cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The lesser Pacific striped octopus, Octopus chierchiae: an emerging laboratory model for the study of octopuses

Cephalopods have the potential to become useful experimental models in various fields of science, particularly in neuroscience, physiology, and behavior. Their complex nervous systems, intricate color- and texture-changing body patterns, and problem-solving abilities have attracted the attention of the biological research community, while the high growth rates and short life cycles of some species render them suitable for laboratory culture. Octopus chierchiae is a small octopus native to the central Pacific coast of North America whose predictable reproduction, short time to maturity, small adult size, and ability to lay multiple egg clutches (iteroparity) make this species ideally suited to laboratory culture. Here we describe novel methods for culture of O. chierchiae, with emphasis on enclosure designs, feeding regimes, and breeding management. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of multigenerational culture of O. chierchiae. Specifically, O. chierchiae bred in the laboratory grows from a 3.5-millimeter mantle length at hatching to an adult mantle length of approximately 20-30 millimeters in 250-300 days, with 14-15% survivorship to over 400 days of age in first and second generations. O. chierchiae sexually matures at around an estimated six months of age and, unlike most octopus species, can lay multiple clutches of eggs, approximately every 30-90 days. Eggs are large and hatchlings emerge as direct developing octopuses. Based on these results, we propose that O. chierchiae possesses both the practical and biological features needed for a model octopus that can be cultured repeatedly to address a wide range of fundamental biological questions.
Metabolic Constellations, Clusters, and Renal Function: Findings from the 2013-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with decreased renal function and chronic kidney disease (CKD). To date, no research regarding the sixteen possible constellations resulting in the diagnosis of MetS has been elucidated. The purpose of this study is to report renal function in sixteen metabolic constellations grouped into four metabolic clusters. Individuals (n = 2767; representing 86,652,073 individuals) from the 2013–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys who met the criteria for MetS were included. Sixteen possible constellations of three or more risk factors were analyzed for renal function. Four metabolic clusters representing MetS with hyperglycemia (Cluster I), MetS with hypertension (Cluster II), MetS with hyperglycemia and hypertension (Cluster III), or MetS with normoglycemia and normotension (Cluster IV) were assessed for renal function and CKD status. Cluster III had the highest odds of CKD (OR = 2.57, 95% CL = 1.79, 3.68). Clusters II and III had the lowest renal function and were not different from one another (87.82 and 87.28 mL/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.71). The constellation with the lowest renal function consisted of hypertension, high triglycerides, and a large waist circumference (82.86 mL/min/1.73 m2), whereas the constellation with the highest renal function consisted of hyperglycemia, low HDL, and a large waist circumference (107.46 mL/min/1.73 m2). The sixteen constellations of MetS do not have the same effects on renal function. More research is needed to understand the relationship between the various iterations of MetS and renal function.
Friendship in the Axiverse: Late-time direct and astrophysical signatures of early-time nonlinear axion dynamics

A generic low-energy prediction of string theory is the existence of a large collection of axions, commonly known as a string axiverse. Axions also have a natural cosmological production mechanism, vacuum misalignment, making them well-motivated dark matter (DM) candidates. Much work on axion production has considered the case of a single free axion, but in a realistic axiverse, string axions are expected to be distributed densely over many orders of magnitude in mass, and to interact with one another through their joint potential. In this paper, we show that non-linearities in this potential lead to a new type of resonant energy transfer between axions with nearby masses. This resonance generically transfers energy from axions with larger decay constants to those with smaller decay constants, and leads to a multitude of signatures. These include enhanced direct detection prospects for a resonant pair comprising even a small subcomponent of dark matter, and boosted small-scale structure if the pair is the majority of DM. Near-future iterations of experiments such as ADMX and DM Radio will be sensitive to this scenario, as will astrophysical probes of DM substructure.
Tenecteplase Improves Door‐to‐Needle Time in Real‐World Acute Stroke Treatment

Background We report the interim results of a process improvement initiative at a comprehensive stroke center in which all tPA (tissue‐type plasminogen activator)–eligible patients were given tenec...
Operant ethanol self-administration increases extracellular-signal regulated protein kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in reward-related brain regions: selective regulation of positive reinforcement in the prefrontal cortex of C57BL/6J mice.

Rationale Extracellular-signal regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2) is activated by ethanol in reward-related brain regions. Accordingly, systemic inhibition of ERK1/2 potentiates ethanol reinforcement. However, the brain region(s) that mediate this effect are unknown.
Assessing the Accuracy of Forward-Looking Information in Debt Contract Negotiations

We examine the how perceived accuracy of forward-looking information obtained during debt contract negotiations affects the cost of debt. The lender uses forward-looking information to screen the borrower and assess creditworthiness. However, forward-looking information is not verifiable, and therefore the lender must estimate the accuracy of forward-looking information obtained from the borrower. We find evidence consistent with the lender using the borrower’s historical forecast accuracy to estimate the expected accuracy of forward-looking information. Specifically, we find that borrowers with more accurate forecasts receive lower interest rates. We also find this effect is less pronounced when other information sources are available to assess forward-looking information.
Pulmonary Functional Imaging with Positron Emission Tomography

In most diseases of the lung, both function and structure are spatially heterogeneous. As a result, global measures of lung function obtained from measurements at the mouth may be insensitive to localized pathological changes in the lungs and usually fail to detect the true extent of the functional impairment. With the development of imaging methods capable of providing detailed information in three dimensions, the field of functional imaging has emerged to fill these gaps.
Twist-4 effects in electroproduction: Canonical operators and coefficient functions

The interpretation of observed scaling violations in leptoproduction is complicated by the possible presence of significant higher-twist effects. We refine the machinery of the operator-product expansion sufficiently for a study of twist-4 effects. In particular, we introduce and review the advantages of a special, "canonical" basis. We demonstrate that the canonical basis is adequate for the necessary twist-4 perturbative calculations, and calculate the operators' tree-level coefficient functions in electroproduction. Our results establish a framework within which careful analysis of more accurate data can provide information regarding correlations among the constituents of the proton.
Structure and Resistivity of Liquid Metals

Ion-ion repulsion in a liquid metal is regarded as the principal factor determining the ionic arrangement. This interaction is idealized in a hard-sphere model; the known solution of the Percus-Yevick equation for this model gives a simple closed form for $a(K)$ (the liquid structure factor) which depends only on the effective packing density of the fluid. This fact enables us to make an estimate for the resistivities of most liquid metals for which model potentials are available. Agreement with experiment is generally good, particularly when the potential is known to be accurate. The sensitivity of the resistivity to the depth of the model potential well is indicated.
Treatment of Split-Thickness Skin Graft-Related Forearm Scar Contractures With a Carbon Dioxide Laser Protocol: 3 Case Reports

Split-thickness skin grafts in the forearm can lead to motion restriction and disability through the dense scarring of the skin and formation of graft-tendon adhesions. Three patients were referred for laser treatment of motion-limiting scar-associated split-thickness skin grafts to the forearm. All patients had reached a plateau in range of motion despite aggressive hand therapy and underwent serial laser scar treatments at 6- to 8-week intervals. Treatments were performed in a clinic setting and were initiated 2 to 5 months after reconstructive surgery. Rapid subjective functional and objective improvements in range of motion were noted after laser therapy. Results were cumulative and durable at final follow-up ranging from 10 to 15 months after the initial treatment. No complications were noted. Fractionated carbon dioxide laser therapy is a promising adjunct to hand therapy when the main restraint to motion is superficial skin scarring and skin-tendon adhesions.
Membrane associated matrix metalloproteinases in metastasis.

Hematogenous metastasis is postulated to involve tumor cell-initiated degradation of basement membrane barriers and underlying connective tissue matrices. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are zinc-dependent endopeptidases that have been implicated in the proteolytic events of tumor cell invasion. Research has revealed a class of membrane-anchored metalloproteinases (MT-MMPs) and has provided convincing evidence that these enzymes activate latent MMP-2 (72 kDa gelatinase A) on the cell surface. The activation of plasma membrane associated MMP is a potential mechanism for facilitation of cellular metastasis and requires consideration when addressing potential roles of MMPs in tumor progression. This review focuses on potential in vivo regulatory mechanisms of membrane-associated MMP activity in the context of tumor cell interaction with matrix macromolecules. BioEssays 1999;21:940-949.
Yeast reveal a "druggable" Rsp5/Nedd4 network that ameliorates α-synuclein toxicity in neurons.

α-Synuclein (α-syn) is a small lipid-binding protein implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, whose pathobiology is conserved from yeast to man. There are no therapies targeting these underlying cellular pathologies, or indeed those of any major neurodegenerative disease. Using unbiased phenotypic screens as an alternative to target-based approaches, we discovered an N -aryl benzimidazole (NAB) that strongly and selectively protected diverse cell types from α-syn toxicity. Three chemical genetic screens in wild-type yeast cells established that NAB promoted endosomal transport events dependent on the E3 ubiquitin ligase Rsp5/Nedd4. These same steps were perturbed by α-syn itself. Thus, NAB identifies a druggable node in the biology of α-syn that can correct multiple aspects of its underlying pathology, including dysfunctional endosomal and endoplasmic reticulum–to-Golgi vesicle trafficking.
Heritability of Resistance to Bacterial Streak in Winter Wheat

Bacterial streak caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. translucens reduces yield of wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) em Thell] worldwide. Attempts to control the disease with bactericides have been unsuccessful. Resistant cultivars offer the best protection against yield loss, but little is known about the inheritance of resistance. The objectives of this study were to estimate the heritability of resistance to bacterial streak in soft red winter wheat and to derive an effective strategy for selecting resistant genotypes. About 60 F 2 :3 and F 2 :4 lines from each of three populations (Popl, Pop2, and Pop3) were tested for resistance to bacterial streak in three Louisiana environments with two to three replications per environment from 1991 to 1994. Variation due to genotype x environment (GxE) interaction occurred in each of the populations and was one-fourth to one-half the magnitude of error variance. Heritability of resistance to bacterial streak was relatively low and ranged from 0.12 to 0.70 (average 0.31) with parent-offspring regression and from 0.18 to 0.40 with variance components (average 0.36). Heritability increased by 0.22, 0.29, and 0.29 for Popl, Pop2, and Pop3, respectively, with means of two replications and two environments. Non-normal distributions in two of the three populations may have inflated estimates of heritability. Across populations, four lines were resistant in all three environments and 12 lines were resistant in two of three environments. Because of GxE interaction, testing should be conducted with at least two replications in two environments under high disease pressure. Such a testing program should be effective in selecting wheat lines resistant to bacterial streak.
Robust Current Controller based solar-inverter system used for voltage regulation at a substation

This paper is a continuation of the work conducted in Chhabra, M., Barnes, F., “Robust Current Controller Design using Mu-Synthesis for Grid-Connected Three Phase Inverter” [1]. High penetration of distributed photovoltaic generation on a distribution system can present several challenges and opportunities for utilities. Voltage sags and swells cannot always be compensated for by slowly responding utility equipment, resulting in degradation in power quality. Voltage variations are commonly caused by rapidly varying solar irradiance, and/or variations in the load. In this paper a robust current controller based solar-inverter system is used for voltage regulation at a substation. Conventional inverter current controllers based on proportional-integral (PI) control may not always offer the superior tracking performance, and harmonic rejection ability of robust controllers. We use the repetitive control strategy, in tandem with a mu-synthesis based controller, to attain optimal sinusoidal reference tracking and harmonic rejection. Musynthesis based control is chosen to attain optimal reference tracking in the presence of plant uncertainties. By applying the mu-synthesis principle, a feedback controller that simultaneously achieves robust stability and robust tracking performance is obtained. To test the proposed inverter current controller, the inverter is interconnected to a 500kW solar system model and operated in volt-var control mode. Ten such 500kW solar-inverter systems are paralleled and interconnected to a substation. The substation is modeled with multiple loads, tap changing transformers, and a 70MVar variable capacitor bank. Simulation performance is compared to an H∞ based optimal current controller, and a PI based current controller.
Designing Optimal Volume Fractions For Functionally Graded Materials With Temperature-Dependent Material Properties

We present a numerical approach for material optimization of metal-ceramic functionally graded materials (FGMs) with temperature-dependent material properties. We solve the non-linear heterogeneous thermoelasticity equations in 2D under plane strain conditions and consider examples in which the material composition varies along the radial direction of a hollow cylinder under thermomechanical loading. A space of shape-preserving splines is used to search for the optimal volume fraction function which minimizes stresses or minimizes mass under stress constraints. The control points (design variables) that define the volume fraction spline function are independent of the grid used in the numerical solution of the thermoelastic problem. We introduce new temperature-dependent objective functions and constraints. The rule of mixture and the modified Mori-Tanaka with the fuzzy inference scheme are used to compute effective properties for the material mixtures. The different micromechanics models lead to optimal solutions that are similar qualitatively. To compute the temperature-dependent critical stresses for the mixture, we use, for lack of experimental data, the rule-of-mixture. When a scalar stress measure is minimized, we obtain optimal volume fraction functions that feature multiple graded regions alternating with non-graded layers, or even non-monotonic profiles. The dominant factor for the existence of such local minimizers is the non-linear dependence of the critical stresses of the ceramic component on temperature. These results show that, in certain cases, using power-law type functions to represent the material gradation in FGMs is too restrictive.
Ultrasound‐Guided Fine‐Needle Aspiration of Focal Parenchymal Lesions of the Lung in Dogs and Cats

Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of the lung was performed on 16 dogs and 3 cats with consolidated pulmonary lesions or masses identified on thoracic radiographs. The cytologic results from the FNA were confirmed by histopathology, response to treatment, or microscopic identification of Blastomyces organisms. Neoplasia was identified correctly by FNA cytology in 10 of 11 animals, and no false positive results occurred, yielding a positive predictive value of 100%. Of 8 animals with infectious disease, 5 of 6 had blastomycosis and 1 had a bacterial infection, based on cytologic evaluation. Eight animals required sedation for the procedure, and none had clinical complications. We conclude that ultrasound-guided FNA of pulmonary mass lesions is an inexpensive, safe, and accurate method for diagnosing blastomycosis or neoplasia, especially carcinomas, in dogs and cats.
Deuterium Analysis-- a Simple and Precise Method.

By means of reaction with calcium hydride in a generator of simple design, the water samples are converted into H/sub 2/ and HD. With hydrogen as carrier gas, the greater thermal conductivity of HD produces a peak whose size is linearly related to the deuterium content of the original water. (auth)
A New Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Bioinnovation at Tulane University

Graduate education in the sciences and engineering rarely offers the training and experiences necessary to fully prepare graduates to enter directly into non-academic research and leadership positions. Tulane’s NSF IGERT-funded Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Bioinnovation challenges this paradigm by creating a program in that will cultivate our trainee’s abilities to develop clinically relevant biomedical technologies and devices leading to commercial products. This program couples research with extensive training in entrepreneurship and regulation to develop graduates who can lead the creation of innovative and cost-effective solutions to complex biomedical problems.© 2013 ASME
Partitioning behavior and thermodynamic model for styrene microemulsions

Abstract The effect of surfactant, co-surfactant, and salt content on the component partitioning behavior in oil-in-water microemulsions, consisting of styrene, water, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and 1-pentanol, was explored using three techniques: a diffusion method, partitioning measurements, and 13 C NMR chemical shielding. The results showed that more than 60% of the 1-pentanol partitions into the interface with most of the styrene residing in the oil phase. The partitioning of styrene and 1-pentanol in the interface increases with increasing 1-pentanol content in the microemulsion. The aggregation number of SDS associated with each microemulsion droplet decreases with increasing 1-pentanol and remains constant with increasing SDS in the system. The increased partitioning of 1-pentanol in the interface allows more styrene to be solubilized in the hydrophobic region created by the SDS. The size of the microemulsion droplets decreases with increasing 1-pentanol or SDS in the system. The addition of salt did not change the phase compositions in the styrene microemulsions. A thermodynamic model was developed to describe the compositions of each phase in a styrene microemulsion.
34.3: Novel Development of Multi-Color Electrowetting Display

A panel manufacturing process for multi-color electrowetting display (EWD) by using ink-jet printing (IJP) technique had been developed. To achieve multi-color, two strategies were used, i.e., by using black oil with color filter and by using various colored oils without adopting color filter. for colored oils, various dyes had been used to blend with alkane solution. Then, the jetting behavior of different colored oil for IJP was investigated. Here, a 6-inch multi-color EWD prototype with black oil and color filter was successfully fabricated, and a dual color EWD panel with black and red oils had also been first evaluated.
Quantum Yang-Mills on a Riemann surface

We obtain the quantum expectations of gauge-invariant functions of the connection on aG=SU(N) product bundle over a Riemann surface of genusg. We show that the spaceA/Gm of connections modulo those gauge transformations which are the identity at one point is itself a principal bundle with affine linear fiber. The base space Path2gG consists of 2g-tuples of paths inG subject to a relation on their endpoint values. Quantum expectations are iterated path integrals over first the fiber then over Path2gG, each with respect to the push-forward toA/Gm of the measuree−S(A)DA. Here,S(A) denotes the Yang-Mills action onA. We exhibit a global section ofA/Gm to define a choice of origin in each fiber, relative to which the measure on the fiber is Gaussian. The induced measure on Path2gG is the product of Wiener measures on the component paths, conditioned to preserve the endopoint relation. Conformal transformations of the metric onM act by reparametrizing these paths. We explicitly compute the partition function in the general case and the expectations of functions of certain products of Wilson loops in the caseg=1.
Increased Pulmonary Perfusion Worsens Ventilation-Perfusion Matching

Background Severe exercise and administration of vasopressors may adversely affect pulmonary gas exchange in humans. The role of increases in pulmonary perfusion in worsening ventilation-perfusion (VA/Q) relationships is unclear, however, because concomitant changes in ventilation and alveolar gas composition occur. The purpose of this study was to determine whether increasing of lobar blood flow increased VA/Q heterogeneity in the absence of changes in respiratory parameters. Methods Six pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs underwent bilateral thoracotomies, left upper lobectomy, and placement of an electromagnetic flow probe on the left lower lobe (LLL) pulmonary artery, and catheters were inserted into the LLL pulmonary artery distal to the flow probe and confluent trunk of the LLL pulmonary vein. A bronchial divider was inserted to allow separate ventilation of the right lung and LLL. Blood flow to the LLL (QLLL) was increased in random order to two and three times baseline blood flow by opening an arteriovenous fistula and partially occluding the right pulmonary artery. Minute ventilation and alveolar PCO2 of the lobe were unchanged due to use of constant tidal volume and respiratory rate and inspiration of variable amounts of carbon dioxide. VA/Q distributions of the LLL were obtained using the multiple inert gas elimination technique. The tracer inert gas arterial-alveolar difference ([a-A]D) area was used to assess VA/Q mismatch. Results Increasing QLLL increased mean pulmonary artery pressure in the LLL (LLL Ppa). The PO2 of the LLL pulmonary venous blood remained unchanged, as the mixed venous oxygen tension (PvO2) was markedly increased. VA/Q inequality was increased, indicated by a 40% increase in the [a-A]D area when QLLL was increased to two times greater than baseline QLLL and a 58% increase in the [a-A]D area with three times greater than baseline QLLL. The [a-A]D area was highly correlated with the lobar blood flow (r = 0.97) and LLL Ppa (r = 0.97). Conclusions Marked increases in lobar blood flow and Ppa worsened pulmonary gas exchange. The degree of impairment was correlated with the degree of increase in lobar perfusion. However, increased lobar perfusion did not affect LLL pulmonary venous blood oxygenation because the decrease in PO2, due to increased VA/Q mismatch, was opposed by an increase in PO2, due to increased PvO2.
Analysis of the virulence modulating region of potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) by site-directed mutagenesis

Abstract A series of nucleotide substitutions (G,s → C; C4, → A; C315 → U; U31, → C) were introduced into the virulence modulating region of the intermediate strain of potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) in order to examine their effect upon viroid infectivity and pathogenicity with the presence of all four mutations resulting in the sequence of a previously reported severe strain of PSTVd. Eight of the resulting mutant cDNAs were characterized for infectivity and symptom induction in tomato, and the secondary structure of their corresponding RNAs was examined. The combined results of infectivity, computer analysis, and chemical mapping data imply that a previously proposed correlation between thermodynamic stability and PSTVd pathogenicity does not hold true in all cases and suggest that conformation and/or sequence-specific interactions with host factors playa role in symptom development.
Flies see second-order motion

Summary Motion detection is nearly ubiquitous among visual animals. Simple ‘first-order' motion in an image is defined by spatiotemporal correlations in luminance, and is useful for tasks such as identifying a bright butterfly crawling on a tree. Humans additionally perceive ‘second-order' motion [1], defined by spatiotemporal correlations in higher-order image statistics, such as local contrast or texture. Detecting second-order motion is useful, for example, in identifying a butterfly in flight, because fluttering wings produce a flickering brightness with weak luminance correlations. Second-order motion detection in humans involves sophisticated cortical processing [2]; however, these signals are also extracted by lower vertebrates such as fish [3], suggesting this is not a recent specialization within higher vertebrates. Motivated by this idea, we tested flies, and found their steering reflexes during flight robustly track second-order motion, even in the presence of conflicting first-order motion cues. Second-order motion processing, known in primates, fish, and now invertebrates, reveals convergent evolution of a specific neural computation.
Studies on the growth of chilomonas paramecium in inorganic and acetate solutions

Cultures ofChilomonas paramecium in sodium acetate and inorganic salt solutions were examined for contaminating bacteria by cultural and microscopic methods. No bacteria could be found. Qualitative tests for nitrite and nitrate and quantitative estimation of the former indicated thatChilomonas cannot oxidize ammonia to nitrite or nitrate.
Heterogeneous upper mantle Ne, Ar and Xe isotopic compositions and a possible Dupal noble gas signature recorded in basalts from the Southwest Indian Ridge

Abstract Variations in heavy noble gas (Ne, Ar, Xe) isotopic compositions provide unique insights into the nature of heterogeneities in the mantle. However, few precise constraints on mantle source heavy noble gas isotopic compositions are available due to ubiquitous shallow-level atmospheric contamination. As a result, the extent of heterogeneity in mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle source Ne, Ar and Xe isotopic compositions is unknown. Basalts from the ultra-slow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) between 7°E and 25°E exhibit remarkable variability in He isotopic composition: SWIR 4He/3He spans half the total range observed in all mantle-derived basalts. Therefore, basalts from the SWIR provide a unique window into upper mantle heterogeneity and present an ideal opportunity to characterize variations in upper mantle heavy noble gas isotopic composition. Here we present new high-precision Ne, Ar and Xe isotopic compositions as well as He, CO2, Ne, Ar and Xe abundances measured in basalt glasses from the SWIR. After correcting the measured values for shallow-level atmospheric contamination, significant and systematic variations in mantle source Ne, Ar and Xe compositions are observed. We note that large variations in source 40Ar/36Ar and 129Xe/130Xe are observed in basalts removed from the influence of known hotspots, indicating a heterogeneous mid-ocean ridge basalt source. Thus, SWIR heavy noble gas data reveal a greater degree of source heterogeneity than is evident in the 4He/3He systematics alone. The observed heavy noble gas isotopic heterogeneities imply that the average MORB source 40Ar/36Ar and 129Xe/130Xe ratios are not yet well-determined. Variation in MORB source 40Ar/36Ar and 129Xe/130Xe at a given 4He/3He and 21Ne/22Ne may reflect heterogeneous recycling of atmospheric Ar and Xe. In particular, we find low mantle source 40Ar/36Ar and 129Xe/130Xe ratios in the eastern region of the study area, which may reflect the noble gas signature of the Dupal mantle domain. Our observations require that the sampled mantle domain either is very ancient (>4.45 Ga) or has been metasomatized by subduction zone fluids carrying recycled atmospheric Ar and Xe. However, our Xe isotopic measurements indicate that differences between MORB and ocean island basalt (OIB) source noble gas compositions cannot be explained by recycling of atmospheric noble gases alone. Instead, a relatively undegassed mantle reservoir is required to account for OIB noble gases. The SWIR data demonstrate that the reservoir supplying primordial noble gases to mantle plumes differentiated from the MORB source early in Earth history, and the two reservoirs have not been homogenized over 4.45 Ga of mantle convection.
Techniques for modeling muscle-induced forces in finite element models of skeletal structures

This work introduces two mechanics-based approaches to modeling muscle forces exerted on curvilinear bone structures and compares the results with two traditional ad hoc methods of muscle loading. These new models use a combination of tensile, tangential, and normal traction loads to account for muscle fibers wrapped around curved bone surfaces. A computer program was written to interface with a commercial finite element analysis tool to automatically apply traction loads to surface faces of elements in muscle attachment regions according to the various muscle modeling methods. We modeled a highly complex skeletal structure, the skull of a Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis), to compare the four muscle-loading methods. While reasonable qualitative agreement was found in the states of stress of the skull between the four muscle load modeling methods, there were substantial quantitative differences predicted in the stress states in some high stressed regions of the skull. Furthermore, our mechanics-based models required significantly less total applied muscle force to generate a bite-point reaction force identical to those produced by the ad hoc muscle loading models. Although the methods are not validated by in vivo data, we submit that muscle-load modeling methods that account for the underlying physics of muscle wrapping on curved bone surfaces are likely to provide more realistic results than ad hoc approaches that do not. We also note that, due to the geometric complexity of many bone structures—such as the skull analyzed here—load transmission paths are difficult to conceptualize a priori. Consequently, it is difficult to predict spatially where the results of finite element analyses are likely to be compromised by using ad hoc muscle modeling methods. For these reasons, it is recommended that a mechanics-based method be adopted for determination of the proper traction loads to be applied to skeletal structures due to muscular activity. Anat Rec, 290:1069‐1088, 2007. ! 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Tests for an Increasing Trend in the Intensity of a Poisson Process: A Power Study

Abstract This article concerns a comparison of several tests for testing the hypothesis of a constant intensity against the alternative of an increasing intensity function in a nonhomogeneous Poisson process (NHPP). The study includes the well-known Laplace test statistic, the most powerful test for the shape parameter in a Poisson process with Weibull intensity, the likelihood ratio test against arbitrary NHPP alternatives, two nonparametric tests for trends based on Kendall's tau and Spearman's rho, and a test based on an F statistic. The powers of the tests are determined by Monte Carlo simulation against alternatives that are increasing at an exponential rate, a power rate (Weibull intensity), and a logarithmic rate. Alternatives that are step functions with one jump are also considered. In a few cases, the exact powers are also obtained analytically.
Involvement of the amino‐terminal phosphorylation module of UhpA in activation of uhpT transcription in Escherichia coli

The UhpA protein is required for expression of the sugar phosphate transporter UhpT in Escherichia coli and is regulated by phosphate transfer from the transmembrane UhpBC sensor kinase complex. UhpA action requires the sensor kinase complex and the site of phosphorylation, Asp-54, under normal conditions, but not when UhpA is overexpressed. Directed mutagenesis of the uhpA gene allowed examination of the role of several residues of UhpA in response to phosphorylation and in transcription activation. Residues Asp-9, Asp-54, and Lys-101 are highly conserved and required for function in other response regulators. Changes at any of these residues in UhpA resulted in complete loss of phosphorylation-dependent activity, but did not affect the high-level, constitutive, UhpBC-independent expression when the UhpA variants were overexpressed. Thus, these residues are important for the response to the phosphorylation pathway but not for transcription activation. Eight independent uhpA mutants selected for activity in the absence of UhpBC function carried the F17-->V or H170-->Y substitutions. Other substitutions for Phe-17 conferred various phenotypes, ranging from inducible to high-level constitutive behaviour. Residues in helix-1 flanking Phe-17 were converted to Ala or other residues. Alanine substitutions at Val-13, Arg-14, and Leu-20 resulted in complete loss of phosphorylation-dependent activation. Change of Gly-16 to Ala had no effect, but changes to other residues resulted in loss of function. Alanine substitutions at Phe-17 and at Gln-19 resulted in high-level constitutive expression, and changes at Ala-18 and Leu-21 had only modest effects. Most interesting was the L20-->A substitution, which conferred low uhpT expression when overexpressed and interfered with action of the wild-type chromosomal allele. The combination of the L20-->A change with changes at Phe-17, Asp-54 and His-170 indicated that the trans-dominant action of L20-->A occurred at several steps. The observations that UhpA can activate uhpT transcription in its unphosphorylated state are consistent with its occupancy of low-affinity binding sites necessary for promoter function. We propose that the effect of phosphorylation of UhpA is to enhance its oligomerization on the DNA surface to extend to the low-affinity sites, and that helix-1 participates in the process of oligomer formation.
Efficacy and safety of cefovecin for the treatment of urinary tract infections in cats.

Objectives: To determine the efficacy and safety of cefovecin (Convenia®; Pfizer Animal Health) in the treatment of urinary tract infections in cats. Method: A multi-centre, masked, randomised study was conducted in cats presenting with clinical signs indicative of urinary tract infections. Cephalexin (Rilexine®; Virbac) administered orally twice daily at 15 mg/kg bodyweight for 14 days was compared with a single subcutaneous injection of cefovecin in cats. The primary efficacy parameter assessed was bacterial elimination of the pretreatment uropathogen. Results: Four hundred and thirty-four cats were screened for urinary tract infections. One hundred and eighty-five cats were treated with either cefovecin (n=124) or cephalexin (n=61). Ninety-seven cats (22·2 per cent) had confirmed bacteriuria and 82 cats were included in efficacy analysis. Escherichia coli was eliminated in 76·7 per cent (23 of 30) of cefovecin-treated cats compared with 62·5 per cent (10 of 16) of cephalexin-treated cats. Cefovecin demonstrated statistical non-inferiority compared with cephalexin for bacterial elimination. There were no suspected adverse drug reactions attributable to treatment with cefovecin or cephalexin. Clinical Significance: Cefovecin was demonstrated to be an effective and safe treatment for urinary tract infections.
Application of Illumina next-generation sequencing to characterize the bacterial community of the Upper Mississippi River

Aims A next-generation, Illumina-based sequencing approach was used to characterize the bacterial community at ten sites along the Upper Mississippi River to evaluate shifts in the community potentially resulting from upstream inputs and land use changes. Furthermore, methodological parameters including filter size, sample volume and sample reproducibility were evaluated to determine the best sampling practices for community characterization. Methods and Results Community structure and diversity in the river was determined using Illumina next-generation sequencing technology and the V6 hypervariable region of 16S rDNA. A total of 16 400 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were observed (4594 ± 824 OTUs per sample). Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria and Verrucomicrobia accounted for 93·6 ± 1·3% of all sequence reads, and 90·5 ± 2·5% belonged to OTUs shared among all sites (n = 552). Among nonshared sequence reads at each site, 33–49% were associated with potentially anthropogenic impacts upstream of the second sampling site. Alpha diversity decreased with distance from the pristine headwaters, while rainfall and pH were positively correlated with diversity. Replication and smaller filter pore sizes minimally influenced the characterization of community structure. Conclusions Shifts in community structure are related to changes in the relative abundance, rather than presence/absence of OTUs, suggesting a ‘core bacterial community’ is present throughout the Upper Mississippi River. Significance and Impact of the Study This study is among the first to characterize a large riverine bacterial community using a next-generation-sequencing approach and demonstrates that upstream influences and potentially anthropogenic impacts can influence the presence and relative abundance of OTUs downstream resulting in significant variation in community structure.
The tragedy of the commons revisited.

Garrett Hardin's essay “The Tragedy of the Commons”1 aptly describes the current state of the U.S. health care system. Hardin tells the story of herders who make what are individually rational decisions to exploit common land by grazing as many cattle as possible, to the ultimate detriment of the land and consequently the common good. The herders are not villains; rather, they are doing what makes sense given the system in place. Analogously, many observers are currently tempted to cast certain players in the health care arena as villains, but they are merely doing what is rational given the current . . .
Alcohol-induced vascular damage of brain is ameliorated by administration of magnesium

Abstract Ethanol ingestion can cause irreversible neuronal and vascular damage in the brain and stroke-like events. Using an intact in vivo rat brain (pial) model, TV image-intensification, cultured cerebral vascular muscle cells, digital-image analysis, and a novel Mg 2+ ion-selective electrode to measure extracellular ionized Mg 2+ , studies were designed to determine whether: 1) perivascular or systemic administration (IV or intra-arterial) of magnesium aspartate HCl (MgA) exert vasodilator effects on arterioles (65–130 μm o.d.) and venules (60–135 μm); 2) nonvasodilator doses of MgA could modify vascular spasms induced by BaCl 2 and ethanol; 3) nonvasodilator doses of MgA could ameliorate or prevent the cerebral vascular damage induced by high doses of ethanol; and 4) ethanol depletes cerebral vascular muscle of intracellular Mg ions ([Mg 2+ ] i ). Perivascular application of MgA (0.01–100 μmol) produced dose-dependent vasodilatation of cerebral arterioles and venules; arterioles yielded greater vasodilator responses compared to venules. Nonvasodilator doses of Mg (1.0, 4.0 μmol/min), administered IV or intra-arterially, into a branch of the internal carotid artery, prevented: 1) the spasmogenic actions of ethanol and Ba 2+ ; and 2) the vasculotoxic actions (rupture of postcapillary venules and focal hemorrhages) of ethanol. In addition, ethanol depleted cerebral vascular muscle cells of [Mg 2+ ] i ; blood levels of ionized Mg 2+ rose after IP ethanol. Despite the fact that systemic infusion of low nonvasodilator doses did not result in dilatation of the pial arterioles and venules, plasma total and ionized Mg rose 18–230%, depending upon doses of MgA and time of plasma sampling. These data support the idea that Mg 2+ can act as a local vasodilator on brain microvessels and possess antispasmodic properties on brain arterioles and venules. In addition, our results indicate that Mg may posses some unique cerebral vascular protective properties against the vasculotoxic effects of ethanol. Lastly, these findings suggest ethanol-induced cerebrovasospasm and vascular damage appear to be associated with a rapid loss of [Mg 2+ ] i from cerebral vascular muscle cells.
Screening mammography medical legal consideration

The effort to respond to a public health mandate in screening nearly 50 million women in this country on a regular basis requires a departure from customary notions regarding diagnostic radiographic imaging. The screening mammogram, limited in both scope and interpretation, may be done in an efficient, rapid, throughput manner so long as it satisfies appropriate imaging parameters and reasonable interpretation. More time-consuming, deliberate approaches are reserved for patients with specific clinical or mammographic abnormalities. Successful practices will distinguish between these two efforts and plan accordingly. Cancer 66:1348-1350, 1990.
In-vivo clinical validation of cardiac deformation and strain measurements from 4D ultrasound

An important goal in clinical cardiology is the non-invasive quantification of regional cardiac deformation. While many methods have been proposed for the estimation of 3D left ventricular deformation and strains derived from 4D ultrasound, currently there is a lack of in vivo clinical validation of these algorithms on humans. In this paper, we describe the experiments used in validating cardiac deformation and strain estimates of 4D ultrasound using correlation-based optical flow tracking on two different COPD patients with normal left ventricular function. Validation of the algorithm was done by 1) validation of cardiac volume across multiple scans of the same patient and 2) validation of the repeatability of cardiac displacement and strain results from multiple scan acquisitions of the same patient. The preliminary results are encouraging with our algorithm producing consistent cardiac volume and strain results across multiple acquisitions. Furthermore, our derived 4D cardiac strains showed qualitatively correct results. We also observed particularly interesting results in the radial displacements of the posterior and lateral walls of our COPD patients.
Towards a distributed object-oriented propagation model using Ada95

Representing interdependencies between the objects of an object-oriented software application requires design-time mechanisms for specifying object interrelationships, as well as software constructs for the runtime maintenance of these relationships. We present a portion of our software engineering research environment ADAM, (short for Active Design and Analyses Modeling), which incorporates a technique for design-time modeling of propagations (our term for the relationships between interdependent objects). We examine the ADAM environment's support for the automated generation of Ada95 software constructs that maintain object interdependency at runtime. We focus on our propagation model's use of Ada95 tasking constructs and protected objects, with an emphasis on the source level mechanisms through which our model utilizes concurrency.
Metabolic syndrome and mitochondrial dysfunction: insights from preclinical studies with a mitochondrially targeted antioxidant.

An important emerging area in the translational aspects of redox biology and bioenergetics are the new findings that implicate mitochondrial dysfunction as a key player in the etiology of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. The paper in this issue of Free Radical Biology & Medicine, entitled “The mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoQ decreases features of the Metabolic Syndrome in ATM+/−/ApoE−/− mice” by Mercer and colleagues shows, in an elegant pre-clinical study, that mitochondrial therapeutics may be beneficial for this important clinical problem. The work is exciting because it not only validates a role for mitochondrial redox signaling in the etiology of metabolic syndrome but also highlights a potential therapeutic agent to treat metabolic syndrome in human subjects.
Comparative ability of chicken and mammalian LHRH to release LH from rooster pituitary cells in vitro

Abstract Biological properties of homogeneous solutions of chicken (c) and mammalian (m) LHRH were compared by their ability to release LH, in vitro , from a rooster pituitary cell incubation system. Homogeneity of the two LHRH species was confirmed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) using linear gradients of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer. A clear HPLC separation of [Gln8]-LHRH (cLHRH) and [Arg8]-LHRH (mLHRH) was obtained, with the former having a consistantly longer retention time than the latter. cLHRH cause a greater (p in vitro release of LH at low doses ( 10 ng/2×105 live pituitary cells), than that caused by mLHRH. Our results indicate that rooster pituitary cells are significantly more sensitive to low doses of cLHRH than to similar doses of mLHRH, when assesed by their ability to release LH in vitro .
CMIP5 Simulations of Low-Level Tropospheric Temperature and Moisture over the Tropical Americas

AbstractGlobal warming has been linked to systematic changes in North and South America's climates and may severely impact the North American monsoon system (NAMS) and South American monsoon system (SAMS). This study examines interannual-to-decadal variations and changes in the low-troposphere (850 hPa) temperature (T850) and specific humidity (Q850) and relationships with daily precipitation over the tropical Americas using the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis, the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR), and phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) simulations for two scenarios: “historic” and high-emission representative concentration pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5). Trends in the magnitude and area of the 85th percentiles were distinctly examined over North America (NA) and South America (SA) during the peak of the respective monsoon season. The historic simulations (1951–2005) and the two reanalyses agree well and indicate that significant warming has occurred over tropical SA with a remarkable increa...