cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Battery in the Form of a Soil-Matrix Composite

AbstractThis work has shown the feasibility of a soil-based battery, in which the electrolyte (soil) was continuous throughout the anode, cathode, and electrolyte. The soil contained 49 wt.% water. The battery was in the shape of a soil-based monolithic slab and involved an anode (zinc, particle size 7 μm, acetic acid washed), a cathode (MnO2, particle size 40 μm), and an electrically conductive additive (carbon black, particle size 30 nm). A battery was composed of three successive layers: a cathode layer (a soil-matrix MnO2 particle composite, 12 wt.% MnO2, 15 mm thick), an electrolyte layer (soil, 2 mm thick), and an anode layer (a soil-matrix zinc particle composite, 9 wt.% Zn, 5 mm thick). After assembly, it was compacted at a pressure of 1.67 MPa. The soil electrolyte exhibited resistivity of 220 Ω·cm and a relative dielectric constant of 29 (1 kHz). The soil-based battery discharged at 10 mA (0.25 mA/cm2) and exhibited open-circuit voltage up to 0.24 V, initial running voltage up to 0.17 V, power...
Plasmacytoma of the colon case report with lambda light chain, demonstrated by immunoperoxidase studies

A case of solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma in the transverse colon of a 20-year-old woman is reported. This case is unusual in that the plasmacytomas are only rarely observed in the gastrointestinal tract and are especially uncommon in the colon and in young women. The lesion was composed of pleomorphic plasma cells and contained areas of extracellular amyloid deposition. Its neoplastic nature was verified by the use of immunoperoxidase studies which were positive only for lambda light chain. The subject of gastrointestinal plasmacytomas and the use of immunoperoxidase studies on plasmacytic lesions are discussed. cancer 50:130-133, 1982.
Echinostoma revolutum: Pathology of extraintestinal infection in the golden hamster

Abstract Extraintestinal echinostomiasis, i.e. Echinostoma revolutum adults in sites other than the intestine, occurred in golden hamsters experimentally infected with more than 77 worms. Clinical effects included increased bilirubin concentration, the presence of Escherichia coli in blood samples, a decrease in splenic and an increase in adrenal relative weights. The livers of some hamsters exhibited suppurative hepatitis, peribiliary necrosis, hemorrhage, egg granulomas and fibrosis. Suppurative liver lesions contained Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus and Escherichia coli . Gall bladders and pancreatic ducts contained worms and traumatic necrosis occurred in the ducts followed by an intense inflammatory response in the lamina propria. Parasites were also recovered from the stomachs of two extraintestinally infected hamsters with > 77 worms.
Predictors of the Success or failure of medical therapy in patients with chronic recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia: A discriminant analysis

To identify predictors of the success or failure of medical therapy in chronic recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia, univariate and multivariate statistical techniques were used to retrospectively analyze data in 84 patients with this arrhythmia. By univariate analysis, four factors were associated with successful medical treatment: age less than 45 years, ejection fraction greater than 50%, hypokinesia as the only contraction abnormality and the absence of organic heart disease. Four other findings, the induction of ventricular tachycardia with a single ventricular extrastimulus, an HV interval greater than 60 ms, the presence of a left ventricular aneurysm and Q waves on a baseline electrocardiogram, correlated with medical failure. However, none of these variables alone accurately predicted treatment results in more than 75% of cases. By discriminant analysis, a function incorporating eight variables was constructed which correctly classified 81% of patients. Moreover, three-quarters of the patients could be classified into groups with a high or low probability of success where accuracy increased to 90%. When the discriminant function was tested prospectively in 31 similar patients, 25 (81%) fell into the groups with a high or low probability of success. In the latter group, of 20 patients predicted to fail medical therapy, 19 (95%) did fail a complete trial of medical therapy. The overall accuracy remained a high 92%. In clinical application this function would allow patients with a high probability of responding to medical therapy to be selected for serial electrophysiologic drug testing. In patients with a low probability of responding to medical therapy, serial studies could be avoided and alternate forms of therapy explored.
Cct1, a phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis enzyme, is required for Drosophila oogenesis and ovarian morphogenesis.

Patterning of the Drosophila egg requires cooperation between the germline cells and surrounding somatic follicle cells. In order to identify genes involved in follicle cell patterning, we analyzed enhancer trap lines expressed in specific subsets of follicle cells. Through this analysis, we have identified tandem Drosophila genes homologous to CTP: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT), the second of three enzymes in the CDP-choline pathway, which is used to synthesize phosphatidylcholine. Drosophila Cct1 is expressed at high levels in three specific subsets of follicle cells, and this expression is regulated, at least in part, by the TGF-β and Egfr signaling pathways. Mutations in Cct1 result in a number of defects, including a loss of germline stem cell maintenance, mispositioning of the oocyte, and a shortened operculum, suggesting that Cct1 plays multiple roles during oogenesis. In addition, Cct1 mutants display a novel branched ovariole phenotype, demonstrating a requirement for this gene during ovarian morphogenesis. These data provide the first evidence for a specific role for CCT, and thus for phosphatidylcholine, in patterning during development.
Building Positive Attitudes by Using Cooperative Learning Groups

ABSTRACT This article describes the teacher's role in using cooperative learning groups to teach junior high school introductory French classes. It also describes the results of an evaluation of how cooperative learning experiences affect (1) the students' attitudes toward French, (2) their relationships with peers and the teacher, and (3) the perceived impact of the cooperative learning experiences on their motivation to learn French, the personal benefits they received from the group experiences, and their attitudes toward learning in groups. Cooperative learning experiences promoted positive attitudes among students toward all of these aspects of learning French.
Diabetic foot ulcers: Current concepts

Foot ulcerations and their sequelae remain a major source of morbidity for patients with diabetes mellitus. Often leading to infection, osteomyelitis, or gangrene, these lesions have consistently been ascertained as significant risk factors for subsequent lower extremity amputation. Hence education, appropriate foot care, and early intervention have assumed important roles in programs focused on amputation prevention. Multidisciplinary cooperation has been demonstrated as the most successful approach to the management and prevention of foot lesions in patients with diabetes. This article reviews the epidemiology, current understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, and treatment rationale for diabetic foot ulcerations. Such knowledge is essential in the overall management of these complicated patients and, when incorporated into daily practice, can significantly reduce the incidence and morbidity of foot disease in diabetes.
MKK6 binds and regulates expression of Parkinson’s disease-related protein LRRK2

J. Neurochem. (2010) 112, 1593–1604. Abstract Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are prevalent causes of late-onset Parkinson’s disease. Here, we show that LRRK2 binds to MAPK kinases (MKK) 3, 6, and 7, and that LRRK2 is able to phosphorylate MKK3, 6 and 7. Over-expression of LRRK2 and MKK6 increased the steady state levels of each protein beyond that observed with over-expression of either protein alone. Co-expression increased levels of MKK6 in the membrane more than in the cytoplasm. The increased expression of LRRK2 and MKK6 requires MKK6 activity. The disease-linked LRRK2 mutations, G2019S, R1441C and I2020T, enhance binding of LRRK2 to MKK6. This interaction was further supported by in vivo studies in C. elegans. RNAi knockdown in C. elegans of the endogenous orthologs for MKK6 or p38, sek-1 and pmk-1, abolishes LRRK2-mediated protection against mitochondrial stress. These results were confirmed by deletion of sek-1 in C. elegans. These data demonstrate that MKKs and LRRK2 function in similar biological pathways, and support a role for LRRK2 in modulating the cellular stress response.
An Investigation of the Productivity Difference in Mechanical Embodiment Design Between Face-to-Face and Threaded Online Collaboration

The threaded online, also known as “forum,” collaboration method is widely used by open source software projects. As open source and Crowdsourcing [3] design approaches gain attention, there is a need to explore whether the threaded online method would compete with the more traditional method, face to face, in mechanical engineering design in terms of productivity. Our experiment shows that with a suitably sized challenge, the threaded online method does generate about equal productivity as the face-to-face method. However, the participation rates are lower in the threaded online method and the participants’ satisfaction with the experience was also less. This suggests that additional communication mechanisms are needed to facilitate the threaded online method, and management mechanisms should be imposed. We also identified two phenomena that warrant further investigation. The first is what we call “inertia loafing.” Enthusiasm among online community members is fragile. A small drop in satisfaction level can cause many to become unwilling to participate. The second is that an online community tends to have two kinds of members: “players” who are responsible for most content creation; and “cheer leaders” who provide feedback or provide an assisting function.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Transcatheter closure of residual atrial septal defect following cardiac transplantation

An almost 3-year-old boy had a residual atrial septal defect after cardiac transplantation. The patient was symptomatic and had arrhythmia and cardiac enlargement. An atrial septal defect occlusion device was employed to close the communication with excellent results. Transcatheter occlusion enabled the patient to avoid further surgery and did not interfere with follow-up endomyocardial biopsies. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Quantum correlated interstitials and the Hall resistivity of the magnetically induced Wigner crystal.

We study a model of an interstitial in a Wigner crystal (WC). We find that correlations, ignored in a Hartree-Fock treatment, dramatically lower the interstitial energy, especially at \ensuremath{\nu} close to 1/m (m odd). The correlation at \ensuremath{\nu}1/m is introduced by a trial wave function with a Jastrow factor of a Laughlin state at \ensuremath{\nu}=1/m. For \ensuremath{\nu} close to but below 1/m, a WC becomes unstable against formation of such interstitials. It is argued that conduction due to correlated interstitials in the presence of a weak disorder leads to the classical Hall resistivity, as seen experimentally.
Consumer ethics : The role of acculturation in U.S. immigrant populations

This study examines the role of acculturation in shaping consumers’ views of ethics. Specifically, it examines the relationships between the desire to keep one’s original culture, the desire to adopt the host culture, and the four dimensions of the Muncy and Vitell (Journal of Business Research Ethics24(4), 297, 1992) consumer ethics scale. Using two separate immigrant populations – one of former Middle-Eastern residents now living in the U.S. and the other of Asian immigrants in the U.S. – results indicate that those who want to keep their original culture are less tolerant of unethical consumer activities, while those who are more willing to adopt the host culture are more tolerant of these same consumer activities. Furthermore, the immigrants in both studies who are more tolerant of unethical consumer activities are those who are generally somewhat younger and with less formal education. The relationship between gender and consumer ethics was not significant.
Preliminary findings of the effects of comorbidities on a web-based intervention on self-reported blood sugar readings among adults age 60 and older with diabetes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a Web-based intervention on self-reported blood sugars for older adults with diabetes. Participants who were randomized in the firs...
The Beijing Olympics as indicator of a Chinese competitive ethic.

Before the nation-form paradigm of political realism most commonly associated with Western inter-state politics came to dominate China, its imperial logic of external state interaction was traditionally organized by a cosmological-political ordering of tribute relationships that we might want to call ‘soft power with Chinese characteristics’. One of the ways in which outside influences have been made local in China in recent decades was the increase in the importance of the Olympic Games as a meaningful political event. This essay focuses on an element of this new Chinese appropriation of this originally foreign idea to show a corresponding utilization of a ‘competitive ethic’– not really new, and perhaps only newly positioned, but novel in this field nonetheless – that has been internalized in Chinese politics. This ethic was in the West descended from muscular Christian sentiments and eventually caught up in an atmosphere of prevailing ideas about war and political strength in the social Darwinist clima...
Isolation and characterization of the human MRE11 homologue

Mutation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD52 epistasis group gene, MRE11, blocks meiotic recombination, confers profound sensitivity to double-strand break damage, and has a hyperrecombinational phenotype in mitotic cells. We isolated a highly conserved human MRE11 homologue using a two-hybrid screen for DNA ligase I-interacting proteins. Human MRE11 shares approximately 50% identity with its yeast counterpart over the N-terminal half of the protein. MRE11 is expressed at the highest levels in proliferating tissues, but is also observed in other tissues. The MRE11 locus maps to human chromosome 11q21 in a region frequently associated with cancer-related chromosomal abnormalities. A MRE11-related locus was found on chromosome 7q11.2-q11.3.
Acute columnaris infection in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque): efficacy of practical treatments for warmwater aquaculture ponds.

Columnaris disease was induced in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), by bath exposure to four highly virulent isolates of Flavobacterium columnare. In untreated controls, mortality began 20 h after exposure and reached 100% by 48 h. Mortality in channel catfish given antibiotic treatments with oxytetracycline or a combination of sulphadimethoxine and ormetoprim in feed prior to bacterial challenge was zero with all four strains of F. columnare. Diquat® (Zeneca Agricultural Products, Wilmington, DE, USA) was the most effective bath treatment; mortality with all four strains was zero. With potassium permanganate, chloramine-T, hydrogen peroxide and copper sulphate, bath treatment efficacy varied significantly among strains (P = 0.0346) and among treatments (P = 0.0033). Bath treatments with chloramine-T and potassium permanganate significantly reduced (P < 0.05) mortality from 100 to 75 and 69%, respectively, but copper sulphate and hydrogen peroxide treatments were not effective. Based on our results, oral antibiotics prevented columnaris disease but, of the bath treatments, only Diquat® produced a dramatic reduction in the mortality of acutely infected fish. Diquat® is labelled for aquatic use as an herbicide in the USA but in large ponds it is prohibitively expensive.
Panic as an independent risk factor for suicide attempt in depressive illness: Findings from the national epidemiological survey on alcohol and related conditions (NESARC).

CONTEXT: The relationship between comorbid panic and suicide in depressed persons remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship of panic attacks and panic symptoms to suicidality in individuals with a major mood disorder meeting DSM-IV criteria for past-year major depressive episodes in a large epidemiologic study. METHOD: In data on 2,679 community-dwelling participants of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (2001-2002) with major depressive episodes, the associations of panic attacks and panic symptoms with lifetime suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were assessed. The adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and suicide attempt among ideators for subjects with panic attacks were the primary outcome measures. RESULTS: Past-year panic attacks were associated with increased risk of lifetime suicidal ideations (AOR = 1.17; 95% CI, 1.02-1.35) and suicide attempts (AOR = 2.10; 95% CI, 1.77-2.50) and significantly increased risk of suicide attempts among those reporting suicidal ideations (AOR = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.49-2.15). Some panic symptoms, most notably catastrophic cognitions (fear of dying and fear of "losing control" or "going insane"), were more strongly and specifically associated with suicide attempt (AORs = 2.13-2.95), while others were more related to suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: Panic attacks appear to be an independent risk factor for suicide attempt among depressed individuals with and without suicidal ideation. Further, panic attacks, particularly those characterized by prominent catastrophic cognitions, may mediate the transition from suicidal ideations to suicide attempts in subjects with depressive episodes. Assessment of these symptoms may improve prediction of suicide attempts in clinical settings. Language: en
How not to enhance the confidence–accuracy relation: The detrimental effects of attention to the identification process.

This study (N = 218) examines potential moderators of the confidence–accuracy (CA) relation in eyewitness identifications. The design included five experimental interventions (accountability, context reinstatement, retrospective narration, hypothesis disconfirmation, and hypothesis generation), as well as one trait measure (public self-consciousness). Although the interventions were hypothesized to enhance the CA relation relative to a control condition, they did not do so. In fact, quite contrary to our initial expectations, only participants in the control condition displayed unqualified insight into their identification accuracy. We conclude that attempts to enhance awareness of the thoughts and reasoning process involved in an identification decision may frequently have minimal, or even counterproductive, effects. Instead, results of decision process measures suggest that the CA relation might be more effectively enhanced by increasing the salience of relatively automatic decision criteria (e.g., “did his face 'pop out' at me?”) and decreasing the salience of algorithmic identification strategies (e.g., “was I thorough in making my decision?”).
Pilgrims' progress in Chicago: three English soccer tours to the Second City, 1905–09

For over a century, Chicago has played organized soccer. This essay surveys Chicago soccer in the first decade of the twentieth century. It details how three English soccer tours from 1905–09 revitalized a declining Chicago Football Association, while encouraging soccer's growth in the adult leagues, schools and parks. The final tour shines a light on native‐born talent notably in Coal City, Illinois and suggests how local success also carried over into the leagues. Following the tours, Chicago soccer flourished in these areas and has continued through to the present.
IL-2: a two-faced master regulator of autoimmunity.

CD4+ T-cell (Th) cytokines provide important regulatory and effector functions of T-cells. Among them, IL-2 plays a unique role. IL-2 is required for the generation and maintenance of regulatory T-cells (Treg) to provide lifelong protection from autoimmune disease. Whether IL-2 is also required for autoimmune disease development is less clear as Il2−/− mice themselves spontaneously develop multi-organ inflammation (MOI). In this communication, we discuss evidence that support the thesis that IL-2 is required for the development of autoimmune response, although some aspects of autoimmune response are not regulated by IL-2. Potential IL-2-dependent mechanisms operating at specific stages of the inflammation process are presented. The interplays among Treg, IL-2, autoimmune response and adaptive immunity are discussed. Overall, available information indicates that IL-2 is a two-faced master regulator of autoimmunity: one to prevent autoimmunity while the other promotes autoimmune response. The latter is an unfortunate consequence of IL-2 function that is used to promote the adaptive immune response against foreign antigens and pathogens.
The influence of aerobic fitness on the recovery of peak power output

Purpose The aims of this study were to evaluate the recovery kinetics of peak power output (PPO) following a maximal sprint, and to evaluate the influence of aerobic fitness on that recovery process. Methods On separate occasions, 16 well-trained men (age: 21 ± 3 years; height: 1.84 ± 0.05 m; and body mass: 78.8 ± 7.8 kg) performed a 30 s maximal sprint on a cycle ergometer, followed by a predetermined stationary rest period (5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 s) and a subsequent 5 s sprint to determine PPO recovery kinetics. On another occasion, V ˙ O 2 was monitored during recovery from a 30 s sprint to provide a comparison with the recovery of PPO. Finally, subjects completed a V ˙ O 2max test to evaluate the influence of aerobic fitness on the recovery of PPO. Results Despite following similar time courses (F = 0.36, p = 0.558), and being well described by double-exponential models, the kinetic parameters of PPO and V ˙ O 2 in recovery were significantly different (p < 0.05). There was no significant relationship (r = 0.15; p = 0.578) between V ˙ O 2max and the time to achieve 50 % recovery of PPO. Moreover, there was no difference (p = 0.61) between the recovery kinetics of participants classified according to their V ˙ O 2max (59.4 ± 1.3 vs 48.5 ± 2.2 ml·kg−1·min−1). Conclusion Despite similar overall recovery kinetics, V ˙ O 2 and PPO show differences in key model parameters. Moreover, the recovery of PPO does not appear to be affected by aerobic fitness.
Index tuning for adaptive multi-route data stream systems

Adaptive multi-route query processing (AMR) is an emerging paradigm for processing stream queries in highly fluctuating environments. AMR dynamically routes batches of tuples to operators in the query network based on routing criteria and up-to-date system statistics. In the context of AMR systems, indexing, a core technology for efficient stream processing, has received little attention. Indexing in AMR systems is demanding as indices must adapt to serve continuously evolving query paths while maintaining index content under high volumes of data. Our Adaptive Multi-Route Index (AMRI) employs a bitmap design. Our AMRI design is both versatile in serving a diverse ever changing workload of multiple query access patterns as well as lightweight in terms of maintenance and storage requirements. In addition, our AMRI index tuner exploits the hierarchical interrelationships between query access patterns to compress the statistics collected for assessment. Our experimental study using synthetic data streams has demonstrated that AMRI strikes a balance between supporting effective query processing in dynamic stream environments while keeping the overhead to a minimum.
Airblast Environment Beneath a Bridge Overpass

As engineers move into the somewhat new field of assessing vulnerability to terrorist threats, they need to understand the tools available to them and the associated limitations. To facilitate this understanding, an overview of the basic categories of prediction methods for airblast loadings from bomb detonations is presented. The complex problem of bomb detonation beneath an overpass bridge---an area that is semi-enclosed and where numerous reflecting surfaces exist---is used to aid the discussion and to highlight the importance of using the appropriate prediction methods and tools to address problems. Results from three prediction methods are compared. The high-fidelity Second-Order Hydrodynamic Automatic Mesh Refinement Code appears to be superior to the Conventional Weapon Effects Predictions and BlastX codes in terms of accuracy for use in complex environments such as that beneath a bridge, but the complexity, cost, and time required for use of this method make it prohibitive in most cases. The use o...
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Activation Inhibits Progesterone-Stimulated Human MUC1 Expression

Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein abundantly expressed on nearly all epithelial tissues and overexpressed by many cancer cells. Previous studies from our lab showed that progesterone receptor (PR)B is a strong stimulator of MUC1 gene expression. It is reported that liganded peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) stimulates Muc1 expression in murine trophoblast. Here, we demonstrate that although the PPARγ ligand, rosiglitazone, stimulates the murine Muc1 promoter in HEC1A, a human uterine epithelial cell line, rosiglitazone alone, has no significant effect on basal human MUC1 promoter activity. In fact, rosiglitazone treatment antagonizes progesterone-stimulated human MUC1 promoter activity and protein expression in two human uterine epithelial cell lines and T47D human breast cancer cells. This response is antagonized by the PPARγ antagonist, GW9662, as well as a dominant-negative form of PPARγ, demonstrating the response is mediated by PPARγ. Additional studies indicate that PPARγ activation does not change PR binding to the MUC1 promoter but generally antagonizes progesterone activity by stimulating PRB degradation and inhibiting progesterone-induced PRB phosphorylation. Collectively, these studies indicate that PPARγ activation inhibits PRB activity through both acute (phosphorylation) and long-term (PRB degradation) pathways.
Multiresolution texture analysis of bone radiographs using Gaussian Markov random-field models

Texture analysis of bone radiographs can play an important role in characterizing the progression of bone diseases by computing texture measures on the digitized bone radiographs. Fractal dimension is one such texture measure which has been used with success as radiographs of trabecular bone are shown to exhibit self-similar characteristics. Markov random fields (MRF) have been used successfully to classify texture by modeling it as stochastic processes. But it has been shown that MRF models do not perform well in modeling self-similar textures such as fractional Brownian motion (FBM). This limitation can be overcome by characterizing statistical properties of the incremental process which builds up a fractal object. Since we try to characterize the statistical properties of the incremental process which builds the fractal object rather than its multi scale behavior using Gaussian MRF, this approach is complimentary to using fractal dimension as a feature in characterizing texture.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Numerical simulation of viscoelastic flow using flux difference splitting at moderate Reynolds numbers

Abstract An efficient numerical method for solving the Navier-Stokes equations is extended to allow solution of the equations of the Maxwell and Oldroyd B models of viscoelasticity at moderate Reynolds numbers where inertial terms cannot be ignored. The continuity equation is treated by the artificial compressibility method and the resulting set of equations is split into a hyperbolic set and one that contributes to the mixed character of the system. A flux difference splitting scheme is used to approximate the hyperbolic set and an implicit method is used to time march to steady state. The method is used to solve the channel entry problem. A grid refinement study is done in the entry region of the channel and the solution is matched to a downstream region solution. The latter is compared with the prediction of linear perturbation analysis. Very good agreement is found for the rate of development. Flow over a flat plate is studied and leading edge solutions are qualitatively compared to linear solutions, while the downstream solutions compare well quantitatively with predictions of boundary layer analysis.
Valvular Myofibroblast Activation by Transforming Growth Factor-β: Implications for Pathological Extracellular Matrix Remodeling in Heart Valve Disease

The pathogenesis of cardiac valve disease correlates with the emergence of muscle-like fibroblasts (myofibroblasts). These cells display prominent stress fibers containing α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and are believed to differentiate from valvular interstitial cells (VICs). However, the biological factors that initiate myofibroblast differentiation and activation in valves remain unidentified. We show that transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) mediates differentiation of VICs into active myofibroblasts in vitro in a dose-dependent manner, as determined by a significant increase in α-SMA and the dramatic augmentation of stress fiber formation and alignment. Additionally, TGF-β1 and increased mechanical stress function synergistically to enhance contractility. In turn, contractile valve myofibroblasts exert tension on the extracellular matrix, resulting in a dramatic realignment of extracellular fibronectin fibrils. TGF-β1 also inhibits valve myofibroblast proliferation without enhancing apoptosis. Our results are consistent with activation of a highly contractile myofibroblast phenotype by TGF-β1 and are the first to connect valve myofibroblast contractility with pathological valve matrix remodeling. We suggest that the activation of contractile myofibroblasts by TGF-β1 may be a significant first step in promoting alterations to the valve matrix architecture that are evident in valvular heart disease.
Design of a Novel High Temperature Gravity-Fed Solar Thermochemical Reactor for Solar-Fuels Production: Case Study - ZnO Powder

Solar fuels are emerging as a viable pathway towards closing the gap between fuel production and consumption in the United States. If these fuels can be produced on large scale and achieve carbon-neutrality, a truly sustainable energy solution may be realized. Hydrogen is among the list of attractive solar fuels. Whether used in a PEM fuel cell or combustion engine, hydrogen as a fuel produced from sunlight and water represents an elegant energy harvesting cycle, with zero-emissions, high efficiency, and exceptional power-density. A novel solar-thermochemical reactor has been designed and constructed for the reduction of ZnO at temperatures close to 2000K as the first step in a closed two-step thermochemical cycle to produce hydrogen from water as a solar fuel. Abbreviated as GRAFSTRR (Gravity-Fed Solar-Thermochemical Receiver/Reactor), the reactor is closed to the atmosphere, and features an inverted conical-shaped reaction surface along which ZnO powder descends continuously as a falling sheet and undergoes a thermochemical reaction upon exposure to highly concentrated sunlight. The reactant feed is vibration-induced, metered, and gravity-driven. Beam-down, highly concentrated sunlight enters the reaction cavity through a water-cooled aperture, and Zn product gas is siphoned into a centrally-located exit stream via a stabilized vortex flow of inert gas originating from above the aperture plane. Unreacted or partially reacted solids exit annularly around the product stream. In this paper the GRAFSTRR concept is presented. Select design choices and investigations are summarized.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Kinetic Modeling of 11C-LY2795050, A Novel Antagonist Radiotracer for PET Imaging of the Kappa Opioid Receptor in Humans

11C-LY2795050 is a novel kappa opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist tracer for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. The purpose of this first-in-human study was to determine the optimal kinetic model for analysis of 11C-LY2795050 imaging data. Sixteen subjects underwent baseline scans and blocking scans after oral naltrexone. Compartmental modeling and multilinear analysis-1 (MA1) were applied using the arterial input functions. Two-tissue compartment model and MA1 were found to be the best models to provide reliable measures of binding parameters. The rank order of 11C-LY2795050 distribution volume (VT) matched the known regional KOR densities in the human brain. Blocking scans with naltrexone indicated no ideal reference region for 11C-LY2795050. Three methods for calculation of the nondisplaceable distribution volume (VND) were assessed: (1) individual VND estimated from naltrexone occupancy plots, (2) mean VND across subjects, and (3) a fixed fraction of cerebellum VT. Approach (3) produced the lowest intersubject variability in the calculation of binding potentials (BPND, BPF, and BPP). Therefore, binding potentials of 11C-LY2795050 can be determined if the specific binding fraction in the cerebellum is presumed to be unchanged by diseases and experimental conditions. In conclusion, results from the present study show the suitability of 11C-LY2795050 to image and quantify KOR in humans.
The worst-case behavior of schnorr's algorithm approximating the shortest nonzero vector in a lattice

Schnorr's algorithm for finding an approximation for the shortest nonzero vector in an n dimensional lattice depends on a parameter k. He proved that for a fixed k ≤ n his algorithm (block 2k-reduction) provides a lattice vector whose length is greater than the length of a shortest nonzero vector in the lattice by at most a factor of (4k2) n/k. (The time required by the algorithm depends on k.) We show that if k=o(n), this bound on the performance of Schnorr's algorithm cannot be improved (apart from a constant factor in the exponent), namely there is a lattice and a basis so that if they are given as an input to the algorithm then the resulting approximating factor of the output is at least k e n/k. (For larger integers k if Schnorr's algorithm runs in polynomial time then we have already a polynomial time algorithm for finding the shortest nonzero vector.) We also solve an open problem formulated by Schnorr about the the Korkine-Zolotareff lattice constants αk. We show that his upper bound αk ≤ k1 + ln k is the best possible apart from a constant factor in the exponent. We prove a similar result about his upper bound βk≤ 4k2, where βk is another lattice constant with an important role in Schnorr's analysis of his algorithm.
The influence of the spectral profile of the source lamp on the analytical results for low pressure atomic absorption cells

Abstract Calculations predict that the influence of the narrower shape of the spectral profile in a low pressure atom cell compared to an atmospheric flame or graphite furnace is to increase the initial slope of the working curve by a factor of up to 4.6, while only worsening the precision by an ordinarily undetectable amount for absorbances less than 1.2. Measured spectral parameters from published studies were used in the calculations for selected lines of Al, Ag, Ca, Cu, Ga, In, K and Mn in the spectral range from 324 to 423 nm. Because this group involves a wide variety of spectral profiles, the results are applicable to other spectral lines.
In Search of Serenity: Religious Struggle Among Patients Hospitalized for Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome

Hospitalization for a sudden cardiac event is a frightening experience, one that is often marked by uncertainty about health status, fear of recurrent cardiac problems, and related existential, religious, and spiritual concerns. Religious struggle, reflecting tension and strain regarding religious and spiritual issues, may arise in response to symptoms of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The present study examined the prevalence and types of religious struggle using the Brief RCOPE, as well as associations between religious struggle, psychological distress, and self-reported sleep habits among 62 patients hospitalized with suspected ACS. Fifty-eight percent of the sample reported some degree of religious struggle. Questioning the power of God was the most frequently endorsed struggle. Those struggling religiously reported significantly more symptoms of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. Non-White participants endorsed greater use of positive religious coping strategies and religious struggle. Results suggest that patients hospitalized for suspected ACS experiencing even low levels of religious struggle might benefit from referral to a hospital chaplain or appropriately trained mental health professional for more detailed religious and spiritual assessment. Practical means of efficiently screening for religious struggle during the often brief hospitalization period for suspected ACS are discussed.
Modeling Microscopic Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Block Copolymer/Nanoparticle Composites

The morphology of block copolymer and nanoparticle composites depends not only on the copolymer architecture but also on the surface energy, geometry, and volume fraction of the embedding nanoparticles. Toward a quantitative description of the composite structure and associated thermo-mechanical properties from a molecular perspective, we examined the performance of a nonlocal density functional theory that accounts for the excluded-volume effects and intra- and inter-chain correlations self-consistently. It is predicted that, within the lamellar structures of symmetric block copolymers, neutral particles are localized at the microdomain interface, leading to a reduction of the lamellar thickness. Conversely, particles that are energetically biased to a particular microdomain expand the block copolymer lamellar structure. The dilation or shrinkage of the lamellar thickness also depends on the particle packing density. Both particle dispersion and particle-polymer interfacial structure are highly sensitive...
Does superoxide channel between the copper centers in peptidylglycine monooxygenase? A new mechanism based on carbon monoxide reactivity.

Peptidylglycine monooxygenase (PHM) carries out the hydroxylation of the α-C atom of glycine-extended propeptides, the first step in the amidation of peptide hormones by the bifunctional enzyme peptidyl-α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM). Since PHM is a copper-containing monooxygenase, a study of the interaction between the reduced enzyme and carbon monoxide has been carried out as a probe of the interaction of the Cu(I) sites with O2. The results show that, in the absence of peptide substrate, reduced PHM binds CO with a stoichiometry of 0.5 CO/Cu(I), indicating that only one of the two copper centers, CuB, forms a Cu(I)-carbonyl. FTIR spectroscopy shows a single band in the 2200−1950 cm-1 energy region with ν(CO) = 2093 cm-1 assigned to the intraligand C−O stretch via isotopic labeling with 13CO. A His242Ala mutant of PHM, which deletes the CuB site by replacing one of its histidine ligands, completely eliminates CO binding. EXAFS spectroscopy is consistent with binding of a single CO ligand with a Cu−C di...
Short-Term Outcomes of Elderly Patients Discharged from an Emergency Department

To determine the short-term functional and medical outcomes and predictors of outcome following discharge from an acute hospital emergency department, 100 elderly (greater than or equal to 65 yr) and 100 nonelderly (less than 65 yr) patients were studied prospectively. Patients were interviewed at three days and again at three weeks following emergency department discharge. The number of new prescriptions given to both groups in the emergency department was similar (elderly 41%; nonelderly, 31%). The elderly were as likely as the nonelderly to know the correct name (elderly, 88%; nonelderly, 87%), dosage schedule (elderly, 90%; nonelderly, 90%) and purpose (elderly, 85%; nonelderly, 94%) of their new medications. There was no difference in patients' understanding of the diagnosis (elderly, 72%; nonelderly, 72%) or in medication compliance (elderly, 81%; nonelderly, 74%). Elderly patients were more likely to keep scheduled follow-up appointments (87% vs 65%; P less than .05). Despite these similarities the elderly had worse medical outcomes at three weeks; 67% of the elderly were better and 20% were worse, including seven patients who required interim hospitalization, four of whom died. In contrast, 82% of the nonelderly were better and only 4% were worse (P less than .01). None of the nonelderly required hospitalization or had died. Functional impairments were more common in the elderly both at baseline (elderly, 26%; nonelderly, 6%; P less than .01) and at three weeks (elderly, 27%; nonelderly, 5%; P less than .001). Independent predictors of poor medical outcome included age greater than or equal to 65 (P less than .009) and functional impairment at baseline (P less than .022).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The concentrations of progesterone, estrone and estradiol-17β in the peripheral plasma of the rhesus monkey during the final third of gestation, and after the induction of abortion with PGF2α

The concentrations of progesterone, estrone and estradiol-17β have been measured by radioimmunoassay in serial samples of peripheral plasma from rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatto) during the final third of normal pregnancy, and during the induction of abortion with prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α). In 3 out of 5 animals, the plasma progesterone concentration increased during the 5–10 days preceding spontaneous labor. In no animal did the progesterone concentration decrease before parturition. The concentration of estradiol-17β was greater than that of estrone in most plasma samples. The levels of both estrogens in maternal plasma increased within 5 days before parturition, but decreased rapidly after the fetus had been delivered. Daily maternal injections of PGF2α (10–15 mg/day) administered around day 150 of pregnancy reliably induced premature delivery. The concomitant steroid hormone changes were variable, although most monkeys showed a decline in the plasma progesterone and estrogen levels during the final 24 h...
Foxp4: a novel member of the Foxp subfamily of winged-helix genes co-expressed with Foxp1 and Foxp2 in pulmonary and gut tissues

In this study, we describe the isolation and characterization of Foxp4, a new member of the Foxp subfamily of winged-helix transcription factors. The full-length mouse Foxp4 cDNA encodes a 685-amino-acid protein that is similar to Foxp1 and Foxp2. Foxp4 gene expression is observed primarily in pulmonary, neural, and gut tissues during embryonic development. To compare the protein expression patterns of Foxp4 to Foxp1 and Foxp2, specific polyclonal antisera to each of these proteins was used in immunohistochemical analysis of mouse embryonic tissues. All three proteins are expressed in lung epithelium with Foxp1 and Foxp4 expressed in both proximal and distal airway epithelium while Foxp2 is expressed primarily in distal epithelium. Foxp1 protein expression is also observed in the mesenchyme and vascular endothelial cells of the lung. At embryonic day 12.5, Foxp1 and Foxp2 are expressed in both the mucosal and epithelial layers of the intestine. However, Foxp2 is expressed only in the outer mucosal layer of the intestine and stomach later in development. Finally, Foxp4 is expressed exclusively in the epithelial cells of the developing intestine, where, in late development, it is expressed in a gradient along the longitudinal axis of the villi.
Younger age and valve oversizing are predictors of structural valve deterioration after pulmonary valve replacement in patients with tetralogy of Fallot

Objective We sought to identify predictors of structural valve deterioration after pulmonary valve replacement in patients with tetralogy of Fallot. Methods A retrospective review of 227 patients with tetralogy of Fallot who underwent stented bioprosthetic pulmonary valve replacement at Children's Hospital Boston between 1994 and 2009 was performed. Patient and valve characteristics were assessed as potential predictors of structural valve deterioration by using univariate and multivariable analysis. Freedom from pulmonary valve reintervention and structural valve deterioration were determined by using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Results Two hundred twenty-nine pulmonary valve replacement operations were performed, with no early mortalities. Freedom from reintervention and structural valve deterioration were 94% (95% confidence interval, 87%–100%) and 74% (95% confidence interval, 63%–85%) at 5 years, respectively, and median time to reintervention was 6.4 years (range, 2–10.1 years). Younger age and higher indexed valve internal diameter were predictors of reduced time to structural valve deterioration. Among patients aged less than 20 years at the time of pulmonary valve replacement, indexed valve internal diameter was a significant predictor of increased risk of structural valve deterioration. Valve manufacturer was not a significant predictor of structural valve deterioration. Conclusions Younger age at the time of pulmonary valve replacement and valve oversizing in patients less than 20 years of age at the time of pulmonary valve replacement were significant predictors of structural valve deterioration and could potentially affect the timing of pulmonary valve replacement and the extent of valve oversizing in small children. No statistically significant difference in valve performance was seen between bioprosthetic valve types at short-term follow-up.
Bean common mosaic virus reduces ozone sensitivity of pinto bean

Abstract Bean common mosaic virus infection reduced the sensitivity of pinto bean to ozone (O3) damage. Immature primary leaves inoculated with the virus five days prior to exposure with 0·25 ppm (0·49 mg/m3) O3 for 4 h showed less O3 injury than the non-infected control plants. Protection was influenced by the initial inoculum dilution and by the length of time between inoculation and exposure to O3.
A semidefinite programming framework for controlling multi-robot systems in dynamic environments

In this paper, a discrete-time, semidefinite programming (SDP) framework is synthesized for controlling mobile robot teams operating in dynamic environments. Given an initially feasible configuration, the proffered framework embeds formation shape control and guarantees inter-agent and agent-obstacle collision avoidance and network interconnectivity across the formation given a sufficiently small Δt - provided that a feasible solution exists. Additionally, it affords goal-directed behaviors, which are explored, most notably, in terms of its application to directional coverage control, where the objective is to ensure that a set of mobile targets are being observed by at least a single member of the team at any given time. Central to our formulation is melding the recent application of shape theoretic constructs to globally optimal shape planning with state-dependent graphs whose enforced connectivity (gauged via their Fiedler value) implies satisfaction of the aforementioned constraints. Simulation results are presented to highlight the utility of our approach.