cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gut Microbiota Plays a Central Role to Modulate the Plasma and Fecal Metabolomes in Response to Angiotensin II

Gut microbial metabolites have been implicated in contributing to blood pressure regulation; however, only a few microbial metabolites have been examined to date. In this study, we hypothesized that an unbiased screen for changes in gut microbial metabolites in a chronic Ang II (angiotensin II) infusion model would identify novel microbial metabolites associated with blood pressure regulation. To accomplish this, we used both conventional and germ-free mice, which had been implanted with minipumps to infuse either saline or Ang II. Our aim was to identify metabolites that were altered with Ang II treatment in conventional mice, but not in germ-free mice, indicating that they are dependent on the gut microbiota. Both plasma and feces samples were processed and analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy. In plasma, we identified 4 metabolites that were significantly upregulated and 8 metabolites that were significantly downregulated with Ang II treatment in conventional mice; none of these metabolites changed in germ-free mice. Similarly, in feces, we identified 25 metabolites that were significantly upregulated and 71 metabolites that were significantly downregulated with Ang II treatment in conventional mice; none of these metabolites changed in germ-free mice. Finally, fecal 16S sequencing revealed significant shifts in the microbiome of conventional mice with Ang II treatment, including sex-specific changes. These data demonstrate that the metabolites that are differentially regulated with Ang II are dependent on the gut microbiome.
Worry in Thyroid Cancer Survivors with a Favorable Prognosis

Background: Little is known about cancer-related worry in thyroid cancer survivors with favorable prognosis. Methods: A diverse cohort of patients diagnosed with differentiated thyroid cancer in 2014-2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program registries of Georgia and Los Angeles County were surveyed two to four years after diagnosis. Main outcomes were any versus no worry about harms from treatments, quality of life, family at risk for thyroid cancer, recurrence, and death. After excluding patients with recurrent, persistent, and distant disease, multivariable logistic regression was used to identify correlates of worry in 2215 disease-free survivors. Results: Overall, 41.0% reported worry about death, 43.5% worry about harms from treatments, 54.7% worry about impaired quality of life, 58.0% worry about family at risk, and 63.2% worry about recurrence. After controlling for disease severity, in multivariable analyses with separate models for each outcome, there was more worry in patients with lower education (e.g., worry about recurrence, high school diploma and below: odds ratio [OR] 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI 1.36-2.33] compared with college degree and above). Older age and male sex were associated with less worry (e.g., worry about recurrence, age ≥65 years: OR 0.28 [CI 0.21-0.39] compared with age ≤44 years). Worry was associated with being Hispanic or Asian (e.g., worry about death, Hispanic: OR 1.41 [CI 1.09-1.83]; Asian: OR 1.57 [CI 1.13-2.17] compared with whites). Conclusions: Physicians should be aware that worry is a major issue for thyroid cancer survivors with favorable prognosis. Efforts should be undertaken to alleviate worry, especially among vulnerable groups, including female patients, younger patients, those with lower education, and racial/ethnic minorities.
Comparison of pressure front with tracer front advance and principal flow regimes in hydraulically fractured wells in unconventional reservoirs

Abstract Pressure depletion patterns near hydraulically fractured wells in ultra-low permeability reservoirs occupy a much larger region than outlined by fluid withdrawal contours. When used for reservoirs with moderate or high permeability (say k > 1 mD), industry never needed to caution using pressure depletion plots as a proxy for fluid removal or drained rock volume (DRV). For such conventional reservoirs, pressure depletion plots are good proxies for fluid removal or drained rock volume (DRV). The fluid that moves from the margins of a pressure front, indicative of the so-called diffusive depth of investigation (DOI), will reach the well on the time-scale of economic life of the well. However, a whole new way of thinking is required when studying ultra-low permeability shales (nanoDarcy range), where the distinction between pressure depletion zones and the DRV regions (where fluid is recovered from) becomes crucial to understand which factors control the hydrocarbon recovery process. Our detailed analysis compares the diffusive DOI, of the leading edge of the pressure depletion front, and that of the convective DRV given by a tracer front. Results show that the pressure depletion front between the fractures quickly approaches the adjoining fracture pressure, and most of the production originates from the fracture tips after 12 months. The pressure depletion pattern vastly overestimates the DRV, whereas the tracer front shows the actual produced rock volume. A final section evaluates the specific flow regimes that correspond to certain diffusive DOI and convective DRV growth stages in the life of the well. The discussion section explains how production diagnostic plots can be used to identify the moment in the well life when enhanced oil recovery methods should be applied. This study can facilitate a better understanding of the fluid flow in fractured porous media and can be used to optimize fracture and well spacing to maximize the DRV.
Reducing uncertainties and improving sand soil-water retention curve (SWRC) predictions for hazard screening analyses

An energy-based laboratory-testing program was undertaken to investigate the effects of different testing methods, numerical model fits, and soil fabrics and densities on the Soil Water Retention C...
A Hazard Index for Chemical Logistic Warehouses with Modified Flammability Rating by Machine Learning Methods

With the rapid development of chemical process plants worldwide, the safe storage of hazardous chemicals continues to be an important topic. Chemical warehouse incidents related to fire and explosi...
Generative Models are Unsupervised Predictors of Page Quality: A Colossal-Scale Study.

Large generative language models such as GPT-2 are well-known for their ability to generate text as well as their utility in supervised downstream tasks via fine-tuning. Our work is twofold: firstly we demonstrate via human evaluation that classifiers trained to discriminate between human and machine-generated text emerge as unsupervised predictors of "page quality", able to detect low quality content without any training. This enables fast bootstrapping of quality indicators in a low-resource setting. Secondly, curious to understand the prevalence and nature of low quality pages in the wild, we conduct extensive qualitative and quantitative analysis over 500 million web articles, making this the largest-scale study ever conducted on the topic.
‘Sea Songs Love Ballads &c &c’: John Clare and Vernacular Song

This chapter examines John Clare’s foray into the world of Romantic National Song: his unfinished collection of ‘National and Provincial Melodies’. Inspired by songbooks from Ireland and Scotland, he transcribed, edited, and imitated dozens of ‘Sea Songs Love Ballads &c &c’ during the 1820s and early 1830s. Although the collection was never published, these compositions survive in both draft- and fair-copy versions. I analyse how music and poetry enrich one another in these compositions—which, unusually in Clare’s writing, can often be connected to particular tunes—and I discuss how they experiment with the musical and formal resources of song. The chapter also situates Clare’s song collection project in the context of contemporary music and print cultures and discusses his relationship to other Romantic poet-songwriters such as Robert Burns and to antiquarians and theorists of song such as Joseph Ritson. I argue that Clare’s transcripts and imitations of vernacular song shed light on the larger relation between music and poetry in his writings and, more specifically, on the many other songs and song-poems that he composed over the course of his career.
Comparative Analysis of the Solar Wind: Modeling Charge State Distributions in the Heliosphere

Non-equilibrium ionization (NEI) is a key process often times neglected when modeling astrophysical plasmas with thermodynamical timescales much shorter than the timescales for ionization and recombination. In this paper, we perform NEI modeling on a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of the solar wind during the Whole Sun Month (Carrington Rotation 1913 from 1996 August 22 to September 18), and compare the resulting charge state distributions with in situ measurements made with the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) on Ulysses. We trace the wind trajectory back to 20$R_\odot$ using the velocity measured by Ulysses at about 4 AU, and obtain the plasma flow trajectory within 20$R_\odot$ using the MHD simulation data performed by Predictive Science Inc. We assume that the wind started from the solar surface and was initially in ionization equilibrium, and analyze the time-dependent ionization state of solar wind along each of the trajectories. In our analysis we: (1) obtain charge state densities and ratios for slow and fast winds based on the NEI model, and compare them with in situ observations; and (2) measure the "freeze-in" distance for several ions observed by SWICS to determine a possible correlation between when the ionization states become fixed and the electron density and outward velocity of the plasma at the freeze-in height. This study provides a stringent test on comparing charge state distributions from the outer corona predicted from simulations with in situ measurements made in the far heliosphere. This showcases the challenges in matching plasma conditions near the corona to those observed in interplanetary space.
Age moderated-anxiety mediation for multimodal treatment outcome among children with obsessive-compulsive disorder: An evaluation with correspondence analysis.

Abstract Introduction Anxiety expression varies by age in youth, and evaluation of putative mechanisms in treatment must consider both conjointly. Accordingly, age would moderate the mediation effect of anxiety in a youth obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treatment trial. Methods Fifty-six children ages 7 – 17 participated in an RCT comparing three treatments: CBT with standard dosing of sertraline, CBT with slow dosing of sertraline, and CBT with placebo. To examine the moderated–mediation effects for OCD symptom improvement, we discretized the continuous anxiety and OCD measures into three symptom outcome categories, “improved”, “unchanged”, and “deteriorated”. To evaluate the moderating effect of age, we further examined the association of age and anxiety with the “improved” OCD category. For analysis, the age groups used as rows were cross tabulated with discretized anxiety and OCD measures. To estimate category associations with correlations, we adopted correspondence analysis. Results The correlational results indicate that for all treatment conditions, age was a moderator of the mediation effect of physical anxiety symptoms for the improved OCD measures (outcomes). Specifically, age suppressed correlations with OCD outcomes, with Physical Symptoms as a mediator for the outcome measures. This moderated mediation effect was most evident for ages 8–10 in the CBT with placebo group. Limitations The moderated mediation effect manifest in this single RCT-based study should be validated in other studies. Discussion Future research investigating a wider range of ages as a potential moderator of other symptom and emotion mediators of outcome is warranted, particularly in relation to individual symptom profiles of OCD.
Preliminary Study on Real-Time Prediction of Gait Acceleration Intention From Volition-Associated EEG Patterns

Volitional control of prosthetic devices can potentially provide the user with a more natural movement experience. Currently, there is no feasible volitional triggering method to adapt the prosthetic device to user’s intention to accelerate during walking. Therefore, real-time prediction of human acceleration intention from the pre-acceleration electroencephalogram (EEG), and subsequent adaptation of the prosthetic device’s control parameters for seamless transition remains a daunting research area. In that aspect, this study investigates the neural changes responsive to human intention to accelerate during walking. Furthermore, this study also explores whether the acceleration intention can be predicted from real-time EEG to subsequently enable parametric adaptation for an external prosthetic device. EEG, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), and ground reaction force (GRF) signals were collected from one healthy subject during walking with self-paced speed changes. A set of classifiers were explored to classify between constant speed and acceleration. The classifiers showed promising classification performance well above chance level in offline, pseudo-online and real-time scenarios. An accuracy of 85.9±2.9% was achieved in offline scenario, while pseudo-online classification resulted in a true positive rate (TPR) of 81.9±7.4% with 7.7±0.8 false positives/ min and a detection latency of −844±572 ms. In real-time scenario, 9 out of 12 acceleration events were predicted successfully with only 3 false predictions at an average latency of −741 ms. Moreover, offline data analysis suggested suppression of mu and beta rhythms related to gait acceleration between 2 seconds before and 1.5 seconds after the onset of acceleration. A slow increase in negative amplitude was also observed in near DC frequencies of EEG data acquired from the sensorimotor cortex. The findings of this study portray inspiring results in retrieving gait acceleration-associated neural changes for facilitating natural control of assistive devices.
Rights of Nature, Rights of Animals

In this essay, I show how developments and achievements in the field of environmental rights and specifically rights of nature can be instructive, intellectually and practically, to the cause of animal protection and animal rights. That instruction includes not only positive examples but also notes of caution, where animal law may face different and more formidable challenges.
Biochemical and Physiological Aspects of Tetanus Intoxication

Because of man’s susceptibility to traumatic injury, plus the widespread dissemination of tetanus spores, the syndrome of wounding followed by a delayed illness characterized by muscle spasms and agonizing death was well known to the ancients. Hippocrates described a triad of wounding, lockjaw, and death. The syndrome is characterized by spreading stiffness of striated muscle, usually beginning in the area immediately surrounding the wound, ultimately leading to generalized spastic rigidity and death. Death seems primarily due to interference with respiratory mechanisms. The course of the clinical syndrome can be very slow, lasting weeks or months. As a result, observations on the mechanism of intoxication and the cause of death are liable to confusion between the primary mechanism and the secondary pathology that is produced as a result of the generalized incapacity of the patient.
Percutaneous tricuspid valve‐In‐ring replacement for the treatment of recurrent severe tricuspid regurgitation

Percutaneous tricuspid valve-in-ring replacement can be an alternative to surgery for high-risk patients with symptomatic severe tricuspid regurgitation that recurs after surgical ring repair. Practitioners must pay attention to the specific technical details associated with this procedure that include: using the ring as a fluoroscopic landmark, sizing the valve area with multi-modality imaging, choosing the appropriate device based on the patients anatomy, and dealing with the inevitable paravalvular leak (created by the ring deformation in the absence of valve-specific devices). Our case demonstrates that percutaneous tricuspid valve-in-ring replacement is a feasible treatment that can result in both hemodynamic and symptomatic improvement.
Continuous cocaine administration enhances μ- but not δ-opioid receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity in nucleus accumbens

Cocaine alters opioid receptor densities in rat brain. To investigate the functional consequences of such opioid receptor changes, adenylyl cyclase activity was measured in rat nucleus accumbens and caudate putamen following continuous cocaine administration (50 mg/kg/day, 7 days). In the nucleus accumbens chronic cocaine led to an increase in both the number of μ-opioid receptors and the maximal inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity by DAMGO ([d-Ala2,N-methyl-Phe4,Glyol]enkephalin). There was no effect on inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity by DPDPE ([d-Pen2,d-Pen5]enkephalin). There were no changes in the caudate putamen. Thus, continuous cocaine administration for 7 days results in a selective increase in μ-opioid receptor-mediated effector function in the nucleus accumbens.
A WW domain-binding motif within the activation domain of the hematopoietic transcription factor NF-E2 is essential for establishment of a tissue-specific histone modification pattern.

Histone H3 methylated at lysine 4 (H3-meK4) co-localizes with hyperacetylated histones H3 and H4 in transcriptionally active chromatin, but mechanisms that establish H3-meK4 are poorly understood. Previously, we showed that the hematopoietic-specific activator NF-E2, which is required for β-globin transcription in erythroleukemia cells, induces histone H3 hyperacetylation and H3-meK4 at the adult β-globin genes (βmajor and βminor). Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis indicated that NF-E2 occupies hypersensitive site two (HS2) of the β-globin locus control region. The mechanism of NF-E2-mediated chromatin modification was investigated by complementation analysis in NF-E2-null CB3 erythroleukemia cells. The activation domain of the hematopoietic-specific subunit of NF-E2 (p45/NF-E2) contains two WW domain-binding motifs (PXY-1 and PXY-2). PXY-1 is required for activation of β-globin transcription. Here, we determined which step in NF-E2-dependent transactivation is PXY-1-dependent. A p45/NF-E2 mutant lacking 42 amino acids of the activation domain, including both PXY motifs, and a mutant lacking only PXY-1 were impaired in inducing histone H3 hyperacetylation, H3-meK4, and RNA polymerase II recruitment. The PXY motifs were not required for transactivation in the context of a GAL4 DNA-binding domain fusion to p45/NF-E2 in transient transfection assays. As the PXY-1 mutant occupied HS2 normally, the chromatin modification defect occurred post-DNA binding. PXY-1 was not required for recruitment of the histone acetyltransferases cAMP-responsive element-binding protein-binding protein (CBP) and p300 to HS2. These results indicate that PXY-1 confers chromatin-specific transcriptional activation via interaction with a co-regulator distinct from CBP/p300 or by regulating CBP/p300 function.
Single-molecule stretching studies of RNA chaperones

RNA chaperone proteins play significant roles in diverse biological contexts. The most widely studied RNA chaperones are the retroviral nucleocapsid proteins (NC), also referred to as nucleic acid (NA) chaperones. Surprisingly, the biophysical properties of the NC proteins vary significantly for different viruses, and it appears that HIV-1 NC has optimal NA chaperone activity. In this review we discuss the physical nature of the NA chaperone activity of NC. We conclude that the optimal NA chaperone must saturate NA binding, leading to strong NA aggregation and slight destabilization of all NA duplexes. Finally, rapid kinetics of the chaperone protein interaction with NA is another primary component of its NA chaperone activity. We discuss these characteristics of HIV-1 NC and compare them with those of other NA binding proteins and ligands that exhibit only some characteristics of NA chaperone activity, as studied by single molecule DNA stretching.
Rapid Inactivation Determines the Rectification and [K+]o Dependence of the Rapid Component of the Delayed Rectifier K+ Current in Cardiac Cells

Abstract Two characteristic features of the rapid component of the cardiac delayed rectifier current (IKr) are prominent inward rectification and an unexpected reduction in activating current with decreased [K+]o. Similar features are observed with heterologous expression of HERG, the gene thought to encode the channel carrying IKr; moreover, recent studies indicate that the mechanism underlying rectification of HERG current is the inactivation that channels rapidly undergo during depolarizing pulses. The present studies were designed to determine the mechanism of IKr rectification and [K+]o sensitivity in the mouse atrial myocyte cell line, AT-1 cells. Reducing [Mg2+]i to 0, which reverses inward rectification of some K+ channels, did not alter IKr current-voltage relationships, although it did decrease sensitivity to the IKr blockers dofetilide and quinidine 2- to 5-fold. To determine the presence and extent of fast inactivation of IKr in AT-1 cells, a brief hyperpolarizing pulse (20 ms to −120 mV) was ...
Combined effects of buprenorphine and a nondrug alternative reinforcer on IV cocaine self-administration in rats maintained under FR schedules

Although previous studies have shown that pharmacological agents, such as buprenorphine, and alternative nondrug reinforcers, such as money or sweetened solutions, reduce cocaine self-administration, few studies have examined the combined effects of these two approaches. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the opioid partial agonist buprenorphine (0.1 mg/kg) and concurrent access to either water or a glucose plus saccharin solution (G+S, 3% and 0.125% wt/vol) in rats self-administering intravenous (IV) cocaine (0.4 mg/kg per infusion) under fixed-ratio schedules (FR2, 8 or 32). One group had concurrent access to water and another group had concurrent access to G+S. After 3 consecutive days of stable cocaine self-administration, a single buprenorphine injection (0.1 mg/kg IV) was administered 30 min before the start of the experimental session for 3 consecutive days. To summarize the results, (1) the presence of an alternative non-drug reinforcer significantly reduced cocaine self-administration; (2) buprenorphine selectively decreased cocaine, but not water or G+S, self-administration; (3) the decrease in cocaine infusions by buprenorphine was greatest on the first day of buprenorphine administration; and (4) expressed as a percentage of baseline conditions, the combination of buprenorphine and G+S produced a greater decrease in cocaine self-administration than either buprenorphine or G+S alone. These results indicate that combined treatment with buprenorphine and concurrent access to a sweetened solution is a more effective strategy for reducing cocaine self-administration than either strategy alone.
Stimulation of apical Cl−/HCO3−(OH−) exchanger, SLC26A3 by neuropeptide Y is lipid raft dependent

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), an important proabsorptive hormone of the gastrointestinal tract has been shown to inhibit chloride secretion and stimulate NaCl absorption. However, mechanisms underlying the...
Chondrosarcoma in a cow

Chondrosarcomas are rare in cattle and none has been described in detail. A 30 cm diameter chondrosarcoma centred upon the costochondral junctions of the left 9th to 12th ribs of a 5-year-old Aberdeen Angus cow is described. In areas with a cartilaginous matrix the chondrocytes were plump, sometimes binucleate, sometimes bizarre, with occasionally 2 or more cells per lacuna. The other major matrix was loose and fibrillar, and the cells were spindle-shaped or stellate, with a moderate mitotic rate. Small areas appeared fibrosarcomatous. Both major types of matrix were present in the metastases, which extensively involved the pleura, intrathoracic lymph nodes and lungs. Less numerous and smaller metastases were present on the peritoneal surfaces and within several abdominal and pelvic organs. It is postulated that local extension of the tumour from the primary mass was followed by lymphatic spread to the lungs.
Can déjà vu result from similarity to a prior experience? Support for the similarity hypothesis of déjà vu

The strange feeling of having been somewhere or done something before—even though there is evidence to the contrary—is called deja vu. Although deja vu is beginning to receive attention among scientists (Brown, 2003, 2004), few studies have empirically investigated the phenomenon. We investigated the hypothesis that deja vu is related to feelings of familiarity and that it can result from similarity between a novel scene and that of a scene experienced in one’s past. We used a variation of the recognition-without-recall method of studying familiarity (Cleary, 2004) to examine instances in which participants failed to recall a studied scene in response to a configurally similar novel test scene. In such instances, resemblance to a previously viewed scene increased both feelings of familiarity and of deja vu. Furthermore, in the absence of recall, resemblance of a novel scene to a previously viewed scene increased the probability of a reported deja vu state for the novel scene, and feelings of familiarity with a novel scene were directly related to feelings of being in a deja vu state.
Does culture matter? The impact of cultural differences on VC-CEO interaction

Sapienza and Gupta (1994) examined the impact of agency risks and task uncertainty on venture capitalist-chief executive officer (VC-CEO) interaction. They found that the frequency of interaction depended on the extent of VC-CEO goal congruence, the degree of the CEO's new venture experience, the venture's stage of development and the degree of technical innovation. But their model overlooks the situation under which VCs invest overseas, making the internationalisation of venture capital remain an unfilled gap at VC-CEO interaction in cross-cultural contexts. Drawing on Sapienza and Gupta's work, the author consider the moderating effects of cultural differences on VC-CEO interaction. The author proposes that cultural differences affect the strength of the functions of agency risks and uncertainty on VC-CEO interaction by influencing not only VCs' assessment of agency risks and uncertainty, but also VCs' behavioural responses to their assessment.
Suppression of turbulence in magnetically stabilized ferroliquids

Abstract Under conditions of saturated magnetization ferroliquids obey Boussinesq equations in which the body force term is a combination of the ordinary gravitational force and a magnetic force that is proportional to the gradient of the magnetic field and the local temperature fluctuation. Hence non-isothermal flows of ferroliquids can be stabilized or destabilized by the application of a magnetic field. In this paper we examine the effects of magnetic stabilization which can be used to delay the transition from laminar to turbulent flow, or to suppress the level of turbulent transport in fully turbulent flows. The analogy between ferroliquid flows and stratified flows is developed to permit the application of results from studies of stratified flows. Using this analogy the magnitude of turbulence suppression is examined for a limiting case of fully developed turbulent channel flow with constant transverse heat flux. It is found that the channel friction factor can be reduced perceptably with attainable magnetic field strengths and moderate heat fluxes, and that reductions exceeding one order of magnitude can be achieved in extreme conditions. The friction factor reduction is largest for small Reynolds number and decreases with increasing flow rate when the heat flux is held constant.
Medial Entorhinal Cortex Lesions Only Partially Disrupt Hippocampal Place Cells and Hippocampus- Dependent Place Memory

The entorhinal cortex provides the primary cortical projections to the hippocampus, a brain structure critical for memory. However, it remains unclear how the precise firing patterns of medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) cells influence hippocampal physiology and hippocampus-dependent behavior. We found that complete bilateral lesions of the MEC resulted in a lower proportion of active hippocampal cells. The remaining active cells had place fields, but with decreased spatial precision and decreased long-term spatial stability. In addition, MEC rats were as impaired in the water maze as hippocampus rats, while rats with combined MEC and hippocampal lesions had an even greater deficit. However, MEC rats were not impaired on other hippocampus-dependent tasks, including those in which an object location or context was remembered. Thus, the MEC is not necessary for all types of spatial coding or for all types of hippocampus-dependent memory, but it is necessary for the normal acquisition of place memory.
Development of Solid Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System (SEDDS) I: Use of Poloxamer 188 as Both Solidifying and Emulsifying Agent for Lipids

To develop solid self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) for lipids using poloxamer 188 as both solidifying and emulsifying agents. Mixtures of various lipids with poloxamer 188 and PEG 8000 were prepared at ~75°C. The molten mixtures, with and without dissolved drugs (fenofibrate and probucol), were then cooled to room temperature. When solids formed, they were characterized by powder XRD, DSC, microscopy using cross-polarization and confocal fluorescence techniques, dispersion test in water and particle size analysis of dispersions. When mixed with poloxamer 188 or PEG 8000, lipids consisting of monoesters of fatty acids with glycerol or propylene glycol formed solid systems, but not di- and tri-esters, which showed phase separation. Added to water, the solid systems containing poloxamer 188 started to disperse in water forming oil globules of 200–600 nm. No emulsification of lipids was observed from solids containing PEG 8000, indicating that the surfactant property of poloxamer 188 was responsible for emulsification. Powder XRD, DSC and microscopic examination revealed that poloxamer 188 and PEG 8000 maintained their crystallinity in solid systems, while the lipids were interspersed in between crystalline regions. The drug remained solubilized in the lipid phase. A novel solid SEDDS is developed where the drug can be solubilized in liquid lipids and then the lipidic solution can be converted to solid mass by dispersing into the microstructure of poloxamer 188.
Solution-adaptive grid procedure for high-speed parabolic flow solvers

A solution-adaptive grid procedure based bn an error equidistribution scheme is developed and applied to a parabolized Navier-Stokes solver. An improved method of selecting weighting functions is introduced that involves normalizing a combination of flowfield gradients and curvature of a number of dependent variables and then selecting the largest at each point. The scheme redistributes grid points line by line with grid point motion controlled by forces analogous to tensional and torsional spring forces with the spring constants set equal to the weighting functions. Torsional terms are functions of the grid point positions along neighboring grid lines and provide grid smoothness and stability. A grid-fitting scheme is introduced for external flows in which the number of grid points in the freestream are reduced to a minimum. Results for several problems are presented to demonstrate the improvements obtainable with the solution-adaptive grid procedure.
Exercise-induced vasodilation is associated with menopause stage in healthy middle-aged women.

Leg exercise hemodynamics during single-leg knee extensions were compared among healthy groups of early perimenopausal (n = 15), late perimenopausal (n = 12), and early postmenopausal (n = 11) wome...
Auditory Hallucinations Associated With Migraine

Objective.—Two children experienced auditory hallucinations during migraine (one with migraine without aura and one with migraine with aura). These hallucinations only occurred during headache. Background.—Auditory hallucinations are rarely reported in patients with migraine. These patients often have other psychiatric or neurologic disorders such as affective disorder or epilepsy. Methods.—Case report and a review of the literature. Results.—No other neuropsychiatric disorder was identified in either patient at presentation or upon follow-up. Conclusions.—Auditory hallucinations can rarely occur in patients with migraine. Further study of this association might provide insight to any relationship between migraine, auditory hallucinations, and the temporal lobe.
Characterization of the mouse olfactory glutathione S-transferases during the acute phase response

The acute phase response (APR) has been shown to alter expression and activity of biotransformation enzymes, such as the phase I cytochromes p450 and phase II glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). The cytochromes p450 and GSTs are expressed abundantly and colocalized to non-neuronal cells of the olfactory mucosa. Previous studies indicate that olfactory cytochromes p450 expression and activity is altered during periods of localized inflammation and infection. Little is understood, however, about the influence of the APR on olfactory GST enzymes. This study investigated effects of the APR on olfactory GST isozymes expression and activity in mouse olfactory mucosa after 24-hr treatment with the acute phase inducer, polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid (polyIC). Western blot analysis using antibodies directed against specific GST isoforms alpha (A1-1), micro (M1-1), and pi (P1-1) demonstrated that their expression was unaltered by polyIC treatment. In contrast, olfactory p450 2E1 expression was significantly decreased. Enzymatic activity of the olfactory GSTs toward the general substrate, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) was unchanged during the APR. Analysis of olfactory glutathione content during the APR showed that it was also unaffected by polyIC. The insensitivity of these olfactory GST isoforms during the APR may play a significant role toward limiting the impact of infection and inflammation on the olfactory system.
Some experimental aspects of spin glasses: A review

Abstract We present a working definition and a general description of a spin glass and discuss a number of different systems, including metals, semiconductors and insulators. In this review we present the current status of experimental spin-glass research and its relationship to spin dynamics. We review the salient features of recent experimental results, mainly published in the past five years, on the susceptibility, magnetization, heat capacity, high pressure effects, phonon-thermal conductivity, neutron scattering, nuclear, electron and muon spin resonance, Mossbauer, optical, torque and transport measurements on various spin-glass systems. We report the successful applications of the fractional exponential relaxation function to the frequency dependence of the susceptibility and the time dependence of the thermoremanent magnetization. We also report new results of electron spin resonance, including the recent observation of the second-transverse and longitudinal modes predicted by the triad theory and of the dynamic critical scaling of the linewidth along with its theoretical interpretation. In addition, we present the correlation times for various systems measured in muon spin relaxation studies, the temperature dependence of which is in agreement with a recent theory of Huber. Concerning the possible existence of the phase transition at the susceptibility cusp temperature, we summarize the experimental evidence.
Congener-specific tissue distribution of aroclor 1254 and a highly chlorinated environmental PCB mixture in rats.

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixtures were synthesized and marketed in Eastern European countries, but little is known about their composition, distribution, or toxicity. PCB-contaminated soil from the former production site of the Polish PCB mixture Chlorofen was collected, and the PCBs were extracted. An in vivo study was performed to investigate the PCB tissue distribution and biochemical effects of this soil extract in immature male Sprague−Dawley rats. Rats were administered 0.05 mmol/kg soil-extracted PCBs or Aroclor 1254 and sacrificed 7 days later, and congener-specific PCB profiles in selected tissues were determined. Distribution of ΣPCBs (sum of 120 congeners) in tissues was primarily a function of lipid content of the tissues, except for the spleen, which retained more PCB than other tissues. Multivariate analysis of the PCB congener data showed that (a) congener profiles in tissues had changed, as compared to the parent mixture; (b) disposition and redistribution of individual congeners in ...
Effects of serotonergic drugs in rats trained to discriminate clozapine from haloperidol

Because of the low discriminability of most neuroleptics, their use as stimuli in two-lever drug discrimination procedures has not been widespread. Several recent reports have demonstrated that the atypical neuroleptic clozapine (CLZ) has stronger cue properties than typical neuroleptics such as haloperidol (HAL). Most of these studies have tested animals trained to discriminate CLZ from vehicle. The present study examined the effects of CLZ, HAL, and three centrally acting serotonergic drugs (ritanserin, MDL 72222, and buspirone) in a drug-drug discrimination procedure with rats trained to discriminate CLZ (5.0 mg/kg) from HAL (0.03 mg/kg). Rats responded predominantly on the CLZ lever during substitution tests with CLZ. Substitution tests with the other four drugs produced 50% or less responding on the CLZ lever. These results are consistent with those of a previous study in which rats were trained to discriminate CLZ from vehicle (Wiley & Porter, 1992) and suggest that the CLZ cue is not mediated by blockade of dopamine D2 receptors, antagonism at 5-HT2 or 5-HT3 receptors, or agonistic activity at 5-HT1A receptors. Potential clinical implications of these results are discussed.
Visual factors and image analysis in the encoding of high-quality still images

In the encoding of high quality images beyond current standards, a reexamination of issues in the representation, processing and encoding problems is needed. The fundamental reason for that change of emphasis is because the image representation, sampling density, color and motion parameters are no longer given by accepted practices or standards and, thus, require study. Some basic issues that should be reconsidered are as follows:
Postinfarct enzyme elevation in coronary sinus blood.

Abstract The diagnosis of myocardial infarction in the postoperative period is difficult in the absence of significant electrocardiographic changes. The advent of direct coronary artery surgery has been associated with a relatively high incidence of postoperative myocardial infarction. In order to detect myocardial necrosis better, it was proposed that sampling of blood from the coronary sinus would identify a higher level of serum enzymes [serum glutamic—oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), heat-stable LDH, and creatinine phosphokinase (CPK)] associated with myocardial damage than would sampling of peripheral blood and that the elevation would appear sooner after injury. Thirty-two dogs were studied to test this hypothesis. In half of the animals, myocardial infarction was induced by injection of mercury into the circumflex coronary artery. The other half received saline injections into the coronary artery. All dogs underwent simultaneous serial sampling of coronary sinus and peripheral venous blood. Variations in the amount of surgical manipulation and in the time intervals between sampling were carried out. No significant pattern of enzyme elevation could be detected which differentiated the surgical animals sustaining infarction from the control animals, other than that established by the heat-stable (HS) fraction of LDH. However, all too frequently in the clinical setting, the HS-LDH levels cannot be utilized due to hemolysis and variation of LDH levels with each surgical procedure. The levels of enzymes in coronary sinus blood did not differ significantly from those in peripheral venous blood in any group of animals with myocardial infarction. In summary, these experiments demonstrated no statistically significant difference in enzyme levels in coronary sinus versus peripheral venous blood following myocardial infarction in the dog. Surgical procedures obscured the enzymatic picture of infarction. Patterns suggesting infarction associated with surgery could be distinguished but definite criteria could not be established. It is suggested that further investigations be carried out to decide definitively if the cardiac lymph is the major site of drainage of enzymes following myocardial necrosis.
Effect of patellar taping on knee kinetics of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Study Design Single-group repeated measures examining patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. Objectives To examine the effect of McConnell patellar taping on single-leg vertical jump height and knee extensor moment and power during a vertical jump and lateral step-up. Background Patellar taping is used by clinicians in an attempt to maximize knee extensor function during sporting activities and rehabilitation of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. No studies have examined the effect of patellar taping on vertical jump height and knee extensor moment and power during a maximal vertical jump or lateral step-up. Methods and Measures Fourteen women (24.4 ± 5.8 years) with unilateral patellofemoral pain performed a single-leg vertical jump and lateral step-up during 4 knee conditions: patellar tape, placebo tape, no tape, and the uninvolved knee. Maximal knee extensor moment, knee power, and vertical jump height were measured for each condition using a force platform and motion analysis system. Re...
Effects of heavy resistance training on myostatin mRNA and protein expression.

ABSTRACTWILLOUGHBY, D. S. Effects of Heavy Resistance Training on Myostatin mRNA and Protein Expression. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 574–582, 2004.PurposeMyostatin is a negative regulator of muscle mass and its effects seem to be exacerbated by glucocorticoids; however, its response
Is there a link between quality of employment and indebtedness? the case of urban low-income households in Ecuador

The paper explores the incidence of high indebtedness or financial stress among urban, poor households in Ecuador and demonstrates its relation with the quality of employment. We argue that informalisation of employment, and in particular job precariousness, have consequences on other dimensions of vulnerability such as high debt servicing and financial stress. The empirical analysis is based on a 2002 sample survey data of men and women workers in urban poor communities of Ecuador. By employing an index of job quality, we investigate and compare the job quality of women and men workers in these households and find gender-based patterns with women working in relatively low quality jobs compared to men. Moreover, there seems to be differentiated levels of debt servicing among women and men that suggests uneven debt burden sharing among household members. By means of regression analyses, the paper demonstrates that low quality jobs tend to lead to higher debt servicing. The results provide a nuanced and illuminating picture of the interconnectedness of employment, financial stress and vulnerability.
Can Echocardiographic Evaluation of Cardiopulmonary Hemodynamics Decrease Right Heart Catheterizations in End-Stage Heart Failure Patients Awaiting Transplantation?

Candidacy for heart transplantation is influenced by the severity of pulmonary hypertension. In this study, invasive hemodynamics from right-sided cardiac catheterization were compared with values obtained by validated equations from Doppler 2-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. This prospective study was conducted in 40 patients with end-stage heart failure evaluated for heart transplantation or ventricular assist device implantation. Transthoracic echocardiography and right-sided cardiac catheterization were performed within 4 hours. From continuous-wave Doppler of the tricuspid regurgitation jet, pulmonary artery systolic pressure was calculated as the peak gradient across the tricuspid valve plus right atrial pressure estimated from inferior vena cava filling. Mean pulmonary artery pressure was calculated as (0.61 × pulmonary artery systolic pressure) + 2. Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was calculated as (tricuspid regurgitation velocity/right ventricular outflow tract time-velocity integral × 10) + 0.16. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was calculated as 1.91 + (1.24 × E/E′). Pearson's correlation and Bland-Altman analysis of mean differences between echocardiographic and right-sided cardiac catheterization measurements were statistically significant for all hemodynamic parameters (pulmonary artery systolic pressure: r=0.82, p 4 Wood units (n = 4), 73% of patients with PVR
CVAK104 is a novel poly-L-lysine stimulated kinase that targets the β2 subunit of AP2

Isolated clathrin adaptor protein (AP) preparations are known to co-fractionate with endogenous kinase activities, including poly-L-lysine-stimulated kinases that target various constituents of the clathrin coat. We have identified CVAK104 (a coated vesicle-associated kinase of 104 kDa) using a mass spectroscopic analysis of adaptor protein preparations. CVAK104 is a novel serine/threonine kinase that belongs to the SCY1-like family of protein kinases, previously thought to be catalytically inactive. We found that CVAK104 co-fractionates with adaptor protein preparations extracted from clathrin-coated vesicles and directly binds to both clathrin and the plasma membrane adaptor, AP2. CVAK104 binds ATP, and kinase assays indicate that it functions in vitro as a poly-L-lysine-stimulated kinase that is capable of autophosphorylation and phosphorylating the beta2-adaptin subunit of AP2.
Complete set of orthogonal 21st aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-amber, ochre and opal suppressor tRNA pairs: concomitant suppression of three different termination codons in an mRNA in mammalian cells

We describe the generation of a complete set of orthogonal 21st synthetase-amber, ochre and opal suppressor tRNA pairs including the first report of a 21st synthetase-ochre suppressor tRNA pair. We show that amber, ochre and opal suppressor tRNAs, derived from Escherichia coli glutamine tRNA, suppress UAG, UAA and UGA termination codons, respectively, in a reporter mRNA in mammalian cells. Activity of each suppressor tRNA is dependent upon the expression of E.coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase, indicating that none of the suppressor tRNAs are aminoacylated by any of the twenty aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in the mammalian cytoplasm. Amber, ochre and opal suppressor tRNAs with a wide range of activities in suppression (increases of up to 36, 156 and 200-fold, respectively) have been generated by introducing further mutations into the suppressor tRNA genes. The most active suppressor tRNAs have been used in combination to concomitantly suppress two or three termination codons in an mRNA. We discuss the potential use of these 21st synthetase-suppressor tRNA pairs for the site-specific incorporation of two or, possibly, even three different unnatural amino acids into proteins and for the regulated suppression of amber, ochre and opal termination codons in mammalian cells.