cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunological responses after immunisation of mice with microparticles containing antigen and single stranded RNA (polyuridylic acid).

Certain toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, e.g. CpG DNA, can be used as potent vaccine 'adjuvants'. It is known that some sequences of single stranded (ss) RNA stimulate proinflammatory and antiviral responses following interaction with TLR 7 and 8. We have encapsulated ovalbumin (OVA) in the presence and absence of polyuridylic acid (poly-U) inside polylactide microparticles. In comparison to microparticles containing only OVA, bulk cultures of bone marrow-derived plasmacytoid and myeloid dendritic cells produced more (P<0.05) IL-12 and interferon (IFN)-alpha when stimulated with microparticles containing OVA and poly-U. Subcutaneous injection of comicroencapsulated OVA and poly-U resulted in statistically elevated levels of serum anti-OVA IgG1 (P<0.05 versus naive mice). Conversely, anti-OVA IgG1 levels in C57 BL6 mice immunised with OVA loaded microparticles (without RNA) were statistically indifferent to naive animals. Furthermore, injection of coencapsulated OVA and poly-U resulted in (P<0.05) greater numbers of OVA specific IFN-gamma secreting T-cells as compared with mice injected with OVA loaded microparticles. A similar trend was seen in mice immunised with OVA loaded microparticles decorated with CpG or solutions of admixed OVA and CpG (P<0.05). These data demonstrate, for the first time, that appropriately formulated ssRNA can act as a potent adjuvant and modulator of adaptive immunological responses.
Pulsed Plasma Thruster System for Microsatellites

The design and qualification of a pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) system for microsatellites is presented. Developed for the University of Washington's Dawgstar satellite, the micro-PPT provides formation keeping, orbit maintenance, and attitude control functions for satellites in the 10-100-kg range. Thrust is created when solid Teflon® propellant is ionized by a pulsed, high-current electrical arc and accelerated by a combination of electromagnetic and gas dynamic forces. The system presented provides thrust levels from 60 to 275 μN with specific impulses up to 266 s. A centralized power-processing unit utilizing high voltage switching enables a reduction in system mass when compared to previous designs. The total mass for the system presented is 4.20 kg, which enables control of three axes of rotation and two axes of translation. Approximately 1.7 million pulses were successfully accumulated on the flight qualification unit, representing a total system impulse of approximately 1000 N s. Mission design, mechanical and electrical design, and detailed results from ground testing are discussed.
Structural correlation between apomorphine and LSD: involvement of dopamine as well as serotonin in the actions of hallucinogens

It is suggested that the action of LSD and other hallucinogens depends, not only on stimulation of serotonin receptors, but also on stimulation of central dopamine receptors. Both pharmacological and structural-chemical evidence is presented to support the latter hypothesis. A structural correlation is also demonstrated between LSD and apomorphine, and the probable dopaminergic element in LSD is discussed.
Structure of the epithelial - mesenchymal interface during early morphogenesis of the chick duodenum.

Abstract During the period of early morphogenetic folding of the intestinal epithelium, changes in the epithelial-mesenchymal interface were observed by light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The epithelium, in cross-section, appears first as a circle, then an ellipse and finally a triangle prior to the formation of the first three previllous ridges. The bases of all epithelial cells are flat at the circle stage. At the ellipse and triangle stages the bases of the epithelial cells, occupying the sides possess lobopodia that do not penetrate the basal lamina. The immediate mesenchymal cells subjacent to those epithelial cells on the sides of the ellipse and triangle alter their orientation to being rounded-up or perpendicular to the plane of the basal lamina. Large numbers of fine mesenchymal pseudopodia in addition to many extracellular fibrils are revealed by transmission and scanning electron microscopy at the epithelial-mesenchymal interface. The fine mesenchymal pseudopodia come into close contact but do not penetrate the ruthenium red-staining basal lamina. The possible roles of close contact between ephithelium and mesenchyme, the alteration in orientation of mesenchyme cells, and of the basal lamina in tissue interaction are discussed.
Twist1-Induced Invadopodia Formation Promotes Tumor Metastasis

The Twist1 transcription factor is known to promote tumor metastasis and induce Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). Here, we report that Twist1 is capable of promoting the formation of invadopodia, specialized membrane protrusions for extracellular matrix degradation. Twist1 induces PDGFRα expression, which in turn activates Src, to promote invadopodia formation. We show that Twist1 and PDGFRα are central mediators of invadopodia formation in response to various EMT-inducing signals. Induction of PDGFRα and invadopodia is essential for Twist1 to promote tumor metastasis. Consistent with PDGFRα being a direct transcriptional target of Twist1, coexpression of Twist1 and PDGFRα predicts poor survival in breast tumor patients. Therefore, invadopodia-mediated matrix degradation is a key function of Twist1 in promoting tumor metastasis.
Spray Forming Quality Predictions via Neural Networks

]To produce consistently high-quality spray-formed parts,correlations must be made between the input process parameters and the final part quality. The Spray Forming Technology Group at the Naval Surface Warfare Center decided to “model” this correlation through the use of artificial neural networks. In this study, neural networks accurately predicted trends in spray forming process outputs based on variations in process inputs. The graphs generated by the neural network prediction help to define the optimal operating region for the spray forming process and indicate the effect of changing input process parameters on final part quality
Activation by autophosphorylation or cGMP binding produces a similar apparent conformational change in cGMP-dependent protein kinase.

Abstract Binding of cyclic nucleotide to or autophosphorylation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) activates this kinase, but the molecular mechanism of activation for either process is unknown. Activation of PKG by cGMP binding produces a conformational change in the enzyme (Chu, D.-M., Corbin, J. D., Grimes, K. A., and Francis, S. H. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 31922–31928; Zhao, J., Trewhella, J., Corbin, J., Francis, S., Mitchell, R., Brushia, R., and Walsh, D. (1997)J. Biol. Chem. 272, 39129–31936). In the present studies, activation of type Iβ PKG by either autophosphorylation or cGMP-binding alone causes (i) an electronegative charge shift on ion exchange chromatography, (ii) a similar increase (∼3.5 A) in the Stokes radius as determined by gel filtration chromatography, and (iii) a similar decrease in the mobility of the enzyme on native gel electrophoresis. Consistent with these results, cGMP binding increases the rate of phosphoprotein phosphatase-1 catalyzed dephosphorylation of PKG which is autophosphorylated only at Ser-63 (not activated); however, dephosphorylation of PKG that is highly autophosphorylated (activated) is not stimulated by cGMP. The combined results suggest that activation of PKG by either autophosphorylation or cGMP binding alone produces a similar apparent elongation of the enzyme, implying that either process activates the enzyme by a similar molecular mechanism.
Large Homogeneous communication networks with Markovian access control. I. Equilibria and local stability

Abstract A state space model for a class of Large Homogeneous communication networks with Markovian access control disciplines is considered. It is assumed that each user has a finite or infinite buffer. Asymptotic analysis of the resulting stochastic finite-difference equations reveals the following, previously unknown properties common to all networks in this class: (i) the load line is an algebraic curve of order N, where N is the length of the buffers; (ii) for N = ∞, the average steady state buffer occupancy is y S = y 1 (1 − y 1 ) where y 1 is the intersection point of the load and transmission lines; an analogous expression is derived also for N
Therapeutic Effects of Selective Atrioventricular Node Vagal Stimulation in Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure

Therapeutic Effects of Selective AVN-VS in AF and HF. Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) frequently coexist. We have previously demonstrated that selective atrioventricular node (AVN) vagal stimulation (AVN-VS) can be used to control ventricular rate during AF. Due to withdrawal of vagal activity in HF, the therapeutic effects of AVN-VS may be compromised in the combined condition of AF and HF. Accordingly, this study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of AVN-VS to control ventricular rate in AF and HF. Methods and Results: A combined model of AF and HF was created by implanting a dual chamber pacemaker in 24 dogs. A newly designed bipolar electrode was inserted into the ganglionic AVN fat pad and connected to a nerve stimulator for delivering AVN-VS. In all dogs, HF was induced by high rate ventricular pacing at 220 bpm for 4 weeks. AF was then induced and maintained by rapid atrial pacing at 600 bpm after discontinuation of ventricular pacing. These HF + AF dogs were randomized into control (n = 9) and AVN-VS (n = 15) groups. In the latter group, vagal stimulation (310 μs, 20 Hz, 3–7 mA) was delivered continuously for 6 months. Compared with the control, AVN-VS had a consistent effect on ventricular rate slowing (by >50 bpm, all P < 0.001) during the entire 6-month observation period that was associated with left ventricular functional improvement. Moreover, AVN-VS was well tolerated by the treated animals. Conclusions: AVN-VS achieved consistent rate slowing, which was associated with improved ventricular function in a canine AF and HF model. Thus, AVN-VS may be a novel, effective therapeutic option in the combined condition of AF and HF. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 24, pp. 86-91, January 2013)
Skeletal chemistry of Nautilus and its taxonomic significance

Abstract The strontium (Sr) and magnesium (Mg) chemistry of the shell wall and septum as well as the spherulitic-prismatic and nacreous layers of these structures was determined for Nautilus species: N. belauensis, N. macromphalus, N. pompilius and N. scrobiculatus . Each species of Nautilus exhibits greater variability and higher concentrations of Mg in juvenile portions of the shell than in more mature portions of the shell. This decrease in the variability and amount of Mg in the aragonite lattice suggests a physiochemical system which becomes more efficient with time relative to carbonate production. Statistically significant differences in the Sr and Mg content of spherulitic-prismatic and nacreous layers of the shell and septum indicate that these layers were formed from extracellular fluids of different compositions. Concentrations of Sr and Mg in aragonite of the shell wall are characteristic for each species and sufficiently invariant within species to allow species of Nautilus to be distinguished statistically on the basis of either the Sr or Mg content of the shell wall or the Mg content of septa.
Sensitivity of Deinococcus radiodurans to near-ultraviolet radiation

Abstract Although Dienococcus radiodurans is notoriously resistant to far-ultraviolet radiation (FUV; 254 nm), it is highly sensitive to near-ultraviolet radiation (NUV; 300–400 nm), thus demonstrating that the mechanisms of damage (and/or recovery) by the two types of irradiation are different. This observed difference between FUV and NUV effects in D. radiodurans agrees with previous studies with Escherichia coli . Near-ultraviolet radiation produces DNA damage which is presumed to be single-strand breaks (SSB) in the DNA of D. radiodurans . Unique lesions, such as DNA-protein crosslinks could not be demonstrated in this study. Cells that were pre-irradiated with a small dose of NUV were subsequently protected against inactivating doses of NUV. The data presented are consistent with induced DNA repair following NUV damage in D. radiodurans ; this is in contrast to FUV damage where DNA repair is constitutive but not induced.
Intimate Partner Aggression Perpetrated and Sustained by Male Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam Veterans With and Without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) consistently evidence higher rates of intimate partner aggression perpetration than veterans without PTSD, but most studies have examined rates of aggression among Vietnam veterans several years after their deployment. The primary aim of this study was to examine partner aggression among male Afghanistan or Iraq veterans who served during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and compare this aggression to that reported by Vietnam veterans with PTSD. Three groups were recruited, OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD (n = 27), OEF/OIF veterans without PTSD (n = 31), and Vietnam veterans with PTSD (n = 28). Though only a few comparisons reached significance, odds ratios suggested that male OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD were approximately 1.9 to 3.1 times more likely to perpetrate aggression toward their female partners and 1.6 to 6 times more likely to report experiencing female perpetrated aggression than the other two groups. Significant co...
Pharmacogenetics and clinical gastroenterology

Many drugs exhibit variable efficacy and toxicity. Pharmacogenetics explores the genetic underpinnings of variable drug response. Pharmacogenetic testing is beginning to enter the clinic and will have a significant impact on the practice of clinical gastroenterology. Thiopurine S-methyltransferase screening, which will likely become routine for thiopurine recipients, illustrates the promise and limitations of pharmacogenetics. Testing for variation in other drug metabolism pathways may also become important. Pharmacogenetics will complement but not replace traditional methods for choosing drugs and for selecting dosing regimens for narrow-therapeutic-index drugs.
Structural modifications of the prostate in hypoxia, oxidative stress, and chronic ischemia.

Purpose Clinical studies have reported a correlation between pelvic ischemia and voiding dysfunction in elderly men. The aim of this study was to identify and compare prostate structural modifications in cultured cells and in a rabbit model after exposure to hypoxia, oxidative stress, and chronic ischemia. Materials and methods Cultured human prostate smooth muscle cells (SMCs), epithelial cells (ECs), and stromal cells (SCs) were incubated under normoxia, hypoxia, and oxidative stress conditions by use of a computerized oxycycler system. We developed a rabbit model of chronic prostate ischemia by creating aorto-iliac arterial atherosclerosis. Markers of oxidative stress were examined by using fluorometric analysis and enzyme immunoassay. Prostate structure was examined by using Masson's trichrome staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results Lipid peroxidation was found in SMCs exposed to hypoxia and in all cell types exposed to oxidative stress. We identified protein oxidation in ECs exposed to hypoxia and in all cell types exposed to oxidative stress. Markers indicating oxidative damage were present in chronically ischemic rabbit prostate tissue. These reactions were associated with DNA damage. Prostate ischemia resulted in epithelial atrophy, loss of smooth muscle, and diffuse fibrosis. TEM showed swollen mitochondria with degraded cristae, loss of membrane, loss of Golgi bodies, degenerated nerves, and disrupted cell-to-cell junctions. Conclusions Human prostate cells exhibited differential reactions to hypoxia and oxidative stress with widespread DNA damage. Structural modifications in ischemic prostate tissue were similar to those in cells exposed to oxidative stress. Structural changes due to ischemia and oxidative stress may contribute to prostatic noncompliance in aging men.
The accuracy of estimated gestational age based on ultrasound measurement of biparietal diameter in preterm premature rupture of the membranes.

Abstract The management of patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes is often influenced by the ultrasound measurement of biparietal diameter. The cephalic index has been used in pregnancies with intact membranes to predict the presence of an abnormal biparietal diameter that may be unreliable in estimating gestational age. This study analyzed 100 patients with rupture of the membranes between the beginning of gestation week 28 and the end of week 34. The cephalic index was found to be abnormal 45% of the time; all were in the brachiocephalic range. The biparietal diameter was affected by presentation and presence or absence of amniotic fluid (p
Connectivity-based analysis: Application to white matter maturation in mouse brain

This paper presents a paradigm for population-based studies using geodesic connectivity maps computed from DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) data. Geodesic connectivity maps provide a measure of connectivity characterization between different regions of the brain using a tensor-based measure that combines anisotropy and orientation information. A connectivity map is constructed relative to a given region in a template space. Population based statistical analysis is then undertaken on these connectivity maps, pertaining to regions of interest. Group-wise changes in these connectivity maps therefore indicate potential disruptions of pathways connecting the ROI with the rest of the brain. This general paradigm for connectivity-based analysis is applied herein to a specific problem, namely the study of white matter maturation in a developing mouse brain, by performing voxel-wise linear regression on connectivity maps computed from several white matter regions. The study shows a significant effect of age whereas no effect of sex is observed.
Spin determination of particle unstable levels with particle correlations

Particle correlation functions from central $^{129}\mathrm{Xe}+^{197}\mathrm{Au}$ collisions at $50A\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MeV}$ have been measured with a large area $\text{silicon}\text{\penalty1000-\hskip0pt}\text{strip}∕\mathrm{Cs}\mathrm{I}$ detector array. A new technique of spin determination from particle correlation functions is proposed. Two examples of correlation functions are studied. The spin of the first excited level of $^{8}\mathrm{B}$ at $0.774\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MeV}$ is determined as $J=1$.
A Platform to Study Curvature Effects of Proteins on Membranes

The topography of a cell membrane is heterogeneous but well regulated. Specific cell processes, such as clathrin-mediated endocytosis, locally induce a large degree of curvature in the cell membrane and require several proteins to bind and shape the membrane. The N-terminal Homology domain of Epsin (ENTH) is a membrane binding domain involved in endocytosis that is believed to induce local curvature in lipid bilayers. Previous investigations, looking at small round vesicles in the presence of the ENTH domain using negative-stained electron microscope images, have shown tubulation of vesicles in the presence of purified ENTH domain. However vesicle dehydration from the staining process makes it difficult to discriminate morphological artifacts from protein-induced curvature.Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) avoids dehydration artifacts from heavy stains and preserves the round morphology of lipid vesicles. Using cryo-EM, we explore two methods of vesicle preparation: extrusion of lipids through a porous membrane with 100 nm pores and solubilization of lipids in detergent and slow dialysis of the detergent. We show that the extrusion method introduces a small sample of elongated and non-spherical shapes in the vesicle population, whereas the detergent-dialysis method produces perfectly round vesicles.Using the detergent-dialysis method to produce round vesicles, we can add putative curvature-inducing proteins to these vesicles and observe the effects of these proteins on vesicle curvature using cryo-EM. This provides an ideal platform to study the effects of curvature-inducing proteins on vesicle morphology.
Unconstrained minimization approach for electronic computations that scales linearly with system size.

We present a method for the calculation of total energies and forces that scales linearly with the number of atoms in the system. The key points are (i) an unconstrained conjugate gradient minimization of the electronic energy that avoids the need of explicit orthonormalization, and (ii) description of the electrons in terms of localized wave functions, truncated beyond a radius ${\mathit{R}}_{\mathit{c}}$. The method is variational, giving an upper bound to the exact total energy, and is exact as ${\mathit{R}}_{\mathit{c}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}. We test the method for a model tight-binding Hamiltonian, and in full ab initio molecular-dynamics calculations.
Transmission distortion in Crohn's disease risk gene ATG16L1 leads to sex difference in disease association.

Background: Crohn's disease (CD), an inflammatory disease of the bowel, affects millions of people around the world. Evidence suggests that disease onset and pathogenesis differ between males and females. Yet no comprehensive efforts exist to assess the sex-specific genetic architecture of CD. Methods: We used genotyping data from a cohort of 1748 CD cases and 2938 controls to investigate 71 meta-analysis-confirmed CD risk loci for sex differences in disease risk. We further validated the significant results in separate cohorts of 968 CD cases and 2809 controls, and performed a meta-analysis across datasets. Results: The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3792106 (C/T) in ATG16L1 showed a significant sex effect with P-value 6.9 × 10−13 and allelic odds ratio 1.48 in females, and P-value 0.013 and odds ratio 1.22 in males (odds ratio heterogeneity P-value 0.037). Surprisingly, the difference was found to arise from a discrepancy in allele frequencies between male and female controls (P-value 0.0045) rather than cases. We found similar results for this SNP in the separate validation datasets. Using 155 HapMap 3 trios, we detected significant maternal overtransmission of the T allele at rs3792106 (P-value 0.027). Conclusions: Our results indicate that different transmission patterns between sexes may sustain the disparate allele frequencies at rs3792106 in healthy populations, and furthermore that a virus-risk variant mechanism implicated in CD alters the distribution in diseased patients. To our knowledge, this is the first report of sex-specific CD association in ATG16L1. The possible implications in CD and basic human biology present interesting areas for future investigation. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011;)
Non-linear resolution vision systems

The concept of a nonlinear resolution (NLR) vision system is introduced. Some basic problems in developing NLR vision systems are discussed. An NLR vision simulation system is also proposed. This proposed system resamples a digitized linear resolution image with a nonlinear sampling rate. An NLR vision system does not sense an image with a uniform resolution. Therefore, the sensed image is distorted according to a chosen nonlinear curve (or surface). If the curve (or surface) is controlled properly, an NLR vision system can not only provide good resolution and a large image window at the same time when the number of image pixels is a constant, but can also provide an invariant description of objects in an image. >
The adaptive significance of color polymorphism in two species of Diaptomus (Copepoda)1

In the Lower Grand Coulee, Washington, Diaptomus nevadensis in Soap Lake contains larger amounts of the carotenoid astaxanthin than in Lake Lenore. During winter, Diaptomus sicilis contains larger amounts of pigment in both lakes, but in summer individuals from Lake Lenore are much reduced in pigment while those from Soap Lake are unchanged. The amount of astaxanthin might be a reflection of the amount of pigment in the copepods’ diet or might reflect the relative importance of selective forces acting for and against pigmentation, Seasonal variations in copepod carotenoid content did not correspond with variations in total lipid content. Algal abundance was measured by chlorophyll a and plant carotenoids correlated with copepod carotenoids only in the case of D. neuadensis in Soap Lake. The percent of D. nevadensis guts containing algae was correlated with their pigment content in both lakes. Visually oriented predators, such as damselfly nymphs from both lakes and salamander larvae from Lake Lenore, selected red copepods, but few predators from Lake Lenore contained D. nevadensis. Since members of this species were rare, the probability of finding a predator that had consumed one was low. When fed identical diets, copepods from Lake Lenore were a fifth to a thirtieth as efficient at assimilating carotenoid as those from Soap Lake. This supports the hypothesis that the pigment differences are the result of natural selection. Selective predation is implicated as the explanation for the small amounts of pigment in Lake Lenore copepods.
Detecting computer-induced errors in remote-sensing JPEG compression algorithms

The JPEG image compression standard is very sensitive to errors. Even though it contains error resilience features, it cannot easily cope with induced errors from computer soft faults prevalent in remote-sensing applications. Hence, new fault tolerance detection methods are developed to sense the soft errors in major parts of the system while also protecting data across the boundaries where data flow from one subsystem to the other. The design goal is to guarantee no compressed or decompressed data contain computer-induced errors without detection. Detection methods are expressed at the algorithm level so that a wide range of hardware and software implementation techniques can be covered by the fault tolerance procedures while still maintaining the JPEG output format. The major subsystems to be addressed are the discrete cosine transform, quantizer, entropy coding, and packet assembly. Each error detection method is determined by the data representations within the subsystem or across the boundaries. They vary from real number parities in the DCT to bit-level residue codes in the quantizer, cyclic redundancy check parities for entropy coding, and packet assembly. The simulation results verify detection performances even across boundaries while also examining roundoff noise effects in detecting computer-induced errors in processing steps.
High isolation, planar filters using EBG substrates

The concept of electromagnetic bandgaps (EBGs) has been utilized to develop a high-quality filter that can be integrated monolithically with other components due to a reduced height, planar design. Coupling adjacent defect elements in a periodic lattice creates a filter characterized by its ease of fabrication, high-Q performance, high-port isolation, and integrability to planar or 3-D circuit architectures. The filter proof of concept has been demonstrated in a metallo-dielectric lattice. The measured and simulated results of 2-, 3-, and 6-pole filters are presented at 10.7 GHz.
Taking Stock of Health-Related Quality-of-Life Measurement in Oncology Practice in the United States

This article focuses on the routine use of patient-reported outcomes measures in oncology clinical practice to monitor patient progress and inform decision making; and in particular, on measuring patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The article summarizes the current literature on the acceptability to patients and clinicians of HRQOL measurement and on the effectiveness of feedback to clinicians about their patients' concerns and quality of life. It also describes the experiences recounted by clinicians and researchers who have been implementing such efforts and concludes that in the United States, little HRQOL measurement occurs in oncology practice. That is, much methodological development has occurred, but many challenges to its widespread adoption exist. These challenges include limitations in knowledge about how to apply outcomes instruments, and clinician, patient-related, and health system issues. That effort deserves significant attention now. The way forward, however, does not lie simply in adding HRQOL measurement to other tasks that are part of everyday practice. Rather, attention to principles of effective dissemination and new information infrastructures and technologies, combined with redesign of care, should embed the routine use of patient-reported outcomes in the care process to provide timely response to patients' needs for information and services.
Cross-modal associations and the human amygdala.

Abstract The role of the human amygdala in cross-modal associations was investigated in two subjects: SM-046, who had bilateral damage circumscribed to the amygdala; and the patient known as Boswell, whose damage in both temporal lobes includes the amygdala and surrounding cortices. Neither subject was impaired on Tactile-Visual or Visual-Tactile cross-modal tasks using the Arc-Circle test [32], suggesting that the amygdala is not involved in cross-modal associations involving perceptually “equivalent” basic stimulus properties. On the other hand, the results are compatible with the amygdala's involvement in higher-order associations between exteroceptive sensory data and interoceptive data concerned with correlated somatic states.
The identity of Chirosia cepelaki Teschner, 1978 (Diptera, Anthomyiidae & Scathophagidae).

An examination of the holotype of Chirosia cepelaki teschner, 1978 revealed that this name should be transferred from Anthomyiidae to Scathophagidae. Delina cepelaki (Teschner, 1978), comb. nov., is a valid name for a species of Delina Robineau-DesVoidy known from the Czech and Slovak Republics.
Coupled Oscillators for Fun and Profit

: A prime example of long-range cooperative behavior is when populations of nonlinear oscillators spontaneously synchronize. This phenomenon crops up in many places in biology and applied physics. Some twenty years ago, Yoshiki Kuramoto introduced a simple tractable model which captures key elements of the phenomenon. It also provides new answers to old questions about certain superconducting circuits having applications for fast electronics.
THE USE OF REMINISCENCE THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION IN RURAL-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS

This article explores the potential for the use of reminiscence therapy as an effective means of reducing depression among institutionalized, rural-dwelling elders, especially elderly women. Reminiscence therapy is a nurse-initiated intervention that has the advantages of being cost-effective, therapeutic, social, and recreational for the institutionalized older adult. As a communicative psychosocial process, reminiscence therapy has proven to be a valuable intervention for the depressed elderly client (Cully, LaVoie, & Gfeller, 2001; Haight & Hendrix, 1998; Haight, Michel, & Hendrix, 1998, 2000). It has been shown that depressed elders living in rural areas resist treatment from mental health services for a variety of different reasons (Molinari, Boeve, Kunik, & Snow-Turek, 1999; Neese, Abraham, & Buckwalter, 1999). For those elders, reminiscence therapy may prove an extremely beneficial alternative to more traditional treatment modalities in reducing the effects of depression and depressive symptoms.
Creating a virtual nursing honor society: Key technology design considerations

The current academic environment is growing exponentially due to online learning. As such, it is important to include outstanding online learners in honor societies for recognition of their academic excellence. Recognizing this need coupled with having no honor society, nursing faculty from a small private university in Southwestern Pennsylvania created a virtual Nursing Honor Society to distinguish their online nursing students’ scholarly achievements. Discipline specific honor societies offer an opportunity for students and alumni to maintain a connection to the academic institution, fellow classmates, and alumni for professional networking and continuing education that has not been readily available to programs that provide education to online students. As such, technological strategies for planning and website development are offered to assist other institutions in creating virtual honor societies acknowledging their online learners scholarly achievements.
Analysis of an induction motor fed from a six step voltage source inverter

The three-phase squirrel-cage induction motor fed from a six-step voltage-source inverter is analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the nonsinusoidal voltage source on the steady and dynamic performance of the machine. It is shown that, while the stator quantities such as currents and flux linkages respond to the switching of the voltage by the inverter producing hexagonal vectors in the d-q stationary reference frame, the rotor variables are almost circular. The presence of the sixth harmonic torque is confirmed both by simulation and the fast Fourier transform of the electromagnetic torque. >
Transgenic Mice Overexpressing the β1-Adrenergic Receptor in Adipose Tissue Are Resistant to Obesity

The ratio of alpha- to beta-receptors is thought to regulate the lipolytic index of adipose depots. To determine whether increasing the activity of the beta 1-adrenergic receptor (AR) in adipose tissue would affect the lipolytic rate or the development of this tissue, we used the enhancer-promoter region of the adipocyte lipid-binding protein (aP2) gene to direct expression of the human beta 1 AR cDNA to adipose tissue. Expression of the transgene was seen only in brown and white adipose tissue. Adipocytes from transgenic mice were more responsive to beta AR agonists than were adipocytes from nontransgenic mice, both in terms of cAMP production and lipolytic rates. Transgenic animals were partially resistant to diet-induced obesity. They had smaller adipose tissue depots than their nontransgenic littermates, reflecting decreased lipid accumulation in their adipocytes. In addition to increasing the lipolytic rate, overexpression of the beta 1 AR induced the abundant appearance of brown fat cells in subcutaneous white adipose tissue. These results demonstrate that the beta 1 AR is involved in both stimulation of lipolysis and the proliferation of brown fat cells in the context of the whole organism. Moreover, it appears that it is the overall beta AR activity, rather than the particular subtype, that controls these phenomena.
Mapping Gene/Protein Names in Free Text to Biomedical Databases

Observing that many biomedical databases have been developed and maintained independently, their records referring to the same entities may have different sets of synonyms. Integration of names pertaining to the same entity would provide a more comprehensive list of synonyms than each individual database. We have assembled BioThesaurus, a thesaurus of proteins and their corresponding genes compiled from multiple databases for all UniProtKB records. In this study, the coverage of BioThesaurus, and the contribution of each individual database were assessed for several organisms. The result indicates that the coverage of BioThesaurus is over 80% for most of the organisms with an average of 85.4%. When restricted to individual databases or resources, the percentages dropped ranging from 3 to 30%. The study demonstrated that each individual database or resource has some synonyms not covered by other databases or resources, and a list of names compiled from multiple databases would be desired for systems requiring high recall.
Growth of Psychrophiles. II. Growth of Poultry Meat Spoilage Bacteria and Some Effects of Chlortetracyclinea

SUMMARY The alteration of growth characteristics by environmental factors, such as growth-temperature reductions and addition of chlortetraeycline to growth medium, was studied. Three bacteria that possessed different psychrophilic abilities were used as test organisms. The stresses imposed were measured by changes in growth rate, cell pigmentation, and lytic response to lysozyme. All strains grew well at 25°C, but differences began to become more pronounced at 12°C and differences were great at 4°C. Temperature fluctuations influenced subsequent growth. The effect of environmental changes on pigmentation varied with the test strain. The lytic response to lysozyme varied but was not greatly influenced by the environmental factors tested. A strain of Brevibacterium linens was found extremely resistant to lysozyme in a number of test systems.
Modeling of light scattering by submicrometer spherical particles on silicon and oxidized silicon surfaces

We report angle resolved scattering characteristics of individual submicrometer polystyrene spheres on silicon and on a 91.5 nm thick film of oxide on silicon. Both these surfaces are considered optically smooth because the root mean square (rms) vertical roughness ? is much less than the wavelength ? (???). Scattering was measured as a function of polarization using a He-Ne and argon laser at varying degrees of incident angle. The experimental results are compared with a semi-analytical model of sphere/surface light scattering and a finiteelement time-domain electromagnetics code used in conjunction with a far-field extrapolator called EXTRMAP. The scattering measurements showed good to excellent agreement with both models. The semianalytical model could be improved by fully accounting for standing wave effects, a phenomenon the finite-element time-domain model inherently includes. The results are qualitatively explained with reference to both standing wave phenomena and the silicon surface reflectance, which varies significantly as the beam incident angle and polarization are changed.
Immatures of the Old World Oil-Collecting Bee Ctenoplectra cornuta (Apoidea: Apidae: Apinae: Ctenoplectrini)

ABSTRACT The mature oocyte, all five larval instars, and the pupa of Ctenoplectra cornuta Gribodo are described based upon specimens from Taiwan. Its mature larva though larger is compared with, and found similar to, that of the African Ctenoplectra armata Magretti, the only other larval ctenoplectrine studied to date. The egg index was similar to that of the African C. albolimbata Magretti. Although Ctenoplectra shares certain larval and pupal similarities with Tetrapedia (Tetrapediini), a broader study including representatives of all apine tribes needs to be considered for evaluating tribal relationships.
Data Path Allocation for Synthesizing RTL Designs with Low BIST Area Overhead

Built-in self-test (BIST) techniques have evolved as cost-effective techniques for testing digital circuits. These techniques add test circuitry to the chip such that the chip has the capability to test itself. A prime concern in using BIST is the area overhead due to the modification of normal registers to be test registers. This paper presents data path allocation algorithms that 1) maximize the sharing of test registers resulting in a fewer number of registers being modified for BIST, and 2) minimize the number of CBILBO registers.
Exploiting the harmonic structure for speech enhancement

We provide a single channel speech enhancement method leveraging the harmonic structure of voiced speech. A sinusoidal model, based on the pitch of the speaker, is used to filter noisy speech and remove any noise components that lie between the harmonics. To remove noise that lie on each harmonic frequency, we use a noise estimation procedure that exploits spectral sparsity of voiced speech. By measuring the power spectrum at frequencies that correspond to the zero crossings of the windowing function, we can estimate the noise levels even in frames that have voiced speech. We also provide a constrained linear least squares formulation to reduce “musical noise” which arises from difficulty in estimating speech and noise power spectral densities. We show that our method yields high perceptual performance over existing methods, and can easily adapt to conditions in which the noise characteristics are constantly changing.
Dietary Fish Oil Inhibits Antigen-Specific Murine Th1 Cell Development by Suppression of Clonal Expansion

Todeterminethemechanismsbywhichdietaryfishoil(FO)affectsantigen-stimulatedTh1celldevelopment,DO11.10Rag 2 2/2 T cell receptortransgenicmice werefed acontroldiet (5%cornoil (CO)oraFO diet(1%CO 14%FO, (n-3)PUFA) for 2 wk. CD4 1 T cells were cultured under neutral or Th1 polarizing conditions. FO feeding suppressed (P , 0.05) ovalbumin peptide‐induced proliferation of nonpolarized CD4 1 T cells. Differentiation in vitro to Th1 cells was not affected by dietary FO, as evidenced by similar percentages of KJ1‐26 1 , IFN-g 1 , IL-4 2 Th1 cells in cultures from CO-fed (99%) and FO-fed (97%)mice.However,theabsolutenumberofviableTh1cellsinpolarizedculturesfromFO-fedmicewaslessthanhalfthat observedinCO-fedmice(P ,0.05),indicatingthatFOinhibitsinvitroTh1clonalexpansion.ThereducednumberofTh1cells in FOcultureswasnotaresultofincreasedapoptosis,becausesimilarpercentagesofapoptoticTh1cellswereobservedin culturesfromFO-andCO-fedmice.IL-2‐inducedcellproliferationwassignificantlydecreasedinpolarizedTh1cellsfromthe FOgroup;however,thesuppressedproliferationwasnotlinkedtoreducedCD25surfaceexpressiononantigen-stimulated CD4 1 T cells. Adoptively transferred CFSE-labeled DO11.10 CD4 1 cells into immunized mice (Th1 polarizing agents) showed that dietary FO reduced (P , 0.05) the number of cell divisions in vivo. These studies suggest that the attenuated inflammatory response which accompanies FO feeding may be explained, at least in part, by suppression of Th1 clonal expansion. J. Nutr. 136: 2391‐2398, 2006.
The effect of shear strength on load capacity of FRP strengthened beams with recycled concrete aggregate

Abstract Shear failure of reinforced concrete members is brittle and catastrophic, and should be avoided. This work presents a comparative study of concrete beams with natural crushed stone and those incorporating recycled concrete aggregate (RCA). The study indicates that the equation presented in ACI 318-14 Code requirements for predicting the shear strength of concrete is less conservative for RCA concrete beams. The presented experimental investigations show that strengthening with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) fabrics can be designed so that the shear capacity of the beams with weaker (RCA) concrete is higher than that of the control beams with natural aggregate concrete. The design of the FRP strengthening system and the reasons for the effectiveness of the design are explained.
Development of copper doped titania based photoanode and its performance for dye sensitized solar cell applications

Abstract Photoanode is one of the most important components in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for which oxide ceramics are among the top choices. It has been established that the metal doping can introduce structural defects in oxide ceramics such as in titania lattice which can result in increase in photo-absorption of solar cells. Metals such as Cu being inexpensive and readily available, have potential to cause phase transformation in titania at lower temperature supportive to cell performance. However, there is not enough data available in the literature on performance of DSSCs based on Cu-doped titania photoanode. In this work, we have synthesized undoped and doped titania nanoparticles by wet-chemistry routes. Various process routes such as effects of annealing temperature, Cu concentration, pore former, etc. were employed to investigate the structural, thermal and electrical performance of doped and undoped materials and thin films for DSSCs. For qualitative and quantitative analyses, techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermal analyses, molecular spectroscopy and potentiostat were employed. Studies have revealed that dopant existed in the form of CuO in nanoparticles and thin films. Cu doping assisted in reduction in particle size and band gap, which was further verified by red absorption shift. IV measurements of the cells fabricated with Cu-doped titania photoanode, N3 dye, I − /I 3 − electrolyte and gold coated FTO counter electrode, revealed an 11% increase in V oc, compared to V oc of cell made with similar components but using undoped titania photoanode. The inclusion of carbon microspheres caused formation of cavities into the photoanode made with titania and Cu:Titania and increased the porosity and surface area for greater dye adsorption. It was found that porosity increased from 31% to 42% by adding in-house fabricated 2.5 wt% carbon microspheres into 3 wt% Cu-doped titania thin films.
Chapter 13 – Membrane Transport

Membranes fundamentally separate compartments. Movement of molecules among those compartments is in part achieved by membrane transport. Passive transport does not require cellular energy to occur. Concurrently passive transport cannot move molecules from a compartment of low concentration to a compartment of high concentration. That can only be achieved by active transport. Passive transport can occur by diffusion of small molecules across membranes. Facilitated transport can occur through some antibiotics acting as carriers to transport the solute, or by integral membrane proteins that might provide a pore through which the solute can move from one side of the membrane to the other. To concentrate solutes in a membrane-bound compartment requires active transport, supported by an energy source such as ATP hydrolysis or the energy in a concentration gradient of another chemical species. Active transport requires an integral membrane protein and requires the coupling of the energy source to the transport such that one cannot occur without the other.
Development of Photoactivated Fluorescent N-Hydroxyoxindoles and Their Application for Cell-Selective Imaging.

Photoactivatable fluorophores are essential tools for studying the dynamic molecular interactions within important biological systems with high spatiotemporal resolution. However, currently developed photoactivatable fluorophores based on conventional dyes have several limitations including reduced photoactivation efficiency, cytotoxicity, large molecular size, and complicated organic synthesis. To overcome these challenges, we herein report a class of photoactivatable fluorescent N-hydroxyoxindoles formed through the intramolecular photocyclization of substituted o-nitrophenyl ethanol (ONPE). These oxindole fluorophores afford excellent photoactivation efficiency with ultra-high fluorescence enhancement (up to 800-fold) and are small in size. Furthermore, the oxindole derivatives show exceptional biocompatibility by generating water as the only photolytic side product. Moreover, structure-activity relationship analysis clearly revealed the strong correlation between the fluorescent properties and the substituent groups, which can serve as a guideline for the further development of ONPE-based fluorescent probes with desired photophysical and biological properties. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrated the capability of a new substituted ONPE that has an uncaging wavelength of 365-405 nm and an excitation/emission at 515 and 620 nm, for the selective imaging of a cancer cell line (Hela cells) and a human neural stem cell line (hNSCs).