cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microglia modulate stable wakefulness via the thalamic reticular nucleus in mice.

Microglia are important for brain homeostasis and immunity, but their role in regulating vigilance remains unclear. We employed genetic, physiological, and metabolomic methods to examine microglial involvement in the regulation of wakefulness and sleep. Microglial depletion decreased stable nighttime wakefulness in mice by increasing transitions between wakefulness and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the sleep-wake behavior closely correlated with diurnal variation of the brain ceramide, which disappeared in microglia-depleted mice. Ceramide preferentially influenced microglia in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), and local depletion of TRN microglia produced similar impaired wakefulness. Chemogenetic manipulations of anterior TRN neurons showed that they regulated transitions between wakefulness and NREM sleep. Their firing capacity was suppressed by both microglial depletion and added ceramide. In microglia-depleted mice, activating anterior TRN neurons or inhibiting ceramide production both restored stable wakefulness. These findings demonstrate that microglia can modulate stable wakefulness through anterior TRN neurons via ceramide signaling. Here, the authors show that microglia depletion results in unstable wakefulness and altered levels of ceramide, influencing microglia in the mouse thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). Stable wakefulness can be restored by activation of the TRN or inhibition of ceramide production in the mouse brain.
The Hermit Kingdom’s Forgotten Threat: Evaluating UNSCR 1540’s Effectiveness in Controlling North Korea’s Biological Weapons Program

Mitigating the proliferation of biological weapons remains uniquely challenging, even 48 years after the ratification of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Suspected development of advanced biological weapons by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), despite its status as a party to both the BWC and other nonproliferation agreements, has emphasized the need for international efforts to keep biological weapons out of the hands of rogue nations and terrorist networks. Among the numerous weaponized cultures believed to be in development by the North Korean military are anthrax, botulism, cholera, plague and smallpox. With a steady decrease in resources and attention devoted to preparedness for biological attacks or outbreaks since 2001, the United States and its allies remain vulnerable to biological weapons in development by North Korea. An ongoing example of this danger is demonstrated by the international community’s struggle to respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. With United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540’s expiration in 2021, this paper aims to assess its effectiveness in preventing the proliferation of biological weapons by analyzing the legal requirements UNSCR 1540 imposes on UN member nations. Using North Korea’s biological weapons program as a case study, this paper will evaluate the successes and failures of UNSCR 1540’s legal mechanisms in controlling biological weapons development in North Korea in its penultimate year of validity. This paper will also examine the overlapping roles served by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and UNSCR 1540, and how their administrative frameworks identify and respond to natural disease outbreaks and biological attacks. Finally, this paper will recommend actions the United Nations Security Council may take to more effectively pursue its mission of nonproliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Biosecurity, Biosafety & Biodefense Law is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Patterns of Missing Data With Ecological Momentary Assessment Among People Who Use Drugs: Feasibility Study Using Pilot Study Data.

Background: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a set of research methods that capture events, feelings, and behaviors as they unfold in their real-world setting. Capturing data in the moment reduces important sources of measurement error but also generates challenges for noncompliance (ie, missing data). To date, EMA research has only examined the overall rates of noncompliance. Objective: In this study, we identify four types of noncompliance among people who use drugs and aim to examine the factors associated with the most common types. Methods: Data were obtained from a recent pilot study of 28 Nebraskan people who use drugs who answered EMA questions for 2 weeks. We examined questions that were not answered because they were skipped, they expired, the phone was switched off, or the phone died after receiving them. Results: We found that the phone being switched off and questions expiring comprised 93.34% (1739/1863 missing question-instances) of our missing data. Generalized structural equation model results show that participant-level factors, including age (relative risk ratio [RRR]=0.93; P=.005), gender (RRR=0.08; P=.006), homelessness (RRR=3.80; P=.04), personal device ownership (RRR=0.14; P=.008), and network size (RRR=0.57; P=.001), are important for predicting off missingness, whereas only question-level factors, including time of day (ie, morning compared with afternoon, RRR=0.55; P<.001) and day of week (ie, Tuesday-Saturday compared with Sunday, RRR=0.70, P=.02; RRR=0.64, P=.005; RRR=0.58, P=.001; RRR=0.55, P<.001; and RRR=0.66, P=.008, respectively) are important for predicting expired missingness. The week of study is important for both (ie, week 2 compared with week 1, RRR=1.21, P=.03, for off missingness and RRR=1.98, P<.001, for expired missingness). Conclusions: We suggest a three-pronged strategy to preempt missing EMA data with high-risk populations: first, provide additional resources for participants likely to experience phone charging problems (eg, people experiencing homelessness); second, ask questions when participants are not likely to experience competing demands (eg, morning); and third, incentivize continued compliance as the study progresses. Attending to these issues can help researchers ensure maximal data quality. Trial Registration:
Community-Dwelling Older Adults and Physical Activity Recommendations: Patterns of Aerobic, Strengthening, and Balance Activities

Though it is known that most older adults do not meet the recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines, little is known regarding their participation in balance activities or the full guidelines. Therefore, we sought to describe PA patterns among 1,352 community-dwelling older adult participants of the Adult Changes in Thought study, a longitudinal cohort study exploring dementia-related risk factors. We used a modified version of the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaire to explore PA performed and classify participants as meeting or not meeting the full guidelines or any component of the guidelines. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with meeting PA guidelines. Despite performing 10 hr of weekly PA, only 11% of participants met the full guidelines. Older age, greater body mass index, needing assistance with instrumental daily activities, and heart disease were associated with decreased odds of meeting PA guidelines. These results can guide interventions that address PA among older adults.
Abstract 17751: Depressive Symptoms are Associated with Arterial Stiffness in Men

Background: Depression has been linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, and multiple mechanisms are likely implicated. Although depression was previously associated with endothelial dysfunction, limited data are available on whether it also influences arterial stiffening. Methods: We administered the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) to 595 community participants without a previous history of CVD (mean age 51±9 years, 62% female) enrolled in the Morehouse-Emory Partnership to Eliminate Cardiovascular Health Disparities (META-Health) study. BDI-II scores of ≥14 indicated presence of depressive symptoms. Central augmentation index (CAIx), a composite measure of arterial wave reflections and stiffness, and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were estimated using applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor, AtCor Medical). Results: Participants with depressive symptoms had higher CAIx (adjusted for heart rate) compared to those without depressive symptoms (49.1±11.1 vs. 46.8±11.2%, p=0.02). There was no difference in PWV between the groups. After adjusting for age, race, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, body mass index, mean arterial pressure, glucose, and lipid profile, the total BDI-II score remained a significant predictor of higher CAIx in men (β=0.172, p=0.002), but not women (β=0.006, p=0.9). The p-value for gender X BDI-II score interaction was not significant (p=0.1). Conclusions: Depressive symptoms are associated with increased arterial wave reflections in men. Further research is needed to define this association, and what the role of gender-based differences might be.
Non-HKD phospholipase D enzymes: new players in phosphatidic acid signaling?

Publisher Summary This chapter concentrates on two discrete aspects of PA and its production by PLDs: (1) The physical and chemical properties of PA in connection with a possible role in specific and nonspecific regulation of enzyme function and (2) novel enzymes involved in PA production that could augment PA production by members of the well-documented HKD-PLD superfamily (so named for a characteristic sequence motif). As part of the characterization of non-HKD-PLDs, enzymes structurally and possibly functionally related to at least one of the non-HKD PLDs, which from Streptomyces chromofuscus, are discussed. It would not come as a surprise if some of these enzymes, or similar ones yet to be described, should turn out to be involved in the control of PA concentration and in signaling. Any intracellular enzyme capable of generating PA from phospholipids could play a role in signal transduction pathways. The only non-HKD enzyme thus far that is known to contribute to signaling is autotaxin, which generates LPA from LPC. It is a secreted protein and exhibits specificity for lyso-PC. Clearly, more biochemical and structural information on the role of metal ions in this enzyme is needed to see if it falls in a similar metalloenzyme class as scPLD and similar phosphodiesterases. The only known mammalian PLD that is a confirmed metalloprotein is GPI-PLD. However, the GPI-PLD appears to play a role in membrane remodeling when it is inside cells. When secreted, its activity is reduced significantly, making activity toward GPI-linked proteins problematic. NAPE-PLD, another potential metallo-PLD, works on a very specific product that is produced at very low concentrations. While action of these latter two PLDs does generate PA, the amounts are unlikely to contribute to basal PA levels in cell membranes.
Assembling TCP/IP packets in optical burst switched networks

Optical burst switching (OBS) is a promising paradigm for the next-generation Internet infrastructure. We study the performance of TCP traffic in OBS networks and in particular, the effect of assembly algorithms on TCP traffic. We describe three assembly algorithms in this paper and compare them using the same TCP traffic input. The results show that the performance of the proposed adaptive-assembly-period (AAP) algorithm is better than that of the min-burstlength-max-assembly-period (MBMAP) algorithm and the fixed-assembly-period (FAP) algorithm in terms of goodput and data loss rate. The results also indicate that burst assembly mechanisms affect the behavior of TCP in that the assembled TCP traffic becomes smoother in the short term, and more suitable for transmission in optical networks.
An investigation of the roles of problem-solving methods in diagnosis

This work centers on dynamic integration of multiple problem-solvers for the purpose of solving problems with broad and complex domains. A problem-solver based on dynamic integration uses diverse problem solving methods (neural net, rule based, model based etc.) to reason about complex problems. This research is based on a preliminary model called TIPS (Task Integrated Problem Solving). TIPS provides a methodology in which the goal structure of a large-grained problem such as diagnosis is mapped to multiple problem-solving methods. A TIPS diagnosis problem-solver has been constructed in the domain of medical diagnosis (liver and blood disorders) which utilizes a number of different problem-solving methods. This paper will discuss the concept of a task-structure, the TIPS architecture and a medical diagnosis system implemented in TIPS.
Genetics of Temperate Bacteriophages

For all of the bacteriophages discussed in the preceding chapters, a successful phage infection always results in the immediate production of progeny virions. However, many bacteriophages are known for which there is an alternative outcome to phage infection. Instead of the customary unrestrained DNA replication and phage assembly, there is a temperate response in which the bacteriophage sets up housekeeping within the bacterial cell and maintains a stable relationship with that cell and all its progeny for many generations. The varied ways in which the temperate response can be accomplished are the subject of this chapter. The population dynamics of temperate and lytic viruses and their hosts have been analyzed by Stewart and Levin and are not covered here. The physical properties of the temperate bacteriophages discussed in this chapter are summarized in Table 6-1.
The Unfinished History of Planet Searches

The recent discovery of planets around many nearby stars, implies that life in the Universe may be common. The further discovery of intelligent life on other planets could bring about a great change in our mindset here on Earth. This paper describes how exploratory processes of all kinds, whether they are astronomical observations or explorations by humans, have historically been supported, but also carefully monitored by governments and the military. Given the societal implications of the discovery of intelligent life elsewhere, the time may be ripe to alert governmental bodies that such a finding may be imminent. A set of studies to prepare for this eventuality could then be initiated to permit nations to react with greater insight if and when such a discovery is made.
Moving Forward Indirectly: Reanalyzing the validity of employment interviews with indirect range restriction methodology

This study provides updated estimates of the criterion-related validity of employment interviews, incorporating indirect range restriction methodology. Using a final dataset of 92 coefficients (N = 7,389), we found corrected estimates by structural level of .20 (Level 1), .46 (Level 2), .71 (Level 3), and .70 (Level 4). The latter values are noticeably higher than in previous interview meta-analyses where the assumption was made that all restriction was direct. These results highlight the importance of considering indirect range restriction in selection. However, we found a number of studies involving both indirect and direct restriction, which calls into question the viability of assuming all restriction is now indirect. We found preliminary empirical support for correction of one of these multiple restriction patterns, indirect then direct.
2,3-Diphosphoglyceric acid increase in carotenoid-treated hypercholesterolemic rabbits (674.4)

2,3-Diphosphoglyceri c Acid Increase in Carotenoid Treated Atherogenic Rabbits Jeffrey Jordan Andry Diminished oxygen diffusivity in blood may be induced by hypercholesterolemia in rabbits and is thought to play a major role in the increased arterial permeability that supports atherogenesis. Hypercholesterolemic rabbits treated with the carotenoid Crocetin (CR) (extracted from saffron) for at least 4 months, has been found to increase oxygen diffusivity, lower blood cholesterol (CHO) and reduce atherogenesis. This short term study focuses on the ability of Crocetin and B Carotene (BC) treatment of hypercholesterolemic rabbits to alter their blood levels of 2,3-Diphosphoglyceric Acid (DPG) , a component of the glycolytic sequence which causes oxygen release from hemoglobin. Nine New Zealand Strain, male rabbits (1.4 Kg av wt ) were fed an Atherogenic Diet (AD) , ad libitum, of 92% Purina Rabbit Chow, 6% Corn Oil and 2% Cholesterol, for 5 weeks. The animals were divided into 3 equal groups and injected im. ...
Installation of Railroad Wayside Defect Detectors

Railroads use wayside inspection technologies to monitor the health of passing railcars. Because of resource constraints, an efficient and feasible installation plan should be integrated into a multiperiod decision-support framework to derive the maximum benefit over a long planning horizon. A large-scale network optimization framework was proposed to solve this problem. The problem was formulated into two equivalent mathematical models: a maximum coverage model and a K-median model. A set of solution algorithms including a greedy heuristic, a 1-interchange heuristic, and a Lagrangian relaxation method were developed for these models, and their computational performances were investigated. A numerical case study was developed to illustrate the use of these models in real-world settings, and insights into empirical applications of these models were drawn.
On Offshoring and Trade Deficit

The paper constructs a general equilibrium model of North–South trade with nontraded goods, real exchange rate, and a continuum of components that North partly offshores to South. It is shown that a protectionary policy which restricts offshoring may have the unintended consequence of widening the trade deficit.
Sepsis and Acute Renal Failure

Severe sepsis is associated with acute renal failure in approximately 23% of patients, while septic shock is complicated by acute renal failure in 51% of patients [1]. Acute renal failure associated with sepsis has a mortality as high as 70–80% [2]. Much of the hemodynamic and inflammatory events which accompany sepsis are related to endotoxemia. The study of the renal effects of endotoxemia have, therefore, provided substantial insights into the mechanisms mediating acute renal injury during sepsis.
Tasting displacement: couscous and culinary citizenship in Maghrebi-French diasporic cinema.

Ethnically coded as Maghrebi and experienced as a familiar comfort food, couscous consistently ranks as a favorite dish of the French. Following a short history of this migrating dish, I discuss representations of couscous as ethnic body in popular culture and analyze how couscous scenes shape tastes of homes both within and across six films about the Maghrebi diaspora in France produced from 1999 to 2007 whose plots span roughly five decades from 1961 to 2006. Surprisingly rare, these scenes complement the spotty historical archive on immigrants’ foodways and dramatize the immigrants’ assimilation into consumer society, from consumed others into consuming citizens, as couscous takes on a number of meanings. I argue that films depicting the Maghrebi diaspora resort timidly to couscous because they face constraints to retain ethnic credibility and show characters in an appealing manner, without serving them up on a platter or alienating majority viewers. Ultimately, my analysis shows that although food cre...
Differential Action of a Streptococcal Bacteriocin on Mycoplasmas and Microbial L-Forms

Bacteriocin activity of Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes was tested against a variety of bacteria, L-forms, and mycoplasmas. Both a partially purified liquid preparation and a colony overlay technique were used. Other S. faecalis strains were the only bacteria whose growth was inhibited. The liquid preparation inhibited growth of all but three of the tested L-forms (whether derived from gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria), and two of these exceptional organisms were inhibited when the colony overlay technique was employed. On the other hand, the L-form of Streptobacillus moniliformis and all 33 tested mycoplasmas grew readily in the presence of the bacteriocin when either method was employed. It is suggested that the presence of cholesterol in the Streptobacillus and mycoplasmal membranes, unique in this regard among procaryotic cells, may be responsible for the differential pattern of growth inhibition.
News from the rain forest: Niklas Luhmann and the social integration of environmental communication:

The destruction of the Amazon rain forest is an issue defined primarily through the accounts of environmental journalists who find themselves caught between broad social and cultural forces. Environmentalism is a revolutionary paradigm which runs against traditional modernist tenets of science, but those domains are finding some areas of common ground. This project traces the significance of the tropical rain forest in terms of the social theory of Niklas Luhmann, who described ecological communication in terms of social differentiation and integration. Three separate domains of environmental discourse about the Amazon rain forest are identified in mass media: science, economics and politics. Originally, science defined the rain forest in terms of its taxonomy, then its biodiversity; in economics, the forest was understood in terms of the value of natural resources; and in the political sphere, the forest is defined variously in terms of the struggle over control of its development and/or exploitation. La...
New approximate solutions to the Ising problem in three dimensions

Abstract A new approximate theory is proposed to treat the three-dimensional Ising model. The theory is based on a generalization to three dimensions of the classical Ono-Kondo equations for the density profile near a surface. Results are obtained in closed form. The accuracy of the proposed model is demonstrated by comparison with Monte Carlo simulation data for a hexagonal lattice gas. In addition, this approach represents a significant advance (compared to the Bragg-Williams and Bethe-Guggenheim approximations) in that it takes into account the lattice structure, not just the coordination number. Therefore, it can predict differences in energies between different lattices that have the same coordination number. This new model can be considered as an alternative approach to the cluster variation method (CVM). We compare the model predicted here with CVM, and it is shown that the two models are in close agreement. In addition, it is shown that CVM can be used to include larger cluster sizes in the framework of the Ono-Kondo approach.
Experimental investigations of the film cooling effectiveness of a micro-tangential-jet scheme on a gas turbine vane

Abstract This paper presents experimental investigations of the film cooling effectiveness of a Micro-Tangential-Jet (MTJ) Film cooling scheme on a gas turbine vane using transient Thermochromic Liquid Crystal (TLC) technique. The MTJ scheme is a micro-shaped scheme designed so that the secondary jet is supplied tangentially to the vane surface. The scheme combines the benefits of micro jets and tangential injection. The film cooling performance of one row of holes on both pressure and suction sides were investigated at a blowing ratio ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 on the pressure side and 0.25 to 0.625 on the suction side. The average density ratio during the investigations was 0.93, and the Reynolds Number was 1.4E+5, based on the free stream velocity and the main duct hydraulic diameter. The pitch to diameter ratio of the cooling holes is 5 on the pressure side and 6.5 on the suction side. The turbulence intensity during all investigations was 8.5%. Minor changes in the Mach number distribution around the airfoil surface were observed due to the presence of the MTJ scheme, compared with the case with no MTJ scheme. The investigations showed great film cooling performance for the MTJ scheme, high effectiveness values and excellent lateral jet spreading. The performance of tangential injection over actual airfoil surfaces was found close, qualitatively, to that observed over flat plate. A 2-D coolant film was observed in the results, which is a characteristic of the continuous slot schemes only. The presence of this 2-D film layer helps minimize the rate of mixing between the main and the secondary streams. This film help establish uniform thermal loads on the surface. Furthermore, it was noticed that the rate of effectiveness decay on the suction side was lower than that of the pressure side while the lateral jet spreading on the pressure side was better than on suction side. The main disadvantage of the MTJ scheme is the increased pressure drop across the scheme, compared to traditional shaped schemes.
Amperometric Biosensors Based on Oxidoreductases Immobilized in Photopolymerized Poly(ethylene glycol) Redox Polymer Hydrogels

The photoinitiated free-radical polymerization of redox polymer hydrogels permitted the efficient entrapment of oxidoreductases and the transfer of electrons from the enzymatic oxidation/reduction through the gel to the electrode surface. These hydrogels, based on networks of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate and vinylferrocene, were formed by illuminating at 365 nm, 20 W/cm2 a solution of the comonomers and an ultraviolet photoinitiator, 2,2‘-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone. The kinetics of photopolymerization were characterized using ATR/FT-IR, which indicated rapid gelation of the comonomers. Electrochemistry of the redox polymer hydrogel indicated reversible oxidation/reduction with a formal potential of 184 mV (Ag/AgCl). The diffusion coefficient of charge transfer through the fully hydrated gel was measured at 2.0 × 10-12 cm2/s at 25 °C. Glucose enzyme electrodes were formed by dissolving lyophilized glucose oxidase or a concentrated aqueous solution of glucose oxidase into the comonomer/photoinitiato...
Hallucinations and ifosfamide-induced neurotoxicity.

BACKGROUND Hallucinations as a symptom of central neurotoxicity are a known but poorly described side effect of ifosfamide. Most cases of ifosfamide-induced hallucinations have been reported with other mental status changes. METHODS The authors interviewed six persons with ifosfamide-induced hallucinations in the presence of a clear sensorium. All patients were receiving high-dose ifosfamide as part of their bone marrow transplant procedure. RESULTS Hallucinations occurred only when the patient's eyes were closed and, in all but one case, were reported as disturbing or frightening. Underreporting of these hallucinations by patients is likely. CONCLUSIONS Hallucinations may be the sole or first manifestation of neurotoxicity. The incidence may be dose and infusion-time related. The clinician should be alerted for possible ifosfamide-induced hallucinations, which may occur without other signs of neurotoxicity. "Eyes-closed" hallucinatory experiences appear to be an unusual feature of this presentation. Patients anxious about this experience respond well to support and education about this occurrence. Optimal pharmacologic management of disturbed patients is unclear. If agitation becomes marked, high-potency neuroleptics (i.e., haloperidol) may be effective.
The Relative Influence of Selected Task and Treatment Variables on Human Conceptual Behavior

(1972). The Relative Influence of Selected Task and Treatment Variables on Human Conceptual Behavior. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 86, No. 1, pp. 69-84.
Progressive changes in regulation of apolipoproteins E and J in glial cultures during postnatal development and aging

Abstract Apolipoprotein (Apo) E and ApoJ are lipid- and cholesterol-carriers in the central nervous system and are implicated in age-related neurodegenerative diseases. The primary source of secreted ApoE and ApoJ (clusterin) in the brain is glia. Regulation of these apolipoproteins in mixed glial cultures from rat cerebral cortex differed most strongly between neonatal- and adult-derived glia. Basal secretion of ApoJ was two-fold greater in neonatal than adult glia. Responses to cytokines also differed by donor age. In adult glia, IL-6 increased ApoE secretion, but slightly decreased ApoJ. Both IL-1β and TNFα treatments increased ApoJ secretion from adult glia, with little effect on ApoE. In contrast to adult glia, neonatal ApoJ secretion did not respond to IL-1β, IL-6, or TNFα, and ApoE secretion from neonatal glia was slightly increased by IL-6. These differences may contribute to age-related neuroinflammatory processes, and are pertinent to the general use of neonatal-derived primary glia in models for neurodegenerative disease.
Inhibition of platelet-activating factor by rabbit C-reactive protein.

Incubation of 0.5 nM platelet-activating factor (PAF) with 123 μg/ml C-reactive protein (CRP) for 60 min at room temperature in the presence of 2 mM calcium resulted in total inhibition of the platelet-aggregating capacity of 0.5 nM PAF. There was no inhibition of platelet aggregation if PAF and CRP were added to the platelets simultaneously, without prior incubation of the mixture, or if calcium was not present during the incubation of CRP and PAF. The inhibitory effect of CRP (123 μg/ml) was dependent upon the time of incubation with PAF (1 nM). We observed 0, 42, and 85% inhibition of platelet aggregation with incubations of 0, 20, and 120 min, respectively. The inhibitory effect of CRP was also concentration dependent. After incubations of 20 min at room temperature with 0.5 nM PAF there was no inhibition of PAF-induced platelet aggregation using 12.3 μg/ml CRP with the inhibition increasing to 73% using 123 μg/ml CRP. Pretreatment of the platelets with CRP (123 μg/ml) for 60 min before addition of PAF did not affect the induction of platelet aggregation by PAF. These observations indicate that CRP inhibits PAF and strongly suggest that binding of CRP to PAF, presumably to the phosphocholine moiety of PAF, is required for this inhibition.
Modification of bovine heart succinate dehydrogenase with ethoxyformic anhydride and Rose bengal: Evidence for essential histidyl residues protectable by substrates

Purified and membrane-bound succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) from bovine heart mitochondria was inhibited by the histidine-modifying reagents ethoxyformic anhydride (EFA) and Rose Bengal in the presence of light. Succinate and competitive inhibitors protected against inhibition, and decreased the number of histidyl residues modified by EFA. The essential residue modified by EFA was not the essential thiol of SDH, but modification of the essential thiol abolished the protective effect of malonate against inhibition of SDH by EFA. The EFA inhibition was reversed by hydroxylamine nearly completely when the inhibition was ⩽35%, and only partially when the inhibition was more extensive. The uv spectrum of EFA-modified SDH before and after hydroxylamine treatment suggested that extensive inhibition of SDH with EFA may result in ethoxyformylation at both imidazole nitrogens of histidyl residues. Such a modification is not reversed by hydroxylamine. Succinate dehydrogenases and fumarate reductases from several different sources have similar compositions, and the two enzymes from Escherichia coli have considerable homology in the amino acid composition of their respective flavoprotein and iron-sulfur protein subunits. In the former, there is a short stretch containing conserved histidine, cysteine, and arginine residues. These residues, if also conserved in the bovine enzyme, may be the essential active site residues suggested by this work (histidine) and previously (cysteine, arginine).
Single-mode 24-fiber connector with GI fiber lens array

A Single-mode 24-fiber connector with GI fiber-lenses is developed. The lenses make it possible to adopt MT-connector based guide-pin-alignment. Insertion loss of 0.54dB on average and loss variation less than 0.08dB under temperature cycling is achieved.
Prothoracicotropic hormone regulates the phosphorylation of a specific protein in the prothoracic glands of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta

Abstract Particulate (membrane) fractions were obtained from homogenates of prothoracic glands from staged larvae and pupae of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. The addition of cAMP to these fractions stimulated the in vitro phosphorylation of at least three phosphoproteins. This cAMP-mediated phosphorylation was blocked by the addition of the specific inhibitor of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. When intact prothoracic glands were preincubated with [32P]O4 to label endogenous ATP, one of these proteins (34kDa) was phosphorylated in response to dibutyryl cAMP, forskolin, as well as the brain neurohormone, big prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH). Neither cyclic GMP nor small PTTH stimulated 34 kDa protein phosphorylation, although the latter elicited increased ecdysteroid synthesis by larval glands. Further, injection of big PTTH into intact larvae previously loaded with [32P]O4 also resulted in enhanced phosphorylation of the same prothoracic gland protein. In prothoracic glands from animals at all developmental stages examined except diapausing pupae the protein was phosphorylated in vitro, although glands activated at the time of dissection showed a reduced phosphorylation response in vitro. The intensity of phosphorylation in intact glands was big PTTH dose-dependent, and the dose-response curve of phosphorylation closely followed the curve for PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroid secretion. The time course of phosphorylation is consistent with a role for this phosphoprotein as an intermediate between PTTH stimulation of adenylate cyclase and ecdysteroid biosynthesis.
Caregiver depression and perceptions of primary care predict clinic attendance in head start children with asthma.

AbstractObjective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mediating role of perceptions of primary care (PC) on the association between depression and PC clinic attendance among caregivers of children with asthma. In adults, depression is associated with lower PC clinic attendance and ∼25% of mothers presenting to a pediatric PC clinic will screen positive for depression. Adults’ perceptions about their medical care mediate the depression-clinic attendance relation, but this has not been tested in children or in an asthma population. Methods: This is a secondary prospective data analysis of 141 caregivers of Head Start children diagnosed with asthma, offered an intervention to reduce barriers to PC. Caregivers rated their depressive symptoms and perceptions of PC (access, provider contextual knowledge, and continuity of care) at baseline. PC clinic attendance was tracked prospectively for 6-months. Results: At baseline, 26% of caregivers screened positive for depression. Within 6-months, 66% of chil...
Non-quasi-static capacitance of p/n junction space-charge regions

Abstract The effect of the free-carrier delay time on the space-charge-region capacitance is investigated and a method of finding such capacitance is developed. The method, which is based on a comprehensive quasi-static space-charge-region capacitance model and on the concept of the delay time in the region, describes the non-quasi-static capacitance for all voltages, all frequencies, and for both step and linear-graded junction profiles. The method requires a simple numerical iterative procedure. The results from the present method show good agreement when compared with a numerical method based on Sah's transmission-line equivalent circuit model and with measured dependencies. The method provides a tool for more accurate semiconductor device modeling and for integrated circuit simulations.
Effects of Temperature, Humidity, and Wounding on Development of Phytophthora Rot of Cucumber Fruit

The effects of temperature (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C) and relative humidity (~35, 60, 70, 80, and 100%) on development of Phytophthora fruit rot, caused by Phytophthora capsici, of pickling cucumber (Cucumis sativus) were investigated in controlled growth chamber studies. The effect of wounding on disease development was characterized for small (2.0 to 2.5 cm diameter × 8 to 9 cm long), medium (3.0 to 4.0 cm diameter × 12.0 to 13.0 cm long), and large (>4.5 cm diameter × >14 cm long) pickling cucumbers. Lesions developed on cucumbers incubated at all temperatures tested except 10 and 35°C. Disease severity was greatest on cucumbers incubated at 25°C at 4 days postinoculation (dpi). Lesions formed on cucumbers incubated at all relative humidities tested. The diameter of water-soaking and pathogen growth increased as the incubation relative humidity increased. Wounding lessened age-related resistance in pickling cucumbers. The diameter of water-soaking was similar for all wounded cucumbers at 4 dpi regardless of fruit size. Sporangial production was greater on small and medium fruits than on large fruits. These results indicate that P. capsici is capable of infecting cucumbers over a wide range of temperature and relative humidity conditions. Wounding increases the susceptibility of pickling cucumbers to P. capsici.
Grade Inflation in Medical Student Radiation Oncology Clerkships: Missed Opportunities for Feedback?

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that medical student radiation oncology elective rotation grades are inflated and cannot be used to distinguish residency applicants. Methods and Materials: The records of 196 applicants to a single radiation oncology residency program in 2011 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. The grades for each rotation in radiation oncology were collected and converted to a standardized 4-point grading scale (honors, high pass, pass, fail). Pass/fail grades were scored as not applicable. The primary study endpoint was to compare the distribution of applicants' grades in radiation oncology with their grades in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and obstetrics/gynecology core clerkships. Results: The mean United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 score of the applicants was 237 (range, 188-269), 43% had additional Masters or PhD degrees, and 74% had at least 1 publication. Twenty-nine applicants were graded for radiation oncology rotations on a pass/fail basis and were excluded from the final analysis. Of the remaining applicants (n=167), 80% received the highest possible grade for their radiation oncology rotations. Grades in radiation oncology were significantly higher than each of the other 4 clerkships studied (P<.001). Of all applicants, 195 of 196 matched into a radiation oncology residency. Higher grades in radiation oncologymore » were associated with significantly higher grades in the pediatrics core clerkship (P=.002). However, other medical school performance metrics were not significantly associated with higher grades in radiation oncology. Conclusions: Although our study group consists of a selected group of radiation oncology applicants, their grades in radiation oncology clerkships were highly skewed toward the highest grades when compared with grades in other core clerkships. Student grading in radiation oncology clerkships should be re-evaluated to incorporate more objective and detailed performance metrics to allow for meaningful feedback to trainees and to better evaluate residency applicants to radiation oncology.« less
Data shuffling and statistical analysis on microarray data for gene selection: a comparative study on filtering methods

Computational analysis have been broadly used to discover disease-relevant genes from microarray expression data. In this paper, we extend a traditional statistical metric to a second level to measure gene-disease relations, testing such relation whether can be replicated by randomly shuffling the gene expression data. The traditional metric can be considered as a first-level metric; the relevance of each gene is then verified through the second-level significance testing based on the first-level metric calculated on the original data and shuffled data. We show that this method can also produce high classification performance, compared with other filter-based methods.
Quantitative X‐ray microanalysis of uranium alloys with the analytical electron microscope

SUMMARY X-ray microanalysis in the analytical electron microscope (AEM) is a powerful tool for studying elemental segregation on a submicrometre scale. This technique has been applied to uranium and its alloys. Materials such as uranium are strong electron scatterers due to their high density and high atomic numbers. Hence, when performing AEM X-ray microanalysis on such materials special attention must be given to effects such as electron scattering and X-ray absorption. The objective of this paper is to describe the techniques which are required to perform quantitative X-ray microanalysis in these heavy metal alloys (U-Nb, U-Mo and U-Ti). Cliff-Lorimer k-factors determined experimentally and theoretically are in good agreement. Electron scattering has been studied experimentally and the results are compared to those obtained by Monte Carlo calculations and the single scattering model. X-ray spatial resolutions of better than 100 nm are attainable. With the proper selection of characteristic X-ray lines, X-ray absorption can be avoided in most cases to the limit of electron transparency, ∼ 100 nm.
Autophagy paradox and ceramide

Sphingolipid molecules act as bioactive lipid messengers and exert their actions on the regulation of various cellular signaling pathways. Sphingolipids play essential roles in numerous cellular functions, including controlling cell inflammation, proliferation, death, migration, senescence, tumor metastasis and/or autophagy. Dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism has been also implicated in many human cancers. Macroautophagy (referred to here as autophagy) "self-eating" is characterized by nonselective sequestering of cytosolic materials by an isolation membrane, which can be either protective or lethal for cells. Ceramide (Cer), a central molecule of sphingolipid metabolism, has been extensively implicated in the control of autophagy. The increasing evidence suggests that Cer is highly involved in mediating two opposing autophagic pathways, which regulate either cell survival or death, which is referred here as autophagy paradox. However, the underlying mechanism that regulates the autophagy paradox remains unclear. Therefore, this review focuses on recent studies with regard to the regulation of autophagy by Cer and elucidates the roles and mechanisms of action of Cer in controlling autophagy paradox. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled New Frontiers in Sphingolipid Biology.
The eye of the master.

Surgical tasks are performed in a dynamic, ever changing, anxiety-provoking environment that continuously tests the limits of human performance. The ability to maintain control and focus on attention is universally accepted as a key to success. In the operating room, there are many actions going on simultaneously, often distracting the novice learner. It begs the question – what exactly should surgical trainees focus on to acquire skills and produce anxiety-free performances? If we were in the business of training ball players, we would teach them to keep their eye on the ball. This is the advice passed on by my coaches at every level, but can we apply this same advice to students learning surgical skills? The answer is a resounding yes. In the preceding work by Causer et al, Dr Vickers has expanded her ground-breaking work from improving athletic performance into the operating room. This method of teaching has the potential of completely revolutionizing the way we teach surgical skills. While their manuscript is well written and important, it fails to provide the background information and supporting evidence that would excite surgical educators to completely rethink the way technical skills are traditionally taught. Dr Vickers pioneered the concept of the ‘‘Quiet Eye’’ (QE), which is the final visual fixation or tracking gaze located on a specific area in the visuomotor workspace within 3 of visual angle for a minimum of 100 ms. During this period, the performer sets the final parameters which
Exact thresholds for DPLL on random XOR-SAT and NP-complete extensions of XOR-SAT

This paper discusses a model of constraint satisfaction problems known as uniquely extendible constraint satisfaction problems. This model includes and generalizes XOR-SAT, and the model includes an NP-complete problem that appears to share many of the threshold characteristics of random SAT. In this paper we find an exact threshold in the behavior of two versions of DPLL on random instances of this problem. One version uses the unit clause heuristic, and the other uses the generalized unit clause heuristic. Specifically, for DPLL with the unit clause heuristic, we prove that there is a clause density c, smaller than the satisfiability threshold, such that for random instances with density smaller than this threshold, DPLL with unit clause will find a satisfying assignment in linear time, with uniformly positive probability. However, for random instances with density larger than this threshold, DPLL with unit clause will require exponential time, with uniformly positive probability, to find a satisfying assignment. We then find the equivalent threshold density for DPLL with the generalized unit clause heuristic. We also prove the analog of the (2+p)-SAT Conjecture for this class of problems.
Traumatic abdominal aortic injury treated by endovascular stent placement

Traumatic injury of the abdominal aorta is rare and potentially lethal. The authors present the case of a restrained passenger who was involved in a high-speed, head-on motor vehicle accident. On arrival in the emergency department, the patient complained of abdominal pain, was tachycardic and had a large ecchymoses on his right flank and lower abdominal wall. Computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA) of the abdomen revealed a degloving injury to the abdominal wall, small bowel injury, and a distal abdominal aortic injury with a small amount of retroperitoneal hemorrhage. The patient underwent surgical repair of bowel injuries and the anterior abdominal wall. Because of risk of peritoneal soiling, open repair of the aorta was not attempted. The interventional radiology and vascular surgery services performed an endovascular repair of the aortic injury using a bifurcated endograft.
POLO Kinase Regulates the Drosophila Centromere Cohesion Protein MEI-S332

Accurate segregation of chromosomes is critical to ensure that each daughter cell receives the full genetic complement. Maintenance of cohesion between sister chromatids, especially at centromeres, is required to segregate chromosomes precisely during mitosis and meiosis. The Drosophila protein MEI-S332, the founding member of a conserved protein family, is essential in meiosis for maintaining cohesion at centromeres until sister chromatids separate at the metaphase II/anaphase II transition. MEI-S332 localizes onto centromeres in prometaphase of mitosis or meiosis I, remaining until sister chromatids segregate. We elucidated a mechanism for controlling release of MEI-S332 from centromeres via phosphorylation by POLO kinase. We demonstrate that POLO antagonizes MEI-S332 cohesive function and that full POLO activity is needed to remove MEI-S332 from centromeres, yet this delocalization is not required for sister chromatid separation. POLO phosphorylates MEI-S332 in vitro, POLO and MEI-S332 bind each other, and mutation of POLO binding sites prevents MEI-S332 dissociation from centromeres.