cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alzheimer’s β-peptide oligomer formation at physiologic concentrations

Abstract When diluted from dimethyl sulfoxide or 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol, synthetic human Aβ(1-42) readily forms oligomeric structures at near physiologic concentrations (1–20 nM). Oligomers ⩾40 kDa are detected in a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay where the capture and detection antibodies recognize the same primary sequence epitope. Monomeric peptide with a single epitope does not react in this format. Aβ(1-40) peptide does not oligomerize readily under these conditions. The rate of oligomer formation has a steep linear temperature dependence but is weakly affected by ionic strength up to 0.5 M NaCl or KCl. Oligomer formation is inhibited by concentrations of Tween 20 and several other detergents well below their critical micelle concentrations. Once formed, high-molecular-weight oligomers are stabilized by Tween 20. Gel permeation chromatography of an oligomer preparation formed at nanomolar concentrations indicates that the majority of the Aβ(1-42) peptide chromatographs as monomers/dimers of apparent mw ∼10 kDa. The most abundant oligomers have apparent mobilities corresponding to 220 kDa (48-mer) and higher multiples of this without detectable concentrations of intermediate low-molecular-weight species. Very little immunoreactive peptide appears in the void volume (>1.5 MDa) of a Superose 12 column. The oligomers are stable, rechromatographing at their original position. Aβ(1-42) oligomer formation at physiologic concentrations is a reproducible process that is amenable to kinetic analysis and inhibition.
Imaging breast cancer response during neoadjuvant systemic therapy.

Neoadjuvant systemic therapy is used to enable breast-conserving surgery in patients with large primary operable breast cancers. It is important to be able to accurately assess response to systemic therapy, both to assist the surgeon and for prognostic purposes. Moreover, a proportion of women will fail to respond to treatment and would potentially benefit from either a change in therapy or earlier surgery rather than continuing completion of the planned course of treatment. Conventional techniques of assessing response (clinical examination, x-ray mammography and breast ultrasound) rely on changes in tumor size, which are often delayed and do not always correlate with pathologic response. This review examines the evidence for functional imaging techniques including scintimammography, functional computed tomography, dynamic magnetic resonance imaging, spectroscopy and positron emission tomography. These techniques measure changes in tumor vasculature, metabolism or proliferation and may prove to be earlie...
Dimensionless Parameters For Process Control In Laser Surface Alloying

A dimensional analysis of laser surface alloying (LSA) using measurable experimental variables and known thermophysical properties has been carried out to identify useful dimensionless parameters influencing LSA. Measured solute contents from a two-level factorial experiment alloying nickel into AISI 1020 steel substrates are plotted against these parameters and found to vary hyperbolically. Similar trends are shown to be contained in published data alloying chromium into 1020 steel. The two parameters make good physical sense, point to mechanisms in LSA, and may be used for process control. One parameter is the laser surface alloying parameter (LASAP), where LASAP = P/pud2, and P is incident laser power (W), p is surface gas pressure (N/m2), u is traverse speed (m/s), and d is beam diameter (m). The other is the laser processing parameter (LAPP), where LAPP = Pd/(pau2d2) and p, d, u are as above, whilep is the substrate density (kg/m3) and a is the substrate thermal diffusivity (m /s).
Euler potentials and geomagnetic drift shells.

The equation of drift surfaces, traced by the guiding center motion of charged particles moving in a magnetic field, is discussed in terms of Euler potentials α and β. Particular attention is given to fields deviating to a limited extent from a dipole configuration, for which it is shown that the result is related to the drift-shell parameter L, with an added ‘shell-splitting function’ G1, which can be approximately derived. Such an approximation is used to derive shell splitting in a model of the magnetosphere, and the results are compared to exact ones obtained numerically. An improved drift shell parameter L′, replacing McIlwain's L in this case, is also discussed.
Advantage of conservative surgical management of large ovarian neoplasms in adolescents.

Objective To measure the postoperative size and volume of the ovary after cystectomy for a neoplasm ≥10 cm. Design Retrospective case series. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) Nine patients who underwent surgical management for an ovarian neoplasm at Children's Hospital Boston between November 2003 and November 2007. Intervention(s) Patients were evaluated by ultrasound postoperatively. Main Outcome Measure(s) Sonographic size and volume of the ovary after cystectomy for an ovarian neoplasm ≥10 cm. Result(s) The mean age of the patients was 14.2 ± 2.2 years, ranging between 10 and 17 years. The mean preoperative size of the ovarian neoplasm was 14.8 ± 3.8 cm, ranging between 10 and 20 cm. Serum tumor markers were negative in seven out of nine patients. There were no borderline tumors or malignancies identified. There was no statistically significant difference between the size or volume of the affected ovary and the contralateral ovary at the time of postoperative evaluation. Conclusion(s) Postoperative ultrasound revealed that the affected ovary resumed its normal size and volume despite the attenuated appearance of the ovarian cortex at the time of surgery. Ovarian cystectomy should be the preferred surgical approach for adolescents to ensure conservation of ovarian tissue.
PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS, BODY IMAGE, AND WOMEN'S SEXUAL SELF‐SCHEMA

Recently, Andersen and Cyranowski (1994) presented a self-report measure of women's sexual self-schema, or cognitive view of the self regarding sexuality. In the current study, we investigated potential relationships between women's sexual self-schema and physical attractiveness, body size and shape, and body image. Young adult women (N = 199) completed questionnaires and were weighed, measured, and rated for facial attractiveness. Results revealed that sexual self-schema was unrelated to body size or shape, general body dissatisfaction, history of teasing about weight, and degree of investment in personal appearance. Sexual self-schema scores significantly correlated with experimenter-rated facial attractiveness, self-rated facial and bodily attractiveness, and degree of social avoidance due to concerns over personal appearance, however. In a multiple regression analysis, only self-rated facial attractiveness and social avoidance were unique predictors. Results are discussed with regard to implications f...
Cation motion in ionic copolymers

Abstract Far infrared bands for the motion of Li + , Na + and CS + in the field of side groups and paraffinic elements of ethylene-methacrylate ionic copolymers, and a preliminary evaluation of the force field for the vibrations of those ions are reported.
Effect of Hypo- and Hyperthyroidism on Hexokinase in the Developing Cerebellum of the Rat

Total hexokinase levels (units/g tissue) have been measured during postnatal development of the cerebellum in control, hypothyroid, and hyperthyroid rats. In addition. distribution of hexokinase in the developing cerebellum has been observed with an immunofluorescence method. Hypothyroidism delays the normally observed postnatal increase in total hexokinase activity, whereas hyperthyroidism accelerates the increase. In normal animals, hexokinase levels in maturing Purkinje cells pass through a transient increase, with maximal levels at approximately 8 days postnatally followed by rapid decline to relatively low levels by 12 days; hypothyroidism delays this transient increase and subsequent decline, but hyperthyroidism does not appear to affect markedly the timing of this phenomenon. Cerebellar glomeruli are relatively enriched in hexokinase content, as judged by their intense fluorescence. Hypothyroidism delays the development of intensely stained glomeruli. Hyperthyroidism did not appear to cause precocious increase in numbers of glomeruli but may have increased the rate at which the hexokinase was assimilated by newly formed glomeruli. The effects of hypo- and hyperthyroidism on total cerebellar hexokinase levels are interpreted in terms of the effect of thyroid hormone on the biochemical maturation of synaptic structures rich in hexokinase.
Some tensile characteristics of bread crumb

Bone shaped specimens (length 83 mm, width 20 mm and the “neck” region 10 mm) cut from slices of white, brown and whole wheat breads were tested in tension using a Universal testing machine. The ends of each specimen were taped with masking tape and held by two pairs of alligator grips to avoid slippage and failure in the grip zones. The tensile parameters determined were the shape characteristics of the prefailure force-displacement (F vs. D) curve C1, and C2, using the equation F = C1D/(C2+ D) as the model, the ultimate force and the break elongation. They were on the order of 0.2–0.7N, 9–28 mm, 0.1–0.3 N and 4–30 mm, respectively. Because of inherent nonuniformity of the bread crumb cellular structure, the data scatter was too large to enable monitoring textural changes in the breads during seven days of storage at ambient temperature. The method's performance could probably be improved if a large number of specimens were tested and/or the specimen size reduced so it can be taken from regions where the structure is more or less uniform.
Dominion and Dependence in the Law of Freedom and Slavery

associated with the world of slavery-terms such as contract, caveat emptor, competition, and market economy. By my reading, Horwitz's book does include three references to slavery, however. One of these is developed at some length and, indeed, has been treated quite prominently in current, influential scholarship on slave law. This is Horwitz's discussion of the 1802 South Carolina case, Snee v. Trice (pp. 91-93). The case concerns the liability of a slave master for a fire that his slaves set-a fire that, after the winds began to blow and stirred up the smoldering embers, accidentally spread to adjoining land and destroyed the plaintiffs house and cornfield. During the fire, the slave master was away from home. The South Carolina court found that the defendant-the slave master-was not liable for the damage done by the fire. Horwitz analyzes the case in light of the emergence of modem negligence doctrine-the doctrine which, he explains, served to limit the liability of defendants. And he sets this entire discussion within the context of his broader claims about the
Electromyography during voluntary movement: The two-burst pattern

Abstract During rapid movement of an extremity, the agonist muscle shows two distinct bursts of EMG activity. Tests were conducted to determine whether the two-burst pattern occurs in movements of different speed, elicited by varying the distance to target and the inertial load. A two-burst pattern was recognizable on practiced moves under all conditions. The first peak of EMG activity was associated with acceleration of the limb and the second with deceleration. The time of minimal EMG activity was correlated with the time of maximal velocity. The findings were analyzed in terms of known physiological mechanisms.
Design Considerations for a Meshed Carbon Nanotube Thread Patch Antenna

A meshed carbon nanotube thread patch antenna is proposed and analyzed through full-wave electromagnetic simulation. The effects of thread spacing and of fabricating the feedline and ground-plane layers from meshed thread are explored. Results indicate that minimal impact on antenna radiation efficiency and usable bandwidth is achieved with a thread spacing of d ≤ λ/30. A minor center frequency shift and reduction in realized gain and bandwidth occurs when the thread spacing is increased. When the feedline and/or ground plane is constructed from meshed carbon nanotube thread material, the realized gain is significantly reduced. Improvements to carbon nanotube thread conductivity should mitigate this reduction in realized gain.
On explaining phenomenal consciousness

Over the last two decades, doubts have been expressed about the adequacy of materialism as the correct framework for explaining phenomenal consciousness (the experience of saturated greenness one has when looking at a lush lawn, for example). This paper reconstructs a generic form of the various arguments that have been used to defend the view of the materialistically inexplicable nature of consciousness (MINC). This reconstruction reveals that the arguments turn on an impoverished notion of explanation. By discussing some examples from the history of science, the paper shows that a reasonable notion of explanation has to be wider than the one utilized in the argument for MINC, which opens the possibility for the materialistic explicability of consciousness. The author ends the paper by raising a question about the very intelligibility of the project of trying to explain the so-called nature of consciousness as opposed to the regularities characteristic of the relation between states of consciousness and ...
A Surface Mooring for Air–Sea Interaction Research in the Gulf Stream. Part I: Mooring Design and Instrumentation

The design of a surface mooring for deployment in the Gulf Stream in the Mid-Atlantic Bight is described. The authors’ goals were to observe the surface meteorology; upper-ocean variability; and air‐sea exchanges of heat, freshwater, and momentum in and near the Gulf Stream during two successive 1-yr deployments. Of particular interest was quantifying these air‐sea fluxes during wintertime events that carry cold, dry air from the land over the Gulf Stream. Historical current data and information about the surface waves were used to guidethedesignofthe surfacemooring. Thesurfacebuoy provided theplatformforboth bulkmeteorological sensors and a direct covariance flux system. Redundancy in the meteorological sensors proved to be a largely successful strategy to obtain complete time series. Oceanographic instrumentation was limited in size by considerations of drag; and two current meters, three temperature‐salinity recorders, and 15 temperature recorders were deployed. Deployment from a single-screw vessel in the Gulf Stream required a controlleddriftsternfirstovertheanchorsites.Thefirstdeploymentlastedtheplannedfullyear.Theseconddeployment ended after 3 months when the mooring was cut by unknown means at a depth of about 3000 m. The mooring was at times in the core of the Gulf Stream, and a peak surface current of over 2.7 m s 21 was observed. The 15-monthrecordsofsurfacemeteorologyandair‐seafluxescapturedtheseasonalvariabilityaswellasseveral cold-air outbreaks; the peak observed heat loss was in excess of 1400 W m 22 .
TIME RELATIONS OF GROWTH : III. GROWTH CONSTANTS DURING THE SELF-ACCELERATING PHASE OF GROWTH

Growth curves consist, in all cases, of two major segments. The first major segment is, in the case of higher animals and plants, made up in turn of several (probably five) shorter segments during each of which growth takes place at a constant percentage rate. The transitions between the successive stages are abrupt, the abruptness being of the order of metamorphosis in cold blooded animals. It has been made clear in the first paper of this series that the time rate of growth following the major inflection declines at a constant percentage rate. The junction between the two major segments occurs at puberty in animals and flowering in plants. The two major segments are not symmetrical about the major inflection. The slope of the segment following the inflection is always less than the slope of the segment preceding the inflection. The major inflection does not occur in the center of the growth curve. The instantaneous rate of growth at the beginning of growth is of the order of 100-200 per cent per day (i.e. the body weight is doubled in from 7 to 17 hours). It may be mentioned that 2 months after conception the rate of growth in man is only 8 per cent per day. This is contrary to all the published statements. Thus, Minot concluded that growth begins at 1000 per cent per day; Jackson concluded that in man, growth during the 1st month takes place at 57.5 million per cent per month; during the 2nd month 990 per cent per month; during the 3rd month 390 per cent per month (8 per cent per day is only 240 per cent per month). The reason for the discrepancy between the values derived, by the method adopted by the writer, and the values given in the literature is explained by Fig. 1.
Early experience with laparoscopic resections of islet cell tumors

Background. Diagnostic laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasonography have been applied recently for diagnosis and localization of islet-cell tumors. A further step was taken by performing resection of these tumors with laparoscopic techniques. Methods and Results. We studied a retrospective series of 12 patients operated on with laparoscopic techniques since January 1992. The seven female and five male patients had a mean age of 43 years. The mean tumor size was 3 cm. Thirty-six percent of the tumor site could not be identified before operation. Eight patients underwent planned laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (five insulinomas, two gastrinomas, and one unknown origin), and four underwent planned laparoscopic enucleation (one insulinoma and three unknown origin). Of the eight distal procedures, three had conversions (one inability to localize the tumor and two metastatic gastrinomas). Average operating time was 4.5 hours, with an average hospital stay of 5 days. Of the four explorations for possible enucleation, one was performed and one was converted to a Whipple procedure for nesidioblastoma of the head of the pancreas. The other two had negative explorations. The successful enucleation of an insulinoma of the anterior body of the pancreas was performed in 3 hours, and the hospital stay was 4 days. No recurrence was seen in the enucleated or distal pancreatectomy group in follow-up (15 to 38 months). Conclusions. Laparoscopic enucleation or resection of benign islet tumors results in a shorter hospital recovery and is a good alternative to open surgery.
Mathematics of the Electrochemical Extraction of Hydrogen from Iron

Abstract : The transient current of hydrogen removal from iron following steady state permeation is analyzed theoretically for two limiting conditions at the i9nput side. For the fastest possible removal (C = 0 at X = 0 and at X = L), the amount extracted at the potentiostated side (X = L) is one third of the total present at steady state permeation described by Csub(X) - Csub(1 - X/L). Comparison of the integrated total flux and the amount given by the integral of Csub(X) indicates possible concentration dependence of hydrogen diffusivity in iron. (Author)
Stress granules: the Tao of RNA triage

Cytoplasmic RNA structures such as stress granules (SGs) and processing bodies (PBs) are functional byproducts of mRNA metabolism, sharing substrate mRNA, dynamic properties and many proteins, but also housing separate components and performing independent functions. Each can exist independently, but when coordinately induced they are often tethered together in a cytosolic dance. Although both self-assemble in response to stress-induced perturbations in translation, several recent reports reveal novel proteins and RNAs that are components of these structures but also perform other cellular functions. Proteins that mediate splicing, transcription, adhesion, signaling and development are all integrated with SG and PB assembly. Thus, these ephemeral bodies represent more than just the dynamic sorting of mRNA between translation and decay.
Teacher Assistant Supports in Inclusive Schools: Research, Practices and Alternatives.

In this article, I summarise the primary content included in a keynote address I delivered via videoconferencing in July 2012 at the national conference of the Australian Association of Special Education, held jointly with the annual conference of the Tasmanian Principals Association in Hobart, Tasmania. The address focused on three major topics pertaining to the utilisation of teacher assistants in inclusive schools: (a) persistent and emerging research trends, (b) contemporary conceptual and data-based concerns, and (c) ideas about what schools can do to provide improved educational opportunities and supports for students with special educational needs in inclusive classrooms. The article concludes that the potential overuse or misuse of teacher assistants is a symptom, not cause. Building integrated models of general and special service delivery in schools can address the challenges associated with questionable teacher assistant utilisation.
Does Social Capital Promote Industrialization? Evidence from a Rapid Industrializer

A new stylized fact in development economics is the importance of social capital in promoting economic growth. This paper examines the effect of social capital on industrialization in Indonesia. We analyze a rich set of social capital and social interaction measures, including voluntary associational activity and levels of trust and informal cooperation. The main finding is that initial social capital does not predict subsequent industrial development across 274 Indonesian districts. Though these findings are for only a single nation and may not apply everywhere, they call into question recent claims regarding social capital and economic development.
World survey of the common cardiac malformations: Developmental error or genetic variant?

Abstract The common cardiac malformations are prevalent throughout the world, in countries of high technology and among the primitive races. These same malformations were described 200 years ago, ectopia cordis 5,000 years ago. Their recent increase is directly related to the advent of cardiac treatment. Most cardiac malformations known to man occur in the dog. The prevalence rate of these malformations is the same in the dog and in man (5–8/1,000). Several of the malformations are heritable in specific breeds of dogs, one in rabbits, another in rats. These malformations occur in various animals that cannot interbreed. Hence the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that codes these malformations must lie in that portion of the DNA common to all mammals. This suggests that these malformations occurred during the evolution of the Mammalia. Mammals evolved from reptiles, animals with hearts of various structures for the separation of arterial and venous blood. Although the "normal" heart is the most compatible with mammalian life and hence the most common, some mammals may have evolved with a heart with different structures for the separation of arterial and venous blood. Some of these hearts have persisted. These primeval hearts we call cardiac malformations of the cyanotic group. Malformations that apparently are arrests in the development of the normal heart (patent ductus arteriosus, atrioventricular canal) may represent stages in the evolution of the "normal" heart. Although teratogens and mutagens do exist, the author conceives of congenital cardiac malformations not as arrests or errors in the development of a "normal" heart but as genetic variants.
A Nietzschean Feminist Rejoinder to the Mädchenbuch Controversy

While sexual difference and cultural norms still largely limited the opportunities of most Wilhelmine girls and women to express themselves on issues of sexuality, gender, education, and class difference, a range of feminist writers encouraged their young audiences to question the radical social developments of the late Wilhelmine era. Few Madchenbucher, however, seem to have been written by feminists who rejected both a traditional, cultural conservative ideology as well as a more radical socialist outlook. The eighteen short works of the Nietzschean feminist Elsa Asenijeff (1867–1941) that comprise Unschuld. Ein modernes Madchenbuch (1901), illustrate her strategies in unsettling notions of Wilhelmine cultural and sexual (re)production by valorizing the creativity and radical individualism of young girls. Asenijeff’s enthusiasm for Genie and individual freedom, and her attempts to reconcile this with Nietzsche’s arguments regarding women’s biological destiny, position her as another example of the complex yet largely positive reception of Wilhelmine feminists to his teachings.
Dynamic recruitment of amino acid transporters to the insect/symbiont interface

Symbiosis is well known to influence bacterial symbiont genome evolution and has recently been shown to shape eukaryotic host genomes. Intriguing patterns of host genome evolution, including remarkable numbers of gene duplications, have been observed in the pea aphid, a sap-feeding insect that relies on a bacterial endosymbiont for amino acid provisioning. Previously, we proposed that gene duplication has been important for the evolution of symbiosis based on aphid-specific gene duplication in amino acid transporters (AATs), with some paralogs highly expressed in the cells housing symbionts (bacteriocytes). Here, we use a comparative approach to test the role of gene duplication in enabling recruitment of AATs to bacteriocytes. Using genomic and transcriptomic data, we annotate AATs from sap-feeding and non sap-feeding insects and find that, like aphids, AAT gene families have undergone independent large-scale gene duplications in three of four additional sap-feeding insects. RNA-seq differential expression data indicate that, like aphids, the sap-feeding citrus mealybug possesses several lineage-specific bacteriocyte-enriched paralogs. Further, differential expression data combined with quantitative PCR support independent evolution of bacteriocyte enrichment in sap-feeding insect AATs. Although these data indicate that gene duplication is not necessary to initiate host/symbiont amino acid exchange, they support a role for gene duplication in enabling AATs to mediate novel host/symbiont interactions broadly in the sap-feeding suborder Sternorrhyncha. In combination with recent studies on other symbiotic systems, gene duplication is emerging as a general pattern in host genome evolution.
Germ Plasm: Protein Degradation in the Soma

Germ plasm is a specialized cytoplasm that is physically segregated to the germline cells during early embryogenesis. Recent results suggest that, in Caenorhabditis elegans, germ plasm is also prevented from accumulating in somatic lineages by a ubiquitin ligase that targets germ plasm proteins for degradation.
Normal values for noninvasive estimation of left ventricular contractile state and afterload in children

The outcome and suitability for therapeutic interventions in children with congenital heart disease depend frequently on left ventricular function. Congenital heart disease is characterized by changes in loading conditions, making it difficult to assess ventricular contractility using conventional load-dependent indexes. Two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography and arterial blood pressure were used to study left ventricular morphometrics and contractility in 44 normal children, aged 2 to 12 years. Left ventricular end-systolic and end-diastolic length, diameter, wall thickness, volume and mass all showed linear increases with body surface area (p less than 0.001 in all). Shortening and ejection fractions, velocity of circumferential fiber shortening, morphometric ratios and endocardial meridional and circumferential stress (mean 46 and 115 g/cm2, respectively) all remained constant. A load-independent measure of the normal resting left ventricular contractile state was determined by relating the rate-corrected velocity of circumferential fiber shortening to end-systolic endocardial meridional and circumferential stress; there was an inverse linear correlation (r = -0.641 and -0.557 respectively, p less than 0.001). These data provide a quantitative basis for assessment of myocardial hypertrophy, afterload and contractile state in childhood.
Are We Really Closer to Predicting the Development of Pancreatic Cancer

In this issue of Radiology, Tanaka and co-workers present a study that appears to identify imaging findings that, when present, may predict the development of pancreatic cancer.
Variables Affecting the Killing of Cultured Human Neuroblastoma Cells with Monoclonal Antibody and Complement

To determine incubation conditions that result in optimal in vitro killing of human tumor cells with monoclonal antibody and complement, variables affecting the killing of cultured human neuroblastoma cells with monoclonal antibody 6–19 and baby rabbit complement were studied. Neuroblastoma target cells were stained with the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33342, which enables rapid, sensitive detection of surviving cells in conjunction with trypan blue exclusion. Maximal cell lysis was obtained at an antibody concentration of 5–10 µg/ml. Greater than 5 logs of cell kill were obtained with appropriate treatment conditions. No antigenic modulation was detected. Complement activity was found to be the factor which limited the extent of cell kill. Specific cell lysis increased with increasing concentration of complement. As the reaction with antibody coated cells proceeded, complement activity was depleted. This resulted in the greatest cell kill occurring during the first 10–20 min of treatment. Generation of factor(s) inhibitory to complement activity was also found. However, the effect of inhibition on limiting the extent of cell kill was much less significant than the effect of complement depletion. When compared to a single incubation of the same total duration, the reduction in complement activity with duration of incubation resulted in greater killing by multiple brief incubations with fresh complement. The depletion of complement was found to increase at a greater cell concentration. This resulted in greater proportional survival as neuroblastoma cell concentration increased. Depletion of complement activity by aggregated monoclonal antibody was found to decrease cytotoxicity. This evaluation may provide a framework for optimization of target cell destruction using complement and other monoclonal antibodies and target cells.
Inhibition of carnitine palymitoyltransferase1b induces cardiac hypertrophy and mortality in mice

Recent reports suggest that short-term pharmacological carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (Cpt1) inhibition improves skeletal muscle glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Although this appears promising for the treatment of diabetes, these Cpt1 inhibitors are not specific to skeletal muscle and target multiple Cpt1 isoforms. To assess the effects of inhibiting the Cpt1b isoform we generated mice with a heart- and skeletal muscle-specific deletion of the Cpt1b, Cpt1b(HM-/-). These mice seem to develop normally with similar bodyweights as control mice. However, premature mortality was observed by 15 weeks of age in the Cpt1b(HM-/-) mice. The hearts of Cpt1b(HM-/-) mice were four times the size of controls. Cpt1b(HM-/-) mice were also subject to stress-induced seizures that accompanied an increased risk for premature mortality. Our data suggests that prolonged Cpt1b inhibition poses severe cardiac risk and emphasizes that attempts to improve insulin sensitivity by targeting Cpt1 with current inhibitors is not viable.
Crowdsourcing Document Relevance Assessment with Mechanical Turk

We investigate human factors involved in designing effective Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs) for Amazon's Mechanical Turk. In particular, we assess document relevance to search queries via MTurk in order to evaluate search engine accuracy. Our study varies four human factors and measures resulting experimental outcomes of cost, time, and accuracy of the assessments. While results are largely inconclusive, we identify important obstacles encountered, lessons learned, related work, and interesting ideas for future investigation. Experimental data is also made publicly available for further study by the community.
A technique for performing electrical impedance myography in the mouse hind limb: data in normal and ALS SOD1 G93A animals.

Objective: To test a method for performing electrical impedance myography (EIM) in the mouse hind limb for the assessment of disease status in neuromuscular disease models. Methods: An impedance measuring device consisting of a frame with electrodes embedded within an acrylic head was developed. The head was rotatable such that data longitudinal and transverse to the major muscle fiber direction could be obtained. EIM measurements were made with this device on 16 healthy mice and 14 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) animals. Repeatability was assessed in both groups. Results: The technique was easy to perform and provided good repeatability in both healthy and ALS animals, with intrasession repeatability (mean 6 SEM) of 5% 61% and 12% 62%, respectively. Significant differences between healthy and ALS animals were also identified (e.g., longitudinal mean 50 kHz phase was 1860.6u for the healthy animals and 1461.0u for the ALS animals, p=0.0025). Conclusions: With this simple device, the EIM data obtained is highly repeatable and can differentiate healthy from ALS animals. Significance: EIM can now be applied to mouse models of neuromuscular disease to assess disease status and the effects of therapy.
In-session seizures during low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with epilepsy

Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is emerging as a therapeutic tool for patients with intractable epilepsy. Although seizures during treatment have been reported as adverse events in some patients, the nature and severity of seizures that may be provoked by low-frequency rTMS in patients with epilepsy have not been extensively studied. Accordingly, this article documents seizures in patients (n = 5) with intractable epilepsy and average seizure frequency greater than one per day who underwent 1-Hz rTMS for seizure suppression. We report three observations in the present case series: (1) in each instance the in-session seizure was typical in semiology to the patient’s habitual seizures, (2) the duration of each documented seizure was either the same as or shorter than the patients’ baseline seizures, and (3) the overall neurological outcome on follow-up was not affected by the in-session seizures. More data will be required for valid conclusions with respect to safety and tolerability of low-frequency rTMS in patients with epilepsy, but it is noteworthy from our perspective that seizures during rTMS in this series were similar to the patients’ habitual seizures, occurred in patients with epilepsy with baseline seizure frequency exceeding one per day, and did not correlate with a poor neurological outcome or with absence of clinical response to rTMS.
The Party and the Multitude: Brazil's Workers' Party (PT) and the Challenges of Building a Just Social Order in a Globalizing Context*

What is the role of Brazils Workers Party (PT) in its sponsorship of the World Social Forum, and what is the signi?cance of this relationship to the struggles to build a more just social order? Some have criticized the pres-ence of the PT in the Forum, juxtaposing its partisan motives to the democratic impulses of the multitude. This article challenges this reading by tracing the development of the PT in the last decade, bringing to light the ways the partys development challenges traditional narratives about leftist parties. In particular, this article discusses the way that the successful resolution of the challenges of governance in local and regional levels through participatory solutions has progressively transformed the party towards a party of radical democracy that values non-instrumental relationships to social movements and unorganized sectors of civil society. This radically democratic stance is represented in the way that the PT spon-sors, but does not control or seek to control, the WSF or its proceedings. Re-imagining the relationship between social movements and political parties is an urgent task in the struggle for global social justice and the PT serves as a useful model. Abandoning this relationship as implicitly suggested by advocates of the multitude would be to the detriment of the struggle for global justice.
Diversity and Discrimination

Diversity and discrimination is a relatively new development in German labour and employment law. The general concept of equal treatment and a prohibition against gender discrimination have existed in German statutory law for a long time. Most other discrimination laws were only introduced on 18 August 2006 in the General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, AGG) which implemented three European Union (EU) anti-discrimination Directives (2000/43/EC, 2000/78/EC and 2002/73/EC). Since then, there have been some discrimination cases making the headlines, but in general discrimination legislation does not yet play such a significant role in Germany as it does in the US or in the UK. This might be partly due to the fact that German courts are traditionally very reluctant to grant substantial compensatory awards. Furthermore, dismissals and company pensions have been explicitly excluded from the scope of discrimination laws in Germany. It is likely that these exemptions are in breach of EU law. If the European Court of Justice (ECJ) confirms this position in future, this might be the catalyst for discrimination law to play a larger role in German employment law. For the time being, diversity remains a rare marketing tool for German companies striving to attract candidates with high potential.
The Rise and Fall of Aspiration Thrombectomy.

The hallmark of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is thrombotic occlusion of an epicardial vessel. As many as 50% of patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) demonstrate distal embolization and microvascular obstruction despite achieving normalized
Recent progress in biobutanol tolerance in microbial systems with an emphasis on Clostridium

Biobased production of butanol promises a more sustainable route for industrial production. However, butanol toxicity remains a barrier for achieving high product titers. Investigation into butanol stress has shed some light on its modes of toxicity. Unfortunately, there still remain significant shortfalls in our understanding of the complex interactions of butanol with cells. To address this knowledge gap, a diverse range of tools have been employed to gain a better understanding of the adverse effects of butanol on the cell. These findings have lead to the identification of possible molecular mechanisms associated with butanol tolerance, which can be harnessed for future strain development efforts. This review focuses on recent efforts to address the toxicity of butanol in microbial producers and offers some perspectives on the future direction of this research sector.
Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy by Microneedle Patch-Assisted Delivery of Anti-PD1 Antibody

Despite recent advances in melanoma treatment through the use of anti-PD-1 (aPD1) immunotherapy, the efficacy of this method remains to be improved. Here we report an innovative self-degradable microneedle (MN) patch for the sustained delivery of aPD1 in a physiologically controllable manner. The microneedle is composed of biocompatible hyaluronic acid integrated with pH-sensitive dextran nanoparticles (NPs) that encapsulate aPD1 and glucose oxidase (GOx), which converts blood glucose to gluconic acid. The generation of acidic environment promotes the self-dissociation of NPs and subsequently results in the substantial release of aPD1. We find that a single administration of the MN patch induces robust immune responses in a B16F10 mouse melanoma model compared to MN without degradation trigger or intratumoral injection of free aPD1 with the same dose. Moreover, this administration strategy can integrate with other immunomodulators (such as anti-CTLA-4) to achieve combination therapy for enhancing antitumo...
Down, up, down and "smolting" twice? Seasonal movement patterns by juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in a coastal watershed with a bar closing estuary

We investigated emigration behavior, habitat use, and Na + ,K + -ATPase activity levels of juvenile steelhead trout (sea- run rainbow trout; Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Scott Creek, a small coastal watershed with a seasonally closed estuary in central California, USA. Migratory fish moved downstream in the spring with elevated Na + ,K + -ATPase activity levels. Larger fish (>150 mm) moved downstream during February and March, leaving the stream, whereas fish moving between April and June were typically smaller and tended to recruit to the estuary. The Na + ,K + -ATPase activity levels of estuarine fish varied during the summer as a function of salinity and temperature, but overall levels declined from peak spring values. Many summer re- cruits were observed retreating upstream into the watershed when estuarine water quality declined in the fall. Rather than enter- ing the ocean when winter storms reconnected the estuary with the ocean in early winter, many migrated downstream several months later during subsequent springs. The largest smolts observed (>190 mm fork length (LF)) were primarily those that had reared in the estuary the previous summer. Smolts were observed making a single migration from the upper watershed, but they were smaller (~120-190 mm LF) with potentially reduced marine survival. In summary, we observed fish moving between freshwater and estuarine habitats seasonally and adjusting their osmoregulatory physiology as needed.
Study on the seasonal characteristics of infectious diseases in Jinan,2004-2012

Objective To analyze the characteristics of seasonal distribution of common infectious diseases in Jinan. Methods The concentration ratio and the circular distribution were used for the analysis of seasonality of infectious diseases. Results Japanese encephalitis and influenza A had strong seasonal features. There was obvious seasonality in the prevalence of measles, dysentery and HFMD. Whooping cough and brucellosis had certain seasonality. Tuberculosis, typhoid, malaria, meningitis and other infectious diseases had poor seasonality. Conclusion Each infectious disease has different characteristics of seasonal distribution, so the specific and effective measures of prevention and control should be taken with reference to their characteristics.
Potential for Disruption of Central Nervous System Tissue in Beef Cattle by Different Types of Captive Bolt Stunners

The application of pneumatic-powered air injection stunners (PPAISs), pneumatic-powered stunners (PPSs), and cartridge-fired stunners (CFSs) in commercial beef slaughter plants was evaluated to determine the extent of dissemination of central nervous system tissue. Fifteen beef slaughter plants in the western and central United States were visited to observe stunning methods and the condition of the hearts at postmortem inspection. As inspectors performed the normal opening of the hearts, the research observer evaluated the contents of the heart for the presence of clots and/or visible tissue segments in the right ventricle. In eight plants where PPAISs were used, 33% of hearts examined (n = 1,050) contained large clots in the right ventricles. In the four plants where CFSs were used, 1% of the hearts (n = 480) contained detectable clots. In three plants where the newly modified PPSs were used, 12% of the hearts (n = 450) contained detectable clots. Large segments of spinal cord were detected, collected, photographed, and confirmed histologically from two hearts in a plant that used a PPAIS. Most of the material was found in a single right ventricle and was composed of 10 to 13 cm segments of spinal cord.
Heavy WIMP-Nucleon Scattering Cross Sections

The formalism collected in the previous chapters describe a complete set of tools for making robust cross section predictions for heavy WIMPs scattering with nucleons. The formalism for heavy particle lagrangians in Chap. 2 is used in Chap. 3 to construct effective theories at the weak scale describing electroweak symmetric interactions of the WIMP with SM Higgs and gauge bosons. In Chap. 4 we perform the matching between the electroweak symmetric theory and the low-energy theory of quarks and gluons, determining weak-scale coefficients in terms of a few WIMP parameters such as its electroweak charges. The renormalization of the scalar and tensor coefficients, and their mapping to lower energies using renormalization group and effective theory methods are detailed in the previous chapter. In this chapter, we assemble these pieces into a framework for careful analysis of cross section predictions and their perturbative and input uncertainties.
A Tale of Perception: The Role of Perceived Intent on OCBs and Interpersonal Relationships

In this study, attribution theory is used to explore the influence of whether organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), perceived as selfish or selfless influence interpersonal relationships. Individuals who engage in OCBs are more likely to be favorably viewed by peers; however, we examine whether peer perceptions of an individual’s motive for performing the citizenship behavior influences the trust, loyalty, and respect of interpersonal relationships. An experimental design is used to empirically determine the nature of the relationships, and we find that when individuals perceive OCBs to be selfish, relationship quality is negatively impacted. The theoretical implications of these and related findings are discussed, and future research directions are presented.
Hierarchical Decentralized Control for Enhanced Rotor Angle and Voltage Stability of Large-Scale Power Systems

Several hierarchical centralized control schemes for either rotor angle or voltage stability improvement have been proposed in the literature. They all rely on exchanging information between different subsystems of a large-scale power system. By contrast, in this paper, we propose a hierarchical decentralized control scheme to enhance a unified manner rotor angle and voltage stability while using metered values collected within each subsystem, without any exchange of information between subsystems. Specifically, weakly coupled coherent areas of a power system are first determined. Then, secondary control agents are implemented in each of them to detect and damp rotor angle and voltage instabilities using local synchrophasor measurements. Decentralized control laws based on Lyapunov theory are implemented on FACTS devices for achieving global rotor angle asymptotic stability. Finally, a tertiary voltage control agent provides reference settings to the secondary voltage agents and takes control actions in case the latter fail to damp voltage instabilities. We show that the proposed scheme minimizes the communication bandwidth requirement while exhibiting a system-wide situational awareness. Simulations carried out on the IEEE 118-bus system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed hierarchical decentralized control method.