cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Envelope Coding in Auditory Nerve Fibers Following Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Recent perceptual studies suggest that listeners with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) have a reduced ability to use temporal fine-structure cues, whereas the effects of SNHL on temporal envelope cues are generally thought to be minimal. Several perceptual studies suggest that envelope coding may actually be enhanced following SNHL and that this effect may actually degrade listening in modulated maskers (e.g., competing talkers). The present study examined physiological effects of SNHL on envelope coding in auditory nerve (AN) fibers in relation to fine-structure coding. Responses were compared between anesthetized chinchillas with normal hearing and those with a mild–moderate noise-induced hearing loss. Temporal envelope coding of narrowband-modulated stimuli (sinusoidally amplitude-modulated tones and single-formant stimuli) was quantified with several neural metrics. The relative strength of envelope and fine-structure coding was compared using shuffled correlogram analyses. On average, the strength of envelope coding was enhanced in noise-exposed AN fibers. A high degree of enhanced envelope coding was observed in AN fibers with high thresholds and very steep rate-level functions, which were likely associated with severe outer and inner hair cell damage. Degradation in fine-structure coding was observed in that the transition between AN fibers coding primarily fine structure or envelope occurred at lower characteristic frequencies following SNHL. This relative fine-structure degradation occurred despite no degradation in the fundamental ability of AN fibers to encode fine structure and did not depend on reduced frequency selectivity. Overall, these data suggest the need to consider the relative effects of SNHL on envelope and fine-structure coding in evaluating perceptual deficits in temporal processing of complex stimuli.
Regional distribution of α9β1 integrin within the limbus of the mouse ocular surface

The epithelial basal cells of the corneal limbus are known to contain adult corneal epithelial stem cells, but the properties of these cells are not well understood. In addition, how and when the limbal epithelium forms during postnatal development in mammals is not clear. To better understand the anatomy and cell biology of the limbus, a whole-mount procedure was used to show that the nasal, inferior, temporal, and superior regions of the mouse limbus contain different numbers of α9 integrin–positive cells most of which are observed in the nasal region. We also show that this pattern develops progressively over time from 1 to 8 weeks after birth. High magnification image projections and three-dimensional reconstructions of the limbal region were generated from confocal images obtained after tissues were dual stained with α9 integrin and propidium iodide (PI) or triple stained with α9 integrin, E-cadherin, and PI. Data show that α9 integrin is present on the adult mouse cornea in the limbal basal cells and is more abundant in the apical-most cytoplasm of the limbal basal cells, where it can be found colocalized within the plasma membrane with E-cadherin. These studies are an important step toward improving our understanding of the development and cell biology of limbal basal cells. Developmental Dynamics 230:518–528, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cytogenetic analysis of a primary bone angiosarcoma

Primary bone angiosarcomas are rare and aggressive vascular malignancies with a high mortality rate. To our knowledge, there are no reported cytogenetic abnormalities in primary bone angiosarcomas, although several have been reported in soft tissue angiosarcomas. We report a case of primary bone angiosarcoma, arising in the tibia of a 79-year-old woman, with a unique clonal chromosomal rearrangement: t(1;14)(p21;q24), that has not been reported in either soft tissue or primary bone angiosarcoma. The biologic significance of this translocation is not clear; however, the 1p21 locus is in the region of colony stimulating factor (CSF-1), which may play a role in tumorigenesis, as has been described in pigmented villonodular synovitis and tenosynovial giant cell tumor.
SULFUR- AND SILICON-BEARING MOLECULES IN PLANETARY NEBULAE: THE CASE OF M2-48

Molecular-line observations of the bipolar planetary nebula (PN) M2-48 have been conducted using the Sub-Millimeter Telescope and the 12 m antenna of the Arizona Radio Observatory at 1, 2, and 3 mm. M2-48 is estimated to be ~4800 yr old, midway through the PN evolutionary track. SiO and SO2 were detected in this source—the first identification of either molecule in a PN. CN, HCN, HNC, CS, SO, HCO+, N2H+, and several 13C isotopologues such as 13CN, H13CN, and H13CO+ were also observed toward this object. A radiative transfer analysis of multiple SiO transitions indicates a gas kinetic temperature of T K ~ 55 K and a density of n(H2) ~ 9 × 105 cm–3 in M2-48, in agreement with previous CS and CO modeling. After CO, CN, and SO were found to be the most prevalent molecules in this nebula, with fractional abundances, relative to H2, of f ~ 3.8 × 10–7 and 2.4 × 10–7, respectively. SO2 and HCN are also abundant, with f ~ 1.2 × 10–7, indicating an [SO]/[SO2] ratio of ~2. Relatively high ion abundances were measured in M2-48 as well, with f ~ 10–7 for both HCO+ and N2H+. An [HCN]/[HNC] ratio of ~2 was determined, as typically observed in other PNe, independent of age. The high abundances of SO and SO2, along with the presence of SiO with f ~ 2.9 × 10–8, suggest O/C > 1 in this source; furthermore, the prevalence of CN and N2H+ indicates nitrogen enrichment. The 12C/13C ratio of ~3 in the nebula was also established. These factors indicate hot-bottom burning occurred in the progenitor star of M2-48, suggesting an initial mass > 4 M ☉.
Electronic-Commerce Education: Insights from Academicians and Practitioners

Abstract The e-commerce marketplace is creating tremendous career opportunities, and business schools and accounting programs nationwide are redesigning their curriculum to provide adequate e-commerce education for accounting/business students. This study gathers opinions of both academicians (accounting faculty) and practitioners (practicing CPAs) regarding the importance, relevance, and delivery of e-commerce education. Results reveal that (1) the demand for and interest in e-commerce education is expected to increase; (2) more universities are planning to provide e-commerce education; and (3) the majority of the 36 suggested e-commerce topics should be offered or required for accounting majors in one or a combination of ways: (1) required core curriculum, (2) optional specialized courses, and/or (3) e-commerce degree programs. Only minor differences of opinion were found regarding which of 36 e-commerce topics should be covered in e-commerce education.
Radar scattering by volcanic debris flow surface analogues

Measured roughness spectra from 10-year-old primary volcanic debris flows at Mount St. Helens conform to a power-law spectral model. It is difficult to rigorously test rough surface scattering models using in situ measurements of radar backscatter because natural targets are often inhomogeneous or non-stationary, because volume scattering may he significant, and because characterisation of natural rough surfaces is difficult and time-consuming. The authors have manufactured debris flow surface analogues by milling rough surfaces with specified power-law roughness spectra on homogeneous slabs of polyethylene. Measured radar backscatter from these surface analogues provides test data for scattering studies. The surface analogues serve as test surfaces which are homogeneous, well characterized, and free of volume scattering effects. >
h FE degradation due to reverse bias emitter-base junction stress

Reverse bias stress of the emitter-base junction may degrade the h FE of a transistor when it is operated under normal bias conditions. The degradation mechanism exhibits no measurable temperature dependence and appears to be a surface effect. The junction characteristics exhibit no structure as a function of field plate voltage after stress. Pulse measurements indicate that the time required to induce degradation is less then 1.0 µs. Hot carriers appear to have an appreciable effect on the degradation. A mathematical model is presented to facilitate the comparison of degradation on devices with different initial current gains.
Co-Authoring Gender-Queer Youth Identities: Discursive Tellings and Retellings

For youth who challenge the culturally fixed gender dichotomy through nonconventional gender expression, societal reaction can be harsh. Uncovering these youth voices as they pioneer new gender frontiers through pathways of language and social dialogue provides the focus for this manuscript. Drawing from discursive, narrative practices, we sat in on a transgender youth conversation group and positioned ourselves as outsider witnesses. The manuscript presents the tellings of the youth and our retellings, as reflective listeners, of their narratives of identity and social relevance. This research offers readers the opportunity to step into the lives of gender-nonconforming youth who are at a very different place in understanding gender identity than most professionals working with youth populations.
Preparing for community violence: Mood and behavioral correlates of the second Rodney King verdicts

This prospective investigation applied the Experience Sampling Method to examine the mood and behavioral responses of individuals facing the risk of community violence (in anticipation of the second Rodney King verdicts). Threatened participants experienced more negative affect and were less stable in behavioral involvement than individuals not under threat. Threatened participants also avoided social contact except for well-known individuals, and were more likely to be traveling than nonthreatened participants. Social contact with family or close friends and being at home (one's own home or the home of familiar individuals) were associated with large reductions in negative affect for those at risk for urban violence. The findings are discussed in terms of risk factors for trauma following community-wide stressors.
Electrical Current Generation by the Flow of Refrigerants

Charge generation rates have been measured for two halocarbons and their mixtures, having electrical conductivities ranging from 7.5 ×10?12 to 2 ×10?15 ??1 ·cm?1. These fluids were passed through a 1.55-mm diameter tube as a liquid and as a mist at high velocity at ambient temperatures. Due to the high vapor pressures of the materials, a closed system capable of operating at pressures up to 30 atmospheres was utilized.
On variational symmetry of defect potentials and multiscale configurational force

In this work, we study invariant properties of defect potentials that are capable of describing defect motions in a continuum. By formulating two canonical defect theories, a generalized Nye theory and the Kroner-de Wit theory, we have found three defect potentials that are variational, i.e. their associated Euler-Lagrange equations are differential compatibility conditions of the continuum and defects. Consequently, symmetry properties of these variational functionals render several classes of new conservation laws and invariant integrals that are related with continuum compatibility conditions, which are independent of the constitutive relations of the continuum. The contour integral of the corresponding conserved quantity is path-independent, if the domain encompassed by such an integral is specifically defect-free. The invariant integral is applied to study macroscopically brittle fracture, and a multiscale Griffith criterion is proposed, which leads to a rigorous justification of the well-known Griffith-Irwin theory.
Development of the techniques for nuclear transfer in pigs

Nuclear transfer in pigs was developed in the late 1980's. The techniques were based on previous studies in frogs, mice and cattle. Within stage nuclear transfer, pronuclear exchange, was followed by the transfer of nuclei from cleavage stage embryos. While these have resulted in term development, many problems remain. Recently progress on the problem of inadequate oocyte activation has been made and now there can be a refocus on the other aspects of the nuclear transfer procedure. The emphasis in developing the cloning/transgenic technology is easily justified, not so much by the ability to produce genetically identical animals for production agriculture, but for the potential to use a cell line that can be genetically engineered prior to the nuclear transfer. Pigs with specific genetic modifications will have a great impact on production agriculture as well as human medicine.
Immunity to Experimental Cholera. II. Secretory and Humoral Antitoxin Response to Local and Systemic Toxoid Administration

The effect of parenteral or intrajejunal administration of formalinized cholera toxoid on antitoxin titers in serum and jejunal washings was studied in dogs with chronic Thiry-Vella jejunal loops. In previously immunized dogs toxoid given by either route caused elevated titers of antitoxin in jejunal washings. After parenteral boosting, much of the antitoxin in jejunal washings was probably derived from serum, whereas after intrajejunal boosting, it appeared to be locally derived. In either instance, IgA antitoxin contributed to the intestinal immune response and had the characteristics of secretory IgA. In previously unimmunized dogs jejunal wash antitoxin was not demonstrable after a primary series of intrajejunal toxoid administrations but was demonstrable when the series was repeated four weeks later. After a single intrajejunal toxoid booster, antitoxin was demonstrable in washings within one to three days and peaked at seven days. Thus the jejunal secretory immunologic system apparently has immunologic memory and is capable of mounting a rapid and brief secondary-type response to locally administered antigen.
Interplay Between Apolipoprotein E and Scavenger Receptor Class B Type I Controls Coronary Atherosclerosis and Lifespan in the Mouse

The mouse has become a standard model for the study of atherosclerosis induced by extreme dyslipidemia in genetically modified strains such as the apolipoprotein E (apoE)–deficient or the LDL-receptor–deficient mouse. Although the process of plaque formation appears to repeat the fundamental steps of the human disease, it has been notoriously difficult to reproduce in the mouse the clinical consequences of atherosclerosis, such as myocardial infarction and stroke, that so commonly in patients signal plaque rupture or total lumen occlusion.1 The apoE-deficient mouse is a particularly interesting model because of its susceptibility to atherosclerotic lesions spanning from the aortic sinus to the abdominal aorta and involving the brachiocephalic and carotid arteries as well.2,3 It has recently been reported that the brachiocephalic plaque in the apoE-deficient mouse is prone to rupture on feeding a high-fat diet for periods as short as 8 weeks,4 but even in this setting of exaggerated hypercholesterolemia, the aortic sinus and coronary tree do not appear to be susceptible to plaque rupture. Scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) is a scavenger-type receptor expressed by many tissues and accepted by consensus to represent the docking receptor for HDL in the liver. SR-BI-deficient mice have raised HDL levels and increased atherosclerosis susceptibility on fat feeding.5 ApoE and SR-BI are both expressed, among other cells, by the hepatocyte and the macrophage. ApoE is an efficient ligand for receptor-mediated lipoprotein removal by the liver, but it is also a strong acceptor of cellular cholesterol. As such, it may control the rate of foam cell formation in the vessel wall. Similarly, SR-BI channels cholesterol in and out of the cell, and its abundant expression by the macrophage may regulate cholesterol homeostasis in arterial foam cells. Although apoE and SR-BI play crucial roles in lipoprotein metabolism and have been …
Correlation detection of photonically-generated ultra-wideband radio-frequency waveforms over wireless link

We report correlation measurements of ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals dispersion precompensated for transmission over a short antenna link. Experimental auto- and cross-correlations of upchirped and down-chirped electrical waveforms demonstrate high contrast.
An Exploratory Study of Listening Practice Relative to Memory Testing and Lecture in Business Administration Courses

This study investigates the combined impact of a memory test and subsequent listening practice in enhancing student listening abilities in collegiate business administration courses. The article reviews relevant literature and describes an exploratory study that was undertaken to compare the effectiveness of this technique with traditional lecture. The inquiry provided evidence of the potential value of memory tests and listening practice as pedagogical tools that promote listening ability.
Moderate amounts of fructose- or glucose-sweetened beverages do not differentially alter metabolic health in male and female adolescents

Background: Adolescents consume more sugar-sweetened beverages than do individuals in any other age group, but it is unknown how the type of sugar-sweetened beverage affects metabolic health in this population. Objective: The objective was to compare the metabolic health effects of short-term (2-wk) consumption of high-fructose (HF) and high-glucose (HG)–sweetened beverages in adolescents (15–20 y of age). Design: In a counterbalanced, single-blind fashion, 40 male and female adolescents completed two 2-wk trials that included 1 )a n HF trial in which they consumed 710 mL of a sugar-sweetened beverage/d (equivalent to 50 g fructose/d and 15 g glucose/d) for 2 wk and 2) an HG trial in which they consumed 710 mL of a sugarsweetened beverage/d (equivalent to 50 g glucose/d and 15 g fructose/d) for 2 wk in addition to their normal ad libitum diet. In addition, the participants maintained similar physical activity levels during each trial. The day after each trial, insulin sensitivity and resistance [assessed via Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index] and fasting and postprandial glucose, lactate, lipid, cholesterol, insulin, C-peptide, insulin secretion, and clearance responses to HF or HG mixed meals were assessed. Results: Body weight, QUICKI (whole-body insulin sensitivity), HOMA-IR (hepatic insulin resistance), and fasting lipids, cholesterol, glucose, lactate, and insulin secretion or clearance were not different between trials. Fasting HDL- and HDL3-cholesterol concentrations were w10–31% greater (P , 0.05) in female adolescents than in male adolescents. Postprandial triacylglycerol, HDL-cholesterol, HDL3-cholesterol, and glucose concentrations were not different between HF and HG trials. The lactate incremental area under the curve was w3.7-fold greater during the HF trial (P , 0.05), whereas insulin secretion was 19% greater during the HG trial (P , 0.05). Conclusions: Moderate amounts of HF- or HG-sweetened beverages for 2 wk did not have differential effects on fasting or postprandial cholesterol, triacylglycerol, glucose, or hepatic insulin clearance in weight-stable, physically active adolescents. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02058914. Am J Clin Nutr doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.081232.
Mechanical power output during running accelerations in wild turkeys.

SUMMARY We tested the hypothesis that the hindlimb muscles of wild turkeys ( Meleagris gallopavo ) can produce maximal power during running accelerations. The mechanical power developed during single running steps was calculated from force-plate and high-speed video measurements as turkeys accelerated over a trackway. Steady-speed running steps and accelerations were compared to determine how turkeys alter their running mechanics from a low-power to a high-power gait. During maximal accelerations, turkeys eliminated two features of running mechanics that are characteristic of steady-speed running: (i) they produced purely propulsive horizontal ground reaction forces, with no braking forces, and (ii) they produced purely positive work during stance, with no decrease in the mechanical energy of the body during the step. The braking and propulsive forces ordinarily developed during steady-speed running are important for balance because they align the ground reaction force vector with the center of mass. Increases in acceleration in turkeys correlated with decreases in the angle of limb protraction at toe-down and increases in the angle of limb retraction at toe-off. These kinematic changes allow turkeys to maintain the alignment of the center of mass and ground reaction force vector during accelerations when large propulsive forces result in a forward-directed ground reaction force. During the highest accelerations, turkeys produced exclusively positive mechanical power. The measured power output during acceleration divided by the total hindlimb muscle mass yielded estimates of peak instantaneous power output in excess of 400 W kg -1 hindlimb muscle mass. This value exceeds estimates of peak instantaneous power output of turkey muscle fibers. The mean power developed during the entire stance phase increased from approximately zero during steady-speed runs to more than 150 W kg -1 muscle during the highest accelerations. The high power outputs observed during accelerations suggest that elastic energy storage and recovery may redistribute muscle power during acceleration. Elastic mechanisms may expand the functional range of muscle contractile elements in running animals by allowing muscles to vary their mechanical function from force-producing struts during steady-speed running to power-producing motors during acceleration.
Structural energetics of the molten globule state

Certain partly ordered protein conformations, commonly called "molten globule states," are widely believed to represent protein folding intermediates. Recent structural studies of molten globule states of different proteins have revealed features which appear to be general in scope. The emerging consensus is that these partly ordered forms exhibit a high content of secondary structure, considerable compactness, nonspecific tertiary structure, and significant structural flexibility. These characteristics may be used to define a general state of protein folding called "the molten globule state," which is structurally and thermodynamically distinct from both the native state and the denatured state. Despite extensive knowledge of structural features of a few molten globule states, a cogent thermodynamic argument for their stability has not yet been advanced. The prevailing opinion of the last decade was that there is little or no enthalpy difference or heat capacity difference between the molten globule state and the unfolded state. This view, however, appears to be at variance with the existing database of protein structural energetics and with recent estimates of the energetics of denaturation of alpha-lactalbumin, cytochrome c, apomyoglobin, and T4 lysozyme. We discuss these four proteins at length. The results of structural studies, together with the existing thermodynamic values for fundamental interactions in proteins, provide the foundation for a structural thermodynamic framework which can account for the observed behavior of molten globule states. Within this framework, we analyze the physical basis for both the high stability of several molten globule states and the low probability of other potential folding intermediates. Additionally, we consider, in terms of reduced enthalpy changes and disrupted cooperative interactions, the thermodynamic basis for the apparent absence of a thermally induced, cooperative unfolding transition for some molten globule states.
Comparison of Detector Intrinsic Spatial Resolution Characteristics for Sensor on the Entrance Surface and Conventional Readout Designs

We report on a high resolution, monolithic crystal PET detector design concept that provides depth of interaction (DOI) positioning within the crystal. Our design utilizes a novel sensor on the entrance surface (SES) approach combined with a maximum likelihood positioning algorithm. We compare the intrinsic spatial resolution characteristics (i.e., X, Y and Z) using our SES design versus conventional placement of the photo-sensors on the rear surface of the crystal. The sensors can be any two-dimensional array of solid state readout devices (e.g., silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) or avalanche photodiodes (APD)). SiPMs are a new type of solid-state photodetector with Geiger mode operation that can provide signal gain similar to a photomltipiler tube (PMT). Utilizing a multi-step simulation process, we determined the intrinsic spatial resolution characteristics for a variety of detector configurations. The SES design was evaluated via simulation for three different two-dimensional array sizes: 8 × 8 with 5.8 × 5.8 mm2 pads; 12 × 12 with 3.8 × 3.8 mm2 pads; and 16 × 16 with 2.8 × 2.8 mm2 pads. To reduce the number of signal channels row-column summing readout was used for the 12 × 12 and 16 × 16 channel array devices. The crystal was modeled as a 15 mm monolithic slab of a lutetium-based scintillator with the large area surface varying from 48.8 × 48.8 mm2 up to 49.6 × 49.6 mm2 depending upon the dimensions of the two-dimensional photo-sensor array. The intrinsic spatial resolution for the 8 × 8 array is 0.88 mm FWHM in X and Y, and 1.83 mm FWHM in Z (i.e., DOI). Comparing the results versus using a conventional design with the photo-sensors on the backside of the crystal, an average improvement of ~24% in X and Y and 20% in Z is achieved. The X, Y intrinsic spatial resolution improved to 0.67 mm and 0.64 mm FWHM for the 12 × 12 and 16 × 16 arrays using row-column readout. Using the 12 × 12 and 16 × 16 arrays also led to a slight improvement in the DOI positioning accuracy.
PHALANX: parallel checking of expressive heap assertions

Unrestricted use of heap pointers makes software systems difficult to understand and to debug. To address this challenge, we developed PHALANX -- a practical framework for dynamically checking expressive heap properties such as ownership, sharing and reachability. PHALANX uses novel parallel algorithms to efficiently check a wide range of heap properties utilizing the available cores.PHALANX runtime is implemented on top of IBM's Java production virtual machine. This has enabled us to apply our new techniques to real world software. We checked expressive heap properties in various scenarios and found the runtime support to be valuable for debugging and program understanding. Further, our experimental results on DaCapo and other benchmarks indicate that evaluating heap queries using parallel algorithms can lead to significant performance improvements, often resulting in linear speedups as the number of cores increases.To encourage adoption by programmers, we extended an existing JML compiler to translate expressive JML assertions about the heap into their efficient implementation provided by PHALANX. To debug her program, a programmer can annotate it with expressive heap assertions in JML, that are efficiently checked by PHALANX.
Diffuse optical tomography of highly heterogeneous media

The authors investigate the performance of diffuse optical tomography to image highly heterogeneous media, such as breast tissue, as a function of background heterogeneity. To model the background heterogeneity, they have employed the functional information derived from Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance images of the breast. The authors demonstrate that overall image quality and quantification accuracy worsens as the background heterogeneity increases. Furthermore they confirm the appearance of characteristic artifacts at the boundaries that scale with background heterogeneity. These artifacts are very similar to the ones seen in clinical examinations and can be misinterpreted as actual objects if not accounted for. To eliminate the artifacts and improve the overall image reconstruction, the authors apply a data-correction algorithm that yields superior reconstruction results and is virtually independent of the degree of the background heterogeneity.
A field comes of age: geometric morphometrics in the 21 st century

Twenty years ago, Rohlf and Marcus proclaimed that a “revolution in morphometrics” was underway, where classic analyses based on sets of linear distances were being supplanted by geometric approaches making use of the coordinates of anatomical landmarks. Since that time the field of geometric morphometrics has matured into a rich and cohesive discipline for the study of shape variation and covariation. The development of the field is identified with the Procrustes paradigm, a methodological approach to shape analysis arising from the intersection of the statistical shape theory and analytical procedures for obtaining shape variables from landmark data. In this review we describe the Procrustes paradigm and the current methodological toolkit of geometric morphometrics. We highlight some of the theoretical advances that have occurred over the past ten years since our prior review (Adams et al., 2004), what types of anatomical structures are amenable to these approaches, and how they extend the reach of geometric morphometrics to more specialized applications for addressing particular biological hypotheses. We end with a discussion of some possible areas that are fertile ground for future development in the field.
The analgesic agent tapentadol inhibits calcitonin gene-related peptide release from isolated rat brainstem via a serotonergic mechanism.

Abstract Aims In this study we tested the hypothesis that tapentadol inhibits GGRP release from the rat brainstem through a mechanism mediated by the inhibition of NA reuptake; as a second alternative hypothesis, we investigated whether tapentadol inhibits GGRP release via the inhibition of 5-HT reuptake. Methods Rat brainstems were explanted and incubated in short-term experiments. CGRP released in the incubation medium was taken as a marker of CGRP release from the central terminals of trigeminal neurons within the brainstem. CGRP levels were measured by radioimmunoassay under basal conditions or in the presence of tapentadol; NA, 5-HT, clonidine, yohimbine and ondansetron were used as pharmacological tools to investigate the action mechanism of tapentadol. Results The α2-antagonist yohimbine failed to counteract the effects of tapentadol. Moreover, neither NA nor the α 2 -agonist clonidine per se inhibited K + − stimulated CGRP release, thereby indicating that the effects of tapentadol are nor mediated through the block of NA reuptake. Further experiments showed that 5-HT and tramadol, which inhibits both NA and 5-HT reuptake, significantly reduced K + -stimulated CGRP release. Moreover, the 5-HT3 antagonist ondansetron was able to counteract the effects of tapentadol in this system. Significance This study provided pharmacological evidence that tapentadol inhibits stimulated CGRP release from the rat brainstem in vitro through a mechanism involving an increase in 5-HT levels in the system and the subsequent activation of 5-HT3 receptors.
Linoleic Acid Inhibition of Naturally Occurring Lymphocytotoxicity to Breast Cancer-Derived Cells Measured by a Chromium-51 Release Assay

Long-chain unsaturated free fatty acids have been shown to inhibit the immune responses of lymphocytes in vivo and in transformation and macrophage inhibition factor assays in vitro. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of linoleic acid on naturally occurring lymphocytotoxicity in a 51Cr release microcytotoxicity assay with the use of a human breast carcinoma cell line (AlAb) as source of the target cells. In the presence of increasing concentrations of linoleic acid, a linear decrease in lymphocytotoxicity was observed with complete inhibition at concentrations of 0.05-0.07 mg/ml. Concentrations of linoleic acid greater than 0.07 mg/ml resulted in nonspecific toxicity to target cells but not to lymphocytes as determined by trypan blue exclusion tests. When lymphocytes were pretreated with linoleic acid, washed, and then tested for cytotoxicity in the absence of linoleic acid, suppression of lymphocytotoxicity was still demonstrated. When leukocytes were depleted of macrophages, cytotoxicity in the absence of linoleic acid was enhanced 50-100%; complete inhibition of cytotoxicity was still observed at 0.05 mg linoleic acid/ml. When B- and T-cell populations were separated, each population showed typical decreases in lymphocytotoxicity in the presence of linoleic acid; however, the B-cell fraction (containing "null" cells) was two to three times more efficient at cell killing than was the T-cell fraction.
Simultaneous whole body (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of pediatric cancer: Preliminary experience and comparison with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography.

Simultaneous whole body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of pediatric cancer: Preliminary experience and comparison with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography
A Full-Dimensional Global Potential Energy Surface of H3O+(ã3A) for the OH+(X̃3Σ–) + H2(X̃1Σg+) → H(2S) + H2O+(X̃2B1) Reaction

An accurate full-dimensional global potential energy surface (PES) is developed for the title reaction. The PES was based on ∼30 000 points at the Davidson corrected multireference configuration interaction level with the aug-cc-pVQZ basis set (MRCI+Q/AVQZ). The ab initio points were fitted using the permutation invariant polynomial-neural network (PIP-NN) method with a root-mean-square error of about 3.0 meV or 24 cm–1. The kinetics of the OH+ + H2 and OH+ + D2 reactions were investigated on the PIP-NN PES using a quasi-classical trajectory method and the calculated thermal rate coefficients are in good agreement with the available experimental data. Furthermore, it is predicted based on the PES using the Sudden Vector Projection model that the rotational excitation of OH+ enhances the reaction at low collision energies.
Human Rights, NGO Shaming and the Exports of Abusive States

Does the attention of human rights organizations limit exports from rights-abusing states? This article examines how naming and shaming by human rights organizations (HROs) conditions the influence of human rights abuse on exports, and argues that human rights abuse alone is insufficient to damage a state’s exports. However, as attention to abuse via HRO shaming increases, abuse has an increasingly negative impact on exports. Importantly, this relationship is also conditional on the respect for human rights among importing states; human rights abuse, even if it is shamed, has no effect when importers are similarly abusive. Empirical tests utilizing gravity models of trade incorporating data on physical integrity rights abuse and HRO shaming in 1990–2008 yield strong support for our expectations.
Social Norms, Perceptions and Dual/Poly Tobacco Use among Texas Youth.

Objectives We assessed risk perceptions and social norms about tobacco use across adolescent non-users of tobacco, single- product users, and dual/poly-product users. Methods Use behaviors specific to e-cigarettes, cigarettes, hookah, cigars, and smokeless tobacco were assessed among 6th, 8th and 10th grade students (sample [n] = 3907 from a population of [N] = 461,069 students). Multivariate regression was used to examine differences in these factors across use categories, adjusted for demographic factors. Results Results highlight differences between non-users and single- or dual/poly-product users for most tobacco products. Dual/poly-product users differed from single-product users most notably in their higher perceived use of tobacco products by close friends and dating partners, and a higher proportion of single-product users reported most products were not harmful and not addictive compared to non-users. Few differences were seen between dual/poly-product users and single-product users in their perceptions of harm and addictiveness. Conclusions Findings demonstrate the importance of proximal social influences (ie, close friends and dating partners) for adolescent dual/poly-tobacco product users. Understanding similarities and differences in risk factors between these adolescent groups can guide effective public health prevention and treatment programs.
Resilience in the Study of Minority Stress and Health of Sexual and Gender Minorities

Research in various populations has shown that, starting early in childhood, individuals often demonstrate resilience in the face of stress and adversity. Against the experience of minority stress, LGBT people mount coping responses and most survive and even thrive despite stress. But research on resilience in LGBT populations has lagged. In this commentary, I address 2 broad issues that I have found wanting of special exploration in LGBT research on resilience: First, I note that resilience, like coping, is inherently related to minority stress in that it is an element of the stress model. Understanding resilience as a partner in the stress to illness causal chain is essential for LGBT health research. Second, I explore individual- versus community-based resilience in the context of minority stress. Although individual and community resilience should be seen as part of a continuum of resilience, it is important to recognize the significance of community resilience in the context of minority stress.
CURRENT CONCEPTS IN THE TREATMENT OF GROSS PATELLOFEMORAL INSTABILITY.

Patellofemoral instability is a painful and commonly recurring condition, which often must be managed surgically. Diagnosis can be aided by the use of a variety of physical exam signs, such as the Q angle, Beighton hypermobility score, glide test, J sign, patellar tilt test, and apprehension test. Imaging modalities including x-ray, CT, and MRI guide both diagnosis and management by revealing trochlear dysplasia, bony malalignment, and ligamentous injury that contribute to instability. Following an initial patellar dislocation, nonoperative management with bracing and physical therapy is an acceptable option, despite limited evidence that operative management may improve functional outcome and reduce recurrent dislocations. For recurrent dislocations, operative management is indicated, and the appropriate procedure depends on the patient's anatomy and the cause of instability. Reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) restores the primary soft tissue restraint to lateral patellar dislocations, and can be performed using a variety of techniques. In patients whose instability is related to bony malalignment, a tibial tubercle osteotomy is commonly performed to realign the extensor mechanism and establish proper patellar tracking. In patients with trochlear dysplasia, a trochleoplasty may be performed to create a sufficient groove for the patella to traverse. Often these procedures must be combined to address all causes of instability. The reported outcomes following all three of these procedures are generally very good, with the majority of patients experiencing functional improvements and a low rate of recurrent instability, although more large randomized controlled trials are needed to determine which techniques are most effective. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to provide an overview of the current methods employed by orthopedic surgeons to diagnose and manage patellar instability. Level of Evidence 5
Sex difference in the association of the angiotensin converting enzyme I/D polymorphism and body mass index.

BACKGROUND Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) catayzes the formation of angiotensin I to angiotensin II. A polymorphism has been identified in intron 16 in which a 287 base-pair alu sequence was found to be present (insertion or I) or absent (deletion or D) in the population. ACE and the components of the renin-angiotensin system are expressed in adipose tissue and therefore the I/D polymorphism within ACE may be associated with obesity. MATERIAL/METHODS This study involved genotyping two groups with differing body mass indexes (BMI or=30) that were composed primarily of middle-age Caucasian subjects (n=421). RESULTS The male groups differed significantly in allele frequency at the ACE locus with the I allele more frequent in the BMI >or=30 group (p or=30 group also had a higher I allele frequency than the BMI <or=25 group, the difference is not significant. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate a sex difference in the association of the I/D polymorphism and BMI. Our findings differ from some other previous studies using various population groups which indicate that the ACE I/D polymorphism may be differentially associated with obesity depending on multiple factors.
Identificación de Scleroderma citrinum Pers en una plantación de almendros de la ciudad de Villa Alemana, Chile.

Las micorrizas son una asociacion mutualista fundamental para el desarrollo tanto de las plantas como para los hongos que la establecen. Son comunes en bosques y existen muchas especies de hongos que realizan esta asociacion. Las ectomicorrizas son hifas de un hongo que penetran las raices secundarias de la planta para desarrollarse, rodeando las celulas de la corteza de las raices. En este trabajo se reporta el hallazgo de la ectomicorriza Scleroderma citrinum en un predio con almendros en la ciudad de Villa Alemana, Quinta region de Chile, lugar donde no habia sido descrita. Tanto las condiciones ambientales, como las caracteristicas del suelo del lugar no son las mas favorables para el desarrollo de esta especie.
U.S. corporate investment and foreign penetration: Imports and inward foreign direct investment

Abstract This paper examines the joint effect of imports and inward foreign direct investment (iFDI), the two primary entry forms of foreign companies to the U.S. product market, on domestic firms’ capital investment decisions. We develop novel firm-level measures to gauge the impact of imports and iFDI. We show that increased import competition significantly reduces U.S. firms’ investment; in contrast, the effect of iFDI on investment is largely nonsignificant. Further analysis suggests that the negative effect of imports on investment is due to competition-induced decline in cash flows. And the nonsignificant result for iFDI can be partly attributed to technology spillovers generated by foreign multinational’s U.S. productions, which promote U.S. local firms’ innovation capacity and consequently offset the negative effect of foreign competition on investment. Overall, our results indicate that foreign competition plays a key role in shaping corporate investment policy and highlight the distinct implications of imports and iFDI on firm investment.
The Seven-Year Cost-Effectiveness of Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Versus Cervical Disc Arthroplasty: A Markov Analysis.

Study Design.Markov model analysis.Objective.The aim of this study was to determine the 7-year cost-effectiveness of single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) versus cervical disc replacement (CDR) for the treatment of cervical disc degeneration.Summary of Background Data.Both ACDF
Interposing a Varying Gravitational Constant Between Modified Newtonian Dynamics and Weak Weyl Gravity.

The Newtonian gravitational constant G obeys the dimensional relation [G][M][a] = [v](exp 4), where M, a, and v denote mass, acceleration, and speed, respectively. Since the baryonic Tully-Fisher (BTF) and Faber-Jackson (BFJ) relations are observed facts, this relation implies that Ga=constant⁠. This result cannot be obtained in Newtonian dynamics which cannot explain the origin of the BTF and BFJ relations. An alternative, modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) assumes that G = G(sub 0) is constant in space and derives naturally a characteristic constant acceleration a = a(sub 0), as well as the BTF and BFJ relations. This is overkill and it comes with a penalty: MOND cannot explain the origin of a(sub 0). A solid physical resolution of this issue is that G∝a(exp −1), which implies that in lower-acceleration environments the gravitational force is boosted relative to its Newtonian value because G increases. This eliminates all problems related to MOND’s empirical cutoff a(sub 0) and yields a quantitative method for mapping the detailed variations of G(a) across each individual galaxy as well as on larger and smaller scales. On the opposite end, the large accelerations produced by G(a) appear to be linked to the weak-field limit of the fourth-order theory of conformal Weyl gravity.
Klassische und instrumentelle Konditionierung: Ein Vergleich

Wir haben in den vorausgegangenen Kapiteln hervorgehoben, das klassisches und instrumentelles Konditionieren moglicherweise nicht nur unterschiedliche Techniken zur Einubung von Verhalten darstellen, sondern auch unterschiedliche Lernprozesse reprasentieren. Nicht wenige Theoretiker sind der Ansicht, das es zwei verschiedene Lernprozesse gibt, wenngleich noch ein Mangel an Ubereinstimmung bezuglich der diesen Prozessen zugrundeliegenden Gesetzmasigkeiten besteht. Zur Unterstutzung ihrer Behauptung verweisen sie auf einige wesentliche Differenzen zwischen klassischen und instrumenteilen Lernsituationen.
Overcoming Challenges in Material Characterization of Polymers at Intermediate Strain Rates

Simulations of dynamic loading on polymers often require rate dependent, large-strain material test data to sufficiently calibrate material laws such as nonlinear viscoelastic–viscoplastic. Physical testing at intermediate strain rates creates many challenges because the measurements are susceptible to distortion due to factors including: test specimen variations, fixtures, hydraulic actuator control, instrumentation complexity, data acquisition, electrical noise and post processing. For example, hidden time delays within the total data acquisition system (load cells, displacement sensors, amplifiers/conditioners) create confusion when specimen failure captured by a sensor does not agree in time with images from high speed video. Additionally, noise in measurements can occur due to sample misalignment, fixture and test-stand rigidity, subtleties of a slack adapter (if one is used), and distortions caused by the test environment. After care is taken to minimize structural-born distortions, noticeable levels of noise and oscillations may still exist from these mechanical sources as well as electrical sources such as channel cross-talk of a video camera shutter pulse bleeding onto other sensor channels. Ultimately, prudent use of DSP techniques may be needed to further improve data quality and interpretation. This paper demonstrates success over many such difficulties when performing tensile tests of polymer materials up to 100 s−1.
Non-destructive evaluation of spot-weld quality

Abstract: This chapter discusses non-destructive evaluation of spot welds, with emphasis on ultrasonic inspection of resistance spot welds in mild steel. Detection of stick welds and of small nuggets surrounded by a zinc corona are the principal challenges faced by resistance spot-weld inspection. The post-process single-element ultrasonic method is the most common inspection technique currently employed in manufacturing environments. Recent interest has centered on imaging techniques, which offer spatially resolved information and increased sensitivity, and on in-process inspection, which allows examination of the events that occur during the course of the welding process. These techniques are described and their strengths and weaknesses are discussed.