cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glutamine as an Essential Amino Acid for KRas-Driven Cancer Cells.

Cancer cells consume glutamine, a nonessential amino acid (NEAA), at exceedingly high rates to fulfill their energetic and biosynthetic requirements for proliferation. Glutamine plays distinct roles from essential amino acids in cell cycle progression and in the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Furthermore, the need of cancer cells for glutamine can be exploited therapeutically – especially those driven by KRas. In this review we explore several distinct cellular roles for glutamine that contribute to glutamine addiction in KRas-driven cancer cells and discuss opportunities for therapeutic intervention created by glutamine addiction.
Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: Reviewing Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment Strategies

This review discusses cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), including diagnosis and treatment strategies, a rare class of stroke that, if unrecognized or untreated, can have devastating effects. Thrombosis of one or many cerebral veins leads to propagation of thrombosis and impaired cerebral venous drainage. Diagnosis is made using a combination of history and imaging, particularly computed tomography (CT) venogram, which demonstrates thrombosis. Currently, acute treatment consists of heparin infusion with transition to long-term oral anticoagulation. Further research, especially on prevention, endovascular therapy, and the role of newer anticoagulants (direct oral anticoagulants [DOACs]) is necessary and ongoing.
CS Sparse K-means: An Algorithm for Cluster-Specific Feature Selection in High-Dimensional Clustering.

Feature selection is an important and challenging task in high dimensional clustering. For example, in genomics, there may only be a small number of genes that are differentially expressed, which are informative to the overall clustering structure. Existing feature selection methods, such as Sparse K-means, rarely tackle the problem of accounting features that can only separate a subset of clusters. In genomics, it is highly likely that a gene can only define one subtype against all the other subtypes or distinguish a pair of subtypes but not others. In this paper, we propose a K-means based clustering algorithm that discovers informative features as well as which cluster pairs are separable by each selected features. The method is essentially an EM algorithm, in which we introduce lasso-type constraints on each cluster pair in the M step, and make the E step possible by maximizing the raw cross-cluster distance instead of minimizing the intra-cluster distance. The results were demonstrated on simulated data and a leukemia gene expression dataset.
Authority that is customary: Kitawala, customary chiefs, and the plurality of power in Congolese history

This paper uses the history of the religious/healing movement Kitawala in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a lens to explore the relationship between forms of state-sanctioned “customary” author...
SIRT1 agonism modulates cardiac NLRP3 inflammasome through pyruvate dehydrogenase during ischemia and reperfusion.

Abstract Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-Like Receptor with a Pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome was emerged as a marker of metabolic dysregulation. We revealed that age-related Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) modulates cardiac metabolism that medicated inflammatory response during ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) stress. We hypothesize that SIRT1 attenuates NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent inflammation and pyroptosis during myocardial I/R through metabolic modulation. C57BL/6J wild type (WT) mice, inducible cardiomyocyte specific SIRT1 knockout (icSIRT1 KO) and inducible cardiomyocyte specific PDH E1α knockout (icPDH E1α KO) mice were subjected to ligation and release of left anterior descending coronary artery for in vivo regional I/R models. The echocardiography measurement demonstrated that SIRT1 agonist SRT1720 (30 μg/g) improved cardiac systolic function during 45 min of ischemia and 6 h of reperfusion in C57BL/6J WT mice. The biochemical analysis showed that I/R triggered activation of cardiac pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), while SIRT1 agonist SRT1720 inhibited I/R-induced PDH activity and reduced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during myocardial I/R. Moreover, SRT1720 regulates PDH-related glucose oxidative metabolism to reduce NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in an Akt signaling dependent manner during I/R. Furthermore, an impaired Akt signaling was observed in icSIRT1 KO versus SIRT1fox/flox mice under I/R stress. Intriguingly, we observed lower levels of ROS generation, decreased NLRP3 levels and less pyroptosis occurred in the icPDH E1α KO versus PDH E1αflox/flox hearts during I/R. Taken together, the results indicate that SIRT1 agonism can inhibit activation of NLRP3 inflammasome via Akt-dependent metabolic regulation during ischemic insults by I/R.
CAS-LiveFISH: Simple and versatile imaging of genomic loci in live mammalian cells and early pre-implantation embryos

SUMMARY Visualizing the 4D genome in live cells is essential for understanding its regulation. Programmable DNA-binding probes, such as fluorescent clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and transcription activator-like effector (TALE) proteins have recently emerged as powerful tools for imaging specific genomic loci in live cells. However, many such systems rely on genetically-encoded components, often requiring multiple constructs that each must be separately optimized, thus limiting their use. Here we develop efficient and versatile systems, based on in vitro transcribed single-guide-RNAs (sgRNAs) and fluorescently-tagged recombinant, catalytically-inactivated Cas9 (dCas9) proteins. Controlled cell delivery of pre-assembled dCas9-sgRNA ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes enables robust genomic imaging in live cells and in early mouse embryos. We further demonstrate multiplex tagging of up to 3 genes, tracking detailed movements of chromatin segments and imaging spatial relationships between a distal enhancer and a target gene, with nanometer resolution in live cells. This simple and effective approach should facilitate visualizing chromatin dynamics and nuclear architecture in various living systems.
Weiterführende Literatur und Anmerkungen

Die folgenden weiterfuhrenden Informationen sollen dem wissbegierigen Leser als Leitfaden dienen und sind nach Kapiteln und Themen geordnet. Unter den Literaturhinweisen finden sich allgemein verstandliche Bucher, Lehrbucher uber verwandte Themen, wissenschaftliche Artikel und wissenschaftliche Audioblogs.
Improving diagnostic yield of navigational bronchoscopy for peripheral pulmonary lesions: a review of advancing technology

With recommendations for low dose CT scan for lung cancer screening, there has been an increase in the finding of lung nodules and peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). Additionally, when there is concern for malignancy, guidelines have recommended performing the least invasive evaluation. Conventional bronchoscopy diagnostic yields for PPLs have reportedly been quite low and prior electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) studies have reported variable yields. Navigation bronchoscopy in addition to endobronchial ultrasound allows a physician to evaluate peripheral lung lesions along with mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes for the diagnosis and staging of suspected malignancy in one procedure. More recent advances in navigational bronchoscopy including the use of augmented fluoroscopy (AF), cone beam CT, and robotic bronchoscopy have pushed the boundaries of capability in evaluating PPLs. These added bronchoscopic technologies have shown to improve diagnostic yield especially when modalities are used in combination. The ultimate goal of endoscopically localized ablative and therapeutic treatment for peripheral lung lesions will require a high level of physician confidence, accuracy, and precision. This article will review the innovative characteristics and data of some of the more recently available navigational bronchoscopy devices.
Organic Food: Nutritional and Environmental Considerations.

1. Sumathyuthee Kamalakannan, MD* 2. Irene P. Mathieu, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA The demand for organic foods has grown substantially during the past several decades. Due to the widespread perception that organic food is healthier, parents may feel compelled to buy organic instead of conventional products to provide the most nutritious option available despite the cost of organic foods being on average 10% to 40% more expensive than conventionally produced foods. Furthermore, families may be concerned about the environmental impact of conventionally produced foods. Currently there is limited evidence for the nutritional superiority of organic foods. In this article we summarize the available evidence on the differences between organic and conventional food products and describe the limitations of the evidence currently available. In general, organic foods are defined as those that are grown or produced without the use of synthetic chemicals, hormones, antibiotic agents, genetic engineering, and irradiation. In the United States consumers may find product labeling at the grocery store misleading. For instance, processed products that contain mostly but not exclusively organic ingredients can use the phrase “made with organic ingredients.” Products can also be marked “natural” if no artificial ingredient or color has been added. These labels can lead consumers to incorrectly believe that such products meet the definition of organic. This heterogeneity, and the fact that few people eat an exclusively organic diet, complicate studies to assess the health impact of organic foods. For many people, the decision to buy organic produce is rooted in its perceived health benefits. Compared with conventionally grown produce, organic fruits and vegetables have been noted to contain more minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, and plant metabolites such as phenols and flavonoids. These metabolites function as defense agents for plants and may also have a role in preventing human disease. However, there is wide variation in the nutrient content of produce …
Self-Fulfilling Debt Crises

We characterize the values of government debt and the debt's maturity structure under which financial crises brought on by a loss of confidence in the government can arise within a dynamic, stochastic general equilibrium model. We also characterize the optimal policy response of the government to the threat of such a crisis. We show that when the country's fundamentals place it inside the crisis zone, the government may be motivated to reduce its debt and exit the crisis zone because this leads to an economic boom and a reduction in the interest rate on the government's debt. We show that this reduction can be gradual if debt is high or the probability of a crisisis low. We also show that, while lengthening the maturity of the debt can shrink the crisis zone, credibility-inducing policies can have perverse effects.
High shear stress enhances endothelial permeability in the presence of the risk haplotype at 9p21.3

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are exceedingly common in non-coding loci, and while they are significantly associated with a myriad of diseases, their specific impact on cellular dysfunction remains unclear. Here, we show that when exposed to external stressors, the presence of risk SNPs in the 9p21.3 coronary artery disease (CAD) risk locus increases endothelial monolayer and microvessel dysfunction. Endothelial cells (ECs) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells of patients carrying the risk haplotype (R/R WT) differentiated similarly to their non-risk and isogenic knockout (R/R KO) counterparts. Monolayers exhibited greater permeability and reactive oxygen species signaling when the risk haplotype was present. Addition of the inflammatory cytokine TNFα further enhanced EC monolayer permeability but independent of risk haplotype; TNFα also did not substantially alter haplotype transcriptomes. Conversely, when wall shear stress was applied to ECs in a microfluidic vessel, R/R WT vessels were more permeable at lower shear stresses than R/R KO vessels. Transcriptomes of sheared cells clustered more by risk haplotype than by patient or clone, resulting in significant differential regulation of EC adhesion and extracellular matrix genes vs static conditions. A subset of previously identified CAD risk genes invert expression patterns in the presence of high shear concomitant with altered cell adhesion genes, vessel permeability, and endothelial erosion in the presence of the risk haplotype, suggesting that shear stress could be a regulator of non-coding loci with a key impact on CAD.
Monodromy groups of Kloosterman and hypergeometric sheaves

We study the possible structures of monodromy groups of Kloosterman and hypergeometric sheaves on $${{\mathbb {G}}}_m$$ in characteristic p. We show that most such sheaves satisfy a certain condition $$\mathrm {(\mathbf{S+})}$$ , which has very strong consequences on their monodromy groups. We also classify the finite, almost quasisimple, groups that can occur as monodromy groups of Kloosterman and hypergeometric sheaves.
Addressing stress and burnout in pharmacy residents, but at what cost?

In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.
Nonlinear poroviscoelastic behavior of gelatin-based hydrogel

Abstract The mechanical properties of hydrogels involve solvent diffusion as well as viscous dissipation in the network, with the coupling called poroviscoelasticity. To explore the poroviscoelastic behavior, we performed tests on a gelatin-based hydrogel in which poroelastic swelling/drying occurred at controlled humidity levels while simultaneously developing creep deformation under a uniaxial load. These experimental results allowed the decomposition of the deformation into volumetric and isochoric parts, and the inference that volumetric deformation was dominated by poroelastic effects while isochoric deformation was influenced by both viscoelastic and poroelastic effects. We developed a nonlinear model based on an extension of the Flory–Rehner theory of the ternary system and the fractional derivative model of viscoelasticity to capture nonlinear poroviscoelastic behavior. The model was implemented into FEniCS finite element software. Comparisons of numerical simulations based on this model to experimental measurements were used to calibrate material parameters.
A Research Program on the Psychological Effects of Brain Lesions in Human Beings1

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the relevant operational considerations in the history of the Neuropsychology Laboratory of the Indiana University Medical Center and focuses upon research results as well as upon critical future problems that require practical ingenuity as well as creative insights for their solution. Brain damage, while certainly not the only significant factor in mental retardation, may well be of critical importance in determining the character of psychological limitations in many more subjects than has presently been demonstrated. The presence or absence of cerebral dysfunction, though bypassed by many in their development of habilitational and training programs, may well turn out to be significantly related to the interindividual variance in the results of such programs. These considerations are no less applicable to many children with higher general ability levels, who are seen in psychoeducational, child guidance, and neuropediatric clinics. As in most assessments of human beings, complex interrelationships must be expected among the factors that contribute to the uniqueness of individual retarded subjects.
Recycling Rates of Aluminum in the United States

Recycling rates of aluminum are defined in different (sometimes inconsistent) ways and poorly quantified. To address this situation, the definitions and calculation methods of four groups of indicators are specified for the United States: (1) indicators used to measure recycling efficiencies of old aluminum scrap at the end-of-life (EOL) stage, including EOL collection rate (CR), EOL processing rate, EOL recycling rate, and EOL domestic recycling rate; (2) indicators used to compare generation or use of new with old scrap, including new to old scrap ratio, new scrap ratio (NSR), and old scrap ratio; (3) indicators used to compare production or use of primary aluminum with secondary aluminum, including four recycling input rates (RIRs); and (4) indicators used to track the sinks of aluminum metal in the U.S. anthroposphere. I find that the central estimate of EOL CR varies between 38% and 65% in the United States from 1980 to 2009 and shares a relatively similar historical trend with the primary aluminum price. The RIR is shown to be significantly reduced if excluding secondary aluminum produced from new scrap resulting from the relatively high NSR. In 2003, a time when approximately 73% of all of the aluminum produced globally since 1950 was considered to still be �in service,� approximately 68% to 69% of all metallic aluminum that had entered the U.S. anthroposphere since 1900 was still in use: 67% in domestic in-use stock and 1% to 2% exported as scrap. Only 6% to 7% was definitely lost to the environment, although the destination of 25% of the aluminum was unknown. It was either exported as EOL products, was currently hibernating, or was lost during collection.
A framework for community survey and management plan for community-run electrification projects: Duli, Philippines as a case study

The sustainability of rural electrification projects depends on intertwining social, economic, cultural and technical factors. Understanding the socioeconomic and sociocultural environment of the target community is vital before any project. In this paper, a framework for gaining insights into the rural community of Duli, Ifugao province, Philippines is presented. The framework consists of a questionnaire containing 65 questions that covers various areas such as lifestyle, financial income and expenditure, energy usage and cooking and lighting habits. The questionnaire also probes the community's engagement and excitement towards the project. On the other hand, the steps for developing a management plan for a community-run cooperative (co-op) system are covered. The community members form the general assembly that is responsible for electing the board of directors. The general assembly also sets the constitution and by-laws of the co-op. The board of directors is responsible for hiring the management team that oversees the daily operation and maintenance of the system. Proper financial and technical oversight is ensured by having clear responsibilities and tasks for each member of the management team. The community survey and co-op business plan developed here can serve as guidelines for future rural electrification projects.
Anonymous online student surveys anywhere

Anonymous surveys can be a valuable tool to gather information from students regarding their perceptions of their own learning styles and progress, of an instructor’s teaching styles, assignments, tests, and of other aspects of the learning environment. Some course-management software systems provide a built-in capacity to administer an anonymous survey, but not all do, and not all instructors have access to course management software. In addition, students may not always trust the anonymity of one module of a software system whose other modules are explicitly not anonymous. Free online surveys are available through several providers including (in early 2013) SurveyMonkey, KwikSurveys, QuestionPro, and others. Instructors from anywhere in the world can access the services. Surveys are easy to construct and a survey-specific URL makes them available to students for any desired period of time. Results of multiple-choice questions can be summarized and answers to essay questions can be collected within the software. Survey results can be used to promote reflection by students and instructors, monitor student progress, and finetune teaching approaches.
Kaskaden-Turbo-Kälteanlage in Kompaktbauweise zur Tiefkühlung in einer Kristallisationsanlage

Es wird eine Tieftemperatur-Kalteanlage mit einer Leistung von 2 × 350 000 kcal/h bei −81 °C Verdampfungstemperatur beschrieben, die zur Kristallisation von Fraktionen aus Aromatengemischen dient. Die Anlage ist mit Turbo-Kompressoren ausgestattet, die unter Verwendung der Kaltemittel R 12 und R 13 in Kaskade geschaltet sind und eine Gesamtkupplungsleistung von 2 × 545 kWe haben. Unter Verwendung pneumatischer Regelkreise kann die Anlage fernbedient in Gang gesetzt und automatisch betrieben werden. Sie wurde in zwei Einheiten einschlieslich der Verbindungsleitungen beim Hersteller auf Grundgestellen vormontiert.
A Review of “The Informal American City: Beyond Taco Trucks and Day Labor”

The informal economy is usually associated with developing nations, but in The Informal American City, co-editors Mukhija and Loukaitou-Sideris show that informal economic activities are alive and ...
Reply to Letters Regarding Article, “Prognostic Value of Fasting Versus Nonfasting Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels on Long-Term Mortality: Insight From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES-III)”

We appreciate the letters by Aldasouqi et al and Horne et al about our article.1 Their thought-provoking comments further strengthen the call to abandon fasting lipid panels in the majority of patients. Aldasouqi et al outline the potential dangers of the fasting requirement in patients with diabetes mellitus. Obtaining fasting lipid panels in diabetics poses risks because they may experience significant hypoglycemia if required to fast; additionally, there is the inconvenience of a second visit. Hypoglycemic episodes may lead to a number of complications, including confusion and loss of consciousness, road traffic accidents, seizures, and even death. Two major …
A Brief Tour of Split Linear Programming

I describe a new computer language Split, which has been used to prove hundreds of new nonexistence results for binary linear codes with specific parameters. The main topic of the paper is split linear programming, a generalization of Delsarte's original linear programming method.
Invariant subspaces of abstract multiplication operators

INVARIANT SUBSPACES OF ABSTRACT MULTIPLICATION OPERATORS by Hermann Flaschka We describe a class of operators on a Banach space ft whose members behave, in a sense, like multiplication operators, and consequently leave invariant a proper closed subspace of IB. One of the sufficient conditions for an operator to be such an "abstract multiplication" bears a striking resemblence to an assumption made by j. Wermer, who approached the invariantsubspace problem from a very different point of view. INVARIANT SUBSPACES OF ABSTRACT MULTIPLICATION OPERATORS by Hermann Flaschka §1. We want to describe a class of operators on a Banach space IB whose members behave, in a sense, like multiplication operators, and consequently leave invariant a proper closed subspace of ft -that is, they are intransitive. One of the sufficient conditions for an operator to be such an "abstract multiplication" bears a striking resemblance to an assumption made by J. Wermer [1], who approached the invariant-subspace problem from a very different (and rather more sophisticated) point of view. Our comments are presented in the hope that this connection, as well as the more general pattern which appears to emerge, may be more than superficial. Wermer considered operators whose deviation from being an isometry is limited. More precisely, he assumed that T and T~ are both bounded, and that either (A) ||T | | = 0 ( e ( n ) , n = 0 , + l , 0 < a < 1, and the spectrum of T contains at least two points, or (B) ||T|| = 0(|n| ), for some fixed k < oo . Such a. T jus intransitive. If a = 0 in (A) , or k = 0 in (B) , IIT || < K for all n; the space may then be renormed to make T an isometry, and intransitivity follows from a theorem of Godement [2] . The crucial estimate is that in (A); it is a reformulation of the requirement that
Strategies for Managing Chemotherapy-Induced Sensory Neuropathy

Chemotherapy-induced sensory neuropathy occurs in most patients undergoing treatment with oxaliplatin for colorectal cancer. Although the acute form of neurotoxicity is transient, the chronic form, which is correlated with the cumulative dose of oxaliplatin administered over time, may be long lasting in a subset of patients and may have a significant impact on function and quality of life. Because treatment options for established chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy are limited, recent efforts have focused on prevention. This review discusses acute and chronic neurotoxic effects of oxaliplatin, the most recent evidence for decreasing the probability of developing peripheral neuropathy, and the clinical management of existing neuropathy.
Relative Abuse Liability of GHB in Humans: A Comparison of Psychomotor, Subjective, and Cognitive Effects of Supratherapeutic Doses of Triazolam, Pentobarbital, and GHB

Although preclinical studies suggest that GHB has low likelihood for abuse, case reports indicate that GHB is abused. This study evaluated the relative abuse liability of GHB in 14 volunteers with histories of drug abuse. Psychomotor, subjective, and cognitive effects of a broad range of GHB doses (2–18?g/70?kg), up to a dose that produced severe behavioral impairment in each participant, were compared to placebo and two abused sedative/hypnotic drugs, triazolam (0.5 and 1?mg/70?kg) and pentobarbital (200 and 400?mg/70?kg), under double-blind, double-dummy conditions at a residential research facility. In general, GHB produced effects similar to triazolam and pentobarbital, although GHB was not identified as a benzodiazepine or barbiturate by participants that correctly identified triazolam and pentobarbital as such. On most measures of likelihood of abuse (eg ratings of liking, reinforcing effects), effects of pentobarbital were significantly greater than those of triazolam, with GHB being intermediate. GHB produced significantly greater negative subjective effects, including nausea, than the other drugs. Memory impairment after GHB was less than that after triazolam and pentobarbital. Within participants, the dose–effect function for sedation was steeper for GHB than for triazolam and pentobarbital. Also, at higher doses, GHB was associated with greater sedation and more variability across participants in sedation. Taken together, these data suggest that the profile of effects of GHB only partially overlaps with that of triazolam and pentobarbital. Although the likelihood for GHB to be abused is intermediate to triazolam and pentobarbital, the possibility of accidental overdose (ie greater sedation than intended) with GHB appears to be greater.
Partitions for Spectral (Finite) Volume Reconstruction in the Tetrahedron

In this paper, we compute partitions of the tetrahedron for up to the fourth-order spectral volume reconstruction. Certain optimization is made to these partitions and previously obtained partitions of lower dimensional simplex. These optimized partitions have the smallest Lebesgue constants among currently known spectral volume partitions.
Change in impedance of a single-turn coil due to a flaw in a conducting half space

The problem of detection and characterization of a flaw in a conducting half-space using an eddy-current coil oriented parallel to the interface is examined. An expression is derived for a first order approximation for the change in complex impedance due to a flaw located within the conducting medium. The overall impedance is a function of the radius and lift-off distance of the test coil and the conductivity of the material. An analytical expression is derived for the change in impedance as a function of the electric fields at the position of the flaw. It is found to be an integral over the volume of the flaw of the electric fields found with and without the flaw being present. The limiting case of a degenerate point flaw may be examined in greater detail by allowing the field in the presence of the flaw to be approximated by the unperturbed field. For flaws small enough that the field does not vary much over its volume, the field may be even further approximated by using just the value of the field at the position of the centroid of the flaw. Plots are shown to illustrate the behavior of the change in impedance as a function of the radial range of the flaw and the depth of the flaw centroid, using previously derived expressions for the fields for the unflawed case.
Charge dynamics and Kondo effect in single-electron traps in field-effect transistors

We study magnetoelectric properties of single-electron traps in metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors. Using a microscopic description of the system based on the single-site Anderson-Holstein model, we derive an effective low-energy action for the system. The behavior of the system is characterized by simultaneous polaron tunneling (corresponding to the charging and discharging of the trap) and Kondo screening of the trap spin in the singly occupied state. Hence, the obtained state of the system is a hybrid between the Kondo regime, typically associated with single-electron occupancy, and the mixed-valence regime, associated with large charge fluctuations. In the presence of a strong magnetic field, we demonstrate that the system is equivalent to a two-level system coupled to an ohmic bath, with a bias controlled by the applied magnetic field. Due to the Kondo screening, the effect of the magnetic field is significantly suppressed in the singly occupied state. We claim that this suppression can be responsible for the experimentally observed anomalous magnetic-field dependence of the average trap occupancy in $\mathrm{Si}\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ field effect transistors.
Can a physician ever justifiably euthanize a severely disabled neonate

Physician-assisted suicide has been legalized in 3 states (Oregon and Washington by public referendum and Vermont by legislation) and has been judicially sanctioned in 2 others (Montana and New Mexico)1; it is illegal in the remaining 45 states. In assisted suicide, the assister is passively involved in causing death; in euthanasia, a person actively causes the death of another for the purpose of relieving pain and suffering. Euthanasia is illegal in all US states; to some, however, it seems only a matter of time before euthanasia is legalized, particularly in states where physician-assisted suicide has already been adopted. Euthanasia is legally sanctioned in 3 European countries: The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. In The Netherlands, a specific process guides selection of children younger than 12 years who could be candidates for euthanasia: the Groningen Protocol, developed in 2004, which is not a law, although public prosecutors deem it acceptable under certain guidelines.2,3 The Belgian Parliament recently modified its 2002 Act on Euthanasia to include not only adults but also children younger than 18 years.4 Assisted suicide and euthanasia have profound implications for the way we view the relationship among physicians, other professionals, health care, and death; the implications are especially serious for medical ethics. The Cardiothoracic Ethics Forum invited 2 outstanding philosophers to explore some of these issues; they are both well-known for their scholarly positions in defense of opposing viewpoints regarding the acceptability of euthanasia. Their debate at the 94th Annual Meeting of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery focused on a hypothetical case involving euthanasia of a newborn infant.
Some Recent Applications of Pressure Tuning Spectroscopy

In this paper we discuss recent applications of luminescence spectroscopy to resolve problems concerning phosphors in crystals or dissolved in polymers.
Sodium Nitroprusside Therapy in Congestive Cardiomyopathy—Variability in Hemodynamic Response

Twelve of 17 patients (group A) with congestive cardiomyopathy improved hemodynamically during sodium nitroprusside (NP) infusion. Five patients (group B) failed to increase their cardiac output. The two groups were identical in clinical presentation and had comparable cardiomegaly and left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP). However, group A had a baseline cardiac index (CI) lower than 2.5 L/min/m2 and high peripheral systemic (PSR) and total pulmonary vascular resistance (PR). In contrast, group B had a control of CI of higher than 2.5 L/min/m2 and near normal PSR and PR. Furthermore, a highly significant correlation was observed between the calculated levels of control PSR and their subsequent reduction during NP infusion. The higher the initial resistance, the more marked was its fall on NP as documented in group A. In group B, the PSR was probably not high enough for NP to be effective in increasing the cardiac output further by vasodilatation. We conclude that NP infusion may not increase cardiac output in congestive cardiomyopathy, in spite of a high LVFP, if the PSR is near normal.
Androgen-receptor blockade enhances pulsatile luteinizing hormone production in late pubertal males : evidence for a hypothalamic site of physiologic androgen feedback action

ABSTRACT: To determine potential mechanisms by which androgens alter gonadotropin secretion and elimination in the pubertal male, we administered the potent nonsteroidal androgen receptor blocking agent, flutamide, to eight males with Tanner IV or V genital development. Venous blood samples were obtained every 10 min for 24 h and assayed for LH by a sensitive and high-precision fluorimmunoassay. Subjects were studied before and after the administration of flutamide. Deconvolution analysis was used to assess specific pulsatile LH secretory characteristics and estimate LH production and metabolic clearance rates quantitatively. After antagonism of endogenous androgen action, mean 24-h serum LH concentrations increased significantly. An increased mean 24-h LH production rate, without evident changes in serum LH half-life, accounted for the increase in average serum LH levels. The increased daily secretion rate of LH was in turn due to both an augmented mass of LH released per secretory episode and increased frequency of secretory events. There was no demonstrable change in the maximal rate of LH secretion attained within each secretory event. Serum concentrations of total testosterone, free-testosterone, and 17β-estradiol all increased during blockade of androgen action. Administration of the antiandrogen had no measurable effect on the pituitary response to a single maximally effective dose of exogenous gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). These results indicate that, in the late pubertal male, endogenous androgen exerts negative feedback control of gonadotropin secretion primarily at a hypothalamic site reflected by regulation of the frequency of pulsatile LH secretion. Antiandrogen had no discernible effects on exogenous GnRH-stimulated pituitary LH release or on the elimination rate of LH, but amplified the mass of LH secreted in response to endogenous GnRH. Assuming that pituitary response to exogenous GnRH reflects responsivity to endogenous releasing factor, we can infer an augmentation of the endogenous GnRH stimulus when androgen negative feedback is withdrawn. Accordingly, we suggest that endogenous androgen acting via androgen receptors negatively regulates both the amount and frequency of hypothalamic GnRH release in late pubertal boys.
Racial disparities in access to needed child welfare services and worker–client engagement

Abstract We studied secondary data from 2896 parents involved in the child welfare system, seeking any racial disparities in parents' receipt of needed services; in accessibility of services; and in caseworkers' engagement with parents. Our sample was extracted from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. We used generalized least squares random-effects modeling for panel data, separately with 3 ethnicity subsamples, to evaluate associations between receipt of needed services and several explanatory variables. For all 3 subsamples, results showed that services receipt was associated with availability of services, with problematic service access, and with client refusal of services. Results showed Hispanics were likeliest to receive services. African Americans whose services access had been problematic were less likely to receive services than were Whites encountering the same access problems. Reduced rates of services receipt among African Americans appeared associated with caseworker effort to maintain good relationships with clients. Among Hispanics, caseworker assistance with goal attainment was associated positively with services receipt. Implications for social work practice and child welfare services are discussed.
Extension Transportation Programs to Improve Marketing Efficiency

ANY marketing firms face sharply higher costs of operation, due in part to the service costs and other problems of owning a truck fleet. Relief from these headaches is a strong selling point of the truckleasing companies. Large-truck maintenance now surpasses 3.8 billion dollars annually, and delivery expenses in the urban environment are approaching $9 per hour. Profit-seeking managers are looking for ways to control transport as they control other production expenses. Because transportation is not their primary business, many agribusinesses have limited management knowledge and capability in this field. Transportation expenses cannot be avoided entirely, yet few marketing firms know what it costs to own, operate, and maintain company trucks. Fleet records, if they exist, are usually incomplete, lack timeliness, and are too general for use in planning and effective decision making. Furthermore, many agribusinesses need help as they search for more efficient assembly and delivery operations. Severe traffic congestion, restrictive unloading hours, small orders, frequent repeat deliveries, duplication of services, and cross hauling can become a managerial nightmare. Given the tools to work with, Extension marketing specialists can increase their contribution to improved food marketing in the area of transportation economics and management.
Detecting and Exploiting Symmetry in Discrete-State Markov Models

Dependable systems are usually designed with multiple instances of components or logical processes, and often possess symmetries that may be exploited in model-based evaluation. The problem of how best to exploit symmetry in models has received much attention from the modeling community, but no solution has garnered widespread support, primarily because each solution is limited in terms of either the types of symmetry that can be exploited, or the difficulty of translating from the system description to the model formalism. We propose a new method for detecting and exploiting model symmetry in which 1) models retain the structure of the system, and 2) all symmetry inherent in the structure of the model can be detected and exploited for the purposes of state-space reduction. Composed models are constructed from models through specification of connections between models that correspond to shared state fragments. The composed model is interpreted as an undirected graph, and results from group theory, and graph theory are used to develop procedures for automatically detecting, and exploiting all symmetries in the composed model. We discuss the necessary algorithms to detect and exploit model symmetry, and provide a proof that the theory generates an equivalent model. After a thorough analysis of the added complexity, a state-space generator which implements these algorithms within Mobius is then presented.
Acidic mammalian chitinase – a potential target for asthma therapy

Recently, inhibition of acidic mammalian chitinase in a murine asthmatic model was reported to have a profound anti-inflammatory effect, leading to the suggestion that this enzyme might be a novel therapeutic target for T helper 2-driven diseases such as asthma. The mechanism of action of such an enzyme in asthma pathology is unclear but the enzyme appears to mediate interleukin 13-dependent responses in a STAT6-independent manner. This observation has led to the proposal that chitinase family members are important mediators in allergic diseases including asthma.
Photothermally excited coherent lattice phonon oscillations in plasmonic nanoparticles

The photothermal property of (Ag and Au) plasmonic nanoparticles has brought about many important discoveries and applications in nanoscience and nanotechnology. In this review, we briefly summarize a photothermal effect, the coherent phonon oscillation, of plasmonic nanoparticles irradiated with ultrafast laser pulses of low power density. The coherent phonon oscillation is created in the nanoparticle by the ultrafast impulsive photothermal heating. The effects of size, shape, thickness, and interparticle interaction on the period of coherent phonon oscillations are discussed. The detection of the coherent lattice oscillation of metallic nanoparticles provides a powerful tool to characterize the mechanical and structural properties of nanostructures.
The Past, Present, and Future of Tableting Technology

AbstractThe evolution of tableting technology was briefly reviewed and the predictions and suggestions for the future of this field were made. The factors that would be primarily responsible for the progress in the development of the justified formulations and processes of the future were pointed out to be dependent on the successful implementation of the following concepts: universal excipient harmonizations; standardized excipient functionality testing; compaction data bank; preformulation database; formulation and process expert systems; a new generation of tableting equipment; and interactive electronic reports. A case study on the use of an integrated compaction research system to evaluate the performance of customized punch displacement profiles was briefly discussed. A special emphasis was given to the first-time application (in the field of pharmaceutical technology) of a prototype interactive electronic data reporting method. Two short communication case studies were presented using the data obta...
Effect of hair color on luster

The effect of color on instrumentally evaluated luster of hair dyed to different colors and depths of shades is studied. For natural hair colors, such as blond, brown, and black, the increase in luster with increasing color is associated with a decrease in diffusely scattered light as a result of light absorption by melanin granules. On dyed hair the interpretation of data from a goniophotometer (GP) is more complicated. Using the colors covering the extremes and middle of the visible spectrum, our results demonstrate how dye composition (single or multicomponent), concentration, and penetration depth into the fiber affect the absorptive and scattering processes within the hair fiber to impact luster. Finally, we make an attempt to study the effect of hair color on subjective evaluation of luster. An equation for perceived luster, taking into account the spectral sensitivity of the human eye is derived. Theoretical considerations show that the luster of hair of different colors is perceived differently by the human eye.
Decay schemes of 42 min 123Sn and 10 min 125mSn

Abstract The radioactive decay schemes of 42 min 123 Sn and 10 min 125m Sn have been studied with the aid of a Ge(Li) detector and coicidencee equipment. Levels in 123 Sb at 160, 542 and 712 keV were populated in the decay of 42 min 123 Sn and levels at 332, 643, 921, 1349, 1484, 1700, 1736, 1914, 1947 and 2112 were populated in 123 Sb in the decay of 10 min 125m Sn. The systematic behavior of low-lying levels of odd-mass Sb isotopes is discussed, and the levels observed in this study are compared to the levels calculated by Kisslinger and Sorensen.
A Two-Faced “Janus-like” Unimolecular Rectifier Exhibits Rectification Reversal

A molecule containing an electron donor (pyrene, Py), an insulating tetramethylene bridge, an electron acceptor (perylenebisimide, PBI) and a bis-decyl swallowtail with two terminal thioesters was studied for its electrical rectification as a Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) monolayer between two Au electrodes at room temperature (over a 8 month period, the thioester terminations chemisorbed partially (about 15%) onto the bottom Au electrode). At lower bias (<±1.5 Volts), the direct current was greater at positive than negative bias; at higher bias (±2.0 and ±2.5 Volts), the conduction was larger at negative bias: this “Janus” switching was repeatable when the bias ranges were changed. At constant bias range, repeated scans showed a gradual decrease in conductivity. Ancillary characterization data are reported.
Can neuroscience inform economics? Rationality, emotions and preference formation

The interaction between neuroscience and economics has gained much prominence recently, leading to the emergence of the new and expanding field of neuroeconomics. I will argue that, although there is much insight to be gained from the interaction between neuroscience and economics, the implications of recent developments in neuroscience and neuroeconomics for the deductivist methodology of mainstream economics, and its emphasis on prediction of events, have not been sufficiently addressed. In fact, much research on neuroeconomics has contributed to the formulation of deductivist models aimed at the prediction of events, when the more fruitful use of neuroscience in economics consists rather in the utilisation of its insights for the development of an explanation of social behaviour that moves beyond the mainstream deductivist methodology. The somatic marker hypothesis, developed by Damasio and others working closely with him, will be suggested as an alternative framework for conceptualising the emergence of social behaviour from a neurobiological substrate.
Insulinlike growth factor II and transforming growth factor β regulate collagen expression in human osteoblastlike cells in vitro

Insulinlike growth factor II (IGF-II) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) are the most abundant polypeptide growth factors found in human bone matrix and are produced by human bone cells in vitro. IGF-II and TGF-beta 1 increased total protein synthesis, collagenous protein synthesis, and the steady-state level of type I procollagen mRNA in a time-dependent manner in osteoblastlike cells isolated from human bone. Type III procollagen mRNA expression was low in untreated cultures and was not affected by IGF-II or TGF-beta. TGF-beta 1 elevated type I procollagen mRNA rapidly, with the maximal observed change at 10 h. In contrast, procollagen mRNA levels increased more slowly in response to IGF-II and reached a lower maximal level than with TGF-beta, but the response was sustained through 24 h. Collagenous protein synthesis in IGF-II- and TGF-beta-treated cells increased in parallel with increases in procollagen mRNA levels and was higher at 21 h for TGF-beta 1 and at 36 h for IGF-II. The difference in the time course and magnitude of change in type I procollagen mRNA levels in response to IGF-II and TGF-beta 1 suggests that these two growth factors work through distinct mechanisms that provide both a rapid transient response and a later sustained response in bone matrix biosynthetic activity.