cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Fcγ Receptor Signaling, Tissue Factor Expression and Monocyte-Platelet Cross-Talk in the Initiation of Thrombosis by Immune Complexes.

Thrombus formation in response to physical disruption of the vascular endothelium is an essential response to vessel injury. In contrast, thrombus formation is pathologic when the endothelium is physically intact but blood and endothelial cells are activated by inflammation. Thrombosis secondary to immune complexes is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. We recently generated and characterized the first transgenic mouse model of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia/thrombosis (HIT/T) to recapitulate the salient features of the disease and confirmed that complexes of heparin and platelet factor 4, antibodies to the complex, and FcγRIIa-dependent platelet activation are both necessary and sufficient to model the disease in vivo . It is also likely that immune complex activation of monocytes and endothelial cells occurs in HIT/T. However, the interaction between activated blood and endothelial cells and tissue factor positive microparticles (TF + -MP) that may result in thrombin generation is not clear. Recent studies (del Conde et al., Blood 2005) showed that phosphatidylserine and PSGL-1 on the surface of monocyte-derived TF + -MP enables their fusion with activated platelets. Collagen-activated platelets incubated with TF + -MP were reported to cause increased TF-VIIa procoagulant activity (PCA) compared to non-activated platelets. We hypothesized that platelets activated by HIT/T immune complexes would also result in increased TF-PCA when incubated with monocyte-derived TF + -MP. To test this hypothesis we generated TF + -MP from THP-1 cells, a human monocytic cell line, stimulated with LPS (6 hr) and A23187 (subsequent 15 min). TF + -MPs were co-incubated with untreated or agonist-treated platelets. The HIT/T immune complex was prepared by incubating optimal ratios of heparin and recombinant human PF4 with KKO, a mouse monoclonal anti-heparin-PF4 antibody. Other agonists included anti-CD9 (producing a particulate immune complex) and collagen. Using a chromogenic assay of Xa generation we found that TF + -MPs were necessary to detect TF-PCA. PCA increased by 12–25% when TF + -MPs were incubated with platelets stimulated by collagen or anti-CD9 as compared to untreated platelets. When TF + -MPs were incubated with platelets stimulated by the HIT/T immune complex, there was a 2-fold increase in the PCA. The increase in TF-PCA was observed to be proportional to the concentration of microparticles added. The results suggest an important role in platelet-monocyte cross-talk in initiating and increasing TF procoagulant activity upon immune complex stimulation.
You're Probably Not Really a Speciesist

I defend the bold claim that self-described speciesists are not really speciesists. Of course, I do not deny that self-described speciesists would assent to generic speciesist claims (e.g. Humans matter more than animals). The conclusion I draw is more nuanced. My claim is that such generic speciesist beliefs are inconsistent with other, more deeply held, beliefs of self-described speciesists. Crucially, once these inconsistencies are made apparent, speciesists will reject the generic speciesist beliefs because they are absurd by the speciesists' own lights.
Modeling the daytime energy balance of the topside ionosphere at middle latitudes

Recently reported measurements from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) indicate that the O+ temperature in the topside ionosphere is dependent on the fractional H+ density. This finding indicates that the mass dependent energy exchange rate between O+ and H+ plays an important role in the thermal balance of the topside ionosphere. In this study we utilize the SAMI2 model to retrieve both TH+ and TO+ and verify the previously observed dependence of ion temperature on ion composition. The model shows that in the topside at middle latitudes when a single ion is dominant, O+ or H+ is heated by electron collisions and cooled by conduction as expected. However in the intervening altitude region where both O+ and H+ are present, O+ is heated by collisions with H+ and cooled by conduction, while H+ is heated by collisions with electrons and cooled by collisions with O+.
God and the Moral Law

The subject for our annual conference this year — Ethics and Theology — forces us to face one of the most difficult problems of religious thought, — the relation between God and morality. To this problem several solutions — all quite familiar — have been proposed and it will not be the purpose of my paper to suggest a new one of my own. In fact, as the sequel will show, I am very uncertain whether any completely satisfactory solution to the problem be possible. My aim is the much less ambitious one of placing the matter, with some of its difficulties, before the Society for discussion, in the hope that your collective wisdom may be able to throw more light upon this dark theme than the Society's benighted president for this year — who is no theologian — is able to contribute.One of the simplest and most popular modes of conceiving the relation between God and the laws of morality is to equate righteousness with obedience to the divine will. God is good, we are told, and our goodness is to be defined as conformity to the will of God. One relatively superficial and pragmatic difficulty in accepting this view consists in the obvious fact that it is by no means easy to know with certainty what the will of God may be. Different philosophers, different prophets, different religions give us different and sometimes quite contradictory answers to this question.
Paternal grandmothers benefit the most from expressing affection to grandchildren: An extension of evolutionary and sociological research:

This study explored how type of grandparent is related to grandparents’ affectionate communication and grandchildren’s relational closeness to grandparents. We predicted that grandchildren would be...
Modeling pixel intensities with log-normal distributions for background subtraction

In this research, the problem of background subtraction is addressed using a single static camera. Aside from the practicality of distinguishing foreground moving objects from background scenes, background subtraction is an essential step towards classifying and tracking objects in complex and dynamic environments. Our proposed method is based on the temporal averaging of individual pixels over a small training sample and the modeling of pixel intensities with a log-normal probability density function that best fits the divergence among background pixels. Our method has been tested in a series of different and challenging environments with illumination changes as well as high speed foreground objects with the view to be used in autonomous vehicles applications for pedestrian and car detection. The results from this research are juxtaposed against the state-of-the-art methods and demonstrate the efficiency of our approach.
Stabilizing electrochemical interfaces in viscoelastic liquid electrolytes.

Electrodeposition is a widely practiced method for creating metal, colloidal, and polymer coatings on conductive substrates. In the Newtonian liquid electrolytes typically used, the process is fundamentally unstable. The underlying instabilities have been linked to failure of microcircuits, dendrite formation on battery electrodes, and overlimiting conductance in ion-selective membranes. We report that viscoelastic electrolytes composed of semidilute solutions of very high–molecular weight neutral polymers suppress these instabilities by multiple mechanisms. The voltage window Δ V in which a liquid electrolyte can operate free of electroconvective instabilities is shown to be markedly extended in viscoelastic electrolytes and is a power-law function, Δ V : η 1/4 , of electrolyte viscosity, η. This power-law relation is replicated in the resistance to ion transport at liquid/solid interfaces. We discuss consequences of our observations and show that viscoelastic electrolytes enable stable electrodeposition of many metals, with the most profound effects observed for reactive metals, such as sodium and lithium. This finding is of contemporary interest for high-energy electrochemical energy storage.
Metabolites from animal and plant cell culture.

Publisher Summary This chapter compares transformation of organic compounds in cell cultures of higher plant and animal origin. It includes reports of any metabolites that have been produced by cell cultures, with the exception of cells from insects, invertebrates, and cold-blooded vertebrates. Although animal cells presumably contain all genetic material necessary for totipotentiality, a marked difference between animal and plant cells is noted while demonstrating this phenomenon in culture. Exogenous DNA may alter synthesis of animal cellular products by induction. A large number of proteins have been produced by many types of both plant and animal cells. A number of polysaccharides and glycoproteins, as well as other high molecular weight materials, are produced in the culture of both plant and animal cells. These include the hydroxyproline-containing proteins such as collagen. The chapter closes with the future applications of plant and animal cell cultures. It states that a great deal research on animal cells are toward establishment of long-term continuous cell strains.
Introduction to Scalar and Stratified Flows

Perhaps the most important practical aspect of turbulent shear flows is their dominant effect on scalar fields such as temperature, density or chemical species. When turbulence exists, it tends to completely determine the mixing and diffusion of such quantities. Industrial flows with chemical reactions, combustion, and natural flows in the ocean and atmosphere usually involve turbulence constrained by forces, and complicated by factors, that laboratory studies often suppress; for example, stratification, rotation and shear. Unstratified, nonrotating, unsheared turbulence as described by the Batchelor (1967) classic book is so complex and poorly understood that many fluid dynamicists, and most undergraduate fluid mechanics textbooks, manage to avoid the subject completely. Papers in the present chapter on Scalar and Stratified flows confront many of the awkward uncertainties attending turbulence in the “real world”. Some excellent new tools exist today that were not available to Batchelor, and their impact is reflected in the following articles.
Photodynamic Therapy in Lung Cancer

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves the use of photosensitizing agents that are selectively retained within tumor cells. The agents remain inactive until exposed to light of the proper wavelength. When activated by light, these compounds generate toxic oxygen radicals that result in tumor necrosis. In lung cancer, PDT can be used for both carcinoma in situ and for the treatment of unresectable disease with endobronchial obstruction. For patients with advanced disease, careful patient selection and integration of PDT with other interventional techniques are critical. Limited data suggest that PDT is comparable in efficacy to neodymium-yttrium-aluminum garnet (Nd-YAG) laser therapy, and some evidence indicates that it may be superior in terms of duration of response. For PDT to be used effectively, it should be integrated into a multimodality approach with chemotherapy and radiation. The optimal sequencing of these treatment modalities remains an area for further investigation.
Residual Cochlear Function in Adults and Children Receiving Cochlear Implants: Correlations With Speech Perception Outcomes.

OBJECTIVES Variability in speech perception outcomes with cochlear implants remains largely unexplained. Recently, electrocochleography, or measurements of cochlear potentials in response to sound, has been used to assess residual cochlear function at the time of implantation. Our objective was to characterize the potentials recorded preimplantation in subjects of all ages, and evaluate the relationship between the responses, including a subjective estimate of neural activity, and speech perception outcomes. DESIGN Electrocochleography was recorded in a prospective cohort of 284 candidates for cochlear implant at University of North Carolina (10 months to 88 years of ages). Measurement of residual cochlear function called the "total response" (TR), which is the sum of magnitudes of spectral components in response to tones of different stimulus frequencies, was obtained for each subject. The TR was then related to results on age-appropriate monosyllabic word score tests presented in quiet. In addition to the TR, the electrocochleography results were also assessed for neural activity in the forms of the compound action potential and auditory nerve neurophonic. RESULTS The TR magnitude ranged from a barely detectable response of about 0.02 µV to more than 100 µV. In adults (18 to 79 years old), the TR accounted for 46% of variability in speech perception outcome by linear regression (r = 0.46; p < 0.001). In children between 6 and 17 years old, the variability accounted for was 36% (p < 0.001). In younger children, the TR accounted for less of the variability, 15% (p = 0.012). Subjects over 80 years old tended to perform worse for a given TR than younger adults at the 6-month testing interval. The subjectively assessed neural activity did not increase the information compared with the TR alone, which is primarily composed of the cochlear microphonic produced by hair cells. CONCLUSIONS The status of the auditory periphery, particularly of hair cells rather than neural activity, accounts for a large fraction of variability in speech perception outcomes in adults and older children. In younger children, the relationship is weaker, and the elderly differ from other adults. This simple measurement can be applied with high throughput so that peripheral status can be assessed to help manage patient expectations, create individually-tailored treatment plans, and identify subjects performing below expectations based on residual cochlear function.
Renal release of N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline is part of an antifibrotic peptidergic system in the kidney

The antifibrotic peptide N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP) is released from thymosin-β4 (Tβ4) by the meprin-α and prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) enzymes and is hydrolyzed by angiotensin-...
Photothermal Heating Study Using Er 2 O 3 Photoluminescence Nanothermometry

A new optical probe technique using a laser-trapped erbium oxide nanoparticle (~150 nm) can measure absolute temperature with a spatial resolution on the size of the nanoparticle. This technique (scanning optical probe thermometry) is used to collect the thermal image of an optically excited gold nanostructures. The thermal profile has a Gaussian line shape that is a convolution of the point spread function of the scanning optical probe thermometer and the true thermal profile. A convolution analysis reveals that the point spread function of our measurement is a Gaussian with a FWHM of 165 nm. We attribute the width of this function to clustering of Er2O3 nanoparticles in solution. Also, the scanning optical probe thermometer is used to measure the temperature where vapor nucleation occurs. Subsequently, the temperature inside the vapor bubble rises to the melting point of the gold nanostructure (~1300) where a temperature plateau is observed. The rise in temperature is attributed to inhibition of thermal transfer to the surrounding liquid by the thermal insulating vapor cocoon. This chapter is reprinted (adapted) with permission from Applied Physics A. (2016) 122: 340. Copyright 2016 Springer.
Elimination of the Crown Gall Pathogen, Agrobacterium vitis, from Systemically Infected Grapevines by Tissue Culture

Agrobacterium vitis causes crown gall, a serious disease of grapevines that is common in grape growing regions worldwide. Tissue culture approaches were previously tested for elimination of the bacterium from grapevines, but the detection methods for assessing their effectiveness were much less sensitive than the recently developed magnetic capture hybridization real-time PCR. The latter method was applied in this study to evaluate the elimination of A. vitis from cuttings propagated from severely crown gall-diseased Vitis vinifera cv. Riesling vines by dissecting and culturing apical and axillary buds, as well as meristems, from shoot tips and micropropagating them in tissue culture to recover plantlets. Although the distribution of A. vitis in infected mother vines varied greatly, apparently bacteria-free meristematic tissues were successfully used for the establishment of vines for which bacterial populations were undetectable, even after a dormancy period. It is anticipated that the production and use of clean grapevines in vineyards will delay the early onset of crown gall and contribute to vineyard productivity.
Chronology of critical events in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes occurring during reperfusion after simulated ischemia

While an ischemic insult poses a lethal danger to myocardial cells, a significant proportion of cardiac myocytes remain viable throughout the ischemic episode and die, paradoxically, only after the blood flow is reinstated. Despite decades of research, the actual chronology of critical events leading to cardiomyocyte death during the reperfusion phase remains poorly understood. Arguably, identification of the pivotal event in this setting is necessary to design effective strategies aimed at salvaging the myocardium after an ischemic attack. Here we used neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) subjected to 20-30 min of simulated ischemia followed by 1 hour of "reperfusion". Using different combinations of spectrally-compatible fluorescent indicators, we analyzed the relative timing of the following events: (1) abnormal increase in cytoplasmic [Ca2+] (TCaCy); (2) abnormal increase in mitochondrial [Ca2+] (TCaMi); (3) loss of mitochondrial inner membrane potential (ΔΨm) indicating mitochondrial permeability transitions (TMPT); (4) sacrolemmal permeabilization (SP) to the normally impermeable small fluorophore TO-PRO3 (TSP). In additional experiments we also analyzed the timing of abnormal uptake of Zn2+ into the cytoplasm (TZnCy) relative to TCaCy and TSP. We focused on those NRVMs which survived anoxia, as evidenced by at least 50% recovery of ΔΨm and the absence of detectable SP. In these cells, we found a consistent sequence of critical events in the order, from first to last, of TCaCy, TCaMi, TMPT, TSP. After detecting TCaCy and TCaMi, abrupt switches between 1.1 mM and nominally zero [Ca2+] in the perfusate quickly propagated to the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial [Ca2+]. Depletion of the sarcoplasmic reticulum with ryanodine (5 μM)/thapsigargin (1 μM) accelerated all events without changing their order. In the presence of ZnCl2 (10-30 μM) in the perfusate we found a consistent timing sequence TCaCy < TZn ≤ TSP. In some cells ZnCl2 interfered with Ca2+ uptake, causing "steps" or "gaps" in the [Ca2+]Cy curve, a phenomenon never observed in the absence of ZnCl2. Together, these findings suggest an evolving permeabilization of NRVM's sarcolemma during reoxygenation, in which the expansion of the pore size determines the timing of critical events, including TMPT.
Voronoi-based Coverage Control with Connectivity Maintenance for Robotic Sensor Networks

In this paper, we consider the problem of Voronoi-based coverage control for multi-robot sensor networks with connectivity constraints, where a team of mobile robots spread out over the workspace in order to optimize the overall coverage performance while preserving connectivity. In particular, we proposed a connectivity-aware coverage control approach to simultaneously optimize the coverage performance and ensure robotic network connectivity. Unlike most of existing works on connectivity control that have no guarantee on the primary task, our algorithm could maintain minimum connectivity that introduce minimal revision to the primary coverage controller due to invoked connectivity constraints. This ensures the robotic network stay connected at all time but also in an optimal way to provide highest freedom for achieving primary coverage task. Moreover, we prove the convergence of the proposed controller that guarantees continuously improved coverage performance in presence of connectivity constraints. Simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Functional Capacity Is Affected by Younger Age of Repair in Tetralogy of Fallot Patients But Not by Era of Repair.

Background:Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is widely used to assess functional capacity in patients with tetralogy of Fallot after surgical repair. Little is known regarding the impact of age at t...
On or off task: The negative influence of laptops on neighboring students’ learning depends on how they are used

Abstract Previous research indicates that students' classroom laptop use distracts their peers and negatively affects the learning of their neighbors. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the types of activities that laptop users undertake (i.e., on-task note-taking versus off-task Web browsing) differentially affect their neighbors' learning. Sixty-two participants listened to a lecture in a classroom setting while seated either in front of, to the left of, to the right of, or behind a laptop-using confederate who switched from taking notes on their computer to browsing the internet at specified points during the lecture. Participants performed better on post-lecture quiz questions that asked about material covered while the confederate was on task than those that asked about material covered while the confederate was off task. This effect was comparable regardless of where participants sat in relation to the confederate. Our results support previous evidence that students' laptop use distracts neighboring students and expands on prior literature by further demonstrating that the types of activities that laptop users engage in during lecture matters for all neighboring students’ comprehension of material.
Elimination of dormant, autophagic ovarian cancer cells and xenografts through enhanced sensitivity to anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibition.

Background Poor outcomes for patients with ovarian cancer relate to dormant, drug-resistant cancer cells that survive after primary surgery and chemotherapy. Ovarian cancer (OvCa) cells persist in poorly vascularized scars on the peritoneal surface and depend on autophagy to survive nutrient deprivation. The authors have sought drugs that target autophagic cancer cells selectively to eliminate residual disease. Methods By using unbiased small-interfering RNA (siRNA) screens, the authors observed that knockdown of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) reduced the survival of autophagic OvCa cells. Small-molecule ALK inhibitors were evaluated for their selective toxicity against autophagic OvCa cell lines and xenografts. Autophagy was induced by reexpression of GTP-binding protein Di-Ras3 (DIRAS3) or serum starvation and was evaluated with Western blot analysis, fluorescence imaging, and transmission electron microscopy. Signaling pathways required for crizotinib-induced apoptosis of autophagic cells were explored with flow cytometric analysis, Western blot analysis, short-hairpin RNA knockdown of autophagic proteins, and small-molecule inhibitors of STAT3 and BCL-2. Results Induction of autophagy by reexpression of DIRAS3 or serum starvation in multiple OvCa cell lines significantly reduced the 50% inhibitory concentration of crizotinib and other ALK inhibitors. In 2 human OvCa xenograft models, the DIRAS3-expressing tumors treated with crizotinib had significantly decreased tumor burden and long-term survival in 67% to 79% of mice. Crizotinib treatment of autophagic cancer cells further enhanced autophagy and induced autophagy-mediated apoptosis by decreasing phosphorylated STAT3 and BCL-2 signaling. Conclusions Crizotinib may eliminate dormant, autophagic, drug-resistant OvCa cells that remain after conventional cytoreductive surgery and combination chemotherapy. A clinical trial of ALK inhibitors as maintenance therapy after second-look operations should be seriously considered.
Short GRBs and Mergers of Compact Objects: Observational Constraints

GRB data accumulated over the years have shown that the distribution of their time duration is bimodal. While there is some evidence that long bursts are associated with star-forming regions, nothing is known regarding the class of short bursts. Their very short timescales are hard to explain with the collapse of a massive star, but would be naturally produced by the merger of two compact objects, such as two neutron stars (NS), or a neutron star and a black hole (BH). As for the case of long bursts, afterglow obervations for short bursts should help reveal their origin. By using updated population synthesis code calculations, we simulate a cosmological population of merging NS-NS and NS-BH, and compute the distribution of their galactic off-sets, the density distribution of their environment, and, if indeed associated with GRBs, their expected afterglow characteristics.
Breast Implant-associated Double Capsules: What Do We Know So Far? A Systematic Review of the Literature.

A double capsule is a recently described rare occurrence following breast implant placement in which an inner capsule envelope totally or partially adheres to the implant surface while a distinct outer capsule adheres to surrounding tissues, with an intercapsular space developing between the two. The objective of this study is to review all available literature related to formation of double capsules and propose a treatment algorithm. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using Embase, Medline, and Cochrane databases. Articles reporting management of breast implant-associated double capsules were included in this review. A total of 9 studies (68 implants) were included in the review. 94.1% of double capsules occurred with textured Biocell shaped and round implants independently from implant pocket (p value=0.64). In all cases, double capsules were diagnosed fortuitously intra-operatively for another surgical indication. Capsular contracture was present in 50% of double capsules patients and was the most common indication for secondary breast surgery, 81.5% of which being clinically evident (p value<0.001). Treatment consisted in 84.4% in an inner capsulectomy with smooth implants exchange, and management of the outer capsule as per the capsular contracture algorithm. Double capsule formation is caused by delamination of a tight adhering capsule to a textured implant surface into two layers and continuous micro-shearing forces, and the probable contribution of bacterial biofilm. The only treatment reported so far includes inner with or without outer capsulectomy with smooth implant exchange. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Reconceptualizing Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes as Burdening Expression and Association: A Case for Expanding Federal Hate Crime Legislation to Include Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

The purpose of this article is to bring to the attention of researchers, scholars, and politicians an important point about the harms to LGBT victims resulting from hate crimes—one that, in my view, is ignored and is critical to the justifications for allowing bias crime victims to obtain legal compensation for being victimized on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. More specifically, this article critiques the current framing of anti-LGBT hate crimes in scholarship and empirical research and reconceptualizes these crimes as systemic inhibitors to expressive and associative opportunities on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation (this argument will be developed in Part IV).
Connection coefficients for classical orthogonal polynomials of several variables

Abstract Connection coefficients between different orthonormal bases satisfy two discrete orthogonal relations themselves. For classical orthogonal polynomials whose weights are invariant under the action of the symmetric group, connection coefficients between a basis consisting of products of hypergeometric functions and another basis obtained from the first one by applying a permutation are studied. For the Jacobi polynomials on the simplex, it is shown that the connection coefficients can be expressed in terms of Tratnik's multivariable Racah polynomials and their weights. This gives, in particular, a new interpretation of the hidden duality between the variables and the degree indices of the Racah polynomials, which lies at the heart of their bispectral properties. These techniques also lead to explicit formulas for connection coefficients of Hahn and Krawtchouk polynomials of several variables, as well as for orthogonal polynomials on balls and spheres.
Portal hypertension associated with systemic mastocytosis and splenomegaly

An unusual case of systemic mastocytosis with splenomegaly, portal hypertension, and bleeding esophageal varices is presented. Arteriograms and liver biopsy suggested the mechanism of the portal hypertension was due to increased blood flow in the splenic vein, although splenic arteriovenous shunting secondary to histamine release and increased intrahepatic resistance secondary to mast cell infiltration might have played a role. The portal hypertension was relieved by splenectomy.
Phase Shifting the Retinal Circadian Clock: xPer2mRNA Induction by Light and Dopamine

A circadian clock is located in the retinal photoreceptors of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis . These photoreceptor clocks are thought to govern a wide variety of output rhythms, including melatonin release and gene expression. Both light and dopamine phase shift the retinal clock in a phase-dependent manner. Two homologs of the Drosophila period gene have been cloned in Xenopus , and one of these ( xPer2 ) is acutely regulated by light. Light and dopamine induce xPer2 mRNA in a similar manner. In addition, the increase of xPer2 mRNA in response to light and dopamine is the same at all times of day tested. In contrast, xPer1 mRNA exhibits circadian oscillations but is relatively insensitive to phase-shifting treatments of light or dopamine. Our data suggest that xPer2 functions as the molecular link between the light/dark cycle and the circadian clock.
Effects of shear on the properties of internal gravity wave modes

Fundamental properties of the dispersion relations for internal gravity wave modes in stratified shear flows are derived as generalizations of the corresponding well known properties found in the absence of shear. Some problems associated with the expansion of internal wave fields in the normal modes are discussed briefly. Such problems may result from a lack of completeness or of orthogonality of the normal modes.
Interferon-gamma – Inducible Inflammation: Contribution to Aging and Aging-Associated Psychiatric Disorders

Aging is associated with the chronic, low grade, Th-1 type inflammation. The key Th-1 type, pro-inflammatory cytokine, interferon-gamma (IFNG), transcriptionally induces the rate-limiting enzyme of tryptophan (TRY) - kynurenine (KYN) pathway, indoleamine 2,3- dioxygenase (IDO). Activation of IDO shunts TRY metabolism from production of serotonin (substrate of antidepressant effect) and its derivatives: N-acetylserotonin (an agonist to the receptors of brain derived neurotropic factor), and melatonin (regulator of sleep and other circadian rhythms), towards production of KYN and its derivatives (anxiogenic, neurotoxic and pro-oxidant factors). Some of kynurenines up-regulate nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Concurrently with activation of IDO, IFNG induces guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH), the rate limiting enzyme of GTP conversion into BH2 (and increases formation of a stable derivative of BH2, neopterin, at the expense of production of BH4, the mandatory co-factor of NOS). Combination of increased NOS activity (by kynurenines) with decreased formation of BH4 leads to the uncoupling of NOS with consequent shift of arginine metabolism from biosynthesis of NO to formation of superoxide anion and other free radicals, and exacerbation of depression, anxiety and cognitive impairment caused by kynurenines. Polymorphism of IFNG (+874) T/A gene, that encodes production of IFNG protein, impacts the IDO and GTPCH activity that might be assessed in humans by KYN/TRY ratio and neopterin concentrations in biological fluids (e.g., blood, urine and spinal fluid). The hypothesis of IFNG inducible IDO/GTPCH inflammation cascade helps to understand the increased association between aging, inflammation and aging-associated psychiatric and medical (insulin resistance, obesity) disorders. Evaluation of markers of IFNG-inducible inflammation cascade might be used to assess the severity of corresponding behavioral and cognitive changes and the efficacy of pharmacological interventions (e.g., IDO inhibitors).
Effect of body temperature on brain edema and encephalopathy in the rat after hepatic devascularization

Brain edema is a fatal complication of fulminant hepatic failure and its pathogenesis remains unclear. To determine its presence in a model of ischemic hepatic failure, rats were subjected to a portacaval anastomosis followed by hepatic artery ligation. Brain water was measured using the sensitive gravimetric method. Preliminary studies revealed marked hypothermia in devascularized animals kept at room temperature (26.9° ± 2.8°C). An additional group of devascularized rats was kept in an incubator. As expected for hypothermia, such animals had a lower arterial pressure and heart rate; the duration of encephalopathy was markedly prolonged. Water content of the cortical gray matter was only increased in normothermic devascularized rats: 80.14% ± 0.31%, normal; 80.06% ± 0.22%, portacaval shunt only; 80.42% ± 0.26%, devascularized at room temperature; 81.29% ± 0.38%, devascularized at controlled temperature (p
Cyclic Shear Strain Needed for Liquefaction Triggering and Assessment of Overburden Pressure Factor Kσ

AbstractThis paper has two objectives. The first is to evaluate the cyclic shear strain needed to trigger liquefaction, γcl, in clean and silty sands in the field during earthquakes as an alternative to the currently used cyclic resistance ratio (CRR). The second objective is to explore the effect of a high effective overburden pressure, σv0′, on the value of CRR. The first objective is accomplished mainly by using an equation relating γcl and CRR valid for shear wave velocity–based liquefaction charts. This equation is supplemented with laboratory results from undrained cyclic strain-controlled tests as well as large-scale and centrifuge model shaking experiments. It is shown that for recent uncompacted clean and silty sand deposits and earthquake magnitude Mw=7.5, γcl≈0.03%, with this value increasing to γcl≈0.3% (in some cases to 0.6%) in denser and overconsolidated, preshaken, and compacted sands. These small values of γcl in the field are controlled by two factors: excess pore pressure buildup in the...
Stress among mothers of children with intellectual disabilities in urban India: role of gender and maternal coping.

Background The study assessed stress among mothers of young children with intellectual disabilities in urban India and examined the extent to which child functioning and maternal coping predict maternal stress. Through qualitative analyses, the study identified negative and positive dimensions of Indian mothers’ caregiving experiences. Materials and Methods Mothers completed Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, and children’s teachers completed Vineland-II teacher rating form. Maternal responses to a semi-structured interview were rated to assess maternal coping and content analysed to derive qualitative themes. Results Three-fourths of the sample obtained a clinically significant stress score, and maternal coping emerged as a robust predictor of stress for mothers of boys with intellectual disabilities. Qualitative analyses indicated positive and negative maternal experiences related to self, child, family and community. Conclusions The high level of stress has important clinical implications. Similarly, the significant role of maternal coping, moderating role of child gender and the multidimensional caregiving experiences have implications for future research and family interventions in India.
Lick rate analysis of sodium taste-state combinations

The combined effects of taste and physiological state on lick rate for NaCl were systematically evaluated in two experiments. In experiment 1 the lick rates of six groups of rats (Sprague-Dawley) were recorded during the first 3 min of a NaCl drinking bout, where each group received a different concentration. Half of the rats were depleted by injections of the diuretic-natriuretic furosemide (10 mg ip), whereas the other half were not. The inverted U-shaped concentration-response functions for sodium-replete rats peaked approximately at isotonicity. The replete lick rate function was uniformly elevated for rats examined in the sodium-depleted state. In experiment 2 each rat received access to all six solutions within a 40-min test session. Rats were tested twice, once in positive and once in negative sodium balance. The solutions were repeatedly presented in counterbalanced order in a series of 10-s exposures. The replete and deplete functions of the within-group study closely resembled those of the between-group study. When the deplete rats' function was divided into three segments coinciding with the beginning, middle, and end of the 40-min session, the functions were shifted down vertically but retained their shape. In general, sodium-state level dramatically affected the absolute lick rates but did not appear to shift the location of the concentration-response function along the horizontal (i.e., concentration) axis. The form of the function appears to have been determined by oral factors alone.
Localization of RecA in Escherichia coli K‐12 using RecA–GFP

RecA is important in recombination, DNA repair and repair of replication forks. It functions through the production of a protein-DNA filament. To study the localization of RecA in live Escherichia coli cells, the RecA protein was fused to the green fluorescence protein (GFP). Strains with this gene have recombination/DNA repair activities three- to tenfold below wild type (or about 1000-fold above that of a recA null mutant). RecA-GFP cells have a background of green fluorescence punctuated with up to five foci per cell. Two types of foci have been defined: 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)-sensitive foci that are bound to DNA and DAPI-insensitive foci that are DNA-less aggregates/storage structures. In log phase cells, foci were not localized to any particular region. After UV irradiation, the number of foci increased and they localized to the cell centre. This suggested colocalization with the DNA replication factory. recA, recB and recF strains showed phenotypes and distributions of foci consistent with the predicted effects of these mutations.
Toward the Development of New Product Ideas: Asymmetric Effects of Team Cohesion on New Product Ideation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate asymmetric effects of team cohesion and team members’ relational qualification on the creativity of new product ideas. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modeling was conducted on survey data collected from 195 new product development practitioners in various US high-technology industries. Findings – The study suggests that creative and potentially successful product ideas include three dimensions – usefulness for customers, and novelty for customers and usefulness for the firms (i.e. enhancement efficiency and effectiveness of companies’ new product development process). By focusing on a relational aspect of new product development teams, the study shows that team task cohesion mediates the relationship between the antecedents (team members’ organizational commitment and social competency) and the three outcome dimensions of a successful product idea (novelty, usefulness to customers and usefulness to the firm). The team members’ interp...
How do retinal axons find their targets in the developing brain

Tissue culture studies show that cell survival and process outgrowth from retinal ganglion cells depend on the molecular composition of the substrates over which the neurites grow, and on diffusible factors present in the medium. Recent work has begun to show that at least some of these components might be interactive. Since the conditions in a culture dish, as well as the patterns of antigen expression on cells in vitro, can differ considerably from those encountered in vivo, it is important to design experiments in vivo that examine how growing neurites relate to their natural microenvironment. By the use of transplantation techniques, it has been possible to provide evidence for a comparable duality of substrate-dependent and target-derived controls of optic axon growth, which might provide insight into the normal developmental process.
Telerobotic surgery: experiments and demonstration of telesurgeon/assistant cooperation under different time delays and tool assignments

One aspect of applying teleoperators to a surgical scenario that has been overlooked to date is how best to coordinate the actions of a tele-surgeon and an assistant on the scene of the operation. This research uses laparoscopic surgery as a model, and examines performance of the surgeon/assistant pair on simulated surgical tasks under different conditions of time delay and surgical tool assignment. Our experiments suggest that under time delay conditions, tasks are completed most quickly when the tele-surgeon controls only a laparoscopic camera, and instructs the assistant in how to complete the tasks. This paper also describes the teleoperator system used and a proof-of-concept demonstration that will be conducted between MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital in late 1996. The demonstration will make use of three ISDN telephone lines to transmit audio, video, and control signals.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Novel technique for coil embolization of intercostal branch of internal mammary artery graft

Coronary artery steal resulting from a large unligated intercostal or pericardial side branch of the internal mammary artery graft causing postoperative angina has been previously described. Transcatheter coil occlusion of internal mammary artery side branch has successfully been performed to treat coronary steal syndrome. Unsuccessful deployment of the microcoils can be due to inadequate guiding support in the LIMA or prolapse of the delivery catheter in the side branch. We report a new approach for the precise deployment of coils in the side branch of a LIMA graft, when inadequate guiding support is present. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Diagn. 42:229–231, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
90 years of forest cover change in an urbanizing watershed: spatial and temporal dynamics

Landscape structure in the Eastern US experienced great changes in the last century with the expansion of forest cover into abandoned agricultural land and the clearing of secondary forest cover for urban development. In this paper, the spatial and temporal patterns of forest cover from 1914 to 2004 in the Gwynns Falls watershed in Baltimore, Maryland were quantified from historic maps and aerial photographs. Using a database of forest patches from six times—1914, 1938, 1957, 1971, 1999, and 2004—we found that forest cover changed, both temporally and spatially. While total forest area remained essentially constant, turnover in forest cover was very substantial. Less than 20% of initial forest cover remained unchanged. Forest cover became increasingly fragmented as the number, size, shape, and spatial distribution of forest patches within the watershed changed greatly. Forest patch change was also analyzed within 3-km distance bands extending from the urban core to the more suburban end of the watershed. This analysis showed that, over time, the location of high rates of forest cover change shifted from urban to suburban bands which coincides with the spatial shift of urbanization. Forest cover tended to be more stable in and near the urban center, whereas forest cover changed more in areas where urbanization was still in process. These results may have critical implications for the ecological functioning of forest patches and underscore the need to integrate multi-temporal data layers to investigate the spatial pattern of forest cover and the temporal variations of that spatial pattern.
Design and Synthesis of a Novel Series of N-Alkyl Isatin Acylhydrazone Derivatives that Act as Selective Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Agonists for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain

There is growing interest in using cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) agonists for the treatment of neuropathic pain. We have synthesized a novel series of N-alkyl isatin acylhydrazone derivatives and have identified and characterized several of them as novel analogues with high functional activity and selectivity at human CB2 receptors using [(35)S]GTP-gamma-S assays. Binding affinities at human CB2 and CB1 were determined for compounds 28, 33, 40, 48, and 58. Structure-activity relationship studies of this novel series led to optimization of our lead compound, compound 33 (MDA19). Compound 33 possessed potent antiallodynic effects in a rat model of neuropathic pain but did not affect rat locomotor activity. More potent and more CB2-receptor-selective compounds, including compounds 37, 40, and 48, were also discovered.
The Möbius function and the residue theorem

Abstract A classical conjecture of Bouniakowsky says that a non-constant irreducible polynomial in Z [ T ] has infinitely many prime values unless there is a local obstruction. Replacing Z [ T ] with κ [ u ] [ T ] , where κ is a finite field, the obvious analogue of Bouniakowsky's conjecture is false. All known counterexamples can be explained by a new obstruction, and this obstruction can be used to fix the conjecture. The situation is more subtle in characteristic 2 than in odd characteristic. Here, we illustrate the general theory for characteristic 2 in some examples.
Improved visualization of endocardial borders with Short-Lag Spatial Coherence imaging of fundamental and harmonic ultrasound data

Endocardial border visualization, a common task in echochardiography, is typically challenged by the presence of acoustic clutter. This study investigates endocardial border visibility in co-registered fundamental and harmonic data when utilizing the Short-Lag Spatial Coherence (SLSC) beamformer, a clutter reduction approach that we developed. Individual channel echo data were acquired from the left ventricle of 12 volunteers, after informed consent and IRB approval, to create matched image quadruplets of fundamental and harmonic B-mode and SLSC images. Contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) were measured, and three cardiologists rated the visibility of endocardial segments in randomly ordered cine loops. The statistical significance of visibility ratings was determined with a Holm-Bonferroni correction at a significance level, α = 0.05. CNR increased approximately twofold in fundamental and harmonic SLSC images compared to fundamental and harmonic B-mode images. Fundamental and Harmonic SLSC imaging offered the greatest benefits when fundamental B-mode image quality was poor. Improvements in endocardial segment visibility in short-axis views ranged from 1628% (α = 0.05) compared to fundamental B-mode images, while improvements in the apical four chamber views ranged from 2235% (α = 0.05) compared to fundamental and harmonic B-mode images. Results suggest that SLSC and HSCI have the potential to increase endocardial border visualization and thereby improve cardiac assessments of poor-quality B-mode images.