cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emergent Order, Agent-Based Modeling, and Economic Analysis of Accident Law

The purpose of this project is to examine the benefits of basing economic analysis of accident law on the notion that individuals form a spontaneous order as they respond to the institution of tort law, each other, and their environment. Furthermore, I examine the efficacy of agent-based modeling as an analytical tool that exploits this realization. I discuss the theoretical implications of the neoclassical analytical perspective and offer an alternative based upon the insights of spontaneous order economics. I develop an artificial society in which virtual agents pursue productive, though inherently accident prone, activity. The accidents that occur are chance encounters and agents bear a private cost for engaging in behavior that reduces their likelihood. First, I employ empirical techniques based on neoclassical theory and fit regression models to simulation data in order to determine the wealth maximizing behavior under various liability rules. I confirm some of the major theoretical conclusions but I also identify several common simplifying assumptions that may adversely affect the accuracy of conclusions under certain circumstances. I contrast the mainstream mode of analysis with an evolutionary approach that uses a computational model comprised of heterogeneous agents that implement satisficing algorithms to select strategies on the basis of their individual experience. The power of this perspective is not simply that it assists in developing a genetic-causal explanation as a means for evaluating the desirability of various liability rules, but it enables the detailed exploration of population dynamics and a close examination of out of equilibrium behavior. I find that for the artificial society under consideration, system level steady-state does not necessarily imply agent equilibrium, agents often elect to be careful even when the neoclassical theory predicts otherwise, and negligence rules differ in their ability to rid society of negligent behavior.
Hypoxic stress-induced changes in adrenergic function: role of HIF1α

Sustaining epinephrine-elicited behavioral and physiological responses during stress requires replenishment of epinephrine stores. Egr-1 and Sp1 contribute by stimulating the gene encoding the epinephrine-synthesizing enzyme, phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT), as shown for immobilization stress in rats in adrenal medulla and for hypoxic stress in adrenal medulla-derived PC12 cells. Hypoxia (5% O2) also activates hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) 1α, increasing mRNA, nuclear protein and nuclear protein/hypoxia response element binding complex formation. Hypoxia and HIF1α over-expression also elevate PNMT promoter-driven luciferase activity in PC12 cells. Hypoxia may be limiting as HIF1α over-expression increases luciferase expression to no greater extent than oxygen reduction alone. HIF1α inducers CoCl2 or deferoxamine elevate luciferase as well. PC12 cells harboring a HIF1α expression construct show markedly higher levels of Egr-1 and Sp1 mRNA and nuclear protein and PNMT mRNA and cytoplasmic protein. Inactivation of Egr-1 and Sp1 binding sites in the proximal −893 bp of PNMT promoter precludes HIF1α stimulation while a potential hypoxia response element (−282 bp) in the promoter shows weak HIF1α affinity at best. These findings are the first to suggest that hypoxia activates the proximal rat PNMT promoter primarily via HIF1α induction of Egr-1 and Sp1 rather than by co-activation by Egr-1, Sp1 and HIF1α. In addition, the rise in HIF1α protein leading to Egr-1 and Sp1 stimulation of PNMT appears to include HIF1α gene activation rather than simply prevention of HIF1α proteolytic degradation.
Spectrophotometric studies of copper (II) complexes of glycylglycine.

Abstract Spectrophotometric studies are presented of the glycylglycine-copper(II) [GG-Cu(II)] system in aqueous solution under conditions in which the ligand is present in great excess (up to 1000:1). In highly basic solution (pH 12 to 13) the spectral absorption maximum changes with increasing ligand concentration from 640 to 540 mµ. The spectral data are interpreted in terms of an equilibrium between two dominant species, and the species responsible for the 540 mµ peak is concluded to be the heretofore unobserved Cu(GG)2-2. Comparison studies under similar conditions for copper complexes of glycine, glycylglycylglycine, and glycylsarcosine are presented and discussed.
Correlation energy functional within the G W -RPA: Exact forms, approximate forms, and challenges

In principle, the Luttinger-Ward Green's-function formalism allows one to compute simultaneously the total energy and the quasiparticle band structure of a many-body electronic system from first principles. We present approximate and exact expressions for the correlation energy within the $GW$-random-phase approximation that are more amenable to computation and allow for developing efficient approximations to the self-energy operator and correlation energy. The exact form is a sum over differences between plasmon and interband energies. The approximate forms are based on summing over screened interband transitions. We also demonstrate that blind extremization of such functionals leads to unphysical results: imposing physical constraints on the allowed solutions (Green's functions) is necessary. Finally, we present some relevant numerical results for atomic systems.
Must‐See TV: South Asian Characterizations in American Popular Media

In the 21st century, representations of South Asians in American popular television have increased significantly. However, there has been very little critical analysis on the ways in which these characters are created and produced. In this review, I use literature from the sociology of race/ethnicity, immigration, and critical media studies to identify the concept of “(ethnic) characterization.” While it may be assumed that these representations are created unconsciously, I suggest that media producers intentionally use particular ethnic characteristics that are identified and discussed in contemporary sociological literature. As a result, I argue that these types of media characterizations are relevant to the discipline of sociology.
Adding Bricks to Clicks: On the Role of Physical Stores in a World of Online Shopping

E-commerce is gaining ground and leaving the role of traditional brick-and-mortar stores open to question. With this in mind, a team of researchers performed a case study to determine what effects the store openings of one multichannel retailer of fashion, home furnishings and high-end accessories would have on its catalog and online sales. The opening of brick-and-mortar stores had positive and negative effects for the retailer, but complementary consequences clearly outweighed sales drops in individual channels: In the short term, only catalog sales declined slightly. But over time, both the catalog and online channels increasingly benefited from the presence of the new brick-and-mortar stores. Within 79 months, catalog sales recovered to a level that would have been expected had the store never opened and subsequently continued growing more than in a sample without new stores. An enhanced understanding of both positive and negative cross-channel effects helps retailers better anticipate and respond to changes in sales in existing channels when a new one is added. It is the basis for strategically managing a company’s channels as a portfolio rather than as separate entities.
Building a peer-to-peer overlay for efficient routing and low maintenance

Most of current structured P2P systems exploit Distributed Hash Table (DHT) to archive an administration-free, fault tolerant overlay network and guarantee to deliver a message to its destination within O(logN) hops. While elegant from a theoretical perspective, those systems face difficulties in a realistic environment. Instead of building P2P overlays from a theoretical perspective, this design tries to construct an overlay from the physical network. By combining different network topology aware techniques, a distinctive overlay structure closely matching the Internet topology is created. The P2P overlay based on this structure is not only highly efficient for routing, but also keeps maintenance overhead very low even under highly dynamic environment.
Further Studies on the Arginine Requirement of the Rabbit

The arginine requirement of young, female rabbits was reassessed using body weight gain, serum arginine concentration and expired 14CO2 following administration of 14C arginine as criteria of adequacy. With a diet that provided the indispensable amino acids at the previously estimated requirement level the arginine requirement was estimated at or near 0.6% of diet by all three of the criteria studied. When an amino acid pattern based on isolated soy protein was fed, a significantly lower serum arginine level was observed with 0.6% dietary arginine corroborating that the arginine requirement may be higher when this pattern is fed than when the requirement pattern is fed. Liver arginase and kidney transamidinase levels were normal and were not influenced by dietary arginine levels over the range used. Serum creatine phosphokinase, which has been studied in other species in relation to muscular dystrophy, showed a significant increase with increasing dietary level of arginine. No signs of this disorder however, were observed. Adult male rabbits maintained body weight and showed no change in serum arginine concentration when both arginine and glycine were completely omitted from the diet.
Atrial natriuretic peptide in hypoxia

A growing number of mammalian genes whose expression is inducible by hypoxia have been identified. Among them, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) synthesis and secretion is increased during hypoxic exposure and plays an important role in the normal adaptation to hypoxia and in the pathogenesis of cardiopulmonary diseases, including chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and vascular remodeling, and right ventricular hypertrophy and right heart failure. This review discusses the roles of ANP and its receptors in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. We and other investigators have demonstrated that ANP gene expression is enhanced by exposure to hypoxia and that the ANP so generated protects against the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Results also show that hypoxia directly stimulates ANP gene expression and ANP release in cardiac myocytes in vitro. Several cis-responsive elements of the ANP promoter are involved in the response to changes in oxygen tension. Further, the ANP clearance receptor NPR-C, but not the biological active NPR-A and NPR-B receptors, is downregulated in hypoxia adapted lung. Hypoxia-sensitive tyrosine kinase receptor-associated growth factors, including fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB, but not hypoxia per se, inhibit NPR-C gene expression in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells in vitro. The reductions in NPR-C in the hypoxic lung retard the clearance of ANP and allow more ANP to bind to biological active NPR-A and NPR-B in the pulmonary circulation, relaxing preconstricted pulmonary vessels, reducing pulmonary arterial pressure, and attenuating the development of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and vascular remodeling.
Repression and the Liberal State: The Case of Northern Ireland, 1969-1972

There is a tendency for research on state repression to focus on nondemocratic and non-Western states. The authors assume that all states are repressive and focus on state repression in Northern Ir...
Pharmacokinetics of phenytoin (diphenylhydantoin) in horses

The pharmacokinetics of the anti-convulsant phenytoin were investigated in clinically healthy horses after oral (p.o.) and intravenous (i.v.) administration. A single dose of phenytoin (8.8 mg/kg body weight) was given i.v. as a bolus to nine horses and one horse received 13.2 mg/kg. A two-compartment open model was used to describe the disposition of phenytoin. Four of the horses that received an i.v. dose (three at 8.8 mg/kg and one at 13.2 mg/kg) were then given the same dose 3 days later by the oral route. Phenytoin achieved a peak concentration in serum within 1-4 h after p.o. administration and was poorly absorbed with a bioavailability of 34.5 +/- 8.6%. Oral dosage regimens were calculated on the basis of a dosing interval of 8 h to provide average serum steady-state concentrations of 5 and 10 micrograms/ml for phenytoin.
Designing and evaluating printed education materials: Model and instrument development

Abstract Printed education materials (PEMs) are among the most economical and frequently used methods for educating individuals about health matters. This paper describes the pilot test of the Evaluating Printed Education Materials (EPEM) model and the self-report questionnaire, A Survey of Patient Educators to Elicit Criteria for the Evaluation of Printed Materials. This nonexperimental design study is preliminary to future methodological research to establish the validity and reliability of an evaluating PEM instrument. A convenience sample of 11 patient educators established content validity of the model by ranking 90% of criteria as Very Important or Important to PEM quality. The lowest level of agreement was on the Educational Content criteria (76%). A second pilot test of the EPEM model using an experimental design will be used to construct an instrument that acknowledges quality distinctions among evaluation criteria. A valid and reliable instrument will substantiate and measure the indicators of PEM's quality and thereby improve efficiency and outcome in patient education.
C-glycosylflavones from Siphonoglossa sessilis

Abstract Two known C -glycosylflavones, embinin and vicenin-2, and two new C -glycosylflavones, 8- C -glucosylapigenin 7,4′-dimethyl ether (isoembigenin) and 2″- O -glucosyl-6- C -glucosylapigenin 7,4′-dimethyl ether (embinoidin) were obtained from Siphonoglossa sessilis .
Neonatal Intermittent Hypoxia Impairs Dopamine Signaling and Executive Functioning

Mesotelencephalic dopamine (DA) pathways are exquisitely vulnerable to ischemic-anoxic insult. These insults are known to produce long-term derangements in DA signaling and have been hypothesized to contribute, at least in part, to pathologic behaviors such as cerebral palsy, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Whether modest intermittent hypoxia, such as that encountered with repetitive apneas in premature infants, contributes to clinically significant impairments in DA signaling, and how these impairments manifest at a systems level, is unknown. To address these voids there is a need to develop animal models emulating features of a common disorder of prematurity, namely, apnea with hypoxia. Behavioral traits exhibited by such models include disturbed sleep-wake architecture, excessive locomotion, and impaired working memory persisting 1 to 2 months post-insult. Western-blot analysis of expression patterns of proteins involved in DA signaling (e.g., DA and vesicular monoamine transporters, tyrosine hydroxylase, and D1 receptors) are consistent with that which might be expected from hyper- or hypodopaminergic functioning in DA-responsive prefrontal cortex and striatal circuits, respectively. These novel observations suggest that intermittent hypoxia occurring during a period of critical brain development disrupts development of those mesotelencephalic pathways modulating the expression of sleep and wakefulness, locomotion, and executive functioning.
The effects of chronic phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor use on different organ systems

Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors selectively inhibit PDE-5 enzymes that are present in various tissues like penile tissue, platelets, vascular, and smooth muscle tissue. The drug's actions on these tissues have lead to the successful therapeutic use in patients suffering from conditions such as erectile dysfunction (ED) and pulmonary hypertension. PDE-5 inhibitors (PDE-5i) act on the erectile tissue causing penile smooth muscle relaxation and vasodilatation leading to penile erection. In addition, in particular when used in conjunction with prostaglandin inhibitors, PDE-5i cause vasodilatation in pulmonary vasculature hence decreasing both the pulmonary arterial pressure and resistance. PDE-5i have also shown to mildly decrease blood pressure, increase cardiac index, and increase coronary blood flow in experimental animals as well as in human studies. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three PDE-5i for the treatment of ED: sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), and tadalafil (Cialis) and one for pulmonary hypertension: sildenafil (Revatio). These agents are highly selective for PDE-5 enzymes as compared to other subclasses of PDE enzymes and have the almost identical pharmacological action but slightly different pharmacokinetics. Only little data exist about long-term use of PDE-5i and their effects on different organ system. This paper reviews the current information available on chronic PDE-5 inhibitor use.
Aqueous Organometallic Chemistry with Nitrogen Ligands: Synthesis of Hydrophilic Platinum(0) Olefin Complexes

Reactions of hydrophilic unsymmetrical pyridine−imine chelating ligands with Pt(η2-norbornene)3 in the presence of olefins that contain electron-withdrawing substituents afford water-soluble three-...
Global incidence of rhabdomyolysis after cooked seafood consumption (Haff disease).

AbstractContext. Haff disease is a syndrome of myalgia and rhabdomyolysis that occurs after consuming cooked seafood. Objectives. (1) To identify the most common seafood vectors of Haff disease worldwide. (2) To describe and to compare the most commonly recurring clinical and laboratory manifestations of Haff disease. (3) To compare the Haff disease toxidrome with other similar toxidromes. Methods. Internet search engines were queried with the keywords, and selected articles were stratified by reporting Old World or New World nations. Continuous variables were reported as means with standard deviations; categorical values were reported as proportions. Results. Over 1,000 cases of Haff disease were initially described in Eastern Europe and Sweden during and following the ingestion of several species of cooked freshwater fish including burbot, pike, freshwater eel, and whitefish. More recent case reports followed consumption of cooked freshwater pomfret and boiled crayfish in China, and cooked or raw boxfis...
Acute Congestive Heart Failure Due to the Arteritis of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Early Diagnosis by Endomyocardial Biopsy A Case Report

A 49-year-old man with rheumatoid arthritis presented with acute conges tive heart failure. Acute viral myocarditis was suspected clinically as a Gallium- 67 myocardial scan was positive. Percutaneous catheter-directed biopsy of the right ventricular endomyocardium, however, revealed heavy endothelial de posits of I gM in the small blood vessels of the myocardium. Prednisone therapy resulted in normalization of both the myocardial Gallium-67 scan and left ven tricular ejection fraction with resolution of the symptoms of congestive heart failure. This is the first report documenting rheumatoid arteritis antemortem by myocardial biopsy.
Effects of brief relaxation training on autonomic response to anxiety-evoking stimuli.

Relaxation training procedures used in systematic desensitization are abbreviated forms of procedures developed by Jacobson to decrease muscle tension level and assumed by Gellhorn to affect autonomic balance. Autonomic response effects of relaxation training are sometimes considered secondary to either cognitive or autonomic level change. In the present experiment, specific instruction and training was provided in making relaxation responses to a cue stimulus which was used subsequently in two mild anxiety conditions. Brief relaxation training did not significantly affect either verbal report of anxiety or autonomic level following training, but did affect autonomic response in the anxiety conditions. The results suggest that autonomic response modification can be accomplished by instruction and relatively minimal training. Also, the results indicate that autonomic response effects need not be accompanied by either verbal report of greater relaxation or autonomic level modification. These results are difficult to account for by any theoretical model of desensitization which considers autonomic response change secondary to either cognitive or autonomic level change.
Fundamentals of Engineering Plasmonic Optical Materials

We consider two approaches for creating low-loss plasmonic optical materials, specifically semiconductor doping and nanopatterning. Simple Drude/Drude-Lorentz models for permittivity provide interesting insights into the relative merits of doping versus material structuring.
Methane emissions associated with a green manure amendment to flooded rice in California

The goals of sustainable food production and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions may be in conflict when green manures are used in flooded rice systems. A field study was initiated in early spring 1992 near Sacramento, California to quantify the potential for enhanced methane emissions following a green manure amendment to rice. Replicate flux measurements were made twice a day every 3–4 days throughout the growing season in four treatment plots: burned rice straw, spring incorporated rice straw, burned straw plus purple vetch and spring incorporated straw plus vetch. Seasonal methane emissions ranged from 66–136 g CH4 m−2 and were 1.5 to 1.8 times higher from the straw plus vetch treatments relative to the straw only treatments. No significant differences in emissions were found between the two straw only treatments or the straw plus vetch treatments. Methane fluxes were exponentially related to soil temperature, but no effect of redox potential or floodwater depth were observed. The potential impact of these results on the global methane budget is discussed.
Effects of AT-125 on the nephrotoxicity of hexachloro-1,3-butadiene in rats.

The role of γ -glutamyl transpeptidase ( γ -GTP) in the nephrotoxicity of hexachloro-1,3-butadiene (HCBD) was studied using male Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with AT-125 (Acivicin; l -( αS , 5 S )- α -amino-3-chloro-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazoleacetic acid). Inhibition of γ -GTP by more than 95% did not affect urine output, glomerular filtration rate, or tubular reabsorption of filtrate, sodium, or glucose. Nephrotoxicity observed during the first 24 hr after HCBD was not decreased by inhibition of γ -GTP and beyond 24 hr nephrotoxicity was increased, rather than decreased, in the AT-125-pretreated group. HCBD impairs glucose reabsorption and this was greatly increased in the AT-125-pretreated group, indicating that function of the initial segment of the nephron is impaired by HCBD. Since inhibition of γ -GTP did not protect against HCBD nephrotoxicity, it is concluded that γ -GTP inhibition does not limit the formation of metabolites(s) which cause HCBD nephrotoxicity. Therefore, distribution of γ -glutamyltranspeptidase does not account for the selective nephrotoxicity of hexachloro-1,3-butadiene.
Linguistic and Cultural Influences on Learning Mathematics

Contents: R. Cocking, J. Mestre, Introduction and Overview. R. Cocking, S. Chipman, Conceptual Issues Related to Mathematics Achievement of Language Minority Children. G.B. Saxe, Linking Language with Mathematics Achievement: Problems and Prospects. J.B. Stone, Intention and Convention in Mathematics Instruction: Reflections on the Learning of Deaf Students. E.K. Scholnick, Why Should Developmental Psychologists Be Interested in Studying the Acquisition of Arithmetic. M.F. Charbonneau, V. John-Steiner, Patterns of Experience and the Language of Mathematics. E.A. DeAvila, Bilingualism, Cognitive Function, and Language Minority Group Membership. S.L. Tsang, The Mathematics Achievement Characteristics of Asian American Students. P. MacCorquodale, Mexican-American Women and Mathematics: Participation, Aspirations, and Achievement. W.L. Leap, Assumptions and Strategies Guiding Mathematics Problem-Solving Among Ute Indian Students. K.J. Travers, Opportunity to Learn Mathematics in Eighth Grade Classrooms in the United States: Some Findings from the Second International Mathematics Study. J.P. Mestre, The Role of Language Comprehension in Mathematics and Problem Solving. Linguistic Features of Mathematical Problem Solving: Insights and Application. G. Spanos, N. Rhodes, T.C. Dale, J. Crandall, R.P. Duran, Bilinguals' Logical Reasoning Aptitudes: A Construct Validity Study. D.E. Myers, A.M. Milne, Effects of Home and Primary Language on Mathematics Achievement: A Model and Results for Secondary Analyses. J. Suina, Epilogue: And Then I Went to School.
Artificial selection for altered male wing display in Drosophila simulans.

Selection for an increase in one form of male wing display (vibration) over another (scissoring) was carried out on courting pairs of a multifemale stock ofDrosophila simulans for 17 generations. One of two lines responded to selection, and the realized heritability calculated over the first 11 generations was approximately 10% for this line. Pair matings between control and selected flies in generation 17 indicated that selection occurred primarily on males themselves, rather than indirectly on females. The trait used in selection (vibration time/wing display time) was broken down into four component traits: number of bouts of vibration, vibration bout length, number of bouts of scissoring, and scissoring bout length. Only two of these traits, number of bouts of vibration and scissoring bout length, showed a long-term response to selection.
More than just another addiction journal: KBS and social epidemiology come of age

(no abstract) Babor, T. (2012). More than just another addiction journal: KBS and social epidemiology come of age. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 1 (1), 5-6. doi: 10.7895/ijadr.v1i1.70 ( http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v1i1.70 )
Temporal Summation during Dark Adaptation

The change of critical duration and of the form of the function relating threshold energy to stimulus duration was determined during the first 22 s of dark adaptation following light adaptation to several luminances. For all adapting luminances tested, the critical duration increased during dark adaptation from the value obtained for the increment threshold. As adapting luminance decreased or time in the dark increased, the form of the summation function changed, so that the transition from complete temporal summation to no summation became less abrupt. The data show departures from the equivalent-background analysis of dark adaptation. A filter model relating threshold energy and time constant under varying adaptation conditions provides a general, but not precise, description of the data. The change of temporal summation during dark adaptation is similar to that found for decreased size of test field, decreased wavelength of test field, and decreased background luminance.
Identification of damage in a standoff metallic thermal protection system panel subjected to combined thermo-acoustic excitation

The thermal protection system is an essential part of any launch vehicle. Standoff metallic thermal protection system (TPS) panels protect the vehicle from the hostile environment on the panel exterior; consequently, the panels are exposed to a variety of loads including high temperature thermal stresses, thermal shock, acoustic pressure, and foreign object impact. These loads can cause degradation in the health of mechanically attached metallic TPS panels in the form of, for example, face sheet buckling, deformation/cracking of standoff bolts and standoffs or wrinkling to thermal seals. In this work, two sets of experiments were performed. The first experiment aimed to partially recreate the acoustic environment that the TPS experiences during service by subjecting the panel to broadband noise broadcast from a loudspeaker. In this set of experiments, "damage" was introduced into the TPS by loosening standoff fasteners to represent cracked or warped bolts and a transmissibility-based damage index was implemented to detect and locate damage. The second experiment was designed to examine the variation in damage indices when the panel is subjected to combined thermo-acoustic loading. In this set of experiments, the panel was not subjected to any "damage"; instead, the exterior of the panel was heated with an infrared heat lamp while being excited by acoustic noise. It is demonstrated that the transmissibility-based damage indicator is a viable method for detecting and locating damage in the TPS panel. It is also shown that damage present in the panel may become more or less identifiable while the system is subjected to thermal loading. This paper was approved for unlimited public release on February 18, 2005; LA-UR-05-1192.
Forensic Accounting and FAU: An Executive Graduate Program

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a description of the executive Master's in Accounting with a concentration in forensic accounting program offered by Florida Atlantic University, an AACSB‐accredited higher‐educational institution located in southeast Florida. This program—the first of its kind in the United States—provides students with the option of attending lectures in person or via web conferencing. Also discussed is the impact that the model curriculum for fraud examination and forensic accounting has had on the program as well as challenges that have been met in creating and developing an executive graduate program in forensic accounting.
Factory automation and robotics

Selected from papers presented at the Symposium on Factory Automation and Robotics held September 9-11, 1985, at New York University
Calpain activation in apoptosis of ventral spinal cord 4.1 (VSC4.1) motoneurons exposed to glutamate: Calpain inhibition provides functional neuroprotection

Glutamate toxicity has been implicated in cell death in neurodegenerative diseases and injuries. Glutamate-induced Ca2+ influx may mediate activation of calpain, a Ca2+-dependent cysteine protease, which in turn may degrade key cytoskeletal proteins. We investigated glutamate-mediated apoptosis of VSC4.1 motoneurons and functional neuroprotection by calpain inhibition. Exposure of VSC4.1 cells to 10 microM glutamate for 24 hr caused significant increases in intracellular free [Ca2+], as determined by fura-2 assay. Pretreatment of cells with 10 or 25 microM calpeptin (a cell-permeable calpain-specific inhibitor) for 1 hr prevented glutamate-induced Ca2+ influx. Western blot analyses showed an increase in Bax:Bcl-2 ratio, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, and calpain and caspase-3 activities during apoptosis. Cell morphology, as evaluated by Wright staining, indicated predominantly apoptotic features following glutamate exposure. ApopTag assay further substantiated apoptotic features morphologically as well as biochemically. Our data showed that calpeptin mainly prevented calpain-mediated proteolysis and apoptosis and maintained whole-cell membrane potential, indicating functional neuroprotection. The results imply that calpeptin may serve as a therapeutic agent for preventing motoneuron degeneration, which occurs in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal cord injury. In this investigation, we also examined glutamate receptor subtypes involved in the initiation of apoptosis in VSC4.1 cells following exposure to glutamate. Our results indicated that the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors contributed more than alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors to glutamate-mediated Ca2+ influx and cell death mechanism. Inhibition of the activities of both NMDA and AMPA receptors protected VSC4.1 cells from glutamate toxicity and preserved whole-cell membrane potential.
Serologic survey for selected microbial pathogens in Alaskan wildlife.

Antibodies to Brucella spp. were detected in sera of seven of 67 (10%) caribou (Rangifer tarandus), one of 39 (3%) moose (Alces alces), and six of 122 (5%) grizzly bears (Ursus arctos). Antibodies to Leptospira spp. were found in sera of one of 61 (2%) caribou, one of 37 (3%) moose, six of 122 (5%) grizzly bears, and one of 28 (4%) black bears (Ursus americanus). Antibodies to contagious ecthyma virus were detected in sera of seven of 17 (41%) Dall sheep (Ovis dalli) and five of 53 (10%) caribou. Antibodies to epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus were found in sera of eight of 17 (47%) Dall sheep and two of 39 (6%) moose. Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus antibodies were detected in sera of six of 67 (9%) caribou. Bovine viral diarrhea virus antibodies were found in sera of two of 67 (3%) caribou. Parainfluenza 3 virus antibodies were detected in sera of 14 of 21 (67%) bison (Bison bison). Antibodies to Q fever rickettsia were found in sera of 12 of 15 (80%) Dall sheep. No evidence of prior exposure ...
Effect of Intraosseous Anesthesia on Control of Hemostasis in Pigs

Abstract Introduction Intraosseous anesthesia is used to deliver anesthetic into cancellous bone adjacent to the root apices. No study has assessed the effect of this anesthetic technique on hemostasis. The purpose of this study was to compare the amount of bleeding from soft tissue and bone in pig jaws after preoperative intraosseous or infiltration anesthesia with 2% lidocaine containing 1:50,000 epinephrine. Methods Twelve pigs were divided into 3 groups. The first group received infiltration anesthesia on one half of the jaw and no anesthesia on the other half. The second group received intraosseous anesthesia on one half of the jaw and no anesthesia on the other half. The third group received infiltration anesthesia on one half of the jaw and intraosseous anesthesia on the second half. Blood was collected during flap reflection to measure the volume of soft tissue bleeding. Osteotomies were then prepared with blood collected from the surgical site to measure the volume of osseous bleeding. Results The median soft tissue blood loss observed in animals receiving infiltration anesthesia (1.14 mL) was significantly less as compared with animals that received no anesthesia (4.49 mL) or intraosseous anesthesia (2.45 mL). Compared with median hard tissue blood loss observed in animals without anesthesia (1.51 mL), significantly less blood loss was observed in animals receiving either infiltration anesthesia (0.67 mL) or intraosseous anesthesia (0.76 mL). Conclusions Infiltration anesthesia resulted in significantly less soft tissue bleeding ( p = .004) as compared with no anesthesia. Infiltration and intraosseous anesthesia resulted in significantly less osseous bleeding than the use of no anesthetic ( p
Mass-profile and instability-growth measurements for 300-wire Z-pinch implosions driven by 14-18 MA

We present the first comprehensive study of high wire-number, wire-array Z-pinch dynamics at 14-18 MA using x-ray backlighting and optical shadowgraphy diagnostics. The cylindrical arrays retain slowly expanding, dense wire cores at the initial position up to 60% of the total implosion time. Azimuthally correlated instabilities at the array edge appear during this stage which continue to grow in amplitude and wavelength after the start of bulk motion, resulting in measurable trailing mass that does not arrive on axis before peak x-ray emission.
Metaphosphate in the Active Site of Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase

Abstract The hydrolysis of a phosphate ester can proceed through an intermediate of metaphosphate (dissociative mechanism) or through a trigonal bipryamidal transition state (associative mechanism). Model systems in solution support the dissociative pathway, whereas most enzymologists favor an associative mechanism for enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Crystals of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase grow from an equilibrium mixture of substrates and products at near atomic resolution (1.3 A). At neutral pH, products of the reaction (orthophosphate and fructose 6-phosphate) bind to the active site in a manner consistent with an associative reaction pathway; however, in the presence of inhibitory concentrations of K+ (200 mm), or at pH 9.6, metaphosphate and water (or OH−) are in equilibrium with orthophosphate. Furthermore, one of the magnesium cations in the pH 9.6 complex resides in an alternative position, and suggests the possibility of metal cation migration as the 1-phosphoryl group of the substrate undergoes hydrolysis. To the best of our knowledge, the crystal structures reported here represent the first direct observation of metaphosphate in a condensed phase and may provide the structural basis for fundamental changes in the catalytic mechanism of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in response to pH and different metal cation activators.
Laws of the iterated logarithm for partial sum processes indexed by functions

We establish a bounded and a compact law of the iterated logarithm for partial sum processes indexed by classes of functions. We assume a growth condition on the metric entropy under bracketing. Examples show that our results are sharp. As a corollary we obtain new results for weighted sums of independent identically distributed random variables.
Playing with Biology: Making Medical Games that Appear Lifelike

Game-based medical simulations differ from other training modalities in that life processes must be simulated as part of the experience. Biological fidelity is the degree to which character anatomical appearance and physiology behavior are represented within a game or simulation. Methods to achieve physiological fidelity include computational physiology engines, complex state machines, simple state machines and kinetic models. Traditional games also employ health scores that can also be employed for medical gaming. The selection of technique to is dependent upon the goals of the simulation, the types of input expected of the user, the amount of development work possible and the level of fidelity required. Apparent biological fidelity, responsiveness to user inputs and the ability to correct mistakes is often more important than actual biological fidelity.
Quantitative CT: technique dependency of volume assessment for pulmonary nodules

Current lung nodule size assessment methods typically rely on one-dimensional estimation of lesions. While new 3D volume assessment techniques using MSCT scan data have enabled improved estimation of lesion size, the effect of acquisition and reconstruction parameters on accuracy and precision of such estimation has not been adequately investigated. To characterize such dependencies, we scanned an anthropomorphic thoracic phantom containing synthetic nodules with different protocols, including various acquisition and reconstruction parameters. We also scanned the phantom repeatedly with the same protocol to investigate repeatability. The nodule's volume was estimated by a clinical lung analysis software package, LungVCAR. Accuracy (bias) and precision (variance) of the volume assessment were calculated across the nodules and compared between protocols via Generalized Estimating Equation analysis. Results suggest a strong dependence of accuracy and precision on dose level but little dependence on reconstruction thickness, thus providing possible guidelines for protocol optimization for quantitative tasks.
Synthesis of Metal-Chelating Lipids to Sensitize Lanthanide Ions

Sensitization of lanthanide ions is important for lanthanide ion-based assays and sensing. To the best of our knowledge, there are very few reports of lanthanide ion sensitization after it is incorporated into the liposome surface. This paper describes the syntheses of several saturated and polymerizable metal-chelating lipids based on chelidamic acid. The lipids are synthesized either from (S)-ornithine or racemic 2,3-diaminopropanoic acid. These lipids as well as polymerized liposomes incorporating these lipids sensitize lanthanide ions. Liposomes from the lipid 18-Eu(3+) provided a probe that relies not only on the emission wavelengths of Eu(3+) but also on a reproducible lifetime that can be used for protein identification.
Localization of cannabinoid CB1 receptor mRNA in neuronal subpopulations of rat striatum: A double-label in situ hybridization study †

Double-label in situ hybridization was used to identify the phenotypes of striatal neurons that express mRNA for cannabinoid CB(1) receptors. Simultaneous detection of multiple mRNAs was performed by combining a (35)S-labeled ribonucleotide probe for CB(1) mRNA with digoxigenin-labeled riboprobes for striatal projection neurons (preprotachykinin A, prodynorphin, and preproenkephalin mRNAs) and interneurons (vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), somatostatin, and glutamic acid decarboxylase (Mr 67,000; GAD67) mRNAs). To ascertain whether CB(1) mRNA was a marker for striatal efferents, digoxigenin-labeled probes for mRNA markers of both striatonigral (prodynorphin or preprotachykinin A mRNAs), and striatopallidal (proenkephalin mRNAs) projection neurons were combined with the (35)S-labeled probe for CB(1). A mediolateral gradient in CB(1) mRNA expression was observed at rostral and mid-striatal levels; in the same coronal sections the number of silver grains per cell ranged from below the threshold of detectability at the medial and ventral poles to saturation at the dorsolateral boundary bordered by the corpus callosum. At the caudal level examined, CB(1) mRNA was denser in the ventral sector relative to the dorsal sector. Virtually all neurons expressing mRNA markers for striatal projection neurons colocalized CB(1) mRNA. Combining a (35)S-labeled riboprobe for CB(1) with digoxigenin-labeled riboprobes for both preproenkephalin and prodynorphin confirmed localization of CB(1) mRNA to striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons expressing prodynorphin and preproenkephalin mRNAs, respectively. However, CB(1) mRNA-positive cells that failed to coexpress the other markers were also apparent. CB(1) mRNA was localized to putative GABAergic interneurons that express high levels of GAD67 mRNA. These interneurons enable functional interactions between the direct and indirect striatal output pathways. By contrast, aspiny interneurons that express preprosomatostatin mRNA and cholinergic interneurons that coexpress ChAT and VAChT mRNAs were CB(1) mRNA-negative. The present data provide direct evidence that cannabinoid receptors are synthesized in striatonigral neurons that contain dynorphin and substance P and striatopallidal neurons that contain enkephalin. By contrast, local circuit neurons in striatum that contain somatostatin or acetylcholine do not synthesize cannabinoid receptors. Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Foresight: A Structured Graphical Approach to Constraint-Based Project Planning

An essential part of construction project planning and control is the development of a model of the project’s constituent processes. The Critical Path Method is the most popular project modeling method in construction since it is simple to use and reasonably versatile. Many other modeling techniques have limited scope, being aimed at specialized types of project, such as linear scheduling which is used for modeling construction work that progresses along a line. Discrete-event simulation is the most versatile of all methods, but it lacks the simplicity in use of CPM and so has not been widely adopted in construction. This paper goes back to first principles, identifying the needs of construction project planning and how existing tools satisfy (and fail to satisfy) these requirements. Based on this, a new modeling paradigm is proposed that is better suited to the needs of contemporary construction project planning. The principles of the system are demonstrated in application to three example construction projects.
An accurate spectral method with arbitrarily large time step sizes

Abstract We propose a new implementation of the spectral method based on the Crank-Nicholson scheme. Our approach introduces an effective system Hamiltonian that shares the same eigenstates with the original system. The eigenenergies of the effective system Hamiltonian are related to those of the original system in a simple analytical form. The exact and unconditionally convergent propagator for the effective system allows easy and accurate recovery of the high resolution energy spectra of the original system with arbitrarily large time step sizes. Numerical results are given for a Morse oscillator.
Nanotube MEMS: modeling extreme nanoscale devices

The physics of operation of nanotube NEMS devices is reviewed. Special attention is paid to non-classical effects, rarely described in MEMS analysis, such as van der Waals/Casimir interactions, quantum effects in electrostatics, atomistic parameterization of elasticity. As an example of a breakdown of a classical MEMS theory, the NEMS scaling limitation is derived in a lump model taking into account van der Waals/Casimir attraction.
Matrix-Flowgraph Methods with Applications to the Analysis of Systems Whose Missions are of Uncertain Duration

Abstract A class of semi-Markov models, having applications in operations research and reliability engineering, is examined. The special structure of these models permits their analysis by the inspection of flowgraphs having matrix-valued gains on their branches. The use of such flowgraphs effectively reduces the size and complexity of the state space required for analysis, leading to considerable simplification in both formulation and computation. These flowgraph procedures are presented in the context of reliability and availability analysis for systems whose missions are of uncertain duration, but other areas of application are also noted.
The indirect modification of categorical knowledge

The present study investigated whether the later learning of a category could affect the representation of other categories learned previously. Participants initially learned two or three categories, where each stimulus was composed of features that were distinctive to a category, shared with one or both of the other categories, or were idiosyncratic. When two categories were initially learned, a subsequent learning phase involved the learning of a third category that either shared distinctive features with categories learned previously, thereby discounting those features as diagnostic or was composed of features unrelated to the original categories. A common transfer test contained old, new, and prototype stimuli for classification, as well as critical items that revealed whether discounting of previously diagnostic features had occurred. The results revealed that stimuli assigned to a particular category in the two-category condition were assigned to the third category learned subsequently when the later learning discounted previously diagnostic features. These results suggest that later learning of a category can indirectly modify the representation of categories learned previously.
Do it yourself guide to genome assembly

Bioinformatics skills required for genome sequencing often represent a significant hurdle for many researchers working in computational biology. This humble effort highlights the significance of genome assembly as a research area, focuses on its need to remain accurate, provides details about the characteristics of the raw data, examines some key metrics, emphasizes some tools and draws attention to a generic tutorial with example data that outlines the whole pipeline for next-generation sequencing. The article concludes by pointing out some major future research problems.