cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of a genetic layered feedback controller in synthetic biological circuitry

Abstract Feedback control is the key to achieve robust performances for many engineered systems. However, its application in biological contexts is still largely unexplored. In this work, we designed, analyzed and simulated a layered controller functioning at both molecular and populational levels. First, we used a minimal model of three states to represent a system where state A activates state B; state R is a by-product of state B that acts as a negative feedback regulating both state A, B, and sequentially R. We call the feedback applied to state B a cis feedback and the one applied to state A a trans feedback. Through stability analysis via linearization at equilibrium and sensitivity analysis at transient state, we found that the cis feedback attenuates disturbances better but recovers slower; the trans feedback recovers faster but has more dramatic responses to fluctuations; the layered feedback demonstrates both advantageous traits of the two single layers. Then we designed two versions of synthetic genetic circuits to implement the layered controller in living cells. One version with an sRNA as regulator R, the other with a transcription factor protein as the regulator R. The analysis and dynamical simulation of the models confirmed the analytical results from the minimal model. At the same time, we found that the protein regulated feedback controls have faster recovery speed but the RNA version has a stronger disturbance attenuation effect.
Annals On Call - Coronary Artery Calcium Testing

In this episode of Annals On Call, Dr. Centor discusses the use of coronary artery calcium testing in decision making about cardiovascular prevention with Dr. Michael Blaha.
4th order diffusion tensor interpolationwith divergence and curl constrained Bézier patches

We present a tensor field interpolation method based on tensor-valued Bezier patches. The control points of the patch are determined by imposing physical constraints on the interpolated field by constraining the divergence and curl of the tensor field. The method generalizes to Cartesian tensors of all orders. Solving for the control points requires the solution of a sparse linear system. Results are presented for order 2 and 4 tensors and comparisons are made with linear interpolation and a previously proposed subdivision scheme.
PPARα serves as a new receptor of aspirin for neuroprotection

Acetyl salicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin, has been being widely used as an anti-inflammatory drug for almost 100 years. However, there was no receptor known for this popular drug. Recently, we have established that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) acts as a novel receptor of aspirin. Activation of PPARα by aspirin stimulated a series of downstream signaling pathways that could potentially ameliorate different Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related pathologies. In this mini-review, we have discussed how aspirin-PPARα interaction plays a pivotal role in the amelioration of AD pathology via the stimulation of neurotrophic factors, upregulation of plasticity-associated genes, and removal of plaque burden in hippocampal neurons.
Moving From Knowledge to Action: Improving Safety and Quality of Care for Patients With Limited English Proficiency:

Objective. This study assessed safety culture and staff communication with patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) to identify system-level approaches to increasing interpreter use and redu...
Microcomputed X-Ray Tomographic Imaging and Image Processing for Microstructural Characterization of Explosives

Microstructural characterization of composite high explosives (HEs) has become increasingly important over the last several decades in association with the development of high fidelity mesoscale modeling and an improved understanding of ignition and detonation processes. HE microstructure influences not only typical material properties (e.g., thermal, mechanical) but also reactive behavior (e.g., shock sensitivity, detonation wave shape). A detailed nondestructive 3D examination of the microstructure has generally been limited to custom-engineered samples or surrogates due to poor contrast between the composite constituents. Highly loaded (>90 wt%) HE composites such as plastic-bonded explosives (PBX) are especially difficult. Here, we present efforts to improve measurement quality by using single and dual-energy microcomputed X-ray tomography and state-of-the-art image processing techniques to study a broad set of HE materials. Some materials, such as PBX 9502, exhibit suitable contrast and resolution for an automatic segmentation of the HE from the polymer binder and the voids. Other composite HEs had varying levels of success in segmentation. Post-processing techniques that used commercially available algorithms to improve the segmentation quality of PBX 9501 as well as zero-density defects such as cracks and voids could be easily segmented for all samples. Aspects of the materials that lend themselves well to this type of measurement are discussed.
A High-Resolution Study of the H I Content of Local Group Dwarf Irregular Galaxy WLM

Dwarf irregular galaxies are unique laboratories for studying the interaction between stars and the interstellar medium in low-mass environments. We present the highest spatial resolution observations to date of the neutral hydrogen content of the Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy WLM. We find that WLM's neutral hydrogen distribution is typical for a galaxy of its type and size and derive an H I mass of (6.3 ± 0.3) × 107 M⊙. In addition, we derive an H I extent for WLM of ~30', which is much less than the 45' extent found by Huchtmeier and coworkers. We show that the broken ring of high column density neutral hydrogen surrounding the center of WLM is likely the result of star formation propagating out from the center of the galaxy. The young stars and Hα emission in this galaxy are mostly correlated with the high column density neutral hydrogen. The gap in the central ring is the result of star formation in that region using up, blowing out, or ionizing all of the neutral hydrogen. Like many late-type galaxies, WLM's velocity field is asymmetric with the approaching (northern) side appearing to be warped and a steeper velocity gradient for the approaching side than for the receding side in the inner region of the galaxy. We derive a dynamical mass for WLM of 2.16 × 109 M⊙.
Assessing Adaptive Attacks Against Trained JavaScript Classifiers

In this work, we evaluate the security of heuristic- and machine learning-based classifiers for the detection of malicious JavaScript code. Due to the prevalence of web attacks directed though JavaScript injected into webpages, such defense mechanisms serve as a last-line of defense by classifying individual scripts as either benign or malicious. State-of-the-art classifiers work well at distinguishing currently-known malicious scripts from existing legitimate functionality, often by employing training sets of known benign or malicious samples. However, we observe that real-world attackers can be adaptive, and tailor their attacks to the benign content of the page and the defense mechanisms being used to defend the page.
On-road driving test performance in veterans: Effects of age, clinical diagnosis and cognitive measures.

Abstract Introduction: Veterans are at heightened risk of being in a motor-vehicle crash and many fail on-road driving evaluations, particularly as they age. This may be due in part to the high prevalence of age-associated conditions impacting cognition in this population, including neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease) and acquired neurological conditions (e.g., cerebrovascular accident). However, understanding of the impact of referral diagnosis, age and cognition on Veterans’ on-road driving performance is limited. Methods: 109 Veterans were referred for a driving evaluation (mean age = 72.0, SD = 11.5) at a driving assessment clinic at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. Of the 109 Veterans enrolled, 44 were referred due to a neurodegenerative disease, 37 due to an acquired neurological condition, and 28 due to a non-neurological condition (e.g., vision loss). Veterans completed collection of health history information and administration of cognitive tests assessing visual attention, processing speed, and executive functioning, as well as a standardized, on-road driving evaluation. Results: A total of 17.9% of Veterans failed the on-road evaluation. Clinical diagnostic group was not associated with failure rate. Age was not associated with failure rates in the full sample or within diagnostic groups. After controlling for age, poorer processing speed and selective/divided attention were associated with higher failure rates in the full sample. No cognitive tests were associated with failure rates within diagnostic groups. Conclusion: Referral diagnosis and age alone are not reliable predictors of Veterans’ driving performance. Cognitive performance, specifically speed of processing and attention, may be helpful in screening Veterans’ driving safety. Practical Applications: Clinicians tasked with assessing Veterans’ driving safety should take into account cognitive performance, particularly processing speed and attention, when making decisions regarding driving safety. Age and referral diagnosis, while helpful information, are insufficient to predict outcomes on driving evaluations.
1. `Giving Yourself `The Shot'': Adolescent Instructions for Self-Administered Subcutaneous Depot-Medroxyprogesterone

Summary Means of providing health education are rapidly evolving. Telemedicine has become an important modality to provide healthcare and improve access, and will likely be increasingly utilized beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine can effectively provide care and counseling to all age groups, including adolescents. Studies have demonstrated that over 80 percent of adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18 spend one to four hours a day online; searches for health-related information are common. Nevertheless, adolescents may face obstacles when previously familiar aspects of their medical care are abruptly moved online, particularly when discussing contraception. Although traditionally administered in the clinical space, injectable contraception has been shown to be effective and well-tolerated by adolescents when subcutaneously self-administered. We found that remotely teaching a patient how to self administer a subcutaneous injection is challenging. The provider may be in a home office, and may not have access to the actual medication or the supplies to demonstrate technique. The patient may struggle to understand verbal instruction without a visual demonstration, resulting in ineffective medication administration. Instructional videos currently available online are not specific to adolescents who use self-administered injectable contraception. Peer education is more relatable and effective for adolescent patients. We propose that self-administration of subcutaneous injectable contraception may be taught using a peer-to-peer video as an adjunct to consultation with the healthcare professional. Adolescents may be instructed to watch the video demonstration to help inform them about proper technique and ensure safe administration of their medication while at home. The next step is validation of this teaching tool to assess metrics such as clarity of the instructions, rate of error, and satisfaction with the video teaching method to our target population. The final goal is creation of a validated peer-to-peer teaching tool. Intended Objectives This video provides peer-to-peer instruction targeted specifically to adolescents who plan to self-inject subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone. Our objective is to provide a population-specific educational approach via telemedicine to those who are unable to receive in-person teaching.
Emicizumab in pediatric hemophilia: Bleeding and surgical outcomes from a single-center retrospective study

Real-world data describing emicizumab prophylaxis in pediatric hemophilia A is limited with current literature providing a heterogenous approach to procedural management. We performed a retrospective review on the 28 patients who have been treated with emicizumab prophylaxis at Texas Children's Hospital from 2018 to 2021. After starting emicizumab, the mean annualized bleeding rate reduced from 3.61 to 0.44. Seven surgical procedures were performed in the cohort, and all treated with pre- and postoperative factor replacement resulting in one minor bleeding event. We demonstrate a successful experience with emicizumab prophylaxis and safe perioperative approach with a focus on minimizing postoperative bleeding.
AI-based Robust Convex Relaxations for Supporting Diverse QoS in Next-Generation Wireless Systems

Supporting diverse Quality of Service (QoS) requirements in 5G and beyond wireless systems often involves solving a succession of convex optimization problems, with varied approaches to optimally resolve each problem. Even when the input set is specifically designed/architected to segue to a convex paradigm, the resultant output set may still turn out to be nonconvex, thereby necessitating a transformation to a convex optimization problem via certain relaxation techniques. This transformation in itself may spawn yet other nonconvex optimization problems, highlighting the need/opportunity to utilize a Robust Convex Relaxation (RCR) framework. In this paper, we explore a particular class of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), namely Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network (DCGANs), to solve not only the QoS-related convex optimization problems but also to leverage the same RCR mechanism for tuning its own hyperparameters. This approach gives rise to various technical challenges. For example, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is often used for hyperparameter reduction/tuning. When implemented on a DCGAN, PSO requires converting continuous/discontinuous hyperparameters to discrete values, which may result in premature stagnation of particles at local optima. The involved implementation mechanics, such as increasing the inertial weighting, may spawn yet other convex optimization problems. We introduce a RCR framework that capitalizes upon the feed-forward structure of the “You Only Look Once” (YOLO)- based DCGAN. Specifically, we use a squeezed Deep Convolutional-YOLO-Generative Adversarial Network (DC-YOLO-GAN), hereinafter referred to as a Modified Squeezed YOLO v3 Implementation (MSY3I), combined with convex relaxation adversarial training to improve the bound tightening for each successive neural network layer and to better facilitate the global optimization via a specific numerical stability implementation within MSY3I.
Computations: One Sever

Starting with the fuzzy probabilities \(\overline p (i)\;and\;\overline p \), we wish to propagate these uncertainties through the model to finally compute fuzzy numbers for server utilization \(\left( {\overline U } \right)\), average server throughput \(\left( {\overline X } \right)\), average number of requests in the server \(\left( {\overline N } \right)\) and average response time \(\left( {\overline R } \right)\) ([4], Chapter 8). These fuzzy numbers will display the uncertainties in these system descriptors. The base of these fuzzy numbers, the α = 0 cut, is like a 99% confidence interval.
From delinquency to counterrevolution. Subcultures of Soviet youth and the emergence of Stalinist pedagogy in the 1930s

The rise of Russian progressive education in the 1910s and 1920s and its violent repudiation in the 1930s and after constitute some of the most dramatic episodes in the modern history of education. Prevailing explanations for the “failure” of Russian progressivism have emphasized either its inhererent Utopian impracticality and/or the rejection of its egalitarian and libertarian values by the increasingly conservative and repressive Stalinist regime.The thesis of this article is that an important aspect of the repudiation of Russian educational progressivism lay in the perceived “crisis” of Soviet youth subcultures that erupted in the mid-1930s. Unable or unwilling to admit that regime policies were contributing to social problems such as child abandonment and delinquency, rival factions of professional educators and their party-state patrons were forced to play out their power struggles through artificially narrow discussions of curricula and instruction. Hard-line Stalinist educators and party officials...
Horn Logic Denotations and Their Applications

In spite of decades of work, the practical impact of programming language semantics (denotational semantics) has been limited. Our thesis is that a major contributing factor to this lack of practical impact is the declarative notation used for expressing the semantics, namely, the λ-calculus. We propose to use Horn Logic (and eventually Constraint Logic) instead of the λ-calculus to express denotational semantics. This simple change leads to many practical applications, most notably to automatic program verification and automatic generation of compilers from semantics specifications. These Horn Logic denotations and their applications axe discussed at length in this paper.
Reflection and Scattering by a Slightly Undulating Interface

Reflection and refraction of plane waves at a perfectly planar interface have been well studied in the literature. Solutions of the coefficients of reflection and refraction can be found in a variety of sources, e.g. [1]. The reflected and refracted waves have been used to develop ultrasonic non—destructive evaluation techniques to detect flaws in fiber—reinforced composite plates [2] — [4].
Strategic Social Media Management and Public Relations Leadership: Insights from Industry Leaders

To understand how social media are reshaping the public relations profession, it is vital to examine the perceptions of public relations leaders who are typically involved in decisions integrating social media into communication programs. This study explored how social media use has affected leadership behaviors of 43 public relations leaders in the United States. Four key dimensions emerged from interview results on how public relations leaders can strategically use social media to establish leadership roles: exhibiting expert power, gaining decision power by demonstrating tangible outcomes, displaying leadership vision in social media use, and establishing leadership among peers. This study made theoretical contributions to the area of public relations leadership by developing three mechanisms for public relations managers to build their leadership through developing leadership capabilities in strategic social media management, gaining expert power to exert upward influence, and paralleling relationship...
How Culture of Targeting Impacts the Evaluation of Products with Multilingual Packaging

This study investigates the influence of bi- and multilingual product packaging on product evaluation. Study 1 compared product evaluations of the same product in an English-only (English), English-Spanish (bilingual), and English-Spanish-French (trilingual) packaging. The bilingual product received the lowest evaluation. Adding French mitigated this effect as did attributing a relatively high price (vs. a low price) to the product. Study 2 investigated the drivers of the culture of targeting effect and found that whether one believes that Hispanics buy lower quality products was one of the drivers.
Soluble mediators of inflammation during tumor development.

Tissues maintain homeostasis by monitoring and responding to varied physical interactions between cells and their microenvironment. In situations where acute tissue damage occurs, such as wounding, pathogenic assault, or toxic exposure, regulatory circuits that monitor tissue homeostasis are rapidly engaged to initiate tissue repair by regulating cell polarity, proliferation and death, matrix metabolism, inflammation, and vascular and lymphatic function. The critical feature of regulating these acute responses is the innate ability to discriminate between homeostatic versus damaged tissue states and engage or disengage regulatory machinery as appropriate; thus, a major distinction between acute versus chronic disease is the altered ability to appropriately activate and/or inactivate reparative regulatory programs. Since cancer is a chronic disease characterized by altered cell polarity, enhanced cell survival, inflammation, increased matrix metabolism, and enhanced vascular and lymphatic function, considerable attention is now focused on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating these responsive pathways. Since chemoattractant cytokines are important mediators of leukocyte recruitment following acute tissue stress, and demonstrate altered characteristics of expression and activation in chronically inflamed tissue, they have been implicated as key regulators of inflammation and angiogenesis during cancer development. This chapter focuses on the clinical and experimental data implicating proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines as important potentiators of carcinogenesis. © 2005 Elsevier Inc.
An effect of gynecologic cancer on peripheral blood: altered in vitro erythrocyte kinetics of 86Rb.

Abstract A method is described for the measurement of the erythrocyte kinetics of rubidium-86 when this ion is added to samples of peripheral venous blood in vitro. The measurements are expressed as the sum of the active uptake (AU) of rubidium-86 by erythrocytes plus its passive outward diffusion (OD), called the test index, as well as the ratio between the two (OD/AU), called the balance ratio. A preliminary study of 124 patients, of whom 55 served as controls, suggests that both the test index and the balance ratio are significantly increased for the erythrocytes of patients harboring the principal types of gynecologic cancer, of patients with endometrial polyps or cystic hyperplasia, and of pregnant patients. There was no significant difference between the control patients and those with carcinoma in situ or patients whose prior treatment of gynecologic malignancy had presumably resulted in cure.
Electromagnetic energy harvester for monitoring wind turbine blades

The long composite blades on large wind turbines experience tremendous stresses while in operation. There is an interest in implementing structural health monitoring (SHM) systems inside wind turbine blades to alert maintenance teams of damage before serious component failure occurs. This paper proposes using an energy harvesting device inside the blade of a horizontal axis wind turbine to power a SHM system. The harvester is a linear induction energy harvester placed radially along the length of the blade. The rotation of the blade causes a magnet to slide along a tube as the blade axis changes relative to the direction of gravity. The magnet induces a voltage in a coil around the tube, and this voltage powers the SHM system. This paper begins by discussing motivation for this project. Next, a harvester model is developed, which encompasses the mechanics of the magnet, the interaction between the magnet and the coil, and the current in the electrical circuit. A free fall test verifies the electromechanical coupling model, and a rotating test examines the power output of a prototype harvester. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Environmental Cost of Misinformation: Why the Recommendation to Use Elevated Temperatures for Handwashing is Problematic

Multiple government and health organizations recommend the use of warm or hot water in publications designed to educate the public on best practices for washing one's hands. This is despite research suggesting that the use of an elevated water temperature does not improve handwashing efficacy, but can cause hand irritation. There is reason to believe that the perception that warm or hot water is more effective at cleaning one's hands is pervasive, and may be one factor that is driving up unnecessary energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. We examine handwashing practices and beliefs about water temperature using a survey of 510 adults in the United States. The survey included measures of handwashing frequency, duration, the proportion of time an elevated temperature was used, and beliefs about water temperature and handwashing efficacy. We also estimate the energy consumed and resultant carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2eq) in the U.S. due to the use of elevated temperatures during handwashing. Participants used an elevated temperature 64% of the time, causing 6.3 million metric tons (MMt) of CO2eq which is 0.1% of total annual emissions and 0.3% of commercial and residential sector emissions. Roughly 69% of the sample believed that elevated temperatures improve handwashing efficacy. Updating these beliefs could prevent 1 MMt of CO2eq annually, exceeding the total emissions from many industrial sources in the U.S. including the Lead and Zinc industries. In addition to causing skin irritation, the recommendation to use an elevated temperature during handwashing contributes to another major threat to public health-climate change. Health and consumer protection organizations should consider advocating for the use of a "comfortable" temperature rather than warm or hot water.
3D CSEM Modeling And Inversion For Hydrocarbon Reservoir Mapping:The Bathymetry Problem

The effects of bathymetry on controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) responses cannot be neglected when aiming for reliable and accurate modeling and inversion results, owing to the high seawater conductivity, 3.3 S/m on average, and thus potentially high contrasts in the electrical properties between water and seabed. In the presented study, we further make use of the possibilities of the finite-difference method to allow 3D inversions with a high degree of model discretizations in order to simulate a 3D seafloor surface. At the same time, we separate the computational mesh for the forward operator from the model discretization mesh, through usage of a proper conductivity-averaging scheme, limiting the computational requirements. Reliability of the method is demonstrated through a modeling and an inversion study for a marine survey scenario.
Evaluation of anaesthetic regimens in guineapigs

To establish reliable methods of chemical restraint and anaesthesia for mildly painful procedures in guineapigs, we compared the effects of the following anaesthetics and combinations of anaesthetics: tiletamine-zolazepam (two dosages), pentobarbital, methoxyflurane, ketamine-xylazine (three dosages), and ketamine-xylazine with methoxyflurane. Tiletamine-zolazepam induced a short period of chemical restraint but lacked analgesic effects at the doses tested. Although pentobarbital induced prolonged chemical restraint, the loss of responsiveness to painful stimuli was brief. Methoxyflurane alone induced transient anaesthesia and analgesia. Ketamine-xylazine combinations induced analgesia and chemical restraint of comparable durations, and some dosages were suitable for mildly painful procedures. The addition of methoxyflurane significantly potentiated the anaesthetic and analgesic properties of the high dosage ketamine-xylazine combination.
Phase closure with a rotational shear interferometer.

A simple and efficient way is proposed for achieving phase closure in an optical telescope (to enable recovering Fourier transform phases that would otherwise be corrupted by atmospheric and instrumental errors), by means of rotational shear interferometry. In a rotational shear interferometer, one images the telescope aperture onto the interferometer and then interferes the aperture with itself in a rotated orientation. To achieve the maximum frequency content permitted by the telescope, the shear has to be 180 deg, but better dynamic range and SNR are possible for lower frequencies. Drawbacks of the proposed method compared to radio astronomy are noted, and different approaches are indicated as to how to collect and use the phase closure data. Phase closure can be realized on existing telescopes and existing interferometers with special modifications. Although not all base lines are possible, the extra constraints provided by the closure phases greatly reduce the ambiguity now existing in phaseless image reconstruction.
Application of Three-Dimensional Digital Image Processing for Reconstruction of Microstructural Volume from Serial Sections

Three-dimensional digital image processing is useful for reconstruction of microstructural volume from a stack of serial sections. Application of this technique is demonstrated via reconstruction of a volume segment of the liquid-phase sintered microstructure of a tungsten heavy alloy processed in the microgravity environment of NASAs'space shuttle, Columbia. Ninety serial sections (approximately one micrometer apart) were used for reconstruction of the three-dimensional microstructure. The three-dimensional microstructural reconstruction clearly revealed that the tungsten grains are almost completely connected in three-dimensional space. Both the matrix and the grains are topologically co-continuous, although the alloy was liquid-phase sintered in microgravity. Therefore, absence of gravity did not produced a microstructure consisting of discrete isolated W grains uniformly dispersed in the liquid Ni-Fe alloy matrix at the sintering temperature.
Proteogenomic Analysis of Bacteria and Archaea: A 46 Organism Case Study

Experimental evidence is increasingly being used to reassess the quality and accuracy of genome annotation. Proteomics data used for this purpose, called proteogenomics, can alleviate many of the problematic areas of genome annotation, e.g. short protein validation and start site assignment. We performed a proteogenomic analysis of 46 genomes spanning eight bacterial and archaeal phyla across the tree of life. These diverse datasets facilitated the development of a robust approach for proteogenomics that is functional across genomes varying in %GC, gene content, proteomic sampling depth, phylogeny, and genome size. In addition to finding evidence for 682 novel proteins, 1336 new start sites, and numerous dubious genes, we discovered sites of post-translational maturation in the form of proteolytic cleavage of 1175 signal peptides. The number of novel proteins per genome is highly variable (median 7, mean 15, stdev 20). Moreover, comparison of novel genes with the current genes did not reveal any consistent abnormalities. Thus, we conclude that proteogenomics fulfills a yet to be understood deficiency in gene prediction. With the adoption of new sequencing technologies which have higher error rates than Sanger-based methods and the advances in proteomics, proteogenomics may become even more important in the future.
Structure, Growth Rates, and Tangent Linear Accuracy of Adjoint Sensitivities with Respect to Horizontal and Vertical Resolution

Abstract In this paper, the variation of adjoint sensitivities as horizontal and vertical resolutions are changed is investigated. The fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU–NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5) and its adjoint are used with consistent physics to generate adjoint sensitivities over a 24-h period. The sensitivities are generated with respect to a response function defined as the lowest sigma level perturbation pressure over a region of northwestern Oregon. It is found that the scale, magnitude, and structure of sensitivity with respect to initial temperature varies significantly as grid spacing is decreased from 216 to 24 km. As found in other adjoint studies at relatively coarse resolution, low-level, upshear-tilted, subsynoptic-scale sensitivities were apparent, with the wavelike sensitivity pattern decreasing significantly in scale and spatial extent with increased horizontal resolution. It is also found that perturbation growth rates depend o...
Influence of single and multiple doses of oral ranitidine on the gastric transit of an indigestible capsule in humans

The effect of single and multiple doses of ranitidine on the gastric residence time of an indigestible pH-sensitive radiotelemetric device, the Heidelberg capsule, was evaluated in 12 healthy men (mean age, 29 +/- 8 years) in a placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover study. Each subject received 150 mg ranitidine or placebo orally 2 hours before administration of the Heidelberg capsule. A 500 kcal standardized breakfast was served 1/2 hour before the capsule was administered. Gastric pH was monitored at 15-minute intervals, until pyloric passage (pH increase greater than or equal to 3 U) of the Heidelberg capsule was observed. Blood samples (n = 12) were collected 0 to 8 hours after administration of drug or placebo. The subjects continued to receive ranitidine or placebo b.i.d. for 7 days and returned on day 8 for a similar evaluation. After a 1-week washout period, the subjects received the alternative treatment. The mean (+/- SD) gastric residence time of the Heidelberg capsule was significantly decreased after both single and multiple doses of ranitidine compared to placebo (3.1 +/- 0.9 versus 3.8 +/- 1.1 hours, p less than 0.02; and 2.9 +/- 0.74 versus 3.9 +/- 0.9 hours, p less than 0.005, n = 9). Gastric residence time was not determined in three subjects who showed unusually slow gastrointestinal motility after both placebo and ranitidine. Mean AUC(0-8 hr) and AUC(0-infinity) were significantly increased, whereas Cmax, tmax, and t1/2 remained unchanged after 7 days of ranitidine b.i.d. treatment. No ranitidine double-peak profile or linear pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationship was identified.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Selenomodification of tRNA in Archaea Requires a Bipartite Rhodanese Enzyme

5-Methylaminomethyl-2-selenouridine (mnm5Se2U) is found in the first position of the anticodon in certain tRNAs from bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. This selenonucleoside is formed in Escherichia coli from the corresponding thionucleoside mnm5S2U by the monomeric enzyme YbbB. This nucleoside is present in the tRNA of Methanococcales, yet the corresponding 2-selenouridine synthase is unknown in archaea and eukaryotes. Here we report that a bipartite ybbB ortholog is present in all members of the Methanococcales. Gene deletions in Methanococcus maripaludis and in vitro activity assays confirm that the two proteins act in trans to form in tRNA a selenonucleoside, presumably mnm5Se2U. Phylogenetic data suggest a primal origin of seleno-modified tRNAs.
Soft X-ray dosimetry using radiachromic nylon films

Abstract This Letter reports on the effectiveness of radiachromic nylon films for soft X-ray dosimetry at high radiation doses. The results indicate that the film is not energy-sensitive but does have a dose range. Application of the results to the calibration of the LBL soft X-ray contact microscopy station are discussed.
Prostaglandin El (PGE1) stimulates in vitro renin release in the hibernating ground squirrel

Abstract Using a renal cortical slice preparation obtained from hibernating ground squirrels, this study investigated whether three major intrarenal prostaglandins (PG) and other agents added at a 10 M dose can affect renin release (RR), and if their effect on RR is correlated with changes in tissue cyclic AMP content (tcAMPc). Resting in vitro levels for RR and tcAMPc during hibernation were found to be comparable to those observed in non-hibernating (NH) mammals. Addition of PGEI significantly stimulated RR while PGE2 and PGF2-alpha were ineffective. None of the three PG's tested altered resting levels of tcAMPC. When added by itself or in conjunction with any of the three PG's, the phosphodiesterase inhibitor theophylline did not modify resting levels of RR and tcAMPc, but it prevented the previous stimulatory effect of PGE1 alone on RR. Addition of lipid-soluble dcAMP, either alone or in conjunction with any of the three PG's, resulted in an increase in tcAMPc in all instances, no change in resting RR regarding PGE2 and PGF2-alpha, and again the prevention of the stimulatory effect of PGE1 alone on RR. These data suggest that: 1) the resting activity of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the adenylate cyclase-cAMP system (AC-cAMP)of the hibernating ground squirrel is comparable to that of NH species; 2) in contrast, the sensitivity of the RAS of the hibernator to PG stimulation is less than that exhibited by the RAS of NH species when comparable in vitro concentrations of three major PG's are used; 3) PGE1 stimulation of RR in the hibernator is independent of changes in tcAMPc; 4) changes in tcAMPc may be inversely related to those in RR in the hibernator; and 5) the known stimulatory effect of PG's on the renal cortical AC-cAMP of NH species is not seen in the hibernating ground squirrel at comparable PG doses.
Single-cell analysis of embryoid body heterogeneity using microfluidic trapping array

The differentiation of pluripotent stem cells as embryoid bodies (EBs) remains a common method for inducing differentiation toward many lineages. However, differentiation via EBs typically yields a significant amount of heterogeneity in the cell population, as most cells differentiate simultaneously toward different lineages, while others remain undifferentiated. Moreover, physical parameters, such as the size of EBs, can modulate the heterogeneity of differentiated phenotypes due to the establishment of nutrient and oxygen gradients. One of the challenges in examining the cellular composition of EBs is the lack of analytical methods that are capable of determining the phenotype of all of the individual cells that comprise a single EB. Therefore, the objective of this work was to examine the ability of a microfluidic cell trapping array to analyze the heterogeneity of cells comprising EBs during the course of early differentiation. The heterogeneity of single cell phenotype on the basis of protein expression of the pluripotent transcription factor OCT-4 was examined for populations of EBs and single EBs of different sizes at distinct stages of differentiation. Results from the cell trap device were compared with flow cytometry and whole mount immunostaining. Additionally, single cells from dissociated pooled EBs or individual EBs were examined separately to discern potential differences in the value or variance of expression between the different methods of analysis. Overall, the analytical method described represents a novel approach for evaluating how heterogeneity is manifested in EB cultures and may be used in the future to assess the kinetics and patterns of differentiation in addition to the loss of pluripotency.
Fission-fragment mass separator and the nuclear charge distribution of fission fragments of a single mass

Abstract An energetic fission fragment passing through a gas changes its charge frequently by electron capture and loss collisions with gas molecules. Its average charge e is found to be very nearly proportional to velocity, so that magnetic deflection depends only on the mass; thus, passing fission fragments through a gas-filled magnetic spectrograph gives mass separation. At low pressure the resolution is limited by the statistics of the electron capture and loss process; increasing the pressure to reduce this effect is eventually limited by energy loss and the resulting multiple scattering. However, before this occurs there is a pressure range where the resolution is limited by the nuclear charge distribution of fragments of a single mass. All of these effects were studied experimentally. The best resolution obtained for mass-97 fragments was 3.5 % full width at half maximum (with 20 mm-Hg of helium), of which 2.2 % is due to the width of the nuclear charge distribution. Combining this with the results of a study of the dependence of e on nuclear charge, gives the width of the nuclear charge distribution for mass-97 fragments as 2.4±0.5 units. This is in agreement with determinations from yields of shielded isotopes, but is in disagreement with the predictions of most theories. The best obtainable resolution from the mass separator is 4.5 mass units for light fragments. Several applications of the separator are described and others are suggested.
Recongition and sexual selection in Drosophila: classification, quantification, and identification

Drosophila pseudoobscura females show a positive bias toward mating with males whose proportion in the population is low. They can perform this discrimination even when three strains of males are present. The olfactory recognition required for this discrimination entails a hierarchically ordered recognition system and a natural unit of olfactory strength.
Differentiating multiple sclerosis from other causes of demyelination using diffusion weighted imaging of the corpus callosum.

Purpose To compare diffusion weighted imaging metrics in gray and white matter brain regions of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) to those diagnosed with secondary demyelinating diseases such as neurosarcoid and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). Materials and Methods Diffusion weighted scans were performed and apparent diffusion coefficients of 12 regions of interest were determined in 30 MS patients, 21 neurosarcoid patients, and 4 ADEM patients. Results Mean apparent diffusion coefficients were significantly higher in MS patients than in non-MS patients in 6 of 6 of the corpus callosal regions assessed but not in any of the non-callosal white or gray matter regions assessed. Conclusion Elevated apparent diffusion coefficients within the corpus callosum on diffusion weighted imaging may potentially help differentiate between patients with MS and patients with other diseases affecting the central nervous system white matter. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;30:732–736. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The effect of temperature on flight initiation in the cockroach Periplaneta americana.

The effect of temperature during development of the flight system of the American cockroach was tested. Animals were raised at three different temperatures from egg cases to adulthood then various parameters of flight were tested. Animals raised at cooler temperatures were found to require significantly stronger wind puffs to initiate flight than did animals raised in warmer temperatures. Some animals were raised at one temperature during embryonic development (i.e. while the animals were still in egg cases) and then switched to a different temperature for nymphal development. In these cases only the temperature experienced during embryonic development had a significant permanent effect on flight. Parameters associated with pattern generation such as interburst interval were not affected by temperature during either developmental period.
The Genetic Gymnastics of Our Indigenous Microbes

Bacteria indigenous to the human body are numerous and varied and dwell in multiple niches in skin and on mucosal surfaces; many niches are persistently colonized by one or more species, often for the host's life span. Such persistence implies an equilibrium in which the biologic cost of the colonization to the host is low.1 The colonizing organisms occupy all available niches, compete for nutrients and favored locations, and participate in communal activities, such as waste management and genetic exchange. Colonization of the stomach by Helicobacter pylori is an exception to these generalities because it can last for decades in . . .
Characterizing diabetic wound metabolism and microstructure using multi-photon microscopy

Through two-photon excited fluorescence and second harmonic generation imaging, quantitative optical biomarkers based on endogenous sources of contrast reveal differences in the structure and metabolic function of diabetic and non-diabetic wounds.
Impact of the 2005 coral bleaching event on Porites porites and Colpophyllia natans at Tektite Reef, US Virgin Islands

A thermal stress anomaly in 2005 caused mass coral bleaching at a number of north-east Caribbean reefs. The impact of the thermal stress event and subsequent White-plague disease type II on Porites porites and Colpophyllia natans was monitored using a time series of photographs from Tektite Reef, Virgin Islands National Park, St. John. Over 92% of the P. porites and 96% of the C. natans experienced extensive bleaching (>30% of colony bleached). During the study, 56% of P. porites and 42% of C. natans experienced whole-colony mortality within the sample plots. While all whole-colony mortality of P. porites was directly attributed to coral bleaching, the majority (82%) of the C. natans colonies that experienced total mortality initially showed signs of recovery from bleaching, before subsequently dying from White-plague disease type II.
Nonadiabatic coupling terms for the GVVPT2 variant of multireference perturbation theory

Abstract A Lagrangian based approach was used to obtain analytic formulas for nonadiabatic coupling terms within a multireference perturbation theory description of molecular electronic structure. Specifically, formulas were developed for the second-order generalized Van Vleck perturbation theory (GVVPT2) description of electron correlation. The formalism can use either complete or incomplete model (or reference) spaces, and is limited, in this regard, only by the capabilities of the MCSCF program. Of particular interest, the suggested formalism can straightforwardly use state-averaged MCSCF descriptions of the reference space in which the states have arbitrary weights. Since GVVPT2 wave functions are not strictly orthogonal, the definition of nonadiabatic coupling terms is untrivial and a perturbation-order consistent definition is suggested herein from which working equations are developed.
Effects of alprazolam dose on the induction and habituation processes during behavioral panic induction treatment

To determine the effects of alprazolam dose levels on psychophysiologic indices of panic induction and habituation during cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT), 24 patients with panic disorder completed 15 sessions of CBT, and were randomly assigned to either a minimal or moderate dose alprazolam condition. At pre-treatment, and at an early and late induction session, the magnitude and duration of physiologic changes (EMG, GSR, HR) were recorded during baseline relaxation, panic induction, and return to relaxation periods. Although dose conditions did not differ on the magnitude of physiologic change, patients in the moderate dose condition required significantly longer to obtain peak HR during panic induction and significantly less time to return to baseline HR than did the minimal dose condition. These physiologic differences, however, were not associated with treatment outcome. These results suggest that alprazolam may delay the process of panic induction during cognitive-behavioral treatment of panic disorder, but also appears to enhance the subsequent habituation process.
Far field somatosensory potentials in the rat.

Abstract Averaged somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in the rat were recorded from skull electrodes. The cortical component of the SEP was preceded by at least three low amplitude potentials. Surface distribution of these potentials, correlation with deoth recording from posterior columns, posterior column nuclei, inferior cerebellar peduncle, medial lemniscus, ventral posterior thalamus and sensory radiation, and the effect of brain stem and medullospinal transections on these potentials showed that: (1) All potentials preceding the cortical SEP are far field reflections of activity generated at a distance from the site of recording. (2) Component I originates in posterior columns. (3) Component II reflects summated activities in posterior column nuclei and medial lemniscus. (4) Anterior component III reflects summated activities in the ventral posterior thalamus and sensory radiation. (5) Posterior component III probably reflects activities originating in cerebellar pathways and cerebellum.