cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glutamate homeostasis in the adult rat prefrontal cortex is altered by cortical docosahexaenoic acid accrual during adolescence: An in vivo 1 H MRS study

Major psychiatric disorders are associated with dysregulated glutamate homeostasis and deficits in the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This study determined the effects of dietary-induced alterations in brain DHA accrual on cortical glutamate homeostasis in the adult rat brain. Adolescent rats were fed a control diet (n = 20), a n-3 fatty acid-deficient diet (DEF, n = 20), or a fish oil-fortified diet containing preformed DHA (FO, n = 20). In adulthood 1H MRS scans were performed with voxels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and thalamus. Compared with controls, erythrocyte, PFC, and thalamus DHA levels were significantly lower in DEF rats and significantly higher in FO rats. In the PFC, but not the thalamus, glutamate was significantly elevated in DEF rats compared with controls and FO rats. Glutamine did not differ between groups and the glutamine/glutamate ratio was lower in DEF rats. No differences were observed for markers of excitotoxicity (NAA, GFAP), or astrocyte glutamate transporter (GLAST, GLT-1) or glutamine synthetase expression. Across diet groups, PFC DHA levels were inversely correlated with PFC glutamate levels and positively correlated with GLAST expression. Together these findings demonstrate that rat cortical DHA accrual during adolescence impacts glutamate homeostasis in the adult PFC.
Kinetic Effects in 2D and 3D Quantum Dots: Comparison Between high and low electron correlation regimes

Abstract Kinetic related ground state properties of a two-electron 2D quantum dot in a magnetic field and a 3D quantum dot (Hooke’s atom) are compared in the Wigner high (HEC) and low (LEC) electron correlation regimes. The HEC regime corresponds to low densities sufficient for the creation of a Wigner molecule. The LEC regime densities are similar to those of natural atoms and molecules. The results are determined employing exact closed-form analytical solutions of the Schrodinger-Pauli and Schrodinger equations, respectively. The properties studied are the local and nonlocal quantal sources of the density and the single particle density matrix; the kinetic energy density; the kinetic ‘force’ and its divergence; the kinetic field; and the kinetic energy. The correlation-kinetic energy is obtained by mapping the 2D and 3D quantum dots via quantal density functional theory to systems of noninteracting fermions possessing the same density and physical current density for the former, and the same density for the latter. A key observation is that the structure of the 2D and 3D system properties within a specific electron correlation regime are similar. The quantal compression of the kinetic energy density about the center of the quantum dots in the HEC regime, and the quantal decompression away from the center in the LEC regime is explained via the structure of the kinetic ‘force’ and of its divergence, as are the values of the kinetic energy. The correlation-kinetic energy constitutes a significant fraction of the total energy in the HEC regime as well as for the 2D quantum dot in the LEC regime. Hence, a reduction in dimensionality too leads to a high correlation-kinetic energy. Any low electron density system thus ought to be characterized by both high electron-interaction energy and a high correlation-kinetic energy relative to the total energy.
In Vitro Transfer of Coccidioidin and Histoplasmin Sensitivity to “Nonsensitive” Leucocytes Utilizing Whole Cell Lysates from Skin Test Positive Coccidioidin Sensitive Humans: Evidence of Cross Reactivity in a Transfer System

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the in vitro transfer of coccidioidin and histoplasmin sensitivity to nonsensitive leucocytes utilizing whole cell lysates from skin test positive coccidioidin sensitive humans. Three separate pools of coccidioidin sensitized human cell lysates were tested for transfer of coccidiodin sensitivity to peripheral nonsensitive human cells. Transfer factor pools, designated as I, II and III were prepared from three separate individuals strongly skin-test positive to coccidioidin and marginally skin test sensitive, to purified protein derivative. The results of eight experiments testing each lysate pool for transfer of coccidioidin sensitivity to nonsensitive peripheral blood leucocytes (NSC) are shown. In confirmation of results, each pool of coccidioidin “sensitive” cell lysates (CSCL) transferred specific sensitivity for coccidioidin antigen to NSC in vitro. In addition, each pool of CSCL also transferred sensitivity for histoplasmin antigen, the M.M.I.S ranged from 39 ± 10 to 59 ± 6. In one experiment, transfer of coccidioidin sensitivity to NSC failed, but sensitivity for histoplasmin was transferred to NSC.
Brightness Reversion of Mechanical Pulps. Part XVII: Diffuse Reflectance Study on Brightness Stabilization by Additives Under Various Atmospheres

Brightness reversion of softwood (SW) and hardwood (HW) bleached chemithermomechanical pulps (BCTMP) with a 300–400 nm light source under argon, oxygen, and air were studied in the absence and presence of UV-screens using UV–Vis reflectance difference spectroscopy. The UV-Vis difference absorption spectra of control SW and HW BCTMP testsheets indicate that as the concentration of atmospheric oxygen is increased, the absorption at λmax ≈ 360 nm increases and a blue shift occurs. In all of the cases studied, brightness reversion was observed to occur under an argon atmosphere. The addition of benzophenone and benzotriazole additives to BCTMP testsheets resulted in a significant decrease in formation of chromophores absorbed at ∼ 400 nm and ∼ 360 nm. The possible mechanisms contributing to these effects are discussed in terms of the photoformation of lignin chromophoric structures.
Reengineering Heart Failure Patients’ Discharge Management Utilizing a Risk Stratification Model and Multidisciplinary Team Approach Reduces 30-Day All Cause Readmission.

Introduction Value Based Purchasing (VBP) Initiatives were developed by Medicare in an effort to reduce expenditures while preserving quality of care. The challenge at our institution is the large volume of hospitalized Heart Failure (HF) patients (5,000/year) with historically high 30-day readmission rates (23%). Hypothesis Development of a designated multidisciplinary HF team (MD, NP, PharmD, and CM) that integrates a risk stratification model with a standardized comprehensive pre/post discharge management plan will decrease 30-day readmission rates. Methods May 1 - July 31, 2017 was the implementation phase of the HF-Readmission Reduction Initiative (HF-RRI) Pilot Project. During this time, approval of administrative leadership, credentialing of HF-NP staff, unit based RN and case management (CM) orientation, and inclusion of a designated PharmD specializing in HF was completed. August 1, 2017 began the HF-RRI process which included generation of a daily patient list with Primary HF (ICD-10) and their associated HOSPITAL (risk for readmission) Score. Daily HF Team morning rounds were conducted to review patient/family education, appropriate medication/adherence, and discharge readiness. HF patients with an intermediate to high risk HOSPITAL Score were flagged for further in-depth pre-discharge HF NP consult/PharmD counsel, post discharge CHF Clinic 7-day appointment and weekly telephone assessments. Retrospective review of prospectively collected data was analyzed based on age, gender, length of stay (LOS), NYHA, HOSPITAL Score and 30-day readmission. Time periods included Pre-HF-RRI (November 1, 2016 -April 30, 2017); Implementation Phase (May1, 2017-July31, 2017); Post HF-RRI (August 1, 2017-January 31, 2018). Results We identified 242 Primary HF patients (116-Pre-HF-RRI and 126 Post HF-RRI). Continuous variables (age, LOS and risk score) and categorical variables (age75+, gender, NYHA, and 30-day readmission) were summarized; pre/post groups were compared using Wilcoxon rank sum and chi-square tests, respectively. The groups were comparable on age and gender. There were no differences in LOS, NYHA or HOSPITAL score. The 30-day readmit rate was statistically significantly lower in the POST HF-RRI group compared to the PRE HF-RRI group, 10.3% (12/116) vs. 20.6% (26/126), respectively, p=0.0279. Conclusion Our newly integrated multidisciplinary HF team approach that incorporates a risk for readmission HOSPITAL Score stratification can prevent avoidable 30-day readmissions.
Interplay Between Families and Technology: Future Investigations

Technology has become increasingly pervasive in American society, leading researchers, journalists, parents, teachers, and popular culture alike to question how technology is shaping our daily lives. The influx of technology raises a variety of new issues, many of which are specifically of interest to family scholars. It remains unclear whether technology is changing the way we form, maintain, and understand families—and the conditions under which these changes are for better or worse. In this concluding chapter, we bring attention to three themes that resonate throughout the volume: (1) how technology has shaped power dynamics in families, (2) the role technology has played in redefining and adjusting boundaries between family members and around the family, and (3) the relation between technology, family, and inequality. We conclude with suggestions for future research on family and technology by pointing to the need to integrate more theory and novel methods.
Crustal evolution and mantle dynamics through Earth history.

Resolving the modes of mantle convection through Earth history, i.e. when plate tectonics started and what kind of mantle dynamics reigned before, is essential to the understanding of the evolution...
The Association Between Sexual Behavior and Affect: Moderating Factors in Young Women.

Sexual behavior is associated with increased positive affect and decreased negative affect. However, contextual variables such as partner type, behavior type, and condom use may moderate these asso...
Translanguaging in culturally sustaining systemic functional linguistics: Developing a heteroglossic space with multilingual learners

In today’s globalized multilingual classrooms, deficit ideologies tend to disregard the cultural capital and mobile semiotic resources that immigrant and culturally diverse students bring with them (Blommaert 2010). There is a growing need to focus on culturally sustaining pedagogies that reframe how we think about teaching multilingual learners (Paris and Alim 2017). By bringing two perspectives – Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics (SFL) (Halliday 1993) theory and Garcia’s (2009) notion of translanguaging – into dialogue, we explore their conceptual alignments and complementarities. Building upon this, we envision culturally sustaining SFL as an integrative framework which holds the promise of fostering meaningful heteroglossic contexts of learning for multilingual learners in supporting their multiliteracies (see Khote 2017; Harman and Khote 2018). Data from one of the author’s English Language Arts (ELA) classroom will further illustrate: (a) how students’ complex linguistic repertoires were mobilized as a foundational resource for developing disciplinary literacy, and (b) how multilingual students engaged with the curriculum to interrogate discourses that diminish their authentic participation in the classroom.
Awareness of L1 form-meaning mappings can reduce crosslinguistic effects in L2 grammatical learning

The present study examined the extent to which first language (L1) awareness can benefit second language (L2) grammatical learning of the French Imparfait, a crosslinguistically complex target feat...
Does Racial Disparity in Kidney Transplant Waitlisting Persist After Accounting for Social Determinants of Health

BACKGROUND African Americans (AA) have lower rates of kidney transplantation (KT) compared with Whites (WH), even after adjusting for demographic and medical factors. In this study, we examined whether the racial disparity in KT waitlisting persists after adjusting for social determinants of health (eg, cultural, psychosocial, and knowledge). METHODS We prospectively followed a cohort of 1055 patients who were evaluated for KT between 3 of 10 to 10 of 12 and followed through 8 of 18. Participants completed a semistructured telephone interview shortly after their first KT evaluation appointment. We used the Wilcoxon rank-sum and Pearson chi-square tests to examine race differences in the baseline characteristics. We then assessed racial differences in the probability of waitlisting while accounting for all predictors using cumulative incidence curves and Fine and Gray proportional subdistribution hazards models. RESULTS There were significant differences in the baseline characteristics between non-Hispanic AA and non-Hispanic WH. AA were 25% less likely (95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.96) to be waitlisted than WH even after adjusting for medical factors and social determinants of health. In addition, being older, having lower income, public insurance, more comorbidities, and being on dialysis decreased the probability of waitlisting while having more social support and transplant knowledge increased the probability of waitlisting. CONCLUSIONS Racial disparity in kidney transplant waitlisting persisted even after adjusting for medical factors and social determinants of health, suggesting the need to identify novel factors that impact racial disparity in transplant waitlisting. Developing interventions targeting cultural and psychosocial factors may enhance equity in access to transplantation.
Measurement of Neutrinos in the BAO Spectrum

The existence of the cosmic neutrino background is a remarkable prediction of the hot big bang model. These neutrinos were a dominant component of the energy density in the early universe and, therefore, played an important role in the evolution of cosmological perturbations. In particular, fluctuations in the neutrino density produced a distinct shift in the temporal phase of sound waves in the primordial plasma. In this chapter, we report on the first measurement of this phase shift in the spectrum of baryon acoustic oscillations of the BOSS DR12 data, based on the novel approach proposed in Chap. 6 of this thesis. Constraining the acoustic scale using Planck data while marginalizing over the effects of neutrinos in the CMB, we find evidence for a non-zero phase shift at greater than 95simulations and forecasts. Besides providing a new measurement of the cosmic neutrino background, this work is the first application of the BAO feature beyond its application as a standard ruler and to early universe physics.
Hybrid Analysis for Damping Inter-Area Oscillations Using GUPFC in Power Systems

In this paper, a new hybrid approach is presented for optimal placement and operation of GUPFC to damp inter-area oscillations in power systems. A linearized multi-machine model including GUPFC is achieved. Modal participation factors approach integrated with sensitivity analysis are proposed as a hybrid method for optimal utilization of GUPFC. Furthermore, a system of four closed-loop controllers is designed to enhance GUPFC operating characteristics and improve damping response under critical contingencies, effectively. The IEEE 14 and 57-bus power systems are utilized to evaluate the proposed hybrid method. Obtained results validate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed approach. Finally, a comparison is undertaken to compare the performance of the system with several case studies. The outcomes show distinctive improvement in the operation of the system under contingency conditions.
Evaluation of a nonlinear variational multiscale method for fluid transport problems

Abstract Diverse transport problems, especially those based on fluid flow models, are intrinsically multiscale and nonlinear, characteristics that often lead to intricate dynamics such as the development of instabilities and turbulence. Computational simulations that resolve all scales in these problems are often unfeasible, prompting to coarse-grained simulation strategies in which small-scale features are modeled instead of resolved. Variational Multiscale (VMS) methods, and particularly residual-based Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) approaches, have proven effective and robust for the coarse-grained simulation of complex transport problems. VMS methods avoid the assumption of separable nonlinearity and the reliance on empirical small-scale models by using a variational decomposition of scales together with a residual-based approximation of the small-scales. Evaluation of a nonlinear VMS approach, denoted as VMSn, is presented for the coarse-grained simulation of transient-advective-diffusive-reactive (TADR) transport problems arising from fluid flow models. In contrast to classical VMS approaches that neglect the effect of the small scales on the transport operator, VMSn treats the inter-dependence between large- and small-scales upfront. The treatment of inter-scale coupling involves the solution of a local algebraic nonlinear system describing the evolution of the small-scales. The VMSn approach is complemented with two algebraic approximations of the small-scales: one based on the main diagonal of the transport matrices and another that preserves transport fluxes and is suitable for generic TADR systems. The suitability of the VMSn approach for handling general TADR problems and regimes is evaluated with benchmark incompressible, compressible, and magnetohydrodynamic laminar flow problems, the incompressible Taylor-Green vortex flow, the turbulent free jet, and the two-temperature arc in crossflow. Simulation results show that VMSn leads to minor improvements in accuracy with respect to the classical VMS for the laminar flow problems, but to significantly greater accuracy for the turbulent flows and the unsteady plasma flow problems, while using the same cohesive numerical formulation.
Electroceutical Fabric Lowers Zeta Potential and Eradicates Coronavirus Infectivity upon Contact

Coronavirus with intact infectivity attached to PPE surfaces pose significant threat to the spread of COVID-19. We tested the hypothesis that an electroceutical fabric, generating weak potential difference of 0.5 V, disrupts the infectivity of coronavirus upon contact by destabilizing the electrokinetic properties of the virion. Porcine respiratory coronavirus AR310 particles (105) were placed in direct contact with the fabric for 1 or 5 min. Following one minute of contact, zeta potential of the porcine coronavirus was significantly lowered indicating destabilization of its electrokinetic properties. Size-distribution plot showed appearance of aggregation of the virus. Testing of the cytopathic effects of the virus showed eradication of infectivity as quantitatively assessed by PI-calcein and MTT cell viability tests. This work provides the rationale to consider the studied electroceutical fabric, or other materials with comparable property, as material of choice for the development of PPE in the fight against COVID-19.
Harley and Friday Harbor: A Conversation with John Pickles

During the AAG meetings of 2014, we interviewed John Pickles to document his memories of J.B. Harley (1932-1991) and the time period of the early-to-mid 1990s when the subfield of GIS and Society took form, including the November 1993 meetings at Friday Harbor and publication of the edited collection Ground Truth (Pickles 1995). What follows is a jointly edited version of our conversation.
Familial and Sociodemographic Factors Affecting the Age of Onset of Childhood Obesity

Introduction: Prevention is the key to success for childhood obesity. Management of obesity is difficult and frequently unsuccessful while prevention of childhood obesity can provide a better chance for reducing long-term complications. While most interventions have been aimed at school-aged children, recent evidence suggests that intervention may be more effective at even earlier ages. We sought to define the relationship between key familial and sociodemographic factors and the age of onset of childhood obesity. Methods: …
Mice With Monoallelic GNAO1 Loss Exhibit Reduced Inhibitory Synaptic Input To Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

Abstract GNAO1 encodes Gαo, a heterotrimeric G protein alpha subunit in the Gi/o family. In this report, we used a Gnao1 mouse model “G203R” previously described as a “gain-of-function” Gnao1 mutant with movement abnormalities and enhanced seizure susceptibility. Here, we report an unexpected second mutation resulting in a loss-of-function Gαo protein and describe alterations in central synaptic transmission. Whole cell patch clamp recordings from Purkinje cells (PCs) in acute cerebellar slices from Gnao1 mutant mice showed significantly lower frequencies of spontaneous and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs and mIPSCs) compared to WT mice. There was no significant change in sEPSCs or mEPSCs. Whereas mIPSC frequency was reduced, mIPSC amplitudes were not affected, suggesting a presynaptic mechanism of action. A modest decrease in the number of molecular layer interneurons was insufficient to explain the magnitude of IPSC suppression. Paradoxically, Gi/o inhibitors (pertussis toxin), enhanced the mutant-suppressed mIPSC frequency and eliminated the difference between WT and Gnao1 mice. While GABAB receptor regulates mIPSCs, neither agonists nor antagonists of this receptor altered function in the mutant mouse PCs. This study is the first electrophysiological investigation of the role of Gi/o protein in cerebellar synaptic transmission using an animal model with a loss-of-function Gi/o protein. Significance Statement This is the first report on the electrophysiological mechanisms of a movement disorder animal model with monoallelic Gnao1 loss. This study illustrates the role of Gαo protein in regulating GABA release in mouse cerebellum. This study could also facilitate the discovery of new drugs or drug repurposing for GNAO1-associated disorders. Moreover, since GNAO1 shares pathways with other genes related to movement disorders, developing drugs for the treatment of GNAO1-associated movement disorders could further the pharmacological intervention for other monogenic movement disorders.
Effect of Environmental Exposures on the Gut Microbiota from Early Infancy to Two Years of Age

The gut microbiota undergoes rapid changes during infancy in response to early-life exposures. We have investigated how the infant gut bacterial community matures over time and how exposures such as human milk and antibiotic treatment alter gut microbiota development. We used the LonGP program to create predictive models to determine the contribution of exposures on infant gut bacterial abundances from one month to two years of age. These models indicate that infant antibiotic use, human milk intake, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, and sample shipping time were associated with changes in gut microbiome composition. In most infants, Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae unclassified, Faecalibacterium, Akkermansia, and Phascolarctobacterium abundance increased rapidly after 6 months, while Escherichia, Bifidobacterium, Veillonella, and Streptococcus decreased in abundance over time. Individual, time-varying, random effects explained most of the variation in the LonGP models. Multivariate association with linear models (MaAsLin) displayed partial agreement with LonGP in the predicted trajectories over time and in relation to significant factors such as human milk intake. Multiple factors influence the dynamic changes in bacterial composition of the infant gut. Within-individual differences dominate the temporal variations in the infant gut microbiome, suggesting individual temporal variability is an important feature to consider in studies with a longitudinal sampling design.
Gauging Concerns with Fit and Size of Garments among Young Consumers in Online Shopping

The purpose of this study was to develop scales to quantitatively measure the domain of concerns with fit and size of garments among young consumers (college students) in online shopping. Using an initial pool of items created through focus group interviews, a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to finalize the pool of items and to establish the construct, discriminant, and criterion validity of the finalized measures and reliability of the dimensions. Consumers’ concerns with fit and size of garments included multiple interrelated dimensions; five factors with 21 items were identified as the final sets of the scale. The dimensions include concerns with overall appearance, concerns with unavailability of size, concerns with projecting a correct impression, concerns with the inability to try on in online shopping, and concerns with imagining fit/size in online shopping. The scale developed in this study covers concerns with fit and size of garments among young female consumers. Therefore, the findings of this study may not be generalizable to other consumer groups. Fit and size of garments is one of the main issues in apparel purchase decisions and the most important concern in online apparel shopping. Therefore, the findings of this study provide online apparel retailers with valuable insights into consumers’ concerns with fit and size of garments, which will lead retailers to better merchandising and marketing strategies and allow them to influence consumers’ perceptions and behaviors in online shopping environments.
Regulating insulin signaling and beta-cell function through IRS proteins.

Diabetes mellitus is a complex disorder that arises from various causes, including dysregulated glucose sensing and impaired insulin secretion (maturity onset diabetes of youth, MODY), autoimmune-m...
The Role of Congressional Polarization and Divided Government in the New Ideological Partisanship

The level of mass partisanship has gone through three distinct phases since WWII. The period directly after WWII was a period of high mass partisanship and low elite polarization. The 1970’s was a period of low mass partisanship with many predicting the end of political parties. Since the 1970’s the level of partisanship has increased. The two periods of high mass partisanship are much different from each other with the first being an era of government performance based partisanship and the more recent an era of ideological issue based partisanship. This shift between a government performance based to an ideological issue based partisanship is driven by increasing polarization at the elite level and the increasing prevalence of divided government. Contrary to previous findings (Hetherington 2001), it is argued that elite polarization does not increase the amount of mass partisanship, but instead only changes the basis of partisanship from government performance to ideological issues.
Potential to improve oral health care through evidence, protocols, and payment models

Evidence-based health care aims to utilize the best available evidence from scientific methods and apply this evidence to clinical and public health practice. Evidence of the benefits and risks of treatment is derived from randomized controlled clinical trials, systematic reviews, and expert panels. Evidence-based clinical parameters and guidelines should foster the best health outcomes for individuals or populations at reduced costs. By incorporating evidence-based guidelines into payment models, the payers – private or public – have the capacity to improve oral health care and ultimately oral health outcomes. This paper uses examples from pediatric dentistry to show how adoption of caries risk factors, clinical management protocols, and a reimbursement system based on evidence-based guidelines may allow for better quality of care to more individuals and at a lower cost.
Geodetic and Astrometric Measurements with Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry

The use of very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations for the estimation of geodetic and astrometric parameters is discussed. Analytic models for the dependence of delay and delay rate on these parameters are developed and used for parameter estimation by the method of weighted least squares. Results are presented from approximately 15,000 delay and delay-rate observations, obtained in a series of nineteen VLBI experiments involving a total of five stations on two continents. The closure of baseline triangles is investigated and found to be consistent with the scatter of the various baseline-component results. Estimates are made of the wobble of the earth's pole and of the irregularities in the earth's rotation rate. Estimates are also made of the precession constant and of the vertical Love number, for which a value of 0.55 + or - 0.05 was obtained.
Demand and Supply: The Micro Side

Exchange is the basic activity that takes place in the economy. Exchange produces numerous benefits. This chapter examines the economics of exchange from the perspective of markets. Every market has two sides: buyers and sellers. Many factors can influence demand. The quantity purchased depends on the price of the good in question, but it is also influenced by the income of buyers, the prices of other goods, tastes, preferences and styles, and a world of other factors. The demand curve holds all these factors fixed except price. The sellers' side of the market is called supply. Supply is a description of how sellers determine the amounts and kinds of goods to offer for sale. The supply curve shows the quantity supplied at every price. Many factors influence the amount that is offered for sale. The price of the good involved, the costs and availability of inputs, technology, and factors such as government regulations affect the amounts and kinds of goods offered for sale. When these underlying factors change, the supply curve shifts.
Diagnostic assays for defects in mitochondrial DNA replication and transcription in yeast and human cells.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes several simple assays employed for the determination of relative mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number (as a measure of mtDNA replication and stability) and steady-state levels of mitochondrial transcripts (as a measure of an intact mitochondrial transcription apparatus) in human and yeast cells. These diagnostic assays allow potential defects in mtDNA replication and transcription to be identified in a time- and labor-efficient manner. Once a defect of this type is postulated based on the preliminary assays described, the use of more intensive in vitro and in organello methods are discussed addressing the molecular nature of the defect more precisely. The chapter also outlines assays in human and yeast cells; the basic methodology should be applicable to any mitochondrial system where genome sequence information is available. The assays described in the chapter provide an initial assessment of whether mtDNA replication or mitochondrial transcription is occurring normally in human or yeast cells.
Extraterrestrial Helium in Seafloor Sediments: Identification, Characteristics, and Accretion Rate Over Geologic Time

Almost 40 years after the discovery of extraterrestrial helium in seafloor sediments, renewed attention is being focused on using helium as a proxy for the sedimentary abundance of extraterrestrial debris. Extraterrestrial He is carried to the seafloor by the finest fraction of interplanetary dust and is retained in at least some sediments for hundreds of millions of years. Helium isotope systematics uniquely identify the extraterrestrial component, which is apparently hosted within magnetite and silicate grains. In some sediments 3He is completely derived from this source, in others the extraterrestrial fraction can be computed from the measured 3He/4He ratio. Variations in the sedimentary concentration of extraterrestrial 3He must reflect both changes in sedimentation rate and fluctuations in the accretion rate of 3He from space. When changes in sedimentation rate can be controlled for, variations in extraterrestrial 3He can be related to changes in the accretion rate of IDPs arising from major solar system events including asteroid collisions and enhanced cometary activity. A 3He record in sediments spanning the last 70 Myr provides insights to such events, including the first compelling evidence for the occurrence of a shower of long-period comets, 35 Ma.
Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-dependent cardiomyocyte apoptosis by metallothionein.

Myocardial cell death is an important cellular event of heart failure. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) accumulates in the failing heart and causes myocyte apoptosis, but the mechanism of this action is unclear. This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between TNF-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) through oxidative stress. Primary cultures of neonatal cardiomyocytes isolated from transgenic mouse hearts that overexpress metallothionein (MT) as well as cardiomyocytes isolated from wild-type mice were used. The treatment of wild-type cardiomyocytes with TNF at 10 ng/mL induced apoptosis, as detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling and confirmed by Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate binding. The apoptotic effect of TNF was significantly inhibited in the MT-overexpressing cardiomyocytes. Corresponding to the apoptotic effect, TNF at 10 ng/mL caused rapid phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in wild-type cardiomyocytes. The activation of p38 MAPK was further confirmed by an in vivo experiment treating the mice with TNF and measuring p38 MAPK activity using an immune complex kinase assay. The activation of p38 MAPK was not observed in the MT-overexpressing cardiomyocytes either in vitro or in vivo. Importantly, TNF-induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species was dramatically reduced in the MT-overex-pressing cardiomyocytes as determined by a carboxy-H2-DCFDA staining method. This study thus suggests that p38 MAPK activation is likely involved in TNF-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which is also related to reactive oxygen species accumulation.
Electrocardiography in epilepsy patients without cardiac symptoms

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) has been ascribed to cardiac arrhythmia, possibly triggered by cerebral events. Young, noncompliant, substance-abusing males with convulsions may be at risk. EEG/ECG studies have not shown significant cardiac arrhythmias in these and other seizure patients. We reviewed resting ECGs in 75 epilepsy patients and compared ventricular rate, PR interval, QRS duration, and QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTC) with normal ECGs recorded in age-matched patients without cardiac or neurologic disorders. No potentially lethal arrhythmias were noted in the seizure patients. Patients who fit the previously-described profile of high risk of SUDEP had more abnormal ECGs and ventricular rate was faster in these patients than in other epileptics. Patients with complex partial and secondarily generalized seizures had faster ventricular rates than other epileptics. No differences were noted in QRS duration or PR interval. QT was longer in patients with complex partial seizures than in control ECGs or other epileptic patients. These findings suggest that resting ECG has low diagnostic yield in epilepsy patients without cardiac symptoms. The factors possibly predisposing to SUDEP may relatively increase resting heart rate, however, and relatively increased QT interval with complex partial seizures may indicate some differences, possibly neurally-mediated, in cardiac excitability which could contribute to SUDEP.
New algorithm for analog optical matrix inversion.

A new matrix inversion algorithm is described. It provides a meaningful estimate of the inverse A−1 of a matrix A on an analog optical processor in a reduced calculation time (compared to other methods). The new nested iterative algorithm has no convergence conditions on the matrix and requires fewer operations than prior iterative neural net and other algorithms.
Elastomeric Polypropylenes from Unbridged (2-Phenylindene)zirconocene Catalysts: Thermal Characterization and Mechanical Properties

The properties of three elastomeric stereoblock polypropylene (PP) samples made with unbridged 2-phenylindene zirconocene catalysts were investigated. One of the characteristics of these catalysts is the ability to control the structure and properties of the polypropylenes by manipulation of the reaction conditions. Samples PP1 and PP2 were prepared to have similar tacticities (as indicated by IR and NMR spectroscopy) yet different molecular weights. The molecular weight of PP2 is approximately half the molecular weight of PP1. Sample PP3 has a molecular weight similar that of PP2 but is lower in isotactic pentad content. All three samples were separated into fractions that differ in their solubilities in boiling ether and heptane. The fractionation appeared to be governed by tacticity and molecular weight. Thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry showed very broad melting endotherms. The broadness of the transitions and the relatively large standard deviations calculated for the enthalpy of ...
Physical education combined with pedometer use is associated with better glucose tolerance among overweight/obese with impaired glucose tolerance; no benefit for education alone

Commentary on: Yates T, Davies MJ, Sehmi S, et al. The Pre-diabetes Risk Education and Physical Activity Recommendation and Encouragement (PREPARE) programme study: are improvements in glucose regulation sustained at 2 years? Diabet Med 2011;28:1268– 71.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Type 2 diabetes is a preventable disease. As with cervical cancer and colon cancer, every new case of type 2 diabetes is evidence of a failure of our public health and medical care systems to address and mitigate the risk factors for this common and costly chronic illness. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) study demonstrated that in high-risk individuals, a lifestyle intervention targeting modest weight loss, a healthy lower fat diet and physical activity equivalent to about 30 min of walking a day can reduce the RR of developing type 2 diabetes by … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DDiabetic%2Bmedicine%2B%253A%2B%2Ba%2Bjournal%2Bof%2Bthe%2BBritish%2BDiabetic%2BAssociation%26rft.stitle%253DDiabet%2BMed%26rft.aulast%253DYates%26rft.auinit1%253DT.%26rft.volume%253D28%26rft.issue%253D10%26rft.spage%253D1268%26rft.epage%253D1271%26rft.atitle%253DThe%2BPre-diabetes%2BRisk%2BEducation%2Band%2BPhysical%2BActivity%2BRecommendation%2Band%2BEncouragement%2B%2528PREPARE%2529%2Bprogramme%2Bstudy%253A%2Bare%2Bimprovements%2Bin%2Bglucose%2Bregulation%2Bsustained%2Bat%2B2%2Byears%253F%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1111%252Fj.1464-5491.2011.03357.x%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F21672008%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1111/j.1464-5491.2011.03357.x&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=21672008&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F17%2F5%2F146.atom
Is D-penicillamine useful in fulminat Wilson's disease?

Background: Wilson's disease, heralded by severe hepatic insufficiency, is a rare disorder for which emergency liver transplantation is considered to be the only effective therapy. Aims: To report the features of Wilson's disease with severe hepatic insufficiency in a series of 17 patients and, during the second period of the study, to assess the efficacy of a policy consisting of early administration of D-penicillamine. Patients: Seventeen consecutive patients with Wilson's disease were studied. During the first period of the study (up to 1979), none of the patients received D-penicillamine. During the second period (after 1979), all patients without encephalopathy at admission received D-penicillamine. Results: The four patients observed during the first period who did not have encephalopathy at admission and did not receive D-penicillamine progressed to encephalopathy and died. Among the 13 consecutive patients observed during the second period, two patients with encephalopathy at admission did not receive D-penicillamine and were transplanted. The 11 remaining patients all received D-penicillamine. Ten of these patients survived without the need for transplantation and returned to compensated liver disease without liver insufficiency. In one patient, liver insufficiency progressed and transplantation had to be performed. Conclusions: In most patients with Wilson's disease heralded by severe hepatic insufficiency and without encephalopathy at admission, early administration of D-penicillamine was associated with survival without transplantation. These results suggest the importance of early diagnosis of this form of Wilson's disease before the onset of encephalopathy, and favour early administration of D-penicillamine which could avoid the need for transplantation in most cases.
THE AURA OF “HIGH TECH” IN A WORLD OF MESSY PRACTICE

This study employs interlocking analytical devices from the perspectives of several disciplines to explore members' meanings through definitions of “high technology” given by workers in design engi...
Technologist primer for MRI right heart catheterization: the NIH and CNMC experience.

Background We have begun to perform routine and research MRI right heart catheterization in adults and research MRI catheterization in children. We report our technologist workflow. Methods Scanner preparation: The scanner facade and bore are covered with adhesive clear sterile drapes and surface coils enveloped in sterile plastic bags. A MR catheterization pack contains only non-ferromagnetic supplies. Sterile
Identification of nonconserved amino acids in the AT1 receptor which comprise a general binding site for biphenylimidazole antagonists.

Mutational analysis based on pharmacological differences between mammalian and amphibian angiotensin II receptors (AT receptors) previously led to construction of a mutant receptor that gained >25000-fold affinity for the biphenylimidazole, Losartan. This variant frog receptor also bound with high affinity other nonpeptides in the biphenylimidazole chemical class according to the following rank order of potency (expressed in Fmut values = mutant IC50/rAT1b IC50): Losartan, 0.91; L-162,389, 1.0; L-163,491, 1.9; L-158,809, 3.5; L-163,017, 3.9; SC-51,316, 3.9. In contrast, the imidazoleacrylic acids, SKF-108,566 (Fmut = 160) and SB-203,220 (Fmut = 170), bound with markedly less affinity. Thus, nonconserved residues determining the molecular requirements for biphenylimidazole recognition are conserved in general, but are not identical to nonconserved residues necessary for high affinity binding of imidazoleacrylic acids.
Modeling of Metallic Sandwich Structures

All-metal sandwich construction holds promise for significant improvements in stiffness, strength and blast resistance for built-up plate structures. Analysis of the performance of sandwich plates under various loads, static and dynamic, requires modeling of face sheets and core with some fidelity. While it is possible to model full geometric details of the core for a few selected problems, this is unrealistic for larger complex structures under general loadings. A constitutive model can be proposed as an alternative means of modeling the sandwich core. The constitutive model falls within the framework of a compressible rate-independent, anisotropic elastic-plastic solid. In this paper, the model will be presented in details, along with numerical implementation in a finite element code, and benchmarks its performance against existing constitutive models.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Neuro-controller for reducing cyclic variation in lean combustion spark ignition engines

Literature shows that by controlling engines at extreme lean operating conditions (equivalence ratio <0.75) can reduce emissions by as much as 30% (Inoue, Matsushita, Nakanishi, & Okano (1993). Toyota lean combustion system-the third generation SAE, 930,873) and also it improves fuel efficiency by as much as 5-10%. However, the engine exhibits strong cyclic variation in heat release which may lead to instability and poor performance. A novel neural network (NN) controller is developed to control spark ignition (SI) engines at extreme lean conditions. The purpose of neuro-controller is to reduce the cyclic variation in heat release at lean engine operation even when the engine dynamics are unknown. The stability analysis of the closed-loop control system is given and the boundedness of all the signals is ensured. The adaptive NN does not require an offline learning phase and the weights can be initialized at zero or random. Results demonstrate that the cyclic variation is reduced significantly using the proposed controller developed using an experimentally validated engine model. The proposed approach can also be applied to a class of nonlinear systems that have a similar structure as that of the engine dynamics.
Effects of ultrasonic agitation on microstructure and phase transformations in nanocrystalline ZrO2Al2O3

ZrO 2 -Al 2 O 3 nanocomposite powders that allow a grain size of < 25 nm and the tetragonal phase of ZrO 2 to be maintained at high temperatures have the potential to exhibit improved mechanical and thermal properties compared to traditional PSZ in cyclic high temperature applications. Colloidal suspension and precipitation methods, with and without ultrasonic agitation, were used to produce 20 vol% Al 2 O 3 /80 vol%ZrO 2 powders that were subsequently heat treated and characterized using XRD and TEM. The most successful powders were not heavily agglomerated, but rather had a matrix of tetragonal ZrO 2 grains surrounded by Al 2 O 3 in the grain boundaries. It was also found that the α-Al 2 O 3 phase was absent in many of the most successful samples, even after these samples were treated above the normal temperature for transition to α-Al 2 O 3 . This suggests that transition phases such as γ-, θ-, or δ-Al 2 O 3 are being stabilized by a size effect and may be more desirable for microstructural control.
Enzymatic sequence-specific spin labeling of a DNA fragment containing the recognition sequence of EcoRI endonuclease

Deoxyuridine analogs spin labeled in position 5 have been enzymatically incorporated sequence specifically into an oligodeoxyribonucleotide to form a spin-labeled 26-mer. The 26-mer contains the EcoRI-binding site and two labels which are located symmetrically close to the binding site. The labels are separated from one another far beyond the Heisenberg spin-exchange distance. The local base motion as determined by ESR spectroscopy is of the order of 4 ns in the oligonucleotide duplex. This is the same value as reported earlier for local T motions in polynucleotide duplexes, thereby providing direct experimental evidence that the ESR line shape of spin levels covalently attached to nucleic acids depends primarily on the local dynamics of the nucleic acid building blocks.
The Belfiore-Sole conjecture and a certain technique for verifying it for a given lattice

We discuss a technique provided by Ernvall-Hytonen for verifying the Belfiore-Sole conjecture for unimodular lattices, a conjecture that arises in the theory of wiretap lattice codes for the Gaussian channel. We provide an alternative proof of a key lemma of Ernvall-Hytonen that avoids dependence on a machine for verification, and as a further example of the technique, we verify the Belfiore-Sole conjecture for unimodular lattices in dimension 34 that arise from certain binary [34, 17, 6] codes, which includes some with trivial automorphism group.
Elastic-constant anomalies in YbPO4.

The elastic constants of ${\mathrm{YbPO}}_{4}$ have been determined in the temperature range from 10 to 300 K by using Brillouin scattering techniques. An approximate 20% softening of the 1/2(${\mathit{C}}_{11}$-${\mathit{C}}_{12}$) elastic constant was observed, and this anomaly suggests that a Jahn-Teller-type coupling occurs between the low-lying electronic states of the ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{3+}$ ions and the ${\mathit{B}}_{1\mathit{g}}$ lattice strain mode even though a cooperative structural phase transition does not take place. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.