cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydromechanics: Poroelasticity as a Simple Case

Poroelasticity is traditionally used to describe the coupling between the solid and the interpenetrating fluid. In other words, it is an area of studying the movement/flow of material points in both liquid phase and solid skeleton. There are two major parts for poroelasticity: static (or quasi-static) and dynamic theories. The static poroelasticity accounts for a process in which the water movement and solid skeleton deformation occur simultaneously and affect each other. Therefore, it can be termed as hydromechanics according to the convention adopted in this book. This static poroelasticity theory is a generalization of the consolidation theory in soil mechanics. In this chapter, the definitions of the basic terms in poroelasticity, including phase compositions, stresses, and strains will be discussed first. Then static poroelasticity and dynamic poroelasticity will be introduced consequently. A practice problem derived from a classic poroelasticity problem for static poroelasticity will be presented for the numerical implementation of the theory.
Are there Significant Gradients of PO2 in Cells

It is widely recognized that the intracellular oxygen tension (pO2) plays an important role in cellular function and metabolism. In experimental and theoretical considerations involving the role of the pO2 the values that are used usually are those for the pO2 at the exterior of cells, because these values can be more readily measured. Such an approach is based on the assumption that the intracellular pO2 is very similar to the extracellular pO2 because oxygen freely diffuses across cell membranes and within cells, at a rate that is similar to that in the extracellular media. For the past several years we have been developing and applying electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques to test directly whether there are intracellular gradients of pO2 and if so, where they occur and what factors determine them. We previously reported significant gradients between the average pO2 in the intracellular and extracellular compartments in cell suspensions (Glockner 1989). More recently we developed techniques that enabled us to measure simultaneously the concentration of oxygen within a specific compartment, the phagosomes of activated macrophages, and the extracellular compartment and found gradients of up to 48 μM under some conditions (James 1995). The precise mechanism of the intracellular-extracellular oxygen gradient remains uncertain. The possibilities include that the diffusion of oxygen is not as free as assumed (e.g. that the cell membrane can act as a barrier) and the occurrence of active transport of O2 out of the cells.
Evaluation of accuracy dependence of Raman spectroscopic models on the ratio of calibration and validation points for non-invasive glucose sensing

The authors would like to bring to the reader’s attention that the Clarke error grid plot presented in Fig. 3 was generated using codes adapted from following reference.
How do people read the passages during a reading comprehension test? The effect of reading purpose on text processing behavior

In this study, we investigate the effect of reading purpose on students’ processing behavior during a reading comprehension test. In a repeated measures design, sixty undergraduates answered multip...
Molecular determinants of post-mastectomy breast cancer recurrence.

Breast cancer (BC) adjuvant therapy after mastectomy in the setting of 1–3 positive lymph nodes has been controversial. This retrospective Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium study evaluated molecular aberrations in primary cancers associated with locoregional recurrence (LRR) or distant metastasis (DM) compared to non-recurrent controls. We identified 115 HER2 negative, therapy naive, T 1–3 and N 0-1 BC patients treated with mastectomy but no post-mastectomy radiotherapy. This included 32 LRR, 34 DM, and 49 controls. RNAseq was performed on primary tumors in 110 patients; with no difference in RNA profiles between patients with LRR, DM, or controls. DNA analysis on 57 primary tumors (17 LRR, 15 DM, and 25 controls) identified significantly more NF1 mutations and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway gene mutations in patients with LRR (24%, 47%) and DM (27%, 40%) compared to controls (0%, 0%; p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0070, respectively). Three patients had matched primary vs. LRR samples, one patient had a gain of a NF1 mutation in the LRR. There was no significant difference between the groups for PTEN loss or cleaved caspase 3 expression. The mean percentage Ki 67 labeling index was higher in patients with LRR (29.2%) and DM (26%) vs. controls (14%, p = 0.0045). In summary, mutations in the MAPK pathway, specifically NF1, were associated with both LRR and DM, suggesting that alterations in MAPK signaling are associated with a more aggressive tumor phenotype. Validation of these associations in tissues from randomized trials may support targeted therapy to reduce breast cancer recurrence.
Sounding Dismodernism in James Joyce's Ulysses

The article argues that James Joyce’s use of a wide variety of methods to read and write (including audiobooks, dictation, and enlarged print) provides a new way to understand the representation of disability in Ulysses. Focusing in particular on the role of dictation in versions of Ulysses (both by Joyce and later readers), the article recuperates the novel’s various challenges to a culture of silent reading. Written texts and audiobooks supposedly serve separate audiences, deserve different levels of cultural prestige, and create divergent means of consuming literature. This article connects this false binary with that between the disabled and normate body to demonstrate how both combine to enforce a culture of compulsory able-bodiedness. Joining the methods and insights of textual criticism and disability studies, the article makes the case for a more capacious account of the novel’s writing that could serve as a model for research on other writers with disabilities and non-print versions of books.
Quality of End-of-Life Care and Its Association with Nurse Practice Environments in U.S. Hospitals

Objectives The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to describe the quality of end‐of‐life care in US hospitals from the perspective of hospital nurses; and (2) to evaluate the relationship between the nurse practice environment and end‐of‐life care quality. Design Cross‐sectional analysis of multiple linked secondary data sources. PARTICIPANTS and SETTING A total of 12,870 direct care registered nurses in 491 acute‐care hospitals. Measurements Measures of end‐of‐life care quality and nurse practice environment were derived from the 2016 RN4CAST‐US survey of nurses. Nurses reported on end‐of‐life care quality for patients for whom death within a year would not be surprising. Nurse practice environment was measured using the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, a National Quality Forum validated scale. Results Most nurses gave their hospitals an unfavorable evaluation of end‐of‐life care overall (58%) and said patients often experience painful procedures that were unlikely to change their outcome (53%). The best predictor of poor quality was the nurse practice environment. Nurses in the best environments were 55% less likely than nurses in poor environments to rate their hospital's overall end‐of‐life care quality unfavorably (odds ratio = 0.45; 95% confidence interval = 0.39–0.52; P < .001). Conclusion Quality of end‐of‐life care in US hospitals is imperfect and is significantly worse in hospitals with poor nurse practice environments than in hospitals with the best environments. This study reinforces the importance of nurses in providing high‐quality end‐of‐life care. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:302–308, 2019.
The joint structure of maladaptive personality traits and psychopathology

Abstract We examined the joint structure of symptoms/syndromes of psychopathology (MMPI-2 Restructured-Clinical Scales; MMPI-2-RC; Tellegen et al., 2003) and maladaptive personality traits (Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality; SNAP-2; Clark, Simms, Wu, & Casillas, 2014) via a series of top-down factor analyses—Goldberg (2006) “bass-ackwards approach”—in a sample of 419 mental-health outpatients and 567 military veterans. A three-factor solution consisting of Negative Affectivity (including Oddity), Low Positive Affectivity, and Disinhibition-versus-Constraint best represented the joint symptom-trait structure, consistent with the third level of Markon et al. (2005) joint hierarchical structure of normal and maladaptive personality traits. Our results point to robustness of the structure of adaptive and maladaptive personality traits and symptoms of psychopathology at the three-factor level.
Management of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Introduction: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a neuropathological disease defined by perivascular hyperphosphorylated tau protein depositions in a patchy distribution at the depths of cor...
Spectroscopic Studies of Nerves

Light-scattering techniques were used in studies of nerves, both at rest and at different levels of steady-state polarizations. The techniques employed quazi-elastic autocorrelation, Raman and infrared spectroscopies. Observations were made on the walking leg nerves of the lobster (Homarus americanus) and the connectives between the cerebropleural and buccal ganglia of a sea slug (Pleurobranchaea californica). Autocorrelation spectroscopy indicates that the scattering particles are time-independent. The properties of the autocorrelation functions are related to the degree of applied polarization and indicate a change in the scattering diameter as a function of the polarization. Raman spectroscopy indicates vibrational bands which closely resemble the Raman spectrum of ribonucleoprotein complexes. Infrared spectrum from a denatured nerve system is similar to the one obtained by Raman spectroscopy and indicates phospholipid structures. Influence of probe dyes on nerve systems were examined and changes were reversible.
APPLYING ARGUMENTATION ANALYSIS TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF UNIVERSITY OCEANOGRAPHY STUDENTS' SCIENTIFIC WRITING

The purpose of this paper is to present the methods and results of our assessment of students’ scientific writing. This study was conducted in an introductory oceanography course in a large public university that used an interactive CD-ROM, “Our Dynamic Planet.” The CD-ROM provided students with geological data including earthquake locations and depths, volcanic locations, topographic elevations, heat flow distributions, and the relative age of islands which they may use to build their arguments regarding plate tectonics. We examined 24 student papers from this course and analyzed the quality of their written arguments by using two methods: (1) a grading rubric and (2) an argumentation analysis model. Quantitative analysis comparing the assessments made by these two methods produced disparate results. Through the presentation of samples of student writing, we demonstrate the application of the argumentation model. Finally, we discuss ways of using argumentation to help students understand how to tie data to theoretical assertions and to provide ways for students and teachers to assess the uses of evidence in scientific writing.
‘Leave no one behind’? The exclusion of persons with disabilities by development NGOs

Persons with disabilities have a right to be included in international development, yet persons with disabilities in the Global South are overwhelmingly excluded from development-related activities...
Survival Trends in Essential Thrombocythemia in the Face of Changing Treatment Practices

Abstract Background: Hydroxyurea has been the mainstay of cytoreductive therapy in essential thrombocythemia (ET) for over four decades. In 1988, anagrelide was first reported as an effective drug in ET (Silverstein et al. NEJM 1988;318:1292) and hundreds of patients were enrolled in clinical trials, which subsequently led to FDA approval in 1997. As a result, an increasing number of patients with ET were being treated with anagrelide until a subsequent controlled study suggested an inferior treatment outcome with anagrelide compared to hydroxyurea (Harrison et al. NEJM 2005;353:33). In the current study, we examined the impact of the corresponding practice changes on overall, myelofibrosis-free and leukemia-free survival, by comparing patients with ET diagnosed before 1988, between 1988 and 1997, and between 1998 and 2005 Methods: More than 45,000 patient charts with "thrombocytosis" were reviewed to identify those who met either PVSG (older patient cohort) or WHO criteria for diagnosis of ET. Survival was calculated from time of initial diagnosis to the time of last follow-up or death. For leukemia- or fibrosis-free survival, the time of the transformation events was considered as the uncensored variable. Conventional statistics was utilized for all analyses. Patients were divided into three groups commensurate with changes in treatment practices, corresponding to the aforementioned publications; Group 1 patients were diagnosed prior to 1988 (n =222), Group 2 1988 to 1997 (n =253), and Group 3 1998 to 2005 (n =264). Results: A total of 739 patients met the above-stipulated criteria (median age 57 years; 65% females). At a median follow-up of 12.2 years (range: 0.01-43.6 years), 368 (50%) deaths, 48 (6.5%) fibrotic transformations and 23 (3%) leukemic transformations were documented. Median overall survival (OS) was 18.6 years. On multivariable analysis, older age (P Comparison of presenting features and outcome by period of diagnosis: Significant differences, in presenting features, between groups 1, 2, and 3 included age (median 55, 56, and 59 years, respectively; P =0.003), female preponderance (68, 69, and 58%, respectively; P =0.02), platelet count (1080, 995, and 890 x 10(9)/L, respectively; P Conclusions: The results from the current retrospective study suggest increased rate of progression to myelofibrosis in ET patients diagnosed in the anagrelide era, an observation that is consistent with the results from a previous controlled study (Harrison et al. NEJM 2005;353:33). Regardless, survival in ET in the last four decades remains unchanged. Download : Download high-res image (115KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 1 . Download : Download high-res image (87KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 2 . Disclosures Pardanani: Stemline: Research Funding.
BurScale: Using Burstable Instances for Cost-Effective Autoscaling in the Public Cloud

Cloud providers have recently introduced burstable instances - virtual machines whose CPU capacity is rate limited by token-bucket mechanisms. A user of a burstable instance is able to burst to a much higher resource capacity ("peak rate") than the instance's long-term average capacity ("sustained rate"), provided the bursts are short and infrequent. A burstable instance tends to be much cheaper than a conventional instance that is always provisioned for the peak rate. Consequently, cloud providers advertise burstable instances as cost-effective options for customers with intermittent needs and small (e.g., single VM) clusters. By contrast, this paper presents two novel usage scenarios for burstable instances in larger clusters with sustained usage. We demonstrate (i) how burstable instances can be utilized alongside conventional instances to handle the transient queueing arising from variability in traffic, and (ii) how burstable instances can mask the VM startup/warmup time when autoscaling to handle flash crowds. We implement our ideas in a system called BurScale and use it to demonstrate cost-effective autoscaling for two important workloads: (i) a stateless web server cluster, and (ii) a stateful Memcached caching cluster. Results from our prototype system show that via its careful combination of burstable and regular instances, BurScale can ensure similar application performance as traditional autoscaling systems that use all regular instances while reducing cost by up to 50%.
The small-angle neutron scattering extension in MCNPX and the SANS cross section for nanodiamonds

Abstract Detonation nanodiamonds provide an intriguing prospect for the development of a very cold neutron (VCN) source or as a high albedo material for VCN reflection helping to control leakage of cold and very cold neutrons in a moderator. The investigation of source and reflector designs necessitates the development of new simulation tools for existing Monte Carlo codes that include small angle neutron scattering (SANS). The SANS extension in MCNPX 2.7 provides an analytical model of hard-sphere scattering with variable scattering particle sizes, size distributions, and packing fractions in order to supplement currently existing scattering kernels as well as the capability to read an experimentally determined small angle neutron scattering profile from a data file. The SANS extension is discussed and compared to nanodiamond SANS measurements.
The State Schema: Seeing Politics through Morality and Capacity

The aims of conservative activists are broadly characterized as anti-state. But an ethnographic case study of a rural activist chapter reveals a range of anti- and pro-state attitudes. Existing concepts for studying the idea people hold of the state, such as the “state effect,” are inadequate for understanding such multidimensional views. To make sense of the chapter’s seemingly contradictory views of the state, I demonstrate how their “state schema” characterizes the three levels of the federal government and a rural-majority 51st state they envision founding as (im)moral and (in)capable.
Metallic and Crustal Elements in Biomass-Burning Aerosol and Ash: Prevalence, Significance, and Similarity to Soil Particles

The morphology and composition of laboratory-generated biomass-burning aerosol (BBA) and bottom ash particles from authentic fuels were determined using transmission and scanning electron microscop...
Exploring the Relationship Between Collaborative Discourse, Programming Actions, and Cybersecurity and Computational Thinking Knowledge

Computational thinking (CT) skills are necessary for solving the real-world problems of today and are therefore being incorporated into K-12 curricula. Cybersecurity is of similar importance; however, it can be difficult for young learners to grasp the required concepts and use them to construct meaningful algorithms. We discuss our approach that combines a hands-on robotics platform with a block-based programming environment to facilitate the learning and application of cybersecurity and CT concepts. Throughout a week-long intervention, high school students were introduced to cybersecurity and CT and given the opportunity to apply this knowledge in a collaborative setting to solve security problems on the robotics platform with instructor and peer support. A series of competitions between groups of students further motivated students to translate their learned concepts to practice, often leading to breakthroughs as students incorporated new algorithms into their existing projects to counteract previous security flaws. We present evidence of the learning behaviors of several such groups through mixed-method case studies integrating data collected from learning performance, collaborative discourse, and analysis of program development. We discuss the impact of this approach on cybersecurity and CT learning and then present future directions for this work.
Enhanced phasic and attenuated tonic release of striatal dopamine in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

1849 Objectives Studies have reported either hypo or hyperactive dopaminergic activity in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The disagreement could be due to measurement of either tonic or phasic release of dopamine. Studies that have measured the tonic release have found reduced activity and hyperactivity is observed in studies that have measured the phasic release. We therefore hypothesized that in ADHD the tonic release is reduced and phasic release is enhanced. This hypothesis was examined using a dynamic molecular imaging technique (1-7). Methods We measured tonic and phasic release of striatal dopamine in ADHD patients (n=20) and healthy control volunteers (n=20). The phasic release was measured during performance of Eriksen’s flanker task. Volunteers were positioned in a PET camera and administered an IV bolus of a dopamine receptor ligand (11C-raclopride). Thereafter, they were asked to perform the task under a control (congruent) and a test (incongruent) condition. To measure the tonic release, volunteers were asked to stay still in the camera after the ligand administration. In all experiments PET data were acquired dynamically at 30 sec intervals and data analyzed using modified simplified reference tissue models (8, 9). Results We observed higher (3.05±0.85) ligand binding potential in ADHD patients in comparison with healthy volunteers (2.68±0.69) at rest. It indicates attenuated tonic pool in patients. During task performance dopamine release was detected bilaterally in the caudate and putamen of ADHD volunteers while it was found only in the left caudate and bilateral putamen in healthy subjects. Additionally, after task initiation there was greater reduction in the ligand BP in the ADHD group (0.27±0.40), as compared to that in healthy group (0.01±0.27). These data indicate increased phasic release in ADHD during task performance. Conclusions In ADHD tonic release of dopamine is attenuated and there is compensatory enhancement of phasic release. Research Support NIH (1R01NS073884;1R21MH073624) and VA (CX000479; CX000780) grants
A Novel Metric for Detecting Anomalous Ship Behavior Using a Variation of the DBSCAN Clustering Algorithm

There is a growing need to quickly and accurately identify anomalous behavior in ships. This paper applies a variation of the Density Based Spatial Clustering Among Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm to identify such anomalous behavior given a ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. This variation of the DBSCAN algorithm has been previously introduced in the literature, and in this study, we elucidate and explore the mathematical details of this algorithm, we introduce a novel anomaly metric which is more statistically informative than the one previously suggested, and we study the asymptotic properties of this metric.
To Use or Not to Use? the Status of Waivers in Intramural Sports:

Slightly more than 90% of university campus recreational sport administrators indicated that participants had incurred broken bones, fractures, or neck injuries in the past five years due to participation in an intramural sport activity. Greater than 40% of administrators revealed that more than seven participants had been injured to the extent that emergency medical service or hospitalization was needed. Yet, more than half of the respondents did not believe waivers provided protection from legal action. Waivers have often been viewed as being ineffective; however, courts are more frequently upholding them as exculpatory evidence, especially when the waiver is specific to the activity and the potential risks are identified. Thus, a waiver can be effective in both deterring and winning litigation brought against an organization if it is developed and administered in a way that will allow its power to protect the organization.
WE-B-210-01: Introduction

In the last fifteen years, the introduction of plane or diverging wave transmissions rather than line by line scanning focused beams has broken the conventional barriers of ultrasound imaging. By using such large field of view transmissions, the frame rate reaches the theoretical limit of physics dictated by the ultrasound speed and an ultrasonic map can be provided typically in tens of micro-seconds (several thousands of frames per second). Interestingly, this leap in frame rate is not only a technological breakthrough but it permits the advent of completely new ultrasound imaging modes, including shear wave elastography, electromechanical wave imaging, ultrafast doppler, ultrafast contrast imaging, and even functional ultrasound imaging of brain activity (fUltrasound) introducing Ultrasound as an emerging full-fledged neuroimaging modality. At ultrafast frame rates, it becomes possible to track in real time the transient vibrations – known as shear waves – propagating through organs. Such “human body seismology” provides quantitative maps of local tissue stiffness whose added value for diagnosis has been recently demonstrated in many fields of radiology (breast, prostate and liver cancer, cardiovascular imaging, …). Today, Supersonic Imagine company is commercializing the first clinical ultrafast ultrasound scanner, Aixplorer with real time Shear Wave Elastography. This is the first example of an ultrafast Ultrasound approach surpassing the research phase and now widely spread in the clinical medical ultrasound community with an installed base of more than 1000 Aixplorer systems in 54 countries worldwide. For blood flow imaging, ultrafast Doppler permits high-precision characterization of complex vascular and cardiac flows. It also gives ultrasound the ability to detect very subtle blood flow in very small vessels. In the brain, such ultrasensitive Doppler paves the way for fUltrasound (functional ultrasound imaging) of brain activity with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution compared to fMRI. Combined with contrast agents, our group demonstrated that Ultrafast Ultrasound Localization could provide a first in vivo and non invasive imaging modality at microscopic scales deep into organs. Many of these ultrafast modes should lead to major improvements in ultrasound screening, diagnosis, and therapeutic monitoring. Learning Objectives: 1. Achieve familiarity with recent advances in ultrafast ultrasound imaging technology. 2. Develop an understanding of potential applications of ultrafast ultrasound imaging for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. Dr. Tanter is a co-founder of Supersonic Imagine,a French company positioned in the field of medical ultrasound imaging and therapy.
Formalized software development in an industrial environment

In the IBM Boeblingen Laboratory some software was experimentally developed in the framework of a "traditional" life-cycle model where precise semantics were introduced very early in the development process through the use of a formal specification method.
Vegetation dynamics contributes to the multi-decadal variability of precipitation in the Amazon region

[1] Precipitation in most of the Amazon shows multi-decadal fluctuations that were linked to oceanic forcing in the Atlantic. This modeling study shows that vegetation dynamics may play a major role in such low-frequency variability in the Amazon. Despite the large amount of annual precipitation, the presence of a dry season (albeit short) facilitates a strong impact of dynamic vegetation on precipitation persistence in the model. The year-to-year variation of net primary productivity (NPP) is dominated by that of the dry season NPP. As a result, above-normal (below-normal) precipitation in a particular year can enhance (suppress) vegetation growth, leading to widespread increase (decrease) of vegetation density in the subsequent year. Precipitation in the subsequent year is therefore more likely to be above (below) normal. This damping effect of vegetation enhances low-frequency variability of precipitation and leads to recurrent droughts or floods, a result previously considered characteristic of arid and semi-arid regions.
Method for detection and measurement of impurities in plasmas formed and compressed to magnetized target fusion conditions

Summary form only given. Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) is a means to compress plasmas to fusion conditions that uses magnetic fields to greatly reduce electron thermal conduction, thereby greatly reducing compression power density requirements. A principal technical risk is transport of impurities into the plasma during formation and compression. One way to detect and measure such impurities is to use time and space resolved vacuum ultra violet spectroscopy. An inexpensive way to attempt this is to use arrays of silicon PIN or similar detectors, with different filters and the use of spectrum deconvolution techniques for time resolved spectral resolution, and to use two or more such arrays with collimation for spatial resolution. Some analytic and numerical studies, using a proposed array of 12 different response functions via different filtered 250 micron thick Si PIN detectors, indicate that this approach is feasible during compression, and perhaps prior to compression.
Europe during Napoleon and after

The revolution, which towards the end of the eighteenth century swept away the ‘ancien regime’ in France, also brought about a complete change in medical and surgical education. The old ‘Facultes de Medecine’ and the Paris ‘College de Chirurgie’ dating from 1750 were abolished. ‘Ecoles de Sante’, established in Paris, Montpellier and Strasbourg, were to take over and teach an integrated course, which meant that henceforth surgery was on a par with internal medicine. Great importance was attached to the observation and treatment of patients: ‘Peu lire, beaucoup voir et beaucoup faire’, was the maxim adopted by Antoine-Francois Fourcroy (1755–1809), one of the authors of the reformation.
Path-Based system level stimuli generation

Over the last few years, there has been increasing emphasis on integrating ready-made components (IP, cores) into complex System on a Chip (SoC) designs. The verification of such designs poses new challenges. At the heart of these challenges lies the requirement to verify the integration of several previously designed components in a relatively short time. Simulation-based methods are the main verification vehicle used for system-level functional verification of SoC designs; therefore, stimuli generation plays an important role in this field. Our work offers a solution for efficiently dealing with the verification of systems with multiple configurations and derivative systems, a common challenge in the context of system verification. We present a generation scheme in which the system behavior is defined using a combination of transaction-based modeling, local component behavior, and the topology of the system. We show how this approach allows the implementation of the verification plan using high level constructs and promotes the reuse of verification IP between systems. The ideas described below were implemented as part of X-Gen, a system-level test-case generator developed and used in IBM.
Preconditioning attenuates apoptosis and necrosis: Role of protein kinase Cε and -δ isoforms

Preconditioning reduces cardiomyocyte necrosis in vivo and in vitro, but it is unknown whether preconditioning blocks apoptosis. We wanted to compare the effects of preconditioning on necrosis and ...
Plasma ceramides are elevated in overweight Holstein dairy cows experiencing greater lipolysis and insulin resistance during the transition from late pregnancy to early lactation

Insulin resistance is a homeorhetic adaptation to parturition in dairy cows transitioning from late pregnancy to early lactation. An increase in prepartum adiposity can predispose periparturient cows to greater lipolysis and insulin resistance, thus increasing the risk for metabolic disease. Mechanisms mediating the development of insulin resistance in overweight peripartal dairy cows may depend on ceramide metabolism. The sphingolipid ceramide accumulates in plasma and tissues of overweight monogastric animals, and facilitates saturated fatty acid-induced insulin resistance. Considering this evidence, we hypothesized that plasma ceramides would be elevated in periparturient dairy cattle and that these sphingolipids would correlate with the magnitude of lipolysis and insulin resistance. To test our central hypothesis, multiparous Holstein cows were allocated into 2 groups according to their body condition score (BCS) at d -30 prepartum: lean (BCS 4.0; n=11). Blood samples were collected at d -45, -30, -15, and -7, relative to expected parturition, and at d 4 postpartum. Plasma glucose, insulin, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentrations were measured, and insulin sensitivity was estimated. The concentrations of individual plasma ceramide and glycosylated ceramide were determined using liquid chromatography-based mass spectrometry. Results demonstrated that greater adiposity was associated with a greater loss in body condition during late pregnancy. Overweight cows had greater circulating concentrations of glucose, insulin, and NEFA, and lower insulin sensitivity relative to lean cows. We detected 30 different sphingolipids across 6 lipid classes with acyl chains ranging from 16 to 26 carbons. The most abundant plasma sphingolipids detected were C24:0-ceramide, C24:0-monohexosylceramide, and C16:0-lactosylceramide. Plasma concentrations of total ceramide and monohexosylceramide increased as lactation approached, and saturated ceramide and monohexosylceramide were elevated in cows with greater adiposity relative to those with a lean phenotype. Plasma ceramides (e.g., C24:0-ceramide) were positively correlated with plasma NEFA and inversely correlated with insulin sensitivity. Our data demonstrate a remodeled plasma sphingolipidome in dairy cows transitioning from late pregnancy to lactation characterized by a concomitant increase in plasma ceramides with the development of peripartal insulin resistance.
The quantum group SUq(2) and a q-analogue of the boson operators

A new realisation of the quantum group SUq(2) is constructed by means of a q-analogue to the Jordan-Schwinger mapping, determining thereby both the complete representation structure and q-analogues to the Wigner and Racah operators. To achieve this realisation, a new elementary object is defined, a q-analogue to the harmonic oscillator. The uncertainty relation for position and momentum in a q-harmonic oscillator is quite unusual.
A PPLO Slide Agglutination Test for the Detection of Infectious Sinusitis of Turkeys

ABSTRACT SINCE 1953, this laboratory has utilized the serum slide agglutination test for the detection of pleuropneumonia-like organism (PPLO) infections in turkeys. Jungherr et al. (1955) and Crawley and Fahey (1957) suggested that the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and the tube agglutination tests were the most satisfactory to detect PPLO infection in poultry. Recently, Hofstad (1957) found that an antigen prepared from organisms grown in a basal chicken tissue medium was unsatisfactory for the detection of PPLO agglutinins in turkey sera by slide agglutination tests. The present paper reports the detection of PPLO infection in turkeys by the serum plate test and the use of this procedure in diagnosis and control of infectious sinusitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS The method of isolation of PPLO from chickens and turkeys was previously described (Adler et al., 1954) but a few modifications were used in this current study. The enrichments in the overlay fluid were 1% . . .
Antisickling effects of an endogenous human alpha-like globin.

Gene replacement or gene reactivation therapies for sickle-cell disease (SCD) typically target the mutant βS-globin subunits of hemoglobin-S (α2βS2) for substitution by nonpathological β-like globins. Here we show, in vitro and in vivo in a transgenic mouse model of SCD, that the adverse properties of hemoglobin-S can be reversed by exchanging its normal α-globin subunits for ζ-globin, an endogenous, developmentally silenced, non-β-like globin.
Proof Without Words: The Alternating Harmonic Series Sums to ln 2

We demonstrate graphically the result that the alternating harmonic series sums to the natural logarithm of two. This is accomplished through a sequence of strategic replacements of rectangles with...
Divergent Patterns of Engagement in Internet Standardization: Japan, Korea and China

This article analyzes the engagement of Japanese, Korean and Chinese participants in the development of Internet standards at IETF on the basis of four quantitative metrics: attendance, patenting, authorship and leadership. The results are strikingly divergent. Japanese involvement in Internet standardization began early and Japan was, for many years, second only to the U.S. in terms of IETF participation. Though Japanese participation has declined since the early 2000s, Japan remains a major contributor to IETF standardization. Korean involvement in IETF has always been significant, but below the levels of Japan and major European countries. Korean participation in IETF has also declined over the past decade, and has been dominated by one firm, Samsung. Though meaningful Chinese involvement in IETF did not begin until the mid-2000s, it has rapidly expanded in recent years. Today, China is a major player in numerous areas of Internet standardization in terms of three metrics (participation, patenting and leadership), and is rapidly gaining in terms of document authorship as well. Most of China’s recent IETF involvement can be attributed to Huawei, though other Chinese firms have recently begun to increase their participation in the organization. Thus, contrary to some views that China’s engagement with standardization is primarily one of indigenous innovation and “catching up”, China’s experience with IETF demonstrates deliberate and effective engagement with a major Western standards-development organization on its own terms.
RNA Interference: Big Applause for Silencing in Stockholm

Eight years ago, Craig Mello, Andrew Fire, and their coworkers provided the first demonstration that double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) triggers the gene-silencing technique that we now call RNA interference (RNAi). For this landmark discovery, Mello and Fire are honored with this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Rate sensitivity of blood pressure to hypoxia

A biochemical kinetic model is used to describe changes in mean arterial blood pressure in dogs to three different rates of fall of arterial partial pressure of oxygen. The model is a linear loop with one variable rate coefficient (parametric control) which has been previously shown to characterize the rate sensitivity to presented stimuli. A three component model was identified under a least squares criterion and it showed that a unique (stimulation independent) representation can be obtained which can serve as a conceptual framework for the study of this phenomenon.
Efficient reductions among lattice problems

We give various deterministic polynomial time reductions among approximation problems on point lattices. Our reductions are both efficient and robust, in the sense that they preserve the rank of the lattice and approximation factor achieved. Our main result shows that for any γ ≥ 1, approximating all the successive minima of a lattice (and, in particular, approximately solving the Shortest Independent Vectors Problem, SIVPγ) within a factor γ reduces under deterministic polynomial time rank-preserving reductions to approximating the Closest Vector Problem (CVP) within the same factor γ. This solves an open problem posed by Blomer in (ICALP 2000). As an application, we obtain faster algorithms for the exact solution of SIVP that run in time n! · sO(1) (where n is the rank of the lattice, and s the size of the input,) improving on the best previously known solution of Blomer (ICALP 2000) by a factor 3n. We also show that SIVP, CVP and many other lattice problems are equivalent in their exact version under deterministic polynomial time rank-preserving reductions.
Animal Models of Recovery with Training after Central Nervous System Lesions

SummaryAnimal studies revealed that training with techniques of instrumental conditioning produces another phase of functional recovery beyond spontaneous recovery after CNS lesions. Such conditioned behaviour is difficult to transfer to an unconditioned or another conditioned response. Conditioned and unconditioned behaviours are mediated through different pathways and mechanisms. Conditioned behaviour requires less specific pathways and can probably be achieved as long as the basic spinal mechanisms are activated. Other studies showed that reflex recovery can be maximized through non-specific training, probably by protecting the neuromuscular system from deterioration. However, such a programme does not appear to improve the reflexes beyond the level attributable to spontaneous recovery, nor to facilitate the rate of recovery. If the training is specifically directed towards augmentation of a particular reflex, the reflex can be improved beyond that seen with spontaneous recovery but may be exaggerated ...
THE LAMB SHIFT IN HYDROGENLIKE ARGON

The Lamb shift S in hydrogenlike argon (Z=18) has been measured by a motional electric field quenching time-of-flight experiment. We find S = (38.0 + 0.6) THz where the error includes 10 statistical error of 0.35 THz and an estimated systematic error of 0.48 THz.
Development and validation of a multiplex quantitative PCR assay for the rapid detection of Grapevine virus A, B and D

A single real-time multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for the simultaneous detection of Grapevine virus A, B and D (GVA, GVB and GVD) was developed, using three different fluorescently labeled minor groove binding probes. This multiplex RT-qPCR was compared to singleplex RT-qPCR designed specifically for each virus and a conventional multiplex RT-PCR. The capacity of the multiplex RT-qPCR assay in detecting the three vitiviruses in mixed infections from a range of virus concentrations in the host was assessed. A series of cDNA derived from 48 different grapevine cultivars obtained from diverse geographical regions infected with various isolates and strains of GVA, GVB and GVD were subjected to singleplex, multiplex RT-qPCR, and conventional multiplex RT-PCR testing. The results showed that the developed multiplex RT-qPCR assay was a cost-effective diagnostic tool that could streamline the testing of grapevine vitiviruses, and replace the singleplex RT-qPCR assays, thus reducing time and labor while retaining the same sensitivity and specificity. In particular, no significant differences in detection limits were found between singleplex and multiplex RT-qPCR and specificity was not affected by the inclusion of the three primer/probe combinations within a multiplex RT-qPCR. Comparing the viral load for each virus using singleplex and multiplex RT-qPCR assays revealed no significant differences between the two assays in detecting GVB and GVD. However, while in detecting GVA using singleplex RT-qPCR assay, viral load was higher. Finally, the multiplex RT-qPCR assay was also more sensitive and time efficient than the conventional multiplex RT-PCR that was designed using degenerate primers to detect GVA, GVB and GVD. This multiplex RT-qPCR method could detect viruses in 95.83% of mixed infected samples as compared to 77.08% for multiplex RT-PCR.
Phosphorylation of smooth muscle myosin light chain by five different kinases

Phosphorylation of the 20 kDa myosin light chain from smooth muscle by five different kinases was investigated. Three of the kinases (myosin light chain kinase, phosphorylase kinase, and cAMP-dependent protein kinase) phosphorylate serine residues, the fourth (casein-kinase-2) mainly threonine, and the fifth (glycogen synthase (casein) kinase-1) both serine and threonine. Isoelectric focusing analyses of 32P-labelled chymotryptic peptides indicate that phosphorylase kinase and cAMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylate the same site as myosin light chain kinase. However, both casein kinase-2 and glycogen synthase (casein) kinase-1 phosphorylate different sites.
Striatal and hypothalamic neurotransmitter changes during ethanol withdrawal in mice

The alterations in striatal and hypothalamic GABA, DA and its metabolites DOPAC and HVA, and in hypothalamic NE were investigated immediately after ethanol removal and during the withdrawal phase following 10 or 30 days of chronic ethanol administration. After 10 days of ethanol, GABA levels were increased immediately after ethanol removal in both the corpus striatum and the hypothalamus. The concentration of striatal DA was increased at days 2 and 3 of withdrawal and was unchanged at any other time. There was no change in the concentration of DOPAC and HVA in the hypothalamus at any time during withdrawal. Striatal DOPAC and HVA levels were increased only at day 7 of withdrawal after 10 and 30 days of ethanol feeding which was associated with a return of striatal DA to control levels. The concentration of NE in the hypothalamus was increased at days 1, 2 and 7 of withdrawal. After 30 days of ethanol, striatal GABA was increased only at day 7 of withdrawal whereas striatal DA levels were only increased at days 2 and 3 of withdrawal. Hypothalamic NE was markedly increased at days 2, 3 and 7 of withdrawal. The increase in DA concentration associated with no change in DOPA accumulation following inhibition of DOPA decarboxylase and a decrease in the striatal disappearance of DA after alphamethylparatyrosine (alpha-MT) suggests the presence of a hypodopaminergic state. On the other hand an increase in the disappearance of NE in the hypothalamus after alpha-MT suggests an increased NE turnover and a hyperadrenergic state during withdrawal. The increase in striatal GABA at day 7 of withdrawal after 30 days of ethanol may be a rebound phenomenon and may reflect the presence of a hypogabaergic state which has been shown to occur during ethanol withdrawal.
Antiphospholipid-protein antibodies: clinical use of laboratory test results (identification, predictive value, treatment).

Antiphospholipid-protein antibodies (APA) are a family of immunoglobulins which recognize protein-phospholipid complexes. Among the proteins implicated are: β2 Glycoprotein I, prothrombin, Annexin V,
Blood and brain ethanol concentrations during absorption and distribution in long-sleep and short-sleep mice

Abstract It is often assumed that blood ethanol content accurately reflects brain ethanol content. In previous studies we have found that at the time of regaining the righting response blood and brain ethanol levels were identical, and blood ethanol could be used to predict brain ethanol level. It is likely, however that shortly after the administration of ethanol, blood and brain ethanol levels would differ. For this study, venous blood (orbital sinus) and brain ethanol levels were measured in long-sleep and short-sleep mice within the first 30 min following ethanol administration (2.5–6.0 g/kg). Ethanol was administered intraperitoneally or intragastrically. For both lines of mice and for every dose, brain ethanol concentrations were significantly greater (as much as 100 mg/dl) than blood ethanol levels for the first 6 min, and peak blood and brain ethanol levels were reached 4 to 6 min after dosing. Approximately 6 to 10 minutes (depending on dose and line of mouse) was required for blood and brain concentrations to reach equilibrium. At the time of loss of the righting response, brain ethanol levels were significantly higher than blood ethanol levels. These results indicate that within the first 6 min after administration of ethanol, blood ethanol level is not suitable for the assessment of brain ethanol content.
Effects of kink-kink interactions on the thermal roughening of Si( 100) surfaces with single layer steps

Abstract We calculate the kink height and width distributions along a single layer B step on a Si(100) surface by Monte Carlo simulations using a phenomenological Hamiltonian. The results are in agreement with recent experiments only if a dipole-dipole like kink-kink interaction is used.