cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leukemia inhibitory factor, interleukin-6, and their receptors are expressed transiently in the olfactory mucosa after target ablation.

Removal of the synaptic targets of olfactory receptor neurons by olfactory bulb ablation results in apoptosis of olfactory receptor neurons and up-regulation of proliferation of their progenitors. This study focuses on the expression of the neuropoietic cytokines leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and its receptor (LIFR) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) and its receptor (IL-6R) in intercellular signaling pathways in the olfactory mucosa after target ablation. Olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) resulted in several transient, early-onset, temporally integrated events that were detected immunohistochemically. Macrophages infiltrated the olfactory epithelium (OE) by 16 hours post-OBX. LIF expression was up-regulated transiently at 2 days post-OBX, when up-regulated expression of LIFR also was detected on globose basal cells (GBCs), a subpopulation of which are immediate progenitors of olfactory receptor neurons. GBC proliferation peaked at 3--4 days post-OBX. In the olfactory nerve (ON), LIF-positive and IL-6-positive macrophage infiltration was followed by the transient up-regulation of expression of LIFR, IL-6, and IL-6R in ensheathing cells by 3 days post-OBX. The mRNAs for LIF/LIFR, IL-6/IL-6R, and their common signal-transduction molecule, gp130, in olfactory-nasal mucosa from control mice and from 3-day post-OBX mice were detected with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Analysis of Northern blot and relative quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated similar temporal patterns of changes in relative mRNA levels for both LIF and IL-6, which were up-regulated by 16 hours post-OBX and peaked at 2--3 days post-OBX. These data indicate that LIF from infiltrating macrophages acts as a mitogen for GBCs and that LIF from infiltrating macrophages and IL-6 from infiltrating macrophages and ensheathing cells act as repair factors in the ON.
Short-term in vitro inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3 potentiates insulin signaling in type I skeletal muscle of Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats

Overactivity of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) is associated with insulin resistance of skeletal muscle glucose transport in prediabetic and type 2 diabetic rodent models. However, limited information is available concerning the potential molecular mechanisms underlying the role GSK-3 plays in the etiology of insulin resistance in the male Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rat, a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, we assessed the functionality of proximal and distal insulin signaling elements in isolated type I (slow-twitch oxidative) soleus muscles of ZDF rats after in vitro exposure to a selective GSK-3 inhibitor (1 micromol/L CT98014, K(i) <10 nmol/L for GSK-3alpha and GSK-3beta). Moreover, Ser307 phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), which has been implicated in the development of insulin resistance, was also determined in the absence or presence of this GSK-3 inhibitor. Maximally insulin-stimulated (5 mU/mL) GSK-3beta serine phosphorylation was significantly less (35%, P < .05) in soleus muscle of ZDF rats compared with insulin-sensitive lean Zucker rats, indicating GSK-3 overactivity. In the absence of insulin, no effects of GSK-3 inhibition were detected. GSK-3 inhibition led to significant enhancement (28%) of insulin-stimulated glucose transport activity that was associated with significant up-regulation of tyrosine phosphorylation of IR (52%) and IRS-1 (50%), and with enhanced Akt Ser473 phosphorylation (48%) and GSK-3beta Ser9 phosphorylation (36%). Moreover, the selective GSK-3 inhibitor induced a significant reduction in the phosphorylation of IRS-1 Ser307 (26%) and c-jun N-terminal kinases 1 and 2 (31%), a mediator of IRS-1 Ser307 phosphorylation. These results indicate that selective inhibition of GSK-3 activity in type I skeletal muscle from overtly diabetic ZDF rats enhances IRS-1-dependent insulin signaling, possibly by a decrease in c-jun N-terminal kinase activation and a diminution of the deleterious effects of IRS-1 Ser307 phosphorylation.
Thoracoscopic placement of phrenic nerve electrodes for diaphragmatic pacing in children.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Diaphragmatic pacing can provide chronic ventilatory support for children who suffer from congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) or cervical spinal cord injury. The authors report a new thoracoscopic approach for establishing diaphragm pacing. Methods: Between 1997 and 2000, 9 children ranging in age from 5 to 15 years and suffering from these disorders underwent thoracoscopic placement of bilateral phrenic nerve electrodes. A 3- or 4-trocar technique was used to dissect the phrenic nerve in the midchest and suture a phrenic nerve electrode (Avery Laboratories I-110A, Commack, NY) into place. The electrode was tunneled to a subcutaneous pocket in the upper abdomen and attached to an implanted pacing unit. Results: Bilateral electrodes were placed successfully into all patients. The average procedure time was 3.3 hours (range, 2.5 to 4.6), and average hospital stay was 4.2 days (range, 3 to 5). Four patients experienced postoperative complications (pneumonia, atelectasis, bradycardia, and pneumothorax). Average follow-up has been 30 months (range, 15 to 49). Eight patients have reached their long-term pacing goals. Conclusions: Phrenic nerve electrodes can be implanted thoracoscopically and allow the successful use of diaphragmatic pacing therapy. Avoidance of thoracotomy with its associated perioperative morbidity and scarring may encourage wider utilization of diaphragmatic pacing in children. J Pediatr Surg 37:974-978. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Ruthenium-catalyzed ionic hydrogenation of iminium cations. Scope and mechanism.

Catalysis by CpRu(P−P)H (where P−P is a chelating diphosphine) of the ionic hydrogenation of an iminium cation inolves (1) the transfer of H- to form an amine, (2) the coordination of H2 to the res...
Chinese American immigrant parents' emotional expression in the family: Relations with parents' cultural orientations and children's emotion-related regulation

The present study examined 2 measures of Chinese American immigrant parents' emotional expression in the family context: self-reported emotional expressivity and observed emotional expression during a parent-child interaction task. Path analyses were conducted to examine the concurrent associations between measures of emotional expression and (a) parents' American and Chinese cultural orientations in language proficiency, media use, and social affiliation domains, and (b) parents' and teachers' ratings of children's emotion-related regulation. Results suggested that cultural orientations were primarily associated with parents' self-reported expressivity (rather than observed emotional expression), such that higher American orientations were generally associated with higher expressivity. Although parents' self-reported expressivity was only related to their own reports of children's regulation, parents' observed emotional expression was related to both parents' and teachers' reports of children's regulation. These results suggest that self-reported expressivity and observed emotional expression reflect different constructs and have differential relations to parents' cultural orientations and children's regulation.
Resonantly cladding-pumped Yb-free Er-doped LMA fiber laser with record high power and efficiency

We report the results of our power scaling experiments with resonantly cladding-pumped Er-doped eye-safe large mode area (LMA) fiber laser. While using commercial off-the-shelf LMA fiber we achieved over 88 W of continuous-wave (CW) single transverse mode power at ~1590 nm while pumping at 1532.5 nm. Maximum observed optical-to-optical efficiency was 69%. This result presents, to the best of our knowledge, the highest power reported from resonantly-pumped Yb-free Er-doped LMA fiber laser, as well as the highest efficiency ever reported for any cladding-pumped Er-doped laser, either Yb-co-doped or Yb-free.
The action of capsaicin on type I delayed rectifier K+ currents in rabbit Schwann cells.

Capsaicin, a lipophilic alkaloid, blocked type I K$^{+}$ currents in rabbit cultured Schwann cells when applied by superfusion. The concentration--response relation at equilibrium was well described by a rectangular hyperbola, with a K$_{\text{D}}$ of 8.7 $\mu $M. The kinetics of block resembled an `inactivation', the rate of blockade increasing with increasing concentrations of capsaicin (1-100 $\mu $M). Unlike internal tetraethylammonium (TEA) ions (5-10 mM), which preferentially reduced outward current in symmetrical high [K$^{+}$], capsaicin reduced both inward and outward type I current by the same proportion. The block achieved by capsaicin during a voltage-clamp step that activated the current was relieved by subsequent hyperpolarization, and the rate of relief from block at -70 mV and -100 mV could be reasonably accounted for on the assumption that capsaicin had to unbind to allow the channels to close.
Arthroscopic Ankle Arthrodesis After Tibial Pilon Open Reduction Internal Fixation

Ankle arthrodesis is an essential tool in the foot and ankle surgeon’s armamentarium. Despite the evolving technology and ongoing research in ankle arthroplasty, arthrodesis continues to be a proven and safe option for the majority of patients with ankle arthritis refractory to conservative management. Here, the authors present their technique of an arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis specifically in the setting of a previous open-reduction internal fixation (ORIF) for a tibia plafond type fracture. They have found this to be a reliable technique to achieve a solid ankle arthrodesis while minimizing soft-tissue trauma and dissection in an already compromised soft-tissue envelope.
Polyhalo-organometallic and -organometalloidal compounds VII. Preparation and reaction of (pentachlorophenyl) diphenylchlorosilane and bis (pentachlorophenyl) phenylchlorosilane

Abstract The reaction of pentachlorophenyllithium(I) with dichlorodiphenylsilane at −65° gave (pentachlororphenyl) diphenylchlorosilane (II). A similar reaction of (I) with phenyltrichlorosilane in 1:1,2:1 or 3:1 ratio gave bis(pentachlorophenyl)phenylchlorosilane (III), (II) and (III) were hydrolyzed under acidic conditions to the corresponding silanols. (II) was reduced by lithium aluminum hydride to (pentachlorophenyl)diphenylsilane (V). (V) wa synthesized by reaction of (I) with diphenylchlorosilane and was converted back to (II) by treatment with chlorine in carbon tetrachloride. Treatment of (V) with an alkyl or aryllithium reagent at low temperature caused cleavage of the pentachlorophenyl group.
Normalizing impact energy by face sheet thickness for composite sandwich structure compression after impact testing

The amount of impact energy used to damage a composite laminate face sheet of a sandwich structure is a critical parameter when assessing residual compression strength. The compression after impact strength of impacted laminates used as face sheets on honeycomb core sandwich structure is dependent upon how thick the face sheet laminate is and this has traditionally been accounted for by normalizing (dividing) the impact energy by the laminate’s thickness. However when comparing compression after impact strength values for a given lay-up sequence and fiber/resin system, dividing the impact energy by the specimen thickness has been noted by the author to give higher compression after impact strength values for thicker face sheet laminates. A study was thus undertaken to assess the comparability of compression after impact strength data of sandwich structure by normalizing the impact energy by the face sheet thickness raised to a power to account for the higher strength of thicker laminates. Two data sets ge...
Pressurization effects in kinematic heat engines

Abstract A general treatment of the effects of pressurizing or supercharging reciprocating kinematic engines is presented. This is done in a broad new context which permits analysis of engines with multistroke cycles, pumping loops, and variable buffer pressure. The concept of a monomorphic engine is introduced to analyze various schemes for improving engine performance by charging the workspace or bufferspace. Ideal Stirling engines are shown to have the maximum performance levels possible for general reciprocating engines and so represent the upper limit of pressurization effects.
Hydrogenation of substituted isoquinolines over nickel catalyst. I. The effects of pressure and temperature on the hydrogenation of 5-nitro-2-alkylisoquinolinium salts.

A study of the effect of high pressure and high temperature on the nickel-catalyzed hydrogenation of 5-hydroxy-2-ethylisoquinolinium salt is described. The effects of these parameters on the yield and stereochemistry of the 5-hydroxy-2-ethyldecahydro-isoquinolines produced are discussed. Comparisons of these data with those from analogous hydrogenations of the 5-nitro-2-methyl-isoquinolinium salt are included.
Nutritional requirements of extremely low birthweight infants.

Extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants are unique in many developmental characteristics that determine nutritional requirements, including: low energy reserves (both carbohydrate and fat); higher metabolic rate (intrinsically, due to a higher body content of more metabolically active organs, e.g. brain, heart, liver); higher protein turnover rate (especially when growing); higher glucose needs for energy and brain metabolism; higher lipid needs to match the in utero rate of fat deposition, and for essential fatty acids for brain, neural and vascular development; excessive evaporative rates, and occasionally very high urinary water and solute losses; low rates of gastrointestinal peristalsis; limited production of gut digestive enzymes and growth factors; high incidence of stressful events (e.g. hypoxemia, respiratory distress, sepsis); and abnormal neurological outcome if not fed adequately. Postnatally, ELBW infants do not grow well, or at all, often for weeks. This leads to a virtual "growth deficit", which has unknown consequences (which for the most part are not good) and requires excessive feeding later on to catch up to normal growth rates and body composition. The major future challenge for the nutrition of these infants is to define more accurately their nutritional requirements, particularly in the early postnatal period, in order to feed them more appropriately, to reduce to a minimum the nutritional and growth deficits that they so commonly develop and to prevent neurodevelopmental handicaps that are the result of nutritional deficiencies.
Sharing courseware resources through the NEEDS (National Engineering Education Delivery System) database

The Synthesis Coalition and NEEDS are at the forefront of courseware creation, delivery and evaluation. NEEDS is the architecture developed by the Synthesis Coalition to enable new pedagogical models based on Internet-mediated environments for learning. The NEEDS database provides an access mechanism for students and faculty to a diverse range of engineering educational materials. The database consists of collections of modular digital courseware and courseware elements. The user is able to access and use courseware developed nationwide. In addition, the existing courseware and courseware elements can be adapted to local use in whole or by distilling several modules and joining them together to create a new customized module. The Synthesis Coalition has the directive of making the NEEDS database available to other NSF undergraduate engineering education coalitions and other universities. The requirements for and the feasibility of making courseware available on the NEEDS database are discussed. Critical issues facing courseware developers are identified. The NEEDS Editorial Board is being established to develop a comprehensive review procedure that will result in three tiers of courseware on the NEEDS database: non-reviewed, endorsed and premier courseware. The process of reviewing the courseware on NEEDS will not only benefit the users of the NEEDS database, but it will also benefit authors by recognizing the scholarly and creative efforts that they have expended in developing effective, high-quality courseware. Both the Editorial Board and the review procedures are discussed.
Characterizing rare-event property distributions via replicate molecular dynamics simulations of proteins

As computational resources increase, molecular dynamics simulations of biomolecules are becoming an increasingly informative complement to experimental studies. In particular, it has now become feasible to use multiple initial molecular configurations to generate an ensemble of replicate production-run simulations that allows for more complete characterization of rare events such as ligand-receptor unbinding. However, there are currently no explicit guidelines for selecting an ensemble of initial configurations for replicate simulations. Here, we use clustering analysis and steered molecular dynamics simulations to demonstrate that the configurational changes accessible in molecular dynamics simulations of biomolecules do not necessarily correlate with observed rare-event properties. This informs selection of a representative set of initial configurations. We also employ statistical analysis to identify the minimum number of replicate simulations required to sufficiently sample a given biomolecular property distribution. Together, these results suggest a general procedure for generating an ensemble of replicate simulations that will maximize accurate characterization of rare-event property distributions in biomolecules.
Effect of structure disrupting treatments on volatile release from freeze-dried maltose

Summary Solutions of 1% 1-propanol and 20% maltose in water were freeze-dried under conditions resulting in retention of 69·5% of the propanol. The freezedried solutions were exposed to vapours of several organic compounds which varied in molecular size and polarity. Those vapours which were adsorbed in significant amounts caused a partial release of the entrapped propanol. Heating the freeze-dried solutions in vacuum at temperatures of 37°G, 50°C, 65°C, and 82°C had no effect, but at 100°C a partial release of the propanol was achieved. The results support the previously postulated microregion theory of volatile retention in freeze-dried carbohydrate solutions.
The Luria‐Nebraska Neuropsychological battery—children's revision: Theory and current research findings

The Luria‐Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) has gained an unusual amount of acceptance for a new psychological instrument, probably because of its derivation from the neuropsychological theories of Aleksandr R. Luria. Some of the basic concepts of Luria's theories are explained in this article, and some of the advantages and disadvantages of standardized neuropsychological batteries are discussed. The derivation of the Children's Revision of the LNNB is briefly described and a review is presented of current research utilizing the battery. It is concluded that initial research using the Children's LNNB is optimistic, but, like any psychological instrument, extensive research is needed in order to prove its worth, and the authors encourage continued investigation.
Mycobacterium simiae Pseudo-outbreak Resulting from a Contaminated Hospital Water Supply in Houston, Texas

Various species of nontuberculous mycobacteria are known to cause nosocomial pseudo-outbreaks, but there have been no detailed reports of nosocomial Mycobacterium simiae pseudo-outbreaks. From April 1997 through February 2001, we recovered 65 M. simiae isolates from 62 patients at a community teaching hospital in Houston, Texas. The organism was grown in various water samples obtained in the hospital building and in professional building 1 but not in professional building 2, which has a separate water supply system. Thirty-one environmental and human outbreak-related M. simiae isolates had indistinguishable or closely related patterns on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and were considered clonal. M. simiae can be a cause of nosocomial pseudo-outbreaks. The reservoir for this pseudo-outbreak was identified as a contaminated hospital water supply.
Photographic assessment of baseline fundus morphologic features in the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials.

Objective To describe the methods used for assessment of baseline fundus characteristics from color photography and fluorescein angiography (FA) in the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials (CATT) and to describe the relationship between these characteristics and visual acuity. Design Randomized, masked, multicenter trial. Participants This investigation included 1185 participants of the CATT study. Methods Baseline stereoscopic color fundus photographs and FAs of participants in the CATT study were assessed at a central fundus photograph reading center by masked readers. Replicate assessments of random samples of photographs were performed to assess intragrader and intergrader agreements. The association of the lesion characteristics with baseline visual acuity was assessed using analyses of variance and correlation coefficients. Main Outcome Measures Intragrader and intergrader reproducibility, visual acuity, and lesion characteristics. Results Intragrader and intergrader reproducibility showed agreements ranging from 75% to 100% and weighted κ values ranging from 0.48 to 1.0 for qualitative determinations. The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.96 to 0.97 for quantitative measurements of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) area and total area of CNV lesion. The mean visual acuity varied by the type of pathologic features in the foveal center: 64.5 letters (standard error, 0.7 letters) for fluid only, 59.0 letters (standard error, 0.5 letters) for CNV, and 58.7 letters (standard error, 1.3 letters) for hemorrhage ( P P P P Conclusions These results show that the methodology used for grading CATT fundus images has good reproducibility. As expected, larger total CNV lesion area and pathologic findings such as hemorrhage, fibrosis, and atrophy at baseline are associated with decreased visual acuity. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Shear coefficients for multicelled thin-walled composite beams

Abstract The shear coefficient is obtained for multicelled thin-walled composite material beams in terms of the elastic properties of the walls, or panels, which form the beam. The method presented follows one discussed in a previous paper in which shear coefficients were found for open or single cell symmetrical cross-sections by Cowper's method. In order to apply Cowper's method to the multicelled section the shear flow around the cross-section must be modified to account for lateral distortion of the cross-section due to Poisson effects. As an example, a detailed calculation for a double-cell composite box beam is given. Additional results are given for a triple-cell box beam. The effect of varying the properties of the panels around the cross-section is investigated.
Mutation Analysis of Parameterized Unit Tests

Recently parameterized unit testing has emerged as a promising and effective methodology to allow the separation of (1) specifying external, black-box behavior (e.g., assumptions and assertions) by developers and (2) generating and selecting internal, white-box test inputs (i.e., high-code-covering test inputs) by tools. A parameterized unit test (PUT) is simply a test method that takes parameters, specifies assumptions on the parameters, calls the code under test, and specifies assertions. The test effectiveness of PUTs highly depends on the way that they are written by developers. For example, if stronger assumptions are specified, only a smaller scope of test inputs than intended are generated by tools, leading to false negatives in terms of fault detection. If weaker assertions are specified, erroneous states induced by the test execution do not necessarily cause assertion violations, leading to false negatives. Detecting these false negatives is challenging since the insufficiently written PUTs would just pass. In this paper, we propose a novel mutation analysis approach for analyzing PUTs written by developers and identifying likely locations in PUTs for improvement. The proposed approach is a first step towards helping developers write better PUTs in practice.
Time-dependent Chern-Simons solitons and their quantization

Interaction with an external harmonic or magnetic field can be introduced into the planar, gauged, nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation by a coordinate transformation. Correspondingly, the known vortex-soliton solutions are transformed into periodic solutions in the presence of these external fields. This shows that vortex solitons bind to the external fields and their binding energy may be quantized semi-classically.
LogP: towards a realistic model of parallel computation

A vast body of theoretical research has focused either on overly simplistic models of parallel computation, notably the PRAM, or overly specific models that have few representatives in the real world. Both kinds of models encourage exploitation of formal loopholes, rather than rewarding development of techniques that yield performance across a range of current and future parallel machines. This paper offers a new parallel machine model, called LogP, that reflects the critical technology trends underlying parallel computers. it is intended to serve as a basis for developing fast, portable parallel algorithms and to offer guidelines to machine designers. Such a model must strike a balance between detail and simplicity in order to reveal important bottlenecks without making analysis of interesting problems intractable. The model is based on four parameters that specify abstractly the computing bandwidth, the communication bandwidth, the communication delay, and the efficiency of coupling communication and computation. Portable parallel algorithms typically adapt to the machine configuration, in terms of these parameters. The utility of the model is demonstrated through examples that are implemented on the CM-5.
Cerebrovascular findings in an adult with cyanotic congenital heart disease

A 26-year-old man developed recurrent episodes of hemiparesis and dysarthria. He had cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) with single-ventricle physiology. Chronic hypoxemia (baseline arterial oxygen saturation …
Hooking Up and Sexual Risk Taking Among College Students: A Health Belief Model Perspective

“Hooking up” with friends, strangers, and acquaintances is a popular way for college students to experience sexual intimacy without investing in relationships. Because hooking up often occurs in situations in which prophylactics against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are not available or in which students’ judgment is impaired, it can involve risky behaviors that compromise student health. As such, in-depth studies of the factors related to sexual risk taking during hookups are needed, to advance preventive research and programming. Based on semistructured interviews with 71 college students about their hooking-up experiences, the findings of this study demonstrate that the Health Belief Model can serve as a useful framework for understanding sexual risk taking during hooking up, and offers suggestions for sexual risk-prevention programs on college campuses. The results demonstrate why students’ assessments of their own and their peers’ susceptibility to STIs are often misinformed. The findings al...
Closing the Revolving Door? Substance Abuse Treatment As An Alternative to Traditional Sentencing for Drug-Dependent Offenders

The criminal justice system is often viewed as a revolving door for drug-dependent offenders due to its failure to recognize the association between addiction and offending, and repeated incarceration of drug-dependent offenders has contributed to prison overcrowding. The authors evaluated the effectiveness of Pennsylvania's drug and alcohol treatment-based intermediate punishment, Restrictive Intermediate Punishments (RIP/D&A), at reducing the risk of rearrest. Rearrest was compared at 12, 24, and 36 months postrelease. Offenders who successfully completed treatment had a lower risk of rearrest than traditionally sentenced offenders in general and county jail and probation offenders specifically. However, offenders sentenced to RIP/D&A who did not successfully complete treatment were more at risk for rearrest than traditionally sentenced offenders in general. Also, offenders sentenced to state incarceration had a lower risk of rearrest than RIP/D&A participants, regardless of program completion.
The 3-Port Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty

ABSTRACTPurpose: We describe our technique of a 3 port approach for transperitoneal laparoscopic pyeloplasty and its evolution.Materials and Methods: Between August 1999 and February 2003, 56 patients underwent laparoscopic transperitoneal pyeloplasty. The operative procedure, including patient positioning, surgical technique and postoperative care, is described in detail. For analysis patients were divided into 2 groups, namely an initial 4 port approach and a later 3 port approach. The number of additional ports placed and the reasons why were determined.Results: In the initial 14 patients a 4 port plan was used and 1 (7.2%) required a fifth port. In the subsequent 42 patients surgery was initiated with a 3 port plan and 8 (19%) required 1 additional port, while 2 (4.8%) required 2 additional ports. Of the extra ports used 50% were necessary for liver retraction in procedures on the right side. In patients with greater than 10 renal calculi a retrieval pouch was used, necessitating an additional port. A...
Confirming Target Engagement for Reversible Inhibitors in Vivo by Kinetically Tuned Activity-Based Probes

The development of small-molecule inhibitors for perturbing enzyme function requires assays to confirm that the inhibitors interact with their enzymatic targets in vivo. Determining target engagement in vivo can be particularly challenging for poorly characterized enzymes that lack known biomarkers (e.g., endogenous substrates and products) to report on their inhibition. Here, we describe a competitive activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) method for measuring the binding of reversible inhibitors to enzymes in animal models. Key to the success of this approach is the use of activity-based probes that show tempered rates of reactivity with enzymes, such that competition for target engagement with reversible inhibitors can be measured in vivo. We apply the competitive ABPP strategy to evaluate a newly described class of piperazine amide reversible inhibitors for the serine hydrolases LYPLA1 and LYPLA2, two enzymes for which selective, in vivo active inhibitors are lacking. Competitive ABPP identified indi...
Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) fire scars reveal new details of a frequent fire regime

Question: How frequent and variable were fire disturbances in longleaf pine ecosystems? Has the frequency and seasonality of fire events changed during the past few centuries? Location: Kisatchie National Forest, Western Gulf Coastal Plain, longleaf pine‐bluestem ecosystem, in relatively rough topography adjacent to the Red River, Louisiana, USA. Methods: Cross-sections of 19 remnant pines exhibiting 190 fire scars were collected from a 1.2-km 2 area. Tree-rings and fire scars were precisely dated and analysed for the purpose of characterizing past changes in fire and tree growth. Temporal variability in fire occurrence and seasonality was described for the pre- and post-European settlement periods. Seasonality of historic fires was determined by the scar position within the rings. The relationship between fire and drought was investigated using correlation and superposed epoch analysis. Results: The mean fire return interval for the period 1650-1905 was 2.2 years (range 0.5 to 12 yr). Significant new findings include: evidence for years of biannual burning, temporal variability in fire seasonality, an increase in fire frequency and percentage of trees scarred circa 1790, and synchronous growth suppression and subsequent release of trees coinciding with land-use changes near the turn of the 20th century. Drought conditions appeared unrelated to the occurrence of fire events or fire seasonality. Conclusions: Multi-century fire history records from longleaf pine ecosystems are difficult to obtain due to historic land-use practices and the species high resistance to scarring; however, our results indicate potential for reconstructing detailed fire histories in this ecosystem. Fire scars quantitatively documented one of the most frequent fire regimes known. Fire regime information, such as the temporal variability in fire intervals, prevalence of late-growing season fire events and biannual burning, provide a new perspective on the dynamics of longleaf pine fire regimes.
High resolution contrast ultrasound and NADH fluorescence imaging of myocardial perfusion in excised rat hearts

Simultaneous imaging of myocardial flow and hypoxia could be vital for identifying acute ischemic mechanisms that may trigger an arrhythmia. We have studied the distribution of flow and hypoxia in excised locally ischemic rat hearts using simultaneous contrast ultrasound imaging and beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) fluorescence imaging. Local ischemia was induced by controlling flow within a major coronary artery. Intra-myocardial flow was imaged using contrast high-resolution ultrasound (linear probe; 13−6 MHz). An ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) was used to highlight the ischemic border. We observed distinct borders between two perfusion beds. UCA images showed high contrast borders of flow. The progression of UCA through the tissue was clearly visible. Intramyocardial regions of flow overlap could be identified by superimposing images of UCA from two perfusion zones. Borders between hypoxic and normoxic tissue were clearly revealed by increased NADH fluorescence. Hypoxic borders were oriented along borders of flow. In summary, simultaneous ultrasound and NADH imaging of excised hearts from small animals provide high fidelity images for characterizing the distribution of flow and hypoxic tissue during acute localized ischemia.
Guiding Component-Based Hardware/Software Co-Verification with Patterns

In component-based hardware/software co-verification, properties of an embedded system are established from properties of its hardware and software components. A major challenge in component-based co-verification is the property formulation problem: (1) what are the system properties to verify, (2) what are the component properties needed for verifying the system properties, and (3) what are the environment assumptions for establishing these properties. We present a pattern-guided approach to the property formulation problem. We develop an embedded architecture description language (EADL). A key feature of EADL is its support to specification of architectural patterns for embedded systems. Such patterns capture recurring system structures and, furthermore, templates for properties to verify on systems following these patterns and strategies for decomposing system properties into component properties. We have applies EADL in co-verification of medical sensor systems, which shows that architectural patterns have major potential in facilitating component-based co-verification.
Long-term adaptations in glucocorticoid receptor and mineralocorticoid receptor mRNA and negative feedback on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis following neonatal maternal separation.

Abstract Background Maternally separated rats exhibit exaggerated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responses to an acute stressor but normal diurnal trough functioning. We hypothesized that maternally separated rats experience adequate proactive glucocorticoid negative feedback but deficient "reactive" negative feedback, contributing to prolonged hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress responses. Methods We measured plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone concentrations following an acute stressor or 6 to 8 hours after dexamethasone administration in adult rats previously exposed to daily handling-maternal separation for 15 minutes (HMS15) or 180 minutes (HMS180) during postnatal days 2 to 14. We also examined regional mineralocorticoid receptor and glucocorticoid receptor messenger RNA density in these two groups. Results HMS180 rats appeared to escape dexamethasone suppression of plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone faster than their HMS15 counterparts ( p p p p Conclusions These results are consistent with the hypothesis that in rats exposed to moderate neonatal handling-maternal separation, enhanced proactive feedback maintains the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis during the diurnal trough, while decreased reactive feedback contributes to prolonged responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis following an acute stressor.
“I” Poems: Invitations for Students to Deepen Literary Understanding

“I” poems are motivating invitations to write that can engage students in preparing for or responding to reading. In composing “I” poems, students assume the identity and voice of a person, place, or object and write from that perspective. The first-person narrative point of view is the most important feature of an “I” poem. “I” poems can rhyme, but a rhyme scheme is not a necessary or critical feature. The article includes models of “I” poems as well as examples written by preservice teachers and fourth-grade students. Specific suggestions for writing “I” poems before reading and after reading are described.
Fossils, homology, and “Phylogenetic Paleo-ontogeny”: a reassessment of primary posterior plate homologies among fossil and living crinoids with insights from developmental biology

Paleobiologists must propose a priori hypotheses of homology when conducting a phylogenetic analysis of extinct taxa. The distributions of such “primary” homologies among species are fundamental to phylogeny reconstruction because they reflect a prior belief in what constitutes comparable organismal elements and are the principal determinants of the outcome of phylogenetic analysis. Problems arise when fossil morphology presents seemingly equivocal hypotheses of homology, herein referred to as antinomies. In groups where homology recognition has been elusive, such as echinoderms, these problems are commonly accompanied by the presence (and persistence) of poor descriptive terminology in taxonomic literature that confounds an understanding of characters and stymy phylogenetic research. This paper combines fossil morphology, phylogenetic systematics, and insights from evolutionary developmental biology to outline a research program in Phylogenetic Paleo-ontogeny. A “paleo” ontogenetic approach to character analysis provides a logical basis for homology recognition and discerning patterns of character evolution in a phylogenetic context. To illustrate the utility of the paleo-ontogenetic approach, I present a reassessment of historically contentious plate homologies for “pan-cladid” crinoids (Cladida, Flexibilia, Articulata). Developmental patterns in living crinoids were combined with the fossil record of pan-cladid morphologies to investigate primary posterior plate homologies. Results suggest the sequence of morphologic transitions unfolding during the ontogeny of extant crinoids are developmental relics of their Paleozoic precursors. Developmental genetic modules controlling posterior plate development in pan-cladid crinoids have likely experienced considerable constraint for over 250 million years and limited morphologic diversity in the complexity of calyx characters. Future phylogenetic analyses of pan-cladids are recommended to consider the presence of a single plate in the posterior region homologous with the radianal, rather than the anal X, as is commonly assumed.
Virus/Allergen Interaction in Asthma Exacerbation

Allergy and viral respiratory infections have long been recognized as two of the most important risk factors for exacerbations of asthma. These observations have raised questions regarding potential interactions between these two important risk factors. For example, does allergy diminish the antiviral response, thereby promoting exacerbations of asthma? Alternately, do viral respiratory infections potentiate ongoing allergic inflammation in the airway? The answers to these questions are likely to have implications regarding the prevention and treatment of exacerbations of asthma. This article reviews that clinical evidence linking viral infections and allergy to exacerbations of asthma, reviews potential interactions between these two risk factors, and discusses possible application of new insights in virus/allergen interactions to the prevention and treatment of exacerbations of asthma.
Rational Dental Care: Part 1. Has the Concept Changed in 20 Years?

The concept of "rational dental care" was developed 20 years ago when it became clear that idealized treatment plans for frail and functionally dependent older adults were often inappropriate. This first in a series of 2 articles reviews the reasons for developing the concept.
Advanced congestive heart failure.

Establishment of an effective oral medical regimen for a patient with advanced congestive heart failure often requires hospitalization for simultaneous adjustment of volume status and vasodilation. In the hospital, intravenous therapy is begun with nitroprusside sodium (Nipride, Nitropress) and/or nitroglycerin (Nitro-Bid IV, Tridil), combined with intravenous diuretics; it is sometimes necessary to add infusions of dobutamine (Dobutrex) or dopamine hydrochloride (Dopastat, Intropin). After 48 hours of intravenous therapy, most patients can be weaned onto oral vasodilators and eventually discharged. In patients in whom further escalation of therapies is necessary, first intravenous amrinone lactate (Inocor) or milrinone lactate (Primacor) may be added, and then epinephrine or, rarely, norepinephrine (Levophed). Steps beyond that include a trial of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, implantation of a mechanical assist device, or use of an external centrifugal pump. Cardiac transplantation is indicated for patients in critical or unstable conditions who have no contraindications to the procedure. The patient's profile for compliance must be carefully evaluated. Reform of the selection process is needed to identify patients who, though not critically ill, will not survive without early transplantation.
Accurate refinement of docked protein complexes using evolutionary information and deep learning.

One of the major challenges for protein docking methods is to accurately discriminate native-like structures from false positives. Docking methods are often inaccurate and the results have to be refined and re-ranked to obtain native-like complexes and remove outliers. In a previous work, we introduced AccuRefiner, a machine learning based tool for refining protein-protein complexes. Given a docked complex, the refinement tool produces a small set of refined versions of the input complex, with lower root-mean-square-deviation (RMSD) of atomic positions with respect to the native structure. The method employs a unique ranking tool that accurately predicts the RMSD of docked complexes with respect to the native structure. In this work, we use a deep learning network with a similar set of features and five layers. We show that a properly trained deep learning network can accurately predict the RMSD of a docked complex with 1.40 A error margin on average, by approximating the complex relationship between a wide set of scoring function terms and the RMSD of a docked structure. The network was trained on 35000 unbound docking complexes generated by RosettaDock. We tested our method on 25 different putative docked complexes produced also by RosettaDock for five proteins that were not included in the training data. The results demonstrate that the high accuracy of the ranking tool enables AccuRefiner to consistently choose the refinement candidates with lower RMSD values compared to the coarsely docked input structures.
Cold Acid Elution: Another Look at a Useful Technique

The evaluation of patient samples with a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) is a time-consuming process. Many elution techniques that adequately remove antibody from RBCs are available; however, time should be considered when choosing an elution procedure. The cold acid elution technique was compared with the digitonin acid elution and the Lui freeze elution techniques because many blood banks use these two methods to evaluate specimens with positive DATs. The strength and reactivity of the cold acid eluate compared favorably with the digitonin acid eluates. Both procedures proved particularly useful for eluting Rh factor and autoantibodies from RBCs. The strength and reactivity of the cold acid eluates did not compare favorably with the Lui freeze in cases with ABO antibodies. However, the cold acid elution technique was found to provide a rapid, efficient eluate in most cases.
Detection and Analysis of Mercury Level in Common Wild Edible Mushrooms in Kunming City

[Objective]To investigate the common wild edible mushrooms in Kunming City,and provide scientific evidence for further study.[Methods]Cold atomic absorption spectrometry was adopted to determinate mercury levels of 32 kinds of wild edible mushrooms.According to national standards of mercury limit in edible mushrooms,comparison of mercury levels were performed on different kinds of mushrooms,the edible safety and reasons for excessive mercury were evaluated and analyzed preliminarily.[Results]Totally 192 samples of wild mushrooms were collected,qualified rate was 85.94%.Over standard rate was 14.06%,among which pseudomonas bacteria had the highest mercury level(0.95 mg/kg),9.5 times of standard limit.[Conclusion]Mercury average levels is 0.05 mg/kg in 32 kinds of common wild edible mushrooms in Kunming which is lower than the national standard.
LAB RESEARCH ON THE TECHNOLOGY FOR DEACIDIFICATION SOLVENT OF THE CRUDE OIL WITH HIGH ACID NUMBER

Because of the method of deacidification of the oil fraction can't solve the problem of the equipment corrosion effectively, the technology of deacidification solvent is used to research the deacidification of the crude oil with high acid number in lab. Comparing with the technique of deacidification of alkali washing for the oil fraction, the technology of deacidification solven of the crude oil with high acid numbe can decrease or banish the naphthenic acid corrossion to equipment, it is of the characteristic of small dosage,low wastage of NaOH,small discharge capacity no emulsification, good adaptability and effect of deacidification ,the rate of deacidification reaches 95%. After the crude oil with acid number of 2.07mgKOH/g is deacidized,the acid number of it's distillation of 180～350℃ is smaller than 10 mgKOH/100ml, so the distillated diesel oil does not need deacidification. The new technique that combinates the desalting with deacidificating is put forward, it is pointed out that the existing equipment can be used to save cost.