cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advances in gene transfer into haematopoietic stem cells by adenoviral vectors.

Until recently, the cells of haematopoietic origin were not considered good adenoviral (Adv) targets, primarily because they lacked the specific Adv receptors required for productive and efficient Adv infections. In addition, because of limitations inherent in Adv infections, such as short-term expression and a non-integrating nature, their application has been precluded from haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and bone marrow transduction protocols where long-term expression has been required. Therefore, limited research utilising Adv-mediated gene transfer into haematopoietic cells had been conducted. With recent insights into the critical interactions between adenovirus (Adv) and cells, new Adv-mediated gene transduction strategies have now been reported that may overcome these limitations. These new strategies include Adv possessing synthetic polymer coatings, genetically modified capsid proteins or antibody-redirected fibres that can efficiently redirect and retarget Adv to transfer genes into HSC. Additi...
Achieving global stability through local controls

A simple and robust procedure for stabilizing the behavior of distributed systems in the presence of imperfect and delayed information is described. This decentralized mechanism is based on local rewards whereby the relative number of computational agents following effective strategies is increased at the expense of the others. This procedure, which generates a diverse population out of an essentially homogeneous one, is able to control the system through a series of dynamical bifurcations into a stable fixed point. >
Chromium picolinate supplementation improves cardiac metabolism, but not myosin isoenzyme distribution in the diabetic heart☆

Abstract Because chromium (Cr) containing compounds are thought to improve glucose homeostasis, we hypothesized that chromium picolinate (CrP) could partially reverse diabetes-induced damage to cardiac tissue. Young, adult female rats were fed either a basal diet (CONT), a basal diet containing no CrP and made diabetic (DIAB-CONT) or a basal diet containing 600 ng/g of CrP (3 times the suggested daily chromium intake) and made diabetic (DIAB-CrP). Diabetes was induced by a single streptozotocin injection, 55 mg/kg i.p. After 8 weeks animals were sacrificed, hearts removed, and spectrophotometrically analyzed for citrate synthase (CS), hexokinase (HK), and beta hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase activity (HOAD). Cardiac myosin isoenzymes were separated from crude myofibril extracts by PAGE electrophoresis. Diabetes did not alter CS activity relative to the CONT group, but did significantly (P
A Classwise PCA-based Recognition of Neural Data for Brain-Computer Interfaces

We present a simple, computationally efficient recognition algorithm that can systematically extract useful information from any large-dimensional neural datasets. The technique is based on classwise Principal Component Analysis, which employs the distribution characteristics of each class to discard non-informative subspace. We propose a two-step procedure, comprising of removal of sparse non-informative subspace of the large-dimensional data, followed by a linear combination of the data in the remaining subspace to extract meaningful features for efficient classification. Our method produces significant improvement over the standard discriminant analysis based methods. The classification results are given for iEEG and EEG signals recorded from the human brain.
Contributions of Curiosity and Relevance to Adult Learning Motivation.

Berlyne (6) has proposed that epistemic curiosity, the desire to gain knowledge, can be evoked by "surprising information." This study investigated the relative associations of curiosity evoked by ...
Habit Formation and the Comovement of Prices and Consumption During Exchange-Rate-Based Stabilization Programs

A defining stylized fact associated with exchange-rate-based (ERB) stabilization programs is that their initial phase is characterized by several years of expansion in private consumption and a gradual appreciation of the real exchange rate. In this paper, I argue that standard optimizing models are unable to account for this empirical regularity, as they predict that, except for the date of announcement of the program, an appreciation of the real exchange rate must necessarily be accompanied by a decline in consumption. I show that this price-consumption problem can be resolved by relaxing the assumption of time separability in preferences. Specifically, under habit formation a permanent ERB program generates a smooth boom in consumption and gradual real exchange rate appreciation. A temporary program induces, in addition, a smooth boom-recession cycle with the recession beginning before the abandonment of the program.
Characteristics and reversibility of dementia in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Studies of the cognitive outcome after shunt insertion for treatment of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus have reported widely mixed results. We prospectively studied performance of 60 patients with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus on a comprehen- sive battery of neuropsychological tests before and after shunt surgery to determine which cognitive functions improve with shunt insertion. We also administered a subset of cognitive tests before and after temporary controlled drainage of cerebrospinal fluid to determine if change on this brief subset of tests after drainage could predict which patients would show cognitive improvement three to six months after shunt insertion. There was a significant improvement in learning, retention, and delayed recall of verbal memory three to six months after surgery (using paired t-tests). The majority (74%) of patients showed significant improvement (by at least one standard deviation) on at least one of the memory tests. Absence of improvement on verbal memory after temporary drainage of cerebrospinal fluid had a high negative predictive value for improvement on memory tests at 3-6 months after surgery (96%; p = 0.0005). Also, the magnitude of improvement from Baseline to Post-Drainage on few specific tests of learning and recall significantly predicted the magnitude of improvement after shunt surgery on the same tests ( r 2 = 0.32-0.58; p = 0.04-0.001). Results indicate that testing before and after temporary drainage may be useful in predicting which patients are less likely to improve in memory with shunting.
Using Video Modeling Delivered Through iPods to Teach Vocational Tasks to Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using video modeling delivered through a portable media player (Apple video iPod) as a means of teaching job-related tasks to four you...
Multiplier design using RBSD number system

A high-speed multiplier is designed based on recoded modified-signed digit binary number system. In the redundant binary representation each digit is represented by either 0, 1, or -1, which can be recoded into a new form, whose addition is free from carry propagation. In the recoded number, there are no two consecutive 1's or -1's, as a result, it eliminates the propagation of carry. Carry free adders based on recoded number are the basic building blocks of high-speed multiplier, which leads to a regular cellular array structure suitable for VLSI implementation. The multiplier consists of partial product generator followed by the encoder which converts binary numbers to recoded binary signed-digit (RBSD). These RBSD partial products are then added by recoded carry free adder. >
Traumatic cataract in a 7-year-old boy caused by low-velocity impact with a soft-core baseball.

almology A 7-year-old boy was struck in his left eye b core baseball, which was lobbed to him from distance by his father, an ophthalmologist. T seemingly mild impact produced a large cen ture of the posterior lens capsule with catarac tion but no other intraocular injury. This ca onstrates that the soft-core baseball does not the unprotected child’s eye from severe int injury. Further investigation is needed to dete the increased orbital intrusion of the soft-co ball allows for the transfer of a disproport large amount of impact force to the globe co with a hard ball. Eye care professionals strongly recommend to coaches and parents th dard protective eyewear be worn by even the y players regardless of ball type.
A tool for measuring stress tolerance in elite athletes

Abstract A self-report inventory of sources of life-stress and symptoms of stress is described. The tool can be used to determine the nature of an athlete's response to training, particularly his/her capacity to tolerate training loads. Data are used to demonstrate the use of the inventory to determine i) training responses which are either too stressed or under-stressed, ii) the ideal amount of stress to promote the optimum level of training effort, iii) the influence of outside-of-sport stresses that interfere with the training response, iv) preliminary features of overtraining, v) reactions to jet-lag and travel fatigue, and vi) peaking responses.
Effect of socioeconomic status (SES) disparity on neural development in female African‐American infants at age 1 month

There is increasing interest in both the cumulative and long-term impact of early life adversity on brain structure and function, especially as the brain is both highly vulnerable and highly adaptive during childhood. Relationships between SES and neural development have been shown in children older than age 2 years. Less is known regarding the impact of SES on neural development in children before age 2. This paper examines the effect of SES, indexed by income-to-needs (ITN) and maternal education, on cortical gray, deep gray, and white matter volumes in term, healthy, appropriate for gestational age, African-American, female infants. At 5 weeks postnatal age, unsedated infants underwent MRI (3.0T Siemens Verio scanner, 32-channel head coil). Images were segmented based on a locally constructed template. Utilizing hierarchical linear regression, SES effects on MRI volumes were examined. In this cohort of healthy African-American female infants of varying SES, lower SES was associated with smaller cortical gray and deep gray matter volumes. These SES effects on neural outcome at such a young age build on similar studies of older children, suggesting that the biological embedding of adversity may occur very early in development.
After the Bus Arrives: Resegregation in Desegregated Schools

Data from 5284 fifth-grade students and 886 teachers in 94 elementary schools are used to examine two aspects of the prevalence and effects of resegregation in desegregated schools. First we explore teacher and school characteristics that affect how teachers organize opportunities for intergroup contact and academic learning in their classrooms. Results suggest that positive attitudes toward integration influence teachers' selection of grouping practices that promote student interaction, such as active learning and equal-status programs. Negative attitudes toward integration, or teachers' beliefs in separate education for blacks and whites, promote their use of less flexible, resegregative practices, such as tracking and within-class grouping. Next, with data from teachers and students, we investigate whether different classroom organizations influence black and white students' achievement and behavior. Multiple regression analyses show that, with other important student, teacher, and classroom structures controlled, less resegregative classroom structures are more advantageous for black students' achievement. There is higher black achievement in classrooms using equal-status programs, cooperative activities, or flexible tracking.
Low-energy sputtering yield measurements of O + , O 2 + , N + , and N 2 + incident on Al and Al 2 O 3 surfaces

Sputtering yield measurements, which help to quantify the rate at which erosion occurs, were made for low-energy beams (50 - 200 eV) of O+, O2+, N+, and N2+ incident on Al, and Al2O3 surfaces. These materials are likely candidates for exterior portions of Space Station Freedom's power generation system. Potential differences produced by the power generation system (possibly as high as 300 volts) would accelerate the ions in the surrounding plasma to energies well above the sputtering threshold. Atomic oxygen and molecular nitrogen interactions with surfaces play a critical role in surface erosion and space glow that occur for exposed materials in a low-earth orbit. As much as 90% of the atmosphere at these altitudes is comprised of atomic oxygen which is more abundant than the molecular form since the molecular form is quickly dissociated by UV radiation. Mass-loss measurements were conducted using samples that were vacuum deposited on the surface of a quartz crystal and a novel technique was utilized to increase the sensitivity of the quartz crystal microbalance which was used to measure the mass loss.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Alcohol attitudes and behaviors among faculty at U.S. schools and colleges of pharmacy

Despite attempts to control college-aged drinking, binge and underage drinking continues at colleges and universities. Although often underutilized, faculty have the potential to influence students’ behaviors and attitudes towards drinking. Little information is available pertaining to college faculty drinking patterns, views on drinking, or their influence on college drinking. What little information is available predates the economic crisis, mandates for increased alcohol education, and the American Pharmacists Association’s call for increased alcohol awareness in pharmacists.Objectives: This study was designed to determine alcohol use patterns and viewpoints among faculty at U.S. colleges of pharmacy, in particular, to identify alcohol practices among faculty, use of alcohol with their students, mentioning alcohol in classroom as a social norm, and perceived drinking norms within their colleagues.Methods: Following Institution Review Board approval, 2809 invitations were emailed to U.S. pharmacy faculty for this survey-based study. The survey consisted of demographic questions, the World Health Organization Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and questions pertaining to personal and institution attitudes on drinking and on drinking with students.Results: More than 96% of 753 respondents had a total AUDIT score <8. Males and preceptors were more likely to have higher AUDIT scores. More than 75% of faculty reported never drinking with students.Conclusion: In order to help pharmacy students address the extent of their alcohol use and misuse, pharmacy faculty must address their own use, along with their own and their institutions attitudes and behaviors towards alcohol use. Keywords: Alcohol Drinking. Schools, Pharmacy. United States.
Local water diffusivity as a molecular probe of surface hydrophilicity

The study of water’s functional role on hydrophilic surfaces of biological and soft materials benefits from experimental measurements that operate at finer length and time scales than contact-angle-measurement-derived surface wettability. We show that local translational diffusivity permits the empirical determination of local hydrophilicity by means of Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization (ODNP) amplified 1H NMR relaxometry. Large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) in dilute bulk water solution serve as good model hydrophilic surfaces, and their surface water diffusion was shown to be partially or entirely decoupled from the bulk water viscosity, with the extent of decoupling dependent on the surface activity of the particular viscogen chosen. The effective hydrophilicity of a hydrated LUV surface in solution was further shown to be tunable by specific ions or osmolytes dissolved in solution, and the chemical makeup of a surface can give rise to a heterogeneous hydration dynamics landscape, as demonstrated on protein surfaces. ODNP-derived surface water diffusivity is suggested to be a unique tool for the site-specific mapping of the interaction landscape of a wide range of functional materials operating in aqueous solution, from wet adhesives to fuel cell membranes.
Better primer design for metagenomics applications by increasing taxonomic distinguishability

Current methods of understanding microbiome composition and structure rely on accurately estimating the number of distinct species and their relative abundance. Most of these methods require an efficient PCR whose forward and reverse primers bind well to the same, large number of identifiable species, and produce amplicons that are unique. It is therefore not surprising that currently used universal primers designed many years ago are not as efficient and fail to bind to recently cataloged species. We propose an automated general method of designing PCR primer pairs that abide by primer design rules and uses current sequence database as input. Since the method is automated, primers can be designed for targeted microbial species or updated as species are added or deleted from the database. In silico experiments and laboratory experiments confirm the efficacy of the newly designed primers for metagenomics applications.
Transcatheter Embolization of Extensive Left Gastric Artery Collaterals Presenting With Massive Upper Gastrointestinal Bleed

We report a case of extensive left gastric artery collaterals that were formed in the region of gastric fundus due to splenic artery occlusion and resulted in massive hematemesis. These collaterals were thought to be portosystemic collaterals related to portal hypertension during upper endoscopy study and single-phase venous computed tomography studies. The collaterals were treated by transcatheter endovascular coil embolization. Our case highlights the importance of recognizing and differentiating left gastric artery collaterals from gastric venous varices as a cause of hematemesis since the treatment approach for each condition is totally different. It also introduces the feasibility of percutaneous left gastric artery embolization as a treatment for this condition, without the need for surgical splenectomy and partial gastrectomy which have a higher mortality and morbidity.
Inhibition of orexin-1/hypocretin-1 receptors inhibits yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol and sucrose seeking in Long-Evans rats

Rationale Previous studies have shown that orexin-1/hypocretin-1 receptors play a role in self-administration and cue-induced reinstatement of food, drug, and ethanol seeking. In the current study, we examined the role of orexin-1/hypocretin-1 receptors in operant self-administration of ethanol and sucrose and in yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol and sucrose seeking.
Reflections On The Past And Future Of Primary Care

Medical care and primary care were at one time synonymous. All health care was primary. The concept and terminology of primary care came into widespread use during the 1960s, reflecting a specific policy agenda: bolstering the role of the generalist physician, which had changed dramatically following World War II. This essay describes the transformation of the nineteenth-century physician making house calls on horseback into the twenty-first-century primary care physician contemplating the electronic records of her patient population. The essential point is that “primary care” was born out of tension with other forms of medical care. In the future, primary care will be reinvented, and changes will be caused by the sorts of external social, political, and economic forces that previously led to systemic transformation.
Micro-arcsecond astrometry with the VLBA

The VLBA is now achieving parallaxes and proper motions with accuracies approaching the micro-arcsecond domain. The apparent proper motion of Sgr A*, which reflects the orbit of the Sun around the Galactic center, has been measured with high accuracy. This measurement strongly constrains Θ0/R0 and offers a dynamical definition of the Galactic plane with Sgr A*at its origin. The intrinsic motion of Sgr A*is very small and comparable to that expected for a supermassive black hole. Trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions for a number of massive star forming regions (MSFRs) have now been measured. For almost all cases, kinematic distances exceed the true distances, suggesting that the Galactic parameters, R0 and Θ0, are inaccurate. Solutions for the Solar Motion are in general agreement with those obtained from Hipparcos data, except that MSFRs appear to be rotating slower than the Galaxy. Finally, the VLBA has been used to measure extragalactic proper motions and to map masers in distant AGN accretion disks, which will yield direct estimates of H0.
Realizing high-quality, ultralarge momentum states and ultrafast topological transitions using semiconductor hyperbolic metamaterials

We employ both the effective medium approximation (EMA) and Bloch theory to compare the dispersion properties of semiconductor hyperbolic metamaterials (SHMs) at mid-infrared frequencies and metallic hyperbolic metamaterials (MHMs) at visible frequencies. This analysis reveals the conditions under which the EMA can be safely applied for both MHMs and SHMs. We find that the combination of precise nanoscale layering and the longer infrared operating wavelengths puts the SHMs well within the effective medium limit and, in contrast to MHMs, allows for the attainment of very high photon momentum states. In addition, SHMs allow for new phenomena such as ultrafast creation of the hyperbolic manifold through optical pumping. In particular, we examine the possibility of achieving ultrafast topological transitions through optical pumping which can photo-dope appropriately designed quantum wells on the femtosecond time scale.
Gene expression of components of the insulin/insulin-like signaling pathway in response to heat stress in the garter snake, Thamnophis elegans

The insulin/insulin-like signaling (IIS) pathway is an evolutionary conserved molecular signaling pathway that regulates growth, reproduction, stress resistance, and longevity in response to nutrition and external stress. While the constituents of this pathway and their functions are relatively well understood in laboratory model animals, they have not been explored in many other organisms, with notable exceptions in the fisheries literature. We tested for the gene expression of four key components of this pathway in the garter snake (Thamnophis elegans) liver, and determine how the transcription of these components responds to heat stress. We found that the two insulin-like growth factor ligands (IGF-1 and IGF-2) and the receptors (IGF-1 Receptor and M6P/IGF-2 Receptor, or IGF-1R and IGF-2R) are expressed in garter snake liver tissue. Under normal laboratory conditions, IGF-2 and IGF-2R are expressed at a higher level than IGF-1 and IGF-1R. In response to heat stress, IGF-1 expression remained the same, ...
The Structure of Social Planning

T HE dearth of articles published on social planning after the depression has been overcome by the discussion of war and post-war planning.' A prudent but obvious prediction would seem to be that whatever the outcome of the war, whatever the form of government the future may bring, planning will remain a live topic oscillating with the crises of many decades. The purpose here is to outline an adequate definition of social planning and to discuss some of its possibilities and limitations. Two reasons seem apparent for a confusion in the terminology of social planning: lack of adequate definition or consensus on definition, and lack of unbiased analysis. "Social planning" is a term applied to the design and construction of city sewerage systems, housing, the NRA, or a socialist form of government. Although these phenomena have in common an element of planning, they vary sociologically and in the interest of clear thinking need distinguishing terms. The second reason mentioned above arises from the desire of many writers to emphasize the pros or cons of social planning rather than its analysis. One cannot deny the desirability of such discussions from the point of view of certain value systems, but these discussions are not always conducive to scientific analysis. For a century the concept of social planning has been identified with socialism. Most analyses were by Marxians while many social scientists steered clear of the topic, although the about-face in the last decade is not all that could be wanted. As James Bossard has indicated, social planning has become a fashion for many social scientists without realization of its difficulties and implications.2 "Social planning" is now well on its way to becoming a stereotype and it will undoubtedly become a word in the vocabulary of party slogans. Greater caution must be had by social scientists if they are to convey more than do the popular shibboleths.
Experimental Research of Long Air-Gap Discharge Characteristics in Low Altitude Area

In order to improve the external insulation design of UHV transmission lines,the discharge experiments of rod-plate long air gap under DC voltage,lightning impulse voltage and operating impulse voltage are carried out in Nanning,and it proves that the discharge voltage of rod-plate air gap with positive polarity is much lower than that with negative polarity.The experimental data are corrected with related standards,and then the results are compared with the data of rod-plate discharge in China Electric Power Research Institute in Beijing,which is in almost the same altitude as Nanning,showing that the correction methods recommended by IEC 60060-1,DL/T 620—1997 and IEC 60060-1 are good for the positive discharge test in plain and that by DL/T 620—1997 are mainly for power frequency discharge voltage and positive impulse discharge voltage.
Donor CD4-enriched cells of Th2 cytokine phenotype regulate graft- versus-host disease without impairing allogeneic engraftment in sublethally irradiated mice

We have recently shown that donor CD4-enriched cells of Th2 cytokine phenotype, generated by treating mice in vivo with a combination of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-4, prevent lipopolysaccharide-induced, tumor necrosis factor-alpha-mediated lethality during graft-versus-host reaction. To assess the potential regulatory role of such Th2-type cells in lethal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft rejection, we used a fully allogeneic murine transplant model using sublethally irradiated hosts (B6-->C3H, 500 cGy). Such recipients generated a strong host-versus-graft response, as reflected by their ability to reject T-cell-depleted inocula. The administration of T-cell-containing donor whole spleen inocula resulted in alloengraftment, but such recipients developed lethal GVHD. However, mice receiving sequential donor whole spleen (day 0) and CD4-enriched, Th2-type (day 1) populations engrafted, and had prolonged survival with protection from histologically defined tissue injury associated with GVHD. The findings in this fully allogeneic model thus extend our previous observations and indicate that the transfer of donor Th2-type cells may be an important strategy for regulating GVHD. Furthermore, the sequential "Th1(-)-->Th2-type" donor cell transfer described in this report represents a novel approach for abrogating graft rejection with concomitant control of GVHD and illustrates the importance of kinetics in the interaction of functionally distinct donor T-cell populations.
Copyrighting Public-key Functions and Applications to Black-box Traitor Tracing.

Copyrighting a function is the process of embedding hard-to-remove marks in the function’s implementation while retaining its original functionality. Here we consider the above problem in the context of public-key encryption and we parallel the process of copyrighting a function to the process of designing traitor tracing schemes. We derive two copyrighted public-key encryption functions for the 2-key setting, solving an open question left by earlier work with respect to copyrighting discrete-logarithm based functions. We then follow a modular design approach and show how to elevate the 2key case to the multi-user setting, employing collusion secure codes. Our methodology provides a general framework for constructing public-key traitor tracing schemes that has the interesting property that the transmission rate remains constant if the plaintext size can be calibrated to reach an appropriate minimal length. Achieving a constant rate, i.e., constant expansion in the size of ciphertexts and keys, is an important open problem in the area of traitor tracing schemes. Our design shows how one can solve it for settings that accommodate the required plaintext calibration (e.g., when a bulk of symmetric cipher keys can be encrypted in one message). Our constructions support “black-box traitor tracing”, the setting where the tracer only accesses the decryption box in input/output queries/responses. For the first time here we provide a modeling of black-box traitor tracing that takes into account adversarially chosen plaintext distributions, a security notion we call semantic black-box traceability. In order to facilitate the design of schemes with semantic black-box traceability we introduce as part of our modular design approach a simpler notion called semantic user separability and we show that this notion implies semantic black-box traceability. In the multi-user setting our constructions also demonstrate how one can derive public-key traitor tracing by reducing the required “marking assumption” of collusion-secure codes to cryptographic hardness assumptions. ∗Computer Science and Engineering Dept., University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA, aggelos@cse.uconn.edu. Research partly supported by NSF CAREER Award CNS-0447808. †RSA Laboratories, Bedford, MA, USA and Computer Science Dept., Columbia University, NY, USA moti@cs.columbia.edu
Calcium entry and myogenic phenomena in skeletal muscle arterioles

Studies were conducted to examine Ca2+ entry in several vasomotor situations related to myogenic properties of arterioles (basal tone, vasomotion, and responsiveness to alterations in intravascular pressure). In vivo studies were performed on small cremaster muscle arterioles of anesthetized rats. Intravascular pressure was increased using the pressure-box technique. Voltage-operated Ca2+ channel (VOC) activity was inhibited by nifedipine or methoxyverapamil and was stimulated with BAY K 8644. To examine the effect of hyperpolarization, studies were performed in the presence of pinacidil. Nifedipine and methoxyverapamil exhibited a trend toward dose-dependent dilation; however, neither agent caused dilation comparable to adenosine (10(-4) M). BAY K 8644 produced a biphasic effect, constriction below 10(-8) M, and dilation at higher levels. These data indicate that basal tone can be modulated by agents acting on VOCs; however, as high concentrations of nifedipine do not abolish tone, other mechanisms contribute. At similar concentrations, the Ca2+ channel antagonist significantly inhibited vasomotion, abolishing vasomotion at concentrations above 5 x 10(-6) M. In contrast, BAY K 8644 caused a dose-dependent increase in vasomotion amplitude (e.g., 269 +/- 52% of basal at 10(-7) M). Thus vasomotion appears highly dependent on VOCs. Experiments performed in the presence of the antagonists/agonists indicated that VOCs are not the prime determinant of constrictor responses to acute increases in intravascular pressure. Exposure to pinacidil resulted in dose-dependent vasodilatation and inhibition of vasomotion while showing little effect on acute myogenic responses. Similar effects of pinacidil were observed in isolated, cannulated, cremaster arterioles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
AXL-Mediated Productive Infection of Human Endothelial Cells by Zika Virus

Rationale: The mosquito-borne Zika virus (ZIKV) is now recognized as a blood-borne pathogen, raising an important question about how the virus gets into human bloodstream. The imminent threat of the ZIKV epidemic to the global blood supply also demands novel therapeutics to stop virus transmission though transfusion. Objective: We intend to characterize ZIKV tropism for human endothelial cells (ECs) and provide potential targets for intervention. Methods and Results: We conducted immunostaining, plaque assay, and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of ZIKV RNA to evaluate the possible infection of ECs by ZIKV. Both the African and the South American ZIKV strains readily infect human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human ECs derived from aortic and coronary artery, as well as the saphenous vein. Infected ECs released infectious progeny virus. Compared with the African strains, South American ZIKV isolates replicate faster in ECs and are partially cytopathic, suggesting enhanced virulence of these isolates. Flow cytometric analyses showed that the susceptibility of ECs positively correlated with the cell surface levels of tyrosine-protein kinase receptor UFO (AXL) receptor tyrosine kinase. Gain- and loss-of-function studies further revealed that AXL is required for ZIKV entry at a postbinding step. Finally, small-molecule inhibitors of the AXL kinase significantly reduced ZIKA infection of ECs. Conclusions: We identified EC as a key cell type for ZIKV infection. These data support the view of hematogenous dissemination of ZIKV and implicate AXL as a new target for antiviral therapy. # Novelty and Significance {#article-title-29}
Microstructural effects on damage evolution in shocked copper polycrystals

Abstract Three-dimensional crystal orientation fields of a copper sample, characterized before and after shock loading using High Energy Diffraction Microscopy, are used for input and validation of direct numerical simulations using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)-based micromechanical model. The locations of the voids determined by X-ray tomography in the incipiently-spalled sample, predominantly found near grain boundaries, were traced back and registered to the pre-shocked microstructural image. Using FFT-based simulations with direct input from the initial microstructure, micromechanical fields at the shock peak stress were obtained. Statistical distributions of micromechanical fields restricted to grain boundaries that developed voids after the shock are compared with corresponding distributions for all grain boundaries. Distributions of conventional measures of stress and strain (deviatoric and mean components) do not show correlation with the locations of voids in the post-shocked image. Neither does stress triaxiality, surface traction or grain boundary inclination angle, in a significant way. On the other hand, differences in Taylor factor and accumulated plastic work across grain boundaries do correlate with the occurrence of damage. Damage was observed to take place preferentially at grain boundaries adjacent to grains having very different plastic response.
University of Michigan Case Study: The Physician Group Practice Demonstration

A fundamental question in health policy is how the newly forming Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) will achieve high quality and efficient care for patients and populations. ACO’s have been operating for about 2 years and information is beginning to be released about their performance. However, there is several years of information from an important precursor to Medicare ACO’s – the Physician Group Practice Demonstration (PGPD)2. The University of Michigan (UM) was one of 10 large physician organizations that participated in the PGPD from 2005–2010, and achieved shared savings and high quality for all 5 years. UM is an integrated academic healthcare system with experience in managed care clinical and governance integration and a unified EMR. For the PGPD, UM implemented numerous transitional care and care coordination activities. UM system characteristics and interventions were probably all important in “bending the curve”. In addition, attribution of sicker patients by attribution to the multispecialty group instead of just primary care physicians, the presence of skilled specialists and generalists who are comfortable caring for sick patients, and employed faculty physicians who are comfortable with an academic mission, may also have contributed. Future information about the performance of the many different types of healthcare systems participating in the ACO programs may very well point to many different healthcare system configurations, including Academic Healthcare Systems, which can achieve high quality and efficient patient care.
Establishing Judicial Review in Russia

In an evolutionary transition to democracy, politicians advocate the establishment of an independent judiciary to strengthen their democratic credentials in the eyes of the public. Those politicians who back the creation of a constitutional court endowed with the power to overrule their own decisions (judicial review), signal a future commitment to the rule of law, and differentiate themselves from other politicians. In the case of evolutionary change as in Russia, both those politicians already in power and those in opposition had an interest in creating a judicial review mechanism in order to garner credibility both internationally and domestically, but not everyone wanted such an institution to be truly independent and powerful. Overlapping authority at different levels of government meant that various politicians were vying for power in the new system. An independent institution with judicial review powers was not perceived as a political benefit to everyone.
Remote Turbulence Detection Using Ground-Based Doppler Weather Radar

Turbulence in and around clouds can pose a significant hazard to aviation, with convective turbulence identified as being responsible for a majority of all turbulence-related aircraft accidents. Regions of convective turbulence may be small (~1 km) and highly transient (~few minutes). Graphical Turbulence Guidance, an operational NWP-based turbulence forecast, produces hourly forecasts at a relatively coarse spatial resolution and does not explicitly forecast convective turbulence. High-resolution storm data from radar reflectivity or satellites may provide some indication of the likelihood of convective turbulence development, but cannot pinpoint its location or severity. The NCAR/NEXRAD Turbulence Detection Algorithm (NTDA) uses ground-based Doppler weather radar data to measure in-cloud turbulence, with a focus on identifying convective turbulence hazards. NTDA utilizes Level II data from the U.S. network of WSR-88Ds (NEXRADs) to produce real-time, rapid-update, three-dimensional mosaics of in-cloud turbulence. An NTDA product is also produced operationally in the Taiwan Advanced Operational Aviation Weather System using NEXRAD and Gematronik radar data. NTDA turbulence maps are suitable for tactical use by pilots and airline dispatchers and for providing input to comprehensive turbulence nowcasts. They also provide information about storm evolution useful for studying the relationship of turbulence production to thunderstorm dynamics and kinematics. This chapter motivates and describes the NTDA and discusses its performance.
Sacral neuromodulation for the treatment of faecal incontinence following proctectomy.

Aim This study assessed the effectiveness of sacral neuromodulation (SNM) for faecal incontinence (FI) following proctectomy with colorectal or coloanal anastomosis. Methods An IRB-approved database identified patients treated for FI following proctectomy (SNM-P) for benign or malignant disease, who were matched 1:1 by pre-operative Cleveland Clinic Florida Faecal Incontinence Scores (CCF-FIS) with patients without proctectomy (SNM-NP). Primary outcome was change in CCF-FIS. Results Twelve patients (7 females) were in the SNM-P and 12 (all females) in the SNM-NP group. In the SNM-P group, six patients underwent proctectomy for low rectal cancer, five received neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Five patients had handsewn and one had stapled coloanal anastomosis. One lead explantation occurred after failed two-week SNM percutaneous trial. Six patients underwent proctectomy for benign conditions. Within group analyses revealed significant CCF-FIS improvement in SNM-P (18 to 14; P = 0.02), which was more profound for benign disease (14.5 to 8.5) than rectal cancer (19.5 to 15). SNM was explanted in 66% and 33% of patients after proctectomy for malignant and benign conditions, respectively. 41% in the SNM-NP group underwent overlapping sphincteroplasty; One patient received chemoradiation for anal cancer. Within group analysis for SNM-NP showed significant CCF-FIS improvement (17.5 to 4; P = 0.003). There was significant improvement in CCF-FIS without previous proctectomy (mean delta CCF-FIS: 11.1 vs 4.7; P = 0.011). ANCOVA analysis reaffirmed controls outperforming proctectomy patients (P = 0.006). Conclusion SNM for FI after proctectomy appears less effective with high device explantation rates, particularly after neoadjuvant chemoradiation and proctectomy for low rectal cancer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Constraint Programming and Local Search Hybrids

Constraint programming and local search are two different optimization paradigms which, over the last two decades or so, have been successfully combined to form hybrid optimization techniques. This chapter describes and compares a number of these works, with the goal of giving a clear picture of research in this domain.We close with some open topics for the future.
Long-Term Care: Safe Drug Handling of Oral Chemotherapy.

Many oral chemotherapy agents have been approved over the last 15 years and are displacing or augmenting parenteral chemotherapy. As 8,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 years of age every day, more elders will migrate to long-term care and assisted living facilities, and consultant pharmacists may need to manage chemotherapy for the first time. Though many therapeutic classes of oral drugs are hazardous, the majority of oral chemotherapy agents are hazardous by virtue of their mechanisms of action. Previous hazardous drug-handling recommendations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association, and the Oncology Nursing Society have matured into new standards from the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), Chapter , "Hazardous Drugs-Handling in Health Care Settings." These standards provide a comprehensive approach for safe drug handling across all health care settings and underscore the need for consultant pharmacist involvement in nursing and assisted living facilities.
Initial symptom presentation after high school football-related concussion varies by time point in a season: an initial investigation

Schedule-based and in-season factors (e.g., competition type) have been shown to be associated with symptom reporting patterns and injury severity in sport-related concussion (SRC). To determine if acute neurocognitive and symptom presentation following SRC differ by time point within a high school football season. Multicenter ambispective cohort of high school football players who sustained a SRC (N = 2594). Timing (early, mid, and late season) of SRC was based on median dates for the start of the pre-season, regular season, and playoffs of each states’ football schedules. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) investigated differences across season period groups for: (1) neurocognitive test scores, (2) total symptom scores (TSS), and (3) individual symptom increases from baseline within 1-week post-injury. Significant group differences were observed in TSS, F(2, 2589) = 15.40, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.01, and individual symptom increases from baseline, F(2, 2591) = 16.40, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.01. Significant increases were seen from baseline to both midseason and late season in both TSS, χ2 = 24.40, p < 0.001, Φ = 0.10 and individual symptoms, χ2 = 10.32, p = 0.006, Φ = 0.10. Post hoc tests indicated a linear trend, with late-season injured athletes reporting approximately twice the TSS (13.10 vs. 6.77) and new symptoms (5.70 vs. 2.68) as those with early-season injuries. In a cohort of American high school football student-athletes, those suffering SRC in the late-season time period had increased acute symptom burden. SRC sustained later in-season may require more conservative management.
Universal access: a concept to be adapted to technological development and societal change

Society is undergoing a transition toward an information society, due to the very fast development of ICT technology. This transition is creating a new complex social environment that requires new ways of looking at universal accessibility and methodologies to guarantee it. After an analysis of the present situation and possible developments, the main conclusion of the paper is that not only the information society (equipment and services) must be designed for all, but also that it must be designed by all. This means that users must be integrated not only in the phase of requirement analysis, but as actors in designing and implementing solutions.
Vehicle Crashworthiness and Occupant Protection in Frontal Impact by FE Analysis — An Integrated Approach

This paper provides an overview of Finite Element (FE) analysis of motor vehicle crashworthiness and occupant protection technology for frontal crash simulation. Particular attention is devoted to the development of an integrated FE model combining the vehicle structure, interior components, dummy and air bag in one model. The model was developed to simulate head-on crash into a rigid barrier from an initial velocity of 13.4 m/s (30 m.p.h.). In this model, similar to the test, a normally seated dummy is restrained only by the deploying air bag and knee bolster. The predicted vehicle velocity-time response agreed with available experimental data from one prototype test. The model was subsequently exercised to simulate the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) test. In this simulation, the vehicle speed was increased to 15.6 m/s (35 m.p.h.) and the dummy was restrained by a three-point manual lap/shoulder belt, in addition to the air bag and knee bolster. Two additional simulations were conducted with the base model: impact into a 50 % offset rigid barrier; impact into a rigid pole. Vehicle deformations and dummy kinematics are presented and discussed. The information presented in this paper should be viewed as preliminary simulation results of a very complex nonlinear mechanics problem by FE analysis where several approximations and assumptions were introduced. These generally influence the accuracy of the analysis predictions, especially for the occupant response. Also, no attempt was made to validate/correlate the model response with test data.