cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The frequency of calcium oscillations induced by 5-HT, ACH, and KCl determine the contraction of smooth muscle cells of intrapulmonary bronchioles.

Increased resistance of airways or blood vessels within the lung is associated with asthma or pulmonary hypertension and results from contraction of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). To study the mechanisms regulating these contractions, we developed a mouse lung slice preparation containing bronchioles and arterioles and used phase-contrast and confocal microscopy to correlate the contractile responses with changes in [Ca2+]i of the SMCs. The airways are the focus of this study. The agonists, 5-hydroxytrypamine (5-HT) and acetylcholine (ACH) induced a concentration-dependent contraction of the airways. High concentrations of KCl induced twitching of the airway SMCs but had little effect on airway size. 5-HT and ACH induced asynchronous oscillations in [Ca2+]i that propagated as Ca2+ waves within the airway SMCs. The frequency of the Ca2+ oscillations was dependent on the agonist concentration and correlated with the extent of sustained airway contraction. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+ or in the presence of Ni2+, the frequency of the Ca2+ oscillations declined and the airway relaxed. By contrast, KCl induced low frequency Ca2+ oscillations that were associated with SMC twitching. Each KCl-induced Ca2+ oscillation consisted of a large Ca2+ wave that was preceded by multiple localized Ca2+ transients. KCl-induced responses were resistant to neurotransmitter blockers but were abolished by Ni2+ or nifedipine and the absence of extracellular Ca2+. Caffeine abolished the contractile effects of 5-HT, ACH, and KCl. These results indicate that (a) 5-HT and ACH induce airway SMC contraction by initiating Ca2+ oscillations, (b) KCl induces Ca2+ transients and twitching by overloading and releasing Ca2+ from intracellular stores, (c) a sustained, Ni2+-sensitive, influx of Ca2+ mediates the refilling of stores to maintain Ca2+ oscillations and, in turn, SMC contraction, and (d) the magnitude of sustained airway SMC contraction is regulated by the frequency of Ca2+ oscillations.
Screening for Psychological Factors in Patients With Low Back Problems: Waddell's Nonorganic Signs

For the majority of patients with low back pain (LBP), the cause of their pain is unknown.1 Psychological factors, which may include behavioral, cognitive, or somatoform components, can be just as important as the diagnosis of pathology affecting the low back in a patient's recovery from a low back problem.2–5 A recent US Agency for Health Care Policy and Research clinical practice guideline recommends exploration of psychological factors when an individual with an acute low back problem is having difficulty regaining his or her tolerance to activity.4 Feuerstein and Beattie5 discussed several biobehavioral instruments that can be used to identify psychological factors in individuals with LBP. If factors are identified that are potential contributors to the low back problem, the physical therapist can then refer the patient to the appropriate professional.…
MINERAL METABOLISM OF ADRENALECTOMIZED RATS STUDIED BY THE APPETITE METHOD

Our knowledge of the mineral metabolism of adrenalectomized animals is based almost exclusively on studies made on the mineral content of the blood, bones, urine and feces. In the present paper it will be shown that additional knowledge may be obtained from an entirely different source, viz., the animal’s mineral appetite or craving. In preliminary experiments it was found that mineral losses are closely reflected by an increased mineral appetite. Adrenalectomized rats show an increased appetite for sodium chloride, and parathyroidectomized rats an increased appetite for calcium lactate. Because of these increased appetites, the animals survived and were able to keep themselves free from symptoms of insufficiency and tetany (1, 2). This appetite method has now been used to study in greater detail the changes produced by adrenalectomy in mineral metabolism. The following study was made to determine whether adrenalectomy would produce an increase in appetite for sodium salts other than sodium chloride, and ...
Pesticides, Prisoners, and Policy: Complexity and Praxis in Research on Transgender Prisoners and Beyond

Over the last few decades, a steady stream of books decry the decline of the public intellectual in modern life, while academics continue to express the desire to “make a difference” by producing r...
Discovering new antimicrobial agents

Although there has been a relentless increase in resistance to antimicrobial agents amongst important bacterial pathogens throughout the world, it is well known that the number of new antimicrobial agents being brought to the market has undergone a steady decline in the past several decades. There are a number of reasons for this, which are detailed in this article, but there is also a great deal of continuing research to find new effective antimicrobials, much of it now being carried out in academic centres and especially in small biotechnology companies, rather than by large pharma. Whilst classic screening methods and chemical modification of known antimicrobial agents continue to produce potential leads for new antimicrobial agents, a number of other approaches are being investigated. These include the search for potentiators of the activity of known antimicrobial agents and the development of hybrid agents, novel membrane-active drugs, and inhibitors of bacterial virulence and pathogenesis. A number of new bacterial targets are also being exploited, as are bacteriophages and their lytic enzymes. Given the amount of investigation presently underway, it is clear that although the antibiotic pipeline is not as promising as it was half a century ago, it is far from dry.
Multiple effects of lcrD mutations in Yersinia pestis

Abstract Plasmid pCD1 of Yersinia pestis contains a low-calcium response stimulon responsible for the temperature- and calcium-regulated expression and secretion of proteins involved in virulence, which include the V antigen and Yops. We have previously shown that insertional inactivation of the bicistronic lcrDR operon abolished the calcium requirement for growth at 37 degrees C and reduced expression of the V antigen and Yops. In this study, we constructed and characterized three mutants having nonpolar lcrD deletions. All three mutants lost the two main low-calcium response properties: a calcium requirement for growth at 37 degrees C and strong expression of the V antigen and Yops. The effects on virulence gene expression occurred at both the levels of transcription and secretion. The growth, transcription, and secretion defects could be at least partially complemented for two of the lcrD mutants by providing lcrD in trans. A third mutant could not be complemented, and a plasmid carrying this mutation had a dominant negative effect over normal LcrD function. In the three mutants, the amount of mutant LcrD protein detectable in immunoblots was inversely related to the amount of complementation. Taken together, these data indicate that LcrD function involves the interaction of LcrD with another molecule.
Short-term aquifer residence times estimated from 222Rn disequilibrium in artificially-recharged ground water

Abstract Radioactive disequilibrium of 222 Rn permits age dating of very young ground water which has resided in the subsurface for up to 15 days. Inherent in this technique is the assumption that transported recharge flows through porous media with a relatively uniform 222 Rn emanation rate. Changes in radon activity in response to rapid surface water infiltration from seasonally operated spreading basins were used to estimate subsurface residence times along ground water recharge flow paths. Radon activity was relatively constant in deep monitoring wells isolated from the immediate influence of surface recharge, suggesting that radon remained in secular equilibrium and deeper ground water residence times were in excess of the 15-day dating method limit. In contrast, radon activity in shallower ground water was highly variable during recharge and allowed estimation of ground water ages ranging from 4 to 14 days, using disequilibrium theory. Shorter residence times corresponded to wells most directly connected with the surface as indicated by seasonal changes in water temperature. Surface water recharge routes were confirmed in a related study with stable isotope fingerprinting, water level variations and agrichemical concentrations. Flow rates estimated from residence times ranged from 1.1 to 4.6 m day −1 , and compare favourably with average subsurface velocities up to 4.5 m day −1 estimated from infiltration rates at the site. Residence time estimates using radon disequilibrium were in general agreement with bromide tracer breakthrough times determined in a related study. Differences between residence and breakthrough times indicate that changes in recharge flow routes, permeability and parent nuclide concentrations may produce erroneously high residence time estimates. Accumulation of fine sediment, eventually resulting in basin clogging, may increase parent isotope concentrations and radon emanation in the zone of infiltration.
A simplified analysis procedure for base‐isolated structures on flexible foundation

A simplified method of analysis of base-isolated structures supported on flexible soil is presented, in which the soil–base-isolated-structure system is represented by a SDOF oscillator supported on rigid soil. A parametric study illustrates the application and accuracy of the method. The results obtained lead to the conclusion that the simplified procedure that is presented is sufficiently accurate for purposes of preliminary design of base-isolated structures, and for studies to determine the feasibility of using base-isolation.
SEX STEREOTYPES IN COMMERCIALS TARGETED TOWARD CHILDREN: A CONTENT ANALYSIS

This article reports the results of a content analysis of 467 commercial characters in the programming between children's cartoons. Replicating and expanding upon Smith's (1994) research, the findings reveal that being in a major role, having active movement in an individual activity, and being in an occupational setting all significantly increase the likelihood of an actor being male. It is suggested that media perpetuation of these stereotypes over time, which exists in spite of decreases in real-world sex-typed behaviors, may be related to a reliance of advertisers on cognitive shortcuts they anticipate their viewers will use while viewing their commercials.
Visitors or immigrants? International students in the United States

Even though international students are officially temporary migrants, many eventually become immigrants to the United States. Despite the large number of students who adjust their status, little is known about their migration intentions and decisions. We used a questionnaire sent to international students at the University of Minnesota to investigate these migration intentions. Here we report the factors that students consider in deciding whether to stay in the US or return to their home country on completion of their studies, and how these factors vary by nationality or other characteristics, such as gender or field of study. We also investigate whether international students see their stay in the US as temporary or as a springboard towards permanent immigration. Our findings suggest that few students arrive in the US with the intention of immigrating permanently. Instead, a wide variety of professional, societal and personal factors influence students in an ongoing decisionmaking process. Broadly speaking, economic and professional factors typically act as strong incentives to stay in the US, while personal and societal factors tend to draw students back to their home countries. In the long run, a natural progression of professional and personal decisions leads many to become permanent immigrants. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DENSITY GRADIENT SEPARATION OF PLANKTON AND CLAY FROM RIVER WATER1

A method involving centrifugation is described by which lake or river water can be fractioned into noncolloidal organic matter, noncolloidal inorganic matter, colloids, and solutes. These isolated fractions may then be analyzed for radionuclide accumulation both qualitatively and quartitatively. (auth)
Molecular Phylogeny of Babesia poelea From Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) From Johnston Atoll, Central Pacific

The phylogenetic relationship of avian Babesia with other piroplasms remains unclear, mainly because of a lack of objective criteria such as molecular phylogenetics. In this study, our objective was to sequence the entire 18S, ITS-1, 5.8S, and ITS-2 regions of the rRNA gene and partial s-tubulin gene of B. poelea, first described from brown boobies (Sula leucogaster) from the central Pacific, and compare them to those of other piroplasms. Phylogenetic analyses of the entire 18S rRNA gene sequence revealed that B. poelea belonged to the clade of piroplasms previously detected in humans, domestic dogs, and wild ungulates in the western United States. The entire ITS-1, 5.8S, ITS-2, and partial s-tubulin gene sequence shared conserved regions with previously described Babesia and Theileria species. The intron of the s-tubulin gene was 45 bp. This is the first molecular characterization of an avian piroplasm.
Rhetoric after the Fall: sin and punishment in Christian visual culture

This article examines the power and persuasiveness of religious imagery in representations of sin and punishment in Christian visual culture. Visions of sin and divine punishment traditionally position the viewers as spectators, asking them to identify sinful practices to discourage future transgressions. Relying on the principle of contrapasso, which states that each person must suffer in the afterlife according to the individual sins she or he committed on earth, visual representations of punishment are both individualized and naturalized for viewers. The pervasiveness, familiarity, and perceived naturalness of these images enables a viewer to not only recognize sinful behavior, but to embody the sinner, ultimately moving audience members from a position of spectatorship to one of introspection.
Learning Markov Logic Networks Using Structural Motifs

Markov logic networks (MLNs) use first-order formulas to define features of Markov networks. Current MLN structure learners can only learn short clauses (4-5 literals) due to extreme computational costs, and thus are unable to represent complex regularities in data. To address this problem, we present LSM, the first MLN structure learner capable of efficiently and accurately learning long clauses. LSM is based on the observation that relational data typically contains patterns that are variations of the same structural motifs. By constraining the search for clauses to occur within motifs, LSM can greatly speed up the search and thereby reduce the cost of finding long clauses. LSM uses random walks to identify densely connected objects in data, and groups them and their associated relations into a motif. Our experiments on three real-world datasets show that our approach is 2-5 orders of magnitude faster than the state-of-the-art ones, while achieving the same or better predictive performance.
Multisystemic Therapy: An Empirically Supported, Home-Based Family Therapy Approach:

Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is a well-validated, evidenced-based treatment for serious clinical problems presented by adolescents and their families. Across randomized clinical trials, MST has been effective in reducing out-of-home placements, delinquent behavior, substance use, and psychiatric symptomatology compared to ser- vices currently available in the community. This article is an intro- duction to the MST approach and outlines key clinical features, describes the theoretical underpinnings, and discusses the empirical support for MST's effectiveness with a variety of serious clinical is- sues.
Genetic aspects of childhood brain tumors.

It has long been held that neoplasia is a consequence of chromosomal alterations. However, it has only been in the past 10 to 15 years that techniques for demonstrating these alternations have been developed and become generally available. Application of techniques of molecular genetics to chromosomal abnormalities accompanying or possibly responsible for brain tumors in childhood has lagged behind similar studies in adults. In fact, the first report of such investigations appeared a scant 5 years ago.1
Determining time to traverse road sections based on mapping discrete GPS vehicle data to continuous flows

In this paper, we present and analyze an algorithm for mapping discrete GPS data gathered from vehicles to a continuous flow of data to determine the time to traverse a road section. Vehicle-tracking devices are installed in 80 probe vehicles in the Anchorage area, and a specific roadway section was chosen as a test section. Drivers for this study drove from before the start of the test roadway section past the end of the test roadway section, measuring the time to travel from the start to the finish of the test roadway section. The vehicle-tracking devices report speed and location every 10 seconds. From this data, we calculated the amount of time to traverse the test roadway section using our proportional model and compared it to the actual amount of time it took to traverse the test roadway section. We performed the analysis assuming the vehicle-tracking devices were reporting location every 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, and 60 seconds. With an average actual time to traverse the test roadway section of 2 minutes 28 seconds, the error rate based on the proportional model was between 1.8%–9.2% (2.7–13.1 seconds), based on how frequently the vehicle was reporting its location. Merely taking the average speed on the edge from the vehicle reporting its speed and location during those same durations had an error rate between 14.2%–25.8% (24.7–41.1 seconds). Our results show that the proportional model has a small error rate (1.8% with 10 second reporting time) and can accurately represent the time to traverse roadway sections based on discrete readings from a small number of probe vehicles.
The Taxonomic Designation of Eriogonum corymbosum var. nilesii (Polygonaceae) is Supported by AFLP and cpDNA Analyses

We examined populations of perennial, shrubby buckwheats in the Eriogonum corymbosum complex and related Eriogonum spe- cies in the subgenus Eucycla , to assess genetic affiliations of the recently named E. corymbosum var. nilesii . The known populations of this variety are all located in Clark County, Nevada, U. S. A. We compared AFLP profiles and chloroplast DNA sequences of plants sampled from popula- tions of E. corymbosum var. nilesii with those of plants representing other E. corymbosum varieties and related Eriogonum species from Colorado, Utah, northern Arizona, and northern New Mexico. We found evidence of genetic cohesion among the Clark County populations as well as their genetic divergence from populations of other E. corymbosum varieties and species. The genetic component uncovered in this study sup- ports the morphological findings upon which the nomenclatural change was based, attesting to the taxonomic distinctness of this biological entity.
Bonding preferences of non-bridging O atoms: Evidence from 17O MAS and 3QMAS NMR on calcium aluminate and low-silica Ca-aluminosilicate glasses

The fraction of O atoms as non-bridging O atoms (NBO) can be well approximated based on composition alone in many silicate glasses, but the NBO preference for specific network forming cations is much less well known. Using oxygen-17 ( 1 7 O) NMR on low-silica calcium aluminosilicate (CAS) glasses this study shows that Al-NBO (155 ppm) can be readily distinguished from Si-NBO (110-120 ppm), and that there is a strong preference for the latter. This study also presents a consistent equilibrium constant formulation that indicates that for thermodynamic modeling of most CAS melts with Si > Al, Al-NBO are of minor importance, although they could be significant in some models of diffusion and viscosity. Al-27 one pulse NMR and analyses of spinning side bands show that AlO 5 and AlO 6 species are below detection limits (<0.5% in the low-silica (SiO 2 < 20 mol%) glasses of this sludy (NBO/T = 0.6 to 0.8). In addition, 1 7 O MAS NMR does not detect any obvious (<2%?) Al 2 O triclusters; hence calculations of NBO assignments can be assigned unambigunously.
Psychoactive Drugs and Human Aggression

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the effects of several commonly used psychoactive drugs on human aggression: marijuana, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, and morphine. It describes the classification of the major psychoactive drugs, discusses the traditional empirical and theoretical perspectives concerning the relationship between psychoactive drugs and aggression, reviews the results of a series of experiments designed to examine the instigating effects of psychoactive drugs, and considers the theoretical and policy implications of the empirical evidence. A common interpretation of the presumed relationship between cocaine and aggression, generally accepted by contemporary drug experts, is that the observed violence is due to systemic or economic influences. In comparison with case study and correctional designs, the experimental paradigm randomly assigns subjects to conditions, disguises the true nature of the experiments by telling the subjects that the purpose of the study is to examine the effects of drugs on performance variables, and controls the dosage of the drug. It also obtains a direct, behavioral measure of the propensity to harm under controlled conditions, uses a normal, nondrug-using sample, and assesses the effects of an acute dose.
Insights into furanose solution conformations: beyond the two-state model

A two-state model is commonly used for interpreting ring conformations of furanoses based on NMR scalar (3) J-coupling constants, with the ring populating relatively narrow distributions in the North and the South of the pseudorotation itinerary. The validity of this simple approach has been questioned, and is examined here in detail employing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with a new GLYCAM force field parameter set for furanoses. Theoretical (3) J-coupling constants derived from unrestrained MD simulations with the new furanose-specific parameters agreed with the experimental coupling constants to within 1 Hz on average. The results confirm that a two state model is a reasonable description for the ring conformation in the majority of methyl furanosides. However, in the case of methyl α-D-arabinofuranoside the ring populates a continuum of states from North to South via the eastern side of the pseudorotational itinerary. Two key properties are responsible for these differences. Firstly, East and West regions in β- and α-anomers, respectively, are destabilized by the absence of the anomeric effect. And, secondly, East or West conformations can be further destabilized by repulsive interactions among vicinal hydroxyl groups and ring oxygen atoms when the vicinal hydroxyl groups are in syn-configurations (such as in ribose and lyxose) more so than when in anti (arabinose, xylose).
Dynamic phase-sensitive optical coherence elastography at a true kilohertz frame-rate

Dynamic optical coherence elastography (OCE) techniques have rapidly emerged as a noninvasive way to characterize the biomechanical properties of tissue. However, clinical applications of the majority of these techniques have been unfeasible due to the extended acquisition time because of multiple temporal OCT acquisitions (M-B mode). Moreover, multiple excitations, large datasets, and prolonged laser exposure prohibit their translation to the clinic, where patient discomfort and safety are critical criteria. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of noncontact true kilohertz frame-rate dynamic optical coherence elastography by directly imaging a focused air-pulse induced elastic wave with a home-built phase-sensitive OCE system. The OCE system was based on a 4X buffered Fourier Domain Mode Locked swept source laser with an A-scan rate of ~1.5 MHz, and imaged the elastic wave propagation at a frame rate of ~7.3 kHz. Because the elastic wave directly imaged, only a single excitation was utilized for one line scan measurement. Rather than acquiring multiple temporal scans at successive spatial locations as with previous techniques, here, successive B-scans were acquired over the measurement region (B-M mode). Preliminary measurements were taken on tissue-mimicking agar phantoms of various concentrations, and the results showed good agreement with uniaxial mechanical compression testing. Then, the elasticity of an in situ porcine cornea in the whole eye-globe configuration at various intraocular pressures was measured. The results showed that this technique can acquire a depth-resolved elastogram in milliseconds. Furthermore, the ultra-fast acquisition ensured that the laser safety exposure limit for the cornea was not exceeded.
Monitoring temperature non-invasively using broadband Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy

We have investigated the use of broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy as a technique to monitor tissue temperatures non-invasively. Changes in water absorption bands in the near-infrared region provide an endogenous temperature-sensitive marker. We present results acquired on emulsion tissue phantoms to test our instruments predictive capabilities.
Coordination Limitations in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia Have Consequences for Communication (P07.174)

Objective: To evaluate behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) patients9 abilities to coordinate language with a communicative partner. Background bvFTD is characterized by executive limitations and a disorder of behavioral/social comportment but with relatively spared language. Effective communication requires a speaker and a conversational partner to “coordinate” in order to optimize communicative clarity. Coordination involves adjusting speech and comprehension to accommodate a partner9s perspective. Previous work has demonstrated coordination limitations in bvFTD, but it is unknown whether coordination limitations impact communication. Design/Methods: 7 bvFTD patients and 12 healthy seniors (HS) were presented with a two-scene story in which a target animal moved from one position to another in each scene. “Competitors” were included in each scene and were the same animal type (e.g., pig) but differed by one of three types of visual features (color, size, pattern). Therefore, participants were required to use appropriate adjectives to describe the target animal. Participants were instructed to describe the scene with sufficient clarity so a communicative partner could understand which animal was moving. Each story contained either zero (“pig”), one (“red pig”) or three (“large, red, spotted pig”) competitors. Participants9 responses were transcribed and we coded for accuracy producing the correct adjective(s). We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to relate coordination limitations to gray matter (GM) atrophy in bvFTD. Results: We observed a Group by Competitors interaction for accuracy [F=12.4; p Conclusions: bvFTD have limitations coordinating with a conversational partner and this may be due in part to executive limitations associated with caudate atrophy. Supported by: HD060406,NS44266,NS53488,AG15116,AG17586,AG32953,The Wyncote Foundation. Disclosure: Dr. McMillan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rascovsky has nothing to disclose. Dr. Khella has nothing to disclose. Dr. Clark has nothing to disclose. Dr. Grossman has nothing to disclose.
Novel Opto-electronic Image Processing Technique

We demonstrated a novel filtering technique to enhance the features of micro-calcifications in mammograms. In our hybrid optoelectronic processing architecture (figure 1) programmed gray scale filters are displayed on the electrically addressed filter-SLM placed at the Fourier plane while digitally acquired mammograms are displayed on electrically addressed input-SLM at the input plane in a 4f-system configuration.
Multielectron effects in charge asymmetric molecules induced by asymmetric laser fields

Using a 45 fs pump pulse at 800 nm, a wave packet is created in a charge asymmetric dissociation channel of iodine, ${\mathrm{I}}_{2}^{2+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\mathrm{I}}^{2+}+{\mathrm{I}}^{0+}$ (2,0). As the molecule dissociates, a two-color ($1\ensuremath{\omega}2\ensuremath{\omega}$) probe pulse is used to study the dynamics as a function of internuclear separation $R$. We find a critical region of $R$ in which there is spatially asymmetric enhanced ionization of the (2,0) channel to a counterintuitive (1,2) channel. In this region the ${\mathrm{I}}^{0+}$ is ionized such that one electron is released to the continuum and another is transferred to the ${\mathrm{I}}^{2+}$ resulting in ${\mathrm{I}}^{0+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\mathrm{I}}^{2+}$ and ${\mathrm{I}}^{2+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\mathrm{I}}^{1+}$. At larger $R$, the ionization is consistent with simple one-electron ionization in a double well where ${\mathrm{I}}^{0+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\mathrm{I}}^{1+}$. We find qualitative agreement between simulations and experiment further highlighting the importance of multielectron effects in the strong-field ionization of molecules.
Integration in Finite Terms

(1972). Integration in Finite Terms. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 79, No. 9, pp. 963-972.
Enhancing SOFC Electrode Performance Through Surface Modification

To develop next generation solid oxide fuel cells operated at reduced temperatures with a wide variety of hydrocarbon fuels, surface modification of electrodes is an effective approach to enhancing the performance of both the state-of-the-art Ni-YSZ anode and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ (LSCF) cathodes. For example,, BaO nano-islands on the surfaces of Ni grains greatly improved the coking-tolerance of Ni-YSZ anode through a water mediated carbon removal process. Similarly, an efficient catalyst layer was created in Ni-YSZ anodes when proper amount of BaCO3 was added to the NiO-YSZ anode support in the early stage of processing. For SOFC cathodes, a solution infiltration process has been used to coat various active catalysts on the surface of LSCF cathodes to enhance the catalytic activity and stability. The surface coatings include discrete particles of doped ceria and samarium doped strontium cobaltite (SSC), and dense, continuous thin films of La1-xSrxMnO3−δ (LSM), Pr0.75Sr0.2MnO3−δ (PSM), and PrSrCoMnO6-δ (PSCM).
Making Sense of the Tea Party

Will the Tea Party have a lasting impact on American politics? The jury is still out on the question. Some scholars and political pundits credit the Tea Party with dynamic grassroots energy that has, for better or worse, put the brakes on a progressive policy response to the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression. Others dismiss the Tea Party as an "Astroturf" movement that has little real grassroots energy and is instead driven by Republican Party operatives and elite benefactors who promote business interests while creating the illusion of mass mobilization. Regardless of the eventual verdict regarding its influence on the political process, the Tea Party phenomenon may produce something of a mini-revolution in social movement scholarship. Research on the Tea Party forces social movement scholars to ask questions that have been largely neglected for decades questions about whether the emergence of a social movement can be explained in terms of the nature of a group's collective grievances. To understand the Tea Party it is necessary to ask "why are these people so angry?" Why are they promoting an agenda that, if fully implemented, would destroy the national economy? Are they motivated by irrational fears and prejudices? Are they racists? Are they rationally pursuing a political agenda that will advance their own self-interest while
Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy in 250 Adults With Hydrocephalus: Patient Selection, Outcomes, and Complications.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has been used predominantly in the pediatric population in the past. Application in the adult population has been less extensive, even in large neurosurgical centers. To our knowledge, this report is one of the largest adult ETV series reported and has the consistency of being performed at 1 center. OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy, safety, and outcome of ETV in a large adult hydrocephalus patient series at a single neurosurgical center. In addition, to analyze patient selection criteria and clinical subgroups (including those with ventriculoperitoneal shunt [VPS] malfunction or obstruction and neurointensive care unit patients with extended ventricular drainage before ETV) to optimize surgical results in the future. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of adult ETV procedures performed at our center between 2000 and 2014. RESULTS: The overall rate of success (no further cerebrospinal fluid diversion procedure performed plus clinical improvement) of 243 completed ETVs was 72.8%. Following is the number of procedures with the success rate in parentheses: aqueduct stenosis, 56 (91%); communicating hydrocephalus including normal pressure hydrocephalus, nonnormal pressure hydrocephalus, and remote head trauma, 57 (43.8%); communicating hydrocephalus in postoperative posterior fossa tumor without residual tumor, 14 (85.7%); communicating hydrocephalus in subarachnoid hemorrhage without intraventricular hemorrhage, 23 (69.6%); obstruction from tumor/cyst, 42 (85.7%); VPS obstruction (diagnosis unknown), 23 (65.2%); intraventricular hemorrhage, 20 (90%); and miscellaneous (obstructive), 8 (50%). There were 9 complications in 250 intended procedures (3.6%); 5 (2%) were serious. CONCLUSION: Use of ETV in adult hydrocephalus has broad application with a low complication rate and reasonably good efficacy in selected patients.
Preliminary clinical experience with a new radioisotope-powered cardiac pacemaker.

A small light-weight nuclear-powered pacer has been developed. The pulse generator weighs 61 Gm. and occupies a volume of 33 sq. cm. It is a standard R-wave inhibited (VVI) demand pulse generator. The unit has met all United States and foreign atomic energy commission safety specifications including mechanical shock, industrial fire, accidental crush, cremation, impact, and corrosion. Its calculated life is in excess of 20 years. The unit has been shown to be insensitive to electromagnetic interference (EMI) over a wide range of commonly encountered sources of interference. An extensive dog testing program has been carried out and is continuing. The United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) has issued a license to conduct clinical trials. These began in October, 1974, and a total of 30 units have been implanted so far. An equal number of chemical battery-powered pulse generators has been implanted in a control series of 30 patients. Preliminary results have been gratifying.
Silica Biomineralization of Calothrix-Dominated Biofacies from Queen's Laundry Hot-Spring, Yellowstone National Park, USA

Experiments on microorganisms capable of surviving silicification are often conducted to gain a better understanding of the process of silica biomineralization and to gain insights into microbially influenced rock formations and biofabrics like those found in ancient deposits such as the Early Archean Apex Chert formation (House et al., 2000; Schopf, 1993). An ideal microorganism for studying silicification is the large sheathed cyanobacterium Calothrix, which form distinctive organo-sedimentary structures in the low to moderate temperature regions of hydrothermal springs or columnar stromatolitic structures in aquatic systems. Our ability to identify and characterize microfossils from ancient deposits allows us to gain a better understanding of environmental conditions on early Earth. Here we characterized Calothrix-dominated biofacies along the outflow apron of Queen’s Laundry Hot-Spring in Yellowstone National Park using microscopy and molecular techniques to examine biofacies morphology and phylogenetic diversity. We found that flow regime and temperature had a profound effect on community composition as identified by the observation of five distinct Calothrix-dominated communities and on biofacies architecture along the outflow apron.
Polymeric Biomaterials as Tissue Scaffolds

Optimizing the quantity, quality and speed of axon regeneration is important in maximizing functional outcomes following peripheral nerve injury. When severed, injured nerves must be able to regenerate and reconnect to the structures they previously controlled within 12-18 months before sensation and motion are permanently lost. Nerve sprouts from the proximal stump will spontaneously migrate toward the distal stump in the event of a nerve transection. However, surgical intervention remains necessary to repair transection injuries. Regeneration becomes particularly troublesome with large gaps, where autologous nerve grafts or nerve guides are used to repair transected nerves. Nerve conduits function as therapeutic adjuncts, guiding axonal regeneration across gap defects. Despite the availability of several FDA-approved nerve conduits, functional outcomes following their use remain less than optimal. Much work has been focused on developing nerve conduits to improve peripheral nerve repair outcomes. This chapter describes fabrication of a poly(caprolactone) nerve guide and demonstrates its use in a rat sciatic nerve model.
Measuring inequalities in health from survey data using self-assessed social class.

Background Asking participants to assess their social class may be an efficient approach to examining inequalities in heath from survey data. The present study investigated this possibility empirically by testing whether subjective class identification is related to overall health. Methods I used pooled cross-sectional data from the 2012 and the 2014 General Social Survey, a nationally representative survey carried out among adults in the United States. The association between health and class was estimated separately by gender, race and age. Results The association follows a gradient pattern where health deteriorates with lower class position even after controlling for indicators typically used in research that examines class differences in health-educational attainment, family income and occupational prestige. The results largely hold when the data are stratified by gender, race and age. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the empirical value of subjective class identification for assessing social inequalities in health from survey data.
Non-Hermitian aspects of coherently coupled vertical cavity laser arrays

Coherently coupled 1 × 2 VCSEL arrays with intentional built-in asymmetry have been designed and fabricated. Preliminary characterization shows electrically controlled mode switching and indications of parity-time symmetry breaking.
Product personalization enabled by assembly architecture and cyber physical systems

Abstract Personalization is an emerging manufacturing paradigm towards meeting diversified customer needs. This paper proposes a framework for producing personalized products efficiently. An approach for optimal mix of different module types is proposed in order to construct a proper assembly architecture. Sketch-based modeling, which facilitates easy model creation and modification by customers, is presented as a key to personalized design. A cyber physical system provides the platform for the collaborative design and co-creation of personalized products. A case study on personalized bicycles based on the proposed framework is presented. Such a framework enables open product realization through active customer participation.
Gastrointestinal hormones as potential adjuvant treatment of exocrine pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Conclusion Gastrointestinal hormones and their antagonists can alter the growth of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo. The potential clinical benefit of this approach deserves further study.
Photoinduced Carboborative Ring Contraction Enables Regio- and Stereoselective Synthesis of Multiply Substituted Five-Membered Carbocycles and Heterocycles.

We report herein a photoinduced carboborative ring contraction of monounsaturated six-membered carbocycles and heterocycles. The reaction produces substituted five-membered ring systems stereoselectively and on preparative scales. The products feature multiple stereocenters, including contiguous quaternary carbons. We show that the reaction can serve as a synthetic platform for ring system alteration of natural products. The reaction can also be used in natural product synthesis. A concise total synthesis of artalbic acid has been enabled by a sequence of photoinduced carboborative ring contraction, Rauhut–Currier reaction, and nitrilase-catalyzed hydrolysis. The synthetic utility of the reaction has been further demonstrated by converting the intermediate organoboranes to alcohols, amines, and alkenes.
CCL2 and T cells in pulmonary fibrosis: an old player gets a new role

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable condition characterised by progressive extracellular matrix deposition and tissue remodelling in the adult human lung.1 Because 5-year mortality rates approach 70%, new approaches to treatment are sorely needed. IPF is thought to result from an abnormal wound healing response caused by an unknown insult to the lung epithelium that results in the recruitment and activation of myofibroblasts via incompletely understood mechanisms.1 The contribution of immune activation to these processes remains unknown. While the contribution of innate cell populations such as macrophages is gaining increased acceptance, the contribution of T cell driven adaptive immune responses remain controversial.2 The paper by Milger et al 3 represents an important step forward in our understanding of this issue. Historically, IPF has been defined as a non-immune entity due to its lack of an identifiable antigen driven immune response, lack of inflammatory infiltrate on lung biopsy, lack of benefit from conventional immunosuppressive therapies and lack of a requirement for lymphocytes for development of maximal fibrosis in commonly used animal models.1 2 However, the now seminal finding that lymphocyte modulating agents actually worsen outcomes in IPF4 combined with human and animal data demonstrating an imbalance between T helper populations in these settings suggests a critical role …
Low-energy defibrillation with nanosecond electric shocks.

Aims Reliable defibrillation with reduced energy deposition has long been the focus of defibrillation research. We studied the efficacy of single shocks of 300 ns duration in defibrillating rabbit hearts as well as the tissue damage they may cause. Methods and results New Zealand white rabbit hearts were Langendorff-perfused and two planar electrodes were placed on either side of the heart. Shocks of 300 ns duration and 0.3-3 kV amplitude were generated with a transmission line generator. Single nanosecond shocks consistently induced waves of electrical activation, with a stimulation threshold of 0.9 kV (over 3 cm) and consistent activation for shock amplitudes of 1.2 kV or higher (9/9 successful attempts). We induced fibrillation (35 episodes in 12 hearts) and found that single shock nanosecond-defibrillation could consistently be achieved, with a defibrillation threshold of 2.3-2.4 kV (over 3 cm), and consistent success at 3 kV (11/11 successful attempts). Shocks uniformly depolarized the tissue, and the threshold energy needed for nanosecond defibrillation was almost an order of magnitude lower than the energy needed for defibrillation with a monophasic 10 ms shock delivered with the same electrode configuration. For the parameters studied here, nanosecond defibrillation caused no baseline shift of the transmembrane potential (that could be indicative of electroporative damage), no changes in action potential duration, and only a brief change of diastolic interval, for one beat after the shock was delivered. Histological staining with tetrazolium chloride and propidium iodide showed that effective defibrillation was not associated with tissue death or with detectable electroporation anywhere in the heart (six hearts). Conclusion Nanosecond-defibrillation is a promising technology that may allow clinical defibrillation with profoundly reduced energies.
Conservation of Nearctic Shorebirds

The public, and the government agencies that they influence, are often aroused to the cause of wildlife conservation only after species are seriously endangered. Unfortunately, the protection and restoration of already endangered species is at best an expensive and difficult endeavor; at worst, it can be a futile one. Thus, there is no question that preventive measures are the best ones. This is certainly the case in conservation efforts directed toward shorebirds.
Changes in Bi-ventricular Function After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant as Assessed by Speckle Tracking Echocardiography

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a therapeutic option for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and severe acquired aplastic anemia (SAA). HSCT may have beneficial effects on ventricular function in damaged myocardium. We hypothesized improvement in ventricular performance and pulmonary hypertension following HSCT with strain echocardiography in SCD and SAA. Echocardiographic strain and other standard functional data were obtained via retrospective cohort analysis of patients (n = 23) with SCD and SAA who underwent HSCT and were followed at a single center between 2000 and 2014. Left ventricular global longitudinal strain was below normal at baseline, and decreased significantly (from - 16.6 to - 11.1, P = 0.05) from pre-HSCT to the initial post-HSCT echocardiogram at 109 (SD ± 83) days. At 351 (SD ± 115) days, longitudinal strain improved significantly from initial decline (from - 11.1 to - 17.5, P = 0.009) but was comparable to baseline (P = 0.43). Other measurements of bi-ventricular function did not change significantly. Tricuspid regurgitation velocities as surrogates for pulmonary hypertension improved in the subset of patients with baseline elevated values although data points were limited. Abnormal myocardial systolic function was detected at baseline with strain imaging. HSCT was associated with initial worsening longitudinal strain values, followed by improvement to baseline levels by 1 year. Insufficient data exist on whether pulmonary hypertension improves after HSCT.
Using Immediate Feedback to Increase Opportunities to Respond in a General Education Classroom.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of immediately prompting a general education teacher to increase her rate of Opportunities to Respond (OTR) through bug-in-ear technology...
Studies on salmon poisoning disease of canines: I. The rickettsial relationships and pathogenicity of Neorickettsia helmintheca

Abstract The agent of so-called “salmon poisoning disease” of dogs on the Pacific Coast of the USA, first reported by Cordy and Gorham (1950) , is an intracytoplasmic, rickettsia-like, sometimes pleomorphic microorganism found particularly in the reticulo-endothelial cells of lymphoid tissues of infected Canidae. It is transmitted in nature to members of the Canidae by ingestion of fish containing encysted cercariae of the intestinal fluke, Nanophyetus salmincola. The natural, developmental cycle of this trematode includes snails, Goniobasis pliciera silicula, and fish of the family Salmonidae. The infection is transmissible in series by blood and by fresh or frozen node tissues of infected to susceptible dogs as well as by suspension of adult flukes. There is an incubation period of 8 to 10 days followed by several days of an acute febrile episode. Mortality is high. When there is occasional recovery, the dogs are solidly immune. Reasons are presented for assigning this pathogen to the family Rickettsiaceae by modifying the vector character of the family from “arthropod-borne” to “invertebrate-borne” agents, and for having given this the name of Neorickeltsia helmintheca Philip, Hadlow, and Hughes (1953) .