cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bond-disordered Anderson model on a two-dimensional square lattice: Chiral symmetry and restoration of one-parameter scaling

The bond-disordered Anderson model in two dimensions on a square lattice is studied numerically near the band center by calculating the density of states (DOS), multifractal properties of eigenstates, and the localization length. The DOS divergence at the band center is studied and compared with Gade's result and power law. Although Gade's form describes accurately the DOS of finite-size systems near the band center, it fails to describe the calculated part of the DOS of the infinite system, and a different expression is proposed. Study of the level spacing distributions reveals that the state closest to the band center and the next one have a different level spacing distribution than pairs of states away from the band center. Multifractal properties of finite systems furthermore show that the scaling of eigenstates changes discontinuously near the band center. This unusual behavior suggests the existence of a divergent length scale, whose existence is explained as the finite-size manifestation of the band center critical point of the infinite system, and the critical exponent of the correlation length is calculated by a finite-size scaling. Furthermore, study of the scaling of the Lyapunov exponents of transfer matrices of long stripes indicates that for a long stripe of any width there is an energy region around the band center within which the Lyapunov exponents cannot be described by one-parameter scaling. This region vanishes, however, in the limit of the infinite square lattice, when one-parameter scaling is restored, and the scaling exponent calculated is in agreement with the result of the finite-size scaling analysis.
Effects of androgen and somatotrophin on the os penis of the rat.

SummaryIn contrast to its excellent effect in stimulating cartilaginous and osseous growth in the rat's penile ossicle, testosterone propionate, in a daily subcutaneous dose of 0.1 mg for 21 days following hypophysectomy and castration, caused no appreciable resumption of general skeletal growth. Somatotrophin (hypophyseal growth hormone) in a daily subcutaneous dose of 1.0 mg for the same period in similar animals caused excellent general skeletal growth, but did not correct appreciably the atrophic condition of the os penis. The two hormones synergized in causing better growth of the os penis than the androgen alone and a greater body weight increase than the growth hormone alone in doubly operated animals.
Career Advancement as Party Patronage: Sponsored Mobility into the Chinese Administrative Elite, 1949-1996

Core features of mobility regimes are obscured by models common in comparative research. Party patronage in China is apparent only in the timing of career events. Elites are chosen from among party members, but only some are eventually chosen. Those who join the party while young enter a career path that includes sponsorship for adult education and more likely promotion. While the party's preference for youth from “red” classes has yielded to one for prior education, party sponsorship endures. Because patronage blurs distinctions between politics and merit, it confounds interpretations of returns to individual attributes.
Biodiversity and body size are linked across metazoans

Body size variation across the Metazoa is immense, encompassing 17 orders of magnitude in biovolume. Factors driving this extreme diversification in size and the consequences of size variation for biological processes remain poorly resolved. Species diversity is invoked as both a predictor and a result of size variation, and theory predicts a strong correlation between the two. However, evidence has been presented both supporting and contradicting such a relationship. Here, we use a new comprehensive dataset for maximum and minimum body sizes across all metazoan phyla to show that species diversity is strongly correlated with minimum size, maximum size and consequently intra-phylum variation. Similar patterns are also observed within birds and mammals. The observations point to several fundamental linkages between species diversification and body size variation through the evolution of animal life.
A soft X-ray laser interferogram of a high-density colliding plasma

We have used a soft X-ray laser interferometer to study the collision and subsequent interaction of counter-streaming high-density plasmas. The measured density profiles show the evolution of the colliding plasmas from interpenetration, when the low-density edge of the plasmas first collide, to stagnation at the symmetry plane with density building at the symmetry plane.
Uncoupling of Acetylation from Phosphorylation Regulates FoxO1 Function Independent of Its Subcellular Localization

The activity of transcription factor FoxO1 is regulated by phosphorylation-dependent nuclear exclusion and deacetylation-dependent nuclear retention. It is unclear whether and how these two post-translational modifications affect each other. To answer this question, we expressed FoxO1 cDNAs with combined mutations of phosphorylation and acetylation sites in HEK-293 cells and analyzed their subcellular localization patterns. We show that mutations mimicking the acetylated state (KQ series) render FoxO1 more sensitive to Akt-mediated phosphorylation and nuclear exclusion and can reverse the constitutively nuclear localization of phosphorylation-defective FoxO1. Conversely, mutations mimicking the deacetylated state (KR series) promote FoxO1 nuclear retention. Oxidative stress and the Sirt1 activator resveratrol are thought to promote FoxO1 deacetylation and nuclear retention, thus increasing its activity. Accordingly, FoxO1 deacetylation was required for the effect of oxidative stress (induced by H2O2) to retain FoxO1 in the nucleus. H2O2 also inhibited FoxO1 phosphorylation on Ser-253 and Thr-24, the key insulin-regulated sites, irrespective of its acetylation. In contrast, the effect of resveratrol was independent of FoxO1 acetylation and its phosphorylation on Ser-253 and Thr-24, suggesting that resveratrol acts on FoxO1 in a Sirt1- and Akt-independent manner. The dissociation of deacetylation from dephosphorylation in H2O2-treated cells indicates that the two modifications can occur independently of each other. It can be envisaged that FoxO1 exists in multiple nuclear forms with distinct activities depending on the balance of acetylation and phosphorylation.
A Study of Degradation in High Power Multi-Mode InGaAs-AlGaAs Strained Quantum Well Lasers as Pump Lasers

Degradation processes in high power broad-area InGaAs-AlGaAs strained quantum well lasers were studied using electron beam-induced current (EBIC) techniques, time-resolved electroluminescence (TR-EL) techniques, and deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Accelerated lifetests of the broad-area lasers yielded catastrophic failures at the front facet and also in the bulk. EBIC was employed to study dark line defects generated in degraded lasers stressed under different test conditions. TR-EL was employed to study the intra-cavity intensity distribution in real time as devices were aged. DLTS was employed to study deep electron traps in both pristine and degraded laser diodes. Lastly, we present a possible scenario for the initiation of bulk degradation in the broad-area lasers.
The legacy of the Tuskegee syphilis experiments for emergency exception from informed consent.

In November 1996, the US Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services developed regulations allowing research to be performed with emergency exception to informed consent when the research participant is in a situation that is acutely life-threatening and a condition is being studied for which currently available treatments are untested or believed to be unsatisfactory. The regulations require the potential patient to be unable to consent because of the acute clinical condition, and there must not be time within the proposed therapeutic window to contact the legally authorized representative to obtain prospective consent. Furthermore, the possibility must exist that the patient will benefit from participation in the study. These regulations create a requirement for public notification and community consultation regarding the project before implementation.1 Public notification is meant to ensure that the community is aware of the study before implementation, whereas community consultation is intended to provide the local community an opportunity to provide input to the institutional review board about the acceptability of the proposed research.2 The rules were designed to balance the competing needs of respecting individual patient’s rights with performing resuscitation research to better treat the community. How well they succeed will depend on E T H I C S / E D I T O R I A L
Robust fuzzy clustering algorithms

A class of fuzzy clustering algorithms based on a recently introduced noise cluster concept is proposed. A noise prototype is defined such that it is equidistant to all the points in the data set. This allows detection of clusters among data with or without noise. It is shown that this concept is applicable to all the generalizations of fuzzy and hard K-means algorithms. Various applications are considered. The application of this concept to a variety of regression problems is also considered. It is shown that the results of this approach are comparable to those of many robust regression techniques. >
A micro-simulation approach for Airline Competition Analysis and Demand Modelling

This paper presents a modelling framework for Airline Competition Analysis and Demand Modelling (ACADM). The framework adopts a micro-simulation approach in which airline service capacity and passenger demand are represented at the finest disaggregate level. The main contribution of this modelling framework is that it simultaneously considers primary factors that affect air-carrier competition. These factors include schedule attractiveness, seat inventory control, code share agreements and ticket distribution strategies. Preliminary validation experiments in the US domestic markets show that the model replicates real-world competition scenarios with acceptable accuracy.
Estimating stochastic volatility via filtering for the micromovement of asset prices

Under the general framework of a previous paper, a unified approach via filtering is developed to estimate stochastic volatility for micromovement models. The key feature of the models is that they can be transformed as filtering problems with counting process observations. In order to obtain trade-by-trade, real-time Bayes estimates of stochastic volatility, the Markov chain approximation method is applied to the filtering equation to construct a consistent recursive algorithm, which computes the joint posterior. To illustrate the approach, a recursive algorithm is constructed in detail for a jumping stochastic volatility micromovement model. Simulation results show that the Bayes estimates for stochastic volatilities capture the movement of volatility. Trade-by-trade stochastic volatility estimates for a Microsoft transaction data set are obtained and they provide strong affirmative evidence that volatility changes even more dramatically at trade-by-trade level.
Aspects of VLA-4 and LFA-1 regulation that may contribute to rolling and firm adhesion

Very Late Antigen-4 (CD49d/CD29, alpha4 beta1) and Lymphocyte Function-associated Antigen-1 (CD11a/CD18, alphaL beta2) integrins are representatives of a large family of adhesion receptors widely expressed on immune cells. They participate in cell recruitment to sites of inflammation, as well as multiple immune cell interactions. A unique feature of integrins is that integrin-dependent cell adhesion can be rapidly and reversibly modulated in response to cell signaling, because of a series of conformational changes within the molecule, which include changes in the affinity of the ligand binding pocket, molecular extension (unbending) and others. Here, we provide a concise comparative analysis of the conformational regulation of the two integrins with specific attention to the physiological differences between these molecules. We focus on recent data obtained using a novel technology, based on small fluorescent ligand-mimicking probes for the detection of integrin conformation in real-time on live cells at natural receptor abundance.
Disparity Analysis of Images

An algorithm for matching images of real world scenes is presented. The matching is a specification of the geometrical disparity between the images and may be used to partially reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of the scene. Sets of candidate matching points are selected independently in each image. These points are the locations of small, distinct features which are likely to be detectable in both images. An initial network of possible matches between the two sets of candidates is constructed. Each possible match specifies a possible disparity of a candidate point in a selected reference image. An initial estimate of the probability of each possible disparity is made, based on the similarity of subimages surrounding the points. These estimates are iteratively improved by a relaxation labeling technique making use of the local continuity property of disparity that is a consequence of the continuity of real world surfaces. The algorithm is effective for binocular parallax, motion parallax, and object motion. It quickly converges to good estimates of disparity, which reflect the spatial organization of the scene.
Carbon isotope records in a Mesoproterozoic epicratonic sea: Carbon cycling in a low-oxygen world

Abstract Carbon isotope profiles of sedimentary strata are widely used as both a tool for stratigraphic correlation and as a mechanism for inferring important changes in Earth's biogeochemical cycles. Chemostratigraphic interpretations, however, often rely on the assumption that the isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the surface oceans is broadly homogeneous. At times of globally high sea level, when epicratonic (epeiric) environments dominate our sedimentary record, carbon isotope records reveal substantial lateral variability. Here we investigate lateral variability in the marine carbon isotope record from pericratonic to epicratonic environments of the Mesoproterozoic (∼1.1 Ga) Atar/El Mreiti Groups of the Taoudeni Basin, West Africa. Restricted-marine epicratonic environments are consistently 2–4‰ lighter than open-marine pericratonic environments, suggesting input of an isotopically light carbon source that preferentially affected epicratonic environments. In contrast to epicratonic environments in the Paleozoic, where input of isotopically light carbon is generally attributed to input of terrestrial organic matter, we suggest that in situ remineralization of organic carbon via anaerobic microbial cycling drove observed isotopic variability. Within epicratonic El Mreiti Group strata, the extent of organic matter remineralization (and thus degree of 13 C depletion) is correlated with water depth, and associated with distinct differences in both total organic carbon (TOC) and pyrite concentration, suggesting a potential linkage to both the persistence of anoxia and the availability of sulfate within epicratonic environments. In such settings, the isotopic effects of organic carbon remineralization are potentially enhanced by either methane oxidation following methanogenic decomposition, or the intermittent oxidation of an enhanced dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool.
Ethanol affects hypothalamic neurons projecting to the hippocampus and inhibits dentate granule cell LTP

Abstract In previous studies we demonstrated that ethanol inhibition of hippocampal granule cell long-term potentiation (LTP) is mediated by angiotensin II (AII), and the inhibition can be blocked by losartan, a specific AII receptor antagonist. The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate that this low-dose ethanol inhibition of dentate granule cell LTP induction is mediated by lateral hypothalamic (LH) afferents that project to the granule cells. In urethane anesthetized rats, we compared the effects of ethanol infusion, 6.0 μl/30 min, by means of an open-ended push-pull type cannula, in both the LH and the dentate gyrus, on dentate granule cell LTP. Results demonstrate a dose-dependent inhibition of LTP induction when the LH is perfused that can be blocked by losartan, 10 mg/kg IP. Four doses of ethanol were used: 5, 10, 20, and 30 mM. There was no effect when the dentate gyrus was infused with 30 mM ethanol and normal granule cell LTP was observed. Also, these results demonstrate for the first time a low-dose ethanol effect on a physiological function, LTP in a specific neural pathway, directly related to the anterograde amnesia produced by ethanol on short-term memory. Therefore, these data support our hypothesis that ethanol inhibition of LTP induction at the medial perforant path-granule cell synapse can be attributed to a presynaptic release of AII and cannot be explained in terms of a direct postsynaptic effect on the granule cells.
Identification and comparative analyses of myocardial miRNAs involved in the fetal response to maternal obesity

Human and animal studies show that suboptimal intrauterine environments lead to fetal programming, predisposing offspring to disease in later life. Maternal obesity has been shown to program offspring for cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and obesity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that act as key regulators of numerous cellular processes. Compelling evidence links miRNAs to the control of cardiac development and etiology of cardiac pathology; however, little is known about their role in the fetal cardiac response to maternal obesity. Our aim was to sequence and profile the cardiac miRNAs that are dysregulated in the hearts of baboon fetuses born to high fat/high fructose-diet (HFD) fed mothers for comparison with fetal hearts from mothers eating a regular diet. Eighty miRNAs were differentially expressed. Of those, 55 miRNAs were upregulated and 25 downregulated with HFD. Twenty-two miRNAs were mapped to human; 14 of these miRNAs were previously reported to be dysregulated in experimental or human CVD. We used an Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to integrate miRNA profiling and bioinformatics predictions to determine miRNA-regulated processes and genes potentially involved in fetal programming. We found a correlation between miRNA expression and putative gene targets involved in developmental disorders and CVD. Cellular death, growth, and proliferation were the most affected cellular functions in response to maternal obesity. Thus, the current study reveals significant alterations in cardiac miRNA expression in the fetus of obese baboons. The epigenetic modifications caused by adverse prenatal environment may represent one of the mechanisms underlying fetal programming of CVD.
The visual functions of the complete colorblind.

1. The visual functions of a completely colorblind individual are compared with those of the normal. The sensibility distribution in the spectrum has a maximum at 520 mµ at all brightnesses and thus corresponds to rod vision alone. This is confirmed by studies of dark adaptation which show final thresholds like those usually found for rod vision. Dark adaptation, measured both centrally and peripherally in the retina, is a single continuous function, and regardless of the brightness of the preceding light adaptation, is of the rapid type only, such as that found for the normal following low light adaptation. Visual acuity also shows a single continuous function like that for rod vision. 2. Both critical fusion frequency and intensity discrimination show two sections, one at low and the other at high intensities with a sharp transition from one to the other. Intensity discrimination is as good as for the normal eye, and covers much the same range. The maximal critical fusion frequency is only about 20 cycles per second as compared to 55 cycles for the normal. 3. The two sections shown by the colorblind eye for intensity discrimination and fusion frequency possess the spectral sensitivity of rod vision since the relative positions on the intensity scale are not influenced by using different parts of the spectrum.
Effects of Acute Alcohol Consumption in Older and Younger Adults: Perceived Impairment Versus Psychomotor Performance

Objective: Perceived impairment and psychomotor performance following acute alcohol administration in older (ages 50-74, n = 42; 22 male) and younger (ages 25-35, n = 26; 12 male) adults were investigated in this study. Method: Double-blind, placebo-controlled alcohol administration techniques were designed to produce peak levels of breath alcohol concentration consistent with an episode of social drinking (40 mg/100 ml). Behavioral measures (Trail Making Test, Forms A and B), as well as measures of self-reported perceived intoxication and impairment, were administered on the ascending and descending limbs at common time points after beverage ingestion. Results: Results indicated that psychomotor performance differences did not parallel self-reported levels of perceived impairment. Relative to younger adults, older adults exhibited performance deficits on the ascending limb while simultaneously reporting less perceived impairment. Conversely, on the descending limb, older adults who received alcohol reported more perceived impairment than did those who received placebo, although psychomotor performance between these two groups of older drinkers did not differ. For younger participants, a moderate dose of alcohol facilitated performance on the ascending limb; however, these differences were not reflected on the descending limb. Conclusions: These results reinforce the common knowledge that self-reported measures may not provide an accurate reflection of performance outcomes and, importantly, that older adults may be impaired even under a moderate dose of alcohol, although they may not be aware (i.e., report) of this impairment. Language: en
CT angiography: first things first.

A learned person has 7 traits, the Babylonian Talmud teaches. Among them, “He discusses first things first…[and] about something he has not heard he says, ‘I have not heard.’”1 Establishing proper priorities for inquiry and acknowledging ignorance are highly relevant in the ongoing debate raging around the rapid adoption of CT angiography. Article see p 16 Investigators from leading centers now promote CT angiography as a major advance in diagnostics, making it possible for many patients to avoid invasive coronary angiography.2 They provide 3 lines of evidence to make their case. First, in a number of cross-sectional patient-oriented studies, the diagnostic accuracy seems to be high, with claims of sensitivity and negative predictive value approaching or exceeding 95%.3 The most recent high-quality multicenter study using the more advanced 64-slice technology yielded less sanguine findings, though, with a reported sensitivity of 85% and a negative predictive value of only 83%; the investigators themselves concluded that “CT angiography cannot replace conventional coronary angiography at present.”4 Second, preliminary investigations show that findings on CT angiography predict risk of major coronary events.5 Although not surprising, it is not clear whether prognostic information provided by CT is more or less accurate than that provided by conventional noninvasive tests, like measurement of exercise capacity or detection of myocardial scar or inducible ischemia by perfusion imaging or ultrasonography. The third line of evidence is illustrated by the careful clinical epidemiological study presented by Chow et al6 in the current issue of Circulation Imaging . The investigators analyzed the proportion of normal findings among patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography at a single large Canadian institution before and after establishment of a cardiac CT program. Before the CT program was implemented, 32% of patients had normal findings on invasive angiography. The proportion …
Naturally occurring alterations of cortical layers surrounding the fissura prima of rat cerebellum

We have regularly observed alterations in the three-layered arrangement of cerebellar cortex surrounding fissura prima in normal adult and neonatal rats. In 90 of 110 rat brains analyzed, the cortical layers surrounding fissura prima were found to be altered from the four-layered (neonatal) or three-layered (adult) arrangement found in the majority of the remainder of cerebellar cortex. This common alteration extended long distances (as much as 320 microns) on either side of the midline, causing fissura prima to become more and more shallow from its lateral to medial extent. In sagittal sections at the lateral edge of the alteration in neonatal cerebellum, the external granular layer and pial cells disappeared, leaving an expanse of molecular layer lying between internal granular layer cells of lobules V and VI. Proceeding medially toward the midsagittal region, the cells of the internal granular layer of lobules V and VI were situated closer together and often merged. In such sections Purkinje cells did not usually remain in a monolayer, but were displaced, and clusters of these cells were sometimes found within the white matter. Various complex configurations of internal granular layer, molecular layer, and Purkinje cell groups surrounding fissura prima were commonplace in regions of cerebellum as far lateral as 320 microns on either side of the midsagittal plane. The greatest dorsoventral extent of such alterations measured was 400 microns. The presence of these previously unreported deviations is unrelated to experimental stress, as they occur spontaneously, possibly due to a vestigeal disorganization left in midline zones after early cell migration phases.
Resource Utilization for Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage Transferred to a Comprehensive Stroke Center

Background As a comprehensive stroke center (CSC), we accept transfer patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in our region. CSC guidelines mandate receipt of patients with ICH for higher level of care. We determined resource utilization of patients accepted from outside hospitals compared with patients directly arriving to our center. Methods From our stroke registry, we compared patients with primary ICH transferred to those directly arriving to our CSC from March 2011-March 2012. We compared the proportion of patients who utilized at least one of these resources: neurointensive care unit (NICU), neurosurgical intervention, or clinical trial enrollment. Results Among the 362 patients, 210 (58%) were transfers. Transferred patients were older, had higher median Glasgow Coma Scale scores, and lower National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores than directly admitted patients. Transfers had smaller median ICH volumes (20.5 cc versus 15.2 cc; P = .04) and lower ICH scores (2.1 ± 1.4 versus 1.6 ± 1.3; P P = .02). Fewer transferred patients required neurosurgical intervention or were enrolled in trials. No significant difference was found in the proportion of patients who used NICU resources, although transferred patients had a significantly lower length of stay in the NICU. Average hospital stay costs were less for transferred patients than for direct admits. Conclusions Patients with ICH transferred to our CSC underwent fewer neurosurgical procedures and had a shorter stay in the NICU. These results were reflected in the lower per-patient costs in the transferred group. Our results raise the need to analyze cost–benefits and resource utilization of transferring patients with milder ICH.
Liquid Crystals in Living Tissues

L'appareil contractile du muscle squelettique. Les fibres de collagene. Implications physiologiques
The Use of Molecular and Biochemical Markers in Crop Evolution Studies

When de Candolle (1882) initiated the study of crop evolution, his major concern was to identify the geographic origin, i.e., the domestication center, of individual crops. In his opinion, the following four types of data would shed light on this question: (1) archaeology; (2) botany; (3) philology or linguistics; and (4) history. Of these four types of data, the first two are the most reliable (Harlan and de Wet, 1973). Archaeological remains attested to the antiquity of the cultivation of a crop in a region compared to other regions devoid of archaeological remains. Botanical arguments referred to the existence in a defined region of a wild-growing form that was sufficiently similar morphologically to the crop that it could represent its ancestral form (or at least the immediate descendant of the ancestral form). The existence of words designating a particular crop, particularly in native languages, was considered a testimony to the relative antiquity of cultivation of the crop. Finally, historical description, such as the treatises of Dioscorides and Theophrastus, the herbals of the 16th and 17th centuries, or descriptions of the New World shortly after the Spanish Conquista by, for example, Cieza de Leon (1541 –1550) or Acosta (1590), also would provide some evidence toward identifying the area of origin of crops.
Spatial summation of pain.

SummarySpatial summation of pain was determined by applying contact heat to the volar side of the human forearm. Evidence indicates that summation of pain occurs for large fields as well as for small fields, for threshold pain as well as for supra-threshold pain, and for high intensity stimuli as well as for low intensity stimuli. Therefore pain summation is considered an inherent characteristic of pain sensation.
Time-dependent Surface Response of Fluid to Transmission Optical Pressure Impulse

Dynamic response to an optical pressure pulse can be a useful indicator of the mechanical properties of a fluid surface or membrane. We have mapped the time dependent response of the water surface using precise measurement and timing techniques.
Substance and Independence in Descartes

Descartes notoriously characterizes substance in two ways: first, as an ultimate subject of properties (that is, a subject in which properties inhere without itself inhering in anything); second, as an independent entity. The characterizations have appeared to many to diverge on the definition as well as the scope of the notion of substance. For it is often thought that the ultimate subject of properties need not—and, in some cases, cannot—be independent. Drawing on a suite of historical, textual, and philosophical considerations, this essay argues for an interpretation that reconciles Descartes's two characterizations. It proposes that both characterizations invoke a type of independence that obtains just in case there is no relation to another entity that holds by the nature of the entity in question. Even though the ultimate subject of properties is sometimes not independent in other respects (for example, modally or causally), it satisfies this independence-by-nature condition.
Introduction to Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial adenocarcinoma is the most common invasive malignant neoplasm of the female genital tract, with an estimated 40,000 diagnosed cases and 6600 deaths in 2002 in the United States (1). Fortunately, surgery alone provides effective therapy for about 80% of these women, but very few of those with advanced or metastatic disease are cured by radiation, hormonal or chemotherapy. Significant future improvements in survival most likely will result from a better understanding of the pathways involved in carcinogenesis and metastasis, with concomitant clarification of the specific precursor lesions and identification of molecular targets for preinvasive and advanced disease.
Area at risk in acute myocardial infarction: oedema imaging and species-specific findings

Norlund et al. 1 from Lund University addressed two distinctly different aims in this edition of the European Heart Journal Cardiovascular Imaging. Their primary aim was to compare the diagnostic accuracy and image quality of T 2-STIR ( T 2-weighted Short Tau Inversion Recovery) oedema imaging and CE-SSFP (contrast enhanced steady-state free precession cine MRI) with respect to determining myocardium at risk (MaR). Their second aim was to determine whether there is a bimodal temporal response to oedema or MaR imaging in humans as recently described in swine and possibly also present in dogs. They used data from three separate studies to have multi-centre and multi-vendor representation of CMR MaR methodologies. They picked two clinical trials that used CMR to determine myocardial salvage: the CHILL-MI trial2 and the MITOCARE study.3 These studies provided real world experience in clinical trials aimed at measuring myocardial salvage. To address the second aim of the study, they also included patients from a third study4 to ensure that they had data on Day 1 after myocardial infarction. With respect to their first aim on image quality, Norlund et al. 1 found that T 2-STIR performs poorly for imaging MaR; only 65% of T 2-STIR datasets were considered of diagnostic …
Mobile Magic: Try It, You'll Like It

Mobility affords conformity that results in less polyethylene stress and perhaps less load on the underlying bone. Wear has been documented to be less. There are excellent long-term data on large numbers of patients, and I would submit that if you try it, both you and your patients will love it.
On conduction mechanisms through SiN/AlGaN based gate dielectric and assessment of intrinsic reliability

The first section of this article focuses on the investigations of the gate leakage conduction mechanisms under forward and reverse bias conditions using temperature dependent Jg-Eg characteristics on a Silicon Nitride (SiN)/AlGaN based Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (MIS) structure. TCAD study under forward bias conduction show majority of the voltage drop on the SiN layer only. The model fitting the electrical characteristics was observed to be Poole-Frenkel (PF) emission. Under reverse bias condition, the entire voltage drop occurs on the entire SiN/AlGaN/GaN. The conduction mechanism responsible for the leakage was found to be Fowler-Nordheim (FN) tunneling along with a thermionic emission component. Second section of this article focuses on the Time Dependent Dielectric Breakdown (TDDB) measurements and lifetime extrapolation of the SiN/AlGaN based di-electric stack. TDDB measurements were done under constant field stress for different temperatures. Normalization of the data exhibited only field accelerated degradation with no influence from the temperature.
Introducing Irrigation Water into GTAP Data Base Version 9

Water is an essential input in the production processes of all goods and services. However, most economic models ignore water as an essential factor of production. In contrast with other inputs, economic data do not reflect the role of water in the production processes of goods and services and its final value in the demand side. This makes it difficult to incorporate water in economic models, properly examine its role in economic activities, and study its interaction with other inputs in the production processes. Introducing water into an economy-wide database such as Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) Data Base which has been widely used by many economic modelers across the world could help them to extend their research agendas on the role and importance of water in economic activities. As the first step towards this direction we divided the crop sectors of the GTAP-Power Data Base (which extends the GTAP Data Base Version 9 by disaggregating the electricity sector) into irrigated and rainfed categories and explicitly included water for irrigation into the cost structure of irrigated crops by river basin at the Agro Ecological Zone (AEZ) level.
Common Values and Low Reserve Prices

I show that the benefit of a high reserve price in a common-values ascending auction is lower than in the observationally equivalent private values setting. Put another way, when bidders have common values, empirical estimation based on a private-values model will overstate the value of a high reserve price. Via numerical examples, I show this same ranking typically applies to the level of the optimal reserve price as well, and often to the benefit of any reserve price, not just high ones. With common values, the optimal reserve can even be below the seller's valuation, which is impossible with private values.
Dynamic properties of human incudostapedial joint-Experimental measurement and finite element modeling.

Abstract The incudostapedial joint (ISJ) is a synovial joint connecting the incus and stapes in the middle ear. Mechanical properties of the ISJ directly affect sound transmission from the tympanic membrane to the cochlea. However, how ISJ properties change with frequency has not been investigated. In this paper, we report the dynamic properties of the human ISJ measured in eight samples using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) for frequencies from 1 to 80 Hz at three temperatures of 5, 25 and 37 °C. The frequency–temperature superposition (FTS) principle was used to extrapolate the results to 8 kHz. The complex modulus of ISJ was measured with a mean storage modulus of 1.14 MPa at 1 Hz that increased to 3.01 MPa at 8 kHz, and a loss modulus that increased from 0.07 to 0.47 MPa. A 3-dimensional finite element (FE) model consisting of the articular cartilage, joint capsule and synovial fluid was then constructed to derive mechanical properties of ISJ components by matching the model results to experimental data. Modeling results showed that mechanical properties of the joint capsule and synovial fluid affected the dynamic behavior of the joint. This study contributes to a better understanding of the structure–function relationship of the ISJ for sound transmission.
Lens epithelia contain a high-affinity, membrane steroid hormone-binding protein.

PURPOSE. To describe the serendipitous discovery of a high-affinity, membrane steroid-binding protein (MSBP) in lens epithelial cells and to examine the binding of progesterone to epithelial cell membranes. METHODS. Bovine lens epithelial cells (BLECs) were cultured in media containing 3 H-mevalonolactone to examine protein prenylation by mevalonate-derived isoprenes. Cell proteins were divided into insoluble and soluble fractions, separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and label detected by fluorography. Insoluble proteins were then fractionated on a C18 reversed-phase column. A high-performance liquid chromatography fraction containing a 28-kDa 3 H-labeled hydrophobic protein was collected, lyophilized, and subjected to SDS-PAGE and the separated proteins transferred to membrane. Protein in the recovered 28-kDa band was submitted for identification by N-terminal sequence analysis. Microsomal membranes prepared from fresh epithelia of intact bovine, rat, and human lens and cultured BLECs were tested for the presence of MSBP by western blot analysis using an antiserum to porcine liver microsomal MSBP. Radiolabeling of MSBP from 3 H-mevalonate was confirmed by immunoprecipitation using the same antiserum. 3 H-Progesterone was incubated with microsomal membrane from bovine lens epithelia to measure high-affinity binding. Radiolabeled progesterone-protein complexes were trapped on glass filters and radioactivity measured and the binding data subjected to Scatchard analysis. RESULTS. Membrane recovered from BLECs incubated with 3 H-mevalonolactone contained a 3 H-labeled 28-kDa protein fraction. The N-terminal sequence of the principal protein in this fraction was very similar to that of the recently discovered MSBP. Western blot analysis with antiserum to MSBP indicated the presence of the 28-kDa protein in the microsomal fraction from BLECs and epithelia of bovine, rat, and young human lenses but not in lens fiber cell membrane. Microsomal membrane from intact bovine lens epithelium bound progesterone with high affinity, with dissociation constant (K d ) at approximately 75 nM and a receptor concentration of approximately 3 picomoles/mg protein. CONCLUSIONS. The lens epithelium contains a 28-kDa membrane protein that can bind progesterone and perhaps other steroid hormones with high affinity. The protein appears to be microsomal and prenylated. The MBSP may mediate rapid nongenomic steroid effects that contribute to steroid-induced cataracts.
Purification and characterization of a novel esterase induced by growth of Aspergillus niger on sugar‐beet pulp

An inducible esterase has been isolated from a liquid culture of Aspergillus niger grown on sugar-beet pulp. The enzyme was active on methyl esters of cinnamic acids, caffeic > p-coumaric > ferulic, and is therefore termed a cinnamoyl esterase. The enzyme was not active on methyl sinapinate, a good substrate for ferulic acid esterase III, which was purified previously from A. niger [Faulds and Williamson (1994) Microbiology 140, 779-787]. With methyl caffeate as substrate the enzyme had temperature and pH optima of 50 degrees C and 6.0 respectively, and a specific activity of 96.9 units per mg of protein. The purified protein (native molecular mass 145 000 Da) gave a single heavily stained band on SDS/PAGE, suggesting the protein was a dimer, and seemed to be heavily glycosylated. Isoelectric focusing gave a single band corresponding to a pl of 4.80. The pure enzyme was free of other carbohydrase activities. The activity of the pure enzyme was inhibited by more than 99% after treatment with the serine-specific protease inhibitor aminoethylbenzenesulphonylfluoride (1 mM) for 12 h. The enzyme was capable of releasing ferulic acid from sugar beet pulp.
Bedtime Autonomy and Cellphone Use Influence Sleep Duration in Adolescents

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to examine modifiable environmental contributors of shortened sleep duration in adolescents. Method We assayed sleep duration over two weeks using actigraphy in a sample of 98 adolescents (ages 14–18, 51 female). Reports of adolescents setting their own bedtime and parental monitoring of bedtime were collected and, using principal components analysis, reduced to one factor representing bedtime autonomy. In a subsample of participants (n = 63) frequency of nighttime cellphone use and reports of cellphone disruption were assessed and combined into a composite score of cellphone usage. Results Increasing age was associated with shorter total sleep duration, r(98) = −.28, p = .006. Age-related sleep duration was mediated by bedtime autonomy, abcs = −.11, 95% BC CI [−.2167, −.0370]. The effects of bedtime autonomy were moderated by nighttime cellphone use such that bedtime autonomy was most problematic for adolescents who used cellphones more frequently, B = −10.44, SE = 4.64, 95% BC CI [−21.3749, −2.8139], compared with those who used cellphones less frequently, B = −1.94, SE = 3.28, 95% BC CI [−9.8694, 3.6205]. Conclusions Adolescence is characterized by insufficient sleep due to biological and environmental factors. Although age is frequently cited as an important element in declining sleep duration, our results suggest age may be a proxy for other co-occurring psychosocial changes during adolescence. These findings identify mechanisms by which parents and adolescents may help increase the amount of sleep adolescents achieve.
Fish die-offs are concurrent with thermal extremes in north temperate lakes

As environmental temperatures continue to rise and organisms experience novel and potentially lethal conditions1–5, the possibility of increased mass mortality events for animal populations appears likely1,6. Yet, due to die-off rarity and unpredictability, there have been few large-scale attempts to quantify the relationship between mass die-offs and local environmental temperatures. Here, we address this issue by analysing a database of 502 freshwater fish die-offs combined with lake-specific temperature profiles simulated for north temperate lake ecosystems. Die-offs driven by extreme summer conditions occurred disproportionately in lakes with warmer average surface temperatures and during periods of extreme heat. In contrast, we observed no relationships between current thermal extremes and die-offs attributed to infectious disease or winter environmental conditions. We forecast fish die-offs driven by summer environmental conditions to double by mid-century for north temperate lakes (2041–2059) and to increase more than fourfold by late century (2081–2099), particularly at southern latitudes. These results expose a direct link between novel temperature regimes and the increased probability of catastrophic ecological events in freshwater ecosystems. Mass summertime fish die-offs across 359 Wisconsin lakes are attributed to high lake temperatures during periods of extreme heat, while infectious disease and winter conditions are shown to be poor predictors. Die-offs are projected to double by 2050 and quadruple by 2100 in north temperate lakes.
The Literary Sources

While Kievan and Suzdalian annals attest that interethnic marriages between Rus’ princes and women of the steppe and the Horde occurred regularly and were accepted by the Rus’ church and society, Muscovite churchmen wrote idealized narratives of converted Tatars, which legitimized the contemporary annexation of eastern lands and subsequent large-scale conversion in their time and were incorporated into commemoration books and family genealogical records.
PACAP regulation of central amygdala GABAergic synapses is altered by restraint stress

The pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) system plays a central role in the brain's emotional response to psychological stress by activating cellular processes and circuits associated with threat exposure. The neuropeptide PACAP and its main receptor PAC1 are expressed in the rodent central amygdala (CeA), a brain region critical in negative emotional processing, and CeA PACAPergic signaling drives anxiogenic and stress coping behaviors. Despite this behavioral evidence, PACAP's effects on neuronal activity within the medial subdivision of the CeA (CeM, the major output nucleus for the entire amygdala complex) during basal conditions and after psychological stress remain unknown. Therefore, in the present study, male Wistar rats were subjected to either restraint stress or control conditions, and PACAPergic regulation of CeM cellular function was assessed using immunohistochemistry and whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. Our results demonstrate that PACAP-38 potentiates GABA release in the CeM of naive rats, via its actions at presynaptic PAC1. Basal PAC1 activity also enhances GABA release in an action potential-dependent manner. Notably, PACAP-38's facilitation of CeM GABA release was attenuated after a single restraint stress session, but after repeated sessions returned to the level observed in naive animals. A single restraint session also significantly decreased PAC1 levels in the CeM, with repeated restraint sessions producing a slight recovery. Collectively our data reveal that PACAP/PAC1 signaling enhances inhibitory control of the CeM and that psychological stress can modulate this influence to potentially disinhibit downstream effector regions that mediate anxiety and stress-related behaviors. This article is part of the special issue on 'Neuropeptides'.
Laser Eye Protection and Color Recognition and Discrimination in Aviation

Abstract. The number of reported laser strikes on aircraft has increased over the years. Laser strikes pose a threat to safety and pilot health. Laser eye protection (LEP) is one mitigation method ...
Eco-routing of connected plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

We study the minimum energy routing problem for connected plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Challenges include the limited on-board energy storage, the hybrid powertrain modeling, and the effect of traffic on energy consumption and travel time. We formulate the problem as a resource constrained shortest path problem with single origin and destination. We address two scenarios: static (long range) route planning based on traffic speed feeds, and dynamic (short range) route planning based on vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. In both scenarios, the proposed framework can systematically minimize energy consumption while maintaining travel time within specified limits.