cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gamma glutamyl semialdehyde dehydrogenase: simulations on native and mutant forms support the importance of outer shell lysines.

Abstract Our computer simulations of gamma glutamyl semialdehyde dehydrogenase (GGSALDH, pyrroline 5-carboxylate dehydrogenase, ALDH4) were initiated from the Thermus thermophilus crystal structures in an effort to understand the effects of a seemingly subtle mutation. In humans, a natural S352L mutation gives rise to type II hyperprolinemia (mental retardation). The mutation occurs in what might be a priori considered the outer shell of the active site, affecting a residue of no obvious significance. In another member of the superfamily (ALDH3) this serine residue is an aspartate, which tethers the “distal” Lys. It has been our hypothesis that in ALDH3 this is a beneficial interaction, enabling the “proximal” Lys to interact with the carbonyl oxygen of the peptide bond with the catalytic Cys, allowing the Cys amide N to transiently protonate the tetrahedral intermediate. That the role of this Asp is significant is proved by a natural Asp-to-Asn mutation that abolishes activity. The Ser-to-Leu exchange in GGSALDH might be expected to alter the water structure at the site of mutation, and the MM simulations clearly support this. It was our hypothesis, based on initial static models of the mutation, that the leucyl side chain would block the direct or indirect interaction of the distal Lys with the active site. Our simulations indicate that this lysine residue is indeed important in explaining the molecular pathology of the mutation. Through small rotations of its C–C bonds, the Lys ɛ-amino group comes into H-bonding distance with Ser-326, the equivalent of human Ser-352. In the S326L mutant, this interaction is not possible, while the water network from this residue to the target main-chain carbonyl oxygen is disturbed as well.
Shock-induced aggression: opposite effects of intraventricularly infused dopamine and norepinephrine.

Saline, dopamine, or norepinephrine was infused into the lateral ventricles of unrestrained rats via chronically implanted cannulae. Immediately after infusion, the amount of shock-induced fighting between pairs of rats was determined. Low doses of dopamine increased the number of attacks while norepinephrine infusions markedly reduced fighting. Two weeks after intraventricular injection of 6-hydroxydopamine, when shockinduced fighting is increased, the infusion of norepinephrine, but not dopamine, reduced the amount of attack behavior. The possibility is discussed that this type of aggressive behavior is modulated in part by a balance between dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems.
Finsler Active Contours

In this paper, we propose an image segmentation technique based on augmenting the conformal (or geodesic) active contour framework with directional information. In the isotropic case, the euclidean metric is locally multiplied by a scalar conformal factor based on image information such that the weighted length of curves lying on points of interest (typically edges) is small. The conformal factor that is chosen depends only upon position and is in this sense isotropic. Although directional information has been studied previously for other segmentation frameworks, here, we show that if one desires to add directionality in the conformal active contour framework, then one gets a well-defined minimization problem in the case that the factor defines a Finsler metric. Optimal curves may be obtained using the calculus of variations or dynamic programming-based schemes. Finally, we demonstrate the technique by extracting roads from aerial imagery, blood vessels from medical angiograms, and neural tracts from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imagery.
Multilayer spherical grating monochromator for 1- to 4-KeV x rays

ABSTRACT In this paper we discuss the design and anticipated optical performance of a multilayer spherical grating monochromator for x—rays with energies of 1-4 keV. The monochromator is to be used for x-ray microscopy and coherence experiments on the 2-ID-B soft x-ray beamline at the Advanced Photon Source. The layout, design considerations, and resolving power with varioussingle and multilayer grating coatings are discussed.Keywords: spherical grating monochromator, grazing incidence optics, soft x-rays, multilayer 1. INTRODUCTION The 1-4 keY energy region has seen little development by comparison to both the softer and harder x-ray regions, principallydue to the difficulty in devising an efficient yet rugged monochromator for intermethate-energy x-rays. Diffraction gratingswith single-layer coatings of metals such as Rh, Pt, and Au have good first-order diffraction efficiency (>10%) at grazingincidence up to x-ray energies of —2 keV; however, the efficiency is poor at higher energies, where the critical angle for totalexternal reflection is very small. Crystal optics with large d-spacing can overcome the difficulties of working with silicon orgermanium crystals below —2 keV, but the various options in this regard (e.g., KAP beryl, fl-alumina, and YB) are subjectto radiation damage in high-brilliance x-ray beams, and large perfect crystals of these materials are hard to obtain. Anotherapproach is to use grazing-incidence grating optics coated with multilayers to improve the diffraction efficiency in this energyregion. The grazing-incidence geometry also offers good preservation of the spatial coherence and polarization of the beam.Cr/C and Ni/C multilayer coatings with layer periods of about 10 nm can now be made with relative ease and stability, andhave significantly higher reflectivity at grazing incidence angles than do single-layer coatings. Efficient multilayer gratings,primarily of the phase (shallow) type, have been under development for several years for the extreme ultraviolet and very softx-ray ranges [1-4]. Recent progress with deep multilayer gratings indicates significant efficiency gains are possible in the few-
Exercise training confers anticipatory protection from sudden death during acute myocardial ischemia.

Seven conscious dogs documented to be at high risk by the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation (VF) during acute myocardial ischemia were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of either daily exercise training or cage rest followed by exercise training. After 6 weeks of daily treadmill training, heart rate variability, a marker of vagal tone, increased by 74% (P < .001); baroreflex sensitivity, a marker of the capability to reflexly augment vagal activity, increased by 69% (P < .01); the repetitive extrasystole threshold, a marker of ventricular electrical stability, increased by 44% (P < .05). After exercise training, the incidence of ventricular fibrillation during acute myocardial ischemia decreased by 100%, as all animals survived. Neither passage of time nor heart rate level during ischemia contributed to the outcome. The most likely mechanism to explain the striking change in risk status is the shift in autonomic balance characterized by increased cardiac vagal activity, which was previously shown to have an antifibrillatory effect. These results suggest that exercise training in healthy individuals may decrease their likelihood of developing lethal arrhythmias during acute myocardial ischemia.
The Effect of Recompression on the Swelling Kinetics of Wet Massed Tablets, Containing ‘Super’ Disintegrants

AbstractThe effect of recompression on the swelling force kinetics of tablets employing a wet massed Avicel matrix and those containing extra-granular super disintegrants has been investigated. Explotab, unlike the Ac-Di-Sol and Polyplasdone XL systems, was found to give a high initial compact swelling force at low tablet porosities, but the rework process reduced the maximal swelling forces for all systems. However, the measured maximal swelling forces did not correlate with tablet disintegration time.The rate of fluid penetration into the compacts was found to be controlled by tablet porosity but the penetration rates for all disintegrant systems were essentially identical. However the penetration rates for reworked compacts were significantly lower than those for tablets produced by first compression possibly due to the effects of increased lubricant distribution and relubrication causing poorer wettability.Tablet disintegration times were found to correlate with a fluid penetration kinetic function in...
Minimum-average-B wells in linked magnetic mirror fields

Minimum-average-B wells are examined for use in hydromagnetically stable linked mirror traps. A multipole expansion to fourth order in radius is used. The magnetic field shapes are chosen by a combination of heuristic and variational techniques to optimize the well radius. Numerical results show that the optimized wells are more practical than was previously realized, and that the required field shapes can be achieved with a simple coil configuration.
Electrical Conductivity of Single-Crystal Cuprous Oxide at High Temperatures

The electrical conductivity of single-crystal ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}$O was measured in the temperature range of 1100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 500\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C in oxygen pressures from 152 mm to ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ mm of Hg. The $log\ensuremath{\sigma}$ vs $logP({\mathrm{O}}_{2})$ curves were found to be linear between the oxygen pressures of 50 mm and ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ mm, with an average slope of 0.1420, or approximately $\frac{1}{7}$. These curves exhibit a radical change in slope at ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ pressures below ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ mm.The plots of $log\ensuremath{\sigma}$ vs $\frac{1}{T}$ at constant oxygen pressure were found to be linear and the activation energies obtained from the slopes of these plots have an average value of 0.65 ev at ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ pressures between 50 mm and ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ mm. At ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ pressures of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ mm to ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ mm, the activation energy increases sharply to a value of 1.05 ev. The activation energy obtained from the measurement of single-crystal ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}$O in air at temperatures from 1020\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C to 1100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C was found to have an average value of 0.767 ev.An explanation for the physical significance of the activation energies obtained is suggested and the models proposed to explain the dependence of the electrical conductivity on the ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ pressure are considered.
Antioxidative responses in roots and shoots of creeping bentgrass under high temperature: Effects of nitrogen and cytokinin

Abstract It has been previously reported that either nitrogen (N) or cytokinin (CK) applications can alleviate heat stress injury on creeping bentgrass, with some studies reporting enhanced antioxidant metabolism being related to stress protection. The objective of this research was to investigate the simultaneous effects of CK and N on the antioxidant enzyme activity and isoforms of heat stressed creeping bentgrass. ‘L-93’ creeping bentgrass treated with three rates of CK (trans-zeatin riboside, t ZR, 0, 10 and 100 μM, designated by CK0, 10, and 100) and two nitrogen rates (2.5 and 7.5 kg N ha −1 biweekly, low and high N) in a complete factorial arrangement was maintained in a 38/28 °C (day/night) growth chamber for 28 d and then harvested. Grass grown at high N (averaged across CK rates) had higher O 2 − production, H 2 O 2 concentration, and malondialdehyde content in roots. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and guaiacol peroxidase (POD) in roots were enhanced 19%, 22%, and 24%, respectively, by high N relative to low N. Twenty-eight days of heat stress resulted in either the development of new isoforms or enhanced isoform intensities of SOD, APX, and POD in roots compared to plant responses prior to heat stress. However, no apparent differences were observed across treatments. Both SOD and POD showed different isoform patterns between roots and shoots, suggesting the function of these isoforms could be tissue specific. Interestingly, no CK effects on these antioxidant parameters were found in this experiment. These results demonstrate the impacts of N on antioxidant metabolism of creeping bentgrass under heat stress with some differences between roots and shoots, but no simultaneous impacts of CK and N.
Creeping friction on amorphous polymers: Dissipation through molecular relaxation

The dissipation mechanisms of nanoscale friction between a scanning force microscopy (SFM) tip and amorphous polystyrene are found to reside solely within the polymer's intrinsic molecular mobility, and are discussed with respect to the glass transition temperature. In both the glassy and the rubbery states, lateral force microscopy friction results revealed the dissipative behavior as activated relaxation processes with potential barrier heights of 7 kcal/mol and 83 kcal/mol, respectively. These values correspond to hindered phenyl (side chain) rotation and to the α-relaxation, respectively. The velocity relationship with friction, F(v), was found to satisfy simple fluctuation surface potential models with F ∝const -ln(v) and F ∝const -ln(v)2/3. Within ∼27 K above the glass transition temperature, friction displayed a shear thinning type behavior, also found in materials that exhibit multiple phases.
Brokers as Entrepreneurs in Presocialist China

Brokers or middlemen have been called a key element in preindustrial economic development, facilitating the exchange of goods within the domestic economy and opening rural production systems to foreign markets. Though Chinese society historically boasted a vigorous brokerage system, many studies of Chinese brokers have viewed them as obstacles to the development of entrepreneurship and capitalist transformation. China's brokers were limited, it is argued, by larger structural constraints—the bonds of custom and community, a preindustrial mode of production, a particular form of state organization and ideology—that inhibited entrepreneurial activities. This view is best reflected in the writings of Marxist historians who claim that brokers in China's presocialist society were an integral part of a feudal system in which landlords and the state dominated the peasant/worker economy, preventing the flowering of the “capitalist sprouts” shooting forth from China's towns and villages.
On the achievable information rate of asymmetric optical fiber channels with amplifier spontaneous emission noise

This work is motivated by the need to understand the fundamental limit of channel capacities of optical fiber communication channels where amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise is dominant and to understand how much has been achieved by the state-of-the-art forward error correction (FEC) coding techniques. Two most commonly used channel models, the Chi-square channel and its Gaussian approximation, are examined. Both soft receiver with continuous output and hard receiver with 1-bit and 2-bit quantized output are investigated for several values of the system parameter M, which is the number of signal photons at the input of the ideal high gain optical amplifier that produces the noise. We show how bit quantization affects the channel capacity and how the capacity scales with different values of M. Finally, we report the performance of some of the best-known codes like turbo codes on optical fiber communication channels.
Aggregate congestion control for distributed multimedia applications

We consider the problem of applying aggregate congestion control to a class of distributed multimedia applications known as Cluster-to-Cluster (C-to-C) applications. Flows in such an application share a common intermediary path that is the primary source of network delay and packet loss. Using the Coordination Protocol (CP) architecture, we show how aggregate congestion control can be achieved with the following properties: Almost any rate-based, single-flow congestion control algorithm may be applied to make aggregate C-to-C traffic congestion responsive. C-to-C applications may use multiple flow bandwidth shares and still exhibit correct aggregate congestion responsiveness. C-to-C applications may implement complex, application-specific adaptation schemes in which the behavior of individual flows is decoupled from the behavior of the congestion responsive aggregate flow. Bandwidth filtered loss detection (BFLD) is presented as a technique for making single-flow loss detection algorithms work when aggregate traffic uses multiple flowshares. The approach is evaluated using both ns2 simulation and an experimental implementation in Free BSD and Linux. Results demonstrate its success for a wide range of network conditions.
Recognition of the TACTAAC box during mRNA splicing in yeast involves base pairing to the U2-like snRNA

The U2 snRNP binds to the site of branch formation during splicing of mammalian pre-mRNA in vitro. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae the branch site is within the so-called TACTAAC box (UACUAAC box), an absolutely conserved intron sequence required for splicing. Based on the identification and sequence of a U2 analogue in yeast, a specific base pairing interaction between the UACUAAC box and a highly conserved region of this snRNA can be proposed. To test this hypothesis, we have taken advantage of two mutations constructed previously in the UACUAAC box of an actin-HIS4 fusion. These mutant strains were transformed with stable plasmids bearing U2-like snRNAs into which changes predicted to restore base pairing had been introduced. Allele-specific suppression of biological and biochemical phenotypes was observed in both cases. Recognition of the UACUAAC box thus relies, at least in part, on Watson-Crick base pairing with the yeast U2 analogue.
Brainstiming with a GSS: exploring over time the effects of causal thinking on idea generation and synergy

Group support systems (GSS) development benefits from the theories methodologies, and findings of areas such as cognitive, learning, and group psychology but it also is often capable of contributing new insights into these areas that would not be attainable with any other technology or environment. Two studies are presented here that illustrate this capability. Both deal with idea generation in groups and they shed some light on how cognitive processes such as problem solving and learning are affected by different levels of interaction. The first study illustrates how a GSS tool can help us map the cognitive dynamics of idea generation over time in noncomputer supported and computer supported groups. The study also the GSS's capability to show how increasing the causal thinking of the participants prior to brainstorming can increase their productivity. The second study shows how the GSS can help us document the amount of collaborative and synergistic problem solving that goes on in these types of sessions.
Prior-updating ensemble learning for discrete HMM

Ensemble learning is a variational Bayesian method in which an intractable distribution is approximated by a lower-bound. Ensemble learning results in models with better generalization and is less likely to fall into local maxima than Baum-Welch learning. However, it does not fully make use of the statistics of training data. In this paper, we propose a prior-updating variant which combines the data-driven property of Baum-Welch learning and the generalization property of ensemble learning. First we present experimental results suggesting that ensemble learning is better than the Baum-Welch learning in the aspects mentioned above and then we introduce a prior-updating method using training data. The prior-updating ensemble learning performs better than Baum-Welch as well as the pure ensemble learning in experiments with an artificial and a real data set.
Childhood Primary Care Services in Wyoming

Provision of childhood primary care services and differences between types of providers (family practice physicians, pediatricians, nurse practitioners, and physicians’ assistants) were explored in this study. A mail survey was conducted in Wyoming using a questionnaire based on the recommendations from the U. S. Preventive Service Task Force. Sixty-one percent of the providers returned questionnaires. While some areas of assessment, screening, and treatment/counseling services were provided at high levels, many were not. Gaps exist particularly in the areas of behavioral and lifestyle assessment and treatment/counseling. Only small differences existed between types of providers. However, nurse practitioners and pediatricians were more likely to report that they followed recommendations, while physicians’ assistants were least likely to report that they followed recommendations.
Effects of donor bone marrow infusion in clinical lung transplantation

Abstract Background . We have demonstrated that donor cell chimerism is associated with a lower incidence of obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) in lung recipients, and that donor chimerism is augmented by the infusion of donor bone marrow (BM). We herein report the intermediate results of a trial combining the infusion of donor BM and lung transplantation. Methods . Clinical and in vitro data of 26 lung recipients receiving concurrent infusion of donor bone marrow (3.0 to 6.0 × 10 8 cells/kg) were compared with those of 13 patients receiving lung transplant alone. Results . Patient survival and freedom from acute rejection were similar between groups. Of the patients whose graft survived greater than 4 months, 5% (1 of 22) of BM and 33% (4 of 12) of control patients, developed histologic evidence of OB ( p = 0.04). A higher proportion (but not statistically significant) of BM recipients (7 of 10, 70%) exhibited donor-specific hyporeactivity by mixed lymphocyte reaction assays as compared with the controls (2 of 7, 28%). Conclusions . Infusion of donor BM at the time of lung transplantation is safe, and is associated with recipients' immune modulation and a lower rate of obliterative bronchiolitis.
Uniform Data Sampling from a Peer-to-Peer Network

Uniform random sample is often useful in analyzing data. Usually taking a uniform sample is not a problem if the entire data resides in one location. However, if the data is distributed in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network with different amount of data in different peers, collecting a uniform sample of data becomes a challenging task. A random sampling can be performed using random-walk, but due to varying degrees of connectivity and different sizes of data owned by each peer, this random walk gives a biased sample. In this paper, we propose a random walk-based sampling algorithm that can be used to sample data tuples uniformly from a large, unstructured P2P network. We model the random walk as a Markov chain and derive conditions to bound the length of the random walk necessary to achieve uniformity. A formal communication analysis shows logarithmic communication cost to discover a uniform data sample.
Allantoin as nitrogen source for growth of marine benthic microalgae

Abstract Eighteen species of marine microalgae from nine taxonomic classes were tested for axenic growth in light on allantoin as sole nitrogen source. The tests were made at concentration levels of 0 · 125 and 1 · 25 mM allantoin, and were compared with corresponding growth on 0 · 125 mM hypoxanthine taken as control. Only the diatom Nitzschia acicularis showed good growth at the lower concentration, and this growth was comparable to that from equivalent hypoxanthine, suggesting that allantoin may be an expected intermediate in the pathway of purine catabolism. Two other diatoms and a prasinophyte showed generally slow (but ultimately substantial) growth on allantoin at the higher concentration, while all other algae responded with marginal or insignificant growth. It is concluded that allantoin is generally a poor N-source for phytoplankton growth relative to the purines, but certain benthic-type species appear well equipped to utilize it.
Adaptive expert systems for indirect coverage control

Herds of livestock, when left to their own devices, will forage for food in predictable patterns, and will often overgraze preferred areas while leaving other areas untouched. The field of grazing management looks to improve the efficiency of land use by moving the animals through different pastures at regular intervals, akin to coverage algorithms used in robotics but with non-uniform coverage and additional constraints due to the animals' natural behaviors. The knowledge of the field of grazing management is largely in the hands of ranchers and other domain experts, and as such has not been the subject of much computational study. In this work, we have created novel learning techniques for expert systems that use both off-line and on-line learning to generate efficient performance. The rules of the expert systems are initially developed using an evolutionary algorithm, and after deployment, an adaptive algorithm tracks the state of the system and updates rule weights to improve both coverage efficiency and animal stress levels. We present a series of results based on increasingly complex versions of simulated herd models that show improvements over unconstrained motion in each case, and suggest how the algorithm can apply to robotic coverage problems.
Tolerating Concurrency Bugs Using Transactions as Lifeguards

Parallel programming is hard, because it is impractical to test all possible thread interleavings. One promising approach to improve a multi-threaded program’s reliability is to constrain a production run’s thread interleavings in such a way that untested interleavings are avoided as much as possible. Such an approach would avoid hard-to-test rare thread interleavings in production runs, and thereby improve correctness. However, a key challenge in realizing this goal is in determining thread interleaving constraints from the tested correct interleavings, and enforcing them efficiently in production runs. In this paper, we propose a new method to determine thread interleaving constraints from the tested interleavings in the form of lifeguard transactions (LifeTxes). An untested code region initially is contained in a single LifeTx. As the code region is tested over more thread interleavings, its original LifeTx is automatically split into multiple smaller LifeTxes so that the newly tested interleavings are permitted in production runs. To efficiently enforce LifeTx constraints in production runs, we propose a hardware design similar to the eager conflict detection capability that exist in a conventional hardware transactional memory (TM) systems, but without the need for versioning, rollback and unbounded TM support.We show that 11 out of 14 real concurrency bugs in programs like Apache, MySQL and Mozilla could be avoided using the proposed approach for a negligible performance overhead.
Optimizing Minimum and Maximum Green Time Settings for Traffic Actuated Control at Isolated Intersections

Optimization of signal control at isolated intersections has been an important research focus in traffic engineering over the past few years. Due to its flexibility and practicality, fully actuated control has been extensively deployed. In the conventional actuated control scheme, two important parameters, i.e., minimum and maximum green times, are arbitrarily prespecified, although it is widely recognized that they can significantly impact system operations. Previous studies have concentrated on computing these parameters using deterministic models. Due to the stochastic features of traffic arrival, such statically designated green time boundaries cannot sufficiently handle various traffic demands. To solve this problem, a stochastic model is established to dynamically optimize the minimum and maximum green times using real-time queue lengths and traffic arrival characteristics for each phase. Multiple criteria are fused and exploited as control objectives, such as avoiding cycle failures, minimizing control delays, and maximizing total traffic throughputs. Performance of the proposed algorithms is examined using a microscopic traffic simulation program, i.e., VISSIM 4.30, under various scenarios. The results show that the control system operated by the proposed algorithm produces promising improvements in system operation efficiency and fairness under various traffic demands.
Computing simple paths among obstacles

Abstract Given a set X of points in the plane, two distinguished points s,t∈X , and a set Φ of obstacles represented by line segments, we wish to compute a simple polygonal path from s to t that uses only points in X as vertices and avoids the obstacles in Φ . We present two results: (1) we show that finding such simple paths among arbitrary obstacles is NP-complete, and (2) we give a polynomial-time algorithm that computes simple paths when the obstacles form a simple polygon P and X is inside P . Our algorithm runs in time O (m 2 n 2 ) , where m is the number of vertices of P and n is the number of points in X .
Prereplicative changes in the soluble calmodulin of isoproterenol‐activated rat parotid glands

Cells of rat parotid glands were maximally stimulated to initiate DNA synthesis by injecting into the animal a single dose of 25 to 150 mg of isoproterenol/kg of body weight. During the 18- to 21-hr prereplicative period following injection of the highest dose of the drug, there were two predominant and transient redistributions of calmodulin from the bound to the soluble form, which tripled the level of soluble calmodulin at 3 hr and again at 18 hr just before the initiation of DNA synthesis. A small (50%) increase in total calmodulin was observed only during the early (3-h) prereplicative surge of soluble calmodulin. The late, pre-DNA-synthetic surge of soluble calmodulin and the initiation of DNA synthesis were both prevented in rats that lacked their parathyroid-thyroid gland complex and had been hypocalcemic for 48 or 72 hr. Unlike the effect of high doses of isoproterenol, low doses (e.g., 25 mg/kg body weight) of the beta-adrenergic drug could maximally stimulate DNA synthetic activity without the later pre-DNA-synthetic surge of soluble calmodulin, suggesting that any apparent correlation between the level of calmodulin and DNA synthesis may be spurious and that an actual increase in the level of soluble calmodulin just before the onset of DNA synthesis was not a prerequisite for DNA synthetic activity in parotid cells.
Muscle-Derived Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Therapy

Skeletal muscle has been recognized as an essential source of progenitor or satellite cells, which are primarily responsible for muscle regeneration. Recently, muscle has also been identified as a valuable source of postnatal stem cells that appear to be distinct from satellite cells and possess the ability to differentiate into other cell lineages. These cells, named muscle-derived stem cells, possess a high myogenic capacity and effectively regenerate both skeletal and cardiac muscle. Remarkably, when genetically modified ex vivo to express growth factors, these cells can differentiate into osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages and have been shown to promote the repair of bone and cartilage. Muscle stem cell-based regenerative therapy and tissue engineering using ex vivo gene therapy, are promising approaches for the treatment of various musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and urological disorders.
A rank-dependent expected utility model for strategic route choice with stated preference data

Route choice behavior under real-time traffic information needs to be adequately modeled for the proper analysis of a transportation system in the presence of Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS). This paper focuses on strategic route choice, where a traveler is able to plan ahead for traffic information that s/he will receive in the future. A Stated Preference (SP) survey was conducted with interactive maps showing two types of networks with risky travel times, one type eliciting risk attitude and the other allowing for strategic route choice with a detour to an incident-prone road segment and real-time traffic information. The preliminary analysis suggests that a traveler’s risk attitude is probability-dependent. A rank-dependent expected utility (RDEU) model is adopted to account for such a phenomenon, where the decision weight of a probabilistic outcome depends on its ranking among all outcomes and a non-linear transformation of the cumulative probability. A latent-class mixed Logit model for panel data is specified with a RDEU component and two latent classes, strategic and non-strategic route choice. The estimated strategic class probability is significantly different from 0 and 1 respectively, suggesting that a route choice model under real-time information should consider both types of behavior. The estimated RDEU parameters show significant diminishing sensitivities to both outcome and probability and explain the probability-dependent risk attitude.
Challenges in the development of antimalarial drugs with causal prophylactic activity.

Introduction There is a continuing need for improved drugs for treatment and prevention of malaria. Drugs with causal prophylactic activity are especially useful for prevention of malaria in individuals with a limited duration of exposure in a malaria-endemic area. In this paper I compare the requirements for causal prophylaxis of relapsing and non-relapsing malarias and review some of the challenges to the development of new prophylactic antimalarial drugs.
Constructions of High Academic Achievement Through the Analysis of Critical Events

In this study, critical events in the career development of Finnish Academy professors describe the trajectories of their achievement and success throughout the lifespan. Focused open-ended interviews, curricula vitae, and field notes produced representations of high achievement, which in this article relate to the system, model of talent, to the concept of successful intelligence, and, more widely, to the poststructural understanding of knowledge construction. The purpose of the article is to describe the primary themes resulting from descriptive analysis. These themes included mentors, academic years abroad, strong interest in the domain, and luck. Also described are the transformative themes, which comprised situated construction of academic career and reflectiveness that lay beyond the constitution of descriptive themes. Interpretation moves from descriptive to transformative analysis and is supported with the stories of “Gatekeeper,” “Professional Leader,” and “Disappointed Idealist”. These scientist...
Nurse Practitioners Aiding Frail Elderly Through Home Visits

By 2030, one in every eight people will be above age 65 and the worldwide population is projected to increase to one billion. Ages 85 and older are the fastest growing part of the aging population. New reforms like the Independence at Home Act and the Affordable Care Act make home care visits a more viable option. This literature review demonstrates nurse practitioners can provide home care visits as an extension of the medical home model. This will allow frail, elderly patients to receive quality patient-centered care in their home, thereby decreasing emergency room visits, rehospitalization, and workload on office-based primary care providers.
FLI1 Levels Impact CXCR3 Expression and Renal Infiltration of T Cells and Renal Glycosphingolipid Metabolism in the MRL/lpr Lupus Mouse Strain

The ETS factor Friend leukemia virus integration 1 (FLI1) is a key modulator of lupus disease expression. Overexpressing FLI1 in healthy mice results in the development of an autoimmune kidney disease similar to that observed in lupus. Lowering the global levels of FLI1 in two lupus strains (Fli1(+/-)) significantly improved kidney disease and prolonged survival. T cells from MRL/lpr Fli1(+/-) lupus mice have reduced activation and IL-4 production, neuraminidase 1 expression, and the levels of the glycosphingolipid lactosylceramide. In this study, we demonstrate that MRL/lpr Fli1(+/-) mice have significantly decreased renal neuraminidase 1 and lactosylceramide levels. This corresponds with a significant decrease in the number of total CD3(+) cells, as well as CD4(+) and CD44(+)CD62L(-) T cell subsets in the kidney of MRL/lpr Fli1(+/-) mice compared with the Fli1(+/+) nephritic mice. We further demonstrate that the percentage of CXCR3(+) T cells and Cxcr3 message levels in T cells are significantly decreased and correspond with a decrease in renal CXCR3(+) cells and in Cxcl9 and Cxcl10 expression in the MRL/lpr Fli1(+/-) compared with the Fli1(+/+) nephritic mice. Our results suggest that reducing the levels of FLI1 in MRL/lpr mice may be protective against development of nephritis in part through downregulation of CXCR3, reducing renal T cell infiltration and glycosphingolipid levels.
FOSSIL PASSERINES FROM THE EARLY PLIOCENE OF KANSAS AND THE EVOLUTION OF SONGBIRDS IN NORTH AMERICA

Abstract Seven living species of passerines are identified or tentatively identified from the early Pliocene Fox Canyon locality (4.3–4.8 mya), Rexroad Formation, Meade Basin, southwestern Kansas. All seven species occur in Kansas today, primarily as winter residents or transients, and their migratory behavior may extend to the early Pliocene as well. A review of all known passerines from the Neogene of North America indicates that many modern taxa began to appear in the early Pliocene, much earlier than previously believed. This fossil evidence agrees with some mitochondrial DNA analyses for the estimated age of divergence for living species of longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus and C. mccownii), but similar estimates for the divergence of C. ornatus using cytochrome-b analyses is at least 3 my younger than indicated by the fossil evidence. The fossil songbirds, as well as other vertebrate taxa from the Meade Basin, also indicate a paleoenvironment of short-grass prairie and shrubland with wetlands and pond...
On the space of orthogonal multiplications in three and four dimensions and Cayley’s nodal cubic

The study of orthogonal multiplications is more than 100 years old and goes back to the works of Hurwitz and Radon. Yet, apart from the extensive literature on admissibility of domain and range dimensions near the Hurwitz-Radon range (in codimension \(\le 8\)), only sporadic and fragmentary results are known about full classification (in large codimension), more specifically, about the moduli space \(\mathfrak {M}_m\) of orthogonal multiplications \(F:\mathbb {R}^m\times \mathbb {R}^m\rightarrow \mathbb {R}^n\) (for various n), even for \(m\le 4\). In this paper we give an insight to the subtle geometries of \(\mathfrak {M}_3\) and \(\mathfrak {M}_4\). Orthogonal multiplications are intimately connected to quadratic eigenmaps between spheres via the Hopf-Whitehead construction. The 9-dimensional moduli space \(\mathfrak {M}_3\) lies on the boundary of the 84-dimensional moduli of quadratic eigenmaps of \(S^5\) into spheres. Similarly, the 36-dimensional moduli space \(\mathfrak {M}_4\) is on the boundary of the 300-dimensional moduli of quadratic eigenmaps of \(S^7\) into spheres. We will show that \(\mathfrak {M}_3\) is the \(SO(3)\times SO(3)\)-orbit of a 3-dimensional convex body bounded by Cayley’s nodal cubic surface with vertices in a real projective space \(\mathbb {R}P^3\), the latter imbedded equivariantly and minimally in an 8-sphere of the space of quadratic spherical harmonics on \(S^3\). For \(\mathfrak {M}_4\), we show that it possesses two orthogonal 18-dimensional slices each of which is an \(SO(4)\times SO(4)\)-orbit of a 6-dimensional polytope \(\mathcal {P}\subset \mathbb {R}^6\). This polytope itself is the convex hull of two orthogonal regular tetrahedra. The corresponding orthogonal multiplications are explicitly constructible. Finally, we give an algebraic description of the 24-dimensional space of diagonalizable elements in \(\mathfrak {M}_4\). The crucial fact in \(\mathbb {R}^4\) is the splitting of the exterior product \(\Lambda ^2(\mathbb {R}^4)\) into self-dual and anti-self-dual components. The techniques employed here can be traced back to the work of Ziller and the author (Toth and Ziller 1999) in describing the 18-dimensional moduli for quartic spherical minimal immersions of \(S^3\) into spheres. As a new feature, we point out the importance of multiplicity of the zeros of the polynomials that define the boundary \(\partial \,\mathfrak {M}_m\) as a determinantal variety.
Abstract 15884: Cardiosphere-Derived Cells Confer Acute Cardioprotection Following Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats: Role of Macrophage Polarization

Introduction: Cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) confer both cardioprotection and regeneration in acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, only long-term (>3 wks) post-MI endpoints have been studied, making it impossible to investigate the cardioprotective effects in isolation. Macrophages (MF) concentrate within the heart following ischemic injury as part of the inflammatory response to injury. Here we test the hypothesis that CDCs are cardioprotective by modifying MF within the myocardium post-MI. Methods & Results: Wistar-Kyoto rats (aged 8-12 wks) underwent 45 min of ischemia followed by 20 min of reperfusion, then intracoronary (i.c.) infusion of either saline or CDCs (5x10 5 ). The use of a 48 hr endpoint enabled the selective study of cardioprotection. CDC-treated animals had preserved ejection fraction (59.2% vs. 47.4%; p + MF (p Nos2, Tnf, Il1b ; p In vitro , MF conditioned by transwell exposure to CDCs (M CDC ) exhibited distinct gene profiles relative to proinflammatory M 1 or “healing” M 2 polarization states (M CDC : Il10 ; M 1 : Nos2 ; M 2 : Arg1, Pparg ). Adoptive transfer of selective MF populations into the heart (i.c.; 20 min post-reflow) revealed that M CDC , but not M 1 or M 2 MF, could recapitulate the reduction in infarct size (M CDC : 4.5%; M 1 : 14.0%; M 2 : 10.8%; p In vitro co-culture shows that M CDC selectively reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis following oxidant stress (M CDC : 9.9%; M 1 : 39.4%; M 2 : 37.4%; p Conclusions: CDCs are cardioprotective when administered 20 min after reflow; the timing distinguishes this form of cardioprotection from preconditioning or ischemic postconditioning. Various lines of evidence indicate that CDCs work by polarizing MF toward a cardioprotective phenotype. The findings motivate further translational development of the adjunctive use of CDCs post-MI to limit infarct size.
Unmet mental health care needs in U.S. children with medical complexity, 2005-2010.

Abstract Objective Children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN) are those who have or are at elevated risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional condition and need healthcare services of a type or quantity beyond that required by children generally. Within CSHCN, a small group of children with medical complexity have medical vulnerability and intensive care needs that are not easily met by existing healthcare models. This study estimated the national prevalence of unmet mental healthcare needs among CSHCN with and without medical complexity. Methods Secondary data analysis (N = 80,965) based on the National Survey of CSHCN 2005–2006 and 2009–2010 waves. Results During 2005–2010, 7.66% of CSHCN in the U.S. were with medical complexity. The prevalence of unmet needs for mental healthcare services among CSHCN increased from 3.71% in 2005–2006 to 5.62% in 2009–2010. In 2005–2006 the prevalence of unmet mental healthcare needs among children with medical complexity was 9.92%, tripling the prevalence among CSHCN without medical complexity of 3.10%. The prevalence of unmet mental healthcare needs among children with medical complexity further increased to 13.71% in 2009–2010, whereas that among CSHCN without medical complexity increased to 5.07%. Among CSHCN with medical complexity, older children and children living in poorer households were more likely to have an unmet need for mental healthcare services. Conclusion Substantial disparities in access to mental healthcare services between CSHCN with and without medical complexity were present, and the prevalence of unmet mental healthcare needs among both groups had noticeably increased during 2005–2010.
Chapter 9 – Legal

The numerous and pervasive advances in technology create opportunities and challenges for law enforcement. Statutory law fails to answer many questions about searching electronic data. Case law addressing electronic search and seizure is spotty and sometimes inconsistent. This chapter describes basic information about search and seizure, and then examines the application of these basic principles to electronic data and specific applications to various forms of technology.
Origin of X/O progeny from crosses of sex-ratio trait males of Drosophila pseudoobscura

Males of Drosophila pseudoobscura carrying the sex-ratio chromosome (SR) were studied to determine the cause of X/O male progeny that they produce. It was found that among 3671 X/O progeny virtually all resulted from nullo-X sperm. The experiment also revealed a dramatic clustering of the frequency of X/O progeny among SR/Y males. This is interpreted to indicate that premeiotic events in the male germ line are the cause of nullo-X sperm.
Symptomatic Pericardial Constriction without Active Pericarditis

ABSTRACT The decision to undergo pericardectomy for symptomatic pericardial constriction is usually dictated by an image of an abnormal pericardium. We report a case of symptomatic pericardial constriction despite radiographic and pathological evidence of a normal pericardium. The patient was successfully treated with a pericardectomy, with resolution of constrictive hemodynamics and symptoms. Our report suggests that a normal pericardium by computed tomography and biopsy should not preclude pericardectomy for patients who have refractory symptoms, physical findings, and intracardiac pressures diagnostic of constrictive pericarditis.
Diapause Termination, Gonoactivity, and Differentiation of Host-Seeking Behavior from Blood-Feeding Behavior in Hibernating Culex Tarsalis (Diptera: Culicidae)

Diapausing Culex tarsalis were collected from mine tunnels in Boulder Co., Colorado, during late September and early October 1980 and studied in the laboratory. Exposure to a long photophase (L:D 15:9) resulted in diapause termination in essentially all mosquitoes by day 7 at 25 °C. Warming alone (at 25 °C) for up to 8 days did not terminate diapause in a significant proportion of females maintained at typical autumn day lengths. Diapause was terminated in Cx. tarsalis by topical application of methoprene, a juvenile hormone (JH) mimic, suggesting that the physiological pathway for diapause termination involves secretion of JH by a reactivated corpus allatum. Host seeking and blood feeding were shown to represent discrete stages in the biting cycle of Cx. tarsalis , and these were differentiated in diapausing females by varying the size of the feeding chamber. Diapausing females could be induced to take a blood meal only when the host-seeking step in the biting cycle was bypassed by placing the females in close proximity to a host. Gonotrophic dissociation occurred in a significant proportion of females only when 3 conditions were met: females had to be in a state of diapause when fed, and fed females had to be incubated at a cool temperature (15 °C) and under short-day conditions during the time of blood meal digestion. The demonstration that gonotrophic dissociation can occur under experimental conditions probably has no relation to what occurs in nature. Warm Indian-summer conditions notwithstanding, typically short autumn day lengths are sufficient to suppress host-seeking behavior in diapausing populations and host seeking is a requisite for blood feeding in nature.