cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Hypertension on the Lipid Composition of Rat Aortic Intima-Media

Since hypertension intensifies the development of atherosclerosis, effects of hypertension on the lipid composition of aortic intima-media of male rats were studied. Concentrations of cholesterol, both esterified and unesterified, and of phospholipid were increased, and the concentration of triglyceride was decreased in aortas of hypertensive rats maintained on a stock diet. Changes in free cholesterol, phospholipid, and triglyceride are believed to be concomitants of medial hypertrophy, which was pronounced in aortas of hypertensive rats. Changes in esterified cholesterol, however, may be attributable to an influence of plasma lipids on aortic lipids. Cholesteryl ester, quantitatively a minor lipid component of the aorta, shows a larger increase with hypertension than other lipid classes. The resemblance between fatty acid compositions of aortic and plasma cholesteryl esters was strong, and persisted when the composition of plasma cholesteryl esters was altered by diet. These results suggest that most of the aortic esters originated in the plasma, and support the concept that hypertension intensifies the development of atherosclerosis by increasing the net transfer of lipid from plasma to vessel.
The Relationship of Researcher and Participant in Qualitative Inquiry: From "Self and Other" Binaries to the Poststructural Feminist Perspective of Subjectivity

Whether approached from a positivist perspective or a more comprehensive postpositivist theoretical and philosophical grounding, the relationship between researcher and participant entails the strong binary opposition of the I-Thou (Buber, 1971) or Self and Other (Bhabha, 2004) within which I or Self is associated with the researcher and Thou or Other represents the research subject. The goal of this paper is to offer an overview of the various theoretical and methodological approaches to the researcher-participant relationship in qualitative research. The author will first explore how traditional qualitative and emancipatory feminist research have addressed this issue, then she will investigate how poststructural feminists such as Butler (1992), Lather (1991), Pillow (2003), St. Pierre (2000), and Spivak (1993), as well as Wisweswaran (1994), mainly through the use of the notion of subjectivity and voice, stepped into the debate and explored the researcher-participant relationship from a poststructuralist perspective. Keywords: Other, Representation, Emancipatory Feminist Research, Poststructural Feminism, Subjectivity In Local Knowledge, his critique of anthropological understanding, Clifford Geertz (2000) described the Western conception of the I/Self as “bounded, unique, more or less integrated motivational and cognitive universe, a dynamic center of awareness, emotion, judgement, and action organized into a distinctive whole” (p. 59). As Geertz (1973) had already pointed out, however, in his earlier work, The Interpretation of Culture, understanding the experience of Others within the framework of such conception is impossible. The reality of the Other lies on different grounds, and there is no distinctive whole to that reality, no bottom or origin, only layers on top of other layers. Geertz exemplified this disconnect between the I and the Other through the intriguing conversation of the Indian storyteller and the Englishmen (ethnographer): An Englishman who, having been told that the world rested on a platform which rested on the back of an elephant which rested, in turn, on the back of a turtle, asked…what did the turtle rest on? Another turtle. And that turtle? ‘Ah, Sahib, after that is turtles all the way down. (pp. 28-29) Thus, as Spivak (1976) concluded in her preface to Derrida’s (1974) Of Grammatology, when attempting to capture the Other, what we will be left with is “an always already absent present, of the lack of the origin” (p. xvii). In the Location of Culture, Bhabha (2004), coming from a similar poststructuralist perspective, stated that it
Mouse Protection Test for Group B Streptococcus Type III

The mouse model has been used previously for the study of protection against challenge with strains of group B Streptococcus types Ia, Ib, and Ic, but investigators have not yet been successful in causing lethal disease when type III strains are inoculated. In this study, six clinical isolates belonging to serotype III were lethal in seven-weekold outbred albino mice; the 50% lethal dose (LD50) for mice tested ranged from 1.8 X 104 to 4.6 x 106. In contrast, a laboratory prototype strain of serotyype III was not lethal. The lethality observed with this protection test depended on both the volume of the inoculum given and the medium in which the streptococci were suspended. LD50 values decreased as the volume of the inoculum, given intraperitoneally, increased, up to a volume of 1.5 ml. Hyperimmune rabbit antiserum to a clinical isolate of type III protected mice against an estimated 90% lethal dose of the isolate. Normal rabbit serum and heterologous antisera, except for one of two antisera to type Ia organisms, were not protective. Absorption of type III antiserum with whole organisms of serotype III or with purified, type III-specific polysaccharide inhibited protection of mice against type III organisms. During the 1970s, there has been a widely recognized increase in neonatal infections due to group B Streptococcus. Concomitantly, research efforts have been directed toward study of both the nature of streptococci and the disease process that they cause. Studies of immunity have utilized functional assays that include in vitro opsonization [1-5], mouse protection tests [3, 6], and a chick embryo model [7]. The mouse model has been useful for the study of protection against strains of group B Streptococcus types Ia, Ib, and Ic with antigens from strains of these serotypes [6], but such studies have not dealt with strains of serotype III, due to lack of success in
A Recommender System for Online Consumer Reviews

Online consumer reviews have helped consumers to increase their knowledge about different products/services. While most previous studies try to provide general models that predict performance of online reviews, this study notes that different people look for different types of reviews. Hence, there is a need for developing a system that that is able to sort reviews differently for each user based on the ratings they previously assigned to other reviews. Using a design science approach, we address the above need by developing a recommender system that is able to predict the perceptions of each user regarding helpfulness of a specific review. In addition to addressing the sorting problem, this study also develops models that extract objective information from the text of online reviews including utilitarian cues, hedonic cues, product quality, service quality, price, and product comparison. Each of these characteristics may also be used for sorting and filtering online reviews.
Toward a Merged Microfluidic/Microelectrode Array Device for Culture of Unidirectional Neural Network

Traditional neural cultures are formed from disassociating primary neurons that are sourced from animals. However by disassociating them, any larger organizational structure between the neurons is lost. In an effort to regain some of the lost organization a device that is capable of recreating and monitoring a unidirectional connection between two populations is proposed. Initial validation toward a fully functional device is presented. Using soft lithography techniques, a microfluidic chip has been designed and produced with a design conducive for facilitating such a neuron culture. Using a specialized adhesive method, this chip can be attached and removed from a commercially available microelectrode array. Finally, cell viability is demonstrated using the PC12 neuron-like cell line after exploring several device configurations. Further efforts will be focused on primary neuron culture and establishment of a unidirectional network.
The Submerged Culture of Morchella

Nine species of Morchella, and a number of strains of several of these species, have been grown in submerged culture.Morchella in submerged culture is quite omnivorous so far as its carbohydrate an...
Watts-Level, All-Fiber Laser at 1.5μm Modelocked with a Saturable Semiconductor Absorber

We report a high average power, all-fiber laser at 1.5µm, modelocked with a saturable semiconductor absorber mirror. The average output power reaches 2.2W, and the peak power is 540W at a repetition rate of 95MHz.
Characterization of photoinduced self-exchange reactions at molecule-semiconductor interfaces by transient polarization spectroscopy: lateral intermolecular energy and hole transfer across sensitized TiO2 thin films.

Transient anisotropy measurements are reported as a new spectroscopic tool for mechanistic characterization of photoinduced charge-transfer and energy-transfer self-exchange reactions at molecule–semiconductor interfaces. An anisotropic molecular subpopulation was generated by photoselection of randomly oriented Ru(II)−polypyridyl compounds, anchored to mesoscopic nanocrystalline TiO2 or ZrO2 thin films, with linearly polarized light. Subsequent characterization of the photoinduced dichromism change by visible absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies on the nano- to millisecond time scale enabled the direct comparison of competitive processes: excited-state decay vs self-exchange energy transfer, or interfacial charge recombination vs self-exchange hole transfer. Self-exchange energy transfer was found to be many orders-of-magnitude faster than hole transfer at the sensitized TiO2 interfaces; for [Ru(dtb)2(dcb)](PF6)2, where dtb is 4,4′-(C(CH3)3)2-2,2′-bipyridine and dcb is 4,4′-(COOH)2-2,2′-bipyri...
Structural characterization of the picket fence (TpivPP) porphyrins Co(TpivPP), Co(TpivPP)(NO2)(1-MeIm), and Co(TpivPP)(NO2)(1,2-Me2Im).

The compounds Co(TpivPP) (1), Co(TpivPP)(NO2)(1-MeIm) (2), and Co(TpivPP)(NO2)(1,2-Me2Im) (3) have been synthesized (TpivPP = meso-tetrakis(α,α,α,α-o-pivalamidophenyl)porphyrinato dianion), and their structures have been determined with single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. 1: a = 17.578(1) A, b = 17.596(1) A, c = 20.639(1) A, β = 115.03(1)°, P21/c, Z = 4, T = −120 °C. 2: a = 18.522(4) A, b = 18.942(4) A, c = 18.177(4) A, β = 90.68(3)°, C2/c, Z = 4, T = −70 °C. 3: a = 18.998(4) A, b = 19.187(4) A, c = 18.000(4) A, β = 90.96(3)°, C2/c, Z = 4, T = −120 °C. Compounds 2 and 3 have crystallographically imposed 2-fold axes. In 2 and 3, which represent R-state (relaxed) and T-state (tense) models, respectively, for hemoglobin, the NO2 ligand is bound on the “picket” side to the Co atom, and either 1-MeIm (for 2) or 1,2-Me2Im (for 3) is bound to the Co atom at the sixth coordination site on the sterically unhindered side of the molecule. The average deviations of atoms from the 24-atom porphyrin core are 0...
Preliminary Report Comparing Piperacillin and Carbenicillin for Complicated Urinary Tract Infections

AbstractPiperacillin is a new semisynthetic penicillin with a broad spectrum of in vitro activity against common gram-negative urinary tract pathogens. We compared the efficacy and safety of piperacillin versus carbenicillin in patients with complicated urinary tract infection. A total of 56 adult patients (mean age 55 years) in stable medical condition with 1 or more structural genitourinary abnormalities entered the study. Of these patients 27 were evaluated for antibiotic efficacy. There were 20 lower tract and 7 upper tract infections, of which 17 were acute and 10 were chronic. Patients were randomized into 2 groups: 17 patients with 18 organisms received single agent treatment with 181mg. per kg. intravenous piperacillin daily for 6 days and 10 patients with 11 organisms received 270mg. per kg. intravenous carbenicillin daily for 6 days. Infecting organisms were Escherichia coli 45 per cent, Proteus mirabilis 14 per cent, Klebsiella pneumoniae 14 per cent, Enterobacter species 10 per cent, Pseudomon...
44 Assessing a novel jump-landing protocol for dynamic stability in high-level athletes

Background Current jump-landing protocols have identified impairments in dynamic stability in recreational individuals, but have not elicited differences in high-level athletes. Objective To develop a new jump-landing protocol to identify differences in dynamic stability in high-level athletes. Design Case-control study. Setting Movement Analysis Lab. Participants 61 Division-I collegiate athletes (32 females, 29 males; age = 19.9 ± 1.2 years; height = 76.6 ± 9.5 cm; body mass = 74.1 ± 0.8 kg) were separated into healthy, coper, and unstable groups based on the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool and their ankle injury history. Interventions Two jumping tasks from the forward and lateral directions were executed barefooted onto the force plate. For the forward jump, participants took two preparatory steps, jumped to 50% of their maximum vertical jump, and landed single-legged on the force plate. For the lateral jump, participants took two side-shuffle steps and jumped to 50% of their maximum vertical jump, again landing single-legged on the force plate. All participants were instructed to stabilise as quickly as possible and remain motionless for 5 s. Three trials were collected for each jump in a randomised order. Main outcome measurements ROC curves were utilised to compare the accuracy of this jump landing protocol to differentiate time-to-stability (TTS) measures among groups. Results Asymptotic significance were detected between the healthy and unstable groups (forward: p = 0.001, AUC: 0.800; lateral: p = 0.011, AUC: 0.739), as well as the coper and unstable groups (forward: p = 0.013, AUC: 0.732; lateral: p = 0.015, AUC: 0.728). The healthy and coper groups had similar TTS scores (forward: p = 0.328, AUC: 0.407; lateral: p = 0.907, AUC: 0.489). Conclusions This jump-landing protocol accurately detects differences in TTS among the healthy, coper, and unstable groups of high-level athletes. Previous jump-landing protocols identified poor stability measures in the unstable group of recreational individuals, but not of high-level athletes. Perhaps, this new jump-landing protocol better taxes the sensorimotor system of high-level athletes, giving clinicians the ability to identify those at risk of injury and implement interventions to reduce these risks.
Fault-tolerant control for a modular cascaded NPC inverter configuration

A modular, multi-port converter configuration realizes DC-AC conversion for a high-power grid-connected photovoltaic system; but one or more faults can occur in any of the highly numerous components. In this paper, a reconfigurable multi-port control is proposed to achieve fault detection and resolution among cascaded ports. A series of switching algorithms are applied, thus enabling a continued operation under faulty conditions. A detailed analysis and simulation results are presented for the control to detect the fault, localize it, and reconfigure the system for robust operation. The projected strategy is demonstrated using MATLAB/SIMULINK.
PEDOT:PSS “Wires” Printed on Textile for Wearable Electronics

Herein, the fabrication of all-organic conductive wires is demonstrated by utilizing patterning techniques such as inkjet printing and sponge stencil to apply poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) onto nonwoven polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric. The coating of the conducting polymer is only present on the surface of the substrate (penetration depth ∼ 200 μm) to retain the functionality and wearability of the textile. The wires fabricated by different patterning techniques provide a wide range of resistance, i.e., tens of kΩ/□ to less than 2 Ω/□ that allows the resistance to be tailored to a specific application. The sheet resistance is measured to be as low as 1.6 Ω/□, and the breakdown current is as high as 0.37 A for a 1 mm wide line. The specific breakdown current exceeds the previously reported values of macroscopic carbon nanotube based materials. Simple circuits composed of the printed wires are demonstrated, and resistance of the circuit from the measurement agrees...
Cloud, Data, and Business Process Standards for Manufacturing

Automated and network-connected manufacturing techniques are now part of a larger landscape of interconnection that encompasses an increasingly broad range of activities. As in many previously isolated areas of specialized information technology, standards applicable to smart manufacturing must adapt to keep pace with the accelerating pace of change made possible by cloud processing, and the same is true of the need for cloud-based methods to adapt to innovative manufacturing techniques.
Exploring protein sequence–function landscapes

The effects of sequence variation on function are elucidated by a study of protein evolution.
Optimizing Delivery of a Behavioral Pain Intervention in Cancer Patients Using a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial SMART

Background/aims Pain is common in cancer patients and results in lower quality of life, depression, poor physical functioning, financial difficulty, and decreased survival time. Behavioral pain interventions are effective and nonpharmacologic. Traditional randomized controlled trials (RCT) test interventions of fixed time and dose, which poorly represent successive treatment decisions in clinical practice. We utilize a novel approach to conduct a RCT, the sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) design, to provide comparative evidence of: 1) response to differing initial doses of a pain coping skills training (PCST) intervention and 2) intervention dose sequences adjusted based on patient response. We also examine: 3) participant characteristics moderating intervention responses and 4) cost-effectiveness and practicality.
Shock-wave propagation and reflection in semicrystalline polyethylene: A molecular-level investigation

Semicrystalline polymers, like polyethylene (PE), are attractive for many mechanically demanding applications, where shock compression occurs. However, their complex, compositelike microstructure comprises amorphous and crystalline domains across multiple length scales, and the relation between microstructure and performance is under continuing investigation. Here, the authors combine simple continuum-level calculations with nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of shock in semicrystalline PE to understand how amorphous defects influence shock propagation and attenuation. One key finding is that small amorphous defects attenuate shocks much less than larger ones, and the underlying molecular mechanisms are identified. These findings show how nanoscale defects could be engineered to tune shock attenuation in pure polymers and polymer nanocomposites.
Heparin, Heparinoids and Heparin Oligosaccharides: Structure and Biological Activities

Heparin is a polydisperse, highly sulfated polysaccharide which has been in widespread clinical use over the past half century. This chapter describes our current understanding of heparin’s structure and its biosynthesis. In addition to heparin’s usefullness as an anticoagulant, it has a wide range of additional activities. These include its antiathero-sclerotic activity, complement inhibitory activity, angiogenic activity, and other additional, recently discovered activities. The rationale for developing biomimetic polymers to replace the natural product, heparin, is discussed. Synthetic polymers, semi-synthetic sulfated polysaccharides, fully synthetic heparin oligosaccharides, fractionated heparins, low molecular weight heparins, and enzymatically prepared heparin oligosaccharides all have been used as heparin substitutes. This chapter examines heparin’s structure-activity relationships with a focus on the potential utility of these biomimetic polymers as new therapeutic agents.
Robotic exoskeletons for reengaging in everyday activities: promises, pitfalls, and opportunities

AbstractPurpose: Media images and marketing materials suggest a future in which individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) can utilize robotic exoskeletons to reengage in everyday activities, yet these narratives may not align with the current technological realities. The purpose of this paper is to present and describe the current use of robotic exoskeletons in rehabilitation and home settings and discuss the benefits and limitations of the devices.Materials and methods: We provide an overview of the features and limitations of the four robotic exoskeleton products (EKSO Bionics, ReWalk, Rex Bionics, and Indego) that are currently being used in in the United States in rehabilitation settings. We follow by suggesting ways that these devices fall short of fulfilling the promise of reengage in everyday activities in real-world life contexts.Results and discussion: Available devices appear to be better suited for rehabilitation settings than for home use. Device weight, the need for upper extremity supports, ...
Ischaemic Preconditioning Protects Cardiomyocytes from Anthracycline-Induced Toxicity via the PI3K Pathway

Anthracyclines cause chronic irreversible cardiac failure, but the mechanism remains poorly understood. Emerging data indicate that cardiac damage begins early, suggesting protective modalities delivered in the acute stage may confer prolonged benefit. Ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) activates the pro-survival reperfusion injury salvage kinase (RISK) pathway which involves PI3-kinase and MAPK/ERK1/2. We investigated whether simulated IPC (sIPC), in the form of a sublethal exposure to a hypoxic buffer simulating ischaemic conditions followed by reoxygenation, protects primary adult rat cardiomyocytes against anthracycline-induced injury. PI3-kinase and MAPK/ERK1/2 were inhibited using LY294002, and PD98059. The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) were also investigated in doxorubicin-treated cells. We further examined whether sIPC protected HeLa cancer cells from doxorubicin-induced death. sIPC protected cardiomyocytes against doxorubicin-induced death (35.4 ± 1.7% doxorubicin vs 14.7 ± 1.5% doxorubicin + sIPC; p < 0.01). This protection was abrogated by the PI3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002, but not the MAPK/ERK1/2 inhibitor, PD98059. A ROS scavenger failed to rescue cardiomyocytes from doxorubicin toxicity, and no significant influence on Δψm or mPTP opening was identified after subjecting cells to a doxorubicin insult. Importantly, sIPC did not protect HeLa cancer cells from doxorubicin-induced death. sIPC is able to protect cardiomyocytes against anthracycline injury via a pathway involving PI3-kinase. This mechanism appears to be independent of ROS, changes to Δψm, and mPTP. Further investigation of the mechanism of sIPC-induced protection against anthracycline-injury is warranted.
Financial Literacy and the Curricularization of Knowledge

The chapter examines the notion of cumulative vs. noncumulative knowledge as it applies to the financial literacy. The mass public education programs may have a tendency to curricularize knowledge, which means shifting knowledge from cumulative, descriptive kinds closer to noncumulative or normative kind. When certain claims cross the border from cumulative, descriptive realm into the noncumulative, normative realm, they become vulnerable to rejection and may compromise large bodies of cumulative knowledge that support the normative claims. We should use the pragmatic and institutionalist epistemological thinking to prevent this from happening. We must know how institutions operate in the real world, and what are the likely unintended consequences of the curricularization of knowledge.
Genetics: Single Gene Mutations in Inherited and Sporadic Epilepsy

The past decade was a period of dramatic progress in our understanding of the molecular basis of seizure disorders. This progress was based on advances in human genetics that made it possible, for the first time, to identify specific genes responsible for nonsyndromic inherited epilepsy. Some of these genes encode components of neuronal signaling pathways, including sodium, potassium and chloride channels, GABA receptors, and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Three epilepsy genes without a well-defined role in neuronal transmission were also identified: LGI1 , MASS1 , and EHFC1 . In addition to their role in rare, monogenic inherited epilepsies, these genes also provide clues regarding the likely etiology of common, polygenic epilepsy disorders.
“A Person I Cared About Was Involved”: Exploring Bystander Motivation to Help in Incidents of Potential Sexual Assault and Dating Violence:

The purpose of the present study was to examine what motivates college students to put themselves in harm’s way and help their peers in risky situations involving sexual assault and dating violence...
P1 element morphological variability within the Late Pennsylvanian asymmetrical Idiognathodus clade from the Midcontinent, U.S.A. and implications for ontogeny, taxonomy, phylogeny, and function

Abstract Missourian-Virgilian asymmetrical Idiognathodus represent a distinct clade of species with strong dextral-sinistral P1 element asymmetry that exhibit a series of morphological events before the Late Pennsylvanian extinction of Idiognathodus. Previous taxonomic work and morphometric analyses were completed separately for the three major groups of the clade. From oldest to youngest, these are the I. magnificus, I. eudoraensis, and I. simulator groups. The dextral-sinistral P1 element asymmetry is more apparent in larger specimens and the asymmetry is caused by ontogenetic distortion of the dextral element, which widens in the ventral part of the rostral side. At smaller sizes, both sinistral and dextral elements grow predominately dorsal-ventral, and at larger sizes growth is predominately rostral-caudal. Lobe groups correspond with different platform shapes, suggesting that lobe groups are useful taxonomic identification criterion for classifying morphologically distinct species. There are four major morphological events that occur within the asymmetrical Idiognathodus clade: 1) the development of simulator-style P1 element asymmetry in the I. magnificus group; 2) the replacement of flat ungrooved platforms in the I. magnificus group with the grooved platforms of the I. eudoraensis group; 3) the shortening of the adcarinal ridges and development of stronger dextral-sinistral element P1 asymmetry in the I. simulator group; and 4) the replacement of the asymmetric Idiognathodus clade with the I. tersus group which have grooveless narrow platforms, long adcarinal ridges and no apparent dextral-sinistral P1 element asymmetry. These morphological events likely reflect significant biological and paleoecological changes that ultimately culminate with the extinction of Idiognathodus.
Distinct Roles of Myosin-II Isoforms in Cytokinesis under Normal and Stressed Conditions

To address the question of why more than one myosin-II isoform is expressed in a single cell to drive cytokinesis, we analyzed the roles of the myosin-II isoforms, Myo2 and Myp2, of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, in cytokinesis under normal and stressed conditions. We found that Myp2 controls the disassembly, stability, and constriction initiation of the Myo2 ring in response to high-salt stress. A C-terminal coiled-coil domain of Myp2 is required for its immobility and contractility during cytokinesis, and when fused to the tail of the dynamic Myo2, renders the chimera the low-turnover property. We also found, by following distinct processes in real time at the single-cell level, that Myo2 and Myp2 are differentially required but collectively essential for guiding extracellular matrix remodeling during cytokinesis. These results suggest that the dynamic and immobile myosin-II isoforms are evolved to carry out cytokinesis with robustness under different growth conditions.
Country factors in earnings management of ADR firms

Abstract This study examines the impact of investor protection, market monitoring, and stock liquidity on the degree of earnings management using a sample of 430 firms from 34 countries cross-listed as American Depository Receipts (ADRs). Our primary findings are that ADR firms from countries with strong legal system, strong outside investor rights, more institutional shareholders, and more financial analysts following are less likely to engage in earnings management. Auditor quality is not a significant factor. Further, firms with low stock liquidity tend to manipulate earnings relative to those with high liquidity. Legal factors, institutional holdings, and stock liquidity are particularly significant factors, suggesting that threats of lawsuits and monitoring by investors are effective mechanism to reduce earnings manipulation. Results also indicate that cross-listed firms exercise more earnings management in the pre-listing period than in the post-listing period and that stocks listed in the OTC market tend to have more earnings management than those in major exchanges.
METHODS FOR ASSESSING CORONARY COLLATERAL GROWTH: INSIGHTS INTO MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLATERAL DEVELOPMENT

During occlusion of a coronary artery or in the presence of a severe stenosis, the collateral circulation of the heart is responsible for delivery of oxygen to the myocardium at risk (1, 2, 3, 4). Collateral growth has the potential to dramatically alter the outcome of coronary artery disease. Native collaterals, although present in the normal myocardium, are insufficient in number to provide adequate perfusion to the jeopardized myocardium. In the canine, pre-existing or native collaterals are microvascular, thin-walled conduits, which are composed of an endothelial lining, an internal elastic lamina, and one or two layers of smooth muscles. The numerical density of these vessels is roughly 10 per square centimeter with an average internal diameter of 40 µm (3). The total cross-sectional area of the native collateral circulation is only a fraction of that compared to the normal coronary vasculature, but importantly those vessels undergo remarkable transformation under the appropriate pathological conditions, usually in the setting of myocardial ischemia and/or a coronary stenosis. Well developed collaterals reduce ischemia during angioplasty (5) and also improve the functional recovery of the left ventricle following acute myocardial infarction (6, 7). Despite these important observations showing that coronary collaterals can significantly ameliorate the detrimental effects of coronary occlusion, the mechanisms that are responsible for the induction of collateral growth remain poorly understood. Other contributions in this text examine the latest evidence for the mechanisms involved in collateral growth and development. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the three commonly used different models of collateral growth and development: ameroid constriction, repetitive occlusion, and microvascular embolization, and how these models can provide insight into the factors responsible for growth and development of coronary collaterals.
Treatment of Hand Veins

With an increasing emphasis on whole body rejuvenation as a trend in aesthetic medicine, improvement of hand aging is playing a major role in terms of patient practices. The hands may show aging in terms of skin characteristic aberrations i.e., surface changes, pigment dyschromia or rhytids as well as volume depletion characteristics which include protuberant dorsal arch veins and skin laxity. In this setting, the treatment of protuberant dorsal arch veins of the hand plays a major role.
Biopólis, necrópolis, ‘blackpolis’: notas para un nuevo léxico político en los análisis socio-espaciales del racismo

This article proposes some concepts for a research agenda committed with the spatial struggle of black people in two societies of the African diaspora. Based on previous researches on the patterns of racial segregation in Salvador, Riod e Janeiro, Santiago de Cali and Bogota, I propose a new political lexicon in urban studies by inviting a consideration of racism and its spatial dimensions through the lenses of bipolis, necropolis and blackpolis. I argue that the theoretical perspective of the “right to the city” is important but insufficient to account for the unique experience of black people within the macabre spatialities produced in/by the multicultural city. Blackpolis is, then, presented as an alternative political community founded on a black ethics that resignifies what we understand as humanity, that reorganizes the world of production and that radically reconfigures the urban living of the wretched of the city.
Double-Switch operation for Corrected transposition of the great arteries

Objective To summarize our preliminary experience of double-switch operation for patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries.Methods The data of 17 patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries that had procedures of double-switch operation between November 2001 and July 2006 were retrospectively reviewed.Eight patients,including one patient with moderate pulmonary stenosis,underwent an arterial switch operation (ASO) combined with a Senning procedure while the other nine patients with moderate or severe pulmonary stenosis underwent combined Rastelli and Senning procedures.Before the double switch,three patients had required pulmonary artery banding for left ventricular training.Results (1) Senning+ ASO:aortic crossclamping time was 183～282 minutes,postoperative mechanical ventilation time was 14～984 hours,amount of drainage was 208～1496 ml.The in-hospital complications included third degree A-V block in 1 patient and right diaphragmatic paralysis in 1 patient.(2) Senning+ Rastelli:aortic crossclamping time was 132～380 minutes,postoperative mechanical ventilation time was 18～276 hours,amount of drainage was 108～1780 ml.The in-hospital complication was pulmonary hypertensive crisis in 1 patient.There was 1 hospital-death of low cardiac output syndrome.Conclusion Double-switch operation can provide satisfactory short-term outcomes for elder patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries. Key words: Transposition of great vessels; Cardiac surgical procedures ; Treatment outcome; Double-Switch operation
An automated method for removal of striping artifacts in fluorescent whole-slide microscopy.

Abstract Background Whole slide scanners often acquire images of tissue sections that are larger than their field of view through tile or line-scanning. The subsequently stitched or aligned images can often suffer from imaging artifacts such as horizontal or vertical stripes. These stripes degrade the image quality in fluorescent biological imaging samples and can also limit the accuracy of any subsequent analyses such as cell segmentation. New method We propose a novel data-driven method of removing stripe artifacts in stitched biological images based on the location of the stripes, background modeling, and illumination correction. This method provides an automated way of removing the stripes of an individual image while preserving image details and quality for subsequent analyses. Results The results were assessed using both qualitative and quantitative metrics and the algorithm has proven very effective in removing the stripe artifacts from hundreds of brain images. Comparison with existing methods Several metrics were used to quantify the effectiveness of our proposed method compared to other published techniques. Images with simulated artifacts were created so that full-reference metrics could be applied to demonstrate the applicability of the algorithm for a wider variety of illumination profiles. Conclusions We describe a data analysis pipeline that allows for automatic removal of stripes caused by line-scanning. Our proposed method can be applied without the need for separate blank field of view images or use of image batches to model the background, so it is suitable for real-time parallel batch processing of large datasets.
Marketing justice: the Christmas Boycott

This article explores the tension over whether to boycott Christmas in 1963 to protest the murder of six children in Birmingham, Alabama. The Association of Artists for Freedom, formed in the after...
Problems of Betterment

Can we humans appropriately see ourselves as change agents endeavoring to effect improvements in the prevailing order of things?
An increase in SNAP benefits did not impact food security or diet quality in youth

Abstract Background Low diet quality during childhood and adolescence is associated with adverse health outcomes later in life. Diet quality is generally poor in American youth, particularly in youth of low socioeconomic status. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the primary safety net to help low-income households afford a healthy diet. Yet self-selection into the program creates challenges in estimating the relationship between SNAP and diet outcomes. Objective This study examined how the increase in SNAP benefits during the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) affected food security and diet quality in low-income youth. Design This analysis used a difference-in-differences design and data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2008 to 2011-2012 waves. Participants/setting The sample included children and adolescents aged 2 to 18 years with household income ≤250% of the Federal Poverty Line. Food security and diet outcomes in SNAP-eligible youth (n = 2,797) were examined, with children in nearly SNAP-eligible households serving as a comparison group (n = 1,169). The diet quality analysis stratified the sample by age range. Main outcome measures The study assessed food security and 6 dietary outcomes: 2 nutrients (sodium and fiber), 3 food categories (fruit, vegetables, and sugar-sweetened beverages), and 1 measure of overall diet quality (Healthy Eating Index 2010). Statistical analysis performed Logistic regression and linear regression were used to estimate the relationship between SNAP eligibility and child food security and diet. Results In unadjusted analysis, approximately 64% of SNAP-eligible children were food secure before ARRA and 73% were food secure while ARRA was in effect. Using logistic regression in a difference-in-differences framework, the ARRA SNAP benefit increase was not significantly associated with food security (odds ratio 1.37, P = 0.43). Diet quality of SNAP-eligible children was low, scoring a 46 out of 100 on the Healthy Eating Index 2010. Measures of diet quality did not significantly change from the pre-ARRA period to the ARRA period; this did not differ by age range. Conclusions The increase in SNAP benefits during ARRA did not significantly impact food security or diet quality in low-income children and adolescents. Additional research to better understand how SNAP benefits impact dietary choice is warranted.
Geometrical interpretation of D-branes in gauged WZW models

We show that one can construct D-branes in parafermionic and WZW theories (and their orbifolds) which have very natural geometrical interpretations, and yet are not automatically included in the standard Cardy construction of D-branes in rational conformal field theory. The relation between these theories and their T-dual description leads to an analogy between these D-branes and the familiar A-branes and B-branes of N = 2 theories.
High fat high sucrose diet-induced dyslipidemia in guinea pigs.

In this study, we show a new animal model for diet-induced disease metabolic disorders without obesity in guinea pigs. Moreover, results suggest a strong relation between liver disease and increase...
Who is a typical woman? Exploring variation in how race biases representations of gender across development

From early in development, race biases how children think about gender-often in a manner that treats Black women as less typical and representative of women in general than White or Asian women. The present study (N = 89, ages 7-11; predominately Hispanic, White, and multi-racial children) examined the generalizability of this phenomenon across middle childhood and the mechanisms underlying variability in its development. Replicating prior work, children were slower and less accurate to categorize the gender of Black women compared to Asian or White women, as well as compared to Black men, suggesting that children perceived Black women as less representative of their gender. These effects were robust across age within a racially and ethnically diverse sample of children. Children's tendencies to view their own racial identities as expansive and flexible, however, attenuated these effects: Children with more flexible racial identities also had gender concepts that were more inclusive of Black women. In contrast, the tendency for race to bias children's gender representations was unrelated to children's multiple classification skill and racial essentialism. These findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying variation in how race biases gender across development, with critical implications for how children's own identities shape the development of intergroup cognition and behavior.
On Four Mutual Properties of Classical and Nonlocal Wave Equations

We provide a comparative study on classical and nonlocal (NL) wave equations from a mathematical perspective. The NL operators employ local boundary conditions (BCs), and this is why a comparison to the classical wave equation is relevant. We find out that the two equations are qualitatively identical in terms of the balance of linear momentum (BLM), conservation of energy, and the resonance and beating phenomena. For both equations, the BLM is satisfied for the Neumann and periodic BCs and fails for Dirichlet and antiperiodic BCs. The conservation of energy is also satisfied due to self-adjointness of both operators. The standard d’Alembert’s formula provides a closed-form solution to the wave equation on $$\mathbb {R}$$ . When the wave equation is considered on a bounded domain $$\Omega$$ , d’Alembert’s formula needs to be used along with an extension artifice known as the method of images or reflections. We reveal a close connection between classical and NL wave equations. Namely, the combination of the function piece (even and odd parts) and the extension type used in d’Alembert’s formula are identical to those in the construction of our NL operators. Since the choices made in the construction of our operators are in direct agreement with those in d’Alembert’s solution, one can conclude that our operators are manifestations of a NL extension artifice.
Morphology, Ontogenesis and Molecular Characterization of Atractos contortus Vörösváry, 1950 and Stichotricha aculeata Wrzesniowskiego, 1866 (Ciliophora, Stichotrichida) with Consideration of Their Systematic Positions

Atractos contortus, a rare highly spiralized hypotrich ciliate, has not been studied by modern methods. Atractos contortus and Stichotricha aculeata are currently assigned to the Spirofildae. A Canadian population of A. contortus and an Idaho population of Stichotricha aculeata, were characterized using live observation, silver impregnation, scanning electron microscopy, and 18S rDNA sequencing. Atractos contortus has two frontal and one buccal cirrus, two marginal and two ventral rows arranged in left-handed helices, and four dorsal kineties. Left and right marginal rows make two and a half and three turns; left and right ventral rows are shortened. Frontoterminal, postoral, transverse and caudal cirri are absent. During morphogenesis the parental adoral zone is completely retained. Cirral rows replicate by intrakinetal and de novo processes. New right marginal and right ventral rows arise from the parental right ventral row. The parental right marginal row is morphogenetically inactive. Dorsal kineties replicate apokinetally. The parental dorsomarginal kinety and some parental marginal cirri persist for some time after cytokinesis. Phylogenetically, A. contortus groups with Uroleptus species and not spirofilids. The Idaho S. aculeata matches populations from previous reports. Monophyly of the Spirofilidae is rejected. Placement of genus Atractos in the family, Atractosidae nov. nom. is proposed.
Facultative expression of hygienic behaviour of honey bees in relation to disease resistance

SUMMARYFour experiments were conducted to examine factors that influence the expression of hygienic and non-hygienic behaviour in honey bees, Apis mellifera, and to examine the correlation between this behaviour and resistance to chalkbrood, Ascosphaera apis. Colonies were headed by instrumentally inseminated queens selected on the basis of uncapping and removal behaviour expressed by their progeny. In the first experiment, colony strength was altered by transferring hygienic and non- hygienic colonies from 10-frame field hives to 2-frame observation hives. This treatment significantly reduced the hygienic response of the hygienic bees but did not affect the response of the non-hygienic bees. In the second experiment, hygienic and non-hygienic bees displayed different responses to freeze-killed and live brood which had been partially or entirely uncapped. Both lines of bees recapped both partially and entirely uncapped live brood, but non-hygienic bees also recapped partially uncapped freeze-killed brood,...
The multiple faces of the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis:Response from Cooper

We would concur with Professor Toossi that there are multiple facets to the immune response to tuberculosis (TB). We also believe that understanding the causes of immunopathogenesis in TB is crucial for the development of effective therapeutic and preventative interventions. With regard to the role of interferon (IFN)-γ in human disease, a recent review of patients deficient in components of the interleukin (IL)-12/IFN-γ macrophage-activation pathway [1xHeterogeneity in the granulomatous response to mycobacterial infection in patients with defined genetic mutations in the interleukin 12-dependent interferon-γ production pathway. Lammas, D.A. et al. Int. J. Exp. Pathol. 2002; 83: 1–20Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (50)See all References[1] reports that there are clear differences in the histological consequences of mycobacterial infection that depend on where in the IL-12/IFN-γ pathway the patient is deficient. In addition, in the absence of IFN-γ signalling, there is a high circulating level of IFN-γ, supporting the hypothesis that IFN-γ might downregulate its own production during mycobacterial infection in patients. Further studies of the cellular responses in these patients could help determine whether the absence of IL-12/IFN-γ signalling not only compromises anti-mycobacterial activity but also contributes to tissue damage.
Aberrant Development of Motor Axons and Neuromuscular Synapses in MyoD-Null Mice

Myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs), muscle-specific transcription factors, are implicated in the activity-dependent regulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subunit genes. Here we show, with immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and electron microscopy that MyoD, a member of the MRF family, also plays a role in fetal synapse formation. In the diaphragm of 14.5 d gestation (E14.5) wild-type and MyoD-/- mice, AChR clusters (the formation of which is under a muscle intrinsic program) are confined to a centrally located endplate zone. This distribution persists in wild-type adult muscles. However, beginning at E15.5 and extending to the adult, innervated AChR clusters are distributed all over the diaphragm of MyoD-/- mice, extending as far as the insertion of the diaphragm into the ribs. In wild-type muscle, motor axons terminate on clusters adjacent to the main intramuscular nerve; in MyoD-/- muscle, axonal bundles form extensive secondary branches that terminate on the widely distributed clusters. The number of AChR clusters on adult MyoD-/- and wild-type diaphram muscles is similar. Junctional fold density is reduced at MyoD-/- endplates, and the transition from the fetal (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) to adult-type (alpha, beta, delta, epsilon) AChRs is markedly delayed. However, MyoD-/- mice assemble a complex postsynaptic apparatus that includes muscle-specific kinase (MuSK), rapsyn, erbB, and utrophin.