cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcium Homeostasis in Early Hamster Preimplantation Embryos

The development in culture of 1-cell hamster embryos prior to the completion of fertilization is not well understood. In this study it was observed that culture for only 6 h of these early 1-cell embryos collected before pronuclei formation (3 h post-egg activation; PEA) significantly increased intracellular free calcium levels (194.3 +/- 3.1 nM) compared to levels in similarly aged 1-cell embryos collected from the oviduct at 9 h PEA, after pronuclei formation is complete (134.2 +/- 6.8 nM). Not only was the developmental competence of cultured 3-h PEA embryos with elevated intracellular free calcium levels compromised as compared with that of embryos collected from the oviduct at 9 h PEA; these embryos also had impaired cytoplasmic mitochondrial distribution (ratio of 0.62 +/- 0. 06 for cultured embryos compared to 0.44 +/- 0.04 for in vivo-developed embryos) and decreased lactate metabolism (2.93 +/- 0. 22 pmol/embryo per 3 h for cultured embryos compared to 5.37 +/- 0. 36 for in vivo-developed embryos). This impairment in mitochondrial distribution and function and reduced development in culture by 3-h PEA embryos appears related to the ability to regulate intracellular calcium homeostasis. Intracellular free calcium levels were reduced by culture with increased medium magnesium concentrations, calcium channel inhibitors nifedipine or verapamil, or an intracellular calcium chelator. All of these treatments also stimulated development of 3-h PEA embryos to the morula/blastocyst stages and prevented impairment in mitochondrial organization and function. Conversely, culture with low medium magnesium and high calcium concentrations that increased intracellular free calcium levels resulted in low development and reduced mitochondrial function. Therefore, it appears that removal of the early embryo from the oviduct results in an inability to regulate intracellular calcium levels. As increased magnesium concentrations, nifedipine, and verapamil inhibit L-gated calcium channels, it may be a loss of regulation of these channels that alters calcium homeostasis resulting in impaired developmental competence.
Refining a relativistic, hydrodynamic solver: Admitting ultra-relativistic flows

We have undertaken the simulation of hydrodynamic flows with bulk Lorentz factors in the range 10^2-10^6. We discuss the application of an existing relativistic, hydrodynamic primitive variable recovery algorithm to a study of pulsar winds, and, in particular, the refinement made to admit such ultra-relativistic flows. We show that an iterative quartic root finder breaks down for Lorentz factors above 10^2 and employ an analytic root finder as a solution. We find that the former, which is known to be robust for Lorentz factors up to at least 50, offers a 24% speed advantage. We demonstrate the existence of a simple diagnostic allowing for a hybrid primitives recovery algorithm that includes an automatic, real-time toggle between the iterative and analytical methods. We further determine the accuracy of the iterative and hybrid algorithms for a comprehensive selection of input parameters and demonstrate the latter's capability to elucidate the internal structure of ultra-relativistic plasmas. In particular, we discuss simulations showing that the interaction of a light, ultra-relativistic pulsar wind with a slow, dense ambient medium can give rise to asymmetry reminiscent of the Guitar nebula leading to the formation of a relativistic backflow harboring a series of internal shockwaves. The shockwaves provide thermalized energy that is available for the continued inflation of the PWN bubble. In turn, the bubble enhances the asymmetry, thereby providing positive feedback to the backflow.
A PKA activity sensor for quantitative analysis of endogenous GPCR signaling via 2-photon FRET-FLIM imaging

Neuromodulators have profound effects on behavior, but the dynamics of their intracellular effectors has remained unclear. Most neuromodulators exert their function via G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). One major challenge for understanding neuromodulator action is the lack of dynamic readouts of the biochemical signals produced by GPCR activation. The adenylate cyclase/cyclic AMP/protein kinase A (PKA) module is a central component of such biochemical signaling. This module is regulated by several behaviorally important neuromodulator receptors. Furthermore, PKA activity is necessary for the induction of many forms of synaptic plasticity as well as for the formation of long-term memory. In order to monitor PKA activity in brain tissue, we have developed a 2-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (2pFLIM) compatible PKA sensor termed FLIM-AKAR, which is based on the ratiometric FRET sensor AKAR3. FLIM-AKAR shows a large dynamic range and little pH sensitivity. In addition, it is a rapidly diffusible cytoplasmic protein that specifically reports net PKA activity in situ. FLIM-AKAR expresses robustly in various brain regions with multiple transfection methods, can be targeted to genetically identified cell types, and responds to activation of both endogenous GPCRs and spatial-temporally specific delivery of glutamate. Initial experiments reveal differential regulation of PKA activity across subcellular compartments in response to neuromodulator inputs. Therefore, the reporter FLIM-AKAR, coupled with 2pFLIM, enables the study of PKA activity in response to neuromodulator inputs in genetically identified neurons in the brain, and sheds light on the intracellular dynamics of endogenous GPCR activation.
Cytotoxic T cell recognition of an HIV-1 reverse transcriptase variant peptide incorporating the K103N drug resistance mutation

During HIV-1 infection, cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses exert strong selective pressure on the replicating virus population. Here we report evidence for T cell activity against the drug resistant K103N region of viral reverse transcriptase in three HIV-1 infected patients exposed to NNRTI antiretroviral drugs. We further characterize the response in one patient by ELISPOT analysis. A nine amino acid peptide incorporating 103N was recognized by patient T cells whereas the wild type was not. The RT K103N mutation is selected by the NNRTI class of HIV drugs. We hypothesize that, in certain individuals, CTL responses against 103N-containing epitopes may protect against NNRTI drug resistance. Characterizing such responses in the context of HLA subtypes could lead to tailored HIV drug therapy or to the design of therapeutic vaccines.
Smoking in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome: baseline validation of self-report and effects on phenotype

STUDY QUESTION Do women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) seeking fertility treatment report smoking accurately and does participation in infertility treatment alter smoking? SUMMARY ANSWER Self-report of smoking in infertile women with PCOS is accurate (based on serum cotinine levels) and smoking is unlikely to change over time with infertility treatment. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Women with PCOS have high rates of smoking and it is associated with worse insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Secondary study of smoking history from a large randomized controlled trial of infertility treatments in women with PCOS (N = 626) including a nested case-control study (N = 148) of serum cotinine levels within this cohort to validate self-report of smoking. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Women with PCOS, age 18-40, seeking fertility who participated in a multi-center clinical trial testing first-line ovulation induction agents conducted at academic health centers in the USA. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Overall, self-report of smoking in the nested case-control study agreed well with smoking status as determined by measure of serum cotinine levels, at 90% or better for each of the groups at baseline (98% of never smokers had cotinine levels <15 ng/ml compared with 90% of past smokers and 6% of current smokers). There were minor changes in smoking status as determined by serum cotinine levels over time, with the greatest change found in the smoking groups (past or current smokers). In the larger cohort, hirsutism scores at baseline were lower in the never smokers compared with past smokers. Total testosterone levels at baseline were also lower in the never smokers compared with current smokers. At end of study follow-up insulin levels and homeostatic index of insulin resistance increased in the current smokers (P < 0.01 for both) compared with baseline and with non-smokers. The chance for ovulation was not associated with smoking status, but live birth rates were increased (non-significantly) in never or past smokers. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The limitations include the selection bias involved in our nested case-control study, the possibility of misclassifying exposure to second hand smoke as smoking and our failure to capture self-reported changes in smoking status after enrollment in the trial. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Because self-report of smoking is accurate, further testing of smoking status is not necessary in women with PCOS. Because smoking status is unlikely to change during infertility treatment, extra attention should be focused on smoking cessation in current or recent smokers who seek or who are receiving infertility treatment. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS Sponsored by the Eugene Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT00068861 and NCT00719186.
Information Theoretic Criterion for Waveform Selection

A novel criterion for waveform selection in adaptive radar and other sensing applications is presented that is based on the information theoretic concept of mutual information. In addition, its application to the area of waveform diversity for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems is examined. Mutual information is a measure of the information (in the sense of Shannon) in a random variable or vector about another random variable or vector. It is shown herein that such a framework provides the basis for a conceptually simple and powerful criterion for context-dependent evaluation of candidate waveforms, as well as context-dependent design of waveforms. Furthermore, in the special case of zero-mean Gaussian-distributed clutter, interference, and noise, the criterion attains an analytically simple form - a scalar function of the singular values of a specific cross-covariance matrix. The criterion can be used in distinct optimization contexts (minimization or maximization) as a function of the problem to be addressed. In addition, the criterion inherently includes the statistical information of the sensed parameters. More specifically, in the context of a SAR system the criterion includes the covariance matrix of the set of illuminated ground scatterers. The formulation and simulation-based results are presented in the context of a first-order radar system model for simplicity, but the approach can be extended in a straightforward manner to cover more complex models. Results presented show that the criterion is an effective means for waveform selection in an adaptive SAR system
Overhearing-Based Interference Cancellation for Relay Networks

We consider a wireless downlink system with one transmit base station (BS) and two receive subscriber stations (SS1 and SS2) in full frequency reuse. The primary subscriber (SS1) is served in two hops via a relay station (RS). The second subscriber (SS2) is located relatively close to both BS and RS. In a conventional paradigm, SS2 can not receive its message from BS when either BS or RS serves SS1, since the transmissions for SS1 cause strong interference at SS2. To improve system throughput, we propose an interference cancellation scheme at SS2 that allows BS to serve SS2 while RS relays. Exploiting the identity of the interfering messages in the two hops, SS2 overhears the interfering message at its initial transmission and cancels its interference latter. Theoretical analysis and realistic simulations show that the proposed scheme can significantly and practically boost system throughput.
Expression of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase large subunit gene and three small subunit genes in two cell types of maize leaves.

Abstract Transcripts of three distinct ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPC) small subunit (SS) genes account for ~90% of the mRNA for this protein in maize leaves. Transcripts of two of them constitute >80% of the SS mRNA in 24-h greening maize leaves. The third gene contribute ~10%. Transcripts of all three nuclear-encoded SS genes are detectable in bundle sheath (BSC) and mesophyll cells (MC) of etiolated maize leaves. The level of mRNA for each gene is different in etioplasts of MC but all drop during photoregulated development of chloroplasts in MC and follow a pattern of transitory rise and fall in BSC. The amounts of LS and SS proteins continue to increase steadily well after the mRNA levels reach their peaks in BSC. The molar ratio of mRNA for chloroplast-encoded RuBPC large subunit (LS) to the nuclear genome encoded SS is about 10:1 although LS and SS proteins are present in about equimolar amounts.
Perceived Family-of-Origin Health and Current Adjustment:

The Family-of-Origin Scale (3) assesses the global health as well as the balance between autonomy and intimacy within the family in which the respondent was raised. This 10-subscale inventory is based upon psychodynamic models which posit that the family-of-origin affects current functioning through internalized representations of early relationships (2). Its validity continues to be investigated. The current study involved concurrent administration of the Multiple Mect Adjective Check List (4) as a measure of current psychological functioning, using scales of Anxiety, Depression, and Hostility to 71 undergraduate students (23 men and 48 wornen) at a midwestern university; their mean age was 19.5 yr. (range of 18 to 26 years). Over-all scores on the inventories were moderately correlated. Of the 39 correlations between the three checkbst scales and 13 Family-of-Origin dimensions, only six were not significant (p< .05), and total r = -.26 (p<.05). MAACL Anxiety exhibited a similar pattern of correlations with Family-of-Origin Autonomy: r = -.24 (p < .05) and Total r = -.25 (p< .05). These results provide further construct and criterion validity data for the Family-of-Origin Scale. Retrospective ratings of early fady experiences on the scale were associated with current adjustment as assessed by the checklist. Conceptually, the findings provide modest support for the relationship For adults' current psychological adjustment with perceived health of the family of origin. This pattern is consistent with the clinical wirings of Bowen (1) and Framo (2) who viewed current interpersonal and intrapsychic functioning as related to intergenerauona1 hdy issues.
Radical pedagogy is social change in action. Response to Practicing radical pedagogy : Balancing ideals with institutional constraints

ing Ideals With Institutional Constraints," Stephen Sweet presents an insightful discussion of the constraints, contradictions, and conflicts facing a teacher who wishes to practice a radical pedagogy in today's academic environment. In fact, by the end of the article one is led to wonder: Why do teachers continue to stretch themselves and their students in the exploration of alternative ways of learning? Actually, in Sweet's critique of professed radical teaching innovations reported in 25 years of Teaching Sociology, he concludes that even these authors are not exploring truly radical pedagogical changes. There are two problems with this conclusion. One, Sweet has not sought out or reviewed other writings by these authors that could further illuminate their attempts to develop a radical pedagogy (I have written two other articles besides the one article I wrote for Teaching Sociology). Two, many of us who have been experimenting with non-mainstream methods of teaching/learning have not publicized-let alone published-our activities, for many of the reasons offered by Sweet. However, those of us who are honing the art of pedagogical change know each other-at my university these people come from many disciplines as diverse as education, mathematics, chemistry, agriculture, public administration, foreign languages and classics, and so on. Our discourse and search for new methods hap-
SELF-CONCEPT AS A FUNCTION OF POLITICAL IDEOLOGY AND ACTIVISM

Summary.-The present study sought to determine whether lwel of political activism of 126 male college students mediates the relationship between political ideology and self-concept. The expected interactions did not obtain; however, both ideology and activism were significantly related to self-concept, with liberals and activists indicating more positive self-regard. Numerous studies hwe suggested personality, intellectual, and behavioral distinctions between individuals characterized as either liberal or conservative in political orientation. A general pattern emerges from the literature in which conservatives are depicted as less informed, less intelligent, more rigid, more conforming and authoritarian; while liberals have been reported to be better informed and more intelligent, more independent but also more neurotic and alienated (1, 2, 6, 8, 9). However, paper-and-pencil tests are the usual means by which ideological type has been determined in these and related studies. Such measures are noted for their problems of reactivity, social desirability, response set, etc. These studies may also be criticized for confounding ideology and involvement since subjects are usually assigned to ideological groups based on a single attitude score without regard for potentially relevant differences deriving from differential interest in politics or varying levels of political participation. Thus, previous investigations may have unduly emphasized a narrow and solely dispositional definition of ideology. In this regard, Kerpleman (5) controlled for the level of activism among college students and found that the expected intellectual differences between liberals and conservatives did not occur. A more complex pattern of results (4) indicated that no general conclusion concerning the relationship between intellectual competenq and ideology could be drawn without consideration of the lwel of political activism. Specifically, it was found that the relationship between ideology and intellectual sophistication, e.g., amount of political information and verbal IQ, is mediated by political participation for conservatives but not for liberals. Thus, some evidence suggests that activism interacts with beliefs to produce the frequently cited differences between liberals and conservatives. Since both empirical and methodological considerations support the inclusion of activism when examining correlates of ideology, the present study sought to extend this line of inquiry into the area of self-concept.
Corporate Political Networks and Trade Policy Formation

Cet article fait part d'une enquete concernant les consequences politiques et economiques du developpement du commerce international entre pays industrialises et pays en developpement. les AA. s'interessent particulierement aux comportements des firmes multinationales americaines et a leurs strategies de reseaux de securisation et d'assises legales de leur predominance sur tous les marches couverts par l'OMC
Optimization Design on Steady Operating Range for Intermediate Turbine Duct

To match the flow field between high pressure turbine(HPT) and low pressure turbine(LPT) efficiently,optimum operating state of an intermediate turbine duct(ITD) should be guaranteed with increasing the swirl angle at HPT outlet.At the present study,primary optimization on ITD of a turbofan engine was firstly conducted based on three dimensional numerical simulation method.The results show that the pressure recovery coefficient increases by 20.6% and the total-pressure loss coefficient decreases by 5%.In addition,the unseparated flow operating range is expanded as well.Based on the primary optimization,a secondary optimization was aimed at further increasing the off-design steady operating range.Final results indicate that the unseparated flow operating range is expanded further at the expense of slight decrease of the design point performance.The outlet flow field uniformity of off-design point is improved as well,which provides the LPT with more preferable inlet condition.
Science and social organization in China

We saw in the preceding chapter and earlier that from about the eighth to the fourteenth century, the Arabs had the most advanced science in the world. Consequently, in the fields of astronomy, mathematics, optics, and physical experimentation – which led directly to modern science – Chinese science was second to that of the Arab-Islamic world. Present scholarship regarding Chinese science suggests, moreover, that China developed along lines quite independent of the West and the Arabic Middle East. The Chinese knew nothing of Aristotle, Euclid, Ptolemy, or Galen. Nevertheless, there were areas in which the Chinese did accomplish great things, though in almost no case was there continuous and progressive development. As we saw in Chapter 2, discussions can be found in the writings of Chinese mathematicians on arithmetic fractions, the statement of formulas for the computation of areas and volumes, the solution to systems of simultaneous equations, and procedures for square and cube extraction. These are to be found in The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Procedures (from about the first century). During the Sung dynasty (ca. 960–1279) Chinese mathematics underwent another period of creative growth, especially in algebraic computation. It is said that “a general technique was found for the solution of numerical equations containing any power of a single unknown.” However, it has also been claimed that the Chinese system of representation and positional notation, as well as its techniques of computation (with counting rods), were cumbersome and not nearly as generalizable and easy to use as the Arabic-Hindu numeral system. These Arabic-Hindu numerals, located in a decimal place value system had been available in al-Khwarizmi's work since about 825. In contrast, the course of development of mathematics in China required a move from computation with counting rods to the use of the abacus (generally in about the sixteenth century) and the incorporation and use of the zero (in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries). Only in the seventeenth century was the method of paper-and-pen calculation (and hence recorded arithmetic operations) introduced into mathematics with the arrival of the Jesuits.
The Sidelong Glance: Tracing Battlefield Emotions in Dutch Art of the Golden Age

DeBoer considers two bodies of imagery relevant to an investigation of battlefield emotions in the early modern Dutch Republic: the large number of siege maps which advertised the successes of the Dutch army, and a singular group of paintings of soldiers by Gerard ter Borch. Siege maps bound soldier and citizen together in an emotional regime animated by the apparently orderly, rational and successful military defence of the nation. Ter Borch’s soldiers, on the other hand, provide an unusual but no less informative image of the soldier as an individual—a person imbued with subjective, emotional experience. Together, siege maps and ter Borch’s soldiers reveal the production and negotiation of emotional social norms in relation to the emotional experience of the soldier.
Chapter 1: What Has a Quarter Century of Post-Communism Taught Us About the Correlates of Democracy?

The post-communist region furnishes students of democratization with a fertile field for investigation. Countries of the region span almost the entire spectrum of possible outcomes in terms of political regimes. Three decades ago, all of Eurasia and Eastern Europe slumbered in a hyper-authoritarian deep freeze. Now the region includes some of the world’s most open polities (e.g. Estonia) and some of its most closed (e.g. Uzbekistan), as well as everything in between. Empirical investigation suggests that several big background variables that are often considered drivers of democratization are indeed strongly associated with cross-national variation in regime outcomes in the region. But structure is not destiny; the performance of some countries contradicts the expectations raised by conventional theories.
Growth benefit to house wren nestlings of having an asynchronously late-hatching nestmate is greater for extra-pair offspring

Because nestling growth influences survival and future reproductive success, early-life conditions that impact growth have potentially large effects. One notable source of variation in early-life conditions for birds is the relative timing of egg hatching: hatching asynchrony leads to size hierarchies among nestlings and may affect competition for, or parental allocation of, resources. Paternity is another potentially important factor, as extra-pair offspring have been shown in some systems to be of higher quality and therefore might be better competitors. We tested whether the presence of an asynchronously late-hatched nestmate affected nestling growth in a population of house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) and whether paternity status (within-pair vs. extra-pair) affected growth either individually or in interaction with hatching synchrony. We measured mass and wing chord of nestlings repeatedly between the ages of 0 and 10 days and determined the paternity status of each nestling. Both mass and wing chord were significantly greater in nestlings who shared the nest with at least one late-hatched nestling. This effect was significantly greater for extra-pair chicks for wing chord, but not mass. We found no effect on nestling mass or wing chord of paternity status alone, hatch timing (early or late), hatch date, brood size, sex, or social father mass. Considered together, these results suggest that hatching synchrony affects nestling growth and that extra-pair nestlings may be more responsive to early-life conditions in some aspects of growth. We discuss possible mechanisms for these effects. Bird eggs can hatch synchronously or asynchronously. In nests with asynchronous hatching, nestlings are different sizes, which may affect competition among them and therefore their growth rates. If hatching asynchrony does influence nestling growth, it may have far-reaching impacts on the fitness of the nestlings. We measured mass and wing length in house wren nestlings. Nestlings with an asynchronously late-hatching nestmate were larger in both measures, demonstrating an advantage to having a younger nestmate. This advantage was greater for extra-pair nestlings for wing length. This suggests a difference between extra-pair and within-pair nestlings in their responsiveness to early-life conditions, which might be due to the genetics of the extra-pair chicks or to differences in parental investment. This study documents a previously unknown potential benefit of hatching asynchrony, as well as a context-dependent difference between extra-pair and within-pair nestlings.
Binocular Summation and Control of Intermittent Exotropia.

Background: Binocular summation (BiS), or improvement in binocular vision exceeding the better eye alone, is affected by strabismus. Being easily measured, BiS may be a useful indicator for subject...
Value of service based resource management for large-scale computing systems

Task scheduling for large-scale computing systems is a challenging problem. From the users perspective, the main concern is the performance of the submitted tasks, whereas, for the cloud service providers, reducing operation cost while providing the required service is critical. Therefore, it is important for task scheduling mechanisms to balance users’ performance requirements and energy efficiency because energy consumption is one of the major operational costs. We present a time dependent value of service (VoS) metric that will be maximized by the scheduling algorithm that take into consideration the arrival time of a task while evaluating the value functions for completing a task at a given time and the tasks energy consumption. We consider the variation in value for completing a task at different times such that the value of energy reduction can change significantly between peak and non-peak periods. To determine the value of a task completion, we use completion time and energy consumption with soft and hard thresholds. We define the VoS for a given workload to be the sum of the values for all tasks that are executed during a given period of time. Our system model is based on virtual machines, where each task will be assigned a resource configuration characterized by the number of the homogeneous cores and amount of memory. For the scheduling of each task submitted to our system, we use the estimated time to compute matrix and the estimated energy consumption matrix which are created using historical data. We design, evaluate, and compare our task scheduling methods to show that a significant improvement in energy consumption can be achieved when considering time-of-use dependent scheduling algorithms. The simulation results show that we improve the performance and the energy values up to 49% when compared to schedulers that do not consider the value functions. Similar to the simulation results, our experimental results from running our value based scheduling on an IBM blade server show up to 82% improvement in performance value, 110% improvement in energy value, and up to 77% improvement in VoS compared to schedulers that do not consider the value functions.
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) update

Despite the many challenges facing widespread adoption of the Integrated Services Digital Network, prospects for its deployment look better than ever. Driving the standard toward implementation are a broad range of customer requirements. These include higher-speed data transmissions, better quality voice transmissions, as well as new applications for video and voice spawned by the personal computer industry. This paper will chronicle the history of ISDN, examine its current status as defined by evolving customer needs, and take a brief look at future developments.
Rescuing the soiled dove: pop culture’s influence on a historical narrative of prostitution

American popular culture romanticises relationships between sex workers and their customers; novels, films and television depict prostitutes as innocents in need of rescue by a wealthy or powerful ...
The inhibitory effect of plasma fibronectin on collagen-induced platelet aggregation

Plasma fibronectin (Fn) has been proposed to have an antithrombotic effect, protecting against platelet and fibrinogen consumption after injury. The current study was designed to determine the effect of plasma fibronectin on collagen-induced platelet aggregation. In vitro aggregometry using an isolated homologous rat system, demonstrated a significant (P less than .05) inhibitory effect of 120 micrograms/mL Fn on platelet aggregation as induced by 60 micrograms/mL fibrillar collagen (type I). The inhibition was evidenced by a threefold increase in lag time and a significant decrease in the rate and extent of aggregation. The hypothesis was also tested using an in vivo model of collagen-induced platelet aggregation. The model used was intravenous injection of 2 mg/kg of homologous type I collagen into anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Injection of collagen preincubated with 4 mg/kg Fn resulted in significantly less thrombocytopenia and fibrinogen consumption as compared with injection of collagen alone. The results of both the in vitro and in vivo studies are consistent with the proposed antithrombotic effect of plasma fibronectin.
Small cell carcinoma lung presented as both Pancoast and superior vena cava syndrome: a case report

Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome occurs because of SVC obstruction by mediastinal mass, with features of venous stasis and Pancoast syndrome manifested by tumour of the lung apex with features of invasion to adjacent bones, soft tissues and the nervous system. Small cell carcinoma lung is commonly found to cause SVC syndrome, Pancoast is a rare association. Only a few cases have been reported so far. In this report, we focus on a 45-year-old male patient who presented with both Pancoast and SVC syndrome because of small cell carcinoma of the lung.
Aiding infection analysis and diagnosis through temporally-contextualized matrix representations

Determining infections and sepsis of severely burned adults in a timely fashion allows clinicians to provide necessary treatments to critically ill patients, potentially reducing the chance of mortality. In current practice, clinicians examine large amounts of heterogeneous medical records using a spreadsheet-like representation and perform analysis of descriptive statistics to aid in their decision making for sepsis diagnosis. A more efficient approach is required to streamline such a process; accordingly, we developed an interactive visual interface for supporting quick inspection and comparison of patients' retrospective clinical trajectories. In particular, we employ a timeline representation to present entire treatment contexts for individual patients, and an aggregated matrix representation for summarizing multiple data variables of individual patients over time. This provides clinicians with a compact and intuitive way to discover the important trends, patterns, and events that occur in the context of multiple patients. We present several possible use cases identified by clinicians using our system and show that our preliminary results have the potential to greatly improve diagnostic timing and accuracy of sepsis identification in critically ill patients.
Cosubstrate specificity of the transgalactosylase of Saccharomyces fragilis.

Galactosyl oligosaccharides are produced from lactose by enzyme preparations from yeasts, molds, and bacteria (1, 2). It has been suggested that these compounds are synthesized via a transgalactosylation mechanism in which galactosyl units of lactose are transferred to accepting or cosubstrate molecules (3-5). That the transferring enzyme of Saccharomyces jragilis acts by the transgalactosylation mechanism has now been verified. In addition, a number of saccharides have been tested as cosubstrates for the enzyme with a view to determining its cosubstrate specificity. The latter experiments have resulted in the preparation of several new oligosaccharides.
Does prophylactic antidepressant treatment boost interferon-alpha treatment completion in HCV?

Does prophylactic antidepressant treatment boost interferon-alpha treatment completion in HCV?
Cross-Hauling in Input-Output Tables: Comments on CHARM

This brief note draws further attention to cross-hauling in regional input-output table estimation, and specifically identifies conceptual issues associated with Kronenberg?s CHARM method for adjusting input-output regionalization methods. Despite the shortcomings of the CHARM approach as it now stands, this is a very important line of research. I believe that progress made on the CHARM method is encouraging, and hope that future work will resolve remaining issues.
Postoperative Blood Glucose Levels Predict Infection After Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Background:Perioperative hyperglycemia has many etiologies, including medication, impaired glucose tolerance, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, or stress, the latter of which is common in patients postoperatively. Our study investigated the influence of postoperative blood glucose levels on periprosth
Correlation of commercially available quantitative MGMT (O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase) promoter methylation scores and GBM patient survival.

Background Between 2011 and 2016, O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation testing at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) was performed through LabCorp, using a threshold of 2 to distinguish MGMT methylated from unmethylated tumors. In this study, we sought to determine whether the magnitude of the methylation score correlated with outcome. Methods We identified 165 newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type and temozolomide-treated upfront patients at UCLA and Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles with LabCorp-derived quantitative MGMT scores obtained on pretreatment tissue samples. Using LabCorp's threshold, we found 102 unmethylated and 63 methylated patients. We then further substratified each group based on the magnitude of the score, and performed Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results We validated that the standard LabCorp threshold of 2 could separate our cohort by survival, showing longer OS and PFS for MGMT methylated patients vs unmethylated patients. Cox regression analysis confirmed that MGMT (<1) patients had worse outcome, with OS and PFS hazard ratios of 2.375 (P = .053) and 2.463 (P = .023), respectively, when compared to the MGMT (1-1.99) patients. Contrary to our expectation, when we substratified the ≥2 (methylated) group, we did not find a dose-dependent relationship between the magnitude of MGMT methylation and improved survival. Conclusions The MGMT unmethylated group contains a partially methylated group (greater than 1) that shares survival benefits similar to the methylated group. However, we did not demonstrate an association of very high methylation scores with increased survival. These findings will require validation in additional independent clinical data sets.
Materials failure theory, strain energy, and the principal stresses eigenvalue problem: how these three historical areas are interrelated and mutually reinforcing, thus enabling new results for materials failure:

The three sub-disciplines of principal stresses, strain energy, and failure theory are shown to depend upon four basic invariants. These four invariants are derived from the eigenvalue problem of t...
Advanced ACTPol: telescope systems and project status (Conference Presentation)

Advanced ACTPol (AdvACT) is a third generation upgrade to the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) designed to measure the temperature and polarization anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) across five frequency bands. ACT is an off-axis Gregorian telescope with a 6 m primary reflector and 2 m secondary reflector located at a remote site in the Chilean Atacama Desert. AdvACT repurposes the second generation ACTPol receiver, replacing elements where needed while upgrading to a set of kilo-pixel dichroic transition edge sensor bolometer arrays. The AdvACT upgrade has been deployed in stages. The first new array was deployed in 2016, observing at 230 and 150 GHz. The following two arrays were deployed in 2017, observing at 150 and 90 GHz. These upgrades approximately doubled the number of detectors (to ~6,000) when compared to the second generation instrument, ACTPol. The fourth array, designed to observe at 39 and 27 GHz, will be the last to be deployed. The increase in detector count and wide frequency coverage enables a wide range of science goals which include improving constraints on dark energy, the sum of the neutrino masses, and primordial gravitational waves. Command and control of the telescope is performed remotely. A team of collaboration members, referred to as remote observers, has formed to take shifts controlling the telescope throughout the season. Each shift lasts for 24 hours, during which the assigned remote observer is responsible for scheduling the day’s observations, coordinating with the engineering crew at the site, and recovering the telescope should it cease operations. To facilitate these tasks we have designed a set of web tools. The utility of these tools ranges from monitoring telescope systems, data flow, and computer status to scheduling observations and controlling the telescope itself. New tools are simple to integrate and are added as needed. Science and housekeeping data collection, processing, and transfer are largely autonomous. The telescope control tools command the readout electronics which interface with the detectors. Data are collected on one of three computers, one for each detector array, and processed into a standardized, compressed format before being stored in a RAID near the site. A copy is then automatically made on a transport disk, which is used to transfer the data to North America where another copy is then made for data analysis. AdvACT is now in its second season of observations. In this work we describe the status of the AdvACT project and discuss the telescope systems and operations.
Spring-loaded inverted pendulum goes through two contraction-extension cycles during the single support phase of walking

Despite the overall complexity of legged locomotion, the motion of the center of mass (COM) itself is relatively simple, and can be qualitatively described by simple mechanical models. In particular, walking can be qualitatively modeled by a simple model in which each leg is described by a spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP). However, SLIP has many limitations and is unlikely to serve as a quantitative model. As a first step to obtaining a quantitative model for walking, we explored the ability of SLIP to model the single-support phase of walking, and found that SLIP has two limitations. First, it predicts larger horizontal ground reaction forces (GRFs) than empirically observed. A new model - angular and radial spring-loaded inverted pendulum (ARSLIP) - can overcome this deficit. Second, although the leg spring (surprisingly) goes through contraction-extension-contraction-extensions (CECEs) during the single-support phase of walking and can produce the characteristic M-shaped vertical GRFs, modeling the single-support phase requires active elements. Despite these limitations, SLIP as a model provides important insights. It shows that the CECE cycling lengthens the stance duration allowing the COM to travel passively for longer, and decreases the velocity redirection between the beginning and end of a step.
The trade-off between processability and performance in commercial ionomers

Strong ionic interactions between macromolecular chains improve physical and mechanical properties beyond those of the base polymer. Associating groups strongly affect the rheological properties and therefore the polymer processing window. Typically, there is a trade-off between mechanical properties and processability of associating polymers. From a molecular design perspective, we are interested in defining the chemical structure parameters that independently control mechanical properties and melt processability. In this work, we measure the effect of association strength on the mechanical properties of the solid, and the viscoelastic properties of the melt for poly-(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) and its zinc ionomer. The linear and non-linear solid mechanics are dependent on the strength of associations. The linear viscoelasticity and thermal rheological complexity of the melt are also strongly dependent on association strength. We examine the non-linear flow properties via uniaxial extensional rheology. We show that the processing window for a given associating polymer is bounded by three timescales, namely the association lifetime, the bare sticker lifetime, and the longest relaxation time measured via small amplitude oscillatory shear. The presence of entanglements strongly impacts the magnitude of the longest relaxation time and has a positive impact on the processing window. These findings should increase our ability to design associating polymers for given processes.
Pathways for the Photoreduction of Fumarate on ZnS

Semiconductor mineral particles can act as photocatalysts for organic redox reactions that occur enzymatically in modern biological metabolic pathways. Semiconductor mineral-mediated photocatalysis...
Academic Library Use is Positively Related to a Variety of Educational Outcomes

A Review of: Soria, K. M., Fransen, J., & Nackerud, S. (2017). Beyond books: The extended academic benefits of library use for first-year college students. College & Research Libraries, 78(1), 8-22. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.78.1.8 Abstract Objectives – To consider the relationship between academic library use and four specific outcomes: academic engagement, engagement in scholarly activities, academic skills development, and grade point average. Design – Hierarchical regression analysis. Setting – A large, public research university in the Midwest US. Subjects – 1,068 non-transfer, first-year students who voluntarily completed the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey. Methods – The SERU survey results were analyzed alongside student data derived from institutional records and 10 library usage variables generated from library systems. Velicer’s minimum average partial (MAP) method was employed to develop a factor analysis. Hierarchical regression analyses measured the relationships between independent variables (demographic characteristics, collegiate experiences, and libraries use) and dependent variables (students’ academic engagement, academic skills, engagement in scholarship, and fall semester grade point average). Main Results – Students’ use of academic libraries was reported to have a positive relationship with all four dependent variables, above and beyond those explained by pre-college and collegiate experiences: academic engagement (R2∆= .130, p < 0.001), academic skills development (R2∆= .025, p < 0.001), fall semester grade point average (R2∆= .018, p < 0.001), and engagement in scholarship (R2∆= .070, p < 0.001). Use of books and web-based library resources had the most positive relationships with academic outcomes; workshop attendance and use of reference services had limited positive relationships with academic outcomes; and use of library computer workstations had no significant effects on academic outcomes. Conclusion – Undergraduate student use of the academic library is positively associated with diverse academic outcomes. Although the explanatory power of library use was relatively low, ranging from 1.8 to 13.0 percent of final variance in the dependent variables, library use is nonetheless reported to contribute significantly to academic outcomes.
Anemia in Critically Ill Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Posthospitalization Physical Outcomes.

Objective:Anemia is common during critical illness and often persists after hospital discharge; however, its potential association with physical outcomes after critical illness is unclear. Our obje...
Spirituality and Quality of Life in Alcoholics Anonymous

ABSTRACT Members of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous were surveyed with the expectation that certain spiritual perspectives would be more adaptive than others in the alcoholism recovery process in terms of perceived quality of life in sobriety. A collaborative spiritual coping style was found to be superior to a deferring spiritual coping style or self-directing spiritual coping style in predicting better quality of life. Intrinsic versus extrinsic spiritual focus did not predict quality of life in recovering alcoholics but social support from friends and family did.