cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gravitational differentiation due to initial chemical stratification: origin of lunar asymmetry by the creep of dense KREEP?

Abstract Models for the evolution of the Moon must explain a number of important characteristics of its magmatic history. Primary among them is the emplacement of mare basalts primarily on one side of the Moon, and in a region of the surface roughly correlating with that containing high subsurface concentrations of KREEP. It is thus important to explore mechanisms which will regionally concentrate a KREEP layer early in lunar evolution and which ∼400–500 Myr later give rise to mare basalt generation beneath the same region. Gravitational instability of a chemically dense, ilmenite-rich cumulate created during the fractionation of an anorthositic crust is one candidate model. If so, gravitational instability must occur at long wavelength to explain the hemispheric asymmetry. We examine the Rayleigh–Taylor instability of a dense layer near the surface of a sphere, representing the lunar mantle, in which the viscosity varies with depth. Our results show that spherical harmonic degree 1 is the fastest growing wavelength of instability if the viscosity of the dense layer is sufficiently low relative to that of the deeper mantle or if the viscosity of the mantle increases with depth. However, the viscosity increase cannot be distributed over a depth that is too large. We explore whether a residual KREEP-like layer near the base of anorthositic crust might give rise to these needed conditions.
One-Month Test-Retest Reliability of a Five-Item Food Security Survey with Fourth-Grade Children

We investigated one-month test-retest reliability of fourth-grade children’s responses to five food security questions used by NHANES. Children were participants in a dietaryreporting validation study in spring, 2011, in six classes at two public schools (where 73% and 92% of children, respectively, were eligible for free/reduced price school meals). Researchers distributed surveys, then read questions and response options, to children in classes. The questions, which began “In the last 30 days. . .” and ended “. . .because your family didn’t have enough money for food” (except #3 excluded “money for”), were #1. . .was the size of your meals cut. . ., #2. . .did you eat less than you thought you should. . ., #3. . .were youhungry but didn’t eat. . ., #4. . .did you skip ameal. . ., and#5. . .did you not eat for a whole day. . .. Response options were a lot, sometimes, never, refuse to answer, and don’t know (except #5 excluded “a lot” and included “once/twice”). Affirmative responses (a lot, sometimes, once/twice) were coded 1; other responses were coded 0. We summed binary-coded responses to create scores, and categorized 0 as food secure, 1-3 as low food secure, and 4-5 as very low food secure. Each of 97 children (52 girls; 81% Black) completed surveys twice separatedby27-30days. Kendall’s Tau coefficient between scores for the two administrations was 0.67 (p 0.0001). A paired t-test indicated that scores differed (decreased) significantly between administrations (mean SD: first 0.95 1.29, second 0.65 1.14) [p 0.0028]. In conclusion, children’s survey responses concerning “the last 30 days” on two occasions onemonth apart indicated that food security increased.
Retinal mechanisms determine the subadditive response to polychromatic light by the human circadian system

Light is the major synchronizer of circadian rhythms to the 24-h solar day. The intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) play a central role in circadian regulation but cones also provide, albeit indirectly, input to these cells. In humans, spectrally opponent blue versus yellow (b-y) bipolar cells lying distal to the ganglion cell layer were hypothesized to provide direct input to the ipRGCs and therefore, the circadian system should exhibit subadditivity to some types of polychromatic light. Ten subjects participated in a within-subjects 3-night protocol. Three experimental conditions were employed that provided the same total irradiance at both eyes: (1) one unit of blue light (lambda(max)=450 nm, 0.077 W/m(2)) to the left eye plus one unit of green light (lambda(max)=525 nm, 0.211 W/m(2)) to the right eye, (2) one unit of blue light to the right eye plus one unit of green light to the left eye, and (3) 1/2 unit of blue light plus 1/2 unit of green light to both eyes. The first two conditions did not differ significantly in melatonin suppression while the third condition had significantly less melatonin suppression than conditions 1 and 2. Furthermore, the magnitudes of suppression were well predicted by a previously published model of circadian phototransduction incorporating spectral opponency. As was previously demonstrated, these results show that the human circadian system exhibits a subadditive response to certain polychromatic light spectra. This study demonstrates for the first time that subadditivity is due to spectrally opponent (color) retinal neurons.
Measurement of the oscillator strength of the E2 transition Cs(6S-5D)

Abstract We have measured the transition probability of the electric quadrupole transition Cs(6S-5D) as 21 ± 1.5 s −1 using two-photon ionization of the ground state 6S, and the 5D as an intermediate state. It was previously measured by a number of methods with conflicting results. Our measurement is in agreement with a laser absorption-fluorescence measurement, and in disagreement with the results of anomalous dispersion, emission, and electron impact techniques. Our result is in agreement with a very recent relativistic calculation.
Psychology and medical education: collaborations for culturally responsive care.

Recent years have witnessed an increasing attention to the vast and alarming health disparities in the United States. This paper explores provider factors in health disparities, considering the role of medical education in training health care providers to practice culturally responsive health care toward a diminution of health inequalities. The paper begins with a description of culturally responsive care along with an overview of the key elements of a comprehensive curriculum for health care providers in this arena. Next, the paper explores the key contributions from the field of psychology to collaborative instruction of health care providers in the areas of attitudes/awareness, knowledge and skills components of culturally responsive care. Finally, the paper concludes with a description of collaborative teaching from a family medicine residency program where a 33-h ‘cultural medicine curriculum within the curriculum’ is delivered over the course of 3 years.
Poverty and Self-Reported Mental Disorders: Findings from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span Study (HANDLS)

Purpose To examine the contributions of individual-level variables, specifically poverty levels, on risks of mental health problems among HANDLS participants. Methods Study participants were 597 African Americans and 168 white adults from a population-based study. In addition to individual-level characteristics including age, gender, marital status, education, race, self-rated health, insurance coverage, global cognitive function, and depressive symptoms, participants were also assessed for the presence of self-reported mental illness symptoms. Mental disorders including obsessive-compulsive, psychosis, social phobia, and generalized anxiety were extracted from the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ). Poverty levels were defined using the federal definition of poverty status, such that participants were considered to be poor if they were at or below the 125% poverty threshold. Participants were divided into four groups: poor African Americans (n=428), poor Whites (n=34), advantaged African Americans (n=169) and advantaged Whites (n=134). Results Several multivariate logistic regression approaches were used. For all analyses, the advantaged white group was used as the reference group. Adjusting for other confounding variables, poor African Americans were 2.88 times more likely to have obsessive-compulsive disorder and 2.13 times more likely to have psychosis disorder than advantaged Whites. Conclusion Poor mental health is associated with low socioeconomic status. Our findings emphasize the potential importance of poverty as a risk factor for specific mental health disorders.
Integrating triple bottom line input–output analysis into life cycle sustainability assessment framework: the case for US buildings

With the increasing concerns related to integration of social and economic dimensions of the sustainability into life cycle assessment (LCA), traditional LCA approach has been transformed into a new concept, which is called as life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA). This study aims to contribute the existing LCSA framework by integrating several social and economic indicators to demonstrate the usefulness of input–output modeling on quantifying sustainability impacts. Additionally, inclusion of all indirect supply chain-related impacts provides an economy-wide analysis and a macro-level LCSA. Current research also aims to identify and outline economic, social, and environmental impacts, termed as triple bottom line (TBL), of the US residential and commercial buildings encompassing building construction, operation, and disposal phases. To achieve this goal, TBL economic input–output based hybrid LCA model is utilized for assessing building sustainability of the US residential and commercial buildings. Residential buildings include single and multi-family structures, while medical buildings, hospitals, special care buildings, office buildings, including financial buildings, multi-merchandise shopping, beverage and food establishments, warehouses, and other commercial structures are classified as commercial buildings according to the US Department of Commerce. In this analysis, 16 macro-level sustainability assessment indicators were chosen and divided into three main categories, namely environmental, social, and economic indicators. Analysis results revealed that construction phase, electricity use, and commuting played a crucial role in much of the sustainability impact categories. The electricity use was the most dominant component of the environmental impacts with more than 50 % of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption through all life cycle stages of the US buildings. In addition, construction phase has the largest share in income category with 60 % of the total income generated through residential building’s life cycle. Residential buildings have higher shares in all of the sustainability impact categories due to their relatively higher economic activity and different supply chain characteristics. This paper is an important attempt toward integrating the TBL perspective into LCSA framework. Policymakers can benefit from such approach and quantify macro-level environmental, economic, and social impacts of their policy implications simultaneously. Another important outcome of this study is that focusing only environmental impacts may misguide decision-makers and compromise social and economic benefits while trying to reduce environmental impacts. Hence, instead of focusing on environmental impacts only, this study filled the gap about analyzing sustainability impacts of buildings from a holistic perspective.
Differential induction and spread of tau pathology in young PS19 tau transgenic mice following intracerebral injections of pathological tau from Alzheimer’s disease or corticobasal degeneration brains

Filamentous tau pathologies are hallmark lesions of several neurodegenerative tauopathies including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) which show cell type-specific and topographically distinct tau inclusions. Growing evidence supports templated transmission of tauopathies through functionally interconnected neuroanatomical pathways suggesting that different self-propagating strains of pathological tau could account for the diverse manifestations of neurodegenerative tauopathies. Here, we describe the rapid and distinct cell type-specific spread of pathological tau following intracerebral injections of CBD or AD brain extracts enriched in pathological tau (designated CBD-Tau and AD-Tau, respectively) in young human mutant P301S tau transgenic (Tg) mice (line PS19) ~6–9 months before they show onset of mutant tau transgene-induced tau pathology. At 1 month post-injection of CBD-Tau, tau inclusions developed predominantly in oligodendrocytes of the fimbria and white matter near the injection sites with infrequent intraneuronal tau aggregates. In contrast, injections of AD-Tau in young PS19 mice induced tau pathology predominantly in neuronal perikarya with little or no oligodendrocyte involvement 1 month post-injection. With longer post-injection survival intervals of up to 6 months, CBD-Tau- and AD-Tau-induced tau pathology spread to different brain regions distant from the injection sites while maintaining the cell type-specific pattern noted above. Finally, CA3 neuron loss was detected 3 months post-injection of AD-Tau but not CBD-Tau. Thus, AD-Tau and CBD-Tau represent specific pathological tau strains that spread differentially and may underlie distinct clinical and pathological features of these two tauopathies. Hence, these strains could become targets to develop disease-modifying therapies for CBD and AD.
A New Model for Quantifying the Extent of Interaction between Soluble Polyphenylene-Vinylenes and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Solvent Dispersions

The ability to disperse and, hence, manipulate single-walled carbon nanotubes is critical for their use in organic photovoltaic devices, either as a transparent electrode or as an electron acceptor material. We present data to quantify the physical interaction of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with two soluble phenylene vinylene conjugated polymers, poly[2′-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] and poly(2,5-di(hexyloxy)cyanoterephthalylidene). We provide static quenching constants, associated with polymer-SWCNT complexation, as a weight percent ratio of polymer to nanotubes for different solvent and polymer concentration conditions. Optimization of conditions for nanotube dispersion using a given polymer can now be predicted, and furthermore, we can describe a technique allowing for enhanced relative comparisons of polymer materials for nanotube dispersion.
Environmental and hold time effects on fatigue of low-tin lead-based solder

The effect of environment on the strain-controlled fatigue resistance of a high-lead-low-tin solder was determined by comparing results in vacuum to those in air (wet and dry) and CO2 (wet and dry). At low strain amplitude, air and CO2 were shown to reduce the cycles to failure defined on the basis of the decrease in maximum cycle stress. The effect increases as the strain amplitude is reduced. Water vapor had little effect. Previously, the Coffin-Manson (C-M) relation was shown to fail for tests in air. The amount of failure is less in vacuum. The main fatigue failure mode is grain-boundary (GB) cracking, and this is accelerated by air or CO2. Auger spectroscopy showed that there is tin buildup near the surface during fatigue in air or CO2. The more rapid GB fracture was attributed to tin oxide (or tin oxide-lead oxide solid solution) buildup in the GB, where diffusion is more rapid.
Quantitative bacteriology of endodontic infections

A technique is described for obtaining quantitative cultures of endodontic specimens. Paper point samplings were placed in a diluted salt solution, vortexed, and then cultured quantitatively using serial dilutions plated onto multiple media. Specimen weight was determined by weighing the point before and after specimen collection. This method was used in 10 nonvital teeth and showed a mean concentration of 10(7.7) bacteria per gram of sample. Nine specimens yielded a mixed aerobic-anaerobic flora, and there was an average of five different bacterial species per specimen in concentrations exceeding 10(5)/gm.
Rhetorical visions of health: a fantasy-theme analysis of celebrity articles

This research focuses on prevalent celebrity health stories in top-circulating American magazines, using fantasy-theme analysis to evaluate messages about health behaviour and attitudes. Specifically, this analysis compares health stories about celebrities who have cancer, a health problem that is largely out of personal control, with those about celebrities with health problems perceived as being caused by overindulgence (addiction and obesity). By examining the fantasy themes at play in celebrity health accounts and identifying which aspects of reality are made salient, we theorise about what the messages accomplish in terms of creating two rhetorical visions within the framework of symbolic convergence theory. The fantasy themes we analyse reveal messages about morality, privilege, and authority. The paper looks at how health messages from and about celebrities could serve to establish moral communities that sanction or penalise certain health behaviours through their normative influence on audiences. ...
Isolation, characterization, and physical mapping of temperature-sensitive mutants of vaccinia virus.

Abstract Thirty-nine new temperature-sensitive mutants of vaccinia virus have been isolated, expanding a previously reported collection of mutants ( R. C. Condit and A. Motyczka, Virology 113 , 224–241, 1981 ) to a total of 65. The 65 mutants have been assigned to 32 complementation groups, based primarily on a qualitative spot test described previously ( Condit and Motyczka, 1981 ). Representatives of each complementation group have been assayed for DNA and protein synthesis at the nonpermissive temperature, revealing one new DNA-negative complementation group, three new groups which contain mutants defective in late protein synthesis, and ten new groups containing mutants which synthesize DNA and protein in a normal fashion. Marker rescue has been achieved with 29 of the 65 mutants using cloned DNA fragments from wild-type virus. These 29 mutants together represent 20 of the 32 complementation groups. A preliminary physical map of the mutants is presented.
Hegemonia e contra-hegemonia na globalização do direito: a “advocacia de interesse público” nos Estados Unidos e na América Latina / Hegemony and counter-hegemony in legal globalization: “public interest law” in the US and Latin America

DOI: 10.12957/dep.2015.15408 Resumo Hegemonia e contra hegemonia na globalizacao de direito: a “advocacia de interesse publico" nos Estados Unidos e na America Latina Este trabalho se propoe a revisitar o texto “Podera o Direito ser emancipatorio?”, de Boaventura de Sousa Santos, tendo em vista atuais processos de difusao de ideologias e praticas juridicas com pretensao emancipatoria, como parte dos processos de globalizacao aos quais se refere o autor. Para tanto, o trabalho situa o texto “Podera o Direito ser emancipatorio” no conjunto da obra de Santos, com destaque para o modo pelo qual ele articula a relacao entre hegemonia e contra-hegemonia na construcao social de praticas juridicas “cosmopolitas” ou “subalternas” neste inicio de seculo XXI. Em seguida, o trabalho examina essa relacao em maior profundidade, a partir de analise comparativa do “direito de interesse publico” (DIP) nos EUA e na America Latina. Por fim, com base nas discussoes precedentes, o trabalho sugere desafios para a pesquisa socio-juridica interessada em seguir enfrentando a questao que deu titulo ao seminal artigo de Santos. Palavras-chave: direito; emancipacao social; profissoes juridicas; globalizacao Abstract This paper seeks to revisit Boaventura de Sousa Santos’s article "Can the law be emancipatory?” in light of current processes of diffusion in legal ideologies and practices with emancipatory goals, which are part of the multiple processes of globalization that the author refers to. To do so, the paper situates "Can the law be emancipatory” in the broader context of Santos’ scholarly work, with an emphasis on how he has articulated the relationship between hegemony and counter-hegemony in the social construction of "cosmopolitan" or "subaltern” legal practices in this beginning of the 21st century. The paper then examines such relationship in more depth, in view of comparative research on "public interest law” (PIL) in the US and Latin America. Finally, based on the previous discussions, the paper suggests challenges for socio-legal research interested in keep addressing the issue that Santos’ seminal article raises right in its title. Keywords: law; social emancipation; legal profession; globalization
Identification of an mRNA-Decapping Regulator Implicated in X-Linked Mental Retardation

Two major decapping enzymes are involved in the decay of eukaryotic mRNA, Dcp2 and DcpS. Despite the detection of robust DcpS decapping activity in cell extract, minimal to no decapping is detected from human Dcp2 (hDcp2) in extract. We now demonstrate that one reason for the lack of detectable hDcp2 activity in extract is due to the presence of inhibitory trans factor(s). Furthermore, we demonstrate that a previously identified testis-specific protein of unknown function implicated in nonspecific X-linked mental retardation, VCX-A, can function as an inhibitor of hDcp2 decapping in vitro and in cells. VCX-A is a noncanonical cap-binding protein that binds to capped RNA but not cap structure lacking an RNA. Its cap association is enhanced by hDcp2 to further augment the ability of VCX-A to inhibit decapping. Our data demonstrate that VCX-A can regulate mRNA stability and that it is an example of a tissue-specific decapping regulator.
The Empty Forest Syndrome

In the early evening of July 22, 2007, rangers in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo, heard the sound of gunfire ringing down from the highlands. The next morning, they discovered the bodies of three female mountain gorillas lying in rain-soaked, dense montane vegetation. Each of the females had been shot, but the pregnant subadult also had been badly burned—perhaps to offend the rangers. Officials believe the killings were politically motivated and probably carried out by Hutu extremists who, since the end of the Rwandan Civil War, have been decimating the forest habitat to support their illegal charcoal trade. The park’s mountain gorillas teeter on the brink of extinction—only 350 individuals remain in the Virunga Mountains, which includes protected habitat in Virunga National Park, DRC; Mgahinga Park, Uganda; and Volcanoes Park, Rwanda; and another 320 survive in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The appalling objective of the Hutu extremists is the total extermination of the park’s gorillas and other endangered species, in hopes that the West will lose interest in the region once they are devoid of wildlife—a phenomenon known as “empty-forest syndrome.” The day after the three females were discovered, Newsweek’s Africa Bureau Chief Scott Johnson accompanied devastated park officials as they continued their search for the remaining individuals in the troop. They found the silverback male shot in the head. His body lay with one arm outstretched and the other held close to his chest, suggesting that he had been beating his chest and vocalizing a deep bark to warn his family when his killers executed him. The image of this silverback rising from a resting position to see through the dense foliage, to hear, to smell the danger that he sensed as he began beating his chest, immediately reminded me of the mountain gorilla group at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The exhibit depicts a troop of gorillas in those very same mountains and features a silverback male standing, responding to an intrusion by beating his chest to sound the alarm to a group of three females— one feeding on vegetation, another resting against a tree with a juvenile nearby. The group was the realization of taxidermist Carl E. Akeley’s lifelong ambition to create a seamless depiction of the natural world. When the exhibit opened in 1936, the New York Times Sunday Magazine claimed that the exhibit was so accurate and visceral that one could “almost hear the drip of water from recent rains.” outlo ok
Engineering a new generation of hemostatic agents: highlights of the Scientific Session on Hemostasis at the 2013 meeting of the American Society of Hematology

American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting New Orleans, LA, USA, 6–10 December 2013 This article is a review of the program organized by the Scientific Committee on Hemostasis entitled ‘Engineer...
Development of Chorda Tympani Taste Responses in Rat

To learn whether neurophysiological taste responses change during structural development of the gustatory system, we recorded from the chorda tympani nerve in rats aged 7 to 92 days after birth. Chemical stimuli ap- plied to the anterior tongue included four monochloride salts, two acids, sucrose, and urea. Responses to all chemicals were obtained as early as 7 days postnatally. Developmental changes in salt, acid, and sucrose responses were observed. Rela- tive to NaCl and LiCl, NH4Cl and KC1 gradually decrease in effectiveness as taste stimuli; or, relative to NH4C1 and KCl, NaCl and LiCl become more effective stim- uli. These changes are similar to those observed prenatally and postnatally in sheep. Also, relative to NaC1, citric acid, hydrochloric acid, and sucrose become less effective stimuli; or, NaCl becomes more effective as a stimulus, relative to these acids and sucrose. The period of most rapid functional change overlaps a period of rapid structural change. It seems most reasonable to hypothesize that the altering taste responses reflect developmental changes in receptor membrane composition. Since the taste system is not programmed to respond in a mature manner from the moment function begins, there is ample opportunity for chang- ing taste experience to influence the developing taste system. Although it has been known for several years that the peripheral taste system of the sheep fetus is neurophysiologically functional for at least the last third of gestation (Bradley and Mistretta, %a), it is only more recently that developmental changes in taste response char- acteristics have been described. Changes occur in responses from taste neurons of the solitary tract nucleus in sheep fetuses from about 80 days of gestation to term at 147 days (Mis- tretta and Bradley, '77, '78; Bradley and Mis- tretta, '80). These changes include decreases in response latency, lengthening of the response discharge time, and an increase in number of chemicals that elicit a response. Further, re- sponses to salt stimuli do not develop random- ly, but in a specific sequence; taste neurons re- spond to stimulation of the tongue with NH,Cl and KCl earlier in gestation than to NaCl and LiC1. A progressive increase in the relative ef- fectiveness of NaCl and LiCl as stimuli has also been observed in the peripheral taste sys- tem (Bradley and Mistretta, '79). Maturation of taste function in the sheep is accompanied by structural changes which take place prenatally. Much of the development of this sensory system therefore occurs in an in- trauterine environment. To learn whether sim- ilar changes occur in another species with a very different developmental time course, we have studied taste responses in rats aged 7 to 92 days. Whereas structural development of taste buds in the sheep is essentially aprenatal phenomenon, in rats taste buds develop post- natally. Taste buds appear in the fungiform papillae on the rat tongue at about 20 days of gestation, but
Internalization Rates of Murine and Ovine Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptors

Rates of internalization of the murine GnRH receptor fused via its C-terminus to green fluorescent protein (GnRH-R-GFP) were examined in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO cells) and compared to those of native murine GnRH-R in a clonal murine gonadotroph cell line (LbetaT2 cells). The resulting rates of internalization of murine receptors were then compared with those of sheep GnRH-R in ovine gonadotrophs. Cells were incubated with radioiodinated [D-Ala6]GnRH on ice for 4 h to allow binding of the ligand to GnRH-R, then cells were warmed to 37 degrees C to permit internalization. Surface-bound radioligand began to decrease as soon as the cells were warmed and had decreased significantly within 20 min. A steady-state level of surface-bound radioligand was achieved after 60 min in both CHO cells and LbetaT2 cells (38% and 41%, respectively, of initial value; P < 0.05). Internalization of radioligand began immediately after warming the cells to 37 degrees C, and a significant proportion of surface ligand had been internalized by 20 min. A steady-state maximum of internalization was reached after 60 min in both CHO cells and LbetaT2 cells (29% and 28%, respectively, of total cell-associated ligand; P < 0.05). Changes in surface-bound radioligand and internalized radioligand in sheep pituitary cells were similar to those in CHO cells and LbetaT2 cells, but the amount of radioligand internalized after 60 min (40% of total cell-associated ligand) was 1.4 times higher than in CHO cells and LbetaT2 cells (P < 0.05). In a separate experiment, the effect of estradiol on the rate of internalization of GnRH-R in ovine pituitary cells was examined. Although treatment of ovine pituitary cells with estradiol approximately doubled the number of GnRH receptors, it did not alter either the rate or extent of receptor internalization. These results show that rates of internalization of recombinant murine GnRH-R-GFP in CHO cells and native murine and ovine GnRH-R in LbetaT2 cells and in sheep pituitary cells, respectively, are similar, but amounts of ovine GnRH-R internalized are greater than those for murine GnRH-R. Further, the rate of internalization of occupied receptor is similar in gonadotroph and nongonadotroph cells, and the addition of GFP to the C-terminus of the murine GnRH-R does not alter the rate of internalization.
Structural anatomy of empathy in neurodegenerative disease

Empathy is a complex social behaviour mediated by a network of brain structures. Recently, several functional imaging studies have investigated the neural basis of empathy, but few corroborative human lesion studies exist. Severe empathy loss is a common feature of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), and is also seen in other neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, the neuroanatomic basis of empathy was investigated in 123 patients with FTLD, Alzheimer's disease, corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). IRI Empathic Concern and Perspective taking scores were correlated with structural MRI brain volume using voxel-based morphometry. Voxels in the right temporal pole, the right fusiform gyrus, the right caudate and right subcallosal gyrus correlated significantly with total empathy score (P < 0.05 after whole-brain correction for multiple comparisons). Empathy score correlated positively with the volume of right temporal structures in semantic dementia, and with subcallosal gyrus volume in frontotemporal dementia. These findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that a primarily right frontotemporal network of brain regions is involved in emotion processing, and highlights the roles of the right temporal pole and inferior frontal/striatal regions in regulating complex social interactions. This is the first large-scale lesion study to investigate the neural basis of empathy using correlational analytic methods. The results suggest that the right anterior temporal and medial frontal regions are essential for real-life empathic behaviour.
A New Approach to Load Balance for Parallel Compositional Simulation Based on Reservoir Model Over-decomposition

The quest for efficient and scalable parallel reservoir simulators has been evolving with the advancement of high performance computing architectures. Among the various challenges of efficiency and scalability, load imbalance is a major obstacle that has not been fully addressed and solved. The reasons that cause load imbalance in parallel reservoir simulation are both static and dynamic. Robust graph partitioning algorithms are capable of handling static load imbalance by decomposing the underlying reservoir geometry to distribute a roughly equal load to each processor. However, these loads determined by a static load balancer seldom remain unchanged as the simulation proceeds in time. This so called dynamic imbalance can be further exacerbated in parallel compositional simulations. The flash calculations for equations of state in complex compositional simulations not only can consume over half of the total execution time but also are difficult to balance merely by a static load balancer. The computational cost of flash calculations in each grid block heavily depends on the dynamic data such as pressure, temperature, and hydrocarbon composition. Thus, any static assignment of grid blocks may lead to dynamic load imbalance in unpredictable manners. A dynamic load balancer can often provide solutions for this difficulty. However, traditional techniques are inflexible and tedious to implement in legacy reservoir simulators. In this paper, we present a new approach to address dynamic load imbalance in parallel compositional simulation. It overdecomposes the reservoir model to assign each processor a bundle of subdomains. Processors treat these bundles of subdomains as virtual processes or user-level migratable threads which can be dynamically migrated across processors in the run-time system. This technique is shown to be capable of achieving better overlap between computation and communication for cache efficiency. We employ this approach in a legacy reservoir simulator and demonstrate reduction in the execution time of parallel compositional simulations while requiring minimal changes to the source code. Finally, it is shown that domain over-decomposition together with a load balancer can improve speedup from 29.27 to 62.38 on 64 physical processors for a realistic simulation problem.
Experimental effects of amphetamine: supplementary report.

As a supplement to a previous review, generalizations related to the experimental effects of amphetamine on food-motivated operant behavior, bodily activity and avoidance conditioning are evaluated...
Netrin-1 exerts oncogenic activities through enhancing Yes-associated protein stability

Yes-associated protein (YAP), a transcription coactivator, is the major downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, which plays a critical role in organ size control and cancer development. However, how YAP is regulated by extracellular stimuli in tumorigenesis remains incompletely understood. Netrin-1, a laminin-related secreted protein, displays proto-oncogenic activity in cancers. Nonetheless, the downstream signaling mediating its oncogenic effects is not well defined. Here we show that netrin-1 via its transmembrane receptors, deleted in colorectal cancer and uncoordinated-5 homolog, up-regulates YAP expression, escalating YAP levels in the nucleus and promoting cancer cell proliferation and migration. Inactivating netrin-1, deleted in colorectal cancer, or uncoordinated-5 homolog B (UNC5B) decreases YAP protein levels, abrogating cancer cell progression by netrin-1, whereas knockdown of mammalian STE20-like protein kinase 1/2 (MST1/2) or large tumor suppressor kinase 1/2 (Lats1/2), two sets of upstream core kinases of the Hippo pathway, has no effect in blocking netrin-1–induced up-regulation of YAP. Netrin-1 stimulates phosphatase 1A to dephosphorylate YAP, which leads to decreased ubiquitination and degradation, enhancing YAP accumulation and signaling. Hence, our findings support that netrin-1 exerts oncogenic activity through YAP signaling, providing a mechanism coupling extracellular signals to the nuclear YAP oncogene.
Efficacy and Economics of Common Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) Control in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea)

Abstract Field experiments were conducted in 1988 and 1989 to evaluate various postemergence graminicides for common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L). Pers.) control in peanuts (Arachis hypogaea). A single application of fluazifop-P [(R)-2-[4[[5-(trifluorornethyl)-2-pyridinyl]oxy]phenoxy]propanoic acid] or clethodim [(E, E)-(±)-2-[1-[[(3-chloro-2-propenyl)oxy]imino] propyl]-5-[2-ethylthio)propyl]-3-hydroxy-2-cyclohexen-1-one] controlled approximately 25 to 30% more common bermudagrass than a single application of sethoxydim (2-[1-(ethoxyimino) butyl]-5-[2-(ethylthio)propyl]-3-hydroxy-2-cyclohexen-1-one) or quizalofop [(±)-2-[4[(6-chloro-2-quinoxalinyl)oxy]phenoxy]propanoic acid]. Two graminicide applications were required for greater than 90% common bermudagrass control. Treatments which provided greater than 90% control included two applications of sethoxydim (0.31 followed by (fb) 0.31 kg ha-1 or 0.31 fb 0.16 kg ha-1), fluazifop-P (0.21 fb 0.21 kg ha-1) or 0.21 fb 0.11 kg ha-1), and clethodim (0.28 fb...
Growth cone-specific functions of XMAP215 in restricting microtubule dynamics and promoting axonal outgrowth

Background: Microtubule (MT) regulators play essential roles in multiple aspects of neural development. In vitro reconstitution assays have established that the XMAP215/Dis1/TOG family of MT regulators function as MT ‘plus-end-tracking proteins’ (+TIPs) that act as processive polymerases to drive MT growth in all eukaryotes, but few studies have examined their functions in vivo. In this study, we use quantitative analysis of high-resolution live imaging to examine the function of XMAP215 in embryonic Xenopus laevis neurons. Results: Here, we show that XMAP215 is required for persistent axon outgrowth in vivo and ex vivo by preventing actomyosin-mediated axon retraction. Moreover, we discover that the effect of XMAP215 function on MT behavior depends on cell type and context. While partial knockdown leads to slower MT plus-end velocities in most cell types, it results in a surprising increase in MT plus-end velocities selective to growth cones. We investigate this further by using MT speckle microscopy to determine that differences in overall MT translocation are a major contributor of the velocity change within the growth cone. We also find that growth cone MT trajectories in the XMAP215 knockdown (KD) lack the constrained co-linearity that normally results from MT-F-actin interactions. Conclusions: Collectively, our findings reveal unexpected functions for XMAP215 in axon outgrowth and growth cone MT dynamics. Not only does XMAP215 balance actomyosin-mediated axon retraction, but it also affects growth cone MT translocation rates and MT trajectory colinearity, all of which depend on regulated linkages to F-actin. Thus, our analysis suggests that XMAP215 functions as more than a simple MT polymerase, and that in both axon and growth cone, XMAP215 contributes to the coupling between MTs and F-actin. This indicates that the function and regulation of XMAP215 may be significantly more complicated than previously appreciated, and points to the importance of future investigations of XMAP215 function during MT and F-actin interactions.
Simulation of thermally stimulated polarization current (TSPC) based on the Frohlich two-state model and the complexity of the amorphous phase

Numerical simulations of thermally stimulated polarization current profiles have been performed using rate expressions based on the Frohlich two-state model. The qualitative behavior of simulations previously pub- lished by other researchers can be reproduced. The important feature examined is a peak in the evolution of polarization with temperature, which results in a change in sign for the polarization current profile. The previous researchers have assigned this to a crossover of the kinetic transient polarization with the equilibrium polarization described by the Langevin approximation. The origin of the peak in the evolution of polarization has been reexamined and found to be the kinetic consequence of the structure of the Frohlich model. When the field is applied, the two-state model requires that half the available dipoles are initially polarized. This high level of polarized dipoles contributes to an increased rate of the reverse process, depolarization, at high temperatures and results in the calculated decrease in polarization. The constraints of the Frohlich two-state model are too severe to represent the kinetics of a physi- cally plausible polar solid. Further the multiple modes of aggregation in the amorphous state impose complications on the computation of polarization current.
VoiceLETS backs up first responders

VoiceLETS accesses data in the existing Law Enforcement Tactical System. LETS is a secure Web-based search engine designed to provide personal and vehicle information to law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. It integrates access to several state databases and currently includes photographs, addresses, personal characteristics, and driver and criminal histories from the state's motor vehicles and corrections departments. The University of Alabama's CARE Research and Development Laboratory developed LETS with the goal of making it available to all qualifying agencies over the Internet, including patrol officers using mobile data terminals.
USE OF TOLTERODINE IN CHILDREN WITH NEUROGENIC DETRUSOR OVERACTIVITY: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DOSE AND URODYNAMIC RESPONSE

ABSTRACTPurpose:: Three exploratory studies were conducted to investigate the pharmacokinetics (PK) and safety of tolterodine in children 1 month to 15 years old with neurogenic detrusor overactivity. We urodynamically evaluated the dose and concentration effects of tolterodine to establish safe and effective dosing regimens.Materials and Methods:: Three open-label, dose escalating studies were conducted in children with stable neurological disease and detrusor overactivity. In studies 1 (patient aged 1 month to 4 years) and 2 (5 to 10 years) patients received 0.03, 0.06 and 0.12 mg/kg tolterodine solution day twice daily for 4 weeks each. In study 3 (patient age 11 to 15 years) patients received 2, 4 and 6 mg tolterodine extended-release capsules once daily for 4 weeks each. PK was assessed after 8 weeks, urodynamic assessments were conducted after each 4-week dosing period and 3-day micturition diaries were completed.Results:: Patients in studies 1 (19) and 2 (15) showed some dose related increases in v...
A History of Collapse Factor Modeling and Empirical Data for Cryogenic Propellant Tanks

One of the major technical problems associated with cryogenic liquid propellant systems used to supply rocket engines and their subassemblies and components is the phenomenon of propellant tank pressurant and ullage gas collapse. This collapse is mainly caused by heat transfer from ullage gas to tank walls and interfacing propellant, which are both at temperatures well below those of this gas. Mass transfer between ullage gas and cryogenic propellant can also occur and have minor to significant secondary effects that can increase or decrease ullage gas collapse. Pressurant gas is supplied into cryogenic propellant tanks in order to initially pressurize these tanks and then maintain required pressures as propellant is expelled from these tanks. The net effect of pressurant and ullage gas collapse is increased total mass and mass flow rate requirements of pressurant gases. For flight vehicles this leads to significant and undesirable weight penalties. For rocket engine component and subassembly ground test facilities this results in significantly increased facility hardware, construction, and operational costs. "Collapse Factor" is a parameter used to quantify the pressurant and ullage gas collapse. Accurate prediction of collapse factors, through analytical methods and modeling tools, and collection and evaluation of collapse factor data has evolved over the years since the start of space exploration programs in the 1950 s. Through the years, numerous documents have been published to preserve results of studies associated with the collapse factor phenomenon. This paper presents a summary and selected details of prior literature that document the aforementioned studies. Additionally other literature that present studies and results of heat and mass transfer processes, related to or providing important insights or analytical methods for the studies of collapse factor, are presented.
Manipulating fertilization : a management tactic against Frankliniella occidentalis on potted chrysanthemum

Fertilization during production of greenhouse chrysanthemum, Dendranthema grandiflora (Tzvelev), will influence Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) populations as well as plant productivity and postproduction longevity. It is essential to include fertilization effects in the development of crop management practices that reduce thrips populations and maintain plant marketability. In this study, we lowered fertilization to reduce thrips population abundance while maintaining plant productivity. We tested fertilization levels below and above the recommended level (375 p.p.m. N) for commercial production. We reduced mean rate of change in F. occidentalis abundance from 0.05 to 0.03 (day -1 ) and mean number of thrips per plant by 44% by fertilizing with either 188 p.p.m. N (50% of the recommended level) or 568 p.p.m. N (150%) and higher. Fertilization influenced not only the rate of change in thrips abundance but also the production time (from transplanting to flower opening). Lowering fertilization to 50% of the recommended level lengthened mean production time from 84 to 88 days. Plant height, flower size, and flower number were not adversely affected when fertilization was reduced to 50% of the recommended level. Mean postproduction longevity was shortened from 26 to 24 days when plants were fertilized with 50% of the recommended level. Two important advantages of lowering fertilization to 50% of the recommended level were (1) a 44% reduction in mean F. occidentalis abundance and (2) a significant reduction in fertilizer input for the production system. Manipulation of fertilization can be a useful management tactic against F. occidentalis.
Malapportionment, Gerrymandering, and Party Fortunes in Congressional Elections

This paper explores the relationship between the partisan division of the northern vote in U.S. House elections and the partisan division of northern House seats. From at least 1952 through 1964, there was a noticeable pro-Republican bias to northern districting, in the sense that the Republicans consistently won about ten per cent more of the seats than the Democrats could obtain from the same percentage of the vote. Following the 1964 election, this partisan inequity has disappeared, but the evidence suggests that this change is only temporary. The normal pattern of a Republican advantage in northern House elections is produced by a Republican gerrymander of accidental origins: the tendency of Democratic voters to cluster in heavily Democratic areas where their votes for Congress go “wasted.” Neither malapportionment nor deliberate partisan gerrymandering appears to have played a major role in distorting the outcomes of House elections.
Is capecitabine safe in patients with gastrointestinal cancer and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency

Patients with cancer with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency are at significant risk for severe 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) toxicity, including the risk of death. Data regarding the toxicity of capecitabine, an oral fluoropyrimidine, in patients with DPD deficiency are scarce. From 2004 to 2005, 2 patients with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies (of the pancreas and liver) experienced severe to even life-threatening toxicities during capecitabine therapy, which resulted in death for 1 patient. A DPD enzyme assay was performed as previously defined in our laboratory. Both patients were DPD deficient upon evaluation for toxicity. Capecitabine can lead to severe and sometimes life-threatening toxicities akin to toxicities caused by 5-FU in patients with DPD deficiency. In cases of unexpected severe toxicity during capecitabine treatment, DPD deficiency should be considered. We suggest that capecitabine should not be used in patients with DPD deficiency. Screening should be considered in view of the widespread use of capecitabine and 5-FU, the severe toxicity that can develop in patients with low DPD activity, and the prevalence of the mutation.