cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding magnetic nanoparticle osteoblast receptor-mediated endocytosis using experiments and modeling

Iron oxide nanoparticles are promising candidates for controlling drug delivery through an external magnetic force to treat a wide range of diseases, including osteoporosis. Previous studies have demonstrated that in the presence of hydroxyapatite coated magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles, osteoblast (or bone forming cell) proliferation and long-term functions (such as calcium deposition) were significantly enhanced. Hydroxyapatite is the major inorganic component of bone. As a further attempt to understand why, in the current study, the uptake of such nanoparticles into osteoblasts was experimentally investigated and mathematically modeled. Magnetite nanoparticles were synthesized using a co-precipitation method and were coated with hydroxyapatite. A cellular uptake experiment at low temperatures indicated that receptor-mediated endocytosis contributed to the internalization of the magnetic nanoparticles into osteoblasts. A model was further developed to explain the uptake of magnetic nanoparticles into osteoblasts using receptor-mediated endocytosis. This model may explain the internalization of hydroxyapatite into osteoblasts to elevate intracellular calcium levels necessary to promote osteoblast functions to treat a wide range of orthopedic problems, including osteoporosis.
Exploring the life-history implications of colour variation in offshore Gulf of Maine cod (Gadus morhua)

The evolution of alternative life-history strategies in fish has largely been overlooked by fisheries managers, although differences in the biology of life-history variants can have important implications for the scale and productivity of fisheries. Cod display strikingly variable colouration in the Gulf of Maine, with red- and olive-coloured cod found in close sympatry. Colour types from Cashes Ledge, a shallow, offshore (� 100 km) feature, are examined to see whether they differ in key life-history traits including diet, depth distribution, growth, and body morphology. Red cod consumed significantly more crabs, lobsters, and demersal fish, whereas olive cod consumed more shrimp. Stable carbon isotope signatures (d 13 C) varied significantly among colour types, but are thought to reflect baseline differences in d 13 C at Cashes Ledge (potentially useful for residence estimates). Red cod were confined to a small area of shallow water (,20 m) and were significantly smaller at age than olive cod. Body shape was used to classify colour types correctly with 84% accuracy; red cod had shorter snouts, deeper bodies, and more slender tails than olive cod. Collectively, the results suggest that red cod are resident at Cashes Ledge and represent a life-history strategy distinct from olive cod.
Jesus as Mother and Abbot as Mother: Some Themes in Twelfth-Century Cistercian Writing

A number of scholars in this century have noticed the image of God or Jesus as mother in the spiritual writings of the high Middle Ages. The image has in general been seen as part of a “feminine” or “affective” spirituality, and neither of these adjectives is incorrect. The idea of God as mother is part of a widespread use, in twelfth-century spiritual writing, of woman, mother, characteristics agreed to be “feminine,”and the sexual union of male and female as images to express spiritual truths; the most familiar manifestation of this interest in the “female” is the new emphasis on the Virgin in doctrinal discussions and especially spirituality. And the frequency of references to “mother Jesus” is also part of a new tendency in twelfth-century writing to use human relationships (friendship, fatherhood or motherhood, erotic love) in addition to metaphysical or psychological entities to explain doctrinal positions or exhort to spiritual growth.
A critical evaluation of clinical trials in reactions to sulfites

ticaria by the identilication and exclusion of dietary factors. Clin Allergy 10:6’39, 1980 I I Juhlin L: Recurrent urticaria: clinical investigation of 330 patients. Br J Dermatol 104:369. 1981 12 Chafee FH. Settipanc GA: Asthma caused by F.D. and C. approved dyes. J Allergy 4065, 1967 13. Samter M, Beers RF: Concerning the nature of the intolerance to aspirin. J Allergy 40:28 I, 1967 14. Samter hl. Beei-s RF: Intolerance to aspirin. Ann Intern Med 6X:975. 1968 IS. Stenius BSM, Lcmola M: Hypersensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid (AS;\)’ and tartrazine in patients with asthma. Clin Allergy 6: I 19. I”76 16. Kory RC. Hamilton LH: Evaluation of spirometers used in pulmonary function studies. Am Rev Respir Dis 87:228. 1963 17. Fitzgerald MX, Smith AA, Gaensler EA: Evaluation of electronic spirometers. N Engl J Med 289:1283, 1973 IX. Freedman BJ: Asthma induced by sulfur dioxide. benzoate and tartrazinr contamed in orange drinks. Clin Allergy 7:407. 1977 19. Spector SL. Wangaard CH, Farr RS: Aspirin and concomitant idiosyncrasies in adult asthmatic patients. J ALERCY CLIN It+ MUNOI. 61500. 1979 20. Vedanth:m P. Menon MM, Bell TD. Bergin D: Aspirin and tartrazinc oral challenge: incidence of adverse response in chrome childhood asthma. J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL 60:8. I977 21. Weber RW, Hoffman M, Raine DA. Nelson HS: lncidcnce of bronchoconstriction due to aspirin, azo dyes. non-azo dyes and preservatives in a population of perennial asthmatic{. J ALLERG~ CLIN IMMUNOL 64:32. 1979. 22. Hariparsad D. Wilson N, Dixon C. Silverman M: Oral tartrazinc schallenge in childhood ashtma: effect on bronchial reactivity. Clin Allergy 14:81. 1984 23. Tarlo SM, Broder I: Tartrazine and benzoate challenge and dietary avoidance in chomic asthma. Clin Allergy 12:303, 1982 24. McDonald JR. Mathison DA, Stevenson DD: Aspirm intolerance in asthma: detection by oral challenge. J ALLERGY CLIN IMMIINOL 50: 198, 1972 25. Pleskow WW. Stevenson DD. Simon RA. Math&n DA, Schatz M, Zieger RS: Aspirin desensitization in aspirin sensitive asthmatic patients: clinical manifestations and characteriz,ttion of the refractory period. J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOI. 69:ll. 1982 26. Gerber JC. Payne NA, Oelz 0. Nies AS, Oates JA: Tartrazine and the prostaglandin system. J ALLERGY CLIN I~IMUNOL 63:289, 1979 27. Mathison DA, Stevenson DD: Hypersensitivity to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: indications and methods for oral challenge. J AI LERGY CLIP IMM~~NOL 64:669. 1979
The relationship between serious injury and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in fatal motor vehicle accidents: BAC = 0.01% is associated with significantly more dangerous accidents than BAC = 0.00%

Aim To analyze the severity of automotive injuries associated with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in increments of 0.01%. Design/setting Epidemiological study using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Participants All people in US fatal automotive accidents, 1994–2008 (n = 1 495 667). Measurements The ratio of serious: nonserious injuries for drivers, by BAC. Findings Accident severity increases significantly even when the driver is merely ‘buzzed’, a finding that persists after standardization for various confounding factors. Three mechanisms mediate between buzzed driving and high accident severity: compared to sober drivers, buzzed drivers are significantly more likely to speed, to be improperly seatbelted and to drive the striking vehicle. In addition, there is a strong ‘dose–response’ relationship for all three factors in relation to accident severity (e.g. the greater the BAC, the greater the average speed of the driver and the greater the severity of the accident). Conclusions The severity of life-threatening motor vehicle accidents increases significantly at blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) far lower than the current US limit of 0.08%. Lowering the legal limit could save lives, prevent serious injuries and reduce financial and social costs associated with motor vehicle accidents.
Rotation-Electronic Coupling in Diatomic Rydberg States

With the increasing resolution of new experimental techniques, it has become possible to overcome some of the congestion in Rydberg spectra and to analyse the rotational structure. This article has reviewed the algebra of some of the different coupling cases involving the angular momenta of a Rydberg electron with the electronic and rotational angular momenta of the core. The characteristic behaviour of most Rydberg states corresponds to Hund’s case (d) or (e) for the Rydberg electron, and the use of the asymptotic approximations given in Appendix B provides a qualitative physical picture of the interactions in the different coupling situations.
A15—A structure stabilized by crystal field distortion of “exotic” elements at chain sites

Abstract The repulsive component of a classical inverse power pair potential is modified to take into account the crystal field induced change in shape of the electron density distribution responsible for the repulsive interaction of a chain sited atom in the A15 structure with neighboring atoms. Minimization of the lattice energy with respect to this shape parameter and also with respect to the lattice parameter results in predictions in the absence of adjustable parameters of: (1) the lattice parameters (to within an RMS deviation of the observed values of 0.4%); (2) the nearly zero value for (C 11 − C 12 ) 2 (as observed for Nb3Sn and V3Si); (3) the correct ordering of relative stability for 98 out of 101 observed comparisons between 4 different crystal structures; (4) other effects which have been or can be observed. Implicit in the predictions is the assumption that the crystal field induced shape change encounters no intraatomic resistance for elements belonging to the Ti, V and Cr columns of the periodic table—denoted “exotic” elements. Some consequences of this assumption are found to be consistent with experiment.
Congenital Syphilitic Skeletal Manifestations in a Premature Infant Revisited

Increasing rates of congenital syphilis have been reported in recent years despite the availability of adequate therapy. In our perinatal-neonatal center, approximately 1.5 % of newborns have reactive serologic tests for syphilis.1 Untreated or partly treated maternal syphilis can adversely affect neonatal outcome since the treponeme can cross the placenta at any time during pregnancy. 2 As a result of hematogenous placental transmission, neonatal manifestations are usually systemic and similar to the secondary stage of syphilis, and include hepatosplenomegaly, jaundice, neuro-syphilis, and skeletal changes. A case of early congenital syphilis in an extremely premature infant with primary skeletal involvement is presented.
THE SPECIFIC HEAT OF MAGNESIUM AND ALUMINUM OXIDES AT HIGH TEMPERATURES1

The mean specific heat of pure aluminum and magnesium oxides has been determined from room temperature up to 1700°C and 1800°C, respectively. The specimens were heated in a vertical carbon tube furnace with a magnesite tube liner for oxidizing conditions. A special calorimeter was designed and used to prevent the loss of heat by vaporization of the water when the white hot specimens were immersed.
Basic Fourier Analysis

While the previous chapter extends the theory of the short-time Fourier transform from L 2 to the modulation spaces, this chapter extends the theory of Gabor frames from L 2 to the modulation spaces. The generalization follows the outline of Chapters 6 and 7. We first determine suitable window classes for the short-time Fourier transform on the modulation spaces and investigate their properties. Section 2 then explores the mapping properties of the analysis and synthesis operators. Then the boundedness of the Gabor frame operator on the modulation spaces proves sufficient to characterize modulation spaces via tight Gabor frames or Wilson bases. Section 4 treats a problem in data compression by means of non-linear approximation with Wilson bases.
BUOYANCY, LOCOMOTION, AND MOVEMENT IN FISHES | Feeding Mechanics

Despite the considerable diversity in feeding morphology and ecology among fishes, suction feeding is the most common mode of capturing prey. It involves the rapid expansion of the buccal (mouth) cavity that generates a negative pressure inside the mouth relative to the surrounding fluid. Although the general principles underlying suction feeding are relatively straightforward, several aspects of the feeding system can be modulated in order to alter feeding performance. For example, the rate of expansion, the magnitude of expansion, and body movements will influence suction feeding performance. Jaw protrusion is an additional feature that can enhance suction feeding performance. Modern modeling and experimental techniques, including sonomicrometry, digital particle image velocimetry, in vivo pressure recordings, and computational fluid dynamics, have all propelled our understanding of the biomechanics of feeding in fish.
Directional Emission and Time Precision as a Function of Target Angle in the Echolocating Bat Carollia Perspicillata

Carollia perspicillata is a frugivorous bat which emits broadband, frequency-modulated pulses through the nostrils. Interference between the nostrils produces complex emission patterns containing amplitude minima at frequency-dependent angles (Fig. 1 and Hartley and Suthers, in preparation). Such patterns imply large, angle-dependent variations in the frequency structure of emitted pulses. The effect that this has on the potential time (target range) precision with which a point target can be located at angles that are off the main axis of emission can be investigated by calculating the autocorrelation function (ACE) of the emitted pulses at such angles. The potential time precision, which is reciprocally related to the effective bandwidth, can then be derived from the envelope of the ACF (Cahlander 1967, Skolnik 1980). This paper presents an analysis of the angle-dependency of time precision in two individual Carollia.
Abstract W P370: Is Local Hypoperfusion the Basis of Transient Neurological Deficits After STA-MCA Bypass in Moyamoya Disease?

Object: Hyperperfusion is believed to be the cause of transient neurological deficits in patients who have undergone an STA-MCA bypass for Moyamoya disease (MMD). We evaluated this on the basis of cerebral blood flow data from thermal diffusion probes used at our center. Methods: We studied postoperative cerebral perfusion in 31 patients with MMD who underwent a direct STA-MCA bypass. A Hemedex Q500 flow probe (Hemedex, Inc, Cambridge, MA) with a Bowman cerebral perfusion monitor was placed in the frontal lobe adjacent to the bypass, and flow data was analysed using JMP 8.0.2 (SAS Inc., Cary, NC). Seven patients experienced a transient neurological event (TNE) after the left-sided operation, manifesting as dysphasia around 24 hours postoperative and improving by 48 hours. The patterns of median cerebral blood flows with respect to time were plotted for the 3 groups (left side with TNE, the left side with no TNE and the right side) with smoothing by the moving average method. Observations were divided into time blocks (1 = 0-8 hours, 2 = 8-16 hours, 3 = 16-24 hours, 4 = 24-32 hours, 5 = > 32 hours). Differences in median blood flow between various time blocks and between groups were also analysed to evaluate any significant differences. These were correlated with the clinical picture. Results: An average of 20 hours (IQR 10-32 hours) of postoperative flow data was available for each patient. A detailed analysis of 64980 minute-by-minute flow observations shows that the initial post-bypass flow was higher on the left side where TNEs occurred, followed by a widely fluctuating pattern and a sharp drop in the perfusion corresponding with a deficit (p < 0.001, mean difference of flow, t-test) when compared to the other groups where deficits were not observed. Conclusion: Based on our observations we demonstrate a pattern of blood flow that suggests local hypoperfusion as the cause of the deficit on the backdrop of impaired autoregulation and a fluctuating blood flow, contrary to the traditional view that attributes these to hyperperfusion.
Simplifying Cell Traction Forces Using Fibronectin Patterned Polyacrylamide Gels

Cells inhabit highly dynamic environments which greatly influence cell behavior. One of the ways in which a cell interacts with its environment is through its membrane by focal adhesion complexes. These protein complexes form an intermediary between the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. Tension generated within the contractile cytoskeleton results in cellular traction forces (CTFs) at the adhesion sites, which can greatly affect cell shape, adhesion, and function (1).Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Nutrient intakes and body weights of persons consuming high and moderate levels of added sugars.

We classified a nationally representative sample of persons aged 4 years and older as high or moderate consumers of added sugars (ie, sugars added to foods by processors or consumers). Intake of added sugars was determined on the basis of grams consumed per kilogram of body weight (g/kg) and on the basis of percent of dietary energy from added sugars ( % kcal). Regardless of the intake measure used, high consumers of added sugars had a significantly lower percentage of dietary energy from fat than did moderate consumers of added sugars. Persons defined by the % kcal measure as high consumers of added sugars took in lower percentages of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for 11 vitamins and minerals; these high consumers had body weights similar to those of their moderate counterparts. Persons defined as high consumers by the g/kg measure consumed greater percentages of the RDAs than did their moderate counterparts; these high consumers more frequently selected foods from categories likely to contain sugar-rich foods but weighed significantly less than did moderate consumers. Thus, different approaches to defining intake of added sugars revealed two patterns of high consumption of added sugars with different levels of nutritional risk. Conditions of overweight were not associated with high intake of added sugars. Educational efforts, therefore, should focus on those consumers who tend to substitute foods rich in added sugars for more nutritionally desirable foods.
Recovery of Absorption Spectra from Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopic Measurements of Intact Spheres

In infrared microscopy the structure and the chemistry of a sample get commingled, distorting the recorded spectra and rendering them useless for chemical identification. We provide a model to recover the material responses from spheres.
Conjugated Polymer Synthesis via Catalyst-Transfer Polycondensation (CTP): Mechanism, Scope, and Applications

The recent discovery of a living, controlled chain-growth method for synthesizing π-conjugated polymers has ignited the field and led to the development of many new materials. This Perspective focuses on the mechanistic underpinnings of the synthetic transformation, highlighting the controversial hypotheses and supporting data. A critical analysis of the literature revealed that the monomer scope remains largely limited to electron-rich monomers at this time. Last, a brief overview of some exciting new materials accessed via this method is provided.
Effects of Grain Boundaries on the Current-Voltage Characteristics of SOI Mosfets

A physical model that describes the steady-state current-voltage characteristics of field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) fabricated in (poly)silicon-on-insulator (SOI) is described. The model predicts that a single high-angle grain boundary, especially one traversing the channel near the drain, can control the conduction properties of the MOSFET for all (weak-to-strong) inversion conditions in all (linear-to-saturation) regions of operation.
P2.179 Exposure to Neisseria Gonorrhoeae (GC) During the Perimenstrual Period May Increase Risk of Infection in Female GC Contacts

Previous studies have shown that a woman is more likely to be diagnosed with gonococcal (GC) infection during the first five days of her menstrual cycle (active menstruation) than during the rest of her cycle. However, no correlation has been established between risk of infection and the phase of a women’s menstrual cycle at the time of exposure. In this study, risk of GC infection was correlated to female menstrual cycle phase according to the woman’s stated date of last menstrual period and stated date of GC exposure. Women ages 16–40 that presented to the Baltimore City Health Department STD Clinic as contacts of known GC positive sexual partners were enrolled. Risk of GC infection was compared to calculated phase of menstrual cycle: perimenstruational period (–5 to +5 days since LMP), late follicular (days 6–12), periovulatory (days 13–16), and early luteal (days 17 to –6 day since LMP). 58 female GC contacts were enrolled. Women who presented > 32 days after GC exposure or whose LMP was > 32 days at presentation where excluded. Of the 29 patients that met inclusion criteria, 11(38%) were GC negative and 18 (62%) were GC positive (by culture and subsequent NATs). Eighty percent (8/10) of women in the perimenstruational, 38% (3/8) in the late follicular, 80% (4/5) in the periovulatory, and 50% (3/6) in the early luteal phases were GC positive. Fifty-three percent (7/13) of HC users were GC positive. Increased risk of GC infection during the perimenstrual period may be, in part, due to lower lactoferrin concentration, lower level of iron sequestration, and higher level of free iron in the female genital tract. Increased risk of GC infection surrounding ovulation may be due to higher lutropin receptor (known GC ligand) expression in the female GU tract at ovulation.
Switching of Conductance in a Molecular Wire: Role of Junction Geometry, Interfacial Distance, and Conformational Change

Achieving atomic level control at the metal–molecule interface in a single molecule conductance measurement is a daunting challenge. An equally important issue is the lack of atomic level structural information of the interface, which makes the theoretical interpretation of observed conductance much harder; conductance sensitively depends upon the junction geometry. In this article, we report a junction dependent conductance study in a ruthenium–bis(terpyridine) molecular device, which has been fabricated and characterized (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 2553) using a scanning tunneling microscope. An ensemble of device structures is created by varying metal–molecule binding sites, the orientation of the molecule at the interface, interfacial distances, and conformational change within the molecule to study junction dependent effects. An orbital dependent density functional theory in conjunction with a parameter free, single particle Green’s function approach is used to study the current–voltage (I–V) chara...
Mechanobiology in Cell-Cell Fusion: Roles of Myosin II and Spectrin in Mechanosensing and Force Generation during Cell-Cell Fusion

Fusion of one cell into another cell engages several biological processes including cell adhesion molecule interaction, signal transduction, cytoskeleton rearrangement and cell membrane fusion. Membrane fusion is an energy-consuming process that requires tight juxtaposition of two lipid bilayers which eventually merge into a single bilayer. Little is known about how cells overcome energy barriers to bring their membranes together for fusion. Previously, we have shown that cell-cell fusion is an asymmetric process in which an “attacking” cell drills actin-based finger-like protrusions into the “receiving” cell to promote fusion. In the studies presented here, we revealed that the receiving cell utilizes mechanosensory responses to build up cytoskeletal structures at the site of fusion (fusogenic synapse) in response to invasion by the attacking cell. MyoII acts as a mechanosensor, which directs its force-induced recruitment to the fusogenic synapse in the receiving cell, and the mechanosensory response of MyoII is amplified by cell adhesion molecule-initiated and GTPase/kinase-mediated chemical signaling. The accumulated MyoII, in turn, increases cortical tension which provides resistance on the receiving cell cortex and promotes fusion pore formation. In a similar way, the receiving cell accumulates spectrin at the fusogenic synapse. Spectrin functions as a molecular barrier which concentrates cell adhesion molecules at the fusogenic synapse. The concentrated cell adhesion molecules, in turn, induce formation of effective invasive protrusions in the attacking cell which exert pushing force into the receiving cell. We propose that the protrusive and resisting forces from two fusion partners put the fusogenic synapse under high mechanical tension, which helps to overcome the energy barriers for membrane apposition and drives cell membrane fusion.
Produced water disposal injection in the southern San Joaquin Valley: No evidence of groundwater quality effects due to upward leakage

Upward migration of brine because of pressurization resulting from injection is a risk of disposal of water produced with oil and geologic carbon storage. Analysis of the net production in each zone associated with oil production activities in the southern San Joaquin Valley, California, determined that net injection caused by disposal of water produced with oil occurred in zones above the shallowest zone with net production in several oil fields. The zones with net injection are also variously at depths just greater than the shallowest depths for geologic carbon storage or at depths intermediate between more typical geologic carbon storage depths and overlying groundwater with a total dissolved solids concentration appropriate for domestic use. As such, these net injections provide analogs for brine pressurization caused by geologic carbon storage, either in the injection zone around the CO2 plume or in overlying zones caused by vertical leakage of brine or CO2. Hundreds of newspaper articles regarding groundwater contamination in the main newspaper in the southern San Joaquin area collectively reported on effects on groundwater from tens of sources at tens of locations. These effects resulted in the closure of about 100 water supply wells. However, no effects caused by upward migration of brine were reported. Of the shallowest zones with oil production–related activity in each field, the Fruitvale field, Main area, Etchegoin pool had the largest cumulative net injection volume. This pool is also intersected by numerous faults and approximately 900 wells related to oil production, each providing a potential pathway for upward fluid migration. Total dissolved solids and nitrate concentration data are available from greater than 100 water supply wells overlying this pool. Analysis of these data determined there was no significant groundwater quality change likely attributable to upward migration of brine (p < 0.05). It is not known if this is because the application of current underground injection control regulations is effective or because upward migration of brine, which is a dense phase, to groundwater is unlikely. The different engineering and economic implications of these two hypotheses suggest the need for future work to ascertain which is correct under different conditions.
Modern n-alkane abundances and isotopic composition of vegetation in a gymnosperm-dominated ecosystem of the southeastern U.S. coastal plain

Abstract Prior analyses of n-alkyl lipids in vegetation indicate low concentrations of n-alkanes in gymnosperm leaves and significant offsets in lipid carbon isotope values of angiosperms and gymnosperms. This finding has implications for paleoenvironmental studies utilizing n-alkyl lipid proxies in gymnosperm-dominated ecosystems, such as the pine ecosystems of the U.S. southeastern coastal plain. I provide here the n-alkane abundances and distributions for 19 of the most dominant taxa in the longleaf pine ecosystem along with n-C29 alkane δ13C values (δ13Cn-c29). Additionally, I assess modern relationships between stable hydrogen isotope values of n-C29 alkanes (δ2Hn-c29) and mean annual precipitation to constrain apparent fractionations (e2Hn-C29/MAP) necessary to conduct regional paleoclimate reconstructions. Gymnosperms of the coastal plain have extremely low n-alkane abundances relative to angiosperms and are unlikely to contribute significantly to sedimentary archives. Lake surface sediment n-alkane distributions, δ2Hn-c29, and δ13Cn-c29 values indicate that they are primarily sourced from less-dominant angiosperms. The e2Hn-C29/MAP values are ∼10.0‰ VSMOW more positive for gymnosperms relative to angiosperms and e13Calkane/leaf values are ∼1.5‰ VPDB more positive for gymnosperms relative to angiosperms, but with overlap.
Jugulodigastric lymph node size by age on CT in an adult cancer-free population

Abstract Purpose Evaluate jugulodigastric node size in cancer-free patients. Methods Retrospective review of 234 neck CT angiograms was performed. Known neoplasm, inflammation or poor imaging were excluded. Maximal diameter of the largest jugulodigastric node in the axial plane bilaterally was measured. Results 172 patients (median age = 62) were included. Jugulodigastric node size decreased with age and was statistically significant between those above and below 62 years. Patients 20–30 years had mean 14.4 mm (7.5–20.1 mm). Conclusions Although 15 mm is considered the normal maximum long-axis size of the jugulodigastric node in cancer patients, average size in younger cancer-free patients is commonly above 15 mm.
Value Adding in the Agri-Food Value Chain

Global agricultural markets reflect the increasing complexity of modern consumer demand for food safety and quality. This demand has triggered changes throughout the food industry, and led to greater opportunities for product differentiation and the potential to add value to raw commodities. Greater differentiation and value adding over time has in turn dramatically changed the price spread or marketing bill between the farm value of products and the retail value. Thus a significantly greater percentage of the final price paid by consumers is now garnered down chain rather than up chain over the last 20 years. This apparent shifting of value creation or addition, as measured by the marketing margin, has invigorated empirical questions as to where, and how much value, is created along the agri-food value chain. First we define value creation/adding, and then we estimate the economic value added for 454 firms. We validate our findings by creating and employing three additional value creation measures – the ...
Combating Behavioral Deviance via User Behavior Control

Compared to traditional behavioral deviance, online deviant behavior (like cyberbullying) is more likely to spread over online social communities since it is not restricted by time and space, and can occur more frequently and intensely. To control risks associated with the spread of deviant and anti-normative behavior, it is essential to understand online users' reaction when they interact with other users. In this paper, we model online users' behavior interaction as an evolutionary game on a graph and analyze users' behavior dynamics under different network conditions. Based on this theoretical framework, we then investigate behavior control strategies that aim to eliminate behavioral deviance. Finally, we use a real world dataset from a social network to verify the accuracy of our model's hypothesis.We also and test the performance of our behavior control strategy through simulations based on both real and synthetically generated data. The experimental results demonstrate that our behavior control methods can effectively eliminate the impact of bullying behavior even when the proportion of bullying messages is higher than 60%.
Identification of Proteins Required for the Internalization of Campylobacter Jejuni into Cultured Mammalian Cells

Clinical and in vitro experimental data suggest that invasion of intestinal epithelial cells is an essential step in the pathogenesis of Campylobacter jejuni-mediated enteritis. However, the molecular mechanism of C. jejuni internalization remains poorly defined. The goal of this study was to identify a gene that encodes a protein required for the internalization of C. jejuni into host cells. A C. jejuni gene, designated ciaB, was identified upon immunoscreening C. jejuni genomic DNA-phage libraries with an antiserum generated against C. jejuni co-cultivated with INT 407 cells. The C. jejuni ciaB gene encodes a protein of 610 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 73,154 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence of the CiaB protein shares similarity with type III secreted proteins, associated with invasion of host cells, from other more extensively characterized bacterial pathogens. In vitro binding and internalization assays revealed that the binding ofC. jejuni ciaB null mutants was indistinguishable from that of the parental isolate, whereas a significant reduction was noted in internalization. Immunoblot analysis using an anti-CiaB specific antibody revealed that CiaB is secreted into the supernatant fluids upon co-cultivation of C. jejuni with INT 407 cell conditioned medium. Metabolic labeling experiments revealed that at least eight C. jejuni proteins, ranging in size from 12.8 to 108 kDa, are secreted into the culture medium. C. jejuni ciaB null mutants were deficient in the secretion of all proteins, indicating that CiaB is required for the secretion process. Identification of the C. jejuni ciaB gene represents a significant advance in understanding the molecular mechanism of C. jejuni internalization.
Biological Molecules in Therapeutic Nanodevices

In this chapter, we discuss the incorporation of molecules into nanodevices as functional device components. Our primary focus is on biological molecules, although we also discuss the use of organic molecules as functional components of supramolecular nanodevices. Our primary device interest is in devices used in human therapy and diagnosis, though when it is informative, we discuss other nontherapeutic nanodevices containing biomolecular components. We discuss design challenges associated with devices built from prefabricated components (biological macromolecules) but that are not as frequently associated with fully synthetic nanodevices. Some design challenges (abstraction of device object properties, inputs, and outputs) can be addressed using existing systems engineering approaches and tools (including unified modeling language), whereas others (selection of optimal biological macromolecules from the billions available) have not been fully addressed. We discuss various assembly strategies applicable to biological macromolecules and organic molecules (self-assembly, chemoselective conjugation) and their advantages and disadvantages. We provide an example of a functional mesoscale device, a planar field-effect transistor (FET ) protein sensor, that depends on nanoscale components for its function. We also use the sensor platform to illustrate how protein and other molecular engineering approaches can address nanoscale technological problems, and argue that protein engineering is a legitimate nanotechnology in this application. In developing the functional FET sensor, both direct adsorption of protein analyte receptors as well as linkage of receptors to the sensing surface through a polymer layer were tested. However, in the realized FET sensor, interfaces consist of a polymer layer linked to the semiconductor surface and to an analyte receptor (a protein). Nanotribology and other surface-science investigations of the interfaces revealed phenomena not previously documented for nanoscale protein interfaces (lubrication by directly adsorbed proteins, increases in friction force associated with polymer-mediated increases in sample compliance). Furthermore, the studies revealed wear of polymer and receptor proteins from semiconductor surfaces by an atomic force microscopy (AFM ) tip which was not a concerted process, but rather depth of wear increased with increasing load on the cantilever. These studies also revealed that the polymer–protein interfaces were disturbed by nanonewton forces, suggesting that interfaces of immunoFET protein sensors translated to in vivo use must likely be protected from, or hardened to endure, abrasion from tissue. The results demonstrate that nanoscience (in this case, nanotribology) is needed to design and characterize functional planar immunoFET sensors, even though the sensors themselves are mesoscale devices. The results further suggest that modifications made to the sensor interfaces to address these nanoscale challenges may be best accomplished by protein and interfacial engineering approaches.
Family study and segregation analysis of Tourette syndrome: evidence for a mixed model of inheritance.

To investigate the transmission of Tourette syndrome (TS) and associated disorders within families, complex segregation analysis was performed on family study data obtained from 53 independently ascertained children and adolescents with TS and their 154 first-degree relatives. The results suggest that the susceptibility for TS is conveyed by a major locus in combination with a multifactorial background. Other models of inheritance were definitively rejected, including strictly polygenic models, all single major locus models, and mixed models with dominant and recessive major loci. The frequency of the TS susceptibility allele was estimated to be .01. The major locus accounts for over half of the phenotypic variance for TS, whereas the multifactorial background accounts for approximately 40% of phenotypic variance. Penetrance estimates suggest that all individuals homozygous for the susceptibility allele at the major locus are affected, whereas only 2.2% of males and 0.3% of females heterozygous at the major locus are affected. Of individuals affected with TS, approximately 62% are heterozygous and approximately 38% are homozygous at the major locus. While none of the families had two parents affected with TS, 19% of families had two parents affected with the broader, phenotype, which includes TS, chronic tic disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Nonviolence Toward Nonhuman Animals

This chapter addresses the scope of pacifism’s nonviolence. Pacifism repudiates the violence of war and all forms of violence toward human beings, including psychological violence. But, this chapter asks, is nonviolence limited to human beings? Does it also apply to nonhuman animals? In the religious traditions of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism the nonviolence of ahimsā extends to all sentient beings. While the concept of ahimsā does not inform the teaching of Jesus, Paul, and early Christianity, it can be argued that nonviolence toward nonhuman animals, with the vegetarianism or veganism that it entails, is implicit in “the ethic of Jesus.” So Albert Schweitzer argued. His argument and the religious sensibility it expresses are presented and explored in this chapter.
A Novel Positive Transfer Learning Approach for Telemonitoring of Parkinson’s Disease

Telemonitoring is the use of electronic devices to remotely monitor patients. Taking the Parkinson’s disease (PD) as an example, the use of at-home testing device (AHTD) enables remote, internet-based measurement of PD vocal symptoms. Translating AHTD measurement into a unified PD rating scale (UPDRS) through predictive analytics enables cost-effective, convenient, and close tracking of PD progression. Building a predictive model between AHTD measurement and UPDRS is not straightforward because PD patients are highly heterogeneous, which requires patient-specific models. Learning a patient-specific model faces the challenge of limited data. Transfer learning (TL) tackles this challenge by leveraging other patients’ information to make up the data shortage when modeling a target patient. Among different TL methods, the category of parameter transfer methods is more appropriate for the telemonitoring application because it transfers patient-specific model parameters but not patients’ data. However, existing parameter transfer methods fall short because not every other patient’s information is helpful and blind transfer causes the problem of negative transfer. To tackle this limitation, we propose a positive TL (PTL) method. We provide an in-depth theoretical study on the risk and condition for negative transfer to happen, which further drive the development of novel PTL algorithms that are robust to negative transfer. We apply PTL to predict UPDRS of 42 PD patients using their AHTD vocal measurement. PTL achieves significantly better accuracy compared with single learning and one-model-fits-all approaches. Note to Practitioners —This paper was motivated by the growing use of telemonitoring devices to facilitate remote, close tracking of disease progression. These devices are usually paired up with predictive analytics to translate the measurement signals into a clinical indicator of disease progression. This is a challenging task because the predictive model needs to be patient specific in order to account for patient heterogeneity. This paper proposes a TL method called PTL that can leverage other patients’ information when building a predictive model for a target patient. The unique feature of PTL is that it can intelligently select which patients to transfer from, and thus preventing negative transfer. PTL is a just-in-time development for the emerging healthcare paradigm of telemonitoring and telemedicine by providing predictive analytics models and algorithms to address the unique challenges and contributing to the use of these remote devices to improve patient care.
Inhibition of ovarian development and instances of sex reversal in genotypic female sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) exposed to elevated water temperature.

Abstract This study determined high temperature effects on ovarian development in a marine groundfish species, sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria), with potential application in sex reversal or sterilization for aquaculture. Monosex female (XX-genotype) sablefish larvae (∼30 mm) were randomly divided into three groups and exposed to control (15.6 °C ± 0.8 °C), moderate (20.4 °C ± 0.5 °C), or high (21.7 °C ± 0.5 °C) temperatures for 19 weeks. Treated fish were then tagged and transferred to ambient seawater (11.2 °C ± 2.3 °C) for one year to determine whether temperature effects on reproductive development were maintained post-treatment. Fish were periodically sampled for gonadal histology, gene expression and plasma 17β-estradiol (E2) analyses to assess gonadal development. Short-term (4-week) exposure to elevated temperatures had only minor effects, whereas longer exposure (12–19 weeks) markedly inhibited ovarian development. Fish from the moderate and high treatment groups had significantly less developed ovaries relative to controls, and mRNA levels for germ cell (vasa, zpc) and apoptosis-associated genes (p53, casp8) generally indicated gonadal degeneration. The high treatment group also had significantly reduced plasma E2 levels and elevated gonadal amh gene expression. After one year at ambient temperatures, however, ovaries of moderate and high treatment fish exhibited compensatory recovery and were indistinguishable from controls. Two genotypic females possessing immature testes (neomales) were observed in the high treatment group, indicating sex reversal had occurred (6% rate). These results demonstrate that extreme elevated temperatures may inhibit ovarian development or trigger sex reversal. High temperature treatment is likely not an effective sterilization method but may be preferable for sablefish neomale broodstock production.
Tunneling vs. thermionic currents in multi-quantum well photovoltaic structures

Photogeneration in the intrinsic region of a p-i-n device excites carriers in the conduction bands with non-zero currents. A special class of multi-quantum well photovoltaic structures (mqw-PV) is p-i-n PV structures where photo-generation may cause tunneling and or thermionic escape, from the intrinsic region. In this communication, we propose a formalism of tunneling versus thermal escape in p-i-n mqw-PV structures. The concept is a superlattice embedded in the intrinsic region of a p-i-n solar cell, which under illumination generates free carriers for current collection. We show that quantum size effects do matter in these devices and we compute the corresponding short circuit currents. We conclude that thermal and tunneling currents behave almost in a complimentary way: tunneling dominates at low temperatures and that thermal escape dominates at high temperatures. We report results at temperature levels (two extremes at -10and 100°C) and predict total current density values near an average of 60mA/cm2. We finally conclude that the main drawback of these devices is their compromised open circuit voltage.
Anatomic Theories of Varicocele Origin

Varicoceles are cited as the most common cause of male infertility worldwide, yet not all men with varicocele experience difficulty with fecundity. There is an abundance of research and literature regarding varicoceles, but there remains significant controversy regarding their development and pathophysiology. The purpose of this chapter will be to provide an overview of the basic anatomy of varicoceles and discuss theories that explain their etiology.
A student-driven HIV/PrEP communication intervention using a modified social network strategy.

OBJECTIVE The authors examined college students' experiences of providing peer-education, using the modified Social Network Strategy (SNS). PARTICIPANTS Ninety-six college students participated this project during the 2018 academic year, drawn from a large, Mid-Southern urban university. METHODS Students who administered the HIV-PrEP health intervention completed a cross-sectional assessment about their experiences in the project. A series of open-ended prompts garnered written narrative responses. We utilized a qualitative content analysis to identify SNS codes and their frequencies. RESULTS Student responses were overwhelmingly supportive of the community engagement project. Student narratives featured the health communication intervention with peers most often (44.4%: counseling, testing, and referral communication), followed by influences on themselves (28.7%; what he/she learned, influences on student health and choices). CONCLUSIONS A modified SNS demonstrated in this project reveals its utility in supporting undergraduates in the delivery of HIV/PrEP training in the 7th highest HIV transmission area in the nation.
Barbershop Talk: African-American Men's Perceptions of Nursing as a Career

African-American men are significantly underrepresented in nursing. An increase in African-American nurses would more accurately represent the patient demographic and has the potential of mitigating health disparities in this population. This study used a qualitative approach with interviews from 7 participants recruited from barbershops in Northern California. As a result, 3 major themes emerged from the data: (a) minimal understanding of how to become a nurse, (b) the stigma of a feminized profession, and (c) a need for African-American men in nursing. Furthermore, this study found that barbershops are a viable setting for obtaining the perspectives of African-American men. This data provides important information about where schools of nursing can focus resources when trying to recruit African-American men. Providing detailed information about what nurses do and by depicting how nursing has changed over the decades to include men might be a mechanism for African-American men to consider nursing as a career option.