cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of hippocampal transmitter release during development and long-term potentiation

Developmental changes in rat hippocampal transmitter release and synaptic plasticity were investigated. Recordings from pairs of pyramidal neurons in slices showed that an action potential in a CA3 neuron released only a single quantum of transmitter onto a CA1 neuron. Failures of synaptic transmission reflected probabilistic transmitter release. The probability of release (Pr) was 0.9 in 4- to 8-day-old rats and decreased to less than 0.5 at 2 to 3 weeks. Long-term potentiation (LTP) in 2- to 3-week-old rats was associated with an increase in Pr from a single synaptic site. The high initial Pr in 4- to 8-day-old rats normally occludes the expression of LTP at this stage.
Resistance of various shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli to electrolyzed oxidizing water

Abstract The resistance of thirty two strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and six major serotypes of non-O157 shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) plus E. coli O104:H4 was tested against electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water using two different methods; modified AOAC 955.16 sequential inoculation method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). In sequential inoculation method efficacy of sodium hypochlorite was also compared with equal free chlorine (45 mg/L) containing EO water. MIC experiments were conducted for 15 s testing period with free chlorine concentrations of 3.00, 2.50, 2.00, 1.50, 1.00, 0.50 and 0.25 mg/L. The individual strain resistance when tested using the sequential inoculation method was in between 5 and 10 positive tubes, where greater numbers of positive tubes indicate increased resistance of the respective strain to the particular sanitizer. The MIC of individual strains ranged from 0.50 to 1.50 mg/L free chlorine of EO water. In comparison to sodium hypochlorite at same free chlorine concentration EO water was more effective against all STEC cocktails tested. The resistance of STEC cocktails using sequential inoculation method was determined as E. coli O157 ≥ O103 ≥ O26 ≥ 0111 ≥ O121 ≥ 045 > O145. The similar pattern of resistance was observed when cocktails were subjected to MIC. The results indicate that different strains of same serotype can differ in their resistance toward an intervention. In addition, EO water treatment that reduces E. coli O157:H7 can equally if not more effectively reduce other non-O157 STEC tested.
Caudal regression syndrome: Etiopathogenesis, prenatal diagnosis, and perinatal management

Caudal regression syndrome represents a continuum of congenital malformations ranging from agenesis of the lumbosacral spine to the most severe cases of sirenomelia with lower extremities fusion and major visceral anomalies. The etiology of this syndrome is not well known. Maternal diabetes, genetic predisposition, and vascular hypoperfusion have been suggested as possible causative factors. The degree of associated anomalies usually parallels the severity of the primary defect. Ultrasonography is the diagnostic tool of choice revealing the absent distal vertebrae of the fetal spine. Amnioinfusion and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are of help in better evaluation of the fetal anatomy in cases with oligohydramnios. Perinatal management depends mainly on gestational age at diagnosis and severity of the lesion. It should include genetic counseling and serial sonography to assess interval growth and amniotic fluid volume. Surviving infants have usually a normal mental function and they require extensive urologic and orthopedic assistance. Their long-term morbidity consists mostly of neurogenic bladder dysfunction resulting in progressive renal damage and disabling neuromuscular deficits of the lower extremities. Neurosurgical and orthopedic intervention with physical rehabilitation is indicated to improve the quality of their lives.
Ornstein-Zernike equation for a two-yukawa c( r)

Abstract The Ornstein-Zernike equation is solved for a direct correlation function that is the sum of two Yukawa terms outside a core region. Application is made to ionic systems.
Immune responses to HBsAg conjugated to protein D of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae in mice.

Background Hepatitis B vaccine that contains an aluminum hydroxide adjuvant induces apoptotic death of Hepa 1–6 cells. Difficult-to-degrade chemical additives in vaccines effectively enhance vaccine immunogenicity, but also affect the host tissue. Identification of bio-molecules that are readily degraded and compatible in vivo as an adjuvant is important for vaccine research. The hapten–carrier effect suggests that stimulation of helper T (Th) cells by carrier adjuvants is feasible. Protein D (PD) of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae covalently conjugated to some polysaccharide vaccines has been confirmed to convert T-cell independent (TI) antigens into T-cell dependent (TD) antigens, and elicit strong T-cell responses ultimately. Herein, we would substitube PD for aluminum hydroxide adjuvant in Hepatitis B vaccine. Methods and results Truncated PD (amino acids 20–364) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation and DEAE chromatography. After evaluation of antigenicity by western blotting, PD was covalently conjugated to yeast-derived recombinant HBsAg by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. Intramuscular immunization with the conjugate induced higher level of HBsAg-specific antibody than did HBsAg alone (p < 0.05), and was comparable to commercial Hepatitis B vaccine. During the surveillance period (days 35–105), anti-HBs titers were hold high. Moreover, the conjugated vaccine enhanced Th1 immune responses, while Th2 responses were also activated and induced an antibody response, as determined by IFN-γ ELISPOT and IgG1/IgG2a ratio assays. Conclusions Recombinant truncated PD covalently conjugated to HBsAg antigen enhanced the immunogenicity of the antigen in mice simultaneously by humoral and cellular immune response, which would facilitate therapeutic hepatitis B vaccines.
Light Chain Domain Orientation Determined by Time-resolved FRET

We have used site-directed time-resolved FRET to determine light-chain domain transitions in expressed Dictyostelium full-length myosin S1. Myosin S1 is proposed to undergo large rotations of the lever-arm in response to the nucleotide state. Previous fluorescence experiments (Shih et al., 2000) have shown that S1 adopts two populations of pre-stroke states and the equilibrium between these states is driven by nucleotide. To observe these population changes in detail, and to observe the effect of actin, we have used time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) to measure the distribution of distances between the labeled catalytic domain (A250C) and a labeled RLC (M129C). In the present work, we show that the lever arm adopts multiple orientations in solution. In the absence of nucleotide, the light-chain domain probe is at a mean distance of 8.4 nm from the catalytic domain probe. This distance extends to >9.0 nm when flS1 is bound to actin. The addition of ATP gives three roughly equal populations of distances at 3.6, 4.3, and >9.0 nm. ADP.Vi stabilizes the shorter of these populations, indicating that ADP.Pi induces a conformational change of the light-chain domain. This work was supported by grants from NIH (AR32961, AR07612). We thank Igor Negrashov for excellent technical assistance.
RECURRENT ABDOMINAL PAIN AND CHILDHOOD DEPRESSION: Clinical Observations of 23 Children and Their Families

Children with recurrent abdominal pain without demonstrable organic etiology are studied with their mothers during pediatric hospitalization. Major childhood depressive illness is found which is not masked by the somatic complaint. The mother-child relationship is shown to reflect mutual themes of depression and loss within families where experience with illness and death contributes to a hypochondriacal response to psychic pain.
Modeling of Kinetic to Electrical Energy Conversion via Capacitive MEMS With Switchable Dielectric

Wireless distributed micro-sensor systems have numerous applications, from equipment diagnostic and control to real time biomedical monitoring. A major obstacle in developing autonomous micro-sensor networks is the need for local, autonomous electric power supply, since using a battery is often not a viable solution. This work investigates a novel micro-power generator converting ambient vibrations to electrical energy via electrostatic transduction employing a comb-like variable capacitor, with a switchable dielectric constant. The micro-generator is designed to operate in an inplane, gap closing, and charge constrained configuration. Enhanced power levels are obtained by pulling a high dielectric constant liquid between the capacitor gaps via electrochemical force effect at maximum capacitance position. The effects of squeeze film damping and variable electrostatic force induced by the varying spatial distribution of dielectric medium are taken into account. In this configuration the microgenerator exhibits high quality factors, thus providing an output power higher of approximately 168 μW.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Discovering accurate interclass test dependences

Knowledge of interclass test dependences is crucial to decide class test order, facilitating the design of an efficient integration test plan. In order to discover precise interclass test dependences, we proposed a semantic-based definition and designed a safe approximation algorithm to calculate the dependence according to the given definition. The algorithm propagates semantic dependences at method-level granularity and is parameterized by the precision of the corresponding program analysis. We have experimented with nine benchmarks and showed that the algorithm is rather accurate in that it discovers dependence cycles precisely in 6 out of 9 benchmarks (as evaluated by human inspection). The algorithm uncovers additional opportunities for concurrent testing in each of the benchmarks, with an on average expected 52.5% time savings over the ORD-based definition.
A Topological Interpretation of Stochastic Quantization

Abstract We analyze stochastic quantization in the framework of topological field theory. We consider an action which is a pure derivative in stochastic time. The fields needed to gauge fix this topological action are provided by the noise of the Langevin equation and the fermions arising from the exponentiation of a determinant. Interaction terms can be introduced by conjugation of the free BRST operator by a Morse function. The known supersymmetric action for stochastic quantization is then recovered. The formalism that we develop has applications in Yang-Mills theory.
Polyomavirus BK non-coding control region rearrangements in health and disease.

Background BK virus is an increasingly recognized pathogen in transplanted patients. DNA sequencing of this virus shows considerable genomic variability. Methods To understand the clinical significance of rearrangements in the non-coding control region (NCCR) of BK virus (BKV), we report a meta-analysis of 507 sequences, including 40 sequences generated in our own laboratory, for associations between rearrangements and disease, tissue tropism, geographic origin, and viral genotype. Results NCCR rearrangements were less frequent in (a) asymptomatic BKV viruria compared to patients viral nephropathy (1.7% vs. 22.5%), and (b) viral genotype 1 compared to other genotypes (2.4% vs. 11.2%). Rearrangements were commoner in malignancy (78.6%), and Norwegians (45.7%), and less common in East Indians (0%), and Japanese (4.3%). A surprising number of rearranged sequences were reported from mononuclear cells of healthy subjects, whereas most plasma sequences were archetypal. This difference could not be related to potential recombinase activity in lymphocytes, as consensus recombination signal sequences could not be found in the NCCR region. Conclusions NCCR rearrangements are neither required nor a sufficient condition to produce clinical disease. BKV nephropathy and hemorrhagic cystitis are not associated with any unique NCCR configuration or nucleotide sequence. J. Med. Virol. 79: 1199–1207, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Relation between Theories, Experiments, and Simulations of Spectral Line Shapes

Simulations of Shapes and Shifts of Spectral Lines (SSSL) are important as the third powerful research methodology—in addition to theories and experiments. However, there is a growing tendency in physics in general and in the area of SSSL in particular, to consider the ultimate test of any theory to be the comparison with results of a code based on fully-numerical simulations starting from the “scratch” rather than from some analytical advance. In this paper, we show by examples that fully-numerical simulations are often not properly verified and validated, fail to capture emergent principles and phenomena, and lack the physical insight. Physics is the experimental science. So, the ultimate test of any theory—including theories of SSSL—should be the comparison with experiments conducted in well-controlled conditions (benchmark experiments).
RENORMALIZABLE THEORY OF THE WEAK INTERACTIONS.

A class of renormalizable field theories of the weak interactions is investigated. These theories, of the type first suggested by Kummer and Segr\`e, postulate that the weak interactions are mediated by the simultaneous exchange of two scalar particles. It is found that although the leptonic and semileptonic weak interactions can be fairly easily described by a two-scalar-exchange mechanism, the structure of observed nonleptonic weak processes presents serious obstacles to the success of such a theory. Nevertheless, two particular models are discussed which may correctly describe not only the leptonic and semileptonic weak interactions but also nonleptonic weak processes.
EFFECT OF HOT PROCESSING ON THE PROPERTIES OF RESTRUCTURED BEEF WITH ALGIN/CALCIUM BINDERS1

Restructured steaks were manufactured using hot- and cold-boned (HB, CB) beef with or without a combination of sodium alginate (0.6%), CaCO3 (0.01%) and encapsulated lactate (0.6%). Evaluation of textural changes during refrigerated (4C) storage for 72 h revealed that the CB treatment resulted in more rapid gelation (12 h) of the algin/calcium binders than the HB treatment (30 h). All comparisons of physical and sensory properties confirmed that the restructured treatments with binders had greater cohesiveness than the controls (no binder). Comparison of penetration and compression force measurements revealed that HB products had the same or lower values than CB samples for all raw or cooked treatments. Sensory evaluation of bind strength and hardness suggested that statistical differences between HB and CB products were eliminated by cooking the restructured steaks.
Preventing loosening of implant abutment screws

A procedure for using dimples inside the abutment screw cylinder above the screws and filling the holes with elastomeric impression material will prevent the screw-retained prosthesis from loosening. A modification of the procedure can also be used for angled abutments.
Competing against an in-house supplier

Abstract A not uncommon situation in industrial marketing is for an outside supplier to find itself competing against an in-house supplier. Knowing how to compete against an in-house supplier is of importance because industrial marketing firms typically respond with one of two diametrically opposed actions: they act as if the situation is no different than competing against any other supplier, or they assume that they have no chance—and back off. Neither approach is realistic. The fact that the current supplier is in-house will not impact the probability of the outside vendor's success. Rather, it is the nature of the relationship between the buying organization and the in-house supplier that is of paramount importance in determining the likelihood of replacing an in-house supplier. This article presents a decision-process model useful for ascertaining the sales opportunity when competing against an in-house supplier. Alternative marketing strategies are also suggested.
Initiation of roll waves

The theory proposed by Jeffreys to explain roll-wave transition on a liquid surface is applied to the concurrent flow of a gas and liquid. Data are presented for the concurrent flow of air with water-glycerine solutions, water-butanol solutions, and water-sodium lauryl sulfate solutions. Agreement is obtained between theory and experiment.
Effects of Alternative Side Chain Pairings and Reverse Turn Sequences on Antiparallel Sheet Structure in β-Peptide Hairpins

We describe a series of β-peptide hexamers that allow us to explore relationships between sequence and hairpin folding. Different reverse turn segments are compared at the central two positions, and the outer residues allow a variety of interstrand side chain−side chain pairings. NMR analysis in methanol demonstrates that several reverse turn and side chain pairing arrangements are compatible with antiparallel β-peptide sheet structure; however, none of the β-peptides folds in water.
Organizational Boundary Spanning in Institutionalized Environments

Using an institutional framework, this study tested hypotheses concerning the differences in boundary-spanning strategies between freestanding organizations and organizations that are members of mu...
Theoretical Evaluation of a Simple Cooling Pad Inducing Hypothermia in the Spinal Cord Following Traumatic Injury

The Pennes bioheat equation and finite element method (FEM) are used to solve for the temperature distributions in the spinal cord and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during 30 min of cooling for spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. The average CSF and spinal cord temperatures are reduced by 3.48 and 2.72°C, respectively. The 100-mm wide pad provides the desired cooling and uses the least amount of material. The presence of zero-average CSF oscillation under normal conditions decreases the cooling extent in the spinal cord due to the introduction of warm CSF surrounding the spinal cord. The temperature decrease in the spinal cord is more than doubled when the temperature at the back of the torso is lowered from 20 to 0°C. Spinal cord ischemia, often observed after traumatic spinal cord injury, promotes cooling penetration. The proposed technique can reduce the spinal cord temperature by 2°C within 30 min and may be a feasible treatment for traumatic SCI.
Synthesis of tertiary amine‐based pH‐responsive polymers by RAFT Polymerization

Well‐defined tertiary amine‐based pH‐responsive homopolymers and block copolymers were synthesized via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using 4‐cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate (CPAD) as the RAFT agent for homopolymers and a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) macro‐RAFT agent for the block copolymers.¹H NMR and gel permeation chromatography results confirmed the successful synthesis of these homopolymers and block copolymers. Kinetics studies indicated that the formation of both the homopolymers and the block copolymers were well defined. The pKa titration experiments suggested that the homopolymers and the related block copolymers have a similar pKa. The dynamic light scattering investigation showed that all of the block copolymers underwent a sharp transition from unimers to micelles around their pKa and the hydrodynamic diameter (Dₕ) was not only dependent on the molecular weight but also on the composition of the block copolymers. The polymer solution of PEG‐b‐PPPDEMA formed the largest micelle compare to the PEG‐b‐PDPAEMA and PEG‐b‐PDBAEMA with a similar molecular weight. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1010–1022
High repetition rate, high average power, femtosecond erbium fiber ring laser

A 301 MHz fundamentally mode-locked erbium fiber ring laser generating 108 fs pulses is demonstrated. Novel combination of gain fiber with anomalous group-velocity dispersion and intra-cavity silicon with normal group-velocity dispersion yields a stretched-pulse operation.
Hybrid boundary-medial shape description for biologically variable shapes

Knowledge about the biological variability of anatomical objects is essential for statistical shape analysis and a discrimination between healthy and pathological structures. This paper describes ongoing research on a novel approach that incorporates variability of a training set into the generation of a characteristic 3D shape model. The proposed shape representation is a hybrid of a fine-scale global boundary description and a coarse-scale local medial description. The hybrid overcomes inherent limitations of pure medial based or pure boundary based descriptions. The medial description composed of a net of medial primitives (M-rep) with fixed graph properties is derived from the shape space scanned by the major deformation eigenmodes of a boundary description based on spherical harmonic descriptors (SPHARM). The topology of the M-rep is determined by studying pruned 3D Voronoi skeletons in the given shape space. Shapes are characterized by its SPHARM descriptors and an individually deformed M-rep model. The hybrid shape description gives an implicit correspondence on the boundary and on the medial manifold, thus enabling a more powerful statistical analysis.
Jackson‐Weiss syndrome: Clinical and radiological findings in a large kindred and exclusion of the gene from 7p21 and 5qter

We describe the clinical and radiological manifestations of the Jackson-Weiss syndrome (JWS) in a large South Australian kindred. Radiological abnormalities not previously described in the hands include coned epiphyses, distal and middle phalangeal hypoplasia, and carpal bone malsegmentation. New radiological findings in the feet include coned epiphyses, hallux valgus, phalangeal, tarso-navicular and calcaneonavicular fusions, and uniform absence of metatarsal fusions. Absence of linkage to eight markers along the short arm of chromosome 7 excluded allelism between JWS and Saethre-Chotzen syndrome at 7p21. No linkage was detected to D5S211, excluding allelism to another recently described cephalosyndactyly syndrome mapping to 5qter.
Relating nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation time distributions to void-size distributions for unconsolidated sand packs

ABSTRACTNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is used in near-surface geophysics to understand the pore-scale properties of geologic material. The interpretation of NMR data in geologic material assumes that the NMR relaxation time distribution (T2-distribution) is a linear transformation of the void-size distribution (VSD). This interpretation assumes fast diffusion and can be violated for materials with high surface relaxivity and/or large pores. We compared T2-distributions to VSDs using grain-size distributions (GSDs) as a proxy for VSDs. Measurements were collected on water-saturated sand packs with a range of grain sizes and surface relaxivities, such that some samples were expected to violate the fast diffusion assumption. Samples were prepared from silica sand with three different average grain sizes and were coated with the iron-oxide mineral hematite to vary the surface relaxivity. We found analytically that outside the fast diffusion regime, the T2-distributions are broader than in the fast diffusio...
Innate Immunity and Steatohepatitis: A Critical Role of Another Toll (TLR-9)

Worldwide, chronic viral hepatitis, alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH), and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are 3 major causes of chronic liver diseases, leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although hepatitis viruses themselves are not cytopathogenic and do not kill hepatocytes, the adaptive immune responses (eg, cytotoxic T cells) to viral infection are considered key in causing hepatocellular damage,1 despite recent data suggesting that natural killer cells are responsible also for liver damage in viral hepatitis infection.2 By contrast, innate immunity seems to play a key role in the pathogenesis of ASH and NASH, with adaptive immunity playing a less important role.3–6
Opportunistic Infections in Patients with and Patients without Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

In the next decade, longer survival of patients with cancer and more-aggressive therapies applied to common conditions, such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, will result in a larger population with significant immune system defects. Many in this population will be at risk for opportunistic infections, which are familiar to doctors who have treated people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, the epidemiology, presentation, and outcome of these infections in patients with an immune system defect, other than that caused by HIV infection, may be different than those encountered in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Reviewed are 4 common opportunistic infections: Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, cryptococcosis, atypical mycobacterial infection, and cytomegalovirus infection. Emphasized are the important differences among these groups at risk.
Testosterone Concentrations and Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy in Men with Type 1 Diabetes in the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study (EDIC)

Introduction Previous studies have reported that lower testosterone concentrations are associated with cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN), a risk factor for cardiovascular events. However, no studies have examined this relationship in men with type 1 diabetes, who are at high risk for CAN.
Actigraphic recordings in quantification of periodic leg movements during sleep in children.

Abstract Background Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) has recently emerged as a relatively frequent and markedly underdiagnosed condition in children that induces arousals and sleep fragmentation and leads to poor learning and behavioral problems. Because a cost-effective and widely available alternative to pediatric polysomnography is needed for diagnosis of limb movement disorders, this study sought to examine whether periodic leg movements in children could be reliably identified using recently developed actigraphy software. Methods Bilateral actigraphs were worn around the feet by 99 children ages 4–12 years during standard clinical overnight polysomnography, which included bilateral anterior tibial electromyogram (EMG). Left and right leg movements were scored independently for comparison purposes. Results Agreement between tibial EMG and actigraphy-derived events were initially low, with movement indices being overestimated by actigraphy. This agreement was improved when a correction factor based on the average number of movements during arousals as measured by EMG was applied. However, the correction factor itself was found to differ substantially for patients who were diagnosed with PLMD compared to other patients. Conclusions A novel actigraphic approach currently used for detection of PLM events during sleep in adults is insufficiently accurate to permit reliable estimates in children.
Phosphorylation of SNAP-23 by IκB Kinase 2 Regulates Mast Cell Degranulation

Summary Mast cells are known to play a pivotal role in allergic diseases. Cross-linking of the high-affinity receptor for IgE (FcɛRI) leads to degranulation and allergic inflammation; however, the regulatory mechanisms of IgE-dependent exocytosis remain unknown. We show here that IκB kinase (IKK) 2 in mast cells plays critical roles in IgE-mediated anaphylaxis in vivo, and IgE-mediated degranulation in vitro, in an NF-kB-independent manner. Upon FcɛRI stimulation, IKK2 phosphorylates SNAP-23, the target membrane soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE), and ectopic expression of a phospho-mimetic mutant of SNAP-23 partially rescued the impaired IgE-mediated degranulation in IKK2-deficient mast cells. These results suggest that IKK2 phosphorylation of SNAP-23 leads to degranulation and anaphylactic reactions. While this reaction is NF-kB-independent, we additionally show that IKK2 also regulates late-phase allergic reactions promoted by the release of proinflammatory cytokines in an NF-kB-dependent manner. The findings suggest that IKK2 is a central player in allergic reactions.
Wavelength conversion in silicon waveguides using parametric Raman coupling

Parametric coupling enabled by the Raman susceptibility is used to demonstrate wavelength conversion in silicon waveguides. Influence of phase matching and means to achieve phase matched waveguides are discussed.
Barriers to insulin progression among patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review.

PurposeTreatment guidelines recommend insulin progression (switching from basal to a premixed insulin regimen, adding bolus doses, and/or increasing dosing frequency) to achieve A1C targets as type...
On case concord: the syntax of switch-reference clauses

This paper discusses switch-reference (SR) systems in Pano and Musko- gean languages, and proposes that grammatical CASE plays an essential role in licens- ing same-subject SR constructions in these languages. Specifically, CASE activates an agreement relationship between two clauses, allowing for transmission of informa- tion about participant coreference. different-subject SR, on the other hand, does not involve CASE concord, but signals the activation of a discourse participant that was either inactive in the background or not present.
Ethanol increases plasma Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels and subjective effects after marihuana smoking in human volunteers

Marihuana and alcohol are often used together, yet little is known about why they are combined. Male volunteers were assigned to one marihuana treatment group (placebo, low or moderate dose Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)) and, on three separate study days, they also drank a different dose of ethanol (placebo, 0.35 or 0.7 g/kg). Plasma THC levels and changes in subjective mood states were recorded for 90 min after smoking. For many of the drug combinations, when subjects consumed ethanol they detected marihuana effects more quickly, reported more episodes of euphoria and had higher plasma THC levels than when they consumed placebo ethanol. These data suggest that ethanol may increase the absorption of THC resulting in an increase in the positive subjective mood effects of smoked marihuana and contributing to the popularity of this drug combination.
The Film Son of Man: An Artistic Revelation of Jesus the Christ

The 2006 film, Son of Man, a significant contribution to the Jesus film canon, presents a Christ contextualized in a contemporary African setting. The artistry of this film, the author argues, is best appreciated through the genre of Neo-HooDoo which privileges the local, the spontaneous, and the democratic over the universal, the classical, and the official. This film through its artistry re-inscribes understandings of Incarnation, Redemption, Resurrection, and Revelation. Son of Man is a unique artistic contemporary vehicle for theological education.
Values in English Language Teaching

This book offers a new perspective on language teaching by placing moral issues--that is, questions of values--at the core of what it is to be a teacher. The teacher-student relation is central to this view, rather than the concept of language teaching as merely a technical matter of managing students' acquisition of language. The message is that all language teaching involves an interplay of deeply held values, but in each teaching situation these values are played out in different ways. Johnston does not tell readers what to think, but only suggests what to think about. Values in English Language Teaching explores the complex and often contradictory moral landscape of the language classroom, gradually revealing how teaching is not a matter of clear-cut choices but of wrestling with dilemmas and making difficult decisions in situations often riven with conflict. It examines the underlying values that teachers hold as individuals and as members of their profession, and demonstrates how those values are played out in the real world of language classrooms. Matters addressed include connections between the moral and political dimensions in English language teaching, and between values and religious beliefs; relationship(s) between teacher identity and values; the meaning of professionalism and how it is associated with morality and values; the ways in which teacher development is a moral issue; and the marginality of English language teaching. All the examples are taken from real-life teaching situations--the complexity and messiness of these situations is always acknowledged, including both individual influences and broader social, cultural, and political forces at play in English language classrooms. By using actual situations as the starting point for analysis, Johnston offers a philosophy based in practice, and recognizes the primacy of lived experience as a basis for moral analysis. Examples come from teaching contexts around the world, including Brazil, Thailand, Poland, Japan, Central African Republic, Turkey, and Taiwan, as well as various settings in the United States. This book will change the way teachers see language classrooms--their own or those of others. It is a valuable resource for teachers of ESL and EFL and all those who work with them, especially teacher educators, researchers, and administrators.
Causal mediation analysis for longitudinal data with exogenous exposure

Mediation analysis is a valuable approach to examine pathways in epidemiological research. Prospective cohort studies are often conducted to study biological mechanisms and often collect longitudinal measurements on each participant. Mediation formulae for longitudinal data have been developed. Here, we formalize the natural direct and indirect effects using a causal framework with potential outcomes that allows for an interaction between the exposure and the mediator. To allow different types of longitudinal measures of the mediator and outcome, we assume two generalized mixed-effects models for both the mediator and the outcome. The model for the mediator has subject-specific random intercepts and random exposure slopes for each cluster, and the outcome model has random intercepts and random slopes for the exposure, the mediator, and their interaction. We also expand our approach to settings with multiple mediators and derive the mediated effects, jointly through all mediators. Our method requires the absence of time-varying confounding with respect to the exposure and the mediator. This assumption is achieved in settings with exogenous exposure and mediator, especially when exposure and mediator are not affected by variables measured at earlier time points. We apply the methodology to data from the Normative Aging Study and estimate the direct and indirect effects, via DNA methylation, of air pollution, and temperature on intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) protein levels. Our results suggest that air pollution and temperature have a direct effect on ICAM-1 protein levels (i.e. not through a change in ICAM-1 DNA methylation) and that temperature has an indirect effect via a change in ICAM-1 DNA methylation.
Expression of urea transporters in the developing rat kidney

Urea transport in the kidney is mediated by a family of transporter proteins that includes renal urea transporters (UT-A) and erythrocyte urea transporters (UT-B). Because newborn rats are not capable of producing concentrated urine, we examined the time of expression and the distribution of UT-A and UT-B in the developing rat kidney by light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. Kidneys from 16-, 18-, and 20-day-old fetuses, 1-, 4-, 7-, 14-, and 21-day-old pups, and adult animals were studied. In the adult kidney, UT-A was expressed intensely in the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) and terminal portion of the short-loop descending thin limb (DTL) and weakly in long-loop DTL in the outer part of the inner medulla. UT-A immunoreactivity was not present in the fetal kidney but was observed in the IMCD and DTL in 1-day-old pups. The intensity of UT-A immunostaining in the IMCD gradually increased during postnatal development. In 4- and 7-day-old pups, UT-A immunoreactivity was present in the DTL at the border between the outer and inner medulla. In 14- and 21-day-old pups, strong UT-A immunostaining was observed in the terminal part of short-loop DTL in the outer medulla, and weak labeling remained in long-loop DTL descending into the outer part of the inner medulla. In the adult kidney, there was intense staining for UT-B in descending vasa recta (DVR) and weak labeling of glomeruli. In the developing kidney, UT-B was first observed in the DVR of a 20-day-old fetus. After birth there was a striking increase in the number of UT-B-positive DVR, in association with the formation of vascular bundles. The intensity of immunostaining remained strong in the outer medulla but gradually decreased in the inner medulla. We conclude that the expression of urea transporters in short-loop DTL and DVR coincides with the development of the ability to produce a concentrated urine.
Informing the Integration Debate with Recent Experience

The overriding challenge faced by policy-makers in the post–Cold War era is not, as many would have us believe, the achievement of integration of humanitarian action into the prevailing politico-military context. It is rather the protection of its independence. The debate, rather than focusing on fitting humanitarian action more snugly into the given political framework, should explore how to ensure the indispensable independence of humanitarian actors from that framework. The experience of the Humanitarianism and War Project, an action-oriented research and publications initiative studying humanitarian activities in post–Cold War conflicts, suggests the essential elements of such independence. They include structural protection for humanitarian action against political conditionality; more sensitivity to local perceptions regarding humanitarian actors and action; tighter discipline within the humanitarian sector by those providing assistance and protection; increased attention to the origins of aid resources and of the personnel administering them; greater participation and ownership by local institutions and leaders in crisis countries; and an agreed overarching political framework that gives higher priority to human security.
Multi-nutrient supplement improves hormone ratio associated with cancer risk

Background Gynecological cancers are among the most common in women and are directly related to a variety of hormonal factors. One potential risk factor associated with developing a gynecological malignancy is the ratio of two hormone metabolites, 2-Hydroxyestrone (2-HE) and 16alpha-Hydroxyestrone (16alpha-HE). A number of botanical constituents such as indoles, flavonoids, and resveratrol have been shown to have a favorable effect on the metabolic pathways that affect this ratio. The present study was designed to evaluate if a multi-nutrient supplement containing targeted botanical constituents would affect the 2-HE/16 alpha-HE ratio in middle-aged women.
Influences of Organizational Culture on Learning in Public Agencies

This article examines an underappreciated influence on organizational learning: the culture of the organization. Because organization culture informs the sense making and interpretation of the kinds of ambiguities seen in puzzling data, problematic situations, uncertain program technologies, and obscure links between problems and solutions, it may be useful to consider some particular ways that culture guides learning. Culture provides a reservoir of organizational meanings against which
Congenital Bifurcation of the Intratemporal Facial Nerve

Anomalies of the course of the facial nerve have been reported in association with middle and inner ear malformations. Bifurcation of its intratemporal portion is a rare malformation in which focal splitting of one or more facial nerve segments occurs. We describe the CT appearance of this anomaly and discuss its possible embryology. Facial nerve bifurcation is important to recognize in patients undergoing evaluation for congenital hearing loss and other congenital ear malformations.
Dermoid Cyst (Mature Cystic Teratoma) of the Cecum

Abstract The gastrointestinal tract is an unusual site for teratomas to occur. Only 4 prior cases of teratomas involving the cecum have appeared in the English literature, the latest published in 1977. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to describe fine-needle aspiration cytologic findings in addition to histologic features of a mature cystic teratoma involving the gastrointestinal tract. A 30-year-old man presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain and a palpable abdominal mass. Radiographic studies identified a mass lesion inferior to the liver and in close association with the ascending colon. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy showed scant keratinous material and anucleated squamous cells. Right colectomy revealed a cystic mass in the wall of the cecum that contained keratinous material and was lined by stratified granular squamous epithelium with sebaceous glands. Clinical and pathologic features with review of the literature are presented, and the differential diagnosis for per...
Review Essay: Alice Burks, 'Who Invented the Computer? The Legal Battle That Changed Computing'

Alice Burks' book, 'Who Invented the Computer?' attempts to answer, once and for all, the question of who is the computer's true inventor. The book focuses on a patent infringement trial that, according to Burks, provides nearly all the answers to this question. This review questions those claims and examines the use of legal materials to support historical claims.
Pathologic quiz case: A persistent cutaneous eruption in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected man.

33-year-old human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)positive man was admitted to the hospital with fever, nausea and vomiting, a diffuse cutaneous eruption, shortness of breath, and a persistent cough productive of white sputum. He had lost 27 kg (60 lb) in the previous 6 months. He had initially tested positive for HIV-1 4 years prior to admission, and he had a medical history of asthma, crack cocaine abuse, recurrent oral candidiasis, shingles, and noncompliance with his antiretroviral regimen. Six months prior to admission, he was diagnosed with disseminated histoplasmosis and treated with intravenous amphotericin B and oral itraconazole. Physical examination revealed a cachectic man with a persistent cough. The patient was febrile to 39.28C
Long-term Benefits of Risk Factor Reduction in Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.-A Comment on Khalighi et al. Entitled "Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Long Term Follow-up Shows Benefit with Risk Factor Reduction", J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis., 2015, 2, 273-281.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) or stress-induced cardiomyopathy is also popularly referred to as “broken heart syndrome” or “apical ballooning syndrome”. [...]
Chronic endotrachelitis: A preoperative and postoperative study☆

Abstract A study of medical literature concerning various methods of treatment of chronic endotrachelitis reveals, in many instances, a lack of consideration of the end-results in a sufficient number of cases over a definite length of time after operation. With this in view, I wish to present a short preoperative study of 229 consecutive cases, giving the operative treatment for chronic endotrachelitis as followed on the gynecologic service at Bellevue Hospital, and the end-results from two to three years after operation in 107 cases. These cases were selected from a total of 511 cases operated upon in the period 1920 to 1924. I will present the subject from the standpoint of age, pregnancies and abortions, laceration of the cervix, leucorrhea, associated pelvic pathology, associated operations, the cure of leucorrhea, conception and labor after operation and illustrations of the type of operation performed in this series of cases.
Abdominal pain in athletes.

Abdominal pain in an athlete may be due to an intraabdominal injury or abdominal disease unrelated to athletics; both are uncommon. Because such processes may be life-threatening, awareness of their typical patterns is imperative for all involved in sports medicine. Evaluation of an athlete with abdominal pain is thus directed at deciding if the athlete has significant abdominal disease, and then using appropriate diagnostic methods to determine the specific process.
EGFR-Signaling and Autophagy: How they Fit in the Cancer Landscape

Key significance of an overachieving Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-signaling in cancer aggressiveness and poor prognosis is well recognized. In accordance, EGFR is either amplified or mutated in majority of the cancers of epithelial origin, and therefore has been recognized as a principal target for anticancer therapy. However, despite initial clinical efficacy of the anti-EGFR therapy in cancer treatment, long-term attempt to mute the cancer boosting effects of EGFR-dependent signaling meets resistance in cancer cells. Notably, effects of EGFR activation are pleotropic. Also, under conditions of anti-EGFR therapy in cancer cells, feedback activation of the pro-survival signaling by activation of other growth factor receptors can occur. However, a critical role of autophagy in the resistance against anti-EGFR therapy is fast emerging. Interestingly, EGFR regulates autophagy in a context-dependent manner. Furthermore, EGFR deregulated tumors demonstrate differential dependence upon autophagy for their survival and growth. Also, inhibiting EGFR-signaling promotes autophagy. These intriguing considerations are complicated further by findings that EGFR regulates autophagy in kinase-dependent or independent manner. Thus, for effective clinical cancer treatment using anti-EGFR regimen, it is critical that we understand molecular details of the nexus between the EGFR-signaling and autophagy.
Editor’s Highlight: Organ-Specific Epigenetic Changes Induced by the Nongenotoxic Liver Carcinogen Methapyrilene in Fischer 344 Rats

Continuous lifetime exposure to certain natural and man-made chemicals is a major cause of cancers in humans; therefore, evaluating the carcinogenic risks of chemicals remains important. Currently, substantial progress has been made in identification of genotoxic carcinogens; in contrast, predicting the carcinogenic potential of nongenotoxic compounds is a challenge due to many different modes of action that may lead to tumorigenesis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the nongenotoxic liver carcinogen methapyrilene and the nongenotoxic noncarcinogen usnic acid, at doses that do not exhibit organ cytotoxicity, on epigenomic alterations in the livers and kidneys of Fischer 344 (F344) rats. We demonstrate that a repeat-dose oral treatment of male F344 rats with methapyrilene for 6 weeks caused target organ-specific epigenetic alterations in the livers. In contrast, only very slight epigenetic changes were found in the livers of F344 rats treated with hepatotoxicant, but noncarcinogen, usnic acid. The methapyrilene-induced epigenetic changes consisted of changes in histone lysine acetylation and methylation, with the greatest increase occurring in global and gene-specific histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) deacetylation. Importantly, the results of the present study show an association between gene-specific histone H3K9 deacetylation and a reduced expression of critical cancer-related genes, including prospero homeobox 1 (Prox1), HNF1 homebox A (Hnf1a), and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (Ppara), which provides a mechanistic link between methapyrilene-induced epigenetic aberrations and liver carcinogenesis.