cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HYPERGLYCEMIA INHIBITS GLUCOSE PRODUCTION IN MAN INDEPENDENT OF CHANGES IN GLUCOREGULATORY HORMONES

To evaluate the influence of hyperglycemia on hepatic glucose output in the absence of a rise in insulin, glucose was infused for 2 hours into six juvenile-onset diabetics receiving a constant infusion of insulin at a rate of 0.05–0.15 mU kg-1min-1. Prior to the infusion of glucose, insulin administration resulted in stable levels of plasma glucose (76±8 mg/dl) and glucose output (1.9±0.1 mg kg-1min-1). The addition of glucose produced a 2–3 fold rise in plasma glucose and a prompt fall in glucose output to 0.2–0.4 mg kg-1min-1, despite the unchanged rate of insulin infusion and the absence of a reduction in plasma glucagon or catecholamines. A similar decline in glucose output was observed when exogenous glucagon (1 ng kg-1min-1) was added to the glucose infusion. We conclude that in the presence of basal insulin levels hyperglycemia inhibits glucose output independent of a rise in insulin or a fall in anti-insulin hormones.
Accurate Mean Field Void Bias Factors for Radiation Swelling Calculations

A fast numerical approximation is introduced for the interaction of vacancies and interstitials with a spherical cavity in an isotropic elastic medium. The image interaction is evaluated from a fit which is accurate and simple enough to obtain bias factors for rate theories of radiation swelling by direct numerical integration.
Institutionalizing Counter‐Memories of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement: The National Civil Rights Museum and an Application of the Interest‐Convergence Principle

During the post–Reconstruction era in the United States, white southerners marked the cultural landscape with monuments and memorials honoring the Confederate cause and its heroes. These racialized symbols enjoyed an undisputed claim to public squares and parks throughout the South. It was not until the late twentieth century that commemorations to the black freedom struggle were publicly supported. This analysis examines the institutionalization of counter-memories of the civil rights movement in Memphis, Tennessee at the Lorraine Motel, the site of the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The author draws on collective memory, cultural trauma, and social movements research as well as critical race theory to explain the creation of the National Civil Rights Museum. Using primary and secondary data sources the author examines how social memory agents, a changing political culture, and the passage of time mediated the cultural trauma of King's assassination and influenced the institutionalization of oppositional collective memories. Relying on Derrick Bell's interest-convergence principle, the author concludes that the creation of this major memorial museum was a result of the convergence of white and black interests, specifically the economic and political interests of white elites and the cultural and political interests of black symbolic entrepreneurs.
The need for clarification of percent risk reduction data in clinical cardiovascular trial reports.

By contemporary conventions, the reporting of the results of clinical trials includes tabular summaries of end point incidence, illustrations of cumulative event curves in control and treatment groups and a description of the findings of statistical tests of the significance of differences between the two groups. Such displays of event data based on analytic methods introduced earlier this century by Berkson (l), Kaplan and Meier (2) and Mantel and Haenszel (3) offer explicit documentation of the quantitative differences between the tested patient groups. This approach has been a hallmark in clinical trial reporting for three decades. such a 50% reduction in risk cannot be appreciated. Hence, if the percent risk reduction is reported out of context, it can be misleading to those who do not carefully contemplate the method of its calculation.
Longitudinal Determinants of Substance Use Disorders

Substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs) have been linked with marital discord. Relatively little is known, however, about the antecedents of SUDs, the mediators of these factors over time, or their associations with the spousal/partner relationship among urban adults. A better understanding of the longitudinal pathways to marital conflict and to SUDs should help prevention and intervention programs target their precursors within the developmental period in which they occur. The present study, therefore, examined the longitudinal predictors of an unsupportive spousal/partner relationship and SUDs among a community sample of urban African American and Puerto Rican adults from East Harlem, NY. Participants (N = 816) completed structured questionnaires at five time waves, from adolescence to adulthood (mean ages = 14, 19, 24, 29, and 32 years). Structural equation modeling examined the effects of earlier environmental and social stressors and intrapersonal and interpersonal factors on later SUDs in adulthood. There was a good fit of the structural equation model (CFI = 0.91; RMSEA = 0.06; and SRMR = 0.06), which revealed three main pathways from adolescence to the spousal/partner relationship and SUDs in adulthood. One pathway linked a weak parent–adolescent attachment relationship with the participant’s psychological symptoms in emerging adulthood (p < 0.01), which in turn were related to affiliation with deviant and drug-using peers, also in emerging adulthood (p < 0.001). Peer deviance and drug use were associated with the participant’s substance use in young adulthood (p < 0.001), which predicted both an unsupportive spousal/partner relationship (p < 0.05) and SUDs (p < 0.001) later in adulthood. Other pathways highlighted the continuity of psychological symptoms as related to both substance use in young adulthood (p < 0.001) and an unsupportive spousal/partner relationship in adulthood (p < 0.001). Findings showed that the associations of both distal stressors and the parent–adolescent relationship with more proximal intra- and interpersonal problems predicted unsupportive spousal/partner relationships and SUDs among urban adults. Several aspects of the individual’s life, at different developmental stages, provide opportunities for interventions to prevent or reduce unsupportive spousal/partner relationships and SUDs.
Hand-Held NIR Spectrometry: Part I: An Instrument Based upon Gap-Second Derivative Theory

A hand-held near-infrared (NIR) meter (called the Gmeter), based upon gap-second derivative (GSD) theory, was designed, constructed, and performance-tested. The design incorporated narrow-band interference filters for isolating the three wavelengths required by the GSD calculations. A microprocessor was included in the design to facilitate both stand-alone and personal computer (PC) operation. The Gmeter was mounted in a caddy for making measurements within the laboratory. Performance of the Gmeter was compared with the performance of a FOSS NIRSystems Model 6500 spectrophotometer for measuring protein in soy-protein/sugar mixtures and for measuring nitrogen in fescue grass tissue. Two calibrations were developed on both instruments: (1) single-term GSD equations and (2) three-term (log 1/R) multiple linear regression (MLR) equations. Second-derivative calibration experiments on the Model 6500 spectrophotometer formulated the basis for selecting the three filters in the Gmeter. Model 6500 data indicated that the GSD calibration [coefficient of variation (CV) = 5.14%] performed better than a three-term MLR equation (CV = 8.0%). In addition, the Gmeter performed almost as well (CV = 6.30%) as the Model 6500 (CV = 5.14%) for measuring protein in the mixtures using single-term GSD equations. An exciting extra in this study was the fact that measurements from the same three filters selected for determining protein in protein/sugar mixtures could be used for determining nitrogen (CV = 17.2%) in dry-grass tissue.
Palabras, ¿qué hacen por la noche? (Hablamos con Mutis)

Un conocido poema de los trabajos perdidos trata de una ciudad en la que oimos el llanto de una mujer en un cuarto vecino. Es una palabra que va inundando un espacio tras otro, seduciendo en su camino a una pequena legion de sucesos.
The conduct of clinical research under the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

This article is the report of a work group of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Council on Research, Quality Assessment, and Technology. The task assigned to the group by the Chair, Joshua Jacobs, MD, was to review, codify, and disseminate information for the Fellowship on the compliance requirements for conducting clinical research under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. The ethical conduct of clinical practice has an established precedent extending to ancient times and the beginnings of the healing professions, encoded in the Code of Hammurabi and the Hippocratic oath. These guides were intended to regulate the conduct and ethics of the purveyors of medical treatment in the ancient world. They also prescribed boundaries of behavior and penalties for transgressions, including corporal punishment. Comparatively, medical research does not have such a history and was largely without published standards of conduct until the twentieth century. The Nazi physician trials in 1946 exposed atrocities committed under the guise of experimental human medical research, which resulted in the 1947 Nuremberg Code for human research1. Included in the ten precedents that it established were the important requirements that subject participation be informed and voluntary and that human research must be scientifically valid and conducted solely for the benefit of society as a whole. The Nuremberg Code was accepted by the fifty-one signatory nations of the Charter of the United Nations. In 1953, the Clinical Center of the United States National Institutes of Health produced the first federal policy to protect human research subjects. The years after World War II saw an increase in scientific technology applied to medical treatment protocols. The new policy was consistent with the Nuremberg Code and gave special emphasis to the protection of healthy adult research volunteers. This policy established the beginning of …
Low CO2 results in a rearrangement of carbon metabolism to support C4 photosynthetic carbon assimilation in Thalassiosira pseudonana

The mechanisms of carbon concentration in marine diatoms are controversial. At low CO2 , decreases in O2 evolution after inhibition of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylases (PEPCs), and increases in PEPC transcript abundances, have been interpreted as evidence for a C4 mechanism in Thalassiosira pseudonana, but the ascertainment of which proteins are responsible for the subsequent decarboxylation and PEP regeneration steps has been elusive. We evaluated the responses of T. pseudonana to steady-state differences in CO2 availability, as well as to transient shifts to low CO2 , by integrated measurements of photosynthetic parameters, transcript abundances and quantitative proteomics. On shifts to low CO2 , two PEPC transcript abundances increased and then declined on timescales consistent with recoveries of Fv /Fm , non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and maximum chlorophyll a-specific carbon fixation (Pmax ), but transcripts for archetypical decarboxylation enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and malic enzyme (ME) did not change. Of 3688 protein abundances measured, 39 were up-regulated under low CO2 , including both PEPCs and pyruvate carboxylase (PYC), whereas ME abundance did not change and PEPCK abundance declined. We propose a closed-loop biochemical model, whereby T. pseudonana produces and subsequently decarboxylates a C4 acid via PEPC2 and PYC, respectively, regenerates phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) from pyruvate in a pyruvate phosphate dikinase-independent (but glycine decarboxylase (GDC)-dependent) manner, and recuperates photorespiratory CO2 as oxaloacetate (OAA).
All-fiber common-path Fourier-domain optical coherence microscopy for 3D in vivo endoscopic subcellular imaging

We demonstrated a Fourier-domain all-fiber common-path optical coherence microscopy for 3D in vivo endoscopic subcellular imaging. Image resolution of 2µm × 9µm (transverse × axial) is achieved with nucleus and cell walls clearly visualized.
The demographics of a 15-year decline in cover of the caribbean reef coral Montastraea annularis

On Caribbean reefs, a striking trend of the last 25 years has been the decline in cover of the framework-building coral Montastraea annularis, a species that has dominated reefs throughout the region for millennia. Clearly, such losses are important ecologically, but to evaluate their significance fully, they need to be placed in the context of the proximal causes and balanced against the potential for gains in cover through growth and recruitment. In this study, a population of M. annularis in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, was censused annually from 1988 to 2003 to quantify coral cover and construct a size-based demographic model. The model was developed to explore the mechanisms of change in coral cover and to ascertain likely trajectories for future population growth. Over the study period, the cover of M. annularis declined from 41% in 1988, to 12% by 1999 (a 72% decline) but remained unchanged statistically for the last five years of the study. Between 1988 and 2003, colony abundances declined by 57...
Total Elbow Arthroplasty in Obese Patients

Background: The prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased in recent decades. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of obesity in patients undergoing primary total elbow arthroplasty. Methods: From 1987 to 2006, 723 primary semiconstrained, linked total elbow arthroplasties were performed in 654 patients. The average patient age (and standard deviation) at the time of surgery was 62.3 ± 13.7 years, with 550 total elbow arthroplasties (76%) performed in women. Total elbow arthroplasties were used to treat inflammatory conditions in patients undergoing 378 total elbow arthroplasties (52%) and to treat acute traumatic or posttraumatic conditions in patients undergoing 310 total elbow arthroplasties (43%). Patients were classified as non-obese (having a body mass index of <30 kg/m2) in 564 total elbow arthroplasties (78%) and as obese (having a body mass index of ≥30 kg/m2) in 159 total elbow arthroplasties (22%). The median duration of follow-up was 5.8 years (range, zero to twenty-five years). Survivorship of total elbow arthroplasty was estimated with use of the Kaplan-Meier method. The effect of obesity on risk of total elbow arthroplasty revision was estimated with use of Cox regression models, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and indication. Results: A total of 118 revisions (16%) were performed. The ten-year survival rate for total elbow arthroplasty revision for any reason was 86% (95% confidence interval, 82% to 89%) in non-obese patients compared with 70% (95% confidence interval, 60% to 79%) in obese patients (p < 0.05). The ten-year survival rate for total elbow arthroplasty revision for mechanical failure was 88% (95% confidence interval, 84% to 91%) in non-obese patients compared with 72% (95% confidence interval, 61% to 81%) in obese patients (p < 0.05). Severely obese patients (those with a body mass index of 35 to <40 kg/m2) had a significantly higher risk of total elbow arthroplasty revision for any reason (hazard ratio, 3.08 [95% confidence interval, 1.61 to 5.45]; p < 0.05) and mechanical failure (hazard ratio, 3.10 [95% confidence interval, 1.47 to 5.89]; p < 0.05) compared with non-obese patients. Conclusions: Obesity adversely influences the performance of elbow replacement after primary total elbow arthroplasty. Obese patients being considered for elbow replacement surgery should be counseled accordingly. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF SYNAPTIC REGULATION IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

WHY IS SYNAPTIC REGULATION IMPORTANT? 571 WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE DON'T KNOW . ... .... '" ... . .. . 572 Classes of Synapses in the Central Nervous System ... . .. . . . ... ... . .. 572 Forms of Usage-Dependent Synaptic Regulation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 574 A Biochemist's Introduction to Quantal Analysis " , 575 Differences Between the Neuromuscular Junction (the Traditional Model) and CNS Synapses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576 LONG-TERM POTENTIATION AT HIPPOCAMPAL SYNAPSES. . . . . . . . . . . 578 Associative and Non-Associative LTP . .. .. . ... .. ..... ... ..... . . . 578 Role of the NMDA Receptor .. . ... . .. . _ .. . lRoleoftheNMDAReceptor 579 Postsynaptic Calcium . .. . . . .. ... . . .... . ... . .... . . . . ....... 580 Role of the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582 BIOCHEMICAL ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582 A Retrograde Messenger . .. . .. ... .. . ... . . . . . . .. . .. . .. ..... . 582 Possible Control Mechanisms at Presynaptic Sites . . .. . .... . .. . .. . .. . 587 Possible Control Mechanisms at Postsynaptic Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590 DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595
Modifying Managed Competition to Address Cost and Quality

Prologue: California has long been regarded as a proving ground for managed competition, the model of health care delivery developed and put forward by Alain Enthoven and Richard Kronick and coopted by the Clinton administration's health care task force. The managed competition model, although complex, boils down to health plans' competing on the basis of cost and quality, with large entities (such as employers or governments) acting as sponsors to ensure fair competition among health plans and fair choice for enrollees. In the view of Hal Luft, a longtime analyst of health care competition and quality, “creative coordination of public and private efforts is necessary to address key threats to a managed competition strategy.” These threats include biased selection and inadequate attention to quality of care. Luft compares the development of quality assessment tools with the process of rating automobile safety and consumer satisfaction. Annual surveys by J.D. Power and Associates track consumers perception...
Replacement of the active site tyrosine of vaccinia DNA topoisomerase by glutamate, cysteine or histidine converts the enzyme into a site-specific endonuclease

Vaccinia topoisomerase forms a covalent protein-DNA intermediate at 5'-CCCTT downward arrow sites in duplex DNA. The T downward arrow nucleotide is linked via a 3'-phosphodiester bond to Tyr-274 of the enzyme. Here, we report that mutant enzymes containing glutamate, cysteine or histidine in lieu of Tyr-274 catalyze endonucleolytic cleavage of a 60 bp duplex DNA at the CCCTT downward arrow site to yield a 3' phosphate-terminated product. The Cys-274 mutant forms trace levels of a covalent protein-DNA complex, suggesting that the DNA cleavage reaction may proceed through a cysteinyl-phosphate intermediate. However, the His-274 and Glu-274 mutants evince no detectable accumulation of a covalent protein-DNA adduct. Glu-274 is the most active of the mutants tested. The pH dependence of the endonuclease activity of Glu-274 (optimum pH = 6.5) is distinct from that of the wild-type enzyme in hydrolysis of the covalent adduct (optimum pH = 9.5). At pH 6.5, the Glu-274 endonuclease reaction is slower by 5-6 orders of magnitude than the rate of covalent adduct formation by the wild-type topoisomerase, but is approximately 20 times faster than the rate of hydrolysis by the wild-type covalent adduct. We discuss two potential mechanisms to account for the apparent conversion of a topoisomerase into an endonuclease.
PF-03715455: An inhaled p38 inhibitor for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Rationale & Methods : There is an acute need for novel anti-inflammatory therapies for the treatment of COPD. A series of potent slow offset rapidly metabolised crystalline p38 inhibitors were identified and optimised for inhaled delivery. These compounds were screened in LPS / IL-1 induced primary monocyte and lung epithelial cells measuring a range of cytokines including TNFα, MIP1β, IL-6, IL-8. In addition, efficacy of IL-1 induced IL-8 inhibition in peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) was compared to corticosteroids +/- co-incubation with cigarette smoke condensate (CSC). Topical in vivo activity was assessed in the dog segmental LPS challenge model. Results : ![Figure][1] The maximal efficacy of PF-03715455 in reducing IL-1 mediated IL-8 production in human PBMC was modestly decreased by oxidative stress in the form of CSC (from 92% to 81%, respectively), while the potency of PF-03715455 was decreased 1.9-fold. However, the maximal efficacy of fluticasone propionate was dramatically decreased in the presence of CSC (from 73% to 39%, respectively), with a concomitant 3.1-fold decrease in relative potency. 1mg inhaled dry powder PF-03715455 resulted in a 48% inhibition of segmental LPS induced neutrophilia in dog. Conclusion : PF-03715455 has broad anti-inflammatory effects in human lung cell systems and animal model systems and maintains activity under conditions of oxidative stress where corticosteroid efficacy is diminished. [1]: pending:yes
A Very “Gay” Straight? Hybrid Masculinities, Sexual Aesthetics, and the Changing Relationship between Masculinity and Homophobia

This article addresses a paradoxical stance taken by young straight men in three groups who identify aspects of themselves as “gay” to construct heterosexual masculine identities. By subjectively recognizing aspects of their identities as “gay,” these men discursively distance themselves from stereotypes of masculinity and privilege and/or frame themselves as politically progressive. Yet, both of these practices obscure the ways they benefit from and participate in gender and sexual inequality. I develop a theory of “sexual aesthetics” to account for their behavior and its consequences, contributing to a growing body of theory regarding the hybridization of contemporary masculinities and complicating theories of sexual practice.
Machine Learning Methods For Detecting Patterns Of Management Fraud

Discovery of financial fraud has profound social consequences. Loss of stockholder value, bankruptcy, and loss of confidence in the professional audit firms have resulted from failure to detect financial fraud. Previous studies that have attempted to discover fraud patterns from publicly available information have achieved only moderate levels of success. This study explores the capabilities of recently developed statistical learning and data mining methods in an attempt to advance fraud discovery performance to levels that have potential for proactive discovery or mitigation of financial fraud. The partially adaptive methods we test have achieved success in a number of complex problem domains and are easily interpretable. Ensemble methods, which combine predictions from multiple models via boosting, bagging, or related approaches, have emerged as among the most powerful data mining and machine learning methods. Our study includes random forests, stochastic gradient boosting, and rule ensembles. The results for ensemble models show marked improvement over past efforts, with accuracy approaching levels of practical potential. In particular, rule ensembles do so while maintaining a degree of interpretability absent in the other ensemble methods. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Minimalist explanations in knowledge-based systems

Research in discourse comprehension and human-computer interaction indicates that good explanations are usually brief. A system that provides brief explanations, however, must plan for the case where brevity comes at the expense of understanding. Human-to-human dialogue is, to a large part, concerned with conversational repair and question-answer episodes; computer systems need to provide similar fallback techniques to their users. The authors have designed such an explanation system in the context of a knowledge-based critiquing system, LISP-CRITIC. The system provides several levels of explanations, specifically tailored to the user. If the initial, brief explanation is insufficient, the system positions the user at an appropriate point within a more complete, hypertext-based documentation system. Rather than attempting to design a system that can generate a perfect one-shot explanation for any given situation, this approach concentrates on matching the communication abilities provided by current computer technology to the cognitive needs of the human user. >
The rotation of Hyperion

For almost the entire range of dimensions of Hyperion allowed by uncertainties in the observations, the satellite cannot librate stably about a rotation rate which is synchronous with its orbital mean motion. Rather, the large gravitational torques on the asymmetric satellite coupled with the large eccentricity forced by the orbital resonance with Titan cause Hyperion to tumble in a random manner. Large changes in orientation of body axes relative to inertial space and in the instantaneous spin rate occur on timescales of the order of the orbit period. Numerical evaluation of the exponential divergence of nearby trajectories in the phase space of the motion verifies that the tumbling is truly chaotic. This newly defined state of chaotic rotation for Hyperion is likely to be the only example of confined, continuously observable chaotic motion in the solar system.
Verification of High-Resolution RAMS Forecasts over East-Central Florida during the 1999 and 2000 Summer Months

This paper presents an objective and subjective verification of a high-resolution configuration of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) over east-central Florida during the 1999 and 2000 summer months. Centered on the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), the innermost nested grid of RAMS has a horizontal grid spacing of 1.25 km, thereby providing forecasts capable of modeling finescale phenomena such as ocean and river breezes, and convection. The RAMS is run operationally at CCAFS within the Eastern Range Dispersion Assessment System (ERDAS), in order to provide emergency response guidance during space operations. ERDAS uses RAMS wind and temperature fields for input into ERDAS diffusion algorithms; therefore, the accuracy of dispersion predictions is highly dependent on the accuracy of RAMS forecasts. The most substantial error in RAMS over east-central Florida is a surface-based cold temperature bias, primarily during the daylight hours. At the Shuttle Landing Facility, the RAMS point error statistics are not substantially different than the National Centers for Environment Prediction Eta Model; however, an objective evaluation consisting of only point error statistics cannot adequately determine the added value of a high-resolution model configuration. Thus, results from a subjective evaluation of the RAMS forecast sea breeze and thunderstorm initiation on the 1.25-km grid are also presented. According to the subjective verification of the Florida east coast sea breeze, the RAMS categorical and skill scores exceeded that of the Eta Model predictions in most instances. The RAMS skill scores in predicting thunderstorm initiation are much lower than the sea-breeze evaluation scores, likely resulting from the lack of a sophisticated data assimilation scheme in the current operational configuration.
Quality-of-service in packet networks: basic mechanisms and directions

In this paper, we review the basic mechanisms used in packet networks to support Quality-of-Service QoS guarantees. We outline the various approaches that have been proposed, and discuss some of the trade-offs they involve. Specifically, the paper starts by introducing the different scheduling and buffer management mechanisms that can be used to provide service differentiation in packet networks. The aim is not to provide an exhaustive review of existing mechanisms, but instead to give the reader a perspective on the range of options available and the associated trade-off between performance, functionality, and complexity. This is then followed by a discussion on the use of such mechanisms to provide specific end-to-end performance guarantees. The emphasis of this second part is on the need for adapting mechanisms to the different environments where they are to be deployed. In particular, fine grain buffer management and scheduling mechanisms may be neither necessary nor cost effective in high speed backbones, where ''aggregate'' solutions are more appropriate. The paper discusses issues and possible approaches to allow coexistence of different mechanisms in delivering end-to-end guarantees. q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Modeling the Dynamic AMD-Associated Chronic Oxidative Stress Changes in Human ESC and iPSC-Derived RPE Cells.

Purpose Here we use human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells to model chronic oxidative stress in vitro. This model allows us to understand the evolution of chronic stress response in RPE in vivo, as well as to monitor microRNAs changes. Finally, we use this in vitro model to identify a partial agonist of NRF2 that is protective against reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced cytotoxicity. Methods The hESCs and hiPSCs were differentiated toward an RPE fate. Upon maturation, RPE cells were subjected to chronic oxidative stress using Paraquat (PQ). The cells were then analyzed using immunocytochemistry and quantitative RT-PCR to look for changes in gene expression and microRNA changes. Small molecules targeting NRF2 pathways were utilized to look for protection against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Results We show that 160 μM PQ can be used to generate a model of chronic oxidative stress in RPE cells derived from hESCs and hiPSCs. Using this model, we characterize the NRF2 pathway effectors during the early and late stages of chronic oxidative stress and identify microRNAs changes during oxidative stress. We find that hsa-miR144 modulates NRF2 activity during ROS stress. Lastly, we found a small molecule modulator of NRF2 that plays a protective role against oxidative stress-induced RPE apoptosis. Conclusions In summary, pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal cells can be used to model retinal diseases in a dish. This can provide an unprecedented opportunity to understand the evolution of disease processes and allow us to identify novel therapeutics.
Dynamics of nerve-muscle interaction in developing and mature neuromuscular junctions

Neuromuscular connections have long served as models of synaptic structure and function. They also provide illuminating insights into the dynamic cell-cell interactions governing synaptogenesis, neuromuscular differentiation, and the maintenance of effective function. This paper reviews recent advances in our understanding of the regulatory and inductive interactions involved in motor axon pathfinding, target recognition, bidirectional control of gene expression during synapse formation, motoneuron cell death, terminal rearrangement, and the ongoing remodeling of synaptic number, structure, and function to adjust to growth and changes in use.
The Art of Napping at Conferences

This chapter deals with 30-second to three-minute nap. During conferences, particularly international conferences, frequent short naps, interspersed with periods of wakefulness during a single conference session, appears not only likely to occur but possibly should be encouraged as a form of brain preservation. The safest environment for a successful nap is within the setting of a large conference. As in all professional activities, in the art of successful napping certain things is to be strenuously avoided. Foremost among these is snoring. Snoring is widely considered a sign of deep sleep, and deep sleep automatically disqualifies a person from being considered a napper-although recently there has been some dissent on this view.
Level the Playing Field to Bolster the Boardroom: Sports as a Springboard for Women's Labor Force Advancement in Asia

We promote women's participation in sports as part of a solution to better integrate women into the labor force of Asian economies. Women in Asia lag other regions in terms of labor force participation and membership in corporate leadership bodies; this is particularly acute in East Asia. Involvement in sport has been found to be associated with long-term economic benefits for women internationally, including enhanced returns to education and labor outcomes. We propose a number of sports program-related policies for Asian countries to consider in order to better integrate women into education, society, labor, and corporate boardrooms.
Regulation of Junctional Intercellular Communication by Tyrosine-Protein Kinases. Role of the Cellular Src Gene and Growth Factor Receptors

I deal with a membrane channel of a very different sort from the channels of the preceding speakers at this workshop. It is a channel that spans not one, but two cell membranes. The channel is an old friend of mine; I ushered it in twenty-two years ago.
Does Inflammation Mediate the Association Between Obesity and Insulin Resistance

In adult obesity, low-grade systemic inflammation is considered an important step in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance (IR). The association between obesity and inflammation is less well established in adolescents. Here, we ascertain the importance of inflammation in IR among obese adolescents by utilizing either random forest (RF) classification or mediation analysis approaches. The inflammation balance score, composed of eight pro- and anti-inflammatory makers, as well as most of the individual inflammatory markers differed significantly between lean and overweight/obese. In contrast, adiponectin was the only individual marker selected as a predictor of IR by RF, and the balance score only revealed a medium-to-low importance score. Neither adiponectin nor the inflammation balance score was found to mediate the relationship between obesity and IR. These findings do not support the premise that low-grade systemic inflammation is a key for the expression of IR in the human. Prospective longitudinal studies should confirm these findings.
A unified analysis of unsteady flow structures in a supersonic ramjet engine

An integrated numerical analysis has been conducted to study the internal flowfield in a ramjet engine. Emphasis is placed on the establishment of a unified numerical scheme capable of treating both the supersonic inlet diffuser and combustor flows. The theoretical model is based on the complete conservation equations of mass, momentum, energy, and species concentration, with consideration of finite-rate chemical reactions and variable properties. Turbulence closure is achieved using a low-Reynolds number ke two-equation model. Calculations have been carried out for the flowfield in a typical ramjet engine consisting of an axisymmetric mixed-compression supersonic inlet and a coaxial dump combustor. The mutual coupling between the inlet and combustor was carefully examined under various operating conditions. In particular, strong vortices arising from the inlet shock/shock and shock/boundary-layer interactions may convect downstream and affect the combustion dynamics. Large vortical motions, coupled with acoustic motions, were observed in the combustion chamber, which in turn modified the inlet flow structures.
Minority Carrier Diffusion Lengths And Photoconductivity In a-Si,N:H Deposited By Remote Pecvd

We have deposited films of a-Si,N:H by remote PECVD from N 2 and SiH 4 for N-concentrations, [N], to about 12 atomic percent (at. %). Bonded-H concentrations were ∼7–10 at. %, Mostly in Si-H groups. The films with [N] = 9–12 at. % have eθ4 bandgaps of ∼2.0 to 2.2 eV, which makes them potentially useful as wide bandgap photo-active materials in tandem PV cells. Several properties are of special interest for PV applications. First, like many other a-Si:H-based alloys, the photoconductivity relative to a-Si:H is degraded by alloying, but less than for a-Si,C:H alloys with the same bandgaps. Second, the ambipolar diffusion lengths (Ld) obtained with the Steady State Photocarrier Grating (SSPG) technique for films with [N] = 10 at. % and eθ4 = 2.1eV, are comparable to those of a-Si:H. For lightly-nitrided films to [N] ∼5 at. %, Ld first decreases with respect to a-Si:H and then increases as [N] increases from ∼7 at.% to 10–12 at. %. These trends follow the dark conductivity activation energy, E a , which initially drops due to doping, and then increases into an alloy regime for [N] > 5 at. %. Films with [N1=10 at. % have dark conductivities and E a 's comparable to those of undoped a-Si:H. Third the magnitude of the Staebler-Wronski effect, as monitored by the photo- to dark conductivity ratio after a 1000 Minute lightsoak, was about the same as in a-Si:H. Finally, we contrast the properties of these films prepared from N 2 with a-Si,N:H alloys with the same [N] and E 04 , but prepared from an ammonia N-atom source gas and attribute differences in their photoelectronic behavior such as a significantly enhanced Staebler-Wronski effect.to the presence of Si-NH bonding arrangements in the films grown from NH 3 .
Marketing Controls and Dysfunctional Employee Behaviors: A Test of Traditional and Contingency Theory Postulates:

The author examines two different theories—traditional and contingency—of negative employee responses to marketing control systems. Traditional control theory draws on the humanistic perspective to...
Growth and collapse of the distributed subglacial hydrologic system of Kennicott Glacier, Alaska, USA, and its effects on basal motion

Nearly 100 days of hourly glacier motion, hydrology and hydrochemistry measurements on Kennicott Glacier, Alaska, USA, demonstrate the complicated relationship between water and motion at the glacier bed. Our observations capture the transient glacier response to seasonal and daily melt cycles, and to a jokulhlaup that prompts a sixfold increase in glacier speed. Sliding is promoted whenever the water inputs to the glacier exceed the capacity of the subglacial hydrologic system to transmit the water. Sensitivity of sliding to daily meltwater inputs varies strongly through the season, implying that the state of the hydrologic system governs the sensitivity of basal sliding. A numerical model constructed to explore these relationships reveals: the roles of the effective pressure; the exponent to which this is taken in the 'sliding law' (0.1 < � < 0.6); glacier macroporosity (� < 2%); and the 'cavity-generating capacity' of the glacier bed, which encapsulates the sizes and spacing of bed roughness elements. Temporal changes in the effective pressure associated with evolution of both water inputs and subglacial water transmission capacity can explain the varying strength of diurnal velocity fluctuations of Kennicott Glacier. Spatial patterns of glacier macroporosity and of basal roughness govern variation in sensitivity of sliding to water inputs.
Synthesis and Photophysical Properties of Ternary I–III–VI AgInS2 Nanocrystals: Intrinsic versus Surface States

Ternary I–III–VI AgInS2 (AIS) semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) with strong photoluminescence (PL) were synthesized using a one-pot reaction at low temperature. UV–vis absorption and PL spectra red shifted as the AIS NCs grew. Both steady-state and time-resolved PL spectroscopies were used to investigate the influence of surface and intrinsic trap states on the PL behaviors of the prepared AIS NCs. PL lifetimes at different wavelengths in the full spectrum range were measured using a streak camera for each sample toward a systematic kinetic study. We found PL lifetime components that were short-lived from surface states and long-lived from intrinsic states. Surface trap emissions were wavelength- and size-dependent. Besides these PL studies, we report the first measurements using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy to investigate the exciton dynamics of the AIS NCs. Because of the abundant intrinsic trap states, these ternary AIS NCs have long-lived excitons, which may provide potential applicati...
Professor Wang Hongzhen's Contribution to the Development of The Geological History Institute of China

The Geological History Institute of China was founded in 1980.Mr. Wang acted as the 2nd president. Leading by Wang Hongzhen, the institute overcame a lot of difficulties, explored innovation, sparked and improved further study in geological history. It pursued outstanding competent academic orientation, good atmosphere and plentiful fruits. All of them made the academic action more splendors in the field of the Geological History Institute of China
Bayesian inference in treewidth-bounded graphical models without indegree constraints

We present new polynomial time algorithms for inference problems in Bayesian networks (BNs) when restricted to instances that satisfy the following two conditions: they have bounded treewidth and the conditional probability table (CPT) at each node is specified concisely using an r-symmetric function for some constant r. Our polynomial time algorithms work directly on the unmoralized graph. Our results significantly extend known results regarding inference problems on treewidth bounded BNs to a larger class of problem instances. We also show that relaxing either of the conditions used by our algorithms leads to computational intractability.
ANALYSIS OF LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEINS BY PREPARATIVE ULTRACENTRIFUGATION AND REFRACTOMETRY

A simplified method for the analysis of both the glyceride-rich Sf 20-105 and the cholesterol-rich Sf 0-20 low-density lipoproteins is presented. It consists of serum lipoprotein fractionation by preparative ultracentrifugation and subsequent quantitative analysis by refractometry. Comparison of this technique with the technically more difficult analytic ultracentrifugal methodology reveals comparable results for these two principal low-density lipoprotein groups. The relationships between these lipoproteins and the serum levels of total lipids, glycerides, total cholesterol, and phospholipids are also presented. One of the advantages of this procedure is that it provides a reliable and reproducible means for quantifying the principal glyceride-bearing lipoprotein group–the Sf 20-105 lipoproteins.
Ripening of the human cervix with porcine ovarian relaxin

Recent experience has suggested that porcine ovarian relaxin may promote cervical changes. We have performed two double-blind randomized studies: (1) comparing cervical changes with relaxin versus placebo during oxytocic labor induction and (2) as outpatients in postdates pregnancies. In the induction study, cervical changes were speeded up by both 2 and 4 mg doses of relaxin, and times to delivery were decreased. In the outpatient study, 2 mg doses of relaxin produced greater cervical changes than did control or 4 mg doses. We conclude that relaxin may have benefit in ripening of the cervix. Since relaxin works directly on the cervix and not through uterine contractions, relaxin may have advantages in cervical ripening of pregnancies in which stress to the fetus is an issue.
Continuous quality improvement process to track lost radiographs and reduce losses.

But : Decrire un procede de rehaussement de qualite instaure dans un service de radiologie pour diminuer le nombre de dossiers radiologiques incomplets ou « perdus » et reduire le temps ecoule entre le debut d'un examen d'imagerie et la signature finale du rapport imprime. Methodes: On a appele incomplets les examens dont le rapport final n'avait pas encore ete signe apres plus de 3 jours et moins de 90 jours de leur execution. A partir des donnees informatiques du service de radiologie, on a cree un logiciel pour obtenir a tous les mois la liste de ces examens. Pour chacun, on a analyse toutes les etapes franchies depuis l'arrivee du patient jusqu'au moment de la signature du rapport radiologique et on a dresse la liste des causes premieres de retard. Des initiatives a court et a long termes ont ete prises de 1992 a 1999, et on les a evaluees. Resultats: On a trouve des sources de delai a toutes les etapes. Bien crue certaines causes premieres ne relevaient pas de l'autorite du service de radiologie, les initiatives adoptees dans le service ont reduit de 72 % la liste des examens incomplets, soit d'un sommet de 2,8 % du nombre total des examens radiologiques a moins de 0,8 %. Le maintien a ce bas niveau necessite une surveillance continue. Conclusion: Par un procede de controle de qualite, on peut reduire le nombre d'examens radiologiques incomplets ou « perdus ». Il en resulte une amelioration des soins aux patients et une augmentation iles revenus.
Therapeutic potential of peptides in allergic disease.

Immunotherapy with crude allergens prevents allergic symptoms in many patients, but its effects are temporary and variable. This type of intervention provokes a transient increase in IgE antibody synthesis that may produce untoward side effects. Recent research has suggested that such immunotherapy downregulates T-cell activity, indicating that regulation of proinflammatory T cells may be a critical mechanism of the therapeutic response. Animal studies have shown that T cells can be rendered anergic by the administration of nonimmunogenic, T-cell-active peptides. Peptides prepared by urea denaturation of purified allergens and by pepsin digestion of crude allergens have been evaluated in humans
Circadian variation of blood pressure: clinical relevance and implications for cardiovascular chronotherapeutics.

Changes in hemodynamics, caused by the inherent variability of the activity and awake-sleep cycle, may influence the outcome of various cardiovascular diseases. Recent data suggest that increased variability of blood pressure may promote excessive hypertensive target-organ disease. Several epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death have an excess incidence in the first several hours after awakening. In addition, surveys of the incidence of stroke (both ischemic and hemorrhagic) have shown an excess for the hours between 0800 a.m. and noon. The pathophysiologic bases for the increased number of cardiac and cerebrovascular events in the early-morning hours may be both hemodynamic and rheologic in nature. Over the past several years, therapeutic studies have evaluated the effects of antihypertensive and anti-ischemic therapies during the morning surge of blood pressure and heart rate. Generally, the few studies that have evaluated night-time dosing of conventional antihypertensive therapies have been statistically underpowered to demonstrate differences of morning versus evening dosing on early-morning blood pressure. One future direction of antihypertensive and anti-ischemic therapy is the delivery of the agents according to inherent variability that changes with time. The clinical impact of cardiovascular chronotherapy is that drug delivery is greatest when disease activity is enhanced (for example, during the early-morning hours) and least when disease activity is reduced.
Predispersal seed predation in the limitation of native thistle

Invertebrate herbivores, such as insects, have been hypothesized to be less important than vertebrates in plant population dynamics (Crawley, 1989). This generalization, if true, is an important one. However, few experimental data are available on the role of invertebrates in the recruitment and density of native plants. Also, few studies analyze both interactions simultaneously. The purpose of this study was to concurrently test the importance of three biological interactions that may limit plant densities. In three concurrent experiments, we excluded insects or vertebrates, or altered the level of seedling competition with established grasses.
Evaluating Interprofessional Team Performance: A Faculty Rater Tool

Abstract Introduction Reliable team assessment has become a priority because of growing emphasis on interprofessional education and team-based care. Objective rating scales are needed to evaluate i...