cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liver Regeneration: The Developmental Biology Approach

The prospect of regenerating deformed or damaged body parts has captivated the human imagination for millennia, as suggested by an excerpt in Hesiod’s Theogony describing the regeneration of Prometheus’ liver. The regenerative capability of the liver to which that legend refers is conserved in all vertebrates. Moreover, in humans and other mammals, the liver is unique amongst visceral organs in this capacity to regenerate from injury. Research investigating the regulation of liver regeneration, using rodent partial hepatectomy and other experimental paradigms, has elucidated many aspects of the physiological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms that control this process, and has begun to define how those mechanisms are deranged in the setting of impaired regeneration. Nevertheless, despite almost a century of rigorous study, the nature and identities of the most proximal signals that initiate hepatic regeneration and those distal signals that terminate this response are still incompletely characterized. Moreover, the biological processes that permit the liver to regenerate after injury, where other mammalian organ systems cannot, remain unknown. This chapter provides an overview of the history of experimental analyses of liver regeneration and the model systems employed for and broad principles and specific molecular regulators elucidated by such investigation. The relevance of these topics to human liver disease and areas of ongoing research are also discussed.
Measuring psychiatric patients satisfaction with the initial evaluation: A comparison of 2 measures.

Abstract As part of Maintenance of Certification (MOC) for physicians, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (APBN) developed a patient satisfaction form. We are not aware of any studies of the ABPN satisfaction survey. The goal of the present study was to examine the psychometric characteristics of the ABPN survey, and to compare it to a satisfaction measure that was designed to assess satisfaction with the initial evaluation. Two hundred seven patients completed the APBN measure and the Clinically Useful Patient Satisfaction Scale (CUPSS) after their initial meeting with the psychiatrist. The patients also completed a questionnaire asking which of the two scales were better measures of satisfaction with the initial evaluation. The items on both scales were negatively skewed, and approximately 90% of the ratings on the APBN scale received the highest rating. Both scales had high internal consistency. All items were significantly correlated with indicators of global satisfaction. There was sufficient variability in satisfaction ratings to detect differences amongst clinicians. Significantly more patients indicated that the CUPSS was a better indicator of their satisfaction with the evaluation. The results of the present study raise some concerns about the ABPN measure. There was evidence of a ceiling effect, and this ceiling effect raises questions about the usefulness of the scale for the purposes of self-improvement. The psychometrics of the CUPSS were stronger, and it was preferred by patients as a measure of satisfaction with the initial evaluation.
A systematic review of multi-level stigma interventions: state of the science and future directions

Researchers have long recognized that stigma is a global, multi-level phenomenon requiring intervention approaches that target multiple levels including individual, interpersonal, community, and structural levels. While existing interventions have produced modest reductions in stigma, their full reach and impact remain limited by a nearly exclusive focus targeting only one level of analysis. We conducted the first systematic review of original research on multi-level stigma-reduction interventions. We used the following eligibility criteria for inclusion: (1) peer-reviewed, (2) contained original research, (3) published prior to initiation of search on November 30, 2017, (4) evaluated interventions that operated on more than one level, and (5) examined stigma as an outcome. We stratified and analyzed articles by several domains, including whether the research was conducted in a low-, middle-, or high-income country. Twenty-four articles met the inclusion criteria. The articles included a range of countries (low, middle, and high income), stigmatized conditions/populations (e.g., HIV, mental health, leprosy), intervention targets (e.g., people living with a stigmatized condition, health care workers, family, and community members), and stigma reduction strategies (e.g., contact, social marketing, counseling, faith, problem solving), with most using education-based approaches. A total of 12 (50%) articles examined community-level interventions alongside interpersonal and/or intrapersonal levels, but only 1 (4%) combined a structural-level intervention with another level. Of the 24 studies, only 6 (25%) were randomized controlled trials. While most studies (17 of 24) reported statistically significant declines in at least one measure of stigma, fewer than half reported measures of practical significance (i.e., effect size); those that were reported varied widely in magnitude and were typically in the small-to-moderate range. While there has been progress over the past decade in the development and evaluation of multi-level stigma interventions, much work remains to strengthen and expand this approach. We highlight several opportunities for new research and program development.
Immunization Strategies for the Control of Histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by the dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Histoplasmosis is typically self-limited and presents asymptomatically in most people. Nevertheless, histoplasmosis can cause severe pulmonary disease and death. Histoplasmosis is increasingly found worldwide; however, it is best documented in the endemic region of the Mississippi river valley system in the Eastern part of the United States (US). Epidemiological studies from the US detailing the morbidity, mortality, and cost associated with histoplasmosis underscore the need to develop a vaccine. This review will detail some of the major developments in potential vaccines against histoplasmosis, with particular emphasis on those that could be used to immunize immunocompromised hosts. Additionally, this review will highlight some non-traditional vaccine-like ideas for the prevention of diverse mycoses. Historically, immunization strategies against histoplasmosis have largely focused on identifying immunogenic proteins that confer protection in animal models. More recently, novel active, therapeutic, and immunomodulatory strategies have been explored as potential alternatives for those with various immune deficiencies. The studies summarized in this review demonstrate that more research is needed to clarify the immunobiology, clinical role, and efficacy of each candidate vaccine in the ever-expanding potential armamentarium against histoplasmosis.
Successful recruitment and retention of diverse participants in a genomics clinical trial: a good invitation to a great party.

Abstract Purpose African ancestry (AA) individuals are inadequately included in translational genomics research, limiting generalizability of findings and benefits of genomic discoveries for populations already facing disproportionately poor health outcomes. We aimed to determine the impact of stakeholder-engaged strategies on recruitment and retention oF.A.A adult patients into a clinical trial testing them for renal risk variants nearly exclusive to AAs. Methods Our academic–clinical–community team developed ten key strategies that recognize AAs' barriers and facilitators for participation. Using electronic health records (EHRs), we identified potentially eligible patients. Recruiters reached out through letters, phone calls, and at medical visits. Results Of 5481 AA patients reached, 51% were ineligible, 37% enrolled, 4% declined, 7% were undecided when enrollment finished. We retained 93% at 3-month and 88% at 12-month follow-up. Those enrolled are more likely female, seen at community sites, and reached through active strategies, than those who declined. Those retained are more likely female, health-literate, and older. While many patients have low income, low clinician trust, and perceive racism in health care, none of these attributes correlate with retention. Conclusion With robust stakeholder engagement, recruiters from patients' communities, and active approaches, we successfully recruited and retained AA patients into a genomic clinical trial.
Evaluation of Precalibrated Electrochemical Gas Sensors for Air Quality Monitoring Systems

Harmful atmospheric pollutants have been attributed to causing adverse weather conditions and health problems, which are particularly prevalent in more populated global regions such as in megacities. Nongovernmental and international agencies likewise throughout the world have called for increased awareness and action in effectively countering the increased rates of air pollution of which the consequences seem ominous. Meanwhile, in several major urban landscapes such as Saudi Arabia, no modern apparatus or efficient systematic mechanisms for qualitative detection of dangerous pollutants and gases exist. The current counterparts for hazardous gas measurements are expensive, bulky and cumbersome to set up. Thus, sensor devices that are portable and prompter in ambient air measurement are desired for filling the current gap in effective air pollution monitoring. Our objective in this research was to better understand and explore relatively cost-effective, flexible and dynamic sensors in real time monitoring that can efficiently function in modern day environments and regions. The suitability of these new-age sensors were analyzed for gases such as nitrogen dioxide (NO_2), sulfur dioxide (SO_2), carbon monoxide (CO), particle pollution (PM_2.5, PM_10), and ozone (O_3). The study area was urban cities.
Modeling Response Time to Structure Fires

It is important to reduce fire department response times to incidents to improve communities’ general safety, to make the allocation of emergency resources more efficient, and to improve situationa...
Exome Sequencing Identifies Glycosylation Defects As a Probable Cause of Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Background: Immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) is a potentially fatal syndrome, resulting primarily from autoantibodies against ADAMTS13. However, the mechanism underlying the autoantibody formation and the contribution of other genomic alterations to the pathogenesis of iTTP are largely unknown. Methods: Whole exome sequencing (WES) and bioinformatic analyses were performed to determine the genetic variations in 40 patients with iTTP who had ADAMTS13 activity Results: WES identified variants or mutations in the genes involving in glycosylation, including O-linked glycosylation, to be the major pathway affected in patients with iTTP. We propose that the altered glycosylation may be responsible for the development of autoantibodies against ADAMTS13 which impair the proteolytic cleavage of von Willebrand factor, accelerate the clearance of ADAMTS13 from circulation, and result in severe thrombocytopenia platelets in patients with iTTP. We also identified defects in ankyrin repeat containing protein ANKRD36C, a protein with hitherto unknown function, as the most statistically significant genomic alterations associated with iTTP (p Conclusion: Our findings provide novel insight into the pathogenic mechanism underlying ADAMTS13 autoantibody production and the potential contribution of other genetic abnormalities in modifying the iTTP clinical presentations in the individuals with severe deficiency of plasma ADAMTS13 activity. Download : Download high-res image (286KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures Zheng: Alexion: Speakers Bureau; Ablynx/Sanofi: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Shire/Takeda: Research Funding; Clotsolution: Other: Co-Founder.
Wirelessly Powered Medical Implants via Radio Frequency

In the past decade, advances in wireless technology have revolutionized the field of mobile devices and electronics. However, the utilization of wireless power delivery for implantable biomedical devices is yet to have reached its full potential. Wireless power transfer (WPT) in these devices can not only help reduce health risks in existing devices but also pave the way for the rise of new technologies. WPT faces challenges in providing long-term power to a device over a sufficient range while avoiding tissue energy absorption and heating. This is made especially difficult within anatomical constraints and potential for motion-induced variations in displacement and alignment between a transmitter and receiver. In this chapter, we will discuss some of the endeavors of current technologies for wireless power transfer using radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation.
Slocum Gliders Provide Accurate Near Real-Time Estimates of Baleen Whale Presence From Human-Reviewed Passive Acoustic Detection Information

Mitigating the effects of human activities on marine mammals often depends on monitoring animal occurrence over long time scales, large spatial scales, and in real time. Passive acoustics, particularly from autonomous vehicles, is a promising approach to meeting this need. We have previously developed the capability to record, detect, classify, and transmit to shore information about the tonal sounds of baleen whales in near real time from long-endurance ocean gliders. We have recently developed a protocol by which a human analyst reviews this information to determine the presence of marine mammals, and the results of this review are automatically posted to a publicly accessible website, sent directly to interested parties via email or text, and made available to stakeholders via a number of public and private digital applications. We evaluated the performance of this system during two 3.75-month Slocum glider deployments in the southwestern Gulf of Maine during the spring seasons of 2015 and 2016. Near real-time detections of humpback, fin, sei, and North Atlantic right whales were compared to detections of these species from simultaneously recorded audio. Data from another 2016 glider deployment in the same area were also used to compare results between three different analysts to determine repeatability of results both among and within analysts. False detection (occurrence) rates on daily time scales were 0% for all species. Daily missed detection rates ranged from 17 to 24%. Agreement between two trained novice analysts and an experienced analyst was greater than 95% for fin, sei, and right whales, while agreement was 83-89% for humpback whales owing to the more subjective process for detecting this species. Our results indicate that the presence of baleen whales can be accurately determined using information about tonal sounds transmitted in near real-time from Slocum gliders. The system is being used operationally to monitor baleen whales in U.S., Canadian, and Chilean waters, and has been particularly useful for monitoring the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale throughout the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.
Considerations for Development of Exposure Limits for Chemicals Encountered During Aircraft Operation.

Background Military aircrews' health status is critical to their mission readiness, as they perform physically and cognitively demanding tasks in nontraditional work environments. Research Objectives: Our objective is to develop a broad operational risk assessment framework and demonstrate its applicability to health risks to aircrews because of airborne chemical exposure, considering stressors such as heat and exertion. Methods Extrapolation of generic exposure standards to military aviation-specific conditions can include computation of risk-relevant internal dosimetry estimates by incorporating changes in breathing patterns and blood flow distribution because of aspects of the in-flight environment. We provide an example of the effects of exertion on peak blood concentrations of 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene computed using a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model. Results Existing published collections on the effects of flight-related stressors on breathing patterns and blood flow address only a limited number of stressors. Although data exist that can be used to develop operational exposure limits specific to military aircrew activities, efforts to integrate this information in specific chemical assessments have been limited. Conclusions Efforts to develop operational exposure limits would benefit from guidance on how to make use of existing assessments and expanded databases of the impact of environmental stressors on adult human physiology.
Growing Ecologies: Growing Communities

First paragraphs: The contemporary community gardening and urban agriculture movements have transformed the fundamental notion of the city, challenging the urban/rural dichotomy and applying an agronomic model to remake urban spaces as productive systems. Recently, another model has emerged, that of the food forest, which is based on the form and function of forest ecosystems for producing food. Much like the early innova-tive efforts of urban agriculture, community supported agriculture operations (CSAs), and other alternative food system projects, the emergence of food forests across the country has been a grassroots effort informed by a few key references and with little coordination across individual efforts. The Community Food Forest Handbook: How to Plan, Organize, and Nurture Edible Gathering Places provides a very timely and thorough overview of this new type of productive landscape. Of the 30 food forest projects that form the basis of the book, only one has been in existence for more than 10 years. The authors, Catherine Bukowski, a Ph.D. candidate at Virginia Tech, and John Munsell, professor in the College of Natural Resources and the Environment at Virginia Tech, each with extensive experience in agroforestry, summarize the lessons learned from a systematic analysis of these examples to develop a guide for groups involved with or intending to develop their own community food forest. This handbook effectively documents the state-of-the-art of this emerging practice. . . .
The metabolome as a link in the genotype-phenotype map for peroxide resistance in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster

Genetic association studies that seek to explain the inheritance of complex traits typically fail to explain a majority of the heritability of the trait under study. Thus, we are left with a gap in the map from genotype to phenotype. Several approaches have been used to fill this gap, including those that attempt to map endophenotype such as the transcriptome, proteome or metabolome, that underlie complex traits. Here we used metabolomics to explore the nature of genetic variation for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) resistance in the sequenced inbred Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP). We first studied genetic variation for H2O2 resistance in 179 DGRP lines and along with identifying the insulin signaling modulator u-shaped and several regulators of feeding behavior, we estimate that a substantial amount of phenotypic variation can be explained by a polygenic model of genetic variation. We then profiled a portion of the aqueous metabolome in subsets of eight ‘high resistance’ lines and eight ‘low resistance’ lines. We used these lines to represent collections of genotypes that were either resistant or sensitive to the stressor, effectively modeling a discrete trait. Across the range of genotypes in both populations, flies exhibited surprising consistency in their metabolomic signature of resistance. Importantly, the resistance phenotype of these flies was more easily distinguished by their metabolome profiles than by their genotypes. Furthermore, we found a metabolic response to H2O2 in sensitive, but not in resistant genotypes. Metabolomic data further implicated at least two pathways, glycogen and folate metabolism, as determinants of sensitivity to H2O2. We also discovered a confounding effect of feeding behavior on assays involving supplemented food. This work suggests that the metabolome can be a point of convergence for genetic variation influencing complex traits, and can efficiently elucidate mechanisms underlying trait variation.
Journals and blogs

Abstract The scholarly journal (also known synonymously as an academic journal or peer-reviewed journal) has proven to be the single most important vehicle for communicating the results of scientific, technical, and medical achievements. Its format and process for communicating the results of research and discovery are more than 350 years old and it remains in an organized format not terribly different than the original presentation.
Religious Coping and Quality of Life Among Black and White Men With Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer is a significant impediment in men’s lives as this condition often exacerbates stress and reduces quality of life. Faith can be a resource through which men cope with health crises;...
Single-Cell Transcriptomic Profiling of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype Modulation in Marfan Syndrome Aortic Aneurysm.

Objective: To delineate temporal and spatial dynamics of vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) transcriptomic changes during aortic aneurysm development in Marfan syndrome (MFS). Approach and Results: ...
Crude urease extract for biocementation

AbstractA crude extract from jack beans (Canavalia gladiata) is demonstrated to be an effective source of urease enzyme for biocementation via enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP). Test tu...
On the Betti Numbers of Finite Volume Hyperbolic Manifolds.

We obtain strong upper bounds for the Betti numbers of compact complex-hyperbolic manifolds. We use the unitary holonomy to improve the results given by the most direct application of the techniques of [DS17]. We also provide effective upper bounds for Betti numbers of compact quaternionic- and Cayley-hyperbolic manifolds in most degrees. More importantly, we extend our techniques to complete finite volume real- and complex-hyperbolic manifolds. In this setting, we develop new monotonicity inequalities for strongly harmonic forms on hyperbolic cusps and employ a new peaking argument to estimate $L^2$-cohomology ranks. Finally, we provide bounds on the de Rham cohomology of such spaces, using a combination of our bounds on $L^2$-cohomology, bounds on the number of cusps in terms of the volume, and the topological interpretation of reduced $L^2$-cohomology on certain rank one locally symmetric spaces.
Signaling Pathways Implicated in Carbon Nanotube-Induced Lung Inflammation

Inflammation is a tissue response to a variety of harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, irritants, and injuries, and can eliminate insults and limit tissue damage. However, dysregulated inflammation is recognized as a cause of many human diseases, exemplified by organ fibrosis and cancer. In this regard, inflammation-promoted fibrosis is commonly observed in human lung diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and pneumoconiosis. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a type of nanomaterials with unique properties and various industrial and commercial applications. On the other hand, certain forms of CNTs are potent inducers of inflammation and fibrosis in animal lungs. Notably, acute inflammation is a remarkable phenotype elicited by CNTs in the lung during the early acute phase post-exposure; whereas a type 2 immune response is evidently activated and dominates during the late acute and chronic phases, leading to type 2 inflammation and lung fibrosis. Numerous studies demonstrate that these immune responses involve distinct immune cells, various pathologic factors, and specific functions and play crucial roles in the initiation and progression of inflammation and fibrosis in the lung exposed to CNTs. Thus, the mechanistic understanding of the immune responses activated by CNTs has drawn great attention in recent years. This article reviews the major findings on the cell signaling pathways that are activated in immune cells and exert functions in promoting immune responses in CNT-exposed lungs, which would provide new insights into the understanding of CNT-induced lung inflammation and inflammation-driven fibrosis, the application of CNT-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis as a new disease model, and the potential of targeting immune cells as a therapeutic strategy for relevant human lung diseases.
Dislocation microstructure and its influence on corrosion behavior in laser additively manufactured 316L stainless steel

Abstract The hierarchical nature of additively manufactured materials necessitates a multimodal approach for quantifying microstructural features and corresponding chemical heterogeneities that ultimately impact their properties and performance. In laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF) 316L stainless steel, corrosion behavior has been discussed in the context of chemical heterogeneities formed in the presence of these hierarchical microstructures. Here, we employ a suite of advanced synchrotron x-ray techniques and correlative transmission electron microscopy for the analysis of microstructure and chemical heterogeneities in L-PBF 316L as a function of printing speed. Our findings reveal an appreciable dislocation density consistent with the formation of a cellular dislocation microstructure in L-PBF 316L, which is correlated to spatial variations in the local Cr concentration and the formation of complex Mn7C3 nanoinclusions. Cyclic voltammetry experiments reveal that relative to wrought 316L, the printed samples exhibit either a comparable or marginally reduced susceptibility to uniform corrosion but with an increased affinity for pitting particularly in the samples printed at the highest speed with the largest dislocation density. Given the spatial correlations between regions of high dislocation density and the formation of chemical heterogeneities known to degrade corrosion performance, our findings demonstrate the impact of the microstructural defect state and its variation with printing speed on the resistance of L-PBF 316L to uniform and localized corrosion.
Electronic Vaping Product Use Among Adolescents in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Updated Scientific Review for Clinicians

Introduction In light of increased rates of hospitalizations among adolescents diagnosed with severe symptoms of COVID-19, as well as the prevalence of electronic vaping product (EVP) use among this population, this review highlights the public health and clinical implications of EVP use during an ongoing respiratory disease pandemic. Objectives This review assesses evidence of pulmonary effects of EVP use from pathophysiological and epidemiological research and explores EVP use as a risk factor for COVID-19. Methods An updated, yet concise, literature review of recent scientific evidence examining trends of EVP use among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. Included in this review are studies examining the pulmonary effects of EVP use and scope of the problem relating to its use among adolescents within the context of COVID-19. Conclusions Preclinical and theoretical models establish pulmonary harm associated with EVPs. Based on the limited epidemiological studies, the contribution of EVP use to the risk of contracting COVID-19 is mixed. EVP-associated lung injury could present as a diagnostic challenge for clinicians during COVID-19 and requires greater attention. Clinicians should effectively screen for and discourage EVP use among adolescents.
Implementing an Anonymous Closed-Loop Feedback Process and Associations With ACGME Annual Survey Scores in a Family Medicine Residency.

Background and objectives The annual Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) survey evaluates numerous variables, including resident satisfaction with the training program. We postulated that an anonymous system allowing residents to regularly express and discuss concerns would result in higher ACGME survey scores in areas pertaining to program satisfaction. Methods One family medicine residency program implemented a process of quarterly anonymous closed-loop resident feedback and discussion in academic year 2012-2013. Data were tracked longitudinally from the 2011-2019 annual ACGME resident surveys, using academic year 2011-2012 as a baseline control. Results For the survey item "Satisfied that evaluations of program are confidential," years 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2018-2019 showed a significantly higher change from baseline. For "Satisfied that program uses evaluations to improve," year 2018-2019 had a significantly higher percentage change from baseline. For "Satisfied with process to deal with problems and concerns," year 2018-2019 showed significantly higher change. For "Residents can raise concerns without fear," years 2013-2014 and 2018-2019 saw significantly higher changes. Conclusions These results suggest that this feedback process is perceived by residents as both confidential and promoting a culture of safety in providing feedback. Smaller changes were seen in residents' belief that the program uses evaluations to improve, and in satisfaction with the process to deal with problems and concerns.
High-T c Cuprates

A truly revolutionary series of discoveries were made from 1986 to 1988—superconductivity up to 125 K! These remarkable events were initiated by two scientists from the IBM Laboratory in Zurich, Alex Muller and Georg Bednorz. In October 1986, their paper, entitled “Possible High T c . Superconductivity in the Ba—La—Cu—O System,” was published in the journal Zeitschrift fur Physik. This paper was destined to become a milestone in the history of superconductivity, for it described the discovery of a new class of materials which displayed high-temperature superconductivity.
Computerized 3-D reconstruction of small blood vessels from high voltage electron-micrographs of thick serial cross sections.

Morphological analysis of compartments in terms of volumes and the orientation of the cells and their nuclei within very small mesenteric arteries and arterioles is being carried out. Samples were from simultaneously sham operated and instrumented control and one-clip two kidney Goldblatt sustained (30 days) hypertensive dogs. Collection of specimens was standardized, i.e. sampling location, perfusion fixation, embedding, staining, and sectioning by methods proven to preserve in vivo dimensions. Serial thick cross sections (0.5 mu) were subjected to high voltage electromicrography (1.0 MeV) at 2500x and then linearly enlarged 3x photographically. The glossy micrographs (7500x) were made into montages and the contours of the smooth muscle layer (vascular smooth muscle), the endothelium (E), nuclei (N), and the internal lamina (IL) were digitized on a large GTCO digi-pad with input to a microcomputer (PC-Limited, Turbo) equipped with a 20 MB hard disk and coprocessor. Solid and transparent image reconstructions and computerized dissection of cell compartments were performed. Compartment volumes of vascular smooth muscle, IL, E and N, and individual cell and nuclear volumes, as well as nuclear/cytoplasmic ratios were calculated. Image reconstructions are presented. The emphasis is on methods and these are discussed in terms of useability for determining accurate microvessel morphology in health and disease, with particular emphasis on assessment of hypertrophy and hyperplasia in experimental hypertension, and architectural angiogenesis in general.
Ribonucleic Acid and Protein Synthesis in a Mutant of Bacillus subtilis Defective in Potassium Retention

A mutant of Bacillus subtilis 168 (strain 168 KL), which had lost its normal capacity to accumulate K+, was used to explore the interrelationship between protein and ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis. In contrast to the wild type, the growth rate of strain 168 KL was markedly dependent on the K+ concentration in the medium. K+ uptake in the mutant strain was identical to that in the parent, but the mutant was unable to retain and accumulate K+. Protein synthesis was markedly dependent on the K+ concentration in the medium, whereas RNA synthesis was relatively unaffected by changes in the level of K+. Most of the RNA synthesized during K+ depletion was ribosomal RNA; it appeared in crude extracts in the form of ribonucleoproteins particles with sedimentation values between 4S and 30S. These particles were converted into mature ribosomes when growth was allowed to resume by the addition of K+. Simultaneous synthesis of RNA and protein was necessary for the quantitative conversion of the ribonucleoprotein particles into ribosomes. During recovery from K+ depletion, ribosomal protein was synthesized in preference to the other proteins of the cell.
Putting Time into Proof Outlines

A logic for reasoning about timing properties of concurrent programs is presented. The logic is based on Hoare-style proof outlines and can handle maximal parallelism as well as certain resource-constrained execution environments. The correctness proof for a mutual exclusion protocol that uses execution timings in a subtle way illustrates the logic in action. A soundness proof using structural operational semantics is outlined in the appendix.
Clay Minerals as Indicators for Depositional Environment in South Halletsville Field, Lavaca County, Texas: ABSTRACT

The South Halletsville field, Lavaca County, Texas, has gas and condensate production from lower Wilcox sandstones and shales which have been interpreted as either channel turbidite deposits in outer-shelf to slope locations or deltaic and strand-plain sands and muds. Twenty-four core samples from the General Crude Oil Co. 1 A. G. Henkes Gas Unit were analyzed by X-ray diffraction methods to determine whether a semiquantitative estimate of clay mineral content would aid in determining the depositional environment. Discrete illite and chlorite are of particular interest because the presence of these minerals is interpreted as being due to original deposition. Three shale samples, from 10,194 to 10,206 ft (3,107 to 3,111 m) and 11 sandstone samples, 10,180 to 10,194 ft (3,103 to 3,107 m) were selected from one core section. This sequence of samples is particularly important because it contains a shale and the overlying sandstone. In addition, a deeper sandstone was sampled in the interval of 11,032 to 11,072 ft (3,363 to 3,375 m). If a turbidity-type event had occurred, the weight percent of non-diagenetic clays should (1) decrease significantly as the boundary is crossed between the shale and the overlying sandstone, and (2) gradually increase in progressively shallow samples within the sandstones. However, the weight percent for chlorite does not vary significantly regardless of a change in lithology, shale to sandstone, or a change in depth. The illite content gradually decreases with shallower depths in both core intervals. This sequence is more compatible with a transgressive deltaic environment. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1557------------
Abstract 17689: Imaging Mitochondrial Function of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplanted to the Myocardium

Introduction: Stem cells have poor survival after transplantation, what can limit the use of these therapies. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been recognized as a limiting event that can lead to cell death. Here, we hypothesized that the mitochondrial function of progenitor cells can be monitored in vivo using reporter gene-based molecular imaging. A better understanding of the biology of transplanted stem cells in the ischemic myocardium can lead to optimization of cell therapies. Methods: Using RT-PCR we identified the antioxidant NAD(P)H:Quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) enzyme as a marker of mitochondrial dysfunction in mouse Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) that were treated with a mitochondrial stressor, diethyl maleate (DEM). We then constructed a luciferase reporter gene driven by the NQO1 promoter. After in vitro validation, MSCs were transplanted into a mouse model of ischemia/reperfusion (IR, n=4) and mitochondrial function was monitored by bioluminescence imaging. Results: MSCs treated with DEM had an increase in NQO1 reporter gene signal that inversely correlated with the amount of the mitochondrial by-product adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP, r = -0.9643, p = 0.0028; Fig 1A). Mitochondrial dysfunction was preserved by the use of a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant Mito-Tempo (MT), correcting ATP and NQO1 luciferase signal. In vivo studies showed that MSCs yielded higher Firefly luciferase activity in IR mice compared to sham and this signal was normalized when cells were pre-treated with MT (Fig 1B). Data was confirmed by ex vivo measurement of Firefly luciferase activity, which was 4.9-fold higher in the IR group than in shams, after correction for cell number (Fig 1C). Conclusions: We have developed a novel imaging strategy that allows noninvasive assessment of the mitochondrial status of transplanted stem cells in the ischemic myocardium. Knowing when transplanted cells “suffer’ from mitochondrial dysfunction may allow optimization of these therapies.
Revelando nuevos vínculos familiares de la dinastía Nazarí en el siglo XIII: Amat al-ʿAzīz y los Banū Ḥudayr de Crevillente

El presente articulo revela la existencia de una princesa, hasta ahora desconocida, de la dinastia nazari llamada Amat al-ʿAzīz, asi como descubre los lazos tanto politicos como de parentesco que los Banu Nasr establecieron con un importante linaje de arraeces, los Banū Ḥudayr de Crevillente, en el siglo XIII. Ambos aspectos son desvelados en un acta matrimonial redactada por el secretario de la cancilleria granadina Ibn Jattab al-Mursi, cuyo profundo analisis sera ofrecido a lo largo de este trabajo.
Taconian retrograde eclogite from northwest Connecticut, USA, and its petrotectonic implications

Abstract Mafic lenses hosted by felsic paragneiss in a Taconic thrust slice (Canaan Mountain Formation) from northwest Connecticut (New England, USA) contain relict mineral assemblages and decompression textures indicative of high pressure (HP) precursors. Symplectic intergrowths consisting mostly of diopside + plagioclase or biotite + plagioclase are pseudomorphous after omphacite and phengite, respectively. Pseudosection analysis and thermobarometry demonstrate that the inferred peak assemblage of garnet + clinopyroxene + phengite formed at > 14 kbar and ~ 710 °C in the eclogite facies. Bulk-rock geochemistry and field relations indicate that the protoliths of the mafic gneisses were likely rifting-related mafic intrusions. Zircon U–Pb dating by ion probe yields a 456 ± 4.6 Ma (2σ) metamorphic age for the mafic gneiss. The zircons from the felsic host rocks have an identical 456 ± 11 Ma metamorphic rim age and Grenvillian detrital cores. The HP metamorphism and the coeval arc magmatism reflect the collision between the Laurentian passive margin and a Taconic arc complex over an east-dipping subduction zone that was active until ~ 456 Ma in Connecticut (southern New England). The P–T path is characterized by post-peak-T compression, suggesting that the eclogite-facies metamorphism was associated with the deformation of the collision zone after the initial continent–arc collision. After the culmination of collision the subduction polarity switched; metamorphic ages decrease southward along the orogen suggesting that this reversal occurred ~ 10 Myr later in New England than in Newfoundland. Nearly all mafic rocks in the study area crop out as fairly ordinary-looking amphibolites, so it is reasonable to speculate that HP metamorphism was more extensive than currently recognized in New England but has been obscured by thermal overprinting and retrogression.
Myasthenogenicity of the main immunogenic region

In myasthenia gravis (MG) and experimental autoimmune MG (EAMG), many pathologically significant autoantibodies are directed to the main immunogenic region (MIR) of muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs), a conformation-dependent region at the extracellular tip of α1 subunits of AChRs. Human muscle AChR α1 MIR sequences were integrated into Aplesia ACh-binding protein (AChBP). The chimera potently induced EAMG, while AChBP induced EAMG much less potently. AChBP is a water-soluble protein resembling the extracellular domain of AChRs; yet, rats immunized with chimeras developed autoantibodies to both extracellular and cytoplasmic domains of muscle AChRs. We propose that an initial autoimmune response directed at the MIR leads to an autoimmune response sustained by muscle AChRs. Autoimmune stimulation sustained by endogenous muscle AChR may be a target for specific immunosuppression. These studies show that the α1 MIR is highly myasthenogenic, and that AChR-like proteins distantly related to muscle AChR can induce EAMG and, potentially, MG.
A Perceptual Experiment on Harmonic Tension and Melodic Attraction in Lerdahl's Tonal Pitch Space

The experiment reported here provides a comparison between listeners' judgments and theoretical predictions on harmonic tension and melodic attraction using Lerdahl's (2001) Tonal Pitch Space theory. A harmonic reduction of measures 1 to 8 from the first movement of Mozart's Piano Sonata, K282 was used for the experiment. The listeners heard the 24 sequential chord pairs from the harmonic reduction and were asked, first, to judge how strongly the two chords were attached to each other and, second, if there was an increase, decrease or no-change in tension in the progression from one chord to the next. The results from the experiment showed a significant correlation between theoretical predictions and listeners' tension judgments. However, a low correlation between Lerdahl's model and the attraction judgments demonstrated that distance in semitones is a more influential factor than anchoring strength in the perception of melodic attraction. This conclusion followed from the high attraction ratings given to...
The role of accounting in ideological conflict: Lessons from the South African divestment movement

Abstract Social critiques of accounting have challenged the conventional view of corporate social disclosure as a neutral, technical tool for enhancing corporate social responsibility, and stressed the ideological role accounting plays in legitimating corporate activities. This paper extends the literature on the role of accounting in ideological conflict by examining the ideological role accounting and social disclosure played in the South African divestment debates in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s. The history of the Sullivan Principles and institutional divestment from South Africa provides an empirical context for examining both the potential and limits of accounting's capacity to serve the interests of subordinate groups and social movements.
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF A NORMAL VARIANT OF THE CANINE TENTORIUM CEREBELLI OSSEUM

A nine-year-old German Shepherd dog presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at North Carolina State University with an eleven-day history of progressive depression, lethargy, inability to walk, blindness and intermittent vomiting. Computed tomography (CT) of the brain was unremarkable; however, bilateral regions of low photon absorption were noted within the tentorium cerebelli osseum. Mean CT numbers of −47.9 Hounsfield units (HU) and −26.4 HU were recorded within the left and right areas, respectively. These areas most likely represent diploe and are presumably a normal variant of the canine skull. A possible explanation for this finding includes a developmental variant where the medial and lateral plates of the tentorium cerebelli osseum fail to fuse, thus leaving a space for diploe accumulation. Use of various combinations of CT windows and numbers can be valuable for characterizing such variants.
The "tale" of UmuD and its role in SOS mutagenesis.

Recently, the Escherichia coli umuD and umuC genes have been shown to encode E. coli's fifth DNA polymerase, pol V (consisting of a heterotrimer of UmuD′2C). The main function of pol V appears to be the bypass of DNA lesions that would otherwise block replication by pols I–IV. This process is error-prone and leads to a striking increase in mutations at sites of DNA damage. While the enzymatic properties of pol V are now only beginning to be fully appreciated, a great deal is known about how E. coli regulates the intracellular levels of the Umu proteins so that the lesion-bypassing activity of pol V is available to help cells survive the deleterious consequences of DNA damage, yet keeps any unwarranted activity on undamaged templates to a minimum. Our review summarizes the multiple restrictions imposed upon pol V, so as to limit its activity in vivo and, in particular, highlights the pivotal role that the N-terminal tail of UmuD plays in regulating SOS mutagenesis. BioEssays 24:141–148, 2002. Published 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sliding mode observer based position self-sensing control of a direct-drive PMSG wind turbine system fed by NPC converters

Information of rotor position and speed plays an crucial role in variable-speed wind energy conversion systems. Traditional sensors based position detection methods not only increase hardware complexity and system cost, but also face severe challenges on reliability caused by the disturbances from the varying weather and harsh operating conditions in wind energy generation sites. Thus, with the aim of eliminating position sensors and developing a reliable position self-sensing technique, this paper proposes a position self-sensing control method based on sliding mode observer for a 2 MW permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) wind turbine system. In addition, a three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) back-to-back converter with space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) is developed for the full-scale power conversion, which has lower voltage stress on the switching devices and less harmonic distortion in the output voltage compared with those in traditional two-level power converters. Simulation analysis is carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed self-sensing method and the three-level SVPWM based back-to-back NPC converter. The simulation results soundly justified the feasibility of the proposed control scheme and power conversion strategy.
The Impact of a Leader Model on High Dominant Women’s Self-Selection for Leadership

The present study examined how the gender of a leader model affected high dominant women’s decisions to become leaders when instructed to complete a masculine-typed task and paired with a man. One hundred ninety undergraduates at a university in the southeastern United States were paired according to Dominance scores and shown the task, which required a leader and a follower. Pairs were presented with either a female or male leader model. Independent observers recorded who became the leader. Results suggest that when high dominant women are presented with a female leader model, they are more likely to take on the leadership role in the presence of a male partner than when they are presented with a male leader model.
The Far Ultraviolet Spectrum of the Sun

Predictions of solar flux and limb darkening calculated from the Utrecht Reference Model, the Mutschlecner model, and the Bilderberg Continuum Atmosphere are compared with the rocket ultraviolet observations. The calculations employ recent experimental and theoretical determinations of metallic photo-ionization cross-sections. The spectral region between the continuous absorption edge from the first excited level of silicon at 1680 A and the ground-state absorption edge at 1525 A proves particularly significant for an investigation of the solar temperature minimum. The analysis indicates that the solar temperature minimum is relatively broad and flat, having a nearly constant temperature over somewhat more than a scale height, and that the chromospheric rise occurs just above τ5000 = 10−4 or so. Within the assumptions of the present models, a satisfactory interpretation of the ultraviolet spectrum can be reached with a temperature minimum of 4600° ± 100 °K.