cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cholecystokinin receptors and PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells

The gastrointestinal peptide cholecystokinin (CCK) has been shown to stimulate growth of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo, although CCK receptors have not been identified in pancreatic cancer cells. The purpose of this study was to characterize the CCK receptors in pancreatic cancer cells and to correlate the receptor binding studies with the trophic action of CCK agonists and antagonists. With the use of homogenates of PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cell line grown in culture, the binding of 125I-labeled CCK octapeptide (125I-CCK-8) was examined under various conditions to characterize the CCK receptor. Specific and saturable binding of 125I-CCK-8 was detected in PANC-1 cells; data were consistent with a single binding site. Scatchard analysis yielded a binding affinity [dissociation constant (Kd)] of 2.8 nM and a binding capacity of 26 fmol/mg protein. Binding was dependent on protein concentration, time, temperature, the presence of protease inhibitors, and pH and was sensitive to Na+, K+, Mg2+, and ethylene glycolbis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid. Competition experiments indicated that L-365,260, a selective CCK-B (gastrin) receptor antagonist, was the most potent displacer of 125I-CCK-8, and no significant displacement of binding was found with the selective CCK-A receptor antagonist. Growth of PANC-1 cells in culture was stimulated by CCK at a concentration consistent with the Kd, and CCK-stimulated growth was inhibited by the CCK-B receptor antagonist (L-365,260) not the CCK-A receptor antagonist (L-364,718).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Summer Dormancy in Adult Agabus disintegratus (Crotch) (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) in Dried Ponds in California

Adult dytiscid water beetles, Agabus disintegratus (Crotch), were recovered in a dormant state from the root soil interface of bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon L.; dallisgrass, Paspalum dilitatum (Poir); common cattails, Typha latifolia L.; and hardstem bulrushes, Scirpus acutus (Muhl.), during the late spring and summer of 1985 from dry waterfowl refuge ponds in the central valley of California. Beetles were not found in sod of millet, Panicum miliaceum L., or in areas barren of vegetation. Tearing apart bermudagrass sod and passing the debris through sieves revealed populations of up to 10.3 beetles per 600 cm2 surface area of sod in fields irrigated twice during the summer. Captured adults were never observed to fly either in the field or laboratory, but were very active in open containers. Beetles placed on loose soil debris quickly crawled beneath it and became still. Survivorship of beetles held in the laboratory showed that they were capable of living for more than 5 mo without water or food. Dissection of females collected from late spring to midwinter indicated that they remained unmated and without oocyte development, but with relatively large fat reserves, until some time after the fields were inundated in late summer. Mating and egg development were first observed in late October. The estival dormant state of adults in the root systems of wetland plants appears to be an “obligatory” imaginal diapause to synchronize reproduction with autumnal inundation. We believe this type of diapause to be the first reported for a dytiscid.
Boronic acid hydrogen bonding in encapsulation complexes.

Hydrogen bonding is a key determinant of much macromolecular structure in nature, but individual donor and acceptor pairs are rarely observed in solution. Their weak interactions result in nanosecond lifetimes and rapid exchange of partners. Reversible encapsulation isolates molecules in very small spaces for milliseconds to hours and allows their characterization by NMR methods. Here we report a competitive study of hydrogen-bonding functions—carboxylic acids, primary amides, and boronic acids—within a multicomponent capsular assembly. The pairwise co-encapsulation of these molecules allows the direct observation of homodimeric boronic acids and their heterodimeric complexes with carboxylic acids and primary amides. The efficiency of boronic acids as hydrogen-bonding partners derives from their adaptable structures rather than from their intrinsic acid/base properties.
The phenomenon of multidrug resistance in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the term used to describe the phenomenon whereby cancers become resistant to multiple drugs that have little chemical or mechanistic similarity [1,2]. The MDR phenomenon is commonly observed in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). For example, NHL initially responds to a wide variety of chemotherapeutic agents, but most patients eventually develop recurrent disease [3,4]. Recurrent NHL gradually becomes resistant to multiple chemotherapeutic agents, and most patients eventually die of drug-resistant disease [5,6]. MDR is associated with a cell membrane protein called p-glycoprotein (P-gly) [1,2,7]. P-gly is thought to function as an efflux pump removing cytotoxic and xenobiotic agents from cells [8]. P-gly is found in both normal and malignant tissue and may be associated with clinical resistance to chemotherapy in patients with lymphoma [9-11]. Thus, investigations into this molecular mechanism of drug resistance have immediate implications for the clinician treating patients with lymphoma. This chapter focuses on issues that are relevant to the understanding of clinical outcome of patients with lymphoma as it relates to MDR.
Synthesis of 1,3-2,4-di(p-ethyl)benzylidene sorbitol

1,3-2,4-Di(p-ethyl)benzylidene sorbitol nucleating agent was synthesized from p-ethyl benzaldehyde and sorbitol with p-toluene sulfonic acid as catalyst in mixture solvent.The optimum reaction conditions determined by orthogonal experiments were that the molar ratio of p-ethyl benzaldehyde to sorbitol was 2.2,the volume ratio of cyclohexane to methanol was 2.0,and the amount of catalyst was 1.5%.At these conditions,the yield of the product was over 95%.The melting temperature and IR spectrum of the product were measured.
Myocardial salvage: pharmacologic treatment.

Summary We have attempted to review the role of pharmacologic agents in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction for the purposes of limiting infarct size. At this time, the beta-blocking agents and nitroglycerin have been the most extensively studied in clinical trials and should be part of our overall pharmacologic approach to patients with acute myocardial infarction. Treatment, however, needs to be individualized, depending on the resources available within one's hospital and community. The early treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction is undergoing a revolution. Whereas a decade ago we were satisfied with simply monitoring patients for malignant arrhythmias, now we are aggressively attempting to limit infarct size and reperfuse myocardium. In all these proposed treatments for myocardial salvage, time is a crucial element. Therefore, emergency physicians and paramedics become a vital link to begin appropriate treatment leading to myocardial salvage and reperfusion. We must begin to think of all patients with symptoms of acute myocardial infarction as candidates for aggressive attempts at myocardial salvage. These attempts will only take place with well-coordinated, multidiscipline efforts involving cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, emergency physicians, paramedics, and critical care teams. Our challenge over the next few years will be to develop efficient systems so that all patients with acute myocardial infarction can receive optimal care.
The Hopes and Fears of All the Years: 30 Years Behind and the Road Ahead for the Widespread Use of Mediation

Looking through the windshield in 1985, the dispute resolution community was enthusiastic about mediation's promise: the promise of a radically different paradigm premised on party-driven resolution and collaborative decision-making. Peering ahead, mediation's pioneers anticipated a quiet revolution in conflict management toward more therapeutic and democratic processes. What do events in the last three decades tell us about the high and low points — the successes and failures — in the journey of that endeavor? Looking forward, how might we best align reality with our highest aspirations and avoid the disappointing troughs we encountered in those past decades? This article addresses those questions.
Smoking-Cessation Efforts by US Adult Smokers with Medical Comorbidities

Abstract Background Continued cigarette smoking by individuals with chronic medical diseases can adversely affect their symptoms, disease progression, and mortality. We assessed the association between medical comorbidities and smoking-cessation efforts among US adult smokers. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from 12,494 past-year cigarette smokers aged ≥18 years from Wave 1 (2013-2014) of the nationally representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study. We assessed the association between self-reported medical comorbidities and past-year quit attempts, use of evidence-based smoking-cessation treatment or electronic cigarettes, and successful smoking cessation using logistic regression, adjusting for sociodemographics, insurance status, geographic region, and having a past-year doctor visit. Results In the study sample, 39% were aged 18 to 34 years, 45% were female, 70% were non-Hispanic white, and 48% reported ≥1 comorbidity. Smokers with any comorbidity, compared with those without comorbidities, had higher odds of trying to quit (adjusted odds ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.30), but no higher likelihood of quitting success. Having more medical comorbidities was associated with increased odds of trying to quit. Smokers with a comorbidity used evidence-based treatment more often than smokers without comorbidities (43% vs 26%); use of e-cigarettes to quit was similar between smokers with and without comorbidities (27% vs 28%). Conclusions Adult smokers with chronic medical diseases try to quit and use evidence-based tobacco-cessation treatment more often than smokers without comorbidities, but they are no more likely to quit, suggesting that their quit attempts are less likely to succeed. Smokers with medical comorbidities may require more intensive, prolonged, and repeated treatment to stop smoking.
A Novel Model for Evaluating the Viability of Strategies for Biorefining Processes from Various Stakeholder Perspectives: Case Study on Marginal Land Utilization

Abstract As the recent research leads to innovations in diverse field of biorefining, inherent unpredictability is a growing concern with stakeholders regarding the viability of developed processes to meet society’s future energy and transportation fuel requirements. This contribution will show the applicability of a novel tool that will guide stakeholders to arrive at decisions in their respective fields. The developed model combines various disciplines of engineering and sciences to demonstrate a creative linking of process optimization, supply chain optimization and simulation to address uncertainties. Simulation and modelling tools like Aspen Plus® and ILOG OPL® are tailored to create a novel multidisciplinary decision support tool. Motivated by the previous research, a unique case study is presented on biomass gasification in the Jackson Purchase region, Kentucky USA. This proof of concept shows how the inclusion of dedicated energy crops by utilizing available marginal land can be analysed, leading to optimal economic, social and environmental results.
A novel alumina catalyst support with high thermal stability derived from silica-modified alumina aerogel

A new alumina catalyst support with high thermal stability was synthesized. The high thermal stability was achieved through the synergetic effect of silica addition and the ultra-low bulk density (aerogel). The amount of silica was varied from 2.5 to 10 wt% and 5 wt% was found to be most effective for suppressing phase transformation; the θ phase remained even after heating at 1400°C for 1 h. The surface areas of the present alumina with 5 wt% silica were 86 and 36 m2/g after heating at 1300 and at 1400°C, respectively.
Structure of the SARS-Unique Domain C From the Bat Coronavirus HKU4

Coronaviruses (CoVs) that cause infections such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome phylogenetically originate from bat CoVs. The coronaviral nonstructu...
A Pragmatic Internet Intervention to Promote Positive Parenting and School Readiness in Early Childhood: Initial Evidence of Program Use and Satisfaction

Background: Internet-based parenting programs have the potential to connect families to research-informed materials to promote positive child development. However, such programs can only succeed to the extent that the intended population engages with them. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate engagement in the 5-a-Day Parenting program, a technology-based program designed with low-income families in mind, to promote daily use of 5 specific parenting activities conducive to children’s school readiness. Following earlier pilot data, the program was enhanced with an initial motivational e-intervention and tailored text messages designed to promote engagement. Methods: Parents were recruited from local childcare centers and through a participant registry. We examined rates of receipt of program text messages and use of video-based content on the program website, 3 factors that may affect website use, and satisfaction with key program elements. Results: A total of 360 parents of young children learned about the study and had the opportunity to use the 5-a-Day Parenting website. Of these, 94 parents participated in the study, and 33% (31/94) accessed the video-based content on the website at least once. No association was found between website use and program recruitment approach, program-affiliation message, sociocontextual risk, and baseline use of the five parenting activities. Satisfaction with text messages and video-based content was high. Conclusions: For some parents, technology-based programs appear useful; however, engagement could still be enhanced. Additional research should seek innovative strategies for promoting engagement in Web-based parenting programs.
Posterior Cervical Fusion Surgery: Occiput to C2

Occipitocervical fusion (OCF) is used to treat several conditions that may cause instability and neurologic compromise at the craniovertebral junction. Craniocervical instability can present with a range of signs and symptoms of myelopathy, lower cranial nerve deficits, and even headaches. There are several radiographic methods that can be utilized to assess for instability at the craniocervical junction. OCF can be accomplished using a variety of instrumentation techniques and bone grafts. The anatomy of the craniocervical junction, radiographic assessment, fusion techniques, postoperative management, and complications avoidance are reviewed in this chapter.
Measuring The Time Course of Engineer Workload During Automation Mode Transitions

In current freight railroad operations, locomotive control is shared between the human engineer and automated energy management systems such as GE Trip Optimizer. Transitions between the manual and...
Interpreting Within-Field Relationships Between Crop Yields and Soil and Plant Variables Using Factor Analysis

Precision farming technologies allow for collection of large amounts of data from producers' fields. This study used grid-sampling techniques and factor analysis to investigate relationships between several site variables and corn (Zea mays L.) yields on five producer's fields. Sampling positions (112 to 258) were at the intersecting points of grid lines spaced 15 m. Variables measured were soil organic matter, pH, P, K, and NO3-N; residue cover; broadleaf and grass weed control; corn height at two dates, plant population, and grain yield. Correlation and multiple regression analyses showed that some variables were related to corn yields but the variables involved in significant relationships varied among fields. Moreover, the site variables often were highly correlated and the correlations varied among fields. In these conditions multiple regression would be an unreliable analysis tool. Study of covariance relationships among the variables using factor analysis showed that some of the variables measured could be grouped to indicate a number of underlying common factors influencing corn yields. These common factors were soil fertility, weed control, and conditions for early plant growth. Their importance in explaining the yield variability differed greatly among fields. Application of factor analysis to data generated by precision-farming technologies has potential for describing and understanding relationships between measured variables.
Mechanism of Action of a Prostaglandin E2 Receptor Antagonist with antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus

Our laboratory recently reported that the EP4 receptor antagonist, L-161,982, had direct growth-inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and in vivo, reducing microbial burden and providing significant protection against lethality in models of S. aureus monomicrobial and polymicrobial intra-abdominal infection. This antimicrobial activity was observed with both methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), as well as other Gram-positive bacteria. The antimicrobial activity of L-161,982 was independent of EP4 receptor inhibitory activity. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of action (MOA) of L-161,982, which contains a sulfonamide functional group. However, results demonstrate L-161,982 does not affect folate synthesis (sulfonamide MOA), oxidative stress, or membrane permeability. Instead, our results suggest that the inhibitor works via effects on inhibition of the electron transport chain (ETC). Similar to other ETC inhibitors, L-161,982 exposure results in a small colony size variant phenotype and inhibition of pigmentation, as well as significantly reduced hemolytic activity, and ATP production. In addition, L-161,982 potentiated the antimicrobial activity of another ETC inhibitor and inhibition was partially rescued by supplementation with nutrients required for ETC auxotrophs. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that L-161,982 exerts antimicrobial activity against MRSA via inhibition the ETC, representing a new member of a potentially novel antimicrobial drug class.
Downgrading of grade group 2 intermediate-risk prostate cancer from biopsy to radical prostatectomy: Comparison of outcomes and predictors to identify potential candidates for active surveillance.

Background A proportion of men with grade group (GG) 2 intermediate risk (IR) prostate cancer are downgraded to GG1 or harbor favorable pathology (FP, defined as GG1 or GG2 with Methods We performed a comparative cohort study of biopsy LR and IR men who underwent RP at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Bayview Medical Center between 2005 and 2018. We evaluated pathological outcomes at RP and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were applied and individual predicted probabilities were calculated. Results Among 2943 biopsy GG2 IR patients, 223 (7.6%) were downgraded to GG1, while 525 (17.8%) had FP; 730 of 1325 biopsy LR patients (55.1%) were upgraded (GG >1). Concordance statistics for final predictive regression models were 0.76 for downgrading and 0.70 for upgrading. Biopsy GG2 IR patients downgrading to GG1 or harboring FP had similar RFS to biopsy LR patients. A cutoff of >10% predicted probability of downgrading (24.7% of patients; hazard ratio [HR], 1.55; 95% CI, 0.89-2.68) or >20% predicted probability of FP (37.0% of patients; HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 0.81-2.24) led to similar RFS to biopsy LR patients. Conclusion GG2 IR patients who experience downgrading or harbor FP had similar oncologic outcomes as LR patients. The developed models may serve as tools to inform patients about the risks of pathological downgrading/upgrading and help identify a segment of GG2 IR patients who would consider pursuing active surveillance based on predicted probability cutoffs.
Development and validation of Houston Methodist Variant Viewer version 3: updates to our application for interpretation of next-generation sequencing data

Objectives Informatics tools that support next-generation sequencing workflows are essential to deliver timely interpretation of somatic variants in cancer. Here, we describe significant updates to our laboratory developed bioinformatics pipelines and data management application termed Houston Methodist Variant Viewer (HMVV). Materials and methods We collected feature requests and workflow improvement suggestions from the end-users of HMVV version 1. Over 1.5 years, we iteratively implemented these features in five sequential updates to HMVV version 3. Results We improved the performance and data throughput of the application while reducing the opportunity for manual data entry errors. We enabled end-user workflows for pipeline monitoring, variant interpretation and annotation, and integration with our laboratory information system. System maintenance was improved through enhanced defect reporting, heightened data security, and improved modularity in the code and system environments. Discussion and conclusion Validation of each HMVV update was performed according to expert guidelines. We enabled an 8× reduction in the bioinformatics pipeline computation time for our longest running assay. Our molecular pathologists can interpret the assay results at least 2 days sooner than was previously possible. The application and pipeline code are publicly available at https://github.com/hmvv.
Rethinking Learning Trajectories in Light of Student Linguistic Diversity

Learning trajectory (LT) research in mathematics education has shaped both instructional materials and assessments. But, the body of LT research has also been critiqued for not adequately consideri...
Local Technology Adoption and Innovation: The Establishment of U.S. Airmail and the Organization of Aviation Innovation

This paper explores how technology adoption can shape local innovative activity in the context of the early 20th century rollout of airmail in the United States. Our theoretical framework highlights the mechanism of technological feedback and market incentives through which technology adoption induces local innovation, as well as the role of regional domain-specific capabilities in this process. Using our novel dataset of early 20th-century patents, we quantitatively examine these issues by measuring the effect of local airmail upon aviation innovation. Our results suggest that the establishment of an airmail route in a given county led to an increase in local aviation patenting by approximately 32%. Both individual and corporate inventors in treated counties had higher rates of aviation patenting in broad and diverse areas of aviation technology. We also find that the effect of airmail adoption was stronger in the treated counties with pre-existing local capabilities that specifically catered to, or could be readily applied to, the focal technological domain. This work contributes to the academic literature on antecedents and consequences of technology adoption and innovation. Our findings are also relevant for present-day managers and policymakers who are navigating the potential costs and benefits of new technology adoption.
Morbidity, mortality, and systems safety in non-operating room anaesthesia: a narrative review.

Summary Non-operating room anaesthesia (NORA) describes anaesthesia delivered outside a traditional operating room (OR) setting. Non-operating room anaesthesia cases have increased significantly in the last 20 yr and are projected to account for half of all anaesthetics delivered in the next decade. In contrast to most other medication administration contexts, NORA is performed in high-volume fast-paced environments not optimised for anaesthesia care. These predisposing factors combined with increasing case volume, less provider experience, and higher-acuity patients increase the potential for preventable adverse events. Our narrative review examines morbidity and mortality in NORA settings compared with the OR and the systems factors impacting safety in NORA. A review of the literature from January 1, 1994 to March 5, 2021 was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and ProQuest. After completing abstract screening and full-text review, 30 articles were selected for inclusion. These articles suggested higher rates of morbidity and mortality in NORA cases compared with OR cases. This included a higher proportion of death claims and complications attributable to inadequate oxygenation, and a higher likelihood that adverse events are preventable. Despite relatively few attempts to quantify safety concerns, it was possible to find a range of systems safety concerns repeated across multiple studies, including insufficient lighting, noise, cramped workspace, and restricted access to patients. Old and unfamiliar equipment, lack of team familiarity, and limited preoperative evaluation are also commonly noted challenges. Applying a systems view of safety, it is possible to suggest a range of methods to improve NORA safety and performance.
Inconsistencies in Controlling for Risk Factors for Recurrent Shoulder Instability After Primary Arthroscopic Bankart Repair: A Systematic Review:

Background:Failure rates after arthroscopic shoulder stabilization are highly variable in the current orthopaedic literature. Predictive factors for risk of failure have been studied to improve pat...
The Application of Highly Accelerated MR Acquisition Techniques to Imaging the Peripheral Vasculature

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a major health problem worldwide. Due to its high prevalence as well as the potential for effective treatment it is critical to diagnose and characterize PAD. Methods based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have long been under study for assessing the vascular system but have been limited because of long scan times and limited spatial resolution. However, just in the last several years a number of techniques have allowed major improvements in the time vs. spatial resolution tradeoff. In this work it is shown that the combination of acquisition techniques, coil technology, and acceleration methods now allows imaging the peripheral vasculature with 1 mm isotropic resolution with acquisitions that can capture the arterial phase of transit of contrast-enhanced blood. Special purpose receiver coil arrays are also used which retain high SNR in spite of the high acceleration. In vivo results are presented to illustrate the general applicability of the method.
Paraxial wave theory of second and third harmonic generation in uniaxial crystals. I: Narrowband pump fields

Abstract We present a paraxial wave formulation of three-wave mixing in a negative uniaxial crystal, including effects of diffraction and transverse walkoff. The theory, though general, is applied specifically to second harmonic generation in KDP with Nd:glass laser radiation, followed by the mixing of the second harmonic with the fundamental in a second KDP crystal to produce third harmonic radiation near 0·35 μm. For applications of interest, which can involve third harmonic conversion efficiencies approaching 90%, walkoff is potentially much more deleterious to conversion than diffraction. However, walkoff is negligible when the angular spectrum of the pump field does not have substantial contributions from spatial frequencies ≳ (aL)−1, where L is the crystal length and a depends upon the derivative of each extraordinary refractive index with respect to the angle between the optic axis and the direction of wave propagation. A similar result, scaling as L− 1/2 rather than L −1, holds for diffraction. We...
The Acute and Chronic Management of Large Cerebral Infarcts

Stroke remains a major source of morbidity and mortality throughout the world representing the third leading cause of death in North America and the second leading cause of death in Asia [1]. Large hemispheric strokes account for a majority of these deaths and represent a significant proportion of stroke patients treated in an intensive care unit (ICU). Our understanding of the secondary processes that occur after the initial stroke has changed our approach to the management of this population. We will review and discuss the new management strategies that have been developed to decrease the morbidity and mortality of patients with large hemispheric infarctions.
Cusps and butterflies: multiple stable states in marine systems as catastrophes

Ecologists usually view smooth threshold-like shifts and sudden discontinuous jumps in stable states as an either–or proposition. This need not be the case, and using only graphs and no equations, it will be shown how it is possible to have a single model containing one, two or three stable points. This is not a new idea and the basics, known as catastrophe theory, were developed in the 1960s, and are well known to engineers and physicists. Systems with two stable points, which are known as cusp catastrophes, and those with three points, which are known as butterfly catastrophes, will be introduced without equations. Coral reefs and temperate intertidal rocky shores are discussed as possible examples of cusp and butterfly catastrophes. It has also been well known since the 1960s that there are nine hallmarks of catastrophes, and the relative merit of these hallmarks for use by experimentalists will be discussed. The hallmarks can be placed into three groups: the shape of the equilibrium surface (modality and inaccessibility), the behaviour of the equilibrium points as conditions change (discontinuous jumps, hysteresis, divergence and one-jump paths) and transient behaviour near cusps and folds (critical slowing down, anomalous variances and non-linear responses). There are two caveats. First, hysteresis and divergence may not occur in systems with noise. Second, unusual transient behaviour such as critical slowing down is not unique to systems with catastrophes and can be found in systems with smooth threshold-like shifts. We suggest that the two-state system of rockweeds and mussels in the Gulf of Maine is an example of a cusp catastrophe, and the three-state systems of corals, seaweeds and algal turfs may be an example of a butterfly catastrophe. In closing, we speculate why ecologists have overlooked and then reinvented catastrophe theory and rediscovered its hallmarks.
A case of surface constraint violation

The idea that constraints on well-formedness play a role in determining phonological alternations, which dates back at least to Kisseberth’s (1970) pioneering work, has by now achieved almost universal acceptance. A tacit assumption of this program, largely unquestioned even in recent research, is the notion that valid constraints must state true generalizations about surface structure or some other level of phonological representation. Anything different would seem antithetical to the very idea of a well-formedness constraint.
Glossoptosis Revisited: On the Development and Resolution of Airway Obstruction in the Pierre Robin Syndrome

The principal complication of the Pierre Robin syndrome is glossoptotic obstruction of the airway. Many infants so affected experience stormy courses, and some eventually die.1-3 In these severe cases the most familiar clinical features are asphyxia and inanition,4 but cor pulmonale5-7 and congestive heart failure2 have also been described. We report here a case that seems noteworthy in two major respects. First, it constitutes only the third reported instance of Pierre Robin syndrome in which cor pulmonale and congestive heart failure developed, and subsequently, following relief of upper airway obstruction, resolved. Second, the course of clinical events provided new evidence bearing on both the mechanism of airway obstruction in the Pierre Robin syndrome and the nature of its resolution with increasing age.
Developmental role of the SNF1-related kinase Hunk in pregnancy-induced changes in the mammary gland

The steroid hormones 17 beta-estradiol and progesterone play a central role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and regulate key phases of mammary gland development. This suggests that developmental regulatory molecules whose activity is influenced by ovarian hormones may also contribute to mammary carcinogenesis. In a screen designed to identify protein kinases expressed in the mammary gland, we previously identified a novel SNF1-related serine/threonine kinase, Hunk (hormonally upregulated Neu-associated kinase). During postnatal mammary development, Hunk mRNA expression is restricted to a subset of mammary epithelial cells and is temporally regulated with highest levels of expression occurring during early pregnancy. In addition, treatment of mice with 17 beta-estradiol and progesterone results in the rapid and synergistic upregulation of Hunk expression in a subset of mammary epithelial cells, suggesting that the expression of this kinase may be regulated by ovarian hormones. Consistent with the tightly regulated pattern of Hunk expression during pregnancy, mammary glands from transgenic mice engineered to misexpress Hunk in the mammary epithelium manifest temporally distinct defects in epithelial proliferation and differentiation during pregnancy, and fail to undergo normal lobuloalveolar development. Together, these observations suggest that Hunk may contribute to changes in the mammary gland that occur during pregnancy in response to ovarian hormones.
Transgenic expression of the proneural transcription factor Ascl1 in Müller glia stimulates retinal regeneration in young mice.

Muller glial cells are the source of retinal regeneration in fish and birds; although this process is efficient in fish, it is less so in birds and very limited in mammals. It has been proposed that factors necessary for providing neurogenic competence to Muller glia in fish and birds after retinal injury are not expressed in mammals. One such factor, the proneural transcription factor Ascl1, is necessary for retinal regeneration in fish but is not expressed after retinal damage in mice. We previously reported that forced expression of Ascl1 in vitro reprograms Muller glia to a neurogenic state. We now test whether forced expression of Ascl1 in mouse Muller glia in vivo stimulates their capacity for retinal regeneration. We find that transgenic expression of Ascl1 in adult Muller glia in undamaged retina does not overtly affect their phenotype; however, when the retina is damaged, the Ascl1-expressing glia initiate a response that resembles the early stages of retinal regeneration in zebrafish. The reaction to injury is even more pronounced in Muller glia in young mice, where the Ascl1-expressing Muller glia give rise to amacrine and bipolar cells and photoreceptors. DNaseI-seq analysis of the retina and Muller glia shows progressive reduction in accessibility of progenitor gene cis-regulatory regions consistent with the reduction in their reprogramming. These results show that at least one of the differences between mammal and fish Muller glia that bears on their difference in regenerative potential is the proneural transcription factor Ascl1.
Flattened chondrules in the LAP 04581 LL5 chondrite: Evidence for an oblique impact into LL3 material and subsequent collisional heating

Abstract– LaPaz Icefield (LAP) 04581 is a shock-stage S2 LL5 chondrite that initially consisted of unrecrystallized LL3 material with a moderately abundant fine-grained porous matrix (on the order of 15 vol%). A rare oblique impact created shearing stresses that produced a petrofabric in the rock, induced frictional melting of troilite (thereby forming a large troilite vein), and caused chondrule flattening. The latter process was facilitated by impact-induced collapse of matrix pores. Chondrule flattening could not have occurred if the rock had been impacted after it had been metamorphosed to type 5 levels because the fine-grained matrix would have previously recrystallized and developed low porosity. Ar-Ar dating of LAP 04581 yields an age of 4175 Ma. This date is long after 26Al had decayed away and most likely reflects the timing of a second impact event that shocked the rock to S4–S5 levels. The troilite vein became polycrystalline at this time and the whole rock was annealed to petrologic type 5, perhaps by being buried beneath hot ejecta of low thermal diffusivity. After annealing, the rock was weakly shocked to S2 levels. LAP 04581 serves as an example of impact-induced heating being a viable mechanism for chondrite metamorphism.
Elbow flowmeter calibrations for slurries

The use of an elbow flowmeter for the volumetric flowrate measurements of water, a glass bead/water slurry, and a sand/water slurry was experimentally investigated. It was found that as long as the slurry behaved as a homogeneous single phase fluid, the calibration of the elbow flowmeter was the same as that for a single phase fluid and the pressure difference across the elbow was that expected from single phase correlations. The effects of concentration were accounted for by using the density of the slurry for these calculations. The coefficient of discharge was calculated and analytically predicted to within 5%. If the conditions were such that a considerable slip velocity existed between the fluid and the slurry particles, the flowmeter behaved differently from that expected for a homogeneous fluid. The flow of a sand/water slurry through the elbow flowmeter which consisted of large particles resulted in stratification of the sand in the elbow. This caused a substantial change in the value of the elbow...
Cold ischemia induces endothelin gene upregulation in the preserved kidney.

Background. Prolonged cold ischemia time (CIT) can lead to posttransplant renal dysfunction; however, the pathophysiology remains unclear. Endothelin (ET), a potent vasoconstrictive peptide, may play a role in this injury. The purpose of this study was to determine if cold ischemia could induce renal ET-1 gene upregulation and to localize ET- 1 peptide expression in the hypothermic kidney. Materials and methods. Kidneys from Lewis rats were perfused with Viaspan, harvested, and stored at 4°C for varying periods of CIT: 0, 6, 24, and 48 h. Preproendothelin-1 (ppET-1) gene upregulation was measured using a reverse-transcription polymerase-chain reaction. ET- 1 peptide expression was localized using immunohistochemistry. Results. Control kidneys (0 h CIT) had 0.56 ± 0.22 DU of ppET-1 mRNA. After 6 h of CIT, a 2.3-fold increase in this level was noted. Following 24 h of CIT, ppET-1 mRNA was significantly upregulated to 1.96 ± 0.38 DU (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry revealed typical vascular ET-1 staining in control kidneys. At 6 h of CIT, a significant increase in the expression of ET-1 was noted in the peritubular capillaries and vasa recta. After 24 h, intense staining for ET-1 was seen in the medullary collecting ducts. After 48 h of CIT, early cellular necrosis was present along with global decreases in ET-1 expression and ppET-1 mRNA levels. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that 24 h of cold preservation can induce significant upregulation of the renal ET-1 gene and increase expression of the ET-1 peptide localized to both vascular endothelial and tubular epithelial surfaces of the kidney. Consequently, prolonged cold ischemia prior to transplantation may lead to delayed renal function following revascularization via endothelin-induced vasoconstriction and/or tubular impairment.
The Space Station Photovoltaic Panels Plasma Interaction Test Program: Test plan and results

The plasma Interaction Test performed on two space station solar array panels is addressed. This includes a discussion of the test requirements, test plan, experimental set-up, and test results. It was found that parasitic current collection was insignificant (0.3 percent of the solar array delivered power). The measured arcing threshold ranged from -210 to -457 V with respect to the plasma potential. Furthermore, the dynamic response of the panels showed the panel time constant to range between 1 and 5 microsec, and the panel capacitance to be between .01 and .02 microF.
Selective uptake of single-walled carbon nanotubes by circulating monocytes for enhanced tumour delivery

In cancer imaging, nanoparticle biodistribution is typically visualized in living subjects using 'bulk' imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography and whole-body fluorescence. Accordingly, nanoparticle influx is observed only macroscopically, and the mechanisms by which they target cancer remain elusive. Nanoparticles are assumed to accumulate via several targeting mechanisms, particularly extravasation (leakage into tumour). Here, we show that, in addition to conventional nanoparticle-uptake mechanisms, single-walled carbon nanotubes are almost exclusively taken up by a single immune cell subset, Ly-6C(hi) monocytes (almost 100% uptake in Ly-6C(hi) monocytes, below 3% in all other circulating cells), and delivered to the tumour in mice. We also demonstrate that a targeting ligand (RGD) conjugated to nanotubes significantly enhances the number of single-walled carbon nanotube-loaded monocytes reaching the tumour (P < 0.001, day 7 post-injection). The remarkable selectivity of this tumour-targeting mechanism demonstrates an advanced immune-based delivery strategy for enhancing specific tumour delivery with substantial penetration.
Differential consumption of baits by pest blattid and blattellid cockroaches and resulting direct and secondary effects

Consumption was measured of three commercially available cockroach gel baits (0.01 and 0.05% fipronil and 0.6% indoxacarb) by two pest blattellid (German cockroach, Blattella germanica L., and brownbanded cockroach, Supella longipalpa Fabricius) and three pest blattid [oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis L., American cockroach, Periplaneta americana L., and smokybrown cockroach, Periplaneta fuliginosa (Serville)] species (Dictyoptera), and direct and secondary effects were quantified. All three baits were greatly preferred for consumption over dog food; however, virtually all consumption (ca. 98%) by pest blattids was gel baits containing sugar feeding stimulants and water. Pest blattid greater preference for gel baits was probably due to their greater need for nutrients in baits due to their greater cuticular water permeability and higher metabolism than the pest blattellids. Brownbanded cockroaches had lowest percentage gel bait selection. Pest blattellids consumed greater amounts of bait per g body weight than pest blattids. Cockroaches consumed more active ingredient than needed to cause mortality; however, based on bait consumption, a 30-g tube of gel bait potentially killed from 394 to 6 966 adult cockroaches, depending on species. Mortality for all cockroach species was faster for adults (≥3 days) than for nymphs (≥7 days); however, most brownbanded cockroaches exposed to indoxacarb survived despite consuming 1.5- to >3-fold more than other baits, suggesting low enzyme production by brownbanded cockroaches and consequently lower conversion of indoxacarb into its toxic form. Besides direct mortality, German cockroaches died from indirect effects: exposure to debris from other cockroaches that had direct access to the gel baits or bait contact without ingestion. Although maximization of bait consumption is important, factors that enhance secondary mortality and contact toxicity should also be considered.
Stellar occultation measurements of molecular oxygen in the lower thermosphere

Abstract Stellar ultraviolet light near 1500 A is attenuated in the Earth's upper atmosphere due to strong absorption in the Schumann-Runge continuum of molecular oxygen. The intensity of stars in the Schumann-Runge continuum region has been monitored by the University of Wisconsin stellar photometers aboard the OAO-2 satellite during occultation of the star by the Earth's atmosphere. These data have been used to determine the molecular oxygen number density profile at the occultation tangent point. The results of 14 stellar occultations obtained in low and middle latitudes are presented giving the night-time vertical number density profile of molecular oxygen in the 140–200 km region. In general, the measured molecular oxygen number density is about a factor of 2 lower than the number densities predicted by the CIRA 1965 model. Also, the number density at a given height appears to decrease with decreasing solar activity. Measurements taken at low latitudes during the August 1970 geomagnetic storm showed a decrease in the molecular oxygen number density at a given height several days after the peak of the storm followed by a slow recovery to pre-storm densities.
Cap-independent Nrf2 translation is part of a lipoic acid-stimulated detoxification stress response

Little is known about either the basal or stimulated homeostatic mechanisms regulating nuclear tenure of Nf-e2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor that mediates expression of over 200 detoxification genes. Our data show that stress-induced nuclear Nrf2 accumulation is largely from de novo protein synthesis, rather than translocation from a pre-existing cytoplasmic pool. HepG2 cells were used to monitor nuclear Nrf2 24h following treatment with the dithiol micronutrient (R)-α-lipoic acid (LA; 50μM), or vehicle. LA caused a ≥2.5-fold increase in nuclear Nrf2 within 1h. However, pretreating cells with cycloheximide (50μg/ml) inhibited LA-induced Nrf2 nuclear accumulation by 94%. Providing cells with the mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, decreased basal Nrf2 levels by 84% after 4h, but LA overcame this inhibition. LA-mediated de novo protein translation was confirmed using HepG2 cells transfected with a bicistronic construct containing an internal ribosome entry sequence (IRES) for Nrf2, with significant (P<0.05) increase in IRES use under LA treatment. These results suggest that a dithiol stimulus mediates Nrf2 nuclear tenure via cap-independent protein translation. Thus, translational control of Nrf2 synthesis, rather than reliance solely on pre-existing protein, may mediate the rapid burst of Nrf2 nuclear accumulation following stress stimuli.
A thorn in the lion's paw: Has britain paid too much for Common Market membership?

The welfare consequence of Britain's entry into the Common Market is studied for 1972–1980. The figures show that in some years Britain would have been better off, by 3–4 percent of GDP, trading on its own. Its average losses were greater than 1.5 percent of GDP. Moreover, a feasible alternative arrangement is described in which Common Market association would benefit both Great Britain and other Common Market countries without harming non-Common Market countries. The methodology involves a general equilibrium model of customs union formation which determines financial arrangements such as cross-country compensation and the distribution of common tariff revenues. Obviously, similar studies can be done for other applications such as the proposed North Atlantic Free Trade Area.
Topological Hochschild homology and cohomology of A∞ ring spectra

Let A be an A∞ ring spectrum. We use the description from our preprint [math.AT/0612165] of the cyclic bar and cobar construction to give a direct definition of topological Hochschild homology and cohomology of A using the Stasheff associahedra and another family of polyhedra called cyclohedra. This construction builds the maps making up the A∞ structure into THH(A), and allows us to study how THH(A) varies over the moduli space of A∞ structures on A. As an example, we study how topological Hochschild cohomology of Morava K–theory varies over the moduli space of A∞ structures and show that in the generic case, when a certain matrix describing the noncommutativity of the multiplication is invertible, topological Hochschild cohomology of 2–periodic Morava K–theory is the corresponding Morava E–theory. If the A∞ structure is “more commutative”, topological Hochschild cohomology of Morava K–theory is some extension of Morava E–theory.