cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Meal-stimulated absorption of water and electrolytes in canine jejunum

After a meal, the absorption of water and electrolytes from the jejunal lumen increases. This meal-induced jejunal absorption occurs in jejunal segments out of normal gastrointestinal continuity. The experimental model used 25-cm proximal jejunal Thiry-Vella loops in awake dogs (n = 72 observations) to evaluate the mechanisms involved in meal-induced jejunal absorption, seeking to define the source or sources of the proabsorptive signal. Specifically, we evaluated the jejunal absorptive response to a standard meal, a standard meal plus cholinergic blockage using atropine, a sham-fed meal, a gavage-fed meal, and gastric distension with balloon and gavage water. Both the standard meal and the gavage-fed meal induced a prompt, sustained, and significant (P less than 0.0001) increase in the absorption of H2O, Na+, and Cl-. Atropine significantly reduced the magnitude of the postmeal absorptive response (P less than 0.05) compared with the standard meal alone. The sham-fed meal, gastric balloon distension, and gavage water did not alter jejunal absorption. Vagal nerve integrity after cervical esophageal manipulation was verified by gastric acid output and gastrin response to stimuli. These data support a role for cholinergic modulation of meal-stimulated jejunal absorption via a cephalic-phase-independent and gastric-distension-independent mechanism.
An infrared heat source for temperature control of a small microscope flow bath

A simple, inexpensive, and easily installed infrared heat source with temperature controller for small superfusion baths used in electrophysiologic experiments is described. The output of a thermal sensor in the bath is amplified and sent to a feedback circuit which in turn controls the voltage supplied to a tungsten/halogen bulb focused on the bath. Fluctuation from the set point is no more than 0.2 degrees C with good fluid level control. Judging from the lack of change in the cardiac action potential duration, heart cells do not preferentially absorb in infrared radiation. >
What does it mean to be an American

David Greenberg The presidential debates as political ritual 6 Hsuan L. Hsu & Martha Lincoln Health media & global inequalities 20 Sarah Song What does it mean to be an American? 31 Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen Anti-intellectualism as romantic discourse 41 Ajay K. Mehrotra The intellectual foundations of the modern American 1⁄2scal state 53 John Jacob Kaag Pragmatism & the lessons of experience 63 Christopher Klemek The rise & fall of New Left urbanism 73 Jason Puskar Risking Ralph Ellison 83 Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh Reconciling American archaeology & Native America 94 Sharon K. Weiner Competing organizational interests & Soviet wmd expertise 105 Paul K. MacDonald Rebalancing American foreign policy 115 Crystal N. Feimster The threat of sexual violence during the American Civil War 126
Transplants of Fibroblasts Genetically Modified to Express BDNF Promote Axonal Regeneration from Supraspinal Neurons Following Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

Transplants of fibroblasts genetically modified to express BDNF (Fb/BDNF) have been shown to promote regeneration of rubrospinal axons and recovery of forelimb function when placed acutely into the injured cervical spinal cord of adult rats. Here we investigated whether Fb/BDNF cells could stimulate supraspinal axon regeneration and recovery after chronic (4 week) injury. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats received a complete unilateral hemisection injury at the third cervical spinal cord segment (C3). Four-five weeks later the injury site was exposed and rats received transplants of unmodified fibroblasts (Fb/UM) or Fb/BDNF. Four-five weeks after transplantation, locomotor recovery was examined on a test of forelimb usage and regeneration of supraspinal axons was studied following injection of the anterograde tracer biotin dextran amine (BDA). Rubrospinal tract (RST), reticulospinal tract (ReST), and vestibulospinal tract (VST) axons regenerated into transplants of either Fb/UM or Fb/BDNF but the length of axonal growth was significantly different in the two groups. The absolute distance of ReST growth was 1.8-fold greater in Fb/BDNF than in Fb/UM and the absolute distance of growth of RST and VST axons showed a statistically significant 4-fold increase. All three types of regenerated axons occupied a greater proportional length of Fb/BDNF transplants than of Fb/UM transplants. Only VST axons extended into the host spinal cord caudal to the Fb/BDNF grafts, but these axons were sparse. Rats receiving Fb/BDNF used both forelimbs together to explore walls of a cylinder more often than rats receiving Fb/UM, indicating partial recovery of forelimb usage. These results demonstrate that fibroblasts genetically modified to express BDNF promote axon regeneration from supraspinal neurons in the chronically injured spinal cord with accompanying partial recovery of locomotor performance.
Pediatric Bupropion-Induced Serum Sicknesslike Reaction

This reports the first 2 cases of serum sicknesslike reaction to bupropion in children (age 12 and 14). Serum sicknesslike reactions are an example of immune-complex medicated disease. The cardinal symptoms of serum sickness are fever, lymphadenopathy, arthralgias or arthritis, and urticaria. Symptoms usually resolve without long-term sequela following discontinuation of the exogenous antigen. It is likely that serum sicknesslike reactions to bupropion are either relatively rare or underrecognized and underreported. Between May 1998 and May 2001, GlaxoSmith Kline received 172 reports of seizures (a well-known adverse drug reaction) and only 37 reports of serum sicknesslike reactions (Wooltorton 2002). We do not know if children and adolescents are more prone than adults to develop serum sicknesslike reactions to bupropion. Luckily, the reported cases of serum sicknesslike reactions to bupropion have not caused irreversible morbidity or mortality. Nevertheless, the symptoms are painful, temporarily disfigu...
Permeability of the blood-ocular barrier to mannitol and PAH during experimental diabetes

The simultaneous uptake of mannitol, a passive permeability marker, and the organic acid, p-aminohippuric acid, was measured in the anterior and posterior vitreous and retina. Uptake was determined in control, probenecid treated and streptozocin diabetic rats. The unidirectional influx, calculated as a 10 minute PS product for these compounds, was not increased by 2, 4, or 12 weeks of diabetes. A clearance value, calculated using an experimental time of 60 minutes was also examined in order to gauge efflux of these compounds from the eye. The 60 minute clearance value for mannitol in the retina increased approximately 75% in 2, 4, and 12 week diabetic rats. This was an unexpected result due to the lack of increase in the unidirectional flux of mannitol during these same periods of diabetes, and may represent a change in the passive efflux out of the retina. The 60 minute clearance value for mannitol was not significantly changed in either the anterior or posterior vitreous. Experimental diabetes increased the 60 minute clearance value for PAH for the retina by 40% to 70%. In contrast, diabetes did not increase influx of PAH into the anterior or posterior vitreous. Because the unidirectional influx of PAH into the retina was not increased during diabetes, a decrease in the active transport for organic acids out of the eye is a likely explanation for the increase in the 60 minute clearance value for PAH during diabetes.
Low-molecular-weight heparin successfully treating a nephrotic patient complicated by renal and ovarian vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

Summary Thromboembolic complications, frequently associated with idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis, are frequent and serious problems associated with nephrotic syndrome. However, ovarian vein thrombosis associated with nephrotic syndrome has never been reported. This study describes the case of a 35-year-old woman with idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis who developed left renal vein thrombosis with ovarian vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The thromboembolic complications were successfully treated with low-molecular-weight heparin. Low-molecular-weight heparin thus appears safe and effective for treating thromboembolism in nephrotic patients.
The domestication of dissent : Pundits' contributions to the war on terrorism

Using as an example a workshop on Islam sponsored by his own university, the author argues that the search for the essential heart of any social movement is a political edeavor insomuch as it is a form of classification that dehistoricizes complex mass social movements, representing them in ways that further the interests of those who carry out the classification.
Shade-seeking behaviour under polarized light by the brittlestar Ophioderma brevispinum (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)

The eiect of polarized light on the shade-seeking behaviour of the ophiuroid Ophioderma brevispinum was investigated at the Keys Marine Laboratory, Long Key, Florida, USA. Animals were collected and placed in a partially shaded arena.When the arena was illuminated with unpolarized light, the number of animals settling under the shaded portion of the arena was not signi¢cantly diierent from random (Na30, P40.3). When the arena was illuminated with linearly polarized light, the number of animals settling in the shaded portion of the arena was approximately double what would be expected in a random distribution (Na30, P50.001). The results are further evidence that O. brevispinum is sensitive to polarized light and are consistent with the hypothesis that polarized light may be used by the animals as an indicator of harmful levels of solar ultraviolet radiation. Previous work has shown that the ophiuroid Ophioderma brevispinum is sensitive to polarized light (Johnsen, 1994). Many of the ossicles of the animal’s endoskeleton polarize light and it is hypothesized that these ossicles are used as polarizing ¢lters for the detection of polarized light (Johnsen, 1994, 1997). However, while the previous experiments showed that the animals could discriminate between polarized and unpolarized light, the experimental design precluded any hypothesis of the ecological function of this ability. This study further investigates this unusual ability by examining the animals’ behaviour under
Paradox Lost Unraveling the Puzzle of Simpatía

Simpatia is a cultural script that characterizes Hispanics as agreeable, friendly, sympathetic, and polite. However, on self-reports Hispanics score lower on Simpatia/Agreeableness than do non-Hispanics. This study reveals that it is the modesty within Simpatia that accounts for these paradoxical findings by driving down scores on Hispanics' self-reports. To test this idea, this study assesses Simpatia/Agreeableness in Mexican American bilinguals using (a) self-reports of Simpatia in English and Spanish and (b) behavioral manifestations of Simpatia in a social interaction task conducted in English and Spanish. As predicted, on self-reports bilinguals score lower on Simpatia when the assessment is in Spanish than when it is in English, but they show more Simpatia-related behaviors in the social interaction task in Spanish than in English. Follow-up analyses show that the results cannot be explained by translation artifacts on the questionnaire, response-style biases, or reference-group effects. The paradox...
Simulations of intrinsically bursting neocortical pyramidal neurons

Neocortical layer 5 intrinsically bursting (IB) pyramidal neurons were simulated using compartment model methods. Morphological data as well as target neurophysiological responses were taken from a series of published studies on the same set of rat visual cortex pyramidal neurons (Mason, A. and Larkman, A. J., 1990. J. Neurosci. 9,1440-1447; Larkman, A. J. 1991. J. Comp. Neurol. 306, 307-319). A dendritic distribution of ion channels was found that reproduced the range of in vitro responses of layer 5 IB pyramidal neurons, including the transition from repetitive bursting to the burst/tonic spiking mode seen in these neurons as input magnitude increases. In light of available data, the simulation results suggest that in these neurons bursts are driven by an inward flow of current during a high threshold Ca2+ spike extending throughout both the basal and apical dendritic branches.
Travel of District-Wide Approaches to Instructional Improvement: How Can Districts Learn from One Another?

Increasingly, districts are being recognized for the role that they can play in improving instructional practice and, in turn, improving the academic performance of students (Hightower, Knapp, Marsh, & McLaughlin, 2002; Supovitz, 2006). With the passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, improvement in student achievement is no longer just a laudable goal, but rather has become a real goal with real consequences. As the recognition that instructional improvement is the best way to boost student achievement has gradually sunk in among policymakers, raising the quality of teaching and learning across the board has become essential. Arguably, no organization is in a better position to accomplish this than is a school district.
Did Credit Market Policies Cause the Housing Bubble

Between 2000 and 2006, the CaseShiller/Standard and Poor’s Housing Price Index increased by 74 percent in real terms, as America experienced a massive housing bubble. Moreover prices in some metropolitan areas grew even faster. Prices in Los Angeles, for example, rose by 130 percent during this period while prices in greater Tampa rose by 97 percent over this time. As the bubble burst, that index dropped by a third and major financial institutions became insolvent, at least partially because of housing-related losses. What caused this great boom-bust cycle that tore through America’s housing markets?Many economists have argued that aspects of the credit market, including low interest rates, can explain the boom. According to this view, aggressive mortgage approvals and easy mortgage terms encouraged buyers to bid more for housing. During the boom, this logic led some to argue that home prices were appropriately higher. After the bust, this logic has led others to blame Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, and his successor Benjamin Bernanke for causing the bubble by spreading easy money.There is certainly some circumstantial evidence indicating a role for credit markets in this boom. Mortgages became more widely available and cheaper along a number of important dimensions from around 2001 through the peak of the housing market. There was a flood of global credit, much of which came to the U.S. Many buyers who took advantage of subprime loans paid top dollar for housing and are now delinquent on their mortgages.The evidence summarized in this Policy Brief casts doubt on the view that easy credit can explain the bubble. It isn’t that low interest rates don’t boost housing prices. They do. It isn’t that higher mortgage approval rates aren’t associated with rising home values. They are. But the impact of these variables, as predicted by economic theory and as estimated empirically over many years, is too small to explain much of the housing market event that we have just experienced.
Cost-effectiveness of Corticosteroid Nasal Spray vs Surgical Therapy in Patients With Severe to Extreme Anatomical Nasal Obstruction

ImportanceHealth insurance companies commonly require a trial of corticosteroid nasal spray prior to authorizing nasal surgery, even in patients with severe to extreme anatomical nasal obstruction,...
Mis)Understanding a Banking Industry in Transition

The U.S. financial system is, again, in crisis caused by huge numbers of defaults among subprime mortgage borrowers and mortgage derivatives; and, massive losses for the holders of new-fangled investments comprised of bundles of loans of varying risk, including many of those subprime mortgages. The largest financial institutions have followed business practices that were certain to produce massive losses - so imprudent that they have created a worldwise financial crises. To even begin to understand events in the U.S. and global banking industries, you have to look back at the seismic shifts in the industry over the past 30 to 40 years, and at the interplay between those shifts and government policy. The story that continues to unfold is one of progressively worse policies that make financial crises more common and more severe.
The Privatization of California Correctional Facilities: A Population-Based Approach

In examining what role privatization should serve in California criminal justice reform, this article approaches privatization as a structural tool for systemic improvement, rather than simply a way to replicate existing structures more cheaply. In addition to making several policy suggestions, the article identifies the most significant aspects of the California criminal justice system upon which privatization would bear.
Abstract 3268: Histological and biological effects of substituted quinolines (gap junction enhancers) in a spontaneous mammary tumor model

Effective use of antineoplastic drugs depends on the ability to balance the killing of tumor cells against the inherent toxicity to the host. Antineoplastic agents that act primarily on rapidly dividing and growing cells produce multiple side effects and are dose limiting. In recent years, there has been the development of biologic response modifiers aimed at enhancing innate anti-tumor defense mechanisms. Previous publications showed that substituted quinolines possess potent inhibitory activities against breast cancer cells through the enhancement of gap junction intercellular communication. These drugs decrease 71% of xenograft breast tumors in nude mice. The objective of this project is to evaluate the effect of substituted quinolines in a spontaneous mouse mammary tumor model (PyVT). PyVT mice were used at three different stages (pre, early and late) to characterize histological and biological changes in the treated animals compared to controls. Substituted quinolines cause a decrease of tumor growth rate by 112%, 77%, and 57% in the pre, early, and late stages of tumor development, respectively. Treatment during the pre and early stages of tumor formation also resulted in a decrease in the total number of tumors. Western blot analysis of the pre stage tumors show that the gap junction protein connexin 43 is more expressed in treated animals compared to control and the contrary for connexin 46. In the early and late stages, connexin 43 is expressed less in treated mice than controls, and vice versa for connexin 46. The expression of these connexins in control tissue suggests that this is due to an overall increase in connexin 43 and a decrease in connexin 46 during tumor development and metastasis. Histology of vital organs showed no significant alteration in treated animals compared to controls. These findings provide evidence that substituted quinolines cause a significant tumor reduction in a spontaneous mammary tumor model with no obvious adverse effects. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3268. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3268
A Bright Light to Reveal Mobility: Single Quantum Dot Tracking Reveals Membrane Dynamics and Cellular Mechanisms.

This Perspective describes recent progress in single quantum dot techniques, with an emphasis on their applications in exploring membrane dynamics and cellular mechanisms. In these cases, conventional population measurements, such as fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, yield only a mean value on an ensemble or bulk collection of molecules, where the behavior of individual proteins and vehicles is missing. In recent years, the single quantum dot imaging approach has been introduced as a subcategory of single molecule fluorescent techniques to reveal single protein/vehicle dynamics in real time. One of the major advantages of using single quantum dots is the high signal-to-noise ratio originating from their unique photophysical properties such as extraordinarily high molar extinction coefficients and large effective Stokes shifts. In addition to a brief overview on the principle of single quantum dot imaging techniques, we highlight recent discoveries and discuss future directions in the field.
2016 Robert W. Berliner Award for Excellence in Renal Physiology.

The Robert W. Berliner Award for Excellence in Renal Physiology is the most prestigious award of the American Physiological Society (APS) Renal Section. It recognizes distinguished lifetime achievement in renal physiology research. This year's recipient is Peter Aronson, M.D., of Yale University. Dr
Development and Preliminary Technical Adequacy of the Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation Fidelity of Implementation Tool

U.S. public education systems are required to provide free appropriate public education to students with disabilities in least restrictive environments that are appropriate to meet their individual needs. The practice of educating students with disabilities in neighborhood schools in age-appropriate general education classrooms and other school settings to meet this requirement has come to be known as “inclusive education.” The long-standing interest in keeping students with disabilities in the same classrooms with their neighbors and peers has created a need for reform to establish equity in America’s schools. Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) is a whole-system school reform model provided through a national technical assistance center that addresses core features of inclusive education support for elementary and middle schools, particularly those that are chronically low performing and those serving students with the most extensive needs. We describe the development and prelimin...
Coupling of HIV-1 gp120-derived Core Protein to Paramagnetic Beads and Adsorption Assays

Analysis of the functional activity in polyclonal serum following immunization of a complex protein or glycoprotein immunogen is a very important but tedious process. Fine mapping of epitope specific antibodies is difficult when they are elicited at relatively low levels. In our recent study focused at developing an HIV-1 vaccine, we immunized rabbits with hyperglycosylated stable core immunogens, which were designed using high resolution structural information to elicit antibodies against the primary receptor-binding, CD4-binding site on HIV-1 gp120. Using a solid phase adsorption assay, we could map the serum antibodies to the conserved CD4-binding site, a known broadly neutralizing determinant on exterior envelope glycoprotein, gp120.
P-101 Implementing a volunteer sonographer led hospice based ultrasound service– the first year’s experience

Having personal experience of the tremendous support provided by the local hospice, and noting the lack of ultrasound facilities the author (an experienced sonographer) approached the hospice Medical Director to discuss developing a volunteer on-site ultrasound service. BMUS Ultrasound Clinical Governance Guidelines (October 2008) were consulted to draw up a ‘Service Description and Guidelines for Best Practice’ protocol. An ultrasound machine was generously donated by Spire Healthcare Group and a hospice scanning service started in July 2013 Over the following year 58 scans were carried out on 52 patients. A wide range of pathologies were found, from disease progression to gallstones accounting for pain. 13 people had abdominal ascites, 5 of whom had successful paracentesis following the scan and skin marking for a drain site (8 were not drained due to their overall condition). Negative findings following suspected DVTs were particularly valued. Three people are lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 49 people, 46 have died now; their post-scan survival ranged from 3–359 days, with a median of 32 days and a mean of 60 days. Three people are still alive (post-scan survival up to 22 months as of 30/04/15). Establishing guidelines to ensure safe practice and to equip staff with confidence to request a scan, and learning when a scan would be helpful has taken time but we have been able to demonstrate that a hospice based service is achievable, effective and safe. Clinicians and patients value not having to travel for a hospital scan when poorly and having more certainty in clinical scenarios when symptoms and signs are subtle or complex.
Chapter 7 – HYDROPHOBICALLY MODIFIED POLYELECTROLYTES AND POLYELECTROLYTE BLOCK COPOLYMERS

This chapter discusses hydrophobically modified polyelectrolytes and polyelectrolyte block coplolymers. Polyelectrolyte block copolymers and hydrophobically modified polyelectrolytes (HMPs) are polymers with a high content (> 10–15 mol %) of ionizable groups bonded to hydrophobic groups. Owing to the presence of both ionizable and hydrophobic groups, electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions leading to a rich variety of organized structures in HMP solutions are an inherent trait distinguishing HMPs from other polymers. It is this interplay between coulombic and hydrophobic interactions that enables HMPs to respond to factors such as temperature, ionic strength of the solvent, pH, and so forth—by aggregating, folding, or unfolding. Because of the potential use of HMPs and polyelectrolyte block copolymers for modification of the rheology of their solutions, for targeted drug delivery in medicine, and for selective removal of organic pollutants from the aqueous phase—properties of their aqueous solutions have been studied intensively. Much of the emphasis in studies of polymer dynamics and transport in heterogeneous media and in structurally organized HMP systems has been on steady-state and time-resolved fluorometric techniques with nanosecond or picosecond time resolutions.
SURGICAL APPROACHES TO THE HIP: ADAPTING TO THE PATHOLOGY

“Like other craftsmen, we have often two ways at least of doing the same job, the success of which is dependent upon the character and the integrity of the man. “Approaches” are for us both physical and psychological: in the case of the hip joint it seems clear that there is more than one good method and that, for the sake of those we train, we should keep an open mind.” Norman A. Capener, 1950 Orientation relative to the abductor musculature and ease of access to the pathology in question should provide the compelling basis for selection of operative approaches to the hip, rather than being based solely on surgeon habit. Approaches to primary total hip arthroplasty remain the surgeon9s choice; posterior approaches provide challenges to cup orientation and anterior approaches offer more difficult access to the proximal femur. Imperatives for a decubitus position posterior approach include pelvic dissociation with need for posterior column plating, removal of retained posterior hardware, and sciatic neurolysis after prior injury. Conversely, indications for a supine anterolateral approach include an isolated acetabular revision with a well-fixed femoral stem and the need for retroperitoneal removal of an intrapelvic acetabular component. Transgluteal approaches inflict potentially the greatest damage to the abductor musculature and are best reserved for primary operative settings; stability of a femoral endoprosthesis is optimised through this approach by preserving the posterior capsular structures. The transtrochanteric approach provides unrivaled exposure to both pelvis and acetabulum from either a supine or decubitus position, and is most helpful for removal of long well-fixed femoral stems whether cemented or cementless.
Abstract 414: Biochemical and cellular monitoring of the activity of the ecto-5’-nucleotidase (CD73), a key cancer modulator using HTS-formatted bioluminescent technology

The ecto-5’-nucleotidase (CD73) is glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored cell surface protein that is involved in switching on adenosinergic signaling. Its enzymatic and nonenzymatic activities (via its interaction with extracellular matrix components) are involved in cancer associated processes and not completely independent of each other. It catalyzes the hydrolysis of AMP into adenosine and phosphate, where adenosine plays important role in tumor immune escape. It is overexpressed in many types of cancer cell lines and patient9s biopsies including breast, colon, ovarian, gastric, ovarian, etc. In addition to being important as clinical and prognostic marker in cancer patients, overexpression of CD73 is associated with resistance to antitumor agents, and inhibition of CD73 activity or knocking it down by SiRNA reversed chemoresistant phenotype of glioblastoma multiforme cells. Because of the significant role of CD73, it is of importance to develop an assay that monitor the activity of CD73 in order to develop modulators of its activity. Towards this goal, we have developed a bioluminescent assay to monitor the activity of the enzyme in biochemically pure as well cellular anchored enzyme forms. The assay is homogenous and formatted for HTS screening research, very sensitive, and robust as indicated by the high Z’. We also show that the use of inhibitors such as adenosine 5’-(α-β-methylene) diphosphate (APCP) generates data with biochemically pure enzyme similar to the cellular bound form. We also demonstrate that cells that are enriched in CD73 can be easily identified from those that have low CD73. Thus, the current assay is robust, sensitive, and easy to use making it an ideal assay for HTS screening for new modulators of CD73 and generation of potential novel cancer therapeutics Citation Format: Said A. Goueli, Kevin hsiao. Biochemical and cellular monitoring of the activity of the ecto-5’-nucleotidase (CD73), a key cancer modulator using HTS-formatted bioluminescent technology. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 414.
Recent Advances on the Modular Organization of the Cortex

The way you perceive the world, plan, make decisions and communicate your thoughts and feelings depends on the function and hierarchical arrangement of cortical modules. The ability to both provide adaptive responses to our ever-changing environment and to pursue a useful role in society is the most important problem faced by present day neuroscientists. In essence, the workings of cortical modules define the nature of our soul, making each of us who we are. This book provides a breath-taking view of different perspectives by world renowned authorities as to the workings of these cortical modules both in the normal state and in mental disorders
Power System Dynamics: Bifurcation Behavior

This chapter begins with a summary of the basic properties of systems described by differential-algebraic equations (DAEs) and moves on to study singularities and bifurcations of DAEs. The study of local behavior around bifurcation points of the equilibrium equations is important as such points typically involve some sort of static or dynamic instability phenomenon. Computational methods for finding these static bifurcation points and generating models for examining local behavior are considered next. Locating Hopf (dynamic) bifurcation points are also examined.
Population Dynamics and Their Implications for the Ecosystems of the Great Plains

An important starting point in the examination of the Great Plains ecosystem is its population base. Residents play a dual role in the ecology of the region. First, they constitute a key resource base that contributes to the overall quality and conservation of the system. This resource is often referred to as human capital. Ironically, the second role they play within the ecosystem is that of consumers. People use and abuse the resources within the system. To a large degree, therefore, an understanding of the population size, distribution, and composition of residents in the region provides a useful context from which to assess and debate strategies aimed at appropriately managing the Great Plains ecosystem.
Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for adrenal gland metastases: factors influencing outcomes, patterns of failure, and dosimetric thresholds for toxicity.

Abstract Purpose We report our single-institution experience with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for adrenal metastasis and identify factors influencing outcomes, patterns of failure, and dosimetric thresholds for toxicity. Methods and materials We identified patients with adrenal metastases treated with SABR from 2009 to 2015. Toxicity was evaluated with Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.0. Local failures were categorized as in-field, marginal, or out-of-field. New or progressive disease outside the treated adrenal gland was considered distant failure. Survival and time to local and distant failure were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors were evaluated with a Cox proportional hazards model. Fisher's exact tests were used to compare toxicity between dosimetric thresholds. Results Forty-three patients with 49 adrenal metastases (84% from lung) were treated with SABR to a median prescribed dose of 60 Gy in 10 fractions. Median overall survival time was 19 months, and 1- and 2-year rates were 65% and 42%, respectively. Bilateral adrenal metastases were associated with worse overall survival ( P = .01). Median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 6 months, with most progressions being distant failure (most often to brain or bone). PFS was better in patients with a solitary adrenal metastasis ( P = .03). Median time to local failure was not reached; the 1-year freedom from local failure rate was 74%. Nine failures were in field and 1 was marginal; no local failures occurred in lesions treated with biologically equivalent doses of >100 Gy. No patient experienced grade 3-5 toxicity. Low-grade gastrointestinal toxicity was common, but grade 2 toxicity was avoided in patients with a maximum stomach-bowel point dose of ≤50 Gy ( P = .03). Low-grade adrenal insufficiency was common with bilateral treatment. Conclusion SABR was well tolerated and resulted in good 1-year local control; PFS was promising for patients with solitary metastases. Low-grade toxicity was common, but can be minimized with strict dosimetric constraints.
Precision medicine: Fantasy meets reality.

In their Policy Forum “Countering imprecision in precision medicine” (29 July, p. [448][1]), S. P. Hey and A. S. Kesselheim discuss the many combinations of biomarkers and treatments that drive precision medicine research. They propose that “Funding agencies could award responsibility for
Social Networks, interpersonal Social Support, and Health Outcomes: A Health Communication Perspective

This manuscript discusses the development, impact, and several major research findings of studies in the area of social network support and health outcomes. The review focuses largely on the development of online social support networks and the ways in which they may interact with face-to-face support networks to influence physical and psychological health outcomes. The manuscript discusses this area and it presents a research agenda for future work in this area from an Associate Editor's perspective.
The Development of a High‐Impact Structure: Collaboration in a Service‐Learning Program

This chapter discusses a three-tiered undergraduate service-learning program as a collaborative leadership structure, incorporating high-impact practices.
Sudden Death in 14 Month Old Due to Fibromuscular Dysplasia of Atrioventricular Nodal Artery

Fibromuscular dysplasia is a non-atherosclerotic, non-inflammatory vascular disease that is most commonly found in the renal arteries of pre-menopausal women. However, this disease entity has rarel...
Proteomic and genetic analysis of the response of S. cerevisiae to soluble copper leads to improvement of the antimicrobial function of cellulosic copper nanoparticles

Copper (Cu) was used in antiquity to prevent waterborne and food diseases because, as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, it generates reactive oxygen species, ROS. New technologies incorporating Cu into low-cost biodegradable nanomaterials built on cellulose, known as cellulosic cupric nanoparticles or c-CuNPs, present novel approaches to deliver Cu in a controlled manner to control microbial growth. We challenged strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with soluble Cu and c-CuNPs to evaluate the potential of c-CuNPs as antifungal agents. Cells exposed to c-CuNPs demonstrated greater sensitivity to Cu than cells exposed to soluble Cu, although Cu-resistant strains were more tolerant than Cu-sensitive strains of c-CuNP exposure. At the same level of growth inhibition, 157 μM c-CuNPs led to the same internal Cu levels as did 400 μM CuSO4, offering evidence for alternative mechanisms of toxicity, perhaps through β-arrestin dependent endocytosis, which was supported by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy of c-CuNPs distributed both on the cell surface and within the cytoplasm. Genes responsible for genetic variation in response to copper were mapped to the ZRT2 and the CUP1 loci. Through proteomic analyses, we found that the expression of other zinc (Zn) transporters increased in Cu-tolerant yeast compared to Cu-sensitive strains. Further, the addition of Zn at low levels increased the potency of c-CuNPs to inhibit even the most Cu-tolerant yeast. Through unbiased systems biological approaches, we identified Zn as a critical component of the yeast response to Cu and the addition of Zn increased the potency of the c-CuNPs.
In vitro human skin permeation and decontamination of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) using Dermal Decontamination Gel (DDGel) and Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion (RSDL)

Abstract This study compared the efficiency for in vitro human skin decontamination using DDGel and RSDL. Experiments were performed using in vitro human skin models, in which skin was mounted onto Flow-Through diffusion cells. The mass of 14-C CEES removed from skin surface after decontamination was quantitated by measuring radioactivity with a liquid scintillation spectrometer. Both decontaminants removed more than 82% of CEES from skin. DDGel skin decontamination significantly reduced toxicant amount when compared to RSDL. Mean CEES remaining in stratum corneum (SC), viable epidermis, dermis, and systemic absorption of DDGel and RSDL were, 0.12 and 0.55% (P
Editorial: Are editorials necessary?

At the latest editorial board meeting of Teachers and Teaching – Theory and Practice, there was a discussion of the function and need for editorials. In a time when many of the articles that go int...
Human Paraoxonase I: A Potential Bioscavenger of Organophosphorus Nerve Agents

Human serum paraoxonase (HuPON1, EC 3.1.8.1) is a Ca2+-dependent enzyme that hydrolyzes esters including organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents. Efforts to elucidate the putative roles of active site amino acid residues have been hampered by the lack of three-dimensional structural information of this enzyme. The advent of an homology model for HuPON1 (folded onto the six-fold β-propeller structure of squid diisopropylfluorophosphatase) followed by a confirmatory crystal structure of a closely related hybrid PON molecule has led to the design and expression of site-directed mutants of HuPON1. These mutants were analyzed for enzymatic activity against a variety of substrates, including OP nerve agents. Substitution of residues predicted from the model to be important for substrate binding, Ca2+ ion coordination, and catalysis resulted in enzyme inactivation, supporting the validity of the proposed structural model. Mutants with altered specificities for substrate were identified; some recognized OP substrates as competitive inhibitors. The OP nerve agent soman (GD) has two chiral centers; the four stereoisomers of GD vary in toxicity by several orders of magnitude. A novel GC/MS-based assay was developed to examine the stereospecificity of wild-type and mutant HuPON1 enzymes for GD. The wild-type HuPON1 catalyzed hydrolysis of all four GD isomers with modest stereoselectivity for the less toxic (C±P+) isomers. Two of the mutants tested (S193A and S193G) demonstrated altered stereospecificity and kinetics, resulting in three to four-fold increased rate of hydrolysis for one of the toxic P- GD isomers. The capacity of recombinant HuPON1 to hydrolyze structurally isomeric OP nerve agents (VX and VR) was examined and found to differ in both affinity and rate of catalysis. Unlike VX, VR was not hydrolyzed by the H115W mutant of HuPON1, but instead was recognized as a competitive inhibitor. Given the structural similarity between VX and VR, these results suggest that residue H115 in wild-type HuPON1 is critical for determining the substrate specificity of HuPON1 for some classes of OPs. Together, the results presented have expanded our understanding of the amino acid residues critical for HuPON1 OP hydrolase activity. This information is being used to design mutants of PON1 with enhanced anti-OP activity and stereoselectivity towards the more toxic OP stereoisomers
A Brief History of Native American Land Ownership

This study examines the literature in several fields in order to paint a picture of the history of the relationship between Native Americans and land. The study is especially interested in how this relationship evolved over time and in identifying the key events that mark changes in this relationship. Literature from archeology, anthropology, economics, and Native American studies are examined in order to gain insight into the evolution of how Native Americans have related to land over the past few thousand years. Most of the emphasis in this study is upon the more recent past, primarily because it is more relevant to the present (and future), and because there is more information available.
Energy Markets and Capacity Values

Efficient tariffs for reliable (“firm”) electricity service in theory must charge separately for capital costs (“capacity”) and operating costs (“energy”), while interruptible service should carry only an energy charge. Competition, however, often occurs in short-term exchanges with one-part pricing and no explicit accounting for capacity. The movement to one-part energy prices is consistent with increased competition and the lower transaction costs that characterize competitive markets. Installed capacity requirements and energy surcharges will be inefficient and quite possibly anticompetitive. Option pricing models facilitate the extraction of capacity values from data on energy prices.
Proceedings of the NAACL HLT 2010 Young Investigators Workshop on Computational Approaches to Languages of the Americas

Welcome to the First Young Investigators Workshop on Computational Approaches to Languages of the Americas. This workshop will be held on June 6, 2010 in Los Angeles, immediately following the 11th Annual Conference of the North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics, NAACL-HLT 2010. The goal of this workshop is to bring together researchers from all of the Americas developing human language technologies that are interested in establishing international collaborations. We believe a more interactive community within the Americas can contribute to the advancement of the field, not only with respect to the improvement of performance on specific areas of NLP but more important, with respect to motivating the growth of its community by providing a conducive collaboration infrastructure that facilitates the active involvement of researchers in the field. We are very excited about the response to the call for papers. We received a total of 21 submissions from 8 countries. The final program brings together researchers from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay and the USA. The contributions in the proceedings are of three types: research papers, project overviews and opinion papers. The research papers include recent advances in topics from opinion mining, to textual entailment, to adaptation of NLP approaches to software engineering. The survey papers present an overview of larger research projects by a single university or research group. These overviews present interesting efforts in dialogue systems, text simplification, language generation, and corpus based approaches to verb subcategorization and relation extraction. The proceedings also include two opinion papers that describe the research situation of the NLP communities in Costa Rica and Brazil. All contributions describe how international collaborations can push research forward by either listing the resources and/or experience sought or what specific resources and experience can be contributed. In sum, these proceedings provide a broad coverage of research on computational linguistics south of the Rio Bravo addressing three different languages: Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and English.
Recovery from hamstring injuries in Major League Baseball players : original research article

Background: Hamstring injuries in Major League Baseball result in man-games lost and medical costs that impact the player and team. Research question: How does a hamstring injury affect a baseball player's subsequent performance? Type of study: Descriptive study. Methods: Major League Baseball players (non-pitchers) with a hamstring injury were identified over four seasons. Demographic data and days on the disabled list were recorded. Games played and at-bats were analysed for 2 seasons before injury, the season of injury, and 2 seasons following injury. Results: Mean age was 30.7 ± 4.1 years (range, 21 to 39). Mean days on the disabled list was 15.9 ± 5.9 days. Games played for each season before injury were significantly greater than for the season of injury (p = 0.002 and p = 0.003 respectively). Games played for each season following injury were not significantly different than for the season of injury (p = 0.262 and p = 0.083 respectively). At-bats for each season before injury were significantly greater than the season of injury (p = 0.010 and p = 0.007 respectively). At-bats for each season following injury were not significantly different than the season of injury (p = 0.263 and p = 0.074 respectively). Seventeen players played one or less seasons after injury. Conclusions: Most players with hamstring injuries returned to their same level following injury. However, this study identified a subset of players where a hamstring injury heralds the end of their career. These results can guide future preventive and rehabilitation protocols of hamstring injuries.