cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of the aquaglyceroporin HC-9 in a freeze-tolerant amphibian that accumulates glycerol seasonally.

Abstract As ambient temperatures fall in the autumn, freeze‐tolerant Cope9s gray treefrogs, Dryophytes chrysoscelis (formerly Hyla chrysoscelis ), accumulate glycerol as a cryoprotective agent. We hypothesized that these treefrogs express an ortholog of the mammalian aquaglyceroporin AQP9 and that AQP9 expression is upregulated in the cold to facilitate glycerol transport. We sequenced 1790 bp from cloned cDNA that codes for a 315 amino acid protein, HC‐9, containing the predicted six transmembrane spanning domains, two Asn‐Pro‐Ala (NPA) motifs, and five amino acid residues characteristic of aquaglyceroporins. Functional characterization after heterologous expression of HC‐9 cRNA in Xenopus laevis oocytes indicated that HC‐9 facilitates glycerol and water permeability and is partially inhibited by 0.5 mmol/L phloretin or 0.3 mmol/L HgCl 2 . HC‐9 mRNA (qPCR) and protein (immunoblot) were expressed in most treefrog tissues analyzed (muscle, liver, bladder, stomach, kidney, dorsal skin, and ventral skin) except the protein fraction of red blood cells. Contrary to our prediction, both mRNA and protein expression were either unchanged or downregulated in most tissues in response to cold, freezing, and thawing. A notable exception to that pattern occurred in liver, where protein expression was significantly elevated in frozen (~4‐fold over warm) and thawed (~6‐fold over warm) conditions. Immunofluorescence labeling of HC‐9 protein revealed a signal that appeared to be localized to the plasma membrane of hepatocytes. Our results indicate that gray treefrogs express an AQP9‐like protein that facilitates glycerol permeability. Both the transcriptional and translational levels of HC‐9 change in response to thermal challenges, with a unique increase in liver during freezing and thawing.
Intermolecular Pauson–Khand reactions of N-substituted maleimides

Abstract Co2(CO)8-mediated intermolecular Pauson–Khand reactions of N-substituted maleimides with terminal alkynes are described, producing maleimide-fused cyclopentenones. The transformation differs from other intermolecular Pauson–Khand-type reactions of electron-deficient olefins, which react with Co2(CO)8 and alkynes to produce conjugated dienes, or generally require terminal, monosubstituted olefins to generate cyclopentenones. The reaction works well for N-benzyl, N-aryl, and N-alkyl substituted maleimides, and tolerates branching at the 3-position of the terminal alkyne. N–H maleimide, N–CO2Me maleimide, and maleic anhydride do not take part in the transformation.
Local debris management planning and FEMA policies on disaster recovery in the United States

Abstract Disaster debris management can be time-consuming and costly. Past research suggests that the presence of pre-disaster debris management plans promotes effective and efficient debris operations, which ultimately leads to a speedier recovery. In spite of the importance of debris management planning, there has been little research on the consistency between local plans and federal policies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed its second Pilot Program in 2013 to provide guidance for planning and managing debris after disasters. This program provides communities with a set of required plan components. Based on a sample of 38 debris management plans, this study analyzes the extent to which debris management plans are in compliance with the guidance put forth by the Pilot Program. The counties in this study received FEMA major disaster declarations between 2011 and 2016. Inferential statistics suggest that the sample is representative of the larger population of counties that had disaster declarations and debris management plans in place before the disaster occurred. After the plans were evaluated, they were ranked and divided into clusters in order to better understand the relationships between federal guidance and local debris management planning. While the majority of plans mentioned most of the components, few included substantial detail and examples. Plans were most lacking in components related to force account labor responsibilities and compliance with environmental and historic regulations. This study also found that plans with higher-scoring components had more detailed guidance in FEMA's 2007 and 2016 Public Assistance and debris management guides than plans with lower-scoring components.
Reading Speed and Reading Comprehension in Age-related Macular Degeneration

Purpose To evaluate the impact of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) on short out-loud and sustained silent reading speeds, and reading comprehension. Design Prospective, cross-sectional. Methods Setting : Wilmer Eye Institute. Population : Literate, native-English speakers with and without AMD. AMD participants had better-eye visual acuity (VA) 20/100, while controls had binocular VA >20/32. Procedures : MNRead was used to assess short-duration out-loud reading speed. Sustained silent reading test was used to evaluate sustained silent reading speeds, while reading comprehension was assessed based on silent reading test text. Outcome Measures : MNRead maximum reading speed, sustained-silent reading speed, and comprehension score. Results Analyses included 24 AMD patients and 22 controls. In age-adjusted regressions, AMD participants, compared to controls, read 46 words per minute (wpm) slower on MNRead (95% confidence interval [CI]: −66, −26, P Conclusions AMD patients read slower than controls when forced to read out loud. When asked to read silently over a longer duration, both groups read at similar speeds, though AMD patients demonstrated substantially lower comprehension scores, suggesting that they chose to sacrifice comprehension for speed.
Mechanical Properties of Ultrafine Grain 2519 Aluminum Alloy

The effect of percentage thickness reduction and annealing time on the mechanical properties of cryo-rolled AA 2519 aluminum (Al) alloy were examined. Tensile tests was performed on samples in the longitudinal, transverse and at 45° to the rolling direction. The mechanical properties such as the Yield Strength (YS) and the Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) were observed to improve when compared to as-received sample of the 2519 alloy. This is in agreement with the Hall-Petch relationship. The highest variations in these properties were observed in the longitudinal direction, followed by the 45° and the lowest values were obtained in the transverse direction. However, the difference between the mechanical properties in the various directions decreased with an increase in annealing time showing homogeneous distribution of the fine particles.
Eye-opening Etiologies.

A 5-year-old boy with a history of Trisomy 21, obstructive sleep apnea, moderate persistent asthma, and paroxysmal tonic upgaze (a nonepileptic syndrome of childhood) presented to the pediatrician in the summer with fevers, cough, congestion, and increased work of breathing. He was diagnosed with pneumonia on chest radiograph and treated with amoxicillin, albuterol nebulizers, twice-daily ipratropium nebulizers, twice-daily ipratropium nasal sprays, and oral prednisone as part of his sick plan. After 1 week of treatment, he was starting to improve when he suddenly developed a fixed and dilated left pupil. The family came immediately to the emergency department, where he was found to have anisocoria (right pupil 3 mm to 2 mm; left pupil 5.5 mm to 5 mm) without ophthalmoplegia or ptosis. The rest of his neurologic examination revealed unremarkable results. The case was discussed with the ophthalmology and neurology departments, and the decision was made to admit him to the hospital for a sedated MRI. Because of the high volume of patients requiring sedated imaging, he was hospitalized for 2 days for the scan, the results of which were normal. The ipratropium was discontinued on admission; …
Intelligence: Historical and Conceptual Perspectives

Intelligence refers to individual differences in cognitive competence. Traditionally intelligence has been associated with the use of IQ scores in academics and clinical psychology. This is too limiting. Test scores predict success in industrial settings about as well as they predict success in academic settings. These predictions are far from perfect, but they are better than any other predictors that we have. Individual differences in mental competence can be evaluated. However the one-number IQ is too limiting. There are several factors of mental competence, all of which are correlated but distinct. The three most important are the ability to solve new and unfamiliar problems (fluid intelligence), the ability to solve problems by applying previously learned methods to the current problem (crystallized intelligence), and the ability to reason about spatial-visual information. Fluid intelligence appears to be tied strongly to forebrain capacities to control attention and hold information in memory, spatial–visual reasoning is related to the performance of the visual system and the hippocampus. The basis for crystallized intelligence is less clear, although education is certainly a major component. Intelligence test scores are influenced strongly by genetics. The exact mechanisms is not known, but now that the human genome has been unraveled we can expect considerable progress on this issue.
Topology Inference of Unknown Networks Based on Robust Virtual Coordinate Systems

Learning and exploring the connectivity of unknown networks represent an important problem in practical applications of communication networks and social-media networks. Modeling large-scale networks as connected graphs is highly desirable to extract their connectivity information among nodes to visualize network topology, disseminate data, and improve routing efficiency. This paper investigates a simple measurement model in which a small subset of source nodes collect hop distance information from networked nodes in order to generate a virtual coordinate system (VCS) for networks of unknown topology. We establish the VCS to define logical distance among nodes based on principal component analysis and to determine connectivity relationship and effective routing methods. More importantly, we present a robust analytical algorithm to derive the VCS against practical issues of missing and corrupted measurements. We also develop a connectivity inference method which classifies nodes into layers based on the hop distances and derives partial information on network connectivity.
Introduction: ‘Truth in Advertising’—Shakespeare and the 99 Percent

The introductory essay to the volume addresses the collection’s appropriation of the discourse of Occupy Wall Street and the 99 percent as means of examining inequities in higher education. In setting up the main concerns of the collection, we suggest that “Shakespeare”—the playwright, the field, the profession—like “the 99 percent” of the Occupy movement, works in the essays as heuristic analogy, as a collective site for teasing out and making visible the complex, and often complicit, relations between literary studies as an intellectual discipline and the profession as a social organization, relations that result in a host of inequities across higher education, having to do with race, class, and gender but also with place, prestige, and resources.
Opening up strategy formulation: Benefits, risks, and some suggestions

Abstract Strategy is an important tool for competitive success and how firms formulate and implement strategy is widely discussed in both the academic and practitioner literature. Historically, there has been a divide between strategy formulation and execution. Strategy formulation has largely been associated with top management teams, while implementation was assigned to middle and lower-level managers. Organizations can benefit from broadening the strategy formulation process to include a range of both external and internal stakeholders. In this article, we explore the promise and risks associated with open strategy and offer some suggestions for overcoming associated dysfunctions.
Ultrafast Vibrational Cooling Inside of a Molecular Container.

Vibrational cooling of azulene encapsulated in a hemicarcerand molecular container was studied by pump–probe spectroscopy. Within 1.5 ps of excitation of azulene to the S1 state, rapid internal con...
Low Irradiance During Rooting Improves Propagation of Oak and Maple Taxa

Abstract Rooting trials were conducted to determine if the duration of exposure to low levels of solar irradiance during root initiation influenced rooting and survival of semihardwood cuttings of ...
Multiscalar spatial analysis of urban flood risk and environmental justice in the Charlanta megaregion, USA

Abstract Previous research exploring the environmental justice implications of urban flood hazards has produced contrasting results due to the different dasymetric mapping techniques used, the various spatial scales of the analyses, and the specific geographical context of the individual study cities, particularly as it relates to the presence of coastal water-based amenities. To better understand if vulnerable populations are disproportionately exposed to urban flood hazards in non-coastal cities, this study assessed the magnitude of socio-economic inequities in flood risk throughout the Charlanta megaregion. Specifically, population characteristics within the 500-year flood zone were estimated using United States Census Bureau data for race, ethnicity, and poverty by applying three dasymetric mapping techniques at four spatial scales. Risk ratios were used to statistically evaluate if vulnerable populations were overrepresented in areas at risk for flooding overall as well as for lake and non-lake regions. Although the results varied according to the scale and socio-economic variable, the most accurate dasymetric mapping approach indicated that environmental injustices were systemic, as vulnerable individuals were between 14% and 42% more likely to reside in areas at risk for flooding when analyzing the entire megaregion. At the metropolitan scale, vulnerable individuals were still significantly more likely to reside in flood zones, and the influence of lake amenities on the disparities was nuanced. A complex spatial landscape of inequities was also observed at the county and census tract levels. Overall, the notable disparities faced particularly by non-Hispanic black and Hispanic populations suggest that urban flood risk inequities in the megaregion are largely due to structural forms of discrimination and residential segregation, which have been pervasive throughout the development of Charlanta.
The six-minute walk test as a fall risk screening tool in community programs for persons with stroke: a cross-sectional analysis

Background and Purpose: Persons with stroke have increased risk for recurrent stroke. Group exercise programs like cardiac rehabilitation might reduce this risk. These programs commonly use the six-minute walk test to measure aerobic capacity. However, failure to assess fall risk may compromise safety for persons with stroke. The study aim was to determine the association between the six-minute walk test and fall risk in persons with stroke.Methods: Cross-sectional analysis measured the association between the six-minute walk test and fall risk in 66 persons with stroke with a mean age of 66 years (SD 12) and median stroke chronicity of 60.9 months (range 6.0-272.1). The six-minute walk test was evaluated using logistic regression. The best fit model was used in Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis. Likelihood ratios and post-test probabilities were calculated.Results: Lower six-minute walk test distance was associated with increased fall risk in logistic regression (p = .002). The area under the curve for the univariate six-minute walk test model (best fit) was 0.701 (p = .006). The cutoff for increased fall risk was six-minute walk test <331.65 m. The post-test probability of fall risk increased to 74.3% from a pre-test probability of 59.1%.Discussion: The moderate association between fall risk and six-minute walk test suggests that in addition to assessing capacity, the six-minute walk test provides insight into fall risk/balance confidence.Conclusion: Using the six-minute walk test cutoff to screen fall risk in community exercise programs may enhance safety for persons with stroke without additional testing required.
"Coming Out Okay": Community Narratives for LGBTQ Identity Recovery Work

Online communities provide support for those who are vulnerable, such as LGBTQ people while coming out. Research shows that social support and personal narrative construction are important when recovering from personal crises and traumatic events. As an online community focused on writing fanfiction and also consisting of a large number of LGBTQ members, transformative fandom provides an opportunity to examine the relationship between support, crisis, and narrative. Through an interview study with 31 LGBTQ fanfiction authors, our findings mirror Herman's model of trauma recovery: these spaces self-organize to support recovery work through constructing "community narratives" that help LGBTQ people establish safety when exploring their identity and build LGBTQ support structures without publicly outing themselves before they are ready, challenge stereotypes, and support others through reshaping existing media that perpetuate inaccurate or harmful LGBTQ narratives. These online communities embody "selective visibility"--that is, though not specifically designed as support structures for identity work and recovery, their design allows people to selectively find and create communities of support for stigmatized issues that they might be unable to safely seek out in other spaces. Based on lessons learned, we generate insights that can inform the design of safe support spaces online.
Examining Internal Displacement through the Rohingya Crisis

The plight of refugees has recently received considerable media coverage. Yet, little attention is given to groups who are internally displaced. The purpose of this article is to model one way to t...
Representation as indwelling: Contextualizing Michael Psellos’ empsychos graphe across artistic, liturgical, and literary theory

Through terms that articulate the arts as the results of divine possession or inspiration, the writings of Byzantine thinkers repeatedly expressed the manner in which representation was believed to operate as a form of divine indwelling occurring beyond the skill and originality of the artist, writer, or performer. Beyond ideas of naturalism or style, the literary, visual, and performance arts arose through the event of divine participation. The goal of this article is to contextualize the concept of empsychos graphe, as articulated by Michael Psellos, within a longer and broader history of similar concepts across literary, liturgical, and artistic thought.
Instability After All-Cause Acetabular-Only Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty Remains a Clinical Problem.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to (1) evaluate the rate of instability and reoperation after acetabular component–only revision, (2) compare instability rates across various head sizes, and (3) determine patient factors correlating with postoperative instability. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all isolated acetabular component revisions (n = 200) at our institution between 2007 and 2017. Patients with less than one-year follow-up were excluded. Patients were subdivided into 4 head size groups: (1) 32 mm or less, (2) 36 mm or more, (3) dual mobility, and (4) constrained liners. Factors including the body mass index, cup position, prior revision(s), and subsequent reoperation were compared across groups. Results 189 patients (200 hips) met the inclusion criteria. The overall rate of instability was 12% (n = 24), and 37 (18.5%) cases underwent subsequent revision, including 11 cases for recurrent instability. There was no significant difference in postoperative dislocation or reoperation for instability across the various groups. The use of a constrained liner trended toward the highest rate of postoperative instability (36.4%, P = .090). History of preoperative instability was a significant risk factor for postoperative instability with or without history of prior revision (P = .011 and P = .001, respectively). Conclusion Contemporary isolated acetabular revision is still associated with significant rates of instability. Surprisingly, the head size was not a predictive factor for postoperative dislocation or reoperation, but a prior history of instability was associated with postoperative instability. Patients revised to a constrained liner experienced highest rates of failure and remain an unsolved clinical problem.
Jackknife empirical likelihood for the mean difference of two zero-inflated skewed populations

Abstract In constructing a confidence interval for the mean difference of two independent populations, we may encounter the problem of having a low coverage probability when there are many zeros in the data, and the non-zero values are highly positively skewed. The violation of the normality assumption makes parametric methods inefficient in such cases. In this paper, jackknife empirical likelihood (JEL) and adjusted jackknife empirical likelihood (AJEL) methods are proposed to construct a nonparametric confidence interval for the mean difference of two independent zero-inflated skewed populations. The JEL and AJEL confidence intervals are compared with the confidence intervals by normal approximation and empirical likelihood proposed by Zhou and Zhou (2005). Simulation studies are performed to assess the new methods. Two real-life datasets are also used as an illustration of the proposed methodologies.
Analysis of popular educational manga on World War II for students in Japan

This paper critically examines how three educational manga texts render the history of World War II for upper elementary, middle, and high school students in Japan. Informed by critical theory, the...
The Cost of a Fall Among Older Adults Requiring Emergency Services

Background/objective The cost of a fall among older adults requiring emergency services is unclear, especially beyond the acute care period. We evaluated medical expenditures (costs) to 1 year among community-dwelling older adults who fell and required ambulance transport, including acute versus post-acute periods, the primary drivers of cost, and comparison to baseline expenditures. Design Retrospective cohort analysis. Setting Forty-four emergency medical services agencies transporting to 51 emergency department in seven northwest counties from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2011, with follow-up through December 31, 2012. Participants We included 2,494 community-dwelling adults, 65 years and older, transported by ambulance after a fall with continuous fee-for-service Medicare coverage. Measurements The primary outcome was total Medicare expenditures to 1 year (2019 U.S. dollars), with separation by acute versus post-acute periods and by cost category. We included 48 variables in a standardized risk-adjustment model to generate adjusted cost estimates. Results The median age was 83 years, with 74% female, and 41.9% requiring admission during the index visit. The median total cost of a fall to 1 year was $26,143 (interquartile range (IQR) = $9,634-$68,086), including acute care median $1,957 (IQR = $1,298-$12,924) and post-acute median $20,560 (IQR = $5,673-$58,074). Baseline costs for the previous year were median $8,642 (IQR = $479-$10,948). Costs increased across all categories except outpatient, with the largest increase for inpatient costs (baseline median $0 vs postfall median $9,477). In multivariable analysis, the following were associated with higher costs: high baseline costs, older age, comorbidities, extremity fractures (lower extremity, pelvis, and humerus), noninjury diagnoses, and surgical interventions. Compared with baseline, costs increased for 74.6% of patients, with a median increase of $12,682 (IQR = -$185 to $51,189). Conclusion Older adults who fall and require emergency services have increased healthcare expenditures compared with baseline, particularly during the post-acute period. Comorbidities, noninjury medical conditions, fracture type, and surgical interventions were independently associated with increased costs.
The Impact of the European Court of Human Rights on Justice Sector Reform in the Republic of Moldova

For this study, I reviewed the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights against the Republic of Moldova and the corresponding reports of the Committee of Ministers from 1997 through 2014. In addition, I interviewed more than 25 lawyers, judges, and human rights advocates. After analyzing the effectiveness of the Court in terms of compliance with the judgments in specific cases (individual measures), I will assess the broader impact of these decisions (general measures) on legal reforms and public policy in the Republic of Moldova. I will evaluate the effectiveness of the decisions of the ECtHR in the context of the implementation of Moldova’s Justice Sector Reform Strategy (2011-2015), the Council of Europe’s Action Plan to Support Democratic Reforms in the Republic of Moldova (2013-2016), and Moldova’s National Human Rights Action Plan (2011-2014). My findings will offer insights into the constraints faced by the ECtHR in implementing its decisions and the impact of the ECtHR on national legal systems.
A Phenomenological Exploration of Client Meaningful Experiences in Family Counseling

This is a constructivist phenomenological study of client meaningful experiences in family counseling where researchers employed two post-session interviews with each family. The sample consisted o...
Optimizing multiscale texture invariants for the identification of bivalve larvae

This paper describes a novel application of multiscale texture invariants and statistical learning theory to the identification of 6 species of bivalve larvae in biological oceanography. Our data consists of polarized color images of scallop and other bivalve larvae (between 2 and 17 days old) collected from the ocean by a shipboard optical imaging system of our design. Larvae of scallops, clams, and oysters are small (100 microns) with few distinguishing features when observed under standard light microscopy. However, the use of polarized light with a full wave retardation plate produces a vivid color, bi-refringence pattern. The patterns display very subtle differences between species, often not discernable to human observers. Our texture invariants are extracted from Gabor wavelet transforms of each image. We show that by constraining the Gabor center frequencies to be low, the invariants can be optimized to capture subtle inter-species colored-texture differences. When used as input to a support vector machine classifier, the invariants provide classification of larvae to species with accuracy of 85%.
A model for integrating arts and technology in a liberal arts college

Teaching and research in interdisciplinary fields has been traditionally deferred to graduate levels. On the other hand the prominent goal of liberal arts education is to engage its students in a broad spectrum of fields. Far too often these different fields appear, to the students, to be separate discrete disciplines. What is needed for meaningful interaction is a catalyzing agent. This is achieved through a center model that takes on a major role in shaping the curriculum for better coherence among the traditional fields. This paper describes a working example of this endeavor and concentrates on integrating arts and technology into a liberal arts curriculum. The center model is first introduced, followed by a description of the student certificate component. The integration of this model into the Computer Science program is explained and the level of research involvement is exemplified.
Pyruvate decarboxylase III. Specificity restrictions for thiamine pyrophosphate in the protein association step, sub-unit structure.

Pyruvate decarboxylase dissociates into sub-units of one half the molecular weight at alkaline pH. At the same conditions the cofactors thiamine pyrophosphate and Mg2+ are released and can be separated from the protein. Thiamine pyrophosphate is an obligatory cofactor for reconstitution to the oligomer [1]. In this study the effect of thiamine pyrophosphate derivatives (thiamine monophosphate, thiamine, and thiazole pyrophosphate) upon the reconstitution procedure was evaluated. The complete association of sub-units to form active oligomer was attained only when thiamine pyrophosphate was present. It is concluded that both the pyrimidine ring and the pyrophosphate group are required for productive co-enzyme binding and it is proposed that this interaction effects a conformational change which promotes protomer aggregation to form the enzymatically active holoenzyme. In addition data are presented which indicate that the monomer unit is 60 000 ± 3000 daltons and that the N-terminal amino acid is histidine. Since the molecular weight of the active oligomer is 230 000 it is proposed that pyruvate decarboxylase is a tetramer comprised of four identical or nearly identical monomer units.
Steroid hormone regulation of vasopressinergic neurotransmission in the central nervous system.

Vasopressinergic neurotransmission is intimately linked to steroid hormone signaling. Both arginine8 vasopressin (VP) and the extrahypothalamic VP V1a receptors are regulated by steroid hormones. Here, we present work that has been done in our laboratory, investigating mechanisms underlying steroid hormone effects on the expression of both VP and its primary receptor in the brain, the VP V1a receptor. Data on VP receptors, their coupling to second messenger pathways, their localization in brain, and their regulation by peptide exposure are discussed. We also cover the regulation of the V1a receptor by adrenal hormones, and the molecular basis of this effect. Evidence for the existence of other receptors for VP in the brain is presented. Lastly, the regulation of the VP peptide by gonadal hormones is discussed at the transcriptional level in the rodent brain. Finally, the potential significance of the 'cross-talk' between the vasopressinergic system and the steroid hormone system is addressed.
Developing bridging bilingual/bicultural (the 3B Framework) courses to prepare international students for the American online classroom in an adult learning environment

Through the development of ―3B‖ (Bridging Bilingual/Bicultural) courses that use Web 2.0 tools, such as wikis, blogs, videoconferencing, lecture capture, asynchronous discussions, and virtual worlds, the Center for Distance Learning (CDL) at SUNY Empire State College seeks to enhance its curriculum to better accommodate international students studying remotely from their countries. Since 2007, CDL has been offering ―International eLearning Skills for Russian Speaking Students‖ for individual students, as well as through partnerships with universities in the former Soviet Union. The course designed and taught by bilingual professors helps students overcome language, cultural, technological, and organizational barriers to global learning. The course introduces students to the use of learning technologies and helps them adjust their learning style to the learning culture of an American online college. The development of the course is informed by ongoing cross-cultural research.
Placenta growth factor promotes autophagy in lung epithelial cell through JNK and p38 MAPK pathway

Purpose: Increased placenta growth factor (PlGF) level was discovered in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Autophagy was emerging importance in pulmonary disease, exp COPD. However, underlying mechanism between PlGF and autophagy was still unknown. Materials and Methods: In this study, the stimulated concentrations of PlGF were 25, 50, 100 pg/ml respectively for apoptosis detection in human lung epithelial cells (S-cells). Quantification with autophagy was measured by the Fluorescein microscope for GFP detection and LC3B II expression. Besides, signaling pathways with different kinases were also assayed with ELISA and Western Blotting. Besides, in vivo with animal study with instillation procine pancreatic elastase (PPE) from trachea was also performed for evaluation. Results: In cultured human bronchial epithelial cells, PlGF (dose: 100ng/ml) induced LC3B II expression by over 3-fold (p Conclusion: Our findings revealed that PlGF induced autophagy with LC3B II over-expression in vitro and vivo study and underlying mechanism was via JNK and p38 MAPK signaling cascades. Further studies should be performed in human lung tissue for confirmation.
Guidelines and rules for automated assembly by robots in space

The installation of robots and their use for assembly in space will create an exciting and successful future for the US space program. This proposed research will develop the guidelines and rules for automated assembly in space. It will incorporate the various modifications in the design of the parts and the products in order to ease the assembly.
Lost but Not Forgotten

During its developmental transformation in the mammalian host, Trypanosma cruzi discards it flagellum into the cytoplasm of the host cell. In the current issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Kurup and Tarleton (2014) exploit the antigens made available by this process to develop a more effective vaccine strategy.
Triacylglycerols and wax esters in the lipids of deep midwater teleost fishes of the Southern California Bight

Total lipid contents and the proportions of triacylglycerols and wax esters were examined in 23 species of deep-sea fishes collected between 1977 and 1980 in the Santa Catalina, San Clemente and San Pedro Basins off Southern California, USA. Mean total lipid content ranged from 1 to 22% of wet weight. Triacylglycerols accounted for 1 to 91% of total lipids present and were more abundant than wax esters in the lipids of all but a single species. Wax ester contents ranged from 0 to 24% of total lipids but in 20 species were 10% of the lipids. These results do not substantiate the previously suggested idea that wax esters are important constituents of the lipids of deep-sea fishes. Moreover, the hypothesis that wax ester content increases with increasing depth of occurrence is not supported. To assess the importance of the lipids present in bouyancy regulation, the water content and swimbladder inflation of these species were also examined. Neither total lipids nor wax esters appear to play an important role in buoyancy regulation in the majority of these fishes. Eight species have gas-filled swimbladders. Of the species lacking inflated swimbladders, 7 have watery bodies (87 to 95% H2O) and 6 with low lipid (≦8.3%) and water (≦85%) contents may need to swim continuously to maintain their position in the water column. Lipids, largely in the form of triacylglycerols, may be important in the buoyancy of three species with lipid contents>10% of wet weight. Two of these species also possess inflated swimbladders. The reasons for the production of large quantitites of was esters by certain deep-sea teleosts, especially gonostomatids and myctophids, remain unknown.
The relationship of neuropsychological status and productive outcomes following traumatic brain injury

Neuropsychological assessment is a standard component of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation programmes; however, the relationship between neuropsychological test scores and functional abilities is not clear. The current study compared serial neuropsychological test data with functional outcomes for 152 subjects. Outcome was operationally defined for three activity settings (home, school, work) with six levels of productivity for each. Productivity was defined as one's ability to function at increasing levels of independence. Demographic and caseload variables were analysed utilizing correlation and stepwise multiple regression analyses. Significant relationships to outcome were found between certain neuropsychological test scores, and certain demographic variables. Positive outcomes were related in part to patient's speed of information processing, memory skills, and simultaneous processing abilities. Also related to positive outcomes were mechanism of injury, level of insurance funding, premorbid educational level, and negative history of substance abuse. The activity setting influenced outcome such that it appeared to be most difficult to return to work, suggesting the necessity of adequate vocational assistance. However, cognitive and demographic variables accounted for less than 30% of the total variance in outcome. Therefore, brain injury rehabilitation must be multifaceted.
Adsorption of ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock copolymers at the air/water interface

Abstract Capillary wave and Wilhelmy plate techniques have been used to study the adsorption kinetics of ethylene/propylene/ethylene oxide triblock copolymers (F127 and F68). By using the simple test that we proposed earlier, we have established that adsorption concentration Γ(t) of these copolymers increases with t 1 2 , after the formation of fresh interface. This observation suggests that the adsorption of these copolymers is diffusion-limited. The stress relaxation experiments performed on equilibrium surfaces of these copolymers show that the surface tension response to a step-type surface area change can be interpreted by the diffusion-controlled matter-exchange mechanism, even though these polymers are polydispersed. The high-frequency surface dilational modulus ϵ0 and the average diffusive relaxation time constant τ d are obtained as functions of polymer concentration.
Sequential events in the formation of collagen secretion granules with special reference to the development of segment‐long‐spacing‐like aggregates

The formation and maturation of collagen secretion granules in periodontal ligament (PDL) fibroblasts of young male Balb-C mice were studied by electron microscopy and cytochemistry. The Golgi apparatus was composed of several dictyosomes, each consisting of a stack of five smooth-walled cisternae. Each cisterna was connected at both ends to a dilated saccule. The cisternae, with their associated pairs of saccules, underwent progressive maturational changes from the immature to mature face of each dictyosome. The most immature saccules (type 1) were large, spherical, and filled with loosely arranged short filamentous structures. These saccules were continuous with the first and second Golgi cisternae (counting from the immature side). Golgi saccules type 2 were ellipsoidal, associated with the third and fourth cisternae, and contained parallel, elongate filaments. The most mature saccules, type 3, were more rectangular and connected by a short fifth cisterna. They contained aggregated filamentous material in the form of eight segment-long-spacing (SLS)-like crystallites, one in the center and seven at the periphery, to form a basic secretory unit. As type 3 saccules matured, the interconnecting cisterna progressively shortened until the two saccules were nearly juxtaposed. At this time the shortened fifth cisterna split to give rise to two independent presecretory granules. By progressive condensation, presecretory granules matured into secretion granules that contained a densely packed SLS- like aggregate, within which individual crystallites were no longer discernable. Maturation of cisternae and saccules involved removal of membrane, apparently by the formation and detachment of coated vesicles. The staining reaction with silver methenamine and phosphotungstic acid increased over the procollagen as the saccules matured, indicating addition of carbohydrate moieties and possible crosslinkages. It is concluded that the formation and maturation of collagen secretion granules in PDL fibroblasts involves the packaging and further modification of eight SLS-like crystallites, which are secreted as a basic unit.
Branch grafting method for R-tree implementation

Abstract R-trees are an important spatial data structure for database storage. In this paper, we introduce a new method, called branch grafting method , for R-tree implementation. The major motivation of this proposed technique is to produce more desirable result and to reduce the number of nodes created in the R-tree. We present this method by comparing it with reinsertion method as used in R*-tree. Experiments have been carried out, and the strength of this proposed method is outlined.
Sensitivity enhanced heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy in multidimensional solid-state NMR of oriented systems via chemical shift coherences.

We present new sensitivity enhanced schemes for heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy (HETCOR) in solid-state NMR of oriented systems. These schemes will enhance the sensitivity of the HETCOR by 40% for the two-dimensional experiments (SE-HETCOR) and up to 180% for the 3D HETCOR-separated local field version (SE-PISEMAI-HETCOR). The signal enhancement is demonstrated for a single crystal of (15N)N-acetylleucine and the integral membrane protein sarcolipin oriented in lipid bicelles. These methods will significantly reduce the time needed to acquire multidimensional experiments for membrane proteins oriented in magnetically or mechanically aligned lipid bilayers as well as liquid crystalline materials.
The effect of ionizing radiation on the preservation of amino acids on Mars

Amino acids are excellent biomarkers in the search for life on Mars because they are essential for biology as we know it and they are robust enough to survive for billions of years in the cold and dry Martian environment. However, amino acids and other organic compounds on Mars are exposed to the ionizing radiation from space and from the decay of radionuclides. This process and its role in the preservation of organic compounds has not been adequately addressed in the past. Based on measured radiolysis constants of amino acids and radiation dose estimates for Mars we show that the detection of an amino acid signature derived from an early Martian biosphere is not limited by its radiolytic decomposition as long as the amino acids are shielded adequately from space radiation. This indicates clearly the need to access the Martian subsurface in the search for molecular traces of an extinct Martian biosphere.
Load-independent left ventricular function in a hemorrhagic shock model

Abstract Load-independent left ventricular (LV) function has been recently shown to be reversibly depressed in septic shock. The peak systolic pressure to end systolic volume ratio (PSP/ESV) is a load independent measure of LV function. We evaluated PSP/ESV in a porcine model of hemorrhagic shock. Hemorrhagic shock was induced in five adult swine by arterial bleeding to a mean arterial pressure of 45–65 mmHg. This hypotension was maintained for 30 min, and then each animal was resuscitated to baseline mean arterial pressure using shed blood and crystalloid solution. Data (echocardiographically derived ejection fraction and oxygen transport parameters) were collected at baseline, after 30 min of hypotension and postresuscitation. Although the cardiac index, a marker for systolic function, and the mean arterial pressure, as well as oxygen delivery and consumption returned to baseline levels, the PSP/ESV ratio remained low despite adequate fluid resuscitation. This model provides a reproducible hemodynamically stable cardiac dysfunction associated with hemorrhagic shock.
The use of chlorate, nitrate, and perchlorate to promote crude oil mineralization in salt marsh sediments

Due to the high volume of crude oil released by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the salt marshes along the gulf coast were contaminated with crude oil. Biodegradation of crude oil in salt marshes is primarily limited by oxygen availability due to the high organic carbon content of the soil, high flux rate of S(2-), and saturated conditions. Chlorate, nitrate, and perchlorate were evaluated for use as electron acceptors in comparison to oxygen by comparing oil transformation and mineralization in mesocosms consisting of oiled salt marsh sediment from an area impacted by the BP Horizon oil spill. Mineralization rates were determined by measuring CO2 production and δ (13)C of the produced CO2 and compared to transformation evaluated by measuring the alkane/hopane ratios over a 4-month period. Total alkane/hopane ratios decreased (~55-70 %) for all treatments in the following relative order: aerated ≈ chlorate > nitrate > perchlorate. Total CO2 produced was similar between treatments ranging from 550-700 mg CO2-C. The δ (13)C-CO2 values generally ranged between the indigenous carbon and oil values (-17 and -27‰, respectively). Oil mineralization was greatest for the aerated treatments and least for the perchlorate amended. Our results indicate that chlorate has a similar potential as oxygen to support oil mineralization in contaminated salt marshes, but nitrate and perchlorate were less effective. The use of chlorate as a means to promote oil mineralization in situ may be a promising means to remediate contaminated salt marshes while preventing unwanted secondary impacts related to nutrient management as in the case of nitrate amendments.
Computer simulation and visualization of vacancy defects in MgSiO 3 perovskite

We have performed the first-principles simulations within the local density and pseudopotential approximations to investigate the effects of pressure on the energetics and atomic and electronic structural behaviour of vacancy defects in MgSiO3 perovskite. The simulations use a supercell containing 160 atoms whose positions are fully optimized for each defective system. Schottky formation energy is shown to increase by a factor of 2.5 over the pressure regime (0 to 150 GPa) studied. The calculated three-dimensional datasets for atomic configuration and electron charge density are visualized in detail. It is shown that these point defects induce substantial distortions in the surrounding atomic and electronic structures, and these distortions remain nearly unchanged with pressure.
Detecting Cortical Surface Regions in Structural MR Data

We present a novel level-set method for evolving open surfaces embedded in three-dimensional volumes. We adapt the method for statistical detection and segmentation of cytoarchitectonic regions of the cortical ribbon (e.g., Brodmann areas). In addition, we incorporate an explicit interface appearance model which is oriented normal to the open surface, allowing one to model characteristics beyond voxel intensities and high gradients. We show that such models are well suited to detecting embedded cortical structures. Appearance models of the interface are used in two ways: firstly, to evolve an open surface in the normal direction for the purpose of detecting the location of the surface, and secondly, to evolve the boundary of the surface in a direction tangential to the surface in order to delineate the extent of a specific Brodmann area within the cortical ribbon. The utility of the method is demonstrated on a challenging ex-vivo structural MR dataset for detection of Brodmann area 17.
Preclinical pharmacology of alendronate

This brief review summarizes some of the preclinical findings of studies aimed at assessing the efficacy and safety of the aminobisphosphonate alendronate (ALN) in preventing or restoring the bone loss caused by calcium or estrogen deficiency. Mode of action studies show that ALN localizes at sites of bone resorption and inhibits osteoclastic activity. In secondary hyperparathyroidism caused by calcium-deficient diets in the rat, ALN reduced the bone loss. For low doses, daily administration proved most efficient. In ovariectomized rats, ALN both prevented and reversed the bone changes produced by estrogen deficiency at oral doses equivalent to 0.1 mg/kg per day or higher, and also maintained the mechanical strength of vertebrae. In ovariectomized baboons, which show bone changes similar to those seen in ovariectomized women, ALN also prevented the increase in bone turnover and increased both bone volume and bone strength in vertebrae. In a comparative study between ALN and etidronate, we found that ALN was 1000-fold more potent in inhibiting bone resorption and had at least a 1000-fold higher safety margin with respect to inhibition of mineralization and osteomalacia.