cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AGE-SPECIFIC REPRODUCTION BY FEMALE LAUGHING GULLS (LARUS ATRICILLA)

Abstract The age at which female gulls first reproduce is poorly documented. We examined plumage and reproductive organs of Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla) collected from May–August 2000–2001 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, to determine age-specific reproductive effort. Each gull was classified as one year old (hatched in previous year), two years old, or ≥3 years old on the basis of color patterns of the hood and tail feathers and fifth primary flight feather. For females, each ovary was examined to determine if post-ovulatory follicles were present. In 2000 and 2001, the first gulls with postovulatory follicles were recorded on 15 and 18 May, respectively. Overall, 54% of the 211 two-year-old female Laughing Gulls collected during June–August showed evidence of egg laying compared to 88% of the 320 gulls ≥3 years old. None of the 50 one-year-old females examined showed evidence of egg laying. Although a lower proportion of two-year-old females laid eggs compared to older gulls, we f...
Thermal Stress in HFEF Hot Cell Windows Due to an In-Cell Metal Fire

This work investigates an accident during the pyrochemical extraction of Uranium and Plutonium from PWR spent fuel in an argon atmosphere hot cell. In the accident, the heavy metals (U and Pu) being extracted are accidently exposed to air from a leaky instrument penetration which goes through the cell walls. The extracted pin size pieces of U and Pu metal readily burn when exposed to air. Technicians perform the electrochemical extraction using manipulators through a 4 foot thick hot cell concrete wall which protects them from the radioactivity of the spent fuel. Four foot thick windows placed in the wall allow the technicians to visually control the manipulators. These windows would be exposed to the heat of the metal fire. This analysis determines if the thermal stress caused by the fire would crack the windows and if the heat would degrade the window seals allowing radioactivity to escape from the cell.
Spontaneous Internalization of Cell Penetrating Peptide-Modified Nanowires into Primary Neurons

Semiconductor nanowire (NW) devices that can address intracellular electrophysiological events with high sensitivity and spatial resolution are emerging as key tools in nanobioelectronics. Intracellular delivery of NWs without compromising cellular integrity and metabolic activity has, however, proven difficult without external mechanical forces or electrical pulses. Here, we introduce a biomimetic approach in which a cell penetrating peptide, the trans-activating transcriptional activator (TAT) from human immunodeficiency virus 1, is linked to the surface of Si NWs to facilitate spontaneous internalization of NWs into primary neuronal cells. Confocal microscopy imaging studies at fixed time points demonstrate that TAT-conjugated NWs (TAT-NWs) are fully internalized into mouse hippocampal neurons, and quantitative image analyses reveal an ca. 15% internalization efficiency. In addition, live cell dynamic imaging of NW internalization shows that NW penetration begins within 10–20 min after binding to the m...
Flow Cytometric Measurement of the Metabolism of Benzo [A] pyrene by Mouse Liver Cells in Culture

The metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene in individual cells was monitored by flow cytometry. The measurements are based on the alterations that occur in the fluorescence emission spectrum of benzo[a]pyrene when it is converted to various metabolites. Using present instrumentation the technique could easily detect 1 × 106 molecules per cells of benzo [a]pyrene and 1 × 107 molecules per cell of the diol epoxide. The analysis of C3H IOT 1/2 mouse fibroblasts growing in culture indicated that there was heterogeneity in the conversion of the parent compound into diol epoxide derivatives suggesting that some variation in sensitivity to transformation by benzo[a]pyrene may be due to differences in cellular metaboUsm. The technique allows sensitive detection of metabolites in viable cells, and provides a new approach to the study of factors that influence both metabolism and transformation.
Ontogenetic development of monosaccharide and amino acid transporters in rabbit intestine

We measured brush-border uptakes of seven sugars and amino acids by rabbit intestine as a function of age from the day of birth to adulthood. Gut dimensions, especially those of the colon and cecum...
Virulence Properties and Nonimmune Pathogenetic Mechanisms of Fungi

This article summarizes some of the potential fungal virulence factors, their effect on the host's defense systems, and their regulation by host factors. Immunopathogenesis is not discussed, but the role of adherence by fungal organisms to human surfaces and foreign bodies in pathogenesis is described. Dimorphism and, less commonly, phenotypic switching may play important roles in initiating and establishing infections by several fungi. Toxins, especially exotoxins, do not seem to participate significantly in pathogenesis; however, various enzymes (proteases, phospholipases) may represent virulence properties of Candida, Aspergillus, and a number of other fungi. The interaction of the organisms with their hormonal milieu, the iron-scavenging capacities of various fungi, and their potential role in pathogenesis are delineated. The immunosuppressive effects of certain fungal antigens, such as yeast mannans, are discussed.
Book Review: The Constitution of Law: Legality in a Time of Emergency by David Dyzenhaus (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006). 250 Pages.

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and the ensuing war on terror has brought to the fore a number of issues that were not previously centre stage in legal discourse. The question about the limits of the rule of law during times of crisis is one such issue. David Dyzenhaus's new book explores this very issue and raises a number of interesting and fresh arguments against those who contend that extraordinary times demand extraordinary powers that enhance legislative or executive authority at the expense of the rule of law, rights and judicial review. Much of the debate and prescriptive recommendations we see in recent scholarship on national security are framed within the broader realm of the state of exception or state of emergency. The normalcy-rule, emergency-exception paradigm has been adopted as normatively desirable by most of the legal and political thinkers who have considered the subject of emergencies and emergency powers. The essential dilemma that these theorists are attempting to deal with is: should a democracy that is confronted with a serious existentialist terrorist threat respond with countermeasures which may or may not be effective but challenge fundamental principles of the democratic and liberal order? There is, of course, no better way to explore these controversial issues than by setting out to answer Carl Schmitt's challenge to liberal legal theory, which is essentially that the claim that a response to an emergency situation has in the nature of things to be partly or even wholly exempted from the requirements that we associate with the rule of law in normal times. In this book and some of his other work, Dyzenhaus has attempted to respond to Schmitt as well as to those who fall short in their own attempts to defend liberal legal theory from Schmitt's attack. Overall, Dyzenhaus's volume is a wonderful addition to the growing literature responding to Schmitt's challenge and to those who argue that the rule of law is optional for liberal democracies in times of emergencies. As any good book does, it raises as many good questions as it attempts to answer.
Comparative Development and Fecundity of Corn Earworm Reared on Selected Wild and Cultivated Early-Season Hosts Common to the Southeastern U.S.,

The corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), was reared on corn soy blend (CSB) artificial diet, flowers and fruit of toadflax, Linaria canadensis L.; frosty blue lupine, Lupimis augttstifolins L., cranesbill, Geranium carolinianum L; crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum L; narrow leaf vetch, Vicia angustifolia Reichard; cudweed, Gnaphalium spathulatum Lam.; or on the leaf roll of whorl-stage Ioana sweet corn. There were significant differences in time to pupation and adult emergence, weights of pupae and adults, preoviposition periods, numbers of spermatophores transferred, and numbers of eggs oviposited. Mean time to pupation ranged from 21.8 days on CSB diet to 30.6 days on corn leaf roll. Mean preoviposition period ranged from 2.0-2.9 days on CSB diet and crimson clover, respectively, and total number of eggs oviposited ranged from 2069 to 417, respectively.
Assessment of the relationship between quality of sleep and disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

PURPOSE Poor sleep quality is associated with adverse health consequences. Sleep disturbances can impact the immune function and process of inflammation. The relationship between sleep quality and the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been well studied. METHODS A prospective observational cohort study was performed to assess the correlation of the quality of sleep and disease activity in IBD. We used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to measure sleep quality. IBD disease activity was measured by using the Harvey-Bradshaw Index or Modified Mayo Score. RESULTS Forty-one patients were enrolled with mean age of 37 ± 15.4 years and 27 (66%) women. Abnormal PSQI was present in all 23 (100%) of the clinically active patients and in 13 (72%) of those with inactive disease (odds ratio = 2.8, P = 0.007). All 30 patients with histologic evidence of inflammation on recent ileocolonoscopy also had abnormal PSQI scores, which were independent of their clinical disease activity status. Only 6 of 11 patients with histologically quiescent disease had abnormal PSQI scores (odds ratio = 6.0, P < 0.0001). There was no difference in disease type, use of steroids, the presence of depression or anxiety, and body mass index between the patients with normal and abnormal sleep. An abnormal PSQI had a positive predictive value for histologic inflammatory activity of 83%. CONCLUSIONS Our data show a strong association between clinically active IBD and poor sleep quality and demonstrate that patients in clinical remission with abnormal sleep have a high likelihood of subclinical disease activity.
Effects on the focusing of 3D elliptical reflector with strong chiral background supporting both PPV and NPV modes

Abstract The reflected electromagnetic waves from a perfect electric conductor (PEC) 3D elliptical reflector with chiral background with high value of chirality parameter kβ are discussed. The chiral medium supports both negative phase velocity (NPV) and positive phase velocity (PPV) simultaneously by increasing the concentration of chiral objects in the host medium, i.e., with strong chiral medium. For the value of −1 kβ kβ greater than one.
Feasibility of interactive biking exercise system for telemanagement in elderly

Inexpensive cycling equipment is widely available for home exercise however its use is hampered by lack of tools supporting real-time monitoring of cycling exercise in elderly and coordination with a clinical care team. To address these barriers, we developed a low-cost mobile system aimed at facilitating safe and effective home-based cycling exercise. The system used a miniature wireless 3-axis accelerometer that transmitted the cycling acceleration data to a tablet PC that was integrated with a multi-component disease management system. An exercise dashboard was presented to a patient allowing real-time graphical visualization of exercise progress. The system was programmed to alert patients when exercise intensity exceeded the levels recommended by the patient care providers and to exchange information with a central server. The feasibility of the system was assessed by testing the accuracy of cycling speed monitoring and reliability of alerts generated by the system. Our results demonstrated high validity of the system both for upper and lower extremity exercise monitoring as well as reliable data transmission between home unit and central server.
VASCULAR ENDOTHELIUM IN THE REGULATION OF IMMUNE RESPONSE

Endothelial cells cover the entire system of arteries, veins, and lymphatics of the human body. Once viewed as a passive coat, we now know that they represent by themselves a large immunologically active system. In this work, we briefly review endothelial cell models and heterogenicity before interrelating endothelial cells with the immune system. In the latter context, we focus on the role of cytokines and that of the five families of cell adhesions molecules.
Early intervention of patients at risk for acute respiratory failure and prolonged mechanical ventilation with a checklist aimed at the prevention of organ failure: protocol for a pragmatic stepped-wedged cluster trial of PROOFCheck

Introduction Acute respiratory failure (ARF) often presents and progresses outside of the intensive care unit. However, recognition and treatment of acute critical illness is often delayed with inconsistent adherence to evidence-based care known to decrease the duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) and complications of critical illness. The goal of this trial is to determine whether the implementation of an electronic medical record-based early alert for progressive respiratory failure coupled with a checklist to promote early compliance to best practice in respiratory failure can improve the outcomes of patients at risk for prolonged respiratory failure and death. Methods and analysis A pragmatic stepped-wedged cluster clinical trial involving 6 hospitals is planned. The study will include adult hospitalised patients identified as high risk for MV >48 hours or death because they were mechanically ventilated outside of the operating room or they were identified as high risk for ARF on the Accurate Prediction of PROlonged VEntilation (APPROVE) score. Patients with advanced directives limiting intubation will be excluded. The intervention will consist of (1) automated identification and notification of clinician of high-risk patients by APPROVE or by invasive MV and (2) checklist of evidence-based practices in ARF (Prevention of Organ Failure Checklist—PROOFCheck). APPROVE and PROOFCheck will be developed in the pretrial period. Primary outcome is hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes include length of stay, ventilator and organ failure-free days and 6-month and 12-month mortality. Predefined subgroup analysis of patients with limitation of aggressive care after study entry is planned. Generalised estimating equations will be used to compare patients in the intervention phase with the control phase, adjusting for clustering within hospitals and time. Ethics and dissemination The study was approved by the institutional review boards. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international meetings. Trial registration number NCT02488174.
Research Opportunities for Neural Networks: The Case for Credit

This article identifies research opportunities in the use of artificial neural networks in credit scoring and related business intelligence situations, particularly as they have been emerging in the global economy. In the literature review, particular attention is paid to commercial lending credit risk assessment and consumer credit scoring. Investors and auditors need models that can predict whether a customer will stay viable. Lenders must manage their credit risk to maximize profits and cash flow, while minimizing losses. As the global economic recession continues, investors are tightening their investment belts and need models that help them make better investment decisions, while lenders must strengthen lending practices and better identify both good and bad credit risks. Artificial neural networks may help firms improve their credit model development, and thereby their credit decisions and profitability. Such technology may also help improve development in emerging economies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The real of the rabble: Žižek and the historical truth of the Hegelo-Lacanian dialectic

In this essay I attempt to answer a fundamental question about Žižek’s heterodox reading of Hegel’s dialectic: What project sustains this reading in the first place? That is, what is at stake for Žižek himself? The purpose of this essay is to develop in this fashion a reading of Žižek (since he does not programmatically answer this question), although not one that is necessarily meant to compete against other alternatives. My argument, then, is that Žižek’s ontological and hermeneutical project is ultimately political, that when Žižek says we need Hegel “now more than ever,” he has a political situation in mind. By finding an element of Hegel’s thought, the political subjectivity of the “rabble,” that resists the traditional picture of dialectical system (especially the critical picture of the post-structuralists), Žižek can overturn the distinction between Hegelian method and system by suggesting that there’s no comprehensible distinction at all. And by politicizing Hegel and drawing out the seeds of Lacanian thought that were nonetheless incomplete until Lacan, Žižek’s historiographical project takes on the character of ideological critique. As such, Hegel and Lacan reach us anew, as theoretical players in an anti-postmodern political gambit.
Microchip electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection for the determination of the ratio of nitric oxide to superoxide production in macrophages during inflammation.

It is well known that excessive production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species is linked to the development of oxidative stress-driven disorders. In particular, nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide (O2 •−) play critical roles in many physiological and pathological processes. This article reports the use of 4-amino-5-methylamino-2′,7′-difluorofluorescein diacetate and MitoSOX Red in conjunction with microchip electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence detection for the simultaneous detection of NO and O2 •− in RAW 264.7 macrophage cell lysates following different stimulation procedures. Cell stimulations were performed in the presence and absence of cytosolic (diethyldithiocarbamate) and mitochondrial (2-methoxyestradiol) superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibitors. The NO/O2 •− ratios in macrophage cell lysates under physiological and proinflammatory conditions were determined. The NO/O2 •− ratios were 0.60 ± 0.07 for unstimulated cells pretreated with SOD inhibitors, 1.08 ± 0.06 for unstimulated cells in the absence of SOD inhibitors, and 3.14 ± 0.13 for stimulated cells. The effect of carnosine (antioxidant) or Ca2+ (intracellular messenger) on the NO/O2 •− ratio was also investigated.
Detectability of the impacts of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases upon stratospheric ozone accounting for nonlinearities in historical forcings

Abstract. We perform a formal attribution study of upper- and lower-stratospheric ozone changes using observations together with simulations from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model. Historical model simulations were used to estimate the zonal-mean response patterns (“fingerprints”) to combined forcing by ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) and well-mixed greenhouse gases (GHGs), as well as to the individual forcing by each factor. Trends in the similarity between the searched-for fingerprints and homogenized observations of stratospheric ozone were compared to trends in pattern similarity between the fingerprints and the internally and naturally generated variability inferred from long control runs. This yields estimated signal-to-noise ( S∕N ) ratios for each of the three fingerprints (ODS, GHG, and ODS + GHG). In both the upper stratosphere (defined in this paper as 1 to 10 hPa ) and lower stratosphere (40 to 100 hPa ), the spatial fingerprints of the ODS + GHG and ODS-only patterns were consistently detectable not only during the era of maximum ozone depletion but also throughout the observational record (1984–2016). We also develop a fingerprint attribution method to account for forcings whose time evolutions are markedly nonlinear over the observational record. When the nonlinearity of the time evolution of the ODS and ODS + GHG signals is accounted for, we find that the S∕N ratios obtained with the stratospheric ODS and ODS + GHG fingerprints are enhanced relative to standard linear trend analysis. Use of the nonlinear signal detection method also reduces the detection time – the estimate of the date at which ODS and GHG impacts on ozone can be formally identified. Furthermore, by explicitly considering nonlinear signal evolution, the complete observational record can be used in the S∕N analysis, without applying piecewise linear regression and introducing arbitrary break points. The GHG-driven fingerprint of ozone changes was not statistically identifiable in either the upper- or lower-stratospheric SWOOSH data, irrespective of the signal detection method used. In the WACCM simulations of future climate change, the GHG signal is statistically identifiable between 2020 and 2030. Our findings demonstrate the importance of continued stratospheric ozone monitoring to improve estimates of the contributions of ODS and GHG forcing to global changes in stratospheric ozone.
Design and implementation of high speed Gabor filter with variable thresholding process for disease detection

In current scenario, there are number of skin related diseases such as tonsillitis, tumors, skin cancers, etc… which can be detected at an early stage and can be cured. For this a new idea is proposed which aims at designing a Gabor filter that makes accurate detection of diseases. We use an efficient pipelined architecture for input. Image segmentation for the detection of diseases is done using Gabor filter that in turn uses shift-add CORDIC algorithm for making the designing of Gabor filter easier. In addition to this algorithm, we use a new algorithm called Variable Thresholding algorithm that sets a threshold value during the decision making period. The algorithm is named variable because, the threshold value can be varied depending upon the diseases we are going to detect. All these algorithms are written in VHDL Language in MODELSIM software, which makes the designing and decision making process more effective. This technique is also implemented on FPGA/CPLD kit that shows us the presence of disease manually through lighting of LED's. Thus the decision of disease is made more accurate and faster through this design.
Classical Continuum Theory

A body B is a set of particles X that can be mapped into a closed region of three-dimensional physical space at each time. Places in physical space are denoted by x, and times by t. Usually a preferred configuration of the body is chosen, and the location of the particles in that configuration is denoted by X. This configuration is called the reference configuration. It need not be one ever occupied by the body, but it may be. Here for convenience in visualizing results, we let the reference configuration be the configuration of the body at time 0. The symbols X and x do not denote coordinates. Rather, they are positions. Nonetheless they are often called, respectively, material coordinates and spatial coordinates. Popular usage also often assigns them the respective names Lagrangian and Eulerian. Though this terminology is not historically accurate [92], we do sometimes follow the popular usage.
Potentials in Improving Predictability of Multiscale Tropical Weather Systems Evaluated through Ensemble Assimilation of Simulated Satellite-Based Observations

AbstractAs a follow-up of our recent paper on the practical and intrinsic predictability of multiscale tropical weather and equatorial waves, this study explores the potentials in improving the ana...
Experimentally validated model of heat pump water heater with a water tank in heating-up transients.

Abstract This paper presents a linked model to simulate the transient performance of heating-up of a heat pump water heater (HPWH) with a water tank. This linked model consists of a quasi-steady model to simulate the behavior of the vapor compression system and a CFD model that describes the transient flow and temperature fields in the water tank. The interaction between these two models is implemented by the data exchange through the interface between the tank wall and nearby water in the tank. Heat flux profiles of the condenser coils are obtained from the system model and delivered to the water tank CFD model as boundary conditions; CFD model outputs water-side flow and temperature information to the system model for heat transfer calculations. An iterative algorithm is designed to achieve matched solutions of these two models. This linked model is experimentally validated. The results show this model is capable of capturing the dynamic progression of the vapor compression system, as well as the transient fluid dynamics and thermal behavior in the water tank.
Images of the Great Within: Cartographic Choices in Ming China

This paper uses three maps of Beijing from the sixteenth century to explore the range and variation of interests and agendas involved in the production of cartographic images of urban space in early modern China. One is a map from an official gazetteer, the second accompanied a privately produced guidebook/description of the city, and the third is a single broadsheet with a mix of cartographic and pictorial imagery aimed at a more popular audience. The treatment of the Imperial City and the Imperial Palace, known as the Great Within, is different in each map, from near complete obscurity to a rich and fantastic image of the emperor at work in his study. These maps illuminate the diversity of production in a period of rapid development in print publication and circulation.
Disseminated toxoplasmosis: Unusual presentations in the immunocompromised host

Objective Owing to the increasing number of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and immunosuppressed transplant patients, disseminated Toxoplasma gondii has emerged as a potentially fatal pathogen. Common presentations include encephalitis, pneumonia, and myocarditis. The objective of this report is to describe the clinical course, histologic features, and outcome in two immunocompromised patients with disseminated toxoplasmosis presenting with parasitemia and panniculitis. Materials and methods Two cases of disseminated toxoplasmosis presenting with parasitemia (patient 1) and panniculitis (patient 2) were retrieved from the clinical, surgical, and autopsy pathology archives of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. The histology and diagnostic approaches used are reported. Charts were reviewed for primary diagnosis, therapy protocols, clinical presentation of infection, and outcome. Results Patient 1 developed a clinically unexplained sepsis syndrome shortly after heart transplantation; T gondii parasitemia was diagnosed by examination of peripheral blood smears. The diagnosis was confirmed at autopsy. Patient 2 was a child undergoing induction chemotherapy for lymphoma who developed rapidly progressive neurologic deterioration accompanied by a maculopapular skin rash; T gondii panniculitis was diagnosed retrospectively when histologic examination was combined with immunohistochemistry. Autopsies performed in both cases confirmed widely disseminated infection. Conclusions Disseminated toxoplasmosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of immunocompromised patients with culture-negative sepsis syndrome, particularly if combined with neurologic, respiratory, or unexplained skin lesions. Examination of Wright's-stained peripheral blood smears or antitoxoplasma immunoperoxidase studies of skin biopsies may be diagnostic and allow rapid initiation of antibiotic therapy. Autopsy findings contributed to both of our cases by documenting the wide-spread heavy parasite burden and demonstrating numerous diagnostic T gondii cyst forms.
The association of DNA and RNA with membranes.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the membrane association of nucleic acids. It presents supportive data in this regard and discusses the speculative aspects of the association of DNA and RNA with cell membranes. The membrane association of chromosomal DNAs appears to be a universal phenomenon, observed in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, viruses, and extrachromosomal DNAs. Many techniques are employed to study this DNA-membrane association. Electron microscopy (EM) and autoradiography provide morphological data. A variety of biochemical procedures including the preferential association of DNA with lipoprotein-rich extracts, selective salt extraction, density gradient centrifugation, incorporation of thymidine analogs (for example, bromodeoxyuridine), and labeling with radioactive DNA precursors is also presented. Extensive biochemical and EM studies show that RNA is present as an integral membrane component and as a substructural part of membrane-bound ribosomes. Membrane RNA is relatively insensitive to RNase, is soluble in organic solvents, and is most readily extracted with acidified water or hot (60°C) phenol or other standard solvents following treatment of the membrane with sodium dodecyl sulfate. This membrane-associated RNA (mbrRNA) may play a variety of roles, including ribosome binding via rRNA–mbrRNA association, stabilization of mRNA by membranes, and translation of mRNA on membrane-bound ribosomes.
The Shopping Mall: Signs of Power

My subject is an ubiquitous feature of our landscape, the enclosed regional shopping mall. I will start from a factual assertion, that the evolution of the L-shaped, open, neighborhood suburban shopping center into the enclosed regional shopping mall has generated a profound reworking of our physical and psychological landscape. Because these landscapes are still evolving, it is possible to inquire into the alternative shapes that they yet might take.
The Experience of Muslim Prayer: A Phenomenological Investigation

Some form of prayer is a central feature of virtually all religious traditions. In Christianity, this practice has been studied periodically by social scientists over decades, although it has received only recent attention in Islam. Among these few prayer studies, none has focused on the awareness of experience in Muslim prayer from a first-person perspective, which is the aim of this study. This investigation conducted phenomenological interviews with seven Muslims of five different cultures to obtain detailed descriptions of their prayer experiences. A hermeneutic-thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews found a pattern of four themes that emerged across all protocols to collectively describe the meaning of the experience of prayer for participants: (1) No Connection/Connection; (2) Particular Feelings; (3) Spiritual Change; (4) and Certain Knowledge. These findings are discussed in relation to the existential grounds of Body, Others, and Time, as well as current empirical literature on Muslim prayer.
CHAPTER 12 – Perfect Gaussian Elimination

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the bipartite generalizations of triangulated graphs according to two important properties: perfect elimination and chordality. Although these notions do not coincide in the general setting, both notions do extend certain aspects of triangulated graphs. Perfect elimination bipartite graphs correctly model the application to Gaussian elimination with no fill-in. Chordal bipartite graphs satisfy the separation theorems analogous to those of Dirac. Alan Hoffman and Michel Sakarovich have recently discovered that the chordal bipartite graphs give a characterization of the matrices in an important class of linear programming problems for which the greedy heuristic approach gives an optimum solution.
Tiling and somatotopic alignment of mammalian low-threshold mechanoreceptors

Innocuous mechanical stimuli acting on the skin are detected by sensory neurons, known as low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs). LTMRs are classified based on their response properties, action potential conduction velocity, rate of adaptation to static indentation of the skin, and terminal anatomy. Here, we report organizational properties of the cutaneous and central axonal projections of the five principal hairy skin LTMR subtypes. We find that axons of neurons within a particular LTMR class are largely nonoverlapping with respect to their cutaneous end organs (e.g., hair follicles), with Aβ rapidly adapting-LTMRs being the sole exception. Individual neurons of each LTMR class are mostly nonoverlapping with respect to their associated hair follicles, with the notable exception of C-LTMRs, which exhibit multiple branches that redundantly innervate individual hair follicles. In the spinal cord, LTMR central projections exhibit rostrocaudal elongation and mediolateral compression, compared with their cutaneous innervation patterns, and these central projections also exhibit a fine degree of homotypic topographic adjacency. These findings thus reveal homotypic tiling of LTMR subtype axonal projections in hairy skin and a remarkable degree of spatial precision of spinal cord axonal termination patterns, suggesting a somatotopically precise tactile encoding capability of the mechanosensory dorsal horn.
Does rehearsal benefit visual memory? The role of semantic associations in the maintenance of intact and phase-scrambled scenes

Articulatory rehearsal during working memory (WM) maintenance facilitates subsequent retrieval, particularly for verbal material. Less is known about how rehearsal modulates WM delay activity during the maintenance of novel visual information. In the present study, 44 participants completed a Sternberg WM Task with either intact novel scenes (NS) or phase-scrambled versions (SS), which had similar color and spatial frequency but lacked semantic content. During each condition participants generated a descriptive label for each stimulus and covertly rehearsed it (CR) or suppressed it (AS, i.e., repeat "the") during the delay. This was easy in the former condition but more difficult in the later condition where scenes lacked semantic content. Behavioral performance and EEG delay activity was analyzed as a function of maintenance strategy (CR vs. AS) and stimulus type (NS vs. SS). Performance on the WM task for NS revealed that CR neither improved short- or long-term memory. Delay activity revealed greater amplitude in the beta range in right parietal and centromedial regions for CR compared to AS. When task difficulty increased in the SS condition, there was both a significant short- and long-term behavioral advantage as well as greater activity in the upper alpha and beta ranges throughout the delay period. These results show that rehearsal benefits subsequent memory for visual information, but only when the maintained stimuli lack semantic information. We conclude that task difficulty and cognitive strategy modulate the pattern of delay activity during maintenance of novel visual information with effects on subsequent memory.
The Unfinished Business of Social Justice in Christian Higher Education

In this essay, we contend that there is much unfinished business ahead for Christian higher education. Our argument is grounded in the cumulative impact of long-standing frameworks and an expanding...
PET-RAFT and SAXS: High Throughput Tools To Study Compactness and Flexibility of Single-Chain Polymer Nanoparticles

From protein science, it is well understood that ordered folding and 3D structure mainly arise from balanced and noncovalent polar and nonpolar interactions, such as hydrogen bonding. Similarly, it...
Aging dampens the intestinal innate immune response during Clostridioides difficile infection and is associated with altered intestinal eosinophil mobilization

Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile is the most common cause of hospital-acquired infection, and advanced age is a risk factor for C. difficile infection. Disruption of the intestinal microbiota and immune responses contribute to host susceptibility and severity of C. difficile infection. However, the impact of aging on the cellular immune response associated with C. difficile infection in the setting of advanced age remains to be well described. This study explores the effect of age on cellular immune responses in C. difficile infection as well as disease severity. Young adult mice (2-3 months old) and aged mice (22-28 months old) were rendered susceptible to C. difficile infection with cefoperazone and then infected with C. difficile strains of varying disease-causing potential. Aged mice infected with C. difficile develop more severe clinical disease, compared to young mice. Tissue-specific CD45+ immune cell responses occurred at the time of peak disease severity in the cecum and colon of all mice infected with a high-virulence strain of C. difficile; however, significant deficits in intestinal neutrophils and eosinophils were detected in aged mice. Interestingly, while C. difficile infection in young mice was associated with a robust increase in cecal and colonic eosinophils, there was a complete lack of an intestinal eosinophil response in aged counterparts accompanied by a simultaneous increase in blood eosinophils with severe disease. These findings demonstrate that age-related alterations in immune responses are associated with significantly worse C. difficile infection and support a key role for intestinal eosinophils in mitigating C. difficile-mediated disease severity.
Greenspace Interventions, Stress and Cortisol: A Scoping Review

Background: Engaging with nature can profoundly impact psychological and physiological health of persons across the lifespan. Greenspace interventions (GSI) encompass a broad range of strategic, nature-based activities for overall health and wellbeing. Within the past 20 years there has been a growing interest in the access to and management of greenspace to mediate the deleterious impact of acute and chronic stress, particularly, physiologic biomarkers of stress such as cortisol. Objective: This review aims to describe the impact of greenspace interventions on cortisol, to present the current state of the science on GSIs as they impact cortisol, and to uncover any limitations of current research strategies to best inform future research. Methods: A scoping methodology was conducted to systematically study this emerging field and inform future research by mapping the literature based on the GSI category, interventional design, cortisol metrics, and subsequent analysis of cortisol. Conclusion: Considerable heterogeneity in research design, aim(s), interventional strategy, and cortisol metrics were identified from a total of 18 studies on GSIs and cortisol outcomes. While studies demonstrated a potential for the positive association between GSIs and stress relief, more rigorous research is needed to represent GSIs as an intervention to mitigate risks of stress.
Effect of Varenicline on Tardive Dyskinesia: A Pilot Study.

Objective Although evidence implicates striatal cholinergic impairment as a mechanism underlying tardive dyskinesia, trials of nonspecific cholinergic agents have been inconclusive. As a partial agonist at specific nicotinic receptor subtypes, varenicline reduces drug-induced dyskinesias in animal models suggesting promise as a treatment for tardive dyskinesia. Methods Three schizophrenia patients with tardive dyskinesia who were smokers underwent an open trial of varenicline. After a 2-week baseline, subjects received varenicline 1 mg twice daily. Changes from baseline on the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale were measured after a 4-week varenicline stabilization period, and 6 weeks after the smoking quit date in one patient. Results Varenicline had no effect on mean Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale scores after 4 weeks. Although smoking decreased after 4 weeks on varenicline and diminished further in one patient after 10 weeks, this also appeared to have no effect on ratings of tardive dyskinesia. Conclusion In contrast to animal models, no significant change in tardive dyskinesia occurred in response to varenicline replacement in three schizophrenia patients. Further investigations of cholinergic mechanisms in tardive dyskinesia are worthwhile as agents for specific cholinergic targets become available for treatment. In addition, treatment trials of tardive dyskinesia should control for smoking status, while patients on antipsychotics receiving nicotine replacement therapies for smoking should be studied further for changes in movement.
Effects of 0.5% and 2.0% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in Male CD-1 Mice From a 3-Month Oral Gavage Toxicity Study:

The tolerability of single daily gavage doses of 0.5% or 2.0% (wt/vol) sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in 11- to 12-week-old male CD-1 mice was evaluated in a study of 3 months in duration. Live-phase, gross necropsy, and histopathologic parameters were evaluated. Mortality of 14% occurred in mice administered formulations containing SLS. Clinical observations in mice administered SLS included abnormal respiration (audible, irregular, and/or labored), swollen abdomen, rough haircoat, hunched appearance, and hypoactivity. Necropsy findings in mice administered SLS consisted of enlarged intestines containing abnormal contents with gas. There were no instances of mechanical gavage-related injury. Histologic evaluation of the respiratory tract revealed injury to the nasal passages and nasopharynx, including, but not limited to, inflammation, exudate, apoptosis/necrosis of epithelium, and atrophy of epithelium or olfactory nerves. Collectively, the data indicated that under the experimental conditions of our 3-month study in male CD-1 mice, once-daily gavage administration of vehicle formulations containing SLS at 0.5% or 2.0% resulted in nasal injury and 14% mortality supportive of gastroesophageal reflux. Sponsors utilizing formulations containing SLS in toxicity studies in CD-1 mice should exclude gastroesophageal reflux as a confounding factor in studies with morbidity or mortality associated with respiratory distress or evidence of aerophagia.
Socio-Environmental Conditions Associated with Geospatial Clusters of Urothelial Carcinoma: A Multi-Institutional Analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:Industrial byproducts and environmental pollutants (IBP/EP) are associated with development of urothelial carcinoma (UC). While tobacco exposure (TE) is the major risk fa...
Cell-state specific aggresome formation in fibroblasts is driven by stress-activated MAPK signaling

The aggresome is a protein turnover system in which proteins are trafficked along microtubules to the centrosome for degradation. Despite extensive focus on aggresomes in immortalized cell lines, it remains unclear if the aggresome is conserved in all primary cells and all cell-states. Here we examined the aggresome in primary adult mouse dermal fibroblasts in four distinct cell-states. We found that in response to proteasome inhibition, quiescent and immortalized fibroblasts formed aggresomes whereas proliferating and senescent fibroblasts did not. Transcriptomic analysis of the fibroblast cell-state-specific response to proteasome inhibition revealed that stress-activated MAPK signaling was associated with aggresome formation. Supporting a functional role for stress-activated MAPK signaling in aggresome formation, inhibition of TAK1 and p38/{beta} MAPKs suppressed aggresome formation. Together, our data suggest that the aggresome is a non-universal protein degradation system that forms through stress-activated MAPK signaling which can be used cell-state specifically.
Blocking negative influential node set in social networks: From host perspective

Nowadays, social networks are considered as a very important medium for the spreading of information, innovations and ideas etc. among individuals using Viral Marketing (VM) but the key problem with VM is to find the set of influential users, who, when convinced to adopt an innovation or idea, shall influence other users in the network, leading to large number of adoptions. Therefore, in our study we propose and study the competitive viral marketing problem from the host perspective, where the host of the social network sells the viral marketing campaigns to its customers and keeps control of the allocation of seeds. We propose a new diffusion model considering the host perspective in Social Networks where the network model will have both positive and negative edges. We then propose a novel problem, named Blocking Negative Influential Node Set (BNINS) selection problem, to identify the positive node set such that the number of negatively activated nodes is minimized for all competitors from host perspective. We first provide our newly proposed diffusion model, define the novel BNINS problem, propose a solution sketch to the problem and propose simulations procedure to validate the proposed solution.
The spatial variation of the damage energy and gas production in the experimental volume of a Li/D,n/ neutron radiation damage facility

Calculated results are presented of the variation with position in the experimental volume of a Li(D,n) neutron radiation damage facility of the damage energy and helium and hydrogen production in copper and in niobium when this volume is partially filled with experimental samples. At a given position in the experimental volume for either copper or niobium, the ratio of the damaged energy with no absorber to the damaged energy with a 50-mm-thick iron absorber or a 100-mm-thick carbon absorber is never >3 and in most positions is 15 to 20 MeV) needed to carry out the transport calculations were obtained from the intranuclear-cascade model of nuclear reactions.
The Copyright-Commerce Clause Collision: A Subject Matter Approach

This Article provides a novel theory of how the Constitution’s Copyright Clause limits congressional legislation enacted pursuant to other enumerated powers. The Copyright Clause is both a grant of power and a limitation on the reach of that power: it provides that Congress may create “exclusive Right[s]” in the “Writings” of “Authors,” but that those rights must “promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts” and last only for “limited Times.” Congress possesses other enumerated powers, however, including expansive Commerce Clause authority. As intellectual property substantially affects interstate commerce, may Congress avoid the limitations of the Copyright Clause by legislating pursuant to the Commerce Clause?Analyzing the structure of the Copyright Clause and the key precedents on inter-Clause conflicts, the Article proposes a subject matter approach to resolve this question. The subject matter approach determines whether the law at issue is truly a “copyright law” that must comply with the Copyright Clause by examining the nature of the material regulated, the actions proscribed, and the scope of the rights granted by the law. The touchstone is whether the challenged law grants authors generalized property rights in expression. By contrast, if a law does not bear these hallmarks of traditional copyright protection, it may be permissible economic regulation within the Commerce Clause power, even if it relates to intellectual property.
Shifting Paradigms of Lawyer Honesty

Why do lawyers find “honesty” so complicated? Why do law students recoil from and widely dislike courses that present the ethical message of the Model Rules? The Model Rules contain at least four distinct conceptions of what it means for a lawyer to be honest. Moreover, the levels of honesty that the ethical rules demand have changed markedly in recent times. There is, for example, the new duty to reveal confidential information under Rule 4.1, a duty which even the drafters contest. This article considers the special and somewhat contorted meaning of “honesty” that is required in our current exaggerated version of the adversary system. It shows how the Model Rules today practically require lawyers to seek legal advantages that their clients do not deserve. Finally, the article considers where the recent trajectory of the Model Rules might be leading. Using as an example a standard textbook case in which lawyers skillfully managed to secure a large and seemingly unmerited advantage for their client (Symphony Space v. Pergola), it considers what it would be like to live in a world of truly honest lawyers.