cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review article for CTR special issue edited by C. Schachtrup Title of Special Issue: "Modulating scar formation for improving brain repair" Loss-of-function manipulations to identify roles of diverse glia and stromal cells during CNS scar formation

Scar formation is the replacement of parenchymal cells by stromal cells and fibrotic extracellular matrix. Until as recently as 25 years ago, little was known about the major functional contributions of different neural and non-neural cell types in the formation of scar tissue and tissue fibrosis in the CNS. Concepts about CNS scar formation are evolving rapidly with the availability of different types of loss-of-function technologies that allow mechanistic probing of cellular and molecular functions in models of CNS disorders in vivo. Such loss-of-function studies are beginning to reveal that scar formation and tissue fibrosis in the CNS involves complex interactions amongst multiple types of CNS glia and non-neural stromal cells. For example, attenuating functions of the CNS resident glial cells, astrocytes or microglia, can disrupt the formation of limitans borders that form around stromal cell scars, which leads to increased spread of inflammation, increased loss of neural tissue, and increased fibrosis. Insights are being gained into specific neuropathological mechanisms whereby specific dysfunctions of different types of CNS glia could cause or contribute to disorder-related tissue pathology and dysfunction. CNS glia, as well as fibrosis-producing stromal cells, are emerging as potential major contributors to diverse CNS disorders either through loss- or gain-of-functions, and are thereby emerging as important potential targets for interventions. In this article, we will review and discuss the effects on CNS scar formation and tissue repair of loss-of-function studies targeted at different specific cell types in various disorder models in vivo.
Burnout among Medical Professions during Outbreaks

The COVID-19 outbreak spread globally on March 11, 2020 and WHO declared this disease as a pandemic. This outbreak was sudden and spread all over the world. At the time of writing this article still COVID -19 cases are increasing among several countries. This disease has serious public health implications not only increasing morbidity and mortality but has severe psychological trauma everyone is facing since the beginning of this outbreak. The COVID -19 vaccination started at the end of December 2019 in a few countries and now it is used in several countries and the majority of people got their one or both shots hoping to get control on this outbreak soon and life will resume as usual. In my view this outbreak created the atmosphere of uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and hopelessness throughout the whole world because millions of people around the globe were dead or still dying in various hospitals around the world. After vaccination people are getting confidence to move freely in the crowded places but still need more time to come out from COVID-19 psychological trauma....
Towards formalization and monitoring of microscopic traffic parameters using temporal logic.

Smart cities are revolutionizing the transportation infrastructure by the integration of technology. However, ensuring that various transportation system components are operating as expected and in a safe manner is a great challenge. In this work, we propose the use of formal methods as a means to specify and reason about the traffic network's complex properties. Formal methods provide a flexible tool to define the safe operation of the traffic network by capturing non-conforming behavior, exploring various possible states of the traffic scene, and detecting any inconsistencies within it. Hence, we develop specification-based monitoring for the analysis of traffic networks using the formal language, Signal Temporal Logic. We develop monitors that identify safety-related behavior such as conforming to speed limits and maintaining appropriate headway. The framework is tested using a calibrated micro-simulated highway scenario and offline specification-based monitoring is applied to individual vehicle trajectories to understand whether they violate or satisfy the defined safety specifications. Statistical analysis of the outputs show that our approach can differentiate violating from conforming vehicle trajectories based on the defined specifications. This work can be utilized by traffic management centers to study the traffic stream properties, identify possible hazards, and provide valuable feedback for automating the traffic monitoring systems.
Small County Bridges

THE JOKING HAS GIVEN OUT. We have been waiting ten hours for this truck to show up, and now, the diesel's idle rattling and the driver's scuffling ?he is fighting with a padlock and bad light?provide little re lief. With all his weight, which is about the same as mine, not much, the driver jars up and back on the steel latch of the trailer's back doors. He will not be much help I am thinking. No one says a word. A frost seal pops. The rubber lips of the doors rip apart. The ice fog pours out, and frozen solid fish with big, black, glazed eyes count themselves out of a split box. They plumb as far as the dirt at our feet.
Comparison of optimum demodulation of CPFSK with limiter-discriminator performance in jamming, interference and noise

The study examines the potential performance benefits and implementation issues associated with using a maximum likelihood demodulator in place of the commonly employed limiter-discriminator to demodulate a continuous-phase frequency shift keyed (CPFSK) signal in jamming, interference and thermal noise. The comparison is based on the results of running detailed computer simulations. The types of jamming that are considered include noise, tone, and follower jamming. The results show that the optimum demodulator can perform significantly better than the limiter-discriminator, ranging from an improvement of approximately 2 dB in thermal noise to as much as 7 dB in certain types of jamming environments. The results also show that the optimum demodulator provides better immunity against adjacent channel interference. In addition to considering performance advantages of optimum demodulation, the practicality of implementing the optimum demodulator is also addressed. Results are presented showing the relationship between data rate and the size and cost needed to implement the optimum demodulator using FPGA technology
Effects of blood meal pH and irradiation on nursery pig performance.

A total of 720 nursery pigs in three experiments were used to evaluate the effects of blood meal with different pH (a result of predrying storage time) and irradiation of spray-dried blood meal in nursery pig diets. In Exp. 1, 240 barrows and gilts (17 +/- 2 d of age at weaning) were used to determine the effects of blood meal pH (7.4 to 5.9) in diets fed from d 10 to 31 postweaning (7.0 to 16.3 kg of BW). Different lots of dried blood meal were sampled to provide a range in pH. Overall (d 0 to 21), pigs fed diets containing blood meal had greater ADG (P 0.16) ADG, ADFI, or gain:feed (G:F). In Exp. 2, 180 barrows (17 +/- 2 d of age at weaning) were used to determine the effects of post drying pH (7.6 to 5.9) and irradiation (gamma ray, 9.5 kGy) of blood meal on growth performance of nursery pigs from d 5 to 19 postweaning (6.8 to 10.1 kg of BW). One lot of whole blood was isolated with 25% of the total lot dried on d 0, 3, 8, and 12 after collection to create a range in pH. Overall, pigs fed blood meal had improved G:F (P 0.21), but pigs fed irradiated blood meal (pH 5.9) had greater ADG and G:F (P 0.26) compared to pigs fed the control diet without blood meal. Pigs fed irradiated blood meal had a tendency (P 0.26) or dosage levels (P > 0.11). These studies suggest that pH alone as an indicator of blood meal quality is not effective and irradiation of blood meal improved growth performance in nursery pigs.
Dynamic access methodology for satellite-based networks

Current naval satellite-based networks allocate physical layer resources to users based on predetermined requirements analyses. Once the requirements are determined and resources allocated, they cannot be easily changed to adapt as actual situations warrant. A dynamic allocation process allows satellite resources to be reallocated based on the current requirements of the network users. Proposals and designs for next generation satellite systems are beginning to incorporate dynamic resource allocation features into their architectures. In this paper we present a methodology that automatically directs the use of physical layer resources for a satellite-based network according to network demands. The proposed methodology utilizes an "executive" to optimize and control the overall system utilization by incorporating information from transponder load, user prioritization, and real-time network requirements. To demonstrate our methodology we have implemented a non-propriety test-bed based on COTS hardware and equipment currently being utilized by the fleet. We also present results from tests that show the benefits of a dynamic architecture over a traditional static architecture.
Deterministic global optimization in isothermal reactor network synthesis

The reactor network synthesis problem involves the simultaneous determination of the structure and operating conditions of a reactor system to optimize a given performance measure. This performance measure may be the yield of a given product, the selectivity between products, or the overall profitability of the process. The problem is formulated as a nonlinear program (NLP) using a superstructure based method in which plug flow reactors (PFRs) in the structure are modeled using differential-algebraic equations (DAEs). This formulation exhibits multiple local minima. To overcome this, a novel deterministic global optimization method tailored to the special structure and characteristics of this problem will be presented. Examples of isothermal networks will be discussed to show the nature of the local minima and illustrate various components of the proposed approach.
The Reduction(?) of Thermodynamics to Statistical Mechanics

It is now very well understood in philosophy that the relationships that related but distinct theories bear to one another is a matter of enormous complexity. Whatever the relationship is between a theory and another that somehow or other “grounds” it, the terms ‘reduction’ and ‘supervenience’ and ‘emergence’ are all so broad in their sweep that to say that one theory reduces to another, is supervenient on another or emerges from another is never more than to begin to tell the truly interesting story: Exactly how is the one theory related the other. Often much of the most interesting philosophical insight resides in the details of the specific cases rather than in categorizing some particular inter-theoretic relation into one of the three broad categories mentioned. Much of the realization that inter-theoretic relations are as complex as they are has come from the exploration of the relation of the special sciences to one another and to physics. Exactly how a conceptual scheme appropriate to deal with social communities is to relate to individualistic psychology, and, notoriously, how a psychology replete with talk of states endowed with cognitive content and with states endowed with perceptual content is to related to a theoretical account of the psychologically endowed as brain possessing biological organisms embedded in their complex of relations with other such organisms and with the physical world, has proven about as intractable problem area as any in philosophy. Similarly the relationship biology bears to the underlying chemistry and physics of living things has shown itself ever more complex the deeper our understanding goes.
Presentation, Diagnosis, and Management of Esophageal Lichen Planus: A Series of Six Cases

Lichen planus (LP) is an idiopathic disorder that presents with cutaneous and genital manifestations. Esophageal LP (ELP) was first described by Al-Shihabi and Jackson [J Laryngol Otol 1982;96:567-571] in 1982. Only approximately 80 cases have been documented in the literature since. It is a rare and underrecognized disorder, leading to a delay in diagnosis and a lack of standardized management. We describe the presentation, diagnosis, and management of 6 cases of ELP, at a tertiary institution, because we believe that an increasing awareness of this condition can help identify more cases and increase our understanding of this interesting condition.
A Beam-Beam Simulation for the Single-Pass Collider

The beam-beam interaction for the single-pass collider has been investigated by means of a computer simulation. The collision of a single intense bunch of electrons with a single intense bunch of positrons has been simulated using a macroparticle code in which the interaction between each two macroparticles is calculated directly. The simulation reveals the pinch effect of one bunch upon the other, the luminosity enhancement due to the pinch effect, the attraction between offset bunches, and the large opening angles of particles in the disrupted bunches. Finally, the effects of synchrotron radiation emitted during the collision are simulated.
Use of nonlinear amplifying loop mirror to reduce power fluctuations in ultrafast optically time-division-multiplexed pulse trains

Summary form only given. Optical time-division-multiplexing (OTDM) allows high data rates without high-speed electronics. In a pulse train, interference can occur between each pulse and the pedestal of nearby pulses. In OTDM multiplexers, environmental fluctuations result in variations of the pulse-pedestal relative phase prior to recombination, yielding a slow modulation of the average power of the multiplexed data stream. The problem is alleviated if alternating polarization states are used; however, some demultiplexing schemes require uniformly polarized data streams. We employ a short-pulse source, described previously, and a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror (NALM) to demonstrate the effect of pedestal reduction on amplitude fluctuations. The complete pulse source consists of a 2.5 GHz gain-switched laser diode, a linear pulse compressor, an adiabatic soliton pulse compressor, and the NALM. The NALM provides pulse truncation and pedestal reduction through nonlinear transmission.
Origins of Mexican Malpighiaceae

The approximately 42 lineages of Malpighiaceae currently known in Mexico are identified and briefly described and discussed. All the Mexican lineages have th...
Is the lower atmosphere a readily accessible reservoir of culturable, antimicrobial compound-producing Actinomycetales?

Recent metagenomic studies have revealed that microbial diversity in the atmosphere rivals that of surface environments. This indicates that the atmosphere may be worth bioprospecting in for novel microorganisms, especially those selected for by harsh atmospheric conditions. This is interesting in light of the antibiotic resistance crisis and renewed interests in bioprospecting for members of the Actinomycetales, which harbor novel secondary metabolite-producing pathways and produce spores that make them well suited for atmospheric travel. The latter leads to the hypothesis that the atmosphere may be a promising environment in which to search for novel Actinomycetales. Although ubiquitous in soils, where bioprospecting efforts for Actinomycetales have been and are largely still focused, we present novel data indicating that culturable members of this taxonomic order are 3–5.6 times more abundant in air samples collected at 1.5, 4.5, 7.5, and 18 m above the ground, than in the underlying soil. These results support the hypothesis that mining the vast and readily accessible lower atmosphere for novel Actinomycetales in the search for undescribed secondary metabolites could prove fruitful.
Interplay between pair- and charge-density-wave orders in underdoped cuprates

We analyze the interplay between charge-density-wave (CDW) and pair-density-wave (PDW) orders within the spin-fermion model for the cuprates. We specifically consider CDW order with transferred momenta $(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}Q,0)/(0,\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}Q)$, as seen in experiments on the cuprates, and PDW order with total momenta $(0,\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}Q)/(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}Q,0)$. Both orders have been proposed to explain the pseudogap phase in the cuprates. We show that both emerge in the spin-fermion model near the onset of antiferromagnetism. Each order parameter is constructed out of pairs of fermions in ``hot'' regions on the Fermi surface, breaks $\mathrm{U}(1)$ translational symmetry, and changes sign when the momenta of the fermions change by $(\ensuremath{\pi},\ensuremath{\pi})$. We further show that the two orders are nearly degenerate due to an approximate $\mathrm{SU}(2)$ particle-hole symmetry of the model. This near degeneracy is similar in origin to that relating conventional $d$-wave superconducting order and bond charge order with momentum $(Q,\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}Q)$. The $\mathrm{SU}(2)$ symmetry becomes exact if one neglects the curvature of the Fermi surface in hot regions, in which case $\mathrm{U}(1)$, CDW, and PDW order parameters become components of an $\mathrm{SO}(4)$-symmetric PDW/CDW ``supervector.'' We develop a Ginzburg-Landau theory for four PDW/CDW order parameters and find two possible ground states: a ``stripe'' state in which both CDW and PDW orders develop with either $(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}Q,0)$ or $(0,\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}Q)$, and a ``checkerboard'' state, where each order can develop with $(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}Q,0)$ and $(0,\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}Q)$. We show that the $\mathrm{SO}(4)$ symmetry between CDW and PDW can be broken by two separate effects. One is the inclusion of Fermi surface curvature, which selects a PDW order immediately below the instability temperature. Another is the overlap between different hot regions, which favors CDW order at low temperatures. For the stripe state, we show that the competition between the two effects gives rise to a first-order transition from PDW to CDW inside the ordered state. We also argue that beyond mean-field theory, the onset temperature for CDW order is additionally enhanced due to feedback from a preemptive breaking of ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ time-reversal symmetry. We discuss the ground-state properties of a pure PDW state and a pure CDW state, and show in particular that the PDW checkerboard state yields a vortex-antivortex lattice. For the checkerboard state, we considered a situation when both CDW and PDW orders are present at low $T$ and show that at small but finite Fermi surface curvature the presence of both condensates induces a long sought chiral $s+i{d}_{xy}$ superconductivity.
Mechanisms of virus-induced neuronal damage and the clearance of viruses from the CNS.

The pathogenic mechanisms underlying virus-induced neurological disease are complex but fall into two general categories, neuronal damage or dysfunction, resulting: (1) from within, as a direct consequence of the virus infection, and (2) from without, due to the indirect action of resident and invading immune/inflammatory cells responding to viral antigens. Our studies have focused on two viruses that can cause acute, lethal neurological diseases representative of these classes: rabies virus (RV) and Borna disease virus (BDV). RV infection induces significant electrophysiological changes in the CNS and sleep alterations but is accompanied by only minor histopathological changes in the CNS (Gourmelon et al. 1986, 1991). In contrast, acute Borna disease is associated with extensive neuropathology including astrogliosis, perivascular cuffing, monocytic infiltration of the brain parenchyma, and massive neuronal loss (Right et al. 1990; Gosztonyi and Ludwig 1995; Stitz et al. 1995; Morimoto et al. 1996), which are dependent on a BDV-specific immune response. The profound difference in the pathogenesis of rabies and Borna disease is evidenced by the fact that immunosuppression either has no effect or is detrimental to the outcome of rabies infection but is therapeutic in Borna disease (Stitz et al. 1995; Morimoto et al. 1996). Despite the clear differences in neuropathology between rabies and Borna disease, there are immune strategies for each that can evidently clear these viruses from the CNS thereby preventing a lethal outcome to the infections (Dietzschold et al. 1992; Dietzschold 1993; Richt 1994). Further knowledge of the different pathogenic processes underlying rabies and Borna disease is key to the development of therapeutic strategies for diverse CNS viral diseases. In this chapter we discuss the response of CNS resident cells to infection, the link between these responses and the induction of virus-specific immunity, and the mechanisms through which virus can be cleared from the CNS.
The effect of rumination and reappraisal on social anxiety symptoms during cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder.

Objective There is growing interest in the role of transdiagnostic processes in the onset, maintenance, and treatment of mental disorders (Nolen-Hoeksema & Watkins, 2011). Two such transdiagnostic processes–rumination and reappraisal–are the focus of the present study. The main objective was to examine the roles of rumination (thought to be harmful) and reappraisal (thought to be helpful) in adults with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Method We conducted a randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with 75 adults with SAD and examined pre- to post-CBT changes as well as weekly fluctuations in rumination, reappraisal, and social anxiety symptoms. Results Socially anxious individuals’ baseline rumination (brooding) scores predicted weekly levels of social anxiety, rumination, and reappraisal, whereas baseline reappraisal scores did not. Greater weekly rumination was associated with greater weekly social anxiety, but reappraisal was not related to social anxiety. Conclusion These findings suggest that rumination may have a more significant role than reappraisal in understanding fluctuations in social anxiety during CBT for SAD.
Blood compatibility of heparinized polyurethanes

Heparin - immobilized polyurethane (HI-PU) catheters implanted in canine femoral and jugular veins for one hour periods exhibited significant reduction in thrombus formation compared with untreated PU contralateral controls. PU catheters coated with a 9% heparin dispersion in PU, capable of releasing active heparin for several hours, provided even greater improvement in antithrombogenicity. Both types of heparinized surface displayed reduced platelet aggregation and fibrin formation, although platelet adhesion was somewhat higher on the HI material than on the heparin-releasing (HR) surface.
Analytic Models of Applications in Multi-core Computers

Multi-core computers are becoming increasingly ubiquitous. Understanding and being able to predict the performance of applications that run on such machines is paramount. This paper first shows experimentally that memory contention resulting from multiple cores accessing shared memory can become a significant component of an application's execution time. Then, the paper develops an approximate single-class analytic performance model that captures the effect of memory contention. The model is validated through measurements taken on a micro-benchmark and on well known Unix memory benchmark programs on machines with 4, 12, and 16 cores. The paper also shows that there is a significant difference in the predictions when memory contention is not considered.
The Cenozoic ocean circulation based on ocean General Circulation Model results

Abstract A series of ocean General Circulation Model (GCM) experiments for Paleocene, Eocene, Miocene and present-day continental geography with atmospheric forcing prescribed from atmospheric GCM experiments is utilized to investigate the changes in surface and deep-water ocean circulation through the Cenozoic. The experiments illustrate a number of similarities with previous observation-based reconstructions, although the timing of the development of particular gyre systems and the nature of the high southern latitude circulation are generally different than previous interpretations. In addition, the model results suggest substantial changes in the sites of deep water formation, including a middle Eocene subtropical source. Because of a number of experimental limitations, the experiments should be considered largely as a sensitivity analysis of the role of changing geography in modifying the ocean circulation.
Homoclinic tangle in tokamak divertors

Magnetic field lines are the trajectories of a 112 degree of freedom Hamiltonians. Plasmas in tokamaks are confined in regions where the magnetic field lines form closed toroidal surfaces. These surfaces are bounded by a separatrix, and outside the separatrix the magnetic field lines and the plasma flow to special regions of the walls called divertors. Both the confinement of the plasma and the feasibility of divertors are sensitive to the behavior of the magnetic field lines near the separatrix in the presence of non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations. Separatrix manifold forms homoclinic tangle to preserve the symplectic invariant and topological neighborhood as the manifold evolves in canonical time. A scheme is developed based on these two invariants to calculate homoclinic tangle for actual tokamak equilibria that are subjected to non-axisymmetric perturbations. This scheme is used to study homoclinic tangles of a specific tokamak configuration. How non-ideal effects fill in the lobes formed by homoclinic tangles is demonstrated using a radial expansion operator to simulate plasma diffusion. It is found that for sufficiently rapid plasma diffusion the effects of the tangle on plasma footprint on collector plate are washed out.
Reproductive and developmental consequences of a diapause maternal effect in the flesh fly, Sarcophaga bullata

Progeny of Sarcophaga bullata produced from mothers with a history of short day will not enter pupal diapause even if they are reared in a strong diapause-inducing environment (LD 12:12 h at 20oC). Short-day exposure and diapause commitment are normally inseparable, but this maternal effect provides a tool for examining separately the effect of photoperiod and diapause commitment. Duration of the wandering period of the third instar is longer in diapause-destined larvae than in non-diapause-destined larvae, and fecundity of flies that have experienced pupal diapause is lower than in long-day flies that have not been through diapause. The puparia of diapausing pupae contain more hydrocarbons than puparia of nondiapausing pupae, and this contributes to higher rates of net transpiration for the nondiapausing flies. Flies showing the maternal effect (short-day experience but no diapause) show an intermediate response: length of wandering, fecundity rate and quantities of puparial hydrocarbon are between the extremes observed in the other two groups of flies. Thus, the maternal effect switches the developmental programme to nondiapause, but the progeny retain some characteristics of diapause. Evidence from reciprocal crosses indicates that the photoperiodic history of the female, rather than the male, is responsible for the influence on fecundity.
Line mixing in self- and foreign-broadened water vapor at 6 μm

Abstract Line mixing has been measured for two pairs of transitions in the ν 2 band of H 2 16 O. The rotational assignments of the four lines (in terms of the rotational quantum numbers J , K a and K c ) are (a) two P branch lines: (1 0 1)←(2 1 2) mixing with (2 1 2)←(3 0 3) at 1539.061 and 1540.300 cm −1 , respectively; and (b) two R branch lines: (3 0 3)←(2 1 2) mixing with (2 1 2) ←(1 0 1) at 1652.400 and 1653.267 cm −1 , respectively. Pressure broadening coefficients of H 2 O (halfwidths, pressure shifts and off-diagonal relaxation matrix elements) are reported for seven broadeners (self, H 2 , He, CO 2 , N 2 , O 2 and air) from retrievals performed by multispectrum fitting implemented with line mixing. The effect is largest for self- and H 2 -broadening.
Pressure pulse contour analysis in determining the effect of vasodilator drugs on vascular hemodynamic impedance characteristics in dogs.

The effects of three vasodilators on the shape of the arterial pressure contour in the dog were investigated. A modified Windkessel model of the arterial vasculature was used as a guide in interpreting the observed contour changes. The pressure curve during diastole has been viewed as the transient response of the arterial system and can be fit accurately to the equation The parameters in this equation and peripheral resistance were used to define the components of the third order Windkessel model consisting of proximal (C1) and distal (C2) compliances, an inertance term (L), and peripheral resistance (R). This model describes the gross mechanical behavior seen in the arterial system during diastole. The arterial pressure pulse, mean pressure, and cardiac output responses to intravenous administration of sodium nitroprusside (NP), nitroglycerin (NTG), and hydralazine (H) were studied using computerized parameter estimating techniques to determine the ai parameters in the pressure equation and their relationship to the Windkessel components. All three drugs caused C1 to decrease, but not significantly. NTG increased inertance from 0.076 to 0.134 mm. Hg/ml./sec.2, with a p value < 0.05. NP increased C2 from 0.027 to 0.046 ml./mm. Hg. (p < 0.01); NTG also increased C2, from 0.030 to 0.060 ml./mm. Hg (p < 0.05). Hydralazine had no significant effect on C2, but it did reduce R from 3.10 to 2.16 mm. Hg/ml./sec. (p < 0.01). Neither NP nor NTG showed a significant decrease in R. Thus, the three vasodilators apparently have different vascular effects, as demonstrated by the pulse contour analysis. Such an analysis may be a useful way to evaluate vasodilator therapy.
Effect of thyrotropin-releasing hormone on gastro-intestinal secretions in dogs.

Abstract Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) immunoreactivity has been shown previously to be distributed throughout the gastrointestinal tract and the pancreas. This study demonstrated that TRH given intravenously suppresses, in a dose-related manner, sham-feeding induced food intake and inhibits gastric secretion provoked by infusion of pentagastrin or instillation of 10% liver extract into the stomach. TRH also reduces pancreatic response to secretin, caerulein, feeding a meat meal or duodenal acidification. The findings that TRH inhibits gastric and pancreatic secretions induced by exogenous and endogenous stimulants, and that the inhibition by TRH of post-prandial secretion is not accompanied by any change in serum gastrin, indicate that TRH probably acts directly on the exocrine stomach and pancreas.
A computational model of selection by consequences: Log survivor plots.

[McDowell, J.J, 2004. A computational model of selection by consequences. J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 81, 297-317] instantiated the principle of selection by consequences in a virtual organism with an evolving repertoire of possible behaviors undergoing selection, reproduction, and mutation over many generations. The process is based on the computational approach, which is non-deterministic and rules-based. The model proposes a causal account for operant behavior. McDowell found that the virtual organism consistently showed a hyperbolic relationship between response and reinforcement rates according to the quantitative law of effect. To continue validation of the computational model, the present study examined its behavior on the molecular level by comparing the virtual organism's IRT distributions in the form of log survivor plots to findings from live organisms. Log survivor plots did not show the "broken-stick" feature indicative of distinct bouts and pauses in responding, although the bend in slope of the plots became more defined at low reinforcement rates. The shape of the virtual organism's log survivor plots was more consistent with the data on reinforced responding in pigeons. These results suggest that log survivor plot patterns of the virtual organism were generally consistent with the findings from live organisms providing further support for the computational model of selection by consequences as a viable account of operant behavior.
Beyond aerobic glycolysis : Transformed cells can engage in glutamine metabolism that exceeds the requirement for protein and nucleotide synthesis

Tumor cell proliferation requires rapid synthesis of macromolecules including lipids, proteins, and nucleotides. Many tumor cells exhibit rapid glucose consumption, with most of the glucose-derived carbon being secreted as lactate despite abundant oxygen availability (the Warburg effect). Here, we used 13C NMR spectroscopy to examine the metabolism of glioblastoma cells exhibiting aerobic glycolysis. In these cells, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle was active but was characterized by an efflux of substrates for use in biosynthetic pathways, particularly fatty acid synthesis. The success of this synthetic activity depends on activation of pathways to generate reductive power (NADPH) and to restore oxaloacetate for continued TCA cycle function (anaplerosis). Surprisingly, both these needs were met by a high rate of glutamine metabolism. First, conversion of glutamine to lactate (glutaminolysis) was rapid enough to produce sufficient NADPH to support fatty acid synthesis. Second, despite substantial mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism, pyruvate carboxylation was suppressed, and anaplerotic oxaloacetate was derived from glutamine. Glutamine catabolism was accompanied by secretion of alanine and ammonia, such that most of the amino groups from glutamine were lost from the cell rather than incorporated into other molecules. These data demonstrate that transformed cells exhibit a high rate of glutamine consumption that cannot be explained by the nitrogen demand imposed by nucleotide synthesis or maintenance of nonessential amino acid pools. Rather, glutamine metabolism provides a carbon source that facilitates the cell's ability to use glucose-derived carbon and TCA cycle intermediates as biosynthetic precursors.
Shelf-slope frontal structure and cross-shelf exchange at the New England shelf-break

Abstract Temperature and current data derived from the SEEP—I array moored on the New England continental margin during 1983–1984 are used to study the structure and motion of the shelf-slope water front and the cross-shelf exchange of heat. During the winter frontal motion is associated primarily with wind-driven Ekman forcing across the shelf-break. The foot of the front undergoes 10–20 km cross-shelf excursions which are not correlated with current fluctuations over the slope. The cross-shelf eddy flux of heat has a large variance but zero mean. During the summer frontal displacements diminish as does the wind stress. As the seasonal thermocline develops shelf and slope regions become connected by isopycnal surfaces. This appears to facilitate diffusive exchange of shelf and slope water and the formation of submesoscale eddies at the frontal boundary. As the thermocline deepens late in the summer there appears to be an increase in the eddy flux of heat across the front from the slope to the deep shelf water. In the autumn intrusions of slope water are observed which may be related to a surface convergence and sinking along the front associated with geostrophic adjustment following a mixing event. During the year-long deployment one warm-core ring passed through the SEEP—I array. Little of the heat flux observed over the slope penetrated onto the shelf.
Multiple Probe Interactions in Near-field Imaging

We consider effects of a strongly scattering tip in near-field scanning optical microscopy. It is shown that multiple tip-substrate interactions have a dramatic effect on the spectroscopic response of the instrument with important implications for the solution of the inverse scattering problem.
A modified rotating frame experiment based on a fourier series window function. Application to in vivo spatially localized NMR spectroscopy

A fourier series window approach to the rotating frame experiment is employed in conjunction with surface coils to accomplish one-dimensional spatial localization of phosphorus-containing metabolites in phantoms and the in vivo rat brain. The rotating frame experiment delineates sample regions on the basis of a B1 field gradient across the sample which for the experiments described in this paper are provided by a surface coil. In the usual rotating frame experiment, a suite of spectra (termed a metabolite map) is obtained by incrementing the evolution pulse duration with the spectra displayed as a function of the nutational frequency about the B1 field. The total time of the experiment depends on the desired degree of spatial resolution, and substantial time savings can be obtained when the desired result is spectral information from a single or a few selected regions (slices). The approach taken here is to utilize a Fourier series window function representation of the nutational frequencies over the region of interest. This procedure allows convenient selection of the localized region, thus avoiding Fourier transformation in the second (mapping) dimension. For the case of a single region of interest, the spectral parameters can be adjusted to maximize the number of data files in which the evolution pulse nutates the magnetizations at the center of the slice through a multiple of 180°. Data files not contributing significant signal to a selected slice can be omitted to further minimize the experimental accumulation time.
Trends in deaths due to motorcycle crashes and risk factors in injury collisions

Abstract In the past 25 years, the numbers of registered motorcycles in the United States and California have increased about 1000 and 1100%, respectively. In the same period, the motorcycle collision death rate per million population more than doubled. The purposes of the study were to examine time trends in deaths due to motorcycle collisions, examine a methodologic problem in the study of motor vehicle collision death rates, and to determine driver and vehicle factors which may discriminate in the production of motorcycle crash related injurites. With the exception of 1974, the increase in the ratio of registered motorcycles per 100,000 population in the United States corresponded to an increase in the crude death rate per million population. A similar pattern was also found in California. Stepwise discriminant analysis was used to determine an optimum set of factors associated with motorcycle collision injuries. The analysis indicated that for male drivers age was the single factor most significantly related to motorcycle collision injuries. Other factors, in addition to age, which added to the power of the discrimination included number of prior motorcycle driving violations, frequency of motorcycle use, number of prior motorcycle crashes, motorcycle drivers' training, and height of the drivers.
Conditional measures and operators

Abstract A detailed study of the structure of conditional expectations and conditional probability measures is presented. Some characterizations of conditional expectations as a subclass of projection operators on Banach function spaces, and similarly conditional probabilities as a subclass of vector valued measures on such spaces are included. As applications of these results, a representation of Reynolds operators and related unified formulation of ergodic-martingale theorems are given.
Collision tumor of the thyroid and larynx: a patient with papillary thyroid carcinoma colliding with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The term “collision tumor” refers to the coexistence of two histologically distinct malignant tumors within the same mass. Collision tumors involving the thyroid gland and/or neck region are especially uncommon, with most reported cases involving papillary thyroid carcinoma in coexistence with medullary thyroid carcinoma, follicular carcinoma, and metastatic disease, the latter including a rare occurrence of metastatic liposarcoma and thyroid papillary carcinoma. A collision tumor of papillary thyroid carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma primary to the thyroid has also been reported. Summary: We now report a collision tumor comprised of well-differentiated papillary thyroid carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma that originated as a laryngeal primary tumor. Histologically, the thyroid mass is consisted of well-differentiated papillary thyroid carcinoma. The laryngeal mass consisted of in situ and invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Both cancers were extensively infiltrative into the soft tissues...
The role of brachytherapy for palliation

The goal of palliative radiation is to alleviate symptoms in a short amount of time and maintain and optimal functional and quality-of-life level while minimizing toxicity and patient incovenience. Despite advances in multimodality antineoplastic therapies, failure to control the tumor at its primary site frustratingly remains the predominant source of morbidity and mortality in many patients with cancer. Escalation of doses of radiation using external beam irradiation has been shown to improve local tumor control, but limits are imposed by the tolerance of normal surrounding structures. The highly conformal nature of brachytherapy enables the radiation oncologist to accomplish safe escalation of radiation doses to the tumor while minimizing doses to normal surrounding structures. Thus, by enhancing the potential for local control, brachytherapy used alone or as a supplement to external beam radiation therapy retains a significant and important role in achieving the goals of palliation. Proper patient selection, excellent technique, and adherence to implant rules will minimize the risk of complications. The advantages realized with the use of brachytherapy include good patient tolerance, short treatment time, and high rates of sustained palliation. This article reviews various aspects of palliative brachytherapy, including patient selection criteria, implant techniques, treatment planning, dose and fractionation schedules, results, and complications of treatment. Tumors of the head and neck, trachea and bronchi, esophagus, biliary tract, and brain, all in which local failure represents the predominant cause of morbidity and mortality, are highlighted.
Satellite altimetry using ocean backscatter

A model for the signal received when satellite altimetry pulses are scattered back by the ocean's surface is postulated and analyzed. The second-order statistics of the complex nonstationary random process appearing at the detector input are graphically and analytically displayed as a function of the sea state. The standard deviation of various altitude estimates derived by subsequent operations on the detector output are computed, too. The analysis applies both to ordinary short-pulse altimeters and to systems that employ pulse compression.
Resection of an intravenous leiomyoma with intracardiac extension with use of endovascular techniques

Intravenous leiomyoma with intracardiac extension is a rare entity that necessitates surgical excision to alleviate symptoms and prevent life-threatening complications. These procedures are generally performed under cardiopulmonary bypass, and review of the literature reveals an evolution in management of this disease from 2-stage to single-stage procedures. We report the case of a 45-year-old woman with an intravenous leiomyoma with intracardiac extension after presenting with syncopal symptoms. The intravenous tumor and its supradiaphragmatic extension were ultimately resected via laparotomy without the need for cardiopulmonary bypass. Distal control was achieved by passing an occluding balloon catheter above the tumor through a venotomy with fluoroscopic guidance and echocardiography, thus enabling protected tumor extraction through the intra-abdominal inferior vena cava. In selected patients, we believe use of endovascular techniques combined with proper preoperative imaging can safely permit single-stage resection of these tumors via laparotomy without cardiopulmonary bypass.
The roles of regulatory focus and medical recommendation avatars' trustworthiness in virtual environment-based e-health.

Abstract This study examined the influence of regulatory focus and medical recommendation avatars' trustworthiness in avatar-based e-health within 3D virtual environments (VEs). Drawing on Higgins's regulatory focus theory and the existing literature on self-construal, a 2 × 2 (regulatory focus: promotion vs. prevention by interdependent self-construal: low vs. high) between-participants factorial design experiment tested the moderating role of health consumers' interdependent self-construal in determining the effects of regulatory focus in VE-based e-health. Results showed an interaction effect of regulatory focus and interdependent self-construal such that VE users with a dominant interdependent self-construal indicated greater issue familiarity and involvement when exposed to a prevention-focused e-health intervention than when exposed to a promotion-focused e-health intervention, whereas the effects of regulatory focus on issue familiarity and involvement among users low in interdependent self-constru...
Floral volatiles from Clarkia breweri and C. concinna ( Onagraceae ): Recent evolution of floral scent and moth pollination

Clarkia breweri (Onagraceae) is the only species known in its genus to produce strong floral fragrance and to be pollinated by moths. We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify 12 abundant compounds in the floral headspace from two inbred lines ofC. breweri. These volatiles are derived from two biochemical pathways, one producing acyclic monoterpenes and their oxides, the other leading from phenylalanine to benzoate and its derivatives. Linalool and linalool oxide (pyran form) were the most abundant monoterpenoids, while linalool oxide (furan form) was present at lower concentrations. Of the aromatic compounds detected, benzyl acetate was most abundant, whereas benzyl benzoate, eugenol, methyl salicylate, and vanillin were present as minor constituents in all floral samples. The two inbredC. breweri lines differed for the presence of the additional benzenoid compounds isoeugenol, methyleugenol, methylisoeugenol, and veratraldehyde. We also analyzed floral headspace fromC. concinna, the likely progenitor ofC. breweri, whose flowers are odorless to the human nose. Ten volatiles (mostly terpenoids) were detected at low concentrations, but only when headspace was collected from 20 or more flowers at a time. Trans-β-ocimene was the most abundant floral compound identified from this species. Our data are consistent with the hypothesized recent evolution of floral scent production and moth pollination inC. breweri.
Behavior of Screw and Adhesive Connections to Gypsum Wallboard in Wood and Cold-Formed Steel-Framed Wallettes

AbstractIncreasing the lateral strength and stiffness of light-frame structures can lead to reduced damage in the event of an earthquake. Because low-rise wood and cold-formed steel-framed buildings often contain many partition walls, their performance can be improved economically by more effective engagement of gypsum-sheathed walls. This paper describes a series of tests of enhanced screw and adhesive connections between gypsum wallboard and wood and cold-formed steel-framing members. Small wall panels constructed with the improved connections were also tested and compared with wallettes built with conventional drywall screws. Test results indicate that while enhanced screws can increase connection and wall strength modestly relative to conventional screws, a much more significant increase in strength and stiffness can be obtained by using construction adhesives. Test results show that supplementing conventional screws with adhesives increased connection strength and stiffness by a factor of four to fiv...