cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunological Mechanisms Mediating Hantavirus Persistence in Rodent Reservoirs

Hantaviruses, similar to several emerging zoonotic viruses, persistently infect their natural reservoir hosts, without causing overt signs of disease. Spillover to incidental human hosts results in morbidity and mortality mediated by excessive proinflammatory and cellular immune responses. The mechanisms mediating the persistence of hantaviruses and the absence of clinical symptoms in rodent reservoirs are only starting to be uncovered. Recent studies indicate that during hantavirus infection, proinflammatory and antiviral responses are reduced and regulatory responses are elevated at sites of increased virus replication in rodents. The recent discovery of structural and non-structural proteins that suppress type I interferon responses in humans suggests that immune responses in rodent hosts could be mediated directly by the virus. Alternatively, several host factors, including sex steroids, glucocorticoids, and genetic factors, are reported to alter host susceptibility and may contribute to persistence of hantaviruses in rodents. Humans and reservoir hosts differ in infection outcomes and in immune responses to hantavirus infection; thus, understanding the mechanisms mediating viral persistence and the absence of disease in rodents may provide insight into the prevention and treatment of disease in humans. Consideration of the coevolutionary mechanisms mediating hantaviral persistence and rodent host survival is providing insight into the mechanisms by which zoonotic viruses have remained in the environment for millions of years and continue to be transmitted to humans.
The clinical usage of heparin

Abstract Heparin, an endogenous biochemical polysaccharide, is a direct antithrombin. It acts as a clearing factor, a lipase enzyme activator, an antiinflammatory agent and an antihistamine substance. The greatest therapeutic effect of heparin is in the treatment of venous thromboembolic disease, coronary artery diseases, polycythemia, embolic phenomena associated with valvular or other intracardiac defects, and in surgery of the circulatory system. Heparin is administered by the intravenous or subcutaneous routes—never intramuscularly. When used as an anticoagulant, the dosage is sufficient to maintain the coagulation time at two times the normal just prior to the administration of the next dosage. In acute myocardial infarction, and in long term therapy, the mortality and the thromboembolic phenomena are markedly reduced. The occurrence of significant hemorrhage is minimal. The side effects are few. The contraindications are serious liver and kidney disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, blood dyscrasias and neurocerebral injury.
Synthetic replication of American contingent claims when portfolios are constrained

Abstract This article studies the problem of synthetically replicating an American Contingent Claim (ACC) using constrained portfolio policies. In particular, the asset mix of the replicating portfolio strategy must be maintained in a convex constraint set. Using the method of auxiliary markets of Cvitanic and Karatzas (1992), we characterize the unique replicating portfolio—consumption strategy and provide an upper bound for the fair market value of the claim. We also discuss the optimal time to exercise the claim.
On the Magnitude of Electronic Charges

A charged point particle is characterized first by its classical rest energy,є0 = mc 2, second by the characteristic wave period t 0 = 4π e 2 /3mc 3that occurs in the classical formula φ T / φ∞ = [1 + (t 0/ T)2]-1 for the ratio of the scattering cross section for light of period T compared with the Thomson cross section φ∞ for light of period,∞. Quantum theory asks that the product є0 t 0 be as small as h/210 as the smallest eigenvalue of aproper value problem. The classical values of є0 and t 0 together with their quantum product yield the value α ≈ 1/140 for Sommerfeld’s finestructure constant.The discrepancy may be due to our classical treatment of the interaction between light and charged matter. The Lorentz invariance of the energy transmission coefficient R T = φ T ,/φ∞ makes R T apt to serve asareduction factor in the theory of radiation for avoiding the usualinfinities. As a first example, theenergy reduction R T leads to a modified Coulomb energy together with a finite electrostatic self-energy corresponding to an electrostatic massm stat= m.
Semantic annotation of biosystematics literature without training examples

This article presents an unsupervised algorithm for semantic annotation of morphological descriptions of whole organisms. The algorithm is able to annotate plain text descriptions with high accuracy at the clause level by exploiting the corpus itself. In other words, the algorithm does not need lexicons, syntactic parsers, training examples, or annotation templates. The evaluation on two real-life description collections in botany and paleontology shows that the algorithm has the following desirable features: (a) reduces-eliminates manual labor required to compile dictionaries and prepare source documents; (b) improves annotation coverage: the algorithm annotates what appears in documents and is not limited by predefined and often incomplete templates; (c) learns clean and reusable concepts: the algorithm learns organ names and character states that can be used to construct reusable domain lexicons, as opposed to collection-dependent patterns whose applicability is often limited to a particular collection; (d) insensitive to collection size; and (e) runs in linear time with respect to the number of clauses to be annotated. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identification of a protein that recognizes a distal negative regulatory element within the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat.

Abstract The mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) long terminal repeat contains a distal negative regulatory element (dNRE) that selectively represses activity of the proviral promoter in the absence of steroid hormone receptor-mediated activation. A protein, termed MMTV NRE-binding protein 1 (MNBP-1), that recognizes long terminal repeat sequences between −433 and −418 was identified by gel electrophoresis mobility shift assays and methylation interference footprinting in nuclear extracts of HeLa and Ltk − cells. Mutations within the defined binding site affect dNRE-mediated promoter repression in vivo. MNBP-1 has an apparent molecular mass of approximately 100 kDa as determined by gel filtration chromatography.
Deformations in composite shells of revolution under axisymmetric and thermal loads

Numerous papers have been published dealing with stresses and deforma tions in composite cylinders. However, none of them included thermoelastic analysis and spherical geometry. In the present paper, deformations in balanced laminated shells of rev olution subjected to internal pressure and thermal loads were studied using the membrane theory. The results for a special case of spherical shells show that membrane theory is sufficient in predicting the deformed shapes of laminated shells with identical axial and transverse stiffnesses, which are common in many engineering applications. Deformations in laminates with different axial and transverse stiffnesses become unbounded at the poles which indicate that, for such class of laminates, the stress buildup at the tip point cannot be balanced by membrane forces alone.
Immunoperoxidase staining of cerebrospinal fluid IgG in isoelectric focusing gels: A sensitive new technique

An isoelectric focusing (IEF) technique using direct peroxidase or peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) overlay staining for detection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) oligoclonal IgG is described. The method involves chemical fixation of all proteins in the gel followed by application of peroxidase coupled antiserum as a specific stain. The direct peroxidase system is 4 times and the PAP system 8 times as sensitive as Coomassie blue staining after standard IEF or Coomassie blue staining of immunofixed gels. As little as 0.5 microgram (direct peroxidase) or 0.3 microgram (PAP) of IgG can be detected. Direct peroxidase staining of IgG in IEF gels can be used to examine unconcentrated CSF, with banding patterns similar to those obtained by Coomassie blue staining after standard IEF of concentrated CSF.
The crystal and molecular structure of the tetrameric nickel(II) complex of 7-hydroxy-4-methyl-5-azahept-4-en-2-one, [Ni(C7H11NO2)(CH3OH)]4

Abstract The structure of the green methanolate of the nickel(III) complex of 7-hydroxy-4-methyl-5-azahept- 4-en-2-one (the dianion of the ligand is represented by EIA in formulas), Ni(EIA)(CH30H), has been determined by a single crystal X-ray diffraction study. The compound crystallizes as orthorhombic crystals (a = 12.319(4) A, b = 25.91(3) A, and c = 15.152(4) A of space group P212121 with 16 formula units (monomeric) per unit cell. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined by least-squares methods to R = 0.056 and Rw = 0.049 for 2829 independent, non-zero reflections. The structure consists of tetrameric, cubane-like complexes with alkoxide oxygen atoms and octahedrallycoordinated nickel(II) atoms at the corners of a cube. The cube is slightly distorted with eight short Ni-O distances (2.020-2.055 A] and two pairs of longer, mutually perpendicular Ni-O distances (2.112- 2.130 A).
Components of culture: nature, interconnections, and relevance to the decisions on the organization structure

Culture is defined in terms of components and parts. The logical nature of the components and of the connections between them are identified and analyzed. These connections are used as a basis for the argument that there is a meaningful concept of the fit between the components of the organization structure and those of its cultural setting. This concept of fit is defined and the values it may logically take are identified. A theory on the goodness and badness of fit between structure components and culture components is discussed and two of its many pieces are developed in detail.
Discounting older data

This article describes two general methods for discounting older data in the real-time analysis of a data stream. In the first method, the distribution of a data stream is estimated by a series of orthogonal basis functions, and the coefficients of this estimate are updated as new data arrive by combining windowing and exponential smoothing techniques. The second method involves sequential hypothesis testing. When new data arrive, test significance level is adjusted by alpha-investing, which raises or reduces the significance level of subsequent hypothesis tests on the basis of whether the previous hypothesis test rejects or fails to reject the null hypothesis. Both these methods are nonparametric in nature. WIREs Comp Stat 2011 3 30–33 DOI: 10.1002/wics.134 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website
Strength gains in obese females are unaffected by moderate dietary restriction.

This study examined the effects of dietary restriction on strength gains from whole body resistance training. Comparisons were made between diet-restricted (n=12) and non-diet-restricted (n=10) obese women (mean±SD, 36.7±7.0% fat) undergoing identical 8-week resistance training regimens. Diet-restricted subjects reduced their dietary intake by 4200 kJ/day and reduced body mass by 3.9 kg over 8 weeks. Tenrepetition maximum masses were compared between the groups on biweekly intervals. Results indicated no differences between the groups with respect to the rate or magnitude of strength gains for any of the eight exercises. Significant pre- to post-test increases in strength (p<0.05) were found for all eight exercises. The rate or magnitude of strength gains induced by resistance training does not appear to be affected by moderate dietary restrictions in obese females.
R symmetry and the μ problem

A natural origin for the μ and μB parameters of weak scale supersymmetric theories is proposed, applicable to any supersymmetry breaking messenger scale between the weak and Planck scales. Although quite general, it requires supersymmetric interactions to respect an R symmetry with definite quantum numbers, and it requires some new scale of symmetry breaking. The required R symmetry distinguishes the Higgs boson from the sneutrino, preserves baryon number in operators of dimension four and five, and contains R parity so that the lightest superpartner is stable. This origin for μ works for a variety of mediation mechanisms, including gauge mediation, gaugino mediation, and boundary condition breaking of supersymmetry. In any of these mediation schemes, our mechanism leads to a real B parameter, and the supersymmetric CP problem is solved. This R symmetry may naturally arise from supersymmetric theories in higher dimensions.
Evaluating the Use of Tricationic Reagents for the Detection of Doubly Charged Anions in the Positive Mode by ESI-MS

The analysis of anions remains an important task for many areas of science, and new sensitive analytical methods continue to be of great interest. In this study, we present the use of 17 tricationic reagents for use as gas-phase ion pairing agents for divalent anions. When the anion pairs with the tricationic reagent, an overall positive charge is retained and enables detection by ESI-MS in the positive mode. The 17 tricationic reagents were made from 1 of 4 core structures and 7 terminal charged groups. The effect of these structural elements on the detection sensitivity of the complex is examined empirically. A comparison of signal-to-noise ratios achieved in positive and negative modes also is presented.
SAS macros for confidence interval estimation for CHD risk prediction by different survival models

Keaven Andersen et al. (Amer. Heart. J. 121(1) (1990) 293) described an accelerated failure time model to develop prediction equations and also confidence intervals for different cardiovascular disease endpoints. The model that Andersen presented was parametric but contained a non-proportionality component and therefore was preferred over Cox proportional hazards regression if the baseline proportional hazards assumption was not met. A macro is presented here for Andersen's confidence interval estimation around the predicted probability, and two other macros were developed for the Cox model and for the Weibull model. This article reviews these three methods, applies these models to data from the Framingham Heart Study, and describes an implementation in SAS to estimate these models.
Differential regulation of kainate receptor trafficking by phosphorylation of distinct sites on GluR6.

Kainate receptors are widely expressed in the brain, and are present at pre- and postsynaptic sites where they play a prominent role in synaptic plasticity and the regulation of network activity. Within individual neurons, kainate receptors of different subunit compositions are targeted to various locations where they serve distinct functional roles. Despite this complex targeting, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms regulating kainate receptor subunit trafficking. Here we investigate the role of phosphorylation in the trafficking of the GluR6 kainate receptor subunit. We identify two specific residues on the GluR6 C terminus, Ser846 and Ser868, which are phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) and dramatically regulate GluR6 surface expression. By using GluR6 containing phosphomimetic and nonphosphorylatable mutations for these sites expressed in heterologous cells or in neurons lacking endogenous GluR6, we show that phosphorylation of Ser846 or Ser868 regulates receptor trafficking through the biosynthetic pathway. Additionally, Ser846 phosphorylation dynamically regulates endocytosis of GluR6 at the plasma membrane. Our findings thus demonstrate that phosphorylation of PKC sites on GluR6 regulates surface expression of GluR6 at distinct intracellular trafficking pathways, providing potential molecular mechanisms for the PKC-dependent regulation of synaptic kainate receptor function observed during various forms of synaptic plasticity.
Water-Soluble Camptothecin Derivatives that Are Intrinsic Topoisomerase I Poisons

[structure: see text] In an effort to improve the water solubility of camptothecin, four 20-O-phosphate and phosphonate analogues have been prepared. These analogues are freely water soluble, stable at physiological pH, and stabilize the human topoisomerase I-DNA covalent binary complex with the same sequence selectivity as camptothecin itself. All four compounds inhibited the growth of yeast expressing human topoisomerase I in an enzyme-dependent fashion.
The use of a Berlin Heart EXCOR LVAD in a child receiving chemotherapy for Castleman's disease.

We present the unique case of a pediatric patient who received chemotherapy for a diagnosis of CD, while mechanically supported with a Berlin EXCOR LVAD secondary to restrictive cardiomyopathy. A four-yr-old previously healthy male with restrictive cardiomyopathy required MCS after cardiac arrest but was diagnosed with multicentric CD, a non-malignant lymphoproliferative disorder fueled by excessive IL-6 production. Treatment with IL-6 blockade (tocilizumab) every two wk and methylprednisolone had no effect on his lymph nodes or cardiac function while on temporary RotaFlow. A Berlin LVAD was placed for treatment with rituximab, COP, vincristine, and methylprednisolone. After three courses of chemotherapy, his inflammatory markers normalized and his lymphadenopathy decreased but cardiac function remained severely depressed. He tolerated chemotherapy on the Berlin but required frequent titrations of his anti-coagulation regimen and he did suffer a hemorrhagic stroke. His clinical status improved significantly with rehabilitation, and he tolerated heart transplantation without further complications. MCS is a feasible option as a bridge to recovery or heart transplant eligibility for patients with hemodynamic collapse requiring chemotherapy but it does necessitate close titration of the anti-coagulation regimen to coincide with changes in the inflammatory state.
Perceived Benefits Experienced in Support Groups for Chinese Families of Children with Disabilities.

Parent support groups have been considered an important channel for families of children with disabilities who seek support and resources. Given the view of family privacy in many diverse cultures, it is unknown whether or not parents from diverse backgrounds can receive the same benefits as parents from the dominant culture. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine what influenced 15 Chinese parents of children with disabilities in their decisions to participate in support groups and to investigate their perceive benefits of being in support groups. Results suggested that Chinese parents wanted to meet and share knowledge with other Chinese families of children with disabilities due to cultural and language challenges they experienced. Their support group participation led them to develop a sense of belonging and to feel confident and empowered when handling issues regarding their children with disabilities. Implications for future research are discussed.
A Low-Frequency Versatile Wireless Power Transfer Technology for Biomedical Implants

Implantable biomedical sensors and actuators are highly desired in modern medicine. In many cases, the implant's electrical power source profoundly determines its overall size and performance. The inductively coupled coil pair operating at the radio-frequency (RF) has been the primary method for wirelessly delivering electrical power to implants for the last three decades. Recent designs significantly improve the power delivery efficiency by optimizing the operating frequency, coil size and coil distance. However, RF radiation hazard and tissue absorption are the concerns in the RF wireless power transfer technology (RF-WPTT) [4], [5]. Also, it requires an accurate impedance matching network that is sensitive to operating environments between the receiving coil and the load for efficient power delivery. In this paper, a novel low-frequency wireless power transfer technology (LF-WPTT) using rotating rare-earth permanent magnets is demonstrated. The LF-WPTT is able to deliver 2.967 W power at ~ 180 Hz to an 117.1 Ω resistor over 1 cm distance with 50% overall efficiency. Because of the low operating frequency, RF radiation hazard and tissue absorption are largely avoided, and the power delivery efficiency from the receiving coil to the load is independent of the operating environment. Also, there is little power loss observed in the LF-WPTT when the receiving coil is enclosed by non-magnetic implant-grade stainless steel.
Human basophils express CD22 without expression of CD19

Background: Even modern automatic cell counters cannot count basophils precisely. Therefore, we need a rapid, accurate, precise, and easy method for counting basophils. Methods: Using flow cytometry, basophils (CD22+/CD19-) and B cells (CD22+/CD19+) were counted. Within a large lymphocyte light scatter gate, % basophils (G%baso) and % B cells (G%B) were determined from the total count. Another method of analysis was to make two regions (R1 for basophils and R2 for B cells) and to determine in those the % basophils (R1%baso) and % B cells (R2%B) without gating. The flow cytometric basophil counts of the blood of 21 normal controls and 43 chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients were compared with manual basophil count (Ma%baso) and basophil count by Coulter electronic cell counter (Hialeah, FL) (Auto%baso). CD22+/CD19- cells were sorted by a FACSCalibur (Becton Dickinson, San Jose, CA). Results: The G%baso of all samples was 4.66 ± 5.35%, and R1%baso was 4.23 ± 4.88%, and they were well-correlated (r = 0.996, P < 0.001). The G%B of all samples was 1.55 ± 1.68%, and R2%B was 1.59 ± 1.67%, and they were also well-correlated (r = 0.993, P < 0.001). Their correlation was better in normal controls than in CML. G%baso was well-correlated to Ma%baso (r = 0.827) and Auto%baso (r = 0.806), and R1%baso was well-correlated to Ma%baso (r = 0.831) but showed poor correlation to Auto%baso (r = 0.734). Auto%baso revealed the poorest correlation to Ma%baso (r = 0.692). The sorted CD22+/CD19- cells were all basophils (99.48 ± 0.30%), and they revealed CD13, CD33, and dim CD45 expression, whereas CD3, CD14, CD16, and HLA-DR were not detected on them. Conclusions: We discovered a specific marker combination to identify basophils (CD22+/CD19-), and we suggest that flow cytometric analysis using these markers is an easy, reliable, and accurate method of basophil counting. Cytometry 37:178–183, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Altered spontaneous behavior and sensitivity to apomorphine in rats following pretreatment with S(+)-aporphines or fluphenazine.

Rats were pretreated for 2 weeks with similarly effective doses of the typical neuroleptic fluphenazine (FPZ) or the experimental weak partial D2 agonists S(+)N-n-propylnorapomorphine (NPA) and S(+)11-hydroxy-N-n-propylnoraporphine (11-OH-NPa). Spontaneous and dopamine (DA) agonist (apomorphine; APO) stimulated stereotyped behaviors or locomotion, and interactions with APO were evaluated over the following 2 weeks. While FPZ induced marked supersensitivity in APO stereotypy, (+)NPA showed no significant change, and (+)11-OH-NPa produced only a small, transient increase in response; NPA also lacked a supersensitizing effect on locomotor arousal induced by APO. The time-course of stereotyped responses to APO following pretreatment with FLZ included a marked increase following FPZ that became maximal at day 5 and normalized by day 9; there was a parallel reduction of acute antistereotypy efficacy of FPZ. (+)11-OH-NPa had similar, but much lesser and shorter-lived effects. Spontaneous locomotion was markedly depressed following FPZ, recovered in 1 week, exceeded controls at day 9, and returned to baseline by day 11; (+)11-OH-NPa, again, had similar but smaller effects. Acute effects of FPZ to reduce spontaneous or APO-induced locomotion were greater after FPZ pretreatment and normalized within a week; (+)11-OH-NPa had a similar but smaller effect. Locomotor arousal by APO was altered inconsistently in the week after pretreatment with FPZ or (+)11-OH-NPa. Thus, FPZ appeared to induce tolerance and supersensitivity in central DA systems, most clearly seen following a several-day period to eliminate the drug. In contrast, the S(+)aporphines had negligible, or minor and transient, effects of a similar kind. These findings support proposals of S(+)aporphines or other D2 partial agonists as potential atypical antipsychotic agents with low risk of inducing long-term adaptive changes in DA receptor sensitivity associated with typical neuroleptic agents.
Anatomical evidence for interactions between catecholamine- and adrenocorticotropin-containing neurons.

Abstract Recent studies suggest that neurons containing adrenocorticotropin and catecholamines are localized to similar areas of the brain. In this immunocytochemical study, the distributions of neurons and terminals containing adrenocorticotropin and tyrosine hydroxylase, the first enzyme in the catecholamine biosynthetic pathway, were compared using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique. Neurons containing adrenocorticotropin and tyrosine hydroxylase formed overlapping hyperbolic lamina in the mediobasal hypothalamus. Although adrenocorticotropin and tyrosine hydroxylase containing neurons often formed small clusters, no double labeled cells were observed. Overlap also occurred between adrenocorticotropin and tyrosine hydroxylase terminal fields in several diencephalic nuclei including the periventricular hypothalamic gray and paraventricular thalamus. In contrast, other regions displayed striking compartmentalization of terminal fields; for example, in both the paraventricular hypothalamus and central nucleus of the amygdala, adrenocorticotropin was located in ventral and tyrosine hydroxylase in more dorsal aspects of the nuclei. Adjacent sections also showed a close correspondence between adrenocorticotropin terminals and tyrosine hydroxylase cell bodies in paraventricular, periventricular, dorsomedial and ventral hypothalamic nuclei. These data provide anatomical substrates for potential functional interactions between catecholamine and adrenocorticotropin systems in forebrain.
Absence of brain spectrin(240/235) in dendrites of mammalian brain.

Spectrin is a major cytoskeletal component of the brain. At least 3 distinct spectrin subtypes are found in mammalian brain: brain spectrin(240/235) which is confined mainly to axons, brain spectrin(240/235E) which is localized largely in neural cell bodies and dendrites, and brain spectrin(240/235A) which is associated only with astrocytes. Recently, Ivy et al. reported that brain spectrin (240/235) was located in dendrites when tissues were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde. To evaluate this matter further, rat cerebellar cortex prepared with and without aldehydes was stained with antibodies to brain spectrin(240/235) and examined using peroxidase (4-chloro-1-naphthol or avidin-biotin) or rhodamine to visualize the primary antibody. The preparations (10 microns and 40 microns sections) showed that brain spectrin(240/235) resided largely in axons with occasional staining of neuronal soma (Purkinje cells), but was not observed in dendrites. These results confirm earlier reports [e.g., (10,12)] showing the discrete compartmentalization of brain spectrin(240/235) in axons and cell bodies.
An investigation of the effects of stress ratio and crack closure on the micromechanisms of fatigue crack growth in Ti-6Al-4V

Abstract The effects of positive stress ratios on the fatigue crack growth behavior of a forged, mill-annealed Ti-6Al-4V alloy (with a duplex α + β microstructure) are discussed. Differences between fatigue crack growth rates at low and high stress ratios are shown to be due largely to crack closure. A 1% offset procedure is shown to collapse “closure corrected” low stress ratio data with the “closure-free” high stress ratio data. A three parameter multiple regression model is developed for the prediction of the fatigue crack growth rate as a function of stress ratio, crack closure and stress intensify factor range for Ti-6Al-4V. The micromechanisms of fatigue crack growth in the near-threshold and Paris regimes are elucidated via crack tip transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Crack tip TEM shows that Stage II fatigue crack growth in Ti-6Al-4V is crystallographic in nature. Stage II cracks are shown to unzip along intersecting slip bands that are induced as a result of shear localization. The unzipping crack growth mechanism observed in polycrystalline Ti-6Al-4V is shown to be consistent with Neumann's “alternating slip” model for the information of striations in single crystals. © 1997 Acta Metallurgica Inc .
Graeco-Arabic Studies in Classical Near Eastern Studies: An Emerging Field of Training in Its Broader Institutional Context

This brief prospectus addresses the potential and need to realize the full growth of Graeco-Arabic Studies as a field of training and as a part of a broad and inclusive Classical Near Eastern Studies integrating several fields usually construed as separate.
Smart actuators to improve sportiness of a luxury car by deploying additional suspension stiffness on-demand

The present work addresses the need to satisfy conflicting expectations of better sportiness and ride comfort using smart actuators. It is proposed to achieve this by deploying additional suspension stiffness when better sportiness is demanded from a car. Two smart actuator configurations, one using shape-memory-alloy wires and the other using magneto-rheological-fluid are proposed to implement this task. A Simulink-model has been developed which can interface with a general purpose dynamic simulation software and deploy additional-stiffness based on a control-signal input. Using this model, full-vehicle simulations have been conducted To identify a suitable control-signal To estimate the response time and other performance requirements for the smart actuator To analyse the impact of false actuation.] Based on these understandings, a lab-scale prototype of the variablestiffness- configuration using an SMA-actuator has been built and tested. This prototype demonstrates the packagability of the smart actuator and provides experimental proof of concept.
MIMO-Aware Routing in Wireless Mesh Networks

Multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO)technique is considered as one of the most promising emerging wireless technologies that can significantly improve transmission capacity and reliability in wireless mesh networks. While MIMO has been widely studied for single link transmission scenarios in physical layer as well as from MAC perspective, its impact on network layer, especially its interaction with routing has not drawn enough research attention. In this paper, we investigate the problem of routing in MIMO-based wireless mesh networks. We mathematically formulate the MIMO-enabled multi-source multi-destination multi-hop routing problem into a multi-commodity flow problem by identifying the specific opportunities and constraints brought by MIMO transmissions, in order to provide the fundamental basis for MIMO-aware routing design. We then use this formulation to develop a polynomial time approximation solution that maximizes the scaling factor for the concurrent flows in the network. Moreover, we also consider a more practical case where controllers are distributed, and propose a distributed algorithm to minimize the congestion in the network links based on steepest descent framework, which is proved to provide a fixed approximation ratio. The performance of the algorithms is evaluated through simulations and demonstrated to outperform the counterpart strategies without considering MIMO features.
Periodic and nonperiodic burst responses of frog (Rana pipiens) retinal ganglion cells

Neural activity of class 3 retinal ganglion cells was recorded in frog optic tectum, using extracellular microelectrodes. The stimuli were rectangular patches of contrast (light-on-dark or dark-on-light), applied within the previously determined receptive fields, for periods ranging from a few milliseconds to several seconds. ON and OFF responses were recorded for as long as 1 s following stimulation. Poststimulus time histograms revealed two types of responses, labeled periodic and nonperiodic bursters. The periodic bursters were characterized by periods of high activity separated by silent or near-silent intervals. The bursts occurred rhythmically with frequencies roughly between 15 and 50 Hz. Nonperiodic bursters generally showed both broad and sharp peaks in activity, but no regular periodicities. Activity profiles were flat initially, with silent periods appearing after the first few stimulus presentations, suggesting an inhibitory nature of the bursting process. The records were shown to combine the activities of several neurons. Analysis of the waveforms in real time made possible isolation of some units. In these cases, neurons exhibited a high degree of selective synchrony, i.e., the sharing of a portion of the activity profile, and notable differences at other times. These data have implications for the processing of visual information.
Special Section: Social Aspects of Sociotechnical Systems

(2010). Special Section: Social Aspects of Sociotechnical Systems. Journal of Management Information Systems: Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 13-16.
Littoral periphyton responses to nitrogen and phosphorus: an experimental study in a subtropical lake

Abstract Portions of the natural littoral community in a subtropical lake were enclosed in mesocosms and subjected to high rates of nitrogen (N) and/or phosphorus (P) loading over a 28-day period. Changes in periphyton structure and function were compared with untreated controls to evaluate limiting resource effects. Mesocosms that received only P displayed minor increases in whole-community metabolism, measured by in situ oxygen evolution during mid-day hours, and small increases in the chlorophyll a (CHLA) content of surface periphyton mats. Mesocosms that received only N displayed significant increases in the CHLA content of epiphyton growing on submerged stems of Eleocharis. The most striking treatment effects were observed when both P and N were added. In that case, there were highly significant increases in the CHLA content of surface periphyton mats, epiphyton associated with submerged Utricularia, and periphyton growing on artificial substrata. There also were increases in the rates of phytoplankton carbon uptake and whole-community metabolism. These results indicate that periphyton and phytoplankton were co-limited by P and N, in contrast to previous findings of strong P limitation in more pristine regions of this marsh, and in the nearby Florida Everglades. The community responses in the present study may reflect early eutrophication effects, because the study site was located in close proximity to the lake's eutrophic pelagic region.
Management of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer in Immunocompromised Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

The management of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) in solid organ transplant recipients (OTRs) presents a variety of clinical challenges for physicians. OTRs are at a 65-fold increased risk for developing cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), the most common NMSC that develops after transplantation. Risk factors contributing to the development of NMSCs in OTRs include a past medical history of any previous skin cancer, a personal history of significant sun exposure and a fair skin complexion or phototype. Further, greater immunosuppressive medication levels lead to an increased risk of NMSCs. Among immunosuppressants, specific older agents such as azathioprine and cyclosporine may increase the risk of developing NMSCs in contrast to newer agents such as sirolimus. Early skin biopsy and treatment of premalignant and malignant lesions are essential for treating these patients successfully. In this regard, the concept of field cancerization has been instructive in broadening treatments to include entire affected areas rather than individual lesions given that the areas with significant ultraviolet irradiation will continue to develop numerous individual precancerous and cancerous lesions. Field therapy with photodynamic therapy or topical 5-fluorouracil, imiquimod or diclofenac is often used in OTRs according to individual patient tolerability. Prompt excision or Mohs micrographic surgery is the standard of care of primary, uncomplicated squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas. For patients with in-transit or metastatic squamous cell carcinomas, adjuvant radiation, chemotherapy, and staging by sentinel lymph node dissection may be employed. For patients who develop numerous SCC per year, chemoprophylaxis can be effective in limiting the burden of disease. In consultation with the multidisciplinary transplant team, the immunosuppressive regimen can be revised to lower overall immunosuppression or altered to include newer drugs that have decreased oncogenic potential in OTRs. The greatest impact may be made by the prevention of NMSCs through simple, but rigorous, patient education on the benefits of UV protection, periodic self-skin examinations, and regular follow-ups. Accordingly, vitamin D and calcium supplementation should also be incorporated in transplant recipients. Management of OTRs requires patient education, frequent motivation for vigilance, regular follow-up, and interdisciplinary collaboration between transplant surgeons, nephrologists, hepatologists, cardiologists, transplant nurses, dermatologists, oncologists, pharmacists, and other relevant physicians ideally orchestrated by the essential transplant coordinators.
The potency of one-to-one contact with union leaders: enhancing self-efficacy to become a union steward.

Finding ways to encourage union members to become union leaders is a perennial problem for unions. P. A. Roby (1995) originally found the importance of one-to-one contact with union leaders in becoming a union steward. In this study, the authors examined stewards' descriptions of their one-to-one contact with a union leader before becoming a steward. They sought to (a) replicate and strengthen Roby's findings, (b) explore one-to-one contact as a self-efficacy (i.e., confidence) enhancing experience, and (c) identify self-efficacy enhancement modes to strengthen the potency of the contact experience. The results from a mostly open-ended questionnaire of 44 stewards mirrored Roby's findings. The results indicated that self-efficacy enhancement modes were present in the one-to-one contact experience and that the enhancement modes were related to self-efficacy to become a steward. Two of the modes, verbal encouragement and emotional inhibition, were independently related to self-efficacy. The authors suggest ...
The Limpet controlled drug cabinet alarm and camera.

The theft and tampering of controlled drugs (CDs) remains a prevalent patient safety issue. Sadly there are numerous reports of critical care staff stealing CDs for personal use or financial gain and notably there have been some cases where CDs have been substituted for other medications in order to delay detection of the theft. This creates both the hazard of medication errors and potentially exposes patients to opioid intoxicated healthcare workers. As most critical care staff have access to CDs, when drugs are found to be missing it can be difficult to identify the perpetrators. Therefore the implementation of a deterrent which also improves the methods of detection is warranted.
Sympathetic neural prosthesis for managing orthostatic hypotension.

Abstract A prototype electromechanical analogue of the sympathetic division of the baroreceptor reflex arc was used to maintain blood pressure automatically in two patients with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension. The device prevented significant and sustained reductions in mean blood pressure when the patients were tilted up to 85°. Upon achieving the preset mean blood pressure, the device maintained this pressure with a standard error of less than 2 mm Hg. Similar results were obtained when the patients were walking. The device did not cause supine hypertension during the trials.
Participants’ Perceptions of Their Outward Bound Final Expedition and the Relationship to Instructor Supervisory Position:

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to understand participants’ perceptions of their Outward Bound Final Expedition experience and more specifically the relationship between the instructor s...
Tacrolimus Dose Modification in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients Following a Change in Therapy from Fluconazole to Voriconazole

Antifungal therapy with voriconazole or fluconazole in combination with the calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus exhibits significant CYP3A4 drug interaction potential in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. The package insert for voriconazole has dosing recommendations for tacrolimus when voriconazole is started, but these do not apply to patients already receiving fluconazole therapy. The purpose of this retrospective study is to estimate appropriate dose modification of tacrolimus following a change in therapy from fluconazole to voriconazole. We performed a retrospective case-series analysis of five patients. The mean steady-state concentration/dose (C/D) ratio of tacrolimus increased from 413 (range, 255–642) to 850 (range, 670–953) following a switch from fluconazole to voriconazole (). This data represents a mean 2-fold increase in C/D ratios following the switch, indicating that the dose of tacrolimus may be most accurately reduced by approximately 50% following this switch in therapy. This provides some guidance for practitioners to estimate dose adjustments but will require close pharmacokinetic monitoring and adjustments on an individual patient basis.
Radiation damage of 2 MeV Si ions in Si0.75Ge0.25: optical measurements and damage modelling

Abstract The radiation damage of MBE grown relaxed Si0.75Ge0.25 layers after implantation with 2 MeV Si+ ions at room temperature has been measured for the first time using optical reflectivity depth profiling on small angle bevelled samples. Disregarding a significantly larger damage efficiency, the dose dependence of damage at the maximum of damage profiles is similar to that observed for equivalent Si+ self-implantations and can be mathematically described by means of a model proposed by Hecking et al. [Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B15 (1986) 760] for these self-implantations. From a comparison of model parameters it is concluded that the higher damage efficiency in the alloy is mainly based on a stronger formation of amorphous volume fractions rather than on a stronger production of point defect type damage. In addition, model calculations indicate an enhanced point defect recombination as compared to pure Si.
An HIV-1 encoded peptide mimics the DNA binding loop of NF-κB and binds thioredoxin with high affinity

Pro-fs is a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-l)-encoded putative selenoprotein, predicted by a theoretical analysis of the viral genome; it is potentially expressed by a -1 frameshift from the protease coding region. Pro-fs has significant sequence similarity to the DNA binding loop of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB), which is known to bind thioredoxin (Trx). We hypothesize that the putative HIV-1 pro-fs gene product functions by mimicry of NF-kappaB via binding to Trx. The hypothesis was tested in vitro by co-immunoprecipitation and GST-pull down assays, using a purified mutant pro-fs protein, in which the two potential selenocysteine residues were mutated to cysteines, in order to permit expression in bacteria. Both experiments showed that pro-fs binds to human wild type Trx (Trx-wt) with high affinity. Mutation of the two conserved cysteine residues in the Trx active site redox center to serine (Ser) (Trx-CS) weakened but failed to abolish the interaction. In pro-fs-transfected 293T cells, using confocal microscopy and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), we have observed that pro-fs localizes in cell nuclei and forms oligomers. Upon stimulation by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), Trx translocates into cell nuclei. Significant FRET efficiency was detected in the nuclei of PMA-stimulated 293T cells co-expressing fluorescence-tagged pro-fs and Trx-wt or Trx-CS. These results indicate that in living cells the double cysteine mutant of pro-fs binds to both Trx and Trx-CS with high affinity, suggesting that Trx-pro-fs binding is a structurally-specific interaction, involving more of the Trx molecule than just its active site cysteine residues. These results establish the capacity for functional mimicry of the Trx binding ability of the NF-kappaB/Rel family of transcription factors by the putative HIV-1 pro-fs protein.
The effect of inoculum volume on the microbiologic detection of naturally occurring Staphylococcus aureus intramammary infections.

Currently no standard definitions for the diagnosis of Staphylococcus aureus intramammary infection (IMI) exist. As a result, criteria applied in research to diagnose S. aureus IMIs have varied making comparisons between published works difficult. The goal of the current study was to define the optimal inoculum volume used in the diagnosis of naturally occurring S. aureus IMIs. Microbiologic results from 2 field studies examining S. aureus IMIs were used to examine the effects of inoculum volume on the microbiologic detection of S. aureus. A total of 1,583 milk samples were included in the analysis, and the results of using a 0.01-ml and a 0.1-ml inoculum are presented. Using a 0.01-ml inoculum resulted in a sensitivity of 91% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 88.6–93%) and a specificity of 99.4% (95% CI: 98.6–99.8%). Using the larger 0.1-ml inoculum resulted in a sensitivity of 96.8% (95% CI: 95.2–97.9%) and a specificity of 99.3% (95% CI: 98.4–99.7%). All false-positive samples were from S. aureus–negative...
A CASE OF ACROMEGALY STUDIED DURING THE COURSE OF THE DISEASE AND AT AUTOPSY

SINCE THE monograph by Cushing and Davidoff (1) on acromegaly there have been only a few reports of this disease in which the clinical observations have been correlated with the autopsy findings (2, 3) as the patients are seldom seen terminally by those who have observed the case during life. The patient in this instance was seen 2 years after she had developed acromegaly and was followed in the hospital and clinic for the remaining 3 years of her life. During this time insulin sensitivity studies were made. Acromegaly is one of the few well defined clinical conditions which can definitely be related to the hypersecretion of a hormone of the anterior pituitary. Furthermore, when injected into experimental animals, this hormone will produce the bony changes characteristic of the disease (4). Accompanying the bony changes there are other changes which may or may not occur in patients with acromegaly.
Steam reforming of methanol using supported Mo2C catalysts

Abstract Two supported molybdenum carbide catalysts, Mo2C supported on γ-alumina (Mo2C/γ-Al2O3) and zirconia (Mo2C/ZrO2), were investigated as an alternative catalyst for steam reforming of methanol. The catalysts were prepared by a temperature-programmed reaction (TPR) method, and it was found that the supported Mo2C catalysts are superior to an unsupported catalyst, with Mo2C/ZrO2 having a higher hydrogen yield than Mo2C/γ-Al2O3. We hypothesize that the suppression of methanation by interaction between molybdenum carbide and the zirconia support resulted in the increased hydrogen yield. Results from diffuse-reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) suggested that the ability of the zirconia support to retain methoxy groups while resisting the formation of hydroxyl groups on its surface is a key factor leading to a molybdenum carbide/zirconia support interaction which suppresses methanation. Under the operating conditions of a steam-to-carbon ratio of 1 and 400 °C, the reforming activity of the Mo2C/ZrO2 catalyst remained stable for longer than 10 h.