cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vivo natural killer cell activities revealed by natural killer cell-deficient mice

Studies of natural killer (NK) cell function in vivo have been challenging primarily due to the lack of animal models in which NK cells are genetically and selectively deficient. Here, we describe a transgenic mouse with defective natural killing and selective deficiency in NK1.1(+) CD3(-) cells. Despite functionally normal B, T, and NK/T cells, transgenic mice displayed impaired acute in vivo rejection of tumor cells. Adoptive transfer experiments confirmed that NK1.1(+) CD3(-) cells were responsible for acute tumor rejection, establishing the relationship of NK1.1(+) CD3(-) cells to NK cells. Additional studies provided evidence that (i) NK cells play an important role in suppressing tumor metastasis and outgrowth; (ii) NK cells are major producers of IFNgamma in response to bacterial endotoxin but not to interleukin-12, and; (iii) NK cells are not essential for humoral responses to T cell-independent type 2 antigen or the generalized Shwartzman reaction, both of which were previously proposed to involve NK cells.
Isolating Stationary and Temporal Sources of Driver Distraction through Eye Tracking Study

Accurate eye tracking technologies are becoming increasingly affordable to the research community, attracting prolific use of them in studying various types of driver behaviors. This paper presents a refined eye tracking study aimed at isolating out the sources, both stationary and temporal, that cause drivers to turn their visual attentions away from the roadway ahead. The eye tracking datasets were generated by 35 drivers using a dash-mounted eye tracker. Each driver drove through two test routes, Route A and Route B. The routes consisted of different types of roadways (expressways, on/off-ramps, local roads, et cetera.) and each took about 25 minutes to drive through. Tests were done during off-peak periods, in the early afternoon and after dark hours. About 1.5 million image frames with valid fixations, proper speed values, and associated roadway types were analyzed. The samples were grouped by roadway type, driving speed, and visibility. Fixation patterns across the 50 × 50 pixel grid cells corresponding to different sample groups were analyzed to screen out events that have a high likelihood of involving visual distraction. The study is built upon the lead author's previous work presented at the 3rd International Conference of Road Safety and Simulation. It includes significant refinements in grouping criteria by speed. Keywords: Driver distraction; Language: en
Novel SOX2 mutations and genotype–phenotype correlation in anophthalmia and microphthalmia

SOX2 represents a High Mobility Group domain containing transcription factor that is essential for normal development in vertebrates. Mutations in SOX2 are known to result in a spectrum of severe ocular phenotypes in humans, also typically associated with other systemic defects. Ocular phenotypes include anophthalmia/microphthalmia (A/M), optic nerve hypoplasia, ocular coloboma and other eye anomalies. We screened 51 unrelated individuals with A/M and identified SOX2 mutations in the coding region of the gene in 10 individuals. Seven of the identified mutations are novel alterations, while the remaining three individuals carry the previously reported recurrent 20-nucleotide deletion in SOX2, c.70del20. Among the SOX2-positive cases, seven patients had bilateral A/M and mutations resulting in premature termination of the normal protein sequence (7/38; 18% of all bilateral cases), one patient had bilateral A/M associated with a single amino acid insertion (1/38; 3% of bilateral cases), and the final two patients demonstrated unilateral A/M associated with missense mutations (2/13; 15% of all unilateral cases). These findings and review of previously reported cases suggest a potential genotype/phenotype correlation for SOX2 mutations with missense changes generally leading to less severe ocular defects. In addition, we report a new familial case of affected siblings with maternal mosaicism for the identified SOX2 mutation, which further underscores the importance of parental testing to provide accurate genetic counseling to families.
The Stained Body A Fusion of Embodied Art on Rape and Love

This fusion of embodied art combines painting, autoethnographic narrative, and poetry to understand the way the body stores the memory of rape and love. The author defines the fusion of embodied art as the process of inquiry that adds depth of emotion, perception, sensory detail, meaning, and creation of meaning to both the lived and the recreated experience through the blending of various art forms. Through the exploration of life-crushing moments, the author hopes to both define and transform the body as a site of knowledge, a source of desire and confinement.
Long wavelength terahertz quantum-cascade lasers with one-well injector

We report operation of terahertz quantum-cascade lasers at frequencies down to 1.86 THz (lambda ap 161 mum) using a single quantum-well injector that significantly reduces free-carrier losses. The laser threshold current density at 5 K was ~140 A/cm2.
Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Mutation Spectra and Resistance to Quinolones in Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis with a Mutator Phenotype

Resistance to quinolone antibiotics has been associated with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of gyrA. Mutations in the gyrA gene were compared by using mutant populations derived from wild-type Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and its isogenic mutS::Tn10 mutator counterpart. Spontaneous mutants arising during nonselective growth were isolated by selection with either nalidixic acid, enrofloxacin, or ciprofloxacin. QRDR SNPs were identified in approximately 70% (512 of 695) of the isolates via colony hybridization with radiolabeled oligonucleotide probes. Notably, transition base substitution SNPs in the QRDR were dramatically increased in mutants derived from the mutS strain. Some, but not all, antibiotic-resistant mutants lacking QRDR SNPs were resistant to tetracycline and chloramphenicol, consistent with alterations in nonspecific efflux pumps or other membrane transport mechanisms. Changing the selection conditions shifted the mutation spectrum. Selection with ciprofloxacin was least likely to yield a mutant harboring either a QRDR SNP or chloramphenicol resistance. Selection with enrofloxacin was more likely to yield mutants containing Ser83→Phe mutations, whereas selection with ciprofloxacin or nalidixic acid favored recovery of Asp87→Gly mutants. Fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella strains isolated from veterinary or clinical settings frequently display a mutational spectrum with a preponderance of transition SNPs in the QRDR, the pattern found in vitro among mutS mutator mutants reported here. Both the preponderance of transition mutations and the varied mutation spectra reported for veterinary and clinical isolates suggest that bacterial mutators defective in methyl-directed mismatch repair may play a role in the emergence of quinolone and fluoroquinolone resistance in feral settings.
CD4 T Cell-Independent Antibody Response Promotes Resolution of Primary Influenza Infection and Helps to Prevent Reinfection

It is generally believed that the production of influenza-specific IgG in response to viral infection is dependent on CD4 T cells. However, we previously observed that CD40-deficient mice generate influenza-specific IgG during a primary infection, suggesting that influenza infection may elicit IgG responses independently of CD4 T cell help. In the present study, we tested this hypothesis and show that mice lacking CD40 or CD4 T cells produce detectable titers of influenza-specific IgG and recover from influenza infection in a manner similar to that of normal mice. In contrast, mice completely lacking B cells succumb to influenza infection, despite the presence of large numbers of functional influenza-specific CD8 effector cells in the lungs. Consistent with the characteristics of a T-independent Ab response, long-lived influenza-specific plasma cells are not found in the bone marrow of CD40-/- and class II-/- mice, and influenza-specific IgG titers wane within 60 days postinfection. However, despite the short-lived IgG response, CD40-/- and class II-/- mice are completely protected from challenge infection with the same virus administered within 30 days. This protection is mediated primarily by B cells and Ab, as influenza-immune CD40-/- and class II-/- mice were still resistant to challenge infection when T cells were depleted. These data demonstrate that T cell-independent influenza-specific Ab promotes the resolution of primary influenza infection and helps to prevent reinfection.
Men and Erotic Oases

This article presents a sociological examination of men who have sex with men in public places, commercial sex locations, and via the internet. Through a review of types of erotic oases, characteristics of men who frequent such places, communication modes, dangers, and the processes of seeking, finding, and conquering other men as sexual partners, this overview highlights the ways that sexuality and gender intersect. Focus is on the fluid and malleable nature of gender and sexuality, and the multitude of ways that such concepts are experienced.
Performance of a rank sum combiner for FFH-MFSK signaling in partial band interference

We consider the performance of a fast frequency hopping M-ary frequency shift keying spread spectrum rank sum diversity combiner. The spread signals are received in partial band interference and the parameters of this intentional interference are unknown. For the BFSK (M=2) case and a Rayleigh fading channel, the analytical performance of the rank sum receiver is compared to that of the linear receiver. Simulations are carried out for the rank sum receiver in a non-fading channel and compared to simulated performance of the clipper receiver and product combiner receiver (PCR). The performance of the rank sum combiner, in the non-fading channel, is comparable to the product combiner receiver and almost always is worse than the clipper receiver. In the Rayleigh fading channel, the rank sum receiver performs considerably better than the linear receiver when the jamming fraction is relatively small. >
Characteristics of the indoor wireless propagation environment at microwave and millimetre frequencies

Multimedia wireless networks are addressed at the in-building network market where they will ultimately offer a flexible and mobile alternative to wired LANs. The primary application of the technology is in the wireless communication of voice, data, and video signals. The potential market for indoor wireless LANs is considerable for both the commercial and domestic sectors. The choice of an appropriate transmission frequency for indoor wireless networks is an important one. The NII/SUPERNET/HIPERLAN band at 5 GHz is a strong contender as are those frequencies around 60 GHz. Future indoor wireless networks are expected to have data rates in excess of 100 Mbits/s in order to be compatible with future wired networks. A pivotal element in the design of future wireless LANs is knowledge of the propagation environment in which such systems are expected to be used. The indoor propagation channel is a complex one and it is dependent on the age, structure, and function of the building, the layout and occupancy of rooms, the presence of exterior and internal walls and windows, and the construction materials used. The paper investigates the indoor electromagnetic propagation environment at microwave and millimetre frequencies. This in turn requires examination of the mechanisms of electromagnetic wave propagation and the effects of the electromagnetic properties of building materials at these frequencies. Ultimately this study compares microwave and millimetre frequencies in terms of their respective suitability and feasibility for broadband indoor wireless communications.
Modifications of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Envelope Glycoprotein Enhance Immunogenicity for Genetic Immunization

In this study, we have investigated the effect of specific mutations in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope (Env) on antibody production in an effort to improve humoral immune responses to this glycoprotein by DNA vaccination. Mice were injected with plasmid expression vectors encoding HIV Env with modifications in regions that might affect this response. Elimination of conserved glycosylation sites did not substantially enhance humoral or cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte (CTL) immunity. In contrast, a modified gp140 with different COOH-terminal mutations intended to mimic a fusion intermediate and stabilize trimer formation enhanced humoral immunity without reducing the efficacy of the CTL response. This mutant, with deletions in the cleavage site, fusogenic domain, and spacing of heptad repeats 1 and 2, retained native antigenic conformational determinants as defined by binding to known monoclonal antibodies or CD4, oligomer formation, and virus neutralization in vitro. Importantly, this modified Env, gp140ΔCFI, stimulated the antibody response to native gp160 while it retained its ability to induce a CTL response, a desirable feature for an AIDS vaccine.
Raising the Dead without a Red Sea-Dead Sea project? Hydro-economics and governance

Abstract. Seven decades of extractions have dramatically reduced Jordan River flows, lowered the Dead Sea level, opened sink holes, and caused other environmental problems. The fix Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinians propose would build an expensive multipurpose conveyance project from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea that would also generate hydropower and desalinate water. This paper compares the Red-Dead project to alternatives that may also raise the Dead Sea level. Hydro-economic model results for the Jordan-Israel-Palestinian inter-tied water systems show two restoration alternatives are more economically viable than the proposed Red-Dead project. Many decentralized new supply, wastewater reuse, conveyance, conservation, and leak reduction projects and programs in each country can together increase economic benefits and reliably deliver up to 900 MCM yr−1 to the Dead Sea. Similarly, a smaller Red-Dead project that only generates hydropower can deliver large flows to the Dead Sea when the sale price of generated electricity is sufficiently high. However, for all restoration options, net benefits fall and water scarcity rises as flows to the Dead Sea increase. This finding suggests (i) each country has no individual incentive to return water to the Dead Sea, and (ii) outside institutions that seek to raise the Dead must also offer countries direct incentives to deliver water to the Sea besides building the countries new infrastructure.
Political Opposition and Reform Coalitions in Jordan

Jordanian politics has seen decades of pro-reform and pro-democracy political activism, but with little effective change on the Jordanian political system itself. This analysis explains how and why the regime has resisted more than cosmetic reform and democratic change. It also examines in detail old and new avenues of opposition reformist activism in the kingdom, from leftist political parties and the Islamist movement to new forms of pro-democracy activism in the form of grassroots coalitions, youth movements and social media activism. As both government and opposition in Jordan are affected by the 2011 Arab uprisings, this analysis examines the past and present possibilities for democratic political opposition and for an effective and unified coalition for reform in Jordan.
Training Positive Attitudes: “I Tried Hard and Did Well!”

Strategy interventions and attribution interventions are combined to create a “best of both worlds” model.
Can nursing students' confidence levels increase with repeated simulation activities?

Summary In 2014, nursing faculty conducted a study with undergraduate nursing students on their satisfaction, confidence, and educational practice levels, as it related to simulation activities throughout the curriculum. The study was a voluntary survey conducted on junior and senior year nursing students. It consisted of 30 items based on the Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning and the Educational Practices Questionnaire (Jeffries, 2012). Mean averages were obtained for each of the 30 items from both groups and were compared using T scores for unpaired means. The results showed that 8 of the items had a 95% confidence level and when combined the items were significant for p
Three dimensional CT angiography for patients with congenital heart disease: Scanning protocol for pediatric patients

The objective of our study was to determine the contrast attenuation level that yields high quality cardiac three-dimensional (3-D) images and to predict the contrast injection rate (IR), from body weight, to reach this attenuation level. Enhanced electron beam computerized tomography (EBCT) with 3-D reconstruction is useful in delineating cardiac anatomy in complex congenital heart disease (CHD). The current experience of using electron beam angiography (EBA) in pediatric CHD is limited. Well-defined contrast injection protocols, specifically the contrast IR, have not been standardized when compared to those for adults. Establishing the contrast IR is essential in obtaining high quality 3-D images. We retrospectively analyzed the studies of 115 pediatric patients with CHD. EBA images were divided into group 1 with good quality 3-D images and group 2 with poor quality. The mean of measured enhancement level, expressed in Hounsfield units (HU), and contrast IR were analyzed in both groups. Spearman correlation was used to examine the relationship between weight and IR. The IR was predicted from weight using simple linear regression analysis. The mean level of enhancement was 344 +/- 91 and 174 +/- 31 HU for group 1 and group 2, respectively. Group 1 consisted of 103 patients (90%) and the IR strongly correlated with weight (rho = 0.861, P < 0.01). The IR was estimated from the linear regression equation IR = 0.59 + 0.056 x weight. Necessary contrast enhancement level for quality 3-D reconstruction should be greater than 250 HU, and the IR can be estimated from patient's weight.
RapidRead: step-at-a-glance crisis checklists

Complex, perilous domains like surgery and aviation require accurate responses under extreme time constraints. Checklists improve important outcomes in these domains. However, current designs are based largely on intuition; there is little theory or empirical work about designing effective procedure aids. Furthermore, discretionary checklist use is fragmented and bursty rather than predictable and continuous. Working with doctors and studying successful aids, we developed the RapidRead design approach. It distills three patterns for designing rapidly readable aids: Dynamic Focus, Object-Action, and Information Patches. Two experiments compared medical professionals' search time, eye-gaze, and retention with alternative checklist designs. Applying RapidRead patterns resulted in significantly faster aid usage, reducing answer time and importantly minimizing the frequency of slow responses to medical queries.
Non-epidermoid Malignancies of the Lips

The most commonly encountered malignancy of the lips, especially the lower lip, is of epithelial origin, specifically squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer of the lip represents the second most common malignancy of the head and neck and accounts for approximately 25–30 % of the oral cavity tumors. Malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin as well as those originating from salivary gland tissue although overall rare can be found in the lips. While epithelial cancers are twice as common in men as in women, have clear association with sun exposure, and are found mainly in the lower lip, the incidence and etiology of other malignancies are less clear. In this chapter we will discuss the most common non-epithelial origin malignancies that can be found in the lips as well as their management.
Part 2.1: Recent Accounts of Autonomy

Part II. Section 1. Recent Accounts of Autonomy: Emphasizing the problematic relationship between autonomy and socialization, Meyers explores prominent views of autonomy, including Robert Young's, Stanley Benn's, Harry Frankfurt's, Gerald Dworkin's, and Gary Watson's. Having identified three main models for "rescuing autonomy from socialization," she identifies a single defect underlying all of them - namely, their assumption that personal autonomy requires transcending socialization through free will.
Inferential considerations for low-count RNA-seq transcripts: a case study on the dominant prairie grass Andropogon gerardii.

Differential expression (DE) analysis of RNA-seq data still poses inferential challenges, such as handling of transcripts characterized by low expression levels. In this study, we use a plasmode-based approach to assess the relative performance of alternative inferential strategies on RNA-seq transcripts, with special emphasis on transcripts characterized by a small number of read counts, so-called low-count transcripts, as motivated by an ecological application in prairie grasses. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a wide-ranging dominant prairie grass of ecological and agricultural importance to the US Midwest while edaphic subspecies sand bluestem (A. gerardii ssp. Hallii) grows exclusively on sand dunes. Relative to big bluestem, sand bluestem exhibits qualitative phenotypic divergence consistent with enhanced drought tolerance, plausibly associated with transcripts of low expression levels. Our dataset consists of RNA-seq read counts for 25,582 transcripts (60 % of which are classified as low-count) collected from leaf tissue of individual plants of big bluestem (n = 4) and sand bluestem (n = 4). Focused on low-count transcripts, we compare alternative ad-hoc data filtering techniques commonly used in RNA-seq pipelines and assess the inferential performance of recently developed statistical methods for DE analysis, namely DESeq2 and edgeR robust. These methods attempt to overcome the inherently noisy behavior of low-count transcripts by either shrinkage or differential weighting of observations, respectively. Both DE methods seemed to properly control family-wise type 1 error on low-count transcripts, whereas edgeR robust showed greater power and DESeq2 showed greater precision and accuracy. However, specification of the degree of freedom parameter under edgeR robust had a non-trivial impact on inference and should be handled carefully. When properly specified, both DE methods showed overall promising inferential performance on low-count transcripts, suggesting that ad-hoc data filtering steps at arbitrary expression thresholds may be unnecessary. A note of caution is in order regarding the approximate nature of DE tests under both methods. Practical recommendations for DE inference are provided when low-count RNA-seq transcripts are of interest, as is the case in the comparison of subspecies of bluestem grasses. Insights from this study may also be relevant to other applications focused on transcripts of low expression levels.
Emerging in play: Collectives, ownership, and everyday rules in a low-income neighborhood in Boston

Play in public space pauses the everyday and allows for fictional collective worlds to emerge. In this article I focus on the unintended ‘frictions’ triggered by these collective fictions. When pla...
Assembly of Chitin Nanofibers into Porous Biomimetic Structures via Freeze Drying

The intricate hierarchical architectures in natural creatures are usually derived from assembly of molecular building blocks into nanoscale structures that then organize into micro- and macroscopic sizes. An example is the complex structure in arthropods (crustaceans, insects) constructed primarily of chitin. Because of chitin’s inherent insolubility in common solvents, processes for mimicking the fascinating natural chitin-based nanostructures are still at an early stage of development. Here, we present a facile freeze-drying approach to assemble chitin nanofibers (20 nm diameter) into a variety of structures whose size and morphology are tunable by adjusting freezing temperature and heat transfer characteristics. We show that reducing the freezing rate allows controllable formation of structures ranging from oriented sheets to three-dimensional aperiodic nanofiber networks that mimic the size and interconnectivity of the white Cyphochilus beetle cuticle. The formation of nanofibrous structures is not pr...
Completions of Groups

(1975). Completions of Groups. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 82, No. 3, pp. 282-283.
Heterozygosity at the malate dehydrogenase locus and developmental homeostasis in Apis mellifera

Heterozygosity at the malate dehydrogenase locus and developmental homeostasis in Apis mellifera
Toxicity of Different Serotypes and Toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis to Resistant and Susceptible Indianmeal Moths (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Fifty-seven isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) known to be toxic to larvae of Indianmeal moths, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), were tested for activity against an Indianmeal moth colony resistant to the HD-l strain of BT. Twenty-one of the isolates, representing five of the eight serotypes tested, were active against the BT-resistant moths. Fifteen of the isolates, representing serotypes 4a,4c ( kenyae ), 6 ( entomocidus ), 7 ( aizawai ), 9 ( tolworthi ), and 10 ( darmstadiensis ), had no significant toxicity toward house flies, Musca domestica L., indicating that their toxicity toward the BT-resistant Indianmeal moths resulted from differences in the structure, composition, or function of the spore-crystal complex and not from exotoxin contamination. Bioassays confirmed that the Indianmeal moths were resistant to spores and crystals but susceptible to β-exotoxin.
On the Curriculum for Prospective High School Teachers

(1958). On the Curriculum for Prospective High School Teachers. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 65, No. 2, pp. 101-104.
A comparison of the spatial distribution of mantle earthquakes determined from data produced by local and by teleseismic networks for the Japan and Aleutian arcs

abstract The spatial distributions of earthquakes determined with well-located events reported by the International Seismological Centre and the U.S. Geological Survey (PDE) for the period 1964 through 1976 are compared with those derived from locations of small events recorded by dense local networks deployed over portions of the Benioff zones, the Aleutians and Japan. For depths greater than about 50 km where control on hypocentral depth is available the results based on teleseismic data show no substantial bias or distortion of the spatial distribution.
Gene polymorphism of complement C4 in children with Henoch-Schonlein nephritis

Objective:To study the relationship of complement C4 gene polymorphism in children with Henoch-Schonlein nepritis.Methods:Total of 74 ethnic Han children with HSPN and 114 only with HSP,were enrolled,and 130 age-,sex-and ethnic-matched healthy children were used as the control group.complement C4 gene polymorphism were determined by PCR.The correlations between complement C4 gene polymorphism and clinical presentation,pathlogical changes,therapy effect were analyzed.Results:The frequencies of C4AQ0 in HSP(including HSPN)were significantly higher than those in the control group(7.98% vs.0.77%,P 0.01,OR=11.19,95%CI:1.45～85.76).The frequencies of C4AQ0 in HSPN did not differ from those in children without nephritis(7.89% vs.8.11%,P 0.95).Plasma complement C4 levels in HSPN with C4AQ0(0.22±0.03 g /L)were significantly lower than those without C4AQ0(0.26±0.05 g /L)(P 0.05).There were no significant difference between C4AQ0 and clinical presentation,pathlogical changes,therapy effect of children with HSPN.Conclusion:Complement C4 gene polymorphism may be associated with the development of HSP and seems unrelated to the susceptibility and clinical presentation,pathlogical changes,therapy effect to HSPN.
Wherefore and whither the naturalist

book called The Nature of Natural History, Marston Bates When I learned that I should have to address the Ameri(a former president of this society) wrote that ‘‘the word can Society of Naturalists and began to ruminate on pos‘naturalist’ has got into academic disrepute because it sible topics, I found inspiration in the name of the socihas come to be associated with the term ‘nature lover’ ’’ ety and its journal. I had certainly thought of myself as a (p. 253). Perhaps the respondents to my questionnaire naturalist when I first opened the journal as an undermade a similar association. Certainly many of today’s graduate, and still do. Yet the name of naturalist hardly naturalists—whatever that might mean—both study and seemed to apply to much of my own work, and The ‘‘love’’ nature. This was more conspicuously true in the American Naturalist seemed likewise not only an anaearly days of The American Naturalist. For instance, one chronistic, but also a downright incongruous label for its of the editors of the first issue, in 1867, wrote an article contemporary contents. What, I asked, does naturalist titled ‘‘New England Reptiles in April.’’ It opens: mean today? Do naturalists contribute to The American
Oseltamivir slightly decreases influenza symptom duration but not hospitalizations.

Treatment of children with oseltamivir will decrease symptom duration by approximately one day, but will not reduce hospitalizations and does not seem to be effective in children with asthma. In adults, symptom reduction is less striking (less than one day), and hospitalization will not be decreased. Vomiting in both groups is more likely with treatment.
Inhibition of adenosine-1 receptor-mediated preglomerular vasoconstriction in AT1Areceptor-deficient mice

The effect of the adenosine type 1 receptor agonistN 6-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA) on glomerular vascular reactivity was studied in male angiotensin II type 1A (AT1A) receptor knockout mice (9). Vasc...
Determination of the Nature of the Connection Between the Auditory and Visual Cortices

Studies confirming the influence of visual information on the response of the auditory cortex to speech sounds [1] lead us to question the nature of the connection between the visual and auditory cortices. The superior colliculus exhibits visual-sensitive neurons that can be modulated (both inhibited and excited) by auditory stimuli [2]. Since the superior colliculus is one of the nuclei that the optic nerve passes through as it travels to the visual cortex, this suggests that one might expect a modulation of the visual response with a simultaneous auditory stimuli.
Absolutely Free: Only If You Want It to Be!

Is digital technology coupled with the Internet destroying the music industry as we have known it since the turn of the twentieth century? Yes. Is that necessarily a bad thing? No. So how will the record companies stay in business? They won’t, if they try to maintain the same business model into the future. That model was to earn revenue from the intellectual property rights attached to recorded music. The record company’s response to declining sales was to go after those who were illegally downloading copyrighted digital recordings. The record companies instead got lots of bad publicity. In 2004, Apple launched a campaign with Pepsi to give away 100 million free downloads and used people who were sued by The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the commercial promoting iTunes. Who will consumers have a more favorable view of? [27]. Even as the record companies realized that going after illegal downloading was a road with many pitfalls, technology has made downloading illegally passe. Who really wants 80 gigs of music stored on their computer? What music lovers want is to be able to listen to all of your music whenever and wherever you want. Mobile devices such as the iPhone, Blackberrys, and the iPad make this possible. It should be no surprise that just as the music industry is beginning to come to terms with the problem of illegal downloading, a new technology is making it increasingly irrelevant. Record cylinders took up space, 78s took up storage space as did 33 rpm and 45 rpm records. MP3s also take up storage space. Streaming music services allow you access to your songs on any computer or mobile device.
Evaluating learning technology content with discourse analysis

AbstractThe researcher combined qualitative media analysis with tools for discourse analysis to review Blackboard Collaborate™, a tool often used in online education. Technology design references Discourses which dictate how and why these tools should be used. The analysis showed Collaborate™ uses sign systems and knowledge, along with politics, to reinforce a traditional educational Discourse. Educators should be aware of embedded Discourses to effectively incorporate technology into their practice, and designers should consider such Discourses during development. This paper describes discourse analysis as one approach to evaluating technology with regards to affordances for, and constraints to, teaching and learning.
Applying motivational interviewing to parenting act mediation: The promise of the process.

This short article gives an overview of preliminary research conducted at the University of Nebraska on how training in motivational interviewing (MI) can give family law mediators additional skills for conflict resolution. There appears to be great promise in applying MI concepts in mediation, and the authors hope to continue their research into the future.
Dynamics and Topology of Heparin Interaction with Malaria Parasite-Infected Erythrocytes Revealed by Live Cell Time Lapse Microscopy

Heparin strongly inhibits malaria parasite invasion of human erythrocytes, but the mechanism is poorly defined. Using live cell microscopy we show that egress of Plasmodium falciparum from erythrocytes is also inhibited by heparin in a dose-dependent manner. Heparin blocks host erythrocyte membrane rupture (but not parasite vacuolar membrane rupture) and merozoite dispersion. Fluorescent live-cell microscopy of infected erythrocytes releasing mature merozoites showed that heparin binds different targets independently and sequentially, consistent with the inhibition of both parasite egress and invasion. Heparin enters infected erythrocytes through pores, which we previously showed to form in the erythrocyte membrane right before egress; it binds two targets, the inner surface of the erythrocyte membrane and the surface of mature merozoites. The transient nature of heparin presence on the merozoite surface prompted us to explore the hypothesis that heparin binds the major surface antigen, MSP1 that shed by PfSub2 protease upon merozoite natural invasion of new erythrocytes. Indeed, by blocking protease activity we prevented shedding of heparin complex from merozoites. Binding of heparin with MSP1 can explain also defective merozoite dispersion prior to egress, when merozoites topologically are close and can be glued by heparin. A third heparin target was observed shortly after merozoite egress. It was co-localized with the proteins expelled from the merozoite apical prominence, likely rhoptry material needed for merozoite invasion. Thus, heparin attacks the most vulnerable stage of parasite asexual cycle, i.e. merozoite transition from cell to cell, mimicking the effect by which human antibodies neutralize malaria parasites.
The Use of Polymers in Cosmetic Products

A multitude of polymers are used to deliver desired attributes to skin and hair in personal care products. This review is directed to recent trends in the use of polymers to deliver personal care attributes. The goal of the chapter is to narratively explain the physical inner workings of polymeric ingredients in cosmetics rather than to list a litany of all of the polymers. It is hoped that this approach will enable the reader to understand the basic mechanisms, the fundamental processes, and the critical limits that underpin performance, and thereby to enable the reader to apply the knowledge gained across a wide swath of existing polymers and even to polymeric systems that still remain to be discovered. The chapter begins by examining the physical foundations of polymer solutions and rheology modifiers, starting with simple entangled networks and proceeding to hierarchically structured materials, synthetic and natural, and thence to stimuli-responsive polymeric systems. Consideration of surface-modifying polymers and transfer-resistant systems completes this basic review. Next comes film-forming and phase behavior, which sets the scene for understanding the roles of polymers in hair styling and conditioning and skin treatment. This all leads naturally to a brief review of the role of polymers in the delivery of therapeutic benefits, and consideration of the use of polymers as antimicrobial agents. At the present time, polymers are coming under increasing environmental and ecological scrutiny. Even as the industry moves to more sustainable ingredients, it will be necessary for industry participants to carefully scrutinize the environmental and ecological impact of polymeric ingredients.
“Citizens of the Masonic Democracy”: The 18th Century Masonic Community in the Atlantic World and Beyond

This is an interview with Hans Schwartz, who recently completed a PhD at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. His dissertation, "Citizens of the Masonic Democracy": The 18th Century Masonic Community in the Atlantic World and Beyond, views freemasonry from a trans-Atlantic perspective.
How “Diversity” Trumped “Race” at One Elite Research University

The multiple functions of “race” in the neoliberal university are inextricably linked to the hegemonic force of privatization and its accomplices – generic diversity, “paper revolutionism,” and their ultimate enabler--class-based elitism (“excellence”). The teaching of racial subjects at neoliberal educational institutions in the early twenty-first century are unintentionally complicit with market values whenever it is not accompanied by an anti-racist reform movement led by student, staff, non-academic organizations, and faculty coalitions. Being “non-racist” at the level of personal relations is not being “anti-racist” at the level of institutional change. In elite research campuses, theorizing “race” (even in juxtaposition to other categories) is easily co-opted and therefore rarely produces a challenge to institutional racism.
Evidence-Based Practice: Teaching and Supervision

A key goal of this book is to examine evidence-based practice (EBP) in a balanced and thorough manner. We have detailed the EBP decision-making process in several chapters. We have also pointed to a number of implementation challenges or controversies related to EBP in clinical practice. We see EBP as having both important strengths and unresolved limitations. Working backwards, one could argue that part of the reason these controversies exist in practice is because those who educate social workers also struggle with EBP. These differences and struggles are, in effect, transmitted to social work trainees. This chapter will give readers an overview of some of the challenges to training social workers in EBP. It will also examine different views on EBP among social work educators.
Recurrent lactic acidosis and hypoglycemia with inadvertent metformin use: a case of look-alike pills.

Metformin is recommended as the first-line agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Although this drug has a generally good safety profile, rare but potentially serious adverse effects may occur. Metformin-associated lactic acidosis, although very uncommon, carries a significant risk of mortality. The relationship between metformin accumulation and lactic acidosis is complex and is affected by the presence of comorbid conditions such as renal and hepatic disease. Plasma metformin levels do not reliably correlate with the severity of lactic acidosis. We present a case of inadvertent metformin overdose in a patient with both renal failure and hepatic cirrhosis, leading to two episodes of lactic acidosis and hypoglycemia. The patient was successfully treated with hemodialysis both times and did not develop any further lactic acidosis or hypoglycemia, after the identification of metformin tablets accidentally mixed in with his supply of sevelamer tablets. Early initiation of renal replacement therapy is key in decreasing lactic acidosis-associated mortality. Learning points When a toxic ingestion is suspected, direct visualization of the patient's pills is advised in order to rule out the possibility of patient- or pharmacist-related medication errors.Though sending a specimen for determination of the plasma metformin concentration is important when a metformin-treated patient with diabetes presents with lactic acidosis, complex relationships exist between metformin accumulation, hyperlactatemia and acidosis, and the drug may not always be the precipitating factor.Intermittent hemodialysis is recommended as the first-line treatment for metformin-associated lactic acidosis (MALA).An investigational delayed-release form of metformin with reduced systemic absorption may carry a lower risk for MALA in patients with renal insufficiency, in whom metformin therapy may presently be contraindicated.
CHAPTER 68 – Protoporphyrinogen Oxidase Inhibitors

This chapter explores the protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox), commercially available protox inhibitors, and agricultural uses. Nitrofen was the first protox-inhibiting herbicide to be introduced for commercial use. This diphenyl ether (DPE) herbicide was eventually recognized as a relatively weak inhibitor of protox, but was a lead compound of an entire class of structurally related herbicides that were much more active. Protox inhibitors have historically been used for broad-spectrum weed control in soybean fields; protox-inhibiting herbicides control both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous weeds. Protox-inhibiting herbicides may play a more important role in the future agrochemical market for several reasons. These compounds are effective at very low application rates and have generally good ecotoxicology and human toxicology profiles at recommended application rates. Many are highly compatible with the trend toward no-tillage agriculture. Furthermore, unlike with some of the other herbicide classes, weeds have not been able to evolve resistance at this particular site of action. The success of protox inhibitors is dependent on broadening their use to include other major crops such as maize and in enhancing the resistance of crops for which these herbicides are currently being marketed.
Impact of Terrorism on the Development of Mental Health Symptoms

Because the broad goals of terrorism are ultimately psychological, it is imperative to understand the magnitude and scope of the psychological casualties in the wake of terrorism and their biological correlates so as to identify the appropriate means of immunizing people to these effects. Although the majority of people exposed to terrorism experience acute distress, the most important observation to emerge from longitudinal studies of people exposed to terrorism is that these symptoms are transient for the great majority. It therefore becomes important from a public health perspective to be able to predict those at greatest risk for long-term problems. Those at risk for long-term symptoms appear to have a more intense reaction at the time of the trauma (e.g., peritraumatic dissociation, panic, or related emotional distress), associated with a more negative appraisal of danger. It is not clear whether and to what extent pretraumatic risk factors (e.g., prior adversity, family history of psychopathology, cognitive risk factors, or preexisting personality traits) influence the intensity of the peritraumatic response to trauma, but presumably these risk factors are more relevant in situations in which exposure is less severe. Posttraumatic risk factors, such as lack of social support, also seem to be important predictors of psychopathology, but the extent to which these reflect pre- or even peritraumatic risk factors is currently unknown.
Behavioral economic analysis of the reinforcing effects of "bath salts" mixtures: studies with MDPV, methylone, and caffeine in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

“Bath salts” preparations often contain combinations of synthetic cathinones (e.g., 3,4-methylenedioxymethcathinone [methylone], 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone [MDPV]), and caffeine, and evidence suggests that mixtures of synthetic cathinones and caffeine (e.g., MDPV + caffeine or methylone + caffeine) can be more potent and/or effective reinforcers than predicted for an additive interaction. To use demand curve analyses to compare the reinforcing effectiveness of MDPV and methylone to mixtures of MDPV + caffeine and methylone + caffeine. Male Sprague-Dawley rats acquired methylone self-administration (0.32 mg/kg/inf) under a fixed ratio (FR) 1 schedule of reinforcement and generated full dose-response curves for methylone (0.01–1 mg/kg/inf) under an FR5 schedule of reinforcement. Demand curves were then obtained for methylone, MDPV, caffeine, and methylone + caffeine and MDPV + caffeine mixtures by increasing the FR across sessions according to the following series: 3, 10, 18, 32, 56, 100, 178, etc. Self-administration of methylone was rapidly acquired by 87.5% of rats and was maintained across a range of doses, producing an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve. Rank order demand for the individual constituents was MDPV > methylone > caffeine. Demand for the 3:1 (but not 10:1) methylone + caffeine mixture was greater than that for methylone alone, and demand for MDPV alone was similar to both MDPV + caffeine mixtures evaluated. These studies provide additional evidence that although methylone is an effective reinforcer, combining methylone with caffeine results in an enhanced reinforcing effectiveness compared to methylone alone. Thus, abused “bath salts” preparations containing synthetic cathinones and caffeine may have higher abuse liability than preparations containing only synthetic cathinones.
AMPK: An Epigenetic Landscape Modulator

Activated by AMP-dependent and -independent mechanisms, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a central role in the regulation of cellular bioenergetics and cellular survival. AMPK regulates a diverse set of signaling networks that converge to epigenetically mediate transcriptional events. Reversible histone and DNA modifications, such as acetylation and methylation, result in structural chromatin alterations that influence transcriptional machinery access to genomic regulatory elements. The orchestration of these epigenetic events differentiates physiological from pathophysiological phenotypes. AMPK phosphorylation of histones, DNA methyltransferases and histone post-translational modifiers establish AMPK as a key player in epigenetic regulation. This review focuses on the role of AMPK as a mediator of cellular survival through its regulation of chromatin remodeling and the implications this has for health and disease.