cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pre-gastrula expression of zebrafish extraembryonic genes

Many species form extraembryonic tissues during embryogenesis, such as the placenta of humans and other viviparous mammals. Extraembryonic tissues have various roles in protecting, nourishing and patterning embryos. Prior to gastrulation in zebrafish, the yolk syncytial layer - an extraembryonic nuclear syncytium - produces signals that induce mesoderm and endoderm formation. Mesoderm and endoderm precursor cells are situated in the embryonic margin, an external ring of cells along the embryo-yolk interface. The yolk syncytial layer initially forms below the margin, in a domain called the external yolk syncytial layer (E-YSL). We hypothesize that key components of the yolk syncytial layer's mesoderm and endoderm inducing activity are expressed as mRNAs in the E-YSL. To identify genes expressed in the E-YSL, we used microarrays to compare the transcription profiles of intact pre-gastrula embryos with pre-gastrula embryonic cells that we had separated from the yolk and yolk syncytial layer. This identified a cohort of genes with enriched expression in intact embryos. Here we describe our whole mount in situ hybridization analysis of sixty-eight of them. This includes ten genes with E-YSL expression (camsap1l1, gata3, znf503, hnf1ba, slc26a1, slc40a1, gata6, gpr137bb, otop1 and cebpa), four genes with expression in the enveloping layer (EVL), a superficial epithelium that protects the embryo (zgc:136817, zgc:152778, slc14a2 and elovl6l), three EVL genes whose expression is transiently confined to the animal pole (elovl6l, zgc:136359 and clica), and six genes with transient maternal expression (mtf1, wu:fj59f04, mospd2, rftn2, arrdc1a and pho). We also assessed the requirement of Nodal signaling for the expression of selected genes in the E-YSL, EVL and margin. Margin expression was Nodal dependent for all genes we tested, including the concentrated margin expression of an EVL gene: zgc:110712. All other instances of EVL and E-YSL expression that we tested were Nodal independent. We have devised an effective strategy for enriching and identifying genes expressed in the E-YSL of pre-gastrula embryos. To our surprise, maternal genes and genes expressed in the EVL were also enriched by this strategy. A number of these genes are promising candidates for future functional studies on early embryonic patterning.
Initiation of replication at specific origins in DNA molecules microinjected into unfertilized eggs of the frog Xenopus laevis

Abstract Initiation of DNA replication at specific origins was observed by electron microscopy after microinjection of pXIr11, pXIr14 or Col E1 plasmid DNA molecules into unfertilized eggs of the frog, Xenopus laevis. These results are in apparent contradiction with published reports (Harland and Laskey, Cell 21 , 761–771, 1980; Laskey and Harland, Cell 24 , 283–284, 1981) that specific origin sites were not used in Xenopus laevis eggs. We suggest that eucaryotic origins exist that both increase the probability of replication of contiguous sequences and determine the site at which replication is most likely to begin.
Gestational protein-energy malnutrition affects the composition of developing skins of rat fetuses and their dams.

1. Various biochemical variables of the skins of rat dams and their fetuses in which protein+nergy malnutrition was induced during pregnancy were analysed. 2. One group of dams was fed on a 200 g protein/kg diet as a control and the other was fed on a 60 g protein/ kg diet as an experimental group. Each group of dams was fed from day 13 of gestation until day 22. 3. Water, protein and hexosamine concentrations of the fetal skins in the malnourished group were greater than those in the control group, whereas in the dams' skins, protein concentration was greater in the malnourished group than in the control group. 4. Extractability of collagen with neutral salt and pepsin showed no difference between the groups in the skins of fetuses and dams. The content of type I11 collagen in the fetal skin did not differ between the groups, but was increased in the malnourished dams' skins compared with that of the control group. 5. The present study showed that protein+nergy malnutrition during pregnancy significantly affects the metabolism of the skin in both fetuses and their dams. Furthermore, the skins of fetuses and dams are structurally altered in different ways by this nutritional stress.
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE RESPIRATION OF ERYTHROCYTES : II. MAMMALIAN RETICULOCYTES.

1. The respiration of the reticulocytes of the rabbit has been measured during the period of an anemia produced by phenylhydrazine. Though the respiration increased greatly during the phase of regeneration, the oxygen consumption per billion reticulocytes throughout the period remained approximately the same. 2. The respiration of the reticulocytes was affected by changes in the reaction of the medium in which they were suspended, and was at its maximum about a pH of 8, with a probable intracorpuscular pH of about 7.75. 3. Variations in the tonicity of the suspending medium did not produce any great change in the respiration of the reticulocytes. 4. The presence of glycine, alanine, and glucose in the suspending medium resulted in no acceleration in the respiration of the cells. At higher concentrations glucose tended to depress the respiration. The material oxidized appears to be mainly or entirely contained in the corpuscles at the time they are liberated from the marrow. 5. A comparison is made of the respiration of the reticulated nucleated red cells present in the blood of anemic fowls and the non-nucleated reticulated red cells of rabbits. On the basis of equal volumes of cells, the respiration of the former is about twice that of the latter, while this in turn is about six times as great as the nucleated but non-reticulated normal red cells of the fowl.
Strategies for Oral Mucosal Repair by Engineering 3D Tissues with Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Significance: Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) can be differentiated into patient-specific cells with a wide spectrum of cellular phenotypes and offer an alternative source of autologous cells for therapeutic use. Recent studies have shown that iPSC-derived fibroblasts display enhanced cellular functions suggesting that iPSC may eventually become an important source of stem cells for regenerative therapies. Recent Advances: The discovery of approaches to reprogram somatic cells into pluripotent cells opens exciting avenues for their use in personalized, regenerative therapies. The controlled differentiation of functional cell types from iPSC provides a replenishing source of fibroblasts. There is intriguing evidence that iPSC reprogramming and subsequent differentiation to fibroblast lineages may improve cellular functional properties. Augmenting the biological potency of iPSC-derived fibroblasts may enable the development of novel, personalized stem cell therapies to treat oral disease. Critic...
EyePACS: An Adaptable Telemedicine System for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening

Background:Annual retinal screening of patients with diabetes is the standard clinical practice to prevent visual impairment and blindness from diabetic retinopathy. Telemedicine-based diabetic ret...
The International Sepsis Forum's controversies in sepsis: my initial vasopressor agent in septic shock is norepinephrine rather than dopamine

Vasopressor agents are often used in patients with septic shock when aggressive fluid resuscitation fails to correct hypotension. Dopamine and norepinephrine are two such vasopressor agents. In the past, fear of potential excessive vasoconstriction, with resultant end-organ hypoperfusion, restricted the use of norepinephrine in septic shock, relegating it to a second-line agent. However, recent data suggest that this relegation is unmerited and that norepinephrine may even be superior to dopamine in some respects, and should be considered as the preferred first-line agent. In the present commentary we review the evidence supporting the use of norepinephrine as the agent of choice in the treatment of septic shock.
Speaking in shorthand - A syllable-centric perspective for understanding pronunciation variation

Current-generation automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems model spoken discourse as a quasi-linear sequence of words and phones. Because it is unusual for every phone within a word to be pronounced in a standard ("canonical") way, ASR systems often depend on a multi-pronunciation lexicon to match an acoustic sequence with a lexical unit. Since there are, in practice, many different ways for a word to be pronounced, this standard approach adds a layer of complexity and ambiguity to the decoding process which, if simplified, could potentially improve recognition performance. Systematic analysis of pronunciation variation in a corpus of spontaneous English discourse (Switchboard) demonstrates that the variation observed is more systematic at the level of the syllable than at the phonetic-segment level. Thus, syllabic onsets are realized in canonical form far more frequently than either coda or nuclear constituents. Prosodic prominence and lexical stress also appear to play an important role in pronunciation variation. The governing mechanism is likely to involve the informational valence associated with syllabic and lexical elements, and for this reason pronunciation variation offers a potential window onto the mechanisms responsible for the production and understanding of spoken language.
The Therapeutic Aspects of Acceptance

problem: What does acceptance mean to hospitalized adolescents? methods: Using a phenomenological research approach, the authors asked hospitalized adolescents (N = 6) on a psychiatric unit to describe how acceptance from psychiatric-mental health nurses was experienced by them. findings: Three essential themes emerged: (a) the nurse who shows acceptance is seen as a friend, (b) acceptance generates a sense of well-being, and (c) acceptance produces feelings of comfort with the nurse. conclusions: In acceptance, adolescents experience nurses as unique individuals who provide comfort and nurturing. This relationship connection helps adolescent clients to use their inner strength to gain a sense of well-being.
The Food and Drug Administration'S Fast Track Designation: Observations from the Initial Two Years of this Designation

A new moniker for investigational drugs was introduced in the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act (FDAMA), which became law in November 1997. This moniker, the “fast track designation, “ is intended to offer a means for sponsors to propose, and FDA to officially recognize, that a specific investigational drug has demonstrated the potential to address an unmet medical need in the treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition. Such recognition is intended to facilitate development and expedite review of regulatory applications for fast track products (1). The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the fast track program. Information will be presented on the criteria to earn the fast track designation, benefits and challenges of the designation, and lessons learned from experiences reported in the public domain in the first two years that this designation has been available.
Prediction of Changes in Color of Tomatoes during Ripening at Different Constant Temperatures

Vine-ripened and ethylene-treated tomatoes (cv. ‘Sunny’) were ripened at 15, 18, 21, and 25°C and evaluated for color using a colorimeter. Computer models were developed from the objective data to predict changes in color components (value, hue angle, chroma). Computer-predicted results were then converted to sensory equivalent scores to provide a basis for quality management of tomatoes within a handling and distribution system. The models obtained reasonably estimated changes in vine-ripened tomatoes (cv.‘Flora-Dade’) ripened at 15, 21, and 25°C, but were less successful at predicting changes in ethylene-treated fruit.
Joint probabilistic techniques for tracking objects using multiple visual cues

Robots relying on vision as a primary sensor frequently need to track common objects such as people, cars, and tools in order to successfully perform autonomous navigation or grasping tasks. These objects may comprise many visual parts and attributes, yet image-based tracking algorithms are often keyed to only one of a target's identifying characteristics. In this paper, we present a framework for sharing information among disparate state estimation processes operating on the same underlying visual object. Well-known techniques for joint probabilistic data association are adapted to yield increased robustness when multiple trackers attuned to different visual cues are deployed simultaneously. We also formulate a measure of tracker confidence, based on distinctiveness and occlusion probability, which permits the deactivation of trackers before erroneous state estimates adversely affect the ensemble. We will discuss experiments using color-region- and snake-based tracking in tandem that demonstrate the efficacy of this approach.
Costs of U.S. Oil Dependence: 2005 Update

For thirty years, dependence on oil has been a significant problem for the United States. Oil dependence is not simply a matter of how much oil we import. It is a syndrome, a combination of the vulnerability of the U.S. economy to higher oil prices and oil price shocks and a concentration of world oil supplies in a small group of oil producing states that are willing and able to use their market power to influence world oil prices. Although there are vitally important political and military dimensions to the oil dependence problem, this report focuses on its direct economic costs. These costs are the transfer of wealth from the United States to oil producing countries, the loss of economic potential due to oil prices elevated above competitive market levels, and disruption costs caused by sudden and large oil price movements. Several enhancements have been made to methods used in past studies to estimate these costs, and estimates of key parameters have been updated based on the most recent literature. It is estimated that oil dependence has cost the U.S. economy $3.6 trillion (constant 2000 dollars) since 1970, with the bulk of the losses occurring between 1979 and 1986. However, if oil prices in 2005 average $35-$45/bbl, as recently predicted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, oil dependence costs in 2005 will be in the range of $150-$250 billion. Costs are relatively evenly divided between the three components. A sensitivity analysis reflecting uncertainty about all the key parameters required to estimate oil dependence costs suggests that a reasonable range of uncertainty for the total costs of U.S. oil dependence over the past 30 years is $2-$6 trillion (constant 2000 dollars). Reckoned in terms of present value using a discount rate of 4.5%, the costs of U.S. oil dependence since 1970 are $8 trillion, with a reasonable range of uncertainty of $5 to $13 trillion.
Unsupervised Coreference Resolution in a Nonparametric Bayesian Model

We present an unsupervised, nonparametric Bayesian approach to coreference resolution which models both global entity identity across a corpus as well as the sequential anaphoric structure within each document. While most existing coreference work is driven by pairwise decisions, our model is fully generative, producing each mention from a combination of global entity properties and local attentional state. Despite being unsupervised, our system achieves a 70.3 MUC F1 measure on the MUC-6 test set, broadly in the range of some recent supervised results.
Mothers' Economic Hardship and Behavior Problems in Their Early Adolescents

Concerns about the heightened prevalence of behavior problems among adolescents from low-income families have prompted researchers to understand processes through which economic variables influence functioning within multiple domains. Guided by a stress process framework and social contextual theory, this study examines processes linking perceived economic hardship and adolescent problem behavior in a sample of urban families. It hypothesizes that stress process variables experienced by mothers contribute to adolescents' functioning within the family, academic, and peer domains, which ultimately predict behavior problems. Results show a good fit of the models to the data, suggesting that the integration of stress process and social contextual approaches may be of particular use for scholars interested in understanding economic influences on adolescent problem behaviors.
Viruses Associated With Pneumonia in Adults

Viral pneumonia, which is typically associated with disease in childhood, is increasingly recognized as causing problems in adults. Certain viruses, such as influenza virus, can attack fully immunocompetent adults, but many viruses take advantage of more-vulnerable patients. The latter include patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy and elderly subjects, particularly those residing in long-term care facilities. The range of viruses producing pneumonia in adults includes common agents, such as varicella-zoster virus and influenza virus, as well as respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, adenoviruses, picornaviruses, and coronaviruses. The roles played by other agents, such as rhinoviruses and human bocaviruses, in pneumonia are still under study. While therapy for most of theses agents, at least in adults, has not yet been fully clarified, it is reasonable to assume antivirals may work in certain situations if they are introduced early enough in the course of infection.
Connectionist Implementation of a Theory of Generalization

Empirically, generalization between a training and a test stimulus falls off in close approximation to an exponential decay function of distance between the two stimuli in the "stimulus space" obtained by multidimensional scaling. Mathematically, this result is derivable from the assumption that an individual takes the training stimulus to belong to a "consequential" region that includes that stimulus but is otherwise of unknown location, size, and shape in the stimulus space (Shepard, 1987). As the individual gains additional information about the consequential region--by finding other stimuli to be consequential or not--the theory predicts the shape of the generalization function to change toward the function relating actual probability of the consequence to location in the stimulus space. This paper describes a natural connectionist implementation of the theory, and illustrates how implications of the theory for generalization, discrimination, and classification learning can be explored by connectionist simulation.
20-YEAR OUTCOME OF PATIENTS WITH T1–3N0 SURGICALLY STAGED PROSTATE CANCER TREATED WITH EXTERNAL BEAM RADIATION THERAPY

Purpose: Patients with surgically staged localized prostate cancer treated with external beam radiation therapy were retrospectively analyzed for 15 and 20-year overall and cause specific survival. The need for additional therapy was also evaluated. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 145 patients who received external beam radiotherapy after negative staging pelvic lymphadenectomy. Followup data were available for 129 patients. Overall and cause specific survival was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Median followup was 14.9 years. Actuarial overall survival at 15 and 20 years was 45.9% and 24.6%, respectively. Cause specific survival at 15 and 20 years was 64.5% and 37.7% for having all patients dying of unknown causes censored, and 54.4% and 30.1% for those dying of unknown causes categorized as having prostate cancer, respectively. Of the patients who survived 47% were on hormonal therapy. Conclusions: Longer followup after external beam radiation therapy continues to demonstrate a decrease in cause specific survival. Many patients ultimately require hormonal therapy.
Physical Therapy Hand Evaluation Form

At the University of Chicago Hospitals Physical Therapy Department, we needed an organized hand-assessment form for recording the information necessary for effective treatment of hand injuries. We reviewed leading resources to identify the necessary data to obtain when evaluating hand function.1-4 The form we devised has seven categories for assessing a traumatic hand injury. Included are a brief history of the injury; measurements of active and passive range of motion of the wrist and all digital joints, including thumb opposition; and measurements of pulp to palm and thumb/index web spaces. A thorough section on hand sensibility contains hand diagrams on which the therapist may shade in areas of absent or dulled sensations. Space is provided for any additional comments the therapist may have.
Peak-current-mode-controlled buck converter with positive feedforward control

The closed-loop control stability of a switching converter can be compromised when the source voltage is not an ideal voltage source, but presents finite Thevenin impedance. This phenomenon is called source subsystem interaction. As an active approach to improve the stability degraded by the source subsystem interaction, the positive feedforward (PFF) control is proposed for the peak-current-mode-controlled buck converter. PFF control stabilizes the input port in the frequency range where the source subsystem interaction affects system stability, while allowing the feedback controller to maintain tight output voltage regulation at lower frequencies. The approach results in greatly improved stability with a slight reduction of output feedback control bandwidth. Small-signal models are developed based on g-parameter representation. The design technique of the positive feedforward controller is discussed. Also, the total system stability is analyzed based on the unified impedance criterion. This approach is validated by simulation.
Cardiac melanocytes influence atrial reactive oxygen species involved with electrical and structural remodeling in mice

Cardiac melanocyte-like cells (CMLCs) contribute to atrial arrhythmias when missing the melanin synthesis enzyme dopachrome tautomerase (Dct). While scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Dct-null mice partially suppressed atrial arrhythmias, it remains unclear if CMLCs influence atrial ROS and structure or if the electrical response of CMLCs to ROS differs from that of atrial myocytes. This study is designed to determine if CMLCs contribute to overall atrial oxidative stress or structural remodeling, and if ROS affects the electrophysiology of CMLCs differently than atrial myocytes. Immunohistochemical analysis showed higher expression of the oxidative marker 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine in Dct-null atria versus Dct-heterozygous (Dct-het) atria. Exposing isolated CMLCs from Dct-het and Dct-null mice to hydrogen peroxide increased superoxide anion more in Dct-null CMLCs. Trichrome staining showed increased fibrosis in Dct-null atria, and treating Dct-null mice with the ROS scavenger Tempol reduced atrial fibrosis. Action potential recordings from atrial myocytes and isolated Dct-het and Dct-null CMLCs in response to hydrogen peroxide showed that the EC50 for action potential duration (APD) prolongation of Dct-null CMLCs was 8.2 ± 1.7 μmol/L versus 16.8 ± 2.0 μmol/L for Dct-het CMLCs, 19.9 ± 2.1 μmol/L for Dct-null atrial myocytes, and 20.5 ± 1.9 μmol/L for Dct-het atrial myocytes. However, APD90 was longer in CMLCs versus atrial myocytes in response to hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide also induced more afterdepolarizations in CMLCs compared to atrial myocytes. These studies suggest that Dct within CMLCs contributes to atrial ROS balance and remodeling. ROS prolongs APD to a greater extent and induces afterdepolarizations more frequently in CMLCs than in atrial myocytes.
Anthrax toxin protective antigen—Insights into molecular switching from prepore to pore

The protective antigen is a key component of the anthrax toxin, as it allows entry of the enzymatic components edema factor and lethal factor into the host cell, through the formation of a membrane spanning pore. This event is absolutely critical for the pathogenesis of anthrax, and although we have yet to understand the mechanism of pore formation, recent developments have provided key insights into how this process may occur. Based on the available data, a model is proposed for the kinetic steps for protective antigen conversion from prepore to pore. In this model, the driving force for pore formation is the formation of the phi (ϕ)-clamp, a region that forms a leak-free seal around the translocating polypeptide. Formation of the ϕ-clamp elicits movements within the prepore that provide steric freedom for the subsequent conformational changes required to form the membrane spanning pore.
Effects of polarization-dependent loss and fiber birefringence on photon-pair entanglement in fiber-optic channels

Quantum communication requires that photon-pair entanglement be preserved as the photons are distributed to remote locations. We model the effects of loss and birefringence on polarization-entangled photon pairs propagating in optical fibers.
Calpains and Coronary Vascular Disease

Despite many advances in percutaneous and surgical interventions in the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD), up to one-third of patients are still either not candidates or receive suboptimal revascularization. Calpains are a class of calcium-activated non-lysosomal cysteine proteases that serve as a proteolytic unit for cellular homeostasis. Uncontrolled activation of calpain has been found to be involved in the pathogenesis of myocardial reperfusion injury, cardiac hypertrophy, myocardial stunning and cardiac ischemia. Inhibition of calpains has been shown to significantly attenuate myocardial stunning and reduced infarct size after ischemia-reperfusion. Calpain inhibition therefore serves as a potential medical therapy for patients suffering from a number of diseases, including CAD.
Assignment of proton endor resonances of nitroxyl spin-labels in frozen solution.

Spin-label nitroxyl derivatives of tetramethylpyrroline and tetramethylpyrrolidine in frozen solutions of perdeuterated methanol have been characterized by electron nucleus double resonance (ENDOR spec-troscopy). With use of selectively deuterated derivatives of 2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrroline-l-oxyl-3-carboxamide, proton ENDOR resonance features have been assigned to the vinylic proton in the five membered pyrrolinyl ring and to the methyl groups. The ENDOR resonance features were analyzed on the basis of their dependence on H0. Two pairs of resonance features were assigned to the vinylic proton and were shown to correspond to ‖ and ⊥ hyperfine coupling (hfc) components. Six pairs of resonance features were ascribed to the methyl groups. The proton ENDOR spectra of the 3-carboxylic acid spin-label derivatives of tetramethylpyrroline and of tetramethylpyrrolidine compounds exhibited comparable features with nearly identical line splittings. From the observed ENDOR splittings, we have estimated the isotropic ...
Roadway determinants of bicyclist exposure to volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide

Few studies have quantified relationships between bicyclist exposure to air pollution and roadway and traffic variables. As a result, transportation professionals are unable to easily estimate exposure differences among bicycle routes for network planning, design, and analysis. This paper estimates the effects of roadway and travel characteristics on bicyclist exposure concentrations, controlling for meteorology and background conditions. Concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and carbon monoxide (CO) are modeled using high-resolution data collected on-road. Results indicate that average daily traffic (ADT) provides a parsimonious way to characterize the impact of roadway characteristics on bicyclists’ exposure. VOC and CO exposure increase by approximately 2% per 1000 ADT, robust to different regression model specifications. Exposure on off-street facilities is higher than at a park, but lower than on-street riding – with the exception of a path through an industrial corridor with significantly higher exposure. VOC exposure is 20% higher near intersections. Traffic, roadway, and travel variables have more explanatory power in the VOC models than the CO model. The quantifications in this paper enable calculation of expected exposure differences among travel paths for planning and routing applications. The findings also have policy and design implications to reduce bicyclists’ exposure. Separation between bicyclists and motor vehicle traffic is a necessary but not sufficient condition to reduce exposure concentrations; off-street paths are not always low-exposure facilities.
False Hope and Fractured Peace: The Resurgence of Conflict in the Niger Delta Region

In its fifty-three years existence as a nation-state, Nigeria has had to deal with several types of conflicts -- many of which were preventable. And even when hostility ends; the country has never been good at finding just and lasting solutions. But instead, stop-gap solution has generally been applied. Consequently, many of these conflicts flare up again, worsen, or take a different dimension. Between 2004 and 2009, for instance, the Nigerian government was preoccupied by what came to be known as the Niger Delta Conflict. After several years of Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) between the government, and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), there was a lull, and eventually, what appears to be complete cessation of hostility. The Presidential Amnesty that was offered by the Yar’Adua government in the summer of 2009, helped in this regard. But in spite of the appearance of peace; there is an undercurrent of tension and mutual distrust and suspicion. Available data indicate that the presidential amnesty may not hold much longer, and may eventually collapse. The collapse of peace and the reemergence of hostility will have a costly repercussion beyond the Nigerian borders.
The Computational Human

Different ages of humanity have required different modes of thinking. These modes aren't only reflections of the particular circumstances of life in each age; they're also projections of the forces that propel us to the next. The Web extra at https://youtu.be/0_kwid5kUAU is an audio podcast of Grady Booch's On Computing column, in which he discusses how we have progressed from the Cognitive Revolution to the Agricultural Revolution to the Industrial Revolution and now find ourselves in the Computational Revolution.
Mechanisms of Pit Construction by Antlion Larvae

Observations of the construction of inverted conical pits by larvae of the antlion, Myemeleon immaculatus (De Geer), indicate that the role of physical factors may have been greatly underestimated. Although larvae must possess a mechanism for circling in order to trace the initial circular groove, they need not possess an intrinsic spiral orienting mechanism. As the larva circles and flicks sand along the bottom of a digging groove, the disproportionate collapse of material from the outer wall compared to that from the inner wall of the pit causes the digging groove to shift steadily inward. If the larva simply follows the bottom of this groove and continues to flick sand, an inverted conical pit will be formed.
Fibrinolytic and coagulant activities of certain snake venoms and proteases.

SummaryOf the 16 snake venoms studied, 11 actively lysed human blood clots. However, only one of these, C. basiliscus, was devoid of thrombic, hemolytic, and hemaggluti-nating properties. This venom was fibrino-genolytic as well as fibrinolytic. The possible therapeutic use of certain venoms as dissolving agents for intravascular clots presents a theoretical advantage over most other fibrinolytic agents in that their fibrinolytic activity is not readily inhibited by human serum. Fractionation of a pure fibrinolytic principle may be possible.
Porphyrin Synthesis by Cultured Lymphocytes

Peripheral lymphocytes were cultured in the presence and absence of phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Porphyrin synthesis was visually estimated by fluorescence and quantitated by fluorometry. No visual fluorescence was noted in cells cultured with or without PHA. Addition of δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) to cultures of either transformed or nontransformed lymphocytes resulted in fluorescence, indicating porphyrin synthesis. Certain sex steroid metabolites stimulate porphyrin synthesis by induction of the rate-limiting enzyme ALA synthetase. Erythropoietin also increases the rate of heme synthesis. Phytohemagglutinin-transformed and nontransformed cells were cultured with the addition of either 11-keto pregnanolone or erythropoietin, and neither agent induced porphyrin synthesis. Only when ALA was added to the culture medium was the measured fluorescence statistically greater than in control cultures. These studies indicate that the enzymes of porphyrin synthesis distal to ALA synthetase, the rate-limiting enzyme, are present in all cultured lymphocytes. The rate-limiting enzyme is not induced by PHA transformation, even in the presence of a 5-β-H steroid metabolite or erythropoietin.
The Formation and Traits about the Relation of the Ancient Good Faith

In the ancient society, the sexual and consanguineous relations were the core of its good faith, and the good faith was developed from families; the good faith was limited to acquaintances, and its preserved with the repetition contacts; the simple exchange was tied with trust, which relied on the audio-visual goods; the ancient good faith was not equivalent, and it was one-way between the monarch and his subjects, the father and its sons, the husband and his wife.
Clinical evaluation of amenorrhea in active and athletic women

Disorders of menstrual function, including luteal phase, anovulation, and amenorrhea, are recognized to occur more frequently in female athletes than in the general population. Amenorrhea, the most extreme menstrual dysfunction, is associated with vigorous exercise in women throughout the range of reproductive ages.
Evaluating the Impact of Parent-Reported Medical Home Status on Children's Health Care Utilization, Expenditures, and Quality: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis with Causal Inference Methods.

Objective To evaluate the effects of the parent-reported medical home status on health care utilization, expenditures, and quality for children. Data Sources Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) during 2004–2012, including a total of 9,153 children who were followed up for 2 years in the survey. Study Design We took a causal difference-in-differences approach using inverse probability weighting and doubly robust estimators to study how changes in medical home status over a 2-year period affected children's health care outcomes. Our analysis adjusted for children's sociodemographic, health, and insurance statuses. We conducted sensitivity analyses using alternative statistical methods, different approaches to outliers and missing data, and accounting for possible common-method biases. Principal Findings Compared with children whose parents reported having medical homes in both years 1 and 2, those who had medical homes in year 1 but lost them in year 2 had significantly lower parent-reported ratings of health care quality and higher utilization of emergency care. Compared with children whose parents reported having no medical homes in both years, those who did not have medical homes in year 1 but gained them in year 2 had significantly higher ratings of health care quality, but no significant differences in health care expenditures and utilization. Conclusions Having a medical home may help improve health care quality for children; losing a medical home may lead to higher utilization of emergency care.
The Ottoman Empire, 1700–1922: The Ottoman Empire, 1683–1798

Introduction In marked contrast to the military and political successes of the 1300–1683 era, defeats and territorial withdrawals characterized this long eighteenth century, 1683–1798. The political structure continued to evolve steadily, taking new forms in a process that should be seen as transformation but not decline. Central rule continued in a new and more disguised fashion as negotiation more frequently than command came to assure obedience. Important changes occurred in the Ottoman economy as well: the circulation of goods began to increase; levels of personal consumption probably rose; and the world economy came to play an ever-larger role in the everyday lives of Ottoman subjects. The wars of contraction, c. 1683–1798 On the international stage, military defeats and territorial contraction marked the era, when the imperial Ottoman state was much less successful than before. At the outset, it seems worthwhile to make several general points. First, at bottom, the Ottoman defeats are as difficult to explain as the victories of earlier centuries. Sometime during the early sixteenth century, as the wealth of the New World poured into Europe, the military balance shifted away from the Ottomans; they lost their edge in military technology and using similar and then inferior weapons and tactics, battled European enemies. Moreover, the earlier military imbalance between offensive and defensive warfare in favor of the aggressor had worked to the Ottomans' advantage, but now defenses became more sophisticated and vastly more expensive.
Live Staining of Drosophila Embryos with RPTP Fusion Proteins to Detect and Characterize Expression of Cell-Surface RPTP Ligands

The activity and/or localization of receptor tyrosine kinases and phosphatases are controlled by binding to cell-surface or secreted ligands. Identification of ligands for receptor tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs) is essential for understanding their in vivo functions during development and disease. Here we describe a novel in vivo method to identify ligands and binding partners for RPTPs by staining live-dissected Drosophila embryos. Live dissected embryos are incubated with RPTP fusion proteins to detect ligand binding in embryos. This method can be streamlined to perform large-scale screens for ligands as well as to search for embryonic phenotypes.
A Synthesis-and-Analysis Approach to Image Based Lighting

Given a set of sample images of a scene with variable illumination and the corresponding parameters of the light sources, namely position and/or intensity, we propose an interpolation based approach to model the variation of illumination in images. Once our interpolation based model is constructed from the sample images, we are able to synthesize images under any possible lighting configuration defined in the parametric space. Moreover, given a query image of a scene with a known reference object, our method is able to estimate the lighting parameters of the image. Therefore, our approach allows for both synthesis and analysis of images in different lighting conditions. Our model is ultimately a compact representation of the set of all images with the lighting conditions defined within a parametric space. The interpolation model can generate the rendering of different objects in unknown environments and also perceive unknown environments provided a known object exists in the scene. In this paper, we show robust image synthesis and analysis with two different datasets: an object image dataset with varying lighting intensity and a face image dataset with varying light source position.
Inhibition of Src family kinases improves cognitive function after intraventricular hemorrhage or intraventricular thrombin.

Intraventricular hemorrhage causes spatial memory loss, but the mechanism remains unknown. Our recent studies demonstrated that traumatic brain injury activates Src family kinases, which cause spatial memory loss. To test whether the spatial memory loss was due to blood in the ventricles, which activated Src family kinases, we infused autologous whole blood or thrombin into the lateral ventricles of adult rats to model non-traumatic intraventricular hemorrhage. Hippocampal neuron loss was examined 1 day to 5 weeks later. Spatial memory function was assessed 29 to 33 days later using the Morris water maze. Five weeks after the ventricular injections of blood or thrombin, there was death of most hippocampal neurons and significant memory deficits compared with sham operated controls. These data show that intraventricular thrombin is sufficient to kill hippocampal neurons and produce spatial memory loss. In addition, systemic administration of the non-specific Src family kinase inhibitor PP2 or intraventricu...
Rotor angle stability and inter-area oscillation damping studies on the U.S. Eastern Interconnection (EI) under high wind conditions

This paper studies the impact of wind generation on generator rotor angle and inter-area oscillation stability. A comparative simulation study is conducted based on a U.S. Eastern Interconnection (EI) planning model for year 2030. The wind penetration level is 17% of the total generation. Generator critical clearing time (CCT) and inter-area oscillation damping ratio are evaluated. It is observed that rotor angle stability is barely affected while inter-area oscillation damping shows discernible improvement due to wind generation. Possible explanations are then explored.
Evaluation of Coronary Artery Disease Using Myocardial Elastography with Diverging Wave Imaging: Validation against Myocardial Perfusion Imaging and Coronary Angiography.

Abstract Myocardial elastography (ME) is an ultrasound-based technique that can image 2-D myocardial strains. The objectives of this study were to illustrate that 2-D myocardial strains can be imaged with diverging wave imaging and differ, on average, between normal and coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. In this study, 66 patients with symptoms of CAD were imaged with myocardial elastography before a nuclear stress test or an invasive coronary angiography. Radial cumulative strains were estimated in all patients. The end-systolic radial strain in the total cross section of the myocardium was significantly higher in normal patients (17.9 ± 8.7%) than in patients with reversible perfusion defect (6.2 ± 9.3%, p
Modification of sample processing for the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay enhances detection of inflammogenic endotoxin in intact bacteria and organic dust.

The pro-inflammatory potency and causal relationship with asthma of inhaled endotoxins have underscored the importance of accurately assessing the endotoxin content of organic dusts. The Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay has emerged as the preferred assay, but its ability to measure endotoxin in intact bacteria and organic dusts with similar sensitivity as purified endotoxin is unknown. We used metabolically radiolabeled Neisseria meningitidis and both rough and smooth Escherichia coli to compare dose-dependent activation in the LAL with purified endotoxin from these bacteria and shed outer membrane (OM) blebs. Labeled [14C]-3-OH-fatty acids were used to quantify the endotoxin content of the samples. Purified meningococcal and E. coli endotoxins and OM blebs displayed similar specific activity in the LAL assay to the purified LPS standard. In contrast, intact bacteria exhibited fivefold lower specific activity in the LAL assay but showed similar MD-2-dependent potency as purified endotoxin in inducing acute airway inflammation in mice. Pre-treatment of intact bacteria and organic dusts with 0.1 M Tris-HCl/10 mM EDTA increased by fivefold the release of endotoxin. These findings demonstrate that house dust and other organic dusts should be extracted with Tris/EDTA to more accurately assess the endotoxin content and pro-inflammatory potential of these environmental samples.
Prostate cancer specific mortality and overall survival outcomes for salvage radiation therapy after radical prostatectomy.

9Background: Early salvage radiation therapy (SRT) following radical prostatectomy (RP) has been shown to reduce biochemical recurrence and distant metastases. We aim to identify factors predictive of prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) and all-cause mortality (ACM) from a consortium database from 10 academic institutions. Methods: 2,454 node-negative patients (pts) with detectable post-prostatectomy PSA ( ≥ 0.01 ng/mL) treated with SRT ± neoadjuvant/concurrent androgen deprivation therapy (N/C ADT) were included. Cumulative incidence and Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate rates of PCSM and ACM, respectively. Univariate and multivariable analyses (MVA) were performed by competing risks regression and Cox proportional hazards methods for PCSM and ACM. Results: Median follow-up was 5 years from SRT completion and 8 years from date of RP; 24% had pathologic Gleason score (GS) of ≤ 6, 56% GS 7, and 19% GS ≥ 8; 56% extraprostatic extension (EPE), 18% seminal vesicle invasion (SVI), 58% positive s...
Site-Specific Ocular Nucleic Acid Delivery

The eye is a very complex organ consisting of many anterior and posterior tissues. Studies over the last 2 decades have demonstrated the promise of using nucleic acids, such as DNA, siRNA, antisense oligonucleotide (AS-ODNs), and aptamer, in treating acquired as well as inherited ocular diseases. Among various ocular drug delivery strategies, topical administration is the most convenient route. However, the presence of several anatomical and physiological barriers restricts this administration only for anterior tissues. Stability, physicochemical properties, and propensity of spreading to adjacent tissues are limiting factors for site-specific delivery of nucleic acids in posterior tissues. To overcome these hurdles, several novel routes and delivery systems have been developed in recent years. These novel delivery systems possess several advantages including sustained and site-specific delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids. In this chapter, attempts have been made to introduce the structure of the eye, the major types of nucleic acids for the treatment of ocular diseases, and various strategies that have been used to achieve site-specific delivery of nucleic acids to the eye.
Modeling the Impact of Traffic Conditions and Bicycle Facilities on Cyclists' On-Road Stress Levels

Abstract Past research efforts have shown that cyclists’ safety, stress, and comfort levels greatly affect the routes chosen by cyclists and cycling frequency. Some researchers have tried to categorize cyclists’ levels of traffic stress utilizing data that can be directly measured in the field, such as the number of motorized travel lanes, motorized vehicle travel speeds, and type of bicycle infrastructure. This research effort presents a novel approach: real-world, on-road measurements of physiological stress as cyclists travel across different types of bicycle facilities at peak and off-peak traffic times. By matching videos with stressful events, it was possible to observe the circumstances of those stressful events. The stress data was normalized, and the method was carefully validated by a detailed analysis of the stress measurements. Novel statistical results from a multi-subject study quantifies the impact of traffic conditions, intersections, and bicycle facilities on average stress levels.
Cancelled due to lack of interest

The parts of a typical piece of text vary greatly in interest. Presented in this paper are three ways a concept can fail to be interesting -- it can be irrelevant, reconstructible or overshadowed. The uses of interest in understanding are also discussed.