cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Blood–brain barrier breakdown in Alzheimer disease and other neurodegenerative disorders

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a continuous endothelial membrane within brain microvessels that has sealed cell-to-cell contacts and is sheathed by mural vascular cells and perivascular astrocyte end-feet. The BBB protects neurons from factors present in the systemic circulation and maintains the highly regulated CNS internal milieu, which is required for proper synaptic and neuronal functioning. BBB disruption allows influx into the brain of neurotoxic blood-derived debris, cells and microbial pathogens and is associated with inflammatory and immune responses, which can initiate multiple pathways of neurodegeneration. This Review discusses neuroimaging studies in the living human brain and post-mortem tissue as well as biomarker studies demonstrating BBB breakdown in Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, HIV-1-associated dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The pathogenic mechanisms by which BBB breakdown leads to neuronal injury, synaptic dysfunction, loss of neuronal connectivity and neurodegeneration are described. The importance of a healthy BBB for therapeutic drug delivery and the adverse effects of disease-initiated, pathological BBB breakdown in relation to brain delivery of neuropharmaceuticals are briefly discussed. Finally, future directions, gaps in the field and opportunities to control the course of neurological diseases by targeting the BBB are presented.
Remote Patient Monitoring in IBD: Current State and Future Directions

Mobile apps are now increasingly used in conjunction with telemedicine and wearable devices to support remote patient monitoring (RPM). The goal of this paper is to review the available evidence and assess the scope of RPM integration into standard practices for care and management of chronic disease in general and, more specifically, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). RPM has been associated with improvements in health outcomes and indicators across a broad range of chronic diseases. However, there is limited data on the effectiveness of RPM in IBD care. From the emerging literature and body of research, we found promising results about the feasibility of integrating RPM in IBD care and RPM’s capacity to support IBD improvement in key process and outcome metrics. Concerns regarding privacy and provider acceptability have limited the mass integration of RPM to date. However, with the healthcare industry’s move toward value-based population care and the advent of novel payment models for RPM reimbursement, the adoption of RPM into standard IBD care practices will likely increase as the technology continues to improve and become a mainstream tool for healthcare delivery in the near future.
Parameters influencing the burning rate of laminar flames propagating into a reacting mixture

Abstract The laminar flame speed is an important property of a reacting mixture and it is used extensively for the characterization of the combustion process in practical devices. However, under engine-relevant conditions, considerable reactivity may be present in the unburned mixture, introducing thus challenges due to couplings of auto-ignition and flame propagation phenomena. In this study, the propagation of transient, one-dimensional laminar flames into a reacting unburned mixture was investigated numerically in order to identify the parameters influencing the flame burning rate in the conduction-reaction controlled regime at constant pressure. It was found that the fuel chemical classification significantly influences the burning rate. More specifically, for hydrogen flames, the “evolution” of the burning rate does not depend on the initial unburned mixture temperature. On the other hand, for n-heptane flames that exhibit low temperature chemistry, the burning rate depends on the instantaneous temperature and composition of the unburned mixture in a coupled way. A new approach was developed allowing for the decoupling the flame chemistry from the ignition dynamics as well as for the decoupling of parameters influencing the burning rate, so that meaningful sensitivity analysis could be performed. It was determined that the burning rate is not directly affected by fuel specific reactions even in the presence of low temperature chemistry whose effect is indirect through the modification of the reactants composition entering the flame. The controlling parameters include but not limited to mixture conductivity, enthalpy, and the species composition evolution in the unburned mixture.
Inorganic Rings on Carbon Chains

Abstract We have developed a new class of inorganic polymers in which inorganic rings are substituents on carbon backbone polymers. There are features of interest in the chemistry of the inorganic ring systems in, or leading to, these polymers. The reactivity of the substituent on the inorganic ring which leads to polymerization gives valuable insights into the electronic interactions involving exocyclic groups. The reactivity of an inorganic ring system in a polymeric environment can be exploited and lastly new applications of inorganic ring systems have been proposed. Synthesis of the new polymers has been accomplished by chain polymerization of an olefin affixed to a cyclophosphazene or a cycloborazine. In cyclophosphazene chemistry, propenyl, ethoxyvinyl, vinyloxy, methacryloyl ethenedioxy and (α-methylethenyl)phenyl substituents undergo co- or homopolymerization. In cycloborazine systems both p-vinylphenyl and vinyl derivatives have been examined. Reactivity data in copolymerization reactions show, in general, that the cyclophosphazene acts as a strong sigma electron withdrawing substituent when bonded to unsaturated organic moieties. Nucleophilic substitution reactions of the cyclophosphazene unit have been explored for both poly(propenylpentafluorocyclotriphosphazene-co-styrene) and poly(vinyloxypentachlorocyclotriphosphazene). The reactions of the latter with fluoroalkoxides, aryloxides and amines have been explored in detail with an emphasis on degrees of substitution and substituent effects on the thermal decomposition process of the polymers. The reactivity of the acetylenic site in phenylacetylene derivatives of poly[(α-methylethenyl)-phenyltetrafluorophosphazene - co- styrene] with organometallic reagents have been explored as a route to new electroactive polymers.
Genetic variation in reproductive responses to a high-energy diet in mice.

Effects of a high-energy diet on reproduction were studied in 300 mice from lines selected for litter size and(or) 6-wk BW (L+, increased litter size; W+, increased body weight; L+W-, increased litter size and decreased body weight; L-W+, decreased litter size and increased body weight; and K, randomly selected control). Mice received a high-energy diet (HED; 3.8 kcal/g of ME) or a standard diet (STD; 3.3 kcal/g of ME) from 8 to 11 wk of age and were then mated and evaluated for ovulation rate and embryo survival through 17 d of gestation. The HED increased ovulation rate in all lines (P less than .05). The line x diet interaction was significant, with increased ovulation rate due to HED ranging from 9.9% in W+ to 24.2% in L-W+. Within-line regression coefficients of ovulation rate on ME intake (kilocalories from 10 to 11 wk) varied from .08 +/- .04 (P less than .05) in L+W- to .177 +/- .05 (P less than .01) in L+. In contrast, nonsignificant increases were observed in litter size (live fetuses at 17 d of gestation) due to HED. Effects of HED on embryo survival rate were significantly negative in L+ and L+W-; the decrease in L+ was a result of preimplantation losses, and the decrease in L+W- was due to postimplantation losses. The line x diet interaction was significant for postimplantation embryo survival. The results indicate significant genetic variation in reproductive responses to a high-energy diet in mice.
Pollen-Pistil Interactions and Fertilization

In spite of the broad range in size, shape, and exine patterns displayed by pollen grains of flowering plants, mature pollen released from the anther face common problems in accomplishing their goal of delivering the sperm cells to the vicinity of the egg for fertilization. The initial problem involves the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the same flower or another flower on the same or a different plant of the same species in the act of pollination. Successful fertilization is the tangible evidence of completion of a series of subtle and complex processes from the time pollen grains land on the stigma. Nurtured by the nutrient substances of the stigmatic exudate, pollen grains germinate and the pollen tubes produced travel through the stylar matrix to reach the ovary, seek out an ovule, and appear in the embryo sac where the sperm cells are discharged. These events collectively embody pollen-pistil interactions, or the progamic phase. In the embryo sac, one of the two sperm cells fuses with the egg to form the zygote, and the second sperm fuses with the diploid polar fusion nucleus to form the primary endosperm nucleus. The occurrence of two fusion events involving both sperm cells constitutes what is known in the popular jargon as double fertilization, although true fertilization is represented by the union of the egg and the sperm.
Total Individual Account Retirement Plan Assets, by Demographics, 2004

This paper uses the most recent data (2004) from the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), a triennial survey of family finances by the Federal Reserve Board, as well as historical SCF data, to examine the demographic factors associated with the ownership of individual account retirement plan assets. It examines the distribution of total assets held in individual account retirement plans across demographic characteristics of American families. Distribution of the retirement plan assets is then compared against the distribution of all assets owned across these demographic characteristics. The data show that individual account retirement plan assets are concentrated in families with higher net worth, higher family income, higher educational attainment, with older family heads, and with white, non-Hispanic heads. Among families with low levels of assets, the savings in individual account retirement plans account for a greater share of their total financial assets than they do for families with high asset levels. Total individual account retirement assets -- which include employment-based defined contribution (DC) plan assets (both of active plans and plans held at former employers in the public and private sectors), individual retirement account (IRA) assets, and Keogh account assets -- amounted to $6.767 trillion in 2004, according to the Survey of Consumer Finances. These assets were almost evenly split between employment-based DC plan assets, such as 401(k)s ($3.384 trillion), and IRA/Keogh account assets ($3.383 trillion). The most significant shift in individual account assets from 1992 to 2004 has been the fraction of assets held by families headed by individuals age 55 or older. More than one-half of all individual account retirement plan assets and more than two-thirds of IRA and Keogh plan assets are owned by families headed by these individuals. This fact illustrates the importance of educational efforts and product availability (annuities, fixed withdrawal products, etc.) to individuals as they begin to spend down their assets to pay for retirement expenses.
Infrared Glass Optical Fiber Technology: A Brief Review

A brief review of the present state of research in infrared (IR) glass optical fibers is provided. This includes candidate fiber materials, fiber fabrication techniques, typical fiber properties, and IR fiber applications.
Facilitating Conversations among Web Services as Speech-act based Discourses

Web services composition is an emerging paradigm for enabling application deployment and integration within and across organizational boundaries. A landscape of languages and techniques for web services composition has emerged and is continuously being enriched. The ability to support conversations taking place between Web Services is an important area that is not yet fully addressed by the emerging standards. We suggest an approach to derive speech-act based message structures for conversation support that can complement existing standards.
Hedonic analysis and time‐varying capitalization: An application using school quality

This paper investigates the dynamics of school quality capitalization during the boom–bust cycle of the housing market. We find that the housing downturn led to a sharp increase in capitalization for high‐quality schools, whereas the boom and recovery periods saw a decline in valuation for top schools. Hence, the capitalization of school quality exhibits a strong countercyclical trend with the overall housing market. We test whether our findings are driven by households “trading down” from private schools during downturns or the fact that the housing supply responds asymmetrically during the boom and bust, but we find little support for these propositions.
Applying participatory design to a pharmacy system intervention

Abstract Background Stakeholder engagement is an important component of the research process for improving the use and uptake of patient-centered health care innovations. Participatory design (PD), a method that utilizes the involvement of patients and other stakeholders, is well-suited for the design of multifaceted interventions in complex work systems, such as community pharmacies, that have diverse and dynamic end-users. Objective The objective is to describe a blueprint for how to use PD when designing a community pharmacy intervention. This paper outlines the steps of PD and highlights the advantages and disadvantages of this method. Methods PD is explained step-wise to underscore the considerations required of researchers unfamiliar with PD. This includes the development of a tailored PD approach, PD session preparatory work, data collection, and intervention development and evaluation. The stakeholders recruited for the community pharmacy intervention were pharmacy staff and older adult patients who received prescriptions at the pharmacy corporation in which the intervention was being implemented. The PD process was a series of six adaptive sessions: (1) problem identification, (2) solution generation, (3) convergence, (4) prototyping, (5) initial evaluation, and (6) formative evaluation. Results A description of the PD process to design a community pharmacy intervention is provided. The process led to the development of a patient-centered prototype. The advantages of using PD included the opportunity to clarify problems faced by stakeholders, generation of novel solutions to incorporate into the intervention, and the ability to vet and fine-tune stakeholder design ideas in an iterative fashion. The insight gained was unprecedented and invaluable to the researchers. The biggest challenge of employing PD was the time-sensitive and time-intensive nature of developing each session, collecting data, and reflecting on the results in order to design subsequent sessions. Conclusions The PD process led to the development of a patient-centered prototype. PD enabled stakeholders to generate creative solutions and provide unique insight on addressing issues faced in healthcare redesign research and specifically in community pharmacies.
Forecasting of Breast Cancer and Diabetes Using Ensemble Learning

Machine learning algorithm plays an important role in our life. It is the subset of Artificial intelligence. Recently, everyone tries to use AI or try to invent something related to AI for making life easier. In the medical field, Machine learning is used for the recognition and classification of diseases. It can classify cancer, diabetes or other diseases more accurately from datasets. So, we propose a model which is the combination of Support vector machine and Ad boost. This combine method is known as Ensemble learner. In this paper, we are predicting diabetes and breast cancer. We have used SVM for classification purpose then have applied Ad boost for boosting purposes. The number of a diabetes patient is increasing very rapidly. It causes many other diseases like kidney failure; Eye disorder etc. No medicines are invented to prevent diabetes fully. Breast cancer is increasing very rapidly between women. The cost of breast cancer treatment is very high. More researches are running on diabetes and breast cancer. We proposed our model to predict the diseases more accurately rather than the previous models.
Effects of metal silicide inclusion interface and shape on thermal transport in silicon nanocomposites

While various silicon nanocomposites with their low thermal conductivity have received much attention for thermoelectric applications, the effects of inclusion interface and shape on thermal transport remain unclear. Here, we investigate thermal transport properties of silicon nanocomposites, in which metal silicide inclusions are periodically arranged within silicon. Using the known phonon dispersion relations and the diffuse mismatch model, we explore the effects of different silicide-silicon interfaces, and using Monte Carlo ray tracing simulations, we explore the effects of silicide inclusion shapes. Our investigations show that the thermal conductivity of silicon nanocomposites can be reduced to the range of nanoporous silicon of the same geometry, depending on the interface density, crystal orientation, and acoustic mismatch. For instance, CoSi2 inclusions of [111] orientation can reduce the nanocomposite thermal conductivity more effectively than inclusion materials with lower intrinsic thermal conductivity, such as NiSi2, when the inclusion density is up to 12.5% with an interface density of 7.5 μm−1. Among the silicide inclusion materials investigated in this work, Mn4Si7 leads to the lowest nanocomposite thermal conductivity due to a combination of low intrinsic thermal conductivity and high acoustic mismatch. Compared to widely spaced and symmetric inclusions such as a circular shape, narrowly spaced and asymmetric inclusions such as a triangular shape are more effective in limiting the phonon mean free path and reducing the nanocomposite thermal conductivity. These findings regarding thermal transport in silicon nanocomposites with respect to inclusion interface and shape will guide optimal material designs for thermoelectric cooling and power generation.
No Mind Reading Necessary: Conducting Evidence-Based Electronic Resource Marketing and Outreach Using Marketing Research Assessment

In her presentation entitled “No Mind Reading Necessary: Conducting Evidence-Based Electronic Resource Marketing and Outreach” at the North Carolina Serials Conference April 2019, Kate Hill discuss...
Adaptive Online Planning for Continual Lifelong Learning

We study learning control in an online reset-free lifelong learning scenario, where mistakes can compound catastrophically into the future and the underlying dynamics of the environment may change. Traditional model-free policy learning methods have achieved successes in difficult tasks due to their broad flexibility, but struggle in this setting, as they can activate failure modes early in their lifetimes which are difficult to recover from and face performance degradation as dynamics change. On the other hand, model-based planning methods learn and adapt quickly, but require prohibitive levels of computational resources. We present a new algorithm, Adaptive Online Planning (AOP), that achieves strong performance in this setting by combining model-based planning with model-free learning. By approximating the uncertainty of the model-free components and the planner performance, AOP is able to call upon more extensive planning only when necessary, leading to reduced computation times, while still gracefully adapting behaviors in the face of unpredictable changes in the world -- even when traditional RL fails.
Faith, gender, and activism in the Punjab conflict: the wheat fields still whisper: by Mallika Kaur, London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019, xxi + 304 pp., $34.99 (Paperback), ISBN 978-3-030-24673-0

In the four decades since the onset of armed conflict there, Punjab (India) has received periodic attention from scholars and policy practitioners. The majority of these accounts tend to either emp...
Decreased temperature variance associated with biotic composition enhances coastal shrub encroachment

Regime shift from grasslands to shrub-dominated landscapes occur worldwide driven by altered land-use and climate change, affecting landscape function, biodiversity, and productivity. Warming winter temperatures are a main driver of expansion of the native, evergreen shrub, Morella cerifera, in coastal landscapes. Shrub establishment in these habitats alters microclimate, but little is known about seasonal differences and microclimate variance. We assessed influence of shrubs on microclimate variance, community composition, and community physiological functioning across three vegetation zones: grass, transitional, and shrub in a coastal grassland. Using a novel application of a time-series analysis, we interpret microclimatic variance modification and elucidate mechanisms of shrub encroachment at the Virginia Coast Reserve, Long-Term Ecological Research site. As shrub thickets form, diversity is reduced with little grass/forb cover, while transpiration and annual productivity increase. Shrub thickets significantly reduced temperature variance with a positive influence of one day on the next in maximum air, minimum air, and maximum ground temperature. We also show that microclimatic temperature moderation reduces summer extreme temperatures in transition areas, even before coalescence into full thickets. Encroachment of Morella cerifera on the Virginia barrier islands is driven by reduced local exposure to cold temperatures and enhanced by abiotic microclimatic modification and biotic physiological functioning. This shift in plant community composition from grassland to shrub thicket alters the role of barrier islands in productivity and can have impacts on the natural resilience of the islands.
Live-imaging of astrocyte morphogenesis and function in zebrafish neural circuits.

How astrocytes grow and integrate into neural circuits remains poorly defined. Zebrafish are well suited for such investigations, but bona fide astrocytes have not been described in this system. Here we characterize a zebrafish cell type that is remarkably similar to mammalian astrocytes that derive from radial glial cells and elaborate processes to establish their territories at early larval stages. Zebrafish astrocytes associate closely with synapses, tile with one another and express markers, including Glast and glutamine synthetase. Once integrated into circuits, they exhibit whole-cell and microdomain Ca2+ transients, which are sensitive to norepinephrine. Finally, using a cell-specific CRISPR–Cas9 approach, we demonstrate that fgfr3 and fgfr4 are required for vertebrate astrocyte morphogenesis. This work provides the first visualization of astrocyte morphogenesis from stem cell to post-mitotic astrocyte in vivo, identifies a role for Fgf receptors in vertebrate astrocytes and establishes zebrafish as a valuable new model system to study astrocyte biology in vivo. Chen et al. define previously unreported zebrafish astrocytes, provide new insights into vertebrate astrocyte development and lay the foundation for studying astrocyte function in the entire nervous system of an intact and behaving animal.
A Systematic Review of Palliative Care Content in the Doctor of Pharmacy Curriculum

Objective. To describe the methods of teaching and evaluating palliative care experiences for pharmacy students.Findings. A literature search retrieved 971 reports, from which 26 studies met all of study criteria. Educational interventions concerning palliative care included didactic courses, flipped classrooms, advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs), workshops, and seminars. Total direct hours of education in palliative care ranged from 1-200. Seven (27%) focused experiences were reported as required, while nine (35%) were reported as elective. The majority (n=14, 54%) of studies measured pharmacy students' confidence, attitudes, or perceptions as the main outcome, and of those most studies reported an improvement. Five (19%) studies reported on interprofessional experiences in palliative care conducted in the United States, and four (15%) studies reported on similar experiences conducted outside the United States. When reported, most experiences were developed for students to complete prior to beginning their APPE year. All of the included studies used a non-randomized design.Summary. This review suggests a palliative care experience for pharmacy students should be interprofessional, occur during the year prior to APPEs, and measure skills-based outcomes.
Designing a Software Application for the Multilingual Processing of the Linear A Script

Linear A is indisputably considered the most ancient European script, so far, although older collections of signs have been found of unknown nature and usage. Nevertheless, there are not any appropriate software tools yet that can facilitate its decipherment. This presentation describes the design of such a software application that will assist linguists and archaeologists in processing the available corpora and inscriptions of Linear A, with the purpose of determining the one or more underlying languages of the script. For this purpose, an existing software tool, originally developed for the Linear B script, is being modified and augmented, in order to deal with a multilingual environment. This application is designed to consist of three major components: a multilingual database of the contemporary languages of the Minoan area, a search engine and an interface that will include a virtual keyboard for facilitating both the search and the presentation of the results.
Phosphorus Supply Does Not Affect Fusarium Crown Rot of Winter Wheat

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is a major limitation to the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) industry in the inland Pacific Northwest, United States. Genetic resistance to FCR is poorly understood and major ...
Rank-Assisted Deep Residual Reconstruction Network for Non-Contrast Ultrasound Imaging of Blood Microvessels

Singular value decomposition of extended ensembles of non-contrast ultrasound echoes can enable imaging of deep-seated microvasculature and underlying microflow. This process, however, is computationally expensive and requires ad hoc tuning of parameters, e.g. tissue clutter rank, based on some empirical criteria not generalizing to different real-world scenarios. Here, we present a novel model-based deep learning approach that accelerates tissue removal via simplified clutter suppression followed by a refinement reconstruction network for high resolution imaging of microvasculature. Additionally we show a realistic simulation model to create extended dataset for training a deep residual reconstruction network with access to true ground truth. We present results in terms of computation speed-up, resilience to improper clutter removal parameters, and contrast improvement using our simplified rank-assisted deep residual reconstruction network (RA-DR2Net) on both simulated and real in vivo data.
Performing Major Surgery: A Systematic Process for Curriculum Innovation.

Abstract After reviewing national, state and local standards for health educators, the Health Science faculty undertook a major curricular overhaul using a systematic planning model. Over 10 required courses were dissolved; job behaviors were analyzed; competencies were reorganized around the job behaviors; and new course objectives, content outlines, and classroom activities were redeveloped. This article discusses the successes and problems in performing major surgery on an undergraduate curriculum. Major issues addressed were consistency in management, strengthened advising, revision of the majors' handbook, improvement in professional development skills, insufficient content, sequence of skill progression, uniformity in skill teaching, and faculty workload.
Research on Animals, Ethics, and the Moral Status of Animals

Introduction The Moral Status of Animals History and Theory Animal Liberation The Argument from Marginal Cases Rights-Based Arguments Other Philosophical Foundations Animal Welfare and Animal Rights Animals in Research Current Regulatory Structure The Three R's Teaching and Testing Continuing Issues On the Horizon Keywords: research on animals; ethics
Direct and Indirect Evidence Suggests Continuous Presence of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (Genotype IVb) in Budd Lake, Michigan: Management Implications

AbstractIn May 2007, viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus genotype IVb (VHSV IVb) was isolated from several fish species in Budd Lake, a 71-ha inland lake in central Michigan. Because of the virulence and pathogenicity of VHSV IVb, follow-up testing was conducted between 2007 and 2010. This testing found no further evidence of VHSV IVb presence. Similar patterns (i.e., initial mortality events followed by no evidence of additional infections) have been observed in other waterbodies, which leads to questions regarding the implications that these patterns could have for fisheries management (e.g., could stocking naive fish lead to additional epizootic occurrences?). This study was conducted to determine whether VHSV IVb was still present in Budd Lake by intensively sampling across multiple seasons, locations, and size-groups of Muskellunge Esox masquinongy, Northern Pike Esox lucius, and Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides. Individuals were tested for both active VHSV IVb infection and antibody production. ...
Heterogeneity and selection in dynamic panel data

Abstract The data generating process (DGP) for generic dynamic panel data consists of a law of state dynamics g , a selection or attrition rule h , and an initial condition F . I study nonparametric identifiability of this complete DGP ( g , h , F ) using short unbalanced panel data, allowing for nonseparability between observed states and unobserved heterogeneity in each of g , h and F . For T ⩾ 3 , the DGP is identified by using a proxy variable. For T ⩾ 6 , the three additional periods construct a proxy, and thus the DGP is identified without an auxiliary variable.
Actin-Activated Atpase and Actin Sliding Velocities are Similarly Influenced by Actin-Myosin Binding Kinetics

Detachment-limited models of muscle shortening assume that with increasing myosin densities maximal velocities are achieved when at least one myosin head is bound to a given actin filament. However, numerous studies suggest that actin sliding velocities, V, are influenced by actin-myosin attachment kinetics, suggesting that V should saturate - along with actin-activated myosin ATPase activity, v - when myosin heads saturate binding sites on actin. Here we used an in vitro motility assay to measure both V and v in the same flow cell. We observed that both V and v exhibited similar saturation kinetics with increasing myosin densities and that increasing ionic strength similarly decreased the Km for both activation curves. Using the same in vitro assay, we measured the calcium-dependence of V for regulated thin filaments (actin filaments reconstituted with tropomyosin and troponin) and observed that the myosin-dependence of calcium sensitivity (pCa50) exhibited saturation kinetics similar to that of V and v. These results suggest that saturation of V, v, and pCa50 all occur when myosin saturates binding sites on actin. This is consistent with estimates showing that saturating myosin densities in a motility assay correspond to a linear spacing of myosin along an actin filament that is similar to the repeat of myosin binding sites along one side of the filament.
Static analysis of floating ice block stability

A laboratory study was performed to measure the pressures caused by fluid acceleration beneath a floating parallel-piped block. Dynamic fluid pressure was measured at discrete points beneath the block for various fluid velocities, block angles of attack and block thickness-to-depth ratios. Some of these pressures tended to stabilize the block while others tended to underturn it. The measured pressures were used to calculate block underturning moments and a hydrostatic analysis was used to calculate a block righting moment. From this, a densimetric Froude underturning criteria is presented.
Pesticide Exposure Exacerbates α-Synucleinopathy in an A53T Transgenic Mouse Model

The factors initiating or contributing to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease and related neurodegenerative synucleinopathies are still largely unclear, but environmental factors such as pesticides have been implicated. In this study, A53T mutant human α-synuclein transgenic mice (M83), which develop α-synuclein neuropathology, were treated with the pesticides paraquat and maneb (either singly or together), and their effects were analyzed. Immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses showed that chronic treatment of M83 transgenic mice with both pesticides (but not with either pesticide alone) drastically increased neuronal α-synuclein pathology throughout the central nervous system including the hippocampus, cerebellum, and sensory and auditory cortices. α-Synuclein-associated mitochondrial degeneration was observed in M83 but not in wild-type α-synuclein transgenic mice. Because α-synuclein inclusions accumulated in pesticide-exposed M83 transgenic mice without a motor phenotype, we conclude that α-synuclein aggregate formation precedes disease onset. These studies support the notion that environmental factors causing nitrative damage are closely linked to mechanisms underlying the formation of α-synuclein pathologies and the onset of Parkinson's-like neurodegeneration.
A Diagnostic Study of the Diurnal Rainfall Variation in the GATE B-Scale Area

Abstract Heat and moisture budgets are used to compute net condensation rates in the GATE B-scale network for four hours of the day: 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 GMT. Budgets are presented for all phases combined, for selected periods of enhanced convection and for selected periods of suppressed convection. Computations are based on fitted values of the meteorological sounding data for the center of the B-scale ship array, on surface heat flux and evaporation measurements for seven ships in the array and on Cox and Griffith's (1979) radiation measurements for Phase III. Results are also presented for the diurnal variation of the basic variables. Main findings are as follows: 1) Temperature variations are small, of the order of a few tenths of a degree, with a daytime maximum and nighttime minimum. There is evidence of possible radiation error above 400 mb where the amplitude is largest. 2) The atmosphere appears to be relatively dry during the day, when convection is most active, and relatively moist at nigh...
Formalization of Construction Sequencing Rationale and Classification Mechanism to Support Rapid Generation of Sequencing Alternatives

Resequencing construction activities is a critical task for project planners for effective project control. Resequencing activities require planners to determine the impact or “role” an activity has on successor activities. They also need to determine the status of activities, i.e., which activities may or may not be delayed. Distinguishing the role and status of activities in turn requires planners to understand the rationale for activity sequences. The current critical path method (CPM) framework, however, represents sequencing rationale using precedence relationships and distinguishes activities only with respect to their time-criticality. Thus, planners find it difficult to keep track of individual sequencing logic, and manually inferring the role and status of activities becomes practically prohibitive in complex project schedules. The research presented in this paper addressed this limitation of the CPM framework by formalizing a constraint ontology and classification mechanism. The ontology allows ...
The Absence of a Solid Layer of Helium on Alkaline Earth Fluoride Substrates

We have recently shown that the thickness of adsorbed films of liquid helium can be measured through the detection of acoustic standing waves, the monochromatic acoustic waves being generated and detected through paramagnetic spins in the substrate material. 1 The experiments were carried out on freshly cleaved pieces of the alkaline earth fluorides (CaF2, SrF2, and BaF2) doped with divalent thulium. By measuring the film thickness as a function of the chemical potential, in the environment of the sample relative to bulk-liquid helium, it was possible to plot the van der Waals potential for helium as a function of distance from the substrate. In the region where the potential could be represtmted by ~d -3, the constant ~ was found to be 16°K (d measured in statistical layers of helium) for all three substrates. This value for ~ is much smaller than the values which have been found on a number of other substrates (87 98°K); in fact it is almost equal to the heat of vaporization of liquid helium, 12°K. z This would suggest that the pressure on the first layer of helium may not be great enough to solidify it. This conjecture is supported by the fact that the phase shift introduced by the first couple of layers is too small to be accounted for by a solid layer. Even more convincing is the observation that the onset thickness for superfluid flow on these substrates is found to be much smaller than any other substrate and almost equal to the healing length given by Reppy and coworkers 3 and Rudnick and coworkers. 4 The phase shift is found by plotting the value of [log (Po/P)] 1/3 as a function of the apparent film thickness dm. The data for BaF2, shown in Fig. 1, lies on a remarkably straight line which intersects the thickness scale at 1 . 4 _+ 0.4 •. The slope of this line gives ~ = 19.5°K, which is probably accurate to within _+0.5°K. Since the transit time for an acoustic wave across the film is actually measured, the apparent thickness is given by
Contributions of intestinal bacteria to nutrition and metabolism in the critically ill.

Important advances in the study of bacteria associated with the human gastrointestinal tract have significant implications for clinicians striving to meet the metabolic and nutritional needs of critically ill patients. A transition from culture-based to culture-independent studies of the intestinal microbiota has ushered in a new era of laboratory and clinical studies in this field. These studies are helping to clarify the important role of bacteria in carbohydrate metabolism, and are providing new evidence that highlights the role of bacteria in protein and lipid homeostasis. We know that during periods of caloric excess or deprivation, microbial populations in the GI tract are clearly altered; however the molecular etiology for such changes remains elusive. Similarly, little is known about how microbial ecology changes before, during, and after critical illness. Nevertheless, several approaches, e.g. probiotic administration, have been employed to manipulate gut microbial communities in the ICU. In this review we offer a broad overview of the importance of the host-microbe relationship, discuss what is currently known about the role of gut microbes in nutrition and metabolism in the healthy human host, review how gut microbes are impacted by critical illness, and discuss interventions that have already been utilized to manipulate the gut microbiome in ICU patients.
Targeting therapy in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

Progress in our understanding of the interaction between the environment and the immune system in disease pathogenesis has led to major advancements in the area of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapeutics. Biotechnology is keeping pace with these scientific advances. Current therapies target the various elements of the inflammatory cascade implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD. The anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of the pharmacologic therapies used in IBD vary from actions that are extremely broad to those that are cellular or cytokine specific. Despite the various therapeutic options available for IBD patients, chosen therapies should be based on the overall treatment goal for individual patients. Therapeutics can be broadly categorized as induction therapies (goal to treat active disease) and maintenance therapies (goal to prevent relapse of disease). The modern thinking behind drug development is that IBD therapy should be disease modifying so to avoid complications and alter the long term natural history of disease. This review will cover both current and emerging agents and highlight the pathogenesis of IBD and how it relates to therapeutic targets.
Enhancement of dielectric strength in nanocomposites

In this paper, we report the dielectric breakdown properties of a nanocomposite, a potential electrical insulation material for cryogenic high voltage applications. The material is composed of a high molecular weight polyvinyl alcohol and nanosized in situ synthesized titanate particles. The dielectric breakdown strengths of the filled material samples, measured in liquid nitrogen, indicate a significant increase in their strengths as compared to unfilled polyvinyl alcohol. We conclude that nanometre-sized particles can be adopted as a voltage stabilization additive.
A simple linear model of demand paging performance

Predicting the performance of a proposed automatically managed multilevel memory system requires a model of the patterns by which programs refer to the information stored in the memory. Some recent experimental measurements on the Multics virtual memory suggest that, for rough approximations, a remarkably simple program reference model will suffice. The simple model combines the effect of the information reference pattern with the effect of the automatic management algorithm to produce a single, composite statement: the mean number of memory references between paging exceptions increases linearly with the size of the paging memory. The resulting model is easy to manipulate, and is applicable to such diverse problems as choosing an optimum size for a paging memory, arranging for reproducible memory usage charges, and estimating the amount of core memory sharing.
Formation of Fluorocarbon Surfactant Reversed Micelles in a Halosolvent

Abstract The constitution of reversed micelles of C 6 F 13 COOH (perfluoroheptanoic acid, PFHA) in a chlorofluorocarbon medium (1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane, TCFE) was characterized by a number of techniques, including IR, NMR, and UV–vis and fluorescence probes. Dimensions of these reversed micelles were determined by quasielastic light scattering. With increasing concentration of surfactant in TCFE, the estimated diameter of the water pool in the reversed micelles increased, the estimated aggregation number of the reversed micelles increased, and the estimated wt% water increased. These estimates were consistent with the results of the probe studies and Karl Fischer titrations. Adsorption of fluoroacids from this solvent onto alumina showed cooperative interactions between head groups.
Burkholderia insulsa sp. nov., a facultatively chemolithotrophic bacterium isolated from an arsenic-rich shallow marine hydrothermal system

Enrichment cultures inoculated with hydrothermally influenced nearshore sediment from Papua New Guinea led to the isolation of an arsenic-tolerant, acidophilic, facultatively aerobic bacterial strain designated PNG-AprilT. Cells of this strain were Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, motile and did not form spores. Strain PNG-AprilT grew at temperatures between 4 °C and 40 °C (optimum 30–37 °C), at pH 3.5 to 8.3 (optimum pH 5–6) and in the presence of up to 2.7 % NaCl (optimum 0–1.0 %). Both arsenate and arsenite were tolerated up to concentrations of at least 0.5 mM. Metabolism in strain PNG-AprilT was strictly respiratory. Heterotrophic growth occurred with O2 or nitrate as electron acceptors, and aerobic lithoautotrophic growth was observed with thiosulfate or nitrite as electron donors. The novel isolate was capable of N2-fixation. The respiratory quinones were Q-8 and Q-7. Phylogenetically, strain PNG-AprilT belongs to the genus Burkholderia and shares the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with the type strains of Burkholderia fungorum (99.8 %), Burkholderia phytofirmans (98.8 %), Burkholderia caledonica (98.4 %) and Burkholderia sediminicola (98.4 %). Differences from these related species in several physiological characteristics (lipid composition, carbohydrate utilization, enzyme profiles) and DNA–DNA hybridization suggested the isolate represents a novel species of the genus Burkholderia , for which we propose the name Burkholderia insulsa sp. nov. The type strain is PNG-AprilT ( = DSM 28142T = LMG 28183T).
Age and Growth Analysis of Spotted Seatrout from Galveston Bay, Texas

Abstract Age and growth were estimated from sectioned otoliths for 426 spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus collected from Galveston Bay, Texas, between October 1981 and September 1982. Marginal increment measurements showed that a single annulus formed on the otoliths during March and April. Annulus counts made by two independent readers agreed completely, suggesting that age interpretation from sectioned otoliths was precise. After age 1, back-calculated length-at-age estimates were much greater for females than males. Spotted seatrout from Galveston Bay generally grew faster than fish collected from other areas in the Gulf of Mexico. Gonadosomatic index values (gonad weight:body weight ratios) reflected a prolonged 6-month spawning period, which may have accounted for a four-fold difference in back-calculated lengths at age 1. The length advantage gained by larger individuals at age 1 was maintained as they grew older.
Mood changes and the dark focus of accommodation

The consistency of dark focus of accommodation (the refractive power of the eye in total darkness) and its relationship to mood were examined. Twenty-one subjects were tested over a 2- to 3-week period using a laser optometer and several standard mood measures (including the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List). It was found that dark focus was reasonably consistent in most subjects over that period. Furthermore, correlations between dark focus and mood were related to dark focus variability; that is, higher dark focus-mood correlations and higher scores on several mood measures were most apt to be found among subjects with higher session-to-session dark focus variability. It was concluded that dark focus is a fairly stable phenomenon. It may also prove to be a promising technique for investigating mood changes, particularly for subjects whose dark focus variability is high, although more research is required.