cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oral nitrite restores age-dependent phenotypes in eNOS-null mice

Alterations in the synthesis and bioavailability of NO are central to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Although endothelial NO synthase-derived (eNOS-derived) NO affects mitochondrial long-chain fatty acid β-oxidation, the pathophysiological significance of this regulation remains unclear. Accordingly, we determined the contributions of eNOS/NO signaling in the adaptive metabolic responses to fasting and in age-induced metabolic dysfunction. Four-month-old eNOS-/- mice are glucose intolerant and exhibit serum dyslipidemia and decreased capacity to oxidize fatty acids. However, during fasting, eNOS-/- mice redirect acetyl-CoA to ketogenesis to elevate circulating levels of β-hydroxybutyrate similar to wild-type mice. Treatment of 4-month-old eNOS-/- mice with nitrite for 10 days corrected the hypertension and serum hyperlipidemia and normalized the rate of fatty acid oxidation. Fourteen-month-old eNOS-/- mice exhibited metabolic derangements, resulting in reduced utilization of fat to generate energy, lower resting metabolic activity, and diminished physical activity. Seven-month administration of nitrite to eNOS-/- mice reversed the age-dependent metabolic derangements and restored physical activity. While the eNOS/NO signaling is not essential for the metabolic adaptation to fasting, it is critical for regulating systemic metabolic homeostasis in aging. The development of age-dependent metabolic disorder is prevented by low-dose replenishment of bioactive NO.
On Language Learner Agency: A Complex Dynamic Systems Theory Perspective

Agency has attracted considerable attention, especially of late. Nevertheless, perceptions of language learners as nonagentive persist. In this article the Douglas Fir Group's call for a transdisciplinary perspective is heeded in a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory's (CDST) conceptualization of agency. It is suggested that CDST maintains the structure?agency complementarity while bringing to the fore the relational and emergent nature of agency. Coordination dynamics is identified as a possible mechanism for the phylogenetic and ontogenetic emergence of agency. CDST further characterizes agency as spatially?temporally situated. It can be achieved and changed through iteration and co-adaptation. It is also multidimensional and heterarchical. In this era of posthumanism, an issue that is also taken up is whether it is only humans who have agency. The article then discusses educational practices that could support learner agency. Finally, the article closes with a discussion of agency and ethical action.
Enhancing Bridge Deck Delamination Detection Based on Aerial Thermography Through Grayscale Morphologic Reconstruction: A Case Study

Environmental-induced temperature variations across the bridge deck were one of the major factors that degraded the performance of delamination detection through thermography. The non-uniformly distributed thermal background yields the assumption of most conventional quantitative methods used in practice such as global thresholding and k-means clustering. This study proposed a pre-processing method to estimate the thermal background through iterative grayscale morphologic reconstruction based on a pre-selected temperature contrast. After the estimation of the background, the thermal feature of delamination was kept in the residual image. A UAV-based nondestructive survey was carried out on an in-service bridge for a case study and two delamination quantization methods (threshold-based and clustering-based) were applied on both raw and residual thermal image. Results were compared and evaluated based on the hammer sounding test on the same bridge. The performance of detectability was noticeably improved while direct implementation of post-processing on raw image exhibited over- and under-estimation of delamination. The selection of pre-defined temperature contrast and stopping criterion of iteration were discussed. The study concluded the usefulness of the proposed method for the case study and further evaluation and parameter tuning are expected to generalize the method and procedure.
Plasminogen mediates communication between the peripheral and central immune systems during systemic immune challenge with lipopolysaccharide

Systemic inflammation has been implicated in the progression of many neurodegenerative diseases and may be an important driver of the disease. Dementia and cognitive decline progress more rapidly following acute systemic infection, and systemic inflammation midlife is predictive of the degree of cognitive decline. Plasmin, the active form of the serine protease plasminogen (PLG), is a blood protein that plays physiological roles in fibrinolysis, wound healing, cell signaling, extracellular matrix degradation, and inflammatory regulation. Mice were treated with an antisense oligonucleotide to deplete liver-produced PLG prior to systemic challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, known to induce a strong immune response in animals. Following treatment, the innate immune response in the brains of these animals was examined. Mice that were PLG-deficient had dramatically reduced microgliosis and astrogliosis in their brains after LPS injection. We found that blood PLG regulates the brain’s innate immune response to systemic inflammatory signaling, affecting the migration of perivascular macrophages into the brain after challenge with LPS. Depletion of plasma PLG with an antisense oligonucleotide dramatically reduced glial cell activation and perivascular macrophage migration into the brain following LPS injection. This study suggests a critical role for PLG in mediating communication between systemic inflammatory mediators and the brain.
Abstract WP318: Prediction of Leptomeningeal Collateral Recruitment in Experimental Ischemic Stroke by Cerebrovascular Reactivity to Carbon Dioxide

Purpose: Immediate pial collateral recruitment during acute ischemic stroke is an endogenous response limiting permanent tissue damage due to proximal cerebral artery occlusion. There is presently ...
The Negative Impact of Obesity on Childhood Flourishing

Background: Childhood obesity is a growing national issue that has been linked with several psychosocial and chronic medical problems. However, there are currently limited studies that describe how obesity affects a child’s ability to flourish in society. Flourishing describes a child’s overall well-being and development, and is a marker for their performance in school, at home, and within the community. Objective: To describe the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and parental perception of childhood flourishing markers. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized parental responses for children aged 10-17 years (n=22,914) from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health …
Conductance Model for Extreme Events : Impact of Auroral Conductance on Space Weather Forecasts

NASANational Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) [NNX17AB87G, 80NSSC18K1120, 80NSSC17K0015]; NSFNational Science Foundation (NSF) [1663770]; National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation (NSF)
Glioblastoma with a primitive neuroectodermal component: two cases with implications for glioblastoma cell-of-origin.

Abstract Background Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain malignancy, but much remains unknown about the histogenesis of these tumors. In the great majority of cases, GBM is a purely glial tumor but in rare cases the classic-appearing high-grade glioma component is admixed with regions of small round blue cells with neuronal immunophenotype, and these tumors have been defined in the WHO 2016 Classification as “glioblastoma with a primitive neuronal component.” Methods In this paper, we present two cases of GBM-PNC with highly divergent clinical courses, and review current theories for the GBM cell-of-origin. Results and conclusions GBM-PNC likely arises from a cell type competent to give rise to glial or neuronal lineages. The thesis that GBM recapitulates to some extent normal neurodevelopmental cellular pathways is supported by molecular and clinical features of our two cases of GBM-PNC, but more work is needed to determine which cellular precursor gives rise to specific cases of GBM. GBM-PNC may have a dramatically altered clinical course compared to standard GBM and may benefit from specific lines of treatment.
Homeless Patrons Utilize the Library for More than Shelter but Public Library Services Are Not Designed with Them in Mind

A Review of: Dowdell, L., & Liew, C. L. (2019). More than a shelter: Public libraries and the information needs of people experiencing homelessness. Library & Information Science Research, 41(4), 100984. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2019.100984 Abstract Objective – The study sought to examine the information seeking behavior of homeless patrons and how public libraries meet the needs of homeless patrons. Design – Qualitative phenomenological study. Setting – Public libraries in New Zealand. Subjects – Four homeless patrons who were current library patrons and seven public library workers (senior managers and two front line workers). Methods – Purposive convenience sample of homeless patrons and library workers to participate in face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. The study utilized Creswell's four-step data analysis spiral to produce a synthesis. Main Results – Homeless patrons utilize public libraries for far more than daytime shelter, patronizing the collections, and accessing services. The participating libraries did not have existing policies, practices, services, or staff designed for the needs and wants of homeless people, however, current offerings largely met the needs of homeless patrons. Conclusion – Homeless people use public libraries much like non-homeless patrons and public libraries could develop specialized offerings for them, though they must take care to do so in a way that does not further marginalize this group. Additional research is needed to understand why some homeless people do not utilize the libraries.
Sellars and the Space of Reasons [Sellars y el espacio de las razones]

In Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind Sellars introduces the image of the space of reasons, and delineates a non-traditional empiricism, uncontaminated by the Myth of the Given. Brandom takes Sellars’s drift to be against empiricism as such, against the very idea that something deserving to be called “experience” could be relevant to the acquisition of empirical knowledge in any way except merely causally. In this paper I attack Brandom’s idea that we anyway need a concession to externalism for non-inferential knowledge and suggest that in the space of reasons Sellars’s, the experience play a more than merely causal role in a fully internalist epistemology of observation.
An In Vitro Approach to Elucidating Clock-Modulating Metabolites

Amidst the discussions regarding how the information about light or darkness is transduced to the cyanobacterial circadian clock, it was found that it turned out to be affected by metabolites that reflect photosynthetic activity. Reconstituting the bacterial timekeeper in a test tube containing only KaiA, KaiB, KaiC, ATP, and magnesium enabled a detailed functional analysis of the circadian clock. Here we added CikA, which competes with KaiA for the common binding site on KaiB. Quinone is a redox-sensing metabolite used as an electron shuttle in both photosynthesis and cellular respiration, and its oxidized form as a proxy for darkness becomes acutely abundant at the onset of sunset. Applying a dark pulse to cyanobacteria forces their gene expression rhythm to be shifted in a phase-dependent manner. In our attempt to mimic this process in vitro, oxidized quinone inactivated KaiA and CikA and generated a phase advance and delay respectively, in agreement with the in vivo data. Additionally, magnesium showed a role in inhibiting the KaiC phosphorylation in vitro. A possible history of clock evolution can be suggested from this finding since magnesium could directly modulate the KaiC-only pacemaker, a supposed timekeeping relic of the past that gave rise to today’s intricate KaiABC clock.
Cardiac computed tomographic evaluation of coronary artery calcification: A review

Vascular calcification is most commonly due to atherosclerosis. It has been well documented that absence of coronary calcification on a chest CT (CCT) is associated with low cardiovascular events and good prognosis. High CT calcium scores often result in a higher incidence of cardiovascular events and worse survival. In asymptomatic patients with an intermediate risk for coronary artery disease, numerous studies have shown Coronary Calcium Scoring (CCS) has prognostic relevance and incremental prognostic value over conventional risk stratification. CT detected calcium score plays important role in patient management. This article will review various CT based coronary artery calcium scoring methods.
Diagnostic accuracy of dried blood spots for serology of vaccine-preventable diseases: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION Venous serum and plasma are optimal specimens for serological testing but may be logistically infeasible. Dried blood spots (DBS) are a feasible alternative, provided results are adequately sensitive and specific. We aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of DBS to measure IgG and IgM antibodies for vaccine-preventable diseases and compare test validity of DBS with venous blood. AREAS COVERED In October 2020, we searched seven databases for peer-reviewed studies assessing the diagnostic accuracy of DBS specimens compared with serum in detecting antibodies to VPDs in humans. We extracted data and assessed risk of bias in all included studies. We calculated sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals for each index-reference test comparison. We narratively synthesized the identified evidence on diagnostic accuracy and blood collection and processing methods for DBS. Studies on measles and rubella IgG and IgM were the most frequently identified and reported generally high sensitivity and specificity. EXPERT OPINION Lack of standardization in collection, storage, and testing methods limited systematic comparison across studies. Our findings indicate a need for additional validation studies on the diagnostic accuracy of DBS to expand their use in serological surveillance. We recommend practical considerations to improve standardized reporting for DBS validation studies.
LTP: perils and progress.

On the thirtieth birthday of long-term potentiation (LTP), it is appropriate to step back from the fray, evaluate what has been learned and look to the future. Two of us (J.W.L. and J.R.S.) published such an evaluation a few years ago in the hope that the ignorance conferred to us by our status as outsiders to the field might be offset, at least in part, by a freshness of perspective. The responses to that article have been numerous and fascinating, with experts and non-experts raising points in private that would benefit from open discussion. Here, joined by an LTP 'insider' (J.L.), we initiate such a discussion, restating, clarifying and debating some of the points that were raised in the original article.
The static and dynamic incidence of Vietnam's public safety net

How does Vietnam's public safety net affect outcomes for the poor? Although social welfare programs in Vietnam are centrally mandated, they are locally implemented according to local norms and local poverty standards and often rely heavily on local financing. The author examines the coverage, incidence, and horizontal equity of the programs that can be identified in the data from the Vietnam Living Standards Survey. She looks at the role of location in determining whether the poor are assisted nationally. And she explores dynamic incidence between 1993 and 1998 and the degree to which programs performed a safety net function. The author's analysis shows that coverage and payments to households are low and have had a negligible impact on poverty. In principle, better targeting could improve the impact of current outlays. The analysis also shows that the system was ineffective in protecting households that were vulnerable to shocks. Finally, the results suggest that although there is a greater concentration of poverty-related programs and greater household participation in poorer communes, the system spends more (absolutely and relatively) on the poor in richer communes.
Evaluation of risks and benefits associated with vaccination against coronavirus infections in cats.

This chapter discusses the evaluation of risks and benefits associated with vaccination against coronavirus infections in cats. The current status of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) varies among types of cat populations. It is the most feared disease today in breeding catteries, but is less common and of less concern in the general pet population. There is no effective treatment for FIP, and once classical disease occurs, mortality is nearly 100%. The only available commercial vaccine is less than 100% effective. Available laboratory tests detect feline coronavirus antibodies and therefore are not specific for FIP. Till now, there was no test to detect FIP antigen, virus, or to identify virus carrier cats. The reliability of new antigen detection tests is still being evaluated. A cattery with enzootic FIP is difficult to manage. The great variability in incubation period of FIP (weeks, months, or even years) presents a serious challenge to prevention and control. The causative agent of FIP, feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), is a pleomorphic, enveloped virus classified as a coronavirus.
Inference Patterns in Theoretical Social Psychology: Looking Back as We Move Forward

An important hallmark of modern social psychology is the central importance of theory and hypothesis testing. The inference structure, however, underlying such tests are rarely acknowledged and may have important implications for the field. In this study, we examine the inference patterns utilized over 20 years of published work in a leading journal of social psychology. We found that verification, in contrast to falsification and crucial tests of alternative hypotheses, was the dominant inference structure utilized. Crucial tests were conducted least of all. These trends were discussed in light of larger issues from the philosophy of science, as well as its potential implications for the field. Without doubt the current trend in social psychology is towards the objective, not speculative, study of social behavior. Watchwords are experimentalism, automatic computation, statistical reliability, replicability. Noteworthy scientific gains results form this ‘hard nosed’ approach (Allport, 1968, p. 68). One of the hallmarks of modern social psychology is the central importance of theory and hypothesis testing. As a result, a critical but often underappreciated issue for the field concerns the inferential structures utilized to test these propositions. This is important as inference patterns shape every aspect of the scientific process. It obviously influences how we interpret results, but less appreciated is its influence on how researchers design ⁄conduct studies and build theoretical frameworks. For instance, a verification perspective may encourage the testing of a dominant theoretical model. The lack of alternative perspectives, in turn, may place pressures on such a model to undergo ad hoc changes in light of novel or discrepant data (Ladyman, 2002). To our knowledge, no published article has systematically reviewed general inference patterns in social psychology. Although we suspect the results of such a review are unlikely to surprise social psychologists who specialize in philosophy of science and ⁄or scientific inference (because these individuals may have informally tracked these patterns), our aim for this review is to bring these patterns and their implications to the attention of a more general social psychological audience. In addition, given the increased technological, methodological, and statistical demands of modern social psychology (Cacioppo, Berntson, & Nusbaum, 2008; MacKinnon, 2008; Reis & Judd, 2000), we suspect that recently trained social psychologists may not have had as much exposure to these philosophical issues. We thus examined trends in inference patterns utilized over the past 20 years in a flagship journal of social psychology and discuss these patterns in light of larger issues from the philosophy of science and social psychology more generally. One potential issue to consider is that in some cases it is possible that inference strategies better reflect what social psychologists present in articles rather than the inference
Ephrin-A1 regulates cell dynamics through molecular activation, mechanical tension, and morphology (1180.13)

Ephrins, the Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands, have been shown to be key players in guiding cell migration, polarization, and cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesions. Specifica...
On The Relationship between Regime Approval and Democratic Transition

Democratic transition scholars find a large number of factors associated with the likelihood of non-democratic regimes transitioning to democracy. Of these, three factors appear to be among the most potent: economic development, economic crisis, and the type of non-democratic regime (e.g. Geddes 1999, Brownlee 2009). However, another type of factor may matter as well - public approval of the regime. The chief limitation that prevents scholars from addressing this factor is the absence of data. However, we have access to the largest repository of international public opinion data that is comparable for all nations - the Gallup World Poll. The Gallup organization began the World Poll in 2005, and now has surveyed approximately 500,000 people in over 150 nations, with a sample intended to be representative of 95% of the world’s population. This allows us access to measures of regime approval, as well as other relevant variables, for most non-democratic nations during this time. Because five years has passed since the World Poll began, we can also consider the relationships between regime approval, levels of democratization, as well as democratic transition itself. We restrict our analysis to non-democratic nations and allow regime approval to predict democratization (the Polity IV score). We estimate a regression model in which the polity score change from 2005 to 2010 is the dependent variable, and regime approval predicts the change. We find that lower regimes approval leads to greater democratic transition. We include control variables for time, respondents’ demographic characteristics, and regime types. This study opens the black box of how mass politics affects democratic transition.
Radar systems trade-offs vacuum electronics vs. solid state

During the first 50 years of radar, vacuum electronics devices (VEDs) were the major source of power for their final power amplifiers (FPA). While VEDs continue to be used in many current operational radars, solid-state transmitters are becoming a viable alternative in many applications due to their advantages in availability, maintainability, modularity, and, sometimes, performance. In most cases, a solid-state transmitter must be part of an integrated radar design process. Attempts to replace high-power vacuum tube transmitters in an existing radar, with footprint- and performance-equivalent solid-state versions, have proven difficult since VED based transmitters traditionally have been low duty cycle and solid-state transmitters need to be operated at a relatively high duty-cycle in order to be cost-competitive. This talk reviews system level pros and cons between vacuum tubes and solid-state devices for new radar systems. The important issues of cost, maintainability, and reliability, are application specific and thus difficult to address in general terms.
Radiative transfer model constraints on the shock state of remotely sensed lunar anorthosites

[1] Near-IR spectra of some lunar basin rings and crater central peaks exhibit no evidence of absorption due to ferrous iron, unlike all other spectral measurements of lunar soil in the laboratory or obtained remotely. These spectral anomalies have previously been interpreted to indicate the presence of a deposit of essentially pure plagioclase feldspar (anorthosite) which has been shocked above 250 kb. Plagioclase possesses a diagnostic absorption feature near 1250 nm caused by trace ferrous iron that is lost when shocked above 250 kb, whereas ferrous features of pyroxene are robust against shock. However, new methods for computing the optical effects of exposure of lunar materials to the space environment show that these optical effects can obscure the spectral features of plagioclase without resorting to shock modification of the plagioclase structure. Our modeling shows that shock is not necessary to explain the apparent lack of absorption, but is not excluded either. Thus, previous reports that some lunar surface features may have experienced high shock levels are not supported.
Rehab Games as Components of Workflow: A Case Study.

Abstract Objective: This study explored and evaluated the integration of rehabilitation games into therapy workflow. Materials and Methods: A multistage and multimethod study was followed: (1) A formative study involving observations and interviews with a total of approximately 90 therapists across the rehabilitation continuum was conducted for the design and development of an interactive therapy platform using Microsoft® (Redmond, WA) Kinect® for Windows. (2) A pilot study was carried out in an inpatient facility, involving patients and therapists. (3) Heuristic evaluation was performed on the basis of the principles of universal design. Results: The findings from the study show the overall appeal of the system to patients and therapists, but also the challenges of integrating the system into the workflow. Conclusions: The findings from the study are in line with other similar studies in terms of the appeal and potential impact of games for rehabilitation and the applicability of the principles of univer...
Hypercalcemia from metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor secreting 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.

Malignant hypercalcemia occurs in about 20-30% of patients with cancer, both solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. The secretion of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rP) is the most common cause and has been shown to be the etiology of hypercalcemia associated with neuroendocrine tumors. Here we report the case of a patient with metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor who developed hypercalcemia more than 4 years after the initial diagnosis as a result of secretion of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, a mechanism only commonly seen in lymphomas. The successful control of the patient’s disease with capecitabine and temozolomide led to the alleviation of this paraneoplastic syndrome.
Familial Contributions to Self-Reported Sleep and Pain in Female Twins.

Objective The relationship between sleep quality and pain has been studied in populations with chronic pain and in nonclinical populations using experimental paradigms. Little is known about the familial contributions to this relationship. This study examines self-reported sleep quality and pain in a nonclinical sample and to explore familial (i.e., shared genetic and common family environment) confounding in those relationships. Design Cross-sectional. Subjects Ninety nine community-based female twin pairs (N = 198) with a mean age of 29 years; 72% monozygotic. Methods The short form McGill Pain Questionnaire (McGill), a visual analog scale (VAS), a body map, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) measured self-reported pain and sleep quality. Mixed model regression adjusted for age was used to examine relationships between the pain indices and PSQI in overall and within-pair models. Results Higher PSQI total scores were significantly associated with higher scores across the McGill sensory (B = 0.37, p < 0.001), affective (B = 0.16, p < 0.001), total scores (B = 0.54, p < 0.001), the VAS (B = 2.41, p < 0.001), and number of sites with any pain on the body map (B = 0.42, p = 0.001). All of these associations were diminished and rendered nonsignificant in within-pair analyses that accounted for genetic and familial factors (all p's ≥ 0.01; Bonferroni α = 0.01). Conclusions These findings support an association between poor sleep quality and pain and suggest that this relationship may be confounded by shared genetic and environmental factors, which could elucidate biological mechanisms that underlie the development and maintenance of pain and sleep problems.
Genotype and colony environment affect honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) development and foraging behavior

We examined the interaction of genotype and environment on foraging-behavior development and forage choice in honeybees. High- and low-pollen-hoarding strains and unselected wild-type bees were co-fostered in pairs of colonies manipulated to differentially stimulate high and low pollen foraging. The high-pollen-foraging stimulus consisted of high amounts of larvae, a known stimulus for pollen foraging, plus low amounts of pollen, known to induce pollen foraging. The low-pollen-foraging stimulus consisted of low amounts of larvae plus high amounts of pollen. We estimated the median age at which bees initiated foraging, determined forage choice, and the quality and quantity of resources collected. High-strain bees consistently foraged at younger ages than workers from the other sources. High-strain bees appeared to be more sensitive to the pollen-foraging-stimulus treatments, showing greater differences in foraging age and behavior. Three-way interactions of genotype, pollen foraging stimulus, and colony pair (replicate) were statistically significant for most foraging variables measured suggesting that additional, unknown environmental factors also affect foraging behavior. Our results suggest there is a functional relationship between age of first foraging and forage choice with a strong genetic component that is modulated by colony environment.
Effect of changes in human ecology and behavior on patterns of sexually transmitted diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus infection

Abstract The last 20 years have witnessed six striking changes in patterns of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): emergence of new STD organisms and etiologies, reemergence of old STDs, shifts in the populations in which STDs are concentrated, shifts in the etiological spectra of STD syndromes, alterations in the incidence of STD complications, and increases in antimicrobial resistance. For example, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) emerged to devastate the United States with a fatal pandemic involving at least 1 million people. The incidence of syphilis rose progressively after 1956 to reach a 40-year peak by 1990. In both cases, disease patterns shifted from homosexual men to include minority heterosexuals. Over the last decade, gonorrhea became increasingly concentrated among adolescents, and several new types of antimicrobial resistance appeared. Three interrelated types of environments affect STD patterns. The microbiologic, hormonal, and immunologic microenvironments most directly influence susceptibility, infectiousness, and development of sequelae. These microenvironments are shaped, in part, by the personal environments created by an individual's sexual, substance-use, and health-related behaviors. The personal environments are also important determinants of acquisition of infection and development of sequelae but, in addition, they mediate risk of exposure to infection. These are, therefore, the environments that most directly affect changing disease patterns. Finally, individuals' personal environments are, in turn, molded by powerful macroenvironmental forces, including socioeconomic, demographic, geographic, political, epidemiologic, and technological factors. Over the past 20 years, the profound changes that have occurred in many aspects of the personal environment and the macroenvironment have been reflected in new STD patterns.
Penultimate aspartyl unnecessary for stimulation of acid secretion by gastrin-related peptide.

THE carboxy-terminal tetrapeptide of gastrin, Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2, has the same biological activity as the parent hormone1. Morley2,3 showed that certain substitutions in the Trp, Met and Phe positions gave active analogues and concluded that these positions are concerned only with binding at the site of action. In contrast, the only substitution in aspartic acid that gave activity was tetrazolyl for the β-carboxyl, thereby maintaining a proton donor of similar size at this position. Morley concluded that the aspartyl residue has a functional rather than a binding role and presumably is indispensable. The carboxy-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin (OP-CCK) contains the carboxy-terminal tetrapeptide of gastrin and has gastrin-like activity4. We report here that the synthetic analogue of OP-CCK, in which alanyl is substituted for aspartyl at the position in question illustration, stimulates gastric acid secretion. In conscious cats with gastric fistulas5, dose-response curves were established for gastric acid response to OP-CCK, 7-Ala OP-CCK and pentagastrin6. The peptides were given by continuous intravenous infusion and response is taken as peak 10 min output during a 30 min infusion at each dose level (Fig. 1). Assigning a potency of 1 to OP-CCK the relative molar potency of 7-Ala OP-CCK is about 1/110 and of pentagastrin is about 1/4. We also tested the analogue of gastrin tetrapeptide in which alanyl is substituted for aspartyl illustration and found no detectable stimulation of acid secretion at doses as high as 15 mg/kg h, confirming similar negative findings by Morley2 in rat. This suggests that the weak action of alanyl substituted analogues cannot readily be detected without the enhancement of potency conferred by the sulphated tyrosyl of OP-CCK7. Ondetti et al.7 showed that 7-Ala OP-CCK contracts guinea-pig gallbladder with a potency about 1/150th that of OP-CCK, comparable with that reported here for acid secretion. This suggests that the same part or parts of the molecule are required for cholecystokinetic action and for gastric secretory action; the aspartyl residue in the penultimate position is dispensable for both of these actions. On the assumption that gastrin and CCK act at the same site8, we propose that the corresponding aspartyl residue of gastrin is similarly dispensable. For a direct test of this hypothesis, studies are needed of the synthetic analogue in which alanyl is substituted for the penultimate aspartyl in gastrin hepta-decapeptide, perferably gastrin II with sulphated tyrosyl because it is more potent than gastrin I in certain species9. Open image in new window Open image in new window
Does Extracellular L-arginine Influence Nitric Oxide Production by Pulmonary Arterial Endothelial Cells?

Does Extracellular L-arginine Influence Nitric Oxide Production by Pulmonary Arterial Endothelial Cells?
I HAVE THIS FEELING ABOUT EVERYDAY MEMORY AGING

In this article, it is argued that a major but neglected topic in the study of everyday memory aging is the role of emotions. Previous work on this topic is noted, and speculative reasons for why the research ended are proposed. Input from personality research, psychoanalytic theory, and metamemory are suggested as places to start. Nostalgia, one emotional outcome of reminiscence, is proposed as the best topic for investigation.
Induction of Leptin Resistance by Activation of cAMP-Epac Signaling

Leptin regulates energy balance and glucose homeostasis. Shortly after leptin was identified, it was established that obesity is commonly associated with leptin resistance, though the molecular mechanisms remain to be identified. To explore potential mechanisms of leptin resistance, we employed organotypic brain slices to identify candidate signaling pathways that negatively regulate leptin sensitivity. We found that elevation of adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP) levels impairs multiple signaling cascades activated by leptin within the hypothalamus. Notably, this effect is independent of protein kinase A activation. In contrast, activation of Epac, a cAMP-regulated guanine nucleotide exchange factor for the small G protein Rap1, was sufficient to impair leptin signaling with concomitant induction of SOCS-3 expression. Epac activation also blunted leptin-induced depolarization of hypothalamic POMC neurons. Finally, central infusion of an Epac activator blunted the anorexigenic actions of leptin. Thus, activation of hypothalamic cAMP-Epac pathway is sufficient to induce multiple indices of leptin resistance.
Cyclosporine 0.05% ophthalmic emulsion for the treatment of radiation-associated dry eye in children.

Dry eye disease is a well-known late complication of radiation therapy and is often difficult to treat. We evaluated the usefulness of cyclosporine 0.05% ophthalmic emulsion for the treatment of radiation-associated dry eye in children. Eleven children received cyclosporine 0.05% emulsion twice daily after failure of conventional therapy. After 6 months, dry eye manifestations improved in three children (27.3%). The remaining eight children showed no improvement with cyclosporine 0.05% ophthalmic emulsion. These results suggest that twice-daily cyclosporine 0.05% ophthalmic emulsion has limited use in children with refractory radiation-associated chronic dry eye. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: E35–E37. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Rek, an Axl/Tyro3-related receptor-class tyrosine kinase, is expressed in Müller glia and differentiating neural subpopulations in the avian retina.

Rek is a receptor-class tyrosine kinase of the Axl/Tyro3 family that has transforming capability and is expressed in the avian nervous system. To gain insight into its normal cellular function, the spatial and temporal expression of Rek was analyzed in the developing chick retina by immunoperoxidase staining and Western blotting using Rek-specific antibodies. Rek was developmentally regulated in the retina with maximal expression of the 140 kD full-length kinase at embryonic stage 34 (E8), when retinal glia and neurons begin to differentiate. Rek immunoreactivity was most prominent in the processes of developing and mature retinal Muller glia, and appeared transiently in the bodies of differentiating ganglion and amacrine neurons. In the developing optic tract Rek was found in oligodendroglial-type cells but not in ganglion cell axons. Rek antibodies also stained brain ependymal cells and some cerebellar neuronal cell types (Purkinje, basket and stellate cells). This expression pattern suggests that the Rek tyrosine kinase participates in an aspect of Muller glial function, and may also contribute to the development of restricted populations of glia and neurons in the brain and retina.
Molecular genetics of multiple endocrine neoplasia types 1 and 2

Six multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndromes have received a level of attention that might seem disproportionate to their low prevalence. The attention has been given because their hormonal excesses cause striking metabolic expressions and because they might clarify pathways disrupted in more common tumours. The recent discovery of the main gene in each MEN syndrome has furthered our understanding of not only hereditary but also sporadic tumours and has fostered new avenues of research.
Negative regulation of Th17 responses

The discovery of the Th17 lineage of T helper cells and the realization that this subset was implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of inflammatory conditions has lead to an intense effort devoted to identifying the cytokines and transcription factors that promote their development. In contrast, less attention has been paid to understanding the cytokines that temper Th17 activity. Recent studies, however, have provided insights into the cytokines that limit these T cells. The aim of this article is to review our current understanding of the regulatory networks that limit T helper subsets and how they relate to the Th17 lineage.
Metamorphosed Trilobites from Arvonia, Virginia

All known trilobites from the metamorphic Arvonia Slate, Arvonia, Virginia, are described and illustrated. Eleven trilobite individuals are represented. The fauna includes one individual referred to the Order Ptychopariida, one to the Family Proetidae (?), four to the Sub-family Calymeninae, one to the genus Gravicalymene (?), one to the Family Calymenidae (?), one to the Family Pterygometopidae, and two to Order Undetermined. The age suggested by these trilobites is Middle or Late Ordovician. This is consistent with previous determinations which were based on the whole fauna.
Effect of lidocaine and bretylium on energy requirements for transthoracic defibrillation: Experimental studies

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the antiarrhythmic drugs lidocaine and bretylium on the minimal energy requirement for transthoracic defibrillation--the defibrillation threshold. Closed chest dogs were anesthetized with chloralose or pentobarbital; lidocaine was administered at varying rates for 2 hours and defibrillation threshold periodically redetermined. Similar protocols were followed for bretylium. Serum lidocaine levels from therapeutic to toxic ranges were obtained, and up to a 60% (p less than 0.05) increase in defibrillation threshold in the pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs was demonstrated. In chloralose-anesthetized dogs the lidocaine effect was modest, with only a 10 to 20% rise in defibrillation threshold (p = NS) despite similar increases in serum lidocaine levels. Thus, lidocaine increases the minimal energy requirements for transthoracic defibrillation, but this effect is in part anesthesia-related, indicating a lidocaine-pentobarbital interaction. When phentolamine was administered to chloralose-anesthetized dogs receiving lidocaine, defibrillation threshold rose 13% (p less than 0.05); this suggests that alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade is at least in part the mechanism of the pentobarbital-lidocaine interaction on defibrillation threshold. Bretylium with either anesthetic had no significant effect on defibrillation threshold.
Marital Therapy with Older Couples

Basic information concerning normal aging that therapists need in order to understand the sources of conflict and distress in older or caregiving couples is presented. Unique aspects of assessment and intervention with older couples are described.
Double-Slit Interference and Temporal Topos

The electron double-slit interference is re-examined from the point of view of temporal topos. Temporal topos (or t-topos) is an abstract algebraic (categorical) method using the theory of sheaves. A brief introduction to t-topos is given. When the structural foundation for describing particles is based on t-topos, the particle-wave duality of electron is a natural consequence. A presheaf associated with the electron represents both particle-like and wave-like properties depending upon whether an object in the site (t-site) is specified (particle-like) or not (wave-like). It is shown that the localization of the electron at one of the slits is equivalent to choosing a particular object in the t-site and that the electron behaves as a wave when it passes through a double-slit because there are more than one object in the t-site. Also, the single-slit diffraction is interpreted as a result of the possibility of many different ways of factoring a morphism between two objects.
Cost containment in laser immunonephelometry.

Cost of measuring serum specific proteins on the Hyland Laser Nephelometer (PDQ) is reduced from $1.60 (U.S.) per test to an average of 35 cents (range: 18–76) per patient result by preparing dilutions in polyethylene glycol of antibodies that are available commercially (Dakopatts a/s, Denmark). An expensive, cumbersome dilutor-dispenser used in the prescribed method is replaced by simple pipetting procedure. Antibodies employed were verified to be monospecific immunoglobulins raised each against one 11 human specific proteins studied, namely albumin, orosomucoid, alpha-1-antitrypsin, alpha-2-macroglobulin, haptoglobin, transferrin, beta-1-C-globulin (C3), beta-1-A-globulin (C4), and immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM. Development of relative light scatter, measured nephelometrically, was shown to be stabilized within 40 minutes of adding sample to antibody. Linearity of graphs for six calibrating references in each method, relating concentration of standard to nephelometric relative light scatter, was excellent. Furthermore, very reproducible results were obtained from day-to-day (CV of 2 – 10%) for standard concentrations within ranges usually encountered clinically. Precision for Hyland Immunochemistry Control, measured against Hyland calibrating references, was acceptable (average CV: 7.6%; range: 5 – 11%). Due to lack of uniformity found previously in expressing concentration in different batches of Hyland Calibrators and Accuracy Controls, correlation of results obtained with Hyland antibodies versus those obtained with Dako antibodies was not carried out. Intermanufacturer comparison of results of the 11 proteins in commercial immunochemical quality control standards from Hyland and two other sources (Atlantic Antibodies, Behring Diagnostics) was disappointing. However, precision in measuring the same 11 specific proteins in controls of three commercial sources (Hyland, Atlantic, Behring) studied with Dako antibodies and Hyland calibration (average CV of 7.6, 10.5 and 11.1% respectively) was similar to that previously reported using Hyland antibodies and Hyland calibration (corresponding average CV of 7.6, 10.7 and 12.5% respectively). Dako antibodies were found to be well suited for use on the Hyland Laser Nephelometer. Need for proper standardization of calibration between various manufacturers is again emphasized.
Technology acceptance model (TAM) and social media usage: an empirical study on Facebook

Purpose – Given the widespread popularity of social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn, theorizing and understanding the user attitude and usage behavior of social media site is fundamental in developing future understandings and deployment of these new technologies. One approach to such studies on drivers of social media usage behavior would be to revisit the technology acceptance model (TAM). The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Decades of extensive research have focussed on validating the TAM, proposed by Davis (1986), for various types of information systems and communication technologies. TAM forecasts individual adoption and voluntary use of technology. This study examines individual adoption behavior of the most popular social networking site Facebook. The influences on the intention of using social networking based on individual's perceived ease of use (EU), the user's critical mass (CM), social networking site capability (CP), pe...