cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rational design of an optical sensing system for multivalent proteins

A generic design principle for detection of multivalent interactions is described. A phospholipid bilayer consisting of natural and pyrene-derivatized phosphatidylcholines is used as both a supporting biomimetic surface and part of a signal transduction element. The pyrene excimer formed in the surface can act as fluorescence donor, and DABCY/BODIPY-FL covalently attached to receptor (GM1) can act as acceptors. Aggregation of the acceptor-tagged receptors resulting from multivalent binding of CT induces a decrease in efficiency of fluorescence quenching of the pyrene excimer by DABCY or energy transfer from pyrene excimer to BODIPY-FL. In the case using fluorescent acceptors that can undergo distance-dependent fluorescence self-quenching, combination of the lower energy transfer efficiency from the excimer and the acceptor`s self-quenching capability make acceptor fluorescence go down even further by the binding. This scheme can achieve signal amplification and high surface density of the optical transduction elements, which, in return, require relatively small surface area.
Predictions of a 2-locus model for disease heterogeneity: application to adrenoleukodystrophy.

Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is an X-linked disorder that exhibits a wide range of phenotypic variability within individuals in a single family carrying the mutant allele. A 2-locus epistatic model has been proposed to explain the inheritance of the severe childhood form of ALD and the milder adult-onset adrenomyloneuropathy (AMN). Under a dominant epistatic model, a single M allele at an autosomal modifier locus ameliorates the most severe effects of the disease allele leading to the milder AMN phenotype; only males with genotype mm would have ALD. Under a recessive epistatic model, 2 copies of the M allele would be necessary to have the milder AMN phenotype. Here, we show that recurrence risks for a second affected male depend on the frequency of the protective allele at this modifier locus. Whereas it is most likely that 2 affected brothers will be concordant for their disease phenotypes, discordant pairs of affected brothers are possible at all frequencies of M. Within a narrow range of modifier allele frequencies, the predicted distribution of affected sib pairs (over all families) is consistent with empiric data from a large clinic population. Here we suggest sampling discordant affected sib pairs as a strategy for detecting linkage between a polymorphic DNA marker and a possible modifier gene. Since both epistatic models predict that discordant affected pairs should not share 2 alleles at the modifier locus, we expect that departures from the null distribution could be detected with relatively small numbers of sib pairs. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Expression of Neurexin, Neuroligin, and Their Cytoplasmic Binding Partners in the Pancreatic β-Cells and the Involvement of Neuroligin in Insulin Secretion

The composition of the β-cell exocytic machinery is very similar to that of neuronal synapses, and the developmental pathway of β-cells and neurons substantially overlap. β-Cells secrete γ-aminobutyric acid and express proteins that, in the brain, are specific markers of inhibitory synapses. Recently, neuronal coculture experiments have identified three families of synaptic cell-surface molecules (neurexins, neuroligins, and SynCAM) that drive synapse formation in vitro and that control the differentiation of nascent synapses into either excitatory or inhibitory fully mature nerve terminals. The inhibitory synapse-like character of the β-cells led us to hypothesize that members of these families of synapse-inducing adhesion molecules would be expressed in β-cells and that the pattern of expression would resemble that associated with neuronal inhibitory synaptogenesis. Here, we describe β-cell expression of the neuroligins, neurexins, and SynCAM, and show that neuroligin expression affects insulin secretion in INS-1 β-cells and rat islet cells. Our findings demonstrate that neuroligins and neurexins are expressed outside the central nervous system and help confer an inhibitory synaptic-like phenotype onto the β-cell surface. Analogous to their role in synaptic neurotransmission, neurexin-neuroligin interactions may play a role in the formation of the submembrane insulin secretory apparatus.
SOME ASPECTS OF SELECTIVE ABSORPTION

1. A mechanism exists in Valonia which prevents certain substances (Na, Mg, Ca, SO(4)) from reaching as high a concentration inside the cell as in the sea water which surrounds it. 2. A trapping mechanism also exists which causes K to accumulate in the cell in a concentration far in excess of that found in sea water. Practically all the K in the cell exists in the form of KCl. 3. The concentration of Cl does not differ greatly within and without. 4. These facts are not in harmony with present theories regarding the accumulation of K in living cells.
Zooming in on genome organization.

Two studies plant a signpost on the road toward a robust and detailed chromatin interaction map.
Idle CPU resource farming for electromagnetic simulation and optimization with applications in FSS and antenna design

In this paper a parallelization process to take advantage of idle CPU resources is discussed. Also the feasibility of utilizing Windows-based desktop computers within an organization to perform EM design optimization is demonstrated. As part of the demonstration, a wideband antenna array was designed and shown to obtain remarkable bandwidth using a textured FSS-like antenna element in a large array.
ORDPATHs: insert-friendly XML node labels

We introduce a hierarchical labeling scheme called ORDPATH that is implemented in the upcoming version of Microsoft® SQL Server™. ORDPATH labels nodes of an XML tree without requiring a schema (the most general case---a schema simplifies the problem). An example of an ORDPATH value display format is "1.5.3.9.1". A compressed binary representation of ORDPATH provides document order by simple byte-by-byte comparison and ancestry relationship equally simply. In addition, the ORDPATH scheme supports insertion of new nodes at arbitrary positions in the XML tree, their ORDPATH values "careted in" between ORDPATHs of sibling nodes, without relabeling any old nodes.
Inhibition of vessel permeability by TNP-470 and its polymer conjugate, caplostatin

Summary Angiogenesis inhibitors, such as TNP-470 and the nontoxic HPMA copolymer-TNP-470 (caplostatin), are emerging as a class of anticancer drugs. We report that TNP-470 and caplostatin inhibit vascular hyperpermeability of tumor blood vessels as well as that induced in mouse skin by different mediators. Treatment with TNP-470 or angiostatin for 3 days was sufficient to reduce permeability of tumor blood vessels, delayed-type hypersensitivity, and pulmonary edema induced by IL-2. TNP-470 also inhibited VPF/VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR-2, calcium influx, and RhoA activation in endothelial cells. These results identify an activity of TNP-470, that of inhibiting vessel hyperpermeability. This activity likely contributes to TNP-470’s antiangiogenic effect and suggests that caplostatin can be used in the treatment of cancer and inflammation.
Comparison of deterministic ensemble Kalman filters for assimilating hydrogeological data

Groundwater models are critical decision support tools for water resources management and environmental remediation. However, limitations in site characterization data and conceptual models can adversely affect the reliability of groundwater models. Therefore, there is a strong need for continuous model uncertainty reduction. Ensemble filters have recently emerged as promising high-dimensional data assimilation techniques. Two general categories of ensemble filters exist in the literature: perturbation-based and deterministic. Deterministic ensemble filters have been extensively studied for their better performance and robustness in assimilating oceanographic and atmospheric data. In hydrogeology, while a number of previous studies demonstrated the usefulness of the perturbation-based ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) for joint parameter and state estimation, there have been few systematic studies investigating the performance of deterministic ensemble filters. This paper presents a comparative study of four commonly used deterministic ensemble filters for sequentially estimating the hydraulic conductivity parameter in low- and moderately high-dimensional groundwater models. The performance of the filters is assessed on the basis of twin experiments in which the true hydraulic conductivity field is assumed known. The test results indicate that the deterministic ensemble Kalman filter (DEnKF) is the most robust filter and achieves the best performance at relatively small ensemble sizes. Deterministic ensemble filters often make use of covariance inflation and localization to stabilize filter performance. Sensitivity studies demonstrate the effects of covariance inflation, localization, observation density, and conditioning on filter performance.
Thermodynamics of concentrated polymer solutions containing polyethylene, polyisobutylene, and copolymers of ethylene with vinyl acetate and propylene

Gas-liquid chromatography is used to measure polymer-solvent interactions in polymer solutions where the solvent is at infinite dilution. Experimental data are presented for 24 binary polymer-solvent systems in the temperature range 50° to 150°C. A simple relation exists between the experimental retention volume data and the infinite dilution volatility; this volatility can be used to calculate the solvent vapor pressure over the polymer solution up to about 0.1 weight fraction solvent. Using concepts from the Prigogine-Flory theory of polymer solutions, Flory-Huggins X parameters for some polymer-hydrocarbon systems were correlated with the hydrocarbon's normal boiling temperature.
Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship in China

As the largest and fastest growing transition economy in the world, China's entrance onto the global stage has been swift and dramatic. As such, almost every facet of entrepreneurship, from the identification of nascent opportunities to the challenges of managing triple-digit growth to the transformation of firms from dying to emerging industries, can be studied as natural experiments. The four papers in this issue are dedicated to exploring entrepreneurial innovation in the Chinese private economy. They include two clinical studies, one on the impact of the Beijing Olympics on entrepreneurship, and the other on the co-evolution of guanxi networks and entrepreneurial growth. Two studies test theories explaining the organizational drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship. In the best traditions, these four studies offer theoretical insights on the broader implications of entrepreneurship research in the Chinese context. We locate the findings offered by these four papers in the systems, organizational and social contexts of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship research. Finally, we offer some suggestions for future research and ways in which advances in the theoretical conversation should proceed.
From Number Lines to Graphs in the Coordinate Plane: Investigating Problem Solving across Mathematical Representations.

This article reports on students’ problem-solving approaches across three representations—number lines, coordinate planes, and function graphs—the axes of which conventional mathematics treats in terms of consistent geometric and numeric coordinations. I consider these representations to be a part of a hierarchical representational narrative (HRN), a discursive narrative around a set of representations that model conventional mathematics in structurally consistent ways. A paper-and-pencil assessment was administered to students in grades 5 and 8 along with videotaped interviews with a subset of students. Results revealed students’ application of particular meta-rules, which reflect their attempts to find and make use of recurring patterns in mathematics discourse. One such meta-rule, consistent with the HRN, was characterized by students’ coordination of geometric and numeric properties of an axis, whereas alternate meta-rules reflected coordinations inconsistent with conventional mathematics. Detailed an...
The ultrastructure and reproductive significance of Lasiostrobus microspores

Abstract The normally inaperturate microspores of the Pennsylvanian cone Lasiostrobus are found to rarely possess trilete sutures, confirming the subequatorial position of the sacci. Sporoderm ultrastructure compares favourably with saccate pollen of some extant members of the Coniferales. The shedding of grains in the microspore stage suggests that microgametophyte evolution had passed the stage of prothallial cell production, and that Lasiostrobus is an advanced member of the Paleozoic gymnosperm complex.
The Neural Substrates of Visual Implicit Memory: Do the Two Hemispheres Play Different Roles?

Identification of visually presented words is facilitated by implicit memory, or visual priming, for past visual experiences with those words. There is disagreement over the neuro-anatomical substrates of this form of implicit memory. Several studies have suggested that this form of priming relies on a visual word-form system localized in the right occipital lobe, whereas other studies have indicated that both hemispheres are equally involved. The discrepancies may be related to the types of priming tasks that have been used because the former studies have relied primarily on word-stem completion tasks and the latter on tasks like word-fragment completion. The present experiments compared word-fragment and word-stem measurements of visual implicit memory in patients with right occipital lobe lesions and patients with complete callosotomies. The patients showed normal visual implicit memory on fragment completion tests, but essentially no visual priming on standard stem completion tests. However, when we used a set of word stems that had only one correct solution for each test item, as was true of the items in the fragment completion tests, the patients showed normal priming effects. The results indicate that visual implicit memory for words is not solely dependent upon the right hemisphere, rather it reflects changes in processing efficiency in bilateral visual regions involved in the initial processing of the items. However, under conditions of high lexical competition (i.e., multiple completion word stems), the lexical processes, which are dominant in the left hemisphere, overshadow the visual priming supported by the left hemisphere.
Detection of a Transformation-Incompetent Epstein-Barr Virus Genotype in a Seronegative Host

Manifestations of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection are diverse, ranging from asymptomatic seroconversion to active disease. There is no evidence that this pathogenic diversity is secondary to strain differences, although EBV genotypes with and without the capacity to immortalize lymphocytes have been described in vitro (1,2). Means to propagate and analyse nontransforming strains, should they exist in nature, have been unavailable. To assay for oropharyngeal virus which has not first been selected for its transformation potential by passage in lymphocyte culture, we employed the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure to amplify, up to a billion fold, selected segments of the EBV genome (3). With this approach we have detected EBV in throat washings of four healthy seronegative adults, one of which is discussed here. Biologic assays and direct PCR analysis raise the posssibility of a deletion in the EBV nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA 2) encoding sequence.
Adrenal-Mediated Endometrial Stimulation and Withdrawal Bleeding in the Ovariectomized Monkey

Eight adult female ovariectomized monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were given subcutaneous injections of ACTH (80 USP U) daily for periods of 29–45 days. Lactation, ranging from straw-colored fluid to lipid-rich milk, was induced in 5 of 8 animals. In all subjects, the perineal sex skin was transformed from the pale color characteristic of castration to the red shades found after steroid administration. Withdrawal bleeding, such as that seen on discontinuing estrogen treatment in ovariectomized animals, occurred in 4 of 8 animals. Spontaneous menstrual bleeding was seen in 2 of the series and a well-developed endometrium was found at autopsy in an additional animal. Histological examination of wedge biopsies from the uterus of ACTH-treated animals showed an endometrium characteristic of estrogen stimulation with glandular proliferation. The endometrium of 2 ovariectomized monkeys treated with cortisol was similar to that of untreated controls. These findings provide physiological evidence for estrogen production ...
Airfoil pressure measurements during a blade vortex interaction and a comparison with theory

A two-dimensional, airfoil-vortex interaction experiment was conducted to obtain the aerodynamic behavior of the airfoil during a parallel interaction. The vortex was created by pitching a second airfoil placed upstream and parallel to an instrumented test airfoil. Hot-wire anemometer measurements were taken to determine the vortex velocity distribution. The interaction tests were conducted for a counterclockwise vortex passing above a symmetrical airfoil at zero angle of attack
SEM analysis of TWT helix material samples

Examination of tungsten and tungsten-rhenium samples from TWT helices, using a secondary emission microscope, shows surface defects comparable in size to the skin depth at the operating frequency of the TWT. It is concluded that the difference between measured and calculated helix loss is largely accounted for by these surface defects.
Thrombin Production and Human Neutrophil Elastase Sequestration by Modified Cellulosic Dressings and Their Electrokinetic Analysis

Wound healing is a complex series of biochemical and cellular events. Optimally, functional material design addresses the overlapping acute and inflammatory stages of wound healing based on molecular, cellular, and bio-compatibility issues. In this paper the issues addressed are uncontrolled hemostasis and inflammation which can interfere with the orderly flow of wound healing. In this regard, we review the serine proteases thrombin and elastase relative to dressing functionality that improves wound healing and examine the effects of charge in cotton/cellulosic dressing design on thrombin production and elastase sequestration (uptake by the wound dressing). Thrombin is central to the initiation and propagation of coagulation, and elastase is released from neutrophils that can function detrimentally in a stalled inflammatory phase characteristic of chronic wounds. Electrokinetic fiber surface properties of the biomaterials of this study were determined to correlate material charge and polarity with function relative to thrombin production and elastase sequestration. Human neutrophil elastase sequestration was assessed with an assay representative of chronic wound concentration with cotton gauze cross-linked with three types of polycarboxylic acids and one phosphorylation finish; thrombin production, which was assessed in a plasma-based assay via a fluorogenic peptide substrate, was determined for cotton, cotton-grafted chitosan, chitosan, rayon/polyester, and two kaolin-treated materials including a commercial hemorrhage control dressing (QuickClot Combat Gauze). A correlation in thrombin production to zeta potential was found. Two polycarboxylic acid cross linked and a phosphorylated cotton dressing gave high elastase sequestration.
Demonstration of an early and a late phase of ischemic preconditioning in mice

It is unknown whether ischemic preconditioning (PC; either early or late) occurs in the mouse. The goal of this study was to answer this question and to develop a reliable and physiologically relevant murine model of both early and late ischemic PC. A total of 201 mice were used. In nonpreconditioned open-chest animals subjected to 30 min of coronary occlusion followed by 24 h of reperfusion, infarct size (tetrazolium staining) averaged 52% of the region at risk. When the 30-min occlusion was performed 10 min after a PC protocol consisting of six cycles of 4-min occlusion and 4-min reperfusion, infarct size was reduced by 75%, indicating an early PC effect. When the 30-min occlusion was performed 24 h after the same PC protocol, infarct size was reduced by 48%, indicating a late PC effect. In mice in which the 30-min occlusion was followed by 4 h of reperfusion, infarct size was similar to that observed after 24 h of reperfusion, indicating that a 4-h reperfusion interval is sufficient to detect the final extent of cell death in this model. Fundamental physiological variables (body temperature, arterial oxygenation, acid-base balance, heart rate, and arterial pressure) were measured and found to be within normal limits. Taken together, these results demonstrate that, in the mouse, a robust infarct-sparing effect occurs during both the early and the late phases of ischemic PC, although the early phase is more powerful. This murine model is physiologically relevant, provides reliable measurements, and should be useful for elucidating the cellular mechanisms of ischemic PC in genetically engineered animals.
Prefabricated Insoles and Modifications in Sports Medicine

Over-the-counter, ready-made, or prefabricated insoles are marketed widely for relief of foot pain. Shoe stores, sporting goods stores, grocery stores, drug stores have shelves filled with such inserts in all different shapes and sizes. One is able to type “shoe insert” or “over-the-counter foot insert” into a search engine and find more than one million choices. It is not uncommon for the average athlete to self-treat a foot problem using these products prior to seeking professional advice. It is also common for the medical professional to suggest prefabricated insoles before referring them to a podiatric physician or other specialist for care. There are instances when these insoles resolve, or at least improve, the patient’s main complaint; however, there are also times when the nonprescription device does more harm than good. Unfortunately, some professionals and nonprofessionals (shoe stores, internet sites, etc.) market over-the-counter insoles as true, corrective orthoses.
Complex system approaches: could they enhance the relevance of clinical research?

To the Editor: In his invited commentary on the article by Miller et al titled “A Quantitative Analysis of Research Publications in Physical Therapy Journals” in the February 2003 issue of Physical Therapy , Jette posed a simple question: “What can be done to stimulate more research in physical therapy that has direct clinical relevance?”1(p132) Jette proposed that, to answer this question, clinicians and scientists in physical therapy must come together. In fact, he proposed that the divergence between clinicians and scientists has “hindered the conduct of clinically relevant research that will meet the contemporary demands of society for clinical interventions rooted in sound theory and scientific evidence, versus tradition and anecdote.”1(p132) One etiology of the hindered conduct of clinically relevant research might be what we would call a “confounding factor” in the divide between clinicians and scientists. A confounding factor is a third factor, independently related to cause and effect. Here, cause is the divergence between clinicians …
DMT1, a novel PET/MR reporter protein for neural stem cell tracking

60 Objectives The ability to non-invasively track the survival and migration of grafted cells is essential for the study and translation of cellular therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigates divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) as a PET/MR reporter protein for human neural progenitor/stem cell (hNPC) tracking using 52MnCl2 (for PET) and MnCl2 (for MRI). Methods 52Mn (29.4% β+, 575 keV Emax, t1/2=5.6 days) was cyclotron produced through irradiation of natCr using 16 MeV protons and was separated by trioctylamine solvent-solvent extraction. For in vitro studies, hNPC transiently expressing DMT1 (hNPC-DMT1) and wild-type hNPC (hNPC-WT) were supplemented with MnCl2 and/or 52MnCl2. Mn2+ and 52Mn2+ uptake were measured with R1 relaxation rate measurement and gamma counting, respectively. Cell viability was assessed with a lactose dehydrogenase assay on cell media after MnCl2 supplementation. hNPC-DMT1 were transplanted into the rat striatum, then in vivo R1 mapping (R1=1/T1) was performed following systemic delivery of MnCl2. Results When compared with hNPC-WT, hNPC-DMT1 had significantly increased R1 relaxation rates after MnCl2 supplementation. In vitro T1 times decreased from 1000-2000ms to 10-500ms after supplementation with various concentrations of MnCl2. In vitro uptake of 52MnCl2 in hNPC-DMT1 increased linearly with supplemented activity. DMT1 expression did not affect cell viability at imaging-relevant MnCl2 concentrations. In vivo R1 maps showed an approximately 60% R1 increase at the location of hNPC-DMT1 cells, while hNPC-WT could not be distinguished from background. Survival of transplanted cells and their DMT1 expression were confirmed histologically. Conclusions DMT1 is a promising reporter protein for tracking stem cells with MRI and PET. The use of Mn2+, which can cross the blood-brain barrier, offers potential for long-term cell tracking in the intact brain. This approach may offer improved combined sensitivity, specificity, functional information, and spatial resolution when compared with other cell tracking methods.
The Simplest Heteroclinics

Using the preliminary results of Chap. 2, the existence of heteroclinic solutions of (PDE) will be established in this section. To formulate the main result, set $$\begin{array}{ll}c_1\,\, =\,\,c_1(v_0,w_0) \,\equiv \, \inf\limits_ {u\,\in\,\Gamma_1(v_0,\,w_0)} J_1(u).\end{array}$$ (3.1)
MB-16BOOST VOLUME EFFECTS ON INCIDENTAL HIPPOCAMPAL DOSE IN PEDIATRIC MEDULLOBLASTOMA

INTRODUCTION: Radiation treatment for medulloblastoma, which involves craniospinal radiation with posterior fossa boost, has been associated with neurocognitive sequelae, possibly due to impaired hippocampal neurogenesis. The posterior fossa has recently been shown to be radiation tolerant with respect to neurocognitive outcomes, though previous studies highlight effects of tumor bed vs. whole posterior fossa boost volumes. The incidental dose to the hippocampus may account for the boost volume effects, and despite traditional boost volume categories, the relative volume of posterior fossa treated may vary significantly. This study analyzes the association of hippocampal dose and boost volume as a continuous variable. METHODS: Bilateral hippocampi and posterior fossa were contoured on T1 axial images for 25 medulloblastoma patients. Minimum dose received by 100% of each hippocampus (D100) and percent volume of posterior fossa receiving 100% of boost dose (V100) were extracted from dose-volume histograms. Analysis of covariance was used to investigate the effect of V100 as a continuous variable while controlling for total craniospinal dose categorically (Low Dose 18-23.4Gy, High Dose 36Gy). RESULTS: Patient characteristics were as follows: age 3-21Y; 5 female, 20 male; 15 average risk (7 18Gy, 8 23.4Gy), 10 high risk (36Gy). Right and left total incidental hippocampal biologically effective doses were both greater for the high dose group by 13.9Gy (p < 0.0004) and 14.0Gy (p < 0.0001) respectively. Right and left D100 significantly varied with V100 by 0.18Gy (p < 0.0218) and 0.15Gy (p < .0322) per percent volume respectively. CONCLUSION: Incidental hippocampal doses are positively associated with boost volumes and may account for neurocognitive decline in medulloblastoma patients. An estimated 11-13% boost volume increase may further impair neurogenesis for a 2Gy threshold. Posterior fossa V100 can be a useful metric to more accurately describe boost volumes, and new hippocampal sparing techniques may allow for greater posterior fossa coverage.
Upper lateral strut graft: a technique to improve the internal nasal valve.

BackgroundInternal nasal valve (INV) collapse can contribute significantly to nasal obstruction and may be caused by upper lateral cartilage (ULC) collapse medially or laterally. Surgical technique...
Electrically Assisted Aerosol Reactors using Ring Electrodes

Nanostructured materials have distinctly different properties than the bulk because the number of atoms or molecules on their surface is comparable to that inside the particles creating a number of new materials and applications. Despite this potential for nanoparticles, very few practical applications have been developed because of the current high cost of these materials ($100/lb). On the other hand, flame aerosol reactors are routinely used for inexpensive production (~$1/lb) of submicron sized commodities such as carbon blacks, pigmentary titania, fumed silica and preforms for optical fibers in telecommunications. Flame technology can be used also for synthesis of nanoparticles with precisely controlled characteristics. In these reactors, gas mixing is used to widely control the primary particle size and crystallinity of product powders while electric fields can be used to narrowly control the primary, and aggregate particle size and crystallinity. Here the application of axial electrical fields on a silica producing flame using hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) as precursor is presented. Experiments varying the precursor delivery rate corresponding to total production rates of 10, 20 and 30 g/h are presented. Electric fields decreased the particle size by electrostatic dispersion and repulsion of charged particles and by the reduced particle residence time inside the flame.
Developmental changes of fetal rat lung Na-K-ATPase after maternal treatment with dexamethasone

Late in gestation, the prenatal fetal alveolar epithelium switches from fluid secretion to resorption of salt and water via apical sodium channels and basal Na-K-ATPase. The amounts of lung sodium pump activity protein and mRNA increase in the lung just before birth. Because maternal glucocorticoids (GC) may promote maturation of the alveolar epithelium and augment fetal surfactant apoprotein levels, we hypothesized that GC increase the fetal lung Na-K-ATPase alpha- and beta-subunit gene expression in development. Timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected daily with intraperitoneal dexamethasone (1 mg/kg) or saline for 1, 3, or 5 days before death at fetal day (FD) 17 or 19. Maternal GC treatment altered the fetal lung wet to dry weight, decreasing it at FD17 and increasing it at FD19. Northern analysis of total lung RNA for the alpha1- and beta1-pump subunits demonstrated differential regulation of the mRNA in response to GC. At FD17, beta1-mRNA increased after 1 (FD16) or 3 days (FD14-FD16) of GC treatment, whereas alpha1-mRNA was not altered. There were accompanying increases in beta1-, but not alpha1-, protein. At FD19, GC treatment for 5 days (FD14-FD18) increased beta1- and decreased alpha1-mRNA levels, but treatment for 1 (FD18) or 3 days (FD16-FD18) had no effect. In all groups, the alpha1-Na-K-ATPase protein was predominantly on the basolateral surface of airspace epithelium by immunofluorescence. In summary, maternal dexamethasone differentially affected the fetal lung mRNA levels of the two sodium pump subunits in a complex manner, with increased beta1-mRNA levels dependent on duration of treatment and fetal age.
Potential safety issues and other factors that may affect the introduction and uptake of rotavirus vaccines

Rotavirus vaccines have demonstrated significant impact in reducing the burden of morbidity and mortality from childhood diarrhoea in countries that have implemented routine vaccination to date. Despite this success, in many countries, rotavirus vaccine coverage remains lower than that of other routine childhood vaccines. Several issues may potentially affect vaccine uptake, namely safety concerns related to intussusception with consequent age restrictions on rotavirus vaccination, contamination with porcine circovirus, vaccine-derived reassortant strains and hospitalization in newborn nurseries at time of administration of live oral rotavirus vaccine. In addition to these safety concerns, other factors may also affect uptake, including lower vaccine efficacy in the developing world, potential emergence of strains escaping from vaccine protection resulting in lower overall impact of a vaccination programme and sustainable vaccine financing. Although further work is needed to address some of these concerns, global policy bodies have reaffirmed that the benefits of rotavirus vaccination outweigh the risks, and vaccine use is recommended globally.
Clinical distribution and drug sensitivity analysis of 114 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Objective To study the clinical distribution and drug resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital,and provide guidance for clinical medication.Method The authors collected 114 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from their hospital during June 1,2009 to March 31,2011.The clinical isolates were identified by VITEK-60 of Bio-Merieux of France.Antibiotic susceptive test was done by Kirby-Bauer method.And quality control was done with reference strains.Result Most of the patients were children(84.21%).And most of clinical specimens came from sputum(61.4%),followed by blood(9.65%) and others(28.95%).The resistance rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae to lincomycin,erythromycin,penicillin,levofloxacin,ampicillin,cefazolin,ceftriaxone,cefotaxime,vancomycin,ampicillin/sulbactam and piperacillin/tazobactam were 92.19%,90.12%,85.53%,20.24%,16.67%,8.7%,5.8%,4.11%,0%,0% and 0%,respectively.Conclusion The resistance rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae to several kinds of antibiotics are very high.And it is necessary to use drug resistance surveillance to guide clinical selection of antibiotics.
Termination-checking for LLVM peephole optimizations

Mainstream compilers contain a large number of peephole optimizations, which perform algebraic simplification of the input program with local rewriting of the code. These optimizations are a persistent source of bugs. Our recent research on Alive, a domain-specific language for expressing peephole optimizations in LLVM, addresses a part of the problem by automatically verifying the correctness of these optimizations and generating C++ code for use with LLVM. This paper identifies a class of non-termination bugs that arise when a suite of peephole optimizations is executed until a fixed point. An optimization can undo the effect of another optimization in the suite, which results in non-terminating compilation. This paper (1) proposes a methodology to detect non-termination bugs with a suite of peephole optimizations, (2) identifies the necessary condition to ensure termination while composing peephole optimizations, and (3) provides debugging support by generating concrete input programs that cause non-terminating compilation. We have discovered 184 optimization sequences, involving 38 optimizations, that cause non-terminating compilation in LLVM with Alive-generated C++ code.
Applying geo-spatial analysis in community needs assessment: Implications for planning and prioritizing based on data.

Abstract Background Colonias are sub standardized and unincorporated areas located along the US-Mexico border, with severely lacking infrastructure. Residents have poor health and limited availability, accessibility and/or utilization of healthcare services in the region. Methods Using 2006–2007 community needs assessment (CNA) surveys collected by the Center for Housing and Urban Development of Texas A&M University, 410 randomly selected surveys from Hidalgo County, Texas were analyzed. Descriptive and spatial analyses were performed and Odds ratio (OR) was calculated. Results Out of 410 surveys, 333 were geo-coded to identify areas most in need of dental and vision care. Two hospitals existed within 5 miles radius of the mean centers for the two areas. Distance to health care facility was not statistically predictive of the need of dental care OR = 0.96 (95% CI = 0.855-1.078, p value = 0.492) and vision care OR = 1.083 (95% CI = 0.968-1.212, p value = 0.164). Conclusion Integrating spatial analysis and CNA enhances planning to improve service accessibility and utilization in underserved areas.
NO-containing factors mediate hindlimb vasodilation produced by superior laryngeal nerve stimulation

The electrical stimulation (ES) of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) produces reflex vasodilation in the rat hindlimb. This study determined whether this vasodilation is mediated by the release of nitric oxide (NO)-containing factors (NOF) from NO synthase (NOS)-positive postganglionic lumbar sympathetic fibers that innervate the rat hindlimb vasculature. ES of the SLN (1-10 Hz for 15 s) produced frequency-dependent reductions in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and hindlimb and mesenteric (MR) vascular resistances. The hindlimb vasodilation was not observed in rats in which the lumbar sympathetic trunk was transected 7-10 days previously. The falls in hindquarter vascular resistance (HQR) produced by lower intensity ES of the SLN were virtually abolished by the specific inhibitor of neuronal NOS 7-nitroindazole (7-NI, 45 mg/kg i.v.). The fall in HQR produced by 10 Hz ES of the SLN was not affected by 7-NI. The falls in MR produced by 1-10 Hz ES of the SLN were unaffected by 7-NI. Four consecutive episodes of ES at 10 Hz produced pronounced and equivalent reductions in MAP, HQR, and MR. After administration of 7-NI, the first ES produced similar hemodynamic responses to those observed before injection. However, each subsequent ES produced progressively and markedly smaller falls in HQR, whereas each episode of ES produced similar falls in MR. These results suggest that the reflex vasodilation in the rat hindlimb produced by ES of the SLN involves the release of newly synthesized and performed stores of NOF from NOS-positive postganglionic lumbar sympathetic nerves.
Housing Policies Prohibiting Children

Another factor that can have an impact on childbearing (even though its impact is not the primary goal of proponents) is policies that exclude children from housing being rented or sold. As such policies become prevalent, childless couples who want to become parents but need new housing to do so will find it difficult to locate adequate quarters. A housing market in which people find it difficult to move, combined with inadequate space in currently occupied housing, has been found to curtail childbearing.1
Eustatic and far-field tectonic control on the development of an intra-platform carbonate-shoal complex: upper tongue of the Tanglewood Member, Upper Ordovician Lexington Limestone, central Kentucky, U.S.A.

Abstract The Lexington or Trenton Limestone is an Upper Ordovician (Chatfieldian–Edenian; upper Sandbian–lower Katian), temperate-water unit, averaging about 60-m thick, that was deposited in relatively shallow waters across the Lexington Platform in east-central United States during the Taconian Orogeny. Lexington/Trenton shallow-water deposition ended across most of the platform in late Chatfieldian time and from that point deepened upward into the more shale-rich Clays Ferry, Point Pleasant and Kope formations due to apparent sea-level rise. In central Kentucky, however, deposition of the Lexington Limestone continued into early Edenian time and includes up to 50 m of additional coarse calcarenites and calcirudites at the top, which form the Tanglewood buildup and reflect locally regressive conditions, apparently related to local structural uplift. Consequently, in central Kentucky, the Lexington is more than 100-m thick, and Lexington deposition on the buildup continued into early Edenian time as an intra-platform shoal complex that tongues out into deeper-water units in all directions. In an attempt to understand how this shoal complex developed, we examined the last major body of coarse skeletal sands in the central Kentucky Lexington Limestone, the upper tongue of the Tanglewood Member, a 12-m-thick succession of fossiliferous calcarenite and calcirudite that occurs across an area of 5200 km2 near the center of the Lexington Platform. Although relatively homogeneous, the upper Tanglewood is divisible into five, small-scale, fining-upward, sequence-like cycles, which contain prominent, widespread deformed horizons. Facies analysis indicates that four lithofacies, which reflect distinct depositional environments, comprise the sequences across the shoal complex. Lithofacies were correlated across the shoal complex by integrating cyclicity and widespread deformed horizons in order to delineate the locations of major depositional environments. Facies analysis shows that the thickest and coarsest parts of each sequence, and the shallowest depositional environments, coincide with basement fault blocks, which are known to have experienced uplift during earlier Lexington Limestone deposition. The occurrence of thick, coarse facies on the same blocks suggests that the blocks continued to experience uplift into shallow water, where tides and waves redistributed sediments during upper Tanglewood deposition. Although eustasy apparently controlled cyclicity, Taconian far-field forces generated by orogeny in the east seem to have influenced facies distribution in each cycle through reactivation of basement fault zones as synsedimentary growth faults. The example of the upper Tanglewood Member shows that tectonic far-field forces can exert important influences on the development of carbonate depositional environments, even in distal intracratonic settings like the Lexington Platform.
Electromagnetic scattering by a cylindrically-capped metallic wedge perpendicularly truncated by a metal plane

An arbitrarily directed and polarized plane electromagnetic wave is incident on a metallic structure consisting of a cylindrically-capped wedge perpendicularly truncated by an infinite plane. The total field is determined exactly, in the phasor domain. Particular attention is devoted to the surface currents on the structure.
Techniques for Low-Frequency Problems

In this chapter we survey various techniques that can be used to evaluate antennas in the regime where their physical size is a maximum of a few wavelengths in extent. There are two basic approaches besides experimentation that can be considered for such problems: analytical and numerical.
Unmet Needs in Clinical Research in Breast Cancer: Where Do We Need to Go?

This CCR Focus highlights areas in breast cancer research with the greatest potential for clinical and therapeutic application. The articles in this CCR Focus address the state of the science in a broad range of areas with a focus on "hot" although sometimes controversial topics, unanswered questions, and unmet need. From mutational signatures, the cancer genomic revolution, and new inroads in immunotherapy for breast cancer to unique concerns of vulnerable populations as well as national and global health disparities, these works represent much of the promise of breast cancer research as well as the challenges in the coming years. Each review focuses not only on recent discoveries but also on putting the topic in context, including limitations to overcome. This overview is designed to further contextualize the highlighted issues within the broader research landscape. We also present new information from a poll of ALLIANCE for Clinical Trials in Oncology Breast Committee members regarding the most needed and viable potential future National Cancer Institute (NCI)-supported clinical trials in breast cancer. The great challenge is to translate the potential benefits of greater scientific knowledge reflected in this CCR Focus section into improvements in outcomes for individuals and populations with breast cancer. A unifying theme across the six articles contained in this CCR Focus is the increasingly recognized value and necessity of collaboration across disciplines from bench to bedside to populations. Only continued and iteratively amplified scientific, clinical, and governmental commitment to creating, testing, and implementing new knowledge will reduce the global morbidity and mortality of breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 23(11); 2611-6. ©2017 AACRSee all articles in this CCR Focus section, "Breast Cancer Research: From Base Pairs to Populations."
Risk of metachronous ovarian cancer after ovarian conservation in young women with stage I cervical cancer

Background While there is an increasing trend of ovarian conservation at the time of surgical treatment for young women with stage I cervical cancer, the risk for subsequent ovarian cancer after ovarian conservation has not been well studied. Objective We sought to examine the incidence of and risk factors for metachronous ovarian cancer among young women with stage I cervical cancer who had ovarian conservation at the time of hysterectomy. Study Design The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program was used to identify women aged Results Mean age at cervical cancer diagnosis was 37 years, and the majority of patients had stage IA disease (68.2%) and squamous histology (72.9%). Median follow-up time was 10.8 years, and there were 13 women who developed metachronous ovarian cancer. The 10- and 20-year cumulative incidences of metachronous ovarian cancer were 0.2% (95% confidence interval, 0.1–0.4) and 0.5% (95% confidence interval, 0.2–0.8), respectively. Mean age at the time of diagnosis of metachronous ovarian cancer was 47.5 years, and stage III-IV disease was seen in 55.6%. Age (≥45 vs P = .018), ethnicity (non-white vs white, hazard ratio, 4.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.31–14.0; P = .009), cervical cancer histology (adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous vs squamous, hazard ratio, 3.50; 95% confidence interval, 1.17–10.5; P = .028), and adjuvant radiotherapy use (yes vs no, hazard ratio, 3.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–13.4; P = .034) were significantly associated with metachronous ovarian cancer risk. The presence of multiple risk factors was associated with a significantly increased risk of metachronous ovarian cancer compared to the no risk factor group: 1 risk factor (hazard ratio range, 2.96-8.43), 2 risk factors (hazard ratio range, 16.6-31.0), and 3-4 risk factors (hazard ratio range, 62.3-109), respectively. Conclusion Metachronous ovarian cancer risk after ovarian conservation for women with stage I cervical cancer is