cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fusion, the Promise of Limitless Power

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on fusion energy. By creating immensely high pressures and temperatures, light atoms can be combined that can be fused together to form a heavier atom. In the process, some of the energy that bonded the light atoms together is released. The lightest atom is hydrogen. On the sun, ordinary hydrogen is fused together by violent burning, forming helium. The cause of the fusion is the gravitational contraction, which creates the tremendous pressure needed for the reaction. In the case of hydrogen bomb, two heavy isotopes of hydrogen called deuterium are combined to form helium. For each pair of deuterium, one atom of helium-3 is formed and one neutron particle is released along with energy, amounting to one million electron volts. Tritium is not as abundant as deuterium in nature. It is radioactive and exists in tiny amounts only, if at all. Advantages of fusion rest on the superabundance of deuterium in nature.
Chronic Peripheral Separation of Placenta: The Significance of Diffuse Chorioamnionic Hemosiderosis

Diffuse nonmeconium-related pigment was observed in the chorioamnion of 36 of 1,023 placentas over 4 years and evaluated by iron staining. Stains were negative in 13 cases and positive in chorionic plate and membranes (diffuse chorioamnionic hemosiderosis [DCH]) in 23 cases (3/1,000 deliveries; 25/1,000 placentas). Gestational age at delivery was lower in DCH and was inversely proportional to the magnitude of iron staining. Placentas with DCH were more likely to show circumvallation, old peripheral blood clots, increased chorionic-villous macrophages, and green discoloration. To evaluate demographic, obstetric, and perinatal factors associated with DCH, 2 gestational age-matched controls were selected for each DCH case. Multiparity, smoking, and chronic vaginal bleeding all were increased significantly with DCH, while intrauterine growth retardation and oligohydramnios were increased but did not achieve statistical significance. Gestational hypertension and advanced maternal age were significantly decreased with DCH, and cocaine abuse was uncommon (3 cases). Long-term neurologic sequelae of DCH were evaluated in a separate series of gestational age-matched very-low-birth-weight infants with and without neurologic impairment at 2 years of age. No increased risk of neurologic impairment was found in patients with DCH.
Analysis of compartments-in-series models of liver metabolism as partial differential equations: the effect of dispersion and number of compartments

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common cause of chronic liver disease. Precipitated by the build up of extra fat in the liver not caused by alcohol, it is still not understood why steatosis occurs where it does in the liver microstructure in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It is likely, however, that the location of steatosis is due, at least in part, to metabolic zonation (heterogeneity among liver cells in function and enzyme expression). Recently, there has been an influx of computational and mathematical models in order to investigate the relationship between metabolic zonation and steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Of interest among these models are "compartments-in-series" models. Compartments-in-series models include the spatial distribution of metabolite concentrations via series of compartments that are connected through some representation of blood flow. In this paper, we analyze one such model, focusing specifically at how the number of compartments and inclusion of dispersion in the flow affect simulation results. We find the number of compartments to have a much larger effect than the inclusion of dispersion, however this is likely due to numerical artifacts. Overall, we conclude that considering partial differential equations that are equivalent to compartments-in-series models would be beneficial both in computation and in theoretical analyses.
A case of cancer-associated retinopathy with chorioretinitis and optic neuritis associated with occult small cell lung cancer.

Cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR) is associated with various malignancies, including small cell lung cancer (SCLC). It is difficult to recognize, but prompt diagnosis is crucial for the patient, as retinopathy may be a herald sign that precedes systemic manifestations by months, thus allowing early treatment of the underlying malignancy. We present a rare case of CAR with chorioretinitis and optic neuritis in a patient with occult SCLC. The patient presented with rapidly progressive peripheral field loss and photopsias with “prism-like” visual disturbances. Her symptoms stabilized with intravenous methylprednisolone, and her cancer was treated with carboplatin, etoposide and radiotherapy. This is the first reported case of SCLC-associated CAR to present with chorioretinitis. CAR can be a herald feature of SCLC, and early recognition of the disease should prompt a systemic evaluation for an occult malignancy, which may be critical for patient survival. Further understanding of CAR pathogenesis may offer potential avenues for treatment.
Predicting TIF Distress: A Statistical Analysis of Tax Incremental Finance Districts in Wisconsin

Tax incremental financing (TIF) is the most prevalent, complex, and controversial economic development tool used by local governments today. TIF proponents argue that TIF increases stagnant property values, but critics suggest that TIF is an unnecessary subsidy and distorts real estate markets. Although case studies offer evidence supporting both sides, the argument begs an important question: because some TIF districts are successful and others unsuccessful, is there a way to predict TIF distress and help prevent TIF failure? Practitioners and academics highlight the importance of pre‐implementation planning and strict monitoring of TIF performance. However, even with the most strident planning and monitoring, TIF districts still often fail. Utilizing a dataset of all 1,080 active TIF districts in Wisconsin, this paper adopts techniques popular in assessing local government fiscal health by focusing on indicators such as budgetary solvency and macroeconomic conditions in predicting TIF distress.
Digital Cultural Heritage and Wikimedia Commons Licenses:: Copyright or Copywrong?

Cultural heritage institutions can contribute to public knowledge and increase awareness of their collections by uploading digital objects to Wikimedia Commons for use on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia Foundation projects. However, prior research has established the difficulty of and/or hesitation by many cultural heritage institutions in clearly and accurately labeling the copyright status of their born-digital and digitized collections. With this knowledge, how likely is it that digital cultural heritage will be findable and usable on Wikimedia Commons? This study seeks to determine how accurate rights statements for cultural heritage objects on Wikimedia Commons are, and whether inaccuracies can be linked to problematic rights statements in cultural heritage digital libraries or whether the inaccuracies stem from Wikimedia Commons. By evaluating the rights statements, licenses, and sources for 308 Wikimedia Commons objects from 57 cultural heritage organizations and comparing that information to corresponding licenses from digital libraries, we can begin to develop best practices and educational needs for digital librarians, archives, museum curators, and Wikipedians alike to improve the user experience for those using digital cultural heritage on Wikimedia projects.
From Desertification to Land Degradation Neutrality: The UNCCD and the Development of Legal Instruments for Protection of Soils

The UNCCD is an international agreement focused on sustainable land management in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. Since its establishment in 1994, it has played a significant role in promoting legal instruments for the protection of land, both at the national and international levels. It now has a mandate to help achieve a land degradation neutral world in accordance with Target 15.3 of the Sustainable Developments Goals. Consequently, it seems to be undergoing an evolutionary process to ensure fulfilment of that mandate. But is it too now narrow to offer the global protection that land and soils need in this the age of sustainable development, bearing in mind the status of the world’s bio-productive lands? With the planet’s population estimated to reach approximately 10 billion by 2050, will we have enough bio-productive land to produce the food, water, energy and other goods needed to guarantee the life of and on this planet? And what is the role of law and in particular international law and agreements such as the UNCCD in the further protection, preservation and enhancement of the bio-productive land of the planet? These are all fundamental issues that must be addressed now.
Acute Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction After Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Placement for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

Ogilvie's syndrome is a rare postoperative condition commonly referred to as a "colonic pseudo-obstruction" due to the absence of mechanical obstruction. It should be a differential for patients over the age of 60 years who present with nausea, vomiting, and colonic dilatations on imaging. Ogilvie's syndrome following a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement is an extremely rare entity with only one other adult patient reported in the English literature. In this case report, we explore the diagnosis and management of a 76-year-old patient who presented with abdominal pain and multiple bouts of bilious, non-bloody vomitus two days after a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The ultimate diagnosis of Ogilvie's syndrome along with imaging and subsequent management is detailed, and diagnosis guidelines and treatment options for Ogilvie's syndrome are analyzed and explained. This case highlights the importance of keeping Ogilvie's syndrome on the list of differentials in a postoperative patient in all abdominal surgeries, even if they are minimally invasive.
A Qualitative Descriptive Study: Young Adults’ Experiences With Biofeedback:

Purpose:This study explored the experiences of young adults who participated in biofeedback training and reported a family history of cardiovascular disease.Design:A qualitative descriptive study d...
Drying-induced atomic structural rearrangements in sodium-based calcium-alumino-silicate-hydrate gel and the mitigating effects of ZrO2 nanoparticles

Conventional drying of colloidal materials and gels (including cement) can lead to detrimental effects due to the buildup of internal stresses as water evaporates from the nano/microscopic pores. However, for these gel materials the underlying nanoscopic alterations that are, in part, responsible for macroscopically-measured strain values (especially at low relative humidity) remain a topic of open debate in the literature. In this study, sodium-based calcium-alumino-silicate-hydrate (C-(N)-A-S-H) gel, the major binding phase of silicate-activated blast furnace slag (one type of low-CO2 cement), is investigated from a drying perspective, since it is known to suffer extensively from drying-induced microcracking. By employing in situ synchrotron X-ray total scattering measurements and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis we show that the significant contributing factor to the strain development in this material at extremely low relative humidity (0%) is the local atomic structural rearrangement of the C-(N)-A-S-H gel, including collapse of interlayer spacing and slight disintegration of the gel. Moreover, analysis of the medium range (1.0-2.2 nm) ordering in the PDF data reveals that the PDF-derived strain values are in much closer agreement (same order of magnitude) with the macroscopically measured strain data, compared to previous results based on reciprocal space X-ray diffraction data. From a mitigation standpoint, we show that small amounts of ZrO2 nanoparticles are able to actively reinforce the structure of silicate-activated slag during drying, preventing atomic level strains from developing. Mechanistically, these nanoparticles induce growth of a silica-rich gel during drying, which, via density functional theory calculations, we show is attributed to the high surface reactivity of tetragonal ZrO2.
How can we mitigate treatment-associated morbidity in patients with germ cell tumors?

Testicular germ cell tumor (GCT) is the most common malignancy in young men [1]. Through a multidisciplinary approach involving surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, GCTs have cure rates approachin...
Characterizing the Effects of Haptic Rendering Parameter Variations on Perceived Kinesthetic Rendering Accuracy

To understand how the realism of a kinesthetic haptic rendering is affected by the accurate selection of the rendering model parameters, we conducted a preliminary user study where subjects compared three real-world objects to their equivalent haptic rendering. The subjects rated the rendering realism as the model parameters were varied about their nominal values. The results suggest that the required accuracy of various haptic rendering parameters is not equally important when considering the perceived realism.
Encapsulating with Loose Microballoons

This paper describes an investigation which led to the successful use of loose microballoons as an encapsulant for electronic equipment. The properties of a loose-microballoon system and the advantages derived from their use are also explained. They include the reduced dynamic response expected; however, the ability to repair and rework the unit is not compromised by the encapsulant.
An Introduction to Singular Stochastic Control

Bounded variation stochastic control may be defined to include any stochastic control problem in which one restricts the cumulative displacement of the state caused by control to be of bounded variation on finite time intervals. In classical control problems, this cumulative displacement is the integral of the control process (or some function of it), and so is absolutely continuous. In impulse control (see Bensoussan & Lions (1978)), this cumulative displacement has jumps, between which it is either constant or absolutely continuous. Bounded variation control admits both these possibilities and also the possibility that the displacement of the state caused by the optimal control is singularly continuous, at least with positive probability over some interval of time. Problems which exhibit this feature will be called singular, and these are the objects of interest of the present paper.
Severe polyneuritis due to vitamin B deficiency in pregnancy

Abstract 1.1. Pernicious vomiting of pregnancy may result in a vitamin B deficiency with a severe polyneuritic syndrome. 2.2. Ocular symptoms which heretofore have not been stressed were present in 4 of 15 cases. 3.3. One hundred and thirty previously reported cases are reviewed with respect to vitamin therapy and maternal mortality, and 15 additional cases are reported. 4.4. If a polyneuritis develops 50 to 100 mg. of thiamin chloride should be given daily. No complications from these large doses have been observed. 5.5. Therapeutic abortion is definitely contraindicated, and if done increases the mortality rate. 6.6. Ultimate recovery is slow under the best of therapy and may require fifteen to eighteen months. 7.7. Further study is necessary to determine the effect of vitamin B deficiency on the fetus in utero in the human being. The same statement holds true in regard to the placenta.
Radical Cations of Conjugated Cyclic Disulfides

Persistent radical cations of heterocycles containing two conjugated sulfur atoms are readily detected by ESR spectroscopy. These systems are often more persistent than their acyclic analogues because scission of a sulfur-sulfur bond does not lead to irreversible decomposition. The cation radicals formed from 1–10 will be discussed in terms of their formation, conformations and ESR spectroscopy.
Particle swarm optimization with adaptive linkage learning

In many problems, the quality of solutions and computational effort required by optimization algorithms can be improved by exploiting knowledge found in the linkages or interrelations between problem dimensions or components. These linkages are sometimes known a priori from the nature of the itself; in other cases linkages can be learned by sampling the data space prior to the application of the optimization algorithm. This paper presents a new version of the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) that utilizes linkages between components, performing more frequent simultaneous updates on subsets of particle position components that are strongly linked. Prior to application of this linkage-sensitive PSO algorithm, problem specific linkages can be learned by examining a randomly chosen collection of points in the search space to determine the correlations in fitness changes resulting from perturbations in pairs of components of particle positions. The resulting algorithm, adaptive-linkage PSO (ALiPSO) has performed significantly better than the classical PSO, in simulations conducted so far on several test problems.
Stability of thin aqueous films on solid surfaces: II. A model for aqueous films bounded by dissimilar charge regulating surfaces

Abstract Computed disjoining pressure isotherms are compared with experimentally measured isotherms obtained using ellipsometry. A detailed charge regulation model for amphoteric surfaces has been used to describe the glass-brine interface. The results of this model together with an electrochemical description of the mercury-brine interface have been used to numerically compute disjoining pressure isotherms for aqueous films between glass and mercury. These isotherms allow us to predict the stability of aqueous films in various systems of interest. A comparison between measured and computed disjoining pressure isotherms indicates a good agreement when a decay length of 35 A is chosen for the hydration forces. The effects of brine pH, electrolyte concentration, and the potential on the mercury surface on the disjoining pressure isotherms and on the stability of thin aqueous films are discussed.
[Comment on “Solar wind mechanism suggested for weather and climate change”] Weather and climate changes arising from solar wind effects on thunderstorm electrification

In “Solar Wind Mechanism Suggested for Weather and Climate Change” [Eos, August 9,1994], Brian A. Tinsley suggests that solar activity is modulating weather and climate through the effects it produces on the Earth's fair-weather electric field. This may well be true. It is questionable, however, whether the fair-weather electric field is strong enough to cause ice crystal formation in clouds by electrofreezing, as he has assumed. From Pruppacher [1973], it is evident that demonstrations of electrofreezing involve electric fields about a thousand times more intense and a million-fold more energetic than the electric field Tinsley believes is causing the formation of ice crystals in clouds. Acceptance of the idea that the fair weather field plays a significant role in the glaciation of clouds must await demonstrations that electrofreezing can be produced by electric fields of less than 100 Vm−1.
A framework for teaching polymorphism using game programming

We describe a general framework that allows a computer science instructor to design programming projects that involve and motivate the effective use of polymorphism. The framework is interesting because it lends itself to the design of a short, flexible game programming project that typically involves the use of multiple classes and class hierarchies. We also give two examples of projects that have been assigned in a second semester computer programming course that utilize this framework. An advantage of these types of projects is that they are open-ended, allowing particularly motivated students to express their skill and creativity. In our experience, the quality of student work on these projects reflects improved student motivation as well as a better understanding of the topic when compared to traditional polymorphism assignments. Although our description of this framework is specific to Java, we feel that it can be easily modified to work in any programming language that supports the object-oriented paradigm.
Abstract 4535: Inhibition of cell proliferation by (R,R')-4′-methoxy-1-naphthylfenoterol in breast cancer cell lines

(R,R9)-4′-methoxy-1-naphthylfenoterol (MNF) is a bitopic ligand that acts as an agonist of the β2-adrenergic receptor and an antagonist of the orphan G-protein-coupled receptor GPR55. Activation of GPR55 is pro-oncogenic through cannabinoid-related signal transduction and MNF treatment inhibits proliferation of different tumor cell lines, representing cancers of the liver, pancreas and brain. Of significance, MNF exerts antitumor activity in a xenograft glioma model in nude mice. In the current study, the anti-proliferative response mediated by MNF has been examined in human breast cancer cell lines. In this study, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were screened for the presence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and GPR55 proteins by Western blotting. The EGFR in such cancer cells plays a key role in the control of growth and proliferation. When compared to MCF-7 cells, MDA-MB-231 cells contained high levels of EGFR and GPR55 and showed exquisite sensitivity to MNF as evidenced by the significant reduction in constitutive phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), with an IC50 of 0.08 nM. [3H]-Thymidine incorporation assay was performed and revealed that MNF elicited a 2-fold higher growth inhibition in MDA-MB-231 cells as compared to MCF-7 cells (50% vs. 24.9% inhibition at 10 µM of MNF; p Citation Format: Rajib K. Paul, Artur Wnorowski, Michel Bernier, Irving W. Wainer. Inhibition of cell proliferation by (R,R9)-4′-methoxy-1-naphthylfenoterol in breast cancer cell lines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4535. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4535
Supergravity solutions for AdS 3 ×S 3 branes

We find a large class of supersymmetric solutions in the ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathrm{S}}^{3}$ background with Neveu-Schwarz fluxes. This two-parameter family of solutions preserves eight of the 16 supersymmetries of the background.
Rapid Method for the Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from Experimentally Infected Mice

Listeria monocytogenes was successfully isolated from experimentally infected mice by placing homogenized tissues in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), trypsin, peptone, or pepsin followed by incubation at 37 C for 24 hr. A larger number of Listeria isolates were recovered from the trypsin or PBS splenic homogenate suspensions incubated at 37 C for 2 hr than from the other diluent suspensions. Holding infected tissues at 4 C for at least 3 months did not increase the efficiency of Listeria isolation. Listeria L-forms were not isolated from mice injected with the bacterial form. The in vitro viability of Listeria L-forms suspended in PBS or PBS splenic homogenate was greatly reduced when held at 4 C.
Methamphetamine Identification in Four Forensic Cases

Specimens that tested positive for amphetamines by immunoassay were confirmed by mass spectrometry. The absence of detectable d-amphetamine (limit of detection at 50 ng/mL) with a positive methamphetamine prompted further testing by chiral derivatization. This data demonstrates that d-amphetamine need not be present in methamphetamine positive cases.
Making connections through publications [engineering college marketing]

This is the third in a series of six companion papers that address the marketing of the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA. While valuable as an independent resource, the content of this document should be considered within the context of all six papers. Traditional publications have long been the way colleges of engineering have maintained contact with their audiences. But just as the times have changed, so have methods of communicating. No longer can the only thrust be the traditional ink and paper. Engineers must be able to get their message out through the different formats with which the audience is most comfortable. But regardless of the method, the most important element of connecting with audiences is maintaining a consistent voice.
Hospital responses to acute-onset disasters: a review.

INTRODUCTION: Hospitals the world over have been involved in disasters, both internal and external. These two types of disasters are independent, but not mutually exclusive. Internal disasters are isolated to the hospital and occur more frequently than do external disasters. External disasters affect the community as well as the hospital. This paper first focuses on common problems encountered during acute-onset disasters, with regards to hospital operations and caring for victims. Specific injury patterns commonly seen during natural disasters are reviewed. Second, lessons learned from these common problems and their application to hospital disaster plans are reviewed. METHODS: An extensive review of the available literature was conducted using the computerized databases Medline and Healthstar from 1977 through March 1999. Articles were selected if they contained information pertaining to a hospital response to a disaster situation or data on specific disaster injury patterns. Selected articles were read, abstracted, analyzed, and compiled. RESULTS: Hospitals continually have difficulties and failures in several major areas of operation during a disaster. Common problem areas identified include communication and power failures, water shortage and contamination, physical damage, hazardous material exposure, unorganized evacuations, and resource allocation shortages. CONCLUSIONS: Lessons learned from past disaster-related operational failures are compiled and reviewed. The importance and types of disaster planning are reviewed. Language: en
Arterial wall cholesterol content is a predictor of development and severity of arterial thrombosis

Background: It is unclear if total cholesterol content contributes to the severity of cardiovascular events by affecting the amount of thrombosis. This study evaluated relationships between cholesterol levels and the amount of thrombosis in an atherosclerotic rabbit model of plaque disruption and thrombosis. Methods: Three groups of NZW rabbits were used: normal rabbits (Group I, n = 4); atherosclerotic rabbits (Group II, n = 4); and atherosclerotic rabbits with pharmacologically triggered thrombosis (Group III, n = 16). Atherosclerosis was induced by feeding a cholesterol enriched diet and balloon deendothelialization. At post-mortem, platelet-rich thrombus and arterial wall cholesterol were quantified and histology performed by light and electron microscopy. Results: Arterial wall cholesterol was strongly correlated to serum cholesterol in all groups (r = 0.94, p < 0.0001). There was a significant correlation between the thrombus surface area with arterial wall cholesterol in Group III (r = 0.71, p < 0.002). Serum cholesterol, arterial wall cholesterol, and thrombus surface area were all significantly correlated but only arterial wall cholesterol was an independent predictor of thrombosis. A threshold specific for this model was noted for serum and arterial cholesterol levels above which thrombosis consistently occurred. Conclusions: Arterial wall cholesterol was strongly correlated to serum cholesterol and thrombosis severity. Serum cholesterol, arterial wall cholesterol and thrombus surface area were all integrally related. A model of plaque disruption and thrombosis was used to demonstrate a correlation between serum and arterial wall cholesterol (r = 0.94; p < 0.0001); arterial wall cholesterol and the amount of thrombosis (surface area; r = 0.71, p < 0.002). A threshold of serum and arterial cholesterol was determined at which thrombosis occurred in this model.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Release from Glyceryl Monostearate-Based Implants: Evaluation of Release in a Gel Simulating in Vivo Implantation

The overall objective of the study was to design an implantable delivery system based on glyceryl monostearate (GMS) for the site-specific delivery of antibiotics for the prevention of surgical wound infection. To design the implant, a release method had to be developed that simulate the in vivo implantation conditions to be able to predict the release characteristics from the implants when they are actually used in vivo. Also, identifying the release kinetics and mechanism and evaluating the factors that influence the release of drugs from the GMS-based matrix were necessary to allow further design of implants that could yield a desired release rate. The release of cefazolin was monitored from GMS matrixes implanted into agar gel, simulating subcutaneous tissues with respect to viscosity and water content. The gel method resulted in observation of spatial and temporal concentration profiles in the immediate vicinity of the implants, indicating the benefits of local drug delivery; however, there was no significant difference between the cumulative release profiles by the gel method or the vial release method. The release of cefazolin from the GMS-based matrix with the vial method followed Higuchi's square root of time kinetics. The release rate was found to be directly proportional to cefazolin load (A) and the surface area (SA) of the matrix as expressed by the following equation: = 0.24ASA. On the basis of this equation, one can design a variety of GMS matrixes that would result in a desired release rate or release duration. This also indicated that cefazolin release followed the release kinetics of a freely soluble drug from an insoluble matrix and hence it is a diffusion-controlled process. The effect of drug solubility on the release kinetics was determined by comparing the release kinetics of the poorly water soluble ciprofloxacin (0.16 mg/mL) to that of the highly water soluble cefazolin (325 mg/mL). The release duration of ciprofloxacin (80 h) was longer than that of cefazolin (25 h) from identical GMS matrixes. Although ciprofloxacin release was initially controlled by the matrix, agitation accelerated disintegration of the matrix and release due to its poor solubility, and ciprofloxacin release appeared to be a dissolution-controlled process following zero-order release kinetics.
Emma Goldman: political thinking in the streets

Kathy E. Ferguson, Lanham, MD, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2011, 362 pp., $65.00, £39.95 (hbk), ISBN 978-0-7425-2300-5 / $35.00 £21.95 (pbk), ISBN 978-0-7425-2301-2 Given the large number...
NF-κB Potentiates Caspase Independent Hydrogen Peroxide Induced Cell Death

Author(s): Ho, Jessica Q; Asagiri, Masataka; Hoffmann, Alexander; Ghosh, Gourisankar | Abstract: BackgroundThe pro-survival activity of NF-κB in response to a variety of stimuli has been extensively characterized. Although there have been a few reports addressing the pro-cell death role of NF-κB, the precise mechanism of NF-κB's pro-cell death function still remains elusive.Methodology/principal findingsIn the present study, we investigated the role of NF-κB in cell death induced by chronic insult with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). Here, we show that NF-κB promotes H(2)O(2) induced caspase independent but PARP dependent fibroblast cell death. The pro-death activity of NF-κB is due to the DNA binding activity of RelA, which is induced through IKK- mediated IκBα degradation. NF-κB dependent pro-survival genes, Bcl-2 and XIAP, were significantly repressed, while NF-κB dependent pro-death genes, TNFα and Fas Ligand, were induced in response to H(2)O(2).Conclusions/significanceWe discovered an unexpected function of NF-κB, in that it potentiates chronic H(2)O(2) exposure induced cell death, and suggest that NF-κB mediates cell death through the repression of pro-survival genes and induction of pro-death genes. Since unremitting exposure of tissues to H(2)O(2) and other reactive oxygen species can lead to several degenerative disorders and diseases, our results have important implications for the use of NF-κB inhibitors in therapeutic drug design.
Empty container management for intermodal transportation networks

Abstract We present a computational analysis of the effect of planning horizon length on empty container management for intermodal transportation networks. The analysis is based on an integer program that seeks to minimize total costs related to moving empty containers, subject to meeting requirements for moving loaded containers. A case study of potential container-on-barge operations within the Mississippi River basin illustrates the effects of planning horizon length on mode selection. A longer planning horizon can encourage the use of inexpensive, slow transportation modes, such as barge. The impact depends on the number and location of container storage pools.
Chromosomal regions associated with prostate cancer risk localize to lamin B‐deficient microdomains and exhibit reduced gene transcription

The lamins are major determinants of nuclear shape and chromatin organization and these features are frequently altered in prostate cancer (CaP). Human CaP cell lines frequently have nuclear lobulations, which are enriched in A-type lamins but lack B-type lamins and have been defined as lamin B-deficient microdomains (LDMDs). LDMD frequency is correlated with CaP cell line aggressiveness and increased cell motility. In addition, LNCaP cells grown in the presence of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) show an increased frequency of LDMDs. The LDMDs are enriched in activated RNA polymerase II (Pol IIo) and androgen receptor (AR) and A-type lamins form an enlarged meshwork that appears to co-align with chromatin fibres and AR. Furthermore, fluorescence in situ hybridization and comparative genomic hybridization demonstrated that chromosomal regions associated with CaP susceptibility are preferentially localized to LDMDs. Surprisingly, these regions lack histone marks for transcript elongation and exhibit reduced BrU incorporation, suggesting that Pol II is stalled within LDMDs. Real-time PCR of genes near androgen response elements (AREs) was used to compare transcription between cells containing LDMDs and controls. Genes preferentially localized to LDMDs showed significantly decreased expression, while genes in the main nuclear body were largely unaffected. Furthermore, LDMDs were observed in human CaP tissue and the frequency was correlated with increased Gleason grade. These results imply that lamins are involved in chromatin organization and Pol II transcription, and provide insights into the development and progression of CaP.
Low-cost and robust evaluation of information retrieval systems

Research in Information Retrieval has progressed against a background of rapidly increasing corpus size and heterogeneity, with every advance in technology quickly followed by a desire to organize and search more unstructured, more heterogeneous, and even bigger corpora. But as retrieval problems get larger and more complicated, evaluating the ranking performance of a retrieval engine gets harder: evaluation requires human judgments of the relevance of documents to queries, and for very large corpora the cost of acquiring these judgments may be insurmountable. This cost limits the types of problems researchers can study as well as the data they can be studied on.We present methods for understanding performance differences between retrieval engines in the presence of missing and noisy relevance judgments. The work introduces a model of the cost of experimentation that incorporates the cost of human judgments as well as the cost of drawing incorrect conclusions about differences between engines in both the training and testing phases of engine development. Through adopting a view of evaluation that is more concerned with distributions over performance differences rather than estimates of absolute performance, the expected cost can be minimized so as to reliably differentiate between engines with less than 1% of the human effort that has been used in past experiments.
Diagnostic microRNAs in myelodysplastic syndrome.

Objective The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are aging-associated disorders characterized by ineffective maturation of hematopoietic elements, which are often diagnostically challenging. This study identifies microRNAs (miRNA) and miRNA targets that might represent diagnostic markers for MDS. Materials and Methods This study utilized a total of 42 MDS samples and 45 controls. A discovery set of 20 frozen bone marrow mononuclear cell samples (10 MDS, 10 controls) was profiled on a custom Agilent miRNA microarray. Classifier miRNAs were validated in a separate set of 49 paraffin-embedded particle preparations by real-time polymerase chain reaction (24 MDS, 25 controls). Target prediction analysis was compared to a de novo transcriptional profile of MDS derived from the Microarray Innovations in Leukemia study. c-Myb and Sufu were further investigated by immunohistochemical stains on a set of 26 paraffin-embedded samples. Results We identified 13 miRNAs of interest from the discovery set, 8 of which proved statistically significant on real-time polymerase chain reaction verification. These eight miRNAs were then examined in an independent real-time polymerase chain reaction validation set. Notably, hsa-miR-378, hsa-miR-632, and hsa-miR-636 demonstrated particularly high discrimination between MDS and normal controls. Target prediction identified potential targets of miRNA regulation that correspond to many of the genes that characterize MDS. Immunohistochemical staining performed on a third validation set confirmed that c-Myb and Sufu are differentially expressed in MDS. Conclusions Our data utilize both discovery and validation sets and two complementary platforms to identify miRNAs associated with MDS. We have analyzed predicted targets and identified c-Myb and Sufu as potential diagnostic markers of MDS.
Processes improving the dispersibility of spray-dried zein nanoparticles using sodium caseinate

Zein has been studied as a versatile food biopolymer to fabricate nanoparticles for encapsulating a large variety of bioactive compounds. Being water-insoluble prolamines, dispersing zein nanoparticles in aqueous systems is a challenge. Recently, sodium caseinate (NaCas) was observed to have improved the dispersibility of freeze-dried zein nanoparticles but not for spray-dried samples. In this paper, three different approaches were studied to produce spray-dried zein nanoparticles precipitated by dispersing aqueous ethanol solutions of zein into the aqueous phase. The control (S2) was produced by dispersing zein solution into NaCas dispersion without pH adjustment. The other two approaches involved conditions dissociating NaCas: adjusting NaCas dispersion to pH 11.0 (S5) or dissolving NaCas in heated zein solution before dispersing to a pH 8.0 buffer (S4). After hydrating the spray-dried powder, dispersions demonstrated varying turbidity and precipitation stability during storage. Entire NaCas was observed to have adsorbed on S2 zein nanoparticles, corresponding to bigger particles, higher turbidity and lower stability of dispersions than those of S4 and S5. Conversely, only κ-casein was on zein nanoparticles of S4 and S5, corresponding to a higher zein:casein mass ratio and higher surface hydrophobicity than that of S2. The best dispersibility was observed for S4 at pH 7.0 and 0–300 mM NaCl, with the smallest hydrodynamic diameter (∼125 nm), lowest turbidity, and without precipitation during 15-day refrigerated storage. Compositional analyses suggested that κ-casein in S4 was a part of zein nanoparticle matrices and was not detached by increased ionic strength during storage. Conversely, caseins detached from zein nanoparticles of S2 and S5, causing particle aggregation and precipitation. Additionally, the approach in S4 utilized less ethanol (50% v/v vs. 80% in the other two approaches) to dissolve zein. Our work is significant in fabricating delivery systems of bioactive compounds utilizing zein as a carrier biopolymer.
North Atlantic thermohaline circulation during the past 20,000 years linked to high-latitude surface temperature

During a surface cooling event 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, higher Cd/Ca and lower 13C/12C ratios are observed in benthic foraminifera shells from rapidly accumulating western North Atlantic sediments. Data from sediment cores show that marked nutrient depletion of intermediate waters occurs in association with reduced glacial North Atlantic Deep Water flux. It is proposed that cold high-latitude sea surface temperatures enhance intermediate-water formation at the expense of deep-water formation.
Dynamic colloidal processes in waterborne two-component polyurethanes and their effects on solution and film morphology

Abstract While waterborne two-component polyurethanes (WB 2K-PURs) offer an attractive approach toward the reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOC), a number of fundamental processes related to the colloidal stability and solution morphology of WB 2K-PUR reactive dispersions are not understood. These studies focus on mechanisms of inter-particle reactant aggregation in heterogeneous aqueous dispersions resulting from solution morphological changes of poly(ethylene glycol) modified water-dispersible polyisocyanates (WDPI) and water-reducible polyester polyol coreactants, as revealed by particle size measurements and in situ NMR T 2 studies. Based on the results of these experiments, a model of film formation is proposed which relates solution morphological features and chemical reactions. WDPI reactant droplets become hydrated over time, leading to formation of carbon dioxide, which dissolves in the aqueous continuum as carbonic acid and subsequently destabilizes anionically stabilized polyol droplets, resulting in their adsorption to WDPI droplet surfaces. The implications of polyol collapse, as they pertain to film formation, are discussed in the context of solution and film morphologies.
Adhesion, friction, and compliance of bio-mimetic and bio-inspired structured interfaces

Abstract The remarkable mechanical properties of natural contact surfaces have inspired a great deal of interest and research in recent years. The underlying driver of this interest is the surprising range of surface mechanical properties such as adhesion, friction, and compliance that can be attained primarily by design of near-surface architecture using generic materials properties. A considerable literature has developed spanning the range from biological studies of structure and properties, through models to understand these properties, to development of bio-mimetic and bio-inspired structures, along with theory to understand how structure leads to development of surface mechanical properties. The literature has matured sufficiently that common architectures and principles have emerged, for which we attempt here to present a unified view. The field remains vibrant so we hope that this review can at the same time help in its further progress. Our goal in this paper is to review the field from the point of view of scientists and engineers interested to learn about the architecture, properties, and mechanisms of contacting surfaces in nature and how these might be mimicked to create new materials with unique and interesting properties. We begin with a brief description of natural systems, their architectures and properties, and follow by a discussion of the main bio-mimetic and bio-inspired materials that have been developed recently. We then discuss surface mechanical properties – adhesion, friction, and compliance – how these are related to materials and architectural parameters, and how these properties are measured. Where possible, we provide quantitative models for the relationship between structure and properties. We conclude the paper with a discussion of outlook and future possibilities in this field.
Nonradiative Deactivation in Benzylidene Malononitriles

Electronic structure calculations are used to examine the nuclear motions responsible for ultrafast internal conversion in the benzylidene malononitriles DMN (4-N,N-dimethylaminobenzylidenemalononitrile) and JDMN (julolidinemalononitrile). Gas-phase B3LYP and RI-CC2 calculations using triple-ζ valence polarized basis sets reproduce the structural features measured in the crystalline state and the solution-phase dipole moments of these molecules in their ground states with reasonable accuracy. Most properties of the vertical S0 → S1 transition, which is well separated from other transitions, are also reasonably reproduced by both types of calculation. The large change in dipole moment (8−9 D) upon excitation is grossly underestimated by TDDFT calculations, despite the fact that such calculations predict the transition energies to within experimental uncertainties. Exploration of the S1 potential energy surface of DMN using DFT, RI-CC2, and CASSCF methods indicates that the internal conversion pathway is do...
Interference resolution: Insights from a meta-analysis of neuroimaging tasks

A quantitative meta-analysis was performed on 47 neuroimaging studies involving tasks purported to require the resolution of interference. The tasks included the Stroop, flanker, go/no-go, stimulus-response compatibility, Simon, and stop signal tasks. Peak density-based analyses of these combined tasks reveal that the anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, posterior parietal cortex, and anterior insula may be important sites for the detection and/or resolution of interference. Individual task analyses reveal differential patterns of activation among the tasks. We propose that the drawing of distinctions among the processing stages at which interference may be resolved may explain regional activation differences. Our analyses suggest that resolution processes acting upon stimulus encoding, response selection, and response execution may recruit different neural regions.
Analysis of asymmetric composite laminates

Linear laminated plate theory is shown to be inadequate for analysis of asymmetric composite laminates, even in the small deflection range. The von Karman plate theory was used to analyze composite laminates under in-plane and transverse loadings. For cylindrical bending problems, the governing equations were reduced to linear differentia} equations with nonlinear boundary conditions yielding a simple solution procedure. Cross-plied laminates were used as examples.
Optimal trajectories for aeroassisted, coplanar orbital transfer

Classical and minimax optimal control problems arising in the study of aeroassisted coplanar orbit transfer from a high planetary orbit to a low one are considered. Attention is given to (1) the minimization of the energy required for the maneuver; (2) minimization of the time integral of the heating rate; (3) minimization of the time of flight during the atmospheric portion of the trajectory; (4) maximization of the time of flight during the atmospheric portion of the trajectory; (5) minimization of the time integral of the path inclination; and (6) minimization of the sum of the squares of the entry and exit path inclinations.
Unmet Dental Needs and Barriers to Dental Care among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Mail-in pilot-tested questionnaires were sent to a stratified random sample of 1,500 families from the North Carolina Autism Registry. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the significance of unmet dental needs and other predictors. Of 568 surveys returned (Response Rate = 38%), 555 were complete and usable. Sixty-five (12%) children had unmet dental needs. Of 516 children (93%) who had been to a dentist, 11% still reported unmet needs. The main barriers were child’s behavior, cost, and lack of insurance. The significant predictor variables of unmet needs were child’s behavior (p = 0.01), child’s dental health (p < 0.001), and caregiver’s last dental visit greater than 6 months (p = 0.002). Type of ASD did not have an effect on having unmet dental needs.