cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wnt/β-catenin signaling in midbrain dopaminergic neuron specification and neurogenesis

Loss of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons underlies the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Towards cell replacement, studies have focused on mechanisms underlying embryonic mDA production, as a rational basis for deriving mDA neurons from stem cells. We will review studies of β-catenin, an obligate component of the Wnt cascade that is critical to mDA specification and neurogenesis. mDA neurons have a unique origin--the midbrain floor plate (FP). Unlike the hindbrain and spinal cord FP, the midbrain FP is highly neurogenic and Wnt/β-catenin signaling is critical to this difference in neurogenic potential. In β-catenin loss-of-function experiments, the midbrain FP resembles the hindbrain FP, and key mDA progenitor genes such as Otx2, Lmx1a, Msx1, and Ngn2 are downregulated whereas Shh is maintained. Accordingly, the neurogenic capacity of the midbrain FP is diminished, resulting in fewer mDA neurons. Conversely, in β-catenin gain-of-function experiments, the hindbrain FP expresses key mDA progenitor genes, and is highly neurogenic. Interestingly, when excessive β-catenin is supplied to the midbrain FP, less mDA neurons are produced suggesting that the dosage of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is critical. These studies of β-catenin have facilitated new protocols to derive mDA neurons from stem cells.
Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering: Opportunities and Implications for Geotechnical Engineering Practice

Great advances have been made over the 40-some years in which geotechnical engineers have actively been involved in the practice of earthquake engineering. Most recently, advances have come through the development of performance-based earthquake engineering, which seeks to predict the seismic performance of structures and facilities in ways that are useful to a wide variety of stakeholders. Performance-based earthquake engineering requires the integrated, collaborative efforts of several groups of earthquake professionals, including geotechnical engineers; as such, it will affect the practice of geotechnical engineering in seismically active areas. This paper reviews the evolution of performance-based earthquake engineering, discusses the notion of performance and its description, and describes a recently developed framework for performance evaluation. The nature and effects of the many uncertainties that apply to the prediction and description of ground motions, system response, physical damage, and loss are described. The paper gives examples of different manners in which performance-based earthquake engineering can be implemented into practice. Finally, a series of challenges and opportunities presented by performance-based earthquake engineering for geotechnical engineering practitioners are identified and discussed.
Metropolitan Architecture: Karl Scheffler and Alfred Messel's Search for a New Urbanity

This is a copy of an article published in the Grey Room © 2014 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press.
Tics and psychiatric comorbidity in children and adolescents

This study examined comorbid psychiatric symptoms in a large, community-based sample of children and adolescents. The study sample comprised a total of 3006 school children: 413 preschool (3 to 5 years; 237 males, 176 females; mean age 4 years 2 months, SD 8 months), 1520 elementary school (5 to 12 years; 787 males, 733 females; mean age 8 years 2 months, SD 1 year 11 months), and 1073 secondary school children (12 to 18 years; 573 males, 500 females; mean age 14 years 4 months, SD 1 year 10 months), all of whom were attending regular education programs. Children were evaluated with a teacher-completed DSM-IV-referenced rating scale. The sample was divided into four groups: attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder with tics (ADHD+tics), ADHD without tics (ADHD), tics without ADHD (T), and a comparison group i.e. neither ADHD nor tics (Non). The percentage of children with tic behaviors varied with age: preschool children (22.3%), elementary school children (7.8%), and adolescents (3.4%). Tic behaviors were more common in males than females, regardless of comorbid ADHD symptoms. For many psychiatric symptoms, screening prevalence rates were highest for the ADHD groups (ADHD+tics>ADHD>T>Non). However, obsessive-compulsive and simple and social phobia symptoms were more common in the groups with tic behavior. Findings for a community-based sample show many similarities with studies of clinically referred samples suggesting that teacher-completed ratings of DSM-IV symptoms may be a useful methodology for investigating the phenomenology of tic disorders.
The prognostic importance of immunohistochemically detected node metastases in resected esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Abstract Background The number or ratio of lymph node metastases detected by hematoxylin & eosin (HE the remaining 8 with N0 disease all survived at least 5 years after operation (median not reached). In the 29 patients with N1 disease, survival was 41% at 5 years. In 20 of the 29 N1 patients, metastases were detected by HE 55% of the patients survived 5 years, and 39% survived 8 years. Nine of the 29 patients had metastases detected in more than 10% of the nodes removed, and all died at a median of 17 months. IHC staining was performed on the nodes from the 8 N0 patients and the 20 patients with less than 10% nodal involvement (a total of 28 patients). Additional nodal metastases, not identified on HE χ 2 = 4.662; p = 0.03). Conclusions IHC staining techniques can identify nodal metastases missed by routine H&E examination in a large number of patients. The combination of H&E and IHC examination is useful in patients with less than 10% nodal involvement by H&E examination in that IHC detection of micrometastases allows classification into low-risk (> 75% survival) and high-risk (
Rupture of Gastrocnemius Tendon in Broiler Breeder Hens

SUMMARY. Lameness and mortality of 0.55% to 1.00% per week occurred in 32-to-33-wk-old broiler breeder hens in a complex involving eight houses. Males were not affected. Laboratory evaluation of 19 birds, over 2 wk, revealed complete rupture or partial tear, primarily of the gastrocnemius tendon; the fibularis longus, fibularis brevis, and flexor muscles and their tendons were injured in a few birds. Rupture of the gastrocnemius tendon has been observed in broiler breeder chickens older than 12 wk of age and it is characterized by lameness secondary to unilateral or bilateral rupture of the tendon. The cause of this condition has been primarily attributed to reovirus infection but rupture by other causes can also occur. In this case, there was no evidence of synovitis or reovirus infection in the birds. The cause of the ruptures was attributed to aggressive males when the ratio of males to females was increased from seven or eight males per 100 females at 22–23 wk to nine or 10 per 100 at 31 wk of age.
Recent Progress in Electromagnetic Metamaterial Devices for Terahertz Applications

Recent advances in metamaterials (MMs) research have highlighted the possibility to create novel devices with unique electromagnetic (EM) functionality. Indeed, the power of MMs lies in the fact that it is possible to construct materials with a user-designed EM response at a precisely controlled target frequency. This is especially important for the technologically relevant terahertz (THz) frequency regime with a view toward creating new component technologies to manipulate radiation in this hard to access wavelength range. Considerable progress has been made in the design, fabrication, and characterization of MMs at THz frequencies. This article reviews the latest trends in THz MM research.
Integrating CALL into the classroom: the role of podcasting in an ESL listening strategies course

Despite the increase of teacher preparation programs that emphasize the importance of training teachers to select and develop appropriate computer-assisted language learning (CALL) materials, integration of CALL into classroom settings is still frequently relegated to the use of selected CALL activities to supplement instruction or to provide additional practice. For the most part, we are still quite a way from what Bax (2003) calls the normalization stage of CALL, i.e., the stage where CALL becomes invisible and truly integrated. Podcasting, a new method of delivering on-demand audio and video files via the Web, shows promise as a technology that may allow teachers to expand the confines of their classrooms, and is becoming increasingly popular in educational contexts. Current use of podcasting in education remains, however, limited primarily to the delivery of recorded lectures in a portable, online format. We believe podcasting has the potential to not only act as a rich source of input and instruction for students in the language classroom, but also to transform instruction. Consequently, this paper describes a structured attempt to integrate CALL activities in the form of podcasts into an academic English as a Second Language (ESL) course on listening strategies. Preliminary evaluation of this ongoing project suggests that both the teacher and the students find the podcasts to be a positive component of the course.
The effects of aging on the human sense of smell and its relationship to food choice

Olfaction plays a significant role in the perception of foods. For the most part, taste is limited to sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. The sensory experiences during consumption of complex foods and drinks cannot be constructed from these units. Indeed, much of the taste of a meal derives from olfactory stimulation. Hence, factors that influence olfactory perception should affect treatment of food-related odors. This article initially reviews previously published observations on the effects of age on olfaction and food preferences and then presents the results of original analyses of data derived from a substantial database formed as a result of the National Geographic Smell Survey. Included in the Survey form were topics relevant to the present article. They include the following question: Would you eat something that smelled like this? Two of the odors in the Survey were food related and two were fragrance related. Hence, in addition, we assessed responses to the following question: Would you apply something that smelled like this to your body? Answers were affected in part by the age and gender of the respondent and by the perceived pleasantness and intensity of the odor.
An explicit formulation for the evolution of nonlinear surface waves interacting with a submerged body

An explicit formulation to study nonlinear waves interacting with a submerged body in an ideal fluid of infinite depth is presented. The formulation allows one to decompose the nonlinear wave-body interaction problem into body and free-surface problems. After the decomposition, the body problem satisfies a modified body boundary condition in an unbounded fluid domain, while the free-surface problem satisfies modified nonlinear free-surface boundary conditions. It is then shown that the nonlinear free-surface problem can be further reduced to a closed system of two nonlinear evolution equations expanded in infinite series for the free-surface elevation and the velocity potential at the free surface. For numerical experiments, the body problem is solved using a distribution of singularities along the body surface and the system of evolution equations, truncated at third order in wave steepness, is then solved using a pseudo-spectral method based on the fast Fourier transform. A circular cylinder translating steadily near the free surface is considered and it is found that our numerical solutions show excellent agreement with the fully nonlinear solution using a boundary integral method. We further validate our solutions for a submerged circular cylinder oscillating vertically or fixed under incoming nonlinear waves with other analytical and numerical results.
On grasp choice, grasp models, and the design of hands for manufacturing tasks

Current analytical models of grasping and manipulation with robotic hands contain simplifications and assumptions that limit their application to manufacturing environments. To evaluate these models, a study was undertaken of the grasps used by machinists in a small batch manufacturing operation. Based on the study, a taxonomy of grasps was constructed. An expert system was also developed to clarify the issues involved in human grasp choice. Comparisons of the grasp taxonomy, the expert system, and grasp-quality measures derived from the analytic models reveal that the analytic measures are useful for describing grasps in manufacturing tasks despite the limitations in the models. In addition, the grasp taxonomy provides insights for the design of versatile robotic hands for manufacturing. >
Minimal dynamical symmetry breaking of the standard model.

We formulate the dynamical symmetry breaking of the standard model by a top-quark condensate in analogy with BCS theory. The low-energy effective Lagrangian is the usual standard model with supplemental relationships connecting masses of the top quark, $W$ boson, and Higgs boson which now appears as a $\overline{t}t$ bound state. Precise predictions for ${m}_{t}$ and ${m}_{H}$ are obtained by abstracting the compositeness condition for the Higgs boson to boundary conditions on the renormalization-group equations for the full standard model at high energy.
Murine Trophoblast Cells Induce NK Cell Interferon-Gamma Production Through KLRK1

Murine models suggest that natural killer (NK) cells are important for normal implantation site development, in part, through the production of interferon gamma (IFNG). As KLRK1 (NKG2D) is expressed on human and murine uterine NK (uNK) cells, we examined the role of KLRK1 in the interaction between murine trophoblasts and NK cells. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that both murine trophoblast stem (TS) cells and differentiated trophoblast giant cells expressed the KLRK1 ligand retinoic acid early transcript 1, or RAET1. Coculture of activated NK cells with either TS cells or giant cells led to the production of IFNG, as measured by ELISA. In addition, coculture with TS cells led to the downregulation of KLRK1. Both responses were inhibited by soluble KLRK1 ligand, but not by irrelevant protein. Further studies demonstrated the presence of KLRK1 ligand on uterine cells derived from either virgin or pregnant mice, although uterine RAET1 protein expression was upregulated in vitro by progesterone, but not estradiol. We suggest that the interaction of KLRK1 and RAET1 may be involved in IFNG production by uNK cells, and thus, this receptor-ligand pair may contribute to successful murine implantation site development.
Activating enhancer-binding protein-2β Nucleolar localization predicts poor survival after stage i non-small cell lung cancer resection

Background Activating enhancer-binding protein-2β (AP2β) is a transcription factor involved in apoptosis. The purpose of the current study was to assess the cellular location and level of AP2β in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and normal lung tissue and investigate whether the level and localization of AP2β expression is predictive of overall survival in patients with stage I NSCLC. Methods We performed immunohistochemical analysis of tissue microarrays (TMAs) prepared from stage I NSCLC specimens with adjacent normal lung tissue from two independent sets of patients who underwent lung resection with curative intent at our institution. The AP2β intensity was assessed in TMAs, and AP2β staining patterns were classified as either diffuse or nucleolar in the TMAs. The AP2β intensity and localization were analyzed for correlation with patients' survival. Results Immunohistochemical analysis of TMAs showed that the intensity of AP2β immunohistochemical staining did not correlate with overall survival. When location of AP2β was analyzed in TMAs, all of the normal lung tissue had diffuse pattern of AP2β. In the first set of NSCLC, patients with nucleolar pattern had a significantly lower 5-year survival rate than patients with diffuse pattern (67% versus 100%; p = 0.004); this finding was confirmed in the second set (64% versus 91%; p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis revealed that nucleolar pattern was an independent predictor of poor overall survival in both sets. Conclusions The AP2β, which is located in the nucleoplasm in normal lung tissue, is found in either nucleoplasm or nucleoli in NSCLC. The patients with AP2β in the nucleoli had poor survival compared with patients with AP2β in the cytoplasm.
Properties of motor unit action potentials recorded with concentric and monopolar needle electrodes: ADEMG analysis

We compared the configurational and firing properties of 7270 motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) recorded with either concentric (CNE) or monopolar (MNE) needle electrodes from the brachial biceps and anterior tibial muscles of 10 healthy young adults (mean age 27 +/- 4.5 years) using automatic decomposition electromyography (ADEMG). In both muscles, mean MUAP amplitude, rise rate, and number of turns were significantly greater when recorded with MNE (paired t-test, P less than 0.001 in each case). Similar findings were observed at all three tested levels of isometric contractile force: threshold, 10% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), and 30% MVC. In contrast, there was no significant difference between electrode types on measurements of mean MUAP duration or firing rate (P greater than 0.05 in each case). These findings indicate that it is acceptable to generalize normative data on MUAP duration and firing rate from one electrode type to another, but that measures of MUAP amplitude and complexity require independent normative databases.
My Life with LIF: A Personal Account of Developing Laser-Induced Fluorescence

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is a spectroscopic technique that involves the excitation of a molecular target by a beam of laser radiation followed by the detection of the subsequent emission of radiation from the target. LIF detection has several advantages over absorption spectroscopy. First, LIF has excellent detection sensitivity because a signal is observed against a dark background. Second, the emitted radiation can be collected at various angles with respect to the incoming laser beam, making it possible to obtain two- and three-dimensional images because the fluorescence is emitted in all directions. Third, by dispersing the fluorescence, it is also possible to learn about the transitions from the state excited to the various lower levels of the target species. Finally, because of the delay between the excitation and detection events, it is also possible to learn about what processes the excited target undergoes in the intervening time.
Insights into the Molecular Mechanism of Polymerization and Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor Incorporation by Human PrimPol

Human PrimPol is a newly identified DNA and RNA primase-polymerase of the archaeo-eukaryotic primase (AEP) superfamily and only the second known polymerase in the mitochondria. Mechanistic studies have shown that interactions of the primary mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ (mtDNA Pol γ) with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), key components in treating HIV infection, are a major source of NRTI-associated toxicity. Understanding the interactions of host polymerases with antiviral and anticancer nucleoside analog therapies is critical for preventing life-threatening adverse events, particularly in AIDS patients who undergo lifelong treatment. Since PrimPol has only recently been discovered, the molecular mechanism of polymerization and incorporation of natural nucleotide and NRTI substrates, crucial for assessing the potential for PrimPol-mediated NRTI-associated toxicity, has not been explored. We report for the first time a transient-kinetic analysis of polymerization for each nucleotide and NRTI substrate as catalyzed by PrimPol. These studies reveal that nucleotide selectivity limits chemical catalysis while the release of the elongated DNA product is the overall rate-limiting step. Remarkably, PrimPol incorporates four of the eight FDA-approved antiviral NRTIs with a kinetic profile distinct from that of mtDNA Pol γ that may manifest in toxicity.
Normal muscle energy metabolism.

In all cells, ATP plays a central role in providing a chemical form of potential energy which is enzymatically converted through specific coupling mechanisms into useful work of the cell, e.g. macromolecular synthesis, osmotic, electrical and mechanical work. Striated muscle cells, and skeletal muscle cells in particular, are excellent preparations for studies of the regulation of this energy production and utilization. The reason is that, in contrast with other cells which operate under steady physiological states, the metabolic rate of muscle cells can be increased ten- to fifty-fold above the basal rate by stimulating the muscle to mechanical activity. This large increase in metabolic rate allows exploration of non-steady state energy perturbations, which gives important insight into general aspects of metabolic regulation.
Perspectives on Carbon Nanomaterials in Medicine Based upon Physicochemical Properties: Nanotubes, Nanodiamonds, and Carbon Nanobombs

There has been an explosion of potential applications for detonation-synthesized diamond nanoparticles, also known as “nanodiamonds,” due to their large-scale production and commercial availability. However, it is the purity, fluorescence, variety of surface modifications, and high biocompatibility that have contributed to their popularity among other carbon nanoparticles for medicinal applications. Indeed, nanodiamonds can maintain most, if not all, of their inherently desirable properties upon surface functionalization (such as fluorescence, biocompatibility, etc.) in contrast to many other forms of carbon or more traditional nanoparticles such as semiconductor quantum dots. However, during the pursuit for novel uses of nanoparticles, it is imperative to independently assess the biocompatibility of nano-sized particles even if materials of similar composition are currently being used in biomedical applications. The goal of this chapter is to review and provide the reader with a current perspective on the unique physicochemical properties of nanodiamonds with reference to novel applications that have emerged over the past decade in both in vitro and in vivo data arenas (i.e., carbon nanobombs for cancer cell destruction). Future considerations for medical use of nanocarbon, including the most important biological life cycle implications are discussed.
Descending projections of hypothalamic neurons with sympathetic nerve-related activity

1. Spike-triggered averaging was used to identify 104 hypothalamic (HYP) neurons whose spontaneous or L-glutamate-induced action potentials were synchronized to inferior cardiac postganglionic-sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) in 39 pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized cats. Neurons were located primarily in the lateral hypothalamus but also in the posterior, dorsal, ventromedial, and anterior hypothalamus, as well as in the paraventricular region. Most neurons tested (41/60) were classified as sympathoexcitatory (SE) because their firing rate decreased during baroreceptor reflex activation. Because the firing rate of 15 neurons increased during the pressor response produced by aortic obstruction, they were classified as sympathoinhibitory (SI). The firing rate of the other four neurons tested was unaffected by baroreceptor reflex activation. 2. Microstimulation of the medullary lateral tegmental field (LTF; stereotaxic plane P10.5-P12, 2.3-3 mm lateral to the midline) antidromically activated 11 of 58 HYP neurons with sympathetic nerve-related activity, including seven SE neurons and one SI neuron. Antidromic mapping was used to trace the axonal trajectories of HYP neurons that were activated by LTF microstimulation. The results of these experiments suggested that the axons of eight of these neurons branched or terminated in the LTF. The data obtained from another series of experiments were consistent with the view that these HYP neurons excited LTF-SE neurons. LTF-SE neurons were synaptically activated by electrical stimulation of the posterior or lateral hypothalamus. This stimulus also increased SND. The modal onset latency (36 +/- 7.2 ms, mean +/- SE) of synaptic activation of LTF-SE neurons was similar to the onset latency (38 +/- 6.8 ms) of antidromic activation of HYP neurons by LTF microstimulation. These data support the view that LTF-SE neurons are involved in mediating HYP influences on SND. 3. Rostral ventrolateral medullary (RVLM)-SE neurons, including those whose axons projected to the thoracic intermediolateral nucleus (IML), also appear to be involved in mediating HYP-stimulus-induced increases in SND. HYP stimulation synaptically activated these neurons with a modal onset latency of 36 +/- 9.6 ms. Microstimulation of the region containing RVLM-SE neurons antidromically activated 16 of 60 HYP neurons with sympathetic nerve-related activity. The nine neurons tested were classified as SE. antidromic mapping revealed that RVLM microstimulation activated the main axon rather than an axonal branch or terminal of 9 of 12 of these HYP neurons. 4. Microstimulation of the mesencephalic periaqueductal gray (PAG) at stereotaxic planes A2-A3.5 antidromically activated 30 of 61 HYP neurons with sympathetic nerve-related activity, including 13 SE neurons and three SI neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Waveguide Biosensors for Medical Diagnostics

Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed both a bench-top waveguide biosensor, integrated with a spectroscopic interface, and a fieldable prototype for deployment. This presentation describes the diagnosis of breast cancer and tuberculosis using this platform. Article not available.
NATURAL GENETIC VARIATION OF LIFE SPAN, REPRODUCTION, AND JUVENILE GROWTH IN DAPHNIA.

The evolutionary theory of senescence predicts that high extrinsic mortality in natural populations should select for accelerated reproductive investment and shortened life span. Here, we test the theory with natural populations of the Daphnia pulex-pulicaria species complex, a group of freshwater zooplankton that spans an environmental gradient of habitat permanence. We document substantial genetic variation in demographic life-history traits among parent and hybrid populations of this complex. Populations from temporary ponds have shorter life spans, earlier and faster increases of intrinsic mortality risk, and earlier and steeper declines in fecundity than populations from permanent lakes. We also examine the age-specific contribution to fitness, measured by reproductive value, and to expected lifetime reproduction; these traits decline faster in populations from temporary ponds. Despite having more rapid senescence, pond Daphnia exhibit faster juvenile growth and higher early fitness, measured as population growth rate (r). Among populations within this species complex we observed negative genetic correlations between r and indices of life-history timing, suggesting trade-offs between early- and late-life performance. Our results cannot be explained by a trade-off between survival and fecundity or by nonevolutionary theories of senescence. Instead, our data are consistent with the evolutionary theory of senescence because the genetic variation in life histories we observed is roughly congruent with the temporal scale of environmental change in the field.
The Dirty Dozen before the Deepwater Horizon

The media described BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill as the largest spill in history. From April 20, 2010, the day the site first began leaking oil uncontrollably, the media regularly reported each time the leak was estimated to have surpassed other significant spill milestones.
A New Kind of Shaped Paraboloid Antennas

A calculation method and calculation results that show that a new kind of shaped paraboloid antennas can produce a ringy radiation pattern is presented. Angle between mainlobe maxium peak value to ring shape direct in E or H plane varied in a wide range. The lwo sidelobe level is difficult to gain.
Epidemiological survey on an outbreak of water-borne dysentery in countryside school

[Objective]To perform epidemiological survey on an outbreak of water-borne dysentery,to identify the outbreak causes and sources,and provide evidence for adopting appropriate control measures.[Methods]The definition of the samples was established,the randomly chosen case-control study was performed,as well as whole populations to compare the differences on drinking water and diet.Hygienic investigation was conducted to clarify the exposure reasons.[Results] A total of 85 examples were collected.Drinking raw water was the risk factor of this outbreak(OR=2.93,95%CI=1.39-6.2).The same source was shared for the two schools.The river was contaminated by the excrement and flowed into alternate tank in raining day.It rained 3 days before the incidence peak.[Conclusion]This outbreak of dysentery is caused by water which is contaminated by Shigella sonnei and not disinfected by chlorine from shared water source.Disinfection and health education should be strengthened to control the epidemic.
International Market Segmentation as Practice

Today, understanding how managers in companies segment international customers is important because firms—small or large, local or global, new or old—are increasingly seeking to expand abroad. With the globalization of markets and unprecedented levels of global migration, managers in international companies face significant customer heterogeneity when they enter select countries. For example, managers in international financial service, media, and travel firms that enter the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, among other countries, face increasingly diverse customers due to immigration. To illustrate, in the United States, in 2007, the foreign-born population represented 12.6% of the U.S. population, that is, 38.1 million people who were 53.6% from Latin America, 26.8% from Asia, and 13.1% from Europe. There is a lack of research about how international managers faced with such a diverse marketplace segment customers.
Influence of dietary protein and recombinant porcine somatotropin administration in young pigs: III. Muscle fiber morphology and shear force.

Sixty crossbred barrows (average 30 kg) were used in a 5 x 2 factorial treatment array to examine interactions between dietary protein concentration (11, 15, 19, 23, or 27% CP) and recombinant porcine somatotropin (rpST: 0, excipient buffer vs 100 micrograms.kg-1.d-1) for 42 d on muscle fiber morphology and meat tenderness. Diets were isocaloric (3.8 Mcal of DE/kg) and of equal lysine (4.9 g/Mcal of DE) achieved by diluting soybean meal with cornstarch and by addition of crystalline lysine. Dosage of rpST and feed intake (80% of predicted ad libitum) were adjusted weekly. Four muscles (longissimus = LM; semimembranosus = SM; semitendinosus = ST; triceps brachii = TB) were evaluated. Percentages of muscle fiber types (beta R, alpha R, alpha W) for the LM, SM, and TB were not influenced by rpST treatment. More alpha R and fewer alpha W fibers were found in the ST muscle of rpST-treated pigs. No interactions were observed between rpST treatment and dietary protein for muscle fiber type distribution. Dietary protein had no consistent influence on the distribution of muscle fiber types in all four muscles. Area of fibers generally increased in rpST-treated pigs compared with controls when diets contained 19% or more CP. The LM shear force was increased (13%) by rpST treatment for chops frozen after 5 d of storage in the cooler, but not in those chops frozen within 1.5 h postmortem. Dietary protein had a variable influence on tenderness. These data indicate that muscle fiber growth (hypertrophy) in pigs is positively influenced by rpST treatment. Marginal dietary protein intake reduces muscle fiber growth responses to rpST.
Treatment of Stage IIIA Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Concise Review for the Practicing Oncologist

Stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer occurs in a heterogenous group of patients for whom the best treatment is multimodality therapy with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery in a select group of individuals. This clinical review intends to answer the most common questions that clinicians face in the decision about the best management in this group.
Mobilizing Politically and Debating Race and Empire in Cuban Cities

In 1942, Antoine Bervin was appointed by Haitian president Elie Lescot to travel on a “moral and cultural mission” to Cuba. As Bervin, an individual hailing from Haiti's elite, understood it, the motivation for sending him was simple: “Over there, they wrongly imagine that all Haitians are cane cutters.” During his three-year stay in Havana, Bervin met with President Fulgencio Batista and members of the Cuban diplomatic corps. He triumphantly described the moment when he pressured the Cuban government to pay an indemnity to the mother of Felix Alphonse, a Haitian rural worker who had been murdered in Cuba over a decade earlier. Bervin's interactions with living and breathing Haitians were more ambivalent, however. Mlle Constance Edouard greeted Bervin with warmth and gave him a sweater. In a gesture of goodwill and expectation, a group of Haitians in a Cuban prison presented Bervin with a hand-carved stamp with his name inscribed among “tropical landscapes.” Others brought only their anger. On the same day that he met the imprisoned Haitians, Bervin was visited by Frederic Cole, someone who showed “the ruggedness of the [Haitian] generals” of the nineteenth century, an oblique references to Cole's rural roots and dark skin. After questioning whether Bervin “was really a Haitian,” Cole made some “reflections” that were “very severe toward those who had represented Haiti in Havana” in previous years. Bervin would eventually record these and other experiences for Haitian readers in a book called Mission a la Havane . He was one of hundreds of literate Haitians who lived and worked in Cuba's urban spaces and maintained communication with Haiti through a thriving print culture. His published memoirs embody this perfectly. Unlike Bervin, most lived in the eastern Cuban cities of Santiago and Guantanamo. Through their writings, they influenced public opinion in Haiti and Cuba by detailing their firsthand experiences in both countries. Literate Haitians’ writings and political actions in eastern Cuba must be interpreted in both transnational and intra-imperial terms. Writing from eastern Cuba gave them a unique opportunity to bypass Haitian censorship laws and to criticize the US occupation of Haiti. However, Cuba had its own constraints. Haitian writers were required to conform to Cuban norms that circumscribed the ways that people of African descent could talk about race or organize politically.
Situation awareness-based agent transparency for human-autonomy teaming effectiveness

We developed the Situation awareness-based Agent Transparency (SAT) model to support human operators’ situation awareness of the mission environment through teaming with intelligent agents. The model includes the agent's current actions and plans (Level 1), its reasoning process (Level 2), and its projection of future outcomes (Level 3). Human-inthe-loop simulation experiments have been conducted (Autonomous Squad Member and IMPACT) to illustrate the utility of the model for human-autonomy team interface designs. Across studies, the results consistently showed that human operators’ task performance improved as the agents became more transparent. They also perceived transparent agents as more trustworthy.
Variation in energy sorghum hybrid TX08001 biomass composition and lignin chemistry during development under irrigated and non-irrigated field conditions

This study was conducted to document the extent and basis of compositional variation of shoot biomass of the energy Sorghum bicolor hybrid TX08001 during development under field conditions. TX08001 is capable of accumulating ~40 Mg/ha of dry biomass under good growing conditions and this genotype allocates ~80% of its shoot biomass to stems. After 150 days of growth TX08001 stems had a fresh/dry weight ratio of ~3:1 and soluble biomass accounted for ~30% of stem biomass. A panel of diverse energy sorghum genotypes varied ~6-fold in the ratio of stem structural to soluble biomass after 150 days of growth. Near-infrared spectroscopic analysis (NIRS) showed that TX08001 leaves accumulated higher levels of protein, water extractives and ash compared to stems, which have higher sugar, cellulose, and lignin contents. TX08001 stem sucrose content varied during development, whereas the composition of TX08001 stem cell walls, which consisted of ~45–49% cellulose, ~27–30% xylan, and ~15–18% lignin, remained constant after 90 days post emergence until the end of the growing season (180 days). TX08001 and Della stem syringyl (S)/guaiacyl (G) (0.53–0.58) and ferulic acid (FA)/para-coumaric acid (pCA) ratios were similar whereas ratios of pCA/(S+G) differed between these genotypes. Additionally, an analysis of irrigated versus non-irrigated TX08001 revealed that non-irrigated hybrids exhibited a 50% reduction in total cell wall biomass, an ~2-fold increase in stem sugars, and an ~25% increase in water extractives relative to irrigated hybrids. This study provides a baseline of information to help guide further optimization of energy sorghum composition for various end-uses.
Introduction to the Python programming language

This workshop introduces the Python programming language to the participants. Python is a general-purpose programming language that can be used to teach programming concepts. Participants will learn Python and greatly benefit from performing hands-on exercises. The participants will write the lines of code by following the instructor and/or the provided handouts. The instructor and his assistant(s) will help the individuals with their questions and problems. The instructor will use a Windows machine to cover the topics. The participants are expected to bring their own laptops. The instructor and his assistant(s) will be available to help the participants with the installation of the needed software for the workshop prior to the start of the workshop. The topics include, among other things, displaying messages, working with variables, using operators, performing computations, making decisions, creating loops, and working with lists.
Coming to Terms with Financial Literacy

The topic of financial literacy has risen to prominence in recent years. Despite the general recognition of the importance of financial education and literacy among researchers, practitioners and policymakers, little has been done to clearly define the concept. The present chapter highlights some of the general difficulties inherent in studying the area of financial literacy and education, noting the variety of definitions and measures that have been used in previous studies of the topic. Without a universally recognized measure of knowledge or literacy, it is difficult to develop relevant initiatives, assess current education policy, and advance the knowledge base of the field in regards to financial literacy and its significance. The chapter concludes by highlighting some current steps that are being taken to achieve a more unified concept of financial literacy in the United States.
The Role of the Mauthner Cell in Fast-Starts Involving Escape in Teleost Fishes

The commonly observed “tailflip” startle response is one of the most characteristic behavior patterns of bony and cartilagenous fishes and amphibians. In the most familiar example, the behavior pattern is readily elicited in fish following a tap on the side of their aquarium. However, data from behavioral studies show that the response is an effective escape movement that enables the animal to avoid sudden attacks by predators. An example of this is shown in Figure 1 in which a small cyprinid fish uses a common startle response movement pattern to avoid a strike by a piscivorous snake.
Residual toxicity of insecticides used against the Asian citrus psyllid and resistance management strategies with thiamethoxam and abamectin

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is the key pest of citrus due to its role as vector of huanglongbing. ACP control mostly relies on frequent insecticide applications therefore increasing selection for insecticide resistance. Optimization of field application rates and rotation of insecticide modes of action (MoA) would minimize this risk. Baseline toxicity responses of ACP to commonly used insecticides provide a basis for defining application field rates and are thus needed to track potential development of resistance. Residual toxicities of 12 insecticides were evaluated through quantal response bioassays. The development of ACP resistance in response to monthly applications of two insecticides with different MoAs, abamectin and thiamethoxam, applied separately, in rotation or as mixtures was also tested. Highest residual toxicities were found for the abamectin + thiamethoxam mixture. In general, nymphs were more sensitive than adults to residues. Nymphs were 10 and 28 times more sensitive than adults to residues of thiamethoxam and imidacloprid, respectively. We found a wide range among ratios of maximum label field concentrations and estimated LC90s. Highest label rates for malathion and dimethoate were more than 30 times greater than LC90s, in contrast to abamectin, zeta-cypermethrin and fenpyroximate which were 4–7 times lower. Abamectin appeared to synergize the mixture of it with thiamethoxam. We observed resistance to both active ingredients, especially abamectin, after 8 months of sequential applications of both insecticides individually or in mixture. Rapid resistance development of the mixture relative to rotation was attributed to loss of the synergetic effect of abamectin on thiamethoxam.
A statistical assessment of temporal instability in the factors determining motorcyclist injury severities

Abstract This study explores the temporal instability of factors affecting motorcyclist-injury severities in single-vehicle motorcycle crashes in Florida. Two data sources are used; one covers the 2012 to 2016 crash histories of Florida motorcyclists who were newly licensed in 2012, and the second covers motorcycle crashes that occur on horizontal curves in Florida from 2005 to 2015. In the first dataset (2012 new riders), temporal changes may result from riders gaining experience as well as general temporal shifts. In the second dataset, rider experience is unknown (thus becoming a source of potential unobserved heterogeneity) but the temporal changes will be largely from general temporal shifts. With three possible motorcyclist injury severity outcomes (no visible injury, minor injury, and severe injury), random parameters multinomial logit models, that allow for heterogeneity in means and variances, were estimated for all possible annual time periods in each dataset. Likelihood ratio tests were conducted to examine the overall stability of model estimates across time periods, and marginal effects of each explanatory variable were also considered to investigate the temporal instability of the effect of individual parameter estimates on motorcyclist injury-severity probabilities. A wide range of variables was considered including motorcyclists’ attributes (such as ethnicity and age), roadway and environmental conditions (such as light and road surface conditions), motorcycle characteristics (such as motorcycle make and type of motorcycle), rider actions (such as speeding and improper driving actions), and roadway conditions (such as obstacles on the road and speed limits). The results show significant temporal instability in motorcyclist-injury severity models, which likely result from changes in motorcycle technology and performance, changes in macroeconomic conditions, changes induced by how riders respond to the changing behavior of other road users (whose behavior may be changing as a result of technology changes in their vehicles, evolving use of personal technologies in their vehicle, such as cell phones, etc.), and the changes in riders’ behavior and skills over time.
Large eddy simulation, turbulent transport and the renormalization group

In large eddy simulations, the Reynolds averages of nonlinear terms are not directly computable in terms of the resolved variables and require a closure hypothesis or model, known as a subgrid scale term. Inspired by the renormalization group (RNG), we introduce an expansion for the unclosed terms, carried out explicitly to all orders. In leading order, this expansion defines subgrid scale unclosed terms, which we relate to the dynamic subgrid scale closure models. The expansion, which generalizes the Leonard stress for closure analysis, suggests a systematic higher order determination of the model coefficients. The RNG point of view sheds light on the nonuniqueness of the infinite Reynolds number limit. For the mixing of N species, we see an N +1 parameter family of infinite Reynolds number solutions labeled by dimensionless parameters of the limiting Euler equations, in a manner intrinsic to the RNG itself. Large eddy simulations, with their Leonard stress and dynamic subgrid models, break this nonuniqueness and predict unique model coefficients on the basis of theory. In this sense large eddy simulations go beyond the RNG methodology, which does not in general predict model coefficients.
Teaching Communal Dance Forms

This study aims to provide practical methods for teaching “world/urban” dance courses in higher education in the 21st century. We discuss problematic terminology in our courses and suggest a new te...
Immunohistochemistry of the Vasopressin Receptor AVPR V2 in Rat Brain

Vasopressin hormone, found in most mammals, plays a key role in the homeostasis of water and solute concentration in the blood. There are three known subtypes of vasopressin receptors, each with unique tissue distributions. Arginine vasopressin receptor 2 (AVPR V2) has been identified in mammals in the kidney, lung, and various regions of the brain. Binding of vasopressin to the AVPR V2 receptor has been associated with antidiuresis and decreased cardiac output as well as various social behaviors in several mammal species. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the AVPR V2 receptor is present in rat brain, and if present, to identify the specific brain region and cell type expressing the receptor. Frozen, preserved rat brain was sectioned on a cryostat and processed with rabbit polyclonal AVPR V2 and biotinylated goat polyclonal secondary antibody to rabbit IgG. Staining of antibody treated sections revealed AVPR V2 receptors were present on Purkinje cell axons and cells bodies in the cerebellum. These data suggest that the cerebellum of rats may be an important regulatory site of vasopressin functions.
Global Aerodynamic Modeling Using Automated Local Model Networks in Real Time

A novel method is presented for automated real-time global aerodynamic modeling using local model networks, known as Smoothed Partitioning with Localized Trees in Real Time (SPLITR), as part of NASA’s Learn-to-Fly technology development initiative. The global nonlinear aerodynamics are partitioned into several local regions known as cells, with the dimension, location, and timing of each partition automatically selected based on a residual characterization procedure, under the constraints of real-time operation. Regression trees represent the successive partitioning of the global flight envelope and describe the evolution of the cell structure. Recursive equation-error least-squares parameter estimation in the time domain is used to estimate a model that represents the local aerodynamics in each region, so that it can be updated independently with non-contiguous data in the range of each cell over time. A weighted superposition of these piecewise local models across the flight envelope forms a global nonlinear model that also accurately captures the local aerodynamics. The SPLITR approach is demonstrated using both simulation and flight data, and the results are analyzed in terms of model predictive capabilities as well as interpretability. The results show that SPLITR can be used to automatically partition complex nonlinear aerodynamic behavior, produce an accurate model, and provide valuable physical insight into the local and global aerodynamics.