cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mimicry of a biophysical pathway leads to diverse pollen-like surface patterns

A ubiquitous structural feature in biological systems is texture in extracellular matrix that gains functions when hardened, for example, cell walls, insect scales, and diatom tests. Here, we develop patterned liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) particles by recapitulating the biophysical patterning mechanism that forms pollen grain surfaces. In pollen grains, a phase separation of extracellular material into a pattern of condensed and fluid-like phases induces undulations in the underlying elastic cell membrane to form patterns on the cell surface. In this work, LCE particles with variable surface patterns were created through a phase separation of liquid crystal oligomers (LCOs) droplet coupled to homeotropic anchoring at the droplet interface, analogously to the pollen grain wall formation. Specifically, nematically ordered polydisperse LCOs and isotropic organic solvent (dichloromethane) phase-separate at the surface of oil-in-water droplets, while, different LCO chain lengths segregate to different surface curvatures simultaneously. This phase separation, which creates a distortion in the director field, is in competition with homeotropic anchoring induced by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). By tuning the polymer chemistry of the system, we are able to influence this separation process and tune the types of surface patterns in these pollen-like microparticles. Our study reveals that the energetically favorable biological mechanism can be leveraged to offer simple yet versatile approaches to synthesize microparticles for mechanosensing, tissue engineering, drug delivery, energy storage, and displays.
Veiligheid creëren in Emotionally Focused Therapy: een n = 1-processtudie

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), of emotiegerichte relatietherapie, is een effectieve behandeling voor stellen met relatieproblemen. EFT helpt niet alleen om relatieproblemen op korte termijn te verminderen, de effecten houden ook op de langere termijn aan. Met de voorliggende studie wilden wij inzicht krijgen in de processen die al in fase een van EFT leiden tot een groeiend gevoel van veiligheid bij de partners, een gebeurtenis die cruciaal is voor het behandelsucces van EFT omdat veiligheid een belangrijke voorwaarde is voor het diepgaande interpersoonlijke en intrapsychische werk dat de therapeut in latere therapiefasen verricht. In de voorliggende studie analyseerden we video-opnames van de eerste zes sessies van een EFT-casus, afkomstig uit een gerandomiseerde gecontroleerde trial naar EFT. Hieruit kunnen we concluderen dat alle verwachte elementen van veiligheid inderdaad al in deze eerste zes therapiesessies tot stand werden gebracht. Verder blijkt uit onze analyses dat de EFT-therapeut proactief was in het benutten van de cruciale therapiemomenten (kansen), waardoor beide partners in deze EFT-casus meer emotionele veiligheid konden ervaren, wat een de-escalerend effect had op de partnerinteractie. In dit artikel staan we stil bij de implicaties van de belangrijkste onderzoeksbevindingen.
Quantum simulation of open quantum systems in heavy-ion collisions

We present a framework to simulate the dynamics of hard probes such as heavy quarks or jets in a hot, strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma (QGP) on a quantum computer. Hard probes in the QGP can be treated as open quantum systems governed in the Markovian limit by the Lindblad equation. However, due to large computational costs, most current phenomenological calculations of hard probes evolving in the QGP use semiclassical approximations of the quantum evolution. Quantum computation can mitigate these costs and offers the potential for a fully quantum treatment with exponential speed-up over classical techniques. We report a simplified demonstration of our framework on IBM Q quantum devices and apply the random identity insertion method to account for cnot depolarization noise, in addition to measurement error mitigation. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of simulating open quantum systems on current and near-term quantum devices, which is of broad relevance to applications in nuclear physics, quantum information, and other fields.
Racial Disparities in Financial Security, Work and Leisure Activities, and Quality of Life Among the Direct Care Workforce.

Background and objectives Personal care, home health, and nursing aides provide the majority of care to chronically ill and disabled older adults. This workforce faces challenging working conditions, resulting in high turnover and workforce instability that affect the quality of care for older adults. This study examines differences in financial security, work-life balance, and quality of life of Black, Hispanic, and workers of other race/ethnicity compared to White workers. Research design and methods We hypothesize that Black and Hispanic workers experience greater financial insecurity, spend more time on work related activities and have less time available for leisure activities, and have lower quality of life compared to White workers. To test these hypotheses, we analyze the American Time Use Survey using descriptive analyses and multivariable and compositional regression. Results Black and Hispanic individuals were two-to-three times more likely to live in poverty than White individuals. The time use analysis indicated that Black and Hispanic workers spent more time on work-related activities and less time on nonwork-related activities, including longer work commutes and less time exercising. In analyses of aggregated paid/unpaid work and leisure, Black workers were the only group that spent significantly more time working and less time on leisure activities compared to White workers. This may explain the lower quality of life that we only observed in Black workers. Discussion and implications Racial/ethnic disparities in wellbeing among direct care workers may impact the care older adults receive and contribute to widening inequities in this workforce and society. Policymakers should direct efforts towards securing funding for workers, incentivizing employer provisions, and implementing racial equity approaches.
COVID-19: New disease and the largest new human stressor

Biological stress is the “nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it”. By definition, stress should be caused by different factors (stressors) eliciting similar neuroendocrine changes as well as bodily and behavioural alterations. COVID-19 (coronavirus disease—2019) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a new and complex infectious disease. Its sudden and unexpected appearance in late 2019 and early 2020 found most countries unprepared; hence, it is not surprising that the new disease created much confusion, panic and chaos that almost predictably lead to stress. The multifactorial stress etiology is almost a given in a pandemic like this, e.g., anxiety about getting infected, uncertainty about what the future may bring, depression, isolation, family arguments in close quarters, real or perceived food shortages, unemployment, reduced income or its total loss, all culminating in increased domestic violence, suicides and stress-related diseases, such as heart attacks (i.e., myocardial infarction). The first scientific publications documenting these changes, especially in older populations, came from China in early and mid-2020. These results, originating from online surveys and interview-based assessments in various countries showed 20–40% increase in perceived distress, especially anxiety, with a substantial increase in PTSD. Fortunately, both the lay press and scientific publications advocate stress-prevention techniques that range from the “relaxation response” to yoga and specific physical exercises. The long-term health effects and public health consequences of increased distress due to COVID-19 remain to be seen and must be investigated.
Comparative evaluation of one-handed versus two-handed mask holding techniques in children during inhalational induction of anesthesia: A randomized crossover study

BACKGROUND We aimed to evaluate if two-handed mask airway is superior to one-handed mask airway during inhalational induction of anesthesia in children. METHODS A randomized, two period, crossover study was performed on 60 children aged 1-8 years, with obstructive sleep apnea due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy, scheduled for adenotonsillectomy. Children were assigned to two study sequences and one control sequence of 20 subjects each. A control sequence was added to evaluate the effect of anesthetic depth. Sequence 1: One-handed followed by two-handed airway, 30 seconds each; Sequence 2: two-handed followed by one-handed airway, 30 seconds each and Sequence 3: two-handed airway, for 60 seconds. The work of breathing indices, phase angle, and labored breathing index were recorded using respiratory inductance plethysmography. Additional outcome measures were tidal volume, minute ventilation, and respiratory rate. A straight comparison and a crossover analysis was performed. RESULTS The initial comparison revealed that one-handed airway had greater phase angle (mean diff. 17.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-33.68; P = .034), greater labored breathing index (mean diff. 0.56; 95% CI 0.16-1.04; P = .004),lower minute ventilation (mean diff. -1567; 95% CI -2695 to -5.4; P = .004),and lower tidal volume (mean diff. -39; 95% CI -2.7 to -5.4; P = .02) than two-handed airway. On crossover analysis, within-subject difference in the phase angle was greater during one-handed than two-handed airway (34.3; 95% CI 8.46-60.14; P = .01) as was labored breathing index (mean diff. 1.2; 95% CI 0.39-2.00; P < .0046).Minute ventilation was lower during one-handed than two-handed airway (mean diff. -3359; 95% CI -4363 to -2355, P < 0.0001) as was tidal volume(mean diff. -78; 95% CI -110.4 to -45.8; P < .0001). CONCLUSION In children with obstructive sleep apnea due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy, two-handed airway provides superior airway patency that was not influenced by the anesthetic depth.
Adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure does not alter responsiveness to ifenprodil or expression of vesicular GABA and glutamate transporters

Adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure in the rat results in a retention of adolescent-like responsiveness to ethanol into adulthood characterized by enhanced sensitivity to socially facilitating and decreased sensitivity to socially suppressing and aversive effects. Similar pattern of responsiveness to social and aversive effects of the selective glutamate NMDA NR2B receptor antagonist ifenprodil is evident in adolescent rats, suggesting that AIE would also retain this pattern of ifenprodil sensitivity into adulthood. Social (Experiment 1) and aversive (measured via conditioned taste aversion; Experiment 2) effects of ifenprodil were assessed in adult male and female rats following AIE exposure. Sensitivity to the social and aversive effects of ifenprodil was not affected by AIE exposure. Experiment 3 assessed protein expression of vesicular transporters of GABA (vGAT) and glutamate (vGlut2) within the prelimbic cortex and nucleus accumbens in adolescents versus adults and in AIE adults versus controls. vGlut2 expression was higher in adolescents relative to adults within the PrL, but lower in the NAc. AIE adults did not retain these adolescent-typical ratios. These findings suggest that AIE is not associated with the retention of adolescent-typical sensitivity to NR2B receptor antagonism, along with no AIE-induced shift in vGlut2 to vGAT ratios.
An Alert System: Using Fuzzy Logic for Controlling Crowd Movement by Detecting Critical Density Spots

When people form crowds without an orderly arrangement, we need to consider how to best control their movement to provide safety and maximize their experience. Controlling a large crowd is a complicated and costly operation, but it is important to prevent risky situations that can lead to trampling and crushing, and to provide general public safety. Crowd control forces must be able to organize people to provide successful crowd management. In this paper we examine two types of crowds: structured crowds, where people are heading towards the same goal and in generally the same direction, as happens in religious gatherings like the Islamic Hajj or the Hindu Kumbh Mela; and unstructured crowds, where people walk in different directions, as occurs in train stations and in the centers of towns and cities. By identifying the locations of each individual in a crowd, many potential problems of controlling crowds can be detected and avoided, since we will able to identify the direction and speed of each individual and compare it to the surrounding crowd. We propose an alert system as a way of keeping crowds safe in risky situations. The alert system focuses on scrutinizing the status of individuals in order to inform the authorities in case of risk behavior. Fuzzy logic is proposed as the basis for the alert system for deciding if the locations of individuals are considered critical spots causing obstruction of crowd motion. The aim of this paper is to establish a system that is able to process and analyze the individuals’ locations according to their current locations status. The system is using the fuzzy logic, as the machine starts to learn the critical density spots by pointing these locations.
Esparto crafting under empire: Local technology and imperial industry in Roman Iberia:

Drawing on scholarship in postcolonial archaeology that emphasizes the place of indigenous technology in colonial and imperial contexts, this article explores the role of local communities in espar...
The impact of pRAP vectors on plant genetic transformation and pathogenesis studies including an analysis of BRI1-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE 1 (BAK1)-mediated resistance

Crop improvement can be facilitated through efficient gene transfer, leading to pRAP plasmid development. Comparative hairy root transformation results from 24 previously published articles examini...
Repairing: The Capacity for Repairing Relational Ruptures

The process of rupture – experiencing derailments, misattunements, missteps, and misunderstandings – and repair is of the essence of adult-adult dyadic interactions. When two people encounter each other in order to co-create and share matching lifeworlds, they will inevitably experience mismatches in their relational sloppiness. These missteps, which create conflict, require repair. It is the manner of negotiating repairs that mirrors the level of relational maturity. The presence, for example, of kindness in the midst of experiencing rupture can be a conduit for repair. The capacity for atonement is yet another channel for repairing relational ruptures.
Kinetic studies on the formation and decomposition of compounds II and III. Reactions of lignin peroxidase with H2O2

The present study characterizes the serial reactions of H2O2 with compounds I and II of lignin peroxidase isozyme H1. These two reactions constitute part of the pathway leading to formation of the oxy complex (compound III) from the ferric enzyme. Compounds II and III are the only complexes observed; no compound III* is observed. Compound III* is proposed to be an adduct of compound III with H2O2, formed from the complexation of compound III with H2O2 (Wariishi, H., and Gold, M. H. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 2070-2077). We provide evidence that demonstrates that the spectral data, on which the formation of compound III* is based, are merely an artifact caused by enzyme instability and, therefore, rule out the existence of compound III*. The reactions of compounds II and III with H2O2 are pH-dependent, similar to that observed for reactions of compounds I and II with the reducing substrate veratryl alcohol. The spontaneous decay of the compound III of lignin peroxidase results in the reduction of ferric cytochrome c. The reduction is inhibited by superoxide dismutase, indicating that superoxide is released during the decay. Therefore, the lignin peroxidase compound III decays to the ferric enzyme through the dissociation of superoxide. This mechanism is identical with that observed with oxymyoglobin and oxyhemoglobin but different from that for horseradish peroxidase. Compound III is capable of reacting with small molecules, such as tetranitromethane (a superoxide scavenger) and fluoride (a ligand for the ferric enzyme), resulting in ferric enzyme and fluoride complex formation, respectively.
Simulation: Perceptions of first year associate degree nursing students

It was the purpose of this study to determine if there is a relationship between student satisfaction with high-fidelity-patient simulation experience and self-confidence in learning among student nurses. The population was associate nursing degree students. The study measured by the students’ perceptions of their satisfaction and self-confidence. There is a need for pedagogical adaptations using high-fidelity simulations to provide meaningful teaching to the nursing students. At this time, further research is needed to determine the relationship between satisfaction and the level of self-confidence among students experiencing high-fidelitypatient simulators. In order to examine the relationship of students’ satisfaction and level of self-confidence in learning, students enrolled in a first-year associate degree nursing program in south Texas were recruited to participate in this study. After obtaining institutional review board approval, data were collected at the completion of the course. Demographic information was obtained and the students were asked to complete the survey tools developed by the National League of Nursing. This study used a correlational design to achieve the purposes of the research. Correlational design was useful because the researcher was seeking to discover statistically significant relationships between variables. This study examined the relationship between the variables of student satisfaction and self-confidence. The results of the study demonstrated that the students’ were satisfied and felt selfconfident after the simulation interaction; however, there was a weak positive correlation between the two variables.
Noriega v. Pastrana : The Supreme Court Takes a Step Back from the Table

The Military Commissions Act of 2006 expressly removed the Geneva Conventions as a source of rights for any person litigating against the United States or its agents. For General Manuel Noriega, the Geneva Conventions provided him with his sole opportunity for relief from what is, in his opinion, a grave injustice; without it, he has no hope of returning to his home country any time in the near future. Thus, Noriega petitioned the Supreme Court and asked the Court to find this restriction to be an unconstitutional suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. To perform this analysis, the Supreme Court would have had to delve into territory previously unexplored and narrowly avoided. Ultimately, the Court declined to accept certiorari, over a strong objection by Justice Thomas, joined by Justice Scalia. This Comment argues that the Supreme Court has avoided the issue long enough, and should have settled the matter once and for all by accepting General Noriega’s challenge.
What Does It Take To Be A Dative Subject

What are DATIVE SUBJECTS? This paper argues that this term hasbeen applied to two distinct constructions. In one, the surface subjectis in the dative case. In the other, a dative-marked nominal that behaveslike a subject in certain respects is not, we claim, a surface subject. Dative nominals of the second type have been analyzed in Relational Grammar as initial subject and final indirect object in the Inversion construction; for this reason we call them i- nominals. Neither adopting nor rejecting the initial-subject analysis of I-nominals, here we argue only that they are not surface subjects. To argue that I-NOMINALS are not surface subjects is not so traightforward,however. Where I-nominals fail to behave like surface subjects, it has beenwidely assumed that the subject behaviors in question are restricted to nominative subjects. This has made it possible to maintain that I-nominals are surface subjects despite their nonsubject behaviors, which are attributed to their dative case. To argue against this it is necessary to find a language where I-nominals' failure to behave likesubjects cannot be attributed to their dative case. Here we argue that Russian is such a language. We show that Russian hasa true dative-subject construction in which surface subjects are in the dative case. They behave like subjects in every respect. Russian also has I-nominals in the dative case which behave like subjects in only two respects; in other respects they fail to behave like subjects. This failure cannot be attributed to their dative case because true dative subjects, also in the dative case, behave like subjects in every respect. We conclude that dative subjects and I-nominals instantiate distinct constructions which must be recognized as such in syntactictypology and syntactic theory. The consequences of this result extend beyond Russian to the analysis of other languages. Where dative-marked nominals behave like subjects in certain respects, it is necessary to determine whether they are I-nominals or dative subjects, based on language-internal evidence. They cannot simply be assumed to be dative subjects, as has often been done. It takes more to be a dative subject than has generally been recognized: it takes language-internal evidence that the nominals in question are not I-nominals.
Personal Information Management Systems

The sections in this article are 1 Paper-Based PIMs 2 Software-Based PIMs and PIMS 3 Personal Digital Assistants 4 Living with a PIMS Keywords: integrated software; software packages; time management; integrated software tools; personal information manager; group calendar; Rolodex-type Infodex database; PC network; PDA; PIM, PIMS; palmtop computer; pocket computer; information overload team-work
Basic Permalloy-Bar Bubble Devices

Now that we are familiar with the properties of bubbles and their variations under the influence of applied fields and overlay patterns we can understand better the operation of basic bubble devices. In this chapter we consider permalloy-bar devices which provided the basis for the first practical bubble products in the late 1970’s. In the next chapter we shall consider other forms of bubble devices that use different propagation mechanisms, such as charged walls or fields from electrical current-carrying conductor patterns or that use close-packed rather than isolated bubbles.
Relationship between an asymptomatic male genital tract exposure to Chlamydia trachomatis and an autoimmune response to spermatozoa

The relationship between a localized genital tract humoral immune response to Chlamydia trachomatis and the presence of antisperm antibodies on the surface of motile spermatozoa in the ejaculate was examined in 227 asymptomatic male partners of infertile couples with no history of exposure to C.trachomatis. Semen and serum samples were assayed for immunoglobulin (Ig) A and IgG antibodies to C.trachomatis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay employing a recombinant Chlamydia-specific lipopolysaccharide fragment (Medac, Hamburg, Germany), while motile spermatozoa were tested for bound autoantibodies by immunobead binding. Semen samples from 24.7 and 10.9% of the men were positive for IgA and IgG antibodies to C.trachomatis respectively. In comparison, antichlamydial IgA was less prevalent in sera (14.5%) than in semen (P = 0.01), while antichlamydial IgG was most prevalent (21.5%) in sera (P = 0.003). In 75.0% of the men with antichlamydial IgA in their semen, this antibody was undetectable in sera obtained at the time of semen collection. Conversely, 84.0% of the men with seminal antichlamydial IgG were also IgG seropositive. Antisperm IgG and/or IgA were detected on motile spermatozoa from 16.3% of the men; their occurrence was strongly correlated with the presence of antichlamydial IgA in semen (P < 0.0001). Weaker associations between antisperm antibodies and either seminal IgG antibodies to C.trachomatis (P = 0.01) or circulating IgA and IgG antichlamydial antibodies (P = 0.03) were also observed. Men with antichlamydial IgA in their semen had a lower median sperm count (82 versus 144 x 10(6)/ml) than those men without (P = 0.003); sperm morphology and motility were comparable in both groups. These data suggest that asymptomatic male genital tract exposure to C.trachomatis is a frequent event among this population and that the presence of a humoral immune response to this organism is correlated with the development of an autoimmune response to spermatozoa.
A pilot study of 2',3'-dideoxyinosine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

The nucleoside analog 2′,3′-dideoxyinosine, currently being used to treat patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, has been shown to inhibit viral replication in certain cell culture systems of hepatitis B virus and the duck model of chronic hepatitis B infection. We studied the effect of dideoxyinosine on viral replication in patients with chronic hepatitis B. In the initial dose-finding phase, patients received sequential 2-wk courses of dideoxyinosine in escalating doses of 3,6 and 9 mg/kg/day. In the second, long-term treatment phase, patients received dideoxyinosine at a dose of 9 mg/kg/day for 12 wk. Dideoxyinosine was given orally in three divided doses. The effects of dideoxyinosine on hepatitis B were assessed by serial measurements of ALT, hepatitis B virus DNA and DNA polymerase activity in serum. Six patients completed the dose-finding phase, and five patients continued into the long-term treatment phase. No significant differences were seen in serum aminotransferases, hepatitis B virus DNA levels or DNA polymerase activity at any time during treatment when compared with pretreatment levels. All patients remained positive for HBeAg during treatment and during 6 mo of follow-up. Thus at the doses tested, dideoxyinosine had no appreciable effect on viral replication in patients with chronic hepatitis B. (HEPATOLOGY 1992;16:861–864.)
Dry powder aerosols generated by standardized entrainment tubes from alternative sugar blends: 3. Trehalose dihydrate and D‐mannitol carriers

The relationship between physicochemical properties of drug/carrier blends and aerosol drug powder delivery was evaluated. Four pulmonary drugs each representing the major pulmonary therapeutic classes and with a different pharmacological action were employed. Specifically, the four pulmonary drugs were albuterol sulfate, ipratropium bromide monohydrate, disodium cromoglycate, and fluticasone propionate. The two carrier sugars, each representing a different sugar class, were D-mannitol and trehalose dihydrate. Dry powder aerosols (2%, w/w, drug in carrier) delivered using standardized entrainment tubes (SETs) were characterized by twin-stage liquid impinger. The fine particle fraction (FPF) was correlated with SET shear stress, tau(s), and the maximum fine particle fraction (FPF(max)) was correlated with a deaggregation constant, k(d), by using a powder aerosol deaggregation equation (PADE) by nonlinear and linear regression analyses applied to pharmaceutical inhalation aerosol systems in the solid state. For the four pulmonary drugs representing the major pulmonary therapeutic classes and two chemically distinct pulmonary sugar carriers (non-lactose types) aerosolized with SETs having well-defined shear stress values, excellent correlation and predictive relationships were demonstrated for the novel and rigorous application of PADE for dry powder inhalation aerosol dispersion within a well-defined shear stress range, in the context of pulmonary drug/sugar carrier physicochemical and interfacial properties.
TGFβ1 mediates alcohol-induced Nrf2 suppression in lung fibroblasts.

Background Chronic alcohol ingestion induces the expression of transforming growth factor beta-1(TGFβ1), inhibits nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2)-mediated activation of the antioxidant response element (ARE), depletes alveolar glutathione pools, and potentiates acute lung injury. In this study, we examined the mechanistic relationship between TGFβ1 and Nrf2-ARE signaling in the experimental alcoholic lung. Methods Wild-type mice were treated ± alcohol in drinking water for 8 weeks and their lungs were assessed for Nrf2 expression. In parallel, mouse lung fibroblasts were cultured ± alcohol and treated ± sulforaphane (SFP; an activator of Nrf2), ±TGFβ1, ±TGFβ1 neutralizing antibody, and/or ±activin receptor-like kinase 5 inhibitors (to block TGβ1 receptor signaling) and then analyzed for the expression of Nrf2, Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and TGFβ1, Nrf2-ARE activity, and the expression of the Nrf2-ARE-dependent antioxidants glutathione s-transferase theta 2 (GSTT2) and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC). Finally, silencing RNA (siRNA) of Nrf2 was then performed prior to alcohol exposure and subsequent analysis of TGFβ1 expression. Results Alcohol treatment in vivo or in vitro decreased Nrf2 expression in murine whole lung and lung fibroblasts, respectively. In parallel, alcohol exposure in vitro decreased Keap1 gene and protein expression in lung fibroblasts. Furthermore, alcohol exposure increased TGFβ1 expression but decreased Nrf2-ARE activity and expression of the ARE-dependent genes for GSTT2 and GCLC. These effects of alcohol were prevented by treatment with SFP; in contrast, Nrf2 SiRNA expression exacerbated alcohol-induced TGFβ1 expression. Finally, TGFβ1 treatment directly suppressed Nrf2-ARE activity whereas blocking TGFβ1 signaling attenuated alcohol-induced suppression of Nrf2-ARE activity. Conclusions Alcohol-induced oxidative stress is mediated by TGFβ1, which suppresses Nrf2-ARE-dependent expression of antioxidant defenses and creates a vicious cycle that feeds back to further increase TGFβ1 expression. These effects of alcohol can be mitigated by activation of Nrf2, suggesting a potential therapy in individuals at risk for lung injury due to alcohol abuse.
Spontaneous rupture of the diaphragm: case report and comprehensive review of the world literature.

CLINICAL SUMMARY A 36-year-old male patient came to the emergency department with high fever, cough, and sore throat consistent with an acute viral illness. His medical history was significant for medically controlled arterial hypertension. A chest radiograph showed no abnormalities (Figure 1). The patient was treated with antibiotics and antihistamines for presumed acute viral upper respiratory tract infection. He returned to the emergency department 12 hours later with pain in the left lower part of the chest that started after a recent bout of coughing. On examination, there was mild tenderness over the left lower area of the chest. No bruises were noted. Bilateral rhonchi were heard on auscultation. The patient was prescribed acetaminophen with codeine for musculoskeletal pain. He returned again 24 hours later in respiratory distress. A chest radiograph suggested that the stomach had herniated through the left hemidiaphragm. The study was repeated with oral contrast medium revealing herniation of 50% of the stomach into the left side of the chest. No pleural effusion was seen (Figure 2). A diagnosis of spontaneous rupture of the diaphragm (SRD) was made and the patient underwent emergency laparotomy. The operative findings included a 10-cm defect of the diaphragm extending from the posterior axillary line to the tendinous center right next to the pericardium. The stomach, spleen, and hepatic flexure of the colon were found in the thorax. The hernia was reduced and no alteration of the blood supply of the involved organs was noted. The edges of the diaphragmatic rupture looked macroscopically normal. Biopsy of the diaphragm was submitted for histopathologic review. The pleural cavity was drained and the defect repaired with figure-of-eight permanent sutures. The abdominal incision was closed primarily.
Stabilizing Violence: Structural complexity and moral transparency in penalty phase narratives

Narratives matter. They shape the social world in which they circulate, reflecting and refracting the cultural limits of what narratives can be told, in what setting, to whom. From this perspective, they structure how we make sense of ourselves, as members of a community, but they also structure how we understand right and wrong, good and evil. Nowhere is this more apparent than in capital murder trials in which the narratives that are constructed are literally life and death matters. The research on narrative processes in capital trials documents how the courtroom is a place for “story-battles” where each narrative works to disqualify the other and legitimize itself, in an effort to structure jurors’ decisions. This is accentuated in the penalty phase of the capital trial where both mitigating and aggravating narratives “thicken” the narratives told in the guilt phase; in the penalty phase jurors make the decision to sentence the defendant to either life without the possibility of parole, or to death. While some research of juror decision-making shows that jurors favor the prosecution narrative and make up their minds to give the death sentence independent of the penalty phase narratives, other research on mitigation narratives shows that contextualizing the defendant, via mitigating narratives, can overturn the power of the prosecution narrative and lead to a life, rather than a death, sentence. This research seeks to avoid efforts to associate juror cognitive processes to narrative processes and instead seeks to examine the connection between jury sentencing decisions, for life or death, as a function of narrative closure which is, in turn, defined in terms of two narrative dimensions: structural complexity and moral transparency. Using this framework, the penalty phase narratives in two capital trials are compared along these dimensions; the findings suggest that moral transparency and structural complexity provide the foundations for narrative closure in the penalty phase, as both structural simplicity and moral obtuseness are characteristic of narratives that are not adopted by the jury. While the sample size is small, the narrative data is rich, and the study, overall, is intended not to suggest a causal relation between dimensions of narrative closure and jury sentencing, but rather aims to illustrate a method for assessing narratives in relation to jury sentencing in the penalty phase of capital trials. However, at the broadest level, the paper offers a framework for examining the way that narrative works to contain violence.
Sampling plans for obtaining tolerance intervals in a balanced one-way random-effects model

This article discusses sampling plans, that is, the allocation of sampling units, for computing tolerance limits in a balanced one--way random-effects model. The expected width of the tolerance interval is derived and used as the basis for comparing different sampling plans. A well-known cost function and examples are used to facilitate the discussion.
The trace formula for Schrödinger operators on the line

This paper discusses certain aspects of the spectral and inverse spectral problems for the Schrodinger operator $$L(q) = - \frac{{d^2 }}{{dx^2 }} + q(x)$$ , for q(x)∈C(ℝ), the space of bounded continuous functions. The trace formula of the title is the relation $$q(0) = \lambda _0 + \sum\limits_{j = 1}^\infty {(\lambda _{2j} + \lambda _{2j - 1} - 2\mu _j )} $$ with appropriate choices of {λj} j=0 ∞ and {µj} j=1 ∞ , which is a familiar relation in the theory of Hill's equation. We characterize the set ℐ $$ \subseteq $$ C(ℝ) of potentials for which this holds. Further extensions of the theory of Hill's equation are also obtained. From the spectrum σ(L(q)) a torusT(q) is constructed, which is in general infinite dimensjional; everyq(x)∈ℐ can be mapped to a continuous path onT(q), described by the auxiliary spectrum {µj} j=1 ∞ . Under certain geometrical conditions on σ(L(q)) this path is the orbit of aC 1 vector field onT(q), and the mapping extends to one from the hull ℋ $$(q) = \overline {\{ q(x + \xi );\xi \in \mathbb{R}\} } $$ to the closure of this orbit. In particular ℋ(q) is compact. These results have applications in the theory of Schrodinger operators with ergodic potentials.
Small Heat Shock Proteins and Protection Against Ischemic Injury in Cardiac Myocytes

Background Overexpression of the inducible hsp70 protects against ischemic cardiac damage. However, it is unclear whether the small heat shock proteins hsp27 and αB-crystallin protect against ischemic injury. Methods and Results Our aim was to examine whether the overexpression of hsp27 and αB-crystallin in neonatal and adult rat cardiomyocytes would protect against ischemic injury. Recombinant adenovirus expressing hsp27 or αB-crystallin under the control of the cytomegalovirus promoter was used to infect cardiac myocytes at high efficiency as assessed by immunostaining. Overexpression was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Cardiomyocytes were subjected to simulated ischemic stress, and survival was estimated through assessment of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase release. The hsp27 overexpression decreased lactate dehydrogenase release by 45±7.5% in adult cardiomyocytes but had no effect in the neonatal cells. In contrast, αB-crystallin overexpression was associated with a decrease in cytosolic enzyme release in both adult (29±6.6%) and neonatal (32±5.4%) cardiomyocytes. Decreased endogenous hsp25 with an antisense adenovirus produced a 29±9.9% increase in damage with simulated ischemia. Overexpression of the inducible hsp70 in adult cardiomyocytes was associated with a 34±4.6% decrease in lactate dehydrogenase release and is in line with our previous results in neonatal cardiomyocytes. Conclusions The increased expression of hsp27 and αB-crystallin through an adenovirus vector system protects against ischemic injury in adult cardiomyocytes. Likewise, the overexpression of αB-crystallin protects against ischemic damage in neonatal cardiomyocytes. Decreasing the high levels of endogenous hsp25 present in neonatal cardiomyocytes renders them more susceptible to damage caused by simulated ischemia.
Taxes, Points and Rationality in the Mortgage Market

This paper addresses the issue of why discount points exist in the mortgage market. In the process of resolving these questions, a number of insights into the mortgage market are achieved. An important principle is that changes in loan structure due to points, prepayments or other deviations in the typical mortgage have no impact on the competitive rate of return. Thus, the essential role of points is not to raise the effective rate of return nor are they the purchase price a risk-averter desires for an option to prepay. Instead it is taxes that play the critical role.
Home Ranges, Territoriality, and Movement of the Meadow Vole

Two populations of the meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus , one inhabiting an abandoned field, the other a grass-sedge marsh, were live-trapped at monthly intervals from September 1957 through September 1958. The mean monthly home range size of the males was larger than that of the females in both areas. The home ranges of the females in the marsh were larger than those in the old field; there was no difference between the home range sizes of the males in the two areas. The home range size in the marsh varied inversely with population density. Environmental conditions in the old field, particularly low winter temperatures, exerted more influence upon home range size than did population density. The data indicate that M. pennsylvanicus displays territorial behavior. The degree of such behavior does not appear to be influenced by population density or environmental conditions. About 20 per cent of the population shifted their home ranges each month. A greater percentage of males moved than did females. The young voles displayed only a slightly greater tendency to move than did the adults.
Contemporary surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation.

GILLINOV, A.M., ET AL.: Contemporary Surgical Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation. Traditional surgical treatment of AF is the Cox-Maze III procedure. The Cox-Maze III procedure cures AF in >90% of patients and virtually eliminates the risk of stroke. Recent understanding of the importance of the pulmonary veins and left atrium in the pathogenesis of AF has resulted in the development of new surgical approaches. New operations to ablate AF use alternate energy sources (radiofrequency, microwave, cryothermy) and simplified left atrial lesion sets. These operations cure AF in 70-80% of patients. This article describes contemporary and emerging surgical approaches to AF, synthesizes results of these operations, and proposes a strategy for choice of operation based on patient presentation.
Fermion superfluids of nonzero orbital angular momentum near resonance.

We study the pairing of Fermi gases near the scattering resonance of the $\ensuremath{\ell}\ensuremath{\ne}0$ partial wave. Using a model potential which reproduces the actual two-body low energy scattering amplitude, we have obtained an analytic solution of the gap equation. We show that the ground state of $\ensuremath{\ell}=1$ and $\ensuremath{\ell}=3$ superfluids are orbital ferromagnets with pairing wave functions ${Y}_{11}$ and ${Y}_{32}$, respectively. For $\ensuremath{\ell}=2$, there is a degeneracy between ${Y}_{22}$ and a ``cyclic state.'' Dipole energy will orient the angular momentum axis. The gap function can be determined by the angular dependence of the momentum distribution of the fermions.
Benzene propylation catalyzed by sulfonic acid resin

Abstract Rideal kinetics have been observed for benzene propylation catalyzed by beads of sulfonic acid ion-exchange resin at 55 °C and 1 atm. High catalytic activity (1.5 × 10 −8 moles/equiv of acid groups sec) was found for macroporous but not for gel-form resins, demonstrating the practical advantage of high internal surface areas when reactants are almost incapable of swelling the polymer network. Reaction was inhibited by n -heptane, which weakly swelled the network, and this result implies that reaction took place not on the surface, but just within the underlying matrix. From the kinetics, the rate determining step has been identified as the combination of a s -propyl carbonium ion with a benzene molecule. The observed seventh-order dependence of rate on catalyst -SO 3 H group concentration suggests that the carbonium ion was stabilized by a surrounding solvent-like network of hydrogen-bonded acid groups sharing the proton deficiency.
Review: persons with epilepsy have higher risk for death by drowning than does the general population.

Source Citation Bell GS, Gaitatzis A, Bell CL, Johnson AL, Sander JW. Drowning in people with epilepsy: how great is the risk? Neurology. 2008;71:578-82. 18711111
Bacterial Genes Involved in Response to Near-Ultraviolet Radiation

A model of the possible pathways of activities following NUV treatment was presented in Section I and in Fig. 1. Some of the components are firmly established, some are speculative, and many are difficult to evaluate because of insufficient experimental information. Perhaps the most relevant experiments, especially concerning ozone depletion, would be to determine the mutational specificity of NUV. By selecting lacI mutants after exposing cells to NUV, and sequencing the bases of this gene, this is now feasible. There are some problems, however. The mutation frequency is normally so low that it might be difficult to distinguish NUV mutants from spontaneous mutants. However, by irradiating cells having a uvrA or uvrB mutation, the frequency of mutation above background can be increased considerably. There remains the problem as to what fraction of the observed mutations results from oxidative damage. Some of this could be clarified by comparing mutation spectra of cells treated with NUV and cells subjected to excess oxidative damage and determining what fraction results from other avenues of lesion formation in DNA. Different species of reactive oxygen could cause different kinds of DNA lesions, and, fortunately, use of appropriate mutants should allow us to sort out any differences in specificity of lesions. Also, by appropriate manipulation of quantities of endogenous photosensitizers, it might be possible to sort out the specific mutations that are caused by photodynamic action. Another avenue of research is to explore the pathways by which NUV lesions are repaired, and whether such repair is error prone or error free. Again, the use of mutants such as xthA, uvr, and polA should assist in our understanding of the specificity of the mutational events. There are now a number of examples of global control mechanisms whereby cells abruptly shift their protein synthesis pattern under environmental stress. It is important to understand whether NUV stress results in induction of one or more of the known regulatory genes, or whether another regulon might be involved. One particular aspect of regulation that remains unsolved is the role of the katF gene, which is known to regulate the xthA and katE, but it may also regulate other genes as well. A number of striking physiological events occur even at very low fluences of NUV irradiation of cells. In part, this may be related to regulon induction. However, some of these events are in need of special exploration, such as changes at the membrane level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A possible function in cell-substrate adhesion of a metabolic product of L-M cells.

Abstract L-M cells obtained from a suspension culture, if suspended in fresh serum-free medium and plated onto either plastic or glass to which they become firmly attached, have a low viability when scraped from the substrate within a few hours of seeding. If L-M cells from a suspension culture are grown on plastic in “conditioned” medium (medium in which cells have been grown), the viability after mechanical removal is high. Pretreatment of plastic with conditioned medium also greatly reduces the damage sustained by cells seeded onto it in fresh medium, and subsequently removed by scraping. If the test cells for seeding onto plastic surfaces in fresh medium are obtained from monolayer rather than suspension cultures, fewer are killed on mechanical removal. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that cells in suspension and monolayer culture synthesize a substance or substances of high molecular weight which may be adsorbed onto an artificial surface and serve as a substrate for the cells. They also suggest that in monolayer culture the secreted substances become adherent to the cells and the substrate, whereas in suspension culture they are not attached to the cells.
Resident perceptions of anatomy education: A survey of medical school alumni from two different anatomy curricula and multiple medical specialties

In 2004, the University of Michigan Medical School reduced its gross anatomy curriculum. To determine the effect of this reduction on resident perceptions of their clinical preparedness, we surveyed alumni that included residents from the original and new shortened curricula. A Likert-scale survey was sent to four classes of alumni. Respondents were compared in old curriculum (OC) and new curriculum (NC) groups, surgical specialty (SS) and nonsurgical specialty (NS) groups, and subgroups of SS and NS were compared for differences between OC and NC. Mean response scores were compared using independent samples T-tests. As a single population (n = 110), respondents felt their anatomy education prepared them well for residency, that a more robust anatomy curriculum would be helpful, that dissection was important to their residency preparation, and that a 4th year anatomy elective was effective in expanding their anatomy education and preparing them for residency. No significant difference existed between OC and NC groups, neither as a whole nor as SS and NS subgroups. The SS group felt dissection was more important to their residency preparation than the NS group (P = 0.001) and that a more robust anatomy curriculum would have better prepared them for residency (P = 0.001). Thirty percent of SS respondents who did not take a 4th year elective commented that they wish they had. Fourth year anatomy electives were highly valued by residents, and respondents felt that they should be offered to students as a way of revisiting anatomy following the 1st year of clinical training.