cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational Pseudorandomness, the Wormhole Growth Paradox, and Constraints on the AdS/CFT Duality (Abstract)

The AdS/CFT correspondence is central to efforts to reconcile gravity and quantum mechanics, a fundamental goal of physics. It posits a duality between a gravitational theory in Anti de Sitter (AdS) space and a quantum mechanical conformal field theory (CFT), embodied in a map known as the AdS/CFT dictionary mapping states to states and operators to operators. This dictionary map is not well understood and has only been computed on special, structured instances. In this work we introduce cryptographic ideas to the study of AdS/CFT, and provide evidence that either the dictionary must be exponentially hard to compute, or else the quantum Extended Church-Turing thesis must be false in quantum gravity. Our argument has its origins in a fundamental paradox in the AdS/CFT correspondence known as the wormhole growth paradox. The paradox is that the CFT is believed to be "scrambling" - i.e. the expectation value of local operators equilibrates in polynomial time - whereas the gravity theory is not, because the interiors of certain black holes known as "wormholes" do not equilibrate and instead their volume grows at a linear rate for at least an exponential amount of time. So what could be the CFT dual to wormhole volume? Susskind’s proposed resolution was to equate the wormhole volume with the quantum circuit complexity of the CFT state. From a computer science perspective, circuit complexity seems like an unusual choice because it should be difficult to compute, in contrast to physical quantities such as wormhole volume. We show how to create pseudorandom quantum states in the CFT, thereby arguing that their quantum circuit complexity is not "feelable", in the sense that it cannot be approximated by any efficient experiment. This requires a specialized construction inspired by symmetric block ciphers such as DES and AES, since unfortunately existing constructions based on quantum-resistant one way functions cannot be used in the context of the wormhole growth paradox as only very restricted operations are allowed in the CFT. By contrast we argue that the wormhole volume is "feelable" in some general but non-physical sense. The duality between a "feelable" quantity and an "unfeelable" quantity implies that some aspect of this duality must have exponential complexity. More precisely, it implies that either the dictionary is exponentially complex, or else the quantum gravity theory is exponentially difficult to simulate on a quantum computer. While at first sight this might seem to justify the discomfort of complexity theorists with equating computational complexity with a physical quantity, a further examination of our arguments shows that any resolution of the wormhole growth paradox must equate wormhole volume to an "unfeelable" quantity, leading to the same conclusions. In other words this discomfort is an inevitable consequence of the paradox.
Alternative Wear-time Estimation Methods Compared to Traditional Diary Logs for Wrist-Worn ActiGraph Accelerometers in Pregnant Women.

Background This study sought to compare three sensor-based wear-time estimation methods to conventional diaries for ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers worn on the non-dominant wrist in early pregnancy. Methods Pregnant women (n= 108) wore ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers for 7 days and recorded their device on and off times in a diary (criterion). Average daily wear-time estimates from the Troiano and Choi algorithms and the wGT3X-BT accelerometer wear sensor were compared against the diary. The Hibbing 2-regression model was used to estimate time spent in activity (during periods of device wear) for each method. Wear-time and time spent in activity were compared with multiple repeated measures ANOVAs. Bland Altman plots assessed agreement between methods. Results Compared to the diary [825.5 minutes (795.1, 856.0)], the Choi [843.0 (95% CI 812.6, 873.5)] and Troiano [839.1 (808.7, 869.6)] algorithms slightly overestimated wear-time, whereas the sensor [774.4 (743.9, 804.9)] underestimated it, although only the sensor differed significantly from the diary (P < .0001). Upon adjustment for average daily wear-time, there were no statistically significant differences between the wear-time methods in regards to minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), vigorous PA, and moderate PA. Bland Altman plots indicated the Troiano and Choi algorithms were similar to the diary and within ≤ 0.5% of each other for wear-time and MVPA. Conclusions The Choi or Troiano algorithms offer a valid and efficient alternative to diaries for the estimation daily wear-time in larger-scale studies of MVPA during pregnancy, and reduce burden for study participants and research staff.
Are Current Prognostic Performance Evaluation Practices Sufficient and Meaningful

This paper investigates the shortcomings of performance evaluation for prognostic algorithms, particularly in the presence of uncertainty. To that end, the various elements of a prognostic algorithm (present health state estimation, future load condition, degradation model, and damage threshold) and their effects on prognostics are examined. Each of these elements contribute to overall prediction performance and therefore it is important to distinguish between (1) assessment of the correctness of information regarding these quantities, and (2) the assessment of correctness of the prognostic algorithm. The need for proper accounting for uncertainty in the various associated elements is discussed. Next, the shortcomings of traditional comparisons between ground truth and algorithm prediction is discussed. Several scenarios are pointed out where misleading interpretations about evaluation out-comes are possible. In order to address these shortcomings an “informed evaluation” methodology is being proposed, where the algorithm is informed with future loading/operating conditions before comparing against ground truth. Additionally, the importance of estimating the accuracy of aggregating the different sources of uncertainty using rigorous mathematical procedures is also emphasized. While this discussion does not target developing new metrics, it highlights key criteria for an accurate performance evaluation process under uncertainty and proposes new measures to accomplish this goal.
Racial/ethnic differences in maternal resilience and associations with low birthweight

Objective Evaluate racial/ethnic differences in maternal resilience and its associations with low birthweight (LBW). Study design Retrospective cohort study of 3244 women surveyed in the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The Add Health Resilience Instrument assessed resilience. Logistic regression models explored associations between women's resilience and risk of LBW. Result Resilience scores were lowest in American Indian women. Women with the lowest resilience scores were more likely to deliver a LBW infant than highly resilient women, after adjusting for demographic and health-related factors (aOR 1.58 95% CI 1.05-2.38). The risk-adjusted rate of LBW among highly resilient Black women (15.6%) was significantly higher than the risk-adjusted rate of LBW among highly resilient white women (9.1%, p = 0.01) and highly resilient Hispanic women (8.6%, p = 0.04). Conclusion Resilience scores differ significantly among women of different race and ethnicity but do not appear to entirely account for racial/ethnic disparities in LBW.
Bacterial predation transforms the landscape and community assembly of biofilms

Summary The bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus attaches to the exterior of a Gram-negative prey cell, enters the periplasm, and harvests resources to replicate before lysing the host to find new prey.1–7 Predatory bacteria such as this are common in many natural environments,8–13 as are groups of matrix-bound prey cell clusters, termed biofilms.14–16 Despite the ubiquity of both predatory bacteria and biofilm-dwelling prey, the interaction between B. bacteriovorus and prey inside biofilms has received little attention and has not yet been studied at the micrometer scale. Filling this knowledge gap is critical to understanding bacterial predator-prey interaction in nature. Here we show that B. bacteriovorus is able to attack biofilms of the pathogen Vibrio cholerae, but only up until a critical maturation threshold past which the prey biofilms are protected from their predators. Using high-resolution microscopy and detailed spatial analysis, we determine the relative contributions of matrix secretion and cell-cell packing of the prey biofilm toward this protection mechanism. Our results demonstrate that B. bacteriovorus predation in the context of this protection threshold fundamentally transforms the sub-millimeter-scale landscape of biofilm growth, as well as the process of community assembly as new potential biofilm residents enter the system. We conclude that bacterial predation can be a key factor influencing the spatial community ecology of microbial biofilms.
Motivation as an epistemic ground

In several papers, Mark Wrathall argued that French phenomenologist, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, identifies a sui generis type of grounding, one not reducible to reason or natural causality. Following the Phenomenological tradition, Merleau-Ponty called this form of grounding “motivation,” and described it as the way in which one phenomenon spontaneously gives rise to another through its sense. While Wrathall’s suggestion has been taken up in the practical domain, its epistemic import has still not been fully explored. I would like to take up the epistemic dimension of Wrathall’s thought in this paper. Following Wrathall, I explain how motivation can help us understand the manner in which perceptions ground singular, experiential judgments. But I extend this work in two ways. First, I suggest some additional considerations that support Wrathall’s view. Second, I argue that motivation can also help account for the way perceptions ground general judgments. My aim here will not be so much to rule out other answers to these longstanding epistemological questions, as to show that motivation carves out an attractive epistemological space.
Increased signal to noise ratios within experimental field trials by regressing spatially distributed soil properties as principal components.

Environmental variability poses a major challenge to any field study. Researchers attempt to mitigate this challenge through replication. Thus, the ability to detect experimental signals is determined by the degree of replication and the amount of environmental variation, noise, within the experimental system. A major source of noise in field studies comes from the natural heterogeneity of soil properties which create micro-treatments throughout the field. To make matters worse, the variation within different soil properties is often non-randomly distributed across a field. We explore this challenge through a sorghum field trial dataset with accompanying plant, microbiome and soil property data. Diverse sorghum genotypes and two watering regimes were applied in a split-plot design. We describe a process of identifying, estimating, and controlling for the effects of spatially distributed soil properties on plant traits and microbial communities using minimal degrees of freedom. Importantly, this process provides a tool with which sources of environmental variation in field data can be identified and removed, improving our ability to resolve effects of interest and to quantify subtle phenotypes. IMPORTANCEData from field experiments are notoriously noisy. Proper field designs with high replication aid in mitigating this challenge, yet true biological correlations are still often masked by environmental variability. This work identifies soil property composition as a spatially distributed source of variance to three types of characteristics: plant phenotype, microbiome composition, and leaf traits. We show that once identified, spatial principal component regression was able to account for these effects so that more precise estimates of experimental factors were obtained. This generalizable method is applicable to diverse field experiments.
Use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC)-derived neuronal models to study the neuropathogenesis of the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii

Abstract The use of in vitro generated neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) is an important tool for neurological disease modeling. Two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures and three-dimensional (3D) brain organoids, which can more precisely mimic in vivo complexities and cytoarchitecture of the brain, have been used to study neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, among others. While significant progress has been made using 2D and 3D hiPSC-derived neuronal models to study neurological disorders, the use of hiPSCs in the study of neuropathogenesis of parasitic diseases has been limited. Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that infects neurons in the central nervous system causing a chronic lifelong infection in the brain with approximately one-third of the worlds’ population chronically infected. While chronic Toxoplasmosis has been thought to be asymptomatic, recent evidence indicates that the chronic infection is associated with development of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, neurological disorders such as cryptogenic epilepsy, and cognitive decline in the elderly. Cysts in neurons, containing the bradyzoite form of the parasite, are the dominant forms present in chronic infections and likely the cause of some neurological effects during the chronic infection, yet remain poorly understood aspects of the parasites’ life cycle. The use of 2D and 3D human neuronal models provides opportunities to address questions of host/parasite interactions of the bradyzoites and cysts in neurons and investigate mechanisms of neuropathogenesis of T. gondii. In this review, an overview of the methods of hiPSC-derived 2D and 3D neuronal models is given, followed by a discussion of potentials of these neuronal models to study T. gondii. The use of hiPSC-derived 3D organoids to study pathogenesis of other parasitic infections is also briefly addressed.
Linking surface deformation to thermal and mechanical magma chamber processes

Abstract Surface deformation at active volcanoes reflects a wide variety of magmatic and crustal processes, and the typical kinematic models employed to interpret these geodetic data are highly nonunique. This work presents a new model for surface deformation linked to magma chamber evolution in response to magma injection, eruptions, cooling and crystallization, volatile exsolution, and viscoelastic deformation of the crust. The model is applied to investigate surface displacements during 1) magma chamber crystallization and second boiling without magma injection; 2) a single episode of magma injection to the chamber; and 3) steady magma injection over multiple eruption cycles. Results indicate that the magnitude of surface velocities associated with crystallization and second boiling should not exceed ∼1 mm/yr unless the magma cooling rate is substantially elevated above normal conductive cooling rates. The surface response to an episode of magma injection depends on magma compressibility and how the timescale of injection compares to the timescale for viscous relaxation. When the injection time is short compared to the relaxation time, and when the magma is equally or less compressible compared to the wall rocks, post-injection deflation can occur without any volume contraction of the chamber. For more compressible magmas, or longer-duration injections, inflation continues over a protracted time following injection. Over multiple eruption cycles, uplift accumulates when more magma is added to the chamber than lost by eruptions; because both the eruption frequency and uplift rate are sensitive to the time-averaged magma supply and chamber volume, geologic data from the eruptive record can be integrated with geodetic data to place tighter constraints on the size and state of subvolcanic magma systems.
Is Self-Reported Sleep Duration Associated with Osteoporosis? Data from a 4-Year Aggregated Analysis from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Objectives To examine the association between self-reported sleep duration and osteoporosis in a national sample of the U.S. elderly population. Design Population-based cross-sectional study. Setting Four-year National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from two survey cycles between 2005–06 and 2007–08. Participants Men and women aged 50 and older with data in the surveys and medical examination data files (N = 5,288). Measurements Osteoporosis diagnosis was based on bone mineral density measurement and self-report. Sleep duration was ascertained from the sleep survey. Simple and multiple logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between these two factors. Results Shorter sleep duration ( 65). Conclusion These results underscore the possible linkage between sleep and osteoporosis and the need for additional research on this topic.
Geographic muting of changes in the Arctic sea ice cover

The seasonal cycle in Arctic sea ice extent is asymmetric. Its amplitude has grown in recent decades as the ice has retreated more rapidly in summer than in winter. These seasonal disparities have typically been attributed to different physical factors operating during different seasons. Here we show instead that the seasonal asymmetries in Arctic sea ice extent are a geometric consequence of the distribution of continents. Coastlines block southward ice extension during winter, thereby muting changes in ice extent, but they have relatively little effect at the time of summer minimum extent. We suggest that the latitude of the Arctic sea ice edge, averaged zonally over locations where it is free to migrate, is the most readily interpretable quantity to describe the Northern Hemisphere sea ice cover. We find that the zonal-mean sea ice edge latitude during the 1978–present era of satellite measurements has been following an approximately sinusoidal seasonal cycle that has been migrating northward at an approximately annually constant rate of 8 km/year. These results suggest a change in perspective of the most critical quantities for understanding changes in Arctic sea ice.
Biological Analogs and Emergent Intelligence for Control of Stratospheric Balloon Constellations

Global Aerospace Corporation is developing a revolutionary concept for a global constellation and network of hundreds of stratospheric superpressure balloons. Global Aerospace Corporation and Princeton University are studying methods of controlling the geometry of these stratospheric balloon constellations using concepts related to and inspiration derived from biological group behavior such as schooling, flocking, and herding. The method of artificial potentials determines control settings for trajectory control systems in the steady flow regions. Weak Stability Boundary theory is used to (a) determine the interfaces between smooth flow and areas where chaotic conditions exist and (b) calculate control settings in regions of chaotic flow.
The Power of Kiowa Song: A Collaborative Ethnography

The Power of Kiowa Song:. Collaborative Ethnography. By Luke E. Lassiter. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1998. 266 pp. $17.95.
Ornithine decarboxylase activity in synchronously growing Don C cells.

Abstract Ornithine decarboxylase activity was assayed in intact Don C cells taken from exponentially growing or Colcemid-synchronized cultures. During a short incubation with [ 14 C]ornithine, equivalent amounts of 14 C-labeled (putrescine + spermine) and 14 CO 2 were produced; labeled spermidine was not detected. Enzyme activity varied during the cell cycle, increasing during late G 1 -early S phase and late S phase. The activity increase at late G 1 -early S phase was abolished by several inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis. The basal enzyme level may consist partly of pre-existing enzyme.
The neurologic complications of Paget's disease

Paget's disease of bone is associated with involvement of the central and peripheral nervous system. The brain, spinal cord, cauda equina, spinal roots, and cranial nerves can be affected in Paget's disease due to their anatomic relationship to bone. Neurologic syndromes are uncommon but include headache, dementia, brain stem and cerebellar dysfunction, cranial neuropathies, myelopathy, cauda equina syndrome, and radiculopathies. The central complications result from pagetic involvement of the skull. Expansion of diseased bone can result in compression of cranial nerves as they exit their bony foramina. Softening of the skull leads to basilar invagination with compression of the brain stem, cerebellum, and lower cranial nerves. Brain stem compression can cause hydrocephalus. Rarely, there is direct compression of the brain from acute epidural hematoma or hypertrophy of the calvarium. Myelopathy, cauda equina syndrome, and radiculopathies most commonly result from hypertrophy of the spine with direct compression. Spinal stenosis can also result from ossification of extradural structures or pathologic fractures. Ischemia from vascular compression or a steal syndrome has also been described. Neurologic complications rarely occur due to sarcomatous transformation of pagetic bone. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT)-myelography, and bone X-rays are helpful to localize the lesion and direct therapy. Treatment options include surgical decompression, ventricular shunt placement, and medical management with calcitonin and/or the bisphosphonates. The selection of treatment will vary depending upon the rate of progression and the severity of the neurologic deficit.
Management of uncorrected, palliated, and repaired cyanotic congenital heart disease in pregnancy

Abstract Women with cyanotic congenital heart disease with reduced cardiac reserve have decreased ability to tolerate the cardiovascular demands of pregnancy, labor and delivery and to accommodate pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and hemorrhage. The most commonly encountered congenital cyanotic heart disorder is tetralogy of Fallot. Unoperated women with this disorder have a mortality rate of 3–12% and a high rate of perinatal loss, but pregnancy outcomes in women who have had complete repairs are nearly the same as for the normal population. The 30% maternal mortality rate in Eisenmenger syndrome is largely due to the inability of the relatively fixed pulmonary vascular resistance to adjust to the cardiovascular demands of pregnancy, delivery and the puerperium. Inhaled local vasodilators, such as nitric oxide or aerosolized prostacyclin, show promise in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure in this disorder. The atrial switch repair for dextro-transposition of the great arteries, which can be associated with functional deterioration in the systemic morphologic right ventricle, generally results in good outcome for the mother and fetus. The Fontan repair for complex cyanotic congenital heart disease with single-ventricle physiology has also been associated with good pregnancy outcome, although the spontaneous abortion rate may increase. Cervical ripening techniques, carefully titrated neuraxial anesthesia, and pulse oximetry have made labor and delivery safer for women with unrepaired or palliated cyanotic heart disease or repaired disorders with residual cyanosis. Pregnancy outcomes in women with high-risk but low-prevalence cardiac conditions would likely be improved further if a national registry to assess standardized management was established.
The ‘Airy Envelope of the Spirit’: Empirical Eschatology, Astral Bodies and the Spiritualism of the Howitt Circle

In the rainy evening of the 6 October 1870 Georgiana Houghton, a dabbler in Spiritualism and water‐colour drawing, presided over her first seance in spirit ‘materializations’ held at her house in G...
Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored high-density lipoprotein-binding protein 1 and the intravascular processing of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is produced by parenchymal cells, mainly adipocytes and myocytes, but is involved in hydrolysing triglycerides in plasma lipoproteins at the capillary lumen. For decades, the mechanism by which LPL reaches its site of action in capillaries was unclear, but this mystery was recently solved. Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored high-density lipoprotein-binding protein 1 (GPIHBP1), a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein of capillary endothelial cells, ‘picks up’ LPL from the interstitial spaces and shuttles it across endothelial cells to the capillary lumen. When GPIHBP1 is absent, LPL is mislocalized to the interstitial spaces, leading to severe hypertriglyceridaemia. Some cases of hypertriglyceridaemia in humans are caused by GPIHBP1 mutations that interfere with the ability of GPIHBP1 to bind to LPL, and some are caused by LPL mutations that impair the ability of LPL to bind to GPIHBP1. Here, we review recent progress in understanding the role of GPIHBP1 in health and disease and discuss some of the remaining unresolved issues regarding the processing of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.
Short-term memory and phonological coding in developmental dyslexia

Abstract In this study we examined the extent to which good and poor readers make use of phonological codes on a short-term memory task with nameable pictures. We compared performance for items that have short non-rhyming names with items that have short rhyming names and items with long nonrhyming names. Although the good readers outperformed the poor readers, both groups revealed evidence of phonological coding. The good readers showed significant rhyme and word-length effects, while the poor readers produced a significant rhyme effect. Serial position analyses revealed that the poor readers made use of phonological codes for initial items only, whereas the good readers showed evidence of phonological coding for items at all serial positions. In the General Discussion we consider possible reasons why poor readers fail to show evidence of phonological coding at later serial positions.
Uniform smoothness implies super-normal structure property

We prove that a uniformly smooth Banach space X has supernormal structure property. More precisely we prove that if the modulus of smoothness of X satisfies lim τ→0 ρX(τ) τ < 1 2 , then X and X∗ are superreflexives and have super-normal structure property.
A method for turbidimetric measurement of heparin: its application to the estimation of heparin in aortic tissue.

Es wird eine vereinfachte Methode zur quantitativen Bestimmung des Heparins, bei Ausschliessung anderer Mucopolysaccharide, sowie Hyaluronsaure, Chondroitinschwefelsaure und Heparitinschwefelsaure, beschrieben. Es ergibt sich, dass das Aortagewebe des Rindes in kleinen Mengen Heparin enthalt, wahrend es in der menschlichen Aorta nicht gefunden werden konnte.
Hexokinases and cardioprotection

As mediators of the first enzymatic step in glucose metabolism, hexokinases (HKs) orchestrate a variety of catabolic and anabolic uses of glucose, regulate antioxidant power by generating NADPH for glutathione reduction, and modulate cell death processes by directly interacting with the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), a regulatory component of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Here we summarize the current state-of-knowledge about HKs and their role in protecting the heart from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, reviewing: 1) the properties of different HK isoforms and how their function is regulated by their subcellular localization; 2) how HKs modulate glucose metabolism and energy production during I/R; 3) the molecular mechanisms by which HKs influence mPTP opening and cellular injury during I/R; and 4) how different metabolic and HK profiles correlate with susceptibility to I/R injury and cardioprotective efficacy in cancer cells, neonatal hearts, and normal, hypertrophied and failing adult hearts, and how these difference may guide novel therapeutic strategies to limit I/R injury in the heart. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Mitochondria: From Basic Mitochondrial Biology to Cardiovascular Disease".
Playing the international stock diversification game with an unmarked deck

Abstract An abundance of research has identified potential gains from investing in internationally diversified security portfolios. We have attempted to operationalize the idea by examining the performance of global portfolios prescribed by ex ante models. Evidence from the empirical analysis indicates that “realizing gains” with use of an ex ante model is more difficult than demonstrating “potential gains” with an ex post model. Our results suggests that the ex post models used to demonstrate “potential gains” from international diversification may not adequately generate “realized gains” when operationalized in a przctical setting.
Coupling CARS with multiphoton fluorescence and high harmonic generation imaging modalities using a femtosecond laser source

Multimodal nonlinear optical imaging has opened new opportunities and becomes a powerful tool for imaging complex tissue samples with inherent 3D spatial resolution.. We present a robust and easy-to-operate approach to add the coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering (CARS) imaging modality to a widely used multiphoton microscope. The laser source composed of a Mai Tai femtosecond laser and an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) offers one-beam, two-beam and three-beam modalities. The Mai Tai output at 790 nm is split into two beams, with 80% of the power being used to pump the OPO. The idler output at 2036 nm from OPO is doubled using a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal. This frequency-doubled idler beam at 1018 nm is sent through a delay line and collinearly combined with the other Mai Tai beam for CARS imaging on a laser-scanning microscope. This Mai Tai beam is also used for multiphoton fluorescence and second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging. The signal output at 1290 nm from OPO is used for SHG and third-harmonic generation (THG) imaging. External detectors are installed for both forward and backward detection, whereas two internal lamda-scan detectors are employed for microspectroscopy analysis. This new system allows vibrationally resonant CARS imaging of lipid bodies, SHG imaging of collagen fibers, and multiphoton fluorescence analysis in fresh tissues. As a preliminary application, the effect of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) deficiency on liver lipid metabolism in mice was investigated.© (2009) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fabrication, Characterization, and Bioactivity of Multi-Compartment Collagen-GAG Scaffolds for Orthopedic Interfaces

It has been estimated that over 62 million tendon and ligament injuries occur every year. The failure rate for these injuries can be despairingly high, such as 94% in the case of rotator cuff injuries. One possible cause for these failures is the inadequate recapitulation of the interface between the two mechanically and chemically different tissues, like bone and ligament or bone and tendon. In particular, we are developing a multi-compartment regenerative scaffold designed to mimic the distinct tendinous and osseous compartments as well as the continuous interface. Such a scaffold could induce the physiological wound healing processes in critical defects, while maintaining the mechanical and chemical properties inherent in the native tissue. The present project is developing the necessary fabrication, characterization, and bioactivity analysis strategies for a multi-compartment collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) and calcium phosphate mineralized CG (CGCaP) scaffold with a gradient in mineral content, specifically mimicking the bone-tendon-junction (BTJ) site.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Proteolysis in quaking mouse brain and spinal cord.

Six proteolytic enzymes were assayed for activity in quaking CNS in examining the hypothesis that increased proteolytic activity contributes to the hypomyelination characteristic of this mutant. Cathepsin B-like enzyme, cathepsin D, neutral proteinase, calcium-activated neutral proteinase, prolyl endopeptidase, and diaminopeptidase II were assayed in whole homogenate of brain or spinal cord and each was found to have activity similar to that in normal mice. These results do not support a relationship between proteolysis and the genetic defect and suggest that other factors should be investigated to delineate the pathogenesis of this mutant.
Topical mesalamine is safe and effective in treating rectal cuff inflammation (cufftis) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) following total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA)

Topical mesalamine is safe and effective in treating rectal cuff inflammation (cufftis) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) following total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA)
Failure Prediction for Textile Composites Via Micromechanics

The question of failure criteria for textile composites is taken up, with reference to the micormechanics of known failure mechanisms in broad classes of 2D and 3D textile composites. Of primary importance is the definition of the measure of local stress or strain that should be compared against a putative material constant to predict local damage. In most prior work, some combination of strain or stress components evaluated at a single point has been used. Due to the complexity and inevitahle irregularity of textile composites, this approach is not favoured. Instead, micromechanical considreations recommend using strains averaged over gauge volumes whose dimensions are greater than or equal to approximately half the width dimensions of a single tow. Engineering tests that can be used for calibration are suggested but remain to be proven repeatable and consistent.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Effects of Thermospheric Gravity Waves on the Polar Ionosphere

One of the results of the European, United States, and Japanese efforts to establish extensive polar cap observational facilities will be the generation of simultaneous and complementary two-dimensional ionosphere and thermosphere data bases. In anticipation of these extensive data sets, this paper considers the coupling between the thermosphere and ionosphere in the polar region from a theoretical point of view, aided by the USU Time Dependent Ionospheric Model (TDIM). To date, we have used statistical climatology thermospheric drivers; these being the Hedin neutral atmosphere (MSIS) and neutral wind models (Hedin et al., 1991). These inputs do not contain gravity waves. The question of prime interest in this paper is: What will a gravity wave do to the high-latitude ionosphere and can these new data sets capture enough of the two-dimensional time evolution of the phenomenon to unambiguously identify the perturbations? Our modeling results indicate that an antisunward propagating gravity wave with a phase velocity that is the same as the plasma convection velocity will experience a constant vertical force from the thermosphere, which amplifies the effect of the gravity wave.
The Pem homeobox gene. Androgen-dependent and -independent promoters and tissue-specific alternative RNA splicing.

Abstract The Pem gene encodes an atypical homeodomain protein, distantly related to Prd/Pax family members, that we demonstrate is regulated in a complex transcriptional and post-transcriptional manner. We show that the rat Pem genomic structure includes three 5′-untranslated (5′-UT) exons and four coding exons, three of which encode the homeodomain. Several alternatively spliced transcripts were identified, including one that skips an internal coding exon, enabling this mRNA to express a novel form of the Pem protein. Other alternatively spliced mRNAs were characterized that possess different 5′-UT regions, including a muscle-specific transcript. The different 5′-UT termini present in Pem transcripts conferred different levels of translatability in vitro. Two promoters containing multiple transcription initiation sites were identified: a distal promoter (Pd) in the first 5′-UT exon and a proximal promoter (Pp) located in the “intron” upstream of the first coding exon. The Pd was active in placenta, ovary, tumor cell lines, and to a lesser extent in skeletal muscle. In contrast, transcripts from the Pp were only detectable in testis and epididymis and were only expressed in epididymis in the presence of testosterone. To our knowledge no transcription factors have previously been identified that exhibit androgen-dependent expression in the epididymis.
Modeling CO2 degassing and pH in a stream-aquifer system

Abstract Pinal Creek, Arizona receives an inflow of ground water with high dissolved inorganic carbon (57–75 mg/l) and low pH (5.8–6.3). There is an observed increase of in-stream pH from approximately 6.0–7.8 over the 3 km downstream of the point of groundwater inflow. We hypothesized that CO2 gas-exchange was the most important factor causing the pH increase in this stream–aquifer system. An existing transport model, for coupled ground water–surface water systems (OTIS), was modified to include carbonate equilibria and CO2 degassing, used to simulate alkalinity, total dissolved inorganic carbon (CT), and pH in Pinal Creek. Because of the non-linear relation between pH and CT, the modified transport model used the numerical iteration method to solve the non-linearity. The transport model parameters were determined by the injection of two tracers, bromide and propane. The resulting simulations of alkalinity, CT and pH reproduced, without fitting, the overall trends in downstream concentrations. A multi-parametric sensitivity analysis (MPSA) was used to identify the relative sensitivities of the predictions to six of the physical and chemical parameters used in the transport model. MPSA results implied that CT and pH in stream water were controlled by the mixing of ground water with stream water and CO2 degassing. The relative importance of these two processes varied spatially depending on the hydrologic conditions, such as stream flow velocity and whether a reach gained or lost stream water caused by the interaction with the ground water. The coupled transport model with CO2 degassing and generalized sensitivity analysis presented in this study can be applied to evaluate carbon transport and pH in other coupled stream–ground water systems.
Content scaling of affect in adolescent speech samples

Data are reported which extend the applicability of the Gottschalk-Gleser scales for the content analysis of speech samples to adolescents. The data were gathered on 112 youngsters aged 11–18 stratified by age, race, and sex in a balanced design. Girls had higher Anxiety scores and relatively lower scores on Hostility Directed Inward, Ambivalent Hostility, and Social Alienation and Personal Disorganization than did boys. Blacks spoke less words and expressed more Overt Hostility Outward than did Whites. These latter scores increased with age, as did Hostility Directed Inward. The affect scores for this normative group are also compared to those for “normal” adults and to an adolescent clinic and a juvenile delinquent population. Correlations with three paper-and-pencil inventories (Adolescent Life Assessment Checklist, Defense Mechanisms Inventory, and Rotter I-E scale) are presented.
Intermediate-Valence Tautomerism in Decamethylytterbocene Complexes of Methyl-Substituted Bipyridines

Multiconfigurational, intermediate valent ground states are established in several methyl-substituted bipyridine complexes of bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)ytterbium, Cp2*Yb (Mex-bipy). In contrast to Cp2*Yb(bipy) and other substituted-bipy complexes, the nature of both the ground state and the first excited state are altered by changing the position of the methyl or dimethyl substitutions on the bipyridine rings. In particular, certain substitutions result in multiconfigurational, intermediate valent open-shell singlet states in both the ground state and the first excited state. These conclusions are reached after consideration of single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), the temperature dependence of X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS), and magnetic susceptibility data, and are supported by CASSCF-MP2 calculations. These results place the various Cp2*Yb(bipy) complexes in a new tautomeric class, that is, intermediate-valence tautomers.
Design, synthesis, and photochemical behavior of poly(benzyl ester) dendrimers with azobenzene groups throughout their architecture.

A new class of dendrons and dendrimers containing azobenzene units (bearing up to 29 azobenzene groups for four generations) were designed and synthesized with the convergent method, which uses azobenzene derivatives as monomers and benzyl ester groups as linkages leading to photoresponsive dendrons and dendrimers with azobenzene units throughout their architecture. Photochemical isomerization experiments revealed that all of the dendrons and dendrimers undergo trans−cis isomerization by irradiation and cis−trans isomerization by either irradiation or heating.
Endothelial cell adhesion on polyurethanes containing covalently attached RGD-peptides.

Abstract Peptides based on cell-adhesive regions of fibronectin, Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS), and vitronectin, Arg-Gly-Asp-Val (RGDV), were covalently bound to a polyurethane backbone via amide bonds. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies were used to monitor the reactions. The amount of grafted peptide was determined by amino acid analysis. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggested the presence of the grafted peptide at the polymer-air interface in vacuo. Dynamic contact angle analysis showed that, in water, the peptide-grafted polyurethane surfaces were more polar than the underivatized polyurethane indicating enrichment of peptide groups at the surface. The attachment and spreading of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) on the underivatized and peptide-grafted polyurethanes was investigated. The GRGDSY- and GRGDVY-grafted substrates supported cell adhesion and spreading even without serum in the culture medium. The GRGDVY-grafted substrate supported a larger number of adherent cells and a higher extent of cell spreading than the GRGDSY-grafted substrate. These RGD-containing peptide-grafted polyurethane copolymers may be useful in providing an easily prepared celladhesive substrate for various biomaterial applications.
Use of complementary and alternative medicine by physicians in St. Petersburg, Russia.

ABSTRACT Background: Interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing worldwide, although relatively little is known of physician use of CAM, and there are no quantitative reports of CAM use by Russian physicians. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of CAM therapies among practicing physicians and determine predictors of CAM usage. Design: This was a convenience sample prevalence survey. Setting: The study involved 3 urban academic hospitals in St. Petersburg, in Russia. Subjects: Participants included 192 physicians practicing at the three study hospitals. Measurements: The study determined the number (from a list of 32) of CAM therapies that physicians used on themselves, used on their patients, or referred their patients to receive. Results: One hundred and seventy-seven (177; 92%) of the surveyed physicians responded. One hundred percent (100%) of the respondents had practiced CAM or referred patients for at least two CAM therapies. One hundred ...
Ion solvation in 3-methyl-2-oxazolidone

In continuing previous studies of the solvation behavior of electrolytes in nonaqueous media, a series of tetraalkylammonium tetraphenylborates, cesium and rubidium tetraphenylborates, tetraalkylammonium perchlorates, and tetraphenylarsonium chloride were investigated by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 3-methyl-2-oxazolidone, a solvent with high dielectric constant, high polarity, and wide liquid range. In this study, as in a previous investigation, it was found that salt solutions containing the tetraphenylborate anion were found to shift the proton peaks upfield, indicating an increase in electron density around solvent protons. In this study the same effect has been noted for tetraphenylborate as well as tetraphenylarsonium ion and is attributed to the large diamagnetic anisotropy of the aromatic solute molecules which results in circulation of π electrons induced by the magnetic field. This ring current causes shielding of the solvent protons, and the shielding increases as the concentration of aromatic solute increases, resulting in upfield morement of chemical shift irrespective of whether the aromatic moiety is the cation or anion.
Balanced Model Reduction and Control of Rotor-Bearing Systems

An effective technique is applied to the suppression of vibrations in flexible rotor-bearing systems with small gyroscopic effects. A balanced linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) controller design procedure is implemented. The size of the controller is reduced in two stages by using (i) a balanced model reduction, and (ii) an LQG balanced reduction. The condition for a gyroscopic matrix is developed that allows one to ignore the rotor gyroscopic effects in the process of the controller design, although they are included in the rotor dynamics. The approach is illustrated on a typical rotor-bearing system represented by a 48 degree-of-freedom finite element model.
The electronic states of Ga3

Abstract Complete active space MC SCF (CAS SCF) followed by configuration interaction calculations which employ relativistic effective potentials are carried out on seven low-lying electronic states of Ga 3 and two electronic states of Ga 3 + . The 2 A 1 state is the ground state with a near-equilateral triangular geometry. Two degenerate excited electronic states ( 4 A 2 and 2 B 1 ) are found for Ga 3 with isosceles triangular geometry. The ground state of Ga 3 + is a 1 A 1 closed shell state with a linear geometry.
The catalytic reactions of CO and H2O over ruthenium in a Y-type zeolite

When the Ru(NH3)63+ complex in a Y-type zeolite was reduced in H2 to 380 °C, the resulting sample was an active catalyst for the Kolbel-Engelhardt and water gas shift reactions. Following reduction, the ruthenium was located within the zeolite framework in the form of small particles less than 30 A in diameter. The Kolbel-Engelhardt reaction proceeds via a sequential reaction pathway involving the water gas shift reaction followed by the methanation reaction. The only hydrocarbon observed at 300 °C was CH4. Under conditions favorable for CH4 formation, the water gas shift reaction jumped to equilibrium conversions. This was attributed to a localized heating of the catalyst particles due to the exothermic nature of the methanation reaction. The kinetic parameters for the water gas shift reaction were determined in a continuous flow reactor operating at high flow rates. Comparison of the RuY to RuAl2O3 or RuSiO2 demonstrates that the support does not play a major role in this reaction. Mechanistic studies indicate that the slow step may involve the interaction of an adsorbed OH species with an associatively adsorbed CO.