cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential fatigue of paralyzed thenar muscles by stimuli of different intensities.

Muscles paralyzed by injury or disease fatigue excessively when stimulated. This study examined whether the first few paralyzed thenar motor units recruited by electrical stimulation of the median nerve were more fatigue resistant than the total thenar motor unit population. The paralyzed thenar muscles of four subjects with chronic cervical spinal cord injury were fatigued by a 2-min intermittent 40-HZ protocol on 2 days. One experiment involved submaximal stimulation, the other supramaximal stimulation. These stimuli resulted in activation of part and all of the thenar muscles, respec- tively. Relative force loss, force-time integral decline, and slowing of half- relaxation time were always significantly less when only part rather than all of the muscles was fatigued. The part of the paralyzed muscles that was activated was also relatively fatigue resistant compared with control single thenar motor units. Thus, a reversal of recruitment order from fatigable to fatigue-resistant units cannot explain the extreme fatigability of paralyzed muscles. Use of submaximal stimulation during functional electrical stimu- lation may therefore help to reduce muscle fatigue because it recruits the more fatigue-resistant units.
Inhibition of Src by direct interaction with protein phosphatase 2A

In this study, we report that Src kinase is inhibited by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a serine/threonine phosphatase. We carried out experiments in vitro using purified PP2A (AC dimer) and full-length v-Src or truncated forms of v-Src. The inhibition of v-Src by PP2A is concentration- and time-dependent. Addition of okadaic acid, a PP2A phosphatase inhibitor, abolished the PP2A-dependent inhibition of v-Src. When experiments were carried out at 4°C under conditions where PP2A activity is inhibited, Src activity was unaffected by the presence of PP2A, suggesting that PP2A binding alone is insufficient to block Src activity. These results imply that PP2A activity is essential for inhibition of v-Src. We also demonstrate that PP2A binds to the catalytic and the regulatory domains of v-Src.
2‐[(4S)‐4‐(1,1‐Dimethylethyl)‐4,5‐dihydro‐2‐oxazolyl]‐6‐methylpyridine

[199277-80-0] C13H18N2O (MW 218.30) InChI = 1S/C13H18N2O/c1-9-6-5-7-10(14-9)12-15-11(8-16-12)13(2,3)4/h5-7,11H,8H2,1-4H3/t11-/m1/s1 InChIKey = NHWBZSGKOQHPDW-LLVKDONJSA-N (chiral ligand for enantiocontrol of metal-catalyzed reactions) Physical Data: mp 48 °C; [α]25D −75.8 (c 0.5, CHCl3). Solubility: soluble in most organic solvents. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: stable at ambient temperature. Preparative Methods: 2-[(4S)-4-(1,1-Dimethylethyl)-4,5-dihydro-2-oxazolyl]-6-methylpyridine1 was prepared in 58–75% yield by heating, under reflux for 24 h, a chlorobenzene solution of 2-cyano-6-methylpyridine with tert-leucinol in the presence of a catalytic amount of zinc chloride (eq 1).1 (1)
Laboratory simulation of meteoritic noble gases. III. Sorption of neon, argon, krypton, and xenon on carbon: Elemental fractionation

The sorption of Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe was studied in carbon black, acridine carbon, and diamond in an attempt to understand the origin of trapped noble gases in meteorites. The results support a model in which gases are physically adsorbed on interior surfaces formed by a pore labyrinth within amorphous carbons. The data show that: (1) the adsorption/desorption times are controlled by choke points that restrict the movement of noble gas atoms within the pore labyrinth, and (2) the physical adsorption controls the temperature behavior and elemental fractionation patterns.
Instrumented logical sensor systems-practice

In previous work (1993,1996), we introduced the notion of instrumented logical sensor systems (ILSS) that are derived from a modeling and design methodology. The instrumented sensor approach is based on a sensori-computational model which defines the components of the sensor system in terms of their functionality, accuracy, robustness and efficiency. This approach provides a uniform specification language to define sensor systems as a composition of smaller, predefined components. From a software engineering standpoint, this addresses the issues of modularity, reusability, and reliability for building complex multisensor systems. In this paper, we demonstrate the practicality of this approach and discuss several design and implementation aspects in the context of mobile robot applications.
Effects of Light and Blinding upon Delayed Implantation in the Spotted Skunk

Thirty-one pregnant spotted skunks, obtained early in the prolonged period of delayed implantation, were assigned to one of four experimental groups (intact + natural photoperiod, intact + 14 hr light, blind + natural photoperiod, blind + 14 hr light). Monthly peripheral plasma levels of progesterone were determined by gas phase chromatography using electron capture detection. Date of implantation was ascertained by vulval enlargement and verified by laparotomy. Exposure to 14 hr of light significantly hastened nidation in intact females (169 vs 218 days for intact controls) but had no accelerating effect upon implantation in blind skunks. Blinding (bilateral orbital enucleation) prolonged the preimplantation period and prevented the preimplantation elevation of plasma progesterone levels. Blastocysts of some blind females remained alive and unimplanted 316 days after fertilization. The results indicate that changes in day length may be responsible for timing nidation but probably plays little or no role in initiating luteal involution and delayed implantation in this species.
Quantitative and semi-quantitative measurements of axonal degeneration in tissue and primary neuron cultures.

Abstract Background Axon viability is critical for maintaining neural connectivity, which is central to neural functionality. Many neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease) appear to involve extensive axonal degeneration that often precedes somatic loss in affected neural populations. Axonal degeneration involves a number of intracellular pathways and characteristic changes in axon morphology (i.e., swelling, fragmentation, and loss). New method We describe a relatively simple set of methods to quantify the axonal degeneration using the 6-hydroxydopamine neurotoxin model of PD in rats and a colchicine-induced model in primary rat neurons. Specifically, approaches are described that use the spaceballs stereological probe for tissue sections and petrimetrics stereological probe for cultured neurons, and image analysis techniques in both tissue sections and cultured neurons. Results These methods provide a mechanism for obtaining quantitative and semi-quantitative data to track the extent of axonal degeneration and may prove useful as outcome measures in studies aimed at preventing or slowing axonal degeneration in disease models. Comparison with existing methods Existing methods of quantification of axonal degeneration use densitometry and manual counts of axonal projections, but they do not utilize the random, unbiased systematic sampling approaches that are characteristic of stereological methods. The ImageJ thresholding analyses described here provide a descriptive method for quantifying the state of axonal degeneration. Conclusions These methods provide an efficient and effective means to quantify the extent and state of axonal degeneration in animal tissue and cultured neurons and can be used in other models for the same purposes.
The Cavendish Laboratory and structural biology

On 25 April 1953 James Watson and Francis Crick, working in a small Medical Research Council unit in the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, published a short letter in Nature. It described a remarkable two-chain helical structure for DNA, the biological polymer that constitutes the hereditary material in living organisms. The structural details of their model immediately suggested a mechanism by which the genetic material would replicate itself. Furthermore, the model indicated clearly what principle is used by the genetic material to store all the information needed to synthesize the proteins required to build a living organism.
Tumor Progression in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the leading cause of cancer-related deaths of women in North America and Europe. Progress in understanding the cellular and molecular biology of mammary tumorigenesis has been impeded by lack of suitable in vitro models. The availability of normal tissue from reduction mammoplasty, and pathological tissue samples from biopsies and mastectomies provides a unique opportunity for studying human cancer. The importance of growing normal and tumor-derived cells for comparative studies of gene expression, drug resistance, surface antigens, mechanism of cell cycle control and prognostic markers can hardly be overstated. While some information can be obtained from fixed and frozen tissues, they are not useful for indepth studies involving biochemical and molecular analyses. There are no in vivo or in vitro models of tumor progression in human breast cancer. In fact, cells from mammary carcinomas have been among the most difficult human tumor-derived cells to grow in culture (1,2) and have poorly grown as xenografts in the nude mouse model (3). Very few primary mammary tumor cell lines are available (4–6).
Neurocognitive impairment in patients with comorbid diabetes mellitus and depression

Abstract Background Treatment of depression for individuals with type 2 diabetes improves depressive symptoms, but not glycemic control. For patients with depression and cognitive deficits, adherence to diabetes self-management goals may be especially challenging. Objective We sought to examine whether neurocognitive dysfunction is associated with impaired diabetes adherence and control, examine the effect of depression, and determine if treatments of neurocognitive dysfunction improved glycemic control and perhaps even depression. Methods Electronic data searches of PubMed, Medline, and the Cochrane Library (years 2000–2016) were performed using keywords: "depression", "diabetes", "cognition", and "dementia." The authors, in consensus, selected pivotal studies and conducted a narrative review of twenty clinical studies. Results Depression is a risk factor for greater morbidity in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Deficits in cognition and functional capacity are also risk factors and it is likely the case that they have separable influences upon diabetes-relevant outcomes. Support of both provider management, i.e., intensification of antidepressant or hypoglycemic medication dosing, and patient medication adherence, respectively, is associated with both improved glycemic control and depressive symptoms. To date, no studies have systematically identified the cognitive deficits of individuals with diabetes and utilized neuropsychological interventions to surmount such deficits in order to achieve improved glycemic control. Conclusions Cognitive dysfunction, an important covariate in the relationship between depression and impaired diabetes self-management, can be precisely targeted. Randomized, controlled treatments of neurocognitive dysfunction in patients with diabetes should assess for improved glycemic control, and perhaps even depression.
Development of a video-delivered relaxation treatment of late-life anxiety for veterans.

Background Behavioral treatments reduce anxiety, yet many older adults may not have access to these efficacious treatments. To address this need, we developed and evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a video-delivered anxiety treatment for older Veterans. This treatment program, BREATHE (Breathing, Relaxation, and Education for Anxiety Treatment in the Home Environment), combines psychoeducation, diaphragmatic breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation training with engagement in activities. Methods A mixed methods concurrent study design was used to examine the clarity of the treatment videos. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 Veterans (M age = 69.5, SD = 7.3 years; 55% White, Non-Hispanic) and collected ratings of video clarity. Results Quantitative ratings revealed that 100% of participants generally or definitely could follow breathing and relaxation video instructions. Qualitative findings, however, demonstrated more variability in the extent to which each video segment was clear. Participants identified both immediate benefits and motivation challenges associated with a video-delivered treatment. Participants suggested that some patients may need encouragement, whereas others need face-to-face therapy. Conclusions Quantitative ratings of video clarity and qualitative findings highlight the feasibility of a video-delivered treatment for older Veterans with anxiety. Our findings demonstrate the importance of ensuring patients can follow instructions provided in self-directed treatments and the role that an iterative testing process has in addressing these issues. Next steps include testing the treatment videos with older Veterans with anxiety disorders.
Enzymatic modules of the SAGA chromatin-modifying complex play distinct roles in Drosophila gene expression and development

The Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase (SAGA) chromatin-modifying complex is a transcriptional coactivator that contains four different modules of subunits. The intact SAGA complex has been well characterized for its function in transcription regulation and development. However, little is known about the roles of individual modules within SAGA and whether they have any SAGA-independent functions. Here we demonstrate that the two enzymatic modules of Drosophila SAGA are differently required in oogenesis. Loss of the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity blocks oogenesis, while loss of the H2B deubiquitinase (DUB) activity does not. However, the DUB module regulates a subset of genes in early embryogenesis, and loss of the DUB subunits causes defects in embryogenesis. ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation [ChIP] combined with high-throughput sequencing) analysis revealed that both the DUB and HAT modules bind most SAGA target genes even though many of these targets do not require the DUB module for expression. Furthermore, we found that the DUB module can bind to chromatin and regulate transcription independently of the HAT module. Our results suggest that the DUB module has functions within SAGA and independent functions.
Credibility Between CEO and CTO—A CEO's Perspective

(1992). Credibility Between CEO and CTO—A CEO's Perspective. Research-Technology Management: Vol. 35, No. 6, pp. 25-26.
Converting Garages into Housing

Cities have a large supply of garages that could be converted into affordable housing in single-family neighborhoods, but minimum parking requirements prevent converting most of these garages into ...
The cylindrical waveguide with sinusoidally perturbed walls for high-power gyrotron applications

This paper discusses the solution of the cylindrical waveguide with sinusoidally perturbed walls for gyrotron applications using the boundary residual method.
Behavioral measurements in nutritional studies.

Studies on the effects of dietary deficiencies have shown marked behavioral impairments in rats deprived of adequate quantities of specific vitamins. In at least one study, such impairment was evident even when body weight did not differ from vitamin-supplemented but pair-fed controls. Recently, experiments have demonstrated that restriction of maternal dietary intake during gestation and lactation results in a variety of physiological and behavioral abnormalities in the progeny. These offspring are stunted, retarded in neuromotor development, impaired in ability to learn a maze, slow in extinction of the conditional reflex and show a low level of exploratory activity, a high degree of emotional behavior and marked anti-social interaction. Furthermore, patterns of change with increasing age in some of these measurements also distinguish these experimental animals from controls born of adequately-fed dams.
Introduction to the MC68000

The MC68000 is a bulky integrated circuit that is 1.2 inches longer and 0.4 inches wider than a 40-pin package. The fact that it is equipped with numerous pins, however, makes it easier to interface.
Diabetes Insipidus, Neurogenic

Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a clinical syndrome characterized by the production of abnormally large volumes of dilute urine. The polyuria may be associated with symptoms of urinary frequency, nocturia (awakening to urinate), and/or enuresis (bedwetting) and is usually accompanied by a commensurate increase in fluid intake (polydipsia), which in most but not all forms is attributed to increased thirst. DI can be caused by any of four basic defects. The most common cause is a primary deficiency in secretion of the antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP). This is typically referred to as neurogenic DI, although others terms, such as neurohypophyseal, pituitary, hypothalamic, central, or cranial DI, are synonymous. A primary deficiency of AVP can also result from increased degradation of the hormone by an enzyme produced during pregnancy by the placenta and is referred to as gestational DI. A third type of DI results from a deficiency of AVP that is secondary to inhibition of secretion by excessive fluid intake. This type is generally referred to as primary polydipsia and can be subdivided into three categories depending on whether the polydipsia is due to abnormal thirst (dipsogenic), psychologic abnormality (psychogenic), or advice from health professionals or laymen (iatrogenic). The fourth type of DI results from an abnormality in the kidney, which renders it unable to respond to normal or even increased levels of plasma AVP, and it is called nephrogenic DI. This article focuses on the neurogenic form of DI but also mentions the other types because of the importance and difficulty of differentiating clinically between them.
Who is leading the change? ☆: U.S. dietary quality comparison between 1965 and 1996

Abstract Background Many studies have examined rapidly changing trends in U.S. dietary intake, but not as they correspond to other health inequalities among black and white Americans. The purpose of this study was to explore 30-year trends in diet quality and to examine whether income or education is the key socioeconomic factor linked with these shifts. Methods The 1965 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey and the 1994–1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals were used and included, respectively, 6476 and 9241 respondents who were aged ≥18 years. The Revised Diet Quality Index (DQI-R), an instrument that provides a summary assessment of a diet’s overall healthfulness, was also used. Results Between 1965 and 1996, improvements were found in both the overall DQI-R and its components across all education levels, with the exception of calcium intake. Conversely, improvements linked with income effects were inconsistent and less clear. In 1965, the effect of college attendance resulted in a 1.8 point higher DQI-R, higher calcium intake, and increased servings of fruits and vegetables. In 1994–1996, there were consistently improved diets for the overall DQI-R and its components, particularly among college attendees. Conclusions Diet quality has improved across both race and socioeconomic status groupings between 1965 and 1994–1996; however, education provides a much clearer differentiation. Education efforts must be emphasized to eliminate disadvantages in diet quality.
Quantification of circulating beta-endorphin and white blood cells in heifers after intrauterine administration of Escherichia coli endotoxin

Abstract Previous work established that repeated intrauterine infusions of Escherichia coli ( E . coli ) endotoxin during the follicular phase in heifers abolished or delayed the preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH). To test the hypothesis that endotoxin-induced increases in blood-borne beta-endorphin (B-EP) might contribute to the observed suppression of LH, serum concentrations of B-EP were quantified in five treated and three control heifers over the 60-hour period of 10 intrauterine infusions. Serum concentrations of beta-endorphin/beta-lipoprotein (B-EP/B-LPH) were quantified in unextracted serum by radioimmunoassay validated for that purpose. Concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 0.8 ng B-EP equivalents per ml, with an overall mean of 0.23 ±0.12ng/ml. There were no differences between treated and control heifers despite the fact that treated heifers displayed elevated serum cortisol. The number of total and specific types of white blood cells did not differ between treatment and control groups or over time. In summary, the lack of correlation between the suppression of the LH surge and elevation of serum B-EP/B-LPH does not support the hypothesis that blood-borne B-EP may be involved in the suppression of the LH surge after intrauterine infusion of endotoxin.
Aerosolized palytoxin toxicity during home marine aquarium maintenance

Decorative coral species capable of producing palytoxin (PTX) frequently adorn marine aquariums. PTX is an ultra-potent toxin with significant morbidity and mortality. Toxicity from PTX results in ...
Hourly Alfalfa Evapotranspiration Estimation Using Variable Bulk Surface Resistance

AbstractAlfalfa hourly bulk surface resistance (rs) has been modeled as a function of crop biophysical characteristics. The new modeled rs allows the calculation of hourly alfalfa evapotranspiratio...
DSNE: A visualization approach for use with decentralized data

Visualization of high dimensional large-scale datasets via an embedding into a 2D map is a powerful exploration tool for assessing latent structure in the data and detecting outliers. It plays a vital role in neuroimaging field because sometimes it is the only way to perform quality control of large dataset. There are many methods developed to perform this task but most of them rely on the assumption that all samples are locally available for the computation. Specifically, one needs access to all the samples in order to compute the distance directly between all pairs of points to measure the similarity. But all pairs of samples may not be available locally always from local sites for various reasons (e.g. privacy concerns for rare disease data, institutional or IRB policies). This is quite common for biomedical data, e.g. neuroimaging and genetic, where privacy-preservation is a major concern. In this scenario, a quality control tool that visualizes decentralized dataset in its entirety via global aggregation of local computations is especially important as it would allow screening of samples that cannot be evaluated otherwise. We introduced an algorithm to solve this problem: decentralized data stochastic neighbor embedding (dSNE). In our approach, data samples (i.e. brain images) located at different sites are simultaneously mapped into the same space according to their similarities. Yet, the data never leaves the individual sites and no pairwise metric is ever directly computed between any two samples not collocated. Based on the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology database (MNIST) and the Columbia Object Image Library (COIL-20) dataset we introduce metrics for measuring the embedding quality and use them to compare dSNE to its centralized counterpart. We also apply dSNE to various multi-site neuroimaging datasets and show promising results which highlight the potential of our decentralized visualization approach.
Current Concepts in the Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management of Type I Chiari Malformations

Type 1 Chiari malformations (CMs) are a group of congenital or acquired disorders which include the abnormal presence of the cerebellar tonsils in the upper spinal canal, rather than the posterior fossa. The resulting anatomic abnormality causes crowding of the structures at the craniocervical junction and can impair the normal flow of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in this region. This impairment in CSF flow dynamics can led to the development of syringomyelia or hydrocephalus. Type 1 CMs have been associated with a wide array of symptoms resulting from either cerebellar and brainstem compression and distortion or disturbances in CSF dynamics, and can affect both children and adults. The clinical diagnosis may be difficult. Age usually matters in the clinical presentation, and in symptomatic patients, surgical intervention is usually required. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-06.asp].
Dissociation of Adaptive Thermogenesis from Glucose Homeostasis in Microbiome-Deficient Mice.

Summary Recent studies suggest that a key mechanism whereby the gut microbiome influences energy balance and glucose homeostasis is through the recruitment of brown and beige adipocytes, primary mediators of the adaptive thermogenic response. To test this, we assessed energy expenditure and glucose metabolism in two complementary mouse models of gut microbial deficiency, which were exposed to a broad range of thermal and dietary stresses. Neither ablation of the gut microbiome, nor the substantial microbial perturbations induced by cold ambient temperatures, influenced energy expenditure during cold exposure or high-fat feeding. Nevertheless, we demonstrated a critical role for gut microbial metabolism in maintaining euglycemia through the production of amino acid metabolites that optimized hepatic TCA (tricarboxylic acid) cycle fluxes in support of gluconeogenesis. These results distinguish the dispensability of the gut microbiome for the regulation of energy expenditure from its critical contribution to the maintenance of glucose homeostasis.
Inferring Personalized and Race-Specific Causal Effects of Genomic Aberrations on Gleason Scores: A Deep Latent Variable Model

Extensive research has examined socioeconomic factors influencing prostate cancer (PCa) disparities. However, to what extent molecular and genetic mechanisms may also contribute to these inequalities still remains elusive. Although various in vitro, in vivo, and population studies have originated to address this issue, they are often very costly and time-consuming by nature. In this work, we attempt to explore this problem by a preliminary study, where a joint deep latent variable model (DLVM) is proposed to in silico quantify the personalized and race-specific effects that a genomic aberration may exert on the Gleason Score (GS) of each individual PCa patient. The core of the proposed model is a deep variational autoencoder (VAE) framework, which follows the causal structure of inference with proxies. Extensive experimental results on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) 270 European-American (EA) and 43 African-American (AA) PCa patients demonstrate that ERG fusions, somatic mutations in SPOP and ATM, and copy number alterations (CNAs) in ERG are the statistically significant genomic factors across all low-, intermediate-, and high-grade PCa that may explain the disparities between these two groups. Moreover, compared to a state-of-the-art deep inference method, our proposed method achieves much higher precision in causal effect inference in terms of the impact of a studied genomic aberration on GS. Further validation on an independent set and the assessment of the genomic-risk scores along with corresponding confidence intervals not only validate our results but also provide valuable insight to the observed racial disparity between these two groups regarding PCa metastasis. The pinpointed significant genomic factors may shed light on the molecular mechanism of cancer disparities in PCa and warrant further investigation.
A public good: Can government really save the press?:

Amid concerns of ‘market failure’ in the U.S. commercial news industry, this paper explores more than a decade’s worth of scholarly arguments that government intervention and investment is the best...
Psychosocial interventions for suicide prevention in the elderly: advances and future directions

Abstract This chapter focuses on psychosocial interventions for suicidal older adults. Suicide rates for older adults are alarmingly high, and psychosocial interventions for this population are understudied. Understanding the epidemiology and characteristics, as well as risk and protective factors of suicide for this age group, is essential in order to develop effective psychosocial interventions. This chapter sheds light on how demographic factors, early experiences, personality traits, physical and psychiatric illness, cognition, and emotions, as well as social functioning can lead to increased suicidality in the elderly. Research on psychosocial interventions (e.g., IMPACT, PATH, CESP) that have been developed specifically for this population are examined. Although these interventions have found promising results, more research is needed for interventions that take into consideration physical and cognitive comorbidities (e.g., pain and cognitive impairment) and focus specifically on suicidality in this population.
Performing goodness in qualitative research methods

This essay addresses the use of diversity as a proxy for goodness in qualitative research. I argue that this presumption of goodness, operating through claims regarding participant group diversity,...
Mechanisms of Matriculation: School Counseling Resources and College Going for Latino Men

This study extends prior work on the college-going efforts of Latino boys and adolescents (Latinos) by examining the extent to which meeting with a school counselor is related to their college-goin...
Modeling acute ischemic stroke recanalization through cyclic aspiration

Abstract We model the deformation of a thromboembolus lodged in a cerebral artery under the application of aspiration pressure as it would be provided by an aspiration catheter during a mechanical thrombectomy procedure. The system considered consists of (i) a clot modeled as a viscoelastic solid; (ii) an artery modeled as a hyperelastic solid; and (iii) a viscoelastic cohesive interface between the clot and the artery. For the chosen system and geometry, we show that the application of aspiration pressure results in the impingement of the thrombus against the inner arterial wall near the aspiration location. Conditions leading to interfacial failure are nucleated at the distal end of the clot and, depending on the details of the loading conditions, propagate toward the proximal end. The results provide useful information in identifying the circumstances that play a decisive role for clot removal by aspiration alone.
A novel IL233 fusion cytokine in a therapeutic approach for acute kidney injury (CAM1P.155)

Since we found that interleukin (IL)-2 upregulated IL-33 receptor-ST2 on CD4+ T-cells, we hypothesized that IL-2 and IL-33 may cooperate to expand endogenous Tregs. Indeed Tregs expressed ST2 and IL-33 contributed to increase Treg-expansion. We designed a fusion cytokine (IL233) containing the activities of IL-2 and IL-33 for better targeting of Tregs. We expressed the cytokines in E.coli, purified them to homogeneity and tested them in mouse model of ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). C57BL/6 male mice were pretreated (ip) with different doses of cytokines prior to 26 min of bilateral ischemia and 24 hours of reperfusion and kidneys were characterized for function (plasma creatinine) and acute tubular necrosis. IL-2 and IL-33 in combination or as IL233 fusion cytokine, but not alone protected mice from IRI, with IL233 being more efficient than the combination. Our data suggests that the IL233 treatment first increases splenic levels of Tregs followed by their mobilization. Since both IL-2 and IL-33 also promote T-helper (Th)-2 response, an increase in IL-4 and IL-5, and a decrease in inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α were observed, indicating a shift towards a protective Th2 response. Adoptive transfer studies revealed higher degree of protection in mice injected with Tregs obtained from mice pretreated with IL233. Thus, IL233 fusion cytokine attenuates kidney inflammation to protect from IRI and bears strong potential to be a therapeutic agent for acute kidney injury.
Taurotragus oryx (Eland)

Skin biopsies of these two animals were kindly made available by Dr. C. Gray, National Zoological Park, Washington, D. C., USA. The finding of the male karyotype confirms that of Koulischer; the karyotypes are similar to those of the greater kudu. Tritiated thymidine autoradiography of the female cells indicates that the large acrocentric pair is the X because of the late replication of one element. The Y chromosome is also asynchronous and “late labeling” in autoradiography. Taylor also finds 31 elements in the male, 32 in the female with similar karyotypes. The X is approximately 5.4% and the Y 3.47o, of the haploid complement.
Variable rate space-time block codes in MPSK systems

We consider a multiple antenna system when combined array processing with spacetime coding is used. We present variable rate space-time block codes for two, three, and four transmit antennas and optimize the transmit power so that the average BER is minimized. Numerical results show that this optimum power allocation scheme provides significant gain over the equal power allocation scheme. We then classify all the variable rate space-time block codes having the same code rates and identify the unique code that achieves the lowest BER. We explicitly compute the performance of the variable rate codes over a Rayleigh fading channel. The proposed variable rate space-time block codes are useful for unequal error protection in multiple transmit antenna systems.
Trans-cult-ural fandom: Desire, technology and the transformation of fan subjectivities in the Japanese female fandom of Hong Kong stars

This essay examines the ways in which affective desire and new media technologies were mobilized by Japanese female fans of Hong Kong films and stars to produce a fan subjectivity that was at once cult and transcultural. The origins of this fandom, which flourished from around 1985 through the 1990s, lay in structural affinities of the Japanese and Hong Kong entertainment industries of the 1980s, as well as the ways in which popular stars of both places were expected to perform their stardom. In particular, a shared valuing of stars' relatability and approachability translated, for Japanese fans, into a seemingly paradoxical sense of intimacy with the stars of another culture, an intimacy that was fostered and heightened by women's pursuit of Hong Kong media outside the official distribution channels of the Japanese media industry. I examine the knowledges required by women to seek out favorite stars' films on VHS and VCD, as well as the sites of such consumption, which combined in the production of what I tentatively term a trans-cult-ural fan subjectivity that was at once cultish in its intensity and desire for ownership, as well as transcultural in its performance by fans.
Improved GaAs solar cells with very thin junctions

Violet cells with 500-1000 A junction depths have been made in GaAs by narrow junction diffusion followed by anodization. The best AM0 efficiencies obtained by this technique have been 10.5% (14% at AM1). GaAlAs-GaAs structures with very thin GaAlAs layers are much more promising, and efficiencies of over 18% at AM0 have been measured (21.9% at AM1).
Steroid-Protein Interactions: XVII. Influence of solvent environment on interaction between human α1-acid glycoprotein and progesterone

Abstract The apparent binding affinity between progesterone and α1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) is increased manifoldly by neutral salts, such as Na2SO4, (NH4)2SO4, or NaCl, which generally stabilize the conformational structure of globular proteins; other perturbants which are known to destabilize globular proteins, e.g. LiBr, CaCl2, or urea, decrease the apparent stability of the complex. The intrinsic viscosity of AAG in 3 m CaCl2 and in 4 m NaCl is greater and smaller, respectively, than in water; this is in agreement with the assumption of a conformational change toward a random coil and a more compact structure, respectively, in the two salt solutions. The order of efficiency of the perturbants in increasing or decreasing the apparent progesterone-AAG affinity is similar to the Hofmeister series. The affinity-increasing NaCl enhances the apparent association constant of the progesterone-AAG complex and does not affect the number of binding sites; the affinity-decreasing LiBr reduces both the apparent association constant and the average number of binding sites. Similar enhancement of the apparent binding affinity by 4 m NaCl was also observed for the AAG complexes of testosterone, cortexone (deoxycorticosterone), corticosterone, cortisol, estrone, and estradiol. Thermodynamic data indicate that the interaction of AAG with the Δ4-3-ketosteroids is associated with a negative free energy change, composed of a negative enthalpy change and a positive entropy change. The progesterone-binding affinity is independent of the presence of sialic acid in the AAG molecule.
A Review of Sarah Barringer Gordon, 'The Mormon Question: Polygamy and Constitutional Conflict in Nineteenth-Century America'

This article provides a brief review of Sarah Barringer Gordon's book, THE MORMON QUESTION, relating it to broader themes in Mormon and legal history and theory.
Personality Disorders and Treatment: A Therapeutic Conundrum

Of challenge to developmental psychologists and mental health practitioners is the importance of temperament, the intractable nature of personality, the complex psychodynamics of personality disorders, the fragile features of the therapeutic alliance, and the selection of appropriate therapy techniques. The intent of this article is to provide specific information pertinent to understanding personality disorders and to offer recommendations for effective treatment strategies.
A comprehensive evaluation of precipitation simulations over China based on CMIP5 multimodel ensemble projections

Precipitation variability has great economic, social, and environmental impacts across the globe, and in particular in China. This paper evaluates the historical precipitation variability based on 20 general circulation models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) archive over the 20th century relative to two observational data sets and quantifies CMIP5 improvements over CMIP3. Multimodel ensemble means and individual models are assessed. Three future emission scenarios are used (representative concentration pathways (RCP) 8.5, RCP 4.5, and RCP 2.6), and 21st century CMIP5 estimates are put into context based on the 20th century biases. We find that CMIP5 models can reproduce the spatial pattern of precipitation over China during the 20th century, which represents an improvement over CMIP3. However, the models overestimate the magnitude of seasonal and annual precipitation in most regions of China, especially along the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, and underestimate summer precipitation over southeastern China. For China as a whole, CMIP5's overestimation of annual precipitation is greater than CMIP3, which can be traced back to a greater underestimation of summer precipitation in CMIP3. There is a large spread among individual models, with the greatest uncertainties in simulating summer precipitation. Trends and correlations also suggest a better agreement of CMIP5 with observations than CMIP3. Throughout the 20th century, both the observations and models show an increasing trend in precipitation over parts of northwestern China and a decreasing trend over the Tibetan Plateau. There is poor agreement in precipitation trends over the southeast and northeast regions. In general, multimodel means cannot capture the amplitude of observed multidecadal precipitation variability. In the 21st century, precipitation is generally projected to increase across all of China under all three scenarios. RCP 8.5 exhibits the largest significant trend at a rate of +1.5 mm/yr, corresponding to 16% precipitation increase by the end of the century. The RCP 2.6 scenario shows the smallest increases, at +0.5 mm/yr (6%) by 2100. The greatest increases are projected to occur over the Tibetan Plateau and eastern China in summer, suggesting an altered monsoonal circulation in the future. However, due to the uncertainties in CMIP5, future precipitation projections should be interpreted with caution.
Consideration of power in a lossless transmission line

One of the topics in an undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum in a electromagnetics or power systems course is the transmission line. When the line is modeled with the distributed parameters, the power P, delivered to the load at the end of a lossless line is usually of interest and is given by: P=1/2|V/sup +/|/R/sub 0/(1-|K/sub L/|/sup 2/) where V/sup +/ is the peak value of incident voltage, K/sub L/ is the voltage reflection coefficient at the load, and R/sub 0/ is the characteristic resistance of the line. This paper points out that the above equation is a special case of a more general equation for the power delivered to the load for a low loss line. The power delivered to a load by a low loss line is obtained from time domain and frequency domain considerations. Numerical examples are given.
Senior Surgical Resident Confidence in Performing Flexible Endoscopy: What Can We Do Differently?

Introduction The American Board of Surgery endoscopy requirements for general surgery training are evolving. In 2006, the Residency Review Committee in Surgery increased the total number of endoscopy cases required before completion of general surgery residency training. This requirement is set to change further, given the new Flexible Endoscopic Curriculum that would be a requirement for applicants graduating surgical training during or after the 2017 to 2018 academic year. Given these changes, our goal was to evaluate the confidence of senior surgical residents performing flexible endoscopy. Methods A survey was developed and sent to general surgery residents nationally, querying them regarding demographics and program-specific characteristics; additionally they were asked to rate their confidence level in performing flexible upper endoscopy and colonoscopy on a Likert scale of 1 to 5. We then compared those residents who indicated confidence (Likert scale 4-5) to those who did not (Likert scale 1-3). For the purpose of this study, only senior (postgraduate year 4 and 5) general surgery residents were assessed. Results We received 1176 responses from senior surgical residents: 56% of these were postgraduate year 5 residents, 65% male, 68% from University Programs, and 56% from programs associated with a Veteran’s Affairs Hospital; 33% were from programs in the Northeast, 29% in the South, 24% in the Midwest, and 14% in the West; 75% were going on to additional fellowship training after the completion of residency; 42% indicated that they would go into academic practice and 32% into private practice; 66.7% reported confidence performing upper endoscopy and 52.7% reported confidence performing colonoscopy. Male gender, overall operative volume, and graduating from a medium-sized program or program in the South were associated with increased confidence performing flexible endoscopy. Conclusions A large percentage of senior residents do not report confidence in performing flexible endoscopy. Although increasing the number of cases required for graduation has likely helped improve the training of residents in endoscopy, additional improvements in training are required. The Flexible Endoscopic Curriculum helps standardize the curriculum and demonstrate that the graduating resident has the fundamental knowledge and skills required in the performance of endoscopy. Simulation training and dedicated endoscopic rotations during the course of residency training could help improve endoscopy training and proficiency for future graduating residents.
A positive linear decomposition for identifying patterns in dynamic process measurements

The purpose of this article is to show the effectiveness of a pattern recognition method for high-dimensional dynamic measurements. The method consists of the following steps. SVD projects a matrix of dynamic process measurements on a low-dimensional subspace. A convex cone, defined by the non-negativity of measurements, is then created. For normalization purposes, a polygon is formed by intersecting the cone with a plane; its corners specify the feature vectors of the data. The polygon is reduced to a triangle with only the three most representative corners, enabling the automated selection of a feature vector for pattern recognition. Finally, a spanning tree created from the feature vectors classifies the patterns. In a case study, the feature vectors proved to be invariant to the width of the time window, and classification was possible even with feature vectors of differing time windows.
In-Situ Observation of Crack Propagation by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Transmission electron microscopy was used to directly observe the distribution of dislocations in the plastic zone of propagating cracks during in-situ tensile deformation of various metals including stainless steel, nickel, molybdenum, and niobium. The results show a number of new findings regarding dislocation behavior in the plastic zone and its relationship to crack propagation. The observations, generally in agreement with the fracture model proposed by Bilby et al.,1 are the first experimental confirmation of the theory. In-situ transmission electron microscopy is expected to contribute greatly to understanding fracture phenomena.
Multinationals under fire : lessons in the management of conflict

This article presents a review of the book “Multinationals Under Fire: Lessons in the Management of Conflict,” by Thomas N. Gladwin and Ingo Walter.
The inflammatory response in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is accompanied by an intense local inflammatory response which may be critical to the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. Activation of components of the innate immune response, such as recruitment of polymorphonuclear (PMN) and mononuclear phagocytes and induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), by MTB occurs early after MTB infection, however, may persist as the organism establishes itself within granulomas. MTB and its protein and non-protein components are potent in induction of cytokines and chemokines from PMN and monocytes. This review focuses on the interaction of MTB and the host with regard to activation of the innate immune response. It also attempts to identify the potential impact of this early response on the subsequent pathogenesis of MTB, and its role in development and extent of tuberculosis. Insights into the initiation and persistent of the inflammatory response may allow the application of anti-inflammatory agents as adjuncts in the treatment of tuberculosis.
Cosmopolitanism and Policy: A Pedagogical Framework for Global Issues in Music Education

Expanding the common parlance of the music education field to include policy questions seems pressing today, given that, regardless of the growing impact and encompassing nature of educational policy, music education has struggled to systematically translate the considerations, arguments, and visions developed by practitioners, researchers, and community leaders into policy language. This article suggests that an approach based on a comparative cosmopolitanism framework can be a constructive force in decision making, facilitating fruitful and collaborative interactions within music education across regions and between areas of music development—from school to community, from the industry to the nonprofit.