cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Levels of alpha‐synuclein mRNA in sporadic Parkinson disease patients

Lewy bodies, the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD), consist largely of alpha-synuclein, a 14.5-kDa presynaptic neuronal protein implicated in familial PD. An increased copy number and elevated expression of wild-type alpha-synuclein (SNCA) has been shown to cause early-onset familial PD. However, it is not clear whether increased alpha-synuclein expression also plays a role in the pathogenesis of sporadic disease. In the current study, we analyzed the levels of SNCA-mRNA in affected brains of sporadic PD patients. We compared the levels of steady state SNCA-mRNA in 7 sporadic PD brain samples and 7 normal controls using real-time polymerase chain reaction of RNA extracted from mid-brain tissue, including the substantia nigra. Despite that there is neuronal loss in the substantia nigra of PD brains, overall the SNCA-mRNA levels were increased in PD brains an average of nearly fourfold over normal control mid-brain, although there was much greater variability in samples from PD patients compared to controls. Frontal cortex samples from selected individuals were also analyzed. SNCA-mRNA levels were not significantly changed in PD frontal cortex compared to controls. These results suggest that elevated expression levels of SNCA-mRNA are found in the affected regions of PD brain and support the hypothesis that increases in alpha-synuclein expression is associated, among other factors, with the development of sporadic PD.
Few patients with "chronic prostatitis" have significant bladder outlet obstruction.

Abstract Objectives. A high prevalence of significant bladder outlet obstruction has been reported among men diagnosed as having “chronic prostatitis.” To evaluate the possibility that case selection may determine this high prevalence, we compared findings in patients referred directly to our Urodynamic Unit with that of patients evaluated in our Prostatitis Clinic. Methods. The videourodynamics records of 201 men aged 18 to 50 years who presented to the Urodynamic Unit with any lower tract symptoms (irritative and/or obstructive with or without pain) were compared with the findings in 123 Prostatitis Clinic patients. The latter were evaluated for obstruction with flow rates and, if abnormal, by retrograde urethrograms and videourodynamics. Results. Only 37 (18%) of 201 patients referred to the Urodynamic Unit had pain as a significant symptom and might have been diagnosed as having chronic prostatitis. Of these 37 patients, 4 (11%) had definite obstruction, 6 (16%) were equivocal, 6 (16%) were hypocontractile, 1 (3%) had pseudodyssynergia, and 7 (19%) had normal findings. The remainder had abnormalities of bladder filling (hypersensitivity in 11 [30%] and detrusor instability in 2 [5%]). Fewer of the 123 patients with prostatitis had obstruction (definite in 2 [1.6%] and equivocal in 1 [0.8%]) ( P = 0.03), 2 (1.6%) had hypocontractile detrusors, and 2 had urethral strictures. Conclusions. Patients referred to the Urodynamic Unit with lower urinary tract symptoms and pain rarely have bladder outlet obstruction. However, they are significantly more likely to have bladder outlet obstruction than patients referred to the Prostatitis Clinic who can be screened for obstruction by history, flow rate, postvoid residual, and retrograde urethrogram.
Forbidden mass range for spin-2 field theory in de Sitter spacetime

We study the quantization of free massive fields with spin 1 and 2 in the expanding part of de Sitter spacetime. Creation and annihilation operators are identified and their commutators are given. It is found that the square of the mass M2 cannot be between 0 (linearized gravity) and 23 × (cosmological constant) in the spin-2 case because of the appearance of negative norm states. We also study the massless limit of the spin-2 field theory. We find that there are no infrared divergences when it is coupled to conserved currents and that it coincides with the massless theory at the tree level, unlike in flat spacetime.
Aryl acetylenes as mechanism-based inhibitors of cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase enzymes.

Aryl acetylenes have been investigated as inhibitors of cytochrome P450 (P450)-dependent alkoxyresorufin dealkylation activities in liver microsomes prepared from rats exposed to β-naphthoflavone, isosafrole, or phenobarbital. Many of the acetylenes investigated produce pseudo-first-order time-dependent and NADPH-dependent losses of the dealkylation activities characteristic of mechanism-based irreversible inactivation (suicide inhibition). Replacing the terminal hydrogen of aryl acetylenes with a methyl group to convert ethynes into propynes enhances the inhibition of P450 1A enzymes; in some instances, this modification converts a reversible inhibitor of P450s into a suicide inhibitor. In contrast, ethynes are more effective suicide inhibitors of P450 2B-dependent dealkylations than the corresponding propynes. Aryl acetylenes with an ethynyl group on the 2 position of naphthalene or on the 9 position of phenanthrene and arylalkyl acetylenes with alkyl chains containing 2, 3, or 4 methylene groups are se...
Ultrafast Detection Of Weak Signals

ABSTRACT Femtosecond nonlinear detection techniques for weak signals are discussed. New methods for the characterization of femtosecond sig­ nals, in amplitude and phase, are presented. 1. INTRODUCTION Several nonlinear detection techniques have been developed with the passively mode- locked dye laser as a source, using the com­ bination of Rh6G as gain medium with di- ethyl-oxa-dicarbocyanine iodide (DODCI) as saturable absorber. Most experiments to dem­ onstrate theses techniques were made on organic dyes, because of the wavelength restriction of the source.Through recent work at the Imperial Col­ lege London1"5, the wavelength range of the passively mode-locked laser has been extended to cover the range from the near ultraviolet to the infrared. Therefore, all the tech­ niques that will be discussed here and that were primarily applied to organic dyes, can now easily be extended to semiconductors. 2. CAN NONLINEAR DETECTION BE SENSITIVE? Nonlinear up-conversion techniques are ideally suited for the detection of weak fem­ tosecond signals, because high peak powers can be achieved without damage to the nonli­ near crystals. In combination with photon- counting techniques, sensitivity and speed can be achieved simultaneously. To illus­ trate this point, let us consider the very simple example of second harmonic detection applied to Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) in optical fibers. The weak signal backscattered by the small defect in a fiber is upconverted by second harmonic type II in a urea crystal. Not only does this method outperform conven­ tional time domain reflectometers by its res­ olution (typically 10 micron6' 7), but also by its sensitivity. In preliminary experiments, reflection coefficients of 10~5 were rou­ tinely measured. This sensitivity figure has been improved by several orders of magnitude by the use of single photon detection.8 Expressed in dB of the incident light, we have measured signals corresponding to 90 dB attenuation. There are three important fac­ tors leading to such a sensitivity in detec­ tion.a) the laser intensity: the detected sig­ nal is proportional to the square of the intensity of the laser pulses;b) the quality of the nonlinear crystal;c) the contrast ratio of the laser source.The latter parameter can be defined as the ratio of the peak intensity in the ultrashort pulse, to the background intensity. In most time resolved experiments, all the spurious reflections of the various optical components in the signal arm will add up to a signal of the order of the background in a "background free" autocorrelation measurement. That background was as little as 10~9 in our measurements of time resolved fluorescence.8The ultimate performances of the cross- correlation detection are achieved when the intensity of the reference signal 1^ is sufficient for a single photon to be up- converted in a single UV photon. The second harmonic field E2 generated by frequency doubling of a field E^ over a distance L (assuming perfect phase matching) is given by9:E(L) = tanh {L/LSJ (i)where the characteristic distance L~h is given by: n
Defining normal left ventricular wall motion from contrast ventriculograms

Sources of variability in defining the normal range for left ventricular (LV) motion from contrast ventriculograms were assessed by comparing the function of 183 normal patients from six sites in three countries. Wall motion was measured using the centreline method at seven regions around the LV contour. The influence of institution, heart rate, age, end diastolic volume, body surface area and gender was evaluated using univariate analysis, and then compared using multivariate regression analysis. Wall motion varied significantly but weakly (|r| < 0.32 for all) with site, gender and body surface area in some regions. Variability was greater within sites than between sites. Wall motion was most similar in the two sites with the largest patient populations (N = 49 and N = 52). Normal LV wall motion is influenced by many factors. The reliable definition of the normal range requires analysis of a large number of subjects. For wall motion, the normal population should comprise closer to 50 subjects than the 10–20 that are commonly referenced.
Author Race, Essay Quality, and Reverse Discrimination

This study examines the interaction between author race and essay quality on evaluations of essays by experienced teachers and student teachers. Subjects (n= 160) were told that they were reading essays written by high school seniors applying for university admission and that their evaluations would result in the authors' admission and class assignment to remedial, normal, or advanced composition classes. Four preselected and prerated essays: one poor, two moderate, and one excellent were presented to the subjects in a booklet, each with a bogus admissions form, an essay rating scale, and a class assignment form. The attribution of author race was accomplished surreptitiously. Results showed that both the essay quality manipulation and author race attribution were successful. Subjects easily discriminated the difference in quality among the essays. They also showed a significant tendency to use reverse discrimination in rating black authors higher than authors whose race was not indicated. An interesting finding was that reverse discrimination was greatest for the moderate essays. Class assignments showed a similar trend, but differences in assignment of black and non-black authors were not generally significant. Discussion focuses on the distinction between ambiguity and ambivalence as psychological constructs in explaining prejudice and discrimination. The significance of these findings for minority education is also examined.
Why Mendelian segregation

The discovery of alleles that are able to distort segregation during meiosis in their favour raises the question of why Mendelian segregation is the rule and segregation distortion the exception. Previous research on this topic was limited by an unrealistic assumption: equal segregation in the two sexes. Ubeda and Haig [(2005) Genetics 170 , 1345–1357] provide a new model allowing sex-specific segregation distortion. This model shows that natural selection favours departure from Mendelian expectations. The evolutionary instability of Mendelian segregation under more realistic assumptions requires a new paradigm that explains its ubiquity.
Communication in assisted living

This study of communication in an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) focuses on staff's interpretive frameworks and situational tactics for managing elderly residents. It is based on interviews with staff and residents in an ALF together with ethnographic fieldwork. As in other quasi-total institutions, staff members engage in control as well as care, monitoring residents for compliance with rules and directives. Residents, aware of the threat of being moved to a nursing home, also monitor their own behavior and cognition in comparison to other residents. Other communication issues include the infantilization of the elderly by staff, and the race, class, and ethnic prejudices of residents.
Surgery versus Thrombolytic Therapy in the Management of Peripheral Arterial Occlusions

Thrombolytic therapy has been used as an alternative to surgery in the treatment of peripheral arterial occlusion. Only recently has data from controlled clinical trials become available to allow comparison of the results of both treatment modalities. This article reviews surgical results in the treatment of peripheral arterial occlusions, the history of and techniques for thrombolysis in peripheral arterial occlusion, and the results of studies comparing the two treatments.
Prevalence of and risk factors associated with shedding of Cryptosporidium felis in domestic cats of Mississippi and Alabama

The prevalence of and risk factors associated with the shedding of cryptosporidial oocysts were determined for domestic cats in northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama. Cryptosporidial oocysts were found in a single fecal samples from 30 of 250 cats using a centrifugal concentration technique followed by an immunofluorescent assay. The odds of a cat shedding oocysts were increased when another cat shedding oocysts was present in the household. Logistic regression analysis showed only concurrent shedding of Giardia cysts to be significantly associated with the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in the feces. Oocysts from 12 cats were successfully genotyped, based on sequencing of a fragment of the 18S rRNA gene, all isolates were Cryptosporidium felis.
NoteThe ν2 1− ← 0+ band of H318O+

Spectre IR de la bande 1 − ←0 + de H 3 18 O + dans le domaine de frequence de 10 μm. Determination du deplacement isotopique et des constantes moleculaires
Phylogeny of “core Gruiformes” (Aves: Grues) and resolution of the Limpkin–Sungrebe problem

Opinions on the systematic relationships of birds in the avian order Gruiformes have been as diverse as the families included within it. Despite ongoing debate over monophyly of the order and relationships among its various members, recent opinion has converged on the monophyly of a ‘‘core’’ group of five families classified as the suborder Grues: the rails (Rallidae), the cranes (Gruidae), the Limpkin (Aramidae), the trumpeters (Psophiidae), and the finfoots (Heliornithidae). We present DNA sequence data from four mitochondrial (cytochrome b, 12S rRNA, Valine tRNA, and 16S rRNA) and three nuclear loci (intron 7 of b-fibrinogen, intron 5 of alcohol dehydrogenase-I, and introns 3 through 5 of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) to test previous hypotheses of interfamilial relationships within Grues, with particular attention to the enigmatic family Heliornithidae. Separate and combined analyses of these gene sequences confirm the monophyly of Grues as a whole, and of the five families individually, including all three species of Heliornithidae. The preferred topology unambiguously supports relationships among four of the five families, with only the position of Psophiidae remaining equivocal. Bayesian ‘‘relaxed-clock’’ dating methods suggest that the divergences of the three heliornithid species occurred in the mid-Tertiary, suggesting that their present disjunct pantropical distribution is a result of early- to mid-Tertiary dispersal.
Finite Element Modeling of Intraneural Ganglion Cysts of the Common Peroneal Nerve

Intraneural Ganglion Cysts [IGC] are a set of medical conditions that result in denervation of the muscles innervated by the cystic nerve leading to pain and loss of function. Current treatment approaches only temporarily alleviate pain and denervation which, however, does not prevent cyst recurrence. Hence, a mechanistic understanding of the pathogenesis of IGC can help clinicians understand them better and therefore device more effective treatment options. In this study, a preliminary analysis methodology is established to investigate the pathogenesis of IGC.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
An examination of forcing in direct numerical simulations of turbulence

Abstract A spectral forcing scheme is developed to provide the means to obtain statistically stationary velocity fields in direct numerical simulations of homogeneous, isotropic turbulence. Tests of the forcing scheme show that the details of the forcing do not have a significant effect on the small-scale structure of the velocity fields. Forced turbulent simulations are used to determine the effects of the time-step, and the spatial resolution of the grid, on the computations.
Reconsidering the Rural–Urban Continuum in Rural Health Research: A Test of Stable Relationships Using Mortality as a Health Measure

Health researchers commonly use existing rural–urban continua based on population size and adjacency to metro areas to categorize counties. When these continua are collapsed into simple rural-versus-urban aggregations, significant differences within the categories are masked. We show that when the entire range of the 10-category Rural–Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) is used, the direction of the coefficients may differ and the fit of the model varies substantially across contiguous categories. However, collapsing contiguous categories masks variations within the continuum. To the extent that health policy decisions are made based on such aggregations, inappropriate policy choices may result (e.g., low payments to counties with relatively high needs). Given Congressional calls to address rural health, and the new Office of Management and Budget (OMB) statistical area classification system, debate over appropriate categorizations schemes is timely. We regress age-adjusted all-causes of death on various socioeconomic factors to assess the appropriate use of variants of the rural–urban continuum for health research. Our findings support two main conclusions. First, researchers collapsing urban–rural categorization schemes may be masking important categorical differences, inadvertently influencing policymaking predicated on their work. Second, finer classification of settlements yields uneven results. That is, coefficients shift signs across the continuum, indicating that collapsed models may be inappropriate. Results derived using collapsed variants of the RUCC may be too unstable to use as health research and funding categorization schemes. We suggest that a health status or outcomes categorization scheme is likely to be a more appropriate metric for rural health research.
The Role of Assessment in Informing Our Decision-Making Processes:

Assessment permeates many aspects of our educational society. With the passage of federal legislation (i.e., No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement...
ORIGIN OF HIGH PRODUCTIVITY IN THE PLIOCENE OF THE FLORIDA PLATFORM: EVIDENCE FROM STABLE ISOTOPES AND TRACE ELEMENTS

Abstract High productivity on the Florida Platform during the Pliocene has been ascribed to upwelling and to freshwater input of nutrients. To test these hypotheses, high-resolution stable isotopic and Sr/Ca analyses have been performed on 14 Conus and Turritella gastropod shells collected from the middle Pliocene Pinecrest Beds (Units 7 and 4) and the Plio-Pleistocene Caloosahatchee Formation. Assuming a published Pliocene seawater δ18O of 1.02‰ derived from a coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model (OAGCM), reconstructed paleotemperatures of Units 7 and 4, and the Caloosahatchee are respectively 25.1 ± 1.4 °C, 16.1 ± 0.6 °C, and 22.4 ± 0.5 °C. Unit 7 paleotemperatures are similar to, and Caloosahatchee paleotemperatures slightly lower than, modern sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Sarasota Bay (24.5 ± 0.4 °C). In contrast, Unit 4 paleotemperatures are unrealistically low. Sr/Ca ratios, however, suggest no significant paleotemperature difference between Pinecrest Units 7 and 4 and the Cal...
Salicylate and Mitochondrial Monoamine Oxidase Function in Reye's Syndrome

The main objective of this investigation was to study the effect of salicylate on platelet mitochondrial monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity isolated frrom blood of two patients with Reye's syndrome. Comparative studies were made with hospitalized children without Reye's syndrome (n = 27) and healthy children (n = 19) serving as controls. Platelet MAO was measured by a radioenzymatic technique with [14C]tyramine as a substrate. The results of this study showed that salicylate (1.0 mM) caused an appreciable inhibition of the platelet MAO activity of patients with Reye's syndrome at the onset of the illness. This was demonstrated by a > 50% reduction in enzyme maximum velocity (Vmax) value. The salicylate MAO-inhibitory effect was maintained throughout the duration of the illness. Salicylate had only a minimal MAO-inhibitory effect on platelets isolated from blood of recovered Reye's syndrome patients, healthy controls, and non-Reye's hospitalized children, and no apparent effect on enzyme Vmax values. These preliminary findings suggest that salicylate-induced mitochondrial injury may affect MAO function in children with Reye's syndrome.
Advancing the science of spatial neglect rehabilitation: an improved statistical approach with mixed linear modeling.

Valid research on neglect rehabilitation demands a statistical approach commensurate with the characteristics of neglect rehabilitation data: neglect arises from impairment in distinct brain networks leading to large between-subject variability in baseline symptoms and recovery trajectories. Studies enrolling medically ill, disabled patients, may suffer from missing, unbalanced data, and small sample sizes. Finally, assessment of rehabilitation requires a description of continuous recovery trajectories. Unfortunately, the statistical method currently employed in most studies of neglect treatment [repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), rANOVA] does not well-address these issues. Here we review an alternative, mixed linear modeling (MLM), that is more appropriate for assessing change over time. MLM better accounts for between-subject heterogeneity in baseline neglect severity and in recovery trajectory. MLM does not require complete or balanced data, nor does it make strict assumptions regarding the data structure. Furthermore, because MLM better models between-subject heterogeneity it often results in increased power to observe treatment effects with smaller samples. After reviewing current practices in the field, and the assumptions of rANOVA, we provide an introduction to MLM. We review its assumptions, uses, advantages, and disadvantages. Using real and simulated data, we illustrate how MLM may improve the ability to detect effects of treatment over ANOVA, particularly with the small samples typical of neglect research. Furthermore, our simulation analyses result in recommendations for the design of future rehabilitation studies. Because between-subject heterogeneity is one important reason why studies of neglect treatments often yield conflicting results, employing statistical procedures that model this heterogeneity more accurately will increase the efficiency of our efforts to find treatments to improve the lives of individuals with neglect.
Restaging After Neo-Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for N2 Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Recent studies have shown that patients who are down-staged via neoadjuvant therapy and undergo resection have a significant increased 5-year survival rate (as high as 40%–50%) when compared with patients who have residual N2 disease. The identification of patients who are N2 negative after the completion of their neoadjuvant therapy is a critical component of proper patient selection for thoracotomy. Some may even argue that it is a necessary step before resection. In this article we review the best ways to restage patients with N2 disease after they have completed their neoadjuvant therapy.
Freezing effects on aggregate stability affected by texture, mineralogy, and organic matter

Aggregate stability, an important property influencing a soil's response to erosive forces, is affected by freezing. The objectives of this laboratory study were to determine how constrainment, number of freeze-thaw cycles, and water content at freezing affect the aggregate stability of six continental USA soils differing in texture, mineralogy, and organic-matter content. Moist aggregates, after being frozen and thawed either zero, one, three, or five times, were vapor wetted to 0.30 kg kg-' and analyzed by wet sieving. Soils with clay contents of 17% or more and organic-matter contents >3% were the most stable after freezing. Aggregate stability for fine- and medium-textured soils generally decreased linearly with increasing water content at freezing. This linear decrease in stability was more rapid for constrained samples than for unconstrained samples. The stability of field-moist aggregates generally increased from zero to one or three freeze-thaw cycles. For at least one low-organic-matter soil, stability increased from one to three freeze-thaw cycles, but then decreased at five cycles. After thawing, aggregates at water contents of 0.15 kg kg ' or more that were constrained when frozen were always significantly less stable than aggregates that were unconstrained when frozen. A
Examining market oriented aspects of cost of quality

This paper examines the market-oriented aspects of cost of quality that have not been examined by current research. Using data from the automotive industry, we study the relationship between unit cost and economies of scale, experience curve effects, and imputed cost of quality in a specific context. Estimating these effects on unit cost explicitly has been problematic either due to unavailability of data or the imprecision of available data. Further, if a firm wishes to benchmark itself against its principal competitors along these cost dimensions, unavailability of data on competitors renders estimation impossible. In this paper, we propose and illustrate a method based on the iterative optimization of a dynamic model that has been presented in the literature. The results for a specific, illustrative case confirm the anticipated effects of experience curve advantages and economies of scale, lending validity to the proposed methodology. The results show that there is a positive relationship between unit cost and quality improvements; this possibility has also been raised by other researchers in the literature. The use of the methodology and implications for managerial use are discussed.
Edge-based finite elements and vector ABCs applied to 3-D scattering

An edge-based finite element formulation with vector absorbing boundary conditions is presented for scattering by composite structures having boundaries satisfying impedance and/or transition conditions. Remarkably accurate results are obtained by placing the mesh a small fraction of a wavelength away from the scatterer. >
Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of a low bandgap BODIPY–Pt conjugated polymer

A conjugated boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY)–platinum polymer possessing a low bandgap of 1.7 eV has been synthesized and characterized. Bulk heterojunction solar cells employing this polymer gave high open circuit voltages up to 0.92 V and power conversion efficiencies close to 1%.
The Role of Government Interference in International Commodity Trade Models

The fact that governments intervene in both domestic and international commodity markets is well recognized by market analysts and policy makers. Current GATT negotiations are addressing the consequences of such interventions for international trade, and the U.S. chief negotiator, Robert Strauss, reports that trade restrictions on agricultural commodities represent a particularly difficult stumbling block ("Chief U.S. Trade Negotiator at Geneva . . ."). The interest in international commodity agreements and market stabilization also indicates a concern for the behavior of these markets and particularly for the consequences of and potential for intervention in these markets.
A Physical and Virtual Compute Cluster Resource Load Balancing Approach to Data-Parallel Scientific Workflow Scheduling

To execute workflows on a compute cluster resource, workflow engines can work with cluster resource manager software to distribute jobs into compute nodes on the cluster. We discuss how to interact with traditional Oracle Grid Engine and recent Hadoop cluster resource managers using a dataflow-based scheduling approach to balance compute resource load for data-parallel workflow execution. Our experiments show that: 1) The presented approach can balance computational resource load well by interacting with the resource managers and provides good execution performance on both physical and virtual clusters, 2) Oracle Grid Engine outperforms Hadoop for CPU-intensive applications on small-scale clusters.
Best-fit parameter estimation for a bounded errors-in-variables model

We pose and solve a parameter estimation problem in the presence of bounded data uncertainties. The new formulation involves a minimization problem and admits a closed form solution in terms of the unique positive root of a secular equation. It also has interesting connections with errors-in-variables and H/sub /spl infin// methods.
SOS: A Safe, Ordered, and Speedy Emergency Navigation Algorithm in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks can play an important role in detecting disasters and navigating the personnel out of dangerous areas. In emergency navigation applications, personal safety and evacuation time of human beings are commonly considered criteria. Consequently, existing works mainly focus on finding the shortest safe path for each person. However, in practice, the number of people may be much larger than the safety capacities of the computed evacuation paths. This may lead to congestion on the evacuation paths, and result in longer evacuation time and even casualty increment. In this paper, we model the problem of emergency navigation as a network flow scheduling problem and present a distributed algorithm, namely SOS, to solve it. We also conduct extensive and large-scale simulations to evaluate the performance of SOS. Numerical results show that SOS achieves superior performance to existing approaches in terms of average and last evacuation time, with low overhead.
Binding of Human Plasminogen and Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator to the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi

Many bacteria that spread in the skin produce enzymes that digest extracellular matrix components. Borrelia burgdorferi spreads from a skin inoculation site to form the characteristic erythema migrans skin lesion. It was determined that B. burgdorferi does not produce collagenase, elastase, hyaluronidase, or other enzymes that digest extracellular matrix components. However, B. burgdorferi bound human plasmin, plasminogen (Pgn), and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). When spirochetes were sequentially incubated with Pgn and uPA, bioactive plasmin was generated on the surface of B. burgdorferi. B. burgdorferi did not produce an endogenous Pgn activator. Fluorochrome-conjugated uPA and Pgn colocalized to the terminus of the spirochete. In a mouse model, uPA-treated B. burgdorferi were more infectious than control spirochetes. Binding of host uPA and Pgn to form a bioactive extracellular matrix protease on B. burgdorferi represents a mechanism that could facilitate dissemination and localization of spirochetes to sites of vascular injury.
Which colloid to choose for neonates, infants and children

This paper considers how the physiology, as it alters with age, may affect the choice of colloid given to a child. The evidence surrounding the use of natural protein and synthetic colloids available for use in children is examined and personal recommendations regarding paediatric colloid use are given.
Administrative Control in Large-City School Systems: An Investigation in Chicago

Big-city school systems have been described as rigid, ponderous, hierarchical bureaucracies. They have also been called loosely coupled systems virtually out of control. Which are they-tight or loose? A study of Chicago principals reveals that the system does indeed exert powerful hierarchical control, but it does so not through a muscular apparatus of directives but rather through a not-so-subtle enforcement of loyalties, values, and unspoken expectations.
Lineage diversification and historical demography of a sky island salamander, Plethodon ouachitae, from the Interior Highlands.

Sky islands provide ideal opportunities for understanding how climatic changes associated with Pleistocene glacial cycles influenced species distributions, genetic diversification, and demography. The salamander Plethodon ouachitae is largely restricted to high-elevation, mesic forest on six major mountains in the Ouachita Mountains. Because these mountains are separated by more xeric, low-elevation valleys, the salamanders appear to be isolated on sky islands where gene flow among populations on different mountains may be restricted. We used DNA sequence data along with ecological niche modelling and coalescent simulations to test several hypotheses related to diversifications in sky island habitats. Our results revealed that P. ouachitae is composed of seven well-supported lineages structured across six major mountains. The species originated during the Late Pliocene, and lineage diversification occurred during the Middle Pleistocene in a stepping stone fashion with a cyclical pattern of dispersal to a new mountain followed by isolation and divergence. Diversification occurred primarily on an east–west axis, which is likely related to the east– west orientation of the Ouachita Mountains and the more favourable cooler and wetter environmental conditions on north slopes compared to south-facing slopes and valleys. All non-genealogical coalescent methods failed to detect significant population expansion in any lineages. Bayesian skyline plots showed relatively stable population sizes over time, but indicated a slight to moderate amount of population growth in all lineages starting approximately 10 000–12 000 years ago. Our results provide new insight into sky island diversifications from a previously unstudied region, and further demonstrate that climatic changes during the Pleistocene had profound effects on lineage diversification and demography, especially in species from environmentally sensitive habitats in montane regions.
Lipid-Induced Hepatocyte-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Regulate Hepatic Stellate Cells via MicroRNA Targeting Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ

Background & Aims Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a key role in liver fibrosis in various chronic liver disorders including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The development of liver fibrosis requires a phenotypic switch from quiescent to activated HSCs. The trigger for HSC activation in NAFLD remain poorly understood. We investigated the role and molecular mechanism of extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by hepatocytes during lipotoxicity in modulation of HSC phenotype. Methods EVs were isolated from fat-laden hepatocytes by differential centrifugation and incubated with HSCs. EV internalization and HSC activation, migration, and proliferation were assessed. Loss- and gain-of-function studies were performed to explore the potential role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ)-targeting microRNAs (miRNAs) carried by EVs into HSC. Results Hepatocyte-derived EVs released during lipotoxicity are efficiently internalized by HSCs resulting in their activation, as shown by marked up-regulation of profibrogenic genes (collagen-I, α-smooth muscle actin, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2), proliferation, chemotaxis, and wound-healing responses. These changes were associated with miRNAs shuttled by EVs and suppression of PPAR-γ expression in HSCs. The hepatocyte-derived EV miRNA content included various miRNAs that are known inhibitors of PPAR-γ expression, with miR-128-3p being the most efficiently transferred. Furthermore, loss- and gain-of-function studies identified miR-128-3p as a central modulator of the effects of EVs on PPAR-γ inhibition and HSC activation. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate a link between fat-laden hepatocyte-derived EVs and liver fibrosis and have potential implications for the development of novel antifibrotic targets for NAFLD and other fibrotic diseases.
Complete computer system simulation: the SimOS approach

SimOS is a simulation environment capable of modeling complete computer systems, including a full operating system and all application programs that run on top of it. Two features help make this possible. First, SimOS provides an extremely fast simulation of system hardware, and the second feature that enables SimOS to model the full operating system is its ability to control the level of simulation detail. Designed for efficient and accurate study of both uniprocessor and multiprocessor systems, SimOS simulates computer hardware in enough detail to run an entire operating system and provides substantial flexibility in the tradeoff between simulation speed and detail. >
Conservative assembly and segregation of nucleosomal histories

The assembly of new histones into nucleosomes and the segregation of old histones during replication were investigated using a density gradient, sedimentation equilibrium analysis of histones labeled in vivo with dense amino acids. After a 1 hr pulse of dense amino acids and 3H-lysine, nucleosomes were isolated from chick myoblast organ cultures, and the histones were cross-linked to octamers. The octamers were purified from DNA and then banded to equilibrium in cesium-formate guanidinium-HCI density gradients. The cross-linked dense octamers have the same density as the noncross-linked dense histones, and both were significantly heavier than histones synthesized in the presence of light amino acids. This experiment shows that new histone does not mix with old histone in the new nucleosomes, since the labeling protocol allows density labeling of only one histone for every seven preexisting unlabeled histones. Thus the assembly of new histone octamers is conservative. Using essentially the same experimental design, but varying the details of the labeling procedures, we also show that the dense histone octamer is stable over 3-4 generations, that neighboring octamers tend to be synthesized at the same time, and that old and new histone octamers segregate conservatively over 2-3 generations.
Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Analysis Reveals Genetic Relationships within Bacillus anthracis

Bacillus anthracis is one of the most genetically homogeneous pathogens described, making strain discrimination particularly difficult. In this paper, we present a novel molecular typing system based on rapidly evolving variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) loci. Multiple-locus VNTR analysis (MLVA) uses the combined power of multiple alleles at several marker loci. In our system, fluorescently labeled PCR primers are used to produce PCR amplification products from eight VNTR regions in the B. anthracis genome. These are detected and their sizes are determined using an ABI377 automated DNA sequencer. Five of these eight loci were discovered by sequence characterization of molecular markers (vrrC1, vrrC2, vrrB1, vrrB2, and CG3), two were discovered by searching complete plasmid nucleotide sequences (pXO1-aat and pXO2-at), and one was known previously (vrrA). MLVA characterization of 426 B. anthracis isolates identified 89 distinct genotypes. VNTR markers frequently identified multiple alleles (from two to nine), with Nei's diversity values between 0.3 and 0.8. Unweighted pair-group method arithmetic average cluster analysis identified six genetically distinct groups that appear to be derived from clones. Some of these clones show worldwide distribution, while others are restricted to particular geographic regions. Human commerce doubtlessly has contributed to the dispersal of particular clones in ancient and modern times.
Moment generating function of the generalized α - μ distribution with applications

In this letter, we consider the alpha - mu channel fading model and we evaluate the moment generating function (MGF) for the probability density function characterizing this new channel model. The derived MGF expression is used in evaluating the bit error rate for different coherent modulation techniques over this generalized fading channel. We also derive an expression for the outage probability for this channel model. All the derived expressions are in closed forms and general that can reduce to the well known fading channel distributions in the literature such as Rayleigh, Nakagami-m, and Weibull model as special cases.
Attraction of the emerald ash borer to ash trees stressed by girdling, herbicide treatment, or wounding

New infestations of emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, an invasive pest native to Asia, are difficult to detect until densities build and symptoms appear on affected ash (Fraxinus sp...
Glioma cells release excitotoxic concentrations of glutamate.

ABSTRACT Elevated levels of extracellular glutamate ([Glu] o ) cause uncontrolledCa 21 increases in most neurons and are believed to mediate excitotoxicbrain injury following stroke and other nervous system insults. In thenormal brain, [Glu] o is tightly controlled by uptake into astrocytes. Be-cause the vast majority of primary brain tumors (gliomas) are derivedfrom astrocytes, we investigated glutamate uptake in glioma cells surgi-cally isolated from glioma patients (glioblastoma multiforme) and in sevenestablished human glioma cell lines, including STTG-1, D -54 MG, D -65MG, U-373 MG, U-138 MG, U-251 MG, and CH-235 MG. All glioma cellsstudied showed impaired glutamate uptake, with a V max < 10% that ofnormal astrocytes. Moreover, rather than removing glutamate from theextracellular fluid, glioma cells release large amounts of glutamate, re-sulting in elevations of [Glu] o in excess of 100 m M within hours in a spacethat is 1000-fold larger than the cellular volume. Exposure of culturedhippocampal neurons to glioma-conditioned medium elicited sustained[Ca
Effects of Benzo(e)Pyrene on the Retinal Neurosensory Cells and Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells In Vitro

Purpose: To study the effects of benzo(e)pyrene (B(e)P), a toxic component of cigarette smoke, on retinal neurosensory (R28) cells and human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC). Materials and M...
Distribution of the dentary groove of theropod dinosaurs: Implications for theropod phylogeny and the validity of the genus Nanotyrannus Bakker et al., 1988

Abstract This study examines the phylogenetic distribution of a morphologic character, described as a groove containing pores, on the lateral surface of the dentary bone in theropod dinosaurs. The nature of this groove is a feature unique to theropods. Of the 92 theropod taxa examined for the presence and absence of this feature, 48 possessed and 44 lacked this feature. Distribution of this character was compared to published phylogenetic analyses of theropods, in order to evaluate the utility of the dentary groove as a diagnostic feature. 80% of pre-Tyrannoraptoran theropods possessed the dentary groove, with only 6 reversals in basal theropod clades. Theropods with beaks or edentulous jaws all lacked a dentary groove. Tyrannosauroidea is marked by mosaic distribution of this character. Among tyrannosauroids, the dentary groove occurs only in Dryptosaurus and the Albertosaurinae ( Albertosaurus + Gorgosaurus ). Nanotyrannus lancensis , sometimes described as representing juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex , also possesses this groove, unlike the remainder of the Tyrannosaurinae. Nanotyrannus lancensis was included in a phylogenetic analysis of Tyrannosauroidea and was recovered within Albertosaurinae. We recommend that Nanotyrannus stand as a valid taxon nested within the Albertosaurinae, based on the presence of this groove, as well as other features of the skull.
Fungal and Bacterial Infections

Worldwide many plants are used to treat both bacterial and fungal infections. Here we present evidence for the treatment of fungal skin and nail infections and bacterial skin infections with plant and insect derived treatments.
Integrating Economic and Legal Thought on Agricultural Cooperatives

HE shift to more government in economic life arises primarily because law in a democracy is not merely a system of authoritative legal materials; it is also a specialized form of social control resulting from organized pressure of economic and political groups in the social order. Probably no better example of political pressure for better bargaining power can be found anywhere than the pressure of American laborers and farmers to gain the legal right to organize for group welfare. Time permits only a limited consideration of details. What I shall chiefly endeavor to present to you is an outline of the persistent, powerful, and slow moving group forces in their economic and legal aspects, from which is now emerging the modern cooperative corporate associations of farmers in this country.
Examination of failed cross-linked polyethylene insulated cables

Many of the cross-linked polyethylene underground distribution cables removed from service contain visible halos. In an attempt to understand the nature of these halos and to determine what role, if any, they play in the failure mechanism of these cables, characterizations by a variety of means have been initiated. Some of these preliminary results are hereby reported.
Repertoire convergence in two Mangrove ants,Zacryptocerus varians andCamponotus (Colobopsis) sp.

The convergence ofZacryptocerus varians andCamponotus (Colobopsis) sp. is manifest in three ways: i) Structural convergence (shield-headed major workers, large eggs), ii) Qualitative behavioral convergence (high rate of oral trophallaxis, traffic in infrabuccal pellets, iii) Repertoire convergence (number of behavioral categories in common, behavioral distance). Methods of analyzing repertoire convergence using techniques borrowed from numerical taxonomy may be especially useful in obtaining quantitative measurements of the relative effects of phylogeny and ecology in social insect behavior. In constrast to the behavioral convergence of the minor workers, the major workers do not show this convergence. The major workers ofColobopsis are not as behaviorally specialized as the major workers ofZ. varians and in accordance with current ergonomic theory are relatively more numerous. An effort is made to account for the areas of convergence and divergence in features of their sociobiology.
Nonequilibrium Structural Dynamics of Nanoparticles in LiNi1/2Mn3/2O4 Cathode under Operando Conditions

We study nonequilibrium structural dynamics in LiNi1/2Mn3/2O4 spinel cathode material during fast charge/discharge under operando conditions using coherent X-rays. Our in situ measurements reveal a hysteretic behavior of the structure upon cycling and we directly observe the interplay between different transformation mechanisms: solid solution and two-phase reactions at the single nanoparticle level. For high lithium concentrations solid solution is observed upon both charge and discharge. For low lithium concentration, we find concurrent solid solution and two-phase reactions upon charge, while a pure two-phase reaction is found upon discharge. A delithiation model based on an ionic blockade layer on the particle surface is proposed to explain the distinct structural transformation mechanisms in nonequilibrium conditions. This study addresses the controversy of why two-phase materials show exemplary kinetics and opens new avenues to understand fundamental processes underlying charge transfer, which will ...
The Superstrong Black Mother.

When a Baltimore mom hit her son to keep him away from protests, many applauded her—but the myth of the superstrong Black mother does more harm than good.