cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circadian variation in platelet function in healthy volunteers.

Circadian variation in hemostatic factors may contribute to a higher frequency of cardiac events observed in the morning and with activity. Diurnal changes in these factors were investigated by measuring in vitro platelet aggregability in response to epinephrine and adenosine diphosphate together with beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4 as indexes of in vivo platelet activation. Activation of coagulation was measured by thrombin-antithrombin III complexes and D-Dimers. Tests were performed in 9 normal healthy subjects. Circadian changes occurred in beta-thromboglobulin (p less than 0.05) and platelet factor 4 (p less than 0.06). Plasma levels of beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4 were lowest with patients supine and resting at 7 and 8 A.M., and increased with activity, with peak levels achieved at 3 P.M. (p less than 0.01). Thrombin-antithrombin III complexes (p = 0.44), D-Dimer (p = 0.36) and in vitro platelet aggregability to adenosine diphosphate (p = 0.20) did not show diurnal variation. There was a trend toward circadian variation in vitro platelet aggregability to epinephrine, but these changes did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.16). Circadian changes of in vivo release of beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4 correlated to patient activity and not to the morning peaks in ischemic events. These data indicate that changes in platelet function and not in coagulation have a diurnal occurrence.
A study of the heat capacity of starch/water mixtures

The heat capacity of starch/water mixtures was investigated as a function of temperature and composition by differential scanning calorimetry. For amorphous amylopectin/water mixtures, the polysaccharide made the major contribution to the observed heat capacity increment at the glass-transition temperature of the mixture. In the glass, the apparent partial specific heat capacity of the water was comparable to that of liquid water. The heat capacity increment observed on gelatinisation of maize and potato starches was compared to that observed on melting and dissolution of highly crystalline A and B polymorphs of short-chain amylose. The role of melting and glass transitions in starch gelatinisation is discussed.
Eating Hawai'i: local foods and place-making in Hawai'i Regional Cuisine

In this paper, we look at what it means to ‘eat Hawai'i’ and examine how Hawai'i Regional Cuisine (HRC) imagines, produces, and consumes place through particular constructions of local foods. The term ‘local’ attaches to foods as a marker of numerous positive attributes such as seasonal, sustainable, and community-based. Drawing upon ongoing ethnographic research on Hawai'i Island, we examine spatial and discursive constructions of local and how this particular cuisine places itself in local food networks while simultaneously using place to localize itself within the Island's food networks. Using a case study approach to carefully contextualize localness, we show how Merriman's Restaurant and HRC complicate notions of alternative and local food systems in its discursive and material production and reproduction of Local food and locally grown food.
Comparison of procedures for measurement of IgE protein in serum and secretions

Because of conflicting reports in the literature concerning the value of various procedures for measurement of IgE in serum and secretions, we compared four different methods, the radioimmunosorbent test (RIST), the double-antibody radioimmunoassay (RIA), the paper disc immunosorbent test (PRIST), and radial immunodiffusion (RID). The standards used in the assays were tested initially in the double-antibody RIA with the use of the reference from the World Health Organization. The results showed that RID as expected was relatively insensitive and IgE was reliably measured only above approximately 1,000 international units (IU). Moreover, certain sera containing low levels of IgE by the other procedures gave distinct precipitin zones and presumably falsely high levels of IgE protein. Thus RID may yield apparently erroneous results when used as a screening procedure for measurement of IgE levels. Among the other procedures PRIST and the double-antibody RIA showed the best agreement. With serum samples RIST yielded values for IgE in the low level range higher than those given by the PRIST and double-antibody RIA. With breast milk and colostrum, values of IgE between 120 and 690 ng/ml were found by RIST, whereas IgE was not detected by double-antibody RIA and PRIST. No evidence of an inhibitor of IgE was found in breast milk, so that the apparent elevation of IgE in breast milk by the RIST is likely false. These findings confirm prior reports of spurious elevations of IgE with the RIST and indicate the usefulness of the PRIST and double-antibody RIA for the measurement of IgE in sera and secretions.
Spectrum efficiency of cognitive relay transmissions with cooperative diversity in cognitive radio networks

Cognitive radio is a promising technology that enables unlicensed users to communicate with each other over a licensed band (through spectrum holes). Typically, each cognitive transmission process consists of two required phases, i.e., the spectrum sensing and the data transmission phases. To improve the overall system performance of cognitive transmissions, we propose a cognitive relay scheme where a cognitive relay is used for both the spectrum sensing and the data transmission phases. By jointly considering the two phases, we derive an exact closed-form expression of the spectrum efficiency for the proposed scheme, which is to quantify the percentage of spectrum holes utilized by cognitive users for their successful data transmissions. Numerical results show that a significant performance improvement is obtained in terms of the spectrum efficiency by using the proposed cognitive relay transmission scheme. In addition, it is shown that a maximum spectrum efficiency can be achieved through a tradeoff in determining the time durations for the spectrum sensing and data transmission phases.
Nanotechnology for electronics & photonics

In the area of electronics, continued evolution of nano-electronics beyond the scaling limits of Moore’s law for Si-CMOS technology is an urgent quest that requires broad thinking across multiple disciplines. Issues of quantum fluctuations and energy dissipation are among some of the major challenges. There is consensus that new developments of nano-electronics must ensure compatibility with Si-CMOS technology because it is unlikely to find one alternative system that can completely replace all aspects of Si-CMOS technology.
Constant mean curvature hypersurfaces in $${{\mathbb S}^{n+1}}$$ by gluing spherical building blocks

The techniques developed by Butscher (Gluing constructions amongst constant mean curvature hypersurfaces of \({{\mathbb S}^{n+1}}\)) for constructing constant mean curvature (CMC) hypersurfaces in \({{\mathbb S}^{n+1}}\) by gluing together spherical building blocks are generalized to handle less symmetric initial configurations. The outcome is that the approximately CMC hypersurface obtained by gluing the initial configuration together can be perturbed into an exactly CMC hypersurface only when certain global geometric conditions are met. These balancing conditions are analogous to those that must be satisfied in the “classical” context of gluing constructions of CMC hypersurfaces in Euclidean space, although they are more restrictive in the \({{\mathbb S}^{n+1}}\) case. An example of an initial configuration is given which demonstrates this fact; and another example of an initial configuration is given which possesses no symmetries at all.
F-theory on K3 × K3 and instantons on 7-branes

Abstract We discuss N = 2 supersymmetric compactifications to four dimensions from the point of view of F-theory and heterotic theory. In a relatively simple setup, we illustrate the spectral theory for vector bundles on K3 × T2 and discuss the heterotic-F-theory map. The moduli space of instantons on the 7-brane wrapped around K3 is discussed from the point of view of the Higgs mechanism in the effective four-dimensional N = 2 theory. This allows us to elaborate on the transitions between various branches of the moduli space of the heterotic-F-theory. We also describe the F-theory compactification on smooth K3 × K3 without the 3-branes in which the anomaly is canceled by the gauge fields.
Cellular atrophy for realistic neural nets

The study of memory loss has been going on for a long time. Memories systematically distort and modify with time. Many biological organs go through a continuum of cellular atrophy and regeneration. In this continuum, many of the processing elements will eventually atrophy, reducing the total number of processing elements, thus increasing the system's efficiency. In this paper, we briefly describe memory loss in biological systems and how to present this concept in realistic neural nets, for instance, geometric pattern recognition.
Fast computation of discrete cosine transform through fast Hartley transform

A relationship between the discrete cosine transform (DCT) and the discrete Hartley transform (DHT) is derived. It leads to a new fast and numerically stable algorithm for the DCT.
Novel role for the orphan nuclear receptor Dax1 in embryogenesis, different from steroidogenesis.

Abstract Cytomegalic adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC) is an X-linked disease caused by mutations in DAX1-encoding gene NR0B1 , previously thought to function primarily in steroidogenesis. We sought to determine the expression pattern for Dax1 along with known network partners in early embryogenesis and to determine a steroidogenic capacity for the embryo prior to the establishment of the urogenital ridge at embryonic day 9 (E9). Here, we report that murine Dax1 is a unique marker in early embryonic development, distinguishing the extraembryonic (proximal) endoderm from the remainder of the developing embryo. We showed that Wilms tumor 1, steroidogenic factor 1, and estrogen receptor β were expressed throughout the embryo, but the progesterone, estrogen α and androgen receptors, cytochrome P450 (Cyp11a1) and Nur77 were not observed in any of the embryonic layers. Lack of Cyp11A1 expression at this stage confirmed an absence of inherent steroidogenic capacity for the early embryo. The role of Nr0b1 in embryonic stem (ES) cells was investigated using siRNA knockdown, resulting in differentiation toward endoderm-like fate. Nr0b1 conditional knockout in ES cells led to differentiation, confirming our knockdown results. Our investigations suggest that Nr0b1 functions in a novel role in the maintenance of a relatively undifferentiated state. Our results further suggest that the failure of conventional murine Nr0b1 knockout attempts may be due to disregulated differentiation.
Wind over Sand: The Diplomacy of Franklin Roosevelt

A critique of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal foreign policy, this book reveals a diplomatic record characterized by inconsistency and ignorance of world affairs. The author shows that the skills of the President at home failed him in the international sphere.
Conflict with Supreme Court Precedent and the Granting of Plenary Review

This paper presents preliminary findings from a study designed to fill a gap in political scientists' knowledge about the extent to which the Supreme Court grants or denies plenary review when conflict with one or more of its precedents is claimed. The findings are that the presence of conflict promoted the granting of review between 1961 and 1976, including the Warren Court terms (1961-68), even in the face of controls for litigant status, civil liberty issues, and constitutional issues, but that it was a poorer predictor during the Burger Court terms (1969-76).
Activation of the proto-oncogene p60c-src by point mutations in the SH2 domain.

Abstract To investigate the importance of a conserved region spanning residues 137 to 241 in the noncatalytic domain of p60c-src (SH2 region), we used oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis to change residues that are highly conserved in this region. Chicken embryo fibroblasts infected with a p60c-src variant containing arginine instead of tryptophan at residue 148 (W148R) appeared more rounded than cells overexpressing a normal c-src gene, and they formed colonies in soft agar. p60c-src variants containing serine instead of arginine at residue 155 (R155S) or isoleucine instead of glycine at residue 170 (G170I) also appeared transformed and were anchorage independent, but to a lesser extent than W148R. Mutation of residue 201 from histidine to leucine (H201L) had no observable effect. The in vitro kinase activity of cells infected with W148R or G170I was elevated twofold. Expression of p60W148R (or, to a lesser extent, of p60G170I) increased the number of proteins phosphorylated on tyrosine in infected cells. All of the mutants were phosphorylated in vivo on Tyr-527, instead of Tyr-416 as observed for p60v-src. Immunoprecipitated p60W148R and p60G170I were found to be associated with a phosphatidylinositol kinase activity, a factor which appears to be necessary for transformation by tyrosine-specific protein kinases. These results show that a single point mutation in the SH2 region of the cellular src gene can activate its transforming potential. This type of activation is in a new category of alterations at the amino terminus that activate but do not cause a shift in phosphorylation at the carboxy terminus.
Speciation genetics of biological invasions with hybridization

The negative effects of human-induced habitat disturbance and modification on multiple dimensions of biological diversity are well chronicled (Turner 1996; Harding et al. 1998; Lawton et al. 1998; Sakai et al. 2001). Among the more insidious consequences is secondary contact between formerly allopatric taxa (Anderson & Hubricht 1938; Perry et al. 2002; Seehausen 2006). How the secondary contact will play out is unpredictable (Ellstrand et al. 2010), but if the taxa are not fully reproductively isolated, hybridization is likely, and if the resulting progeny are fertile, the eventual outcome is often devastating from a conservation perspective (Rhymer & Simberloff 1996; Wolf et al. 2001; McDonald et al. 2008). In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Steeves et al. (2010) present an analysis of hybridization between two avian species, one of which is critically endangered and the other of which is invasive. Their discovery that the endangered species has not yet been hybridized to extinction is promising and not what one would necessarily expect from theory.
The nature of speech production impairments in anterior aphasics: An acoustic analysis of voicing in fricative consonants

This study investigated the acoustic characteristics of voicing in English fricative consonants produced by anterior aphasics and the effects of phonetic context on these characteristics. Three patients produced voiced and voiceless fricative-vowel syllables in isolation, following a voiced velar stop, and following a voiceless velar stop. Acoustic analyses were conducted of the amplitude and patterning of glottal excitation, as well as fricative noise duration. Results showed that, although the patients are able to coordinate the articulatory gestures for voicing in fricative consonants, they demonstrated abnormal patterns of glottal excitation in the amplitude measures, owing to weaker amplitudes of glottal excitation in voiced fricatives. Context effects failed to emerge because of dysfluent speech. These results suggest that the locus of the speech production deficit of anterior aphasics is not at the higher stages of phoneme selection or planning but rather in articulatory implementation, one related to laryngeal control.
Recognition and prevention of nosocomial pneumonia in the intensive care unit and infection control in mechanical ventilation

Nosocomial pneumonia (NP) is a difficult diagnosis to establish in the critically ill patient due to the presence of underlying cardiopulmonary disorders (e.g., pulmonary contusion, acute respiratory distress syndrome, atelectasis) and the nonspecific radiographic and clinical signs associated with this infection. Additionally, the classification of NP in the intensive care unit setting has become increasingly complex, as the types of patients who develop NP become more diverse. The occurrence of NP is especially problematic as it is associated with a greater risk of hospital mortality, longer lengths of stay on mechanical ventilation and in the intensive care unit, a greater need for tracheostomy, and significantly increased medical care costs. The adverse effects of NP on healthcare outcomes has increased pressure on clinicians and healthcare systems to prevent this infection, as well as other nosocomial infections that complicate the hospital course of patients with respiratory failure. This manuscript will provide a brief overview of the current approaches for the diagnosis of NP and focus on strategies for prevention. Finally, we will provide some guidance on how standardized or protocolized care of mechanically ventilated patients can reduce the occurrence of and morbidity associated with complications like NP.
How wide is the spectrum of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the urinary bladder

Better characterization of the clinical outcome and response to therapy of extrapulmonary neuroendocrine (NE) carcinomas is an ongoing effort. However, this endeavor is belabored with notable challenges: (1) These carcinomas are rare. With the exception of the histologically distinctive and clinically indolent carcinoid (also termed well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma by some investigators), NE carcinomas typically represent far fewer than 1% of carcinomas of solid organs. Consequently, most single centers have difficulty assembling a large series in a sufficiently short time so that a clinical outcome analysis is meaningful.1,2 (2) These carcinomas are not as well defined histologically as one might assume. The histologic definition is a bit fuzzy and, accordingly, subject to observer variability. The following questions can be raised when this issue is considered: • Are tumor architecture (an organoid growth pattern) and cytologic appearance (a finely clumped pattern of chromatin and inconspicuous nucleoli) of sufficient sensitivity and specificity to unequivocally identify a small cell NE carcinoma that will express NE tissue biomarkers—chromogranin and/or synaptophysin— if immunostained? • Or, should we demand immunohistochemical verification of an NE phenotype before accepting a tumor as an NE carcinoma? • And how should we classify carcinomas that are not pure NE carcinomas but that have an NE component and a component with a phenotype common to the organ of origin, eg, urothelial carcinoma with NE differentiation? • Furthermore, should we accept as NE carcinomas tumors that are composed of cells that have the histologic and cytologic appearance of undifferentiated non–small cell carcinomas but that express chromogranin and/or synaptophysin, such as large cell NE carcinomas of the lung?3 In this issue of the Journal, Alijo Serrano et al4 motivate us to raise these questions in their report of a small series of NE carcinomas of the urinary bladder. Their article confirms already published data that small cell NE carcinomas of the urinary bladder are often of high stage at initial diagnosis, tend to have a more rapidly progressive course than do “conventional” urothelial carcinomas, and express the NE markers chromogranin and synaptophysin, in addition to other markers expressed by NE carcinomas and non-NE carcinomas, such as thyroid transcription factor (TTF)-1 and CD57. In exploring the questions raised by this article, we limit our focus to the topic of the study by Alijo Serrano et al4—NE carcinomas of the urinary bladder. Let us now address the issues we raised.
Laser Assisted Deposition of Carbon Nitride Coatings

We have investigated the growth of carbon nitride (CNx) coatings on various substrates using laser assisted methods such as pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD). It has been shown that the both techniques produce good quality thin films of CNx. In PLD, a laser beam (λ= 248 nm) has been used to ablate the pyrolytic graphite target in nitrogen atmosphere, where as CO2 laser was used to irradiate carbon-nitrogen containing mixtures such as C2H2/N20/NH3 in LCVD method. A comparative analysis will be presented in terms of structural properties of CNx films prepared by both techniques.
A Most Specific Method Finding Algorithm for Reflection Based Dynamic Prolog-to-Java Interfaces

In the context of direct and reflection based extension mechanisms for the Jinni 2000 Java based Prolog system, we discuss the design and the implementation of a reflection based Prolog to Java interface. While the presence of dynamic type information on both the Prolog and the Java sides allows us to automate data conversion between method parameters, the presence of subtyping and method overloading makes finding the most specific method corresponding to a Prolog call pattern fairly difficult. We describe a run-time algorithm which closely mimics Java's own compile-time method dispatching mechanism and provides accurate handling of overloaded methods beyond the reflection package's limitations. As an application of our interfacing technique, a complete GUI library is built in Prolog using only 10 lines of application specific Java code.
A novel minimized dead-end elimination criterion and its application to protein redesign in a hybrid scoring and search algorithm for computing partition functions over molecular ensembles

Novel molecular function can be achieved by redesigning an enzyme's active site so that it will perform its chemical reaction on a novel substrate. One of the main challenges for protein redesign is the efficient evaluation of a combinatorial number of candidate structures. The modeling of protein flexibility, typically by using a rotamer library of commonly-observed low-energy side-chain conformations, further increases the complexity of the redesign problem. A dominant algorithm for protein redesign is Dead-End Elimination (DEE), which prunes the majority of candidate conformations by eliminating rigid rotamers that provably are not part of the Global Minimum Energy Conformation (GMEC). The identified GMEC consists of rigid rotamers that have not been energy-minimized and is referred to as the rigid-GMEC. As a post-processing step, the conformations that survive DEE may be energy-minimized. When energy minimization is performed after pruning with DEE, the combined protein design process becomes heuristic, and is no longer provably accurate: That is, the rigid-GMEC and the conformation with the lowest energy among all energy-minimized conformations (the minimized-GMEC, or minGMEC) are likely to be different. While the traditional DEE algorithm succeeds in not pruning rotamers that are part of the rigid-GMEC, it makes no guarantees regarding the identification of the minGMEC. In this paper we derive a novel, provable, and efficient DEE-like algorithm, called minimized-DEE (MinDEE), that guarantees that rotamers belonging to the minGMEC will not be pruned, while still pruning a combinatorial number of conformations. We show that MinDEE is useful not only in identifying the minGMEC, but also as a filter in an ensemble-based scoring and search algorithm for protein redesign that exploits energy-minimized conformations. We compare our results both to our previous computational predictions of protein designs and to biological activity assays of predicted protein mutants. Our provable and efficient minimized-DEE algorithm is applicable in protein redesign, protein-ligand binding prediction, and computer-aided drug design.
Anomalies of deconvolution via discrete Fourier transform: a case study on assessing transport at live cell preparations

Deconvolution is one of the most frequently used mathematical operations in the evaluation of data in many branches of science and engineering. Analytical chemistry is no exception: deconvolution is part of routine methodologies in major instrumental techniques such as many modalities of spectroscopy and chromatography. The need for proper deconvolution, however, is often overlooked in the emerging field of bio-analytical chemistry as applied to live tissue in vivo, or cells in vitro. It is in this context that some of the major problems inherent to deconvolution, and to one of its most commonly used methodologies, deconvolution via discrete Fourier transform (DFT), are explored in this work. To illustrate the nature and severity of the difficulties involved and the resulting errors and potential for misinterpretation, the problem of assessing cellular processes with different microsensors is chosen as an example here. In particular, cancer multidrug resistance (MDR) modulated doxorubicin (DOX) efflux from drug sensitive cells derived from Chinese hamster ovary cancer, and their MDR subline, are discussed. DOX concentration monitored with a carbon fiber microelectrode at close proximity to a monolayer of these cells can be perceived as the result of convolution of cellular efflux with extracellular diffusion. Deconvolution via DFT to reconstruct the efflux process, however, leads to patterns that are very far from realistic. The observations and conclusions made using this example are relevant to other areas of analytical chemistry, and science and engineering in general that use deconvolution methods in processing experimental results of many types.
Feature Selection for Inductive Generalization

Judging similarities among objects, events, and experiences is one of the most basic cognitive abilities, allowing us to make predictions and generalizations. The main assumption in similarity judgment is that people selectively attend to salient features of stimuli and judge their similarities on the basis of the common and distinct features of the stimuli. However, it is unclear how people select features from stimuli and how they weigh features. Here, we present a computational method that helps address these questions. Our procedure combines image-processing techniques with a machine-learning algorithm and assesses feature weights that can account for both similarity and categorization judgment data. Our analysis suggests that a small number of local features are particularly important to explain our behavioral data.
Restoration of PTEN activity decreases metastases in an orthotopic model of colon cancer.

Abstract Background Mutational loss of tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) is associated with malignant progression in many cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). PTEN is involved in negatively regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT oncogenic signaling pathway and has been implicated in the metastatic colonization process. Few in vivo models are available to study CRC metastasis. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of restoring PTEN activity on metastases in an orthotopic murine model. Methods Green fluorescent protein labeled TENN, a highly metastatic human colon cancer cell line with mutational loss of PTEN gene and TENN clones (with restoration of PTEN gene) tumors were orthotopically implanted onto the colons of BALB/c nude mice and allowed to develop primary and metastatic tumors. Seven weeks post-implantation, mice were euthanized and organs extracted for examination. Results Both TENN and TENN clone cell lines demonstrated 100% primary invasion. However, compared with the parental TENN cells, which demonstrated 62% metastases to both lungs and liver, TENN clone cells showed an approximately 50% reduction in metastasis, with only 31.6% liver metastasis and no metastasis to the lungs ( P = 0.02). Conclusions Our study shows that reactivation of PTEN tumor suppressor pathway leads to a 50% reduction in CRC metastasis without affecting primary tumor formation. Importantly, PTEN restoration also changed the organotropic homing from liver and lung metastasis to liver metastasis only. This in vivo study demonstrates that PTEN might act specifically as a metastasis suppressor and, thus, efforts to target the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/PTEN pathway are legitimate.
A NEW SPECIES OF JOFFRICHTHYS (TELEOSTEI: OSTEOGLOSSIDAE) FROM THE SENTINEL BUTTE FORMATION, (PALEOCENE) OF NORTH DAKOTA, USA

ABSTRACT Joffrichthys triangulpterus, sp. nov. is a new species of the family Osteoglossidae, and is described based on two nearly complete, and two partial, articulated specimens from the Sentinel Butte Formation in the Fort Union Group (Paleocene) of central North Dakota, USA. The familial placement is based on three diagnostic characters: uroneurals absent; six hypurals; and a kidney shaped opercle. The generic placement into Joffrichthys is based on two diagnostic characters and eight similar morphologies and meristics shared between the new species and previously described J. symmetropterus: two complete or partial neural spines present on preural 2; one spine or no spines present on ural 1; similar shapes of the maxillary, dentary, preopercle, opercle, and frontal; a similar body silhouette; and a similar vertebral and supraneural count. The specimens are identified as a new species by nine diagnostic characteristics distinguishing it from J. symmetroptems, the most closely related taxon: more poste...
The Path from Yoga Therapy in a Medical School to a School of Yoga Therapy in an Integrative Medicine Department

We describe how yoga therapy was established within a medical school. Additionally, this paper outlines the development of a yoga therapy position as well as the implementation of a school of yoga therapy in a university-based teaching hospital.
Behavior and modeling of two-dimensional precedence effect in head-unrestrained cats

The precedence effect (PE) is an auditory illusion that occurs when listeners localize nearly coincident and similar sounds from different spatial locations, such as a direct sound and its echo. It has mostly been studied in humans and animals with immobile heads in the horizontal plane; speaker pairs were often symmetrically located in the frontal hemifield. The present study examined the PE in head-unrestrained cats for a variety of paired-sound conditions along the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal axes. Cats were trained with operant conditioning to direct their gaze to the perceived sound location. Stereotypical PE-like behaviors were observed for speaker pairs placed in azimuth or diagonally in the frontal hemifield as the interstimulus delay was varied. For speaker pairs in the median sagittal plane, no clear PE-like behavior occurred. Interestingly, when speakers were placed diagonally in front of the cat, certain PE-like behavior emerged along the vertical dimension. However, PE-like behavior was not observed when both speakers were located in the left hemifield. A Hodgkin-Huxley model was used to simulate responses of neurons in the medial superior olive (MSO) to sound pairs in azimuth. The novel simulation incorporated a low-threshold potassium current and frequency mismatches to generate internal delays. The model exhibited distinct PE-like behavior, such as summing localization and localization dominance. The simulation indicated that certain encoding of the PE could have occurred before information reaches the inferior colliculus, and MSO neurons with binaural inputs having mismatched characteristic frequencies may play an important role.
El ojo de la patria de Osvaldo Soriano: ¿El milagro (argentino) o la industria (multinacional)?

Partiendo de la publicacion de El hombre artificial de Horacio Quiroga en 191 O, tomando en cuenta el cuento de Borges Las ruinas circulares (1940) y dedicandose al analisis de El ojo de la patria de Osvaldo Soriano (1992), este ensayo elabora el tema de la concepcion y animacion del ser humano fuera del utero materno. Mientras que las cuestiones morales y filosoficas, igual que las inseguridades ontologicas relacionadas con la produccion de una subjetividad nueva al principio y la primera mitad del siglo, tenian que ver con una fe ilimitada en la tecnologia y con el deseo de identificar el poder central del universo, el cierre del siglo, y a la vez del milenio, esta representado en la vision de Soriano de un universo no solo sin Dios (derrumbado en el siglo anterior), sino tambien marcado por la falta de esencia y memoria. La idea del poder hegemonico y central parece fuera de la condicion posmoderna, y lo que nos agobia a finales de siglo parece ser la perdida del Otro (amado u odiado) y el descubrimiento de que somos el Otro, y que, siendo asi, no podemos luchar contra el Otro porque nos destruiriamos a nosotros mismos. ?Como se experimenta la sensibilidad de este siglo que llamamos nuestro desde la perspectiva de Buenos Aires? ?Como se metamorfoseo y enmascaro el deseo eterno de procrear fuera de los medios biologicos disponibles, fuera de la copula heterosexual? Los textos de Quiroga y Borges ofrecen una posible trayectoria de las subjetividades nacionales que, al final del siglo, Soriano capto entre las portadas de El ojo de la patria. Starting with the publication of M. Quiroga 's "El hombre artificial", in 1910, while also considering Borges' story "Las ruinas circulares" ( 1940 ), and concentrating on the analysis of O. Soriano's "El ojo de la patria" (1992) this essay explores the theme of the conception and animation of the human being outside the maternal uterus. While moral philosophical questions, as well as ontological insecurities characteristic of the first half of the past century, were related to an unlimited faith in technology, and with the desire to identify the central power of the universe, the closing of the century, and perhaps of the millenium, finds representation in Soriano as a universe not only without a god (brought down in the preceding century) but marked also by a lack of essence and memory. The idea of a central hegemonic power seems to be alien to the postmodern temper, and what overwhelms us at the end of the century is the loss of the Other (beloved or hated), and the discovery that we are the Other, and this being so, we cannot fight against the Other, because it would mean our own annihilation. How is the sensibility of our century experienced from the perspective of Buenos Aires? How was the eternal procreative urge metamorphosed and masked outside the available biological means, outside the heterosexual coupling? Both texts by Quiroga and Borges ofter a possible trajectory of national subjectivity, which Soriano accounts for in his book.
Impact of risk-reducing oophorectomy on quality of life in women at risk for ovarian cancer

1520 Background: Factors associated with quality of life (QOL) changes after risk-reducing salpingo-oopherectomy (RRSO) have not been clearly defined. We report the results of a prospective QOL stu...
March to the beat of adaptive immunity

Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) early in life are more likely to develop subsequent allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis as they age, a progression termed the atopic march. Loss-of-function mutations in the human filaggrin gene are a major genetic predisposing factor for AD
Perfluorooctanoic acid exposure and natural menopause: A longitudinal study in a community cohort.

Abstract Introduction Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a suspected endocrine disruptor, is a bio-persistent chemical found at low levels in the serum of nearly all U.S. residents. Early menopause has been positively associated with serum PFOA in prior cross-sectional studies. Methods We conducted a longitudinal analysis of age at menopause among women, aged ≥40 years, ( N =8759) in a Mid-Ohio Valley community cohort, exposed to high PFOA levels via contaminated drinking water. Using estimated retrospective year-specific serum PFOA concentrations (1951–2011), we examined the associations between PFOA, as cumulative exposure or year-specific serum estimates, and natural menopause using a Cox proportional hazards models. As participants were initially recruited in 2005–2006, we also analyzed the cohort prospectively (i.e., from the time of enrollment), using both modeled cumulative PFOA, and PFOA serum levels measured in 2005-2006. Women with hysterectomy (a competing risk) were either censored or excluded from the analysis. Results Neither in the retrospective nor the prospective cohort did we find a significant (at α =0.05) trend between PFOA exposure and natural menopause. The non-significant, hazard ratios by quintile of increasing cumulative serum PFOA were 1.00 (referent), 1.00, 1.09, 1.05 and 1.06 (trend test for log cumulative exposure: p =0.37) with hysterectomies censored, and 1.00 (referent), 1.06, 1.13, 1.09 and 1.11 (trend test for log cumulative exposure: p =0.85) with hysterectomies excluded. Year-specific serum estimates were also not associated with early menopause. Conclusion Our data suggest that earlier age at menopause is not associated with PFOA exposure.
Effect of SO2 on CO2 Capture Using Liquid-like Nanoparticle Organic Hybrid Materials

Liquid-like nanoparticle organic hybrid materials (NOHMs), consisting of silica nanoparticles with a grafted polymeric canopy, were synthesized. Previous work on NOHMs has revealed that CO2 capture behaviors in these hybrid materials can be tuned by modifying the structure of the polymeric canopy. Because SO2, which is another acidic gas found in flue gas, would also interact with NOHMs, this study was designed to investigate its effect on CO2 capture in NOHMs. In particular, CO2 capture capacities as well as swelling and CO2 packing behaviors of NOHMs were analyzed using thermogravimetric analyses and Raman and attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies before and after exposure of NOHMs to SO2. It was found that the SO2 absorption in NOHMs was only prominent at high SO2 levels (i.e., 3010 ppm; Ptot = 0.4 MPa) far exceeding the typical SO2 concentration in flue gas. As expected, the competitive absorption between SO2 and CO2 for the same absorption sites (i.e., et...
An Analytical Study of Skull Deformation During Head Impacts

Spherical shells have been employed to model impacts to human heads; however, an ellipsoidal shell is that is more realistic model of the head has not fully investigated. In this paper, impact of an elastic ellipsoidal shell with an elastic flat half space is analytically analyzed and a closed-form solution is derived which led to a complex differential equation. Due to the complexity of the impact equation it could not be solved by standard solutions. Therefore, the Newtonian method and a linearization scheme are employed to simplify this equation in order to obtain the response of the impact problem and the closed-form solution. The analytical solutions are validated by finite element method. Good agreement between the closed form solution and the FE results is observed. To show the difference, the ellipsoidal solutions are also compared to the spherical solutions. To the best of our knowledge, this method and its closed-form solution have not been addressed in the literature. It is concluded that the closed-form solution is trustworthy and can be used to investigate the impact of the skull (as an elastic ellipsoidal shell) with a rigid or elastic plate, including the skull deformation and parametric studies. This solution could be expanded to include the brain materials inside the ellipsoidal shell.© 2013 ASME
Management Assessment System of "Excellent Performance" of Sports Venues in Universities

With the main goal to improve management level of sports venues in colleges and universities,this paper adopts the methods of literature review,interview,questionnaire and factor analysis to research the management assessment system on " excellent performance" of sports venues in colleges and universities in China. Based on the analysis of the data of twenty-nine samples from six universities,the paper concludes that in the " excellent performance" management quality system should be constructed based on the philosophy of " customer satisfaction" with the process and results being equally emphasized. The excellent performance index evaluation system contains seven level-1 indexes including leadership,strategic plan,focus on students,measurement analysis and improvement,resources,process management,performance management,and nineteen level-2 indexes as well as sixty-one level-3 indexes.
Physical activity: a synopsis and comment on “community-wide interventions for increasing physical activity”

In this synopsis, we summarize and comment on Baker and colleagues’ Cochrane review of studies on the population-level impact of community-wide physical activity (PA) interventions. Insufficient PA remains a major public health problem. Community-wide interventions offer an opportunity to extend reach by increasing the proportion of the population experiencing the intervention. A previous Cochrane review of community-wide PA interventions concluded that evidence for effectiveness was mixed. Hence, Baker and colleagues incorporated new data about community-based PA interventions. This Cochrane review concluded there is an overall lack of evidence that community-wide interventions improve PA outcomes at the population level. Recommendations are that future research should use high quality research design, more explicitly test ways to increase reach, and utilize objective measurements of PA to increase validity. We suggest that future research should first optimize the intervention by systematically evaluating treatment components and selecting a maximally efficient and effective treatment package.
Is newly-secreted elastin cleaved to a smaller molecule before being incorporated into crosslinked elastin fibers?

The biosynthesis of elastin was examined in matrix-free cells isolated by enzymic digestion of aortas from 17 day old chick embryos. When the cells were incubated with (14C) proline and then were rapidly boiled in buffer containing high concentrations of protease inhibitors and sodium dodecyl sulfate, about one-quarter of the intra-cellular 14C-protein was recovered as an elastin component with an apparent molecular weight of about 72,000. Examination of the medium from the cell suspension indicated that the largest elastin component secreted by the cells also had an apparent molecular weight of about 72,000.
Memory and Oblivion in Contemporary American Art: The Lesson of Artforum

In the 1980s, historiographers and philosophers had a great deal to say about postmodernism, and the claim that there recently had been a break with historical tradition. Within the American artworld, since the 1970s the single most influential journal has been Artforum. One good way of defining American critics’ conceptions of this issue, then, is to look at the changing ways that this journal has defined its role. In the 1970s, Artforum very often presented full discussions of early modernism; and when it introduced younger artists, it frequently looked for precedents for their concerns. In the 1990s, Artforum has given to cultural studies the role that once it gave to early modernist art. There is much less concern with arts’ connection to the past; and much more interest in a social role of novel work. In an obvious way, the claim that contemporary art breaks with tradition thus becomes less a fact about this art, than a choice about how it is presented. How should we understand the meaning of this change, and what lessons might we draw about its effect on art? I offer a tentative answer to this question.
1 REGULATION OF LKB1-DEPENDENT ADENOSINE MONOPHOSPHATE-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE BY PROTEIN KINASE C-z R.

We previously reported the PI-3 kinase-dependent activation of the 59-AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) by peroxynitrite (ONOO2) and hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) in cultured endothelial cells. Here we show the molecular mechanism of activation of this pathway involves atypical protein kinase C (PKC)-z, a known downstream enzyme of PI-3 kinase, which leads to AMPK activation via LKB1. Exposure of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) to ONOO2 significantly increased the phosphorylation of both Thr172 of AMPK and the Ser1179 of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), a known downstream enzyme of AMPK. In addition, activation of AMPK by ONOO2 was accompanied by increased phosphorylation of PKC-z (Thr410/403) and translocation of cytosolic PKC-z into the membrane. Further, inhibition of PKC-z with either pharmacological (PKC-z pseuosubstrates, PKC-z-PS) or genetic inhibitors (PKC-z dominant negative mutants, PKC-z-DN) abrogated ONOO2 -induced AMPK-Thr172 phosphorylation as that of eNOS. Furthermore, overexpression of a constitutively active PKC-z mutant (PKC-z-CA) enhanced the phosphorylation of AMPK-Thr172, suggesting that PKC-z is upstream of AMPK activation. In contrast, ONOO2 activated PKC-z in LKB1-deficient Hela-S3 but affected neither AMPK-Thr172 nor AMPK activity. These data suggest that LKB1 is required for PKC-z-enhanced AMPK activation. In vitro, recombinant PKC-z phosphorylated both LKB1 at Ser428, resulting in phosphorylation of AMPK at Thr172. In several cell types originating from human, rat, and mouse, inhibition of PKC-z significantly attenuated the phosphorylation of both LKB1-Ser428 and AMPK-Thr172 that were enhanced by ONOO2. Taken together, we conclude that PKC-z can regulate AMPK activity by increasing the Ser428 phosphorylation of LKB1, resulting in association of LKB1 with AMPK and consequent AMPK Thr172 phosphorylation by LKB1.
High-quality-factor cup resonator for plasmonic sensor and plasmon laser

We demonstrate a plasmonic cup resonator exhibiting an ultrahigh-quality-factor fabricated using the template-stripping method. The structure has enabled an optical refractive-index sensor with a record high figure-of-merit and a plasmon laser with record narrow linewidth.
Could the peristaltic transition zone be caused by non-uniform esophageal muscle fiber architecture? A simulation study.

Background Based on a fully coupled computational model of esophageal transport, we analyzed how varied esophageal muscle fiber architecture and/or dual contraction waves (CWs) affect bolus transport. Specifically, we studied the luminal pressure profile in those cases to better understand possible origins of the peristaltic transition zone. Methods Two groups of studies were conducted using a computational model. The first studied esophageal transport with circumferential-longitudinal fiber architecture, helical fiber architecture and various combinations of the two. In the second group, cases with dual CWs and varied muscle fiber architecture were simulated. Overall transport characteristics were examined and the space-time profiles of luminal pressure were plotted and compared. Key results Helical muscle fiber architecture featured reduced circumferential wall stress, greater esophageal distensibility, and greater axial shortening. Non-uniform fiber architecture featured a peristaltic pressure trough between two high-pressure segments. The distal pressure segment showed greater amplitude than the proximal segment, consistent with experimental data. Dual CWs also featured a pressure trough between two high-pressure segments. However, the minimum pressure in the region of overlap was much lower, and the amplitudes of the two high-pressure segments were similar. Conclusions & inferences The efficacy of esophageal transport is greatly affected by muscle fiber architecture. The peristaltic transition zone may be attributable to non-uniform architecture of muscle fibers along the length of the esophagus and/or dual CWs. The difference in amplitude between the proximal and distal pressure segments may be attributable to non-uniform muscle fiber architecture.