cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
1,25(OH)2D3 enhances PTH-induced Ca2+ transients in preosteoblasts by activating L-type Ca2+ channels

We previously demonstrated electrophysiologically that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] shifts the activation threshold of L-type Ca2+ channels in osteoblasts toward the resting potential and prolongs mean open time. Presently, we used single-cell Ca2+ imaging to study the combined effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 and parathyroid hormone (PTH) during generation of Ca2+ transients in fura 2-loaded MC3T3-E1 cells. Pretreatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 concentrations, which alone did not produce Ca2+ transients, consistently enhanced Ca2+ responses to PTH. Enhancement was dose dependent over the range of 1 to 10 nM and was blocked by pretreatment with 5 microM nitrendipine during pretreatment. A 1,25(OH)2D3 analog that activates L-type channels and shifts their activation threshold also enhanced PTH responses. In contrast, an analog devoid of membrane Ca2+ effects did not enhance PTH-induced Ca2+ transients. The PTH-induced Ca2+ transient involved activation of a dihydropyridine-insensitive cation channel that was inhibited by Gd3+. Together, these data suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 increases osteoblast responsiveness to PTH through rapid modification of L-type Ca2+ channel gating properties, whose activation enhances Ca2+ entry through other channels such as the PTH-responsive, Gd(3+)-sensitive cation channel.
The Share 15 Rule

The equitable allocation of deceased donor livers for transplantation is an important and contentious issue. The institution of liver allocation based on the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score has allowed prioritization to be based on an objective measure of illness. In addition, after institution of the MELD system, policy makers were now able to measure differences among patients, institutions, and geographical areas that are much less influenced by the artificial biases that waiting time introduced. A careful analysis of MELD scores <15 showed that patients face a greater mortality risk from the transplant procedure than from their liver disease without surgery. As a result, the organ allocation policy was changed such that regional sharing is now based on offering organs to candidates with MELD score ≥ 15 before local allocation to patients with MELD scores <15. Since the institution of the “Share 15” policy, the number of transplants performed in patients with high MELD score has increased, while the number of deaths on the transplant list has decreased.
Enhancing anti-thrombogenicity of biodegradable polyurethanes through drug molecule incorporation.

Sufficient and sustained anti-thrombogenicity is essential for blood-contacting materials because blood coagulation and thrombosis caused by platelet adhesion and activation on material surfaces may lead to functional failure and even fatal outcomes. Covalently conjugating anti-thrombogenic moieties into a polymer, instead of surface modification or blending, can maintain the anti-thrombogenicity of the polymer at a high level over time. In this study, a series of randomly crosslinked, elastic, biodegradable polyurethanes (PU-DPA) were synthesized through a one-pot and one-step method from polycaprolactone (PCL) diol, hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and an anti-thrombogenic drug, dipyridamole (DPA). The mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, in vitro degradation, and anti-thrombogenicity of the resultant PU-DPA polymers could be tuned by altering the incorporated DPA amount. The surface and bulk hydrophilicity of the polyurethanes decreased with increasing hydrophobic DPA amounts. All PU-DPA polymers exhibited strong mechanical properties and good elasticity. The degradation rates of PU-DPAs decreased with increasing DPA content in both PBS and lipase/PBS solutions. Covalently incorporating DPA into the polyurethane significantly reduced the platelet deposition compared to that of the polyurethane without DPA, and the polyurethane remained anti-thrombogenicity after degradation. The PU-DPA films also supported the growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The attractive mechanical properties, blood compatibility, and cell compatibility of this anti-thrombogenic biodegradable polyurethane indicate that it has a great potential to be utilized for blood-contacting devices and cardiovascular tissue repair and regeneration.
Metabolic engineering of CHO cells to prepare glycoproteins

As a complex and common post-translational modification, N-linked glycosylation affects a recombinant glycoprotein's biological activity and efficacy. For example, the α1,6-fucosylation significantly affects antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and α2,6-sialylation is critical for antibody anti-inflammatory activity. Terminal sialylation is important for a glycoprotein's circulatory half-life. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are currently the predominant recombinant protein production platform, and, in this review, the characteristics of CHO glycosylation are summarized. Moreover, recent and current metabolic engineering strategies for tailoring glycoprotein fucosylation and sialylation in CHO cells, intensely investigated in the past decades, are described. One approach for reducing α1,6-fucosylation is through inhibiting fucosyltransferase (FUT8) expression by knockdown and knockout methods. Another approach to modulate fucosylation is through inhibition of multiple genes in the fucosylation biosynthesis pathway or through chemical inhibitors. To modulate antibody sialylation of the fragment crystallizable region, expressions of sialyltransferase and galactotransferase individually or together with amino acid mutations can affect antibody glycoforms and further influence antibody effector functions. The inhibition of sialidase expression and chemical supplementations are also effective and complementary approaches to improve the sialylation levels on recombinant glycoproteins. The engineering of CHO cells or protein sequence to control glycoforms to produce more homogenous glycans is an emerging topic. For modulating the glycosylation metabolic pathways, the interplay of multiple glyco-gene knockouts and knockins and the combination of multiple approaches, including genetic manipulation, protein engineering and chemical supplementation, are detailed in order to achieve specific glycan profiles on recombinant glycoproteins for superior biological function and effectiveness.
Evaluating Video-Based Instruction for Third-Year Medical Students Rotating in Obstetrics and Gynecology Based on a Standardized Checklist

Background: There is currently no standard recommendation among osteopathic medical schools for appropriate obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) surgical procedure videos for third-year medical students (OMS III) in preparation for their OB/GYN rotations. OMS III student doctors will very likely participate in an OB/GYN procedure on their very first day of clinical rotations. In an effort to adequately prepare medical students for the procedural portion of their clinical rotations, videobased instruction is necessary. According to a recent study, YouTube is the most frequently accessed educational video source when students are preparing for surgical-based rotations and procedures. We hypothesized that there is a lack of ideal surgical videos to sufficiently prepare the third-year medical student for two common OB/GYN procedures. Methods: Utilizing input from two faculty OB/GYN physicians and four OMS II medical students, a checklist of essential components of the ideal instructional video for a third-year medical student was developed for two common procedures, cesarean section and robotic hysterectomy. Upon completion of the checklist, YouTube videos were selected by entering the search phrase, “Step by step cesarean section procedure” and, “Step by step robotic laparoscopic total hysterectomy procedure”. The top 20 instructional videos to appear upon entering the search criteria for each procedure were selected for evaluation. Binary data was collected on whether each video met each checklist item (yes or no). Results: No single video met all checklist items. Every video lacked two or more critical elements. 30/40 videos (75%) met less than 50% of the checklist items. Conclusion: The hypothesis that there is a lack of ideal videos for a third-year medical student entering their OB/GYN rotation was true based on our ideal video checklist. Our findings suggest that students are unlikely to find the ideal resource on the commonly accessed video platform which may have a negative impact on student preparation for clinical rotations. Our checklist can provide a guideline for the development of OB/GYN procedural videos for OMS III students. Keywords: OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, VIDEO-BASED INSTRUCTION, CLINICAL ROTATIONS, MEDICAL EDUCATION, YOUTUBE, CESAREAN SECTION, ROBOTIC HYSTERECTOMY, OMS III, THIRD-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENT
Propagating Hybrid Tamm Exciton Polaritons in Organic Microcavity

Strong coupling between Tamm plasmons and organic cavity polaritons is observed at room temperature. Angle-resolved reflectometry experiments unambiguously indicate the anticrossing in the dispersion relations, which is characteristic of the strong coupling regime, and the Tamm plasmon–cavity polariton hybrid states can be energetically manipulated by tuning the Tamm plasmons. The experimental data are in good agreement with calculations based on the transfer matrix method. Emission from the lower energy Tamm plasmon–cavity polariton hybrid states is observed, and the propagation property of the hybrid Tamm plasmon polariton is also studied. The real-space imaging experiments reveal that the propagation distance is larger when the Tamm plasmon and cavity polariton are strongly coupled in comparison to both the exciton of the uncoupled organic neat film and the cavity polaritons. Moreover, the propagation length of the hybrid polaritons increases as the fraction of Tamm plasmon component in the hybrid states increases.
Learning from Five-year Resource-Utilization Data of Titan System

Titan was the flagship supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF). It was deployed in late 2012, became the fastest supercomputer in the world and was retired on August 2, 2019. With Titan’s mission complete, this paper provides a first-order examination of the usage of its critical resources (CPU, Memory, GPU, and I/O) over a five-year production period (2015–2019). In particular, we show quantitatively that the majority of CPU time was spent on the large-scale jobs, which is consistent with the policy of driving ground-breaking science through leadership computing. We also corroborate the general observation of the low CPU-memory usage with 95% jobs utilizing only 15% or less available memory. Additionally, we correlate the increase of total job submissions and the decrease of GPU-enabled jobs during 2016 with the GPU reliability issue which impacted the large-scale runs. We further show the surprising read/write ratio over the five-year period, which contradicts the general mindset of the large-scale simulation machines being “write-heavy”. This understanding will have potential impact on how we design our next-generation large-scale storage systems. We believe that our analyses and findings are going to be of great interest to the high-performance computing (HPC) community at large.
Feasibility of Nurse-Managed Tobacco Use Interventions in Outpatient Surgical Practice.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of developing and implementing a brief nurse-delivered tobacco intervention in an outpatient surgical practice. Design and Methods Initial formative work used a survey and focus groups to determine knowledge, attitudes, and practices of perioperative nurses working in three outpatient surgical practices regarding smoking use and cessation. Based on this work, a brief intervention was designed and implemented in one of the three practices. The documentation of tobacco use and intervention elements was assessed both immediately and approximately 9 months after implementation. Findings Formative work identified not only several barriers to implementation and little current activity but also favorable attitudes toward interventions. Implementation improved self-efficacy for intervention delivery and compliance with documentation of intervention elements that was sustained for at least 9 months. Conclusions Our results suggest that it is feasible for perioperative nurses to play an important role in the delivery of perioperative tobacco interventions.
Care and community reintegration of homeless people living with severe mental disorders: a community-based mental health programme in Maryland County, Liberia

Abstract Background The psychological impact of more than a decade of civil conflict and the Ebola outbreak has contributed to a mental health crisis in Liberia that is intensified by misconceptions, stigma, and discrimination surrounding mental disorders. Liberia faces severe shortages of mental health professionals and supplies to address the disease burden, with less than 1% of Liberians having access to appropriate mental health services. The global prevalence of mental disorders is 10% and between 25% and 31·5% in the homeless population. Here, we describe a community-based mental health programme integrated into primary care in Harper and Pleebo districts in Maryland County, Liberia, adapted to meet the needs of homeless patients living with severe mental health disorders. Methods In 2016, Partners in Health Liberia (PIH Liberia) began engaging with community leaders such as town chiefs, religious leaders, and local government to provide information on mental health disorders and to understand the location of homeless patients in Maryland. Through continuous dialogue and engagement with local leaders, PIH Liberia began providing care to homeless patients with severe mental illness with community support. Supervised by psychiatric nurses, a community health worker (CHW) in each district performed daily follow-up with patients until clinical improvement was observed. During their visits, CHWs provided food and other social assistance, monitored side-effects of medication, observed medication administration, and ensured patients' personal hygiene. Once the condition of patients improved, CHWs helped patients reunite with their families, continued regular follow-up, and accompanied patients to the clinic as needed. Findings Between 2016 and 2018, 96 homeless patients with severe mental illness were enrolled in the community-based mental health programme. After 3 years of implementation, 84 patients (88%) were reintegrated into the community; the remaining 12 are still homeless and remain supported by CHWs. With PIH's support, 20 reintegrated patients opened small businesses, four returned to school, and four became peer supporters and community advocates to reduce stigma and discrimination of other people living with mental disorders. To ensure adequate social support, PIH Liberia provided monthly food rations for 20 patients and built two houses for patients. Interpretation Holistic community-based mental health programmes targeting homeless populations with both appropriate medical management and social support can significantly improve treatment outcomes and reintegration in the community. Funding Partners in Health
Chapter 5 – Flow boiling in minichannels and microchannels

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the flow boiling heat transfer data, obtained by a number of investigators. The experimental data under stable operating conditions can be obtained by providing artificial nucleation sites and pressure drop elements near the inlet inside each channel. Flow boiling in minichannels is of great interest in compact evaporator applications. Automotive air-conditioning evaporators use small passages with plate-fin heat exchangers. Flow boiling research is being pursued in the heat removal from high-heat flux devices such as computer chips, laser diodes, and other electronics devices and components. Flow boiling is superior to single-phase liquid cooling from two main considerations—namely a high heat-transfer coefficient during flow boiling and higher heat removal capability for a given mass-flow rate of the coolant. The heat transfer coefficients are quite high in a single phase flow with small diameter channels, and the flow boiling yields much higher values. The major advantage of flow boiling systems is the ability of the fluid to carry larger amounts of thermal energy by latent heat of vaporization. However, a few major issues need to be addressed before the implementation of the flow boiling transfer. The fundamental understanding of the flow boiling phenomenon is slowly emerging, and efforts to stabilize the flow using nucleating cavities and pressure drop elements are expected to help make flow boiling systems a viable candidate for high heat flux cooling applications.
Lagrangian and Eulerian measurements in high-speed jets using Multi-Pulse Shake-The-Box and fine scale reconstruction (VIC#)

Accurate measurement of high-speed flows in the presence of elevated levels of shear and turbulence is a challenging yet necessary endeavor to understand ubiquitous flows that are of great engineering importance. While Eulerian methods, such as Particle Image Velocimetry, represent the traditional approach, Lagrangian alternatives, such as Particle Tracking Velocimetry, have witnessed a resurgence recently due to improved technology and interest in Lagrangian analysis methods. In this research, a recently developed implementation of a volumetric Lagrangian technique for tracking particles in densely seeded flows, namely, Multi-Pulse Shake-The-Box (MP-STB) with the specific implementation referred to as Four-Pulse Shake-The-Box is described and its performance in high-speed jet flows is evaluated. The MP-STB technique is based on recent developments in the Shake-The-Box method by Novara et al. (Experiment in Fluids 60(3):44, 2019) and uses low-speed cameras combined with a double-exposed image acquisition strategy and multi-pulse tracking. Its use of four laser pulses in quick succession with an uneven pulse timing scheme allows for high-accuracy estimates of velocity and acceleration, and repeated ensembles of short-duration, time-resolved measurements in realistic high-speed flows. Experiments with circular jets operating at exit Mach numbers of 0.31 and 0.59 in two different configurations, namely, free jets and jets impinging on a ground plate located 4.75 jet diameters away from the nozzle, were performed to evaluate MP-STB. Scattered four-particle tracks from MP-STB were mapped onto a regular Eulerian grid through the Fine Scale Reconstruction implementation of the VIC# data assimilation method by Jeon et al. (2018). Unique information, including acceleration fields, is presented for these well-known canonical flows. Comparisons with traditional Eulerian measurements from Tomographic PIV, Stereoscopic PIV, and planar PIV are provided to validate the accuracy and comparative cost of volumetric MP-STB measurements combined with the VIC# data assimilation technique.
New Technology Implementation in High-Risk Organizations - The Application of HRO Principles in New Technology Implementation in Railroad Industry

High-risk organizations are inherently complex and depend on the latest technologies to survive and function properly. Therefore, introducing new technology to such an organization is inevitable. Studies show that the installation of new technology always involves some changes to the organization and its members. The railroad industry, as an example of a high-risk and safety-critical organization, strives to avoid catastrophic events, while performing dynamic tasks under strict time constraints, operating technology posing large-scale physical hazards. High Reliability Organizations (HROs) are a subset of high-risk organizations designed and managed to avoid such accidents. This paper discusses the adaptation of HRO principals as part of the implementation process for the Positive Train Control (PTC) technology in a safety-sensitive railroad organization.
Silver chalcogenide nanoparticles: a review of their biomedical applications

Silver chalcogenide (Ag2X, where X = S, Se, or Te) nanoparticles have been extensively investigated for their applications in electronics but have only recently been explored for biomedical applications. In the past 10 years, Ag2X, primarily silver sulfides at first, have become of great importance as quantum dots, since they not only possess excellent deep tissue imaging properties in the near-infrared regions I and II, but also have low toxicities. Their appealing properties have led to numerous recent developments of Ag2X for biomedical applications. Furthermore, Ag2X have been discovered in the past 2–3 years to be potent X-ray contrast agents, adding to the numerous biomedical uses of these nanoparticles. In this review, we discuss the most recent advances in silver chalcogenide nanoparticle use in areas such as bio-imaging, theranostics, and biosensors. Moreover, we examine the advances in synthetic approaches for these nanoparticles, which include aqueous and organic syntheses routes. Finally, we discuss the advantages and current limitations in the use of silver chalcogenides for different biomedical applications and their potential for advancement and expansions in use.
Low-Dose Fentanyl Reduces Pain Perception, Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity Responses, and Blood Pressure Responses During the Cold Pressor Test.

Our knowledge about how low-dose (analgesic) fentanyl affects autonomic cardiovascular regulation is primarily limited to animal experiments. Notably, it is unknown if low-dose fentanyl influences human autonomic cardiovascular responses during painful stimuli in humans. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that low-dose fentanyl reduces perceived pain and subsequent sympathetic and cardiovascular responses in humans during an experimental noxious stimulus. Twenty-three adults (10F/13M; 27±7 y; 26±3 kg•m-2, mean ± SD) completed this randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled trial during two laboratory visits. During each visit, participants completed a cold pressor test (CPT; hand in ~0.4 °C ice bath for two minutes) before and five minutes after drug/placebo administration (75 μg fentanyl or saline). We compared pain perception (100 mm visual analog scale), muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA; microneurography, 11 paired recordings), and beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP; photoplethysmography) between trials (at both pre- and post-drug/placebo time points) using paired, two-tailed t-tests. Before drug/placebo administration, perceived pain (p=0.8287), Δ MSNA burst frequency (p=0.7587), and Δ mean BP (p=0.8649) during the CPT were not different between trials. After the drug/placebo administration, fentanyl attenuated perceived pain (36 vs. 66 mm, p<0.0001), Δ MSNA burst frequency (9 vs. 17 bursts/minute, p=0.0054), and Δ mean BP (7 vs. 13 mmHg, p=0.0174) during the CPT compared to placebo. Fentanyl-induced reductions in pain perception and Δ mean BP were moderately related (r=0.40, p=0.0641). These data provide valuable information regarding how low-dose fentanyl reduces autonomic cardiovascular responses during an experimental painful stimulus.
Endogenous inclusion in the Demographic and Health Survey anthropometric sample: Implications for studying height within households

Abstract Development economists study both anthropometry and intra-household allocation. In these literatures, the Demographic and Household Surveys (DHS) are essential. The DHS censors its anthropometric sample by age: only children under five are measured. We document several econometric consequences, especially for estimating birth-order effects. Child birth order and mothers’ fertility are highly correlated in the age-censored anthropometric subsample. Moreover, family structures and age patterns that permit within-family comparisons of siblings’ anthropometry are unrepresentative. So strategies that could separate birth order and fertility in other data cannot here. We show that stratification by mother’s fertility is important. We illustrate this by comparing India and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Children in India born to higher-fertility mothers are shorter, on average, than children of lower-fertility mothers. Yet, later-born children in India are taller, adjusted for age, than earlier-born children of the same sibsize. In SSA, neither of these associations is large.
Analysis of Explosives by Liquid Chromatography-Negative Ion Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

On-line high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-negative ion chemical ionization (NCI) mass spectrometry has been used for the analysis of explosives mixtures. The liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) interface used was a commercial direct liquid introduction interface allowing about 1% of the solvent/sample effluent into the ion source. The HPLC mobile phases were acetronitrile/water (50:50) and methanol/water (50:50), which served also as NCI reagent gases. Standard mixtures containing 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), cyclonite (RDX), tetryl, and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), and a military explosive, tetrytol, have been analyzed by the LC/MS system. The minimum detectable amount of TNT was 100 ng injected on column, or approximately 1 ng to the ion source.
Role of Admixtures in Preparing Dense Cements for Radioactive Waste Isolation

Sulfonated naphthalene and melamine formaldehyde condensates have been studied as superplasticizing admixtures used to reduce the necessary water content of cement mixes. Their role in producing dense low porosity composites in nuclear waste isolation applications is discussed. Zeta potential, flow, adsorption characteristics, viscosity, setting time and compressive strength data are reported.
The Shortest Path Problems

The first image that comes to mind when the word ‘network’ is mentioned is a traffic network, whether it be road or air traffic. Most of us are familiar with such networks since one rarely travels from one location to another without consulting a ‘map’, which is, in our terminology, a ‘network’.
Infections in Patients with Malignant Lymphomas

Malignant lymphomas are among the most common hematologic malignancies in man and are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Infections in patients with malignant lymphomas are relatively frequent as a result of multiple immunologic deficits caused by the underlying malignancy and various treatment modalities. The spectrum of infection in this group of patients is much broader than in patients in whom neutropenia is the predominant predisposing factor, with bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic organisms – all being important. A specific diagnosis of infection is sometimes difficult to establish. On the other hand, multiple infections may be present in the same patient as the same time, or may follow each other sequentially. Consequently, infection prevention strategies play an important role in these patients.
Maximum Lifetime Communication Topologies of Secondary User Nodes in Cognitive Radio Ad hoc Networks

A Cognitive radio ad hoc network (CRAHN) is an ad hoc network of primary user (PU) nodes and secondaryuser (SU) nodes, wherein the SU nodes use the licensed channels of the PU nodes when not in use. As theavailability of the PU channels fluctuates with time, communication topologies spanning the SU nodes have tobe dynamically and frequently reconfigured. Given the complete knowledge of the availability of the PUchannels, we propose a generic benchmarking algorithm that determines a sequence of stable communicationtopologies spanning all of the SU nodes such that the number of transitions from one instance of the topology toanother is the global minimum. At any time instant t when we need a stable communication topology spanningthe entire network, we look for the largest value of k such that the intersection of the static SU graphs from timeinstants t to t+k, defined as the mobile graph Gt...t+k(SU) = Gt(SU) ? Gt+1(SU) ? .... ? Gt+k(SU), is connected andthat the mobile graph Gt...t+k+1(SU) is not connected. We repeat the above procedure for the entire network sessionto determine a sequence of longest-living instances of the mobile graphs and the corresponding instances of thecommunication topology of interest (say a shortest path tree rooted at a source SU node) such that the number oftopology transitions is the minimum. We prove the theoretical correctness of the algorithm and evaluate itseffectiveness by implementing it to determine a sequence of shortest path trees of the maximum lifetime.
The Empirical and Transcendental Ego

Psychologists have often distinguished between the ego and the self, taking ego as subject and self as object of thought. So, for example, George H. Mead’s distinction of the “I” and “me” aspects of the self points, at one level at least, to the “I” as the subject and the “me” as the object of any act. More explicitly, William James in the first volume of his Principles of Psychology distinguishes between the self and the ego. But James is quick to establish a distinction between what he calls the “empirical self” and the “pure ego.” “The Empirical Self of each of us,” he writes, “is all that he is tempted to call by name of me,” 1 but the pure ego refers to a “pure principle of personal identity” and leads ultimately to considerations of transcendental philosophy.
The identity of the Ordovician (Darriwilian) graptolite Fucoides dentatus Brongniart, 1828

The biostratigraphically important Middle Ordo- vician (Darriwilian) biserial graptolite Fucoides dentatus Bron- gniart, 1828 is redescribed and illustrated from its type material and from additional specimens collected at the type locality - Levis, Quebec, Canada. It is referred to Levisograptus gen. nov., which includes also the austrodentatus group of early axonophoran graptolites. The species has previously been confused with a younger, mid-Darriwilian species, now referred to as Eoglyptograptus gerhardi sp. nov., and recognized as the type species of the genus Eoglyptograptus Mitchell. Both species can be differentiated easily by their respective proximal development types and show nonoverlapping biostratigraphi- cal ranges. Levisograptus dentatus (Brongniart) is an important biostratigraphical index species in the early Darriwilian. Eoglyp- tograptus species are found in the higher Darriwilian and are biogeographically restricted to the Atlantic Faunal Realm.
Calcium Induction of the mRNAs for Prolactin and c-fos Is Independent of Protein Kinase C Activity

Ca2+ is a strong regulator of the expression of a limited number of eukaryotic genes, including prolactin and c-fos. However, little is known about the cellular signal transduction pathways involved in the action of this ion on specific gene expression. The Ca2++-dependent enzyme protein kinase C has been implicated in other transcriptional pathways regulating the prolactin and c-fos genes. We therefore employed down-regulation of protein kinase C in rat pituitary cells to investigate whether this enzyme is involved in Ca2++ regulation of expression of either of these genes. Exposure of Ca2++-deprived GH3 cells to this ion in the presence of the Ca2++ channel modulator Bay K8644 yielded large increases in the mRNAs for both prolactin and c-fos. Incubation of cells with the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) yielded a 7- to 15-fold decrease in the enzymatic activity of C kinase assayed in vitro, but little or no effect on Ca2++ stimulation of cellular levels of either mRNA. The latter observation was apparently not due simply to an inability of TPA to down-regulate the gene-regulatory activity of kinase C in intact GH3 cells, since this phorbol ester blocked the stimulation by platelet-derived growth factor of cellular levels of c-fos mRNA. TPA treatment also yielded no significant effect on the kinetics of the Ca2++-stimulated accumulation of either mRNA, implying that kinase C is not required at any stage of the Ca2++ induction of these two genes.
Decision-Making Chains in Electrical Safety for Construction Workers

AbstractElectrocution is one of the four leading causes of worker deaths in the construction sector, and thus it is paramount to identify its mechanisms. This work interprets the mechanisms of an electrical accident as a chain of decision mistakes throughout the entire task process. The objective of this paper is to visualize the decision-making chains in workplace electrical safety for construction workers. Because of construction’s “one-off” nature, the researchers narrow the decision-making chain for specific “features of work” (FOW), a group of distinct activities possessing higher occupational safety and health (OSH) risks and requiring particular attention. By analyzing National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) electrocution reports, the authors identify five features of work and illustrate their decision-making chains. This work promotes electrical safety and injury prevention through the decision-making lens and contributes to the scholarly body of knowledge by introducing a com...
Using a Generalized Checklist to Improve Student Assignment Submission Times in an Online Course.

Learning environments such as web-based instruction require more learner self-control and proactive learning to construct knowledge and acquire skills. However, online students often fail to complete some components of their online work each week, damaging their overall academic progress in the course. To assist students in completion and submission of work, three professors at a public southeastern university implemented the use of a generalized assignments checklist to enhance student self-monitoring in their online courses. Data on the submission of assignments was analyzed for relative timeliness. The results of this study showed a statistically significant difference based on the checklist received students to the control group, with a marked improvement of assignment submission timeliness, improving course satisfaction for students and instructors.
Transferable Drug Resistance Among Enterobacteriaceae Isolated from Human Urinary Tract Infections

Fifteen sulfonamide-resistant cultures isolated from urinary tract infections in eastern Nebraska were screened for transferable drug resistance by three methods. Seven of the 15 resistant cultures could transfer resistance of varying levels to two or more chemotherapeutic agents. Transfer of drug resistance occurred without accompanying transfer of chromosomal traits and required cell to cell contact. In mixed culture, the number of drug-resistant recipients increased exponentially, reaching a plateau 2 hr after mixing. Spontaneous or artificial elimination of resistance was found to be a rare event. In addition, several drug-sensitive isolates from urinary tract infections were shown to be competent recipients of drug resistance determinants. From these data, it appears that the transferable drug resistance observed was mediated by R factors.
Interferon α/β Promotes Cell Survival by Activating Nuclear Factor κB through Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase and Akt

Interferons (IFNs) play critical roles in host defense by modulating gene expression via activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) factors. IFN-alpha/beta also activates another transcription factor, nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), which protects cells against apoptotic stimuli. NF-kappaB activation requires the IFN-dependent association of STAT3 with the IFNAR1 chain of the IFN receptor. IFN-dependent NF-kappaB activation involves the sequential activation of a serine kinase cascade involving phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) and Akt. Whereas constitutively active PI-3K and Akt induce NF-kappaB activation, Ly294002 (a PI-3K inhibitor), dominant-negative PI-3K, and kinase-dead Akt block IFN-dependent NF-kappaB activation. Moreover, dominant-negative PI-3K blocks IFN-promoted degradation of kappaBox alpha. Ly294002, a dominant-negative PI-3K construct, and kinase-dead Akt block IFN-promoted cell survival, enhancing apoptotic cell death. Therefore, STAT3, PI-3K, and Akt are components of an IFN signaling pathway that promotes cell survival through NF-kappaB activation.
Pathogenesis of tubal pregnancy.

Abstract A pathologic review was made of the ectopic pregnancies treated at our hospital over a 101/2year period and totaled 436 cases. Only about 40 per cent of the cases studied had a histologic diagnosis of chronic inflammatory disease, and similar findings were reported from the recent literature. In spite of chronic inflammatory disease, 9 per cent of a group of tubal ligations studied had a normal gestation immediately prior to the ligation. Fifty-eight per cent of the cases had no demonstrable histologic abnormality to produce and ectopic nidation, suggesting a functional pathogenesis. It is not our intention to deny chronic pelvic inflammatory disease altogether as a factor in the etiology of ectopic pregnancy, but we do not consider it the main cause. Further study is necessary to elucidate the etiology of ectopic pregnancy in the direction of functional disturbances rather than structural defects.
Myoclonus in Ataxia-Telangiectasia

Background: Various movement disorders can be found in ataxia-telangiectasia (AT), including ataxia, dystonia, chorea, and myoclonus, but myoclonus has rarely been described as the predominant feature in AT. Case Report: We report two AT patients with prominent myoclonus in relative isolation, illustrating an unusual presentation of this disorder. Sequencing of the ATM gene in the first patient revealed a homozygous truncating mutation, c.5908C>T (p.Q1970*) in exon 38 of the ATM gene which has been previously reported as a founder mutation in the Costa Rican population. Discussion: Myoclonus can be a predominant or presenting feature in AT, even without dystonia.
Unlocking Cell Fate

Histone demethylation is associated with the activation of genes that control cellular development, differentiation, and the determination of cell fate.
Characterizing Provenance in Visualization and Data Analysis: An Organizational Framework of Provenance Types and Purposes

While the primary goal of visual analytics research is to improve the quality of insights and findings, a substantial amount of research in provenance has focused on the history of changes and advances throughout the analysis process. The term, provenance, has been used in a variety of ways to describe different types of records and histories related to visualization. The existing body of provenance research has grown to a point where the consolidation of design knowledge requires cross-referencing a variety of projects and studies spanning multiple domain areas. We present an organizational framework of the different types of provenance information and purposes for why they are desired in the field of visual analytics. Our organization is intended to serve as a framework to help researchers specify types of provenance and coordinate design knowledge across projects. We also discuss the relationships between these factors and the methods used to capture provenance information. In addition, our organization can be used to guide the selection of evaluation methodology and the comparison of study outcomes in provenance research.
The independent method concept for certifying chemical-composition reference materials

Abstract Certified values for chemical-composition reference materials are often derived from results generated by two or more independent and reliable measurement methods. This paper examines the concept of method independence from both philosophical and practical standpoints, drawing examples from actual certification data. Methods are compared based on specific criteria and an attempt is made to define the degree of independence necessary to qualify methods as independent.
Discrete Element Modeling and Validation of Fluidized Bed With Multiple Jets

Fluidized beds with multiple jets have widespread industrial applications. They are used to aid in proper mixing of coal or biomass in the bed, which in turn increases the combustion and heat transfer. The objective of this paper is to investigate the jet interactions and hydrodynamics of a fluidized bed with multiple jets. Discrete Element Modeling coupled with a CFD code GenIDLEST has been used to numerically simulate 9 jets. The results are compared with published experiments. Mono dispersed particles of size 550 microns are used with 1.4 times the minimum fluidization for the particles. Two dimensional computations have been performed. The solid fraction at different heights from the jetting bed is compared with the experiments along with the solid circulation at the grid zone or the jetting zone. Average solid fraction across the cross-section of the bed is plotted along the height and compared with the experiments to estimate the bed expansion due to fluidization. Comparison of time averaged jet heights with the experiments is also shown. Discrepancies between the experiments and simulations are discussed in the context of the dimensionality of the simulations. The time averaged solid fraction at different heights from the distributor plate match well with the experimental results except near the walls. A slight over prediction of solid fraction values is obtained near the walls from the simulations. The average solid fraction along the height of the bed is in good agreement with the experiments, showing similar trends in bed expansion for both the experiments and simulations. The results obtained from DEM computations serve as validation for the experiments and help us understand the complex jet interaction and solid circulation patterns in a multiple jet fluidized bed system.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Visualization of the develop process

Variations in critical dimension (CD) as a function of the proximity of an individual feature to other exposed areas are continuing to be a problem in the lithography process. For example, the CD uniformity (CDU) may degrade significantly depending on the proximity to densely or sparsely exposed areas. These pattern density effects will continue to get worse and become more complex as feature sizes decrease. Pattern density effects are believed to arise from several sources and may simultaneously contribute to a net observed CD variation [1]. One such source, develop loading, results in local depletion of developer in highly exposed regions, reducing the dissolution rate and thereby locally affecting CD. In this report we describe our results in visualizing develop loading by using pH sensitive dyes. Two different types of dyes are explored: acid/base pH indicators and a fluorescent dye bound to the resist polymer.
Structural Features of the Cytochrome c Molten Globule Revealed by Fluorescence Energy Transfer Kinetics

Nonnative states of proteins are involved in a variety of cellular processes, including translocation of proteins across membranes and formation of amyloid fibrils. Probes that report on the structural heterogeneity of a polypeptide ensemble could resolve ambiguities in the classification of these states. Employing fluorescence energy transfer kinetics, we have shown that added anions shift the equilibrium between the compact and extended polypeptide structures that are present during refolding of Saccaromyces cerevisiae iso-1 cytochrome c. Specifically, at high salt concentrations (≥700 mM), all of the polypeptides are compact with a mean C-terminal fluorophore-heme separation quite close to that in the native protein (25 A).
Dissociation of early and late markers of murine myeloid differentiation by interferon‐gamma and interleukin‐6

Murine myeloid leukemia M1 cells undergo terminal differentiation to mature macrophages after stimulation with interleukin-6 (IL-6). This process can be monitored by measuring the expression of early markers such as the high affinity receptor for monomeric IgG2a (Fc gamma RI) and Ia antigen followed by late markers such as lysozyme production and finally morphological changes from blast cells to mature macrophages. The same early markers that are expressed on M1 cells after induction with IL-6 are also expressed on monocytic cells after activation with interferon-gamma (IFN gamma). We used IL-6 and IFN gamma to investigate whether the early stages of M1 cell differentiation could be accomplished without commitment of the cells to terminal differentiation. Cytofluorometry shows that the expression of the same early differentiation markers (Fc gamma RI and Ia antigen) that are inducible by IL-6 on M1 cells can be induced by IFN gamma as well. However, stimulation with IFN gamma, in contrast to IL-6, does not induce the late differentiation markers such as lysozyme production, phagocytic activity, and morphological changes. Northern analysis supports these findings in that expression of Fc gamma RI mRNA is induced by either cytokine, whereas expression of mRNA for lysozyme is inducible by IL-6 only. Nuclear run-on analysis reveals that the changes in steady state mRNA levels of both Fc gamma RI and lysozyme are regulated by a transcriptional mechanism. These data suggest that early stages in the process of myeloid differentiation can be separately induced by IFN gamma and thus are independent from the later events induced by IL-6.
Cholinoceptive cells in rat cerebral cortex: somatodendritic immunoreactivity for muscarinic receptor and cytoskeletal proteins.

Abstract Adult rat telecephalon was surveyed for cells demonstrating immunopositivity for muscarinic receptor (M35 antibody), microtubule-associated proteins, neurofilaments, and brain-spectrin. Neurons immunostained for muscarinic receptor were found in frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital isocortex where they accounted for approximately 15–16% of all neurons. This labeling involved a large proportion of layer V pyramidal cells, some layer III pyramidal cells and a small proportion of non-pyramidal cells in layers II–VI. In the hippocampus, pyramidal cells, non-pyramidal cells and granular cells were immunoreactive, as were many pyramidal cells in subicular and entorhinal cortices. In every cortical region examined, cells demonstrating muscarinic receptor were morphologically identical to cells stained lightly to moderately for acetylcholinesterase following pretreatment with di-isopropylfluorophosphate, and they were found in similar numbers and in a similar laminar distribution. These characteristics further corresponded to those of cells whose somatodendritic compartments were intensely immunostained by antibodies to microtubule-associated proteins (MAP): MAP-1, MAP-2, MAP-5; neurofilament proteins (NF): NF-68kD, NF-160kD, NF-200kD; and brainspectrin. Double immunostaining using a fluorescence method followed by an avidin-biotin staining procedure revealed that cortical cells which possessed immunoreactivity for muscarinic receptor demonstrated an 80–85% overlap with cells that were immunoreactive for MAP-2 (and tau) or NF-200kD. Following unilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the nucleus basalis, MAP-2 immunostaining was reduced in the ipsilateral isocortex. This significant reduction was most evident in the parietal cortex, exactly where maximal loss of acetylcholinesterase-containing fibers occurred. The same lesion produced no significant difference in immunodensity of muscarinic receptor. MAP-1, MAP-5 NF-68kD, NF-160kD and NF-200kD. Thus, cortical cholinoceptive cells are enriched with cytoskeletal components and cholinergic afferents modulate cortical MAP-2.