cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biochemistry and Physiology of Invertebrate Macrophages In Vitro

Phagocytosis is a cellular function which is commonly observed in all animals. In unicellular animals and in certain metazoans, phagocytosis serves as the major means of nutrient ingestion. At all phylogenetic levels, phagocytic cells seem to be capable of distinguishing between self and not self. In higher forms the predominant physiological role of phagocytosis has to do with cellular defense mechanisms. In many organisms both circulating and fixed phagocytes are active in clearing foreign particulates from extracellular fluids. A diverse array of particles can be phagocytized including viruses, bacteria, yeast, red blood cells, colloidal suspensions of many kinds, etc. Foreign bodies too large to be ingested by phagocytes are usually encapsulated by hemocytes and thus isolated from the host. The fate of ingested particles varies; however, one of two alternative mechanisms is frequently observed. In one case material subject to digestion by hydrolytic lysosomal enzymes is catabolized intracellularly. On the other hand, material which cannot be broken down within the phagocytes is carried to the periphery of many invertebrates and released into the external environment.
Role of microRNAs in aldosterone signaling

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The review describes studies investigating the role of microRNAs in the signaling pathway of the mineralocorticoid hormone, aldosterone. RECENT FINDINGS Emerging evidence indicates that aldosterone alters the expression of microRNAs in target tissues thereby modulating the expression of key regulatory proteins. SUMMARY The mineralocorticoid hormone aldosterone is released by the adrenal glands in a homeostatic mechanism to regulate blood volume. The long-term renal action of aldosterone is to increase the retrieval of sodium from filtered plasma to restore blood pressure. Emerging evidence indicates aldosterone may alter noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) to integrate this hormonal response in target tissue. Expression of the best characterized small ncRNAs, microRNAs, is regulated by aldosterone stimulation. MicroRNAs modulate protein expression at all steps in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-signaling (RAAS) system. In addition to acting as a rheostat to fine-tune protein levels in aldosterone-responsive cells, there is evidence that microRNAs down-regulate components of the signaling cascade as a feedback mechanism. The role of microRNAs is, therefore, as signal integrator, and damper in aldosterone signaling, which has implications in understating the RAAS system from both a physiological and pathophysiological perspective. Recent evidence for microRNA's role in RAAS signaling will be discussed.
Environmental benefits of taxi ride sharing in Beijing

Abstract Although ride sharing as a way to improve transportation efficiency is not new, the scale of ride sharing has historically been limited due to safety concerns and logistics challenges. Recent developments in information and communications technology (ICT) enable real-time sharing of individual geographical information, allow for easier participation in the “sharing economy”, and present opportunities for implementing ride sharing at a large-scale. This research aims to quantify the environmental benefits of ride sharing using shared taxis in Beijing as a case study. Trip information extracted from vehicle trajectory data of 12,083 taxis in Beijing are used to evaluate the benefits of ride sharing. Our results show that: 1) only limited opportunity cost to the rider (i.e. tolerance of early departure or delayed arrival) can enable large-scale ride sharing; 2) at a tolerance level of 10 min, ride sharing can reduce fleet vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) by 33%; and 3) if implemented for the entire taxi fleet, shared taxis can save 28.3 million gallons of gasoline and reduce 186 tons VOC, 199 tons NOx, 53 tons PM10, 25 tons PM2.5, and 2392 tons CO emissions annually.
The Americans With Disabilities Act and Voice Disorders: Practical Guidelines for Voice Clinicians.

Summary Objective The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) resulted in changes to the legal definition of disability and substantially affected how those with voice disorders may qualify for reasonable accommodations under the law. However, there has been little guidance and a lack of awareness about these changes within the voice literature. This article examines the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the changes made in 2008 (ADAAA), and how the law applies to individuals with voice disorders. Study Design This is a review article. Methods The ADA and ADAAA are summarized with a particular focus on individuals with voice disorders. Types of reasonable accommodations within the workplace are suggested, and online resources are provided which outline the disclosure and accommodation process. Practical examples are used to provide guidance for clinicians who may be involved in counseling this clinical population. Results/Conclusions Many individuals with voice disorders may not realize that their conditions can be classified as disabilities under the law, entitling them to workplace accommodations and time off to pursue medical treatment. However, disclosure laws such as the right to refrain from mentioning a disability during a job interview may not be protective of individuals with severe voice impairments, as symptoms are often difficult to conceal. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Pitfalls in testing for common tumor markers

Abstract Tumor markers are molecules that are produced by cancer cells or by other cells of the body in response to cancer or certain benign (noncancerous) conditions. More than 20 different tumor markers have been characterized and are in clinical use. Tumor markers can be used for various purposes including: screening a healthy population or a high risk population for the presence of cancer, making a diagnosis of cancer or of a specific type of cancer, determining the prognosis in a patient, predicting in advance likely response to therapy, and monitoring the course in a patient in remission or while receiving surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. This chapter discusses most commonly used tumor markers, difficulty in interpretations, limitations and the interferences in the laboratory results. Hook effect and interferences of heterophile antibodies in tumor marker assays is also discussed in detail.
How Systems Analysis, Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, or Benefit-Cost Analysis First Became Influential in Federal Government Program Decision-Making

In 1948, the RAND Corporation, formed to connect military planning with research and development decisions, became an independent nonprofit organization. Before then, cost-effectiveness analysis, benefit-cost analysis, and systems analysis had no established home in the federal government. In the 1950s, under the leadership of Charles Hitch, Chief, RAND Economics, undertook a program of activities they called “systems analysis,” including evaluation of the costs and effectiveness of weapon systems. In 1961, Robert McNamara appointed Hitch to be the Comptroller of the Department of Defense and invited Hitch to carry out his vision he described as “Programming and Systems Analysis.” Programming became the Planning, Programming, Budgeting System (PPBS) and the Five-Year Defense Program that linked strategies to forces to budgets. Systems Analysis assisted the Secretary to make choices of weapon systems and strategies. In 1965, Hitch returned to California and ultimately became President of the university. McNamara wanted Systems Analysis to report directly to him, and on his recommendation, President Lyndon Johnson appointed me Assistant Secretary for Systems Analysis. In 1966, the President directed that all departments in the executive branch establish offices based on the Systems Analysis model. In 1967, Henry S. Rowen became President of the RAND Corporation. He broadened RAND’s scope beyond the military to include Health Services, education, urban problems including homelessness, ethics in scientific research, and climate research. In 1970, Rowen led the establishment of the Pardee RAND Graduate School, offering a doctoral degree in Public Policy Analysis to extend widely the application of the RAND Systems Analysis approach to many fields.
The School-to-Prison Pipeline: How Federal Antidiscrimination Law Fails to Protect Equal Educational Opportunity

Among the core values of a democratic system is that children and youth, whatever their background, should have an equal opportunity to become responsible, productive, and successful members of society. In moderation, exclusionary school discipline, such as suspensions and expulsions, may support this value by helping schools preserve safe and orderly learning environments. In excess and when applied more frequently to students of color, however, removing students from the classroom undermines equal educational opportunity. This chapter explains how the rights that federal anti-discrimination law creates for students are poorly suited to protect them from the excessive and inequitable use of exclusionary discipline embodied in what is frequently referred to as the “school-to-prison pipeline.” It first introduces and defines the school-to-prison pipeline with respect to its central characteristics related to school discipline. The chapter then reviews the scope of the basic sources of federal anti-discrimination law and identifies the limited circumstances in which they prohibit use of exclusionary discipline. Third, it summarizes the results of empirical research investigating the primary causes of racial disparities in exclusionary school discipline. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how federal law does not support or advance the value of equal education opportunity in this context because its scope fails to protect against the major causes of excessive and inequitable exclusionary discipline and with some thoughts about moving forward.
Scott, Domestication and the End of History

In responding to Scott's Against the Grain, my goal is not to write a book review. I take it as unnecessary to point out all the details that Scott, a historical anthropologist of South East Asia, got wrong about ancient history and archaeology. Instead, I want to take seriously Scott's own hope that his book would be read as a provocation and, in doing so, work through some of its larger problems and its potential.
Molecular development of muscle spindle and Golgi tendon organ sensory afferents revealed by single proprioceptor transcriptome analysis

Abstract Anatomical and physiological analyses have long revealed differences between proprioceptive groups Ia, II, and Ib sensory neurons, yet the molecular correlates of these three muscle afferent subtypes remain unknown. We performed single cell RNA sequencing of genetically identified adult proprioceptors and, using unbiased bioinformatics approaches, detected five molecularly distinct neuronal clusters. Validation of cluster-specific transcripts in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and skeletal muscle provides evidence these clusters correspond to functionally distinct muscle spindle (MS) or Golgi tendon organ (GTO) afferent proprioceptors. Remarkably, while we uncovered just one type of GTO afferents, four of the five clusters represent MS afferents, thus demonstrating a previously unappreciated diversity among these muscle proprioceptors. In vitro electrophysiological recordings reveal just two broadly distinct proprioceptor types, and suggest that the refinement of functional subtype diversity may occur along multiple axes of maturation. Lineage analysis between proprioceptor transcriptomes at different developmental stages show little or no correlation for transcripts that define adult MS or GTO afferents, supporting the idea that proprioceptor subtype identity emerges late in development. Together, our data provide the first comprehensive molecular signature for groups Ia and II MS afferents and group Ib GTO afferents, and offer new strategies for genetic interrogation of the role of these individual proprioceptor subtypes in regulating voluntary motor behavior.
(2E)-2-(3,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)-3-(4-ethoxy-3-iodophenyl)acrylic acid

The X-ray analysis of the title compound, C19H19IO5, shows that the orientation of the two benzene rings is cis and confirms the E configuration of the mol­ecule. The occurrence of O—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter­actions results in the formation of centrosymmetric dimers.
Psoriasis-associated impairment of CCL27/CCR10-derived regulation leads to IL-17A/IL-22-producing skin T-cell overactivation.

Psoriasis-associated suppression of the skin-specific chemokine/receptor CCL27/CCR10 axis leads to enhanced pathogenic IL-17A/IL-22-producing skin T cell activation and inflammation.
How news went guerrilla marketing: a history, logic, and critique of brand journalism:

For decades, product placement and branded content have invaded more entertainment-oriented media forms; today, the rise of brand journalism (i.e. native advertising and content marketing) suggests...
A flexible and efficient algorithm for joint imputation of general data.

Imputation of data with general structures (e.g., data with continuous, binary, unordered categorical, and ordinal variables) is commonly performed with fully conditional specification (FCS) instead of joint modeling. A key drawback of FCS is that it does not invoke an appropriate data augmentation mechanism and as such convergence of the resulting Markov chain Monte Carlo procedure is not assured. Methods that use joint modeling lack these drawbacks but have not been efficiently implemented in data of general structures. We address these issues by developing a new method, the so-called GERBIL algorithm, that draws imputations from a latent joint multivariate normal model that underpins the generally structured data. This model is constructed using a sequence of flexible conditional linear models that enables the resulting procedure to be efficiently implemented on high dimensional datasets in practice. Simulations show that GERBIL performs well when compared to those that utilize FCS. Furthermore, the new method is computationally efficient relative to existing FCS procedures.
Weather and temporal models for emergency medical services: An assessment of generalizability.

Abstract Background Emergency medical services (EMS) response volume has been linked to weather and temporal factors in a regional EMS system. We aimed to identify if models of EMS utilization incorporating these data are generalizable through geographically disparate areas in the United States. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of EMS dispatch data from four regions: New York City, San Francisco, Cincinnati, and Marin County for years 2016–2019. For each model, we used local weather data summarized from the prior 6 h into hourly bins. Our outcome for each model was EMS dispatches as count data. We fit and optimized a negative binomial regression model for each region, to estimate incidence rate ratios. We compared findings to a prior study performed in Western Pennsylvania. Results We included 5,940,637 EMS dispatches from New York City, 809,405 from San Francisco, 260,412 from Cincinnati, and 77,461 from Marin County. Models demonstrated consistency with the Western Pennsylvania model with respect to temperature, season, wind speed, dew point, and time of day; both in terms of direction and effect size when expressed as incidence rate ratios. Precipitation was associated with increasing dispatches in the New York City, Cincinnati, and Marin County models, but not the San Francisco model. Conclusion With minor differences, regional models demonstrated consistent associations between dispatches and time and weather variables. Findings demonstrate the generalizability of associations between these variables with respect to EMS use. Weather and temporal factors should be considered in predictive modeling to optimize EMS staffing and resource allocation.
Health Risk, Inequality Indexes, and Environmental Justice

Inequality indexes have long been used to analyze distributions of income. Studies have recently begun to use these tools to evaluate the equity of distributions of environmental harm. In response, issues have been raised regarding the appropriateness of using income-based measures in the context of undesirable outcomes. We begin from first principles, identifying a theoretical preference structure under which income-based tools can be appropriate for ranking distributions of "bads." While some critiques of existing applications are valid, they are not a justification for rejecting the approach altogether. Instead, we show how standard income-based measures can be adjusted to accommodate bad outcomes. Rather than inequality indexes, we argue that equally distributed equivalents (EDEs) are well-suited for this purpose since they account for levels and dispersion of outcome distributions. The Kolm-Pollak EDE is particularly useful, having the advantage of consistently evaluating both bads and their complementary goods (e.g., mortality risk and survival probability). As an illustration, we show how these tools can inform an environmental justice analysis of a proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule addressing indoor air pollution.
Risk Factors for Mechanical Circulatory Support Use and Risk Assessment

Risk factor analysis is a very important component in the evaluation process of advanced heart failure therapies like durable mechanical circulatory support (MCS) and heart transplantation. The risk factor analysis includes assessment of severity of heart failure, cardiac and noncardiac factors, transplant candidacy, and ventricular assist device (VAD) operative risks. Careful assessment of risk factors results in early interventions which positively impact the outcomes after VAD and total artificial heart implantation. The utilization of multidisciplinary team approach is critical in evaluation process.
BALANCING PRODUCTIVITY WITH THE MORALE OF THE VIRTUAL EMPLOYEE: A CASE STUDY FOR OPTIMIZING AN INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY PLAN

Achieving the ideal balance between the optimal, most efficient productivity of a company and the best employee satisfaction ratings one can produce is the paragon of the technology-utilizing, smooth-running, sustainable business model that all chief executives dream of. This is only achievable through a pragmatic, scientific analysis on qualitative and quantitative levels. A thorough assessment of employee-technology relationships can be determined and necessary changes are made, all specifically targeted at survey and interview results recorded by an unbiased external source. A careful strategy to hone a systematic plan focused on furthering the balance of human contentment and technological function is the ultimate goal. Article visualizations:
The digital self and virtual satisfaction: A cross-cultural perspective

Abstract This interdisciplinary cross-cultural research explores antecedents for social media networking satisfaction for Spanish and American consumers. Conceptually rooted in a sense of community, self-determination theory, and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, our descriptive study samples consist of n = 367 Americans and n = 161 Spaniards. Analysis with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) interrogates two propositions to identify recipes. Proposition 1 indicates that autonomy is not a necessary ingredient for either culture; self-presentation in the virtual world need not mirror the true self to provide short-term virtual satisfaction. Proposition 2 suggests that both cultures value relatedness and competence as motivations for social media behavior. While Americans value interactivity more than their counterparts, Spaniards value competence more, to experience social media networking satisfaction. Digital marketing managers must better understand cross-cultural differences and consider virtual value propositions offered to members of various cultures to better navigate the dynamic social media environment.
Mathematical Model of the Role of Asymptomatic Infection in Outbreaks of Some Emerging Pathogens

Preparation for outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases is often predicated on beliefs that we will be able to understand the epidemiological nature of an outbreak early into its inception. However, since many rare emerging diseases exhibit different epidemiological behaviors from outbreak to outbreak, early and accurate estimation of the epidemiological situation may not be straightforward in all cases. Previous studies have proposed considering the role of active asymptomatic infections co-emerging and co-circulating as part of the process of emergence of a novel pathogen. Thus far, consideration of the role of asymptomatic infections in emerging disease dynamics have usually avoided considering some important sets of influences. In this paper, we present and analyze a mathematical model to explore the hypothetical scenario that some (re)emerging diseases may actually be able to maintain stable, endemic circulation successfully in an entirely asymptomatic state. We argue that an understanding of this potential mechanism for diversity in observed epidemiological dynamics may be of considerable importance in understanding and preparing for outbreaks of novel and/or emerging diseases.
It’s Not Just Murphy’s Law: A Case Study of Problematic Records Transmission:

Quality behavioral health care depends on a multitude of factors, from the strength of the therapeutic alliance to the use of evidence-based treatments. However, one factor that can easily be overl...
Evoking High-Donor-Number-Assisted and Organosulfur-Mediated Conversion in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

The solution-mediated behavior of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries presents a wide range of opportunity for evaluating and improving the performance at practical lean-electrolyte conditions. Here, we introduce methyl trifluoroacetate (CH3TFA) as an additive to the Li-S electrolyte to evaluate the joint effects of two distinct strategies: high donor number solvents/salts and organosulfur-mediated discharge. CH3TFA is shown to react with lithium polysulfides in-situ to form lithium trifluoroacetate (LiTFA) and dimethyl polysulfides. We find that both the methyl group and trifluoroacetate anion considerably enhance Li-S discharge behavior over the course of cycling, though they have distinctly beneficial effects. The TFA anion impacts solution coordination behavior, improving polarization and discharge kinetics during cycling. Meanwhile, the derivatization to dimethyl polysulfides improves the solubility of intermediate species, enhancing overall utilization under lean-electrolyte conditions. CH3TFA thus represents a new class of additives for Li-S batteries, enabling an in-situ systematic molecular engineering of intermediate species for improved performance.
Regulation of boron, iron, and cadmium transporters in maintaining proper balance between their deficiency and excess in plants

Abstract To cope with the ever-changing environment, plants have to evolve continuously and rapidly. Heavy metals like cadmium and mercury are present in the soil and need to be detoxified for plants to grow. On the contrary, the plants also need metals/metalloids like boron, zinc, iron, and magnesium to maintain their proper growth and physiological activity. Hence, it can be said that plants need a well-orchestrated transport system for uptake, absorption, sequestration, and eventually storage. Sometimes there are redundancies in gene families where it becomes difficult to study their essential contribution to the physiological processes, but double mutant or complementation analysis have enabled finding a solution to that problem. In plants that lack heavy-metal-transporting P-type ATPase family proteins, their functions are being mimicked by Zn-transporters. It has been observed that several members of the transporters are ubiquitous, but some like Yellow Stripe1-Like are plant-specific, and their roles in plant metal transport have been elucidated by forming a complex with metal chelator nicotianamine. The current chapter focuses on the role of transporters, other family of proteins, and physiological processes governing their metal uptake, distribution, and storage in plants.
Opportunities and Challenges for Voter Registration Reform

In this concluding chapter, I summarize the key points I aimed to address in this book, and end with some thoughts on the future of the study of election administration, particularly in the context of voter registration. They should provide a starting point for conversations among policymakers and election administrators on the persistent challenges with designing and implementing registration reforms. They should also incentivize researchers and students of election administration to pursue similar questions across the states, with the goal to increase disclosure and transparency of administrative practices in voter registration.
Partners Taking Turns Leaning In and Leaning Out: Trusting in the Healing Arc of Attachment Dynamics following Betrayal

Betrayal trauma threatens pair-bond attachment relationships. Across a trajectory of repair and healing, offenders and aggrieved partners manifest distinct trajectories, with asynchronous progressi...
Mapping regional forest management units: a road-based framework in Southeastern Coastal Plain and Piedmont

Management practices are one of the most important factors affecting forest structure and function. Landowners in southern United States manage forests using appropriately sized areas, to meet management objectives that include economic return, sustainability, and esthetic enjoyment. Road networks spatially designate the socio-environmental elements for the forests, which represented and aggregated as forest management units. Road networks are widely used for managing forests by setting logging roads and firebreaks. We propose that common types of forest management are practiced in road-delineated units that can be determined by remote sensing satellite imagery coupled with crowd-sourced road network datasets. Satellite sensors do not always capture road-caused canopy openings, so it is difficult to delineate ecologically relevant units based only on satellite data. By integrating citizen-based road networks with the National Land Cover Database, we mapped road-delineated management units across the regional landscape and analyzed the size frequency distribution of management units. We found the road-delineated units smaller than 0.5 ha comprised 64% of the number of units, but only 0.98% of the total forest area. We also applied a statistical similarity test (Warren’s Index) to access the equivalency of road-delineated units with forest disturbances by simulating a serious of neutral landscapes. The outputs showed that the whole southeastern U.S. has the probability of road-delineated unit of 0.44 and production forests overlapped significantly with disturbance areas with an average probability of 0.50.
Influence of Contingent and Noncontingent Drug Histories on the Development of High Levels of MDPV Self-Administration.

A subset of rats that self-administer 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) develop unusually high levels of drug taking. A history of responding maintained by cocaine, but not food, prevents the development of this high-responder phenotype; however, it is unclear how histories of noncontingent cocaine exposure or self-administering drugs from other pharmacological classes would affect its development. In the current studies, 5 groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to determine whether histories of responding maintained by drugs from different pharmacological classes (e.g., MDPV, cocaine, fentanyl, nicotine, or ketamine) would differentially impact the development of the high-responder phenotype when MDPV was available for self-administration. Two additional groups were used to determine whether noncontingent exposure to cocaine would prevent the development of the high-responder phenotype when MDPV was available for self-administration, and whether noncontingent exposure to MDPV would facilitate the development of the high-responder phenotype when cocaine was available for self-administration. Consistent with previous reports, a history of response-contingent cocaine, and to a lesser extent noncontingent cocaine, prevented the MDPV high-responder phenotype; however, when responding was initially maintained by fentanyl, nicotine, or ketamine, the MDPV high-responder phenotype developed in ∼45% of rats. By manipulating behavioral and pharmacological histories prior to evaluating MDPV self-administration, the current studies provide additional evidence that a history of response-contingent (or noncontingent) cocaine can prevent the transition from well regulated to aberrant drug-taking when responding is maintained by MDPV. Although the mechanism(s) that underlies this novel high-responder phenotype are unknown, elucidation may provide insight into individual differences relating to substance use disorder. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A subset of outbred Sprague-Dawley rats self-administer high levels of the synthetic cathinone 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV). Understanding the behavioral and/or pharmacological factors that can prevent the development of dysregulated MDPV self-administration may provide insight into individual differences in vulnerability to develop a substance use disorder.
Judging Jury Verdicts

Empirical studies show that juries generally perform their job conscientiously and that the large majority of jury verdicts are accurate and fair. But some outliers remain, and even a small number of seemingly unjust jury verdicts can shake the public's faith in the jury system as a whole. Historically, federal district court judges have been empowered to remedy such outlier verdicts by judging the weight of the evidence and ordering a new trial when the jury's verdict appears manifestly unjust. In recent decades, however, a growing number of circuits have - perhaps inadvertently - created obstacles to such review. Even though weight-of-the-evidence review is a critical component of the constitutional right to a jury trial, it has received very little scholarly or judicial attention. The doctrine has become so confused that the federal circuit courts of appeals have regularly overlooked its existence and have frequently confused evidentiary weight with evidentiary sufficiency, thereby undermining the constitutional right to trial by jury. This Article examines the reasons why the doctrine has fallen into such disarray and clarifies the doctrinal underpinnings of weight-of-the-evidence review. It proposes two theoretical models of the judge-jury relationship: one that envisions the judge and jury performing their work independently in separate spheres and a second one that acknowledges the interdependence between the two. The Article concludes that courts and scholars too often subscribe to the separate spheres model and that the model fails to account for the existing interaction between the judge and jury, thus causing appellate courts to place unwarranted restrictions on the trial judge's ability to review the weight of the evidence. The Article conducts a comparative institutional analysis of the judge and jury's roles in evaluating evidentiary weight, looking particularly at their relative strengths and weaknesses in promoting accuracy, legitimacy, efficiency, and adherence to constitutional values. Ultimately, the Article recommends that courts safeguard the jury-trial right both by increasing the trial judge's discretion to grant a new trial on the weight of the evidence and by requiring a balanced appellate review of decisions granting and denying new trials.
Role of OX40/OX40L signaling in the expansion of regulatory T cells in the NOD mouse model (BA13P.127)

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a T-cell-mediated disease characterized by destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Unfortunately, most treatment options for T1D are non-specific, with many side effects. Regulatory cells T (Tregs) play a crucial role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis against self-antigen. Many studies have revealed that Tregs in patients with various autoimmune diseases, including T1D, are diminished in number and/or dysfunctional. The therapeutic potential of Tregs has not been fully understood because generating large numbers of Tregs has remained a challenge. Recently, we reported that bone marrow precursor cells differentiated with GM-CSF (BMDCs) are able to selectively expand Tregs ex-vivo. Further investigation revealed that this expansion is TCR-independent but requires OX40/OX40L interaction. Thus, here we wanted to study whether treatment with soluble OX40L can expand Tregs in-vivo and in the NOD mice. Surprisingly, treatment with OX40L caused rapid onset of T1D in 12 wk but not 6 wk old mice. Analysis of spleens and lymph nodes showed an increase in Tregs only in the 6 wk old OX40L group. Thymic analysis revealed an increase in Tregs in both the 6 and 12 wk old OX40L groups. Interestingly, OX40L specifically induced the stable Tregs subset in 6 wk old mice, but the labile Treg subset in the 12 wk old mice. Based on these findings, we propose that OX40L can specifically induce different subsets of Tregs based on the cytokine milieu.
Image registration using robust correlation

We have investigated an intensity-based image registration technique using a robust correlation coefficient as a similarity measure. The proposed method has an advantage over the ordinary correlation coefficient since it reduces the effect of "outlier" image intensity values. For the application of image registration to radiotherapy or image-guided surgery, there may be outlier samples due to the presence of the objects such as surgical instruments. We have verified the usefulness of the proposed method by simulation and phantom experiment.
Methylmercury transport across the blood-brain barrier by an amino acid carrier

The mechanism by which methylmercury (MeHg) crosses the blood-brain barrier was examined in the rat. Previous studies demonstrated that intravenous injection of L-cysteine with MeHg accelerates MeHg uptake into brain. Since the complex of MeHg with L-cysteine is structurally similar to L-methionine, a substrate for the L (leucine-preferring) amino acid transport system, this carrier may be involved in MeHg uptake. To examine this hypothesis, the rapid carotid infusion technique was used in the anesthetized rat. The concentration dependence of 203Hg uptake into brain after injection of Me203Hg-L-cysteine complex was nonlinear, exhibiting characteristics of saturable transport (apparent Michaelis constant 0.39 mM, vmax 33 nmol.min-1.g-1). A slower, nonsaturable uptake was seen after MeHg-L-cysteine uptake was inhibited by methionine and the amino acid analogue 2-aminobicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2-carboxylic acid (BCH), an L system substrate, but not by alpha-methylaminoisobutyric acid, an alanine-preferring system substrate. Furthermore, L-[14C]methionine transport was inhibited by MeHg-L-cysteine but not by MeHgCl. There was a significant amount of uptake of 203Hg when injected as Me203Hg-glutathione, and this was inhibited by L-methionine and BCH but not D-methionine. S-ethylglutathione also inhibited 203Hg uptake after administration as Me203Hg-glutathione but had no effect on Me203Hg-L-cysteine uptake. These results suggest that MeHg may enter the brain as a cysteine complex via the L system and that plasma MeHg-glutathione serves as a source of MeHg-cysteine.
MRI analysis of medial temporal lobe atrophy vs. psychometric biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease

Psychometric biomarkers have been used to predict Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but due to subjectivity and ambiguity, they can lack accuracy. Neuroimaging such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a fast, objective, and effective means to monitor AD progression. The development of AD occurs in stages; however, the most salient clinical manifestation is a decline in cognitive functioning. To indicate which early screening technique more accurately predicts cognitive decline and further progression to AD, the specificity and sensitivity of psychometric versus MRI biomarkers is compared. In this study, we show that specific tissue loss assessed by anatomical scans in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) occurs early in AD pathology and that analysis of this atrophy can be used to predict future clinical and cognitive decline in normal subjects (NL) and subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Stable subjects (NL–>NL: n=32) and decliners (NL–>MCI: n=22, NL–>AD: n=4, and MCI–>AD: n=2) completed a standardized longitudinal protocol including history, physical, clinical laboratory with ApoE4 allele screening, neurological and neuropsychological evaluations, and two high-resolution MRI examinations. Observation period ranged from 5.1 to 13.2 years. Baseline and follow-up MRI images were co-registered and the annual rate of brain tissue atrophy within the MTL and whole brain was calculated using the boundary shift algorithm. Binary logistic regression was applied to calculate sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of neuroimaging and psychometric predictors. The results corroborate the application of MRI analysis techniques as surrogate markers of Alzheimer’s disease; however, validation of this technique, with postmortem AD case verification, is warranted.
Comparative genome analysis reveals a conserved family of actin-like proteins in apicomplexan parasites

Background The phylum Apicomplexa is an early-branching eukaryotic lineage that contains a number of important human and animal pathogens. Their complex life cycles and unique cytoskeletal features distinguish them from other model eukaryotes. Apicomplexans rely on actin-based motility for cell invasion, yet the regulation of this system remains largely unknown. Consequently, we focused our efforts on identifying actin-related proteins in the recently completed genomes of Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium spp., Cryptosporidium spp., and Theileria spp.
Macromolecular composition of unsaturated Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms with time and carbon source

Bacteria in nature grow mostly as biofilms, surface-associated cells enveloped by hydrated extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of bacterial origin. The composite of EPS and biofilm cells is measured when quantifying bacterial biomass from natural samples. However, little is known regarding the relative magnitude of the EPS and cellular fractions of biofilm biomass, particularly in unsaturated systems such as soil and food surfaces. In this study, we examined the cellular and extracellular fractions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms for DNA, protein and carbohydrate content. Biofilms were cultured in a model laboratory system that simulates the nutrient gradients and poorly mixed nature of unsaturated systems. We found that unsaturated biofilms exhibited two growth phases – an initial rapid phase and a second phase of slower or negligible development. However, no lag phase was observed for either carbon source. Cellular DNA accumulated linearly with biomass whereas cellular protein and carbohydrates accumulated exponentially with biomass. High levels of carbohydrate, protein and DNA were observed in the EPS of all samples, representing as much as 50% of these macromolecules in the biofilm. Most EPS accumulated during the second phase of growth, when cellular DNA increased only slightly. However, for biofilms cultured on a poorly bioavailable carbon source, EPS DNA decreased during the second phase, suggesting that EPS may affect bacterial survival under nutrient-limited conditions. Whether a product of overflow metabolism or cell lysis, EPS is a significant component of unsaturated biofilm biomass that probably impacts on bacterial ecology.
High levels of nitric oxide production decrease early but increase late survival of Brucella abortus in macrophages.

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO), produced by the iNOS protein, is known as a defense mechanism against various pathogens and an apoptotic inducer of cells. Apoptosis can also be a host protective mechanism against intracellular bacteria. The intracellular survival of Brucella abortus in RAW264.7 macrophages was examined under conditions of the apoptotic inducer, NO. Since B. abortus does not induce high output of NO, Escherichia coli LPS and IFN-γ, as potential therapeutic modalities, were added to increase the expression of iNOS, and thus NO. Using 10 ng/ml E. coli LPS and 25 U/ml IFN-γ, nitrite production was as high as 140 μM by 72 h. However, when macrophages were infected with B. abortus , the nitrite concentration was 60 μM after 72 h post infection, greater than a two-fold decrease. The number of surviving bacteria decreased, from 6 to 24 h, in the presence of nitrite accumulation. In the absence of B. abortus there was an increase in apoptotic cells at 72 h with high nitrite accumulation. In contrast, the number of macrophage apoptotic bodies decreased in the presence of B. abortus . The data suggest that: (i) NO accelerates the killing of intracellular B. abortus , but not to completion during the first 24 h of infection; (ii) B. abortus can prevent apoptosis as an advantage for bacterial survival inside macrophages and (iii) surviving intracellular bacteria then replicate steadily after 24 h. B. abortus probably expresses genes that counteract the effect of a high NO environment or activates genes to utilize NO as a nitrogen source, as the Brucella genome codes for nitric and nitrous oxide reductase genes.
The role of glycine in the biosynthesis of a terpene.

Mit doppelt markiertem Glycin konnte gezeigt werden, dass das Kohlenstoffatom der Methylgruppe viel besser als das Kohlenstoffatom der Karboxylgruppe in die Isoprengruppe des Ophiobolins B ausCochiobolus miyabeanus eingebaut wird. Die Radioaktivitat wird in Ophiobolin B eingebaut, wenn die folgenden Verbindungen verwendet werden: [3-14C]-Serin, [14C-Methyl]-Sarcosin, [14C-Methyl]-Methionin, und [14C] Formate.
The Intergenerational Transmission of Intimate Partner Violence: Differentiating Correlates in a Random Community Sample

The current study used a random sample of 502 men and women to investigate the intergenerational transmission of violence and assess the impact of family-of-origin violence on later adult intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and victimization while controlling for a host of theoretically-relevant factors and demographic characteristics. Six multivariate logistic regression analyses were modeled to identify differential correlates depending upon type of violence perpetration and victimization. Findings indicated a significant relationship between family-of-origin violence and psychological perpetration and victimization. The acceptance of violence in relationships significantly correlated with physical violence perpetration. Finally, being married, older, and employed protected against several forms of interpersonal violence. Policy implications are discussed.
Posttraining Electrical Stimulation of Vagal Afferents with Concomitant Vagal Efferent Inactivation Enhances Memory Storage Processes in the Rat

Peripherally administered or released substances that modulate memory storage, but do not freely enter the brain, may produce their effects on memory by activating peripheral receptors that send messages centrally through the vagus nerve. Indeed, vagus nerve stimulation enhances memory performance, although it is unclear whether this effect is due to the activation of vagal afferents or efferents. To eliminate the possible influence of descending fibers on memory storage processes, rats were implanted with cuff electrode/catheter systems along the left cervical vagus. Forty-eight hours following surgery, each animal received a 3.0-μl infusion (1.0 μl/min) of either lidocaine hydrochloride (75.0 mM) or isotonic saline below the point of stimulation. Animals were then trained 10 min later on an inhibitory-avoidance task with a 0.75-mA, 1.0-s foot shock. Sham stimulation or vagus nerve stimulation (0.5-ms biphasic pulses; 20.0 Hz; 30 s; 0.2, 0.4, or 0.8 mA) was administered immediately after training. Memory, tested 24 h later, was enhanced by stimulation whether descending vagus nerve fibers were inactivated or not. Both lidocaine- and saline-infused groups showed an intensity-dependent, inverted-U-shaped pattern of retention performance, with the greatest effect observed for 0.4 mA (U= 9,p< .05, andU= 7,p< .01, respectively). Additionally, animals that received lidocaine infusions, but no vagus nerve stimulation, showed impaired memory compared to the performance of saline-infused control animals (U= 11,p< .05). Together, these findings suggest that vagal afferents carry messages about peripheral states that lead to the modulation of memory storage and that the memory-enhancing effect produced by vagus nerve stimulation is not mediated via the activation of vagal efferents.
PSMA-targeted SPECT agents: mode of binding effect on in vitro performance.

BACKGROUND The enzyme-biomarker prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is an active target for imaging and therapeutic applications for prostate cancer. The internalization of PSMA has been shown to vary with inhibitors’ mode of binding: irreversible, slowly reversible and reversible.
Feeding Behavior of Tabanidae (Diptera) on Cattle and Serologic Analyses of Partial Blood Meals

The feeding behavior of 17 tabanid species was observed to determine preferences in feeding sites on cattle and prevalence of disruptive feedings. More than 82% of 628 Chrysops females selected the head region, whereas Hybomitra and Tabanus females generally favored the Sides and backs of animals. Although continuous and disrupted feedings occurred on all body regions, 83% of 281 Chrysops females fed without interruption, while 65% of 280 Tabanus and 279 Hybomitra individuals engorged continuously from the backs, sides, bellies, and legs. Of the 2,559 vertebrate host-seeking tabanids captured in woodlands and pastures, 251 (10%). contained partial blood meals in midguts. Positive reactions to antisera in capillary precipitin tests were as follows: 57% bovine, 14% horse, 9% dog, 8% rabbit, 7% bovinedeer, 4% deer, and 1% unidentified mammal. Mixed bloods of bovine and equine origins were detected m an additional 7 Hybomitra and 13 Tabanus females.
Genetic diversity and systematic relationships in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) and related species as revealed by RAPD analysis

Fifteen 10mer primers, in combination with the Stoffel fragment, were used to detect random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs) among 26 accessions of sweetpotato (I. batatas (L.) Lam.) from Oceania, Peru, the Philippines, and the United States and between 8 Ipomoea species from section Batatas. Phenetic and principal coordinate analysis of the 56 polymorphisms detected within the hexaploid I. batatas clearly delineated the South Pacific and the Peruvian sweetpotato lines. The two U.S. cultivars clustered with the Oceanic materials. Cladistic and phenetic analysis of 8 Ipomoea species supports previously published phylogenies based on morphological and RFLP data. Among the species examined, I. tabascana, I. trifida and the tetraploid forms of I. batatas from Mexico and Ecuador, including I. batatas var. apiculata, are the taxa most closely related to the cultivated hexaploid I. batatas. These findings support the utility of RAPD markers for evaluating genetic diversity in sweetpotato and for establishing taxonomic and evolutionary relationships in Ipomoea.
Extreme-ultraviolet metrology at SURF III

(2001). Extreme-ultraviolet metrology at SURF III. Synchrotron Radiation News: Vol. 14, No. 6, pp. 26-31.
Generation of XPS Auger lines by bremsstrahlung

Abstract Bremsstahlung-induced Auger lines of kinetic energy 1500–2200 eV can be recorded in the normal operation of an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. The relatively low intensities can be enhanced by substituting a beryllium foil window for the customary aluminum foil. Auger lines of aluminum, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, and probably chlorine, are recorded most favorably, and should be useful in identification of chemical states.