cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in bovine neutrophils induced by the capsule of Streptococcus uberis.

Streptococcus uberis is a common cause of bovine mastitis and is responsible for about 33% of all clinical cases in the U.K. The bactericidal action of neutrophils plays an important role in the elimination of bacteria from the mammary gland1. Virulent strains of S. uberis appear to be resistant to phagocytic killing in vivo. This resistance correlates with the production of a hyaluronic acid capsule which does not inhibit opsonisation2. However, incubation of neutrophils with an extract of the capsule inhibited their bactericidal activity in vitro 3. This paper describes the changes to inhibited neutrophils as determined by both light and electron microscopy and the analysis of surface receptors by FACS analysis.
Micellization, Solubilization and Microemulsions in Aqueous Biliary Lipid Systems

We have employed laser light scattering methods to deduce the size, shape, structure and polydispersity of the macromolecular complexes formed in aqueous systems containing: bile salts, lecithin and cholesterol. Such studies have revealed an extraordinary variety in the size and structure of the aggregates as well as their patterns of aggregation. Bile salts form micelles whose size and shape varies from globular (radius~10A) to elongated (length >200A) as functions of concentration, bile salt species, temperature and added NaCl. The solubilization of lecithin by bile salts involves a unique mixed micellar structure that is disc shaped. The radii of these discs increase non-linearly (20→300A) with the L/BS ratio and appear to diverge as the mixed micellar phase limit is approached. Above this limit the discs may transform into metastable liposomal structures. The solubilization of cholesterol is achieved by its incorporation into bile salt and bile salt-lecithin micelles.
An unusual osteolytic lesion of the skull due to a traumatic arachnoid cyst.

This is a case report of a unique osteolytic lesion of the skull. Following a workup for convulsive seizures, a circumscribed osteolytic lesion of the left occipital bone was found by X-ray. Surgical exploration revealed an arachnoid cyst eroding the skull. A history of head injury to the left occiput two years previously was obtained. There was no fracture.
Estimation of shrinkage for near net-shape using a neural network approach

A neural network approach is presented for the estimation of shrinkage during a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process of nickel-based superalloys for near net-shape manufacture. For the HIP process, the change in shape must be estimated accurately; otherwise, the finished piece will need excessive machining and expensive nickel-based alloy powder will be wasted (if shrinkage is overestimated) or the part will be scrapped (if shrinkage is underestimated). Estimating shape change has been a very difficult task in the powder metallurgy industry and approaches range from rules of thumb to sophisticated finite element models. However, the industry still lacks a reliable and general way to accurately estimate final shape. This paper demonstrates that the neural network approach is promising to estimate post-HIP dimensions from a combination of pre-HIP dimensions, powder characteristics and processing information. Compared to nonlinear regression models to estimate shrinkage, the neural network models perform very well. Furthermore, the models described in this paper can be used to find good HIP process settings, such as temperature and pressure, which can reduce operating costs.
A kernel machine method for detecting higher order interactions in multimodal datasets: Application to schizophrenia

Abstract Background Technological advances are enabling us to collect multimodal datasets at an increasing depth and resolution while with decreasing labors. Understanding complex interactions among multimodal datasets, however, is challenging. New method In this study, we tested the interaction effect of multimodal datasets using a novel method called the kernel machine for detecting higher order interactions among biologically relevant multimodal data. Using a semiparametric method on a reproducing kernel Hilbert space, we formulated the proposed method as a standard mixed-effects linear model and derived a score-based variance component statistic to test higher order interactions between multimodal datasets. Results The method was evaluated using extensive numerical simulation and real data from the Mind Clinical Imaging Consortium with both schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Our method identified 13-triplets that included 6 gene-derived SNPs, 10 ROIs, and 6 gene-specific DNA methylations that are correlated with the changes in hippocampal volume, suggesting that these triplets may be important for explaining schizophrenia-related neurodegeneration. Comparison with existing method(s) The performance of the proposed method is compared with the following methods: test based on only first and first few principal components followed by multiple regression, and full principal component analysis regression, and the sequence kernel association test. Conclusions With strong evidence (p-value ≤0.000001), the triplet (MAGI2, CRBLCrus1.L, FBXO28) is a significant biomarker for schizophrenia patients. This novel method can be applicable to the study of other disease processes, where multimodal data analysis is a common task.
Revisiting the Achilles Heel of Exercise Capacity in Continuous Flow LVAD Patients Using Invasive Exercise Hemodynamics

Background Continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (cfLVADs) have greatly improved survival and quality of life for patients with end-stage heart failure. However, exercise capacity remains poor and little is known about hemodynamics during exercise. We describe observations from invasive cardiopulmonary exercise (iCPEX) tests in 3 patients with continuous flow LVADs. Methods Three patients with cfLVADs (HeartMate II, HeartMate 3 and HeartWare HVAD) underwent iCPEX with a pulmonary artery catheter placed via the right internal jugular vein and using an exercise bicycle protocol with a 10 Watt ramp. Ventilatory measurements were made with a Sensormedics CPX testing unit (Sensormedics, VMAX Encore 29C). One subject also had a radial arterial line for blood pressure monitoring. Results The peak oxygen consumption averaged 1.03 ± 0.32 L/min (36.8% mean max. predicated) or 9.5± 1.7 mL/kg/min. Respiratory quotient averaged 1.2 ±0.1. With exercise, cardiac output increased modestly from 7.8 ± 2.8 to 10.8 ± 2.6 L/min. There was a progressive increase in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCW) in all patients, from 25 ± 12 to 34 ± 13 mmHg. Right atrial pressure changed minimally in 2 subjects (20 to 24 mmHg and 6 to 10 mmHg), while there was a rise in RA pressure towards the end of exercise in one subject with known poor right ventricular function (14 to 28 mmHg). In the subject monitored with an arterial line, there was a rise in blood pressure from 94 to 106 mmHg mean and an increase in pulse pressure from 18 to 54 mmHg. Conclusion Hemodynamics during exercise in patients with cfLVADs demonstrates a modest increase in cardiac output that is associated with a non-physiologic increase PCW. Peak oxygen consumption was well below predicted. The rise in PCW with only a modest increase in exercise cardiac output raise the question of whether automated circulatory control to increase pump performance with exercise could lead to improved exercise capacity in cfLVAD patients. Figure 1
Collisional growth rate and correction factor for TiO2 nanoparticles at high temperatures in free molecular regime

Abstract Flame and furnace aerosol reactors are used extensively for the synthesis of nanoparticles at high temperatures (800–2000 K), however, there is a limited understanding of the early stages of particle growth by collision at these temperatures. An experimental set-up to quantify the collisional growth rate and collisional correction factor (relative to the kinetic theory of gases) for flame synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles in the free molecular regime is described. Spherical charge-neutral nanoparticles with precise control of size are selected from a flame aerosol reactor (FLAR), and then passed through a downstream furnace reactor tube maintained at a high temperature. Initial and final particle size distributions (PSD) are measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), and the PSD is represented by a lognormal distribution. The general dynamic equation (GDE) for simultaneous coagulation and diffusive deposition is solved numerically for a laminar pipe flow using the method of moments. By comparing the experimental data with the model prediction, a correction factor to collisional growth rate is calculated. It was found that for particles in the size range 5–8 nm, there was significant enhancement in the collisional growth rate for TiO2 nanoparticles at 400 °C. This enhancement in growth rate decreased as temperature increased (upto 800 °C). The collisional correction factor values are compared to that of three existing models in the literature which predict similar trends with temperature, however, these models under-predict the value of the collisional correction factor. Reasons for these deviations from existing models are elucidated.
SPICE-Compatible Modeling of Silicene Field Effect Transistor and Analog Circuit Design

We present review of the current transport behavior of silicene field effect transistor (FET) in which a monolayer of honeycomb lattice made of silicon is used as $a$ transport channel. Based on this study, we introduce a SPICE-compatible model of the silicene FET. The proposed model is characterized by the channel dimension, temperature and externally applied voltage. In addition, vacancy defects in silicene material are also considered for current transport analysis. We have demonstrated application of our developed model for the design of an amplifier circuit. It is observed that silicene FET based amplifier can be powered by 0.4V with nearly 25dB gain and 200MHz unit gain bandwidth. We also designed an active integrator and frequency doubler using the silicene FFT-based amplifier and simulated. Our results demonstrate that the proposed SPICE-compatible silicene FET model can be used for very low-power and medium-to-Iow frequency analog circuit designs.
Constraints on gamma-ray burst inner engines in a Blandford-Znajek framework

Under the assumption that a Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) is ultimately produced by a Blandford-Znajek (BZ) jet from a highly spinning black hole BH, we put limits on the magnetic field and BH mass needed to power observed long and short GRBs. For BHs in the range of $2-10 M_{\odot}$ (for long GRBs) and $0.5-4 M_{\odot}$ (for short GRBs), we find magnetic fields in the range of $5x10^{14} \lesssim B \lesssim 10^{17}$ G are needed to power the observed GRBs. Under the simple assumption of flux conservation, we estimate the magnetic fields of the progenitor systems for both long and short GRBs, finding that single massive star progenitors require fields $\sim 10^{6}$ G and NS merger systems require fields $\sim 10^{15}$ G. We also discuss the implications and consequences of high magnetic fields in GRB BH-disk systems, in terms of MRI field growth and magnetically arrested disks. Finally, we examine the conditions under which the progenitor systems can retain enough angular momentum to create BHs spinning rapidly enough to power BZ jets.
Atmospheric River–Induced Precipitation and Snowpack during the Western United States Cold Season

AbstractAtmospheric rivers (ARs) are narrow, elongated corridors of high water vapor content transported from tropical and/or extratropical cyclones. We characterize precipitation and snow water eq...
Sex differences in metabolic effects of angiotensin-(1-7) treatment in obese mice.

Angiotensin-(1-7) is a beneficial hormone of the renin-angiotensin system known to play a positive role in regulation of blood pressure and glucose homeostasis. Previous studies have shown that in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese male mice, circulating angiotensin-(1-7) levels are reduced and chronic restoration of this hormone reverses diet-induced insulin resistance; however, this has yet to be examined in female mice. We hypothesized angiotensin-(1-7) would improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in obese female mice, to a similar extent as previously observed in male mice. Five-week-old male and female C57BL/6J mice (8–12/group) were placed on control diet or HFD (16% or 59% kcal from fat, respectively) for 11 weeks. After 8 weeks of diet, mice were implanted with an osmotic pump for 3-week subcutaneous delivery of angiotensin-(1-7) (400 ng/kg/min) or saline vehicle. During the last week of treatment, body mass and composition were measured and intraperitoneal insulin and glucose tolerance tests were performed to assess insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, respectively. Mice were euthanized at the end of the study for blood and tissue collection. HFD increased body mass and adiposity in both sexes. Chronic angiotensin-(1-7) infusion significantly decreased body mass and adiposity and increased lean mass in obese mice of both sexes. While both sexes tended to develop mild hyperglycemia in response to HFD, female mice developed less marked hyperinsulinemia. There was no effect of angiotensin-(1-7) on fasting glucose or insulin levels among diet and sex groups. Male and female mice similarly developed insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in response to HFD feeding. Angiotensin-(1-7) improved insulin sensitivity in both sexes but corrected glucose intolerance only in obese female mice. There were no effects of sex or angiotensin-(1-7) treatment on any of the study outcomes in control diet-fed mice. This study provides new evidence for sex differences in the impact of chronic angiotensin-(1-7) in obese mice, with females having greater changes in glucose tolerance with treatment. These findings improve understanding of sex differences in renin-angiotensin mechanisms in obesity and illustrate the potential for targeting angiotensin-(1-7) for treatment of this condition.
A Mechanism for Beam-Induced Motion in Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Abstract Estimates of heat transfer rates during plunge cooling and patterns of ice observed in cryo-EM samples indicate that the grid bars cool much more slowly than do the support foil and sample near the middle of the grid openings. The resulting transient temperature differences generate transient tensile stresses in the support foil. Most of this foil stress develops while the sample is liquid and cooling toward its glass transition Tg, and so does not generate tensile sample stress. As the grid bars continue cooling toward the cryogen temperature and contracting, the tensile stress in the foil is released, placing the sample in compressive stress. Radiation-induced creep in the presence of this compressive stress should generate a doming of the sample in the foil openings, as is observed experimentally. Crude estimates of the magnitude of doming that may be generated by this mechanism are consistent with observation. Several approaches to reducing beam-induced motion are discussed.
Americans’ Opinions on Juvenile Justice: Preferred Aims, Beliefs About Juveniles, and Blended Sentencing:

Feld asserts that juvenile justice is entering a new era, one that is based on the idea that kids are different from adults in a number of important ways. It is against this backdrop that we conduc...
Interface energy effect on effective elastic moduli of spheroidal particle-reinforced nanocomposites

By incorporating the interface energy effect into a classical micromechanics framework, effective elastic moduli of a composite material containing randomly distributed nanosized prolate spheroidal inhomogeneities are investigated in this paper. The effect of interface energy, which is usually neglected in classical micromechanics theories, becomes important when the size of the reinforcement phase in the composite enters the nanometer range. The interface energy effect is simulated by inducing interface stress on the zero-thickness membrane interface between the matrix and the inhomogeneities. The interfacial stress discontinuity equations are formulated in accordance with the equilibrium conditions on the idealized interface, from which the interfacial strain discontinuity is solved. Subsequently, the effective elastic moduli are derived based on the classical micromechanics homogenization approaches. Comparisons are made of the effective moduli under the current nanomechanical framework and under classical micromechanical theory. The effective moduli are shown to be dependent upon the size of the inhomogeneities and the interface properties when the interface energy effect is considered.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Taste Dysfunction in Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

OBJECTIVES Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) often describe alterations in sense of taste. These complaints have historically been attributed to olfactory dysfunction; however, there is evidence of direct, objective, gustatory disturbances in the setting of CRS that are not thoroughly characterized. This study sought to investigate and summarize gustatory dysfunction experienced by patients with CRS. METHODS PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were reviewed following PRISMA guidelines. English language, original studies investigating objective taste in adult patients with CRS were included. A meta-analysis with inverse variance, random-effects model was performed. RESULTS Of 2750 studies screened, 11 articles with 471 unique patients were included. Patients with CRS exhibit worse gustatory function compared to healthy controls (standardized mean difference 0.94 [95% CI, 0.44-1.45]). Hypogeusia was identified in 32/95 (33.7%) patients from three studies that used methods with a validated definition of hypogeusia. Older age, male gender, and smoking history were associated with taste dysfunction, while objective gustatory and olfactory dysfunction were not correlated. Subjective taste and quality of life measures were also not associated with objective taste. The impact of sinus surgery on objective taste is unclear. CONCLUSION Approximately 34% of patients with CRS experience hypogeusia. Neither olfactory function nor subjective taste were associated with objective gustatory function. Given the substantial prevalence of taste dysfunction patients with CRS, there is significant potential for growth in understanding of pathogenesis, impact on quality of life, and potential treatment strategies of taste impairment in the CRS patient population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1 Laryngoscope, 131:482-489, 2021.
Persistence: Using Protein Turnover to Expand the Applications of Transcriptomics

One of the major issues with RNA sequencing is the lack of reproducibility between RNA and protein expression. Transcriptomics offers a holistic view of the molecular landscape of a tissue at an RNA level. However, RNA and protein expression are often at odds when measured in the same sample, raising the question whether or not changes in RNA expression translate to functional differences. This problem creates a need to devise a way to approximate protein abundance from transcriptomics data, in order to create a more complete picture of the functional landscape of a tissue. One additional measure that could be useful here is protein turnover or half-life. Once RNA is transcribed into protein, that protein can either be quickly degraded or remain in the cell for an extended period of time. The longer a protein9s half-life, the more influence it can have on its surroundings. Recently, a study used stable isotope labeling in mammals (SILAM) in combination with mass spectrometry to determine the turnover ratio of ~2200 protein in mouse synaptosomes. This data offers a valuable opportunity to integrate protein turnover with RNA expression to gain deeper insight into the functional meaning of RNA expression changes. Here, we present the concept of this combination of protein turnover and RNA expression, which we coined as persistence. We then demonstrate the application of persistence using schizophrenia (SCZ) transcriptomics datasets. Calculating persistence for these datasets greatly improved our ability to predict protein expression from RNA expression. Furthermore, this approach successfully identified persistent genes and pathways known to have impactful changes in SCZ. These results suggest that persistence is a valuable metric for improving the functional insight that can be gained from transcriptomics data.
Qualitative Survey Methodology and Data Collection for Performance Glove Design and Fit.

Performance gloves worn for work, sport and thermoregulation are known to have fit challenges because there is a lack of accurate and relevant civilian anthropometric data for product manufacturers. Fit challenges also exist because manufacturers neglect to communicate with users at the point-of-purchase and during the design process about their experiences and needs with glove fit. Poor fitting gloves can interfere with sensory information, accuracy, protection, mobility and blood flow. There is a considerable opportunity to improve glove fit. This qualitative study addressed the issue of communicating with users during the design process, by collecting fit data directly from users about their experiences with performance gloves used for work, sport and thermoregulation. Results from the study uncovered that both men and women have fit challenges across all performance glove market segments and simple user check-points during the design process could help to develop better performing products.
The Great Agrarian Conquest: The Colonial Reshaping of a Rural World: Neeladri Bhattacharya, Ranikhet, Permanent Black, 2018, pp. 522, Rs. 750

The Great Agrarian Conquest, as the title suggests, is a book about imperial ambition. It aims to unfold in careful detail, the laying down of the structures – ideological, legal, administrative an...
Toward people-to-people understandings in short-term international travel: critical race reflections on four encounters in Cuba

This paper details four encounters we experienced while traveling in Cuba as part of a multiethnic delegation of US social justice advocates. The encounters were linked by a common thread of race, ...
Abuse liability of cigarettes with very low nicotine content in pregnant cigarette smokers.

Abstract The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes to a minimally-addictive level. To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine how pregnant smokers respond to very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes. In Phase 1, participants blindly sampled two VLNC cigarettes (0.4 and 2.4 mg/g of tobacco) and their usual brand (UB) cigarette in separate sessions, then completed a behavioral economic simulation task and measures of subjective effects, craving/withdrawal, and smoking topography. Phase 2 directly compared the relative reinforcing effects of the cigarettes using concurrent choice testing. All possible dose-pair combinations were tested in separate sessions where puffs were earned ad libitum by clicking the code associated with their preferred cigarette 10 times. Phase 3 tested the 0.4 mg/g-UB dose-pair where UB puffs could be earned with a progressively incremented number of clicks (maximum 8400). Ten pregnant smokers in Burlington, VT and Baltimore, MD participated in 2017–2018. Regarding abuse liability, participants chose the 0.4-mg/g dose less than UB (22% vs. 78%) during concurrent choice testing and the 0.4-mg/g dose sustained less demand than the 2.4-mg/g and UB doses on the simulation task. Positive subjective effects were also lower for both VLNC cigarettes vs. UB. Each cigarette reduced nicotine craving/withdrawal and no significant changes indicative of compensatory smoking were noted. Reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes may decrease their abuse liability in pregnant smokers without causing untoward craving/withdrawal or compensatory smoking. Studies of extended exposure to VLNCs in pregnant women are warranted.
CO2 starvation experiments provide support for the carbon-limited hypothesis on the evolution of CAM-like behaviour in Isoëtes

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is an adaptation to increase water use efficiency in dry environments. Similar biochemical patterns occur in the aquatic lycophyte genus Isoetes. It has long been assumed and accepted that CAM-like behaviour in these aquatic plants is an adaptation to low daytime carbon levels in aquatic ecosystems, but this has never been directly tested. METHODS To test this hypothesis, populations of Isoetes engelmannii and I. tuckermanii were grown in climate-controlled chambers and starved of atmospheric CO2 during the day while pH was measured for 24 h. KEY RESULTS We demonstrate that terrestrial plants exposed to low atmospheric CO2 display diel acidity cycles similar to those in both xerophytic CAM plants and submerged Isoetes. CONCLUSIONS Daytime CO2 starvation induces CAM-like nocturnal acid accumulation in terrestrial Isoetes, substantiating the hypothesis that carbon starvation is a selective pressure for this physiological behaviour.
The Baryon Mapping eXperiment: a 21cm intensity mapping pathfinder

The Baryon Mapping eXperiment (BMX) is an interferometric array designed as a pathfinder for a future post-reionization 21 cm intensity mapping survey. It consists of four 4-meter parabolic reflectors each having offset pyramidal horn feed, quad-ridge orthomode transducer, temperature-stabilized RF amplification and filtering, and pulsed noise injection diode. An undersampling readout scheme uses 8-bit digitizers running at 1.1 Gsamples/ sec to provide access to signals from 1.1 - 1.55 GHz (third Nyquist zone), corresponding to HI emission from sources at redshift 0 < z < 0:3. An FX correlator is implemented in GPU and generates 28 GB/day of time-ordered visibility data. About 7,000 hours of data were collected from Jan. 2019 - May 2020, and we will present results on system performance including sensitivity, beam mapping studies, observations of bright celestial targets, and system electronics upgrades. BMX is a pathfinder for the proposed PUMA intensity mapping survey in the 2030s.
Preliminary Evidence of Children’s Weight Gain From 5 Months of Home Quarantine During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose. Preventive measures to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)—such as home quarantine, closure of schools/programs—are necessary, yet the impact of these restriction...
Adaptation in cone photoreceptors contributes to an unexpected insensitivity of On parasol retinal ganglion cells to spatial structure in natural images

Neural circuits are constructed from nonlinear building blocks, and not surprisingly overall circuit behavior is often strongly nonlinear. But neural circuits can also behave near linearly, and some circuits shift from linear to nonlinear behavior depending on stimulus conditions. Such control of the linearity or nonlinearity of circuit behavior is fundamental to neural computation. Here we study a surprising stimulus dependence of the responses of On (but not Off) parasol retinal ganglion cells: these cells respond nonlinearly to spatial structure in temporally-modulated grating stimuli but linearly to spatial structure in flashed gratings and natural visual inputs. We show that this unexpected response linearity can be explained by a shift in the balance of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs that originates at least in part from adaptation in the cone photoreceptors. More generally, this highlights how subtle asymmetries in signaling - here in the cone signals - can qualitatively alter circuit computation.
Automated In Situ Computational Steering Using Ascent’s Capable Yes-No Machine

The life of a multi-physics code user is complicated. Simulation crashes, efficient resource utilization, and simulation parameter choices are time consuming workflow issues that increase a user’s iteration time. Simulations often don’t provide general tools to support automatically adapting workflows to the diverse set of problems that multi-physics codes are capable of simulating. In situ visualization and analysis infrastructures are designed to be general. They are repositories of shared capability that support multiple simulation codes. Normally, the connection between simulation and in situ analysis is unidirectional (e.g., render an image or querying the mesh). In this work, we close the loop between an in situ infrastructure and a simulation, and we explore opportunities to leverage in situ triggers for automatic computational steering at runtime. We demonstrate using Ascent’s in situ trigger interface as a capable yes-no machine for controlling simulation choices.
12,000 Years of Human Predation on Black Turban Snails (Chlorostoma funebralis) on Alta California's Northern Channel Islands

AbstractExamining the ecology and archaeology of black turban snails (Chlorostoma [Tegula] funebralis), found along North America's Pacific Coast from British Columbia to Baja California, we present evidence for 12,000 years of human predation in Northern Channel Island shell middens. Often viewed as evidence for Late Holocene economic intensification along the southern California Coast, we identified black turban middens dated to the terminal Pleistocene, as well as the early, middle, and late Holocene. Despite their small size and lower ranking as a prey species, humans harvested black turban snails because of their abundance, aggregation, and accessibility during daily tidal cycles. Examining 19 discrete archaeological components (with a total MNI of ∼7,800) from San Miguel and Santa Rosa islands, we used a Shell Weight/MNI Index to document fluctuations in the mean size of black turban shells through time, identifying patterns attributed to a combination of environmental and demographic changes, inclu...
Changing the Paradigm

Abstract Empowerment-oriented and strengths based practice with older adults who face physical, mental and resource related challenges in late life have gained recognition in recent decades. This article explores the basic tenets of these approaches to practice and suggests their similarities, differences and potential contributions from the perspective authors who each advocate one model. Both approaches stress work across various levels of practice (personal, interpersonal and political) and the potential of older adults to be active participants in decisions and actions that affect their quality of life.
Tissue-specific tolerance of endogenous self antigen-specific CD4+ T cells (IRC4P.484)

CD4+ T cells specific for self antigens are involved in autoimmunity, but little is known about the extent to which these potentially harmful T cells develop within a normal T cell repertoire or how they are maintained in a tolerant state. We modeled Cre recombinase as a neo-self antigen that is expressed by various different tissue-specific promoters in several strains of Cre transgenic mice. We mapped a CD4+ T cell epitope within the Cre protein and generated a corresponding peptide:MHCII tetramer, which we used in a magnetic enrichment strategy to directly detect rare populations of endogenous Cre-specific CD4+ T cells that naturally develop in the unmanipulated immune systems of these mice. We found that deletion of Cre-specific T cells was efficient in mice ubiquitously expressing Cre, but almost nonexistent in mice expressing Cre in tissue-restricted patterns. In mice expressing Cre exclusively in the pancreas, immunization with Cre antigen induced strong Cre-specific T cell expansion and cytokine production, suggesting immune ignorance to the pancreatic self antigen. In contrast, tolerance to Cre self antigen expressed in mucosal tissues such as the gut and lung relied on elevated steady state frequencies of Cre-specific regulatory T cells. While these Tregs efficiently controlled primary autoimmune responses, their ability to maintain tolerance was lost over successive antigenic challenges, indicating limits of peripheral tolerance to tissue-restricted self antigens.
Human fibroblasts produce "pregnancy-specific" beta-1 glycoprotein in vitro.

Abstract Normal and genetic variant strains of nonrnalignant human fibroblasts produce in vitro a substance indistinguishable from the recently described "pregnancy-specific" beta-1 gtycoprotein (PSβG, PAPP-C, SP 1 ). Demonstration of this presumed placenta-specific meterial in a nonplacental site raises questions about its :normal physiologic role and use as a cancer marker.
Outcome of CPR in a large metropolitan area - where are the survivors?

Study objectives: Survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in cities with populations of more than 1 million has not been studied adequately. This study was undertaken to determine the overall survival rate for Chicago and the effect of previously reported variables on survival, and to compare the observed survival rates with those previously reported. Design: Consecutive prehospital arrest patients were studied prospectively during 1987. Setting: The study area was the city of Chicago, which has more than 3 million inhabitants in 228 square miles. The emergency medical services system, with 55 around-the-clock ambulances and 550 paramedics, is single-tiered and responds to more than 200,000 emergencies per year. Type of participants: We studied 3,221 victims of out-of-hospital cardiac-arrest on whom paramedics attempted resuscitation. Measurements and main results: Ninety-one percent of patients were pronounced dead in emergency departments, 7% died in hospitals, and 2% survived to hospital discharge. Survival was significantly greater with bystander-witnessed arrest, bystander-initiated CPR, paramedic-witnessed arrest, initial rhythm of ventricular fibrillation, and shorter treatment intervals. Conclusions: The overall survival rates were significantly lower than those reported in most previous studies, all based on smaller communities; they were consistent with the rates reported in the one comparable study of a large city. The single factor that most likely contributed to the poor overall survival was the relatively long interval between collapse and defibrillation. Logistical, demographic, and other special characteristics of large cities may have affected the rates. To improve treatment of cardiac arrest in large cities and maximize the use of community resources, we recommend further study of comparable metropolitan areas using standardized terms and methodology. Detailed analysis of each component of the emergency medical services systems will aid in making improvements to maximize survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
High-temperature elastic moduli of thermoelectric SnTe1±x - y SiC nanoparticulate composites

In waste heat recovery applications, thermoelectric (TE) generators are subjected to thermal gradients and thermal transients, creating mechanical stresses in the TE legs. Such stresses are functions of the elastic moduli of the TE material. For SnTe1±x matrices (where x = 0.0 or 0.016) composite specimens with 0–4 vol% SiC nanoparticle (SiCNP) additions, the elastic moduli (Young’s modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson’s ratio) were measured by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy from room temperature (RT) to 663 K. The effects of matrix composition and the SiCNP additions on the RT intercepts and the slopes of the elastic modulus as a function of temperature are also discussed.
Role of base stacking and sequence context in the inhibition of yeast DNA polymerase η by pyrene nucleotide

The Y family DNA polymerase yeast pol eta inserts pyrene deoxyribose monophosphate (dPMP) in preference to A opposite an abasic site, the 3'-T of a thymine dimer, and a normal T with almost equal efficiency. In contrast, pol A family polymerases such as Klenow fragment and T7 DNA polymerase only insert dPMP efficiently opposite an abasic site and the 3'-T of a thymine dimer but not opposite undamaged DNA. Pyrene nucleotide is also an efficient chain-terminating inhibitor of DNA synthesis by pol eta but not by Klenow fragment or T7 DNA polymerase. To better understand the origin of the efficiency and sequence specificity of dPMP insertion by pol eta, the kinetics of dPMP insertion opposite various templates have been determined. In one sequence context, the efficiency of dPMP insertion increases 4.6-fold opposite G dGMP > dTMP > dCMP, from a high of 5.8 when dAMP is to be inserted following a T to a low of 0.5 when dCMP is to be inserted following a C. The relative preference for dPMP insertion at a given site can be largely explained by the energetic cost of destacking the templating base and stacking of pyrene nucleotide relative to that of stacking and base pairing the complementary nucleotide. Thus, pyrene nucleotide represents a novel class of nucleotide-based chain-terminating DNA synthesis inhibitors whose base portion consists of a hydrophobic, non-hydrogen bonding, base-pair mimic.
Excess volumes of cyclohexane + 2-methylpentane, + 3-methylpentane, and + methylcyclopentane

Abstract Excess volumes were measure over the entire composition range with a Sodev vibrating-tube densimeter for cyclohexane + 2-methylpentane, + 3-methylpentane, and + methylcyclo-pentane. Measurements are reported at 298.15 K for the first two, and at 283.15, 298.15, and 313.15 K for the last. Measurements over a limited composition range are also reported for cyclohexane + 2,3-dimethylbutane at 298.15 K. The V E results are correlated with the geometry of the molecules.
Ultrafast Optical Probing of Topological Insulators

Topological insulators are novel materials which are insulating in their bulk yet possess exotic conducting surface states. Here, we present various techniques to probe these topological states with ultrafast optical pulses.
Prediction and phylogenetic analysis of mammalian short interspersed elements (SINEs)

The presence of repetitive elements can create serious problems for sequence analysis, especially in the case of homology searches in nucleotide sequence databases. Repetitive elements should be treated carefully by using special programs and databases. In this paper, various aspects of SINE (short interspersed repetitive element) identification, analysis and evolution are discussed.
Factors Associated With Discharge to Home Versus Discharge to Institutional Care After Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation

Abstract Objective To examine sociodemographic and clinical characteristics independently associated with discharge home compared with discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) after acute inpatient rehabilitation. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Three tertiary accredited acute care rehabilitation facilities. Participants Adult patients with stroke (N=2085). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Not applicable. Results Of 2085 patients with stroke treated at 3 centers over a 4-year period, 78.2% (n=1631) were discharged home and 21.8% (n=454) discharged to an SNF. Findings from a multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that patients were less likely to be discharged home if they were older (odds ratio [OR], .98; 95% confidence interval [CI], .96–.99), separated or divorced (compared with married; OR, .61; 95% CI, .48–.79), or with Medicare health insurance (compared with private insurance; OR, .69; 95% CI, .55–.88), or had dysphagia (OR, .83; 95% CI, .71–.98) or cognitive deficits (OR, .79; 95% CI, .77–.81). The odds of being discharged home were higher for those admitted with a higher motor FIM score (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.09–1.11). The following were not associated with discharge disposition: sex, race, prestroke vocational status, availability of secondary health insurance, number of days from stroke onset to rehabilitation facility admission, stroke type, impairment group, cognitive FIM on admission, other stroke deficits (aphasia, ataxia, neglect, or speech disturbance), stroke complications of hyponatremia or urinary tract infection, or comorbid conditions. Conclusions One in 5 patients with stroke were discharged to an SNF after inpatient rehabilitation. On admission, several sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were identified that could be considered as important factors in early discussions for discharge planning.
Disproportional mental causation

In this paper I do three things. First, I argue that Stephen Yablo’s influential account of mental causation is susceptible to counterexamples involving what I call disproportional mental causation. Second, I argue that similar counterexamples can be generated for any alternative account of mental causation that is like Yablo’s in that it takes mental states and their physical realizers to causally compete. Third, I show that there are alternative nonreductive approaches to mental causation which reject the idea of causal competition, and which thus are able to allow for disproportional mental causation. This, I argue, is a significant advantage for such noncompetitive accounts.
Drosophila as an unconventional substrate for microfabrication

We present the application of Drosophila fruit flies as an unconventional substrate for microfabrication. Drosophila by itself represents a complex system capable of many functions not attainable with current microfabrication technology. By using Drosophila as a substrate, we are able to capitalize on these natural functions while incorporating additional functionality into a superior hybrid system. In the following, development of microfabrication processes for Drosophila substrates is discussed. In particular, results of a study on Drosophila tolerance to vacuum pressure during multiple stages of development are given. A remarkable finding that adult Drosophila may withstand up to 3 hours of exposure to vacuum with measurable survival is noted. This finding opens a number of new opportunities for performing fabrication processes, similar to the ones performed on a silicon wafer, on a fruit fly as a live substrate. As a model microfabrication process, it is shown how a collection of Drosophila can be made to self-assemble into an array of microfabricated recesses on a silicon wafer and how a shadow mask can be used to thermally evaporate 100 nm of indium on flies. The procedure resulted in the production of a number of live flies with a pre-designed metal micropattern on their wings. This demonstration of vacuum microfabrication on a live organism provides the first step towards the development of a hybrid biological/solid-state manufacturing process for complex microsystems.
Design implications of extremely restricted patterning

Escalating manufacturing cost and complexity is challenging the premise of affordable scaling. With lithography accounting for a large fraction of wafer costs, researchers are actively exploring several cost-effective alternative lithographic techniques, such as directed self-assembly, self-aligned multiple patterning, etc. However, most of the alternative lithographic techniques are restrictive, and it is important to understand the impact of such pattering restrictions on system-on-chip (SoC) design. To this end, we artificially restricted all layers in a 14 nm process to be pure gratings and observed that the pure gratings approach results in an inefficient SoC design with several process integration concerns. To come up with a technology definition that is mindful of designer requirements, it is essential to undertake a holistic design technology co-optimization (DTCO) considering several SoC design elements, such as standard cell logic, static random access memory bitcells, analog blocks, and physical synthesis. Our DTCO on the IBM 14 nm process with additional 10- and 7-nm node-like pattern restrictions leads us to converge on a set of critical pattern constructs that are required for an efficient and affordable SoC design.
Anesthesia implications of coagulation and anticoagulation during pregnancy

Coagulation is an organized and well-orchestrated process that depends on the intrinsic balance between procoagulants, anticoagulants, and fibrinolytic systems. During pregnancy, this balance is affected in various ways and becomes more critical due to the physiologic changes and obligate hemorrhage after delivery. In some instances, this equilibrium will be disrupted. In this article, we describe the anesthetic implications of bleeding disorders, thrombophilias, and anticoagulation for the safe management of the parturient, with an emphasis on how this impacts decision-making by the anesthesiologist.
The effect of bite force on the duration and latency of the menton tap silent period

Summary The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of bite force changes on the duration and latency of the menton tap silent period and particularly whether a decrease in bite force can increase the duration of the silent period to the extent which may be found in dysfunctional patients. The menton tap silent period was recorded from both anterior temporal and masseter muscles while the subject was clenching at different force levels. A bilaterally stable force transducer was used to monitor the clenching force. The results indicated no statistically significant differences in the mean durations and latencies of silent periods at different clenching forces. They suggest that duration and latency are not related to the degree of clenching force.
Phosphotriesterases of flavobacterium sp

Abstract An enzyme system having phosphotriesterase activity was partially purified from Flavobacterium sp. by means of gel filtration and preparative gel isotachophoresis. Flavobacterium phosphotriesterase showed maximum activity between pH 8–10 and was unaffected by the presence of metal ions. Non-ionic detergents were potent and irreversible inhibitors of activity. Inhibition was also observed with mercurial thiol reagents and cysteine, although in the latter case inhibition could be reversed by oxidation in air or with K 3 Fe(CN) 6 . Activity was restricted towards substrates having electron withdrawing aromatic or heterocyclic leaving group such as parathion, paraoxon, diazinon and their analogues. Substrate analogues having the weakly electrophilic 4-aminophenyl group were not hydrolysed and in some cases acted as competitive inhibitors. Product inhibition by 4-nitrophenol (but not by the phosphorus containing moiety) was observed.
Promoter activity of mouse κ opioid receptor gene in transgenic mouse

Abstract The biological activity of mouse κ opioid receptor (KOR) gene promoter was examined in transgenic mice using a β-galactosidase (lacZ) reporter strategy for the first time. A lacZ cDNA was inserted at the 5th amino acid in the coding region of a mouse KOR genomic segment containing 3 kb of the 5′ regulatory region, to generate a Kor-lacZ fusion gene which was then used to generate transgenic mice. The expression of transgene was demonstrated at the RNA level by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and at the protein level by in situ lacZ enzyme assay. From studying three independent transgenic mouse lines that express this transgene, it is concluded that Kor-lacZ expression begins at embryonic day 9.5 (E9.5) and increases in several brain areas and neural tube as embryos develop. At E12.5 and E13.5, Kor-lacZ expression is found primarily in the mantle layer of midbrain, hindbrain and medulla oblongata, cranial ganglion and vagus nerve. At E15.5 and E17.5, the transgene is expressed in eye, ear, neopallial cortex, caudate putamen, lateral ventricle, thalamus, hypothalamus and pons. Therefore, the 3 kb 5′ regulatory sequence of the mouse KOR gene is functional in transgenic animals and directs a specific expression pattern recapitulating that of the endogenous KOR gene expression during developmental stages. However, in adult animals, this transgene is only expressed in the brain, indicating that the regulatory information for peripheral expression in the adult is not encoded within this 3 kb upstream sequence.
Rationale of Excisional Biopsy After the Diagnosis of Benign Radial Scar on Core Biopsy: A Single Institutional Outcome Analysis

Background:Radial scar (RS) is characterized by a fibroelastic core with entrapped ducts and lobules. Association with carcinoma is not uncommon. There is some dilemma as to the need for excisional biopsy or follow-up after RS diagnosis on core biopsy.Aim:To determine the necessity of excisional bio