cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impaired Cell Shortening and Relengthening with Increased Pacing Frequency are Intrinsic to the Senescent Mouse Cardiomyocyte

Increased heart rate enhances cardiac contractility and accelerates relaxation. Both the force– and relaxation–frequency relationships are critical to myocardial function, especially during stress, and have been shown to be impaired in senescent myocardium. While senescent myocardium is characterized by decreased sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase activity, it is unclear if altered calcium regulation is directly responsible for the attenuated contractility and relaxation observed with increasing pacing frequency in aged myocardium. We examined this issue using freshly dissociated left ventricular myocytes, isolated from young adult and senescent mouse hearts. Myocytes were paced from 2 to 9 Hz at 37°C, and cell shortening and [Ca2+]iwere simultaneously measured using video edge-detection and fura-2 fluorescence, respectively. In adult myocytes, increasing the pacing rate resulted in a progressive increase in percent cell shortening (CS) (P<0.01). This positive CS–frequency relationship was paralleled by an increase in [Ca2+]itransient amplitude (P<0.05). In contrast, the CS–frequency relationship was blunted in senescent myocytes with no increase in percent CS or [Ca2+]itransient amplitude with increasing pacing rate. With increased pacing, the decreases in time constants (τ) of cell relengthening and Ca2+transient decay were much steeper in adult compared to senescent myocytes (P<0.05). This study demonstrates that adult mouse myocytes exhibit augmented intracellular Ca2+transient amplitude and enhanced intracellular Ca2+removal with increasing pacing frequency, resulting in increased cell shortening and enhanced relengthening with frequency. In contrast, senescent mouse myocytes exhibit impaired calcium handling with increasing pacing frequency, which correlated with impairment of both cell shortening and relengthening.
Structure, stability, and properties of the intergrowth compounds ([SnSe]1+δ)m(NbSe2)n, where m = n = 1-20.

Intergrowth compounds of ([SnSe]1+δ)m(NbSe2)n, where 1 ≤ m = n ≤ 20, with the same atomic composition but different c-axis lattice parameters and number of interfaces per volume were synthesized using the modulated elemental reactant technique. A c-axis lattice parameter change of 1.217(6) nm as a function of one unit of m = n was observed. In-plane X-ray diffraction shows an increase in distortion of the rock salt layer as a function of m and a broadening of the NbSe2 reflections as n increases, indicating the presence of different coordination environments for Nb (trigonal prismatic and octahedral) and smaller crystallite size, which were confirmed via scanning transmission electron microscopy investigations. The electrical resistivities of all 12 compounds exhibit metallic temperature dependence and are similar in magnitude as would be expected for isocompositional compounds. Carrier concentration and mobility of the compounds vary within a narrow range of 2–6 × 1021 cm–3 and 2–6 cm2 V–1 s–1, respectiv...
Prevalence of depression and validation of the Beck Depression Inventory-II and the Children's Depression Inventory-Short amongst HIV-positive adolescents in Malawi.

Introduction: There is a remarkable dearth of evidence on mental illness in adolescents living with HIV/AIDS, particularly in the African setting. Furthermore, there are few studies in sub-Saharan Africa validating the psychometric properties of diagnostic and screening tools for depression amongst adolescents. The primary aim of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of depression amongst a sample of HIV-positive adolescents in Malawi. The secondary aim was to develop culturally adapted Chichewa versions of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Children's Depression Inventory-II-Short (CDI-II-S) and conduct a psychometric evaluation of these measures by evaluating their performance against a structured depression assessment using the Children's Rating Scale, Revised (CDRS-R). Study design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: We enrolled 562 adolescents, 1218 years of age from two large public HIV clinics in central and southern Malawi. Participants completed two self-reports, the BDI-II and CDI-II-S, followed by administration of the CDRS-R by trained clinicians. Sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values for various BDI-II and CDI-II-S cut-off scores were calculated with receiver operating characteristics analysis. The area under the curve (AUC) was also calculated. Internal consistency was measured by standardized Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and correlation between self-reports and CDRS-R by Spearman's correlation. Results: Prevalence of depression as measured by the CDRS-R was 18.9%. Suicidal ideation was expressed by 7.1% (40) using the BDI-II. The AUC for the BDI-II was 0.82 (95% CI 0.780.89) and for the CDI-II-S was 0.75 (95% CI 0.700.80). A score of )13 in BDI-II achieved sensitivity of � 80%, and a score of )17 had a specificity of � 80%. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.80 (BDI-II) and 0.66 (CDI-II-S). The correlation between the BDI-II and CDRS-R was 0.42 (p B0.001) and between the CDI-II-S and CDRS-R was 0.37 (p B0.001). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the BDI-II has sound psychometric properties in an outpatient setting among HIV- positive adolescents in Malawi. The high prevalence of depression amongst HIV-positive Malawian adolescents noted in this study underscores the need for the development of comprehensive services for HIV-positive adolescents.
Prisoners signify: a political discourse analysis of mental illness in a prison control unit.

Prisoners signify: a political discourse analysis of mental illness in a prison control unit Increasingly, US prisoners diagnosed with mental illness are housed in control units, the most restrictive form of confinement in the US prison system. This situation has led to intense debate over the legal, ethical and clinical status of mental illness. This is a semiotic struggle with profound effects, yet most related work treats mental illness as a neutral, individual variable. Few analyses locate mental illness within a larger sociopolitical context. Fewer still focus on discursive practice. None critically analyze the accounts of control unit prisoners, who talk about extreme marginality and risk for victimization. This paper has two aims: (i) to develop a systematic method of analysis that accounts for signification as discourse-in-action; and (ii) to show how prisoners’ signification of mental illness articulates agency through and against marginalizing discourse. Political discourse analysis demonstrates how control unit prisoners with psychiatric diagnoses signify mental illness, and articulate safer identifications in the process.
A Short-Form Scale to Measure Peer Relations Dysfunction

This paper presents validation testing results of a short-form scale designed to measure the degree or intensity of problems in peer relationships as seen and reported by the respondent. After reporting the psychometric characteristics of the scale, the authors present data to show how use of the scale might enhance a therapist's accuracy of assessment of peer relation problems. Further, a "clinical cutting score" is suggested which can help a therapist determine whether a peer problem is clinically significant.
Lowered serum concentration of high density lipoproteins in cholesterol-fed rats.

Abstract Holtzman rats were fed a solid semisynthetic diet both with and without cholesterol. The serum lipoproteins were determined by disc electrophoresis of prestained staum, preparative ultracentrifugation at several solution densities (1.006, 1.050, 1.063, 1.125, and 1.21 g/ml), disc electrophoresis of isolated lipoprotein fractions using a lipid stain as well as a protein stain, and by chemical analyses of lipoprotein proctions for their total lipid, cholesterol, phospholipid, and protein content. The data obtained have convincingly shown that, while there was an increase in serum low density lipoproteins, the serum high density lipoproteins, particularly HDL 1 , and HDL 2 were substantially decreased in cholesterol-fed rats. A speculative hypothesis for the decline in rat serum high density lipoproteins has been proposed, and, as an extension, it is further speculated that human atherosclerosis may be primarily the result of hepatic disorder, as originally suggested by Olson.
Sodium and calcium regulation in cardiac myocytes: from molecules to heart failure and arrhythmia.

This special issue, Sodium and calcium in heart, brings together three reviews (Clancy et al. 2015; Chen-Izu et al. 2015; Shattock et al. 2015) and several original studies focused on these themes. Heart disease is the most prevalent cause of death in the developed world. In order to improve therapeutic approaches to treat heart disease, a deeper understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying altered heart function in specific diseases like arrhythmias, ischaemia and heart failure (HF) is essential. Cardiac function is controlled by three dynamically interacting systems – electrical, Ca2+ signalling, and contractile. To integrate these systems and reveal the detailed physiological and pathological mechanisms of cardiac function requires state-of-the-art experimental and computational approaches that span multiple system scales, that is, spatial scales ranging from molecules to the organism and time scales ranging from picoseconds to days or even years.
Pharmacologic Targeting of Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor 1 Improves the Renal Microcirculation during Sepsis in the Mouse

Microvascular failure is hallmark of sepsis in humans and is recognized as a strong predictor of mortality. In the mouse subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to induce a clinically relevant sepsis, renal microvascular permeability increases and peritubular capillary perfusion declines rapidly in the kidney leading to acute kidney injury (AKI). Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a key regulator of microvascular endothelial function. To investigate the role of S1P in the development of microvascular permeability and peritubular capillary hypoperfusion in the kidney during CLP-induced AKI, we used a pharmacologic approach and a clinically relevant delayed dosing paradigm. Evans blue dye was used to measure renal microvascular permeability and intravital video microscopy was used to quantitate renal cortical capillary perfusion. The S1P receptor 1 (S1P1) agonist SEW2871 [5-[4-phenyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-thienyl]-3-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-1,2,4-oxadiazole] and S1P2 antagonist JTE-013 [N-(2,6-dichloro-4-pyridinyl)-2-[1,3-dimethyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-6-yl]-hydrazinecarboxamide] were administered at the time of CLP and produced a dose-dependent but partial reduction in renal microvascular permeability at 6 hours after CLP. However, neither agent improved capillary perfusion at 6 hours. With delayed administration at 6 hours after CLP, only SEW2871 reversed microvascular permeability when measured at 18 hours. Importantly, SEW2871 also restored capillary perfusion and improved renal function. These data suggest that S1P1 and S1P2 do not regulate the early decline in renal capillary perfusion. However, later in the course of sepsis, pharmacologic stimulation of S1P1, even when delaying therapy until after injury has occurred, improves capillary and renal function, suggesting this approach should be evaluated as an adjunct therapy during sepsis.
Multidisciplinary Care of the Head and Neck Cancer Patient

When a patient is diagnosed with head and neck cancer, there is a tremendous physical, social, and emotional burden placed on the patient and his or her family. The complex nature of the diagnostic...
Disk-based, high-resolution ECG recorder for ambulatory monitoring

To meet the need for a higher fidelity electrocardiogram (ECG) recorder, the authors developed a unit that is programmable for various sampling rates and is capable of storing vast amounts of digital data without using data-distorting compression techniques. The Altair-DISC recorder has been developed for use in an ambulatory clinical environment. The Altair-DISC, which is the size of a conventional cassette recorder, utilizes a magnetic hard disk drive for data storage. The monitor's operation is controlled by a microprocessor and data sampling by a crystal oscillator, which when combined with digital data storage eliminates timing variations, channel-to-channel skew, frequency response variations and other problems associated with cassette recorders. To demonstrate the benefits of the Altair-DISC recorder, a study was done to measure the heart rate variability of stimulated data recorded by an Altair-DISC recorder versus the data recorded by a Holter cassette tape recorder. From the histograms and tabulated results, the Altair-DISC recorder is clearly superior to tape recorders, when used for heart rate variability studies. >
Environmental Attitudes and Desired Social-Psychological Benefits of Off-Highway Vehicle Users

This research analyzes the relationships between off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders’ patterns of prior experience and the social-psychological benefits they desire from the activity; it also examines the relationships between patterns of prior experience and environmental attitudes. The sample consists of 600 OHV riders in Utah drawn from the entire population of OHV owners within the state. The sample was segmented into experience use history groups based upon respondents’ number of OHV trips within the past 12 months and the total number of years they have been riding OHVs. Results show that patterns of prior experience are related to certain desired social-psychological benefits. Personal achievement benefits were significantly more important for more frequent riders when compared to those who rode less often. The analysis also reveals no relationship between patterns of prior experience and general environmental attitudes.
Carbonate formation within a nickel dimer: synthesis of a coordinatively unsaturated bis(μ-hydroxo) dinickel complex and its reactivity toward carbon dioxide

The tridentate aminopyridine ligand bearing a bulky tert-butyl substituent at the amine nitrogen, tert-butyl-dipicolylamine (tBuDPA), occupies three coordination sites in six-coordinate complexes of nickel(II), leaving the remaining three sites available for additional ligand binding and activation. New crystallographically characterized complexes include two mononuclear species with 1:1 metal:ligand complexation: a trihydrate solvate (1·3H2O) and a monohydrate biacetonitrile solvate (1·H2O·2CH3CN). Complexation in the presence of sodium hydroxide results in a bis(μ-hydroxo) complex (2), the bridging hydroxide anions of which are labile and become displaced by methoxide anions in methanol solvent, affording bis-methoxo-bridged (4). Nickel(II) centers in 2 are five-coordinate and antiferromagnetically coupled (with J = −31.4(5) cm−1, Ĥ = −2JŜ1Ŝ2, in agreement with Ni–O–Ni angle of 103.7°). Bridging hydroxide or alkoxide anions in coordinatively unsaturated dinuclear nickel(II) complexes with tBuDPA react as active nucleophiles. 2 readily performs carbon dioxide fixation, resulting in the formation of a bis(μ-carbonato) tetrameric complex (3), which features a novel binding geometry in the form of an inverted butterfly-type nickel-carbonate core. Temperature-dependent magnetic measurements of tetranuclear carbonato-bridged 3 revealed relatively weak antiferromagnetic coupling (J1 = −3.1(2) cm−1) between the two nickel centers in the core of the cluster, as well as weak antiferromagnetic pairwise interactions (J2 = J3 = −4.54(5) cm−1) between central and terminal nickel ions.
Digital Labor: The Internet as Playground and Factory, edited by Trebor Scholz. New York, NY: Routledge, 2013. 258 pp. $37.95 paper. ISBN 9780415896955 paper.

When the 2011 Arab Spring was in full force, many pundits dubbed it the “Twitter Revolution,” suggesting that the microblogging platform was the impetus for the resulting changes. Many commentators...
Diffusion Paste Development for Printable IBC and Bifacial Silicon Solar Cells

Increasing cell efficiency and lowering the cost of solar cell manufacturing is a continuous challenge in solar cell industries. Higher efficiency concepts like interdigitated back contact (IBC), and bifacial cells, with using thinner silicon solar cells are ways to reduce the total solar cell manufacturing cost. Typically the high efficiency concepts require costly extra processing steps. Developing the proper paste for printing application of high efficiency concepts could make these designs cost effective and easily manufactured. These pastes can be printable in a continuous manner using processes like screen printing or ink jet printing. This paper describes newly developed low cost phosphorous, boron, and diffusion barrier pastes. It shows the characterization of the newly developed phosphorous paste (99-038), boron paste (99-033), and diffusion barrier paste (99-001). These low cost pastes can easily be printed and make high efficiency concept cell designs a low cost reality. Characteristic features of sheet resistance, junction depth and minority carrier lifetime is discussed.
On the marginal cost of public funds and the optimal provision of public goods

Abstract This paper argues that, in models with heterogeneous agents, the concept of the marginal cost of public funds (MCPF) will only be useful if it is compared with an analogous concept for the benefit side. The MCPF does not assume a unique value and is not particularly illuminating in and out of itself. Also gone is the benchmark status of MCPF = 1. Turning to the provision of public goods, using a mechanism design approach, the paper constructs a two-stage proof for Kaplow's [Kaplow, L., 1996. The optimal supply of public goods and the distortionary cost of taxation. National Tax Journal 49, 513–533.] proposition concerning the “irrelevance” of labor supply and distributional concerns in public good provision. This highlights the two fundamental ingredients for his result. First, the provision of public goods per se, when it satisfies the Samuelson's rule, is only potentially Pareto-improving. Second, the actual Pareto improvement will materialize when, or if, one reforms the income tax structure. If the reform is not forthcoming, the decision on public goods provision must rely on redistributional concerns. Finally, the paper generalizes Broadway and Keen's [Boadway, R., Keen, M., 1993. Public goods, self-selection and optimal income taxation. International Economic Review 34, 463–478.] result to a model with many types of agents, many private goods and without making any assumptions regarding which self-selection constraints are or are not binding.
A Model of Operational Slack: The Short-Run, Medium-Run, and Long-Run Consequences of Limited Attention Capacity

When multiple projects can require attention at unpredictable times, institutions (firms) can respond by choosing the number of projects they simultaneously undertake (medium term) and by acquiring attention capacity (long term). Idleness is an optimal response and not a sign of shirking. In the medium term, firms tend to idle more when their projects require more attention. In the long term, firms tend to idle even more when their projects require more attention and also when they have acquired less attention capacity. We discuss briefly how the model can be tested. Moreover, natural model extensions suggest that managers who want to signal higher quality or who are overly optimistic take on too many projects. This can explain overinvestment and the diversification discount even when managers are not agency conflicted. The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Yale University. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.
Fan Flow Deflection for Supersonic Turbofan Engines

We present an initial parametric investigation of fan flow deflectors for suppressing noise from supersonic turbofan engines. Realistic exhaust geometry and flow conditions for bypass ratio 2.7 were simulated in a subscale experiment. The study encompassed acoustic measurement and mean velocity surveys. The deflectors comprised internal vanes with both symmetric and cambered airfoil sections and deployable external flaps. Superior acoustic results were achieved using a combination of cambered vanes and perforated flaps, yielding cumulative (downward plus sideline) EPNL and OASPL reductions of 7.7 dB and 9.2 dB respectively. A fair correlation is established between the suppression of peak OASPL and the reduction of the radial velocity gradient on the underside of the jet.
Beyond positivism: Understanding and addressing childhood obesity disparities through a Critical Theory perspective

Purpose We apply Critical Theory to examine menu labeling with the aim of uncovering important implications for nursing practice, research, and policy. Conclusions Our critical analysis uncovers barriers to menu labeling's effectiveness, particularly for vulnerable populations. Nurses must work to minimize the impact of these barriers and optimize the effectiveness of menu labeling, in order to strengthen the fight against obesity. Practice Implications We suggest changes, guided by this critical analysis, which can be implemented by nurses working in clinical practice, research, and policy.
A smart sensing microsystem with a capacitive sensor interface

This paper describes a smart microsystem that utilizes a generic interface circuit capable of interfacing with a large variety of capacitive sensors. This wireless microsystem includes a microcontroller for signal processing, sensors that measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and acceleration, and a 315 MHz transmitter for data output. An interface chip handles communication between the microcontroller and the sensors over a standard sensor bus and provides readout circuitry for the capacitive transducers. This interface circuit is highly programmable, can interface with up to six external sensors, supports sensor self-test, and includes three programmable internal reference capacitors in the range of 0.2-12 pF and a temperature sensor. The chip dissipates less than 2.2 mW from a single 5 V supply and can resolve input capacitance variation better than 1 fF.
Normal Concentrations of Lactate, Glucose, and Protein in Cerebrospinal Fluid, and the Diagnostic Implications of Abnormal Concentrations

Normal values for glucose, lactate, and protein in cerebrospinal fluid have been established and the relationships among them studied. Normal protein concentration is related to age. Glucose and lactate values are correlated with each other and with sex and age. By the technique of pattern appreciation, these estimations provide a useful confirmatory test for cerebrovascular accidents and for differentiating intracranial hemorrhage from other types of accident and from bloody spinal fluid taps, and they have considerable prognostic value in assessing the milder cases. They also have a restricted value in certain other conditions.
Modulation of central gustatory coding by temperature

Changes in oral temperature can influence taste perception, indicating overlap among mechanisms for taste and oral somesthesis. Medullary gustatory neurons can show cosensitivity to temperature, al...
Supraspinal characterization of the thermal grill illusion with fMRI

Simultaneous presentation of non-noxious warm (40°C) and cold (20°C) stimuli in an interlacing fashion results in a transient hot burning noxious sensation (matched at 46°C) known as the thermal grill (TG) illusion. Functional magnetic resonance imaging and psychophysical assessments were utilized to compare the supraspinal events related to the spatial summation effect of three TG presentations: 20°C/20°C (G2020), 20°C/40°C (G2040) and 40°C/40°C (G4040) with corresponding matched thermode stimuli: 20°C (P20), 46°C (P46) and 40°C (P40) and hot pain (HP) stimuli. For G2040, the hot burning sensation was only noted during the initial off-line assessment. In comparison to P40, G4040 resulted in an equally enhanced response from all supraspinal regions associated with both pain sensory/discriminatory and noxious modulatory response. In comparison to P20, G2020 presentation resulted in a much earlier diminished/sedative response leading to a statistically significantly (P < 0.01) higher degree of deactivation in modulatory supraspinal areas activated by G4040. Granger Causality Analysis showed that while thalamic activation in HP may cast activation inference in all hot pain related somatosensory, affective and modulatory areas, similar activation in G2040 and G2020 resulted in deactivation inference in the corresponding areas. In short, the transient TG sensation is caused by a dissociated state derived from non-noxious warm and cold spatial summation interaction. The observed central dissociated state may share some parallels in certain chronic neuropathic pain states.
Left ventricular outflow obstruction: subaortic stenosis, bicuspid aortic valve, supravalvar aortic stenosis, and coarctation of the aorta.

Left ventricular outflow tract obstructions (LVOTOs) encompass a series of stenotic lesions starting in the anatomic left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) and stretching to the descending portion of the aortic arch (Figure 1). Obstruction may be subvalvar, valvar, or supravalvar. These obstructions to forward flow may present alone or in concert, as in the frequent association of a bicuspid aortic valve with coarctation of the aorta. All of these lesions impose increased afterload on the left ventricle and, if severe and untreated, result in hypertrophy and eventual dilatation and failure of the left ventricle. LVOTOs are congenital in the vast majority of individuals younger than 50 years in the United States; some variants of subaortic obstruction are the exception. It is imperative to consider all patients with LVOTO at a high risk for developing infective endocarditis, and one should always institute appropriate measures for prophylaxis. The present article is intended as a contemporary review of the causes, manifestations, treatments, and outcomes of LVOTO; it will not address LVOTO in the pediatric population or genetic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but will focus strictly on congenital malformations in the adult. Figure 1. Artist’s rendering of the LVOTO lesions in sequence as viewed from a superolateral orientation. A, Gradient echo cardiac MR image as viewed from the frontal projection demonstrating flow acceleration at a site of supravalvar aortic stenosis (white arrow) in a patient with Williams syndrome. The black arrow identifies the level of the unrestricted aortic valve. B, Classic radiological signs of coarctation of the aorta: rib notching (white arrows) as seen on a posteroanterior chest x-ray in a patient with coarctation of the aorta. The rib notching is caused by erosion of the inferior rib margins by dilated pulsatile posterior intercostals collateral arteries. The black arrow points to the Figure 3 silhouette that …
Mouse Models of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Many mouse models of abdominal aortic aneurysms have been developed that use a diverse array of methods for producing the disease, including genetic manipulation and chemical induction. These models could provide insight into potential mechanisms in the development of this disease. Although experimental studies on abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) have used a variety of mammalian and avian approaches, there is an increasing reliance on the use of mice. The models recapitulate some facets of the human disease including medial degeneration, inflammation, thrombus formation, and rupture. Most of the mouse models of AAA are evoked either by genetically defined approaches or by chemical means. The genetic approaches are spontaneous and engineered mutations. These include defects in extracellular matrix maturation, increased degradation of elastin and collagen, aberrant cholesterol homeostasis, and enhanced production of angiotensin peptides. The chemical approaches include the intraluminal infusion of elastase, periaortic incubations of calcium chloride, and subcutaneous infusion of AngII. A common feature of these models is the reduction of AAA incidence and severity by the prophylactic administration of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors or genetically engineered deficiencies of specific members of this proteolytic protein family. The validation of mouse models of AAAs will provide insight into the mechanisms of progression of the human disease.
Capturing Knowledge via an "Intrapedia": A Case Study

This paper presents a case study showing how wiki technology was applied in a high-tech organization to develop an "intrapedia" for the capture of corporate knowledge. The descriptive case study follows the Wired intrapedia from conception, through the grass-roots development, and emergence as an enterprise-level resource. Results suggest that (1) under certain conditions, executive sponsorship is not a pre-requisite for knowledge system success and (2) that natural relationships between Gen Y and Baby Boomer employees could be leveraged for knowledge capture.
Fourier classification images in cardiac nuclear medicine

At present, the diagnosis of cardiac left ventricular regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) in nuclear medicine is aided mainly by phase images and amplitude images, which picture the spatial distribution of the phase and of the amplitude of the first harmonics of pixel time activity curves, respectively. However, they do not utilize other information contained in the original radionuclide images, and they do not offer a direct diagnostic interpretation of the data. The proposed Fourier classification images (FCI) overcome these deficiencies. Their pixel intensities express directly the diagnostic class of RWMA. The FCI pixel intensities are functions of pixel coordinates, Fourier features of pixel time activity curves, and their distribution parameters, and they are not limited by the first harmonics model. The derivation of the pixel classifier includes normalization transformation of coordinates and activities. Fourier analysis of raw image data, and teaching the computer by examples of already diagnosed cases with the help of discriminant analysis. FCI offer direct and robust diagnosis of RWMA, superior to that derived from phase and amplitude images, especially in the detection of mild RWMA. >
Vacuum States in Spacetimes with Killing Horizons

Soon after the discovery by Hawking in 1974 that a black hole formed by gravitational collapse will radiate a thermal distribution of field quanta, a number of authors showed that, in particular spacetimes, when a quantum field is in a certain “natural vacuum state,” then appropriate observers “see” a thermal distribution of particles. For the ordinary vacuum state of Minkowski spacetime, Unruh (1976) obtained such a result for accelerating observers. In extended Schwarzschild spacetime, Hartle and Hawking (1976) and Israel (1976) defined a natural vacuum state (the “Hartle-Hawking vacuum”), which is a thermal state for a static observer. Similarly, for de Sitter spacetime, Gibbons and Hawking (1977) defined the “Euclidean vacuum state” and showed that it has thermal properties for any inertial (geodesic) observer.
Epitaxial emitter reverse saturation current density: Modeling and experimental validation

Through numerical simulation we explore the sensitivity of the emitter reverse saturation current density (J0e) to surface recombination velocity (SRV) of a uniformly doped phosphorus emitter compared with gaussian profile with similar sheet resistance. The uniformly doped emitter is capable of extremely low J0e's of < 10 fA/cm2, but is very transparent and thus extremely sensitive to the surface recombination velocity. While the gaussian profile cannot reach as low recombination, it is however more resilient to higher SRV's. Finally, we experimentally demonstrate a 2 fA/cm2 total device J0 on a test structure with the same epi emitter explored in the previous simulations.
Multielement analysis of natural waters by neutron activation, group chemical separations, and gamma-ray spectrometric techniques

A multielement analytical technique of thermal neutron activation of frozen water samples has been developed and applied to the studies of natural waters. A rapid group chemical separation utilizing ion exchange resins and a precipitation step to reduce 24Na and 42K interferences, followed by γ-ray analysis of the fractions with Ge (Li) and multiparameter NaI (TI) systems, permits the simultaneous measurement of a large number of trace constituents. Samples of river water, rain water, processed sewage water and Greenland ice were analyzed for 19 trace elements — Ag, As, Br, Cl, Co, Cs, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Se, Se, U, and Zn. These data have been used in studies of trace element concentration factors in aquatic biota, precipitation scavenging processes, and environmental pollution.
Intercountry Adoption: The Importance of Ethnic Socialization and Subjective Well-Being for Korean-Born Adopted Children

While the past several decades have witnessed an increase in the amount of research examining the ethnic identity and mental health of intercountry adoptees, this literature is still insufficient to guide the conceptualization and development of sense of ethnic pride to improve general well-being of intercountry adoptees. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses of 241 Korean-born adolescent adoptees provide findings that a more positive parent-child relationship and a greater collective self-esteem acquired through parental support of ethnic socialization each predicts a greater subjective well-being of adopted children, suggesting that a negative sense of ethnic identity represents a vulnerability to psychosocial well-being. The implications of the study for practice and policy regarding adoptive parents raising their adoptees are discussed.
Fat tails and truncated bids in contingent valuation: An application to an endangered shorebird species

A yes-response function in a contingent valuation study is said to have fat tails if it has a high and slowly declining yes-response rate at high bid levels. Truncated bids refer to the practice of dropping high bid offers before a yes-response rate of near zero is reached. This is a common practice in contingent valuation. We explore the extent and implications of fat tails and truncated bids in a study of an endangered shorebird species. We find, among other things, that mean willingness to pay is quite sensitive to the highest bid offered – so much so that the choice of highest bid nearly dictates outcomes.
A MISFIT IN ALL TIMES: H. G. WELLS AND “THE LAST WAR”

The First World War is often alluded to as “the war to end all wars,” a phrase credited to H. G. Wells at the outbreak of the conflict. Rather than a self-proclaimed product of war enthusiasm in 1914, his declaration represented a consistent vision of warfare that Wells circulated in much of his work: that a major war would cause the collapse of the nation state and facilitate the rise of a utopian, technocratic world state. Although partly a cultural product of his own times, Wells mythologized himself as a misfit in all times: a sociopolitical critic antithetical to the madness of his own society. This study asserts that rather than an attempt at prophecy, it is this misfit image that informed his declaration in 1914 and societal responses to it.
Optimizing laser pulses to control photoinduced states of matter

We present a computational approach to optimal laser pulse shaping directed at accessing novel photoinduced states of matter. Results are illustrated for a simple charge-density wave (CDW) model where the targeted effect is CDW melting and negative temperature states. Optimal control is implemented using the Krotov method applied to nonequilibrium tight-binding Hamiltonians where the laser pulse is introduced using the Peierls substitution, and we demonstrate monotonic convergence for this class of problem.
SEA modelling for sound package development — inclusion of simulated airborne noise loads

During the last years, the statistical energy analysis (SEA) has been widely used by vehicle manufacturers and suppliers to analyse the airborne noise on road vehicles. While the basic workflow for the construction of vehicle SEA models is now well established, an accepted specific methodology for the evaluation of the SEA airborne loads to be used in these models is not available yet. In the framework of a joint project between Rieter Automotive and Volkswagen, a hybrid procedure that combines the standard finite element analysis (FEA) with the recently developed energy boundary element analysis (EBEA) was used for the evaluation of such loads and validated obtaining rather satisfactory results.
Activated Akt Is Associated with Hyperglycemia and Platelet Hyperactivity in a Mouse Model of Diabetes

Abstract Platelet hyperactivation has been reported in patients with both Type I and Type II diabetes mellitus and likely contributes to the increased prevalence of thrombotic complications in diabetic patients. However, the mechanisms leading to platelet hyperactivity in diabetes are not fully understood. Our previous studies showed that the Akt signaling pathway positively regulates platelet activity. Here, we evaluate the effect of hyperglycemia on Akt phosphorylation and platelet activation using a Type I diabetic mouse model. Hyperglycemia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ 50mg/kg for 5 days) in C57BL/6 mice. Blood glucose levels were elevated in 12 mice 4 weeks after STZ injection (mean ± SD: 410 ± 70 mg/ml) compared with 11 mice without STZ injection (212 ± 50 mg/ml). Platelets from hyperglycemic mice showed enhanced agonist-dependent aggregation (max % aggregation: 58% ± 10% in hyperglycemia versus 0% in normoglycemia at 0.6mM AYPGKF, n=3 each), fibrinogen binding (62.2% fibrinogen-bound cells ± 5.4% in hyperglycemic conditions versus 46.1% ± 16.3% in normoglycemia at 2mM AYPGKF) and P-selectin binding (42.1% cells with surface P-selectin ± 3.7% in hyperglycemic platelets, 25.3% ± 5.9% in normoglycemia at 2mM AYPGKF) compared with platelets from mice with normal glucose levels. The blood glucose levels were directly correlated with Alexafluor-fibrinogen binding (r=0.65, p=0.042) when platelets were stimulated with thrombin receptor agonist peptide AYPGKF (1.5mM), and also directly correlated with P-selectin surface exposure (r=0.95, p=0.003) after platelets were stimulated with 1.5mM AYPGKF. To determine whether the Akt pathway is involved in enhanced platelet activation in diabetes, we tested phosphorylation of Akt ser473 by immunoblotting. Akt phosphorylation of this residue was increased (35% ± 4%) in platelets from hyperglycemic mice compared with platelets from nondiabetic mice. In conclusion, platelets from hyperglycemic mice are more sensitive to PAR4 agonist-induced fibrinogen binding and P-selectin exposure compared with nondiabetic platelets. Enhanced activation of Akt in platelets under hyperglycemic conditions may play a role in platelet hyperactivation in diabetes.
Dielectric Screening To Reduce Charge Transfer State Binding Energy in Organic Bulk Heterojunction Photovoltaics

Reaching high efficiencies in organic photovoltaics is often limited by dissociating charge transfer states at electron donor–acceptor interfaces due to their large binding energies and rapid geminate recombination. By adding a high-permittivity small molecule, camphoric anhydride, at 20 wt % to a polymer–fullerene bulk heterojunction photovoltaic device, we increased the film permittivity, reduced the charge transfer state energy, and increased the power conversion efficiency by 75%. At higher concentrations, the camphoric anhydride begins to crystallize and phase separate from the bulk heterojunction, causing the permittivity and power conversion efficiency to decrease. Adding camphoric anhydride in low concentrations is an effective strategy to increase permittivity and reduce recombination at the donor–acceptor interface and as a result increase organic photovoltaic efficiency in bulk heterojunction devices.
Bubbles in the Toilet Water

According to Wikipedia, flat bread has been made since the Neolithic age. Archeological evidence of its existence dates back at least seven thousand years. It is thought that these flat breads morphed into “pizza” sometime at the end of the first millennium. Some historians state that the existence of pizza as a widely sold food dates back to the early sixteenth century in Naples. That bread was not made with tomatoes until after Europeans returned from the Americas with the fruit in the late sixteenth century. Tomatoes are in the nightshade family. Some think of “deadly nightshade” when they hear that term. In fact, some believe that Europeans did not look upon the tomato as edible until they were shown by Americans it is safe and delicious. By the late eighteenth century, the bread topped with tomato sauce and cheese had become popular in Italy and became a “tourist attraction.” With the mass migration of immigrants to the United States at the turn of the twentieth century, Italian immigrants brought their dish with them to the “new world.” Inexpensive to make, it became very popular and it did not take long for pizza to spread first to Italian American communities and then to most of the country. It is probable that the first commercial pizza restaurant opened in New York’s Little Italy. As the Italian population expanded and prospered, it ventured into the greener pastures of New Jersey. We know of the existence of pizza in Trenton, New Jersey, as early as 1910, when Joe’s Tomato Pies opened, followed closely by Papa’s Tomato Pies in 1912.
Enhanced temporal resolution with a scanning imaging radiometer

The prcblem of a1iasir is catn to all video imagirg systems, both IR and visible. The 30 Hz frame rate (P5-170) places an upper lirait on frequency, so that repetitive enoiena that vary nore rapidly than 30 Hz will be aliased. For scenes where irvtion is involv1, the presence of aliasir is often thvious, as the ige will be distortel. Harever, when only teTrerature is varyirxj, the effects of aliasirx are difficult th detect. In fact, usir a conventional IR iitager, one cannot diStirUiSh whether a target is at thermal uilThrium, or its surface temperature is varTing faster than the fraite rate. We have develop1 a system which allcs repetitive thennal eventh at frequencies as high as 2 kllz to be flrg1 without aliasirx. The system functions as a video lock-in amplifier in that temperature caiponents of the scene which vary at a preselected frequency are anplifi&1, while other frequency ccaiponents of the target temperature average out over tine. A prototype unit, consisting of an unndified scanning imaging radiareter (Inframetrics IR-600), a E-T car!patible microcatputer, axxl specially developed interface hardware arxl software, has been built ard tested.
The effect of presynchronization with prostaglandin F2α and gonadotropin-releasing hormone simultaneously, 7 d before Ovsynch, compared with Presynch-10/Ovsynch on luteal function and first-service pregnancies per artificial insemination.

Pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI) following Ovsynch is optimized when cows ovulate to the first GnRH of Ovsynch. Fertility programs are designed to presynchronize cows to d 6 or 7 of the estrous cycle to increase the chances of ovulation of a first-wave dominant follicle to the first GnRH of Ovsynch. The hypothesis of this experiment was that simplification of a presynchronization program through the combination of PGF2α and GnRH on the same day, 7 d before Ovsynch, would allow for similar P/AI compared with Presynch-10. Lactating dairy cows (n = 432) 41 to 47 d in milk (DIM) were randomly assigned to 2 treatments within parities for first service. Control cows received Presynch-10/Ovsynch consisting of the following: PGF2α–14 d–PGF2α–10 d–GnRH–7 d–PGF2α–56 h–GnRH–16 h–AI. Treated cows received PGF2α and GnRH–7 d–GnRH–7 d–PGF2α–56 h–GnRH–16 h–AI. All cows received a supplemental injection of PGF2α 24 h after the PGF2α of Ovsynch to enhance complete luteolysis. All cows received timed AI between 75 and 81 DIM. Blood was collected to assess circulating concentrations of progesterone (P4), and the number and size of corpora lutea (CL) were recorded using ultrasonography on day of PGF2α of Ovsynch. The administration of PGF2α simultaneously with GnRH and 7 d before Ovsynch (PG+G) had similar P/AI at 28 (46 vs. 48%), 35 (43 vs. 43%), 49 (39 vs. 39%), and 77 d post-AI (38 vs. 39%) compared with Presynch-10. No differences were observed in P/AI in primiparous versus multiparous cows at 28 (52 vs. 45%), 35 (48 vs. 41%), 49 (45 vs. 37%), and 77 d post-AI (43 vs. 36%). No difference existed between treatments in percentage of cows with functional CL at PGF2α of Ovsynch, total luteal area (mm2), or serum concentrations of P4 at time of PGF2α of Ovsynch, regardless of parity. Number of CL had a tendency to be greater for multiparous PG+G vs. Presynch-10 cows (2.34 ± 0.09 vs. 2.15 ± 0.08) but not in primiparous cows (1.95 ± 0.10 vs. 1.98 ± 0.11). In summary, administering both PGF2α and GnRH on the same day, 7 d before the start of Ovsynch, appears to be a simple and effective alternative to Presynch-10 Ovsynch.
Inflammatory and apoptotic remodeling in autonomic nervous system following myocardial infarction.

Author(s): Gao, Chen; Howard-Quijano, Kimberly; Rau, Christoph; Takamiya, Tatsuo; Song, Yang; Shivkumar, Kalyanam; Wang, Yibin; Mahajan, Aman | Abstract: BackgroundChronic myocardial infarction (MI) triggers pathological remodeling in the heart and cardiac nervous system. Abnormal function of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), including stellate ganglia (SG) and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) contribute to increased sympathoexcitation, cardiac dysfunction and arrythmogenesis. ANS modulation is a therapeutic target for arrhythmia associated with cardiac injury. However, the molecular mechanism involved in the pathological remodeling in ANS following cardiac injury remains to be established.Methods and resultsIn this study, we performed transcriptome analysis by RNA-sequencing in thoracic SG and (T1-T4) DRG obtained from Yorkshire pigs following either acute (3 to 5 hours) or chronic (8 weeks) myocardial infarction. By differential expression and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we identified significant transcriptome changes and specific gene modules in the ANS tissues in response to myocardial infarction at either acute or chronic phases. Both differential expressed genes and the member genes of the WGCNA gene module associated with post-infarct condition were significantly enriched for inflammatory signaling and apoptotic cell death. Targeted validation analysis supported a significant induction of inflammatory and apoptotic signal in both SG and DRG following myocardial infarction, along with cellular evidence of apoptosis induction based on TUNEL analysis. Importantly, these molecular changes were observed specifically in the thoracic segments but not in their counterparts obtained from lumbar sections.ConclusionMyocardial injury leads to time-dependent global changes in gene expression in the innervating ANS. Induction of inflammatory gene expression and loss of neuron cell viability in SG and DRG are potential novel mechanisms contributing to abnormal ANS function which can promote cardiac arrhythmia and pathological remodeling in myocardium.