cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in the osteochondral unit during osteoarthritis: structure, function and cartilage-bone crosstalk

In diarthrodial joints, the articular cartilage, calcified cartilage, and subchondral cortical and trabecular bone form a biocomposite - referred to as the osteochondral unit - that is uniquely adapted to the transfer of load. During the evolution of the osteoarthritic process the compositions, functional properties, and structures of these tissues undergo marked alterations. Although pathological processes might selectively target a single joint tissue, ultimately all of the components of the osteochondral unit will be affected because of their intimate association, and thus the biological and physical crosstalk among them is of great importance. The development of targeted therapies against the osteoarthritic processes in cartilage or bone will, therefore, require an understanding of the state of these joint tissues at the time of the intervention. Importantly, these interventions will not be successful unless they are applied at the early stages of disease before considerable structural and functional alterations occur in the osteochondral unit. This Review describes the changes that occur in bone and cartilage during the osteoarthritic process, and highlights strategies for how this knowledge could be applied to develop new therapeutic interventions for osteoarthritis.
Life, Literature, and the Implied Author

The aim of this paper is to show that, contrary to a widely held view, fictional literary works which express or imply certain propositions make genuine assertions. Hence if a work expresses or implies certain propositions, the corresponding beliefs are properly attributable, not to the so-called “implied author” (Booth), but to the real historical author.
Landscape diversity and crop vigor outweigh influence of local diversification on biological control of a vineyard pest

The influence of local and landscape habitat diversification on biological control of the Western grape leafhopper (Erythroneura elegantula Osborn) by its key parasitoids Anagrus erythroneurae S. Trjapitzin & Chiappini and Anagrus daanei Triapitsyn was studied in wine grape vineyards. At the landscape scale, Anagrus rely on alternative host species in non-crop habitats outside of the vineyard to successfully overwinter, while at the local scale vineyard diversification can provide resources, such as shelter and floral nectar, which improve parasitoid performance. In a two-year experiment, plots with and without flowering cover crops were compared in vineyards representing a gradient of landscape diversity. While the cover crops did attract natural enemies, their populations were unchanged in the crop canopy and there was no difference in parasitism rate, leafhopper density, crop quality, or yield. Vineyards in diverse landscapes had higher early-season abundance of Anagrus spp., which was linked to increased parasitism and decreased late-season populations of E. elegantula. Leafhopper densities were also positively associated with crop vigor, regardless of landscape or cover crops. Flowering cover crops did increase abundance of some natural enemy species as well as parasitism rate in vineyard landscapes with intermediate levels of diversity, indicating a local × landscape interaction, although this did not lead to reductions in E. elegantula densities. These findings indicate that, in this agroecosystem, landscape diversity mediates and in many ways outweighs the influence of local diversification and that E. elegantula densities were regulated by a combination of biological control and crop vigor.
Radiation and Longevity Enhancement in Tribolium

Insects which have been exposed to ionizing radiation as young adults frequently exhibit greater mean longevity than do controls. This enhanced longevity has been observed in several genera of Diptera, in Lepidoptera, in Coleoptera, and in Orthoptera, among others, so the phenomenon is fairly ubiquitous. It is also very surprising: Any system exposed to ionizing radiation absorbs energy which is distributed among the system’s constituent atoms in essentially random fashion; thus, the system becomes more disordered, and we expect the consequences to be deleterious. Furthermore, even the recognized beneficial effects of ionizing radiation are secured by detrimental action on some component of the system, e.g., elimination of a tumor or of a parasite. Finally, although enhanced longevity of irradiated insects had first been reported some 40 years earlier (Davey 1919), the phenomenon was rediscovered in experiments stimulated by George Sacher’s observation of life shortening in irradiated rodents. This life-shortening effect took the form of a dose-dependent shift to the left of the Gompertz function (logarithm of age-specific mortality rate vs age), prompting suggestions that radiation either acted as an increment of age or served to accelerate the natural aging process(es). This, in turn, suggested that radiation damage and natural aging might share common molecular mechanisms, such as DNA damage or free radical interactions. In this context, longevity enhancement by radiation was particularly surprising.
Cost comparison of printed circuit heat exchanger to low cost periodic flow regenerator for use as recuperator in a s-CO2 Brayton cycle

Abstract Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (sCO2) power cycles have the potential to deliver high efficiency at low cost. However, in order for an sCO2 cycle to reach high efficiency, highly effective recuperators are needed. These recuperative heat exchangers must transfer heat at a rate that is substantially larger than the heat transfer to the cycle itself and can therefore represent a significant portion of the power block costs. Regenerators are proposed as a cost saving alternative to high cost printed circuit recuperators for this application. A regenerator is an indirect heat exchanger which periodically stores and releases heat to the working fluid. The simple design of a regenerator can be made more inexpensively compared to current options. The objective of this paper is a detailed evaluation of regenerators as a competing technology for recuperators within an sCO 2 Brayton cycle. The level of the analysis presented here is sufficient to identify issues with the regenerator system in order to direct future work and also to clarify the potential advantage of pursuing this technology. A reduced order model of a regenerator is implemented into a cycle model of an sCO 2 Brayton cycle. An economic analysis investigates the cost savings that is possible by switching from recuperative heat exchangers to switched-bed regenerators. The cost of the regenerators was estimated using the amount of material required if the pressure vessel is sized using ASME Boiler Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) requirements. The cost of the associated valves is found to be substantial for the regenerator system and is estimated in collaboration with an industrial valve supplier. The result of this analysis suggests that a 21.2% reduction in the contribution to the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCoE) from the power block can be realized by switching to a regenerator-based system.
ON THE INTERACTIONS OF GENOME-REGULATORY PROTEINS WITH DNA

Publisher Summary Proteins show affinity for genome sequences other than the physiologically relevant target site(s). This nonspecific affinity not only complicates the problem but also plays a crucial role in genome regulation by nucleic acid binding proteins. The regulation of the lactose system is primarily transcriptional and involves two levels of control: the 3'-5' cyclic AMP-catabolite activating protein system and the lac repressor–inducer-operator system. Specific recognition of target sequences on DNA double helices may be an end in itself or it may serve as a prelude to DNA strand separation and subsequent single-strand binding, chain cleavage, or templating events. Single-strand-specific binding proteins do not exhibit the extensive sequence-specificity of binding characteristic of repressors, RNA polymerase, etc.
Non-active area water mitigation in PEM fuel cells via bipolar plate surface energy modification

Abstract The management of liquid water from either internal chemical reactions or externally humidified reactants is an important design consideration for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells because of the effects on both cell performance and durability. To achieve proper water management, significant effort has been devoted to developing new fuel cell materials, hardware designs, and appropriate stack operating conditions. However, water management in the region of the channel-to-manifold interfaces has received limited attention. This region covers the ends of the bipolar plate from where liquid water exits the active area to the entrance of the stack exhaust manifolds where excess reactant flows from individual cells are combined and leave the stack. For practical applications, there is a small driving force to expel liquid water in this region, especially in the anode flow field. Under severe operating conditions such as freezing temperatures, the buildup of water may cause a channel-scale blockage. In this study, hydrophilic and hydrophobic bipolar plate treatments were investigated to identify the effectiveness of water mitigation through ex-situ experiments performed using a dedicated freeze test rig. Water mitigation behavior with various locations of hydrophilic/hydrophobic coatings was characterized using measurements of differential pressure and gas flow rate. It was found that the hydrophilic coatings provide better performance, as water accumulation can be readily mitigated with less potential to cause full channel-scale blockages.
Region-specific Expression of NMDA Receptor GluN2C Subunit in Parvalbumin-Positive Neurons and Astrocytes: Analysis of GluN2C Expression using a Novel Reporter Model.

Abstract Hypofunction of NMDA receptors in parvalbumin (PV)-positive interneurons has been proposed as a potential mechanism for cortical abnormalities and symptoms in schizophrenia. GluN2C-containing receptors have been linked to this hypothesis due to the higher affinity of psychotomimetic doses of ketamine for GluN1/2C receptors. However, the precise cell-type expression of GluN2C subunit remains unknown. We describe the expression of the GluN2C subunit using a novel EGFP reporter model. We observed EGFP(GluN2C) localization in PV-positive neurons in the nucleus reticularis of the thalamus, globus pallidus externa and interna, ventral pallidum and substantia nigra. In contrast, EGFP(GluN2C)-expressing cells did not co-localize with PV-positive neurons in the cortex, striatum, hippocampus or amygdala. Instead, EGFP(GluN2C) expression in these regions co-localized with an astrocytic marker. We confirmed functional expression of GluN2C-containing receptors in the PV-neurons in substantia nigra and cortical astrocytes using electrophysiology. GluN2C was found to be enriched in several first-order and higher order thalamic nuclei. Interestingly, we found that a previous GluN2C β-gal reporter model excluded expression from PV-neurons and certain thalamic nuclei but exhibited expression in the retrosplenial cortex. GluN2C’s unique distribution in neuronal and non-neuronal cells in a brain region-specific manner raises interesting questions regarding the role of GluN2C-containing receptors in the central nervous system.
Intra-thoracic Impedance and the Onset of Atrial and Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias: A Meta-analysis.

Abstract Background and purpose Advances of implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (ICD) devices allow correlating changes in the intra-thoracic impedance (TI), an indicator of fluid overload, with the onset of arrhythmic events. In an attempt to attain a better understanding of this relationship, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies that investigated the association between TI changes and the onset of AT/AF and/or VT/VF in patients with ICD devices. Methods We performed a meta-analysis of studies published through January 2017 that reported an association between a decrease in the TI measured by the OptiVol fluid index (OI) and occurrence of AT/AF and VT/VF. We searched four databases: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane. Effect estimates were extracted from each study in the form of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals. Results We identified 8 articles with results of the original research, allowing us to extract data for the OR calculation. Our pooled sample included 94,666 patients from 4 studies for AT/AF and 23,601 patients from 6 studies for VT/VF. Two studies were included in both analyses. The pooled OR for fluid index threshold crossing of 60Ω-days was 1.56 (95% CI 1.35, 1.81) for VT/VF and 1.8 (95% CI 1.43, 2.27) for AT/AF. Conclusion The findings of our meta-analysis based on the large pooled population of >110,000 patients, reveal that decreased TI (measured by OI threshold crossing of 60Ω-days) is a significant risk factor for the onset of AT/AF and VT/VF.
Soils in Ecosocial Context: Soil pH and Social Relations of Power in a Northern Drava Floodplain Agricultural Area

Focusing on pedochemical change in cultivated soils, this chapter provides an example of how soils and social power relations can be studied together. Soil and farming input data were gathered in 2008–2010 from fields characterized as Hydromorphic Meadow soils. Semi-structured interviews addressed farming practices and social position. Results indicate that soil pH is differentially affected by intrinsic soil properties and farming impacts that vary by class, gender, and ethnicity. Soil pH trends are found to be interlinked in multiple directions with current social inequalities because of past and current combinations of soil and social processes. Decreasing pH associates with male, middle-income status. The inverse is linked to wealthier males, through amendments and appropriation of soil-alkalizing legacies, and to poor Roma women, through low agrochemical input and less-demanding crops.
Nucleic Acid Degrading Enzymes of Barley Malt. II. Nucleosidases and Nucleoside Deaminases12

The nucleosidases and nucleoside deaminases of barley and malt were studied with respect to their development during germination and to the effect of gibberellic acid and kiln and mashing heat on t...
Climate-driven unsteady denudation and sediment flux in a high-relief unglaciated catchment-fan using 26Al and 10Be: Panamint Valley, California

Abstract Environmental changes within erosional catchments of sediment routing systems are predicted to modulate sediment transfer dynamics. However, empirical and numerical models that predict such phenomena are difficult to test in natural systems over multi-millennial timescales. Tectonic boundary conditions and climate history in the Panamint Range, California, are relatively well-constrained by existing low-temperature thermochronology and regional multi-proxy paleoclimate studies, respectively. Catchment–fan systems present there minimize sediment storage and recycling, offering an excellent natural laboratory to test models of climate-sedimentary dynamics. We used stratigraphic characterization and cosmogenic radionuclides (CRNs; 26Al and 10Be) in the Pleasant Canyon complex (PCC), a linked catchment–fan system, to examine the effects of Pleistocene high-magnitude, high-frequency climate change on CRN-derived denudation rates and sediment flux in a high-relief, unglaciated catchment–fan system. Calculated 26Al/10Be burial ages from 13 samples collected in an ∼180 m thick outcropping stratigraphic succession range from ca. 1.55 ± 0.22 Ma in basal strata, to ca. 0.36 ± 0.18–0.52 ± 0.20 Ma within the uppermost part of the succession. The mean long-term CRN-derived paleodenudation rate, 36 ± 8 mm/kyr (1σ), is higher than the modern rate of 24 ± 0.6 mm/kyr from Pleasant Canyon, and paleodenudation rates during the middle Pleistocene display some high-frequency variability in the high end (up to 54 ± 10 mm/kyr). The highest CRN-derived denudation rates are associated with stratigraphic evidence for increased precipitation during glacial–pluvial events after the middle Pleistocene transition (post ca. 0.75 Ma), suggesting 100 kyr Milankovitch periodicity could drive the observed variability. We investigated the potential for non-equilibrium sedimentary processes, i.e. increased landslides or sediment storage/recycling, to influence apparent paleodenudation rates; end-member mixing models suggest that a mixture of >50% low-CRN-concentration sediment from landslides is required to produce the largest observed increase in paleodenudation rate. The overall pattern of CRN-derived burial ages, paleodenudation rates, and stratigraphic facies suggests Milankovitch timescale climate transitions drive variability in catchment denudation rates and sediment flux, or alternatively that climate transitions affect sedimentary process regimes that result in measurable variability of CRN concentrations in unglaciated catchment–fan systems.
The Karabakh conflict and Armenia’s failed transition

Despite its early promise, Armenia’s transition to democracy has stalled. The literature on post-Communist transitions ascribes this outcome to the autocratic preferences of its first generation of...
Early Detection of Residual Prostate Cancer After Radical Prostatectomy by an Ultrasensitive Assay for Prostate Specific Antigen

AbstractWe evaluated the usefulness of an ultrasensitive immunoassay for prostate specific antigen (PSA), modified from the standard Yang Pros-Check PSA test and with a biological detection limit for PSA in serum of 0.07ng./ml., to detect residual prostate cancer at an earlier date. We studied retrospectively serial frozen serum samples from 22 prostate cancer patients after radical prostatectomy who later had residual cancer with detectable PSA levels of 0.3ng./ml. or more by the standard PSA test. As controls we studied 33 cystoprostatectomy patients (for bladder cancer) without histological evidence of prostate cancer and 23 patients after radical prostatectomy who had the highest probability of cure of the cancer.All control patients without cancer had PSA values (282 of 283 samples, 99.6%) of less than 0.1ng./ml This value was called the residual cancer detection limit. In the 22 patients with recurrent cancer the ultrasensitive assay detected cancer recurrence (PSA 0.1ng./ml or more) much earlier (m...
Brain: Response to Enrichment

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by M.C. Diamond, volume 2, pp. 1352–1358, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Perioperative Arrhythmia Prophylaxis for Major Lung Resection

Perioperative arrhythmia is one of the most common complications following general thoracic surgery and carries significant morbidity. Although there is no direct cause and effect relationship between development of perioperative supraventricular arrhythmia and other post-operative complications, it has been shown that the development of an arrhythmia is associated with increased length of stay, morbidity, and mortality. The identification of risk factors for perioperative atrial arrhythmias is crucial in order to direct prophylactic measures to the appropriate patients. Amiodarone and diltiazem significantly reduce the rate of postoperative atrial arrhythmias after major lung resection.
Cyclodextrins reduce the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer-membrane vesicles to reduce CFTR Cl- secretion.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes outer-membrane vesicles (OMVs) that fuse with cholesterol-rich lipid rafts in the apical membrane of airway epithelial cells and decrease wt-CFTR Cl− secretion. Here...
Effects of mavoglurant on visual attention and pupil reactivity while viewing photographs of faces in Fragile X Syndrome.

Author(s): Hessl, David; Harvey, Danielle; Sansone, Stephanie; Crestodina, Crystal; Chin, Jamie; Joshi, Reshma; Hagerman, Randi J; Berry-Kravis, Elizabeth | Abstract: BackgroundNumerous preclinical studies have supported the theory that enhanced activation of mGluR5 signaling, due to the absence or reduction of the FMR1 protein, contributes to cognitive and behavioral deficits in patients with fragile X syndrome (FXS). However multiple phase 2 controlled trials in patients with FXS have failed to demonstrate efficacy of compounds that negatively modulate mGluR5, including two phase 2b randomized controlled trials (RCT) of mavoglurant (AFQ056, Novartis Pharma AG), when the primary measures of interest were behavioral ratings. This has cast some doubt onto the translation of the mGluR5 theory from animal models to humans with the disorder.MethodsWe evaluated social gaze behavior-a key phenotypic feature of the disorder-and sympathetic nervous system influence on pupil size using a previously-validated eye tracking paradigm as a biobehavioral probe, in 57 adolescent or adult patients with FXS at baseline and following three months of blinded treatment with one of three doses of mavoglurant or placebo, within the context of the AFQ056 RCTs.ResultsPatients with FXS treated with mavoglurant demonstrated increased total absolute looking time and number of fixations to the eye region while viewing human faces relative to baseline, and compared to those treated with placebo. In addition, patients had greater pupil reactivity to faces relative to baseline following mavoglurant treatment compared to placebo.DiscussionThe study shows that negative modulation of mGluR5 activity improves eye gaze behavior and alters sympathetically-driven reactivity to faces in patients with FXS, providing preliminary evidence of this drug's impact on behavior in humans with the disorder.
Substance abuse and white matter: Findings, limitations, and future of diffusion tensor imaging research

Individuals who abuse substances often differ from nonusers in their brain structure. Substance abuse and addiction is often associated with atrophy and pathology of grey matter, but much less is known about the role of white matter, which constitutes over half of human brain volume. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a method for non-invasively estimating white matter, is increasingly being used to study addiction and substance abuse. Here we review recent DTI studies of major substances of abuse (alcohol, opiates, cocaine, cannabis, and nicotine substance abuse) to examine the relationship, specificity, causality, and permanence of substance-related differences in white matter microstructure. Across substance, users tended to exhibit differences in the microstructure of major fiber pathways, such as the corpus callosum. The direction of these differences, however, appeared substance-dependent. The subsample of longitudinal studies reviewed suggests that substance abuse may cause changes in white matter, though it is unclear to what extent such alterations are permanent. While collectively informative, some studies reviewed were limited by methodological and technical approach. We therefore also provide methodological guidance for future research using DTI to study substance abuse.
Stochastic techno-economic analysis of electricity produced from poplar plantations in Indiana

Abstract This study evaluates the economic and global-warming potential for a 100% biomass direct-fire biopower plant in Indiana using short-rotation coppice poplar (Populus spp.) as a feedstock. The poplar yield and moisture content data were collected from an actual field trial conducted in southern Indiana beginning in 2013. Monte-Carlo simulation was applied to account for uncertainty in three parameters (poplar yield, moisture content, and planting costs). We found that the biopower plant is economically infeasible in Indiana, as the estimated system break-even price (21.5 cents/kWh) is six times higher than the current wholesale electricity price in Indiana. Based on the LCA analysis, we found that this pathway has negative net emissions (−1.14 kg CO2 eq/kWh), due to carbon sequestration. As a coal-intensive power-generating state, Indiana would require a carbon tax above $93.5/ton CO2-equivalent to make the biopower plant competitive with other types of power plants (coal and natural gas). This analysis was based on average-quality land. We then conducted a sensitivity analysis using poor- and high-quality land. There are small, statistically significant differences between land types, but likely they are not economically significant because the data we have for the three land rents are subject to high uncertainty, which could not be quantified.
Neural Network for Structural Health Monitoring With Combined Direct and Indirect Methods

Advancement in wireless communication as well as recording and transferring data over the internet provides a lot of possibilities for smart inspection and monitoring for machines and structures. The big data recorded and transferred through such a system must be analyzed efficiently on the go to provide accurate feedback to the system. Neural network (NN) data processing techniques are an effective methodology for fast and accurate analyses of the data and provide feedback to the system. An NN methodology is proposed for structural health monitoring of bridge structures. The proposed platform uses the direct and indirect sensors mounted on the bridge structure and on the passing vehicle, respectively. This proposed approach will decrease the cost and the potential damages to the sensors in direct methods, and will increase the accuracy and reliability of monitoring in indirect techniques. The methodology and data processing techniques have been validated using a lab-scaled test bed.
3.05 – Optics of Metallic Nanostructures

This chapter presents a review of the optical properties of metallo-dielectric nanostructured systems. Two complementary systems are discussed: plasmonic crystals and assemblies of strongly interacting nanorods. The optical properties of plasmonic crystals stem from propagating surface plasmons polaritons, while the eigenmodes supported by arrays of nanorods originate from localized surface plasmons. Both types of structures demonstrate unique optical properties governed by these fundamental resonances. The optical response of these nanostructured materials is considered based on both experimental and numerical investigations. The remarkable potential for applications, including the design of nanodevices with tailored active functionalities, are also discussed and exemplified.
Background free high fidelity state preparation and measurement (SPAM) in a 171Yb+ qubit (Conference Presentation)

We present two novel approaches to state detection of qubits defined with trapped ions. The first uses simple pulse sequences from a mode-locked laser to induce state-dependent excitations in less than 1 ns. The resulting atomic fluorescence occurs in the dark, allowing the placement of non-imaging detectors right next to the atom to improve the qubit state detection efficiency and speed.The second employs the long lived F state in Yb+ which has been used in quantum information science almost exclusively for clocks and optical-frequency qubits. We describe how this resource can be used in conjunction with the ground state S1/2 manifold to aid in the scaling of trapped ion quantum information science. Narrow-band optical pumping into the 2F7/2 from one of the conventional 2S1/2 qubit states is projected to achieve a higher state preparation and measurement (SPAM) fidelity than any other demonstrated technique.
Molecular Simulations of Laser Spike Annealing of Block-Copolymer Lamellar Thin-Films

We use molecular dynamic simulations to study the phase behavior of a coarse-grained lamella-forming A-b-B di-block copolymer under thin-film soft confinement for different heating cycle lengths, f...
Effects of Environmental Contaminants at Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge on Anuran Development, Gonadal Histology, and Reproductive Steroidogenesis: A Comparison of In Situ and Laboratory Exposures

Previous monitoring at Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Newington, New Hampshire documented high prevalence of amphibian malformations at sites contaminated with potential endocrine active compounds. In the present study, a combination of in situ and laboratory experiments were used to determine whether contaminants present in the sites affect amphibian growth and reproductive development. Wood frog (Rana sylvatica) tadpoles were exposed in situ at four sites (Ferry Way, Beaver Pond, Lower Peverly, and Stubbs Pond) at Great Bay NWR and northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) tadpoles were exposed in the lab to sediments collected from three sites (Beaver Pond, Ferry Way, Stubbs Pond) at Great Bay NWR as well as a positive (estradiol) and negative control. High mortality was observed at Stubbs Pond and extended larval period at Beaver Pond in the in situ exposure. Only three malformations were noted in the lab experiment, whereas there was a 63% prevalence of rounded femurs in Beaver Pond metamorphs in the in situ exposure. Only 2.4% (5 of 207) of R. sylvatica metamorphs exhibited abnormal reproductive development, whereas intersex metamorphs occurred in treatments and controls in the lab experiment at rates as high as 26%. Reproductive development was more advanced and estradiol to androgen ratios reduced in male metamorphs from Beaver Pond in both the in situ and lab exposures. DDT, PCBs, and PAHs were detected in sediments at Great Bay NWR at concentrations that exceed regulatory or guidance values, with concentrations of PAHs being highest at Lower Peverly Pond and DDT highest at Stubbs Pond. The effects on anuran development may be attributable to the primary contaminants—DDT and PCBs—acting on the thyroid and gonadal axes.
A bacterial biosynthetic pathway for methylated furan fatty acids

Fatty acids play many important roles in cells and also in industrial processes. Furan fatty acids (FuFAs) are present in the lipids of some plant, fish, and microbial species and appear to function as second messengers in pathways that protect cells from membrane-damaging agents. We report here the results of chemical, genetic, and synthetic biology experiments to decipher the biosynthesis of the monomethylated FuFA, methyl 9-(3-methyl-5-pentylfuran-2-yl) nonanoate (9M5-FuFA), and its dimethyl counterpart, methyl 9-(3,4-dimethyl-5-pentylfuran-2-yl) nonanoate (9D5-FuFA), in two α-proteobacteria. Each of the steps in FuFA biosynthesis occurs on pre-existing phospholipid fatty acid chains, and we identified pathway intermediates and the gene products that catalyze 9M5-FuFA and 9D5-FuFA synthesis in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 and Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009. One previously unknown pathway intermediate was a methylated diunsaturated fatty acid, (10E,12E)-11-methyloctadeca-10,12-dienoic acid (11Me-10t,12t-18:2), produced from (11E)-methyloctadeca-11-enoic acid (11Me-12t-18:1) by a newly identified fatty acid desaturase, UfaD. We also show that molecular oxygen (O2) is the source of the oxygen atom in the furan ring of 9M5-FuFA, and our findings predict that an O2-derived oxygen atom is incorporated into 9M5-FuFA via a protein, UfaO, that uses the 11Me-10t,12t-18:2 fatty acid phospholipid chain as a substrate. We discovered that R. palustris also contains a SAM-dependent methylase, FufM, that produces 9D5-FuFA from 9M5-FuFA. These results uncover the biochemical sequence of intermediates in a bacterial pathway for 9M5-FuFA and 9D5-FuFA biosynthesis and suggest the existence of homologs of the enzymes identified here that could function in FuFA biosynthesis in other organisms.
The Effect of Ibuprofen Dosing Interval on Post-Tonsillectomy Outcomes in Children: A Quality Improvement Study:

Objective:In this Quality Improvement (QI project) it was hypothesized that an increase in dosing intervals for postoperative analgesia when alternating Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen would reduce pos...
Cue-elicited functional connectivity of the periaqueductal gray and tonic cocaine craving.

Abstract Background Withdrawal from chronic cocaine use leads to anxiety and dysphoria that may perpetuate habitual drug use. The pain circuit is widely implicated in the processing and manifestations of negative emotions. Numerous studies have focused on characterizing reward circuit dysfunction but relatively little is known about the pain circuit response during cocaine withdrawal. Methods Here we examined the activity and connectivity of the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a hub of the pain circuit, during cocaine cue exposure in 52 recently abstinent cocaine dependent participants (CD, 42 men). Imaging data were processed with published routines, and the results were evaluated at a corrected threshold. Results CD showed higher activation of the PAG and connectivity of the PAG with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) during cocaine as compared to neutral cue exposure. PAG-vmPFC connectivity was positively and negatively correlated with tonic cocaine craving, as assessed by the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire, in male and female CD, respectively, and the sex difference was confirmed by a slope test. Granger causality analyses showed that the PAG Granger caused vmPFC time series in men and the reverse was true in women, substantiating sex differences in the directional interactions of the PAG and vmPFC. Conclusion The findings provide the first evidence in humans implicating the PAG circuit in cocaine withdrawal and cocaine craving and advance our understanding of the role of the pain circuit and negative reinforcement in sustaining habitual drug use in cocaine addiction.
Association of pediatric hearing loss and head injury in a population-based study

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of acquired long-term disability during childhood, and it may result in wide range of negative developmental consequences. Auditory dysfunction is generally recognized to be a possible sequela of pediatric TBI. Unfortunately, few contemporary studies have quantified the association between head injury and hearing loss in the pediatric population. The National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) for the combined years 2017-2018 was used to determine the association of hearing loss with TBI. Deafness or problems with hearing were more commonly reported in children with a history or current brain injury/concussion compared to those without any such history (3.2% [70,000] and 1.2% [830,000] children, respectively; odds ratio, 2.67; P < .001). Findings suggest a notable association between TBI and hearing loss. Children with a history of TBI are 2.67 times more likely to have concurrent hearing complaints.Level of Evidence: IV.
The utility of teledermatology in the evaluation of skin lesions.

IntroductionPast studies have shown mixed results about the accuracy of store-and-forward (SAF) teledermatology in the evaluation of skin lesions. The objective of this study is to determine the ac...
The nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum exhibit greater dopaminergic innervation in humans compared to other primates

Recent evidence suggests that increased dopaminergic signaling within the dorsal striatum played a central role in the evolution of the human brain. This increase has been linked to human prosociality and language in what has been described as a dopamine-dominated striatum personality style. Increased striatal dopamine is associated with an increase in ventral striatal activity and promotes externally driven behaviors, including cooperation and social conformity. In contrast, decreased striatal dopamine is associated with increased dorsal striatal activity and favors internally driven and goal-oriented behaviors. Previous comparative studies have focused on the dorsal striatum, measuring dopaminergic innervation in the dorsal and medial caudate nucleus and putamen. Here, we add to this knowledge by examining regions of the ventral striatum. We quantified the density of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive axons, as a measure of dopaminergic innervation, in the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum of humans, great apes, platyrrhine and cercopithecid monkeys. Our data show that humans have a significantly greater dopaminergic innervation in both structures, supporting the hypothesis that selection for a prosocial neurochemistry in the human basal ganglia may have contributed to the evolution of our uniquely social behavior profile.
L2 pronunciation research and teaching: The importance of many languages

Abstract Research on L2 pronunciation needs to occur in a much wider range of languages in order to ensure that findings are not just applicable to dominant languages. This paper argues that research on a wider variety of languages will be valuable for understanding different contexts of learning/instruction, different types and combinations of phonological features, and different instructional approaches. The field especially needs two parallel and interrelated threads of research and teaching-oriented publications. The first is descriptions of and materials for teaching pronunciation in particular languages. The second is research that is built around questions of practical interest and theoretically-motivated models of L2 speech perception and production.
Chapter 26. The Guanylyl Cyclase Family of Receptor/Enzymes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the guanylyl cyclase family of receptors. Membrane-bound guanylyl cyclase A (GC-A) and guanylyl cyclase B (GC-B) represent the two identified mammalian guanylyl cyclases that are directly linked to cell surface receptors for natriuretic peptide hormones. Atrial natriuretic peptide induces a rapid increase in intracellular cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels in various mammalian intact cells and tissues and activates a GC in the particulate fraction of broken cell preparations. The existence of multiple natriuretic peptides and multiple natriuretic peptide receptor/GC suggest a rather complex physiology for these hormone systems. atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), as well as GC-A and GC-B are highly conserved among different species. ATP plays an important regulatory role in the signal transduction through natriuretic receptor/GC. ATP and some nonhydrolyzable analogs potentiate the effect of ANP on membrane-bound GC activity. GC-C represents a subtype of particulate GC that is predominantly located in the intestinal mucosa. GC-C acts as a cell surface receptor for heat-stable enterotoxins from Escherichia coli and other pathogenic bacteria. The sequence homology of GC-C with GC-A or GC-B is considerably lower than among the natriuretic peptide receptor/cyclases. Key features of the heterodimeric forms of GC are their regulation by nitric oxide and related vasodilatory drugs, their association with a heme prosthetic group, and their cytoplasmic subcellular localization. With a better understanding of the structure and function at the molecular level, and knowledge of the tissue distribution of the diverse guanylyl cyclases, it should be possible to resolve the biochemistry and physiology of the cGMP signal transduction system. This should lead to the elucidation of new pharmacologic agents and to the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Supersymmetry at Ordinary Energy

Everybody knows that there is a gauge hierarchy problem in Grand Unified Theories (GUTS). By now almost everybody knows that supersymmetry offers at least a partial resolution of this problem. A supersymmetric GUT, at energies far below the unification mass, must behave like a supersymmetric extension of the standard color × electro-weak model where the supersymmetry has been broken either explicitly or spontaneously. In this lecture I would like to first discuss the general problems involved in constructing such low energy supersymmetric theories and then to review several recent attempts to build realistic models.
Mechanically Checking a Lemma Used in an Automatic Verification Tool

Automatic formal verification methods sometimes depend on lemmas for decomposing proofs into parts. The decomposition simplifies the verification task for automatic tools, such as model checkers. Typically the lemmas are proven by hand, and apply to all instances where the automatic tool is applied. Mechanically verifying these lemmas using a theorem prover provides greater assurance that the decomposition is correct and can provide insight into possible simplifications and generalizations. This paper gives an example of such an exercise, proving a theorem used by Burch [Bur96] in the verification of a super-scalar processor model.
Guest Editorial Web 2.0 and the Academic Library

In this guest editorial, the author examines one of most provocative mantras of the past few years, “information wants to be free,” and ask whether it odds with our professional values—the belief in the right to privacy, the commitment to provide accurate and verifiable information, a respect for copyright law, and a wariness toward the commercialization of information.
Behavioral characterization of mice lacking the A3 adenosine receptor: sensitivity to hypoxic neurodegeneration.

1. The potential neuroprotective actions of the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) were investigated using mice with functional deletions of the A3AR (A3AR-/-) in behavioral assessments of analgesia, locomotion, tests predictive of depression and anxiety, and the effects of mild hypoxia on cognition and neuronal survival. 2. Untreated A3AR-/- mice were tested in standard behavioral paradigms, including activity in the open field, performance in the hot-plate, tail-flick, tail-suspension, and swim tests, and in the elevated plus maze. In addition, mice were exposed repeatedly to a hypoxic environment containing carbon monoxide (CO). The cognitive effects of this treatment were assessed using the contextual fear conditioning test. After testing, the density of pyramidal neurons in the CA1, 2, and 3 subfields of the hippocampus was determined using standard histological and morphometric techniques. 3. A3AR-/- mice showed increased locomotion in the open field test, elevated plus maze (number of arm entries) and light/dark box (number of transitions). However, they spent more time immobile in two different tests of antidepressant activity (Swim and tail suspension tests). A3AR-/- mice also showed evidence of decreased nociception in the hotplate, but not tail-flick tests. Further, A3AR-/- mice were more vulnerable to hippocampal pyramidal neuron damage following episodes of carbon monoxide (CO)-induced hypoxia. One week after exposure to CO a moderate loss of pyramidal neurons was observed in all hippocampal subfields of both wild-type (A3AR+/+) and A3AR-/- mice. However, the extent of neuronal death in the CA2-3 subfields was less pronounced in A3AR+/+ than A3AR-/- mice. This neuronal loss was accompanied by a decline in cognitive function as determined using contextual fear conditioning. These histological and cognitive changes were reproduced in wild-type mice by repeatedly administering the A3AR-selective antagonist MRS 1523 (5-propyl-2-ethyl-4-propyl-3-(ethylsulfanylcarbonyl)-6-phenylpyridine-5-carboxylate 1 mg/kg i.p.). 4. These results indicate that pharmacologic or genetic suppression of A3AR function enhances some aspects of motor function and suppresses pain processing at supraspinal levels, while acting as a depressant in tests predictive of antidepressant action. Consistent with previous reports of the neuroprotective actions of A3AR agonists, A3AR-/- mice show an increase in neurodegeneration in response to repeated episodes of hypoxia.
Gene network analysis of liver allografts preserved with machine perfusion (649.10)

Machine perfusion (MP) with a cell-free oxygen carrier solution (CFOCS) was compared to cold static preservation (CSP) in a porcine model. Methods: Two groups of 6 animals underwent liver transplantation after 9 hours of cold ischemia time. Clinical and laboratorial data was obtained in additional to serial histological and electron microscopy analysis. Affymetrix gene-arrays were performed on liver tissues from both groups. A cytokine profile was obtained from liver tissues and perfusate with Luminex. Additional metabolomics analysis (Metabolon) was performed. Results: The MP group had 100% survival and the CSP group had 33% survival. A significant (p<0.004) benefit of MP was detected after 16 different variables were analyzed. Over-expression of genes associated with general metabolic functions, anti-inflammatory, regenerative and protective mechanisms against free radicals were observed in the MP group. Genes associated with hepatic system development and cellular proliferation were significantly up-re...
Signal transduction by G proteins in cardiac tissues

The role of G proteins in mediating the responses of the heart to circulating catecholamines and to the influences of the autonomic nervous system is of special interest to cardiologists. It is evident that G proteins are essential links in the cascade of biochemical events that ensure when neurotransmitters and hormones interact with receptors on myocardial cells. It is likely [corrected] that dysfunction of G proteins plays a role in cardiovascular pathophysiology. With current methodologies, especially molecular biological and recombinant DNA techniques, and with transgenic animal models that can relate physiological function and specific gene dosage, some cardiovascular diseases may be traced to G protein-related defects.
Cyclotron emission near stellar mass black holes

Cyclotron emission in the inner regions of an accretion disk around a matter accreting black hole can be appreciable. In the case of the X-ray source Cyg X-1, cyclotron emission may provide the soft photons needed for 'Comptonization' to produce high energy X-rays. The inverse correlation between the fluxes of high energy and low energy X-rays during the 'high' and 'low' states of Cyg X-1, may be understood as a result of the variation of the rate of accretion and the Compton scattering of the cyclotron photons. In the case of the X-ray source GX 339-4, the observed optical flux during the high states does not seem to be due to cyclotron emission, but probably due to reprocessing of high energy X-rays by the outer regions of the disk.
Shifting Negotiations of Identity in a Dominican American Community

This article examines shifting negotiations of language, identity, and acculturation among US-raised Dominicans in a changing community in Providence, RI. It documents multiple, situational claims of identity among high-school students and situational discrepancies between the ways US-raised Dominicans see themselves and the black–white racial terms in which others sometimes see them. Narrative and interview data from second-generation adults suggest that issues of ethnic/racial identity shift for many individuals as they become re-immersed in Spanish-speaking contexts as adults. The situational and shifting nature of these identity negotiations suggests limitations of the dominant theories of immigrant acculturation in the US – assimilation and segmented assimilation – for understanding trajectories of acculturation among this second-generation group.
Sex-Specific Genetic Control of Diabetic Neuropathic Pain Suggests Subsequent Development of Men-only and Women-Only Analgesic Strategies.

In EBioMedicine Meng et al. (2015a) reported the results from their second genome-wide association study on neuropathic pain that aimed to identify novel genetic factors contributing to neuropathic pain in diabetic patients. The first study (Meng et al., 2015b) published earlier this year in the European Journal of Pain identified a cluster in the Chr8p21.3, next to GFRA2 gene locus, associated with cases of neuropathic pain defined as diabetic patients with a prescription history of at least one of five drugs specifically indicated for the treatment of neuropathic pain and in whom monofilament test result was positive for sensory neuropathy in at least one foot. The narrow-sense heritability of this phenotype was 11.00%. That study confirmed that diabetic neuropathic pain is a genetically controlled trait. In the second study in a larger sample the authors found sex-specific loci for men (a cluster in the Chr1p35.1; TLR12P-ZSCAN20) and women (a cluster in the Chr8p23.1, next to HMGB1P46) associated with the same phenotype, and men had higher narrow-sense heritability than women (28.5% vs. 16.7%, respectively) (Meng et al., 2015a). This is the first evidence for the sex-specific contribution of genetic factors to diabetic neuropathic pain.