cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacological evaluation of clinically relevant concentrations of (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine

Abstract Ketamine is a rapid-onset antidepressant whose efficacy long outlasts its pharmacokinetics. Multiple studies suggest ketamine's antidepressant effects require increased α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR)-dependent currents, which have recently been exclusively attributed to its N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor-inactive metabolite (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine ((2R,6R)-HNK). To investigate this AMPAR-activation claim further, we estimated and evaluated preclinically and clinically relevant unbound brain HNK concentrations (Cb,u). (2S,6S)-HNK and (2R,6R)-HNK were novelly synthesized, and their neuropharmacokinetic profiles were determined to project relevant Cb,u. Using concentrations (0.01–10 μM) bracketing the pertinent cross-species Cb,u, both compounds' AMPAR modulation was assessed in vitro by electrophysiological recordings and GluA1 surface expression. Neither (2S,6S)-HNK nor (2R,6R)-HNK bound orthosterically to or directly functionally activated AMPARs. (2R,6R)-HNK failed to evoke AMPAR-centric changes in any electrophysiological endpoint from adult rodent hippocampal slices. Conversely, time- and concentration-dependent increases in GluA1 expression occurred only with (2R,6R)-HNK (≥0.1 μM at ≥90 min). The (2R,6R)-HNK concentrations that increased GluA1 expression are consistent with its maximal Cb,u (0.92–4.84 μM) at reportedly efficacious doses of ketamine or (2R,6R)-HNK in mouse depression models, but ≥3-fold above its projected maximal human Cb,u (≤37.8 ± 14.3 nM) following ketamine's clinically antidepressant infusion. These findings provide insight into the observed AMPAR-affecting (2R,6R)-HNK concentrations versus its exposures attained clinically at an antidepressant ketamine dose. To optimize any clinical study with (2R,6R)-HNK to fully assess its translational pharmacology, future preclinical work should test (2R,6R)-HNK concentrations and/or Cb,u of 0.01–0.1 μM to parallel its projected human Cb,u at a clinically antidepressant ketamine dose.
L1 adaptive control for general partial differential equation (PDE) systems

ABSTRACTThis paper addresses the L1 adaptive control problem for general Partial Differential Equation (PDE) systems. Since direct computation and analysis on PDE systems are difficult and time-consuming, it is preferred to transform the PDE systems into Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) systems. In this paper, a polynomial interpolation approximation method is utilized to formulate the infinite dimensional PDE as a high-order ODE first. To further reduce its dimension, an eigenvalue-based technique is employed to derive a system of low-order ODEs, which is incorporated with unmodeled dynamics described as bounded-input, bounded-output (BIBO) stable. To establish the equivalence with original PDE, the reduced-order ODE system is augmented with nonlinear time-varying uncertainties. On the basis of the reduced-order ODE system, a dynamic state predictor consisting of a linear system plus adaptive estimated parameters is developed. An adaptive law will update uncertainty estimates such that the estimation...
Responding to Terror: An Empirical Analysis of U.S. Military Activity, Public Opinion, and Transnational Terrorism

This article explores the relationship between U.S. military activity and transnational terrorism. We employ a vector autoregressive model to assess the impact and persistence of terrorism on milit...
Matched cohort analysis of peri-operative outcomes following total knee arthroplasty in patients with and without Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Background Increased complication rate has been reported in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, this has not previously been studied on a national scale. The purpose of this study was to determine whether PD patients had increased cost, complication, mortality, and length of stay following TKA using a national database. Methods The HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample was evaluated for the years 2000 to 2012. PD patients were matched 1:10 with non-PD control patients for age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and year of admission utilizing a propensity score matching procedure. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine the relationship between PD and surgical outcomes in the matched cohort. Results Before matching, TKA patients with PD were significantly older (p Conclusions Matched cohort analysis demonstrated statistically significant but clinically minor increases in length and cost of hospitalization for TKA in PD patients. Complication rate and in-hospital mortality rate was not higher in PD patients, suggesting that this group may be safely considered for TKA. Level of evidence Prognostic — Level III.
Ferromagnetism of ZnO and GaN: A Review

The observation of ferromagnetism in magnetic ion doped II–VI diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) and oxides, and later in (Ga,Mn)As materials has inspired a great deal of research interest in a field dubbed “spintronics” of late, which could pave the way to exploit spin in addition to charge in semiconductor devices. The main challenge for practical application of the DMS materials is the attainment of a Curie temperature at or preferably above room temperature to be compatible with junction temperatures. Among the studies of transition-metal doped conventional III–V and II–VI semiconductors, transition-metal-doped ZnO and GaN became the most extensively studied topical materials since the prediction by Dietl et al., based on mean field theory, as promising candidates to realize a diluted magnetic material with Curie temperature above room temperature. The underlying assumptions, however, such as transition metal concentrations in excess of 5% and hole concentrations of about 1020 cm−3, have not gotten as much attention. The particular predictions are predicated on the assumption that hole mediated exchange interaction is responsible for magnetic ordering. Among the additional advantages of ZnO-and GaN-based DMSs are that they can be readily incorporated in the existing semiconductor heterostructure systems, where a number of optical and electronic devices have been realized, thus allowing the exploration of the underlying physics and applications based on previously unavailable combinations of quantum structures and magnetism in semiconductors. This review focuses primarily on the recent progress in the theoretical and experimental studies of ZnO- and GaN-based DMSs. One of the desirable outcomes is to obtain carrier mediated magnetism, so that the magnetic properties can be manipulated by charge control, for example through external electrical voltage. We shall first describe the basic theories forwarded for the mechanisms producing ferromagnetic behavior in DMS materials, and then review the theoretical results dealing with ZnO and GaN. The rest of the review is devoted to the structural, optical, and magnetic properties of ZnO- and GaN-based DMS materials reported in the literature. A critical review of the question concerning the origin of ferromagnetism in diluted magnetic semiconductors is given. In a similar vein, limitations and problems for identifying novel ferromagnetic DMS are briefly discussed, followed by challenges and a few examples of potential devices.
A phylogenetic test of the role of CRISPR-Cas in limiting plasmid acquisition and prophage integration in bacteria

Abstract CRISPR-Cas is a prokaryotic defense system capable of protecting the cell from damaging foreign genetic elements. However, some genetic elements can be beneficial, which suggests the hypothesis that bacteria with CRISPR-Cas incur a cost of reduced intake of mutualistic plasmids and prophage. Here we present the first robust test of this hypothesis that controls for phylogenic and ecological biases in the distribution of CRISPR-Cas. We filtered the available genomic data (~7000 strains from ~2100 species) by first selecting all pairs of conspecific strains, one with and one without CRISPR-Cas (controlling ecological bias), and second by retaining only one such pair per bacterial family (controlling phylogenetic bias), resulting in pairs representing 38 bacterial families. Analysis of these pairs of bacterial strains showed that on average the CRISPR-Cas strain of each pair contained significantly fewer plasmids than its CRISPR-Cas negative partner (0.86 vs. 1.86). It also showed that the CRISPR-Cas positive strains had 31% fewer intact prophage (1.17 vs. 1.75), but the effect was highly variable and not significant. These results support the hypothesis that CRISPR-Cas reduces the rate of plasmid-mediated HGT and, given the abundant evidence of beneficial genes carried by plasmids, provide a clear example of a cost associated with the CRISPR-Cas system.
Augmenting propulsion demands during split-belt walking increases locomotor adaptation in the asymmetric motor system

Abstract Background Promising studies have shown that the mobility of individuals with hemiparesis due to brain lesions, such as stroke, can improve through motor adaptation protocols forcing patients to use their affected limb more. However, little is known about how to facilitate this process. Here we asked if increasing propulsion demands during split-belt walking (i.e., legs moving at different speeds) leads to more motor adaptation and more symmetric gait in survivors of a stroke, as we previously observed in subjects without neurological disorders. Methods We investigated the effect of propulsion forces on locomotor adaptation during and after split-belt walking in the asymmetric motor system post-stroke. To test this, 12 subjects in the chronic phase post-stroke experienced a split-belt protocol in a flat and incline session so as to contrast the effects of two different propulsion demands. Step length asymmetry and propulsion forces were used to compare the motor behavior between the two sessions because these are clinically relevant measures that are altered by split-belt walking. Results The incline session resulted in more symmetric step lengths during late split-belt walking and larger after-effects following split-belt walking. In both testing sessions, subjects who have had a stroke adapted to regain speed and slope-specific leg orientations similarly to young, intact adults. Importantly, leg orientations during baseline walking were predictive of those achieved during split-belt walking, which in turn predicted each individual’s post-adaptation behavior. Conclusion These results indicated that survivors of a stroke can adapt their movements to meet leg-specific kinetic demands. This promising finding suggests that augmenting propulsion demands during split-belt walking could favor symmetric walking in individuals who had a stroke, possibly making split-belt interventions a more effective gait rehabilitation strategy.
U-Net with optimal thresholding for small blob detection in medical images

Biomarkers identified from medical images are valuable for disease diagnosis and staging. Object detection and segmentation are important for improving the accuracy of biomarker identification. It can be challenging to detect objects, especially small objects or “blobs,” from 3D images secondary to low image resolution, noise, and overlap. Traditional small blob filters generate significant false positives as noise components can be misidentified as regions of interest. Recent advancements in U-Net–a deep learning model–have yielded more effective denoising capabilities that make it more suitable for small blob detection. However, unless the intensity threshold is appropriately established, U-Net tends to “under-segment To address under-segmentation, we propose a combination of U-Net paired with optimal threshold detection via Otsu’s thresholding. Two sets of experiments have been performed to compare this approach with both Hessian-based blob detection and U-Net with standard thresholding. The first experiment evaluated 20 simulated 3D images–comprising gloms with a varied size distribution, and noise. The second experiment examined MR images from 11 mouse kidneys with the objective of detecting all glomeruli. Our results support the conclusion that the proposed U-Net with optimal thresholding outperforms the Hessian-based detection and U-Net with standard thresholding approaches.
Utility of satellite-derived burn severity to study short- and long-term effects of wildfire on streamflow at the basin scale

Abstract We investigated the changes in hydrologic response in a forested catchment impacted by wildfire in Colorado U.S.A. from the storm event to the inter-annual scales. We also evaluated the utility of a remotely-sensed burn severity index to study post-fire shifts in streamflow. At the storm-scale, we evaluated hydrologic shifts through changes in the effective runoff (Q*/PTot), peak streamflow (Qpk) and response time (TR/TB) from multiple hydrographs, while at seasonal and inter-annual-scales we quantified hydrologic shifts through the runoff fraction (Q/PTot) and flow duration curves. Vegetation anomalies were monitored through comparisons of the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) between the burned and a hydrologically-similar, forested, neighboring, unburned catchment. We found short-term acute and long-term chronic transient streamflow shifts from the minute to the inter-annual scales. Flow duration curves indicate an order of magnitude increase in maximum flows. Event-average Q*/PTot increased by two orders of magnitude and Qpk increased by one order of magnitude relative to multiple representative pre-fire events of similar precipitation intensities. Decreases in TR/TB appear to be minimal. At the inter-annual scale, increases in the difference between simultaneous unburned and burned NBR are associated with increases in Q/PTot. A hydrologic recovery pathway is evident resembling a hysteresis effect driven by vegetation re-growth. Results illustrate the non-steady physical processes that increase flash-flooding risks post-fire in mountainous catchments and the utility of ΔNBR as a hydrologic predictor in ungauged watersheds.
Pain Medications Before IUD Placement.

Topical lidocaine preparations including gels, creams, and sprays may modestly decrease pain with tenaculum placement but not during IUD insertion.
Meaningful Work and Creativity: Mapping Out a Way Forward

This chapter by Greg Fetzer & Michael Pratt drills down into a recent addition to the componential model—in 2016—Pratt and Teresa wrote an article which infused the componential model with theory around meaningfulness. This chapter expands upon this insight to explore two new lines of inquiry: (1) uncovering conditions that motivate different orientations to be creative; and (2) understanding how creative persistence may unfold in the long term.
Mobile methadone medication units: A brief history, scoping review and research opportunity.

Abstract Background The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) approved the first mobile medication unit (i.e., a van to administer methadone) in 1988 and approved units on an ad hoc basis until issuing a moratorium in 2007 citing concerns about safety and diversion. In February 2020, the DEA released a notice of proposed rulemaking to permit a resumption of mobile medication units. The Biden Administration plans to release the final rule in 2021. Because a preliminary scan suggested limited evidence, a scoping review examined the research related to methadone vans to identify and assess the extent of mobile methadone research and inform the development and implementation of new mobile services. Methods A scoping review, supplemented with key informant interviews, identified and described the most relevant evidence. Ovid MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases were searched from inception to July 2020. Results Informant interviews provided perspective on the need for and the use of mobile medication units, the history of methadone vans, and benefits and problems associated with the units. The scoping review found limited evidence: three cohort analyses (one prospective) and one before and after analysis (four studies) of individuals using mobile medication services. Mobile services were associated with enhanced retention in care (relative to patients in fixed site programs) and mobile units appeared to facilitate access for underserved populations with opioid use disorders. Discussion The key informants addressed the history of methadone vans, the potential use to serve rural communities and correctional facilities and the benefits and problems associated with mobile services. The scoping review found evidence that mobile services increase methadone access among underserved populations and may enhance retention in care. The DEA's proposed regulatory modification creates opportunities to further evaluate the implementation and the effects of mobile medication units.
Rural-urban differences in uptake of diabetes self-management education among Medicare beneficiaries: Results from the 2016 to 2018 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.

Purpose To assess rural-urban differences in participation rates of diabetes self-management education and associated factors among Medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods Data were from the 2016 to 2018 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). Participation in diabetes self-management education was self-reported. The study sample included 3,799 beneficiaries aged 65 years and older with self-reported T2DM. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of participation in diabetes self-management education and residential location. Sampling weights embedded in the MCBS were incorporated into all analyses. Findings Overall, the participation rate of diabetes self-management education was 46.8% (95% CI: 44.4%-49.2%). The rate was 40.3% for beneficiaries in rural areas, 48.0% for suburban areas, and 47.3% for urban areas. About 31% of beneficiaries newly diagnosed with diabetes did not participate within the past year. Controlling for other covariates, beneficiaries in rural areas were less likely to have participated in diabetes self-management education (AOR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.55-0.95) than those living in urban areas. Asian Americans were less likely to have participated (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.28-0.84) than Whites. Those who were older, with lower education, and lower income levels were less likely to have participated (P Conclusions Recent MCBS data indicate that more than half of Medicare beneficiaries with T2DM did not participate in diabetes self-management education, and the participation rate in rural areas was 7 percentage points lower than that ​in urban areas. The study findings highlight challenges to maximize the benefits of participating in diabetes self-management education, particularly in rural areas.
Vasectomy interest and awareness among patients and their partners in prenatal clinics in the United States.

Objective Although vasectomy is safer, more effective and less expensive than tubal ligation, rates of permanent contraception are consistently higher in women than in men. We sought to explore vasectomy interest and awareness in patients and their partners during prenatal visits, a time when contraceptive counselling is typically performed. Methods Anonymous surveys were distributed between January and July 2019 to a cross-sectional, convenience sample of pregnant women and their partners, if available, presenting for outpatient prenatal care at two hospitals (one public, one private) serving different patient populations in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Survey questions gauged participant awareness and interest in vasectomies. Results Surveys were completed by 436 individuals (78% female, 24% male). Seventy percent of respondents indicated interest in vasectomy after achieving optimal family size, but most respondents had never discussed it with their healthcare provider. Factors associated with vasectomy interest included being partnered, having a lower household income, and knowing someone who has had a vasectomy. Almost 50% of respondents would be interested in obtaining information about vasectomies from their obstetrician or prenatal care provider. Conclusions Many patients and their male partners in the prenatal clinic setting were interested in vasectomy as a method for permanent contraception, but most respondents had never received counselling. Since comprehensive prenatal care includes contraceptive planning, obstetric providers are uniquely positioned to educate individuals on vasectomy.
A Mathematical Study of the Effect of Neck Physical Parameters on Injury Susceptibility

Analytical man motion models have been used to study how basic physical measurements may relate to susceptibility to cervical hyperextension-hyperflexion injury in an automobile collison. The parameters considered in the computer study are head-neck mass and moments of inertia, anthropometry, neck muscle strength, and location, as well as strength of motion-limiting "stops." In addition, related environmental parameters such as seat structural properties and crash acceleration pulse have been included. The data used with the computer program span the range of physical and sexual variation in function and structure of the neck in a representative U. S. population and have been obtained in an extensive experimental program. Results are presented which attempt to relate injury susceptibility to physical stature, age and sex.
The Structure of the Golgi Apparatus

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the structure of the Golgi apparatus. The living cellular unit must always contain such a subunit, functioning as an intracellular organ, or organelle, in carrying out certain unique specific functions common to all cells. The threefold characterization of cellular elements–structural, chemical, and physiological is the comprehensive goal of general cytology, as opposed to special cytology, which concerns itself with the features in which specialized cells differ from one another. Three categories of possible organelles had emerged and have continued to receive major attention since then. These are the centrioles, the mitochondria, and the internal reticular apparatus of Golgi. Golgi apparatus, which is the most controversial of all cell structures, is emerging from the clouds and appearing as a unique organelle, clearly recognizable structurally and probably with equally definite unique functions. The lamellar character of the Golgi reticulum is studied with the electron microscope. In several groups of animals—vertebrates, mollusks, crustaceans, insects, nematodes, tunicates, and sponges—, in a variety of cell types, a lamelliform plasma component is found, and it (the Golgi apparatus) does not have, as is widely assumed, exclusively the character of a fibrous structure.
The Degree of Netness: Stocks vs. Flows

The rationale of the flow of funds is to solve for expenditures by solving for the elemental flows which add up to such expenditures.
Effect of Seat Belts Equipped with Pretensioners on Rear Seat Adult Occupants in High-Severity Rear Impact

This paper provides a preliminary investigation of occupant kinematics for rear seat occupants involved in high-severity rear impacts. The effect of seatbelts equipped with or without a pyrotechnic pretensioner on restraining the rear seat adult occupant was evaluated in the paper. Further, the study examined the result of the occupant's seating alignment by comparing a Nominal Seating Position (NSP) to an occupant whose torso would be rotated forward to be placed in a Moderately Displaced Position (MDP) prior to impact. A series of eight sled tests were performed using a deceleration sled subjected to a delta-V of 30 mph. Instrumented HIII 50th and 5th ATDs were positioned in the outboard, rear seating positions. The study found that pretensioners had little effect on the occupant kinematics of rear seat occupants in either the NSP or the MDP. But, there were marked differences in kinematic evaluations between the occupant seating alignment configurations. HIC 15, HIC 36, Ncf, Nte, Ntf, peak chest acceleration, and peak, resultant pelvis acceleration all increased when the occupant's torso was displaced forward prior to the rear impact.
Quantum Channel Capacities

Virtually all of today's information technology is based on the manipulation of classical bits. Quantum systems offer the potential of a much more powerful computing technology, however. In their Perspective, [Bennett and Shor][1] discuss an important aspect of quantum computing--the theoretical capacity of a quantum information channel. Although a number of concepts can be carried over from classical information theory, quantum systems have their own unusual properties. Recently, researchers have been able to show that these unique quantum aspects can provide much higher information flow than previously expected. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/303/5665/1784
Fluidized-Bed Combustion

Coal combustion has been a source of heat for centuries. The early technology (1700s) utilized stationary fuel beds; whereas the next major development, stoker technology, was introduced in the 1800s. By the 1920s pulverized fuel boilers (entrained flow reactors) captured the large scale boiler market due to the increased application of electric power and to stoker capacity limitations. While a fluidized-bed combustion concept was utilized in the later 1920s, coal-fired fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) was not actively developed until the late 1960s and 1970s (Ehrlich, 1975).
An Application of the Disequilibrium Adjustment Framework to Small Area Forecasting and Impact Analysis

Regional disequilibrium adjustment frameworks, pioneered by Carlino and Mills (1987), have been widely employed for a broad range of regional and more disaggregated level research. In particular, the method has been more extensively used, after Boarnet (1994a) extended the original form of the adjustment model by introducing a spatial weight matrix into the equation system in order to explicitly consider the intrinsic spatial interdependence. So far, the applications include a variety of empirical analyses of growth dynamics, ranging from the examinations of the population-employment interaction (see e.g. Carlino and Mills 1987; Boarnet 1994b; Clark and Murphy 1996; Vias 1999) to the studies on spatial linkages (see e.g. Henry et al. 1997, 1999, 2001; Feser and Isserman 2005) and the investigations on development policy issues (see e.g. Bollinger and Ihlanfeldt. 1997; Edmiston 2004; Ke and Feser 2010).
Homogeneous development of electrical excitability via heterogeneous ion channel expression

Synchronous differentiation of delayed-rectifier potassium current regulates electrical excitability and calcium entry in motor, sensory, and interneurons of the developing amphibian spinal cord. Although Kv1 and Kv2 potassium channel transcripts are detectable in these cells, it is not known which transcript contributes to functional expression. Overexpression of a Kv1 dominant-negative subunit indicates that 20% of neurons have only Kv1 potassium currents. In other neurons, non-Kv1 channels function because the dominant-negative subunit either only partially suppresses or has no effect on current. Thus, diverse embryonic neurons coordinate differentiation of excitability yet rely on heterogeneous potassium channel gene expression.
Association between tracheal pepsin, a reliable marker of gastric aspiration, and head of bed elevation among ventilated neonates.

Objectives To determine the frequency of tracheal pepsin in ventilated neonates and whether the angle of head elevation was associated with tracheal pepsin. Study design Serial trachael samples (at 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of ventilation) were obtained from intubated, ventilated very low birth weight infants. Presence of tracheal pepsin was determined by Western blot analysis using a specific anti-human pepsin antibody. Results Tracheal pepsin was detected in 35/66 (53%) of the ventilated neonates (birthweight: 798 ± 268 grams [mean ± standard deviation]). Neonates whose head elevation was in the upper quartile (≥14 degrees) during the first sampling time (day 3) were less likely (4/16 vs 9/10, P = 0.0013) to have tracheal pepsin when compared to neonates whose head elevation was in the lowest quartile (≤8 degrees). Conclusions Pepsin, a marker for gastric secretion aspiration, was detected in 53% of ventilated low birth weight neonates; early elevation of the head of the bed was associated with a lower rate of tracheal pepsin.
Performance Analysis of Auction-Based Distributed Shop-Floor Control Schemes from the Perspective of the Communication System

A growing level of interest in academia and industry centers on the paradigm of distributed shop-floor control in which task and resource allocation in the manufacturing system is accomplished in a distributed manner through message passing and auction-based decision making among autonomous entities. Due to the prominent role played by the communication system in this paradigm, it is important to consider the requirements and performance characteristics of the communication system during the design and evaluation of distributed shop-floor control schemes. In this paper, we propose a two-phase methodology for analyzing auction-based shop-floor control schemes from the perspective of the communication system. In the first phase, the control scheme is modeled as a closed queueing network and performance measures related to the auctioning process and the communication system are obtained rapidly using asymptotic bounding analysis and mean value analysis. Control schemes identified as attractive in the first phase are then evaluated in greater detail during the second phase, using a discrete event simulation model. We illustrate this methodology using two-class and four-class control schemes and discuss insights learned about the impact of various control-scheme-related factors on the performance of the auctioning process and the communication system.
An Early Framework for Determining Artistic Influence

Considering the huge amount of art pieces that exist, there is valuable information to be discovered. Focusing on paintings as one kind of artistic creature that is printed on a surface, artists can determine its genre and the time period that paintings can belong to. In this work we are proposing the interesting problem of automatic influence determination between painters which has not been explored well. We answer the question "Who influenced this artist?" by looking at his masterpieces and comparing them to others. We pose this interesting question as a knowledge discovery problem. We presented a novel dataset of paintings for the interdisciplinary field of computer science and art and showed interesting results for the task of influence finding.
Equine Infectious Anemia in 2014: Live with It or Eradicate It?

In the absence of an effective vaccine, the success of the test and removal approach for the control of equine infectious anemia (EIA) cannot be overstated, at least in those areas where testing has been traditionally routine. This article addresses 4 main aspects: what has been learned about EIA virus, host control of its replication, and inapparent carriers; international status regarding the control of EIA; diagnostic and laboratory investigation; and reducing the spread of blood-borne infections by veterinarians. An attempt is made to put these issues into practical contemporary perspectives for the equine practitioner.
Complementation of deletion mutants in the genes encoding the F1-ATPase by expression of the corresponding bovine subunits in yeast S. cerevisiae.

The F1F0 ATP synthase is composed of the F1-ATPase which is bound to F0, in the inner membrane of the mitochondrion. Assembly and function of the enzyme is a complicated task requiring the interactions of many proteins for the folding, import, assembly, and function of the enzyme. The F1-ATPase is a multimeric enzyme composed of five subunits in the stoichiometry of α3β3γδe. This study demonstrates that four of the five bovine subunits of the F1-ATPase can be imported and function in an otherwise yeast enzyme effectively complementing mutations in the genes encoding the corresponding yeast ATPase subunits. In order to demonstrate this, the coding regions of each of the five genes were separately deleted in yeast providing five null mutant strains. All of the strains displayed negative or a slow growth phenotype on medium containing glycerol as the carbon source and strains with a null mutation in the gene encoding the γ-, δ- or e-gene became completely, or at a high frequency, cytoplasmically petite. The subunits of bovine F1 were expressed individually in the yeast strains with the corresponding null mutations and targeted to the mitochondrion using a yeast mitochondrial leader peptide. Expression of the bovine α-, β-, γ-, and e-, but not the δ-, subunit complemented the corresponding null mutations in yeast correcting the corresponding negative phenotypes. These results indicate that yeast is able to import, assemble subunits of bovine F1-ATPase in mitochondria and form a functional chimeric yeast/bovine enzyme complex.
Development of the oocyte and its accessory cells of the polychaete,Diopatra cuprea (Bosc)

The oocyte-nurse cell complex of the polychaetous annelid, Diopatra cuprea, has been explored by various methods of light microscopy and by the technique of electron microscopy. Early in its development the complex appears as a string of cells floating within the coelomic cavity. As this string of cells develops, the volume of one cell (approximately the middle one) increases greatly; while that of the remaining cells, referred to as nurse cells, increase slightly. Due to this differential growth, the two opposing strands of nurse cells are displaced to one side of the oocyte. Nurse cells are joined to one another by cytoplasmic bridges. Cytoplasmic bridges also exist between the strands of nurse cells and the oocyte. The presence of numerous ribosomes within the bridges between the oocyte and nurse cells encourages us to suggest that this organelle may be transferred to the oocyte via this route. The transported ribosomes may be used by the maturing oocyte, or they may be stored by the egg to be utilized during embryogenesis. Moreover, we believe that the nurse cells are not involved in the production of the protein-carbohydrate yolk bodies for we think that these are elaborated by the endoplasmic reticulum in collaboration with certain Golgi complexes of the oocyte.
Eating attitudes and behaviors of anorexia nervosa patients and their sisters

Abstract Although the sisters of anorexia nervosa patients may have an increased risk for this disorder, there are no controlled studies of the eating patterns and attitudes of the normal sisters of anorexic patients. Twenty-one sister pairs (anorexics and their normal sisters) were interviewed and given the Eating Attitude Test (EAT) to compare their eating attitudes and behaviors. The mean scores on the EAT and its three subscales (measuring "Dieting," "Bulimia and Food Preoccupation," and "Oral Control") were significantly correlated with criterion group membership ( p
Moving beyond the Baldrige: A Call for a Systems Award for Quality Improvement

The Baldrige Award championed organizational improvement and became its symbol. But that award process is limited in a variety of ways, and the author says it's time for a possible new award that goes the next step—honoring systemic quality improvement. © 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A research education program model to prepare a highly qualified workforce in biomedical and health-related research and increase diversity.

The National Institutes of Health has recognized a compelling need to train highly qualified individuals and promote diversity in the biomedical/clinical sciences research workforce. In response, we have developed a research-training program known as REPID (Research Education Program to Increase Diversity among Health Researchers) to prepare students/learners to pursue research careers in these fields and address the lack of diversity and health disparities. By inclusion of students/learners from minority and diverse backgrounds, the REPID program aims to provide a research training and enrichment experience through team mentoring to inspire students/learners to pursue research careers in biomedical and health-related fields. Students/learners are recruited from the University campus from a diverse population of undergraduates, graduates, health professionals, and lifelong learners. Our recruits first enroll into an innovative on-line introductory course in Basics and Methods in Biomedical Research that uses a laboratory Tool-Kit (a lab in a box called the My Dr. ET Lab Tool-Kit) to receive the standard basics of research education, e.g., research skills, and lab techniques. The students/learners will also learn about the responsible conduct of research, research concept/design, data recording/analysis, and scientific writing/presentation. The course is followed by a 12-week hands-on research experience during the summer. The students/learners also attend workshops and seminars/conferences. The students/learners receive scholarship to cover stipends, research related expenses, and to attend a scientific conference. The scholarship allows the students/learners to gain knowledge and seize opportunities in biomedical and health-related careers. This is an ongoing program, and during the first three years of the program, fifty-one (51) students/learners have been recruited. Thirty-six (36) have completed their research training, and eighty percent (80%) of them have continued their research experiences beyond the program. The combination of carefully providing standard basics of research education and mentorship has been successful and instrumental for training these students/learners and their success in finding biomedical/health-related jobs and/or pursuing graduate/medical studies. All experiences have been positive and highly promoted. This approach has the potential to train a highly qualified workforce, change lives, enhance biomedical research, and by extension, improve national health-care.
Basal lamina formation at the site of spinal cord transection

The pia-glial basal lamina (BL) at the site of spinal cord injury could be an important physical impediment to central nervous system regeneration. We used an epithelial BL-specific immunohistochemical stain to determine the location of the pia-glial BL after spinal cord transection. Small segments of BL were found at the margin of the lesion 5 days after transection. After 10 days, longer and more numerous segments were seen. At 20 days, the entire transected end of the spinal cord was capped by a layer of BL.
Multiplying the Effect of Professional Development: Teachers Training Teachers.

This article describes the effects of participation and collaboration in an in-service professional development project for secondary content area teachers referred to as turnaround training. The participating teachers were experienced, skilled practitioners in their content areas (math, science, social studies, or English language arts) who were challenged with meeting the needs of students who were learning English as well as course content. The goal of the professional development project was to improve student performance by enhancing the skills of the secondary teachers. The authors found that the training project enhanced the technical skills of participants for working with English language learners. Furthermore, these newly minted English as a second language (ESL) “experts” negotiated their professional identities as they translated what they learned about multicultural competence, second language acquisition, and teaching ESL into turnaround training sessions for their colleagues.
In vivo recording of the ocular circadian rhythm inAplysia

A circadian rhythm in optic nerve impulse frequency was recorded in vivo from unrestrained Aplysia. The mean free-running period (23.9 h) and phase angle for entrainment to light cycles are comparable to values estimated from isolated eyes. The circadian waveform of eyes recorded in vivo is irregular and thus similar to eyes recorded in vitro with the cerebral ganglion attached. However, optic nerve activity recorded in vivo differs from in vitro records in that efferent modulation of afferent impulse patterning is intermittent and is usually associated with the initiation of head or body movements.
Extended exergy concept to facilitate designing and optimization of frequency-dependent direct energy conversion systems

Providing the radiation within the acceptable (responsive) frequency range(s) is a common method to increase the efficiency of the frequency-dependent energy conversion systems, such as photovoltaic and nano-scale rectenna. Appropriately designed auxiliary items such as spectrally selective thermal emitters, optical filters, and lenses are used for this purpose. However any energy conversion method that utilizes auxiliary components to increase the efficiency of a system has to justify the potential cost incurred by those auxiliary components through the economic gain emerging from the increased system efficiency. Therefore much effort should be devoted to design innovative systems, effectively integrating the auxiliary items and to optimize the system with economic considerations. Exergy is the widely used method to design and optimize conventional energy conversion systems. Although the exergy concept is used to analyze photovoltaic systems, it has not been used effectively to design and optimize such systems. In this manuscript, we present a modified exergy method in order to effectively design and economically optimize frequency-dependent energy conversion systems. Also, we illustrate the utility of this concept using examples of thermophotovoltaic, Photovoltaic/Thermal and concentrated solar photovoltaic.
Unfolding of the trp repressor from Escherichia coli monitored by fluorescence, circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance

The denaturation of the trp repressor from Escherichia coli has been studied by fluorescence, circular dichroism and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The dependences of the fluorescence emission of the two tryptophan residues on the concentration of urea are not identical. The dependence of the quenching of tryptophan fluorescence by iodide as a function of urea concentration also rules out a two-state transition. The circular dichroism at 222 nm decreases in two phases as urea is added. Normalised curves for different residues observed by 1H NMR also do not coincide, and require the presence of at least one stable intermediate. Analysis of the dependence of the denaturation curves on the concentration of protein indicate that the first transition is a partial unfolding of the dimeric repressor, resulting in a loss of about 25% of the helical content The second transition is the dissociation and unfolding of the partially unfolded dimer. At high concentrations of protein (500 μM) about 73% of the repressor exists as the intermediate in 4 M urea. The apparent dissociation constant is about 10−4 M; the subunits are probably strongly stabilised by the subunit interaction. The native repressor is stable up to at least 70°C, whereas the intermediate formed at 4 M urea can be denatured reversibly by heating (melting temperature ∼60°C, ΔH∼ 230 kJ/mol).
Isoelectric Focusing of β-Lactamases from Sputum and Middle Ear Isolates of Branhamella catarrhalis Recovered in the United States

Branhamella catarrhalis obtained from the sputum of 146 patients with lower respiratory tract disease and from middle ear fluids of 26 children with otitis media were evaluated for β-lactamase activity and the enzymes were characterised by isoelectric focusing (IEF). 71% (103 of 146) of the sputum isolates and 77% (20 of 26) of the ear isolates produced β-lactamase. By IEF, the β-lactamases of 113 of 123 (92%) strains revealed patterns identical with the Ravasio type strain, having unique enzyme bands at pIs of 6.4 and 6.65. The remaining 10 isolates (8%) produced patterns similar to the 1908 type strain with a unique band of activity having a pI of 6.55. In addition, the 1908 types revealed a band of minor enzyme activity with a pI of 7.55 that was absent from the Ravasio types. All strains tested shared major enzyme bands with pIs of 5.1, 5.3, 5.55 and 6.1. These results indicate that the most common β-lactamase(s) produced by clinical isolates of B. catarrhalis in the United States are similar to those produced by the Belgian Ravasio type strain.
Carcinoma associated with mucosal ulcerative colitis, and with transmural colitis and enteritis (Crohn's disease)

Among 1,500 patients with inflammatory disease of the colon and small intestine at the Cleveland Clinic in the past 15 years, 40 have been found to have carcinoma of the colon or small intestine. All records have been reviewed with regard to histologic classification of disease, and clinical correlation. Of these, 37 had carcinoma of the colon accompanying mucosal ulcerative colitis, one had carcinoma and transmural colitis, and two with long-standing transmural (regional) enteritis had carcinoma of the ileum. The factors associated with the development of cancer in ulcerative colitis are: 1. Presence of mucosal disease—very rare in transmural disease; 2. Duration of colitis—average 18 years in this study; 3. Activity of disease—all but one had active, chronic symptoms, and 4. Extent of disease—all but one had total colonic involvement. It is concluded that the mucosal type of ulcerative colitis should be considered potentially malignant.
Role of the Retinal Hydrogen Bond Network in Rhodopsin Schiff Base Stability and Hydrolysis

Little is known about the molecular mechanism of Schiff base hydrolysis in rhodopsin. We report here our investigation into this process focusing on the role of amino acids involved in a hydrogen bond network around the retinal Schiff base. We find conservative mutations in this network (T94I, E113Q, S186A, E181Q, Y192F, and Y268F) increase the activation energy (E(a)) and abolish the concave Arrhenius plot normally seen for Schiff base hydrolysis in dark state rhodopsin. Interestingly, two mutants (T94I and E113Q) show dramatically faster rates of Schiff base hydrolysis in dark state rhodopsin, yet slower hydrolysis rates in the active MII form. We find deuterium affects the hydrolysis process in wild-type rhodopsin, exhibiting a specific isotope effect of approximately 2.5, and proton inventory studies indicate that multiple proton transfer events occur during the process of Schiff base hydrolysis for both dark state and MII forms. Taken together, our study demonstrates the importance of the retinal hydrogen bond network both in maintaining Schiff base integrity in dark state rhodopsin, as well as in catalyzing the hydrolysis and release of retinal from the MII form. Finally, we note that the dramatic alteration of Schiff base stability caused by mutation T94I may play a causative role in congenital night blindness as has been suggested by the Oprian and Garriga laboratories.
A mass-conservative procedure for time-stepping in models of unsaturated flow

In numerical models of moisture in the unsaturated zone, it is frequently desirable to choose the matric (or pressure) head, rather than the moisture content, as the dependent variable. Two important advantages of this choice are that it facilitates modeling of soil systems that are locally saturated and that it provides a state variable that is always continuous in space, regardless of soil inhomogeneities.