cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heart Rate Variability Responses to a Standardized Virtual Reality Exposure in Veterans with PTSD

Purpose In this article, we present data incorporating heart rate variability (HRV) into a graded virtual reality protocol performed in both a combat environment and an active control (classroom) environment, for combat Veterans with and without PTSD. Recent Findings Exposure therapy for PTSD has proven effective. There is increasing interest in the use of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET)-customized environments incorporating auditory, visual, and olfactory sensory modalities, to augment exposure-based treatment for PTSD. Particularly for combat Veterans, VRET may offer the advantage of a more realistic in vivo exposure for treatment. When combined with concurrent psychophysiological data, VRET has the potential to inform PTSD diagnosis, predict therapeutic responsiveness, and provide objective indicators of treatment response. HRV was not different between Veteran with and without PTSD, but our group recently found that Veterans with PTSD had differential skin conductance responses compared with Veterans without PTSD. Summary Virtual reality is a promising treatment for PTSD. Methodological factors may have influenced the absence of significant findings in the current data. Future research which optimizes the potential use of psychophysiological assessments for the development of biomarkers and prediction of PTSD treatment response, or to inform the process of PTSD treatment, remain important.
Transforming academia and theorizing spaces for Latinx in higher education: voces perdidas and voces de poder

AbstractThe concepts of voces perdias and voces de poder are used as a symbolic representations and reflections of oppression and power in academia. Seventy-four percent of scholarship across the world is published in English. The author argues the importance of publishing in Spanish as form of liberatory practice to provide a voice for Spanish-speaking communities who currently do not have access (to the power of academia and of information), and whose lived experiences are not acknowledged or captured in this medium, and who have by-and-large been marginalized and forgotten in research. In attempt to help improve our understandings of Latinos/as in society – and provide access, give a voice, and reflect on their lived experiences – we must publish in Spanish and teach about the voces perdidas that have been erased from the educational curriculum, and the voces de poder who have dominated and silenced the voces perdidas.
Examination of the Relation between Institutional Ownership Horizon and Corporate Social Responsibility

A widely held view among policymakers, corporate executives and the media is that short-termism among institutional investors is increasingly prevalent. However, some institutional investors are increasingly vocal about taking a long-term approach, and these investors care about environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. The reality is that investors are a diverse set of stakeholders with various objectives and time horizons. In the academic literature, empirical evidence on the relationship between institutional ownership horizon and corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been mixed. In this paper, we show that institutions with longer (shorter) investment horizons promote (discourage) CSR at the firm level. In addition, the higher the proportion of long-term (short-term) investors, the higher (lower) the effect of CSR on long-term (short-term) buy-and-hold returns. These findings are consistent with the view that short-termism on the part of institutional investors places short-term pressure on companies, and therefore discourages long-term investments that create value.
ANTIBIOTICS: NEITHER COST EFFECTIVE NOR 'COUGH' EFFECTIVE

BACKGROUND Clinicians often prescribe antibiotics to treat acute bronchitis despite scant evidence that this approach is effective at speeding symptom resolution. Because patients infected with bacteria but not treated with antibiotics may need to return in the future for therapy, however, this approach may be cost effective. METHODS To evaluate the cost of various treatment strategies to treat acute bronchitis, this study examined three different strategies including: (1) withholding antibiotics and treating only patients with persistent cough; (2) screening patients for Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Chlamydia pneumoniae and treating all patients with positive results with antibiotics; and (3) treating all patients with antibiotics. The cost analysis was approached from the patient's perspective. The main outcome measured was the cost per person in whom acute bronchitis was diagnosed. RESULTS Withholding antibiotics and treating only patients with a persistent cough was the most cost-effective strategy given the baseline assumptions. If the cost per patient visit was over $110, the cost of an initial course of antibiotics less than $2.72, or the prevalence of bacterial infection greater than 25%, then treatment of all patients was more cost effective. Assuming a screening test of 90% sensitivity and specificity, the screening strategy was only cost effective if the cost of the screening test was less than $2.35, or less than $3.80 if the test had no false-positive or false-negative results. CONCLUSIONS Under most circumstances, the most cost-effective strategy for treating acute bronchitis is to withhold antibiotics and treat only patients whose cough does not resolve.
Image processor for biomedical research.

The experimental computer-driven Television Ophthalmoscope system (TVO) is an important new source of quantitative information about the eye. Data of considerable potential clinical importance are obtained via computer analysis of television images of the ocular fundus (back of the eye). This method is noninva-sive and causes minimal discomfort to the patient. A TV camera views the fundus through the pupil of the eye via a standard clinical fundus camera. A special purpose digital image acquisition and processing system performs basic data reduction tasks as well as those data analysis tasks requiring interaction with an operator.
Nitrogen and Carbon Soil Dynamics in Response to Climate Change in a High-elevation Ecosystem in the Rocky Mountains, U.S.A.

We have implemented a long-term snow-fence experiment at the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research (NWT) site in the Colorado Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, U.S.A., to assess the effects of climate change on alpine ecology and biogeochemical cycles. The responses of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics in high-elevation mountains to changes in climate are investigated by manipulating the length and duration of snow cover with the 2.6 x 60 m snow fence, providing a proxy for climate change. Results from the first year of operation in 1994 showed that the period of continuous snow cover was increased by 90 d. The deeper and earlier snowpack behind the fence insulated soils from winter air temperatures, resulting in a 90C increase in annual minimum temperature at the soil surface. The extended period of snow cover resulted in subnivial microbial activity playing a major role in annual C and N cycling. The amount of C mineralized under the snow as measured by CO2 production was 22 g m-2 in 1993 and 35 g m-2 in 1994, accounting for 20% of annual net primary aboveground production before construction of the snow fence in 1993 and 31% after the snow fence was constructed in 1994. In a similar fashion, maximum subnivial N20 flux increased 3-fold behind the snow fence, from 75 ?xg N m-2 d-' in 1993 to 250 ?xg N m-2 d-' in 1994. The amount of N lost from denitrification was greater than the annual atmospheric input of N in snowfall. Surface litter decomposition studies show that there was a significant increase in the litter mass loss under deep and early snow, with no significant change under medium and little snow conditions. Changes in climate that result in differences in snow duration, depth, and extent may therefore produce large changes in the C and N soil dynamics of alpine ecosystems.
Chemoattractant Receptors and Signal Transduction Processes

Leukocyte responses to chemotactic and other phlogistic stimuli are vital for host defense and substantial interest has thus been focused on defining the mechanisms of signal transduction in these cells. Chemoattractants initiate leukocyte activation subsequent to binding to specific receptors on the cell surface. Temporal studies show that chemoattractants elicit rapid (≤5 s) increases in phosphoinositide metabolism and cytosolic calcium levels followed by changes in physiological function, for example, shape change, superoxide production, or degranulation. The ability of pharmacological agents (e.g., calcium ionophores or phorbol esters) to elicit similar functions suggests the central role of calcium mobilization, phosphoinositide metabolism, and protein kinase C in leukocyte activation. Although specific receptors are present for different classes of chemoattractants, they all appear to utilize a common mechanism for increasing cytosolic calcium. Chemoattractants also increase cellular cAMP levels, in this case by a calcium-mediated inhibition of cAMP degradation. This may serve an autoregulatory role in chemoattractant-induced leukocyte activation.
miRNA-based therapeutic potential of stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles: a safe cell-free treatment to ameliorate radiation-induced brain injury.

Purpose: This review compiles what is known about extracellular vesicles (EVs), their bioactive cargo, and how they might be used to treat radiation-induced brain injury. Radiotherapy (RT) is effec...
Spin tunnel field-effect transistors based on two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures

A transistor based on spin rather than charge—a spin transistor—could potentially offer non-volatile data storage and improved performance compared with traditional transistors. Many approaches have been explored to realize spin transistors, but their development remains a considerable challenge. The recent discovery of two-dimensional magnetic insulators such as chromium triiodide (CrI3), which offer electrically switchable magnetic order and an effective spin filtering effect, can provide new operating principles for spin transistors. Here, we report spin tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) based on dual-gated graphene/CrI3/graphene tunnel junctions. The devices exhibit an ambipolar behaviour and tunnel conductance that is dependent on the magnetic order in the CrI3 tunnel barrier. The gate voltage switches the tunnel barrier between interlayer antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic states under a constant magnetic bias near the spin-flip transition, thus effectively and reversibly altering the device between a low and a high conductance state, with large hysteresis. By electrically controlling the magnetization configurations instead of the spin current, our spin TFETs achieve a high–low conductance ratio approaching 400%, suggesting they could be of value in the development of non-volatile memory applications. A tunnel field-effect transistor with spin-dependent outputs that are voltage controllable and reversible can be created using a dual-gated graphene/CrI3/graphene tunnel junction.
Cyclic Nucleotide Dependent Protein Kinase Inhibitors

The cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinase inhibitors, H-7, H-8, H-89, H-9 and HA1004, are synthetic isoquinoline sulfonamides. Previously, naphthalenesulfonamides were found to be potent calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase inhibitors, and weak inhibitors of other protein kinases. More potent cyclic nucleotide dependent protein kinases were synthesized by replacing the naphthalene nucleus with isoquinoline …
Towards A Scalable Symmetric Key Cryptographic Scheme: Performance Evaluation and Security Analysis

In most applications, security attributes are pretty difficult to meet but it becomes even a bigger challenge when talking about Grid Computing. To secure data passes in Grid Systems, we need a professional scheme that does not affect the overall performance of the grid system. Therefore, we previously developed a new security scheme “ULTRA GRIDSEC” that is used to accelerate the performance of the symmetric key encryption algorithms for both stream and block cipher encryption algorithms. The scheme is used to accelerate the security of data pass between elements of our newly developed pure peer–to-peer desktop grid framework, “HIMAN”. It also enhances the security of the encrypted data resulted from the scheme and prevents the problem of weak keys of the encryption algorithms. This paper covers the analysis and evaluation of this scheme showing the different factors affecting the scheme performance, and covers the efficiency of the scheme from the security prospective. The experimental results are highlighted for two types of encryption algorithms, TDES as an example for the block cipher algorithms, and RC4 as an example for the stream cipher algorithms. The scheme speeds up the former algorithm by 202.12% and the latter one by 439.7%. These accelerations are also based on the running machine's capabilities.
Introduction: On the way to modern clinical hemorheology

Clinical hemorheology embraces one of the main areas in the practice of medicine, and goes back to ancient times [1]. Modern clinical hemorheology is practiced in different fields of medicine and surgery, as dealt with in this book and indicated in its subtitle.
Use of Pharmacogenetics and Clinical Factors To Predict the Maintenance Dose of Warfarin.

Abstract Background Initiation of warfarin therapy using trial-and-error dosing can cause bleeding. Clinical factors explain only 20%–30% of the variability in the therapeutic dose of warfarin. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) gene correlate with the clearance of S-warfarin and SNPs in the vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKORC1) gene predict warfarin sensitivity. We test the hypothesis that the combination of clinical and pharmacogenetic information can predict the therapeutic warfarin dose. Methods We collected DNA, demographic variables, laboratory values, and medication histories from patients taking warfarin. Subjects either attended an outpatient anticoagulation clinic or participated in the PREVENT (prevention of venous thromboembolism) study. After PCR amplification, we used Pyrosequencing® to genotype DNA regions for 2 coding CYP2C9 SNPs, *2 (C430T) and *3 (A1075C), and for 4 noncoding VKORC1 SNPs: C861A, A5808C, G6853C, and G9041A. Using multiple regression, we quantified the association between therapeutic warfarin dose and clinical and genetic factors in a derivation cohort of 900 participants and a validation cohort of 100 participants. Results The VKORC1 G6853C SNP was the first variable to enter the stepwise regression equation and was associated with a 27% decrease in the warfarin dose per allele in Caucasian patients. The VKORC1 A5808C SNP was associated with a 33% decrease per allele in warfarin dose in African-American patients. Other significant (p Conclusions The therapeutic warfarin dose can be estimated from clinical and pharmacogenetic factors that can be obtained when warfarin is started. Use of this dosing equation has potential to aid in the prediction of an optimal warfarin dose, which may decrease the risk of bleeding during the initiation of warfarin therapy.
Stressors and Coping Mechanisms Related to Burnout Within Urology.

Objective To identify factors and stress coping mechanisms associated with burnout within the field of urology. Methods A survey study was completed using the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory to evaluate emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal achievement. Demographic information, training status, practice setting, work hours, and mechanisms used to cope with stress were evaluated. Participants were also asked to comment on contributors to burnout in an open-ended question. Univariate analysis and multivariate regression identified factors associated with measures of burnout. Results A total of 476 survey responses from 377 practicing urologists and 99 residents/fellows were included. Burnout was identified in 49.6% of all participants. Burnout through high emotional exhaustion was seen in 40.7%, high depersonalization in 30.7%, and low personal achievement in 18.3%. Trainees exhibited higher levels of depersonalization and lower levels of personal achievement. Higher levels of emotional exhaustion were identified in urologists in the middle of their careers and those in private practice. Urologists identified documentation, insurance and reimbursement, government regulations, medical practice expectations, and patient expectations as stressors contributing to burnout. Exercising and socializing were consistently associated with lower measures of burnout whereas stress eating and alcohol use were associated with higher measures of burnout on multivariate analysis. Conclusion Burnout in urology was associated with trainee status, years in practice, and practice setting. Exercising and socializing were protective against burnout whereas stress eating and alcohol consumption were associated with higher rates of burnout.
Childhood maltreatment, motives to drink and alcohol-related problems in young adulthood

Abstract Background Young adults with a history of child maltreatment (CM) are often vulnerable to alcohol-related problems. Drinking motives have been widely studied to explain alcohol-related problems in young adulthood. Objectives The aims of the current study were to examine the link between CM and alcohol-related problems and to test whether CM is indirectly related to alcohol-related problems via different types of drinking motives. Participants and setting Two hundred eight participants were recruited in a mid-Atlantic urban area (M age = 19.7, 78.4 % female) via advertisements placed throughout the community. Methods Participants completed self-report measures of CM (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), types of drinking motives (the Drinking Motives Questionnaire Revised Short Form), and alcohol-related problems (Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test whether CM was associated with alcohol use, both directly and indirectly, through drinking motives. Results We found that both coping (β = 0.53,p Conclusion Young adults with a history of CM may use alcohol to cope with trauma-related negative emotionality. Targeting emotional distress in CM-exposed individuals may be helpful in preventing and treating alcohol-related problems in this vulnerable population.
Crime and Punishment in Anglo-Saxon England

Arguably, more legal texts survive from pre-Conquest England than from any other early medieval European community. The corpus includes roughly seventy royal law-codes, to which can be added well over a thousand charters, writs, and wills, as well as numerous political tracts, formularies, rituals, and homilies derived from legal sources. These texts offer valuable insight into early English concepts of royal authority and political identity. They reveal both the capacities and limits of the king's regulatory power, and in so doing, provide crucial evidence for the process by which disparate kingdoms gradually merged to become a unified English state. More broadly, pre-Norman legal texts shed light on the various ways in which cultural norms were established, enforced, and, in many cases, challenged. And perhaps most importantly, they provide unparalleled insight into the experiences of Anglo-Saxon England's diverse inhabitants, both those who enforced the law and those subject to it.
Iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis, trafficking, and signaling: Roles for CGFS glutaredoxins and BolA proteins

The synthesis and trafficking of iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes requires coordination within an expanding network of proteins that function in the cytosol, nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts in order to assemble and deliver these ancient and essential cofactors to a wide variety of Fe-S-dependent enzymes and proteins. This review focuses on the evolving roles of two ubiquitous classes of proteins that operate in this network: CGFS glutaredoxins and BolA proteins. Monothiol or CGFS glutaredoxins possess a Cys-Gly-Phe-Ser active site that coordinates an Fe-S cluster in a homodimeric complex. CGFS glutaredoxins also form [2Fe-2S]-bridged heterocomplexes with BolA proteins, which possess an invariant His and an additional His or Cys residue that serve as cluster ligands. Here we focus on recent discoveries in bacteria, fungi, humans, and plants that highlight the shared and distinct roles of CGFS glutaredoxins and BolA proteins in Fe-S cluster biogenesis, Fe-S cluster storage and trafficking, and Fe-S cluster signaling to transcriptional factors that control iron metabolism--.
Endogenous tagging reveals differential regulation of Ca2+ channels at single AZs during presynaptic homeostatic potentiation and depression

Abstract Neurons communicate through Ca2+-dependent neurotransmitter release at presynaptic active zones (AZs). Neurotransmitter release properties play a key role in defining information flow in circuits and are tuned during multiple forms of plasticity. Despite their central role in determining neurotransmitter release properties, little is known about how Ca2+ channel levels are modulated to calibrate synaptic function. We used CRISPR to tag the Drosophila CaV2 Ca2+ channel Cacophony (Cac) and investigated the regulation of endogenous Ca2+ channels during homeostatic plasticity in males in which all endogenous Cac channels are tagged. We found that heterogeneously distributed Cac is highly predictive of neurotransmitter release probability at individual AZs and differentially regulated during opposing forms of presynaptic homeostatic plasticity. Specifically, Cac levels at AZ are increased during chronic and acute presynaptic homeostatic potentiation (PHP), and live imaging during acute expression of PHP reveals proportional Ca2+ channel accumulation across heterogeneous AZs. In contrast, endogenous Cac levels do not change during presynaptic homeostatic depression (PHD), implying that the reported reduction in Ca2+ influx during PHD is achieved through functional adaptions to pre-existing Ca2+ channels. Thus, distinct mechanisms bi-directionally modulate presynaptic Ca2+ levels to maintain stable synaptic strength in response to diverse challenges, with Ca2+ channel abundance providing a rapidly tunable substrate for potentiating neurotransmitter release over both acute and chronic timescales.
Cerebrospinal fluid Ab42 and fractalkine are associated with Parkinson's disease with freezing of gait

Abstract Objective To evaluate the association of Alzheimer’s disease-related and inflammation-related cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers with freezing of gait (FOG) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Method The study population included well-characterized PD patients with FOG (PD-FOG), without FOG (PD-NoFOG) and healthy controls (HC). CSF was collected using standard protocols. Three Alzheimer’s disease-related markers and 10 inflammation-related markers were measured in a Luminex 200 platform. Differences in marker expression across groups were evaluated with multivariate linear models. Results CSF was collected from PD-FOG (N=12), PD-NoFOG (N=20) and HC (N=11) for analysis. Age was not significantly different between the three groups. Duration of PD was not significantly different between the two PD groups. After adjusting for covariates and multiple comparisons, the anti-inflammatory marker, fractalkine, was significantly decreased in the PD groups compared to HC (P=0.022), and further decreased in PD-FOG compared to PD-NoFOG or HC (P=0.032). The Alzheimer’s disease-related protein, Aβ42, was increased in PD-FOG compared to PD-NoFOG or HC (P=0.004). p-Tau181 was also decreased in both PD groups compared to HC (P=0.010). Conclusions We found high levels of Aβ42 in PD-FOG patients and cross-sectional data which supports an increase over time from early to advanced state. We also found low levels of fractalkine which might suggest anti-inflammatory effect. This is the first time an association between fractalkine and FOG has been shown. Whether these changes are specific to FOG requires further exploration.
How Do Mental Health Providers Assess Treatment Engagement of Youth and Caregivers

Low engagement is a significant problem in youth mental health services. In clinical practice, assessment of a problem is integral to its successful resolution, and yet little is known about what methods providers use to assess treatment engagement or what indicators they use to infer high or low engagement. Thirty-five providers serving youth and families primarily through school-based mental health services in an urban setting participated in a workshop training on engagement procedures. Prior to the training, providers responded to open-ended questions about their own clients demonstrating high and low treatment engagement. Behavioral observation was the method reported most by providers to assess client engagement (94.3%), followed by spontaneous self-report by the youth or caregiver (22.9%). No providers reported using psychometric instruments to assess engagement. Types of engagement indicators used also differed according to level of engagement. For low engagement, 74.3% of providers reported using their observations of attendance, whereas for high engagement, 68.6% of providers described relying on observations of in-session participation or out-of-session homework. Few providers described using indicators related to the therapeutic relationship, client expectancies related to treatment, or client comprehension of the treatment approach and related goals. These results highlight opportunities for improving resources to support the assessment of engagement. Such resources could help providers know not only which clients need support but also where to focus that support and how to do so early enough to create a larger window of opportunity for change.
Aidoo’s Men: Subverting Traditional Masculinity in Ama Ata Aidoo’s Changes: A Love Story

Much of the critical acclaim that Ama Ata Aidoo’s works have received has dealt with the relations between the genders. Attention has mainly focused on the domination of women by men as an oppressive force in women’s lives or the examination of her female characters as they try to negotiate their own place and space in a male dominated society that seeks to marginalize them. What appears lacking from the literature review is a sustained discussion of the male characters that people Aidoo’s works. This article critically examines the three major male characters in Ama Ata Aidoo’s Changes: A Love Story as gendered characters who are as much trapped by their gendered roles as their female counterparts.
Limits of Acquisition in Price Competing Industry

It is well known that under di¤erentiated product monopolistic competition any merger always increases the total pro…t of the merged entity. Because of this one might expect complete monopolization of a price competing industry provided that there are no (legal) barriers to acquisition (merger). In this paper we show that this is not always true. The industry may not get monopolized because the value of a fringe firm is getting higher when the concentration of the industry gets higher. This creates strategic incentives for a fringe firm to be last in the line of those who sell their businesses. Sometimes this type of incentive prevents industry monopolization.
Selective Inhibition of Newcastle Disease Virus-Induced Glycoprotein Synthesis by d-Glucosamine Hydrochloride

Abstract d-Glucosamine selectively affected the synthesis of virus-induced glycoproteins in Newcastle disease virus-infected chick fibroblasts, but had no effect upon post-translational cleavage of the glycoprotein precursor for one of the two major glycoproteins of the mature virion. In response to glucosamine, at least one of the two virus-induced glycoproteins is formed in reduced quantity and the second is either not formed or has an electrophoretic mobility identical to that of another virus-induced protein.
Toward large nanostructures

We describe here the enzymatic production of unusually long sequences of DNA with structural significance for nanostructure self-assembly. A circular template is generated via enzymatic cyclization of a 95 base linear oligonucleotide which then serves as a substrate for DNA polymerases. these 95mer-circles are efficient templates, leading to the production of tandem repeat strands as long as 15,000 bases. Our studies further demonstrate the repetitive nature of the product by enzymatic cleavage giving unit-length oligonucleotides. The rolling circle amplification technique presents a useful method for generating well defined, macroscopic components of DNA nanostructures.
The Geography of a Mixed‐Race Society

The pattern and level of separation among ethnic groups continues to change, and there are certainly more mixed neighborhoods both in cities and suburbs than two decades ago. The immigration flows of the past decade have substantially altered the ethnic mix and neighborhood mixing. In addition, multi-ethnic individuals themselves are altering the level of mixing among racial and ethnic groups. The research in this article shows that those who report themselves of more than one race have high levels of residential integration both in central cities and suburbs. These residential patterns can be interpreted as further evidence of tentative steps to a society in which race per se is less critical in residential patterning. The level of integration, for Asian mixed and black mixed is different and substantially higher than for those who report one race alone. The research in this article builds on previous aggregate studies of mixed-race individuals to show substantial patterns of integration in California's metropolitan areas.
Insights into the Mechanism of Exosome Formation and Secretion

Abstract Exosomes are small membrane vesicles that range between 30 and 100 nm in size, released from most types of cells. Originally discovered in recticulocytes, exosomes have largely been known to be products of the endocytic–endosomal pathway. Exosome biogenesis therefore starts at endocytosis, progresses through early and late endosomes to multivesicular bodies (MVBs), and finally forms when MVBs fuse with the plasma membrane to release the intraluminal vesicles (ILVs). The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) plays a major role in sorting cellular proteins into exosomes at the early and late endosomal stages. However, some exosomal proteins can also be loaded in an ESCRT-independent manner, through molecules such as ceramide. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that various factors and pathologic/stress conditions can promote the release of exosomes from various cells. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge on the signaling/regulation of exosome biogenesis/release, with emphasis on the endocytic-dependent and - independent pathways. We will also discuss how stress and pathologic conditions stimulate exosome biogenesis/release.
Cylinder Pressure Feedback Control Analysis Model

This paper contains a brief description of a mathematical model suitable for systematic cylinder pressure based analysis and control design. A linearized form and a simplified discrete form of the model are presented to illustrate the synthesis of a control system that resulted in cylinder-by-cylinder dilution limit control with coordinated optimal spark timing control. The control law was initially embedded into a rigorous dynamic-thermodynamic engine model characterization followed by implementation on an engine system and trimming of the control law gains in an experimental environment. Comparative modeling and simulation results are presented.
Factors to be considered in the study of voltage stability of structure preserving power system model

In this paper an attempt is made to understand the voltage stability related static and dynamic bifurcations. A structure preserving power system model is used. The problem is analyzed in the frame work of bifurcation theory. The observed power system phenomenon where splitting of eigenvalues take place is identified. >
Six-month low-dose valganciclovir prophylaxis in cytomegalovirus D+/R- kidney transplant patients receiving thymoglobulin induction.

Abstract Background The use of T-cell-depleting antibody, such as thymoglobulin, is a risk factor for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. We studied the effectiveness of 6 months of low-dose valganciclovir prophylaxis in CMV-naive kidney transplant recipients of CMV-positive donor kidney (D+/R−) receiving thymoglobulin induction. Methods We included all D+/R− kidney transplant patients between October 2005 and December 2010 who received valganciclovir 450 mg daily for 6 months as per center protocol. CMV infection was confirmed by positive viremia. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox proportional regression analyses were employed to compare the risk of CMV infection between patients with and without the use of thymoglobulin induction. Results Out of 170 D+/R− kidney transplant patients, 42 cases of CMV infection (24.6%) were diagnosed after a median follow-up of 3.2 years: six patients from the noninduction (9.4%) and 36 from the induction cohort (34.0%). The induction with thymoglobulin was associated with four times greater risk of developing CMV infection (adjusted hazard ratio: AHR 4.15, 95% 1.75, 9.86, P = .001). The use of thymoglobulin was associated with leukopenia but not neutropenia. Conclusions Additional measures are needed to reduce the elevated incidence of CMV infection in D+/R− kidney transplant patients receiving induction with thymoglobulin.
Long-range correlated percolation and flow and transport in heterogeneous porous media

We introduce a percolation model with long-range correlations, and investigate its scaling properties. Using this model, we provide a theoretical explanation for experimental data for hydrodynamic dispersion in heterogeneous rock formations and aquifers that had remained unexplained for a long time.
On selecting a process with the smallest number of unfortunate events

Managers often desire to assign resources to minimize balking in service systems. Discrete event simulations are often used to study alternative assignments. When the distribution of the number of balking events in a business day is approximated by a Poisson distribution, the objective becomes that of selecting a population corresponding to the smallest mean number of unfortunate events. A procedure for selecting a Poisson population with the smallest mean is described in which the selection is carried out based on a random sample of size n from each population. Examples of a bank lobby and manufacturing process are used to illustrate this procedure.
Effects of Carbachol and Acetylcholine on Intraocular Pressure After Cataract Extraction

We compared the effect of carbachol and acetylcholine on intraocular pressure 24 hours after extracapsular cataract extraction. All agents were administered intracamerally at the time of surgery. Sixty patients scheduled for routine extracapsular cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation were randomly assigned into one of three treatment groups: (1) carbachol, (2) acetylcholine, or (3) 0.5% balanced salt solution (placebo). Baseline intraocular pressures were determined the day before surgery, and postoperative pressures were measured approximately 24 hours after surgery. The group intraocular pressures averaged over preoperative and postoperative values were 21.06 mm Hg in the acetylcholine group, 19.36 mm Hg in the control group, and 17.30 mm Hg in the carbachol group. The average difference between preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressure measurements for the three groups were 7.33 mm Hg for the acetylcholine group, 8.73 mm Hg for the control group, and 2.20 mm Hg for the carbachol group. Only carbachol was significantly different from placebo on statistical subsequent testing. Carbachol is suggested as the agent of choice both for achieving intra-surgical miosis and prophylaxis of increasing intraocular pressure after cataract surgery.
Vision for Converging Technologies and Future Society

: This brief presentation places the challenges of nanotechnology in a political, social, and economic context.
Amazon River: Environmental Factors That Control Its Dissolved and Suspended Load

Analytical results of sampling during both wet and dry seasons along the Amazon River, at its mouth, and from 16 tributaries reveal that the physical weathering dominant in the Andean mountainous environment controls both the overall composition of the suspended solids discharged by the Amazon and the amount of dissolved salts and suspended solids discharged.
Listeria monocytogenes Grown at 7°C Shows Reduced Acid Survival and an Altered Transcriptional Response to Acid Shock Compared to L. monocytogenes Grown at 37°C

Survival of the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in acidic environments (e.g., in the human stomach) is vital to its transmission. Refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods have been sources of listeriosis outbreaks. The purpose of this study was to determine whether growth at a low temperature (i.e., 7°C) affects L. monocytogenes survival or gene transcription after exposure to a simulated gastric environment (i.e., acid shock at 37°C). L. monocytogenes cells grown at 7°C were less resistant to artificial gastric fluid (AGF) or acidified brain heart infusion broth (ABHI) than bacteria grown at higher temperatures (i.e., 30°C or 37°C). For L. monocytogenes grown at 7°C, stationary-phase cells were more resistant to ABHI than log-phase cells, indicating that both temperature and growth phase affect acid survival. Microarray transcriptomic analysis revealed that the number and functional categories of genes differentially expressed after acid shock differed according to both growth temperature and growth phase. The acid response of L. monocytogenes grown to log phase at 37°C involved stress-related transcriptional regulators (i.e., σB, σH, CtsR, and HrcA), some of which have been implicated in adaptation to the intracellular environment. In contrast, for bacteria grown at 7°C to stationary phase, acid exposure did not result in differential expression of the stress regulons examined. However, two large operons encoding bacteriophage-like proteins were induced, suggesting lysogenic prophage induction. The adaptive transcriptional response observed in 37°C-grown cells was largely absent in 7°C-grown cells, suggesting that temperatures commonly encountered during food storage and distribution affect the ability of L. monocytogenes to survive gastric passage and ultimately cause disease.
The Mechanism of Insulin-stimulated 4E-BP Protein Binding to Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) Complex 1 and Its Contribution to mTOR Complex 1 Signaling

Insulin activation of mTOR complex 1 is accompanied by enhanced binding of substrates. We examined the mechanism and contribution of this enhancement to insulin activation of mTORC1 signaling in 293E and HeLa cells. In 293E, insulin increased the amount of mTORC1 retrieved by the transiently expressed nonphosphorylatable 4E-BP[5A] to an extent that varied inversely with the amount of PRAS40 bound to mTORC1. RNAi depletion of PRAS40 enhanced 4E-BP[5A] binding to ∼70% the extent of maximal insulin, and PRAS40 RNAi and insulin together did not increase 4E-BP[5A] binding beyond insulin alone, suggesting that removal of PRAS40 from mTORC1 is the predominant mechanism of an insulin-induced increase in substrate access. As regards the role of increased substrate access in mTORC1 signaling, RNAi depletion of PRAS40, although increasing 4E-BP[5A] binding, did not stimulate phosphorylation of endogenous mTORC1 substrates S6K1(Thr389) or 4E-BP (Thr37/Thr46), the latter already ∼70% of maximal in amino acid replete, serum-deprived 293E cells. In HeLa cells, insulin and PRAS40 RNAi also both enhanced the binding of 4E-BP[5A] to raptor but only insulin stimulated S6K1 and 4E-BP phosphorylation. Furthermore, Rheb overexpression in 293E activated mTORC1 signaling completely without causing PRAS40 release. In the presence of Rheb and insulin, PRAS40 release is abolished by Akt inhibition without diminishing mTORC1 signaling. In conclusion, dissociation of PRAS40 from mTORC1 and enhanced mTORC1 substrate binding results from Akt and mTORC1 activation and makes little or no contribution to mTORC1 signaling, which rather is determined by Rheb activation of mTOR catalytic activity, through mechanisms that remain to be fully elucidated.
Fundamental Determinants of the Effects of Fiscal Policy

We explore the underlying determinants of the macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy and tax and social security reform using the IMF’s Global Fiscal Model (GFM). We show that the planning horizon of consumers, access to financial markets, and the elasticity of labor supply, as well as the characteristics of utility and production functions, and the degree of competition are all critical for determining the impact of fiscal policy. Four topical fiscal policy issues, for a representative large and small economy, are examined: the effects of changes in government debt, higher government spending, tax reform, and privatization of retirement savings.
Pre-concentration and separation of thorium, uranium, plutonium and americium in human soft tissues by extraction chromatography

An extraction chromatographic method is described for the pre-concentration and separation of thorium, uranium, plutonium and americium in human soft tissues. Tissues such as lung and liver are oven dried at 120°C, ashed at 450°C and the ashed sample is alternately wet (HNO3/H2O2) and dry ashed, and then dissolved in 8M HCl. Because of the complex matrix and large sample samples (up to 1500 g), the actinides were preconcentrated from the tissue solution using the TRUTM resin (EIChroM) prior to elemental separation by extraction chromatography and determination of americium, plutonium, uranium and thorium by alpha spectrometry. The actinides were eluted from the preconcentration column and each actinide was individually eluted on TEVATM and TRUTM resin columns in a tandem configuration. Actinide activities were then determined by alpha spectrometry after electrodeposition from a sulfate medium. The method was validated by analyzing human tissue samples previously analyzed for americium, plutonium, uranium and thorium in the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries (USTUR). Two National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Materials, SRM 4351-Human Lung and SRM 4352-Human Liver were also analyzed.
A method for the biological assay of phosphaturic activity in parathyroid extracts.

A biological assay method has been developed for estimation of the phosphaturic activity of parathyroid extracts. It is based on the increased urinary excretion of inorganic phosphate by 2-month old male rats during the first 6 hours after parathyroidectomy. The extract to be tested is injected immediately after parathyroidectomy and just before beginning the collection of urine. Various factors of importance in the assay method were studied, including the use of parathyroidectomized rather than intact rats, the optimal time and the completeness of the urine collection, a stock diet rather than a low-calcium diet, and the dose-response curve. The most favorable conditions yielded a reasonably rapid and sensitive assay method with a mean index of precision (λ) of 0.30. Several applications of the method are described, in particular the estimation of the ratio of phosphaturic to calcium-mobilizing activity in parathyroid extracts.
Controlling Vibrational Wave Packet Motion with Intense Modulated Laser Fields

Intense, nonresonant laser fields produce Stark shifts that strongly modify the potential energy surfaces of a molecule. A vibrational wave packet can be guided by this Stark shift if the laser field is appropriately modulated during the wave packet motion. We modulated a 70 fs laser pulse with a period on the time scale of the vibrational motion (approximately 10 fs) by mixing the signal and idler of an optical parametric amplifier. We used ionization of H2 or D2 to launch a vibrational wave packet on the ground state of H2(+) or D2(+). If the laser intensity was high as the wave packet reached its outer turning point, the Stark shift allowed the molecule to dissociate through bond softening. On the other hand, if the field was small at this critical time, little dissociation was measured. By changing the modulation period, we achieved control of the dissociation yield with a contrast of 90%.
Stability criteria for convection with large viscosity variations

The eigenvalue problems for nonlinear stability for convection in a viscous fluid with strongly depth dependent viscosity and in a porous medium with similar viscosity but also depth dependent permeability are solved numerically by the shooting and compound matrix methods.
On the Use of Data Driven and Fuzzy Techniques to Calculate the Wind Speed in Urban Canyons

The present per presents the results of an extensive study aiming to develop and validate alternative data driven techniques able to estimate the wind speed in urban canyons. The use of deterministic techniques to calculate the wind speed in canyons present a low accuracy because of the high uncertainty of the input data and the incomplete description of the physical phenomena. (C. Georgakis et al., 2004) Extended experimental data collected from seven urban canyons have been used to create a data base of the main parameters that define the phenomenon. Using fuzzy clustering techniques, clusters of input-output data have been developed using as criteria the inertia and gravitational forces. For each cluster using statistical analysis, the more probable wind speed inside the canyon and the corresponding input values have been estimated. Thus, a reduced data space has been created. This reduced data space has been used to develop four data driven prediction models. The models are : a 3D graphical interpolation method, a tree based model as well as a linear regression model. Using the results of the graphical interpolation model, a fuzzy estimation model has been developed as well. All methods have been compared against the experimental data
Scopolamine suppresses both locomotion and object contact in a free-exploration situation.

Abstract It was is recently reported by Buhot et al. that presession cholinergic disruption with scopolamine decreases time spent in proximity to novel objects while increasing locomotor behavior. Male Long-Evans rats (Rattus norvegicus, 80 days old) were given low-light access to an arena containing objects but were not forced to remain in the arena. On day 1, each subject was injected with saline (SAL). This session was used for familiarization with the apparatus and procedure. On days 2 and 3, four groups were given saline (SAL) or scopolamine (SCO, 1 mg/kg or 0.25 mg/kg), resulting in SAL-SAL, SAL-SCO, SCO-SAL, and SCO-SCO groups. Videotapes of these sessions were scored according to a standard protocol that allows separate quantification of locomotion, general activity, and object interaction behaviors. Scopolamine supressed object investigation (both gross contact measures and indices of interaction character) whenever present. In contrast to Buhot et al. (using a forced-exploration situation), in this free-exploration context SCO also suppressed locomotor behavior. This study supports the conclusion that anticholinergics impair information gathering instead of affecting memory directly, which calls into question memory-related explanations of cholinergic treatments.
Frida Kahlo and the Improper/Unclean: Toward the Condition of Abjection

In Powers of Horror (1980), Kristeva defines the abject as a liminal condition where both meaning and the subject collapse. If the object sets in motion the desire for signification that safeguards...