cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Grain size constraints on twin expansion in hexagonal close packed crystals

Deformation twins are stress-induced transformed domains of lamellar shape that form when polycrystalline hexagonal close packed metals, like Mg, are strained. Several studies have reported that the propensity of deformation twinning reduces as grain size decreases. Here, we use a 3D crystal plasticity based micromechanics model to calculate the effect of grain size on the driving forces responsible for expanding twin lamellae. The calculations reveal that constraints from the neighboring grain where the grain boundary and twin lamella meet induce a stress reversal in the twin lamella. A pronounced grain size effect arises as reductions in grain size cause these stress-reversal fields from twin/grain boundary junctions to affect twin growth. We further show that the severity of this neighboring grain constraint depends on the crystallographic orientation and plastic response of the neighboring grain. We show that these stress-reversal fields from twin/grain boundary junctions will affect twin growth, below a critical parent grain size. These results reveal an unconventional yet influential role that grain size and grain neighbors can play on deformation twinning.
Radiation Therapy for Primary Malignant Sacral Tumors

Radiation therapy continues to evolve and play an ever larger role in the management of primary tumors of the sacrum. Radiation therapy has become much more precise, and the principle advances in radiation have been in the sparing of normal tissues around tumors. Highly conformal photon radiation, carbon ion radiation, and proton radiation are all the so-called high precision radiation delivery methods. This relative sparing allows much higher doses to be delivered to the tumor rendering previously “radiation-resistant” tumors susceptible to radiation's affects. Chondrosarcoma and chordoma have the reputation for being radiation resistant and both are commonly found in the sacrum. However, the literature continues to expand with reports of good local control with radiation as an adjuvant to surgery and, in some cases, as stand-alone treatment. However, the side effects of radiation increase as the dose increases. Even though there is relative sparing of normal tissue, there continues to be off-target effects and the true side effect profile for high precision radiation therapy is not known.
Managing the SOS Response for Enhanced CRISPR-Cas-Based Recombineering in E. coli through Transient Inhibition of Host RecA Activity

Phage-derived “recombineering” methods are utilized for bacterial genome editing. Recombineering results in a heterogeneous population of modified and unmodified chromosomes, and therefore selection methods, such as CRISPR-Cas9, are required to select for edited clones. Cells can evade CRISPR-Cas-induced cell death through recA-mediated induction of the SOS response. The SOS response increases RecA dependent repair as well as mutation rates through induction of the umuDC error prone polymerase. As a result, CRISPR-Cas selection is more efficient in recA mutants. We report an approach to inhibiting the SOS response and RecA activity through the expression of a mutant dominant negative form of RecA, which incorporates into wild type RecA filaments and inhibits activity. Using a plasmid-based system in which Cas9 and recA mutants are coexpressed, we can achieve increased efficiency and consistency of CRISPR-Cas9-mediated selection and recombineering in E. coli, while reducing the induction of the SOS respons...
Clinical Management of Cavernous Malformations

This study aims to review the current epidemiology and clinical management of patients with cavernous malformations (CM). Hemorrhage is the most feared complication and leads to morbidity in patients with CM. Multiple studies including three meta-analyses have provided useful estimates of hemorrhage risk, but have failed to identify a modifiable risk factor for prevention of cavernous malformation related hemorrhage. In treating the CM itself, surgical risk is weighed against the natural history. However, accumulating knowledge regarding the roles of CCM 1, 2, and 3 genes has led to the discovery of potential therapeutic targets. The risk of future hemorrhage in patients with CM is highest in those who have had previously clinical hemorrhages. Estimated risks are helpful in counseling patients and comparing to the risk of surgery. Future clinical trials of candidate medications are likely to target those patients with prior clinical hemorrhage in whom the surgical risk is deemed high.
Role of Retinoic Acid Signaling in the Differentiation of Spermatogonia

The three major exogenous signaling systems that regulate spermatogenesis are follicle stimulating hormone, testosterone, and retinoic acid. In mice the absence of follicle stimulating hormone affects testis size but the animals are still fertile while the absence of testosterone signaling results in a complete block in spermatogenesis in the early spermatid stages. Similar to the case for testosterone, the absence of retinoic acid signaling results in a complete block of spermatogonial differentiation and the failure to enter meiosis; the stem cells produce progenitor cells (undifferentiated A spermatogonia) that proliferate to form syncytia but never progress to type A differentiating spermatogonia. In the presence of retinoic acid the undifferentiated A spermatogonia progress through timed steps of spermatogonial differentiation to ultimately form preleptotene spermatocytes and enter meiosis. The action of retinoic acid allows major changes in the germ cell nuclear architecture and gene expression that ultimately lead to meiotic prophase. One of the induced gene products is Stra8, which is required for normal meiosis in male and female germ cells and serves as a molecular marker for retinoic acid signaling in the testis. The process by which the retinoic acid signal is regulated ultimately leads to and maintains the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium with species-specific timing.
Full-volume displacement mapping of anterior cruciate ligament bundles with dualMRI

Abstract Full-field displacement measurement techniques can be used for more accurate, comprehensive constitutive characterization of biological materials than traditional mechanical testing methods. In this study, displacements under applied loading by magnetic resonance imaging (dualMRI) was used to produce full-volume displacement maps of six anteromedial (AM) and posterolateral (PL) bundles of ovine anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) pulled in the mean fiber direction at four force levels. The Lagrange strain fields computed from these displacement fields show large transverse strains as well as large and inhomogeneous shear strains. Mean volumetric strains were positive and large. These results suggest that the ACL bundles are not incompressible as previously assumed, and that homogeneous uniaxial tension was not achieved. Constitutive characterization of highly anisotropic materials like the ACL should reevaluate the appropriateness of these traditional assumptions and ensure that mechanical property measurements are independent of specimen geometry.
Titanium Language Reference Manual (Version 2.20)

The Titanium language is a Java dialect for high-performance parallel scientific computing. Titanium’s differences from Java include multi-dimensional arrays, an explicitly parallel SPMD model of computation with a global address space, a form of value class, and zone-based memory management. This reference manual describes the differences between Titanium and Java.
Lewin and Current Developmental Theory

Lewin’s early writings, including his first book, “Der Begriff der Genese in Physik, Biologie und Entwicklungsgeschichte” (the Genese) shows concern with large-scale theory, which may be an unexpressed basis for later work. The center of this work was an exposition of the comparative theory of sciences (Metraux, 1982–3).
The Oxygen Secretion Controversy (1906–1910)

In his long association with William Sorensen, August had rather enjoyed the challenge arising from scientific controversies. Now, as his time in Bohr’s laboratory was nearing its end, he found himself unintentionally caught in an emotionally charged scientific controversy with his own mentor. This conflict not only affected him deeply, but also was decisive in shaping his future research which in turn led to some of his most important discoveries. In an address given to the XIII International Congress of Physiological Sciences in 1929, Krogh clearly referred to this experience: We may fondly imagine that we are impartial seekers after truth, but with very few exceptions, to which I know I do not belong, we are influenced, and sometimes strongly, by our personal bias and we give our best thoughts to those ideas which we have to defend. Nevertheless we should of course all do our best to avoid controversy, in the sense that we should take every possible care to verify our facts and substantiate our conclusions before we publish our results.1
An Enhanced Framework for Improving Cooperation Between Marketing and Other Functions: The Differential Role of Integrating Mechanisms

In order to compete effectively in the marketplace,it is critical for marketing and other functional departmentsto work in harmony with each other. Building on the work of Griffinand Hauser (1996), an enhanced framework is proposed to furtherour understanding of when integrating mechanisms designed toincrease cooperation between marketing and other functions arelikely to be most effective. The framework suggests that theefficacy of an integrating mechanism varies across marketing‘sinterfaces with different functions—manufacturing, finance,and R and D. Further, the effects of internal and externalvolatility of an organization‘s environment on cooperation areincorporated into the framework. Implications for theory andpractice are discussed.
Biomechanics of Bone Trauma

The biomechanics of bone trauma is the application of mechanical laws to describe and interpret damage that occurs to bone. It involves the examination of both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors resulting in bone injury. Knowledge of the biomechanics of bone trauma allows forensic scientists to use bone fractures to deduce the type and direction of loading that caused the bone to fail. The strength of the bone is its ability to withstand loads without failing, and is dependent on its material composition, organization, and overall geometry. Loads can be applied in tension, compression, bending, torsion, shear, or a combination of these basic components. These loads cause internal tensile, compressive, and shear stresses on the bone. However, bone is a dynamic composite tissue that exhibits anisotropic and viscoelastic characteristics and will react differently to loads depending on its orientation and the rate at which the force is applied. When more energy is transferred to a bone than it can absorb, the bone will fracture. The type of fracture produced in the bone depends on the magnitude, direction, rate, and area of force applied and the structural and material properties of the bone at and near the location of the force.
Schrödinger Operators with Random and Almost Periodic Potentials

Schrodinger operators and their discrete analogs were discussed especially in one space dimension. These operators were of the form $$ {\text{H = }}{{\text{H}}_{\text{o}}}{\text{ + V}} $$ where V is the sample function of an ergodic process. Examples include almost periodic functions and random processes. A particularly simple random example occurs in the discrete case where one can take V to be independent, identically distributed random variables with distribution d k . This is known as the Anderson model.
A Recursion Formula for the Dimension of Super Spline Spaces of Smoothness r and Degree d > r2k

We consider super splines of global degree of smoothness r, polynomial degree d, in a general number k of independent variables, defined on a k-dimensional triangulation T of a suitable domain Ω, which are r2 k −m−1- times differentiable across every m-face (m = 0...k−1) of a simplex in T. For the case d > r2 k we give a recursion formula for the dimension of these super spline spaces.
Abstract 17200: Alternate Statin Protocol: A Novel Nurse Practitioner Managed Approach for Treating Women with Previous Statin Intolerance

Background: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are efficacious in treating coronary artery disease (CAD). Adherence is problematic due to side effects which prevent high risk patients from receiving optimal benefit from statin therapy. Despite the prevalence of this problem, the tolerability and effectiveness of alternate dosing in statin therapy has not been evaluated clinically. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse practitioner (NP) alternate statin dosing protocol to increase adherence, tolerance, and reduction of lipid levels. Methods: At a tertiary chest pain center, we analyzed 15 women who tolerated alternate dosing who had prior statin intolerance, defined as the inability to tolerate daily dosing. An NP protocol was used for initiation and maintenance of alternate dosing. Women with prior statin intolerance were placed on atorvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin or simvastatin for the reduction of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C). Patients were initially started on twice weekly statin dosing on Mondays and Thursdays for 4 weeks then titrated up one day per week as tolerated. Fasting baseline and follow-up lipid levels were obtained by chart review. Wilcoxon signed rank test was performed on the data. Results: We evaluated 15 female patients with a mean age of 62 ± 14 years and a BMI of 26 ± 5. Overall, 60% had CAD, 60% had hypertension, 7% had diabetes, and 47% had a history of smoking. Prior to initiating the alternate dosing NP protocol 93% were intolerant to 2 or more statins with myalgias. Utilizing the alternate dosing NP protocol, we observed a mean 32% reduction in LDL 84 ± 39 mg/dl compared to their prior highest LDL level 134 ± 49 mg/dl (p<0.001). We also observed a 20% statistically significant reduction of TC after initiation of the alternate dosing NP protocol (p<0.0001). Conclusions: In a group of women who tolerated alternate dosing, utilizing an NP alternate dosing protocol increases tolerability and is effective in reducing TC and LDL-C levels. Further studies are warranted in larger populations in an effort to increase adherence in women who are labeled statin intolerant.
Mixed Population Biofilms

Multiple species biofilms comprise mixed bacterial populations within an extracellular polymeric matrix bound to a substratum. These attached mixed cultures are subject to interactions such as symbiosis or competition for either space or a common substrate; such interactions are directly or indirectly influenced by a myriad of variables associated with the surrounding environment. Spatial distributions of microbial populations are everchanging under the selection pressures exerted by processes such as: (a) exchange of bacterial species with the bulk liquid phase; (b) the relative efficiency of each species to metabolize their limiting substrate(s) into viable cell mass and non-viable extracellular polymers; (c) transport of limiting substrates and essential nutrients by molecular and convective transfer mechanisms; and (d) biofilm removal processes brought on by either physiological mechanisms (sloughing) or as a result of prevailing hydrodynamics (shear-related detachment). Evolution of spatial distributions of species within a biofilm can affect the biofilm’s overall performance in specific situations (e.g., natural purification of contaminated surface- or ground-waters, in situ bioremediation of xenobiotics, fate of recombinant DNA sequences and host microbes in the open environment, specific biofilm wastewater treatment systems, and specialty bioconversions). Consequently, it is critical to know how the ever-changing attached population distributions can affect overall system performance in order to better design, interpret, and operate biofilm systems.
Lunar habitats: A brief overview of issues and concepts

Abstract A summary of the lunar environment is provided as background to the issues that await resolution by structural engineers who will design habitats for long-term stays on the Moon, initially by pioneering astronauts, and eventually by people who will call the Moon their home. Key environmental concerns are the radiation and micrometeoroid environment, the hard vacuum, and the lack of atmosphere. The lunar dust poses a carcinogenic hazard, as well as an existential threat to engineered systems. Structures need to be designed with an eye to the psychological wellbeing of the inhabitants. This review provides an introduction into some of these aspects of lunar habitat design, and is based on the 2018 book by the author.
Invisible Bugs Are Bad for You

To counteract resistance, and occasional violence, generated by compulsory vaccination, public health officials turned to persuasion to construct a medicalized culture. They relied on two approaches: informal and formal education. This largely synthetic chapter focuses on the former using popular culture, the emergence of mass media, and major events. Fiction and nonfiction, comic books, commercial advertising, magazines, movies, and newspapers promoted good health practices, as well as the benefits of modern medicine and scientific leadership. Military mobilization during World War II also stimulated medical breakthroughs as well as normalized immunizations.
Machine Learning and Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: Patient Forecasting for a Patient-Specific Payment Model

Abstract Background Value-based and patient-specific care represent 2 critical areas of focus that have yet to be fully reconciled by today’s bundled care model. Using a predictive naive Bayesian model, the objectives of this study were (1) to develop a machine-learning algorithm using preoperative big data to predict length of stay (LOS) and inpatient costs after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and (2) to propose a tiered patient-specific payment model that reflects patient complexity for reimbursement. Methods Using 141,446 patients undergoing primary TKA from an administrative database from 2009 to 2016, a Bayesian model was created and trained to forecast LOS and cost. Algorithm performance was determined using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the percent accuracy. A proposed risk-based patient-specific payment model was derived based on outputs. Results The machine-learning algorithm required age, race, gender, and comorbidity scores (“risk of illness” and “risk of morbidity”) to demonstrate a high degree of validity with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.7822 and 0.7382 for LOS and cost. As patient complexity increased, cost add-ons increased in tiers of 3%, 10%, and 15% for moderate, major, and extreme mortality risks, respectively. Conclusion Our machine-learning algorithm derived from an administrative database demonstrated excellent validity in predicting LOS and costs before primary TKA and has broad value-based applications, including a risk-based patient-specific payment model.
Relations between post-deployment divorce/separation and deployment and post-deployment stressors, social support, and symptomatology in Veterans with combat-related PTSD symptoms

Introduction: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent diagnosis in combat Veterans. In addition to reduced quality of life in various domains of functioning, PTSD also is associ...
The Instability of Pitching Oscillations of an Airfoil in Subsonic Incompressible Potential Flow

A theoretical study is carried out to determine the conditions under which steady-state pitching oscillations of an airfoil in one degree of freedom are possible in two-dimensional subsonic incompressible potential flow. The results show that such oscillations can occur if the airfoil moment of inertia is sufficiently great and if the axis of rotation is located at a point that is forward of the airfoil quarter-chord but not too far forward of the airfoil leading edge. The practical significance of these results with respect to flutter and airplane stability problems is briefly examined.
Macroscopic network circulation for planar graphs

Author(s): Ariaei, Fariba; Askarzadeh, Zahra; Chen, Yongxin; Georgiou, Tryphon T | Abstract: The analysis of networks, aimed at suitably defined functionality, often focuses on partitions into subnetworks that capture desired features. Chief among the relevant concepts is a 2-partition, that underlies the classical Cheeger inequality, and highlights a constriction (bottleneck) that limits accessibility between the respective parts of the network. In a similar spirit, the purpose of the present work is to introduce a new concept of maximal global circulation and to explore 3-partitions that expose this type of macroscopic feature of networks. Herein, graph circulation is motivated by transportation networks and probabilistic flows (Markov chains) on graphs. Our goal is to quantify the large-scale imbalance of network flows and delineate key parts that mediate such global features. While we introduce and propose these notions in a general setting, in this paper, we only work out the case of planar graphs. We explain that a scalar potential can be identified to encapsulate the concept of circulation, quite similarly as in the case of the curl of planar vector fields. Beyond planar graphs, in the general case, the problem to determine global circulation remains at present a combinatorial problem.
Unexpected Correlation Between Boron Chain Condensation and Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) Activity in Highly Active Vanadium Borides: Enabling Predictions.

Transition-metal borides (TMBs) have recently attracted attention as excellent hydrogen evolution (HER) electrocatalysts in bulk crystalline materials. Herein, we show for the first time that VB and V3 B4 have high electrocatalytic HER activity. Furthermore, we show that the HER activity (in 0.5 m H2 SO4 ) increases with increasing boron chain condensation in vanadium borides: Using a -23 mV overpotential decrement derived from -0.296 mV (for VB at -10 mA cm-2 current density) and -0.273 mV (for V3 B4 ) we accurately predict the overpotential of VB2 (-0.204 mV) as well as that of unstudied V2 B3 (-0.250 mV) and hypothetical "V5 B8 " (-0.227 mV). We then derived an exponential equation that predicts the overpotentials of known and hypothetical Vx By phases containing at least a boron chain. These results provide a direct correlation between crystal structure and HER activity, thus paving the way for the design of even better electrocatalytic materials through structure-activity relationships.
Validation of a Novel Transabdominal Fetal Oximeter in a Hypoxic Fetal Lamb Model

Current intrapartum fetal oxygen saturation (SaO2) monitoring methodologies are limited, mostly consisting of fetal heart rate monitoring which is a poor predictor of fetal hypoxia. A newly developed transabdominal fetal oximeter (TFO) may be able to determine fetal SaO2 non-invasively. This study is to validate a novel TFO in determining fetal SaO2 in a hypoxic fetal lamb model. Fetal hypoxia was induced in at-term pregnant ewe by placing an aortic occlusion balloon infrarenally and inflating it in a stepwise fashion to decrease blood flow to the uterine artery. The inflation was held at each step for 10 min, and fetal arterial blood gases (ABGs) were intermittently recorded from the fetal carotid artery. The balloon catheter was deflated when fetal SaO2 fell below 15%, and the fetus was recovered. A total of three desaturation experiments were performed. The average fetal SpO2 reported by the TFO was derived at each hypoxic level and correlated with the ABG measures. Fetal SaO2 from the ABGs ranged from 10.5 to 66%. The TFO SpO2 correlated with the ABG fetal SaO2 (r-squared = 0.856) with no significant differences (p > 0.5). The fetal SpO2 measurements from TFO were significantly different than the maternal SpO2 (p < 0.01), which suggests that the transcutaneous measurements are penetrating through the maternal abdomen sufficiently and are expressing the underlying fetal tissue physiology. The recently developed TFO system was able to non-invasively report the fetal SpO2, which showed strong correlation with ABG measures and showed no significant differences.
“Courage to take on the bull”: Cultural citizenship in fifth-grade social studies

Critiques of traditional civic education as exclusionary toward individuals and groups that are linguistically, culturally, and age-diverse have led to critical civic education that foregrounds the...
Using a Text Mining Assignment as an Intervention to Promote Student Engagement With DEI Issues

The goal of the Partnership For Equity project is to build inclusive computing and engineering professional mindsets, which describes attitudes and identities of students who value knowledge in both technical and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) areas of computer science. In this paper we present results from an intervention we piloted in a text mining special topics class. This intervention is directly applicable to any data mining class. Students applied naive Bayes classification to a survey result dataset and classified responses as "technical" or "equity", where technical meant the survey question response was focused on technical issues, whereas "equity" meant the response was focused on DEI issues. The survey data came from another course where students watched Ms. Joy Buolamwini's 2016 "How I'm fighting bias in algorithms" TedX talk and then answered several survey questions about the talk. In our text mining course students were first asked to watch the same TedX talk and answer several of the same survey questions. Their answers were added to the original data set. Students were then asked to apply naive Bayes classification to the combined survey results for one question. At the end of the course students took an end of class survey and answered more open-ended questions about whether the assignment influenced their thinking about DEI in computing. Results from this intervention indicate that including a DEI focus in technical programming assignments can positively impact students' views on the importance of DEI and contribute to the development of computing and engineering professional mindsets.
Deep brain stimulation of the centromedian thalamic nucleus for the treatment of FIRES.

Febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) is a rare, life-threatening complication of febrile illness in previously healthy individuals followed by super-refractory status epilepticus. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been demonstrated to be a promising therapy for the treatment of intractable epilepsy. Here we present a pediatric patient with FIRES whose seizures were mitigated by acute DBS of the bilateral centromedian thalamic nucleus (CMTN). This is a previously healthy 11-year-old female who presented emergently with altered mental status, fever, and malaise after 1-week of lethargy, anorexia, fever, and abdominal pain. The patient began having seizures shortly after admission. After thorough work-up for encephalitis and other potential etiologies, this patient was diagnosed with FIRES due to super-refractory status epilepticus. Status epilepticus persisted despite pharmacologic management, immunotherapy, and vagus nerve stimulation. DBS of the bilateral CMTN (CM-DBS) was pursued after 56 days of hospitalization, and she demonstrated considerable improvement in baseline mental status 30-days after DBS insertion. This report highlights application of CM-DBS for super-refractory status epilepticus in FIRES. This region is a diffusely connected brain region and has been shown to modulate neural networks contributing to seizure propagation and consciousness, therefore neurostimulation is a potential therapeutic intervention for patients with super-refractory status epilepticus.
A contribution to the dynamic climatology of Arabia

Maps and transects are presented for January, April, July, and October. The uppertropospheric wind regime is dominated by Westerlies during winter, and the Tropical Easterly Jet in summer; seasonal reversals being related to the meridional gradient in the tropospheric thickness pattern. The relation between the kinematics of flow and the surface climate is most readily apparent during the extreme seasons. In winter, winds from northerly directions prevail over the Arabian Peninsula. Highest speeds are found in the Northeast monsoon flow over the open Arabian Sea. A confluence zone between winds from westerly and northerly directions extends from Ethiopia to the Southern part of the Red Sea, broadly coincident with a band of convergence. Cloudiness and sea surface temperature decrease from the equatorial seas northward. In summer a prominent core of maximum speed is found within the Southwest monsoon over the Western Arabian Sea. Divergence prevails upstream and convergence downstream from this speed maximum. Marked cyclonic vorticity is characteristic for the area to the left of the high speed core, that is along the Southeast coast of Arabia. The concomitant positive curl of wind stress is conducive to oceanic upwelling and cold coastal waters. Concurrently, the increase of surface friction from the open sea to the continent, that is towards the left of the flow core, favors atmospheric subsidence along the Southeast coast of Arabia. The gradient of cloudiness across the coast is also particularly steep in summer. The relative abundance of rainfall along the coasts of the Southern Red Sea seems at least in part to be related to the presence of a confluence zone during much of the year.
The Role of the Internal Mammary Artery and Other Conduits in Coronary Artery Surgery

Although segments of saphenous vein are most commonly used for bypass grafting, other bypass conduits are also used for this operation. These include various autogenous arteries and freeze-preserved saphenous vein homografts. The internal mammary artery, conventionally used as a pedicled bypass graft, has also been used as a free aortocoronary bypass graft. Other autogenous arteries which have been used for coronary bypass include aortocoronary radial artery grafts and pedicled splenic artery grafts. Although synthetic grafts have not proved satisfactory for coronary bypass surgery, newer types of small-caliber synthetic conduits are being developed which may eventually prove to be suitable as coronary artery grafts.
Simulation of Compliant Motions with Uncertainty

A compliant motion causes an object in the grasp of a robot to slide along obstacles in its environment, using them as a guide to a goal region. This type of motion is particularly useful for parts mating.
14 Arthropod-Borne Pathogens: Issues For Understanding Emerging Infectious Diseases

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the different aspects of arthropod-borne pathogens. Arthropod-borne pathogens figure prominently among the problems facing human health. The effects of many arthropod-borne pathogens on human and animal health are increasing and spreading. The emergence of many arthropod-borne viruses is a result of changes in their arthropod vectors. The increase in the incidence and spread of an arbovirus to a new region may be the result of an increase in the size of associated vector populations because of an environmental change, or because of a change in the distribution range of the vector. The surge of Aedes aegypti populations in the Caribbean basin coupled with intensive urbanization has resulted in an explosion of dengue unprecedented in the region. The general ability of an arthropod to transmit a pathogen involves a variety of traits described under the term, “vector capacity.” These include the intrinsic ability of the arthropod to become infected and transmit the pathogen, also called “vector competence,” and a variety of extrinsic traits, such as arthropod host preference for blood feeding, longevity, and population density.
Suppression of lung inflammation in rats by prevention of NF-kappaB activation in the liver.

Activation of NF-κB and production of NF-κB-dependent chemokines are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of neutrophilic lung inflammation. Calpain-1 inhibitor (Cl-1) blocks activation of NF-κB by preventing proteolysis of the inhibitory protein IκB-α by the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. We hypothesized that inhibition of proteasome function with CI-1 would block NF-κB activation in vivo after intraperitoneal (IP) treatment with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and that NF-κB inhibition would be associated with suppression of chemokine gene expression and attenuation of neutrophilic alveolitis. We treated rats with a single IP injection of CI-1 (10 mg/kg) two hours prior to IP LPS (7 mg/kg). Treatment with CI-1 prevented degradation of IκB-α and activation of NF-κB in the liver in response to LPS; however, CI-1 treatment had no detected effect on NF-κB activation in lung tissue. CI-1 treatment prior to LPS resulted in 40% lower MIP-2 concentration in lung lavage fluid compared to rats treated with vehicle prior to LPS (502 +/− 112 pg/ml vs. 859 +/− 144 pg/ml, P < 0.05). In addition, CI-1 treatment substantially inhibited LPS-induced neutrophilic alveolitis (2.7 +/− 1.2 × 105 vs. 43.7 +/− 12.2 × 105 lung lavage neutrophils, P < 0.01). These data indicate that NF-κB inhibition in the liver can alter lung inflammation induced by systemic LPS treatment and suggest that a liver-lung interaction contributes to the inflammatory response of the lung.
Chapter 12 Neurotoxicology of neuromuscular transmission.

Publisher Summary The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is sensitive to the effects of neurotoxins. The neurotoxins directed to the NMJ come from many sources. Many occur as natural substances of plants or animals, others are prescribed pharmaceutical compounds and still others are environmental hazards or weapons of terror. Drugs that produce worsening of neuromuscular function can be categorized as (1) drugs that have a direct effect on neuromuscular transmission (NMT) in otherwise normal individuals; (2) drugs that disturb the immune system and result in the development of myasthenia gravis (MG); (3) drugs that unmask subclinical MG or worsen muscle strength in patients with disorders of NMT; (4) drugs that delay recovery of strength, particularly respiratory function, following general anesthesia during which neuromuscular blocking agents have usually been used. The clostridial neurotoxins are gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria found ubiquitously in the environment. The neurotoxins of clostridial organisms produce botulism and tetanus by the inhibition of neurotransmitter release via their metalol-proteolytic activity directed against SNARE proteins, although the site of action and clinical picture of each is quite different. Heavy metal intoxication is a rare cause of clinical neuromuscular toxicity. The metals include barium, erbium, cadmium, cobalt, gadolinium, lanthium, manganese, nickel, praseodymium, triethyltin, and zinc. Nearly all of these have multiple effects on synaptic transmission but they block the release of acetylcholine (ACh) from the presynaptic nerve terminal. The inadvertent use of potentially NMJ toxic drugs is a matter of concern. Health care personnel must carefully assess each patient's potential complications and risk of adverse events before prescribing these agents to someone whose neuromuscular transmission is perturbed.
Estrogen response element sequence impacts the conformation and transcriptional activity of estrogen receptor alpha.

Abstract Estrogens play a critical role in mammary gland development, bone homeostasis, reproduction, and the pathogenesis of breast cancer by activating estrogen receptors (ERs) α and β. Ligand-activated ER stimulates the expression of target proteins by interacting with specific DNA sequences: estrogen response elements (EREs). We have demonstrated that the ERE sequence and the nucleotide sequences flanking the ERE impact ERα binding affinity and transcriptional activation. Here, we examined whether the sequence of the ERE modulates ERα conformation by measuring changes in sensitivity to protease digestion. ERα, occupied by estradiol (E 2 ) or 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT), was incubated with select EREs and digested by chymotrypsin followed by a Western analysis with antibodies to ERα. ERE binding increased the sensitivity of ERα to chymotrypsin digestion. We found both ligand-specific and ERE-specific differences in ERα sensitivity to chymotrypsin digestion. The ERE-mediated increase in ERα sensitivity to chymotrypsin digestion correlates with E 2 -stimulated transcriptional activity from the same EREs in transiently transfected cells. Transcriptional activity also correlates with the affinity of ERα-ERE binding in vitro. Our results support the hypothesis that the ERE sequence acts as an allosteric effector, altering ER conformation. We speculate that ERE-induced alterations in ERα conformation modulate interaction with co-regulatory proteins.
Prospects for generating 1-10 TPa pressures with a railgun

It has been demonstrated that a plasma arc can be accelerated along two current carrying parallel rails and used to accelerate a projectile (1). We have performed an extensive analysis and found the task of using a railgun to accelerate an impactor plate to velocities of 10-40 mm/μs to be feasible with contemporary technology. This range of impact velocities would enable shock pressures of 1-10 TPa to be generated for EOS research.
The role of rhythm in perceiving speech in noise: a comparison of percussionists, vocalists and non-musicians

The natural rhythms of speech help a listener follow what is being said, especially in noisy conditions. There is increasing evidence for links between rhythm abilities and language skills; however, the role of rhythm-related expertise in perceiving speech in noise is unknown. The present study assesses musical competence (rhythmic and melodic discrimination), speech-in-noise perception and auditory working memory in young adult percussionists, vocalists and non-musicians. Outcomes reveal that better ability to discriminate rhythms is associated with better sentence-in-noise (but not words-in-noise) perception across all participants. These outcomes suggest that sensitivity to rhythm helps a listener understand unfolding speech patterns in degraded listening conditions, and that observations of a “musician advantage” for speech-in-noise perception may be mediated in part by superior rhythm skills.
Animal Models Impacted by Phytoestrogens in Commercial Chow: Implications for Pathways Influenced by Hormones

It is generally not known that most commercial rodent diets are formulated with soy protein and deliver large daily doses of isoflavones to animals throughout their lifespan, including the in utero period. Here, we demonstrate that isoflavones are bioavailable and show that commercial rodent diets universally used by animal facilities lead to very high steady-state serum isoflavone concentrations in adult rats (2613 ± 873 ng/mL) and mice (2338 ± 531 ng/mL), exceeding the animal's endogenous estrogen level by 30,000- to 60,000-fold. We demonstrate the maternal-fetal intrauterine transfer of isoflavones in animals fed a standard Purina 5001 soy-containing diet and show that newborn rat pups have high serum isoflavones levels (540 ± 174 ng/mL) that are maintained throughout the suckling period by passage of isoflavones into maternal milk. These findings have profound implications for all animal experiments, including multigenerational studies and studies of transgenic animals, especially if biochemical or morphological end-points are influenced by the hormonal or nonhormonal properties of phytoestrogens. These compounds have the potential to modulate genotypic and phenotypic expression in general, and therefore, all investigators should be vigilant to the phytoestrogen composition of commercial rodent diets because there is a history of potent biological effects in larger animals and in humans from high circulating isoflavone concentrations.
PS2-47: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Findings from the Mental Health Research Network Autism Registry Web Survey

Background/Aims Approximately 1 in 88 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Unfortunately, there is no identified etiology or definitive cure for ASD. Therefore, it is not surprising that many parents turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for their affected children. Prior studies have suggested that CAM use is common in this population; however, these studies have been limited by small samples and an inability to assess response rates. The purpose of this analysis is to examine the prevalence and correlates of CAM use among a group of geographically- and racially/ethnically-diverse children with ASD who are enrolled in the Mental Health Research Network (MHRN) Autism Registry.
The analysis of abrin in food and beverages

Abstract Abrus precatorius has been known since ancient times, as has the fact that the seeds contain a deadly toxin determined to be abrin. Herein is an overview of the analytical techniques and methods that have been used to determine abrin and compare abrin with the related small molecule abrine in food and beverages. There are identified areas where significant knowledge gaps remain and highlight future work to address those shortcomings. The importance of fast, accurate, portable and accessible detection methods for select agents and associated molecules is of paramount importance to many scientific communities.
The kinetics of spontaneous calcium oscillations and arrhythmogenesis in the in vivo heart during ischemia/reperfusion

Background The correlation between spontaneous calcium oscillations (S-CaOs) and arrhythmogenesis has been investigated in a number of theoretical and experimental in vitro models. There is an obvious lack of studies that directly investigate how the kinetics of S-CaOs correlates with a specific arrhythmia in the in vivo heart. Objectives The purpose of the study is to investigate the correlation between the kinetics of S-CaOs and arrhythmogenesis in the intact heart using an experimental model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Methods Perfused Langendorff guinea pig (GP) hearts were subjected to global I/R (10-15 minutes/10-15 minutes). The heart was stained with a voltage-sensitive dye (RH237) and loaded with a Ca 2+ indicator (Rhod-2 AM). Membrane voltage (Vm) and intracellular calcium transient (Ca i T) were simultaneously recorded with an optical mapping system of two 16 × 16 photodiode arrays. S-CaOs were considered to arise from a localized focal site within the mapped surface when these preceded the associated membrane depolarizations by 2-15 ms. Results In 135 episodes of ventricular arrhythmias from 28 different GP experiments, 23 were linked to S-CaOs that were considered to arise from or close to the mapped epicardial window. Self-limited or sustained S-CaOs had a cycle length of 130-430 ms and could trigger propagated ventricular depolarizations. Self-limited S-CaOs that followed the basic beat action potential (AP)/Ca i T closely resembled phase 3 early afterdepolarizations. Fast S-CaOs could remain confined to a localized site (concealed) or exhibit varying conduction patterns. This could manifest as (1) an isolated premature beat (PB), bigeminal, or trigeminal rhythm; (2) ventricular tachycardia (VT) when a regular 2:1 conduction from the focal site develops; or (3) ventricular fibrillation (VF) when a complex conduction pattern results in wave break and reentrant excitation. Conclusions The study examined, for the first time in the intact heart, the correlation between the kinetics of focal S-CaOs during I/R and arrhythmogenesis. S-CaOs may remain concealed or manifest as PBs, VT, or VF. A "benign looking" PB during I/R may represent "the tip of the iceberg" of an underlying potentially serious arrhythmic mechanism.
Immunotoxic potencies of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), dibenzofuran (PCDF) and dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) congeners in C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice.

Abstract The dose-dependent effects of a single acute exposure of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD), 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF), 1,2,3,7,9-PeCDF, 1,3,6,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF), 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (pentaCB), and 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-hexaCB on the suppression of the splenic plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to the T-cell-independent antigen trinitrophenyl-lipopolysaccharide were determined in C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice. In addition, the induction of hepatic microsomal ethoxyresorufin O -deethylase (EROD) activity was also measured in these animals. 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF were the most immunotoxic congeners in both strains of mice and with the exception of the latter congener, the ED 50 values for each compound were lower in the C57BL/6 than the DBA/2 mice. 2,3,7,8-TCDD induced hepatic microsomal EROD activity in both strains of mice whereas the other congeners were considerably less active or inactive as inducers. The results of this study demonstrated that for the halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons the immunotoxic response was a more sensitive indicator of exposure than the induction of CYP1A1 activity. The rank order for the immunotoxic potencies of the chlorinated aromatic compounds used in this study was 2,3,7,8-TCDD ≈ 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF > 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentaCB ≈ 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-hexaCB > 1,2,3,7,9-PeCDF > 1,3,6,8-TCDF. The order of activity for these congeners was similar for other Ah receptor-mediated responses and these results coupled with the differential responsiveness of the C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice confirms the role of aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor in mediating the suppression of this T-cell-independent response.
ALLOPURINOL THERAPY AND CATARACTOGENESIS IN HUMANS

Long-term ingestion of allopurinol, an antihyperuricemic agent used to treat gout, may be related to the development of lens opacities in relatively young patients (second to fifth decades of life). Cataracts obtained from three patients taking allopurinol were subjected to high-resolution phosphorescence spectroscopy. The characteristic allopurinol triplet was demonstrated in all three cataracts. Identical spectra were obtained for normal human lenses incubated in media containing 10(-3)M allopurinol and exposed to 1.2 mW/cm2 ultraviolet radiation for 16 hours; control lenses (irradiated without allopurinol) showed no allopurinol triplets. Similar data were obtained for lenses from rats given one dose of allopurinol and exposed to ultraviolet radiation overnight. These data provide evidence that allopurinol can be photobound in rat and human lenses and suggest its cataractogenic potential.
Teaching practices and elementary classroom peer ecologies

Abstract Teachers and students in 39 1st, 3rd and 5th grade classrooms participated in a study of teaching practices and classroom peer networks. Teachers reported on their attitudes towards aggression and withdrawal, provided rationales for their seating arrangements, and were observed on patterns of emotional and instructional support and classroom organization. Students were surveyed or interviewed for peer nominations of friendship, popularity, being cool, and aggressive and prosocial behavior, and from these nominations classroom-level indices were derived concerning the richness of positive and negative social ties among children, the egalitarian or hierarchical nature of social status hierarchies, and classroom norms for aggressive and prosocial behavior. Preliminary results suggest that teachers' attitudes towards social behavior are associated with the degree of liking and disliking their students express; teachers' grouping patterns are associated with numerous features of classroom social networks; and teachers' observed emotional support was associated with higher rates of friendship reciprocation.