cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical application of the right sidelying respiratory left adductor pull back exercise.

Problem Lumbopelvic-femoral conditions are common and may be associated with asymmetrical musculoskeletal and respiratory impairments and postural mal-alignment called a Left Anterior Interior Chain (AIC) pattern. An inherent pattern of asymmetry involves the trunk/ribs/spine/pelvis/hip joints and includes the tendency to stand on the right leg and shift the center of gravity to the right which may result for example, in a tight left posterior hip capsule, poorly approximated left hip, long/weak left adductors, internal obliques (IO) and transverse abdominus (TA), short/strong/over active paraspinals and muscles on the right anterior outlet (adductors, levator ani and obturator internus), a left rib flare and a decreased respiratory diaphragm zone of apposition (ZOA). The solution A therapeutic exercise technique that can address impairments associated with postural asymmetry may be beneficial in improving function, reducing and/or eliminating pain causation, and improving breathing. The Right Sidelying Left Respiratory Adductor Pull Back is an exercise designed to affect alignment of the lumbopelvic-femoral region by influencing the left posterior ischiofemoral ligament, ZOA and right anterior outlet and left anterior inlet (rectus femoris, sartorius), activating/shortening the left adductors, left IO/TA's and inhibiting/lengthening the paraspinals, bilaterally. Discussion The exercise technique is often used by Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist assistants and Athletic Trainers as an initial exercise to positively affect position/alignment of the lumbopelvic-femoral region, referred to as "repositioning," by clinicians who use it. Four published case studies have used similar exercises to address the above impairments associated with a Left AIC pattern and in each 100% improvement in function and pain intensity was described. This particular exercise technique is relatively new and warrants future research.
SUPPORTING STUDENTS' ABILITY TO REASON ABOUT DATA

The purpose of this paper is to describe the role of an instructional sequence and two accompanying computer-based tools in supporting students' developing understandings of statistical data analysis. In doing so, we also take account of the role of the data creation process in supporting students' ability to engage in genuine data analysis. Data is taken from two classroom teaching experiments conducted with middle-grades students (ages twelve and thirteen) in the fall semester of 1998 and 1999. Through analysis of two classroom episodes we document 1) the emergence of the sociomathematical norm of what counts as a mathematical argument in the context of data analysis, and 2) the importance of the data creation process in grounding the students' activity in the context of a problem or question under investigation. These claims are grounded in students' ways of reasoning about data as they made arguments in the course of their analyses.
Characterization of BTBD1 and BTBD2, two similar BTB-domain-containing Kelch-like proteins that interact with Topoisomerase I

Two-hybrid screening for proteins that interact with the core domain of human topoisomerase I identified two novel proteins, BTBD1 and BTBD2, which share 80% amino acid identities. The interactions were confirmed by co-precipitation assays demonstrating the physical interaction of BTBD1 and BTBD2 with 100 kDa topoisomerase I from HeLa cells. Deletion mapping using two-hybrid and GST-pulldown assays demonstrated that less than the C-terminal half of BTBD1 is sufficient for binding topoisomerase I. The topoisomerase I sequences sufficient to bind BTBD2 were mapped to residues 215 to 329. BTBD2 with an epitope tag localized to cytoplasmic bodies. Using truncated versions that direct BTBD2 and TOP1 to the same cellular compartment, either the nucleus or the cytoplasm, co-localization was demonstrated in co-transfected Hela cells. The supercoil relaxation and DNA cleavage activities of topoisomerase I in vitro were affected little or none by co-incubation with BTBD2. Northern analysis revealed only a single sized mRNA for each BTBD1 and BTBD2 in all human tissues tested. Characterization of BTBD2 mRNA revealed a 255 nucleotide 90% GC-rich region predicted to encode the N-terminus. BTBD1 and BTBD2 are widely if not ubiquitously expressed in human tissues, and have two paralogs as well as putative orthologs in C. elegans and D. melanogaster. BTBD1 and BTBD2 belong to a small family of uncharacterized proteins that appear to be specific to animals. Epitope-tagged BTBD2 localized to cytoplasmic bodies. The characterization of BTBD1 and BTBD2 and their interaction with TOP1 is underway.
High-throughput screening for inhibitors of iron transport in E. coli (LB238)

Iron acquisition is a component of the pathogenesis of Gram-negative bacteria, therefore as a form of 'nutritional immunity' host organisms sequester iron. To obtain iron bacteria secrete sideropho...
Class and Parents' Agency in West Virginia: Between Choices and Rights.

Universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) is a popular reform in West Virginia, offering part-time readiness-oriented instruction for four-year-olds and some three-year-olds with special needs. The reform joins public school sites and community partners (private preschool and/or Head Start resources) in the goal of pre-kindergarten for all eligible children, and has targeted the struggling lower-middle class. UPK may position parents between choices and rights by providing discrepant public and private choices for families who do not qualify for the Head Start strand while naming access "universal". In this case study, I examine the context of access in relation to the discourses and politics of neoliberal globalism. Neoliberal globalism has shaped West Virginia's UPK policy towards producing particular childhoods and roles for teachers and parents in service to the economic growth of the state. Specifically, I analyze the role of social class dynamics among lower-middle class parents who sought readiness opportunities in one UPK community. The results indicate that Bourdieu's theory of social reproduction is relevant. Lower-middle class parents were active and instrumental choosers within the hybrid market system. Given two groups of lower-middle class participants (RMC-recent members of the lower-middle class descended from the middle class and HMC-historical members of the lower-middle class), RMC advantageously engaged resources traditionally designated for poor and working class families while HMC used social networks built locally over time to support their choice-making. In order to re-think West Virginia UPK's
The Phenomenon of Delayed Bifurcation and its Analyses

In this note, a general survey of the interesting phenomenon of delayed bifurcation is given. These delayed bifurcations arise in particular fast-slow systems under various situations, and their mathematical justification and application are discussed.
In vitro activation of the transcription factor gamma interferon activation factor by gamma interferon: evidence for a tyrosine phosphatase/kinase signaling cascade.

antibody orprotein tyrosine phosphatase prevented theassembly ofthetranscription complex, indicating thatitsformation required phosphorylation oftyrosine residues. Furthermore, thetyrosine phosphatase inhibitors phenylarsine oxide andzincchloride alsoinhibited GAF formation invitro, butonlyifthese agents were addedtocell homogenates before IFN-ywas added. The addition ofeither agent5minafter IFN-yhadno effect. Theseresults provide thefirst evidence foran IFNq-yregulated tyrosine phosphatase/kinase signaling cascade thatpermitsthiscytokine toactivate the transcription ofan early-response gene.
Mobility Methods Selected for Use in Home and Community Environments

Efficient mobility methods are a necessity for maximum participation in home and community environments. Individuals who require the use of assistive devices for mobility are at risk for limited environmental access. Few investigations have compared the effectiveness of various mobility methods as a function of the environments in which mobility is required. Sixty-eight adults with physical disabilities who used assistive devices for independent mobility were surveyed to determine mobility methods selected for use in specific home and community environments and to determine how far they would travel outdoors before resorting to use of a motor vehicle. Results indicated that frequently individuals used more than one mobility method at home but only one method in outdoor and community environments. Individuals who used wheeled mobility methods traveled greater distances outdoors than those who walked. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Chemical and Electrochemical Ag Deposition onto Preformed Au Colloid Monolayers: Approaches to Uniformly-Sized Surface Features with Ag-Like Optical Properties

Two approaches to preparation of Ag-clad Au colloid monolayers are described. Each begins with a preformed monolayer of colloidal Au particles on glass, Au-coated quartz, or In-doped SnO2. Chemical reduction of Ag+ from a commercial Ag coating formulation (LI Silver) or electrochemical reduction of Ag+ leads to surfaces for which the amount of Ag deposited can be controlled. On transparent substrates, Ag deposition can be followed in real time by UV−visible spectroscopy. When the substrate is an electrode, electrochemical deposition can be monitored by coulometry; for the chemical process, anodic stripping voltammetry yields accurate values of the amount of Ag present, as confirmed by quartz crystal microgravimetry (QCM). Chemical reduction yields surfaces that are extremely enhancing for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), although the deposition process required must be precisely tuned. In contrast, electrochemical deposition, while affording more accurate control of the reduction rate, produces o...
Maternal obesity is an independent risk factor for spontaneous extremely preterm delivery

Commentary on: Cnattingius S, Villamor E, Johansson S, et al. Maternal obesity and risk of preterm delivery. JAMA 2013;309:2362–70.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Obesity, once considered a major problem only in the USA, is now a global epidemic and related to chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and some cancers.1 Pregnancy in obese women is also known to increase the risks of maternal and fetal complications including gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, macrosomia and stillbirth.2 It has been acknowledged that obese pregnant women are at increased risk for preterm delivery, but this was generally believed to be secondary to indicated deliveries for chronic diseases related to obesity. However, this new … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.volume%253D309%26rft.spage%253D2362%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjama.2013.6295%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23757084%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jama.2013.6295&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=23757084&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F19%2F2%2F71.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000320176000026&link_type=ISI
Sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation and SEDFIT/c(s): Limits of quantitation for a monoclonal antibody system

Sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation (SV-AUC) has emerged in the biopharmaceutical industry as a technique to detect small quantities of protein aggregates. However, the limits of detection and quantitation of these aggregates are not yet well understood. Although diverse factors (molecule, instrument, technique, and software dependent) preclude an all-encompassing measurement of these limits for the complete system, it is possible to use simulated data to determine the quantitation limits of the data analysis software aspect. The current study examines the performance of the SEDFIT/c(s) data analysis tool with simulated antibody monomer/dimer and monomer/aggregate systems. Under completely ideal conditions (zero noise, known meniscus, and shape factor homogeneity), the software limit of quantitation was 0.01% for the monomer/aggregate system and 0.03% for the less well-resolved monomer/dimer system. Under more realistic conditions (0.005 OD root mean square [RMS] noise, shape factor variability, and long solution column), the software limits of quantitation were 0.2 and 0.6% (0.002 and 0.006 OD) for the monomer/aggregate and monomer/dimer systems, respectively. Interestingly, diminished quantitation accuracy at very low levels of oligomer was not accompanied by deterioration of fit quality (as measured by root mean square deviation [RMSD] and residuals bitmap images).
Aperture coupled beam steering microstrip antenna array fed by dielectric image line

Five- and eight-element patch antenna arrays linearly fed by dielectric image lines have been developed with good E-plane and H-plane patterns. The measured results and the calculated beam steering angles agree very well. Crosspolarisations are 20 dB and side lobes are 15 dB below the main lobe. >
Birth order and sexual strategy

Abstract According to F. J. Sulloway [Sulloway, F. J. (1996). Born to rebel. New York: Pantheon], firstborns can minimize the diversion of parental investment to younger siblings by upholding their parents' beliefs, or the parental “status quo.” Maintenance of the status quo may translate into the pursuit of different sexual strategies as a function of birth order. Accordingly, Sulloway hypothesized that laterborns are more likely to pursue a short-term sexual strategy, whereas firstborns are more likely to pursue a long-term sexual strategy. The current between-family study tests this hypothesis with four predictions using self-reports of 438 college age men and women. Contrary to Sulloway's hypothesis, firstborns and laterborns did not differ in sociosexuality, a measure of short-term sexual strategy, or in desired age at first marriage, a measure of long-term sexual strategy. Consistent with Sulloway's hypothesis, laterborns desired more sexual partners than did firstborns at several future time intervals. Additionally, firstborns desired to have children at an earlier age than did laterborns, suggesting greater pursuit of a long-term sexual strategy by firstborns. Discussion addresses a methodological limitation of the current research and highlights the need for alternative methods for testing the hypothesis that sexual strategy varies strategically with birth order.
Failure of narcotic antagonist to alter electroacupuncture modification of halothane anaesthesia in the dog

Sixteen dogs were used to study the analgesic effects of electroacupuncture. Electroacu-puncture lowered halothane MAC significantly (1.21 ± 0.04 to 1.05 ± 0.05 per cent, p < 0.005). Reversibility of this effect by narcotic antagonist was then studied, using naltrexone 5mg.kg-1 injected intravenously (10 dogs) or 0.5mg kg-1 intrathecally (3 dogs). We failed to see any reversal of the effect of electroacupuncture on MAC. Narcotic antagonist reversibility of acupuncture effect is taken currently to imply endorphin mediation. Possible explanations for our result include an electroacupuncture analgesia not mediated by endorphins.
Paraelectric Permittivity of (Sr0.8Pb0.2)TiO3-MgO Composites with Low MgO Content

(Sr0.8Pb0.2)TiO3 (SPT) ceramics would be normal ferroelectrics with relaxor-like character around the Curie point, TC. SPT-MgO composites in the composition range between 0.5 and 5 weight% MgO were prepared and permittivity in the composites decreased. The Curie-Weiss analysis showed the parallel mixing model was suitable for the composites, but decreases in the permittivity around TC are not explained by only the mixing model. Additional reasons are related to the addition and existence of MgO which influenced the permittivity of SPT components in the composites.
Sarcoidosis presenting as bilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Abstract Summary: Sarcoidosis with cranial polyneuritis and mediastinal granulomatous compression as a cause of unilateral left vocal fold paralysis has been reported infrequently. No case of sarcoidosis causing bilateral vocal fold paralysis in the abducted position has been reported in the Otolaryngology/Voice literature. Vocal fold function can be impacted in sarcoidosis by direct laryngeal involvement or by neural pathways. In the patient described in this case, sarcoid cranial polyneuritis coupled with bilateral paratracheal and mediastinal adenopathy resulted in bilateral vocal fold paralysis. This patient had a dramatic response to treatment with steroids. Sarcoidosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral vocal fold paralysis.
Effect of ozone on growth of mosses on disturbed forest soil.

Mixed forest floor organic matter and upper mineral soil from a 1580 m elevation conifer-hardwood stand in the Pisgah National Forest, NC, was placed in 4-cm diameter × 21-cm deep tubes and exposed to 0·00, 0·08, 0·16, 0·24 or 0·32 μl O3/liter air (ppm). Twelve tubes in each of three replications/treatment were fumigated in continuously-stirred tank reactors in a greenhouse for 6 h/day on 4 consecutive days/week. Soil was watered 3 days/week with deionized water amended with ions and adjusted to pH 4·3 with H2SO4 + HNO3 (70 meq SO42−: 30 meq NO3−). After 10 weeks the amount of soil surface covered by moss (predominantly Ditrichum pusillum, but also D. lineare, and Pohlia nutans) was estimated visually and assigned a rating on a scale of: 1 = 0–25%; 2 = 26–50%; 3 = 51–75%; 4 = 76–100%. Linear regression analysis revealed a significant (p < 0·001) negative relationship between coverage ratings and O3 concentration. Surface coverage in tubes exposed to 0·32 or 0·24 ppm was about half of that for 0·00 ppm (mean ratings of 1·1, 1·4 and 2·6, respectively). Coverage differences appeared to be due in part to O3 suppression of plant numbers. Linear regression analysis also revealed a significant (p < 0·001) negative relationship between heights of D. pusillum plants (measured after 12 weeks treatment) and O3 concentration.
Rate- and resolution-scalable 3D subband coding of video

We propose a full color video compression strategy, based on 3D subband coding with camera pan compensation, to generate a single embedded bit stream supporting multiple decoder display formats and a wide, finely gradated range of bit rates. An experimental implementation of our algorithm produces a single bit stream, from which suitable subsets are extracted to be compatible with many useful decoder frame sizes and frame rates and to satisfy transmission bandwidth constraints ranging from several tens of kilo-bits per second to several megabits per second. Reconstructed video quality from any of these bit stream subsets is often found to exceed that obtained from an MPEG-1 implementation, operated with equivalent bit rate constraints, in both perceptual quality and mean squared error. In addition, when restricted to two dimensions, the algorithm produces some of the best results available in still image compression.
An Indicator Framework for Linking Historic Preservation and Community Economic Development

A community’s history, as represented in the cultural and built environment, can serve as an important asset for economic development and sustainable stewardship. Challenges abound in linking historic preservation and community economic development, especially in communities at risk of losing their unique character and attempting to protect their special sense of place. This conceptual paper presents an indicator framework of four categories—gauging, protecting, enhancing, and interfacing—as a useful method for communities to conceptualize, address and integrate historic resources with community economic development and sustainability.
The anti-apoptotic protein PEA-15 is a tight binding inhibitor of ERK1 and ERK2, which blocks docking interactions at the D-recruitment site.

PEA-15 is a small anti-apoptotic protein that is enriched in astrocytes, but expressed in a broad range of tissues. It sequesters the protein kinases ERK1 and 2 in the cytoplasm, thereby limiting their proximity to nuclear substrates. Using a fluorescence anisotropy approach, PEA-15 is shown to be a high-affinity ligand for both ERK1 and 2, exhibiting a dissociation constant in the range of Kd = 0.2−0.4 μM, regardless of their activation states. Neither the phosphorylation of PEA-15 (phospho Ser-104 and/or phospho Ser-116) nor the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (by MKK1) significantly affects the stability of the ERK/PEA-15 interaction, and therefore it does not directly regulate the release of ERK2 to the nucleus. The extreme C-terminus of PEA-15 was previously shown by mutagenesis to be important for ERK2 binding; however, the site of binding was not established. Here it is demonstrated that the D-recruitment site (DRS) of ERK2 binds PEA-15, probably at the C-terminus, and renders PEA-15 an inhibitor of ERK2...
WHERE IS THE BORDER? CURRENT ISSUES IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF THE BORDERLINE

Differential diagnosis of subtypes of individuals meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder has received only limited attention in the recent social work literature on the borderline. Whether the borderline disturbance is moderate or severe, the condition may overlap with several “borders,” suggesting that borderline personality disorders are a heterogeneous group of conditions. Discrimination between different subtypes is necessary in order to help clients obtain the optimum combination of treatments.
Impacts of aging on in vivo and in vitro measurements of soil-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon availability.

Ingestion of contaminated soil is an exposure pathway at approximately one-half of the Superfund sites in the United States. This study was designed to evaluate the impacts of aging in soil on the availability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Two coal tar (CT)-amended soils were prepared. One was aged for 270 days and the other was not aged. Both of these treatments were incorporated into pellets and fed to male Fischer 344 rats. Excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in urine and PAH concentrations in the liver were monitored as end points. Additionally, soil:water partitioning and desorption were measured as comparisons to the in vivo results. After 5 days of ingesting their respective treatments, rats in the aged soil group excreted 4.41 ± 1.67 ppm 1-OHP/mg of pyrene ingested while rats in the unaged soil group excreted 5.27 ± 1.37 ppm/mg of pyrene ingested. Animals fed aged CT soil had 0.051 ± 0.011 ppm carcinogenic PAHs in livers/mg ingested while rats fed unaged CT soil had 0.063 ± 0.037 pp...
Normalizing Heterosexuality: Mothers' Assumptions, Talk, and Strategies with Young Children.

In recent years, social scientists have identified not just heterosexism and homophobia as social problems, but also heteronormativity-the mundane, everyday ways that heterosexuality is privileged ...
The Effects of Two Types of Exposure on Attitudes toward Aspects of Juvenile Delinquency

Four violent juvenile offenders from a local correctional facility spoke to a class of U.S. undergraduates studying abnormal psychology. Two weeks later, the students attended a tour sponsored by the correctional facility that had provided the speakers. The results of a semantic differential scale administered both before and after the talk and tour indicated that the students' attitudes became significantly more positive for the 3 dimensions assessed by the scale: juvenile delinquent, state correctional facility for juvenile delinquents, and treatment staff for juvenile delinquents. The talk and the tour appeared to be equally effective in bringing about positive changes in the students' attitudes.
Reactive‐Electrode Submerged‐Arc Process for Producing Fine Non‐Oxide Powders

The reactive-electrode submerged-arc (RESA) method utilizes metal electrodes submerged in a dielectric fluid to produce fine ceramic powders. An arc is struck and causes localized vaporization of the electrode and reaction of the metal with the fluid vapor. This paper reports the extension of this process from oxide to non-oxide powders. Fine particles of TiC and SiC have been synthesized and characterized by SEM, TEM, and XRD.
Crushing damage of web girders under localized static loads

Abstract This paper examines the crushing characteristics of web griders subjected to local in-plane crushing loads. First, a simplified model of the post-buckling deformation of the web girder is developed. This model is then used to derive an approximate solution for the plastic behavior of the deforming web girder under localized in-plane loading. Finally, the results of small-scale crushing tests of extruded aluminum double-hollow forms are presented to verify the assumptions made concerning the deformation mode and to demonstrate the accuracy of the solution. Although the present analysis focuses on damage of longitudinal web girders in unidirectionally-stiffened double-bull (USDH) ships, this analysis can be applied to many web girders commonly encountered in civil engineering applications.
A Recommender System for Youtube Based on its Network of Reviewers

Social network studies are becoming increasingly popular and have been applied to several fields of study such as law enforcement, marketing, spread of disease, as well as in the improvement of organizational performance. One area that is yet to be explored relates to harnessing the power of social networks as recommender systems. The idea that users may provide other users with recommendations that are more relevant than naive approaches is long known. However, the approaches currently implemented are based on the creation of simple relationships such as co-purchase of similar items. Similarly, video websites would like to suggest related videos to users to maximize the time they spend on their sites. Ergo it is crucial that sites like YouTube provide users with recommendations that are relevant to them. Moreover, given the large amount of videos on YouTube, a good recommender system may alleviate users' efforts on finding videos that interest them the most. Existing recommender systems for YouTube are typically based on finding similarities between the videos' textual features (video title or tags annotations) and matching these features to tags in the user's profiles or the videos they are currently watching. This approach is very limited because it restricts the users interests to the current theme of the video being played or the preferences in their profiles. This means that if one is watching a movie about football, it is assumed that the user would like recommendations on other videos about football. In this paper, we attempt to extract information about video relationship using a network formed from reviews left as comments in YouTube videos. We create a network of videos called YouTube Recommender Network (YRN) and use complex network analysis on this network as the basis of a recommender system. Our results show that our list of recommended videos is more diverse than the ones based on textual information. Our YRN provides diversity and captures other important characteristics such as high rating and most-viewed count.
Hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution to the muon magnetic anomaly: Constituent quark loops and QCD effects

Abstract The hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment can be estimated by computing constituent quark loops. Such an estimate is very sensitive to the numerical values of the constituent quark masses. These can be fixed by computing the hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the muon magnetic anomaly within the same model. In this Letter, we demonstrate the stability of this framework against first-order perturbative QCD corrections.
Oviductal eggs from road-kill turtles provide a novel source of DNA for population studies of the Alabama red-bellied turtle

Genetic analyses of the endangered Alabama red-bellied turtle (Pseudemys alabamensis) have the potential to answer questions regarding the species’ population dynamics and reproductive ecology. Here we used oviductal eggs from road-kill female turtles to obtain DNA from P. alabamensis specimens. Six microsatellite markers were successfully amplified in egg yolks/developing embryos. DNA taken from multiple eggs in the same clutch showed variation in allele sizes at multiple loci, indicating amplification of both maternally and paternally contributed alleles. These results introduce DNA extraction from oviductal eggs from road-kill mortalities as a novel approach for examining the reproductive habits and population dynamics of P. alabamensis and similar turtle species. This approach may be particularly effective in exploring mating patterns and monitoring population stability in endangered species where traditional sampling methods are difficult to perform.
From ocular hypertension to ganglion cell death: a theoretical sequence of events leading to glaucoma.

Abstract There is substantial evidence that elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a critical risk factor for glaucoma.Even with exhaustive investigation, however, there is still little understanding of the pathologic events that translate increased IOP into the process of retinal ganglion cell death. New studies, particularly in rat and mouse models of glaucoma, have helped elucidate some of the important events associated with the initiation of glaucoma. This review summarizes a 5-stage series hypothesizing that elevated IOP causes deleterious changes to glia in the optic nerve head (stage 1), which activate the autonomous self-destruction of ganglion cell axons (stage 2), leading to the loss of neurotrophic support and apoptotic death of ganglion cell somas in the retina (stage 3). In the initial wave of ganglion cell death, dying cells may adversely affect their neighbouring cells in a wave of secondary degeneration involving glutamate exposure (stage 4).As ganglion cell structures disappear through the processes of cell death, glia are again involved, but this time to replace the lost neural tissue with a glial scar (stage 5).
Hydrodynamic Lubrication Analysis of Metallic Hip Joint

Transient numerical analysis for the lubrication process of a metallic hip joint has been performed for both pure squeeze and combined motion of squeezing and oscillatory rotation. Lubrication performance for two types of cup, namely the single-radius cup and the multi-radius cup, has been examined. Results show that the multi-radius cup has a better lubrication performance than the single-radius cup. Increasing cup radius and decreasing the clearance between the cup and head can effectively increase the lubricant film thickness. A metallic hip joint is capable of achieving full-film lubrication if a relatively large cup radius and/or small clearance between the cup and head are used xuith proper cup geometrical configurations. Presented as a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers paper at the STLE/ASME Tribology Conference in Kissimmee, Florida, October 8–11, 1995
Can Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Fight Infection?

Despite the availability of effective treatments, tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major cause of illness and death worldwide. Illness from TB occurs when the immune system cannot control the bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis , resulting in lung lesions that contain this bacterium and immune cells. Current anti-TB therapy is challenging because patients must take antibiotics, which have side effects, for more than 6 months. Additional treatments that could decrease the duration of antibiotic therapy or improve the chance of cure would reduce the global burden of TB. Vilaplana and colleagues hypothesized that inflammation is the key feature preceding lung lesion formation in TB infection. In a mouse strain not commonly used in TB research, they found that intravenous infection with a high dose of M. tuberculosis caused lung lesions 3 weeks later. In these mice, lung lesions rapidly increased in size, resulting in destruction of lung tissue, and were associated with weight loss and death. Three weeks after infection, they treated 18 mice with the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen. They compared the lungs of these animals to those of 18 untreated animals. They found an impressive decrease in the amount of lung tissue damage and in the number of M. tuberculosis bacteria in the lungs of treated animals. Last, they compared survival rates in 12 animals treated with ibuprofen 4 weeks after TB infection to that for untreated animals. They found that ibuprofen increased survival, with half of treated animals alive at day 50 as compared with <20% of untreated animals. None of the mice received standard anti-TB therapy.This study suggests that, in an animal model of TB infection, inflammation is an important player in determining the progression of lung lesions. Use of an inexpensive, widely available, commonly used anti-inflammatory drug can reduce the progression of lung lesions and reduce lung tissue damage. Whereas the report by Vilaplana et al. is an important first step toward considering the use of ibuprofen in human TB infection, additional studies are needed to inform the dose and timing of anti-inflammatory drug treatment in conjunction with standard anti-TB therapy in human clinical trials. C. Vilaplana et al. , Ibuprofen therapy resulted in significantly decreased tissue bacillary loads and increased survival in a new murine experimental model of active tuberculosis. J. Infect. Dis. 208 , 199–202 (2013). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/208/2/199.full.pdf+html
Grüneisen parameters for the equation of state of solids

Abstract The value of Gruneisen's parameter γ and its variation with temperature are calculated for some simple crystalline models; for comparison the value of γS given by Slater's formula is also calculated ( γS = 1 2 d log (χV − 1 3 )/d log V , where χ is the compressibility). There is no unique measure of the anharmonicity of a crystal, and in particular there appears to be no interatomic potential that will give a crystal potential energy that is ideally harmonic. For example, a close-packed cubic lattice in which each pair of nearest neighbors interacts with a harmonic potential has a negative thermal expansion, the values of γ at high and low temperatures being γ ∞ ⋍ −0.44 and γ 0 ⋍ −0.74 ; on the other hand γS = 1 3 for this model. A model representing an ionic crystal of sodium chloride structure with no polarization of the ions gives γ ∞ ⋍ 1.6 and γ 0 ⋍ 2.1 ; the values of γ∞ and γ0 are lower than much earlier estimates by Born. In the calculation of γ0, the γj corresponding to individual long acoustic waves in different crystal directions are derived, and are found to cover a wide range of values, some of them negative. In both these theoretical models, and also in close packed crystals with more general central forces, γS is appreciably larger than γ∞. Most of the experimental data is uncertain, but it would indicate that, in agreement with theory, γS > γ∞ for most alkali halides. For metals, on the other hand, a revised interpretation of experimental data given recently by Gilvarry shows that usually γS In conclusion a summary is given of the main results of this paper and its predecessors.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea of the Larynx

To determine the mechanism for obstructive sleep apnea in two patients with clinical abnormalities of laryngeal function, airflow dynamics during sleep were analyzed. The site of airway obstruction was assessed by examining pressure gradients across specific airway segments. The relation between maximal inspiratory airflow and nasal pressure was analyzed to determine (1) the critical pressure, a measure of the collapsibility of the laryngeal airway, and (2) the effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure on airflow during sleep. Large inspiratory pressure gradients developed during sleep between the supraglottic and pleural spaces, indicating that collapse had occurred in the larynx. Elevated critical pressures of -6.4 and +1.2 cm H2O, respectively, occurred in the two patients. When the nasal pressure was raised to 10 cm H2O, normal levels of tidal airflow occurred, and obstructive apneas were eliminated. These findings indicate that sleep apnea was caused by laryngeal airflow obstruction that resulted from elevations in the collapsibility of the larynx. The response to nasal continuous positive airway pressure suggested that laryngeal sleep apnea was similar to pharyngeal sleep apnea in pathophysiologic characteristic and response to treatment.
The X boxes from promoters of HLA class II B genes at different loci do not compete for nuclear protein-specific binding

Expression of HLA class II genes is coordinately regulated by cis-acting elements present in their promoter regions immediately upstream from the 5' end of their tranccription start sites. Trans-acting factors from the nuclear proteins of the cell are able to positively or negatively regulate transcription of these genes by binding to highly conserved sequences, called boxes. After cloning the promoter regions of all the transcribed class II B genes present in the cell line Priess, we were able to identify certain protein-box complexes and to determine the affinity of these proteins for their respective boxes by comparing promoter boxes of each gene to those of the other genes. Different nuclear proteins seemed to bind to the X boxes of the different class II B genes tested. In the case of the Y box-protein complexes, the various Y boxes competed with similar affinities. The protein(s) which specifically bound to the DRB1-CCAAT box also bound to DPB1-CCAAT box, but completely failed to bind the homologous box form DQB1. Further, CCAAT box-specific protein(s) did not bind to the Y box of the same gene, excluding the possibility that these proteins just recognize the reverse CCAAT box (ATTGG) present within Y.
Midbrain dopaminergic neurons from postnatal rat in long-term primary culture

Abstract Midbrain dopamine neurons project extensively throughout the vertebrate forebrain and influence a wide variety of brain functions. These neurons, which are believed to form a major brain reward system, are involved in initiation and control of motor programs, addictive behaviors, and determination of mood. Given their critical role in behavioral function, relatively little is known about their fundamental cellular physiological and pharmacological properties. A long-term dissociated culture system for postnatal rat dopamine neurons was developed to permit both acute and chronic studies of these cells. Dopamine neurons were dissociated from slices of ventral midbrain from neonatal rat pups and maintained in cell culture for several months. The dopaminergic phenotype was confirmed by catecholamine fluorescence and by tyrosine hydroxylase immunocytochemistry. After four weeks in culture, dopamine neurons had cell bodies 10–40 μm in diameter, displayed either fusiform or multipplar morphology, and had processes with varicosities of 0.5–2 μm in diameter. Electrophysiological recordings were made from 71 dopamine neurons identified by 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine fluorescence after six to 67 days in culture. The neurons had resting potentials of −51 ± 5 mV, broad action potentials with durations of 2.9 ± 1.3 ms, and the majority of the neurons (65%) displayed anomalous rectification. Most dopamine neurons in culture fired spontaneously in a pacemaker-like manner with a frequency of 2.3 ± 1.3 Hz, or in a bursting pattern, typically having two to seven action potentials per burst. All neurons tested had glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid receptors, and 90% of neurons responded to dopamine or quinpirole with inhibition of firing, suggesting the presence of dopamine autoreceptors. Some neurons were inhibited by concentrations of quinpirole as low as 10 nM. The results show that midbrain dopamine neurons can be maintained in dissociated cell culture for periods of several months. These neurons can be identified prior to electrophysiological recording, and they express many of the physiological characteristics that have been reported for midbrain dopamine neurons in vivo .
Wavefront amplitude variation of TPF's high-contrast imaging testbed: modeling and experiment

Knowledge of wavefront amplitude is as important as the knowledge of phase for a coronagraphic high contrast imaging system. Efforts have been made to understand various contributions of the amplitude variation in Terrestrial Planet Finder's (TPF) High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT). Modeling of HCIT with as-built mirror surfaces has shown an amplitude variation of 1.3% due to the phase-amplitude mixing for the testbed's front-end optics. Experimental measurements on the testbed have shown the amplitude variation is about 2.5% with the testbed's illumination pattern has a major contribution as the low order amplitude variation.
Blind super-resolution restoration with frame-by-frame nonparametric blur estimation

In this paper, we investigate super-resolution image restoration from multiple images, which are possibly degraded with large nonparametric motion blur. The blur kernel for each input image is separately estimated. This is unlike many existing super-resolution algorithms, which assume identical blur kernel for all input images. We also do not make any restrictions on the motion field among images; that is, we estimate dense motion field without simplifications such as parametric motion. We present a two-step algorithm: In the first step, each input image is deblurred using its estimated blur kernel. In the second step, multi-frame super-resolution restoration is applied to the deblurred images. Because the estimated blur kernels may not be accurate, we propose a weighted cost function for the super-resolution restoration step, where a weight associated with an input image reflects the reliabilities of the corresponding kernel estimate and deblurred image. We provide experimental results with both simulated and real data, and show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method compared to some alternative approaches and state-of-the-art methods.
Programmed vesicle transfer of green fluorescent protein from a stably transduced cell line to primary hematopoietic cells.

To the editor: Release and trafficking of cell membrane–derived vesicles is a constitutive cellular function important to cell-cell communication.[1][1] Montecalvo and colleagues recently described the transfer of microRNA (miRNA) between dendritic cells.[2][2],[3][3] The authors report the
Integrated weed management strategies for maize (Zea mays) production on the southeastern coastal plains of North America

Abstract A 2-yr field study was conducted near Florence, South Carolina, to compare alternative versus traditional Zea mays (L.) production practices for effectiveness of weed control on the southeastern Coastal Plain. Alternative practices included conservation tillage, 38-cm row widths, cover crops, and glyphosate, whereas traditional production practices involved surface tillage, 76-cm row widths, and atrazine plus metolachlor. Ipomoea lacunosa (L.) and Brachiaria platyphylla (Griseb.) Nash were present in the study both years, whereas Senna obtusifolia (L.) Irwin and Barneby was present only in 2002 and Amaranthus palmeri (S.) Wats. and Sida rhombifolia (L.) in 2003. Glyphosate applied at the V6–V7 Z. mays growth stage and a pre-emergence application of atrazine plus S-metolachlor both resulted in greater than 90% control of all weed species and similar weed biomass and yields both years. A Secale cereale (L.) or Triticum aestivum (L.) cover crop usually suppressed most weed species prior to glyphosate application, but had no effect on late-season weed control or grain yield in either year. Surface tillage had little effect on weed control or weed biomass, but omitting surface tillage increased yields an average of 310–400 kg/ha. Reducing the row width of Z. mays improved S. obtusifolia and Sida rhombifolia control while increasing grain yields 10–15%. In addition to increasing grain yields, the use of glyphosate, cover crops, conservation tillage, and narrow rows are important weed management practices that can be integrated into Z. mays production systems on the southeastern Coastal Plain of the United States.
Patient self-monitoring: A challenging approach to pharmacoepidemiology

This paper reports the development over the past 10 years of an innovative patient self-monitoring method of (1) signalling possible adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and unexpected beneficial drug reactions, and (2) providing incidence estimates and relative risks. The system's validity has been well documented in a series of published papers. There is no other existing postmarketing surveillance method that can obtain early reliable and accurate patient reports about possible side-effects. We thought that, having successfully developed and validated the method, both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the pharmaceutical industry would recognize the need to support its application as an important complementary approach to existing postmarketing surveillance methods. Despite our repeated requests, however, neither FDA nor industry has shown any interest in helping to sustain this research, in part because pharmacoepidemiologists tend to focus on the detection of serious ADRs as defined and diagnosed by physicians, but also because it has become patently clear that the US pharmaceutical industry does not want its new drugs to be monitored for possible ADRs. Thus there is virtually no systematic attention being paid to the possible importance of less serious ADRs as inferred from accurate patient reports of behavioural and subjective symptoms — which, especially with CNS-acting drugs, may often be essential for obtaining reliable ADR profiles.
Pituitary abnormalities in eating disorders: further evidence from MRI studies

1. The frequent occurrence of hypothalamo-pituitary dysfunction in patients with eating disorders as well as prior reports that nutritional and endocrine status influence pituitary morphology, led us to hypothesize that pituitary size and shape may be altered in patients with eating disorders. 2. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not use ionizing radiation and is currently one of the most feasible modalities available to study the pituitary gland in vivo. Using MRI, we have previously reported in a preliminary study that female patients with eating disorders had significantly smaller pituitary glands than controls. In addition MRI excluded any pituitary mass lesions. 3. In this report, we confirm our previous MRI findings and provide further evidence of pituitary abnormalities in an expanded sample of eating disorder patients. Preliminary data on pituitary volume estimates from MRI scans are provided for a subset of patients and controls.
Creating a Diasporic Archaeology of Chinese Migration: Tentative Steps Across Four Continents

This article calls for a specific form of comparative inquiry within historical archaeology as drawn from diaspora studies. Such a project encourages archaeologists to compare research from emigrant areas alongside work at overseas sites. This diasporic approach provides new potentials for engaging with the modern world by intersecting with both traditional and new aspects of archaeological practice. In order to showcase these aspects of a diasporic approach, the author explores three case studies from Montana, Peru, and New Zealand – connecting each to its related home area. The case studies explore how data drawn from a group’s homeland can support established heritage practices, engage with modern social problems, and illuminate complexities arising within sites based on ethnolinguistic differences within populations.
Transplantation for myelodysplastic syndromes 2013.

Purpose of the review The only current treatment capable of curing patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT). However, many MDS patients are older, often with substantial co-morbid conditions, and the disease is heterogeneous. As a consequence, results of HCT vary considerably, and the practices of HCT for MDS are evolving.