cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3434: Loss of regulation of β-Catenin expression by miR-214 and oncogenic role of miR-214 in metastatic melanoma cells

Dysregulation of β-catenin facilitates melanoma metastasis by activating the transcription of oncogenes like Myc, CyclinD1 and TCF-1. It is important to understand the regulation of β-catenin to develop strategies to target Wnt signaling for melanoma treatment. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that are primarily involved in post-transcriptional regulation of target genes. Hence, miRNAs can be used to manipulate protein levels by causing instability of the transcript or by inhibiting translation. MiR-214 has been documented as regulator of β-catenin in cancer cells other than melanoma cells. The role of miR-214 in regulation of β-catenin has not been investigated. In this study, we investigated regulation of β-catenin by miR-214 in melanoma cell lines and studied the effect of overexpression miR-214 on the malignant phenotype of metastatic melanoma cells and their sensitivity to MAP kinase inhibitors. Our data show that β-catenin is upregulated in a panel of metastatic melanoma cells and the expression levels of β-catenin is negatively correlated with endogenous expression of miR-214. However, overexpression of miR-214 by transfection with a miRNA mimic did not show significant decrease in β-catenin mRNA or protein expression. RNA-Seq showed that multiple isoforms of β-catenin transcript are present in melanoma where the binding site is absent or mutated. The alternatively spliced transcript with no binding site for miR-214 is seen to be more abundant than the other isoforms. Paradoxically, overexpression of miR-214 increased survival, proliferation and migration of metastatic melanoma. In addition, miR-214 overexpression decreased their sensitivity to vemurafenib and selumetinib. In melanoma cells with acquired resistance (in vitro), miR-214 overexpression further enhanced their resistance to MEK inhibitor, but not vemurafenib. In light of the published studies that proposed that miR-214 acts as tumor suppressor by negatively regulating β-catenin, our study is interesting since we find that in metastatic melanoma miR-214 has oncogenic role. Ongoing studies are aimed at understanding the mechanisms by which miR-214 promotes malignant behavior of melanoma cells. Citation Format: Kirthana Prabhakar, Ashika Jayanthy, Vijay Setaluri. Loss of regulation of β-Catenin expression by miR-214 and oncogenic role of miR-214 in metastatic melanoma cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3434. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3434
Metamaterial-based compressive reflector antenna optimization

This paper presents a new optimization method for metamaterial-based Compressive Reflector Antennas (CRAs). The method aims at maximizing the sensing capacity of the CRA by tuning the resonant frequencies of multiple ELC-based meta-materials. Preliminary numerical simulations using Compressive Sensing demonstrate that the CRA presents enhanced imaging capabilities when compared to those of the baseline design.
Nest box exploration may stimulate breeding physiology and alter mRNA expression in the medial preoptic area of female European starlings.

ABSTRACT Environmental resources are proposed to fine-tune the timing of breeding, yet how they may do so remains unclear. In female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), nest cavities are limited resources that are necessary for breeding. Females that explore nest cavities, compared with those that do not, readily perform sexually motivated behaviors. We assigned female starlings to aviaries with: (1) no nest boxes, (2) nest boxes, or (3) nest boxes, plants, flowing water, insects and berries to test the hypothesis that environmental resources alter neural systems to stimulate mating behavior. Compared with other females, females that were housed with and explored nest boxes had higher estradiol, higher preproenkephalin (PENK) mRNA and lower levels of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor mRNA in the medial preoptic area (mPOA); a region in which opioids and dopamine modify female sexual behaviors and sexual motivation. Additionally, in the mPOA, PENK and tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA positively predicted, whereas estrogen receptor beta mRNA negatively predicted, nest box exploration. In the ventromedial hypothalamus (a region in which estradiol acts to stimulate sexual behavior), estrogen receptor alpha mRNA was highest in females that had access to but did not explore nest cavities. It is likely that seasonal increases in estradiol modify mRNA in the mPOA to facilitate nest cavity exploration. It is also possible that nest cavity exploration further alters gene expression in the mPOA, functioning to coordinate mating with resource availability. Thus, nest cavity exploration may be a form of self-stimulation that alters neural systems to fine-tune sexual behavior.
Cloud Optics–IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, OIF, and MSA Defined Optical Specifications in Data-Center Aligned Form Factors

Optical transceiver needs of hyper-scale data centers have increasing influence on the choice of optical signaling and form factor. Review is made of the industry response to these needs, including standards setting organization (SSO) specifications.
Patterns of Specialization in Medical Malpractice Among Contingency Fee Attorneys

Examines patterns of specialization among plaintiffs' firms that handle medical malpractice cases or have an interest in doing so, using data from 965 plaintiffs' attorneys who responded to a 2006 national survey.
Effects of cardiomyopathy-linked mutations K15N and R21H in tropomyosin on thin-filament regulation and pointed-end dynamics

Missense mutations K15N and R21H in striated muscle tropomyosin are linked to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), respectively. Tropomyosin, together with the troponin complex, regulates muscle contraction and, along with tropomodulin and leiomodin, controls the uniform thin-filament lengths crucial for normal sarcomere structure and function. We used Forster resonance energy transfer to study effects of the tropomyosin mutations on the structure and kinetics of the cardiac troponin core domain associated with the Ca2+-dependent regulation of cardiac thin filaments. We found that the K15N mutation desensitizes thin filaments to Ca2+ and slows the kinetics of structural changes in troponin induced by Ca2+ dissociation from troponin, while the R21H mutation has almost no effect on these parameters. Expression of the K15N mutant in cardiomyocytes decreases leiomodin's thin-filament pointed-end assembly but does not affect tropomodulin's assembly at the pointed end. Our in vitro assays show that the R21H mutation causes a twofold decrease in tropomyosin's affinity for F-actin and affects leiomodin's function. We suggest that the K15N mutation causes DCM by altering Ca2+-dependent thin-filament regulation and that one of the possible HCM-causing mechanisms by the R21H mutation is through alteration of leiomodin's function.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging characteristics in case of TOR1AIP1 muscular dystrophy

Abstract Mutations in the torsinA-interacting protein 1 (TOR1AIP1) gene result in a severe muscular dystrophy with minimal literature in the pediatric population. We review a case of TOR1AIP1 gene mutation in a 16-year-old Caucasian female with a long history of muscle weakness. Extensive clinical workup was performed and MRI at time of initial presentation demonstrated no significant muscular atrophy with heterogenous STIR hyperintensity of the lower extremity muscles. MRI findings seven years later included extensive atrophy of the lower extremities, with severe progression, including the gluteal muscles, iliopsoas, rectus femoris, and obturator internus. There was also significant atrophy of the rectus abdominis and internal and external oblique muscles, and iliacus muscles. The MRI findings showed more proximal involvement of lower extremities and no atrophy of the tibialis anterior, making TOR1AIP1 the more likely genetic cause. Muscle biopsy findings supported TOR1AIP1 limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. Though rare, TOR1AIP1 gene mutation occurs in pediatric patients and MRI can aid in diagnosis and help differentiate from other types of muscular dystrophy. Genetic and pathology workup is also crucial to accurate diagnosis and possible treatment of these patients.
DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF CARDIAC MAGNETIC RESONANCE VERSUS FRACTIONAL FLOW RESERVE FOR CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE SEVERITY: A META-ANALYSIS

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been gaining traction recently as a non-invasive modality to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD). Studies comparing the diagnostic accuracy of CMR versus fractional flow reserve (FFR) were identified and analyzed using RevMan and Stata software. A total of
Persistent grasping errors produce depth cue reweighting in perception.

Abstract When a grasped object is larger or smaller than expected, haptic feedback automatically recalibrates motor planning. Intriguingly, haptic feedback can also affect 3D shape perception through a process called depth cue reweighting. Although signatures of cue reweighting also appear in motor behavior, it is unclear whether this motor reweighting is the result of upstream perceptual reweighting, or a separate process. We propose that perceptual reweighting is directly related to motor control; in particular, that it is caused by persistent, systematic movement errors that cannot be resolved by motor recalibration alone. In Experiment 1, we inversely varied texture and stereo cues to create a set of depth-metamer objects: when texture specified a deep object, stereo specified a shallow object, and vice versa, such that all objects appeared equally deep. The stereo-texture pairings that produced this perceptual metamerism were determined for each participant in a matching task (Pre-test). Next, participants repeatedly grasped these depth metamers, receiving haptic feedback that was positively correlated with one cue and negatively correlated with the other, resulting in persistent movement errors. Finally, participants repeated the perceptual matching task (Post-test). In the condition where haptic feedback reinforced the texture cue, perceptual changes were correlated with changes in grasping performance across individuals, demonstrating a link between perceptual reweighting and improved motor control. Experiment 2 showed that cue reweighting does not occur when movement errors are rapidly corrected by standard motor adaptation. These findings suggest a mutual dependency between perception and action, with perception directly guiding action, and actions producing error signals that drive motor and perceptual learning.
An algal symbiont (Breviolum psygmophilum) responds more strongly to chronic high temperatures than its facultatively symbiotic coral host (Astrangia poculata)

Abstract Scleractinian corals form the foundation of coral reefs by secreting skeletons of calcium carbonate. Their intracellular algal symbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) translocate a large proportion of photosynthate to the coral host, which is required to maintain high rates of calcification. Global warming is causing dissociation of coral host and algal symbiont, visibly presented as coral bleaching. Despite decades of study, the precise mechanisms of coral bleaching remain unknown. Separating the thermal stress response of the coral from the algal symbiont is key to understanding bleaching in tropical corals. The facultatively symbiotic northern star coral, Astrangia poculata, naturally occurs as both symbiotic and aposymbiotic (lacking algal symbionts) polyps – sometimes on the same coral colony. Thus, it is possible to separate the heat stress response of the coral host alone from the coral in symbiosis with its symbiont Breviolum psygmophilum. Using replicate symbiotic and aposymbiotic ramets of A. poculata, we conducted a chronic heat stress experiment to increase our understanding of the cellular mechanisms resulting in coral bleaching. Sustained high temperature stress resulted in photosynthetic dysfunction in B. psygmophilum, including a decline in maximum photosynthesis rate, maximum photochemical efficiency, and the absorbance peak of chlorophyll a. Interestingly, the metabolic rates of symbiotic and aposymbiotic corals were differentially impacted. RNAseq analysis revealed more differentially expressed genes between heat-stressed and control aposymbiotic colonies than heat-stressed and control symbiotic colonies. Notably, aposymbiotic colonies increased the expression of inflammation-associated genes such as nitric oxide synthases. Unexpectedly, the largest transcriptional response was observed between heat-stressed and control B. psygmophilum, including genes involved in photosynthesis, response to oxidative stress, and meiosis. Thus, it appears that the algal symbiont suppresses the immune response of the host, potentially increasing the vulnerability of the host to pathogens. The A. poculata-B. psygmophilum symbiosis provides a tractable model system for investigating thermal stress and immune challenge in scleractinian corals.
A systematic review of machine learning and automation in burn wound evaluation: A promising but developing frontier.

Abstract Background Visual evaluation is the most common method of evaluating burn wounds. Its subjective nature can lead to inaccurate diagnoses and inappropriate burn center referrals. Machine learning may provide an objective solution. The objective of this study is to summarize the literature on ML in burn wound evaluation. Methods A systematic review of articles published between January 2000 and January 2021 was performed using PubMed and MEDLINE (OVID). Articles reporting on ML or automation to evaluate burn wounds were included. Keywords included burns, machine/deep learning, artificial intelligence, burn classification technology, and mobile applications. Data were extracted on study design, method of data acquisition, machine learning techniques, and machine learning accuracy. Results Thirty articles were included. Nine studies used machine learning and automation to estimate percent total body surface area (%TBSA) burned, 4 calculated fluid estimations, 19 estimated burn depth, 5 estimated need for surgery, and 2 evaluated scarring. Models calculating %TBSA burned demonstrated accuracies comparable to or better than paper methods. Burn depth classification models achieved accuracies of >83%. Conclusion Machine learning provides an objective adjunct that may improve diagnostic accuracy in evaluating burn wound severity. Existing models remain in the early stages with future studies needed to assess their clinical feasibility.
Maritime Stock Prices and Information Flows: A Cointegration Study

In this study, the issue of how global maritime stock prices influence the stock prices of large transportation companies in the U.S. and other large markets is examined. Maritime stocks are chosen because they are central in global trade and thus may be good indicators of future global stock market and economic trends. Maritime companies are often owned by families or governments and are traded in stock markets with lower standards of accountability, hence information flows from maritime stocks may be slower than flows from other stocks. Cointegration and vector error-correction analysis is used to analyze the short-term and long-term relationships between maritime stocks, rail stocks, and trucking stocks. Evidence is found of a gradual diffusion of information from maritime stock prices to large rail or trucking stocks. This suggests that price changes in maritime stocks may help predict changes in prices in non-maritime transportation stocks.
Polarization of light in the atmosphere and ocean

In this chapter, we will present a brief history of polarization, a short description of the Stokes parameter–Mueller matrix representation of polarized light, and techniques for using polarization for remote sensing of both the atmosphere and the ocean. For a collection of the diverse applications of polarization, the reader is referred to the excellent books by Gehrels (1974) and Mishchenko et al. (2010).
Multi-Dimensional Capacity, Pressure and Hausdorff Dimension

This paper surveys the major techniques and results for multi-dimensional capacity (entropy), topological pressure and Hausdorff dimension for ℤ d -subshifts of finite type.
Analysis of ferrochelatase expression during hematopoietic development of embryonic stem cells

Ferrochelatase, the last enzyme in the heme pathway, chelates protoporphyrin IX and iron to form heme and is mutated in protoporphyria. The ferrochelatase gene is expressed in all tissues at low levels to provide heme for essential heme-containing proteins and is upregulated during erythropoiesis for the synthesis of hemoglobin. The human ferrochelatase promoter contains 2 Sp1 cis-elements and GATA and NF‐E2 sites, all of which bind their cognate transacting factors in vitro. To investigate the role of these elements during erythropoiesis, we introduced expression of the green fluorescent protein (EGFP) transgenes driven by various ferrochelatase promoter fragments into a single locus in mouse embryonic stem cells. EGFP expression was monitored during hematopoietic differentiation in vitro using flow cytometry. We show that a promoter fragment containing the Sp1 sites, the NF‐E2 and GATA elements, was sufficient to confer developmental-specific expression of the EGFP transgene, with an expression profile identical to that of the endogenous gene. In this system the 20.275 kb NF‐E2 cis-element is required for erythroid-enhanced expression, the GATA cis-element functions as a stagespecific repressor and enhancer, and elements located between 20.375kb and 21.1kb are necessary for optimal levels of expression. Ferrochelatase mRNA increased before the primitive erythroidcell stage without a concomitant increase in ferrochelatase protein, suggesting the presence of a translational control mechanism. Because of the sensitivity of this system, we were able to assess the effect of an A-to-G polymorphism identified in the promoters of patients with protoporphyria. There was no effect of the G haplotype on transcriptional activity of the 21.1 kb transgene. (Blood. 2000;95: 3568-3577)
Biological Complexity: Beyond the Genome

Biological development, evolution and behaviour are enormously complex processes. For instance, morphogenesis involves the emergence of tiers of organization that are not deterministically entailed by lower-scale components. Such extensional (space–time) complexity can be detected at the level of chromatin states, where topologies are constrained by higher-order pathways involving entire chromosomes or the nucleus. Once established, chromatin conformations can become heritable in mitosis and meiosis. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) encodings are thus contained in a framework of epigenetic information, the complexity of which increases during ontogeny. Intensional (process and change) complexity is also evident, where genomes are shaped by cellular operations. Language and new representations need to be developed for representing such phenomena, because current reductive approaches to explaining complex systems, although useful in guiding observations, have become conceptually misleading when extrapolated to ontology. The approach we propose for constructing that language derives from hierarchy theory, involving both classes of complexity. Key Concepts Biological systems can be modelled as hierarchies. Extensional complexity involves small-scale functions being embedded within and contextualized by larger-scale forms. Dynamical complexity results from processes at different scalar levels mutually constraining each other, even though they cannot directly interact because they proceed at very different rates. Phenotype construction is morphogenetic, with each event dependent on preceding ones and contextualized by collateral ones. Chromatin states are an example of higher-order cellular properties constraining lower-level genomic events. The cellular phenotype determines the activity of the genome via a series of informational channels across several scalar levels. Genome structure is constrained by higher-order boundary conditions, which is a type of intensional complexity. Keywords: complexity; development; epigenetics; genome; hierarchies
Semisynchrony and Real-Time (Extended Abstract)

This paper represents the confluence of several streams of resarch on the real time complexity of distributed algorithms. The primary focus of our study is on two models and two problems: the timed automata model of Attiya and Lynch and the (“latency”) model of approximately synchronized clocks studied by Strong et. al., and the problems of consensus and atomic broadcast. We compare these models and problems, producing new results and significant improvements of previously known bounds. In particular, we are able to significantly improve the upper bound of Strong, Dolev, and Cristian on latency for Byzantine failures, giving an algorithm that is much simpler with vastly easier analysis. For this problem, we also improve the best known lower bound on latency. We also provide certain reductions between problems and models and provide preliminary answers to some new questions in the timed automata model.
Impact of Eptifibatide on Early Ischemic Events in Acute Ischemic Coronary Syndromes: A Review of the IMPACT II Trial

Formation of platelet-rich thrombus superimposed on ruptured atherosclerotic plaque has been implicated in the development of myocardial ischemia and its clinical manifestations. The platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa receptor is the final common pathway leading to platelet aggregation and thrombus formation. GP IIb-IIIa is therefore a logical therapeutic target for management of acute ischemic coronary syndromes and prevention of the ischemic complications of percutaneous coronary procedures. Of the pharmaceutical agents under development, the chimeric monoclonal antibody abciximab (ReoPro) and the cyclic peptide eptifibatide (INTEGRILIN) are the most studied. IMPACT II (Integrilin to Minimize Platelet Aggregation and Coronary Thrombosis), the phase III evaluation of eptifibatide in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of this GP IIb-IIIa receptor inhibitor in reducing the acute adverse outcomes of invasive management of ischemic heart disease. GP IIb-IIIa receptor blockade provides an effective strategy for prevention of ischemic complications related to angioplasty in patients with coronary artery disease.
On the design of a neural network chip for control applications

The design of a neural network chip is presented to be used in control applications. Specifically, the chip will be integrated in the control of a commercial DC motor having a significant amount of static friction. The main functions of the chip are to identify the friction and then to produce the exact amount of torque required to compensate for that friction. The author describes the neural network model and its hardware design, implementation, and simulation results. >
Spin excitations in pion inelastic scattering

During the last few years a large amount of pion-nucleus (π-A) inelastic scattering data has been obtained with high-flux, high-resolution facilities such as the SUSI spectrometer at SIN and the EPICS spectrometer at LAMPF. The early studies for the most part concentrated on strong transitions to low-lying collective states. These studies have been reviewed in part in Ref. 1. One unanticipated feature of π-A inelastic scattering that has become evident as the scope of studies has increased is the strong excitation of high-spin stretched states in light nuclei. By stretched states we mean those whose total angular momentum is the maximum achievable in a 1hω particle-hole excitation. Transitions to stretched states have now been observed in almost all p-shell nuclei that have been studied, as well as in 28Si.2-8
Effects of hypophysectomy and immobilization stress on S-adenosylmethionne levels in rat adrenal glands

Abstract Rat adrenal S-adenosymethione (SAM) levels and phenylethanolamin-N-methltransferase (PNMT) activity were measured under conditions of hypophysectomy and stress. A new dual-label radioenzymatic assay for SAM is presented which eliminates problems found to exist with previous methods. Strain-specific differences in both PNMT and SAM were found, as well as sex differences in SAM levels. Immobilization stress resulted in an increase in adrenal SAM and PNMT activity, while hypophysectomy decreased both. The distribution of SAM between cortex and medulla did not change with either hypophysectomy or stress. Hypophysectomized Fisher rats were found to be capable of increasing PNMT activity in the absence of increased SAM levels.
The Social Clock Phenomenon as Reflected in the Biographical Correlates of Kansas Pioneers

Neugarten (1968) has called internalized concepts that regulate progression through the age related events of the adult years the “social clock.” This study suggests that major life events such as ...
Coding RNAs: separating the grain from the chaff

Small open-reading frames are difficult to detect both computationally and by mutagenesis. An mRNA previously thought to be non-coding has now been found to produce four tiny peptides that function non-cell autonomously to organize epithelial actin during Drosophila development.
Inverse radiative transfer with a delta-eddington phase function

Equations are obtained for estimating four unknown coefficients in a delta-Eddington phase function from the ingoing and outgoing radiances of a homogeneous slab target.
The linear steady thermoelastic problem for a strip with a collinear array of Griffith cracks parallel to its edges

The problem of determining the thermal stresses when a uniform heat flow in a thermoelastic strip is disturbed by a collinear array of cracks is discussed. The solution of the Duhamel-Neumann equations is posed in terms of harmonic functions, which leads to dual series relations whose solutions are known. Numerical results for the stress intensity factors at the crack tips are displayed in graphical form.
Velocity acquired by an electron in a finite electric field in a polar crystal

The expectation value of the steady-state velocity acquired by an electron interacting with the longitudinal, optical phonons of a polar crystal in a finite electric field is analyzed quantum mechanically for arbitrary coupling strength, field strength, and temperature. The rate of loss of momentum by an electron drifting through the crystal in the applied field is expressed in a form in which the lattice coordinates (the phonons) have been eliminated exactly by path-integral methods. This expression is then evaluated by a path-integral approach similar to that used to calculate the impedance of electrons in polar crystals. We present numerical calculations of field (loss of energy per unit distance) versus velocity for three coupling strengths using the Frohlich polaron model. In a single curve, all the expected phenomena appear, including a threshold field for producing hot electrons and a decreasing rate of energy loss with velocity for very fast electrons. Using only the experimentally measured values of the reststrahlen energy and the static and optical dielectric constants, we find an energy loss of 0.025 eV/A for electrons near the threshold in Al2O3, which compares favorably with the experimental value of about 0.03 eV/A. We conclude that optical-phonon scattering can indeed produce the high rate of energy loss that is present in tunnel-cathode structures.
Foreleg Ornaments Do Not Hinder Foraging Success in Brush-Legged Wolf Spiders

Secondary sexual traits are often assumed to increase reproductive success but can also carry costs for males bearing them. Here, we investigate potential foraging costs of foreleg ornamentation in wolf spiders in the genus Schizocosa. Given that the forelegs are involved in securing prey items and that ornaments may also inhibit general mobility, we hypothesized that the presence of ornamentation inhibits foraging success. To test this, we first took an ontogenetic approach. We conducted an experiment to examine variation in foraging behavior before and after ornament development in a population of Schizocosa that exhibits two male phentoypes: (a) brush-legged males that develop large brushes of hairs on their forelegs upon maturation and (b) non-ornamented males that lack ornamentation. When comparing penultimate versus mature foraging behavior between these two phenotypes, we predicted (i) reduced foraging intensity upon maturation for males of both groups (due to increased mate-searching behavior) and (ii) a greater decrease in foraging efficiency in brush-legged versus non-ornamented males (due to costs of ornamentation). As expected, we found that when exposed to prey, all males exhibited greater latencies to attack as matures than as penultimates, but unexpectedly, they differed in their patterns of attack frequency; brush-legged males decreased the number of attacks upon maturation while non-ornamented males increased. We found no support for our second prediction: neither male phenotype exhibited a change in foraging success upon maturation. Given that foraging behavior differed between ontogenetic stages, making it difficult to isolate the effects of ornamentation per se, we conducted a second experiment with a pure brush-legged population (S. ocreata) to directly test the influence of foreleg brushes on foraging behavior. We compared foraging behavior between mature males with brushes present versus mature males with brushes artificially removed and found no effect of the presence/absence of brushes on foraging success. In summary, using both ontogenetic and ornament manipulation approaches, we found no support for the hypothesis that ornamentation influences foraging success; however, we do document phenotype-dependent foraging behavior.
Living in the earth: Ecopsychology, health and psychotherapy

Abstract An ecopsychological perspective on health invites us to move beyond the cultural tendency to associate personal pain with individual or family pathology without attention to the larger context. When we consider the human psyche within the web of life, we can begin to view personal pain as both unique to the person and as a signal from the larger context, as “the earth speaking through us.” Exploring the inner and the outer landscapes within which we live, and the connections between them, we look for diversity, interconnected‐ness and flows of nourishment in the system of which the pain is a part. Ecopsychology invites psychotherapy practice to expand its focus beyond the inner landscape, to explore and foster the development of community, contact with land and place, and ecological identity.
Thermal Study of Silicon Optical Microbenches With on Board Heaters for Soldering

The combination of selected experimental measurements with finite element simulation provide a thorough understanding of thermal behavior of silicon microbenches with on-board heaters.
Characterization of a DMSP-degrading bacterial isolate from the Sargasso Sea

A bacterium which cleaves dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) to form dimethylsulfide (DMS) was isolated from surface Sargasso Sea water by a DMSP enrichment technique. The isolate, here designated LFR, is a Gram-negative, obligately aerobic, rod-shaped, carotenoid-containing bacterium with a DNA G+C content of 70%. Sequencing and comparison of its 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) with that of known eubacteria revealed highest similarity (91% unrestricted sequence similarity) to Roseobacter denitrificans (formerly Erythrobacter species strain OCh114), an aerobic, bacteriochlorophyll-containing marine representative of the α-Proteobacteria. However, physiological differences between the two bacteria, and the current lack of other characterized close relatives, preclude assignment of strain LFR to the Roseobacter genus. Screening of fifteen characterized marine bacteria revealed only one, Pseudomonas doudoroffii, capable of degrading DMSP to DMS. Strain LFR is deposited with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC 51258) and 16S rRNA sequence data are available under GenBank accession number 15345.
Colors Used in the Pollimeter—A New Rating Scale

The responses of different races to the colors used in the Pollimeter were examined. This scaling device is based on a movable visual element of one or two different colors permitting attitude, involvement, or choice to be measured on a continuous scale. The scores of Negroes and non-Negroes were highly correlated with a five-point rating scale. Through the racial groups differed on the perception of colors, the majority viewed white as positive and black as negative. They did not differ in selection and perception of green and yellow/green. No sex difference was detected. The Pollimeter was reliable, easy to handle, and held the interest of the respondents.
D/H on Mars - Effects of floods, volcanism, impacts, and polar processes

Abstract Water in the Martian atmosphere is 5.1 times more enriched in deuterium than terrestial water. The enrichment has been previously attributed to either a massive loss of water early in the planet's history or the presence of only a very small reservoir of water that has exchanged with the atmosphere over geologic time. Both these interpretations appear inconsistent with geologic evidence of large floods and sustained volcanism. Large floods are believed to have episodically introduced large amounts of water onto the surface. During a large flood roughly 10 17 g of water would almost immediately sublime into the atmospher and be frozen out on polar terrain, to form a new layer several centimeters thick. The long-term effect of a flood would depend on where the water pooled after the flood. If the water pooled at low latitudes, all the water would slowly sublime into the atmosphers and ultimately be frozen out at the poles, thereby adding several meters to the polar deposits for each flood. If the water pooled at high latitude, it would form a permanent ice deposit, largely isolated from further interchange with the atmosphere. Volcanism has also episodically introduced water into the atmosphere. Most of this water has become incorporated into the polar deposits. That released over the last 3.5 Ga could have added a few kilometers to the polar deposits, depending on the amount of dust incorporated along with the ice. Large cometary impacts would have introduced additional large amounts of water into the atmosphere. The long-term evolution of D/H in the atmosphere depends on the rate of exchange of water between the atmosphere and the polar deposits. If exchange is active, then loss rates of hydrogen from the upper atmosphere are substantially higher than those estimated by Y. L. Yung, J. Wen, J. P. Pinto, M. Allen, K. K. Pierce, and S. Paulsen [ Icarus 76, 146–159 (1988)]. More plausibly, exchange of water between the atmosphere and the polar deposits is limited, so that after eruptions, floods, and cometary impacts, the atmosphere soon becomes enriched in deuterium. According to this scenario, the atmospheric D/H is different from the bulk of the planet's water and so reveals little about the amount of water outgassed. The scenario implies, however, that the polar deposits are older and more stable than formerly thought.
Pulmonary hemodynamic response to acute combination and monotherapy with sildenafil and brain natriuretic peptide in rats with monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension.

Abstract Background The lungs of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) exhibit decreased bioavailability of nitric oxide and downstream signaling through cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Therapies that enhance cGMP-mediated vasodilation have shown efficacy in treating PAH. We tested the hypothesis that combination therapy with sildenafil, a cGMP phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), a receptor-mediated guanosine cyclase stimulator, synergistically attenuates monocrotaline-induced PAH in rats compared with either monotherapy. Methods Adult male Sprague-aDawley rats were subcutaneously injected with monocrotaline (n = 41, 50 mg/kg). After approximately 4 weeks, the rats were infused intravenously with vehicle solution, sildenafil (42 and 85 μ g/kg/min), or BNP (50 and 100 ng/kg/min), alone and in varied combination. The primary endpoint was the relative change in right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and mean arterial systemic pressure (MAP). Secondary endpoints included heart rate and dP/dt. Results Vehicle infusions did not alter hemodynamic variables. Sildenafil 85 (85 μ g/kg/min) alone decreased RVSP (− 16.6 ± 5.6%) and decreased MAP (− 4.0 ± 4.7%). BNP 50 (50 ng/kg/min) and BNP 100 (100 ng/kg/min) decreased RVSP (− 23.3 ± 5.7% and − 27.1 ± 2.9%, respectively) and MAP (− 6.4 ± 5.8% and − 14.3 ± 4.1%, respectively). Combination therapy with sildenafil 42 and BNP 50 decreased RVSP (− 20.7 ± 5.6%) and showed a lessened systemic effect (MAP = − 11.6 ± 5.9%). Combination therapy with sildenafil 85 and BNP 100 decreased RVSP (− 27.6 ± 3.2%, P = NS) and showed increased systemic effect (MAP = − 20.7 ± 3.1%, P 85 . Conclusions This study suggests that intravenous administration of both sildenafil and BNP monotherapy produces significant improvement in RVSP, making them potentially viable options for the treatment of PAH, whereas combination therapy produces no additional improvement in pulmonary hemodynamics.
Love and the Other: A response to Morrison et al. (2012):

This response to Morrison et al.’s work on love focuses on the uncritical use of ‘the Other’ in geographic scholarship and in geographies of affect and emotion more centrally. While broadly sympathetic to the arguments outlined in ‘Critical geographies of love as spatial, relational, and political’, I am concerned that in trying to critique the social sciences for an uncritical account of love the authors may fall into the same essentialist trap. The accounting of a singular and amorphous ‘Other’ in geographic scholarship flattens out difference and creates exclusionary boundaries that reinforce theoretical and subjective divisions that become sutured to the workings of white supremacy both within the discipline and also in wider society.
Applying Organizational Research to Public School Reform: The Effects of Teacher Human and Social Capital on Student Performance

We investigated the effects of teacher human and social capital on growth in student performance in a sample of 1,013 teachers organized into 239 grade teams. We found that teacher human capital th...
Semantic and Syntactic Inconsistencies in Scenes Elicit Differential ERP Signatures.

We have evolved to be efficient searchers by making use of the regularities of our visual world. We rapidly register two types of regularity violation: Incongruous objects in scenes are “semantic inconsistencies” (a fire-hydrant in the kitchen). Misplaced objects are “syntactic inconsistencies” (a fork on the kitchen chair). ERPs differentially reflect semantic and syntactic errors in language. Does the brain honor such differences in vision? Previous studies (Ganis & Kutas, 2004; Mudrik, Lamy, & Deouell, 2010) have shown an “N390/N400 scene congruity effect” for semantic inconsistencies, similar to the semantic N400 effect found in sentence processing. We compared ERPs for semantic and syntactic anomalies in scenes. We collected EEG data from 64 electrodes while participants attempted to memorize scenes containing an object that was either syntactically inconsistent, semantically inconsistent, both, or neither. First, the scene without the critical object was presented (500ms), followed by a location cue that indicated where to move the eyes (500ms). Then the critical object appeared at the cued location (2000ms). We found an N400 for semantic inconsistencies between 300 and 500 ms after object onset. Interestingly, we observed a prolonged deflection of the opposite (positive) sign for syntactic inconsistencies, which might resemble the P600 found for syntax manipulations in sentence processing. When we repeated the same experiment, but presented words in the scene, naming the objects, instead of the objects themselves, we found evidence for an N400 in response to semantically incongruous words in scenes, but no modulation attributable to the syntactically incongruous positioning of words. Together, these findings demonstrate that, as in sentence processing, semantic and syntactic inconsistencies of objects in scenes elicit differential brain responses. This implies that the semantic/syntax distinction is meaningful in the visual system as it is in sentence processing.
Pluripotent stem cells and their niches

The ability of stem cells to self-renew and to replace mature cells is fundamental to ontogeny and tissue regeneration. Stem cells of the adult organism can be categorized as mono-, bi-, or multipotent, based on the number of mature cell types to which they can give rise. In contrast, pluripotent stem cells of the early embryo have the ability to form every cell type of the adult body. Permanent lines of pluripotent stem cells have been derived from preimplantation embryos (embryonic stem cells), fetal primordial germ cells (embryonic germ cells), and malignant teratocarcinomas (embryonal carcinoma cells). Cultured pluripotent stem cells can easily be manipulated genetically, and they can be matured into adult-type stem cells and terminally differentiated cell types in vitro, thereby, providing powerful model systems for the study of mammalian embryogenesis and disease processes. In addition, human embryonic stem cell lines hold great promise for the development of novel regenerative therapies. To fully utilize the potential of these cells, we must first understand the mechanisms that control pluripotent stem cell fate and function. In recent decades, the microenvironment or niche has emerged as particularly critical for stem cell regulation. In this article, we review how pluripotent stem cell signal transduction mechanisms and transcription factor circuitries integrate information provided by the microenvironment. In addition, we consider the potential existence and location of adult pluripotent stem cell niches, based on the notion that a revealing feature indicating the presence of stem cells in a given tissue is the occurrence of tumors whose characteristics reflect the normal developmental potential of the cognate stem cells.
Application of impedance cardiography during exercise

Impedance cardiography has been used over the last 30 years to measure stroke volume on a beat-by-beat basis. Cardiac output has been successfully measured with either upper or lower body exercise during light or moderate workloads. With strenuous exercise, movement artifacts severely limit the acquisition of a quality impedance cardiogram. Advances in computer technology and signal conditioning techniques have created the next generation of impedance cardiograph systems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate such a system, the noninvasive continuous cardiac output monitor (NCCOM3-R7), at rest and during submaximal upright cycle exercise. In addition, the relationships between thoracic impedance (Z(o)), first derivative of the change in thoracic impedance (dZ/dt) and posture were evaluated using the NCCOM3-R7 and the Minnesota impedance cardiograph 304B (MIC). Twenty-eight healthy men and women participated. The Z(o) progressively increased when moving from the supine to seated to standing position with both instruments. However, the NCCOM3-R7 yielded lower Z(o) values and higher dZ/dt values compared with the MIC for all postures. Z(o) and dZ/dt values appear to be dependent upon factors such as posture, gender, electrical current, and characteristics of the instrumentation. Exercise cardiac output values seemed reasonable for most subjects, although population subsets exist where the accuracy must be questioned. The general consensus supported by the impedance literature and reaffirmed by the present observations is that impedance cardiography provides a reasonable estimate of the directional changes in stroke volume and cardiac output during exercise and can be used to monitor changes in thoracic fluid balance. As this technology evolves and is further refined, it will undoubtedly play an increasing role in environmental medicine, exercise stress testing, cardiac rehabilitation, and sports medicine.
The Induction of Hepatocellular Neoplasia by Trichloroacetic Acid Administered in the Drinking Water of the Male B6C3F1 Mouse

The prevalence (percent of animals with a tumor) and multiplicity (number of tumors per animal) of hepatocellular neoplasia in the male B6C3F1 mouse exposed to trichloroacetic acid (TCA) in the drinking water were determined. Male mice were exposed to 0.05, 0.5, and 5 g/L TCA for 60 wk (Study 1), to 4.5 g/L TCA for 104 wk (Study 2) and to 0.05 and 0.5 g/L TCA for 104 wk (Study 3). Time-weighted mean daily doses measured for the low, medium, and high dose groups were consistent over the three studies, 6-8, 58-68, and 572-602 mg/kg-d for the 0.05, 0.5, and the 4.5-5 g/L treatment groups, respectively. No significant changes in animal survival were noted across the studies. A significant increase in the prevalence and multiplicity of hepatocellular tumors was found in the 58-68 and 572-602 mg/kg/d TCA dose groups. Nonhepatoproliferative changes (cytoplasmic alterations, inflammation, and necrosis) in mice treated with TCA were mild and dose related. A TCA-induced increase in liver palmitoyl CoA oxidase activity, a marker of peroxisome proliferation, correlated with tumor induction. A linear association was found between peroxisome proliferation and tumor induction. Sporadic increases in the labeling index of nuclei outside of proliferative lesions were observed at carcinogenic doses throughout the studies. Given that there are no compelling data demonstrating genotoxic activity of either TCA or any metabolite, data are consistent with an epigenetic mode of action. The studies provide dose-response data on the development of hepatocellular neoplasia in male mice over a lifetime exposure to TCA. A no-observed-effect-level (NOEL) of 6 mg/kg/d was calculated for neoplastic and nonproliferative liver pathology.
Current-induced voltage transients in Necturus proximal tubule.

Transients in the potential difference spontaneously developed by theNecturus proximal tubule were characterized during and after voltage or current clamp commands. These voltage transients were adequately fitted by an exponential function similar to that describing the ionic charging of a leaky fluid capacitance and were slower during clamp periods (t 1/2=0.98 min) than after release of the clamp (t 1/2-0.46 min). Changes in luminal ionic composition and cellular membrane potential were ruled out as sources of generation of the voltage transients. The volume of the fluid compartment in which concentration changes occurred was calculated from the electrical data and it was concluded that the extracellular shunt path was the principal site of the concentration changes which resulted in voltage transients. A fall in transepithelial resistance to nearly one-half its original value occurred during hyperpolarizing commands while depolarizing commands did not significantly alter resistance. The resistance changes were interpreted as indicative of the degree of widening of the lateral intercellular spaces caused by fluid accumulation or depletion. The important role of the lateral space dimensions in determining epithelial permeability, electrical resistance and voltage transients was pointed out, and a new electrical analogue model of the shunt path was proposed.