cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Failure of abdominal wall closure after intestinal transplantation: Identifying high-risk recipients

Open abdomen and fascial dehiscence after intestinal transplantation increase morbidity. This study aims to identify recipient and donor factors associated with failure to achieve sustained primary closure (failed-SPC) of the abdomen after intestinal transplant. We conducted a single-center retrospective study of 96 intestinal transplants between 2013 and 2018. Thirty-eight (40%) were adult patients, and 58 were pediatric patients. Median age at transplantation was 36.0 and 5.8 years, respectively. Failed-SPC occurred in 31 (32%) patients. Identified risk factors of failed-SPC included preexisting enterocutaneous fistula (OR: 6.8, CI: 2.4-19.6, P = .0003), isolated intestinal graft (OR: 3.4, CI: 1.24-9.47, P = .02), male sex in adults (OR: 3.93, CI: 1.43-10.8, P = .009), and age over four years (OR: 6.22, CI: 1.7-22.7, P = .004). There was no association with primary diagnosis and prior transplant with failed-SPC. Donor-to-recipient size ratios did not predict failed-SPC. There was an association between failed-SPC and extended median hospital stay (100 vs 57 days, P = .007) and increased time to enteral autonomy in pediatric patients. There is a relationship between failed-SPC and a higher rate of laparotomy (OR: 21.4, CI: 2.78-178.2, P = .0003) and fistula formation posttransplant (OR: 11.4, CI: 2.83-45.84, P = .0005) in pediatric patients. Given inferior outcomes with failed-SPC, high-risk recipients require careful evaluation.
Repairing Misconceptions and Inadequate Preparation in Upper-Level Undergraduate Engineering: The KACIE Model and Pen-Based Computing

Engineering educators frequently discover that students coming into upper-level courses lack the foundational knowledge necessary for course success, and frequently entertain misconceptions common to entry-level engineering students. This chapter reports on an NSF-funded initiative that approaches this difficulty with a comprehensive portfolio of research-based strategies for students to acquire, manipulate, express, and revise conceptual systems around engineering. These strategies referred to as protocols, entail a labor-intensive, methodical, and stepwise approach to working with upper-level students with less course preparation than they should have. The overall approach is referred to as “Knowledge and Curriculum Integration Ecosystem (KACIE)” protocol, formerly known as “Tailored Instruction and Engineered Delivery Using Protocols (TIDE UP)”. One aspect of the strategy portfolio involves the use of pen-based computing. The chapter reviews statistically significant results from this approach as a prelude to ongoing research to assess the efficacy of the digital ink component of the project (Hamilton et al. Inspiring students through digital ink: impact of pen and touch technology on education. Springer, 2019).
A DNA damage multiscale model for NTCP in proton and hadron therapy.

Purpose To develop a first principle and multiscale model for normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) as a function of dose and LET for proton and in general for particle therapy with a goal of incorporating nanoscale radio-chemical to macroscale cell biological pathways, spanning from initial DNA damage to tissue late effects. Methods The method is a combination of analytical and multiscale computational steps including (a) derivation of functional dependencies of NTCP on DNA-driven cell lethality in nanometer and mapping to dose and LET in millimeter, and (b) three-dimensional-surface fitting to Monte Carlo data set generated based on postradiation image change and gathered for a cohort of 14 pediatric patients treated by scanning beam of protons for ependymoma. We categorize voxel-based dose and LET associated with development of necrosis in NTCP. Result Our model fits well the clinical data, generated for postradiation tissue toxicity and necrosis. The fitting procedure results in extraction of in vivo radio-biological α-β indices and their numerical values. Discussion and conclusion The NTCP model, explored in this work, allows to correlate the tissue toxicities to DNA initial damage, cell lethality and the properties and qualities of radiation, dose, and LET.
Validation of an admission coagulation panel for risk stratification of COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: There is limited data on the markers of coagulation and hemostatic activation (MOCHA) profile in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its ability to identify COVID-19 patients at risk for thrombotic events and other complications. METHODS: Hospitalized patients with confirmed SARS-COV-2 from four Atlanta hospitals were included in this observational cohort study and underwent admission testing of MOCHA parameters (plasma d-dimer, prothrombin fragment 1.2, thrombin-antithrombin complex, fibrin monomer). Clinical outcomes included deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, access line thrombosis, ICU admission, intubation and mortality. MAIN RESULTS: Of 276 patients (mean age 59 ± 6.4 years, 47% female, 62% African American), 45 (16%) had a thrombotic endpoint. Each MOCHA parameter was independently associated with a thrombotic event (p<0.05) and ≥ 2 abnormalities was associated with thrombotic endpoints (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.2-8.8) as were admission D-dimer ≥ 2000 ng/mL (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.5-6.6) and ≥ 3000 ng/mL (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.6-7.9). However, only ≥ 2 MOCHA abnormalities were associated with ICU admission (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.7-5.2) and intubation (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.6-6.4). MOCHA and D-dimer cutoffs were not associated with mortality. MOCHA with <2 abnormalities (26% of the cohort) had 89% sensitivity and 93% negative predictive value for a thrombotic endpoint. CONCLUSIONS: An admission MOCHA profile is useful to risk-stratify COVID-19 patients for thrombotic complications and more effective than isolated d-dimer for predicting risk of ICU admission and intubation.
Androgen receptor (AR) heterogeneity in prostate cancer and therapy resistance.

Androgen receptor (AR), a ligand-dependent nuclear transcription factor and a member of steroid hormone receptor family, plays an important role in prostate organogenesis by regulating epithelial differentiation and restricting cell proliferation. Although rarely mutated or amplified in treatment-naive prostate cancer (PCa), AR signaling drives tumor growth and as a result, therapies that aim to inhibit AR signaling, called ARSIs (AR signaling inhibitors), have been in clinical use for >70 years. Unfortunately, the clinical efficacy of ARSIs is short-lived and the majority of treated patients develop castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). Numerous molecular mechanisms have been proposed for castration resistance; however, the cellular basis for CRPC emergence has remained obscure. One under-appreciated cellular mechanism for CRPC development is the AR heterogeneity that pre-exists in treatment-naive primary tumors, i.e., although most PCa cells express AR (i.e., AR+), there is always a population of PCa cells that express no/low AR (i.e., AR-/lo). Importantly, this AR heterogeneity becomes accentuated during ARSI treatment and highly prominent in established CRPC. Here, we provide a succinct summary of AR heterogeneity across the PCa continuum and discuss its impact on PCa response to treatments. While AR+ PCa cells/clones exhibit exquisite sensitivities to ARSIs, AR-/lo PCa cells/clones, which are greatly enriched in stem cell signaling pathways, display de novo resistance to ARSIs. Finally, we offer several potential combinatorial strategies, e.g., ARSIs with stem cell targeting therapeutics, to co-target both AR+ and AR-/lo PCa cells and metastatic clones.
The unique Phe-His dyad of 2-ketopropyl coenzyme M oxidoreductase/carboxylase selectively promotes carboxylation and S-C bond cleavage.

The 2-ketopropyl-coenzyme M oxidoreductase/carboxylase (2-KPCC) enzyme is the only member of the disulfide oxidoreductase (DSOR) family of enzymes, which are important for reductively cleaving S–S bonds, to have carboxylation activity. 2-KPCC catalyzes the conversion of 2-ketopropyl-coenzyme M to acetoacetate, which is used as a carbon source, in a controlled reaction to exclude protons. A conserved His–Glu motif present in DSORs is key in the protonation step; however, in 2-KPCC, the dyad is substituted by Phe–His. Here, we propose that this difference is important for coupling carboxylation with C–S bond cleavage. We substituted the Phe–His dyad in 2-KPCC to be more DSOR like, replacing the phenylalanine with histidine (F501H) and the histidine with glutamate (H506E), and solved crystal structures of F501H and the double variant F501H_H506E. We found that F501 protects the enolacetone intermediate from protons and that the F501H variant strongly promotes protonation. We also provided evidence for the involvement of the H506 residue in stabilizing the developing charge during the formation of acetoacetate, which acts as a product inhibitor in the WT but not the H506E variant enzymes. Finally, we determined that the F501H substitution promotes a DSOR-like charge transfer interaction with flavin adenine dinucleotide, eliminating the need for cysteine as an internal base. Taken together, these results indicate that the 2-KPCC dyad is responsible for selectively promoting carboxylation and inhibiting protonation in the formation of acetoacetate.
Unbiased Glycomics in Cardio-pulmonary Disease

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the most common causes of death in developed countries and their prevalence rate is rapidly growing. Understanding of changes in proteins, sphingolipids and their ...
Gluten sensitivity: new epidemic or new myth?

Fueled in part by recent bestselling books that warn of the evils of gluten in our diets, a significant proportion of our population is now either avoiding foods that contain gluten or eliminating ...
The Interplay between Wnt Mediated Expansion and Negative Regulation of Growth Promotes Robust Intestinal Crypt Structure and Homeostasis

The epithelium of the small intestinal crypt, which has a vital role in protecting the underlying tissue from the harsh intestinal environment, is completely renewed every 4–5 days by a small pool of stem cells at the base of each crypt. How is this renewal controlled and homeostasis maintained, particularly given the rapid nature of this process? Here, based on the recent observations from in vitro “mini gut” studies, we use a hybrid stochastic model of the crypt to investigate how exogenous niche signaling (from Wnt and BMP) combines with auto-regulation to promote homeostasis. This model builds on the sub-cellular element method to account for the three-dimensional structure of the crypt, external regulation by Wnt and BMP, internal regulation by Notch signaling, as well as regulation by internally generated diffusible signals. Results show that Paneth cell derived Wnt signals, which have been observed experimentally to sustain crypts in cultured organs, have a dramatically different influence on niche dynamics than does mesenchyme derived Wnt. While this signaling can indeed act as a redundant backup to the exogenous gradient, it introduces a positive feedback that destabilizes the niche and causes its uncontrolled expansion. We find that in this setting, BMP has a critical role in constraining this expansion, consistent with observations that its removal leads to crypt fission. Further results also point to a new hypothesis for the role of Ephrin mediated motility of Paneth cells, specifically that it is required to constrain niche expansion and maintain the crypt’s spatial structure. Combined, these provide an alternative view of crypt homeostasis where the niche is in a constant state of expansion and the spatial structure of the crypt arises as a balance between this expansion and the action of various sources of negative regulation that hold it in check.
Oligodendrocyte Regeneration and CNS Remyelination Require TACE/ADAM17

The identification of the molecular network that supports oligodendrocyte (OL) regeneration under demyelinating conditions has been a primary goal for regenerative medicine in demyelinating disorders. We recently described an essential function for TACE/ADAM17 in regulating oligodendrogenesis during postnatal myelination, but it is unknown whether this protein also plays a role in OL regeneration and remyelination under demyelinating conditions. By using genetic mouse models to achieve selective gain- or loss-of-function of TACE or EGFR in OL lineage cells in vivo, we found that TACE is critical for EGFR activation in OLs following demyelination, and therefore, for sustaining OL regeneration and CNS remyelination. TACE deficiency in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells following demyelination disturbs OL lineage cell expansion and survival, leading to a delay in the remyelination process. EGFR overexpression in TACE deficient OLs in vivo restores OL development and postnatal CNS myelination, but also OL regeneration and CNS remyelination following demyelination. Our study reveals an essential function of TACE in supporting OL regeneration and CNS remyelination that may contribute to the design of new strategies for therapeutic intervention in demyelinating disorders by promoting oligodendrocyte regeneration and myelin repair. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Oligodendrocyte (OL) regeneration has emerged as a promising new approach for the treatment of demyelinating disorders. By using genetic mouse models to selectively delete TACE expression in oligodendrocyte progenitors cells (OPs), we found that TACE/ADAM17 is required for supporting OL regeneration following demyelination. TACE genetic depletion in OPs abrogates EGFR activation in OL lineage cells, and perturbs cell expansion and survival, blunting the process of CNS remyelination. Moreover, EGFR overexpression in TACE-deficient OPs in vivo overcomes the defects in OL development during postnatal development but also OL regeneration during CNS remyelination. Our study identifies TACE as an essential player in OL regeneration that may provide new insights in the development of new strategies for promoting myelin repair in demyelinating disorders.
Shocks to a Trading System: Northeast Asia Poultry Trade and Avian Influenza

Japan and South Korea, net importers of chicken meat, experienced high-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in their domestic broiler populations and faced HPAI outbreaks in some of their principal suppliers in the last two decades. Both countries banned imports of frozen chicken meat from China and Thailand, beginning in 2004. Japanese data show that there was a structural break in import behavior at that time. Rotterdam models are estimated for Japan before and after the break and for Korea from 2005-2013. Results show that China and Thailand competed mostly with each other in the latter period, dividing up the cooked meat trade with few substitution effects evident with other suppliers. Brazil’s exports dominate Japan’s frozen chicken imports. Imports of both Korea and Japan have been rising. Imports from Brazil and China show the most elastic response to increased import expenditure, suggesting that the share of both countries in East Asian imports could grow in the future.
Impact of instrumental systematic contamination on the lensing mass reconstruction using the CMB polarization

In this paper, we study the effects of instrumental systematics on the reconstruction of the deflection angle power spectrum from weak lensing of cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization observations. We consider 7 types of effects which are related to known instrumental systematics: calibration, rotation, pointing, spin-flip, monopole leakage, dipole leakage, and quadrupole leakage. These effects can result in the distortion in the CMB field and can be characterized by 11 distortion fields. Each of these systematic effects can mimic the effective projected matter power spectrum and hence contaminate the lensing reconstruction. To demonstrate the effect of these instrumental systematics on CMB lensing measurements, we consider two types of experiments: one with a detector noise level for polarization of 9.6 {mu}K arcmin and FWHM of 8.0{sup '}, typical of upcoming ground and balloon-based CMB experiments; and a CMBPol-like instrument with a detector noise level for polarization of 2.0 {mu}K arcmin and FWHM of 4.0{sup '}, typical of future space-based CMB experiments. For each systematics field, we consider various choices of coherence scale {alpha}{sub s}, starting from {alpha}{sub s}=10{sup '} to the maximum of {alpha}{sub s}=120{sup '}. Among all the 11 systematic parameters, rotation {omega}, and monopole leakage {gamma}{sub a}more » and {gamma}{sub b} place the most stringent requirements, while quadrupole leakage q, pointing error p{sub a} and p{sub b}, and calibration a are among the least demanding. The requirements from lensing extraction are about 1-2 orders of magnitude less stringent than the requirements to measure the primordial B modes with an inflationary energy scale of 1.0x10{sup 16} GeV. On the other hand, the requirements for lensing reconstruction are comparable or even more stringent for some systematic parameters than the requirements to detect primordial B modes with an inflationary scale of E{sub i}=3.0x10{sup 16} GeV.« less
Calculations of scanning tunneling microscope images of xylene on Rh(111)

We performed a comparative study of scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images of three different isomers of xylene [(CH3)2C6H4] adsorbed on Rh(111) using a computational method based on extended Huckel molecular orbital theory (EHT). We calculated images for both the isolated molecules and for molecules chemisorbed on a rhodium cluster. The intramolecular structure of calculated images agreed well with previous experimental results. The calculated images exhibit a dependence on neither the binding site nor the molecular orientation on the surface. No difference was observed between the calculated images of occupied and unoccupied states.
Capacidades conceituais na percepção

A sound empiricism must attribute a rational meaning to our perceptual experience lest this experience be severed from the universe of our beliefs. On the other hand, perceptual experiences cannot be treated as creations of our own. They must be considered as contributions coming from the world around us. These two requirements can only be met if we conceive our perception as an exercize of our conceptual capacities within the range of our sensorial consciousness.
Numerical Simulation of Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Aluminum Laminates with Diverse Impact Damage

This paper presents a finite element model used to simulate the impact response of a fiber metal laminate. The load-time history, maximum deflection, and damage progression caused by impact loading were examined using an explicit finite element model. Two- and three-dimensional failure criteria in the commercial finite element code ABAQUS are used to model stiffness degradation in the glass-fiber-reinforced composite layers of the laminates. The finite element results showed good agreement with experimental measurements.
Multiple-Scattering Theory for Pion-Nucleus Scattering Near the 3,3 Resonance

Abstract Multiple-scattering theory is used to calculate differential and total cross sections for the elastic scattering of pions on closed-shell nuclei in the energy range near the 3,3 resonance. A separable form for the fundamental pion-nucleon interaction is used. Results are presented for 4 He and 16 O, and several of the standard approximation techniques are assessed. Indications are that for all but the lightest of nuclei the multiple-scattering series may not converge near the 3,3 resonance, so that an approach is necessary—such as that used here—which allows for an approximate summation of the series.
Status Congruency and Mental Health

This study evaluated a status-congruency model in relationship to effective military performance after psychiatric contact and compared the status-congruency score distributions for psychiatric out...
Mapping of a locus correcting lack of phosphoribosylaminoimidazole carboxylase activity in Chinese hamster ovary cell Ade-D mutants to human chromosome 4.

Abstract The human phosphoribosylaminoimidazole (AIR) carboxylase locus has been until this report one of the genes encoding purine biosynthetic enzymes that had not been assigned to an individual human chromosome. Characterization of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell mutant Ade − D showed that the cell line was unable to produce IMP and accumulated AIR. CHO Ade − D cells were fused with normal human lymphocytes utilizing inactivated Sendai virus and the resulting hybrid cell lines were selected for purine prototrophy. Cytogenetic analysis showed a 100% concordance value for chromosome 4. Two of the isolated subclones contained only the long arm of chromosome 4 translocated onto a CHO chromosome, providing evidence for a regional assignment of the Ade − D gene to the long arm of chromosome 4. Two of the subclones containing chromosome 4 were subjected to the BrdU visible light segregation. All of the isolated purine auxotrophic cell lines showed a loss of the q arm of chromosome 4. The localization of the Ade − D locus to the long arm of chromosome 4 may reveal further clustering of the mammalian purine genes since the Ade − A locus has previously been regionally assigned to 4pter-q21.
Influence of ring substituents and matrix on lithium / sodium selectivity of 14-crown-4 and benzo-13-crown-4-compounds

Abstract Binding of Li + and Na + by a series of ten benzo-13-crown-4 compounds and a series of fifteen 14-crown-4 derivatives has been assessed by picrate extraction and the response of polymeric membrane electrodes. Variation in cation selectivity was observed when different groups were attached to the central carbon atom of the three-carbon bridges in the ionophores. For the benzo-13-crown-4 series, only weak cation binding and low selectivity was observed in both the picrate extraction and polymeric membrane electrode systems. For the 14-crown-4 series, 6,13-dimethylenyl-14-crown-4 exhibited the highest Li + selectivity in picrate extraction. In polymeric membrane electrodes, considerably higher Li + selectivity was observed with 6,6,13-tribenzyl-14-crown-4 and 6,6,13,13-tetraethyl-14-crown-4 than with the commercially available Li + ionophore 6,6-dibenzyl-14-crown-4. Lack of correlation for the Li + selectivities of the 14-crown-4 compounds in the picrate extraction and polymeric membrane electrode systems reveals a profound influence of the matrix on ionophore selectivity.
Trypanosomes and the solution to a 50-year mitochondrial calcium mystery

The ability of mitochondria to take up Ca 2+ was discovered 50 years ago. This calcium uptake, through a mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), is important not only for the regulation of cellular ATP concentration but also for more complex pathways such as shaping Ca 2+ signals and the activation of programmed cell death. The molecular nature of the uniporter remained unknown for decades. By a comparative study of mitochondrial protein profiles of organisms lacking or possessing MCU, such as yeast in the former case and vertebrates and trypanosomes in the latter, two groups recently found the protein that possesses all the characteristics of the MCU. These results add another success story to the already substantial contributions of trypanosomes to mammalian biochemistry.
Molecular Order of Participation of Inhibitors (or Activators) in Biological Systems

From a Hill plot it is frequently possible to determine whether exactly one, two, or several inhibitor (or activator) molecules are involved in a critical rate-determining biological process.
On the approximate solution of non-deterministic heat and mass transport problems

Abstract Uncertainties inherent to transport processes in realistic heterogeneous media can be described by non-deterministic equations with random coefficients. In this paper, we undertake an analytical study of three classes of heat and mass transfer phenomena described by convection-diffusion reaction continuum models and discrete models: (1) unsteady dispersion in a random filtration velocity field; (2) anomalous diffusion in media with random reaction sites; (3) size effect on thermal conductivity of isotropically disordered solid lattices. Using small perturbation analysis, we solve three non-trivial problems described by differential equations with random coefficients. Although the random part of the parameters is much smaller than the deterministic (weak disorder), the effect of randomness on the behavior of the averaged quantities is both important and counterintuitive.
Far infrared optical properties of polycrystalline NaClO3, KClO3, NaBrO3 and KBrO3

Abstract The resonant frequencies, damping constants and oscillator strengths of far infrared lattice vibrations of polycrystalline NaClO3, KClO3, NaBrO3 and KBrO3 have been obtained through classical dispersion (CD) analysis of transmission data. Space group analysis has been applied for attribution assignments and to ascertain the translational and rotational character of the respective lattice bands. The damping constants were found to be unusually large indicating short lifetimes of the excited states in spite of an apparent absence of phonon-phonon coupling. The CD analysis of the spectra also provide reliable values of oscillator strength and resonant frequency.
Impacts of dual-use research on life science researchers including veterinarians.

Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, concern for the future direction of biological research has expanded to include not only issues involving the welfare of mankind, but also the more immediate and personal concern of individual scientists in the life sciences community. For many investigators in the life sciences, the remainder of their careers will be impacted by concerns about bioterrorism and issues associated with dual-use research. Awareness of these issues will be critical for all professional groups and affiliated organizations as they navigate the growing call for more federal rules and regulations. Veterinarians are not immune to the coming changes in science; all researchers risk criminal sanctions if they violate the USA Patriot Act or the Bioterrorism Act of 2002. Compliance with these regulations will be necessary, not just because of the potential legal ramifications, but because establishing and maintaining public trust is a never-ending requirement for the future of scientifi...
Lower Bounds in Minimum Rank Problems

Abstract The minimum rank of a graph is the smallest possible rank among all real symmetric matrices with the given graph. The minimum semidefinite rank of a graph is the minimum rank among Hermitian positive semidefinite matrices with the given graph. We explore connections between OS-sets and a lower bound for minimum rank related to zero forcing sets as well as exhibit graphs for which the difference between the minimum semidefinite rank and these lower bounds can be arbitrarily large.
Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita antigen is synthesized by human keratinocytes cultured in serum-free medium

The epidermolysis bullosa acquisita antigen is a newly discovered major extracellular matrix component within basement membranes beneath stratified squamous epithelia. Human keratinocytes cultured without mesenchymal cells synthesize the major 290 kd chain of the epidermolysis bullosa acquisita antigen.
Occult laryngomalacia resulting in obstructive sleep apnea in an infant

Abstract Classic laryngomalacia presents in the awake infant with progressive stridor when agitated. Occult laryngomalacia usually presents with stridor in children older than 2 years and is limited to sleep or exercise. There have been no documented cases of occult laryngomalacia causing obstructive sleep apnea in infants. We report the youngest documented case of an infant with state-dependent laryngomalacia resulting in severe obstructive sleep apnea. This patient was successfully treated with supraglottoplasty, with resolution of symptoms. In conclusion, state-dependent laryngomalacia resulting in obstructive sleep apnea may present in children younger than 12 months of age. In these individuals, supraglottoplasty should be considered.
Molecular dynamics modeling of water nanodroplet spreading on topographically patterned silicon dioxide and silicon nitride substrates

This article reports the investigation of the spreading behavior of a nanodroplet in a droplet-based scalable nanomanufacturing process using Molecular Dynamics (MD) modeling and simulation. The objective of the study is to understand the effect of substrate topology on the wetting behavior of nanodroplets at the molecular level. A water nanodroplet spreading on silicon dioxide (SiO2) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) substrates with different topologies was studied. A migration of the SiO2–water system from a hydrophilic to hydrophobic interaction was observed with an increase in the aspect ratio of the patterns. In contrast, for the Si3N4–water system the fluid–structural interaction shifted from a hydrophobic to hydrophilic behavior for patterns with corresponding higher aspect ratios. The MD models were validated using molecular kinetic theory. This research provides a foundation for extending the functional range of substrate and solvent combinations by manipulating the substrate topology. The results of t...
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- γ activation inhibits tumor progression in non-small-cell lung cancer

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors and a crucial regulator of cellular differentiation. Differentiation-inducing and antiproliferative effects of PPAR-gamma suggest that PPAR-gamma agonists might be useful as effective anticancer agents. Few studies have examined the efficacy of these agonists in animal models of tumorigenesis, and their mechanism(s) of action are still not clear. Our studies indicate higher PPAR-gamma expression in primary tumors from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients when compared to normal surrounding tissue. The expression of PPAR-gamma was also observed in several NSCLC lines. The treatment of lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549) with troglitazone (Tro), a PPAR-gamma ligand, enhanced PPAR-gamma transcriptional activity and induced a dose-dependent inhibition of A549 cell growth. The observed growth arrest was predominantly due to the inhibition of cell proliferation without significant induction of apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis of Tro-treated cells revealed a cell cycle arrest at G(0)/G(1) with concomitant downregulation of G(0)/G(1) cyclins D and E. In addition, Tro treatment stimulated sustained Erk1/2 activation in A549 cells, suggesting the activation of a differentiation-inducing pathway. Furthermore, treatment of A549 tumor-bearing SCID mice with Tro or Pio inhibited primary tumor growth by 66.7% and significantly inhibited the number of spontaneous lung metastatic lesions. Collectively, our data demonstrate that activation of PPAR-gamma impedes lung tumor progression and suggest that PPAR-gamma ligands may serve as potential therapeutic agents for NSCLC.
Hippocampal seizures produce retrograde amnesia without a temporal gradient when they reset working memory

Rats were trained to perform a discrimination requiring working memory. For each trial of each test session, the rats were given a choice among 8 arms of a radial arm maze and were given food as a reinforcer only if they went to an arm not previously chosen during that test session. After learning this discrimination, the rats were confined to the center of the maze after choosing four different arms. During this confinement, the hippocampus or amygdala was electrically stimulated with varying intensities of current. When the stimulation did not disrupt slow waves in the hippocampus, rats chose accurately when released from the center of the maze, going to the 4 arms not previously chosen. When the stimulation did produce electrophysiological (but not necessarily behavioral) seizures, the rats had a substantial retrograde amnesia for all the choices preceding the stimulation; this amnesia had no temporal gradient. The stimulation had no proactive effect on performance as long as the slow wave activity in the hippocampus was allowed to return to normal before the rat was given the opportunity to choose among the arms again. These results demonstrate that normal hippocampal electrical activity is necessary for the storage of information in working memory procedures, and that resetting of working memory takes place without regard for the temporal order in which events were entered into it. Amygdaloid stimulation had no effect on choice accuracy unless it produced hippocampal seizures.
The generation of modulated wavetrains in the solution of the Korteweg—de vries equation

On demontre une relation entre la methode des ondes modulees de Whitham et la methode de Lax et Levermore contenant la limite de petite dispersion
Behavioral effects of 3 alpha-androstanediol. II: Hypothalamic and preoptic area actions via a GABAergic mechanism.

We investigated whether 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol (3 alpha-androstanediol; 3 alpha-Diol), a neurosteroid whose effects are primarily inhibitory to sexual behavior, may act through interactions with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor complexes (GBRs) in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) and the preoptic area (POA). In Experiment (Exp.) 1, ovariectomized (ovx) rats were implanted with bilateral guide cannulae aimed above the MBH and were later treated with 17 beta-estradiol (E2, 2 injections of 1 microgram/0.2 ml in 10% ethanol) and either 3 alpha-Diol (3.0 mg/kg, s.c.) or vehicle. Progesterone (0.5 mg, s.c.) was given 24 h after the first E2 injection and a pre-test for lordosis responsiveness was carried out 4 h later. The GABAA agonist, muscimol (50 ng), then was infused into the MBH and rats were tested 10, 30 and 60 min later. Muscimol infusion facilitated lordosis behavior in vehicle-treated controls, but 3 alpha-Diol-treated animals failed to show this facilitation. To ascertain whether 3 alpha-Diol would also prevent muscimol's action in the POA, a site in which muscimol inhibits, rather than facilitates, sexual receptivity, ovx animals in Exp.2 were implanted with bilateral guide cannulae aimed above the POA and were treated with E2, 3 alpha-Diol, and P and infused and tested as in Exp. 1. Muscimol and 3 alpha-Diol each significantly inhibited receptivity; when they were combined, the inhibition was more pronounced. In Exp. 3, POA infusions of the GABAA antagonist, bicuculline, counteracted muscimol's and 3 alpha-Diol's inhibition of sexual behavior. In Exp. 4, in vitro treatment of POA and MBH membrane fractions with 3 alpha-Diol (30 microM) enhanced maximal [3H]muscimol binding without altering the affinity of the binding sites for the agonist. These data suggest that 3 alpha-Diol inhibits E2 and progestin-induced lordosis behavior via actions at the GBR in both the MBH and POA.
Patterned Co‐Culture of Primary Hepatocytes and Fibroblasts Using Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Templates

This paper describes the formation of patterned cell co-cultures using the layer-by-layer deposition of synthetic ionic polymers and without the aid of adhesive proteins/ligands such as collagen or fibronectin. In this study, we used synthetic polymers, namely poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDAC) and sulfonated polystyrene (SPS) as the polycation and polyanion, respectively, to build the multilayer films. We formed SPS patterns on polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) surfaces either by microcontact printing PDAC onto SPS surfaces or vice-versa. To create patterned co-cultures on PEMs, we capitalize on the preferential attachment and spreading of primary hepatocytes on SPS as opposed to PDAC surfaces. In contrast, fibroblasts readily attached to both PDAC and SPS surfaces, and as a result, we were able to obtain patterned co-cultures of fibroblast and primary hepatocytes on synthetic PEM surfaces. We characterized the morphology and hepatic-specific functions of the patterned cell co-cultures with microscopy and biochemical assays. Our results suggest an alternative approach to fabricating controlled co-cultures with specified cell-cell and cell-surface interactions; this approach provides flexibility in designing cell-specific surfaces for tissue engineering applications.
Approach for Modeling Rocket Plume Impingement and Dust Dispersal on the Moon

When a lander approaches the lunar surface, the plume from the descent engine impinges on the ground and entrains loose regolith into a high-velocity spray. This problem is simulated with a hybrid ...
A case study of Internet Game Addiction

Internet game addiction is becoming a severe problem in adolescents. The purpose of this article was to present a case study on Internet game addiction. The effects of a new program to treat Internet game addiction based on cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavior modification, and a 12-step program are described. The subject in this case study was a 16-year-old Korean adolescent who lived in the United States. The adolescent received 5 counseling sessions which seemed ineffective in correcting his Internet game addiction. However, at follow-up, the adolescent showed improvement in game addiction. This article suggests that these 3 therapies could be combined to form a treatment model which could significantly benefit the patient and positively impact behavior change.
The Virtuous Cooperator: Modeling the Human in an Ecologically Endangered Age

A theological model of the human is needed to prompt responsible thinking about and acting within the physical world. Some basic components for modeling the human as a virtuous cooperator appear in the teachings of Thomas Aquinas. When appropriated cautiously and informed broadly by contemporary scientific findings, this model provides a promising way of thinking about humans in relation to other species and ecological systems, a framework for acting responsibly, and the motivation for making this behavior habitual.
Large Product-Free Subsets of Finite Groups

A subset of a group is said to beproduct-freeif the product of two of its elements is never itself an element of the subset. Using the classification of finite simple groups, we prove that every finite group of ordernhas a product-free subset of more thancn11/14elements, for some fixedc>0. This improves on a lower bound of Babai and Sos.
Mine, Yours and Ours: A Configural Analysis of the Networks of Married Couples in Relation to Marital Satisfaction and Individual Well-Being

The present study examined different ways that a sample of 49 working- and middle-class married couples structured their shared and separate relationships with family and friends. The research focused on the married couple as the unit of analysis, and used information from both members of the dyad to construct descriptions of couples' conjoint networks. Couples were empirically classified according to network structural variables considered simultaneously. Four different types of conjoint networks were found to characterize the sample. Couples with different types of conjoint networks were found to differ in their self-reports of marital satisfaction. Conjoint network type was also differentially related to self-reports of depression and psychological symptoms for husbands and wives.
Il titanismo di Torquato Tasso e i giganti di Giulio Romano: ipotesi di una contaminazione pittorica nella Gerusalemme liberata

(1991). Il titanismo di Torquato Tasso e i giganti di Giulio Romano: ipotesi di una contaminazione pittorica nella Gerusalemme liberata. The Italianist: Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 61-69.
A contemporary approach to individualization

Mario D. Fantini University of Massachusetts, Amherst D uring this century, the concept individualization of instruction has become one of the central tenets of education. Many of our school reforms have been waged in its name. More recently, individualization has also been referred to as "personalized learning," reflecting the influence of humanistic psychology over the past decade. While individualization or personalized learning as conceptions are deep rooted in our history, it is the daily convergence of diverse learners into the schools and classrooms of this nation
X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and Diffuse Reflectance Infra Fourier Transformation (DRIFT) study of Ba0.5Sr0.5CoxFe1−xO3−δ (BSCF: x=0–0.8) ceramics

Abstract The X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) of sintered BSCF ceramics (Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 Co x Fe 1– x O 3– δ ,0≤ x ≤0.8) were measured at room temperature (RT). Peak areas of Fe 2 p 1 , Fe 2 p 3 , Fe 3 p and Co 3 p increased systematically with increasing cobalt concentration, while their binding energies (BEs) remained the same (723.3, 710.0, 55.0 and 60.9 eV, respectively). However, the BEs of lattice oxygen in O 1 s (528.1 eV) and Ba 4 d for the BaO bond (87.9V and 90.2 eV) increased with increasing cobalt concentration. The shoulder peak of Ba 3 d /Co 2 p increased from 778.0 to 778.7 eV, which implies that this peak can be attributed to another Ba XPS peak (described as Ba 2nd in this study) due to the overlapping area between barium cations and oxygen anions. The overall peak areas of Ba 4 d increased up to x =0.4, and then decreased, which coincides with the behavior of the Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) bands representing adsorbed CO 3 2− ( ν CO 3 2− ) and structurally bonded CO 3 2− ( ν 2 , ν 3 ) (800–1200 and 862/1433 cm −1 , respectively).
Executive function deficits associated with symptoms of schizotypy and obsessive–compulsive disorder

Research suggests that executive dysfunction is seen both in disorders of the schizophrenia constellation and in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but that the patterns of executive deficits may differ. While disorders of the schizophrenia spectrum reflect impairment of functions such as integration of cognitive activities, a tendency to perseverate, and a failure to notice details (e.g. impairment associated with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), OCD may involve problems of impulse control and regulation of behavior, and an inability to maintain cognitive set (e.g. impairment associated with the orbitofrontal cortex). The present study examined differences between high-scorers on a measure of schizotypy, high-scorers on a measure of OCD, high-scorers on both schizotypy and OCD and a control group in performance on executive function tests. As expected, the OCD group demonstrated relative deficits on measures thought to reflect orbitofrontal functioning. However, contrary to expectations, the schizotypal group did not demonstrate deficits on neuropsychological tests thought to reflect dorsolateral prefrontal cortex functioning, and the combined group showed no executive impairment.
SwitchR: Reducing system power consumption in a multi-client, multi-radio environment

Multiple wireless network interfaces in a single mobile device exist in order to support their diverse communications and networking needs. This paper proposes a general switching architecture, SwitchR, for managing radio communications for multiple (client) devices utilizing multiple heterogeneous radios per device. SwitchR is deployable incrementally within existing wireless infrastructures, and considers the load imposed on the wireless channel by other communicating clients. SwitchR demonstrates reduction in energy consumption of a mobile device by 47% - 72%, depending upon the application, over the Power Save Mode in WiFi and 13% - 60% reduction in energy over previous multi-radio architectures that do not consider the interactions between multiple clients.
Muscle Shortening Velocity is Modulated by Alternative Myosin Converters

The myosin converter has been proposed to be critical for setting muscle shortening velocity by influencing the amplification of small conformational changes at the ATPase site into the larger lever arm swing. To test this hypothesis, we exploited the natural variation of the converter region found in Drosophila muscle types. In Drosophila, a single myosin heavy chain gene is alternatively spliced to generate myosin isoforms. The converter region is encoded by five alternative versions of exon 11 that are expressed in different muscle types. Through genetic modification we forced the expression of the alternative versions in the Drosophila jump muscle and found that two of the three versions tested to date, 11a (native to indirect flight muscles) and 11e (embryonic muscles), caused faster maximum shortening velocities of skinned jump muscle fibers relative to the native control 11c. Increases in velocity were primarily responsible for 70.9% and 79.0% higher power outputs for 11a and 11e fibers, respectively, because maximum force generation was not significantly different from control fibers. The fibers expressing 11a and 11e also exhibited a straighter force-velocity curve, as shown by increased Hill equation parameters a (95.4% and 84.5% higher, respectively) and b (72.6% and 65.5% higher, respectively) relative to control fibers, indicating that the converter modulates load dependent cross-bridge kinetics. The higher power and shortening velocity of 11a and 11e fibers enabled increased jumping ability, 76.0% and 48.8% farther, respectively. Converter homology models, using the new Drosophila myosin S1 crystal structure (pdb 4QBD), revealed minimal tertiary structure differences suggesting residue specific interactions with the relay, N-terminus, or essential light chain are critical. Overall, our data support the hypothesis that the converter helps set muscle shortening velocity under loaded and unloaded conditions and thus contributes to muscle fiber type diversity.
Melting and solidification of Y1−xYbxBa2Cu3Oy: Influences of Yb doping and oxygen partial pressure

Abstract A comparative study was undertaken into the calcination conditions for the solid-state synthesis of pure Y 1−x Yb x Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ (x=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 10), the starting materials being Y 2 O 3 , Yb 2 O 3 , BaCO 3 and CuO. It was found that the calcination time should go up and the sintering temperature should lower, when the average rare earth ionic radius decreases. Moreover, the melting and the solidification temperatures of Y 1−x Yb x Ba 2 Cu 3 O y rise with decreasing Yb doping and increasing oxygen partial pressure, but depend only weakly on the particle size distribution. These deductions will be important to the fabrication of large-grain (Y,Y b )BaCuO.
Magnetoplasmons in a two-dimensional electron fluid: Disk geometry.

A hydrodynamic model is used to study the magnetoplasma modes of a two-dimensional electron fluid confined to a thin circular disk and screened by two parallel grounded planes. For arbitrary values of the screening parameter, the equations are reduced to a single integral equation that is solved by expanding in a complete set of polynomials. The smallest resulting eigenfrequency for each angular quantum number represents the corresponding edge mode for this geometry.
Role of interval appendectomy in the management of complicated appendicitis in children.

Introduction The aim of this study was to ascertain the optimal treatment for children with complicated appendicitis. We reviewed an inception cohort of children with documented complicated appendicitis to develop criteria for interval appendectomy. We compared the outcomes of two treatments: immediate operation and interval appendectomy.