cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Microtubule-Destabilizing Kinesin XKCM1 Regulates Microtubule Dynamic Instability in Cells

The dynamic activities of cellular microtubules (MTs) are tightly regulated by a balance between MT-stabilizing and -destabilizing proteins. Studies in Xenopus egg extracts have shown that the major MT destabilizer during interphase and mitosis is the kinesin-related protein XKCM1, which depolymerizes MT ends in an ATP-dependent manner. Herein, we examine the effects of both overexpression and inhibition of XKCM1 on the regulation of MT dynamics in vertebrate somatic cells. We found that XKCM1 is a MT-destabilizing enzyme in PtK2 cells and that XKCM1 modulates cellular MT dynamics. Our results indicate that perturbation of XKCM1 levels alters the catastrophe frequency and the rescue frequency of cellular MTs. In addition, we found that overexpression of XKCM1 or inhibition of KCM1 during mitosis leads to the formation of aberrant spindles and a mitotic delay. The predominant spindle defects from excess XKCM1 included monoastral and monopolar spindles, as well as small prometaphase-like spindles with improper chromosomal attachments. Inhibition of KCM1 during mitosis led to prometaphase spindles with excessively long MTs and spindles with partially separated poles and a radial MT array. These results show that KCM1 plays a critical role in regulating both interphase and mitotic MT dynamics in mammalian cells.
The next generation MCAT: a realistic spline-based torso phantom

We develop a realistic computerized torso phantom for use in medical imaging research. The phantom has the potential to model anatomical variations and patient motion more realistically than phantoms based on simple geometric primitives. Structures are defined basing nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surfaces, as used in 3D computer graphics. By fitting NURBS to patient data, the phantom is more realistic than those based on solid geometry. Points on the surfaces of the different structures in the torso except the heart were selected from the Visible Human Project CT data set, National Library of Medicine. Polygon surfaces were fit to the points for each structure and smoothed. 3D NURBS surfaces were fit to the smooth polygon surfaces. The heart model was generated with 4D NURBS as described in a previous study. The control points defining each NURBS surface can be manipulated to model anatomical variations and patient motion.
Vascular complications of cystathionine β-synthase deficiency: future directions for homocysteine-to-hydrogen sulfide research.

Homocysteine (Hcy), a cardiovascular and neurovascular disease risk factor, is converted to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) through the transsulfuration pathway. H2S has attracted considerable attention in ...
Computational and experimental study of the cluster size distribution in MAPLE

Abstract A combined experimental and computational study is performed to investigate the origin and characteristics of the surface features observed in SEM images of thin polymer films deposited in matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). Analysis of high-resolution SEM images of surface morphologies of the films deposited at different fluences reveals that the mass distributions of the surface features can be well described by a power-law, Y(N) ∝ N−t, with exponent −t ≈ −1.6. Molecular dynamic simulations of the MAPLE process predict a similar size distribution for large clusters observed in the ablation plume. A weak dependence of the cluster size distributions on fluence and target composition suggests that the power-law cluster size distribution may be a general characteristic of the ablation plume generated as a result of an explosive decomposition of a target region overheated above the limit of its thermodynamic stability. Based on the simulation results, we suggest that the ejection of large matrix-polymer clusters, followed by evaporation of the volatile matrix, is responsible for the formation of the surface features observed in the polymer films deposited in MAPLE experiments.
Compton scatter and X-ray crosstalk and the use of very thin inter-crystal septa in high resolution PET detectors

To improve spatial resolution, positron emission tomography (PET) systems are being developed with finer detector elements. Unfortunately, using a smaller crystal size increases intercrystal Compton scatter and X-ray escape crosstalk, causing positioning errors that can lead to degradation of image contrast. We investigated the use of extremely thin (<300 /spl mu/m) lead strips for passive shielding of this intercrystal crosstalk. Using annihilation gamma rays and small (2- and 3-mm wide) bismuth germanate (BGO) crystal detectors in coincidence, crosstalk studies were performed with either two small adjacent crystals [(one-dimensional) (1-D)] or one crystal inside a volume of BGO [(two-dimensional) (2-D)]. The fraction of Compton scattered events from one crystal into an adjacent one was reduced, on average, by a factor of 3.2 (2.2) in the 1-D experiment and by a factor of 3.0 (2.1) in 2-D one, with a 300 (150)-/spl mu/m-thick lead strip in between the crystals and a 300-700-keV energy window in both crystals. We could not measure a reduction in bismuth X-ray crosstalk with the use of lead septa due to the production of lead X-rays of similar energy. The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the coincident point-spread function (CPSF) was not significantly different for the 1- and 2-D studies, with or without the different septa in place. However, the FWTM was roughly 20% smaller with the 300-/spl mu/m lead shielding in place. These results indicate that intercrystal crosstalk does not affect the positioning resolution at FWHM, but does affect the tails of the CPSF. Thus, without introducing any additional dead area, an insertion of very thin lead strips can reduce the extent of positioning errors. Reducing the intercrystal crosstalk in a high-resolution PET detector array could potentially improve tomographic image contrast in situations where intercrystal crosstalk plays a significant role in event mispositioning.
Approximate solutions to the scalar wave equation: the decomposition method

Exact solutions can be obtained for electromagnetic wave propagation in a medium with a simple uniform refractive-index distribution. For more-complex distributions, approximate or numerical methods have to be utilized. We describe an elegant approximation scheme called the decomposition method for nonlinear differential equations, which was introduced by Adomian [Non-linear Stochastic Systems Theory and Applications to Physics (Kluwer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1989)]. The method is described and applied to waveguide problems (planar waveguides with step and parabolic refractive-index profiles), and the results are compared with those obtained by JWKB and modified Airy function methods.
FDTD analysis of modal characteristics of dielectric resonator antennas

Dielectric resonator (DR) antennas have many desirable features, such as low cost, low profile, high radiation efficiency, large operating bandwidth and low losses, which make them prospective devices for millimeter wave applications. One of the most useful features of the DR antennas is their ability to produce multiple radiation patterns via the excitation of different resonant modes. While these modes in spherical and cylindrical DRs have been well studied, there is little information available in the literature about the modes in the rectangular DRs. We apply the FDTD method to study the resonant modes in rectangular DR antennas. Standing wave patterns of electric and magnetic field components have been simulated and the mode charts for different mode types constructed. The resonant fields in DR antennas are equivalent to those created by combinations of magnetic or electric dipoles located in the DRs. The possibility to excite TM modes in rectangular DR antennas is demonstrated and it is shown that higher order TM modes can function as arrays of vertical electric dipoles that can be used to design DR antennas with radiation along the azimuth plane.
Contribution of Extramedullary Organs in Myocardial Inflammation and Remodeling: Does the Spleen Cause Cardiac Melancholy?

The spleen has puzzled physicians and scientists since antiquity. Although Aristotle suggested that the spleen has no functional role, Galen (influenced by the hippocratic principles of humorism) thought that the spleen was the source of black bile, 1 of the 4 humors that affect behavior and health. According to these ancient humorist teachings, the spleen governs our mood causing melancholy (melancholy in greek literally means black bile, from μeλας/black and χολη/bile). This notion is reflected in the use of the word spleen in French poetry to describe a melancholic state without an obvious cause (such as the deep existential anguish and despair expressed by Charles Baudelaire in the Fleurs du Mal). Modern medicine no longer considers the spleen as a source of obscure substances that govern our emotions. In human patients, the consequences of surgical removal of the spleen (splenectomy) and the findings associated with a hyperfunctional spleen (hypersplenism) have revealed important functions of the organ in iron metabolism, storing blood, removing senescent or injured red blood cells, and regulating the lymphoid system. In 2009, Swirski et al1 introduced a transformative concept in the field of inflammation, suggesting that the mouse spleen may serve as a reservoir of proinflammatory monocytes that, when mobilized after myocardial infarction or other tissue injury, play a critical role in the regulation of inflammation. The study challenged prevailing dogma, demonstrating for the first time that extramedullary populations of monocytes could be rapidly mobilized after injury to regulate inflammation. New and intriguing concepts are always tested by time. Less than 5 years after publication of this seminal study, are we ready to rewrite the textbooks to indicate an essential role for the spleen in inflammation? Article, see p 266 In this current issue of Circulation Research , Ismahil et al2 provide exciting new evidence …
Counting Rivals or Measuring Share: Modeling Unilateral Effects for Merger Analysis

This paper explores the Federal Trade Commission’s unilateral effects merger policy using a sample of 184 investigations undertaken between 1993 and mid-2010. A review of the files suggests that roughly half of the sample is evaluated with a dominant firm/monopoly model, while the rest of the cases require a more complex unilateral effects analysis. Deterministic modeling based on the number of significant rivals suggests that the four-to-three transaction in a market with impediments to entry represents the marginal merger challenge. Case specific facts explain deviations from this rule and suggest that critical diversion ratios fall into the 25-30 percent range. Share based indices (post-merger market share, change in the Herfindahl, or a share-based Gross Upward Pressure on Price variable) can be used, but require the definition of a market and do not predict outcomes as well as the significant rivals’ model. An Appendix details the various reasons why the staff declined to apply a unilateral effects analysis to conclude a merger was likely to substantially lessen competition in a broader sample of differentiated products mergers.
The Effect of Reduced Dietary Protein on the Anterior Latissimus Dorsi Muscle Fibers in the Single Comb White Leghorn Pullet

Abstract Twenty-four female Single Comb White Leghorn pullets were used to investigate the effect of two levels of dietary protein on fiber number and size of the anterior latissimus dorsi muscle (ALD). The pullets were randomly assigned to a control group of 18% dietary protein or an experimental group of 14% dietary protein at 1 day of age. They were maintained on these diets until 4 weeks of age, at which time they were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The ALD muscle was removed and analyzed for fiber number, fiber dry weight, and fiber dry weight to muscle wet weight ratio. Muscle fiber number was determined by a direct count of all the fibers following nitric acid digestion. After counting, the muscle fibers were dried to a constant weight for determination of mean fiber dry weight and fiber dry weight to muscle wet weight ratio. Muscle weight of the control group was 39.8% greater than that of the experimental group. Fiber number was not different between control and experimental groups; whereas mean fiber dry weight was 59.6% greater in the control group (P
Conical intersections and ultrafast intramolecular excited-state dynamics in nucleic acid bases and electron donor–acceptor molecules

Conical intersections play important roles in photochemistry and photobiology through their preeminent control over the course of electronic relaxation processes. In this Letter, we present results from a combined experimental and computational study of ultrafast internal conversion in nucleic acid bases and intramolecular charge transfer in N,N-dialkylaminobenzonitriles, which indicate that these photoprocesses occur through three-state conical intersections involving an intermediate electronic state.
Peptide YY(3-36) inhibits morning, but not evening, food intake and decreases body weight in rhesus macaques

Peptide YY(3–36) [PYY(3–36)] is a hormone that is released after meal ingestion that is currently being investigated for the treatment of obesity; however, there are conflicting reports of the effects of PYY(3–36) on energy balance in rodent models. To shed light on this controversy, we studied the effect of PYY(3–36) on food intake and body weight in a nonhuman primate. Intravenous PYY(3–36) infusions before a morning meal transiently suppressed the rate of food intake but did not suppress the evening meal or 24-h intake. Twice-daily or continuous intravenous PYY(3–36) infusions to supraphysiological levels (levels that exceeded normal physiological levels) again suppressed the rate of feeding for the morning but not the evening meal. Twice-daily intravenous PYY(3–36) infusions for 2 weeks significantly decreased body weight in all test animals (average weight loss 1.9%) without changing insulin response to glucose infusion. These results show that endogenous PYY(3–36) may alter morning but not evening meal intake, and supraphysiological doses are required for effective suppression of food intake.
Stat3 Activates the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Like Orphan Receptor-1 Gene in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells

Background The receptor tyrosine kinase like orphan receptor (ROR)-1 gene is overexpressed in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Because Stat3 is constitutively activated in CLL and sequence analysis revealed that the ROR1 promoter harbors γ-interferon activation sequence-like elements typically activated by Stat3, we hypothesized that Stat3 activates ROR1.
The evolution of mean curvature in image filtering

A new formulation for inhomogeneous image diffusion is presented in which the image is regarded as a surface in 3-space. The evolution of this surface under diffusion is analyzed by classical methods of differential geometry. A nonlinear filtering theory is introduced in which only the divergence of the direction of the surface gradient is averaged. This averaging preserves edges and lines, as their direction is non-divergent, while noise is averaged since it does not have non-divergent consistency. Our approach achieves this objective by evolving the surface at a speed proportional to mean curvature leading to the minimization of the surface area and the imposition of regularity everywhere. Furthermore, we introduce a new filter that renders corners, as well as edges, invariant to the diffusion process. Experiments demonstrating the adequacy of this new theory are presented. >
Effects of straw incorporation on the yield, nitrogen fertilizer and insecticide requirements of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris)

Incorporation of large amounts of straw (8–15 t/ha dry matter) into the soil had no effect on the incidence of soil pests and diseases or sugarbeet seedling population densities in experiments performed over three seasons (1984/85 to 1986/87) in Suffolk. Straw incorporation had no effect on sugar yield at the recommended rate of nitrogen fertilizer application, but the sugar yield and nitrogen uptake were reduced in one year by the incorporation of straw when the rate of applied nitrogen was low. It is probable that incorporating straw reduced the amount of nitrogen leached over the winter; however, the longer-term implications of straw incorporation remain to be assessed.
Secure computation with horizontally partitioned data using adaptive regression splines

When several data owners possess data on different records but the same variables, known as horizontally partitioned data, the owners can improve statistical inferences by sharing their data with each other. Often, however, the owners are unwilling or unable to share because the data are confidential or proprietary. Secure computation protocols enable the owners to compute parameter estimates for some statistical models, including linear regressions, without sharing individual records' data. A drawback to these techniques is that the model must be specified in advance of initiating the protocol, and the usual exploratory strategies for determining good-fitting models have limited usefulness since the individual records are not shared. In this paper, we present a protocol for secure adaptive regression splines that allows for flexible, semi-automatic regression modeling. This reduces the risk of model mis-specification inherent in secure computation settings. We illustrate the protocol with air pollution data.
Cysteine-directed cross-linking to subunit B suggests that subunit E forms part of the peripheral stalk of the vacuolar H+-ATPase.

We have employed a combination of site-directed mutagenesis and covalent cross-linking to identify subunits in close proximity to subunit B in the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) complex. Unique cysteine residues were introduced into a Cys-less form of subunit B, and the V-ATPase complex in isolated vacuolar membranes from each mutant strain was reacted with the bifunctional, photoactivable maleimide reagent 4-(N-maleimido)benzophenone. Photoactivation resulted in cross-linking of the unique sulfhydryl groups on subunit B with other subunits in the complex. Four of the eight mutants constructed containing a unique cysteine residue at Ala(15), Lys(45), Glu(494), or Thr(501) resulted in the formation of cross-linked products, which were recognized by Western blot analysis using antibodies against both subunits B and E. These products had a molecular mass of 84 kDa, consistent with a cross-linked product of subunits B and E. Molecular modeling of subunit B places Ala(15) and Lys(45) near the top of the V(1) structure (i.e. farthest from the membrane), whereas Glu(494) and Thr(501) are predicted to reside near the bottom of V(1), with all four residues predicted to be oriented toward the external surface of the complex. A model incorporating these and previous data is presented in which subunit E exists in an extended conformation on the outer surface of the A(3)B(3) hexamer that forms the core of the V(1) domain. This location for subunit E suggests that this subunit forms part of the peripheral stalk of the V-ATPase that links the V(1) and V(0) domains.
The effect of hypothyroidism and thyroxine replacement on hepatic and intestinal HMG-CoA reductase and ACAT activities and biliary lipids in the rat

Hepatic and intestinal cholesterol metabolism were investigated in the hypothyroid and thyroxine-treated hypothyroid rat. Plasma cholesterol levels were significantly increased in hypothyroid animals. After thyroxine administration, plasma cholesterol levels were reduced to levels observed in euthyroid controls. Hypothyroidism caused a significant decrease in biliary cholesterol output, which was reversed with thyroxine treatment. In contrast, biliary bile acid output was unchanged by the thyroid status. Cholesterol synthesis, as estimated by HMG-CoA reductase activity, was decreased in the liver of hypothyroid animals. Thyroxine administration, however, significantly increased reductase activity returning it to control levels. Hypothyroidism did not affect HMG-CoA reductase activity in the intestine, but thyroxine administration markedly stimulated the activity of this enzyme in this organ. Cholesterol esterification, as estimated by ACAT activity, was decreased in the liver of hypothyroid rats, while intestinal ACAT activity was greatly increased. Thyroxine treatment reversed these effects of hypothyroidism on ACAT activity in both organs. An increase in microsomal cholesterol content in the intestine of hypothyroid rats was associated with the observed increase in intestinal ACAT activity. The percent of cholesterol that was absorbed in the intestine was not changed by the thyroid status of the animal. The data suggest that the changes observed in cholesterol metabolism in hypothyroid rats or hypothyroid rats treated with thyroxine for 1 week cannot account for the increase in plasma cholesterol levels observed in the hypothyroid rat. This implies that other factors that were not studied, such as changes in lipoprotein catabolism, are likely to contribute to the hypercholesterolemia of hypothyroidism.
Occupational and Environmental Risk Factors for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Multicenter Case-Control Study

Occupational exposures were investigated in a multicenter case-control study of clinically and histologically diagnosed idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic diffuse interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology. Results are based on 248 cases, aged 20-75 years, diagnosed at 16 referral centers between January 1989 and July 1993. There were 491 controls ascertained by random digit dialing and matched to cases on sex, age, and geographic region. Data were collected using a standard telephone questionnaire. Occupational factors were based on a detailed history of jobs lasting 6 months or more and job activity, hobby, and specific substance checklists. Several occupational factors, adjusted for age and smoking in conditional multivariate logistic regression analyses, were significantly associated with IPF: farming (odds ratio (OR) = 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0, 2.5); livestock (OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.3, 5.5); hairdressing (OR = 4.4, 95% CI: 1.2, 16.3); metal dust (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.0, 4.0); raising birds (OR = 4.7, 95% CI: 1.6, 14.1); stone cutting/polishing (OR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.2, 12.7); and vegetable dust/animal dust (OR = 4.7, 95% CI: 2.1, 10.4). Interaction was detected between smoking and exposure to livestock (p = 0.06) and farming (p = 0.08). Results confirm previous studies showing increased risk associated with dusty environments.
Investigation of the flat-beam model of the beam-beam interaction

At the interaction point of a storage ring collider each beam is subject to perturbations due to the electromagnetic field of the counterrotating beam. For flat beams, a well-known approximation models the beam by a current sheet which is uniform in the horizontal plane, restricting the particle motion to the vertical direction. In this classical model a water-bag beam distribution has been used to find working points and beam-beam tune shift parameters which lead to a stable beam distribution. We investigate the stability of a more realistic Gaussian equilibrium distribution. A linearized Vlasov equation written in action-angle variables is used to compute the radial and angular modes of a perturbation in two-dimensional phase space to first order in the displacement from the design trajectory. We find that the radial modes, which are often neglected, can have a stabilizing effect on the beam motion.
Lung cancer screening: history, current perspectives, and future directions

Lung cancer has remained the leading cause of death worldwide among all cancers. The dismal 5-year survival rate of 16% is in part due to the lack of symptoms during early stages and lack of an effective screening test until recently. Chest X-ray and sputum cytology were studied extensively as potential screening tests for lung cancer and were conclusively proven to be of no value. Subsequently, a number of studies compared computed tomography (CT) with the chest X-ray. These studies did identify lung cancer in earlier stages. However, they were not designed to prove a reduction in mortality. Later trials have focused on low-dose CT (LDCT) as a screening tool. The largest US trial - the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) - enrolled approximately 54,000 patients and revealed a 20% reduction in mortality. While a role for LDCT in lung cancer screening has been established, the issues of high false positive rates, radiation risk, and cost effectiveness still need to be addressed. The guidelines of the international organizations that now include LDCT in lung cancer screening are reviewed. Other methods that may improve earlier detection such as positron emission tomography, autofluorescence bronchoscopy, and molecular biomarkers are also discussed.
Paecilomyces Lilacinus, a Colonist of Aspergillus Flavus Sclerotia Buried in Soil in Illinois and Georgia

(1990). Paecilomyces Lilacinus, a Colonist of Aspergillus Flavus Sclerotia Buried in Soil in Illinois and Georgia. Mycologia: Vol. 82, No. 3, pp. 393-395.
Characteristics Relating to Ovarian Cancer Risk: Collaborative Analysis of 12 US Case-Control Studies I. Methods

Data from 12 US case-control studies of ovarian cancer, conducted during the period 1956-1986 and representing some 3,000 cases and 10,000 controls, were pooled and reanalyzed. Separate analyses were conducted for four subgroups of the pooled data: invasive epithelial ovarian cancers in white women; epithelial ovarian cancers of low malignant potential in white women, epithelial ovarian cancers in black women, and nonepithelial ovarian cancers. This paper gives a brief description of the participating studies and describes the methods used in the collaborative analysis.
Revealing a Public Choice Variable for Condominiums and Condominium Conversions: Percentage Funded for Maintenance Reserves

This paper is the first to investigate the impact of homeowner association dues and percentage funded for maintenance reserves on condominium and condominium conversion pricing. Homeowner associati...
Non-lymphoid cancer after liver transplantation

Background/Aims: The increasing length of survival of organ transplant recipients necessitates careful attention to the potential neoplastic complications oflife-long immunosuppression, which is required for such patients. Previous studies by Penn of patients taking triple drug therapy (Cyclosporin, Azathioprine and Prednisone) for immunosuppression, or even of those taking Imuran and Cyclophosphamide, have shown a high percentage of tumor development (3117 per 2915 patients). Methodology: Three thousand three hundred and ninety-four adult patients underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Transplant Institute prior to December, 1992. Of these, 1657 were examined (48.8%). All patients with hepatic or biliary cancer as the indication for OLTx were excluded; all other indications were considered. All forms of tumor development after OLTx were considered, except for lymphoprolipherative disease and hepato-biliary tumors. The immunosuppressive regimens were reviewed and patients treated with FK 506 and Cyclosporin A (CSA), as well as those switched from CSA to FK 506, were divided into different groups. Results: A total of 50 patients with tumors were identified (37 males, 13 females), ranging between 34 and 69 years of age. Of these patients, 48 are still alive. In these patients, 64 tumors, classified according to the TMN classification, were discovered: 50 in males and 14 in females. Two metastases were found following discovery of the tumor. The tumors identified were as follows : basalioma 25%, squamous 20.3%, Bowen 6.2%, warts 3.1%, melanoma 6.2%, Kaposi's sarcoma 3.1%, colonic adenocarcinoma 3.1%, colonic polyps 4.6%, rectal cancer 1.5%, breast cancer 4.6%, cervical cancer 3.1%, ovarian cancer 3.1%, laryngeal cancer 3.1%, prostate cancer 1.5%, lung cancer 3.1%, gastric cancer 3.1%, and hemangioblastoma 1.5%. Conclusions: Skin cancer is the most common type of tumor discovered after liver transplantation (The transplant does not change the occurrence in lung transplants with a positive smoking history). A lower incidence oftumors was found after liver transplantation as compared to kidney transplantation. A higher incidence of tumors was found with CSA, as opposed to FK 506 immunosuppression therapy. None of the patients in this series experienced acute graft rejection necessitating re-transplantation. Chronic graft rejection was treated either with FK 506 or with OKT3, without an increase in the incidence of tumor development.
Involvement of cytokines in slow wave sleep

Cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-1 beta (IL1β) play a role in sleep regulation in health and disease. TNFα or IL1β injection enhances non-rapid eye movement sleep. Inhibition of TNFα or IL1β reduces spontaneous sleep. Mice lacking TNFα or IL1β receptors sleep less. In normal humans and in multiple disease states, plasma levels of TNFα covary with EEG slow wave activity (SWA) and sleep propensity. Many of the symptoms induced by sleep loss, for example, sleepiness, fatigue, poor cognition, enhanced sensitivity to pain, are elicited by injection of exogenous TNFα or IL1β. IL1β or TNFα applied unilaterally to the surface of the cortex induces state-dependent enhancement of EEG SWA ipsilaterally, suggesting greater regional sleep intensity. Interventions such as unilateral somatosensory stimulation enhance localized sleep EEG SWA, blood flow, and somatosensory cortical expression of IL1β and TNFα. State oscillations occur within cortical columns. One such state shares properties with whole animal sleep in that it is dependent on prior cellular activity, shows homeostasis, and is induced by TNFα. Extracellular ATP released during neuro- and gliotransmission enhances cytokine release via purine type 2 receptors. An ATP agonist enhances sleep, while ATP antagonists inhibit sleep. Mice lacking the P2X7 receptor have attenuated sleep rebound responses after sleep loss. TNFα and IL1β alter neuron sensitivity by changing neuromodulator/neurotransmitter receptor expression, allowing the neuron to scale its activity to the presynaptic neurons. TNFα's role in synaptic scaling is well characterized. Because the sensitivity of the postsynaptic neuron is changed, the same input will result in a different network output signal and this is a state change. The top-down paradigm of sleep regulation requires intentional action from sleep/wake regulatory brain circuits to initiate whole-organism sleep. This raises unresolved questions as to how such purposeful action might itself be initiated. In the new paradigm, sleep is initiated within networks and local sleep is a direct consequence of prior local cell activity. Whole-organism sleep is a bottom-up, self-organizing, and emergent property of the collective states of networks throughout the brain.
Traumatic myocardial dysfunction

Traumatic myocardial dysfunction is a frequently unsuspected, undiagnosed contributor to deaths from trauma. Electrocardiography, serum enzymes, and radionuclide myocardial scans are insensitive indicators of cardiac injury following blunt chest trauma. First-pass biventricular radionuclide angiography can accurately determine right and left ventricular ejection fractions and assess left ventricular segmental wall motion. Since August, 1980, we have evaluated 74 consecutive patients with blunt chest and multisystem trauma. Electrocardiograms and measurements of the myocardial band isoenzyme of creatine kinase were obtained at admission and repeated at 24 hour intervals for 3 days. Radionuclide angiography was performed 24 to 48 hours after admission. The electrocardiogram was abnormal in 21 patients (28%), levels of creatine kinase isoenzyme were elevated in six, and radionuclide angiographic abnormalities were present in 55 patients (74%). Electrocardiographic abnormalities correlated anatomically with angiographic abnormalities in 16 patients (76%). On follow-up radionuclide angiography, abnormalities had disappeared in nine of 12 patients restudied at 3 weeks. This study documents that the electrocardiogram and creatine kinase isoenzyme elevations are static, insensitive indicators of traumatic myocardial dysfunction. Radionuclide angiography with studies of left ventricular segmental wall motion demonstrate that traumatic myocardial dysfunction, although sometimes transitory, is a dynamic phenomenon that is more common than previously suspected. First-pass radionuclide angiography and wall motion studies are practical and valuable adjuncts to the management of the injured patient.
Developing Hands-on Labware for Emerging Database Security

Database systems are at the heart of modern information systems and have become primary targets of cyber-attacks. With the advent of mobile and big data computing, new database models and systems, such as mobile and NoSQL databases, have been emerging and gaining popularity. These new database systems contain similar crucial vulnerabilities as traditional database systems' along with new and unique security challenges. However, neither mobile and NoSQL database system security education is well-represented in current computing curriculum or educational materials are readily available. This paper presents our ongoing work on developing a set of innovative Role Based Security Labware for Emerging Database Systems (REALAB) for teaching real-world mobile and NoSQL database security threat analysis and defense. We first review the security challenges in these databases and then we discuss and evaluate existing hands-on exercises of cyber security education. After that we present a list of proposed mobile and NoSQL database security hands-on labs and use a SQLite Injection lab as an example to illustrate the design of the proposed labs offered by REALAB. Student survey results validate the importance and feasibility of REALAB for enhancing current database cyber security education and increasing qualified database security workforce
Automated Techniques for Frequency Management

This paper discusses two computer-oriented subsystems, the Frequency Allocation Assistance by Computer Techniques (FAACT) System and the Input Message Analysis (IMA) System being developed to assist the Frequency Management Directorate (FMD) of the OCC-E in the accomplishment of its mission. The FAACT System provides for the storage, retrieval, evaluation and display of frequency regulations, technical characteristics, and information on previous allocations. The results of these retrievals and evaluations are displayed as required by the allocations engineer. An allocation can automatically be added to the data base as it is being processed. An executive override is provided to allow the allocations engineer to modify input data, bypass any module or to select any module of the system separately as a design tool. The IMA System is a consolidation of message analysis techniques designed to provide the capability of interpreting, processing, and encoding data from manually-completed, freely-formatted data sheets into fixed-file formats oriented to machine operation and storage. The IMA System allows man to enter data on a free-format data sheet in the terms and units with which he is accustomed. The IMA System then encodes and converts the data into a preset file format. The integration of these systems into the frequency management process allows a more efficient and mutually satisfactory use of the electromagnetic spectrum by all users.
Nursing education at the crossroads: Empowering nurses and patients

Overview of where we are today and how we arrived at our current state A. Development of Community Colleges B. Recommendations of past studies conducted during the 20th century C. Changes in practice and career opportunities The IOM study entitled The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health A. Findings of the study and how they affect nursing education B. Actions underway at present The demand for more nurses prepared to exert leadership in all aspects of health care A. Changes in delivery systems B. Innovations for today and the future C. Resultant increased power for nurses in all settings. Margaret L. McClure, J Nurs Care 2013, 2:3 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2167-1168.S1.004
User perceptions and safety implications of in-vehicle navigation systems

Researchers at the University are engaged in two projects related to the testing of in-vehicle navigation systems. One project is concerned with the interrelationship between the given route guidance information, the driver's belief or anticipation, and the route choice made by the driver. Additionally, the impact of alternative route guidance schemes (information content and the format of information transfer) is being tested to see how they affect driver's route choice. The second project is concerned with safety consequences of in-vehicle navigator usage. The study examines the implications of navigation system use through a series of realistic experiments using a driving simulator equipped with a 160 degrees field-of-view screen on which computer-generated images are projected. These images include straight road segments, horizontal and vertical curves, traffic control devices, and, most importantly, the car ahead in the traffic stream. The conceptual underpinnings and methodologies used in each study are described. >
Hybrid Ballistic-Diffusive Solution of the Frequency-Dependent Phonon Boltzmann Transport Equation

The phonon Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE) is difficult to solve on account of the directional and spectral nature of the phonon intensity, which necessitates angular and spectral discretization, and ultimately results in a large number (typically few hundreds) of four-dimensional partial differential equations. In the ballistic (large Knudsen number) regime, the phonon intensity is highly anisotropic, and therefore, angular resolution is desirable. However, in the diffusive (small Knudsen number) regime, the intensity is fairly isotropic, and hence, angular discretization is wasteful. In such scenarios, the method of spherical harmonics may be effectively used to reduce the large number of directional BTEs to a few partial differential equations. Since the Knudsen number is frequency dependent, the decision to preserve or eliminate angular discretization may be made frequency by frequency based on whether the spectral Knudsen number is large or small. In this article, a hybrid method is proposed in which for some frequency intervals (bands), full angular discretization is used, while for others, the first order spherical harmonics (P1) is invoked to reduce the number of directional BTEs. The accuracy and efficiency of the hybrid method is tested by solving several steady state and transient nanoscale heat conduction problems in two and three-dimensional geometries. Silicon is used as the candidate material. It is found that hybridization is effective in significantly improving the efficiency of solution of the BTE — sometimes by a factor of three — without significant penalty on the accuracy.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
After the American century: the ends of US culture in the Middle East

Brian Edwards’ previous works, first Morocco Bound: Disorienting America’s Maghreb, from Casablanca to the Marrakech Express, then a collection of essays, Global American Studies, co-edited with Di...
A trilemma for teleological individualism

This paper addresses the foundations of Teleological Individualism, the view that organisms, even non-sentient organisms, are goal-oriented systems while biological collectives, such as ecosystems or conspecific groups, are mere assemblages of organisms. Typical defenses of Teleological Individualism ground the teleological organization of organisms in the workings of natural selection. This paper shows that grounding teleological organization in natural selection is antithetical to Teleological Individualism because such views assume a view about the units of selection on which it is only individual organisms that are units of selection. However, none of the Conventionalist, Reductionist, or Multi-Level Realist theories serve to justify such an assumption. Thus, Teleological Individualism cannot be grounded in natural selection.
Toxicity/Substance Abuse

Stroke is the second leading cause of mortality and most common cause of disability worldwide. Approximately, 30% of stroke survivors are permanently disabled, and 20% require institutionalized care. In 2002, the cost of stroke was estimated at $49.4 billion (Reynolds). Although stroke in adults younger than 55 years comprises only 10% of stroke, it remains a significant source of morbidity and mortality (Kumar). At a younger age, stroke is also associated with higher societal costs compared to older age groups (Sordo). In 2009, a national health survey reported that an estimated 2.2 million people in the United States used illicit drugs. About 17,000 deaths were related to drug use in 2000, and over 1 million emergency department visits were attributed to drugs in 2007. The major causes of death related to drug use are acquired immune deficiency syndrome, overdose, suicide, and accidents. However, cerebrovascular complications also pose a threat and remain a significant source of morbidity and mortality. Illicit drug use remains the most common predisposing factor for stroke in patients under 35 years of age, and those aged 15 to 44 years are 6.5 times more likely to suffer a stroke when compared to nondrug users. Epidemiologic data remain scarce, with a need for more population-based studies assessing the link between drug use and ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage (Esse). The most commonly associated drugs with stroke are cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, heroin, phencyclidine, lysergic acid diethylamide, cannabis, tobacco, and ethanol.
Antibiotics in surgery. An overview

Antibiotic utilization in the surgical patient has the two unique features of preventive use in high-risk procedures and frequent use in suspected or documented polymicrobial infection. These two features have resulted in the search for agents with broader spectrums. Although numerous antibiotics or combinations of antibiotics can be shown to provide comparable results for both preventive and therapeutic indications, no superior choice has been identified in either area. Indeed, the search for broader spectrums of antibiotics may not further improve the identified results. If this is so, newer areas of exploration in antibiotic therapy in the surgical patient will need to focus on optimizing pharmacologic, toxic, and economic features while preserving comparability in clinical outcome.
Tratamiento de la diarrea aguda infantil.

Primero hagamos una distincion entre el sintoma diarrea y lo que podria llamarse " intolerancia intestinal", que es el factor fisiopatologico responsable del sintoma. Dicho factor por lo general requiere la ingestion de alimento para manifestarse, es decir, la alimentacion agrava la diarrea. Cuando dicha ingestion se suspende, la diarrea desaparece pero la intolerancia intestinal persiste, aunque en forma inaparente.
Dynamic autoregulation of cerebral blood flow measured non-invasively with fast diffuse correlation spectroscopy.

Cerebral autoregulation (CA) maintains cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the presence of systemic blood pressure changes. Brain injury can cause loss of CA and resulting dysregulation of CBF, and the de...
All Politics Are Local: Nineteenth-Century Mexico Revisited

This essay reviews the following works: Popular Politics and Rebellion in Mexico: Manuel Lozada and La Reforma, 1855–1876. By Zachary Brittsan. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2015. Pp. ix + 220. $55.00 cloth. ISBN: 9780826520449. El jefe politico: Un dominio negociado en el mundo rural del Estado de Mexico, 1856–1911. By Romana Falcon. Mexico City: El Colegio de Mexico; El Colegio de Michoacan; CIESAS, 2015. Pp. 9 + 744. $39.99 paper. ISBN: 9786074627381. Independent Mexico: The Pronunciamiento in the Age of Santa Anna, 1821–1858. By Will Fowler. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2016. Pp. viii + 362. $40.00 paper. ISBN: 9780803225398. Mexico’s Supreme Court: Between Liberal Individual and Revolutionary Social Rights, 1867–1934. By Timothy M. James. Albuquerque: University of Mexico Press, 2013. Pp. ix + 149. $45.00 cloth. ISBN: 9780826353788. Conflict and Carnage in Yucatan: Liberals, the Second Empire, and Maya Revolutionaries, 1855–1876. By Douglas W. Richmond. Alabama: University of Alabama Press, 2015. Pp. ix + 177. $49.95 cloth. ISBN: 9780817318703. Las elites empresariales y la independencia economica de Mexico: Estevan de Antunano o las vicisitudes del fundador de la industria textil moderna, 1792–1847. By Evelyne Sanchez. Mexico: Plaza y Valdes Editores, 2013. Pp. ix + 363. $29.95 paper. ISBN: 9786074026177.
Walking the walk? Experiments on the effect of pledging to vote on youth turnout

Psychological theories of political behavior suggest that commitments to perform a certain action can significantly increase the likelihood of such action, but this has rarely been tested in an experimental context. Does pledging to vote increase turnout? In cooperation with the Environmental Defense Fund during the 2016 election, we conduct the first randomized controlled trials testing whether young people who pledge to vote are more likely to turn out than those who are contacted using standard Get-Out-the-Vote materials. Overall, pledging to vote increased voter turnout by 3.7 points among all subjects and 5.6 points for people who had never voted before. These findings lend support for theories of commitment and have practical implications for mobilization efforts aimed at expanding the electorate.
Low Molecular Weight Neurotransmitters

Our lives are critically dependent on our ability to sense the environment and world around us and to use this sensory information to guide our actions or physical movements. Our sensory system is designed to detect physical phenomena such as light, sound, heat or pressure and chemical stimuli by means of taste or smell. The devices employed to detect such stimuli are called primary sensory receptors. These sensory receptors convert the environmental stimulus into an electrical signal or nerve impulse which travels along a sensory neuron to a primary processing center where information from the particular form of sensing is initially evaluated. The frequency of the impulses transmitted along a particular sensory neuron reflects the intensity of the stimulation. For example, if a sensory receptor in the skin of the hand senses a very hot surface a burst of high frequency electrical impulses pass along the sensory nerve fiber, to which the receptor is attached, to the spinal cord which rapidly then initiates a burst of nerve impulses along appropriate motoneurons to muscle systems that act to remove the hand from the heat source. This is a very rapid reflex action designed to protect the hand from damage. However, the brain and spinal cord, i.e., the central nervous system, continuously receives sensory information which is ultimately processed in cortical regions of the brain. A combination of voluntary decisions based upon past experience, which is stored in the central nervous system, and information provided from all sensory inputs is employed to decide upon an appropriate motor action. This information is transferred to the peripheral musculature via motoneurons which often project from the spinal cord and, to a somewhat lesser extent, directly from encephalic structures in the brain-system. The motoneurons carry nerve impulses to the muscles and cause the muscle to contract. Thus, neurons carry sensory information to the central nervous system. After appropriate evaluation and processing, neurons then carry instructions from the central nervous system to muscles to effect appropriate movements. Clearly, therefore, neurons or nerve cells are the biological entities responsible for the transfer and processing of all sensory and motor information.