cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An epidemiological study of myopathies in Warmblood horses.

Summary Reasons for performing study: There are few detailed reports describing muscular disorders in Warmblood horses. Objectives: To determine the types of muscular disorders that occur in Warmblood horses, along with presenting clinical signs, associated risk factors and response to diet and exercise recommendations, and to compare these characteristics between horses diagnosed with polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM), those diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder other than PSSM (non-PSSM) and control horses. Methods: Subject details, muscle biopsy diagnosis and clinical history were compiled for Warmblood horses identified from records of biopsy submissions to the University of Minnesota Neuromuscular Diagnostic Laboratory. A standardised questionnaire was answered by owners at least 6 months after receiving the muscle biopsy report for an affected and a control horse. Results: Polysaccharide storage myopathy (72/132 horses) was the most common myopathy identified followed by recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) (7/132), neurogenic or myogenic atrophy (7/132), and nonspecific myopathic changes (14/132). Thirty-two biopsies were normal. Gait abnormality, ‘tying-up’, Shivers, muscle fasciculations and atrophy were common presenting clinical signs. Forty-five owners completed questionnaires. There were no differences in sex, age, breed, history or management between control, PSSM and non-PSSM horses. Owners that provided the recommended low starch fat supplemented diet and regular daily exercise reported improvement in clinical signs in 68% (19/28) of horses with a biopsy submission and 71% of horses diagnosed with PSSM (15/21). Conclusions: Muscle biopsy evaluation was a valuable tool to identify a variety of myopathies in Warmblood breeds including PSSM and RER. These myopathies often presented as gait abnormalities or overt exertional rhabdomyolysis and both a low starch fat supplemented diet and regular exercise appeared to be important in their successful management. Potential relevance: Warmbloods are affected by a variety of muscle disorders, which, following muscle biopsy diagnosis can be improved through changes in diet and exercise regimes.
Ternary compounds between thorium monocarbide and thorium dihydride

Abstract The thorium-hydrogen-carbon system was studied by measuring hydrogen equilibrium pressures at various compositions and temperatures. Two compounds, ThC·ThH2 and ThC·2ThH2, were found and characterized. ThC·ThH2 has a hexagonal closest-packed lattice with a o = 3·816 A and c o = 6·302 A . ThC·2ThH2 has a monoclinic lattice with a o = 6·50 A , b o = 3·80 A , c o = 10·91 A and β = 119°. The enthalpies of formation for each compound were determined.
Excitation of collective states in 208Pb by inelastic electron scattering

Inelastic electron scattering cross sections for the excitation of collective 2−. 3− and 4− states in 208Pb have been measured and compared with distorted-wave calculations in the momentum transfer range from 0.21 to 0.65 fm−1 for 70 MeV electrons.
Tensile Behavior of Nb7.5Ta for Heat-Exchanger Applications

Hydrogen generation using sulfur-iodine cycle involves the formation and decomposition of sulfuric acid and hydrogen iodide (HI). The decomposition of HI has been proposed to occur at a maximum temperature of 400°C. Nb7.5Ta has been identified as a candidate structural material for use in heat-exchanger during the decomposition of HI. This paper presents the results of tensile testing at temperatures ranging from ambient to 400°C. A gradual drop in tensile strength was noted with increasing temperature. Reduced failure strain was observed at temperatures up to 300°C, which is known to be associated with the occurrence of dynamic strain aging (DSA). Since the concentration of precipitate and dislocations can influence the DSA behavior of susceptible materials, efforts are in progress to characterize dislocations using transmission electron microscopy. All tested specimens exhibited ductile failures, characterized by dimples.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Sequential random binning for streaming distributed source coding

Random binning arguments underlie many results in information theory. In this paper we introduce and analyze a novel type of causal random binning "sequential" binning. This binning is used to get streaming Slepian-Wolf codes with an "anytime" character. At the decoder, the probability of estimation error on any particular symbol goes to zero exponentially fast with delay. In the non-distributed context, we show equivalent results for fixed-rate streaming entropy coding. Because of space constraints, we present full derivations only for the latter, stating the results for the distributed problem. We give bounds on error exponents for both universal and maximum-likelihood decoders
Novel methodology for the quantitative assay of fissile materials using temporal and spectral β-delayed γ-ray signatures

Abstract An analytical model for the generation of β-delayed γ-ray spectra following thermal-neutron-induced fission of mixed samples of 235 U and 239 Pu is presented. Using an energy-dependent figure-of-merit to designate the spectral regions employed in the assay, the unique temporal β-delayed γ-ray signatures are utilized to determine the fraction of 239 Pu in a mixed U–Pu sample. By evaluating the β-delayed γ-ray temporal signatures of both 235 U and 239 Pu within a 3 keV energy bin, traditional sources of systematic uncertainty in quantitative assay using β-delayed γ-ray signals, such as self-attenuation of the sample and energy-dependent γ-ray detection efficiency, are significantly reduced. The effects of the time-dependent Compton-continuum and growth of longer-lived nuclides on the quantitative assessment are explored. This methodology represents a promising extension of the conventional means of analysis for quantitative assay of fissile materials using β-delayed γ-ray signatures.
Myocardial perfusion and ventricular function measurements during total coronary artery occlusion in humans. A comparison with rest and exercise radionuclide studies.

BACKGROUNDThe purpose of this investigation was to compare the magnitude of change in myocardial perfusion and function during exercise with that obtained during total coronary artery occlusion. Radionuclide studies are widely used for the diagnosis and determination of prognosis in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease. These studies are based on the premise that the relative deficit of coronary blood flow, which is induced by exercise and recognized as increased demand, relates to the jeopardy experienced by the decrease or sudden absolute interruption of coronary blood flow that is recognized as decreased supply and is associated with coronary stenosis or total coronary artery occlusion. The magnitude of exercise-induced perfusion and function abnormalities compared with those induced by total coronary artery occlusion in humans has not been previously reported.METHODS AND RESULTSWe prospectively studied 20 patients with > or = 50% diameter stenosis documented by quantitative coronar...
Democratising world heritage: The policies and practices of community involvement in Turkey

This article analyses Turkey’s efforts to institutionalise community involvement in the management of sites on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Org...
Fgfr-Ras-MAPK signaling is required for apical constriction via apical positioning of Rho-associated kinase during mechanosensory organ formation

Many morphogenetic movements during development require the formation of transient intermediates called rosettes. Within rosettes, cells are polarized with apical ends constricted towards the rosette center and nuclei basally displaced. Whereas the polarity and cytoskeletal machinery establishing these structures has been extensively studied, the extracellular cues and intracellular signaling cascades that promote their formation are not well understood. We examined how extracellular Fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) signals regulate rosette formation in the zebrafish posterior lateral line primordium (pLLp), a group of ∼100 cells that migrates along the trunk during embryonic development to form the lateral line mechanosensory system. During migration, the pLLp deposits rosettes from the trailing edge, while cells are polarized and incorporated into nascent rosettes in the leading region. Fgf signaling was previously shown to be crucial for rosette formation in the pLLp. We demonstrate that activation of Fgf receptor (Fgfr) induces intracellular Ras-MAPK, which is required for apical constriction and rosette formation in the pLLp. Inhibiting Fgfr-Ras-MAPK leads to loss of apically localized Rho-associated kinase (Rock) 2a, which results in failed actomyosin cytoskeleton activation. Using mosaic analyses, we show that a cell-autonomous Ras-MAPK signal is required for apical constriction and Rock2a localization. We propose a model whereby activated Fgfr signals through Ras-MAPK to induce apical localization of Rock2a in a cell-autonomous manner, activating the actomyosin network to promote apical constriction and rosette formation in the pLLp. This mechanism presents a novel cellular strategy for driving cell shape changes.
Prioritized constraint handling NMPC using Volterra series models

This paper presents a nonsquare Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) formulation that uses prioritized soft output constraints and hard input constraints. The proposed method uses empirical Volterra series models to represent the plant dynamics and is a closed loop tested on multivariable refinery facility simulation. The process exhibits significant open-loop nonlinearity such as input steady-state multiplicity and nonlinear dynamics near the nominal operating point. The results show improvement when compared with traditional linear control methods. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Feedback performance at the Stanford Linear Collider

Many feedback loops are used at the Stanford Linear Collider (SLC) to control the orbit and energy of particle beams. Problems with corrector magnet slew rates, actuator calibrations, and computation of the beam transport matrix between loops have resulted in operation of many SLC feedback loops at lower than design gain. The response of various feedback loops to these errors is measured and analyzed in an attempt to improve performance.
Polythiosemicarbazides. I. Preparation and properties of the polymers and some simple metallic chelates

The condensation of N,N′-diaminopiperazine with methylenebis(4-phenyl isothiocyanate) proceeded easily in dimethyl sulfoxide solution to give a high molecular weight, soluble, polythiosemicarbazide (I). In agreement with the known behavior of monomeric thiosemicarbazides, the polymer reacted readily with various metal ions to give metallic chelates. These chelates did not have the expected thermal stability, however.
Regeneration Rate of Blepharisma with Special Reference to the Effect of Temperature

SYNOPSIS. The regeneration of three species of Blepharisma—americanum, undulans and japonicum (grown in conslant yellow light in a constant-temperature room at 25dC) from specimens of which the hypostome had been removed, was studied under a variety of conditions. The reliability of the methods was checked by an extensive series of experiments with B. americanum and B. japonicum under normal conditions. The time of regeneration of 50% of the individuals was taken as a convenient means for comparing action of various agents. No diurnal rhythm of rate of regeneration was observed. Regeneration is readily affected by the state of nutrition of the cells, starved ones regenerating more slowly than well-fed ones. Regeneration is accelerated by maintaining the cells at 30d but retarded at 35d. Even brief exposures to 40d may retard regeneration. Regeneration is slowed by maintenance at temperatures below 25d, and stopped at 10d. Cut Blepharisma placed at 5d lose pigment in a “shock” reaction and many die. The injury is more marked in lettuce medium than in balanced salt solution. Between 13 and 30d the rate of regeneration increases with rise in temperature, the Q10′s for the ranges 13 to 18d, 18 to 25d and 25 to 30d being, respectively, 6.92, 3.93 and 1.56. The effect of temperature upon division of Blepharisma was found to be similarly sensitive to temperature, the Q10's for the ranges 13 to 18d, 18 to 25d and 25 to 30d being 3.87, 2.92 and 1.59, respectively. High and low temperature limits for division were also found to be similar to those for regeneration. Preliminary evidence indicates some degree of thermal adaptation in Blepharisma to both higher and lower temperatures than those usually tolerated. The studies indicate a general similarity in sensitivity of regeneration and division to environmental influences in the various races of the species studied, with some individual variations.
Representations and realizations of singular systems: the tortoise and the hare revisited

The notion of system description or representation is reconciled with system realization or implementation. The latter is defined as a causal construct for obtaining the solution. The realization starts from a particular description, where dynamical and algebraic equations are separated, and the dynamical states correspond to integrator outputs. Clearly such a description is nonunique. The optimal realization problem is then to find the particular realization in the orbit of a particular group H, which minimizes the sensitivity measure introduced by W.S. Gray and E.I. Verriest (Proc. of 28th IEEE Conf. on Decision and Control, Tampa, FL, Dec. 1989). This group H is a subgroup, leaving the (separation) structure invariant, of the group characterizing the orbits under restricted system equivalence. A practical implementation is one for which asymptotically the solution is obtained with a causal regular realization. The asymptotics are obtained via the use of nonstandard analysis methods. The behavior of the regularizing parameter is determined by the structure at infinity of the original singular system. As examples, a differentiator and a purely algebraic set of equations are discussed. >
A test generation procedure for avoiding the detection of functionally redundant transition faults

We present a test generation procedure for transition faults that minimizes the detection of functionally redundant transition faults in scan circuits. The procedure uses broadside testing. We also propose rules for identifying dominance relations between functionally redundant transition faults and functionally detectable transition faults. Dominance relations can provide two types of lower bounds. (1) A lower bound on the number of functionally detectable transition faults that cannot be detected without detecting any functionally redundant transition faults. (2) A lower bound on the number of functionally redundant faults that have to be detected if all the functionally detectable faults are detected. In our experiments with ISCAS-89 and ITC-99 benchmark circuits we achieve both of the lower bounds for almost all the circuits considered.
The Ubiquitous Rise of Economists

Professional economists have for a long time had significant roles as advisers to policy makers. In recent years they have gone well beyond this in many countries and have come to occupy the highest positions in government. While their technical knowledge is an important reason for their influx into governments, their acquisition of the highest positions of authority, we contend, is to an important degree a ceremonial display. The symbolic aspect of the appointment of high-level economist-politicians is as significant as any specific stock of knowledge they bring to political life and is a part of an emerging transnational political culture in which economists occupy a sacerdotal role.
Role of Reactive Oxygen Intermediates in Cytomegalovirus Gene Expression and in the Response of Human Smooth Muscle Cells to Viral Infection

Because cytomegalovirus (CMV) may contribute to restenosis and atherosclerosis and because smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are involved in these disease processes, we examined CMV-SMC interactions. Using confocal microscopy to identify a redox-sensitive fluorescent marker, we found that CMV infection of SMCs generates intracellular reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs). CMV also activated nuclear factor kappa B (NF kappa B), a cellular transcription factor, as demonstrated by increased NF kappa B binding to DNA (electrophoretic mobility shift assay). Antioxidants inhibited activation, suggesting a role of ROIs in CMV-induced NF kappa B activation. By using antioxidants to assess the role of ROIs in modulating virally mediated effects, we also found that CMV-induced ROIs (1) are critical to the transactivation of the viral major immediate promoter (MIEP) by its immediate-early protein IE72 (determined by cotransfection of an IE72 expression vector and a reporter gene downstream from the MIEP) and (2) are necessary for IE72 expression (determined by immunocytochemistry) and viral replication (determined by viral titer assay on indicator cells) following CMV infection of SMCs. Because ROIs, through activation of NF kappa B, can also induce expression of cellular genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses, the ROI response to CMV infection may also represent a parallel survival mechanism that has evolved in the host cell to protect against viral infection. We conclude that CMV induces intracellular ROI generation within minutes after infection of SMCs and then uses these ROIs to facilitate its own gene expression and replication. Conversely, antioxidants inhibit CMV immediate-early gene expression and viral replication.
Acceptance of an ABO-Incompatible Mismatched (AB+ to O+) Liver Allograft With the Use of Daclizumab and Mycophenolate Mofetil

Liver allograft survival rates of 50% to 60% are reported in blood group A, group B, group O (ABO)-incompatible mismatched grafts even when aggressive immunosuppressive protocols, including plasmapheresis, OKT(3), cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, prostaglandin E(1), and steroids, are used. A 59-year-old woman, blood type O(+), required emergency retransplantation posttransplantation day 2 because of primary nonfunction of the liver allograft. A blood type AB(+) allograft was used. Induction immunosuppressive therapy included tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, OKT(3) (muromonab-CD(3)), steroids, and prostaglandin E(1). In addition, plasmapheresis was performed daily for 9 days. OKT(3) and prostaglandin E(1) were also discontinued postoperative day 9. Biopsy-proven acute cellular rejection was diagnosed postoperative day 12 and was treated with double-dose OKT(3) (10 mg) for another 6 days. On the day OKT(3) was discontinued, daclizumab, 60 mg, was administered intravenously. This dose was repeated every 2 weeks for a total of 5 doses. At 1-year follow-up, the patient is doing very well with normal liver function. We are unaware of previous reports of the use of daclizumab and mycophenolate mofetil as part of an immunosuppressive protocol aimed to induce acceptance of ABO-incompatible mismatched liver allografts. Based on our experience with this case, it seems that mycophenolate mofetil is an adequate replacement for cyclophosphamide. We also believe daclizumab provided adequate protection at a critical time. Further experience with both these drugs is required to establish their role in ABO-incompatible mismatched liver allografts.
14,15-Epoxyeicosatrienoic acid inhibits platelet aggregation in mouse cerebral arterioles.

Epoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid are produced by several tissues and have been shown to inhibit in vitro platelet aggregation. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether 14,15- or 8,9-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid, epoxygenase derivatives of arachidonic acid, affect the speed of platelet aggregation in in vivo mouse cerebral arterioles. We performed a craniectomy in 116 anesthetized male mice and observed the pial arterioles by microscopy. We induced in situ platelet aggregation using a mercury light and intravascularly injected fluorescein dye. Indomethacin (0.5 mg/kg i.p.), a known cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (0.3 mg/kg i.v.) increased the time necessary for the light plus dye to induce the first arterial platelet aggregate by 35% and 26%, respectively, whereas 8,9-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (0.3 mg/kg i.v.) had no effect. Analysis of mouse serum by radioimmunoassay showed that the degree of inhibition of platelet aggregation by indomethacin and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids correlated with the degree of inhibition of thromboxane production. We conclude that 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid is a potent inhibitor of in vivo platelet aggregation but cannot conclusively confirm that its effect on aggregation occurs via its reduction of platelet thromboxane A2. Because epoxyeicosatrienoic acids are produced by several tissues, including brain and vascular tissue, they may be important in vivo modulators of platelet aggregation and hemostasis.
LOFT: A High Performance Network-on-Chip Providing Quality-of-Service Support

Providing quality-of-service (QoS) for concurrent tasks in many-core architectures is becoming important, especially for real-time applications. QoS support for on-chip shared resources (such as shared cache, bus, and memory controllers)in chip-multiprocessors has been investigated in recent years. Unlike other shared resources, network-on-chip (NoC) does not typically have central arbitration of accesses to the shared resource. Instead, each router shares the responsibility of resource allocation. While such distributed nature benefits the scalable performance of NoC, it also dramatically complicates the problem of providing QoS support for individual flows. Existing approaches to address this problem suffer from various shortcomings such as low network utilization and weak QoS guarantees. In this work, we propose LOFT No architecture which features both high network utilization and strong QoS guarantees. LOFT is based on the combination of two mechanisms: a) locally-synchronized frames (LSF), which is a distributed frame-based scheduling mechanism that provides flexible QoS guarantees to different flows and b)flit-reservation (FRS), which is a flow-control mechanism integrated in LSF that improves network utilization. The experimental results show that LOFT delivers flexible and reliable QoS guarantees while sufficiently utilizes available network capacity to gain high overall throughput.
Training for knee injury prevention using a pivoting elliptical machine

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most commonly injured knee ligament in sports-related activities, especially in pivoting sports. In general, knee joint movements about the off-axes are much more limited and musculoskeletal injuries are usually associated with excessive loading/movement about the off-axes. The purposes of this project were to develop an injury prevention program including a pivoting elliptical exercise machine to address the specific ACL injury mechanisms, especially in women. ACL injury prevention training was carried out to target the specific injury mechanisms associated with tibial rotation. The pivoting elliptical training improved the off-axis neuromuscular control considerably. Training-induced neuromuscular changes in tibial rotation were assessed with multiple outcome measures.
Physical Collaboration of Human-Human and Human-Robot Teams

Human partners working on a target acquisition task perform faster than do individuals on the same task, even though the partners consider each other to be an impediment. We recorded the force profile of each partner during the task, revealing an emergent specialization of roles that could only have been negotiated through a haptic channel. With this understanding of human haptic communication we attempted a "haptic Turing test," replicating human behaviors in a robot partner. Human participants consciously and incorrectly believed their partner was human. However, force profiles did not show specialization of roles in the human partner, nor enhanced dyadic performance, suggesting that haptic interaction holds a greater subconscious subtlety. We further report observations of a non-zero dyadic steady state force perhaps analogous to co-contraction within the limb of an individual, where it contributes to limb stiffness and disturbance rejection. We present results on disturbance rejection in a dyad, showing lack of an effective dyadic strategy for brief events.
Vocal buffering of the stress response: exposure to conspecific vocalizations moderates urinary cortisol excretion in isolated marmosets

For many species, the presence of a significant social partner can lessen the behavioral and physiological responses to stressful stimuli. This study examined whether a single, individually specific, signature vocalization (phee call) could attenuate the physiological stress response that is induced in marmosets by housing them in short-term social isolation. Utilizing a repeated-measures design, adult marmosets (n = 10) were temporarily isolated from their long-term pair mate and exposed to three conditions: signature vocalizations from the pair mate, phee calls from an unfamiliar opposite sex individual, or no auditory stimuli. Levels of urinary cortisol were monitored as a physiological indicator of the stress response. Urinary cortisol levels were also monitored, while subjects remained undisturbed in their home cages to provide baseline levels. Temporarily isolated marmosets showed significantly higher levels of urinary cortisol than undisturbed marmosets. However, the nature of the acoustic stimulus experienced during isolation led to differences in the excretion of urinary cortisol. Isolated marmosets exposed to a familiar pair mate’s vocalization showed significantly lower levels of urinary cortisol than when exposed to unfamiliar marmoset vocalizations (P b 0.04) or to no auditory stimuli (P b 0.03). Neither the duration of pairing nor the quality of relationship in the pair (indexed by spatial proximity scores) predicted the magnitude of reduction in cortisol in the familiar vocalization condition. The results presented here provide the first evidence that a single, individually specific communication signal can decrease the magnitude of a physiological stress response in a manner analogous to the physical presence of a social partner, a process we term bvocal buffering.Q
Some History of Optimality

This paper gives an account of the history of both small- and large-sample optimality for both estimation and testing. It covers this history from the beginnings by Laplace and Gauss to the ongoing research on optimal multiple comparison procedures, and also includes the optimality of designs.
Twenty-five years of CLC chloride transport proteins

With this Special Issue, The Journal of Physiology celebrates significant advances enabled in 1990 by molecular identification of the first member of the CLC family of transport proteins – the Torpedo voltage-gated chloride channel, CLC-0. Its peculiar gating properties, first described and modelled by Chris Miller nearly a decade previously, thereby became amenable to further biophysical interrogation. The timing also could not be better, for a year earlier, the gene encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) also was identified. Together, these accomplishments ushered the study of anion transport into the molecular era, thrusting onto centre stage this previously understudied topic. Consequently, through studies utilizing not only biophysics, but also cellular physiology, pharmacology, model systems and genetic analyses, coherent models coalesced to advance understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of practically every system in the body. Now, a quarter of a century later, it is apropos to take a look back on these discoveries and reflect on what has been learned. It is also a time to survey the horizon and contemplate what lies beyond.
Faculty Training And Development Practices In Distance Education To Achieve High Performance Through Extraordinary Teaching

Developing and training faculty members to integrate cyberspace technology into the classroom for student learning is basically a necessity in today’s competitive world of education, but many educators fear or resist it due to lack of effective training. As such, administrators should focus on the effective development, training, and retaining of qualified educators to teach in various distance learning modalities (online, on-ground, and blended formats) using cyberspace technology while focusing on effectively achieving learning outcomes. An emersion model of training used for “training-the-trainers” in the corporate arena as well as for faculty development is presented for application and benchmarking. Personal experiences and best practices gleaned from different universities (business programs using cutting edge technologies) and corporate computer-based training are discussed. Also, best practices and suggestions for effective faculty compensation and teaching load in distance education are explored. Furthermore, administrators must ask for participation and interaction of experienced educators in order to glean and highlight their successes as well as challenges they face currently in serving the needs of diverse student populations in distance education. Both means and processes for effective faculty development and training in a just-in-time basis with least cost and expenditure should be implemented by the administration.
Drawing Meaningful Trends from the SAT

Though measures of long-term academic performance trends are valuable to education policy analysts and policymakers, they have been hard to come by at the state level, where most education policy is made. Such data are either nonexistent prior to 1990 or are unrepresentative of statewide student populations. A continuous series of state mean SAT scores is available back to 1972, however, and a previous study identified a method for adjusting these scores to account for varying participation rates and demographics. The present paper aims to extend that earlier work, modifying it to facilitate meaningful trend analysis, using a substantially larger data set, relaxing its assumptions, and improving its approach to model selection and validation. The optimal model derived from that process is externally validated against both lagged 8PPth-grade an contemporaneous 12th-grade National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) scores, with good results.
Fluid–Structure Interaction Analysis of Papillary Muscle Forces Using a Comprehensive Mitral Valve Model with 3D Chordal Structure

Numerical models of native heart valves are being used to study valve biomechanics to aid design and development of repair procedures and replacement devices. These models have evolved from simple two-dimensional approximations to complex three-dimensional, fully coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) systems. Such simulations are useful for predicting the mechanical and hemodynamic loading on implanted valve devices. A current challenge for improving the accuracy of these predictions is choosing and implementing modeling boundary conditions. In order to address this challenge, we are utilizing an advanced in vitro system to validate FSI conditions for the mitral valve system. Explanted ovine mitral valves were mounted in an in vitro setup, and structural data for the mitral valve was acquired with [Formula: see text]CT. Experimental data from the in vitro ovine mitral valve system were used to validate the computational model. As the valve closes, the hemodynamic data, high speed leaflet dynamics, and force vectors from the in vitro system were compared to the results of the FSI simulation computational model. The total force of 2.6 N per papillary muscle is matched by the computational model. In vitro and in vivo force measurements enable validating and adjusting material parameters to improve the accuracy of computational models. The simulations can then be used to answer questions that are otherwise not possible to investigate experimentally. This work is important to maximize the validity of computational models of not just the mitral valve, but any biomechanical aspect using computational simulation in designing medical devices.
A comment on nomenclature in faunal studies

The study of faunal remains from archaeological sites has been described using a variety of terms including: zooarchaeology, archaeozoology, osteoarchaeology, and ethnozoology. With such a broad spectrum of terms in current usage, we feel that the contradictions and errors inherent in some of this nomenclature need to be corrected. We prefer the term zooarchaeology, as a contraction of the word zoologico-archaeology proposed by Lubbock in 1865, to define the study of animal remains from archaeological sites and their relationship to humans.
Industrial Steam Systems and the Energy-Water Nexus

This paper presents estimates for water consumption and steam generation within U.S. manufacturing industries. These estimates were developed through the integration of detailed, industry-level fuel use and operation data with an engineering-based steam system model. The results indicate that industrial steam systems consume approximately 3780 TBTU/yr (3.98 × 109 GJ/yr) to generate an estimated 2.9 trillion lb/yr (1.3 trillion kg/yr) of steam. Since a good portion of this steam is injected directly into plant processes, vented, leaked, or removed via blowdown, roughly 354 MGD of freshwater must be introduced to these systems as makeup. This freshwater consumption rate is approximately 11% of that for the entire U.S. manufacturing sector, or the total residential consumption rate of Los Angeles, the second largest city in the U.S. The majority of this consumption (>94%) can be attributed to the food, paper, petroleum refining, and chemicals industries. The results of the analyses presented herein provide p...
Meta-analysis approach to assess effect of tillage on microbial biomass and enzyme activities

Abstract Measures of soil biology are critical for the assessment of soil quality under different agricultural management practices. By modifying soil microclimate, tillage exerts the most important control on soil microbial communities. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of tillage on soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities. A meta-analysis was conducted utilizing 139 observations from 62 studies from around the world; the selected effect size (ES) was logn of the response ratio (RR), the mean of the tilled treatment divided by the mean of the no-till control. This ES was calculated for seven different microbial properties – microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN), metabolic quotient (qCO2), fluorescein diacetate (FDA), dehydrogenase (DHA), β-glucosidase, and urease. Microbial biomass, metabolic quotient and enzyme activities were evaluated due their prevalent usage in evaluation of soil quality and use in soil quality indices. Overall, microbial biomass and all of the enzyme activities were greater under no-till compared to tillage. One exception to this was that under chisel tillage, there was no difference in MBC between the tilled plots and no-till. The qCO2 was greater under tillage than under no-till indicating more active microbes in tilled soil, perhaps compensating for the reduced quantity. In contrast, when looking at only long-term experiments, qCO2 was similar under both tillage and no-till, which may indicate that eventually microbes in no-till plots become as active as those in tilled plots even with the larger microbial community. The findings of this study illustrate that no-till and even reduced tillage, such as chisel tillage, promote larger microbial communities and greater enzymatic activity.
Incorporating Shared Decision Making into Perioperative Care of Older Adults

Older patients represent a growing and significant portion of the surgical population. Due to age-related changes in physiology and the presence of multiple comorbidities, older patients are more likely to experience complications, functional decline, increased care needs, and decreased independence following surgery. Identification of risk factors preoperatively permits early use of prevention strategies to mitigate risk, which translates into optimal postoperative outcomes. Preexisting cognitive impairment is identified in 30% of patients undergoing elective surgery, and is associated with long-term postoperative cognitive dysfunction. Assessment for the presence of comorbidities, medication history, nutritional status, and frailty is critical. Patient preference, treatment goals, and advanced directives should be discussed and documented preoperatively. Post-hospital disposition requires significant planning, with emphasis on efficient transition of care and early post-operative follow-up. Multidisciplinary perioperative assessment and appropriate management of the elderly surgical population are of paramount importance.
Occipitocervical Fixation: A Single Surgeon's Experience With 120 Patients

Background Occipitocervical junction instability can lead to serious neurological injury or death. Open surgical fixation is often necessary to provide definitive stabilization. However, long-term results are limited to small case series. Objective To review the causes of occipitocervical instability, discuss the indications for surgical intervention, and evaluate long-term surgical outcomes after occipitocervical fixation. Methods The charts of all patients undergoing posterior surgical fixation of the occipitocervical junction by the senior author were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 120 consecutive patients were identified for analysis. Patient demographic characteristics, occipitocervical junction pathology, surgical indications, and clinical and radiographic outcomes are reported. Results The study population consisted of 64 male and 56 female patients with a mean age of 39.9 years (range, 7 months to 88 years). Trauma was the most common cause of instability, occurring in 56 patients (47%). Ninety patients (75%) were treated with screw/rod constructs; wiring was used in 30 patients (25%). The median number of fixated segments was 5 (O-C4). Structural bone grafts were implanted in all patients (100%). Preoperative neurological deficits were present in 83 patients (69%); 91% of those patients improved with surgery. Mean follow-up was 35.1 ± 27.4 months (range, 0-123 months). Two patients died, and 10 were lost to follow-up before the end of the 6-month follow-up period. Fusion was confirmed in 107 patients (89.1%). The overall complication rate was 10%, including 3 patients with vertebral artery injuries and 2 patients who required revision surgery. Conclusion Occipitocervical fixation is a durable treatment option with acceptable morbidity for patients with occipitocervical instability. Abbreviations AIS, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment ScaleCVJ, craniovertebral junctionmJOAS, modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association ScaleNLI, neurological level of injurySCI, spinal cord injury.
Lung Volume Reduction

Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is a viable option for a select group of emphysema patients. Effective preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation and careful patient selection criteria promote favorable outcomes. Effective perioperative pain management and early extubation are significant factors that minimize postoperative complications and lead to better outcome. LVRS improves dyspnea, exercise tolerance, and increases potential for patient survival in appropriately selected patients.
Indole production provides limited benefit to Escherichia coli during co-culture with Enterococcus faecalis

Escherichia coli lives in the gastrointestinal tract and elsewhere, where it coexists within a mixed population. Indole production enables E. coli to grow with other gram-negative bacteria as indole inhibits N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum regulation. We investigated whether E. coli indole production enhanced competition with gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis, wherein quorum signaling is mediated by small peptides. During planktonic co-culture with E. faecalis, the fitness and population density of E. coli tnaA mutants (unable to produce indole) equaled or surpassed that of E. coli wt. During biofilm growth, the fitness of both populations of E. coli stabilized around 100 %, whereas the fitness of E. faecalis declined over time to 85–90 %, suggesting that biofilm and planktonic populations have different competition strategies. Media supplementation with indole removed the competitive advantage of E. coli tnaA in planktonic populations but enhanced it in biofilm populations. E. coli wt and tnaA showed similar growth in Luria–Bertani (LB) broth. However, E. coli growth was inhibited in the presence of filter-sterilized spent LB from E. faecalis, with inhibition being enhanced by indole. Similarly, there was also an inhibition of E. faecalis growth by proteinaceous components (likely bacteriocins) from spent culture media from both E. coli strains. We conclude that E. coli indole production is not a universal competition strategy, but rather works against gram-negative, AHL-producing bacteria.
Dual Career Households and Consumer Socialization

This exploratory study examined differences in consumer socialization by household income type. Personal interviews were conducted with 81 children from fifty single-income, one and one-half income, and two-income households. Discriminant analysis revealed a significant function which distinguished among the three household types on the basis of children’s 1) consumer skill behaviors, 2) consumer nonskill behaviors, and 3) related media use and psychographic data. Children from dual career households demonstrate higher levels of brand differentiation, rely more on trusted stores in making purchase decisions and have higher educational goals.
Factors affecting current users’ attitude towards e-auctions in China: An extended TAM study

Abstract E-auctions have the potential to gain a larger market share of the C2C sector by increasing participation of current users. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that impact attitude towards e-auctions among current Chinese e-auction users. Variables of the extended technology acceptance model and their antecedents were examined. Data were collected from 210 current users of e-auctions in China. Using structural equation modeling, the results highlighted key antecedents, such as security, social motives, and playfulness, suggesting the importance of creating a safe, interactive, and fun e-auction platform. Connection speed and economic gain as influential factors were also identified.
Glutamate Clearance Is Locally Modulated by Presynaptic Neuronal Activity in the Cerebral Cortex.

Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) are abundantly expressed by astrocytes, rapidly remove glutamate from the extracellular environment, and restrict the temporal and spatial extent of glutamate signaling. Studies probing EAAT function suggest that their capacity to remove glutamate is large and does not saturate, even with substantial glutamate challenges. In contrast, we report that neuronal activity rapidly and reversibly modulates EAAT-dependent glutamate transport. To date, no physiological manipulation has shown changes in functional glutamate uptake in a nonpathological state. Using iGluSnFr-based glutamate imaging and electrophysiology in the adult mouse cortex, we show that glutamate uptake is slowed up to threefold following bursts of neuronal activity. The slowing of glutamate uptake depends on the frequency and duration of presynaptic neuronal activity but is independent of the amount of glutamate released. The modulation of glutamate uptake is brief, returning to normal within 50 ms after stimulation ceases. Interestingly, the slowing of glutamate uptake is specific to activated synapses, even within the domain of an individual astrocyte. Activity-induced slowing of glutamate uptake, and the increased persistence of glutamate in the extracellular space, is reflected by increased decay times of neuronal NR2A-mediated NMDA currents. These results show that astrocytic clearance of extracellular glutamate is slowed in a temporally and spatially specific manner following bursts of neuronal activity ≥30 Hz and that these changes affect the neuronal response to released glutamate. This suggests a previously unreported form of neuron–astrocyte interaction. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We report the first fast, physiological modulation of astrocyte glutamate clearance kinetics. We show that presynaptic activity in the cerebral cortex increases the persistence of glutamate in the extracellular space by slowing its clearance by astrocytes. Because of abundant EAAT expression, glutamate clearance from the extracellular space has been thought to have invariant kinetics. While multiple studies report experimental manipulations resulting in altered EAAT expression, our findings show that astrocytic glutamate uptake is dynamic on a fast time-scale. This shows rapid plasticity of glutamate clearance, which locally modulates synaptic signaling in the cortex. As astrocytic glutamate uptake is a fundamental and essential mechanism for neurotransmission, this work has implications for neurotransmission, extrasynaptic receptor activation, and synaptic plasticity.
Abstract 4287: Talimogene laherparepvec activates systemic T-cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity

Talimogene laherparepvec is an investigational oncolytic immunotherapy based on a modified herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) immunotherapy designed to selectively replicate in tumors and to initiate an anti-tumor immune response. Intralesional administration of talimogene laherparepvec is intended to result in oncolysis within injected tumors. Iterative replication of virus within permissive tumor tissue results in lytic cell destruction and local release of progeny virus and tumor derived antigens. GM-CSF, a product of the viral transgene, is also produced locally such that it can recruit and stimulate antigen presenting cells which, in addition to relevant tumor-derived antigens, are required for the initiation of a systemic antitumor immune response. The talimogene laherparepvec-induced immune mediated mechanism of action in both the virus-injected and distant tumors have yet to be fully understood therefore, we evaluated viral replication, tumor cell lysis, and the changes in immune cell populations in both the injected and distant tumors using syngeneic contralateral tumor models. Animals received a single intratumoral dose of the murine surrogate of talimogene laherparepvec (OncoVEXmuGM-CSF), which induced regression in the majority of virus-injected tumors and tumor growth inhibition/regression in the contralateral (uninjected) tumors. HSV-1 antigen was only detected by IHC in the virus-injected tumor and not the contralateral tumor (and no other tissues). Virally-mediated tumor destruction (oncolysis) was also localized to only the virus-injected tumor. In preliminary experiments, morphometric analysis of the tumor tissue revealed that the percent area of CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were significantly increased in both the virus-injected and contralateral tumors compared to the formulation control mice. In addition, the percent area occupied by CD103+ cells (a marker found on potent cytotoxic T cell stimulating dendritic cells) was increased in the virus-injected tumor compared to the contralateral tumor and the tumors in the control animals. Although cellular infiltration was increased in both virus-injected and contralateral tumors and was inversely correlated with tumor volume, the decreased volume of injected tumors was attributed to viral oncolysis. Taken together these data supports that talimogene laheparepvec activates a systemic T cell mediated anti-tumor immune response. Citation Format: Julia Piasecki, Jim Rottman, Tiep Le, Rafael Ponce, Courtney Beers. Talimogene laherparepvec activates systemic T-cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4287. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4287