cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PURITAN CONFERENCE: "A KINDE OF PARADISE"

The spirituality of the 16th- and 17th-century English Puritans was nurtured by a number of both private and public means of grace. Puritan Conferences were the types of conversations that focused on growing biblical knowledge and caring for the souls of others. Whether these occurred in private meetings of individuals, serendipitous encounters along the road, or through written communication, there was wide acceptance of this exercise as a common Puritan practice of piety. Primary sources affirm the benefits enjoyed by the participants. A relevant and practical application of this exercise is proposed for contemporary small groups.
Graves' Ophthalmopathy and the Special Problem of Concomitant Ocular Myasthenia Gravis

(1990). Graves' Ophthalmopathy and the Special Problem of Concomitant Ocular Myasthenia Gravis. American Orthoptic Journal: Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 37-50.
Anomalous rectification in neurons from cat sensorimotor cortex in vitro.

The ionic mechanisms underlying anomalous rectification in large neurons from layer V of cat sensorimotor cortex were studied in an in vitro brain slice. The anomalous rectification was apparent as...
Are splenic plaque forming cells sensitive to heat in vitro1

Abstract The exposing of splenic cell suspensions from immunized chickens to 10 or 30 seconds of heat (55°C) prior to mixing with sheep-red-blood cells and fresh chick serum significantly reduced plaque fromation. The heat treatment did not influence plasma cell livability. Heat, without significantly reducing the number of viable plasma cells, markedly reduced the antibody forming capacity of plasma cells.
The Role of Asphaltene Aggregation in Viscosity Variation of Reservoir Hydrocarbons and in Miscible Processes

The variation of oil viscosity with depth and/or location has been reported in many reservoirs around the world. This paper examines the role of asphaltene aggregation in the variation of viscosity of reservoir fluids. We conclude that the viscosity of heavy oils is dependent upon the extent of asphaltene aggregation rather than asphaltene concentration alone. A modified Einstein equation has been used to predict the oil viscosity as a function of asphaltene concentration and molecular weight which govern the extent of asphaltene aggregation.
Cannabis shenanigans: advocating for the restoration of an effective treatment of pain following spinal cord injury

Cannabis is an effective treatment for pain following spinal cord injury that should be available to patients and researchers. The major argument against the rescheduling of cannabis is that the published research is not convincing. This argument is disingenuous at best, given that the evidence has been presented and rejected at many points during the political dialog. Moreover, the original decision to criminalize cannabis did not utilize scientific or medical data. There is tension between the needs of a society to protect the vulnerable by restricting the rights of others to live well and with less pain. It is clear that this 70-year war on cannabis has had little effect in controlling the supply of cannabis. Prohibition can never succeed; “it is a tyranny from which every independent mind revolts.” People living with chronic pain should not have to risk addiction, social stigma, restrictions on employment and even criminal prosecution in order to deal with their pain. It is time to end the shenanigans and have an open, transparent discussion of the true benefits of this much-beleaguered medicine.
Membranes, Chromatography and Membrane Chromatography. Separation Technologies for the Biopharm and Nutraceutical Era

Membrane technology and process chromatography are widely used in the food, biopharmaceutical, nutraceutical and bioprocessing industries. Both techniques developed simultaneously and in parallel over the past few decades. The two technologies are complementary for the most part in terms of their advantages and disadvantages. Membrane chromatography integrates membranes and chromatography into one versatile technology. The resulting synergy has advantages and largely eliminates the disadvantages of the individual techniques, the most important being pore diffusion, thus leading to higher throughputs. This review compares the principles and applications of membranes, chromatography and membrane chromatography and their individual and combined roles in bioseparations.
Dynamics of a Supercooled Disordered Sphere-Forming Diblock Copolymer as Determined by X-ray Photon Correlation and Dynamic Mechanical Spectroscopies

We report the dynamic behavior of a sphere-forming poly(styrene)-block-poly(1,4-butadiene) (PS–PB) diblock copolymer comprising 20 vol % PB below the order–disorder transition temperature (TODT = 153 °C) using dynamic mechanical spectroscopy (DMS) and X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS). A time–temperature transformation diagram was constructed by monitoring the elasticity of the sample as a function of time following rapid quenches of the disordered melt to various temperatures T < TODT. Isothermal frequency spectra acquired prior to nucleation of the ordered BCC phase were time–temperature superposed, and the shift factors were fit using the Williams–Landel–Ferry (WLF) equation. For comparison, XPCS measurements were used to extract relaxation times from the supercooled liquid as a function of the quench temperature. Alignment of the temperature dependence of the XPCS-based relaxation times with that of the WLF shift factors in the range T = 125–140 °C indicates that both techniques probe the f...
Response to Harrington on the Definition of Creativity

Harrington (2018) raised a number of points in response to my proposal that we use intentional novelty (IN) as the basis for defining creativity (Weisberg, 2015). He argued first that there would be problems in objectively determining novelty. Second, even if we could obtain such a measure, it was not clear to Harrington how it could be used. Third, Harrington also raised several broader problems that he saw arising from the IN definition. In this commentary, I respond to each of those criticisms, showing that they are not the problems that Harrington believed that they were, and that the IN definition can serve its proposed function. Also, Harrington did not address what I raised as a critically important problem arising from any definition that uses value as a criterion: a person’s creativity changing after death. That issue is also revisited.
Bidirectional, Bimodal Ultrasonic Lamb Wave Sensing in a Composite Plate Using a Polarization-Maintaining Fiber Bragg Grating.

Lamb wave (LW) is well suited for structural health monitoring (SHM) in advanced composites. However, characteristic differences between the symmetric modes and the anti-symmetric modes often add complexity to SHM systems. The anisotropic nature of composite materials, on the other hand, necessitates direction-sensitive sensing. In this paper we report the experimental demonstration of bidirectional (0° and 90°), bimodal (S0 and A0) LW measurement within the frequency range of 20–140 kHz using a polarization-maintaining fiber Bragg grating (PM-FBG) sensor attached to a composite laminated plate. By selectively interrogating the fast and/or the slow axis of the PM-FBG, we show that not only can the sensor respond to LWs propagating along both directions, but the response can also be used to differentiate the two directions. Moreover, the fast axis of the sensor is able to respond to both the S0 and the A0 modes when the sensor is aligned with the wave propagation direction, whereas single S0 mode response can be achieved with the slow axis operating perpendicularly to the wave propagation direction. Such diverse responses indicate the potential of PM-FBGs as versatile multi-parameter SHM detectors, which can effectively address the challenges posed by material anisotropicity and LW mode diversity.
Pneumococcal Bacteremia Complicated by Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

From pneumonia to pericarditis, from sepsis to splenic abscess, Streptococcus pneumoniae is the causative agent of a diverse array of pyogenic disease. With the introduction of vaccines and effective antibiotic treatments, the incidence of complicated streptococcal infection has declined. We report a case of S. pneumoniae bacteremia, in the setting of occult sinusitis, complicated by hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and recurrent pneumococcal infection. Although severe streptococcal infection has been associated with immunodeficiency or splenectomy, no such predisposition was identified in our patient. We discuss the association of streptococcal infection with HLH and DIC and review occult sinusitis as a source of pneumococcal bacteremia, with the goal of enhancing the "illness scripts" of general medical practitioners to include such entities.
Divergent immune responses in behaviorally-inhibited vs. non-inhibited male rats.

Abstract Stable behavioral traits (temperament, personality) often predict health outcomes. Temperament-specific differences in immune function could explain temperament-specific health outcomes, however, we have limited information on whether immune function varies by personality. In the present study, we examined the relationship between a basic behavioral trait (behavioral-inhibition vs. non-inhibition) and two immune responses (innate inflammation and delayed-type hypersensitivity, DTH) in a rodent model. In humans, behavioral inhibition (fearful temperament) is associated with altered stress physiology and allergies. In laboratory rats, the trait is associated with elevated glucocorticoid production. We hypothesized that behavioral inhibition is associated with glucocorticoid resistance and dampened T-helper 1 cell responses often associated with chronic stress and allergies. Further, this immune profile would predict poorly-regulated innate inflammation and dampened DTH. In male Sprague-Dawley rats, we quantified consistent behavioral phenotypes by measuring latency to contact two kinds of novelty (object vs. social), then measured lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced innate inflammation or keyhole limpet hemocyanin(KLH)-induced DTH. Behaviorally-inhibited rats had heightened glucocorticoid and interleukin-6 responses to a low/moderate dose of LPS and reduced DTH swelling to KLH re-exposure compared to non-inhibited rats. These results suggest that behavioral inhibition is associated with a glucocorticoid resistant state with poorly regulated innate inflammation and dampened cell-mediated immune responses. This immune profile may be associated with exaggerated T-helper 2 responses, which could set the stage for an allergic/asthmatic/atopic predisposition in inhibited individuals. Human and animal models of temperament-specific immune responses represent an area for further exploration of mechanisms involved in individual differences in health.
Beyond validation: getting health apps into clinical practice

Fueled by advances in technology, increased access to smartphones, and capital investment, the number of available health “apps” has exploded in recent years. Patients use their smartphones for many things, but not as much as they might for health, especially for managing their chronic conditions. Moreover, while significant work is ongoing to develop, validate, and evaluate these apps, it is less clear how to effectively disseminate apps into routine clinical practice. We propose a framework for prescribing apps and outline the key issues that need to be addressed to enable app dissemination in clinical care. This includes: education and awareness, creating digital formularies, workflow and EHR integration, payment models, and patient/provider support. As work in digital health continues to expand, integrating health apps into clinical care delivery will be critical if digital health is to achieve its potential.
Burden and Consequences of Financial Hardship From Medical Bills Among Nonelderly Adults With Diabetes Mellitus in the United States

Background: The trend of increasing total and out-of-pocket expenditure among patients with diabetes mellitus represents a risk of financial hardship for Americans and a threat to medical and nonme...
Pulmonary Airway Disease

Primary disorders affecting the pulmonary airways involve a wide spectrum of conditions some of which are the cause of significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diseases involving the major airways (bronchi) discussed in this chapter include infectious and inflammatory conditions with particular attention to those entities that most likely come to the attention of the surgical pathologist. These include acute/chronic bronchitis, asthma, bronchiectasis, and bronchocentric granulomatosis. Diseases involving the small airways, which are defined as non-cartilaginous airways with an internal diameter <2 mm (bronchioles), can be the result of many etiologies, including infections, connective tissue diseases, bone marrow and lung transplantation, and diseases related to environmental exposures to pollutants, allergens, and drugs among others. Small airway diseases discussed in this chapter include acute/chronic bronchiolitis, cellular bronchiolitis, diffuse panbronchiolitis, respiratory bronchiolitis, constrictive bronchiolitis, and peribronchiolar metaplasia.
Risk adjustment for benchmarking nursing home infection surveillance data: A narrative review

Until recently, there was no national surveillance system for monitoring infection occurrence in long-term care facilities (LTCF) in the United States. As a result, there are no national benchmarks for LTCF infection rates that can be utilized for quality improvement at the facility level. One of the major challenges in the reporting of health care-related infection data is accounting for nonmodifiable facility and patient characteristics that influence benchmarks for infection. The objectives of this paper are to review: (a) published infection rates in LTCF in the United States to assess the level of variability; (b) studies describing facility- and resident-level risk factors for infection that can be used in risk adjustment models; (c) published attempts to risk-adjust LTCF infection rates; and (d) efforts to develop models specifically for risk adjustment of infection rates in LTCF for benchmarking. It is anticipated that this review will stimulate further study of methods to risk-adjust LTCF infection rates for benchmarking that will facilitate research and public reporting.
Inclusion & Marginalization: How Perceptions of Design Thinking Pedagogy Influence Computer, Electrical, and Software Engineering Identity

Engineering identity plays a vital role in the persistence of engineering students, yet limited research exists on how particular pedagogical approaches influence engineering identity at the college level. This qualitative case study explored how undergraduate student perceptions of design thinking pedagogy influence computer, electrical, and software engineering identity. The study found that design thinking pedagogy reinforces the recognition of an engineering identity, particularly for those from historically marginalized groups (i.e., women, people of color). Intentional implementation, including organization and framing of design thinking pedagogy, was an essential foundation for fostering student interest in the course and connecting to their role as engineers. This study suggests that design thinking is a fruitful area to explore to create more inclusive engineering environments. This study’s findings will assist educational stakeholders in understanding the design thinking pedagogy and engineering identity experiences of CES undergraduate engineering majors. Findings may encourage institutions to view the engineering curriculum in terms of identity development and understand how intersectional identities influence the ways students, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, experience the environment.
Are We There Yet? Short-Course Regimens in TB and HIV: From Prevention to Treatment of Latent to XDR TB

Despite broad uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ART), tuberculosis (TB) incidence and mortality among people with HIV remain unacceptably high. Short-course regimens for TB, incorporating both novel and established drugs, offer the potential to enhance adherence and completion rates, thereby reducing the global TB burden. This review will outline short-course regimens for TB among patients with HIV. After many years without new agents, there is now active testing of many novel drugs to treat TB, both for latent infection and active disease. Though not all studies have included patients with HIV, many have, and there are ongoing trials to address key implementation challenges such as potent drug-drug interactions with ART. The goal of short-course regimens for TB is to enhance treatment completion without compromising efficacy. Particularly among patients with HIV, studying these shortened regimens and integrating them into clinical care are of urgent importance. There are now multiple short-course regimens for latent infection and active disease that are safe and effective among patients with HIV.
COVID-19 Life Events Spill-Over on Family Functioning and Adolescent Adjustment

We examined US parent and youth perceptions of how life events, both positive and negative, associated with COVID-19 resulted in changes in family and youth functioning. Families (n = 105, 80% whit...
U.S. Population at Increased Risk of Severe Illness from COVID-19.

Background The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes that older adults and individuals with certain medical conditions are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection. Understanding the proportion of the population at risk of severe infection, including among those with heart disease, could assist current vaccine strategy efforts. Methods Using data from the 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we estimated the weighted prevalence of any of eight of eleven increased-risk conditions (including age ≥65) in U.S. adults aged ≥18 (N = 10,581) and extrapolated these results to a population of 233.8 million U.S. adults ≥18, and subgroups from the overall population defined by race/ethnicity, education, income and history of heart disease. Results An estimated 176.1 million individuals representing 75.4% of U.S. adults had at least one increased-risk condition, 40.3% ≥2 and, 18.5% ≥3 conditions. Approximately 129 million adults aged 0.05) and Hispanics in the younger population (70.8 vs 68.4%) were estimated to be at increased-risk. Conversely, a greater proportion of individuals with lower education and income levels were estimated to be at increased-risk both in the overall and younger population. In addition, an estimated 6.2 million individuals (14.5%) had heart disease. Among these, virtually all had at least one additional CDC risk factor (97.9%) and most had ≥2 or ≥3 risk factors (83.8% and 58.5%, respectively). Conclusions As vaccination strategies are being explored, these results demonstrate that >75% of adults in the U.S. would be considered at increased-risk for severe COVID-19 infection by CDC criteria. Risk factor prevalence alone may not adequately capture the totality of risk, particularly among Black and Hispanic racial/ethnic groups and those with heart disease.
Graphitic carbon nitrides supported by nitrogen-doped graphene as efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction

Abstract Owing to its low cost and rich nitrogen content, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is promising metal-free catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the electrocatalytic performance of carbon nitride is limited by its low conductivity. In order to circumference this limitation, we incorporated g-C3N4 with nitrogen-doped graphene (N-G) by ball-milling g-C3N4 and N-G to produce g-C3N4@N-G of an ORR catalytic activity comparable to the commercial Pt/C catalyst, along with a better long-term stability and more tolerance to the methanol crossover effect.
IN-VITRO ASSESSMENT OF A NOVEL BRACKET'S EFFECT ON RESISTANCE TO SLIDING

IN-VITRO ASSESSMENT OF A NOVEL BRACKET'S EFFECT ON RESISTANCE TO SLIDING by James N. Blackburn, D.D.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015 Thesis Director: Eser Tufekci, D.D.S., M.S., Ph. D., M.S.H.A. Associate Professor, Department of Orthodontics Friction, binding and notching are the factors that contribute to resistance to sliding during orthodontic tooth movement. However, most attempts at reducing resistance aim only to reduce the archwire/ligature friction. In this study, a novel bracket with a unique design aimed to reduce all three components of resistance to sliding. Four types of brackets (passive and active self-ligating, traditionally ligated and the novel bracket, (n=5, each) were tested at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8o of tip on a 0.019 x 0.025”archwire. The resistance to sliding values were recorded. At 0o, the passive self-ligating and novel bracket showed reduced resistance when compared to the traditionally ligated bracket (P< 0.05). At the other angles of tip, no differences were observed among the brackets. These data suggest that the novel bracket could potentially decrease the resistance to sliding during orthodontic treatment and further studies are indicated to test the improved bracket design.
Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells

After a short introduction of the basics of producing these cells from an amorphous silicon layer and deposing a much thinner n and p layer on each side of this i-layer. Typical electro-optical properties are discussed, including the drift mobilities of electrons and holes and the optical absorption spectrum. Band-edges, band-gaps and band-tailings are analyzed. The two common production procedures are given and the properties of the resulting layers as function of the production steps are discussed. Atomic and electric properties of the defect structure are given. The specific influence of incorporated hydrogen is described The doping process is described and the reasons given why a phosphorous doping of α-Si:H is totally different from a P-doping of crystalline Si. The growth-related defect structure and its influence of the carrier transport in α-Si:H is elaborated. The reasons for a special geometry of α-Si:H is discussed with a central i-layer of ∼100 times the thickness of the outer n- and p-layers. Modern pin-cell performances are analyzed. The influence of the built-in field on the selection of the best device geometry is described. The deposition methods and properties of micro-crystalline (mc-Si:H) and nano-crystalline (nc-Si:H) Si are given. Solar cell degradation under light deployment (laboratory or outdoor), the Staebler–Woneki effect, is described and means to minimize cell degradations are indicated. Defect meta-stability is analyzed. The different deposition methods are described. Alloying α-Si:H including the changing defect structure are described and the reasons for it are analyzed. Various multi-junction Si:H based solar cells are listed and their performance is analyzed.
Artificial Self-Cleaning Surfaces

In this chapter, we discuss some techniques, which are used to produce superhydrophobic self-cleaning surfaces. In recent years, fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces became an area of active fundamental research. New approaches have been suggested that are discussed in this chapter, and in the near future new technological concepts will emerge. In general, the same techniques that are used for micro- and nanostructure manufacturing, such as the lithography, etching, and deposition, have been utilized for producing superhydrophobic surfaces.
A market-based model for resource allocation in agent systems

In traditional computational systems, resource owners have no incentive to subject themselves to additional risk and congestion associated with providing service to arbitrary agents, but there are applications that benefit from open environments. We argue for the use of markets to regulate agent systems. With market mechanisms, agents have the abilities to assess the cost of their actions, behave responsibly, and coordinate their resource usage both temporally and spatially.
Multiseeded Fuzzy Segmentation on the Face Centered Cubic Grid

Fuzzy connectedness has been effectively used to segment out objects in volumes containing noise and/or shading. Multiseeded fuzzy segmentation is a generalized approach that produces a unique simultaneous segmentation of multiple objects. Fcc (face centered cubic) grids are grids formed by rhombic dodecahedral voxels that can be used to represent volumes with fewer elements than a normal cubic grid. Tomographic reconstructions (PET and CT) are used to evaluate the accuracy and speed of the algorithm.
Leukemia and medical radiation.

Radiation histories were compiled on 251 leukemic children and compared with an equal number of matched controls. In general, exposure to radiation was significantly more frequent among the leukemic group. Thymic irradiation was found to be associated with six times the usual incidence of leukemia, the data being highly significant (p Maternal exposure to roentgen rays during pregnancy had occurred somewhat more commonly in the leukemic group, but the difference was too small to be significant (p
Load shedding in a data stream manager

A Data Stream Manager accepts push-based inputs from a set of data sources, processes these inputs with respect to a set of standing queries, and produces outputs based on Quality-of-Service (QoS) specifications. When input rates exceed system capacity, the system will become overloaded and latency will deteriorate. Under these conditions, the system will shed load, thus degrading the answer, in order to improve the observed latency of the results. This paper examines a technique for dynamically inserting and removing drop operators into query plans as required by the current load. We examine two types of drops: the first drops a fraction of the tuples in a randomized fashion, and the second drops tuples based on the importance of their content. We address the problems of determining when load shedding is needed, where in the query plan to insert drops, and how much of the load should be shed at that point in the plan. We describe efficient solutions and present experimental evidence that they can bring the system back into the useful operating range with minimal degradation in answer quality.
Intrahepatic Cholestasis Due to Therapy of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Two patients are reported who developed hepatic disease with predominant intrahepatic cholestasis as a result of therapy directed at rheumatoid arthritis. In the 1st patient, the obstructive jaundice could reasonably be ascribed to gold therapy alone, whereas in the second individual either gold or phenylbutazone were implicated. Both patients had protracted and severe hepatic dysfunction. This rare reaction to these agents must be considered in the differential diagnosis of obstructive jaundice in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving this therapy.
A transient potassium conductance regulates the excitability of cultured hippocampal and spinal neurons

Cultured mouse spinal cord and rat hippocampal neurons were voltage clamped with a two-electrode system in the presence of tetrodotoxin (1 to 3 microM) and tetraethylammonium (25 mM). Depolarizing voltage commands from holding potentials negative to -50 mV evoked a transient outward current response that peaked within 10 msec and decayed exponentially with a time constant of 10 to 40 msec. The current was inactivated by holding at potentials more positive than -50 mV but could be reactivated by brief hyperpolarizing prepulses (20-msec steps to -90 mV reactivated 50%). The inversion potential of the tail current evoked in a double-step protocol was -70 to -75 mV, and this shifted in a depolarizing direction with elevated [K+]0. The transient outward current was blocked by external application of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) with an IC50 of 2 mM. In experiments under current clamp, 4-AP suppressed an initial transient rectification of the electrotonic potential recorded in response to depolarizing current and reduced the threshold for single and repetitive action potentials. Thus, a transient K+ conductance similar to IA of molluscan neurons may serve to regulate the excitability of some central mammalian neurons. Depression of this conductance by 4-AP could contribute to the drug's convulsant effects in vivo.
Isozymes of alkaline phosphatase. A report on an autoradiographic method of demonstration.

Abstract The use of techniques of 45 Ca autoradiography and starch-gel electrophoresis presents the investigator with a means of demonstrating the isozymes of alkaline phosphatase. This study indicates that it is a sensitive, workable method which should be applicable to specific physiologic phosphate substrates.
Sequence-dependent differences in DNA structure influence the affinity of P22 operator for P22 repressor.

Although the central bases of the P22 operator are not contacted by P22 repressor, the affinity of repressor for operator varies with the sequence of these bases. The KMnO4 and .OH radical susceptibilities of the central bases of the operator vary with their sequence, whether or not the operator is complexed with protein or free in solution. These data show that the minor groove of a lower affinity operator which bears central C-G bases (9C) is more open than that of the higher affinity 9T operator, which bears central T-A bases. This difference in minor groove width is seen both in the absence and presence of repressor. Results of ring closure studies show that, in the absence of repressor, an operator bearing central C.G base pairs operator is overtwisted relative to an operator which contains central T.A base pairs. The binding of P22 repressor unwinds the two operators to similar extents, thereby preserving the relative differences in twists of these DNAs. Although repressor alters the twist of the operator DNA, our results show that differences in DNA torsional flexibility have no role in determining the affinity of operator for protein. Instead, the results indicate that central sequences affect operator affinity for protein by limiting the degree to which the operator can be deformed in the protein-DNA complex. The stability of the complex is apparently modulated, in a central sequence-dependent manner, by alterations in the number and/or geometry of protein-DNA contacts.
Insulin desensitized beta 1-adrenergic receptor-mediated stimulation of adenylyl cyclase in SK-N-MC cells.

Abstract Receptor cross-talk is an emerging field which investigates cross-regulation between distinct classes of receptors. In the present work, we investigated the influence of activating the insulin receptor, a tyrosine kinase receptor, on β-agonist activation of adenylyl cyclase, which is mediated by a G protein-linked receptor. Treatment of SKNMC neuroepithelioma cells with insulin generated a marked attenuation of β1-adrenergic receptor-mediated stimulation of adenylyl cyclase. This effect required nanomolar concentrations of insulin, occured within minutes of exposure of these cells to insulin, and did not result from down-regulation of β-adrenergic receptors. Insulin alone reduced the maximal isoproterenol-mediated stimulation of adenylyl cyclase by 50%, while the co-addition of the phosphatase inhibitor sodium vanadate increased the magnitude of insulin inhibition to 90%. Insulin provides an additional avenue for heterologous desensitization of β-adrenergic receptors and their transmembranal signalling pathway.
An architecture for encoding sentence meaning in left mid-superior temporal cortex

Human brains flexibly combine the meanings of words to compose structured thoughts. For example, by combining the meanings of “bite,” “dog,” and “man,” we can think about a dog biting a man, or a man biting a dog. Here, in two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments using multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA), we identify a region of left mid-superior temporal cortex (lmSTC) that flexibly encodes “who did what to whom” in visually presented sentences. We find that lmSTC represents the current values of abstract semantic variables (“Who did it?” and “To whom was it done?”) in distinct subregions. Experiment 1 first identifies a broad region of lmSTC whose activity patterns (i) facilitate decoding of structure-dependent sentence meaning (“Who did what to whom?”) and (ii) predict affect-related amygdala responses that depend on this information (e.g., “the baby kicked the grandfather” vs. “the grandfather kicked the baby”). Experiment 2 then identifies distinct, but neighboring, subregions of lmSTC whose activity patterns carry information about the identity of the current “agent” (“Who did it?”) and the current “patient” (“To whom was it done?”). These neighboring subregions lie along the upper bank of the superior temporal sulcus and the lateral bank of the superior temporal gyrus, respectively. At a high level, these regions may function like topographically defined data registers, encoding the fluctuating values of abstract semantic variables. This functional architecture, which in key respects resembles that of a classical computer, may play a critical role in enabling humans to flexibly generate complex thoughts.
Specificity of the wound-induced leucine aminopeptidase (LAP-A) of tomato activity on dipeptide and tripeptide substrates.

Wounding of tomato leaves results in the accumulation of an exoprotease called leucine aminopeptidase (LAP-A) that preferentially hydrolyzes amino acid-p-nitroanilide and -β-naphthylamide substrates with N-terminal Leu, Met and Arg residues. To determine the substrate specificity of LAP-A on more natural substrates, the rates of hydrolysis of 60 dipeptide and seven tripeptide substrates were determined. For comparison, the specificities of the porcine and Escherichia coli LAPs were evaluated in parallel. Several marked differences in substrate specificities for the animal, plant and prokaryotic LAP enzymes were observed. Substrates with variable N-terminal (P1) residues (Xaa) were evaluated; these substrates had Leu or Gly in the penultimate (P1′) position. The plant, animal, and prokaryotic LAPs hydrolyzed dipeptides with N-terminal nonpolar aliphatic (Leu, Val, Ile, and Ala), basic (Arg), and sulfur-containing (Met) residues rapidly, while P1 Asp or Gly were cleaved inefficiently from peptides. Significant differences in the cleavage of dipeptides with P1 aromatic residues (Phe, Tyr, and Trp) were noted. To systematically evaluate the impact of the P1′ residue on cleavage of dipeptides, three series of dipeptides (Leu-Xaa, Gly-Xaa, and Arg-Xaa) were evaluated. The P1′ residue strongly influenced hydrolysis of dipeptides and the magnitude of its effect was dependent on the P1 residue. P1′ Pro, Asp, Lys and Gly slowed the hydrolysis rates of the tomato LAP-A, porcine LAP, and E. coli PepA markedly. Analysis six Arg-Gly-Xaa tripeptides showed that more diversity was tolerated in the P2′ position. P2′ Arg inhibited tripeptide cleavage by all three enzymes, while P2′ Asp enhanced hydrolysis rates for the porcine and prokaryotic LAPs.
Effects of inbreeding on cut-flower yield in gerbera

Inbreeding depression for cut-flower yield was found in gerbera (Gerbera hybrida, Compositae). A selection experiment for cut-flower yield in the Davis population was conducted over sixteen generations and the mean cut-flower yield increased from 10.3 flowers to 28.3 flowers. Cut-flower yield was recorded on individual plants grown in the greenhouse and inbreeding coefficients were calculated for each plant based on its pedigree. The effects of inbreeding on yield were estimated by covariance analysis models. The results of this study indicate that first, inbreeding increased 1% per generation in this population and secondly, inbreeding had the negative effect of reducing cut-flower yield by one-quarter flower per generation for every one percent increase in inbreeding.
The Early Diabetes Intervention Program – is early actually late?

This Commentary briefly reviews the background of prediabetes including its definition and pathophysiology and describes as well the natural course of glycemic deterioration as it follows a continuum. Research efforts in identifying glucose and other biomarkers for the early detection of high-risk individuals are summarized.
On having and eating cake.

Keywords: Common factors; empathy; therapeutic relationship; meta-analysis; treatment effectiveness; therapist effects
Continuity conditions and torsion angles from ssNMR orientational restraints.

Abstract The backbone torsion angle pair ( ϕ , ψ ) at each amino acid of a polypeptide is a descriptor of its conformation. One can use chemical shift and dipolar coupling data from solid-state NMR PISEMA experiments to directly calculate the torsion angles for the membrane-spanning portion of a protein. However, degeneracies inherent in the data give rise to multiple potential torsion angles between two adjacent peptide planes (a diplane). The molecular backbone structure can be determined by gluing together the consecutive diplanes, as in the PIPATH algorithm [T. Asbury, J.R. Quine, S. Achuthan, J. Hu, M.S. Chapman, T.A. Cross, R. Bertram, PIPATH: an optimized alogrithm for generating α -helical structures from PISEMA data, J. Magn. Reson. 183 (2006) 87–95.]. The multiplicities in torsion angles translate to multiplicities in diplane orientations. In this paper, we show that adjacent diplanes can be glued together to form a permissible structure only if they satisfy continuity conditions, described quantitatively here. These restrict the number of potential torsion angle pairs. We rewrite the torsion angle formulas from [J.R. Quine, M.T. Brenneman, T.A. Cross, Protein structural analysis from solid-state NMR-drived orientational constraints, Biophys. J. 72 (1997) 2342–2348.] so that they automatically satisfy the continuity conditions. The reformulated torsion angle formulas have been applied recently in the PIPATH algorithm [T. Asbury, J.R. Quine, S. Achuthan, J. Hu, M.S. Chapman, T.A. Cross, R. Bertram, PIPATH: an optimized alogrithm for generating α -helical structures from PISEMA data, J. Magn. Reson. 183 (2006) 87–95.] and will be helpful in other applications in which diplane gluing is used to construct a protein backbone model.
Algorithms for the prediction of radiometric performance of nondiffraction-limited optical sensors

The determination of the radiant power distribution at the focal plane is necessary for the numerical prediction of sensor radiometric performance. In a diffraction limited system with a circular pupil and central obscuration, the energy distribution can be calculated by numerical integration of the appropriate Bessel function(s). However, not all optical systems are that simple. The determination of the energy distribution for non-diffraction limited systems and systems having arbitrary pupil shapes is of practical importance but requires a more complicated analysis. The paper provides, in a 'cookbook' fashion, the algorithms necessary for the prediction of the focal plane power distribution in diffraction and non-diffraction limited optical systems with arbitrarily shaped pupils. The sensor pupil function, comprised of amplitude and phase, may be defined by the optical design or may be obtained by interferometric measurements performed on an existing system. The pupil function, expressed in complex notation, is processed through a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform, interpolated and scaled to provide the focal plane energy distribution. In addition to an algebraic description of the necessary algorithms, the paper includes code written in the C- language and numerical examples suitable for validation.
Adaptive online battery parameters/SOC/capacity co-estimation

Total capacity is one of the most important parameters to characterize the performance and application of a battery. Although the nominal capacity is provided by the manufacturer, the actual capacity is subject to change with cycling effect, temperature and even storage ageing of the battery. Following our previous publications in which we developed an online adaptive parameters/state of charge (SOC) co-estimation algorithm to identify the parameters of the dynamic model of the battery and accordingly design an observer to estimate the SOC. In this paper, first we show that the parameters identification and SOC estimation results are not dependent on the correct approximation of the capacity. Afterwards, using the estimated SOC, we design another observer to estimate the actual capacity of the battery.
Materials testing by Dynamic mechanical analysis

Applications of the new 980 Dynamic mechanical analyser (DMA) to the study of thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers and metal glasses have been discussed in this paper. This instrument has also been used to study impact modified thermoplastics [2] elastomers [3] and metals. DMA is one of the thermo-analytical thechniques available to the research or quality control chemist for evaluating the mechanical properties of materials. With the introduction of the 980 it is anticipated that the disadvantages due to long operation time and complexity inherent in older instrumentation will no longer hold back progress towards the full realisation of the technique.
Novel Design of a Robotic Gripper Allowing for In-Hand Manipulation

The design of robotic end effectors can be loosely classified into two different types: complex anthropomorphic hands which allow for manipulation and simple open/close grippers which do not. This article investigates a design of a simple, industrial feasible end effector that allows for in-hand manipulation of parts. This end effector can be utilized in conjunction with a vision system to eliminate parts feeders and be able to pick parts straight from bins. The design utilizes passive joints that, when in a particular configuration, align (a self-motion singularity) to allow in-hand manipulation without regrasping or finger gaiting. A prototype end effector was fabricated and tested to prove the concept.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Marcrophage function in severe combined immunodeficiency

In patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (i.e., lymphopenic agammaglobulinemia), both humoral and cell-mediated forms of immunity are lacking as a result of absence of immuno-blasts or lymphoid precursor cells capable of differentiating into plasma cells and small lymphocytes. The small lymphocytes of these infants do not respond to stimulation in vitro with phytohemagglutinin, allogeneic cells or antigens. This situation can be corrected by transplanting bone marrow from an HL-A compatible healthy donor. This finding establishes that the differentiative sites are intact. Macrophage function has not been evaluated in these patients. Nor is there clear evidence to indicate whether macrophages derive from the same defective precursor stem cells as lymphocytes. In these experiments, a glass-adherent cell population was obtained from two patients with severe combined immunodeficiency. After three days incubation, these adherent cells (i.e., macrophages) were added to highly purified lymphocytes from two PPD-sensitive donors. Such highly purified lymphocytes do not respond to antigens in the absence of at least one macrophage per 100 lymphocytes. The macrophages of our patients restored this response to PPD. In addition, a soluble factor (CMRF) collected from macrophage cultures of both patients, as described by Bach et al., also reconstituted the response of purified lymphocytes to PPD. These studies indicate that macrophages in severe combined immunodeficiency are capable of 1) restoring the response of purified lymphocytes to PPD and 2) synthesizing CMRF (conditioned medium reconstituting factor). They also confirm Bach et al.'s observation that CMRF can replace the macrophage in its interaction with purified lymphocytes.
Gastric Hydrogen Ion Concentration and Acidity in the Domestic Fowl

Abstract INFORMATION on the hydrogen ion concentration in the gizzard of the domestic fowl has been recorded by McLaughlin (1931), Mussehl et al. (1933), Kerr and Common (1935), Heller and Penquite (1936), and Farner (1942). In each case, however, the determinations were made on the fluid removed from the gizzards of freshly killed birds. Collip (1922) removed gizzard fluid from live birds by lumbar puncture and determined the titratable acidity to Toepfer’s reagent before and after injections of certain extracts. Cheney (1938) removed gizzard fluid by means of a tube inserted through the esophagus, crop, and proventriculus of anesthetized birds. Free and total acidity were determined by titration to end points with Toepfer’s reagent and phenolphthalein, respectively. It was noted that the gizzard contents removed from live birds contained “free acid” whereas those from autopsied birds did not. Preliminary investigations by the author showed that marked differences in hydrogen ion concentration . . .
Polyradiculoneuropathy accompaning procainamide-induced lupus erythematosus: Evidence for drug-induced enhanced sensitization to peripheral nerve myelin

Factors involved in the development of an insidious polyradiculoneuropathy in association with a procainamide-induced, lupuslike syndrome were explored. A 73-year-old man with this clinical syndrome had sural nerve changes consisting of loss of large myelinated fibers with evidence of remyelination and Schwann cell proliferation. The patient's lymphocytes showed marked incorporation of tritiated thymidine when cultured with either procainamide or extracts of human peripheral nerve myelin, and there was an enhanced response with the combination. We also found that procainamide-treated rats showed acceleration of lymphocyte sensitization to peripheral nerve myelin as judged by the early development of inhibition of macrophage migration and positive skin tests to extracts of peripheral nerve myelin. These studies suggest that procainamide can enhance lymphocyte sensitization to peripheral nerve myelin and may have predisposed this individual to development of a polyradiculoneuropathy.
Biomedical Studies Using Ultrasonic Holography

The use of ultrasound to obtain information about the internal structure of the body has become an accepted clinical tool and a number of instruments are commercially available. Essentially all of these instruments and the associated techniques are based on the transmission of short pulses of ultrasound into the subject and measurement of the time lag and magnitude of the reflections or echos from interfaces within the body. There are a number of shortcomings associated with these so-called pulse-echo or echo-ranging techniques. These include high attenuation of the ultrasound, artifacts introduced by motion of the subject or inhomogeneities of the intervening tissues, and lack of gray scale in the image.