cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dietary anthocyanidin delphinidin modulates β-catenin signaling pathway in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells

469 Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men within the Western world and the third leading cause of cancer related deaths. Because of unsatisfactory treatment options for PCa there is a need to develop novel preventive approaches for this malignancy. One such strategy is through chemoprevention by the use of non toxic dietary substances and botanical products. Delphinidin, the most abundant and major anthocyanidin present in pigmented fruits and vegetables, possesses strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is an attractive target for new chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic approaches. The Wnt signaling pathway and its key component β-catenin play critical roles in embryonic development as well as in human diseases, including various malignancies. Since deregulation of β-catenin signaling pathway contributes to PCa progression, we examined the effect of delphinidin on β-catenin signaling pathway in human prostate cancer PC3 cells. We found that delphinidin (30-180µM; 72 h) treatment resulted in a dose-dependent growth inhibition of cells as assessed by an MTT assay. Delphinidin treatment to cells also resulted in increased phosphorylation of β-catenin at serine and threonine residues and decreased the levels of cytoplasmic β-catenin. Furthermore, treatment of cells to delphinidin inhibited nuclear translocation of β-catenin and suppressed the expression of cyclin D, c-myc, axin-2 and T cell factor-1 (TCF-1) which are downstream target genes of β-catenin. Employing electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we found that treatment of cells with delphinidin decreased the TCF DNA binding activity. We further investigated the effect of delphinidin on β-catenin destruction complex by analyzing the expression of APC, GSK3β and axin. Delphinidin treatment of cells was found to result in the induction of phosphorylation of GSK3β, and protein expression of APC and axin. Moreover, delphinidin treatment resulted in modulation of E-cadherin, Frzb/secreted Frizzled-related protein-3 (FRP3), low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6), Dickkopf (Dkk-1) and Dishevelled (Dvl2) proteins. Our results indicate that cell growth inhibition of cells by delphinidin is mediated, at least in part, by modulating β-catenin signaling pathway. We suggest that delphinidin could be a potent inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in human prostate cancer cells and suggests its potential use as a cancer therapeutic agent against PCa.
Validation of an online version of the Trier Social Stress Test in a study of adolescents.

Abstract Introduction The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is the most widely used protocol for activating a stress response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and other stress-mediating systems. A number of variants of the TSST exist, including ones for children, groups, and virtual reality. All of these versions, though, require in-person assessment. The COVID-19 pandemic has made in-person assessment impossible or extremely difficult and potentially dangerous. The purpose of this study was to validate a completely remote, online, version of the TSST for children. Method A sample of 68 (27 female) 15- and 16-year old participants were administered the TSST-Online (TSST-OL) during the late afternoon hours (3–6 p.m. start time). The participants, judges (one male, one female), and experimenter (female) all joined the assessment from their own homes via the online platform, ZOOM™. Two sessions were conducted, one to obtain consent, explain procedures, work with the family to arrange the computer and room set-up for the TSST-OL and one within two weeks to conduct the procedure. The participants were trained to take their own saliva samples and a saliva sampling kit was mailed to the home in between the first and second session. The samples were then mailed to the researchers within a day of collection. The participant was observed during saliva collection to determine correct procedures were followed. Salivary cortisol, salivary α-amylase and self-reports of stress were measured multiple times over the second session. Results rmANOVAs yielded a significant effect of trials, for cortisol, F(1.37,90.46) = 15.13, p = .001, sAA, F(2.75,146.68) = 6.91, p = .001, and self-rated stress, F(3.43,222.69) = 118.73, p = .001. There were no significant sex by trials interactions for any measure, although females reported more stress than males, F(1,65) = 9.14, p = .004. For cortisol, from baseline to expected peak (30 min after the onset of speech preparation), the Cohen’s effect size was dz = 0.57. Using 1.5 nmol/l (or 0.54 μg/dl) as the criterion for a response (Miller, Plessow, Kirschaum, & Stalder, 2013), 63% of the participants produced a significant increase in cortisol. Conclusions The responses to the TSST-OL are consistent with in-person responses among children and adolescents (see recent meta-analysis (Seddon et al., 2020). The protocol is a viable way of assessing reactivity of the HPA axis and other stress systems without needing to bring the participant into the research laboratory. This method will be useful during periods of widespread infection. It should also work to study populations who all live too far from the research laboratory to be assessed in person.
Microstructure Dictating Performance: Assembly of Graphene-Based Macroscopic Structures

ConspectusA wide range of groundbreaking advancements in electronics, photonics, nanocomposites, etc., have been achieved in the past decades due to the favorable attributes of single-layer graphen...
Injury alters motivational trade-offs in calves during the healing period.

Injury can produce long-lasting motivational changes that may alter decisions made under risk. Our objective was to determine whether a routine painful husbandry procedure, hot-iron disbudding, affects how calves trade off risk avoidance against a competing motivation (i.e., feeding), and whether this response depends on time since injury. We used a startle test to evaluate this trade-off in calves disbudded 0 or 21 days previously and non-injured control calves. For 3 days, calves were individually habituated to the testing arena in which they received a 0.5 L milk meal via a rubber teat. On the 4th day, upon approaching the milk reward, the calf was startled by a sudden noise. We assessed the duration and magnitude of the calf's startle response, their latency to return to the milk bottle, and duration spent suckling after startling. No treatment differences were observed in the duration and magnitude of the startle response or in the probability of returning to the bottle after startling. However, among those who did return, disbudded calves spent longer suckling, indicating they accepted more risk in order to feed compared to controls. In addition, calves with 21-day-old injuries tended to return to the bottle faster compared to newly disbudded calves and controls. We suggest that hot-iron disbudding increases calves' motivation to suckle, as they were more likely to prioritize this behaviour over risk avoidance compared to control calves. This effect was most evident 21 days after disbudding, indicating that injury can produce long-term changes in motivational state.
Enhanced detection of cortical atrophy in Alzheimer's disease using structural MRI with anatomically constrained longitudinal registration.

Cortical atrophy is a defining feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), often detectable before symptoms arise. In surface-based analyses, studies have commonly focused on cortical thinning while overlooking the impact of loss in surface area. To capture the impact of both cortical thinning and surface area loss, we used anatomically constrained Multimodal Surface Matching (aMSM), a recently developed tool for mapping change in surface area. We examined cortical atrophy over 2 years in cognitively normal subjects and subjects with diagnoses of stable mild cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment that converted to AD, and AD. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were segmented and registered to a common atlas using previously described techniques (FreeSurfer and ciftify), then longitudinally registered with aMSM. Changes in cortical thickness, surface area, and volume were mapped within each diagnostic group, and groups were compared statistically. Changes in thickness and surface area detected atrophy at similar levels of significance, though regions of atrophy somewhat differed. Furthermore, we found that surface area maps offered greater consistency across scanners (3.0 vs. 1.5 T). Comparisons to the FreeSurfer longitudinal pipeline and parcellation-based (region-of-interest) analysis suggest that aMSM may allow more robust detection of atrophy, particularly in earlier disease stages and using smaller sample sizes.
Imaging the brain and its vasculature in aging: applications of optical coherence tomography angiography

Abstract Using the label-free three-dimensional optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), both anatomical and functional changes in the cerebral vasculature can be quantitatively measured on one imaging platform. This chapter introduces various OCTA algorithms to measure the characteristic age-related differences in vessel tortuosity, capillary density, and cerebral blood flow, which can be revealed in mouse models of aging with strong histological data consistency. The most advanced development of OCTA capillary velocimetry is highlighted with an application to obtain capillary velocity and heterogeneity in the cerebral tissue bed. The results offer OCTA as a promising tool to study vascular aging, shedding new light on the investigation of age-related neurodegenerative disorders.
"We Learn and Teach Each Other": Interactive Training for Cross-Cultural Trauma-Informed Care in the Refugee Community.

This paper introduces culturally responsive and trauma-informed mental health training modules to build and enhance competences and partnerships among mental health professionals and refugee community leaders, while facilitating intercultural, mutual learning between participants from various cultural and professional backgrounds. Focus group interviews and participant self-reflections with the training participants (N = 54) were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed an enhanced understanding of culturally unique as well as universal trauma responses and coping in the refugee community, which led to the building and strengthening of a sense of community and an expansion of social networks and support systems. This study highlights the effectiveness of interactive learning and knowledge transference among participants with various cultural and professional backgrounds, showing that face-to-face interactions and mutual learning reportedly facilitated building relationships and trust among participants and especially those between refugee/immigrant community leaders and service providers.
Multi-Resolution Codebook and Adaptive Beamforming Sequence Design for Millimeter Wave Beam Alignment

Millimeter wave (mm-wave) communication is expected to be widely deployed in fifth generation (5G) wireless networks due to the substantial bandwidth available for licensed and unlicensed use at mm-wave frequencies. To overcome the higher path loss observed at mm-wave bands, most prior work focused on the design of directional beamforming using analog and/or hybrid beamforming techniques in large-scale multiple-input multiple-output systems. Obtaining potential gains from highly directional beamforming in practical systems hinges on sufficient levels of channel estimation accuracy, where the problem of channel estimation becomes more challenging due to the substantial training overhead needed to sound all directions using a high-resolution narrow beam. In this paper, we consider the design of multi-resolution beamforming sequences to enable the system to quickly search out the dominant channel direction for single-path channels. The resulting design generates a multilevel beamforming sequence that strikes a balance between minimizing the training overhead and maximizing beamforming gain, where a subset of multilevel beamforming vectors is chosen adaptively to maximize the average data rate within a constrained time. We propose an efficient method to design a hierarchical multi-resolution codebook utilizing a Butler matrix, i.e., a generalized discrete Fourier transform matrix. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
High Resolution Electron Microscope Imaging with Silicon Diode Array Target Vidicons

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the high resolution electron microscope imaging with silicon diode array target vidicons. The development of an electronic image transducer based on a silicon diode array vidicon is presented. The sensor is installed in the vacuum column of the microscope so that the electron image receptor side of the target is directly exposed to the focused high energy electrons. The configuration results in a sensing mechanism that has high quantum efficiency and minimum information loss, which cannot be equaled by sensors using multiple energy conversion processes. The sensitivity of the image transducer described here is demonstrated by the quantum noise limited performance set by the input information. The electron image data is sensed by an array of 512 × 512 of discrete reverse biased diodes of 21.5 × 21.5 μm2 in size. The effectively discrete diodes are sufficiently isolated from their neighbors so that image integration is achieved. It is found that when cooled, the sensor displays storage capabilities that make image integration possible, permit low data rate readout for direct digital recording, and show a noticeable increase in dynamic range and improvement of target life.
Actinomycosis of the prostate.

AbstractWe report a case of actinomycosis of the prostate with symptoms of acute prostatitis. Laparotomy was required to establish an etiological diagnosis. Long-term therapy with erythromycin resulted in a clinical cure.
Geriatric assessment as predictors of hospital readmission in older adults with cancer.

Background Hospital readmission is a common, costly problem. Little is known regarding risk factors for readmission in older adults with cancer. This study aims to identify factors associated with 30-day readmission in a cohort of older medical oncology patients.
Maximum weighted independent set of links under physical interference model

Interference-aware scheduling for wireless communications is crucial to improve the network throughput. In this paper, we study the problem of Maximum Weighted Independent Set of Links (MWISL) under the physical interference model in wireless networks. Given a set of communication links distributed in a two-dimensional Euclidean plane, assume each link is associated with a positive weight which represents the benefit of transmitting along the link, the objective is to seek an independent set of links subject to the physical interference constraints with maximum weighted sum. To the best of our knowledge, no algorithm for MWISL under physical interference model has been proposed. We focus on MWISL in the oblivious power assignment setting.
Fourier Band-Power E/B-mode Estimators for Cosmic Shear

We introduce new Fourier band-power estimators for cosmic shear data analysis and E/B-mode separation. We consider both the case where one performs E/B-mode separation and the case where one does not. The resulting estimators have several nice properties which make them ideal for cosmic shear data analysis. First, they can be written as linear combinations of the binned cosmic shear correlation functions. Second, they account for the survey window function in real-space. Third, they are unbiased by shape noise since they do not use correlation function data at zero separation. Fourth, the band-power window functions in Fourier space are compact and largely non-oscillatory. Fifth, they can be used to construct band-power estimators with very efficient data compression properties. In particular, we find that all of the information on the parameters $\Omega_{m}$, $\sigma_{8}$ and $n_{s}$ in the shear correlation functions in the range of $\sim10-400$ arcminutes for single tomographic bin can be compressed into only three band-power estimates. Finally, we can achieve these rates of data compression while excluding small-scale information where the modeling of the shear correlation functions and power spectra is very difficult. Given these desirable properties, these estimators will be very useful for cosmic shear data analysis.
Effects of Estrogen and Tamoxifen on the Regulation of Dihydrofolate Reductase Gene Expression in a Human Breast Cancer Cell Line

We have studied the effects of estrogen and the antiestrogen tamoxifen on the regulation of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene expression in a methotrexate-resistant (MTXR) human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, which contains a 50-fold increase in the level of DHFR enzyme and amplified DHFR gene sequences. Despite their selection for methotrexate resistance, the MTXR cells have retained many characteristics of the parental MCF-7 cell line. Concentrations of estrogen receptors as well as their binding affinity to estradiol are identical in both cell lines. MTXR MCF-7 cells remain sensitive to estrogen and respond to estradiol with an induction of progesterone receptors, as well as increases in the rate of DNA synthesis and cell growth. Incubation of MTXR MCF-7 cells with estradiol results in an additional 1.5- to 3.0-fold increase in their already elevated level of DHFR. The hormone-induced increases in DNA synthesis and DHFR levels are similar both with respect to the time course of inductions, as well as their dose response to estradiol. However, these two estrogen-induced effects are not coupled, since the induction of DHFR occurs even in the absence of concomitant DNA synthesis. Estradiol has no effect on DHFR enzyme stability; thus, the entire effect of estrogen on DHFR levels results from the increased synthesis of this housekeeping enzyme. In contrast, treatment of MTXR MCF-7 cells with the antiestrogen tamoxifen reduces the rate of DHFR enzyme synthesis, resulting in lower cellular levels of DHFR. These MTXR MCF-7 cells represent a useful model in which to study the mechanisms involved in the modulation of DHFR gene expression by estrogen and tamoxifen. Since the level of DHFR is a critical determinant of methotrexate cytotoxicity understanding, the regulation of DHFR gene expression may have clinical implications for the use of hormonal therapy in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer.
Oscillations of solutions of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation

Abstract Oscillation properties of graphs of solutions of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation are studied. It is shown that every solution either converges to the stationary solution 0 with an exponential rate or after some time the cardinalities of the sets of zeros (in the space variable) of all the spatial derivatives remain bounded by certain constants, independent of the particular solution.
Intraparenchymal administration of interleukin-1β induces cyclooxygenase-2-mediated expression of membrane- and cytosolic-associated prostaglandin E synthases in mouse brain

Interleukin (IL)-1beta is a proinflammatory cytokine expressed in neural tissue following injury and in neurodegenerative states. To understand the consequences of its presence in brain, we carried out intraparenchymal IL-1beta injections and found significant increases in prostaglandin (PG)E2, a critical factor in inflammatory and physiological processes. Elevated mRNA and protein expression of the PGE2-synthetic-related enzymes cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and membrane-associated PGE synthase (PGES) accompanied local PGE2 production. In addition, IL-1beta stimulated protein expression of cytosolic PGES. Finally, we showed attenuation of these IL-1beta-inductions by COX-2 inhibition, suggesting in vivo regulation of both PGE synthase isoforms in the brain.
Message ferry route design for sparse ad hoc networks with mobile nodes

Message ferrying is a networking paradigm where a special node, called a message ferry, facilitates the connectivity in a mobile ad hoc network where the nodes are sparsely deployed. One of the key challenges under this paradigm is the design of ferry routes to achieve certain properties of end-to-end connectivity, such as, delay and message loss among the nodes in the ad hoc network. This is a difficult problem when the nodes in the network move arbitrarily. As we cannot be certain of the location of the nodes, we cannot design a route where the ferry can contact the nodes with certainty. Due to this difficulty, prior work has either considered ferry route design for ad hoc networks where the nodes are stationary, or where the nodes and the ferry move pro-actively in order to meet at certain locations. Such systems either require long-range radio or disrupt nodes' mobility patterns which can be dictated by non-communication tasks. We present a message ferry route design algorithm that we call the Optimized Way-points, or OPWP, that generates a ferry route which assures good performance without requiring any online collaboration between the nodes and the ferry. The OPWP ferry route comprises a set of way-points and waiting times at these way-points, that are chosen carefully based on the node mobility model. Each time that the ferry traverses this route, it contacts each mobile node with a certain minimum probability. The node-ferry contact probability in turn determines the frequency of node-ferry contacts and the properties of end-to-end delay. We show that OPWP consistently outperforms other naive ferry routing approaches.
Development of an EUV reflectometer using a single line emission from a laser-plasma x-ray source

We have successfully developed a simple, laboratory-sized EUV reflectometer EUMOR (extreme Ultraviolet Monochromatic Reflectometer). A CO2 gas-jet-target laser-plasma source was employed as the EUV source for EUMOR. EUMOR uses a single line emission at the wavelength of 12.98 nm from a CO2 gas-jet-target laser-plasma source without a grating, therefore it can achieve simultaneous high spectral resolution and high throughput. The intensity of EUV emission from the CO2 gas-jet target laser-plasma was quantitatively evaluated, and the EUV flux that irradiated the surface of a sample was estimated to be 5x10(superscript 5 photons/shot. Four Mo/Si multilayer mirrors which were deposited under the same conditions with different layer periods were measured by EUMOR. The parameters of these multilayer mirrors, which were obtained by parameter fitting to the measured angular distribution of the reflectivity, showed good agreement with each other, demonstrating the reliability of EUMOR data.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
WG.9: The IUPAP Working Group on International Cooperation in Nuclear Physics

We outline the history, purpose, achievements and aims of the latest Working Group created by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.
Writing and Reading Feminist Poststructural Criticism in U.S. Sociology: Retrospectives on Patricia Clough’s The End(s) of Ethnography: From Realism to Social Criticism

At the 1999 meetings of the Midwest Sociological Society, a session was organized to mark the 1998 publication of the second edition of Patricia Clough’s 1992 book The End(s) of Ethnography: From Realism to Social Criticism. Presenters had been asked to comment on the significance of Clough’s book and its arguments in their own work and thought. There were four brief presentations, and Clough responded to questions and comments afterward. Slightly edited versions of those four presentations are given here, interspersed with bracketed quotations from the book selected to mark some of what participants considered its most insightful arguments and claims.
FPGA implementation of high-performance QC-LDPC decoder for optical communications

Forward error correction is as one of the key technologies enabling the next-generation high-speed fiber optical communications. Quasi-cyclic (QC) low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes have been considered as one of the promising candidates due to their large coding gain performance and low implementation complexity. In this paper, we present our designed QC-LDPC code with girth 10 and 25% overhead based on pairwise balanced design. By FPGAbased emulation, we demonstrate that the 5-bit soft-decision LDPC decoder can achieve 11.8dB net coding gain with no error floor at BER of 10 -15 avoiding using any outer code or post-processing method. We believe that the proposed single QC-LDPC code is a promising solution for 400Gb/s optical communication systems and beyond.
A-c power transmission economics

Comparatively few writers have dealt with the economic problem in transmitting power long distances. In this analysis important possible variations in cost were studied and considered carefully in order to test the validity of the conclusions which were drawn. The effect of these variations tempered the conclusions which are presented here.
The Impact of Jury Instructions on the Fusion of Liability and Compensatory Damages

This study examined whether special jury instructions or the bifurcation of liability and compensation decisions would counter the tendency for evidence concerning the defendant's liability to affect damages awards. Mock jurors made liability and award decisions in response to a case description in which the level of defendant responsibility for the plaintiff's injuries and the type or timing of damages instructions were systematically varied. Instructions not to discount awards for uncertainty about the defendant's fault and instructions not to increase awards to punish the defendant's carelessness reduced the impact of the defendant's conduct on awards, while bifurcation did not. Additional findings suggest, at least in the context of the present study, that discounting may be a somewhat more potent process than surcharging. Possible explanations for these effects are discussed.
A new species of Holochilus (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae) from the middle Pleistocene of Bolivia and its phylogenetic significance

ABSTRACT A series of mandibles and maxillae from the Ensenadan (middle Pleistocene) sediments of the Tarija Basin of Bolivia are assigned to Holochilus primigenus, sp. nov. This marsh rat of the subfamily Sigmodontinae (= “South American cricetid”) is one of the few extinct muroids known from South America. A cladistic analysis indicates that this new species is the sister taxon to living species of Holochilus and possesses a morphology transitional between extant Holochilus and their closest living relative, Lundomys. The occlusal molar morphology of H. primigenus is virtually indistinguishable from that in extant Lundomys, but synapomorphic characters of the mandible and palate unite M. primigenus with the extant Holochilus. Holochilus primigenus is a potential ancestor to its living congeners because it possesses no known autapomorphies. The explicit hypothesis of phylogenetic position for this new species combined with its presumed geologic age of 0.7–1.0 Ma may provide a calibration point to estimate...
Diagnostic Arc Studies With Ruby Laser

A dye-switched TEM:00 ruby laser has been employed for two types of diagnostic studies of short, unstable, high-pressure dc arcs in noble gases. Holographic interferometry mea-sures gas density distributions, and a simple fringe-projection technique gives time-resolved contours of the agitated molten anode surface. A recently-developed mathematical technique permits avoidance of speckle problems in the holography by use of collimated scene beams, while greatly reducing the labor involved in gathering experimentally and analyzing numerically the data needed to determine asymmetric density distributions. Because fringe projection revealed intriguing unexpected details of arc-anode interface behavior, ideas are presented for further elaboration of the technique.© (1974) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Demonstration of Entrance Block into the Atrioventricular Node of Man

Entrance block of an atrial premature beat (APB) into the atrioventricular node is demonstrated by its lack of effect on the A-V nodal conduction of a subsequent beat which is introduced before the full recovery time of the A-V node. This phenomenon was demonstrated in five patients by using programmed atrial stimulation and His bundle recordings. Entrance block into the A-V node occurred in a narrow range (28-33%) of the basic cycle length and concealed conduction occurred at coupling intervals longer than this range. It appears that entrance block of these early APBs is due to a "functional block" between the atrium and the A-V node. The concept of an entrance block into the A-V node is useful in explaining some forms of the supernormal phase of A-V conduction as well as in the interpretation of complex arrhythmias.
Cell enlargement in Skeletonema costatum (Bacillariophyceae)

Skeletonema costatum (Grev.) Cl. exhibits an asexual means, of increasing cell size that is more common than auxosporulation. This phenomenon accounts for the genetic stability of S. costatum in culture and for the deficiency of heterozygotes in natural populations, and has important implications far the life history of this species.
Design of Carcinogenicity Studies, Dose Selection, Route, Blood Levels, Transformation

The results of subacute toxicity tests are the information most commonly used for setting doses for carcinogenicity studies. However, since diet composition is important in regard to tumor incidence, knowledge of the effect of various doses of the compound on the nutritional composition and quality of the diet of the animals on test is also important. It is also important to determine if any of the doses administered in the study exceed the ability of the species under study to excrete it in a manner which is approximately the same as that seen at lower doses. Similarly, it is important to determine if the higher doses administered lead to the formation of metabolites not seen at lower doses which are more nearly equivalent to those to which humans are or will be exposed. The compound under test should, if possible, be administered by the same route by which human exposure occurs or is anticipated to occur. Because of potential difficulties in the interpretation of the results, gastric intubation is, in g...
Effects of abused inhalants and GABA-positive modulators in dizocilpine discriminating inbred mice

Abstract There is in vitro evidence that some of the effects of abused volatile solvents may be produced by actions at the NMDA receptor. In addition, some solvents produce phencyclidine-like discriminative stimulus effects. The major goal of the present study was to further compare abused solvents to NMDA antagonists by testing them in two strains of mice trained to discriminate 0.17 mg/kg of the very selective uncompetitive NMDA antagonist, dizocilpine, from saline and contrast those results with several GABAA-positive modulators, PCP and ethanol. The results indicated that the discriminative stimulus produced by 0.17 mg/kg dizocilpine was highly specific in both mouse strains. PCP produced 91% dizocilpine-lever responding in C57BL/6J mice, but only 56% dizocilpine-lever responding in DBA/2J mice. Pentobarbital, midazolam and ethanol produced at least some overlap in discriminative stimulus effects with dizocilpine in one or both mouse strains. In contrast, toluene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCE), xylene and methoxyflurane produced saline-appropriate responding almost exclusively. These data indicate that, at least under the specific conditions tested, abused volatile solvents do not have substantial dizocilpine-like discriminative stimulus effects in either C57BL/6J or DBA/2J mice, providing little support that NMDA antagonism plays a central role in the production of this abuse-related effect.
Feeding the fledgling repository: starting an institutional repository at an academic health sciences library.

In 2005, the Scott Memorial Library at Thomas Jefferson University started an institutional repository (IR), the Jefferson Digital Commons (JDC) . Originally intended as a showcase for faculty scholarship, it has evolved to serve also as a university press for original journals and newsletters, and as an institutional archive. Many lessons have been learned about marketing techniques, common IR issues, and advantages of an IR for a library. IR recruitment has come to be viewed as yet another form of collection development and has been integrated into all forms of the Library's outreach. Jefferson's academic health sciences environment has proven similar to other academic environments on issues of acceptance and participation.
Fatigue hardening of LiF single crystals in push-pull cyclic deformation

Abstract The fatigue hardening response of LiF single crystals subjected to uniaxial cyclic deformation, at various strain amplitudes and strain-rates, has been related to the monotonic hardening rate. Cumulative strain in fatigue is obtained through Kocks' flow stress theory on a statistical distribution of obstacles. The difference between monotonie and cyclic deformation is in the relative rate of accumulation of short and long range internal stresses. In the case of LiF at room temperature, fatigue hardening is essentially due to the increase in short range stresses. LiF crystals which are susceptible to cleavage fracture, can withstand large tensile stresses in fatigue when compared to monotonie deformation. Activation volume analysis indicates that vacancy and jog concentrations determine the dislocation mobility and fatigue hardening of LiF single crystals. Microscopic examination reveals the existence of very fine slip bands. In the case of crystals subjected to large number of fatigue cycles, surface irregularities and dislocation banding is observed. Optical and electron microscopy suggests dynamic recovery in the crystal studied.
Turning life into a game: Foursquare, gamification, and personal mobility

Location-based mobile games (LBMGs) are games that people play while moving through physical spaces. Research has shown that they can impact individuals’ experience of their surrounding space and their mobility decisions. Extending that research, this article looks at the gaming elements of the location-based social network (LBSN) Foursquare, analyzing how Foursquare’s gaming elements can impact people’s mobility decisions. Through an analysis of qualitative interviews, the goal of this study is to draw from the concepts of hybrid space, spatial legibility, and gamification to show how Foursquare’s gaming elements can add a playful layer to physical spaces and discuss the impacts of the application designers’ goal of turning “life into a game.”
Allosteric control of O2 reactivity in Rieske oxygenases.

Oxygen is Nature's perfect reagent. On one hand, it is potentially a very strong oxidant. On the other hand, this potential is caged because the two highest energy valence electrons of the O 2 molecule are unpaired. As a result, O 2 is relatively unreactive with most other molecules, as almost all of these have paired electrons. Consequently, by modulating the properties of the O 2 valence electrons, Nature can generate a reactive species under controlled conditions, catalyzing difficult reactions while still rigorously enforcing specificity. Special sets of enzymes termed oxygenases and oxidases have evolved to perform this task.
Functional aspects of differentiation and degeneration of the steroidogenic cells of the corpus luteum in domestic ruminants

Abstract The mechanisms involved in differentiation and eventual degeneration of the corpus luteum have been intensively investigated. Luteal differentiation is characterized by dramatic increases in blood flow and cellular alterations in size, hormonal responsiveness and steroidogeneic enzyme concentrations. From this differentiation arise two cell types, large and small luteal cells, that produce large quantities of progesterone. If pregnancy does not occur this structure also has the capacity for rapid degeneration. Luteal degeneration is characterized by decreases in blood flow, inhibition of luteal progesterone production and death of luteal cells. This review summarizes some of the recent information on the intracellular mechanisms involved in the differentiation and degeneration of luteal cells.
Synthetic FXR Agonist GW4064 Prevents Diet-induced Hepatic Steatosis and Insulin Resistance

Purpose To examine the effect of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) activation by its synthetic agonist, 3-[2-[2-Chloro-4-[[3-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-5-(1-methylethyl)-4-isoxazolyl]methoxy]phenyl]ethenyl]benzoic acid (GW4064) on diet-induced obesity and hepatic steatosis.
High-throughput in vivo genetic and drug screening using femtosecond laser nano-surgery, and microfluidics

We demonstrate microfluidic devices and imaging technologies for high-speed immobilization, cellular resolution imaging, and femtosecond laser micro-surgery of awake small-animals (C. elegans) for high-throughput in vivo genetic and drug screens on neural degeneration and regeneration.
Errores de razonamiento fundamentales en la psicología de la impersonalidad

In this article we raise the issue of whether research on individual differences contributes to personality theory. Conventional wisdom has long held that it does. In this article we defend the opposing view. We demonstrate that the fundamental and irreparable problem is that statistical knowledge produced through studies of individual differences variables produces knowledge about groups of organisms, not individual organisms. Our epistemological analysis has implications for three historically basic themes in classical nomotheticism: (a) the search for basic human tendencies, (b) the debate concerning the (in)consistency of personality, and (c) behavioral predication and the establishment of nomothetic ‘laws’ of personality functioning.
Cardiac and Respiratory Activity in Relation to Gestation and Sleep States in Newborn Infants

Summary: In order to provide normative values of heart and respiratory rate and variability in relation to gestation and sleep states, 32 neonates who were free from cardiopulmonary disease were studied during the 1st-6 day of life. The infants were grouped as follows: group A, 9 infants with gestational ages of 27-33 wk; group B, 14 infants with gestational ages of 34-36 wk; and group C, 9 infants with gestational ages of 37-40 wk. Recordings and observations were made during a 1-hr postprandial nap. During active sleep (AS) and quiet sleep (QS), heart rate, short-term and long-term variability of the heart rate, respiratory rate, variability of the respiratory rate and apnea density were measured. Both the long- and short-term heart rate variability was less in preterm infants (group A) than the less immature or full term infants (groups B and C, P <0.01). Breath-to-breath respiratory variability was not significantly affected by gestational age, whereas percent duration of apnea was less in full term (group C) than the preterm groups of infants during quiet sleep (groups A and B, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between baseline heart rate, short-term heart rate variability, and respiratory rate during AS and QS states at any given gestational age. Long-term variations in heart rate, breath-to-breath respiratory variability, and percent duration of apnea were significantly less in QS in comparison to AS at each gestational age group (P < 0.01). Speculation: Systematic monitoring of newborn infants by the techniques presented in this report would further define normal cardiorespiratory functions in relation to maturity and sleep states. Application of these techniques to the study of the distressed newborn should provide an early indication of morbidity and recovery from disease.
Smoking Predisposes to Rotator Cuff Pathology and Shoulder Dysfunction: A Systematic Review.

Purpose To investigate the association of smoking with rotator cuff (RTC) disease and shoulder dysfunction, defined as poor scores on shoulder rating scales. Methods A systematic review was performed using a search strategy based on "shoulder AND [smoke OR smoking OR nicotine OR tobacco]." English-language clinical or basic science studies testing the association of smoking and shoulder dysfunction on shoulder rating scales or disease of the soft tissue of the shoulder were included. Level V evidence studies and articles reporting only on surgery outcomes, subjective symptoms, adhesive capsulitis, or presence of fracture or oncologic mass were excluded. Results Thirteen studies were included, comprising a total of 16,172 patients, of whom 6,081 were smokers. All 4 clinical studies addressing the association between smoking and patient-reported shoulder symptoms and dysfunction in terms of poor scores on shoulder rating scales (i.e., Simple Shoulder Test; University of California, Los Angeles shoulder scale; and self-reported surveys) confirmed this correlation with 6,678 patients, of whom 1,723 were smokers. Two of four studies documenting provider-reported RTC disease comprised 8,461 patients, of whom 4,082 were smokers, and found a time- and dose-dependent relation of smoking with RTC tears and a correlation of smoking with impingement syndrome. Smoking was also reported in 4 other articles to be associated with the prevalence of larger RTC tears or tears with pronounced degenerative changes in 1,033 patients, of whom 276 were smokers, and may accelerate RTC degeneration, which could result in tears at a younger age. In addition, 1 basic science study showed that nicotine increased stiffness of the supraspinatus tendon in a rat model. Conclusions Smoking is associated with RTC tears, shoulder dysfunction, and shoulder symptoms. Smoking may also accelerate RTC degeneration and increase the prevalence of larger RTC tears. These correlations suggest that smoking may increase the risk of symptomatic RTC disease, which could consequently increase the need for surgical interventions. Level of Evidence Level IV, systematic review of Level II through IV studies.
Errors in Heat Flux Measurement by Flux Plates of Contrasting Design and Thermal Conductivity

The thermal conductivity (lambda) of soils may vary by a factor of about 4 for a range of field soil water contents. Measurement of soil heat flux (G) using a heat flux plate with a fixed lambda distorts heat flow through the plates and in the adjacent soil. The objectives of this research were to quantify heat flow distortion errors for soil heat flux plates of widely contrasting designs and to evaluate the accuracy of a previously reported correction. Six types of commercially available heat flux plates with varying thickness, face area, and thermal conductivity (lambda(m)) were evaluated. Steady-state laboratory experiments at flux densities from 20 to 175 W m-2 were completed in a large box filled with dry or saturated sand having lambda of 0.36 and 2.25 W m-1 K-1. A field experiment compared G measured with pairs of four plate types buried at 6 cm in a clay soil with G determined using the gradient technique. The flux plates underestimated G in the dry sand by 2.4 to 38.5% and by 13.1 to 73.2% in saturated sand while in moist clay plate performance ranged from a 6.2% overestimate to a 71.4% underestimate. Application of the correction generally improved agreement between plate estimates and independent G measurements, especially when lambda > lambda(m), although most plate estimates were still significantly lower than the actual G. Limitations of the correction procedure indicate that renewed effort should be placed on innovative sensor designs that avoid or minimize heat flow distortion and/or provide direct, in situ calibration capability.
Assessment of a scenario-based approach to facilitating critical thinking among paramedic students.

Introduction Paramedic practice is shifting from [direct] on-line medical control to protocol-driven care initiated on the paramedic's judgment of the patient's problem(s). Teaching in most paramedic training programs remains grounded in technical rationality. This does not adequately prepare practitioners for current day practice. Medical conditions often present as ill-defined problems. To deal with these situations, practitioners need problem solving and reflective-thinking skills. Methodologies incorporating the use of these skills in a contextual situation similar to actual practice may help paramedics develop these skills. Hypothesis This study sought to determine the impact of written scenario exercises in the context of clinical problems as a means of learning in order to foster higher level thinking skills and self-directed tendencies. It involved three hypotheses: 1) Post-test scores would correlate with scores attained on the traditional, multiple choice, final examination; 2) Post-test scores would correlate with scores on the critical thinking sub-test of the final examination; and 3) Scores would be better on the post-test compared to the pre-test. Methods This two year, longitudinal, prospective study was conducted with 55 paramedic students using a pre- and post-test. Post-test scores were compared with final examination scores and scores of the subset of higher level thinking questions within that examination using the Pearson r-test. The relationship between the pre- and post-test scores was analyzed using a one-tailed dependent t-test. Post-hoc analysis of the variables of age, experience, and education was conducted using one-way analysis of variance. Results The correlation between post-test scores with final examination scores was positive and modestly significant. There was no correlation of post-test scores with sub-test scores. Comparison of pre- and post-test scores was significant. Effects for age, experience, and education were not significant statistically. Conclusions Using written scenarios increases ability to utilize reflective thinking and self-directed tendencies. However, this ability may not be demonstrated consistently on traditional written examinations. A multi-site study using large numbers and a control group or alternative methods appears to be indicated to demonstrate more accurate effects of the methodology.
Inflammatory Constriction Following Complete Pericardiectomy in Tuberculous Constrictive Pericarditis

A 13-year-old boy with active tuberculous constrictive pericarditis underwent complete pericardiectomy together with antituberculous therapy and a short course of steroids. Six weeks following the surgery, he was seen with clinical and hemodynamic findings of recurrent pericardial constriction, presumably due to an inflammatory collection around the heart. Symptoms gradually resolved within six months with resumption of steroid therapy. Repeat hemodynamic study showed normal hemodynamics. The case demonstrates the production of cardiac constriction by nonpericardial inflammatory tissue and the possible benefits of steroid therapy in the treatment of tuberculous constrictive pericarditis.