cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Peak Oil, Peak Water, Peak Education.

This chapter argues that today's dominant forms of education are insufficient for today's world because they ignore the vast and conventionally untapped resource that lies in the disciplined inwardness that is contemplative life. It then surveys a range of transformative examples that are emerging in the educational movement known as “contemplative education.”
Modulation of Histamine Release by Sodium, Potassium Adenosine Triphosphatase Inhibition

Background Previous studies have shown that a sodium potassium adenosine triphosphatase inhibitor is present in the plasma of allergic subjects in whom enhanced histamine releaseability has also been reported. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of in vitro sodium, potassium adenosine triphosphatase inhibition on whole blood histamine release. Methods Samples obtained from 12 patients with allergic rhinitis and 12 nonallergic subjects were incubated in duplicate for 30 minutes with anti-IgE antibody (100 μg/mL) or control buffer following a 0-, 10-, 20-, 30-, 60-, 120- and 180-minute preincubation with ouabain (3.0 mM) or diluent. Cell supernatants were assayed for histamine by radioimmunoassay and results were expressed as a percentage of total histamine release. Results Mean (± 1 SEM) anti-IgE induced release, in the presence and absence of ouabain, respectively, for allergic subjects was 27.5 ± 5.5 and 21.0 ± 4.5 (10 minutes, P P P P P P P .005). Ouabain did not significantly alter histamine release in non-allergic subjects. Conclusions These days show that ouabian induced a significant increase in both spontaneous and induced histamine release in allergic subjects. In vivo, sodium, potassium adenosine triphosphatase inhibition may have an effect on histamine release in allergic subjects.
Performance of optical networks with limited reconfigurability

We investigate the blocking performance of all-optical reconfigurable networks with constraints on reconfiguration brought by reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) and tunable transponders. Considering a fully reconfigurable ROADM and limited tunable transponders at each ROADM port, we develop an analytical model to calculate call blocking probability in a network of arbitrary topology for two different models for transponder sharing within a node: share-per-link (SPL) and share-per-node (SPN). In such a configuration, limited tunable transponders determine the set of wavelengths that can be added/dropped at a reconfigurable node. A lightpath can only be established if a transponder on both ends can tune to the same available wavelength along the route. We call this wavelength termination constraint. The number of transponders (as many as ports) and the waveband size (the range of wavelengths over which a transponder is tunable) are the key parameters of the model, assuming that wavebands are randomly assigned to transponders. We also present a heuristic algorithm for assigning wavebands to transponders at each node and modify the analytical model to approximate the performance of the algorithm. We present simulation results to validate our model and also show results for share-per-link and share-per-node models with various sets of parameters. We show that limited tunable transponders give the same performance with widely tunable transponders in terms of blocking. We also show that transponder waveband assignment to limited tunable transponders is an important factor determining the blocking.
Coding for Constant-Data-Rate Systems-Part I. A New Error-Correcting Code

A study of coding to reduce the frequency of errors in communication systems which transmit data at a constant rate has been started. A new single-error-correcting code (the Wagner code) is described and analyzed. Its performance in a constant-data-rate system is evaluated and compared with Hamming's single-error-correcting code. The Wagner code is superior for many communication applications. Its successful implementation does not require too precise equipment.
Developments in locomotion interfaces

This paper describes the Sarcos Treadport locomotion interface, a large tilting treadmill whose unique aspect is the application of forces to a user's torso. The application of torso forces is necessary to provide missing inertial forces during acceleration on a treadmill and to stop a user from walking through virtual walls. Torso forces can also substitute for treadmill tilt, as has been validated by psychological, biomechanical and energetic studies. A harness has been designed to transmit forces to the torso with minimum backlash while maintaining comfort. The experience of locomotion is integrated into a virtual environment comprised of a CAVE-like visual display and head-tracked stereo sound synthesis. To complete the multi-sensory experience, atmospheric and olfactory displays are under development.
The Influence of Metallurgical Variables on the Temperature Dependence of Irradiation Hardening in Pressure Vessel Steels

Yield stress elevations (Δσ y ) in pressure vessel steels irradiated at intermediate flux and fluence systematically decreased with increasing temperature and decreasing copper and nickel content. Lower stress relief temperature also decreased Δσ y at bulk copper concentrations greater than about 0.3%. The dependence of Δσ y on irradiation temperature between 260 and 316°C increased with copper and nickel content and decreased with phosphorous content. When normalized by the average Δσ y , the fractional temperature dependence correlates with a simple empirical chemistry factor of copper and phosphorous. The correlation predicts data on the irradiation temperature dependence of Δσ y found in the literature within a standard error of about 0.3 MPa/°C and is consistent with current understanding of hardening mechanisms. However, questions remain about the effects at very low flux and finer scale variations over smaller temperature intervals.
Prediabetic insulin resistance is not permissive to the development of cardiac resistance to insulin-like growth factor I in ventricular myocytes.

Abstract Resistance to insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1)-induced cardiac contractile response has been reported in diabetes. To evaluate the role of prediabetic insulin resistance to cardiac IGF-1 resistance, whole body insulin resistance was generated with dietary sucrose and contractile function was evaluated in ventricular myocytes. Mechanical properties were evaluated using an IonOptix™ system and intracellular Ca 2+ transients were measured as changes in fura-2 fluorescence intensity (ΔFFI). After 8 weeks of feeding, sucrose rats displayed euglycemia, hepatomeglay and normal heart size, and glucose intolerance, confirming the presence of insulin resistance. Myocytes from sucrose-fed rats displayed decreased peak shortening (PS), reduced resting FFI, increased intracellular Ca 2+ clearing, associated with normal duration of shortening and relengthening compared to myocytes from starch-fed rats. IGF-1 (10 −10 –10 −6 M) caused a similar concentration-dependent decrease in PS in both groups. Only the highest concentration of IGF-1 elicited an inhibition on ΔFFI in sucrose myocytes. In addition, the IGF-1-induced response was abolished by the IGF-1 receptor antagonist H-1356 in both groups, and by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor l-NAME in starch but not sucrose myocytes. These results indicated prediabetic insulin resistance alters cardiac contractile function at the myocytes level, but may not be permissive to cardiac contractile resistance to IGF-1.
Smart edge server: beyond a wireless access point

Wireless access at cafes, airports, homes and businesses have proliferated all over the globe with several different Wireless Internet Service Providers. Similarly, digital media has created a paradigm shift in media processing resulting in a complete change in media usage models, revamped existing businesses and has introduced new industry players. We believe there is a tremendous opportunity for application and system services at the intersection of the above two domains for exploiting the wireless connectivity to provide ease of use in handling media. In this paper, we propose a feature-rich, secure wireless service delivery framework over enhanced public access points (called Smart Edge Servers), which provides the right platform for deployment of specialized services to the mobile users. The Smart Edge Server provides secure wireless access to the clients, has sophisticated media handling and storage capabilities and uses advanced techniques to manage resources available to it, such as bandwidth, power and the type of connectivity. A prototype implementation of our Smart Edge Server has been built that implements all the features discussed above.
Totally radical: From transformative research to transformative innovation

The National Science Board and the US Congress want more federal research to be transformative research. Until now, discussion of what this really means has mostly focused on research, per se, and has not addressed innovation as a complex system. ‘Transformation’ describes changes in society and the economy, not merely changes in science and technology. It entails connections among individuals, institutions, and between research, development, and nascent applications. Serious efforts to transform are totally radical: they span the totality of the innovative process to produce actually radical outcomes, rather than maintain potentially radical activities. Transformative innovation is specifically organized to realize concrete visions of change beyond the research community. Programs that seek to do this cannot rely upon faith in serendipity, but must be strategic. They cannot avoid politics, but must embrace it. Being totally radical about innovation means creating the social conditions within which new technologies can thrive.
Organ failure in critical illness.

This issue of Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice is devoted to a systems-based review of organ dysfunction seen in our most critical patients. With advances in trauma and emergency care, patients surviving previously fatal problems now succumb to the failure of one or more major systems. While devastating, multiple organ failure is really a disease of success. A single patient may suffer altered function in any or all of the systems discussed in this text. My goal in bringing together these experts and articles is to provide a single reference to review causes, diagnosis, management, and prevention of vital organ dysfunction in small animals. I hope this will be a useful reference for small animal practitioners managing these complex cases. After an introduction on the history, epidemiology, and understanding of organ failure, experts discuss individual organ systems. The authors are all practicing specialists who see and manage these cases in their respective practices. I will admit to a personal bias toward the respiratory system.Respiratory failure and inadequate tissue oxygenation are leading causes of the failure of other organ systems.DrCampbell starts off with important insight into the acute respiratory distress syndrome and respiratory failure in the critically ill. While hypotension and inadequate cardiac output as causes of organ failure are discussed in nearly every article, Dr Bulmer’s article on cardiac dysfunction highlights the myocardial changes seen in the septic and systemically ill. The kidney and liver are often the most obvious systems failures we associate with critical illness. Dr Lunn presents the causes andmanagement of acute renal failure and Drs McCord andWebb discuss the manifestations andmanagement of hepatic failure. The role of the gastrointestinal tract in critical illness including the signs and consequences of gastrointestinal failure are also discussed. Moving away from classic organ systems, Dr Martin discusses the important role of the adrenal gland in the body’s response to stress. Her article focuses on the recognition and management of adrenal insufficiency associated with critical illness.
Laser-cooled atomic clocks as science payloads on the International Space Station

Presents an overview of two flight-definition experiments to develop space-based ultrahigh performance atomic clocks for performing precision tests of Einstein's theories of special and general relativity. These experiments rely on laser-cooling of gases of atoms to near absolute zero to realize extremely long interaction times, enabling their performance. We focus on the role played by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in developing the core technologies to support these and future missions. We also discuss the various science platforms available on the International Space Station (ISS) and the challenges of performing a laser cooled atomic clock experiment in this environment.
L1 retrotransposon-mediated stable gene silencing

RNA interference (RNAi) is widely used for functional studies and has been proposed as a potential therapeutic agent. Current RNAi systems are largely efficient, but have limitations including transient effect, the need for viral handling and potential insertional mutations. Here, we describe a simple L1 retrotransposon-based system for the delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) and stable silencing in human cells. This system demonstrated long-term siRNA expression and significant reduction in both exogenous and endogenous gene expression by up to 90%. Further characterization indicated that retrotransposition occurred in a controlled manner such that essentially only one RNAi-cassette was integrated into the host genome and was sufficient for strong interference. Our system provides a novel strategy for stable gene silencing that is easy and efficient, and it may have potential applications for ex vivo and in vivo molecular therapy.
Anomaly Detection in Time Series of Graphs using Fusion of Graph Invariants

Given a time series of graphs G(t)=(V,E(t)) , t=1,2,... , where the fixed vertex set V represents “actors” and an edge between vertex u and vertex v at time t(uv ∈ E(t)) represents the existence of a communications event between actors u and v during the tth time period, we wish to detect anomalies and/or change points. We consider a collection of graph features, or invariants, and demonstrate that adaptive fusion provides superior inferential efficacy compared to naive equal weighting for a certain class of anomaly detection problems. Simulation results using a latent process model for time series of graphs, as well as illustrative experimental results for a time series of graphs derived from the Enron email data, show that a fusion statistic can provide superior inference compared to individual invariants alone. These results also demonstrate that an adaptive weighting scheme for fusion of invariants performs better than naive equal weighting.
Multiple Renal and Splenic Infarctions in a Neonate Following Transfusion with Sickle Trait Blood

An infant with hydrops fetalis inadvertently received a large transfusion (35 ml/ kg) of apparent heterozygous hemoglobin S (sickle trait) blood. Massive splenic infarction and acute renal failure, secondary to multiple hemorrhagic renal in farctions, developed.
Genetic heterogeneity in colorectal cancer associations between African and European americans.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Genome-wide association studies of colorectal cancer (CRC) have identified risk variants in 10 genomic regions. None of these studies included African Americans, who have the highest incidence and mortality from CRC in the United States. For the 10 genomic regions, we performed an association study of Americans of African and European descent. METHODS: We genotyped 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA samples from 1194 patients with CRC (795 African Americans and 399 European Americans) and 1352 controls (985 African Americans and 367 European Americans). At chromosome 8q24.21 region 3, we analyzed 6 SNPs from 1000 African American cases and 1393 controls. Association testing was done using multivariate logistic regression controlling for ancestry, age, and sex. RESULTS: Among African Americans, the SNP rs6983267 at 8q24.21 was not associated with CRC (odds ratio, 1.18; P .12); instead, the 8q24.21 SNP rs7014346 (odds ratio, 1.15; P .03) was associated with CRC in this population. At 15q13.3, rs10318 was associated with CRC in both populations. At 11q23.1, rs3802842 was significantly associated with rectal cancer risk only among African Americans (odds ratio, 1.34; P .01); this observation was made in previous studies. Among European Americans, SNPs at 8q24.21, 11q23.1, and 16q22.1 were significantly associated with CRC, and the odds ratios were of the same magnitude and direction for all SNPs tested, consistent with previously published studies. In contrast, in African Americans, the opposite allele of rs10795668 at 10p14 was associated with colorectal cancer (odds ratio, 1.35; P .04), and altogether the odds ratios were in the opposite direction for 9 of the 22 SNPs tested. CONCLUSIONS: There is genetic heterogeneity in CRC associations in Americans of African versus European descent.
Protein Kinase C Delta Mediates Fibroblast Growth Factor-2-Induced Interferon-Tau Expression in Bovine Trophoblast

Interferon-tau (IFNT) is the trophoblast-secreted factor responsible for establishing and maintaining pregnancy in ruminants. Several uterine- and embryo-derived factors, including fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2), regulate IFNT production. The objective of the present study was to decipher the intracellular signaling mechanisms employed by FGF2 to regulate IFNT production. In bovine trophoblast cells (CT1), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase-dependent pathways mediated constitutive IFNT mRNA concentrations. However, FGF2-mediated increases in IFNT mRNA levels occurs independent of mitogen-activated protein kinase. Exposure to the pan-protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, calphostin C, did not affect basal IFNT mRNA levels but limited the ability of FGF2 to increase IFNT mRNA abundance. Also, supplementation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulated IFNT mRNA levels to the same extent as with FGF2. PMA and FGF2 cosupplementation did not elicit an additive effect on IFNT mRNA abundance. Pharmacological antagonists for classic PKCs (Go6976) or novel PKCs, including PKC delta (rottlerin), were used to identify the specific PKC isoform utilized by FGF2. Supplementation of CT1 cells with Go6976 did not affect FGF2 or PMA activities, whereas rottlerin prevented FGF2- and PMA-dependent increases in IFNT mRNA abundance in CT1 cells. Rottlerin also prevented FGF2 from increasing IFNT mRNA levels in Vivot trophoblast cells and primary trophoblast outgrowths. Modifications in PRKCD phosphorylation status were evident following FGF2 and PMA treatment. Also, reducing PRKCD expression by RNA interference attenuated FGF2-dependent increases in IFNT mRNA abundance. In conclusion, these results provide evidence that FGF2 regulates IFNT production in bovine trophectoderm by acting through PRKCD.
A passive-mixer-first receiver with LO leakage suppression, 2.6dB NF, >15dBm wide-band IIP3, 66dB IRR supporting non-contiguous carrier aggregation

A passive-mixer-first receiver design in 28 nm CMOS is presented where the front-end 5-bit mixer DAC provides a wide-band tuneable impedance match to suppress the LO leakage as well as to improve image rejection performance. Baseband LNA together with the AC-boosting compensation amplifier provides a 50MHz baseband bandwidth, which allows support for non-contiguous carrier aggregation for LTE. The proposed design can suppress multiple LO harmonics down below −62dBm. The system achieves 15dBm IIP3 and an IRR > 66dB with 60mW power
Age-related increases in diaphragmatic maximal shortening velocity

Recent evidence demonstrates that aging results in an increase in fast (type IIB) myosin heavy chain (MHC) in the rat diaphragm. It is unknown whether this age-related change in fast MHC influences...
New Developments in Evidence for the 2004 Term of Court

This article traces the developments in Military Rules of Evidence through a case-by-case analysis of each case that affected a Military Rule of Evidence in the 2004 Term of Court. The article provides in depth coverage of the facts of each case that the court relied upon and the reasoning and conclusions the Court opines. At the end of each section, a conclusory paragraph states the practical implications each case has for defense lawyers and prosecutors. The conclusions are particularly helpful in that they offer insight into how lawyers confronted with similar issues may deal with those issues in the future.The 2004 Term of Court discussed a multitude of evidentiary issues, many of which have tremendous impact on the admissibility of evidence in the Military Justice System. Some of the highlights include opinions on the admissibility of uncharged evidence, unfairly prejudicial impeachment evidence, rape shield laws, confession corroboration, and attorney-client privilege. This article simplifies those decisions for the use of almost every trial practitioner finding a method inside the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces’ madness.
The Unsacrificeable Subject

Formalized, legalized and ritualized killing by political and religious authorities has been central to the maintenance, transformation and regeneration of a vast range of societies. Whether such killing or destruction involved human beings, other animals, or vegetable life, the action very often took the form of a sacrifice to sovereign powers. Sacrifice has thus often been understood as a form of mediation between sovereign and subject. In turn, the rejection of sacrificial action is at the heart of many conceptions of political modernity (for instance those of Rene Girard and Giorgio Agamben). Exploring the nature of the ‘executable subject,’ this Chapter asks whether the killing that takes place as a result of the imposition of the death penalty can be thought of as sacrificial, homicidal, or neither. It argues that sacrifice and the death penalty are in a complicated relation to one another — sacrifice emerges as the unauthorized narrative of some executions, a narrative that the state often struggles to contain. In sum, the rejection and containment of sacrifice plays an important role in the construction of the executable subject.
Trash to Treasure: From Harmful Algal Blooms to High-Performance Electrodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are frequently reported around the globe. HABs are typically caused by the so-called blue-green algae in eutrophic waters. These fast-growing HABs could be a good source for biomass. Unlike terrestrial plants, they need no land or soil. If HABs could be harvested on a large scale, it could not only possible to mitigate the issue of HABs but also provide a source of biomass. Herein, we demonstrate a facile procedure for converting the HABs into a promising high-performance negative-electrode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). The carbon material derived from blue-green algae demonstrated promising electrochemical performance in reversible sodium storage. The algae used in this work was collected directly from Lake Erie during the algal blooms that affected 500 000 residents in Toledo in 2014. The carbon, derived from the freshly collected HABs by calcination in argon without any additional purification process, delivered a highly stable reversible specific capacity (∼230 ...
Electron donor-acceptor properties of substituted pyridine ligands on fac-tricarbonylrhenium(I) systems

Abstract A series of 4-substituted pyridines were combined with Re(CO)5Cl to prepare fac-tricarbonylchlorobis(ligand)rhenium(I) complexes. The Re(I) complexes were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, HRMS, and in the case of L = 4-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine, 4-bromopyridine, 4-picoline, and 4-methoxypyridine, single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. In the carbonyl region of the FTIR spectra for these complexes, the three observed stretches shifted to higher energy as the substituent on the pyridine became more electron withdrawing.
Distance mapping in proteins using fluorescence spectroscopy: tyrosine, like tryptophan, quenches bimane fluorescence in a distance-dependent manner.

Tryptophan-induced quenching of fluorophores (TrIQ) uses intramolecular fluorescence quenching to assess distances in proteins too small (<15 A) to be easily probed by traditional Forster resonance energy transfer methods. A powerful aspect of TrIQ is its ability to obtain an ultrafast snapshot of a protein conformation, by identifying “static quenching” (contact between the Trp and probe at the moment of light excitation). Here we report new advances in this site-directed fluorescence labeling (SDFL) approach, gleaned from recent studies of T4 lysozyme (T4L). First, we show that like TrIQ, tyrosine-induced quenching (TyrIQ) occurs for the fluorophore bimane in a distance-dependent fashion, although with some key differences. The Tyr “sphere of quenching” for bimane (≤10 A) is smaller than for Trp (≤15 A, Cα–Cα distance), and the size difference between the quenching residue (Tyr) and control (Phe) differs by only a hydroxyl group. Second, we show how TrIQ and TyrIQ can be used together to assess the magn...
Effect of cold and restraint on intracellular distribution of glutathione in rat liver.

SummaryThe effect of cold stress and restraint on intracellular distribution of liver GSH was studied and compared with nonstressed rats. The decrease in the rat liver NPSH compounds, which occurs in cold stress can be accounted for by the decrease of GSH in the soluble fraction of liver tissue. The mitochondrial NPSH, most of which is GSH, does not change significantly.
Mortality of elm leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) larvae exposed to insecticide bands applied to elm bark

Third instar elm leaf beetles, Xanthogaleruca luteola (Muller), were placed above insecticide bark bands on trunks of Siberian and ‘Urban’ elms and allowed to migrate across the bands. Carbaryl and bendiocarb applied at 0.5, 1 and 2%, and 0.2% esfenvalerate were effective on the day of application. Treatments of 1 and 2% carbaryl, 1 and 2% bendiocarb, and 0.2% esfenvalerate caused significant larval mortality 2 wk after application. The 0.2% esfenvalerate treatment was effective up to 8 wk after a late June application. With fluvalinate, only the 0.4% rate caused an acceptable level of larval mortality. A treatment of 2% phosmet was ineffective.
First Report of Gray Mold of Strawberry Caused by Botrytis cinerea in South Carolina

Gray mold caused by Botrytis spp. is one of the most economically important diseases of cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) worldwide. From April to June 2011, strawberries with symptoms resembling gray mold disease were collected from different locations (Chesnee, Florence, Lexington, McBee, Monetta, and North Augusta) in South Carolina. Fruit infections began as small, firm, light brown lesions that enlarged quickly, becoming covered with a gray, fuzzy mass of spores followed by a soft rot. To isolate the causal agent, spores from symptomatic fruit were suspended in 1% Tween 20, streaked onto the surface of potato dextrose agar plates, and incubated at 22°C. Fungal colonies from single spores were at first colorless and later became gray to brown when the conidiphores and conidia developed. Conidia were identified by their morphological characteristics: an average size of 14 × 9 μm, ellipsoid to rounded without internal structure, and with a scar on the point of union to the conidiophore (1). Sc...
Recognizing Congenital Myopathy in an Adult - A Case Report (P5.063)

Congenital myopathies are a group of genetic muscle disorders characterized by early onset weakness and hypotonia, slowly progressive with distinct structural abnormalities in muscle fibers. The congenital myopathies are under recognized and some are associated with life threatening respiratory and cardiac complications. Phenotypic clues are suggestive of certain congenital myopathies and may be confirmed with genetic testing. Limited access to genetic testing has been a major barrier to timely diagnosis. We report a 25-year-old male with an undiagnosed myopathy who developed respiratory failure. As a toddler, he fell easily, and had a weak neck. He ran slower than his peers, had normal cognition and was extremely thin. At age 13 he underwent scoliosis surgery and a muscle biopsy was considered “myopathic”. CPK and FSHD1 genetic testing were normal. He was seen at age 23 due to dyspnea. Neck flexion was 3-, neck extension 4, proximal arms 4, and 5- distally. He had weak hip flexors at 3, hip extensors and thigh adductors 4-, and normal distally. He had tight heel cords and a waddling gait. Over one week he had progressive difficulty lying flat, was confused, and found to be hypoxemic and hypercapnic in respiratory failure due to pneumonia, which improved with noninvasive ventilation. The following year genetic testing revealed a homozygous mutation in the selenoprotein (SEPN1) gene c.943G>A p.Gly315Ser. Discussion: The recognition of discriminating features of SEPN1 related myopathy may be life saving. Phenotypic characteristics include: • Mild weakness in childhood, slowly progressive, often axial • Most are ambulatory into adulthood • Rigidity of spine and scoliosis • Early respiratory failure often more severe than limb weakness • Slim build with difficulty gaining weight • Muscle Biopsy: fiber-type disproportion or “minicores” Timely diagnosis may provide anticipatory guidance and appropriate surveillance for improved quality of life. Disclosure: Dr. Grosmann has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jones has nothing to disclose.
Suppression of follicular phase pituitary-gonadal function by a potent new gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist with reduced histamine-releasing properties (ganirelix)

Objective To determine if daily subcutaneous doses of ganirelix will suppress and maintain E 2 ≤30 pg/mL (conversion factor to SI unit, 3.671), the serum profiles of LH and FSH during and after cessation of treatment, the time-course of the resumption of normal ovarian function after ganirelix cessation, and to identify side effects of daily treatment. Design Open-label nonrandomized clinical study. Setting Normal human volunteers in an academic research center. Patients Women 21 to 45 years of age, with documented ovulatory menstrual cycles. Interventions Ganirelix was administered subcutaneously daily for 8 days. Blood samples were obtained during dosing as well as before and after cessation of dosing. Main Outcome Measures Changes in serum E 2 , LH, FSH, P, and ganirelix. Results Ganirelix treatment rapidly decreased serum levels of gonadotropins and E 2 after both 1 and 2mg administration. Twenty-four hours after the first dose of ganirelix, E 2 decreased from a mean±SEM of 50±8 and 67±11 pg/mL at baseline to 25±4 and 20±3 in the 1mg and 2mg groups, respectively. Estradiol remained suppressed (mean levels Conclusions Daily ganirelix administration is effective in suppressing the pituitary-gonadal axis and has a side effect profile that should be well tolerated.
Condensed tannins and nutrient utilization by lambs and goats fed low-quality diets.

In the first of two experiments, four wether lambs (BW = 26.8 kg) and four wether Angora goats (BW = 31.7 kg) were used in two simultaneous 4 x 4 Latin squares to study the influence of condensed tannins (CT) on nutrient usage and concentrations of serum urea N, somatotropin (GH), and insulin (INS) when the animals were fed low-quality diets containing mountain mahogany (MM; Cercocarpus montanus) leaves. Diets were 8% CP and contained 25% or 50% MM (with hay or straw, respectively), either untreated or treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG; molecular weight 3,350) to reduce total reactive CT. Diets treated with PEG and 25% MM diets had less (P less than .05) CT than diets without PEG or those with 50% MM. Diets containing 50% MM resulted in greater N balance and lower serum urea N (P less than .01) than 25% MM diets. Concentrations of GH and INS were similar in animals fed the 25% and 50% MM diets. Reducing CT by adding PEG did not affect N balance or improve nutrient digestion by lambs or goats fed low-quality diets. In Exp. 2, four wether lambs (BW = 28.4 kg) were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square and fed the same diets as animals in Exp. 1 to study the influence of CT on ruminal fermentation and digesta kinetics. Dietary PEG treatment did not affect digesta kinetics except for a 30% increase in ruminal volume; 50% MM diets had faster particulate passage rates (P less than .05) than 25% MM diets. Ruminal ammonia N was greater (P less than .01) in lambs fed PEG-containing or 25% MM diets; however, rate of in situ NDF disappearance was not reduced by the lower ammonia N in the latter diets.
Serum response factor affects preinitiation complex formation by TFIID in vitro

Serum response factor (SRF), a transcription factor that binds to the serum response element (SRE) of the c-fos proto-oncogene, activates transcription of an SRE-containing reporter plasmid in vitro. We describe here preincubation experiments which indicate that SRF activates transcription by facilitating the formation of active preinitiation complexes. Full activation by SRF occurred if SRF was preincubated with the general transcription factors. However, if the general transcription factors were preincubated and SRF was added subsequently, only poor activation of transcription was observed. This suggests that SRF must be present during preinitiation complex formation and that this complex is refractory to activation if SRF is absent during its formation. We have fractionated the general transcription factors and found that only a highly purified fraction containing the TATA-binding factor TFIID (and other unidentified components) must be present during preincubation for maximal transcriptional induction by SRF. This supports a model in which SRF activates transcription by affecting the conformation of TFIID bound to the promoter. Also of interest was the finding that recombinant human TFIID expressed in bacteria cannot mediate SRF-activated transcription, although it does support basal transcription. These results suggest that SRF may affect TFIID via a cofactor or coactivator.
Highly Epileptiform Bursts Are Associated With Seizure Recurrence.

Purpose Pharmacologic sedation is often used to induce burst suppression in cases of refractory status epilepticus, but there is little evidence to guide the weaning of sedation. Similarly, the morphologic feature of bursts is of unknown clinical relevance. Recently, the standardized American Clinical Neurophysiology Society terminology of critical care EEG introduced the term highly epileptiform bursts (HEBs). Knowing the association of HEBs with seizure may direct the therapy for refractory status epilepticus. Methods Consecutive adult patients classified as having burst suppression were identified in our EEG database. Those of an anoxic etiology were excluded. Available EEG records were reviewed, both visually and quantitatively, for the presence of burst suppression. Using the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society terminology, burst suppression was dichotomized into HEBs or nonepileptiform bursts. Periods of transition out of burst suppression were identified, and whether burst suppression was followed by seizure or a continuous slow EEG within 24 hours was determined. Results Twenty-four patients were identified with a burst suppression pattern followed by either seizure or a continuous slow EEG within 24 hours, with some patients having multiple (maximal 5) transitions out of burst suppression, for a total of 33 examples of burst suppression. HEBs were associated with subsequent seizure (P = 0.0001), independent of medication exposure. Conclusions Whether or not HEBs are indeed predictive of recurrent seizure or may be used to direct the therapy for status epilepticus, specifically the weaning of anesthetic medications, requires further prospective study in a larger cohort of patients.
Some contributions of ethology to group therapy: dominance and hierarchies.

(1975). Some Contributions of Ethology to Group Therapy: Dominance and Hierarchies. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy: Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 227-235.
Autologous Fat Grafting for Pedal Fat Pad Atrophy: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background:Pedal fat pad atrophy is associated with pain, decreased tissue thickness, and increased foot pressures. To date, no objective studies investigating the use of fat grafting to the forefoot have been performed. The authors hypothesize that pedal fat grafting can reduce pain, increase tissu
Overcoming student classroom misbehaviours: a teaching case

Dr. Hansen is a college MIS professor who experienced student classroom misbehaviours while teaching a senior-level mobile app development course with a focus placed upon technical skills for developing mobile apps and games. While looking for solutions to discourage those student classroom misbehaviours, Dr. Hansen had a conversation with one of his friends, Dr. Choudary who is a professor teaching organisational behaviour at another university. After the conversation, Dr. Hansen learned from Dr. Choudary that human behaviours are goal-oriented, which may be used to explain those student classroom misbehaviours. Dr. Hansen wondered how he can apply motivation theories to discourage student classroom misbehaviours and motivate students to learn technical skills for developing mobile apps.
Mindfulness in PTSD treatment

In recent years, the field has witnessed considerable enthusiasm for the ancient practice of mindfulness. The skills derived from this experience, including focused attention, nonjudgmental acceptance of internal experiences and reduced autonomic reactivity, may be helpful in counteracting pathological responses to trauma. Several types of interventions that incorporate principles of mindfulness have been examined for treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This nascent literature is inconsistent and methodologically limited but does suggest that mindfulness is a potentially important tool for creating psychological change. The interventions described herein generally would not yet be considered first-line treatments for PTSD. Nonetheless, evidence is building, and mindfulness may provide an impetus for better understanding how to personalize psychological interventions and to evaluate their outcomes.
Distribution of intravascular and extravascular extracellular volume fractions for neovascularization assessment by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

This study proposes and investigates the distribution of intravascular and extravascular extracellular volume fractions (DIEEF) as a noninvasive biomarker for neovascularization assessment by DCE-MRI. Two estimation methods without knowing the artery input function are developed. The mean square error of DIEEF estimate in the presence of noise and incomplete data is analyzed. Simulation result shows that DIEEF can be accurately estimated even when signal to noise ratio is as low as 5 dB. Tested on a model of atherosclerotic rabbits, DIEEF of aorta plaques is positively correlated with the histological neovessel count with correlation coefficient of 0.940 and P-value of 0.017 and outperforms six existing semiquantitative parameters.
Time-domain electromagnetic scattering by a sphere in uniform translational motion.

Scattering by a uniformly translating sphere of a pulse that modulates the amplitude of a linearly polarized plane wave was formulated using the frame-hopping method involving a laboratory inertial reference frame and the sphere’s comoving inertial reference frame. The incident signal was defined in the laboratory frame and transformed to the comoving frame with the Lorentz transformation, thereby altering the incident signal’s spectrum, direction of propagation of the carrier plane wave, and the direction of the incident electric field, depending on the sphere’s velocity. In the comoving frame, the incident signal was Fourier-transformed to the frequency domain, and the scattered field phasors were computed in all directions using the constitutive parameters of the material of the sphere at rest. The scattered signal in the comoving frame was obtained using the inverse Fourier transform. Finally, the scattered signal in the laboratory frame was obtained by inverting the original Lorentz transformation. The backscattered signal was found to depend strongly on the sphere’s velocity, when the sphere’s speed is an appreciable fraction of the speed of light in free space. The change in the backscattered signal compared with the backscattered signal from a stationary sphere is the greatest when the sphere’s velocity is either parallel or antiparallel to the direction of propagation of the incident signal. The backscattered signal is also affected by motion transverse to the incident signal’s direction of propagation; then, the backscattered signal depends on whether or not the motion is aligned with the direction of the incident electric field.
Comprehensive Analysis of Sorption Enhanced Steam Methane Reforming in a Variable Volume Membrane Reactor

The use of combined reaction-separation processes in steam methane reforming (SMR) has recently received significant attention as an enticing route to meet the challenging requirements of distributed hydrogen production for fuel cell vehicles. While many of the investigations in recent literature focus solely on either CO2 adsorption or selective H2 membrane permeation to reduce the reactor footprint and the temperature required to drive the endothermic reaction in continuous flow reactors, the CHAMP-SORB is a new variable volume, transient batch reactor technology that utilizes both strategies simultaneously. Building upon our prior study in which we experimentally demonstrated the viability of CHAMP-SORB reactor concept on bench scale, this work focuses on understanding the heat/mass transfer and reaction/separation interactions to develop guidelines for the reactor scale-up. A combined transport-kinetic model is developed, including spatial variations of SMR reaction and CO2 adsorption rates within the...
Ligand-induced dynamics of heterotrimeric G protein-coupled receptor-like kinase complexes

Background Arabidopsis, 7-transmembrane Regulator of G signaling protein 1 (AtRGS1) modulates canonical G protein signaling by promoting the inactive state of heterotrimeric G protein complex on the plasma membrane. It is known that plant leucine-rich repeat receptor–like kinases (LRR RLKs) phosphorylate AtRGS1 in vitro but little is known about the in vivo interaction, molecular dynamics, or the cellular consequences of this interaction. Methods Therefore, a subset of the known RLKs that phosphorylate AtRGS1 were selected for elucidation, namely, BAK1, BIR1, FLS2. Several microscopies for both static and dynamic protein-protein interactions were used to follow in vivo interactions between the RLKs and AtRGS1 after the presentation of the Pathogen-associated Molecular Pattern, Flagellin 22 (Flg22). These microscopies included Forster Resonance Energy Transfer, Bimolecular Fluoresence Complementation, and Cross Number and Brightness Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy. In addition, reactive oxygen species and calcium changes in living cells were quantitated using luminometry and R-GECO1 microscopy. Results The LRR RLKs BAK1 and BIR1, interact with AtRGS1 at the plasma membrane. The RLK ligand flg22 sets BAK1 in motion toward AtRGS1 and BIR1 away, both returning to the baseline orientations by 10 minutes. The C-terminal tail of AtRGS1 is important for the interaction with BAK1 and for the tempo of the AtRGS1/BIR1 dynamics. This window of time corresponds to the flg22-induced transient production of reactive oxygen species and calcium release which are both attenuated in the rgs1 and the bak1 null mutants. Conclusions A temporal model of these interactions is proposed. flg22 binding induces nearly instantaneous dimerization between FLS2 and BAK1. Phosphorylated BAK1 interacts with and enables AtRGS1 to move away from BIR1 and AtRGS1 becomes phosphorylated leading to its endocytosis thus leading to de-repression by permitting AtGPA1 to exchange GDP for GTP. Finally, the G protein complex becomes dissociated thus AGB1 interacts with its effector proteins leading to changes in reactive oxygen species and calcium.
Ratchet-like polypeptide translocation mechanism of the AAA+ disaggregase Hsp104.

Hsp100 polypeptide translocases are conserved members of the AAA+ family (adenosine triphosphatases associated with diverse cellular activities) that maintain proteostasis by unfolding aberrant and toxic proteins for refolding or proteolytic degradation. The Hsp104 disaggregase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae solubilizes stress-induced amorphous aggregates and amyloids. The structural basis for substrate recognition and translocation is unknown. Using a model substrate (casein), we report cryo–electron microscopy structures at near-atomic resolution of Hsp104 in different translocation states. Substrate interactions are mediated by conserved, pore-loop tyrosines that contact an 80-angstrom-long unfolded polypeptide along the axial channel. Two protomers undergo a ratchet-like conformational change that advances pore loop–substrate interactions by two amino acids. These changes are coupled to activation of specific nucleotide hydrolysis sites and, when transmitted around the hexamer, reveal a processive rotary translocation mechanism and substrate-responsive flexibility during Hsp104-catalyzed disaggregation.
Preliminary investigation of particle mobility enhancement in electrophoretic deposition with modulated electric fields

This paper presents a preliminary empirical characterization of modulated electric signal waveforms used to manipulate particles in colloids and deposit them on a substrate. Particle mobility enhancement is demonstrated by the combination of AC and DC electric signals inside of an adapted electrolytic cell, which acts as a lower order model for a micro-additive manufacturing process, currently under development. Square wave waveforms are found to be suitable candidates for a primary actuation signal for the micro additive manufacturing prototype device.
Surrogate end points in early prostate cancer clinical states: ready for implementation?

The prostate cancer disease continuum is best conceptualized as a series of clinical states starting from localized disease (which is curable, in some) and often progressing to biochemically-recurrent disease, to non-metastatic or metastatic castration-resistant disease, and finally to lethal prostate cancer (1). Accordingly, a major decrease in the recurrence rate or death from prostate cancer after primary definitive therapy could potentially be achieved with more effective adjuvant therapies. For patients with localized prostate cancer, treatment options for definite therapy include surgery or radiation, with approximately one-third of these men experiencing disease recurrence (2).