cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The pathophysiology of extracellular hemoglobin associated with enhanced oxidative reactions

Hemoglobin (Hb) continuously undergoes autoxidation producing superoxide which dismutates into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and is a potential source for subsequent oxidative reactions. Autoxidation is most pronounced under hypoxic conditions in the microcirculation and for unstable dimers formed at reduced Hb concentrations. In the red blood cell (RBC), oxidative reactions are inhibited by an extensive antioxidant system. For extracellular Hb, whether from hemolysis of RBCs and/or the infusion of Hb-based blood substitutes, the oxidative reactions are not completely neutralized by the available antioxidant system. Un-neutralized H2O2 oxidizes ferrous and ferric Hbs to Fe(IV)-ferrylHb and OxyferrylHb, respectively. FerrylHb further reacts with H2O2 producing heme degradation products and free iron. OxyferrylHb, in addition to Fe(IV) contains a free radical that can undergo additional oxidative reactions. Fe(III)Hb produced during Hb autoxidation also readily releases heme, an additional source for oxidative stress. These oxidation products are a potential source for oxidative reactions in the plasma, but to a greater extent when the lower molecular weight Hb dimers are taken up into cells and tissues. Heme and oxyferryl have been shown to have a proinflammatory effect further increasing their potential for oxidative stress. These oxidative reactions contribute to a number of pathological situations including atherosclerosis, kidney malfunction, sickle cell disease, and malaria. The toxic effects of extracellular Hb are of particular concern with hemolytic anemia where there is an increase in hemolysis. Hemolysis is further exacerbated in various diseases and their treatments. Blood transfusions are required whenever there is an appreciable decrease in RBCs due to hemolysis or blood loss. It is, therefore, essential that the transfused blood, whether stored RBCs or the blood obtained by an Autologous Blood Recovery System from the patient, do not further increase extracellular Hb.
Lossless Compression of Images with Permutation Codes

Images contain large amount of data and are used in many applications. Not only compressed image data save space, but also in certain applications such as the World-Wide-Web (WWW), they save time since the amount of data to be transmitted is smaller than the original image. Codebook approaches have been used in lossy image compression. For example, vector quantization employs codebook. For lossless compression of images, more than a decade ago, a codebook approach based on spanning trees was proposed. In this work we investigate suitability of permutation codes for still images.
Vocational and educational problems of epileptic patients.

SUMMARY The results of a study to elicit factors which are associated with an epileptic patient's gaining and keeping employment are presented. Eighty-seven employed patients were compared with 90 unemployed patients on a wide variety of variables. It was found that the employed patients had higher intelligence, less impairment on neuro-psychological tests, less neurological and electroencephalographic abnormalities, and their work history was considerably better than that of the unemployed group. A step-wise discriminant function analysis revealed that the most powerful predictors for employment success were: high motivation for work, good verbal IQ, a self confidence item, and the patient's present level of socialization. A review of the type of employment held by our patients, when compared against the total labor force and the minority labor force (Negro citizens) of the Detroit Metropolitan area, showed that the epileptic patients tend to be similar to the minority labor force, clustering in the lower socio-economic brackets. It was felt that discrimination against both groups is probably only one common denominator. Another, possibly a more important one, is inadequate schooling which results in failure to acquire the skills needed for living successfully in a highly technological, complex, competitive society. It is pointed out that although the majority of epileptic children attend regular schools, their grades tend to be below average and that they are not being prepared for entering the competitive job market. Suggestions how to improve this situation through rehabilitation efforts during the school years and how to more effectively remove the stigma from the illness are also presented.
Reconstruction of large fronto-orbital defects with Dacron polyurethane custom prosthesis and autogenous bone.

Reconstruction of large defects of the frontal bone and bony orbit may be required following trauma or ablative tumor surgery. Autogenous bone or alloplastic implants used alone may prove inadequate due to difficulties obtaining symmetric contours with bone and lack of strength and resistance to infection with alloplastic materials. These problems can be overcome with the combined use of a prefabricated Dacron® polyurethane mesh prosthesis (Osteo-Mesh, Xomed, Inc.) to establish contour of the forehead and superciliary ridges, and underlying split-rib grafts to protect the brain and isolate the paranasal sinuses. This technique is not indicated for small frontal defects, but it should be considered for use by the head and neck surgeon who is faced with the challenge of reconstructing a major fronto-orbital defect.
A new hierarchical particle filtering for markerless human motion capture

Particle filtering (also known as the condensation algorithm) has been widely applied to model-based human motion capture. However, the number of particles required for the algorithm to work increases exponentially with the dimensionality of the model. In order to alleviate this computational explosion, we propose a two-level hierarchical framework. At the coarse level, the configuration space is discretized into large partitions and a suboptimal estimation is calculated. At the fine level, new particles in the vicinity of the suboptimal estimation are created using a more likely and narrow configuration space, allowing the original coarse estimate to be refined more eficiently. Our preliminary results demonstrates that this hierarchical framework achieves accurate estimation of the human posture with significantly reduction in the number of particles.
Role of Intracellular Calcium in Peroxide-Induced Potentiation of Norepinephrine Release from Bovine Isolated Irides

1. BAPTA AM (10 microM), thapsigargin (10 microM), ruthenium red (30 microM) and oligomycin (30 microM) inhibited field-stimulated [3H]NE release from bovine isolated irides by 54%, 30%, 30% and 26%, respectively. 2. Both BAPTA AM and thapsigargin had no significant effect (P>0.05) on H2O2-induced potentiation of evoked [3H]NE release. 3. Ruthenium red prevented (but oligomycin enhanced) H2O2-induced enhancement of evoked [3H]NE release. 4. We conclude that, although intracellular calcium participates in field-stimulation evoked [3H]NE release from bovine isolated irides, only the mitochondrial pool of calcium may be involved in peroxide-induced enhancement of sympathetic neurotransmission.
Analysis of US Policy Options for the Future of the International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is set to retire in 2016, according to current United States (US) space policy. This paper answers three questions to be considered by Congress and the Obama Administration in order to make a final policy decision concerning the US’s withdrawal from the ISS: ￻ What do the international agreements say about US responsibility for the Space Station? ￻ What are various policy options for the Space Station post-2016? ￻ What are their various merits or drawbacks, from legal, engineering, risk, international relations, political, and cost perspectives, and impact upon other programs and priorities that have been established for NASA by the Administration and Congress? To answer these questions, this paper first develops an understanding of the historical development of Station. Next, the paper examines the Partner-States’ positions and feelings towards the idea of ISS retirement. In addition to this stakeholder analysis, the legal, technical and budgetary problems with US ISS withdrawal are defined. Finally, four policy strategies are evaluated using several key metrics that are most important to the engineering and policy considerations from the US’s point of view: (1) US ends the ISS program in 2016 and de-orbits Station, (2) US agrees to extend the ISS program until 2018 or 2020, (3) US ends ISS activities in 2016, but transfers responsibilities and thus allows ISS to continue, and (4) ISS is retired in 2016, but boosted to higher orbit for “deep storage.” This evaluation indicates that a unilateral US decision to end the ISS program in 2016 will free NASA resources for Constellation. On the other hand, a decision to extend ISS through 2018/2020 would yield international goodwill for the US, which could be useful for future NASA human spaceflight collaborative proposals and for other US objectives in the international realm. Yet, it is important to note that there are means of affecting the balance of this tradeoff, which could potentially achieve some compromise of both objectives. The best policy choice will be determined by the priorities of the US national leadership, the evolving international environment, and technical details that were not available to this study.
Optimal algorithms for haplotype assembly from whole-genome sequence data

Motivation: Haplotype inference is an important step for many types of analyses of genetic variation in the human genome. Traditional approaches for obtaining haplotypes involve collecting genotype information from a population of individuals and then applying a haplotype inference algorithm. The development of high-throughput sequencing technologies allows for an alternative strategy to obtain haplotypes by combining sequence fragments. The problem of ‘haplotype assembly’ is the problem of assembling the two haplotypes for a chromosome given the collection of such fragments, or reads, and their locations in the haplotypes, which are pre-determined by mapping the reads to a reference genome. Errors in reads significantly increase the difficulty of the problem and it has been shown that the problem is NP-hard even for reads of length 2. Existing greedy and stochastic algorithms are not guaranteed to find the optimal solutions for the haplotype assembly problem. Results: In this article, we proposed a dynamic programming algorithm that is able to assemble the haplotypes optimally with time complexity O(m × 2k × n), where m is the number of reads, k is the length of the longest read and n is the total number of SNPs in the haplotypes. We also reduce the haplotype assembly problem into the maximum satisfiability problem that can often be solved optimally even when k is large. Taking advantage of the efficiency of our algorithm, we perform simulation experiments demonstrating that the assembly of haplotypes using reads of length typical of the current sequencing technologies is not practical. However, we demonstrate that the combination of this approach and the traditional haplotype phasing approaches allow us to practically construct haplotypes containing both common and rare variants. Contact: [email protected]
Aligning strategic processes in pursuit of firm growth

Abstract Strategy formation mode refers to the way organizations devise their strategies. While some organizations do so through an explicit, formalized, and planned method, other organizations unintentionally create patterns in their strategic decisions—a strategy formation route that is more emergent in nature. This research explores the relationship between strategy formation mode and firm growth. Further, this article explores two strategic processes—forecasting and long-range objective setting—and their efficacy in association with particular strategy formation modes. Primary and secondary data collected from 103 manufacturing firms were used to test the hypotheses. Results indicate that the relationship between strategy formation mode and firm growth is curvilinear (inverted-U shape). Further, a three-way interactive effect is found between strategy formation mode, forecasting, and long-range objective setting on firm growth.
Childhood Sexual Abuse and Multiple Dimensions of Self-Concept

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and self-concept in a nonclinical sample of female college students. Participants with a history of CSA had lower scores than participants without a history of CSA on four domains of self-concept: familial, affect, competence, and physical. History of CSA was not associated with lower self-concept in the social and academic domains. The primary conclusions to be drawn from this study are that CSA may be differentially associated with various domains of self-concept, and thus multidimensional assessment of self-concept can yield useful information that cannot be gathered from global measures which yield a single composite score.
Texture characterization via joint statistics of wavelet coefficient magnitudes

We present a parametric statistical characterization of texture images in the context of an overcomplete complex wavelet frame. The characterization consists of the local autocorrelation of the coefficients in each subband, the local autocorrelation of the coefficent magnitudes, and the cross-correlation of coefficient magnitudes at all orientations and adjacent spatial scales. We develop an efficient algorithm for sampling from an implicit probability density conforming to these statistics, and demonstrate its effectiveness in synthesizing artificial and natural texture images.
Planar transmission lines for soil water measurements

A comparative evaluation of the propagation characteristics of a conventional time domain reflectometry (TDR) probe and a planar (coplanar) transmission line is presented. Numerical analysis is done using quasi-static design equations obtained by conformal mapping. Results show that the coplanar line exhibits less attenuation, thereby possessing the ability to better sustain electromagnetic signals in lossy media. This work will facilitate the development of sensors for improved soil water measurements.
Latent Profile Analyses of Offense and Personality Characteristics in a Sample of Incarcerated Female Sexual Offenders

This study examines characteristics of 90 female sexual offenders based on offense and personality traits. The study uses latent profile analysis to identify groups of female sex offenders who are similar to one another and different from participants in other groups. Results using the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) indicate that there were three classes of offenders that differed with respect to the severity of their psychopathology. Upon analysis of predictors such as demographic information, offense characteristics, selected Trauma Symptom Inventory scores, Static-99 scores, abuse history, and PAI supplemental scales, several factors predicted group membership. These included marital status, sexual abuse in adulthood, and interpersonal relationship styles. Implications for assessment and treatment of female sex offenders are discussed.
Fabrication and characterization of high-T/sub c/ superconducting X-band resonators and bandpass filters

Microstrip passband filters with 3, 6, and 11 poles, as well as microstrip resonators, have been fabricated using postannealed Y/sub 1/Ba/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub x/ (YBCO) films deposited on LaAlO/sub 3/ substrates using three-target simultaneous co-sputtering. The insertion loss in the passband for the filters with center frequencies between 9.5 and 13.4 GHz was <or=0.3 dB at 50 K and <or=0.6 dB at 77 K for the three- and six-pole filters, respectively. The out-of-band rejection was greater than 50 dB. The excellent filter performance was attributed to the use of highly c-axis oriented postannealed YBCO films. The quality of these films depended strongly on substrate preparation, film thickness, density of YBCO grain boundaries, and crystallographic orientation of the grains. Microstrip ring resonators fabricated with optimized YBCO films had Q values as large as 3800 at 9.5 GHz. The surface resistance and penetration depth for the YBCO films were determined from the temperature dependence of the measured Q values and resonant frequencies of the resonators.
A Collections Planning Model for Regional Blood Suppliers: Description and Validation

A planning model has been developed to assist regional blood suppliers in alleviating seasonal imbalances between supply and demand of blood. A Markovian population model is used to project various performance measures for a blood supply region. These measures are summarized in graphs covering a planning period of several months to one year. The planner improves projected performance by changing collection plans and using the planning model iteratively to evaluate each plan. The data required by the model are generally available: past performance of bloodmobile sponsors, quotas and demand forecasts. In this paper the model is described, projected performance measures are validated against actual measures, sensitivity to errors in inputs is analyzed and the model is evaluated relative to less complex models. The planning model is shown to be sufficiently accurate for its purpose and highly effective for its cost. It has been implemented by two regional blood suppliers using remote computer terminals.
Dietary exposure to total and inorganic arsenic in the United States, 2006–2008

Consumers are frequently exposed to arsenic in foods and considerable public and scientific concern exists regarding the potential health risks from dietary arsenic. Arsenic exists in both organic and inorganic forms and health effects are primarily attributed to inorganic forms. The most common analytical methods used to detect arsenic measure total arsenic, which includes both organic and inorganic forms. It is therefore necessary to make assumptions concerning the amounts of total arsenic found in food samples that represent inorganic arsenic. This work presents a new assessment of US dietary exposure to arsenic using data available from the FDA Total Diet Study from 2006-2008 and a series of scenarios developed to estimate inorganic arsenic levels. Total arsenic exposures were estimated for 16 population subgroups and ranged from 1.4 x10-1 to 4.5 x10-1 µg/kg/day. The population subgroup with the highest exposure to total arsenic was 2 year-old children. The major food group contributors to total arsenic exposure for the general US population were marine sources, which accounted for 69 percent of the total arsenic exposure, and grains, legumes and seeds, which accounted for 20 percent. The highest inorganic arsenic exposures occurred for 2 year-old children and ranged from to 1.1 x10-1 µg/kg/day to 2.4 x10-1 µg/kg/day. Inorganic arsenic exposures for the 2 year-olds were 3.3 to 4.8 times higher than inorganic arsenic exposures for the general population. Under Scenario 5, which assumed that 70 percent of total arsenic from terrestrial sources and 10 percent of total arsenic from marine sources existed as inorganic arsenic, the most important food group contributors to inorganic arsenic for 2 years-olds were grains, legumes and seeds (50 percent), beverages (14 percent), marine sources (13 percent) and snacks and breakfast cereals (12 percent). The exposures estimates obtained in this work are below the EPA’s established RfD of 0.3 µg/kg/day for inorganic arsenic and below EFSA’s health concern level of 0.3 to 8.0 µg/kg/day. To improve the accuracy of future arsenic risk assessments, studies should incorporate specific analytical data measuring inorganic arsenic from foods contributing the most to inorganic arsenic exposure.
Autonomic balance revisited: Panic anxiety and heart rate variability

The analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is becoming widely used in clinical research to provide a window into autonomic control of HR. This technique has been valuable in elucidating the autonomic underpinnings of panic disorder (PD), a condition that is marked by reports of heart palpitations. A body of research has emerged that implicates a relative reduction in HRV and cardiac vagal tone in PD, as indicated by various HRV measures. These data are consistent with the cardiac symptoms of panic attacks, as well as with developmental evidence that links high vagal tone with enhanced attention, effective emotion regulation, and organismic responsivity. Implications of these findings for nosology and pathophysiology are discussed. Reports of reduced HRV in PD contrast with portrayals of excess autonomic lability in anxiety. This contradiction is addressed in the context of traditional homeostatic models versus a systems perspective that views physiologic variability as essential to overall stability.
Differential Effect of Subchronic Treatment with Various Neuroleptic Agents on Serotonin2 Receptors in Rat Cerebral Cortex

In addition to antidepressant drugs, some neuroleptic (NL) drugs reduce serotonin2 (5-HT2) receptor binding sites after chronic administration. The present study was undertaken to characterize further this property of NL drugs. Scatchard analysis of [3H]spiperone binding in rat cerebral cortex revealed that 21-day treatment with chlorpromazine (CPZ), cis-flupenthixol, and thioridazine reduced 5-HT2 radioligand binding density by 60, 27, and 18%, respectively. The more selective dopamine-D2 antagonists haloperidol and sulpiride were totally ineffective in this regard. No reduction in 5-HT2 ligand binding sites occurred after 1 day of treatment with CPZ but 3-days of treatment was effective and this reduction persisted, although diminished, for at least 72 h after the last injection. cis-Flupenthixol and d-butaclamol were also effective after 3 days of treatment but trans-flupenthixol and l-butaclamol were not, indicating stereo-specificity of the response mechanism. Female rats showed the same response to CPZ as did male rats. Central 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine-induced lesions of 5-HT neurons demonstrated that intact 5-HT neurons were not required for the reduction of 5-HT2 receptor ligand binding by CPZ. Since CPZ has high affinity for many receptors, including alpha 1, histamine1, and muscarinic receptors, the role of these effects in producing 5-HT2 receptor down-regulation was considered by studying the effects of prazosin, atropine, and pyrilamine administration on 5-HT2 radioligand binding. Results indicate that no one of these actions appears to account for the down-regulation of 5-HT2 receptors by CPZ. Several of these effects, in combination, or some unique mechanism, may be involved.
Wind Climate and Failure Risks

The relation is examined between risk of failure, degree of wind sensitivity, type of wind climate, and mean recurrence interval used in design. The results presented are based on the assumption, used in the ANSI A58.1 Standard, that the probabilistic behavior of extreme wind speeds is adequately modeled by distribution functions of the largest values, the parameters of which are estimated from the data consisting of the largest yearly wind speed for every year of record. These results show that a strong correlation exists between probability of failure and type of wind climate, as defined quantitatively by the parameters of the extreme wind distribution. All other relevant factors being equal, including the degree of sensitivity to wind, it was found that the probability of failure of a member may increase considerably as a function of type of wind climate. It is suggested that the effect of the type of climate, as defined in the paper, be taken into account in design.
Glycine and GABAA Ultra-Sensitive Ethanol Receptors as Novel Tools for Alcohol and Brain Research

A critical obstacle to developing effective medications to prevent and/or treat alcohol use disorders is the lack of specific knowledge regarding the plethora of molecular targets and mechanisms underlying alcohol (ethanol) action in the brain. To identify the role of individual receptor subunits in ethanol-induced behaviors, we developed a novel class of ultra-sensitive ethanol receptors (USERs) that allow activation of a single receptor subunit population sensitized to extremely low ethanol concentrations. USERs were created by mutating as few as four residues in the extracellular loop 2 region of glycine receptors (GlyRs) or γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs), which are implicated in causing many behavioral effects linked to ethanol abuse. USERs, expressed in Xenopus oocytes and tested using two-electrode voltage clamp, demonstrated an increase in ethanol sensitivity of 100-fold over wild-type receptors by significantly decreasing the threshold and increasing the magnitude of ethanol response, without altering general receptor properties including sensitivity to the neurosteroid, allopregnanolone. These profound changes in ethanol sensitivity were observed across multiple subunits of GlyRs and GABAARs. Collectively, our studies set the stage for using USER technology in genetically engineered animals as a unique tool to increase understanding of the neurobiological basis of the behavioral effects of ethanol.
Plaque Formation by Rhinoviruses

SummaryA reliable plaque assay is described for 60 rhinovirus strains representing 55 distinct serotypes and one subtype. Using HeLa cell bottle cultures, plaques were produced under starch gel and Ionagar overlay media. Employing the methodology described in this report, certain basic aspects of rhinovirus plaque formation were investigated.
The kangaroo's fifth leg

![][1] When you hear the word ‘kangaroo’, you might picture that charismatic Australian marsupial hopping bipedally across the grassy plains. It may be surprising to hear that most of the time kangaroos spend moving is not time spent hopping. Instead, they move slowly while
Uncle Wuffle’s Reflections on Political Science Methodology

This essay consists of idiosynratic reflections on research methodology based on a long career.
Estimation of critical constants Tc, ?c from the ?(T) and T(?) relations at coexistence

The critical temperature Tc and the critical density ρc are estimated from new equations (1) for the double-valued ρ(T) relation, and (2) for the single-valued T(ρ) relation. For method (1) this report gives concise descriptions of the rectilinear diameter and of the densities of liquid oxygen. Calculated vapor densities agree well with experimental oxygen data over the wide range from triple-to critical-point. Method (2) is applied to hydrogen, oxygen, fluorine, and neon, giving the T(ρ) relation and estimates for Tc and ρc all in one step from the complete set of liquid and vapor data.
Fabrication and characterization of air-trench waveguide beam splitters in perfluorocyclobutyl polymers

We report fabrication and characterization of small-area air-trench waveguide splitters in perfluorocyclobutyl polymers. An ICP/RIE anisotropic, high aspect ratio etch is developed using CO/O2 chemistry to fabricate air-trenches, preventing excessive widening with stress relief method.
Regional chemotherapy—A comparison of pelvic perfusion and intra-arterial infusion in patients with advanced gynecologic cancer

Forty patients with advanced gynecologic cancer were treated with two different regional chemotherapeutic techniques. They were divided into two comparable groups. Twenty were treated by isolated regional perfusion and 20 were treated by intra-arterial infusion. The simple technique of intra-arterial infusion had a much lower mortality rate and gave equally satisfactory results when compared with the more complicated “closed” pelvic perfusion method. This comparative study suggests that the further use of isolated pelvic perfusion should await improvements in techniques and the development of more rapidly acting drugs. Further efforts in the area of infusion should be directed toward the development of more rapidly acting drugs, the development of better tumor-cytotoxic drug sensitivity tests, better use of the newer knowledge of cellular kinetics, and improved techniques for accuracy in the placement of arterial infusion catheters. While it is felt that regional chemotherapy has a place in management, it is not being proposed as a substitute for surgery or radiotherapy in the patient who will benefit from orthodox treatment.
Mutation and Genome Evolution

Genome composition and architecture is shaped by two types of processes: those that introduce heritable changes (mutagenesis) and those that determine the fate of such changes in the populations (genetic drift and selection). Chemical and biological properties of mutagenesis determines the frequencies at which different type of mutations occur, which, in turn, determines their rates of fixation by drift and affects the spectrum of mutations available for selection to operate on. As the result, genomes of living organisms carry many signatures mutagenesis.
The fate of the 12 mm porcine valved conduit from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery: A ten-year experience

The 12 mm Dacron conduit containing a porcine valve is the smallest valved conduit manufactured and is used in the youngest infants with the most diminutive pulmonary arterial system. The outcome of patients with such a conduit is unknown. Between 1975 and 1985 there were 49 hospital survivors after placement of a 12 mm extracardiac valved conduit from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. Follow-up is available in 42 patients, aged 1 to 16 months (mean 3.5) and weighing 2.5 to 8.7 kg (mean 3.8). Twenty-eight patients (67%) have undergone subsequent conduit replacement, and 11 (26%) are alive and asymptomatic with a mean follow-up of 56 months. There were three late deaths. The interval between implantation and conduit change was 4.5 to 101 months (mean 44), allowing a weight gain of 2.7 to 23 kg (mean 10.4) before reoperation at age 12 to 117 months (mean 49). Despite elevated right ventricular pressures equaling systemic values, 37% of these patients were clinically asymptomatic. The gradient across the 12 mm valved conduit before explantation ranged from 30 to 173 torr (mean 83) with an almost equal predilection for stenosis at the proximal anastomosis, valve, conduit, distal anastomosis, and main pulmonary artery. The intervening pulmonary artery growth determined the size of the replacement conduit, 14 to 25 mm (mean 16), and was the main factor influencing the results of reoperation. This study demonstrates that the 12 mm porcine valve-containing conduit affords palliation in this difficult subset of patients with the smallest pulmonary arterial tree.
Patterns and distribution of presynaptic and postsynaptic elements within serial electron microscopic reconstructions of neuronal arbors from the medicinal leech Hirudo verbana.

Microscale connectomics involves the large-scale acquisition of high resolution serial electron micrographs from which neuronal arbors can be reconstructed and synapses detected. In addition to connectivity information, these datasets are also rich with structural information including vesicle types, number of postsynaptic partners at a given presynaptic site, and spatial distribution of synaptic inputs and outputs. Using serial blockface scanning electron microscopy (SBEM), we collected two volumes of serial EM data from ganglia of the medicinal leech. In the first volume, we sampled a small fraction of the neuropil belonging to an adult ganglion. From this dataset we measured the proportion of arbors that contain vesicles, the types of vesicles contained, and developed criteria to identify synapses and measure the number of apparent postsynaptic partners in apposition to presynaptic boutons. In the second dataset, we sampled an entire juvenile ganglion, which included the somata and arbors of all the neurons. We used this dataset to put our findings from mature tissue into the context of fully reconstructed arbors and to explore the spatial distribution of synaptic inputs and outputs on these arbors. We observed that some neurons segregate their arbors into input-only and mixed input/output zones, that other neurons contained exclusively mixed input/output zones, and that still others contained only input zones. These results provide a groundwork for future behavioral studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Effects of anticipated neonatal surgical intervention on maternal milk cytokine production

Abstract Background Maternal stress on neonatal outcomes of infants admitted to the NICU is incompletely understood. We previously demonstrated breast milk derived cytokines remain biologically active in the neonatal intestine. We hypothesized that the need for neonatal surgical intervention would be stimulus leading to maternal cytokine production thus affecting neonatal outcome. Methods Discarded expressed breast milk (EBM) in the first 3weeks following delivery was analyzed for IL-23 and IL-10 by ELISA. Variables analyzed included: the need for a pediatric surgical procedure, the need for cardiac surgical procedure, no surgical interventions, and survival. All values are expressed as mean±SEM. Statistical analysis utilized Kruskal and Mann–Whitney test. Results EBM from mothers whose infants required any surgical procedure ( n =19) revealed significant elevation in IL-10 but not IL-23 compared to nonsurgical EBM ( n =18). Subdivided by procedure type, there was no difference between those undergoing a cardiac ( n =9) versus pediatric surgical ( n =10) procedure in both IL-10 and IL-23. Mothers whose infants requiring surgical intervention or whose infants did not survive in the first 3weeks of life had elevation of IL-10. Conclusion Results suggest maternal stress impacts the cytokine profile of breast milk. Level of evidence Level III.
Chromatin structure, heterochromatin, and transposable genetic elements: Are these teammates?

Gene content proved to be less than expected in completely sequenced eukaryotic genomes. Moreover, gene number differs only three times between such distant organisms as human and Drosophila. Hence it is likely that the essential functional and structural differences between the two species mostly depend on the regulation of gene activity than on the set and quality of genes themselves. New data demonstrate that changes in chromatin structure play a greater role in the fine gene activity regulation than considered before. R.B. Khesin had foreseen many chromatin functions that only recently came to be recognized. Khesin was interested in genome inconstancy over his last years. A higher content of several important chromosomal proteins was recently revealed in chromatin of transposable genetic elements (TGE). The possible role of TGE in chromatin organization in the nucleus is considered.
Disseminated cytomegalovirus-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in an elderly patient.

TO THE EDITOR: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is characterized by severe immune activation and deregulation resulting in extreme and often life-threatening inflammation [1]. Adult-onset HLH is rare and fatal. Infectious agents contribute to a major part of the etiology of adult-onset HLH [2,3]. A high degree of clinical suspicion and prompt treatment is required to prevent mortality. We have described an unusual clinical presentation of a case of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-associated HLH with multi-organ involvement.
Online sparse and orthogonal subspace estimation from partial information

We consider an online version of the sparse PCA problem with missing data in which we seek a set of sparse orthogonal basis vectors. We are motivated by big data applications where we must sequentially process possibly incomplete vector observations to find an approximating subspace, and we desire the subspace representation to be sparse and have orthogonal columns for reasons of interpretability. We propose two different algorithms for solving this problem inspired by the work of [15], where the main idea is to find a rotation matrix such that the subspace basis is sparse after rotation. Our first algorithm is a batch algorithm with updates for the rotation matrix estimate using gradient steps on the Stiefel manifold. The second algorithm is online, and for each observation it performs two updates, one of the rotation matrix estimate and one of the subspace estimate, the latter of which is updated using gradient steps on the Grassmannian. The batch algorithm is competitive with state-of-the-art on full data. The online algorithm allows for a trade-off between subspace fit and sparsity of the subspace, and its performance degrades gracefully with missing data. We evaluate the performance of these two algorithms on both synthetic and real data.
Semiconductor alloy nanowires and nanobelts with widely tunable bandgaps for full-spectrum emission and multi-color lasing

Energy bandgap of a semiconductor is one of the most important parameters for optoelectronic applications since it determines spectral features of absorptions and emission processes and other electronic and optical properties. Many applications such as lasers, solar cells, detectors, and LEDs can benefit greatly by having semiconductor with any desired bandgaps or variable bandgaps in a wide range. While it has been a challenging task to achieve materials with any desired bandgaps on a given substrate using the planar epitaxial technologies, nanomaterials such as nanowires open unprecedented opportunities of bandgap engineering through alloying with almost arbitrary compositions.
Light-based devices in the treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions: An updated review.

SummaryBackground Light-based devices have been used to treat cutaneous vascular lesions almost since the original development of the laser. After the introduction of the initial continuous wave and pulsed laser systems, the pulsed lasers became the gold standard device. Since then, new devices and methods to treat patients have been introduced. Objective To review and summarize the current literature specific to treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions with light-based devices. Methods A review of the current literature of light-based devices used for the treatment of vascular lesions. Results and conclusions New systems continue to be developed to treat vascular lesions with advantages and disadvantages compared to older devices. Nonlaser sources such as intense pulsed light and radiofrequency devices can also be used in the treatment of these patients. Newer approaches may lead to even better results.
The Record Los Angeles Heat Event of September 2010: 1. Synoptic‐Scale‐Meso‐β‐Scale Analyses of Interactive Planetary Wave Breaking, Terrain‐ and Coastal‐Induced Circulations

On 27 September 2010 the Los Angeles Civic Center reached its all-time record maximum temperature of 45 °C before 1330 LDT with several other regional stations observing all-time record breaking heat early in that afternoon. This record event is associated with a general circulation pattern predisposed to hemispheric wave breaking. Three days before the event, wave breaking organizes complex terrain and coastal-induced processes that lead to isentropic surface folding into the Los Angeles Basin. The first wave break occurs over the western two-thirds of North America leading to trough elongation across the southwestern U.S. Collocated with this trough is an isentropic potential vorticity filament that is the locus of a thermally indirect circulation central to warming and associated thickness increases and ridging westward across the Great Basin. In response to this circulation, two subsynoptic wave breaks are triggered along the Pacific Coast and the IPV filament is coupled to the breaking waves and the interaction produces a subsynoptic low pressure center and a deep vortex aloft over the southeastern California desert. This coupling leads to advection of an elevated mixed layer over Point Conception the night before the record-breaking heat that creates a coastally trapped low pressure area southwest of Los Angeles. The two low pressure centers create a low-level pressure gradient and east-southeasterly jet directed offshore over the Los Angeles Basin by sunrise on the 27th. This allows the advection of low-level warm air from the inland terrain towards the coastally-trapped disturbance and descending circulation resulting in record heating.
Vector bundles for "Matrix algebras converge to the sphere"

Abstract In the high-energy quantum-physics literature, one finds statements such as “matrix algebras converge to the sphere”. Earlier I provided a general precise setting for understanding such statements, in which the matrix algebras are viewed as quantum metric spaces, and convergence is with respect to a quantum Gromov–Hausdorff-type distance. But physicists want even more to treat structures on spheres (and other spaces), such as vector bundles, Yang–Mills functionals, Dirac operators, etc., and they want to approximate these by corresponding structures on matrix algebras. In the present paper we treat this idea for vector bundles. We develop a general precise way for understanding how, for two compact quantum metric spaces that are close together, to a given vector bundle on one of them there can correspond in a natural way a unique vector bundle on the other. We then show explicitly how this works for the case of matrix algebras converging to the 2-sphere.
Can Biomarkers Advance HIV Research and Care in the Antiretroviral Therapy Era

Despite achieving human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA suppression below levels of detection and, for most, improved CD4+ T-cell counts, those aging with HIV experience excess low-level inflammation, hypercoagulability, and immune dysfunction (chronic inflammation), compared with demographically and behaviorally similar uninfected individuals. A host of biomarkers that are linked to chronic inflammation are also associated with HIV-associated non-AIDS-defining events, including cardiovascular disease, many forms of cancer, liver disease, renal disease, neurocognitive decline, and osteoporosis. Furthermore, chronic HIV infection may interact with long-term treatment toxicity and weight gain after ART initiation. These observations suggest that future biomarker-guided discovery and treatment may require attention to multiple biomarkers and, possibly, weighted indices. We are clinical trialists, epidemiologists, pragmatic trialists, and translational scientists. Together, we offer an operational definition of a biomarker and consider how biomarkers might facilitate progress along the translational pathway from therapeutic discovery to intervention trials and clinical management among people aging with or without HIV infection.
Transcutaneous Electrical Spinal Stimulation Promotes Long-Term Recovery of Upper Extremity Function in Chronic Tetraplegia

Upper extremity function is the highest priority of tetraplegics for improving quality of life. We aim to determine the therapeutic potential of transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation for restoration of upper extremity function. We tested the hypothesis that cervical stimulation can facilitate neuroplasticity that results in long-lasting improvement in motor control. A 62-year-old male with C3, incomplete, chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) participated in the study. The intervention comprised three alternating periods: 1) transcutaneous spinal stimulation combined with physical therapy (PT); 2) identical PT only; and 3) a brief combination of stimulation and PT once again. Following four weeks of combined stimulation and physical therapy training, all of the following outcome measurements improved: the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensation, and Prehension test score increased 52 points and upper extremity motor score improved 10 points. Pinch strength increased 2- to 7-fold in left and right hands, respectively. Sensation recovered on trunk dermatomes, and overall neurologic level of injury improved from C3 to C4. Most notably, functional gains persisted for over 3 month follow-up without further treatment. These data suggest that noninvasive electrical stimulation of spinal networks can promote neuroplasticity and long-term recovery following SCI.
Bis(1,4,7-trithia-cyclo-nona-ne)nickel(II) bis-(tetra-fluorido-borate) nitro-methane disolvate.

The homoleptic thio­ether title complex, [Ni(C6H12S3)2](BF4)2·2CH3NO2, shows the expeced hexa­kis­(thio­ether) octa­hedral environment around the NiII atom. It crystallized as two crystallographically independent complex cations, [Ni(9S3)2]2+ (9S3 = 1,4,7-trithia­cyclo­nona­ne), within the unit cell where each NiII lies on an inversion center. In addition to the complex cations, there are two crystallographically independent BF4− anions present to balance the charge, and each shows disorder along a pseudo-C3 axis with ratios of 0.53 (2):0.47 (2) and 0.55 (2):0.45 (2). Two nitro­methane solvent mol­ecules per complex cation are also present in the unit cell.
The Cognitive and Behavioral Impact of Promotion and Prevention Contracts on Trust in Repeated Exchanges

Although contracts certainly facilitate exchange, scholars have debated whether contracts and trust are complements or substitutes. Recent theoretical work has suggested that contract frames influe...
Impacts of age and gender at the risk of underlying medical conditions and death in patients with avian influenza A (H7N9): a meta-analysis study.

Objective The objective of our study was to conduct a series of analyses that examined the impacts of age and gender at the risk of underlying medical conditions (UMCs) and death in patients with influenza A (H7N9). Methods We began by searching for potentially relevant articles in English or Chinese before February 28, 2018. Additionally, we reviewed our own files and reference lists of articles identified by this search. Results The association between death and UMCs was significant in H7N9 patients, with an OR of 1.49 (95% CI: 1.24-1.78). Subgroup analyses showed that having two or more UMCs of any type (OR: 2.24; P=0.044), chronic respiratory diseases (OR: 1.81; P=0.032), and chronic cardiovascular disease (OR: 1.63; P=0.013) had an association with increased fatality in H7N9 patients. Age (60 years or older) [adjusted OR (AOR): 1.86; P=0.032] and gender (male: AOR: 1.68, P=0.006; female: AOR: 1.88, P=0.044) were significantly associated with death in H7N9 patients with UMCs compared to H7N9 patients without any UMC. Stratification analyses found statistically significant increased death in H7N9 patients with UMCs who were 60 years of age and older (AOR: 2.72; P<0.001) and gender (male; AOR=1.64; P=0.033), compared to H7N9 patients without these respective conditions. Conclusion Impacts of age are substantial and significant at the risk of UMCs and death in H7N9 patients. This analysis did not find a significant difference in gender comparisons. Efforts should particularly focus on reducing fatality rates in patients with combined risks from UMCs and other significant impact factor such as age (60 years or older).
An Alternative Perspective for the Theory of Biological Control

Importation biological control represents the planned introduction of a specialist natural enemy from the region of origin of an invasive pest or weed. For this study, the author considered why attempts to develop a predictive theory for biological control have been misguided and what future directions might be more promising and effective. Despite considerable interest in the theory of consumer⁻resource population dynamics, such theory has contributed little to improvements in the success of biological control due to a focus on persistence and equilibrium dynamics rather than establishment and impact. A broader consideration of invasion biology in addition to population ecology offers new opportunities for a more inclusive theory of biological control that incorporates the demographic and genetic processes that more specifically address the establishment and impact of introduced natural enemies. The importance of propagule size and genetic variance for successful establishment, and of contributions to host population growth, relative population growth rates, interaction strength, and coevolution for suppression of host abundance are discussed as promising future directions for a theory of biological control.