cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective inhibition of soluble TNF using XPro1595 relieves pain and attenuates cerulein-induced pathology in mice.

Symptoms associated with acute pancreatitis can be debilitating, and treatment remains a challenge. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of selectively inhibiting the soluble form of TNF (solTNF) using the biologic XPro1595 in a mouse model of acute pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis was induced in adult male C57Bl/6J mice by administering cerulein (8 injections of 50 µg/kg I.P., spaced an hour apart), with XPro1595 (10 mg/kg, S.C.) or vehicle being administered approximately 18 h after the last injection. Serum was collected 6 or 18 h after the last cerulein injection, pancreatic tissue was collected 2 and 7 days post-induction, and brain hippocampal tissue was collected at 7 days post-induction. The animal’s pain level was assessed 3, 5 and 7 days post-induction. The induction of acute pancreatitis promoted a strong increase in serum amylase levels, which had receded back to baseline levels by the next morning. XPro1595 treatment began after amylase levels had subsided at 18 h, and prevented pancreatic immune cell infiltration, that subsequently prevented tissue disruption and acinar cell death. These improvements in pathology were associated with a significant reduction in mechanical hypersensitivity (neuropathic pain). XPro1595 treatment also prevented an increase in hippocampal astrocyte reactivity, that may be associated with the prevention of neuropathic pain in this mouse model. Overall, we observed that selectively inhibiting solTNF using XPro1595 improved the pathophysiological and neurological sequelae of cerulein-induced pancreatitis in mice, which provides support of its use in patients with pancreatitis.
Psilocybin: A brief overview for psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners

The use of psychedelics, such as psilocybin, has emerged in recent literature as a novel therapeutic treatment for various psychiatric disorders, including substance use, depression, and anxiety. While international and domestic trials are currently underway, there is data demonstrating both the relative safety and potential efficacy of psilocybin. Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are essential mental health providers that may be at the forefront of delivering these new treatment modalities. Therefore, they must be aware of the psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic tenets of psilocybin to be prepared to treat patients.
Anti-angiogenesis Revisited: Combination with Immunotherapy in Solid Tumors.

Both anti-angiogenesis and immunotherapy are well-established therapeutic options in solid tumors. Here, we review the rationale as well as clinical evidence of combining these two approaches. There is strong rationale and substantial preclinical and clinical evidence that anti-angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in overcoming immunotherapy resistance. The combination of an anti-angiogenic agent and a checkpoint inhibitor offers a more robust treatment option in many clinical trials in a wide variety of solid tumor types. Combination of anti-angiogenesis and immunotherapy has emerged as a standard of care in some tumor types and the indication is expected to expand to more tumor types in the years to come.
Health Ownership: A Concept Analysis:

Health ownership has been discussed by authors in many disciplines, but a definition does not currently exist for this concept. The purpose of this concept analysis was to explore health ownership ...
Guanylyl Cyclase Gene is the Disease Locus in the rd Chicken

The first description of the retinal degeneration (rd) chicken appeared in the literature in 1980. From the early 1980s to 1991, Ulshafer and his colleagues carried out detailed electrophysiological, morphological, and biochemical analyses of the retinas of these animals, the results of which provided a comprehensive description of the pathology of this retinal degenerative disease, and the first clues concerning the identity of the rd gene. In 1990, we embarked on a series of molecular studies that would eventually lead to the identification of the rd gene in 1998. As a result of the tireless efforts of many individuals, the rd chicken is now recognized as a model for Leber congenital amaurosis, Type 1, a devastating human disease that causes blindness in newborn infants. With the identity of the rd gene in hand, it seems appropriate to review the nearly two decades of research that has been conducted on this model, research that has provided a firm foundation for our current efforts to restore sight in these animals using somatic gene therapy.
What Are the Facts of "Marbury v. Madison"?

Part of Marbury at 200: A Bicentennial Celebration of Marbury v. Madison. Marbury as History
BIOMECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE HUMAN NECK IN LATERAL FLEXION

Properties of the human neck which may influence a person's susceptibility to "whiplash" injury during lateral impact have been studied in 96 normal subjects. Subjects were chosen on the basis of age, sex, and stature and data were grouped into six primay categories based on sex (F,M) and age (18-24, 35-44, 62-74). The data include: measures of head, neck and body anthropometry in standing and simulated automotive seating positions, three-dimensional range of motion of the head and neck, head/neck response to low-level acceleration, and both stretch reflex time and voluntary isometric muscle force in the lateral direction. Reflex times are found to vary from about 30 to 70 ms with young and middle aged persons having faster times than older persons, and females having faster times than males. Muscle strength decreases with age and males are, on the average, stronger than females. Range of motion was determined by using three-dimensional photogrammetry to compute Euler angles relative to the Frankfort plane. Ranges of motion are reported for 6 planar movements (flexion, extension, left and right rotation, left and right lateral bend) and 3 combination movements (left rotation plus flexion, left rotation plus left lateral bend, and right rotation plus extension) chosen to simulate typical lateral impact conditions. For the young subjects, ranges of motion for males and females are similar. In all cases the range of motion decreases with age, with the rate of decrease for males being greater than that for females. Data are presented in a format applicable to biomechanical modeling of the seated human occupant.
Hyperuricemia in a child: a complication of treatment of obesity.

Childhood obesity has become an important management problem for the practicing pediatrician. Carbohydrate restrictive diets are being utilized in treatment with increasing frequency in recent years.1,2 Hyperuricemia during carbohydrate deprivation is a well-documented entity in adults,3,4 but has not been reported in children. In the following report we describe a child who developed severe hyperunicemia following a low-carbohydrate ketogenic regimen during the initial period of treatment of obesity. CASE REPORT R. F., a 10-year-old white girl, was admitted to North Shore University Hospital for management of severe exogenous obesity. She was the product of a normal pregnancy and uncomplicated delivery, and weighed 2,660 kg at birth.
An Argument at the Monument Stone: Manipulation of Nationalist Linguistic Ideology in Identity Claims by the German Minority in Poland

The paper presents an informed reading of a recorded conversation which took place early in the morning in the woods near a village, here called "Ostr\w", in Opole Silesia, Poland. Opole Silesia, for historical reasons I will shortly explain, is the region of Poland where people of German national self-identification live in greatest concentration, and the stronghold of the politically organized Social and Cultural Society of the German Minority. I was in the woods near the village for the occasion of the dedication of a monument stone, marking the site of the so-called "Priest-hole," where the villagers and their priest had hidden themselves from the invading Swedes during the Thirty Years' War. The dedication of the stone was the morning kick-off to a day of festivities celebrating the seven-hundredth anniversary of the first written mention of the village in 1293. I had been invited by a historian, a native of the village who had been asked to give a lecture that afternoon. We were accompanied by another native of the village, a much less highly educated man who still lives there and is very grounded in local life. The morning's formalities were over, and we had returned to our car when a large tourist bus lumbered through the woods. From the bus emerged a group of German men and women, mostly in their fifties or older, and a group of girls dressed in folk costume. They had been specially invited. The girls were going to dance that afternoon. They wanted to know what was going on, and, told that a memorial had just been dedicated, they wanted to see it. The Professor and the Local Man, who as native Opole Silesians were able to converse fluently with the mono-lingual Germans, offered to show them the
Times-Series Photometry & Spectroscopy of the Bright Blue Supergiant Rigel: Probing the Atmosphere and Interior of a SN II Progenitor

As the 7th brightest star and the most luminous star in the solar neighborhood, Rigel (β Orionis) is a very intriguing object. This blue supergiant (B8 Iab; V-mag = +0.05–0.18-mag; B–V = -0.03), at a distance (from Hipparcos) of ~240±35 pc has a 〈MV〉 = -6.7 mag. The following physical properties were determined via spectroscopic, photometric, and interferometric studies: L/L⊙ ≈ 66,000 K; Teff ≈ 12,000 K; M/M⊙ ≈ 17±3; R/R⊙ ≈ 70; τ ≈ 3–10 Myr. Interestingly Rigel has similar physical properties with the 12th mag blue supergiant progenitor of SN 1987A: Sanduleak -69° 202a. Thus Rigel (along with its co-asterism Betelgeuse) are likely to be the nearest progenitors of a Type II supernova. Such a nearby explosion would be V ≈ -11th mag (similar to a quarter moon).
Detection of autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction responding cells and their precursor frequency in NZB mice

Abstract The autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) can be detected in older NZB mice after treatment of the responding cell population with monoclonal anti-I-A d and complement and supplementation of the culture medium with T-cell growth factor (TCGF) from young animals. The addition of TCGF to cultures containing responding cells alone that had not been pretreated with anti-I-A plus complement resulted in high levels of background proliferation. This is indicative of a high number of preexisting I-A-positive, activated, TCGF-responsive T cells in these mice. These activated cells could also be removed by treatment with anti-I-A antibody and panning on anti-mouse Ig plates, or by BUdR and light killing of those cells proliferating in the presence of TCGF or purified IL-2. Prior treatment of the responding cells with anti-Lyt 2 and complement did not effect the AMLR. An NZB AMLR responding cell line was established using these methods. This line retained haplotype specificity in a proliferation assay. Limiting dilution analysis of the precursor frequency of AMLR responding cells in the nonautoimmune C58 and BALB/C strains in culture medium with TCGF gave a frequency of between 1 in 35,000 and 1 in 88,000. In young, AMLR-positive, NZB mice, supplementation with TCGF yielded precursor frequencies within the normal range. In older NZB mice, the addition of TCGF resulted in increased background proliferation of preactivated, IA + T cells. After removal of these cells with anti-I-A plus complement, AMLR responding cells were found at normal frequency levels when stimulated in the presence of TCGF. In the oldest animals tested (greater than 18–20 weeks), normal precursor frequencies could not be demonstrated even after this treatment, representing a true decline in the AMLR responding cell number. AMLR deficiency in NZB mice appears therefore to be the result of the combined effects of decreased lymphokine production, excessive T-cell activation, and finally decreased numbers of AMLR responding cells.
Relationship between accuracy and sensitivity in atomic-absorption flame photometry

Abstract Instrumental limitations of accuracy based on the absorptimetric nature of atomic-absorption methods are discussed. A summary of other factors influencing accuracy in practical work is given, and some comments are included on the limitations on accuracy caused by sensitivity limitations.
Semantic paramodulation for Horn sets

We present a new strategy for semantic paramodulation for Horn sets and prove its completeness The strategy requires for each paramoduiation that either both parents be false positive units or that one parent and the paramodulant both be false relative to an interpretation We also discuss some of the issues involved in choosing an interpretation that has a chance of giving better performance that simple set-of-support paramoduiation.
Physical removal of contaminative inorganic material from buried human bone

Abstract Introduction of inorganic contaminants to bone during burial poses a serious problem for the interpretaion of the levels of these elements in terms of ancient diet. We have found that the problem of non-uniform contamination may be reduced or even eliminated for some elements by removal of 1–3 mm of the surface of the bone by physical abrasion. Whereas surface contamination on unabraded bone is readily visible in human femurs by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), there is no evidence for contamination according to SEM after abrasion. This process of surface removal significantly reduces the levels of Zn, Cd, K, Al, Fe and Mn, but has no effect on Na, Ca, Mg, Sr and Ba for these Woodland and Mississippian samples from west-central Illinois. The latter group of elements apparently survived burial without significant contamination. The former group of elements was contaminated by the soil environment, but at least for Zn, Cd, K and possibly Fe surface removal has returned the elemental proportions in the remainder of the bone to close to biogenic levels. Analysis of variance between subgroups after cleaning shows differences in Zn and Cu between sexes, in Ca, Mg and Sr over time, and in Na and Ba based on age at death.
Protein-Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B Substrates and Metabolic Regulation

Metabolic homeostasis requires integration of complex signaling networks which, when deregulated, contribute to metabolic syndrome and related disorders. Protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) has emerged as a key regulator of signaling networks that are implicated in metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. In this review, we examine mechanisms that regulate PTP1B-substrate interaction, enzymatic activity and experimental approaches to identify PTP1B substrates. We then highlight findings that implicate PTP1B in metabolic regulation. In particular, insulin and leptin signaling are discussed as well as recently identified PTP1B substrates that are involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress response, cell-cell communication, energy balance and vesicle trafficking. In summary, PTP1B exhibits exquisite substrate specificity and is an outstanding pharmaceutical target for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
A singular boundary problem for -u"+qu=λu

In this paper an expansion theorem is derived for a functionf(t) integrable on (−∞, ∞). It is shown thatf(t) is represented by an expansion of the form\(\sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {h(t,\lambda _i )\int {_{ - \infty }^\infty } h(\tau ,\lambda _i )f(\tau )d\tau + } \int {_0^\infty \left[ {\int {_{ - \infty }^\infty } F(t,\tau ,s^2 )f(\tau )d\tau } \right]} sds\) where the functionsh(t, λ1) are solutions of -x"(t)+q(tx(t=λx(t for a finite set of values {λi} of λ, andF (t, τ,s2) is a function of certain solutions of this equation. The representation converges to 1/2[f(t+0)+f(t-0)] is any interval wheref(t) is of bounded variation. The result may be regarded as a generalization of the Fourier integral theorem, to which it reduces in the special caseq(t)=0.
MAX searches for intermediate-scale anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background

Abstract The balloon-borne Millimeter-Wave Anisotropy Experiment (MAX) is designed to measure the fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on angular scales from 0.3 to several degrees. The long term goal is to measure many pixels on the sky at a level approaching ΔT/T(CMB) = 1 × 10−6. These angular scales fill an important gap between the angular scales ⩽10arcmin which are accessible from conventional radio telescopes and the angular scales ⩾ 7 deg which have been measured by the COBE satellite. They are of particular importance to scientific issues such as galaxy formation, dark matter, and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect.
Geometry of Virasoro constraints in nonperturbative 2-d quantum gravity

The string equation and the Virasoro constraints for arbitrary hermitian multimatrix models are derived using the Lie-Backlund symmetries of the generalised KdV equations. From this point of view the origin of the string equation and the meaning of the Virasoro constraints are explained. Some speculation about the appearance of extra constraints, which we suspect to be theW-constraints, is also given.
Crystal growth under nonuniform conditions; Experimental observations in MgSO4·7 H2O-water system

Abstract A characteristic feature of crystals is their tendency to maintain uniform growth despite adverse conditions in the surrounding fluid. This is strikingly demonstrated when the (110) face of MgSO 4 ·7 H 2 O is grown from aqueous solution under the influence of an impinging jet. In this case, despite the solute concentration variation at the interface, uniform growth is maintained by incorporating solvent inclusions. Based on classical theory, the boundary of the inclusion-free region is believed to indicate the attainment of the limiting Wilson-Frenkel growth locally. Accordingly, the adsorption coefficient of the solute is calculated from these data.
Decentralized Polya's algorithm for stability analysis of large-scale nonlinear systems

In this paper, we introduce an algorithm to decentralize the computation associated with the stability analysis of systems of nonlinear differential equations with a large number of states. The algorithm applies to dynamical systems with polynomial vector fields and checks the local asymptotic stability on hypercubes. We perform the analysis in three steps. First, by applying a multi-simplex version of Polya's theorem to some Lyapunov inequalities, we derive a sequence of stability conditions of increasing accuracy in the form of structured linear matrix inequalities. Then, we design a set-up algorithm to decentralize the computation of the coefficients of the LMIs, among the processing units of a parallel environment. Finally, we use a parallel primal-dual central path algorithm, specifically designed to solve the structured LMIs given by the set-up algorithm. For a sufficiently large number of available processors, the per-core computational complexity of the resulting algorithm is fixed with the accuracy. The algorithm demonstrates a near-linear speed-up in numerical experiments.
Isotope dilution assay in peptide quantification: The challenge of microheterogeneity of internal standard

Isotope dilution analysis allows quantitation of elements and different compounds in complex mixtures. The quantitation is based on a known amount of reference material (internal standard, IS) added to a sample that makes the result critically dependent on the value assigned to the standard. In the case of peptides, IS concentration is determined by nitrogen and amino acid analysis while purity is normally assessed by methods such as chromatography or electrophoresis that might not be able to detect many possible amino acid modifications, either naturally occurring or chemically induced. Microheterogeneity of the IS, if it is not accounted for when assigning a reference value to the standard, results in highly overestimated values in target analyte quantitation. In this viewpoint article, we illustrate the problem of internal standard microheterogeneity by analyzing synthetic human C-peptide labeled analogs.
Laboratory diagnosis of HB CC-α-thalassemia

Routine laboratory investigations of hemoglobinopathies include Hb electrophoresis for abnormal hemoglobins, determination of Hb A 2 ( α 2 δ 2 ) for β -thalassemia traits, staining for Hb H ( β 4 ) inclusions for α -thalassemia traits and estimation of Hb F ( α 2 γ 2 ) for the presence of hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin genes (HPFH). Frequently, analytical column chromatography and α/β hemoglobin chain synthesis are used in the studies of more complicated hemoglobinopathies. This communication outlines the procedures used in this laboratory for the diagnosis of a case of Hb CC- α -thalassemia.
The Acoustic Behavior of the Ghost Crab Ocypode Cordimana Latreille, 1818 (Decapoda, Brachyura)

The ghost crabs, Ocypode, are unique among crustaceans in that all but one species possess a specialized stridulatory organ on the cheliped (Guinot-Dumortier & Dumortier, I960; Dumortier, 1963a). A review of the literature on sound pro duction and perception by this genus has been given by Horch & Salmon (1969). They reported that Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius, 1787), unlike the closely related fiddler crab, Uca pugilator (Bosc, 1802), could perceive high frequency air borne sounds. Both species, however, are sensitive to substrate vibrations extending to the low kHz range of frequencies. Subsequent work showed that other species of Ocypode responded to both air and substrate borne sounds, and identified the receptor responsible for this sensitivity as Barth's myochordotonal organ (Horch, 1971; Horch & Salmon, 1972; Horch, 1974). As part of this work, field studies were done on the acoustic behavior of Ocypode ceratophthalmus (Pallas, 1772) at Eniwetok, Marshall Islands (Horch & Salmon, 1969). These studies indicated that O. ceratophthalmus there produces two kinds of sounds: rapping and rasping. The former sound, apparently similar to the "knocking" sounds reported by Hughes (1966), is believed to be produced by rapping of the major cheliped on the sand. The latter sound, because of its temporal structure, is believed to be stridulatory in nature (Barrass, 1963a, b;
Myopia in Melanesian school children in Vanuatu.

. Visual acuity, refraction, and the components of refraction were measured in 788 Melanesian children in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. of the 788 children, 97.2% were found to have uncorrected visual acuity of 6/6, 96.8% were found to have a spherical equivalent refraction between -0.25 and +1.00 D, 2.9% were found to have myopia of 0.50 or more, 0.25% were found to have hyperopia of 1.25 D or more, and 0.25% were found to have refractive astigmatism of 1.25 D or more. The low prevalence of ametropia may be considered to be due mainly to genetic factors; however, the possibility of environmental factors cannot be ruled out.
Focal intravascular coagulation in progressive ascending telangiectasia: Ultrastructural studies of ketoconazole-induced involution of vessels

We describe a unique form of telangiectasia that we have called progressive ascending telangiectasia. It is a noninflammatory process, characterized by the presence of greatly dilated venous capillaries in the upper dermis. By means of scanning electron microscopy, focal fibrin clots were observed in some of the dilated vessels in the skin of a patient with this disease. These were not apparent with either light microscopy or transmission electron microscopy. Immunofluorescent microscopy revealed deposition of complement and IgM in the vessel walls. The endothelial cells showed ultrastructural evidence of heightened metabolic activity (numerous pinocytotic vesicles, increased number and size of mitochondria, convoluted nuclei, and prominent rough endoplasmic reticulum). Around the dilated vessels there was a thick laminar wall of multiple basement membranes embedded in mucopolysaccharide. The electron microscopic appearance of the endothelial cells and their investments showed them to be dilated venous capiIlary channels. Ketoconazole therapy induced disappearance of many of the dilated vessels within 1 month. After 5 months of this treatment, skin biopsies of the cleared areas showed an absence of dilated vessels. The thick laminar walls and intravascular clots had disappeared. It is postulated that microbially induced focal intravascular coagulation plays a role in the pathogenesis of progressive ascending telangiectasia. Stasis factors would seem to account for the dependent, ascending nature of the loci of coagulation.
Radical scavenging-linked antioxidant activity of ethanolic extracts of diverse types of extra virgin olive oils.

O.-H. LEE, B.-Y. LEE, Y.-C. KIM ,K. SHETTY, AND Y.-C. KIM ABSTRACT: The present study evaluated the radical scavenging-linked antioxidant activity of hexane/80% ethanol extracts from several types of extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) derived from varieties arbequina, hojiblanca, picual, theirblends,andpureoliveoil(POO).Theantioxidantpotentialoftheoliveoilextractswasassessedbyradicalscav- enging assays using DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2, 2 � -azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), and hydroxyl radical, as well as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion inhibitory activities. Electron do- nating ability (EDA) using DPPH assay of 80% ethanol extracts from EVOOs, except arbequina oil, was significantly higher than POO. EDA was markedly higher in blended and picual EVOOs than the extracts from arbequina and ho- jiblanca EVOOs (P blended EVOO > hojiblanca EVOO ≥ POO ≥ arbequina EVOO. Further, the superoxide anion scav- enging activity of blended, picual, and arbequina EVOOs was significantly higher than that of hojiblanca EVOO and POO, which were barely detectable. Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of arbequina and hojiblanca was higher than that of blended, picual EVOOs, and POO. In addition, hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity of the extracts from blended, arbequina, hojiblanca, picual EVOOs, and POO was 63.1 ± 3.1%, 44.4 ± 10.2%, 52.0 ± 2.7%, 71.8 ± 2.5%, and 35.7 ± 10.0%, respectively. Our results indicate that ethanol extracts of several EVOOs contained higher radical scavenging and antioxidant activity than the POO. This antioxidant potential is partly due to the phenolic
Evolution of internal eliminated segments and scrambling in the micronuclear gene encoding DNA polymerase alpha in two Oxytricha species

To learn about the evolution of internal eliminated segments (IESs) and gene scrambling in hypotrichous ciliates we determined the structure of the micronuclear (germline) gene encoding DNA polymerasealpha(DNA polalpha) in Oxytricha trifallax and compared it to the previously published structure of the germline DNA polalphagene in Oxytricha nova . The DNA polalphagene of O.trifallax contains 51 macronuclear-destined segments (MDSs) separated by 50 IESs, compared to 45 MDSs and 44 IESs in the O.nova gene. This means that IESs and MDSs have been gained and/or lost during evolutionary divergence of the two species. Most of the MDSs are highly scrambled in a similar non-random pattern in the two species. We present a model to explain how IESs, non-scrambled MDSs and scrambled MDSs may be added and/or eliminated during evolution. Corresponding IESs in the two species differ totally in sequence, and junctions between MDSs and IESs are shifted by 1-18 bp in O.trifallax compared to the O.nova gene. In both species a short region of the gene is distantly separated from the main part of the gene. Comparison of the gene in the two species shows that IESs and scrambling are highly malleable over evolutionary time.
The effects of desialylation on the biologic and immunologic activity of human pituitary luteinizing hormone

Abstract A highly purified preparation of human pituitary luteinizing hormone was treated with neuraminidase resulting in 94% removal of the sialic acid moiety. This led to a marked loss of biologic activity as measured by the ventral prostate weight and ovarian ascorbic acid depletion assays, and enhancement of the radioimmunologic activity.
Stimulation of collagen synthesis by insulin and proteoglycan accumulation by ascorbate in bovine keratocytes in vitro.

PURPOSE. Ascorbate is required for the hydroxylation of collagen that is present in the corneal stroma. The keratan sulfate proteoglycans (KSPGs) lumican and keratocan are also present, and they interact with collagen and modulate its assembly into fibrils. In this study, ascorbate was added to a defined medium containing insulin, and its effects on the synthesis of collagen and KSPGs by keratocytes were determined. METHODS. Collagenase-isolated keratocytes were cultured with or without insulin with or without ascorbate. Collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis was determined by collagenase digestion of incorporated 3 H-glycine and by chondroitinase ABC or endo-β-galactosidase digestion of incorporated 35 SO 4 . KSPGs were detected by Western blot. Collagen stability was determined by pepsin digestion. Ethyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (EDB) was used to inhibit collagen hydroxylation. RESULTS. Insulin stimulated the synthesis of collagen but did not affect the accumulation of lumican and keratocan. Insulin plus ascorbate, however, stimulated the synthesis of collagen and increased the accumulation of these proteoglycans. The accumulation of PGDS, a KSPG that does not interact with collagen, was not affected by ascorbate. Only the collagen synthesized in the presence of ascorbate was pepsin resistant. EDB overrode the effects of ascorbate on pepsin resistance and proteoglycan accumulation. CONCLUSIONS. The results of this study indicate that the accumulation of lumican and keratocan depends in part on the level of collagen synthesis and its hydroxylation. The interaction of lumican and keratocan with the stably folded triple helix provided by hydroxylation may also serve to stabilize these proteoglycans.
Beyond the Cultural Mediation Hypothesis: A reply to Dutton (2013)

Abstract The relationship between IQ and political orientation is an active and controversial area of research. In Dutton's 2013 criticism of one mechanism proposed to account for this relationship (the Cultural Mediation Hypothesis; CMH), it was argued that Openness to Experience and Agreeableness might better account for the positive association between political leftism and IQ than effortful control and cultural mediators. Various predictions derived from both Dutton's model and the CMH are here tested using the Block and Block dataset. Consistent with Dutton's predictions, Openness to Experience mostly mediates the relationship between IQ and leftism (measured using Block and Block's LIB/CON indicator), however problems with Openness to Experience substantially weaken the degree to which this supports his model. Support for the CMH is found in the form of significantly rising correlations between leftism measured in adulthood and IQ with increasing age, suggesting a role for childhood environment in shaping this association. Ultimately neither model is consistently supported by the data. It is suggested that personality and more broadly life history strategy may be an important determinant of whether a political orientation is extreme or moderately oriented. A modified CMH posits that the left/right axis may however be a largely cognitive dimension, with ideologies serving to signal intelligence and to encourage social and sexual selection, and with the basic elements of their content being largely bounded by prevailing cultural norms.
Comparison of model-based results with measured data for metal buried mines

To detect and identify buried mines, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is using its ultra wideband (UWB) radar in a ground-penetrating mode. Operating in the frequency band from 50 to 1200 MHz, the radar is mounted on a mobile boom lift platform (BoomSAR). This enables it to form synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images as well as measure range profiles. As an integral part of the UWB radar project, ARL is developing an in-house modeling capability. In field tests at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, a variety of buried and surface targets were imaged with the BoomSAR, including a minefield of buried and surface metal mines. Most land mines of interest can be accurately modeled as bodies of revolution (BORs). Through consideration of the half-space Green's function, we realized that, there is no cross-polarized scattered field for such BOR targets, (theoretically) and, therefore, such targets are characterized only by co-planarized scattered fields. This feature, which, to our knowledge, has not been recognized before, has important implications for polarimetric SAR imaging of minefields, especially in regions with significant natural clutter (e.g., rocks) that are generally not BORs. This theoretical result will be verified using measured and computed data. Mine dimensions are on the order of one wavelength or less for the frequencies in our bandwidth. The modeling techniques we use for this range of wavelengths are method of moments (MOM) and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD). Model results from our buried BOR MOM code will be compared to the measured data.
Thermodynamic and structural properties of [001] twist boundaries in gold

We have employed the Local Harmonic (LH) model and the Embedded Atom Method (EAM) to examine the structural and thermodynamic properties of a series of twelve (001) twist boundaries in gold for temperatures between 0 K and 700 K. For the majority of the grain boundary misorientations, metastable structures were observed with grain boundary energies that were typically less than 0.1% larger than the stable structures. Four of the twelve grain boundaries underwent first order structural phase transitions as seen by the crossing of the free energy versus temperature curves for the competing structures. Relatively small cusps or inflections in the grain boundary free energy versus misorientation curves were observed at {Sigma}5 (36.87{degree}) and {Sigma}13 (22.62{degree}) at low temperatures, at {Sigma}13 (22.62{degree}) and {Sigma}17 (28.07{degree}) at intermediate temperatures, and at {Sigma}5 (36.87{degree}) and {Sigma}17 (28.07{degree}) at elevated temperatures. A maximum in the grain boundary entropy versus misorientation was observed at {Sigma}17 (28.07{degree}) for all temperatures, and local minima were observed at {Sigma}5 (36.87{degree}) at low temperature and in {Sigma}13 (22.62{degree}) at high temperature. The excess volume associated with the grain boundary shows a roughly linear dependence on grain boundary free energy at each temperature examined. The room-temperature mean-square vibrational amplitudemore » is approximately 25% larger than that for the bulk at the (002) plane adjacent to the boundary and decays to within 2% of the bulk value by the second (002) plane from the boundary. The room-temperature mean-square vibrational amplitude is dominated by the in-plane (parallel to the grain boundary) vibrations at the (002) plane nearest the grain boundary.« less
Synthesis of titania-coated silica nanoparticles using ono-ionic water-in-oil

Abstract Titania (TiO 2 ) nanocoating on silica (SiO 2 ) particles was obtained by controlled hydrolysis of titanium alkoxide precursors. Monodisperse spherical silica particles prepared by Stober method were used as the support. Isolated silica particles with uniform titania nanocoating were obtained by reacting appropriate alkoxide and water at ambient temperature. The thickness and uniformity of TiO 2 coating were controlled by adjusting the concentrations of reactants and the amount of added SiO 2 . The samples were characterized using electron microscopy and electrophoresis. The surface coverage was estimated using isoelectric point (IEP) data.
Mobilization of arachidonic acid in human platelets. Kinetics and Ca2+ dependency.

Abstract The release and transfer of [ 3 H]arachidonic acid in human platelets was examined with regard to (1) varied doses of thrombin, (2) varied periods of incubation with thrombin, (3) the presence of 4 mM Ca 2+ , (4) the degree of exposure of platelet phosphatidylethanolamine to the surface and (5) the release of serotonin from platelet granules. The effect of thrombin on the incorporation of [ 3 H]arachidonic acid and [ 14 C]glycerol into platelet phosphatides was also studied. [ 3 H]Arachidonic acid was released in pre-labeled platelets exposed to thrombin from phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol and appeared increasingly esterified in alk-1-enyl-acyl-glycerophosphoethanolamine. Maximum transfer occurred with 5 U/ml of thrombin and 15 min of incubation and was dependent upon the presence of Ca 2+ , whereas serotonin was maximally released with 0.04 U/ml of thrombin. No preferential exposure of plasmalogen (as opposed to diacyl) ethanolamine at the platelet surface occurred during incubation with thrombin. The stimulated incorporation of [ 3 H]arachidonic acid into alk-1-enyl-acyl-glycerophosphoethanolamine was not accompanied by a stimulation of [ 14 C]glycerol uptake into this phosphatide. We suggest that, rather than stimulating de novo synthesis, perturbation of the platelet activates a phospholipase A 2 activity leading to turnover of arachidonic acid in platelet plasmalogen. Such turnover may help provide substrate for conversion by cyclooxygenase and lipoxydase to biologically active metabolites.
Unlimited data acquisition at moderately high sampling frequencies with a microcomputer

Abstract A data acquisition system is described that makes use of a microcomputer (Apple II+) and a new peripheral device that contains analog to digital co
Differential expression of vasoactive mediators in microparticle-challenged lungs of chickens that differ in susceptibility to pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS; ascites) in fast growing meat-type chickens (broilers) is characterized by the onset of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) leading to right-side...
The Internet School of Medicine: Use of Electronic Resources by Medical Trainees and the Reliability of those Resources

Background Electronic sources of medical information are plentiful, and numerous studies have demonstrated the use of the Internet by patients and the variable reliability of these sources. Studies have investigated neither the use of web-based resources by residents, nor the reliability of the information available on these websites. Methods A web-based survey was distributed to surgical residents in Michigan and third- and fourth-year medical students at an American allopathic and osteopathic medical school and a Caribbean allopathic school regarding their preferred sources of medical information in various situations. A set of 254 queries simulating those faced by medical trainees on rounds, on a written examination, or during patient care was developed. The top 5 electronic resources cited by the trainees were evaluated for their ability to answer these questions accurately, using standard textbooks as the point of reference. Results The respondents reported a wide variety of overall preferred resources. Most of the 73 responding medical trainees favored textbooks or board review books for prolonged studying, but electronic resources are frequently used for quick studying, clinical decision-making questions, and medication queries. The most commonly used electronic resources were UpToDate, Google, Medscape, Wikipedia, and Epocrates. UpToDate and Epocrates had the highest percentage of correct answers (47%) and Wikipedia had the lowest (26%). Epocrates also had the highest percentage of wrong answers (30%), whereas Google had the lowest percentage (18%). All resources had a significant number of questions that they were unable to answer. Discussion Though hardcopy books have not been completely replaced by electronic resources, more than half of medical students and nearly half of residents prefer web-based sources of information. For quick questions and studying, both groups prefer Internet sources. However, the most commonly used electronic resources fail to answer clinical queries more than half of the time and have an alarmingly high rate of inaccurate information.
Investigation of the neptunium-zirconium system by X-ray diffraction

Abstract X-ray powder diffraction analysis at 25 °C has been used to further characterize the NpZr phase diagram. We have studied a variety of NpZr aggregate compositions obtained by different preparative methods, including arc melting of the components. For the materials at ambient temperature, obtained by either slow cooling or quenching from elevated temperatures, we observed one or more of the following product phases: α-Np, α-Zr, NpZr2 and one new phase. The last was interpreted tentatively to be either Np4Zr or Np6Zr. Calculations based on the X-ray data suggested a limited solubility of Np in α-Zr and an even lower solubility of Zr in α-Np. The X-ray data for the NpZr2 phase showed that it possesses hexagonal symmetry and is isostructural with UZr2 and PuZr2. Annealing of NpZr composites at selected temperatures did not enhance the formation of NpZr2.
Perceptions of Crosstalk and the Possibility of a Zoneless Autostereoscopic Display

Overlaid stereo image pairs, viewed without stereo demultiplexing optics, are not always perceived as a ghosted image: if image generation and display parameters are adjusted so that disparities are small and limited to foreground and background regions, then the perception is rather more of blurring than of doubling. Since this blurring seems natural, comparable to the blurring due to depth-of-focus, it is unobjectionable. In contrast, the perception of ghosting seems always to be objectionable. Now consider the possibility that there is a perceptual regime in which disparity is small enough that perception of crosstalk is as blurring rather than as ghosting, but it is large enough to stimulate depth perception. If such a perceptual region exists, then it might be exploited to relax the strict 'crosstalk minimization' requirement normally imposed in the engineering of stereoscopic displays. This paper reports experiments that indicate that such a perceptual region does actually exist. We suggest a stereoscopic display engineering design concept that illustrates how this observation might be exploited to create a zoneless autostereoscopic display. By way of introduction and motivation, we begin from the observation that, just as color can be shouted in primary tones or whispered in soft pastel hues, so stereo can be shoved in your face or raised ever so gently off the screen plane. We review the problems with 'in your face stereo,' we demonstrate that 'just enough reality' is both gentle and effective in achieving stereoscopy's fundamental goal: resolving the front-back ambiguity inherent in 2D projections, and we show how this perspective leads naturally to the relaxation of the requirement for crosstalk reduction to be the main engineering constraint on the design of stereoscopic display systems.
Learning from the States? Federalism and National Health Policy

In its 1993 report, the Winter Commission gave direction to the federal government in the area of health policy and Medicaid: lead, follow, or get out of the way. This article examines how the federal government responded to that advice, specifically asking what has happened in the allocation of responsibility in health policies between 1993 and 2006. In short, unlike the suggestion that there be a better-defined direction in federal–state policy assignments in health, the ensuing years have resulted in more of the same. The authors examine what has happened, particularly focusing on vertical diffusion—where the states have acted first—and on the role of policy learning in federal decision making. They find little recognition of policy learning in recent federal health laws—even in areas in which state experience was extensive. The federal government is leading in some health policies—but it is leading without learning.
DIFFERENCES IN THERMAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DIAPAUSE TERMINATION IN TWO WESTERN CHORISTONEURA SPP. (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE)

Storage of diapausing larvae of Choristoneura viridis and C. occidentalis at low temperature (2°C) appeared to be sufficient stimulus to terminate diapause. Reactivation at 25°C occurred sooner and was more synchronous with longer storage at 2°C. Highest survival was obtained after storage of 20 to 22 weeks for both C. viridis and C. occidentalis. Intraspecific and interspecific reactivation rates were compared by analysis of covariance, using the model ln Y = a + B ln X , where Y = larval emergence in days at 25°C and X = storage in weeks at 2°C. Intraspecific sex differences were not significant, indicating that protandry observed in this laboratory in both species must be due to some other factor. C. viridis had substantially less stringent thermal requirements for diapause termination than C. occidentalis. Diapause in the two species is discussed.
A ZVS single-inductor multi-input multi-output DC-DC converter with the step up/down capability

A multiple input-output dc-dc topology with soft switching operation and step up/down ability is introduced in this paper. The number of the converter's inputs and outputs are completely arbitrary while they can be at different voltage and power levels. The proposed topology is composed of a small ac inductor-capacitor pair as the high-frequency link and only one reverse-blocking switch for each input or output of the converter. In order to transfer power, the link inductor charges through the inputs one-by-one and then discharges to the outputs in a proper sequence. The link capacitor creates partial resonances to achieve the zero-voltage switching at both turn-on and turn-off of all the power switches. A small-sized high-frequency transformer can be employed in the converter's link for galvanic isolation. The principle of operation of the proposed topology is described, and a detailed analysis of the converter is carried out. Experimental results are provided to validate the performance of the proposed multi-input multi-output dc-dc converter.
Tidal Components in Hurricane Development

A SEEMINGLY minor but crucial discrepancy exists between Rudloff's and my distributions of the lunisolar angle on the 269 dates. I used true apparent longitudes of the Moon and Sun at Greenwich noon given by standard ephemerides, rather than cyclical mean values of shortcut-table derivation.
Seeking a Just and Humane World: Motivating Minority Students to Become Global Citizens.

This study explores methods of preparing students for global citizenship and leadership in a just and humane world. It reviews explanations of student motivation and strategies for promoting global understanding. It provides pedagogical insight into minority education and challenges the international relations educator to enthuse student interest in global citizenship.
Sociology, Phenomenology, and Surrender—and—Catch

My thanks to Jaakko Hintikka for having invited me to write a paper for the special issue of Synthese which is ‘devoted to the methodological Situation in sociology.’ My thanks, because it was in thinking about my contribution that the linkage of the three phenomena to which the terms in the title point occurred to me. Nor is this expression of my gratitude an intrusion of privacy. It is intrinsic to my investigation.
Decay of the longitudinal optical phonons in wurtzite GaN and AlxGa1−xN

Abstract Decay of the longitudinal optical (LO) phonons in wurtzite GaN and Al x Ga 1− x N ( x =0.1) has been studied by subpicoseond time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. In contrast to the usually believed 2LA decay channel for LO phonons in other semiconductors, our experimental results show that, among the various possible decay channels, the LO phonons in wurtzite GaN and Al x Ga 1− x N ( x =0.1) decay primarily into a large wave vector TO and a large wave vector LA or TA phonons. These experimental results are consistent with the recent theoretical calculations of the phonon dispersion curves.
Sleep-disordered breathing: Implications for the pathophysiology and management of cardiovascular disease

Sleep apnea is increasingly associated with risk of cardiovascular disease, including arrhythmia, heart failure, stroke, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension. Diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea and the implications for cardiovascular disease are discussed.