cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FOXO3a regulates BNIP3 and modulates mitochondrial calcium, dynamics, and function in cardiac stress

The forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a) transcription factor has been shown to regulate glucose metabolism, muscle atrophy, and cell death in postmitotic cells. Its role in regulation of mitochondrial and myocardial function is not well studied. Based on previous work, we hypothesized that FOXO3a, through BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19-kDa protein-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), modulates mitochondrial morphology and function in heart failure (HF). We modulated the FOXO3a-BNIP3 pathway in normal and phenylephrine (PE)-stressed adult cardiomyocytes (ACM) in vitro and developed a cardiotropic adeno-associated virus serotype 9 encoding dominant-negative FOXO3a (AAV9.dn-FX3a) for gene delivery in a rat model of HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We found that FOXO3a upregulates BNIP3 expression in normal and PE-stressed ACM, with subsequent increases in mitochondrial Ca2+, leading to decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial fragmentation, and apoptosis. Whereas dn-FX3a attenuated the increase in BNIP3 expression and its consequences in PE-stressed ACM, AAV9.dn-FX3a delivery in an experimental model of HFpEF decreased BNIP3 expression, reversed adverse left ventricular remodeling, and improved left ventricular systolic and, particularly, diastolic function, with improvements in mitochondrial structure and function. Moreover, AAV9.dn-FX3a restored phospholamban phosphorylation at S16 and enhanced dynamin-related protein 1 phosphorylation at S637. Furthermore, FOXO3a upregulates maladaptive genes involved in mitochondrial apoptosis, autophagy, and cardiac atrophy. We conclude that FOXO3a activation in cardiac stress is maladaptive, in that it modulates Ca2+ cycling, Ca2+ homeostasis, and mitochondrial dynamics and function. Our results suggest an important role of FOXO3a in HF, making it an attractive potential therapeutic target.
Are Economic Variables Really Integrated of Order One

Many macro-variables have a fairly smooth appearance over long time periods. This smoothness can be translated into functions commonly considered by time-series analysts as: (i) the series have a spectrum with a large peak at low frequencies, called the “typical spectral shape” (or TSS) by Granger (1966), (ii) the correlogram declines very slowly as lag length increases, and (iii) the differenced series will have a correlogram that is explainable using a stationary ARMA model.
Detailing L1 and L2 use in study-abroad research: Data from the daily linguistic questionnaire

Abstract Interest in learners’ language use in the study-abroad (SA) context has increased considerably in the past years. However, the current set of instruments is not fine-grained enough to provide detailed information to SA researchers who are interested in questions regarding the quantity and quality of language use. The present study reports on the results of a new instrument, the Daily Linguistic Questionnaire (DLQ), that was completed daily (via computer or handheld devices) by 43 L2 learners of Spanish (L1 = English) who participated in a six-week SA in Salamanca, Spain. The results show that the SA participants used their L2 substantially more than their L1 during the first half of the program; however, their use of the L2 diminished substantially during the second half of their stay abroad. The results further showed that the decreased rates of L2 use correlated significantly with lifestyle choices, namely, with a decrease in communication with host-family members and with an increase in L1 use with SA peers. Altogether, the DLQ allowed for more nuanced observations of language-use patterns than had been reported in previous SA research. These findings have implications for theories of L2 learning that emphasize the notions of input and interaction.
A problem from hell: Natural history, empire, and the devil in the New World

Histories of the conquest of America have long highlighted the role of wonder, possession, and desire in Spanish conceptions of the New World. Yet missing in these accounts is the role that studying nature played in shaping Spain’s imperial ethos. In the sixteenth century, Spanish missionaries revived the practice of natural history to trace the origins of New World nature. In their pursuit of the cultural meanings of natural landscapes, however, Spanish natural historians naturalized their own fears of the demonic. In this article, I argue that naturalist inquiry served as an empirical and spiritual laboratory to develop a contentious narrative of political domination. I focus specifically on the writings of the missionary ethnographer, Bernardino de Sahagun, who compiled the first bilingual account of the peoples of the Aztec empire and used his immersion in Nahua culture to promote indigenous conversion to the Christian faith. Sahagun’s narrative techniques were aimed at the New World’s cultural regeneration, particularly through the study of nature. Yet his intellectual transformation during this journey bears surprising ideological paradoxes. Sahagun’s legacies therefore offer political theorists today a medium to rethink key historiographical assumptions about the anthropolitics of nature and the broader geopolitics of early modern political thought.
The politics of international law

In this chapter, we develop a new framework for analyzing the politics of international law. Research based on the traditional paradigms of international relations — realism, institutionalism, liberalism and constructivism — tends to generalize about the relationship between politics and international law. In contrast, our premise is that there are diverse sites of interaction between law and politics, and that the nature, causes and effects of these interactions, and the relative influences of law and politics on outcomes, vary across these different sites. This diversity lends itself more to comparative analysis than to general theorizing. We therefore argue for a comparative approach to the politics of international law. Our dimensions of comparative analysis are twofold: stages of governance and governance systems. The stages of governance include rulemaking, interpretation, decisionmaking, implementation, and rule change. Governance systems are demarcated by their subject matter (e.g. international peace and security, intellectual property, or trade), their scope (e.g. global, regional, or national), or both. Our central claim is that interactions between law and politics vary in important ways both (1) across different stages of governance within particular governance systems and (2) across different governance systems. Our approach has broader implications for understanding international law. First, it transcends the traditional — and in our view misleading — categorical distinction between the role of law in domestic and international politics. Second, it allows for a more nuanced and contingent understanding of the relationship between law and politics than debates about the primacy of politics (or law) typically produce. Third, our approach favors mid-range theorizing focused on the foundations of the relationship between law and politics in specific contexts. This chapter is the introduction to the Research Handbook on the Politics of International Law, published by Edward Elgar. The other chapters apply the introductory chapter’s analytical framework in contexts including financial and environmental regulation, international trade, intellectual property, human rights, Internet governance, and cyber conflict.
The Defense of Marriage Act, Same-Sex Relationships and the Bankruptcy Code

This article was written for the Federal Judicial Center's annual symposium for bankruptcy judges. It examines the practical implications of the intersection of the Bankruptcy Code and DOMA. While states provide same-sex couples some or all of the rights and obligations of marriage including those related to creditor-debtor relationships, DOMA prohibits federal courts from recognizing those unions and attendant rights when applying federal law. After DOMA, creditors and debtors were no longer assured that state law property rights would not be altered “merely by reason of the happenstance of bankruptcy.” This article alerts bankruptcy courts to the complexities wrought by the intersection of the Bankruptcy Code and DOMA. Bankruptcy judges must maneuver between the mandates of DOMA – including challenges to its constitutionality - and the debtor-creditor relationship grounded in state law.
The purification and characterization of the highly labeled protein fraction from calf lens.

The highly labeled (HL) protein fraction of calf lens has been purified and characterized. The purified protein has a specific activity eight to ten times greater than any other isolated lens protein fraction. Amino acid analyses and immunochemical experiments indicate that it is essentially identical to alpha crystallin. A study of the effect of temperature upon the SH reactivity to para-hydroxymercuribenzoate reveals an identical profile for the HL protein and the <x,-protein. However, there are a number of differences between the two proteins. Ultracentrifuge experiments demonstrate that the HL protein in contrast to alpha crystallin appears to be physically homogeneous in both the aggregated and deaggregated state. The aggregate molecule has an apparent molecular weight of (6.8 - 0.2) x 10 5 and the subunits an apparent molecular weight of (18.0 - 0.2) x 10 s . Independent determinations of the Z average molecular weight give slightly higher values. Based on the summation of the tveights of the amino acid residues in a subunit, a molecidar weight of 20.0 x 10 s has been calculated. The ninhydrin color yield per unit protein is 40 per cent greater with the HL protein than with alpha crystallin. Differences in electrophoretic mobility were also observed. The relationship between the HL protein and alpha crystallin and the basis for the observed differences between these proteins is discussed.
Eyeless/Pax6 initiates eye formation non-autonomously from the peripodial epithelium

The transcription factor Pax6 is considered the master control gene for eye formation because (1) it is present within the genomes and retina/lens of all animals with a visual system; (2) severe retinal defects accompany its loss; (3) Pax6 genes have the ability to substitute for one another across the animal kingdom; and (4) Pax6 genes are capable of inducing ectopic eye/lens in flies and mammals. Many roles of Pax6 were first elucidated in Drosophila through studies of the gene eyeless (ey), which controls both growth of the entire eye-antennal imaginal disc and fate specification of the eye. We show that Ey also plays a surprising role within cells of the peripodial epithelium to control pattern formation. It regulates the expression of decapentaplegic (dpp), which is required for initiation of the morphogenetic furrow in the eye itself. Loss of Ey within the peripodial epithelium leads to the loss of dpp expression within the eye, failure of the furrow to initiate, and abrogation of retinal development. These findings reveal an unexpected mechanism for how Pax6 controls eye development in Drosophila.
Linac-Based Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy

In this chapter, the reader will find a comprehensive overview of important principles and concepts to linac-based stereotactic radiosurgery and hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, as well as the indications for each. These include history of radiosurgery and linac-based radiosurgery to put the contents of the chapter in context, as well as a brief introduction to concepts and metrics used to evaluate the quality of radiosurgery treatment plans and techniques to produce high-quality radiosurgery plans.
Observation-based solar and wind power capacity factors and power densities

Power density is the rate of energy generation per unit of land surface area occupied by an energy system. The power density of low-carbon energy sources will play an important role in mediating the environmental consequences of energy system decarbonization as the world transitions away from high power-density fossil fuels. All else equal, lower power densities mean larger land and environmental footprints. The power density of solar and wind power remain surprisingly uncertain: estimates of realizable generation rates per unit area for wind and solar power span 0.3–47 We m−2 and 10–120 We m−2 respectively. We refine this range using US data from 1990–2016. We estimate wind power density from primary data, and solar power density from primary plant-level data and prior datasets on capacity density. The mean power density of 411 onshore wind power plants in 2016 was 0.50 We m−2. Wind plants with the largest areas have the lowest power densities. Wind power capacity factors are increasing, but that increase is associated with a decrease in capacity densities, so power densities are stable or declining. If wind power expands away from the best locations and the areas of wind power plants keep increasing, it seems likely that wind's power density will decrease as total wind generation increases. The mean 2016 power density of 1150 solar power plants was 5.4 We m−2. Solar capacity factors and (likely) power densities are increasing with time driven, in part, by improved panel efficiencies. Wind power has a 10-fold lower power density than solar, but wind power installations directly occupy much less of the land within their boundaries. The environmental and social consequences of these divergent land occupancy patterns need further study.
A case of fatal invasive aspergillosis in a patient with neurosarcoidosis treated with infliximab.

INTRODUCTION CNS involvement in sarcoidosis is seen in 5-10% of cases. Long term treatment involves steroids and other immunomodulatory agents, including infliximab. Chronic immunosuppression can result in increased patient susceptibility to opportunistic infections. We present a case of fatal aspergillosis in a patient with neurosarcoidosis treated with infliximab. CASE REPORT A 55-year-old woman with neurosarcoidosis on infliximab (started 4 months prior) and dexamethasone, presented with progressive cognitive decline. Exam revealed impaired attention and disorientation with preserved language. Brain MRI showed multiple, bilateral cortical and subcortical ring-enhancing lesions. We held immunosuppression due to suspicion of infection; empiric Amphotericin B was given early in the hospital course. The patient rapidly deteriorated from a neurological and respiratory standpoint, requiring intubation. CSF analysis showed elevated protein of 511 and normal glucose of 104 (67% serum), with lymphocytic pleocytosis (25 cells, 96% lymphocytes). Systemic and CNS microbiological studies were negative. On hospital day 13, bronchial fluid grew Aspergillus fumigatus, prompting a switch to voriconazole. Despite early empiric antifungal treatment, she died from respiratory failure; autopsy revealed systemic and CNS aspergillosis with multiple brain abscesses. DISCUSSION This case represents an example of a fatal complication of infliximab therapy, which was recently shown to be effective in neurosarcoidosis in one study. It also serves to highlight the challenges faced in diagnosing ring-enhancing lesions, especially in patients with pre-existing brain disorders. Finally, it highlights the difficulty in treating invasive aspergillosis. Further studies are needed to identify risks associated with infliximab therapy and potential early interventions to improve outcomes.
Clinical and biochemical footprints of inherited metabolic diseases. I. Movement disorders

About a third of patients with inherited metabolic diseases with neurologic involvement suffer from a movement disorder, in the form of ataxia, hyperkinetic movements, or hypokinetic-rigid syndrome. We reviewed and updated the list of known metabolic etiologies associated with various types of movement disorders, and found approximately 200 relevant inborn errors of metabolism. This represents the first of a series of articles attempting to create and maintain a comprehensive list of clinical and metabolic differential diagnoses according to system involvement.
Cyclopropane structural units from homoaldol adducts.

An efficient two-step homologation of aldehydes to cyclopropylaldehydes has been developed. Activation of homoaldol adducts derived from O-enecarbamates and N-enecarbamates provided high yields of cyclopropylaldehydes with good to excellent levels of trans/cis selectivity. Trapping of the intermediate oxonium ion and iminium ion intermediates has also been demonstrated, leading to direct isolation of cyclopropyl carbinol and cyclopropylamine products.
Sparse Representation-based Classification of Geomagnetically Induced Currents

Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC) are the significant effects of the Geomagnetic Disturbances (GMDs) on power systems. GICs typically appear in the form of DC components in the current wave forms of high voltage transmission lines and may lead to transformer saturation, so-called DC saturation. Such saturation scenarios, if experienced, can result in severe damages to the transformer core and significantly increase the system-wide risk of major blackouts. It calls for developing detection and classification mechanisms for GICs in power systems so they can be prevented or interrupted before emerging as a threat. A major challenge associated with GIC detection is the presence of similar events, resulted from faults and other distortions, such as AC saturation caused by harmonics. The current signals recorded by current transformers can be analyzed to classify these events. In this paper, the time-frequency S-Transform is integrated with a sparsely-enhanced version of the collaborative representation-based classification to implement a fast, reliable, and adaptive GIC events classification approach. Unlike usual techniques, the proposed mechanism does not need any training procedure while, due to its linear formulation, acts inherently fast and is adaptable to recognize the challenging scenarios of combined events.
Double-Differential FRaGmentation (DDFRG) models for proton and light ion production in high energy nuclear collisions

Abstract A new set of Double-Differential FRaGmentation (DDFRG) models for proton and light ion production from high energy nucleus–nucleus collisions, relevant to space radiation, is introduced. The proton model employs thermal production from the projectile, central fireball and target sources, as well as quasi-elastic direct knockout production. The light ion model uses a hybrid coalescence model. The data show a prominent quasi-elastic peak at small angles which becomes highly suppressed at large angles. The models are able to describe this wide range of experimental data with only a limited set of model parameters. Closed form analytic formulas for double-differential energy and angle cross-sections as well as single-differential spectral cross-sections are developed. These analytic formulas enable highly efficient computation for radiation transport codes.
New Onset Recurrent Acute Infectious Thyroiditis in an Adult Patient

Introduction: Acute infectious thyroiditis can be seen in patients with congenital abnormalities of the piriform sinus, underlying autoimmune disease, or the immunocompromised. In most patients, an upper respiratory tract infection precedes the development of the neck abscess. Case description: The patient is a 39-year-old Caucasian woman with history of Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and thrombocytopenia who presented to the hospital with sore throat, dysphagia and left-sided neck swelling. She was recently started on Humira for HS. Review of systems was significant for heat intolerance, weight loss, palpitations and panic attacks. Family history was positive for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Initial lab evaluation was significant for elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), mildly elevated free T4 (FT4) with suppressed thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). She was found to have a nearly 6 cm left-sided thyroid abscess, which was eventually drained. Contrasted CT imaging showed multiple left laryngeal space abscesses with extension to the left thyroid gland. TSH gradually increased over two months to nearly 4 times upper limit of normal accompanied by low normal FT4. TSI and TPO antibodies were negative. Clinical course was complicated by recurrent abscesses which required percutaneous drainage and intravenous antibiotics. Discussion: Acute infectious thyroiditis is extremely rare disorder of the thyroid gland in adults. Most patients present with recurrent abscesses early during childhood. Imaging studies such as CT scan, preferred over MRI, and barium swallow can show a fistula connecting the piriform sinus and left lobe of the thyroid gland. Treatment includes needle aspiration, followed by drainage and IV antibiotic therapy. Surgical excision of the entire sinus tract and the involved area of the thyroid gland is the best method to achieve definitive cure. Conclusion: Lower left-sided thyroid abscess extending from the pyriform fossa to the thyroid bed should raise the suspicion for underlying third or fourth branchial fistula. Most cases present during childhood, but one third of cases occur in adults. Surgical excision after confirming the presence of a fistulous tract with imaging is the treatment of choice.
Brain Repair by Cell Replacement via In Situ Neuronal Reprogramming.

Neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by progressive neural loss, have been some of the most challenging medical problems in aging societies. Treatment strategies such as symptom management hav...
Predicting Blood Donors Using Machine Learning Techniques

The United States’ blood supply chain is experiencing market decline due to recent innovations in surgical practice, transfusion management, and hospital policy. These innovations strain US blood centers, resulting in cuts to surge capacities, consolidation, and reduced funding for research and outreach programs. In this study, we use data from a regional blood center to explore the application of contemporary machine learning algorithms for modeling donor retention. Such predictive models of donor retention can be used to design more cost effective donor outreach programs. Using data from a large US blood center paired with random forest classifiers, we are able to build a model of donor retention with a Mathews correlation of coefficient of 0.851.
Digital phenotyping of sleep patterns among heterogenous samples of Latinx adults using unsupervised learning.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to identify sleep disturbance subtypes (“phenotypes”) among Latinx adults based on objective sleep data using a flexible unsupervised machine learning technique. Methods This study was an analysis of sleep data from three cross-sectional studies of the Precision in Symptom Self-Management Center at Columbia University. All studies focused on sleep health in Latinx adults at increased risk for sleep disturbance. Data on total sleep time (TST), time in bed (TIB), wake after sleep onset (WASO), sleep efficiency (SE), number of awakenings (NOA) and the mean length of nightly awakenings were collected using wrist-mounted accelerometers. Cluster analysis of the sleep data was conducted using an unsupervised machine learning approach that relies on mixtures of multivariate generalized linear mixed models. Results The analytic sample included 494 days of data from 118 adults (Ages 19–77). A 3-cluster model provided the best fit based on deviance indices (ie, DΔ∼ −75 and −17 from 1- and 2- to 3-cluster models, respectively) and likelihood ratio (Pdiff ∼ 0.93). Phenotype 1 (n = 64) was associated with greater likelihood of overall adequate SE and less variability in SE and WASO. Phenotype 2 (n = 11) was characterized by higher NOAs, and greater WASO and TIB than the other phenotypes. Phenotype 3 (n = 43) was characterized by greater variability in SE, bed times and awakening times. Conclusion Robust digital data-driven modeling approaches can be useful for detecting sleep phenotypes from heterogenous patient populations, and have implications for designing precision sleep health strategies for management and early detection of sleep problems.
Layered structure of turbulent natural convection over a vertical flat plate

Abstract The layered structure of turbulent natural convection over a vertical flat plate (TNCVP) is first investigated qualitatively by dimensional analysis. The scaling patch approach is then applied to quantify the layered structure of TNCVP based on the characteristics of the mean momentum and energy equations. Fluid flow in TNCVP is divided into two layers: an inner layer and an outer layer, but heat transport is divided into four layers: a molecular diffusion sub-layer, a gradient balance layer, a meso layer and an outer layer. Scaling patch analysis identifies proper scales for the length, velocity, temperature, Reynolds shear stress, and turbulent heat flux in different layers, and develops a multi-scaling of the mean momentum and energy equations. Part of the novelty of the approach is that different regions incorporate unique scaling lengths, temperatures, turbulence temperature flux, and Reynolds stresses. The inner and outer scaled mean velocity, temperature, Reynolds shear stress and turbulent temperature flux profiles at four streamwise locations in the experiments of Tsuji and Nagano [1,2] merge onto a single curve in the inner and outer layers, respectively. This behavior supports the validity of the analysis. The layered structure of TNCVP is compared with three canonical turbulent flows: differentially heated turbulent flow in a vertical channel (DHVC), forced convection in turbulent boundary layer flows (TBL), and turbulent plumes. Striking similarities and distinctive differences among these turbulent flow and heat transport situations are elucidated. The inner layer of the mean momentum equation of TNCVP is similar to the inner layer of DHVC, but the outer layer of TNCVP is similar to that of a turbulent planar plume. The four layer structure for the mean energy equation of TNCVP is similar to that of pressure- or shear-driven turbulent boundary layers.
Fast Method for Accelerating Time-Domain Solutions of Ill-Conditioned Electromagnetic Problems by Changing Curl–Curl Operator to Laplacian

The ill-conditioned numerical system arising from an electromagnetic analysis is often due to the discretized curl–curl operator which has both zero eigenvalues and large ones inversely proportional to the square of the smallest feature size. In this work, we analytically decompose the discretized curl–curl operator into a gradient divergence operator and a Laplacian without numerical computation. We further split the field solution into a gradient field (curl-free component) and a divergence-free one to take advantage of the decomposition. The gradient divergence operator vanishes when acting on the divergence-free component of the field solution. As a result, we can replace the highly ill-conditioned curl–curl operator with a Laplacian for computing the divergence-free component regardless of inhomogeneity and source settings. Since the Laplacian is positive definite and well-conditioned, the new system matrix can converge quickly in a small number of iterations. The method is applied to accelerate time-domain solutions of Maxwell’s equations in ill-conditioned problems such as integrated circuits (ICs). Numerical results have validated its accuracy and efficiency.
Off-Axis Fatigue of Graphite/Epoxy Composite

Off-axis static and fatigue behavior of AS/3501-5A graphite/epoxy was studied in an effort to characterize the matrix/interface-controlled failure. Seven different off-axis angles were tested: 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, and 90 deg. Initial (static) and post-fatigue residual strength were obtained together with S-N relationships. Fracture surfaces were examined through photomicrographs and stereo (three-dimensional) scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs, in order to delineate failure modes, and the results of these inspections are discussed. The off-axis static strength, including scatter, was fully characterized by a polynomial and a nondimensional strength parameter. Essentially, no strength or modulus degradation was observed in the specimens surviving fatigue loading of 10 6 cycles regardless of the off-axis angle or fatigue stress level. When fatigue stress level is normalized with respect to static strength, all data seem to fall on the same S-N curve. Fatigue failure occurred without any warning or visible damage. Matrix failure characteristics vary with off-axis angle and appear in the form of serrations and axial and transverse cracks. Large scatter in life was observed at all off-axis angles; however, since the number of specimens employed in the present study is not sufficient to provide meaningful statistical S-N data, a more detailed investigation of the off-axis (and angle ply) behavior of graphite/epoxy composites is warranted.
Agonist-induced changes in beta-adrenergic receptors on intact cells.

Competition by beta-adrenergic agonists and antagonists for 125I-pindolol binding sites on intact cells (1321N1 human astrocytoma and C62B rat glioma) was measured using short time binding assays as previously described (Toews, M. L., Harden, T. K., and Perkins, J. P. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 3553-3557). Preincubation of cells with agonists converted about half of the cellular beta-adrenergic receptors from a form exhibiting high affinity for the agonists isoproterenol and epinephrine and the antagonist sotalol to a form exhibiting much lower apparent affinity for these ligands in short time assays. Exposure to agonists did not alter the affinity of receptors for the antagonist metoprolol. This change in the ligand binding properties of the receptor was rapid (t1/2 = 1-2 min following a lag of about 0.5 min), reversible (t1/2 = 6-8 min), and dependent on the agonist concentration present during the preincubation (K0.5 = 15 nM for isoproterenol). Both isoproterenol and sotalol attained equilibrium with the high affinity receptors very rapidly but equilibrated only slowly with those receptors exhibiting low apparent affinity in short time assays. These results are interpreted in terms of a model which postulates that both the low apparent affinity in short time assays and the subsequent slow equilibration of hydrophilic ligands with these receptors result from agonist-induced internalization of a fraction of cell surface beta-adrenergic receptors. The relationship of this change in receptor binding properties to other aspects of agonist-induced desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor-coupled adenylate cyclase system is discussed.
Learning from the Saints: Ninth-Century Hagiography and the Carolingian Renaissance

In the early Middle Ages (c.500–1000) in Western Europe, the saints played a vital role in the lives of all Christians. Everyone regardless of status or gender believed in their power to cure the suffering, protect the faithful, and castigate the wicked. Hagiography, the stories of the holy dead, celebrated the saints and helped maintain and validate their cults. For historians, these texts provide insight not only into the practice of Christianity, but also into the social and political landscape of the time. During the ninth century, many authors of hagiography also participated in and benefitted from a royal program of reform centered on education and uniformity. Yet, the stories of the saints reflect the continuation and predominance of regional concerns and the limitations of the message of uniformity in the so-called Carolingian Renaissance.
Achieving a Voice and Institutionalizing a Vision for Women:The Barnard Deanship at Columbia University, 1889-1947

when the role and responsibilities of deans were becoming defined and the position was gaining national prominence. For this early period, see Lois Kimball Mathews, The Dean of Women (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1915). A point of clarification is in order: Mary P. Putnam was not related to either Dean Emily James Putnam, who will be discussed later in this essay, or Mary Putnam Jacobi, a well-known advocate of women’s higher education in the U.S. 2. For the rise of female enrolments from 21 per cent in 1870 to 47.3 per cent in 1920 and for the trend toward co-education, see Barbara Solomon, In the Company of Educated Women (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985), 44 (table 1), 58, 63 (table 2). For definitive works on the professionalization of the woman’s deanship, see Robert A. Schwartz, “Reconceptualizing the Leadership Roles of Women in Higher Education: A Brief History on the Importance of Deans of Women,” Journal of Higher Education 68 (Sept./Oct. 1997): 502-23; Jana Nidiffer, Pioneering Deans of Women: More than Wise and Pious Matrons (New York City: Teachers’ College Press, 2000); and Carolyn Terry Bashaw, “Stalwart Women”: A Historical Analysis of Deans of Women in the South (New York: Teachers’ College Press, 1999). For general works on lives of women deans who advanced women’s status on co-educational campuses, see Rosalind Rosenberg, Beyond Separate Spheres: The Intellectual Roots of Modern Feminism (New Haven:
Ventral spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak as the cause of persistent post-dural puncture headache in children.

Headache occurs after dural puncture in about 1%–25% of children who undergo the procedure—a rate similar to that seen in adults. Persistence of post–dural puncture headache in spite of bed rest, increased fluid intake, and epidural blood patch treatment, however, is rare. The authors reviewed the medical records and imaging studies of all patients 19 years of age or younger who they evaluated between 2001 and 2010 for intracranial hypotension, and they identified 8 children who had persistent post–dural puncture headache despite maximal medical treatment and placement of epidural blood patches. A CSF leak could be demonstrated radiologically and treated surgically in 3 of these patients, and the authors report these 3 cases. The patients were 2 girls (ages 14 and 16 years) who had undergone lumbar puncture for evaluation of headache and fever and 1 boy (age 13 years) who had undergone placement of a lumboperitoneal shunt using a Tuohy needle for treatment of pseudotumor cerebri. The boy also had undergon...
Phosphotransacetylase from Clostridium acidiurici

The phosphotransacetylase from Clostridium acidiurici has two properties not observed for this enzyme in other bacteria: (i) it requires a divalent metal for activity, and (ii) it is not subject to uncoupling by arsenate. The enzyme has been obtained in highly purified form, with a specific activity 500-fold higher than crude extracts. Ferrous or manganous ions are required for maximal activity, with Mn(2+) being 50 to 75% as effective as Fe(2+). The acetyl group can be transferred from acetyl phosphate to coenzyme A in 20 mm arsenate without a net decrease in high-energy acyl linkages. Likewise, H(32)PO(4) (2-) will exchange with acetyl-PO(4) (2-) in the presence of arsenate without loss of acetyl phosphate. This suggests that the active site on the enzyme is capable of discriminating between phosphate and arsenate while permitting the reversible transfer of acyl groups between CoA and phosphate.
Immigrants in Appalachia: Educational Implications for Meeting the Needs of All Children

As rural Appalachian schools in Ohio in the United States struggle to overcome institutional bias and lack of understanding to accommodate the needs of the growing population of immigrant students from diverse countries, immigrant parents struggle to fit into a new cultural environment and to secure the best education for their children. This qualitative study of 29 southern Ohio counties examines the barriers and opportunities that each faces.
A mathematical model of the dynamics of prion aggregates with chaperone-mediated fragmentation

Prions are proteins most commonly associated with fatal neurodegenerative diseases in mammals but are also responsible for a number of harmless heritable phenotypes in yeast. These states arise when a misfolded form of a protein appears and, rather than be removed by cellular quality control mechanisms, persists. The misfolded prion protein forms aggregates and is capable of converting normally folded protein to the misfolded state through direct interaction between the two forms. The dominant mathematical model for prion aggregate dynamics has been the nucleated polymerization model (NPM) which considers the dynamics of only the normal protein and the aggregates. However, for yeast prions the molecular chaperone Hsp104 is essential for prion propagation. Further, although mammals do not express Hsp104, experimental assays have shown Hsp104 also interacts with mammalian prion aggregates. In this study, we generalize the NPM to account for molecular chaperones and develop what we call the enzyme-limited nucleated polymerization model (ELNPM). We discuss existence, uniqueness and stability of solutions to our model and demonstrate that the NPM represents a quasi-steady-state reduction of our model. We validate the ELNPM by demonstrating agreement with experimental results on the yeast prion PSI(+) that could not be supported by the NPM. Finally, we demonstrate that, in contrast to the NPM, the ELNPM permits the coexistence of multiple prion strains.
What Are Polymorphically-Typed Ambients?

The Ambient Calculus was developed by Cardelli and Gordon as a formal framework to study issues of mobility and migrant code [6]. We consider an Ambient Calculus where ambients transport and exchange programs rather that just inert data. We propose different senses in which such a calculus can be said to be polymorphically typed, and design accordingly a polymorphic type system for it. Our type system assigns types to embedded programs and what we call behaviors to processes; a denotational semantics of behaviors is then proposed, here called trace semantics, underlying much of the remaining analysis. We state and prove a Subject Reduction property for our polymorphically-typed calculus. Based on techniques borrowed from finite automata theory, type-checking of fully type-annotated processes is shown to be decidable. Our polymorphically-typed calculus is a conservative extension of the typed Ambient Calculus originally proposed by Cardelli and Gordon [7].
Effects of dose on the induction of dominant-lethal mutations and heritable translocations with ethyl methanesulfonate in male mice.

ABSTRACT Genetic damage by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) in male mice was measured at doses ranging from 50 to 300 mg/kg with dominant-lethal mutations and reciprocal translocations as endpoints. No appreciable increase in dominant-lethal mutations was detected following a dose of 100 mg/kg. Dominant lethals induced by EMS were convincingly detected only after a dose of 150 mg/kg, but in the translocation experiment an increase in the genetic effect was detectable at the 50 mg/kg dose. It is likely that dominant lethals had also been induced at the 50 and 100 mg/kg doses, but were not detected due to the relative insensitivity of the dominant%lethal procedure. Thus, for detection of low levels of EMS-induced chromosome breakage, translocations are a much more reliable endpoint than are dominant-lethal mutations. A procedure for large-scale screening of induced translocations is described.—The dominant-lethal dose-response curve, plotted on the basis of living embryos as a percentage of the control value, is clearly not linear as it is markedly concave downward. Similarly, the translocation dose-response curve showed a more rapid increase in the number of translocations with dose than would be expected on the basis of dose-square kinetics. It is clear for both of these endpoints that the effectiveness of EMS in inducing chromosome breakage is proportionately much lower at low doses.
Potassium ion conductance of the cochlear partition: differences between the chinchilla and guinea pig.

Abstract The time courses of the endocochlear potential (EP) and the K + concentrations in the inner ear fluid under permanent anoxia were observed in the chinchilla and guinea pig using K + -selective microelectrodes. The EP following 30 min of anoxia in the chinchilla (−10.9±2.2 mV ) showed a significantly less negative value than that of the guinea pig (−25.7±2.6 mV ). The K + concentration in endolymph induced by anoxia decreased less in the chinchilla than in the guinea pig. The average K + conductance of the cochlear partition 10–30 min after anoxia in the guinea pig (0.1703 ± 0.0792 S) was approximately 7.9 times that of the chinchilla (0.0216 ±0.0042 S), which is thought to be responsible for the difference of the anoxic EP between the two species.
Overview of power quality aspects in wind generation

The interest for renewable energy sources has increased significantly due to environmental issues and fossil fuels elevated cost. Due to this, wind energy has gained a lot of investments from all over the world. However, due to the wind speed's uncertain behavior it is difficult to obtain good quality power, since wind speed fluctuations reflect on the voltage and active power output of the electric machine connected to the wind turbine. This brings great challenges to power systems engineering, since new control schemes must be adopted in order to deal with those fluctuations and new techniques must be developed in order to improve wind power plant's performance. Not only that, but the use of induction generators presents safety issues due to possible self-excitation. This article aims to demonstrate state-of-the-art technologies used to improve wind power quality and reliability. A energy storage technique focused on improving wind power reliability and availabity but also smoothening wind power variations is presented. The use of a static compensator (STATCOM) in order to deal with harmonic current injection, reactive power compensation and voltage variation is discussed. The usage of a wind energy conversion and storage system is also presented, this technique aims to improve wind power quality and wind plant's fault tolerance. The lack of reactive power compensation issue is also treated, by investigating the use of a Dynamic Voltage Restorer in a distribution grid connected to a wind turbine driving a induction generator. A brief insight of wind power future and possible integration with Plug in Hybrid Electrical Vehicles is also provided. At last a brief overview of the topics covered is presented and conclusions are made.
OBSERVATIONS OF THE 327 MHz DEUTERIUM HYPERFINE TRANSITION

We report measurements of the 327 MHz line of deuterium for regions in the Galactic plane at 171°, 183°, and 195° longitude using an array of 24 stations of fixed phased-antenna elements. The anticenter region was observed using simultaneous multiple beams at each station over a period of just over 2 years from 2004 June to 2006 July. The average deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H) ratio in the Galactic anticenter region derived from these observations is 21 ± 7 parts per million. The error is ±3 σ and includes the model-dependency error in conversion of the line amplitudes to the D/H ratio.
Health policy: Do end-of-life discussions have a role in health care reform?

Considerable costs are incurred when caring for patients with terminal cancer in their last few days of life. With the debate over health care reform in the US being at center stage, focusing primarily on cost reduction, how can we best serve our cancer patients in their final days?
Adverse effects profile of sulfhydryl compounds in man

Many of the adverse reactions produced by penicillamine and other compounds with an active sulfhydryl group form a distinctive pattern when viewed as a class. Alterations in taste perception, mucocutaneous lesions, proteinuria due to immune-complex membranous glomerulopathy, and pemphigus are adverse reactions that have been encountered with all of the compounds discussed herein. Hematologic reactions such as neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occur rarely and with variable frequency. The angiotension converting enzyme inhibitor captopril has an active sulfhydryl group. When it was first given in high doses to patients with severe hypertension, adverse effects similar in pattern to those just outlined were reported. With reduced doses and more careful patient selection, the more serious reactions are no longer found, but disturbances of taste perception, rash, and oral mucosal ulcers are still encountered.
Relationship between cigarette smoking and Alzheimer's disease in a population‐based case‐control study

We investigated whether cigarette smoking is negatively associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a population-based, frequency-matched, case-control study of 152 AD patients and 180 controls. Ever having smoked was associated with lower risk of AD (adjusted odds ratio = 0.61; 95% confidence interval: 0.37-0.99). Additional multivariate analyses demonstrated that education and history of hypertension modified this association. The direction of the modification was for higher education level and history of hypertension to further reduce the risk. The "dose-response" pattern showed the greatest risk reduction among those who smoked least and suggests a biologic mechanism of a dose-dependent up-regulation of nicotinic (cholinergic) brain receptors. These data, although consistent with current opinion about pathophysiology of AD, do not suggest smoking should be used as a preventive strategy for AD.
Olive-Growing in Greece

This industry, which may be 3,000 years old, today is first in world production of preserved olives, harvested horn over 50,000,000 trees.
Thickness Error in Quantitative Transmission Microscopy of Ceramics

The error in quantitative microscopic analysis of ceramic transmission specimens was experimentally evaluated for cases (1) when sample thickness is completely neglected and (2) when theoretical corrections for thickness are included. Errors in Pp; NL, and NA of as much as 373, 79, and 71%, respectively, are reduced to 15, 1, and 6% when the corrections are applied.
There is good physics in theory reduction

Theory reduction is analyzed and examples are presented from various branches of physics. The procedure takes different forms in different theories. Examples from various theories are arranged in increasing order of difficulty. Special emphasis is placed on the quantum to classical reduction. It is argued that there is good and interesting physics in theory reduction and that it deserves more attention than it has been receiving in the past.
Management of adverse surgical events: a structured education module for residents

Abstract Background This pilot project involved the development of a structured, experiential, educational module using a bench model technical skills simulation and standardized patients. It integrated teaching and assessment of clinical, technical, and interpersonal skills, as well as professionalism within the context of an adverse surgical event. Methods General surgery residents (postgraduate year [PGY] 2, 3) were asked to participate in the pre-, intra-, and postoperative management of a patient with a retroperitoneal sarcoma. Residents’ performances during the module were assessed by standardized patients and faculty, and residents were provided feedback during debriefing sessions. Results Resident performance during the module was appropriate for the level of training. Residents found this module to be a realistic, challenging, and beneficial learning experience. Conclusions Novel educational modules such as this one may serve as a useful addition to resident education in surgery residency programs, particularly in addressing patient safety and the core competencies. Reliability of the model may be enhanced by modifications of the module.