cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbial Pest Control Agents: Use Patterns, Registration Requirements, and Mammalian Toxicity

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the regulatory system in place in the United States for assessing the toxicity, infectivity, and pathogenicity of MPCAs to humans. In addition, toxicologic overviews for several prominent or proposed MPCAs are provided. These overviews are directed primarily at toxicity and pathogenicity issues arising from exposure to viable microbial organisms, although individual microbial toxins are considered in some cases. Concern for the safety of agricultural workers and the public, as well as for the integrity of ecosystems, has fueled an interest in the use of microbes as pest control agents. In addition to such pest management dividends as low toxicity and low environmental impacts, microbial pest control agents (MPCAs) offer high target selectivity and extended pest control in cases where establishment of the microbe occurs in local habitats. The promise of microbial pest control agents resides in their host organism specificity and in their relatively benign ecosystem and human health impacts. It is possible that hazards to humans posed by living organisms could be missed in animal studies. Particular attention must be paid to the welfare of sensitive human subpopulations such as those who are diseased or immunocompromised or who might be allergic to specific microorganisms. Attention to strain type is always important and even more so when the microbe in question belongs to a medically significant species or genus. In the final analysis, continued monitoring of the health effects of MPCAs under conditions of actual pesticidal manufacture and use is warranted to ensure the safety of this fascinating and viable approach to pest control.
Jihadi Rebels in Civil War

In this essay, I decouple violent jihadism from both religion and terrorism and propose an alternative, nonexclusive understanding of jihadi groups as rebel groups engaged in civil wars. Arguing th...
Learning sustainability innovations

Large organizations struggle to implement new and promising sustainability practices widely, as documented extensively by social science research. Networks of informal relationships among people can contribute to the diffusion and learning of such innovations.
Changes in Psychiatric and Medical Conditions and Health Care Utilization Following a Diagnosis of Sexual Assault: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION Sexual assault (SA) is alarmingly common and is associated with higher prevalence of psychiatric and medical conditions. However, many prior studies are limited to cross-sectional designs. Health care systems with electronic health records provide unique longitudinal data to examine whether SA is associated with changes in health and health care utilization. METHODS The sample included 1350 Kaiser Permanente Northern California adult female patients with a SA diagnosis from 2009 to 2015 and 4050 adult female patients without a SA diagnosis, matched on age, medical facility, and continuous enrollment during the study period. Using a retrospective cohort design, we tested whether a SA diagnosis was associated with 12-month changes in psychiatric and medical comorbidities and health care utilization using difference-in-difference models. Analyses were conducted in 2017. RESULTS Patients with a SA diagnosis had a higher prevalence of psychiatric and medical comorbidities and greater health care utilization than matched patients without SA in the 12 months before the SA diagnosis, and greater increases in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and stress-related somatic conditions, and psychiatry and obstetrics/gynecology utilization (all P<0.001), 12 months after the SA diagnosis, relative to matched non-SA patients during this time. DISCUSSION SA is associated with increases in psychiatric disorders and stress-related somatic conditions as well as increases in utilization of psychiatry and obstetrics/gynecology. Clinicians should be trained in how to inquire about, respond to, and refer women who have experienced SA.
Predictive encoding of motor behavior in the supplementary motor area is disrupted in parkinsonism.

Goal-directed movements, such as reaching for an object, necessitate temporal preparation and organization of information processing within the basal ganglia-thalamocortical motor network. Impaired...
3D-aware image editing for out of bounds photography

In this paper, we propose algorithms to manipulate 2D images in a way that is consistent with the 3D geometry of the scene that they capture. We present these algorithms in the context of creating "Out of Bounds" (OOB) images - compelling, depth-rich images generated from single, conventional 2D photographs (fig. 1). Starting from a single image our tool enables rapid OOB prototyping; i.e. the ability to quickly create and experiment with many different variants of the OOB effect before deciding which one best expresses the users' artistic intentions. We achieve this with a flexible work-flow driven by an intuitive user interface. The rich 3D perception of the final composition is achieved by exploiting two strong cues -- occlusions and shadows. A realistic-looking 3D frame is interactively inserted in the scene between segmented foreground objects and the background to generate novel occlusions and enhance the scene's perception of depth. This perception is further enhanced by adding new, realistic cast shadows. The key contributions of this paper are: (i) new algorithms for inserting simple 3D objects like frames in 2D images requiring minimal camera calibration, and (ii) new techniques for the realistic synthesis of cast shadows, even for complex 3D objects. These algorithms, although presented for OOB photography, may be directly used in general image composition tasks. With our tool, untrained users can turn ordinary photos into compelling OOB images in seconds. In contrast with existing workflows, at any time the artist can modify any aspect of the composition while avoiding time-consuming pixel painting operations. Such a tool has important commercial applications, and is much more suitable for OOB prototyping than existing image editors.
Vibrational Spectra of Liquid Crystals. VIII. Infrared Spectroscopic Measurements of Order in Nematics and Nematic Solutions

In an early study of the infrared spectrum of a nematic phase, Neff et. al. (1) used infrared dichroism to examine the effect of an electric field on the intensity of the CN stretching vibration in 4-methoxybenzylidene-4′-cyanoaniline. The dichroic ratios were used to obtain values of the order parameter as a function of field strength.
Localization of neurotensin-like immunoreactive amacrine cells in the larval tiger salamander retina.

Light microscopic immunocytochemistry was used to localize the populations of NT-like immunoreactive amacrine cells in the larval tiger salamander retina. Seventy-nine percent of NT-immunostained cells observed in transverse cryo-prepared sections were classified as Type 1 amacrine cells. Another 6% were classified as Type 2 amacrine cells, while 15% of the NT-cells had their cell bodies situated in the ganglion cell layer and were tentatively designated as displaced amacrine cells. Each type of NT-like immunoreactive cell was observed in the central and peripheral retina. NT-immunostained processes were observed to ramify in sublayers 3 and 5 of the inner plexiform layer. An examination of retinal whole mounts revealed that NT-amacrine cells were distributed throughout the center and periphery of the retina at a density of 82 ± 24 cells/ mm2. The dendritic fields of NT-immunostained amacrine and displaced amacrine cells were observed to be either symmetrically or asymmetrically distributed about their somas. Symmetrical dendritic fields were generally oval-shaped and ranged in diameter from 250 to 500 μm (major axis) by 150 to 250 μm (minor axis). Asymmetrical dendritic fields were observed to encompass one-half or less of an imaginary circle surrounding their soma of origin and were orientated in all directions. The processes forming asymmetrical dendritic fields ranged from 75 to 260 μm in length. Furthermore, partial overlap was often observed between the dendritic fields of adjacent NT-amacrine cells.
Polyurethane scaffolds seeded with autologous cells can regenerate long esophageal gaps: An esophageal atresia treatment model.

Abstract Background Pediatric patients suffering from long gap esophageal defects or injuries are in desperate need of innovative treatment options. Our study demonstrates that two different cell sources can adhere to and proliferate on a retrievable synthetic scaffold. In feasibility testing of translational applicability, these cell seeded scaffolds were implanted into piglets and demonstrated esophageal regeneration. Methods Either porcine esophageal epithelial cells or porcine amniotic fluid was obtained and cultured in 3 dimensions on a polyurethane scaffold (Biostage). The amniotic fluid was obtained prior to birth of the piglet and was a source of mesenchymal stem cells (AF-MSC). Scaffolds that had been seeded were implanted into their respective Yucatan mini-swine. The cell seeded scaffolds in the bioreactor were evaluated for cell viability, proliferation, genotypic expression, and metabolism. Feasibility studies with implantation evaluated tissue regeneration and functional recovery of the esophagus. Results Both cell types seeded onto scaffolds in the bioreactor demonstrated viability, adherence and metabolism over time. The seeded scaffolds demonstrated increased expression of VEGF after 6 days in culture. Once implanted, endoscopy 3 weeks after surgery revealed an extruded scaffold with newly regenerated tissue. Both cell seeded scaffolds demonstrated epithelial and muscle regeneration and the piglets were able to eat and grow over time. Conclusions Autologous esophageal epithelial cells or maternal AF-MSC can be cultured on a 3D scaffold in a bioreactor. These cells maintain viability, proliferation, and adherence over time. Implantation into piglets demonstrated esophageal regeneration with extrusion of the scaffold. This sets the stage for translational application in a neonatal model of esophageal atresia.
Mitochondrial uncoupling has no effect on microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and diabetic retinopathy (DR) contribute to significant morbidity and mortality in diabetes patients. The incidence of these complications is increasing with the diabetes epidemic, and current therapies minimally impact their pathogenesis in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Improved mechanistic understanding of each of the diabetic complications is needed in order to develop disease-modifying treatments for patients. We recently identified fundamental differences in mitochondrial responses of peripheral nerve, kidney, and retinal tissues to T2D in BKS-db/db mice. However, whether these mitochondrial adaptations are the cause or consequence of tissue dysfunction remains unclear. In the current study BKS-db/db mice were treated with the mitochondrial uncoupler, niclosamide ethanolamine (NEN), to determine the effects of mitochondrial uncoupling therapy on T2D, and the pathogenesis of DPN, DKD and DR. Here we report that NEN treatment from 6–24 wk of age had little effect on the development of T2D and diabetic complications. Our data suggest that globally targeting mitochondria with an uncoupling agent is unlikely to provide therapeutic benefit for DPN, DKD, or DR in T2D. These data also highlight the need for further insights into the role of tissue-specific metabolic reprogramming in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications.
Atrial Fibrillation Therapy and Heart Failure Hospitalization in Adults With Tetralogy of Fallot

Abstract Objectives This study hypothesized that atrial fibrillation was associated with heart failure (HF) hospitalization, and that patients who received rhythm control therapy had a lower incidence of HF hospitalization and mortality. Background Atrial fibrillation is a known risk factor for HF hospitalization and mortality in patients with acquired heart disease. Although atrial arrhythmias are common in adults with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), data about prevalence and outcomes of therapy for atrial fibrillation are very limited. Methods The MACHD (Mayo Adult Congenital Heart Disease) database was queried for adults with repaired TOF and documented atrial fibrillation from 1990 to 2017. Primary endpoint was HF hospitalization defined as admission for volume overload (pulmonary congestion and/or peripheral edema) requiring intravenous diuretics. Secondary endpoint was the effect of rhythm control therapy on HF hospitalization and all-cause mortality. Patients were divided into rhythm control and rate control groups based on the therapy initiated at the time of arrhythmia diagnosis. Results Of 415 patients, 27 (7%) had 42 HF hospitalizations. Of these 415 patients, 88 (21%) had atrial fibrillation at age 49 ± 13 years. Atrial fibrillation was an independent risk factor for HF hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.67; 95% confidence interval: 1.04 to 7.34; p = 0.045). The 88 patients were divided into the rhythm control group (n = 61, 69%) and the rate control group (n = 27, 31%). The rate control group had higher unadjusted annual incidence of HF hospitalization (13% vs. 3%; p = 0.001) and all-cause mortality (11% vs. 4%; p = 0.002). Conclusions Atrial fibrillation was a risk factor for HF hospitalization and mortality in TOF patients, and rhythm control therapy was protective against these adverse events.
Sirt2 Regulates Radiation-Induced Injury.

Nguyen, P., Shukla, S., Liu, R., Abbineni, G. and Smart, D. K. Sirt2 Regulates Radiation-Induced Injury. Radiat. Res. 191, 398–412 (2019).Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) plays a major role in aging, carcinogenesis and neurodegeneration. While it has been shown that SIRT2 is a mediator of stress-induced cell death, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we report the role of SIRT2 in mediating radiation-induced cell death and DNA damage using mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), progenitor cells and tissues from Sirt2 wild-type and genomic knockout mice, and human tumor and primary cell lines as models. The presence of Sirt2 in cells and tissues significantly enhanced the cell's sensitivity to radiation-induced cytotoxicity by delaying the dispersion of radiation-induced γ-H2AX and 53BP1 foci. This enhanced cellular radiosensitivity correlated with reduced expression of pro-survival and DNA repair proteins, and decreased DNA repair capacities involving both homologous repair and non-homologous end joining DNA repair mechanisms compared to those in Sirt2 knockout (KO) and knockdown (KD) phenotypes. Together, these data suggest SIRT2 plays a critical role in mediating the radiation-induced DNA damage response, thus regulating radiation-induced cell death and survival.
Outcomes of autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation in myeloma patients aged ≥75 years.

AbstractThere is limited data on the outcomes of autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT) in myeloma patients, 75 or older. We retrospectively analyzed all myeloma patients (n = 72)...
Kelley continua and the hyperspace Λ(X)

Abstract Using the Kelley function G, the hyperspace Λ ( X ) is defined. We prove that Λ ( X ) is homeomorphic to X whenever X is a Kelley continuum. The elements of Λ ( X ) are used to prove that G is a continuous surjection if X is an atriodic Kelley continuum.
Size-dependent thermodynamic structural selection in colloidal crystallization

Nucleation and growth of crystalline phases play an important role in a variety of physical phenomena, ranging from freezing of liquids to assembly of colloidal particles. Understanding these processes in the context of colloidal crystallization is of great importance for predicting and controlling the structures produced. In many systems, crystallites that nucleate have structures differing from those expected from bulk equilibrium thermodynamic considerations, and this is often attributed to kinetic effects. In this work, we consider the self-assembly of a binary mixture of colloids in two dimensions, which exhibits a structural transformation from a non–close-packed to a close-packed lattice during crystal growth. We show that this transformation is thermodynamically driven, resulting from size dependence of the relative free energy between the two structures. We demonstrate that structural selection can be entirely thermodynamic, in contrast to previously considered effects involving growth kinetics or interaction with the surrounding fluid phase.
Chinese Internet Literature: Preserving Born-Digital Literary Content and Fighting Web Piracy

This paper undertakes to define Chinese internet literature (CIL) and discuss the unique circumstances that make the subject of CIL content preservation so problematic. Copyright infringement and text corruption, in which the text is changed or adapted without author’s permission, are major problems in China. Text corruption mostly results from censorship or web piracy. A recently-developed type of anti-piracy scheme called “literary works fingerprinting” can protect the content of the works themselves, guarding them against plagiarism. If as many of the original CIL documents as possible are consistently archived and digitally fingerprinted, then the born-digital works that remain online will not disappear and cannot be altered, nor can they be easily copied on other sites.
Visualization of the Falciform Ligament

Visualization of the falciform ligament is aided by pneumoperitoneum and is sometimes referred to as Silver’s sign. A thin opacity extending from the falciform ligament to the midline is known as the ligamentum teres sign.
Anatomical landmark segmentation in uterine cervix images using deep learning

For automated evaluation of changes on uterine cervix, the external os (here simply os) is a primary anatomical landmark in locating the transformation zone (T-zone). Any abnormal tissue changes typically occur at or within the T-zone. This makes localizing the os on cervical images of great interest for detecting and classifying changes. However, there has been very limited work reported on segmentation of the os region in digitized cervix images, and to our knowledge no work has been done on sets of cervix images acquired from independent data collections exhibiting variabilities due to collection devices, environments, and procedures. In this paper, we present a process pipeline which consists of deep learning os region segmentation over such multiple datasets, followed by comprehensive evaluation of the performance. First, we evaluate of two state-of-the-art deep learning-based localization and classification algorithms, viz., Mask R-CNN and MaskX R-CNN, on multiple datasets. Second, in consideration of the os being small and irregularly-shaped, and of the variabilities in image quality, we use performance measurements beyond the commonly used DICE/IoU scores. We obtain higher performance, on a larger dataset, as compared with the work reported in the literature, and achieve a highest detection rate of 99.1% and an average minimal distance of 1.02 pixels. Furthermore, the network models we obtained in this study show potential use of quality control for data acquisition.
Moving sensors in structural dynamics

In the monitoring of structural systems, the use of multiple high end sensors may prove to be economically prohibitive. The alternative approach would be to use fewer devices that move across the span of the structural system. In the proposed approach, the dynamic of a one-dimensional system is evaluated using a velocity sensor that is able to move across the domain and obtains pointwise velocity measurements at the desired locations. Based on the measured velocities, a state estimator is developed. The gain of the filter depends on the motion of the sensor. The motion of the sensor is defined using Lyapunov redesign methods and depends only on the estimation error at the current sensor position. The guidance policy is performance-based and steers the sensor to spatial regions of the structure with larger estimation errors. The proposed approach is validated with a one dimensional flexible structure, described by an Euler-Bernoulli partial differential equation. The moving sensor is simulated with the use of a laser scanning vibrometer, that provides both the moving measurements and additional measurements against which the proposed approach will be validated. Once a large number of locations is measured, the experimental results are fed to the algorithm that selects the instantaneous sensor location. Experimental results for a linear cantilever are presented that show the benefit of using a state estimator with a moving sensor. Analysis on how the state observer gains are optimally chosen will also be presented. The approach is demonstrated to be feasible and robust.
The Feasibility and Acceptability of an Intergenerational, Web-Based Intervention to Enhance Later-Life Family Care Planning

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Adult children collaborate with older parents on care needs, yet later-life families are often uncertain about how to approach these conversations. Using the McMaster Model of Family Functioning as a framework, we developed a web-based tool for later-life families to enhance communication, knowledge, and problem solving around parent preferences for care. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants were older adult parents aged 65+ and at least one of their adult children. Families answered questions about the parent's care preferences via a web-based survey. Responses were aggregated in a tailored PDF that was distributed to each participant. Descriptive statistics were calculated to examine recruitment, retention, and satisfaction with the program. Repeated measures analyses of variance were calculated to determine preliminary efficacy of the intervention. RESULTS This study included 142 participants across 49 families (n = 49 older adult parents, n = 93 adult children). Of them, 75.4% completed all three phases of the study while 18.3% completed two phases and 6.3% completed only one phase. Seventy-four percent of participants reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the intervention. At baseline, most families were modestly incongruent in their ratings of future care preferences. Participants reported increased conversations about care across the course of the study (F(1.71,179.32) = 42.18, p < .001). DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS This study demonstrated that a web-based intervention to enhance intergenerational communication is feasible, acceptable, and has preliminary efficacy to improve intergenerational communication. Despite recruitment challenges, similarly designed web-based resources may improve accessibility and scalability of intergenerational communication-enhancing interventions.
Experimental Validation of Phasor Field Properties for Non-line-of-sight Imaging

A Phasor field [1-4] - defined as the slow-varying envelope of optical irradiance - has been shown to provide a Huygens-like description and practical reconstructions of non-line-of-sight imaging [5]. We provide results from a series of experiments [6] to show P-field propagation and interference properties similar to those of electric fields.
Incorporating Risk Factor Embeddings in Pre-trained Transformers Improves Sentiment Prediction in Psychiatric Discharge Summaries.

Reducing rates of early hospital readmission has been recognized and identified as a key to improve quality of care and reduce costs. There are a number of risk factors that have been hypothesized to be important for understanding re-admission risk, including such factors as problems with substance abuse, ability to maintain work, relations with family. In this work, we develop Roberta-based models to predict the sentiment of sentences describing readmission risk factors in discharge summaries of patients with psychosis. We improve substantially on previous results by a scheme that shares information across risk factors while also allowing the model to learn risk factor-specific information.
Going forward by looking back: archaeological perspectives on socio-ecological crisis, response, and collapse: edited by Felix Riede and Payson Sheets, New York, Oxford, Berghahn, 2020, 1358 pp., $155.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-78920-864-1

One thread of reasoning runs through the book. Whether it is fire, flood or drought the authors explore how people have communicated their experiences from generation to generation. They have piece...
Mobility and Self-Care are Associated With Discharge to Community After Home Health for People With Dementia.

Abstract Objectives A priority health outcome for patients, families, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a patient's ability to return home and remain in the community without adverse events following discharge from post-acute care services. Successful discharge to community (DTC) is defined as being discharged to the community and not experiencing a readmission or death within 30 days of discharge. The objective of this study was to determine the association between patient factors and successful DTC after home health for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Design This retrospective study derived data from 100% national CMS data files from October 1, 2016, through September 30, 2017. Settings and Participants Criteria from the Home Health Quality Reporting program were used to identify a cohort of 790,439 Medicare home health beneficiaries, 143,164 (18.0%) with ADRD. Measures Successful DTC rates with associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each patient characteristic. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of successful DTC after home health, by ADRD diagnosis, mobility, self-care, caregiver support, and medication management, adjusted for patient demographics and clinical characteristics. Results Overall, 79.4% of beneficiaries had a successful DTC. Beneficiaries with ADRD had a significantly lower odds of successful DTC than those without ADRD (RR=0.947, 95% CI=0.944-0.950). This association remained significant after adjustment for caregiver support, assistance with medications, independence in mobility, and level of self-care. Greater need for caregiver support, greater need for assistance with medications, greater dependence in mobility, and greater self-care dependence were all associated with decreased risk of successful DTC. Conclusions and Implications Older adults with ADRD receiving home health had decreased RR of successful DTC. To have a successful DTC, older adults with ADRD need sufficient support from caregivers and independence in functioning.
Introduction: the green conference

From its inception, the 35th annual meeting of Interdisciplinary Nineteenth-Century Studies sought to explore the history of environmentalism and sustainability, asking, implicitly, what that histo...
Ketamine Infusions: Role and Use in Ambulatory Surgery Centers

As many patients are refractory to traditional methods of treatment for chronic neuropathic pain and psychiatric illness, physicians and researchers looked to other avenues for alternative treatment possibilities. Ketamine, which has actually been around for over 50 years, is a dissociative anesthetic, used historically mostly for induction of anesthesia and functions via N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor complex inhibition. While the undesired dissociative effects have caused it to have limited, but necessary, utility as an induction agent, ketamine delivered at subanesthetic doses has shown to improve pain and depressive symptoms in patients suffering from chronic pain or depression refractory to standard treatment. Ketamine infusions are quickly becoming more popular among patients and providers as treatment alternatives for pain or depression that is not responding to the traditional method of treatment. Patients across the United States continue to be at risk of opioid abuse as the search for powerful non-opioid analgesia is still ongoing. Ketamine infusions delivered at subanesthetic doses may also be a possibility as treatment for patients suffering from opioid addiction. Currently, ketamine infusions are offered around the United States as an off-label treatment for chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and a variety of other psychiatric and neuropathic pain conditions. In this chapter, we discuss the role of ambulatory surgery centers in ketamine infusions and benefits for patients and providers.
Levetiracetam in management of bilateral trigeminal neuralgia due to large glomus tumor case report

Background:Trigeminal neuralgia can be classical or idiopathic. While trigeminal neuralgia (TN) due to space-occupying lesions is atypical, such lesions rarely cause severe TN secondary to trigemin...
Tourism in the South West: present possibilities and future projections.

Tourism has become one of the worldâ€™s major industries and a recognized agent of economic diffusion. Prompted by its potential to permeate, support and propagate virtually every field of economic activity, many communities now actively promote tourism development.The rapid growth of the UKâ€™s tourism industry and its metamorphosisâ€”transformation towards a new industryâ€”have presented a new challenge to tourism development and its management. A massive shift in the pattern of tourism consumption has merely compounded the problem. Tourists today are highly sensitive to the quality of services they receive and are often unwilling to compromise. The progressive nature of touristâ€™s expectations and the highly competitive tourism market renders a proactive management strategy essential if organizations are to continue to attract and exceed the expectations of both home and international tourists.This study demonstrates the need for co-ordinated planning, design and implementation of strategies to render South West Englandâ€™s tourism industry capable of meeting the demands of future customers. One of the greatest challenges facing tourism organizations in the South West of England is the ever growing competition and the continuously increasing customer expectations. Customer satisfaction is no longer the key watch word, it has been replaced by customer delight. Hence, the author emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationships in effecting a quality experience. It is by readjusting, defining and enhancing their personal interactive skills that service providers will be able to forge unbreakable bonds with their customers and thereby realize exceptional service.
Abstract 482: Transgenic Mice Containing Haplotype-I Of Human Angiotensin Receptor Type-1 Gene Are Susceptible To Stroke

Hypertension is one of the co-morbid conditions for, and profoundly increases the incidence of stroke in humans. Hypertension is polygenic in nature and its familial inheritance is regulated by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes associated with renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS). Angiotensin II (AngII) is shown to be at the center stage in driving the RAAS via activation of angiotensin 1 receptor (AT1R). This makes AT1R gene one of the prime candidates whose differential regulation leads to the predisposition to disorders associated with hypertension. A haplotype block of four SNPs is represented primarily by haplotype-I, or Hap-I (TTAA), and haplotype-II, or Hap-II (AGCG), in the promoter of human AT1R (hAT1R) gene. To better understand the physiological role of these haplotypes, transgenic (TG) mice containing haplotype-I and II of the hAT1R gene in a 166Kb BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) were generated. Our results show that 8 weeks old male transgenic mice containing Hap-I have increased brain hAT1R expression (6.5 fold) and have increased systolic blood pressure (11mmHg) as compared to the mice with Hap-II. Also, the results post PMCAO (permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion) suggest that the mice containing Hap-I suffered from significantly higher (p<0.05) neurological deficits (30% higher than Hap-II) and larger brain infarcts (26% larger than Hap-II). Similarly the molecular analysis of oxidant/inflammatory markers post PMCAO show a significant increase (p<0.05) in NOX-1 (1.85 fold up), CRP (9 fold up) and IL6 (2.8 fold up) and a corresponding reduced expression of antioxidants SOD (60% down) and HO-1 (55% down) in Hap-I mice as compared to Hap-II mice. These results suggest that increased expression of hAT1R leads to the damage associated with endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodeling, eventually rendering Hap-I TG mice susceptible to stroke related pathology.
Cloud‐radiative driving of the Madden‐Julian oscillation as seen by the A‐Train

Cloud and water vapor radiative heating anomalies associated with convection may be an effective source of moist static energy driving the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). In this paper 5 years of radiative heating profiles derived from CloudSat radar and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation data are analyzed to document radiative heating anomalies during the MJO. Atmospheric shortwave absorption and surface longwave radiation anomalies are of opposite sign and 10–20% as large as top-of-atmosphere outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) anomalies, confirming that OLR provides a useful estimate of the total column radiative heating anomaly. Positive anomalies generally peak about 1 week before the MJO peak and are smallest over the Indian Ocean. Anomalies over the Maritime Continent are strongest and coincident with the MJO peak. Shortwave heating profile anomalies are weaker than longwave anomalies in the active region of the MJO but generally of opposite sign; thus, shortwave heating damps the longwave destabilization of the lower troposphere. The exception is the onset phase of the MJO, where shortwave and longwave heating anomalies due to thin cirrus are both positive in the upper troposphere and exert a stabilizing influence. Specific humidity anomalies in the middle troposphere reach 0.5 g kg−1, but the associated clear-sky heating anomaly is small. Radiative enhancement of column moist static energy becomes significant as precipitation increases before the MJO peak and remains high after the MJO peak as precipitation begins to decline. Elevated radiative heating after the peak may contribute to destabilizing the MJO.
Capitalizing Art Museum Collections: Awkward for Museums But Good for Art and for Society

Though standard accounting practice requires that all assets of a firm be manifest in accounts, an exception to this principle allows museums to omit their entire collections from their balance sheets. As the collection of any top-rank museum has more value than the rest of a typical museum's assets put together, this practice greatly obstructs good institutional decisionmaking. The practice is justified by an assertion common in the museum community that the collection is not a financial asset, neither available for sale nor obligation as a loan security, and by a variety of other assertions regarding the cost of assessing it. These assertions are shown to be choices with no fundamental support beyond museum management comfort, or to be erroneous. The allocation of artistic patrimony across museums generates a return on investment below 1%, indicating that these assets are not being used efficiently to create the benefits museums (whether non-profit or public) are supposed to provide: no other organization would be allowed to control assets with such a low rate of return. Capitalizing collections is practical and would lead to a variety of beneficial changes in museum practice, on the criterion of inducing "more, better, engagement with more art by more people."
Programming Logics: An Introduction to Verification and Semantics

Mathematical preliminaries the partial correctness of while programs the total correctness of flowchart programs the total correctness of flowchart programs with arrays and input and output the translation of While programs with arrays, input and output and a stack of flowchart programs the total correctness of While programs with procedures and functions the translation of tail recursive procedures into While programs.
Fundamentals of Investing

The investment management process involves five steps: setting investment objectives, establishing an investment policy, selecting a portfolio strategy, constructing a portfolio, and evaluating performance. The investment process involves the analysis of the investment objectives of the entity whose funds are being invested. Given the investment objectives, an investor must then establish policy guidelines to satisfy the investment objectives. This phase begins with the decision as to how to allocate funds across the major asset classes and requires a thorough understanding of the risks associated with investing in each asset class. After establishing the investment objectives and the investment policy, the investor must develop a portfolio strategy. Portfolio strategies can be classified as either active or passive. The next step is to construct the portfolio by selecting the specific financial instruments to be included in the portfolio. Periodically, the investor must evaluate the performance of the portfolio and therefore the portfolio strategy. This step begins with the calculation of the investment return and then evaluates that return relative to the portfolio risk. Keywords: individual investors; institutional investors; asset classes; mutual fund; systematic risk; unsystematic risk; inflation risk; credit risk; interest rate risk; duration; liquidity risk; exchange rate risk; reinvestment risk; call risk; prepayment risk; active portfolio strategy; passive portfolio strategy; efficient portfolio; performance evaluation
Mechanism of Induction of Cytochrome Oxidase in Yeast I. KINETICS OF INDUCTION AND EVIDENCE FOR ACCUMULATION OF CYTOPLASMIC AND MITOCHONDRIAL PRECURSORS

Abstract The induction of cytochrome oxidase in Saccharomyces carlsbergensis was studied by following the time course of elaboration of (a) hemeprotein (or hemeproteins) having heme a as prosthetic group, measured spectrophotometrically at 605 mµ, and (b) the cytochrome oxidase activity, measured in cell-free extracts. The kinetics of induction was investigated after removal of inducer (air) and after the separate addition of cycloheximide, chloramphenicol, and acriflavine at different times during respiratory adaptation. The following results were obtained. 1. Anaerobically grown cells harvested from early stationary phase form hemeprotein a and cytochrome oxidase activity at a constant rate from the onset of aeration. Hemeprotein a reaches its maximal inducible level after 2 hours, whereas cytochrome oxidase activity is at a maximum after 3 hours of aeration. These levels are 33 to 37% of those of aerobically grown cells. The enzyme of induced or aerobically grown cells exhibits the same Km with respect to ferrocytochrome c. 2. Cells induced for periods up to 25 min possess the capacity to form additional cytochrome oxidase activity upon further incubation in the absence of air, whereas cells induced for longer periods are unable to do so. Cycloheximide added prior to aeration prevents the expression of this capacity, but chloramphenicol and acriflavine are without effect. 3. Separate addition of cycloheximide, chloramphenicol, and acriflavine prior to aeration allows the formation of different amounts of hemeprotein a and cytochrome oxidase activity. The amount of inhibitor-resistant synthesis of hemeprotein a is greater than that of cytochrome oxidase activity, and the kinetics of these syntheses varies with the inhibitor used. 4. Cells undergoing respiratory adaptation exhibit the capacity to form additional cytochrome oxidase activity upon further incubation with cycloheximide. This capacity is seen only during the 1st hour of induction, and its expression is inhibited by chloramphenicol. Conversely, cells induced for periods longer than 80 min can form additional cytochrome oxidase when further incubated with chloramphenicol, and the expression of this capacity is blocked by cycloheximide. During the 1st 80 min of induction, the cells can synthesize additional amounts of hemeprotein a when further incubated with either cycloheximide or chloramphenicol. 5. Cells induced for periods longer than 40 min form additional cytochrome oxidase when further incubated with acriflavine, and the expression of this capacity is inhibited by cycloheximide (between 60 and 100 min) and by chloramphenicol (between 40 and 80 min). 6. Cycloheximide inhibits the induction of cytochrome c, anaerobic growth, and incorporation of 14C-leucine into the proteins of adapting yeast, whereas chloramphenicol and acriflavine are not inhibitory.
A Miss History-based Architecture for Cache Prefetching

This paper describes a hardware controlled cache prefetching technique which uses the past behavior of misses to prefetch. We present a low cost prefetch-on-miss architecture for implementing the prefetcher. Its requirements are (1) less than 6.25% increase in the main memory size, and (2) a bidirectional address bus. We evaluate the performance of our prefetcher using trace driven simulations of ATUM and SPEC benchmark suits. For a 4-way set associative 32KB cache, with at most one prefetch on a miss, we obtain miss ratio improvements over a non-prefetching scheme in the range of 23 to 37%. This improvement is obtained at the cost of increasing the bus traffic up to 39% above the non-prefetching scheme. In comparison to the sequential method, the miss ratio improves up to 14% and the bus traffic reduces up to 17%. Similar improvements over the sequential technique are obtained for larger caches and direct mapped caches.
Threshold changes in storm runoff generation at a till‐mantled headwater catchment

[1] A small research watershed in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire was equipped with a spatially distributed instrument network designed to continuously monitor hydrometric responses in the shallow subsurface. We analyzed rainfall events during seasonal wet up from late summer through autumn to investigate the mechanisms of runoff generation and the patterns of rainfall-runoff response at the catchment outlet. Our results show that storm quick flow depths displayed a threshold relationship with two independently measured soil moisture indices: a maximum water table height index and the sum of gross precipitation and antecedent soil moisture. Quick flow depths during events with below-threshold criteria were not significantly correlated with either index, while quick flow depths during events with above-threshold criteria were strongly correlated with both indices (r ≥ 0.98). The effective runoff contributing area (estimated by event runoff ratios) also changed significantly between above- and below-threshold conditions, as did the synchronicity between groundwater fluctuations and streamflow. Below the threshold, we inferred that catchment runoff was generated primarily in the near-stream zones, while above the threshold the contributing area likely expanded laterally onto neighboring hillslopes. Our results show that the effective saturated hydraulic conductivity appeared to increase significantly during runoff events with above-threshold conditions, possibly owing to water tables rising into highly transmissive near-surface soils. We believe the observed threshold pattern may partially be explained as a transmissivity feedback mechanism and/or preferential flows through macropore networks which allowed for a rapid expansion of the runoff contributing area onto hillslopes, resulting in increased runoff yields.
A Prospective Controlled Study of Neonatal Hypoglycemia.

A follow-up study was done on the physical growth, neurological and EEG abnormalities and intellectual development of 39 treated hypoglycemic children and 41 matched controls up to 5 to 7 years of age. Although there were no significant differences in mean height and mean weight at 5 to 7 years of age, mean head circumferences remained smaller in the hypoglycemic groups when compared to that of the controls. No significant EEG differences were found between the groups but a significant difference in neurologic abnormalities was seen. However, in only two of 30 infants who had repeated neurological examinations and who were at least 4 years old at the time of the last examinations could the neurologic abnormality be attributed solely to hypoglycemia which had been adequately treated. These abnormalities were occasional nonfebrile seizures. In a third infant moderate neurologic abnormalities could be traced to unrecognized and inadequately treated symptomatic hypoglycemia, in a fourth to microcephaly and hypoglycemia, and in one infant spastic quadriplegia was associated with cerebral hemorrhage and hypoglycemia. Although there were no differences in the mean yearly IQ scores between the groups, a significantly (p < .05) larger number of hypoglycemic children had IQ scores below 86 (13 of 25) than did the controls (six of 27) at 5 to 7 years of age.
Implementing parallelism and scheduling data flow graphs on Java virtual machine

We present a scheme which explores the parallelism on a Java virtual machine (JVM). An algorithm, called dynamic-duplication scheduling is developed for solving the static scheduling and code generation for data flow graphs on the parallel JVM. Experimental results show that the schedule produced by the algorithm on the parallel JVM is significantly improved compared with the traditional JVM.
Comparison of Traditional 2-AB Fluorescence LC–MS/MS and Automated LC–MS for the Comparative Glycan Analysis of Monoclonal Antibodies

Monoclonal antibody therapeutics are a heterogeneous mixture of glycoforms. Multiple methods exist for defining the glycan composition and relative abundance of species present. In the current report, two MS-based methods were compared for their ability to both identify glycans and monitor differences in the glycoprofile. Gross changes in the glycoprofile can be identified either by visual inspection of fluorescence profiles and correlated to glycan identities when coupled with online MS/MS (LC-F-MS/MS) or through extracted ion chromatograms using LC-MS. In the present study, both an LC-F-MS/MS method and an automated LC-MS label free approach were able to identify minor differences in low abundance glycoforms, and data indicate a disparity in glycosylation between the analyzed batches of US and foreign-sourced mAb X. Thus, either method may be useful in characterizing monoclonal antibody therapeutics products and could serve as a potential screening test for understanding process, comparability, similarity, and possibly detecting counterfeit agents.
A method to create an optimum current distribution and homogeneous B1 field for elliptical birdcage coils

For a birdcage coil with elliptical cross-section, a sinusoidal current pattern does not provide a homogeneous B 1 field. A simple theory was developed to create an optimized current distribution for elliptical birdcage coils. This optimized current pattern can create a perfectly homogeneous B 1 field inside any elliptical shape. To verify the theory, a 16-element highpass elliptical birdcage coil was built inside a circular RF shield. The current was optimized by using the inductance characteristics of the coil components to calculate the end-ring capacitances. The B 1 field was theoretically calculated and experimentally mapped for the optimized elliptical birdcage coil and a nonoptimized coil. The results demonstrate that by optimizing the current distribution, a very homogeneous B 1 field is produced. This method can be directly applied in design and construction of elliptical birdcage coils for imaging of the naturally occurring elliptical cross-sectional geometries in the human body.