cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unintentional Terrorism? An Objection to David Rodin's ‘Terrorism without Intention’

David Rodin defines ‘terrorism’ as the ‘deliberate, negligent, or reckless use of force against noncombatants’, although he concedes that his account ‘is at odds with the current common usage of the term’. While most believe that terrorism necessarily involves the intentional killing of noncombatants (NCs), Rodin disagrees. His definition allows that some acts involving the unintentional killing of NCs, those that are reckless or negligent, are acts of terror. And while he offers some support for his unorthodox definition, Rodin develops a more substantive argument that ‘many of the noncombatant casualties caused in the course of military operations (including those of Western nations)’ are morally unjustified, and furthermore, ‘morally culpable to the same degree and for the same reasons that typical acts of terrorism are culpable’. Rodin's argument is based on his core premise that many of the actions involving the foreseeable killing of NCs (call them ‘standard cases’) are reckless or negligent despite...
Axons find their way in the snow

In February 2009, Keystone, Colorado, hosted the third Symposium on `Axonal Connections: Molecular Cues for Development and Regeneration9, organized by Marie Filbin, John Flanagan and Liqun Luo. Researchers from diverse backgrounds spent the week discussing the latest findings in axon guidance, synapse formation, dendrite development and axon regeneration. The meeting was held jointly with another Keystone Symposium on `Neurodegenerative Diseases: New Molecular Mechanisms9, and the two meetings profited from the lively discussions fuelled with questions from both fields in the joint sessions, which featured topics of common interest, such as axon degeneration, regeneration and neural stem cells.
NaI(Tl) - CsI(Na) Phoswich Detectors for X-Ray Astronomy

The design and performance of NaI(Tl) - CsI(Na) phoswich detectors for X-ray Astronomy applications are presented. Phoswich techniques enable the design of low-background, actively-shielded detectors of large sensitive area, while maintaining minimum weight and cost. Results from a balloon-borne test flight incorporating several detectors, including one with an effective area of 765 cm2, are discussed.
Autonomic dysregulation in patients awaiting kidney transplantation

Abstract Sudden cardiac death occurring in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) may be related to poor autonomic function (AF). It is not known whether patients having a sudden death can be identified by commonly used AF evoked tests or if a newer test evaluating heart rate variability (HRV) with power spectral analysis can better distinguish at-risk patients. This study sought to characterize AF in patients awaiting kidney transplantation, to identify factors associated with poor AF and sudden death, and to compare evoked versus 24-hour measures of cardiac AF. All patients underwent evoked cardiac AF tests, which included changes in heart rate with deep breathing (deltaBPM) and valsalva (VR). In addition, 24-hour HRV was assessed with time domain measurements of interbeat variability (pNN50, SDANN, and SDNN), which are associated with vagal function, circadian function, and sudden cardiac death (SDNN 2 SD from the mean of the control group) and evoked measurements (eight of 14 [57%] outside of the established norms). Of the five deceased patients, only one displayed normal values for all eight AF measurements reported; three (60%) had SDNNs less than 50. Of the 248 surviving patients, 42 (17%) had an SDNN less than 50. When analyzed, the ability of the SDNN to identify an at- risk group was found to have a sensitivity of 60%, a specificity of 83%, a positive predictive value of 7%, a negative predictive value of 99%, and an accuracy of 83%. While AF and time on dialysis were not found to be correlated, the length of diabetes was inversely related to all AF measures (r = -0.27 to -0.48; P
Influence of equatorial QBO and SST on polar total ozone, and the 1990 Antarctic Ozone Hole

Based on data through 1989, comparisons are made between the variation of total ozone at Resolute, Canada (75°N) and South Pole, and the variation of low-stratospheric temperature at Singapore (reflecting the equatorial QBO) and SST in eastern equatorial Pacific (reflecting the ENSO phenomenon). Total-ozone variations at Resolute have been more closely related to the QBO, whereas the total-ozone variations at South Pole appear to have been almost equally related to QBO and SST. When the average of 50 mb and 30 mb June-July-August (JJA) values of Singapore temperature ( T¯) increased from one year to the next, the decrease in South Pole springtime total ozone for the same years averaged 21 ± 14% greater than when T¯ decreased. When the JJA values of equatorial SST increased from one year to the next, the decrease in South Pole springtime total ozone for the same years averaged 18 ± 12% greater than when SST decreased. In the 6 cases when JJA values of both Singapore T¯ and equatorial SST increased from one year to the next, the spring values of South Pole total ozone have decreased, whereas in the 6 cases when both T¯ and SST decreased from one year to the next, South Pole total ozone has increased. Both Singapore T¯ and equatorial SST will probably be warmer in JJA of 1990 than they were in JJA of 1989 suggesting, based on these previous relations, an even deeper Antarctic ozone hole in 1990 than in 1989 and ending the biennial variation in depth of the hole of the last 6 years.
A Nitrogen Supply System for Post-Run Cooldown of Nuclear Reactors

During a reactor test the nozzle, neutron reflector, and fuel elements are cooled by flowing hydrogen. The coolant is preheated by being passed countercurrently through the nozzle wall and reflector before entering the reactor core [1]. This flow can be as high as 70 lb m /sec (i.e., 7000 gal/min) in the test facilities being used. The liquid hydrogen reaches the reactor through 8-in.-diameter vacuum-jacketed lines.
An unusual long RP tachycardia: what is the mechanism?

Case presentation A 67-year-old man presented to our hospital with palpitations. He was found to have a wide complex tachycardia with typical right bundle branch block (RBBB) aberrancy that terminated with adenosine. Baseline ECG and echocardiogram were unremarkable. At electrophysiologic study, baseline intervals were normal with HV 43 ms, ventricular pacing showed midline, decremental retrograde conduction that was interrupted with adenosine, and parahisian pacing demonstrated a typical nodal response. Long RP narrow complex tachycardia was reliably induced by rapid ventricular pacing. Typical RBBB (matching the presenting tachycardia) and left bundle branch block (LBBB) aberrancy were also seen, with identical VA intervals to the narrow complex tachycardia. The results of His-synchronous premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)
Fatty Acid Regulation of Liver X Receptors (LXR) and Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor α (PPARα) in HEK293 Cells

Abstract Fatty acids bind to and regulate the activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated (PPAR) and liver X receptors (LXR). However, the role lipid metabolism plays in the control of intracellular fatty acid ligands is poorly understood. We have identified two strains of HEK293 cells that display differences in fatty acid regulation of nuclear receptors. Using full-length and Gal4-LBD chimeric receptors in functional assays, 20:4,n6 induced PPARα activity ∼2.2-fold and suppressed LXRα activity by 80% (ED50 ∼25–50 μm) in HEK293-E (early passage) cells but had no effect on PPARα or LXRα receptor activity in HEK293-L (late passage) cells. LXRβ was insensitive to fatty acid regulation in both HEK293 strains. Metabolic labeling studies using [14C]20:4,n6 (at 100 μm) indicated that the uptake of 20:4,n6 and its assimilation into triacylglycerol, diacylglycerol, and polar lipids revealed no difference between the two strains. Such treatment increased total cellular 20:4,n6 (∼11-fold) and its elongation product, 22:4,n6 (∼3.6-fold), within 6 h. Non-esterified 20:4,n6 and 22:4,n6 represented ≤3% of the total cellular 20:4,n6 and 22:4,n6. In HEK293-E cells, non-esterified 20:4,n6 and 22:4,n6 increased 8- and 18-fold, respectively, by 6 h and was sustained at that level for 24 h. In HEK293-L cells, non-esterified 20:4,n6 also increased (5-fold) at 6 h but fell by 70% within 24 h. In contrast to HEK293-E cells, non-esterified 22:4,n6 did not accumulate in HEK293-L cells. Functional assays showed that 22:4,n6 was ∼2-fold more effective than 20:4,n6 at inhibiting oxysterol-induced LXRα activity in HEK293-E cells, but had no effect on LXRα activity in HEK293-L cells. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the rate of assimilation of exogenously added fatty acids and their metabolites into complex lipids plays an important role in regulating PPARα and LXRα activity.
Ferroelectric Thin Films Grown on Base-Metal Foils for Embedded Passives

Development of electronic devices with higher performance and smaller size requires the passive components to be embedded within a printed wire board (PWB). The “film-on-foil” approach is the most viable method to fabricate suitable passive components. We have deposited high-permittivity thin films of ferroelectric Pb0.92La0.08Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PLZT) on base metal foils by chemical solution deposition. These capacitors could be embedded into PWBs. However, formation of a parasitic low-permittivity interfacial layer of nickel oxide during thermal processing of the PLZT films considerably reduces the capacitance density. Two approaches were taken to overcome the problem. In the first, a conductive buffer layer of lanthanum nickel oxide (LNO) was inserted between the PLZT film and the nickel foil to hinder the formation of deleterious interfacial oxide. In the second, high temperature processing was done under low oxygen partial pressure such that no interfacial oxide was formed. By these approaches, we have grown high-quality ferroelectric PLZT films on nickel and copper foils. With samples of PLZT grown on LNO-buffered Ni, we measured a dielectric constant of 1300 (at 25°C) and 1800 (at 150°C), leakage current density of 6.6 × 10−9 A/cm2 (at 25°C) and 1.4 × 10−8 A/cm2 (at 150°C), and breakdown field strength >1.2 MV/cm. With samples of PLZT on Cu, we obtained encouraging initial results of dielectric constant >450 and dielectric loss tan(δ) ≈0.04.
The Transmission of US Shocks to Emerging Markets

To study the transmission of US shocks to emerging markets, we develop and estimate an asymmetric two-country real business cycle model. The asymmetries in the model arise due to the differences in the size and the riskiness of the economies, as well as the financial frictions in the emerging market. We estimate the model using 17 quarterly time series for Mexico and the US from 1994.I to 2007.IV. We find that US shocks explain 31% of the volatility in Mexico’s GDP growth, which is the second largest source of GDP growth fluctuations, only after domestic productivity shocks, which explain 43%. A historical decomposition of the data shows that Mexico’s growth substantially benefited from the US growth in the second part of the 1990s, contributing an additional annual growth of one percentage point on average. On the other hand, the 2001 US recession hit Mexico’s economy adversely, resulting in growth losses of 3 percentage points in that year. The transmission mechanisms built in the model imply that the spillovers are more sensitive to the financial frictions than to the volume of bilateral trade.
Mechanoregulation of BK channel activity in the mammalian cortical collecting duct: role of protein kinases A and C

Flow-stimulated net K secretion (JK) in the cortical collecting duct (CCD) is mediated by an iberiotoxin (IBX)-sensitive BK channel, and requires an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([C...
A note on surface waves generated by shear-flow instability

Morland, Saffman & Yuen's (1991) study of the stability of a semi-infinite, concave shear flow bounded above by a capillary–gravity wave, for which they obtained numerical solutions of Rayleigh's equation, is revisited. A variational formulation is used to construct an analytical description of the unstable modes for the exponential velocity profile U = U0 exp(y/d), −∞ < y [les ] 0. The assumption of slow waves ([mid ]c[mid ] [Lt ] U0) yields an approximation that agrees with the numerical results of Morland et al. The assumption of short waves (kd [Gt ] 1) yields Shrira's (1993) asymptotic approximation.
Glycolytic and Gluconeogenic Growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EDL933) and E. coli K-12 (MG1655) in the Mouse Intestine

Escherichia coli EDL933, an O157:H7 strain, is known to colonize the streptomycin-treated CD-1 mouse intestine by growing in intestinal mucus (E. A. Wadolkowski, J. A. Burris, and A. D. O'Brien, Infect. Immun. 58:2438-2445, 1990), but what nutrients and metabolic pathways are employed during colonization has not been determined. In this study, when the wild-type EDL933 strain was fed to mice along with an EDL933 DeltappsA DeltapckA mutant, which is unable to utilize tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates and gluconeogenic substrates for growth, both strains colonized the mouse intestine equally well. Therefore, EDL933 utilizes a glycolytic substrate(s) for both initial growth and maintenance when it is the only E. coli strain fed to the mice. However, in the presence of large numbers of MG1655, a K-12 strain, it is shown that EDL933 utilizes a glycolytic substrate(s) for initial growth in the mouse intestine but appears to utilize both glycolytic and gluconeogenic substrates in an attempt to maintain colonization. It is further shown that MG1655 predominantly utilizes glycolytic substrates for growth in the mouse intestine whether growing in the presence or absence of large numbers of EDL933. Data are presented showing that although small numbers of EDL933 grow to large numbers in the intestine in the presence of large numbers of MG1655 when both strains are fed to mice simultaneously, precolonization with MG1655 affords protection against subsequent colonization by EDL933. Moreover, in mice that are precolonized with EDL933, small numbers of MG1655 are able to grow rapidly in the intestine and EDL933 is eliminated. In situ hybridization experiments using E. coli-specific rRNA probes showed that while MG1655 is found only in mucus, EDL933 is found both in mucus and closely associated with intestinal epithelial cells. The data are discussed with respect to competition for nutrients and to the protection that some intestinal commensal E. coli strains might afford against infection by O157:H7 strains.
Eigenface-based super-resolution for face recognition

Face images that are captured by surveillance cameras usually have a very low resolution, which significantly limits the performance of face recognition systems. In the past, super-resolution techniques have been proposed that attempt to increase the resolution by combining information from multiple images. These techniques use super-resolution as a preprocessing system to obtain a high resolution image that can later be passed to a face recognition system. Considering that most state-of-the-art face recognition systems use an initial dimensionality reduction method, we propose embedding the super-resolution algorithm into the face recognition system so that super-resolution is not performed in the pixel domain, but is instead performed in a reduced dimensional domain. The advantage of such an approach is a significant decrease in the computational complexity of the super-resolution algorithm because the algorithm no longer tries to construct a visually improved high quality image, but instead constructs the information required by the recognition algorithm directly in the lower dimensional domain without any unnecessary overhead.
Laser radar: A technique for studying the atmosphere

Laser radar, also called lidar, is proving to be a powerful technique for helping us to understand the world in which we live. It can provide information on topography, vegetation canopies, and on characteristics of Earth’s atmosphere. This article describes how laser light scattering can be used in lidar systems to help visualize the structure of our atmosphere and to address a wide variety of important scientific questions from air pollution to climate issues. The article focuses on two specific examples of ground-based elastic lidar, the Micro Pulse Lidar System and the CLidar system, to provide an introduction to the methods of atmospheric lidar measurements and their applications.
Atomic transition probabilities for Tm i and Tm ii

Atomic transition probabilities for 376 spectral lines of neutral thulium and for 146 spectral lines of singly ionized thulium are reported. Branching fractions, measured with the 1.0-m Fourier-transform spectrometer at the National Solar Observatory on Kitt Peak, Tucson, Arizona, are combined with recently published radiative lifetimes, measured with time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence on a slow atomic beam, to determine these transition probabilities. Typical uncertainties are less than or equal to ±10%.
A bipolar analog integrator for use with net radiometers

Abstract With recent electronic technological advances, all-wave net radiation can be measured in remote areas. A low-cost, battery-operated integrator has been developed that utilizes a voltage-to-frequency conversion process to accurately record the low-level, bipolar, mV signal. Its bipolar function makes it especially adaptable for studying snow melt and evapotranspiration in remote areas.
Online efficiency diagnostic method of three phase asynchronous machines

There are various methods to determine the efficiency of three phase induction machines. But all of them have in common that they are to inaccurate or they are impracticable. In this paper the machine efficiency will be derived from start up data. For that purpose the variation with time of all stator currents and all stator voltages have to been measured. Normally it isn't possible to mount a speed sensor on the machine. For this reason only the speed at the end of the start up can be determined. Practical results with standard three phase induction machines with different power ranges from 3 kW up to 500 kW are presented.
Implementation of rule-based expert systems for time-critical applications using neural networks

The process of constructing a neural-network-based expert system from a given AND/OR inference net is examined. The major purpose of such an approach is to make use of the parallel-processing capabilities of neural networks in implementing expert systems for classifications. In order to provide a clear view of the design process of the proposed neural network expert systems an example of such a classification expert system and its neural network version are given. It is clear from the results that neural networks can be used as an implementational vehicle for expert systems for time-critical applications. >
Existence of optimal controls for a class of nonlinear distributed parameter systems

In this paper we examine a Lagrange optimal control problem driven by a nonlinear evolution equation involving a nonmonotone, state dependent perturbation term. For this problem we establish the existence of optimal admissible pairs. For the same system we also examine a time optimal control problem involving a moving target set. Finally we work out in detail an example of a strongly nonlinear parabolic distributed parameter system.
Defects in conidiophore development and conidium-macrophage interactions in a dioxygenase mutant of Aspergillus fumigatus.

Oxygenated fatty acids, or oxylipins, play an essential role in physiological signaling and developmental processes in animals, plants, and fungi. Previous characterization of three Aspergillus fumigatus dioxygenases (PpoA, PpoB, and PpoC), similar in sequence to mammalian cyclooxygenases, showed that PpoA is responsible for the production of the oxylipins 8R-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid and 5S,8R-dihydroxy-9Z,12Z-octadecadienoic acid and that PpoC is responsible for 10R-hydroxy-8E,12Z-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid. Here, ppo mutants were characterized to elucidate the role of fungal dioxygenases in A. fumigatus development and host interactions. The ppoC strain displayed distinct phenotypes compared to those of other ppo mutants and the wild type, including altered conidium size, germination, and tolerance to oxidative stress as well as increased uptake and killing by primary alveolar macrophages. These experiments implicate oxylipins in pathogen development and suggest that ppoC represents a useful model for studying the A. fumigatus-host interaction.
Effect of Surface Coatings on Generation of Laser Based Ultrasound

Ultrasonic techniques are being currently used in a wide range of applications. However, there are situations where it is difficult to utilize ultrasound for NDT purposes. They are severely limited in non-contact applications due to attenuation in air. Since the present day technology requires a physical contact or a couplant between the transducer and the specimen surface to minimize diffraction effects, the temperatures sensitive piezoelectric transducers are not suited for hostile operating environments and extreme temperature gradients. Another drawback of piezoelectric transducers is the narrow banded source signals. Generation of very high frequency ultrasound becomes difficult and expensive. Complex contoured specimens are, also, difficult to handle, since traditional ultrasound is sensitive to the normalization of the incident ultrasonic beam. As with all mechanical devices, the rate of scanning of these transducers is very slow.
Formal and Informal Social Controls of Employee Deviance

Using the phenomenon of deviance by employees against the rules of the formal work organization as the behavior of interest, the differential saliences of both formal (i.e., management) and informa...
Skeletal muscle microvascular oxygenation dynamics in heart failure: exercise training and nitric oxide-mediated function.

Chronic heart failure (CHF) impairs nitric oxide (NO)-mediated regulation of skeletal muscle O2 delivery-utilization matching such that microvascular oxygenation falls faster (i.e., speeds PO2mv ki...
Interpretation of blood lactate measurements in paediatric open-heart surgery and in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

For the purpose of demonstrating both the clinical value and economic advantages of using blood lactate as a marker for haemodynamic instability, we present the clinical guidelines for when to measure blood lactate and how these measurements are interpreted in two clinical settings: following open-heart surgery for complex congenital heart disease, and in determining both the need for and the effectiveness of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Several case histories are presented that demonstrate the conditions which can elevate blood lactate concentrations and the resulting therapeutic interventions, based on use of volume support, inotropic support, vasodilators, and/or ventilation, that can lead to a successful outcome in these patients. In one of the case histories a greatly elevated blood lactate apparently indicated that intracranial hemorrhage had occurred in a patient who later expired.
Diabetes and depressive symptoms among Korean American older adults: the mediating role of subjective health perceptions.

Abstract Purpose In recognition of the impact of chronic diseases on mental health and the lack of research on Asian American subgroups, the present study examined subjective perceptions of health as a potential mediator in the association between diabetes and depressive symptoms in Korean American older adults. Methods Multivariate analysis with data from 672 Korean American older adults in Florida explored the mediation model of health perceptions. Results The presence of diabetes was associated with negative perceptions of health and elevated symptoms of depression. The proposed mediation model was also supported: negative perceptions of health served as an intervening step between diabetes and depressive symptoms. Conclusions The intervening role of health perceptions yields implications for developing health promotion interventions targeting older individuals with diabetes. Results suggest that even in the presence of chronic health conditions, mental well-being of older adults can be maintained by having optimistic beliefs and positive attitudes towards their own health.
Climate Response and Fluctuation Dissipation

Abstract The fluctuation-dissipation theorem of statistical mechanics, proved in this note for a system with two quadratic integrals of motion such as that of two-dimensional or geostrophic turbulence, relates, the mean response to impulsive external forcing of a dynamical system to its natural unforced variability. The utility of this theorem in providing an estimate of the response of climatic means to changing external influences is discussed.
‘Eternity will nail him to himself’: the logic of damnation in Kierkegaard's The Sickness unto Death

Though Kierkegaard's writings are rarely referenced in discussions of the problem of hell, the choice model of hell, I argue, can be strengthened by a close reading of the relevant passages of The Sickness unto Death that bear on the topic of damnation. Each of the two major forms of the choice model that are discussed in the contemporary philosophical literature are anticipated and developed in masterful psychological detail in this key Kierkegaardian text. The first form of the choice model, which sees damnation as the explicit and direct object of choice of those who are finally lost, faces the challenge of explaining motive: why would anyone freely choose eternal damnation? The second form, in which damnation is the natural consequence of certain free choices but not that which is chosen directly, faces the significant challenge of explaining why God does not annihilate the damned, mercifully putting them out of their misery. I argue that The Sickness unto Death contains conceptual resources for meeting both of these challenges.
Second-hand market as an alternative in reverse logistics

Collectors of discarded products seldom know when those products were bought and why they are discarded. Also, the products do not indicate their remaining life periods. So, it is difficult to decide if it is “sensible” to repair (if necessary) a particular product for subsequent sale on the second-hand market or to disassemble it partially or completely for subsequent remanufacture and/or recycle. To this end, we build an expert system using Bayesian updating process and fuzzy set theory, to aid such decision-making. A numerical example demonstrates the building approach.
Financial Assistance for Graduate Students in Marketing

For the first time, graduate students in marketing have available a summarized picture of the financial assistance available during 1962–1963 at leading business schools throughout the country.The ...
Fano-like resonances arising from long-lived molecule-plasmon interactions in colloidal nanoantennas.

We examine ultrafast dynamics in a coupled molecule-plasmon system. Using a new ultrafast Raman technique called surface enhanced-femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SE-FSRS), we prove that plasmonic nanoparticles and adsorbed molecules are coupled by the appearance of Fano-like lineshapes, which arise from the interaction of narrowband vibrational coherences and the broadband plasmon resonance. We probe the effect of plasmon energy on the vibrational lineshapes and observe changes in the phase of the line shape dispersion. Finally, we examine the effect of plasmon-molecule coupling on the molecular vibrational coherence lifetime. Surprisingly, coupling of the molecular vibration to the plasmon does not significantly shorten the vibrational coherence dephasing time. Better understanding of the ultrafast dynamics of excited vibrational states and vibrational coherences in coupled molecular-plasmonic systems should assist in developing a mechanism-based view of plasmonically enhanced photovoltaic and...
Mortality of the Cigarette Beetle in High-Carbon Dioxide Atmospheres

A strain of Lasioderma serricorne (F.) reared on tobacco tolerated CO2 better than a strain reared on wheat flour. Overall, an atmosphere of 65% CO, was more toxic to eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults than an atmosphere of 35 or 92% CO2. The pupal stage tolerated CO2 the best, some pupae surviving exposure of 7 days. Other insect stages, in increasing order of CO2 susceptibility, were larva, adult, and egg. A few eggs were killed after less than 1 h of exposure to CO2 but 3 or more days of exposure was required for a mortality rate of 99.9%.
The Determinants of Pain Revisited: Coordinates in Sensory Space

Ron Melzack recognized that the gate control hypothesis of 1965 was incomplete. This led to the publication of a book chapter that would someday be referred to by some as 'the classical view' of pain mechanisms. However, this paper presented some conceptual problems for research on pain mechanisms by using the term 'motivational-affective' to define a determinant of pain. To facilitate research and eventually improve practice, the determinants of pain need to be identified and quantified more clearly. In the present article, three critical dimensions of sensory experience that define pain and related sensory experiences are identified: sensory salience, affect and motivational dominance. The authors show that each of these dimensions can be measured and are mediated by specific neurophysiological mechanisms. Pain and other somatic sensations emerge from the conjoint actions of these neurophysiological systems and fall within unambiguously defined coordinates of the three-dimensional sensory surface that they form. Pain mechanisms would be better understood if research focused on the physiology and psychology of these fundamental sensory dimensions and included a wider range of sensory systems.
442 UTEROPLACENTAL INSUFFICIENCY CAUSES CHANGES IN LEPTIN RECEPTOR EXPRESSION IN THE INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDED RAT BRAIN.

Background Uteroplacental insufficiency causes intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). IUGR has been linked to a variety of metabolic and developmental disorders, including diabetes, obesity, infertility, stunted skeletal growth, and impaired brain growth. Such disorders may be mediated through the direct affect of IUGR on cerebral proteins and receptors involved in reproductive and metabolic pathways. Leptin and ghrelin have been linked to energy homeostasis, reproductive development, and neuronal synthesis, but the expression of leptin and ghrelin receptors (Ob-Rb and GHS-R, respectively) in the whole brain of IUGR rat pups is unknown. Additionally, the effect of IUGR on kisspeptin (KiSS-1), a protein regulated by leptin and recently implicated in development of the reproductive axis, is unknown. Objectives We hypothesized that uteroplacental insufficiency would cause increased expression of Ob-Rb and GHS-R and decreased expression of KiSS-1 in the whole brain of IUGR rats. Methods To test this, we measured expression of Ob-Rb, GHS-R, and KiSS-1 in the whole brain of IUGR pups obtained by bilateral uterine artery ligation. Sham surgeries were used as controls. Brains were harvested and flash frozen. Real-time RT-PCR was used to measure mRNA expression on day 0 (D0) and day 21 (D21) of life. Results Although there was no significant difference between IUGR and SHAM rats in GHS-R or KiSS-1 expression, D0 IUGR pups had significantly higher expression of Ob-Rb mRNA in whole brain than D0 SHAM pups (p = .003). Preliminary results indicate a trend toward decreased expression of Ob-Rb mRNA in whole brain of D21 IUGR rats (p = .09). Conclusion We conclude that uteroplacental insufficiency up-regulates Ob-Rb expression at D0 in the IUGR rat brain. We have shown that the IUGR insult epigenetically regulates cerebral gene expression, and we speculate that Ob-Rb expression may be modulated through changes in chromatin structure. Additionally, recent research has demonstrated that leptin signaling affects adrenal glucocorticoid production as well as CNS glucocorticoid receptor expression. We have previously shown that IUGR affects glucocorticoid receptor expression in the rat brain, and we postulate that this effect may be mediated through up-regulation of cerebral Ob-Rb receptors.
Discharge BNP is a stronger predictor of 6-month mortality in acute heart failure compared with baseline BNP and admission-to-discharge percentage BNP reduction

Abstract Introduction Prior studies found a significant relationship between admission B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), discharge BNP and admission-to-discharge percentage BNP reduction and post-discharge mortality in acute heart failure (HF). Methods The ESCAPE trial data was utilized to identify which of these BNP parameters best predicts 6-month all-cause mortality. Results 433 patients (mean age 56years, 74% men) included in our analysis had an admission BNP, discharge BNP and admission-to-discharge percentage BNP reduction of 1009pg/mL, 743pg/mL and −70%, respectively. There were significant differences between survivors and nonsurvivors with regards to admission BNP (P=0.001), discharge BNP (P=0.0001) and admission-to-discharge percentage BNP reduction (P=0.01). Discharge BNP had the highest area under the curve (AUC) for predicting mortality (AUC=0.702, P Conclusion The absolute BNP value at discharge is a more accurate predictor of 6-month mortality than the magnitude of percentage in-hospital BNP reduction and baseline BNP.
MID-IR (8–13µm) Images of Planetary Nebulae

We present mid-IR (8–13µm) images of dust in six young planetary nebulae: IC 418, IRAS 21282+5050, NGC 6790, M4-18, M2-9 and IC 5117. The images were taken at UKIRT and the IRTF with the Berkeley mid-IR camera which was developed at the Space Sci. Lab. in UC Berkeley and is supported by IGPP and LEA, LLNL. In IC418, M2-9 and IRAS 21282, the spatial distributions of dust and of ionized gas are measurably different. In M4-18, IC5117 and NGC 6790 the spatial distributions are similar, so apparently the dust and the gas are well mixed. Spatial resolution is the key to discerning the differences in the gas and dust morphologies, and in 2 of the 3 cases where the spatial distributions appear similar, higher resolution may reveal differences. For example, we can discern that the [NeII] peaks further out than the SiC in IC 418 because it is so close and thus large in angular size compared to our ~ 0.” 8 resolution. In IRAS 21282+5050, we have compared the spatial distribution of the different features attributed to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons to the dust continuum (Fig.1). Our data shows that while the 8.5 and 11.3 µ m emission peaks outside the 10µm dust continuum, the 12.5 µ m emission is spatially coincident with it. Hence, not all PAH emission peaks outside of the dust continuum. The plateau emission, sampled by our 12.5 µ m band, arises from smaller PAHs than the size that causes the 11.3 µ m PAH feature. Thus, one interpretation of our observations is that the grain size distribution changes with radius: smaller PAHs in the center, increasing size with radius.
Light-Controlled PI3K Activation Mimics TRPV1 Potentiation by NGF

Membrane receptor signaling is extensively studied, yet unclear. For example, activation of TrkA by nerve growth factor (NGF) triggers many downstream signaling pathways, including: Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), PLC and MAPK. One target of TrkA signaling is the pain-transducing ion channel TRPV1, an essential player in inflammatory hyperalgesia. Although regulation of TRPV1 by NGF has been studied for over a decade, the relative contributions of PI3K, PLC, and MAPK are still controversial.Innovative approaches have recently been developed to bypass cell-surface receptors and activate specific signaling pathways using light-dependent dimerization. One new system (Levskaya et al, Nature, 2009) involves dimerization of phytochrome B (PhyB) and phytochrome interaction factor (PIF) by 650 nm light and their dissociation by 750 nm. By expressing plasma membrane anchored PhyB and PIF fused to a lipid-active enzyme, 650 nm light recruits the PIF-enzyme to the plasma membrane, “activating” the enzyme by colocalizing it with its substrate. This interaction is fully reversible by 750 nm light over tens of seconds.We applied this light-controlled dimerization system to dissect the signaling cascade leading to TRPV1 potentiation by NGF. Our goal was to bypass TrkA, activating only the PI3K branch, to determine if activation of PI3K with light mimics potentiation of capsaicin-induced calcium responses to the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin. The PhyB/PIF system was successful in reversibly activating PI3K as measured by levels of its product, PI(3,4,5)P3. Importantly, potentiation of capsaicin responses by light and NGF were similar. Our interpretation is that PI3K activation is sufficient to mimic potentiation of TRPV1 by NGF, at least on the acute time scale of our experiments. Although inflammatory hyperalgesia is a complex process likely involving numerous components, control of PI3K with light allowed us to identify a major player definitively.
Regulatory T Cells in Tumor Immunity: Role of Toll-Like Receptors

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses how the toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is linked to the functional control of Tregs, and reviews the new tactics to improve cancer therapy by relieving the Treg-mediated suppression of antigen-specific antitumor immunity. An overview of the current understanding of Tregs and their regulation in cancer by innate immune cells and tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells (DCs) is also provided. Both macrophages and DCs function as major sensors for invading the pathogens and transformed tumor cells via a limited number of germ line-encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs)—known as TLRs—that play critical roles in modulating the inflammation and immune responses. Adaptive immunity is involved in the elimination of pathogens and transformed tumor cells in the late phase of the host defense, generating more specific immunity as well as immunological memory. A correlation exists between the level of tumor-infiltrating immune cells—particularly the CD8 + T cells, and the patient survival, while the presence of other immune cells like Tregs, confers a poor prognosis.
Kruskal–Wallis H-Test for Oneway Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) by Ranks

The Kruskal–Wallis H-Test for Oneway Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) by Ranks is often viewed as the nonparametric equivalent of the parametric Oneway Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Both the Kruskal–Wallis Test (often using ordinal data) and Oneway ANOVA (typically using interval data) are used to determine if there are statistically significant differences for comparisons of three or more groups. However, avoid seeing these tests as being mere complements of each other. The Kruskal–Wallis Test, as a nonparametric test, is used with ranked data, particularly for when: (1) the data are ordinal and do not meet the precision of interval data, (2) there are serious concerns about extreme deviation from normal distribution, and (3) there is considerable difference in the number of subjects for each comparative group. This lesson addresses the many quality assurance measures that should be attempted before actual implementation of this type of multiple-group comparative inferential analysis.
Evaluating the effects of ankle-foot orthosis mechanical property assumptions on gait simulation muscle force results

Musculoskeletal modeling and simulation techniques have been used to gain insights into movement disabilities for many populations, such as ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP). The individuals who can benefit from these techniques are often limited to those who can walk without assistive devices, due to challenges in accurately modeling these devices. Specifically, many children with CP require the use of ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) to improve their walking ability, and modeling these devices is important to understand their role in walking mechanics. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of AFO mechanical property assumptions, including rotational stiffness, damping, and equilibrium angle of the ankle and subtalar joints, on the estimation of lower-limb muscle forces during stance for children with CP. We analyzed two walking gait cycles for two children with CP while they were wearing their own prescribed AFOs. We generated 1000-trial Monte Carlo simulations for each of the walking gait cycles, resulting in a total of 4000 walking simulations. We found that AFO mechanical property assumptions influenced the force estimates for all the muscles in the model, with the ankle muscles having the largest resulting variability. Muscle forces were most sensitive to assumptions of AFO ankle and subtalar stiffness, which should therefore be measured when possible. Muscle force estimates were less sensitive to estimates of damping and equilibrium angle. When stiffness measurements are not available, limitations on the accuracy of muscle force estimates for all the muscles in the model, especially the ankle muscles, should be acknowledged.
Exploring the Relationship Between School Transformation and Inclusion: A Bayesian Multilevel Longitudinal Analysis

Abstract Grounded in research and federal law, inclusive education is a right and preferred placement for all learners with disabilities receiving special education services. However, most students...
S20. PARAHIPPOCAMPAL THICKNESS PREDICTS TREATMENT IMPROVEMENT IN EARLY AND CHRONIC SCHIZOPHRENIA.

AbstractBackgroundDespite recent advances, there is still a major need for prediction of treatment success in schizophrenia. Cortical thickness measures are relatively easy to obtain and may provide biomarker candidates. Here, we tested a set of candidate brain regions as predictors of treatment response in first episode schizophrenia and in two independent schizophrenia cohorts. Regions included the precuneus, inferior parietal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, anterior cingulate, inferior frontal gyrus, insula, lateral and medial orbitofrontal cortex, and occipital cortex.MethodsIn the discovery cohort, we used the whole sample of patients to estimate individual response slopes using Empirical Bayes, 36 of which had cortical thickness measurements at baseline. Patients were scanned aprior to treatment with either risperidone or aripiprazole. Symptoms were assessed with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale at baseline and over the course of up to 52 weeks. Cortical thickness in regions of interest were examined via magnetic resonance imaging and used as predictors of individual treatment response, defined as individual response slope.ResultsParahippocampal thickness at baseline predicted the individual response to treatment (P < 0.05, Bonferroni-corrected). This was replicated in two independent schizophrenia cohorts including a recent onset cohort (N = 33) and a sample of chronic schizophrenia patients (N = 52), respectively. The overall effect was quantified with an internal meta-analysis (β = 0.4, 95% CI [0.24; 0.56]; z = 4.84, P < 0.001).DiscussionParahippocampal thickness may be a promising marker of treatment success both at the early and the chronic stage of schizophrenia.
Focus on females: a less biased approach for studying strategies and mechanisms of memory

Recent work on sex differences in learning and memory has demonstrated that females and males differ in cognitive and behavioral strategies, as well as neural mechanisms required to learn, retrieve and express memory. Although our understanding of the mechanisms of memory is highly sophisticated, this work is based on male animals. As such, the study of female memory is narrowed to a comparison with behavior and mechanisms defined in males, resulting in findings of male-specific mechanisms but little understanding of how females learn and store information. In this paper, we discuss a female-focused framework and experimental approaches to deepen our understanding of the strategies and neural mechanisms engaged by females (and males) in learning, consolidation, and retrieval of memory.
Judaism, Brain Plasticity and the Making of the Self

Modifications of the self, that is to say, transformation of the psychological, physical and spiritual make up of an individual to achieve or approximate an ideal individual is one of the main goals of religion, medicine and psychology. However, these fields approach self-modification from their own perspective, with little intercorrelations between them. This article explores how mechanisms for self modification delineated by Judaic sources are very much in line with new discoveries in neurosciences, especially with recent scientific data indicating that the brain is in a constant state of structural and functional change, a property denominated brain plasticity.
Ultrasonic Attenuation Measurements in Jet-Engine Titanium Alloys

In the inspection of titanium material intended for use in aircraft engines, a number of unusual phenomena are observed, including significant fluctuations of the amplitude and phase of back-surface echoes and of the amplitudes of pulse-echo signals from nominally identical flaws[1]. Practical implications include a broadening of the probability of detection curves and difficulties in determining the ultrasonic attenuation, a parameter used in interpreting flaw response data. Incorrect determination of attenuation can lead to errors in distance-gain corrections and hence in estimates of the magnitude of the flaw response. In this paper, we report experiments designed to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for these signal fluctuations.
Endovascular Treatment of Acute Stroke

Stroke is the clinical situation that follows neurological cell death due to decreased blood flow:
A New Double-Beam Far-Infrared Spectrophotometer

A bibliography of approximately 500 papers concerning the farinfrared spectral region was published in the December 1960 Journal of the Optical Society of America by Palik [1].
GENETIC AND STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF CHICKEN α-AMYLASE ISOZYMES AND THEIR MODIFIED FORMS, AND STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF HOG AMYLASE

ABSTRACT . In the chicken population at large three electrophoretically distinct pancreatic α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) isozymes were described and designated Pa 1, Pa 2, and Pa 3. The local population of chickens, however, possessed only isozymes Pa 2 and Pa 3, present as three phenotypes: Amy 2 BC, consisting of isozyme Pa 2; Amy 2 BC, consisting of isozymes Pa 2 + Pa 3; and Amy 2 C, consisting of isozyme Pa 3.
An Ada virtual operating system

A new operating system interface based on the langauge Ada is described: the Ada Virtual Operating System (AVOS). Its goal is to provide a completely uniform user interface. All operating system commands and programs are expressed in Ada, and Ada is shown to provide sufficient expressive power to allow conventional operating system entities such as files and directories to be expressed in Ada terms.
Proteomic Identification of Protein Glutathionylation in Cardiomyocytes.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important signaling molecules, but their overproduction is associated with many cardiovascular diseases, including cardiomyopathy. ROS induce various oxidative mod...