cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fear Conditioning and Synaptic Plasticity

Since its initial characterization, synaptic plasticity has been a leading candidate cellular mechanism for the storage of information in the nervous system. However, to this date there has been no direct demonstration that synaptic plasticity occurs during acquisition of memory. In this article we review the mechanisms that underlie induction, expression, and maintenance of synaptic plasticity. We propose that all of these processes serve as a molecular fingerprint that can be used to probe whether synaptic plasticity has occurred in the brain. We then examine the molecular mechanisms engaged during formation of conditioned fear memory and compare them to the mechanisms engaged by synaptic plasticity. Finally, we review several studies that have attempted to measure synaptic plasticity in vivo. Given the enormous amount of data indicating that synaptic plasticity occurs during formation of conditioned fear memory, we conclude that synaptic plasticity plays an important role in at least some aspects of memory formation.
IMPROVED CONTINUOUS DEPENDENCE RESULTS FOR A CLASS OF EVOLUTIONARY EQUATIONS

Publisher Summary The method of weighted energy has been used on a number of ill-posed Cauchy problems for operator equations to establish continuous dependence inequalities. The usual result obtained in these problems has been a weak logarithmic continuous dependence. This chapter discusses the work of Murray and Levine as examples in the context. Payne has shown that a proper modification of the method in several specific problems actually yields Holder continuous dependence on the data. The chapter presents another example showing how the weighted energy method can be used to obtain improved continuous dependence results for solutions of a class of evolutionary equations that were treated by Levine.
Discrete and Continuous Cell Identities of the Adult Murine Striatum

Abstract The striatum is a large brain region containing two major cell types: D1 (dopamine receptor 1) and D2 (dopamine receptor 2) expressing spiny projection neurons (SPNs). We generated a cell type atlas of the adult murine striatum using single-cell RNA-seq of SPNs combined with quantitative RNA in situ hybridization (ISH). We developed a novel computational pipeline that distinguishes discrete versus continuous cell identities in scRNA-seq data, and used it to show that SPNs in the striatum can be classified into four discrete types that reside in discrete anatomical clusters or are spatially intermingled. Within each discrete type, we find multiple independent axes of continuous cell identity that map to spatial gradients and whose genes are conserved between discrete types. These gradients correlate well to previously-mapped gradients of connectivity. Using these insights, we discovered multiple novel spatially localized region of the striatum, one of which contains patch-D2 SPNs that express Tac1, Htr7, and Th. Intriguingly, we found one subtype that strongly co-expresses both D1 and D2 dopamine receptors, and uniquely expresses a rare D2 receptor splice variant. These results collectively suggest an organizational principal of neuron identity in which major neuron types can be separated into discrete classes with little overlap and no implied spatial relationship. However these discrete classes are then continuously subdivided by multiple spatial gradients of expression defining anatomical location via a combinatorial mechanism. Finally, they suggest that neuronal circuitry has a substructure at far higher resolution than is typically interrogated which is defined by the precise identity and location of a neuron.
Dickkopf1: An immunomodulatory ligand and Wnt antagonist in pathological inflammation

The Wnt signaling pathway plays essential roles in tissue or organ homeostasis by regulating cell proliferation and differentiation. Upon tissue or organ injury, inflammation is coupled with tissue repair and regeneration process. The canonical Wnt signaling transduction pathway is crucial for cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and tissue regeneration. Dickkopf1 (DKK1) is a quintessential Wnt antagonist that inhibits the Wnt-mediated tissue repair process. Recent studies reported increased levels of DKK1 in many diseases such as cancer, infection, and musculoskeletal diseases. In many cases, the role of DKK1 has been identified as a pro-inflammatory ligand and the expression levels are associated with poor disease outcomes. A variety of cell types including platelets, endothelial cells, and cancer cells secrete DKK1 upon stimuli. This puts DKK1 in a unique place to view immune responses from multicellular interactions in tissue injury and repair process. In this review, we discuss recent efforts to address the underlying mechanism regarding the pro-inflammatory role of DKK1 in cancer, bone diseases, and other inflammatory diseases.
Multitwist Möbius Strips and Twisted Ribbons in the Polarization of Paraxial Light Beams.

The polarization of light can exhibit unusual features when singular optical beams are involved. In 3-dimensional polarized random media the polarization orientation around singularities describe 1/2 or 3/2 Mobius strips. It has been predicted that if singular beams intersect non-collinearly in free space, the polarization ellipse rotates forming many-turn Mobius strips or twisted ribbons along closed loops around a central singularity. These polarization features are important because polarization is an aspect of light that mediate strong interactions with matter, with potential for new applications. We examined the non-collinear superposition of two unfocused paraxial light beams when one of them carried an optical vortex and the other one a uniform phase front, both in orthogonal states of circular polarization. It is known that these superpositions in 2-dimensions produce space-variant patterns of polarization. Relying on the symmetry of the problem, we extracted the 3-dimensional patterns from projective measurements, and confirmed the formation of many-turn Mobius strips or twisted ribbons when the topological charge of one of the component beams was odd or even, respectively. The measurements agree well with the modelings and confirmed that these types of patterns occur at macroscopic length scales and in ordinary superposition situations.
Weight-Bearing Physical Activity Influences the Effect of Vitamin D on Bone Turnover Markers in Patients with Intellectual Disability.

OBJECTIVES Individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) are at increased risk for low bone mass and fragility fractures, and those who are nonambulatory may be at even higher risk. Patients with IDs often are vitamin D deficient, but there is little information concerning how vitamin D treatment of patients with IDs affects markers of bone formation and resorption. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of 23 institutionalized individuals with IDs who were the subject of a performance improvement continuing medical education project designed to reduce risk for fracture by optimizing serum vitamin D levels. Patients were divided into those with normal weight-bearing (NWB) physical activity (15 patients: 14 men, 1 woman) and those with low weight-bearing (LWB) physical activity (8 patients: 7 men, 1 woman). All of the subjects received 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 weekly for 4 to 8 weeks, followed by a maintenance dose of 50,000 IU monthly for 3 to 6 months. Bone turnover markers (type 1 cross-linked C-telopeptide [CTX], type 1 N-terminal propeptide [P1NP], and parathyroid hormone [PTH]) and 25(OH)-vitamin D levels were measured before and after vitamin D supplementation. RESULTS At baseline, there were no significant differences in the serum levels of 25OH-D, PTH, P1NP, or CTX between the two groups (NWB and LWB). Vitamin D levels were increased to a higher value in LWB subjects than in NWB subjects (61 ± 4.1 vs 48.4 ± 2.2 ng/mL, P < 0.001). Vitamin D treatment suppressed PTH (20.5% ± 14.3% vs 31.4% ± 7.7%, P = not significant) and P1NP (33.0% ± 6.2% vs 29.4% ± 6.9%, P = not significant) similarly in both groups. Although CTX levels declined by 26.4% ± 5.3% (P = 0.0002) in NWB individuals (as anticipated), vitamin D supplementation resulted in an unexpected 25.8% ± 8% increase (P = 0.01) in CTX in LWB individuals, suggesting osteoclast activation. CONCLUSIONS Although high-dose vitamin D appeared to suppress osteoclast activity in NWB adults with IDs, the increase in serum CTX levels in those with LWB activity implies activation of osteoclasts that could exacerbate their unique low bone mass and increase fracture risk. The results support the use of a lower-dose vitamin D regimen in this patient group with LWB.
Lifetime Maximization in Mobile Edge Computing Networks

Mobile edge computing has emerged as a promising technology to augment the computational capabilities of mobile devices. For a multi-user network in which its users periodically compute their tasks with the help of an edge cloud, we investigate the network lifetime maximization problem based on present user task information. We pursue this objective via a minimum energy efficiency maximization (MEEM) strategy that jointly optimizes the fraction of user task computations offloaded to the cloud and the respective allocation of edge computing and network communication resources across the users. We also investigate the network lifetime maximization problem for the case when the user task information is available for all future time slots, as well. This setting represents an upper bound for the MEEM strategy. Optimal solutions for both investigated strategies are formulated via feasibility testing and geometric programming. We show that MEEM can achieve a 70% lifetime improvement over the state-of-the-art and 460% lifetime improvement over the case of local user task computation only. We also show that for a high value of the maximum tolerable delay for completing the computation tasks of the users, MEEM achieves the globally optimal network lifetime performance. Finally, we show that MEEM achieves a significant reduction (3X) in variation of enabled network lifetime over diverse network topologies, relative to the state-of-the-art.
Proteasome-Bound UCH37 Debranches Ubiquitin Chains to Promote Degradation

The linkage, length, and architecture of ubiquitin (Ub) chains are all important variables in providing tight control over many biological paradigms. There are clear roles for branched architectures in regulating proteasome-mediated degradation, however the proteins that selectively recognize and process these atypical chains are unknown. Here, using synthetic and enzyme-derived ubiquitin chains along with intact mass spectrometry, we report that UCH37/UCHL5, a proteasome-associated deubiquitinase, exclusively cleaves K48 branched chains. The activity and selectivity toward branched chains is markedly enhanced by the proteasomal Ub receptor RPN13/ADRM1. Using proteasome complexes reconstituted with either active or inactive UCH37 together with protein substrates modified with branched chains, we find that chain debranching promotes degradation under multi-turnover conditions. These results are further supported by proteome-wide pulse-chase experiments, which show that the loss of UCH37 activity impairs global protein turnover. Our work therefore defines UCH37 as a debranching deubiquitinase important for promoting proteasomal degradation.
Creep behavior of 316 L stainless steel manufactured by laser powder bed fusion

Abstract Additive manufacturing as a new processing technique can produce unique microstructure that is difficult to achieve using conventional techniques. In this study, we have investigated the creep behavior of 316 L stainless steel produced by a laser powder bed fusion process at temperatures of 550, 600 and 650 °C and stresses between 175 and 300 MPa. We found that additively-manufactured 316 L stainless steel had a higher stress dependence of the minimum creep rate than conventionally-made Type 316 SS, which could be attributed to the dislocation cell structure resulting from the printing process. The dislocation cell structure was unstable under creep, evolving into a uniform dislocation structure under the test conditions. While internal porosity in AM 316 L SS may serve as nucleation sites of creep voids and may be responsible for a relatively lower creep life, additively-manufactured 316 SS did not show inferior creep ductility when compared with conventionally-made 316 SS. The creep life of AM 316 L SS could be improved by stabilizing dislocation cell structure and/or reducing internal porosity through an optimized additive manufacturing process.
Optimizing Fixation for Distal Biceps Tendon Repairs: A Systematic Review and Meta-regression of Cadaveric Biomechanical Testing.

Background:Various surgical techniques can be used to repair acute distal biceps tendon (DBT) tears; however, it is unknown which type of repair or implant has the greatest biomechanical strength a...
UV-curable polyurethane inorganic–organic hybrid coatings

A UV-curable inorganic/organic hybrid coating was prepared from a methacrylated urethane oligomer, a reactive diluent, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) oligomers, and a free radical photoinitiator. The reactive diluent was synthesized using IPDI, HEMA, and aminopropyltetraethoxysilane (APTES), resulting in both inorganic and organic reactive groups. The photocuring kinetics was investigated using photo-DSC and real-time FTIR spectroscopy. The effect of the reactive diluent and TEOS oligomers concentration was investigated using impact resistance, pencil hardness, and adhesion. Two glass transition temperatures were observed, indicating a substantial interfacial phase generated between the inorganic and organic domains. The reactive diluent-to-reactive oligomer ratio had a larger effect on the mechanical behavior of the system than the TEOS concentration did. Adhesion improves with increasing TEOS oligomer concentration or reactive diluent concentration until maxima, after which increasing concentration has an adverse effect on adhesion.
Colon cancer cells acquire immune regulatory molecules from tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes by trogocytosis.

Cancer cells can develop an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment to control tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The underlying mechanisms still remain unclear. Here, we report that mouse and human colon cancer cells acquire lymphocyte membrane proteins including cellular markers such as CD4 and CD45. We observed cell populations harboring both a tumor-specific marker and CD4 in the tumor microenvironment. Sorted cells from these populations were capable of forming organoids, identifying them as cancer cells. Live imaging analysis revealed that lymphocyte membrane proteins were transferred to cancer cells via trogocytosis. As a result of the transfer in vivo, cancer cells also acquired immune regulatory surface proteins such as CTLA4 and Tim3, which suppress activation of immune cells [T. L. Walunas et al., Immunity 1, 405–413 (1994) and L. Monney et al., Nature 415, 536–541 (2002)]. RNA sequencing analysis of ex vivo–cocultured splenocytes with trogocytic cancer cells showed reductions in Th1 activation and natural killer cell signaling pathways compared with the nontrogocytic control. Cancer cell trogocytosis was confirmed in the patient-derived xenograft models of colorectal cancer and head and neck cancer. These findings suggest that cancer cells utilize membrane proteins expressed in lymphocytes, which in turn contribute to the development of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
The Effect of Anesthetics on Myocardial Adenine Nucleotides

The major interest in the effect of anesthetics on high-energy phosphates (adenine nucleotides) in the heart stems from the search for the mechanism of the negative inotropic effect of anesthetics and the interest in preserving myocardial energy during cardiac ischemia. Although the number of studies published is rather small, the results when the preparation has been stable are consistent. Anesthetics do not appear to change the concentration of high-energy phosphates in normal hearts. There is some evidence that barbiturates in high concentrations may interfere with myocardial energy synthesis and decrease high-energy phosphates in hypoxic or ischemic hearts and additional evidence that perhaps cardiac depressant anesthetics such as halothane may preserve high-energy phosphates in ischemic hearts. However, much more investigation is necessary in the ischemic heart in order to come to definite conclusions.
Empirical Models of Bilateral Contracting

This essay briefly surveys the empirical literature on bilateral contracting. The focus is on contracting between firms in vertical markets, and I discuss recent approaches to modeling their determination and the impact of contractual restrictions on competition, industry structure, and welfare. I also highlight challenges facing future research in this area. Keywords: bilateral contracting; bilateral oligopoly; bargaining; exclusivity; vertical integration
Taming Negotiated Justice

After four decades of neglecting laissez-faire plea bargaining, the Supreme Court got it right. In Missouri v. Frye and Lafler v. Cooper, the Court recognized that the Sixth Amendment regulates plea bargaining. Thus, the Court held that criminal defendants can challenge deficient advice that causes them to reject favorable plea bargains and receive heavier sentences after trial. Finally, the Court has brought law to the shadowy plea-bargaining bazaar. Writing in dissent, Justice Scalia argued that the majority’s opinion “opens a whole new boutique of constitutional jurisprudence (‘plea-bargaining law’).” To which I say: it is about time the Court developed some plea-bargaining law. Justice Scalia’s objections might have carried more force half a century ago, before the Court itself blessed plea bargaining as a speedy, efficient way to clear congested dockets. But, having made jury trials too slow and intricate to function in all cases, the Court has long since given up on preserving trials as the norm. In a world where nineteen out of every twenty adjudicated criminal cases ends in a guilty plea, plea-bargaining law is hardly a “boutique” corner of criminal procedure; it should be central. Since even Justice Scalia countenances plea bargaining as a “necessary evil,” it behooves us to regulate that evil. For the Sixth Amendment to remain meaningful in the real world of guilty pleas, the Court must translate its guarantee of assistance of counsel to apply to plea bargains and the sentences set by those bargains.
Invariant distributions, global decompositions of nonlinear systems, and applications

Several necessary and sufficient conditions for a given (possibly singular) distribution to be invariant for a control system (or for a single vector field) are given. These conditions provide a modest first step in the search for computable criteria for the existence of invariant distributions. It is shown how the presence of an invariant distribution leads to a tractable notion of a global decomposition of a nonlinear system. These ideas are illustrated by examining some controllability considerations for a certain class of control semilinear systems. >
Fault simulation for fault-tolerant multi-Mbit RAMs

A simulation method that generates clusters with negative binomial distributions was first described by F. Flack (see Solid-State Electron., vol.28, p.555-9, June 1985). The present author found that the results were not accurate enough for mimicking the clusters observed on actual chips. An alternative technique was developed and is described. The model presented makes three important changes. First, the method of generating faults as a function of time in the manufacturing process is applied to small areas within chips, instead of entire chips. Second, the parameter c is allowed to vary with position on chips and wafers, thus becoming a susceptibility function c(x,y). The third modification is the inclusion of a distance dependence on nearby faults. The yield models developed make it possible to project the productivity increases expected from future memory chips. >
Psychosocial aspects of artificial feeding.

Artificial feeding can have an impact on the patient's quality of life. The psychosocial problems commonly reported in relation to parenteral nutrition are distress from loss of normal eating ability, depression, body image changes, fear of problems with apparatus, and decreased sexual activity. The psychosocial problems most commonly reported in relation to enteral nutrition include gustatory distress , some physical distress , and tube-related distress . Results of teaching approaches to reduce patient discomfort during tube feeding indicate that sensory rather than coping behavior information is more likely to be associated with higher levels of perceived control over enteral feeding, and that perceived control rather than perceived coping ability is more likely to be associated with willingness to repeat the experience. In general, the studies reviewed suggest that enteral feeding may be less stressful and produce fewer psychosocial problems than parenteral nutrition.
Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) lacking in breadth of applicability.

The purpose of a community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) severity of illness scoring system is to assist clinicians with the hospital admission decision. Patient safety, convenience, and cost are the overriding concerns. The Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) is incorporated into many CAP treatment guidelines, but it has not attained wide clinical application. Although the PSI might be helpful in some studies, as pointed out by Yearly et al, it is perceived to be of limited practical use, particularly in those in whom socioeconomic factors may affect outcome but possibly not immediate mortality. For patients with hypoxia, unstable vital signs, shock, or severe medical comorbid illness, no scoring system is needed; inpatient care is required. It is those in whom underlying psychiatric illness, substance abuse, homelessness, or age-related fragility dictate hospital stay that the PSI fails to incorporate risks for complications. In 2 studies in which clinicians were specifically instructed to use the PSI guideline, between 31 to 43% of patients in the low-risk categories I-III were still admitted. 1-3 The present study by Marrie et al confirms this lack of utility, particularly in an urban inner-city setting. 4 Cost savings are more likely to come from short stay, brief observation, and early discharge until pneumonia assessment scoring systems factor in risks for morbidity and poor outcome in addition to death. A pneumonia severity of illness scoring system will not be useful if it is not used in the field, and it will not be widely accepted into practice until one is derived which is more comprehensive in its guidance for clinicians.
Understanding interleaved code

Complex programs often contain multiple, interwoven strands of computation, each responsible for accomplishing a distinct goal. The individual strands responsible for each goal are typically delocalized and overlap rather than being composed in a simple linear sequence. We refer to these code fragments as being interleaved. Interleaving may be intentional-for example, in optimizing a program, a programmer might use some intermediate result for several purposes-or it may creep into a program unintentionally, due to patches, quick fixes, or other hasty maintenance practices. To understand this phenomenon, we have looked at a variety of instances of interleaving in actual programs and have distilled characteristic features. This paper presents our characterization of interleaving and the implications it has for tools that detect certain classes of interleaving and extract the individual strands of computation. Our exploration of interleaving has been done in the context of a case study of a corpus of production mathematical software, written in Fortran from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This paper also describes our experiences in developing tools to detect specific classes of interleaving in this software, driven by the need to enhance a formal description of this software library's components. The description, in turn aids in the automated component-based synthesis of software using the library.
Extensible Markup Language: How Might It Alter the Software Documentation Process and the Role of the Technical Communicator?.

This article describes the influence that Extensible Markup Language (XML) will have on the software documentation process and subsequently on the curricula of advanced undergraduate and master's programs in technical communication. XML, an evolving set of standards for storing and displaying information, uses nine components that make up the XML development process. Grouped into content, formatting, and language specifications, these components enhance organizations' ability to manage information more efficiently and accurately. As the XML development process is adopted, the software documentation process will evolve from a self-contained procedure into a more flexible, interactive process in which software documenters must work closely with a wide range of specialists. The changes that XML will have on the software documentation process will likewise have implications for programs in technical communication in the need to address new kinds of job descriptions, skill sets, and career paths of future tech...
Serum C-reactive protein concentration and lower urinary tract symptoms in older men in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

BACKGROUND Inflammatory infiltrates are frequently found in and around nodules in benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). We examined cross-sectionally the association of serum C-reactive protein concentration, a non-specific marker of inflammation, and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), suggestive of BPH. METHODS We included 2,337 men, 60 years and older, who participated in the Third National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES III) between 1988 and 1994. As part of NHANES III, serum C-reactive protein concentration was measured and men reported whether they currently experienced nocturia, incomplete emptying, hesitancy, or weak stream as well as whether they had had non-cancer prostate surgery in the past. All results were weighted to account for sampling probability in NHANES III. RESULTS Age-adjusted and weighted mean serum C-reactive protein concentration was 0.32 mg/dl in men without symptoms and without surgery, 0.35 mg/dl in men with three or four symptoms (P = 0.06), and 0.36 mg/dl in men with one or two symptoms (P = 0.06). After adjusting for age and race and excluding men with an acute infection, men with a C-reactive protein concentration above the limit of detection (>0.30 mg/dl) were 1.47 times (95% CI 0.87–2.50) more likely to have three or four symptoms than men with a C-reactive protein concentration below the detection limit, although the association was not statistically significant. The association was not attenuated after adjusting for the metabolic syndrome, but was attenuated after excluding men with metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that elevated circulating C-reactive protein concentration might be an indicator of intraprostatic inflammation in symptomatic BPH. The presence of the metabolic syndrome might be a mediator of this association. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A comparison of oral and transdermal short-term estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome

Objective To determine whether it would be preferable to prescribe oral or transdermal estrogen to symptomatic postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome (MBS). Design Prospective, randomized study. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) Fifty obese postmenopausal women with MBS. Intervention(s) Women were randomized to receive either oral E 2 (oE 2 , 1 mg/d) or transdermal E 2 (tE 2 , 0.05 mg/d) for 3 months. Fasting blood was obtained before and after treatment for glucose, insulin, lipid profiles, the adipocytokines (adiponectin, leptin, and resistin), and a gastric peptide (ghrelin). In addition, a 75-g 2-hour oral glucose-tolerance and intravenous insulin-tolerance tests were performed before and after E 2 . Main Outcome Measure(s) Changes in parameters of insulin resistance (IR), lipid profiles, and adipocytokine levels. Result(s) Mean serum concentrations of E 2 in women using oE 2 and tE 2 were 39.1 ± 5.6 and 49.2 ± 28.6 pg/mL, respectively. After oE 2 , there was a statistically significant worsening of IR markers, including an increase in baseline insulin (15.28 ± 1.27 to 22.02 ± 2.40 μU/mL), a reduction in quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (0.3177 ± 0.0043 to 0.2977 ± 0.0057), and an increase in homeostasis model assessment (3.96 ± 0.38 to 8.59 ± 2.08). The only significant change in the lipid profile was an increase in high-density–lipoprotein cholesterol (50.46 ± 2.34 vs. 55.08 ± 2.51 mg/dL). Leptin levels increased (81.43 ± 7.87 ng/mL to 94.10 ± 6.56 ng/mL), and adiponectin decreased nonsignificantly, resulting in an increased leptin–adiponectin ratio (12.56 ± 1.70 to 15.86 ± 2.24); resistin levels increased (9.37 ± 1.09 ng/mL to 11.72 ± 1.10 ng/mL); and baseline ghrelin levels decreased (701.64 ± 59.79 pg/mL to 581.72 ± 36.07 pg/mL). After tE 2 , no significant changes in IR parameters occurred, except for a decrease in glucose–insulin ratio. There were no changes in lipid parameters. Leptin did not change (72.7 ± 9.3 ng/mL to 78.8 ± 7.9 ng/mL), whereas adiponectin levels showed statistically significant increase (7.97 ± 0.7 μg/mL vs. 9.96 ± 1.1 μg/mL), with no change in the leptin–adiponectin ratio. Resistin levels did not change significantly, and ghrelin levels decreased (888.52 ± 109.98 pg/mL vs. 579.04 ± 39.30 pg/mL). Conclusion(s) This short-term study suggests that oral E 2 may worsen IR and adipocytokine parameters, worsening cardiovascular risk. Transdermal E 2 had minimal effects on IR and resulted in higher adiponectin. Although these data may not reflect alterations that occur with estrogen therapy in more metabolically normal postmenopausal women or with longer term therapy, the findings suggest that tE 2 may be a preferable treatment for obese women with MBS. Long-term studies are needed to make any recommendations.
Tyramine infusions and selective monoamine oxidase inhibitor treatment. I. Changes in pressor sensitivity.

The enhanced sensitivity to the pressor effects of tyramine, an indirect-acting sympathomimetic found abundantly in the diet, is a well-known potentially dangerous side effect occurring during treatment with commonly used nonselective monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. The effects of treatment with the selective MAO-A inhibitor clorgyline and the partially selective MAO-B inhibitors pargyline and deprenyl on tyramine's pressor effects were studied in depressed patients using an IV steady-state tyramine infusion technique. After 4 weeks of treatment, clorgyline produced a significantly greater increase in tyramine sensitivity in comparison to a medication-free baseline (29-fold) than did pargyline (12-fold) or deprenyl (1.7-fold). The pressor effects of tyramine were significantly prolonged after cessation of infusion during both clorgyline and pargyline, but not deprenyl treatment. These data from IV tyramine administrations suggest that intestinal MAO inhibition is not the major determinant of the enhanced tyramine pressor sensitivity produced by clorgyline and pargyline.
Solder Stencil Printing On Deep Cavity

In the past when flip chip assembly on a metal substrate was implemented, these presented a challenge in solder paste printing using stencil on a cavity-formed space. The main restrictor is the cavity depth on a limited area (less than 2.0 mm). Hence, an approach was to solder dispensing using a multi-hole dispense nozzle. This created challenges on the nozzle hole clogging resulting in inconsistencies and unacceptable volume deposited. Several iterations in the nozzle hole design and solder powder size consistency improved the performance but not to the expected level. Stencil printing technologies have been in use in the industry for many years. However, the conventional 2D stencil technology is primarily applicable and mostly used in flat surfaces. Recently, stencil manufacturers developed new stencil technology capable of printing on a 100 microns depth or less. The most recent development of printing solder paste is by using a 3D stencil paired with a specially designed squeegee to achieve a good and consistent print deposit in constrained and limited spaces. This study is on solder paste printing using 3D stencil on a 300-micrometer cavity and less than 2.0-millimeter area. It is feasible to form an array of solder deposits on the limited-spaced cavity. Another study is printing on a 150-micrometer cavity spaced at 400 micrometers apart. The 3D stencil allows for a more controlled solder deposit on cavity-formed spaces. Several factors affect the quality of print deposits - solder type, stencil layout, type of squeegee, cavity layout and depth, as well the printing parameters used. The interactions of these elements make possible solder paste printing on a deep cavity spaced in array.
Red Cell Distribution Width and Mortality in Predominantly African-American Population With Decompensated Heart Failure

Introduction Red-cell distribution width (RDW) has been identified as a novel prognostic marker in heart failure patients. However, evidence is limited for its predictive value in the setting of patients hospitalized with decompensated heart failure (DHF) and no data are available for African Americans (AA). Methods and Results Data that included baseline characteristics, laboratory findings, and discharge medications were collected retrospectively on a total of 789 patients with DHF (mean age 62.7 ± 15.1 years, 50% males and 80% AA), admitted to an urban medical center between January 2007 and August 2007, 145 (18.38%) died during median follow-up of 573 days. Unadjusted and adjusted Cox-proportional hazard models were used to analyze predictive value of discharge RDW on mortality. There was a significant negative association between RDW and statin use, blood hemoglobin levels and mean corpuscular volume (MCV); whereas serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) increased with increasing RDW. A statistically significant graded increase in all-cause mortality with higher RDW quartiles (lowest vs highest quartile), independent of hemoglobin and creatinine levels, was found for all patients (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 3.21; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.77–5.83, P < .05) for AAs (adjusted HR 2.92; 95% CI: 1.50–5.71, P < .05) and for non-AAs (adjusted HR-1.27, 95% CI: 1.03–1.55, P = 0.019; RDW evaluated as continuous variable). Conclusion Discharge RDW is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in predominantly AA patients hospitalized with DHF. Further research is warranted to delineate underlying pathophysiological mechanisms including the association between statin use and RDW.
Synthesis, Properties, and Structure of a Stable Cobalt(III) Alkyl Peroxide Complex and Its Role in the Oxidation of Cyclohexane

Three cobalt(III) complexes of Py3PH2 (H's are the dissociable amide H's), a strong-field ligand with two peptide groups, have been synthesized. They are [Co(Py3P)(H2O)]ClO4·H2O (6), [Co(Py3P)(OH)] (7), and [Co(Py3P)(OOtBu)]·2CH2Cl2 (8). Complex 6 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2 with a = 22.695(6) A, b = 10.284(2) A, c = 10.908(3) A, α = 90°, β = 112.17(2)°, γ = 90°, V = 2357.7(10) A3, and Z = 4. Its structure has been refined to R = 3.91% on the basis of 1844 I > 2σ(I) data. Complex 8 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with a = 16.720(4) A, b = 10.641(3) A, c = 16.776(3) A, α = 90°, β = 99.76(2)°, γ = 90°, V = 2941.5(12) A3, and Z = 4. The structure of 8 has been refined to R = 6.37% on the basis of 4776 I > 2σ(I) reflections. In all three complexes, the doubly deprotonated Py3P2- ligand binds the cobalt(III) center in a pentadentate fashion with five nitrogens situated in two deprotonated amido groups and three pyridine rings. The aqua complex 6 can easily be converted into t...
Review and Expectation of Artificial Intelligent System for Wastewater Treatment

From view of design of automatic control system, wastewater treatment is a complex industrial process that is difficult to control. Certain improvements have been obtained on intelligent control, water quality prediction, fault diagnosis, operating instructions by artificial intelligence technology in field of wastewater treatment such as ANN control, fuzzy control, ES control, GA control, RS control, but there are still some shortcomings and problems especially on architecture of PCS. Distributed intelligent system based on multi-agent architecture is hopeful to meet synthetic system performance requirement of wastewater treatment plant in the future.
A nurse-led intervention reduced risk factors, anxiety, and depression in patients waiting for CABG.

Source Citation McHugh F, Lindsay GM, Hanlon P, et al. Nurse led shared care for patients on the waiting list for coronary artery bypass surgery: a randomised controlled trial. Heart. 2001 Sep;86:3...
Intracardiac ectopic thyroid

Intracardiac ectopic thyroid is a rare lesion. We present a case of successful excision of thyroid tissue obstructing the right ventricular outflow tract and provide a literature review. In all cases reported to date, the ectopic tissue arose from the ventricular septum and extended to the outflow tract.
HReRAM: a hybrid reconfigurable resistive random-access memory

Passive crossbar arrays of memristors have been identified as excellent alternatives for future random-access memories. One limitation is their inability of selecting a memory cell without the interference caused by the sneak-path currents from other partially selected cells, as it results not only in unnecessary waste of energy but also in larger current requirements. The complementary resistive switch (CRS), consisting in two anti-serially connected memristors, is considered a potential solution to the sneak-path problem. However, the destructive read operation and reduced endurance of the CRS render it unattractive for the otherwise excellent candidate for next-generation crossbar-based non-volatile memories. In this paper we explore the feasibility and tradeoffs of configuring part of the CRS memory into a memristive mode to mitigate these limitations. The inherent locality of memory accesses for most computer programs offers an opportunity for designing a cache-like adaptive CRS-based crossbar memory with hybrid configurations of CRS and memristive modes, enabling optimization for both endurance and energy consumption. Our simulation results validate that the proposed hybrid system achieves 1.5-7x reduction in energy consumption in comparison with a memristive-only memory system and significantly improves the endurance of the CRS-based memory.
Toxic Colonialism, Environmental Justice, and Native Resistance in Silko's Almanac of the Dead

Laguna Pueblo writer Leslie Marmon Silko's epic narrative Almanac of the Dead: A Novel (1991) has been read as a prophetic text, both in its rearticulation of ancient Native prophecies and as itself prophesying such social phenomena as the rise of the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas, Mexico. I address both these kinds of prophecy as they form part of the work of Silko's text, but I focus on a different way in which the novel is prophetic ?it presages an approach I call "decolonial environmental justice cultural studies." I suggest that Silko's rich narrative is, among many other things, a paradigm for a much-needed body of work at the intersection of post- or decolonial theory and practice and transnational movements for environ mental justice. I argue not that an environmental justice cultural criticism can be applied to Almanac of the Dead, but rather that Almanac of the Dead was already doing global decolonial environmental justice cultural criticism many years before the field was named, and that critics still need to catch up with Silko.1 When I first used the concept "environmental justice eco-criticism" more than a decade ago, I was describing something that was just emerg ing ("Environmental"). Now there is such a solid body of this work that prominent eco-critic Lawrence Buell has called it the "second wave" of the field, and has suggested that it is becoming the dominant form (17). This essay builds upon and expands this environmental justice cultural stud ies wave in crucial ways.2 Postcolonial, or, better, ?fecolonial approaches should now be even more central to the field. Silko's epic, which models interconnections that have emerged in the network of movements for global justice, was prescient in showing the vital links between decolonizations and environmentalisms on a local/national/global scale.3 Movements linking social justice and environmental degradation can now be found all around the globe. Environmental justice is the most common name in the US for these projects, but a variety of names have been used to characterize these efforts outside a North American context, including liberation ecologies, subaltern environmentalism, global South environmentalisms, environmentalism of the poor, and so forth. These
Temperature and Relative Humidity Inside Trailers During Finishing Pig Loading and Transport in Cold and Mild Weather

The effect of bedding levels and trailer compartment on internal trailer temperature and relative humidity (RH) during loading and transport of finishing pigs was evaluated in cold and mild weather. Three levels of bedding were used in each experiment: 0.6 m 3 , 1.2 m 3 , and 2.4 m 3 . In mild weather, internal temperatures were lower when 1.2 m 3 or 2.4 m 3 of bedding were used during loading and transport compared to 0.6 m 3 (P < 0.05). Internal trailer temperature increased in a quadratic fashion in the top front compartment when 1.2 m 3 was used (P < 0.05), and in a linear fashion in the top rear compartment when 2.4 m 3 were used in cold weather (P < 0.05). In mild weather, temperature increased linearly in the top front compartment with heavy bedding levels. Relative humidity increased in a linear fashion in the top front compartment with 0.6 m 3 , bottom front with 1.2 m 3 , and top front with 1.2 m 3 in cold weather (P < 0.05). In general, temperature and RH increased as bedding levels increased in both cold and mild temperatures. Excess bedding can absorb more moisture, resulting in transport loss and decreased animal welfare.
Personality, affect and EEG: Predicting patterns of regional brain activity related to extraversion and neuroticism

An integration of Heller's model of brain activity based on the affect circumplex and findings from personality research resulted in predictions for patterns of frontal and posterior EEG alpha related to basic dimensions of personality, extraversion and neuroticism (Heller, 1990, 1993). Extraversion was predicted to be associated with greater relative left frontal and increased right posterior region activity, and introversion with greater relative right frontal and decreased right posterior region activity. Neuroticism was predicted to be associated with greater relative right frontal and increased right posterior region activity, and emotional stability with greater relative left frontal and decreased right posterior activity. Measures of extraversion and neuroticism (NEO-PI-R) were collected, and resting EEG was recorded for males and females on one occasion for eight 60-s periods. Mean log-transformed alpha power was extracted from the EEG for each electrode site and repeated-measures multiple regression analyses were conducted. As predicted, neuroticism was associated with greater relative right posterior activity. Predicted effects for neuroticism with frontal regions and for extraversion with brain activity were not significant. Results partially support the model of brain activity and affect proposed by Heller (1990, 1993), and suggest that it may be extended to include basic dimensions of personality such as neuroticism.
A new output analysis approach for systems experiencing disruptions

The authors present a new method of performing simulation output analysis on systems experiencing random disruptions. The new method alternating regenerative, outperforms the batch means method in coverage. The basis for the new method lies in the variance reduction technique, the cyclic regenerative method of simulation.
How scale influences birds' responses to habitat features in urban residential areas

Abstract How individual species respond to urbanization depends on both the specific habitat features they require as well as the spatial scale at which they respond to habitat changes. Urban areas represent both a unique challenge and opportunity for the conservation of native avian species because, at smaller scales, the actions of individual homeowners may be critical to maintaining populations of certain species, whereas other species may require broader scale conservation measures. Understanding how scale, land ownership, and habitat features interact in influencing presence of native birds is crucial to developing sound conservation and land use strategies in urban and developing areas. We studied the relationships between ten native bird species and a suite of human-influenced habitat features at two spatial scales, individual properties and neighborhoods, to determine which factors and scales were most important to each species. At the smaller scale, variables associated with native vegetation were important for eight species, whereas the amount of open space was positively associated with six species at the larger scale. Three species were most strongly associated with habitat features at the individual property scale, and two with features at the neighborhood scale. The remaining five species were influenced by habitat features at both scales, and showed strong cross-scale interactions. Our results suggest that the presence of some native species in urban areas can be influenced by the actions of individual homeowners, whereas the presence of other species will require broader scale approaches involving neighborhood groups and city managers.
Analysis of supercoiled circular plasmids in infectious and non-infectious Borrelia burgdorferi

Linear plasmids are widely distributed in isolates of Borrelia burgdorferi, but the prevalence of supercoiled circular (SC) plasmids has not been clearly established. Enriching for SC plasmids on ethidium bromide density-gradients revealed that a low passage of strain Sh-2-82 of B. burgdorferi has at least six SC plasmids (8.4, 8.8, 20, 26, 29 and 51 kb). In addition, several of the SC plasmids were observed by electron microscopy to form concatenated structures. Because of the high incidence of coupled SC plasmids and the effect of such structures on plasmid mobility, we suggest that they could be mistaken for a single DNA species having a high molecular weight when total DNA from B. burgdorferi is examined by agarose-gel electrophoresis. Of the six SC plasmids in strain Sh-2-82, four could still be detected after two years of continuous in vitro passaging in BSK II medium. The two SC plasmids lost after a maximum of 20 passages, pBBC1 (8.4 kb) and pBBC2 (8.8 kb), shared a high degree of DNA sequence similarity, suggesting that their apparent instability may be a unique feature of these closely related plasmids. Two higher passaged variants of strain Sh-2-82, P20 and P202, were shown by hybridization to lack pBBC1 and pBBC2 sequences and were unable to infect the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus. However, six of 14 unrelated isolates that infected this rodent and Syrian hamsters also lacked pBBC1 and pBBC2 sequences. None of five unrelated but highly passaged non-infectious isolates carried either pBBC1 or pBBC2 sequences. These data indicate that pBBC1 and pBBC2 do not encode constitutively expressed proteins required for infectivity in our experimental system. Nevertheless, eight of the 13 infectious strains examined did carry pBBC1 and/or pBBC2, indicating that these two closely related plasmids can be detected in a wide range of unrelated isolates of B. burgdorferi.