cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Threshold laws for collisional reorientation of electronic angular momentum

It is shown that the velocity dependence of cross sections for projection-changing transitions in collisions of paramagnetic atoms or molecules with structureless targets near threshold has the form ${v}^{2\ensuremath{\Delta}m}$ when $\ensuremath{\Delta}m$ is even and ${v}^{2(\ensuremath{\Delta}m+1)}$ when $\ensuremath{\Delta}m$ is odd, where $\ensuremath{\Delta}m$ is the change in the projection quantum number and $v$ is the relative velocity.
Synthesis and characterization of a new series of BiOI1−x−yBrxCly pigments

Abstract New bismuth oxyhalides of the type BiOI1−xBrx, form a complete solid solution series and crystallize in a layered tetragonal matlockite structure Color varies from yellow to red as x decreases from 0 75 to 0 and layer separation, c, increases from 8 45 to 9 16 A The compounds have large intrinsic optical absorption coefficients (α > 105 cm-1). Used as pigments, they are light-fast but show less color saturation than PbCrO4 of the same hue.
Emotion situation knowledge in elementary school: Models of longitudinal growth and preschool correlates

We examined individual differences in developmental trajectories of emotion situation knowledge (ESK), at three time points throughout elementary school in a sample of children from economically disadvantaged families. Results showed that ESK and the subscales of joy, fear, anger, shame and interest exhibited positive growth from the first to the fifth grade, whereas scores on the sad subscale declined slightly. Preschool verbal ability predicted first grade scores for joy, fear, and anger, and growth in scores for shame across time. Preschool negative emotional intensity predicted slower growth in overall ESK and the anger and shame subscales. Taken together, these results broaden our basic knowledge of how children's use of situational cues to infer others' emotions develops in middle and late childhood.
Investigation of the functional contributions of invariant serine residues in yeast mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase.

Alignment of more than 20 deduced sequences for mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MDD) indicates that serines 34, 36, 120,121, 153, and 155 are invariant residues that map within a proposed int...
Functional interdependence of the DBLβ domain and c2 region for binding of the Plasmodium falciparum variant antigen to ICAM-1☆

Cytoadherence of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes is associated with severe malaria and is primarily mediated through binding of the variant surface antigen P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) to specific host ligands. Infected erythrocyte binding to Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1) has been implicated as having a role in cerebral malaria, a major cause of death from P. falciparum infection. We have examined ICAM-1-binding PfEMP1 proteins in the cytoadhesive P. falciparum strain IT4/25/5 in order to extend our understanding of binding. For A4tres, the ICAM-1 binding region was previously shown to reside within contiguous DBL2β and c2 domains. We determined the gene sequence encoding IT-ICAM var, and showed that ICAM-1 binding in this protein also maps to DBL2βc2 domains that have 48% amino acid identity to A4tres. By truncation and chimera analysis, most of the DBL2β and the first half of the c2 region were required for A4tres binding to ICAM-1, suggesting this tandem should be considered a structural-functional combination for ICAM-1 binding. Of interest, a chimera formed between two different ICAM-1 binding domains did not bind ICAM-1, suggesting a functional interdependence between DBL2β and c2 from the same protein. As gene recombination and gene conversion are important mechanisms for generating diversity in the PfEMP1 protein family, this finding implies an extra level of constraint on the functional evolution of binding traits. Knowledge about the PfEMP1::ICAM-1 interaction may allow the development of interventions to prevent binding and disease.
The Value of Conformity: Learning to Stay in School

This study of 12 high school Chicano students and their families in La Victoria, Colorado, provides an understanding of the social conditions that assist some students to stay in school while others feel compelled to leave. Identified common denominators among these students included their residential tenure in the United States, language, socioeconomic status, and residential location at the time of the study. Differences of experiences among students appeared in teacher judgments about students' behavior, the family's value of schooling, and the level of parental involvement in the student's education. The students that remained in school differed on their ability to conform to the school's regulations from those students who dropped out. Students who remained in school received qualitatively different social and emotional familial support from their parents to help them deal with school rules and conflicts than did their counterparts who dropped out of school.
Freshwater-saltwater transition zone movement during aquifer storage and recovery cycles in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, USA

Freshwater storage in deep aquifers of Brooklyn and Queens, New York, USA, is under consideration as an emergency water supply for New York City. The purpose of a New York City storage and recovery system is to provide an emergency water supply during times of drought or other contingencies and would entail longer-term storage phases than a typical annual cycle. There is concern amongst neighboring coastal communities that such a system would adversely impact their local water supplies via increased saltwater intrusion. This analysis uses three-dimensional modeling of variable-density ground-water flow and salt transport to study conditions under which hypothetical aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) may not adversely impact the coastal water supplies. A range of storage, pause, and recovery phase lengths and ASR cycle repetitions were used to test scenarios that emphasize control of potential saltwater intrusion. The USGS SUTRA code was used to simulate movement of the freshwater-saltwater transition zones in a detailed model of the upper glacial, Jameco, Magothy, and Lloyd aquifers of western Long Island, New York. Simulated transition zones in the upper glacial, Jameco, and Magothy aquifers reach a steady state for 1999 stress and recharge conditions within 1 ka; however, saltwater encroachment is ongoing in the Lloyd (deepest) aquifer, for which the effects of the rise in sea level since deglaciation on transition zone equilibration are retarded by many ka due to the thick, overlying Raritan confining unit. Pumping in the 20th century has also caused widening and landward movement of the Lloyd aquifer transition zone. Simulation of scenarios of freshwater storage by injection followed by phases of pause and recovery by extraction indicates that the effect of net storage when less water is recovered than injected is to set up a hydraulic saltwater intrusion barrier in the Lloyd aquifer which may have beneficial effects to coastal water users.
Pteropod Ooze from Bermuda Pedestal

Twenty pteropod species and two subspecies are present in the Bermuda Pedestal pelagic sediments. Some species having thin, fragile shells were absent from the sediments but present in the deep water off Bermuda. The subarctic species was present only in the sediments, which indicates that the subarctic current probably invaded the Bermuda region some time ago.
The vertical trajectories of motile phytoplankton in a wind-mixed water column

Abstract Motile phytoplankton representing a diatom, two dinoflagellates and a ciliate were studied using a random walk model in a dynamically active mixing layer where turbulence was driven by a range of wind speeds acting on a weakly stratified water column. The simulations extend the results reported in Yamazaki and Osborn (1989) by incorporating a broad range of more complex phytoplankton behavior and by examining the differential Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) exposure of different individuals within a species population under a range of mixing conditions. The respective motility capabilities of the modeled species clearly influence their vertical distributions under the same mixing conditions even at the highest wind condition considered. The wind energy required to distort the diel vertical migration significantly is related directly to their swimming capability. The portion of the initial phytoplankton population that is mixed to the bottom of the Ekman layer can experience PAR stress. The simulations show that turbulence in the mixing layer does not necessarily create a physiologically uniform state after 24 h; this differs from the conventional wisdom concerning the effect of turbulence in mixed layers. The difference reflects depth-dependent turbulence intensity inferred from the Ekman layer model, as well as the definition of the Lagrangian diffusion coefficient discussed in our study.
Psychology of Success: Overcoming Barriers to Pursuing Further Education

Of the many barriers that prevent adults from continuing their education, psychological barriers are least often addressed by educators. This is an important area of concern because psychological f...
Natural killer cells promote tissue injury and systemic inflammatory responses during fatal Ehrlichia-induced toxic shock-like syndrome.

Human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis is caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis, a Gram-negative bacterium lacking lipopolysaccharide. We have shown that fatal murine ehrlichiosis is associated with CD8+T cell-mediated tissue damage, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin (IL)-10 overproduction, and CD4+Th1 hyporesponsiveness. In this study, we examined the relative contributions of natural killer (NK) and NKT cells in Ehrlichia-induced toxic shock. Lethal ehrlichial infection in wild-type mice induced a decline in NKT cell numbers, and late expansion and migration of activated NK cells to the liver, a main infection site that coincided with development of hepatic injury. The spatial and temporal changes in NK and NKT cells in lethally infected mice correlated with higher NK cell cytotoxic activity, higher expression of cytotoxic molecules such as granzyme B, higher production of interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α, increased hepatic infiltration with CD8αCD11c+ dendritic cells and CD8+T cells, decreased splenic CD4+T cells, increased serum concentrations of IL-12p40, IL-18, RANTES, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and elevated production of IL-18 by liver mononuclear cells compared with nonlethally infected mice. Depletion of NK cells prevented development of severe liver injury, decreased serum levels of interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-10, and enhanced bacterial elimination. These data indicate that NK cells promote immunopathology and defective anti-ehrlichial immunity, possibly via decreasing the protective immune response mediated by interferon-γ producing CD4+Th1 and NKT cells.
Classification and idealized limit-equilibrium analyses of dome collapses at Soufrière Hills volcano, Montserrat, during growth of the first lava dome: November 1995–March 1998

Abstract Styles of dome collapse at Soufriere Hills volcano (SHV; November 1995–March 1998) are classified by relations between extrusion rate prior to collapse and collapse volume. Four separate modes of collapse behavior are apparent. Notably, moderate rates of extrusion are shown to result in two disparate modes of collapse: small-to-large collapses on steeply inclined failure planes that switch to collapse volumes an order of magnitude larger that cut deeply into the dome core. For constant effusion rates, this bifurcation in behavior is explained by the monotonic growth of a soft core that ultimately promotes the development of a deep-seated failure over previously favored shallow failure modes. Models are developed to test this hypothesis that first constrain magnitudes of cohesive and frictional strength with observed dome collapse morphologies and volumes. Evaluations of dome strengths confirm the important role of a soft core in promoting deep failure. A nested model representing a cohesive dome core, surrounded by a frictional rind, with constant rate of magma input, confirms the observed bifurcation in behavior, and for invariant effusive activity. Importantly, failure volumes are shown to increase by close to an order of magnitude for a few percent change in the proportion of dome core comprising cohesive material. This model is capable of replicating, a posteriori, the approximate timing of failure for both small (250 m) and large (325 m) domes. The timing and style of the 17 September 1996 and June to November 1997 collapses are honored.
Where Agencies, the Courts, and the Legislature Collide: Ten Years of Interpreting the Texas Consitutional Provisions for Home Equity Lending

The administrative law saga of how home equity loans came to Texas and how the rules that govern them have been embedded in the Texas Constitution, interpreted by the Finance Commission of Texas and the Credit Union Commission of Texas (the Commissions), challenged in court, rewritten by the Commissions, bounced back to the Texas legislature, and most recently sent to the Texas voters again on November 6, 2007, would make a spellbinding soap opera. The substantive and procedural drama includes lobbying and lawsuits, triumphs and turmoil.This Article explores what has happened with home equity law and regulations over the past ten years. A recurring theme has been, and remains, the legal tension between the practical necessity for administrative guidance and the vulnerability of agency interpretations to judicial challenges. After examining the development of constitutional home equity authorization and restrictions, this Article highlights current unresolved issues in home equity lending. Finally, the Article considers the Texas home equity borrower protections in light of the subprime mortgage problems and high foreclosure rates dominating today’s financial news.
Valuing the Reload Features of Executive Stock Options

For options with a reload feature, the holder is automatically entitled to new options when the initial option is exercised. Under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123, the grant date value of executive stock options excludes the value of a reload feature because the Financial Accounting Standards Board believes it is not feasible to value a reload feature at the grant date. We show how the Binomial Option Pricing Model can be used to value options and the reload feature at the grant date. Ignoring the reload can substantially understate the value of the option. Accordingly, the Financial Accounting Standards Board may wish to reconsider the accounting for reload features.
Development and Evaluation of a Novel Solution, Somah, for the Procurement and Preservation of Beating and Nonbeating Donor Hearts for Transplantation

Background— Injury to myocytes, endocardium, and the coronary endothelium during harvesting and storage can compromise outcomes after heart transplantation. Safeguarding of structure and function of cardiomyocytes and endothelium in donor hearts may lead to improved patient survival after transplantation. Information gained from porcine hearts stored in standard transplant solution was used to design a superior preservation solution that would optimally protect and maintain organs from beating heart and/or nonbeating heart donors during long-term storage. Methods and Results— Multiphoton microscopy was used to image deep within cardiac biopsies and coronary artery tissue harvested from porcine hearts obtained from beating heart and nonbeating heart donors for analysis of myocyte and endothelial cell structure and function. Cell structural integrity and viability, calcium mobilization, and nitric oxide generation were determined with fluorescence viability markers, immunofluorescence, and Western blots. Du...
Sensorless Sliding Mode Position Control of Induction Motors Using Braided Extended Kalman Filters

This study is aimed at designing a sensorless sliding mode position control system for the rotor flux oriented Direct Vector Control (DVC) strategy of induction motors (IMs). For this purpose, a novel sliding mode controller (SMC) with reduced-chattering is designed for the control of the flux and angular position of the motor. All the states required for DVC in addition to the step-shaped load torque, stator resistance and rotor resistance are estimated using Braided EKF based observers. The performance of the new SMC is compared against a previously developed chattering-free SMC scheme. The simulation results demonstrate an improved robustness in the system response against parameter and load variations. It has also been demonstrated that the new Braided EKF technique used in the proposed sliding mode position control system also increases estimation accuracy of estimations when compared with chattering-free SMC under challenging variations of 100 % in the load and stator & rotor resistance.
Testing insecticide resistance management strategies: mosaic versus rotations

BACKGROUND: Developing scientifically valid, economically acceptable insecticide resistance management (IRM) programs is critical for sustainable insect management. The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), has demonstrated an ability to developresistancetomanydifferentclassesofinsecticides,includingproteinsproducedbythebacteriumBacillusthuringiensis Berliner (Bt). Recently it has developed resistance to the novel compounds spinosad and indoxacarb. In greenhouse cage experiments, a laboratory-selected population of P. xylostella resistant to spinosad, indoxacarb and Bt was used to compare population growth and resistance evolution if these three insecticides were rotated or used in a mosaic fashion. RESULTS: The average population density through nine generations was lowest in the treatment in which the insecticide was rotated every generation (R-1) (x = 20.7 ± 3.20) compared with the treatment in which the insecticide was rotated every third generation (R-3) (x = 41.4 ± 17.6) or where the insecticides were applied as a mosaic (M) (x = 41.8 ± 6.53). After nine generations, the survival of resistant individuals increased for each insecticide (7.2‐73.5%) compared with the population without selection (CK) (0.73‐3.1%). Survival on spinosad was significantly lower (23.7%) in the single-generation rotation than for the other two treatments, both of which exceeded 72%. The calculated survival on all three insecticides treated simultaneously, according to the survival on each insecticide, was 0.26, 0.81 and 1.6% for R-1, R-3 and M treatments respectively. CONCLUSION: Results of both population density and resistance development indicated that insecticide rotation every generationwasbetterforIRMthaniftheinsecticidewasrotatedeverythirdgenerationorifthethreeinsecticideswereapplied as a mosaic. c ! 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Random mobility and the spread of infection

We study infection spreading on large static networks when the spread is assisted by a small number of additional virtually mobile agents. For networks which are “spatially constrained”, we show that the spread of infection can be significantly sped up even by a few virtually mobile agents acting randomly. More specifically, for general networks with bounded virulence (e.g., a single or finite number of random virtually mobile agents), we derive upper bounds on the order of the time taken (as a function of network size) for infection to spread. Conversely, for certain common classes of networks such as linear graphs, grids and random geometric graphs, we also derive lower bounds on the order of the spreading time over all (potentially network-state aware and adversarial) virtual mobility strategies. We show that up to a logarithmic factor, these lower bounds for adversarial virtual mobility match the upper bounds on spreading via an agent with random virtual mobility. This demonstrates that random, state-oblivious virtual mobility is in fact order-wise optimal for dissemination in such spatially constrained networks.
Is Aortic Impedance Altered in Dwarf Mice

Dwarf mouse (deficient in growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1) lives about 30% longer than wild type mice. However, very little is known about their cardiovascular physiology. We examined the aortic input impedance in dwarf mice and their wild-type littermates to evaluate any differences. Aortic impedance was determined using pressure and velocity signals which are independent of body size. Significant differences were observed in the body weight, aortic systolic, diastolic and mean pressures, and peak and mean aortic flow velocities. No differences were observed in impedance parameters of peripheral resistance, impedance at first harmonic, and characteristic impedance between the two groups. However, the impedance curve in the dwarf mice was higher at low frequency and decreased gradually with increasing frequencies but in the wild type mice the impedance curve oscillated around the characteristic impedance
Session 9 overview / wireless: Wireless & mm-Wave connectivity

Summary form only given. High-throughput and low power continue to demand advances in CMOS wireless technologies for connectivity in various applications. The papers in this session show these developments in the area of mm-Wave 60GHz-and-up systems, as well as conventional connectivity platforms such as WLAN, Bluetooth and mobile TV. The over-arching trends at 60GHz are phased-arrays for wider range, integrated antennas and low power to target mobile applications. Traditional connectivity technologies show higher levels of integration, digital-centric architecture implementations and overall innovative ideas for system cost reduction.
More alike than different: assortative mating and antisocial propensity in adulthood

There is an impressive amount of research indicating that spouses and mates tend be highly similar on a range of characteristics. Much of this literature has examined mate similarity in demographic...
Predictors of change in quality of life in older adults with generalized anxiety disorder

Background: Quality of life (QOL) is lower in older adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). QOL generally improves following cognitive-behavioral treatment for GAD. Little is known, however, about additional variables predicting changes in QOL in older adults with GAD. This study examined predictors of change in QOL among older participants in a randomized clinical trial of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for GAD, relative to enhanced usual care (EUC). Methods: Hierarchical multilevel mixed-model analyses were used to examine inter-individual and intra-individual factors that predicted QOL over time. Predictors were categorized into treatment, personal and clinical characteristics. Results: QOL improved over time, and there was significant variability between participants in change in QOL. Controlling for treatment condition, baseline general self-efficacy, baseline social support, within-person variation in worry and depression and average levels of depression across different time points predicted changes in QOL. Conclusions: QOL has increasingly been used as an outcome measure in treatment outcome studies to focus on overall improvement in functioning. Attention to improvement in symptoms of depression and worry, along with psychosocial variables, such as social support and self-efficacy, may help improve QOL in older adults with GAD. This study was a secondary study of data from a randomized clinical trial (NCT00308724) registered with clinical.trials.gov.
Is Bifidobacterium breve effective in the treatment of childhood constipation? Results from a pilot study

Background: Probiotics are increasingly used in the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Studies in constipated adults with a Bifidus yoghurt (containing Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus) showed a significant increase in defecation frequency. The aim of this pilot study was to determine if Bifidobacterium breve is effective in the treatment of childhood constipation. Methods: Children, 3 to 16 years of age, with functional constipation according to the Rome III criteria were eligible for this study. During 4 weeks, children received one sachet of powder daily, containing 10 8 -1 0 10 CFU Bifidobacterium breve. Furthermore, children were instructed to try to defecate on the toilet for 5-10 minutes after each meal and to complete a standardized bowel diary daily. The primary outcome measure was change in defecation frequency. Secondary outcome measures were stool consistency using the Bristol stool scale frequency of episodes of faecal incontinence, pain during defecation, frequency of abdominal pain, frequency of adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea and bad taste), and frequency of intake of bisacodyl. Results: Twenty children (75% male, mean age 7.4) were included in this pilot study. The defecation frequency per week significantly increased from 0.9 (0-2) at baseline to 4.9 (0-21) in week 4 (p < 0.01). The mean stool consistency score increased from 2.6 (2-4) at baseline to 3.5 (1-6) in week 4 (p = 0.03). The number of faecal incontinence episodes per week significantly decreased from 9.0 (0-35) at baseline to 1.5 (0-7) in week 4 (p < 0.01). Abdominal pain episodes per week significantly decreased from 4.2 (0-7) at baseline to 1.9 (0-7) in week 4 (p = 0.01). No side effects occurred. Conclusion: Bifidobacterium breve is effective in increasing stool frequency in children with functional constipation. Furthermore it has a positive effect with respect to stool consistency, decreasing the number of faecal incontinence episodes and in diminishing abdominal pain. A randomized placebo controlled trial is required to confirm these data.
Treating Patients before and after Irradiation

Patients undergoing irradiation treatment for head and neck cancer need not lose their teeth. Careful treatment planning improves patients' quality of life.
An Evaluation of Two Advanced Turbulence Models for Simulating the Flow and Dispersion Around Buildings

We have presented a validation for our model through simulating the flow and dispersion around a cubical building. It was found that the LES model yields more accurate results but with roughly an order of magnitude increase in computational cost. Several conclusions can be drawn from this study: 1. Instantaneous snapshots of concentration from the LES model have similar vertical depth and width as the RANS. This indicates RANS is producing a reasonable plume, but without the spatial fluctuation associated with vortex shedding in the experimentally observed wake. 2. The RANS and LES yield similar mean velocity fields near the building. If mean velocity fields are sufficient and decoupled from the advected species, the RANS solution is the more economical method. 3. The LES can capture turbulent variations that the RANS does not model. For situations in which the source lasts sufficiently long, LES simulates more accurately the width of the dispersion than RANS does. This is useful for situations where accurate species concentrations in both space and time are important.
Teaching medical students about obesity: a pilot program to address an unmet need through longitudinal relationships with bariatric surgery patients.

Background. Despite obesity’s relevance and impact, curricula addressing obesity are underrepresented in clinical medical education. A novel pilot program to begin teaching medical students about c...
PROTECTIVE. EFFECT OF METRONIDAZOLE IN EXPERIMENTALULCERATIVE COLITIS

Abstract Administration of carrageenan to guinea pigs produces colonic lesions which are similar to those noted in idiopathic ulcerative colitis of human beings. This model was used to determine fecal flora changes and response to antimicrobial probes during the evolution of carrageenan-induced colitis. The results of fecal flora analysis showed that mean coliform concentrations increased from 10 2.7 to 10 7A per g during the initial stages of colonic ulceration. Pretreatment of carrageenan recipients with antimicrobials directed against coliforms reduced the concentrations of these organisms, but failed to attenuate the disease process. On the other hand, pretreatment with metronidazole, an antimicrobial primarily active against anaerobic bacteria, prevented carrageenan-induced colitis in a majority of animals. Delayed treatment with metronidazole until after colitis was established showed no salutory benefits. These results suggest that anaerobic bacteria play a role in the initial events of carrageenan-induced colitis in the guinea pig model.
Cutting and stacking: a method for constructing stationary processes

Cutting and stacking, a general method for constructing examples of stationary, ergodic, finite-alphabet processes with desired properties, is described. It has been used to construct counterexamples in ergodic theory. Recently, it has also been used to construct examples of interest in information theory and probability theory. The method builds a stationary ergodic process by describing sample paths as concatenations of nonoverlapping blocks of varying lengths. Induction is used to show how these blocks are concatenated to form longer and longer blocks, and a geometric model is used to guarantee stationarity. The basic ideas of the method and some recent applications to information theory problems are described. >
Enhanced Emission from a Light-Emitting Diode Modified by a Photonic Crystal

Enhanced light output is observed from a light-emitting diode (LED) structure containing a two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal. The capture of emitted light into planar waveguide modes reduces the extraction efficiency of LEDs. Here, 2D photonic crystals are utilized to: 1) enhance the extraction of light in the vertical direction from an LED and 2) enhance optical pumping by directly coupling light from a pump laser into the LED structure. Spatially and spectrally-resolved photoluminescence (PL) is used to characterize the enhancements. A 100-fold enhancement in extraction for a single wavelength into the vertical direction is obtained without the photonic crystal penetrating the active material.
An Application of Goal Programming at Lord Corporation

In this paper we report an application of a goal programming model at Lord Corporation. The model was developed and used at Lord to assist top management in the problem of allocating funds to competing research and development projects. Ten goals were established, and 25 projects considered. We describe those goals, the program results, and management's involvement in model construction and use.
Secondary Nicotinic Synapses on Sympathetic B Neurons and Their Putative Role in Ganglionic Amplification of Activity

The strength and number of nicotinic synapses that converge on secretomotor B neurons were assessed in the bullfrog by recording intracellularly from isolated preparations of paravertebral sympathetic ganglia 9 and 10. One input to every B neuron invariably produced a suprathreshold EPSP and was defined as the primary nicotinic synapse. In addition, 93% of the cells received one to four subthreshold inputs that were defined as secondary nicotinic synapses. This contradicts the prevailing view, which has long held that amphibian B neurons are singly innervated. More important, the results revealed that B cells provide the simplest possible experimental system for examining the role of secondary nicotinic synapses on sympathetic neurons. Combining the convergence data with previous estimates of divergence indicates that the average preganglionic B neuron forms connections with 50 ganglionic B neurons and that the majority of these nicotinic synapses are secondary in strength. Secondary EPSPs evoked by low-frequency stimulation ranged from 0.5 to 10 mV in amplitude and had an average quantal content of 1. Nonetheless, secondary synapses could trigger action potentials via four mechanisms: spontaneous fluctuations of EPSP amplitude, two-pulse facilitation, coactivation with other secondary synapses, and coactivation with a slow peptidergic EPSP. The data were used to formulate a stochastic theory of integration, which predicts that ganglia function as amplifiers of the sympathetic outflow. In this two-component scheme, primary nicotinic synapses mediate invariant synaptic gain, and secondary nicotinic synapses mediate activity-dependent synaptic gain. The model also provides a common framework for considering how facilitation, metabotropic mechanisms, and preganglionic oscillators regulate synaptic amplification in sympathetic ganglia.
Constraints of instantaneous reactive power p-q theory

The instantaneous reactive power (IRP) p - q theory can be acknowledged as the first concept that provided fundamentals for switching compensator control and very often such a control is satisfactory. There are situations when this control can result in objectionable effects, however. Instantaneous active and reactive powers, p and q , defined in the IRP p - q theory, were introduced with the emphasis that the definitions of these powers are valid for any three-phase system, without any constraints as to the system properties with respect to the load structure and the supply voltages and load currents waveform. This may imply a conclusion that the instantaneous powers p and q specify the power properties of the three-phase systems regardless of such systems properties. This assurance regarding the lack of constraints has contributed to the dissemination of the IRP p - q theory, especially as a fundamental of the algorithms for switching compensator control. This study shows that such a conclusion has no ground, however. In fact, only at very specific properties of the three-phase system some conclusions on its power properties can be derived from the values of the instantaneous active and reactive powers. Also, it shows that the IRP p - q theory identifies the power properties of the three-phase loads correctly only on the condition that such loads are supplied with symmetrical and sinusoidal voltage.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Variant and Migraine

Researchers at McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR C677T) and migraine in 447 patients selected from the Depression Case Control study (age 18 years or older).
Examining explanations for nuclear proliferation

This article examines whether the quantitative literature on the causes of nuclear proliferation successfully identifies variables that explain existing patterns of proliferation or improve our ability to predict proliferation. Using extreme bounds analysis, cross-validation, and random forests, I examine 31 variables that the extant literature considers significant determinants of proliferation. While some variables perform better than others, most fail to offer strong explanations for existing patterns of proliferation. Even fewer improve our ability to predict proliferation. It follows that the existing quantitative literature on proliferation produces more tentative findings than scholars typically understand.
Abstract T P142: Association between Left Atrial Abnormality on ECG and Vascular Brain Injury on MRI in the Cardiovascular Health Study

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) has long been recognized as a risk factor for vascular brain injury. Emerging evidence suggests that atrial disease is associated with vascular brain injury even in the absence of AF. Methods: The Cardiovascular Health Study prospectively enrolled community-dwelling adults ≥65 years of age. Among participants who underwent MRI, we examined associations of left atrial abnormality on a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) with MRI-defined brain infarcts and leukoaraiosis. P-wave terminal force--the product of the duration and depth of the terminal component of the P-wave--in lead V1 (PTFV1) is the most consistently used ECG measure of left atrial abnormality and was our primary predictor; P-wave area and duration were secondary predictors. We excluded participants with AF on their index ECG or a diagnosis of AF prior to the index ECG. Primary outcomes were incident infarcts and worsening leukoaraiosis from initial to follow-up scan approximately 5 years later. Secondary outcomes were prevalent infarcts and degree of leukoaraiosis on initial MRI. Non-lacunar infarcts were separately examined in a secondary analysis. We performed relative risk and linear regression analyses adjusting for vascular risk factors. Results: Among 3,129 participants with at least one scan, each 1-SD increase in PTFV1 (2160 μV*ms) was associated with a 0.05-point (95% CI, 0.0003-0.10) higher baseline white matter grade on a 10-point scale. PTFV1 was also associated with prevalent infarcts of any type (RR per SD, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.04-1.16), and in particular with prevalent non-lacunar infarcts (RR per SD, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08-1.38). Among 1,839 participants with two scans, PTFV1 was associated with worsening leukoaraiosis (RR per SD, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.18), but not incident infarcts (RR per SD, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.93-1.20). Similar results were seen in sensitivity analyses accounting for incident AF diagnosed after the ECG and before the MRI under analysis. P-wave area and duration were not associated with our outcomes. Conclusions: ECG left atrial abnormality is associated with vascular brain injury even in the absence of AF.
Psychiatric evaluation of the face transplant candidate.

Purpose of review There have now been a total of 32 face transplants done in the world since the first in Amien, France, in 2005. This procedure is moving from being considered experimental to being considered an accepted option for reconstruction in cases of severe facial disfigurement. Recent findings There have been three published reports of prospective quantitative assessments of facial transplant candidates related to psychological outcomes with face transplant recipients. Various instruments have been used in assessment, including the Beck Depression Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for rating depressive symptoms. Quality-of-life instruments used have included the Short Form-12, the Short Form-36, the Euro-QOL-5D (EQ-5D), the WHO Quality of Life rating scale (WHO-BREF), and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self-Report. Summary There have been three deaths in the first 32 cases of facial transplantation (9.4%), two cases of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in the first 20 face transplant recipients (10%). This rate of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder is about 10 times the rate seen in solid-organ transplant recipients. Collaborative assessment protocols are needed to determine whether the improvement in quality of life with facial transplantation is justified in the face of the risk of lifelong immunosuppression.
Abstract 1353: KIR copy-number variation and cutaneous melanoma risk.

Prevention of cutaneous malignant melanoma requires the identification and clearance of abnormal, pre-cancerous cells by the immune system. Central to this immune surveillance is the interplay between KIR receptors present on natural killer cells and their HLA ligands expressed on target cells. Like HLA, the KIR genes are highly polymorphic. They encode both activating receptors (that trigger NK-cell mediated killing), and inhibitory receptors (important in NK cell education and self-tolerance). Many of the KIR genes occur as copy number variants, and we hypothesize that inter- individual variability in KIR copy number is associated with melanoma risk. A random sample of cases and controls within the large, population-based Minnesota Skin Health Study were selected for examination (84 cases and 87 controls). Using Luminex technology and genomic DNA isolated from subject buccal cells we tested for the presence or absence of specific KIR genes (KIR3DL1, KIR2DS1, KIR2DL2, KIR2DL3, KIR2DL5, KIR2DS1, KIR2DS2, KIR2DS3, KIR2DS4 {truncating allele}, KIR2DS5, KIR2DS1). In addition to investigating each gene as a melanoma risk factor, we created an integrated locus score for 2DL2/DL3 and 3DL1/DS1, reflecting the typical mutual exclusivity of these genes at their respective loci. Results: Homozygous deletion of the activating KIR gene 2DS1 was associated with both an increasing number of nevi (p Citation Format: Heather H. Nelson, Karin Vineretsky, DeAnn Lazovich. KIR copy-number variation and cutaneous melanoma risk. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1353. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1353
Evaluation of FCE 22101 in experimental meningitis caused by Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pneumoniae

FCE 22101 is a new penem antibiotic with a spectrum of activity suggesting a possible role in the empirical treatment of meningitis. It appears to achieve a mean reduction in bacterial titre in CSF comparable with currently accepted agents for both pneumococcal and Escherichia coli meningitis. Its efficacy may, however, be variable. It does not achieve CSF level/MIC ratios as favourable as imipenem for the pathogens studied. Further studies are necessary to determine its role, if any, in this disease.
Designing a Therapeutic Mechanical Horse

Hippotherapy is a strategy that uses the movement of a horse to treat individuals with any of a variety of neuro-musculoskeletal disabilities including cerebral palsy, paralysis, traumatic brain injury, stroke and others. The patients’ overall treatment program includes time riding on a therapeutic horse under the direction of a physical therapist. The premise behind hippotherapy is that the movement of the horse drives the patients’ body, and particularly the hips, in a pattern that is similar to natural human movements such as healthy human gait [1][2][3][4]. The rhythmic motion of the riding surface engages and challenges the patient to actively anticipate, compensate, and adapt in order to maintain balance. Hippotherapy treatment is believed to help improve flexibility, strength, muscle symmetry, balance and postural control, and motor function [1][2][4][5][6].© 2010 ASME
Global surface pressure measurements of static and dynamic stall on a wind turbine airfoil at low Reynolds number

Recognizing the need for global surface measurement techniques to characterize the time-varying, three-dimensional loading encountered on rotating wind turbine blades, fast-responding pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) has been evaluated for resolving unsteady aerodynamic effects in incompressible flow. Results of a study aimed at demonstrating the laser-based, single-shot PSP technique on a low Reynolds number wind turbine airfoil in static and dynamic stall are reported. PSP was applied to the suction side of a Delft DU97-W-300 airfoil (maximum thickness-to-chord ratio of 30 %) at a chord Reynolds number of 225,000 in the University of Wyoming open-return wind tunnel. Static and dynamic stall behaviors are presented using instantaneous and phase-averaged global pressure maps. In particular, a three-dimensional pressure topology driven by a stall cell pattern is detected near the maximum lift condition on the steady airfoil. Trends in the PSP-measured pressure topology on the steady airfoil were confirmed using surface oil visualization. The dynamic stall case was characterized by a sinusoidal pitching motion with mean angle of 15.7°, amplitude of 11.2°, and reduced frequency of 0.106 based on semichord. PSP images were acquired at selected phase positions, capturing the breakdown of nominally two-dimensional flow near lift stall, development of post-stall suction near the trailing edge, and a highly three-dimensional topology as the flow reattaches. Structural patterns in the surface pressure topologies are considered from the analysis of the individual PSP snapshots, enabled by a laser-based excitation system that achieves sufficient signal-to-noise ratio in the single-shot images. The PSP results are found to be in general agreement with observations about the steady and unsteady stall characteristics expected for the airfoil.
Synthesis of δ-aminovaleramide

Abstract In Pseudomonas, δ-aminovaleramide 3 is both a product of the l -lysine oxygenase reaction and a substrate for δ-aminovaleramide deamidase. We report the synthesis and certain physical, chemical, and biological properties of δ-aminovaleramide. δ-Aminovaleric acid (I) is converted to δ-carbobenzoxy-δ-aminovaleric acid (II) and then to δ-carbobenzoxy-δ-aminovaleric acid methyl ester (III). Ammonolysis of (III) forms δ-carbobenzoxy-δ-aminovaleramide (IV), which on removal of the carbobenzoxy group yields δ-aminovaleramide.
Response matrices in space--time reactor dynamics

Space-dependent reactor kinetics problems can be solved by response techniques in which subassemblies of the core (called cells) are treated as “black box” transducers of neutron currents. In this ...
High Performance Ultrafiltration Membranes. Pore Geometry and Charge Effects

Abstract Ultrafiltration is a well-established process for protein concentration, buffer exchange, and purification. The key parameters describing the performance of these ultrafiltration processes are the filtrate flux, which is directly related to the membrane permeability, and the selectivity, which is determined by the degree of protein retention. Most efforts to improve the tradeoff between the permeability and selectivity of ultrafiltration membranes have focused on trying to narrow the pore size distribution, but this strategy has met with relatively little success. Experimental data and model calculations are presented that clearly demonstrate membrane performance can be significantly improved by controlling the membrane surface charge and/or the membrane pore geometry. In particular, electrically charged ultrafiltration membranes provide very high retention of like-charged protein by exploiting electrostatic (partitioning) phenomena. The use of novel silicon membranes with slit-shaped pores can provide nearly a threefold increase in permeability at a given selectivity due to the different hydrodynamic interactions associated with the change in pore geometry. However, these benefits can be largely obscured due to concentration polarization effects. Model calculations are presented that provide additional insights into the key factors governing the performance of ultrafiltration membranes and processes.