cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fibromyalgia and the complex regional pain syndrome: similarities in pathophysiology and treatment.

Although the pain of fibromyalgia usually is not preceded by an injury to the involved tissue, whereas that of the complex regional pain syndrome usually starts at a site of prior trauma or surgery, both disorders may share a common mechanism—pathologic sensitization of brain mechanisms that integrate nociceptive signals—and both apparently respond to treatment with ketamine, an anesthetic-analgesic agent whose actions include blockade of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Ketamine's widespread illegal use as a recreational agent probably precludes developing it as a general treatment of centrally mediated pain disorders; however, its efficacy suggests that related, to-bediscovered agents could be useful. © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. This report describes 2 chronic and often debilitating pain syndromes, fibromyalgia and the complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), which appear to share a common pathophysiologic mechanism—supersensitivity of brain mechanisms that receive and integrate nociceptive signals —and, possibly, a common therapeutic response to ketamine, a drug whose actions include inhibition of the Nmethyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors for brain glutamate. The loci at which fibromyalgia pain is felt are not usually those of prior tissue damage, whereas those of CRPS pain usually (but not always) are sites of a prior injury or surgical procedure. Given ketamine's psychotropic effects, this drug is not an optimal therapeutic agent. However, its efficacy in these pain syndromes suggests that other drugs, awaiting discovery, with similar biochemical actions will find important uses in pain management.
Anticipatory postural adjustments associated with rotational perturbations while standing on fixed and free-rotating supports.

Abstract Objective : The role of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) has been commonly hypothesized to stabilize the body's center of mass (COM) from reaction forces and torques induced by voluntary movements in a feed-forward manner. This hypothesis was developed from studies which investigated movements that induced anterior-posterior or medial-lateral perturbation to body posture. However, the role of APAs in tasks that induce perturbations about the vertical axis, which are associated with minimal COM displacements, is unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine APAs associated with upper arm movements that induce perturbation about the body's vertical axis. Methods : Eight healthy subjects performed bilateral or unilateral shoulder movements in the sagittal or frontal plane that induced rotational perturbation about the body's vertical axis, while standing on a support which was either fixed or free to rotate about the body's vertical axis. Changes in the background activity of trunk and leg muscles on both sides of the body, as well as reaction moment about the vertical axis were quantified within the time interval typical of APAs. Results : On the fixed support, clear asymmetry between right and left muscle activity was observed in biceps femoris and soleus during APAs across all tasks. These asymmetries were specific to the movement direction. When the same tasks were performed on a free-rotating support, the asymmetry that was observed on fixed support decreased. Conclusions : We suggest that the CNS uses asymmetric activity of right and left muscles during APAs to rotate the body segments in the direction opposite to the perturbation. When ground reaction moments did not aid in counteracting the forthcoming perturbation while standing on a free-rotating support, the asymmetric muscle activity decreased to minimize further inter-segmental rotations.
The Rights of Refugees under International Law: Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees (1967)

The States Parties to the present Protocol, Considering that the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees done at Geneva on 28 July 1951 (hereinafter referred to as the Convention) covers only those persons who have become refugees as a result of events occurring before 1 January 1951, Considering that new refugee situations have arisen since the Convention was adopted and that the refugees concerned may therefore not fall within the scope of the Convention, Considering that it is desirable that equal status should be enjoyed by all refugees covered by the definition in the Convention irrespective of the dateline 1 January 1951, Have agreed as follows: Article I General provision 1. The States Parties to the present Protocol undertake to apply articles 2 to 34 inclusive of the Convention to refugees as hereinafter defined. 2. For the purpose of the present Protocol, the term “refugee” shall, except as regards the application of paragraph 3 of this article, mean any person within the definition of article 1 of the Convention as if the words “As a result of events occurring before 1 January 1951 and … ” and the words “as a result of such events”, in article 1 A (2) were omitted. 3. The present Protocol shall be applied by the States Parties hereto without any geographic limitation, save that existing declarations made by States already Parties to the Convention in accordance with article 1 B (1) (a) of the Convention, shall, unless extended under article 1 B (2) thereof, apply also under the present Protocol.
Oral Pretreatment of Mice with CpG DNA Reduces Susceptibility to Oral or Intraperitoneal Challenge with Virulent Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is an enteroinvasive intracellular bacterial pathogen that infects humans and other animals, including mice, sometimes resulting in severe systemic infections. Previous studies showed that intraperitoneal (i.p.) pretreatment of susceptible BALB/c mice with immune-stimulatory CpG DNA 48 to 96 h prior to i.p. challenge with virulent L. monocytogenes reduces bacterial numbers in livers by greater than 100-fold, correlating with recovery from infection. Here we show that oral pretreatment of BALB/c mice with CpG DNA results in decreased susceptibility to either oral or i.p. challenge with L. monocytogenes. A single dose of 200 μg of CpG DNA administered to BALB/c mice orally by gavage 48 h or 7 days before oral challenge with virulent L. monocytogenes reduces bacterial numbers approximately 10- to 100-fold in livers and spleens. Lymphotoxin alpha knockout mice lacking Peyer's patches (PPs) and pretreated orally with CpG DNA 48 h prior to oral challenge with L. monocytogenes also have reduced susceptibility to infection, suggesting that PPs are required neither for oral infection nor for CpG-induced resistance against oral infection with L. monocytogenes. Surprisingly, 48-h oral pretreatment of BALB/c mice with 100 to 200 μg of CpG DNA results in approximately 100-fold-decreased bacterial numbers in livers following i.p. challenge with L. monocytogenes, suggesting, along with other data in this report, that orally delivered CpG DNA induces systemic resistance to infection. These results indicate that oral administration of CpG DNA induces systemic innate immune defenses against either oral or systemic infection with virulent L. monocytogenes.
Contribution of the Reelin signaling pathways to nociceptive processing

The reeler gene encodes Reelin, a secreted glycoprotein that binds to the very-low-density lipoprotein receptor (Vldlr) and apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (Apoer 2), and induces Src- and Fyn-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of the intracellular adaptor protein Disabled-1 (Dab1). This Reelin-Dab1 signaling pathway regulates neuronal positioning during development. A second Reelin pathway acts through Apoer 2-exon 19 to modulate synaptic plasticity in adult mice. We recently reported positioning errors in reeler dorsal horn laminae I-II and V, and the lateral spinal nucleus. Behavioral correlates of these positioning errors include a decreased mechanical and increased thermal sensitivity in reeler mice. Here we examined mice with deletions or modifications of both the Reelin-Dab1 signaling pathway and the Reelin-Apoer 2-exon 19 pathway on a Vldlr-deficient background. We detected reeler-like dorsal horn positioning errors only in Dab1 mutant and Apoer 2/Vldlr double mutant mice. Although Dab1 mutants, like reeler, showed decreased mechanical and increased thermal sensitivity, neither the single Vldlr or Apoer 2 knockouts, nor the Apoer 2-exon 19 mutants differed in their acute pain sensitivity from controls. However, despite the dramatic alterations in acute 'pain' processing in reeler and Dab1 mutants, the exacerbation of pain processing after tissue injury (hindpaw carrageenan injection) was preserved. Finally, we recapitulated the reeler dorsal horn positioning errors by inhibiting Dab1 phosphorylation in organotypic cultures. We conclude that the Reelin-Dab1 pathway differentially contributes to acute and persistent pain, and that the plasticity associated with the Reelin-Apoer 2-exon 19 pathway is distinct from that which contributes to injury-induced enhancement of 'pain' processing.
The effect of carbonic anhydrase on the kinetics and equilibrium of the oxygen isotope exchange in the CO2–H2O system: Implications for δ18O vital effects in biogenic carbonates

Abstract Interpretations of the primary paleoceanographic information recorded in stable oxygen isotope values ( δ 18 O) of biogenic CaCO 3 can be obscured by disequilibrium effects. CaCO 3 is often depleted in 18 O relative to the δ 18 O values expected for precipitation in thermodynamic equilibrium with ambient seawater as a result of vital effects. Vital effects in δ 18 O have been explained in terms of the influence of fluid pH on the overall δ 18 O of the sum of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) species (often referred to as “pH model”) and in terms of 18 O depletion as a result of the kinetic effects associated with CO 2 hydration (CO 2 + H 2 O ↔ H 2 CO 3 ↔ HCO 3 − + H + ) and CO 2 hydroxylation (CO 2 + OH − ↔ HCO 3 − ) in the calcification sites (so-called “kinetic model”). This study addresses the potential role of an enzyme, carbonic anhydrase (CA), that catalyzes inter-conversion of CO 2 and HCO 3 − in relation to the underlying mechanism of vital effects. We performed quantitative inorganic carbonate precipitation experiments in order to examine the changes in 18 O equilibration rate as a function of CA concentration. Experiments were performed at pH 8.3 and 8.9. These pH values are comparable to the average surface ocean pH and elevated pH levels observed in the calcification sites of some coral and foraminiferal species, respectively. The rate of uncatalyzed 18 O exchange in the CO 2 –H 2 O system is governed by the pH-dependent DIC speciation and the kinetic rate constant for CO 2 hydration and hydroxylation, which can be summarized by a simple mathematical expression. The results from control experiments (no CA addition) are in agreement with this expression. The results from control experiments also suggest that the most recently published kinetic rate constant for CO 2 hydroxylation has been overestimated. When CA is present, the 18 O equilibration process is greatly enhanced at both pH levels due to the catalysis of CO 2 hydration by the enzyme. For example, the time required for 18 O equilibrium is nearly halved by the presence of 3.7 × 10 −9 M of CA used for the experiments. Despite its significant influence on the oxygen isotope exchange kinetics, the equilibrium oxygen isotope fractionation between individual DIC species and H 2 O is unaffected by CA. Because many CaCO 3 -secreting organisms possess active CA, our findings imply that 18 O equilibration of the CO 2 –H 2 O system is possible within realistic timescales of biogenic calcification.
Photonic crystal surface mode laser

We demonstrated lasing from a high quality-factor photonic crystal surface mode, which brings several advantages for easy fabrication and efficient coupling. Temporal measurements indicate nearly ring-down time limited response.
Stratigraphy, depositional history, and tectonic evolution of Paleozoic continental-margin rocks in roof pendants of the eastern Sierra Nevada, California

during the Late Devonian‐Early Mississippian Antler orogeny at a considerable distance to the west. Later, in post-Early Permian time, rocks of the Morrison block were deformed, rocks of the Antler belt were emplaced against the Morrison block, and the facies boundaries and structural belts defined here were offset on northwest-trending dextral faults.
A zero-watermarking algorithm for relational database copyright protection

To meet the demand of relation database copyright protection, a zero-watermarking algorithm is proposed. we introduce the idea of classification to database watermark working, giving a certain extent ease to the limit of data types and error bounds in database. This algorithm never changes the information of original object, but proves the databases' copyright belongs through the extraction of data's characteristics. It's good at hiding, and without original database in the recover progress, supports blind-checking of watermark information. Experimental result and analysis show the safety and robustness of the algorithm.
High School Department Chairs: Role Ambiguity and Conflict During Change

This study examined challenges that high school department chairpersons faced while changing to a 4 x 4 block schedule. Findings indicated that the participants experienced multiple learning curves and increased tensions between departmental and teaching responsibilities. These problems were exacerbated by reduced released time. Recommendations include aligning job descriptions with procedures, implementing "department chair" professional development, and increasing chairs' released time.
An overview of geographic protocols in ad hoc and sensor networks

Summary form only given. In wireless ad hoc and sensor networks, building efficient and scalable protocols is a very challenging task due to the lack of infrastructure and the high dynamics. Geographic protocols, that take advantage of the location information of nodes, are very valuable in these environments. The state required to be maintained is minimum and the discovery overhead is low, in addition to the fast response to dynamics. In this paper, we present a state-of-the-art overview of geographic protocols providing basic functions such as geographic routing, geocasting, and geographic-based rendezvous mechanisms. We introduce also some of our work on assessing and improving the robustness of geographic protocols to nonideal realistic conditions corresponding to the real-world environments.
Using RNA interference to manipulate endogenous gene expression in Schistosoma mansoni sporocysts.

Direct assessments of gene function in parasitic flatworms have been hampered by the lack of effective tools to alter gene expression. The aim of the present study was to use RNA-interference (RNAi) to achieve targeted gene knockdown in larval stages of the human blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni. We selected two S. mansoni genes for RNAi experiments: SGTP1, a facilitated diffusion glucose transporter and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). WhenS. mansonilarvae were treated in vitro for 6 days with dsRNA specific to one of these two genes, targeted transcript levels were reduced by 70–80% as determined by quantitative PCR (qPCR), while non-targeted transcripts were unaffected. Parasite exposure to SGTP1 dsRNA, but not GAPDH dsRNA, reduced larval glucose-uptake capacity by 40%, demonstrating that SGTP1 transcript knockdown results in the functional phenotype of reduced glucose transport activity. The effect of dsRNA treatment on transcript level was evident for up to 28 days after an initial dsRNA treatment. Interestingly, dsRNA treatment was effective only when miracidia were allowed to undergo the transition to sporocysts in its presence, while treatment of fully transformed sporocysts was ineffective. Fluorescence patterns in larvae exposed to rhodamine-labeled dsRNA as miracidia and sporocysts were similar, suggesting that the difference in susceptibility to dsRNA treatment between the two life stages may not be due to differences in dsRNA entry. Overall, this technology will enable direct assessment of the roles of individual genes in physiological processes of larval stages of S. mansoni, a crucial step in the identification of novel intervention targets for this important human pathogen. © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Party Ideology Institutions and the 1995 French Presidential Election

In French election studies, a central debate concerns the French voter's ‘standing decision’ – is it party or ideology? The debate has been ongoing because of data and measurement issues and, we add, because of an inadequate understanding of the role electoral institutions play. The 1995 French National Election Study allows a fresh attack on these questions. It contains promising party and ideology measures, on a very large national sample. Both party identification and left–right ideological identification are shown to be widely held, with the latter more so. Their relative structural effects are found to depend heavily on the dynamics of the dual ballot. Party is more important for electoral choice on the first ballot, while ideology is more important on the second. This finding, demonstrated in fully specified logistic regression models of the presidential vote, seems also to inhere in the logic of French electoral institutions. The two-ballot rules, coupled with the pervasiveness of ideological and party identification in the public mind, go far towards revealing and explaining an underlying stability of the French political system.
Sleep Disturbances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Sleep disturbances are extremely prevalent in children with neurodevelopmental disorders compared to typically developing children. The diagnostic criteria for many neurodevelopmental disorders include sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbance in this population is often multifactorial and caused by the interplay of genetic, neurobiological and environmental overlap. These disturbances often present either as insomnia or hypersomnia. Different sleep disorders present with these complaints and based on the clinical history and findings from diagnostic tests, an appropriate diagnosis can be made. This review aims to provide an overview of causes, diagnosis, and treatment of sleep disturbances in neurodevelopmental disorders that present primarily with symptoms of hypersomnia and/or insomnia.
Achieving a Target Value for a Manufacturing Process: A Case Study

A paint coating process for which there is little information known about the relationship between the production variables and the output variables was investigated. The goal was to determine the optimum process settings to achieve the target value for..
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy: a complex multifactorial sequela of heart transplantation.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a major sequela that limits the long-term success of cardiac transplantation.1 A diagnosis of CAV significantly decreases survival time: CAV is one of the major causes of death at 3 years or longer after transplantation.2 The pathogenesis of CAV is not completely understood. In this issue of the Texas Heart Institute Journal, Costello and colleagues3 provide a thorough review of the many factors that might contribute to the development and progression of cardiac allograft vasculopathy, including immunologic and nonimmunologic aspects. Moreover, the authors emphasize the importance of recognizing the multifactorial origin of CAV, noting the predominant causal role of immunologic factors such as alloimmune and autoimmune responses, but also describing the involvement of several nonimmune donor and recipient factors. Chronic rejection in cardiac transplantation has been associated with the development of donor-specific antibodies to human leukocyte antigens (HLA). The predominant immune response involves an indirect pathway of allorecognition in which recipient T lymphocytes recognize donor antigens as presented by recipient antigen-presenting cells.4,5 Then, activated lymphocytes adhere to graft endothelial cells, enter the vessel wall, and sustain the chronic immune-induced injury by stimulating the expression of growth factors, cytokines/chemokines, and cellular adhesion molecules, and the development of alloantibodies. These responses result in the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and the subsequent narrowing of the lumen.4,6 The severity of CAV positively correlates with persistent inflammation and a higher degree of HLA mismatch.4 Autoimmune responses that involve antibodies against non-HLA antigens such as myosin and vimentin might also play a role in CAV progression.7,8 Nonimmunologic factors, such as ischemia-reperfusion, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia, as well as pathogens such as cytomegalovirus, can also stimulate the chronic inflammatory process, contributing to the evolution and progression of CAV.2,9,10 Factors related to donor brain death also have been implicated.3,11 Accurate detection of the onset and rate of progression of CAV remains clinically challenging. Costello and colleagues3 point out that the type of rejection episode—acute cellular rejection (ACR), antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), or combined ACR and AMR—correlates with patient prognosis, with recurrent AMR having the highest incidence of CAV. Another challenge is the complex interaction of nonimmunologic factors with immunologic processes. In our experience, some patients who were doing well developed rapidly progressive CAV after infection by cytomegalovirus. Further work is needed to elucidate the complex interactions of nonimmunologic, alloimmune, and autoimmune factors leading to CAV.
Designing fouling-resistant clay-embedded polyelectrolyte multilayer membranes for wastewater effluent treatment

Abstract This work explores the applicability of clay-polyelectrolyte based hybrid thin films to develop fouling resistant membrane surfaces for wastewater treatment applications. Clay nanoplatelets were layered on a commercial polyethersulfone membrane in conjunction with two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes via the aqueous-based layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique. These hybrid nanostructured membranes showed a high degree of fouling resistance as compared to other commercial membranes and the pure polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) membranes, when tested against an electrocoagulation-treated high strength wastewater. With the deposition of just 2.25 quadlayers, the clay-PEM (c‐PEM) membranes demonstrated good anti-fouling properties. On crosslinking the polyelectrolytes, the c‐PEM hybrid membranes showed higher reduction in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) value and enhanced fouling resistance as compared to their uncrosslinked counterparts, the pure PEM membranes (both uncross linked and crosslinked) and the bare membrane. However, the high fouling resistance of the c‐PEM membranes was attained at the cost of compromising the high initial flux value of the underlying membrane. Several possible optimization strategies have therefore been suggested in this paper, which can potentially increase the flux of the modified membranes. This work, for the first time, demonstrated an attempt to evaluate the performance of clay-polyelectrolyte nanocomposite membranes against a real wastewater effluent.
Integrating the iPad into an Intensive, Comprehensive Aphasia Program

The proliferation of tablet technology and the development of apps to support aphasia rehabilitation offer increasing opportunities for speech-language pathologists in a clinical setting. This article describes the components of an Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program at Boston University and details how usage of the iPad (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA) was incorporated. We describe how the iPad was customized for use in individual, dyadic, and group treatment formats and how its use was encouraged through home practice tasks. In addition to providing the participants with step-by-step instructions for the usage of each new app, participants had multiple opportunities for practice across various treatment formats. Examples of how the participants continued using their iPad beyond the program suggest how the usage of this device has generalized into their day-to-day life. An overall summary of performance on targeted linguistic measures as well as an analysis of functional and quality-of-life measures reveal statistically significant improvements pre- to posttreatment.
A Socio-Technical Analysis of Interdependent Infrastructures Among the Built Environment, Energy, and Transportation Systems at the Navy Yard And the Philadelphia Metropolitan Region, USA

This paper reports on a research initiative that explores the interdependencies of the system of systems – the built environment, energy, and transportation – related to the redevelopment of The Navy Yard in Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Metropolitan Region. The overarching goal of the project is a clearer understanding of the dynamics of multi-scale interactions and interdependencies of systems of sociotechnical systems that will be useful to system practitioners (Rouse and Bodner 2013). The understanding and the subsequent planning and design of sociotechnical systems are “wicked” problems and one characteristic is there is no definitive formulation (Rittel and Webber). One of the main findings or lessons learned of the work reported for the understanding of interdependencies of infrastructure is the identification of what are the problems or challenges because for wicked problems “[t]he formulation of the problem is the problem (Rittel and Webber 1973: 161)!”
Marital History, Disability and Longevity

In this paper, we combine insights from two separate strands of the literature --- one focusing on the biological and psychological mechanisms whereby social support affects health outcomes and the other providing evidence of marital disruption effects on intergenerational relations --- to examine differences in health, disability and longevity among elderly persons with different marital history and family type. Specifically, we develop a theory of how marital history affects the incidence and trajectory of disability as well as mortality of older persons directly (through divorce) and indirectly (through family structure). Multivariate models that control for a wide range of socio-economic and health characteristics of elderly persons and their family members are applied to longitudinal data from the first five waves of the Health and Retirement Survey/Assets and Health Dynamics of the Elderly Survey (AHEAD/HRS) to test the empirical implications of the model.
Suppression of high-pT non-photonic electrons in Au+Au collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}} =200 GeV

The strong suppression of high pT hadrons observed at RHIC has led to the interpretation that energetic partons lose their energy via induced gluon radiation in the hot and dense matter before fragmenting into hadrons. The study of heavy quark production can extend our understanding of this scenario. Due to the dead cone effect, the suppression of heavy quark mesons at high pT is expected to be smaller than that observed for charged hadrons at the same energy. The measurement of non-photonic single electrons up to high pT provides information on charm and beauty production. The semi-leptonic decays of D and B mesons are the dominant contribution to the non-photonic electron spectra. The preliminary spectra from p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ =200 GeV have been extracted for mid-rapidity non-photonic electrons in the range 1.5<pT (GeV/c)<10. The corresponding nuclear modification factors (RAA) are presented and show a large suppression in central Au+Au collisions, indicating an unexpectedly large energy loss for heavy quarks in the hot and dense matter created at RHIC. This observed suppression is compared to recent theoretical models.
Cross-Cultural Comparison of Adolescents' Online Self-Presentation Strategies: Turkey and the United States

Studying how social network site SNS users from different countries present themselves is crucial for inquiring into the dynamics of culture and youth. This study of 100 adolescents age 14-18 Mage= 15.90, SD =.1.48 was designed to determine whether cultural differences between adolescents in the U.S. and Turkey would manifest themselves in their online self-presentation strategies on Facebook. Snowball sampling was used to reach U.S. and Turkish adolescents 50 participants from each country who were using Facebook. The study provides novel insights into how adolescents from each country, in relation to its specific cultural framework, display certain kinds of self-presentation strategies. By coding Facebook profiles of adolescents, the authors found that the sharpest cross-cultural contrast was found in the frequency of the self-promotion strategy, which was more frequent in the United States. There was also a significant difference in use of exemplification strategy between the two countries; it was more widely used in Turkey. The high level of the ingratiation strategy in both countries may reflect the importance of "likes" in the Internet culture. There was also a significant cross-national difference in the ingratiation strategy, which U.S. teens used more. Finally, the authors also found a low level of use of the intimidation and supplication strategies in both countries. The study highlights the importance of self-exploration in constructing identities that conform to desirable cultural roles.
Clinical study evaluating the accuracy of injecting the distal tarsal joints in the horse

SummaryBackground Osteoarthritis (OA) of the centrodistal (CD) and tarsometatarsal (TMT) joints is a common cause of lameness in horses. Intra-articular diagnostic anaesthesia and/or therapeutic injection are relied upon to help diagnose and treat many horses with OA of these joints. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of arthrocentesis of the CD and TMT joints using a sample population of equine surgeons and surgery residents. Study design Randomised experimental study. Methods Six operators each injected 4 CD and 4 TMT joints in 12 sedated horses. The operators were randomly assigned to inject either the left CD and right TMT or the right CD and left TMT on 4 randomly assigned horses. The joints were injected with a 4 mL solution of contrast medium (2 mL), sterile saline (1.5 mL) and amikacin (0.5 mL). A minimum of two radiographs of each joint was obtained to evaluate the presence of contrast medium within the target joint. Results The TMT joint was successfully injected in 23/24 joints (96% accuracy). The CD joint was successfully injected in 10/24 joints (42% accuracy). Communication between the TMT and CD joints was visible in 26% of successful TMT injections. Communication between the CD and TMT joints was visible in 20% of successful CD injections. Main limitations Despite specific requests to do so, we were unable to standardise the injection technique across all operators. Conclusions The accuracy of injecting the tarsometatarsal (TMT) and centrodistal (CD) joints of sedated horses was 96% and 42%, respectively. The CD joint was frequently missed with contrast medium being placed in the peri-articular tissues. These data support the clinical impression of the difficulty of injecting the CD joint and suggests that practitioners should utilise ancillary methods, such as radiographs, to ensure proper needle placement. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Presynaptic modulation of neurotransmitter release by endogenous angiotensin II in brown adipose tissue.

Angiotensin II (All) increased the evoked release of [3H]- norepinephrine (NE) from superfused slices of interscapular fat (ISF). To determine if All was endogenously formed and subsequently released from ISF, immunoreactive All was measured in the superfusate from ISF slices. The concentration of All detected in the ISF superfusate was 4.51 pg/mg tissue wet wt/30ml collected over a 30-min period. In response to electrical field stimulation, All concentration in the superfusate increased (maximum of 2-fold). To determine if All modulates sympathetic neurotransmission, the effect of All (O.l-lOnM) and, in separate experiments the effect of the AII-1 receptor antagonist DuP 753 (1 nM-1µM) on the evoked release of [3H]-NE were examined in ISF slices. All and DuP 753 increased (100% above control) and decreased (43% of control), respectively, the evoked [3H]-NE release from ISF slices. The effect of DuP 753 was not altered by the inclusion of neuronal uptake inhibitors (nomifensine or desipramine) in the superfusion buffer. These results suggest that endogenous All enhances the evoked release of [3H]-NE from ISF.
Venipuncture-related lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve injury: what to know?

Abstract Background and objectives Venipuncture is one of the most common procedures performed in daily anesthetic practice. Though usually innocuous, peripheral nerve injuries with serious sequelae have been described following venipuncture. We present a case of venipuncture-related lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve injury, alongside the essential diagnostic and prognostic information for day to day practice. Case 27-Year old male who underwent venipuncture of the right antecubital fossa with a 20-gauge needle, for routine metabolic assessment. The patient suffered a shooting, electric-type pain traveling on the lateral side of the forearm, from the antecubital fossa proximally, to the right lateral wrist and base of the right thumb. After 24 h, the patient still experienced shooting, electric-type pain that was rated as 8/10 at the right distal lateral arm, right lateral wrist and base of the thumb, accompanied by paresthesia. The literature was reviewed and the patient was counseled regarding published outcomes of these type of injuries. At follow-up, the patient stated that the dysesthesia subsided approximately 3–4 weeks after initial injury, and reported no remaining neurologic deficits. Conclusions Peripheral nerve injuries have been described after venipuncture, but the literature is limited. Nerves in the antecubital fossa classically lie on a plane just beneath, and in close proximity to, the veins, making them susceptible to injury during phlebotomy; also it has been shown that there is a large range of anatomic variation, suggesting that even a non-traumatic, satisfactory venipuncture can directly damage these nerves. Anesthesiologists must be aware of this possible complication, diagnosis and prognostication to adequately counsel patients in the event that this complication occurs.
Ca2+-Permeable AMPARs Mediate Glutamatergic Transmission and Excitotoxic Damage at the Hair Cell Ribbon Synapse

We report functional and structural evidence for GluA2-lacking Ca2+-permeable AMPARs (CP-AMPARs) at the mature hair cell ribbon synapse. By using the methodological advantages of three species (of either sex), we demonstrate that CP-AMPARs are present at the hair cell synapse in an evolutionarily conserved manner. Via a combination of in vivo electrophysiological and Ca2+ imaging approaches in the larval zebrafish, we show that hair cell stimulation leads to robust Ca2+ influx into afferent terminals. Prolonged application of AMPA caused loss of afferent terminal responsiveness, whereas blocking CP-AMPARs protects terminals from excitotoxic swelling. Immunohistochemical analysis of AMPAR subunits in mature rat cochlea show regions within synapses lacking the GluA2 subunit. Paired recordings from adult bullfrog auditory synapses demonstrate that CP-AMPARs mediate a major component of glutamatergic transmission. Together, our results support the importance of CP-AMPARs in mediating transmission at the hair cell ribbon synapse. Further, excess Ca2+ entry via CP-AMPARs may underlie afferent terminal damage following excitotoxic challenge, suggesting that limiting Ca2+ levels in the afferent terminal may protect against cochlear synaptopathy associated with hearing loss.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A single incidence of noise overexposure causes damage at the hair cell synapse that later leads to neurodegeneration and exacerbates age-related hearing loss. A first step toward understanding cochlear neurodegeneration is to identify the cause of initial excitotoxic damage to the postsynaptic neuron. Using a combination of immunohistochemical, electrophysiological, and Ca2+ imaging approaches in evolutionarily divergent species, we demonstrate that Ca2+-permeable AMPARs (CP-AMPARs) mediate glutamatergic transmission at the adult auditory hair cell synapse. Overexcitation of the terminal causes Ca2+ accumulation and swelling that can be prevented by blocking CP-AMPARs. We demonstrate that CP-AMPARs mediate transmission at this first-order sensory synapse and that limiting Ca2+ accumulation in the terminal may protect against hearing loss.
Smart Extended Matched Filter for Linear FM based good code sets

This paper introduces a good code set consisting of frequency shifted Linear FM (LFM) waveforms. It is shown that the entire set can be detected with one Smart Extended Matched Filter (SEMF), constructed by extending the frequency sweep of the LFM waveform on either side, which has an additional ability to detect the energy pattern following the multiplication of the incoming data with the filter coefficients (i.e. the Hadamard product) before the summation. This allows for associating a peak at the filter output with the location of the higher energy distribution within the filter, prior to summation. The location of this higher energy region determines the frequency shift which could identify a particular member of the proposed good code set or Doppler shift of a LFM waveform. Thus, resulting in Doppler detection for a LFM waveform or detection of a good code set comprised of frequency shifted LFM waveforms. The frequency offset between the members of the set is chosen such that Doppler shifts for individual code members could also be detectable by the SEMF. Such good code sets are generated using LFM waveforms with increasing instantaneous frequencies (or up-chirps) or LFM waveforms with decreasing instantaneous frequencies (or down-chirps) or both resulting in a larger set. However, in the case of the combined set, a receiver with two SEMF's: one for the up-chirp based set, and another for the down-chirp based set, is required.
Adding data provenance support to Apache Spark

Debugging data processing logic in data-intensive scalable computing (DISC) systems is a difficult and time-consuming effort. Today's DISC systems offer very little tooling for debugging programs, and as a result, programmers spend countless hours collecting evidence (e.g., from log files) and performing trial-and-error debugging. To aid this effort, we built Titian, a library that enables data provenance--tracking data through transformations--in Apache Spark. Data scientists using the Titian Spark extension will be able to quickly identify the input data at the root cause of a potential bug or outlier result. Titian is built directly into the Spark platform and offers data provenance support at interactive speeds--orders of magnitude faster than alternative solutions--while minimally impacting Spark job performance; observed overheads for capturing data lineage rarely exceed 30% above the baseline job execution time.
Philanthropic Sector Support for Medical Research and Training: History and Trends

This chapter traces the contributions of the U.S. philanthropic sector to medical research and training beginning in the early 20th century. This sector is composed of private endowed foundations, not-for-profit voluntary health organizations, public charities, and private not-for-profit endowed research institutes. Beginning with the establishment of the first clinical research hospital at the Rockefeller Institute, this sector has contributed significantly to clinical research. Continuously expanding its reach and impact, the philanthropic sector uses a diversity of approaches, and its willingness to take risks, invest for the long term, and focus on unpopular issues make it an important source of funding and a critical part of the biomedical research enterprise.
Entrainment versus Dilution in Tropical Deep Convection

AbstractThe distinction between entrainment and dilution is investigated with cloud-resolving simulations of deep convection in a tropical environment. A method for estimating the rate of dilution by entrainment and detrainment is presented and calculated for a series of bubble simulations with a range of initial radii. Entrainment generally corresponds to dilution of convection, but the two quantities are not well correlated. Core dilution by entrainment is significantly reduced by the presence of a shell of moist air around the core. Dilution by entrainment also increases with increasing updraft velocity but only for sufficiently strong updrafts. Entrainment contributes significantly to the total net dilution, but detrainment and the various source/sink terms play large roles depending on the variable in question. Detrainment has a concentrating effect on average that balances out the dilution by entrainment. The experiments are also used to examine whether entrainment or dilution scale with cloud radiu...
Theory of Antenna Radiation

After considering the previous investigations of antenna radiation, the author attacks this problem taking into account the sinusoidal distribution of current and voltage along the antenna. The vertical grounded antenna only is considered. A detailed mathematical investigation of radiation and field strengths at remote points follows. Formulas resembling the Eccles radiation formula, and the Cohen dispersion and diffraction factor formula are obtained and interpreted.
Sustainability Knowledge and Attitudes—Assessing Latent Constructs

The majority of sustainability related social science research conducted to date has primarily focused on individual level behaviors occurring within the environmental domain. In order to achieve the advancements needed to move towards a truly sustainable society, this interdisciplinary field must grow to not only include the social and economic domains, but also expand in scope to study groups and institutions. Sustainability research has paused at the brink of this needed growth and expansion because it has failed, thus far, to build new theories specifically tailored to the three domain model of sustainability. The purpose of this chapter is to encourage scientists to begin identifying and measuring sustainability latent constructs in order to do just that, and to submit two such measures to the academic community. This chapter introduces a revised Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (ASK) and the Sustainability Attitudes Scale (SAS), and discusses when and how to use them for applied and theoretical purposes. Building theoretical models using these (and other) latent constructs will allow social scientists to test a new and diverse set of hypotheses and push the field to create cutting edge, sustainability-tailored theories.
Basic Methods for Determination of Steroid-Protein Interactions

The basic requirement of any procedure for determination of protein binding is its capability of distinguishing the bound portion of a ligand from the free, i.e., unbound** fraction. This may be accomplished by actual physical separation of the two species each of which then can be analyzed; such a system is most lucid and leads to least ambiguous results. In many cases, physical separation is not carried out, and the distinction between the bound and unbound form is based on properties specific for one or the other. Examples are methods in which the biological activity of a compound is drastically changed by binding to a protein, as has been discussed for some of the early observations. Another instance is the measurement of surface tension in cases in which the effect of a surface-active compound is abolished by association with a protein. Changes of spectral properties by interaction with proteins are in the same category.
Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia Exposure Induces Atherosclerosis in ApoE Knockout Mice: Role of NF-κB p50

Current animal models of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH)-induced atherosclerosis have limitations. Mechanisms of CIH-induced atherosclerosis are poorly understood. This study tested new mouse models of CIH-induced atherosclerosis and defined the role of NF-κB p50 in CIH-induced atherosclerosis. Mice deficient in apolipoprotein E (ApoE-KO) or in both ApoE and p50 genes (ApoE-p50-DKO) were exposed to sham or CIH. Atherosclerotic lesions on aortic preparations were analyzed. CIH exposure caused atherosclerosis in ApoE-KO mice fed a normal chow diet and with no preexisting atherosclerotic condition in an exposure time-dependent manner. CIH caused more pronounced atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE-p50-DKO mice on a normal chow diet without preexisting atherosclerosis. ApoE-KO and ApoE-p50-DKO mice exposed to CIH for 30 and 9 weeks, respectively, displayed similar areas of atherosclerotic lesions on cross sections of aortic root. P50 gene deletion in ApoE-p50-DKO mice significantly augmented CIH-induced serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-6, aortic tumor necrosis factor-α, and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and aortic infiltration of Mac3-positive macrophages. CIH caused a greater elevation in serum cholesterol level in ApoE-p50-DKO than in ApoE-KO mice. CIH down-regulated hepatic low-density lipoprotein receptor and HMG-CoA reductase expression in ApoE-p50-DKO but not in ApoE-KO mice. We found two new mouse models that are useful for studying mechanisms and pathways of CIH-induced atherosclerosis. We showed that NF-κB p50 protects against CIH-induced atherosclerosis by inhibiting vascular inflammation and hypercholesterolemia.
Successful treatment of a genetic childhood ataxia due to riboflavin transporter deficiency.

Riboflavin transporter deficiency (Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome) is a rare recessive neurodegenerative disorder that can present with gait ataxia, primarily due to sensory neuropathy as well as cerebellar involvement. Although sensorineural hearing loss, bulbar palsy, and optic atrophy are typical, presentation may be variable and an atypical condition may be difficult to recognize clinically. Here we report a patient presenting at age 8 with progressive ataxia since the age of 2.5 years with cerebellar atrophy and peripheral polyneuropathy. Whole exome sequencing identified a known pathogenic mutation in the SLC52A2 gene consistent with a diagnosis of Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome despite the absence of common symptoms including motor neuropathy, bulbar palsy, optic atrophy, and sensorineural hearing loss. High-dose riboflavin therapy was initiated, symptoms stabilized, metabolic abnormalities resolved, and the patient is doing well with a near-normal examination at age 15. Riboflavin transporter deficiency can be fatal if left untreated. The excellent outcome of this case illustrates the importance of identifying this potentially treatable neurologic condition. In this patient, clinical diagnosis was limited by an atypical presentation lacking several common features which was overcome through the use of genomic sequencing identifying the pathogenic mutation enabling correct diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Riboflavin transporter deficiency should be considered early in the diagnostic evaluation as a treatable form of ataxia in children, even if patients lack typical features.