cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epicardial pulmonary vein isolation: a long-term histologic and imaging animal study comparing cryothermy versus radiofrequency.

Background Simplifications of the Cox-Maze procedure to treat atrial fibrillation (AF) include epicardial pulmonary vein (PV) isolation using various sources to create lines of conduction block. The creation of transmural lesions has been a concern. The heat-sink effect caused by blood flow has limited the effectiveness of unipolar radiofrequency and linear application of cryothermy, which should be abolished when clamp devices are used for PV isolation. The efficacy and safety of epicardial beating-heart PV isolation with clamp devices using cryothermy or bipolar radiofrequency energy was studied. Methods Twelve domestic pigs underwent beating-heart epicardial PV isolation using cryothermy (n = 6) or radiofrequency (n = 6) energy. Follow-up was 30 days for 3 animals of each group and 90 days for the others. Lesions were assessed by epicardial pacing, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and histologic analysis. Results Immediate and long-term electrical isolation of PVs was achieved with both energy sources. Histologic analysis showed transmural lesions in all animals at 30 and 90 days. Cardiac MRI showed no evidence of PV stenosis or thrombus formation. Mean left atrial ejection fraction was 0.36 ± 0.01, 0.36 ± 0.02, and 0.36 ± 0.01 at baseline and at 30 and 90 days, respectively ( p = 0.360 and 0.230, respectively) and not significantly different with cryothermy or radiofrequency ablations. Conclusions Beating-heart PV isolation using epicardial cryothermy or radiofrequency ablation produces transmural lesions with complete electrical conduction block, with low or no risk of endocardial thrombosis or PV stenosis. This approach may be useful for PVI in selected patients with AF caused by PV triggers.
Solvation and Ion Pair Association in Aqueous Metal Sulfates: Interpretation of NDIS raw data by isobaric-isothermal molecular dynamics simulation.

We analyzed the solvation behavior of aqueous lithium, nickel, and ytterbium sulfates at ambient conditions in terms of the relevant radial distributions functions and the corresponding first-order difference of the sulfur-site neutronweighted distribution functions generated by isothermal-isobaric molecular dynamics simulation. We determined of the partial contributions to the neutronweighted distribution functions, to identify the main peaks, and the effect of the contact ion-pair configuration on the resulting H ! S coordination number. Finally, we assessed the extent of the ion-pair formation according to Poirier- DeLap formalism and highlighted the significant increase of the ion-pair association exhibited by these salts with cation charge.
Functional Remineralization of Dentin Lesions Using Polymer-Induced Liquid-Precursor Process

It was hypothesized that applying the polymer-induced liquid-precursor (PILP) system to artificial lesions would result in time-dependent functional remineralization of carious dentin lesions that restores the mechanical properties of demineralized dentin matrix. 140 µm deep artificial caries lesions were remineralized via the PILP process for 7-28 days at 37°C to determine temporal remineralization characteristics. Poly-L-aspartic acid (27 KDa) was used as the polymeric process-directing agent and was added to the remineralization solution at a calcium-to-phosphate ratio of 2.14 (mol/mol). Nanomechanical properties of hydrated artificial lesions had a low reduced elastic modulus (E(R) = 0.2 GPa) region extending about 70 μm into the lesion, with a sloped region to about 140 μm where values reached normal dentin (18-20 GPa). After 7 days specimens recovered mechanical properties in the sloped region by 51% compared to the artificial lesion. Between 7-14 days, recovery of the outer portion of the lesion continued to a level of about 10 GPa with 74% improvement. 28 days of PILP mineralization resulted in 91% improvement of E(R) compared to the artificial lesion. These differences were statistically significant as determined from change-point diagrams. Mineral profiles determined by micro x-ray computed tomography were shallower than those determined by nanoindentation, and showed similar changes over time, but full mineral recovery occurred after 14 days in both the outer and sloped portions of the lesion. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis showed similar morphologies that were distinct from normal dentin with a clear line of demarcation between the outer and sloped portions of the lesion. Transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction showed that the starting lesions contained some residual mineral in the outer portions, which exhibited poor crystallinity. During remineralization, intrafibrillar mineral increased and crystallinity improved with intrafibrillar mineral exhibiting the orientation found in normal dentin or bone.
Upper gastrointestinal dysmotility after spinal cord injury: Is diminished vagal sensory processing one culprit?

Despite the widely recognized prevalence of gastric, colonic, and anorectal dysfunction after spinal cord injury (SCI), significant knowledge gaps persist regarding the mechanisms leading to post-SCI gastrointestinal (GI) impairments. Briefly, the regulation of GI function is governed by a mix of parasympathetic, sympathetic, and enteric neurocircuitry. Unlike the intestines, the stomach is dominated by parasympathetic (vagal) control whereby gastric sensory information is transmitted via the afferent vagus nerve to neurons of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). The NTS integrates this sensory information with signals from throughout the central nervous system. Glutamatergic and GABAergic NTS neurons project to other nuclei, including the preganglionic parasympathetic neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). Finally, axons from the DMV project to gastric myenteric neurons, again, through the efferent vagus nerve. SCI interrupts descending input to the lumbosacral spinal cord neurons that modulate colonic motility and evacuation reflexes. In contrast, vagal neurocircuitry remains anatomically intact after injury. This review presents evidence that unlike the post-SCI loss of supraspinal control which leads to colonic and anorectal dysfunction, gastric dysmotility occurs as an indirect or secondary pathology following SCI. Specifically, emerging data points toward diminished sensitivity of vagal afferents to GI neuroactive peptides, neurotransmitters and, possibly, macronutrients. The neurophysiological properties of rat vagal afferent neurons are highly plastic and can be altered by injury or energy balance. A reduction of vagal afferent signaling to NTS neurons may ultimately bias NTS output toward unregulated GABAergic transmission onto gastric-projecting DMV neurons. The resulting gastroinhibitory signal may be one mechanism leading to upper GI dysmotility following SCI.
Characterization of the Tensile Viscoelastic Properties of an Undamaged Asphalt Mixture

All characterization of asphalt mixtures must begin with the properties of the mixture in an undamaged state. Subsequent tests of the mixture in different stress or strain states at a level to cause damage can be referred to this undamaged state to assess the degree to which the mixture has been changed. All forms of such change from an original state by such damaging processes as fatigue, plasticity, healing, moisture damage, and aging can only be properly assessed by comparison with an accurately measured undamaged state. This is particularly the case with the use of pseudostrain dissipated energy to characterize the departure of a material from an original linear viscoelastic state. This paper presents a new test and data analysis protocol based on linear viscoelasticity theory to characterize the master curves of the viscoelastic properties of an asphalt mixture. Instead of running a relaxation modulus test in which controlling the test apparatus is a serious challenge, the proposed test protocol applied a uniaxial monotonically increasing tensile stress to the test specimen. The axial and radial deformations of the specimen were recorded and used to calculate the axial and radial strains. The uniaxial tensile loading rate and time were carefully controlled to assure that the strain of the specimen was limited to the small-strain condition 100 under which the specimen was assumed not to be damaged during the test. The applied stress and measured strain were fitted with functions of time. Applying the Laplace transform to the stress and strain functions, the relaxation modulus as a function of time was determined using the Boltzmann superposition principle and the convolution theorem. The relation between the relaxation modulus and the complex modulus was used to determine the complex modulus as a complex function of frequency. Then the magnitude and phase angle of the complex modulus were obtained from the real part and imaginary part of the complex modulus. The proposed test and data analysis protocol were performed on the same specimen at three temperatures, 10, 20, and 30°C, so master curves of the magnitude and phase angle of the complex modulus were constructed using the time-temperature superposition principle. The master curves of the magnitude and phase angle of the complex modulus were fitted with mathematical functions that were reported in the literature and were modified to be more comprehensive. The parameters in the mathematical functions were searched simultaneously using the Solver Function built into the Microsoft Excel. Compared to the traditional relaxation modulus and the dynamic modulus test protocols, the newly developed test protocol was more efficient to characterize the viscoelastic properties of asphalt mixtures. The newly developed test method did not introduce any damage to the specimen so the same specimen may be retested for its fatigue, healing, and other properties.
Square Root Unscented Kalman Filters for state estimation of induction motor drives

This paper investigates the application, design, and implementation of the Square Root Unscented Kalman Filter (SRUKF) for induction motor (IM) sensorless drives. The UKF uses nonlinear unscented transforms (UT) in the prediction step in order to preserve the stochastic characteristics of a nonlinear system. The advantage of using the UT is its ability to capture the nonlinear behavior of the system, unlike the extended Kalman filter (EKF) that uses linearized models. The SRUKF implements the UKF using square root filtering and has the potential of reducing the errors in numerical computation. We discuss the theoretical aspects and implementation details of the SRUKF for IM drives. Experimental results for a direct torque controlled drive are presented for a wide speed range of operation, with focus on low speed performance. A comparison with the conventional EKF is included. It is concluded that the SRUKF is a viable and powerful tool for IM state estimation.
Mitochondrial calcium overload is a key determinant in heart failure

Calcium (Ca2+) released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is crucial for excitation–contraction (E–C) coupling. Mitochondria, the major source of energy, in the form of ATP, required for cardiac contractility, are closely interconnected with the SR, and Ca2+ is essential for optimal function of these organelles. However, Ca2+ accumulation can impair mitochondrial function, leading to reduced ATP production and increased release of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidative stress contributes to heart failure (HF), but whether mitochondrial Ca2+ plays a mechanistic role in HF remains unresolved. Here, we show for the first time, to our knowledge, that diastolic SR Ca2+ leak causes mitochondrial Ca2+ overload and dysfunction in a murine model of postmyocardial infarction HF. There are two forms of Ca2+ release channels on cardiac SR: type 2 ryanodine receptors (RyR2s) and type 2 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3R2s). Using murine models harboring RyR2 mutations that either cause or inhibit SR Ca2+ leak, we found that leaky RyR2 channels result in mitochondrial Ca2+ overload, dysmorphology, and malfunction. In contrast, cardiac-specific deletion of IP3R2 had no major effect on mitochondrial fitness in HF. Moreover, genetic enhancement of mitochondrial antioxidant activity improved mitochondrial function and reduced posttranslational modifications of RyR2 macromolecular complex. Our data demonstrate that leaky RyR2, but not IP3R2, channels cause mitochondrial Ca2+ overload and dysfunction in HF.
Sensitivity of the Simulated Tropical Cyclone Inner-Core Size to the Initial Vortex Size*

Abstract The multiply nested, fully compressible, nonhydrostatic tropical cyclone model version 4 (TCM4) is used to examine and understand the sensitivity of the simulated tropical cyclone (TC) inner-core size to its initial vortex size. The results show that although the simulated TC intensity at the mature stage is weakly dependent on the initial vortex size for the general settings, the simulated TC inner-core size is largely determined by the initial vortex size. The initial vortex size is critical to both the energy input from the ocean and the effectiveness of the inward angular momentum transport by the transverse circulation driven by eyewall convection and diabatic heating in spiral rainbands. Strong outer winds in a storm with a large initial size lead to large entropy fluxes to a large radial extent outside the eyewall, favoring the development of active spiral rainbands. Latent heat released in spiral rainbands plays a key role in increasing the low-level radial inflow and accelerating tangent...
Dorstenialuamensis (Moraceae), a new species from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

A new species of Dorstenia L. (Moraceae), Dorstenia luamensis M.E.Leal, is described from the Luama Wildlife Reserve, west of Lake Tanganyika and north of the town of Kalemie in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This species is endemic to the region and differs from any of the other species by its fernlike lithophytic habit and lack of latex. A description and illustration of this species is presented here. Dorstenia luamensis M.E.Leal inhabits moist and shady vertical rock faces close to small waterfalls in the forest; the species is distributed in small populations within the type locality, and merits the conservation status of endangered (EN).
An empirical study of eServices product UML sizing metrics

Size is one of the most fundamental measurements of software. For the past two decades, the source line of code (SLOC) and function point (FP) metrics have been dominating software sizing approaches. However both approaches have significant defects. For example, SLOC can only be counted when the software construction is complete, while the FP counting is time consuming, expensive, and subjective. In the late 1990s researchers have been exploring faster, cheaper, and more effective sizing methods, such as Unified Modeling Language (UML) based software sizing. We present an empirical 14-project-study of three different sizing metrics which cover different software life-cycle activities: requirement metrics (requirement), UML metrics (architecture), and SLOC metrics (implementation). Our results show that the software size in terms of SLOC was moderately well correlated with the number of external use cases and the number of classes. We also demonstrate that the number of sequence diagram steps per external use case is a possible complexity indicator of software size. However, we conclude that at least for this 14-project eServices applications sample, the UML-based metrics were insufficiently well-defined and codified to serve as precise sizing metrics.
p53 stimulates promoter activity of the sgk. serum/glucocorticoid-inducible serine/threonine protein kinase gene in rodent mammary epithelial cells.

sgk is a novel member of the serine/threonine protein kinase gene family that is transcriptionally regulated by serum and glucocorticoids in mammary epithelial cells. To functionally determine if the sgk promoter is regulated by the p53 tumor suppressor protein in mammary cells, a series of sgk promoter fragments with 5′-deletions were linked to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (sgk-CAT) and transiently cotransfected into nontumorigenic NMuMG or transformed Con8Hd6 mammary epithelial cells with p53 expression plasmids. Wild-type p53, but not mutant p53, strongly stimulated sgk promoter activity in both mammary epithelial cell lines. These effects were mediated by specific regions within the sgk promoter containing p53 DNA-binding sites. The sgk p53 sequence at −1380 to −1345 (site IV) was sufficient to confer p53-dependent transactivation to a heterologous promoter, and p53 was capable of binding to this sequence in vitro as assessed by gel shift analysis. In the nontumorigenic NMuMG epithelial cell line, cotransfection of wild-type p53 strongly stimulated the activities of both the sgk promoter and the well characterized p53-responsive p21/Waf1 promoter, whereas in Rat-2 fibroblasts, wild-type p53 repressed the basal activities of both promoters, revealing that sgk and p21/Waf1 are similarly regulated in a cell type-specific manner. Taken together, these results demonstrate that sgk is a new transcriptional target of p53 in mammary epithelial cells and represent the first example of a hormone-regulated protein kinase gene with a functionally defined p53 promoter recognition element.
The synthesis of (2R)‐ and (2S)‐[2‐3H]‐propionic acid

A practical synthesis of (2R)- and (2S)-[2-3H]-propionic acid is described. The key steps in the synthesis are the reduction of [formyl-3H]-3-methoxy-4-mesyloxybenzaldehyde with R- or S-Alpine Borane to (7S)- and (7R)-[7-3H]-3-methoxy-4-mesyloxybenzyl alcohol and the use of the vanillyl moiety as a masked carboxyl group.
Entry-Level Athletic Trainers' Self-Confidence in Clinical Skill Preparedness for Treating Athletic and Emergent Settings Populations.

Context: Clinical education is an important component of athletic training education. Concern exists regarding whether clinical experience adequately prepares students to perform professional skill...
Morphological diversity in the evolutionary radiation of Paleozoic and post-Paleozoic crinoids

The Paleozoic and post-Paleozoic radiations of crinoids present an opportunity to explore genomic and ecological explanations for patterns of morphologic diversification. Analysis of discrete-character data that cover the principal features of the crinoid skeleton shows that both Paleozoic and post-Paleozoic increases in morphological disparity were abrupt; this is consistent with rapid exploitation of open ecological opportunities in both cases. For the post-Paleozoic, this result is sensitive to some aspects of data analysis and sampling, so it cannot be regarded as unequivocal. The deceleration in morphological diversification within each radiation is consistent with an observed decline in rates of taxonomic origination as well as with the attainment of functional or structural limits. Despite these similarities in the two radiations, Paleozoic crinoids exploited a wider range of morphological designs than did their post-Paleozoic successors. Post-Paleozoic crinoids exploited a wide range of ecological strategies despite being stereotyped in many aspects of form. This difference between the radiations is consistent with an increase in the rigidity of genetic and developmental systems. The range of post-Paleozoic designs is not in essence a subset of the Paleozoic spectrum. The two radiations resulted in morphological distributions that are largely nonoverlapping, perhaps reflecting a different range of ecological strategies.
The Diffusion of Information Communication and Space Technology Applications into society

There have been formidable advancements in space science and space technology over the past five decades, yet most people instinctively associate these advancements to deep space flights, lunar stations, and thrilling outer space adventures. The fact is that the majority of the human technology in space, which is comprised of interconnected satellites, points towards earth, and most of this technology, is used to provide services and fulfill the goals for people on earth. The growing role of space technology is so profound; it has become prevalent in earthy society. In recent years The Information Technology (IT)/Information Systems (IS) professionals have began to comprehend the important role that must undertaken to sustain a viable biosphere. Over the next decade there will be an increased need for innovative earth information systems to support the initiatives of the international space community. This article describes some of the most important Information, Communication and Space Technology (ICST) applications being created, along with the space infrastructure upgrades underway to support these applications.
Thermal Studies of Cax Ba1-x TiO3

Measurements have been carried out on Ca x Ba 1- x TiO 3 ceramics for which 0≤ x ≤0.19. The thermal diffusivity was measured from -60° to 230°C and the thermal conductivity was measured from 40° to 150°C. The electrical properties were also measured as a function of temperature. The velocities of dilatational elastic waves were measured for these ceramics at room temperature. The increase in the thermal resistance with increasing x -value is accounted for within the limits of error of the measurements by using a Debye distribution for the phonon spectrum and attributing the phonon scattering to the mass difference between the Ba atoms and the substitutional Ca atoms.
Cables, Crises, and the Press: The Geopolitics of the New International Information System in the Americas, 1866–1903. By John A. Britton. (Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 2013. Pp. xv, 473. $60.00.)

In this extensively researched and carefully documented study, the author provides a needed analysis of how telegraphy and submarine cables influenced geopolitical information systems in Europe, La...
Role of SKD1 Regulators LIP5 and IST1-LIKE1 in Endosomal Sorting and Plant Development

SKD1 is a core component of the mechanism that degrades plasma membrane proteins via the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) pathway. Its ATPase activity and endosomal recruitment are regulated by the ESCRT components LIP5 and IST1. How LIP5 and IST1 affect ESCRT-mediated endosomal trafficking and development in plants is not known. Here we use Arabidopsis mutants to demonstrate that LIP5 controls the constitutive degradation of plasma membrane proteins and the formation of endosomal intraluminal vesicles. Although lip5 mutants were able to polarize the auxin efflux facilitators PIN2 and PIN3, both proteins were mis-sorted to the tonoplast in lip5 root cells. In addition, lip5 root cells over-accumulated PIN2 at the plasma membrane. Consistently with the trafficking defects of PIN proteins, the lip5 roots showed abnormal gravitropism with an enhanced response within the first 4 h after gravistimulation. LIP5 physically interacts with IST1-LIKE1 (ISTL1), a protein predicted to be the Arabidopsis homolog of yeast IST1. However, we found that Arabidopsis contains 12 genes coding for predicted IST1-domain containing proteins (ISTL1–12). Within the ISTL1–6 group, ISTL1 showed the strongest interaction with LIP5, SKD1, and the ESCRT-III-related proteins CHMP1A in yeast two hybrid assays. Through the analysis of single and double mutants, we found that the synthetic interaction of LIP5 with ISTL1, but not with ISTL2, 3, or 6, is essential for normal plant growth, repression of spontaneous cell death, and post-embryonic lethality.
Anisotropic Surface Roughness in Strain Relaxed In0.40GA0.60As on Gaas with a Step-Graded InxGA1-xAs Buffer Layer

We report the structural characterization of the 3-D relaxation morphology of In0.4Ga0.6As grown on a step-graded InxGa1-xAs buffer layer on GaAs. Scanning electron microscopy showed “grooves” spaced on the order of microns running only in the [110] direction. Each groove was observed with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy to mark the location of a vertical low-angle tilt and/or twist boundary. The veiy rough layer morphology may be the result of island coalescence or severe surface roughness that created the grain boudnaries as the layer grew. Strain relaxation in the In0.4Ga0.6As layer was much reduced in the [101] in-plane direction. The asymmetry in residual in-plane strains in the In0.3Ga0.7AS layer and/or the increased In composition may be responsible for the development of an anisotropic surface roughness. X-ray microanalysis revealed a periodic variation in layer composition which correlated with a fine contrast modulation presumably the result of phase segregation.
Mechanisms of asphyxial death in infancy and early childhood

Records of the Adelaide Children’s Hospital Histopathology Department were reviewed for cases of asphyxial deaths in childhood and infancy. Twenty-seven cases were found and were analysed with respect to age, sex and the circumstances of death. The median age at death was 15 months (Range = 6w-7yl and the male to female ratio was approximately 2:1. Deaths occurred from upper and lower airway obstruction, suffocation and hanging. In 15 of 27 cases death resulted from choking. In 4 cases the airways were obstructed by food which included peanuts (N = 1), a carrot (N = 1) and mincemeat (N = 2). One child vomited and aspirated while travelling restrained in a car. Foreign bodies found included a toy ball, a woodscrew, a plastic chess piece and in 2 cases tablets. Two cases involved airway obstruction from without by material in the oesophagus. In one case an intraoesphageal bolus (sausage) was found and in another, a 1c coin wedged in the oesophagus was associated with tracheal compression. Accidental choking due to fine granular material was found in 3 young boys - one died in a sand pit, another at a fertilizer works and another in a field storage bin containing wheat. Of the remaining 12 cases, 3 cases of wedging between the cot and a mattress or another piece of furniture were identified. One child was trapped under a chest of drawers while playing with an older sibling. Plastic bags over a pillow or mattress asphyxiated two children and another infant died when she fell between the back of the couch and the soft pillows of the seat. Five cases of strangulation/hanging were identified in which there was constriction of the neck by clothing in 3 cases, a curtain cord in one case and the seat belt of a baby car seat in another. These cases demonstrate the range of asphyxial deaths that can occur in infancy and early childhood. The absence of pathognomic findings at autopsy, particularly in cases involving wedging or plastic bags may lead to a mistaken diagnosis of SIDS in infants if an adequate death scene investigation has not been conducted.
Reducing Opioid Adverse Events: A Safe Way to Improve Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION Opioids are commonly used in the postoperative period to manage postsurgical pain. However, adverse side effects of opioids include respiratory depression, urinary retention, pruritus, vomiting, nausea, constipation, and increased risk of falls. Surgical site infiltration with extended release liposomal bupivacaine is effective in the multimodal care plan of managing postsurgical patients. The purpose of the present study was to examine the possible effects of liposomal bupivacaine on postoperative opioid adverse events following open hernia repair and laparoscopic colon resection surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study population comprised 82 patients who had undergone open hernia repair or a laparoscopic colon resection. Forty-five of the 82 patients were treated with liposomal bupivacaine. Data were examined retrospectively from January 1, 2012 to August 31, 2012 in comparison with historical controls. Adverse opioid events measured included constipation, pruritus, vomiting, nausea, urinary retention, respiratory depression and fall risk. Statistical tools used were the Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson's chi-squared test, and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS The addition of liposomal bupivacaine did significantly (p<0.05) reduce urinary retention and respiratory depression. Additionally, from the perspective of hospital safety there was a significant reduction in patients at high risk of falls, from 16% to 8.4% as well as an increase in patients at low risk of falls, from 37.6% to 48.7%. CONCLUSION The findings of this study demonstrate that using liposomal bupivacaine can significantly reduce high-risk fall patients, increase low-risk fall patients as well as decrease urinary retention and respiratory depression in the postoperative setting. Given heightened consideration of the impact of sentinel events on hospital reimbursement since health care reforms in 2014, these results are important because they can mitigate complications associated with opioids in postsurgical pain management, and thereby reduce the costs of hospitalization.
Protective effects of PLO and PssNe soft capsuleson on bromobenene-induced oxidative liver damage in mice

Objective:To investigate the protective effects of PLO and PssNe soft capsuleson on bromobenene-induced oxidative liver damage in mice.Methods: In this study,the effect of PLO and PssNe soft capsuleson through zoological experiment was studied after consecutive administration by oral gavage for 30 days,liver was sampled to determine the MDA content and GSH-Px activity.Results: It found that PLO and PssNe soft capsuleson could significantly reduce the content of MDA in three different doses,and could significantly improve the GSH-Px activity in 0.21 g/kg BW and 0.41 g/kg BW doses.Conclusion: It indicated that the mice obtained the anti-oxide ability by PLO and PssNe soft capsuleson taken orally.
Human Engineered Cardiac Tissues Created Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Reveal Functional Characteristics of BRAF-Mediated Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death that often goes undetected in the general population. HCM is also prevalent in patients with cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome (CFCS), which is a genetic disorder characterized by aberrant signaling in the RAS/MAPK signaling cascade. Understanding the mechanisms of HCM development in such RASopathies may lead to novel therapeutic strategies, but relevant experimental models of the human condition are lacking. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop the first 3D human engineered cardiac tissue (hECT) model of HCM. The hECTs were created using human cardiomyocytes obtained by directed differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from a patient with CFCS due to an activating BRAF mutation. The mutant myocytes were directly conjugated at a 3:1 ratio with a stromal cell population to create a tissue of defined composition. Compared to healthy patient control hECTs, BRAF-hECTs displayed a hypertrophic phenotype by culture day 6, with significantly increased tissue size, twitch force, and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) gene expression. Twitch characteristics reflected increased contraction and relaxation rates and shorter twitch duration in BRAF-hECTs, which also had a significantly higher maximum capture rate and lower excitation threshold during electrical pacing, consistent with a more arrhythmogenic substrate. By culture day 11, twitch force was no longer different between BRAF and wild-type hECTs, revealing a temporal aspect of disease modeling with tissue engineering. Principal component analysis identified diastolic force as a key factor that changed from day 6 to day 11, supported by a higher passive stiffness in day 11 BRAF-hECTs. In summary, human engineered cardiac tissues created from BRAF mutant cells recapitulated, for the first time, key aspects of the HCM phenotype, offering a new in vitro model for studying intrinsic mechanisms and screening new therapeutic approaches for this lethal form of heart disease.
Water budget for creosotebush-infested rangeland

A water budget for creosotebush-infested rangeland was calculated using values determined from a water interception study, runoff from instrumented plots, and precipitation data. Combining data generated from precipitation events received for the study period showed that 20 per cent and 9 per cent of the rainfall contributed to runoff and interception, respectively. Abstraction of approximately 30 per cent of the precipitation by these two variables impacts the onsite water availability.
Equine influenza culture methods.

Equine influenza viruses are cultured in embryonated chicken eggs or in mammalian cells, generally Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, using methods much the same as for other influenza A viruses. Mutations associated with host adaptation occur in both eggs and MDCK cells, but the latter show greater heterogeneity and eggs are the generally preferred host. Both equine-1 H7N7 and equine-2 H3N8 viruses replicate efficiently in 11-day-old eggs, but we find that equine-1 viruses kill the embryos whereas equine-2 viruses do not.
European Union and the Deconstruction of the Rhineland Frontier: Spatial representation and the political imagination

In 1988, Jacques Delors, in a speech before the European Parliament, urged member states to “wake up” to the fact that much of their policy-making powers had been transferred to the European Union. In 1990 he declared it his objective that before the end of the Millennium [Europe] should have a true federation. [The Commission should become] a political executive which can define essential common interest … responsible before the European Parliament and before the nation-states represented how you will, by the European Council or by a second chamber of national parliaments. The goal was unmet, but not quixotic. Craig Parsons has shown how the “accumulation of community initiatives” recasts the institutional and discursive framework of European politics such that ideas that were once subject to heated debate now locate normal political deliberation. Because so many aspects of national policy have become the province of Brussels, the Union already looks and acts more like a kind of federal entity than it does an “international organization.” Not only do (most) EU countries share a single policy in trade, agriculture, money, and market regulation, but institutionally the Single European Act and the treaties of Maastricht and Amsterdam deprive member states of much of their power to oppose policies supported by a majority of members, and deny the Council, where state interests are represented, the power to pass (certain kinds of) legislation without the explicit approval of the European Parliament.
Adsorption Microcalorimetry of CO2 in Confined Aminopolymers.

Aminopolymers confined within mesoporous supports have shown promise as materials for direct capture of CO2 from ambient air. In spite of this, relatively little is known about the energetics of CO2 binding in these materials, and the limited calorimetric studies published to date have focused on materials made using molecular aminosilanes rather than amine polymers. In this work, poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) is impregnated within mesoporous SBA-15, and the heats of CO2 adsorption at 30 °C are investigated using a Tian-Calvet calorimeter with emphasis on the role of PEI loading and CO2 pressure in the compositional region relevant to direct capture of CO2 from ambient air. In parallel, CO2 uptakes of these materials are measured using multiple complementary approaches, including both volumetric and gravimetric methods, and distinct changes in uptake as a function of CO2 pressure and amine loading are observed. The CO2 sorption behavior is directly linked to textural data describing the porosity and PEI distri...
Identifying attendance patterns in a smoking cessation treatment and their relationships with quit success

Background While important for substance use outcomes, knowledge about treatment attendance patterns, and their relation with clinical outcomes is limited. We examined the association between attendance patterns and smoking outcomes in a randomized, controlled smoking cessation intervention trial.
Statistical-mechanical basis for the 1/S correction to classical homogeneous nucleation theory

Publisher Summary There has been considerable confusion regarding the origin of the factor 1/S, commonly used to correct the classical theory of nucleation. In the thirty five years since Courtney first proposed the correction, several authors have proposed alternate justifications. More recently, Weakliem and Reiss suggested that “one can arrive at an arbitrary factor, including unity, depending on the details of the model employed.” This chapter presents a statistical–mechanical justification for the factor 1/S for the limiting case, where the saturated vapor can be treated as an ideal gas mixture of n-mers. The derivation suggests the proper resolution of the self-consistency problem raised by Girshick and Chiu. It shows the way to use calculated cluster free energies to estimate nucleation rates. Extrapolations of this data lead to chemical potential, surface tension, and Tolman length estimates for the bulk. Together, the cluster calculations and the bulk property estimates allow one to make unambiguous tests of the capillarity approximation.
A Jewish Heroine in Early Modern Spain

In this chapter, I explore three different Iberian manifestations of Queen Esther. The model text and most well-known is La Hermosa Ester (1610), written by renowned Golden Age playwright Lope Felix de Vega Carpio. This text sets the stage for Iberian representation of the Esther story in this period and I compare it with Felipe Godinez’s two texts, written on either side of his incarceration and Inquisition trial: “La Reyna Ester” (1613) and “Aman y Mardoqueo” (1628) reflect the “corrective behavior” that he received by the Inquisition.
C. difficile Microbiome Manipulation

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a healthcare-associated infection with significant mortality, morbidity, and cost. Despite efforts by healthcare providers to adhere to infection prevention and control guidelines, the incidence of CDI has been increasing. Since one of the risk factors for developing CDI is alteration of the microbiota of the gut by antimicrobials, manipulation of the human gut microbiome may be a reasonable strategy to prevent and control CDI. Probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and purified bacteria cultures are potential approaches that utilize microbiome manipulation in the prevention and treatment of CDI.
For Better or for Worse? Outsourcing Self-Regulation and Goal Pursuit

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in how close relationships can impact personal goal pursuit. Extensive research on social support has shown that support often facilitates goal pursuit. However, Fitzsimons and Finkel found that perceived partner support may actually undermine motivation and decrease goal pursuit intentions. In this article, we report three well-powered studies (N = 850) that investigated the conditions under which romantic partners may bolster or undermine goal pursuit. In contrast with the original Fitzsimons and Finkel’s findings, the results of these studies consistently showed that perceived partner support bolsters goal pursuit intentions by increasing goal commitment. Implications for successful goal pursuit in the context of relationships are discussed.
Teaching entrepreneurship in computer science: Lessons learned

Many Computer Science departments are offering courses in Entrepreneurship. Views vary widely on the purpose, appropriateness and value of this as a topic area for students majoring in Computer Science — hence the title of this paper. We begin by exploring the meaning of the term, and review representative examples of Entrepreneurship programs in different Computer Science departments, looking at their stated goals and outcomes. We then describe our own experience designing and teaching a new, two-part, yearlong course on “Software Entrepreneurship” at Brandeis University, we extensively explore important lessons learned from this experience. Our program includes two interlocking courses, one focused on the “discovery stage” and one focused on the “delivery stage”. We briefly describe the structure, learning objectives and overall flow of the courses. We then examine, in turn, a series of common challenges and our solutions and innovations in each: a) forming well-functioning student teams; b) choosing the appropriate size of teams; c) catalyzing innovation in the student teams; d) encouraging positive team dynamics and dealing with crises; e) defining the final deliverable; and f) deploying outside experts and g) assessments at the end of the course. To get a handle on the effectiveness of our approach we present a selection of student written reflections on their experience, how they felt it impacted them, and to what extent they see entrepreneurship in their own future. We conclude by identifying two broad areas for future work and study.
und so bleiben

Eine deutliche – moglicherweise sogar starke – Veranderung bewegt viel, gelingt aber nicht auf Anhieb. Es werden nicht nur Erfolge gefeiert, es gibt Widerstande, eigene Zweifel, und eine gewisse Umorientierung muss stattfinden. Auch kann ein Gefuhl der Uberforderung eintreten, und man muss Erfahrungen mit seiner neuen Sicht der Dinge sammeln. In der Anfangsphase ist es wichtig sich bewusst zu sein, welche Widerstande uberwunden werden mussen und welche Stolperfallen auf dem Weg versteckt sind.
The Flow of Culture: Assessing the Role of Rivers in the Inter-community Transmission of Material Traditions in the Upper Amazon

Rivers are known to play a role in human subsistence, economic, transport, and communication dynamics in many regions of the world. However, there has been little systematic investigation of how landscape features such as rivers might structure cultural transmission, such that this has a direct influence on cross-community patterns of artifactual variation. Here, we statistically explore the influence of river networks on patterns of inter-community material culture variation by utilizing spatial, linguistic, and material culture data from linguistically diverse peoples of the Upper Amazon region, using an ethnographic dataset recorded during the early twentieth century. When the geographic (“straight line”) distances among groups were controlled for, our statistical analysis found no relationship between inter-group material culture patterns and linguistic variation. We did, however, find a statistical relationship between the geographic distances among ethnolinguistic groups and their overall similarity as measured by material culture. This suggests that geographic distance is a more important factor in influencing pathways of cultural transmission among groups than language across the region. Most importantly, however, our analysis also found a significant relationship between riverine distances among ethnolinguistic groups and their material culture patterns. This relationship remained statistically significant even when taking both language variation and geographic (straight line) distances into account. Hence, this result strongly supports the hypothesis that rivers are having an influence on pathways of cultural transmission, and that they ultimately contribute to the structure of material culture patterns observed across the region. Accordingly, river distances and other landscape features may need to be more closely considered in archaeological studies when attempting to understand cultural transmission pathways influencing the spatial distribution of artifactual variation across communities.
Community assembly of the ferns of Florida

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Many ecological and evolutionary processes shape the assembly of organisms into local communities from a regional pool of species. We analyzed phylogenetic and functional diversity to understand community assembly of the ferns of Florida at two spatial scales. METHODS We built a phylogeny for 125 of the 141 species of ferns in Florida using five chloroplast markers. We calculated mean pairwise dissimilarity (MPD) and mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD) from phylogenetic distances and functional trait data for both spatial scales and compared the results to null models to assess significance. KEY RESULTS Our results for over vs. underdispersion in functional and phylogenetic diversity differed depending on spatial scale and metric considered. At the county scale, MPD revealed evidence for phylogenetic overdispersion, while MNTD revealed phylogenetic and functional underdispersion, and at the conservation area scale, MPD revealed phylogenetic and functional underdispersion while MNTD revealed evidence only of functional underdispersion. CONCLUSIONS Our results are consistent with environmental filtering playing a larger role at the smaller, conservation area scale. The smaller spatial units are likely composed of fewer local habitat types that are selecting for closely related species, with the larger-scale units more likely to be composed of multiple habitat types that bring together a larger pool of species from across the phylogeny. Several aspects of fern biology, including their unique physiology and water relations and the importance of the independent gametophyte stage of the life cycle, make ferns highly sensitive to local, microhabitat conditions.
Sleep-disordered breathing, brain volume, and cognition in older individuals with heart failure.

Background and purpose Sleep-disordered breathing is common in individuals with heart failure and may contribute to changes in the brain and decreased cognition. However, limited research has explored how the apnea-hypopnea index contributes to brain structure and cognition in this population. The aims of this study were to explore how the apnea-hypopnea index is associated with brain volume and cognition in heart failure patients. Methods Data of 28 heart failure patients (mean age = 67.93; SD = 5.78) were analyzed for this cross-sectional observational study. We evaluated the apnea-hypopnea index using a portable multichannel sleep-monitoring device. All participants were scanned using 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological tests. Brain volume was evaluated using a voxel-based morphometry method with T1-weighted images. We used multiple regressions to analyze how the apnea-hypopnea index is associated with brain volume and cognition. Results We found an inverse association between apnea-hypopnea index scores and white matter volume (β = -0.002, p = 0.026), but not in gray matter volume (β = -0.001, p = 0.237). Higher apnea-hypopnea index was associated with reduced regional gray and white matter volume (p 0.05). Conclusion Findings from this study provide exploratory evidence that higher apnea-hypopnea index may be associated with greater brain volume reduction in heart failure patients. Future studies are needed to establish the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing, brain volume, and cognition in heart failure samples.
To “El” and Back: The Era of the Elevated Railroad

The story of New York’s elevated rail rapid transit system is a critical juncture in the history of the city. Surrounded by water on a long, narrow island, the city needed to expand, and it needed a transportation system to enable it to do so. The elevated railway would provide the only answer for the thirty-four year period between 1870 and 1904, when the first subway was opened. The story of the “Els” is one of great innovation and invention, dedicated (even if often misguided) engineers and scientists, and both political and financial intrigue involving some of the most well-known names in the city’s history. Always controversial, the elevated railroads paved the way for New York to rapidly expand, particularly to the north, while creating significant environmental problems virtually from their very beginnings.