cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound Elastography Predicts Thyroid Nodule Volume Reduction Rate After Percutaneous Ethanol Ablation.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous ethanol ablation (PEA) on indeterminate thyroid nodules (Bethesda III and IV) based on ultrasound (US) elastography by assessing the vo...
Age of diagnosis clinically differentiates atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors diagnosed below age of 3 years: a database study.

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is a rare and largely pediatric diagnosis, with poor survival. Diagnosis below the age of 3 years is characteristically seen as a poor prognostic sign. However, elucidating if clinical differences exist within this niche age group has never been attempted before. Correspondingly, we sought to characterize clinical profile of ATRT diagnoses before the age of 3 years based on separate ages of diagnosis. All pediatric ATRT patients aged < 3 years in the US National Cancer Database (NCDB) between 2005 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Age groups were divided based on diagnoses at ages 0–1 years in group 1, 1–2 years in group 2, and 2–3 years in group 3. Data were summarized, and overall survival (OS) was modeled using Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses. A total of 354 ATRT diagnoses were made before the age of 3 years, with surgery used in 316 (89%) cases, chemotherapy in 242 (68%) cases, and radiation therapy in 118 (33%) cases. In terms of diagnosis age, there were 153 (43%) in group 1, 137 (39%) in group 2, and 64 (18%) in group 3. With respect to OS, median value was 9.9 months in group 1, 28.4 months in group 2, and 15.9 months in group 3. Upon multivariate analysis, receiving radiation therapy was the only parameter shared amongst all three groups as independently prognostic of longer OS (HR 0.53, P = 0.01 in group 1; HR 0.34, P < 0.01 in group 2; HR 0.31, P < 0.01 in group 3). In group 1, surgery (HR 0.47, P < 0.01) and chemotherapy (HR 0.44, P < 0.01) were also independently prognostic of longer OS. In group 3, multiple socioeconomic parameters were identified to independently predict longer OS. There were no additional predictive parameters identified in group 2. Although ATRT diagnosed before the age of 3 is typically viewed a poor prognostic age category, our findings demonstrate that the clinical profile of this pediatric niche is highly heterogeneous based on age of diagnosis. Survival of only those diagnosed between 0 and 1 years is independently prognosticated by all three treatment modalities; patients diagnosed between 1 and 2 years trend towards longest survival, and socioeconomic parameters are most influential in those diagnosed between 2 and 3 years.
Hardware Trust and Assurance through Reverse Engineering: A Tutorial and Outlook from Image Analysis and Machine Learning Perspectives

In the context of hardware trust and assurance, reverse engineering has been often considered as an illegal action. Generally speaking, reverse engineering aims to retrieve information from a produ...
A new era for stargazing

We haven't found proof of life on other planets, but a wave of new telescopes will give us the best chance yet, says Chima McGruder
The Ins and Outs of Herpesviral Capsids: Divergent Structures and Assembly Mechanisms across the Three Subfamilies

Human herpesviruses, classified into three subfamilies, are double-stranded DNA viruses that establish lifelong latent infections within most of the world’s population and can cause severe disease, especially in immunocompromised people. There is no cure, and current preventative and therapeutic options are limited. Therefore, understanding the biology of these viruses is essential for finding new ways to stop them. Capsids play a central role in herpesvirus biology. They are sophisticated vehicles that shelter the pressurized double-stranded-DNA genomes while ensuring their delivery to defined cellular destinations on the way in and out of the host cell. Moreover, the importance of capsids for multiple key steps in the replication cycle makes their assembly an attractive therapeutic target. Recent cryo-electron microscopy reconstructions of capsids from all three subfamilies of human herpesviruses revealed not only conserved features but also remarkable structural differences. Furthermore, capsid assembly studies have suggested subfamily-specific roles of viral capsid protein homologs. In this review, we compare capsid structures, assembly mechanisms, and capsid protein functions across human herpesvirus subfamilies, highlighting the differences.
Survey of veterinarians and hoof trimmers on methods applied to treat claw lesions in dairy cattle

A survey was administered to members of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) and the Hoof Trimmers Association (HTA) to identify various treatment methods for claw horn lesions. A total of 345 people responded to the survey, of which 196 identified themselves as members of AABP, 111 as members of HTA, 9 as having membership in both organizations, and 29 providing no information as to affiliation with either of these organizations. A total of 307 respondents were included in the final analysis. The majority of veterinarians (80%) indicated that their knowledge about foot care was part of their veterinary education, 34% developed or refined their skills and understanding through experience and attendance at various continuing education programs, and 9% cited additional training from attendance at a formalized foot care program. Training cited by hoof trimmers included the following: 65% apprenticeship with another trimmer, 41% professional hoof care training program, and 30% learning primarily through experience. Sixty-eight percent of veterinarians reported removing all loose horn adjacent to the lesion without causing it to bleed, compared to 86% of hoof trimmers (P less than 0.01). Seventy-six percent of veterinarians reported routine application of a foot block to the sound (healthy) claw when treating sole ulcers compared to 86% of hoof trimmers (P less than 0.05). Topical medications for ulcers and abscessed claw horn lesions were used by 59% of veterinarians and 53% of hoof trimmers. The medication used most frequently was the powder form of tetracycline or oxytetracycline (48% by veterinarians and 81% by hoof trimmers). The majority of survey participants did not recommend withholding milk following topical treatment with tetracycline or oxytetracycline. Both survey groups agreed that sole ulcers were a painful condition, but the majority of veterinarians did not recommend analgesics for the treatment of sole ulcer lesions.
Numerical Simulation of Ferrofluid Flow for Subsurface Environmental Engineering Applications

Ferrofluids are suspensions of magnetic particles of diameter approximately 10 nm stabilized by surfactants in carrier liquids. The large magnetic susceptibility of ferrofluids allows the mobilization of ferrofluid through permeable rock and soil by the application of strong external magnetic fields. We have developed simulation capabilities for both miscible and immiscible conceptualizations of ferrofluid flow through porous media in response to magnetic forces arising from the magnetic field of a rectangular permanent magnet. The flow of ferrofluid is caused by the magnetization of the particles and their attraction toward a magnet, regardless of the orientation of the magnet. The steps involved in calculating the flow of ferrofluid are (1) calculation of the external magnetic field, (2) calculation of the gradient of the external magnetic field, (3) calculation of the magnetization of the ferrofluid, and (4) assembly of the magnetic body force term and addition of this term to the standard pressure gradient and gravity force terms. We compare numerical simulations to laboratory measurements of the magnetic field, fluid pressures, and the two‐dimensional flow of ferrofluid to demonstrate the applicability of the methods coded in the numerical simulators. We present an example of the use of the simulator for a field‐scale application of ferrofluids for barrier verification.
Handwritten Notes as a Visual Interface to Index, Edit and Publish Audio/Video Highlights

Digital libraries aim to make media-rich information accessible to "anyone, anywhere, anytime." However, digital audio and video are difficult to search and share. This paper describes Souvenir, a system which enables people to use their handwritten or text notes to retrieve and share specific media moments. Souvenir enables users to take time-stamped notes on a variety of devices, such as the paper-based CrossPad, the Palm Pilot and standard keyboard devices. Souvenir can segment unstructured handwriting into an effective media index without the need for handwriting recognition. People can use their notes to create hyperlinks to random-access media stored in digital libraries. Souvenir has also web publishing and email capabilities to enable anyone to access or email media moments directly from a web page. This paper presents an overview of Souvenir's functionality and describes its handwriting segmentation as well as note and media synchronization algorithms.
Pepsin inhibitors from Ascaris lumbricoides. Isolation, purification, and some properties.

Extracts of the body walls of the adult Ascaris lumbricoides var. suis inhibit pepsin between pH 1 and 6. Four inhibitors of pepsin were isolated and purified as follows. The crude extract of Ascaris was incubated at 37° and pH 2.0 for 75 min. The pepsin-inhibiting activity was obtained in a fraction precipitated at 0.65 saturation with ammonium sulfate at pH 5.35, and sequentially chromatographed on BioGel P-30 at pH 2.1 and Cellex SE at pH 4.7 and resolved into four inhibitors on DEAE-Sephadex at pH 8.8. The degree of purity of each inhibitor was demonstrated by disc gel electrophoresis. The over-all yield of pepsin inhibitors was 44% of the initial extract. Inhibitor I was 7%; Inhibitor II, 10%; Inhibitor III, 20%; and Inhibitor IV, 7%. The over-all purification of Inhibitors I → III was 6,800-fold and that of Inhibitor IV, 3,300-fold. The molecular weights of these inhibitors were calculated from their amino acid composition and were in agreement with the values obtained from both 5% and 10% polyacrylamide gels in sodium dodecyl sulfate. The values obtained from the amino acid composition were: 17,515 (= 160 amino acid residues), 15,584 (= 142 amino acid residues), 16,124 (= 147 amino acid residues), and 31,719 (= 290 amino acid residues) for Inhibitors I, II, III, and IV, respectively. The NH2-terminal amino acid residue of each of these proteins was histidine. The ability of each of these inhibitors to inactivate pepsin was lost by its treatment with either trypsin or chymotrypsin. Each inhibitor inhibited porcine, bovine, and human pepsins, and porcine gastricsin, but not human gastricsin.
Depolarization and stimulation of neurons in nucleus tractus solitarii by carbon dioxide does not require chemical synaptic input.

Abstract The effects of elevated CO 2 (i.e. hypercapnia) on neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarii were studied using extracellular ( n = 82) and intracellular ( n = 33) recording techniques in transverse brain slices prepared from rat. Synaptic connections from putative chemosensitive neurons in the ventrolateral medulla were removed by bisecting each transverse slice and discarding the ventral half. In addition, the response to hypercapnia in 20 neurons was studied during high magnesium low calcium synaptic blockade. Sixty-five per cent of the neurons ( n = 75) tested were either insensitive or inhibited by hypercapnia. However, 35% ( n = 40) were depolarized and/or increased their firing rate during hypercapnia. Nine out of 10 CO 2 excited neurons retained their chemosensitivity to CO 2 in the presence of high magnesium low calcium synaptic blockade medium. Our findings demonstrate that many neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarii were depolarized and/or increased their firing rate during hypercapnia. These neurons were not driven synaptically by putative chemosensitive neurons of the ventrolateral medulla since this region was removed from the slice. Furthermore, because chemosensitivity persisted in most neurons tested during synaptic blockade, we conclude that some neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarii are inherently CO 2 -chemosensitive. Although the function of dorsal medullary chemosensitive neurons cannot be determined in vitro , their location and their inherent chemosensitivity suggest a role in cardiorespiratory central chemoreception.
A revised teacher rating scale for reactive and proactive aggression.

A teacher rating scale of reactive aggression, proactive aggression, and covert antisocial behavior was evaluated in a normative sample of third- to fifth-grade predominantly white lower middle class boys (N= 186). Factor analysis revealed independent and internally consistent Reactive Aggression (six reactive items), and Proactive Aggression (five proactive items, five covert items) factors. Although the factors were intercorrelated (r= .67), and each factor was significantly correlated with negative peer social status (r= .26 for each, controlling for grade), the independence of the factors was supported by the unique relation of Reactive Aggression with in-school detentions (r= .31), controlling for Proactive Aggression and grade. These results supported the reliability and validity of Reactive and Proactive Aggression as rated by teachers, which should facilitate further research of these constructs.
Translational and rotational nonequilibrium effects in CW chemical lasers

A flame sheet model is presented which describes continuous wave (cw) HF/DF chemical laser performance and includes the effects of translational and rotational nonequilibrium. The model is then simplified by the realistic assumption that translational and rotational relaxation rates are fast compared with convection, chemical pumping, and collisional deactivation rates. It is also assumed that the homogeneous width Δvh is small compared with the Doppler width Δvd. The resultant system of equations is independent of rotational relaxation. Amplifier and oscillator solutions are discussed. It is concluded that a reasonable first estimate for cw HF/DF chemical laser performance can be obtained by assuming rotational equilibrium and translational nonequilibrium.
China's Financial Markets in the Global Context

A well-functioning financial sector is crucial for a nation's growth and development. During the past ten years China has made substantial progress in developing and improving its financial markets, but additional major improvements are still needed in areas identified in this article. These improvements will permit China's rapid growth to continue unabated, reduce the structural imbalance in the world economy, and may help to avoid another global financial and economic crisis.
Social exclusion, personal control, self-regulation, and stress among substance abuse treatment clients

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of social exclusion, personal control, and self-regulation to perceived stress among individuals who participated in publicly funded substance abuse treatment. Participants entered treatment between June 2006 and July 2007 and completed a 12-month follow-up survey by telephone ( n = 787). The results of the OLS regression analysis indicate that individuals with greater social exclusion factors (e.g. greater economic hardship, lower subjective social standing, greater perceived discrimination), lower perceived control of one's life, and lower self-regulation had higher perceived stress. Furthermore, a significant interaction was found suggesting a stress-buffering effect of personal control between subjective social standing and perceived stress. Interestingly, income status was not significantly related to perceived stress, while economic hardship, which assesses participants’ inability to meet basic expenses, was significantly associated with perceived stress. Future research should examine how to integrate the AA/NA teaching about powerlessness and its role in recovery with the importance of increased personal control and self-control in decreasing perceived stress. Implications for future research and substance abuse treatment are discussed.
Increased aggressiveness in gravid American lobsters, Homarus americanus

Reports in the literature suggest that gravid female lobsters (Homarus americanus) are more aggressive than non-gravid female lobsters. In an earlier study [Cromarty SI et al. 1998. Biol Bull 194:63–71], we showed that, with one exception, gravid females did not respond to an unfamiliar stimulus with escape swimming. Here we present quantitative evidence showing that gravid female lobsters are more aggressive than non-gravid females. Gravid and non-gravid females were allowed to fight against larger, non-gravid female opponents in an enclosed arena. The videotaped behaviors were ranked in a behavioral hierarchy (Rank of Aggression) according to their degree of aggressiveness and intensity. The behaviors were classified and ranked as follows: (1) aggression toward opponent, (2) redirected aggressive behavior (toward arena wall), (3) redirected defensive behavior, (4) defensive behavior against opponent, and (5) avoidance behavior. Gravid lobsters performed more behaviors and more aggressive behaviors than did non-gravid controls. The behaviors of gravid females ranked higher on the Rank of Aggression scale than did non-gravid females. The opponents of gravid females performed more aggressive and more intensely aggressive acts than the opponents of non-gravid females; they also performed more defensive acts (i.e., those used to ward off an opponent's attack) than did their non-gravid opponents, although there were no differences in intensity of defensive behaviors between gravid and non-gravid animals. There were no significant differences in the number of avoidance behaviors among the four types of combatants (gravid, non-gravid, gravid opponent, and non-gravid opponent), and none in avoidance tailflipping. However, gravid females were more likely to perform aggressive tailflips and performed significantly more aggressive tailflips than non-gravid animals. Together, this suggests that any physiological inhibition of escape swimming may have been overcome by the heightened intensity of gravid fights and the increased aggressiveness of gravid animals. Aggr. Behav. 25:451–472, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
US high technology multinationals and Silicon Glen

Haug P. (1986) US high technology multinationals and Silicon Glen, Reg. Studies 20, 103–116. Future growth and investment by high technology industries have generated increasing interest in the agglomeration tendencies of high technology firms. Governments throughout the world are seeking to develop high technology firm concentrations similar to Silicon Valley in California. An area that represents one of the largest high technology industry clusters outside the United States is Scotland's Silicon Glen. This article is based on interviews conducted at fourteen US-owned manufacturing plants in Silicon Glen and sets out to: (1) define the terms high technology industry and Silicon Glen; (2) summarize research on the origins of Silicon Valley, Boston's Route 128, Silicon Fen or the Cambridge Phenomenon, and the M4 Corridor near London; and (3) present evidence on the location and investment activities of US multinational enterprises in Silicon Glen. The results indicate that the attributes attracting high te...
The outcomes of psychotherapy with adolescents: a practitioner-friendly research review.

This article summarizes the outcome findings of psychotherapy with adolescents through an examination of the research literature. In this problem-focused review of the research literature, we consider adolescent treatment of anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, multiple problems of adolescence, and health risk behaviors. The evidence base for the effectiveness of various psychotherapies for adolescents is mixed. Psychotherapy in general has been a ripe field in which unsupported approaches have grown, and this is certainly true for psychotherapeutic interventions with adolescents. Nonetheless, there is a growing body of evidence to support various types of interventions as effective for different presenting problems. Researchers and clinicians need to recognize the complexity of the diverse characteristics of adolescents, including variations of culture, race, ethnicity, gender, class, physical disability, family definitions and constellation, and sexual orientation. These require sensitivity, responsiveness, and competence by the therapist, but clinical research has not fully examined these considerations.
Interoperable Learning Leveraging Building Information Modeling (BIM) in Construction Education

The authors, faculty members in the Department of Construction Management at Colorado State University, collaborated with industry to develop three interactive, pilot Building Information Modeling (BIM)-enabled educational modules designed to support and enhance spatial understanding, interoperability, and communication within construction education and training. The first module highlights masonry construction sequencing, the second highlights the cross-disciplinary aspects of structural analysis, and the third provides bilingual safety-training by integrating voice-narration and site specific 3D visualization. The initial development, implementation, and assessment of the three modules indicate that their use is beneficial to students and professionals, and that more research is merited. The paper previews the modules and presents preliminary lessons learned from their development and pilot implementations.
Microwave spectrum, quadrupole coupling constant, and conformation of 1-cyanocyclohexene

Abstract The microwave spectrum of 1-cyanocyclohexene has been investigated in the frequency regions 8–12.4 and 18–26.5 GHz. A-Type transitions in the ground state and three excited states have been assigned. The rotational constants in the ground state were determined to be A = 4565.98 ± 0.46, B = 1423.44 ± 0.01, and C = 1136.17 ± 0.01 MHz. From the experimental data, it was suggested that the molecule has an equilibrium half-chair conformation similar to those of cyclohexene and 1-fluorocyclohexene. From the hyperfine splittings of the 14N nucleus, the quadrupole coupling constant, Xaa, was found to be 4.2 MHz.
Racial/Ethnic disparities in ART adherence in the United States: findings from the MACH14 study.

BACKGROUND Minority race/ethnicity is generally associated with antiretroviral therapy nonadherence in US-based studies. Limitations of the existing literature include small samples, subjective adherence measures, and inadequate control for potential confounders such as mental health and substance use, which have been consistently associated with poorer adherence. METHODS Individual-level data were pooled from 13 US-based studies employing electronic drug monitoring to assess adherence. Adherence was operationalized as percent of prescribed doses taken from the first 12 (monthly) waves of data in each study. Depression symptoms were aggregated from several widely used assessments, and substance use was operationalized as any use of cocaine/stimulants, heroin/opiates, ecstasy, hallucinogens, or sedatives in the 30-365 days preceding baseline. RESULTS The final analytic sample of 1809 participants ranged in age from 18 to 72 years and was 67% male. Participants were 53% African American, 14% Latino, and 34% White. In a logistic regression adjusting for age, gender, income, education, and site, race/ethnicity was significantly associated with adherence (P < 0.001) and persisted in a model that also controlled for depression and substance use (P < 0.001), with African Americans having significantly lower adherence than Latinos [odds ratio (OR) = 0.72, P = 0.04] and whites (OR = 0.60, P < 0.001). Adherence did not differ between whites and Latinos (OR = 0.84, P = 0.27). CONCLUSIONS Racial/ethnic differences in demographics, depression, and substance abuse do not explain the lower level of antiretroviral therapy adherence in African Americans observed in our sample. Further research is needed to explain the persistent disparity and might examine factors such as mistrust of providers, health literacy, and inequities in the health care system.
The role of platelet factor V in prothrombin conversion

The contribution of platelet factor V to prothrombin conversion was studied in a purified two-stage system designed to measure the ability of factor V to accelerate prothrombin conversion. When unstimulated gel-filtered platelets (GFP) were substituted for both factor V and phospholipid, thrombin evolution was linear following a long lag time. Gel filtration resulted in considerable phospholipid availability with minimal factor V release. Incubating platelets with collagen in increasing concentrations resulted in marked shortening of the lag time, an increase in the initial rate of thrombin formation, and release of platelet factor V. The inhibition of thrombin formation by preincubation of the platelets with metabolic inhibitors is consistent with previous observations that factor V is released from alpha-granules by collagen in a process requiring metabolic energy. Released platelet factor V added to metabolically inhibited platelets reproduces the acceleration of prothrombin conversion demonstrated in GFP incubated with collagen. Furthermore no acceleration of the clotting time at collagen concentrations used in this study was demonstrated in an assay designed to measure available platelet phospholipid in the presence of excess factor V. The rate of increased thrombin generation produced by collagen stimulation is primarily due to released platelet factor V in the system employed.
An effective source recognition algorithm: extraction of significant binary words

Abstract The present paper deals with the computation of binary words, viz., N -grams and delay grams, where N is statistically valid size of pattern words. Three approaches of feature selection methods have been proposed to arrive at the most significant binary pattern words. The proposed methods reduce the dimensionality of pattern space drastically. Features obtained through these procedures are having more discriminatory power for identifying the different pseudorandom sequence generator.
Structure of electrorheological fluids.

Electrorheological (ER) fluids are colloidal suspensions of highly polarizable particles in a nonpolarizable solvent. In a strong electric field, the behavior of the fluid is dominated by the dipolar interactions between the colloidal particles. We address problems of structure formation and long-time relaxation in an ER fluid. When a high electric field is applied to a fluid, dielectric columns oriented parallel to the field rapidly form. The relaxation of these columns is a much slower process. We calculate the shape of the columns formed and the time scale for the relaxation of the columnar structure.
Primary cardiac osteosarcoma: Multidisciplinary aspects applicable to extraskeletal osteosarcoma generally

An osteosarcoma, primary in the right ventricular epicardium, produced pericardial constriction. Intense activity on technetium-99m bone scintigraphy led to a correct preoperative diagnosis. Biopsy of unrepresentative tissue clouded the diagnosis, and autopsy resolved the issue. Several clinicopathologic correlations are presented. Major therapeutic advances mandate early recognition of extraskeletal osteosarcoma, and the topic is reviewed in regard to cardiac cancers in general. The need to biopsy both hard and fleshy areas of unusual tumors is reviewed.
Physical Modeling: An Aid For Production Geophysicists

The paper discusses a physical modeling system and testing that have led to practical applications of physical modeling for both exploration and production geophysicists. The physical models, which are scanned in a large water tank, have been fabricated to represent various structural and stratigraphic traps. Across these models, the scanning source and receiver are independently controlled, which allows for an infinite number of data acquisition schemes. The resulting time sections from the physical models have a high enough signal-to-noise ratio to allow comparisons to both theoretical models and field seismic data.
Determinants of gestational weight gain outside the recommended ranges among black and white women

Objectives To identify factors influencing risk of gaining outside the Institute of Medicine recommendations for pregnancy weight gain, and to determine whether these factors differ by race. Methods Multivariate methods were used to identify risk factors for under- and over-gain among 2617 black and 1253 white women delivering at the Johns Hopkins Hospital during 1987–1989. Results Only 28.2% of black women and 32.5% of white women gained the recommended amounts of weight during pregnancy. Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), height, parity, education, smoking, hypertension, duration of pregnancy, and fetal sex influenced risk for under-gain or over-gain. Black women were 1.51 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23–1.85) times more likely to under-gain, but 0.89 (95% CI 0.74–1.08) times less likely to over-gain than white women. No interactions were found between any factor examined and BMI or race. Conclusion Only about one-third of women are gaining the recommended amounts of weight during pregnancy. Black women are at increased risk for gaining less weight than recommended, and selected maternal characteristics associated with race do not explain this difference. Further, risk factors for under- or over-gain do not differ between black and white women.
Inhibition of AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) by doxorubicin accentuates genotoxic stress and cell death in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes: role of p53 and SIRT1.

Doxorubicin, an anthracycline antibiotic, is widely used in cancer treatment. Doxorubicin produces genotoxic stress and p53 activation in both carcinoma and non-carcinoma cells. Although its side effects in non-carcinoma cells, especially in heart tissue, are well known, the molecular targets of doxorubicin are poorly characterized. Here, we report that doxorubicin inhibits AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) resulting in SIRT1 dysfunction and p53 accumulation. Spontaneously immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) or H9C2 cardiomyocyte were exposed to doxorubicin at different doses and durations. Cell death and p53, SIRT1, and AMPK levels were examined by Western blot. In MEFs, doxorubicin inhibited AMPK activation, increased cell death, and induced robust p53 accumulation. Genetic deletion of AMPKα1 reduced NAD+ levels and SIRT1 activity and significantly increased the levels of p53 and cell death. Pre-activation of AMPK by 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside or transfection with an adenovirus encoding a constitutively active AMPK (AMPK-CA) markedly reduced the effects of doxorubicin in MEFs from Ampkα1 knock-out mice. Conversely, pre-inhibition of Ampk further sensitized MEFs to doxorubicin-induced cell death. Genetic knockdown of p53 protected both wild-type and Ampkα1−/− MEFs from doxorubicin-induced cell death. p53 accumulation in Ampkα1−/− MEFs was reversed by SIRT1 activation by resveratrol. Taken together, these data suggest that AMPK inhibition by doxorubicin causes p53 accumulation and SIRT1 dysfunction in MEFs and further suggest that pharmacological activation of AMPK might alleviate the side effects of doxorubicin.
Catalytic mechanism of human DNA polymerase λ with Mg2+ and Mn2+ from ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical studies

Abstract DNA polymerases play a crucial role in the cell cycle due to their involvement in genome replication and repair. Understanding the reaction mechanism by which these polymerases carry out their function can provide insights into these processes. Recently, the crystal structures of human DNA polymerase λ (Polλ) have been reported both for pre- and post-catalytic complexes [Garcia-Diaz et al., DNA Repair 3 (2007), 1333]. Here we employ the pre-catalytic complex as a starting structure for the determination of the catalytic mechanism of Polλ using ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical methods. The reaction path has been calculated using Mg 2+ and Mn 2+ as the catalytic metals. In both cases the reaction proceeds through a two-step mechanism where the 3′-OH of the primer sugar ring is deprotonated by one of the conserved Asp residues (D490) in the active site before the incorporation of the nucleotide to the nascent DNA chain. A significant charge transfer is observed between both metals and some residues in the active site as the reaction proceeds. The optimized reactant and product structures agree with the reported crystal structures. In addition, the calculated reaction barriers for both metals are close to experimentally estimated barriers. Energy decomposition analysis to explain individual residue contributions suggests that several amino acids surrounding the active site are important for catalysis. Some of these residues, including R420, R488 and E529, have been implicated in catalysis by previous mutagenesis experiments on the homologous residues on Polβ. Furthermore, Polλ residues R420 and E529 found to be important from the energy decomposition analysis, are homologous to residues R183 and E295 in Polβ, both of which are linked to cancer. In addition, residues R386, E391, K422 and K472 appear to have an important role in catalysis and could be a potential target for mutagenesis experiments. There is partial conservation of these residues across the Pol X family of DNA polymerases.
Effects of compressibility, pitch rate, and Reynolds number on unsteady incipient leading-edge boundary layer separation over a pitching airfoil

The effects of compressibility, pitch rate and Reynolds number on the initial stages of two-dimensional unsteady separation of laminar subsonic flow over a pitching NACA-0012 airfoil have been studied numerically. The approach involves the simulation of the flow by solving the two-dimensional unsteady compressible laminar Navier-Stokes equations employing the implicit approximate-factorization algorithm of Beam & Warming and a boundary-fitted C-grid. The algorithm has been extensively validated through comparison with analytical and previous numerical results. The computations display several important trends for the ‘birth’ of the primary recirculating region which is a principal precursor to leading-edge separation. Increasing the non-dimensional pitch rate from 0.05 to 0.2 at a fixed Reynolds number and Mach number delays the formation of the primary recirculating region. The primary recirculating region also forms closer to the leading edge. Increasing the Mach number from 0.2 to 0.5 at a fixed Reynolds number and pitch rate causes a delay in the formation of the primary recirculating region and also leads to its formation farther from the airfoil top surface. The length scale associated with the recirculating regions increases as well. Increasing the Reynolds number from 10 4 to 10 5 at a fixed Mach number and pitch rate hastens the appearance of the primary recirculating region. A shock appears on the top surface at a Reynolds number of 10 5 along with the simultaneous formation of multiple recirculating regions near the leading edge.
The Importance of Autophagy in Cardioprotection

Autophagy is an intracellular lysosomal-mediated catabolic process in which senescent or damaged proteins and organelles are sequestered by double membrane-limited vesicles called autophagosomes, and then degraded by lysosomes. While the role of autophagy in different pathological states is context-dependent, it has been shown that during cardiac ischemia, autophagy is upregulated as a cardioprotective adaptation. We recently demonstrated that Rheb, a small GTP-binding protein that directly activates the complex 1 of the mechanistic target of rapamycin, is a critical regulator of autophagy during cardiac ischemia. We found that cardiac Rheb/mTORC1 signaling is activated in a deregulated manner during ischemia in obesity and metabolic syndrome. This uncontrolled activation of the Rheb/mTORC1 pathway leads to autophagy inhibition and to a reduction of myocardial tolerance to ischemia. This data further supports the relevance of autophagy as a fundamental protective mechanism during myocardial ischemia and suggests that reactivation of autophagy, in particular through the inhibition of Rheb/mTORC1 signaling may represent a promising therapeutic option to treat subjects with an acute myocardial infarction, particularly those affected by metabolic derangements. This review will deal with the biological significance of autophagy in cardioprotection.
Predicting Left Heart Failure after a Myocardial Infarction: A Preliminary Study of the Value of Echocardiographic Measures of Left Ventricular Filling and Wall Motion

Heart failure occurs from both systolic and diastolic dysfunction. To determine whether simple Doppler echocardiography measures of left ventricular filling could improve upon the ability of systolic function to predict heart failure after infarction, patients with acute myocardial infarction were studied within the first 36 hours by Doppler and two-dimensional echocardiography. Forty-eight patients who did not have heart failure before the Doppler echocardiography study and who did not have myocardial revascularization, moderate or severe mitral regurgitation, or other complications during recovery were monitored for 6 months or to the onset of heart failure ( n = 10). The univariate predictors of heart failure were age ( p p p p p p p p p
Effects of a Biocybernetic System on Vigilance Performance

The present study was designed to determine whether a biocybernetic, adaptive system could enhance vigilance performance. Participants were asked to monitor the repetitive presentation of white bars on a computer screen for occasional increases in length. An index of task engagement was derived from participants' electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and was used to change the presentation rate of events among 3 values (6, 20, and 60 events/min). Under a negative feedback contingency, event rates increased if the engagement index decreased and, conversely, decreased if the index increased. Under positive feedback, the opposite contingency existed. Each experimental participant had a yoked control partner who received the same pattern of changes in event rates irrespective of his or her EEG activity. The results showed that better vigilance performance was obtained under negative feedback and that the performance of the yoked participants was similar to that of their experimental partners. These findings suggest that it may be possible to improve monitoring performance on critical activities such as air traffic control and radar and sonar operation through a pattern of event rate changes that do not rely on an operator's overt behavior.
Microscale Laser-Induced Fluorescence Method for Non-Intrusive Temperature Measurement

Ratiometric Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) Thermometry is applied for temperature measurements in a ‘T’ junction, using microscale visualization methods. Rhodamine B (RhB) and Rhodamine 110 (Rh110) are used as the temperature-dependent and temperature-independent dye, respectively. The temperature responses of the two dyes were carefully measured for different concentrations. A novel normalization procedure for the calibration curve is proposed to render the technique system-independent. The mixing plane between a hot and a cold fluid stream for three different temperatures and three different flow rate ratios is visualized using 4X and 10X magnifications.© 2007 ASME
ESOPHAGEAL MOTOR DYSFUNCTION IN 11 PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC IDIOPATHIC INTESTINAL PSEUDO-OBSTRUCTION SYNDROME (CUPS)

ESOPHAGEAL MOTOR DYSFUNCTION IN 11 PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC IDIOPATHIC INTESTINAL PSEUDO-OBSTRUCTION SYNDROME (CUPS)
Choice of unattainable group goals and effects on performance

Abstract This study is an experimental investigation of several factors which may account for an earlier survey finding that United Fund organizations which persistently fail to attain campaign goals do so mainly because they set goals which are virtually unattainable in the light of prior performances. Four-man teams of high school boys worked on an interdependent group skills task in competition with teams from nearby schools. Three conditions were studied: (a) apparent success of own team (b) prior success of school to which team belonged and (c) strength of external pressures to raise group aspirations to high levels. Results show that all three factors have independent and additive effects on increasing the positive discrepancy between past performance and future goals. It is also shown that there is a negative relationship between size of goal discrepancy and subsequent performance for failing teams but no relationship is found for successful teams. The implications of these results for goal setting in United Funds and for group decision making are discussed.
Word learning by preschoolers with specific language impairment: effect of phonological or semantic cues.

PURPOSE This study investigated whether phonological or semantic encoding cues promoted better word learning for children with specific language impairment (SLI) and whether this treatment differentially affected children with SLI and normal language (NL). METHOD Twenty-four preschoolers ages 4;0 (years;months) to 5;11 with SLI and 24 age- and gender-matched children with NL participated. The between-group factor was language group (NL, SLI) and within-group factors were language modality (comprehension, recognition, production) and treatment condition (phonological, semantic). Word learning was assessed during fast mapping, word learning, and post-testing with trials to criterion calculated for the number of words learned. A drawing task assessed the change in semantic representation of words. RESULTS The SLI group comprehended more words in the semantic condition and produced more words in the phonological condition, but the NL group performed similarly in both. The NL group required significantly fewer trials than the SLI group to comprehend words in the semantic and phonological conditions and to produce words in the semantic condition, but between-group differences for production were not significant for the phonological condition. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that preschoolers with SLI may benefit from cues that highlight the phonological or semantic properties of words but that different cues may aid different aspects of word learning.
Hyperoche shihi sp. nov. (Crustacea : Peracarida : Amphipoda): a symbiont of a deep-living medusa in the Gulf of California

From samples of deep-water zooplankton obtained in the Gulf of California, an undescribed species of the genus Hyperoche Bovallius was collected. The new species is similar to Hyperoche medusarum Kroyer and Hyperoche luetkenides Walker. It differs from its congeners mainly by the strong, large chela of pereopod 2 and the absence of processes or denticles along the posterior distal margin of same structure. It was collected at a depth of 1136 m as a symbiont of the bathypelagic hydromedusa Chromatonema erythrogonon (Bigelow). The amphipod remained grasped to the medusa subumbrellar cavity. Seven other associations are known between hyperiids and jellies in the Gulf of California, most from the epipelagic layer. This is the only deep-living species of Hyperoche known.
Sociological Theories of Immigration: Pathways to Integration for U.S. Immigrants

This literature review examines major theoretical frameworks utilized by sociologists in examining the processes by which immigrants are incorporated into a host society. Beginning with classical assimilation theory in the 1920s, theorists defined the incorporation process as a linear path for all immigrants, regardless of group characteristics or social context. The responsibility for change was placed solely on the immigrant group. By the 1960s, theorists had redefined assimilation to acknowledge different paths of integration influenced by interactions of immigrant group characteristics with the host society context. Modern theories branching from classic assimilation theory include segmented assimilation and spatial assimilation and theories focusing on ethnic group influences. The review concludes with implications for better understanding influences of interactions between human behavior and the social environment as they relate to immigrant populations.
Comparative tolerability profiles of the newer versus older antidepressants

Although the standard tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are generally effective in the treatment of depression, they can cause several troublesome adverse effects. Chief among these are their anticholinergic actions, which range from annoying dryness of the mouth and constipation to potentially dangerous urinary retention and confusion or delirium in the ill and elderly. Cardiovascular effects of TCAs include orthostatic hypotension, tachycardia and cardiac conduction slowing. Many TCAs are sedating and promote weight gain. Also problematic is the potential lethality of TCAs in overdose. The continual introduction of a host of new antidepressants over the past 15 years has provided an opportunity to improve the benefit-risk ratio for many patients by reducing medication-related toxicity. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and amfebutamone (bupropion), among others, are examples of effective antidepressants free of tricyclic-like anticholinergic, cardiovascular, sedating and appetite/weight-increasing effects. However, the new-generation drugs also present adverse effects of their own, including gastrointestinal distress, agitation and drug-drug interactions in the case of the SSRIs, and the risk of seizures or psychosis in amfebutamone recipients. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors have also been refined; reversible inhibitors of MAO-type A afford protection against the usually feared hypertensive reaction to indirect sympathomimetic substances. The availability of new-generation antidepressants thus increases the likelihood of clinical response with a reduction in unwanted toxicity.
"Magnification phenomenon" in chronic renal disease.

THE functional adaptations that occur in the surviving nephrons as chronic renal disease advances are remarkable in their ultimate dimensions and lifesaving in their biologic effects. In an earlier...
The Reproductive System of Gastrotrichs. I Introduction with morphological data for two new Dolichodasys species1

This paper begins a series aimed at clarifying the structure and function of reproductive organs in Gastrotricha Macrodasyida. Morphological data are presented for Dolichodasys carolinensis sp.n. and D. delicatus sp.n. Both are elongate, have reduced adhesive organs and complex accessory reproductive organs, termed the frontal-caudal organ system. The system consists of a band of cells behind the gonads in the central body chamber. The anterior portion, the frointal organ, stores foreign spermatozoa; the posterior portion, the caudal organ, may function as a copulatory organ. The caudal organ has two canals forming a loop opening at a single ventral pore. One canal contains a spiralled secretion, the other elongated filaments that appear to be muscle cell derivatives. Systematic groupings are made for other long-bodied Gastrotricha Macrodasyida.
Some comments concerning the Levine approach to slicing classical knots

Abstract This paper is concerned with the problem of when a Seifert surface for a slice knot can be 2-surgered to a disk in B 4 . Techniques of 3-dimensional topology are the principal tools employed. The main theorem asserts that such a Seifert surface, F , can be 2-surgered to a disk in B 4 along a ribbon link if and only if there is a ribbon disk, Δ, spanning ∂ F such that the singular set of Δ misses the interior of F .