cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-dimensional two-photon absorbing chromophores and solvent effects on their cross-sections

A series of 2-dimensional two-photon absorbing chromophores and their 1-dimensional analogs were studied. The influence of the solvents on the linear absorption, photoluminescence and two-photon absorption cross-sections were also examined for these chromophores. The stoke's shift increase with increasing solvent polarity, that can be adequately described by Lippert equation. Two-photon absorption cross sections were measured with femtosecond pulses by the two-photon-induced fluorescence technique. It was observed that two-photon cross-sections were also strongly dependent on the solvents, however no simple correlation with solvent polarity was found in this study. Interestingly, a linear relationship was observed in these chromophores between the molar extinction coefficient and the two-photon cross section when plotted in log-log formats. Understanding of the relationship may provide a better insight of the two-photon absorption processes, and potentially will contribute to the design of highly efficient two-photon absorbing chromophores.
Dose rate and SDD dependence of commercially available diode detectors

The dose-rate dependence of commercially available diode detectors was measured under both high instantaneous dose-rate (pulsed) and low dose rate (continuous, Co-60) radiation. The dose-rate dependence was measured in an acrylic miniphantom at a 5-cm depth in a 10×10 cm2 collimator setting, by varying source–to-detector distance (SDD) between at least 80 and 200 cm. The ratio of a normalized diode reading to a normalized ion chamber reading (both at SDD=100 cm) was used to determine diode sensitivity ratio for pulsed and continuous radiation at different SDD. The inverse of the diode sensitivity ratio is defined as the SDD correction factor (SDD CF). The diode sensitivity ratio increased with increasing instantaneous dose rate (or decreasing SDD). The ratio of diode sensitivity, normalized to 4000 cGy/s, varied between 0.988 (1490 cGy/s)–1.023 (38 900 cGy/s) for unirradiated n-type Isorad Gold, 0.981 (1460 cGy/s)–1.026 (39 060 cGy/s) for unirradiated QED Red (n type), 0.972 (1490 cGy/s)–1.068 (38 900 cGy/s) for preirradiated Isorad Red (n type), 0.985 (1490 cGy/s)–1.012 (38 990 cGy/s) for n-type Pt-doped Isorad-3 Gold, 0.995 (1450 cGy/s)–1.020 (21 870 cGy/s) for n-type Veridose Green, 0.978 (1450 cGy/s)–1.066 (21 870 cGy/s) for preirradiated Isorad-p Red, 0.994 (1540 cGy/s)–1.028 (17 870 cGy/s) for p-type preirradiated QED, 0.998 (1450 cGy/s)–1.003 (21 870 cGy/s) for the p-type preirradiated Scanditronix EDP203G, and 0.998 (1490 cGy/s)–1.015 (38 880 cGy/s) for Scanditronix EDP103G diodes. The p-type diodes do not always show less dose-rate dependence than the n-type diodes. Preirradiation does not always reduce diode dose-rate dependence. A comparison between the SDD dependence measured at the surface of a full scatter phantom and that in a miniphantom was made. Using a direct adjustment of radiation pulse height, we concluded that the SDD dependence of diode sensitivity can be explained by the instantaneous dose-rate dependence if sufficient buildup is provided to eliminate electron contamination. An energy independent empirical formula was proposed to fit the dose-rate dependence of diode sensitivity.
Advances in nano thermal analysis of coatings

This article discusses AFM-based localized thermal analysis of crosslinked polymer coatings based on a recent breakthrough in nanoscale thermal probe technology. The addition of a thermal tip to a conventional AFM adds a new and valuable capability of spatially resolved thermal analysis to the AFM. It is particularly useful for thin films since it enables the measurement of transition temperatures (melting (Tm) or glass (Tg)) on selected regions of the sample aiding in the identification and characterization of phases on the length scales approaching macromolecular dimensions. Examples include the monitoring of the softening point of automotive clearcoat systems, as a function of cure time and cure temperature and characterization of degradation and embrittlement of weathered acrylic-polyurethane coatings. Comparison of nano thermal analysis with bulk DSC and MDSC is made and its inherent advantages over DSC in analyzing surfaces, is demonstrated.
Beam steering performance of a C- and X-Band compact spirograph PMA (SPMA) array

The sixteen-pointed compact spirograph planar monopole antenna (SPMA) is used as the radiating element to form a 1×4 beam steering array antenna which covers C- and X-Band. The array is impedance matched from 3.85–12.64 GHz (107% fractional bandwidth), the interelement spacing is 0.7λ 0 at 12 GHz, and the beam scan range is θ= ±90° at 4 GHz to θ= ±40° at 12 GHz.
Optimal retail pricing of a store brand

Purpose – This paper seeks to provide a practical methodology for a retailer's pricing decisions for a store brand in relation to the corresponding national brand's price.Design/methodology/approach – Demand functions for the national and store brands are derived by mixing two consumer heterogeneity distributions: reservation price and quality‐price trade‐off. Unlike the existing theoretical models, a flexible gamma distribution is employed for practicality. A numerical approach is proposed for finding an optimal price for the store brand.Findings – The proposed methodology is flexible and computationally straightforward, and is based on economic models. Instead of deriving generalized theories, however, a numerical approach using survey data is developed for more practicality.Practical implications – The proposed methodology allows managers to find the optimal price for a store brand using survey data.Originality/value – The proposed methodology overcomes the limitations of the existing methodologies, i....
Viricidal effect of polymorphonuclear leukocytes on human immunodeficiency virus-1 : role of the myeloperoxidase system

Myeloperoxidase (MPO), H2O2, and chloride form an antimicrobial system in neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) effective against a variety of microorganisms. Normal human PMN, when stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate or opsonized zymosan, are viricidal to HIV-1. The viricidal effect was lost when chloride was replaced by sulfate and was inhibited by the peroxidase inhibitor azide and by catalase, but not by heated catalase or superoxide dismutase, implicating H2O2. Stimulated PMN from patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) were not viricidal to HIV unless H2O2 or glucose oxidase (which generates H2O2) was added, and the viricidal activity of H2O2-supplemented CGD PMN was inhibited by azide, implicating endogenous MPO. Stimulated PMN from patients with hereditary MPO deficiency had decreased viricidal activity unless MPO was added, and the viricidal activity of MPO-supplemented, MPO-deficient PMN was inhibited by catalase, implicating endogenous H2O2. The data suggest that when PMN are stimulated, MPO released by degranulation reacts with H2O2 formed by the respiratory burst to oxidize chloride to a product (presumably hypochlorous acid) that is toxic to HIV-1. Our findings raise the possibility that this viricidal effect of stimulated PMN may influence the host defense against HIV-1.
Back to our roots through speech communication: Focusing on community in the community college

The community college is a central entity within the community as well as being a direct extension of its citizens. The Speech Communication program and faculty should serve as a critical link between college and community in a variety of ways.
Minimum moment Steiner trees

For a rectilinear Steiner tree T with a root, define its k-th momentMk(T)= ∫T(dT(u))kduwhere the integration is over all edges of T, dT (u) is the length of the unique path in T from the root to u, and du is the incremental edge length. Given a set of points P in the plane, a k-th moment Steiner Minimum Tree (k-SMT) is a rectilinear Steiner tree that has the minimum k-th moment among all rectilinear Steiner trees for P, with the origin as the root. The definition is a natural extension of the traditional Steiner minimum tree, and motivated by application in VLSI routing. In this paper properties of the k-SMT are studied and approximation algorithms are presented.
A review of seismic hazard description in US design codes and procedures

A review of seismic hazard description in United States design codes and procedures is presented in this paper. This review includes: history of seismic hazard maps; development and use of seismic hazard maps; and use and adoption of seismic building codes in the US. The review includes discussion of two paradigm shifts. The first paradigm shift occurred in the 1970s when seismic hazard was described as contour maps of probabilities of peak ground accelerations being exceeded. The second paradigm shift occurred in the 1990s and led to the development of a new concept for describing the use of seismic hazard maps in US seismic design codes.
Recognition of partially concealed leopards by wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata): The role of the spotted coat

Wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) have been shown to recognize models of leopards (Panthera pardus), based on their configuration and spotted yellow coat. This study examined whether bonnet macaques could recognize the spotted and dark melanic morph when partially concealed by vegetation. Seven troops were studied at two sites in southern India, the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. The forequarters and hindquarters of the two leopard morphs were presented from behind thick vegetation to individuals at feeding stations 25 m away. Flight reaction times and frequency of flight were obtained from video for only those individuals who oriented towards the models prior to hearing alarm calls. Bonnet macaques exhibited faster reaction times and greater frequency of flight after looking at the spotted morph's forequarter than after looking at either its spotted hindquarter or the dark morph's forequarter. The hindquarter of the dark morph was ignored completely. Artificial neural network modeling examined the perceptual aspects of leopard face recognition and the role of spots as camouflage. When spots were integrated into the pattern recognition process via network training, these spots contributed to leopard face recognition. When networks were not trained with spots, spots did not act as camouflage by disrupting facial features.
A VLSI sorting image sensor: global massively parallel intensity-to-time processing for low-latency adaptive vision

Presents a new intensity-to-time processing paradigm suitable for very large scale integration (VLSI) computational sensor implementation of global operations over sensed images. Global image quantities usually describe images with fewer data. When computed at the point of sensing, global quantities result in a low-latency performance due to the reduced data transfer requirements between an image sensor and a processor. The global quantities also help global top-down adaptation: the quantities are continuously computed on-chip, and are readily available to sensing for adaptation. As an example, we have developed a sorting image computational sensor-a VLSI chip which senses an image and sorts all pixel by their intensities. The first sorting sensor prototype is a 21/spl times/26 array of cells. It receives an image optically, senses it, and computes the image's cumulative histogram-a global quantity which can be quickly routed off chip via one pin. In addition, the global cumulative histogram is used internally on-chip in a top-down fashion to adapt the values in individual pixel so as to reflect the index of the incoming light, thus computing an "image of indices". The image of indices never saturates and has a uniform histogram.
Green tea and bone metabolism

Osteoporosis is a major health problem in both elderly women and men. Epidemiological evidence has shown an association between tea consumption and the prevention of age-related bone loss in elderly women and men. Ingestion of green tea and green tea bioactive compounds may be beneficial in mitigating bone loss of this population and decreasing their risk of osteoporotic fractures. This review describes the effect of green tea or its bioactive components on bone health, with an emphasis on (i) the prevalence and etiology of osteoporosis; (ii) the role of oxidative stress and antioxidants in osteoporosis; (iii) green tea composition and bioavailability; (iv) the effects of green tea and its active components on osteogenesis, osteoblastogenesis, and osteoclastogenesis from human epidemiological, animal, as well as cell culture studies; (v) possible mechanisms explaining the osteoprotective effects of green tea bioactive compounds; (vi) other bioactive components in tea that benefit bone health; and (vii) a summary and future direction of green tea and bone health research and the translational aspects. In general, tea and its bioactive components might decrease the risk of fracture by improving bone mineral density and supporting osteoblastic activities while suppressing osteoclastic activities.
Quality factors in micron- and submicron-thick cantilevers

Micromechanical cantilevers are commonly used for detection of small forces in microelectromechanical sensors (e.g., accelerometers) and in scientific instruments (e.g., atomic force microscopes). A fundamental limit to the detection of small forces is imposed by thermomechanical noise, the mechanical analog of Johnson noise, which is governed by dissipation of mechanical energy. This paper reports on measurements of the mechanical quality factor Q for arrays of silicon-nitride, polysilicon, and single-crystal silicon cantilevers. By studying the dependence of Q on cantilever material, geometry, and surface treatments, significant insight into dissipation mechanisms has been obtained. For submicron-thick cantilevers, Q is found to decrease with decreasing cantilever thickness, indicating surface loss mechanisms. For single-crystal silicon cantilevers, significant increase in room temperature Q is obtained after 700/spl deg/C heat treatment in either N/sub 2/ Or forming gas. At low temperatures, silicon cantilevers exhibit a minimum in Q at approximately 135 K, possibly due to a surface-related relaxation process. Thermoelastic dissipation is not a factor for submicron-thick cantilevers, but is shown to be significant for silicon-nitride cantilevers as thin as 2.3 /spl mu/m.
Salmonella typhimurium LT2 Catabolizes Propionate via the 2-Methylcitric Acid Cycle

We previously identified the prpBCDE operon, which encodes catabolic functions required for propionate catabolism in Salmonella typhimurium. Results from (13)C-labeling experiments have identified the route of propionate breakdown and determined the biochemical role of each Prp enzyme in this pathway. The identification of catabolites accumulating in wild-type and mutant strains was consistent with propionate breakdown through the 2-methylcitric acid cycle. Our experiments demonstrate that the alpha-carbon of propionate is oxidized to yield pyruvate. The reactions are catalyzed by propionyl coenzyme A (propionyl-CoA) synthetase (PrpE), 2-methylcitrate synthase (PrpC), 2-methylcitrate dehydratase (probably PrpD), 2-methylisocitrate hydratase (probably PrpD), and 2-methylisocitrate lyase (PrpB). In support of this conclusion, the PrpC enzyme was purified to homogeneity and shown to have 2-methylcitrate synthase activity in vitro. (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and negative-ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry identified 2-methylcitrate as the product of the PrpC reaction. Although PrpC could use acetyl-CoA as a substrate to synthesize citrate, kinetic analysis demonstrated that propionyl-CoA is the preferred substrate.
A new method for the covalent attachment of DNA to a surface for single-molecule studies.

Attachments between DNA and a surface or bead are often necessary for single-molecule studies of DNA and DNA-protein interactions. In single-molecule mechanical studies using optical or magnetic tweezers, such attachments must be able to withstand the applied forces. Here we present a new method for covalently attaching DNA to a glass surface, which uses N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) modified PEG that is suitable for high-force single-molecule mechanical studies. A glass surface is coated with silane-PEG-NHS and DNA is covalently linked through a reaction between the NHS group and an amine modified nucleotide that has been incorporated into the DNA. After DNA attachment, non-reacted NHS groups are hydrolyzed leaving a PEG-covered surface which has the added benefit of reducing non-specific surface interactions. This method permits specific binding of the DNA to the surface through a covalent bond. At the DNA end not attached to the surface, we attach a streptavidin-coated polystyrene bead and measure force-versus-extension using an optical trap. We show that our method allows a tethered DNA molecule to be pulled through its overstretching transition (>60 pN) multiple times. We anticipate this simple yet powerful method will be useful for many researchers.
Symbolic dynamics of piecewise-linear maps

In this paper we develop the theory of symbolic dynamics on piecewise-linear maps. We prove several results concerning periodic points and admissible periodic sequences and show how this theory is used on maps which are composed of signum functions by means of two examples in signal processing, namely digital filters with overflow nonlinearity and sigma-delta modulators. For example, we show that in the double-loop sigma-delta modulator with a two-bit quantizer, the set of initial conditions which generate periodic output has zero measure for any constant input, in contrast to the single-loop sigma-delta modulator. >
Examining Effectiveness of Medical Interpreters in Emergency Departments for Spanish-Speaking Patients With Limited English Proficiency: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Study objectives This study examines whether availability of in-person professional interpreter services during emergency department (ED) visits affects satisfaction of limited English proficient patients and their health providers, using a randomized controlled trial. Methods We randomized time blocks during which in-person professional interpreters were available to Spanish-speaking patients in the EDs of 2 central New Jersey hospitals. We assessed the intervention's effects on patient and provider satisfaction through a multilevel regression model that accounted for the nesting of patients within time blocks and controlled for the patient's age and sex, hospital, and when the visit occurred (weekday or weekend). Results During the 7-month intake period, 242 patients were enrolled during 101 treatment time blocks and 205 patients were enrolled during 100 control time blocks. Regression-adjusted results indicate that 96% of treatment group patients were "very satisfied" (on a 5-point Likert scale) with their ability to communicate during the visit compared with 24% of control group patients (odds ratio=72; 95% confidence interval 31 to 167). (Among control group members who were not very satisfied, responses ranged from "very dissatisfied" to "somewhat satisfied.") Similarly, physicians, triage nurses, and discharge nurses were more likely to be very satisfied with communication during treatment time blocks than during control time blocks. We did not assess acuity of illness or global measures of satisfaction. Conclusion Use of in-person, professionally trained medical interpreters significantly increases Spanish-speaking limited English proficient patients' and their health providers' satisfaction with communication during ED visits.
Synthesis and Anticholinesterase Activity of New Bispyridinium Compounds

Abstract Synthesis of new bis(1‐methylpyridinium) compounds containing a 1,4‐diacetylbenzene linkage between the pyridinium moieties from commercially available 2‐, 3‐, and 4‐picoline precursors was accomplished via metallation, reaction of the picolyllithium with 1,4‐dicyanobenzene, and subsequent quatemization of the resulting bispyridyl compounds. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity was determined colorimetrically with purified electric eel enzyme. Examination of structure—activity relationships indicated that the 3‐substituted pyridinium compound is the most potent isomer, followed by the 2‐substituted isomer, and that the 4‐substituted analogue is the least active.
CORPORATE PLANNING AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT

Based on interviews with corporate managers and reviews of corporate plannitlg documents, corporate planning and implementation processes related to capital investment are examlned in four large corporations. From the examination, models are developed and estimated on corporate plans and actual outcomes to explain corporate forecasts of capital investment, forecasts of changes in debt, and actual capital investment. The results of both the qualitative and quantitative data analyses are summarized and a new conceptual framework for the determinants of corporate capital investment is proposed.
Articulatory space calibration in 3D Electro-Magnetic Articulography

This paper introduces a new method to calibrate data collected using Electro-Magnetic Articulography (EMA) into an appropriate articulatory space. A bite plate record for a target subject is used to define the maxillary occlusal and midsagittal planes, and then a single quaternion rotation is derived to transform the dataset into the new anatomically referenced space. The choice of specific rotation solution is discussed relative to the corresponding anatomical assumptions regarding the original sensor placement and coordinate system. Data were collected using NDI Wave Speech Research System for one pilot subject, and calibration results and consistency throughout the calibration record reviewed. The results show that the rotation solution can accurately and consistently transform all sensors' positions into an articulatory space in which sensor movements and orientations can be easily analyzed. This preliminary study enables the investigation of articulatory kinematics and relationship to acoustics.
X-ray measurements of the depth dependence of stress in gold films

Abstract X-rays are used to determine the stress as a function of depth for five evaporated gold films of 0.8–2.5 μm thickness. The depth dependence is achieved by varying the incident angle of the X-rays, which affects the penetration depth of the X-rays into the film. The films, which have a different thermal expansion coefficient than the silicon substrate, are strained as a result of thermal cycling after deposition. We find essentially no stress variation as a function of depth for these films.
Optical design of reflective wide-field cameras

This paper discusses some methodologies that apply to the optical design of reflective wide-field cameras. Among the methods considered are off-axis and eccentric pupil systems, concatenation of systems, tilted component systems, aberration theory, and confocal systems. The goal of the paper is to review design methods. In particular some systems are shown to illustrate two methodologies.
Role of Glycosylation Inhibiting Factor (GIF), a Phospholipase Inhibitory Protein, in the Generation of Antigen-Specific Suppressor T Cells

Previous experiments on the isotype-specific regulation of the IgE antibody response revealed T cell factors which have affinity for IgE and either enhance or suppress the IgE response (1). The major differences between the IgE-potentiating factors (PF) and IgE-suppressive factors (SF) are carbohydrate moieties in the molecules. The IgE-potentiating factors bind to lentil lectin and Con A, suggesting that the factors contain N-linked, mannose-rich oligosaccharide. In contrast, IgE-suppressive factors have no affinity for these lectins but bound to peanut agglutinin (2). Recent experiments in collaboration with Drs. Moore and Martens in DNAX Institute of Molecular Biology indicate that IgE-PF and IgE-SF share a common structural gene (3). Transfection of COS 7 monkey kidney cells with the cDNA clone 8.3, which encodes the rodent IgE-binding factor (4) resulted in the formation of IgE-PF, whereas the transfection of the same cells with the same cDNA clone in the presence of tunicamycin resulted in the formation of IgE-SF.
Energy time derivative for constrained linearized systems with applications in Lyapunov-based control schemes

A straightforward and systematic method is presented for developing an expression for the total time derivative of the total mechanical energy for systems governed by equations of motion that have been linearized in some or all of the dependent variables and/or are subject to kinematical constraints. While not guaranteeing that all quadratic terms that would arise from a series expansion of a totally nonlinear expression for the energy time derivative are retained, the method does provide a convenient and consistent approach to developing an expression for the energy time derivative for linearized and/or constrained systems whose governing equations of motion are so complex as to preclude, for practical purposes, the formulation of the energy time derivative by other means. The method is applied to the development of Lyapunov-based control schemes for three illustrative systems, including an axially loaded simply supported beam, a longitudinally accelerated cantilever beam, and a longitudinally accelerated free-free beam traversing two bilateral supports, and results indicate that it produces efficacious as well as practically realizable controllers.
Herpetic geometric glossitis in an immunocompetent patient with pneumonia

Herpetic geometric glossitis is an uncommon, clinically distinctive presentation of oral herpes simplex virus infection that affects the tongue. All published reports have been in patients who are immunocompromised. We present an immunocompetent woman with viral pneumonia who developed painful linear fissures on the back of the tongue suggestive of herpetic geometric glossitis. The diagnosis was confirmed by both biopsy specimen and immunohistochemistry. As in other cases, the patient promptly responded to treatment with antiviral therapy. The morphology, laboratory findings, and similarities to herpetic corneal dendrites are discussed. Herpetic geometric glossitis should no longer be considered as a diagnosis only in immunosuppressed individuals, but in immunocompetent persons as well.
Raising the standard: palliative care in nursing homes.

More than two-thirds of long-stay nursing home residents suffer from dementia. This illness has a variable and unpredictable course that renders it a poor fit for the six-month life-expectancy requirement of the Medicare hospice benefit. Palliative care—a form of treatment that strives to match care to patient goals, relieve pain, and improve quality of life for people with chronic or life-threatening illnesses—should be the standard of practice for all elderly dementia patients in nursing homes, regardless of prognosis. Similar principles could apply to other long-term residents with underlying chronic diseases who would benefit from palliative care. Indeed, we would argue that the growing acceptance of the culture-change movement centered on elder-directed goals in nursing homes is promising evidence of the goodness-of-fit of palliative care principles in the long-term care setting.
IPACT with Smallest Available Report First: A New DBA Algorithm for EPON

Dynamic Bandwidth allocation in Ethernet Passive Optical Networks (EPONs) has been an area of intense research in recent years. Most of the proposed solutions offer clever methods for fair grant sizing, traffic prediction, and prioritized, differentiated services. Barring some work by Kamal et al. and some elements in the scheme proposed by Ma et al., no work has been done on exploring the order of granting (i.e., ONU sequencing) in an EPON. In this paper, we propose an unexplored heuristic for improving the performance of the IPACT scheme with respect to the most important metric: packet delay. In this heuristic, the OLT always grants that ONU which has the Smallest (Available) Reported queue length, First (SARF). Our simulations indicate that our heuristic can improve the delay performance of IPACT by 10-20% (when tested under the gated allocation policy).
The ultrasonix 500RP: A commercial ultrasound research interface

Unlike researchers in magnetic resonance imaging who have considerable access to high level tools and to data at a very basic level on their scanners, those involved with ultrasound have found little in the way of meaningful and widespread access to even the most basic echo signals in their clinical systems. Interest has emerged, however, in ultrasound research interfaces on commercial scanners to provide access to raw ultrasound data and control of basic research functions. This paper describes initial experience gained on one such ultrasound system. The Ultrasonix 500RP system provides research access to the data at multiple points in the signal processing chain and allows control over most imaging parameters. The Ultrasonix system allows for three methods of research control. One is implemented along with the standard clinical imaging software using "mouseover" screens on the periphery of the application window. These screens are configured by the user to display various signal processing variables, which can be modified in real time. Second, the system can be controlled via a user-written remote control client application interacting through the clinical exam software. Lastly, the user can write a complete application which initializes the basic ultrasound module but need not use the Ultrasonix clinical exam software. All of the modes can be done locally on the scanner itself or via a network, and are based on software developed in C++ with libraries supplied with the scanner. Two examples are presented in this paper from the evaluation of the system in "real world" applications. Measurements of absolute backscatter coefficients and attenuation coefficients versus frequency are shown and elastograms utilizing spatial compounding are described
Entry versus Blockade of Brain Infection following Oral or Intraperitoneal Scrapie Administration: Role of Prion Protein Expression in Peripheral Nerves and Spleen

Naturally occurring transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle are probably transmitted by oral or other peripheral routes of infection. While prion protein (PrP) is required for susceptibility, the mechanism of spread of infection to the brain is not clear. Two prominent possibilities include hematogenous spread by leukocytes and neural spread by axonal transport. In the present experiments, following oral or intraperitoneal infection of transgenic mice with hamster scrapie strain 263K, hamster PrP expression in peripheral nerves was sufficient for successful infection of the brain, and cells of the spleen were not required either as a site of amplification or as transporters of infectivity. The role of tissue-specific PrP expression of foreign PrP in interference with scrapie infection was also studied in these transgenic mice. Peripheral expression of heterologous PrP completely protected the majority of mice from clinical disease after oral or intraperitoneal scrapie infection. Such extensive protection has not been seen in earlier studies on interference, and these results suggested that gene therapy with mutant PrP may be effective in preventing TSE diseases.
Reproducible Forced Modes in AGCM Ensemble Integrations and Potential Predictability of Atmospheric Seasonal Variations in the Extratropics

Abstract An approach to assess the potential predictability of the extratropical atmospheric seasonal variations in an ensemble of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) integrations has been proposed in this study by isolating reproducible forced modes and examining their contributions to the local ensemble mean. The analyses are based on the monthly mean output of an eight-member ensemble of 10-yr Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project integrations with a T42L18 AGCM. An EOF decomposition applied to the ensemble anomalies shows that there exist some forced modes that are less affected by the internal process and thus appear to be highly reproducible. By reconstructing the ensemble in terms of the more reproducible forced modes and by developing a quantitative measure, the potential predictability index (PPI), which combines the reproducibility with the local variance contribution, the local ensemble mean over some selective geographic areas in the extratropics was shown to result primarily from...
Deformation textures of aluminum in a multilayered Ti/Al/Nb composite severely deformed by accumulative roll bonding

Abstract The accumulative roll bonding process was carried out to produce multilayered Ti/Al/Nb composites up to four cycles. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy electron backscattered diffraction and nanoindentation were employed to investigate the microstructural and texture evolution. A homogenous distribution of Ti/Nb necking layers in Al matrix was achieved after four ARB cycles. Grain refinement was observed to increase with increasing number of ARB cycles. The fraction of high-angle grain boundaries as also increased. Strong recrystallization texture appeared for high number of ARB cycles due to the adiabatic heat that occurs during ARB processing. The shear band at the Ti/Al interface reduced the intensity of the cold rolling fiber textures of Al. There was no evidence of shear component from the orientation distribution function results.
Optimum Design of Beams for Sudden Loading

Cantilever and simply supported beams are modeled as multidegree-of-freedom systems. Impulse, step, and exponentially decaying loads are considered. By defining response index, the displacement response to these loads is related to mass distribution (shape) of beams. The response index is minimized with respect to the N section masses to yield an optimum design. The optimum shapes are dependent on the type of force, the location of the load and on the manner in which the cross sections vary. The optimum shapes do not depend on the material constants.
Women in agriculture: Key developments under eleventh five year plan and thrust areas of the twelfth plan

Women play a pivotal role in agriculture not only as agricultural labourers, co-farmers and family labourers but as managers of the farm and farm entrepreneurs. Women constitute a large number of the agricultural workforce, NSSO data for 2011-12 shows that only 59 per cent of all rural male workers are in agriculture, but 75 per cent of all rural female workers are in agriculture. Moreover, the involvement of women in the agriculture sector is more even in the urban areas. It is 11 per cent as against that of 6 per cent for men. However, women in agriculture face several challenges of low or no land rights, authority, access to or control over resources required for enhancing production and household income. It is thus essential to look at the gender dimensions in agriculture. Several forward looking initiatives were taken up in the preceding five year plans of the country. This article envisages to summarise the initiatives of the Eleventh Five Year Plan and also highlight the initiatives and programs planned in the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17) for addressing the issues of women in agriculture.
Scn2a-Null Heterozygosity Improves Survival and Modifies Neurocardiac Interaction in the Kcna1-Null Mouse Model of SUDEP

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of epilepsy-related mortality, but its genetic etiology is largely unknown and likely complex involving multiple genes. The Kcna1 gene encodes Kv1.1 potassium channels that act to dampen neuronal excitability whereas the Scn2a gene encodes Nav1.2 sodium channels important for action potential conduction. We tested the hypothesis that subclinical Scn2a heterozygosity reduces SUDEP incidence in Kcna1-null mice of SUDEP, by suppressing neurocardiac dysfunction associated with the absence of Kv1.1 channels. SUDEP-prone Kcna1-null mice exhibited about a 50% increase in lifespan when heterozygous for the Scn2a-null allele, that is Scn2a+/ -- , Kcna1 -- / -- . In simultaneous video electroencephalography (EEG)- electrocardiography (ECG) recordings, Scn2a heterozygosity did not eliminate seizures in Kcna1 -- / -- mice, but seizure burden was partially reduced due to a significant reduction in seizure durations. Analysis of beat-to-beat heart rate variability (HRV) revealed that Kcna1 -- / -- and Scn2a+/ -- , Kcna1 -- / -- mice exhibit similarly high RMSSD (Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences), suggesting the functional interactions between the two mutations do not involve significant alteration of parasympathetic tone. Moreover, analysis of EEG-ECG interaction dynamics revealed a significantly higher degree of association between brain and cardiac activity in double mutant mice compared to Kcna1 -- / -- animals for several different measures, suggesting that Scn2a-null heterozygosity reduces SUDEP risk by altering neural control of the heart. These findings expand our understanding of the complex genetic interactions underlying SUDEP and identify EEG-ECG association as a potential new biomarker of SUDEP susceptibility.
Bioactive Proteins in Human Milk: Health, Nutrition, and Implications for Infant Formulas.

Breast milk confers many benefits to the newborn and developing infant. There is substantial support for better long-term outcomes, such as less obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, in breastfed compared with formula-fed infants. More short-term outcomes, such as incidence and duration of illness, nutrient status, and cognitive development during the first year of life also demonstrate benefits of breastfeeding. Several proteins in breast milk, including lactoferrin, α-lactalbumin, milk fat globule membrane proteins, and osteopontin, have been shown to have bioactivities that range from involvement in the protection against infection to the acquisition of nutrients from breast milk. In some cases, bovine counterparts of these proteins exert similar bioactivities. It is possible by dairy technology to add protein fractions highly enriched in these proteins to infant formula.
When celebrations go wrong: a case series of injuries after celebrating in sports.

BACKGROUND Athletes often engage in various celebration maneuvers during sports events. These celebrations can result in acute injuries. Our objective was to document publicized injuries in collegiate and professional athletes resulting from celebrations and examine associated variables. METHODS A retrospective case series study was performed based on internet searches performed using the following major sporting news websites: espn.com, SI.com, bleacherreport.com, totalprosports.com, cbssports.com, larrybrownspots.com, nfl.com, and mlb.com and PubMed. Keywords used during these searches included "celebration injury", "score celebration", and "surgery after celebration". These same sources were used to document the sport, athlete's age at time of injury, celebration action, type of injury, previous play, and whether surgery was required. RESULTS A total of 62 athletes sustained 62 injuries resulting from various types of celebrations. All but two athletes were males, and the average age was 26.5 years old. The injuries occurred between 1993 and 2015. Sixteen (25.8%) of these injuries required surgery. Professional soccer players accounted for the greatest number of these injuries with a total of 22 injuries. One celebration in a professional soccer player resulted in a cervical spinal cord injury and subsequent death. Common celebration maneuvers included leaping into the air, pile ups, sliding, and somersaults. CONCLUSIONS Serious injuries occur in a diversity of sports after celebrations. The most prevalent celebration maneuvers resulting in injuries included sliding and pile ups. The most common injuries were ACL ruptures and ankle sprains. The most serious injuries were a spinal cord injury and ankle fractures. Sixteen (25.8%) of the injuries required surgery. By encouraging athletes to temper excessive celebrations and prohibiting certain types of celebrations, many injuries may be prevented.
Modeling the Free/Open Source Software Community: A Quantitative Investigation

This chapter reports the latest results from an ongoing study of Free/Open Source Software (F/OSS) Development at the community level. Publicly available data about F/OSS projects, developers, processes, and their relationships have been collected from F/OSS hosting sites, including SourceForge and others. Numerous descriptive statistics, including the existence of many power-law relationships, are presented. The F/OSS community is modeled as a collection of ad hoc, social networks consisting of heterogeneous agents, self-organizing into projects and clusters of projects. A computer simulation of the F/OSS community model is developed using SWARM, an agent-based simulation toolkit. Empirical data is used to parameterize the simulation, which in turn is used to investigate hypotheses about processes and mechanisms leading to F/OSS community formation. The quantitative data, the model, and the simulation offer insight into F/OSS project coordination and communication.
Time is ripe: maturation of metabolomics in chronobiology.

Sleep and circadian rhythms studies have recently benefited from metabolomics analyses, uncovering new connections between chronobiology and metabolism. From untargeted mass spectrometry to quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a diversity of analytical approaches has been applied for biomarker discovery in the field. In this review we consider advances in the application of metabolomics technologies which have uncovered significant effects of sleep and circadian cycles on several metabolites, namely phosphatidylcholine species, medium-chain carnitines, and aromatic amino acids. Study design and data processing measures essential for detecting rhythmicity in metabolomics data are also discussed. Future developments in these technologies are anticipated vis-a-vis validating early findings, given metabolomics has only recently entered the ring with other systems biology assessments in chronometabolism studies.
Homebound patients’ perspectives on technology and telemedicine: A qualitative analysis

Telemedicine holds promise in bridging the gap between homebound patients and high quality health care, but uptake of such technology remains limited. Qualitative interviews conducted with 17 homebound patients found two major barriers to telemedicine. First, participants who lack familiarity with technology are hesitant about telemedicine, as baseline use of technology in the home is limited, participants did not feel capable of learning, and the advantages of telemedicine were unclear. Second, homebound patients place a high value on in-office visits due to therapeutic benefit, face-to-face communication, and the social aspect of medical appointments.
Applications of spatially varying conductivity in plasmonics and metamaterials (Conference Presentation)

Conventional plasmonic materials are typically fabricated using a single homogenous metal and structured to obtain useful functionality. Alternatively, structures are occasionally made in which several homogenous materials are deposited using a layer-by-layer process, such as metal-dielectric-metal structures [1]. However additional control over the propagation properties of surface plasmon-polaritons should be possible if the metal conductivity could also be varied spatially. This is not straightforward using conventional microfabrication techniques. We demonstrate the ability to vary the conductivity spatially using a conventional inkjet printer, yielding either step-wise changes or continuous changes in the conductivity. We accomplish this using a commercially available inkjet printer, where one inkjet cartridge is filled with conductive silver ink and a second cartridge is filled with resistive carbon ink. By varying the fractional amounts of the two inks in each printed dot, we can spatially vary the conductivity. The silver ink has a DC conductivity that is only a factor of six lower than the bulk silver, while the carbon ink acts as a lossy dielectric at terahertz frequencies. Both inks sinter immediately after being printed on a treated PET transparency. We demonstrate the utility of this approach with both plasmonics and metamaterial applications, demonstrating the ability to control beam profiles, create new filter capabilities and hide images in THz metasurfaces.
Retrospective on Amdahl's Law in the Multicore Era

The authors of a 2008 Computer article reflect on their corollaries to Amdahl's law almost 10 years later.
Aging Impairs Alveolar Macrophage Phagocytosis and Increases Influenza-Induced Mortality in Mice

Influenza viral infections often lead to increased mortality in older people. However, the mechanisms by which aging impacts immunity to influenza lung infection remain unclear. We employed a murine model of influenza infection to identify these mechanisms. With aging, we found reduced numbers of alveolar macrophages, cells essential for lung homeostasis. We also determined that these macrophages are critical for influenza-induced mortality with aging. Furthermore, aging vastly alters the transcriptional profile and specifically downregulates cell cycling pathways in alveolar macrophages. Aging impairs the ability of alveolar macrophages to limit lung damage during influenza infection. Moreover, aging decreases alveolar macrophage phagocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils, downregulates the scavenging receptor CD204, and induces retention of neutrophils during influenza infection. Thus, aging induces defective phagocytosis by alveolar macrophages and increases lung damage. These findings indicate that therapies that enhance the function of alveolar macrophages may improve outcomes in older people infected with respiratory viruses.
Sports Physicians, Human Nature, and the Limits of Medical Enhancement

The purpose of this essay is to examine the elite sports physician as a medical and moral actor within the world of high-performance sport along with his or her relationship to medical ethics. High-performance sports medicine requires a concept of human nature that enables the medical practitioner to interpret the capacities and limitations of the athlete as a performing organism. This model of human nature enables the physician to administer “treatments” designed to boost athletic performance. At the same time, it should encourage the physician and other observers to think about the ethical limits to this sort of medical behavior. Thinking about human nature is an exercise in philosophical anthropology that can imagine two diametrically opposed interpretations of human limits in relation to athletic performance. A theological doctrine that regards the human being as the product of a Creator will regard the human body as endowed with divinely sanctioned limits that rule out the manipulation of the athletic body by means of drugs or other “doping” techniques. The Vatican has propounded such a doctrine since the 1950s. High-performance sport, in contrast, enlists every human faculty on behalf of producing an optimal athletic performance in defiance of perceived limits. The performance principle [Leistungsprinzip] that animates our technology-based civilization has created an anthropological model of human functioning that presupposes a human organism that must adapt itself, physiologically and psychologically, to the requirements of efficiency and productivity. Performance-enhancement is increasingly a way of life for large numbers of people. Elite athletes represent an extreme subset of this group, and there is a subculture of sports physicians who are willing to administer doping drugs and other unorthodox procedures to promote the repair and enhancement of these extreme performers.