cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid evolution of binding specificities and expression patterns of inhibitory CD33-related Siglecs in primates

Siglecs are sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectins that recognize sialoglycans via amino-terminal V-set domains. CD33-related Siglecs (CD33rSiglecs) on innate immune cells recognize endogenous sialoglycans as "self-associated molecular patterns" (SAMPs), dampening immune responses via cytosolic immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motifs that recruit tyrosine phosphatases. However, sialic acid-expressing pathogens subvert this mechanism through molecular mimicry. Meanwhile, endogenous host SAMPs must continually evolve to evade other pathogens that exploit sialic acids as invasion targets. We hypothesized that these opposing selection forces have accelerated CD33rSiglec evolution. We address this by comparative analysis of major CD33rSiglec (Siglec-3, Siglec-5, and Siglec-9) orthologs in humans, chimpanzees, and baboons. Recombinant soluble molecules displaying ligand-binding domains show marked quantitative and qualitative interspecies differences in interactions with strains of the sialylated pathogen, group B Streptococcus, and with sialoglycans presented as gangliosides or in the form of sialoglycan microarrays, including variations such as N-glycolyl and O-acetyl groups. Primate Siglecs also show quantitative and qualitative intra- and interspecies variations in expression patterns on leukocytes, both in circulation and in tissues. Taken together our data explain why the CD33rSiglec-encoding gene cluster is undergoing rapid evolution via multiple mechanisms, driven by the need to maintain self-recognition by innate immune cells, while escaping 2 distinct mechanisms of pathogen subversion.
A 20-50 GHz MMIC amplifier with 21 dBm output power and its application as a frequency doubler

A 20-50-GHz MMIC amplifier, designed on a 0.25- mu m-gate PMODFET production IC process that exhibits a 13+or-1.8 dB gain with greater than 21-dBm saturated output power across the band is discussed. A traveling-wave-input power-combined-output configuration developed for the input stage design facilitates area-efficient broadband impedance matching and also permits the amplifier to operate as a frequency doubler. More than 10-dBm output power is achieved over the 20-50-GHz doubled frequency band for 20-dBm input power. >
Effect of UV treatment on the dielectric strength of BOPP capacitor film

The effect of UV treatment on dielectric breakdown strength of metallized biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) capacitor film was studied. Results from Weibull statistical analysis indicate that an optimal UV exposure level of /spl sim/3.4 J/cm/sup 2/ (200-400 nm) increases the breakdown strength at 1% probability by /spl sim/20%. UV spectroscopic analysis indicates that the antioxidant in BOPP was consumed almost entirely. The results suggest that antioxidant remaining in the BOPP after processing may have an unfavorable effect on the breakdown strength of the film.
Linear, spatio-temporal characterization of UV microscope objectives for nonlinear imaging and spectroscopy

Spectral interferometry coupled to numerical wave propagation is used to extract the spatial and temporal characteristics of an ultraviolet objective used for nonlinear imaging and spectroscopy.
Plagioporus sinitsini (Digenea : Opecoelidae): a one-host life cycle.

Adult Plagioporus sinitsini occur within daughter sporocysts voided with the feces of prosobranch snails Elimia symmetrica in Basin Creek, North Carolina. These worms produced eggs containing active miracidia while still in the snail. Adults in snails and adults in rosyside dace, Clinostomus funduloides, collected from the same stream were indistinguishable morphometrically. Adults in snails develop from cotylocercous cercariae sequestered in daughter sporocysts that pass through the metacercaria stage. These observations, and previous study in Michigan, suggest that the life cycle of P. sinitsini has 3 potential pathways, i.e., a 3-host life cycle involving molluscan, arthropod, and piscine hosts, a 2-host life cycle involving only molluscan and piscine hosts, and a 1-host life cycle involving only the snail host. The truncated life cycles do not appear to be the result of paedomorphosis.
Technology, Idealization, and Unconscious Dynamics in the Culture of Medicine

The miracles of modern medicine can seem limitless. Diseases that were once debilitating or life threatening can now be cured through antibiotics, surgical procedures, and a myriad of technological advances that allow doctors to detect maladies earlier. The growing population of older adults serves as a reminder of how much medicine has changed. For example, those over 75 remember a time when people commonly died of infectious diseases, as antibiotics have only been widely used since the 1940s. Elders describe knowing people who lost their lives to polio, as the vaccine was not introduced until the 1950s. Not only are many illnesses now curable, but also the ability to prolong life has changed dramatically. Intubation, advanced resuscitation, and medications used to control blood pressure in intensive care units, which literally keep people alive, have not only saved lives but have also dramatically changed the way people live in the weeks and days before dying. Although some of these life-extending mechanisms do not actually improve quality of life (medical ethicists continually debate the acceptable use of life-extending measures), overall, medical advances combined with improved nutrition and enhanced quality of life have led to longer and healthier lives for many. However, developments in medical science and technology raise a number of important and unique issues that will undoubtedly require increased thoughtfulness as our patients get older. This chapter will address aspects of an increased lifespan as well as the influence of medical technology in the current landscape of contemporary healthcare. In particular, I will speak to hypomania and idealization in the culture of medicine, how these dynamics are both fueled by and the consequence of advances in healthcare, and how they affect both doctors and patients. I will also discuss the related issue of the devaluing of medical practitioners. Ideas of what modern medicine is capable of can be falsely seductive, setting up both patients and medical clinicians for extreme disappointment. The ways in which medicine has changed exacerbate expectations from patients and intensify reactions to physicians. It is easier to expect more from physicians, even if these prospects are not realistic, and then to devalue them when they don’t deliver. All who are involved in the modern medical encounter feel increased pressure. These dynamics, as well as the idiosyncrasies inherent in the culture of Western medicine, create conditions for both patients and physicians that eventually lead to dissatisfaction, frustration, and a sense of helplessness. There are also increasingly unique challenges for mental health clinicians in talking to patients about the difficult feelings associated with a long life, feelings about their relationships with physicians, as well as their feelings associated with bodily failure. Indeed, many patients present as expecting definite and clear answers to complicated questions.
Abstract 484: Platelet Specific Deletion of Opa-1 Reveals Gender Dimorphic Effects on Platelet Dysfunction and Thrombus Formation in Mice

Diabetes Mellitus and its complications remains a major public health burden. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death amongst diabetics and disproportionally affects women. Thrombosis represents one of the primary underlying pathologies in CVD. However, the mechanisms by which platelet dysfunction develops in diabetics are unclear. Preliminary studies revealed enrichment in platelet-derived transcripts encoding the mitochondrial dynamics proteins optic atrophy (OPA)-in females and mitofusin-2, dynamin-related protein-1, and mitochondrial fission 1 protein in both genders collected from the Framingham Offspring cohort, suggesting that platelet dysfunction in the diabetic milieu might be related to abnormal mitochondrial dynamics. Thus to define the relationship between mitochondrial dynamics and platelet dysfunction/thrombosis we generated mice with platelet-specific deletion of OPA1, a protein that regulates mitochondrial fusion, electron transport complex (ETC) assembly and apoptosis. Deletion of OPA-1 in platelets reduced mitochondrial oxygen consumption by approximately 50 % and reduced mitochondrial ETC subunit expression in both genders. Hydrogen peroxide levels were reduced by 40% in females but increased by 20% in males. Unexpectedly, females exhibited a 10-fold increase in expression of the NADPH oxidase (NOX) subunits gp91phox and p47phox, whereas NOX was unchanged in males. The absence of OPA1 was associated with longer time to stable occlusion in females but with decreased time to stable occlusion in males as assessed in vivo by rose Bengal photochemical injury. Also, male OPA1 deficient mice, were more prone to develop a thrombus (14/15 knockouts vs. 4/8 controls) following permanent ligation of the inferior vena cava, but this increase in venous thrombosis was not observed in females mice. Taken together, these data suggest that increased OPA1 expression observed in females with diabetes could represent a critical pathophysiologic mechanism in diabetic females that could contribute to their disproportional increased relative risk of thrombosis. We also identify for the first time, an essential role for OPA1 in regulating platelet mitochondrial function, platelet activation and thrombosis.
User Interface Design

User interface design discusses those design principles that enable a user and a device to form a synergistic partnership that is user centered and task oriented. The article is organized around four main concepts: affordances, user models, feedback, and error handling. Other key issues include the use of constraints working together with affordances, the advantages of task-oriented user models over those that are based on the underlying technology or metaphors to the mechanical age, the recent trend toward information appliances, and the role of modes and routines in error prevention and recovery. The benefits of usability evaluation through heuristic evaluation and user testing are discussed briefly.
Warfarin-induced calciphylaxis

A 76-year-old woman, with a history of hypertension and atrial fibrillation, was admitted to our hospital for sepsis secondary to necrotic skin lesions. The patient had a 6-month history of non-healing necrotic skin ulcers affecting her lower extremities. She reported that her symptoms had begun 1 month after she had started taking warfarin 5 mg daily for atrial fibrillation. The lesions first started as blisters, which then burst and became painful ulcers. The patient was then …
Effect of an Interfacial Ti Layer on the Formation of CoSi2 on Si

We have investigated the effect of an interfacial Ti layer on the mechanism of CoSi2 formation. The presence of this Ti intcrlayer shifts the completion of all the cobalt suicide reactions to higher temperatures, reduces the sensitivity of these reactions to the presence of the native oxide on silicon, and greatly modifies the morphology of the CoSi2/ Si interface. The modification of the interface morphology arises from the formation of highly oriented or epitaxial CoSi2 and results in greater thermal stability of the disilicide.
Two New Buprestidae (Coleoptera)

Male —Size and form of C. deleta Lee, robust, front bronze, clypeus, vertex, pronotum and scutellum metallic green, elytra cupreous, becoming more brilliant toward apices, legs and ventral surface bronze, pubescence moderate throughout.
Recurrent infections in man associated with immunologic or phagocytic deficiencies.

In a number of diseases, deficiencies in either immunologic mechanisms or phagocytic activity have been clearly associated with increased susceptibility to infection. A variety of laboratory tests can help in defining these conditions. To use the tests effectively, the physician must know the clinical manifestations of such defects as impaired antibody production, impaired delayed hypersensitivity, combined deficiency of immunoglobulin and cellular immunity, and phagocytic deficiency
A matlab toolbox for continuous state transition algorithm

State transition algorithm (STA) has been emerging as a novel stochastic method for global optimization in recent few years. To make better understanding of continuous STA, a matlab toolbox for continuous STA has been developed. Firstly, the basic principles of continuous STA are briefly described. Then, a matlab implementation of the standard continuous STA is explained, with several instances given to show how to use to the matlab toolbox to minimize an optimization problem with bound constraints. In the same while, a link is provided to download the matlab toolbox via available resources.
Survey on AIDS Related Knowledge Among Different Population of Lucheng District,Wenzhou City

OBJECTIVE To understand the present conditions of AIDS related knowledge in Lucheng District among urban and rural residents,middle school students and migrant workers,and then to provide basis for the development of effective AIDS health education.METHODS Cluster random sampling was performed from different populations in Lucheng District in September,2008 and 680 cases were surveyed by anonymous questionnaires.RESULTS The general awareness rate about AIDS related knowledge was 84.17% 、 68.51% 、 87.98% and 75.19% among urban and rural residents,middle school students and migrant workers respectively.The difference of AIDS related knowledge awareness rate among the four kinds of people was statistically significant (P0.01).The total awareness rate of AIDS was high among the four kinds of people,but in some specific knowledge items,the awareness rates were relatively low.Education level was the influence factor on AIDS knowledge knowing.All kinds of populations obtained AIDS related knowledge mainly by watching TV.CONCLUSION Health education about AIDS should be more comprehensive and scientific.Level of AIDS knowledge need to be improved especially among rural residents and migrant workers through multi-format of education.
Research activities and interests of dietetic educators.

Abstract Dietetic educators need to conduct research for academic promotion and tenure, and they are often called upon to provide leadership for research in the profession. A study was conducted to develop a profile of the research productivity, skill needs, and research environment of dietetic educators. Questionnaires were sent to 854 full-time faculty members in coordinated, didactic (Plan IV), technician, and graduate programs in dietetics; responses were received from 354 (41 %). More than one-fourth of respondents (26.2%) reported spending no time in research, while 29.2% spent 9 or more hours per week in that activity. Those with doctoral degrees, at the rank of professor, working in major research institutions spent significantly more time in research than did other faculty members. In the previous 5 years, 67.3% had written proposals and served as principal investigator for at least one study, and 58% had received research funding. Half had written research papers, and 65% had written other publications. Only 60.2% had presented research papers, but 74.8% had given other types of presentations. Nearly 75% of educators indicated interest in collaborative studies; more than half reported a need for skills in getting funded, generating statistics, and writing research protocols. Most educators had a personal interest in research, had access to computers, and agreed that research was both rewarded and essential for academic advancement. Only 15.2% agreed that research was financially or administratively supported, and 22.8% said that they were confused about the relative importance of research in relation to teaching and service. These findings provide baseline data for setting goals and making recommendations for further research involvement. J Am Diet Assoc 88:1070, 1988.
Geometric model of sintering of unequal-sized particles

Sintering is a materials processing method generally applied to high-melting point materials. Performance of a sintered product is influenced by its microstructure. The effects of processing parameters, such as sintering time and temperature, on the microstructure are usually understood with the help of geometric models. Most geometric models assume equal-sized particles in the powders. This assumption neglects coarsening by inter-particle mass transport and grain boundary migration. Moreover, this assumption is seldom true in practice; because, coarsening and grain boundary migration always occur during sintering, especially during sintering of nanosized and ultrafine particles. In this paper, we present a model to quantitatively describe the sintering process of powders with unequal-sized particles. The present model relies on calculations of diffusional flux for neck growth and coarsening during sintering. In addition, we derive an expression to describe the grain boundary migration. We apply the model...
American Consuls and the Politics of Rescue in Marseille, 1936–1941

An extensive literature portrays Harry Bingham, who served as American vice consul in Marseille, France between 1936 and 1941, as the single American diplomat who defied the Department of State’s restrictive policy toward European Jewish refugees. However, empirical evidence does not always support what many now assume about Bingham’s efforts. Examining Bingham’s personnel file and his career at the Department of State, this article improves our understanding of what Bingham did for Jewish and intellectual refugees.
Semen preparation with the Sperm Select System versus a washing technique.

Objective To compare sperm migration through sodium hyaluronate with simple washing as methods for preparing sperm for IUI. Design Ten normal semen specimens were prospectively collected and samples were prepared by simple washing and by migration into sodium hyaluronate using the Sperm Select System (Select Medical Systems, Williston, VT). The semen and each treatment group were evaluated for sperm concentration, percent motile, viability, acrosomal status, longevity, and computer-aided semen analysis (CASA) parameters. Setting University reproductive endocrinology facility. Results The recovery of motile sperm was significantly higher for the washing method (mean±SEM; 75%±7%) than for the hyaluronate method (10%±1%). The number of motile sperm recovered by migration into hyaluronate was independent of the percentage of motile sperm in the semen specimen and positively correlated with sperm concentration. The hyaluronate method produced greater percentages of motile, viable, and morphologically normal sperm, with lower proportions of premature acrosome reactions, higher sperm velocity, and greater linearity. Conclusions The Sperm Select System method of sperm separation provides a highly uniform specimen with improved sperm quality. However, the recovery of motile sperm is considerably lower than for simple washing methods.
Robust object tracking in the X-Z domain

The detection and tracking of objects such as humans has primarily been carried out using RGB cameras with additional sensors such as infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, etc. and therefore two-dimensional tracking (x-y tracking) has been widely researched. With the advent of depth cameras, depth based tracking has gained prominence as one can exploit the third dimension (z). While prior work on depth based tracking using Kinect sensors focuses mostly on depth based extraction of objects to aid in tracking, this paper introduces the idea of tracking human objects in the x-z domain instead of the x-y domain. Tracking is done by particle filters which are propagated based on the motion model in the horizontal-depth movement framework. A joint color and depth histogram model, used to represent a human being, is adapted based on the occlusion status of the object, and the combination with position and size with respect to the tracked human object in the previous frame is used to filter the depth segmented objects in each frame. Particles, depicted by patches extracted in the x-z domain, are associated to these observations based on a closest match according to a likelihood model and then a majority voting is employed to select a final observation, based on which, particles are reweighted and a final estimation is made. The addition of the depth dimension in motion propagation and tracking alleviates challenges faced due to change of object appearance, illumination changes and partial occlusion (or full occlusion in some cases). Results show that a tracker based on x-z propagation outperforms a similarly designed baseline x-y tracker.
Bootstrapping Regression Parameters in Multivariate Survival Analysis

Bootstrap methods are proposed for estimating sampling distributions and associated statistics for regression parameters in multivariate survival data. We use an Independence Working Model (IWM) approach, fitting margins independently, to obtain consistent estimates of the parameters in the marginal models. Resampling procedures, however, are applied to an appropriate joint distribution to estimate covariance matrices, make bias corrections, and construct confidence intervals. The proposed methods allow for fixed or random explanatory variables, the latter case using extensions of existing resampling schemes (Loughin,1995), and they permit the possibility of random censoring. An application is shown for the viral positivity time data previously analyzed by Wei, Lin, and Weissfeld (1989). A simulation study of small-sample properties shows that the proposed bootstrap procedures provide substantial improvements in variance estimation over the robust variance estimator commonly used with the IWM.
Computer integrated materials processing (CIMP) (new design analysis and simulation capabilities for injection moulded parts)

This article describes the advantages of using an interactive software package based on solid modelling for the design and simulation of injection moulded parts. An expert system assists the user in the decision making process at any time during the development of the part. With the help of interactive graphic menus, supported by a flexible database, the process begins with the solid representation of the part. Interactively, the program allows the user to analyse the filling and the cooling phases as well as the actual behaviour of the mould in order to optimize the design and manufacturing parameters. The supporting database has been developed by taking into account the design and manufacturing guidelines, material characteristics and information on tooling and polymer processing. Then a complete optimisation can be performed during the finite element analysis which is based on the information obtained from the results of the process simulation.
Experimental evaluation of the generalized vibrational theory of G protein-coupled receptor activation.

Recently, an alternative theory concerning the method by which olfactory proteins are activated has garnered attention. This theory proposes that the activation of olfactory G protein-coupled receptors occurs by an inelastic electron tunneling mechanism that is mediated through the presence of an agonist with an appropriate vibrational state to accept the inelastic portion of the tunneling electron’s energy. In a recent series of papers, some suggestive theoretical evidence has been offered that this theory may be applied to nonolfactory G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), including those associated with the central nervous system (CNS). [Chee HK, June OS (2013) Genomics Inform 11(4):282–288; Chee HK, et al. (2015) FEBS Lett 589(4):548–552; Oh SJ (2012) Genomics Inform 10(2):128–132]. Herein, we test the viability of this idea, both by receptor affinity and receptor activation measured by calcium flux. This test was performed using a pair of well-characterized agonists for members of the 5-HT2 class of serotonin receptors, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and N,N-dimethyllysergamide (DAM-57), and their respective deuterated isotopologues. No evidence was found that selective deuteration affected either the binding affinity or the activation by the selected ligands for the examined members of the 5-HT2 receptor class.
Adaptive Portfolio Selection by Investment Groups

Abstract We present a new investment group model for the portfolio selection problem. Members of the group adjust their portfolio as they observe movements of the market over time and communicate to each other their current portfolio and its recent performance. Investors can choose to switch to any portfolio performing better than their own. We show that a group of adaptive investors will outperform a single adaptive investor for a simple market model. Furthermore, a group of investors can improve their performance through communication. Finally we show that communication is redundant in an extended market model that includes efficiency-constraints on correlations between stock price dynamics.
The Asaba Massacre: Trauma, Memory, and the Nigerian Civil War

In October 1967, early in the Nigerian Civil War, government troops entered Asaba in pursuit of the retreating Biafran army, slaughtering thousands of civilians and leaving the town in ruins. News of the atrocity was suppressed by the Nigerian government, with the complicity of Britain, and its significance in the subsequent progress of that conflict was misunderstood. Drawing on archival sources on both sides of the Atlantic and interviews with survivors of the killing, pillaging and rape, as well as with high-ranking Nigerian military and political leaders, S. Elizabeth Bird and Fraser M. Ottanelli offer an interdisciplinary reconstruction of the history of the Asaba Massacre, redefining it as a pivotal point in the history of the war. Through this, they also explore the long afterlife of trauma, the reconstruction of memory and how it intersects with justice, and the task of reconciliation in a nation where a legacy of ethnic suspicion continues to reverberate.
Thirty-day outcomes in pediatric epilepsy surgery.

The aim of this study was to use the multicenter American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program–Pediatric (NSQIP-P) to evaluate and identify risk factors for 30-day adverse events in children undergoing epilepsy surgery. Using the 2015 NSQIP-P database, we identified children (age 0–18 years) undergoing pediatric epilepsy surgery and analyzed NSQIP-defined complications, unplanned reoperations, and unplanned readmissions. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed using perioperative data to identify risk factors for adverse events within 30 days of the index procedure. Two hundred eight pediatric patients undergoing epilepsy surgery were identified for the year 2015 in the NSQIP-P database. The majority of patients were male (51.8%) and white (72.9%). The median age was 10 years. Neurological and neuromuscular comorbidities were seen in 62.5% of patients. Surgical blood loss and transfusion was the most common overall NSQIP-defined event (15.7%) and was reported in 40% with hemispherectomy. Nineteen patients (6.8%) had an unplanned reoperation and 20 patients (7.1%) had an unplanned readmission. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that African American patients (OR 3.26, 95% CI 1.29–8.21, p = 0.01) and hemispherectomy (OR 3.05, 95% CI 1.4–6.65, p = 0.01) were independently associated with NSQIP-defined complications. Patients undergoing hemispherectomy (OR 4.11, 95% CI 1.48–11.42, p = 0.01) were also at significantly higher risk of unplanned readmission after pediatric epilepsy surgery. Data from the 2015 NSQIP-P database showed that hemispherectomy was significantly associated with higher perioperative events in children undergoing epilepsy surgery. Quality improvement initiatives for hemispherectomy should target surgical blood loss and wound-related complications. Racial disparities in access to cranial pediatric epilepsy surgery and perioperative complications were also highlighted in the present study.
Long-term dynamics and impacts of plant invasions

Summary Hundreds of studies have evaluated the dynamics of plant invasions and their impacts on native plant communities and ecosystem functions, but most are limited in duration to only one or a few years. As such, we have a poor understanding of how invader dynamics and impacts change over time. This special feature presents six studies that use literature reviews, field studies and experiments to examine long-term patterns in invader effects on species, communities and ecosystems. All studies in the special feature focus on data collected over multiple years and two studies provide data that cover multiple decades. One study provides a review and framework for understanding how invaders impact plant–mycorrhiza mutualisms and two studies focus on long-term ecosystem changes in response to invasion and fire. The next two studies examine how invaders respond to successional change and climate conditions over time, and the final study shows that invaders can shift selection regimes and the evolutionary trajectory of native plant populations. Synthesis. Articles in this special feature demonstrate changes in the dynamics of invasive plant populations and their community and ecosystem impacts over time. Together they illustrate that findings from a snapshot in time may poorly describe years-long outcomes of invasions, and they highlight the need for long-term studies of biological invasions.
Follicular Lymphoma and Mantle Cell Lymphoma

This chapter covers the commonly-encountered follicular lymphoma and the more aggressive but rare mantle cell lymphoma. These two B-cell lymphomas are predominantly lymph node-based but show characteristic patterns of spread to the bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract. Both lymphomas progress through recognizable histologic stages that are characterized by increasing number of large tumor cells and accumulation of cell cycle genetic defects. Follicular lymphoma however shows a more clear requirement for stromal-derived cytokine signals and B-cell receptor pathway dysregulation for full transformation.
Nuclear transparency in 15A-GeV Si+Au reactions?

Recent data on central Si+Au collisions at 15{ital A} GeV are shown to imply an expectedly high degree of nuclear transparency. The paucity of observed midrapidlity protons and pions suggests that up to one half of the projectile nucleons may lose less than one unit of rapidity after traversing 5--10 fm of nuclear matter.
The establishment of retinal connectivity.

This chapter describes the developmental, cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in establishing neural connectivity in the adult Drosophila visual system. It concerns itself primarily with the projections of photoreceptor axons into the optic lobe, with an emphasis on the more recent literature.
AT1-receptors and cellular actions of angiotensin II in neuronal cultures of stroke prone-spontaneously hypertensive rat brain.

AT1 preceptors, its mRNA and cellular actions of angiotensin II (Ang II) have been compared between neuronal cultures of Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive (SP-SH) rat brains. Bmax for AT1-receptor binding is 2-fold higher and is associated with a parallel increase in the levels of AT1 preceptor mRNA in SP-SH rat brain neurons compared with WKY rat brain neurons. Ang II causes stimulation of both c-fos and norepinephrine transporter (NET) mRNAs in both strains of neurons and this stimulation is also 2–3-fold higher in SP-SH rat brain neurons compared with WKY rat brain neurons. In contrast, Ang II stimulation of PAI-1 mRNA in SP-SH neurons is only 50% that of in WKY rat brain neurons suggesting that SP-SH neurons express a decrease in AT1-receptor coupling with PAI-1 response. These observations demonstrate that SP-SH neurons express AT1-receptor-functions similar to those described for SHR neurons.
Rate design for a decarbonizing grid

Abstract The Western U.S. electric grid has undergone vast changes since the pre-renewables era. For example, renewables now comprise nearly 30% of California’s electric supply portfolio, and recent CA legislation mandates 50% renewables by 2030. As a consequence, intra-day variation in hourly net loads is rapidly steepening, as shown by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO)’s now famous ‘Duck Curve”. In 2015, CAISO recommended a four-season TOU pricing period design, with peak hours between 4 PM and 9 PM on summer weekdays, and a “super-off-peak” period in spring mid-day hours. We present an aggressive four-season time-of-use (TOU) rate design based on CAISO’s recommended TOU periods, and some illustrative impacts of implementing such TOU rates. In Western U.S. energy markets, high wholesale prices generally correspond to high marginal carbon emissions, and conversely. Properly designed TOU rates can help reduce GHG emissions by discouraging energy use during times of high marginal carbon emissions. However, demand charges, a feature of many commercial rate designs, can negate the benefits of TOU rates if applied during off-peak hours. We show that overuse of non-coincident demand charges can discourage customer investments that would benefit both the customer and the grid if rates were correctly aligned with cost. We recommend the following pricing strategies to support long-term efforts toward decarbonization of the electric grid: (1) More widespread use of aggressive 3- or 4-season TOU rates (or RTP where feasible); and (2) Reduced dependence on demand charges that apply during off-peak hours. Widespread utilization of retail rates that are aligned with temporal variation in carbon intensity, by both residential and nonresidential customers, is essential, for achievement of decarbonization goals. Disclaimer Opinions and recommendations stated herein should be attributed to the author alone, and not to the California Public Utilities Commission or its Staff.
Effect Analysis of Nickel Ferrite (NiFe 2 O 4 ) and Titanium Dioxide (TiO 2 ) Nanoparticles on CH 4 /CO 2 Gas Permeation Properties of Cellulose Acetate Based Mixed Matrix Membranes

Natural gas processing is very important industrial process. Major component of natural gas is methane, which is an increasingly utilized source of energy due to high thermal efficiency, while carbon dioxide act as an impurity and reduces its calorific value. In this research work, effects of nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on the permeation properties of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in cellulose acetate/polyethylene glycol (CA/PEG) membranes have been investigated. CA/PEG and CA/PEG based mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) are fabricated by using the solution casting method. Concentrations of TiO2 and NiFe2O4 nanoparticles membranes are varied from 0 to 20 and 0 to 2 wt% respectively. Scanning electron microscope, tensile testing analysis, X-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetric analysis are used to characterize the fabricated membranes. Permeation study of these membranes has shown that in 5 wt%TiO2 MMMs, the permeability of CO2 and CH4 is increased up to 5.75 and 3.75 times as compared to pure polymer. By adding 1.5 wt% NiFe2O4 in the polymer matrix, the permeability of CO2 and CH4 has improved up to 3.46 and 2.1 times as compared to pure polymer. It has been observed that the addition of inorganic nanoparticles in a polymer matrix helps to enhance the permeability of gases but it has little effect on CH4/CO2 selectivity.
Pharmacokinetic evaluation of a sustained-release compounded procainamide preparation after 24-h (acute) administration in normal dogs.

Abstract Introduction The objective of the present study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of a compounded sustained-release procainamide formulation in normal dogs. Animals Six healthy, purpose-bred mixed-breed dogs participated in the study. Methods In phase I, two dogs were administered oral procainamide (30 mg/kg), and plasma was obtained to determine plasma concentration ranges and duration. In phase II, six dogs were administered procainamide (30 mg/kg by mouth every 12 hours) to determine the pharmacokinetics of sustained-release procainamide. Serum procainamide concentration was determined using an immunochemistry assay. Results No adverse clinical effects were noted in any of the dogs studied. The average maximum serum concentration, average serum concentration, and average minimum serum concentration were 10.17, 7.13, and 3.07 μg/mL, respectively. The average time over a 12-h period during which procainamide concentration exceeded 12 μg/mL was 2.35 h, was between 4 and 12 μg/mL was 7.19 h, and was less than 4 μg/mL was 2.46 h. The average times at maximum concentration and minimum concentration were 18.67 and 12.25 h, respectively. Conclusions Administration of sustained-release procainamide twice daily achieved targeted plasma concentrations in most dogs. Evaluation of serum trough concentrations should be considered owing to interanimal variability to confirm that serum concentrations are within the reported therapeutic range for an individual patient.
New evidence defining the pathology and pathogenesis of lower esophageal sphincter damage

Present diagnosis and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has resulted in a dramatic increase in the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma. This is due to failure to identify pathologic changes of early GERD; at present, pathology is limited to management of Barrett esophagus (BE). Convincing evidence have confirmed that cardiac mucosa distal to the squamocolumnar junction in the endoscopically normal person is a metaplastic GERD-induced esophageal epithelium, and not a normal proximal gastric epithelium. When cardiac mucosa is recognized as a metaplastic esophageal epithelium, it becomes self-evident that the present endoscopic definition of the gastro-esophageal junction is incorrect, and there exists a dilated distal esophagus (DDE) in what is incorrectly termed the “gastric cardia” presently mistaken for proximal stomach. It also becomes clear that the length of the DDE correlates with the presence and severity of GERD and represents the pathology of the entire spectrum of GERD. Further, it allows recognition that the DDE, measured as the gap between esophageal squamous epithelium and gastric oxyntic mucosa that is composed of cardiac mucosa, represents the pathologic anatomy of damage to the abdominal segment of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The new understanding of the significance of cardiac mucosa provides a new and highly accurate histologic method of assessment of LES damage, the primary cause of GERD. This opens a new door to complete histologic assessment of GERD from its etiologic standpoint and to new research that permit early diagnosis of GERD at its outset. Ultimately, such early diagnosis has the potential to reverse the increasing trend of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
Toward Antibiotic Stewardship: Route of Antibiotic Administration Impacts the Microbiota and Resistance Gene Diversity in Swine Feces

Oral antibiotics are a critical tool for fighting bacterial infections, yet their use can have negative consequences, such as the disturbance of healthy gut bacterial communities and the dissemination of antibiotic residues in feces. Altering antibiotic administration route may limit negative impacts on intestinal microbiota and reduce selective pressure for antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) persistence and mobility. Thus, a study was performed in pigs to evaluate route of therapeutic oxytetracycline (oxytet) administration, an antibiotic commonly used in the U.S. swine industry, on intestinal microbial diversity and ARG abundance. Given that oral antibiotics would be in direct contact with intestinal bacteria, we hypothesized that oral administration would cause a major shift in intestinal bacterial community structure when compared to injected antibiotic. We further postulated that the impact would extend to the diversity and abundance of ARG in swine feces. At approximately 3 weeks-of-age, piglets were separated into three groups (n = 21-22 per group) with two groups receiving oxytet (one via injection and the second via feed) and a third non-medicated group. Oxytet levels in the plasma indicated injected antibiotic resulted in a spike 1 day after administration, which decreased over time, though oxytet was still detected in plasma 14 days after injection. Conversely, in-feed oxytet delivery resulted in lower but less variable oxytet levels in circulation and high concentrations in feces. Similar trends were observed in microbial community changes regardless of route of oxytet administration; however, the impact on the microbial community was more pronounced at all time points and in all samples with in-feed administration. Fecal ARG abundance was increased with in-feed administration over injected, with genes for tetracycline and aminoglycoside resistance enriched specifically in the feces of the in-feed group. Sequencing of plasmid-enriched samples revealed multiple genetic contexts for the resistance genes detected and highlighted the potential role of small plasmids in the movement of antibiotic resistance genes. The findings are informative for disease management in food animals, but also manure management and antibiotic therapy in human medicine for improved antibiotic stewardship.
VarFA: A Variational Factor Analysis Framework For Efficient Bayesian Learning Analytics

We propose VarFA, a variational inference factor analysis framework that extends existing factor analysis models for educational data mining to efficiently output uncertainty estimation in the model's estimated factors. Such uncertainty information is useful, for example, for an adaptive testing scenario, where additional tests can be administered if the model is not quite certain about a students' skill level estimation. Traditional Bayesian inference methods that produce such uncertainty information are computationally expensive and do not scale to large data sets. VarFA utilizes variational inference which makes it possible to efficiently perform Bayesian inference even on very large data sets. We use the sparse factor analysis model as a case study and demonstrate the efficacy of VarFA on both synthetic and real data sets. VarFA is also very general and can be applied to a wide array of factor analysis models.
Disposal and Utilization of Mineral Wastes as a Mine Backfill

SUMMARY There is an increasing concern for the disposal and utilization of mine and power plant waste materials. The lack of suitable waste dump sites and increased opposition from environmental groups are severely restricting the operation and planning of many of the associated industries. The increasing consumer demand for growth in electrical power and minerals emphasises the need for strategic planning and research for this long term problem. Approximately 25 million tonnes of coal refuse of various categories are generated from the coal that is mined in the state of Kentucky alone and considering the quantities of other types of wastes, for example fly-ash and scrubber sludge, the total volume of waste generated annually assume astronomic proportions. Backfilling mined-out areas of underground coal mines is a solution to part of the overall problem, whereby, the power plant has a potential underground disposal site and the coal mine can utilize the mineral wastes for its own economic benefit. The dumping of mineral wastes in the mined-out areas in underground coal mines have been effectively performed in many parts of the world, and details of numerous case histories have been published. The geographic location of Kentucky being in the coal producing heartland of the United States provides further opportunity for investigation into the disposal of mine wastes to underground sites. The paper evaluates the potential of a range of waste materials and their composites as a backfill for underground coal mines.
Substitution-inert polynuclear platinum compounds inhibit human cytomegalovirus attachment and entry.

Abstract Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects up to 90–100% of the world population. Although HCMV infection is not a concern for immunocompetent patients, it can be life threatening for immunocompromised individuals. Additionally, congenital HCMV infections can cause serious neurological deficits in neonates. Since viral resistance mutations arise for all current treatments, new treatments targeting novel processes are needed. A well-defined target for HCMV is heparan sulfate, a highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) necessary for virion/host cell attachment. In this study, we investigated as possible antiviral agents substitution-inert cationic polynuclear platinum complexes (PPCs) that demonstrate charge-dependent high affinity for GAGs (Katner et al., 2018; Peterson et al., 2017). Certain PPCs had anti-HCMV activities in low micromolar concentrations and antiviral activity correlated with their GAG-binding affinity. Time of addition, removal, and mechanistic studies were consistent with PPCs binding to cells and blocking HCMV virion attachment; however, evidence also suggested that PPC/virion interactions could inhibit fibroblast but not epithelial cell infection. We hypothesize that the PPC-heparan sulfate interaction described here is a general approach to inhibition of virion/host cell attachment and viral entry mediated by other anionic GAGs and sialic acids on the cell surface. Through metalloshielding of the critical sulfate receptors, PPCs offer an attractive alternative to current antiviral compounds, with the potential to target a broad spectrum of viruses that utilize GAGs for attachment and entry.
A meta-analytic review of antecedents of hospitality and tourism firms’ performance: A cross-cultural comparison

Abstract Despite the magnitude of scholarly understanding of firm performance, there has been no robust statistical meta-analytic review of antecedents of firm performance in hospitality and tourism journals. Therefore, this study conducted Hunter-Schmidt random-effects meta-analyses on the relationships between firm performance and its predictors based on Kaplan and Norton's balanced scorecard framework. This study identified fourteen antecedents of firm performance, and all proposed relationships were significant. This study also examined the moderating role of culture on the relationships at continental- and national-approaches by adopting sample z-tests and meta-regression. This study found the moderating role of culture on seven relationships at the continental-level comparison and identified corresponding cultural dimensions responsible for the degree of the relationships. This study expanded the literature on firm performance and contributed to strategic and financial management literature. Based on findings, the authors presented several important practical implications.
Direct simulation of thermally and mechanically coupled particle-laden flow:

This work describes a unique technique to simulate continuously and directly coupled fluid flow and moving particles including both mechanical and thermal interactions between the flow, particles, ...