cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hematological Changes as Prognostic Indicators of Survival: Similarities Between Gottingen Minipigs, Humans, and Other Large Animal Models

Abstract : Background: The animal efficacy rule addressing development of drugs for selected disease categories has pointed out the need to develop alternative large animal models. Based on this rule, the pathophysiology of the disease in the animal model must be well characterized and must reflect that in humans. So far, manifestations of the acute radiation syndrome (ARS) have been extensively studied only in two large animal models, the non-human primate (NHP) and the canine. We are evaluating the suitability of the minipig as an additional large animal model for development of radiation countermeasures. We have previously shown that the Gottingen minipig manifests hematopoietic ARS phases and symptoms similar to those observed in canines, NHPs, and humans. Principal Findings: We establish here the LD50/30 dose (radiation dose at which 50% of the animals succumb within 30 days), and show that at this dose the time of nadir and the duration of cytopenia resemble those observed for NHP and canines, and mimic closely the kinetics of blood cell depletion and recovery in human patients with reversible hematopoietic damage (H3 category, METREPOL approach). No signs of GI damage in terms of diarrhea or shortening of villi were observed at doses up to 1.9 Gy. Platelet counts at days 10 and 14, number of days to reach critical platelet values duration of thrombocytopenia, neutrophil stress response at 3 hours and count at 14 days, and CRP-to-platelet ratio were correlated with survival. The ratios between neutrophils, lymphocytes and platelets were significantly correlated with exposure to irradiation at different time intervals. Significance: As a non-rodent animal model, the minipig offers a useful alternative to NHP and canines, with attractive features including ARS resembling human ARS, cost, and regulatory acceptability. Use of the minipig may allow accelerated development of radiation countermeasures.
Caspase 3 cleavage of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor does not contribute to apoptotic calcium release

An important role in the regulation of apoptotic calcium release is played by the ubiquitously expressed family of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) channels. One model for IP3R activation during apoptosis is cleavage by the apoptotic protease caspase 3. Here we show that early elevations in cytosolic calcium during apoptosis do not require caspase 3 activity. We detected a robust increase in calcium levels in response to staurosporine treatment in primary human fibroblasts and HeLa cells in the presence of the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD, indicating that calcium release during the initiation of apoptosis occurs independently of caspase 3. Similar results were obtained with MCF-7 cells which lack caspase 3 expression. Stable expression of caspase 3 in MCF-7 cells and TAT-based transduction of the active recombinant caspase 3 directly into living MCF-7 cells had marginal effects on the early events leading to cytosolic calcium elevations and irreversible commitment to apoptotic cell death. Significantly, blocking IP3 binding to the IP3R with an IP3 sponge resulted in suppression of staurosporine-induced calcium release and cell death. Collectively, our results suggest that generation of IP3 is sufficient for the initiation of apoptotic calcium signaling, and caspase 3-mediated truncation of IP3R channel is a consequence, not causative, of apoptotic calcium release.
Sermons Before Parliament (1640–1649) As A Public Puritan Diary

The publication thirty years ago by M. M. Knappen of the diaries of Richard Rogers and Samuel Ward called attention to the puritan diary as a means of understanding puritan character. These were two examples of rather frequently kept journals in which pious diarists of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century made a careful account of both their moral successes and failures together with those events in their lives which were signs of God's judgment or favor. Such records provided for the authors a basis upon which meaningful decision could be made as they looked after the affairs of their mortal lives.
Autofluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of oral epithelial tissue using a depth-sensitive fiber-optic probe

Optical spectroscopy can provide useful diagnostic information about the morphological and biochemical changes related to the progression of precancer in epithelial tissue. As precancerous lesions develop, the optical properties of both the superficial epithelium and underlying stroma are altered; measuring spectral data as a function of depth has the potential to improve diagnostic performance. We describe a clinical spectroscopy system with a depth-sensitive, ball lens coupled fiber-optic probe for noninvasive in vivo measurement of oral autofluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectra. We report results of spectroscopic measurements from oral sites in normal volunteers and in patients with neoplastic lesions of the oral mucosa; results indicate that the addition of depth selectivity can enhance the detection of optical changes associated with precancer.
Lewis H. Morgan on Iroquois Material Culture

Lewis H. Morgan on Iroquois Material Culture. ELISABETH TOOKER. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1994. xvii + 325 pp., figures, Illustrations, appendixes, notes, bibliography, index.
A scanning electron microscope stage for crystal orientation and structure determination

On emploie la technique de retrodiffusion d'electrons. Application au cas de Fe-3,25% poids Si
Small-angle x-ray scattering from polyethylene

A new theoretical model for the description of small-angle x-ray scattering from oriented polymer systems is developed and intensity functions are derived. The scattering system considered can be represented by a set of stacks of approximately parallel lamellae where the stack dimensions are assumed large in comparison with correlation distances within the stacks. Each point within the sample is envisioned as being surrounded by such a domain, so the theory is based on a concept of continuously varying local conditions. Fluctuations in the local lamellar distribution parameters are taken into account through a gross disorder parameter which specifies a spread in the local mean long periods. In addition, a long-range disorder parameter has been included as a measure of the randomness of the actual amorphous layer spacings about the local mean lamellar spacing within each lamellar stack. Important characteristics of the diffraction curves such as the peak positions, heights, and widths; the number of observable orders; and the higher-angle behavior allow one to obtain the mean lamellar spacing, the fluctuation parameters, and the effective widths of the refractive index perturbations associated with the amorphous regions. The number of lamellae that scatter x-rays coherently can be predicted with ease. We show that geometric corrections are negligible for oriented samples. In addition, the Lorentz correction is shown to be unnecessary in all cases. We have measured diffraction patterns for polyethylene (PE) precipitated from solution using a Kratky system. Good agreement between theoretical and experimental results on PE 87 and PE 91 is achieved for three-parameter fits. Finally, we have considered non-Gaussian distributions of the local mean long periods, with excellent results being generated for a slightly positively skewed three-Gaussian distribution.
Influence of glass structure on the ac conductivity of alkali phosphate glasses

The conductivity dispersion in several alkali phosphate glasses is examined as the glass structure changes from an interconnected 'mesh' network to one of phosphate chains cross-linked by alkali ions. For metaphosphate glasses the dispersion varies in response to the size of the mobile ion relative to the mean spacing between phosphate chains. Preliminary work on ultraphosphate glasses suggests this 'constriction' effect largely disappears as the chain structure is replaced by a mesh structure. However, some puzzling changes in the conductivity dispersion with respect to alkali ion size remain. It is suggested that these changes may be related to a 're-polymerization' mechanism thought to occur in phosphate glasses.
Dynamics of event-related potentials to trains of light and dark flashes: responses to missing and extra stimuli in elasmobranch fish.

To characterize the dependencies of event-related potentials (ERPs) in lower vertebrates and brain levels upon recent history and sequences of stimuli, trains of flashes were delivered at various frequencies to unanesthetized rays while recording in optic tectum and telencephalon. ERPs to repetitive stimuli cannot be understood in terms of simple refractoriness and recovery. Processes must be invoked such as simultaneous excitation and suppression, facilitation and its opposite, rebound and induced rhythms, each with development and decay times and non-linearities. Some of these processes are uncovered by omitting a stimulus from a train. Omitted stimulus potentials (OSPs) act as though the brain expects a stimulus within 5-7 msec of the interstimulus interval (ISI) of the train. Very few ISIs suffice. The effect upon visual evoked potential (VEP) form and duration of the number of stimuli in short trains, before the steady state response (SSR) is established, is complex. Alternation of the amplitude of successive VEPs (1 large every 2 VEPs, 1 in 3, 1 in 4) is one indication of complexities in the SSR. OSPs also alternate. A single extra stimulus interpolated into a regular train causes distinct effects according to its position. Sharp discontinuities in these effects appear with 1 sec). We predict further similarities when each taxon is tested in the other ISI range. A major category of response characteristics, besides sensitivity, receptive fields and recovery times, is dependence upon recent history of iterative events, including intervals, delays omissions and perhaps multiple facilitating and forgetting time constants. The variables examined parametrically in this study are only some of those available. Such dynamical characteristics are important neglected properties of afferent systems at each level.
The interlace polynomial: a new graph polynomial

We define a new graph polynomial, the interlace polynomial, for any undirected graph. Also, we show how to count Euler circuits and circuitdecompositions for any directed or undirected Eulerian graph, by a straightforward reduction formula. For 2-in, 2-out directed graphs D, any Euler circuit induces an undirected "interlace" graph H, and there is a close relationship between the number of circuit decompositions of D and the interlace polynomial of H. We explore this relationship, and properties of the interlace polynomial in general.
Bioorganometallic chemistry: synthesis, structure, and molecular recognition chemistry of (η5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium–DNA/RNA complexes in water

Abstract A review of the aqueous bioorganometallic chemisty of DNA/RNA nucleobases and of the co-factor, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, with an (η5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium aqua complex, [Cp*Rh(H2O)3](OTf)2, at various pH values, will be presented. The unique structures of the Cp*Rh complexes with adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide bioligands were determined by a combination of 1H- and 31P-NMR, ESI/MS, and single crystal X-ray crystallography. Competitive reactivity studies, principally with the more reactive adenine and guanine derivatives, showed the important bonding characteristics with these nucleobases, while a novel cyclic trimer structure with 9-substituted adenine derivatives provided a new supramolecular receptor for molecular recognition studies with a variety of biologically important guests.
Discovery versus translation: do we need different strategies?

249 ISSN 1758-1869 10.2217/PMT.13.21 © 2013 Future Medicine Ltd Pain Manage. (2013) 3(4), 249–252 There is little doubt that we have experienced far too many quiet moments when it comes to talking about the success of translational pain research. Over the past 5 years a number of articles have been written explaining how good we are at preclinical discovery, and yet, over a period of nearly two decades, we have little to show for it in terms of significant clinical advances in the development of more effective interventions [1]. Perhaps the most compelling commentary on this topic is the growing economic burden of pain and the staggering number of people, from young adults to the elderly, affected by chronic pain [2,3]. These statistics beg the question: if our research strategy is on the right track, then why are the economic and prevalence metrics escalating at a rate faster than at any time in history and why are providers relying on the same basic drug classes to treat pain that have been in place for over a decade? Given a not-so-successful track record in translational research, one is tempted to ask the question, “Are we really that stubborn?” or, as some have asked, “Are we just smart people making dumb mistakes?” working with the hope that if we keep plugging away we will eventually discover a magic bullet. First, we need to appreciate the fact that when dealing with chronic pain there are no magic bullets. Second, we should acknowledge that our basic strategy of problem-solving, starting with the development and assessment of preclinical models right through to the design of clinical trials, hasn’t changed significantly in 20 years. When one considers that all preclinical models of chronic pain reliably produce the desired behavioral effects, and that these models have provided a much improved understanding of the putative mechanisms responsible for different pain conditions, the obvious question is “why has not all the research productivity been validated with a positive clinical outcome?” One possible answer is that for all the discoveries we have made studying pain in rodents, there seems to be little evidence of meaningful parallels with the human condition. It is also possible that what we have been studying for the past 30 years applies primarily to acute pain and that all preclinical models are distant relatives to the more clinically relevant condition of chronic pain. One cannot avoid the unthinkable possibility that we might also
Preventive immunization of aged and juvenile non-human primates to beta-amyloid

Background: Immunization against beta-amyloid (Aβ) is a promising approach for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, but the optimal timing for the vaccination remains to be determined. Preventive immunization approaches may be more efficacious and associated with fewer side-effects; however, there is only limited information available from primate models about the effects of preclinical vaccination on brain amyloid composition and the neuroinflammatory milieu. Methods: Ten non-human primates (NHP) of advanced age (18–26 years) and eight 2-year-old juvenile NHPs were immunized at 0, 2, 6, 10 and 14 weeks with aggregated Aβ42 admixed with monophosphoryl lipid A as adjuvant, and monitored for up to 6 months. Anti-Aβ antibody levels and immune activation markers were assessed in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid samples before and at several time-points after immunization. Microglial activity was determined by [ 11 C]PK11195 PET scans acquired before and after immunization, and by post-mortem immunohistochemical and real-time PCR evaluation. Aβ oligomer composition was assessed by immunoblot analysis in the frontal cortex of aged immunized and non-immunized control animals. Results: All juvenile animals developed a strong and sustained serum anti-Aβ IgG antibody response, whereas only 80 % of aged animals developed detectable antibodies. The immune response in aged monkeys was more delayed and significantly weaker, and was also more variable between animals. Pre- and post-immunization [ 11 C]PK11195 PET scans showed no evidence of vaccine-related microglial activation. Post-mortem brain tissue analysis indicated a low overall amyloid burden, but revealed a significant shift in oligomer size with an increase in the dimer:pentamer ratio in aged immunized animals compared with non-immunized controls (P<0.01). No differences were seen in microglial density or expression of classical and alternative microglial activation markers between immunized and control animals. Conclusions: Our results indicate that preventive Aβ immunization is a safe therapeutic approach lacking adverse CNS immune system activation or other serious side-effects in both aged and juvenile NHP cohorts. A significant shift in the composition of soluble oligomers towards smaller species might facilitate removal of toxic Aβ species from the brain.
Behavioral Responses of Laricobius spp. and Hybrids (Coleoptera: Derodontidae) to Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and Adelgid Host Tree Odors in an Olfactometer

ABSTRACT The predatory species Laricobius nigrinus (Fender) and Laricobius osakensis (Shiyake and Montgomery) (Coleoptera: Derodontidae) have been released for biological control of hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae; Hemiptera: Adelgidae) in eastern North America. L. osakensis is native to Japan, whereas L. nigrinus is endemic to the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada. After release, L. nigrinus was found to hybridize with the native eastern species, Laricobius rubidus (LeConte). The purpose of this study is to observe prey location behaviors of these three Laricobius species and L. nigrinus × L. rubidus (Ln × Lr) hybrids. Olfactometer bioassays were used to test response to host odors of adelgid-infested eastern hemlock, uninfested eastern hemlock, and uninfested eastern white pine. Predators reacted in the olfactometer more quickly when adelgid-infested foliage was included as a choice. L. nigrinus preferred infested eastern hemlock over uninfested eastern white pine, and L. rubidus ...
Marfan's Syndrome and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm— A Case Report

This patient's course documents the successful repair of an abdominal aor tic aneurysm in a sixty-two-year-old man with Marfan's syndrome. Marfan's syndrome, a connective tissue disorder, is common...
Diagnostic Evaluation of Short Children with Height 3 SD or More Below the Mean

Most children who are more than 2 SD below the mean in height (less than third percentile) have no definable cause and are considered short-normal, but for children who are 3 SD below the mean (the lowest 0.13%), the prevalence of organic disease is known to be considerably greater. To better define the frequency of different diagnoses in this subgroup and to identify useful clinical findings, we reviewed the charts of all children referred for growth evaluation over a 10-year period who were > or = -3 SD in height, > 2 years old, and prepubertal. Of 60 patients (36 males and 24 females), 22% had constitutional growth delay (CGD), 23% had growth hormone deficiency (GHD), 13% had Turner syndrome, and 22% had various forms of primary growth failure (mostly associated with intrauterine growth retardation). Eight percent had very slow growth over a prolonged period but no definable cause, and 12% did not fall into any of the above groups. For differentiating GHD from CGD, a subnormal height velocity for age during a 4- to 12-month observation period, a low insulin-like growth factor-1/somatomedin C (IGF-1/Sm-C), and low total or free T4, with normal TSH, were all highly predictive of a diagnosis of GHD.
Nested clade analyses of phylogeographic data: Testing hypotheses about gene flow and population history

Since the 1920s, population geneticists have had measures that describe how genetic variation is distributed spatially within a species’ geographical range. Modern genetic survey techniques frequently yield information on the evolutionary relationships among the alleles or haplotypes as well as information on allele frequencies and their spatial distributions. This evolutionary information is often expressed in the form of an estimated haplotype or allele tree. Traditional statistics of population structure, such as F statistics, do not make use of evolutionary genealogical information, so it is necessary to develop new statistical estimators and tests that explicitly incorporate information from the haplotype tree. One such technique is to use the haplotype tree to define a nested series of branches (clades), thereby allowing an evolutionary nested analysis of the spatial distribution of genetic variation. Such a nested analysis can be performed regarding the geographical sampling locations either as categorical or continuous variables (i.e. some measure of spatial distance). It is shown that such nested phylogeographical analyses have more power to detect geographical associations than traditional, nonhistorical analyses and, as a consequence, allow a broader range of gene-flow parameters to be estimated in a precise fashion. More importantly, such nested analyses can discriminate between phylogeographical associations due to recurrent but restricted gene flow vs. historical events operating at the population level (e.g. past fragmentation, colonization, or range expansion events). Restricted gene flow and historical events can be intertwined, and the cladistic analyses can reconstruct their temporal juxtapositions, thereby yielding great insight into both the evolutionary history and population structure of the species. Examples are given that illustrate these properties, concentrating on the detection of range expansion events.
Robot Applications in Laboratory-Learning Environment

This paper presents the use of a programmable five-axis robot in the laboratory-learning environment. The three applications presented and discussed are machine loading and unloading, kindergarten painting, and Kool-Aid mixing. The machine loading and unloading application consists of integrating the robot arm with a CNC machining center by designing and fabricating an automatic clamping device to hold the part that is being machined, designing and building a control system to operate the clamping device in automatic or manual control mode, and programming the robot arm and the CNC machining center for automatic loading and unloading the parts and machining the part respectively. The kindergarten painting consists of programming the robot arm to paint the first letter of four students' first names, spelling "KATE". A significant element of this application was to design and fabricate a fixture to house the paint containers and other apparatus interfacing with the robot. The design requirements for the fixture were to effectively house four containers for storing paints and water, and to be stable so that there was no risk of spillage. The fixture was created in 3-D, solid modeling computer software and was fabricated out of wood using a drill press. Then the robot was programmed to paint "KATE" in four different colors - yellow, red, blue, and purple. The Kool-Aid mixing application consists of designing and building a fixture to hold a cup for Kool-Aid mix, cup for sugar, bottle of water, a mixing cup, and a spoon. The fixture was placed directly in the center of the table in front of the robot. Then the robot was programmed to make a cup of Kool-Aid in approximately 3 minutes. These robot-based laboratory experiences enrich student learning, while teaching professional engineering skills necessary for careers in automation, manufacturing, and design.
The perception of 3-D structure from contradictory optical patterns

Two experiments investigated observers’ perceptions of 3-D structure when optical sources of information were contradictory. When motion and stereoscopic disparities specified different surfaces, the perceptual outcome depended strongly on the direction of curvature present within each modality. Previous research has shown that the perception of surface slant and curvature is anisotropic for both motion and stereo and that it depends on the direction in which it takes place. In the present experiments, the modality with the “effective” direction of curvature tended to dominate or suppress the perception of surfaces in the other modality with less effective curvatures. The results have implications for models which attempt to combine 3-D data from different optical sources.
Sunglint impact on atmospheric soundings from hyperspectral resolution infrared radiances

The mid-wave infrared band (3–5 µm) has been widely used for atmospheric soundings. The sunglint impact on the atmospheric parameter retrieval using this band has been neglected because the reflected radiances in this band are significantly less than those in the visible band. In this study, an investigation of sunglint impact on the atmospheric soundings was conducted with Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder observation data from 1 July to 7 July 2007 over the Atlantic Ocean. The impact of sunglint can lead to a brightness temperature increase of 1.0 K for the surface sensitive sounding channels near 4.58 µm. This contamination can indirectly cause a positive bias of 4 g kg−1 in the water vapor retrieval near the ocean surface, and it can be corrected by simply excluding those contaminated channels.
Design of a cascaded frequency selective surface as a dichroic subreflector

The frequency selective surface (FSS) is often used as a filter for electromagnetic radiation to separate the S- and K-band feed in a communication satellite. The problem of synthesizing such a multifrequency-band FSS as a subreflector in a communication satellite antenna system that covers the frequency range of 2-30 GHz is considered. The reflection and transmission properties of FSS screens are calculated using the spectral-Galerkin method in conjunction with the cascading technique. The frequency responses of one-layer, two-layer, and three-layer screens are shown. The frequency response of a four-legged FSS was also computed. It is shown that the square-aperture-type FSS performs better than the four-legged configuration. >
Economic dispatch and optimal sizing of battery energy storage systems in utility load-leveling operations

Battery energy storage (BES) systems show promise of savings for both the utility and the customer. An algorithm combining multi-pass dynamic programming (MPDP) with a time-shift technique has been developed for two purposes: economic dispatch of BES; and finding optimal BES power and energy capacities in a power system. Due to the daily cyclic nature of the load curve, a 168-hour load curve is decomposed into seven 24-hour subsections for easy management. Each subsection is treated independently. Decomposition can save computation time and computer memory. A time-shift technique provides better starting state values and improves the finding process of the MPDP approach. The Kansas City Power and Light system is used as an example to test this algorithm. The results obtained in this research have been compared with those from EPRI's DYNASTORE with reasonable discrepancy.
Exciton Self-Trapping in ZnSe/ZnTe Superlattice Structures

The growth by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and the optical and structural characterization of a variety of wide bandgap II–VI compound semiconductors have attracted much attention in the last few years; a review of these new II–VI compound semiconductor superlattices can be found in reference 1. Multiple quantum well and superlattice structures incorporating layers of the diluted magnetic (or semimagnetic) semiconductors (DMS) provide bandgap modulation while exhibiting novel phenomenon arising from the presence of the magnetic ion. Subtlties arising from the exchange interaction between the magnetic ions and band electrons in an external magnetic field provide additional insight into the spatial distribution of carrier wavefunctions in structures of atomic dimensions. In one example, this novel diagnostic tool allows determination of valence band offset in the II–VI DMS strained-layer superlattice structures.
Comparison of high-resolution and tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of nerve agent metabolites in urine

Rationale Although use is prohibited, concerns remain for human exposure to nerve agents during decommissioning, research, and warfare. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was compared to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis for the quantitation of five urinary metabolites specific to VX, Russian VX, soman, sarin and cyclosarin nerve agents. The HRMS method was further evaluated for qualitative screening of metabolites not included in the test panel.
Methods to increase electrical breakdown threshold of polystyrene insulators

This paper discusses experimental studies conducted to determine the effects of methods used to increase the electrical stress limit of polystyrene dielectric samples. Surfaces of samples were laser annealed to create a more uniform surface and decrease voids where charge may accumulate. Geometry of the dielectric samples were considered with the aim of reducing electric field intensity at the triple point formed by the cathode, dielectric, and ambient environment, which in the presence of a strong electric field can become a source for electron emission. The dielectric samples were subjected to high voltage stress via a custom built partial discharge analyzer (PDA) capable of delivering 40 kVac, 20 kVdc or ac superimposed on dc. Preliminary results have shown that annealing of the surface has increased the hold-off voltage of the dielectric samples in comparison to benchmark samples that were not annealed. Studies have shown that reduction of the electric field intensity at the triple point can increase the voltage at which secondary electron emission avalanche initiates, which is widely agreed upon as the process preceding the onset of surface flashover. Experimental results are discussed and related to factors of interest including electric field intensity at the triple point, flashover hold off voltage and correlation with methods applied.
Segmentation of seafloor sidescan imagery using Markov random fields and neural networks

Segmentation of seafloor acoustic imagery is of great importance in a wide range of applications. Although considerable successes have been achieved, a critical issue in this domain is the lack of reliable 2D image models from which segmentation and related processing can consistently proceed. The authors describe a nonparametric algorithm for the segmentation of seafloor sidescan imagery (SSI) based on a combination of Markov random fields and multiple layer perceptrons (MLP). SSI, which is considerably noisy and textured, is embodied by a hierarchy of Gibbs distributions. Segmentation of SSI is then considered as a maximum a posteriori estimation. To obtain better estimates of local likelihoods, an MLP is adopted for learning the distribution of observations from training data. Experimental results using data from a Pacific midocean ridge area are demonstrated. >
Cardiac Myocytes Expressing Disease-Causing Mutant Plakoglobin Exhibit Alterations in Mechanotransduction

Introduction: Mechanotransduction is the process by which cells couple their external and internal environments by transducing mechanical stimuli into a biochemical response. While this process is responsible for regulating cell fate through gene expression (i.e. - c-myc, c-fos, etc.), it remains incompletely characterized in cardiac myocytes. Our previous work demonstrated that primary neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM) respond to mechanical shear stress via junctional remodeling of plakoglobin (JUP) and N-cadherin (NC). Here, we study myocyte mechanotransduction by investigating ERK phosphorylation, c-myc & c-fos gene regulation; we also investigate the effects of inhibiting primary cilia in NRVM, one potential mechanism for transduction of mechanical stimuli.Methods: NRVM were transfected with adenoviruses to express either of two different mutations in JUP (2057del2 & S39_K40insS) which cause arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Primary cilia were inhibited by transfecting NRVM with siRNA against intraflagellar transport protein 88 (IFT88). NRVM were sheared under oscillatory flow in a parallel-plate shear chamber at physiologically-relevant shear stresses (forces in the plane of the cell layer that mimic those in contracting myocardium; 0.06 Pascal). Samples were subsequently stained and imaged on an Olympus IX-81 confocal microscope using quantitative confocal microscopy. Immunoblotting was performed on NRVM lysates separated by PAGE.Conclusions: We demonstrate that ERK phosphorylation, and c-myc & c-fos regulation are unaffected by mutant JUP expression. Our previous results indicate that cardiac myocytes are responsive to shear stimuli, and undergo junctional remodeling of both NC and JUP under oscillatory shear, a phenomenon absent in cells expressing ARVC-causing mutant JUP. Interestingly, knockdown of IFT88 does not have a dramatic effect on junctional remodeling; these results suggest that the role of primary cilia in cardiomyocyte shear sensing is varied and does not affect all shear-dependent pathways.
Complex dynamics: an informal discussion

This paper is an informal introduction to the theory of complex-analytic dynamical systems. We survey the general theory, and then discuss two important classes of examples — quadratics and Newton’s method. We also present the Douady-Hubbard theory of polynomial-like mappings.
How Hospitality Students Develop Perceptions of Potential Employers A Post-internet Update

This 2003 study repeats and extends a 1997 investigation of how students perceive hospitality organizations as prospective employers. Using structural equation modeling, the study confirmed five factors to examine the relationship between the factors and the likelihood of employment in eight industry segments. The greatest difference between the 1997 findings and those of 2003 is the rise of the Internet in guiding students’ attitudes toward various industry segments. With regard to quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and private clubs, company-sponsored events particularly improve the likelihood of that a student will accept employment in those segments. Word of mouth and experience as a customer, on the other hand, can decrease a student’s interest in working in economy hotels and QSRs (even though direct work experience improves notice for those two segments). Ironically, the personal recruiting visit seems to have less influence on employment decisions than one might expect.
Characterization of Fetal Urogenital Sinus-Induced Prostatic Hyperplasia in the Mouse: Time Course, Hormonal Requirement, Age Dependency, and Responsiveness of Various Adult Organs to Growth Induction by Fetal Urogenital Sinus Tissues'

Mouse prostatic hyperplasia can be induced experimentally by the direct implantation of fetal urogenital sinus (UGS) or its mesenchyme (UGM) tissue in situ. This study characterized the time course, the requirement of sex steroids, and the optimal ages of donor and host tissues necessary to induce the maximal overgrowth of the adult mouse prostate gland in this model system. To test the potential uses of these fetal inductors as general growth-promoting substances for other adult organs, we have also tested directly the activity of fetal UGS in several non-UGS-derived adult organs, These results were compared with the growth-promoting effect achieved by fetal UGM in order to gain further insight into the relative contribution of UGS/UGM in the overall growth responses. Peak DNA synthesis in the implanted prostate occurred at three time periods-Days 4, 7-16, and 35. At Day 4, DNA synthesis may have reflected tissue repair following surgical trauma, but the DNA synthesis on Days 7-16 and 35 is attributable to growth of the chimeric (enlarged) prostate gland. Initiation and maintenance of hyperplasia required testicular androgens. Exogenous testosterone propionate (1 75 pg/day) did not induce additional prostatic overgrowth in intact, sexually mature hosts, but promoted additional overgrowth in immature and pubertal hosts. Exogenous estrogen (1 7p-estradiol dipropionate, 20 pg/day) inhibited fetal UGSinduced prostatic overgrowth by inhibiting the hypothalamicpituitary-testicular axis. UGS derived from fetuses of Days 14, 16, or 18 of gestation had similar growth-inductive capability in intact adult hosts, but this capability was restricted soon after birth. Age of the fetal UGM inductor, rather than age of the responding host prostate gland, determined the ultimate growth potential of the tissue recombinants composed of fetal UGM and adult prostate gland. Direct implantation of fetal UGS or UGM to the ventral prostate gland, the coagulating gland, and the seminal vesicle but not the salivary gland, testis, or urinary bladder induced the overgrowth of the host's organ. The lack of growth response in the intact urinary bladder may be explained by the inhibitory action of intact neural innervation and the blood supply to the intact host organ. When neural and blood supply to urinary bladder was severed, such as the case of tissue recombination, fetal UGM induced the urinary bladder to grow and undergo prostatic morphogenesis. As expected, fetal UGM induced growth in the ventral prostate and seminal vesicles but not in skeletal muscle, lung, salivary gland and testis obtained from adult male mice in tissue recombinants.
Resistance, Remission, and Qualitative Differences in HIV Chemotherapy

To understand the role of qualitative differences in multidrug chemotherapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in virus remission and drug resistance, we designed a mathematical system that models HIV multidrug chemotherapy including uninfected CD4+ T cells, infected CD4+ T cells, and virus populations. The model, which includes the latent and progressive stages of the disease and introduces chemotherapy, is a system of differential equations describing the interaction of two distinct classes of HIV (drug-sensitive [wild type] and drug-resistant [mutant]) with lymphocytes in the peripheral blood; the external lymphoid system contributes to the viral load. The simulations indicate that to preclude resistance, antiviral drugs must be strong enough and act fast enough to drive the viral population below a threshold level. The threshold depends upon the capacity of the virus to mutate to strains resistant to the drugs. Above the threshold, mutant strains rapidly replace wild-type strains. Below the threshold, resistant strains do not become established, and remission occurs. An important distinction between resistance and remission is the reduction of viral production in the external lymphoid system. Also the virus population rapidly rebounds when treatment is stopped even after extended periods of remission.
Adaptive multi-robot wide-area exploration and mapping

The exploration problem is a central issue in mobile robotics. A complete terrain coverage is not practical if the environment is large with only a few small hotspots. This paper presents an adaptive multi-robot exploration strategy that is novel in performing both wide-area coverage and hotspot sampling using non-myopic path planning. As a result, the environmental phenomena can be accurately mapped. It is based on a dynamic programming formulation, which we call the Multi-robot Adaptive Sampling Problem (MASP). A key feature of MASP is in covering the entire adaptivity spectrum, thus allowing strategies of varying adaptivity to be formed and theoretically analyzed in their performance; a more adaptive strategy improves mapping accuracy. We apply MASP to sampling the Gaussian and log-Gaussian processes, and analyze if the resulting strategies are adaptive and maximize wide-area coverage and hotspot sampling. Solving MASP is non-trivial as it comprises continuous state components. So, it is reformulated for convex analysis, which allows discrete-state monotone-bounding approximation to be developed. We provide a theoretical guarantee on the policy quality of the approximate MASP (aMASP) for using in MASP. Although aMASP can be solved exactly, its state size grows exponentially with the number of stages. To alleviate this computational difficulty, anytime algorithms are proposed based on aMASP, one of which can guarantee its policy quality for MASP in real time.
Psychiatric Nosology Is Ready for a Paradigm Shift in DSM‐V

Data since 1980 demonstrate that the DSM-III model requires revisions in its assumptions and format. Problems inherent in the DSM-III model are considered and a paradigm shift toward a mixed categorical-dimensional classification system for DSM-V is recommended. This will reduce comorbidity, allow symptom weighting, introduce noncriterion symptoms, eliminate NOS categories, and provide new directions to biological researchers. We suggest reevaluating the threshold concept and use of quality-of-life assessment. A framework for such a revision is presented. Drawbacks to change include retraining of clinicians, administrative and policy changes, and possible reinterpretation of data collected under the DSM-III model. Nevertheless, clinicians and clinical researchers are ready for a diagnostic system that more accurately reflects the patients that they treat and study. © 2009 American Psychological Association.
Release Mechanisms for Slow- and Controlled-release Fertilizers and Strategies for Their Use in Vegetable Production

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. tomato, citrus, potato, fumigated soils SUMMARY. Fertilizer material costs, particularly nitrogen (N), have increased substantially over the past 5 years. Increased costs, along with increased awareness of the impact of fertilizer leaching on the environment in humid regions, have increased interest in use of slow-release fertilizer (SRF) or controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) materials. The goals of SRF and CRF use are that no nutrient should be limiting for crop uptake, there should be improved nutrient uptake efficiency, and nutrient-leaching potential should be reduced. These considerations are particularly important for crops grown on sandy soils with relatively low nutrient and water holding capacities. Release rates of biodegradable, or slowreleasematerials,suchurea formaldehyde,isobutylidenediurea,andmethyleneurea are proportional to soil microbial activity and are therefore soil temperature dependent. These materials are N sources and depend on soil biological activity, thus, soil temperature during specific crop growth phenology must be considered and release may be delayed by soil fumigation. Whereas CRFs depend on diffusion through coatings and not biodegradation, both are soil moisture and temperature dependent. Examples of coated materials are sulfur-coated urea, polymer-coated urea, and polymer/sulfur-coated urea. The advantage of these materials is that leachable fertilizer elements other than N can be incorporated within the coating. However, this comes at an increased cost. The use of any single or combination of these materials depends on time of year, the length of crop cycle and crop nutrient demand patterns, and the use of soil fumigants.
Structural Basis for Iron-Mediated Sulfur Transfer in Archael and Yeast Thiazole Synthases.

Thiamin diphosphate is an essential cofactor in all forms of life and plays a key role in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. Its biosynthesis involves separate syntheses of the pyrimidine and thiazole moieties, which are then coupled to form thiamin monophosphate. A final phosphorylation produces the active form of the cofactor. In most bacteria, six gene products are required for biosynthesis of the thiamin thiazole. In yeast and fungi only one gene product, Thi4, is required for thiazole biosynthesis. Methanococcus jannaschii expresses a putative Thi4 ortholog that was previously reported to be a ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate synthase [Finn, M. W. and Tabita, F. R. (2004) J. Bacteriol., 186, 6360–6366]. Our structural studies show that the Thi4 orthologs from M. jannaschii and Methanococcus igneus are structurally similar to Thi4 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, all active site residues are conserved except for a key cysteine residue, which in S. cerevisiae is the source of the thiazole sulf...
Safety profile of dirithromycin

Dirithromycin is a recently developed oral antibiotic, and has been shown to be effective in the treatment of respiratory tract, skin and soft tissue infections. Dirithromycin is administered once daily which may contribute to patient compliance. In this paper we review the data from studies conducted in Europe, USA, Israel and South Africa over a six-year period to assess the safety and efficacy of dirithromycin in the treatment of a variety of acute infectious illnesses, and to compare it with structurally related antibiotics (erythromycin base, roxithromycin, and miocamycin) given orally. A total of 7437 patients have been enrolled from a total of 66 studies and trials, 4263 (57.3%) treated with dirithromycin and 3174 (42.7%) treated with a comparator antibiotic. Patients received either 500 mg dirithromycin (two tablets once daily), 1000 mg erythromycin base (250 mg qid), 300 mg roxithromycin (150 mg bid), or 1200 miocamycin (600 mg bid); the length of therapy ranged from 7 to 14 days. These studies have shown that dirithromycin has a safety profile similar to the comparator agents. The most frequently reported adverse events for both dirithromycin and comparator treatment groups were gastrointestinal in nature. The majority (99%) of adverse events reported from patients treated with dirithromycin were considered mild or moderate in severity. Early discontinuation of antibiotic therapy was infrequent (3-4%) in both treatment groups, and considered to be possibly drug-related in 2-3% of the population. The safety profile of dirithromycin in elderly patients was comparable to that recorded in the overall patient population. The incidence and nature of abnormal clinical laboratory evaluation were similar in dirithromycin and comparator groups. Notable alterations in laboratory tests of haematological or hepatic function were infrequent and were not associated with clinical manifestations. Routine monitoring of standard clinical laboratory tests in patients prescribed dirithromycin does not appear to be necessary.
The effects of invertebrate herbivores on plant population growth: a meta-regression analysis

Over the last two decades, an increasing number of studies have quantified the effects of herbivory on plant populations using stage-structured population models and integral projection models, allowing for the calculation of plant population growth rates (λ) with and without herbivory. In this paper, I assembled 29 studies and conducted a meta-regression to determine the importance of invertebrate herbivores to population growth rates (λ) while accounting for missing data. I found that invertebrate herbivory often induced important reductions in plant population growth rates (with herbivory, λ was 1.08 ± 0.36; without herbivory, λ was 1.28 ± 0.58). This relationship tended to be weaker for seed predation than for other types of herbivory, except when seed predation rates were very high. Even so, the amount by which studies reduced herbivory was a poor predictor of differences in population growth rates—which strongly cautions against using measured herbivory rates as a proxy for the impact of herbivores. Herbivory reduced plant population growth rates significantly more when potential growth rates were high, which helps to explain why there was less variation in actual population growth rates than in potential population growth rates. The synthesis of these studies also shows the need for future studies to report variance in estimates of λ and to quantify how λ varies as a function of plant density.