cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic motion tracking system for analysis of insect behavior

We present a multi-object tracking system to track small insects such as ants and bees. Motion-based object tracking recognizes the movements of objects in videos using information extracted from the given video frames. We applied several computer vision techniques, such as blob detection and appearance matching, to track ants. Moreover, we discussed different object detection methodologies and investigated the various challenges of object detection, such as illumination variations and blob merge/split. The proposed system effectively tracked multiple objects in various environments.
Ambulance Charters during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Equitable Access to Scarce Resources.

The novel coronavirus outbreak, like any pandemic, has brought with it many difficult choices. When demand for medical resources exceeds supply, healthcare providers have to make excruciating decis...
Conducting speech perception experiments remotely: Some tools, successes, and challenges

The use of remote (i.e., web-based) data collection for psycholinguistics research has proliferated in recent years, reflecting the emergence of new tools for promoting high-quality data collection beyond the traditional laboratory environment. This is particularly true this past year, demonstrating one way that the pandemic has transformed research in the short-term. In the long-term, remote approaches will remain a powerful tool in the domain of psycholinguistics, in part because they help (1) promote diversity among participant samples and (2) increase feasibility of the new best practices for promoting reproducibility of research (e.g., larger sample sizes, in-house replications, assessing generalization to novel stimulus sets). However, embracing remote data collection is not without its challenges, especially for speech perception researchers who require some degree of control over the listening environment and participants’ linguistic background. In this talk, I will describe tools, successes, and challenges related to our experiences in conducting remote speech perception experiments for a variety of phenomena (e.g., categorical perception, perceptual learning, talker adaptation, Ganong effect), tasks (e.g., phonetic identification, lexical decision, talker discrimination, transcription), and dependent measures (e.g., reaction time, accuracy, sensitivity, psychometric response functions).
Posttraumatic stress disorder in individuals seeking treatment for opioid use disorder in Vermont.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) may be associated with poor outcomes in rural areas where access to mental health services and opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is limited. This study examined the characteristics associated with a history of PTSD among a sample of individuals seeking buprenorphine treatment for OUD in Vermont, the second-most rural state in the US. Participants were 89 adults with OUD who participated in one of two ongoing randomized clinical trials examining the efficacy of an interim buprenorphine dosing protocol for reducing illicit opioid use during waitlist delays to OAT. Thirty-one percent of participants reported a history of PTSD. Those who did (PTSD+; n = 28) and did not (PTSD-; n = 61) report a history of PTSD were similar on sociodemographic and drug use characteristics. However, the PTSD+ group was less likely to have received prior OUD treatment compared to the PTSD- group (p = .02) despite being more likely to have a primary care physician (p = .009) and medical insurance (p = .002). PTSD+ individuals also reported greater mental health service utilization, more severe psychiatric, medical and drug use consequences, and greater pain severity and interference vs. PTSD- individuals (ps < 0.05). These findings indicate that a history of PTSD is prevalent and associated with worse outcomes among individuals seeking treatment for OUD in Vermont. Dissemination of screening measures and targeted interventions may help address the psychiatric and medical needs of rural individuals with OUD and a history of PTSD.
On-State Voltage Measurement of High-Side Power Transistors in Three-Phase Four-Leg Inverter for In-Situ Prognostics

This paper presents the challenges of implementing in-situ prognostics to practical power converters and proposes a new on-state voltage (V DSON ) monitoring circuit for the high-side power transistors. The proposed approach references the drain of the high-side transistors for their V DSON measurement. This circuit allows V DSON measurement of not only multiple high-side transistors but also multiple low-side transistors at the same time. The measured V DSON is used to calculate on-state resistance (R DSON ) in real-time using the drain-current measured using an off-the-shelf hall effect current sensor. The proposed circuit is used in a 75 kW 1000 V DC three-phase DC-AC inverter for in-situ prognostics. Validations of the proposed V DSON measurement circuit and R DSON monitoring are presented using theoretical circuit analysis and experimental results. The measured R DSON is found to be in the datasheet specified range.
Yield improvement and yield variability reduction in an EOQ model with planned shortages and random yield

Three models for improving yield rate and reducing yield variability are developed.The optimal values of the policy variables and costs are presented in explicit form.In all three models investment programs lead to yield improvement and cost savings. This paper reports the results of an investigation of a set of continuous time, constant demand inventory models under the condition of yield uncertainty. Specifically, the impact of yield improvement programs on lot size, backorder level, and the resulting costs are examined. Models for improving yield rate and reducing yield variability are developed and examined through a series of numerical exercises. In addition, a model for the simultaneous improvement of yield rate and yield variability is presented for the case where there is a relationship between the mean and variance of the yield distribution. In all cases, investment programs improve the picture with respect to manufacturing yield for processes which are not necessarily under statistical control.
Amino Acid Sequence of Human λ Chains II. CHYMOTRYPTIC PEPTIDES AND SEQUENCE OF PROTEIN Ha

Abstract The primary structure of the variable region of the human λ Bence-Jones Protein Ha has been determined by sequence analysis of the tryptic and chymotryptic peptides; the primary structure of the constant region has been deduced by partial sequence analysis of these peptides and by homology. Twenty-nine chymotryptic peptides covering all but eight of the total of 217 residues were isolated from the carboxymethylated protein. The complete sequence was determined for 14 chymotryptic peptides; of these, nine are in the variable region and five are in the constant region. For the remaining peptides only the partial sequence or the amino acid composition and the end groups were obtained. These results permitted the ordering of all of the tryptic peptides. Of the 15 chymotryptic peptides from the variable region, only a tripeptide was identical with any previously reported for human λ chains. Most of the chymotryptic peptides of the constant region appeared identical with those previously reported for the human λ chain, Protein Sh. No evidence was obtained for variation in sequence of the last 105 residues, but the variable region differed in from 29 to 54 residues from others previously reported.
The effects of education, infrastructure, and demographics variables on regional income performance in Missouri

The objective of this study is to examine the potential impacts of different levels of educational attainment and infrastructure investment on income performance within the state of Missouri. Data are collected for all of Missouri’s 114 counties. Endogeneity testing is carried out and both ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares parameter estimates are presented. Results indicate that increased educational attainment levels and enhanced private capital stocks are associated with income gains. The effects of public capital stocks are not as clear-cut. Model simulations show the possible income gains from increasing educational attainment levels.
MECHANICS OF RESPIRATION IN BRONCHIOLITIS.

Data on the pressure-flow-volume relationships in bronchiolitis were obtained by recording simultaneously tidal volumes and esophageal pressures per unit of time in 24 infants with bronchiolitis. All infants had acute pulmonary hyperinflation. The values for dynamic compliance were markedly decreased. The decrease is presumably caused by unequal ventilation at high respiratory frequencies and by the increased retractive force active in a previously normal lung at a high level of inflation. The mean tidal volume/m2 was lower and the mean minute volume/m2 higher than normal. Expiratory flow was rapid and expiration shorter than inspiration in most cases. The mean expiratory resistance was lower than the mean inspiratory resistance and below normal when compared with the values of 24 normal infants. The mean combined resistance was in the normal range. Judging from known anatomical changes in bronchiolitis, an elevated combined resistance had been expected. The finding of low values for resistance can be explained by Otis9 theory of the "equality of time constants," i.e., when flow is rapid in a system of unequally obstructed airways, the measured resistance will approximate that in the larger airways. It thus appears that the measurement of resistance in the common pathway does in certain conditions not represent the true resistance in the peripherie, particularly not the resistance of the more severely affected branches. It is suggested that the finding of a short expiratory phase is caused by the increased elastic recoil, which distends the airways at high lung volumes and consequently facilitates flow in those bronchioles which are only minimally involved by the disease process. Flow in the more severely obstructed bronchioles will decrease when a given pressure is greater than that necessary for maximal flow. It appears that the measured flow in the present cases with bronchiolitic pulmonary hyperinflation is not representative of over-all effective flow as indicated by the findings of paradoxically low values for resistance.
Over the Ivy Walls: The Educational Mobility of Low-Income Chicanos.

Over the Ivy Walls: The Educational Mobility of Low-Income Chicanos. Patricia Gandara. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1995. 151 pp.
Preparation and Properties of 5'-Nucleotidase from Smooth Muscle of Small Intestine

Abstract 5'-Nucleotidase prepared from smooth muscle is strongly inhibited by ADP. This inhibition is much stronger than the previously described inhibition of 5'-nucleotidase by ATP. The α,β-methylenephosphonate analogue of ADP is an exceptionally powerful inhibitor of the enzyme. The enzyme possesses three pH optima. The lowest of these optima is observed only when the enzyme is not inhibited by buffer anions; the highest is observed only in the presence of magnesium ions.
Determination of the Θ+ parity from γn→K−K+n

Abstract It is demonstrated that measurements of photon asymmetry in the γn → K − K + n reaction, can most likely determine the parity of the newly discovered Θ + pentaquark. We predict that if the parity of Θ + is positive, the photon asymmetry is significantly positive; if the parity is negative, the photon asymmetry is significantly negative. If the background contribution is large, the photon asymmetry may become very small in magnitude, thereby making it difficult to distinguish between the positive and negative parity results. However, even in this case, a combined analysis of the ( K + n ) invariant mass distribution and photon asymmetry should allow a determination of the parity of Θ + .
Introduction: clinical ethics beyond the urban hospital.

Bioethics, and subsequently clinical ethics, developed primarily out of concerns that arose in the context of urban academic acute-care medicine. The ‘‘life and death’’ conversations in the field’s early years predominantly culminated around questions about proper use of sophisticated life-sustaining technologies, technology that, at the time, could only be provided in a hospital setting. Thus, the field relied heavily (either consciously or subconsciously) on the particularities of this context for the creation of its most seminal concepts and practices, from informed consent to models of clinical ethics consultation. However, steadily over the past several decades the context of health care provision has shifted away from in-patient care and to (or in some cases, back to) modalities like home health care, ambulatory care, and telemedicine. Despite this shift, though, much if not most of the bioethics
College students' daily-level reasons for not drinking.

Introduction and Aims Motivational models of alcohol use posit opposing approach and avoidance motives related to drinking, yet no micro-longitudinal study of college students has examined avoidance motives [i.e. reasons for not drinking (RND)]. This exploratory study examined daily- and person-level correlates of students' RNDs to identify factors that may inhibit alcohol use. Design and Methods College students (n = 1631; 54% female) participated in a 30-day daily diary study in which they reported RNDs for non-drinking evenings, as well as daily moods, global drinking motives and alcohol expectancies. Results Daily sadness was positively associated with not drinking due to having nobody with whom to drink but negatively associated with not drinking due to school work. Daily anxiety was negatively associated with not drinking due to lack of desire and positively associated with not drinking due to habit or having school or job responsibilities. At the person level, multiple RNDs were associated with both coping and conformity motives (but not social or enhancement motives), as well as positive (but not negative) alcohol expectancies. Discussion and Conclusions Results demonstrate the complexity of modelling mood-drinking contingencies proposed by motivational theories of alcohol use. Distinct moods may promote or inhibit drinking through various pathways, which could help explain the weak associations between daily mood and drinking level observed in previous studies. Measuring reasons both for and against drinking in micro-longitudinal studies (e.g. daily diaries) is recommended to better understand the processes underlying alcohol use and to inform future prevention efforts. [O'Hara RE, Armeli S, Tennen H. College students' daily-level reasons for not drinking. Drug Alcohol Rev 2014;33:412–419]
FERTILITY PRESERVATION IN PAEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY: RESULTS OF A PHYSICIAN SURVEY

SUMMARY Objective Fertility preservation (FP) is a widespread practice in paediatric oncology when gonadotoxic medications such as cyclophosphamide (CPO) are used. FP practice outside of oncology has not been studied, although nephrologists regularly use CPO. This is the first study to explore FP practice by paediatric nephrologists when CPO is used. Design Survey study. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared analyses were employed to analyse the data. Participants US paediatric nephrologists were sent a survey via email. The survey queried participants about FP practice behaviours, FP attitudes and barriers to practice. Main Outcome Measures Of 579 nephrologists invited, 32% responded to the survey. Results CPO was dosed in mg/kg by 23% of physicians, g/m2 by 40% and both by 37%. About 80% agreed that pubertal females should be offered a fertility referral, while 58% report that they actually refer. Factors negatively associated with referral include lack of training, lack of referral network and adherence to gonadotoxic dose limits. Results were similar for male patients. Conclusion The survey showed that FP practice in the United States is widespread among nephrologists. Lack of referral networks is a notable barrier for nephrologists. Perceived adherence to dose limits may be problematic given the variable dosing regimens utilised. This is due to the risk of unintended overdose in large adolescents dosed in mg/kg whose cumulative dose exceeds gonadotoxic limits in g/m2. This paper has implications for nephrology care providers and other specialists who utilise CPO, generalists who care for these patients and oncologists with extant FP referral networks.
Bilateral sphenopalatine ganglion blockade improves postoperative analgesia after endoscopic sinus surgery.

Background Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is a common procedure preferably done with an anesthetic technique ensuring effective postoperative analgesia while speeding discharge home. Although anesthesia administered locally in conjunction with vasoconstricting agents is known to minimize intraoperative bleeding, its usefulness in providing postoperative analgesia has not been well characterized. The results supporting the use of regional anesthesia for sinus surgery have also been limited. Using a randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled design, we evaluated recovery times, opioid consumption, and nausea and vomiting after ESS when patients were randomized to either general anesthesia (GA) alone or with regional blockade. Methods Subjects were 70 adults scheduled for sinus surgery. All participants underwent propofol/remifentanil/nitrous oxide anesthesia and similar intraoperative care. Patients received either GA alone or with sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) blocks in a double-masked study design. Independent observers recorded readiness for discharge, incidence of nausea/vomiting, and pain scores every 15 minutes until discharge. Overall opioid use in the recovery area was also a secondary end point. Twenty-four hours later, patients were called and asked to rate their pain and overall satisfaction with their pain control. Results Block group participants were considered ready for discharge after 45 minutes and discharged from the hospital ∼40 minutes sooner than GA group participants. The block group required less total fentanyl in the recovery room than did the GA group. The incidences of nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly. Data at 24 hours postoperatively did not differ significantly between groups but trended toward increased satisfaction in the block group. No lasting adverse events were observed. Conclusion Regional anesthesia using targeted nerve blocks is effective in ESS. The combination of GA and SPG blockade appears to shorten hospital stay and reduce narcotic requirements in the recovery area. No demonstrable benefits were observed after 24 hours regarding pain management.
Cyclooxygenase-2 and prostate carcinogenesis.

In recent years a dramatic surge has occurred on studies defining to the role of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in causation and prevention of cancer. Prostaglandin (PG) endoperoxidase synthase also commonly referred to as COX is a key enzyme involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid to PGs and other eicosanoids. COX exists as two isoforms, namely COX-1 and COX-2 with distinct tissue distribution and physiological functions. COX-1 is constitutively expressed in many tissues and cell types and is involved in normal cellular physiological functions whereas COX-2 is pro-inflammatory in nature and is inducible by mitogens, cytokines, tumor promoters and growth factors. A large volume of data exists showing that COX-2 is overexpressed in a large number of human cancers and cancer cell lines. The possibility of COX-2 as a candidate player in cancer development and progression evolved from the epidemiological studies which suggest that regular use of aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could significantly decrease the risk of developing cancers in experimental animals and in humans. In our recently published study (Prostate, 42 2000 73-78), we provided the first evidence that COX-2 is overexpressed in human prostate adenocarcinoma. Many other studies verified our initial observation and reported that compared to normal tissue, COX-2 is overexpressed in human prostate cancer. It should be noted that some recent work has suggested that COX-2 is only up-regulated in proliferative inflammatory atrophy of the prostate, but not in prostate carcinoma. In this scenario, COX-2 inhibitors could afford their effects against prostate carcinogenesis by modulating COX-2 activity in other cells in prostate. An exciting corollary to this ongoing work is that selective COX-2 inhibitors may exhibit chemopreventive and even chemotherapeutic effects against prostate carcinogenesis in humans.
Furosemide-sensitive Na+ and K+ transport and human erythrocyte volume.

The relationship between cation transport and cell volume in human erythrocytes was investigated by measuring ouabain-sensitive K+ influx, ouabain-resistant, furosemide-sensitive K+ influx, and ouabain + furosemide-resistant K+ influx, and maximal ouabain binding in microcytic, normocytic and macrocytic red cells. A significant correlation was found between the mean corpuscular volume and furosemide-sensitive K+ influx normalized either to cell number (r = 0.636, P < 0.001) or to cell volume (r = 0.488, P < 0.001). No relationship was seen between mean corpuscular volume and ouabain-sensitive K+ influx, and the number of ouabain-binding sites per cell was only weakly correlated with mean corpuscular volume (r = 0.337, P < 0.05). A slight, negative relationship existed between mean corpuscular volume and ouabain + furosemide-resistant K+ influx expressed per volume of cells (r = −0.359, P < 0.01), and an apparent relationship between furosemide-sensitive K+ influx and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (r = 0.446, P < 0.01) disappeared when microcytic samples were excluded from analysis. Furosemide-sensitive transport, including Na+ influx and K+ and Na+ efflux, was completely absent in microcytic cells from one patient with α-thalassemia minor. In addition, these cells exhibited a furosemide-resistant, Cl−-dependent K+ influx. Exposure of normal erythrocytes to hypotonic conditions (196 mosM) increased furosemide-sensitive K+ influx by a mean of 45% (P < 0.05), while exposure to hypertonic conditions (386 mosM) had no significant effect. The results indicate that furosemide-sensitive transport and cell volume are interrelated in human erythrocytes. However, the inability to fully recreate this relationship with in vitro manipulation of cell volume suggests that this relationship is established prior to red cell maturation.
Imagining Consumers: Design and Innovation from Wedgwood to Corning

This volume tells the story of American consumer society from the perspective of mass-market manufacturers and retailers. It relates the trials and tribulations of china and glassware producers in their contest for the hearts of working- and middle-class women, who made up more than 80 per cent of those buying mass-manufactured goods by the 1920s. Following a model pioneered by Josiah Wedgwood during Britain's 18th-century industrial revolution, successful American manufacturers closely collaborated with retailers to sort out consumer priorities and tailored their products accordingly. These firms cast aside elitist notions of good taste to generate the stylistic variety that suited the nation's diverse working population, which frequented chain stores such as F.W. Woolworth & Company. In contrast, companies which tried to stimulate desire, reshape taste and encourage profligate spending using mass advertising, extravagant styling and instalment selling found their efforts thwarted by consumers, who refused to buy products that they did not really want. Based on research in corporate archives, this work seeks to shed new light on the history of American business, culture and consumerism. Case studies illuminate the actions of decision-makers in key firms, including the Homer Laughlin China Company, the Kohler Company and Corning Glass Works, and consider the design and development of ubiquitous lines such as Fiesta tableware and Pyrex Ovenware.
Defining Distinctiveness The Connections Between Organizational Identity, Competition, and Strategy in Public Radio Organizations

Because of disruption stemming from digital media products and services, radio stations across the country are enacting organizational changes to provide digital content while maintaining a strong ...
Structural Allograft as an Option for Treating Infected Hip Arthroplasty with Massive Bone Loss

Background Revision of the infected hip arthroplasty with major bone loss is difficult. Attempts to restore bone stock with structural allograft are controversial.
Effects of CYP1A2 on disposition of 2,3,7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran, and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl in CYP1A2 knockout and parental (C57BL/6N and 129/Sv) strains of mice.

TCDD is the prototype and most potent member of the highly lipophilic polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs), which are persistent and ubiquitous environmental contaminants. In both acute and subchronic animal studies, there is a specific accumulation of TCDD in liver greater than in adipose tissue. The inducible hepatic binding protein responsible for this hepatic sequestration of TCDD and its congeners has been shown by our laboratory to be CYP1A2 (J. J. Diliberto, D. Burgin, and L. S. Birnbaum, 1997, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 236, 431-433). The present study was conducted using knockout (KO) mice lacking expression of CYP1A2 (CYP1A2-/-) in order to investigate the role of CYP1A2 gene on the disposition of TCDD, 4-PeCDF (a dioxin-like PHAH), and PCB 153 (a nondioxin-like PCB) in KO (CYP1A2-/-) mice and age-matched parental mice strains (C57BL/6N: CYP1A2+/+, Ah(b/b) and 129/Sv: CYP1A2+/+, Ah(d/d)). Mice were dosed (25 microgram [(3)H]TCDD/kg, 300 microgram [(14)C]4-PeCDF/kg, or 35.8 mg [(14)C]PCB 153/kg bw in a corn oil vehicle) orally and terminated after 4 days. Residues of administered compounds in collected tissues and daily excreta were quantitated using (3)H or (14)C activity. Results demonstrated differential effects in disposition for the various treatments within the three genetically different groups of mice. In KO mice, TCDD, 4-PeCDF, and PCB 153 had very little hepatic localization of chemical, and the major depot was adipose tissue. In contrast, parental strains demonstrated hepatic sequestration of TCDD and 4-PeCDF, whereas disposition of PCB 153 in parental strains was similar to that in KO mice. Another difference between KO mice and parental strains was the enhanced urinary excretion of 4-PeCDF. This study demonstrates the importance of CYP1A2 in pharmacokinetic behavior and mechanistic issues for TCDD and related compounds.
Maximizing co-training opportunities on a traditional health sciences campus

Both the economics and the science of modern healthcare demand that the best patient care be delivered by an integrated team of healthcare providers, each expert in their own field, but also expert in the ability to function well as a team member. Functioning as a member of a complex team is not intuitive, and even the best educated among us needs additional instruction to do this well. But even the best schools of nursing and medicine, especially those with longer histories and more traditional curricula, may not be designed to support this type of instruction. Practical considerations such as accreditation needs, administration, budget lines, and even physical facilities tend to “silo” instruction by discipline. We argue that even in institutions with traditional curricula, there are numerous opportunities to co-train nursing, medical, and other healthcare students and faculty if we remain open to possibilities. This article presents five brief case-studies of co-training events where nursing, medical, and other healthcare students and/or faculty learn in the same environment with minimal administrative effort including: (1) the Certificate in Health Professions Education program; (2) workshops on Increasing Cultural Competence; (3) the iCOPE project in interdiscip- linary palliative care; (4) joint daily rounding in an urban children’s hospital; and (5) providing care in the Teen Age Parent Program (TAPP).
Population Movements and Emerging Diseases

risk for new infections, also aid in the global dispersal of infections. Human activities provide increased opportunities for genetic exchange among microbes and favor the selection and spread of resistant strains. Population growth, increasing urbanization, and environmental change enhance the emergence and spread of infections. individual by about one order of magnitude. Travel for the individual increased by
Ovulatory response of chlordecone (Kepone)-exposed mice to exogenous gonadotropins.

Abstract The present study assessed the ability of the murine ovary to ovulate in response to exogenous gonadotropins following exposure to an estrogenic pesticide chlordecone (Kepone). Sexually mature virgin female CD-1 mice were exposed by oral gavage to either 0.062 mg, 0.125 mg or 0.25 mg (2, 4 or 8 mg/kg, respectively) chlordecone for 5 consecutive days for 2, 4, or 6 weeks. Control groups received either 0.1 mg estradiol-17β (E-17β) or the sesame oil vehicle for the same period. During the final week of exposure all experimental and control animals were treated with a superovulatory regimen of PMSG and hCG. The results revealed that the lower 2 chlordecone doses (0.062 and 0.125 mg) had highly variable effects on the ovulatory responses. The highest chlordecone dose (0.25 mg), however, produced a significant and progressive decrease in the ovulatory responses when compared to both E-17β and vehicle controls. Since ovulation was progressively impeded in mice exposed to 0.25 mg chlordecone, this high chemical dose may have exerted a direct effect on the ovary since sufficient exogenous gonadotropins were available to stimulate ovulation.
Positron emission tomography predicts transplantation outcome

High-dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has become a mainstay of treatment for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma or Hodgkin lymphoma who either fail to achieve a complete remission or who have relapsed disease. As investigators analyzed the results of this approach, it
Developmental Aspects of NMDA Receptor Function

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in mammalian synapses. It binds to three classes of predominantly postsynaptic ionotropic receptors to activate receptor-associated channels, and a class of metabotropic receptors to activate G-protein mediated transduction pathways. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NR) is distinctive in being both ligand and voltage-gated, and selectively permeable to Ca2+. As a consequence, NR-mediated alterations in intracellular Ca2+ levels regulate a variety of signaling pathways, ranging from localized, acute effects on receptor and channel activities to long-term effects on nuclear gene transcription. Regulated expression, assembly, and modulation of distinct heteromeric NR complexes comprised of different subunit combinations contributes to this functional diversity. NRs have been implicated in several developmental processes, and evidence supporting their role in migration, survival, and synaptic maturation is discussed.
Comparison of Bennett shift measured at the hinge axis and an arbitrary hinge axis position

Bennett shift was measured at an arbitrary hinge axis position and at the hinge axis position in 10 subjects. Sixty percent of the arbitrary hinge axis positions were within 5 mm of the hinge axis position. There was no significant difference in the Bennett shift measurements made at the hinge axis and the arbitrary hinge axis positions when measured in 0.25 mm increments. The average immediate Bennett shift was found to be 1.05 mm on the left side and 1.12 mm on the right side when firm guidance was used.
Isotopic homogeneity among nonequivalent sectors of calcite

Coeval crystallographic growth sectors were microsampled from a fracture-filling calcite cement crystal with well-developed crystal faces and concentric zoning to test empirically for isotopic sector zoning. Isotopic and minor element homogeneity among coeval parts of the {0112} and {2131} sectors suggests that isotopic sector zoning does not occur in calcite. Empirical results are compatible with theoretical considerations based on crystal surface geometry, growth mechanisms, and a thermodynamic growth model.
Decreased lung function after preschool wheezing rhinovirus illnesses in children at risk to develop asthma.

Background Preschool rhinovirus (RV) wheezing illnesses predict an increased risk of childhood asthma; however, it is not clear how specific viral illnesses in early life relate to lung function later on in childhood. Objective To determine the relationship of virus-specific wheezing illnesses and lung function in a longitudinal cohort of children at risk for asthma. Methods Two hundred thirty-eight children were followed prospectively from birth to 8 years of age. Early life viral wheezing respiratory illnesses were assessed by using standard techniques, and lung function was assessed annually by using spirometry and impulse oscillometry. The relationships of these virus-specific wheezing illnesses and lung function were assessed by using mixed-effect linear regression. Results Children with RV wheezing illness demonstrated significantly decreased spirometry values, FEV 1 ( P = .001), FEV 0.5 ( P 25-75 ( P P 25-75 ( P = .05) compared with children without asthma. Conclusion Among outpatient viral wheezing illnesses in early childhood, those caused by RV infections are the most significant predictors of decreased lung function up to age 8 years in a high-risk birth cohort. Whether low lung function is a cause and/or effect of RV wheezing illnesses is yet to be determined.
Comparative pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in lactating dairy cows and beef steers following intravenous administration of enrofloxacin

The comparative pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin were investigated in lactating cows and beef steers. The plasma elimination half-life of either enrofloxacin or ciprofloxacin was shorter in cows than in steers. The overall production of ciprofloxacin was slightly higher in steers than in cows (metabolite ratio: 64% and 59%, respectively). There was no significant difference in plasma protein binding of enrofloxacin between cows (percent bound: 59.4%) and steers (percent bound: 60.8%). Ciprofloxacin was more extensively bound to plasma proteins in steers (percent bound: 49.6%) than in cows (percent bound: 33.8%). The steady state volume of distribution of enrofloxacin is comparable in cows (1.55 L/kg) and steers (1.59 L/kg). Within either bovine class, plasma elimination half-life of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin are comparable, while plasma protein binding was higher for enrofloxacin than for ciprofloxacin. Ciprofloxacin was more concentrated in milk than enrofloxacin.
Mechanical forces in fetal lung development: opportunities for translational research.

Pulmonary hypoplasia secondary to congenital diaphragmatic hernia, oligohydramnios, etc., is an important cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. In fact, pulmonary hypoplasia is the most common finding (up to 26%) in neonatal autopsies (1). Moreover, more than 20,000 babies are born every year in the United States before 27 weeks of gestation (canalicular stage of lung development). These disorders have in common an incomplete development of the lungs. In addition to the risk of death, these conditions can also cause severe respiratory distress at birth and serious long-term morbidities (2). Currently, the management is primarily supportive and there are not specific treatments designed to accelerate the development of the lungs.
Ordered Arrays of Amphiphilic Gold Nanoparticles in Langmuir Monolayers

Large ordered arrays of gold nanoparticles with 1.4 nm cores were created in Langmuir monolayers from an amphiphilic starting material, Palmitoyl Nanogold. Transfer of the films to transmission ele...
Extensions in the use of log-multiplicative scaled association models in multiway contingency tables

This article extends the use of log-multiplicative scaled association models to multiway cross-classifications with complex constraints in the partial homogeneous models. It proposes a special class of conditional association models with linear and quadratic constraints on the intrinsic association (φ) when the layer (group) variable indexes temporal order. For multiway cross-classifications with more than one group variable, another class of conditional association models with additive and interactive constraints on the intrinsic association (φ) with the group variables is provided. The proposed iterative macro program to estimate these constraints not only satisfies the condition of simultaneous estimation and yields efficient estimates but also has the flexibility to incorporate other log-linear effects.
Role for kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin (KNDy) neurons in cutaneous vasodilatation and the estrogen modulation of body temperature.

Estrogen withdrawal in menopausal women leads to hot flushes, a syndrome characterized by the episodic activation of heat dissipation effectors. Despite the extraordinary number of individuals affected, the etiology of flushes remains an enigma. Because menopause is accompanied by marked alterations in hypothalamic kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin (KNDy) neurons, we hypothesized that these neurons could contribute to the generation of flushes. To determine if KNDy neurons participate in the regulation of body temperature, we evaluated the thermoregulatory effects of ablating KNDy neurons by injecting a selective toxin for neurokinin-3 expressing neurons [NK3-saporin (SAP)] into the rat arcuate nucleus. Remarkably, KNDy neuron ablation consistently reduced tail-skin temperature (TSKIN), indicating that KNDy neurons facilitate cutaneous vasodilatation, an important heat dissipation effector. Moreover, KNDy ablation blocked the reduction of TSKIN by 17β-estradiol (E2), which occurred in the environmental chamber during the light phase, but did not affect the E2 suppression of TSKIN during the dark phase. At the high ambient temperature of 33 °C, the average core temperature (TCORE) of ovariectomized (OVX) control rats was significantly elevated, and this value was reduced by E2 replacement. In contrast, the average TCORE of OVX, KNDy-ablated rats was lower than OVX control rats at 33 °C, and not altered by E2 replacement. These data provide unique evidence that KNDy neurons promote cutaneous vasodilatation and participate in the E2 modulation of body temperature. Because cutaneous vasodilatation is a cardinal sign of a hot flush, these results support the hypothesis that KNDy neurons could play a role in the generation of flushes.
Sensitivity analysis of Wiener filter-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) microwave imaging technique

Previously, a Wiener filter-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technique was developed to successfully image embedded objects in a general layered structure. The results of the imaging technique were then verified through performing extensive measurements. Here, the sensitivity of this technique to different critical parameters is investigated using a full-wave electromagnetic simulation software. These parameters include those related to the sample being imaged (e.g., electrical properties of layers), those related to measurements (e.g., electromagnetic wave polarization), and those associated with the modeling process (e.g., electrical properties of layers used in the image reconstruction procedure).
Chemical components of the roots of Noni (Morinda citrifolia) and their cytotoxic effects

Roots of Morinda citrifolia (Noni or Yor in Thai) have been used traditionally for thousands of years to treat chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. In this study, three new anthraquinones together with 15 known compounds were isolated from the roots of M. citrifolia (Rubiaceae). Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods, particularly 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Six known compounds, together with two new compounds (2 and 3) showed significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation of human lung and colon cancer cells.
Methylalpinumisoflavone Inhibits Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1) Activation by Simultaneously Targeting Multiple Pathways

Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors, and the extent of tumor hypoxia correlates with advanced disease stages and treatment resistance. The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) represents an important tumor-selective molecular target for anticancer drug discovery directed at tumor hypoxia. A natural product chemistry-based approach was employed to discover small molecule inhibitors of HIF-1. Bioassay-guided isolation of an active lipid extract of the tropical legumaceous plant Lonchocarpus glabrescens and structure elucidation afforded two new HIF-1 inhibitors: alpinumisoflavone (compound 1) and 4′-O-methylalpinumisoflavone (compound 2). In human breast tumor T47D cells, compounds 1 and 2 inhibited hypoxia-induced HIF-1 activation with IC50 values of 5 and 0.6 μm, respectively. At the concentrations that in hibited HIF-1 activation, compound 2 inhibited hypoxic induction of HIF-1 target genes (CDKN1A, GLUT-1, and VEGF), tumor angiogenesis in vitro, cell migration, and chemotaxis. Compound 2 inhibits HIF-1 activation by blocking the induction of nuclear HIF-1α protein, the oxygen-regulated subunit that controls HIF-1 activity. Mechanistic studies indicate that, unlike rotenone and other mitochondrial inhibitors, compound 2 represents the first small molecule that inhibits HIF-1 activation by simultaneously suppressing mitochondrial respiration and disrupting protein translation in vitro. This unique mechanism distinguishes compound 2 from other small molecule HIF-1 inhibitors that are simple mitochondrial inhibitors or flavanoid-based protein kinase inhibitors.
Phosphorylation of the insulin receptor by casein kinase I

Insulin receptor was examined as a substrate for the multipotential protein kinase casein kinase I. Casein kinase I phosphorylated partially purified insulin receptor from human placenta as shown by immunoprecipitation of the complex with antiserum to the insulin receptor. Analysis of the phosphorylated complex by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions showed a major phosphorylated band at the position of the alpha 2 beta 2 complex. When the phosphorylated receptor was analyzed on polyacrylamide gels under reducing conditions, two phosphorylated bands, Mr 95,000 and Mr 135,000, were observed which corresponded to the alpha and beta subunits. The majority of the phosphate was associated with the beta subunit with minor phosphorylation of the alpha subunit. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed that casein kinase I phosphorylated only seryl residues. The autophosphorylated alpha 2 beta 2 receptor purified by affinity chromatography on immobilized O-phosphotyrosyl binding antibody was also a substrate for casein kinase I. Reduction of the phosphorylated alpha 2 beta 2 receptor indicated that casein kinase I incorporated phosphate into seryl residues only in the beta subunit.
The effect of sulfisoxazole-trimethoprim combination on titratable acidity of human sebum.

SUMMARY.— The daily administration of 2·0 G. of sulfisoxazole in combination with 0.5 G. of trimethoprim for 9 weeks produces a decrease in the titratable acidity of sebum averaging approximately 30%. No change has been observed with trimethoprim or sulfisoxazole alone.
Interfacially polymerized hydrophilic microporous thin film composite membranes on porous polypropylene hollow fibers and flat films

Abstract Solvent-stable ultrafiltration (UF) membranes are of significant interest especially if they are also hydrophilic. Porous polypropylene flat films and hollow fibers can provide substantial chemical, pH, and solvent resistance and are therefore suitable as supports for forming appropriate coatings functioning as solvent-stable UF membranes. Flat Celgard 2400 films, Cegard X-10 and X-20 hollow fibers of polypropylene were used as a support for thin film composite (TFC) membranes prepared by interfacial polymerization (IP) technique. Monomer reactants for this reaction were diacyl chlorides such as sebacoyl chloride or iso -phthaloyl dichloride and diamines such as hexanediamine or polyethyleneimine (PEI). These TFC membranes have substantial solvent stability. Their IP layer and the membrane are also hydrophilic. The surface at the internal diameter of the hollow fibers was modified; plasma polymerization, UV techniques are generally not suitable for modification of this surface. The membranes obtained were characterized by the permeance of a gas (N 2 ), permeability of water and ethanol, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultrafiltration of a protein, zein, from an ethanolic solution. Amongst a number of factors which hold the key to a successful coating/membrane are hydrophilization of the different surfaces of the porous hydrophobic support via acetone and chromic acid oxidizing solution, order of introduction of the monomer-containing solutions, exposure of the nascent film to reduced shear conditions, and heat treatment of the IP layer formed. The hollow fibers membranes developed successfully were capable of 97% zein rejection from an ethanolic solution.
Optothermal transport behavior in whispering gallery mode optical cavities

Over the past century, whispering gallery mode optical cavities have enabled numerous advances in science and engineering, such as discoveries in quantum mechanics and non-linear optics, as well as the development of optical gyroscopes and add drop filters. One reason for their widespread appeal is their ability to confine light for long periods of time, resulting in high circulating intensities. However, when sufficiently large amounts of optical power are coupled into these cavities, they begin to experience optothermal or photothermal behavior, in which the optical energy is converted into heat. Above the optothermal threshold, the resonance behavior is no longer solely defined by electromagnetics. Previous work has primarily focused on the role of the optothermal coefficient of the material in this instability. However, the physics of this optothermal behavior is significantly more complex. In the present work, we develop a predictive theory based on a generalizable analytical expression in combination with a geometry-specific COMSOL Multiphysics finite element method model. The simulation couples the optical and thermal physics components, accounting for geometry variations as well as the temporal and spatial profile of the optical field. To experimentally verify our theoretical model, the optothermal thresholds of a series of silica toroidal resonant cavities are characterized at different wavelengths (visible through near-infrared) and using different device geometries. The silica toroid offers a particularly rigorous case study for the developed optothermal model because of its complex geometrical structure which provides multiple thermal transport paths.