cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The “tortoise’s cajá”—a new species of Spondias (Anacardiaceae) from southwestern Amazonia

Botanical exploration in southwestern Amazonia has revealed a new species, Spondias testudinis J. D. Mitch. & Daly, described and illustrated here. Its distribution appears to be restricted to the Brazilian state of Acre; Pando in Bolivia; and Huanuco and Ucayali in Peru. The sexuality of the flowers of Spondias and its implications regarding their morphology is discussed. A provisional key to the neotropical species is presented.
Calculation of diffraction efficiencies of a grating made on a thick transparent plate

Mathematical formulas are derived for predicting diffraction efficiencies of a grating made on a thick transparent parallel plate (substrate) or cemented between two plates. The formulas are applicable in two situations: (1) when the coherence length of the light source is greater than the thickness of the grating but less than that of the substrate; (2) when the thickness of the substrate is not precisely known, therefore only the average values of the diffraction efficiencies can be expected. There is no limitation on the number of propagating diffraction orders that are present in the system. The derivation uses the concept of energy scattering matrix, therefore it is simpler than a previous method that yielded limited results.
Heuristic Techniques for Simultaneous Scheduling of Production and Distribution in Multi-Echelon Structures: Theory and Empirical Comparisons

Seven heuristic algorithms are discussed. Each can be used for production scheduling in an assembly network a network where each work station has at most one immediate successor work station, but may have any number of immediate predecessor work stations, distribution scheduling in an arborescence network a network where each warehouse or stocking point is supplied by at most one immediate predecessor stocking point, but may itself supply any number of immediate successor stocking points, and joint production-distribution scheduling in a conjoined assembly-arborescence network. The objective of each algorithm is to determine a production and/or product distribution schedule which satisfies final product demand and minimizes the sum of the average inventory holding costs and average fixed charges for processing ordering, delivery, or setup costs, per period, over an infinite planning horizon. Exogenous demand for product is assumed to be deterministic, at a constant rate, and to occur only at "retail" facilities of the networks. On the basis of their performance in 11,000 computer generated problems, the seven heuristic methods are compared with each other and with a dynamic programming algorithm. The results indicate that for most of the network structures considered, the best heuristic is the method of steepest descent; the second best is a simple extension of a method originally developed by Crowston, Wagner, and Henshaw. The improved myopic procedure of Graves and Schwarz performs very well for some particular types of structures. Surprisingly, two particularly naive heuristics also perform quite well in certain situations. In addition to the computer simulation experiments, we also discuss a simple computer-compatible algebraic notation scheme for identifying structure facility interrelationships within networks of the three types considered.
MICROTUBULE STABILITY IN BUDDING YEAST : CHARACTERIZATION AND DOSAGE SUPPRESSION OF A BENOMYL-DEPENDENT TUBULIN MUTANT

Abstract To better understand the dynamic regulation of microtubule structures in yeast, we studied a conditional-lethal beta-tubulin mutation tub2-150. This mutation is unique among the hundreds of tubulin mutations isolated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in that it appears to cause an increase in the stability of microtubules. We report here that this allele is a mutation of threonine 238 to alanine, and that tub2-150 prevents the spindle from elongating during anaphase, suggesting a nuclear microtubule defect. To identify regulators of microtubule stability and/or anaphase, yeast genes were selected that, when overexpressed, could suppress the tub2-150 temperature-sensitive phenotype. One of these genes, JSN1, encodes a protein of 125 kDa that has limited similarity to a number of proteins of unknown function. Overexpression of the JSN1 gene in a TUB2 strain causes that strain to become more sensitive to benomyl, a microtubule-destabilizing drug. Of a representative group of microtubule mutants, only one other mutation, tub2-404, could be suppressed by JSN1 overexpression, showing that JSN1 is an allele-specific suppressor. As tub2-404 mutants are also defective for spindle elongation, this provides additional support for a role for JSN1 during anaphase.
Asymptotically Near-Optimal Planning With Probabilistic Roadmap Spanners

Asymptotically optimal motion planners guarantee that solutions approach optimal as more iterations are performed. A recently proposed roadmap-based method, i.e., the $\hbox{\tt PRM}^{*}$ approach, provides this desirable property and minimizes the computational cost of generating the roadmap. Even for this method, however, the roadmap can be slow to construct and quickly grows too large for storage or fast online query resolution, especially for relatively high-dimensional instances. In graph theory, there are algorithms that produce sparse subgraphs, which are known as graph spanners, that guarantee near-optimal paths. This paper proposes different alternatives for interleaving graph spanners with the asymptotically optimal $\hbox{\tt PRM}^{*}$ algorithm. The first alternative follows a sequential approach, where a graph spanner algorithm is applied to the output roadmap of $\hbox{\tt PRM}^{*}$ . The second one is an incremental method, where certain edges are not considered during the construction of the roadmap as they are not necessary for a roadmap spanner. The result in both cases is an asymptotically near-optimal motion planning solution. Theoretical analysis and experiments performed on typical, geometric motion planning instances show that large reductions in construction time, roadmap density, and online query resolution time can be achieved with a small sacrifice of path quality through roadmap spanners.
Mathematical structure of entanglement catalysis

The majorization relation has been shown to be useful in classifying which transformations of jointly held quantum states are possible using local operations and classical communication. In some cases, a direct transformation between two states is not possible, but it becomes possible in the presence of another state (known as a catalyst); this situation is described mathematically by the trumping relation, an extension of majorization. The structure of the trumping relation is not nearly as well understood as that of majorization. We give an introduction to this subject and derive some results. Most notably, we show that the dimension of the required catalyst is, in general, unbounded; there is no integer k such that it suffices to consider catalysts of dimension k or less in determining which states can be catalyzed into a given state. We also show that almost all bipartite entangled states are potentially useful as catalysts.
Measuring Participation Enfranchisement

Abstract Heinemann AW, Lai J-S, Magasi S, Hammel J, Corrigan JD, Bogner JA, Whiteneck GG. Measuring participation enfranchisement. Objective To reflect the perspectives of rehabilitation stakeholders in a measure of participation enfranchisement that can be used by people with and without disabilities. Design Survey. Setting Community settings. Participants We pilot-tested a draft instrument with 326 adults who had sustained stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or other disabling condition, as well as a general population sample. We administered a revised version of the instrument to a statewide sample drawn from the 2006 Colorado Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System that included persons with (N=461) and without (N=451) self-identified activity limitations. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measure Participation enfranchisement. Results We used multidimensional scaling, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), followed by rating scale analysis to evaluate the psychometric properties of the instrument. EFA identified 3 participation enfranchisement factors that describe perceived choice and control, contributing to one's community, and feeling valued; the factors were supported marginally by CFA. Rating scale analysis revealed marginal person separation and no misfitting items. Conclusions Participation enfranchisement constitutes a new, previously unmeasured aspect of participation—one that addresses subjective perceptions rather than objective performance—with items that are clearly distinct from more generalized satisfaction with participation. The 19 enfranchisement items describe aspects of participation that may prove useful in characterizing longer-term rehabilitation outcomes.
Projentropy: Using entropy to optimize spatial projections

Methods for hypothesis testing on zero-mean vector-valued signals often rely on a Gaussian assumption, where the second-order statistics of the observed sample are sufficient statistics of the conditional distribution. This yields fast and simple tests, but by using information-theoretic statistics one can relax the Gaussian assumption. We propose using Renyi's quadratic entropy as an alternative to the covariance and show how a linear projection can be optimized to maximize the difference between the conditional entropies. In addition, if the observed sample is actually a window of a multivariate time-series, then the temporal structure can be exploited using the generalized auto-correlation function, correntropy, of the projected sample. This both reduces the computational complexity and increases the performance. These tests can be applied for decoding the brain state from electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. Preliminary results are demonstrated on a brain-computer interface competition dataset. On unfiltered signals, the projections optimized with the entropy-based statistic perform better than those of common spatial pattern (CSP) algorithm in terms of classification performance.
Time-resolved mr venography pre catheter-based ablation for atrial fibrillation

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate Time-resolved MR venography (TR-MRV) of the pulmonary venous circulation using the time-resolved angiography with interleaved stochastic trajectories (TWIST) method of time-resolved MRA (TR-MRA) and compare it with the more commonly used conventional Contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) approach in atrial fibrillation patients referred for pre-ablation pulmonary vein mapping. Background Catheter-based ablation of the pulmonary veins prevents recurrence of atrial fibrillation in 70-80% of patients during the first year of follow-up 1,2 . CE-MRA depicts the left atrium and pulmonary veins with high spatial resolution, enabling accurate measurement of pulmonary vein ostia to be made with depiction of their relationship to other structures. 1,3 Conventional CE-MRA however requires timing of contrast enhancement and produces images with overlap of venous and arterial structures, potentially obscuring pulmonary vein ostia. TR-MRA is an alternative to conventional CE-MRA and has been used successfully in other vascular territories. 4 Such an approach may be particularly advantageous in the pulmonary circulation with its rapid arteriovenous transit time, allowing acquisition of pure pulmonary venous phase images with a simpler imaging protocol. Material and methods 26 patients (15 males; age 60.0 ± 12.7y) referred for preablation pulmonary vein mapping underwent both conventional CE-MRA and TR-MRV with TWIST. Imaging was performed on a 1.5 Tesla (MAGNETOM Avanto, Siemens Healthcare) MRI scanner. Source partition and MIP images were evaluated. Quantitative Analysis: Pulmonary vein ostium orthogonal dimensions were measured using double oblique multiplanar reformatting. Qualitative Analysis: For qualitative analysis, both source partition images and MIP images were assessed by two observers. Pulmonary vein conspicuity was scored on a scale of 1-4 (1=poor, 2=fair, 3=good, 4=excellent). The number of pulmonary veins (3 veins= common ostium, 4 veins = normal, 5 veins=accessory vein) was recorded.
SKN-1 and Nrf2 couples proline catabolism with lipid metabolism during nutrient deprivation

Mechanisms that coordinate different metabolic pathways, such as glucose and lipid, have been recognized. However, a potential interaction between amino acid and lipid metabolism remains largely elusive. Here we show that during starvation of Caenorhabditis elegans, proline catabolism is coupled with lipid metabolism by SKN-1. Mutation of alh-6, a conserved proline catabolic enzyme, accelerates fat mobilization, enhances the expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation and reduces survival in response to fasting. This metabolic coordination is mediated by the activation of the transcription factor SKN-1/Nrf2, possibly due to the accumulation of the alh-6 substrate P5C, and also requires the transcriptional co-regulator MDT-15. Constitutive activation of SKN-1 induces a similar transcriptional response, which protects animals from fat accumulation when fed a high carbohydrate diet. In human cells, an orthologous alh-6 enzyme, ALDH4A1, is also linked to the activity of Nrf2, the human orthologue of SKN-1, and regulates the expression of lipid metabolic genes. Our findings identify a link between proline catabolism and lipid metabolism, and uncover a physiological role for SKN-1 in metabolism.
Radioimmunoassay of fibrinogen-fibrin degradation products: Assay for fragment E-related neoantigen -methodological aspects☆

Abstract E fragment and its antigenically-related degradation products of human fibrinogen (Fg) and/or fibrin (Fb) have been measured in both normal and pathological plasmas by a specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the neoantigenic expression of E(Eneo) which is engendered after the plasmic cleavage of Fg or Fb. High titer antisera were produced in rabbits against Fg-E (E derived from Fg). The anti-Fg-E sera harvested were absorbed with a cyanogen bromide-activated immunoadsorbent column coupled with intact Fg. The Fg-absorbed antisera were employed to develop a double antibody RIA which detected
Insensitivity of bonnet monkeys to (D-Ala6, Des-Gly10) LHRH ethylamide, a potent new luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogue in rats and mice.

The Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone (LHRH) activity of (D-Ala6, Des-Gly10) LHRH ethylamide was compared with that of LHRH in oophorectomized bonnet monkeys by determining serum LH and FSH concentrations at various time intervals after a sc injection of 100 μg of LHRH and either 100 μg or 1 mg of the analogue. Following administration of synthetic LHRH, a significant rise in both serum LH and FSH was observed. In contrast, no discernible change in serum gonadotropin concentrations was noted following injection of the analogue (D-Ala6, Des-Gly10) LHRH ethylamide, previously reported to have greatly increased potency in rats and mice. (Endocrinology 100: 918, 1977)
Structure and synthesis of a new butanolide from a marine actinomycete

The novel butanolide 2, (1′R, 2S, 4S)-2-(1-hydroxy-6-methylheptyl)-4-hydroxymethyl-butanolide, was isolated from the culture broth of a marine actinomycete. The structure of 2 was assigned by analysis of spectral data and the absolute configuration was determined by synthesis.
A new one-pot hydrothermal synthesis and electrochemical characterization of Li1+xMn2−yO4 spinel structured compounds

A simple one step hydrothermal route to Li1+xMn2−yO4 spinel compounds (x = 0.01–0.06, y = 0.02–0.09) via reduction of commercially available potassium permanganate with common organic reductants (alcohols, acetone, hex-1-ene, and isobutyraldehyde) in lithium hydroxide aqueous solutions is developed. The cubic spinel phase with no other impurities can be isolated after short reaction times (∼5 h) at the relatively low temperature of 180 °C. Scanning electron microscopy imaging reveals that the crystalline products have a distribution of sizes; the majority of the sample is composed of smaller particles between 10 and 30 nm. However, there are noticeably larger 100–300 nm interspersed particles—more prevalent in reactions with acetone and isobutyraldehyde. In corresponding benchtop test reactions, UV-Vis spectroscopy shows that the disappearance of MnO4− occurs more rapidly when acetone and isobutyraldehyde are used as reducing agents. Cyclic voltammetry performed on our spinels prepared via hydrothermal synthesis shows three reversible redox processes: a wave with E1/2 of ∼2.9 V (vs. Li/Li+) and two close waves between 4.05 and 4.15 V. Galvanostatic cycling of a cell composed of Li1.02Mn1.96O4 prepared from the oxidation of acetone between 3.5 and 4.4 V demonstrates a specific capacity of 104 mA h g−1 on first discharge, with ∼87% capacity retention (90 mA h g−1) after 100 cycles. The specific capacity of all samples correlates with the rate of disappearance of MnO4− observed in our benchtop reactions, providing a facile way to control particle size and electrochemical behavior.
Building Network Visualization Tools to Facilitate Metacognition in Complex Analysis

Abstract If whole communities of domain analysts are to be able to use interactive network visualization tools productively and efficiently, tool design needs to adequately support the metacognition implicit in complex visual analytic tasks. Metacognition for such exploratory network-mediated tasks applies across disciplines. This essay presents metacognitive demands inherent in complex tasks aimed at uncovering relevant relationships for hypothesizing purposes and proposes network visualization tool designs that can support these metacognitive demands.
Efficient transient simulation of lossy packaging interconnects using moment-matching techniques

This paper introduces enhancements to moment-matching techniques for rapid time-domain computer simulation of packaging interconnect structures. New moment calculating methods are proposed to handle dispersive, lossy interconnects and related package discontinuities, transitions and junctions that are modeled in terms of either numerically extracted or measured frequency-dependent, equivalent transmission line parameters, or scattering parameters. Computer simulations of pulse propagation in interconnects with frequency-dependent ohmic losses are used to demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the proposed methods.
The sensory circuitry for sexual attraction in C. elegans males.

Summary Background Why do males and females behave differently? Sexually dimorphic behaviors could arise from sex-specific neurons or by the modification of circuits present in both sexes. C. elegans males exhibit different behaviors than hermaphrodites. Although there is a single class of sex-specific sensory neurons in the head of males, most of their neurons are part of a core nervous system also present in hermaphrodites. Are the behavioral differences due to sex-specific or core neurons? Results We demonstrate that C. elegans males chemotax to a source of hermaphrodite pheromones. This sexual-attraction behavior depends on a TRPV (transient receptor potential vanilloid) channel encoded by the osm-9 , ocr-1 , and ocr-2 genes. OSM-9 is required in three classes of sensory neurons: the AWA and AWC olfactory neurons and the male-specific CEM neurons. The absence of OSM-9 from any of these neurons impairs attraction, suggesting that their ensemble output elicits sexual attraction. Likewise, the ablation of any of these classes after sexual maturation impairs attraction behavior. If ablations are performed before sexual maturation, attraction is unimpaired, demonstrating that these neurons compensate for one another. Thus, males lacking sex-specific neurons are still attracted to pheromones, suggesting that core neurons are sexualized. Similarly, transgender nematodes—animals that appear morphologically to be hermaphrodites but have a masculinized core nervous system—are attracted to hermaphrodite pheromones. Conclusions Both sexually dimorphic and core sensory neurons are normally required in the adult for sexual attraction, but they can replace each other during sexual maturation if necessary to generate robust male-specific sexual attraction behavior.
Discussion: Financial Organization and Production Choices

This paper is a logical development and integration of a series of studies published by Baker and his students. The major thrust of this work is recognition that the kind of resource acquired and the method of financing use up a firm's "credit" and affect liquidity at different rates. Thus, the real price of the resource acquired is not the market price but the market price plus these financial effects. Studies by Dr. Baker and his associates have been able to demonstrate that, when these financial effects are considered, production choices as determined by market forces can be altered substantially. On the basis of these documented observations, Dr. Baker shows how these financial effects can be incorporated into a firm growth model. This gives his entire model a strong financial orientation. Other than this, the model has much in common with other growth models [4, 5]. It is a polyperiod linear programming model and focuses on alternative methods of acquiring land. The model is not tested but "suggestive results" are indicated from previous studies. Baker's paper provokes a number and variety of thoughts. First, I should like to acknowledge that Dr. Baker's inquiries into the effects of liquidity and borrowing capacity are an important contribution to our understanding of how financing impinges on the organization of the farm firm. Few studies have rigorously demonstrated these financial effects as clearly as those of Dr. Baker. Given that financing alternatives affect production choices, it would seem necessary to construct some growth models capable of illustrating their importance. Although I am impressed with the main theme of Dr. Baker's research, he leaves me less convinced of the importance of liquidity, credit absorp-
Crimes Against Humanity in Colombia: The International Criminal Court’s Jurisdiction Over the May 2003 Attack on the Betoyes Guahibo Indigenous Reserve and Colombian Accountability

The Colombian military and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) have committed systematic attacks against the Colombian people that violate international law. One such heinous incident took place in May 2003 at the Betoyes Guahibo indigenous reserve in Colombia. Unlike other acts of terror, the attack at the Reserve is well documented. Because of this, the attack on the Reserve is an excellent case for International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecution. This article exposes acts of cruelty and makes a persuasive moral case for ICC prosecution. The ICC has jurisdiction over the attack on the Betoyes people by the AUC and Colombian military. The article further discusses the potential legal exposure of the Colombian government, individual Colombians and US individuals through its military support and training of the Colombian military.
Early effects of phenobarbital on the adenine nucleotide pool of rat liver.

Abstract The effect of a single dose of phenobarbital (80 mg/kg, i.p.) on the concentrations of ATP, ADP and AMP and on the synthesis of ATP from 32 Pi were examined. Neither treatment with phenobarbital nor intraperitoneal injection of saline had a major effect on the steady state levels of the three nucleotides within 24 hr. The synthesis of ATP after treatment with either phenobarbital or saline was elevated at about 6 hr. This effect was presumably the result of stress due to intraperitoneal injection. A larger increase in ATP synthesis occurred in phenobarbital-treated rats at 14 hr after treatment and persisted throughout 24 hr. This peak was absent in saline-treated rats and is interpreted to be related to the anabolic effect of phenobarbital in rat liver.
Effects of cortisone and insulin on tumor weights, urinary glucose and nitrogen in rats.

SummarySexually mature male rats in metabolism cages were adapted to the tube-feeding of a medium carbohydrate diet. Some rats were treated with cortisone acetate and with glucagon-free insulin, separately and in combination and in the presence and absence of implanted tumor. The severity of the glycosuria was proportional to the dose of cortisone. Glycosuria was markedly suppressed by insulin, but there was no suppression of the level of urinary nitrogen in the presence or absence of cortisone. Cortisone suppressed the growth of Walker Carcinoma 256 and of Jensen Sarcoma and caused atrophy of the adrenals, thymus and partial atrophy of spleen. None of these effects of cortisone overdosage were prevented by insulin.
Bowel symptoms 1 year after surgery for prolapse: further analysis of a randomized trial of rectocele repair.

Objective The purpose of this study was to analyze change in bowel function and its relationship to vaginal anatomy 1 year after rectocele repair and pelvic reconstruction in a randomized trial of 3 techniques of rectocele repair. Study Design The study is an ancillary analysis of data from a randomized trial of 3 techniques of rectocele repair: posterior colporrhaphy, site-specific repair, and site-specific repair with Fortagen graft augmentation. Pelvic examination and validated questionnaires were obtained at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. Bowel symptoms included straining, splinting, incomplete emptying, painful defecation, fecal urgency, and fecal incontinence. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of bothersome postoperative symptoms. Results One hundred six women with Stage ≥ 2 POP, which included a rectocele, were enrolled in the study. Nintey-nine underwent prolapse surgery that included a rectocele repair and completed at least 1 follow-up visit. Ninety-six percent of subjects underwent concomitant prolapse surgery. No differences in change in bowel symptoms were noted between treatment groups. On average, all bowel symptoms evaluated were significantly improved 1 year after surgery. The development of new “bothersome” bowel symptoms after surgery was uncommon (11%). After controlling for age, treatment group, comorbidities, and preoperative bowel symptoms, corrected postoperative vaginal support (Stage 0/1) was associated with a reduced risk of postoperative straining (adj. OR 0.17 95% CI 0.03 to 0.9) and feeling of incomplete emptying (adj. OR 0.1 95% CI 0.01 to 0.52). Normal support of the posterior vaginal wall (Bp ≤ −2) was associated with a reduced risk of bothersome incomplete emptying (OR 0.08 95% CI 0.004 to 0.58) but not with other symptoms. Conclusion Resolution or improvement in bowel symptoms can be expected in the majority of women after rectocele repair and pelvic reconstruction. While all symptoms improved after surgery, a reduction in bothersome postoperative straining and incomplete emptying were specifically associated with cure of posterior vaginal wall prolapse.
Effect of Dowel Looseness on Response of Jointed Concrete Pavements

This paper examines the effect of dowel looseness on the structural response of jointed concrete pavements. A technique for modeling dowels in 3D finite-element analyses of rigid pavement systems is presented that relies on an embedded formulation of a quadratic beam element. This embedded element permits the efficient modeling of dowel looseness using a nodal contact approach and allows the dowels to be exactly located irrespective of the slab mesh lines. The embedded bending element is extended to include a general bond-slip law, and the practical case of a Winkler foundation sandwiched between the dowel and slab is implemented. The results of parametric studies examining the significance of dowel looseness on the response of rigid jointed pavements to both axle and combined axle and thermal loadings are presented. These studies indicate that significant increases in both slab and soil stresses can be expected due to small gaps (≤0.24 mm) between the dowels and the slabs. The importance of explicitly modeling nonlinear load transfer arising from dowel looseness is also examined, and it is shown that equivalent, back-calculated dowel support moduli should be used with caution when dowel looseness exists.
Inappropriate ventilator triggering caused by an in-line suction catheter

Objective: To examine the phenomenon of inappropriate triggering caused by an in-line suction catheter. Design: We used a test lung to assess inappropriate triggering in four ventilators with both pressure and flow triggering. Results: With pressure triggering, inappropriate triggering occurred only in the presence of PEEP. However, with flow triggering, inappropriate triggering occurred both with and without PEEP. Inappropriate triggering did not occur in a model of severe airflow obstruction. Conclusion: In-line suction catheters may lead to inappropriate triggering and potentially dangerous increases in delivered ventilation.
Preservation of hippocampal brain slices with in vivo or in vitro hypothermia

Hippocampal brain slices show CA1 injury similar to that seen after global ischemia in vivo. Cooling rats to 31 degrees C prior to sacrifice or cooling slices to 21 degrees C for 45 min increased the percentage of normal CA1 pyramidal cells after 5 h in vitro from 30% to over 80%. Brain slices also show a unique, consistent injury in dentate which is lessened by transient cooling to 21 degrees C but not by cooling the animal.
Calcium preconditioning triggers neuroprotection in retinal ganglion cells

In the mammalian retina, excitotoxicity has been shown to be involved in apoptotic retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death and is associated with certain retinal disease states including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and retinal ischemia. Previous studies from this lab [Wehrwein E, Thompson SA, Coulibaly SF, Linn DM, Linn CL (2004) Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 45:1531-1543] have demonstrated that acetylcholine (ACh) and nicotine protects against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in isolated adult pig RGCs through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Activation of nAChRs in these RGCs triggers cell survival signaling pathways and inhibits apoptotic enzymes [Asomugha CO, Linn DM, Linn CL (2010) J Neurochem 112:214-226]. However, the link between binding of nAChRs and activation of neuroprotective pathways is unknown. In this study, we examine the hypothesis that calcium permeation through nAChR channels is required for ACh-induced neuroprotection against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in isolated pig RGCs. RGCs were isolated from other retinal tissue using a two step panning technique and cultured for 3 days under different conditions. In some studies, calcium imaging experiments were performed using the fluorescent calcium indicator, fluo-4, and demonstrated that calcium permeates the nAChR channels located on pig RGCs. In other studies, the extracellular calcium concentration was altered to determine the effect on nicotine-induced neuroprotection. Results support the hypothesis that calcium is required for nicotine-induced neuroprotection in isolated pig RGCs. Lastly, studies were performed to analyze the effects of preconditioning on glutamate-induced excitotoxicity and neuroprotection. In these studies, a preconditioning dose of calcium was introduced to cells using a variety of mechanisms before a large glutamate insult was applied to cells. Results from these studies support the hypothesis that preconditioning cells with a relatively low level of calcium before an excitotoxic insult leads to neuroprotection. In the future, these results could provide important information concerning therapeutic agents developed to combat various diseases involved with glutamate-induced excitotoxicity.
Value of artificial habitats for amphibian reproduction in altered landscapes.

Abstract: Installation and maintenance of stormwater ponds to detain and treat runoff from impervious surfaces is a common method of stormwater control in developed areas. That these ponds capture pollutants, however, is of concern for wildlife species that use the ponds, particularly pond-breeding amphibians. To assess the relative contribution of stormwater ponds to the persistence of amphibian populations in suburban landscapes, we compared amphibian use of stormwater ponds and other available wetlands in suburban and forested watersheds. We surveyed three suburban and three primarily forested first-order watersheds to identify all potential wetlands that might serve as breeding sites for pond-breeding amphibians. We performed call, egg-mass, and larval surveys to measure breeding effort at each wetland in spring and summer 2007 and 2008. In suburban watersheds most (89%) of the wetlands that had breeding activity were either stormwater ponds or otherwise artificial. This pattern was also evident in the forested watersheds, where amphibians were primarily found breeding in wetlands created by past human activity. Late-stage larvae were found only in anthropogenic wetlands in all study areas because the remaining natural wetlands did not hold water long enough for larvae to complete development. Our results suggest that in urban and suburban landscapes with naturally low densities of wetlands, wetlands created by current or historic land uses may be as important to amphibian conservation as natural wetlands or pools and that management strategies directed at urban and suburban landscapes should recognize and incorporate human-created wetlands.
High temperature breakdown strength and voltage endurance characterization of nanofilled polyamideimide

For high temperature wire enamel application, the dielectric properties of nanoscale silica and alumina filled polyamideimide were characterized as a function of filler loading, and temperature. It was found that although the dc breakdown strength improved for both composite systems, only the alumina also exhibited an increase in ac breakdown strength. In addition, the voltage endurance at elevated temperature in both a needle/plate and twisted wire geometry was improved over a narrow range of filler loading (5-7.5 wt%). At room temperature, pulsed electroacoustic analysis (PEA) data does not indicate any difference in space charge buildup in the composite for fields up to 25 kV/mm over a period of 2 h. This is in contrast to other nanocomposite systems, which tend to show mitigation of space charge buildup with the addition of nanoparticles. Dielectric spectroscopy shows that the addition of nanoparticles increases the real permittivity above that expected for volumetric mixing rules. This enhancement is associated with high effective permittivity interfacial areas. No systematic changes in losses in the frequency range between 10-4 and 105 Hz were seen. The results suggest that carrier scattering is the primary mechanism leading to the improved breakdown strength.
Extrinsic Calibration of a 3D Laser Scanner and an Omnidirectional Camera

Abstract We propose an approach for external calibration of a 3D laser scanner with an omnidirectional camera system. The utility of an accurate calibration is that it allows for precise co-registration between the camera imagery and the 3D point cloud. This association can be used to enhance various state of the art algorithms in computer vision and robotics. The extrinsic calibration technique used here is similar to the calibration of a 2D laser range finder and a single camera as proposed by Zhang (2004), but has been extended to the case where we have a 3D laser scanner and an omnidirectional camera system. The procedure requires a planar checkerboard pattern to be observed simultaneously from the laser scanner and the camera system from a minimum of 3 views. The normal of the planar surface and 3D points lying on the surface constrain the relative position and orientation of the laser scanner and the omnidirectional camera system. These constraints can be used to form a non-linear optimization problem that is solved for the extrinsic calibration parameters and the covariance associated with the estimated parameters. Results are presented for a real world data set collected by a vehicle mounted with a 3D laser scanner and an omnidirectional camera system.
Structure and interactions of magainin antibiotic peptides in lipid bilayers: a solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance investigation.

Many organisms use antibiotic peptides as a defensemechanism, thereby supplementing or replacing theimmune system (1). Magainins are a family of 21 to 26residue peptides found in the skin and other organs offrogs (2, 3) with a broad spectrum of antibacterial,antifungal, and tumorcidal activity (2-4).They disruptthe electrochemical ionic gradient across cell mem­branes, probably by forming oligomeric peptide ionchannels (4-6). Whereas these peptides show stronginteractionswith bacterial and acidic model membranes(2, 7, 8), they do not lyse formed circulating vertebrateblood cells (3, 4). Multidimensional solution nuclearmagnetic resonance (NMR) experiments show thatmagainin is unstructured in aqueous solution and exhib­its a high a-helixcontent in trifluoroethanollwater (9)and in micelles (Shon, K., M. Zasloff, and S. J. Opella,unpublished data). Helical wheel analysis indicates thatsuch a helix is amphipathic. Solid-stateNMR spectros­copy was used to study the structure, dynamics andinteractions ofmagainins associated with lipid bilayers.
Pause, Listen, Share

Narrative medicine has been an evolving topic bridging anthropology, literature, and science for many years. Patient narratives are a source of knowledge and insight as they provide physicians with information as medically relevant as numerical data about pulse and respiration.2 Likewise, narrative theory has been increasingly used within medical humanities as a means of emphasizing the subjective experience of illness by promoting narrative competence.3- 5 A patient’s autopathography—the patient’s own illness story—is the root of medicine; as most diagnoses in primary care result from history alone, the anamnesis (the account the physician assembles from the patient’s history) is crucial.5 As pressures on our health care system shift the emerging practitioner’s focus from the individual patient to high-volume throughput, it is increasingly incumbent on the clinician-teacher to emphasize the importance of each patient’s personal narrative for constructing both a complete history and a targeted treatment plan. The less acknowledged aspect of a patient narrative is its use for teaching about a disease, for creating empathy in a student, for inspiring other patients and, in the process, empowering them, for making them feel valued
Regulation of Contact Allergy in the B Cell-Deficient Mouse

We have examined the obligate role of B cells in the regulation of allergic contact dermatitis. Our model is ACD in mice made B cell deficient by the chronic administration from birth of a goat antisera to mouse IgM. The following ACD phenomena are well demonstrated in these mice: (1) acquisition and expression of ACD, (2) spontaneous waning of ACD soon after sensitization, (3) immunological tolerance induced by pretreatment with either parenteral hapten or haptenated spleen cells, (4) immunopotentiation by means of either cyclophosphamide or the local administration of a suspension of killed C. parvum (P. acnes), (5) the flare-up of previous test sites following the local administration of parenteral allergen, and (6) acquisition and expression of photo-ACD. We conclude that B cell participation is not required for these ACD phenomena, although an optional or subsidiary function for B regulatory cells is not excluded.
Evaluation of perfusion techniques in renal preservation

Abstract One hundred kidneys were perfused, with and without pulsatile flow, at various flow rates, pressures, and pH values, with a dextran-electrolyte solution for 4 hr and studied during and after preservation. The best results were obtained using flow-controlled, nonpulsatile perfusion, performed at an alkaline pH. Viability may be predicted by renal blood flow, perfusion pressure, weight gain, and several enzymes.
A feminist political economic critique of the human development approach to new information and communication technologies

This article argues that although the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has broadened the scope of international development by including the human and social dimensions, the human develo...
Forward kinematics of walking machines with pantograph legs based on selections of independent joints

This article studies the forward kinematics of walking machines with pantograph legs. The walking machine is supported by three legs and each leg has 3 degrees of freedom (dof). Because the body has 6 dof motion, only 6 joint variables among the 9 are independent. Thus, there are 84 possible ways to select the 6 independent joint variables. It is shown that the complexity of the forward position solutions is very much dependent on the selection of independent joints. In the category of 3:2:1 (the 3 numbers denote the number of independent joints at each of the supporting legs), all 54 combinations give closed-form solutions. Among the 27 combinations of category 2:2:2, 10 possess closed-form solutions, 16 yield to higher-order polynomials, and 1 gives no solutions. The 3 combinations of category 3:3:0 give no solutions. The results are useful to control and simulation of walking machines and other parallel systems consisting of pantograph subchains such as parallel manipulators, multifingered hands, and multiply coordinated manipulators. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
PHOTOATLAS OF INCLUSIONS IN GEMSTONES: Vol. 3, by Eduard J. Gubelin and John I. Koivula (2008). Opinio-Verlag, Basel, Switzerland, 672 p. $300.00 plus shipping (and tax, if applicable). ISBN 978-3-03999-047-4.

The Photoatlas is fundamentally a compendium of photomicrographs of inclusions in gemstones organized and described in a fashion to enhance the gemologist’s skills at identifying and interpreting such inclusions. The second volume proceeds from an earlier volume that was published in 1986, and fundamentally updates the older volume to 2005. This volume, the third, focuses on the so-called “precious stones”—diamond, ruby, emerald, and sapphire, but with significant additions relating to “treated” gems and synthetics (both of the actual species as well as simulants). Eduard Gubelin, a dean of the gemological community (deceased in 2005), and John Koivula, a renowned gemologist and inclusion expert at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), have been the experts in this field, so the book is a testament and proof of their experience and expertise with respect to inclusions in gemstones and gemology, more generally. Moreover, as the authors appreciate the beauty as much as the information revealed by inclusions, the Photoatlas can be viewed as a paean to gem inclusions as art. The images are superb and printed in high quality on heavy paper with attention to color correction (typically a problem for colored stones and inclusions). The authors also justifiably point out that inclusions and their identification can be critical, perhaps the only non-destructive and ready …
Density Measurements in the Ablation Plasma of Tungsten Wire Array Z-Pinches

Summary form only given. X-pinch radiography has been used routinely at Cornell for more than 10 years to produce high quality X-ray images with excellent spatial and temporal resolution. This imaging technique is presently being used on the COBRA accelerator at Cornell University to study the ablation stage of wire-array z-pinches. Two of four return-current posts in the wire-array load region are replaced by Mo x-pinches. They are approximately 43 mm from the axis of the z-pinch. The experimental arrangement used here is very similar to the set-up that has been used at the Angara-5-1 facility near Moscow and also on MAGPIK at Imperial College in London. Typically, two x-pinches are used to image one wire in an eight-wire z-pinch from different angles. Images are obtained using Kodak EBioMAX MS and Technical Pan film. These films are typically placed 375 mm from the z-pinch axis yielding a magnification of about 9:1. The resulting X-ray images have sub-nanosecond temporal resolution because of the extremely short x pinch X-ray pulse duration and about 4 mum spatial resolution. Titanium filters are used to shield the films from visible light and transmit radiation in the spectral range 3-5 keV. Strong collimation is used to prevent radiation from the wire array z-pinch from exposing the films. Tungsten step wedges (step attenuators), which have steps ranging from 0.015-1.10 mum thick, placed on the Ti filters enable us to make density measurements of the ablation plasmas near the dense wire-cores. These density measurements are the main focus of this presentation.
Vibration Absorbers for Cyclic Rotating Flexible Structures: Linear and Nonlinear Tuning

The nonlinear performance of centrifugally-driven, order-tuned absorbers is investigated for vibration reduction of a cyclic rotating flexible structure under traveling wave (TW) engine order excitation. A key finding from previous work by the authors using a linearized model is the existence of a no-resonance zone, that is, an entire range of absorber designs that avoid system resonance for any rotation speed. Linearization is generally valid for the rotating structure but absorber motions can become large for typical loading conditions. This work generalizes the linear results to account for large-amplitude, nonlinear absorber motions. Existence and stability of the steady-state TW response to TW excitation are investigated in terms of the absorber path design, which fixes its linear and nonlinear tuning characteristics. A TW response is unique for the linearized system and is shown to exist for the weakly nonlinear model. The nonlinear model exhibits the usual characteristics of a weakly nonlinear system, including bistability and the attendant hysteresis near resonance. More significantly, no additional instabilities associated with the symmetry could be identified. Hence the desired TW response is robust to nonlinear absorber effects and can be described by an equivalent model, which is obtained by reduction using the symmetry. It is shown that good performance can be obtained by linear absorber tuning in the no-resonance zone and the absorber paths should have a slightly softening nonlinear characteristic.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Pericardial Fluid and Serum Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Endostatin in Patients With or Without Coronary Artery Disease

Background/Purpose Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endostatin are related to ischemic heart disease. This study investigated pericardial fluid and serum levels of VEGF and endostatin in patients with or without ischemic heart disease. Methods A total of 39 patients (24 patients in the CAD group with significant coronary artery disease; 15 patients in the non-CAD group without coronary artery disease) undergoing open heart surgery were enrolled. In the CAD group, patients were classified according to good coronary collateralization (Group A; n = 11) or poor coronary collateralization (Group B; n = 13). Pericardial fluid and serum samples were obtained at the time of surgery. VEGF and endostatin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The levels of endostatin in both serum and pericardial fluid were significantly lower in the CAD group than in the non-CAD group (130.5 ± 37.3 ng/mL vs. 172.4 ± 37.8 ng/mL and 119.0 ± 25.0 ng/mL vs. 143.0 ± 23.5 ng/mL). The concentration of serum VEGF in the CAD group (92.6 ± 18.2 pg/mL) was significantly higher than that in the non-CAD group (75.2 ± 22.3 pg/mL). The concentration of serum VEGF in Group A (100.1 ± 20.7 pg/mL) was significantly higher than that in Group B (84.3 ± 12.4 pg/mL). The levels of pericardial fluid VEGF, serum and pericardial fluid endostatin were not significantly different between Groups A and B. Conclusion Patients with coronary artery disease have lower serum and pericardial fluid levels of endostatin and higher serum levels of VEGF. Serum level VEGF, but not endostatin, is associated with good or poor collateralization in patients with coronary artery disease.