cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies on Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor-1 and Ligands Colony Stimulating Factor-1 and Interleukin-34 in Alzheimer's Disease Brains and Human Microglia.

Microglia are dependent on signaling through the colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R/CD115) for growth and survival. Activation of CSF-1R can lead to cell division, while blocking CSF-1R can lead to rapid microglia cell death. CSF-1R has two ligands, the growth factors colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) and the more recently identified interleukin-34 (IL-34). Studies of IL-34 activation of rodent microglia and human macrophages have suggested it has different properties to CSF-1, resulting in an anti-inflammatory reparative phenotype. The goal of this study was to identify if the responses of human postmortem brain microglia to IL-34 differed from their responses to CSF-1 with the aim of identifying different phenotypes of microglia as a result of their responses. To approach this question, we also sought to identify differences between IL-34, CSF-1 and CSF-1R expression in human brain samples to establish whether there was an imbalance in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Using human brain samples (inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) and middle temporal gyrus (MTG)) from distinct cohorts of AD, control and high pathology or mild cognitive impairment cases, we showed that there was increased expression of CSF-1R and CSF-1 mRNAs in both series of AD cases, and reduced expression of IL-34 mRNA in AD ITG samples. There was no change in expression of these genes in RNA from cerebellum of AD, PD or control cases. The results suggested an imbalance in CSF-1R signaling in AD. Using RNA sequencing to compare gene expression responses of CSF-1 and IL-34 stimulated human microglia, a profile of responses to CSF-1 and IL-34 was identified. Contrary to earlier work with rodent microglia, IL-34 induced primarily a classical activation response similar to that of CSF-1. It was not possible to identify any genes expressed significantly different by IL-34-stimulated microglia compared to CSF-1-stimulated microglia, but both cytokines did induce certain alternative activation-associated genes. These profiles also showed that a number of genes associated with lysosomal function and A removal were downregulated by IL-34 and CSF-1 stimulation. Compared to earlier results our data indicate that CSF-1R stimulation by IL-34 or CSF-1 produced similar types of responses by elderly postmortem brain-derived microglia.
Integrated Effects of Host Resistance and Insecticide Concentration on Survival of and Turfgrass Damage by the Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The residual activity of six concentrations of chlorpyrifos, spinosad, and halofenozide on fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), as mediated by five warm-season turfgrass cultivars ex...
Meta-analysis of adult height and birth length in schizophrenia.

Abstract Objective As a group, people with schizophrenia have a number of subtle anatomical abnormalities as well as physiological abnormalities that precede antipsychotic treatment. Some studies have also found shorter birth length or shorter adult height in people with schizophrenia compared to control subjects. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies of birth length and adult height in schizophrenia, following PRISMA guidelines (Prospero Registration # CRD42016043718). Data sources We searched the PsycInfo, Web of Science, and PubMed databases for articles published 1947–2016. Study selection Articles were included if they had data for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and a matched control group of subjects without a psychotic disorder; both groups were measured for birth length and/or adult height (18 years or older); and the paper was published in English. Data extraction One author extracted the data, which was verified by the other. Results For adult height, six studies with 1,122 patients and 250,200 control subjects were included in analyses. There were six birth length studies, which included 984 patients and 976,296 controls. The patients did not differ from comparison subjects in birth length (effect size estimate = − 0.03; CI: − 0.09, 0.03), but adults were slightly shorter than comparison subjects (− 0.15; − 0.24, − 0.06). In meta-regression of adult studies, the variables of first episode versus clinical sample, and population registry versus non-registry were not significant. Matching for several important variables was usually lacking in these studies. Conclusions While there appears to be no difference in birth length between people with schizophrenia and comparison subjects, the former may be slighter shorter in adult life. The cause of such a discrepancy, if confirmed, is not clear, and lack of matching on potentially confounding variables undermines confidence in any conclusion.
Streams of Consciousness and Acts of Awareness

Let us fix the values of x 1, x 2, y in the expression $$\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {M\left( {x,y} \right)} \\ {{{x}_{2}}} \\ {{{X}_{1}} = {{x}_{1}} \cdot } \\ \end{array}$$ (17.1) . and represent (17.1) as a function of x: $${X_1} = F\left( x \right)$$ (17.2) . The substitution of function F(x) for x in (17.2) will be called the first act of awareness. As a result we obtain the function: $$X_1^{\left( 2 \right)} = F\left( {F\left( x \right)} \right)$$ (17.3) . As in the Boolean model, the following transformation will be called an act of awareness in the non-linear model: $${F^{\left( k \right)}}\left( x \right) \to {F^{\left( {2k} \right)}}\left( x \right)$$ (17.4) , Where $${F^{\left( k \right)}}\left( x \right) = F\left( {F\left( { \ldots F\left( x \right)} \right)} \right)$$ (17.5) , and k is a number of letters ‘F’ in composition (17.5).
The concept of end arteries and diversion of blood flow.

Examination of the circulation in peripheral tissues has established the validity of certain theoretical hemodynamic concepts. The redistribution of blood flow between parallel vascular beds during unequal changes in their resistances seems to obey the general predictions of simple diversion. Such shifts of blood between vascular systems are exaggerated when the local perfusion pressure is diminished by abnormal upstream resistance. Diversion, as well as the deleterious effects of arterial occlusion, can be minimized if an adequate collateral circulation is established soon enough to prevent damage to the ischemic tissue. For tissues supplied by a true end artery, such collateral supply is ruled out by definition. Within the orbit the retinal artery is in fact an end artery while the ophthalmic artery may receive certain small collaterals. Redistribution of blood between the retina and the other orbital tissues is at least theoretically possible, and evidence for such a diversion should be sought in cases with clearly established partial occlusion of the ophthalmic artery. Since the retinal artery supplies only a single tissue, the diversions are limited to those betweeen the various portions of the retina, or between a nutritive or shunt circulation. Evidence for the latter type of diversion has already been presented. We suggest that it might be of value to check these theoretical projections by direct experimentation insofar as possible; findings of such studies should assist us in describing the dynamics of intraorbital blood flows.
Extending Data Processing Capabilities of Relational Database Management Systems.

Relational Database Management Systems proven to be robust and efficient for storing and retrieving data. However, they have limitations. Sophisticated data processing (a rule-based processing with inferences) is possible but hard to implement. To overcome these problems, several methods have been developed. Data can be processed by a client application (a client-side processing) or by a RDBMS server (a server-side processing). These methods overcome the main limitations, but such solutions are not flexible, hard to modify or alter. This paper presents a novel approach, a case of server-side processing with the use of a declarative language. A program, written in Prolog, is decomposed into relations, and stored in the database. It can be easily managed, modified or altered. It has access to database relations, and it also has an ability to create relations on demand, so-called dynamic views or Jelly Views. Jelly Views serve as temporary relations holding data obtained as the result of the program. The communication interface between the client and the database is preserved, it is still SQL.
The Nystagmus Compensation (Blockage) Syndrome

The nystagmus compensation syndrome identified in 12 to 247 consecutive patients with congenital esotropia had these characteristic features: onset of esotropia in early infancy, pseudoparalysis of both abducens nerves, head turn toward the side of the fixating eye, absence fo nystagmus with the fixating eye in adduction, and appearance of a manifest jerky nystagmus as the fixating eye moved into primary position and abduction. The nystagmus may be actively neutralized by convergence innervation, the esotropia being caused by sustained convergence and secondary changes in the medial rectus muscles. The differential diagnosis includes crossed fixation and bilateral sixth nerve paralysis.
Frequency and prognostic significance of HRX rearrangements in infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a Pediatric Oncology Group study.

Chromosome band 11q23, the location of the HRX gene, is a site of recurrent translocations in human malignancies. Infants with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) commonly have 11q23 translocations and have an especially poor prognosis despite intensive chemotherapy. We analyzed 96 cases of infant ALL treated on three consecutive Pediatric Oncology Group protocols to determine the frequency and prognostic significance of molecular rearrangements of HRX. Overall, 78 cases (81%) had HRX rearrangements detected by Southern blot analysis performed with a single HRX cDNA probe, whereas 18 cases (19%) had germline HRX. Of the 78 cases with HRX rearrangements, only 50 had abnormalities of 11q23 detected cytogenetically. Molecular abnormalities of HRX were associated with early treatment failure and a very poor outcome. Estimated event-free survival for patients with HRX rearrangements was 19% (SE, 7%) at 3 years, compared with 46% (SE, 17%) for patients with germline HRX (P = .033 by the two-sided logrank test). Therefore, infants with ALL and molecular abnormalities of HRX represent a group with an extremely high rate of failure who clearly need innovative or experimental treatment. Furthermore, cytogenetic analysis alone failed to detected 36% of HRX rearrangements, suggesting that molecular analysis be performed on all infants with ALL to identify this group of high-risk patients.
Cuidado nos tempos de Zika: notas da pós-epidemia em Salvador (Bahia), Brasil

Este artigo traz uma reflexao sobre a pos-epidemia do virus Zika por meio das narrativas de maes de criancas nascidas com mas-formacoes neurologicas associadas ao virus na Bahia. A partir de 11 entrevistas semiestruturadas com maes e pais cujos filhos fazem atendimento em um centro de referencia estadual em reabilitacao e em dialogo com teorizacoes contemporâneas de tempo e deficiencia na antropologia cultural, propoe-se uma abordagem a temporalidade do Zika virus e aos seus efeitos. Sao destacadas tres falas, demostrando como a condicao imprevisivel dos filhos, junto com as precariedades que ja vivenciam, fazem com que o futuro seja algo quase impossivel de imaginar. Destaca-se que, diante de tamanha incerteza, as maes criam formas alternativas de pensar sobre, interagir com e valorizar a crianca nos seus proprios termos. Sugere-se que a esperanca pode incluir, paradoxalmente, “nao esperar nada”.
Angiotensin type 1a receptors in the median preoptic nucleus support intermittent hypoxia-induced hypertension

Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is a model of the hypoxemia from sleep apnea that causes a sustained increase in blood pressure. Inhibition of the central renin-angiotensin system or FosB in the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) prevents the sustained hypertensive response to CIH. We tested the hypothesis that angiotensin type 1a (AT1a) receptors in the MnPO, which are upregulated by CIH, contribute to this hypertension. In preliminary experiments, retrograde tract tracing studies showed AT1a receptor expression in MnPO neurons projecting to the paraventricular nucleus. Adult male rats were exposed to 7 days of intermittent hypoxia (cycling between 21% and 10% O2 every 6 min, 8 h/day during light phase). Seven days of CIH was associated with a FosB-dependent increase in AT1a receptor mRNA without changes in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier in the MnPO. Separate groups of rats were injected in the MnPO with an adeno-associated virus containing short hairpin (sh)RNA against AT1a receptors to test their role in intermittent hypoxia hypertension. Injections of shRNA against AT1a in MnPO blocked the increase in mRNA associated with CIH, prevented the sustained component of the hypertension during normoxia, and reduced circulating advanced oxidation protein products, an indicator of oxidative stress. Rats injected with shRNA against AT1a and exposed to CIH had less FosB staining in MnPO and the rostral ventrolateral medulla after intermittent hypoxia than rats injected with the control vector that were exposed to CIH. Our results indicate AT1a receptors in the MnPO contribute to the sustained blood pressure increase to intermittent hypoxia.
Switchgrass Biochar Effects on Plant Biomass and Microbial Dynamics in Two Soils from Different Regions

Abstract Biochar amendments to soils may alter soil function and fertility in various ways, including through induced changes in the microbial community. We assessed microbial activity and community composition of two distinct clayey soil types, an Aridisol from Colorado (CO) in the U.S. Central Great Plains, and an Alfisol from Virginia (VA) in the southeastern USA following the application of switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) biochar. The switchgrass biochar was applied at four levels, 0%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10%, approximately equivalent to biochar additions of 0, 25, 50, and 100 t ha −1 , respectively, to the soils grown with wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) in an eight-week growth chamber experiment. We measured wheat shoot biomass and nitrogen (N) content and soil nutrient availability and N mineralization rates, and characterized the microbial fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles of the soils. Net N mineralization rates decreased in both soils in proportion to an increase in biochar levels, but the effect was more marked in the VA soil, where net N mineralization decreased from −2.1 to −38.4 mg kg −1 . The 10% biochar addition increased soil pH, electrical conductivity, Mehlich- and bicarbonate-extractable phosphorus (P), and extractable potassium (K) in both soil types. The wheat shoot biomass decreased from 17.7 to 9.1 g with incremental additions of biochar in the CO soil, but no difference was noted in plants grown in the VA soil. The FAME recovery assay indicated that the switchgrass biochar addition could introduce artifacts in analysis, so the results needed to be interpreted with caution. Non-corrected total FAME concentrations indicated a decline by 45% and 34% with 10% biochar addition in the CO and VA soils, respectively, though these differences became nonsignificant when the extraction efficiency correction factor was applied. A significant decline in the fungi:bacteria ratio was still evident upon correction in the CO soil with biochar. Switchgrass biochar had the potential to cause short-term negative impacts on plant biomass and alter soil microbial community structure unless measures were taken to add supplemental N and labile carbon (C).
Lateral Transfer of the Flexor Digitorum Longus for Peroneal Tendinopathy.

Background:Few studies have reported midterm outcomes after single-stage flexor digitorum longus (FDL) tendon transfer to the lateral foot for irreparable rupture of the peroneal tendons.Methods:Ov...
Implementierung eines selbstfahrenden und individuell abrufbaren Personentransportsystems

Derzeit wird in der Fachwelt und in der Offentlichkeit viel uber automatisierte (oft auch „autonom“ genannte) Fahrzeuge diskutiert und geforscht bzw. werden deren erste Produktumsetzungen entwickelt. Dabei steht haufig der individuell genutzte Pkw im Mittelpunkt der Betrachtung, d. h., der Blick richtet sich auf die zunehmende Automatisierung der Fahrzeuge auf Stadt- und Fernstrasen. Wahrend die Vision, dass Pkw auf offentlichen Strasen ohne menschlichen Eingriff selbsttatig fahren, noch in ferner Zukunft zu liegen scheint, gibt es bereits Beispiele, wo schon heute oder zumindest sehr bald selbstfahrende Fahrzeuge fur den offentlichen Personentransport eingesetzt werden.
Engineered proteoliposome transporter for treatment of cesium contaminated water.

Abstract Radioactive cesium (137Cs) released from nuclear power plants and nuclear accidents continues to be a worldwide concern, and its removal from water remains a difficult problem. Here, we present the development of an innovative method to remove Cs+ present at low concentrations in water. To achieve this, a proteoliposome transporter was engineered, composed of a membrane-bound potassium uptake protein, Kup from E. coli, which was reconstituted into a liposome vesicle. Cs+ removal (10–100 µg/L) was demonstrated by incubating the constructed proteoliposome in lab-fortified water, followed by ultracentrifugation to remove captured Cs+. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) results from testing water spiked with 100 µg/L Cs+ revealed that adding increasing volumes of proteoliposome solution (containing 0.015–1.2 mg of Kup membrane transporter) resulted in 0.29–12.7% removal in a linear fashion. Proteoliposome addition (containing 0.015–0.3 mg of Kup membrane transporter) to water spiked with 10 µg/L Cs+ resulted in 0.65–3.43% removal, while removal by protein-free liposomes was negligible at 0.03%. These results suggest that Kup transporters inserted into the liposomes are mainly responsible for the removal efficiencies. Consequently, a desired removal efficiency can be achieved by adding a higher volume of constructed proteoliposome and subsequently higher mg of Kup transporter to the contaminated water. This provides new insight on the effectiveness and applicability of proteoliposome transporters, and an alternative and a novel contribution to emerging technologies in removing cesium or other metal contaminants undergoing transmembrane transport.
On-Site Low Voltage Determination of Zero-Sequence Impedances for Power Transformers

Accurate zero-sequence transformer data is important for correct fault analysis and protection settings. Utilities have been forced to approximate zero-sequence impedances for many three-legged core power transformers in service today that did not undergo testing for zero-sequence data at the factory before site installation. Where approximation of the zero-sequence impedances from positive sequence data is of insufficient accuracy, on-site tests have been proposed. However, these usually involve measurements from the high-voltage windings, which are either expensive with high test voltages or do not offer sufficient current resolution with low test voltages. This paper proposes new methods for carrying out on-site zero-sequence testing entirely from the lowest voltage winding. Affordable equipment can then be used for the test with minimal switchyard test preparations. Two test configurations are described; a One-Open-Phase test and a Two-Open-Phase test. To validate the method, three typical transformer types are considered; a station auxiliary transformer (SAT), a generation step-up transformer (GSU), and a transmission transformer. The proposed method was tested on actual SAT and GSU units, and simulated for a transmission transformer. All test results validated the method and offered high accuracy.
Segmental differences found in aqueous angiographic-determined high - and low-flow regions of human trabecular meshwork

This work sought to compare aqueous angiographic segmental patterns with bead-based methods which directly visualize segmental trabecular meshwork (TM) tracer trapping. Additionally, segmental protein expression differences between aqueous angiographic-derived low- and high-outflow human TM regions were evaluated. Post-mortem human eyes (One Legacy and San Diego eye banks; n = 15) were perfused with fluorescent tracers (fluorescein [2.5%], indocyanine green [0.4%], and/or fluorescent microspheres). After angiographic imaging (Spectralis HRA+OCT; Heidelberg Engineering), peri-limbal low- and high-angiographic flow regions were marked. Aqueous angiographic segmental outflow patterns were similar to fluorescent microsphere TM trapping segmental patterns. TM was dissected from low- and high-flow areas and processed for immunofluorescence or Western blot and compared. Versican expression was relatively elevated in low-flow regions while MMP3 and collagen VI were relatively elevated in high-flow regions. TGF-β2, thrombospondin-1, TGF-β receptor1, and TGF-β downstream proteins such as α-smooth muscle actin were relatively elevated in low-flow regions. Additionally, fibronectin (FN) levels were unchanged, but the EDA isoform (FN-EDA) that is associated with fibrosis was relatively elevated in low-flow regions. These results show that segmental aqueous angiographic patterns are reflective of underlying TM molecular characteristics and demonstrate increased pro-fibrotic activation in low-flow regions. Thus, we provide evidence that aqueous angiography outflow visualization, the only tracer outflow imaging method available to clinicians, is in part representative of TM biology.
Field Testing of Ro-Tri, a Robot-Mediated Triadic Interaction for Older Adults.

Older adults residing in long term care (LTC) settings commonly experience apathy, a neuropsychiatric condition with adverse consequences of increased morbidity and mortality. Activities that combine social, physical and cognitive stimuli are most effective in engaging older adults with apathy but are time consuming and require significant staff resources. We present the results from an initial pilot field study of our socially assistive robotic (SAR) system, Ro-Tri, capable of multi-modal interventions to foster social interaction between pairs of older adults. Seven paired participants attended two sessions a week for three weeks. Sessions consisted of robot-mediated triadic interactions with three types of activities repeated once over the 3 weeks. Ro-Tri gathered quantitative interaction data, head pose, vocal sound, and physiological signals to automatically evaluate older adults’ activity and social engagement. Ro-Tri functioned smoothly without any technical issues. Older adults had > 90% attendance and 100% completion rate and remained engaged with the system throughout the study duration. Participants’ visual attention toward the SAR system and their partners increased 7.2% and 4.7%, respectively, with their interaction effort showing an increase of 2.9%. Older adults and LTC staff had positive perceptions with the system. These initial results demonstrate Ro-Tri’s ability to engage older adults, encourage social human-to-human interaction, and assess the changes using quantitative metrics. Future studies will determine SAR’s impact on apathy in LTC older adults.
Educational benefits of writing multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with evidence-based explanation.

Facilitating learning has been the focus of extensive research to identify efficient strategies and activities. Solving problems and learning through questions have been widely used to enhance active learning by exposure to inquiry or problem for which answers are needed. The process involves memory retrieval, understanding, application and critical thinking skills. However, writing questions involves all the above learning strategies at a deeper level and broader application. Writing is a commonly known tool of thinking and learning.1 2 Writing questions provides the additional learning skills of analysing, evaluating and creating knowledge. The educational and learning value of writing questions is well established.3 4 Writing multiple-choice question (MCQ) style was significantly positively correlated with test grades.5 Cognitive strategies of writing questions about study topics result in better comprehension and test results.6 Teaching by encouraging learners to write questions as a form of inquiry is mostly done to enhance further learning. The benefits of this style of teaching are well discussed in the literature.7 However, this educational practice can be taken a step further by teaching to write formal questions in the format of well-structured MCQs with providing evidence-based explanations. MCQs are ubiquitously used in medical education for formative and summative assessment.8 The process of writing MCQs includes the challenges of creating vetted questions in higher-order learning activities. The learning benefits of writing formal MCQ style of questions with evidence-based explanations …
Understanding Curriculum as Phenomenon, Field, and Design: A Multidimensional conceptualization

This paper searches for an understanding of curriculum as a phenomenon, a field, and a design process. Curriculum is a complex phenomenon. Curriculum is also an “interdisciplinary academic field devoted to understanding curriculum” (Pinar, 2011, ix). In addition, curriculum also refers to the process of design through which the content of schooling is verified. The context of my endeavour is teacher education. In fact, thinking about curriculum becomes even more complex when thinking about how to teach it to future teachers. It seems to me that at this level we cannot avoid to assume a pluralistic view of the field thinking what is its historical legacy, including the major gap between curriculum theory and curriculum development. Therefore, the field of curriculum studies has changed by incorporating different dimensions to the concept of curriculum, making it a layered or multidimensional concept. I argue that a multidimensional concept of curriculum can be a powerful theoretical tool for understanding curriculum, to organized and create knowledge about it, and to inform the process of curriculum design.
Post-publication careers: lockdown to limelight

Media attention to our article on Greenland’s dynamic ice loss brought a way out of pandemic isolation, an opportunity to gain a broader perspective of my work, and a heavy responsibility to communicate accurately. The experience has been time-consuming, but rewarding. Media attention to an article on Greenland’s dynamic ice loss provided a Comms Earth author with a way out of pandemic isolation, a broader perspective of her work, and a heavy responsibility to communicate accurately. She found the experience time-consuming, but rewarding.
Spanish Mercantilist Censuses

This chapter explores censuses conducted in Puerto Rico by the weak mercantilist Spanish state. Initial ambitions of conquest and resource extraction eventually shifted to long-term settlement and military control. Culturally, colonization prompted a mixing of European, Indigenous, and African populations. Initial enumerations were descriptive. These censuses classified the population using three legal statuses: the vecinos (colonists with full legal rights), the enslaved, and laborers. These statuses reflected racialized differences. Most property owners were European; Africans were enslaved and occasionally property owners; Indigenous were enslaved or laborers. Officially and popularly, these categories corresponded to White, Black, and Indian, respectively. Spanish colonists benefited from these categories, as they facilitated their rights to land and labor. Subsequently, the term vecino, originally introduced by a relatively weak Spanish state, became widely used, along with the other categories. These categorizations did not previously exist in Puerto Rico. Thus, Spanish mercantilist censuses were transformative, despite a weak state.
How Do You Respond to Stress

Remember how your heart rate increased or your heart palpitated, or how you broke our in a cold sweat, or how your stomach sank when you were late for an appointment with your boss? Each of us reacts in ways like these to stressful situations, each with individual physiological specificity. In fact, we tend to respond with the same physiological system(s) time and again. Eventually pathology may manifest itself in that stressed system. Furthermore, it has been found that people who already have a specific pathology tend to respond to stressful event was excessive in that system already burdened by pathology. For example, people with high blood pressure tend to respond to a stressful situation with an increase in blood pressure.
Tissue Factor and Cell Signalling in Cancer Progression and Thrombosis

The close link between coagulation activation and clinical cancer is well established and recent progress has defined underlying molecular pathways by which tumour cells interact with the haemostatic system to promote cancer progression. Tumour type-specific oncogenic transformations cause constitutive and hypoxia-dependent upregulation of tissue factor (TF) in cancer cells, but TF expressed by vascular, stromal and inflammatory cells also contributes to the procoagulant character of the tumour microenvironment. A growing body of genetic and pharmacological evidence implicates signalling by protease activated receptors (PARs) and specifically by tumour cell-expressed TF-VIIa-PAR2 in the induction of an array of proangiogenic and immune modulating cytokines, chemokines and growth factors. Specific inhibition of this pathway results in attenuated tumour growth and angiogenesis. PARs are increasingly recognised as targets for proteases outside the coagulation system and emerging evidence indicates that alternative protease signalling pathways synergise with the coagulation system to promote tumour growth, angiogenesis and metastasis. The elucidation of new therapeutic targets in tumour-promoting protease signalling pathways requires new diagnostic approaches to identify patients that will benefit from tailored therapy targeting procoagulant or signalling aspects of the TF pathway.
The effects of a weakly acidic meal on gastric buffering and postprandial gastro-oesophageal reflux.

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 34: 568–575 Summary Background Exclusion of the meal during ambulatory pH monitoring presumes that a meal completely buffers gastric acid and reflux of acidic food content cannot be distinguished from gastric acid. However, the ability of a meal to completely buffer gastric acid remains unclear. Aim To determine the effect of a weakly acid meal on gastric buffering and oesophageal acid exposure. Methods Patients undergoing multichannel intraluminal impedance pH studies were given a standard weakly acidic meal (pH = 5.9). Gastric and oesophageal pH was measured during the meal and in 15 min intervals for 2 h postprandially. Results The study included 30 patients, with pathological acid reflux detected in 18 patients. Complete gastric buffering occurred in seven patients (23%) and was lost in all patients within 75 min of the meal. Oesophageal acid was detected in 33% of patients within 30 min of the meal and 81% of patients during the 2 h postprandial period. Postprandial oesophageal acid exposure was greater in patients with pathological acid reflux (9 ± 2.7% vs. 1.7 ± 0.8%P = 0.05) with a trend towards more incomplete gastric acid buffering and significant differences when measuring weak acid reflux (pH 4–5). Acid reflux rarely occurred in the absence of gastric acid, with gastric acid present in 74 of 79 (94%) fifteen minute postprandial intervals with acid reflux. Conclusions The ability of a meal to buffer gastric acid is poor. Early postprandial oesophageal acid reflux occurs in a substantial proportion of patients. Addition of a weakly acidic or pH neutral meal to ambulatory pH monitoring may unmask early postprandial acid reflux and provide data on gastric acid buffering.
A big symmetric planar set with small category projections

We show that under appropriate set theoretic assumptions (which follow from Martin’s axiom and the continuum hypothesis) there exists a nowhere meager set A ⊂ R such that (i) for each continuous nowhere constant function f : R → R the set {c ∈ R : π[(f + c) ∩ (A×A)] is not meager} is meager, and (ii) the set {c ∈ R : (f + c) ∩ (A × A) = ∅} is nowhere meager for each continuous function f : R → R. The existence of such a set follows also from the principle CPA, which holds in the iterated perfect set model. We also prove that the existence of a set A as in (i) cannot be proved in ZFC alone even when we AMS Subject Classification (1991): Primary 03E05; Secondary: 03E50; 03E75.
Notes on constructing a parallel computing platform

Parallel computing is an interesting and important topic that spans several different areas of the computer science curriculum, such as networking, architecture and programming. With the proliferation of open-source software and the availability of inexpensive computer components, it has now become feasible for small colleges and non-research institutions to create parallel computing platforms. In this article we describe the construction of a dedicated computing cluster and the educational benefits obtained by doing so.
Body self bias in fully depleted and non-fully depleted SOI devices

One major advantage in SOI processing is the ease of device isolation. By using mesa etching or field oxidation the silicon film can be selectively removed, thereby electrically isolating the bodies of SOI devices from one another. Each body can be individually biased or in most cases, left floating. However there are anomalies associated with a floating body, namely threshold voltage shifting, kink in the current characteristics, and degradation of output resistance in the saturation region. Such anomalies arise because the floating body potential changes with the external biases, which in turn changes the threshold voltage. The amount of body potential shifting is also dependent on the technology and the material qualities. To eliminate these anomalies different schemes have been proposed to bias the body. These schemes add to the process complexity and increase the device area. It is also unclear if such schemes are effective in biasing the body of a fully depleted device, in which case the presence of a quasi-neutral body is lacking. In this paper we have developed a model to predict the body potentials of both Fully Depleted (FD) and Non-Fully Depleted (NE) SOI devices. We found that contrary to general belief the kink anomaly also occurs in FD SOI. However the kink effect diminishes as the film thickness is reduced. For thin silicon film SOI devices, output resistance for floating body long channel SOI devices can be larger than 1 M/spl Omega/-/spl mu/m.
In-Situ Load Tests and FE Modeling of Concrete Bridge with FRP Stay- In-Place Forms

Two in-situ load tests were performed on a highway bridge with FRP Stay-in-Place (SIP) formwork that also serves as positive flexural reinforcement for the bridge deck as part of a long-term monitoring program. The load tests conducted consisted of positioning a wheel of a tri-axle dump truck with calibrated loading at a series of target locations in a line parallel to the girders at mid-span of the deck. Portable strain sensors were used to determine the distribution of the wheel loads within the FRP-SIP bridge deck and draw-wire transducers were used to measure deck deflections. Wheel load distribution widths are calculated using the measured strain values and the results are compared with wheel load distribution widths found in the AASHTO-LRFD and AASHTO Standard specifications. A 3-D finite element model was created to analyze the performance of the bridge subjected to traffic load and concrete shrinkage.
Gating of the L-Type Ca Channel in Human Skeletal Myotubes: An Activation Defect Caused by the Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis Mutation R528H

The skeletal muscle L-type Ca channel serves a dual role as a calcium-conducting pore and as the voltage sensor coupling t-tubule depolarization to calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Mutations in this channel cause hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HypoPP), a human autosomal dominant disorder characterized by episodic failure of muscle excitability that occurs in association with a decrease in serum potassium. The voltage-dependent gating of L-type Ca channels was characterized by recording whole-cell Ca currents in myotubes cultured from three normal individuals and from a patient carrying the HypoPP mutation R528H. We found two effects of the R528H mutation on the L-type Ca current in HypoPP myotubes: (1) a mild reduction in current density and (2) a significant slowing of the rate of activation. We also measured the voltage dependence of steady-state L-type Ca current inactivation and characterized, for the first time in a mammalian preparation, the kinetics of both entry into and recovery from inactivation over a wide range of voltages. The R528H mutation had no effect on the kinetics or voltage dependence of inactivation.
Evaluating lightweight 3D graphics formats for product visualization and data exchange

As companies continue to embrace product lifecycle management practices to improve business operations, the ability to create and communicate 3D product representations throughout the enterprise is becoming increasingly important. Given the geographically dispersed product design and manufacturing scenarios that are commonplace in industry today, companies are grappling with decisions regarding the use of specific formats and mechanisms to promote communication and collaboration processes. Companies that design and produce particularly large artifacts, whether in terms of geometry scale or in terms of object complexity, experience problems of portability and scalability when using vendor-supported file formats. Current solutions tend to center on “lightweight” file formats as one of the enabling technologies that support this distributed collaboration. The recent availability of these lightweight file formats has caused confusion and uncertainty in industry relative to their use in specific situations, especially when trying to capture annotations, accurate geometry, and manufacturing information for example. This paper presents the results of applied research examining the capabilities of three common lightweight formats and their ability to retain product information upon translation out of the native CAD database. Also included is a checklist and use-case information for these lightweight formats based on interviews of representative industry personnel.
VAULT IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE IN THE BRAIN : NEW INSIGHTS REGARDING THE ORIGIN OF MICROGLIA

The developmental appearance of ameboid and ramified microglia in the rat brain has been examined by immunofluorescent localization of vaults, recently described ribonucleoprotein particles (Kedersha and Rome, 1986a). Vaults are distinct, multiarched structures of unknown function expressed by higher and lower eukaryotic species. Although vaults have been detected in all mammalian cells examined to date, they are highly enriched in macrophages. In the brain, vault antisera is highly specific for both ameboid and ramified microglia. The developmental profile of vault immunoreactivity in rat brain slices suggests that microglia enter the brain at 2 locations, with different time scales for each. The first migration, which begins before embryonic day 15 and subsides between postnatal days 7 and 14, was identified by vault immunoreactivity and Bandeiraea simplicifolia B4-isolectin (a microglia marker) staining. The cells appear to enter from blood vessels and display a ramified morphology as soon as they are detected in the brain. The second microglial migration occurs in the first postnatal week, when ameboid microglia appear in the corpus callosum and other large fiber tracts. Ameboid microglia appear to differentiate into ramified microglia between postnatal days 4 and 14. Vault immunoreactivity, as a very early microglial marker, provides new insight regarding the much-debated origin of the ramified microglia. It is quite clear that ameboid cells are not the sole source of ramified microglia because ramified cells can be detected before the influx of ameboid microglia. Colocalization studies with monocyte/macrophage markers ED1 and OX42 demonstrate that both ramified and ameboid microglia originate from monocyte lineage.
Pyrolysis of Foundry Sand Resins: A Determination of Organic Products by Mass Spectrometry

Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS) was used to identify the major organic products produced by pyrolysis of three foundry sand resins: (i) Novolac and (ii) phenolic urethane (PU) (both phenol-formaldehyde based resins) and (iii) furan (furfuryl alcohol based resin). These resins are used in the metal casting industry as a "sand binder" for making cores (used to produce cavities in molds) and molds for nonferrous castings. During the casting process, the cores and molds are subjected to intense heat from the molten metal. As a result, the organic resins undergo thermal decomposition and produce a number of complex organic compounds. In this study, the organics were tentatively identified by MS after pyrolysis of the resins at 750 degrees C. The major thermal decomposition products from the Novolac, PU, and furan resins were derivatives of phenol, benzene, and furan, respectively. Compounds identified that are of potential environmental concern were benzene, toluene, phenol, o- and p-xylene, o- and m-cresol, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Pyrolysis of the Novolac resin resulted in the generation of the most compounds of environmental concern. Because there is interest in beneficially using foundry molding sands in manufactured soils and other agricultural products, it is necessary that organic thermal decomposition products be identified to ensure environmental protection.
Measurements of the 2 3 S 1 - 2 3 P J (J=0, 1 ,2) fine-structure splittings in positronium

The ${2}^{3}$${\mathrm{S}}_{1}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${2}^{3}$${\mathrm{P}}_{1}$ and ${2}^{3}$${\mathrm{S}}_{1}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${2}^{3}$${\mathrm{P}}_{0}$ transition frequencies (${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{1}$ and ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}$, respectively) in positronium have been measured for the first time and an improved measurement of the ${2}^{3}$${\mathrm{S}}_{1}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${2}^{3}$${\mathrm{P}}_{2}$ transition frequency (${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{2}$) has been made. The results ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}$=18504.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}10.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.7 MHz, ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{1}$=13001.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.9 MHz, and ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{2}$=8619.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.9 MHz are in reasonable agreement with the predictions of quantum electrodynamics which are, to order ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}^{3}$Ry, ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}$(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}^{3}$)=18496.1 MHz, ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{1}$(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}^{3}$)=13010.9 MHz, and ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{2}$(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}^{3}$)=8625.2 MHz. More precise measurements are planned to test the, as yet uncalculated, order ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}^{4}$ Ry corrections.
Cardiac Autotransplantation for Primary Cardiac Tumors

Background. Complete tumor resection is the optimal treatment of cardiac tumors. Anatomic accessibility and proximity to vital structures complicates resection of tumors involving the left heart. The results of standard resection and resection with orthotopic heart transplantation are dismal. We, therefore, reviewed our series of patients with complex left-sided primary cardiac tumors who underwent tumor resection with cardiac autotransplantation. Methods. Since April 1998, 11 consecutive patients with complex left atrial or left ventricular intracavitary cardiac tumors underwent 12 resections using cardiac autotransplantation— cardiac explantation, ex vivo tumor resection with cardiac reconstruction, and cardiac reimplantation. Demographics, tumor histology, operative data, and mortality were analyzed. Follow-up was complete in all patients. Results. Complete resection by cardiac autotransplantation was used in 7 patients with left atrial sarcoma, 1 patient with left ventricular sarcoma, 2 patients with left atrial paraganglioma, and 1 patient with a complex giant left atrial myxoma. Eight patients had previous resection of their cardiac tumor, and 1 patient had a repeat autotransplantation for recurrent disease. There were no operative deaths. Median overall survival was 18.5 months in patients with sarcomas. All patients with benign tumors are alive without evidence of recurrence. Conclusions. Cardiac autotransplantation is a feasible technique for resection of complex left-sided cardiac tumors. Recurrent disease after previous resections can be safely treated with this technique. Operative mortality and overall survival seems favorable in this series of patients. Benefits of this technique include improved accessibility and ability to perform a complete tumor resection with reliable cardiac reconstruction.
Reconstitution of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis pupylation pathway in Escherichia coli

Prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup) is a post-translational modifier that attaches to more than 50 proteins in Mycobacteria. Proteasome accessory factor A (PafA) is responsible for Pup conjugation to substrates, but the manner in which proteins are selected for pupylation is unknown. To address this issue, we reconstituted the pupylation of model Mycobacterium proteasome substrates in Escherichia coli, which does not encode Pup or PafA. Surprisingly, Pup and PafA were sufficient to pupylate at least 51 E. coli proteins in addition to the mycobacterial proteins. These data suggest that pupylation signals are intrinsic to targeted proteins and might not require Mycobacterium-specific cofactors for substrate recognition by PafA in vivo.
Solid-liquid-gas equilibria in multicomponent supercritical fluid systems

Abstract Pressure versus temperature solid-liquid-gas (S-L-G) lines were determined visually for naphthalene in CO 2 with and without the co-solvent n-pentane and for 2-naphthol with and without methanol. In the nonpolar sytem, the addition of a small amount of co-solvent causes small changes in the melting point depression but large changes in the pressure of the upper critical end point (UCEP). In the polar system, the increase in the melting point depression is pronounced. An equation of state and Regular Solution Theory are used in a synergistic manner in order to correlate the S-L-G behavior over a wide range of pressure, and to interpret the results as a function of the calculated compositions in the liquid phase. The implications of this behavior on supercritical fluid separation processes are discussed.