cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
INFLAMMATION-INDUCED INCREASE IN EVOKED CALCIUM TRANSIENTS IN SUBPOPULATIONS OF RAT DORSAL ROOT GANGLION NEURONS

Abstract The concentration of intracellular Ca 2+ ([Ca 2+ ] i ) influences neuronal properties ranging from excitability to neurotransmitter release. Persistent inflammation is associated with changes in the properties of primary afferent neurons ranging from excitability to transmitter release. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether previously described inflammation-induced changes in excitability and transmitter release are associated with changes in the regulation of [Ca 2+ ] i . Acutely dissociated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons harvested from adult rats 3 days following a hind-paw injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) or naive controls, were stimulated with 30 mM K + (High K + ). High K + evoked changes in [Ca 2+ ] i were assessed with fura-2 ratiometric microfluorimetry. Subpopulations of DRG neurons were defined by cell body diameter, isolectin B4 (IB4) binding, capsaicin (CAP) sensitivity and target of innervation (1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindocarbo-cyanine perchlorate labeling). Inflammation was associated with significant increases in resting [Ca 2+ ] i and increases in the magnitude and decreases in the decay, of the evoked increase in [Ca 2+ ] i . The changes in evoked transients were larger in neurons innervating the site of inflammation. Furthermore, there were differences among subpopulations of DRG neurons with respect to changes in magnitude and/or decay of the evoked transient such that the increase in magnitude was larger in small- and medium-diameter neurons than in large diameter neurons while the decrease in the decay was greater in CAP responsive, IB4 positive, small- and medium-diameter neurons than in CAP unresponsive, IB4 negative and/or large-diameter neurons. These changes in the regulation of [Ca 2+ ] i were not due to inflammation-induced changes in passive or active electrophysiological properties. Importantly, an inflammation-induced increase in evoked Ca 2+ transients in putative nociceptive afferents may contribute to the pain and hyperalgesia associated with persistent inflammation via facilitation of transmitter release from these afferents.
LAP: Link-Aware Protection for Improving Performance of Loss and Delay Sensitive Applications in Wireless LANs

Radio links exhibit highly unpredictable properties such as variable bandwidth and bit error rates that affect the performance of applications in wireless networks. Besides, another critical concern is the protection of applications due to shared and open wireless medium. However, protection services add additional performance overhead to carry out their operations, and incur varying effects on the network performance, depending on link characteristics. Thus, how to provide protected and high performance service is a challenging issue in wireless networks. The problem is even more challenging for real-time applications such as voice over IP (VoIP) with stringent delay and packet loss requirements. In this paper, we present a novel approach to improve application performance by implementing Link Aware Protection (LAP) in wireless local area networks (LANs). LAP exploits dynamic security policy management (DSPM) scheme for adapting protection with varying link quality. We present a real-time implementation of LAP in our wireless LAN testbed. As a case study, we demonstrate VoIP performance on our LAP enabled wireless clients. The results show the possibility of maintaining an adequate protection and achieving improved performance for VoIP streams under link variations.
The effect of bleomycin on aerated and hypoxic cells in vitro, in combination with irradiation

Abstract Hamster V79 cells, cultured in vitro, were treated for 4 hr at 37.5C with graded concentrations of bleomycin (BLM). Cells were found to be significantly more resistant to the drug under hypoxk than under aerated conditions. When misonidazole was used in combination with BLM, the survival of hypoxic cells was reduced below that for aerated cells. The cytotoxity of BLM was observed to be greatly enhanced at elevated temperatures. Experiments in which both BLM and X-rays were used indicate additlvity of effects when the 2 modalities are applied together. The cell killing potential of a combination of given doses of X-rays and BLM is greatly enhanced by a time interval between the 2 treatments of sufficient duration for the resistant survivors of the first treatment to nave into a sensitive phase of the cell cycle before the second is delivered.
Review of Chitosan and Its Derivatives as Antimicrobial Agents and Their Uses as Textile Chemicals

There is a greater demand for antimicrobial finishes on textile goods because consumers have become aware of the potential advantages of these materials. A number of other chemicals are also used i...
An Analysis of the Effect of Statin Use on the Efficacy of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Treatment for Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder

Purpose: Bacillus Calmette-Guerin is an effective immunotherapy for carcinoma in situ of the bladder and it reduces recurrence from resected papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Many patients receiving bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy are concurrently taking statin agents, which have known immunomodulatory properties and may alter the performance of bacillus Calmette-Guerin. Some data have suggested that patients taking a statin while on bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy experience reduced clinical efficacy.Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 952 consecutive patients from 1978 through 2006. Time to recurrence and progression to surgery were compared between those taking and those not taking a statin by Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariable Cox regression controlling for stage and grade.Results: There were 245 (26%) patients taking a statin before bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy and 707 not on statin therapy (74%). A total of 796 patients had recurrence overall w...
Changes in the gene expression programs of renal mesangial cells during diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end stage renal disease. All three cell types of the glomerulus, podocytes, endothelial cells and mesangial cells, play important roles in diabetic nephropathy. In this report we used Meis1-GFP transgenic mice to purify mesangial cells from normal mice and from db/db mice, which suffer diabetic nephropathy. The purpose of the study is to better define the unique character of normal mesangial cells, and to characterize their pathogenic and protective responses during diabetic nephropathy. Comprehensive gene expression states of the normal and diseased mesangial cells were defined with microarrays. By comparing the gene expression profiles of mesangial cells with those of multiple other renal cell types, including podocytes, endothelial cells and renal vesicles, it was possible to better define their exceptional nature, which includes smooth muscle, phagocytic and neuronal traits. The complete set of mesangial cell expressed transcription factors, growth factors and receptors were identified. In addition, the analysis of the mesangial cells from diabetic nephropathy mice characterized their changes in gene expression. Molecular functions and biological processes specific to diseased mesangial cells were characterized, identifying genes involved in extracellular matrix, cell division, vasculogenesis, and growth factor modulation. Selected gene changes considered of particular importance to the disease process were validated and localized within the glomuerulus by immunostaining. For example, thrombospondin, a key mediator of TGFβ signaling, was upregulated in the diabetic nephropathy mesangial cells, likely contributing to fibrosis. On the other hand the decorin gene was also upregulated, and expression of this gene has been strongly implicated in the reduction of TGFβ induced fibrosis. The results provide an important complement to previous studies examining mesangial cells grown in culture. The remarkable qualities of the mesangial cell are more fully defined in both the normal and diabetic nephropathy diseased state. New gene expression changes and biological pathways are discovered, yielding a deeper understanding of the diabetic nephropathy pathogenic process, and identifying candidate targets for the development of novel therapies.
Hyperglycemia in-hospital management:

Regardless of the etiology of hyperglycemia in hospitalized patients, the finding is an independent risk factor that is strongly associated with adverse outcomes. An estimated 25–35% of all US adult inpatients have hyperglycemia, one third of those do not have a prior diagnosis of diabetes [Levetan et al. 1998]. Umpierrez and colleagues presented evidence that unrecognized hyperglycemia in the inpatient setting [Umpierrez et al. 2002], even when recognized, did not trigger a treatment plan that was sufficiently altered, in a timely fashion, to improve glycemic levels. Later, Matheny demonstrated that intensification of insulin administration was associated with a decrease in the average daily glucose, while hypoglycemia was uncommon [Matheny et al. 2008]. This suggested that increasing the frequency of treatment adjustments could lead to improved glycemic control in hospitalized patients with diabetes. Trials of intensive insulin management of hyperglycemia to achieve near-normal glycemic levels have shown inconsistent benefits regarding study end points with elevated insulin requirements and frequent iatrogenic hypoglycemia; in particular, severe hypoglycemia is currently regarded the most harmful side effect of interventions in critically ill patients intended to normalize glycemia in the hospital setting [Finfer et al. 2009]. Nevertheless, with mounting evidence that supports the notion that rational glycemic control may indeed result in improved clinical outcomes and reduced mortality in hospitalized patients [Clement et al. 2004], a Consensus statement from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA), recommended new targets for glucose levels in hospitalized patients with premeal and random glucose targets of < 140 mg/dl (< 7.8 mmol/l) and < 180 mg/dl (< 10 mmol/l), respectively for non-critically ill patients; and target ranges of 140–180 mg/dl (7.8–10 mmol/l) for critically ill patients [Moghissi et al. 2009]. These projections were considered to be ‘reasonable, achievable and safe’ in hospitalized patients. However, it is left for future randomized control trials (RCTs) to establish the benefits and risks of these new glycemic goal guidelines.
Egg Production, Diet Consumption, and Live Weight in Relation to the Free Gossypol Content of the Diet

Abstract THE data of Heywang, Bird and Altschul (1950) show that pure gossypol had an appreciable adverse effect on egg weight and hatchability when it was mixed with a diet at the .024 percent level and a still greater adverse effect at the .036 percent level, but did not affect either at the .012 percent level. Gossypol is considered to exist in two forms—“free” and “bound”—in unprocessed cottonseed and cottonseed meal, with the bound form inactive and the free form resembling “pure” gossypol in that both are active. Because of the instability of pure gossypol (Heywang, Bird and Kupperman, 1952) raw decorticated cottonseed and cottonseed meals were used as sources of free gossypol by Heywang, Bird and Altschul (1954) in experiments on the dietary level at which free gossypol causes discolorations in egg yolks. Some of the eggs were examined for yolk discolorations soon after they were laid, while …
Lattice instabilities and superconductivity of (Hf, Ta) V2 and (Hf, Zr) V2 alloys

Abstract Superconducting transition temperatures are correlated with lattice instabilities in the pseudobinary alloys (Hf, Ta) V 2 and (Hf, Zr) V 2 .
Risk factors for total knee arthroplasty aseptic revision

Using a Total Joint Replacement Registry, patient, operative, implant, surgeon, and hospital risk factors associated with aseptic revision after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were evaluated. From 04/2001 to 12/31/2010 64,017 primary TKA cases, followed for a median time of 2.9 years, were registered and included in the analysis. Patients were predominantly female, white, with osteoarthritis, and obese. The crude aseptic revision rate is 1.3% (N=826). The cumulative survival for aseptic revision at 8 years is 97.6% (95% CI 97.3%-97.8%). Adjusted models revealed that age, race, body mass index, diabetic status, bilateral procedures, high-flex implants, and the LCS mobile bearing knee are associated with risk of revision. Gender, general health status, diagnosis, surgeon fellowship training, surgeon volume, hospital volume, fixation, and bearing surface material were not associated with risk of aseptic revision. Recognition of surgical factors associated with TKA failures can help the surgeons with their choices of surgical techniques and implants.
Computational study of packing a collagen-like molecule: Quasi-hexagonal vs “Smith” collagen microfibril model

The lateral packing of a collagen-like molecule, CH3CO-(Gly-L-Pro-L-Pro)4-NHCH3, has been examined by energy minimization with the ECEPP/3 force field. Two current packing models, the Smith collagen microfibril twisted equilateral pentagonal model and the quasi-hexagonal packing model, have been extensively investigated. In treating the Smith microfibril model, energy minimization was carried out on various conformations including those with the symmetry of equivalent packing, i.e., in which the triple helices were arranged equivalently with respect to each other. Both models are based on the experimental observation of the characteristic axial periodicity, D = 67 nm, of light and dark bands, indicating that, if any superstructure exists, it should consist of five triple helices. The quasi-hexagonal packing structure is found to be energetically more favorable than the Smith microfibril model by as much as 31.2 kcal/mol of five triple helices. This is because the quasi-hexagonal packing geometry provides more nonbonded interaction possibilities between triple helices than does the Smith microfibril geometry. Our results are consistent with recent x-ray studies with synthetic collagen-like molecules and rat tail tendon, in which the data were interpreted as being consistent with either a quasi-hexagonal or a square-triangular structure. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 40: 595–607, 1996
Higher-order absorbing boundary conditions in FDTD method

Second- and third-order approximations as proposed by L.N. Trefethen and L. Halpern (1986) are implemented in a FDTD (finite-difference time-domain) code using the formation of E.L. Lindman (1975). The accuracy and numerical efficiency of the different boundary conditions in this implementation are examined. >
Variance-based sampling for simulating cycle time—throughput curves using simulation-based estimates

Simulation at several different traffic intensities is required when generating a cycle time-throughput (CT-TH) curve. Previous work has shown that a variance-based allocation using an asymptotic variance approximation results in more precise confidence intervals than those achieved through naive sampling in which an equal amount of effort is allocated to each traffic intensity being investigated. Many systems for which these CT-TH curves are desired are too complex for an asymptotic variance approximation to be easily determined. This paper presents a fixed-budget variance-based sampling allocation procedure for the simulation of CT-TH curves using variance estimates of the sample mean calculated from pilot simulation runs. The proposed allocation procedure significantly improved the range of precision over the naive allocation.
The role of site and job characteristics in hedonic wage models

Recent economic analyses of wage rate differentials have generally used some form of hedonic framework in explaining the observed wage structure. While these studies have adopted this common theoretical justification, the models have been used to serve two distinct objectives. The first of these is an empirical test of the theory of equalizing differences originally introduced by Adam Smith. In such applications (see Brown [7], Lucas [26], Olson [28], Thaler and Rosen [36], and Viscusi [40] as examples) specific job characteristics, measured with technical information or with worker perceptions, have been used to explain differences in wage rates across individuals and jobs. While there are a number of these studies,’ there has not been a consistent pattern of support for the theory. Indeed, with the exception of job risks, many characteristics that a priori would be expected to lead to equalizing differences have often exhibited incorrect and/or statistically insignificant measured effects on wages.* The second use for wage models has been as the basis for an index of the quality of life in urban areas. In this framework, households are assumed to select residential locations so as to maximize their individual welfare. Migration between cities provides the mechanism for an equilibrium household assignment. Under ideal conditions the pattern of equilibrium wage rates reflects the attributes of the cities involved (see Hoch [20], Izraeli [23], Cropper [lo], Cropper and Arriaga-Salinas [ 111, and Rosen [31] as examples). The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for wage rate differentials that includes both job and site characteristics, and to estimate the model with a large micro-data set. Our wage models provide estimates of a market clearing envelope which includes each of two types of past analyses as a
Could calorie restriction increase longevity in humans

Calorie restriction (CR), a dietary intervention that is low in calories but maintains proper nutrition, is the only intervention known to date that consistently decreases the biological rate of aging and increases both average and maximal lifespan. Since the first report of prolonged lifespan in rodents more than 70 years ago [1], similar observations have been reported across a wide range of species, including yeast, worms, spiders, flies, fish, mice and rats. While the effects of CR in longer-lived species remain unknown, results reported thus far from three nonhuman primate colonies suggest that CR might have a similar effect in longer-lived species. While lifespan data remain inconclusive [2], CR monkeys display a substantially reduced age-related morbidity [3,4]. In humans, data from controlled trials are lacking and no long-term prospective trials of CR have been conducted with survival being the primary end point [5]. There is, however, a lot that can be learned from a handful of epidemiological and cross-sectional observations in longer-lived humans, centenarians and individuals who self-impose CR.
More than we Need to Know about Culture, but are Afraid Not to Ask

"Culture" needs no sharpening. It works well as a global term, designating the many diverse material and ideational phenomena that social scientists traditionally perceive as cultural. Pleas and attempts to define culture anew, however well-meaning and creative, are irrelevant to the conduct of cross-cultural research.
Combinatorial Roles of the Nuclear Receptor Corepressor in Transcription and Development

Abstract Transcriptional repression plays crucial roles in diverse aspects of metazoan development, implying critical regulatory roles for corepressors such as N-CoR and SMRT. Altered patterns of transcription in tissues and cells derived from N-CoR gene–deleted mice and the resulting block at specific points in CNS, erythrocyte, and thymocyte development indicated that N-CoR was a required component of short-term active repression by nuclear receptors and MAD and of a subset of long-term repression events mediated by REST/NRSF. Unexpectedly, N-CoR and a specific deacetylase were also required for transcriptional activation of one class of retinoic acid response element. Together, these findings suggest that specific combinations of corepressors and histone deacetylases mediate the gene-specific actions of DNA-bound repressors in development of multiple organ systems.
Global dimension of fully bounded noetherian rings

(1987). Global dimension of fully bounded noetherian rings. Communications in Algebra: Vol. 15, No. 10, pp. 2143-2156.
Models of Iranian Politics, the Road to the Islamic Revolution, and the Challenge of Civil Society

This essay reviews six recent books on modern Iranian politics. It suggests that Iranian politics can be analyzed from the perspective of four basic traditions and models: monarchical, liberal nationalist, religious, and leftist. Each model abstracts the essential elements of the political system and demonstrates the dominance of a certain perspective. The first three of these models have been implemented in post—World War II Iran, and even the left has had an impact. The essay concludes by stating that current Iranian domestic politics can be better understood by paying attention to five enduring features: historical continuity of the nation-state, steady increase in state power, persistence of patrimonialism, intense interaction between domestic and foreign policies particularly as it relates to control over oil, and the vitality of civil society even under the Islamic Republic.
Swarm Intelligence as a Prosthetic Capacity

Swarm intelligence is the production of generative social space, the agency to “create and open spaces into which existing knowledge can extend, interrelate, coexist, and where new ideas and relationships can emerge prosthetically.” Swarm intelligence is argued to be a liminal, proximal, and distal zone of collective human development wherein memories and experience are made “prosthetic” in both the verb and noun sense of the word—that is, as an adaptive and potentially pedagogical capacity enabling the assimilation of supplemental patterns of behavior and thought, as well as the accommodation of the extant social archaeologies and emerging architectures that might further constitute our identities.
Community structure and nutrition of deep methane-seep macrobenthos from the North Pacific (Aleutian) Margin and the Gulf of Mexico (Florida Escarpment)

Methane seeps occur at depths extending to over 7000 m along the world's continental margins, but there is little information about the infaunal communities inhabiting sediments of seeps deeper than 3000 m. Biological sampling was carried out off Unimak Island (3200–3300 m) and Kodiak Island (4500 m) on the Aleutian margin, Pacific Ocean and along the Florida Escarpment (3300 m) in the Gulf of Mexico to investigate the community structure and nutrition of macrofauna at these sites. We addressed whether there are characteristic infaunal communities common to the deep-water seeps or to the specific habitats (clam beds, pogonophoran fields, and microbial mats) studied here, and ask how these differ from background communities or from shallow-seep settings sampled previously. We also investigated, using stable isotopic signatures, the utilization of chemosynthetically fixed and methane-derived organic matter by macrofauna from different regions and habitats. Within seep sites, macrofaunal densities were the greatest in the Florida microbial mats (20,961 ± 11,618 ind·m−2), the lowest in the Florida pogonophoran fields (926 ± 132 ind·m−2), and intermediate in the Unimak and Kodiak seep habitats. Seep macrofaunal densities differed from those in nearby non-seep sediments only in Florida mat habitats, where a single, abundant species of hesionid polychaete comprised 70% of the macrofauna. Annelids were the dominant taxon (>60%) at all sites and habitats except in Florida background sediments (33%) and Unimak pogonophoran fields (27%). Macrofaunal diversity (H′) was lower at the Florida than the Alaska seeps, with a trend toward reduced richness in clam bed relative to pogonophoran field or non-seep sediments. Community composition differences between seep and non-seep sediments were evident in each region except for the Unimak margin, but pogonophoran and clam bed macrofaunal communities did not differ from one another in Alaska. Seep δ13C and δ15N signatures were lighter for seep than non-seep macrofauna in all regions, indicating use of chemosynthetically derived carbon. The lightest δ13C values (average of species’ means) were observed at the Florida escarpment (−42.8‰). We estimated that on average animal tissues had up to 55% methane-derived carbon in Florida mats, 31–44% in Florida clam beds and Kodiak clam beds and pogonophoran fields, and 9–23% in Unimak seep habitats. However, some taxa such as hesionid and capitellid polychaetes exhibited tremendous intraspecific δ13C variation (>30‰) between patch types. Overall we found few characteristic communities or features common to the three deep-water seeps (>3000 m), but common properties across habitats (mat, clam bed, pogonophorans), independent of location or water depth. In general, macrofaunal densities were lower (except at Florida microbial mats), community structure was similar, and reliance on chemosynthesis was greater than observed in shallower seeps off California and Oregon.
Can Human Biology Allow Most of Us to Become Centenarians

Life span is a topic of great interest in science, medicine and among the general public. How long people live has a profound impact on medical costs, intergenerational interactions, and the solvency of age-based entitlement programs around the world. These challenges are already occurring and the magnitude of their impact is, in part, proportional to the fraction of a population that lives the longest. Some demographic forecasts suggest that most babies born since the year 2000 will survive to their 100th birthday. If these forecasts are correct, then there is reason to fear that the financial solvency of even the most prosperous countries are in jeopardy. We argue here that human biology will preclude survival to age 100 for most people.
Carcass composition studies. 2. Influences of breed, sex and diet on gross composition of the carcass and fatty acid composition of the adipose tissue.

Abstract A study was conducted to determine the effect of breed, sex and diet on the carcass composition of chickens. Male and female chicks of the Light Brahma, White Plymouth Rock, Single Comb White Leghorn, Black Jersey Giant and Dark Cornish breeds were fed three diets of widely varying calorie:protein ratios to four weeks of age. The Black Jersey Giant chickens attained the greatest weight at 4 weeks followed by the White Plymouth Rock, Dark Cornish and Single Comb White Leghorn with the Light Brahma growing the slowest of the strains tested. Significant differences in the quantity of moisture, protein, total lipid and ash present in the total carcass was found among certain breeds. The Light Brahma contained the largest amounts of total lipid, 10.4%, followed by the White Plymouth Rock, 10.2%, Black Jersey Giant, 9.5%, Single Comb White Leghorn, 8.8%, and the Dark Cornish, 8.6%. Both sex and diet also caused differences in the total body composition. Significant differences in the amounts of certain fatty acids in the carcasses of the various breeds were found; however, these differences were not great.
Bootstrapping for generalized L-statistics

Serfling (1984) introduced a class of generalized L-statistics containing many different types of statistics. For a generalized L-statistic Tn, we establish a bootstrap representation for the bootstrap statistic —Tn, which shows that —Tn can be approximated by the difference between a U-statistic and its bootstrap analog. Weak consistency of the bootstrap estimators of the sampling distribution of Tn and its other characteristics follow directly from this representation and existing results for bootstrapping U-statistics.
Cystic fibrosis: a surgical matter?

Abstract Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is very common in patients with chronic lung diseases. We evaluated the incidence of GERD in young patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and defined the characteristics of gastroesophageal reflux episodes analyzed by pH-multichannel intraluminal impedance (pH-MII) and esophagogastric scintigraphy. Patients and methods Since 2010, 31 patients with CF underwent pH-MII. Scintigraphy and upper endoscopy were performed in positive GERD patients. Forced expiratory volume in 1second (FEV1%) predicted was detected. Results pH-MII was positive in 17/31 (54.8%) patients (mean age: 12.4years; range: 4–17years). pH monitoring detected an average of 64.6 acid reflux events 4.4 episodes >5minutes in duration. The DeMeester score was 38.5. Impedance identified a mean number of reflux episodes of 66 (65.2% acid; 32% weakly acidic; 2.8% nonacidic), 28% of which reached the proximal esophagus. Esophageal transit and gastric emptying were delayed in 6/13 (46.1%) and in 5/15 (33.3%) cases, respectively. No differences were found in lung function between positive and negative GERD patients ( P =0.88). Conclusions Pediatric patients with CF have a high incidence of GERD with acidic events. These patients should be investigated with pH-MII and scintigraphy in order to make an early diagnosis and determine the most appropriate follow-up.
Murine versus human apolipoprotein E4: differential facilitation of and co-localization in cerebral amyloid angiopathy and amyloid plaques in APP transgenic mouse models

Amyloid β (Aβ) accumulates in the extracellular space as diffuse and neuritic plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aβ also deposits on the walls of arterioles as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in most cases of AD and sometimes independently of AD. Apolipoprotein E (apoE) ɛ4 is associated with increases in both Aβ plaques and CAA in humans. Studies in mouse models that develop Aβ deposition have shown that murine apoE and human apoE4 have different abilities to facilitate plaque or CAA formation when studied independently. To better understand and compare the effects of murine apoE and human apoE4, we bred 5XFAD (line 7031) transgenic mice so that they expressed one copy of murine apoE and one copy of human apoE4 under the control of the normal murine apoE regulatory elements (5XFAD/apoEm/4). The 5XFAD/apoEm/4 mice contained levels of parenchymal CAA that were intermediate between 5XFAD/apoEm/m and 5XFAD/apoE4/4 mice. In 5XFAD/apoEm/4 mice, we found that Aβ parenchymal plaques co-localized with much more apoE than did parenchymal CAA, suggesting differential co-aggregation of apoE with Aβ in plaques versus CAA. More importantly, within the brain parenchyma of the 5XFAD/apoEm/4 mice, plaques contained more murine apoE, which on its own results in more pronounced and earlier plaque formation, while CAA contained more human apoE4 which on its own results in more pronounced CAA formation. We further confirmed the co-aggregation of mouse apoE with Aβ in plaques by showing a strong correlation between insoluble mouse apoE and insoluble Aβ in PS1APP-21/apoEm/4 mice which develop plaques without CAA. These studies suggest that both murine apoE and human apoE4 facilitate differential opposing effects in influencing Aβ plaques versus CAA via different co-aggregation with these two amyloid lesions and set the stage for understanding these effects at a molecular level.
Deontic modality based on preference

Deontic modalities are here dened in terms of the preference relation explored in our previous work (Osherson and Weinstein, 2012). Some consequences of the system are discussed.
Optimization of a Generalized Velocity-Inertial System

In this paper the variational calculus techniques of the Wiener-Kolmogoroff optimum filter theory are employed to develop the statistically optimum form of a generalized hybrid velocity-inertial system. A velocity-inertial system is considered which is general in both form and application. The form of the system encompasses pure inertial, pure Doppler, and a large family of Doppler- inertial hybrid systems including the present-day second-and thirdorder Doppler inertial navigation and stabilization systems. The system may be used for a wide range of applications including any linear combination of acceleration, velocity, or vertical-reference sensing. The general system form is developed by employing an unspecified filter to mix the inertially derived signal with the signal from the auxiliary velocity sensor. As a result of utilizing this general system form, a single general error equation is found which represents the system error for each of the above system forms and applications. Using a linear analysis and the minimum mean-square error criteria, an optimum system form is found for the complete range of possible system applications.
Modeling Parkinson Disease with Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) and multipotent neural stem cells (NSCs) offer great in vitro tools to study the process of neurodevelopment and neural cell specification [1-11]. With the discovery of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) [12], it is possible to model human neural system diseases in a dish. Recent studies have shown the progress on modeling neurodegenerative disorders using human iPSCs [13-18]. Here this editorial briefly summarizes and discusses the advances on modeling Parkinson’s disease (PD) using human iPSCs.
2020 Vision: Envisioning a new generation of STEM learning research

In this issue, we have compiled six original papers, outcomes from the U.S. National Science Foundation (US-NSF)-funded REESE (Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering) 2020 Vision: The Next Generation of STEM Learning Research project. The purpose of 2020 Vision was to re-envision the questions and frameworks guiding STEM research in the twenty-first century, given that notions of learning have changed significantly in the last decade. The papers present diverse research principles that emerged from an initial 2020 Vision conference at Oregon State University (OSU), were then vetted more broadly with the science education community nationally and internationally, and presented in a public 2020 Vision symposium series also at OSU. Individually and as a group, these papers argue that if STEM learning is lifelong, life-wide and life-deep, research designs need to cut across the diverse settings and investigate the multiple contexts and media in which learners live and interact. Authors call for research paradigms that holistically reflect questions of the “what, when, where, why, how and with whom” of STEM learning. Associated Forum papers respond and expand the conversation by critically examining the recommended research principles and in some cases, challenging both authors and editors to think even more broadly. Two Key Contributor pieces highlight the contributions of researchers who have helped to push on these research boundaries, advancing science education research nationally and internationally. A final synthesis paper, a case study of research being conducted in a diverse, under-resourced community in Portland, Oregon provides one example of how the 2020 Vision research principles might be integrated into a comprehensive STEM learning research study.
Role of Brain, Ventral Nerve Cord, and Corpora Cardiaca-Corpora Allata Complex in the Reproductive Behavior of Female Tobacco Budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Various surgical treatments were used to determine the role of the brain, ventral nerve cord (VNC), and corpora cardiaca- corpora allata complex in the reproductive behavior of Heliothis virescens (F.). VNC-transected females mated successfully and exhibited increased egg production after mating, suggesting that an intact VNC is not required for calling, sex pheromone emission, mating, or mating-induced oogenesis. The patterns of increase in egg production in decapitated, virgin females and mated, decapitated females were similar. Allatectomized females called less overall than did the others, but all females called and were able to mate with males. The allatectomized, virgin females produced <20 eggs in total, whereas allatectomized females mated to normal males produced 90 eggs. Mated females decapitated immediately after uncoupling produced nearly 3 times as many eggs as decapitated, virgin females. Females decapitated at 6 h after uncoupling showed a further significant stimulation in egg maturation. These findings suggest that the male transfers some factor that, by itself, stimulates oogenesis.
Analysis of Risk Management in Adapted Physical Education Textbooks.

Physical education teacher education (PETE) programs vary on how the topics of safe teaching and risk management are addressed. Common practices to cover such issues include requiring textbooks, lesson planning, peer teaching, videotaping, reflecting, and reading case law analyses. We used a mixed methods design to examine how risk management is addressed in APE textbooks using a validated Risk Management Inventory as a guide. We analyzed nine APE textbooks. We performed content analyses using a Risk Management Inventory to assess content pertaining to risk management and safe teaching in APE textbooks. We performed quantitative analyses by computing percentages of content covered under each category of the Risk Management Inventory for each textbook. Percentages ranged from 11.29% to 35.48%. Elements found pertaining to Instruction included updated lesson plans, curriculum guidelines, adaptations and modifications, demonstrations, safety rules, lesson objectives, skill progressions, and instructional feedback. Elements found pertaining to Emergency and Medical Procedures included incident reports, first aid kits, existing medical conditions of students, and emergency action plans. Elements found pertaining to Equipment and Facilities included inspection of and warnings for equipment and facilities, use of equipment, developmentally appropriate equipment, inventories of equipment and facilities, and activities conducted away from hazardous areas. Elements found pertaining to Supervision included supervision of students, offtask behavior, safety rules, and medical notes. Elements found pertaining to Administrative Behaviors included licensure of teachers and communication and posting of guidelines for emergency actions plans as well as emergency exit procedures.
A procedure for evaluating the applicability of a control proxy function to optimal co-design

ABSTRACTOptimisation is a useful tool in the design of many systems. When designing a system which will be subject to control, the full optimisation of the system must take into account both the physical components of the system and the controller. Many different methods have been developed for the optimisation of such systems. One approach is to define one single optimisation objective, which may consist of a combination of system characteristics; another approach iterates between the physical system, or plant, and the controller. Other approaches are sequential, in which the plant is optimised first, followed by the controller. The optimisation of the plant may, in some cases, include some characteristics relevant to the controller. One such sequential method, optimisation using a control proxy function (CPF), is highlighted in this paper. This method allows a designer to perform sequential optimisation of a coupled co-design problem, while producing optimal or near-optimal results. However, it is neces...
Creating Space for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Transforming the Meaning of Academic Work

Within the context of the American academy, the work of the twentieth-century professor was fairly well defined, being divided into two clear categories of research, or exploring new ideas in a particular discipline of expertise, and teaching, or passing on that expertise to the next generation of scholars and practitioners. While the weight given to each of these when considering tenure and promotion has varied among and within institutions, teaching typically has been considered subordinate to research when hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions are made, even at “teaching” colleges.
SU‐F‐I‐45: An Automated Technique to Measure Image Contrast in Clinical CT Images

Purpose: To develop and validate an automated technique for measuring image contrast in chest computed tomography (CT) exams. Methods: An automated computer algorithm was developed to measure the distribution of Hounsfield units (HUs) inside four major organs: the lungs, liver, aorta, and bones. These organs were first segmented or identified using computer vision and image processing techniques. Regions of interest (ROIs) were automatically placed inside the lungs, liver, and aorta and histograms of the HUs inside the ROIs were constructed. The mean and standard deviation of each histogram were computed for each CT dataset. Comparison of the mean and standard deviation of the HUs in the different organs provides different contrast values. The ROI for the bones is simply the segmentation mask of the bones. Since the histogram for bones does not follow a Gaussian distribution, the 25th and 75th percentile were computed instead of the mean. The sensitivity and accuracy of the algorithm was investigated by comparing the automated measurements with manual measurements. Fifteen contrast enhanced and fifteen non-contrast enhanced chest CT clinical datasets were examined in the validation procedure. Results: The algorithm successfully measured the histograms of the four organs in both contrast and non-contrast enhanced chest CT exams. The automated measurements were in agreement with manual measurements. The algorithm has sufficient sensitivity as indicated by the near unity slope of the automated versus manual measurement plots. Furthermore, the algorithm has sufficient accuracy as indicated by the high coefficient of determination, R2, values ranging from 0.879 to 0.998. Conclusion: Patient-specific image contrast can be measured from clinical datasets. The algorithm can be run on both contrast enhanced and non-enhanced clinical datasets. The method can be applied to automatically assess the contrast characteristics of clinical chest CT images and quantify dependencies that may not be captured in phantom data.
Prevalence of bacteria contaminating the hands of healthcare workers during routine patient care: A hospital-based study

Background: The pathogenic bacterium on the hands of healthcare workers (HCWs) is considered as the main route of spread of nosocomial infections. The study was aimed to determine the bacterial contamination of hands of HCWs during routine patient care in a large teaching hospital. Material and Methods: This study includes a total of 200 consecutive, non-repetitive participants. Doctors, medical students, nurses and attendants from the Department of Anaesthesia and Department of Medicine of the hospital were included, who were actively providing health care. The informed consent was taken from all the participants of the study. The hand impressions of the participants were taken on 5% blood agar and processed as per guidelines. After taking the hand impressions, hand cleaning of each participant was done by standard preparation of 70% isopropyl alcohol-based hand rub. The hand impressions from the participants were again taken on 5% blood agar plates. Results: Out of 200 samples collected from HCWs, 95 (47.5%) samples showed growth of microorganisms. Most commonly isolated microorganism was Staphylococcus aureus present in 70% of nurses, 60% of students and 40% of attendants. Prevalence of Acinetobacter spp. was also found to be high among nurses (20%), followed by attendants, sweepers (16%) and doctors (4%). Conclusions: Hands of hospital staff are colonised with pathogenic bacteria, especially Gram-positive such as S. aureus. Hand hygiene is an effective method of reducing the bacterial flora on the hands of the HCWs.
Regional procurement and export of hepatic allografts for transplantation

A team dedicated to hepatic procurement exclusively for export to distant centers was established at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Between January 1987 and March 1988, 20 livers were retrieved and sent to five institutions in the U.S. and Canada for implantation. These procedures were carried out in concert with local cardiac and renal procurement teams; 12 hearts and 34 kidneys were used from these 20 donors. Functional results of both the livers and the other organs were in line with nationally reported standards. The multi-organ procurement procedure was streamlined as a result of the coordination which developed between the teams. Savings in time and travel expense by skilled personnel were realized; in five cases no alternative hepatic procurement team was available. With the ability to preserve livers for increasingly long periods, this type of program will assume greater importance in the future.
Individual Differences and Corrective Feedback

As discussed in the previous chapters, corrective feedback research has produced mixed results with regard to the effectiveness of teachers’ error correction. One reason may be that individual difference (ID) variables — such as language aptitude, anxiety, and attitudes towards corrective feedback — influence learners’ receptivity to error correction and thus the effectiveness of the feedback.
Far Beyond the Stars: The Framing of Blackness in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Abstract:While most of Star Trek functions in a Utopian future where racism and racial identity no longer exist, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine created a main character, Benjamin Sisko, for whom race mattered. This article focuses on how Deep Space Nine framed issues of race and racism for its human characters.
Treatment of Status Epilepticus in Pediatrics

Nonconvulsive seizures (NCS) and nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) are commonly seen in neonates and children undergoing continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) in the pediatric, neonatal, cardiac, and surgical intensive care units. Nonconvulsive seizures and nonconvulsive status epilepticus have been estimated to occur in 7–46 % of children who undergo a clinically indicated EEG in the intensive care unit (ICU) [1–4]. The neonatal population is also at high risk as 14–43 % of neonates monitored meet the criteria for status epilepticus (SE), while as many as 80–90 % of neonatal seizures are electrographic only [5, 17].
Design for low‐temperature microwave‐assisted crystallization of ceramic thin films

We designed experiments to determine optimized values for input parameters such as temperature, solution concentration, and power input for synthesizing ceramic materials, specifically titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films using microwave radiation, which permits crystallization of these films at significantly lower temperatures (150-160 °C) compared to conventional techniques (>450 °C). The advantage of using lower temperatures is both reduced energy requirements, and in expanding the set of substrates (e.g., plastics) on which the thin film materials can be deposited. Low temperature crystallization permits ceramic thin film materials to be directly grown on delicate plastic substrates (which melt at temperatures over 200°C) and thus would have important applications in the emerging flexible electronics industry. Using a linear regression with quadratic terms, we found estimated optimal settings for the reaction parameters. When tried experimentally, these optimal settings produced better results (% coverage with film) than any of the data used in estimation. This approach allows fine tuning of the input parameters and can lead to reliable synthesis of films in a low-temperature environment. It may also be an important step in understanding the fundamental mechanisms underlying the growth of these films in the presence of electromagnetic fields like microwave radiation. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.