cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Renal Morphology and Function and Urine Electrolytes in Experimental Acute Renal Failure Produced by Cyclosporine and Ischemia

It has been difficult to produce a good animal model for cyclosporine nephrotoxicity. It has been suggested that by following 20 minutes of renal ischemia with four daily doses of cyclosporine 60 mg/kg intraperitoneally, one can create a model of reproducible renal failure. We observed excessive mortality (65%), due in part to cyclosporin's CNS effects, with these combined insults in the Munich Wistar rat. In contrast, cyclosporine alone in this dosage produced only 17% mortality and resulted in a similar degree of renal failure. Pair-fed and pair-watered vehicle and saline controls were used. The morphologic changes brought about by the castor oil vehicle of the parenteral cyclosporine solution were qualitatively similar to those brought about by cyclosporine by light microscopy, although the severity of the changes was considerably less in the vehicle-treated groups. However, by electron microscopy, pale lipid vacuoles were seen only in the cyclosporine-treated groups, whereas dense alterations in lysos...
A uniqueness verifying Public Key Infrastructure based on Autonomous Decentralized System architecture

A Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) must provide the mechanisms for assuring secure transactions and high reliability of its services. The use of public key cryptography satisfies the first requirement[1], while the second has been traditionally satisfied by the use of distributed architectures, among these the Autonomous Decentralized Systems (ADS) [2] are specially interesting since can provide on line expandability, maintenance and fault tolerance; however, the implementation of a PKI based on ADS rise new challenges, among the most important are: how to assure the uniqueness of public keys in such system and, since ADS architectures usually rely on specialized hardware for their implementation, how to implement such architecture without that specialized hardware.This paper explores the use of an ADS architecture based on software in order to provide high reliability to a PKI, assuring the uniqueness of its public keys.
A Review of: “Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani. Islam and Modernism,”

Muhammad Taqi Usmani is a highly respected and well known expert on Islamic law who served for 20 years as a Sharia judge on Pakistan's Supreme Court. He is a regular visitor to Britain, where the ...
Thermally adaptive tradeoffs in closely related marine bacterial strains.

Summary Time series studies have shown that some bacterial taxa occur only at specific times of the year while others are ubiquitous in spite of seasonal shifts in environmental variables. Here, we ask if these ubiquitous clades are generalists that grow over a wide range of environmental conditions, or clusters of strain-level environmental specialists. To answer this question, vibrio strains isolated at a coastal time series were phylogenetically and physiologically characterized revealing three dominant strategies within the vibrio: mesophiles, psychrophiles and apparently generalist broad thermal range clades. Thermal performance curves from laboratory growth rate experiments help explain field observations of relative abundances: the mesophilic clade grows optimally at temperatures 16°C higher than the psychrophilic clade. Strains in the broad thermal range clade all have similar optimal growth temperatures but also exhibit temperature-related tradeoffs with faster growth rates for warm temperature strains and broader growth ranges for strains from cool temperatures. Moreover, the mechanisms of thermal adaptation apparently differ based on evolutionary time scales: shifts in the temperature of maximal growth occur between deeply branching clades but thermal performance curve shape changes on shorter time scales. Thus, apparently ubiquitous clades are likely not generalists, but contain subclusters with distinct environmental preferences.
Metabolite distribution in cells.

In "Metabolite distribution in cells," by R. H. Davis (24 November 1972), two errors occurred. On page 839, column 3, line 20, "CPS-A" should read "CPS-P". In Fig. 2, on page 837, parentheses enclosing "ureidosuccinate" and "uridylic acid" in the lower part of the figure should instead have enclosed the same words in the upper part of the figure.
Establishing the Scope and Methodological Approach to Out-of-hospital Outcomes and Effectiveness Research

Outcomes research offers out-of-hospital medicine a valuable methodology for studying the effectiveness of services provided in the out-of hospital setting. A clear understanding of the history and constructs of outcomes research is necessary for its integration into emergency medical services research. This report describes the conceptual framework of outcomes research and key methodological considerations for the successful implementation of out-of-hospital outcomes research. Illustrations of the specific applications of outcomes research and implications to existing methodologies are given, as well as suggestions for improved interdisciplinary research.
Level of Self-Esteem and Contingencies of Self-Worth: Unique Effects on Academic, Social, and Financial Problems in College Students

The unique effects of level of self-esteem and contingencies of self-worth assessed prior to college on academic, social, and financial problems experienced during the freshman year were examined in a longitudinal study of 642 college students. Low self-esteem predicted social problems, even controlling for demographic and personality variables (neuroticism, agreeableness, and social desirability), but did not predict academic or financial problems with other variables controlled. Academic competence contingency predicted academic and financial problems and appearance contingency predicted financial problems, even after controlling for relevant personality variables. We conclude that contingencies of self-worth uniquely contribute to academic and financial difficulties experienced by college freshmen beyond level of self-esteem and other personality variables. Low self-esteem, on the other hand, appears to uniquely contribute to later social difficulties.
Observed and Modeled Performances of Prototype Green Roof Test Plots Subjected to Simulated Low- and High-Intensity Precipitations in a Laboratory Experiment

With continued urbanization pressure, regulators and developers alike are increasingly looking to new forms of green infrastructure and low-impact development technologies as a means of appropriately integrating built infrastructure into the landscape. This paper describes the results of a series of experiments designed to simulate the hydrologic performance of green roofs under variable precipitation conditions. The experiments were designed in order to test performance under both steady, low-intensity rainfall, as well as under short duration, high-intensity rainfall conditions. A control membrane roof and prototype green roofs of 2.5-, 6.3-, 10.1-cm depths were subjected to simulated precipitation in a laboratory setting. The green roofs delayed, prolonged, and reduced the peak rates of green roof discharge to 22–70% that of a standard roof surface, with greater percent reductions associated with deeper roofs. Negligible discharge was observed from all of the prototypes during the first 10 min of simul...
Total hip arthroplasty in patients with dwarfism.

Background: Patients with short stature and osseous deformities resulting from osteochondrodysplasia frequently have premature development of advanced degenerative disease of the hip and thus may require total hip arthroplasty. The outcome of total hip arthroplasty in this group of young patients is unknown. In this study, we evaluated the long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of total hip arthroplasty in patients with osteochondrodysplasia. Methods: Between 1971 and 1997, sixty-two total hip arthroplasties were performed at our institution in thirty-seven patients with severe osteoarthritis secondary to osteochondrodysplasia. There were seventeen female patients and twenty male patients. Their average height was 142 cm, and their average age at the time of the index arthroplasty was thirty-seven years. The patients were followed clinically with use of the Harris hip score for a mean of 12.8 years, and they were followed radiographically for a mean of 11.5 years. Results: The mean Harris hip score improved significantly (p < 0.0001), from 57 points preoperatively to 87 points at the time of the latest follow-up. Of the sixty hips available for follow-up, eighteen (30%) had required revision arthroplasty: fourteen required it because of aseptic loosening of one or both components; two, because of deep infection; one, because of periprosthetic fracture; and one, because of extensive osteolysis. There were two additional periprosthetic femoral fractures, which were treated with open reduction and internal fixation with retention of the components. The majority of patients had other functionally limiting conditions, such as spinal deformities, in addition to the degenerative arthritis. Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of complications, periprosthetic fractures, and mechanical failure in these patients with osteochondrodysplasia who underwent total hip arthroplasty. Young age, severe deformity, and multiple joint involvement may in part explain these findings. Nonetheless, total hip arthroplasty proved to be reliable for alleviating pain and improving function in patients with advanced symptomatic arthritis of the hip secondary to osteochondrodysplasia. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, Level IV (case series [no, or historical, control group]). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The role of IFNγ nuclear localization sequence in intracellular function

Intracellularly expressed interferon γ (IFNγ) has been reported to possess biological activity similar to that of IFNγ added to cells. This study addresses the mechanisms for such similar biological effects. Adenoviral vectors were used to express a non-secreted form of human IFNγ or a non-secreted mutant form in which a previously demonstrated nuclear localization sequence (NLS), 128 KTGKRKR 134 , was replaced with alanines at K and R positions. With the vector expressing non-secreted wild-type IFNγ, biological responses normally associated with extracellular IFNγ, such as antiviral activity and MHC class I upregulation, were observed, although the mutant IFNγ did not possess biological activity. Intracellular human IFNγ possessed biological activity in mouse L cells, which do not recognize extracellularly added human IFNγ. Thus, the biological activity was not due to leakage of IFNγ to the surroundings and subsequent interaction with the receptor on the cell surface. Biological function was associated with activation of STAT1α and nuclear translocation of IFNγ, IFNGR1 and STAT1α. Immunoprecipitation of cellular extracts with antibody to the nuclear transporter NPI-1 showed the formation of a complex with IFNγ-IFNGR1-STAT1α. To provide the physiological basis for these effects we show that extracellularly added IFNγ possesses intracellular signaling activity that is NLS dependent, as suggested by our previous studies, and that this activity occurs via the receptor-mediated endocytosis of IFNγ. The data are consistent with previous observations that the NLS of extracellularly added IFNγ plays a role in IFNγ signaling.
Is Meta-Analysis a Noah's Ark for Non-Market Valuation?

This paper describes meta-analytical methods as they have been applied to non-market valuation research. These studies have been used to review and synthesize literature and, more recently, in benefit transfer. This second use imposes a higher standard on the consistency in economic concepts being summarized and in the resources included in a meta-analysis. To meet this need, the paper proposes and illustrates a structural framework using a generalized method of moments estimator to estimate the parameters of a preference function with the benefits estimates usually encountered in meta-analytic summaries.
Natural disasters and older US adults with disabilities: implications for evacuation

We analysed 2003 and 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data from New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA to produce estimates of the number of community dwelling people aged 65 years or older with a disability and requiring special equipment.(4) Approximately, 47,840 (31.6 per cent) older adults with a disability and 24,938 (16.6 per cent) older adults requiring the use of special equipment were community dwelling and might require assistance to evacuate or a shelter that could accommodate special equipment. Older adults who need special equipment were likely to be female, unmarried and white, and to rate their health as fair or poor. Personnel who plan and prepare for evacuations and temporary shelter during disasters need baseline information on the number of older adults with a disability or who require special equipment. A surveillance system, such as the BRFSS, gathers information that planners can use to prepare for and to deliver services. Language: en
A large jump asymptotic framework for solving elliptic and parabolic equations with interfaces and strong coefficient discontinuities

We address the solution of multiregion elliptic and parabolic problems with strongly discontinuous coefficients across interfaces. The underlying idea is, roughly, to perturb around the infinitely discontinuous coefficient solution, that is, to perturb the solution where one region is a perfect conductor. The result is partial decoupling of the interface conditions. The algorithm requires a small number of well-conditioned solves in the individual regions (in many cases only a single solve over each region is necessary) that are then assembled into an accurate global solution. The error from the assembly step is asymptotically small in the ratio of the discontinuous coefficients. Further, the framework can be extended to problems with moderately discontinuous coefficients using a series expansion in the discontinuity ratio in a manner similar to a Schwarz alternating method.
Na+/K+-ATPase α2-isoform preferentially modulates Ca2+ transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release in cardiac myocytes

Aims Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) is essential in regulating [Na+]i, and thus cardiac myocyte Ca2+ and contractility via Na+/Ca2+ exchange. Different NKA-α subunit isoforms are present in the heart and may differ functionally, depending on specific membrane localization. In smooth muscle and astrocytes, NKA-α2 is located at the junctions with the endo(sarco)plasmic reticulum, where they could regulate local [Na+], and indirectly junctional cleft [Ca2+]. Whether this model holds for cardiac myocytes is unclear. Methods and results The ouabain-resistant NKA-α1 cannot be selectively blocked to assess its effect. To overcome this, we used mice in which NKA-α1 is ouabain sensitive and NKA-α2 is ouabain resistant (SWAP mice). We measured the effect of ouabain at low concentration on [Na+]i, Ca2+ transients, and the fractional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release in cardiac myocytes from wild-type (WT; NKA-α2 inhibition) and SWAP mice (selective NKA-α1 block). At baseline, Na+ and Ca2+ regulations are similar in WT and SWAP mice. For equal levels of total NKA inhibition (∼25%), ouabain significantly increased Ca2+ transients (from Δ F / F = 1.5 ± 0.1 to 1.8 ± 0.1), and fractional SR Ca2+ release (from 24 ± 3 to 29 ± 3%) in WT (NKA-α2 block) but not in SWAP myocytes (NKA-α1 block). This occurred despite a similar and modest increase in [Na+]i (∼2 mM) in both groups. The effect in WT mice was mediated specifically by NKA-α2 inhibition because at a similar concentration ouabain had no effect in transgenic mice where both NKA-α1 and NKA-α2 are ouabain resistant. Conclusion NKA-α2 has a more prominent role (vs. NKA-α1) in modulating cardiac myocyte SR Ca2+ release.
Revision of the Apocephalus analis group of ant-decapitating flies (Diptera: Phoridae).

The species of the mostly Neotropical Region Apocephalus analis group are revised, and found to comprise 21 species, 19 of which are new to science: A. bilineatus, A. euryacanthus, A. holdenae, A. mexacanthus, A. paracanthus, and A. rectisetus in the newly recognized A. comatus series, and the following unclassified species: A. amacayacuensis, A. amati, A. amenti, A. amorimi, A. camarae, A. criniventris, A. gonzalezae, A. marinhoi, A. papei, A. pittadearaujoi, A. riccardae, A. strazhnikae , and A. xavierfilhoi . Little is known of the natural history of this group, other than that the two previously known species, A. analis Borgmeier and A . comatus Borgmeier, were collected with the army ant Labidus coecus (Latreille).
Perovskites as oxide-ion electrolytes

Substitution of Nb, Ti, or Sn for In and of La for Ba was used to obtain cubic, anion-deficient perovskites AB03-δ. Neither the ferroelectric character of Nb5+ and Ti4+, nor the more acidic character of Sn4+ suppressed water absorption into the anion vacancies at temperatures T < 500oC. However, the smaller La3+ ion in Bal-xLaxO2.5+0.5x did suppress the absorption of water for x = 0.4, and Ba0.6La0.4InO2.7 is competitive with yttria-stabilized zirconia as an oxide-ion electrolyte.
Sandwich Structures: Past, Present, and Future

The use of sandwich structures continues to increase rapidly for applications ranging from satellites, aircraft, ships, automobiles, rail cars, wind energy systems, and bridge construction to mention only a few. The many advantages of sandwich constructions, the development of new materials, and the need for high performance, low-weight structures insure that sandwich construction will continue to be in demand. The equations describing the behavior of sandwich structures are usually compatible with the equations developed for composite material thin-walled structures, simply by employing the appropriate in-plane, flexural, and transverse shear stiffness quantities. Only if a very flexible core is used, is a higher order theory needed.
Coccidioidomycosis During Pregnancy: A Review and Recommendations for Management

Pregnancy is an established risk factor for the development of severe and disseminated coccidioidomycosis, particularly when infection is acquired during the later stages of gestation. Although recent studies suggest that the incidence of symptomatic coccidioidomycosis during pregnancy is decreasing and that outcome has improved, management is complicated by the observations that azole antifungal agents can be teratogenic when given to some women, particularly at high doses, early in pregnancy. This article summarizes the data on these issues and offers guidance on the management of coccidioidomycosis during pregnancy.
Observations on the theca of the motile phase of free-living and symbiotic isolates of Zooxanthella microadriatica (Freudenthal) comb.nov.

A strain of Zooxanthella microadriatica (Freudenthal) comb.nov. has been isolated from decaying Chondrus crispus (L.) Stackh. The ultrastructure of this isolate has been compared to that of Z. microadriatica inhabiting Cassiopea Peron and Lesueur, 1809, sp. In an aqueous medium the cell cycle of both isolates consists of a coccoid non-motile phase alternating with a thecate motile phase.
Failure diagnosis of discrete event systems with linear-time temporal logic fault specifications

The failure diagnosis problem of discrete event systems with linear-time temporal logic specifications is studied. Diagnosability of discrete event systems in the temporal logic setting is defined. The problem of testing diagnosability is reduced to the problem of model checking. An algorithm for the test of diagnosability and the synthesis of a diagnoser is obtained.
Learning classifiers for misuse and anomaly detection using a bag of system calls representation

In this paper, we propose a "bag of system calls" representation for intrusion detection in system call sequences and describe misuse and anomaly detection results with standard machine learning techniques on University of New Mexico (UNM) and MIT Lincoln Lab (MIT LL) system call sequences with the proposed representation. With the feature representation as input, we compare the performance of several machine learning techniques for misuse detection and show experimental results on anomaly detection. The results show that standard machine learning and clustering techniques on simple "bag of system calls" representation of system call sequences is effective and often performs better than those approaches that use foreign contiguous subsequences in detecting intrusive behaviors of compromised processes.
Join of Multiple Data Streams in Sensor Networks

Sensor networks are multihop wireless networks of resource-constrained sensor nodes used to realize high-level collaborative sensing tasks. To query or access data generated by the sensor nodes, the sensor network can be viewed as a distributed database. In this paper, we develop algorithms for communication-efficient implementation of join of multiple (two or more) data streams in a sensor network. The distributed implementation of join in sensor networks is particularly challenging due to unique characteristics of the sensor networks such as limited memory and battery energy on individual nodes, arbitrary and dynamic network topology, multihop communication, and unreliable infrastructure. One of our proposed approaches, viz., the perpendicular approach (PA), is load balanced, and in fact, incurs near-optimal communication cost for the special case of binary joins in grid networks under the assumption of uniform generation of tuples across the network. We compare the performance of our designed approaches through extensive simulations on the ns2 simulator, and show that PA results in substantially prolonging the network lifetime compared to other approaches, especially for joins involving spatial constraints.
Immune modulation by ER stress and inflammation in the tumor microenvironment.

Abstract It is now increasingly evident that the immune system represents a barrier to tumor emergence, growth, and recurrence. Although this idea was originally proposed almost 50 years ago as the “immune surveillance hypothesis”, it is commonly recognized that, with few rare exceptions, tumor cells always prevail. Thus, one of the central unsolved paradoxes of tumor immunology is how a tumor escapes immune control, which is reflected in the lack of effective autochthonous or vaccine-induced anti-tumor T cell responses. In this review, we discuss the role of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response/unfolded protein response (UPR) in the immunomodulation of myeloid cells and T cells. Specifically, we will discuss how the tumor cell UPR polarizes myeloid cells in a cell-extrinsic manner, and how in turn, thus polarized myeloid cells negatively affect T cell activation and clonal expansion.
An observational radiative constraint on hydrologic cycle intensification

The magnitude of global precipitation increase predicted by climate models has a large uncertainty that has been difficult to constrain, but much of the range in predictions is now shown to arise from shortcomings in the modelling of atmospheric absorption of shortwave radiation; if the radiative transfer algorithms controlling the absorption were more accurate, the model spread would narrow and the mean estimate could be about 40% lower. Increased precipitation is a central feature of climate model projections. But the magnitude of the increase has a large uncertainty that has been difficult to reduce or even understand. Anthony DeAngelis et al. now show that much of the range in predictions arises from a seemingly basic process: atmospheric absorption of shortwave radiation. A moistening atmosphere, as is predicted for the future, should increase precipitation due to higher humidity, however, the higher humidity should then increase shortwave absorption. The present analysis shows that, when compared to observational constraints, models simulate a too-small increase in shortwave absorption, and thus a too-large increase in precipitation. If the radiative transfer algorithms controlling the absorption could be better constrained and more standardized, the uncertainty would drop and the mean estimate would probably be about 40% lower. Intensification of the hydrologic cycle is a key dimension of climate change, with substantial impacts on human and natural systems1,2. A basic measure of hydrologic cycle intensification is the increase in global-mean precipitation per unit surface warming, which varies by a factor of three in current-generation climate models (about 1–3 per cent per kelvin)3,4,5. Part of the uncertainty may originate from atmosphere–radiation interactions. As the climate warms, increases in shortwave absorption from atmospheric moistening will suppress the precipitation increase. This occurs through a reduction of the latent heating increase required to maintain a balanced atmospheric energy budget6,7. Using an ensemble of climate models, here we show that such models tend to underestimate the sensitivity of solar absorption to variations in atmospheric water vapour, leading to an underestimation in the shortwave absorption increase and an overestimation in the precipitation increase. This sensitivity also varies considerably among models due to differences in radiative transfer parameterizations, explaining a substantial portion of model spread in the precipitation response. Consequently, attaining accurate shortwave absorption responses through improvements to the radiative transfer schemes could reduce the spread in the predicted global precipitation increase per degree warming for the end of the twenty-first century by about 35 per cent, and reduce the estimated ensemble-mean increase in this quantity by almost 40 per cent.
Postpartum Subdural Hemorrhage after Epidural Anesthesia (P05.219)

OBJECTIVE: SDH following epidural anesthesia can present with headache alone and can be associated with poor outcome. BACKGROUND: Postpartum headache can be a symptom of a potentially severe neurological disorder such as cortical venous/sinus thrombosis,subarachnoid hemorrhage,or eclampsia.Post epidural anesthesia subdural hemorrhage(PeaSDH)is a rare cause of postpartum headache,but clinicians should be aware of this cause of headache.We describe a case of PeaSDH and report it in the context of previously published cases to discern the distribution of presenting signs and symptoms as well as associated outcomes. DESIGN/METHODS: Case report and literature search utilizing Pubmed.Cases published between 1979-2011 and our case was incorporated into the review.Abstracted data included:patient demographics,reason for epidural,time to onset of headache,time to first brain imaging study,and patient outcome. RESULTS: Between 1979 and 2011, 43 cases with PeaSDH were published.Age range of patients was 15-88years old, and the majority were women (n=30; 68%).The most common indication for EA was obstetrical(n=18; 41%).The majority had headache onset by 72 hours following PeaSDH(n=32;73%).Isolated headache was present in 13(30%).Focal neurological symptoms in the remainder were variable and included hemiparesis,cranial neuropathy,seizure,papilledema,and cognitive changes.Coma or rapid progression to death occurred in 4cases(9%).Treatment included surgical drainage in 33(75%),conservative management in 11(25%). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of PeaSDH cases in women reported thus far have been associated with obstetrical delivery and procedures.Headache is typically present and headache onset is usually within the first few days following EA.Clinicians should include SDH in their differential of postpartum headache and have a low threshold to conduct a brain imaging study when they suspect its presence.PeaSDH often requires neurosurgical intervention.Delay in diagnosis may have grave consequences.SDH associated with epidural anesthesia is likely induced by accidental puncture of the dura with a resultant CSF leak.Low CSF pressure produced by this leak may lead to traction and tearing of thin-walled meningeal blood vessels in the brain. Disclosure: Dr. Kadkhodaei Elyaderani has nothing to disclose. Dr. Siliman has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as a consultant and from Teva for speaking. Dr. Silliman has received research support from Biogen Idec and Novartis.
The Role of Retinoic Acid (RA) in Spermatogonial Differentiation

Retinoic acid (RA) directs the sequential, but distinct, programs of spermatogonial differentiation and meiotic differentiation that are both essential for the generation of functional spermatozoa. These processes are functionally and temporally decoupled, as they occur in distinct cell types that arise over a week apart, both in the neonatal and adult testis. However, our understanding is limited in terms of what cellular and molecular changes occur downstream of RA exposure that prepare differentiating spermatogonia for meiotic initiation. In this review, we describe the process of spermatogonial differentiation and summarize the current state of knowledge regarding RA signaling in spermatogonia.
A Common Ocular Pathology Spheroidal Degeneration Of the Cornea and Conjunctiva

The most common corneal pathology is the development of small, white to golden spheroids located in the stroma and composed of protein, RNA, and collagen (1). These bodies can appear spontaneously in the cornea and conjunctiva of the aged or around the site of corneal and conjunctival trauma (2). The spheroids of the aged have different corneal patterns, depending on the person’s geographic location or insulting agent (3). Until an etiologic or chemical structure is known, we prefer the descriptive term of spheroid degeneration of the cornea and conjunctiva.
DNA–Protein Interaction Analysis (ChIP-Seq)

ChIP-Seq, which combines chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) with high throughput sequencing, is a powerful technology that allows for identification of genome-wide protein–DNA interactions. Interpretation of ChIP-Seq data has proven to be a complicated computational task, and multiple methods have been developed to address these challenges. This chapter begins by describing the protocol for ChIP-Seq library preparation and proper experimental design, without which computational tools would not be able to accurately capture in vivo interactions. Following a section on raw data pre-processing and data visualization, using Illumina Genome Analyzer output files as examples, general approaches taken by peak-calling tools are described. GLITR, a powerful peak-calling tool that utilizes a large set of control data to accurately identify regions that are bound in ChIP-Seq data, is then explained in detail. Finally, an approach for functional interpretation of ChIP-Seq peaks is discussed.
Using role-play in online negotiation teaching

Matz and Ebner consider the impending collision between teachers’ strong desire to use role-play and other simulation exercises, and the rise of online teaching, in which the students may never see each other. They outline a series of tools that might bring the central advantages of using simulations to electronically mediated courses.
Increased Responsiveness of Ventral Tegmental Area Dopamine Neurons to Glutamate after Repeated Administration of Cocaine or Amphetamine Is Transient and Selectively Involves AMPA Receptors

It is well established that behavioral sensitization to psychomotor stimulants is associated with adaptations in the mesoaccumbens dopamine (DA) system. We showed previously that the responsiveness of ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neurons to glutamate was significantly enhanced in amphetamine- and cocaine-pretreated rats tested after 3 days of withdrawal, which suggests that adaptations in excitatory amino acid transmission also contribute to sensitization. The purpose of the present study was to determine the subtype of excitatory amino acid receptor responsible for this effect and to examine its persistence during withdrawal. Extracellular single cell recording and microiontophoresis were used to investigate possible alterations in the ability of glutamate agonists [(S)-alpha-amino-3- hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (1S,3R-t-ACPD)] to stimulate the firing of VTA DA neurons after 3 days of withdrawal from repeated administration of saline, cocaine or amphetamine. Current-response curves showed that responses to iontophoretic AMPA, but not NMDA or 1S,3R-t-ACPD were significantly enhanced in cocaine- or amphetamine-pretreated rats in that neurons entered into a state of apparent depolarization block at significantly lower iontophoretic currents. When rats were tested for responsiveness to iontophoretic glutamate after 14 days of withdrawal, there was no significant difference between cocaine- or amphetamine- and saline-pretreated rats with respect to glutamate current-response curves. These results suggest that increased responsiveness of AMPA receptors on VTA DA neurons may contribute to sensitization at early withdrawal times, but that this alteration, like others described within the VTA, is transient.
The role of transforming growth factor beta in glioma progression.

This review examines the apparently paradoxical conversion of transforming growth factor β's (TGFβ) regulatory role as a growth inhibitor among normal glial cells to that of a progression factor among glioblastomas (GM). In vitro, TGFβ functions as an autocrine growth inhibitor of near-diploid gliomas of any grade. In contrast, hyperdiploid glioblastoma multiforme (HD-GM) cultures proliferate in response to TGFβ, which is mediated by induction of platelet-derived growth factor B chain (PDGF-BB). The dominant hypothesis of TGFβ's pathogenetic association with malignant transformation has been predicated upon acquisition of resistance to its growth inhibitory effects. However, the lack of obvious correlation with TGFβ receptor (TβR) expression (or loss) between the HD-GM and the TGFβ-inhibited GM cultures suggests the existence of intrinsically opposed regulatory mechanisms influenced by TGFβ. The mechanism of conversion might be explained either by the loss of a putative tumor suppressor gene (TSG) which mediates TGFβ's inhibition of growth or by enhancement of an active oncogenic pathway among the HD-GM. The frequency of mutations within glioma-associated TSG, such as TP53 and RB, suggests that defects in TGFβ's inhibitory signaling pathway may have analogous effects in the progression to HD-GM, and TGFβ's conversion to a mitogen. Alternative sites of inactivation which might explain the loss of TGFβ's inhibitory effect include inactivating mutation/loss of the TβR type II, alterations in post-receptor signal transmission or the cyclin/cyclin dependent kinase system which regulates the phosphorylation of pRB. Loss or inactivation of a glial TSG with a consequent failure of inhibition appears to allow TGFβ's other constitutive effects, such as induction of c-sis, to become functionally dominant. Mechanistically, TGFβ's conversion from autocrine inhibitor to mitogen promotes 'clonal dominance' by conferring a Darwinian advantage to the hyperdiploid subpopulations through qualitative and quantitative differences in its modulation of PDGF-A and c-sis, with concomitant paracrine inhibition of competing, near-diploid elements. Abbreviations: transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) and receptor (TβR); retinoblastoma gene (RB) and protein (pRB); platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and receptor (PDGFR); epidermal growth factor (EGF) and receptor (EGFR); fibroblast growth factor (FGF); malignant glioma (MG), astrocytoma (AST), anaplastic astrocytoma (AAST), glioblastoma (GM); hyperdiploid glioblastoma (HD-GM); glioblastoma multiforme (GM); normal rat kidney (NRK); tumor suppressor gene (TSG); loss of heterozygosity (LOH); TP53 wild type (TP53wt); TP53 mutant (TP53m)
Spezielle Sperrtechniken für Nicht-Standard-Anwendungen

Nachdem im vorangegangenen Kapitel 4.1 gezeigt wurde, das Sperrverfahren, die auf der Verwendung von logischen Sperrgranulaten basieren, fur die Verwendung in Nicht-Standard-Datenbanksystemen am geeignetsten sind, werden in den folgenden Kapiteln Losungen fur die in Kapitel 4.2 aufgezeigten Probleme, die auch diese Sperrverfahren noch bereiten, vorgeschlagen.
Marginality and Integrative Management Positions

The marginality component of personality appears appropriate for men who hold integrative management positions. Research reveals an association between the Self-Other Orientation measure of margina...
Effect of spanwise flexibility on propulsion performance of a flapping hydrofoil at low Reynolds number

Spanwise flexibility is a key factor influencing propulsion performance of pectoral foils. Performances of bionic fish with oscillating pectoral foils can be enhanced by properly selecting the spanwise flexibility. The influence law of spanwise flexibility on thrust generation and propulsion efficiency of a rectangular hydro-foil is discussed. Series foils constructed by the two-component silicon rubber are developed. NACA0015 shape of chordwise cross-section is employed. The foils are strengthened by fin rays of different rigidity to realize variant spanwise rigidity and almost the same chordwise flexibility. Experiments on a towing platform developed are carried out at low Reynolds numbers of 10 000, 15 000, and 20 000 and Strouhal numbers from 0.1 to 1. The following experimental results are achieved: (1) The average forward thrust increases with the St number increased; (2) Certain degree of spanwise flexibility is beneficial to the forward thrust generation, but the thrust gap is not large for the fins of different spanwise rigidity; (3) The fin of the maximal spanwise flexibility owns the highest propulsion efficiency; (4) Effect of the Reynolds number on the propulsion efficiency is significant. The experimental results can be utilized as a reference in deciding the spanwise flexibility of bionic pectoral fins in designing of robotic fish prototype propelled by flapping-wing.
Survey on vaccination rates of national immunization program in Miyun county of Beijing,2004-2012

Objective To understand the vaccination rates of national immunization program among children in Miyun County of Beijing through surveys during nine years. Methods The data of vaccination rate surveys during 2004- 2012 were collected and analyzed descriptively. Results The qualified rates of primary vaccination for children fully vaccinated by five vaccines were more than 95%. The timely immunization rates for children vaccinated by four vaccines were higher than 85%.The primary qualified rates of hepatitis A vaccine were increased by years. However,the timely vaccination rates of all four vaccines had decreasing tendency. Conclusion Although all five vaccines qualified rates and all four vaccines timely rates reach the standard level,there were still issues which needed to be improved.
Inhibition of murine natural killer cell differentiation by dehydroepiandrosterone.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a naturally occurring steroid. We have previously shown that dietary DHEA (0.45% wt/wt) inhibits murine lymphopoiesis but not myelopoiesis. To assess the effect of DHEA on stages of natural killer (NK) cell differentiation, lethally irradiated mice fed DHEA or not were infused with 10(6) or 20 x 10(6) syngeneic bone marrow cells (BMC) as a source of transplantable NK cell progenitors. The differentiation of progenitor cells to lytic NK cells was assessed by the ability to clear radiolabeled YAC-1 tumor cells from the lungs. DHEA-fed recipients of 10(6) or 20 x 10(6) BMC failed to generate NK activity. Because NK progenitor cells are believed to differentiate into interleukin-2 (IL-2)-responsive precursor cells before maturation, BMC from recipient mice were cultured with IL-2 and the generation of NK cells was assessed. DHEA feeding prevented the generation of IL-2-responsive precursor cells in recipients of 10(6) BMC, but this inhibition was overcome in recipients of 20 x 10(6) BMC. To evaluate the capacity of stem cells to generate NK progenitor cells in DHEA-fed mice, the ability of marrow cells from primary recipients to generate NK activity in irradiated secondary recipients was determined. The production of NK progenitors was inhibited 20-fold. Thus, DHEA appears to inhibit the generation of NK progenitors from more primitive stem cells, the differentiation of progenitors into IL-2- responsive precursors cells and the maturation of IL-2-responsive precursor cells into mature NK cells.
Do Immigrants Underutilize Optometry Services

Purpose To characterize utilization of office-based optometry services by immigration status using a nationally representative database. Methods The 2007 to 2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey is used to examine adults aged 18 years and older. Respondents were classified as US natives, naturalized citizens, and noncitizens. Multivariate logistic regression analysis examined the relationship of having visited an office-based optometrist within the past 12 months by immigrant status, adjusting for age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, marital status, self-reported vision difficulty, use of corrective lenses, poverty status, insurance, language barrier and usual source of care. Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition identified factors that perpetuate or ameliorate disparities in utilization across immigrant groups. Results The proportion of US natives who had visited an optometrist within the past year was 7.2%, almost three times higher than that for noncitizens (2.5%). Among respondents who reported vision difficulties, only 47.9% of noncitizens used corrective lenses compared with 71.0% of naturalized citizens and 71.6% of US natives. Adjusting for confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression showed that naturalized citizens and noncitizen residents had significantly lower odds than US natives of receiving optometry services (naturalized citizen adjusted odds ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.66 to 0.89; noncitizen adjusted odds ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.36 to 0.53). Decomposition analysis suggested that 17% of the disparity in utilization between noncitizens and US natives resulted from barriers to care such as language barriers, poverty, lack of insurance, and not having a usual source of health care. Conclusions Prior literature suggests that immigrants have significantly poorer clinical vision outcomes than US natives. Our findings suggest that this disparity in clinical vision outcomes may result from underutilization of optometry services by immigrants compared with US natives. Immigrant patients may need targeted interventions that reduce barriers to care and change their perceptions so that regular eye care services are viewed as necessary and preventative.
Gene Expression Analysis of Neurons and Astrocytes Isolated by Laser Capture Microdissection from Frozen Human Brain Tissues

Different cell types and multiple cellular connections characterize the human brain. Gene expression analysis using a specific population of cells is more accurate than conducting analysis of the whole tissue homogenate, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative diseases, where a specific subset of cells is affected by the different pathology. Due to the difficulty to obtain homogenous cell populations, gene expression in specific cell-types (neurons, astrocytes, etc.) has been understudied. To leverage the use of archive resources of frozen human brains in studies of neurodegenerative diseases, we developed and calibrated a method to quantify cell-type specific – neuronal, astrocytes – expression profiles of genes implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Archive human frozen brain tissues were used to prepare slides for rapid immunostaining using cell-specific antibodies. The immunoreactive-cells were isolated by Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM). The enrichment for a particular cell-type of interest was validated in post-analysis stage by the expression of cell-specific markers. We optimized the technique to preserve the RNA integrity, so that the RNA was suitable for downstream expression analyses. Following RNA extraction, the expression levels were determined digitally using nCounter Single Cell Gene Expression assay (NanoString Technologies®). The results demonstrated that using our optimized technique we successfully isolated single neurons and astrocytes from human frozen brain tissues and obtained RNA of a good quality that was suitable for mRNA expression analysis. We present here new advancements compared to previous reported methods, which improve the method’s feasibility and its applicability for a variety of downstream molecular analyses. Our new developed method can be implemented in genetic and functional genomic research of neurodegenerative diseases and has the potential to significantly advance the field.
Reconstruction of the phonon relaxation times using solutions of the Boltzmann transport equation

We present a method for reconstructing the phonon relaxation time distribution ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\ensuremath{\omega}}=\ensuremath{\tau}(\ensuremath{\omega})$ (including polarization) in a material from thermal spectroscopy data. The distinguishing feature of this approach is that it does not make use of the effective thermal conductivity concept and associated approximations. The reconstruction is posed as an optimization problem in which the relaxation times ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\ensuremath{\omega}}=\ensuremath{\tau}(\ensuremath{\omega})$ are determined by minimizing the discrepancy between the experimental relaxation traces and solutions of the Boltzmann transport equation for the same problem. The latter may be analytical, in which case the procedure is very efficient, or numerical. The proposed method is illustrated using Monte Carlo solutions of thermal grating relaxation as synthetic experimental data. The reconstruction is shown to agree very well with the relaxation times used to generate the synthetic Monte Carlo data and remains robust in the presence of uncertainty (noise).
The Early British Idealists and the Metaphysics of the Self

In the mid-nineteenth century James Frederick Ferrier, John Grote and James Hutchison Stirling offered idealist accounts of reality that anticipated the influential school of British Idealism later developed by philosophers such as Green and Bradley. These early idealisms included accounts of the self in opposition to the Enlightenment picture of humanity that derived from the “science of man”. The most extensive account was provided by Ferrier, who argued that self-consciousness is the constant concomitant of all experience and the peculiar and defining feature of a person. Whilst offering broadly similar idealist accounts, Grote and Stirling differed from Ferrier in their treatment of other minds. Ferrier’s account of the self must be understood in individualistic terms, while Grote and Stirling allowed for the communality of consciousness.
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Are Protective in Acute but Not in Chronic Models of Ototoxicity

Previous studies have reported that modification of histones alters aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death and hearing loss. In this study, we investigated three FDA-approved histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (vorinostat/SAHA, belinostat, and panobinostat) as protectants against aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity in murine cochlear explants and in vivo in both guinea pigs and CBA/J mice. Individually, all three HDAC inhibitors reduced gentamicin (GM)-induced hair cell loss in a dose-dependent fashion in explants. In vivo, however, treatment with SAHA attenuated neither GM-induced hearing loss and hair cell loss in guinea pigs nor kanamycin (KM)-induced hearing loss and hair cell loss in mice under chronic models of ototoxicity. These findings suggest that treatment with the HDAC inhibitor SAHA attenuates aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity in an acute model, but not in chronic models, cautioning that one cannot rely solely on in vitro experiments to test the efficacy of otoprotectant compounds.