cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control algorithm for port power imbalance in two-stage, N-port modular multilevel cascaded photovoltaic inverters

With the increasing demand for PV technology, low cost, highly efficient, modular PV inverter system has become a pertinent issue. As a solution, modular two-stage power conversion with isolation and string-level power conversion has become an attractive choice recently. However, the complexity of the control algorithm in addressing power imbalance between modular power conversion units becomes a disadvantage to these type of configurations. This paper proposes a new control scheme for the two stage, N-port, string-connected modular multilevel cascaded inverters. Control algorithm ensures the maximum extraction of solar power along with the per port power balancing of the PV systems. Simulation of N-port multilevel dual active bridge stage along with the cascaded H-bridge stage for one phase is presented to verify the feasibility of the proposed algorithm.
An Efficient Nurse Practitioner-Led Community-Based Service Model for Delivering Coordinated Care to Persons With Serious Mental Illness at Risk for Homelessness [Formula: see text].

BACKGROUND: Access to mental health care is a struggle for those with serious mental illness (SMI). About 25% of homeless suffer from SMI, compared with 4.2% of the general population. OBJECTIVE: F...
Common brain structure findings across children with varied reading disability profiles

Dyslexia is a developmental disorder in reading that exhibits varied patterns of expression across children. Here we examined the degree to which different kinds of reading disabilities (defined as profiles or patterns of reading problems) contribute to brain morphology results in Jacobian determinant images that represent local brain shape and volume. A matched-pair brain morphometry approach was used to control for confounding from brain size and research site effects in this retrospective multi-site study of 134 children from eight different research sites. Parietal operculum, corona radiata, and internal capsule differences between cases and controls were consistently observed across children with evidence of classic dyslexia, specific comprehension deficit, and language learning disability. Thus, there can be common brain morphology findings across children with quite varied reading disability profiles that we hypothesize compound the developmental difficulties of children with unique reading disability profiles and reasons for their reading disability.
Comparing SF-36® scores versus biomarkers to predict mortality in primary cardiac prevention patients.

Abstract Background Risk stratification plays an important role in evaluating patients with no known cardiovascular disease (CVD). Few studies have investigated health-related quality of life questionnaires such as the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36 ® ) as predictive tools for mortality, particularly in direct comparison with biomarkers. Our objective is to measure the relative effectiveness of SF-36 ® scores in predicting mortality when compared to traditional and novel biomarkers in a primary prevention population. Methods 7056 patients evaluated for primary cardiac prevention between January 1996 and April 2011 were included in this study. Patient characteristics included medical history, SF-36 ® questionnaire and a laboratory panel (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, ApoA, ApoB, ApoA1/ApoB ratio, homocysteine, lipoprotein (a), fibrinogen, hsCRP, uric acid and urine ACR). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Results A low SF-36® physical score independently predicted a 6-fold increase in death at 8 years (above vs. below median Hazard Ratio [95% confidence interval] 5.99 [3.86–9.35], p Conclusion The SF-36® physical score is a reliable predictor of mortality in patients without CVD, and outperformed most studied traditional and novel biomarkers. In an era of rising healthcare costs, the SF-36® questionnaire could be used as an adjunct simple and cost-effective predictor of mortality to current predictors.
A Study of the Influence of Microstructure on the Modified Effective Modulus Approach for Composite Laminates

Although the effective modulus (EM) representation of composite materials is widely used in the stress analysis and design of structural laminates, there is little understanding for the meaning of EM stress distributions in regions of high stress gradients. The authors present a modified effective modulas (MEM) approach as a means of understanding how EM stress distributions compare with exact solutions in regions of high stress gradients. In a previous study, the authors showed the modified effective modulus approach provided a useful way of comparing EM and exact solutions for a laminate with one fiber size. In this study, the effect of fiber size on the modified effective modulus approach is examined.
The evolution of schematic representations of flow shop scheduling problems

The schematic representation of schedules has been a useful tool for researchers; in this paper, we review existing network-based schematics for flow shop models. We also propose new schematics for flow shops with blocking, synchronous transfers, no-wait processing, no-idle time and limited buffer space. Using schematics, we explain some of the past findings and present new results. We also explain flow shop anomalies/paradoxes. Finally, we propose schematics for four flow shop models using the concept of string analog.
Nanoscale imaging of biological samples with responsivity corrected Atomic Force Microscopy-Infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy

Atomic Force Microscopy – Infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) is a powerful technique for mapping material composition at sub micrometer length scales. Unlike related technologies such as scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM), the detected signal can be equally sensitive to both chemical and mechanical sample properties due to variations in the cantilever’s response (or responsivity) to a sample perturbation local to the tip. Understanding cantilever responsivity has led to new approaches for correcting this effect, which show improved chemical specificity and imaging fidelity for heterogeneous samples. Here, we present implications of correcting the cantilever responsivity effect in AFM-IR images for studying biological samples at nanometer length scales and discuss the future of this emerging technology.
Effects of aluminogermanate imogolite nanotube orientation on mass transport across polyamide nanocomposite membranes

Abstract Nanocomposite membranes were synthesized by incorporating aluminogermanate imogolite nanotubes (GeINTs) into polyamide thin-films. Thin-films were prepared by interfacial polymerization using m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and 1,3,5-trimesoylchloride (TMC). The GeINTs were surface modified with hydrophobic vinyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and their orientation manipulated using an alternating current (AC) electric field. The prepared GeINTs were characterized by their physical morphology, surface chemistry, orientation, and aggregation status in the relative media. Specific water flux and salt rejection were evaluated using dead-ended filtration and cross-flow systems. By incorporating vertically aligned (θ = 90°) PDMS modified GeINTs, the specific flux increased 205% when the GeINT concentration was 5 mg/g compared to the membrane without GeINTs. This was due to the higher water permeability within the incorporated GeINTs compared to that of the pure polyamide. In contrast, when the orientation of the GeINTs was parallel (θ = 0°) to the membrane surface, the increase in specific water flux (105%) was less substantial. This was attributed to the varied and elongated water flow paths in the nanocomposite membrane by the randomly oriented nanotubes.
A Molecular Logic of Sensory Coding Revealed by Optical Tagging of Physiologically-Defined Neuronal Types

Neural circuit analysis relies on having molecular markers for specific cell types. However, for a cell type identified only by its circuit function, the process of identifying markers remains laborious. Here, we report photoactivated intersectional physiology sequencing (PIPseq), a technique for tagging and expression-profiling cells based on their functional properties. We demonstrate that PIPseq is capable of selecting rare cell types and enriching them by nearly one hundred-fold. We applied PIPseq to the challenge of mapping receptor-ligand pairings among vomeronasal pheromone-sensing neurons in mice. Together with in vivo ectopic expression of vomeronasal chemoreceptors, PIPseq identified the complete combinatorial receptor code for a specific set of ligands, and revealed that the primary sequence of a chemoreceptor was an unexpectedly strong predictor of functional similarity.
Large Signal Frequency Domain Device Analysis Via the Harmonic Balance Technique

Harmonic and intermodulation distortion effects play a key role in the design and subsequent performance of analog RF/µWave systems. Due to the wide range of frequency components present in such systems, ordinary transient analysis is both extremely time-consuming and insufficiently accurate. In this paper, we present a harmonic balance version of the PISCES semiconductor device simulator. This two-dimensional device simulation tool allows for efficient, physically-based analysis of intermodulation distortion in two-dimensional device structures. Robust nonlinear relaxation methods have been developed to overcome the enormous memory and speed problems associated with fullycoupled, large-signal 2D frequency-domain analyses.
College student perceptions of preferential treatment of college athletes

Though the NCAA and its member institutions engage in efforts to address the negative perceptions of intercollegiate athletics, recent scandals surrounding college athletes might be undermining the...
Limiting Mobilities of Some Monovalent Ions and the Dissociation Constant of Acetic Acid at 25

Limiting Mobilities of Some Monovalent Ions and the Dissociation Constant of Acetic Acid at 25°
Nutcracker Syndrome as an Unusual Cause of Postprandial Pain

Nutcracker syndrome is a rare entity in which compression of the left renal vein (LRV), usually by the overlying superior mesenteric artery (SMA), results in renal venous congestion and reflux in the left ovarian vein (LOV). Patients may present with hematuria, left flank pain, dyspareunia, and vaginal or abdominal wall varicose veins. We report a patient with nutcracker syndrome who presented atypically with left flank pain that was exacerbated in the postprandial state. We hypothesize that the physiologic dilation of the SMA after oral intake caused increased LRV compression at that site and augmented lateral LRV distention. The patient had no evidence of SMA syndrome or chronic mesenteric insufficiency. Her symptoms resolved after we performed an LOV to inferior vena cava transposition.
Effect of soluble particles on microstructural evolution during directional recrystallization

Abstract How soluble particles affect microstructural evolution during directional recrystallization was studied in a Ni-12Al alloy containing two different sizes of Ni3Al particles. Ni-12Al with small particles can form columnar grains, but at a higher annealing temperature compared to its particle-free Ni-3Al counterpart, whilst columnar grains were not formed in Ni-12Al with large γ’ particles for the same annealing parameters. Columnar grains only formed after the γ’ particles dissolved. γ’ particle dissolution is not a trigger for columnar grain formation but is simply a prerequisite. Whether columnar grain can form or not was determined by the texture at the time of particle dissolution. If texture pinning exists after particle dissolution, abnormal grain growth occurs, and columnar grains form; if texture pinning is absent, columnar grains cannot form and normal grain growth occurs. How particles affect the columnar grain orientations, grain boundary character, and grain length/ width during directional recrystallization was also studied.
Progress toward gender equality in the United States has slowed or stalled

We examine change in multiple indicators of gender inequality for the period of 1970 to 2018. The percentage of women (age 25 to 54) who are employed rose continuously until ∼2000 when it reached its highest point to date of 75%; it was slightly lower at 73% in 2018. Women have surpassed men in receipt of baccalaureate and doctoral degrees. The degree of segregation of fields of study declined dramatically in the 1970s and 1980s, but little since then. The desegregation of occupations continues but has slowed its pace. Examining the hourly pay of those aged 25 to 54 who are employed full-time, we found that the ratio of women's to men's pay increased from 0.61 to 0.83 between 1970 and 2018, rising especially fast in the 1980s, but much slower since 1990. In sum, there has been dramatic progress in movement toward gender equality, but, in recent decades, change has slowed and on some indicators stalled entirely.
Mitochondrial Biogenesis Is Positively Regulated by Casein Kinase I Hrr25 Through Phosphorylation of Puf3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mitochondrial biogenesis requires coordinated expression of genes encoding mitochondrial proteins, which in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is achieved in part via post-transcriptional control by the Pumilio RNA-binding domain protein Puf3. Puf3 binds to the 3'-UTR of many messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that encode mitochondrial proteins, regulating their turnover, translation, and/or mitochondrial targeting. Puf3 hyperphosphorylation correlates with increased mitochondrial biogenesis; however, the kinase responsible for Puf3 phosphorylation is unclear. Here, we show that the casein kinase I protein Hrr25 negatively regulates Puf3 by mediating its phosphorylation. An hrr25 mutation results in reduced phosphorylation of Puf3in vivo and a puf3 deletion mutation reverses growth defects of hrr25 mutant cells grown on medium with a nonfermentable carbon source. We show that Hrr25 directly phosphorylates Puf3, and that the interaction between Puf3 and Hrr25 is mediated through the N-terminal domain of Puf3 and the kinase domain of Hrr25. We further found that an hrr25 mutation reduces GFP expression from GFP reporter constructs carrying the 3'-UTR of Puf3 targets. Downregulation of GFP expression due to an hrr25 mutation can be reversed either by puf3Δ or by mutations to the Puf3-binding sites in the 3'-UTR of the GFP reporter constructs. Together, our data indicate that Hrr25 is a positive regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis by phosphorylating Puf3 and inhibiting its function in downregulating target mRNAs encoding mitochondrial proteins.
Do Differential Grading Standards Across Fields Matter for Major Choice? Evidence from a Policy Change in Florida

Grading standards in college vary substantially across fields, especially among STEM fields that tend to give lower grades than non-STEM fields. Prior research has demonstrated that grades affect course and major choices, but less is known about how policies oriented to reduce differences in grading standards across fields affect persistence and completion in the major of choice. Using administrative data from the Florida Department of Education, this paper examines the effect of changing the grading scale from whole-letter grades to plus/minus grades on STEM major choice. It relies on a difference-in-difference framework that compares students’ outcomes before and after a grade policy change at two institutions to similar students at other institutions over the same time period. I find that a change in the grading scale significantly reduces grading differentials across fields and increases the likelihood of students graduating with a STEM degree. Although results should be interpreted cautiously given the limitations of the data, they represent the first direct, quasi-experimental evidence regarding the effect of a grade scale change on STEM major choice.
Plotting a path to a more sustainable future

Renowned science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson has long been fascinated by climate-modifying technologies such as geoengineering and terraforming, but his passion lies in the necessity of political action to achieve a sustainable future. Based in an affectionately described Zurich, whose normalcy contrasts with global crisis, the titular Ministry for the Future described in Robinson9s new book is a small agency within the United Nations with a mandate to encourage nations to realize the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Diagnosis and Management of Stable Angina: A Review.

Importance Nearly 10 million US adults experience stable angina, which occurs when myocardial oxygen supply does not meet demand, resulting in myocardial ischemia. Stable angina is associated with an average annual risk of 3% to 4% for myocardial infarction or death. Diagnostic tests and medical therapies for stable angina have evolved over the last decade with a better understanding of the optimal use of coronary revascularization. Observations Coronary computed tomographic angiography is a first-line diagnostic test in the evaluation of patients with stable angina due to higher sensitivity and comparable specificity compared with imaging-based stress testing. Moreover, coronary computed tomographic angiography allows detection of nonobstructive atherosclerosis that would not be identified with other noninvasive imaging modalities, improving risk assessment and potentially triggering more appropriate allocation of preventive therapies. Novel therapies treating lipids (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors, ezetimibe, and icosapent ethyl) and type 2 diabetes (sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists) have improved cardiovascular outcomes in patients with stable ischemic heart disease when added to usual care. Randomized clinical trials showed no improvement in the rates of mortality or myocardial infarction with revascularization (largely by percutaneous coronary intervention) compared with optimal medical therapy alone, even in the setting of moderate to severe ischemia. In contrast, revascularization provides a meaningful benefit on angina and quality of life compared with antianginal therapies. Measures of the effect of angina on a patient’s quality of life should be integrated into the clinic encounter to assist with the decision to proceed with revascularization. Conclusions and Relevance For patients with stable angina, emphasis should be placed on optimizing lifestyle factors and preventive medications such as lipid-lowering and antiplatelet agents to reduce the risk for cardiovascular events and death. Antianginal medications, such as β-blockers, nitrates, or calcium channel blockers, should be initiated to improve angina symptoms. Revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention should be reserved for patients in whom angina symptoms negatively influence quality of life, generally after a trial of antianginal medical therapy. Shared decision-making with an informed patient is important for effective treatment of stable angina.
The Religion of Senators in the Roman Empire: Power and the Beyond

Introduction Part I: 1. The new senate of the Empire and religion 2. Religious groups among senators Part II: 3. The dynamics of senatorial religion in Rome and Italy 4. Representing imperial religion: the provinces Part III: 5. Towards a 'theology' of Roman religion 6. Innovations and aspirations Conclusion Appendices Bibliography Index hominum Index.
The Bacterial Mechanosensitive Channel MscS and Its Extended Family

Early studies of channels within Escherichia coli native membranes defined many of the fundamental properties of bacterial mechanosensitive channel (MS) channel activities. The observed activity was reported to be modulated, but not gated, by voltage, and a subsequent study demonstrated that amphipaths that intercalate into the membrane asymmetrically can modulate the sensitivity of the channel. The mscS gene family was discovered by classical genetics. The structure of E. coli MscS was solved to 3.9-A resolution by X-ray crystallography, residues 27 to 280 were resolved. On the other hand, this study used only molecular simulation to model the permeation of the pore, an approach that inherently entertains many assumptions. As implied by some studies, the MscS extended family is not confined to E. coli. A survey of some of the MscS family members from archaea has shown researchers just how diverse the activities encoded by family members can be in conductance, sensitivity, and ionic preference; some homologs even demonstrate cationic rather than anionic preferences. The MscS-like family of channels is extremely large and diverse. In its most streamlined form, e.g., MscS in E. coli, it has many similarities with its counterpart, MscL. It appears to directly sense membrane tension, and it appears to utilize modification of transmembrane (TM) domains tilt and rotation in its gating sequence. Because the MscS and MscL families are so far removed from each other, these preserved features may reflect conserved mechanisms found in many MS channel families.
Biodiversity conservation: The key is reducing meat consumption

Abstract The consumption of animal-sourced food products by humans is one of the most powerful negative forces affecting the conservation of terrestrial ecosystems and biological diversity. Livestock production is the single largest driver of habitat loss, and both livestock and feedstock production are increasing in developing tropical countries where the majority of biological diversity resides. Bushmeat consumption in Africa and southeastern Asia, as well as the high growth-rate of per capita livestock consumption in China are of special concern. The projected land base required by 2050 to support livestock production in several megadiverse countries exceeds 30–50% of their current agricultural areas. Livestock production is also a leading cause of climate change, soil loss, water and nutrient pollution, and decreases of apex predators and wild herbivores, compounding pressures on ecosystems and biodiversity. It is possible to greatly reduce the impacts of animal product consumption by humans on natural ecosystems and biodiversity while meeting nutritional needs of people, including the projected 2–3 billion people to be added to human population. We suggest that impacts can be remediated through several solutions: (1) reducing demand for animal-based food products and increasing proportions of plant-based foods in diets, the latter ideally to a global average of 90% of food consumed; (2) replacing ecologically-inefficient ruminants (e.g. cattle, goats, sheep) and bushmeat with monogastrics (e.g. poultry, pigs), integrated aquaculture, and other more-efficient protein sources; and (3) reintegrating livestock production away from single-product, intensive, fossil-fuel based systems into diverse, coupled systems designed more closely around the structure and functions of ecosystems that conserve energy and nutrients. Such efforts would also impart positive impacts on human health through reduction of diseases of nutritional extravagance.
New Skeletons of Paleocene-Eocene Plesiadapiformes: A Diversity of Arboreal Positional Behaviors in Early Primates

Knowledge of plesiadapiform skeletal morphology and inferred ecological roles are critical for establishing the evolutionary context that led to the appearance and diversification of Euprimates (see Silcox, this volume). Plesiadapiform dentitions are morphologically diverse, representing over 120 species usually classified in 11 families from the Paleocene and Eocene of North America, Europe, and Asia (Hooker et al., 1999; Silcox, 2001; Silcox and Gunnell, in press). Despite this documented diversity in dentitions,
At the Collision Between

Once, there was a Royal Prostitute. She was holy. Some say the return of the Royal Prostitute will never occur. Return is inevitable. Forms breed new forms, return to old forms. A boy is born and he looks like his grandfather. His father is a successful businessman in the city. The boy returns to the fields, where his grandfather worked. There is always a man living alone in a desert for forty days and forty nights. This man grows a beard and eats what he picks from trees and bushes and he eats the animals he kills with his hands or traps if he has been taught. The man wears sandals he bought in town and a robe his wife or mother made.
Myosin heavy chain kinase from developed Dictyostelium cells. Purification and characterization.

Abstract We purified to homogeneity the Dictyostelium discoideum myosin heavy chain kinase that is implicated in the heavy chain phosphorylation increases that occur during chemotaxis. The kinase is initially found in the insoluble fraction of developed cells. The major purification step was achieved by affinity chromatography using a tail fragment of Dictyostelium myosin (LMM58) expressed in Escherichia coli (De Lozanne, A., Berlot, C. H., Leinwand, L. A., and Spudich, J. A. (1988) J. Cell Biol. 105, 2990-3005). The kinase has an apparent molecular weight of 84,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The apparent native molecular weight by gel filtration is 240,000. The kinase catalyzes phosphorylation of myosin heavy chain or LMM58 with similar kinetics, and the extent of phosphorylation for both is 4 mol of phosphate/mol. With both substrates the Vmax is about 18 mumol/min/mg and the Km is 15 microM. The myosin heavy chain kinase is specific to Dictyostelium myosin heavy chain, and the phosphorylated amino acid is threonine. The kinase undergoes autophosphorylation. Each mole of kinase subunit incorporates about 20 mol of phosphates. Phosphorylation of myosin by this kinase inhibits myosin thick filament formation, suggesting that the kinase plays a role in the regulation of myosin assembly.
Molecular Profiles of Drinking Alcohol to Intoxication in C57BL/6J Mice

Background Alcohol addiction develops through a series of stages, and mechanistic studies are needed to understand the transition from initial drug use to sustained controlled alcohol consumption followed by abuse and physical dependence. The focus of this study was to examine the effects of voluntary alcohol consumption on brain gene expression profiles using a mouse model of binge drinking. The main goal was to identify alcohol-responsive genes and functional categories after a single episode of drinking to intoxication.
SPARC Architecture, Assembly Language Programming, and C

From the Publisher: Provides reader understanding of the complexity and cost of using various data and control structures in high-level languages Includes the latest material on the new Ultra SPARC architecture Frequent references to C and C++ language constructs and their translation into SPARC assembly language Offers optional material on floating point, traps, memory management, and other architectures Companion Website supplements the text with updates and code examples at ...
A Mathematical Model To Minimize Total Tardiness And Workforce Overtime Costs In Cellular Manufacturing

The problem studied in this paper was observed in an actual textile company. In traditional scheduling problems, capacity remains unchanged and jobs are assigned to machines and start and completion times are determined. Contrary to the traditional approach in scheduling, in this paper, we make both overtime (capacity) and scheduling decisions simultaneously. Since having tardiness is not desirable, we allow overtime to minimize total tardiness. However, overtime also costs and therefore there is a need to balance overtime and tardiness costs. We present a mathematical model to solve this complex problem. An experimentation has been carried out using three different problem types with five instances each based on the data collected from the above mentioned textile company. The model allows different overtime options on different cells. We could solve problems up to 40 jobs and 2 cells per planning period. This was similar to what was experienced and handled on a weekly basis in the mentioned company. For most problems, the mathematical model gave results in seconds. As a result, this model can be used to make these decisions in industrial settings.
Holding Contradictions: Marcuse and the Idea of Refusal

In this paper, the author considers the implications of refusal in the context of dialectic and depth psychology. What does it mean to refuse? What are the personal and psychological costs of refusal? Marcuse suggested that refusal could lead to greater possibilities for action. The author suggests that those in the field of public administration can participate in the “Great Refusal” by learning to think more dialectically, thus disabling the Western principle of non-contradiction and permitting the simultaneous acceptance of contradictions, in both theory and practice.
Public Disclosure versus Private Practice: Challenges in Business Process Management (Position Paper)

This paper explores the gap between actual work practices and their articulation. Our goal is to bring this gap to the forefront as an important consideration for operational process modeling. Business process models presuppose accurate disclosure of employee work practices. However, the presence of a gap between personal practices and their public disclosure is a challenge for accurately representing the true nature of business operations. We describe a field study of the working practices of a municipal organization where we identified this gap. We then offer several underlying motivations that contribute to the existence of this disparity. These findings hold important implications for global enterprises, and for process modeling efforts in general.
Crystal monochromator with a resolution beyond 108

Monochromatization with crystal diffraction has been achieved to a resolution (/) beyond 108. The monchromator is specifically designed for 23.880 keV synchrotron radiation ( = 51.9 pm) for applications involving nuclear resonant scattering from 119Sn. The design uses asymmetrically cut silicon (12 12 12) crystal reflections from two single-crystalline monoliths oriented in a dispersive geometry. A transmitted energy bandwidth of 140 ± 20 µeV was measured, corresponding to a resolution of 1.7 × 108. Methods of improving efficiency, wavelength stability and resolution are discussed.
Permeability techniques for characterizing fine powders

Abstract The physical significance of the so-called “surface area” values deduced from permeability studies are discussed. The uses of permeability techniques in research and development of powder technology processes are outlined. The various forms of permeameter currently available are described.
Hyperbaric oxygen and cerebral physiology

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is defined by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) as a treatment in which a patient intermittingly breathes 100% oxygen under a pressure that is greater than the pressure at sea level [a pressure greater than 1 atmosphere absolute (ATA)]. HBO has been shown to be a potent means to increase the oxygen content of blood and has been advocated for the treatment of various ailments, including air embolism, carbon monoxide poisoning, wound healing and ischemic stroke. However, definitive established mechanisms of action are still lacking. This has led to uncertainty among clinicians, who have understandingly become hesitant in regard to using HBO therapy, even in situations where it could prove beneficial. Therefore, this review will summarize the literature regarding the effects of HBO on brain oxygenation, cerebral blood flow and intracranial pressure in both the healthy and injured brains, as well as discuss how changes in these three factors can impart protection.
Probing the mechanical properties of brain cancer cells using a microfluidic cell squeezer device

Despite being invasive within surrounding brain tissues and the central nervous system, little is known about the mechanical properties of brain tumor cells in comparison with benign cells. Here, we present the first measurements of the peak pressure drop due to the passage of benign and cancerous brain cells through confined microchannels in a “microfluidic cell squeezer” device, as well as the elongation, speed, and entry time of the cells in confined channels. We find that cancerous and benign brain cells cannot be differentiated based on speeds or elongation. We have found that the entry time into a narrow constriction is a more sensitive indicator of the differences between malignant and healthy glial cells than pressure drops. Importantly, we also find that brain tumor cells take a longer time to squeeze through a constriction and migrate more slowly than benign cells in two dimensional wound healing assays. Based on these observations, we arrive at the surprising conclusion that the prevailing notion of extraneural cancer cells being more mechanically compliant than benign cells may not apply to brain cancer cells.
Potential Predictability of Geopotential Heights over the Southern Hemisphere

Abstract An analysis of variance approach is used to estimate the potential predictability of interannual fluctuations of the seasonal mean flow over the Southern Hemisphere. The potential predictability of the 1000 and 500 mb geopotential height fields for both summer and winter is assessed. Daily variances at 500 mb are roughly double those at 1000 mb, but otherwise the patterns are quite similar in both seasons. The level of climatic noise is estimated from the daily variances and compared with the actual interannual variances under a null hypothesis that no signal exists. Results reveal that interannual or longer-term variability clearly exceeds the noise level at both levels and in both seasons over Antarctica and in the tropics No clear statement can be made one way or the other in midlatitudes. The methodology appears to fail over the Australia-New Zealand region where clear interannual signals associated with the Southern Oscillation and a quasi-biennial oscillation have previously been found. How...
An evaluation of behavioral and cognitive‐behavioral group interventions for the treatment of bulimia nervosa in women

The present study was designed to test the relative effectiveness of behavioral (B) and cognitive-behavioral (CB) group therapy programs in the treatment of 41 bulimic women. Subjects were randomly assigned to the two treatment conditions and a waiting list control (WLC). Multiple behavioral and psychological measures were administered at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 1- and 3-month follow-up. Results indicated that both treatments were superior to the WLC in decreasing the frequency of binge eating and the use of extreme weight control methods at post-treatment. However, only the B group was able to maintain reductions in binge eating throughout the follow-up period. In terms of psychological measures, both treatments evidenced significantly decreased bulimic tendencies and body dissatisfaction and significantly increased feelings of adequacy, security, and control which were maintained at follow-up. Only the CB group evidenced additional psychological changes in preoccupation with dieting and severity of psychopathologi-cal symptoms which were maintained at follow-up. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Clinician Screening and Treatment of Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Problems in Primary Care: Results From Healthcare for Communities

Objective:We sought to estimate national rates of screening and treatment of alcohol, drug, and mental (ADM) problems in primary care.Design:This was a cross-sectional survey administered from 1997 to 1998.Participants:Our study included a nationally representative household probability sample of 73
Xenopus laevis histone genes: Variant H1 genes are present in different clusters

Abstract The Xenopus laevis histone genes have been isolated from a bacteriophage λ library using a cloned cDNA probe to X. laevis H4 mRNA (pX1ch4). Their structural organization has been determined by restriction mapping, blot hybridization and hybridization selection and translation of Xenopus histone mRNAs. They are clustered and probably tandemly arranged but, in contrast to invertebrate histone genes (Kedes, 1979), there has been extensive sequence divergence in the spacer regions of the clusters. Also, the order of the genes within individual clusters is not conserved. We report the isolation of two variant histone H1 genes and find that the order of the nucleosomal core histone genes within a cluster containing an H1B gene is different from that found in two clusters containing the H1A gene.
Avian metapopulation dynamics in a fragmented urbanizing landscape

As urbanization transforms landscapes around the globe, we are challenged to find ways for urban habitats to contribute to ongoing wildlife conservation efforts. Yet aside from basic distributions and relative abundance, we know little about the population dynamics of most species occupying urban habitats and almost nothing about the extent to which local populations serve as source or sink habitats. We analyzed the spatial synchrony and persistence of local populations of 16 avian species breeding in 14 mature riparian forests in central Ohio, USA during 2005–2011. In addition, we examined demographic growth rates (λ) for 2 focal species (northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, and Acadian flycatcher, Empidonax virescens) to understand source-sink structure. Our results showed high rates of population turnover for the majority of species and negative growth rates for both focal species, indicating that most populations functioned as sinks. Local populations showed little evidence of population synchrony, as we found consistently low or negative spatial autocorrelation and relatively high rates of population turnover for both migratory and resident species. Collectively our results suggest that long-term persistence of regional populations of birds breeding in Midwestern riparian forest fragments may be facilitated by metapopulation dynamics.
A Method For Testing The Performance Of Image Intensifiers

A method is described that can be applied in a clinical environment to measure the linepairs/mm resolution, to test the electro-optical focusing, and to measure a quantity Q proportional to the conversion factor of x-ray image intensifiers. The resolution can be determined and electronically optimized by using a monocular of 7.3-12x power to view the image of a metal test pattern placed at the entrance plane of the intensifier. To determine Q, a photometer is used to measure the brightness of the output screen as a function of input exposure rate. The measured data can be fitted with a straight line, the slope of which is proportional to the conversion factor of the image intensifier. According to the results the precision in the measurements of Q was better than 5%.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Are current theories of panic falsifiable

The authors examine 6 theories of panic attacks as to whether empirical approaches are capable of falsifying them and their heuristic value. The authors conclude that the catastrophic cognitions theory is least falsifiable because of the elusive nature of thoughts but that it has greatly stimulated research and therapy. The vicious circle theory is falsifiable only if the frightening internal sensations are specified. The 3-alarms theory postulates an indeterminate classification of attacks. Hyperventilation theory has been falsified. The suffocation false alarm theory lacks biological parameters that unambiguously index dyspnea or its distinction between anticipatory and panic anxiety. Some correspondences postulated between clinical phenomena and brain areas by the neuroanatomical hypothesis may be falsifiable if panic does not depend on specific thoughts. All these theories have heuristic value, and their unfalsifiable aspects are capable of modification.
Altered innate immunity following spinal cord injury

Study design Cross-sectional, paired cohort study. Objectives To replicate the finding of impaired immunocyte function following spinal cord injury (SCI). To determine whether cellular immune function in SCI subjects with decentralized sympathetic nervous system (SNS) (T6 and above) varies from SCI subjects with intact SNS (below T6). Setting University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA. Method In vitro immune assays: (1) natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity using a K562 target cell line in a 4-h chromium(51) release assay. The mean of three samples for each effector-to-target (E:F) ratio (25:1, 50:1, 100:1) was used in the analyses. (2) Cell enumeration was performed using commercially available antibodies and standard flow cytometry techniques. Results Participation of 36 SCI subjects and 36 individually age- and sex-matched healthy controls. SCI subjects were stratified into two groups, that is, neurologic level of injury (NLI) at T6 or above (26 subjects) and NLI below T6 (10 subjects). No statistically significant differences were identified between NLI T6 and above and NLI below T6 groups for the NK cytotoxicity assay. There was a statistically significant reduction in NK cell numbers in all subjects with SCI as compared to their paired controls. There was a statistically significant reduction in NK cell cytotoxicity in SCI subjects, relative to the controls for E:F ratio of 100:1 (F=6.18, d.f.=34, P=0.02). Conclusion We replicated the finding of decreased NK cell number and cytotoxicity in SCI subjects. The mechanism behind these findings needs to be further investigated, with the long-term goal of developing therapeutic strategies to improve immune function.
Position-Sensitive Detection of Extreme Ultraviolet Photons

Recent advances in photon detection techniques for the extreme ultraviolet region have been highlighted by the introduction of multichannel electron multipliers and image-sensing detector arrays. Current and potential applications for such position-sensitive detectors in vacuum-ultraviolet and extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy are discussed in this paper. Examples are presented of multichannel spectra of several highly-ionized atoms obtained using fast-ion spectroscopy.
Filth in the Wrong People's Hands: Postcards and the Expansion of Pornography in Britain and the Atlantic World, 1880-1914

Before the 1880s, women, the poor, children, and people of color could seldom use pornographic representations even though they were often the subjects of these representations. In the last decades of the nineteenth century, the emergence of cheap ephemeral pornography in the form of postcards exceeded older literary representations and allowed for the widespread availability of pornography to those who had previously been denied access. This paper documents the rise of cheap ephemeral pornography in Britain, the consequent rise in access, and the subsequent policing of such ephemera in an attempt to restore a social order that governed both imperial and domestic relations.
A generalization of dynamic constraints

Abstract This paper presents a constraint method for physically based computer graphics models, based on the constraint stabilization method of Baumgarte and on the dynamic constraints of Barzel and Barr. These new constraints are called generalized dynamic constraints (GDCs). GDCs extend dynamic constraints to obey the principle of virtual work and to fulfill time-varying and inequality constraints. The constraint forces of GDCs are computed by a sparse linear system and are proportional to the Lagrange multipliers of the constraints. GDCs are used to assemble deformable computer graphics models and to simulate collisions between the models.
Molecular View of 43 S Complex Formation and Start Site Selection in Eukaryotic Translation Initiation

A central step to high fidelity protein synthesis is selection of the proper start codon. Recent structural, biochemical, and genetic analyses have provided molecular insights into the coordinated activities of the initiation factors in start codon selection. A molecular model is emerging in which start codon recognition is linked to dynamic reorganization of factors on the ribosome and structural changes in the ribosome itself.
Understanding the Mechanism of the Anti-angiogenic Activity of Suramin

Angiogenesis is a cellular process that involves the sprouting of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) play a crucial role in the regulation for angiogenesis and tumor metastases. Therefore, intensive research efforts are on to develop drugs that can specifically inhibit FGF-induced angiogenesis. FGFs exhibit their cell proliferation activity by binding to the extracellular D2 domain of their cell surface receptor. Suramin has been previously shown to inhibit FGF-induced tumors. In this context, in the present study, we investigate the interaction of suramin with the extracellular D2 domain of the FGF receptor (FGFR). Results of the isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments suggest that suramin binds to the D2 domain of FGFR with a reasonably high affinity (Kd ∼ 10−6 M). ITC experiments, carried out at various salt concentrations, show that suramin-D2 domain interaction is mostly stabilized by ionic interactions. Limited trypsin digestion experiments and ANS binding experiments reveal conformational changes in the D2 domain induced by suramin binding. Equilibrium unfolding experiments monitored by fluorescence spectroscopy reveal that the D2 domain is significantly stabilized by suramin. 1H-15N chemical shift perturbation data shows that the suramin binding sites are mostly composed of residues located at the N- and C-terminal ends of the D2 domain and is supported by site-directed mutagenesis experiments. Interestingly, some of the residues that bind to suramin are located at the FGF-D2 domain interface. A structural model of the suramin D2 domain complex is generated from the experimental data. It appears that suramin inhibits cell proliferation activity of FGF by preventing its interaction with FGFR. The results of this study are expected to pave the way for a rational design of drugs against FGF-induced tumors.
“Just Like His Dad”: Family Background and Residency with Children among Young Adult Fathers

Drawing upon a conceptual framework proposed by Doherty and colleagues (1998), we examine the association between father residence during adolescence and early paternity and residency for a sample of young adult men. Our data are from the National Survey of Adolescent Males (Waves I, III)—a representative sample of young adult men in the U.S., aged 21 to 27 in 1995. Using multinomial logistic techniques, we find that living with a father during adolescence reduces the odds that young men experience fatherhood at an early age. In addition, living with a biological father as a teen, increases the odds that young adult fathers reside with their children. The association between living with a father as a teen and early paternity and child residency is attenuated by background characteristics and current education and work status.