cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of concentration and hyaluronidase on restriction of hetastarch flux through lung interstitial segments.

Abstract The transport properties of lung interstitium were studied by measuring the flow of hetastarch solution (2 and 6%) through 1-cm perivascular interstitial segments of rabbit lungs. Hetastarch (10 4 –10 7 Da) solution has a colloid osmotic pressure similar to that of albumin solution. Driving pressure was 5 cm H 2 O and mean interstitial pressure was 0 cm H 2 O. The flows of 2 and 6% hetastarch solutions were measured before ( Q 1 ) and after ( Q 2 ) the addition of 0.02% hyaluronidase. Hetastarch molecular distributions in effluent samples were measured by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) to determine sieving ratio ( C out / C in , downstream-to-upstream concentration ratio). Hyaluronidase significantly ( P Q 2 / Q 1 ) was reduced through the interstitium around smaller vessels. A similar behavior was observed with the flow of albumin solution without and with hyaluronidase. C out / C in decreased monotonically with molecular weight, was greater with 6% than with 2% (low colloid osmotic pressure) hetastarch, and increased with hyaluronidase. Modeling the transport through uniform pores, equivalent pore radius was 10 and 15 nm with 2 and 6% hetastarch, respectively, and doubled with hyaluronidase. In conclusion, interstitial pores expand in response to an increase in colloid osmotic pressure both before and after tissue degradation by hyaluronidase.
Brain concentrations of d-MDMA are increased after stress

In the mouse but not the rat, d-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (d-MDMA) is a dopaminergic neurotoxicant. Various stressors and hypothermia protect against d-MDMA-induced neurotoxicity through unknown mechanisms, one of which could be a reduction in the distribution of d-MDMA to the brain. We determined striatal levels of d-MDMA in relation to body temperature in mice exposed to a neurotoxic regimen of d-MDMA in the presence or absence of various stressors. Female C57BL6/J mice received a neurotoxic regimen of d-MDMA (15.0 mg/kg s.c. as the base every 2 h×4) alone or in combination with manipulations with a known neuroprotective status. d-MDMA levels were determined by HPLC with fluorometric detection while rectal temperature provided core temperature status. Levels of dopamine, tyrosine hydroxylase and GFAP were used to assess neurotoxicity. Restraint, ethanol co-treatment and cold stress were neuroprotective, caused hypothermia and increased striatal d-MDMA levels by 4- to 7-fold. Corticosterone treatment, as a stress mimic, did not alter striatal d-MDMA or temperature and was not protective. The protective glutamate receptor antagonist, MK-801, doubled striatal d-MDMA levels and caused hypothermia. Although stress and other protective manipulations can alter the striatal concentration of d-MDMA their hypothermia-inducing properties appear a more likely determinant of their neuroprotection against the striatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity of d-MDMA.
Thermal characterization of biomass smoke particles

In this paper we present results on characterization of filter-collected redwood (Sequoia sempevirens)-needle and eucalyptus smoke particles by thermal, optical, and solvent extraction methods. Our results show that black carbon and a significant fraction of organic carbon in biomass smoke particles have similar volatility and combustion temperatures. Combustion temperatures of both black carbon and this organic fraction critically depend on the concentrations of common constituents of biomass smoke such as Na and K. These species are also known to catalyze the combustion and therefore lower the combustion temperatures by more than 100 °C. Consequently, thermal methods that rely on a specific temperature to separate organic from black carbon may either underestimate or overestimate the black and organic carbon concentrations, depending on the amounts of Na and K and on the composition and concentration of organic material present in a sample. These results suggest that more than one method must be used to accurately determine the organic and black carbon concentrations in biomass smoke particles.
Simultaneous uptake of anionic surfactants and micellar-solubilized contaminants using anion-exchange resins

Abstract This research studied simultaneous uptake of anionic surfactants and micellar-solubilized organic contaminants by anion-exchange resins. Anionic surfactant molecules adsorbed onto the positively charged resin mainly through electrostatic attraction, while the micellar-solubilized contaminants were excluded from aqueous solutions once the remaining micelles could no longer solubilize them. Data suggest that the excess contaminants adsorbed onto the resin skeleton and admicelle layer formed on the resin surface through hydrophobic interactions and eventually partitioned into the resin gel phase matrix. In batch adsorption, the contaminant solubilization capacity did not decrease linearly with respect to surfactant concentration decrease due to the increased solution counterion activity during anion exchange, and caused “delayed” contaminant uptake relative to that of the surfactant. No such effect occurred in continuous column adsorption, where the surfactant and contaminant breakthrough occurred simultaneously. Surfactant head and tail group properties, along with resin structure and particle size significantly affected surfactant and contaminant uptake rates. Relative to recovering the surfactant, the high exchange potential of the anionic surfactant prevented effective surfactant desorption, even at high electrolyte concentration and in the presence of a cosolvent. The resin matrix also had high affinity for the partitioned contaminant, and the contaminant elution from the resin seemed to be controlled by equilibrium partitioning.
VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR RESTORES ERECTILE FUNCTION THROUGH INHIBITION OF APOPTOSIS IN DIABETIC RAT PENILE CRURA

ABSTRACTPurpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known as a multifunctional protein with roles in angiogenesis stimulation and apoptosis inhibition. We hypothesized that intracavernous administration of VEGF would recover erectile dysfunction due to diabetes by protection from apoptosis in the penile cavernosum.Materials and Methods: A total of 30, 6-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 2 large groups, namely 20 with diabetes and 10 healthy controls. The diabetic group received intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes. Intracavernous injection of VEGF was administered to randomly selected STZ diabetic rats 6 weeks after STZ injections. Erectile functional studies were performed in 10 STZ and 10 STZ plus VEGF rats at 12 weeks. After completion of the functional study the penile crura were collected for molecular and immunohistochemical studies.Results: Mean intracavernous pressure in the diabetic group was significantly lower than in controls and low...
Among the Chosen: A Collaborative Educational (Auto)biography

A central educational issue is the nature of the long-range influences of a teacher on a student. This article experiments with a narrative approach to exploring that issue. In collaboration with a young woman who is a former student of a high school teacher in North Carolina, the author shaped an (auto)biographical account of the subtle traces of this teacher's impact on her life story. As a literary document, the storied text is designed less to provide conclusions than to elicit important methodological and substantive educational questions.
Complement C3 activation is required for antiphospholipid antibody-induced fetal loss.

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by recurrent fetal loss, vascular thrombosis, and thrombocytopenia occurring in the presence of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies. The pathogenesis of fetal loss and tissue injury in APS is incompletely understood, but is thought to involve platelet and endothelial cell activation as well as procoagulant effects of aPL antibodies acting directly on clotting pathway components. Recent studies have shown that uncontrolled complement activation in the placenta leads to fetal death in utero. We hypothesized that aPL antibodies activate complement in the placenta, generating split products that mediate placental injury and lead to fetal loss and growth retardation. To test this hypothesis, we used a murine model of APS in which pregnant mice are injected with human IgG containing aPL antibodies. We found that inhibition of the complement cascade in vivo, using the C3 convertase inhibitor complement receptor 1–related gene/protein y (Crry)-Ig, blocks fetal loss and growth retardation. Furthermore, mice deficient in complement C3 were resistant to fetal injury induced by aPL antibodies. While antigenic epitopes recognized by aPL antibodies are important in the pathogenesis of APS, our data show that in vivo complement activation is required for aPL antibody-induced fetal loss and growth retardation.
Ultrasound-guided oblique approach for peripheral venous access in a phantom model

Ultrasound (US) vascular guidance is traditionally performed in transverse (T) and longitudinal (L) axes, each with drawbacks. We hypothesized that the introduction of a novel oblique (O) approach would improve the success of US-guided peripheral venous access. We examined emergency physician (EP) performance using the O approach in a gel US phantom. In a prospective, case control study, EPs were enrolled from four levels of physician experience including postgraduate years one to three (PGY1, PGY2, PGY3) and attending physicians. After a brief training session, each participant attempted vessel aspiration using a linear probe in T, L, and O axes on a gel US phantom. Time to aspiration and number of attempts to aspiration were recorded. The approach order was randomized, and descriptive statistics were used. Twenty-four physicians participated. The first-attempt success rate was lower for O, 45.83%, versus 70.83% for T (p = 0.03) and 83.33% for L (p = 0.01). The average time to aspiration was 12.5 s (O) compared with 9.47 s (T) and 9.74 s (L), respectively. There were no significant differences between all four groups in regard to total amount of time and number of aspiration attempts; however, a trend appeared revealing that PGY3 and attending physicians tended to aspirate in less time and by fewer attempts in all three orientations when compared with the PGY2 and PGY1 physicians. In this pilot study, US-guided simulated peripheral venous access using a phantom gel model in a mixed user group showed that the novel oblique approach was not initially more successful versus T and L techniques.
Optimization of bounds in temporal flexible planning with dynamic controllability

A temporal flexible planning problem can be formulated as a simple temporal network with uncertainty (STNU), whose links are classified as contingent and requirement links. The problem of constraint satisfaction for STNU has been characterized as controllability, where dynamic controllability is the most interesting and useful controllability property. We study the assignment of bounds allowed on the requirement links in order for the resulting STNU to be dynamically controllable and the total cost over the allowed ranges of the requirement links to be minimized. Since the problem with a linear cost function is NP-hard, we formulate the dynamic controllability of an STNU with a general cost function as constraints in a nonlinear optimization problem. Our approach is flexible because it can incorporate additional constraints, such as resource constraints, in the formulation. Finally, we present methods to reduce the number of constraints in order to make the problem tractable.
CREB-binding protein and p300/CBP-associated factor are transcriptional coactivators of the p53 tumor suppressor protein

The structurally related transcriptional coactivators p300 and CBP possess histone acetyltransferase activity and associate with P/CAF, which is also a histone acetyltransferase. CBP and p300 have properties of tumor suppressor proteins; their interaction with P/CAF is disrupted by the adenoviral E1A oncoprotein, and the genes encoding CBP and p300 are mutated in human cancer. We observed a physical interaction between the transactivation domain of the p53 tumor suppressor protein and CBP. Furthermore, CBP and P/CAF enhanced the ability of p53 to activate expression of the endogenous p21(cip1/waf1) gene, whereas E1A and dominant negative CBP mutants suppressed p53-dependent p21(cip1/waf1) expression. These studies link two tumor suppressor families and provide a framework for understanding the molecular mechanism by which p53 activates transcription.
Reciprocals and Cumulation

A is the meaning of the antecedent of the reciprocal and R is the reciprocal relation (like in the example in (2» . While strong reciprocity (SR) accurately describes the truth conditions of (2a) , there are examples where SR is too strong. That is, there are reciprocal sentences that are judged to be true even though SR cannot be met. (4a) is an example. Imagine that the children are standing in a long line, ot in a circle. It is not the case that everyone is touching everyone else. The intuitive truth conditions are stated in (4b) .
Observation and manipulation of polymers by scanning tunnelling and atomic force microscopy

Abstract : The properties of monolayer films of organic materials are important for a variety of technologies. We have employed the STM and AFM to study Langmuir-Blodgett films of a variety of polymers on substrates of graphite, molybdenum sulfate, and gold (111) on mica. The polymers were poly(octadecyl acrylate) (PODA), atactic and syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(2-methyl 1-pentene sulfone) (PMPS). One striking feature was the degree of order observed; a second was the morphological difference between films of submonolayer thickness (long thin fibrils) and those of at least monolayer thickness (lumpy structures arranged in domains). By pulsing the STM bias voltage to values in excess of 4 V, we were able to bring about local modification of the polymer morphology.
Foliar loading and metabolic assimilation of dry deposited nitric acid air pollutants by trees

Dry deposition of nitric acid vapor (HNO3) is a major contributor to eutrophication of natural ecosystems. Although soil fertilization by nitrogen deposition is considered to be the primary pathway for changes in plant nutrient status and shifts in ecological structure, the aerial portion of plants offer many times the surface area in which to collect atmospheric HNO3. As much as 60% of deposited nitrogen may be retained in the canopy and not land on the soil surface below. Although uptake and assimilation appears to contribute to retention, only a small percentage of dry deposition is recovered in assimilated N pools. To test the importance of biological activity on the process and measurements of dry deposition, we used controlled environmental chambers to compare deposition to living and freeze-dried foliage of four tree species using 15N-labeled HNO3. In living trees, assimilation was determined by 15N incorporation into free amino acids and proteins in leaves and roots. From 10% to 60% of the retained HNO3 was incorporated into the biologically active nitrogen pool. The remainder was bound to foliar surfaces in an insoluble form in either living or freeze-dried foliage. The importance of the boundary layer conditions emerged as a primary factor controlling dry deposition characteristics and measurements. Trade names and commercial enterprises or products are mentioned solely for information. No endorsements by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are implied.
A Review of: “Adult Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications”

Attachment theory has been the preeminent paradigm for conceptualizing infant-caregiver relationships for quite some time. Although initial interest was focused on these early patterns in infancy a...
Genetic variants in cell cycle control pathway confer susceptibility to bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND Cell cycle checkpoint regulation is crucial for the prevention of carcinogenesis in mammalian cells. METHODS To test the hypothesis that common sequence variants in the cell cycle control pathway may affect bladder cancer susceptibility, the effects of a panel of 10 potential functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 7 cell cycle control genes, P53, P21, P27, CDK4, CDK6, CCND1, and STK15, were evaluated on bladder cancer risk in a case-control study of 696 bladder cancer cases and 629 healthy controls. RESULTS Overall, on individual SNP analysis only individuals with the p53 intron 3 16-bp duplication polymorphism variant allele had a significantly reduced bladder cancer risk (odds ratio [OR] = 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56–0.96). This effect was more evident in former smokers and younger subjects. We then applied the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) statistical approach to explore the high-order gene-gene and gene-smoking interactions. In the CART analysis, smoking status was identified as the most influential factor for bladder cancer susceptibility. The final decision tree by CART contained 6 terminal nodes. Compared with the second-lowest risk group the ORs for terminal nodes 1 and 3 to 6 ranged from 0.46 to 6.30. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that cell cycle genetic polymorphisms may affect bladder cancer predisposition through modulation of host genome stability and confirm the importance of studying gene-gene and gene-environment interactions in bladder cancer risk assessment. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Net primary production in three bioenergy crop systems following land conversion

Aims Identifying the amount of production and the partitioning to aboveand belowground biomass is generally the first step toward selecting bioenergy systems. There are very few existing studies on the dynamics of production following land conversion. The objectives of this study were to (i) determine the differences in aboveground net primary production (ANPP), belowground net primary production (BNPP), shoot-to-root ratio (S:R) and leaf area index in three bioenergy crop systems and (ii) evaluate the production of these three systems in two different land use conversions. Methods This investigation included biometric analysis of NPP on three agricultural sites converted from conservation reserve program (CRP) management to bioenergy crop production (corn, switchgrass and prairie mix) and three sites converted from traditional agriculture production to bioenergy crop production. Important findings The site converted from conventional agriculture produced smaller ANPP in corn (19.03 ± 1.90 standard error [SE] Mg ha−1 year−1) than the site converted from CRP to corn (24.54 ± 1.43 SE Mg ha−1 year−1). The two land conversions were similar in terms of ANPP for switchgrass (4.88 ± 0.43 SE for CRP and 2.04 ± 0.23 SE Mg ha−1 year−1 for agriculture) and ANPP for prairie mix (4.70 ± 0.50 SE for CRP and 3.38 ± 0.33 SE Mg ha−1 year−1 for agriculture). The BNPP at the end of the growing season in all the bioenergy crop systems was not significantly different (P = 0.75, N = 8).
Ruled by the Clock

### Circadian Rhythms Govern Cardiac Repolarization and Arrhythmogenesis Jeyaraj et al Nature . 2012;483:96–99. The ability of organisms to respond to time allows for anticipation of cyclic changes in the environment that provide a survival advantage. The time variance of environmental influences on an organism may occur over years, months, or days. Biological clocks are ubiquitous and hierarchical in mammals and provide cell autonomous, transcriptionally mediated mechanism(s) to regulate function over several time scales.1 The master clock in mammals is in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, which is regulated by external cues (zeitgebers), prominently light. Circadian rhythmicity is maintained by endogenous 24-hour cycle clocks that can be regulated by external signals to produce diurnal behaviors. Circadian clocks are characteristic of most mammalian tissues and are coupled to produce complex diurnal behaviors.2 The main molecular components of mammalian biological clocks include a series of transcription factors that regulate the expression of clock-controlled genes (CCG) in a negative feedback fashion. CLOCK and BMAL1 heterodimerize and bind to an E-box motif, activating transcription of the period (PER1, 2, 3) and cryptochrome (CRY1, 2) proteins. As period proteins accumulate, they complex with cryptochromes and translocate to the nucleus, suppressing CLOCK/BMAL1 mediated transcription. Casein kinase 1e (CK1e) phosphorylates period proteins targeting them for proteasomal degredation, derepressing CLOCK/BMAL1-mediated transcription. These core components of the clock are regulated by a number of other CCGs including arginine vasopressin and other transcription factors such as D-element–binding proteins, hepatic leukemia factor, and thyrotrophic embryonic factor. The central clock in the SCN regulates autonomic nervous system function, levels of humoral factors, and peripheral clocks to produce circadian variation in physiological function.1 Peripheral clocks exist in virtually every tissue in the body and are believed to have similar molecular mechanisms. Cardiovascular physiology and the clinical presentation of heart and vascular disease …
Physical Characteristics, Shade Distribution, and Tall Fescue Effects on Cow Temporal/Spatial Distribution in Midwestern Pastures

Abstract Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution of water resources may occur from congregation of cattle near streams or ponds. Therefore, relationships of physical characteristics, shade distribution, and tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) prevalence in cool-season grass pastures to the temporal/spatial distribution of grazing cattle were evaluated in two studies on beef cow/calf farms. Global positioning system (GPS) collars recorded the location of 2–3 cows per pasture at 10-min intervals for 5–14 d in the spring, summer, and fall annually. Pasture botanical composition was visually assessed annually. In Study 1, cow location was recorded on five pastures ranging in size from 13 ha to 125 ha with 1.9–3.8% of the pasture area in a stream or pond (water source) and 2–30% of the pasture area within 30.5 m of the water source (waterside zone) for 3 yr. Shade covered 27–73% of the pasture area with 3–64% of shade located within waterside zone. In Study 2, cow location was recorded in three pastures with areas of 8 ha, 10 ha, and 15 ha with 17.8%, 43.4%, and 14.7% of the total area and 28%, 73%, and 68% of the total shade in the waterside zone for 1 yr. In Study 1, proportions of cow observations within the waterside zone increased with decreasing pasture area ( r 2 = 0.61) and increasing proportions of the total pasture area ( r 2 = 0.37) and shade ( r 2 = 0.29) within the waterside zone. In Study 2, proportion of cow observations in the waterside zone increased as the proportion of total area ( r 2 = 0.62) and shade ( r 2 = 0.42) in the waterside zone increased. Results imply more restrictive measures to minimize the risks of NPS pollution of water resources may be most effective in smaller and narrow pastures.
Role of PUG1 in Inducible Porphyrin and Heme Transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Unlike pathogenic fungi, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is not efficient at using heme as a nutritional source of iron. Here we report that for this yeast, heme uptake is induced under conditions of heme starvation. Heme synthesis requires oxygen, and yeast grown anaerobically exhibited an increased uptake of hemin. Similarly, a strain lacking aminolevulinate synthase exhibited a sixfold increase in hemin uptake when grown without 2-aminolevulinic acid. We used microarray analysis of cells grown under reduced oxygen tension or reduced intracellular heme conditions to identify candidate genes involved in heme uptake. Surprisingly, overexpression of PUG1 (protoporphyrin uptake gene 1) resulted in reduced utilization of exogenous heme by a heme-deficient strain and, conversely, increased the utilization of protoporphyrin IX. Pug1p was localized to the plasma membrane by indirect immunofluorescence and subcellular fractionation. Strains overexpressing PUG1 exhibited decreased accumulation of [55Fe]hemin but increased accumulation of protoporphyrin IX compared to the wild-type strain. To measure the effect of PUG1 overexpression on intracellular heme pools, we used a CYC1-lacZ reporter, which is activated in the presence of heme, and we monitored the activity of a heme-containing metalloreductase, Fre1p, expressed from a constitutive promoter. The data from these experiments were consistent with a role for Pug1p in inducible protoporphyrin IX influx and heme efflux.
Hemispheric asymmetries in faculty and student musicians and nonmusicians during melody recognition tasks

Abstract Current research has suggested that musical stimuli are processed in the right hemisphere except in musicians, in whom there is an increased involvement of the left hemisphere. The present study hypothesized that the more musical training persons receive, the more they will rely on an analytic/left-hemispheric processing strategy. The subjects were 10 faculty and 10 student musicians, and 10 faculty and 10 student nonmusicians. All subjects listened to a series of melodies (some recurring and some not) and excerpts (some actual and some not) in one ear and, after a rest, to a different series of melodies in the other ear. The task was to identify recurring vs. nonrecurring melodies and actual vs. nonactual excerpts. For student musicians, there was a right-ear/left-hemispheric advantage for melody recognition, while for student nonmusicians, the situation was the reverse. Neither faculty group showed any ear preference. There were no significant differences for excerpt recognition. Two possible explanations of the faculty performance were discussed in terms of physical maturation and a functionally more integrated hemispheric approach to the task.
Hormonal regulation of plasminogen activator in rat hepatoma cells

Plasminogen activators are membrane-associated, arginine-specific serine proteases which convert the inactive plasma zymogen plasminogen to plasmin, an active, broad-spectrum serine protease. Plasmin, the major fibrinolytic enzyme in blood, also participates in a number of physiologic functions involving protein processing and tissue remodelling, and may play an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. In HTC rat hepatoma cells in tissue culture, glucocorticoids rapidly decrease plasminogen activator (PA) activity. We have shown that this decrease is mediated by induction of a soluble inhibitor of PA activity rather than modulation of the amount of PA. The hormonally-induced inhibitor is a cellular product which specifically inhibits PA but not plasmin. We have isolated variant lines of HTC cells which are selectively resistant to the glucocorticoid inhibition of PA but retain other glucocorticoid responses. These variants lack the hormonally-induced inhibitor; PA from these variants is fully sensitive to inhibition by inhibitor from steroid-treated wild-type cells. Cyclic nucleotides dramatically stimulate PA activity in HTC cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Paradoxically, glucocorticoids further enhance this stimulation. Thus glucocorticoids exert two separate and opposite effects on PA activity. The availability of glucocorticoid-resistant variant cell lines, together with the unique regulatory interactions of steroids and cyclic nucleotides, make HTC cells a useful experimental system in which to study the multihormonal regulation of plasminogen activator.
Conjunctival blue nevus

The authors report a case of a conjunctival blue nevus and review the literature pertaining to these pigmented lesions in this location, describing clinical and histological report of a patient with a blue nevus of the palpebral conjunctiva with a literature review. A 64-year-old white female was evaluated for a darkening pigmented lesion of the left lower palpebral conjunctiva. Examination revealed a 3 mm x 6mm blue-black lesion with sharply demarcated edges and an irregular border. Histopa - thology showed plump spindle-shaped, pigmented melanocytic cells revealing a branching network of dendritic processes with small, elongated, and hyperchromatic nuclei consistent with a common blue nevus. No recurrence was noted at 9-month follow-up. Blue nevi of the conjunctiva are lesions that have a low risk for malignant transformation but can appear clinically similar to primary acquired melanosis or melanoma. Blue nevi of the conjunctiva are rare and represent 0.5%-3.0% of pigmented conjunctival lesions. There was one reported case in a literature search of a malignant melanoma arising from a conjunctival cellular blue nevus. Treatment is complete wide excisional biopsy.
Stranger danger: Parenthood increases the envisioned bodily formidability of menacing men

article i nfo Article history: Initial receipt 6 April 2013 Final revision received 1 November 2013 Due to altriciality and the importance of embodied capital, children's fitness is contingent on parental investment. Injury suffered by a parent therefore degrades the parent's fitness both by constraining reproduction and by diminishing the fitness of existing offspring. Due to the latter added cost, compared to non-parents, parents should be more cautious in hazardous situations, including potentially agonistic interactions. Prior research indicates that relative formidability is conceptualized in terms of size and strength. As erroneous under-estimation of a foe's formidability heightens the risk of injury, parents should therefore conceptualize a potential antagonist as larger, stronger, and of more sinister intent than should non- parents; secondarily, the presence of one's vulnerable children should exacerbate this pattern. We tested these predictions in the U.S. using reactions to an evocative vignette, administered via the Internet (Study 1), and in-person assessments of the facial photograph of a purported criminal, collected on the streets of Southern California (Study 2). As predicted, parents envisioned a potential antagonist to be more formidable than did non-parents. Significant differences between parents with children and non-parents without children in the threat that the foe was thought to pose (Study 1) were fully mediated by increases in estimated physical formidability.
Implementation of a virtual induction machine test bed utilizing the power hardware-in-the-loop concept

In this paper, a method for removing the risk associated with the testing and development of novel drive system topologies, prototype electric machines, advanced control system strategies, or a combination of the aforementioned without using any real motors/generators is presented. For low power machines, the test platforms are relatively inexpensive and accessible, however, as power levels increase into the upper kilowatt and megawatt range, validation of prototype machines and drives becomes costly. The proposed virtual machine (VM) test platform utilizes the power hardware-in-the-loop concept in conjunction with high-fidelity machine model and load dynamics. The electric machine and load dynamics are simulated with a real-time digital simulator, which generates appropriate control commands to a power electronics-based voltage amplifier that interfaces to a variable speed drive (VSD). Specifically, the current draw is recreated via altering the phase and magnitude of a voltage amplifier parallel connected to a VSD under test via a unique transformer-based LCL-type coupling network. Based on the proposed concept, use of a multi-winding, tap-changing transformer establishes a truly versatile and universal test bed in a wide range of power levels. In addition, this paper presents a novel control strategy in the synchronously rotating reference frame in dq-coordinates for parallel connected power electronic converters in VM operation. Experimental results at the kVA-power level validate the feasibility and highly dynamic performance of the proposed test platform.
Leading the Way to Compromise? Cultural Theory and Climate Change Opinion

Climate change is easily one of the most contentious policy problems facing the United States. A majority of climate scientists agree that the earth has warmed over the last 100 years and that human-made greenhouse gasses are the cause (e.g., Doran and Zimmerman 2009; IPCC 2007; Oreskes 2004, but also see Bray 2010), yet a nontrivial portion of the US population diverges sharply from this dominant scientific position (see, for example, Jenkins-Smith, Herron, and Silva 2010, 41–45; Leiserowitz 2006; Nisbet and Myers 2007). Why? Past research usually points to the public's lack of climate change knowledge (e.g., Kellstedt, Zahran, and Vedlitz 2008), finds that media over report the views of climate change skeptics in a misplaced quest for “balanced” reporting (e.g., Boykoff and Boykoff 2007, but see Swedlow and Wildavsky 1995), or the public simply take cues from opinion leaders whom they trust (e.g., Malka, Krosnick, and Langer 2009). This article moves beyond the predominant concern with climate change knowledge, messaging structures, and cue taking in past research, and shifts the focus to characteristics intrinsic to the individual. The research presented here assesses the extent that the cultural theory (CT) developed by Mary Douglas, Aaron Wildavsky, and others (see, e.g., Schwarz and Thompson 1990; Thompson, Ellis, and Wildavsky 1990) can help political scientists understand why so many Americans do not align themselves with the majority of scientists and can help policy makers broker compromises on climate change policy.
Critical current density measurements of thin films of YBaCuO

Thin films of the YBaCuO superconductor have been deposited by evaporation on SrTiO/sub 3/ substrates. After a post-anneal, the films were patterned into a four-probe geometry, and critical-current density measurements were made using a transport technique. Compositions both on and off the stoichiometric Y/sub 1/Ba/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ were studied, and measurements were made as a function of temperature and magnetic field. At 4.2 K and in ambient field, a stoichiometric film has a J/sub c/ greater than 10/sup 6/ A/cm/sup 2/ which falls off slowly out to approximately=55 K and then follows a power law dependence (1-t)/sup 3.3/, where t is the reduced temperature. The magnetic-field dependence of J/sub c/ at 4.2 K is weak, and for applied fields of 90 kOe, J/sub c/ has dropped only a factor of 10 from the ambient field. Off-stoichiometric films have lower J/sub c/'s which fall off faster and at lower temperatures. >
RESOURCE AND SPATIAL-USE PATTERNS OF AN ENDANGERED VERTEBRATE POLLINATOR, THE LESSER LONG-NOSED BAT

Abstract Understanding how the distribution and abundance of food resources influence space use of organisms is an important element of successful conservation and recovery strategies for endangered species. We investigated interrelationships between space use, activity patterns, and food resources for lesser long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris curasoae), an endangered nectar-feeding bat, during an energetically demanding phase of its annual life cycle. We estimated the size of home ranges (95% kernel areas) and core use-areas (50% kernel areas) of bats and estimated density of their forage plant (Agave palmeri) in and near these use areas. Density (x± SE plants/ha) of flowering agaves within home ranges (3.6 ± 1.04) exceeded that which was available on the landscape (1.8 ± 0.36), indicating that bats selected areas with high food abundance. Although density of agaves within home ranges of bats differed in successive years (1998: 3.6 ± 1.04; 1999: 0.8 ± 0.15), sizes of home ranges and core use-areas of adult ...
Truncation of Pharyngeal Gesture in English Diphthong (aɪ)

It is well acknowledged that [a] in English diphthongs (e.g. [a] in “pie’d”) has a different formant structure from its closest corresponding monophthong (e.g. [a] in “pod”). The current study proposes that these two sounds share the same cognitive unit, i.e. the pharyngeal constriction gesture that produces [a], and the surface difference can be modeled as a consequence of truncating the same articulatory movement in time by the following palatal glide in the diphthongal environment. Formation of pharyngeal constriction gesture during the production of [a] in a diphthong and in its corresponding monophthong was observed in various timing contexts using Realtime MRI; and the collected production data were quantitatively analyzed using the direct image analysis (DIA) technique, which infers tissue movement by tracking pixel intensity change over time in regions of interest. Results support our truncation account in that: (1) formation time of pharyngeal constriction is significantly longer in monophthongs than in diphthongs; (2) this duration correlates with the resulting constriction degree; and (3) the resulting constriction degree predicts the acoustic difference in the F2 dimension as predicted by our hypothesis.
Investigation Of Metabolic Disorders in Patients and Animal Models Using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

This chapter will review the current status of in Vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), with emphasis on the clinical applications of MRS. The results of MRS studies of muscle function, tumor metabolism, and other applications will be discussed. Techniques for obtaining MR signals from selected volumes of tissue and/or selected metabolites will be described.
The Rush University advanced trauma training program, a novel approach for military trauma training.

ABSTRACTNearly 90% of combat deaths occur on the battlefield before the casualty reaches a treatment facility. It has been shown that early intervention in trauma patients improves morbidity and mortality. Hence, the training of military health care providers in lifesaving measures is imperative to saving lives on the battlefield. To date, few courses exist to provide skills in combat-zone trauma stabilization and treatment. Even fewer offer training in the identification and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders and traumatic brain injury. We set out to develop a multidisciplinary, comprehensive course to include didactic lectures as well as hands-on training and observational modules. Ten courses have been delivered to date. Thus far, feedback from military personnel and course participants has revealed the positive impact of the training program. In this manuscript, we present the layout of the program and its contents.
WSQ/DSQ: a practical approach for combined querying of databases and the Web

We present WSQ/DSQ (pronounced “wisk-disk”), a new approach for combining the query facilities of traditional databases with existing search engines on the Web. WSQ, for Web-Supported (Database) Queries, leverages results from Web searches to enhance SQL queries over a relational database. DSQ, for Database-Supported (Web) Queries, uses information stored in the database to enhance and explain Web searches. This paper focuses primarily on WSQ, describing a simple, low-overhead way to support WSQ in a relational DBMS, and demonstrating the utility of WSQ with a number of interesting queries and results. The queries supported by WSQ are enabled by two virtual tables, whose tuples represent Web search results generated dynamically during query execution. WSQ query execution may involve many high-latency calls to one or more search engines, during which the query processor is idle. We present a lightweight technique called asynchronous iteration that can be integrated easily into a standard sequential query processor to enable concurrency between query processing and multiple Web search requests. Asynchronous iteration has broader applications than WSQ alone, and it opens up many interesting query optimization issues. We have developed a prototype implementation of WSQ by extending a DBMS with virtual tables and asynchronous iteration; performance results are reported.
Pharmacogenomic Testing and Warfarin Management

Warfarin has been used for the prevention of thrombosis for more than 50 years and is the most frequently prescribed vitamin K antagonist in North America (Gage & Eby, 2003). Its mode of action is to prevent vitamin K from converting to vitamin KH2, thereby inhibiting clotting factors (Johnson & Cavallari, 2015). Warfarin metabolism is affected by variations in the cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) and the vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 (VKORC1) genotypes. CYP2C9 affects the drug's pharmacokinetics, or metabolism, whereas VKORC1, the target protein of warfarin, affects the drug's pharmacodynamics, or its impact on cell proteins .
Ecological genomics of pseudomonas syringae

Pseudomonas syringae is well known as a model bacterial phytopathogen in the laboratory, environment, and the field. A focus on understanding mechanisms of virulence in planta has motivated extensive research into genetic, genomic, and evolutionary factors that influence disease. However, in recent years, appreciation has grown for the life cycle of P. syringae outside of the context of plant disease. This bacterial species survives and thrives across many environments, with its broad ecology shaped through interactions with phage, bacteria, fungi, and insects in addition to traditional host plants. Here we explore what is known about the genetic and genomic basis of these diverse ecological interactions. We highlight how both new and old approaches can be used to unify our understanding of these relationships and map a path forward enabled by high-throughput genomics.
Heading Tuning in Macaque Area V6.

Cortical areas, such as the dorsal subdivision of the medial superior temporal area (MSTd) and the ventral intraparietal area (VIP), have been shown to integrate visual and vestibular self-motion signals. Area V6 is interconnected with areas MSTd and VIP, allowing for the possibility that V6 also integrates visual and vestibular self-motion cues. An alternative hypothesis in the literature is that V6 does not use these sensory signals to compute heading but instead discounts self-motion signals to represent object motion. However, the responses of V6 neurons to visual and vestibular self-motion cues have never been studied, thus leaving the functional roles of V6 unclear. We used a virtual reality system to examine the 3D heading tuning of macaque V6 neurons in response to optic flow and inertial motion stimuli. We found that the majority of V6 neurons are selective for heading defined by optic flow. However, unlike areas MSTd and VIP, V6 neurons are almost universally unresponsive to inertial motion in the absence of optic flow. We also explored the spatial reference frames of heading signals in V6 by measuring heading tuning for different eye positions, and we found that the visual heading tuning of most V6 cells was eye-centered. Similar to areas MSTd and VIP, the population of V6 neurons was best able to discriminate small variations in heading around forward and backward headings. Our findings support the idea that V6 is involved primarily in processing visual motion signals and does not appear to play a role in visual–vestibular integration for self-motion perception. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To understand how we successfully navigate our world, it is important to understand which parts of the brain process cues used to perceive our direction of self-motion (i.e., heading). Cortical area V6 has been implicated in heading computations based on human neuroimaging data, but direct measurements of heading selectivity in individual V6 neurons have been lacking. We provide the first demonstration that V6 neurons carry 3D visual heading signals, which are represented in an eye-centered reference frame. In contrast, we found almost no evidence for vestibular heading signals in V6, indicating that V6 is unlikely to contribute to multisensory integration of heading signals, unlike other cortical areas. These findings provide important constraints on the roles of V6 in self-motion perception.
Defining the contribution of renal dysfunction to outcome after traumatic injury.

Renal failure is frequently considered an ominous development after injury, but its impact on outcome is poorly understood. Renal dysfunction or failure can be defined in many ways, such as elevated serum creatinine or the need for dialysis. The best method to characterize renal dysfunction however, is not known. To determine which definition of renal dysfunction correlates best with outcome, we retrospectively analyzed all injured patients from 1994 to 2000 who had an Injury Severity Score ≥14 and a hospital length of stay >2 days for the development of renal impairment. One hundred sixty-seven patients (4%) developed a serum creatinine ≥2.o mg/dL and 49 patients required dialysis. Patients with renal dysfunction were older, suffered from more comorbid medical problems, were more seriously injured, and were more likely to have been in shock. A serum creatinine ≥2.0 mg/dL, the maximum creatinine level, and need for dialysis, were highly correlated with death, and the total number of dialysis treatments was not. All measures of renal dysfunction correlated relatively poorly with length of stay. These data demonstrate that the simple measure of serum creatinine ≥2.0 mg/dL is associated with a significantly increased likelihood of death in injured patients and is a stronger predictor than other common indicators of renal impairment.
Neuroscience: Making risk-takers settle

In rats, individual differences in risk preference and in sensitivity to gains compared with losses are controlled by a specific neuronal population, stimulation of which neutralizes risk-seeking behaviour. See Letter p.642 Some people are risk-seekers and others risk-avoiders, and even risk-avoiders sometimes make risky choices; the neural substrate of this variability is not known. Karl Deisseroth and colleagues show in rats that increased activity of dopamine receptor type 2 (D2R)-expressing cells in the nucleus accumbens during a 'decision' period reflects a 'loss' outcome of the previous decision and predicts a subsequent safe choice. Individual differences in the size of the activity increase correlated with risk preference. By artificially increasing the activity of D2R neurons during the decision period, the authors could turn risk-seeking rats into risk-avoiding rats. These results indicate that state and trait variations in risk preference are controlled by D2R-expressing nucleus accumbens neurons.
Relationships between rs228883 gene polymorphisms of PRKCA and susceptibility of asthma

OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between locus rs228883 and the susceptibility of asthma through detecting the polymorphism of rs228883 of protein kinase C-a(PKRCA) gene in protein kinase of asthma patients and normal patients from eastern China.METHODS We conducted a case-control study by using MassARRAY-IPLEX technique and MALDI-TOF-MS to determine loci rs228883 of gene PRKCA,and then the relevant statistical analysis was performed.RESULTS Compared with control group,there were significant differences in genotype frequency of rs228883 in asthma group,(P0.05).The SNP was more in line with the overdominant model(P=0.025),which meant that,compared to CC+CT,genotype CT increased the frisk rate of asthma(OR=1.60,95%CI:1.06～2.41,P=0.025).CONCLUSION The polymorphic loci rs228883 of gene PRKCA may related to asthma with heterozygous genotype CT increase the risk of asthma.
Fortification Through Topological Dominance: Using Hop Distance and Randomized Topology Strategies to Enhance Network Security

The potential to utilize information that identifies threatening and threatened nodes in a network in order to separate them with greater hop distances by using ring networks was demonstrated by the authors in a previous work. Here these ideas are expanded by generalizing the structures and tactics used to separate threatening and threatened nodes to make them more broadly applicable by using generalized network rings. In addition, the notion of randomization of the network topology is introduced as a dynamic means to increase the technical debt to the attacker, offer real time risk management of the network, and further expand the application of separation techniques in real world networks.