cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comments on the use of electromagnetic fields in biological studies

For biological or cellular experiments using electromagnetic fields it is essential that the parameters defining the field be accurately specified if the results are to be meaningful and are to be compared with the same experiment conducted in a different laboratory. The interaction of living systems with electric and magnetic fields can some only through forces exerted on the charges on the system. If the charges are stationary the only origin of the force is the electric field. The electric field may be established by charge distributions, as in “capacitative plate” experiments, or by time-varying magnetic fields. A geometry commonly used to produce time-varying magnetic fields consists of a pair of coaxial coils each of equal radius and separated by a distance about equal to the radius. The electric field induced by a varying current in such a pair of coils varies both in space and in time. The field is always zero on the axis of symmetry, and increases to a maximum near the radius of the coils. The strength is proportional to the time-rate-of-change of the current in the coil, which depends not only on the amplitude and shape of the voltage pulse applied to the coil but also on the resistance and inductance of the coil. The purpose of this note is to describe how the important physical parameters may be determined.
Enhancement of embryogenic culture initiation from tissues of mature sweetgum trees

Male inflorescences, female inflorescences, and leaves collected from dormant buds of three sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) trees were tested for induction of somatic embryogenesis following treatment with thidiazuron, naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or different combinations of the two. Explants were placed into culture either within a few days after collection or following 2 months of storage at –15 °C. Although embryogenic cultures were obtained from all three trees, embryogenesis induction was strongly affected by genotype (source tree), with 100% of the staminate inflorescence explants from one tree producing embryogenic cultures in one experiment. Embryogenesis induction was also influenced by explant type, with staminate inflorescences up to five times more likely to produce an embryogenic culture than female inflorescences. No embryogenic cultures were obtained from leaf explants. While treatment with plant growth regulators was not required for embryogenesis induction from inflorescence explants, culture on medium with NAA alone resulted in the highest production of repetitively embryogenic cultures and cultures producing proembryogenic masses. Dormant buds stored for 2 months at –15 °C were still able to produce embryogenic cultures, although frozen storage decreased this ability by over one-half for staminate inflorescences.
Enhancing dopant solubility via epitaxial surfactant growth

A general concept for enhancing dopant solubility via epitaxial surfactant growth is proposed. The key of the concept is to find the appropriate surfactants that generate high (low) levels that can transfer electrons (holes) to dopant acceptor (donor) levels in $p$-type ($n$-type) doping, thus significantly lowering the formation energy of dopants. Using first-principles density-functional calculations, our concept explains excellently the recently discovered dual-surfactant effect of Sb and H on enhancing Zn doping in epitaxially grown GaP(100) thin film and suggests that sole surfactant Te can also induce enhancement of N solubility in ZnSe(100) film. We also proposed the surfactants for enhancing $p$-type doing of ZnO with epitaxial growth with $(000\overline{1})$ surface. General rules for selecting surfactants for enhancing both $p$-type and $n$-type dopings are provided.
Regional compliance and bronchial pressure-diameter relationships in excised pig lungs.

Abstract We estimated the magnitude of parenchymal interdependence in excised pig lungs by measuring small airway diameter during homogeneous and nonhomogeneous lung inflation, by comparing the ratio of the specific compliance of the lung (Cl) to the specific compliance of a single lung region (Cs) and by using a continuum mechanics analysis to estimate the pressure at the interface between a single lung region and the surrounding lung. We found that the diameter of airways in a single lung region increased when the lung was held at a transpulmonary pressure (Ptp) of 5, 10 or 15 cmH2O and pressure in the region was increased by up to Ptp + 15 cmH2O, indicating that the surrounding lung offered little resistance to expansion of the lung region. The ratio of Cl to Cs averaged 1.22 (n = 5 lungs), indicating that the parenchyma surrounding the lung region caused a small reduction in its distensibility. When the lung was held at a Ptp of 5 cmH2O, pressure at the interface was estimated to be 1.1, 0.8 and −1.9 cmH2O when pressure in the single lung region was 15, 10 and 0 cmH2O, respectively. The relatively small change in boundary pressure from pleural pressure as the region was inflated or deflated indicated that the mechanical interaction between adjacent lung regions was small. Taken together, these results confirm the prediction of a small interdependence effect as determined by measurements of the distensibility and distortability of the pulmonary parenchyma.
The isolation and identification of three diuretic kinins from the abdominal ventral nerve cord of adult Helicoverpa zea

Three novel diuretic peptides have been isolated and identified from the abdominal ventral nerve cord of the adult corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea. The peptides belong to the kinin family of myotropic and diuretic peptides and have the following sequences: YFSPWGamide, VRFSPWGamide, and KVKFSAWGamide. These peptides, which we refer to as the helicokinins, are potent stimulators of secretion by the Malpighian tubules of Manduca sexta. All three of the helicokinins stimulated secretion by M. sexta tubules at concentrations below 10−11 M. The helicokinins are the first kinins to be identified from a lepidopteran, and the first diuretic peptides to be identified specifically from the abdominal ventral nerve cord of any insect.
The developmental onset of NMDA receptor-channel activity during neuronal migration.

Abstract Patch-clamp recordings of granule cells in thin slices of developing rat cerebellum maintained in vitro displayed spontaneous single-channel activity mediated via activation of N- methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors. The frequency of tonic single-channel activity was reversibly inhibited by the NMDA receptor/channel antagonists d -2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate ( d -AP5), 7-chloro-kynurenate (7-Cl-Kynu) and MgCl2, potentiated by glycine, and unaffected by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) or tetrodotoxin (TTX). Tonic channel activity was also reversibly inhibited by enzymatic degradation of endogenous glutamate by glutamate pyruvate transaminase, which did not affect the NMDA sensitivity of granule cells. Both the frequency of spontaneous channel activity and the NMDA sensitivity were low in premigratory cells of the external germinal layer (EGL), with large increases observed in migrating cells in the molecular layer (ML) and in postmigratory cells within the internal granule cell layer (GCL). Tonic channel activity was enhanced by the glutamate uptake inhibitor l -α-aminoadipate ( l -α-AA), the degree of enhancement being greater in the EGL than the GCL. The results demonstrate that a dramatic increase in the tonic NMDA receptor-channel activity occurs during the stages of granule cell differentiation, migration and synaptogenesis, which is driven by endogenous glutamate release and regulated by NMDA receptor density and local glutamate uptake.
Human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitors modulate Ca2+ homeostasis and potentiate alcoholic stress and injury in mice and primary mouse and human hepatocytes.

A portion of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients undergoing protease inhibitor (PI) therapy concomitantly consume or abuse alcohol leading to hepatic injury. The underling mechanisms are not known. We hypothesize that HIV PIs aggravate alcohol-induced liver injury through an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress mechanism. To address this, we treated mice, primary mouse hepatocytes (PMHs), and primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) with alcohol and the HIV PIs ritonavir (RIT) and lopinavir (LOP). In mice, RIT and LOP induced mild ER stress and inhibition of sarco/ER calcium-ATPase (SERCA) without significant increase in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. However, a single dose of alcohol plus the two HIV PIs caused a more than five-fold increase in serum ALT, a synergistic increase in alcohol-induced liver lipid accumulation and ER stress response, and a decrease of SERCA. Mice treated with chronic HIV PIs and alcohol developed moderate liver fibrosis. In PMHs, the HIV drugs plus alcohol also inhibited SERCA expression and increased expression of glucose-regulated protein 78, C/EBP homologous protein, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c, and phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase 2, which were accompanied by a synergistic increase in cell death compared with alcohol or the HIV drugs alone. In PHHs, treatment with RIT and LOP or alcohol alone increased messenger RNA of spliced X box-binding protein 1 and decreased SERCA, which were accompanied by reduced levels of intracellular calcium. Alcohol combined with the HIV drugs significantly reduced intracellular calcium levels and potentiated cell death, which was comparable to the cell death caused by the SERCA inhibitor thapsigargin. Conclusion: Our findings suggest the possibility that HIV PIs potentiate alcohol-induced ER stress and injury through modulation of SERCA and maintaining calcium homeostasis could be a therapeutic aim for better care of HIV patients. (HEPATOLOGY 2012;)
Bleeding risk secondary to deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis in patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Introduction:Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) continue to pose a major burden on the health care system in the United States. The precise timing of anticoagulation initiation ...
Synthesis of Single-Crystalline Perovskite Nanorods Composed of Barium Titanate and Strontium Titanate

We report the solution-based synthesis of single-crystalline nanorods composed of barium titanate (BaTiO3) and strontium titanate (SrTiO3), which yields well-isolated nanorods with diameters ranging from 5 to 60 nm and lengths reaching up to >10 μm. Electron microscopy and diffraction measurements show that these nanorods are composed of single-crystalline cubic perovskite BaTiO3 and SrTiO3 with a principal axis of the unit cell preferentially aligned along the wire length. These BaTiO3 and SrTiO3 nanorods should provide promising materials for fundamental investigations on nanoscale ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, and paraelectricity.
Reduced expression of lipoic acid synthase accelerates diabetic nephropathy

Oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. In mitochondria, lipoic acid synthase produces a-lipoic acid, an antioxidant and an essential cofactor in a-ketoacid dehydrogenase complexes, which participate in glucose oxidation and ATP generation. Administration of lipoic acid abrogates diabetic nephropathy in animal models, but whether lower production of endogenous lipoic acid promotes diabetic nephropathy is unknown. Here, we crossed mice heterozygous for lipoic acid synthase deficiency (Lias +/2 )w ithIns2 Akita/+ mice, a well characterized model of type 1 diabetes. Double mutant mice had more overt diabetic nephropathy, including microalbuminuria, glomerular basement thickening, mesangial matrix expansion, and hypertension, compared with Lias +/+ Ins2 Akita/+ controls. We also identified proximal tubules as a major site for generation of superoxide anions during diabetic nephropathy. Mitochondria in proximal tubular cells were particularly sensitive to damage in diabetic mice with reduced lipoic acid production. These results suggest that lipoic acid synthase deficiency increases oxidative stress and accelerates the development of diabetic nephropathy.
Walk the line: consistent network updates with bandwidth guarantees

New advances in technologies for high-speed and seamless migration of VMs turns VM migration into a promising and efficient means for load balancing, configuration, power saving, attaining a better resource utilization by reallocating VMs, cost management, etc. in data centers. Despite these numerous benefits, VM migration is still a challenging task for providers, since moving VMs requires update of network state, which consequently could lead to inconsistencies, outages, creation of loops and violations of service level (SLA) agreement requirements. Many applications today like financial services, social networking, recommendation systems, and web search cannot tolerate such problems or degradation of service [5, 12]. On the positive side, the emerging trend of Software Defined Networking (SDN) provides a powerful tool for tackling these challenging problems. In SDN, management applications are run by a logically-centralized controller that directly controls the packet handling functionality of the underlying switches. For example, OpenFlow, a recently proposed mechanism for SDN, provides an API that allows the controller to install rules in switches, process data packets, learn the topology changes, and query traffic counters [13]. The ability to run algorithms in a logically centralized location, and precisely manipulate the forwarding layer of switches creates a new opportunity for transitioning the network between two states. In particular this paper studies the question: given a start-
Some notes on the history of Haber's law.

Haber’s law or rule, as commonly understood in inhalation toxicology, states: C 3 T 5 constant, meaning that identical products of concentration of an agent in air (C) and duration of exposure (T), the CT product, will yield an identical biological response. The formula was originally developed by the German physical chemist Fritz Haber (1868–1934) to characterize the acute toxicity of chemicals used in gas warfare (for a brief history of the life of Fritz Haber, see Witschi, 1997). Eventually, this simple equation was used as scientific basis for the setting of exposure limits (see Atherley, 1985 and Henschler, 1984 for a critical discussion of the CT concept in standard setting). Animal experiments show that the rule does not always apply. When the effects of phosgene on pulmonary gas exchange were measured within a time interval of 5 min to 8 h, it was concluded that “there was no indication that concentration contributed more than exposure time to the magnitude of change in pulmonary performance over the range of CT values studied” (Rinehart and Hatch, 1964). In this experiment, the rule was valid. On the other hand, when the effects of subchronic phosgene exposure were examined, the unequivocal conclusion was reached that phosgene concentration rather than C 3 T product appeared to drive the toxic response (Kodavanti et al. 1997). In studies with another acutely toxic agent, ozone, similar observations were made: when protein retrieved from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was measured as the toxicological endpoint, Haber’s rule was valid (Gelzleichter et al. 1992; Highfill et al. 1992). When the identical exposure protocol was used, but a different endpoint was measured (cell renewal in the airways), the concentration of the inhalant or the dose rate at which ozone was delivered appeared to be the driving determinant of toxicity (Rajini et al. 1993). Experiments designed specifically to test the validity of the CT concept thus can either confirm it or contradict it, and often the conclusions that are drawn depend upon the toxicological endpoints that were measured. Nevertheless, it is generally agreed that the CT could not apply to an infinite time of exposure, or there would be no safe exposure limits for prolonged or repeated exposures. Concentration of an airborne agent, which eventually will determine the dose, is generally considered the most important determining factor in toxicity. The importance of dose as a variable in toxicology has been recognized since Paracelsus. The importance of time is usually less well understood, but appears to be of equally fundamental significance, and some recent experiments shed indeed some new light on the CT concept (Rozman, 1999; Rozman et al. 1998). It is therefore appropriate to go back and take a closer look at the origins of Haber’s law and at how it was interpreted by the scientists who developed the concept.
System Na2O-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2

Phase relations in the NMAS system are directly applicable to the classic problem of the origin of the tholeiitic and alkali basalts. The two magma types are separated at 1 atm by a thermal divide between forsterite and albite [396]. Yoder and Tilley [472] showed that this thermal divide breaks down at high pressures and is replaced by a new thermal divide between enstatite and jadeite, responsible for the change in the composition of the basaltic melts from tholeiitic at lower pressures to alkaline at higher pressures. This reflects the depth of origin, which is shallow for the tholeiitic magmas, typically generated under the mid-ocean ridges, but greater for the alkali basaltic magmas originating under the older and thicker oceanic lithosphere.
Temperature‐Dependent Electrical Transport in Polymer‐Sorted Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube Networks

The temperature dependence of the electrical characteristics of field-effect transistors (FETs) based on polymer-sorted, large-diameter semiconducting carbon nanotube networks is investigated. The temperature dependences of both the carrier mobility and the source-drain current in the range of 78 K to 293 K indicate thermally activated, but non-Arrhenius, charge transport. The hysteresis in the transfer characteristics of FETs shows a simultaneous reduction with decreasing temperature. The hysteresis appears to stem from screening of charges that are transferred from the carbon nanotubes to traps at the surface of the gate dielectric. The temperature dependence of sheet resistance of the carbon nanotube networks, extracted from FET characteristics at constant carrier concentration, specifies fluctuation-induced tunneling as the mechanism responsible for charge transport, with an activation energy that is dependent on film thickness. Our study indicates inter-tube tunneling to be the bottleneck and implicates the role of the polymer coating in influencing charge transport in polymer-sorted carbon nanotube networks.
The Problem of Excess

This article argues for a new branch of theory based not on presumptions of scarcity— which are the foundational presumptions of most existing social theory—but on those of excess. The article first discusses the emergence of scarcity’s dominance in social theory. It then considers and rejects the idea that excess of one thing is simply scarcity of another. It discusses the mechanisms by which excess creates problems, noting three such mechanisms at the individual level (paralysis, habituation, and value contextuality) and two further mechanisms (disruption and misinheritance) at the social level. The article then considers four types of strategies with which we address excess: two reduction strategies (defensive and reactive) and two rescaling strategies (adaptive and creative). It closes with some brief illustrations of how familiar questions can be recast from terms of scarcity into terms of excess.
Does it always feel good to get what you want? Young children differentiate between material and wicked desires.

One line of research on children’s attributions of guilt suggests that 3-year-olds attribute negative emotion to self-serving victimizers, slightly older children attribute happiness, and with increasing age, attributions become negative again (i.e., a three-step model; Yuill et al., 1996, Br. J. Dev. Psychol., 14, 457). Another line of research provides reason to expect that 3-year-olds may be predisposed to view self-serving moral transgression as leading to positive emotion; this is a linear developmental model in which emotion attributions to transgressors become increasingly negative over the course of childhood (e.g., Nunner-Winkler & Sodian, 1988, Child Dev., 59, 1323). However, key differences in methodology make it difficult to compare across these findings. The present study was designed to address this problem. We asked how 3- to 9-year-old children (n = 111) reason about transgression scenarios that involve satisfying wicked desires (wanting to cause harm and doing so successfully) versus material desires (wanting an object and getting it successfully via harmful behaviour). Three-year-old children reasoned differently about desire and emotion across these two types of transgressions, attributing negative emotion in the case of wicked desires and positive emotion in the case of material desires. This pattern of emotion attribution by young children provides new information about how young children process information about desires and emotions in the moral domain, and it bridges a gap in the existing literature on this topic.
Is Playing Video Games Related to Cognitive Abilities

The relations between video-game experience and cognitive abilities were examined in the current study. In two experiments, subjects performed a number of working memory, fluid intelligence, and attention-control measures and filled out a questionnaire about their video-game experience. In Experiment 1, an extreme-groups analysis indicated that experienced video-game players outperformed nonplayers on several cognitive-ability measures. However, in Experiments 1 and 2, when analyses examined the full range of subjects at both the task level and the latent-construct level, nearly all of the relations between video-game experience and cognitive abilities were near zero. These results cast doubt on recent claims that playing video games leads to enhanced cognitive abilities. Statistical and methodological issues with prior studies of video-game experience are discussed along with recommendations for future studies.
High-Performance Designs for Linear Algebra Operations on Reconfigurable Hardware

Numerical linear algebra operations are key primitives in scientific computing. Performance optimizations of such operations have been extensively investigated. With the rapid advances in technology, hardware acceleration of linear algebra applications using FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) has become feasible. In this paper, we propose FPGA-based designs for several basic linear algebra operations, including dot product, matrix-vector multiplication, matrix multiplication and matrix factorization. By identifying the parameters for each operation, we analyze the trade-offs and propose a high-performance design. In the implementations of the designs, the values of the parameters are determined according to the hardware constraints, such as the available chip area, the size of available memory, the memory bandwidth, and the number of I/O pins. The proposed designs are implemented on Xilinx Virtex-II Pro FPGAs. Experimental results show that our designs scale with the available hardware resources. Also, the performance of our designs compares favorably with that of general-purpose processor based designs. We also show that with faster floating-point units and larger devices, the performance of our designs increases accordingly.
A family affair: var genes, PfEMP1 binding, and malaria disease

An immunovariant adhesion protein family in Plasmodium falciparum named erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), encoded by var genes, is responsible for both antigenic variation and cytoadhesion of infected erythrocytes at blood microvasculature sites throughout the body. Elucidation of the genome sequence of P. falciparum has revealed that var genes can be classified into different groups, each with distinct 5' flanking sequences, chromosomal locations and gene orientations. Recent binding and serological comparisons suggest that this genomic organization might cause var genes to diversify into separately recombining adhesion groups that have different roles in infection and disease. Detailed understanding of PfEMP1 expression and receptor binding mechanisms during infection and of the antigenic relatedness of disease variants might lead to new approaches in prevention of malaria disease.
Mechanotransduction of Endothelial Oxidative Stress Induced by Cyclic Strain

Atherosclerotic lesions display a nonuniform distribution throughout the vascular tree. Mechanical forces produced by local alterations in blood flow may play an important role in the localization of atherosclerosis. One such force, cyclic strain, has been hypothesized to promote atherogenesis by inducing oxidative stress in endothelial cells, resulting in enhanced endothelial adhesiveness for monocytes. To investigate the signal transduction systems involved, human aortic endothelial cells were plated on flexible silicone strips that were either non-coated or adsorbed with poly-L-lysine, vitronectin, fibronectin, or collagen I. Cells were then subjected to uniform sinusoidal stretch (10%) for 6 h. Endothelial superoxide anion production was increased in cells exposed to cyclic strain compared to static conditions. Furthermore, endothelial oxidative response to stretch was matrix protein-dependent, whereas cells grown on fibronectin and collagen I produced significantly more superoxide. The oxidative resp...
Solution structure of the transmembrane H+-transporting subunit c of the F1F0 ATP synthase.

Subunit c is the H+-translocating component of the F1Fo ATP synthase complex. H+ transport is coupled to conformational changes that ultimately lead to ATP synthesis by the enzyme. The properties of the monomeric subunit in a single-phase solution of chloroform−methanol−water (4:4:1) have been shown to mimic those of the protein in the native complex. Triple resonance NMR experiments were used to determine the complete structure of monomeric subunit c in this solvent mixture. The structure of the protein was defined by >2000 interproton distances, 64 3JNα, and 43 hydrogen-bonding NMR-derived restraints. The root mean squared deviation for the backbone atoms of the two transmembrane helices was 0.63 A. The protein folds as a hairpin of two antiparallel helical segments, connected by a short structured loop. The conserved Arg41-Gln42-Pro43 form the top of this loop. The essential H+-transporting Asp61 residue is located at a slight break in the middle of the C-terminal helix, just prior to Pro64. The C-term...
Culturalization of Software Architecture: Issues and Challenges

Culturalization of the software architecture started in the 1990s with the user interface. Culturalization of core issues was discussed by Kersten in 2001. However, advances in technology in recent years, increased demands to accommodate new cultures and languages, presented new challenges which require deeper understanding and richer perspective. There has been little discussion about the values and practices that are embedded in the data and language issues of the software especially for bidirectional language such as Arabic and Hebrew.
On Praxeology and the Praxeological Foundation of Epistemology

As have most great and innovative economists, Ludwig von Mises intensively and repeatedly analyzed the problem of the logical status of economic propositions, i.e., how we come to know them and how we validate them. Indeed, Mises ranks foremost among those who hold that such a concern is indispensable in order to achieve systematic progress in economics. For any misconception regarding the answer to such fundamental questions of one’s intellectual enterprise would have to lead to intellectual disaster, i.e., to false economic doctrines. Accordingly, three of Mises’s books are devoted entirely to clarifying the logical foundations of economics: His early Epistemological Problems of Economics, published in German in 1933; his Theory and History of 1957; and his Ultimate Foundations of Economic Science of 1962, Mises’s last book, appearing when he was already well past his eightieth birthday. And his works in the field of economics proper also invariably display the importance which Mises attached to the analysis of epistemological problems. Most characteristically, Human Action, his masterpiece, deals in its first hundred odd pages exclusively with such problems, and the other nearly 800 pages of the book are permeated with epistemological considerations.
A comparison of American and European psychiatric disorders

(1993). A comparison of American and European psychiatric disorders. Journal of Mental Health: Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 349-354.
Perception of “Healthy” Body Weight by Patients With Diabetes

Although weight management is important to diabetes treatment (1–3), obesity remains common among adults with diabetes (4). This may reflect the difficulty of promoting weight loss (5) or inattention to obesity management during routine clinical practice (6). Since self-management is a major tenet of diabetes care (4), patient understanding of weight-related health risk may be an important step toward setting healthy lifestyle goals and effective weight management. We sought to understand how well patients with diabetes who receive care in primary care practices could identify healthy body weight. During a diabetes education initiative, a survey was mailed to 2,607 patients with diabetes from three university-based general medicine practices in a single urban area. It included questions on knowledge (diabetes knowledge test, general knowledge subscale [7]) and behaviors related to diabetes. Patients were also asked to report their current height and weight, and “the healthiest weight for your height.” To ensure privacy, patients with diabetes were identified anonymously from the practices’ electronic medical records. Participant responses were anonymous; to avoid undue burden on nonresponders uninterested in participating, the University’s Institutional Review Board precluded multiple mailings. Each participant’s current BMI (weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters [kg/m2]) was calculated. Likewise, perceived healthiest BMI was calculated from reported current height and “healthiest” weight. If the current BMI was higher …
Inhibition of Inactive States of Tetrodotoxin-Sensitive Sodium Channels Reduces Spontaneous Firing of C-Fiber Nociceptors and Produces Analgesia in Formalin and Complete Freund’s Adjuvant Models of Pain

While genetic evidence shows that the Nav1.7 voltage-gated sodium ion channel is a key regulator of pain, it is unclear exactly how Nav1.7 governs neuronal firing and what biophysical, physiological, and distribution properties of a pharmacological Nav1.7 inhibitor are required to produce analgesia. Here we characterize a series of aminotriazine inhibitors of Nav1.7 in vitro and in rodent models of pain and test the effects of the previously reported “compound 52” aminotriazine inhibitor on the spiking properties of nociceptors in vivo. Multiple aminotriazines, including some with low terminal brain to plasma concentration ratios, showed analgesic efficacy in the formalin model of pain. Effective concentrations were consistent with the in vitro potency as measured on partially-inactivated Nav1.7 but were far below concentrations required to inhibit non-inactivated Nav1.7. Compound 52 also reversed thermal hyperalgesia in the complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) model of pain. To study neuronal mechanisms, electrophysiological recordings were made in vivo from single nociceptive fibers from the rat tibial nerve one day after CFA injection. Compound 52 reduced the spontaneous firing of C-fiber nociceptors from approximately 0.7 Hz to 0.2 Hz and decreased the number of action potentials evoked by suprathreshold tactile and heat stimuli. It did not, however, appreciably alter the C-fiber thresholds for response to tactile or thermal stimuli. Surprisingly, compound 52 did not affect spontaneous activity or evoked responses of Aδ-fiber nociceptors. Results suggest that inhibition of inactivated states of TTX-S channels, mostly likely Nav1.7, in the peripheral nervous system produces analgesia by regulating the spontaneous discharge of C-fiber nociceptors.
Integrating switching costs to information systems adoption: An empirical study on learning management systems

When evaluating a new information system, users' experiences with the prior system, as well as characteristics of the new system, may influence their adoption behavior. However, most existing research either focuses solely on assessment of the new system using information systems adoption theories, or focuses only on the extent and types of switching costs associated with the transition from the prior system to the new one. In addition, little research has examined system switching and adoption of new learning management systems. To address these gaps, this study develops a research model that integrates the theoretical perspectives of switching costs and information systems adoption. The model is developed and tested in the context of the adoption of learning management systems. The results indicate that emotional costs and reduced performance costs can significantly influence perceived switching value. Perceived switching value, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence have significant impacts on users' intention to use the new learning management system.
Finite-Dimensional Filters with Nonlinear Drift. XII: Linear and Constant Structure of Wong-Matrix

This is the first of final two papers in this series which will give complete classification of the finite dimensional estimation algebra of maximal rank (cf. Definition 2 in Sec. 2), a problem proposed by R. Brockett in his invited lecture at the International Congress of Mathematics in 1983. The concept of estimation algebra (Lie algebra) was first introduced by Brockett and Mitter independently. This concept plays a crucial role in the investigation of finite-dimensional nonlinear filters. Since 1990, Yau has launched a program to study Brockett’s problem. He first considered Wong’s anti-symmetric matrix Ω = (ω ij) = (∂f j/∂x i − ∂f i/∂x j), where f denotes the drift term in equation (1). He solved the Brockett’s problem when Ω matrix has only constant entries. Yau’s program is to show that Ω matrix must have constant entries for finite dimensional estimation algebra. Recently Chen and Yau studied the structure of quadratic forms in a finite-dimensional estimation algebra. Let k be the quadratic rank of the estimation algebra and n be the dimension of the state space. They showed that the left upper corner (ω ij), 1 ≤ i,j ≤ k, of Ω matrix is a matrix with constant coefficients. In this paper, we shall show that the lower right corner (ω ij), k + 1 ≤ i,j ≤ n, of Ω matrix is also a constant matrix.
Regulation of Stem Cell Proliferation and Cell Fate Specification by Wingless/Wnt Signaling Gradients Enriched at Adult Intestinal Compartment Boundaries

Intestinal stem cell (ISC) self-renewal and proliferation are directed by Wnt/β-catenin signaling in mammals, whereas aberrant Wnt pathway activation in ISCs triggers the development of human colorectal carcinoma. Herein, we have utilized the Drosophila midgut, a powerful model for ISC regulation, to elucidate the mechanisms by which Wingless (Wg)/Wnt regulates intestinal homeostasis and development. We provide evidence that the Wg signaling pathway, activation of which peaks at each of the major compartment boundaries of the adult intestine, has essential functions. Wg pathway activation in the intestinal epithelium is required not only to specify cell fate near compartment boundaries during development, but also to control ISC proliferation within compartments during homeostasis. Further, in contrast with the previous focus on Wg pathway activation within ISCs, we demonstrate that the primary mechanism by which Wg signaling regulates ISC proliferation during homeostasis is non-autonomous. Activation of the Wg pathway in absorptive enterocytes is required to suppress JAK-STAT signaling in neighboring ISCs, and thereby their proliferation. We conclude that Wg signaling gradients have essential roles during homeostasis and development of the adult intestine, non-autonomously controlling stem cell proliferation inside compartments, and autonomously specifying cell fate near compartment boundaries.
Philadelphia's Progressive-Era Bureau of Municipal Research

This article examines the early work of the Philadelphia Bureau of Municipal Research (PBMR), the second organization incorporated to use scientific management insights to improve urban government. Comparisons are made between some of PBMR's initiatives and those of its more famous counterpart, the New York Bureau of Municipal Research. While the two organizations shared an agenda to spearhead increases in city health-care programs for the poor, differences existed in their conception of citizen roles. Examining these differences spotlights the importance to participation discourse of understanding how organizations involve people in active citizenship.
Boundary-Layer Stability Analysis of the Mean Flows Obtained Using Unstructured Grids

Boundary-layer stability analyses of mean flows extracted from unstructured-grid Navier- Stokes solutions have been performed. A procedure has been developed to extract mean flow profiles from the FUN3D unstructured-grid solutions. Extensive code-to-code validations have been performed by comparing the extracted mean ows as well as the corresponding stability characteristics to the predictions based on structured-grid solutions. Comparisons are made on a range of problems from a simple at plate to a full aircraft configuration-a modified Gulfstream-III with a natural laminar flow glove. The future aim of the project is to extend the adjoint-based design capability in FUN3D to include natural laminar flow and laminar flow control by integrating it with boundary-layer stability analysis codes, such as LASTRAC.
Properties of Petroleum Oils in Relation to Toxicity to Citrus Red Mite Eggs

In a program designed to develop specifications for spray oils to be used on citrus in Florida, 3 series of petroleum fractions were tested in the laboratory on eggs of the citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (McGregor). The objective was to relate chemical and physical properties of the oils to ovicidal efficiency. Twenty-five fractions were studied: 8 of naphthenic base, 9 of paraffinic base, and 8 of “reformed” oil. Molecular weight ranges of the 3 series were 250–110, 250–520, and 250–365, respectively. Citrus red mite eggs on immature orange fruit were treated with each oil over a deposit range sufficient to establish dosage-mortality relationships. Oil desposits from a laboratory air-blast sprayer were determined spectrophotometrically. LD95, values were obtained by probit analysis. The relative efficiency of the 3 series was, in decreasing order, reformed, paraffinic, and naphthenic. The 3 series were compared at an LD03 value of 30 μg of oil/cm2 of host fruit rind surface, selected as the maximum deposit for efficient kill. The corresponding minimum physical property values for the reformed, paraffinic, and naphthenic types were: (1) molecular weight—285, 304, 313; (2) viscosity (SSU at 100°F)—52, 61, 75; and (3) 50% distillation point—660, 694, 677°F, respectively. The lighter oils in each series were highly inefficient. Efficiency increased gradually with heaviness of the oil beyond the above values to a point of maximum efficiency. The oils with physical property values higher than the maxima for efficiency gave lower kill per unit weight of oil.
Adolescent Unrest: A Form of Social Neoteny?

Attempts ro derive psychological and sociological principles by finding analogies with biological laws have long been considered unproductive (Sorokin, 1928, Chap. 4) . Nevertheless, great utility has been claimed for Bertalanffy's general systems analysis for identifying interdisciplinary parallels (Grinker, 1976; Miller, 1976). The gross phenomena of closely related subjects like behavioral evolution (Kuttner, 1960) or cultural and biological evolution (Kunner & Swan, 1974) can be easily united but a more critical test requires the discovery of common patterns in subordinate or smaller scaled processes. As a possible application of Bertalanffy's metatheory, we suggest that the social behavior categorized as the "Youth Protest of the Sixties" be interpreted as a phenomenon similar to the biological mechanism termed neoteny, fetalization, or pedomorphosis. When biological evolution reaches a dead-end, a novel environmental challenge may threaten a species which has exhausted its adaptive potential by a full commitment to a rigid life style (DeBeer, 1951). In such cases evolution may operate on larval or juvenile forms that still retain flexibility by virtue of their immature development. The standard example is the "adult" larvae of the Axolotl newt which escapes hostile land environments by remaining aquatic. The origin of adolescent unrest may stem from an accelerated technology that renders parental norms obsolescent (Mead, 1969) along with pressures resulting from earlier sexual maturity coupled with delayed economic independence. Once triggered by events, however, the search for solutions produces a schism between generations, with the young placing less reliance on conventional tactics and showing greater willingness to explore non-habitual cultural responses. A society accepting direction from youthful elements can be said to express a neotenic change. If fine-grained comparative analysis justifies the idea that youthful reformism is equivalent to social neoteny, an established evolutionary process, then the search for ocher parallels between psychology, sociology, and biology might reveal the common framework and broad structural resemblances postulated by the metatheory of general systems analysts.
Defect Reduction by Tilted Zone Crystallization of Patterned Silicon Films on Fused Silica

It is well known that crystal growth and defect propagation occur along the local thermal gradient at a liquid - solid interface, It is shown here that this property can be used to greatly reduce the density of structural defects in zone crystallized silicon thin films on amorphous substrates, A solidification front perpendicular to the direction of zone motion has its in - plane component of the thermal gradient parallel to the direction of zone motion. In this case, the defects, once nucleated, propagate along this zone path and the defect density reaches a steady state value. By using striped polysilicon patterning and a solidification front tilted relative to the molten zone path, a defect-free region is shown to occur. It is also shown that defects, once nucleated, are swept laterally from the region of interest and are terminated at the stripe boundary Methods of forming a tilted interface are proposed and demonstrated for CO2 laser crystallization.
Application Effect of 3D Seismic Exploration in Magmatic Intrusion Area

In the article,in view of characteristics of complicated coal seam structure and large thickness change,and the fist time carrying out 3D seismic exploration in complicated mountains area,we are introduce some technical difficulty,corresponding measurements and good geology results which we have obtained.The technical measurements is feasible and acquire good results by practical mining data.
The Energy Consumption Analysis of Reactive Black KN-B Wastewater Treatment by Electrocoagulation with a Sacrificial Iron Anode

Analysis is conducted on the effects of operational parameters on energy consumption in the treatment for reactive black KN-B wastewater by electrocoagulation with a sacrificial iron anode.The results show: current density,initial pH value,temperature of wastewater,initial concentration of dyeing wastewater and concentration of electrolyte obviously affects energy consumption,and the exponential curve equation among energy consumption,current density,initial concentration of dyeing wastewater and concentration of electrolyte is obtained; temperature affects little on decolorization efficiency while current efficiency is affected greatly by concentration of electrolyte and initial pH value of dyeing wastewater;to reactive black KN-B wastewater with concentration of 50 mg/L,decolorization efficiency can reach 93% with energy consumption of 4.14(kW·h)/kg and current efficiency of 105.29% under conditions: current strength 20.83 A/m2,temperature 25 ℃,concentration of Na2SO4 0.01 mol/L and pH 7.13.
Test-Enhanced Learning in an Immunology and Infectious Disease Medicinal Chemistry/Pharmacology Course

Objective. To develop a series of active-learning modules that would improve pharmacy students' performance on summative assessments. Design. A series of optional online active-learning modules containing questions with multiple formats for topics in a first-year (P1) course was created using a test-enhanced learning approach. A subset of module questions was modified and included on summative assessments. Assessment. Student performance on module questions improved with repeated attempts and was predictive of student performance on summative assessments. Performance on examination questions was higher for students with access to modules than for those without access to modules. Module use appeared to have the most impact on low performing students. Conclusion. Test-enhanced learning modules with immediate feedback provide pharmacy students with a learning tool that improves student performance on summative assessments and also may improve metacognitive and test-taking skills.
Determination of photoelectrochemical water oxidation intermediates on haematite electrode surfaces using operando infrared spectroscopy

Semiconductor electrodes capable of using solar photons to drive water-splitting reactions, such as haematite (α-Fe2O3), have been the subject of tremendous interest over recent decades. The surface has been found to play a significant role in determining the efficiency of water oxidation with haematite; however, previous works have only allowed hypotheses to be formulated regarding the identity of relevant surface species. Here we investigate the water-oxidation reaction on haematite using infrared spectroscopy under photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-oxidation conditions. A potential- and light-dependent absorption peak at 898 cm−1 is assigned to a FeIV=O group, which is an intermediate in the PEC water-oxidation reaction. These results provide direct evidence of high-valent iron–oxo intermediates as the product of the first hole-transfer reaction on the haematite surface and represent an important step in establishing the mechanism of PEC water oxidation on semiconductor electrodes. Photoelectrochemical water oxidation with haematite is known to be associated with a build-up of holes at the electrode surface. Infrared spectra acquired during photoelectrochemical water oxidation have now allowed these holes to be identified as high-valent iron–oxo intermediate species involved in the water oxidation reaction.