cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The collecting tubule of Amphiuma. II. Effects of potassium adaptation

Electrophysiological and transport properties were studied in isolated and perfused Amphiuma collecting tubules from two groups of animals, one exposed to a high sodium (NA), the other to a high potassium (KA) environment (both conditions known to modulate blood aldosterone levels). The transepithelial lumen-negative potential was significantly larger (-38 +/- 5 mV) in tubules from KA animals than from NA animals (-15 +/- 3 mV). In addition, we observed an increase in the apical amiloride-sensitive sodium conductance and stimulation of the transepithelial sodium current. Although no measurable potassium conductance was found in the apical cell membrane in either group, a potassium selectivity of the paracellular transport pathway was observed in the KA animals. Net potassium secretion was demonstrated in KA tubules (helium-glow photometry and [3H]inulin analysis). Potassium secretion was abolished by luminal amiloride but imposition of a bath-to-lumen potassium gradient induced potassium secretion. We conclude that in contrast to the mammalian cortical collecting tubule in which potassium secretion is largely transcellular, potassium secretion in the Amphiuma collecting tubule is by diffusion through the paracellular pathway.
DTA AND HEAT-FLUX DSC MEASUREMENTS OF ALLOY MELTING AND FREEZING

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on differential thermal analysis (DTA) and heat-flux differential scanning calorimetry (HF-DSC) of metals and alloys. A thermal analysis guide focused only on metals and alloys is appropriate because metals and alloys behave quite differently from molecular materials such as polymers and organics. Freezing and melting occur rapidly in response to changes in temperature compared to other materials. Melting and freezing transformations, once initiated, take place within, at most, a degree of local thermodynamic equilibrium. Therefore, the chapter also focuses on melting and solidification behavior because special methods can be employed that are not necessarily useful for a broader class of materials and processes. The chapter intends to provide the thermal analysis user with the considerations that are necessary for proper sample preparation and to illustrate how the sample characteristics influence the proper interpretation and analysis of measurements. The chapter describes different types of information usually sought from DTA/HF-DSC during the melting and freezing of alloys. The details of instruments, operation and calibration are described. The goal is to describe the thermal lags between the sample and sample thermocouple that must be understood to enable good analysis of data. The chapter also details the response of the DTA to binary and ternary alloys, respectively.
Decision Making: A Role for the Amygdala in Translating Goals into Choices

A new fMRI study shows that the human amygdala is involved in goal-directed planning, further finding that amygdala activation during planning is predictive of someone’s willingness to forgo immediate small rewards in favor of delayed larger rewards.
Ablation of Biological Tissues by Plasmonic Nanoparticles

In this chapter, we perform modeling of soft and hard biological tissue ablation by plasmonic nanoparticles heated by short and ultrashort laser pulses. A goal of plasmonic laser nanosurgery/nanoablation is to deliver extremely precise heat blasts in programmed patterns to cancer cells, abnormal cell organelles, or mutated DNA molecules in order to destroy them. Short and ultrashort laser pulses hold key interest in precise nanoablation as they can allow for deposition of thermal energy to the target area by many orders of magnitude faster than the heat diffusion process that leaks heat to adjacent healthy cells. For these reasons, time-dependent thermal ablation simulations are performed in this chapter for short and ultrashort single pulse laser–nanoparticle–tissue interactions, as well as simulation for multipulse plasmonic nanoparticle ablation that utilizes the repetition of ultrashort pulses. This chapter contains material adapted from our publications [1, 2]. The detailed list of references and reviews on a given topic of this chapter can be found in those original papers.
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in pregnancy: case report and review of the literature.

A woman at 23 weeks' gestation was treated with rifampin, isoniazid, and ethambutol for cavitary tuberculosis (TB). She did not respond within 3 weeks, and multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB was suspected. Direct plating on susceptibility media was performed immediately. Treatment was initiated with IV capreomycin, levofloxacin, para-aminosalicylic acid, pyrazinamide, cycloserine, and high-dose vitamin B 6 at 26 weeks' gestation. The patient delivered vaginally at week 35. The newborn was not infected. Following delivery, ethionamide was added as a sixth drug, and levofloxacin was replaced with moxifloxacin. The patient's sputum became smear-negative and culture-negative for TB. All reported cases of MDR-TB during pregnancy are reviewed.
Stimulating Learning about Textiles with Fast Fashion in Urban and Rural Settings

ABSTRACTIt is important for students who plan to work in the fashion industry to understand fast-fashion and its implications. A constructivist approach to teaching where an instructor starts with students' experiences has been useful to teach fashion subjects. The purposes of this paper were to: 1) present and assess a teaching activity guided by constructivist theory where students were required to analyze quality of a garment made pre and another made post fast fashion, and 2) compare and contrast knowledge of fast fashion and quality among students given their rural versus urban experiences. Two textiles classes in rural (n = 37) and urban (n = 32) regions of the United States completed the fast fashion activity. Results from the assessment surveys suggested the activity provided “first hand” experiences with apparel quality and fast fashion. Furthermore, rural and urban students differed in perceptions and understanding of fast fashion.
Abstract 646: The Existence of a Strong Correlation Between Leptin, TNFα Levels and BMI in Morbidly Obese Appalachian Females

Introduction: Although BMI contributes to increased levels of adipokines, such as leptin, and tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) and to a decrease in adiponectin, few studies have examined the association between leptin, TNFα and body mass index (BMI) in Appalachian females. Methods: A total of 74 subjects from the Appalachian region were examined for the effect of BMI on the levels of leptin, TNF α , and adiponectin. Patients without overt cardiovascular disease were included. Linear regression analysis was used to analyze for changes in the relationship between BMI, leptin, TNFα and adiponectin. Nonlinear regression was used to determine the odds ratio and confidence intervals. Results: Serum TNFα and leptin levels were significantly increased in subjects with an increased BMI of 45-72 (9.9pg/ml ± 0.56 and 7.7pg/ml ± 0.6 respectively; p 45-72 (6.63ng/ml ± 0.5; p Conclusion: Our study demonstrates for the first time the unique inflammatory biomarkers profile in morbidly obese females, even before diagnosis of coronary disease, highlighting the possible pathogenic potentials and opens the door for potential use of these biomarkers as a prognostic tool and a therapeutic target that can ameliorate obesity induced cardiovascular dysfunction.
Visible light-induced transition metal-catalyzed transformations: beyond conventional photosensitizers.

Employment of simple transition metal (TM = Co, Fe, Cu, Pd, Pt, Au)-based photocatalyst (PC) has led to the dramatic acceleration of known TM-catalyzed reactions, as well as to the discovery of unprecedented chemical transformations. Compared to the conventional cooperative/dual photocatalysis (type B), this new class of unconventional PCs operates via a single photoexcitation/catalytic cycle, where the TM complex plays a “double duty” role by harvesting light and catalyzing the chemical transformation. Also, these TM photocatalysts participate in the bond-forming/breaking event in the transformation via a substrate-TM interaction, an aspect that is uncommon for conventional photocatalysis (type A). This tutorial review highlights the recent advances in this emerging area.
Hidden Markov modeling of frequency-following responses to Mandarin lexical tones.

Abstract Background The frequency-following response (FFR) is a scalp-recorded electrophysiological potential reflecting phase-locked activity from neural ensembles in the auditory system. The FFR is often used to assess the robustness of subcortical pitch processing. Due to low signal-to-noise ratio at the single-trial level, FFRs are typically averaged across thousands of stimulus repetitions. Prior work using this approach has shown that subcortical encoding of linguistically-relevant pitch patterns is modulated by long-term language experience. New method We examine the extent to which a machine learning approach using hidden Markov modeling (HMM) can be utilized to decode Mandarin tone-categories from scalp-record electrophysiolgical activity. We then assess the extent to which the HMM can capture biologically-relevant effects (language experience-driven plasticity). To this end, we recorded FFRs to four Mandarin tones from 14 adult native speakers of Chinese and 14 of native English. We trained a HMM to decode tone categories from the FFRs with varying size of averages. Results and comparisons with existing methods Tone categories were decoded with above-chance accuracies using HMM. The HMM derived metric (decoding accuracy) revealed a robust effect of language experience, such that FFRs from native Chinese speakers yielded greater accuracies than native English speakers. Critically, the language experience-driven plasticity was captured with average sizes significantly smaller than those used in the extant literature. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the feasibility of HMM in assessing the robustness of neural pitch. Machine-learning approaches can complement extant analytical methods that capture auditory function and could reduce the number of trials needed to capture biological phenomena.
Prediction of early social and academic adjustment of children from the inner city

Investigated predictors of five measures of early school adjustment for an ethnically diverse cohort of 683 inner-city kindergartners and first graders. Data from 2 consecutive years were collected from teachers, school records, and children. A multiple-regression preduction model significantly explained children's competence behavior, problem behavior, reading achievement, mathematics achievement, and school absences. Prior adjustment and sociodemographic factors explained a majority of the variance in adjustment. Perceived quality of parent involvement was signifcantly related (in the expected direction) to all five outcomes. Exposure to life events was significantly associated in the expected direction with competence behavior, problem behavior, and school absences but not with reading and mathematics achievement. Together, parent involvement and life-event variables explained as much as 12% of the variance in adjustment independent of sociodemographic and prior adjustment factors. The role of family and school factors in the adjustment of children at risk is discussed [corrected].
The impact of stress on sleep: Pathogenic sleep reactivity as a vulnerability to insomnia and circadian disorders

Sleep reactivity is the trait-like degree to which stress exposure disrupts sleep, resulting in difficulty falling and staying asleep. Individuals with highly reactive sleep systems experience drastic deterioration of sleep when stressed, whereas those with low sleep reactivity proceed largely unperturbed during stress. Research shows that genetics, familial history of insomnia, female gender and environmental stress influence how the sleep system responds to stress. Further work has identified neurobiological underpinnings for sleep reactivity involving disrupted cortical networks and dysregulation in the autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Sleep reactivity is most pathologically and clinically pertinent when in excess, such that high sleep reactivity predicts risk for future insomnia disorder, with early evidence suggesting high sleep reactivity corresponds to severe insomnia phenotypes (sleep onset insomnia and short sleep insomnia). High sleep reactivity is also linked to risk of shift-work disorder, depression and anxiety. Importantly, stress-related worry and rumination may exploit sensitive sleep systems, thereby augmenting the pathogenicity of sleep reactivity. With the development of cost-effective assessment of sleep reactivity, we can now identify individuals at risk of future insomnia, shift-work disorder and mental illness, thus identifying a target population for preventive intervention. Given that insomniacs with high sleep reactivity tend to present with severe insomnia phenotypes, patient sleep reactivity may inform triaging to different levels of treatment. Future research on sleep reactivity is needed to clarify its neurobiology, characterize its long-term prospective associations with insomnia and shift-work disorder phenotypes, and establish its prognostic value for mental illness and other non-sleep disorders.
Vom Nervensystem und den Sinnesorganen

Wenn wir eine Ausstellung besichtigen, wandern wir von Raum zu Raum, ihre Schatze zu geniesen. Ist unsere Zeit abgelaufen, so kehren wir nach Hause zuruck, um vielleicht am nachsten Tag da zu beginnen, wo wir aufgehort hatten. Unser Gang durch die Wunderwelt der Lebewesen kann aber nicht so einfach verlaufen. Wir haben zwar auch die Sehenswurdigkeiten auf verschiedene Zimmer verteilt und besichtigten nacheinander die Gruppe Form und Farbe, die Gruppe Haut, die Gruppe Muskel. Aber all dies ist ja nur kunstlich, der Ordnung halber auf die verschiedenen Raume verteilt, hangt in Wirklichkeit aber auf das engste zusammen. So mussen wir oft, um den Inhalt einer Gruppe verstehen zu konnen, einen schnellen Blick in eine andere tun. Da ist es uns in den bisherigen Betrachtungen ofters widerfahren, das wir uns gezwungen sahen, dem Raum mit der Uberschrift „Nerven“ einen kurzen Besuch abzustatten. Last uns nun in ihn zu einem langeren Aufenthalt eintreten!
Physical mapping and characterization of the mitochondrial DNA and RNA sequences from mit- mutants defective in cytochrome oxidase peptide 1 (OXI 3).

Yeast mitochondrial mutants defective in cytochrome c oxidase have been isolated and genetically characterized by Slonimski and Tzagoloff (1976). Three genetic loci, designated OXI 1, OXI 2, and OXI 3, each affect the synthesis of a separate mitochondrially coded subunit of cytochrome oxidase (Cabral et al., 1977). We have analyzed the mitochondrial DNA and RNA of mutants with defects at the locus which impair the synthesis of the 43,000 subunit I peptide, in order to map the structural gene and identify the RNA species transcribed from this region.
Can a Minor Refuse Assent for Emergency Care

When a severely ill child comes into the emergency room, assent for emergency care is no more required than is parental permission. Conveying the needed care is the top priority.
Modelling Emergent Swarm Behavior Using Continuum Limits for Environmental Mapping

Robotic swarms are comprised of simple, individual robots but can collectively accomplish complex tasks through frequent interactions with other robots and the environment. One pertinent objective for swarms is mapping unknown, potentially hazardous environments. We show that even without communication or localization, the emergent behavior of a swarm observed at one area can be used to infer the presence of obstacles in an unknown environment. The main body of this work focuses on how partial differential equation (PDE) models of emergent swarm behavior can be derived by applying continuum limits to approximate discrete-time rules for individual robots in continuous-time. We illustrate our approach by demonstrating how obstacles can be located by comparing swarm observations to a base library of PDE models. As supported in this work, the PDE models accurately capture identifying characteristics of the emergent behavior and are solved in a few seconds allowing for fast feature identification.
The association between visceral fat, subcutaneous fat and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels

Abstract Aims Obesity has been reportedly related with vitamin D deficiency. This study aims to elucidate a relationship between subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, and serum vitamin D levels. Methods We used the check-up data from a university hospital located in Daegu, Republic of Korea, from January 2017 to December 2017. A total of 467 adults who had both abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) test were included. Subcutaneous fat area (SFA) and visceral fat area (VFA) were calculated from single slice CT scan. Study participants were classified according to VFA using cutoff value of 100 cm2 and 200 cm2; normal, mild and severe visceral obesity. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25(OH)D levels lower than 20 ng/mL. Results Both SFA and VFA were inversely associated with serum 25(OH)D levels in multivariate linear regression, which is confined to men. An increased chance of vitamin D deficiency was observed in men with severe visceral obesity (OR = 2.49, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–5.73). No significant associations were observed in women. Conclusions SFA and VFA were both associated with lower serum 25(OH)D levels. Severe visceral obesity was shown to increase the risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Considerations and Practical Options for Measuring Muscle Strength: A Narrative Review

Muscle strength impairments are related to mobility limitations and other untoward outcomes. This narrative review, therefore, describes considerations relative to the definition and measurement of muscle strength. Thereafter, practical options for measuring muscle strength are described and their clinimetric properties are delineated. Information provided herein may help students, clinicians, and researchers select the strength tests best suited to their research needs and limitations.
A UNIQUE PRE-OPERATIVE EVALUATION: AN OVERLAP BETWEEN TAKOTSUBO SYNDROME AND LV NON-COMPACTION CARDIOMYOPATHY

A genetic predisposition for Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is suggested based on few familial cases. Whether genetic cardiomyopathy underlies TTS remains undefined. A 44-year-old previously healthy male presented to an outside hospital with atrial fibrillation. A transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE)
Volumetric Deformation Analysis Using Mechanics-Based Data Fusion: Applications in Cardiac Motion Recovery

Non-rigid motion estimation from image sequences is essential in analyzing and understanding the dynamic behavior of physical objects. One important example is the dense field motion analysis of the cardiac wall, which could potentially help to better understand the physiological processes associated with heart disease and to provide improvement in patient diagnosis and treatment. In this paper, we present a new method of estimating volumetric deformation by integrating intrinsic instantaneous velocity data with geometrical token displacement information, based upon continuum mechanics principles. This object-dependent approach allows the incorporation of physically meaningful constraints into the ill-posed motion recovery problem, and the integration of the two disparate but complementary data sources overcomes some of the limitations of the single-image-source-based motion estimation approaches.
Investigating the Effect of APAP Crystals on Tablet Behavior Manufactured by Direct Compression

In this work, the effect of API's (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) shape and size on tablet characteristics is investigated for high API dose formulation manufactured by direct compression. Three different classes of APAP (acetaminophen) are selected, and tablets are produced in both single and batch processes. After performing and comparing comprehensive series of standard characterization tests including hardness, dissolution, disintegration, and friability on the tablets, the test results show the relation between the quality of APAP tablets and the shape and size of the crystals. We also investigate the effect of scaling up the manufacturing process (from single to batch) by evaluating dosage uniformity and possibility of segregation in blends. The results indicate a strong interaction between manufacturing parameters such as speed and scale of production to API crystal size and shape. This places crystal properties in the critical parameter set that requires tracking and monitoring in order to maintain consistent tablet properties in high-dose formulation continuous manufacturing operations.
Cognitive Aging and Dementia: A Life Span Perspective.

This review summarizes empirical findings and theoretical concepts in cognitive aging and late-life dementia research, with emphases on (a) person-to-person heterogeneity in trajectories of cogniti...
A Multiband Cross- and Circular Polarizer

In this paper, a single layered anisotropic high efficient multiband cross- and circular polarizer is modeled and analyzed. The unit cell of the proposed anisotropic metasurface contains a curved double-head anchors. The metasurface gives linear to linear polarization conversion (cross-polarization) with in frequency ranges of 5.8-6.15, 10.2-16.15 and 19.65-19.92 GHz with more than 90% efficiency. Moreover, linear to circular polarization conversion is achieved over three frequency bands of 5.50-5.56, 6.62-8.93 and 16.2-18.92 GHz. The response of the metasurface is stable up to 300.The proposed metasurface has numerous applications in polarization control devices.
Vestibular Function and Motion Sickness Susceptibility: Videonystagmographic Evidence From Oculomotor and Caloric Tests

Purpose Motion sickness (MS) is a common condition that affects millions of individuals. Although the condition is common and can be debilitating, little research has focused on the vestibular function associated with susceptibility to MS. One causal theory of MS is an asymmetry of vestibular function within or between ears. The purposes of this study, therefore, were (a) to determine if the vestibular system (oculomotor and caloric tests) in videonystagmography (VNG) is associated with susceptibility to MS and (b) to determine if these tests support the theory of an asymmetry between ears associated with MS susceptibility. Method VNG was used to measure oculomotor and caloric responses. Fifty young adults were recruited; 50 completed the oculomotor tests, and 31 completed the four caloric irrigations. MS susceptibility was evaluated with the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire-Short Form; in this study, percent susceptibility ranged from 0% to 100% in the participants. Participants were divided into three susceptibility groups (Low, Mid, and High). Repeated-measures analyses of variance and pairwise comparisons determined significance among the groups on the VNG test results. Results Oculomotor test results revealed no significant differences among the MS susceptibility groups. Caloric stimuli elicited responses that were correlated positively with susceptibility to MS. Slow-phase velocity was slowest in the Low MS group compared to the Mid and High groups. There was no significant asymmetry between ears in any of the groups. Conclusions MS susceptibility was significantly and positively correlated with caloric slow-phase velocity. Although asymmetries between ears are purported to be associated with MS, asymmetries were not evident. Susceptibility to MS may contribute to interindividual variability of caloric responses within the normal range.
Revising Reykjavík: changing narratives of skeletons, structures, and imagined futures

In Reykjavik, Iceland, the city’s oldest cemetery was exhumed in favor of yet another tourist hotel despite local cultural leaders’ objections and existing concerns that new hotels already exceeded projected demand. For Icelanders, cemeteries are important material and symbolic markers of the nation’s history and heritage and cherished contributors to Icelandic cultural identity. The anomalous destruction of this particular, historically significant cemetery suggested the question, “What is going on here?” and launched a comparison of Icelandic cemeteries as material, symbolic narratives to the narratives underlying the imagined future of the external consultancy’s recommendations. The narratives expressed in the cemeteries differed substantially from those identified in the consultancy proposals and suggested that one culture’s values can replace unintentionally another’s rather quickly in lasting ways. This repeats globally and diminishes diversity and human–human and human–nature relationships. This investigation explored the substantial differences between the two narratives, vulnerabilities to such external influences, and considerations for efforts toward change that protects cultural and geographic diversity. These changes, the associated processes and histories were identified and discussed in global context with attention to identity formation, resilient and sustainable futures, spreading global homogeneity, and efforts toward more sustainable futures. While destruction of cultural markers is sometimes necessary, this exploration highlights the need to identify and consider these decisions carefully and to attend to a diversity of voices.
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Veteran Postacute Care: Implications of Cut Scores.

BACKGROUND The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is often used for cognitive screening across health care settings, especially in rehabilitation centers, where assessment and treatment of cognitive function is considered key for successful multidisciplinary treatment. Although the original MoCA validation study suggested a cut score of <26 to identify cognitive impairment, recent studies have suggested that lower cut scores should be applied. OBJECTIVES To examine the percentage of positive screens for cognitive impairment using the MoCA in a veteran postacute care (PAC) rehabilitation setting and to identify the most accurate MoCA cut score based on criterion neuropsychological measures. METHODS We obtained data from 81 veterans with diverse medical diagnoses who had completed the MoCA during their admission to a PAC unit. A convenience subsample of 50 veterans had also completed four criterion neuropsychological measures. RESULTS Depending on the cut score used, the percentage of individuals classified as impaired based on MoCA performance varied widely, ranging from 6.2% to 92.6%. When predicting performance using a more comprehensive battery of criterion neuropsychological tests, we identified <22 as the most accurate MoCA cut score to identify a clinically relevant level of impairment and <24 to identify milder cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that a MoCA cut score of <26 carries a risk of misdiagnosis of cognitive impairment, and scores in the range of <22 to <24 are more reliable for identifying cognitive impairment.
Laser induced graphene in fiberglass-reinforced composites for strain and damage sensing

Abstract Structural health monitoring of fiber-reinforced composite materials is of critical importance due to their use in challenging structural applications where low density is required and the designs typically use a low factor of safety. In order to reduce the need for external sensors to monitor composite structures, recent attention has turned to multifunctional materials with integrated sensing capabilities. This work use laser induced graphene (LIG) to create multifunctional structure with embedded piezoresistivity for the simultaneous and in-situ monitoring of both strain and damage in fiberglass-reinforced composites. The LIG layers are integrated during the fabrication process through transfer printing to the surface of the prepreg before being laid up into the ply stack, and are thus located in the interlaminar region of the fiberglass-reinforced composite. The methods used in this work are simple and require no treatment or modification to the commercial fiberglass prepreg prior to LIG transfer printing which is promising for industrial scale use. The performance of the piezoresistive interlayer in monitoring both strain and damage in-situ are demonstrated via three-point bend and tensile testing. Additionally, the interlaminar properties of the fiberglass composites were observed to be largely maintained with the LIG present in the interlaminar region of the composite, while the damping properties were found to be improved. This work therefore introduces a novel multifunctional material with high damping and fully integrated sensing capabilities through a cost-effective and scalable process.
A matrix-variate dirichlet process to model earthquake hypocentre temporal patterns:

Earthquakes are one of the deadliest natural disasters. Our study focuses on detecting temporal patterns of earthquakes occurring along intraplate faults in the New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ) withi...
Polarization Insensitive Grating Coupler Based on a Zero-Birefringence Corelet Waveguide

We propose a polarization insensitive grating coupler using a zero-birefringence corelet waveguide. Simulations show coupling of −5.4 dB for TE and −5.6 dB for TM at 1.3 µm wavelength and a 61 nm polarization insensitive 3 dB bandwidth.
Exploring User Information Needs in Online Pet Adoption Profiles

With the increase of online shopping, animal shelters can use websites to allow potential adopters to view adoptable animals and increase the number of adoptions. However, little research has evalu...
Synapsin-caveolin-1 gene therapy preserves neuronal and synaptic morphology and prevents neurodegeneration in a mouse model of AD

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction in the elderly. Identifying molecular signals that mitigate and reverse neurodegeneration in AD may be exploited therapeutically. Transgenic AD mice (PSAPP) exhibit learning and memory deficits at 9 and 11 months, respectively, with associated decreased expression of caveolin-1 (Cav-1), a membrane/lipid raft (MLR) scaffolding protein necessary for synaptic and neuroplasticity. Neuronal-targeted gene therapy using synapsin-Cav-1 cDNA (SynCav1) was delivered to the hippocampus of PSAPP mice at 3 months using adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9). Bilateral SynCav1 gene therapy was able to preserve MLRs profile, learning and memory, hippocampal dendritic arbor, synaptic ultrastructure, and axonal myelin content in 9- and 11-month PSAPP mice, independent of reducing toxic amyloid deposits and astrogliosis. Our data indicate that SynCav1 gene therapy may be an option for AD and potentially in other forms of neurodegeneration of unknown etiology.
Value Analysis of Central Line Simulation-Based Education

BackgroundCentral line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are preventable complications that pose a significant health risk to patients and place a financial burden on hospitals. Central l...
New therapeutic modalities in breast cancer by targeting NK cell inhibitory and activating receptors

Abstract Since the discovery of natural killer cells in 1975, immunotherapies targeting the potent cytolytic activity and robust surveillance of the innate immune system have increased significantly. Many studies have explored the crucial role of NK cells in various cancers; however, the literature exploring the role of NK cells in breast cancer is limited. Despite the efficacy of conventional therapies in breast cancer, innate and induced resistances persist. Treatment strategies and resistance to such therapies vary across breast cancer subtypes, including the Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2-enriched, and triple-negative/basal-like subtypes. Here, we delineate the various potential signaling cross-talk pathways between NK cells and breast cancer. These pathways include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) NK cell activating receptors (e.g., NKG2D, DNAM1, and CD16), (ii) NK cell inhibitory receptors (e.g., NKG2A), and (iii) checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., PD-1). The stimulation of activating receptors or the disruption of inhibiting signaling with various postulated combination therapies may be key to overcoming resistance and unlocking the power of NK cell immunotherapy against breast tumors. This review provides significant support for targeting the NK cell activating or inhibitory receptors to activate the antitumor activities of NK cell-based therapies in breast cancer.
Modeling cAMP Oscillations in Budding Yeast

Glucose is the preferred source of energy for budding yeast, which is rapidly utilized by fermentation. It is vital for cells to sense glucose abundance in the environment in order to modulate their metabolism, which is in turn vital to maintain an optimal growth rate. The cAMP/PKA signal transduction pathway performs this task: the pathway ‘senses’ environmental glucose and carries out a variety of biological roles, including activation of growth responses, and inhibition of stress responses in response to glucose starvation. This particular pathway is interesting because it demonstrates a commonly observed feature of signaling pathways, that of negative feedback. In fact, as discussed in the next section, there are two negative feedback loops in the cAMP/PKA pathway. These characteristics make it difficult to reason about what the dynamics of this pathway will be in response to a particular environmental input. Gonzales et al. 2011 carried out an exploration of this pathway and its short-term responses to relief from glucose starvation (i.e. glucose addition to starved cells) by creating a mathematical model of the molecular interactions [1].
Chapter 10 3-D focusing inversion of CSAMT data

Abstract We present a method for the solution of 3-D controlled source magnetotelluric (CSAMT) inverse problems. The inverse problem is formulated as the minimization of a Tikhonov parametric functional with a focusing stabilizer. Observed CSAMT apparent resistivities are converted to log-anomalous apparent resistivities, which are linearly connected to anomalous currents via the integral equation. We apply the Born iterative method to solve this integral equation, using a focusing regularized inversion. The focusing is based on a specially selected stabilizing functional which minimizes the area where strong model parameters variations and discontinuities occur. The method is illustrated using examples of 3-D inversion of model CSAMT data, and with a real data example.
Cancellation of second-order PMD effects on first order DOP-based DGD monitors and measurement of the depolarization rate

We show the theory behind the effects of second-order polarization mode dispersion (PMD) on first order DOP-based DGD monitors and introduce two parameters that together cancel the errors introduced by second order PMD and allow exact DGD estimation.
Board Processes, Climate and the Impact on Board Task Performance

This paper contributes to the literature on board effectiveness by opening the “black box” associated with board dynamics and behaviors. Drawing on the process oriented perspective of board level strategic decision making from Forbes and Milliken (1999) and the group engagement model by Tyler and Blader (2000; 2003), we develop and test a model drawing on surveys from 151 board directors representing 119 U. S. publicly traded companies. Our findings show that the creation of a climate of respect within the boardroom, as well as board member and top management team (TMT) collaboration are positively related to “effort norms” and “cognitive conflict” processes. TMT and board member collaboration was also positively related to “use of expertise.” In turn, there was also evidence that “effort norms” and “cognitive conflict” have a positive effect on board task performance. CEO power did not have any impact on the boards’ task performance.
Exemplification: The self‐presentation of moral character

How do people come to terms with moral self-presentations and disconfirming behaviors? Subjects were exposed to the self-presentation of either an exemplifier (presenting himself as morally virtuous) or a pragmatist (presenting himself as morally adaptable) and then learned whether the self-presenter had or had not cheated for self-serving reasons in an earlier experiment Subjects clearly distinguished between exploitativeness and hypocrisy in their attributions, and considered a cheating exemplifier more hypocritical and self-deluding, but less exploitative and devious than a cheating pragmatist A second experiment manipulated subjects' involvement with the cheating of an exemplifier and a pragmatist by making half of the subjects its victims As in Experiment 1, uninvolved subjects considered the cheating exemplifier more hypocritical and less exploitative than a cheating pragmatist, however, involved subjects (victims) considered a cheating exemplifier more hypocritical but no less exploitative than a cheating pragmatist The results are discussed in terms of strategic self-presentation and the attribution of moral character
Technological impact of magnetic hard disk drives on storage systems

Magnetic hard disk drives have undergone vast technological improvements since their introduction as storage devices over 45 years ago, and these improvements have had a marked influence on how disk drives are applied and what they can do. Areal density increases have exceeded the traditional semiconductor development trajectory and have yielded higher-capacity, higher-performance, and smaller-form-factor disk drives, enabling desktop and mobile computers to store multi-gigabytes of data easily. Server systems containing large numbers of drives have achieved unparalleled reliability, performance, and storage capacity. All of these characteristics have been achieved at rapidly declining disk costs. This paper relates advances in disk drives to corresponding trends in storage systems and projects where these trends may lead in the future.
Metabolism of alkali-soluble and alkali-insoluble polysaccharides of dental plaque.

The sites and solubilities of oral metabolic enzymes of polysaccharides were studied by a technique that separates glucose and fructose polymers into alkali-soluble and alkali-insoluble fractions. The alkali-insoluble glucose polymers are greater in quantity than the alkali-soluble polymers.
Probing Phosphoinositide Kinetics With A Voltage-sensitive Phosphatase

Voltage-sensitive phosphatases (VSPs) have a voltage sensor linked to a phosphoinositide (PI) 5-phosphatase, which hydrolyzes plasma membrane PI-(4,5)-bisphosphate (PIP2) to PI(4)P (Iwasaki, PNAS 105, 7970). We used PIP2 hydrolysis by VSP from Ciona intestinalis (ci-VSP) and zebrafish (dr-VSP) to better understand PIP2 binding and resynthesis. PIP2 was monitored using the PIP2-sensitive M-current (KCNQ2/3) and FRET between a pair of PIP2-binding probes (PH-PLCδ1-CFP & PH-PLCδ1-YFP). Depolarizations to +100 mV lasting >50 ms reduced M-current and PH-probe FRET. PIP2 depletion was saturated by depolarizations lasting 500-1000 ms. Evidently PH-probe FRET and M-current respond quickly to changes in plasma membrane PIP2.After repolarization, PH-probe FRET and M-current relaxed to baseline values with time constants of ~10 s in a wortmannin-insensitive manner. This reflects endogenous PIP 5-kinase converting PI(4)P back to PI(4,5)P2. Overexpression of PIP 5-kinase increased the length of depolarization required to deplete PIP2, and speeded PIP2 recovery after repolarization.Recovery of PIP2 after VSP activation is ~10x faster than after PLC activation. However, it only requires PIP 5-kinase, whereas recovery after PLC activation requires PI 4-kinase and PIP 5-kinase in series. Thus PI 4-kinase must be the slower enzyme. To estimate the rate of PI 4-kinase, we compared translocation of a fluorescent probe that reports plasma membrane PI(4)P (PH-OSH2, T.Balla) to translocation of the PIP2-binding probe in confocal time-lapse imaging. Upon PLC activation through M1 receptors, the plasma membrane PI(4)P signal decreased 20 s later than the PIP2 signal. Both probes recovered with similar time courses. FRET photometry between either PIP2-probes or PI(4)P-probes showed comparable results. The simultaneous recovery of both probes is consistent with the hypothesis that recovery of PIP2 is governed by rate-limiting synthesis of PI(4)P by the PI 4-kinase, followed by rapid conversion of PI(4)P into PI(4,5)P2 by the PIP 5-kinase.NIH-NS008174&HFSP
Fusion of video encoding and image stabilization

Digital image stabilization (DIS) is an elementary function of hand-held video-capturing devices. In conventional combination, video encoding is performed after DIS. However, both DIS and video encoding have the same time-consuming unit: motion estimation (ME). Thus, a novel methodology for fusion of DIS and video encoding is proposed in this paper to reduce the computation of ME and produce coding-compliant motion vectors (MVs). That is accomplished by re-using the MVs of DIS and the variable block sizes defined in H.264; thus, macro blocks (MBs) with MVs need not to compute MVs again. In addition to the MBs used in DIS, the rest area f a stabilized P frame is partitioned into many blocks by means of the variable block size as defined in H.264. By using the proposed method, the saving in chip area will result in great reduction of power and cost. According to experiments, it is approximated that 25% of the ME can be eliminated.
Synthesis of Optimal Shape and Topology of Structures

In this paper, a method is proposed for the design optimization of structural components where both shape and topology are optimized. The boundaries of the shape of the structure are represented using contours of a shape density function. The contour of the density function corresponding to a threshold value is defined as the boundary of the shape. The shape density function is defined over a feasible domain and is represented by a continuous piece-wise interpolation over the finite elements used for structural analysis. The values of the density function at the nodes serve as the design variables of the optimization problem. The advantage of this shape representation is that both shape and topology of the structure can be modified and optimized by the optimization algorithm. Unlike previous methods for shape and topology optimization, the material is not modeled as porous or composite using the homogenization method. Instead the material properties of the structure are assumed to depend on the density function and many approximate material property-density relations have been studied. The shape and topology of structural components are optimized with the objective of minimizing the compliance subject to a constraint on the total mass of the structure.
Correlation between initial neonatal and early childhood outcomes following preterm birth.

Objective Neonatal diagnoses are often used as surrogate endpoints for longer-term outcomes. We sought to characterize the correlation between neonatal diagnoses and early childhood neurodevelopment. Study Design We conducted secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of antenatal magnesium sulfate vs placebo administered to women at imminent risk for delivery 2 SD below the mean. Data were analyzed by multiple regression models and area under receiver operating characteristic curves. Results A total of 1771 children met criteria. Children were delivered at a mean of 29.4 weeks' gestation. In all, 459 (25.9%) had neurodevelopmental impairment. In models controlling for gestational age at delivery, maternal education, maternal race, tobacco/alcohol/drug use during pregnancy, randomization to magnesium, fetal sex, and chorioamnionitis, individual neonatal morbidities were moderately predictive of childhood neurodevelopmental impairment (best model area under receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.65–0.71). Combinations of 2, 3, and 4 morbidities did not improve the prediction of neurodevelopmental impairment. Conclusion Approximately 1 in 4 previously preterm children had neurodevelopmental impairment at age 2 years. Prediction of childhood outcomes from neonatal diagnoses remains imperfect.
Kinetic self-assembly of metals on copolymer templates.

Dept. of Physics and James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637(February 2, 2008)In this work we seek to understand some of the fundamental processes that govern self-assemblyat the nanoscale in the context of the formation of metallic structures on patterned co-polymer tem-plates. To this end we focus on the experiments conducted by Lopes et al [2], where morphologiesresulting from the evaporation-deposition of diﬀerent metals on PS-b-PMMA phase separated tem-plates were studied. We show that the diﬀerent morphologies obtained can be understood in termsof the relative importance of the energetics and kinetics. We then focus on a particular morphol-ogy: micron long wire-like states obtained by the evaporation-deposition of silver on the template.We show the existence of “non-trivial” correlations between adjacent wires that can be understoodbased on a purely kinetic mechanism. We also compare these correlations quantitatively to thoseobtained from simulations done with the relevant experimental parameters and ﬁnd them in goodagreement.I. INTRODUCTION
Comment on a universal upper bound on the entropy-to-energy ratio for bounded systems

Some difficulties are noted with Bekenstein's arguments that a system with energy E and effective radius R has an entropy bound S< or =S/sub B/equivalent2..pi..ER/hc. The inequality appears to be valid only for large S/sub B/. For that regime an upper bound which is generally stronger is proposed.
A small space telescope to conduct a large spectroscopic survey of galaxies

One of the key goals of NASA’s astrophysics program is to answer the question: How did galaxies evolve into the spirals and elliptical galaxies that we see today? We describe a mission concept called Galaxy Evolution Spectroscopic Explorer (GESE) to address this question by making a large spectroscopic survey of galaxies at redshift, z~1-2 (lookback times of 8-10 billion years). GESE is a 1.5-m space telescope with a 3-channel multi-object slit spectrograph that can obtain spectra of ~400 galaxies per exposure. Together, the 3 channels cover the spectral range, 0.2-1.6 μm at a resolving power, R~400. (This observed spectral range corresponds to 0.1-0.8 μm in the restframe of a galaxy at a redshift, z=1 galaxy.) The mission concept takes advantage of two new technological advances: (1) light-weighted, wide field of view telescope mirrors, and (2) the Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) to be used as a slit generator in a multichannel (UV, optical, NIR), multi-object slit spectrograph.
Surface segregation of deuterium in a NbV alloy

Abstract The segregation of deuterium to the surface of NbV alloys has been studied using the technique of Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS). A number of effects were observed which affected the ion yield of deuterium from the NbV surface. Chief among these are the diffusion of deuterium to the surface during sputtering, segregation of deuterium to regions of high solute oxygen concentrations, trapping of deuterium at ion damaged regions produced by sputtering and segregation of deuterium to surfaces. Under suitable conditions surface segregation may be observed. Such segregation was observed to extend over distances of the order of 50 nm and to have a maximum concentration enhancement of about 100.