of the wavelet transform is proposed. By integrating the denoising process and the iterative scale-time limited extrapolation algorithm, we obtain a very robust signal extrapolation algorithm for noisy data. A simulation result of signal extrapolation from noisy observed data is presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed robust signal extrapolation algorithm.
Neurological status of survivors of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome: A preliminary report from the collaborative study

The neurological development of infants who survived the respiratory distresssyndrome has been reviewed in a prospective study. The subjects for this study consisted of 34,792 live-born infants including 59 survivors of the respiratory distress syndrome. The subjects were divided on the basis of birthweight into 3 categories, and in each category comparisons were made between those who survived the respiratory distress syndrome and those who did not have it. Neurological abnormalities were more frequent during the first year of life in the survivors of the respiratory distress syndrome than in the control subjects in each of the birthweight categories.
Metecdysial Molt Staging and Changes in the Cuticle in the Crayfish Orconectes Sanborni (Faxon) 1)

The metecdysial (postmolt) period in Orconectes sanborni was divided into a series of stages, and the stages named following Drach (1939). It was shown that not only are stages A1 and C4 based on criteria applicable to all crustaceans universally, but stages A2 and C1 may also be based on such criteria. Therefore, during the metecdysial period, only stages B, C2, and C3 must be based on criteria that vary with the species. Staining of tle cuticle with iron hematoxylin and eosin was basically the same at all stages. Only the epicuticle changed in staining with Mallory's triple stain and in reaction to the periodic acid Schiff and dihydroxy-dinaphthyl-disulfide tests. In all these, the epicuticle displayed a loss in staining or reactivity between stages Ai and B. It was found that the following criteria can be used to determine the metecdysial stages: Stage Ai begins immediately after ecdysis. The body surface is slippery and very soft. Stage A2. The integument is tough and parchment-like. Stage B. The carapace begins to feel brittle, but the postorbital ridge and cervical groove can still be bent readily with the finger nail. Stage C1. The postorbital ridge and cervical groove are rigid. Stage C2. Only the gastric region of the carapace and the areola are less rigid than they will become later. Stage C3. The entire carapace has achieved its final state of rigidity. Stage C4. The cuticle is complete. The inner, non-calcified membranous layer is now present. No reliable method for recognizing the presence of the membranous layer was found other than the examination of sections. By the use of Alizarin red S to detect calcium in sections of the cuticle, it was shown that the method used by Drach (1939) and Travis (1960) is not reliable in O. sanborni.