cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Astrocytes and Huntington's disease

In this Viewpoint, we summarize and discuss the recent serendipitous discovery of an astrocyte Kir4.1 potassium channel dysfunction in two mouse models of Huntington’s disease (HD). Restoration of Kir4.1 channels within astrocytes in vivo attenuated neuronal dysfunction, some aspects of motor dysfunction and increased survival time in a HD mouse model. Overall, the data show that aspects of altered neuronal excitability associated with HD may be secondary to changes in astrocyte-mediated K+ homeostasis, thereby revealing a new striatal neural microcircuit mechanism in HD, and Kir4.1 channels and astrocytes as potential therapeutic targets for drug development.
IBIS: interposed big-data I/O scheduler

Big-data systems are increasingly shared by diverse, data-intensive applications from different domains. However, existing systems lack the support for I/O management, and the performance of big-data applications degrades in unpredictable ways when they contend for I/Os. To address this challenge, this paper proposes IBIS, an Interposed Big-data I/O Scheduler, to provide I/O performance differentiation for competing applications in a shared big-data system. IBIS transparently intercepts, isolates, and schedules an application's different phases of I/Os via an I/O interposition layer on every datanode of the big-data system. It provides a new proportional-share I/O scheduler, SFQ(D2), to allow applications to share the I/O service of each datanode with good fairness and resource utilization. It enables the distributed I/O schedulers to coordinate with one another and to achieve proportional sharing of the big-data system's total I/O service in a scalable manner. Finally, it supports the shared use of big-data resources by diverse frameworks and manages the I/Os from different types of big-data workloads (e.g., batch jobs vs. queries) across these frameworks. The prototype of IBIS is implemented in Hadoop/YARN, a widely used big-data system. Experiments based on a variety of representative applications (WordCount, TeraSort, Facebook, TPC-H) show that IBIS achieves good total-service proportional sharing with low overhead in both application performance and resource usages. IBIS is also shown to support various performance policies: it can deliver stronger performance isolation than native Hadoop/YARN (99% better for WordCount and 15% better for TPC-H queries) with good resource utilization; and it can also achieve perfect proportional slowdown with better application performance (30% better than native Hadoop).
Potentiation between intracellular cyclic-AMP-elevating agents and inducers of leukemic cell differentiation.

Abstract Acute leukemia is the result of a defect in the process of normal cellular differentiation. Human leukemia cell lines (HL60, RDFD-2) have been established which can be induced to differentiate into phenotypically mature cells by a variety of agents. Recent evidence suggests that cyclic adenosine 3′-5′-monophosphate (cAMP) and the cAMP dependent protein kinase (cAMP-dPK) may be intimately involved in myeloid differentiation. The addition of low levels of a wide variety of inducers of a diverse chemical nature, dimethylformamide (DMF), retinoic acid (RA), actinomycin D (ACT-D) or hypoxanthine (HPX) prior to the addition of 8-bromo-cyclic adenosine 3′-5′ monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP), cholera toxin (CT) or the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) results in marked potentiation of differentiation of both HL60 and RDFD cells as manifested by the acquisition of the antigen OKM-1, the ability to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium or expression of the chemotactic receptor. Potentiation of differentiation is also observed when 8-Br-cAMP, CT or IBMX is added prior to the addition of either RA, DMF, ACT-D or HPX. These results suggest a role for cAMP in myeloid differentiation.
The validity of the neuropathic pain scale for assessing diabetic neuropathic pain in a clinical trial.

Objectives In controlled trials of analgesics for the treatment of neuropathic pain, the primary outcome variable is most often a measure of global pain intensity. However, because neuropathic pain is associated with a variety of pain sensations, the effects of analgesic treatments on different sensations could go undetected if specific pain qualities are not assessed. This study sought to evaluate the utility of assessing the multiple components of neuropathic pain in an analgesic clinical trial. Methods One hundred fifty-nine subjects with diabetes-related foot pain were randomly assigned to receive an active analgesic (controlled-release oxycodone) or matching placebo for 6 weeks. A multidimensional measure of neuropathic pain, the Neuropathic Pain Scale (NPS), was administered before, during, and after study treatment. Results Relative to placebo, the opioid analgesic produced statistically significantly greater decreases in global pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, and sharp, dull, and deep pain sensations. Responder analyses indicated a higher rate of responding to the opioid condition, relative to placebo, for intense, unpleasant, deep, and surface pain. The opioid analgesic did not significantly reduce hot, cold, itchy, or sensitive pain sensations compared with placebo in either analysis. Conclusions These findings support the utility of the NPS for characterizing the multidimensional nature of the neuropathic pain experience and for detecting changes in neuropathic pain with treatment.
Control and design aspects of power electronics converters using PSpice

In order to understand the functionality and design aspects of power converters, circuit simulation software PSpice has become an industry standard. In a Power Electronics course the students are required to understand the operating principles of a variety of static power converters using different control techniques to achieve the desired input-output characteristics.This paper presents PSpice-based design projects that can be used as pre-Lab exercises in a Laboratory course accompanying a lecture course in Power Electronics. The students can be made to implement their design in the laboratory with actual hardware components. The transition from design to simulation and finally to experimental verification will aid to strengthen their understanding of the operation, control, and design aspects of power converters. The design projects are geared towards bringing out the importance of power quality and cost issues that are relevant to state of the art circuit design.The design examples in the paper will start with a set of design guidelines and input-output requirements of a given power converter system. The design will involve selection of the proper control algorithm, switching frequency, and input-output filter values to meet the design goals. The following are the basic converter systems that will be covered in the various design projects: single phase and three phase rectifier, single phase and three phase inverters, buck and boost converter.
Hepatic drug clearance in children: Studies with indocyanine green as a model substrate

For several drugs metabolized by the liver, higher dosages (mg/kg body weight) are required in children to attain serum concentrations comparable to those in adults. Indocyanine green (ICG), a commonly used model substrate for hepatic elimination of high intrinsic clearance drugs, has been extensively evaluated in adults but not in children. We evaluated the disposition of ICG in 115 children with leukemia and nine healthy adult volunteers. The mean (SD) ICG plasma clearance (CLP) for all 115 children (age 0.9—17.8 years) was significantly greater (p = 0.0006) than for adults [14.8 (7.8) versus 10.6 (2.4) mL/min/kg]. When clearances from only children <10 years of age (N = 85) were compared with those from adults, the difference was even greater [15.6 (7.3) versus 10.6 (2.4) mL/min/kg; p = 0.0001]. However, when ICG CLP was normalized to body surface area, values for children did not differ significantly from adults [378 (204) versus 422 (102) mL/min/m2]. These data provide insight as to why dosage (mg/kg) requirements of certain drugs are higher in children.
Stochastic resonance-a nonlinear control theory interpretation

Stochastic resonance (SR) is an effect that has been known (Benzi, R., Sutera, A., and Vulpiani, A. (1981), 'The Mechanism of Stochastic Resonance', Journal of Physics, A14, L453-L457) for almost three decades and has been extensively studied in biology, statistics, signal processing and in numerous other eclectic areas (Wiesenfeld, K., and Moss, F. (1995), 'Stochastic Resonance and the Benefits of Noise: From Ice Ages to Crayfish and Squids', Nature, 373, 33-36). Herein, a nonlinear control theory analysis is conducted on how to better understand the class of systems that may exhibit the SR effect. Using nonlinear control theory methods, equilibrium points are manipulated to create the SR response (similar to shaping dynamical response in a phase plane). From this approach, a means of synthesising and designing the appropriate class of nonlinear systems is introduced. New types of nonlinear dynamics that demonstrate the SR effects are discovered, which may have utility in control theory as well as in many diverse applications. A numerical simulation illustrates some powerful attributes of these systems.
THE CAPITAL BUDGETING PROCESS OF LARGE U.S. FIRMS; AN ANALYSIS OF CAPITAL BUDGETING MANUALS.

In a departure from the usual questionnaire‐based survey, this study attempts to understand the capital budgeting process of large U.S. firms by examining capital budgeting manuals that Fortune 500 companies use to explain their respective capital budgeting policies and procedures. The paper presents some general observations regarding the capital budgeting process in a three‐stage framework: planning, appropriation, and audit.
A Large Block Heater Test for High Level Nuclear Waste Management

The radioactive decay heat from nuclear waste packages may, depending on the thermal load, create coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrological-chemical (TMHC) processes in the near-field environment of a repository. A group of tests on a large block (LBT) are planned to provide a timely opportunity to test and calibrate some of the TMHC model concepts. The LBT is advantageous for testing and verifying model concepts because the boundary conditions are controlled, and the block can be characterized before and after the experiment. A block of Topopah Spring tuff of about 3 × 3 × 4.5 m was sawed and isolated at Fran Ridge, Nevada Test Site. Small blocks of the rock adjacent to the large block were collected for laboratory testing of some individual thermal-mechanical, hydrological, and chemical processes. A constant load of about 4 MPa will be applied to the top and sides of the large block. The sides will be sealed with moisture and thermal barriers. The large block will be heated by heaters within and guard heaters on the sides so that a dry-out zone and a condensate zone will exist simultaneously. Temperature, moisture content, pore pressure, chemical composition, stress, and displacement will be measured throughout the block during the heating and cool-down phases. The results from the experiments on small blocks and the tests on the large block will provide a better understanding of some concepts of the coupled TMHC processes. The progress of the project is presented in this paper.
The effect of magnetite particle size on paleointensity determinations of the geomagnetic field

Abstract The Thellier method for paleointensity determinations has been applied to prepared samples containing magnetites whose mean particle sizes range from single domain, SD, to multidomain, MD. Linear (ideal) PNRM-PTRM curves are obtained for samples containing SD and submicron magnetite particles. However, for MD particles non-linear (concave-up) PNRM-PTRM curves are observed such that a linear approximation to the lower blocking-temperature data leads to apparent paleointensities that are higher than the actual paleofield; however, the ratio of the end-points, NRM/TRM, yields the correct (laboratory) intensity. The non-linear (concave-up) PNRM-PTRM curves for the MD particles are explained in terms of the lack of symmetry of the domain-wall movements during the two heatings of the Thellier experiment. Low stabilities with respect to alternating fields and with respect to temperature cycles below magnetite's isotropic temperature are diagnostic in detecting samples most likely to exhibit non-linearities due to the MD effect.
Photochemical Formation of Singlet Molecular Oxygen (1O2) in Illuminated6-Methylcoumarin Solutions

Abstract Use of the fragrance 6 -methylcoumarin ( 6 -MC) in cosmetic products has declined significantly due to numerous reports of photoallergic contact dermatitis associated with its use. We have determined that 6 -MC undergoes direct photolysis with an estimated half-life of 83 minutes when illuminated with mid-latitude U.S., noon-centered, equinox sunlight and a quantum yield for photolysis at 313 nm of φ = 3×10 −3 . The work presented here also provides evidence that singlet molecular oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) is formed in illuminated solutions containing 6 -MC. An estimated value of φ = 0.01 is reported for the 1 O 2 quantum yield at 313 nm. Formation of 1 O 2 is significant because it is known to react with a variety of biomolecules and it is possible that 1 O 2 formation is at least partially responsible for reports of 6 -MC photoallergenicity and phototoxicity.
War rape survivors of the Second Congo War: A perspective from symbolic convergence theory

This paper examines actions and narratives of war rape survivors of the Second Congo War. The Second Congo War, which officially began in 1998, is an enduring armed struggle that involves more than fighting for mineral resources. It also involves massive attacks against women (i.e. by engaging in the systematic rape of women). The theoretical framework used in this analysis is symbolic convergence theory (SCT). Coined by Bormann [1972. “Fantasy and Rhetorical Vision: The Rhetorical Criticism of Social Reality.” Quarterly Journal of Speech 58: 396–407], SCT postulates that group consciousness is achieved when a group shares emotions, experiences, and stories. SCT regards group cohesion as a result of rhetorical visions by delivering a collective objective through fantasy themes, fantasy types, symbolic cues, and sagas. An important conclusion of this analysis is that, through various forms of symbolic convergence and fantasies, Congolese women are able to cope with the reality of war rape and ‘navigate’ (i...
Studies into the direct oxidation of codeinone to 14-hydroxycodeinone

Abstract The direct oxidation of codeinone (5) to 14-hydroxycodeinone (6) was investigated with a wide range of oxidizing agents. The majority of reagnets gave little or no desired product. Peracids were found to be moderately successful, with dimethyl peracetic acid giving the greatest yield (37%). Metallic oxidants generally gave rise to competing oxidations, however Co(AcO)3 was found to conveniently oxidize 5 to 6 in 51% yield, representing a practical, non-chromatographic procedure for the preparation of 14-hydroxycodeinone.
Nonlinear Identification of MIMO Smart Structures

This paper proposes a multiple model approach for a nonlinear multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) system identification (SI) of smart structures equipped with magnetorheological (MR) dampers. The proposed model is developed through integration of MIMO autoregressive exogenous (ARX) input models, Takagi-Sugeno (TS) fuzzy model, weighted linear least squares estimators, and data clustering algorithms. Nonlinear behavior of the structure-MR damper systems is represented by a set of linear MIMO ARX input models whose operating regions are blended by TS fuzzy sets. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MIMO ARX-TS fuzzy model, a 20-story high-rise building employing MR dampers is investigated. It is demonstrated that the proposed approach is effective in modeling nonlinear behavior of the structure-MR damper system subjected to a variety of disturbances. Comparison with high fidelity data proves the viability of the proposed approach in control engineering setting.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Activator protein 1 activation following hypoosmotic stress in HepG2 cells is actin cytoskeleton dependent

Background. Following hypoosmotic stress-induced cell volume change, the actin cytoskeleton reorganizes itself. The role of this reorganization in the activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-OH-kinase/protein kinase B/activator protein 1 (PI-3-K/PKB/AP-1) proliferative signaling cascade is unknown. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) participates in the cytoskeleton-based activation of PI-3-K. We hypothesized that hypoosmotic stress-induced activation of PKB and AP-1 in HepG2 cells is dependent on an intact actin cytoskeleton and subsequent FAK phosphorylation. Methods. HepG2 cells were incubated for 1 h with or without 20 μM cytochalasin D, an actin disrupter, and were then exposed for up to 30 min to hypoosmotic medium (200 mOsm/L) to induce swelling. Tumor necrosis factor α (1.4 nM) and medium alone served as positive and negative controls, respectively. Western blots measured cytoplasmic phosphorylated or total FAK and PKB. EMSAs measured nuclear AP-1. All experiments were performed in triplicate. Results. Exposure to hypoosmotic stress resulted in activation of the following signaling messengers in a sequential fashion: (1) phosphorylation of FAK occurred by 2 min, (2) phosphorylation of PKB occurred by 10 min, (3) nuclear translocation of AP-1 occurred by 30 min. All three signaling events were abolished when these cells were pretreated with cytochalasin D. Conclusion. Actin reorganization following hypoosmotic stress is essential for the FAK-mediated activation of the PI-3-K/PKB/AP-1 proliferative cascade. These data delineate a possible mechanism by which the cell swelling-induced cytoskeletal changes can initiate proliferative signal transduction in human liver cancer.
Psychological assessment in chronic pain

Assessment of psychological status in chronic pain patients is an important aspect of evaluation and treatment in pain management programs. Unfortunately, most of the psychological tests used in common practice have not been used extensively with chronic pain patients. Normative and comparative data must be generated to allow for valid and efficient psychometric assessment. The present paper is a preliminary comparison of several instruments of potential usefulness in the assessment of anxiety and depression among pain patients (N = 34). The SCL—90—R appeared to offer the best combination of relevant data and efficient assessment. However, it was noted that there were significant inter correlations among the SCL—90—R sub-scales, which suggests a unitary factor structure.
Carbon Nanofiber Hybrid Actuators: Part II - Solid Electrolyte-based:

The objective of this study (Part II) paper is to develop a dry actuator for wider application than the wet actuator. To form a dry actuator, a carbon nanofiber (CNF) actuator is based on a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE). The SPE film is prepared from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), an ion-exchange material, a plasticizer, and a solvent by the solution casting method. Ion conductivity studies were carried out to characterize the electrochemical properties of the SPE. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was performed to understand the electrochemical cell of the dry actuator. The actuator was tested in a dry environment at various voltages and frequencies and the tip displacement was measured using a laser displacement sensor. Compared to previous single wall carbon nanotube buckypaper actuators, the dry-based CNF actuator requires a little higher voltage to actuate, but it is two orders of magnitude lower in cost. Compared to the liquid-based actuator, the solid electrolyte-based actuator is slower and the displacements are smaller. These results have verified the principle of the CNF dry actuator. Further development of this new smart material could lead to practical smart structures applications in which the CNF hybrid material could be used as a muscle layer on structures, or as the structural material itself.
Automated guided vehicle with absolute encoded guide-path

An automated guided vehicle (AGV) having the ability to recover its absolute position anywhere on the guide-path is described. It uses an original guide-path encoding technique, based on the properties of pseudorandom binary sequences, resulting in a minimum code complexity of 1 bit per quantization step. An experimental AGV system was built to test the proposed absolute position measurement method and its application for AGV navigation when unexpected obstacles are encountered on the guide-path. The results recommend this technique for implementation as a stand-alone function to cost-effectively upgrade existent optically guided industrial AGVs. >
Femtosecond-pulse cavity-dumped solid-state oscillator design and application to ultrafast microscopy.

The construction, modeling, and performance characteristics of a new resonator design for ultrafast cavity-dumped oscillators are presented. An acousto-optic Bragg cell was incorporated at the end of the longer arm of a Ti:sapphire oscillator rather than in the shorter arm as in several recent studies. The new arrangement improves the pulse intensity stability of the oscillator and significantly reduces the effort required in construction. The experimental findings are supported by comparison of the stability regions of the laser cavities based on the two different designs. To demonstrate the potential of cavity-dumped oscillators for spatially resolved ultrafast spectroscopy studies, the pulse duration is characterized at the focal plane of two achromatic high-N.A. oil-immersion objectives with different amounts of flat-field correction. Transform-limited pulse widths as short as 15 fs are obtained. To our knowledge, this is the shortest pulse duration measured with true high-N.A. (N.A. > 1) focusing conditions.
An Application of Genetic Algorithms to Course Scheduling at the United States Army War College

Genetic algorithms can be applied with great success on a wide range of problems, including scheduling problems. This paper presents an application of genetic algorithms to a complex scheduling problem, wherein student demand for courses and scheduling constraints inform the production of a course schedule. The scheduler is currently in use in a decision support system at the U.S. Army War College, and has produced excellent results for two academic years. The problem domain and software solution are described, and the representations and algorithms used by the scheduler are presented. Empirical observations about the scheduler's performance and problem-solving characteristics are also presented.
Integrating isometric joysticks into mobile phones for text entry

We are investigating a new gestural text entry method for mobile phones that uses an isometric joystick and therefore consumes very little physical space. We have created a high-fidelity mobile phone prototype with two embedded isometric joysticks, one on the front for use with the thumb, and another on the back for use with the index finger. The joysticks can be used to enter text using a special version of the EdgeWrite text entry method. In our proposed studies, we would like to investigate the performance of using the joysticks as text input devices in stationary and mobile situations. With our prototype, the authors were able to write at ~12 wpm with the front joystick, and ~7 wpm with the back joystick. These numbers are sure to improve as further refinements are made.
Elizabeth C. Sanderson, Women and Work in Eighteenth-Century Edinburgh. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996. xii + 236 pp. $55.00 cloth.

Elizabeth C. Sanderson has unearthed a wealth of evidence which reveals how urban Scottish women earned their livings. They engaged in shopkeeping, running stalls at markets, roomsetting (renting lodgings), rouping (small-scale valuation and auctioneering), gravesclothes-making, midwifery, mantua making and millinery, and teaching school, as well as assisting in their husbands' trades or running businesses as widows. Sanderson points out interesting differences between Scottish and English women's status in the world of work. In England, married women, or feme covert, could not enter into contracts on their own unless they gained the special status of feme sole. In Edinburgh, women could gain the freedom of the burgh, that is, the freedom to trade, from their fathers or from their husbands. The Merchants Company and town council which regulated trade also allowed women to enroll, occasionally at reduced rates, because they believed it was important for women to provide their own subsistence. Even the wives of professionals and merchants often ran their own businesses, which would have been unusual in England. The fact that Scottish women retained their own surnames when they married may also have given them a separate identity.
Bem Sex Role Inventory Undifferentiated Score: A Comparison of Sexual Dysfunction Patients with Sexual Offenders.

Abstract This study examined the Bern Sex Role undifferentiated scores on 93 male sex offenders as compared with 50 male sexually dysfunctional patients. Chi-square analyses were used to examine potential differences. Results revealed a significant difference (p < .01). Offenders obtained undifferentiated scores more often (23.8%) than did the sexual dysfunctional population (5.6%). This psychological instrument is useful in identifying sexual offenders.
Rapid calculation of RMSDs using a quaternion-based characteristic polynomial.

A common measure of conformational similarity in structural bioinformatics is the minimum root mean square deviation (RMSD) between the coordinates of two macromolecules. In many applications, the rotations relating the structures are not needed. Several common algorithms for calculating RMSDs require the computationally costly procedures of determining either the eigen decomposition or matrix inversion of a 3\times3 or 4\times4 matrix. Using a quaternion-based method, here a simple algorithm is developed that rapidly and stably determines RMSDs by circumventing the decomposition and inversion problems.
The Relationship of Social Environment, Social Networks, and Health Outcomes in The Seattle Longitudinal Study: Two Analytical Approaches

This study examined the relation of social networks and perceived social environment to health outcomes and cost utilization over a 1-year period in a community sample of 387 (173 males, 214 females). Two analytical strategies, a variable-oriented approach and a subject-oriented approach, were used to complement each other: structural equation modeling assessed the direct relationship between social relationships and health, while cluster analysis examined how social relationship patterns were related to health outcomes. Lower levels of perceived social environment were associated with an increased number of hospital visits. For unmarried individuals, increased age was associated with greater medical usage and estimated total health care cost, while low perceived social environment was related to a greater number of doctor visits. Among married individuals, women had more frequent doctor visits, medication usage, estimated outpatient costs, and primary care visits. Married individuals with low levels of social networks had increased total health care costs, outpatient costs, and primary care visits. Cluster analysis was used to group individuals by characteristics of perceived social environment and social networks. Members of the cluster groups with greater health problems were more likely to be isolated, had the least social contact, and had lower levels of education and income. Including subject-oriented approaches is useful in complementing more popular regression methods for data analysis.
Training Needs for Implementing Early Childhood Inclusion in China

This article focuses on assessing Chinese early childhood teachers' training needs for working with special needs children in regular classrooms in light of China's national policy requiring inclusive practices. The researcher recruited teachers from inclusion pilot kindergartens in Beijing to participate in the study. MANOVA results indicate that teacher perceptions of training needs did not differ in comparing their level of education, years of teaching experience, or class size. Descriptive statistics from the four subscales of the training needs survey data and interviews with special education teachers, principals, and early childhood teachers indicate that the teachers had the greatest need for training in the following areas: behavior management, the process of implementing individualized education plans, inclusion strategies, and communicating with parents and families. Finally the article discusses implications and recommendations for teacher preparation and future research.
Kernel-based Linear Spectral Mixture Analysis for hyperspectral image classification

Linear Spectral Mixture Analysis (LSMA) has been widely used in remote sensing community. Recently, kernel-based approaches have received considerable interest in hyperspectral image analysis where nonlinear kernels are used to resolve the issue of nonlinear separability in classification. This paper extends the LSMA to kernel-based LSMA where three least squares-based LSMA techniques, least squares orthogonal subspace projection (LSOSP), non-negativity constrained least squares (NCLS) and fully constrained least squares (FCLS) are extended to their kernel counterparts, KLSOSP, KNCLS and KFCLS.
Autocrine gastrins in colon cancer cells Up-regulate cytochrome c oxidase Vb and down-regulate efflux of cytochrome c and activation of caspase-3.

Suppression of the gastrin gene in human colon cancer cells by stably expressing antisense (AS) gastrin RNA results in significant growth suppression of AS cells. To understand mechanisms mediating the growth effects of autocrine gastrins, differential expression of transcripts by AS and control (C) clones of a representative cell line (HCT-116) was analyzed to identify target genes of autocrine gastrins. Six differentially expressed transcripts were confirmed and sequenced. Of these, the RNA and protein levels of cytochrome c oxidase (COX) Vb were significantly higher in C versus AS cells. The expression of COX Vb by colon cancer cells was proportional to the expression of gastrin. Higher levels of COX Vb coprecipitated with cytochrome c in the mitochondria of C versus AS cells. Treatment of mitochondria with digitonin resulted in a 2-fold higher release of cytochromec from AS versus C mitochondria. As a corollary, the cytosolic levels of cytochrome c were significantly higher in AS versus C cells, which correlated with ∼2- and ∼3-fold higher activation of caspase-9 and -3, respectively, in AS versus C cells in response to camptothecin. Thus, autocrine gastrins may support growth/survival of cells by up-regulating COX Vb, which may decrease the sensitivity of the cancer cells to apoptotic stimuli by increasing retention of cytochrome c in mitochondria.
Medicaid Beneficiaries In California Reported Less Positive Experiences When Assigned To A Managed Care Plan

In 2011 California began transitioning approximately 340,000 seniors and people with disabilities from Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) to Medicaid managed care plans. When beneficiaries did not acti...
The Seasat scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR): Instrument description and performance

The scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) is an imaging 5-frequency radiometer flown on the Seasat and Nimbus-7 earth satellites launched in 1978. It measures dual-polarized microwave radiances from the earth's atmosphere and surface, primarily for the purpose of deriving global and nearly all-weather measurements of sea surface temperature, wind speed, and atmospheric liquid water and water vapor. This paper describes the SMMR instrument and its calibration, antenna pattern measurements, and data processing procedures. Analysis of early data from the Seasat SMMR shows that the expected engineering performance in flight was achieved, and the measurement of sea surface temperature and wind speed with accuracies of 1.5 K and 2 m/s, respectively, may be achievable once the geophysical data processing algorithms and analysis have been completed.
Age-Dependent Myeloid Dendritic Cell Responses Mediate Resistance to La Crosse Virus-Induced Neurological Disease

La Crosse virus (LACV) is the major cause of pediatric viral encephalitis in the United States; however, the mechanisms responsible for age-related susceptibility in the pediatric population are not well understood. Our current studies in a mouse model of LACV infection indicated that differences in myeloid dendritic cell (mDC) responses between weanling and adult mice accounted for susceptibility to LACV-induced neurological disease. We found that type I interferon (IFN) responses were significantly stronger in adult than in weanling mice. Production of these IFNs required both endosomal Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytoplasmic RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs). Surprisingly, IFN expression was not dependent on plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) but rather was dependent on mDCs, which were found in greater number and induced stronger IFN responses in adults than in weanlings. Inhibition of these IFN responses in adults resulted in susceptibility to LACV-induced neurological disease, whereas postinfection treatment with type I IFN provided protection in young mice. These studies provide a definitive mechanism for age-related susceptibility to LACV encephalitis, where mDCs in young mice are insufficiently activated to control peripheral virus replication, thereby allowing virus to persist and eventually cause central nervous system (CNS) disease. IMPORTANCE La Crosse virus (LACV) is the primary cause of pediatric viral encephalitis in the United States. Although the virus infects both adults and children, over 80% of the reported neurological disease cases are in children. To understand why LACV causes neurological disease primarily in young animals, we used a mouse model where weanling mice, but not adult mice, develop neurological disease following virus infection. We found that an early immune response cell type, myeloid dendritic cells, was critical for protection in adult animals and that these cells were reduced in young animals. Activation of these cells during virus infection or after treatment with type I interferon in young animals provided protection from LACV. Thus, this study demonstrates a reason for susceptibility to LACV infection in young animals and shows that early therapeutic treatment in young animals can prevent neurological disease.
‘Psychological Constructivism’: Comment on Iver Neumann’s ‘International Relations as a Social Science’

Iver Neumann’s assessment of IR as a social science reaches a counter-intuitive conclusion: ‘The issue is not if we should engage biological and psychological thinking about our subject matter, but how we should do it.’ His conclusion is counter-intuitive because, following Weber, Neumann believes that ‘social facts should be explained by social factors’1 and IR is above all else, social. Yet biology is a natural science and psychology walks the line between the natural and the social. So how does one privilege the social yet incorporate the natural to explain phenomenon of interest to IR? I cannot say what Neumann has in mind, but a psychological constructivist approach to emotion captures his call to draw on (what Neumann terms) the competing disciplines of psychology and biology to create a better social science of international relations. What makes emotion (and psychology) interesting and challenging is that it is not real (as a discrete measurable entity), but it is real as an identifiable experience. Psychologists have tried and failed to match discrete emotions like ‘anger’ to the brain and body. Emotions are not ‘natural kinds’ – they are not observer-independent. Psychologist Lindquist observed that one hundred years of psychological research ‘has yet to identify the discrete bodily, facial, behavioral, or neural basis of English emotion categories such as “anger,” “disgust,” “fear,” “happiness,” and “sadness”’.2 Emotion depends on the body, as well as on culture and context. Had scientists paid more attention to social
Naming the Same Entities from Visual or from Auditory Stimulation Engages Similar Regions of Left Inferotemporal Cortices

We have proposed that the left inferotemporal (IT) region contains structures that mediate between conceptual knowledge retrieval and word-form retrieval, and we have hypothesized that these structures are utilized for word retrieval irrespective of the sensory modality through which an entity is apprehended, thus being "modality neutral." We tested this idea in two sensory modalities, visual and auditory, and for two categories of concrete entities, tools and animals. In a PET experiment, 10 normal participants named tools and animals either from pictures or from characteristic sounds (e.g., "scissors" from a picture of a scissors or from the sound of a scissors cutting; "rooster" from a picture of a rooster or from the sound of a rooster crowing). Visual and auditory naming of tools activated the left posterior/lateral IT; visual and auditory naming of animals activated the left anterior/ventral IT. For both tools and animals, the left IT activations were similar in location and magnitude regardless of whether participants were naming entities from pictures or from sounds. The results provide novel evidence to support the notion that left IT structures contain "modality-neutral" systems for mediating between conceptual knowledge and word retrieval.
Tracheostomies and Stroke

Thirteen of 25 stroke patients with tracheostomies died in the hospital. Of the 12 survivors, eight died within two and one-half months after discharge and one lived six months. All nine that died after discharge required continuous nursing home care. One survivor still required total nursing care three and one-half years later and two patients made a good recovery. All three patients living longer than six months following discharge had pontine lesions. There was no difference in the fate of patients with thrombotic or hemorrhagic strokes. Tracheostomies are of questionable value in stroke patients except possibly in those with brain stem lesions.
Cortical control of voluntary blinking: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study

Abstract Objective : To investigate cortical regions related to voluntary blinking. Methods : Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied to the facial motor cortex (M1) and the midline frontal region (Fz) in 10 healthy subjects with eyes opened and closed. Motor-evoked potentials were recorded from the orbicularis oculi (OOC), orbicularis oris (OOR), abductor digiti minimi and tibialis anterior using surface and needle electromyography electrodes. Facial M waves and blink reflex were measured using supramaximal electrical stimulation of the facial and supraorbital nerves. Results : TMS at Fz elicited 3 waves in OOC with no response in other tested muscles except for the early wave in OOR. Facial M1 stimulation produced only early and late waves. Because of their latencies, shapes, and relationship to coil position and stimulation intensity, early and late waves appeared to be analogous to the facial M wave and R1 component of the blink reflex. The intermediate wave at 6–8 ms latency was elicited in OOC by Fz stimulation with eyes closed. Conclusions : Since its latency matches the central conduction time of other cranial muscles and it has characteristic of muscle activation-related facilitation, the intermediate wave is presumably related to cortical stimulation. This result provides evidence that the cortical center for the upper facial movements, including blinking, is not principally located in the facial M1, but rather in the mesial frontal region.
Active Sympathetic Participation: Reconsidering Kant's Duty of Sympathy

In the Doctrine of Virtue Kant divides duties of love into three categories: beneficent activity (Wohltatigkeit), gratitude (Dankbarkeit) and Teilnehmung – commonly referred to as the duty of sympathy (MS 6: 452). In this paper I will argue that the content and scope of the third duty of love has been underestimated by both critics and defenders of Kant's ethical theory. The account which pervades the secondary literature maintains that the third duty of love includes only two components: an obligation to make use of our natural receptivity to sympathetic feelings as a means to fulfilling other duties of love, and an indirect duty to cultivate these feelings. As a result, Kant's duty of sympathy has been widely regarded as a duty whose value is derived from the way in which it serves other duties, in particular, the duty of beneficent activity, which obliges agents ‘to promote according to one's means the happiness of others in need’ (MS 6: 453). Teilnehmung has thus assumed something of a second-class status among the duties to others. My aim in this paper is to demonstrate that the prevailing account of Kant's third duty of love is incomplete.
Plasma estrogen and progesterone in quintuplet pregnancy induced with menotropins

I. =l Amp HMG gestation. The frequency of this complication ranges from IS% to 53.5%’ Several investigators have suggested that estrogen monitoring may reduce the incidence of multiple gestation. Furthermore, recent studies propose ultrasonography for measurements of follicular size and number. We have observed a case of quintuplet pregnancy after treatment with menotropins. This case is of interest because it demonstrates a possible relationship between the rate of administration of menotropins and the development of quintuplet pregnancy.
The Sobig Worm: The Sobig Worm Variants

A recent family of worms known as ''Sobig'' (but sometimes also known as ''W32.Sobig,'' ''WORM_SOBIG,'' ''BigBoss,'' and other names) has been infecting Windows systems connected to the Internet since 9 January of this year^1. Many versions of this worm have propagated prolifically, and numerous variants of this worm have appeared during the few months since the initial Sobig worm surfaced. This paper discusses the Sobig worm variants, how they differ from each other, considerations in responding to Sobig infections, and the implications of and ''lessons learned'' from Sobig's constant onslaught.
Urinary proteomics and metabolomics studies to monitor bladder health and urological diseases

Assays of molecular biomarkers in urine are non-invasive compared to other body fluids and can be easily repeated. Based on the hypothesis that the secreted markers from the diseased organs may locally release into the body fluid in the vicinity of the injury, urine-based assays have been considered beneficial to monitoring bladder health and urological diseases. The urine proteome is much less complex than the serum and tissues, but nevertheless can contain biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of diseases. The urine metabolome has a much higher number and concentration of low-molecular metabolites than the serum or tissues, with a far lower lipid concentration, yet informs directly about dietary and microbial metabolism. We here discuss the use of mass spectrometry-based proteomics and metabolomics for urine biomarker assays, specifically with respect to the underlying mechanisms that trigger the pathological condition. Molecular biomarker profiles, based on proteomics and metabolomics studies, reliably distinguish patients from healthy controls, stratify sub-populations with respect to treatment options, and predict therapeutic response of patients with urological disease.
Consumption and Utilization of Soyflour-Wheat Germ Diets by Heliothis Spp, ,

Larvae of Heliothis zea (Boddie) (Noctuidae) consumed significantly more of a soybean flour-wheat germ diet than did larvae of H. virescens (F.) or backcross larvae of male H. virescens × Fn female progeny from a cross between male H. virescens and female H. subflexa (Guenee). H. zea larvae also gained significantly more weight. Differences in food consumption or weight gain between H. virescens and backcross larvae were not significant. When corn cob grits were added to the soybean flour-wheat germ diet, and the soybean flour content was nearly doubled, the 2 species and the backcross used food more efficiently and gained more weight. Heliothis spp. reared on a soybean flour-wheat germ diet containing corn cob grits prepared with either high or low amounts of agar had similar growth and development parameters, but larval survival was lower with the lesser agar.
A Key to the New World Genera of Libellulidae (Odonata)

One of the problems encountered by the student of New World Libellulidae is the lack of adequate keys to genera. While there are fairly good keys available for the North American genera, a great deal of the material from South America can be identified to genus only by comparison with determined specimens or after extensive checking of descriptions. The following key has been prepared in the hope that it may facilitate generic determinations, particularly of material from South America.
Nkrumah, Kwame (1909–72)

Kwame Nkrumah was a highly influential African intellectual and nationalist, specifically because of the ideas he generated and the institutionalization of his ideas. He engaged in the difficult task of reversing decades of colonial indoctrination and violence by emphasizing African unity since colonial rule rested on violence and divide-and-rule tactics. Many of his actions and adopted symbols were central to his theme of reshaping Africa. Nkrumah renamed the Gold Coast to Ghana; many other African countries followed this tradition when they too became independent. In addition, Nkrumah made pan-Africanism one of his highest priorities, moving it to Africa by holding the First Conference of Independent African States and the All-African Peoples' Conference in Accra in 1958. These initiatives gave birth to the formation of the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union. Keywords: Africa; colonialism; nationalism