cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The path not taken: Distinguishing individuals who die by suicide from those who die by natural causes despite a shared history of suicide attempt.

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to identify variables that distinguish suicide risk among individuals with previous suicide attempts. METHOD Using psychological autopsy procedures, we evaluated 86 decedents who had at least one lifetime suicide attempt before eventual death by suicide (n = 65) or natural causes (n = 21). RESULTS The Suicide Death group was more likely to be male, to have alcohol in the toxicology report at time of death, and to have a depression diagnosis, while the Natural Cause Death group was more likely to have personality disorder traits, a polysubstance use disorder, higher reported health stress, and an antidepressant in the toxicology report at time of death. Hopelessness and ambivalence were found to distinguish between groups during the 6 months before death. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest important differences between individuals with a shared history of a suicide attempt who die by suicide versus natural causes.
Genuine and non-genuine smiles in individuals meeting criteria for a clinical high-risk syndrome.

AIM Psychosis is characterized by both alterations in emotional functioning and environmental stressors including bullying victimization. Recent evidence suggests that some alterations in emotional functioning (e.g., blunted positive facial expressions) are already present in the psychosis risk period. Yet, some clinically relevant facial emotions have not been investigated such as genuine smiles (thought to reflect genuine positive emotions) and non-genuine smiles (thought to fake positive or mask negative emotions) in individuals meeting criteria for a clinical high-risk (CHR) syndrome. Further, despite a compelling conceptual basis to suggest a link between affective expression and exposure to environmental stress, to date, no investigations have sought to examine this association. Here, we aim to assess differences between a sample of CHR (N = 65) and control (N = 67) individuals in genuine and non-genuine smiles and associations with bullying victimization. METHODS Smiles (i.e., genuine; non-genuine) were objectively coded on a second-by-second basis using the Facial Action Coding System during a digitally recorded clinical interview segment. Bullying victimization was measured via parent report. RESULTS Findings revealed that the CHR group (1) showed blunted genuine (but not non-genuine) smiles compared to controls. Moreover, (2) bullying victimization was related to blunted genuine smiles, but not non-genuine smiles. CONCLUSION These findings expand our understanding of emotional alterations in this group with implications for diagnosis (highlighting blunted genuine smiles as a specific marker) and etiology (underscoring the role of bullying victimization in the etiology of emotional dysfunction).
Continuously Proliferating Allospecific T-Cell Lines

Studies of the function and specificity of thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells) have met with increasing difficulties in recent years. The main reason is that T cells perform many different regulatory and effector functions in both cell-mediated and humoral immunity, each of which functions is apparently executed by a distinct subset of T cells. This was, for instance, shown by functional assays in which T cells primed for one function were assayed for other functions (Dennert, 1976). By combining functional assays with serological procedures, it was established that T cells with specific functions may display specific Ly antigens (Cantor and Boyse, 1975). This very promising approach to the separation of T-cell subsets has yet to be fully exploited, since it is difficult to prepare sufficient amounts of Ly-specific antibody for experimentation. But the recent success in preparing hybridomas producing specific antibody has opened new avenues for the preparation of unlimited amounts of specific antibodies (Kohler and Milstein, 1976). Other procedures aimed at enriching or even purifying T-cell populations have had little success. For instance, fractionation of T cells by adsorption to and elution from matrices to which antigen was attached have yielded disappointing results (Rubin and Wigzell, 1973), with the exception of alloantigen-specific cytotoxic T cells (Golstein et al., 1971).
A bidding protocol for deploying mobile sensors

In some harsh environments, manually deploying sensors is impossible. Alternative methods may lead to imprecise placement resulting in coverage holes. To provide the required high coverage in these situations, we propose to deploy sensor networks composed of a mixture of mobile and static sensors in which mobile sensors can move from dense areas to sparse areas to improve the overall coverage. This paper presents a bidding protocol to assist the movement of mobile sensors. In the protocol, static sensors detect coverage holes locally by using Voronoi diagrams, and bid for mobile sensors based on the size of the detected hole. Mobile sensors choose coverage holes to heal based on the bid. Simulation results show that our algorithm provides suitable tradeoff between coverage and sensor cost.
Completeness, Invariance and $\lambda$-Definability

In [4] Gordon Plotkin considers the problem of characterizing the λ-definable functionals in full type structures. A plausible, but, as we shall see, quite false, conjecture is that a functional is λ-definable ⇔ it is invariant in the sense of Fraenkel and Mostowski. A better guess might be that the set of λ-definable functionals of type σ has a uniform (in σ) definition in type theory over all full type structures (Plotkin explicitly considers a certain sort of definition by means of “logical relations”). More or less generally, one may ask if the following question is decidable.Given: a functional F in a full type structure over a finite ground domain.Question: is Fλ-definable?We call the statement that this question is decidable Plotkin's λ-definability conjecture. We do not know if Plotkin's conjecture is true.In this note we consider several questions which quickly arise from Plotkin's conjecture. In §1, we ask which type structures satisfy λ-definability = invariance. We construct for each consistent set of equations a model satisfying this equality. From consideration of these models we obtain a number of syntactic corollaries including a reduction of βη-conversion to βη-conversion at a single type (Theorem 3), an “ω-rule” for βη-conversion (Proposition 6) and consistency with βη-conversion (Proposition 8), definability and indefinability results for versions of Kronecker's δ (Propositions 10 and 11), and a decidability result for the problem of inter-definability among combinators.
DirectFlow: a domain-specific language for information-flow systems

Programs that process streams of information are commonly built by assembling reusable information-flow components. In some systems the components must be chosen from a pre-defined set of primitives; in others the programmer can create new custom components using a general-purpose programming language.Neither approach is ideal: restricting programmers to a set of primitive components limits the expressivity of the system, while allowing programmers to define new components in a general-purpose language makes it difficult or impossible to reason about the composite system. We advocate defining information-flow components in a domain-specific language (DSL) that enables us to infer the properties of the components and of the composed system; this provides us with a good compromise between analysability and expressivity.This paper presents DirectFlow, which comprises a DSL, a compiler and a runtime system. The language allows programmers to define objects that implement information-flow components without specifying how messages are sent and received. The compiler generates Java classes by inferring the message sends and methods, while the run-time library constructs information-flow networks by composition of DSL-defined components with standard components.
Catalytic activities and selectivities of MoO3NiSO4 supported on various oxides for hydrocracking of solvent refined lignite: Novel low surface area active catalysts

The hydrocracking of solvent refined lignite (SRL) was studied over MoO3NiSO4 catalysts supported on TiO2 ZrO2, TiO2SiO2 and three kinds of aluminas at 450°C under an initial pressure of 2500 p.s.i. hydrogen. MoO3NiSO4 supported on a fibrous alumina, Al2O3 (FF), was found to show the highest activity, the total conversion of SRL being 92%. The activities per unit surface area of the catalysts supported on TiO2 and ZrO2 were much higher than those of other catalysts. A presulfided MoO3NiSO4Al2O3(FF) gave the largest amount of total liquid fractions. The best catalysts for the formation of gasoline fractions were presulfided MoO3NiSO4Al2O3(FF) and a commercially available catalyst, MoO3NiOAl2O3(HT-100), which was also presulfided. It was shown that there is no correlation between acidic properties of the catalysts and their activities or selectivities.
Use and implications of a shared, forecasting calendar

Changes in modern work environments, combined with advances in sensing and machine intelligence, have given rise to a new class of groupware applications that seeks to facilitate workplace communication through the prediction of future availability and/or location. We present the results of a four-month deployment of an experimental predictive calendar system in an academic setting. While participants appreciated several novel features of the system, most resisted adoption due to the uncertainty of its predictions, its effects on privacy and impression management, and accessibility issues. We present implications for designers who seek to incorporate forecasting components into their groupware tools using observations from the study.
An evaluation of models of bare soil evaporation formulated with different land surface boundary conditions and assumptions

[1] Bare soil evaporation is a key process for water exchange between the land and the atmosphere and an important component of the water balance. However, there is no agreement on the best modeling methodology to determine evaporation under different atmospheric boundary conditions. Also, there is a lack of directly measured soil evaporation data for model validation to compare these methods to establish the validity of their mathematical formulations. Thus, a need exists to systematically compare evaporation estimates using existing methods to experimental observations. The goal of this work is to test different conceptual and mathematical formulations that are used to estimate evaporation from bare soils to critically investigate various formulations and surface boundary conditions. Such a comparison required the development of a numerical model that has the ability to incorporate these boundary conditions. For this model, we modified a previously developed theory that allows nonequilibrium liquid/gas phase change with gas phase vapor diffusion to better account for dry soil conditions. Precision data under well-controlled transient heat and wind boundary conditions were generated, and results from numerical simulations were compared with experimental data. Results demonstrate that the approaches based on different boundary conditions varied in their ability to capture different stages of evaporation. All approaches have benefits and limitations, and no one approach can be deemed most appropriate for every scenario. Comparisons of different formulations of the surface boundary condition validate the need for further research on heat and vapor transport processes in soil for better modeling accuracy.
Membranoprolferative glomerulonephritis - mechanisms and treatment.

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is a histologic pattern of glomerular damage with many etiologies. In the past, it was divided into secondary and primary, or idiopathic forms. In turn,
Program transformation via contextual assertions

In this paper we describe progress towards a theory of tranformational program development. The transformation rules are based on a theory of contextual equivalence for functional languages with imperative features. Such notions of equivalence are fundamental for the process of program specification, derivation, transformation, refinement and other forms of code generation and optimization. This paper is dedicated to Professor Satoru Takasu.
Retail Success and Key Drivers

The global retail landscape is changing in some dramatic ways. Retail sales are currently improving. At the same time, competitiveness of both the U.S. retail and global marketplace is escalating. Whereas category dominant retailers were once the store of choice for a variety of products, chains like Wal-Mart, Carrefour, METRO Group, Tesco and Target have taken over in most categories ranging from toys to jewelry. As the world’s leading retailer, Wal-Mart has a formidable history of providing greater value to consumers than its competitors, in part due to its innovative supply chain management. French-based Carrefour, the world’s second largest retailer, operates five different formats in 30 countries (but not in the United States).1 Based in Germany, METRO Group is ranked fourth in global sales after Wal-Mart, Carrefour, and Tesco, and it operates four different types of retail formats in 32 countries (Table 1).
Asclepius and Hygieia in Dialectic: Philosophical, Ethical and Educational Foundations of an Integrative Medicine

In this essay, we posit that modern medicine, in its Asclepian focus, has subordinated the need and importance of Hygieian healing and caring, and in so doing has lost a quality that is essential to medicine, and fundamental to its lasting moral value. We argue that an integrative medicine must be based upon a core philosophical foundation that re-enjoins Asclepian and Hygieian approaches in true conceptual and practical dialectic, such that integration represents a synthesis of these orientations in epistemic, humanitarian and ethical domains. While we assert that a core philosophy is critical to the development and sustainability of an integrative medicine, such claims remain vacant in the absence of some meaningful attempt to put these concepts into action. We believe that to apply such philosophical foundations, an approach is necessary that simultaneously engages education, research, practice and policy. This involves not simply studying and co-opting new (or older, more ancient) modalities in a curative paradigm, but represents a paradigm shift that requires and is based upon understanding of, and skills for the application(s) of the most appropriate types of treatment(s) to affect disease, illness and health in a patient-centered model of care.
Virtue as mastery in early confucianism

This essay explores the interrelation of skills and virtues. I first trace one line of analysis from Aristotle to Alasdair MacIntyre, which argues that there is a categorical difference between skills and virtues, in their ends and intrinsic character. This familiar distinction is fine in certain respects but still importantly misleading. Virtue in general, and also some particular virtues such as ritual propriety and practical wisdom, are not just exercised in practical contexts, but are in fact partially constituted by the mastery of certain skills. This has implications for moral psychology, specifically how we might understand the acquisition of virtue, as well as its very nature. To try to make this claim plausible I analyze two case studies from early Confucianism: treatment of ritual propriety as a cardinal virtue, and Mencius's less carefully integrated treatment of excellence at moral discernment. I conclude by revisiting the question of the relations between skill and virtue, and exploring a few of the difficulties implied by my account of early Confucian ethics.
Pyramid transform coding using vector quantization

A progressive image transmission scheme is presented which combines block transforms, a quadtree data structure and vector quantization. The experimental results demonstrate that the scheme achieves lossless progressive transmission with compression. The quadtree data structure makes it possible to transmit the images progressively. Compression is obtained by using vector quantization on each level. Lossless reproduction is guaranteed by delivering the residual errors due to quantization from high level to low level and using an entropy coder on the final residual error image. >
Plasma arginine vasopressin concentration in horses undergoing surgery for colic.

Objective – To determine if horses before undergoing anesthesia for surgical correction of colic would have lower plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentrations than healthy horses undergoing anesthesia for arthroscopic surgery, and would not increase their plasma AVP concentrations in response to anesthesia and surgery. Design – Prospective clinical study. Setting – University teaching hospital. Animals – Fourteen horses with colic and 8 healthy horses. Interventions – Horses with colic underwent anesthesia and surgery for alleviation of colic, and healthy horses underwent anesthesia and surgery for arthroscopy. Measurements and Main Results – Plasma AVP was measured perioperatively in horses with colic and in healthy horses. Before anesthesia, and 30 and 60 minutes after induction, horses with colic had greater median plasma AVP concentrations than control horses (P≤0.001); thereafter during anesthesia differences in AVP concentrations between the 2 groups were not significant. In the control group, plasma AVP concentration increased during 120 minutes of anesthesia; no such increase occurred in colic horses. Conclusions – Compared with healthy horses, horses with colic had higher preanesthesia plasma AVP concentrations that did not increase further in response to anesthesia and surgery. Exogenous AVP is associated with decreased splanchnic perfusion in a variety of animal species and, therefore, could be detrimental to horses with colic. Thus, it may be inappropriate to use exogenous AVP in support of blood pressure in anesthetized horses with colic. Further studies are warranted to define appropriate indications for the use of AVP in horses with colic.
An Image Theory of Classical Conditioning

It is proposed that the CR results from a CS-produced image of the UCS. This hypothesis makes sense, e.g., for salivary conditioning, the CS produces an image of food and salivation therefore occurs, just as salivation occurs when we imagine food. The theory is supported by the finding that image-produced responses are similar to the ones produced by real stimuli, evidence which has been neglected by learning theorists. The proposed explanations of many of the basic findings in classical conditioning are described. The theory is feasible neurophysiologically and can be tested with the use of the hypothesis that a positive association exists between vividness of imagery and image-produced response strength. Its relation to other theories of classical conditioning is discussed.
Cheese Yield Performance of Fermentation-Produced Chymosin and Other Milk Coagulants

Abstract Fat recovery, protein recovery, and cheese yield performance of a fermentation-produced chymosin was compared with other commonly used milk coagulants. In trial 1, performance of fermentation-produced chymosin was compared with proteases from Mucor miehei and Mucor pusillus . In trial 2, fermentation-produced chymosin was compared with calf rennet and adult bovine pepsin. In each trial, three vats of Cheddar cheese were made simultaneously from the same milk, using the same starter culture, with the three different coagulants. This was replicated 12 times in trial 1 and 9 times in trial 2. Generally, higher fat and protein losses in the whey were observed for proteases from Mucor miehei and Mucor pusillus than for fermentation-produced chymosin or calf rennet. Adult bovine pepsin had higher fat losses in the whey, but not higher protein losses in the whey, than fermentation-produced chymosin or calf rennet. In trial 1, fermentation-produced chymosin had a higher cheese yield efficiency than proteases from Mucor miehei and Mucor pusillus (.54 and .74%, respectively) with a protected least significant difference of .34%. In trial 2, fermentation-produced chymosin (100% chymosin) and calf rennet (94% chymosin) had virtually identical cheese yield efficiencies, but adult bovine pepsin had a lower (.39%) cheese yield efficiency with a protected least significant difference of .27%.
Reproductive sequelae in female rats after in utero and neonatal exposure to the phytoestrogen genistein

Abstract Objective: To determine reproductive sequelae in female rats after in utero and lactational dietary exposure to genistein. Design: Experimental animal study. Setting: University laboratory. Animal(s): Sprague Dawley rats. Intervention(s): Pregnant rats were fed control rat chow or rat chow incorporated with genistein (approximately 50 μg/d) beginning on day 17 of gestation and continuing until the end of lactation (postpartum day 21). Genistein-exposed female pups were divided into two groups on day 21. One group continued to receive a genistein-added diet (G70); the other group was changed to a control diet (Ex-G). At necropsy (days 21 and 70), blood and reproductive tissues were collected. Main Outcome Measure(s): Serum levels of gonadotropins and gonadal steroids and histopathologic examination of the ovaries. Result(s): The weight of the ovaries and uterus and serum levels of E 2 and progesterone in genistein-exposed rats on day 21 (G21) were significantly reduced compared with control rats. On day 70, serum levels of E 2 , progesterone, LH, and FSH were similar in all groups. Atretic follicles and secondary interstitial glands were more common in G70 and Ex-G rats compared with control rats. Cystic rete ovarii was observed in some G70 and Ex-G rats. Conclusion(s): Our data indicate that in utero and lactational exposure to dietary genistein adversely affects reproductive processes in the adult female rat.
Long-lifetime Ru(II) complexes for the measurement of high molecular weight protein hydrodynamics

We describe the synthesis and characterization of two asymmetrical ruthenium(II) complexes, [Ru(dpp)2(dcbpy)]2+ and [Ru(dpp)2(mcbpy)]2+, as well as the water soluble sulfonated derivatives [Ru(dpp(SO3Na)2)2(dcbpy)]2+ and [Ru(dpp(SO3Na)2)2(mcbpy)]2+ (dpp is 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline, dcbpy is 4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridine, mcbpy is 4-methyl,4'-carboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridine, and dpp(SO3Na)2 is the disulfonated derivative of dpp) as probes for the measurement of the rotational motions of proteins. The spectral (absorption, emission, and anisotropy) and photophysical (time-resolved intensity and anisotropy decays) properties of these metal-ligand complexes were determined in solution, in both the presence and absence of human serum albumin (HSA). These complexes display lifetimes ranging from 345 ns to 3.8 microseconds in deoxygenated aqueous solutions under a variety of conditions. The carboxylic acid groups on these complexes were activated to form N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) esters which were used to covalently lable HSA, and were characterized spectroscopically in the same manner as above. Time-resolved anisotropy measurements were performed to demonstrate the utility of these complexes in measuring long rotational correlation times of bioconjugates between HSA and antibody to HSA. The potential usefulness of these probes in fluorescence polarization immunoassays was demonstrated by an association assay of the Ru(II)-labeled HSA with polyclonal antibody.
Numerical simulation of storm surges in Lake Winnipeg

A high-resolution unstructured grid two-dimensional finite-element model was applied to simulate the storm surge associated with the October 2010 extratropical storm in Lake Winnipeg. The wind and pressure fields from two high-resolution weather forecast models were used to drive the hydrodynamic model. The model results were compared with the observed water levels at several stations during the storm event. The model-predicted storm surge in the range of 0.6–1.5 m is comparable with observations in the southern basin of Lake Winnipeg. Model results are further analyzed to assess the transport of water between north and south basins of Lake Winnipeg during the event. Computed water surface elevations at specific locations at the outlet of the rivers and embayments indicate that the model needs some improvements in terms of grid resolution in those areas.
Effects of nitrite on modulating ROS generation following ischemia and reperfusion

It has long been known that the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a major cause of injury after ischemia/reperfusion. More recently it has emerged that the predominant source of these ROS are the mitochondria, which are specifically damaged during prolonged ischemic episodes. Several strategies have been tested to attenuate mitochondrial damage and reperfusion ROS. Most successful has been ischemic preconditioning, a procedure in which repetitive short periods of ischemia and reperfusion reduce injury from a subsequent prolonged ischemia and reperfusion. Recently, ischemic postconditioning, whereby reperfusion after prolonged ischemia is repetitively interrupted for a short period, has also been shown to equally protect as ischemic preconditioning. Both procedures activate the same down-stream kinase pathways that minimize apoptosis and tissue damage. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase is a target of these kinase pathways and nitric oxide (NO) administration can mimic its protective effect. However, the optimal NO dose is difficult to determine and excess NO levels have been shown to be detrimental. A recently described physiological storage pool of NO, nitrite, has been shown to be a potent mediator of cytoprotection after ischemia/reperfusion that mechanistically reduces mitochondrial ROS generation at reperfusion. Here, we describe the sources, bioactivaton, and mechanisms of action of nitrite and discuss the potential of this simple anion as a therapeutic to protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury.
Predicting error in detecting mammographic masses among radiology trainees using statistical models based on BI-RADS features

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) features as predictors of individual errors made by trainees when detecting masses in mammograms. Methods: Ten radiology trainees and three expert breast imagers reviewed 100 mammograms comprised of bilateral medial lateral oblique and craniocaudal views on a research workstation. The cases consisted of normal and biopsy proven benign and malignant masses. For cases with actionable abnormalities, the experts recorded breast (density and axillary lymph nodes) and mass (shape, margin, and density) features according to the BI-RADS lexicon, as well as the abnormality location (depth and clock face). For each trainee, a user-specific multivariate model was constructed to predict the trainee's likelihood of error based on BI-RADS features. The performance of the models was assessed using area under the receive operating characteristic curves (AUC). Results: Despite the variability in errors between different trainees, the individual models were able to predict the likelihood of error for the trainees with a mean AUC of 0.611 (range: 0.502–0.739, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.543–0.680,p < 0.002). Conclusions: Patterns in detection errors for mammographic masses made by radiology trainees can be modeled using BI-RADS features. These findings may have potential implications for the development of future educational materials that are personalized to individual trainees.
Classical scalar fields and the generalized second law

It has been shown that classical non-minimally coupled scalar fields can violate all of the standard energy conditions in general relativity. Violations of the null and averaged null energy conditions obtainable with such fields have been suggested as possible exotic matter candidates required for the maintenance of traversable wormholes. In this paper, we explore the possibility that if such fields exist, they might be used to produce large negative energy fluxes and macroscopic violations of the generalized second law (GSL) of thermodynamics. We find that it appears to be very easy to produce large magnitude negative energy fluxes in flat spacetime. However we also find, somewhat surprisingly, that these same types of fluxes injected into a black hole do not produce violations of the GSL. This is true even in cases where the flux results in a decrease in the area of the horizon. We demonstrate that two effects are responsible for the rescue of the GSL: the acausal behavior of the horizon and the modification of the usual black hole entropy formula by an additional term which depends on the scalar field.
Analysis of exact valence shell hamiltonian: Nonclassical terms and molecular based parameters

Abstract The exact valence shell effective hamiltonian is analyzed for one- and two-valence orbital systems using a second quantized formulation. The exact solutions of the exact effective hamiltonian are used, to display the meaning of each of its terms. The well-known α υ = − I p and γ υυ = I p − A f relations are provided a molecular basis for certain special cases, thereby enabling molecular definitions for molecular “integrals” and allowing the determination of the molecule and bond length dependence of traditional semi-empirical “integrals”. It is shown how the presence of nonclassical terms in the effective hamiltonian destroys the pairing symmetry of alternate hydrocarbons.
Acute testicular ischemia caused by incarcerated inguinal hernia

Acute testicular ischemia caused by an incarcerated inguinal hernia usually affects infants. There are few reports of diagnosis using US, and the effect of long-standing reducible hernias on testicular growth in infants and children is unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of testicular ischemia secondary to an incarcerated inguinal hernia at scrotal sonography and to determine the effect on testicular size at diagnosis. A hospital database was used to locate scrotal sonography examinations documenting an inguinal hernia, and images were reviewed for signs of testicular ischemia. Testicular volumes were compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. A total of 147 patients were identified with an inguinal hernia (age 1 day to 23 years, average 6 years). Ten patients (6.8%) had associated testicular ischemia (age 3 weeks to 6 months, average 9 weeks) and showed a statistically significant increase in ipsilateral testicular size compared to the contralateral testicle (P = 0.012). Patients without testicular ischemia did not show a significant difference in testicular size, regardless of patient age. An incarcerated inguinal hernia should be considered as a cause of acute testicular ischemia in infants younger than 6 months of age.
Evidence for Ligand-Dependent Intramolecular Folding of the AF-2 Domain in Vitamin D Receptor-Activated Transcription and Coactivator Interaction

A ligand-dependent transcriptional activation domain (AF-2) exists in region E of the nuclear receptors. This highly conserved domain may contact several coactivators that are putatively involved in nuclear receptor-mediated transcription. In this study, a panel of vitamin D receptor (VDR) AF-2 mutants was created to examine the importance of several conserved residues in VDR-activated transcription. Two AF-2 mutants (L417S and E420Q) exhibited normal ligand binding, heterodimerization with retinoid X receptor, and vitamin D-responsive element interaction, but they were transcriptionally inactive in a VDR-responsive reporter gene assay. All AF-2 mutations that abolished VDR-mediated transactivation also eliminated interactions between VDR and several putative coactivator proteins including suppressor of gal1 (SUG1), steroid hormone receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1), or receptor interacting protein (RIP140), suggesting that coactivator interaction is important for AF-2-mediated transcription. In support of this concept, the minimal AF-2 domain [VDR(408-427)] fused to the gal4 DNA binding domain was sufficient to mediate transactivation as well as interaction with putative coactivators. Introducing the L417S and E420Q mutations into the minimal AF-2 domain abolished this autonomous transactivation and coactivator interactions. Finally, we demonstrate that the minimal AF-2 domain interacted with an AF-2 deletion mutant of the VDR in a 1,25-(OH)2D3-dependent manner, suggesting a ligand-induced intramolecular folding of the VDR AF-2 domain. The L417S mutant of this domain disrupted the interaction with VDR ligand-binding domain, while the E420Q mutant did not affect this interaction. These studies suggest that the conserved AF-2 motif may mediate transactivation through ligand-dependent intermolecular interaction with coactivators and through ligand-induced intramolecular contacts with the VDR ligand-binding domain itself.
Cloud robotics: Formation control of a multi robot system utilizing cloud infrastructure

The pathway for the concept of cloud robotics is continually unfolding and revealing new opportunities in science. With this, the focus of the research paper is aimed at identifying the progress completed towards the development of a full scale cloud infrastructure to implement formation control on a multi robot system. A small scale cloud infrastructure was developed utilizing a single virtual machine operating with the boundaries of a hypervisor's resource pool. A robot with minimal hardware was constructed to work within the control of the cloud. Once the proof of concept on a lower tier has been completed, more advance robotics concepts, such as Null-Spaced-base behavior control and advanced neural network control, will be tested by offloading the computational load to the cloud infrastructure. The goal is to demonstrate the ability to simplify the robot hardware and implement control on a global scale utilizing the cloud infrastructure.
T-Maze Performance as a Function of Consummatory Activity

Wike and Barrientos ( 1957 ) examined the possibility that selective learning might be positively related to the duration of consummatory activity. Thirsty rats received T-maze training in which both responses were followed by a 5-ml. water reward, on one side through a 0.25-in. diameter tube and on the other through a 0.19-in, tube. The smaller tube required the longer duration consummatory response, and because Ss learned to approach the smaller tube it was concluded that reinforcement strength is posicively related to the duration of the consummatory response. This finding has great relevance for theories of reinforcement to the extent that it is not strictly dependent upon the specific details of this one experiment. The present experiment was performed under similar but slightly different conditions in an attempt to extend the generality of this previous finding.
Zebrafish and clean water technology: assessing soil bioretention as a protective treatment for toxic urban runoff

Urban stormwater contains a complex mixture of contaminants that can be acutely toxic to aquatic biota. Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is a set of evolving technologies intended to reduce impacts on natural systems by slowing and filtering runoff. The extent to which GSI methods work as intended is usually assessed in terms of water quantity (hydrology) and quality (chemistry). Biological indicators of GSI effectiveness have received less attention, despite an overarching goal of protecting the health of aquatic species. Here we use the zebrafish (Danio rerio) experimental model to evaluate bioinfiltration as a relatively inexpensive technology for treating runoff from an urban highway with dense motor vehicle traffic. Zebrafish embryos exposed to untreated runoff (48-96h; six storm events) displayed an array of developmental abnormalities, including delayed hatching, reduced growth, pericardial edema, microphthalmia (small eyes), and reduced swim bladder inflation. Three of the six storms were acutely lethal, and sublethal toxicity was evident across all storms, even when stormwater was diluted by as much as 95% in clean water. As anticipated from exposure to cardiotoxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), untreated runoff also caused heart failure, as indicated by circulatory stasis, pericardial edema, and looping defects. Bioretention treatment dramatically improved stormwater quality and reversed nearly all forms of developmental toxicity. The zebrafish model therefore provides a versatile experimental platform for rapidly assessing GSI effectiveness.
Simulating Diffuse Axonal Injury During Traumatic Brain Injury Events

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) affect up to 1.5 million people annually within the United States with as many as 250,000 being hospitalized and 50,000 dying [1]. TBI events occur when the brain experiences a sudden trauma such as a rapid acc/deceleration. These events produce high inertial forces that result in a shearing or elongation of axons (commonly known as Diffuse Axonal Injury [2].Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Hemolytic uremic syndrome in a patient with small cell lung cancer

Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a rare entity in patients with carcinoma and presents with a triad of renal insufficiency, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia. We report this syndrome for the first time in a patient with small cell lung carcinoma. Spontaneous platelet aggregation of washed normal platelets was demonstrated using patient plasma. Circulating immune complex levels were not elevated. The entity completely resolved after treatment with plasma, vincristine, aspirin, and dipyridamole.
Supercooling magnetic field and thermodynamic fluctuations in very thin superconducting aluminum films

We have used the fluctuation conductivity of very thin superconducting aluminum films in parallel magnetic fields $Hg{H}_{c}(T)$ to determine the supercooling field associated with Pauli paramagnetism at low temperature. Fields up to 9 T and temperatures down to 0.4 K were employed. The supercooling field was compared with theory and values of the spin-orbit scattering rate $b$ and orbital Maki parameter $c$ were obtained. The width of the superconducting transitions was compared with the Aslamazov-Larkin (AL) and Maki-Thompson (MT) contributions to the fluctuation conductivity as extended by Aoi to the Pauli paramagnetic limit. In general, the transitions were wider than expected from the AL contribution alone, but narrower than expected from the sum of the AL and MT contributions.
Long-term and short-term fluctuation in pattern discrimination perimetry.

We studied threshold fluctuation with the pattern discrimination perimeter in 24 healthy subjects at 56 locations within the central 30 degrees. This perimeter evaluates a subject's ability to discriminate a patterned stimulus measured by a percentage scale. We found an intraindividual fluctuation of 10.52% and an interindividual fluctuation of 8.78%. A statistically increased intraindividual, but not interindividual fluctuation was noted with increasing eccentricity from fixation (P t -test). The average threshold across all subjects was 54.3%, which provided an upper limit of normal, two standard deviations from the mean, of less than 80% for most locations. This study indicates that fluctuation should be considered when interpreting pattern discrimination fields, but that the extent of fluctuation generally allows for an adequate separation between normal and abnormal measurements.
A synergistic kinetics model for enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis compared to degree‐of‐synergism experimental results

It is demonstrated that a two-enzyme component synergistic model can account for the observation that the degree of synergism goes through a maximum as the total enzyme concentration is increased. The degree of synergism is low at low enzyme concentration because the extent of conversion is low and therefore the cellulose chain ends, present originally, are not exhausted; thus the action of the cellobiohydrolase (CBH) is not dependent on the chain ends generated by the endoglucanase (EG). The degree of synergism declines at high enzyme concentration due to saturation of adsorption sites with CBH, thus decreasing the generation of chain ends by EG.
Quadrupolar kondo effect in UBe13 (and other systems)

Abstract The electrical quadrupole Kondo effect is proposed as the origin of the unusual heavy electron behavior observed in UBe 13 . The possible non-fermi liquid character of the quenched quadrupole moment ground state can lead to low temperature structural instabilities. Prospects for observing this novel Kondo effect in other cubic (and tetragonal) uranium, praseodymium, terbium, and thulium based intermetallics are discussed. Normal s-wave superconductivity will be enhanced by time reversal-invariant scattering off of a quadrupolar Kondo impurity; a rough lower bound of the transition temperature increase per impurity is estimated.
Development and evaluation of optical needle depth sensor for percutaneous diagnosis and therapies

Current methods of needle insertion during percutaneous CT and MRI guided procedures lack precision in needle depth sensing. The depth of the needle insertion is currently monitored through depth markers drawn on the needle and later confirmed by intra-procedural imaging; until this confirmation, the physicians’ judgment that the target is reached is solely based on the depth markers, which are not always clearly visible. We have therefore designed an optical sensing device which provides continuous feedback of needle insertion depth and degree of rotation throughout insertion. An optical mouse sensor was used in conjunction with a microcontroller board, Arduino Due, to acquire needle position information. The device is designed to be attached to a needle guidance robot developed for MRI-guided prostate biopsy in order to aid the manual insertion. An LCD screen and three LEDs were employed with the Arduino Due to form a hand-held device displaying needle depth and rotation. Accuracy of the device was tested to evaluate the impact of insertion speed and rotation. Unlike single dimensional needle depth sensing developed by other researchers, this two dimensional sensing device can also detect the rotation around the needle axis. The combination of depth and rotation sensing would be greatly beneficial for the needle steering approaches that require both depth and rotation information. Our preliminary results indicate that this sensing device can be useful in detecting needle motion when using an appropriate speed and range of motion.
Pediatric extraadrenal paraganglioma.

Abstract Background: Pediatric paraganglioma is rare and extraadrenal paraganglioma has not been characterized in children. Methods: The authors reviewed the medical records and pathology samples of children with extraadrenal paraganglioma treated at our institution between December 1978 and September 2000. Clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome were evaluated. Results: Eight patients (median age, 11.4 years) were identified, 4 were boys and none had a family history of paraganglioma or associated syndromes. Primary tumors arose in the retroperitoneum (n = 3), carotid body (n = 2), jugulotympanic ganglion (n = 1), cervical-paraspinal region (n = 1), and lung (n = 1). Extraadrenal paraganglioma had not been suspected at presentation in any patient. Of 5 patients who underwent gross total resection at the time of diagnosis, 4 remain disease free, 1 had microscopic residual tumor and died of disease. Three patients had initially unresectable disease, 2 are disease free after neoadjuvant therapy and delayed surgery, and 1 has persistent disease after tumor embolization and radiotherapy. Conclusions: Pediatric extraadrenal paraganglioma occurs most commonly in the retroperitoneum and head and neck, and the diagnosis usually is not suspected at the time of presentation. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment, and outcome is good after gross total resection. Neoadjuvant therapy can facilitate complete resection of initially unresectable tumors.
A regional histochemical and electromyographic analysis of the cat respiratory diaphragm.

Abstract We analyzed the fiber type composition and pattern of electromyogram (EMG) activity in selected regions of the cat diaphragm. The muscles were composed of three basic fiber types. The percentages of each type varied markedly between and within the different regions. The muscle bordering the esophageal hiatus was highest in slow-twitch oxidative (SO) fibers, which appeared specialized to constrict the esophagus and help prevent gastroesophageal reflux. The hiatal muscle was also unique because it received bilateral phrenic motor innervation. Fiber type composition and EMG activity patterns correlated in a consistent manner, i.e., the areas highest in SO fibers yielded patterns of activity characteristic of low-threshold, tonic motor units and the regions lowest in SO and highest in fast glycolytic fibers generated patterns of activity distinctive of high-threshold, phasic motor units. All areas were electrically silent during expiration. Thus, our findings further substantiate the striking nonhomogeneous composition of the diaphragm and indicate that this heterogeneity is a consequence of regional specialization of function.
Negotiating the division of a reward under incomplete information

Abstract A mixed-motive bargaining game involving division of a joint reward by two negotiators was used in three experiments. For each bargaining problem each negotiator was privately assigned a minimum necessary share (MNS) which he had to exceed if agreement was to be profitable to him. Since each person had no direct knowledge of the other's MNS, conditions of incomplete information existed. The pattern of offers, concession rates, threats, lies, terminal actions, and time were analyzed to show overall data trends. The special problems involving unequal MNS values showed a consistent “low man's advantage” in profit gained and, as compared with equal-MNS problems, greater difficulty in reaching agreements. A nonparametric model of the bargaining process was constructed which postulated a resistance, R, to making successive concessions. This model was based on two sets of assumptions: coordinating assumptions, which link R to various observations of the process and its outcome, and distribution assumptions, which express the distribution of R over the various positions in which a person can be located during the course of negotiation. Defining the domain of positions only in terms of information directly available to each party (his own MNS and offer level), nonparametric assumptions about the distribution of R were found successfully to reproduce various aspects of the experimental data. The implications of the model for the mechanisms underlying the bargaining process are discussed.
Fourier Domain Low Coherence Transillumination Computed Tomography

We introduce an extension of Fourier Domain OCT to computed tomographic imaging in thick highly scattering tissues.