cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Index for Soil Pore Size Distribution

Abstract An index for classifying soil pore size distribution is proposed. The arithmetic mean change in percent soil water content by weight as the tension changes from zero to 1.5 bars is used as the index. This number characterizes the size distribution of pores with a radius of one micron or greater. A simple equation is presented to calculate the index from soil water contents at pressure plate settings of zero, 0.2, and 1.5 bars. Moisture release curves from 3 different soils show that the index does tend to characterize the shape of the release curve and that it is sensitive to past management which affects the distribution of large soil pores. When all other conditions are optimum, it appears that there exists a specific value of the index which indicates when the soil pore size distribution may be expected to limit plant growth. It is further suggested that the index, together with penetrometer measurements made at the 1.5-bar water content, may be used as “soil test values” for making practical management decisions and for predicting the stability of soils under varying field conditions.
THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POROUS ALUMINUM USING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD SIMULATIONS AND COMPRESSION EXPERIMENTS

Lightweight porous metallic materials are generally created through specialized processing techniques. Their unique structure gives these materials interesting properties which allow them to be used in diverse structural and insulation applications. In particular, highly porous Al structures (Al foams) have been used in aircraft components and sound insulation; however due to the difficulty in processing and random nature of the foams, they are not well understood and thus they have not yet been utilized to their full potential. The objective of this project was to determine whether a relationship exists between the relative density (porous density/bulk density) and the mechanical properties of porous Al structures. For this purpose, a combination of computer simulations and experiments was pursued to better understand possible relationships. A Finite Element Method (FEM)-based software, COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3, was used to model the structure and to simulate the mechanical behavior of porous Al structures under compressive loads ranging from 1-100 MPa. From these simulated structures, the maximum von Mises stress, volumetric strain, and other properties were calculated. These simulation results were compared against data from compression experiments performed using the Instron Universal Testing Machine (IUTM) on porous Al specimens created via a computernumerically-controlled (CNC) mill. CES EduPack software, a materials design program, was also used to estimate the mechanical properties of porous Al and open cell foams for values not available experimentally, and for comparison purposes. This program allowed for accurate prediction of the mechanical properties for a given percent density foam, and also provided a baseline for the solid Al samples tested. The main results from experiments were that the Young’s moduli (E) for porous Al samples (55.8% relative density) were 15.9-16.6 GPa depending on pore diameter, which is in good agreement with the CES EduPack predictions; while the compressive strengths (σ c) were 155-185 MPa, higher than those predicted by CES EduPack. The results from the FEM simulations using 3D models (55.8% relative density) revealed the onset of yielding at 13.5-14.0 MPa, which correlates well with CES EduPack data. Overall results indicated that a combination of experiments and FEM simulations can be used to calculate structure-property relationships and to predict yielding and failure, which may help in the pursuit of simulation-based design of metallic foams. In the future, more robust modeling and simulation techniques will be explored, as well as investigating closed cell Al foams and different porous geometries (nm to micron). This study can help to improve the current methods of characterizing porous materials and enhance knowledge about their properties for alternative energy applications, while promoting their design through integrated approaches.
Kallikrein/kinin protects against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity by inhibition of inflammation and apoptosis

Background. Our previous study showed that kallikrein gene transfer protects against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity and enhances renal function. In this study, we investigated the effects and potential mechanisms of kallikrein/kinin on inflammation and apoptosis induced by gentamicin. Methods. Rats were injected subcutaneously with gentamicin daily for 10 days and received an intravenous injection of adenovirus carrying the human tissue kallikrein gene or control virus on the first day of gentamicin administration. Results. After 10 days of gentamicin treatment, kallikrein gene transfer significantly attenuated gentamicin-induced tubular dilatation and lumenal protein casts. Moreover, kallikrein gene transfer reduced monocyte/macrophage infiltration, monocyte chemoattractant peptide-1 expression and renal cell apoptosis. Kallikrein's protective effects were accompanied by increased nitric oxide formation, and reduced NADH oxidase activity and superoxide production. Suppression of oxidative stress was associated with diminished c-jun N-terminal kinase activation and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and transforming growth factor-β protein levels. These biochemical effects were blocked by icatibant, indicating a kinin B2 receptor-mediated signalling event. Conclusions. This study indicates that kallikrein/kinin protects against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity by inhibiting inflammatory cell recruitment and apoptosis through suppression of oxidative stress-mediated signalling pathways. These findings raise the potential of applying kallikrein therapy approaches in treating aminoglycoside-induced renal damage.
Virtual Computing Laboratories Using VMware Lab Manager

Virtual computing laboratories provide remote user access to standardized computing resources and enable many types of complex experiential and project-based learning applicable in the simulation of information warfare exercises, incident response training and digital forensics analysis. As more universities and government agencies consider implementing VLABs, they are faced with choosing an appropriate architecture and infrastructure components. This paper reports on a current VLAB implementation using VMware virtualization products. We describe the system architecture and report on benefits and challenges of the architecture and supporting infrastructure including issues of accessibility, administrative complexity, security, performance, configuration, and integration with other University IT resources and services. Our report is intended to guide faculty and administrators considering a similar implementation with lessons learned from our experience.
Factors that Affect Postdialysis Rebound in Serum Urea Concentration, Including the Rate of Dialysis: Results from the HEMO Study

Previous studies have suggested that postdialysis urea rebound is related to K/V, the rate of dialysis, but a systematic analysis of factors that affect rebound has not been reported. With the use of 30-min and, in a subset, 60-min postdialysis samples, postdialysis urea rebound was measured to (1) determine how well previously proposed equations based on the rate of dialysis (K/V) predict rebound in a large sample of patients with varying characteristics, (2) determine whether other factors besides K/V affect rebound, and (3) estimate more precise values for coefficients in prediction equations for rebound. Rebound was calculated relative to both immediate and 20-s postdialysis samples to study early components of rebound unrelated to access recirculation. The equilibrated Kt/V (eKt/V) computed by fitting the two-pool variable volume model to the 30-min postdialysis sample agreed well with eKt/V based on the 60-min postdialysis sample. Using the pre-, post-, and 30-min postdialysis samples for 1245 patients with arteriovenous (AV) accesses, the median intercompartmental mass transfer coefficient (Kc) was 797 ml/min for rebound computed relative to the 20-s postdialysis samples and 592 ml/min relative to the immediate postdialysis samples. K/V was the strongest predictor of rebound among 22 factors considered. Other factors associated with greater rebound for 1331 patients using AV accesses or venous catheters included access type, black race, male gender, absence of congestive heart failure, greater age, ultrafiltration rate, and low predialysis or intradialysis systolic BP. Equations of the form eKt/V = single-pool Kt/V - B x (K/V) were fit to the data. With AV access, the optimum values for the slope term (B) were 0.39 and 0.46 (in h(-1)) for single-pool Kt/V calculated based on 20-s postdialysis or immediate postdialysis samples, respectively. For patients using venous catheters, the respective values for B were 0.22 and 0.29. Postdialysis urea rebound can be predicted with acceptable accuracy from a postdialysis sample using a zero-intercept, K/V-based rate equation. Several patient or treatment-specific factors predict enhanced or reduced rebound. Rate equation slope coefficients for K/V of 0.39 (AV access) and 0.22 (venous access) are proposed when a 15- to 20-s slow-flow method is used to draw the postdialysis blood. Slightly higher K/V slope coefficients (0.46 and 0.29, respectively) should be used if a shorter (e.g., 10 s) slow-flow period is used.
Differential expression of suppressors of cytokine signaling-1 and -3 and related cytokines in central nervous system during remitting versus non-remitting forms of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

SJL mice exhibit a relapsing–remitting course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), whereas C57BL/6 (B6) mice display a more chronic course without complete remissions. Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-1 and SOCS-3 are members of a family of inducible intracellular proteins that negatively regulate cytokine signaling in cells of hematopoietic origin and may influence the Th 1t o T h2 balance. SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 are induced by cytokines that are known to be up-regulated during EAE, including IFN-gamma (IFN-g) and IL-6, respectively. To test the hypothesis that the level of induction of SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 correlates with the course of EAE, mRNA levels were compared in spinal cords of SJL and B6 mice during discrete stages of disease. SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 were elevated throughout active disease in both strains. At peak EAE, SOCS-1 was higher and SOCS-3 was lower in B6 cords compared with SJL cords. This correlated with greater expression of the Th1 cytokine, IFN-g, and less of the Th2 cytokine, IL-10, in B6 cords relative to SJL cords during onset and peak disease. SOCS-3 inducers in the IL-6 family were expressed differentially between the strains. IL-6 and leukemia inhibitory factor were higher at onset in B6 cords whereas ciliary neurotrophic factor was increased in SJL cords during peak disease. Expression of fibroblast growth factor-2, which may be involved in remyelination, was higher in SJL cords at peak. Comparison of these models suggests that cytokine autoregulatory mechanisms involving SOCS may play a role in determining the course of EAE.
Against Exceptionalism: Class Consciousness and the American Labor Movement, 1790–1920

American social and labor historians have made progress over the last ten years, but we have not made nearly enough. More than we like to admit, the problems and issues posed four generations ago by Werner Sombart and Selig Perlman still shape our work. Even now, monographs roll off the presses, each with its own answer to the riddle: Why has there been no class consciousness (or no socialism) in the United States? Or, put more exactly, why have American workers, unlike Europeans, failed to see themselves as a group in society?a "class for itself?with interests wholly distinct from and opposed to those of their employers, petty producers, and the state. The question has been raised in diverse quarters; if they divide over every other important issue, such writers as Stanley Aronowitz, Seymour Martin Lipset, and Stephen Thernstrom (among many others) have agreed that the problem of American exceptionalism is a proper point of departure for understanding America. So have many of the "new" labor historians.1 At stake is far more than the issues pondered by historians of the working class: since 1945, the two main currents of exceptionalist literature have dominated most writing on the social and intellectual history of the United States.2 The first of these currents?until recently the most influential?was the brand of counter Progressive "consensus" history pioneered by Richard Hofstadterand Louis Hartz.3 Contrary to myth, the counter-Progressive critique came originally from the Left, from urbane historians like Hofstadter?men reared on the Marxism of the 1930s, dismayed by the "left" nationalism and pseudo-Populism of the Popular Front and the Progressives, and otherwise disillusioned with popular politics.4 At a time when liberals and leftists celebrated Jefferson, Lincoln, and F. D. R. as working class heroes, Hofstadter and others revolted. With pungency and wit, they pointed out that American politics, including a great deal of so-called "radical" politics, were entrepreneurial exercises in the personal or collective pursuit of self interest, sugar-coated with the rhetoric of independence, liberty, and the rights of man. America, supposedly, was capitalist at its birth. American political culture, nursed on John Locke, grew into the purest expression of bourgeois values. Genuine opposition to this culture was limited to intellectuals and agitators who kept to the margins of political life. Whatever conflict occurred arose not from
The effect of muscle dysfunction on bone mass and morphology

There is little doubt that skeletal development and subsequent maintenance of bone mass and morphology during adulthood is greatly influenced by viable muscle function. In this review, we will summarize human observations that support this concept, then focus on models that have enabled (or may enable in the future) insight into the co-dependency of muscle and bone. Specifically, we will summarize data generated with three types of models: 1) spinal cord injury models, 2) transgenic mice with altered muscle function, and 3) experimental models affecting one hindlimb or a single muscle group. In sum, these data clearly support the concept that muscle function is critical for the successful development of the skeleton and is likely to play an important role in mediating bone health through life. The specific signaling pathways by which this interdependency is achieved, however, remain to be clarified.
Transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease of Mule Deer to Suffolk Sheep following Intracerebral Inoculation

To determine the transmissibility of chronic wasting disease (CWD) to sheep, 8 Suffolk lambs of various prion protein genotypes (4 ARQ/ARR, 3 ARQ/ARQ, 1 ARQ/VRQ at codons 136, 154, and 171, respectively) were inoculated intracerebrally with brain suspension from mule deer with CWD (CWD md ). Two other lambs were kept as noninoculated controls. Within 36 months postinoculation (MPI), 2 inoculated animals became sick and were euthanized. Only 1 sheep (euthanized at 35 MPI) showed clinical signs that were consistent with those described for scrapie. Microscopic lesions of spongiform encephalopathy (SE) were only seen in this sheep, and its tissues were determined to be positive for the abnormal prion protein (PrP res )b y immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Three other inoculated sheep were euthanized (36 to 60 MPI) because of conditions unrelated to TSE. The 3 remaining inoculated sheep and the 2 control sheep did not have clinical signs of disease at the termination of the study (72 MPI) and were euthanized. Of the 3 remaining inoculated sheep, 1 was found to have SE, and its tissues were positive for PrP res . The sheep with clinical prion disease (euthanized at 35 MPI) was of the heterozygous genotype (ARQ/VRQ), and the sheep with subclinical disease (euthanized at 72 MPH) was of the homozygous ARQ/ARQ genotype. These findings demonstrate that transmission of the CWD md agent to sheep via the intracerebral route is possible. Interestingly, the host genotype may play a notable part in successful transmission and incubation period of CWD md .
Is it Time to Coordinate Corporate Tax Rates? A Note on Horst

A short note on whether corporate tax rates can be coordinated by the G20 and what the implications are for the traditional choice between CEN and CIN as developed by Horst (1980).
And Now for Something Completely Different

This quintessential title phrase signifying transition seems particularly appropriate as I look at both where we have been and where we are headed in the next couple of years. Almost immediately after Roberto Bolli asked me to write a short editorial, I knew the theme had to be about changes I've seen at the American Heart Association over the last few years, as well as forecasting the road ahead. I suppose Roberto asked me to write this because I am the incoming Chair of the Basic Cardiovascular Sciences (BCVS) Council and am supposed to have a vision of what I want to accomplish during my tenure. Or maybe this is compensation for my last submission to Circulation Research being rejected. I'm okay with that. Really. Mid-July is not a time when one wants to visit the California desert, where the outdoor afternoon temperatures are high enough to denature DNA. That is unless the American Heart Association holds their annual BCVS Scientific Sessions in Rancho Mirage at the luxuriously air conditioned Rancho Las Palmas Resort. The BCVS annual meeting is a recurring treat for cardiovascular researchers that never disappoints, and this year was no exception. A delightful characteristic of the BCVS conference is seeing the personalities of the organizers infused into the program, so that the content is renewed annually with fresh perspectives. The scientific program assembled by conference cochairs Gerald Dorn and Peipei Ping was spectacular and unlike anything we have seen before at a BCVS meeting. Featuring internationally renowned faculty drawn from the proverbial 4 corners of the earth, the conference ran like clockwork at an unrelenting pace. I was struck by the convergence of cutting-edge research and scientific diversity seamlessly rolled out under the overarching theme of “Technological and Conceptual Advances in Cardiovascular Disease.” Sessions ran the gamut …
QoS-based geographic routing for event-driven image sensor networks

We investigate the use of distributed image sensing for network localization, dynamic routing, and load balancing in wireless sensor networks. In particular, the image sensors are first used to obtain angular bearing information between each network node and a set of other nodes, mobile agents, or targets. This data is used to construct the relative geographic topology of the network. The image sensors are then employed to make periodic measurements, which are reported to the destination via multihop routing. Nodes may also infrequently detect an event from which a set of image frames need to be reported. These high-bandwidth event reports may cause packet queues to develop at the routing nodes along paths to the destination. We propose a distributed routing scheme that employs a cost function based on location data, in-node queue sizes, and energy levels at neighboring nodes. Our scheme also implements a set of relative priority levels for the event-based and periodic data packets. Simulation results are presented and indicate improved network lifetime, lower end-to-end average and maximum delays, and significantly reduced buffer size requirements for the network nodes
For a Negative, Normative Model of Consent, With a Comment on Preference-Skepticism

Let me begin by admitting that I am wary of any comprehensive definition of consent. This bias stems from my professional concentration on criminal law, in which nouons of freedom and responsibility play vital roles in a wide range of contexts. In each context, however, one discovers that freedom means something different. A voluntary act is any bodily movement not caused by external force or nervous disorder. On the other hand, a voluntary act, however horrific its results, ordinarily may be punished only if the actor was subjectively aware that the act was wrong. In any event, a voluntary act may be excused as the product of duress if another person procures the actor's cooperation in the crime by an illegal threat that would overcome the resistance of a person of ordinary firmness.
Characteristics of the haemoproteid community in an expanding white-winged dove population.

The haemoproteid community of 171 eastern white-winged doves (Zenaida asiatica asiatica) from the expanding Texas population was examined using thin blood smears. During summer 1997, heart blood was taken from doves within their historical breeding range (Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas), an intermediate region (San Antonio and surrounding area), and the new breeding periphery (north central to southeast Texas). Two species were found: Haemoproteus columbae and Haemoproteus sacharovi. Infracommunities rarely occurred in heart blood, as only 20 of 132 infected doves demonstrated gametocytes of both species. Overall prevalence of H. columbae and H. sacharovi was 77 and 15%, respectively. Prevalence of H. columbae was higher in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) and intermediate regions than at the periphery, higher in adults than juveniles, and similar between males and females. Prevalence of H. sacharovi was lower in the LRGV than intermediate and peripheral regions, similar between juveniles and adults, ...
Influence of Carbon Substrates on Lactic Acid, Cell Mass and Diacetyl-Acetoin Production in Lactobacillus plantarum

Production of diacetyl-acetoin, lactic acid and cell mass by L. plantarum strains ATCC 8014, ATCC 14431, ATCC 4008 and ATCC 8041 were examined in the growth medium of Craig and Snell (J. Bacteriol. 61:283,1951) containing glucose, lactose, citrate or pyruvate as substrates. The yield coefficient, μM lactate produced per mg cell dry weight, averaged 73.4 for glucose-grown cells and 64.9 for lactose-grown cells with no significant inter-strain difference. Strains that produced higher lactic acid concentrations did so because they produced more cell mass. Glucose and lactose reduced diacetyl-acetoin synthesis in all strains except 8041. Diacetyl-acetoin synthesis doubled when strains 14431 and 8014 were grown in medium containing 20 mM citrate, but was not markedly affected in strains 4008 and 8041. Pyruvate stimulated diacetyl-acetoin synthesis in all four strains 10- to 20-fold. Conversion of pyruvate to diacetyl and acetoin was ⩾30% of the theoretical molar yield for strains 8014, 8041 and 14431 grown in the presence of 20 mM pyruvate.
Further Validation and Reliability Testing of the Trust in Physician Scale

Objectives.To further validate and assess the reliability and validity of the Trust in Physician Scale.Methods.Consecutive adult patients (n = 414) from 20 community-based, primary care practices were enrolled in a prospective, 6-month study. At enrollment, subjects completed the 11-item Trust in Ph
Preference of Tribolium castaneum for Wheat Containing Various Percentages of Dockage

Tests conducted in preference chambers containing clean wheat and wheat with various percentages of dockage showed that T. castaneum (Herbst) exhibited preference for grain with high dockage content. The number of insects present in each of the samples was directly proportional to the percentage of dockage in the grain.
Different cell cycle modifications repress apoptosis at different steps independent of developmental signaling in Drosophila

Apoptotic cell death is important for the normal development of a variety of organisms. Apoptosis is also a response to DNA damage and an important barrier to oncogenesis. The apoptotic response to DNA damage is dampened in specific cell types during development. Developmental signaling pathways can repress apoptosis, and reduced cell proliferation also correlates with a lower apoptotic response. However, because developmental signaling regulates both cell proliferation and apoptosis, the relative contribution of cell division to the apoptotic response has been hard to discern in vivo. Here we use Drosophila oogenesis as an in vivo model system to determine the extent to which cell proliferation influences the apoptotic response to DNA damage. We find that different types of cell cycle modifications are sufficient to repress the apoptotic response to ionizing radiation independent of developmental signaling. The step(s) at which the apoptosis pathway was repressed depended on the type of cell cycle modification—either upstream or downstream of expression of the p53-regulated proapoptotic genes. Our findings have important implications for understanding the coordination of cell proliferation with the apoptotic response in development and disease, including cancer and the tissue-specific responses to radiation therapy.
Grey Model Combined with Time Series of Error Analysis of Mechanical Machining System and its Application to Technics Analysis

Based on Grey combination model,the Grey model and method to error analysis of mechanical process system was introduced and the application software was compiled with statistic function of MTLAB6.1 software.The example of technics analysis was presented.It shows that to improve mechanical machining quality we must not only adjust system error but also fall random error.The method is simple and it provides a new kind of theory and method for mechanical machining error analysis.
Double-outlet right ventricle with restrictive ventricular septal defect.

Three patients with double-outlet right ventricle and restrictive ventricular septal defect, documented by cardiac catheterization and cineangiocardiography, are described. Successful surgical repair with enlargement of the ventricular septal defect and realignment of the left ventricular outflow tract was performed. Detailed anatomic-functional evaluation in cases of double-outlet right ventricle is critical since the recognition of this anomaly prior to operation is essential for successful repair.
Post-traumatic stress symptoms in pathological gambling: Potential evidence of anti-reward processes

Background Excessive gambling is considered to be a part of the addiction spectrum. Stress-like emotional states are a key feature both of pathological gambling (PG) and of substance addiction. In substance addiction, stress symptomatology has been attributed in part to "anti-reward" allostatic neuroadaptations, while a potential involvement of anti-reward processes in the course of PG has not yet been investigated. Methods To that end, individuals with PG (n = 22) and mentally healthy subjects (n = 13) were assessed for trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) using the Life Events Checklist and the Civilian Mississippi Scale, respectively. Results In comparison with healthy subjects, individuals with PG had significantly greater PTSS scores including greater physiological arousal sub-scores. The number of traumatic events and their recency were not significantly different between the groups. In the PG group, greater gambling severity was associated with more PTSS, but neither with traumatic events exposure nor with their recency. Conclusions Our data replicate prior reports on the role of traumatic stress in the course of PG and extend those findings by suggesting that the link may be derived from the anti-reward-type neuroadaptation rather than from the traumatic stress exposure per se.
Continuous glucose monitoring following pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation in children.

Aim was to determine whether CGM could accurately monitor blood glucose concentration in the immediate postoperative period following pancreatectomy with IAT in children. CGM was used in nine patients undergoing IAT at our institution between April 2015 and September 2016 (eight total pancreatectomy and one subtotal pancreatectomy). MAD and MARD of CGM values compared to time-matched serum blood glucose were calculated during the first 5 days of ICU admission. Goal range was defined as 70-140 mg/dL and out-of-range was >140 mg/dL or <70 mg/dL. Of 89 time-matched measures found, 75% of CGM values were within 15 mg/dL, and 51% were within 10 mg/dL, compared to serum glucose. MAD was 11.6 mg/dL, and MARD was 10.6%. CGM values did not differ from serum glucose (P=.74). By Clarke error grid analysis, 100% of paired values were in clinically acceptable zones. By surveillance error grid analysis, 96% of paired values were within clinically acceptable agreement. CGM is a reliable tool in monitoring glycemic control in the immediate postoperative period following pancreatectomy with IAT in children.
High fat diet-induced obesity increases myocardial injury and alters cardiac STAT3 signaling in mice after polymicrobial sepsis

Little is known about how obesity affects the heart during sepsis and we sought to investigate the obesity-induced cardiac effects that occur during polymicrobial sepsis. Six-week old C57BL/6 mice were randomized to a high fat (HFD) (60% kcal fat) or normal diet (ND) (16% kcal fat). After 6weeks of feeding, mice were anesthetized with isoflurane and polymicrobial sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Plasma and cardiac tissue were obtained for analysis. Echocardiography was performed on a separate cohort of mice at 0 and 18h after CLP. Following 6-weeks of dietary intervention, plasma cardiac troponin I was elevated in obese mice at baseline compared to non-obese mice but troponin increased only in non-obese septic mice. IL-17a expression was 27-fold higher in obese septic mice versus non-obese septic mice. Cardiac phosphorylation of STAT3 at Ser727 was increased at baseline in obese mice and increased further only in obese septic mice. Phosphorylation of STAT3 at Tyr705 was similar in both groups at baseline and increased after sepsis. SOCS3, a downstream protein and negative regulator of STAT3, was elevated in obese mice at baseline compared to non-obese mice. After sepsis non-obese mice had an increase in SOCS3 expression that was not observed in obese mice. Taken together, we show that obesity affects cardiac function and leads to cardiac injury. Furthermore, myocardial injury in obese mice during sepsis may occur through alteration of the STAT3 pathway.
A comparative analytical study on the fragility assessment of box-girder bridges with various column shapes

Abstract Bridge columns are known as the most vulnerable components of a bridge and operate as the core substructure elements of the bridge support system. Post-earthquake evidence reveals that large deformation and extensive damage of bridge columns are linked to the force and deformation capacity of the columns. Since research on the seismic vulnerability of bridges with various column shapes is limited, this paper aims to address this deficiency by evaluating the seismic performance of a variety of common column shapes. This analytical study involves assessing circular, rectangular, and oblong-shaped columns. Each shape of the column is tested as prismatic or flared along the column height as many of the bridges, constructed after 1970 in high seismic zone areas like California, are supported by flared columns. First, the study concentrates on assessment of several different column shapes as individual elements through both monotonic and cyclic pushover analysis. Second, a complete bridge system is investigated for the impact of the cross-section shapes and column flares on the fragility assessment findings. This article deals with the seismic vulnerability assessment of box-girder types bridges. A set of numerical bridge models that accounts for geometric and material uncertainties according to the California bridge characteristics is created in OpenSees. According to the results, oblong columns display less fragility compared to the other column shapes. The comparison of the seismic analysis for prismatic and flared columns shows the vulnerability of flared columns. The findings indicate that neglecting the effect of column shapes on the bridge fragilities leads to an unreliable estimation of the seismic risk and associated losses.
Measuring human placental blood flow with multidelay 3D GRASE pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling at 3T

BACKGROUND Placenta influences the health of both a woman and her fetus during pregnancy. Maternal blood supply to placenta can be measured noninvasively using arterial spin labeling (ASL). PURPOSE To present a multidelay pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) combined with a fast 3D inner-volume gradient- and spin-echo (GRASE) imaging technique to simultaneously measure placental blood flow (PBF) and arterial transit time (ATT), and to study PBF and ATT evolution with gestational age during the second trimester. The PBF values were compared with uterine arterial Doppler ultrasound to assess its potential clinical utility. STUDY TYPE This was a prospective study. SUBJECTS Thirty-four pregnant women. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE Multidelay 3D inner-volume GRASE pCASL sequence on 3T MR scanners. ASSESSMENT Subjects underwent two longitudinal MRI scans within the second trimester, conducted between 14-16 and 19-22 weeks of gestational age, respectively. Placental perfusion was measured using the free-breathing pCASL sequence at three postlabeling delays (PLDs), followed by offline motion correction and model fitting for estimation of PBF and ATT. STATISTICAL TESTS A paired t-test was conducted to evaluate the significance of PBF/ATT variations with placental development. A two-sample t-test was conducted to evaluate the significance of PBF difference in subjects with and without early diastolic notch. RESULTS The mean PBF and ATT for the second trimester were 111.4 ± 26.7 ml/100g/min and 1387.5 ± 88.0 msec, respectively. The average PBF increased by 10.4% (P < 0.05), while no significant change in ATT (P = 0.72) was found along gestational ages during the second trimester. PBF decreased 20.3% (P < 0.01) in subjects with early diastolic notches in ultrasound flow waveform patterns. DATA CONCLUSION Multidelay pCASL with inner-volume 3D GRASE is promising for noninvasive assessment of PBF during pregnancy. Its clinical use for the detection of aberrations in placental function and prediction of fetal developmental disorders awaits evaluation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1667-1676.
Inflammation and DNA damage: Probing pathways to cancer and neurodegeneration

Cancer and neurodegeneration represent two opposite ends of the biological spectrum but contain many common biological mechanisms. Two such mechanisms include the elevated levels of oxidative stress and DNA damage. In this brief review, we describe current approaches for imaging these biological pathways with the molecular imaging technique, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and the potential of PET imaging studies to measure the efficacy of anticancer drugs and strategies for delaying the progression of neurodegenerative disorders.
Acoustic waveguiding in a silicon carbide phononic crystals at microwave frequencies

Two dimensional SiC–air phononic crystals have been modeled, fabricated, and tested with a measured bandgap ranging from 665 to 693 MHz. Snowflake air inclusions on a hexagonal lattice were used for the phononic crystal. By manipulating the phononic crystal lattice and inserting circular inclusions, a waveguide was created at 680 MHz. The combined insertion loss and propagation loss for the waveguide is 8.2 dB, i.e., 39% of the energy is guided due to the high level of the confinement afforded by the phononic crystal. The SiC–air phononic crystals and waveguides were fabricated using a CMOS-compatible process, which allows for seamless integration of these devices into wireless communication systems operating at microwave frequencies.
Enforcement of Current Limits in DFIG-Based Wind Turbine Dynamic Models Through Capability Curve

This letter proposes analytical expressions to enforce stator and rotor current limits in DFIG-based wind turbine models using the DFIG capability curve (DFIG-CC)—DFIG stands for doubly-fed induction generator. Two other commonly used procedures to enforce limits are employed for comparison purposes. A 15-bus test system is used for simulations, which includes five wind turbine generators with plant-level controllers for both participation in frequency regulation through inertial response and voltage regulation. The results show that the proposed expressions are accurate and, unlike the commonly used procedures, they do not allow either significant over-current or significant underutilized reactive power for voltage regulation.
Estimating Water, Energy, and Carbon Footprints of Residential Swimming Pools

Abstract This chapter demonstrates the development and application of a model as a tool to assess and compare the environmental impacts of residential swimming pools. To demonstrate the applicability and dependability of this model as an assessment, planning, and management tool, realistic scenarios were employed to estimate and compare water, energy, and carbon footprints of residential swimming pools located in Maricopa County (Phoenix metropolitan area, Arizona) and colder climates. The estimated water footprints of the modeled residential swimming pools range from 45 m3/year to 185 m3/year/pool, while the estimated energy footprints range between 2400 and 2800 kWh/year/pool. The carbon footprint of the modeled pools was estimated to be 1400 ± 50 kg CO2e/year/pool. In the absence of direct measurements, development and utilization of simple models to assess and predict water consumption proves to be an invaluable instrument that should be part of a versatile water management toolkit.
Characterization and biological activity of Phytophthora infestans phospholipids in the hypersensitive response of potato tuber

Phospholipids from the mycelium of Phytophthora infestans were extracted, characterized by liquid and thin-layer chromatography, and evaluated for their fatty acid composition and phytoalexin elicitor activity in potato tuber tissue. Neutral lipids were also characterized and evaluated for elicitor activity. Triglycerides were the predominant lipid class present, comprising 77·8% of the total lipids by weight, and phosphatidyl ethanolamine and ceramide aminoethylphosphonate were the most abundant phospholipids by weight, accounting for 2·8 and 3·1% of the total lipid, respectively. The predominant fatty acids present in the mycelial lipids were palmitic, linoleic, arachidonic, and eicosapentaenoic acids. All principal acyl lipids extracted from the mycelium contained arachidonate and eicosapentaenoate and elicited the production of rishitin and lubimin in potato tuber discs. However, free arachidonic acid elicited the production of more phytoalexins than any lipid fraction isolated from the fungus. Lipolytic acyl hydrolase purified from potato tuber tissue hydrolysed phosphatidyl ethanolamine from P. infestans but was inactive on triglycerides and ceramide aminoethylphosphonate.
Diseases aggravated by sunlight.

Examination of a patient presenting symptoms of photosensitivity may suggest one of the following: porphyria, lupus erythematosus, Bloom's syndrome, Cockayne's syndrome, xeroderma pigmentosum, lipid proteinosis, pellagra, pellagrous dermatitis of carcinoid, Hartnup's syndrome, albinism, phenylketonuria, vitiligo, polymorphic light eruption, hydroa aestivale, drug photosensitivity or photocontact dermatitis. Methods of investigating photosensitivity are described.
Challenges in Developing MPI Fault-Tolerant Fortran Applications

Powerful high performance computing systems of the future are expected to have higher failure rates than current systems. As a result, HPC applications running on such future systems are more likely to encounter a system failure than on today's machines. Application fault tolerance is therefore becoming more important to avoid costly waste of resources associated with rerunning failed applications. The MPI 3.1 standard does not address the issue of MPI process failures. Checkpoint/restart is commonly used to add fault tolerance to MPI applications. However, there can be complicated issues impacting an MPI application's ability to correctly and efficiently write checkpoint files, particularly if Fortran I/O statements are used. Moreover, it may be inefficient restart a large number MPI processes from a checkpoint. Several MPI fault tolerance libraries, such as ULFM, are being developed to enabl MPI programs to recover from MPI process failures. This can circumvent much of the overhead of an application restart, including rescheduling, launching, initializing, and reading checkpoint data. Each library uses a different approach to recovery from MPI process failures. Unfortunately, some of the proposed recovery models are incompatible with Fortran. This paper intends to help Fortran MPI application developers avoid problems when developing fault-tolerant MPI applications.
Intergenerational continuity and stability in early family formation

This study examines intergenerational continuity (mean level similarity) and stability (maintenance of rank ordering of individuals) in age and marital status at the time of becoming a young parent using prospective data from 3 generations of 585 families. G2 participants were recruited at the age of 5 years and followed until the age of 28, by which time 227 had become parents themselves. The findings suggest that despite dramatic intergenerational discontinuities with young adults, on average, now being more likely to be unmarried and older at the time of becoming parents than in previous generations, intergenerational stability in age and marital status at the time of becoming a young parent is still substantial. This intergenerational stability was, for the most part, not moderated by demographic, familial, or behavioral factors, suggesting that a developmental, multigenerational perspective is necessary to understand what has previously been considered a largely demographic issue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Adaptation to agricultural pesticides may allow mosquitoes to avoid predators and colonize novel ecosystems

Human activities such as the application of agrochemicals may detrimentally disturb natural ecosystems, generating novel selection pressures. Here we examine how pesticides may influence community composition using the aquatic communities within bromeliad phytotelmata, and how adaptive responses to pesticides may influence community-level patterns. We first quantified the composition of macroinvertebrate communities from pesticide-free and pesticide-exposed locations. Complementary manipulative experiments where bromeliads were transplanted between pesticide-free and pesticide-exposed sites were then performed. Finally, pesticide bioassays on the most common predators (Mecistogaster modesta damselflies) and prey (Wyeomyia abebela mosquitoes) assessed a potential evolutionary mechanism that may influence community compositional differences. Our field survey revealed differences in W. abebela and M. modesta abundances between pesticide-free and pesticide-exposed areas. Our transplant experiment suggested compositional differences were not due to physical differences between bromeliads from different locations. Pesticide bioassays revealed that M. modesta from pesticide-free locations had higher innate pesticide tolerances than W. abebela from pesticide-free areas, but M. modesta larvae showed no evidence of adapted resistance as none were found where pesticides were used. Conversely, W. abebela larvae from pesticide-exposed locations had higher pesticide tolerances than individuals from pesticide-free sites, suggesting an adaptive response. This evolved resistance to pesticides may, therefore, allow W. abebela to colonize habitats free of the dominant predator in the system, explaining the higher W. abebela abundances in pesticide-exposed areas than in pesticide-free locations. We suggest that the total effect of novel stressors is driven by interactions between ecological and evolutionary processes.
Identification and Characterization of Alpha1 Adrenergic Receptors in the Canine Prostate Using [125I]-Heat

Abstract We have recently utilized radioligand receptor binding methods to characterize muscarinic cholinergic and alpha adrenergic receptors in human prostate adenomas. The primary advantages of radioligand receptor binding methods are that neurotransmitter receptor density is quantitated, the affinity of unlabelled drugs for receptor sites is determined, and receptors can be localized using autoradiography on slide-mounted tissue sections. Recently, [125I]-Heat, a selective and high affinity ligand with high specific activity (2200 Ci/mmole) has been used to characterize alpha1 adrenergic receptors in the brain. In this study alpha1 adrenergic receptors in the dog prostate were characterized using [125I]-Heat. The Scatchard plots were linear indicating homogeneity of [125I]-Heat binding sites. The mean alpha1 adrenergic receptor density determined from these Scatchard plots was 0.61 ± 0.07 fmol/mg. wet wt. ± S.E.M. The binding of [125I]-Heat to canine prostate alpha1 adrenergic binding sites was of high affinity (Kd = 86 ± 19 pM). Steady state conditions were reached following an incubation interval of 30 minutes and specific binding and tissue concentration were linear within the range of tissue concentrations assayed. The specificity of [125I]-Heat for alpha1 adrenergic binding sites was confirmed by competitive displacement assays using unlabelled clonidine and prazosin. Retrospective analysis of the saturation experiments demonstrated that Bmax can be accurately calculated by determining specific [125I]-Heat binding at a single ligand concentration. [125I]-Heat is an ideal ligand for studying alpha1 adrenergic receptors in the prostate and its favorable properties should facilitate the autoradiographic localization of alpha1 adrenergic receptors in the prostate.
The role of elevated branched chain amino acids in the potent effects of vertical sleeve gastrectomy to reduce weight and improve glucose regulation in mice

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) are growing epidemics resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. An emerging body of evidence has shown that elevated levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and their metabolites are strongly positively associated with obesity, insulin-resistance and T2D. Bariatric surgery is among the best treatments for weight loss and the alleviation of T2D. Additionally, clinical studies have reported that bariatric surgery decreases the circulating levels of BCAA. The objective of these studies was to test the hypothesis that reduced BCAA levels contribute to the metabolic improvements after VSG. We find that, as in humans, circulating BCAA levels are significantly lower in VSG rats and mice compared to Sham controls. In order to increase circulating BCAA levels, we tested mice with either increased dietary intake of BCAA or impaired BCAA catabolism by total body deletion of mitochondrial phosphatase 2C, Pp2cm, a key enzyme in the rate-limiting step in BCAA catabolism. Our results show that a decrease in circulating BCAA levels is not necessary for sustained body weight loss and improved glucose tolerance after VSG. While it is clear that circulating levels of BCAAs are excellent biomarkers for metabolic status, the current data do not support a causal role in determining metabolic regulation and the response to VSG.
Incidence and Predictors of Subsequent Surgery After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A 6-Year Follow-up Study.

Background:The cause of subsequent surgery after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction varies, but if risk factors for specific subsequent surgical procedures can be identified, we can be...