cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduced abundance of transverse tubules and L-type calcium channels: another cause of defective contractility in failing ventricular myocytes.

See article by He et al. [1] (pages 298–307) in this issue. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a complex syndrome that is the leading cause of death in Western society. A central feature of this syndrome is reduced cardiac contractility and blunted adrenergic responsiveness that together cause poor pump performance and limit exercise tolerance. Depression of myocyte contractility is thought to be a principle cause of the progressive decline in cardiac function that is a hallmark feature of end-stage CHF. The cellular and molecular basis of dysfunctional myocyte contractility in CHF is currently being studied in many laboratories in the hope that novel therapeutic targets can be identified. The manuscript by He et al. [1] in the current issue of Cardiovascular Research focuses on changes in transverse (T)-tubules and L-type Ca channel abundance in the contractile defects of ventricular myocytes from a canine model of CHF induced by rapid pacing. T-tubules are specialized invaginations of the surface membrane that serve to rapidly transmit the cardiac action potential deep into the core of large muscle cells, thereby producing synchronous contraction throughout the cell. L-type Ca channels are thought to be localized in high density within the T-tubules [2]. Depolarization of the T-tubules causes opening of L-type Ca channels [3], which elevates the [Ca] in the subsarcolemmal space where the T-tubules and the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) are in close proximity. This elevation in subsarcolemmal Ca activates the calcium release channel (ryanodine receptor, RYR) to induce SR Ca release via calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) [4]). Reductions in the density of T-tubules and L-type Ca channels [1] should reduce the effectiveness of excitation-contraction coupling (ECC), slow the overall rate of SR Ca release and decrease the rate and magnitude of contraction. The cellular basis of contractile dysfunction in CHF is a … * Tel.: +1-215-707-3278; fax: +1-215-707-4003 srhouser{at}unix.temple.edu
PHOTODYNAMIC SENSITIZERS FROM CHLOROPHYLL:PURPURIN–18 AND CHLORINp6

— Two easily prepared derivatives of chlorophyll,purpurin–18 and chlorin p6, are potent sensitizers of cell killing by low-intensity red light. The internal anhydride group inpurpurin–18 provides the potential of covalently linking in one step the chlorin to cell targeting agents such as antibodies.
Infrared spectra of the Kr—CO and Xe—CO van der Waals complexes

The infrared spectra of the weakly bound complexes Kr—CO and Xe—CO have been studied in the region of the CO stretching vibration (4.7 μm) using a high-resolution tuneable diode laser probe. The complexes were observed in a long path (200 m) low temperature (76 K) gas cell (Kr—CO) and in a pulsed supersonic jet expansion (Kr—CO and Xe—CO). Previous long path cell measurements on these complexes at lower resolution analysed only the K = 0 and 1 stacks of rotational levels in the ground intermolecular vibrational state. The new data extend up to K = 3 (Xe—CO) or 4 (Kr—CO), and also include K = 0 and 1 stacks in the excited bending state, ν2 = 1. The bending frequencies for Kr—CO and Xe—CO (in the νco = 1 upper state) were determined to be 13.156cm−1 and 13.794cm−1, respectively. Detailed molecular parameters were determined to describe the rotational energy levels of each complex using a simple empirical Hamiltonian. These results enable parameters to be compared for the entire series of rare gas—carbon mon...
Effect of gamma irradiation on viability and DNA of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli.

Gamma irradiation is widely used for sterilization; however, its effect on elimination of amplifiable DNA, an issue of relevance to molecular diagnostic approaches, has not been well studied. The effect of gamma irradiation on the viability of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli (using quantitative cultures) and on their DNA (using quantitative 16S rRNA gene PCR) was evaluated. Viability was abrogated at 2?8 and 3?6 kGy for S. epidermidis and E. coli, respectively. The radiation dose required to reduce viable bacteria by one log10 (D10 value) was 0?31 and 0?35 kGy for S. epidermidis and E. coli, respectively. D10 values for amplifiable DNA extracted from bacteria were 2?58 and 3?09 kGy for S. epidermidis and E. coli, respectively, whereas D10 values for amplifiable DNA were significantly higher for DNA extracted from irradiated viable bacterial cells (22?9 and 52?6 kGy for S. epidermidis and E. coli, respectively; P<0?001). This study showed that gamma irradiation of DNA in viable bacterial cells has little effect on amplifiable DNA, was not able to eliminate amplifiable 16S rRNA genes at a dose of up to 12 kGy and cannot therefore be used for elimination of DNA contamination of PCR reaction components or laboratory equipment when this DNA is present in microbial cells. This finding has practical implications for those using molecular diagnostic techniques in microbiology.
IC activation and user authentication for security-sensitive systems

A number of applications depend on the protection of security-sensitive hardware, preventing unauthorized users from gaining access to the functionality of the integrated circuits (ICs). Failure to protect such devices can have consequences ranging from the loss of financial revenue to the loss of human lives. The key to providing protection does not lie in the prevention of theft but in a secure IC activation and user authentication procedure so that an adversary has nothing to gain by acquiring the physical hardware. The proposed protection scheme is robust against various types of malicious attack, such as reverse engineering to extract the circuit layout, brute-forcing the access key, and FIBing. The scheme provides the capability both for one-time or every-powerup activation and for every-powerup user authentication. Given the resource constraints of many security-sensitive hardware systems (such as those deployed in remote locations or carried in combat arenas), this paper proposes and evaluates the cost of several techniques for achieving secure activation and authentication.
Genome-wide assays that identify and quantify modified cytosines in human disease studies

The number of different assays that has been published to study DNA methylation is extensive, complemented by recently described assays that test modifications of cytosine other than the most abundant 5-methylcytosine (5mC) variant. In this review, we describe the considerations involved in choosing how to study 5mC throughout the genome, with an emphasis on the common application of testing for epigenetic dysregulation in human disease. While microarray studies of 5mC continue to be commonly used, these lack the additional qualitative information from sequencing-based approaches that is increasingly recognized to be valuable. When we test the representation of functional elements in the human genome by several current assay types, we find that no survey approach interrogates anything more than a small minority of the nonpromoter cis-regulatory sites where DNA methylation variability is now appreciated to influence gene expression and to be associated with human disease. However, whole-genome bisulphite sequencing (WGBS) adds a substantial representation of loci at which DNA methylation changes are unlikely to be occurring with transcriptional consequences. Our assessment is that the most effective approach to DNA methylation studies in human diseases is to use targeted bisulphite sequencing of the cis-regulatory loci in a cell type of interest, using a capture-based or comparable system, and that no single design of a survey approach will be suitable for all cell types.
A Role for Synaptic Inputs at Distal Dendrites: Instructive Signals for Hippocampal Long-Term Plasticity

Synaptic potentials originating at distal dendritic locations are severely attenuated when they reach the soma and, thus, are poor at driving somatic spikes. Nonetheless, distal inputs convey essential information, suggesting that such inputs may be important for compartmentalized dendritic signaling. Here we report a new plasticity rule in which stimulation of distal perforant path inputs to hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons induces long-term potentiation at the CA1 proximal Schaffer collateral synapses when the two inputs are paired at a precise interval. This subthreshold form of heterosynaptic plasticity occurs in the absence of somatic spiking but requires activation of both NMDA receptors and IP(3) receptor-dependent release of Ca(2+) from internal stores. Our results suggest that direct sensory information arriving at distal CA1 synapses through the perforant path provide compartmentalized, instructive signals that assess the saliency of mnemonic information propagated through the hippocampal circuit to proximal synapses.
Trauma, memory, and suggestibility in children

In this review we examine factors hypothesized to affect children's memory for traumatic events. Theoretical ideas on the processing and remembering of trauma are presented and critiqued. We review research on how psychopathology may generally influence and dissociation and posttraumatic stress disorder may specifically influence children's memory and suggestibility. The special case of child maltreatment is addressed as it relates to interviewing children about traumatic life experiences. Throughout we draw on current developmental, cognitive, social, and clinical theory and research. The review covers a controversial and exciting area of psychological inquiry.
On the performance of hybrid FEC/ARQ systems using rate compatible punctured turbo (RCPT) codes

This paper introduces a hybrid forward-error correction/automatic repeat-request (ARQ) system that employs rate compatible punctured turbo (RCPT) codes to achieve enhanced throughput performance over a nonstationary Gaussian channel. The proposed RCPT-ARQ system combines the performance of turbo codes with the frugal use of incremental redundancy inherent in the rate compatible punctured convolutional codes of Hagenauer (1988). Moreover, this paper introduces the notion of puncturing the systematic code symbols of a turbo code to maximize throughput at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of interest. The resulting system provides both an efficient family of achievable code rates at middle to high SNR and powerful low-rate error correction capability at low SNR.
The human visual system averages speed information.

It has been known for many years that human observers are unable to detect modest accelerations and decelerations in moving visual stimuli. We find that human observers can integrate speeds over many dots, moving at different speeds, producing a global speed percept analogous to the global direction percept first reported by Williams, D. W. and Sekuler, R. (1984, Vision Research, 24, 55-62). We measured speed discrimination for random dot stimuli which contained many different speeds. Our results show that observers always base their discrimination on the mean speed of the stimulus; changes in other stimulus characteristics (e.g. mode) are not detected. Moreover, discrimination thresholds for the global mean speed derived from many different speeds are comparable to those obtained with stimuli in which all dots move at the same speed suggesting that the internal noise associated with the encoding of speed information is quite high.
‘The city in our hands’: urban management and contested modernity in nineteenth-century Belgrade

This article examines the image of the city and notions of urban management in the discourse of elite groups in Belgrade between 1830 and the late 1860s. It focuses on the negotiation of modernity in heterogeneous cultural spaces, particularly looking at the textual interplay of power, orientalized exoticism and notions of backwardness. These discourses were integral to the processes of managing urban populations and homogenizing the cityscape. The city's specific political situation as a site of dual authority, however, left room for minor acts of contestation which questioned the primacy of exclusion and dispossession as bases for modern urban transformation. This dynamic interplay framed the city as a site of conflict between mutually defining forces of ‘Europeanization’ and ‘backwardness’.
A new friction factor relationship for fully developed pipe flow

The friction factor relationship for high-Reynolds-number fully developed turbulent pipe flow is investigated using two sets of data from the Princeton Superpipe in the range 31×10^3 ≤ ReD ≤ 35×10^6. The constants of Prandtl’s ‘universal’ friction factor relationship are shown to be accurate over only a limited Reynolds-number range and unsuitable for extrapolation to high Reynolds numbers. New constants, based on a logarithmic overlap in the mean velocity, are found to represent the high-Reynolds-number data to within 0.5%, and yield a value for the von Karman constant that is consistent with the mean velocity profiles themselves. The use of a generalized logarithmic law in the mean velocity is also examined. A general friction factor relationship is proposed that predicts all the data to within 1.4% and agrees with the Blasius relationship for low Reynolds numbers to within 2.0%.
Comparing Downside-Risk and Mean-Variance Analysis Using Bootstrap Simulation

Executive Summary. Is Downside risk (DR) a better alternative to the traditional mean-variance analysis (MV) for real estate portfolio diversification? This study demonstrates a bootstrap approach for comparing the two models. The results show that ex ante DR portfolio return distributions tend to be negatively skewed with a smaller left tail, and median returns seem to be higher than that of MV portfolios. Also, the DR model suggests the weight of real estate in a mixed-asset portfolio is similar to the practice of institutional investors. The results imply that portfolios formed with DR approach have certain desirable properties unavailable to MV portfolios.
Reassessment of turbine-generator failure probability

A previous article in Nuclear Safety assessed the overall probability (P/sub 4/) of nuclear plant damage due to turbine failures as a function of the combined probabilities of turbine failure and ejection of an energetic missile (P/sub 1/), a missile striking a critical component (P/sub 2/), and significant damage occurring to the component (P/sub 3/). Due to questions raised concerning the methodology used, the value of P/sub 1/ has been reassessed, using a somewhat broader data base and other methods of data analysis. The range of instantaneous turbine failure rates considered relevant to nuclear systems is 3.3 x 10/sup -5/ to 3.1 x 10/sup -4/ per turbine year in the current article compared to a value of 7 x 10/sup -5/ per turbine year in the previous article.
Fourier Analysis of India's Implied Volatility Index

The objective of this study was to analyze and model periodic behavior observed in India’s Nifty VIX Index and to seek the origins of these previously unreported calendar variations. Implied volatility and its variations are important to understand as the pricing of many financial assets and derivatives depend upon this variable. A novel modeling approach to this task uses Fourier analysis for the first time in the literature of implied volatility and calendar effect modeling. For this purpose daily closing levels for the Nifty VIX Index were gathered covering trading days from 2010 through January 2014. Time series of VIX levels after removing a trendline were tested for normality, stationarity and autocorrelation. Nifty index and Nifty VIX data were also tested for two-way Granger Causality. Detrended Nifty VIX levels were Fourier analyzed to determine primary Fourier frequencies contributing to VIX periodic behavior. A Fourier model of VIX movements was constructed using four primary frequencies from the Fourier power spectrum. This model shows surprising accuracy in identifying the temporal location of VIX peaks and troughs. The probable origin of one recurring VIX calendar frequency is traced to India’s earnings release cycle.
Practical Bloomery Smelting

The art and technique of bloomery smelting, man's original method for winning metalliciron from its ore, has been largely lost in recent centuries. Many reconstructions of this technique have been attempted by archaeologists in the last 30 years. These experimental smelts have tended to be rather disappointing in terms of the production of usable iron; nonetheless, many conclusions have been drawn from this work. The main goal of our work with bloomery smelting is the production of iron for the creation of forged sculpture. Our focus on producing a usable product has led us to a somewhat different view of the technology from what has been published in the archaeological literature. In this paper, we will briefly summarize our work through the spring of 2000, which has been published elsewhere. We'll then report our recent findings from the 2000-2001 smelting season, describing a typical smelt of the most efficient smelting regimen we have yet discovered. We will pay particular attention to methods that differ from those of other experimenters, especially in regards to blowing rate, slag management, and the recycling of furnace products. Finally, we'll point toward areas of upcoming research.
Use of Natural Ingredients To Control Growth of Clostridium perfringens in Naturally Cured Frankfurters and Hams

A major concern for processed meats marketed as natural/organic is that they do not contain nitrite in concentrations known to be most effective for inhibiting foodborne pathogens. Supplemental treatments to increase the level and consistency of antimicrobial protection in these products may be important to provide consumers with the degree of safety that they have come to expect from conventionally cured meats. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify and test ingredients that might improve processed meat product safety without altering their natural/organic status. Eight treatments of hams and frankfurters were prepared: (A) uncured control (typical ingredients except nitrite and nitrate); (B) conventionally cured control (erythorbate, nitrite, and a lactate-diacetate blend); (C) natural nitrate cure (including starter culture containing Staphylococcus carnosus); (D) natural nitrate cure (culture and natural antimicrobial A containing a vinegar, lemon, and cherry powder blend); (E) natural nitrate cure (culture and antimicrobial B containing a cultured sugar and vinegar blend); (F) natural nitrite cure without additional antimicrobials; (G) natural nitrite cure with natural antimicrobial A; and (H) natural nitrite cure with antimicrobial B. For the hams, treatments C, D, E, and H impacted growth of Clostridium perfringens to the same extent (P < 0.05) as the conventionally cured control (approximately 2 log less growth over time than uncured control). For frankfurters, treatments D, G, and H had an effect (approximately 1 log) on growth equivalent to that of the conventionally cured control (P < 0.05). These results suggest that natural/organic cured meats have more potential for pathogen growth than conventionally cured products, but supplemental natural ingredients offer safety improvement.
Electrical Characterization of Low Dielectric Constant LCP Composite Films

A variety of low dielectric constant composites have been made into films and characterized. These composites were blends of liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs), hollow glass spheres (HGS) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). By adjusting the percentage compositions of the various components of the composites, the dielectric constant could be adjusted in the range 2.4 to 3.4. Measurement of the dielectric constant by Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) and Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) are discussed. Dielectric anisotropy is also discussed. The experimentally observed results are compared with those derived theoretically.
Intraventricular infusion of N-methyl-d-aspartate - I. Acute blood-brain barrier consequences

The purpose of this study was to document the early cerebrovascular consequences of excessive N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation. Five microliters of NMDA (100 nmol/μl) or vehicle was infused over a 15-min period into the lateral ventricle of adult rats. The protein tracer horseradisch peroxidase (HRP) was injected intravenously for blood-brain bartier (BBB) studies. The intraventricular infusion of vehicle (n=5) caused no alterations in arterial blood pressure or microvascular damage away from the intraventicular probe tract. In contrast, NMDA infusion (n=8) led to a gradual increase in arterial blood pressure (mean 36 mm Hg). Multifocal regions of HRP extravasation were observed bilaterally throughout the neuraxis following NMDA infusion. Sites of BBB disruption and hemorrhage included brain regions bordering ventricular spaces. In addition, isolated foci of protein extravasation were commonly detected in the cerebral cortex, thalamus, basal forebrain, septum and cerebellum. Pretreatment with the noncompetitive NMDA antagonist MK-801 (2 mg/kg) substantially reduced the BBB responses to NMDA. However, microvascular abnormalities were seen in NMDA-infused rats where blood pressure elevations were inhibited by blood removal. In addition to neurons, cerebral blood vessels are also acutely affected by NMDA receptor activation. Blockage of NMDA receptor channels following brain injury may potentially provide protection by attenuating BBB breakdown and subsequent brain edema.
Constant pH Molecular Dynamics in Explicit Solvent with Enveloping Distribution Sampling and Hamiltonian Exchange

We present a new computational approach for constant pH simulations in explicit solvent based on the combination of the enveloping distribution sampling (EDS) and Hamiltonian replica exchange (HREX) methods. Unlike constant pH methods based on variable and continuous charge models, our method is based on discrete protonation states. EDS generates a hybrid Hamiltonian of different protonation states. A smoothness parameter s is used to control the heights of energy barriers of the hybrid-state energy landscape. A small s value facilitates state transitions by lowering energy barriers. Replica exchange between EDS potentials with different s values allows us to readily obtain a thermodynamically accurate ensemble of multiple protonation states with frequent state transitions. The analysis is performed with an ensemble obtained from an EDS Hamiltonian without smoothing, s = ∞, which strictly follows the minimum energy surface of the end states. The accuracy and efficiency of this method is tested on aspartic...
Dynamic Inversion And Model-Following Flight Control: A Comparison Of Performance Robustness

Given a probability distribution for each of the unknown aerodynamic stability and control parameters, a Monte Carlo simulation of the time response allows for a statistical evaluation of the uncertain aerodynamic parameter effects on the aircraft behavior. Prior to integrating the system equations over the desired time of flight, each fractional variation in the aerodynamic coefficient was computed via a random number generator. After each simulation, flying qualities metrics were evaluated and the binary results were recorded: the aircraft either passed or failed the metric. The process was repeated a sufficient number of times such that the resulting probability of violation was statistically significant based on confidence bounds. Experiments were performed using a dynamic inversion and a model-following control law to command angle-of-attack. The results show that the properly designed model-follower has better performance robustness than a dynamic inverter with the same performance objectives.
Comparative DSSA Study of Payload-Container Dynamics Prior to, During and After Parachute Inflation

The Decelerator System Simulation Application, or “DSSA”, is a suite of computer programs that simulates the fall dynamics of platforms and containers dropped from the ramps of cargo aircraft, from roll-out, to parachute deployment and inflation, to steady decent. DSSA simulations are based on 6-Degree of Freedom descriptions of all the important stages of cargo airdrop, including load transfer (i.e. extraction-chute release and main parachute deployment), payload ramp tip-over, payload tumbling during freefall, and payload swinging during descent (under parachute). This paper reports on a recent modification of DSSA that includes a new set of CFD-calculated drag, lift and pitching moment coefficients, which are needed for the simulation of pallet-container motion. This addition should provide more realistic aerodynamics for containers that are more “stubby” than the standard Army Type-V containers for which the previous version of DSSA was created. Such an addition, together with the current capability of DSSA of running different parachute inflation models, should allow interesting comparisons between two distinct families of containers and yield altogether new insight for cargo airdrop container design.
A pedagogy of creative thinking based on sonification of visual structures and visualization of aural structures

This paper describes two related pedagogies for design education - one for teaching visual design and the other for teaching sound composition - in which the symbols and organizational principles of aural experience are transformed to the visual domain and vice versa. The purpose of the pedagogies is to develop in the student the ability to visualize and auralize from direct observation as an alternative to copying and modifying existing designs. The paper begins with a discussion of visual and aural perception and their relationship to thinking and imagination. The author then describes the use of semiotic transformation in teaching courses in sound composition and visual design.
Immigration Law — Office of Legal Counsel Issues Opinion Endorsing President Obama's Executive Order on Deferred Action for Parental Accountability — The Department of Homeland Security’s Authority to Prioritize Removal of Certain Aliens Unlawfully Present in the United States and to Defer Removal of Others, 38 Op. O.L.C. (Nov. 19, 2014).

Recent executive actions on drugs, healthcare, and immigration have refocused public attention on an important but unsettled legal issue: the scope of the President’s enforcement discretion. If renewed attention has proven anything, it is that demarcating the precise boundaries of “prosecutorial” discretion is not easy. When an act is either an appropriate exercise of discretion or an impermissible shirking of constitutional or statutory responsibilities, the line between lawful and unlawful nonenforcement can have far-reaching consequences for our coordinate branches of government.Ongoing efforts to delimit the President’s enforcement discretion took a new turn on November 20, 2014, when President Obama announced an initiative that would extend a form of temporary deportation relief known as “deferred action” to certain parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPRs). Prior to the announcement, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) published an opinion concluding that the new program was a permissible exercise of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) discretion to enforce the immigration laws. The same opinion determined that another proposal to extend the same protections to parents of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients was legally impermissible, reasoning that the latter proposal did not fulfill “congressional policies and priorities” as reflected in prior enactments. In this way, the OLC sought to draw a line in the sand, responding to a litany of voices accusing the President of overreach. Though the OLC commendably sought to devise some means of cabining enforcement discretion in immigration, its “congressional priorities” analysis fell short of conveying a workable limiting principle.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Incidence in three generations of a kindred.

Hyperelasticity and fragility of skin and hyperextensibility of joints are the most common features of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a hereditary disease resulting from a collagen disorder. The incidence of this syndrome in three generations of a kindred is reported here. Thirty-two of 58 members of the kindred were considered to be affected, including 20 males and 12 females. The literature is reviewed, and the clinical and genetic implications are discussed.
Horizontal Transfer of Spinosad in Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Slow-acting and nonrepellent termiticides are possible candidates for nestmate to nestmate transfer called horizontal transfer. For the horizontal transfer study of spinosad, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki was released in sand and soil at 1, 25, and 50 ppm Entrust® for 1 h and then mixed with healthy untreated termites for 21 d at the ratio of 1:1. Donor and recipient termites began to contact and groom each other immediately after release. Mortality of termites was recorded at 1, 3, 7, and 14 d after treatment. Spinosad was more effectively transferred in sand than in soil. In sand at 25 and 50 ppm, significantly high mortality of donors and recipients was observed after 7 d. When termites were exposed to treated soil at day 21, all three concentrations resulted in significantly higher mortality compared to the control. In our laboratory study, spinosad was effectively transferred by donor termites. Transfer of spinosad depended on its bioavailability and concentration. Further study is needed to address its effects against C. formosanus under field conditions.
Noninvasive kinetic approach to the estimation of total hepatic blood flow and shunting in chronic liver disease--a hypothesis.

The intact hepatocyte theory of chronic liver disease suggests a relationship between the degree of shunting of total liver blood flow around the functional liver cell mass and the fraction of functional liver cell mass. By defining this relationship we have developed pharmacokinetic equations to permit the estimation of both total hepatic blood flow and the extent to which this blood flow is shunted. The method requires the determination of the systemic (hepatic) clearances of a high (e.g., indocyanine green [ICG]) and a low (e.g., antipyrine [AP]) extraction ratio drug in the same patient. Applying these equations to literature data obtained from patients with moderate or severe chronic liver disease and from patients with a surgical portacaval shunt, we find: (1) a modest decrease in total hepatic blood flow (16%) and a significant degree of shunting (27%) in patients with moderate chronic liver disease; (2) a substantially reduced total hepatic blood (52%) and extensive shunting (72%) in patients with severe chronic liver disease, and (3) a degree of shunting comparable to that estimated in patients with moderate chronic liver disease but a seriously compromised total hepatic blood flow (a reduction of 55% compared to normal) in patients with surgical portacaval shunts.
In vitro demineralization inhibition of enamel caries utilizing an unfilled resin.

Smooth surface caries remain a concern in children, particularly those that are diagnosed with "baby bottle caries." The purpose of this study was to evaluate the caries inhibition of an unfilled resin placed on smooth enamel surfaces. Incisors were obtained and painted with an acid-protective varnish, excluding 2 mm x 6 mm windows on the labial surface. Each tooth had an unfilled resin placed over half the area of the window; the remaining area was not treated. One hundred microns longitudinal sections were obtained from the treated and non-treated sites. Polarized photomicrographs were taken of each section, in imbibition media of air, water and Thoulet's (R.I.: 1.41, 1.47), representing a minimum of 1%, 5%, 10%, and 25% pore volume respectively. The sections were then painted with an acid-protective varnish so that only the external surface was exposed and placed in separate closed environments of a non-fluoridated artificial saliva. One section from each tooth had unfilled resin on the external surface, one section had only natural enamel exposed, and a third section had the external surface varnished to act as a control. The teeth were thermocycled at 10 degrees C and 50 degrees C, 20 cycles per day for three months; they were also cycled through artificial caries challenge (pH 4.4) for 35 minutes, three times per day. Sections were then photographed under polarized light, as before, and areas of lesions were digitized. Results demonstrated caries to be present on all non-treated enamel surfaces exposed to the artificial caries challenge. Significantly less enamel demineralization occurred when an unfilled resin was placed on it (p < 0.001).
Response Rates, Item Omissions and Response Speed Resulting from a Mail Questionnaire with a Personal Salutation on the Cover Letter

Based on a national sample of 4,486 respondents, salutations on cover letters to mail questionnaires had mixed influences. Personal salutations were found to increase response, rates for selected groups of people. Item omission rates may actually be: hurt if personal salutations are used. Response speed was found to be helped by the use of personal salutations.
Flint, Environmental Racism, and Racial Capitalism

In this essay, I argue that the recent poisoning in Flint, Michigan, is a powerful example of both environmental racism and the everyday functioning of racial capitalism. As a journal devoted to le...
The Proximate Sources of Regional Elderly Population Growth: Mostly Migration or Mostly Aging-in-Place?

Changes in the elderly population of a region arise from net migration and net aging-in-place (the number of persons becoming elderly minus elderly deaths). This chapter shows that the relative contributions of these two sources of change vary over time, as the numbers of elderly outmigrants, inmigrants, deaths, and people aging into the elderly population fluctuate. Elderly populations growing mostly from net migration generally exhibit different demographic and socioeconomic characteristics than do those that grow mostly, or indeed entirely, from net aging-in-place. This is because elderly non-migrants generally exhibit different attributes than do elderly outmigrants, and because the latter often also have different attributes than do elderly inmigrants.
Magnetic Brain Stimulation in ADHD

Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation was performed in 27 children and adolescents, aged 4 to 18 years, with ADHD in the Services of Pediatric Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Miguel Servet Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain.
Titan Science Return Quantification

Each proposal for a NASA mission concept includes a Science Traceability Matrix (STM), intended to show that what is being proposed would contribute to satisfying one or more of the agency’s top-level science goals. But the information traditionally provided cannot be used directly to quantitatively compare anticipated science return. We added numerical elements to NASA’s STM and developed a software tool to process the data. We then applied this methodology to evaluate a group of competing concepts for a proposed mission to Saturn’s moon, Titan.
A survey of the security and threats of the IMT-Advanced requirements for 4G standards

This paper presents a detailed view of the security architecture and threats that face IMT-Advanced. Much of this information is spread throughout various medias, and is consolidated into this paper. First, it reviews the IMT-Advanced standard. Second, the network and security architecture of 4G technologies are analyzed. Third, the security processes for 4G standards are reviewed. Finally, threats and future vulnerabilities are explained and evaluated.
Changes in physical, chemical and functional properties of whey protein isolate (WPI) and sugar beet pectin (SBP) conjugates formed by controlled dry-heating

Abstract A Maillard type reaction in the dry state was utilized to create conjugates between whey protein isolate (WPI) and sugar beet pectin (SBP) to achieve improved functional properties including solubility, colloidal stability and oil-in-water emulsion stability. To optimize the reaction conditions, mixtures of WPI and SBP at varying weight ratios, 3:1, 2:1 and 1:1, were heated at 60 °C, 79% RH for 72 h. Changes in the physical properties, i.e. solubility, and chemical compositions, i.e. free sulfhydryl and amine contents were assessed using chemical assays. Bradford assay results demonstrated that the protein solubility of WPI increased significantly, ∼20% by reacting with lower levels of SBP (3:1 and 2:1) whereas the total powder solubility was not affected until an equal ratio of SBP was used, and the reduction was only ∼15%. The free sulfhydryl (SH) and primary (NH2) and secondary amine (NH) contents of WPI were also mitigated by conjugating with SBP. The formation of the covalent conjugates between WPI and SBP was confirmed by SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis through staining for both proteins and glycoproteins. The UV–VIS spectroscopy showed significant changes in the molecular electronic transition states of both WPI and the feruloyl moieties of SBP upon interaction and conjugation. Measurements of ζ-potential, particles size distribution and average particle size demonstrated that the WPI-SBP conjugates prepared at the weight ratio of 3:1 were most effective at stabilizing oil-in-water emulsions than other ratios used in this work.
46: Reciprocal interaction between NK and DC regulates the autopathogenic Th17 response by controlling the innate IFN-γ/IL-27 axis

In mouse models of experimental tissue-specific autoimmunity, IFN-γ deficiency causes exacerbated disease with elevated Th17 responses. This protective effect of IFN-γ is at odds with the ability of tissue-specific IFN-γ-producing Th1 cells to elicit these very same diseases. Experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), is a model for human uveitis. Using IFN-γ deficient (GKO) mice depleted of endogenous NK cells and repleted with IFN-γ-sufficient wild type (WT) NK cells, we demonstrate that NK cells serve as a major source of the ‘protective’ IFN-γ, by turning on an innate IFN-γ/IL-27 feedback loop that controls generation of the adaptive autopathogenic response. After immunization for EAU, both NK cells and DC were recruited to the draining lymph nodes. NK recruitment was dependent on DC and required expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 by the NK cells. Repletion of GKO recipients with WT, but not with GKO, NK cells enhanced production of IL-27 from DC in draining lymph nodes of the recipients, inhibited their adaptive IL-17 and GM-CSF responses, and reduced their EAU scores. In vivo neutralization of IL-27 abolished the protective effect. Mechanistic studies in vitro revealed that mature DC induced NK cells to produce IFN-γ that caused DC to produce IL-27, which in turn stimulated NK cells to produce more IFN-γ, suggesting the presence of a positive feedback loop. IL-27 also promoted generation of IL-10-producing Tr1-like cells from IL-27Rα-positive precursors. Our results suggest that the magnitude of the Th17 response, and consequently the severity of autoimmune disease, is controlled by the interaction between NK cells and DC through the IFN-γ/IL-27 axis. These data help to reconcile the long-standing controversy concerning the protective vs. pathogenic role of IFN-g in autoimmunity.
Laser Applications in Pediatric Neurosurgery

The application of lasers in neurosurgery represents one of the most significant technological advances in the development of tools for precise micro-dissection. When combined with the operating microscope and micro-neurosurgical principles, the use of a laser provides controlled dissection of the interface between the lesion and normal nervous tissue without excessive manipulation or retraction of adjacent structures. Such operative precision is particularly useful in pediatric neurosurgery where lesions commonly involve the brain stem, fourth ventricle, optic pathways, suprasellar region, or spinal cord.
BIGH3 Promotes Osteolytic Lesions in Renal Cell Carcinoma Bone Metastasis by Inhibiting Osteoblast Differentiation.

Abstract BACKGROUND : Bone metastasis is common in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and the lesions are mainly osteolytic. The mechanism of bone destruction in RCC bone metastasis is unknown. METHODS : We used a direct intrafemur injection of mice with bone-derived 786-O RCC cells (Bo-786) as an in vivo model to study if inhibition of osteoblast differentiation is involved in osteolytic bone lesions in RCC bone metastasis. RESULTS : We showed that bone-derived Bo-786 cells induced osteolytic bone lesions in the femur of mice. We examined the effect of conditioned medium of Bo-786 cells (Bo-786 CM) on both primary mouse osteoblasts and MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts and found that Bo-786 CM inhibited osteoblast differentiation. Secretome analysis of Bo-786 CM revealed that BIGH3 (Beta ig h3 protein), also known as TGFBI (transforming growth factor beta-induced protein), is highly expressed. We generated recombinant BIGH3 and found that BIGH3 inhibited osteoblast differentiation in vitro . In addition, CM from Bo-786 BIGH3 knockdown cells (786-BIGH3 KD) reduced the inhibition of osteoblast differentiation compared to CM from vector control. Intrafemural injection of mice with 786-BIGH3 KD cells showed a reduction in osteolytic bone lesions compared to vector control. Immunohistochemical staining of 18 bone metastasis specimens from human RCC showed strong BIGH3 expression in 11/18 (61%) and moderate BIGH3 expression in 7/18 (39%) of the specimens. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that suppression of osteoblast differentiation by BIGH3 is one of the mechanisms that enhance osteolytic lesions in RCC bone metastasis, and raise the possibilty that treatments that increase bone formation may improve therapy outcomes.
Media Consumption and Creation in Attitudes Toward and Knowledge of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Web-Based Survey.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gastrointestinal condition affecting over 5 million people globally and 1.6 million in the United States but currently lacks a precisely determined cause or cure. The range of symptoms IBD patients experience are often debilitating, and the societal stigmas associated with some such symptoms can further degrade their quality of life. Better understanding the nature of this public reproach then is a critical component for improving awareness campaigns and, ultimately, the experiences of IBD patients. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore and assess the public’s awareness and knowledge of IBD, as well as what relationship, if any, exists between the social stigma surrounding IBD, knowledge of the disease, and various media usage, including social media. Methods: Utilizing a Web-based opt-in platform, we surveyed a nationally representative sample (n=1200) with demographics mirroring those of the US Census figures across baseline parameters. Using constructed indices based on factor analysis, we were able to build reliable measures of personal characteristics, media behaviors, and perceptions and knowledge of IBD. Results: Among the American public, IBD is the most stigmatized of seven diseases, including genital herpes and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Additionally, IBD knowledge is generally low with 11.08% (133/1200) of the sample indicating no familiarity with the disease and 85.50% (1026/1200) of participants inaccurately answering two-thirds of the IBD index questions with which their knowledge was assessed. Increased knowledge of IBD is associated with lower levels of stigma. However, social media use is currently related to lower levels of IBD knowledge (P<.05). Furthermore, findings indicate that participants who most frequently engaged in producing social media content are less knowledgeable about IBD (P<.10), highlighting the potential for a dangerous cycle should they be contributing to a Web-based IBD dialogue. Conclusions: Greater efforts must be taken to stymie IBD misinformation across all media, but especially in social media channels, to increase IBD knowledge and reduce stigma surrounding IBD. These findings pave the way for further research qualitatively examining the pervasiveness of specific IBD messages found in today’s social media landscape and their impact on enacted stigmas so as to better equip providers and patient advocacy organizations with impactful communication solutions. [J Med Internet Res 2017;19(12):e403]
Hemodynamic effects of glutathione-liganded binuclear dinitrosyl iron complex: evidence for nitroxyl generation and modulation by plasma albumin

Glutathione-liganded binuclear dinitrosyl iron complex (glut-BDNIC) has been proposed to be a donor of nitric oxide (NO). This study was undertaken to investigate the mechanisms of vasoactivity, systemic hemodynamic effects, and pharmacokinetics of glut-BDNIC. To test the hypothesis that glut-BDNICs vasodilate by releasing NO in its reduced [nitroxyl (HNO)] state, a bioassay method of isolated, preconstricted ovine mesenteric arterial rings was used in the presence of selective scavengers of HNO or NO free radical (NO•); the vasodilatory effects of glut-BDNIC were found to have characteristics similar to those of an HNO donor and markedly different than an NO• donor. In addition, products of the reaction of glut-BDNIC with CPTIO [2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5-tetramethyl imidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide] were found to have electron paramagnetic characteristics similar to those of an HNO donor compared with an NO• donor. In contrast to S-nitroso-glutathione, which was vasodilative both in vitro and in vivo, the potency of glut-BDNIC-mediated vasodilation was markedly diminished in both rats and sheep. Wire myography showed that plasma albumin contributed to this loss of hypotensive effects, an effect abolished by modification of the cysteine-thiol residue of albumin. High doses of glut-BDNIC caused long-lasting hypotension in rats that can be at least partially attributed to its long circulating half-life of ∼44 minutes. This study suggests that glut-BDNIC is an HNO donor, and that its vasoactive effects are modulated by binding to the cysteine residue of plasma proteins, such as albumin.
Radiation, Lipid Peroxidation and the Role of Oxygen Radicals in Eicosanoid Metabolism

Exposure to ultraviolet or ionizing radiation can initiate the production and/or release of potent metabolites within specific organs, tissues or cell types, resulting in a wide range of effects. One class of biologically active agents whose production is affected by radiation is the eicosanoids. The biosynthesis of eicosanoids from their fatty acid precursors can be stimulated by either specific cell surface membrane receptors or general cell injury. Numerous studies have demonstrated that radiation alters the biosynthesis of prostaglandins (PGs) in a wide variety of tissues, including the lung, spleen, liver, skin and vasculature. While the precise role of PGs in the biological response to radiation is not fully understood, these alterations may be related to subsequent normal as well as pathophysiological responses.
A virtue ethics approach to framing troublesome diagnoses.

Virtue ethics can point the way toward an appropriate approach to communicating a diagnosis of nonepileptic seizures.