cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geochemical imprint of depositional conditions on organic matter in laminated-Bioturbated interbeds from fine-grained marine sequences

Laminated organic-rich shales are interbedded at a scale of centimeters to a few meters with bioturbated organic-poor mudstones or limestones in some fine-grained marine sequences. We have analyzed the organic matter in pairs of laminated/bioturbated interbeds from Cretaceous and Devonian rocks deposited in epicontinental and oceanic settings for the purpose of studying the influence of depositional and early diagenetic environment on the organic geochemical properties of marine shales. Results of these analyses indicate that for rocks that are still in a diagenetic stage of thermal alteration, the relative abundance of biomarker compounds and specific biomarker indices can be useful indicators of depositional and early diagenetic conditions. Pristane/phytane ratios are generally highest for laminated rocks from epicontinental basins and appear to reflect the input of isoprenoid precursors more than oxygenated versus anoxic depositional conditions. The thermally immature laminated rocks are characterized by relatively high contents of 17β(H), 21β(H)-hopanes, hopenes, sterenes and diasterenes, and by strong predominance of the 22R over 22S homohopane isomers. Thermally immature bioturbated samples are characterized by absence of the β,β-hopanes, by low contents of both saturated and unsaturated polycyclic hydrocarbons, and by slight or no predominance of the 22R over 22S homohopane isomers. There are less obvious compositional differences between the saturated hydrocarbons in the laminated and bioturbated units from the thermally mature sequences. For both the thermally mature and immature laminated samples, the degree of isomerization at the 22C position for hopanes and at the 20C position for steranes is generally consistent with the degree of thermal maturity interpreted from other properties of the organic matter. The bioturbated samples, however, exhibit inconsistent and anomalously high degrees of isomerization for the homohopanes, resulting either from reworking and oxidation of the primary organic matter or from the presence of older recycled organic matter.
Calcium-regulated phosphorylation of proteins in the membrane-matrix compartment of the Chlamydomonas flagellum

Abstract Crosslinking of surface-exposed domains on certain Chlamydomonas flagellar membrane glycoproteins induces their movement within the plane of the flagellar membrane. Previous work has shown that these membrane glycoprotein movements are dependent on a critical concentration of free calcium in the medium and are inhibited reversibly by calcium channel blockers and the protein kinase inhibitors H-7, H-8, and staurosporine. These observations suggest that the flagellum may use a signaling pathway that involves calcium-activated protein phosphorylation to initiate flagellar membrane glycoprotein movements. In order to pursue this hypothesis, we examined the calcium dependence of phosphorylation of flagellar membrane-matrix proteins using an in vitro system containing [γ- 32 P]ATP or [ 35 S]ATPγS. Using only endogenous enzymes and endogenous substrates found in the membrane-matrix fraction obtained by extraction of flagella with 0.05% Nonidet P-40, we observed both calcium-independent protein phosphorylation and calcium-dependent protein phosphorylation in addition to an active protein dephosphorylation activity. Addition of micromolar free calcium increased the amount of protein phosphorylation severalfold. Calcium-activated protein kinase activity was inhibited by H-7, H-8, and staurosporine, the same protein kinase inhibitors that inhibit the calcium-dependent glycoprotein redistribution in vivo . A small group of polypeptides in the 26–58 kDa range exhibited a dramatic increase in phosphorylation in the presence of 20 μ M free calcium. We suggest that Chlamydomonas utilizes the intraflagellar free calcium concentration to regulate the phosphorylation of specific flagellar proteins in the membrane-matrix fraction, one or more of which may be involved in regulating the machinery responsible for flagellar membrane glycoprotein redistribution.
An fMRI study of executive functioning after severe diffuse TBI.

Primary objective: Preliminary study of whether severe diffuse traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases extent of frontal tissue recruited by cognitive control tasks. Research design: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on N-back working memory (WM) and arrows inhibition tasks in a 46 year old man who had severe diffuse TBI 1 year earlier, a 44 year old man (inhibition task) and three women (working memory task), age 20-26 years. Images were acquired by 1.5 T magnet with BOLD method and PRESTO pulse sequence and analysed using SPM. Main outcomes and results: Frontal activation increased under 2-back relative to 1-back condition of working memory in all participants with more extensive activation in the TBI patient relative to controls. Frontal activation increased with inhibition on the arrows task, but was greater in the TBI patient. Conclusion: Severe diffuse TBI results in recruitment of additional neural resources for cognitive control.
Use of Solid Phase Extraction in the Biochemistry Laboratory to Separate Different Lipids.

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used to demonstrate how various lipids and lipid classes could be separated in a biochemistry laboratory setting. Three different SPE methods were chosen on their ability to separate a lipid mixture, consisting of a combination of a either a fatty acid, a triacylglycerol, a mono- or diacylglycerol, phospholipid, cholesterol, or cholesteryl ester into distinct lipid fractions. These mini-scale SPE methods used aminopropyl-bonded silica columns or silica Sep-Pak cartridges suitable for completion in a 2- to 3-h time block. Thin-layer chromatography of the isolated lipid fractions was used to show separation characteristics and to evaluate the utility and reproducibility of each SPE method.
Improving the use of mixing factors for dilution ventilation design.

In specifying dilution ventilation flow rate, a safety factor, K, is often used to provide a margin of safety and to compensate for uncertainties and health impact severity. In current practice, the selection of K is very subjective. Here the component of K accounting for imperfect mixing, K m , was studied to develop more effective and efficient design procedures. Air flow and contaminant distribution in a 10 m 2 3 m 2 7 m room with a single contaminant source on a 1-m high table were simulated for steady, isothermal conditions using computational fluid dynamics. A series of 10 simulations explored factorial combinations of air exchange rates (1, 2, 4, 8, 16 ACH) and inlet types (a high wall jet and a ceiling diffuser). Nine additional simulations explored exhaust opening location effects and 13 other simulations investigated source location effects. K m was calculated at each of 25,600 grid locations within the room by linear regression of emission rate/flow rate (G/Q) on concentration (C). The linear r...
The (log g, Log T eff -DIAGRAM, a Fundamental Hr-Diagram

Spectroscopic and photometric parallaxes are based on the assumption that to each point in the relevant region of (g, T eff, a)-space there corresponds a unique mass. The implications of a breakdown in this assumption are discussed briefly and an alternative approach to problems that traditionally have required spectroscopic or photometric parallaxes is presented. This alternative approach involves the use of the (log g, log T eff)-diagram as an HR-diagram.
Symptomatic Tumors Affecting the Urinary Tract in Children With Neurofibromatosis

AbstractPurpose: We determined the need for urological screening in children with neurofibromatosis.Materials and Methods: Of 96 children with neurofibromatosis treated at our institution 6 (6.2 percent) had a symptomatic tumor that affected the urinary tract.Results: There were 5 plexiform neurofibromas and 1 prostatic rhabdomvosarcoma. Five children had a palpable abdominal mass and 3 required urinary diversion.Conclusions: Since most morbidity resulted because tumors were advanced by the time symptoms developed, we suggest that children with neurofibromatosis be screened annually with medical history, physical examination, urinalysis and serum chemistry studies for tumors that affect the urinary tract.
Do cardiomyocytes mount an immune response to Group A Streptococcus

Some patients with Group A Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (StrepTSS) develop a unique form of cardiomyopathy characterized by global hypokinesia and reduced cardiac index. Here we investigated the immune responses of cardiomyocytes to Group A Streptococcus both in vivo and in vitro. Our data demonstrate that cardiomyocyte-derived cytokines are produced following both direct GAS stimulation and after exposure to GAS-activated inflammatory cells. These locally produced, cardiomyocyte-derived cytokines may mediate cardiac contractile dysfunction observed in patients with StrepTSS-associated cardiomyopathy and may hold the key to our ability to attenuate this severe complication.
The Dialect Basis of Choral Lyric and the History of Poetic Languages in Archaic Greece

According to a widely accepted view, the dialect used in Archaic Greek choral lyric is predominantly Doric and is strictly correlated with this genre. This article reconsiders the linguistic data as well as earlier attempts to dispute this scholarly consensus (which included interventions by Antoine Meillet, Carlo Pavese, and Natan Grinbaum), and puts forward an alternative theory of the nature and the origins of the distinctive idiom used in choral lyric. It argues that choral lyric preserves an ancient poetic language which predates the Homeric epic and in most likelihood arose in the (Proto-)Aeolic realm. This account, on the one hand, makes it possible to correlate the history of cult-embedded lyric with the history of narrative epic, which is generally held to include an Aeolic phase. On the other hand, it explains the progressive Ionization of the language of choral lyric by the rise of the Ionic poetic language during the 6th-5th c. BCE.
Expression of the human inhibin α-subunit gene in preovulatory granulosa-theca cells

Inhibin, a gonadal peptide that suppresses pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone, with lesser or no effect on luteinizing hormone, has recently been purified and the complementary deoxyribonucleic acid sequences cloned. Inhibin contains two subunits, labeled a-subunit and (3-subunit. Here we report for the first time the detection of human inhibin a-subunit gene expression in preovulatory granulosa-theca cells by Northern analysis. The transcript is the same size as previously reported for human placenta and corpus luteum, suggesting that the same gene is being expressed in all three tissues. These findings are consistent with previously reported Southern analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid, which showed only one copy of the a-inhibin gene in the human genome. Thus current data strongly suggest that there is only one copy of the inhibin a-subunit gene in the human genome, and this same gene is expressed in granulosa-theca cells, corpus luteum, and placenta. (AM J OBSTET GYNECOL 1990;162:273-7.)
The effect of salinity on respiration, excretion, regeneration and production in Ophiophragmus filograneus (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)

Abstract Ophiophragmus filograneus is a unique echinoderm as it occurs in estuaries at reduced salinities and not in the open sea. The question is whether this distribution is because it is adapted to reduced salinities or whether some other factor is responsible. If it is adapted, it should function better at reduced salinities. To ascertain if this is true, O. filograneus were collected from Tampa Bay at 22‰ salinity and respiration, excretion, regeneration and production measured at 16‰, 22‰ and 30‰ salinity. Individuals in 16‰ salinity respired at a lower rate, excreted at a higher rate, and regenerated less than those in 22‰ or 30‰ salinity. O. filograneus was stressed in 16‰ salinity as production (increase in organic material) was less than in 22‰ and 30‰. Because O. filograneus functions better at higher salinities, its restriction to estuaries is probably due to other factors such as food resources, sediment type, competition and/or predation.
The group 12 metal chalcogenides: an accurate multireference configuration interaction and coupled cluster study

The near-equilibrium potential energy functions of the lowest two electronic states (1Σ+, 3Π) of the group 12 chalcogenides, i.e. {Zn, Cd, Hg} + {O, S, Se, Te, Po}, have been calculated from large-scale multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) and coupled cluster calculations. Use of a sequence of correlation consistent basis sets with accurate relativistic pseudopotentials allowed for the extrapolation of the potential functions to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. Inclusion of spin–orbit coupling yields an avoided crossing between the Ω = 0+ components of the 1Σ+ and 3Π states, which in some cases strongly affects the ground state spectroscopic constants. In almost all cases the calculated ground electronic state corresponds to , except for CdPo, HgSe, HgTe, and HgPo, where the 3Π2 state is calculated to be lowest. Spectroscopic constants and dissociation energies are determined for all states both before and after the inclusion of spin–orbit coupling. Accurate equilibrium dipole moments (witho...
Desalting in Saudi Arabia—demand, production, management, associated power generation and future plans

Abstract Patterns of water demand and consumption in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are analyzed to extrapolate the extent of actual future desalination activities. Methods sought for supplementing the present water supply by means other than desalination are reviewed. Current production of desalted water and future plans are given. Expansion in the construction of desalination plants is intended to increase the installed capacity by more than a hundred fold within the next decade. The largest plant is 757 thousand m3/d (200 mgd)/2000 MWe dual-purpose plant, which will be installed on the East Coast. Electric power generation activities associated with water desalting are also considered to examine the role of dual-purpose plants. Patterns of power demand, production and consumption are discussed. The present management procedure of major desalting plants is presented and analyzed. Finally, long-term plans are examined in relation to the present economic and social structure.
Functional role of astrocyte glutamate receptors and carbon monoxide in cerebral vasodilation response to glutamate.

In newborn pigs, vasodilation of pial arterioles in response to glutamate is mediated via carbon monoxide (CO), a gaseous messenger endogenously produced from heme degradation by a heme oxygenase (...
Mechanisms of salt-sensitive hypertension: role of inducible nitric oxide synthase

The goal of this study was to determine the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the arterial pressure, renal hemodynamic, renal excretory, and hormonal changes that occur in Dahl/Rapp...
On the Lagrangian biduality of sparsity minimization problems

We present a novel primal-dual analysis on a class of NP-hard sparsity minimization problems to provide new interpretations for their well known convex relaxations. We show that the Lagrangian bidual (i.e., the Lagrangian dual of the Lagrangian dual) of the sparsity minimization problems can be used to derive interesting convex relaxations: the bidual of the l 0 -minimization problem is l 1 -minimization; and the bidual of l 0,1 -minimization for enforcing group sparsity on structured data is l 1,∞ -minimization problem. Intuitions from the bidual-based relaxation are used to introduce a new family of relaxations for the group sparsity minimization problem.
Progesterone via Its Receptor Antagonizes the Pro-Inflammatory Activity of Estrogen in the Mouse Uterus

Populations of macrophages and neutrophils in the uterus are under the control of the female sex steroids estrogen and progesterone (P4). Their influx is induced by estrogen, while P4 can both stimulate and inhibit leukocyte influx depending on the timing of P4 with respect to estrogen. Regulation of leukocytes has been implicated in changes in uterine immune responses during the estrous cycle, pregnancy, and implantation. This work demonstrates that P4 given concurrently with estrogen to ovariectomized mice for 4 days antagonizes the ability of estrogen to recruit macrophages and neutrophils into the mouse uterus. Using progesterone receptor knockout (PRKO) mice, we show that this effect is dependent on progesterone receptors (PR). In the absence of PR, neutrophils recruited by estrogen were found to be degranulated, partially explaining the edema that is observed with long-term treatment of PRKO mice with estrogen and P4. Populations of B lymphocyte cells were shown to be unchanged by estrogen and P4 treatment in both wild-type and PRKO mice. The neutrophil chemotactic chemokine MIP-2 was examined for down-regulation by P4 but was found to be unaffected by hormonal treatment. Together, these observations demonstrate that PR has a strong anti-inflammatory role in the mouse uterus when estrogen and P4 are present together.
Inverse temperature transition of elastin like motifs in major ampullate dragline silk: MD simulations of short peptides and NMR studies of water dynamics.

Using deuterium 2D T1 − T2 Inverse Laplace Transform (ILT) NMR, we have investigated the distribution, population, and dynamics of waters of hydration in major ampullate N. clavipes and A. aurantia silk as a function of temperature. In both samples studied, correlation times much larger than that of free water are measured, and in some cases, appear to increase with increasing temperature over the range of 5 to 60 °C (corresponding to reduced tumbling). In addition, the experimental data point to a reduction in the population of water localized in the silk with increasing temperature in the range of 20 to 50 °C. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to probe the thermal characteristics of a variety of repeating motifs found in the two silk samples. The repeating motifs GLGSQ, GAAAAAAG, GPGGY, GPGQQ, GPSG, and GPSGPGS found in N. clavipes, GLGSQ, GYGSG, GPGSG, and GPGSQ found in A. aurantia silk were found to exhibit a thermal property observed in short elastin peptides known as the “inverse temperature transition”. This is a well known characteristic exhibited by short peptides consisting of (VPGXG)n motifs (where X is any amino acid other than proline) found in elastin – a protein responsible for the elasticity of vertebrate tissues. In qualitative agreement with experimental measurements of water in the silks, all the peptides studied in simulation show evidence of an increase in sidechain contacts and peptide hydrogen bonds, concomitant with a decrease in radius of gyration and localized water as the temperature is raised from approximately 5 to 60 °C.
Relational division: four algorithms and their performance

Three known algorithms for relational division, the algebra operator used to express universal quantification (for-all conditions) and an algorithm called hash-division are outlined. By comparing the algorithms analytically and experimentally, it is shown that the algorithm provides performance competitive with or superior to that of techniques used to date, namely techniques using sorting or aggregate functions. Furthermore, the algorithm can eliminate duplicates in the divisor on the fly, ignores duplicates in the dividend, and allows two kinds of partitioning, either of which can be used to resolve hash table overflow or to efficiently implement the algorithm on a multiprocessor system. >
Parathyroid Imaging: The Importance of Pinhole Collimation with Both Single- and Dual-Tracer Acquisition

Our objective was to rigorously compare pinhole and parallel-hole collimation in an intrapatient, intrastudy design in 2 parathyroid imaging protocols: the first was dual-phase 99m Tc-sestamibi imaging, and the second was dual-phase 99mTc-sestamibi plus dual-tracer ( 99m Tc-sestamibi and 123 I) simultaneous-acquisition subtraction imaging. Methods: Thirty-three patients with 37 surgically proven nonectopic parathyroid adenomas were evaluated. Anterior pinhole and parallel-hole images of the neck were available for 99m Tc-sestamibi at 15 min and 3 h, and for simultaneously acquired 99m Tc-sestamibi and 123 I subtraction at 15 min, all from a single study. The images were modified so that all had a square border and so that the thyroid filled approximately three quarters of the image. The images were evaluated by 2 experienced nuclear medicine physicians who did not know the surgical results or whether the images were acquired with pinhole or parallel-hole collimation. The observers indicated the location of any identified adenoma and graded the certainty of diagnosis on a 3-point scale. Results: The localization success rate for the 2 observers combined for the single-tracer dualphase images was 66.2% with pinhole collimation and 43.2% with parallel-hole collimation (P , 0.0001). The localization success rate with the addition of the dual-tracer simultaneousacquisition subtraction image was 83.8% with pinhole collimation and 62.2% with parallel-hole collimation (P 5 0.0018). In addition, the degree of certainty of localization was greater with pinhole collimation with both imaging protocols (P , 0.001 in both cases). Conclusion: In the anterior projection, pinhole collimation is superior to parallel-hole collimation for parathyroid imaging with either dual-phase 99m Tc-sestamibi or dual-phase 99mTc-sestamibi plus dual-tracer (99mTc-sestamibi and 123I)
Prospective clinical trial of bladder filling and three-dimensional dosimetry in high-dose-rate vaginal cuff brachytherapy.

Purpose To investigate the effect of bladder filling on dosimetry and to determine the best bladder dosimetric parameter for vaginal cuff brachytherapy. Methods and Materials In this prospective clinical trial, a total of 20 women underwent vaginal cylinder high-dose-rate brachytherapy. The bladder was full for Fraction 2 and empty for Fraction 3. Dose–volume histogram and dose–surface histogram values were generated for the bladder, rectum, and urethra. The midline maximal bladder point (MBP) and the midline maximal rectal point were recorded. Paired t tests, Pearson correlations, and regression analyses were performed. Results The volume and surface area of the irradiated bladder were significantly smaller when the bladder was empty than when full. Of the several dose–volume histogram and dose–surface histogram parameters evaluated, the bladder maximal dose received by 2 cm3 of tissue, volume of bladder receiving ≥50% of the dose, volume of bladder receiving ≥70% of the dose, and surface area of bladder receiving ≥50% of the dose significantly predicted for the difference between the empty vs. full filling state. The volume of bladder receiving ≥70% of the dose and the maximal dose received by 2 cm3 of tissue correlated significantly with the MBP. Bladder filling did not alter the volume or surface area of the rectum irradiated. However, an empty bladder did result in the nearest point of bowel being significantly closer to the vaginal cylinder than when the bladder was full. Conclusions Patients undergoing vaginal cuff brachytherapy treated with an empty bladder have a lower bladder dose than those treated with a full bladder. The MBP correlated well with the volumetric assessments of bladder dose and provided a noninvasive method for reporting the MBP dose using three-dimensional imaging. The MBP can therefore be used as a surrogate for complex dosimetry in the clinic.
Knowledge, Proof, and Ineffability in Teaching

This is a time of unrest, mistrust, and outright fraud. One way we have found to protect ourselves from disappointing commitments is to demand increasingly stringent standards of proof. Thus, philosophy is diverted from its traditional quest for truth to concentrate on problems of proof. The so-called "objective" areas of logic and science take precedence over morals and aesthetics precisely because proof is thought possible in the former but not in the latter. Philosophy has grown remote from the pressing concerns of men, leaving value conflicts to be settled violently. In the present paper we shall see that there can be no warrants for knowledge in any area. Proof is neither necessary nor sufficient for knowledge. The warranting function of proof arises from its primary functions of expressing and persuading; hence, the study of proof standards becomes a branch of aesthetics and psychology. Proof is an advertisement for truth. The whole point of proof is its convincingness. Knowledge is true belief held with certainty, whether or not that certainty arises from what we usually call "proof." Downgrading the warranting function of proof does not increase the threat of dogmatism. In areas where warrants are naturally weak, ineffability is strong and prevents the accurate or adequate promulgation of doctrine. When we recognize that knowledge rather than proof is the proper goal of inquiry, and that knowledge is ineffable and independent of proof, then we must reconsider some goals and methods of education.
Gender Differences in Support for Scientific Involvement in U.S. Environmental Policy

Many studies have documented gender differences in attitudes toward and experiences with science. Compared to men, for example, women are less likely to study science and to pursue careers in science-related fields. Given these findings, should we expect gender differences in support for scientific involvement in U.S. environmental policy? This study empirically examines the relationship of gender to attitudes toward science and preferred roles of scientists in environmental policy among various environmental policy participants. Data collected in 2006 and 2007 from national surveys of four different groups involved in environmental policy and management suggest that social context, including education and occupation, shapes the way that gender matters. Specifically, we find that gender is less important among scientists and managers than among interest groups and the general population regarding attitudes toward science and views about preferred roles of scientists in environmental decision making.
p53 expression and proliferative activity in Bowen's disease with or without chronic arsenic exposure.

A comparative study of Bowen's disease (BD) with or without chronic arsenic exposure may contribute to understanding arsenic carcinogenesis. We compared the p53 overexpression and proliferative activity of 26 cases of BD with chronic arsenic exposure (group I) and 22 comparable cases of BD without chronic arsenic exposure (group II) by immunohistochemical method on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues with antibodies PAb1801 and MIB-1, respectively. We also included in this study two squamous cell carcinomas that developed from BD in group I and one in group II. Two paired BD lesions in the same individual of one patient in group I and of three patients in group II were also studied. The significant p53(+) (>10% stained cells) rates were 42.3% (11 of 26) and 9.1% (2 of 22) for groups I and II, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P = .01). The p53 expression in different lesions of the same individual remained consistently the same. Squamous cell carcinomas that developed in 2 cases of p53(+) BD in group I were also positive, but the one in 1 case of p53(-) BD in group II was negative. No significant statistical difference in proliferative activity was found between group I BD and group II BD (P= .769), nor between p53(+) cases (>10% stained cells) and p53(-) cases (<10% stained cells) in group I BD (P = .519). This study showed that significant overexpression of p53 protein was higher in BD with chronic arsenic exposure. Therefore, arsenic carcinogenesis of BD might be different from that of BD unrelated to arsenic, and alteration of p53 plays a more important role in the pathogenesis of BD with chronic arsenic exposure. Overexpression of p53 was not a prerequisite for developing squamous cell carcinoma and was not affected by proliferative activity.
Reconceptualizing Successful Aging Among Black Women and the Relevance of the Strong Black Woman Archetype

Although there are multiple pathways to successful aging, little is known of what it means to age successfully among black women. There is a growing body of literature suggesting that black women experience a number of social challenges (sexism and racism) that may present as barriers to aging successfully. Applying aspects of the Strong Black Women ideal, into theoretical concepts of successful aging, may be particularly relevant in understanding which factors impair or promote the ability of black women to age successfully. The Strong Black Women archetype is a culturally salient ideal prescribing that black women render a guise of self-reliance, selflessness, and psychological, emotional, and physical strength. Although this ideal has received considerable attention in the behavioral sciences, it has been largely absent within the gerontology field. Nevertheless, understanding the dynamics of this cultural ideal may enhance our knowledge while developing an appreciation of the black woman’s ability to age successfully. Rather than summarize the social, physical, and mental health literature focusing on health outcomes of black women, this conceptual review examines the Strong Black Women archetype and its application to the lived experiences of black women and contributions to current theories of successful aging. Focusing on successful aging exclusively among black women enhances our understanding of this group by considering their identity as women of color while recognizing factors that dictate their ability to age successfully.
Peptidergic Nociceptors of Both Trigeminal and Dorsal Root Ganglia Express Serotonin 1D Receptors: Implications for the Selective Antimigraine Action of Triptans

Agonists at serotonin 1D (5-HT1D) receptors relieve migraine headache but are not clinically used as general analgesics. One possible explanation for this difference is that 5-HT1D receptors are preferentially expressed by cranial afferents of the trigeminal system. We compared the distribution of 5-HT1D receptor-immunoreactive (5-HT1D-IR) peripheral afferents within the trigeminal ganglion (TRG) and lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of the rat. We also examined the neurochemical identity of 5-HT1D-IR neurons with markers of primary afferent nociceptors, peripherin, isolectin B4, and substance P, and markers of myelinated afferents, N52 and SSEA3. We observed a striking similarity in the size, distribution, and neurochemical identity of 5-HT1D-IR neurons in TRG and lumbar DRG afferents. Furthermore, the vast majority of 5-HT1D-IR neurons are unmyelinated peptidergic afferents that distribute peripherally, including the dura, cornea, and the sciatic nerve. In the central projections of these afferents within the trigeminal nucleus caudalis and the spinal cord dorsal horn, 5-HT1D-IR fibers are concentrated in laminas I and outer II; a few axons penetrate to lamina V. At the ultrastructural level, 5-HT1D receptors in the spinal cord dorsal horn are localized exclusively within dense core vesicles of synaptic terminals. We observed scattered 5-HT1D-IR neurons in the nodose ganglia, and there was sparse terminal immunoreactivity in the solitary nucleus. The visceral efferents of the superior cervical ganglia did not contain 5-HT1D immunoreactivity. Our finding, that 5-HT1D receptors are distributed in nociceptors throughout the body, raises the possibility that triptans can regulate not only headache-associated pain but also nociceptive responses in extracranial tissues.
Community-level intimate partner violence and the circumstances of first sex among young women from five African countries

Gender-based violence is an important risk factor for adverse reproductive health (RH). Community-level violence may inhibit young women's ability to engage in safer sexual behaviors due to a lack of control over sexual encounters. Few studies examine violence as a contextual risk factor. Using nationally representative data from five African countries, the association between community-level physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) and the circumstances of first sex (premarital or marital) among young women (ages 20-29) was examined. In Mali, and Kenya bivariate analyses showed that young women who had premarital first sex were from communities where a significantly higher percentage of women reported IPV experience compared to young women who had marital first sex. Multivariate analyses confirmed the findings for these two countries; young women from communities with higher IPV were significantly more likely to have had premarital first sex compared to first sex in union. In Liberia, community-level IPV was associated with a lower risk of premarital sex as compared to first sex in union at a marginal significance level. There was no significant relationship between community-level IPV and the circumstances of first sex in the Democratic Republic of Congo or Zimbabwe. These findings indicate that context matters for RH. Individualized efforts to improve RH may be limited in their effectiveness if they do not acknowledge the context of young women's lives. Programs should target prevention of violence to improve RH outcomes of youth.
Is duplex scanning the best screening test for renal artery stenosis

Screening for renal artery stenosis is indicated in patients with suspected renovascular hypertension or ischemic nephropathy to identify those who could benefit from renal artery interventions. The critical requirements for a clinically useful screening test include safety, low cost, and a high sensitivity or low false-negative rate. Arteriography remains the "gold standard" for the anatomic diagnosis of renal artery disease, but it is unsuitable for screening because of its high cost and invasive nature. Although renal duplex scanning technically is difficult, experienced laboratories have been able to achieve sensitivities and specificities in the range of 93% to 98% for identification of stenoses in the main renal arteries. Renal duplex scanning also provides a method for assessing the renal parenchyma and predicting the clinical outcome of renal revascularization. The principal limitation of renal duplex scanning is failure to identify accessory renal arteries. The finding of one or more widely patent main renal arteries makes ischemic nephropathy unlikely, because this condition results from "total" renal ischemia. However, renovascular hypertension can be present with normal main renal arteries when there are isolated stenoses involving accessory renal arteries, so further testing may be indicated in selected hypertensive patients with normal main renal arteries by duplex scanning. Currently, duplex scanning in a qualified vascular laboratory arguably is the best screening test for renal artery stenosis. Other methods for assessing the renal arteries, particularly spiral computed tomography and magnetic resonance angiography, are evolving rapidly and also may play a role in screening of selected patients.
The optimizing-simulator: merging simulation and optimization using approximate dynamic programming

There is a wide range of simulation problems that involve making decisions during the simulation, where we would like to make the best decisions possible, taking into account not only what we know when we make the decision, but also the impact of the decision on the future. Such problems can be formulated as dynamic programs, stochastic programs and optimal control problems, but these techniques rarely produce computationally tractable algorithms. We demonstrate how the framework of approximate dynamic programming can produce near-optimal (in some cases) or at least high quality solutions using techniques that are very familiar to the simulation community. The price of this challenge is that the simulation has to be run iteratively, using statistical learning techniques to produce the desired intelligence. The benefit is a reduced dependence on more traditional rule-based logic.
Neonatal cerebral oximetry monitoring during ECMO cannulation

Neonates were monitored with a cerebral oximeter before, during, and after cannulation for ECMO to determine the direct effects of ligation of the right internal jugular vein and right carotid artery on cerebral oxygenation. After obtaining informed consent, we used the FORE-SIGHT Cerebral Oximeter (CAS Medical Systems, Branford, CT, USA) to monitor neonates undergoing surgical preparation for veno-arterial (VA) or veno-venous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). A total of 17 subjects were monitored pre-ECMO for atleast 48 h after cannulation. Of the 17 subjects, 12 experienced low cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (SctO2) <60% during pre-ECMO surgery, with most exhibiting the lowest SctO2 values between cannulation to the onset of ECMO. Two subjects received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during surgery and experienced very low SctO2 (5 and 36%). Pulse oximetry was found to be unreliable during CPR because of diminished pulsatile flow. SctO2 increased above 60% after the onset of ECMO for all subjects and remained stable. Neonates are vulnerable to SctO2 during the pre-ECMO surgical period.
Effects of Different Attentional Cues on Responding to Joint Attention in Younger Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

We compared responding to joint attention (RJA) in younger siblings of children with ASD (SIBS-ASD; n = 46) and younger siblings of children developing typically (SIBS-TD; n = 35). Children were tested between 12 and 23 months of age in a situation in which an experimenter directed the child’s attention to one of 8 targets. Each child responded to 10 different combinations of verbal and nonverbal cues containing varying levels of attention-specifying information. SIBS-ASD had significantly lower overall RJA scores than SIBS-TD. Moderately redundant cues were most difficult for SIBS-ASD relative to SIBS-TD; adding a point to moderately redundant cues improved RJA for SIBS-ASD, bringing them to a level of RJA commensurate with SIBS-TD.
An Analysis of Some Hypotheses Related to the Chingelput Bacille Calmette-Guérin Trial

Investigation of several hypotheses related to the outcome of the Chingelput Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) Trial suggests at least 2 factors that might explain the major scientific puzzle of a protective effect expected of 80% and a protective effect observed of 0% (i.e., equivalent protection for BCG and placebo). One factor that explains some of the low efficacy observed for BCG in this trial is the virtual saturation level of exposure to environmental mycobacteria (EM). Studies in animal models demonstrated that the protection afforded by infection with EM was equivalent to the protection that resulted from BCG vaccination. The second factor, pathogenetic pathway, explains why there was still a high case rate for tuberculosis, even though the population was fully vaccinated by EM. This hypothesis states that tuberculosis in India, as well as in most developing countries, results primarily from exogenous reinfection, a pathway against which BCG (or EM) exerts no protective effect beyond that induced by the first episode of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
GDNF overexpression fails to provoke muscle recovery from botulinum toxin poisoning: A preliminary study

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has potent axonal growth and survival effects on motoneurons. This study used transgenic Myo-GDNF mice to assess the effects of targeted GDNF overexpression on functional recovery after botulinum toxin type A (BTxA) chemodenervation. BTxA (0.1 U) was injected into the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of wild-type CF1 and transgenic Myo-GDNF mice. On days 1, 7, 14, and 21 after injection, evoked muscle force production and muscle mass were measured (n = 6, for each group at each time point). Greater maximal tetanic force and calculated specific force were evoked in Myo-GDNF animals when compared with control CF1 animals at days 1, 7, and 21. However, the differences were not statistically significant. Similarly, modest reductions in muscle atrophy in the Myo-GDNF group at all time points were not statistically significant. Targeted overexpression of GDNF in the muscles of Myo-GDNF mice did not improve motor recovery in the first 21 days after BTxA chemodenervation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery, 2012.
Effects of pelvic floor muscle training on strength and predictors of response in the treatment of urinary incontinence

Aims The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the effect of training on pelvic floor muscle strength; (2) to determine whether changes in pelvic floor muscle strength correlate with changes in continence; and (3) to determine whether demographic characteristics, clinical incontinence severity indices, or urodynamic measures predict response to pelvic floor muscle training. Methods One hundred thirty-four women with urinary incontinence (95=genuine stress incontinence [GSI]; 19=detrusor instability [DI]; 20=mixed incontinence [GSI+DI]) were randomized to pelvic floor muscle training (n=67) or bladder training (n=67). Urinary diaries, urodynamic evaluation, and vaginal pressure measurements by using balloon manometry were performed at baseline and after 12 weeks of therapy. Primary outcome measures consisted of incontinent episodes per week and vaginal pressure measurements. Results Both treatment groups had a reduction in incontinent episodes (P≤0.004). Vaginal pressures increased more with pelvic floor muscle training than with bladder training (P=0.0003). Other than a weak correlation between a reduction in incontinent episodes/week and an increase in maximum sustained vaginal pressure in women with GSI (r=0.32, P=0.04), there were no significant correlations between increases in pelvic floor muscle strength and improvement in continence status. There were no significant correlations between baseline demographic characteristics, clinical incontinence severity, or urodynamic measures and increases in vaginal pressure or improvement in clinical severity after pelvic floor muscle training. Conclusions Pelvic floor muscle training improves continence and increases vaginal pressure measurements, but the direct correlations between these alterations are weak. A woman's response to behavioral treatment does not depend on her demographic characteristics, clinical incontinence severity, urodynamic measures, or initial pelvic floor muscle strength. Neurourol. Urodynam. 21:486–490, 2002. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Quantitative Analysis of Therapeutic and Endogenous Peptides using LC/MS/MS Methods

Historically, new drug entities arose from combinatorial chemistry of small molecules. Today, a rapidly increasing number of new drugs, called biopharmaceuticals, are being developed which are based on biological molecules such as peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides.
Black-white difference in long-term predictive power of self-rated health on all-cause mortality in United States.

Abstract Purpose Despite the well-established association between self-rated health (SRH) and mortality, limited information exists on Black–White differences in this link. Using a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States, the present study had four aims: (1) to assess whether the association between baseline SRH and all-cause mortality over a long follow-up differs for blacks and whites, (2) to test whether any race difference in the SRH–mortality link depends on how the SRH variable is treated (e.g., nominal, dichotomous, continuous), (3) to test if the SRH–mortality link or any differences in the association by race are explained by differences in objective health measures (chronic medical conditions [CMC]), and (4) to assess whether these associations vary by gender. Methods Data came from the Americans' Changing Lives Study, a nationally representative longitudinal cohort of U.S. adults 25 years and older with up to 25 years of follow-up. The study followed 3361 blacks or whites for all-cause mortality between 1986 and 2011. The predictor of interest was a single-item measure of SRH in 1986, treated as a nominal, dichotomous (fair/poor vs. excellent/very good/good), and continuous variable. Confounders included baseline age, education, income, depressive symptoms, and CMC. Race (black vs. white) was the focal effect modifier. We ran Cox proportional hazard models for the pooled sample and also stratified by race and gender, before and after adjusting for CMC. Results Regardless of how SRH was treated and for both men and women, we found significant interactions between race and SRH, indicating a stronger predictive role of SRH for all-cause mortality among whites compared to blacks. Before adjustment for chronic medical conditions, lower SRH was associated with higher risk of mortality among blacks and whites, but after adjustment, the SRH–mortality association was no longer significant among blacks. Conclusions Baseline SRH continues to predict long-term mortality among white but not black Americans after adjustment for chronic medical conditions at baseline, and these patterns are similar for men and women. Future research should test whether the differential predictive validity of SRH across race groups arises because SRH reflects different aspects of health of black and white Americans.
Is nitric oxide important for the diastolic phase of the lymphatic contraction/relaxation cycle?

Phasic contractions of collecting lymphatic vessels aid in the centripetal propulsion of lymph. The numerical model published in PNAS by Kunert et al. (1) describes how two “complementary feedback loops” involving Ca2+ and nitric oxide (NO) interact to drive the phasic contraction/relaxation cycle of lymphatic smooth muscle. The cycle is proposed to be initiated by a stretch-induced rise in lymphatic muscle Ca2+, triggering a contraction (systole) that propels lymph through unidirectional valves. Subsequent elevation of shear stress in the narrow valve opening produces a burst … [↵][1]1Email: davismj{at}health.missouri.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
The topographic design of river channels for form-process linkages

Scientists and engineers design river topography for a wide variety of uses, such as experimentation, site remediation, dam mitigation, flood management, and river restoration. A recent advancement has been the notion of topographical design to yield specific fluvial mechanisms in conjunction with natural or environmental flow releases. For example, the flow convergence routing mechanism, whereby shear stress and spatially convergent flow migrate or jump from the topographic high (riffle) to the low point (pool) from low to high discharge, is thought to be a key process able to maintain undular relief in gravel bedded rivers. This paper develops an approach to creating riffle-pool topography with a form-process linkage to the flow convergence routing mechanism using an adjustable, quasi equilibrium synthetic channel model. The link from form to process is made through conceptualizing form-process relationships for riffle-pool couplets into geomorphic covariance structures (GCSs) that are then quantitatively embedded in a synthetic channel model. Herein, GCSs were used to parameterize a geometric model to create five straight, synthetic river channels with varying combinations of bed and width undulations. Shear stress and flow direction predictions from 2D hydrodynamic modeling were used to determine if scenarios recreated aspects of the flow convergence routing mechanism. Results show that the creation of riffle-pool couplets that experience flow convergence in straight channels requires GCSs with covarying bed and width undulations in their topography as supported in the literature. This shows that GCSs are a useful way to translate conceptualizations of form-process linkages into quantitative models of channel form.