cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitrite reduction to nitric oxide by deoxyhemoglobin vasodilates the human circulation.

Nitrite anions comprise the largest vascular storage pool of nitric oxide (NO), provided that physiological mechanisms exist to reduce nitrite to NO. We evaluated the vasodilator properties and mechanisms for bioactivation of nitrite in the human forearm. Nitrite infusions of 36 and 0.36 μmol/min into the forearm brachial artery resulted in supra- and near-physiologic intravascular nitrite concentrations, respectively, and increased forearm blood flow before and during exercise, with or without NO synthase inhibition. Nitrite infusions were associated with rapid formation of erythrocyte iron-nitrosylated hemoglobin and, to a lesser extent, S-nitroso-hemoglobin. NO-modified hemoglobin formation was inversely proportional to oxyhemoglobin saturation. Vasodilation of rat aortic rings and formation of both NO gas and NO-modified hemoglobin resulted from the nitrite reductase activity of deoxyhemoglobin and deoxygenated erythrocytes. This finding links tissue hypoxia, hemoglobin allostery and nitrite bioactivation. These results suggest that nitrite represents a major bioavailable pool of NO, and describe a new physiological function for hemoglobin as a nitrite reductase, potentially contributing to hypoxic vasodilation.
Using Three-Pulse Femtosecond Spectroscopy to Probe Ultrafast Triplet Energy Transfer in Zinc meso-Tetraarylporphyrin-Perylene-3,4-dicarboximide Dyads

Linear arrays of zinc meso-tetraarylporphyrin (ZnP), perylene-3,4-dicarboximide (PMI), and either naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis(dicarboximide) (NI) or pyromellitimide (PI) were synthesized and studied by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. PMI was covalently linked in one of two orientations relative to ZnP. In one set of molecules, the 9 position of the perylene core is connected to the para position of a meso-phenyl in ZnP to give ZnP−PMI−N−X, where X = NI or PI is attached to the imide nitrogen atom of PMI. In the second set of compounds, the imide nitrogen atom of PMI is connected to the meso-phenyl in ZnP to give ZnP−N−PMI−X, where X = PI or H. Selective excitation of ZnP using 420 nm, 110 fs laser pulses in each molecule in toluene produces 1*ZnP, which intersystem crosses (ISC) to 3*ZnP with τ = 2.3 ns. For ZnP−PMI−N−X, triplet energy transfer (TET) from 3*ZnP to PMI is much faster than ISC, so that 3*ZnP is not observed by one-pump−one-probe transient absorption spectroscopy. Following its form...
Nurses respond to hurricane Hugo victims' disaster stress

Hugo, a class IV hurricane, hit South Carolina September 22, 1989, and left behind a wake of terror and destruction. Sixty-one nursing students and five faculty were involved in disaster relief with families devastated by the hurricane. A review of the literature led these authors to propose a formulation of the concept of disaster stress, a synthesis of theories that explains response to disaster as a crisis response, a stress response, or as posttraumatic stress. With the concept of disaster stress serving as a theoretical foundation, the nurses observed, assessed, and intervened with one population of hurricane Hugo victims, noting their immediate psychosocial reactions and coping mechanisms. Victims' reactions to disaster stress included confusion, irritability, lethargy, withdrawal, and crying. The most frequently observed coping strategy of these hurricane Hugo victims was talking about their experiences; other coping tactics involved humor, religion, and altruism.
Kaersutite — a product of reaction between pargasite and basanite at Dish Hill, California

Kaersutite amphibole formation from paragasite amphibole interaction with basanite, discussing Fe, Ti, K, Mg, Si, Na and Cr contents
Effect of functionalization of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on the damping characteristics of SWNT-based epoxy composites via multiscale analysis

The influence of carbon nanotube functionalization on damping characteristics of SWNT-based composites is investigated for the first time with a sequential multiscale approach. The process consists of two parts. First, the interfacial shear strength between the functionalized nanotube and the epoxy is calculated by simulating a SWNT pull-out test using the molecular dynamics method. The strength values obtained from atomic simulation are then applied to a micromechanical damping model of a representative unit cell of a SWNT/epoxy composite under cyclic loading. The analysis results indicate that the nanotube functionalization increases the interfacial shear strength. Due to the stick–slip motion at the interfacial surface, the effective loss factor of the epoxy with functionalized nanoropes is sensitive to the applied load/stress. The increased shear strength can either enhance or reduce the damping ability of the composite, depending on the operational load/stress range and nanotube aspect ratio.
Equivalent single-layer theory for a complete stress field in sandwich panels under arbitrarily distributed loading

Abstract In single-layer theory, the displacement components represent the weighted-average through the thickness of the sandwich panel. Although discrete-layer theories are more representative of sandwich construction than the single-layer theories, they suffer from an excessive number of field variables in proportion to the number of layers. In this study, utilizing Reissner’s definitions for kinematics of thick plates, the displacement components at any point on the plate are approximated in terms of weighted-average quantities (displacements and rotations) that are functions of the in-plane coordinates. The equations of equilibrium and boundary conditions of the sandwich panel are derived by employing the principle of virtual displacements. The solution for an arbitrarily distributed load is obtained by employing Fourier series representations of the unknown field variables. This single-layer theory is validated against an analytical solution for simply supported square sandwich panels under pressure over a small region on the face sheet and is also compared with previous single-layer plate theories.
Optical logic gates by nonlinear mixing in BBO

An experimental demonstration of a set of optical logic gates (OR, XOR, AND) is shown using non-linear mixing in a BBO crystal. Pulses generated by a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser at 800 nm (140 fs duration, 2nJ/pulse) are split in 4 beams evenly separated in space and propagating collinearly. The 4 beams are focused by a singlet lens in the non-linear crystal and frequency doubled using a type I non-colinear phase matching (e = o + o). Due to spherical aberrations of the lens, the 2 beams that are far from the optical axis are brought into a focus that is slightly further away from the focus formed by the 2 beams closer to the optical axis. The frequency-doubted light generated by the two foci propagates in the same direction. An OR gate is produced by constructive interference of the frequency doubled pulses. A XOR gate is produced using destructive interference. OR and XOR can be programmed from a single gate by adjusting time delays of the inputs. We raise the possibility of coating a cascaded set of gates for a femtosecond time scale computing system using photoinduced absorption in polyacetylene substitutes.
A comparison of open vs laparoscopic adrenalectomy

Background: To compare the outcome of patients who underwent laparoscopic transabdominal adrenalectomy (LA) with those who had open adrenalectomy (OA).
Dynamic response of plates to moving loads: Finite element method

Abstract An algorithm based on a finite element approach has been developed to study the transient response of plates with arbitrary boundary conditions and subjected to moving loads. Thin plate theory is assumed for the plate model and no restriction is placed on the loading conditions. The algorithm accounts for the complete dynamic interactions between the moving loads and the plate. Therefore, the method can be applied to the general moving mass problems and also to the simplified moving force and static problems. The accuracy of the algorithm is verified by comparing the numerical results obtained from the finite element method with the exact solutions and with other available numerical and experimental results. The results indicate that there are three frequency ranges that must be looked into: a subcritical region, a critical region, and a supercritical region. The dynamic deflection varies in each region. The mass inertia of the vehicle is more pronounced in the third region, where the deflection propagates in a wave-like manner.
Haloperidol- and SCH23390-induced dopaminergic supersensitivities are not additive in the rat.

The effect of chronic D-1 and/or D-2 dopamine receptor blockade on apomorphine-induced behaviors was studied in rats treated for 21 days with the selective D-1 antagonist SCH23390, the predominantly D-2 antagonist haloperidol, and the combination of the two drugs at the same daily doses (0.1 and 1 mg/kg respectively). Apomorphine (0.3 mg/kg) 4 days following the last injection of the drugs increased (49–70%) stereotypic behavior in all animals as compared to saline-treated controls. Although the SCH23390-induced increase was lower than haloperidol-induced supersensitivity, stereotypies after combined administration of both drugs did not differ significantly from either, suggesting that the effects of the two drugs are not additive. Underlying receptor changes and modified D-1/D-2 receptor interactions may account for the participation of both receptor subtypes to the development of neuroleptic-induced dopaminergic supersensitivity.
A platform to collect, manage and share heterogeneous sensor data

The scientific and technological advances generate an exponentially growth of the number of sensors and the parallel decrease of their cost. The result is a huge number of heterogeneous sensor surrounding us. In this demo we present Paraimpu, a prototype of a scalable platform able to collect, manage and share heterogeneous kinds of sensor data.
The effect of temperature of fluorescence: an animal study

The effect of temperature on the fluorescence of enucleated porcine eyes and rat skin was studied. The fluorescence peak intensity was found to decrease as the tissue temperature increased. A dual-excitation, fiber-based system was used to collect fluorescence and diffuse-reflectance spectra from the samples. A thermal camera was used to determine the temperature of the tissue at the time of fluorescence measurement. The samples were mounted in a saline bath and measurements were made as the tissue temperature was increased from -20°C to 70°C. Results indicate that temperature affects several fluorescence spectra characteristics. The peak height decreased as temperature increased. At temperatures above 60°C, the peak position shifted to lower wavelengths. Heating and cooling experiments of the rat skin demonstrate the recovery of the loss in fluorescence. The diffuse reflectance spectra indicated a change in optical properties past 60°C, but prior to the denaturation temperature for collagen at 57°C, no change in optical properties was observed. Results suggest that the decrease in fluorescence is both a property of fluorescence and a result of altering optical properties.
Endocytosis and recycling of neurokinin 1 receptors in enteric neurons.

Abstract Neurotransmission depends on the availability of transmitter and on the presence of functional, high-affinity receptors at the plasma membrane that are capable of binding ligand. The pathway, mechanism and function of endocytosis and recycling of the substance P or neurokinin 1 receptor in enteric neurons were studied using fluorescent substance P, receptor antibodies and confocal microscopy. In both the soma and neurites, substance P induced rapid, clathrin-mediated internalization of the neurokinin 1 receptor into early endosomes, which also contained the transferrin receptor. After 4–8 h, there was a return in surface neurokinin 1 receptor immunoreactivity in the soma, which was not prevented by cycloheximide, and was thus independent of new protein synthesis. This return was prevented by acidotropic agents, and therefore required endosomal acidification. This suggests that the neurokinin 1 receptor recycles in the soma. In contrast, in neurites, substance P and the neurokinin 1 receptor remained in endosomes and recycling was not detected. Neurons of the myenteric plexus were heavily innervated by substance P-containing nerve fibers, and K + -stimulated release of endogenous substance P from cultured neurons induced internalization of the neurokinin 1-receptor. Therefore, endogenous substance P may induce endocytosis of the neurokinin 1 receptor. In the soma, endocytosis and recycling correlated with loss and recovery of functional binding sites for substance P, suggesting that this process contributes to the regulation of peptidergic neurotransmission. Thus, ligand-induced endocytosis of the neurokinin 1 receptor in myenteric neurons is associated with a loss of surface receptors and functional binding sites. Since release of endogenous substance P induces neurokinin 1 receptor internalization, and neurokinin 1 receptor neurons are innervated by substance P-containing fibers, endocytosis of neuropeptide receptors may regulate neurotransmission.
Simple and fast classification of non-LTR retrotransposons based on phylogeny of their RT domain protein sequences

Abstract Rapidly growing number of sequenced genomes requires fast and accurate computational tools for analysis of different transposable elements (TEs). In this paper we focus on a rapid and reliable procedure for classification of autonomous non-LTR retrotransposons based on alignment and clustering of their reverse transcriptase (RT) domains. Typically, the RT domain protein sequences encoded by different non-LTR retrotransposons are similar to each other in terms of significant BLASTP E-values. Therefore, they can be easily detected by the routine BLASTP searches of genomic DNA sequences coding for proteins similar to the RT domains of known non-LTR retrotransposons. However, detailed classification of non-LTR retrotransposons, i.e. their assignment to specific clades, is a slow and complex procedure that is not formalized or integrated as a standard set of computational methods and data. Here we describe a tool (RTclass1) designed for the fast and accurate automated assignment of novel non-LTR retrotransposons to known or novel clades using phylogenetic analysis of the RT domain protein sequences. RTclass1 classifies a particular non-LTR retrotransposon based on its RT domain in less than 10 min on a standard desktop computer and achieves 99.5% accuracy. RT1class1 works either as a stand-alone program installed locally or as a web-server that can be accessed distantly by uploading sequence data through the internet ( http://www.girinst.org/RTphylogeny/RTclass1 ).
Effects of female behavior on wing display and courtship of male Drosophila simulans and Drosophila melanogaster.

Corrolations between female rejection behaviors and male wing display were calculated for both Drosophila simulans and Drosophila melanogaster intraspicific pair-matings. No significant correlations were found for D. melanogaster, but in D. simulans flicking by the female appeared to be associated with a shift in male wing display pattern resulting in higher levels of vibration. Flicking did not appear to discourage courtship by males in either species.
Lymph-Node Resident CD8α+ Dendritic Cells Capture Antigens from Migratory Malaria Sporozoites and Induce CD8+ T Cell Responses

Malaria infection begins when a female Anopheles mosquito injects Plasmodium sporozoites into the skin of its host during blood feeding. Skin-deposited sporozoites may enter the bloodstream and infect the liver, reside and develop in the skin, or migrate to the draining lymph nodes (DLNs). Importantly, the DLN is where protective CD8+ T cell responses against malaria liver stages are induced after a dermal route of infection. However, the significance of parasites in the skin and DLN to CD8+ T cell activation is largely unknown. In this study, we used genetically modified parasites, as well as antibody-mediated immobilization of sporozoites, to determine that active sporozoite migration to the DLNs is required for robust CD8+ T cell responses. Through dynamic in vivo and static imaging, we show the direct uptake of parasites by lymph-node resident DCs followed by CD8+ T cell-DC cluster formation, a surrogate for antigen presentation, in the DLNs. A few hours after sporozoite arrival to the DLNs, CD8+ T cells are primed by resident CD8α+ DCs with no apparent role for skin-derived DCs. Together, these results establish a critical role for lymph node resident CD8α+ DCs in CD8+ T cell priming to sporozoite antigens while emphasizing a requirement for motile sporozoites in the induction of CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity.
Optical Studies of Biochemical Events in the Electric Organ of Electrophorus

When slices of the main electric organ of Electrophorus are stimulated electrically, three different effects can be detected optically. These are: (1) A large decrease in absorption evidently due to a decrease of light scattering within the tissue; this change increases gradually with decreasing wavelength. (2) A decrease in absorption which has a definite peak at about 420 nm and is interpreted as arising from oxidation of a haemoprotein. (3) A diphasic (under some conditions triphasic) change in fluorescence emission, interpreted as arising from oxidation/reduction of diphosphopyridine nucleotide. This paper is mainly concerned with an examination of the third of these effects. Identification of the fluorescence response with reduction of DPN was supported by determination of excitation and emission spectra of resting tissue at room temperatures and at the temperature of liquid nitrogen. The emission spectrum of the fluorescence change after stimulation was also determined with a differential spectrofluorometer. The results of the fluorometry agreed well with those obtained by direct chemical analysis. The time course of the fluorescence response and the effect on it of various factors such as amount of stimulation, interval between periods of stimulation, direction of observation, electrical load, temperature, exclusion of oxygen and inhibitors of oxidative metabolism and glycolysis, are described in some detail. A combination of these observations with the results of chemical analyses and thermal studies supports the view that the sequence of events on stimulation of the electric organ is: (1) changes in internal ionic concentrations resulting from the flow of electric current: (2) activation of the sodium pump, driven by phosphate-bond energy and drawing initially on the reservoir provided by creatine phosphate; (3) activation of glycogenolysis to restore the ATP/ADP ratio. The bearing of the changes observed in the DPNH/DPN ratio on the mechanism by which glycogenolysis is controlled is discussed briefly.
A STUDY OF THE ENERGY CRITERION FOR FATIGUE

Abstract On the assumption that fatigue is caused by the gradual accumulation of small amounts of hysteresis energy, and that failure will occur when the total amount of energy accumulated is equal to the energy required for fracture as determined by static test, an attempt has been made to compute the fatigue curve using only the information obtained from static tests. The results have been compared with the fatigue data for 12 materials. These data were obtained by strain cycling about zero mean strain. Comparison shows that the theory will suplicate the data reasonably well, provided the original material is not in a “soft” or annelaed condition. This restriction is necessary because the materials hardens during cycling and sol the stress-strain curve obtained from the origical material is not representative of the material during cycling. If the origical material is in a hardened state, the theory will give good results. The modified Coffin formula gives results which are, in most cases, overly conservative.
The Parameters of Refugeeism and Flight - the Case of Laos

The circumstances of the flight of four ethnic groups from Laos are described and cornpared. It is found that different ethnic groups defined the fall of the Laotian government in 1975 differently. This affected why, how and when they fled. It is stressed that any explanation of refugee behavior must be in terms not only of individual motivation but also of group behavior. Conclusions are drawn about the role that social networks, sanctuary opportunities, perceptions of family unity, class, clanship, patron-client relationships and traditions of mobility can play in making the decision to flee.
Individual foraging components of harvester ants: movement patterns and seed patch fidelity

We investigated individual foraging components of the western harvester ant,Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, in the native seed background of a shrub-steppe environment. Our study identified factors affecting foraging movements and seed selection by individual ants. Some assumptions and predictions of central-place foraging theory and a correlated random walk were evaluated for individual foragers. Results showed that ant size was only weakly correlated with the seed sizes harvested; seed size was a more important constraint than a predictor of seed selection. Individual ants spent more time in localized search behavior than traveling between search areas and nests.P. occidentalis foragers encountered seeds randomly with respect to time, and handled a mean of 1.7 seeds/trip. A correlation of increased search effort with greater travel distances was consistent with central-place foraging theory but, contrary to it, search and travel effort were not associated with energetic reward. Individual ants exhibited fidelity in both search site and native seed species. Spatial analyses of foraging movements showed a highly oriented travel path while running, and an area-restricted path while searching. Searching ants moved in a manner consistent with a correlated random walk. The deterministic component of patch fidelity and the stochastic component of search may override energetic foraging decisions in individualP. occidentalis ants.
Off-label marketing and the First Amendment.

On December 3, 2012, a three-judge appeals-court panel took a controversial leap by ruling that the government cannot prosecute pharmaceutical manufacturers and their representatives “for speech promoting the lawful, off-label use of an FDA-approved drug.”
Dance Education Action Research: A Twin Study.

In this article, the author compares the practices, philosophy, and history of action research, also known as participatory action research, to the purposes and practices of dance education. The comparison yields connections in four categories, enhancing self-reflective teaching and curriculum design, taking responsibility for teaching outcomes, giving voice to dance students and teachers, and adding to the body of rigorous dance research. The author suggests that this form of practice-centered research in dance will improve and make transparent the teaching practices of dance educators. This opens the possibility for not only improved practices, but also the social responsibility of empowering the participants in dance education, including children. The author further discusses the need for using this established qualitative research framework in studying dance education to lend credibility and rigor to the field and its literature.
On the logic of causal explanation

Abstract The McCain-Turner semantics of causal rules is based on a fixpoint construction similar to the one found in the definition of default logic. In the special case when the heads of the rules are literals, it can be equivalently expressed by a translation from sets of rules into sets of propositional formulas. We define a translation from causal logic into classical logic that characterizes the semantics of arbitrary causal rules, without any restrictions on their syntactic form. This translation suggests a way to extend the McCain-Turner logic to nonpropositional causal theories.
Improving Reproducibility of Lab-on-a-Chip Sensor with Bismuth Working Electrode for Determining Zn in Serum by Anodic Stripping Voltammetry

This work reports on the continuing development of a lab-on-a-chip electrochemical sensor for determination of zinc in blood serum using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. The microscale sensor consists of a three electrode system, including an environmentally friendly bismuth working electrode, an integrated silver/silver chloride reference electrode, and a gold auxiliary electrode. The sensor demonstrates a linear response in 0.1 M acetate buffer at pH 6 for zinc concentrations in the 1-30 μM range. By optimizing bismuth film deposition and better control of the fabrication process, repeatability of the sensor was improved, reducing variability from 42% to <2%. Through optimization of electrolyte and stripping voltammetry parameters, limit of detection was greatly improved to 60 nM. The optimized sensor was also able to measure zinc in the extracted blood serum. Ultimately, with integrated sample preparation, the sensor will permit rapid (min) measurements of zinc from a sub-mL sample (a few drops of blood) for clinical applications.
An Investigation of Siloxane Cross-linked Hydroxyapatite-Gelatin/Copolymer Composites for Potential Orthopedic Applications

Causes of bone deficiency are numerous, but biomimetic alloplastic grafts provide an alternative to repair tissue naturally. Previously, a hydroxyapatite–gelatin modified siloxane (HAp–Gemosil) composite was prepared by cross-linking N,N′-bis[(3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylene diamine (enTMOS) around the HAp–gel nanocomposite particles, to mimic the natural composition and properties of bone. However, the tensile strength remained too low for many orthopedic applications. It was hypothesized that incorporating a polymer chain into the composite could help improve long range interaction. Furthermore, designing this polymer to interact with the enTMOS siloxane cross-linked matrix would provide improved adhesion between the polymer and the ceramic composite, and improve mechanical properties. To this end, copolymers of L-lactide (LLA), and a novel alkyne derivatized trimethylene carbonate, propargyl carbonate (PC), were synthesized. Incorporation of PC during copolymerization affects properties of copolymers such as molecular weight, Tg, and %PC incorporation. More importantly, PC monomers bear a synthetic handle, allowing copolymers to undergo post-polymerization functionalization with graft monomers to specifically tailor the properties of the final composite. For our investigation, P(LLA-co-PC) copolymers were functionalized by an azido-silane (AS) via copper catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) through terminal alkyne on PC monomers. The new functionalized polymer, P(LLA-co-PC)(AS) was blended with HAp–Gemosil, with the azido-silane linking the copolymer to the silsesquioxane matrix within the final composite. These HAp–Gemosil–P(LLA-co-PC)(AS) composites were subjected to mechanical and biological testing, and the results were compared with those from the HAp–Gemosil composites. This study revealed that incorporating a cross-linkable polymer served to increase the flexural strength of the composite by 50%, while maintaining the biocompatibility of HAp–Gemosil ceramics.
Large granular lymphocyte pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid of a dog with necrotizing meningoencephalitis.

The cerebrospinal fluid of a dog with necrotizing meningoencephalitis showed pleocytosis, produced mostly by large granular lymphocytes. The presence of such lymphocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid of dogs with neurological disease appears not to have been reported previously.
Immune Responses of 6, 9, and 12 Month Old Infants Immunized with Measles or Mumps Vaccine and the Effects of Passive Antibodies on These Responses

Immune Responses of 6, 9, and 12 Month Old Infants Immunized with Measles or Mumps Vaccine and the Effects of Passive Antibodies on These Responses
Psychopathology and HIV risk behaviors among injection drug users in and out of treatment

To replicate prior descriptions of injection drug users (IDUs), 158 IDUs recruited via a street-outreach program were compared to 320 non-IDUs on measures of substance use, lifetime psychopathology, and HIV risk behavior. IDUs were more likely to receive a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, but not other psychiatric diagnoses, and to report dependence on multiple substances. IDUs reported more HIV risk behaviors, but perceived HIV risk did not differ from non-IDUs. Compared to IDUs who declined treatment, IDUs willing to accept treatment did not differ on drug-related problems, lifetime psychopathology, or perceived HIV risk.
John C. Calhoun's argumentation in defense of slavery

This article draws together Calhoun's scattered statements in defense of slavery, organizes them, and evaluates the reasoning used in developing them. The authors conclude that Calhoun was guilty of using enthymematic reasoning based on unsupported and unacceptable premises and inductive reasoning based on simple assertions, biased samples, or faulty analysis.
Cardiac dysfunction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutant tropomyosin mice is transgene-dependent, hypertrophy-independent, and improved by β-blockade

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) has been linked to mutations in proteins of the cardiac contractile apparatus, including α-tropomyosin (Tm). Mice expressing αTm in the heart were developed to determine the effects of FHC mutant Tm on cardiac structure and function from single cardiac myocytes to whole organ function in vivo. Expression of E180G mutant Tm did not produce cardiac hypertrophy or detectable changes in cardiac muscle morphology. However, E180G mutant Tm expression increased the Ca 2+ sensitivity of force production in single cardiac myocytes in a transgene expression–dependent manner. Contractile dysfunction in single myocytes manifested organ level dysfunction, as conductance-micromanometry showed E180G Tm mice had significantly slowed relaxation (diastolic dysfunction) under physiological conditions. The diastolic dysfunction in E180G Tm mice was no longer evident during β-blockade because propranolol eliminated the effect of E180G Tm to slow myocardial relaxation. Cellular and organ level dysfunction were evident in E180G Tm mice in the absence of significant cardiac structural abnormalities normally associated with FHC. These findings therefore suggest that diastolic dysfunction in FHC may be a direct consequence of FHC mutant protein expression. In addition, because diastolic dysfunction in E180G Tm mice is dependent on inotropic status, cardiovascular stress may play an important role in FHC pathogenesis.
The Pathways from Mother's Love to Baby's Future

Together with genetic factors, early-life experience governs the expression and function of stress-related genes throughout life. This, in turn, contributes to either resilience or vulnerability to depression and to aging-related cognitive decline. In humans and animal models, both the quality and quantity of early-life maternal care has been shown to be a predominant signal triggering bi-directional and enduring changes in expression profiles of genes including glucocorticoids and corticotropin releasing factor (CRH; hypothalamic and hippocampal), associated with the development of resilient or vulnerable phenotypes. However, many crucial questions remain unresolved. For examples, how is the maternal-derived signal transmitted to specific neuronal populations where enduring (likely epigenetic) regulation of gene expression takes place? What is the nature of this information? In other words, how do neurons know to ‘turn on’ epigenetic machinery? What are the direct functional consequences of altered gene expression? This review describes the voyage of recurrent bursts of sensory input from the mother (‘mother's love’) to CRH-expressing hypothalamic neurons that govern the magnitude of the response to stress. In addition, the acute and enduring effects of both nurturing and fragmented maternal care on the structure, cellular signaling and function of specific hippocampal and hypothalamic neurons are discussed. The evolving understanding of the processes initiated by the early life experience of ‘mother's love’ suggest novel molecular targets for prevention and therapy of stress-related affective and cognitive disorders.
Engineering for drought avoidance: expression of maize NADP‐malic enzyme in tobacco results in altered stomatal function

Water is a principal limitation to agricultural production during drought and in arid regions of the world. Mechanisms that plants use to cope with drought can be grouped into two different strategies: drought tolerance and drought avoidance. Previous efforts toward engineering plants for improved performance during drought have focused on drought tolerance, the ability to adjust to dry conditions. This report addresses the engineering of a drought-avoidance phenotype, which allows for the conservation of water during plant growth. The majority of water lost from plants occurs through stomata. When stomata are open, potassium, chloride and or malate are present at high concentrations in guard cells. The accumulation of large numbers of ions during stomatal opening increases the turgor pressure of the guard cells, which results in increased pore size. Expression of a single gene from maize, NADP-malic enzyme (ME), which converts malate and NADP to pyruvate, NADPH, and CO 2 , resulted in altered stomatal behaviour and water relations in tobacco. The ME-transformed plants had decreased stomatal conductance and gained more fresh mass per unit water consumed than did the wild type, but they were similar to the wild type in their growth and rate of development. Providing chloride via the transpiration stream partially reversed the effects of ME expression on stomatal aperture size, which is consistent with the interpretation that expression of ME altered malate metabolism in guard cells. These results suggest a role for malic enzyme in the mechanism of stomatal closure, as well as a potential mechanism for genetically altering plant water use.
CARDIAC CALENDAR—2013 to 2016

Thirty-Third Annual Cardiothoracic Surgery Symposium. San Diego, CA. February 6-9, 2013. Contact: http://www.crefmeeting. com. Sixth World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. Cape Town, South Africa. February 17-22, 2013. Contact: www.aspr.org/Conference. Second Annual Thoracic Anesthesia Symposium. Miami, FL. April 4-5, 2013. Contact: http://www.scahq.org. Thirty-Fifth Annual Meeting and Workshops, Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists. Miami Beach, FL. April 6-10, 2013. Contact: http://www.scahq.org. INTERCEPT International Course on Extracorporeal Perfusion Technologies. Milan, Italy. April 18-20, 2013. Contact: www. intercepteurope.org. AATS Mitral Conclave. New York, NY. May 2-3, 2013. Contact: www.AATS.org. IARS 2013 Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA. May 4-7, 2013. Contact: www.iars.org. Ninety-Third AATS Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, MN. May 4-8, 2013. Contact: http://www.aats.org. Aortic Surgery Symposium V. Liverpool, UK. May 24-25, 2013. Contact: http://www.aorticaneurysm.org.uk. Twenty-First European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery. Birmingham, UK. May 25-29, 2013. Contact: e-mail: sue@ests. org.uk. ESA Euroanaesthesia. Barcelona, Spain. June 14, 2013. Contact: www.euroanaesthesia.org. Twenty-Eighth Annual Meeting of the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologists. Barcelona, Spain. June 6-8, 2013. Contact: http://www.eacta.org, e-mail: eacta2013@mci-group.com. ASAIO Fifty-Ninth Annual Conference. June 12-15, 2013. Contact: www.asaio.com. Canadian Anesthesiologists Meeting. Calgary, Alberta. June 21-29, 2013. Contact: meetings@cas.co. Twentieth IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics. Seoul, Korea. June 23-27, 2013. Contact: www.iagg2013.org. Adult Multiprofessional Critical Care Review. Washington, DC. August 9-13, 2013. Contact: http://www.sccm.org. Twentieth Annual Congress Czech Society of Anesthesiology and Critical Medicine. Brno, Czech Republic. September 19-21, 2013. Contact: www.csarim2013.cz. Twenty-Sixth Annual Conference European Society of Intensive Care Medicine. Paris, France. October 5-9, 2013. Contact: e-mail: congassist@esicm.org. American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA. October 12-16, 2013. Contact: http://www.asahq.org. Sixty-Seventh Postgraduate Assembly, New York State of Anesthesiologists. New York, NY. December 13-17, 2013. Contact: http://www.nyssa-pga.org. Twenty-Ninth Joint EACTA-ICCVA Meeting. Florence, Italy. September 17-19, 2014. Contact: http://www.eacta.org.
Clashing Cultures A Model of International Student Conflict

Although researchers have noted that interactions among people from different cultural backgrounds can result in interpersonal conflict, little is known about the nature of this conflict and its effects on the individuals involved. The current study attempts to address this gap in the literature. It conceptualizes interpersonal, intercultural conflict as a stressor and proposes and tests a model of conflict experiences, using data from graduate students representing approximately 50 countries. Results of path analyses of the model indicate that although cultural distance does not predict interpersonal, intercultural conflict, conflict strongly predicts poor work-related and sociocultural adaptation, and these negative effects occur over and above the baseline effects of work stress. Work-related and sociocultural adaptation in turn predicts poor psychological adaptation, which mediates the negative effects on health-related adaptation.
Performance analysis of the intertwined effects between network layers for 802.11g transmissions

While the canonical behavior of today's home Internet users involves several residents concurrently executing diverse Internet applications, the most common home configuration is a single external connection into a wireless access point (AP) that promises to provide concurrent high-bandwidth Internet access for multiple hosts through a wireless local area network (WLAN). Recent research has attempted to assess the performance impact of hosts with weak wireless connectivity upon the other WLAN hosts by employing measurement studies or analytic models that focus primarily on wireless channel characteristics. This paper examines the intertwined effects on performance of the user applications, the network protocol and the wireless channel characteristics via carefully designed experiments that leverage previously developed network measurement tools. The study provides empirical evidence that suggests the overall performance of a WLAN is not only determined by the individual wireless channel qualities associated with each host, but also by the interaction of the various network layers with respect to transmission contention, queuing at the access point, transport protocol, and behavior of the specific applications. These results imply that effective WLAN performance modeling needs to include details on multiple network layers.
An Embedded Packet Train and Adaptive FEC Scheme for VoIP Over Wired/Wireless Ip Networks

Voice over IP (VoIP) has become the fastest growing wireless alternative to conventional telephony service by way of ongoing deployment of WLAN hotspots and even powerful WiMAX coverage. Resulting from the wired/wireless combined best-effort based heterogeneous IP networks which provide more fluctuation in available bandwidth and end-to-end delay, the performance of VoIP quality, especially using the handheld wireless devices, has been greatly degraded due to frequent packet loss and longer delays. This paper proposes a real-time embedded packet train probing scheme for estimating end-to-end available bandwidth so as to accomplish effective congestion control. By trading acceptable delays with adaptive packetization of voice bitstreams, as well as adaptive insertion of forward error correction (FEC) packets, an optimized system driven QoS approach for VoIP can thus be achieved.
MB-23CO-INHIBITION OF THE SONIC HEDGEHOG AND CXCR4 PATHWAYS UNIQUELY BLOCKS TUMOR INITIATING CELL FUNCTION IN MEDULLOBLASTOMA

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor of childhood. Even with current intensive treatments there is significant morbidity and mortality associated with this diagnosis. Recent hope for improved outcome derives from the stratification of medulloblastoma into four molecular subtypes and the promise that subtype-specific targeted therapy will be more efficacious and less toxic. However, even within specific subtypes there can be variable outcomes, suggesting that further subclasification will be required. We previously showed that CXCR4, a G-protein coupled receptor, is differentially expressed in the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) subtype of medulloblastoma and its activation is required for maximal medulloblastoma growth in vitro and in vivo. We investigated the utility of combining inhibition of both the Shh and CXCR4 pathways in a preclinical model of Shh-medulloblastoma. We measured anti-tumor activity and effects on tumor subtransplantation efficiency of single agents and combined treatment with the Shh antagonist GDC-0449 (vismodegib) and the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100. We found that combined therapy had the greatest anti-tumor effect and that only inhibition of both pathways abrogated tumorigenicity upon subtransplantation. These results indicated that dual-inhibition was affecting the tumor initiating cell (TIC) population. We used flow cytometry to further investigate this possibility and found that dual inhibition resulted in the loss of a subpopulation of cells with high CXCR4 and CD15 surface expression. Concordant with this diminution in the putative TIC population we found decreased expression of the stem cell markers Sox2, Nanog and Oct4 in doubly treated tumors. Decreased expression of these stem cell markers was associated with increased presence of the repressive histone mark H3K27me3 at their promoters. Together these data indicate that the Shh and CXCR4 signaling pathways in medulloblastoma converge in the subpopulation of TICs to regulate stem cell activity. Dual inhibition may therefore represent a powerful new approach to medulloblastoma cure.
Evaluating high‐performance computers

Comparisons of high-performance computers based on their peak floating point performance are common but seldom useful when comparing performance on real workloads. Factors that influence sustained performance extend beyond a system’s floating-point units, and real applications exercise machines in complex and diverse ways. Even when it is possible to compare systems based on their performance, other considerations affect which machine is best for a given organization. These include the cost, the facilities requirements (power, floorspace, etc.), the programming model, the existing code base, and so on. This paper describes some of the important measures for evaluating high-performance computers. We present data for many of these metrics based on our experience at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and we compare them with published information on the Earth Simulator. We argue that evaluating systems involves far more than comparing benchmarks and acquisition costs. We show that evaluating systems often involves complex choices among a variety of factors that influence the value of a supercomputer to an organization, and that the high-end computing community should view cost/performance comparisons of different architectures with skepticism. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gastrointestinal Motility, Part 2: Small-Bowel and Colon Transit

Because of the difficulty often encountered in deciding whether a patient's symptoms originate in the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract, gastrointestinal transit scintigraphy is a uniquely suited noninvasive, quantitative, and physiologic method of determining whether there is a motility disorder affecting the stomach, small bowel, or colon. Small-bowel and colon transit studies can be performed alone or together with gastric emptying studies after oral administration of an appropriately radiolabeled meal. It is hoped that newly published standards for performing these studies and the anticipated arrival of new Current Procedural Terminology codes in the United States for small-bowel and colon transit studies will increase their availability and use.
A study on the rheological characterization and flow modeling of molded underfill (MUF) for optimized void elimination design

The molded underfill (MUF) process has a lot of advantages compared with capillary underfill process in view of reduction of process, cycle time of process, material and equipment cost since this application utilizes the conventional mold materials and equipment systems. But the extremely narrow gap at the underfill area for flip-chip bonding make it difficult to get stable MUF material set and appropriate processing conditions because of the severe void trapping problem. In this paper, the MUF process of flip-chip package on package (POP) is investigated. The rheological and cure- kinetic parameters of commercial MUF compound are acquired using parallel plate rheometer and dynamic DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) analysis. The experimental results showed severe void at the underfill area for both top- left and bottom-right pin type gate locations. The modeling results by full 3D mold filling simulation show good agreement with the actual void occurring area investigated by the SAT pictures. Applying the benchmarked constitutive relations and finite elements model, seven kinds of different gate types and locations are tried, but the void trapping is not completely removed. To resolve void trapping phenomena of current flip-chip structure, we devised a proprietary mold design. From the modeling results, the void trapping zone under the large die are effectively removed through the optimized design. From this study, we can conclude that the optimized mold design will be very effective on the elimination of void in the underfill area for flip-chip MUF processing.
Effect of trypsin or acid treatment on dog plasma renin activity measurements.

This study examines the effect on dog PRA measurements of three methods for activation of inactive plasma renin. PRA was measured as the rate of angiotensin I formation at pH 5.7 and 37 C in the presence of EDTA and phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. Cryoactivation, i.e. incubation of plasma for 4 days at -4 C, had no effect. Acid or trypsin treatment both increased the rate of angiotensin I generation but seemed to do so by affecting renin substrate rather than renin. Thus, unlike their effects on human renin substrate, acidification to pH 3.3 failed to destroy dog renin substrate and incubation with trypsin at concentrations above 1000 μg/ml rendered renin substrate dialyzable. Furthermore, the increase in activity did not appear to result from an increase in the concentration of renin, since the optimum H of angiotensin formation in treated plasma from anephric dogs was pH 5 or less, whereas the pH optimum of exogenous dog renin added to the same plasma was above pH 6. In addition, a change occurred in the...