cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caffeine Stimulates Cytochrome Oxidase Expression and Activity in the Striatum in a Sexually Dimorphic Manner

Epidemiological studies indicate that caffeine consumption reduces the risk of Parkinson9s disease (PD) in men, and antagonists of the adenosine 2A receptor ameliorate the motor symptoms of PD. These findings motivated us to identify proteins whose expression is regulated by caffeine in a sexually dimorphic manner. Using mass spectroscopy, we found that Cox7c, a nuclear-encoded subunit of the mitochondrial enzyme cytochrome oxidase, is up-regulated in the striatum of male but not female mice after receiving a single dose of caffeine. The expression of two other Cox subunits, Cox1 and Cox4, was also stimulated by caffeine in a male-specific fashion. This up-regulation of Cox subunits by caffeine was accompanied by an increase in Cox enzyme activity in the male striatum. Caffeine-induced stimulation of Cox expression and activity were reproduced using the adenosine 2A receptor (A2AR)-specific antagonist 5-amino-7-(2-phenylethyl)-2-(2-furyl)-pyrazolo[4,3-ϵ]-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine (SCH58261), and coadministration of the A2AR-specific agonist 2-[p-(2-carboxyethyl)phenethylamino]-5′-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (CGS21680) counteracted the elevation of Cox expression and activity by caffeine. Caffeine also increased Cox activity in PC-12 cells. In contrast, small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of Cox7c expression in PC-12 cells blunted Cox activity, and this was counteracted by caffeine treatment. Caffeine was also found to increase Cox7c mRNA expression in the striatum and in PC-12 cells. This occurred at the level of transcription and was mediated by a segment of the Cox7c promoter. Overall, these findings indicate that cytochrome oxidase is a metabolic target of caffeine and that stimulation of Cox activity by caffeine via blockade of A2AR signaling may be an important mechanism underlying the therapeutic benefits of caffeine in PD.
Repeatability of Body Measurements in Broiler-Type Chickens

Abstract BREEDERS of broiler-type chickens are concerned with breast angle because it is related to carcass appearance and to yield of breast meat. Measurements on shank length and circumference are also of importance to the extent that these are related to body weight and efficiency of meat production. Since measurements on body conformation are subject to human error it is important to know how repeated observations by the same or different operators contribute to the accuracy of these measurements. Burmester and Lerner (1937) checked the accuracy of an instrument designed for measuring shank length of live chickens by correlating measurements on shank length with the actual tarsametatarsal bone length. This correlation was found to be .968±.007. Repeat measurements of tibia circumference were not reported by Gutteridge and O’Neil (1942), but Gutteridge (1956) stated that tibia circumference readings on the same chicken could be quite consistently duplicated. Correlations between repeat measurements of…
Dissimilar atrial rhythms in man and dog

Dissimilar atrial rhythms were demonstrated in 10 patients by recording right and left atrial activity simultaneously with intracavitary right atrial and esophageal electrodes. Eight patients had fibrillation recorded in one atrium and slower, more regular activity recorded in the other atrium; two patients had no recordable activity in one atrium and a tachyarrhythmia recorded in the other atrium. Right atrial pacing failed to terminate the slower, more regular right atrial rhythm when left atrial fibrillation was present. Discrete atrial activity reflecting depolarization from one atrium can be recorded in surface electrocardiograms during contralateral atrial fibrillation or in the absence of recordable activity in the opposite atrium. In an animal study, dissimilar atrial rhythms were induced in seven dogs in which vagotomy and administration of ouabain lengthened the atrial refractory period. Vagal stimulation restored similar rhythms by causing both atria to fibrillate rapidly. Administration of ouabain and vagotomy did not uniformly prolong the atrial refractory period, and it was possible to record with one electrode localized atrial activity that could not be recorded in closely adjacent electrodes placed in the same or the contralateral atrium. We conclude that during some forms of atrial fibrillation, particularly those called “coarse atrial fibrillation” or “flutter fibrillation,” more uniform depolarization may occur in one atrium or portion of one atrium and result in a rhythm that is slower and more regular than the rhythm occurring in the contralateral fibrillating atrium.
Modeling of Tool Wear in Vibration Assisted Nano Impact-Machining by Loose Abrasives

Vibration assisted nano impact-machining by loose abrasives (VANILA) is a novel nanomachining process that combines the principles of vibration assisted abrasive machining and tip-based nanomachining, to perform target specific nanoabrasive machining of hard and brittle materials. An atomic force microscope (AFM) is used as a platform in this process wherein nanoabrasives, injected in slurry between the workpiece and the vibrating AFM probe which is the tool, impact the workpiece and cause nanoscale material removal. The VANILA process are conducted such that the tool tip does not directly contact the workpiece. The level of precision and quality of the machined features in a nanomachining process is contingent on the tool wear which is inevitable. Initial experimental studies have demonstrated reduced tool wear in the VANILA process as compared to indentation process in which the tool directly contacts the workpiece surface. In this study, the tool wear rate during the VANILA process is analytically modeled considering impacts of abrasive grains on the tool tip surface. Experiments are conducted using several tools in order to validate the predictions of the theoretical model. It is seen that the model is capable of accurately predicting the tool wear rate within 10% deviation.
Structure of the Shear-Wave Low-Velocity Channel in the Western United States

Summary Shear-wave travel-time residuals observed at seismograph stations in the western United States indicate that there are lateral variations in the mantle low-velocity channel (LVC). Velocity models to fit the delay times are generated from the model of Ibrahim & Nuttli. Assuming that the velocity in the LVC is constant and that the depth to its bottom is fixed at 200 km, the channel velocity is found to be 3.85 km s−1. The maximum channel thickness, 160 km, occurs beneath southern Utah and central Arizona. Partial melting in the LVC of approximately 15 per cent by volume could result in S-wave delay times comparable to those found in this study, assuming that the sources of the delay times are wholly within the outer 200 km of the Earth. If they occur over a greater depth interval, a lesser amount of partial melting would be required to satisfy the observed travel-time data.
Methicillin resistance in staphylococci : Molecular and biochemical basis and clinical implications

Methicillin resistance in staphylococci is determined by mec, composed of 50 kb or more of DNA found only in methicillin-resistant strains. mec contains mecA, the gene for penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP 2a); mecI and mecR1, regulatory genes controlling mecA expression; and numerous other elements and resistance determinants. A distinctive feature of methicillin resistance is its heterogeneous expression. Borderline resistance, a low-level type of resistance to methicillin exhibited by strains lacking mecA, is associated with modifications in native PBPs, beta-lactamase hyperproduction, or possibly a methicillinase. The resistance phenotype is influenced by numerous factors, including mec and beta-lactamase (bla) regulatory elements, fem factors, and yet to be identified chromosomal loci. The heterogeneous nature of methicillin resistance confounds susceptibility testing. Methodologies based on the detection of mecA are the most accurate. Vancomycin is the drug of choice for treatment of infection caused by methicillin-resistant strains. PBP 2a confers cross-resistance to most currently available beta-lactam antibiotics. Investigational agents that bind PBP 2a at low concentrations appear promising but have not been tested in humans. Alternatives to vancomycin are few due to the multiple drug resistances typical of methicillin-resistant staphylococci.
Situating the Rural Teacher Labor Market in the Broader Context: A Descriptive Analysis of the Market Dynamics in New York State

Expanding accountability systems that impose policies across all schools have amplifi ed assertions that rural teacher labor markets differ from non-rural labor markets in meaningful ways that complicate rural schools’ efforts to comply with the policy directives. The analysis presented here examines this claim by exploring teacher labor market trends over a 20-year period across community type in the New York state. Rural schools rely on beginning teachers to meet their demand more so than schools in non-rural communities. The percentage of teachers with no previous experience is higher in rural than non-rural communities, and experienced teachers transfer from rural to non-rural schools. Same-school retention rates are lower in rural schools than in suburban schools and experienced teachers transfer away on net from rural schools to suburban schools. Salaries may be a contributing factor to these labor market trends. Rural salaries, both beginning and average, have consistently been the lowest in the state yet are among the highest once adjusted for regional costs differences. The analysis presented here provides valuable contextual information for future analyses as well as for policymakers wishing to provide fl exibility to rural schools to comply with universal policies.
Use of Keeling plots to determine sources of dissolved organic carbon in nearshore and open ocean systems

We apply a Keeling mixing model commonly used in atmospheric sciences to oceanic dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 14 C and concentrations to demonstrate that DOC distribution across spatial transects or depth profiles can be modeled as two-component mixtures; one component consists of an old refractory pool to which a newly synthesized component pool is added. We then use the Keeling approach to determine the D 14 C signature of excess DOC added to background concentrations in nearshore and open ocean systems. Our analysis indicates enrichment in 14 C of excess DOC in coastal waters relative to offshore waters, particularly in spring when river discharge increases. These findings are consistent with the export of 14 C-enriched terrestrial DOC to the ocean and inconsistent with the idea of selective degradation of young terrestrial DOC in estuaries, resulting in export of old refractory component to the ocean. In the middle Atlantic Bight region, during the spring, excess DOC has a 14 C signature similar to that of DOC in the major rivers, whereas during the peak primary productivity of the summer season, excess DOC has a signature more similar to that of dissolved inorganic carbon. Variability in the D 14 C of excess DOC in the open ocean was lower than that of the coastal ocean. Minima in D 14 C values of excess DOC in the open ocean were measured during periods of high particulate organic matter (POC) flux, indicating that POC can interact with DOC and selectively remove 14 C-enriched components from the surface ocean. The Keeling plot provides a powerful approach for determining the isotopic compo- sition of excess DOC from an entire DOC profile or transect.
Characterization of a normal avian cell protein related to the avian sarcoma virus transforming gene product.

Abstract In this paper, we identify and characterize both structurally and functionally a protein from normal uninfected avian cells that is antigenically related to the pp60 src viral protein responsible for transformation by ASV. This protein was detected by immunoprecipitation of radiolabeled normal cell extracts with serum derived from marmosets bearing ASV-induced tumors. The normal avian cell protein, which has been detected in each of the four avian species tested (chicken, duck, quail and pheasant) is a phosphoprotein of 60,000 daltons. This protein is not related to any of the ASV structural proteins; however, its immunoprecipitation is prevented by preadsorption of the antiserum with cell extracts specifically containing pp60 src . Peptide analyses by partial proteolysis using chymotrypsin resulted in a map of the normal cell protein that was very similar to that of pp60 src . When Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease was used, however, one of the major cleavage products of the normal cell protein exhibited an altered migration with respect to the corresponding pp60 src product. Tryptic phosphopeptide analyses demonstrated that phosphorylation of the normal cell protein was also different from that seen in pp60 src . The expression of the normal cell protein did not seem to be affected by cellular growth conditions, maintaining a constant level which was approximately 30–50 fold lower than that of pp60 src in infected cells. The normal cell protein appeared to be functionally dissimilar to pp60 src lacking detectable protein kinase activity in the currently available assay system.
Solitomab, an EpCAM/CD3 bispecific antibody construct (BiTE®), is highly active against primary uterine and ovarian carcinosarcoma cell lines in vitro

Uterine and ovarian carcinosarcomas (CS) are rare but highly aggressive gynecologic tumors which carry an extremely poor prognosis. We evaluated the expression levels of EpCAM and the in vitro activity of solitomab, a bispecific single-chain antibody construct which targets epithelial-cell-adhesion-molecule (EpCAM) on tumor cells and also contains a CD3 binding region, against primary uterine and ovarian CS cell lines. EpCAM expression was evaluated by flow cytometry in a total of 5 primary CS cell lines. Sensitivity to solitomab-dependent-cellular-cytotoxicity (ADCC) was tested against the panel of primary CS cell lines expressing different levels of EpCAM in standard 4 h 51Cr release-assays. The proliferative activity, activation, cytokine secretion (i.e., Type I vs Type II) and cytotoxicity of solitomab in autologous tumor-associated-T cells (TAL) in the pleural fluid of a CS patient were also evaluated by CFSE and flow-cytometry assays. Surface expression of EpCAM was found in 80.0 % (4 out of 5) of the CS cell lines tested by flow cytometry. EpCAM positive cell lines were found resistant to NK or T-cell-mediated killing after exposure to peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in 4-h chromium-release assays (mean killing ± SEM = 1.1 ± 1.6 %, range 0–5.3 % after incubation of EpCAM positive cell lines with control BiTE®). In contrast, after incubation with solitomab, EpCAM positive CS cells became highly sensitive to T-cell-cytotoxicity (mean killing ± SEM of 19.7 ± 6.3 %; range 10.0-32.0 %; P < 0.0001). Ex vivo incubation of autologous TAL with EpCAM expressing malignant cells in pleural effusion with solitomab, resulted in a significant increase in T-cell proliferation in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, increase in T-cell activation markers (i.e., CD25 and HLA-DR), and a reduction in number of viable CS cells in the exudate (P < 0.001). Solitomab may represent an effective treatment for patients with recurrent/metastatic and/or chemo-resistant CS overexpressing EpCAM.
HIRF penetration into simplified fuselage using a reverberation chamber approach

In this paper, high-intensity radiated fields (HIRF) penetration into aircraft fuselage is studied using a reverberation chamber approach. A mode-stirrer is constructed and placed inside a simplified scale fuselage model. Measurements of the penetrating field are performed for different mode-stirrer positions. The collected sets of data are statistically processed and their probability distributions are investigated. Goodness-of-fit tests are performed between data empirical cumulative density functions and existing theoretical probability models which govern the electromagnetic field variations inside reverberation chambers.
Approximate FM Demodulation Using Zero Crossings

This paper deals with approximate methods for demodulating FM signals using their zero crossings. A first-order (linear) interpolation method is devised and analyzed. Computer programs were then prepared to compare this first-order interpolator to the more usual zero-order interpolator. Higher order interpolation is briefly discussed, and the results of using a second-order interpolator are compared to those using the lower order methods.
Letting structure emerge: connectionist and dynamical systems approaches to cognition

Connectionist and dynamical systems approaches explain human thought, language and behavior in terms of the emergent consequences of a large number of simple noncognitive processes. We view the entities that serve as the basis for structured probabilistic approaches as abstractions that are occasionally useful but often misleading: they have no real basis in the actual processes that give rise to linguistic and cognitive abilities or to the development of these abilities. Although structured probabilistic approaches can be useful in determining what would be optimal under certain assumptions, we propose that connectionist, dynamical systems, and related approaches, which focus on explaining the mechanisms that give rise to cognition, will be essential in achieving a full understanding of cognition and development.
Political Education in/as the Practice of Freedom: A Paradoxical Defence from the Perspective of Michael Oakeshott.

Creating education systems that promote democratic sustainability has been the concern of political thinkers as diverse as J. S. Mill, Dewey, Benjamin Barber and Derek Bok. The classic dichotomisation of democratic theory between deliberative democrats and Schumpeterian democrats suggests that education in the service of democracy can be constructive—that is, provide a student with the skills necessary to elect her leaders without changing her nature—or reconstructive—that is, fundamentally and radically reshape the student to produce a citizen whose goals are transformed to be congruent with society. Michael Oakeshott, who has written extensively both on political regimes and on the purpose of liberal education, offers a third way to assess the connection between government and education. Despite his own dismissal of civic or political education as fundamentally vocational and thus beyond the boundaries of the liberal arts, this paper provides a potentially surprising Oakeshottian defence of political education within the liberal arts with reference to the importance he places on experience as a pedagogic tool. Thus, Oakeshott's educational philosophy has a certain resonance with the recent calls to locate the relevance of liberal arts within the burgeoning development of experiential civic engagement programmes in American universities.
System vulnerability as a concept to assess power system dynamic security

The concept of system vulnerability is introduced as a new framework for power system dynamic security assessment. This new concept combines information on the level of security and its trend with changing system condition. In this paper the transient energy function (TEF) method is used as a tool of analysis. The energy margin /spl Delta/V is used as an indicator of the level of security, and its sensitivity (/spl part//spl Delta/V//spl part/p) to a changing system parameter p as an indicator of its trend. The thresholds for acceptable levels of the security indicator (/spl Delta/V) and its trend (/spl part//spl Delta/V//spl part/p) are related to the stability limits of a critical system parameter. A method is proposed to determine these thresholds using heuristic techniques derived from operating practices and policies for a change in plant generation. Results from the IEEE 50 generator test system are presented to illustrate the procedure. >
Second-order power corrections in the heavy-quark effective theory. I. Formalism and meson form factors.

In the heavy-quark effective theory, hadronic matrix elements of currents between two hadrons containing a heavy quark are expanded in inverse powers of the heavy-quark masses, with coefficients that are functions of the kinematic variable $v\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}{v}^{\ensuremath{'}}$. For the ground-state pseudoscalar and vector mesons, this expansion is constructed at order $\frac{1}{{m}_{Q}^{2}}$. A minimal set of universal form factors is defined in terms of matrix elements of higher-dimensional operators in the effective theory. The zero recoil normalization conditions following from vector current conservation are derived. Several phenomenological applications of the general results are discussed in detail. It is argued that at zero recoil the semileptonic decay rates for $B\ensuremath{\rightarrow}D\ensuremath{\ell}\ensuremath{\nu}$ and $B\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{*}\ensuremath{\ell}\ensuremath{\nu}$ receive only small second-order corrections, which are unlikely to exceed the level of a few percent. This supports the usefulness of the heavy-quark expansion for a reliable determination of ${V}_{\mathrm{cb}}$.g
Methanol-to-Olefins Catalysis with Hydrothermally Treated Zeolite SSZ-39

Zeolite SSZ-39 is evaluated for catalyzing the methanol-to-olefins (MTO) reaction. By steaming NH4–SSZ-39, Al can be removed from framework positions, resulting in an increase in framework-Si/AlT and thus a lowered active acid site density. The Si/AlT ratios can be controlled by the steaming temperatures. SSZ-39 steamed at 750 °C, with preserved pore volume and morphology, is an excellent MTO catalyst, as high, stable olefin selectivities, long time-on-stream activity, and low alkane production are observed. Moreover, interesting propylene/ethylene/butylene ratios of 2.8/1/1.1 are obtained, likely related to the shape of the AEI cage. By Cu2+-exchanging SSZ-39, evidence is provided to show that AlT sites in close proximity (high AlT density) produce the unwanted effects (higher alkane-make and carbonaceous deposits) in nonsteamed materials during MTO.
Impaired Retrieval Inhibition of Threat Material in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by cognitive biases toward threat-relevant information, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We translated a retrieval-practice paradigm from cognitive science to investigate impaired inhibition of threat information as one such mechanism. Participants diagnosed with GAD and never-disordered control participants learned a series of cue-target pairs; whereas some cues were associated only with neutral targets, others were associated with both neutral and threat targets. Next, participants practiced retrieving neutral targets, which typically suppresses the subsequent recall of unpracticed associated targets (retrieval-induced forgetting; RIF). Finally, participants were tested on their recall of all targets. Despite showing intact RIF of neutral targets, the GAD group failed to exhibit RIF of threat targets. Furthermore, within the GAD group, less RIF of threat targets correlated with greater pervasiveness of worry. Deficits in inhibitory control over threat-relevant information may underlie the cognitive pathology of GAD, which has important treatment implications.
Assessment of Decisional Conflict about the Treatment of Trigger Finger, Comparing Patients and Physicians.

Background: As an early step in the development of a decision aid for idiopathic trigger finger (TF) we were interested in the level of decisional conflict experienced by patients and hand surgeons. This study tested the null hypothesis that there is no difference in decisional conflict between patients with one or more idiopathic trigger fingers and hand surgeons. Secondary analyses address the differences between patients and surgeons regarding the influence of the DCS-subcategories on the level of decisional conflict, as well as the influence of patient and physician demographics, the level of self-efficacy, and satisfaction with care on decisional conflict. Methods: One hundred and five hand surgeon-members of the Science of Variation Group (SOVG) and 84 patients with idiopathic TF completed the survey regarding the Decisional Conflict Scale. Patients also filled out the Pain Self-efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) and the Patient Doctor Relationship Questionnaire (PDRQ-9). Results: On average, patients had decisional conflict comparable to physicians, but by specific category patients felt less informed and supported than physicians. The only factors associated with greater decisional conflict was the relationship between the patient and doctor. Conclusions: There is a low, but measurable level of decisional conflict among patients and surgeons regarding idiopathic trigger finger. Studies testing the ability of decision aids to reduce decisional conflict and improve patient empowerment and satisfaction with care are merited.
Relative rates of fracture of the hip in the United States. Geographic, sex, and age variations

We studied the Medicare data from 1984 through 1987 for 687,850 fractures of the hip that had occurred in the United States. Our purpose was to determine the geographic, sex-specific, and age-interval variations in the relative risk of fracture of the hip in elderly white individuals. The rates of cervical, trochanteric, and subtrochanteric fracture, and the over-all rate of fracture at any of the three levels, increased with age, were greater for women than for men, and were higher in the Southern part of the country. However, there were regional, sex, and age variations. The ratio of cervical to trochanteric fractures was significantly higher in the East South Central region and lower in the Middle Atlantic and New England regions (p < 0.05). These were the same areas with the highest and lowest over-all rates, respectively, of fracture of the hip. The ratio of cervical to trochanteric fractures decreased from 1.52 in women who were sixty-five to sixty-nine years old to 0.81 in women who were at least eighty-five years old, but it stayed at approximately 1.00 for the corresponding age-groups of men. The ratio of fracture of the hip in women to fracture of the hip in men varied depending on the level of the fracture.
Psychotropic medications in gastrointestinal and hepatic disease.

Because psychotropic medications are virtually always given by mouth and metabolized by the liver, diseases of this system may affect absorption and metabolism. This chapter will address these issues as they pertain to the major gastrointestinal organ systems
A discussion on adult mesenchymal stem cells for drug delivery: pros and cons

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are emerging as candidates for drug delivery to treat numerous diseases. Their ease of isolation, expansion and reduced ethical concern, coupled with their 'plastic' immune functions and homing abilities make MSCs an appealing choice as cellular vehicle for drug delivery, including the delivery of RNA. However, while MSCs are currently listed for thousands of clinical trials, there are many confounding factors that have yet to be elucidated. In this review, we address many of the benefits of MSCs as therapeutic agents, and discuss confounding factors that require further scientific exploration.
Production of renal hypertension by injection of finely divided silica into renal artery.

SummaryA method for the production of experimental hypertension by the injection of 5 mg of white silica into the renal artery is described. The intrarenal fibrous tissue reaction occurring in response to this injection is apparently responsible for the elevation of blood pressure that occurs.
Melt Flow and Porosity Formation in Pulsed Laser Keyhole Welding

Instead of CW (continuous wave) mode, pulsed mode laser welding has been popularly used in industry especially for Nd: YAG lasers. In pulsed mode laser keyhole welding, pores have been frequently observed near the root of the solidified weld. Our previous studies have indicated that the formation of porosity is caused by two competing mechanisms during the keyhole collapse process, and they are 1) the speed of solidification process for the melt surrounding the keyhole and 2) the speed of melt backfilling the keyhole. If the solidification process is too fast and completed before the keyhole is filled, pores will be formed. A technique to control the laser power trailing when it is turned off during the keyhole collapse process has been proposed and experimentally validated to postpone the solidification speed and, as a result, to prevent the porosity formation. However, this method fails for a “deep” keyhole. In this study, an electromagnetic force is used to control the melt backfill flow which is proved to be very effective in preventing porosity from occurring. A mathematical model has been developed to calculate the transient heat transfer and fluid flow during the keyhole formation and collapse processes in pulsed laser welding. The continuum model is used to handle the entire domain including solid phase, liquid phase and mush zone. The enthalpy method is employed to handle the absorption and release of latent heat during melting and solidification. The laser induced plasma inside the keyhole due to the Inverse Bremsstrahlung (IB) absorption is considered and the temperature distribution inside the keyhole is calculated. Both the Fresnel absorption and multiple reflections of laser beam energy at the keyhole walls are also considered. Parametric studies to determine the desired strength of the electromagnetic force and its duration under several laser welding conditions have been conducted. Computer animations showing the keyhole formation and collapse, metal flow, and possible formation of pores will be presented.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Methodology for exciting dynamic shear and moment failure in composite sandwich beams

The increasing use of composites in high performance structural applications subjected to dynamic loading drives the need for understanding basic material failure properties and structural response...
Multiculturalism and athletic training education: implications for educational and professional progress.

Objective To introduce athletic training educators and practicing professionals to the pedagogic concept and professional benefits that multicultural education, awareness, and training might provide if implemented in athletic training education. Data sources I reviewed textbook chapters and articles used in the course of my doctoral studies and searched the archives of Diversity Digest and Academic Medicine for the years 1998 to 2002 with the key words multiculturalism, diversity, cultural competence, education, and learning. I obtained additional information by cross-referencing pertinent articles. Data synthesis I present a rational argument for the inclusion of a critical pedagogy into the field of athletic training education. I outline the infrastructure in the professional field of athletic training, review some of the literature on critical multicultural theory and pedagogy, and examine some of the potential cognitive and intellectual implications of diversity and multicultural education. Conclusions/recommendations Future work in this area should focus on various and creative strategies for implementing a multicultural agenda in athletic training curricula and on the analysis of the associated benefits and outcomes of such educational strategies.
CHAPTER 104 – Role of PP2A in Cancer and Signal Transduction

PP2A plays a critical role in growth control and cancer. Importantly, loss or alteration of PP2A activity is an essential step in the development of human cancer, consistent with the idea that PP2A functions as a tumor suppressor. However, PP2A has many, sometimes seemingly conflicting, functions that are poorly understood. On the one hand, it suppresses cell growth, but on the other it is required for cell-cycle progression. Also, it positively and negatively regulates the MAPK/ERK and Wnt signaling pathways. Other important functions of PP2A are its inhibitory role in the interleukin-3-stimulated JAK2-STAT5 signaling pathway and its involvement in NF-KB signaling, protein kinase B/Akt signahng, and integrin-mediated regulation of Akt and GSKSP. Furthermore, the catalytic subunit of PP2A binds to the alpha-4 protein, a homolog of yeast TAP42 involved in translational control.
In situ disappearance of neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen from alfalfa and eastern gamagrass at three maturities.

In situ digestion kinetics of neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen (NDIN) from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) harvested at one-tenth bloom and eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L.) harvested at the boot (GGB), anthesis (GGA), and physiological maturity (GGM) stages of growth were determined with nonlinear regression techniques. Whole-plant tissue and associated leaf and stem fractions were incubated in the ventral rumen simultaneously. On a wholeplant basis, potential extents of degradation were particularly high (> or =904 g/kg NDIN) for GGB and GGA, relative to those of GGM and alfalfa (772 and 658 g/kg NDIN, respectively). For all plant parts, degradation rates of NDIN were faster (P .05) across maturities for any gamagrass tissue type. These results indicate 1) that phenological development and lignification do not limit the rate of NDIN degradation in gamagrass forages but do markedly limit the potential extent of NDIN availability and 2) that most of the NDIN in these forages is potentially available in the rumen and can contribute to the ruminal N supply. Our secondary objective was to compare estimates of N escaping ruminal degradation that were determined on the basis of NDIN degradation kinetics (NDIN method) with those determined traditionally, on the basis of total residual N. The NDIN method mathematically eliminates all neutral detergent soluble N from consideration as part of the pool of dietary N potentially escaping the rumen intact. Estimates of rumen escape nitrogen determined on the basis of degradation rates of NDIN were consistently less than corresponding estimates that were determined on the basis of total residual N. When ruminal escape N that was determined with the NDIN method was regressed on corresponding estimates with the total residual N method, the slopes of the regression lines were .53 and .66 for assumed passage rates of .02 and .06 h(-1), respectively. For the forages evaluated in this study, these results indicate that neutral detergent soluble N may make important contributions to the pool of N escaping ruminal degradation.
Endgame Problem Part 1: V-Infinity-Leveraging Technique and the Leveraging Graph

Renewed interest by ESA and NASA in missions to Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus, and Titan poses the question of how to best solve the endgame problem. Endgames typically aim at an inexpensive insertion maneuver into the science orbit and can be designed using either V ∞ -leveraging maneuvers or the multibody dynamics. Although historically linked to insertion maneuvers, the endgame problem is symmetric and equally applies to departure. In this two-part series, we analyze and draw connections between the two apparently separate approaches, providing insight into the dynamics of the multibody gravity-assist problem. In this paper we derive new formulas for the V ∞ -leveraging maneuver and build the leveraging graph to be used as a reference guide for designing endgame tours. We prove that the cost of a V ∞ -leveraging-maneuver sequence decreases when using high-altitude flybys (as done in the multibody technique). Finally, we find a simple quadrature formula to compute the minimum ΔV transfer between moons using V ∞ -leveraging maneuvers, which is the main result of the paper, and a method to estimate transfer times. The leveraging graphs and associated formulas are derived in canonical units and therefore apply to any celestial system with a smaller body in a circular orbit around a primary. Specifically, we demonstrate the new method to provide rapid calculations of the theoretical boundary values for ΔV requirements and estimated transfer times for moon tours in the Saturn and Jupiter systems using the V ∞ -leveraging-maneuver model.
Electronic Specific Heat of Dilute Noble Metal Alloys

The picture of a simple metal which has been emerging over the last few years is highly reminiscent of that current during the thirties. Most characteristic metallic properties can be explained in terms of weakly interacting particles, somewhat like electrons, but having, perhaps, a different mass, moving in a background of positive ions. The present view is that the interaction with the ions is also weak. It is reasonable to consider this electronic system as constituting a nearly free-electron gas; that is, the particles are looked on as a noninteracting Fermi gas in the presence of a weak crystalline potential which is to be treated by second-order perturbation theory.
Traffic Sensing Technologies

Safe and efficient operations of transportation systems rely heavily on applications of advanced technologies. As a result, recent decades have witnessed wide applications of communication, sensing, and computing technologies in traffic surveillance, incident detection, emergency response, fleet management, and travel assistance. This chapter reviews these sensors with an emphasis on their applications in transportation operations.
Youthful Brains in Older Adults: Preserved Neuroanatomy in the Default Mode and Salience Networks Contributes to Youthful Memory in Superaging

Decline in cognitive skills, especially in memory, is often viewed as part of “normal” aging. Yet some individuals “age better” than others. Building on prior research showing that cortical thickness in one brain region, the anterior midcingulate cortex, is preserved in older adults with memory performance abilities equal to or better than those of people 20–30 years younger (i.e., “superagers”), we examined the structural integrity of two large-scale intrinsic brain networks in superaging: the default mode network, typically engaged during memory encoding and retrieval tasks, and the salience network, typically engaged during attention, motivation, and executive function tasks. We predicted that superagers would have preserved cortical thickness in critical nodes in these networks. We defined superagers (60–80 years old) based on their performance compared to young adults (18–32 years old) on the California Verbal Learning Test Long Delay Free Recall test. We found regions within the networks of interest where the cerebral cortex of superagers was thicker than that of typical older adults, and where superagers were anatomically indistinguishable from young adults; hippocampal volume was also preserved in superagers. Within the full group of older adults, thickness of a number of regions, including the anterior temporal cortex, rostral medial prefrontal cortex, and anterior midcingulate cortex, correlated with memory performance, as did the volume of the hippocampus. These results indicate older adults with youthful memory abilities have youthful brain regions in key paralimbic and limbic nodes of the default mode and salience networks that support attentional, executive, and mnemonic processes subserving memory function. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Memory performance typically declines with age, as does cortical structural integrity, yet some older adults maintain youthful memory. We tested the hypothesis that superagers (older individuals with youthful memory performance) would exhibit preserved neuroanatomy in key brain networks subserving memory. We found that superagers not only perform similarly to young adults on memory testing, they also do not show the typical patterns of brain atrophy in certain regions. These regions are contained largely within two major intrinsic brain networks: the default mode network, implicated in memory encoding, storage, and retrieval, and the salience network, associated with attention and executive processes involved in encoding and retrieval. Preserved neuroanatomical integrity in these networks is associated with better memory performance among older adults.
Autism and Epilepsy in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

The relationship between autism and epilepsy and functional brain abnormalities in children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) were examined at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University, Detroit.
Opposing orientations in interactions with individuals with Frontotemporal Dementia: Blurring the boundaries between conflict and collaboration

Clinically, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is described as primarily affecting personality and interpersonal conduct and resulting in social behavioral disruptions, thus often giving rise to interpersonal conflict. Conflict behavior in both typical and dementia populations is frequently identified as explicit physical and verbal acts such as assault, yelling or insulting, and research often situates conflict and collaboration as opposing dimensions. The premise of this article is to examine the unfolding of moments in which individuals diagnosed with FTD and their carers demonstrate opposing orientations towards an activity in real time interaction: A home nurse needing to fulfill an institutional agenda — taking sitting blood pressure — seeks the cooperation from an individual who, in attempting to lie down, interferes with this agenda. These moments constitute sources of interactional conflict that carers attempt to resolve. However, often conflict behavior and cooperative behavior are not neatly teased apart; for instance, individuals often display conflicting orientations towards an overarching or guiding activity while cooperating in more immediate and discrete interactional tasks. These verbal/nonverbal conflicts are not large acts of aggression; rather, they may be viewed as arising within the mundane moments of life that individuals face in everyday contexts and frequently.
RNA Sequencing of Contaminated Seeds Reveals the State of the Seed Permissive for Pre-Harvest Aflatoxin Contamination and Points to a Potential Susceptibility Factor

Pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination (PAC) is a major problem facing peanut production worldwide. Produced by the ubiquitous soil fungus, Aspergillus flavus, aflatoxin is the most naturally occurring known carcinogen. The interaction between fungus and host resulting in PAC is complex, and breeding for PAC resistance has been slow. It has been shown that aflatoxin production can be induced by applying drought stress as peanut seeds mature. We have implemented an automated rainout shelter that controls temperature and moisture in the root and peg zone to induce aflatoxin production. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), seeds meeting the following conditions were selected: infected with Aspergillus flavus and contaminated with aflatoxin; and not contaminated with aflatoxin. RNA sequencing analysis revealed groups of genes that describe the transcriptional state of contaminated vs. uncontaminated seed. These data suggest that fatty acid biosynthesis and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling are altered in contaminated seeds and point to a potential susceptibility factor, ABR1, as a repressor of ABA signaling that may play a role in permitting PAC.
Emergent role of the fractalkine axis in dissemination of peritoneal metastasis from epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma is the most common cause of death from gynecologic cancers largely due to advanced, relapsed and chemotherapy-resistant peritoneal metastasis, which is refractory to the currently used treatment approaches. Mechanisms supporting advanced and relapsed peritoneal metastasis are largely unknown, precluding development of more effective targeted therapies. In this study, we investigated the function of a potentially targetable fractalkine axis in the formation and the development of advanced and relapsed peritoneal metastasis and its impact on patients' outcomes. Our mouse model studies support a role for the fractalkine receptor (CX3CR1) in the initiation of peritoneal adhesion important for recolonization of relapsed peritoneal metastasis. We show that downregulation of CX3CR1 results in reduction of metastatic burden at several peritoneal sites commonly colonized by advanced and relapsed metastatic ovarian carcinoma. We show that the chemokine fractalkine (CX3CL1), an activating ligand of CX3CR1, regulates organ-specific peritoneal colonization. High expression of CX3CR1 correlates with significantly shorter survival, specifically in post-menopausal patients with advanced and terminal stages of the disease. Taken together, our studies support a key regulatory role for the fractalkine axis in advanced and relapsed peritoneal metastasis in epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
Regulatory role of the JAK STAT kinase signalling system on the IL-23/IL-17 cytokine axis in psoriatic arthritis.

We read with great interest the article by Gao et al .1 They have reported the regulatory role of the JAK/STAT kinase system on the inflammatory/proliferative cascades for pannus formation in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) such as on fibroblast like synovial cells (FLS) biology and on secretion of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL) 6, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1) by these FLS. Tofacitinib targets JAK1 and JAK2 with IC50 values in the same order of magnitude as that of JAK3.2 They have also provided the mechanisms of actions of tofacitinib by demonstrating that tofacitinib significantly decreased pSTAT3, pSTAT1, NFκBp65 in PsAFLS and inhibits the cellular and molecular events of pannus formation. However, Gao et al did not address a critical issue whether JAK/STAT signalling system regulates the IL-23/IL-17 cytokine axis in PsA. Here we are sharing an alternative mechanism for the role of JAK/STAT kinase system in the pathogenesis of PsA. Aberrant activation of IL-23/IL-17 cytokine axis is a dominant pathology in PsA. …
Medical Literature on Poison, c. 1300–1600

Abstract Medieval and early modern toxicology, while of course indebted to classical frameworks, took up distinctly new ways of inquiring about the nature and properties of poisons and venoms. Although historical conceptions of poison can and should be approached from numerous perspectives, this essay outlines the broad contours of medieval and early modern toxicology as seen from some widely cited Latin medical texts on poison composed between 1300 and 1600.
Reconstruction from limited single-particle diffraction data via simultaneous determination of state, orientation, intensity, and phase

Free-electron lasers now have the ability to collect X-ray diffraction patterns from individual molecules; however, each sample is delivered at unknown orientation and may be in one of several conformational states, each with a different molecular structure. Hit rates are often low, typically around 0.1%, limiting the number of useful images that can be collected. Determining accurate structural information requires classifying and orienting each image, accurately assembling them into a 3D diffraction intensity function, and determining missing phase information. Additionally, single particles typically scatter very few photons, leading to high image noise levels. We develop a multitiered iterative phasing algorithm to reconstruct structural information from single-particle diffraction data by simultaneously determining the states, orientations, intensities, phases, and underlying structure in a single iterative procedure. We leverage real-space constraints on the structure to help guide optimization and reconstruct underlying structure from very few images with excellent global convergence properties. We show that this approach can determine structural resolution beyond what is suggested by standard Shannon sampling arguments for ideal images and is also robust to noise.