cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of temperature, ph and ionic strength and composition on fibrin network structure and its development

Networks were developed in fibrinogen solution under pathophysiological conditions of clotting. Mass-length ratio (a measure of fibre thickness) was derived independently from the turbidity (microT) and from the permeability (microP) of the network. Kinetics of network growth were investigated turbidimetrically. Physiological concentrations of Ca++and Mg++increased microT while those of K+, Na+, Cl-, HCO-3, H2PO-4 and SO--4 had no effect. As pH and ionic strength were increased stepwise within the pathophysiological range, network development was delayed. Under these conditions the turbidity curves did not cross and both microT and microP were progressively decreased. When temperature was lowered, although network growth was delayed, the turbidy curves crossed: the equilibrium turbidity was higher at lower temperatures. It appears that while pH and ionic strength affect network structure by influencing fibrin assembly, lowering the temperature influences both the rate of fibrin monomer generation and fibrin assembly.
Endogenous receptor for melanin-concentrating hormone in human neuroblastoma Kelly cells.

Abstract Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), a cyclic nonadecapeptide, is predominantly expressed in mammalian neurons located in the zona incerta and lateral hypothalamus. Current interest in MCH relates to its role in the control of feeding behaviour. Two receptors for MCH were recently found: MCH-R1 and MCH-R2. We show here by RT-PCR analysis and immunofluorescence studies that the human neuroblastoma cell line Kelly expresses MCH and MCH-R1 but not MCH-R2. In competition assays using 125I-labelled MCH an inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) of 76 nM was determined for MCH, indicating a high affinity of Kelly cells for MCH. MCH induces mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in Kelly cells but no increase in the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration. This suggests that MCH signals via Gαi/Gα0 in these cells. The presence and functionality of MCH-R1 renders this neuronal cell a very useful model for future structure–activity studies in a physiological environment mimicking the human brain for the evaluation of potential appetite-regulating drugs.
Effect of meat binding formulations on thermal inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 internalized in beef.

This study evaluated the effects of meat binding or restructuring formulations, including salt/phosphate, algin/calcium, ActivaRM, and Fibrimex, with or without 0.27% (wt/wt) lactic acid, on thermal inactivation of internalized Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef, serving as a model system for restructured products. Ground beef batches (700 g; approximately 5% fat) were mechanically mixed with a 5-strain composite of E. coli O157:H7 (7 log CFU/g) and then with the restructuring formulations. Product portions (30 g) were extruded into plastic test tubes (2.5 x 10 cm) and stored at 4 degrees C (18 h), before heating to 60 or 65 degrees C in a circulating water bath to simulate rare or medium-rare doneness of beef, respectively. Cooking to 60 or 65 degrees C reduced (P 0.05) among all treatments and the control. At 65 degrees C, greater (P 0.05) to that of the control. Cooking weight losses were lower (P < 0.05) in salt/phosphate samples (<1%) compared to other formulations and the control (7.4% to 15.9%). Findings indicated that, under the conditions examined, restructuring of beef with salt/phosphate, algin/calcium, ActivaRM, or Fibrimex did not affect inactivation of internalized E. coli O157:H7 in undercooked (60 or 65 degrees C) samples, whereas inclusion of lactic acid (0.27%) in nonintact beef products enhanced pathogen destruction at 65 degrees C.
Self-Silencing and Rejection Sensitivity in Adolescent Romantic Relationships

This study examined the link between rejection sensitivity, self-silencing behaviors, and depressive symptomatology among adolescent dating couples. Self-silencing was hypothesized to be the process mediating the association between rejection sensitivity and depressive symptoms. Our sample included 211 couples between 14 and 21 who were dating at least 4 weeks. Results indicated that dating adolescents who were sensitive to rejection reported more depressive symptomatology and higher levels of self-silencing behaviors within their romantic relationship compared to dating adolescents who were not so sensitive to rejection. Self-silencing was identified as a partial mediator of the association between rejection sensitivity and depressive symptomatology among dating adolescents. Clinical implications in light of these findings are discussed.
Control of the olive fruit fly, Dacus oleae Gmel. (Dipt., Tephritidae) by mass trapping: Pilot scale feasibility study

Plywood rectangles (15×20×0.4 cm) dipped in a 0.1% (a.i.) water solution of deltamethrin (Decis) for 15 min and baited with two dispensers, one containing a mixture of sex pheromones and another containing ammonium bicarbonate, a food attractant for both sexes, were used as traps at a density of approximately 1 trap/3 trees in a 30,000 olive orchard for the control of the olive fruit fly, Dacus oleae in the island of Crete, Greece in 1984. Mean fruit infestation at harvest time was 2.4% in the test orchard, compared to 0.7% in the nearby orchards protected by bait sprays. The total income loss in the test orchard due to D. oleae infestation is estimated at about Drs. 6 per tree. The present cost of this trapping method was comparable to or less than that of bait sprays, but it can be reduced significantly. The cost of bait sprays for 1984 was about Drs. 20 per tree, not including the ecological and toxicological consequences. Zusammenfassung Pilotversuche zur Bekampfung der Olivenfruchtfliege, Dacus oleae Gmel. (Dipt., Tephritidae) mit Duftstoff-Fallen Es wurden rechteckige Sperrholzplatten (15 × 20 cm) 15 min lang in 0,1 %ige wasserige Losung von Deltamethrin getaucht und mit 2 Dispensern: einer Sexualpheromon-Kombination sowie einem auf beide Geschlechter wirkenden Nahrungsduftstoff versehen. Eine Falle pro 3 Baume, insgesamt 10000 Stuck, wurden 1984 in einer Olivenplantage auf der Insel Kreta zur Bekampfung von D. oleae ausgebracht. Zur Erntezeit waren 2,4 % der Fruchte in der Testplantage gegenuber 0,7% in einer Nachbarplantage, die mit Kodersprays behandelt war, befallen. Der gesamte Einkommensverlust in der Testplantage wurde auf 6 Drachmen pro Baum berechnet. Die Kosten der Fallenbekampfung waren damit geringer als jene mit Kodersprays und konnen noch weiter reduziert werden. Die Kosten fur die Koderspruh-Behandlung betrugen 1984 etwa 20 Drs pro Baum. Weiterhin sind die okologischen und toxikologischen Nebenwirkungen dieses Verfahrens zu bedenken.
Transience Bounds for Long Walks

Let G = (V, E) be a directed graph with rewards re for e e E. We show that if there exists an s,t-walk in G of length k > |V|2 then there exists a maximum reward s,t-walk of length k with at least k - |V|2 arcs from a cycle with maximal mean reward. If A is the reward-incidence matrix of G, then the maximum rewards of s,t-walks of length k can be determined by computing the k-fold matrix product A×k, where the operations "plus" and "times" are replaced by "max" and "plus" (denoted by + and ×). Max-algebra dynamic systems y(k) = y(k - 1)× A have been used to model certain transportation and automated manufacturing systems, and can be interpreted as deterministic dynamic programming recursions. If G is strongly connected, then y(k + dA) = y(k) + dAλ*1 for all k ≥ KA, where λ* is the maximum cycle mean in G, and KA and dA are the max-algebra transient and period (cyclicity) of A. For given y(0), the transient τ and period γ of the system may satisfy τ < KA and γ < dA. We derive a tight bound on KA and give polynomial algorithms for computing KA, β and τ, and for solving deterministic dynamic programming problems. We also give analogous results for walks of maximum β-discounted reward.
The Embodied Cognition Research Programme

Embodied Cognition is an approach to cognition that departs from traditional cognitive science in its reluctance to conceive of cognition as computational and in its emphasis on the significance of an organism’s body in how and what the organism thinks. Three lines of embodied cognition research are described and some thoughts on the future of embodied cognition offered. The embodied cognition research programme, hereafter EC, departs from more traditional cognitive science in the emphasis it places on the role the body plays in an organism’s cognitive processes. Saying more beyond this vague claim is difficult, but this is perhaps not surprising given the diversity of fields ‐ phenomenology, robotics, ecological psychology, artificial life, ethology ‐ from which EC has emerged. Indeed, the point of labelling EC a research programme, rather than a theory, is to indicate that the commitments and subject matters of EC remain fairly nebulous. Yet, much of the flavour of EC becomes evident when considering three prominent directions that researchers in this programme have taken. Before turning to these lines of research, it pays to have in sight the traditional view of cognitive science against which EC positions itself.
Computational analysis of nonlinear creep of polyphase aggregates: Influence of phase morphology

The constitutive laws of polyphase aggregates dominantly depend on the operative deformation mechanisms, phase morphology and modes, and environmental conditions. Each of these factors has the potential to dramatically affect bulk mechanical properties as well as the local stress and strain rate distributions. To focus on the effects of phase morphology, we have developed a rigorous multiscale approach based on asymptotic expansion homogenization. The proposed methodology has two fundamental goals: (1) accurately predict bulk behavior in aggregates by explicitly taking into account phase morphology and (2) calculate detailed distributions of strain rates, stresses, and viscosities in heterogeneous materials. The methodology is able to consider general nonlinear phase constitutive laws that relate strain rates to stresses, temperature, and other factors such as water fugacity and grain size. We demonstrate the approach by analyzing power law creep of computer-generated and natural polyphase systems and benchmarking the results against analytical solutions. As an outcome of this analysis, we find that the approximation of an aggregate as a power law material is reasonable for isotropic, homogeneous phase distributions but breaks down significantly with high degrees of phase organization. We also present distributions in strain rate, stress, and viscosity for different applied loading conditions. Results exhibit areas of high internal stresses and substantial localization. We describe and provide a freely available software package supporting these calculations.
Surface tension driven oscillatory instability in a rotating fluid layer

Oscillatory convective instability is shown to occur in a rotating fluid layer when convection is caused by surface-tension gradients at a free surface. The asymptotic equations, valid when the Taylor number approaches infinity, are solved analytically, and the critical Marangoni number is evaluated numerically. Fluids with Prandtl numbers above 0·201 will exhibit only stationary instability. Fluids with smaller Prandtl numbers will exhibit oscillatory instability with the critical Marangoni number varying as M0T½ where M0 depends on the Prandtl number and T is the Taylor number.
Stochastic stability of a recoverable computer control system modeled as a finite-state machine

In this paper a modeling framework is introduced for describing how complex recovery algorithms used to implement safety critical control systems on a recoverable computer can affect the stability of the closed-loop system. The model has a hybrid structure consisting of three distinct parts: a Markovian exosystem, a finite-state machine, and a discrete-time jump-linear dynamical system. It is shown in some detail how such a model can be used to characterize rollback recovery algorithms. A specific example is given where mean-square stability is determined as a function of upset persistency and various algorithm parameters.
Cryogenic Tests of Glass-Epoxy-Based Electrical Insulation

A thin, superconducting solenoid for the Time Projection Chamber (TPC) experiment at PEP was constructed at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) in 19791 and tested in 1980. A failure of the ground plane insulation damaged the coil to the point that it required rebuilding. An extensive study of this failure2 indicated that an iron chip embedded in the bore tube had penetrated the insulation. Before rebuilding the coil, the insulation system was investigated with the goal of determining the most reliable techniques and materials for withstanding high voltages in the coil package.
Emotional dysregulation in dysphoria: Support for emotion context insensitivity in response to performance-based feedback

Abstract The Emotion Context Insensitivity (ECI) hypothesis predicts that individuals experiencing a sad mood will show diminished reactivity to emotionally evocative stimuli and will not differentiate emotional responses across contexts. Previous work has primarily been limited to studying depressed individuals' emotional responses to film clips, images, and autobiographical memories. The current study builds upon this work by examining emotional reactivity of dysphoric (n = 47) and non-dysphoric (n = 54) individuals to positive and negative feedback about their performance on a task they were led to believe measured social intelligence. Overall, dysphoric individuals reported higher negative emotion and lower positive emotion than non-dysphoric individuals before, during, and after feedback. However, consistent with ECI, dysphoric individuals displayed attenuated emotional reactivity to negative feedback compared to controls. Further, dysphoric individuals' emotional response did not differ to positive and negative feedback, whereas the non-dysphoric group appropriately differentiated their emotional response across these contexts. Findings support the ECI hypothesis and broaden its scope to include emotional reactivity to self-relevant performance feedback.
Mast cell function is not altered by Coronin-1A deficiency.

Coronin-1A is a WD repeat protein family member, highly expressed in all hematopoietic lineages, and acts as a regulator of F-actin dynamics and Ca2+ signaling. In Coro1a(Lmb3) mice results in inactivation of the protein and leads to disease resistance in a model of lupus erythematosus. In Coro1a(-/-) and Coro1a(Lmb3) mice, peripheral T cells exhibit impairments in survival, migration, activation, and Ca2+ flux. In this study, we show that in vitro-differentiated mast cells from Coro1a(Lmb3) mice are viable, developed normally, and are fully functional in assays of degranulation, cytokine secretion, and chemotactic migration, despite increased F-actin levels. In Coro1a(Lmb3) mast cells, Ca2+ flux in response to physiological FceRI stimulation is unaffected. Finally, Coro1a(Lmb3) mice showed similar in vivo mast cell responses as the WT mice. Coronin-1B and Coronin-1C expression levels were not increased in Coro1a(Lmb3) mast cells but were higher in mast cells than in CD4 T cells or B cells in WT mice. We conclude that Coronin-1A activity is not required for mast cell function.
Existence results for nonlinear periodic boundary-value problems

We study a class of second-order nonlinear differential equations on a finite interval with periodic boundary conditions. The nonlinearity in the equations can take negative values and may be unbounded from below. Criteria are established for the existence of non-trivial solutions, positive solutions and negative solutions of the problems under consideration. Applications of our results to related eigenvalue problems are also discussed. Examples are included to illustrate some of the results. Our analysis relies mainly on topological degree theory.
Empirical Tests of Some Predictions from Coalescent Theory with Applications to Intraspecific Phylogeny Reconstruction

Empirical data sets of intraspecific restriction site polymorphism in Drosophila have been gathered in order to test hypotheses derived from coalescent theory. Three main ideas are tested: (1) haplotype frequency in the sample contains information on the topological position of a given haplotype in a cladogram, (2) the frequency of a haplotype is related to the number of mutational connections to other haplotypes in the cladogram and (3) geographic location can be used to infer topological positioning of haplotypes in a cladogram. These relationships can then be used to better estimate intraspecific phylogenies in two ways: (1) rooting the phylogeny and (2) resolving ambiguities in a cladogram. This information will allow one to reduce the number of alternative phylogenies and incorporate the uncertainties involved in reconstructing intraspecific phylogenies into subsequent analyses that depend heavily on the topology of the tree.
Biopsychosocial predictors of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures.

Summary Background Previous studies have identified numerous biological, psychological and social characteristics of persons with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) however the strength of many of these factors have not been evaluated to determine which are predictive of the diagnosis compared to those that may only be stereotypes with limited clinical utility. Method A retrospective chart review of persons admitted to our epilepsy monitoring unit over a 6-year period was conducted to examine predictors of a video-EEG confirmed PNES diagnosis. Results A total of 689 patients had events leading to a diagnosis, 47% (n = 324) with PNES only, 12% (n = 84) with PNES & Epilepsy and 41% (n = 281) with Epilepsy only. Five biological predictors of a PNES only diagnosis were found; number of years with events (OR = 1.10), history of head injury (OR = 1.91), asthma (OR = 2.94), gastro-esophageal reflux disease (OR = 1.72) and pain (OR = 2.25). One psychological predictor; anxiety (OR = 1.72) and two social predictors; being married (OR = 1.81) and history of physical/sexual abuse (OR = 3.35). Two significant biological predictors of a PNES & Epilepsy diagnosis were found; migraine (OR = 1.83) and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (OR = 2.17). Conclusions Our findings support the importance of considering the biopsychosocial model for the diagnosis and treatment of PNES or PNES with concomitant epilepsy.
A practical approach for routing and wavelength assignment in large wavelength-routed optical networks

We consider large optical networks in which nodes employ wavelength-routing switches which enable the establishment of wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) channels, called lightpaths, between node pairs. We propose a practical approach to solve routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) of lightpaths in such networks. A large RWA problem is partitioned into several smaller subproblems, each of which may be solved independently and efficiently using well-known approximation techniques. A multicommodity flow formulation combined with randomized rounding is employed to calculate the routes for lightpaths. Wavelength assignments for lightpaths are performed based on graph-coloring techniques. Representative numerical examples indicate the accuracy of our algorithms.
Translation as Rhetoric: Edward Jerningham's “Impenitence” (1800)

Edward Jerningham's “Impenitence” (1800)––a translation of Bossuet's “Sermon du mauvais riche” (1662)––is remarkably dissimilar to its French original. This article investigates the rhetorical reasons behind this discrepancy. These reasons concern the problems of promoting a French model of eloquence in a fiercely anti-French climate and––even more problematic––promoting a text whose main theme is a denunciation of the rich in a period of extreme counterrevolutionary fervor. Jerningham's text shows that in facing potentially resistant readers, the strategies of a translator are those of a rhetor.
Mitigating Myths about Policy Effectiveness: Evaluation of Mexico’s Antipoverty and Human Resource Investment Program:

What is known about the effectiveness of many policies is dominated by prior beliefs or myths rather than by careful analyses. This article discusses an important exception to this generalization in which, in sharp contrast to most previous and much concurrent and subsequent practice, serious efforts at evaluation were implemented from the start: the Mexican PROGRESA/Oportunidades antipoverty and human resource investment program, initiated in 1997. The article begins by introducing the program and providing relevant background material and then summarizes initial evaluation results in rural areas, where both of the authors were extensively involved in the evaluation, and then turns more briefly to the current evaluation of Oportunidades in urban areas and the longer-run evaluation of PROGRESA/Oportunidades in rural areas. This program has been an important model not only in terms of using conditional cash transfers to induce human resource investments but also in being serious about policy evaluation.
A 100 fps, Time-Correlated Single-Photon-Counting-Based Fluorescence-Lifetime Imager in 130 nm CMOS

A fully-integrated single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) and time-to-digital converter (TDC) array for high-speed fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) in standard 130 nm CMOS is presented. This imager is comprised of an array of 64-by-64 SPADs each with an independent TDC for performing time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) at each pixel. The TDCs use a delay-locked-loop-based architecture and achieve a 62.5 ps resolution with up to a 64 ns range. A data-compression datapath is designed to transfer TDC data to off-chip buffers, which can support a data rate of up to 42 Gbps. These features, combined with a system implementation that leverages a x4 PCIe-cabled interface, allow for demonstrated FLIM imaging rates at up to 100 frames per second.
Biological Systems Used to Study Basic Viral Properties

Before proceeding to a review of physical and chemical studies on dengue viruses, it may be helpful to describe briefly the host systems used to obtain virus for experimental work and assay procedures for monitoring virus-specific biological activities.
Relationship Between Duration of Therapy Services in a Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program and Mobility at Discharge in Patients With Orthopedic Problems

Background and Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between duration of physical therapy and occupational therapy and mobility at the time of discharge from a comprehensive rehabilitation program in a group of patients with orthopedic diagnoses. Subjects. Subjects were 116 consecutive patients with orthopedic diagnoses (mean age=72.6 years, SD=12.0, range=21–99) who were admitted to a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program. Methods. This retrospective cohort study utilized the Uniform Data Set, social service records, and quality assurance records to provide demographic and medical information. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) provided information regarding mobility at admission and discharge. The duration of physical therapy and occupational therapy was measured in hours. Results. Subjects received an average of 40.8 hours of therapy and showed an average change in FIM mobility subscale scores of 24.5. Multiple linear regression was used to demonstrate that duration of therapy was a predictor of FIM score at the time of discharge (partial correlation=.069) after controlling for length of stay, number of diagnoses, FIM cognitive subscale score at admission, and FIM mobility subscale score at admission. Duration of therapy accounted for 6.9% of the variance in the model. Conclusion and Discussion. This study indicates that the amount of physical therapy and occupational therapy that patients with orthopedic diagnoses receive during enrollment in an inpatient comprehensive rehabilitation program is related to the FIM mobility subscale score at the time of discharge. The authors suggest that increasing the hours of therapeutic intervention that a patient receives in inpatient rehabilitation could improve functional outcomes at discharge.
Impact of immediate access to the electronic medical record on anatomic pathology performance

Objectives: To assess the overall impact of access to the electronic medical record (EMR) on anatomic pathology performance. Methods: We reviewed the results of all use of the EMR by 1 pathologist over an 18-month period. Results: Of the 10,107 cases (913 cytology and 9,194 surgical pathology) reviewed, the EMR (excluding anatomic pathology records) was accessed in 222 (2.2% of all cases, 6.5% of all cytology cases, and 1.8% of all surgical pathology cases). The EMR was used to evaluate a critical value in 20 (9.0%) cases and make a more specific diagnosis in 77 (34.7%) cases, a less specific diagnosis in 4 (1.8%) cases, and a systemic rather than localized diagnosis in 4 (1.8%) cases. The percentage of cases in which the physician was contacted decreased from 7.3% for the prior 18 months to 6.7%, but this change was not significant ( P = .13). Twelve cases were subsequently sent for interinstitutional consultation, and no disagreements were identified. Conclusions: The EMR was accessed in 2.2% of all surgical pathology and cytology cases and affected the diagnosis in 48% of these cases.
Role of mitochondria biogenesis in the metabolic memory associated with the continued progression of diabetic retinopathy and its regulation by lipoic acid

The landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and the follow-up Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study have shown that hyperglycemia has long-lasting detrimental consequences on diabetic complications. These trials have suggested a ‘metabolic memory’ of the prior glycemic exposure, and have demonstrated the importance of early glycemic control in the progression of diabetic retinopathy.1–3 Animal models have duplicated the metabolic memory phenomenon; retinopathy continues to progress for a considerable period even after hyperglycemia is corrected in chemically-induced diabetic dogs and rats.4,5 In addition to continued retinal capillary cell apoptosis and histopathology, we have shown that the mitochondria continue to be dysfunctional with its DNA (mtDNA) damaged after hyperglycemia is terminated in rats.6–10 However, the exact mechanism responsible for this metabolic memory phenomenon associated with the progression of diabetic retinopathy remains elusive. Mitochondrial DNA is a small fraction of the total DNA, and it encodes only 13 proteins, all of which are essential for normal mitochondrial function,11,12 and transcription of mtDNA is controlled by a complex nucleus-mitochondria signaling cascade.13–15 Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC1), a member of a family of transcription coactivators, is the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. It integrates and coordinates the activity of multiple transcription factors, such as nuclear respiratory factors 1 and 2 (NRF1 and 2). These nuclear respiratory factors control the transcription of key mitochondrial proteins including nuclear-encoded respiratory complex proteins and mitochondrial transcriptional factor, TFAM.13,14 TFAM is essential for mtDNA transcription and helps maintain mitochondrial copy number.13,15 Abnormalities in mitochondria biogenesis are associated with mitochondrial function, and with mitochondrial number and size,16 and our recent studies have shown that in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, retinal mitochondria biogenesis is impaired and the number of mitochondria is decreased, possibly due to decreased transport of TFAM to the mitochondria.17 How mitochondria biogenesis contributes to the continued progression of diabetic retinopathy remains to be explored. The aim of our study is to investigate the role of retinal mitochondria biogenesis in the resistance of retinopathy arrest after re-establishment of good glycemic control in rats. Because mtDNA is prone to increased oxidative damage,7 we have investigated the effect of supplementation during good control with lipoic acid, an antioxidant that prevents increase in retinal superoxide and the development of retinopathy,18 on mitochondria biogenesis. The effect of reversal of high glucose to normal glucose on the mitochondria biogenesis is also investigated in isolated retinal endothelial cells, the site of histopathology associated with diabetic retinopathy.
Visual specification of interprocess and intraprocess communication

We present a visual specification language for constructing distributed applications and their direct manipulation graphical user interfaces. Each distributed application consists of a collection of independent modules and a configuration of logical connections that define communication among the data interfaces of the modules. Our specification language uses a single visual mechanism that allows end-users to define interprocess communication among distributed modules and to define intraprocess communication among objects within a module. This visual language provides a general encapsulation/abstraction mechanism and is designed to support dynamic change to the communication structure. User interfaces are completely decoupled from the module(s) they control. >
Endogenous and Exogenous Glucocorticoids in Experimental Enterococcal Infection

The potentially protective role of the host adrenal-glucocorticoid response to enterococcal infection was evaluated in an experimental model in which mice were infected intraperitoneally with two distinct Enterococcus faecalis strains (K9 and CP-1). We demonstrated that corticosterone levels in serum and peritoneal-lavage fluid were elevated within 1 hour of infection with either E. faecalis strain. We also demonstrated that adrenalectomized mice generated a more robust localized peritoneal tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) response to both E. faecalis strains than did sham-adrenalectomized mice but that neither E. faecalis strain induced a systemic TNF-α response. Further, peritoneal TNF-α production in adrenalectomized mice infected with either E. faecalis K9 or CP-1 was suppressed by prior treatment with an exogenous glucocorticoid (dexamethasone). The potential clinical significance of these results was suggested by our findings that adrenalectomy markedly increased susceptibility (a >100-fold decrease in the 50% lethal dose) to lethal infections with E. faecalis CP-1 and that prior dexamethasone treatment partially compensated for adrenalectomy. In marked contrast to these findings, however, adrenalectomy did not substantially increase susceptibility to lethal E. faecalis K9 infection. Further, preinfection with E. faecalis CP-1 1 hour before infection with E. faecalis K9 did not protect mice from lethal E. faecalis K9 infections. Collectively, these studies indicate that the host can generate a glucocorticoid response to E. faecalis infection that suppresses TNF-α production. Further, this glucocorticoid response can protect the host from potentially lethal E. faecalis infections, but different strains show heterogeneity with respect to the extent of protection afforded by the adrenal-glucocorticoid response.
Macrophages Are the Major Source of Tumor Necrosis Factor α in the Porcine Corpus Luteum

This study was designed to determine the source of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha within the porcine corpus luteum (CL). 1) Sections of frozen or paraffin-embedded CL from various stages of the estrous cycle were incubated with the following primary antibodies: anti-human recombinant TNFalpha, anti-porcine macrophage-specific antigen, or anti-alpha-actin (marker of pericyte and smooth muscle cells). Dolichos biflorus lectin-peroxidase was used as an endothelial cell label. Positive immunostaining for TNFalpha was apparent in porcine CL throughout the estrous cycle. TNFalpha immunoreactivity was primarily localized in cells along septal/vascular tracts, and exhibited spatial and temporal distribution similar to that of cells labeled with anti-macrophage antibodies. Large luteal cells exhibited weak staining for TNFalpha in paraffin sections, whereas microvascular endothelial cells were consistently negative in both frozen and paraffin sections. 2) Enriched subpopulations of macrophages, endothelial cells, and large and small luteal cells were isolated by density gradient and immunomagnetic bead separation techniques. TNFalpha secretion by each subpopulation was determined by measuring bioactive TNFalpha in incubation media using a specific in vitro bioassay. Macrophage subpopulations secreted up to 100-fold greater quantities of bioactive TNFalpha (up to 400 pg/10(6) cells) than did other subpopulations. In contrast, endothelial cell and small luteal cell subpopulations released very small amounts (< 8 pg/10(6) cells) of bioactive TNFalpha. Large luteal cells secreted slightly greater amounts of TNFalpha (10-15 pg/10(6) cells). Local macrophages appear to be the primary source of TNFalpha in the porcine CL.
Identification and Characterization of a Regulatory Sequence Recognized by Mycobacterium tuberculosis Persistence Regulator MprA

Establishment and maintenance of persistent, latent infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis are dependent on expression of the mprA-mprB regulatory system. Previously, MprA and MprB were shown to participate in phosphotransfer reactions characteristic of two-component signaling systems. To begin identifying downstream effector genes regulated by mprA-mprB during persistent stages of infection, a search for the regulatory sequence(s) recognized by response regulator MprA was carried out. Here, evidence is presented demonstrating that MprA recognizes a 19-bp sequence comprising two loosely conserved 8-bp direct repeat subunits separated by 3 nucleotides. This motif, termed the MprA box, is found upstream of the mprA coding sequence and that of downstream gene pepD (Rv0983). Protein phosphorylation was not required for binding to this DNA sequence by MprA in vitro; however, phosphorylation enhanced DNA binding by MprA and was required for the regulation of mprA and pepD by MprA in vivo. Binding of MprA to the MprA box was dependent on conserved nucleotides contained within repeat subunits and on the spacer length separating these repeats. In addition, recognition of this sequence proceeded via tandem binding of two monomers of MprA. Identification of the genetic determinants regulated by MprA will ultimately enhance our understanding of the mechanisms utilized by M. tuberculosis to undergo latency.
The Inalienable Right to Withdraw from Research

Most codes of research ethics and the practice of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) allow human subjects to withdraw from research at any time. Consent forms invariably make a statement to this effect. So understood, a subject's right to withdraw from research is inalienable; she cannot, through her consent, surrender this right. Recently critics have argued that in selected circumstances the right to withdraw from research is alienable; subjects have the moral authority, through their consent, to obligate themselves not to withdraw. Two kinds of cases have been cited to support this. In one case, there will be great benefits lost if subjects are permitted to withdraw before the completion of the protocol. In the other case, there will be harm to third parties if subjects withdraw from the experiment. In this paper, I defend the inalienability of the right to withdraw from research. I argue, first, that securing the desired benefits and avoiding the feared harms can be achieved without allowing waiver. Second, I show that permitting waiver in these cases does not guarantee that the ends sought will be achieved. And third, I articulate positive reasons for conceiving subjects' right to withdraw from research as inalienable.
Adjunctive Thrombectomy for Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention What Would Dr Bayes Do

Prompt and expertly performed primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has emerged as the preferred therapy for ST-segment–elevation infarction (STEMI). Numerous procedural and technical innovations have contributed to improved results with primary PCI. These include potent adjunctive pharmacotherapy (glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors, direct thrombin inhibitors, and new thienopyridines), new devices, such as drug-eluting stents and those for hemodynamic support, and new access sites (radial). Despite these innovations, numerous challenges remain, and room for improvement remains. Particularly challenging and frustrating to the operators has been the inability to prevent and treat the no-reflow phenomenon (defined as diminished or absent antegrade coronary flow despite the presence of a patent epicardial artery). Numerous factors can contribute to no reflow because acute myocardial infarction is the end result of complex epicardial, microcirculatory, and myocyte interactions. These factors include macro- or microembolization of thrombus, release of cytokines and vasoactive molecules, and intense microcirculatory spasm. Because thrombus is ubiquitous in STEMI, whether it can be visualized angiographically, numerous mechanical approaches for prevention of no reflow have been tried. Article see p 6 Since the publication of the seminal but negative Enhanced Myocardial Efficacy and Recovery by Aspiration of Liberated Debris trial,1 interest has shifted to the use of mechanical aspiration devices. These devices, which are intuitively appealing and relatively low cost, are remarkably simple to use in the catheterization laboratory. Numerous …
Genocide, Collective Violence, and Popular Memory: The Politics of Remembrance in the Twentieth Century

Genocide, Collective Violence, and Popular Memory: The Politics of Remembrance in the Twentieth Century. David E. Lorey. and William H. Beezley, eds. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Books, 2002. 258 pp.
Upper airway morphology in Down Syndrome patients under dexmedetomidine sedation

Abstract Background and objectives Children with Down Syndrome are vulnerable to significant upper airway obstruction due to relative macroglossia and dynamic airway collapse. The objective of this study was to compare the upper airway dimensions of children with Down Syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea with normal airway under dexmedetomidine sedation. Methods IRB approval was obtained. In this retrospective study, clinically indicated dynamic sagittal midline magnetic resonance images of the upper airway were obtained under low (1 mcg/kg/h) and high (3 mcg/kg/h) dose dexmedetomidine. Airway anteroposterior diameters and sectional areas were measured as minimum and maximum dimensions by two independent observers at soft palate (nasopharyngeal airway) and at base of the tongue (retroglossal airway). Results and conclusions Minimum anteroposterior diameter and minimum sectional area at nasopharynx and retroglossal airway were significantly reduced in Down Syndrome compared to normal airway at both low and high dose dexmedetomidine. However, there were no significant differences between low and high dose dexmedetomidine in both Down Syndrome and normal airway. The mean apnea hypopnea index in Down Syndrome was 16 ± 11. Under dexmedetomidine sedation, children with Down Syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea when compared to normal airway children show significant reductions in airway dimensions most pronounced at the narrowest points in the nasopharyngeal and retroglossal airways.
Assessment of Traumatic Brain Injury by Increased 64Cu Uptake on 64CuCl2 PET/CT

Copper is a nutritional trace element required for cell proliferation and wound repair. To explore increased copper uptake as a biomarker for noninvasive assessment of traumatic brain injury (TBI), experimental TBI in C57BL/6 mice was induced by controlled cortical impact (CCI) and 64Cu uptake in the traumatized brain tissues was assessed with PET/CT after intravenous injection of copper-64 chloride (64CuCl2) as a tracer. At 24 hr post intravenous injection of the tracer, 64Cu uptake in the injured cortical brain tissue obtained from the mice with TBI (1.15 + 0.53 %ID/g) was significantly higher than those in the uninjured cortical brain tissues obtained from the mice without TBI (0.53 + 0.07 %ID/g, P = 0.027) or the cortical brain tissues of the mice subjected to intra-cortical injection of Zymosan A, a modified sham control without CCI (0.62 + 0.22 P = 0.025). Furthermore, no significant difference of 64Cu uptake was found between the 64Cu uptake in the traumatized cortical brain tissues in the mice with TBI (1.15 + 0.53 %ID/g) and the 64Cu uptake in the traumatized cortical brain tissues obtained from the TBI mice treated with minocycline (0.93 + 0.30 %ID/g, P = 0.33). Overall, the data suggests that increased 64Cu uptake in the traumatized brain tissues holds potential as a new biomarker for noninvasive assessment of TBI with PET/CT using 64CuCl2 as a tracer (64CuCl2–PET/CT).
Fetal Biometry in Early Pregnancy

Fetal biometry has been used routinely in the second trimester for the past 40 years for the evaluation of gestational age, fetal weight and fetal anomalies. Its importance in the first trimester is even greater, as it allows for more accurate pregnancy dating, earlier detection of fetal anomalies and multiple gestations, and identifies pregnancies at increased risk for aneuploidy. The gestational sac and yolk sac are early pregnancy structures that can offer information related to the health of the pregnancy. The crown-rump length measurement in the first trimester is the most accurate predictor for pregnancy dating. Nuchal translucency measurement has become integral in the evaluation of increased aneuploidy risk, and is routinely offered with serum markers as a screening option. Evaluation of the nasal bone is useful as a secondary marker in screening for aneuploidy, especially with regard to trisomy 21. Other biometric measurements routinely used later in pregnancy may be utilized in the first trimester in certain scenarios. Fetal biometry in the first trimester is an important tool for evaluation of the health of a pregnancy. Clinicians should be aware of normal and abnormal development to enhance their counseling and management of normal and complicated pregnancies.
Modeling User Consumption Sequences

We study sequences of consumption in which the same item may be consumed multiple times. We identify two macroscopic behavior patterns of repeated consumptions. First, in a given user's lifetime, very few items live for a long time. Second, the last consumptions of an item exhibit growing inter-arrival gaps consistent with the notion of increasing boredom leading up to eventual abandonment. We then present what is to our knowledge the first holistic model of sequential repeated consumption, covering all observed aspects of this behavior. Our simple and purely combinatorial model includes no planted notion of lifetime distributions or user boredom; nonetheless, the model correctly predicts both of these phenomena. Further, we provide theoretical analysis of the behavior of the model confirming these phenomena. Additionally, the model quantitatively matches a number of microscopic phenomena across a broad range of datasets. Intriguingly, these findings suggest that the observation in a variety of domains of increasing user boredom leading to abandonment may be explained simply by probabilistic conditioning on an extinction event in a simple model, without resort to explanations based on complex human dynamics.
Complementarity and contradiction in cancer research: the role of hierarchies in carcinogenesis.

The essays on carcinogenesis in this volume tend to fall into groups according to the level of complexity at which the theories focus. Many investigators focus on events and processes involving genetic mutations. Others, however, identify events or processes at the chromosomal, cellular, tissue, or organsimal level as being of primary importance. While such different approaches to carcinogenesis may, at first, seem to be contradictory, they may be seen to be complementary in light of the general theory of hierarchical organization, Hierarchy theory, which is a development of general systems theory, describes the manner in which organized processes are formed by subunits that have unique properties of their own but which can acquire new properties through their interactions. Hierarchy theory suggests that carcinogenesis can only be understood as a set of interactions between organizational processes at every level from genetic to organismal.
15.17 – Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometers

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a widely used, extremely powerful technique for rapid elemental chemical analysis and isotope ratio measurement. ICP-MS detection limits in solution are in the single part per trillion concentration or below for more than 70 elements, and the linear dynamic range is up to nine orders of magnitude. Multicollector ICP-MS (MC-ICP-MS) complements thermal ionization mass spectrometry with the ability to measure elements with higher ionization energies and high sample throughput. Potential sources of error in ICP-MS include spectral overlaps, matrix-induced changes in sensitivity (signal per unit concentration), and mass bias. Spectral overlaps can be minimized or overcome using sufficiently high mass resolution or a collision/reaction cell that uses kinetic energy discrimination or ion–molecule reactions after ions are sampled from the atmospheric pressure plasma. This chapter focuses on the concepts, instrumentation, and practical use of ICP-MS. Current commercial ICP-MS and MC-ICP-MS instruments are described as part of the discussion.
Do Specific Classroom Reading Activities Predict English Language Learners’ Later Reading Achievement?

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the relationship between elementary classroom (N = 50) reading activities in Year 1 and reading performance (i.e., passage comprehension, letter-word identification, and word attack) 1 year later for English language learners (ELLs; N = 270). A cross-classification hierarchical model indicated that compared to other reading activities, grammar and spelling activities yielded the highest effect sizes (beta weights) in predictions of English passage comprehension. The analyses also showed that vocabulary and structural analysis instruction yielded the highest effect sizes in predictions of English letter-word identification and word attack. We discuss the results in the context of specific instructional activities that were predictive of ELL children’s later reading outcomes.
Abstract 4076: Single cell dual adherent-suspension co-culture microenvironment for studying tumor-stromal interactions in breast cancer stem cells

Considerable evidence suggests that cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are critical in tumor pathogenesis. Though functional CSCs can be identified using dish-based tumorsphere assays, it is difficult to handle and monitor single cells in a dish-based format. Tumor-stromal interaction is another key regulator of cancer micro-environments, affecting tumorigenesis and metastasis. To enable tumorsphere assays that incorporate interaction with stromal cells, we developed a microfluidic dual adherent/suspension co-culture device. This device combined a suspension environment for single-cell tumorsphere assay and an adherent environment for co-culture of stromal cells in close proximity by selectively patterning polyHEMA in indented microwells. By minimizing dead volume and improving cell capture efficiency, the presented platform allowed the use of small samples ( Citation Format: Yu-Chih Chen, Shamileh Fouladdel, Zhixiong Zhang, Ebrahim Azizi, Euisik Yoon, Max S. Wicha. Single cell dual adherent-suspension co-culture microenvironment for studying tumor-stromal interactions in breast cancer stem cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4076.