cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A proposed mechanism of bupivacaine-induced contraction of human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells.

Abstract This in vitro study using ring preparations of human umbilical vessels and cultured human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells was designed to determine: (a) the mechanism of bupivacaine-induced contraction of ring preparations, and (b) whether similar concentrations of bupivacaine release Cal 2+ in cultured smooth muscle cells. Isometric tension was recorded from ring preparations of human umbilical veins and arteries in an isolated tissue chamber. Separate fluorescence and electrophysiology studies were done with cultured human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells. Bupivacaine-evoked contractions of ring preparations were either tonic or twitch in nature. The contraction of ring preparations was dependent on extracellular Cal 2+ and sensitive to nifedipine inhibition. Bupivacaine also increased intracellular Cal 2+ in patterns consistent with tonic or phasic tension responses seen in isometric recordings. In addition, the membrane-resting potential was depolarized by bupivacaine. Since similar concentrations of bupivacaine caused both contraction and a rise in intracellular Ca 2+ , the bupivacaine-evoked contraction was the result of increased cell Cal 2+ and the source of this Ca 2+ was the extracellular space.
Evaluation of the Ugandan sorghum accessions for grain mold and anthracnose resistance

Sorghum accessions from Uganda were evaluated for grain mold and anthracnose resistance during the 2005 and 2006 growing seasons at the Texas A&M University Research Farm, near College Station, TX. Accession PI534117 and SC719-11E exhibited the lowest grain mold severities of 2.4, whereas, accessions PI534117, PI534144, PI576337, PI297199, PI533833, and PI297210, with SC748-5 were highly resistant to anthracnose in both years. Accessions PI534117, PI297134, PI297156 exhibited low grain mold severities in 2006. Significant negative correlation was recorded between grain mold and percent germination and high temperature in both years. In 2006, daily precipitation recorded significant positive correlation with grain mold. The seed mycoflora was analyzed across sorghum lines and treatments. In 2005, Curvularia lunata and Fusarium thapsinum were the most frequently recovered fungal species with 31 and 21% incidence, respectively, followed by Alternaria spp. (19%) and F. semitectum (13%). In 2006, predominant colonizers were F. thapsinum (58%), followed by Alternaria and F. semitectum with 15 and 10, percent respectively, while C. lunata had a 6% incidence. In this study, PI534117 holds promise for multiple disease resistance, as it had the lowest disease severity of grain mold and was highly resistant to anthracnose in both years. It also has a high germination rate, a high seed weight, and its short stature is more advantageous for the new A-line conversion program.
Excess capacity: a permanent characteristic of US airlines?

This paper examines the permanence of excess capacity in the US airline industry. To avoid the problems with the standard engineering measure of capacity utilization, load factor, we define and measure capacity as an economic concept. Two measures of economic capacity utilization are then computed—one, a demand-based measure and the other an output-based measure of capacity utilization. Both measures share little in common with the standard engineering measure (load factor) and reveal some interesting attributes of airline travel demand. This paper also provides interesting new insights into the role of deregulation and the costs of excess capacity during regulation. Specifically, it is found that deregulation with the concomitant rationalization of route structures enabled airlines to move closer to their optimal levels of capacity and facilitated substantial improvements in capacity utilization and cost reductions over the period considered. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role-based coordinating communication for effective human-robot task collaborations

This short summary paper briefly describes a method for using the embodied social communication capabilities of a robot to achieve and enhance coordination in human-robot task collaboration scenarios. The approach focuses on planning coordinating social behaviors using the formalism of roles to allow a robot to produce and interpret communicative feedback expressing a desired allocation of duties and to issue positive or negative reinforcement to a person as the task progresses and in response to the inferred future activity of the collaborating partner.
The Cross Validation of the Attitudes Toward Mainstreaming Scale (ATMS

The eighteen-statement Attitudes Toward Mainstreaming Scale (ATMS) was cross validated through a principal axis factor analysis procedure. The 159 subjects comprising the original sample and the 16...
Micro- and Macroscale Damage Detection Using the Nonlinear Acoustic Vibro-Modulation Technique

Subjected to in-service and environmental loads, even relatively new structural components may reveal signs of microscopic deterioration. Very often, this initial damage further progresses into meso- and macroscales leading to development of one or several macrocracks that cause ultimate structural failure. Although the onset of macroscale cracking can be reliably detected by modern NDE methodologies, there is an increasing need for inspection technologies that may allow for assessing structural damage at a wide range of scales, i.e., from micro to macro. This article explores application of the nonlinear acoustic vibro-modulation technique (VMT) to incipient damage detection and monitoring. The nonlinear acoustic detection of the macroscopic damage is illustrated with examples: inspection of the cast aluminum automotive parts and testing of the aging aircraft fuselage. The microscale damage assessment is realized by real-time monitoring of the acoustic nonlinearity in the strain controlled three-point-be...
Characterization of a 12-channel optical fiber ribbon cable with MTP array connector assembly for space flight environments

Presented here is the second set of testing conducted by the Technology Validation Laboratory for Photonics at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on the twelve optical fiber ribbon cable with MTP array connector for space flight environments. In the first set of testing the commercial 62.5/125 cable assembly was characterized using space flight parameters (published in SPIE Vol. 3440). The testing showed that the cable assembly would survive a typical space flight mission with the exception of a vacuum environment. Two enhancements were conducted to the existing technology to better suit the vacuum environment as well as the existing optoelectronics and increase the reliability of the assembly during vibration. The MTP assembly characterized here has a 100/140 optical commercial fiber and non outgassing connector and cable components. The characterization for this enhanced fiber optic cable assembly involved vibration, thermal and radiation testing. The data and results of this characterization study are presented which include optical in-situ testing.
A collaborative care intervention improved depression outcomes, but not glycaemic control, in diabetes and comorbid depression

Katon WJ, Von Korff M, Lin EHB, et al . The Pathways Study: a randomized trial of collaborative care in patients with diabetes and depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2004;61:1042–9. [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Q In patients with diabetes mellitus and comorbid major depression or dysthymia, does a pathways collaborative care intervention (PCCI) for depression improve both depression and glycaemic control outcomes? ### ![Graphic][5] Design: randomised controlled trial. ### ![Graphic][6] Allocation: {concealed}.* ### ![Graphic][7] Blinding: blinded (outcome assessors). ### ![Graphic][8] Follow up period: 12 months ### ![Graphic][9] Setting: 9 Group Health Cooperative primary care clinics in western Washington, USA. ### ![Graphic][10] Patients: 329 ambulatory patients (mean age 58 y, 65% women) with diabetes mellitus and comorbid major depression or dysthymia. Exclusion criteria included care from a psychiatrist, confusion suggestive of dementia, or a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. ### ![Graphic][11] Intervention: a PCCI (n = 164) or usual care (UC) (n = 165). The PCCI was an individualised, stepped care depression treatment programme delivered by a depression clinical specialist nurse in collaboration with … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DArchives%2Bof%2BGeneral%2BPsychiatry%26rft.stitle%253DArch%2BGen%2BPsychiatry%26rft.issn%253D0003-990X%26rft.aulast%253DKaton%26rft.auinit1%253DW.%2BJ.%26rft.volume%253D61%26rft.issue%253D10%26rft.spage%253D1042%26rft.epage%253D1049%26rft.atitle%253DThe%2BPathways%2BStudy%253A%2BA%2BRandomized%2BTrial%2Bof%2BCollaborative%2BCare%2Bin%2BPatients%2BWith%2BDiabetes%2Band%2BDepression%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Farchpsyc.61.10.1042%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F15466678%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/archpsyc.61.10.1042&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=15466678&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F8%2F3%2F81.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000224353000010&link_type=ISI [5]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [6]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif [7]: /embed/inline-graphic-3.gif [8]: /embed/inline-graphic-4.gif [9]: /embed/inline-graphic-5.gif [10]: /embed/inline-graphic-6.gif [11]: /embed/inline-graphic-7.gif
The synthesis of coliphage T1 DNA: Studies on the roles of T1 genes 1, 2, and 4

Abstract We have used T1 with is mutations in genes 1, 2, and 4 in temperature-shift experiments in order to explore further the roles of the products of these genes in the replicative cycle for T1 DNA. The products of genes 1 and 2 are required throughout infection; cessation of synthesis after a shift to a nonpermissive temperature was quite rapid with all of the mutants. Gene 4 product, in contrast, becomes progressively dispensible as the infection proceeds; this process starts promptly after infection under permissive conditions. DNA concatamers appearing early under permissive conditions are not capable of being packaged into viable phage without further DNA synthesis. However, concomitant DNA synthesis is not a direct requirement for DNA maturation. Certain possible explanations for the DNA synthesis arrest (DA) phenotype have been ruled out: DNA synthesized under nonpermissive conditions for gene 4 is not subject to degradation; concomitant activity of the gene 4 product is not required for the continued synthesis of either monomeric or concatamric DNA molecules.
Patellar Fracture Following Patellofemoral Arthroplasty

This study aims to report the incidence of patellar fracture after patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) and to determine associated factors as well as outcomes of patients with and without this complication. 77 knees in 59 patients with minimum two-year follow-up were included. Seven (9.1%) patients experienced a patellar fracture at a mean of 34 (range 16-64) months postoperatively. All were treated nonoperatively. Lower BMI (P = 0.03), change in patellar thickness (P < 0.001), amount of bone resected (P = 0.001), and larger trochlear component size (P = 0.01) were associated with a greater incidence of fracture. Fewer fractures occurred when the postoperative patellar height exceeded the preoperatively measured height. No statistically significant differences were found in outcome scores between groups at mean four-year follow-up.
Outcomes and Clinicopathologic Variables Associated With Late Recurrence After Nephrectomy for Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma

Objective To characterize the incidence and clinicopathologic factors associated with late recurrence after surgical resection for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) because the recurrence patterns >5 years after nephrectomy have been poorly described. Methods We identified 1454 patients treated with nephrectomy for localized RCC from 1970 to 2000 who had remained free of disease for 5 years. Subsequent tumor recurrence was classified as renal recurrence and distant metastasis. The incidence of recurrence >5 years from surgery was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The associations of clinicopathologic variables with late recurrence were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Results With a median postoperative follow-up of 13.9 years (range 5.1-38.9), 63 patients (4.3%) experienced late renal recurrence at a median of 9.3 years (range 5.1-25.3), and 172 patients (11.8%) developed late distant metastases at a median of 9.6 years (range 5.1-26.6) after surgery. The estimated recurrence-free survival rate at 10 and 15 years was 97.3% and 95.2% for renal recurrence, and 93.1% and 85.9% for distant metastases, respectively. On multivariate analysis, increased tumor size (hazard ratio [HR] 1.12; P P = .018), clear cell or collecting duct histologic features (HR 3.76; P P P P = .007), and pT3-pT4 (HR 5.1; P Conclusion After an initial 5-year postoperative disease-free interval, approximately 5% and 15% of patients will develop renal recurrence and distant metastases, respectively, during the next decade. Therefore, long-term surveillance remains necessary after nephrectomy.
On Flows in Porous Media with Moving Boundaries Arising as Scaling Limits of Discrete Aggregation Models

We study porous medium (or, equivalently, Hele-Shaw) flows with a moving boundary which arise as scaling (i.e., continuous) limits of certain discrete aggregation models. Specifically, we study the scaling limit of the internal DLA model with a killing and a one-way passing condition for particles on the negative semi-axis. These models were recently studied by L. Levine and Y. Peres. We give an exact self-similar solution for the corresponding porous medium flow in the first case (which matches perfectly the numerical data obtained by L. Levine and Y. Peres), and derive moment properties of such solution in the second case.
The worst drug rule revisited: mathematical modeling of cyclic cancer treatments.

In drug treatments of cancer, cyclic treatment strategies are characterized by alternating applications of two (or more) different drugs, given one at a time. One of the main problems of drug treatment in cancer is associated with the generation of drug resistance by mutations of cancerous cells. We use mathematical methods to develop general guidelines on optimal cyclic treatment scheduling, with the aim of minimizing the resistance generation. We define a condition on the drugs’ potencies which allows for a relatively successful application of cyclic therapies. We find that the best strategy is to start with the stronger drug, but use longer cycle durations for the weaker drug. We further investigate the situation where a degree of cross-resistance is present, such that certain mutations cause cells to become resistant to both drugs simultaneously. We show that the general rule (best-drug-first, worst-drug-longer) is unchanged by the presence of cross-resistance. We design a systematic method to test all strategies and come up with the optimal timing and drug order. The role of various constraints in the optimal therapy design, and in particular, suboptimal treatment durations and drug toxicity, is considered. The connection with the “worst drug rule” of Day (Cancer Res. 46:3876, 1986b) is discussed.
J. S. mill's concept of liberty and the principle of utility

Looked at on these three levels — the definitional, the justificatory, the dimensional — Mill's concept of liberty does not appear to be rooted in the principle of utility in any meaningful sense of this principle. It appears rather to be based on a consideration of the social benefits liberty would conduce to combined with an implicit and at times explicit theory of natural rights. Liberty is neither defined nor justified relative to any felicific, sensory pleasure-pain calculus or Greatest Happiness estimate. The limits of individual or collective interference in individual action are not prescribed with the utility principle as the guide.
Inhibition of cobalt(II) carboxypeptidase A by ligands. Kinetic evidence for the formation of a ternary enzyme-metal-ligand complex

Abstract Saturation kinetics are observed in the inhibition of cobalt carboxypeptidase A by the chelating agent 1,10-phenanthroline. The association constant K 1 for the formation of the enzyme-metal-ligand ternary complex and k 2 , the rate of breakup of the ternary complex, have been obtained. A mechanism is proposed to account for the pH profile of the reaction which, in conjunction with K 1 , permits the calculation of the individual rate constants k 1 , K −1 , k 2 , k 3 . The magnitude of the rate constant k 1 suggests that cobalt(II) in CoCPA is five-coordinate. Similar but less extensive studies on inhibition by 2,2′-bipyridyl and 8-hydroquinoline-5-sulfonic acid have also been carried out
Using hedge funds to enhance asset allocation in life cycle pension funds

Life cycle investment funds are one of the fastest growing segments in the defined contribution pension industry. Despite concerns over long-term investment performance, many life cycle products continue to remain focused on traditional core allocations to US stocks and US bonds, with very little exposure to alternative asset classes such as commodities or global real estate. This paper outlines a methodology for assessing the potential enhancement to long-term performance that may arise from the inclusion of hedge funds into life cycle investment products. The results indicate a potential role for hedge funds. It is argued that exposure can be most efficiently gained via investable hedge fund of fund indices or by using widely available technology to replicate hedge fund returns via common risk factors. Because the approach developed in this paper can be easily modified, it could prove useful to financial planners, investors, portfolio managers and policy makers in assessing the risk and return characteristics of various life cycle asset allocation strategies.
Chemically Modified Micro- and Nanostructured Systems for Pluripotent Stem Cell Culture

Due to their self-renewal capacity, pluripotent stem cells have great potential in the fields of drug discovery, tissue regeneration, and cell therapy. Micro- and nanostructured systems (e.g., micro nanofibers, nanofilms, microcarriers, and microcapsules) have been developed to culture pluripotent stem cells. To achieve the full potential of these cells, strategies must be implemented to maintain them in a pluripotent state during expansion and direct them to desired cell lineage with high efficiency. Substrate chemistry plays a critical role in regulating stem cell fate decision. This article will discuss the roles of both peptide-based and organic-based surface chemistries and their potential to mimic cell–ECM binding, therefore influencing long-term stem cell self-renewal, maintenance of pluripotency, and differentiation. High-throughput approaches will enable the identification of the optimal substrate chemistries for pluripotent stem cell attachment, long-term maintenance, and directed differentiation. The incorporation of the optimal substrate chemistry into micro- and nanostructured systems will offer the most efficient approach to pluripotent stem cell propagation and differentiation.
Roles of AKT and sphingosine kinase in the antiapoptotic effects of bile duct ligation in mouse liver.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor– and Fas-mediated apoptosis are major death processes of hepatocytes in liver disease. Although antiapoptotic effects in the injured liver promote chronic hepatitis and carcinogenesis, scant information is known about these mechanisms. To explore this issue, we compared acute liver injury after TNF-α or anti-Fas antibody (Jo2) between livers from sham-operated mice and chronic injured liver via bile duct ligation (BDL). BDL inhibited hepatocyte apoptosis induced by TNF-α but not by Jo2. On the other hand, BDL inhibited the massive hemorrhage seen in livers treated with either TNF-α or Jo2. Inactivation of AKT blocked the antiapoptotic effect of BDL. Sphingosine kinase knockout mice also lost the antihemorrhagic effect of BDL and attenuated the antiapoptotic effects of BDL. In bile duct–ligated livers, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were activated and produced tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 in a sphingosine kinase (SphK)-1–dependent mechanism. In conclusion, BDL exerts antiapoptotic effects that appear to require activation of AKT in hepatocytes and SphK in HSCs.(HEPATOLOGY 2005;42:1320–1328.)
Optimization of multi-step development scheme to improve the critical dimension uniformity

Tight control of critical dimensions (CDs) of integrated circuit (IC) is required to achieve desired circuit performances, and getting more and more important as the IC CD shrinks. Phenomena and solutions of inter-field and intra-field CD errors have been widely studied for years. One of the well-known intra-field CD errors is so called the developer micro-loading effect due to the different pattern density loadings across the exposure field, in the other words, the more different the pattern density is, the more CD errors it would be expected. Some of the circuit layouts, e.g. thick gate oxide layers of dual gate oxide processes, and gate layers of embedded memory products, have this kind of across field pattern density concerns because of the different pattern density areas. Some researches showed that eliminating the by-products during the development process could reduce the developer micro-loading effect. With a multi-step development process (Puddle-Static Development-Dry-Puddle-Static Development-Rinse/Dry), the by-products can be removed and achieve a better CD uniformity. In this paper, optimization of the first puddle time in the multi-step development process is found to be the most critical to achieve uniform intra-field CDs. The purpose of the first puddle step is not only to remove the by-products but also to control the influence of the by-products to achieve uniform intra-field CDs. Once most of the by-products generated during the whole development process were carried away by the first puddle step, the optimum static Dev. time is needed to obtain the minimum intra-field CD difference. However, different photo-resists with different chemical formulations are expected to have identical optimum puddle time due to different chemical reactions of each by-product species, e.g. i-line PRs vs DUV PRs, or annealing type DUV PRs vs acetel type DUV PRs. These comparisons will be explained in details in this paper. Finally, the source of the by-products during the developer process was also identified to verify the validation of the multi-step developer process.
PERIPHERAL TOXICITY OF HEMICHOLINIUM-3 IN MICE

Abstract 1 The site (i.e. peripheral or central) of the toxicity produced by hemicholinium-3 in mice was investigated. 2 Hemicholinium-3 was measured fluorometrically and acetylcholine was determined by gas chromatography after intraventricular or intraperitoneal administration of hemicholinium-3. 3 Hemicholinium-3 was not detected in the brain nor were acetylcholine levels decreased in the brain after systemic administration. 4 The dose-response curve following intraventricular administration demonstrated that hemicholinium-3 was not as lethal after central administration as it was after peripheral administration. 5 Approximately 24% of a 75 microgram intraventricular dose of hemicholinium-3 was found in the periphery at death. 6 These results suggest that hemicholinium-3 manifests its toxicity primarily in the periphery.
A digitally controlled 8-input/2-output audio mixer IC

An integrated-circuit implementation of an eight channel audio mixer is presented. This architecture utilizes a novel cascaded R-xR ladder. The requirements for such an IC have emerged to satisfy a generic need for such a function, particularly in professional audio and multimedia systems. Specifically, the IC described is an 8/spl times/2 mixer-eight voltage inputs and two voltage outputs. Each input has an attenuation control with 1 dB steps up to 63 dB maximum attenuation and can be steered to either, both or neither (mute) left/right output mixers. Design considerations are presented for optimum Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) and the particular design achieves a THD of 0.01%. The chip has been implemented on an advanced BiCMOS process with complementary MOS, bipolar transistors and oxide capacitors in an area of less than 12.5 mm/sup 2/.
Solution‐Gelation Method for Preparing Polycrystalline Zircon

A solution-gelation method for the preparation of polycrystalline zircon from zirconyl nitrate and tetraethoxysilane is described. Solution-gelation methods are attractive because they can produce homogeneous starting materials and do not require any special equipment.
ACCORD(ing) to a Trialist

“ Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability .”1 —William Osler (1849 to 1919) The practice of medicine will always remain an art in which important individual patient decisions are at best guided by incomplete evidence. Randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs), although imperfect, are the premier tools to generate reliable data to assist in decision making.2 In cardiovascular medicine, we have been fortunate to have a rich legacy of definitive RCTs demonstrating survival benefits of therapies that have deservedly become cornerstone components of clinical practice. However, RCTs with mortality as the primary objective are practical only for evaluating populations with exceedingly high anticipated mortality rates or would require prohibitively long follow-up to obtain a reliable answer. Construction of composite outcomes combining nonfatal clinically important events with deaths into a single end point offers an effective statistical compromise whereby the potential benefits and risks of an intervention can be assessed with relatively smaller sample sizes than in mortality RCTs.3,4 Using composite outcomes that have clinically indisputable and important components extends the application of clinical outcome trials to more prevalent populations with less severely impaired prognosis. However, the compromise is that use of composite end points introduces uncertainty into the interpretation from possible inconsistencies among the components on effect size and at times even direction.5 An even greater end-point compromise is more frequently made in RCTs by targeting a primary objective of determining whether a readily quantifiable laboratory measure considered a surrogate marker of disease progression can be favorably altered by the proposed intervention. Because all patients can generally provide a measure of the surrogate or biomarker, these mechanistically targeted trials require considerably fewer patients and shorter durations.6 A strong link between the surrogates with observational associations of …
Technical communication theory in the new millennium

Although the field of technical communication has developed considerably, there is still some resistance to theory from both practitioners and academics. The relationship between theory and application in the field of technical communication has received more attention in the last decade, with much of the theory "borrowed" from other disciplines. I contend that while using theories that are "native" to other fields is helpful for problem-solving and conducting research in the field of technical communication, it would also be beneficial and empowering to practitioners and academics if theories were developed from within the field of technical communication. These "new" theories can be created through borrowing, combining, invention, and research.
Affective and Neural Reactivity to Criticism in Individuals High and Low on Perceived Criticism

People who have remitted from depression are at increased risk for relapse if they rate their relatives as being critical of them on a simple self-report measure of Perceived Criticism (PC). To explore neural mechanisms associated with this we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine how people with different levels of PC responded to hearing criticism from their own mothers. To maximize variability in affective reactivity, depressed, recovered depressed, and healthy control participants (n=33) were classified as high or low in PC based on a median split. They were then exposed to personally-relevant critical and praising comments from their mothers. Perceived Criticism levels were unrelated to depression status and to negative mood change after hearing criticism. However, compared to low PC participants, those who scored high on PC showed differential activation in a network of regions associated with emotion reactivity and regulation, including increased amygdala activity and decreased reactions in prefrontal regulatory regions when they heard criticism. This was not the case for praise. Criticism may be a risk factor for relapse because it helps to ‘‘train’’ pathways characteristic of depressive information processing. The Perceived Criticism measure may help identify people who are more susceptible to this vulnerability.
IL-1ra delivered from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres attenuates IL-1β-mediated degradation of nucleus pulposus in vitro

Inflammation plays a key role in the progression of intervertebral disc degeneration, a condition strongly implicated as a cause of lower back pain. The objective of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres loaded with interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) for sustained attenuation of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) mediated degradative changes in the nucleus pulposus (NP), using an in vitro model. IL-1ra was encapsulated in PLGA microspheres and release kinetics were determined over 35 days. NP agarose constructs were cultured to functional maturity and treated with combinations of IL-1β and media conditioned with IL-1ra released from microspheres at intervals for up to 20 days. Construct mechanical properties, glycosaminoglycan content, nitrite production and mRNA expression of catabolic mediators were compared to properties for untreated constructs using unpaired Student's t-tests. IL-1ra release kinetics were characterized by an initial burst release reducing to a linear release over the first 10 days. IL-1ra released from microspheres attenuated the degradative effects of IL-1β as defined by mechanical properties, glycosaminoglycans (GAG) content, nitric oxide production and mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators for 7 days, and continued to limit functional degradation for up to 20 days. In this study, we successfully demonstrated that IL-1ra microspheres can attenuate the degradative effects of IL-1β on the NP for extended periods. This therapeutic strategy may be appropriate for treating early-stage, cytokine-mediated disc degeneration. Ongoing studies are focusing on testing IL-1ra microspheres in an in vivo model of disc degeneration, as a prelude to clinical translation.
The hybrid simulation and transient stability analysis of SCSR

The simulation of stepped controlled shunt reactor was proposed in the paper which can suppress over-voltages of high voltage transmission line in various situations flexibly, Electromechanical and electro-magnetic transient hybrid simulation analysis of northwest grid transient stability in use of stepped controlled shunt reactor was conducted as well as the technical features. Computer simulation results used in practical operation parameters confirmed the above advantages and effectiveness of stepped controlled shunt reactor. It's effective and practical, which opens a new way to the voltage control and reactive power regulation of ultra high voltage transmission line.
Learning on a General Network

This paper generalizes the backpropagation method to a general network containing feedback connections. The network model considered consists of interconnected groups of neurons, where each group could be fully interconnected (it could have feedback connections, with possibly asymmetric weights), but no loops between the groups are allowed. A stochastic descent algorithm is applied, under a certain inequality constraint on each intra-group weight matrix which ensures for the network to possess a unique equilibrium state for every input.
File Conversion in the Educational Use of Handheld Devices

The goal of this paper is to identify file formats that are used to preserve educational content and match them with file formats that can be created on iPods. Educational materials exist in a wide variety of file formats, but such files may not be accessible with modern devices such as iPods or iPhones. Services and tools that convert almost any file format into another file format can provide a solution to the problem of file incompatibility. This paper focuses on the most common file formats, and the list of references contains links to websites where converters for any format pair can be found.
SYNTHESIS OF SOME HEXAMINE DERIVATIVES AS POTENTIAL ANTISPASMODICS.

The activity of an antispasmodic of the atropine type appears to be related to the rigidity of the nitrogen-containing moiety. Hexamine contains a very rigid ring system, and it would seem that hexamine would furnish a promising starting point in the synthesis of a good antispasmodic. Some hexamine derivatives were synthesized by reacting the appropriate halomethyl amide or ketone with an excess of hexamine in refluxing chloroform. Preliminary pharmacological evaluation indicates that one of the hexamine derivatives possesses good antispasmodic activity.
Solution-based functionalization of gallium nitride nanowires for protein sensor development

article A solution-based functionalization method for the specific and selective attachment of the streptavidin (SA) pro- tein to gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires (NWs) is presented. By exploiting streptavidin's strong affinity for its li- gand biotin, SA immobilization on GaN NWs was achieved by exposing the GaN NW surface to a 3- aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) solution followed by reaction with biotin. Functionalization of the NWs with APTES was facilitated by the presence of an ≈1 nm thick surface oxide layer, which formed on the NWs after exposure to air and oxygen plasma. Biotinylation was accomplished by reacting the APTES-functionalized NWs with sulfo-N-hydroxysuccinimide-biotin at slightly alkaline pH. It was determined that the biotinylated GaN NW surface was specific towards the binding of SA and demonstrated no affinity towards a control protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA). There was however, evidence of non-specific, electrostatic binding of both the SA protein and the BSA protein to the APTES-coated NWs, revealing the importance of the biotinylation step. Suc- cessful SA immobilization on the biotinylated GaN NW surface was verified using fluorescence microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The functionalized GaN NWs demonstrate potential as bio- sensing platforms for the selective detection of proteins. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Data spectroscopy: learning mixture models using eigenspaces of convolution operators

In this paper we develop a spectral framework for estimating mixture distributions, specifically Gaussian mixture models. In physics, spectroscopy is often used for the identification of substances through their spectrum. Treating a kernel function K(x, y) as "light" and the sampled data as "substance", the spectrum of their interaction (eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the kernel matrix K) unveils certain aspects of the underlying parametric distribution p, such as the parameters of a Gaussian mixture. Our approach extends the intuitions and analyses underlying the existing spectral techniques, such as spectral clustering and Kernel Principal Components Analysis (KPCA).We construct algorithms to estimate parameters of Gaussian mixture models, including the number of mixture components, their means and covariance matrices, which are important in many practical applications. We provide a theoretical framework and show encouraging experimental results.
Investigating Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Allosteric Modulator Cooperativity, Affinity, and Agonism: Enriching Structure-Function Studies and Structure-Activity Relationships

Drug discovery programs increasingly are focusing on allosteric modulators as a means to modify the activity of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets. Allosteric binding sites are topographically distinct from the endogenous ligand (orthosteric) binding site, which allows for co-occupation of a single receptor with the endogenous ligand and an allosteric modulator that can alter receptor pharmacological characteristics. Negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) inhibit and positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) enhance the affinity and/or efficacy of orthosteric agonists. Established approaches for estimation of affinity and efficacy values for orthosteric ligands are not appropriate for allosteric modulators, and this presents challenges for fully understanding the actions of novel modulators of GPCRs. Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) is a family C GPCR for which a large array of allosteric modulators have been identified. We took advantage of the many tools for probing allosteric sites on mGlu5 to validate an operational model of allosterism that allows quantitative estimation of modulator affinity and cooperativity values. Affinity estimates derived from functional assays fit well with affinities measured in radioligand binding experiments for both PAMs and NAMs with diverse chemical scaffolds and varying degrees of cooperativity. We observed modulation bias for PAMs when we compared mGlu5-mediated Ca2+ mobilization and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation data. Furthermore, we used this model to quantify the effects of mutations that reduce binding or potentiation by PAMs. This model can be applied to PAM and NAM potency curves in combination with maximal fold-shift data to derive reliable estimates of modulator affinities.
Evolution of the Cloud Pattern during the Formation of Tropical Cyclone Twins Symmetrical with Respect to the Equator

Abstract The evolution of the pattern of the deep convective cloud is presented for three selected cases of tropical cyclone twins symmetrical with respect to the equator. In each case, the pattern evolution is similar and can be separated into four distinct stages.
Passive-Only Defect Detection and Imaging in Composites Using Diffuse Fields

A wave-based passive approach is here presented to detect damage in composite materials subjected to diffuse wave fields. This is the case, for example, of wind turbine blades subjected to random air-structure interaction loads in operation. The known reconstruction of the Green’s function from cross-correlations of diffuse fields is first performed. A first approach, based on wave reciprocity applied to the passively reconstructed Greens function, is first proposed to detect damage located along the straight path between two sensors. A second approach, based on matched field processing applied to the passively reconstructed Green’s function, is then proposed to detect and locate damage anywhere in the structure. These techniques are suitable for structural health monitoring of structures subjected to random dynamic loads from operational environments such as wind turbines, aircraft, bridges, marine structures, etc.
In Any Two-Boat Operation… (Lessons from my Mentor)

Politics, religion, and love—three discussion areas in which people usually are cautioned to tread lightly. Not so for Carl Savit. Carl relished any opportunity to dive into these topics, basically any subject that would allow him to search out what people think and in the process to share a bit of his wealth of original thought. Variations on this pastime included sparring with lawyers, fencing on philosophy, mollifying politicians—and, along the way, teaching many of us what's important in seismic exploration. Carl would have thrived many centuries back, for jousting and chivalry were his hallmark. At the same time, no individual could be said to have been more at the forefront of the digital revolution in geophysics than Carl Savit, and nobody could have been more valuable than he in envisioning future directions for the technology.
Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Antibody Production by Pokeweed Mitogen-stimulated Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Cultures in Vitro

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid patients produced antiepithelial antibodies in a pokeweed mitogen-stimulated in vitro cell culture system. Antiintercellular substance (ICS) antibodies were detected in supernatants of cell cultures from four of four pemphigus vulgaris patients by indirect immunofluorescence. Similarly, antibasement membrane (BM) antibodies were detected in supernatants of cell cultures from three of four bullous pemphigoid patients. No anti-ICS or anti-BM antibodies were detected in supernatants of cell cultures of six normal controls, although antinuclear antibodies were detected occasionally. This pokeweed mitogen-stimulated in vitro cell culture system is suggested as a model to study the role of defects in immunoregulation in the pathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid.
CARDIAC POWER INDEX IN ADVANCED DECOMPENSATED HEART FAILURE: INSIGHTS FROM THE ESCAPE TRIAL

Cardiac power (CP) is the rate of hydraulic work done by the heart. It is prognostic in acute ischemia, but its role advanced decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is unclear. We analyzed the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness (ESCAPE) trial
The Role of Graph Theory in System of Systems Engineering

The world of system of systems engineering (SoSE), and consequently systems engineering, is currently being reformalized so as to provide greater functionality, integration, and extensibility into designed systems of systems (SoS). Graph theory and big data techniques are in position to play substantial roles in this reformalization, and hence, this paper fills a significant need by bringing together all known current applications of graph theory to SoSE in tutorial/summary form. In this paper, we explore the applications of graph theory and known graph algorithms for system design (and SoS design), optimization techniques, complexity measures, and novel graph algorithms for real-time deployment of SoS’s and managing SoS design. The work is straightforward with several examples, and is meant to be a standalone document that can be used to quickly come up to speed regarding the applications of graph theory in SoSE.
Effect of Pressure-sensitive Damage on the Development of Low Permeability Reservoirs

Knowing the relationship between permeability and pressure is important to scientific and reasonable development of low permeability reservoirs. On the basis of experimental research, the pressure sensitive characteristics of reservoir permeability are analysed. It is pointed that the damage of pressure sensitivity to formation permeability can not be avoided if reservoir pressure decreases gradually during development. The loss of the permeability has the unfavorable affect on the production performance. The study in the paper shows that if there is a pressure sensitive effect, the permeability near wellbore is only 45% of the permeability in drainage border; when formation pressure decreases by 5 MPa, production rate will decrease by 13%.
Epidemiological characteristics of class A and class B communicable diseases in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2010

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of class A and class B communicable diseases in Guangzhou,in order to provide references for communicable diseases control.Methods Class A and class B communicable diseases reported by the diseases reporting information system during 2006-2010 were analyzed with descriptive epidemiological method.Results There were 181 927 cases of class A and class B communicable diseases during 2006-2010.The average incidence rate(334.03 /10 5) was higher than Guangdong province and the national average level,and the overall incidence rate was decreasing.The top four class A and B communicable diseases were pulmonary tuberculosis(TB),viral hepatitis,syphilis and gonrrhea,accounting for nearly 90% of class A and class B communicable diseases reported each year.The measles incidence rate had decreased apparently.The incidence of communicable diseases was high in the Central Business District(CBD) and combination area of city and country.The range of the career was housekeeper,civilian worker,worker,and farmer.Conclusion Emphasis should be put not only on the control of pulmonary TB,viral hepatitis,syphilis and gonorrhea,but also on the imported infectious diseases.
Susceptibility to environmental pollutants among minorities

Susceptibility to environmental pollutants involves both biological and nonbiological factors. Individuals belonging to minority groups are much more likely to be subject to a number of these factors. This paper examines biological susceptibility of minorities to environmental pollutants and provides specific examples of susceptibility resulting from: genetic makeup; occupation; other factors such as compromised health status, exposure to mixtures of pollutants, substance abuse, and unemployment; and social inequality of access to health care, education, and communication skills. Recommendations are made for specific actions and for additional studies.
What Is the Real Rate of Surgical Site Infection

Purpose:Surgical site infections (SSIs) are associated with patient morbidity and increased health care costs. Although several national organizations including the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), and the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) monitor SSI, there is no standard reporting methodology.Methods:We queried the UHC, NSQIP, and NHSN databases from July 2012 to June 2014 for SSI after gynecologic surgery at our institution. Each organization uses different definitions and inclusion and exclusion criteria for SSI. The rate of SSI was also obtained from chart review from April 1 to June 30, 2014. SSI was classified as superficial, deep, or organ space infection. The rates reported by the agencies were compared with the rates obtained by chart review using Fisher’s exact test.Results:Overall SSI rates for the databases were as follows: UHC, 1.5%; NSQIP, 8.8%; and NHSN, 2.8% (P < .001). The individual databases had wide variation ...
Regenerative Medicine in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: A Review

The field of regenerative medicine aims at enhancing tissue healing and regeneration through the exogenous addition of therapeutic growth factors and cells, often in combination with tissue-compatible scaffolds. Perhaps the biggest advances in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery (FPRS) in the coming years will be the result of regenerative medicine techniques. While many articles on regenerative medicine have been published in the FPRS literature, to our knowledge there are no reviews that describe both soft-tissue and bony regeneration strategies, including scaffolds, stem cells, growth factors, and platelet-rich plasma. In reviewing the literature, we found that these strategies have produced very promising results and that regenerative medicine has the potential to augment conventional treatment options in the FPRS subspecialty. In the near future, these novel approaches may begin to replace autologous grafting and free tissue transfer in FPRS, the current standards of care. In this review we look at where our subspecialty is today with regard to regenerative medicine and suggest ways for future study and growth.