cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of hsp expression during rodent spermatogenesis.

Spermatogenesis is the process by which immature male germ cells, through a complex series of events involving mitosis, meiosis, and cellular differentiation, eventually become mature spermatozoa capable of fertilizing an ovum. This process involves the developmental progression of male germ cells through a number of spermato genetic cell types, each of which is characterized by unique features of morphology, cellular associations, and specialized functions. The unique features of each germ cell type are dictated, to a large degree, by the patterns of protein expression characteristic of each cell type. This review will examine two different aspects of the regulated expression of heat shock proteins in spermatogenic cells. First, we will review studies showing that the expression of several different members of both the hsp70 as well as hsp90 families of heat shock proteins is regulated during the differentiation of these cells. Second, we will review studies which have examined the induction of hsp expression in spermatogenic cells following exposure to elevated temperatures. Next, we will review the role of the transcription factors, heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) and HSF2 in the regulation of expression of hsps in the testis. One interesting and unique function of the male reproductive system in many species is the maintenance of the testes at a temperature below that of the other tissues of the animal. The importance of precise thermoregulation of the testis is evidenced by the fact that even slight elevations of scrotal temperature are associated with infertility. The results of recent studies have suggested a potential involvement of the cellular stress response in the mechanism responsible for these inhibitory effects of elevated testis temperature on spermatogenesis. Possible mechanisms are discussed.
Fault isolation filter design for linear time-invariant systems

This paper is concerned with the problem of detecting and isolating multiple faults by a full-order observer of the plant state. We first obtain the fault isolability condition from the dual concept, namely static-state feedback decoupling. A new full-state observer design method is then developed to isolate simultaneous multiple faults. The method can isolate m simultaneous faults with m output measurements (such that the isolability condition is satisfied) under zero initial error of state estimation. Asymptotic fault isolation results can also be obtained using the same observer design if the number of invariant eigenvalues is (n-m), and if they are stable, where n represents the system order, m is the number of faults in the system. In both cases m can be up to the system order n.
Quality of protein crystal structures

The genomics era has seen the propagation of numerous databases containing easily accessible data that are routinely used by investigators to interpret results and generate new ideas. Most investigators consider data extracted from scientific databases to be error-free. However, data generated by all experimental techniques contain errors and some, including the coordinates in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), also integrate the subjective interpretations of experimentalists. This paper explores the determinants of protein structure quality metrics used routinely by protein crystallographers. These metrics are available for most structures in the database, including the R factor, Rfree, real-space correlation coefficient, Ramachandran violations etc. All structures in the PDB were analyzed for their overall quality based on nine different quality metrics. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that while technological improvements have increased the number of structures determined, the overall quality of structures has remained constant. The quality of structures deposited by structural genomics initiatives are generally better than the quality of structures from individual investigator laboratories. The most striking result is the association between structure quality and the journal in which the structure was first published. The worst offenders are the apparently high-impact general science journals. The rush to publish high-impact work in the competitive atmosphere may have led to the proliferation of poor-quality structures.
Gaseous dark matter detectors

Dark matter (DM) detectors with directional sensitivity have the potential of yielding an unambiguous positive observation of WIMPs as well as discriminating between galactic DM halo models. In this paper, we introduce the motivation for directional detectors, discuss the experimental techniques that make directional detection possible, and review the status of the experimental effort in this field.
Thrombocytopenia as an adverse effect of complementary and alternative medicines, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, foods, and beverages

Background: Thrombocytopenia is a well-recognized adverse effect of many drugs. However, the association of thrombocytopenia with complementary ⁄alternative medicines, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, foods, and beverages has been rarely described, except for reports of thrombocytopenia caused by quinine-containing beverages. Objectives: To systematically identify all published reports of thrombocytopenia associated with these substances and to assess the evidence supporting their causal association with thrombocytopenia. Methods: Eleven databases were searched to identify relevant published reports. A priori criteria were defined for article selection and assessment. Each selected article was independently assessed by the three authors to document the presence of the criteria and determine the level of evidence for a causal association of the reported substance with thrombocytopenia. Results: Twenty-seven articles were identified that reported the occurrence of thrombocytopenia with 25 substances (other than quinine). However, only six articles describing five substances (cow’s milk, cranberry juice, Jui [Chinese herbal tea], Lupinus termis bean, and tahini [pulped sesame seeds]) reported clinical data supporting definite evidence of a causal association with thrombocytopenia. Four articles provided probable evidence for four additional substances, and five articles provided possible evidence for five additional substances. In the remaining articles, the association with thrombocytopenia was unlikely or the articles were excluded from review. Conclusions: Reports of thrombocytopenia describing definite or probable evidence for an association of a complementary ⁄alternative medicines, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, foods, and beverages are rare. Whether the occurrence of thrombocytopenia with these substances is uncommon or unrecognized is unknown.
Jesus as Sovereign in the Passion according to John

This paper argues that in writing his account of the Passion of Jesus the author of the Fourth Gospel recognized the Hellenistic culture of his audience and their knowledge of the much discussed nature of true sovereignty. With this material in mind John presents Jesus as the friendly, suffering, servant sovereign who would be particularly familiar to those acquainted with Cynicism or Stoicism. For the Stoics every wise person was a sovereign. For John Jesus is a more inspiring model than any of those found in non-Christian religions: e.g., Heracles, Cleanthes, Socrates, or Odysseus.
Comments on "A Cardiac Hypothesis for the Origin of EEG Alpha"

A recent paper by Castillo1 outlines a cardiac hypothesis for the origin of the alpha rhythm. Objections to this and related non-cerebral hypotheses for the generation of EEG alpha are presented in this communication.
Effects of emersion and temperature upon growth of the tropical brown alga Padina japonica, using a tide-simulation apparatus

A simple tide-simulation apparatus was used to investigate the influence of emersion and temperature on the intertidal growth of Padina japonica Yamada in both the juvenile and adult growth phases. The upper zonation limits are not determined by the sensitivity of any particular growth phase, since all phases show the same emersion tolerance limits. The species grows best when continuously submerged, and growth rates decrease with increasing emersion up to a clear upper zonation boundary. High temperature reduces the emersion tolerance and is therefore an important factor in tropical intertidal zonation.
A monolithic GaAs IC for heterodyne generation of RF signals

An integrated heterodyne signal-generating GaAs chip is reported. This circuit contains: an on-chip local oscillator with external inductors tunable by means of on-chip variable capacitors from 2.1 to 2.5 GHz; a doubly balanced mixer with associated drive circuitry; and an IF preamplifier. The circuit delivers +6 dBm (equivalent 50 Ω) into the designed load impedance of 200 Ω with -30-dBc harmonic distortion over a 1.4-GHz 3-dB bandwidth. Circuit elements presented include: a unique variable-threshold limiter, a self-biasing push-pull oscillator, doubly balanced mixer, and a self-biasing unity-gain phase splitting amplifier.
Selection and validation of normalization methods for c-DNA microarrays using within-array replications

Motivation: Normalization of microarray data is essential for multiple-array analyses. Several normalization protocols have been proposed based on different biological or statistical assumptions. A fundamental problem arises whether they have effectively normalized arrays. In addition, for a given array, the question arises how to choose a method to most effectively normalize the microarray data. Results: We propose several techniques to compare the effectiveness of different normalization methods. We approach the problem by constructing statistics to test whether there are any systematic biases in the expression profiles among duplicated spots within an array. The test statistics involve estimating the genewise variances. This is accomplished by using several novel methods, including empirical Bayes methods for moderating the genewise variances and the smoothing methods for aggregating variance information. P-values are estimated based on a normal or χ approximation. With estimated P-values, we can choose a most appropriate method to normalize a specific array and assess the extent to which the systematic biases due to the variations of experimental conditions have been removed. The effectiveness and validity of the proposed methods are convincingly illustrated by a carefully designed simulation study. The method is further illustrated by an application to human placenta cDNAs comprising a large number of clones with replications, a customized microarray experiment carrying just a few hundred genes on the study of the molecular roles of Interferons on tumor, and the Agilent microarrays carrying tens of thousands of total RNA samples in the MAQC project on the study of reproducibility, sensitivity and specificity of the data. Availability: Code to implement the method in the statistical package R is available from the authors. Contact: jqfan@princeton.edu
Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia simulation and trainee performance

Abstract The objective of this study was to measureand record trainee performance during an ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block (FNB) with a novel high fidelity feedback based simulator device. The method decribes a novel phantom simulator that was built, capable of objectively recording trainee performance and providing visual and audio feedback on the completion of a successful FNB. Overall, 33 subjects were comprised of medical students and residents performed 2 separate ultrasound simulation sessions, and were placed in 1 of 3 groups: light emitting diode and piezoelectric buzzer feedback (LED and PBZ), voice feedback alone, or no feedback. This phantom simulator measured 2 separate performance parameters including; the time (in seconds) to carry out a FNB and the number of needle passes. Each trainee was then evaluated with a global rating scale. Trainee confidence in ultrasound-guided procedures was also recorded. All trainees improved their performance in the simulated block time ( p p p p p p The high fidelity ultrasound phantom simulator used in this study, recorded and improved performance, and confidence in ultrasound guided procedures carried out by novice trainees.
Structures of Urban Poverty in Greg Sarris's Grand Avenue

Greg Sarris’s 1994 Grand Avenue offers tough urban stories about a longfought, still-continuing struggle for survival and self-determination.1 Following the Native population shift from reservations to cities, Sarris (Coast Miwok/ Pomo), like many Native writers, has engaged urban Indian experiences.2 In surveying this fiction, Carol Miller (Cherokee) explains that it provides “a significant illustrative resource about the pragmatic business of ‘going along’ in the world, just as the old stories always have done.”3 Sarris’s stories fulfill this role by presenting the day-to-day lives of a contemporary, fictional Pomo community living in a multiracial neighborhood not far from their traditional homeland. Although displaced, they are still intact on “an in-town reservation: blacks, Mexicans, Indians” (198). The stories depict poverty, high unemployment, destructive sexuality, and parenting that provides little protection for children.4 Conditions on Grand Avenue are the culmination of two centuries of exploitation. Recognizing this, Sarris has created a collection of complexly interrelated stories that are neither victim-blaming indictments nor voyeuristic accounts of dysfunctional families. He states, “My books are chronicles of survival, how a people survive for better and for worse. They light the dark places so we can all—all of us, Indian and non-Indian—see where we have been, where we are, and where we might go.”5 To understand better the devastating conditions and the possibilities for hope that these stories depict, we need to consider how historically developed socioeconomic structures shape the characters’ present choices. Forced onto the margins of economic production, Pomo individuals and communities face the profound cultural consequences of their position in US society. Without a historical perspective, readers can easily see the characters in Grand Avenue as hopelessly trapped in a world of their own making. Thus, this article
Lead time modeling in production planning

We use two mathematical models to represent the dependency between workload releases and lead times: a linear programming model with fractional lead times (FLT) and a clearing function (CF) based nonlinear model. In an attempt to obtain a reference solution, a gradient based simulation optimization procedure (SOP) is used to determine the lead times that, when used in the FLT model, yield the best performance. Results indicate that both FLT and CF models perform well, with CF approach performing slightly better at very high workload scenarios. The SOP is able to improve upon the performance of both models across all experimental conditions, suggesting that FLT and CF models are limited in representing the lead time dynamics. All three models yield quite different lead time patterns at critical machines, suggesting the need for further study of the behavior of these models.
Influence of Successional and Grassy Corridors on Parasitism of Plathypena scabra (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae in Soybean Agroecosystems

Influences of uncultivated corridors on rates of parasitism of the green cloverworm, Plathypena scabra (F.), in soybean agroecosystems were examined. Soybeans were planted in large experimental plots (0.45 ha); three plots contained corridors of successional old-field vegetation, three plots contained corridors planted in grasses, and three plots were left undivided. Treatments were arranged in a completely random design. No significant differences in larval parasitism were observed between treatments, and location (larvae collected near corridors, ≤5 m, compared with larvae collected farther from corridors, 6–11 m) did not have a significant effect on parasitism of P. scabra larvae . Parasitism of P. scabra larvae by the total parasitoid complex, by Aleiodes nolophanae (Ashmead), and by Campylochaeta plathypenae (Sabrosky) generally increased in all treatments as the season progressed, but parasitism by C. plathypenae declined later in the season. Larval parasitism by Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson) declined over time. Larval parasitism may have been related to spatial scale.
Acculturative and enculturative stress, depressive symptoms, and maternal warmth: examining within-person relations among Mexican-origin adolescent mothers.

Mexican-origin adolescent mothers face numerous social challenges during dual-cultural adaptation that are theorized to contribute to greater depressive symptoms. Alongside challenges there are familial resources that may offer protection. As such the current study examined the trajectories of depressive symptoms among 204 Mexican-origin adolescent mothers (M age = 16.80 SD = 1.00) across a 4-year period (third trimester of pregnancy and 10 24 and 36 months postpartum). Further we examined the within-person relations of two unique sources of stress experienced during dual-cultural adaptation acculturative and enculturative stress and youths depressive symptoms; we also tested whether adolescent mothers perceptions of warmth from their own mothers emerged as protective. Adolescent mothers reported a decline in depressive symptoms after the transition to parenthood. Acculturative and enculturative stress emerged as significant positive within-person predictors of depressive symptoms. Maternal warmth emerged as a protective factor in the relation between enculturative stressors and depressive symptoms; however for acculturative stressors the protective effect of maternal warmth only emerged for US-born youth. Findings illustrate the multidimensionality of stress experienced during the cultural adaptation process and a potential mechanism for resilience among Mexican-origin adolescent mothers.
Super-Sensitive and Robust Biosensors from Supported Polymer Bilayers

Biological organisms are potentially the most sensitive and selective biological detection systems known, yet we are currently severely limited in our ability to exploit biological interactions in sensory devices, due in part to the limited stability of biological systems and derived materials. This proposal addresses an important aspect of integrating biological sensory materials in a solid state device. If successful, such technology could enable entirely new classes of robust biosensors that could be miniaturized and deployed in the field. The critical aims of the proposed work were 1) the calibration of a more versatile approach to measuring pH, 2) the use of this method to monitor pH changes caused by the light-induced pumping of protons across vesicles with bacteriorhodopsin integrated into the membranes (either polymer or lipid); 3) the preparation of bilayer assemblies on platinum surfaces; 4) the enhanced detection of lightinduced pH changes driven by bR-loaded supported bilayers. I have developed a methodology that may enable that at interfaces and developed a methodology to characterize the functionality of bilayer membranes with reconstituted membrane proteins. The integrity of the supported bilayer films however must be optimized prior to the full realization of the work originally envisioned in the original proposal. more » Nevertheless, the work performed on this project and the encouraging results it has produced has demonstrated that these goals are challenging yet within reach. « less
Calmodulin Promotes N-BAR Domain-Mediated Membrane Constriction and Endocytosis

Membrane remodeling by BAR (Bin, Amphiphysin, RVS) domain-containing proteins, such as endophilins and amphiphysins, is integral to the process of endocytosis. However, little is known about the regulation of endocytic BAR domain activity. We have identified an interaction between the yeast Rvs167 N-BAR domain and calmodulin. Calmodulin-binding mutants of Rvs167 exhibited defects in endocytic vesicle release. In vitro, calmodulin enhanced membrane tubulation and constriction by wild-type Rvs167 but not calmodulin-binding-defective mutants. A subset of mammalian N-BAR domains bound calmodulin, and co-expression of calmodulin with endophilin A2 potentiated tubulation in vivo. These studies reveal a conserved role for calmodulin in regulating the intrinsic membrane-sculpting activity of endocytic N-BAR domains.
An RSSI-Based Location Algorithm to Improve Location Accuracy of Wireless Electric Field Measurement Nodes Under DC Transmission Line

In wireless sensor network(WSN) based total electric field measurement system under DC transmission line,automatic acquisition of sensor node position can reduce the workload of measurement effectively and improve the test efficiency.In traditional location method by received signal strength indicator(RSSI) the path loss exponent is selected by empirical values and it is easy to cause larger location error.To improve the location accuracy of sensor nodes,a new location method,in which the real-time estimation of the path loss exponent is adopted,is proposed.In the proposed method,the distances among reference nodes and the RSSI value received by unknown node are used to perform the real-time estimation of the path loss exponent and is used to estimate the distance,thus the location error can be reduced and the adaptability to different kinds of environments can be enhanced.Experimental results show that under three typical electric field measurement environments,namely the park lawn,the school playground and the electromagnetic environment test field under test line in UHVDC test base,the location accuracy by the proposed method is higher than those by other RSSI algorithms.
Action coordination with agents: crossing roads with a computer-generated character in a virtual environment

We investigated how people jointly coordinate their decisions and actions with a computer-generated character (agent) in a large-screen virtual environment. The task for participants was to physically cross a steady stream of traffic on a virtual road without getting hit by a car. Participants performed this task with another person or with a computer-generated character (Fig. 1). The character was programmed to be either safe (taking only large gaps) or risky (also taking relatively small gaps). We found that participants behaved in many respects similarly with real and virtual partners. They maintained similar distances between themselves and their partner, they often crossed the same gap with their partner, and they synchronized their crossing with their partner. We also found that the riskiness of the character influenced the gap choices of participants. This study demonstrates the potential for using large-screen virtual environments to study how people interact with CG characters when performing whole-body joint actions.
Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Offshore Decay Scale of Cold SST Signals along Upwelling Eastern Boundaries

AbstractA simple analytic model is developed to represent the offshore decay of cold sea surface temperature (SST) signals that originate from wind-driven upwelling at a coastal boundary. The model couples an oceanic mixed layer to an atmospheric boundary layer through wind stress and air–sea heat exchange. The primary mechanism that controls SST is a balance between Ekman advection and air–sea exchange. The offshore penetration of the cold SST signal decays exponentially with a length scale that is the product of the ocean Ekman velocity and a time scale derived from the air–sea heat flux and the radiative balance in the atmospheric boundary layer. This cold SST signal imprints on the atmosphere in terms of both the boundary layer temperature and surface wind. Nonlinearities due to the feedback between SST and atmospheric wind, baroclinic instability, and thermal wind in the atmospheric boundary layer all slightly modify this linear theory. The decay scales diagnosed from two-dimensional and three-dimens...
Enhanced adaptive streaming over LTE-advanced wireless networks

Video content is quickly dominating the traffic over wireless networks and is creating significant challenges for managing this traffic efficiently while still delivering an acceptable quality of experience (QoE) to the end user. HTTP-based adaptive streaming techniques are growing in popularity to deliver video content from over-the-top providers to mobile devices, but have not yet been specifically optimized for wireless networks. This paper will present the latest activities on optimizing adaptive streaming protocols for LTE-Advanced wireless networks, including simulation results highlighting the factors which impact the QoE for video streaming applications in mobile networks, new QoE subjective tests and objective predictions which can be used for improving the efficiency of streaming, and capacity analysis with client-based feedback mechanisms to enable a more coordinated and optimized end-to-end system.
Acute cyclooxygenase inhibition and baroreflex sensitivity in lean and obese adults.

Obese adults exhibit increased levels of inflammation, which may negatively affect blood pressure regulation. Based on existing literature, we hypothesized: (1) baroreflex sensitivity would be lower in obese adults when compared to lean adults; (2) acute ibuprofen (IBU, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent) administration would increase baroreflex sensitivity in obese adults, with no effect in lean adults. Seven lean (4 male, 3 female) and six obese (5 M, 1 F) adults completed two visits randomized to control (CON) or IBU (800 mg oral). On each visit, blood pressure (intra-arterial catheter), heart rate (ECG), and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA, microneurography) were measured continuously. Sympathetic and cardiac baroreflex sensitivities were assessed using the modified Oxford technique. Measures of systemic inflammation [C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] were higher in obese adults when compared to lean adults and tended to decrease with IBU (IL-6: p < 0.05; CRP: p = 0.14). Cardiac baroreflex sensitivity was lower in obese adults (14 ± 2 vs. 24 ± 2 ms/mmHg, p = 0.02), whereas sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity was higher in obese adults (−3.6 ± 0.5 vs. −2.1 ± 0.5 bursts/100 beats/mmHg, p = 0.03) when compared to lean. There was no effect of IBU on cardiac or sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity in either group (p value range 0.20–0.71). Despite obese individuals exhibiting higher levels of systemic inflammation and lower cardiac baroreflex sensitivity when compared to lean adults, an acute dose of IBU has no effect on cardiac or sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity.
Approaches for language identification in mismatched environments

In this paper, we consider the task of language identification in the context of mismatch conditions. Specifically, we address the issue of using unlabeled data in the domain of interest to improve the performance of a state-of-the-art system. The evaluation is performed on a 9-language set that includes data in both conversational telephone speech and narrowband broadcast speech. Multiple experiments are conducted to assess the performance of the system in this condition and a number of alternatives to ameliorate the drop in performance. The best system evaluated is based on deep neural network (DNN) bottleneck features using i-vectors utilizing a combination of all the approaches proposed in this work. The resulting system improved baseline DNN system performance by 30%.
Handling high torque starts in new and retrofit applications

Many applications have a higher starting torque requirement and it is sometimes a struggle to provide smooth starting performance. VFD starts are known to reduce starting stresses but may not always provide the best overall solution when economics, performance and process control are considered. This paper will review considerations for new and retrofit applications, touching on torques required by various loads, matching this with torque characteristics of direct on line (DOL), reduced voltage and VFD starting controllers. It will also cover aspects of tuning and control issues with the controllers mentioned to maximize torque performance and minimize commissioning issues with an induction motor (IM) starting.
Feedbacks between plant N demand and rhizosphere priming depend on type of mycorrhizal association

Ecosystem carbon (C) balance is hypothesised to be sensitive to the mycorrhizal strategies that plants use to acquire nutrients. To test this idea, we coupled an optimality-based plant nitrogen (N) acquisition model with a microbe-focused soil organic matter (SOM) model. The model accurately predicted rhizosphere processes and C-N dynamics across a gradient of stands varying in their relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) trees. When mycorrhizal dominance was switched - ECM trees dominating plots previously occupied by AM trees, and vice versa - legacy effects were apparent, with consequences for both C and N stocks in soil. Under elevated productivity, ECM trees enhanced decomposition more than AM trees via microbial priming of unprotected SOM. Collectively, our results show that ecosystem responses to global change may hinge on the balance between rhizosphere priming and SOM protection, and highlight the importance of dynamically linking plants and microbes in terrestrial biosphere models.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Older Adults With Stress Disorders and Neurocognitive Difficulties: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective To determine whether neurocognitive performance and clinical outcomes can be enhanced by a mindfulness intervention in older adults with stress disorders and cognitive complaints. To explore decreased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity as a possible mechanism. Methods 103 adults aged 65 years or older with an anxiety or depressive disorder (diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria) and subjective neurocognitive difficulties were recruited in St. Louis, Missouri, or San Diego, California, from September 2012 through August 2013 and randomly assigned in groups of 5-8 to mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) or a health education control condition matched for time, attention, and credibility. The primary outcomes were memory (assessed by immediate and delayed paragraph and list recall) and cognitive control (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Verbal Fluency Test and Color Word Interference Test). Other outcomes included clinical symptoms (worry, depression, anxiety, and global improvement). HPA axis activity was assessed using peak salivary cortisol. Outcomes were measured immediately post-intervention and (for clinical outcomes only) at 3- and 6-month follow up. Results On the basis of intent-to-treat principles using data from all 103 participants, the mindfulness group experienced greater improvement on a memory composite score (P = .046). Groups did not differ on change in cognitive control. Participants receiving MBSR also improved more on measures of worry (P = .042) and depression (P = .049) at posttreatment and on worry (P = .02), depression (P = .002), and anxiety (P = .002) at follow-up and were more likely to be rated as much or very much improved as rated by the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale (47% vs 27%, χ² = 4.5, P = .03). Cortisol level decreased to a greater extent in the mindfulness group, but only among those participants with high baseline cortisol. Conclusions In this population of older adults with stress disorders and neurocognitive difficulties, a mindfulness intervention improves clinical outcomes such as excessive worry and depression and may include some forms of immediate memory performance. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01693874.
Complexes Derived from Green Photosynthetic Bacteria

This chapter discusses extraction, purification, and biological significance of chlorophyll–protein complexes derived from green photosynthetic bacteria. Bacteriochlorophyll–protein complexes can be obtained from Chloropseudomonas ethylicum , strain 2K, and Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum , strain L. The spectra of the chlorophyll–protein complexes from green bacteria indicate the presence of Bchl by the characteristic orange band at 603 mμ in addition to the far-red band at 809mμ. There is no chlorobium chlorophyll associated with the complex. When the Bchl is removed from the complex, the absorption spectrum in ether is virtually identical to that of Bchl a from Chromatium . The bacteriochlorophylls from green bacteria have the same R f values as Bchl a from purple bacteria in paper chromatography. The chemical and physical studies of Holt and co-workers on the Bchl of green bacteria have established its identity as Bchl a beyond any reasonable doubt. The illumination of whole cells of Chloropseudomonas ethylicum or Chlorobium limicola causes an absorbance decrease centered at 840 mμ. The relationship between the bleaching at 840 mμ and the fluorescence yield of Bchl a in vivo led to the inference that the absorbance changes in the 840-mμ region were a result of a reaction center pigment P840, present in very low concentration. Attempts to release soluble complexes from Rhodopseudomonas sp , NHTC 133, Chromatium, and Rhodospirillum rubrum by alkaline extraction have met with little success.
A distinct immunophenotype identifies a subset of NPM1-mutated AML with TET2 or IDH1/2 mutations and improved outcome

Recent work has identified distinct molecular subgroups of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with implications for disease classification and prognosis. NPM1 is one of the most common recurrently mutated genes in AML. NPM1 mutations often co-occur with FLT3-ITDs and mutations in genes regulating DNA methylation, such as DNMT3A, TET2, and IDH1/2. It remains unclear whether these genetic alterations are associated with distinct immunophenotypic findings or affect prognosis. We identified 133 cases of NPM1-mutated AML and correlated sequencing data with immunophenotypic and clinical findings. Of 84 cases (63%) that lacked monocytic differentiation ("myeloid AML"), 40 (48%) demonstrated an acute promyelocytic leukemia-like (APL-like) immunophenotype by flow cytometry, with absence of CD34 and HLA-DR and strong myeloperoxidase expression, in the absence of a PML-RARA translocation. Pathologic variants in TET2, IDH1, or IDH2 were identified in 39/40 APL-like cases. This subset of NPM1-mutated AML was associated with longer relapse-free and overall survival, when compared with cases that were positive for CD34 and/or HLA-DR. The combination of NPM1 and TET2 or IDH1/2 mutations along with an APL-like immunophenotype identifies a distinct subtype of AML. Further studies addressing its biology and clinical significance may be especially relevant in the era of IDH inhibitors and recent work showing efficacy of ATRA therapy in NPM1 and IDH1-mutated AML.
Capitalism, racism, and the neoliberal university: The case of the university of Missouri (Mizzou)

One of the most dramatic moments in higher education in 2015 occurred when Black students brought down a University of Missouri system’s president and, shortly after, the chancellor of the flagship campus at Columbia resigned. In the wake of the police murder of Michael Brown and subsequent Ferguson protests, University of Missouri Black students stood up to power. This is the story of Black student protest catalyzed by campus racism, classism and neoliberalism at a major university in the United States. It captures the broader story of neoliberal capitalism and the corporatized university in higher education. What are the implications of this story for teaching race and political economy? The students’ search for racial justice demands instructors to step-up our teaching to enter the critical sociological classroom these students have created. Instructors of capitalism and economic inequality must draw upon Black student struggles and develop an understanding of the radical Black Studies tradition.
The Intersubjective Matrix of the Slavocracy: Experiencing the World of Frederick Douglass

This chapter characterizes the psychosocial environment of the slavocracy. Far more than a historical account of the context, this chapter intentionally seeks to draw the reader into the world of fear, horror, trauma, paranoia, and the grotesque—a world which in many ways was normative for Frederick Douglass (but foreign to his humanity). Unless the reader is able to empathically imagine the range of human emotion and experience that was normative for Douglass, the psychodynamic question of the etiology of Douglass’ selfhood cannot be adequately investigated. In order to address the primary question of “where did Douglass come from,” we must understand his location and imaginatively feel the context that he experienced. Affect or emotion, embodiment, and cognition, engaged collectively, are at the heart of any substantive qualitative investigation.
Case of Migraine Psychosis with Traumatic Brain Injury

Although the prevalence of many psychiatric and neurologic disorders after head injury has been studied, there remains relatively little research on psychosis due to TBI. Psychosis due to TBI, also referred to as PD TBI in the literature is characterized by the presence of hallucinations and/or delusions in the aftermath of traumatic brain injury. The diagnosis is difficult to make because it requires the clinician to make a determination of whether the psychosis resulted from the brain injury or whether it is a manifestation of another illness. This can be particularly challenging because there can exist a significant lag between the time of head injury and onset of psychotic symptoms. To further complicate the picture, some patients have additional neurological conditions, either primary or secondary to the TBI that may confound the presence of psychotic symptoms. Migraine and other headaches, for example, have commonly been associated with TBI.
Prospective evaluation of selective venous sampling for parathyroid hormone concentration in patients undergoing reoperations for primary hyperparathyroidism

BACKGROUND: The utility of standard radiologic imaging studies in guiding reoperative parathyroid surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism is widely known and accepted. The additional information gained by selective venous sampling in that patient population has not been well defined. We report the results of our experience with this method. METHODS: Between 1982 and 1992, 223 consecutive patients underwent reoperations for persistent or recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism after a prospectively determined series of imaging studies. Patients underwent noninvasive testing consisting of ultrasonography, computed tomography, technetium thallium scanning, and magnetic resonance imaging. Patients with negative, equivocal, or discordant results on the noninvasive studies proceeded to angiography. If angiography was negative, selective venous sampling was performed. RESULTS: Eighty-six patients (39%) with negative or equivocal noninvasive test and angiogram results underwent selective venous sampling. Seventy-six patients (88%) had a significant gradient in levels of parathyroid hormone from veins draining the left side of the neck (n = 25), the right side of the neck (n = 33), both sides of the neck (n = 7), and the thymus (n = 11). Correlation of these findings with operative findings revealed a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 86%. In the subgroup of patients who underwent venous sampling and had completely negative results of standard radiologic studies (35 of 86; 40%), 28 patients (80%) had venous gradients and seven patients (20%) had no gradient. Of those 28 patients in whom the venous sampling gradients were the only positive localization study, the venous samplings were helpful in 23 patients (true positive gradients), and the operative success rate was 93%. In the seven patients with no positive preoperative localizing studies including venous sampling, there were two operative failures (operative success, 71%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that selective venous sampling is a highly sensitive and specific method to regionally localize abnormal parathyroid glands not imaged by standard noninvasive and invasive radiologic techniques. Venous sampling is the study of choice in guiding reoperative procedures for occult abnormal parathyroid glands that are undetected despite the use of all available imaging studies.
Up to No Good? Recent Critics and Critiques of NGOs

This chapter examines the various criticisms of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and details the validity of these criticisms as well as contradictions and inconsistencies. Critics of NGOs can be found across the political spectrum, ranging from rightists who object to NGOs in principle to leftists who criticize NGOs for their failures to advance a progressive agenda or for deferring to government preferences. During the course of the 1990s and early 2000s, a clearly defined set of critiques of NGOs have appeared focusing on: their performance and actual effectiveness, accountability issues, issues of autonomy, commercialisation, and ideological and/or political interpretations of their rising influence. Compared with NGOs working in humanitarian crises and conflict situations, however, the performance failures of NGOs in the area of international development seem minor. Although most of the criticisms of NGOs regarding effectiveness and performance have been directed towards service-providing NGOs, advocacy NGOs have not been immune to similar criticisms.
Competition Between Specialty and NonSpecialty Outlets: The Effect of Consumer Expertise

Specialty retailers continue to face increasing competition from nonspecialty outlets, such as discount department stores. This study looks at consumer expertise as a possible factor influencing specialty store and nonspecialty store shopping and buying. The results support most previous findings that nonexpert customers are more likely to shop and buy at a specialty outlet. Interest levels were also part of the analysis but were not found to be a significant factor.
HIV Prevention for Gay and Bisexual Men in Metropolitan Cities

The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic continues to exert a profound toll on urban gay men. As of the end of 1992, more than 150,000 cases of AIDS had been reported in the United States among men who have had sex with other men (Centers for Disease Control, 1993). It is estimated that by the end of 1993, between 240,000 and 280,000 homosexual and bisexual men will have developed AIDS, with between 30,000 and 50,000 men developing AIDS during 1993 alone (Centers for Disease Control, 1990). The majority of U.S. gay and bisexual men with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or AIDS reside in major metropolitan areas (Centers for Disease Control, 1993). The National Academy of Sciences Commission on AIDS has predicted that AIDS will “settle in” to gay and minority communities; thus the need for effective preventive interventions for those communities is tremendous. In this chapter, we review the prevalence and predictors of HIV infection and HIV risk behavior among urban gay men, discuss preventive interventions that have been used to reduce HIV risk-taking among urban gay men, highlight strengths and limitations of the existing literature, and present suggestions for future research.
Surgical Techniques of Migraine Surgery

The patient is a 26-year-old white female who was referred to clinic for evaluation of her head pain. She has tried numerous pharmacologic treatments that have not alleviated her symptoms. She has been seen by numerous neurologists and has been given the diagnosis of chronic refractive frontal migraines. She currently does not work due to the almost daily migraines. She has no history of trauma. Her symptoms started approximately 10 years ago. Her pain starts at a constant location located above her right brow and spreads throughout the frontal area.
Visual Saliency-Aware Receding Horizon Autonomous Exploration with Application to Aerial Robotics

This paper presents a novel strategy for autonomous visual saliency-aware receding horizon exploration of unknown environments using aerial robots. Through a model of visual attention, incrementally built maps are annotated regarding the visual importance and saliency of different objects and entities in the environment. Provided this information, a path planner that simultaneously optimizes for exploration of unknown space, and also directs the robot's attention to focus on the most salient objects, is developed. Following a two-step optimization paradigm, the algorithm first samples a random tree and identifies the branch maximizing for new volume to be explored. The first viewpoint of this path is then provided as a reference to the second planning step. Within that, a new tree is spanned, admissible branches arriving at the reference viewpoint while respecting a time budget dependent on the robot endurance and its environment exploration rate are found and evaluated in terms of reobserving salient regions at sufficient resolution. The best branch is then selected and executed by the robot, and the whole process is iteratively repeated. The proposed method is evaluated regarding its ability to provide increased attention toward salient objects, is verified to run onboard a small aerial robot, and is demonstrated in a set of challenging experimental studies.
Effects of living at moderate altitude on pulmonary vascular function and exercise capacity in mice with sickle cell anaemia.

KEY POINTS Sickle cell disease (SCD) results in cardiopulmonary dysfunction, which may be exacerbated by prolonged exposure to environmental hypoxia. It is currently unknown whether exposure to mild and moderate altitude exacerbates SCD associated cardiopulmonary and systemic complications. Three months of exposure to mild (1609 m) and moderate (2438 m) altitude increased rates of haemolysis and right ventricular systolic pressures in mice with SCD compared to healthy wild-type cohorts and SCD mice at sea level. The haemodynamic changes in SCD mice that had lived at mild and moderate altitude were accompanied by changes in the balance between pulmonary vascular endothelial nitric oxide synthase and endothelin receptor expression and impaired exercise tolerance. These data demonstrate that chronic altitude exposure exacerbates the complications associated with SCD and provides pertinent information for the clinical counselling of SCD patients. ABSTRACT Exposure to high altitude worsens symptoms and crises in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, it remains unclear whether prolonged exposure to low barometric pressures exacerbates SCD aetiologies or impairs quality of life. We tested the hypothesis that, relative to wild-type (WT) mice, Berkley sickle cell mice (BERK-SS) residing at sea level, mild (1609 m) and moderate (2438 m) altitude would have a higher rate of haemolysis, impaired cardiac function and reduced exercise tolerance, and that the level of altitude would worsen these decrements. Following 3 months of altitude exposure, right ventricular systolic pressure was measured (solid-state transducer). In addition, the adaptive balance between pulmonary vascular endothelial nitric oxide synthase and endothelin was assessed in lung tissue to determine differences in pulmonary vascular adaptation and the speed/duration relationship (critical speed) was used to evaluate treadmill exercise tolerance. At all altitudes, BERK-SS mice had a significantly lower percentage haemocrit and higher total bilirubin and free haemoglobin concentration (P < 0.05 for all). right ventricular systolic pressures in BERK-SS were higher than WT at moderate altitude and also compared to BERK-SS at sea level (P < 0.05, for both). Critical speed was significantly lower in BERK-SS at mild and moderate altitude (P < 0.05). BERK-SS demonstrated exacerbated SCD complications and reduced exercise capacity associated with an increase in altitude. These results suggest that exposure to mild and moderate altitude enhances the progression of SCD in BERK-SS mice compared to healthy WT cohorts and BERK-SS mice at sea level and provides crucial information for the clinical counselling of SCD patients.