cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Digital analysis of hepatic sections in mice accurately quantitates triglycerides and selected properties of lipid droplets

We describe a method for the histologic evaluation of lipid accumulation in the livers of various mouse models of hepatic steatosis based on quantitative digital analysis of Oil Red O (ORO) accumulation in fresh-frozen hepatic sections. The process involves two principal steps: identification and digital photographic imaging of areas appropriate for analysis, followed by digital determination of the fraction of the identified area (Area Fraction) exhibiting ORO staining. The Area Fraction, designated the Digital Steatosis Score, is a valuable aspect of the histologic assessment of the liver, especially in various forms of alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver diseases. The method is rapid, requiring ∼3 min per specimen, and highly reproducible, avoiding the inevitably subjective, semi-quantitative evaluation of lipid content inherent in visual steatosis scoring systems. In normal mice and in six different mouse models of fatty liver, the Area Fraction was highly correlated with hepatic triglyceride content (P < 0.01). The coefficient of variation of repeated determinations of the Area Fraction by two different observers was ±6.4%. If made available in clinical settings, rapid, accurate quantitation of liver triglycerides by this method could be very useful in specific conditions such as assessment of donor livers for transplantation.
Editorial: Urinary Reconstruction and Diversion

To the Editor. In this Editorial summarizing 3 articles on urinary reconstruction and diversion, it is clear that the results are encouraging because orthotopic bladder substitution provides an excellent quality of life. However, we should not forget the fact that the gastrointestinal tract was not designed to serve as a urinary reservoir. Its primary function is the selective absorption and secretion of different substances. When included in the urinary tract the intestine continues to function according to its initial purpose, which gives rise to metabolic consequences, such as the well-known hyperchloremic acidosis. On analysis of this process we suspected that any drug or its metabolites that are excreted by the kidney can be reabsorbed, diminishing the speed of their decrease in the serum. To avoid digoxin overdose we measured the serum levels after 2 days of administration in 22 patients with an orthotopic ileal neobladder before and after operation. Surprisingly, we found results opposite to those expected, since the digoxin loss was much faster after than before bladder substitution (see figure). The half-life of digoxin decreased from 36 to 19 hours. On this basis one should double the normal dose for ileal neobladder cases. Does this mean that for bladder substitution cases it is necessary to reestablish a new pharmacological data base? Has the author encountered similar dosage problem in his own experience?
Selling Sarafem: Priestly and Bardic Discourses in the Construction of Premenstrual Syndrome

This essay examines advertisements for Sarafem, an antidepressant treatment for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. Using Thomas Lessl's concepts of priestly and bardic voices, this essay analyzes the relationship between scientific authority and postfeminism. Scientific discourse is mediated by bardic appeals to women's expressed desires, just as postfeminist persuasion appropriates and redeploys rhetorical elements from the feminist movement. The Sarafem advertisements fuse postfeminist and scientific rhetoric, resulting in a depoliticized feminism defined by neutrality, objectivity, and individual choice.
Overexpression of human SOD1 improves survival of mice susceptible to endotoxic shock

Background Protective effects of the antioxidant enzyme Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) against endotoxic shock have not been demonstrated in animal models. We used a murine model to investigate whether overexpression of SOD1 protects against endotoxic shock, and whether the genetic background of SOD1 affects its effective protective effects and susceptibility to endotoxic shock.
Flexibility and availability of flexible manufacturing systems: An information theory approach

Abstract Over the past few years manufacturing organizations have witnessed radical changes in their environment. In order to survive and grow, management has to react quickly to such changes. In some cases enhanced flexibility of production systems has improved the ability of managers to respond. Several types of manufacturing flexibility have been identified in the literature. Concomitantly, a number of measures of flexibility are proposed. However, the literature which deals with the relationship between manufacturing flexibility and other manufacturing objectives such as systems availability is sparse. In this paper, we have developed several models, based on information theory, to study such relationships. More specifically, the models determine (a) the availability distribution of flexible manufacturing cells (FMCs) which maximizes the flexibility of flexible manufacturing systems; using this availability distribution they provide (b) the distribution of load on FMCs, and (c) the probability that a job will be processed by a given cell when it can be processed by two or more cells.
Under Pressure: Measuring Desolvation of Model α-Helical Peptides

Model helical peptides have been shown to unfold with temperature, but are stabilized with increased pressure 1-3. In these peptides, as pressure increases, the solvent environment becomes ordered allowing for an increase of the helical content of the peptide. Our work investigates hydration of the peptide backbone using both temperature and pressure as modifying conditions. The synthetic peptide sequence, (AAAAK)3-AAAAY is well-characterized and ideal for the study of helix properties3. To measure the coupling of pressure and temperature, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) monitors the perturbations in the secondary structure via the amide I’ band. FTIR is a sensitive technique for detecting changes in hydrogen bonding and has been used for the estimation of amide photon exchanging with the solvent. Pressure on the peptide is applied using a manually manipulated Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC). Isotopically labeled residues within the peptide have been exploited for probing local interactions due to the shift of the heavier masses of the labeled residues to a lower frequency compared to the global 12C amide I band around 1633 cm−1.Our goal is to compare the location of isotopically edited alanines and the ability to remain desolvated with increasing pressure and temperature. With this technique, it was found that alanines proximal to the lysines were protected from solvent hydrogen interactions due to side chain shielding in the model sequence.(1) Barber-Armstrong, W.; Donaldson, T.; Wijesooriya, H.; Silva, R. A.; Decatur, S. M. J Am Chem Soc 2004, 126, 2339.(2) Gnanakaran, S.; Hochstrasser, R. M.; Garcia, A. E. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004, 101, 9229.(3) Paschek, D.; Gnanakaran, S.; Garcia, A. E. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2005, 102, 6765.
Comparison of resetting and entrainment of uniform sustained ventricular tachycardia. Further insights into the characteristics of the excitable gap

BACKGROUNDResetting and entrainment have both been used to characterize the electrophysiological properties of the reentrant circuit in ventricular tachycardia. Several entrainment studies have suggested that the circuit has decremental properties, because the return cycle increases at faster pacing rates. Resetting, however, demonstrates a fully excitable gap in the majority of tachycardias.METHODS AND RESULTSThe response to resetting and overdrive pacing was analyzed in 18 ventricular tachycardias. Resetting demonstrated some duration of a fully excitable gap in 14 of 18 tachycardias. Overdrive pacing was performed at several cycle lengths with an incremental number of stimuli (1-15 beats) such that the first beat that interacted with the tachycardia (the nth beat) could be identified. The return cycles measured during resetting and the nth beat of pacing were identical (r = 0.99). At relatively long paced cycle lengths, paced beats after the nth beat resulted in a constant return cycle in most tachycar...
Comparator and non-comparator mechanisms of change detection in the context of speech--an ERP study.

Abstract Automatic change detection reflects a cognitive memory-based comparison mechanism as well as a sensorial non-comparator mechanism based on differential states of refractoriness. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the comparator mechanism of the mismatch negativity component (MMN) is differentially affected by the lexical status of the deviant. Event-related potential (ERP) data was collected during an “oddball” paradigm designed to elicit the MMN from 15 healthy subjects that were involved in a counting task. Topography pattern analysis and source estimation were utilized to examine the deviance (deviants vs. standards), cognitive (deviants vs. control counterparts) and refractoriness (standards vs. control counterparts) effects elicited by standard–deviant pairs (“deh–day”; “day–deh”; “teh–tay”) embedded within “oddball” blocks. Our results showed that when the change was salient regardless of lexical status (i.e., the /e:/ to /eI/ transition) the response tapped the comparator based-mechanism of the MMN which was located in the cuneus/posterior cingulate, reflected sensitivity to the novelty of the auditory object, appeared in the P2 latency range and mainly involved topography modulations. In contrast, when the novelty was low (i.e., the /eI/ to /e:/ transition) an acoustic change complex was elicited which involved strength modulations over the P1/N1 range and implicated the middle temporal gyrus. This result pattern also resembled the one displayed by the non-comparator mechanism. These findings suggest spatially and temporally distinct brain activities of comparator mechanisms of change detection in the context of speech.
Survival of children and adolescents with acute lymphoid leukemia. A study of American Indians and Hispanic and non‐Hispanic whites treated in New Mexico (1969 to 1986)

During the period 1969 to 1986, 196 American Indian and Hispanic and non-Hispanic white children and adolescents (ages, 0 to 19 years) were treated for acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) at the University of New Mexico affiliated institutions. There were 28 American Indians (14%), 91 Hispanic whites (46%), and 77 non-Hispanic whites (39%). Median survivals for patients undergoing antileukemic therapy ranged from 8 months for American Indian boys to 140 months for non-Hispanic white girls. American Indian boys had the highest initial median leukocyte count (WBC) at 23.8 X 10(9)/l. Compliance problems occurred most commonly among American Indian children of both genders. Other clinical and pathologic features evaluated in this study were distributed similarly among the ethnic gender groups. Multi-variate analysis revealed that independent prognostic variables for survival included initial WBC, age, and gender. Ethnicity and compliance problems were possible, but confounded, prognostic variables. To the authors' knowledge this represents the most comprehensive study to date of ALL in American Indian patients.
Transverse testicular ectopia with persistent Müllerian duct.

Abstract A case of testicular transverse ectopia associated with persistent mullerian duct structures is reported. To our knowledge this is the seventh case to be reported.
Phase II evaluation of capecitabine in refractory nonsquamous cell carcinoma of the cervix: a Gynecologic Oncology Group study.

We conducted a multi-institutional study to assess the activity and toxicity of capecitabine in patients with persistent or recurrent nonsquamous cancer of the cervix. Eligible patients were required to possess adequate renal, hepatic and bone marrow function and a Gynecologic Oncology Group performance status of 0–2. Histologic confirmation of the original primary cancer was mandated. Patients must have received one prior systemic chemotherapeutic regimen for cervical cancer that did not include the chemotherapy that may have been administered in conjunction with prior radiation therapy. The initial dose schedule was 2500 mg/m2 orally daily in two divided doses for 14 consecutive days, followed by a 7-day rest, such that each cycle was 21 days. Responses were assessed using response evaluation criteria in solid tumors. Twenty-one patients were entered into the trial. One patient was declared ineligible for wrong cell type; thus, 20 were evaluable for toxicity. A median of 2.5 cycles was administered (range 1–11). There was one septic death. Grade 4 neutropenia, renal, neurologic, and pulmonary toxicity was seen in 5%, 5%, 5%, and 10% patients, respectively. There were no responses. Nine patients (45%) each had stable disease and nine showed progression. The remaining two cases (10%) did not have subsequent disease assessment and response could not be assessed. Oral capecitabine at the dose and schedule tested has insignificant activity in nonsquamous cervical cancer patients previously treated with chemotherapy.
The effects of state of consciousness and latent inhibition on hippocampal unit activity in the rat during conditioning

Abstract The activity of single cells in rat hippocampus was monitored in animals given 15 to 20 nonreinforced tone presentations prior to the administration of tone-shock pairings and in rats receiving no tone preexposure prior to aversive training. Tones were presented during both slow wave sleep and quiet waking. A reduction in hippocampal activity was seen to tones presented to the sleeping animal in the preexposed group. In addition, tones presented to waking animals enhanced activity in cells from the nonpreexposed group while having little effect on those in the preexposed group. Results are discussed in terms of attentional and stimulus salience models of hippocampal function.
The composition of sea urchin sperm and embryo histones.

Abstract Four of the five pluteus stage histone fractions from Strongylocentrotus purpuratus were isolated by preparative electrophoresis. The amino acid composition of these embryonal histones resembles that of the corresponding calf thymus fractions except that two lysine-rich F1 fractions were found in the pluteus, both containing significantly more glutamic acid. The NH2-terminal groups of embryonal histones corresponding to the Fractions F1, F2a1 and F2a2 are blocekd, probably by acetyl. Proline and alanine are the NH2-terminal amino acids of the Fractions F2b and F3, respectively. The five electrophoretically distinct sperm histone fractions were chemically and electrophoretically fractionated into seven components. Of the two slowly migrating proteins the composition of the slower fraction is similar to the arginine-rich histone F3 (Band 1) from pluteus. The lysine-rich fraction of sperm chromatin (Fraction 3) is quite different from the embryonal lysine-rich histone F1 and has a greater net positive charge. The large δ fraction (Fractions 4, 5 and 6) is heterogeneous consisting of several proteins. One component (Fraction 4) is moderately rich in lysine and resembles the F2b histone in pluteus; another component (Fraction 6) is arginine-rich and differs chemically from the embryonal F2a1 and F2a2 histones. The fastest migrating fraction (Fraction 7) is similar to the arginine-rich histone F2a1 of calf thymus. The NH2-terminal groups of sperm histones are mostly blocked, probably by acetyl with the exception of alanine NH2-terminal in the arginine-rich subfraction of the δ histone.
Discoveries in Biophysics through the Computational Microscope

All-atom molecular dynamics simulations resolve the physical mechanisms underlying the dynamic function of biological macromolecules and serve today as a computational microscope. This microscope truly complements and goes hand-in-hand with experimental observation, though it has also made its own discoveries, for example, in studies of protein mechanics. Progress in developing the computational microscope was tied to advances in the size and time scale covered by molecular dynamics simulations: reaching the 100,000 atom and 10-ns scales in 2000 opened the field of in situ membrane protein simulations leading to the discovery of selectivity and gating in water and ion channels; reaching the million atom and μs-to-ms scales in 2010 resolved the actual folding pathways of 50-100 aa long proteins and of the control mechanisms in the ribosome, including the insertion of nascent proteins into a membrane. Recently, simulations have reached the 100 million atom and μs-to-ms scales permitting, in conjunction with multi-modal structural biology experiments, atomic-level images of the HIV capsid and its chemical interaction with host cell factors. Simulations now permit even the electronic-to-atomic level description of an entire photosynthetic membrane through a combination of various experiments with molecular dynamics simulations, quantum mechanical calculations and kinetic modeling. Culminating over four decades of investigation, the results have led to an atomic-level model of a spherical membrane, the photosynthetic chromatophore of purple bacteria, made of 20,000 lipids and 100 proteins with 3,000 co-factors. A movie based on the model reveals the step-by-step electronic- and atomic-level conversion of light energy into ATP synthesis. The lecture illustrates also the many-fold algorithmic advances in sampling, force evaluation, physical analysis, automated model construction, molecular graphics and experimental data analysis that were necessary to reach the present stage of computational microscopy.
Direct Binding of p130Cas to the Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor C3G

Abstract p130Cas (Cas;crk-associated substrate) belongs to a new family of docking molecules. It contains one Src homology (SH) 3 domain in its amino-terminal region followed by a region containing binding motifs for SH2 and SH3 domains. To gain further insight into Cas signaling we used the SH3 domain of Cas in a two-hybrid screen to search a human placenta library for binding partners. The screen confirmed a previous finding of its binding to the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) but also identified C3G, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor. We found direct interaction between Cas and C3G in vitro and in vivo. A series of analysis with C3G deletion mutants revealed a proline-rich Cas-binding site (Ala0-Pro1-Pro2-Lys3-Pro4-Pro5-Leu6-Pro7) located NH2-terminal to the previously characterized Crk binding motifs in C3G. Mutagenesis studies showed that Pro1, Lys3, and Pro4 within the ligand-binding site are critical for high affinity interaction. These results, combined with sequence alignments of proline-rich binding elements from proteins known for Cas binding, define the consensus sequence XXPXKPX which is recognized by the CasSH3 domain. Cas shows structural characteristics of a docking molecule and may serve to bring C3G to specific compartments within the cell.
Treatment options in severe fungal asthma and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

Severe asthma with fungal sensitisation and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis encompass two closely related subgroups of patients with severe allergic asthma. Pulmonary disease is due to pronounced host inflammatory responses to noninvasive subclinical endobronchial infection with filamentous fungi, usually Aspergillus fumigatus. These patients usually do not achieve satisfactory disease control with conventional treatment of severe asthma, i.e. high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting bronchodilators. Although prolonged systemic corticosteroids are effective, they carry a substantial toxicity profile. Supplementary or alternative therapies have primarily focused on use of antifungal agents including oral triazoles and inhaled amphotericin B. Immunomodulation with omalizumab, a humanised anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, or "pulse" monthly high-dose intravenous corticosteroid, has also been employed. This article considers the experience with these approaches, with emphasis on recent clinical trials.
The Nineteenth-Century Archive in the Digital Age

What will the nineteenth-century archive look like as it emerges from the coming decade of digitization? This essay looks at the changing nature of academic research libraries in the wake of Google Books. Out of copyright, often widely available, and frequently fragile due to poor paper quality, nineteenth-century printed books are both richly served and particularly imperiled in the new media ecosystem. As scenes of evidence, they are at once exposed and occluded by the digitization of our library collections. A massive horizon of opportunity is now opening for humanists to trace the history of language, ideas, books, and reading via automated searches and visualizations of the global digital library. Yet individual copies are under a general downward pressure in this new dispensation. In concert with the digital transformation of the archive, which will reveal wonders, we must also give sustained attention to the material record of nineteenth-century reading before it disappears from our academic resear...
Sampling in Blending Validation

AbstractIt is shown by a short statistical experiment, that sampling size in blending validation prior to the point where blending is as complete as it can be, is related to the size of the sample by being inverse function of the weight of the sample. The use of small thieves of the size of the dosage unit are apt to cause mechanical separation, and bias the results from the validation experiments. If the powder mixture is adequatly blended, then scaling can be carried out by considering the mass to be of a binomial distribution.The article is a preliminary article and will be followed by work done on larger matrices. It is noted that it is educational in nature, attempting to show in an easy manner what the parameters used and what the effects are. In the work of blending, experimental results usually have large variation, and for such considerations, simulation, as presented here, is a more fruitful approach.
The Tidal Volume Response to Incremental Exercise in COPD

Patients with severe COPD often exhibit a ventilatory limit to exercise. This is associated with a shallow breathing pattern when compared with normal control subjects. It is unclear, however, what factors affect differences in breathing patterns within this patient population. To further investigate the tidal volume (VT) response to exercise in severe COPD, nine patients were recruited to undergo a maximal incremental exercise test. Pulmonary function tests, collection of expired gases, and continuous pulse oximetry were performed. As a group, the results were as follows (mean ± SD): The FEV 1 was 31±7 percent of predicted, the FRC was 143 ± 18 percent of predicted, and the Dco was 47 ± 15 percent of predicted. Exercise testing showed an oxygen consumption at peak exercise of only 44 ±9 percent predicted, a dyspnea index of 101±19 percent predicted, a heart rate at peak exercise of 75 ± 12 percent predicted, a tidal volume at peak exercise (PKV T ) of 1.23 ± .35, a respiratory rate at peak exercise (PKfb) of 26 ±6, and an oxygen saturation at peak exercise (PKo 2 sat) of 96±4 percent. An anaerobic threshold (AT) occurred in seven of the nine patients at a mean of 31 ±8 percent predicted maximal oxygen consumption. Regression analysis showed the PKV T to be inversely correlated with the FEV 1 (r= -0.76; p = 0.01) and the PKfb (r = -0.85; p = 0.003), while positively correlating with the FRC (r= +0.80; p=0.01) and the PKo 2 sat (r= +0.69; p=0.04). Additionally, there was a trend for the PKV T to be inversely related with the AT (r = —0.72; p = 0.06). In COPD, the more severe the obstruction and hyperinflation, the larger the VT response to exercise. This may serve to avoid a deleterious increase in autoPEEP by promoting a lengthening of the expiratory time. Furthermore, given the association of an earlier AT and a higher PKo 2 sat with a larger PKV T , this would suggest that such a response may minimize the effects of dead space and/or autoPEEP on O 2 delivery (early AT).
Semi-unbounded fan-in circuits: Boolean vs. arithmetic

We prove that polynomial size semi-unbounded fan-in Boolean circuits of depth d can be simulated by polynomial size semi-unbounded fan-in arithmetic circuits of depth O(d+log n), where the arithmetic operations +, -, /spl times/ are performed in an arbitrary finite field. It is impossible to achieve this via gate-by-gate simulation. Instead, the proof is based on a randomized reduction to "unique witnesses" in the spirit of L.G. Valiant and V.V. Vazirani (1986) K. Mulmuley et al. (1987) and A. Wigderson (1994).
Shrubs as ecosystem engineers across an environmental gradient: effects on species richness and exotic plant invasion

Ecosystem-engineering plants modify the physical environment and can increase species diversity and exotic species invasion. At the individual level, the effects of ecosystem engineers on other plants often become more positive in stressful environments. In this study, we investigated whether the community-level effects of ecosystem engineers also become stronger in more stressful environments. Using comparative and experimental approaches, we assessed the ability of a native shrub (Ericameria ericoides) to act as an ecosystem engineer across a stress gradient in a coastal dune in northern California, USA. We found increased coarse organic matter and lower wind speeds within shrub patches. Growth of a dominant invasive grass (Bromus diandrus) was facilitated both by aboveground shrub biomass and by growing in soil taken from shrub patches. Experimental removal of shrubs negatively affected species most associated with shrubs and positively affected species most often found outside of shrubs. Counter to the stress-gradient hypothesis, the effects of shrubs on the physical environment and individual plant growth did not increase across the established stress gradient at this site. At the community level, shrub patches increased beta diversity, and contained greater rarified richness and exotic plant cover than shrub-free patches. Shrub effects on rarified richness increased with environmental stress, but effects on exotic cover and beta diversity did not. Our study provides evidence for the community-level effects of shrubs as ecosystem engineers in this system, but shows that these effects do not necessarily become stronger in more stressful environments.
Amorphous silicon shift register for addressing output drivers

An amorphous silicon (a-Si) shift register is described. By integrating this shift register design with an array of a-Si drivers, the cost/complexity of the interface to the array is significantly reduced, without trading off speed. Circuit design considerations unique to a-Si devices are also discussed along with their processing. >
Transcriptional analysis of the bovine herpesvirus 1 cooper isolate. Temporal analysis and characterization of immediate-early, early, and late RNA

Blot hybridization analysis of infected bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) cellular RNA isolated at various times post infection and after treatment with specific metabolic inhibitors was used to characterize transcription of the BHV-1 Cooper isolate. Synthesis of BHV-1 RNA was detected as early as 3 h post infection and reached a maximum at six to eight hours post infection. The most transcriptionally active area of the genome was between map units 0.110 to 0.195, within theHindIII I fragment. From the entire genome a total of 59 transcripts ranging in size from approximately 0.6 to 10 kilobases were characterized as belonging to one of three distinct classes. Using the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, three immediate-early transcripts were identified as originating from the internal inverted repeat region between map units 0.734 and 0.842, corresponding to theHindIII D fragment. Using phosphonoacetic acid to prevent virus DNA synthesis by inhibition of the BHV-1 DNA polymerase, 28 early transcripts were recognized. The remaining 28 transcripts, classified as late RNA, were detected without the use of metabolic inhibitors at 6 to 8 h post infection. Transcription of early and late RNA was not restricted to any specific area of the genome. Eighty percent of the transcripts from both theHindIII A fragment, between map units 0.381 to 0.537 within the unique long segment, and theHindIII K fragment, between map units 0.840 to 0.907 of the unique short segment, were designated as belonging to the early class.
Literacies of (post)socialist childhood: alternative readings of socialist upbringings and neoliberal futures

In the former Soviet Union, the upbringing of children in the spirit of Marxist-Leninist values was central to the project of societal transformation. More than 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it is important to understand how the education of young children in this region has changed in response to a world rapidly globalising and increasingly driven by market economic policies. Just how much have post-socialist states, as others across the world, reoriented their educational projects to ensure the development of individuals maximally adapted for the information economy of late capitalism? This study probes this question through the critical discourse analysis of a genre of early literacy textbooks – bukvari – used widely throughout the Soviet and post-Soviet education system. Through comparison of literacy texts published in the late Soviet era with those used over the past two decades in independent Latvia and Ukraine, we explore how discourses representing children and their behaviors ...
The distribution of temperature maxima for micrometeorites decelerated in the Earth's atmosphere without melting

A simple model for the statistics of heating of micrometeorites decelerated in the earth's atmosphere without melting predicts that for 10 micron particles with thermal emissivity near 1, roughly half of those with density 1 g/cc are heated above 550 C, while half of those with density 3 g/cc are heated above 800 C. In the study of stratosphere collected interplanetary dust, the model can be helpful in identifying petrographic thermometers of the atmospheric entry process, and in understanding the most recent history of this new class of extraterrestrial material available in the laboratory.
Chromobacterium Csp_P Reduces Malaria and Dengue Infection in Vector Mosquitoes and Has Entomopathogenic and In Vitro Anti-pathogen Activities

Plasmodium and dengue virus, the causative agents of the two most devastating vector-borne diseases, malaria and dengue, are transmitted by the two most important mosquito vectors, Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti, respectively. Insect-bacteria associations have been shown to influence vector competence for human pathogens through multi-faceted actions that include the elicitation of the insect immune system, pathogen sequestration by microbes, and bacteria-produced anti-pathogenic factors. These influences make the mosquito microbiota highly interesting from a disease control perspective. Here we present a bacterium of the genus Chromobacterium (Csp_P), which was isolated from the midgut of field-caught Aedes aegypti. Csp_P can effectively colonize the mosquito midgut when introduced through an artificial nectar meal, and it also inhibits the growth of other members of the midgut microbiota. Csp_P colonization of the midgut tissue activates mosquito immune responses, and Csp_P exposure dramatically reduces the survival of both the larval and adult stages. Ingestion of Csp_P by the mosquito significantly reduces its susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum and dengue virus infection, thereby compromising the mosquito's vector competence. This bacterium also exerts in vitro anti-Plasmodium and anti-dengue activities, which appear to be mediated through Csp_P -produced stable bioactive factors with transmission-blocking and therapeutic potential. The anti-pathogen and entomopathogenic properties of Csp_P render it a potential candidate for the development of malaria and dengue control strategies.
Bone marrow purging in acute leukemia with alkyl-lysophospholipids: a new family of anticancer drugs.

The alkyl-lysophospholipids are a new family of anticancer drugs which target the cell membrane as their site of action. Enzymes involved in signal transduction (protein kinase C and phosphatidylinositol phospholipase C), phospholipid biosynthesis (lysophosphatidyl acyltrans-ferase and CTPcholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase) and maintenance of membrane integ rity (Na, K ATPase sodium pump) are inhibited.A unique feature of the alkyl-lysophospholipids is their selective cytotoxicity to neoplastic cells. This suggests that the compound would be an excellent agent for purging residual leu-kemic cells from marrows of patients in remission prior to autologous bone marrow trans plantation. Preclinical studies in a murine leukemia model and in an in vitro human system demonstrated successful elimination of leukemic cells from a mixture of normal and leukemic marrows. Twenty-nine poor risk patients with acute leukemia underwent autologous bone marrow transplantation and were reinfused with marrow treated in vit...
Wired/Classic and Wireless/Periotest "M" instruments: an in vitro assessment of repeatability of stability measurements.

This in vitro study evaluated agreement among 10 trained evaluators when assessing implant stability with the Wired/Classic and Wireless/Periotest “M.” A difference of 1 Periotest value (PTV) between the wired (−7) and wireless (−8) instruments was observed for the pretest calibration ring. No significant differences were found between the instruments and for all evaluators for all tests (analysis of variance, P < .05). Each instrument can provide meaningful and reproducible recordings of stability measurements.
Talin-driven inside-out activation mechanism of platelet αIIbβ3 integrin probed by multimicrosecond, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations

Platelet aggregation is the consequence of the binding of extracellular bivalent ligands such as fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor to the high affinity, active state of integrin αIIbβ3. This state is achieved through a so-called “inside-out” mechanism characterized by the membrane-assisted formation of a complex between the F2 and F3 subdomains of intracellular protein talin and the integrin β3 tail. Here, we present the results of multi-microsecond, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations carried on the complete transmembrane (TM) and C-terminal (CT) domains of αIIbβ3 integrin in an explicit lipid-water environment, and in the presence or absence of the talin-1 F2 and F3 subdomains. These large-scale simulations provide unprecedented molecular-level insights into the talin-driven inside-out activation of αIIbβ3 integrin. Specifically, they suggest a preferred conformation of the complete αIIbβ3 TM/CT domains in a lipid-water environment, and testable hypotheses of key intermolecular interactions between αIIbβ3 integrin and the F2/F3 domains of talin-1. Notably, not only do these simulations give support to a stable left-handed reverse turn conformation of the αIIb juxtamembrane motif rather than a helical turn, but they raise the question as to whether TM helix separation is required for talin-driven integrin activation. Proteins 2014; 82:3231–3240. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A novel BEOL transistor (BETr) with InGaZnO embedded in Cu-interconnects for on-chip high voltage I/Os in standard CMOS LSIs

A novel BEOL transistor (BETr) is developed in Cu interconnects with wide band-gap InGaZnO (IGZO) film for on-chip high voltage I/Os in standard CMOS LSIs only by one additional mask. Underlying Cu interconnect and SiN barrier-dielectric on the Cu are utilized as the gate stack in a unique reverse-type thin-film-transistor (TFT) structure. Thickness control of both the IGZO channel and gate SiN is a key to achieve high on-current (I on ) with low leakage (I off ). Ability of high voltage operation (much higher than 3V) with small feature size is expected as an interface bridge for signal conversion between CMOS core-logics with low-voltages and peripheral devices driven with high-voltages.
2.0 Å Crystal Structure of a Four-Domain Segment of Human Fibronectin Encompassing the RGD Loop and Synergy Region

Abstract We have determined the 2.0 A crystal structure of a fragment of human fibronectin encompassing the seventh through the RGD-containing tenth type III repeats (FN7–10). The structure reveals an extended rod-like molecule with a long axis of ∼140 A and highly variable relationships between adjacent domains. An unusually small rotation between domains 9 and 10 creates a distinctive binding site, in which the RGD loop from domain 10 and the "synergy" region from domain 9 are on the same face of FN7–10 and thus easily accessible to a single integrin molecule. The cell-binding RGD loop is well-ordered in this structure and extends ∼10 A away from the FN7–10 core.
Decision Tree Assisted Controlled Islanding

Controlled islanding refers to the controlled separation of an interconnected power system into electrically isolated regions. The objective of this paper is to develop adaptive controlled islanding as a component of an emergency power system control strategy. There are two primary aspects of controlled islanding: 1) where to island and 2) when to island? Assisted by a decision tree (DT) approach, this paper seeks to address the "when to island" aspect. A decision tree based tool is proposed to recognize conditions existing in the system that warrant controlled islanding. A 29-generator, 179-bus system is employed to demonstrate the tool. Simulation data are used to train DTs, and the online performance of DTs is then evaluated as part of a controlled islanding strategy
Racial differences in clinical treatment and self-care behaviors of adults with chronic heart failure

Background In the United States, the highest prevalence of heart failure (HF) is in blacks followed by whites. Compared with whites, blacks have a higher risk of HF‐related morbidity and mortality and HF‐related hospitalization. Little research has focused on explaining the reasons for these disparities. The purpose of this study was to examine racial differences in demographic and clinical characteristics in blacks and whites with HF and to determine if these characteristics influenced treatment, or together with treatment, influenced self‐care behaviors. Methods and Results This was a secondary analysis of existing data collected from adults (n=272) with chronic HF enrolled from outpatient sites in the northeastern United States and followed for 6 months. After adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics within reduced (HF r EF) and preserved ejection fraction (HF p EF) groups, there were 2 significant racial differences in clinical treatment. Blacks with HF r EF were prescribed ACE inhibitors and hydralazine and isosorbide dinitrate (H‐ISDN) more often than whites. In the HF p EF group, blacks were taking more medications and were prescribed digoxin and a diuretic when symptomatic. Deficits in HF knowledge and decreased medication adherence, objectively measured, were more prominent in blacks. These racial differences were not explained by sociodemographic or clinical characteristics or clinical treatment variables. Premorbid intellect and the quality of support received contributed to clinical treatment and self‐care. Conclusion Although few differences in clinical treatment could be attributed solely to race, knowledge about HF and medication adherence is lower in blacks than whites. Further research is needed to explain these observations, which may be targets for future intervention research.
Transesophageal echocardiography as an aid to surgical decision-making during resection of a rare thoracic neoplasm.

T RANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY (TEE) has become a well-accepted tool in the cardiac anesthesiologist's armamentarium. 1 Frequently, TEE is essential in aiding surgical decision-making during cardiac surgery. An example of its role in guiding surgical technique is in the evaluation of satisfactory function after mitral valve repair. TEE has not been used as frequently in noncardiac surgery, including thoracic surgery. A case is reported in which a rare neoplasm was discovered at the time of thoracotomy for suspected thromboembolic disease, and an intraoperative TEE evaluation was instrumental in guiding surgical decision-making.
Flowfield evolution vs. lift coefficient history for rapidly-pitching low aspect ratio plates

We extend recent results on 2D (wall to wall) flat plates executing various pitching motions, to rectangular and elliptical (Zimmerman planform) plates of aspect ratio 2, at reduced frequency up to 2.0. Motions include, broadly, two kinds. The first is a smoothed linear pitch from 0° to 90° incidence angle, with constant freestream and with relative free-stream linearly decelerating to zero towards motion completion, where the operative question is how the motion dynamics mediates stall. The second is a linear pitch ramp-hold-return maneuver, where one is interested not only in the dynamic stall response, but also return from stall. Surveying a range of pivot point locations and pitch rates, we compare the development of leading edge vortices, tip vortices and trailing edge vortices, with trends in lift coefficient and drag coefficient history. For highfrequency motions, the lift peak no longer closely correlates with the maximum strength of the leading edge vortex, or with its shedding. Instead, vortex formation and shedding can lag both the motion and the lift peak. Tip vortices evolve more slowly than leading edge vortices, in the sense that a tip vortex remains coherent and nearly attached to the wingtip until well past leading edge vortex saturation and shedding. Qualitatively the low aspect ratio plates behave as does the 2D plate; for example, taking the pitch pivot point further aft, results in both lower lift and drag peaks; and taking a very high reduced frequency of pitch, results in initial lift transients akin to those with outright zero free stream flow. Broadly, the lift history of the low aspect ratio plates has lower slope than for the 2D plate, but not with the same proportionality that holds for the steady case. However, classical scaling relations for lift as a function of reduced frequency hold nearly as well for the low aspect ratio plates, as they do for the 2D plate.
An Extracellular Matrix-Associated Zinc Metalloprotease Is Required for Dilauroyl Phosphatidylethanolamine Chemotactic Excitation in Myxococcus xanthus

An extracellular matrix connects bacteria that live in organized assemblages called biofilms. While the role of the matrix in the regulation of cell behavior has not been extensively examined in bacteria, we suggest that, like mammalian cells, the matrix facilitates cell-cell interactions involved with regulation of cohesion, motility, and sensory transduction. The extracellular matrix of the soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus is essential for biofilm formation and fruiting body development. The matrix material is extruded as long, thin fibrils that mediate adhesion to surfaces, cohesion to other cells, and excitation by the chemoattractant dilauroyl phosphatidylethanolamine. We report the identification of a putative matrix-associated zinc metalloprotease called FibA (fibril protein A). Western blotting with FibA-specific monoclonal antibody 2105 suggests extensive proteolytic processing of FibA during assembly into fibrils, consistent with the autoprocessing observed with other members of the M4 metalloprotease family. Disruption of fibA had no obvious effect on the structure of the fibrils and did not inhibit cell cohesion, excitation by dioleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine, or activity of the A- or S-motility motors. However, the cells lost the ability to respond to dilauroyl phosphatidylethanolamine and to form well-spaced fruiting bodies, though substantial aggregation was observed. Chemotactic excitation of the fibA mutant was restored by incubation with purified wild-type fibrils. The results suggest that this metalloprotease is involved in sensory transduction.
COMPLIANCE TRAINING AND BEHAVIORAL COVARIATION IN THE TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

The present study investigated the use of a compliance-training procedure and its effect on untreated deviant child behaviors. Three children, each generally noncompliant to adult requests and with several additional problems, such as crying, aggression, and self-injurious behavior, were trained in the compliance procedure under a multiple-baseline design across therapists. Compliance was defined as the correct response to prespecified requests. Other classes of deviant child behavior were measured continuously throughout the study but not directly reinforced. The results of the study showed that (a) increases in compliance to requests were directly related to the contingencies employed; (b) decreases in untreated deviant behaviors occurred when compliance increased, even though no direct contingencies had been placed on these behaviors; and (c) the relationship between untreated deviant behaviors and compliance appeared to be maintained by a different set of events in each of the three children. The results are discussed in terms of behavioral covariation and generalization.
3713 SKIN BIOPSY IN APURPURIC AND PREPURPURIC HENOCHSCHONLEIN PURPURA.

Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations can be severe in patients with HSP requiring steroids and sometimes plasmapheresis. 3-8% of children with HSP present without the characteristic rash but may have severe GI manifestations, making the diagnosis of HSP difficult. The radiologic and endoscopic findings are non specific. We describe 3 such patients, in whom the diagnosis of HSP was established by biopsy of the seemingly normal skin. In all cases the characteristic leukocytoclastic vasculitis with IgA deposits was found. The microscopic involvement of "normal" skin was not previously described in patients with HSP prior to the appearance of the rash. Patient 1: 7 year old girl presented with acute abdomen; laparotomy diagnosis was mesenteric adenitis. Progressive abdominal distension, ascites, and persistent fever lead to second laparotomy 10 days later. Congested small intestine with focal hemorrhages was found. Subsequent course was characterised by rectal bleeding, hypertension, nephritis and hematemesis. Endoscopy showed antral ulcer with hemorrhagis gastritis and duodenitis. Skin biopsy done one weeek later was diagnostic. Renal biopsy showed IgA nephropathy. Four weeks later, scanty purpuric rash appeared on the right arm and back. Patient 2: 6 year old boy presented with 10 day history of abdominal pains and bilious vomitings. Developed scrotal swelling and surgery showed epididymitis. Hematemesis, tender abdomen and high blood pressure were noted. Endoscopy showed hemorrhagic duodenitis and focal gastritis. Skin biopsy was diagnostic. He never developed purpuric rash. Patient 3: 6 year old boy presented with clinical appendicitis; laparotomy revealed congested terminal ileum. Post operative course was complicated by persistent abdominal pains, hematemesis, and rectal bleeding. Endoscopy showed hemorrhagic gastritis and colitis. Skin biopsy was diagnostic. He developed purpuric rash 2 days after biopsy. Other features of HSP included nephrotic syndrome, high blood pressure, and epididymo-orchitis. Renal biopsy showed IgA nephropathy. Random skin biopsy can be diagnostic in patients with HSP even when the characteristic rash is absent. This may lead to definitive diagnosis and treatment, precluding surgery and reducing morbidity in some cases. Increased use of skin biopsy and therefore increased recognition of atypical presentations of HSP may lead to redefinition of this syndrome.
Spectral Properties of Schrodinger-type Operators and Large-time Behavior of the Solutions to the Corresponding Wave Equation

Let L be a linear, closed, densely defined in a Hilbert space operator, not necessarily selfadjoint. Consider the corresponding wave equations