cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Turning the 'Tides on Neuropsychiatric Diseases: The Role of Peptides in the Prefrontal Cortex

Recent advancements in technology have enabled researchers to probe the brain with the greater region, cell, and receptor specificity. These developments have allowed for a more thorough understanding of how regulation of the neurophysiology within a region is essential for maintaining healthy brain function. Stress has been shown to alter the prefrontal cortex (PFC) functioning, and evidence links functional impairments in PFC brain activity with neuropsychiatric disorders. Moreover, a growing body of literature highlights the importance of neuropeptides in the PFC to modulate neural signaling and to influence behavior. The converging evidence outlined in this review indicates that neuropeptides in the PFC are specifically impacted by stress, and are found to be dysregulated in numerous stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders including substance use disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. This review explores how neuropeptides in the PFC function to regulate the neural activity, and how genetic and environmental factors, such as stress, lead to dysregulation in neuropeptide systems, which may ultimately contribute to the pathology of neuropsychiatric diseases.
Outcomes in anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery after surgical reimplantation.

Abstract Objective Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) can be associated with myocardial ischemia and sudden cardiac arrest. We compared outcomes data of patients who underwent transection and reimplantation (TAR) and patients who underwent an unroofing. Methods Patients who presented to the Coronary Artery Anomalies Program were evaluated and managed following a standardized approach. Anatomy was determined using computed tomography angiography, myocardial perfusion using advanced stress imaging, and surgical intervention according to anatomic features. Results Sixty-one patients underwent surgical repair of AAOCA between 2012 and 2019: 16 (26%) patients underwent TAR of the anomalous coronary without an aortic button and 45 (74%) patients underwent coronary unroofing. Compared with patients who underwent an unroofing, patients who underwent TAR had similar intramural length (5 mm with interquartile range of 4-7.7 vs 6 mm with interquartile range of 5-7; P = .6). One patient with an anomalous right coronary underwent coronary artery bypass grafting after TAR because of persistent postoperative ischemic changes. One patient with unroofing of an anomalous left coronary artery presented with recurrent aborted sudden cardiac death and underwent subsequent TAR, without further events. At last follow-up, 15 of 16 patients (94%) who underwent TAR and 42 of 45 (93%) patients who underwent an unroofing were released to unrestricted exercise activities. Conclusions Coronary artery TAR is a useful surgical alternative for AAOCA when there is a course below the commissure, when unroofing does not relocate the ostium to the appropriate sinus, or when unroofing results in compression by the intercoronary pillar.
Italy’s Orient: Introduction

This introduction aims to suggest connections between the articles published in this special number. While Orientalist stereotypes were recurrent in many of the writings discussed here, there was c...
Five culturally protected water body practices in Fiji: Current status and contemporary displacement challenges

Community-based natural resource management in Oceania has its roots in culturally protected water body (CPWB) practices. However, CPWBs in Fiji have been under-researched regarding what practices exist, and the extent to which they are currently practiced. Archival research and interviews with 201 individuals across Fiji’s 189 districts revealed five CPWB types. Conception, Meconium, and Circumcision CPWBs are at risk of practice cessation, while Chiefly investiture and Funerary, have 15% and 42% actively practicing districts, respectively. Primarily serving a ceremonial and food provisioning service, the view that CPWBs do not contribute to biodiversity conservation can be counterproductive to conservation efforts. CPWBs as a place-based practice are eroding due to low awareness by conservation practitioners, and exclusion from community management plans. Knowledge of CPWBs and the practical challenges of implementing them can help conservation practitioners and Indigenous peoples maintain cultural practices, while ensuring food security and conservation into the future.
Toward magnetic resonance fingerprinting for low-field MR-guided radiation therapy

PURPOSE The acquisition of multiparametric quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) is becoming increasingly important for functional characterization of cancer prior to- and throughout the course of radiation therapy. The feasibility of a qMRI method known as magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) for rapid T1 and T2 mapping was assessed on a low-field MR-linac system. METHODS A three-dimensional MRF sequence was implemented on a 0.35T MR-guided radiotherapy system. MRF-derived measurements of T1 and T2 were compared to those obtained with gold standard single spin echo methods, and the impacts of the radiofrequency field homogeneity and scan times ranging between 6 and 48 min were analyzed by acquiring between 1 and 8 spokes per time point in a standard quantitative system phantom. The short-term repeatability of MRF was assessed over three measurements taken over a 10-h period. To evaluate transferability, MRF measurements were acquired on two additional MR-guided radiotherapy systems. Preliminary human volunteer studies were performed. RESULTS The phantom benchmarking studies showed that MRF is capable of mapping T1 and T2 values within 8% and 10% of gold standard measures, respectively, at 0.35T. The coefficient of variation of T1 and T2 estimates over three repeated scans was < 5% over a broad range of relaxation times. The T1 and T2 times derived using a single-spoke MRF acquisition across three scanners were near unity and mean percent errors in T1 and T2 estimates using the same phantom were < 3%. The mean percent differences in T1 and T2 as a result of truncating the scan time to 6 min over the large range of relaxation times in the system phantom were 0.65% and 4.05%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The technical feasibility and accuracy of MRF on a low-field MR-guided radiation therapy device has been demonstrated. MRF can be used to measure accurate T1 and T2 maps in three dimensions from a brief 6-min scan, offering strong potential for efficient and reproducible qMRI for future clinical trials in functional plan adaptation and tumor/normal tissue response assessment.
Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Humor Appreciation and Function Across the Lifespan

Humor is a familiar aspect of social life and contributes to important well-being outcomes such as life satisfaction. However, humor styles and the function of humor differ across age and culture. An examination of these nuances deepens our understanding of the role humor plays in our lives. Consistent with a lifespan developmental perspective and through the lens of positive psychology, we emphasize how understanding the varieties and functions of humor can inform researchers and practitioners interested in well-being outcomes. We review individual and group differences in humor appreciation and comprehension, as well as how these differences relate to the function of humor. First, there are age and cultural differences in humor appreciation, with different groups endorsing some humor styles more than others. These differences may be due to a variety of factors including motivational, sociopolitical, and cognitive demands. Second, we review the function of humor, and how this may change across the lifespan and differ across cultures. We also highlight some universal aspects of humor, such as its robust relationship with life satisfaction across age and culture. We introduce the possibility that age and culture interact to influence humor appreciation and function as an important avenue for future research.
Metabolizable energy in corn is greater than in hybrid rye when fed to gestating sows, but exogenous enzymes did not increase energy digestibility

The metabolizable energy (ME) in corn was greater (P < 0.05) than in hybrid rye when fed to sows in mid-gestation, although the difference between the two grains was less than the difference previo...
Markov Jump Processes

We want to describe Markov processes that evolve through continuous time t ≥ 0, but in a discrete state space ℒ. The prescription for such a process has two ingredients. There are random jump times 0 < τ1 < τ2 < … < τn < … when the process jumps away from the state it is at, and there are transition probabilities Q xy that govern the transitions at these jump times. The process {X(t): t ≥ 0 } itself has piecewise constant paths, which we can take to be right-continuous $$X(t) = \left\{ \begin{gathered} {x_0}, 0 \leqslant t < {\tau _1}, \hfill \\ {x_1}, {\tau _1} \leqslant t < {\tau _2}, \hfill \\ {x_2}, {\tau _2} \leqslant t < {\tau _3}, \hfill \\ \ldots \ldots \ldots \ldots \ldots \ldots \ldots \hfill \\ \end{gathered} \right.$$
An Exploratory Study on BYOD in Class: Opportunities and Concerns.

During the past several years, there has been a virtual explosion in the mobile device arena. Institutions of all sizes and types (corporations, governments, education, etc.) are utilizing or in the stage of adopting mobile devices, and increasingly adopting / allowing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). While this trend has impacted organizations worldwide, a more significant impact can be seen in higher education and resources available to prepare students for the workplace. The current research evaluates BYOD in education by evaluating differences in BYOD users and non-users as well as cultural views on BYOD through a comparison of American and Korean students. The results of the survey provide valuable insight to the tools used by students and how they use those tools to enhance their education.
Activins, Inhibins, and Bone Morphogenetic Proteins as Modulators and Biomarkers of Prostate Cancer Progression

The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily consists of over 35 structurally related proteins, which regulate a myriad of cellular processes. Signaling by these growth regulatory molecules is initiated by ligand-induced hetero-oligomerization of distinct type II and type I serine/threonine kinase receptors that activate receptor-activated Smad proteins as well as Smad-independent pathways. TGF-β-related ligands and receptors are expressed in the prostate gland and aberrant expression and function of this class of signaling molecules are likely to regulate development and tumorigenesis of the prostate. The functional significance of TGF-β in prostate cancer has been reviewed in several articles. The objective of this review is to evaluate the expression and functional significance of activins, inhibins, and BMP signaling in prostate development and tumorigenesis, and their role as modulators and biomarkers of prostate cancer progression.
The Fragmentation of Metropolitan Public School Districts and the Segregation of American Schools: A Longitudinal Analysis:

ContextScholars have increasingly raised concerns about the “fragmentation” or proliferation of metropolitan public school districts, citing the potential for fragmentation to facilitate racial/eth...
English Voices for the Stage

When the trilingual version of Beckett’s dramatical works was published in Germany (the French plays, 1963; the English, 1964), the principal English works were Krapp’s Last Tape (1958), Happy Days (1960–1), and Play (1963). Each is structured on the idea of a self-consciousness entangled in existential inauthenticity and desperately incapable of working out a solution to what Sartre has called “our concrete relations with others.”1 As is well known to historians of recent continental philosophy, Sartre’s phenomenological ontology was derived from Germanic sources; principally the works of Husserl, Hegel, and Heidegger.
Abstract 14885: CXCL4 Aggravates Mortality and Left Ventricular Dilation Following Myocardial Infarction by Polarizing Macrophages to a Pro-inflammatory M1 Phenotype

CXCL4 deletion attenuates atherosclerosis and mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice. CXCL4 roles following myocardial infarction (MI) have not been evaluated. We hypothesized that CXCL4 would exacerbate post-MI wound healing and cardiac dysfunction. Male C57BL/6J mice (n=82) of 3-6 months old were subjected to permanent coronary artery ligation. CXCL4 gene expression significantly increased after MI, peaking at day 5 (p
DNA Structure: Sequence Effects

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence significantly affects the local stability of the DNA double helix. Two types of stability of the DNA duplex must be distinguished: thermodynamic stability and kinetic stability. Although stability of the DNA region depends mostly on its G•C content, it is stacking interaction between adjacent base pairs which have dominating contribution into the overall region stability. Sequence effects play especially important role in the stability of DNA helices different from B- and A-forms such as Z-DNA, parallel duplex, triplexes and quadruplexes. Depending on their particular sequence, different DNA sites are capable of adopting various unusual structures, among them: the cruciform, the triplex H form, the Z form and quadruplexes. These sequence-dependent structures are stabilized by DNA negative supercoiling. They attract more and more attention in recent years because of their potential as targets for anticancer drugs and as tools in bio- and nanotechnology. Key Concepts: DNA thermodynamic stability determines equilibrium properties of the double helix but equilibrium is not always achievable. DNA kinetic stability governs DNA behaviour at the characteristic time of experiment. Stacking interactions, rather than base pairing, play the decisive role in determining the stability of the DNA double helix. Highly sequence-dependent DNA unusual structures dramatically affect DNA structural variability. Unusual structures are thermodynamically unfavourable in linear DNA but their formation becomes possible in negatively supercoiled DNA. Keywords: DNA melting; DNA unusual structures; Gibbs free energy; kinetic stability; supercoiling; thermodynamic stability
Artificial intelligence applications to high-technology training

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to improve occupational instruction in complex subjects with sophisticated performance goals, such as those required for high-technology jobs. Educational devices incorporating AI would “understand”what, whom, andhow they were teaching and could therefore tailor content and method to the needs of an individual learner without being limited to a repertoire of prespecified responses. Intelligent Computer Assisted Instruction (ICAI) encompasses a spectrum of approaches, including Socratic tutoring systems, simulation environments with embedded coaches, and “empowering environments” which aid workers in using intelligent tools in complementary cognitive partnerships. This article focuses on (a) depicting how present training methods might change if intelligent instructional devices were incorporated, (b) delineating the current state of the art in the areas of research needed to produce such systems, and (c) indicating in which types of adult educational settings ICAI might be productive and cost effective.
Clinical costs of colorectal cancer screening in 5 federally funded demonstration programs

BACKGROUND The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiated the Colorectal Cancer Screening Demonstration Program (CRCSDP) to explore the feasibility of establishing a large-scale colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program for underserved populations in the United States. The authors of this report assessed the clinical costs incurred at each of the 5 participating sites during the demonstration period. METHODS By using data on payments to providers by each of the 5 CRCSDP sites, the authors estimated costs for specific clinical services and overall clinical costs for each of the 2 CRC screening methods used by the sites: colonoscopy and fecal occult blood test (FOBT). RESULTS Among CRCSDP clients who were at average risk for CRC and for whom complete cost data were available, 2131 were screened by FOBT, and 1888 were screened by colonoscopy. The total average clinical cost per individual screened by FOBT (including costs for screening, diagnosis, initial surveillance, office visits, and associated clinical services averaged across all individuals who received screening FOBT) ranged from $48 in Nebraska to $149 in Greater Seattle. This compared with an average clinical cost per individual for all services related to the colonoscopy screening ranging from $654 in St. Louis to $1600 in Baltimore City. CONCLUSIONS Variations in how sites contracted with providers and in the services provided through CRCSDP affected the cost of clinical services and the complexity of collecting cost data. Health officials may find these data useful in program planning and budgeting. Cancer 2013;119(15 suppl):2863–9. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
The Common Mistakes Students Make When Crafting Research Questions

Developing an empirical research question is an incredibly challenging endeavor. While those who seek to perform research often have wide-ranging and passionate interests, crystallizing these interests into a theoretically sound and pragmatic research question is a daunting task: But once you have chosen a general area to work in, picking a particular topic to research is difficult. This is the critical decision in doing research. It is also the most difficult aspect of research to teach anyone. It is at this step – seeing that a problem exists and that there is a good chance you can provide new insight into it—that originality and talent are most critical (Shively 2011, 21). A multitude of textbooks on social science research methods provide detailed explanations about how to evaluate research questions using scientific and practical criteria. These explanations are usually supplemented with advice about how to locate a research question that meets these criteria. There is rarely any mention, however, of the specific challenges students face when devising a research question, particularly for an undergraduate or master’s thesis. This paper is a preliminary attempt to fill this void by enumerating some of these difficulties. While some criteria, such as devising a question that has real-world relevance, are relatively easy for students to meet, others, such as refraining from answering a normative question, pose a significant challenge. By illuminating the particular criteria that students find hardest to meet, this paper will (hopefully) serve as a useful resource for instructors of research methods and thesis advisors.
The changing landscape of information access : the impact of technological advances upon the acquisition, ownership, and dissemination of informational resources within the research library community

This article explores the impact which this technological evolution is having upon the strategies employed by research libraries in their quest to provide access to the information and services. It also offers some thoughts on what library administrators, collection development professionals, acquisition managers, and others in the field can do in order to anticipate these developments, promote those changes which would be beneficial to the use community, and stay ahead of the demand for increased access to non-traditional information sources.
Model Architecture, Methods, and Interfaces for Efficient Math-Based Design and Simulation of Automotive Control Systems

Many of today’s automotive control system simulation tools are suitable for simulation, but they provide rather limited support for model building and management. Setting up a simulation model requires more than writing down state equations and running them on a computer. The role of a model library is to manage the models of physical components of the system and allow users to share and easily reuse them. In this paper, we describe how modern software techniques can be used to support modeling and design activities; the objective is to provide better system models in less time by assembling these system models in a “plug-and-play” architecture. With the introduction of hybrid electric vehicles, the number of components that can populate a model has increased considerably, and more components translate into more possible drivetrain configurations. To address these needs, we explain how users can simulate a large number of drivetrain configurations. The proposed approach could be used to establish standards within the automotive modeling community.
Methodologic differences in values for M-proteins in serum, as measured by three techniques.

Accurate and reproducible measurement of M-proteins is essential for managing patients with monoclonal gammopathies, but serum protein electrophoresis, radial immunodiffusion, and electroimmunodiffusion yield comparatively divergent results. We have studied these differences and their causes. Sera from cases of IgG-monoclonal gammopathy, IgA-monoclonal gammopathy, and IgM-monoclonal gammopathy were assayed by each of the three techniques. Results indicated intermethod discrepancies as great as fivefold for all proteins studied. For IgG-monoclonal gammopathy, radial immunodiffusion values were uniformly higher; electroimmunodiffusion values were less consistently so. For IgA-monoclonal gammopathy, both radial immunodiffusion and electroimmunodiffusion gave lower results than did serum protein electrophoresis. For IgM-monoclonal gammopathy, results were variable, but values by radial immunodiffusion tended to be higher than, and electroimmunodiffusion comparable to, those for serum protein electrophoresis. The differences were not correlated with protein abundance, serum freshness, immunoglobulin class, light-chain type, ultracentrifugal characteristics, or electrophoretic mobility. Clearly, values for M-protein concentration depend on the techniques used to obtain them. We postulate that subclass differences may contribute to the diversity of radial immunodiffusion results, and that for electroimmunodiffusion the fixed electrophoretic mobility of M-proteins leads to unpredictable results. We conclude that serum protein electrophoresis is the best of the three assay techniques for M-proteins.
Secretin and vasoactive intestinal peptide activate tyrosine hydroxylase in sympathetic nerve endings

Secretin and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) are known to stimulate tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity acutely in the rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG). Because TH-containing neurons in the SCG innervate the iris, submaxillary gland, and pineal gland, we examined the effects of secretin and VIP in these 3 autonomic end organs in vitro. Both peptides stimulated TH activity in each tissue. These stimulations resembled those in the SCG in that (1) secretin displayed a higher potency than VIP in all 3 end organs, (2) the peptide effects were unchanged when calcium was excluded from the incubation medium, and (3) they were mimicked by activators of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway. These findings indicate that secretin and VIP can regulate transmitter metabolism in both the cell bodies and axon terminals of neurons originating in the SCG. Furthermore, the data raise the possibility that catecholamine synthesis in sympathetic nerve terminals is modulated by peptides released by other, nearby nerve endings.
What's new in trauma and critical care.

Abstract "What's New in Surgery" evolves from the contributions of leaders in each of the fields of surgery. In every instance the author has been designated by the appropriate Council from the American College of Surgeons' Advisory Councils for the Surgical Specialties. This feature will be presented in issues of the Journal through the year beginning in 2001 (formerly published in one issue, February, of each volume of JACS) .
Cross-Discipline Perceptions of the Undergraduate Research Experience

Multi-year assessment of self-reported benefits, outcomes, learning goals, and awards for diverse, liberal arts college undergraduate researchers found consistent benefits but discipline- and ethnicity-dependent outcomes. The role of the mentor-protege relationship and the research projects' initiation both show disciplinary and ethnic group dependence. Research participation is associated with student achievement.
Implementing DITA XML in a production environment

This paper describes one information development team's experience with implementing a prototype XML vocabulary in a production environment. This implementation included the migration of pre-existing content, the writing of XSLT and Perl scripts to direct migration and production, and the training of team members.
Photomagnetoelectric Effect in Germanium and Silicon

The transient part of the photomagnetoelectric (p.m.e.) voltage in germanium has been studied. It has been observed that the p.m.e. voltage reached its steady-state value by passing through a maximum instead of reaching it by progressive increase. The p.m.e. effect in sillicon has been observed and a few experimental results are given.
Determinants of software maintenance profiles: an empirical investigation

Software maintenance is a task that is difficult to manage effectively. In part, this is because software managers have very little knowledge about the types of maintenance work that are likely to occur. If managers could forecast changes to software systems, they could more effectively plan, allocate workforce and manage change requests. But, the ability to forecast software modifications depends on whether there are predictable patterns in maintenance work. We posit that there are patterns in maintenance work and that certain characteristics of software modules are associated with these patterns. We examine modification profiles for 621 software modules in five different business systems of a commercial merchandiser. We find that only a small number of modules in these systems is likely to be modified frequently, and that certain maintenance patterns emerge. Modules frequently enhanced are in systems whose functionality is considered strategic. Modules frequently repaired have high software complexity, are large in size, and are relatively older. However, modules that have been code generated are less likely to be repaired. Older and larger modules are restructured and upgraded more frequently. Our results suggest that these characteristics of software modules are associated with predictable maintenance profiles. Such profile information can be used by software managers to predict and plan for maintenance more effectively. In addition, our results suggest the use of code generators as a means of reducing repair maintenance. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel therapies for cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are a group of uncommon mature T-cell lymphomas presenting primarily or exclusively in the skin. The most common subtype, mycosis fungoides and its leukemic variant Sezary syndrome, frequently behave as a chronic lymphoma with good prognosis for early-stage disease and shortened survival only for patients in advanced stages. Historically, these patients have experienced excessive toxicity from chemotherapy without durable benefit, leading to current conservative treatment strategies. An increasing number of novel therapies are available or in development. These newer therapies often have unique mechanisms of action and different toxicities with less myelosuppression than traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy. Among these novel systemic therapies are so-called biologic therapies such as retinoids like bexarotene, the fusion toxin denileukin diftitox, lenalidomide, and toll-like receptor agonists. Other important novel or emerging agents include the histone deacetylase inhibitors; a novel antifolate, pralatrexate; the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib; and the purine nucleoside phosphorylase inhibitor forodesine. Even agents considered to be conventional chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine or pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, have demonstrated activity in CTCL at relatively lower doses with less myelosuppression. The mechanisms of action of the novel agents are reviewed as well as available clinical data. As the role of these new agents is better understood, particularly with regard to nonoverlapping toxicities, combination strategies might emerge. Evaluation through carefully designed clinical trials should lead to better, safer, and more effective treatment strategies in the future.
Spectrophotometric determination of the apparent ionization exponents of 5,6-dihydrouracil and 5,6-dihydrothymine†

The spectrophotometric determination of the apparent ionization exponents of 5,6-dihydrouracil (DHU) and 5,6-dihydrothymine (DHT) is described. The values of pK′α at 37°C and ionic strength of 0.16 are 11.42 for DHU and 11.57 for DHT.
Clustering of monosialyl-Gb5 initiates downstream signalling events leading to invasion of MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Invasion is a complex process controlled by secretion and activation of proteases, alteration of integrin levels and GSL (glycosphingolipid) patterns. Differential organization of GSLs with specific membrane proteins and signal transducers in GEMs (GSL-enriched microdomains), initiates signalling events to modify cellular phenotype. Although the GSL monosialyl-Gb5 has been linked with invasion, its functional role in invasion is poorly described and understood. To investigate this problem, we induced the invasion of human breast cancer cells and subsequently explored the underlying mechanism. In the present study, the invasion of human MCF-7 breast cancer cells is highly dependent on clustering of monosialyl-Gb5, and the subsequent activation of monosialyl-Gb5-associated focal adhesion kinase and cSrc in GEM leading to the downstream activation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK). As a result, we observed increased expression levels and activity of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9, which correlated with decreased expression of integrins α1 and β1. Together these results suggest that the organization of crucial molecules in GEMs of MCF-7 cells is critical for their invasive properties.
Magnetic Storms and Induction Hazards

Magnetic storms are potentially hazardous to the activities and technological infrastructure of modern civilization. This reality was dramatically demonstrated during the great magnetic storm of March 1989, when surface geoelectric fields, produced by the interaction of the time-varying geomagnetic field with the Earth's electrically conducting interior, coupled onto the overlying Hydro-Quebec electric power grid in Canada. Protective relays were tripped, the grid collapsed, and about 9 million people were temporarily left without electricity [Bolduc, 2002].
Supplemental vitamin D3 and zilpaterol hydrochloride. I. Effect on performance, carcass traits, tenderness, and vitamin D metabolites of feedlot steers.

Angus × Simmental steers (n = 210; initial BW 314 ± 11 kg) were separated into heavy and light BW blocks and allotted evenly by BW to 6 treatments (3 heavy and 2 light pens per treatment) to determine the effect of supplemental vitamin D3: 0 IU (no D), 250,000 IU for 165 d (long-term D), or 5 × 10(6) IU for 10 d (short-term D) on performance, carcass traits, vitamin D metabolites, and meat tenderness in steers fed either 0 (NZ) or 8.38 mg/kg zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) daily for 21 d. Placebo or ZH was added to the diet 24 d, and short-term D was added 13 d before slaughter. Vitamin D3, ZH, and placebo were all removed from the diet 3 d before slaughter. Steers fed ZH tended to have improved overall G:F compared with steers not fed ZH (P 0.13), but long-term D with ZH decreased percentage KPH (P < 0.02). Compared with no D, short-term D tended to decrease HCW (P < 0.07), decreased fat thickness (P < 0.01), and tended to increase dressing percentage (P < 0.10) when ZH was not fed, yet did not impact carcass traits when ZH was fed (P < 0.13). Feeding ZH tended to decrease (P < 0.09) LM 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3]. The long-term D treatment increased LM vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3) 18- and 5-fold, respectively, when ZH was not fed (P < 0.04) and increased LM 25OHD3 by 4-fold when ZH was fed (P < 0.01). Short-term D increased LM vitamin D3 and 25OHD3 by 52- and 9-fold, respectively, when ZH was not fed (P < 0.01), and by 24- and 9-fold, respectively, when ZH was fed (P < 0.01). Also, short-term D increased LM 1,25(OH)2D3 by 2-fold (P < 0.04) when ZH was fed. Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was greater for ZH steaks than non-ZH steaks at 7, 14, and 21 d postmortem aging (P < 0.01). Vitamin D did not reduce WBSF (P = 0.18). When ZH was fed, long-term D tended to increase WBSF in steaks aged 21 d (P = 0.06). In conclusion, ZH improved carcass leanness and decreased tenderness, and vitamin D feeding increased vitamin D3 metabolites in LM, but did not improve tenderness in steers fed ZH.
Just-in-time selling construct: Definition and measurement

Abstract Contemporary JIT literature provides evidence that the JIT philosophy has been extended to the selling function. The literature, however, lacks a concise definition of JIT-selling and reliable, valid scales for measuring the construct. A formal definition is proposed and JIT-selling scales are scientifically developed using survey data from manufacturers.
When nouns and verbs degrade: Facilitating communication in semantic dementia

Background: Little is known about how to maintain communicative effectiveness in semantic dementia as the disease progresses from impairment in word retrieval to a loss of conceptual knowledge. Aim: The purpose of this study is twofold. The first objective is to characterise communicative effectiveness using a modified framework derived from Chapman and Ulatowska (1997) that integrates two components: codification of ideas (falling on a continuum from verbal to nonverbal and generative to automatic forms) and functions of communication (imaginative, heuristic, informative, personal, interactional, regulatory, and instrumental). The second objective is to outline principles of a discourse intervention that focuses on communicative effectiveness. Method & Procedures: The participant was Mr Bobby V, a man with semantic dementia. His communication abilities were characterised at diagnosis and 24 months later using the framework of communicative effectiveness, based on discourse samples, clinical observation, ...
Renal Performance in Patients Undergoing Replacement of the Aortic Valve

Renal performance of seven patients undergoing replacement of the aortic valve was investigated. The initial portion of cardiopulmonary bypass was characterized by low arterial blood pressure and anuria. With a subsequent rise in arterial pressure during bypass, urine flow suddenly increased in five patients. In two patients urine flow did not resume until immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass. The high rate of urine flow at these times is thought to be partially due to a glucose-induced osmotic diuresis. The glomerular filtration rate (inulin clearance) and the effective renal plasma flow (PAH clearance) fell with induction of anesthesia and opening of the chest, but there was no further drop in these functions as a result of total body perfusion. Urine osmolality fell significantly during and immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass. The changes in urine osmolality are thought to be due in part to the osmotic diuresis and in part to a temporary reduction in the renal medullary hyperosmolality secondary to hemodynamic changes. All of the alterations in renal function were reversible in the patients studied.
The Heterotrimeric G-protein Gi Is Localized to the Insulin Secretory Granules of β-Cells and Is Involved in Insulin Exocytosis (∗)

Mastoparan, a tetradecapeptide found in wasp venom that stimulates G-proteins, increases insulin secretion from β-cells. In this study, we have examined the role of heterotrimeric G-proteins in mastoparan-induced insulin secretion from the insulin-secreting β-cell line β-TC3. Mastoparan stimulated insulin secretion in a dose-dependent manner from digitonin-permeabilized β-TC3 cells. Active mastoparan analogues mastoparan 7, mastoparan 8, and mastoparan X also stimulated secretion. Mastoparan 17, an inactive analogue of mastoparan, did not increase insulin secretion from permeabilized β-TC3 cells. Mastoparan-induced insulin secretion from permeabilized β-TC3 cells was inhibited by pretreatment of the cells with pertussis toxin, suggesting that mastoparan-induced insulin secretion is mediated through a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein present distally in exocytosis. Enriched insulin secretory granules (ISG) were prepared by sucrose/nycodenz ultracentrifugation. Western immunoblotting performed on β-TC3 homogenate and ISG demonstrated that Gαi was dramatically enriched in ISG. Levels of Gαo and Gαq were comparable in homogenate and ISG. Mastoparan stimulated ISG GTPase activity in a pertussis toxin-sensitive manner. Mastoparan 7 and mastoparan 8 also stimulated GTPase activity in the ISG, while the inactive analogue mastoparan 17 had no effect. Selective localization of Gαi to ISG was confirmed with electron microscopic immunocytochemistry in β-TC3 cells and β-cells from rat pancreas. In contrast to Gαo and Gαq, Gαi was clearly localized to the ISG. Together, these data suggest that mastoparan may act through the heterotrimeric G-protein Gαi located in the ISG of β-cells to stimulate insulin secretion.
Dr. Moreno Cañas: a symbolic bridge to the demedicalization of healing.

Abstract Costa Rica is a rapidly developing country with an expanding system of nationalized health care and a growing professional medical sector. This expansion affects the medicalization of health culture, including the symbolic and religious aspects of popular healing traditions. This study describes the myth and cult of Dr Moreno Canas, a physician murdered in 1938, who is prayed to, or ritually invoked for cures and good fortune. The cult of Dr Moreno Canas complements and modifies the healing role of the Costa Rican patron saint, the Virgen de Los Angeles, by idealizing modern science and technology. The cult of the doctor is a reaction of laypeople to the secularization of health problems, and to the medicalization of care. The myth and cult of Dr Moreno Canas creates a popular image of secular medicine that laypeople sacrilize by treating it in a religious manner, and in doing so demedicalize control of their own care.
Image Cosegmentation via Multi-task Learning.

Image segmentation has been studied in computer vision for many years and yet it remains a challenging task. One major difficulty arises from the diversity of the foreground, which often results in ambiguity of background-foreground separation, especially when prior knowledge is missing. To overcome this difficulty, cosegmentation methods were proposed, where a set of images sharing some common foreground objects are segmented simultaneously. Different models have been employed for exploring such a prior of common foreground. In this paper, we propose to formulate the image cosegmentaion problem using a multi-task learning framework, where segmentation of each image is viewed as one task and the prior of shared foreground is modeled via the intrinsic relatedness among the tasks. Compared with other existing methods, the proposed approach is able to simultaneously segment more than two images with relatively low computational cost. The proposed formulation, with three different embodiments, is evaluated on two benchmark datasets, the CMU iCoseg dataset and the MSRC dataset, with comparison to leading existing methods. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Theoretical Evaluation of Rigid Baffles in Suppression of Combustion Instability

An analytical technique for the prediction of the effects of rigid baffles on the stability of liquid propellant combustors is presented. This analysis employs both two and three dimensional combustor models characterized by concentrated combustion sources at the chamber injector and a constant Mach number nozzle. An eigenfunction-matching method is used to solve the linearized partial differential equations describing the unsteady flow field for both models. Boundary layer corrections to this unsteady flow are in a mechanical energy dissipation model to evaluate viscous and turbulence effects within the flow. An integral instability relationship is then employed to predict the decay rate of the oscillations. Results of this analysis agree qualitatively with experimental observations and show that sufficient dissipation exists to indicate that the proper mechanism of baffle damping is a fluid dynamic loss. The response of the dissipation model to varying baffle blade length, mean flow Mach number, oscillation amplitude, baffle configuration, and oscillation mode is examined.
Substrate utilization by the denervated rat hemidiaphragm.

Following unilateral phrenectomy, the rat diaphragm undergoes transient hypertrophy as a result of passive stretching. We have assessed the oxidative capacity of the denervated hemidiaphragm by measuring 14CO2 production from a number of radioactively labeled substrates. By the first day following phrenectomy, there was marked reduction in 14CO2 production from glucose-U-14C, glucose-6-14C, palmitate-1-14C and β-hydroxybutyrate-3-14C. On the other hand, there was increased production of 14CO2 from glucose-1-14C, which may be indicative of elevated hexosemonophosphate shunt activity. Thus, in contrast to some other types of muscular activity, passive stretching of the diaphragm following phrenectomy does not cause enhancement of oxidative ability.
A framework for assisted exploration with collaboration

We approach the problem of exploring a virtual space by exploiting positional and camera-model constraints on navigation to provide extra assistance that focuses the user's explorational wanderings on the task objectives. Our specific design incorporates not only task-based constraints on the viewer's location, gaze, and viewing parameters, but also a personal "glide" that serves two important functions: keeping the user oriented in the navigation space, and "pointing" to interesting subject areas as they are approached. The guide's cues may be ignored by continuing in motion, but if the user stops, the gaze shifts automatically toward whatever the guide was interested in. This design has the serendipitous feature that it automatically incorporates a nested collaborative paradigm simply by allowing any given viewer to be seen as the "guide" of one or more viewers following behind; the leading automated guide (we tend to select a guide dog for this avatar) can remind the leading live human guide of interesting sites to point out, while each real human collaborator down the chain has some choices about whether to follow the local leader's hints. We have chosen VRML as our initial development medium primarily because of its portability, and we have implemented a variety of natural modes for leading and collaborating, including ways for collaborators to attach to and detach from a particular leader.
A Study of Segmentation of Distributed Piezoelectric Sensors and Actuators, Part II: Parametric Study and Active Vibration Controls

Abstract Distributed piezoelectric layers can be used as distributed sensors and actuators for structural monitoring and control of elastic continua. In this paper, distributed vibration sensing and control of continua using single-piece symmetrically distributed and multi-piece segmented sensors/actuators are studied. In Part I, mathematical models of a plate with a single-piece distributed sensor/actuator and multi-piece segmented sensors/actuators were formulated and performances were evaluated. In Part II, active vibration controls of the plate with various sizes of sensors/actuators and control algorithms, the proportional feedback and Lyapunov controls, are presented. Time-history responses of the plate with and without feedback controls are analyzed and compared. Breaking points of controlled dampoing ratios for different mode groups are observed.
The coupled proton transport in the ClC-ec1 Cl(-)/H(+) antiporter.

Using a reactive molecular dynamics simulation methodology, the free energy barrier for water-mediated proton transport between the two proton gating residues Glu203 and Glu148 in the ClC-ec1 antiporter, including the Grotthuss mechanism of proton hopping, was calculated. Three different chloride-binding states, with 1), both the central and internal Cl−, 2), the central Cl− only, and 3), the internal Cl− only, were considered and the coupling to the H+ transport studied. The results show that both the central and internal Cl− are essential for the proton transport from Glu203 to Glu148 to have a favorite free energy driving force. The rotation of the Glu148 side chain was also found to be independent of the internal chloride binding state. These results emphasize the importance of the 2:1 stoichiometry of this well-studied Cl−/H+ antiporter.
Instruction window size trade-offs and characterization of program parallelism

Detecting independent operations is a prime objective for computers that are capable of issuing and executing multiple operations simultaneously. The number of instructions that are simultaneously examined for detecting those that are independent is the scope of concurrency detection. The authors present an analytical model for predicting the performance impact of varying the scope of concurrency detection as a function of available resources, such as number of pipelines in a superscalar architecture. The model developed can show where a performance bottleneck might be: insufficient resources to exploit discovered parallelism, insufficient instruction stream parallelism, or insufficient scope of concurrency detection. The cost associated with speculative execution is examined via a set of probability distributions that characterize the inherent parallelism in the instruction stream. These results were derived using traces from a Multiflow TRACE SCHEDULING compacting FORTRAN 77 and C compilers. The experiments provide misprediction delay estimates for 11 common application-level benchmarks under scope constraints, assuming speculative, out-of-order execution and run time scheduling. The throughput prediction of the analytical model is shown to be close to the measured static throughput of the compiler output. >
INDUCTION OF HIGH KIDNEY GRAFT SURVIVAL RATE BY MULTIPLE TRANSFUSION

Abstract In 33 centres that adopted a policy of liberal preoperative blood transfusion 174 recipients of cadaver donor transplants were followed up. Those who received no pretransplant transfusions had a 23% 1-year graft survival rate whereas those who had >10 transfusions had an 87% survival rate (p 70% had no antibodies, so transfusions do not exert their beneficial effect by excluding strong immune responders. Since transplant survival rates improved with the number of transfusions, they probably produce their beneficial effect by inducing a state of unresponsiveness. Multiple transfusion seems a simple and effective way of improving kidney transplant survival rates. Moreover, the immunosuppressive effect is specific in that it does not alter the immune response to infectious agents.