cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Harm investigation of flea to servicemen in rescue in earthquake-proof and effect observation of anti-flea

Objective To investigate the extent of flea harm to servicemen in rescue in earthquake-proof and evaluate validity of anti-flea measure.Methods Investigating extent of flea biting servicemen and observing effect of anti-flea to army in earthquake-proof through adopting synthesize measures.Results The rate of army infecting flea was 73.3% in 15 organizational units and the rate of flea biting servicemen was 5.3%~40.0% in infecting flea units.The number of erythema papilla can be reached 30 on one part of body surface in severe biting servicemen.The measure of touching off aerosol missiles,spewing heat aerosol or residual spraying pyrethroid insecticides which were carried out independently could effectively abate flea but did by halves.Harm of flea to servicemen could be comb-out by propaganda and educating reuniting with synthesize chemical control anti-flea measures.Conclusion Flea which does harm to servicemen health is the most important of all medical insects in prior period of earthquake-proof and it can be effectively controlled by synthesizely anti-flea measures.
Clinical Benefits Associated With Medicaid Coverage Before Diagnosis of Gynecologic Cancers

Purpose:Many low-income patients enroll in Medicaid at the time of cancer diagnosis, which improves survival outcomes. Medicaid enrollment before cancer diagnosis may confer additional benefits. Our objective was to compare stage at diagnosis and overall mortality between women with and without Medicaid enrollment before gynecologic cancer diagnosis.Methods and Materials:Women younger than 65 years with a gynecologic cancer (2003 to 2008) were identified through the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry and linked to state Medicaid enrollment files. Those with and without Medicaid enrollment within 6 months before diagnosis were identified. Propensity matching was used to balance the exposure groups. Stage at diagnosis was evaluated by using logistic regression, and all-cause mortality was assessed with Cox proportional hazard models.Results:Of 564 women, one half (n = 282) had prediagnosis Medicaid enrollment. Disease sites included the cervix (44%), uterus (25%), ovary (26%), and vulva/vagina (5%). Mor...
Characterization of aging propagation in Lithium-ion cells based on an electrochemical model

In this paper, we use an electrochemical degradation model to characterize aging propagation in Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cells. The three-time scale behavior of individual cells is formally studied using a singular perturbation theory approach. The resulting reduced aging battery model is used to quantify the aggravated degradation occurring to each cell, within an interconnected configuration, due to existing cell-to-cell variation, in the form of an aging gradient. Simulation results show the context-dependent aging propagation in the case of four cells connected in series.
The Slippery Slope of Sexual Decision-Making in Young Adults: The Role of Social and Cognitive Factors

Sexual decision-making in young adults continues to present challenges for public health and social science researchers more than three decades after the first HIV epidemic. The objective of this chapter is to identify relevant social and cognitive factors that may influence decision-making about risky sexual behavior in young adults. More specifically, the chapter focuses on our research on sexual decision-making among heterosexual urban college students in a high-risk HIV/AIDS community. Participants completed two weeks of daily sexual encounter diaries, followed by in-depth interviews. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. Results showed that participants’ decisions about the use of condoms varied by particular social factors, such as partner influence and condom use attitudes; and cognitive factors, such as perceptions of relationship status and HIV/STD risk assessment. Participants’ justification of their behavior differentiated higher- from lower- risk individuals. The findings suggest that in order to intervene effectively with higher-risk individuals, it is important to understand the nature of the evidence used to make decisions and the conditions under which these decisions change. Risky decision-making in the context of education, the role of technology, and adequate interventions are discussed.
Examining Potential Active Tempering of Adhesive Curing by Marine Mussels

Mussels generate adhesives for staying in place when faced with waves and turbulence of the intertidal zone. Their byssal attachment assembly consists of adhesive plaques connected to the animal by threads. We have noticed that, every now and then, the animals tug on their plaque and threads. This observation had us wondering if the mussels temper or otherwise control catechol chemistry within the byssus in order to manage mechanical properties of the materials. Here, we carried out a study in which the adhesion properties of mussel plaques were compared when left attached to the animals versus detached and exposed only to an aquarium environment. For the most part, detachment from the animal had almost no influence on the mechanical properties on low-energy surfaces. There was a slight, yet significant difference observed with attached versus detached adhesive properties on high energy surfaces. There were significant differences in the area of adhesive deposited by the mussels on a low- versus a high-energy surface. Mussel adhesive plaques appear to be unlike, for example, spider silk, for which pulling on the material is needed for assembly of proteinaceous fibers to manage properties.
Simulated fire behaviour in young, postfire lodgepole pine forests

Early-seral forests are expanding throughout western North America as fire frequency and annual area burned increase, yet fire behaviour in young postfire forests is poorly understood. We simulated fire behaviour in 24-year-old lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) stands in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States using operational models parameterised with empirical fuel characteristics, 50–99% fuel moisture conditions, and 1–60kmhr−1 open winds to address two questions: [1] How does fireline intensity, and crown fire initiation and spread vary among young, lodgepole pine stands? [2] What are the contributions of fuels, moisture and wind on fire behaviour? Sensitivity analysis indicated the greatest contributors to output variance were stand structure mediated wind attenuation, shrub fuel loads and 1000-h fuel moisture for fireline intensity; crown base height for crown fire initiation; and crown bulk density and 1-h fuel moisture for crown fire spread. Simulation results predicted crown fire (e.g. passive, conditional or active types) in over 90% of stands at 50th percentile moisture conditions and wind speeds greater than 3kmhr−1. We conclude that dense canopy characteristics heighten crown fire potential in young, postfire lodgepole pine forests even under less than extreme wind and fuel moisture conditions.
Structure-Function in Antibodies to Double-Stranded DNA

Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease affecting multiple organs. Despite highly diverse clinical manifestations, patients with SLE have in common high titers of serum autoantibodies that target normal tissues or cells. The binding to self-antigens and the formation of immune complexes can subsequently trigger pronounced inflammatory responses, which lead to injury and damage in target organs. Of the SLE-related antibodies, antibodies to double-stranded DNA have received the most focused experimental attention. These antibodies are highly specific for SLE, and are believed to play an instrumental role in kidney, skin, and brain-related manifestations. Considering the pathogenicity of anti-DNA antibodies, blocking their interaction with self-antigens in target tissues should have therapeutic potential. In this chapter, we discuss key aspects of the molecular structure of anti-dsDNA antibodies, and review some important features of antigen recognition by these antibodies. We point out several recent and surprising observations regarding the contribution of the constant region to the antigenic specificity and the catalytic potential of lupus associated antibodies. Finally, recent studies on the development of novel therapeutic approaches to block anti-DNA antibody deposition in SLE are highlighted, including the identification of DNA-mimicking peptides.
Love waves in compressible elastic materials with a homogeneous initial stress

In this paper, the motion of Love waves is considered in hyperelastic materials with an initially stressed reference configuration. Here, the Love wave is directed by a compressible layer on a compressible half-space and both are considered to be initially stressed. For the basic formulation of the problem, we make use of the nonlinear theory of elasticity and invariants of the stress tensor and deformation tensor. The equations governing a finite deformation superimposed by infinitesimal motions are used to the study the composite effect of finite deformation and initial stress on wave speed. Graphical illustrations are presented for theoretical results for a prototype model of material and also compared with the results already obtained for incompressible materials.
DNA Rearrangement and Expression of the c-myc Gene in a Human Myeloma

In both Burkitt’s lymphomas and murine plasmacytomas there are specific disease-associated chromosomal translocations that bring into contiguity one of the immunoglobulin gene loci with the c-myc proto-oncogene (Klein 1983). These specific chromosomal translocations can occur 5′ or 3′ of the c-myc oncogene and are believed to cause deregulation of expression of c-myc. This is supported by the fact that in these tumors only the c-myc gene involved in the translocation is expressed (Taub 1984).
Linear Stochastic Equations

In this chapter we shall show how under a sufficient condition a stochastic process induces a probability measure on the sigma-algebra of Borel sets of the Banach space of continuous functions. A special case of central importance is the Wiener measure, or equivalently, the Wiener Process. We can then define stochastic integrals with respect to the Wiener process, and in turn this leads us to linear stochastic differential systems with the Wiener process as the “forcing term.”
The Identification of Subcellular Fractions of the Central Nervous System

The understanding of cellular function should ultimately come from a comprehension of molecular events and their mode of integration into a working cell. A principle step in that integration takes place through the structuring of biochemical reactions at the subcellular level. This structure involves the components common to all cells, such as the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, lysosomes, and plasma membranes as well as such specialized features as the synaptic endings found on meurons in the CNS. A valid way of trying to understand the workings of a cell involves studying an isolated organelle. This requires the development of methods of purification and criteria for determining the degree of purity. This chapter is concerned with the assessment of advantages and limitations of subcellular purification techniques and the identification and evaluation of the resultant fractions.
Interdisciplinary Connections Across the Curriculum: Fostering Collaborations between Freshman and Capstone Students Through Peer-Review Assignments

Cultivating interdisciplinary connections between freshman and capstone students epitomizes a novel pedagogical approach to deepen student understanding of the learning process in a Community College environment. Within such a context, this article focuses on the outcomes of a two-semester collaborative effort that aims to establish and strengthen interactions between students at opposite ends of the academic spectrum. The work discussed focuses on an initiative in which capstone students in their culminating college class are supported in using their educational experiences to guide their first-year peers as they make the transition to college life. After discussing the creation and implementation of scaffolded collaborative assignments in which capstone students peer-reviewed freshman students work, the paper analyzes the impact of the research on student understanding of the learning process, the outcomes of self-reflection activities, student integration of knowledge and skills from diverse sources and the quality of their work in the peer-review endeavor.
Atypical Prodromal Symptoms Help to Distinguish Patients With Psychogenic Nonsyncopal Collapse Among Youth Referred for Fainting

Abstract Background Distinguishing patients with psychogenic nonsyncopal collapse (PNSC), a conversion disorder that resembles syncope, can pose a difficult clinical challenge. Using the open-ended question “what does it feel like to faint?,” the present study aimed to characterize how patients with PNSC perceive and communicate the prodromal symptoms associated with their attacks by comparing narratives between patients with PNSC and those with syncope. Methods During a 42-month database-type study of tilt-table diagnoses, all patients with a history of fainting were asked the open-ended question. Symptom descriptions were compared, qualitatively and quantitatively, between patients with PNSC and those with tilt-induced syncope (n = 121 in both cohorts). Results Twenty-nine patients (24%) diagnosed with PNSC and eight (6.6%) diagnosed with syncope either denied having any prodromal symptoms or could not recall any symptoms (P Conclusions Symptom narratives can help to distinguish patients with PNSC from those with syncope. The use of a single, open-ended question as a screening tool for conversion disorder has immediate clinical relevance because it can be instituted easily in a busy clinical setting.
Requests for Communication Repair Produced by Typically Developing Preschool-Age Children.

Purpose When breakdowns in communication occur, children may request a repair to increase understanding of the message. Unrepaired communication breakdowns may cause confusions, limit conversationa...
GP196 The use of a rapid antigen detection test for beta haemolytic group a streptococcus to aid the management of pharyngitis and tonsillitis in an irish tertiary paediatric emergency department

Background Acute sore throat is a common presentation to the Emergency Department (ED). Rapid-antigen detection testing (RADT) is used in our department to aid diagnosis of Group A streptococcus (GAS) as the cause of pharyngitis/tonsillitis as an adjunct to clinical assessment. Our aims were to assess use of RADT in management and treatment of pharyngitis/tonsillitis in the ED and compare our practice with current NICE guidelines. Methods This was a prospective study which took place at the Children’s University Hospital Dublin in 2018. A proforma was created and doctors were asked to complete this for children who had a RADT for GAS. Data collected included patient age, history, examination findings, rapid-antigen swab result, use of throat swab culture, use of antibiotics.The modified Centor score (MCS) was then calculated. Results Data collected on 102 patients. 1 patient excluded as data form incomplete. 16 (15.8%) patients had low MCS of 0,1 or 2. Of these, 1 patient was RADT positive and treated with antibiotics. 85 (84.2%) patients had high MCS of 3, 4 or 5. 26 (30.6%) were RADT positive and were treated with antibiotics. 59 (69.4%) were RADT negative –6 were treated with antibiotics. Of the 74 patients with a negative RADT, 20 of these had a throat culture sent. 25% had GAS positive culture. 42/101 patients were treated with antibiotics. 27 of these were RADT positive. Of the RADT negative patients, 8 were treated with antibiotics by the ED physician for pharyngitis/tonsillitis, 3 were treated for other diagnoses, 4 had antibiotics continued that were started by a primary care physician. Of the 27 children with a positive RADT swab, 92.5% had a MCS of 4 or 5. Conclusions NICE guidelines suggest no benefit of RADT testing over clinical scores alone. The low incidence of RADT positivity in the low risk MCS group (MCS 0,1 or 2) suggests we can safely not test and not offer antibiotics to these children. In the high MCS group (MCS 3, 4 or 5), only 37.6% of patients had antibiotics started by the ED physician suggesting that RADT may have a role in reducing the number of patients treated with antibiotics. A formal guideline will be created for use in our ED. In communities where the incidence of rheumatic fever is low, a balance must be made between reducing symptoms by a modest amount and the emerging issue of antimicrobial resistance.
Population Condition of Populus × smithii, a Pleistocene Relict Aspen of the Niobrara River Valley, Nebraska, USA

At Smith Falls State Park in northern Nebraska, a relict population of Populus × smithii, a hybrid of quaking aspen (P. tremuloides) and bigtooth aspen (P. grandidentata), has been targeted for management due to its rarity and risk of extirpation. This relict occurs under favorable microclimatic conditions in springbranch canyons along the Niobrara National Scenic River, but factors such as climate change, lack of regeneration, and competition with invasive juniper (Juniperus virginiana) make its persistence tenuous. This study was designed to assess the overall health of the Smith Falls aspen population and determine whether individual stands (n = 10) differed in condition, whether these differences in condition were related to environmental or demographic variables, and whether the condition of the stands was worsening. We found evidence of a declining aspen population, with crown loss and limb dieback documented across all size classes and worsening over a period of two y. Trees from younger, smaller size classes displayed less damage than older, larger ones, but accrued more damage over the two-y interval. At the stand level, higher levels of damage occurred in stands with larger area, more individual boles, and larger, older trees. Our findings suggest that this unique relict population of aspen is showing significant signs of decline but has potential to survive if managed with ecological principles of succession in mind.
Testimony Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: 'Shining Light on the Federal Regulatory Process'

This testimony addresses federal agency use of “guidance,” a term that covers all general statements that an agency makes, short of issuing full-blown binding regulations, that advise the public on how the agency plans to exercise its discretion or interpret law. Part I of my testimony explains that guidance is a very important means for increasing the transparency of federal agencies, though the use of guidance can detract from transparency if it substitutes for notice-and-comment rulemaking. If one’s goal is to increase transparency, one must confront a difficult tradeoff: if you attempt to increase transparency by requiring an agency to make policy only through highly participatory processes like notice and comment (which eat up lots of agency resources), the agency may give up articulating any policy at all, which is actually the worst outcome for transparency. Part II examines the principal justification for why guidance can be issued without notice and comment: that guidance, unlike a full-blown regulation, is not binding. In particular, I consider a common critique of this justification, i.e., that guidance is practically coercive in real life. Guidance can have powerful coercive effects in certain identifiable circumstances, but these effects are far from universal, and even when they happen, they typically are not consciously intended by agency officials. Coercive effects can be mitigated by certain institutional reforms, though many of these reforms would require resources and managerial initiative that may be in short supply. Part III considers the distinct questions that arise when guidance is deregulatory in nature, such that its use may shut out the people protected by regulatory statutes from participating in agency initiatives that may harm them. Part IV examines the ways in which agencies, when using guidance instead of notice-and-comment rulemaking, can foster transparency and public participation in ways that approach what is done in full-blown rulemaking. I consider the costs and benefits of these practices, which vary widely between different agencies and policies, and I note how they may sometimes lead to unintended and perverse consequences that require our vigilance. Overall, this is a subject fraught with tradeoffs between competing goods, variation between different regulatory areas, the risk of unintended consequences, and solutions that will work only with a commitment of scarce resources. Because of all this, improvements are most likely to be effective if pitched at a workable level of specificity. This counsels caution regarding any sweeping trans-agency legislation. It counsels in favor of seeking improvement at the level of an individual agency or program, either through oversight or possibly through legislation if there is sufficient groundwork laid through dialogue with the agency and experimentation at the agency.
Numerical Computation of Critical System Recovery Parameter Values by Trajectory Sensitivity Maximization

Consider a particular finite-time disturbance applied to a system governed by ordinary differential equations and which possesses a stable equilibrium point. The recovery of the system from a disturbance is a function of the system parameter values. It is an important though challenging problem to identify the system parameter values, called critical parameter values, for which the system is just marginally unable to recover from a particular disturbance. Such critical parameter values correspond to cases where the system state, at the instant when the disturbance clears, is on the boundary of the region of attraction of the stable equilibrium point. The paper proposes novel algorithms for numerically computing critical parameter values, both for one and arbitrary dimensional parameter spaces. In the latter case, the algorithm computes the critical parameter values that are nearest to a given point in parameter space. The key idea underpinning the algorithms is that on the boundary of the region of attraction, the trajectory becomes infinitely sensitive to small changes in parameter value. Therefore, critical parameter values are found by varying parameters so as to maximize trajectory sensitivities. The algorithms are demonstrated using a fourth-order power system test case.
Compensating for variations of optical properties in laser speckle micro-rheology of breast lesions (Conference Presentation)

Desmoplastic stiffening of breast carcinoma is the bulk scale manifestation of the extra-cellular matrix (ECM) micromechanical remodeling during neoplastic transformation. We have developed a novel optical imaging technology, termed laser speckle micro-rheology (LSM) for evaluating the micro-mechanical properties of tissue and investigating the implications of the mechano-pathological phenomena to the disease progression. Here, we present a new enhancement to the LSM processing scheme to extract the optical properties from speckle patterns and correct for residual speckle modulations to quantify the shear viscoelastic modulus of breast tissues. By accounting for optical variations, we observed an increased significance in the shear moduli differences between benign lesions and tumors and also between tumors of different histological diagnosis.
Design of the Biomedical Laser Laboratory and the Laser Operating Room

Laser research requires separate and planned facilities. This is true at least for biomedical applications. Furthermore, at least for the present, investigations in effects of the laser on living tissue will have to be controlled as much as possible. Such controlled research can be done and adequate precautions taken in areas devoted solely to laser work. If only an optical bench is used somewhere just in the corner of a room, it is difficult not only to work in this restricted area, but also to provide the special safety measures which laser research requires.
Electrocardiographic Changes in Acute Subendocardial Infarction II. Small Subendocardial Infarcts

Among 24 cases of small subendocardial infarctions included in this report are 10 cases of anteroseptal distribution in which the electrocardiogram was characterized by the presence of deeply inverted T waves in some or all of the precordial leads. Two other types of change encountered among the remaining 14 cases are described. Electrocardiographic changes in this group of 24 cases are compared with changes encountered in 5 cases of large and near circumferential acute subendocardial infarction described in part I of this study.
Case Scenario for Fluid Management in Obstetrics

During pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period, the physiological, hormonal, biochemical, and physical changes represent the adaptations that have a significant impact on perioperative fluid management. Anesthesia providers play a critical role in interpretation and decision making to select the most appropriate type and time for fluid administration, based on available cardiovascular and hemodynamic parameters, these parameters derived from clinical assessment and monitoring. Presence of additional comorbidities encourages the involvement of the multidisciplinary team to ensures favorable maternal and fetal outcomes (Cove, Pinsky, Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. 26:453–462, 2012).
Single-cell transcriptomic architecture of endothelial cells

Single-cell transcriptomics reveals organ-specific identities and sex-specific differences of endothelial cells.
Parallels Between COVID-19 and Antimicrobial Resistance: To What Extent Are We Willing to Accept Negative Personal Consequences for the Health of Others?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been a significant concern for public health and is likely to get worse without collaborative efforts worldwide. Management of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may further accelerate resistance patterns with the increased nonspecific antibiotic use for patients infected with the novel coronavirus, in an attempt to avoid secondary bacterial and fungal infections.^1,2^ Simultaneously, worldwide responses to the current pandemic have highlighted elements of human nature and societal collaboration that invite cautious optimism about humanity’s ability to prepare for and manage confrontations with incoming pathogens.
GE and Alphabet: A Tale of Two Conglomerates

GE, an American icon, is a falling giant, and Alphabet, of Silicon Valley, is a rising one. In this paper, we review writings on the organizational structure of conglomerates and the facts in the two cases, analyze the fall of GE, and the rise of Alphabet. Though GE is a conglomerate, its executives did not recognize it as such and attempted for decades to “integrate” its unrelated businesses. Its strategy for Internet-of-things and digital transformation of GE faced many internal obstacles, ran in to execution problems, and was not a growth priority. Alphabet played according what theory would suggest: keep the conglomerate structure simple, allocate resources efficiently, and act transparently. In contrast to GE, Alphabet networked some of its businesses and benefited from the networking economies. Though solutions are rampant in the press and elsewhere, this paper looks at how to apply the theory on conglomerates to inform the options for GE. There is a lot GE and Larry Culp can take away from Alphabet and Larry Page.
Perceived Oral Health Literacy, Behaviors, and Oral Health Care among Caregivers to the Homebound Population:

This study aimed to explore the level of perceived oral health literacy (OHL) among caregivers of the homebound population in the Chicago metropolitan area and how caregivers’ OHL impacts their ora...
Tuberculosis of the rare azygos lobe of the right lung.

Abstract Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the etiological agent of tuberculosis in humans. Tuberculosis is not only a highly contagious infectious disease, but also one of the top causes of death globally, especially in developing countries. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, and tuberculosis of the azygos lobe of the lung is extremely rare. This case report presents such a unique finding.
Many Souls, One Self: A Comparative Study of Multilingual Writing and Western Rhetoric

This essay investigates the connections between the experiences of multilingual students in L2 composition and the principal appeals of Western rhetoric. The purpose in doing so is to illustrate ways in which writers might be improved in the classroom with little to no expense to their specific ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Closer inspection of these connections suggests that in learning how to negotiate conformity to linguistic expectations and expression of self, educators can maintain the authenticity of student personas and still stimulate improvement and achievement in multilingual student writing.
Global Begins from Local : International Students and International Programs at Historically Black Community Colleges and Tribal Community Colleges

Chapter 14|13 pages Global Begins from Local: International Students and International Programs at Historically Black Community Colleges and Tribal Community Colleges By Krishna Bista This chapter offers an overview of international students and international education programs and initiatives at historically Black community colleges and tribal community colleges in the United States. This chapter also highlights the strengths and challenges of these community colleges and international programs. Building on their unique historical identities, heritage, and indigenous values of these institutions, the author argues that local is the beginning of global initiatives and draws some examples of exemplary community colleges that can be role model for other institutions.
A Case for Learning Assessment: A Response to Evans' Critical Linkages

In this discussion, Paul Bobrowski reviews the challenges facing management education and its link to business practices. While he and Evans agree that business linkages is an important yet not-well-understood concept for both practitioners and business..
28Si(3He, α)27Si reaction at 15 MeV

Abstract Measurements have been made of the angular distributions of alpha particles from the 28 Si ( 3 He , α) 27 Si reaction leading to the ground state and the 0.78, 0.96, 2.17, 2.65, 2.87 and 2.91 MeV excited states of 27 Si. The angular distribution of 15 MeV 3 He elastically scattered from 28 Si has also been measured. DWBA analysis of the angular distributions has been carried out and spectroscopic factors extracted. The results indicate the presence of considerable configuration mixing in the ground state of 28 Si.
Antiviral therapy of HSV-1 and -2

The discovery of effective antiviral agents has been facilitated by advances in the fields of molecular biology and virology. In the pre-antiviral era, the widely held belief was that any therapeutically meaningful interference with viral replication would destroy the host cell upon which viral replication was dependent. A growing understanding of host cell–virus interactions and viral replication, however, has led to the development of safe and effective antivirals. These agents act by impeding entry of viruses into host cells; interfering with viral assembly, release, or de-aggregation; inhibiting transcription or replication of the viral genome; or interrupting viral protein synthesis.
Glia Maturation Factor Expression in Hippocampus of Human Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of neuropathological lesions containing amyloid plaques (APs) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) associated with neuroinflammation and neuronal degeneration. Hippocampus is one of the earliest and severely damaged areas in AD brain. Glia maturation factor (GMF), a known proinflammatory molecule is up-regulated in AD. Here, we have investigated the expression and distribution of GMF in relation to the distribution of APs and NFTs in the hippocampus of AD brains. Our immunohistochemical results showed GMF is expressed specifically in the vicinity of high density of APs and NFTs in the hippocampus of AD patients. Moreover, reactive astrocytes and activated microglia surrounds the APs and NFTs. We further demonstrate that GMF immunoreactive glial cells were increased at the sites of Tau containing NFTs and APs of hippocampus in AD brains. In conclusion, up-regulated expression of GMF in the hippocampus, and the co-localization of GMF and thioflavin-S stained NFTs and APs suggest that GMF may play important role in the pathogenesis of AD.
Thermochemistry of a synthetic Na-Mg-rich triple-chain silicate: Determination of thermodynamic variables

An understanding of the thermodynamics of triple-chain silicate phases can offer insight into their formation in nature. Because the more common Mg triple-chain silicates have not yet been synthesized, this study focused on the Na-analogue to clinojimthompsonite (Na-cjt), which forms readily in a laboratory setting. Synthetic Na-cjt was characterized using electron microscopy and microanalysis, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and loss on ignition to determine its water content. The results of these studies indicated a formula for Na-cjt of Na 3.74 Mg 8.13 Si 12 O 32.00 (OH) 4 ·1.40H 2 O, although there was substantial uncertainty (±13%) associated with the total water (OH + H 2 O) content. A series of experimental reversals was performed over a temperature range of 350–650 °C and a pressure range of 0.1–1 GPa for the reaction between Na-cjt and a double-chain silicate. In the pressure range of 0.2–0.5 GPa, this reaction has the stoichiometry Na 3.74 Mg 8.13 Si 12 O 32.00 (OH) 4 ·1.40 H 2 O (Na-cjt) = 1.5 Na 2.49 Mg 5.42 Si 8 O 21.34 (OH) 2.66 (Na-Mg amph) + 1.40 H 2 O. The equilibrium boundary reaches a maximum temperature near 550 °C at 0.4 GPa, continuing to lower temperatures above this pressure. The third-law entropy and enthalpy of formation of both Na-cjt and the associated Na-Mg amphibole were measured using adiabatic and oxide-melt solution calorimetry, respectively. Calculating the equilibrium boundary for the reaction using the calorimetrically determined values does not produce the same boundary found through the experimental reversals. The discrepancy was attributed to water variability in Na-cjt with pressure. This variability and its effect on Na-cjt’s thermodynamic values can be expressed by the following equations that, for simplicity, indicate the total water content (OH + H 2 O) as moles of H 2 O in Na-cjt over the range of 0.1 to 1.0 GPa: \begin{eqnarray*}&&{\nu}_{H_{2}O}\ (moles\ of\ H_{2}O\ in\ Na_{3.74}Mg_{8.13}Si_{12}O_{30.60}{\cdot}{\nu}_{H_{2}O})\ =\ 11.06\ +\ 28.36\mathit{P}\ {-}\ 5.25\mathit{P}^{2}\ {-}\ 29.01\mathit{P}^{0.5}\ (\mathit{P}\ in\ GPa)\\&&{\Delta}\mathit{H}_{f}{^\circ}\ of\ Na_{3.74}Mg_{8.13}Si_{12}O_{30.60}{\cdot}{\nu}_{H_{2}O}\ (kJ/mol)\ =\ {-}295.5{\nu}_{H_{2}O},\ Na-cjt\ {-}\ 17\ 408.8\\&&\mathit{S}{^\circ}\ of\ Na_{3.74}Mg_{8.13}Si_{12}O_{30.60}{\cdot}{\nu}_{H_{2}O}\ [J/(K{\cdot}mol)]\ =\ 43.4{\nu}_{H_{2}O},\ Na-cjt\ +\ 756.5\\&&\mathit{V}\ of\ Na_{3.74}Mg_{8.13}Si_{12}O_{30.60}{\cdot}{\nu}_{H_{2}O}\ [J/(bar{\cdot}mol)]\ =\ 1.46{\nu}_{H_{2}O},\ Na-cjt\ +\ 36.90\end{eqnarray*} where the entropy does not include any contributions from configurational mixing. If one includes configurational entropy contributions from cation and vacancy disorder in the triple-chain silicate and amphibole, one obtains S ° and Δ H f ° for Na-cjt of 919.2 J/(K·mol) and −18 417.6 kJ/mol, respectively, and S ° and Δ H f ° for Na-Mg amphibole of 650.9 J/(K·mol) and −11 919.7 kJ/mol, respectively.
Inhibition of electron transfer and the electrogenic reaction in the cytochrome bf complex by 2-n-nonyl-4-hydroxyquinolineN-oxide (NQNO) and 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone (DBMIB)

Abstract We investigated the interaction between the cytochrome b f complex and plastoquinone by determining the effect of the electron transport inhibitors 2- n -nonyl-4-hydroxy-quinoline N -oxide (NQNO) and 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl- p -benzoquinone (DBMIB) on the flash-induced turnover of cytochromes b 6 and f , on the slow phase of the electrogenic reaction (515 s ) and on steady-state electron transport. The experiments were performed using thylakoid membranes in the presence of duroquinol, methyl viologen, and diuron, conditions in which electron transport is driven by Photosystem I and includes the cytochrome b f complex. The data from these experiments indicate that NQNO and DBMIB inhibit at two different sites on the cytochrome b f complex. The data can be accommodated by a modified Q-cycle in which the primary site of inhibition by NQNO is the quinone reductase site (Q c ) and the primary site of DBMIB inhibition is the quinol oxidase site (Q z ). NQNO is envisioned to inhibit the oxidation of the cytochrome b 6 -heme located nearest the outer aqueous phase, as well as to slow electron transfer between the two b -hemes. The effect of NQNO on the 515 s supports the notion that the slow electrogenic reaction is due to electron transfer between the two cytochrome b 6 -hemes, followed by a reaction associated with plastoquinone reduction at the Q c -site (Jones and Whitmarsh (1985) Photobiochem. Photobiophys. 9, 119–127). The results indicate that the Q z -site and Q c -site are likely separated by 70% of the dielectrically weighted distance across the membrane. At low concentrations of DBMIB the kinetics of the 515 s and cytochrome b 6 reduction are monophasic, indicating that DBMIB moves from one inhibitory site to another within the turnover time of the cytochrome b f complex. This observation suggests that the debinding rate of DBMIB from the Q z -site is greater than 200 s −1 . Lastly, comparing the effect of DBMIB on the extent of cytochrome f oxidation and the rate of cytochrome f reduction, raises the possibility that DBMIB has a second lower affinity binding site on the cytochrome b f complex, possibly interrupting electron flow between the FeS center and cytochrome f .
The Influence of Plant Spatial Patterns on Insect Populations

Three different densities of planting were employed in this investigation of the influence of plant spatial patterns on the animal community associated with Brassica oleracea L. (Cruciferae). Plants were spaced at 6 inches, 18 inches, and 9 feet in rows that were, respectively, 6 inches, 36 inches, and 9 feet apart, so that on equivalent areas of 7,500 square feet there were totals of 30,600, 1,768, and 80 plants, respectively. An inverse relationship was found between plant density and the total number of animal taxa present in the various plantings. The proportion of herbivore taxa to carnivore taxa was greatest in the dense planting, least in the dispersed one, but the density of many herbivores in the sparse and dispersed plantings was more than five times that in the dense planting. Plant survival in nature often depends upon a spatial pattern of dense design.
Structural changes occurring in coal liquefaction

Abstract Wyodak and Monterey Coals have been liquefied in solvents of systematically varied composition, and the products characterized by selective oxidation. Comparison of results of treating model compounds and the parent coals indicates that liquefaction results in an increase in arylmethyl groups and in dehydrogenation of alicyclic rings to form aromatic rings.
Transient simulation of lossy interconnects based on the recursive convolution formulation

An approach for transient simulation of lossy interconnects terminated in arbitrary nonlinear elements based on convolution simulation is presented. The Pade approximations of each line's characteristics or each multiconductor line's modal functions are used to derive a recursive convolution formulation, which greatly reduces the amount of computation used to perform convolutions. The approach can handle frequency-varying effects, such as skin effects, and general coupling situations. The errors introduced by Pade approximations are analyzed, and a scheme for determining the necessary order for an approximation is developed. The approach has been incorporated in the stepwise equivalent conductance timing simulator (SWEC) for digital CMOS circuits. Comparisons with SPICE3.e indicate that SWEC, which gives accurate results, can be one to two orders of magnitude faster. >
Cultured Human Fibroblasts Secrete Insulin-Like Growth Factor IA Prohormone*

Nucleotide sequencing of the two known cDNAs encoding human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) predicts the existence of two different prohormone forms of IGF-I. The E peptide regions extend the carboxy-terminus of IGF-I by either an additional 35 (IGF-IA) or 77 (IGF-IB) amino acids. With a specific and sensitive RIA employing an antiserum directed against a synthetic peptide that is unique to the E peptide region of IGF-IA prohormone (EIA), we have identified EIA-immunoreactive material in the conditioned medium of fetal and postnatal human fibroblasts in culture. Incubation of postnatal human fibroblasts with GH increased specific immunoreactive EIA secretion 2- to 3-fold. There was no immunologically detectable 7.5K IGF-I or IGF-II peptide in acid-chromatographed human fibroblast-conditioned medium under either basal or GH-stimulated conditions. Acid chromatography of human fibroblast-conditioned medium on Sephadex G-75 revealed a single elution peak of EIA immunoreactivity corresponding to a mol wt of 9-17 K. With neutral chromatography, EIA immunoreactivity eluted at 25-38K mol wt. These data suggest that the E peptide region of IGF-IA is translated and released as part of the prohormone form in cultured human fibroblasts, and that the levels of this prohormone are regulated by GH.
Modeling and approximation of stochastic differential equations driven by semimartingales

The modeling and approximation of stochastic differential equations driven by semi-martingales with both jump and continuous components are considered. A model, which is a generalization of Mcshane's canonical extension and the stochastic differential equations of Fisk-Stratonovich, is defined and analyzed by means of the theory of semimartingales. It is proved that this generalized canonical extension possesses many of the same desirable properties as that of Mcshane, but it is applicable to a much wider class of noise processes. In particular, several approximation (or continuity or stability) results are proved; these show (under various sets of hypotheses and in various topologies) that if a sequence of noise processes z m converges to a noise process z, then the solutions of the canonical extension corresponding to z m converge to the solution corresponding to z.
Differential Mortality, General and Cause-Specific in Buffalo, 1939–41

DEMOGRAPHIC phenomena provide the social scientist with relatively precise and objective data. Research shows such phenomena closely related to social and cultural factors. Age, nativity, race, sex and socio-economic status relate to mortality [2, 5] the relation varying with the cause of death [1, 8, 9]. This paper presents further evidence of variation of demographic phenomena with socio-economic status. It summarizes highlights of a study [12] undertaken to combine and retest previous methodological and substantive findings concerning mortality in a metropolis. It presents for the city of Buffalo, New York: (1) differentials in mortality from all causes; (2) cause-specific mortality differentials, and (3) infant mortality differentials.
Foreign exchange legislation transformation and enterprise demography in India

This article evaluates the extent to which the legislative changes relating to foreign exchange that have taken place in India within the last few decades, and in particular after 1991, have made an impact on the presence of foreign firms in the economy. The data cover the period 1957–1958 to 2001–2002, and include the entire population of India’s corporate sector. In the period after reforms commenced in 1991, the number of foreign firms in India has increased very substantially. The transformation of the foreign exchange regulation act (FERA) to the foreign exchange management act (FEMA) in 1999 has had a positive effect in inducing foreign firms to India. The FEMA legislation simplifies the maze of controls, procedures and bureaucratic minutiae that have to be observed by all those undertaking to set up and operate a business in India. The changes in the legislative regimes make India attractive as an investment destination for foreign firms.
Histiocytic cytophagic panniculitis.

Abstract Nineteen cases of histiocytic cytophagic panniculitis from our institution and from the literature were reviewed for their clinical and histopathologic features. All patients had cutaneous involvement consisting of cutaneous nodules and plaques that occasionally were ecchymotic and ulcerated and were characterized by infiltration of the subcutaneous tissue by large, benign histiocytes with cytophagic features. Thirteen of the patients had died (nine with hemorrhagic complications), four patients had a benign course with remission of the disease, and two patients responded to aggressive polychemotherapy, Immunohistochemical studies of paraffin-embedded tissue, performed in five cases, revealed a large number of infiltrating T cells in the subcutaneous inflammatory lesions.
Checking behavior in a threatening situation

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether compulsive checking was associated with greater checking behavior and slower performance in a personally relevant and potentially threatening task. Students in an abnormal psychology class completed the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory and the Everyday Checking Behavior Scale early in the semester. One month later during the first examination they were asked to record the number of times they went over (checked) each exam question after first answering it. The amount of time taken by subjects to complete this and the final exam was also recorded. The MOCI-check subscale and ECBS were correlated with the number of answer checks. MOCI-check scores were also correlated with the time taken to complete each exam. It was suggested that the characteristic of indecisiveness may be responsible for these relationships.
Reliability of phases retrieved from 400-kV spot-scan images of purple membranes acquired on a slow-scan CCD camera.

Glucose-embedded purple membranes were used as a test specimen to evaluate the reliability of phases retrieved from 400-kV spot-scan images acquired on a 1024 × 1024 slow-scan CCD camera. This specimen was chosen because it represents a broad class of low-contrast radiation-sensitive biological objects and its structure is well established. The amplitudes of computed reflections from these images were strongly damped by the modulation transfer function of the camera. Nevertheless, their phases on average were < 12° different from the reference data of Henderson et al. (1986), Ultramicroscopy, 19, 147–178, up to 8.8 A resolution, which corresponds to 0.8 of the Nyquist frequency of the camera.